A motion calling for the far-right group Proud Boys to be formally designated as a terrorist entity has been agreed by members of Canadas parliament.

The motion, which was introduced by the New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh, passed with unanimous consent in the House of Commons on Monday.

The agreed motion asks the government to use all available tools to address the proliferation of white supremacists and hate groups starting with the immediately designating the Proud Boys as a terrorist entity.

Although the motion was passed in the House of Commons, the federal government confirmed that it is symbolic, as it will still need to decide to formally add the group to the list of terrorist entities for it to be made official, according to Global News.

Proud Boys is a far-right, male-only organisation known for engaging in violent clashes at political rallies, which has been described as an extremist group by the legal advocacy organisation, the Southern Poverty Law Centre.

Facebook and Instagram have also banned content from members of the group from appearing on their sites, with the former explaining its decision by saying that it bans hate organisations from its service.

For the past few weeks, the NDP has been calling for Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and his party, the Liberal Party of Canada, to designate the group as a terrorist organisation.

The calls came after a mob of pro-Trump supporters breached the US Capitol on 6 January, causing House members to barricade themselves in offices to hide from the rioters.

Proud Boys members were allegedly part of the riot, which ended with five people dead and several more injured. Former US president Donald Trump was also impeached by the House for a second time for helping incite the riot at a rally nearby.

Speaking to Global News earlier this month, Mary-Liz Power, a spokesperson for Public Safety minister Bill Blair, said that the federal government is considering designating the group as a terrorist entity.

As Minister Blair has said, we strongly denounce ideologically motivated extremists including groups like the Proud Boys, white supremacists, anti-Semitics, Islamaphobic and misogynist groups, Ms Power said.

Intolerance and hate have no place in our society, the spokesperson continued, before adding that law enforcement are very actively engaged in monitoring the activities of these groups, and gathering the evidence required to support a determination of listing as a terrorist organisation.

If the federal government decides to designate Proud Boys as a terrorist entity, the group will join a long list including The Taliban, Al Qaeda and Boko Haram alongside many others.
A special election to fill the 48th state senatorial district seat left vacant by the recent death of Sen. Dave Arnold will be held on May 18.

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman signed the writ on Monday setting the date to coincide with the spring primary election to fill the seat representing all of Lebanon County as well as parts of Dauphin and York counties. The winner of the special election will serve out the unexpired portion of Arnolds term, which runs through November 2022.

The need for this election arises from the tragic death of a young husband and father, Fetterman said. There should be no political angling in determining when or how this election will be held. The people of the 48th deserve representation as soon as possible.

Arnold had been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer in October 2019 while a candidate running in his own special election to represent this Senate district. At that time, the seat was vacated due to the resignation of Mike Folmer, who was charged with possession of child pornography. Arnold underwent surgery and treatment but died on Jan. 17 at home. He was 49.

Candidates for the special election for this 48th District seat will be selected by Democrat and Republican delegates who are registered voters who reside in the senatorial districts.

Already, candidates are starting to line up to show an interest in being the Republican nominee. Lebanon County Republican Committee Chairman Edward Lynch said as of Saturday, four candidates had formally notified him of their intention to seek the party nomination. They are: Cleona Borough Mayor Larry Minnich of Lebanon County; Maureen Roth, a mental health counselor from Dauphin County; Tom Ryan, a retired businessman from York County; and Swatara Township Supervisor Bill Bering Jr. of Lebanon County. Also, Greg Moreland, who served as Arnolds chief of staff, also is expected to announce his interest in pursuing the nomination.

Dauphin County Democratic Chairwoman Rogette Harris said she and her counterparts in York and Lebanon counties, along with Democratic State Committee state representatives have started having conversations about recruiting candidates to make a run for the seat. She was not able as of late last week to offer up names of potential candidates.

A municipal breakdown of the 48th senatorial district is as follows: All municipalities in Lebanon County; Conewago, Londonderry, Swatara and Lower Swatara townships and Highspire, Middletown, Paxtang, Royalton, and Steelton, in Dauphin County; and Conewago, East Manchester, Newberry and Springettsbury townships and Goldsboro, Lewisberry, Manchester, Mount Wolf, and York Haven in York County.

Republicans hold a near-30,000 voter registration edge over Democrats in this Senate district and have had a stronghold on this seat since 1983, the first year it represented all of Lebanon County.

Until the special election winner is decided, the 48th district office will remain open in Lebanon as well as the Capitol office in Harrisburg to assist constituents.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.
A relieved mother has revealed the key steps she took to find her missing son after he wandered off on a trip to Kmart.

The woman said she lost her two-year-old son Nate in a Kmart in the Hunter Region in New South Wales last Saturday.

She started searching 'silently' before remembering the sage advice of a mum from a TikTok video, who advised parents to 'look loudly' if their child went missing.

Instead of saying 'my son is missing', she instead shouted out detailed descriptions of the boy - including his name and what he was wearing - so other shoppers could quickly identify him.

The woman said she lost her two-year-old in a Kmart in the Hunter Region, New South Wales last Saturday. Pictured: A Kmart shop in Sydney

The Hunter Region mother was holding back tears as she started calling out her child's descriptions in the 'scariest 10 minutes of my life', she wrote online.

'I'm missing a little boy, he's wearing a yellow shirt and has brown hair. He's two years old and his name is Nathan,' she started to shout in the Kmart.

Immediately, the change in the Kmart shoppers was 'instantaneous', said the anxious mother.

'You're gonna keep repeating yourself while you look over and over again,' she explained.

'Now you've got every single person who is around you looking for your child instead of just you.'

'[If] someone was walking around with your child, they're more likely to let them go, because they don't want that sort of commotion.'

The mother was searching for her toddler 'silently', before she remembered the sage advice she saw in a TikTok video (pictured), where fellow mum Jes Martini said parents should 'look loudly' if their child went missing

After a very stressful ten minutes, the mum heard a glorious shout - 'he's here!'

The man who had come across two-year-old Nate knew it was him because of the hack, having quickly remembered what the boy was wearing and his age.

The New South Wales mother had simple advice for parents who had lost a child.

'Shout out loud and clear. Say that they're missing, give a description and repeat, repeat, repeat,' she said.

According to Families for Life, parents should prepare children for the chance they might get lost in a shopping centre.

They recommend ensuring your child knows your full name, writing your details on their clothes and create a safety plan - like meeting in the lolly aisle, for example.

Children should be taught to stop, call out their parents name and find a 'mother with kids' to help them.
Photo: The Canadian Press A man leaves a Loblaws store in Toronto on Thursday, May 3, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Loblaw Companies Ltd. is winning praise from a coalition of environmental, health and labour groups for its commitment to stop using receipt paper that contains a potentially dangerous chemical.

The grocery and drugstore chain says it will transition to phenol-free receipt paper across all its divisions by the end of 2021.

The move is being applauded by groups that say it will protect workers and customers from harmful chemicals, and is renewing pressure on other retailers to phase out the chemical.

Muhannad Malas, toxics program manager at Environmental Defence, says cashiers are exposed to high levels of hormone-disrupting chemicals while handling receipts and deserve to be protected.

Jennifer Beeman, executive director of Breast Cancer Action Quebec, says bisphenols used in thermal paper are known endocrine disruptors and can be a significant source of exposure for women.

The Canadian government declared Bisphenol A (BPA) a toxic chemical in October 2010. Some retailers removed BPA-coated receipt paper, but replaced it with paper that contains similar phenol substances, according to the groups.

Loblaw said in its Corporate Social Responsibility report last year that it would transition to phenol-free receipt paper by the end of 2021.
Thousands of Facebook users were previously logged out from their accounts involuntarily. The popular social media conducted the alleged accusation last Friday, Jan. 22.

However, the tech giant company did not provide any info why the users were logged out that day. Many speculations claim that Facebook did this so that it can complete its installing of its latest user-tracking update.

According to WUSA9's latest report, the company didn't specify how widespread the massive user logout is. However, many reports explained that the massive log out could have been limited to users on Apple devices, such as iPhones.

Is Facebook's new user-tracking update true?

USA Today reported that the unexpected massive logged out on the popular social media platform lead to many claims and accusations. Many users claimed that Facebook conducted the massive logged out so that it could track their data and locations.

Also Read: Tesla Employee Sued For Allegedly Stealing 'Highly Confidential' Software Code Claims 'It's Just a Misunderstanding'

On the other hand, some of the rumors specifically claimed that Facebook did this so that it can complete installing the new user-tracking update that will allow it to track and store all info of its users' smartphones and other devices.

Speculations claimed that the new update can track the businesses that users visit. Some users even said that Facebook can now do this even if the people are logged out from their accounts. If this is true, then this is a major security and privacy issue.

However, Facebook did provide an explanation as to why there was a massive logged out. The social media company explained that it happened because of a system change.

Facebook's configuration change

Facebook explained that it conducted a configuration change on Jan. 22. This update is the one that caused some people to be logged out of their FB accounts.

Facebook confirmed that it is currently investigating the issue and said that they are sorry about the inconvenience. On the other hand, other reports stated that the most affected ones are the iPhone users. Although it was a huge incident, the users with TFA or two-factor authentication were able to get back into their accounts with ease.

For more news updates about Facebook and other social media platforms, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Anonymous Malaysia Awakens, Warning Government Websites Will be Attacked! Hacking Group Says This is a Wake-Up Call

This article is owned by TechTimes.

Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Juan Felipe Munoz

Juan Felipe Munoz, who served in the cabinet of Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, is joining LLYC as its CEO in the U.S.

Munoz was most recently a partner at Britten Co., a Bogota-based management consulting firm that serves clients in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

In the Santos cabinet, Munoz was an image advisor and media consultant, designing digital strategies for the president, his government and the peace process with the FARC, a guerrilla group that battled the Colombian government.

He has also worked with the Mexican Ministry of Tourism on solutions to help the country deal with the negative reputational impacts of the Swine Flu pandemic and drug trafficking crisis.

At LLYC, Munoz will lead the firms offices in Miami, Washington D.C., and New York, with the remit of helping the firm grow in the U.S.

We are certain that Juan Felipes expertise will enhance and decisively contribute to LLYCs growth and consolidation within the U.S. market, said LLYC partner and CEO of the Americas Alejandro Romero.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassins purported advice to Malaysias king to suspend Parliament due to COVID-19 was illegal and unconstitutional, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said in a court filing this week, the second legal challenge to the embattled premier in January.

A statement from the National Palace on Jan. 12 said Muhyiddin had requested that the king declare a national emergency, but made no mention that Parliament would be suspended. Anwar alleged in his court filing in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday that Muhyiddin had advised the king to suspend the legislature.

I respectfully state that the cabinet led by Muhyiddin has acted in bad faith in advising the king to suspend Parliament, which is an abuse of their position, in an effort to achieve collateral purpose, Anwars judicial review application said.

That purpose was to prevent a motion of no confidence from being brought and presented against Muhyiddin because it is indisputable that Muhyiddin has lost the support of the majority of Parliamentarians in the assembly, the document said.

This advice was invalid and procedurally improper, because Muhyiddin does not have the mandate to give such advice, Anwar said.

Support for Muhyiddins coalition fell to 109 among 220 MPs on Jan. 12, said Anwar, about the day the king declared the emergency. The monarch had cited a worrying escalation in coronavirus cases as justification for the emergency, which is slated to last till Aug. 1, unless the king is advised to end it an earlier date.

In a televised speech shortly after the royal emergency proclamation, Muhyiddin had said that Parliament and state assemblies would be suspended, and polls would not be held during the state of emergency.

Anwars judicial review application does not challenge the kings emergency declaration, only the prime ministers advice to the king to suspend Parliament, Ramkarpal Singh, an attorney representing the opposition leader, emphasized in a statement on Tuesday.

But it remained unclear how Anwar obtained the information that Muhyiddin had advised the king to suspend the Malaysian legislature. An aide to the opposition leader did not immediately respond to efforts by BenarNews to get an explanation on this.

An aide to Muhyiddin also did not return messages from BenarNews.

Anwars correct approach

Constitutional lawyer Lim Wei Jiet said that the validity of Muhyiddins advice to the king to declare an emergency was arguable in court.

Anwar is correct in his approach in challenging the prime ministers advice to the king to declare an emergency, and not the kings decision on declaring the emergency, Lim told BenarNews.

In my view, the former is reviewable by the court if Anwar can establish bad faith or an ulterior motive in the prime ministers advice to the king, whereas the latters decision on declaring an emergency may not be reviewable by the courts.

Separate case

A separate case filed on Jan. 18 questioned the legality of a prime minister who has allegedly lost majority parliamentary support advising the king to declare an emergency.

Muhyiddins government currently has the support of less than half of lawmakers. And on Saturday, Anwar claimed that 114 or 115 MPs oppose the emergency.

Much of the opposition has also criticized Muhyiddins advice to the king to declare an emergency, alleging it was a move by him to cling to power after he lost his parliamentary majority.

Muhyiddin and his Bersatu party created the Perikatan Nasional coalition to form the unelected government last year after the Pakatan Harapan government, which was elected in 2018, collapsed due to a power struggle.

Since then, UMNO, the dominant party in the ruling bloc, has become disenchanted with Bersatu and has been calling for snap polls.

Muhyiddin had said that his intention in advising the king to declare an emergency wasnt to prevent elections, but to stem the spread of coronavirus infections.

Worsening pandemic

Anwar and many other opposition leaders said that Muhyiddin was using the worsening coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to declare an emergency.

Malaysia, during the last few weeks, has consistently recorded daily new COVID-19 infections in the four digits. As of Tuesday, a total of close to 200,000 cases had been reported, with 700 people dying from the virus.

The numbers of patients who need intensive care has also increased.

Muhyiddin had said earlier this month that a surge in coronavirus cases had pushed the healthcare system to a breaking point.

Anwar, in his judicial review application, said that the prime ministers advice to suspend Parliament is very disproportionate because parliamentary suspension is not needed at all to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, the suspension of Parliament will give the PM and the government absolute power to enact laws without going through the fundamental process of checks and balances, Anwar said.

In a video recording he shared on Twitter on Tuesday, Anwar said the suspension of Parliament will affect the people of Malaysia in a time of pandemic.

Last year the  government dodged and delayed Parliament multiple times to avoid facing the possibility of a challenge to its non-existent majority. This year the  government wishes to avoid Parliament again, hiding behind an unnecessary emergency declaration, Anwar said.

The result will inevitably be the needless and prolonged suffering of the Malaysian people.

Two Malaysian medical groups had also said that Muhyiddin shouldnt politicize the countrys health system, and should use the sweeping powers granted it under the emergency responsibly,

They said the government needs to formulate a collaborative COVID-19 response focused on the peoples welfare.
Unfair: Renal patient Matthew McNeive was shocked to be told seven of his fellow dialysis patients had died from Covid-19. Photo: Keith Heneghan

When Matthew McNeive went for a check-up in the dialysis unit in Beaumont Hospital last November, a brief conversation with the receptionist made his blood run cold.

He asked her if she was busy, and she replied: No. We have lost seven patients to Covid.

It really shocked me, says Matthew (21), from Knock, Co Mayo, who since birth has endured 25 operations, including a kidney transplant in 2010.

Like thousands of renal and transplant patients, Matthew can't understand why his community has been placed seventh in the HSE vaccine priority list. The Covid-19 mortality rate for renal and transplant patients in Ireland is estimated to be as high as 25pc.

Matthews life now consists of attending hospital for dialysis three times a week.

Despite near constant hospitalisations as a child, Matthew excelled at school and earned a place at the Technological University Dublin studying Clinical Measurement Science.

Read More

Now in third year, he has never repeated a year of his education but due to the HSE vaccine priority policy, the prospect looms large.

I was due to start placement in Beaumont Hospital last October. However, the HSE they deemed I was too high risk due to Covid-19.

I was told that if I have the vaccine by February 15, I would have the immunity to start my last placement by March 15.

However, because of how the distribution of vaccines has been ranked I am number seven on the list which means I wont get it until April. I wont be able to go into fourth year with my mates and will have to pay 6,000 in fees.

The kicker is that if I was on placement I would have the vaccine by now. My classmates who are on placement have already been vaccinated.

Dialysis patients are regarded as being extremely high risk in terms of Covid-19 and to put us way down the list seems contradictory.

My year head, Dr Siobhan Daly, has been brilliant trying to accommodate me, but I think the HSE has prioritised the pecking order for vaccinations wrong.

Renal patients feel a bit failed by the HSE. We are just as high risk as people in nursing homes, we are actually taking medication to suppress our immune system.

"It doesnt make sense.
Customers exit a 24 hour Walmart on Black Friday on 27 November 2020 in Neptune City, New Jersey ((Getty Images))

Four young girls were arrested over the weekend after the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old girl at a Louisiana Walmart was live-streamed on social media.

The four girls, aged between 12 and 14, were arrested on Saturday after the victim was fatally stabbed at a Walmart in Lake Charles, Louisiana, according to a Facebook post by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriffs Office on Sunday.

The suspects allegedly used a knife that they had stolen from the store in the incident, just moments after they were seen in the kitchen aisle, according to reports.

Live footage of the incident was also allegedly posted to social media by one of the suspects. It appeared to show her holding a knife while moving towards the victim. Surveillance footage released by police showed a girl carrying the knife as she fled the store on Saturday.

Other videos showed the girls fleeing from the store, while one of the suspects shouted: Just stabbed somebody at Walmart and added: We just stabbed that b***h in her heart. We don't give a f**k.

The authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the attack, but think that the incident was started at a nearby cinema. The victim and suspects have not been named.

One of the four suspects has been charged with second-degree murder, while the other three are facing a charge of principal to second-degree murder. All four suspects have been booked into a juvenile detention centre in Louisiana.

Calcasieu Parish sheriff Tony Mancus condemned the violence in an interview with WWL-TV, saying: The whole murder was played out on (social media) so, again, there appeared to be no remorse.

It was very cold to see 12, 13, 14 and 15-year-olds acting this way and we as a society can't tolerate it. We cannot let this plague and take over our community.

Mr Mancus also issued a plea to local parents to help take control of their children, citing other similar incidents in recent months.

This the third homicide in six months that involved juveniles that ranged from 11 to 16 years old. They come from all backgrounds, all races. I feel like we have a problem in our community that were going to have to face and address, he said.

Story continues

Sheriff Mancus added: This is not something we can police ourselves out. I just don't feel like this is a police matter. This is a parenting issue.

Read More

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LA counsellor beaten to death by seven teenagers, say police
The Annual General Meeting of the Association of Customs Representatives was held virtually on 26 January 2021. This marks the first step in the reconstitution of this longstanding Association to its full capacity.

In his opening remarks at this virtual event, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, WCO Secretary General and Patron of the Association, congratulated the Association and welcomed the positive spirit demonstrated, which would further enhance the valuable partnership between the WCO and Customs Attaches.

International Customs Day 2021 provided an ideal opportunity to relaunch the Association through the Annual General Meeting of its membership, with endorsement of proposals to modernize and revitalize it.

The interim Chair of the Association, Ms. Yuri Yanai from Japan Customs, highlighted the importance of all Attaches being connected to each other and with the WCO, so as to form a Customs family in Belgium. Such collaboration is what unites Customs administrations and enhances cooperation both within the WCO membership and between the Organization and its Members.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 16:22:49|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Vowing to make COVID-19 vaccines public goods that are accessible and affordable to all, China has developed several vaccines which have been put into use in the global market.

Here are the latest responses to the China-developed COVID-19 vaccines from countries around the world:

-- Turkey received on Monday 6.5 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines produced by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac.

The latest shipment was part of a second planned consignment of 10 million doses, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

The country received the first batch of 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from China at the end of December 2020 and launched the mass vaccine campaign on Jan. 14.

-- Egypt started on Sunday vaccinating medical staff with Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in the northeastern province of Ismailia, according to Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed.

The minister explained that clinical trials have proved the Sinopharm vaccine is safe and highly effective in COVID-19 prevention, especially "in prevention of COVID-19 infection with severe symptoms."

Egypt received on Dec. 10, 2020 the first batch of Sinopharm vaccine, which was officially licensed for emergency use later in the same month.

-- Morocco last week approved the emergency use of Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, the country's Health Ministry said in a statement.

"The vaccine meets all the conditions of quality, efficacy and safety, and does not present any potential side effects," it said.

The first batch of coronavirus vaccines developed by Sinopharm will arrive in Morocco later this month, according to the ministry.

-- The Public Health Institute of Chile (ISP) last week approved the emergency use of the vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech.

"We obtained very good results regarding the manufacturing quality and the strains being developed in the manufacture of this vaccine. We are approving a safe and effective vaccine for the population," Heriberto Garcia, acting director of the ISP, said.

The Chinese vaccine has been tested since the end of 2020 on volunteers participating in a phase III clinical trial run by the Institute of Immunotherapy and Immunology at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

-- Brazil's Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) last week unanimously approved the emergency use of another 4.8 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine against COVID-19.

The request was made by the Sao Paulo-based Butantan Institute on Jan. 18, a day after Anvisa authorized the use of the first batch of 6 million doses of CoronaVac, which kicked off a countrywide COVID-19 vaccination process.

The vaccine is developed by China's Sinovac Biotech in partnership with the Butantan Institute. Anvisa said it considers CoronaVac a "safe, quality and effective vaccine," noting that its application in the first week of immunization has not presented any problems.

-- Serbian health authorities last week approved the use of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine, two days after 1 million doses were imported from China, enabling the country to begin with the mass immunization of its population.

"The agency and its employees assessed the necessary documentation and scientific evidence in a highly professional and thorough manner according to all European Union and World Health Organization standards, which confirmed the quality, efficiency, and above all the safety of the Chinese vaccine," Pavle Zelic, an official with the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of Serbia, told local media.

-- Azerbaijan's senior health officials last week took their first inoculations of a vaccine made by Chinese company Sinovac Biotech, marking the beginning of mass vaccination against COVID-19 in the country.

Specialists decided that "the best vaccine for Azerbaijan is the vaccine of the Sinovac company" as it has passed clinical tests in many countries, said Azerbaijani Health Minister Ogtay Shiraliyev.

Azerbaijan purchased 4 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, the first batch of which has been recently delivered to the country.

-- In a taped public address aired earlier this month, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has defended the purchase of the COVID-19 vaccines developed by the Chinese makers, saying the Chinese vaccines are "safe, sure, and secure."

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque echoed Duterte's statement, saying that he also prefers the Chinese companies Sinovac and Sinopharm inactivated vaccines.

The Philippines has secured 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines developed by Sinovac Biotech, with the first 50,000 doses expected to arrive in February. The rest of the vaccines will be delivered in tranches from March until December this year.

-- The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) last week approved a vaccine by Sinopharm for emergency use amid rising cases of COVID-19 in the country.

A handout by the DRAP on its official website read that Sinopharm, one of the two vaccines approved by the authority, has been given emergency use authorization after evaluating its safety and quality.

-- Indonesia's national vaccination program kicked off earlier this month after President Joko Widodo received the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech on Jan. 13.

In December 2020, the Indonesian government said it has ordered 3 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine and 100,000 doses of the Cansino vaccine, both from China.

-- Thailand was expected to buy 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech, the World Health Organization in Thailand said early this month.

Thailand's Ministry of Public Health expected the first batch of 200,000 doses to arrive in the country at the end of February, the second batch of 800,000 doses to arrive at the end of March, while the remaining 1 million doses to be delivered at the end of April. Enditem
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The rehabilitation of Ninoy Aquino International Airport has hit another dead end after airport authorities denied Megawide Construction Corporations formal appeal to regain its original proponent status for the project.

The Consortium was formally informed of the said denial through a letter from the Corporate Secretary of the MIAA Board of Directors dated 25 January 2021, the conglomerate, who has paired up with Indian firm GMR Infrastructure, told the local bourse in a disclosure Tuesday.

This is the latest setback in the rehabilitation of the countrys busiest gateway, with negotiations between the government and different conglomerates hitting a dead end throughout the years.

TIMELINE: The NAIA rehabilitation project

Megawide initially filed a motion for reconsideration before the MIAA and Transportation Department on December 21, a week after the board revoked its preferential status for upgrading the countrys main international gateway.

Prior to this, the company faced questions on its apparent lack of funds to sustain the project. Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III returned Megawide-GMRs plan to the DOTr due to these concerns. Megawide-GMR has since insisted it can finance NAIAs rehabilitation.

RELATED: Poe hits double standard between Megawide, Dito on equity and project contracts

While we believe that we have met all the requirements of the government to undertake the rehabilitation of NAIA, we respect their decision on this matter, and we are ready to move on to other projects of equal significance, the disclosure read.

Meanwhile, San Miguel Corporation and another private firm, Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions, earlier submitted their separate proposals to rehabilitate and operate NAIA.

Megawide is behind the upgrade of Mactan Cebu International Airport and Clark International Airport in Pampanga. It operates both gateways.
If supplies of COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines to Manitoba dont resume, appointments at the Brandon vaccination supersite may need to be postponed.

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If supplies of COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines to Manitoba dont resume, appointments at the Brandon vaccination supersite may need to be postponed.

Thats according to Dr. Joss Reimer, a member of the provinces vaccination task force, who joined Dr. Brent Roussin for the daily COVID-19 update on Monday.

"As you already know, last week, we were informed about a third reduction in our Pfizer vaccine shipments. Manitoba has been responsible in managing our vaccine supply, but we continue to see the effects of the supply reductions," said Reimer.

The planned Feb. 1 supply dropped from 5,850 to 2,340 doses.

"We had to stop making appointments for the supersites, both in Winnipeg and in Brandon. So far, weve been able to weather the supply disruptions better than most other jurisdictions based on the strategic approach that Manitoba has taken. However, were now in a position where were still concerned about ongoing supply and may have to postpone some of our appointments if the supplies dont resume.

Reimer said the province will receive an update from the federal government  which is responsible for vaccine deployment to provinces and territories  on Friday.

The postponement decision will depend on what the province receives from the federal government on Feb. 8.

"We will update Manitobans as soon as possible, most likely on Friday, to let them know if we are expecting that shipment to come in and what the implications are for people who have appointments coming up beginning next week," said Reimer.

"We are going to be contacting everybody who has an appointment coming up to let them know about this unknown, as well. So, for now, were asking people to plan to keep their appointments for next week and the week after, but to keep your eye on the bulletins and on the website."

As for the Northern health region, which has seen half of Manitobas new case counts, vaccines are headed up. Reimer said the phone line opened Monday morning to book appointments for the supersite in Thompson. Immunizers will begin putting needles in arms beginning Feb. 1.

"This is a slight adjustment from our original plan because instead of using Pfizer, were using Moderna temporarily in Thompson," said Reimer.

"Also building on feedback from the Northern health region, we will be scheduling appointments for eligible workers in The Pas and Flin Flon for the week of Feb. 8."

Vaccination teams are on track to complete first doses at personal care homes by the end of this week  a week ahead of schedule  with enough doses to deliver a second round beginning the following week.

The province also plans to release a priority list of all Manitobans Wednesday, with a tentative schedule for the entire vaccine rollout, which will depend on vaccine supply.

"The dates that will be attached to that list will have to remain quite fluid because we still dont know exactly when to expect the Pfizer numbers to change. But we will come up with at least the sequence for Manitobans," said Reimer.

Reimer said, so far, there is a 70 to 80 per cent uptake in eligible health-care workers. She said there are various reasons some are taking the vaccine, including having health conditions, such as autoimmune conditions. That made them ineligible until the enhanced process was put in place.

"Some people may have other health conditions or allergies that made them concerned and want to seek some opinion from their health-care provider before booking an appointment. Those folks may be in the process right now of discussing with their health-care provider whether or not the vaccine is the right decision," said Reimer.

"Weve also heard of health-care providers who wanted to let other people go first. They felt that their exposure or their own health status was such that they didnt want to take up an appointment, when theres other people who might be at higher risk because of their own health, their age."

Reimer added 70 to 80 per cent is a high uptake rate for an immunization campaign.

In personal care homes so far, the uptake is more than 90 per cent.

 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.
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Regulatory News:

FCA Italy S.p.A., wholly owned subsidiary of Stellantis N.V. (STLA:EN), and Engie EPS (Paris:EPS) (EPS:EN) announce the signing of the full set of agreements, including the investment and shareholders' agreement1, to create a Joint Venture in the e-Mobility sector. These agreements have been executed in furtherance of the Memorandum of Understanding announced on 12 November 2020.

The Joint Venture will offer a full suite of innovative services and solutions such as residential, business and public charging infrastructures, as well as energy charging subscriptions and Vehicle-to-Grid technologies in order to make access to electric mobility easy and convenient for everyone.

Completion of the transaction is expected to occur in the coming months, subject to customary conditions precedent, including clearance by the competent Antitrust authorities.

ENGIE EPS

Engie EPS is the technology and industrial player within the ENGIE group, developing technologies to revolutionize the paradigm in the global energy system towards renewable energy sources and electric mobility. Listed on Euronext Paris regulated market (EPS.PA), Engie EPS forms part of the CAC Mid Small and CAC All-Tradable financial indices. Its registered office is in Paris, with research, development and production located in Italy.

For further information, go to www.engie-eps.com.

Follow us on LinkedIn.

STELLANTIS

Stellantis is one of the world's leading automakers and a mobility provider, guided by a clear vision: to offer freedom of movement with distinctive, affordable and reliable mobility solutions. In addition to the Group's rich heritage and broad geographic presence, its greatest strengths lie in its sustainable performance, depth of experience and the wide-ranging talents of employees working around the globe. Stellantis will leverage its broad and iconic brand portfolio, which was founded by visionaries who infused the marques with passion and a competitive spirit that speaks to employees and customers alike. Stellantis aspires to become the greatest, not the biggest while creating added value for all stakeholders as well as the communities in which it operates.

For further information, go to www.stellantis.com.

Twitter: @Stellantis Facebook: Stellantis LinkedIn: Stellantis YouTube: Stellantis

_________________

1 Based on the governance structure agreed it is expected that ENGIE EPS will fully consolidate the new entity.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210125005941/en/

Contacts:

ENGIE EPS

Press Office: Simona Raffaelli, Image Building, +39 02 89011300, eps@imagebuilding.it

Corporate and Institutional Communication: Cristina Cremonesi, +39 345 570 8686, ir@engie-eps.com

STELLANTIS

Stellantis Corporate and Institutional Communications: Claudio D'Amico +39 334 7107828 claudio.damico@stellantis.com

e-Mobility Communications: Marco Belletti +39 334.6004837 marco.belletti@stellantis.com
Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue.

The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website:

We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service.
Judge temporarily blocks 3 Arkansas pro-life laws, stalling possible closure of lone surgical abortion clinic

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A federal judge issued a temporary block to a set of Arkansas laws that, if enacted, would likely lead to the closure of the states only surgical abortion clinic.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker issued a two-week restraining order on the enforcement of laws, coming mere hours before they were scheduled to take effect.

The three laws being challenged include a ban on abortions after 18 weeks into a pregnancy, abortions performed because a baby was diagnosed with Down syndrome, and a requirement that abortion providers be board-certified.

Known as Little Rock Family Planning Services, the clinic will be able to remain open for the time being and perform abortions up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy, according to NPR.

The Arkansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is challenging the law on behalf of Little Rock Family Planning Services, Planned Parenthood Great Plains, and two physician providers, celebrated the order.

Holly Dickson, interim executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas, said in a statement released Wednesday that she was relieved by the order.

Were relieved that these bans and restrictions have been blocked from taking effect and were determined to see them struck down for good, stated Dickson.

Personal medical decisions are just that  personal  and politicians have no business barging into peoples private decisions, shutting down clinics and blocking people from care that they need.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge disapproved of the order, saying in a statement released Wednesday that the litigation was frustrating.

The last minute attempt by the ACLU to block Arkansas laws is frustrating, but not unforeseen, stated Attorney General Rutledge.

The action was only the initial step and I anticipate further action in the near future in our defense of these laws that protect the life of mothers and their unborn children.

Americans United for Life ranked Arkansas as the second most pro-life state in the nation in a report released in January, with Arizona being No. 1.

Arkansas has been a leader in implementing the Mother-Child strategy, enacting laws that protect both mother and child from the harms inherent in abortion, stated AULs report.

It maintains strong informed consent and parental involvement requirements, comprehensive health and safety requirements for abortion facilities, and effective limits on state taxpayer funding for abortion and abortion providers.

Arkansas recently passed pro-life laws are among many laws passed this year that greatly restrict or ban abortion.
Around 800 retail jobs in Northern Ireland are expected to go as online retailers moved closer to snapping up brand assets of department store chain Debenhams and Topshop.

The renewed prospect of job losses come as the first labour market survey of 2021 today is expected to show an unemployment rate of over 4% for the end of 2020.

Boohoo's swoop on Debenhams and Asos's anticipated deal for Topshop and other Arcadia brands reflect how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the move to online shopping.

It will bring the loss of about 500 jobs at Debenhams here, and 280 jobs at dozens of Arcadia stores and concessions, like Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Topman. There are also Arcadia concessions in Menarys stores around NI.

Four Debenhams stores here - key anchors for shopping centres Ballymena, Newry, Belfast and Craigavon - are tipped to close by the end of March. In a separate move, Asos told investors that it is in exclusive talks to buy the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands and online businesses from administrators for Sir Philip Green's Arcadia empire.

A Debenhams in Londonderry's Foyleside Shopping Centre has already been sold to Frasers Group, led by sportswear tycoon Mike Ashley.

Neil McShane, a commercial property investment advisor and founder of consultancy InPrio, said the deals would "decimate" the high street. "The Boohoo deal is more bad news for the high street as it will see Debenhams vacate 118 large units in high streets and shopping centres across the UK.... these large units will not be easily filled given the current market challenges but also the small number of retailers who trade from these larger units. Some may lend themselves to a split for smaller requirements but many will not.

"If the Asos deal for the Arcadia brands goes ahead, it will further decimate the high street as it appears the plan is to take the brands and not the shops. Again, a huge number of jobs are at risk.

"However, these voids, in typically prominent positions, are in the most popular size bracket and will therefore present opportunities for other existing and new businesses who want to capitalise on the in-person shopping experience that people will crave when we get back to normality.

"We could also see other uses come to the high street, including co-working space, community and healthcare uses. Proactive landlords will already be exploring new uses and end users."

Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said the closure of four Debenhams would be "a hammer blow to our already struggling high streets".

"We are also concerned that if the Asos talks to buy Topshop, Topman, etc to buy the brand and not the stores are successful then sadly we will see further store closures and job losses."

He added: "The Executive needs to immediately establish the High Streets Taskforce to get down to work, producing a big bold radical new plan for our post-pandemic high streets and town centres."

While Asos' deal would mean Arcadia's own physical stores would close, it's understood concession arrangements could survive where a wholesale arrangement exists.

Arcadia administrators Deloitte have said they want to complete a deal disposing of Arcadia's assets by the end of January.

Boohoo has bought high street brands Karen Millen, Oasis and Warehouse in the past two years to take them online-only and shut stores.

Guy Elliott at Publicis Sapient said the online firm's deal for Debenhams is similar, in that it will open up Boohoo to a different demographic to its core teenage and millennial customer base.

Around 800 retail jobs in Northern Ireland are expected to go as online retailers moved closer to snapping up brand assets of department store chain Debenhams and Topshop.

The renewed prospect of job losses come as the first labour market survey of 2021 today is expected to show an unemployment rate of over 4% for the end of 2020.

Boohoo's swoop on Debenhams and Asos's anticipated deal for Topshop and other Arcadia brands reflect how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the move to online shopping.

It will bring the loss of about 500 jobs at Debenhams here, and 280 jobs at dozens of Arcadia stores and concessions, like Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Topman. There are also Arcadia concessions in Menarys stores around NI.

Four Debenhams stores here - key anchors for shopping centres Ballymena, Newry, Belfast and Craigavon - are tipped to close by the end of March. In a separate move, Asos told investors that it is in exclusive talks to buy the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands and online businesses from administrators for Sir Philip Green's Arcadia empire.
The Perth aged care facility at the centre of a major crime squad investigation into abuse allegations has been sanctioned by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

After conducting a surprise visit to the Regis Nedlands nursing home on January 20, the Commission decided there was an immediate and severe risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of the elderly people living there, Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Janet Anderson said.

Dik Lee, 94, died in hospital on Thursday morning. Picture: Nine News Perth Credit:Nine News Perth

Resident Dik Lee, 94, died one day after the visit after being in a coma for five days at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

Mr Lee, who had dementia, was admitted to hospital within days of university students on work experience at Regis Nedlands allegedly witnessing the great-grandfather being dragged along the floor while sitting in his own faeces and a staffer wrenching him up by standing on his toes.
Moscow, Jan 26 : Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, will embark on a visit to Moscow next month ahead of a discussion on relations with Russia by the European Council in March.

"I informed the Council about my intention of visiting Moscow" at the invitation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, TASS News Agency quoted Borrell as saying at a news conference on Monday after a session of the Council of the EU in Brussels, "It is good before the European Union Council discusses strategically" this relationship, "to discuss with our Russian counterpart," he said.

According to Borrell, he intends to focus in Rusisa on "all relevant issues".

In a statement on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Borrell will be in Moscow from February 4-6.

On February 5, Lavrov and Borrell will discuss "the entire range of problems and prospects of Russian-EU relations", Xinhua news agency reported citing the statement as saying.

Both sides will exchange views on the situation in the Western Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa, and the region of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

They will also discuss the prospect of the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, and security issues in Europe.

At the news conference, Borrell also mentioned that Monday's EU Council session also looked into the situation around the arrest of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny in Moscow.

He said the EU had called on Russia "for the release of Navalny and those detained" at the rallies held on January 23.
Sir Kenneth Branagh is set to star as Boris Johnson in This Sceptred Isle, a five-part drama series on Sky television. Over the years, a number of actors have taken on the role of Prime Minister.

1 In the 1941 film Turned Out Nice Again, George Formby donned a bushy moustache to play Neville Chamberlain. In the key scene, Chamberlain returns from Munich brandishing a peace agreement. He then bursts into song:

'I were walking in Munich last night as peaceful as can be

When a little German big-wig says, 'Let's have a cuppa tea!'

He said his name was Adolf and he'd see what he could do

He'd travelled from Bavaria on the number 42

He said 'My boy do what I say and you'll never go astray  No matter if the rain should fall and the sky starts turning grey 

Just keep your little piece of paper in your hand, yes, son

Just keep your little piece of paper in your hand!'

More recently, Prime Minister Gordon Brown was played by Richard Wilson, best known for his role as Victor Meldrew in the long-running TV series One Foot In The Grave

2 More recently, Prime Minister Gordon Brown was played by Richard Wilson, best known for his role as Victor Meldrew in the long-running TV series One Foot In The Grave. The play revolved around Mr Brown's chance meeting with member of the public Gillian Duffy (played by Miriam Margolyes). After being taken to task on issues including immigration and crime, Brown returns to his car in a temper, and calls Mrs Duffy a bigoted woman. Told his microphone is still on, he replies: 'I don't believe it!'

3 Edward Heath was the only British Prime Minister to have played himself on the English stage. Having forfeited the leadership of the Conservative party to Margaret Thatcher in 1975, he occupied the next ten years touring in the costume drama, Victory For Common Sense.

In it, the hugely popular Prime Minister, Edmund Teeth, decides 'with great regret' to send the vicious upstart Marjorie Hatcher into exile, a brave decision for which he is universally applauded.

4 Prime Minister William Gladstone is to be played by Idris Elba, opposite Mariah Carey as Queen Victoria in the upcoming Netflix drama 'Glad', scripted by Peter Morgan, writer of The Crown. The series is based on years of research. 'I have come to see Victoria as a passionate American woman who came from poverty to take on the most important job in the world. If it hadn't been for the passionate love of heartbreaker William Gladstone, I doubt she would have been able to cope.'

The series also stars Julian Clary as put-upon husband Prince Albert, and Jamie Dornan as serial killer Benjamin Disraeli.

5 In the forthcoming TV dramatisation of the diaries of Tory minister's wife Sasha Swire, the role of Prime Minister David Cameron will be played by Danny Dyer.

Dyer, who is a direct descendant of King Edward III, says that he hopes to bring out 'the more aristocratic side of David Cameron. Up to now, too much has been made of Dave's working-class roots, but I aim to change all that. Take it from me, he's one classy geezer'.

In the opening scene, Cameron is seen strolling in the countryside alongside Mrs Swire. On the spur of the moment, he blurts out that her perfume 'makes me want to push you into the bushes and give you one'.

The two of them then burst into a spirited rendition of the Abba classic Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight), while Mrs Cameron (played by Dame Maggie Smith) pops up from behind a gorse bush and wags a disapproving finger at them both.

The short-lived premiership of Theresa May is to be the subject of a new six-part BBC drama series, The Vixen. The part of Mrs May is to be taken by former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson

6 The short-lived premiership of Theresa May is to be the subject of a new six-part BBC drama series, The Vixen.

The part of Mrs May is to be taken by former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson.

'In the past I have been pushed into glamour roles,' says Anderson, 'but that's never been the real me. So this presents a tremendous opportunity to display my more serious and vulnerable side.'

In the first episode, Theresa May is seen discussing fiscal policy with Chancellor Philip Hammond (Aidan Turner) as they run along the beach at Trebetherick, in Cornwall, in their couture swimwear.

When a passing wave drags Theresa out to sea, Dr Liam Fox (Daniel Craig) swims to the rescue.

'It's all based on solid fact', explains acclaimed series producer Dan Wright-Phibbs. 'After all, Theresa May herself has admitted she often used to run naked through fields of wheat. Or words to that effect.'
A MAN charged with threatening to kill two members of a murdered student's family has been remanded for trial.

Noel Barry (46), of Cherry Tree Road, Togher, Co Cork, appeared before Cork District Court on charges relating to alleged threats to kill two members of the family of Cameron Blair and one charge of making menacing phone calls.

He was remanded to Cork Circuit Criminal Court for trial by judge and jury.

Judge Olann Kelleher was told the book of evidence in the matter had been served and gardai were seeking a remand for trial to the circuit court.

Expand Close Noel Barry from Cherry Tree Road, Togher, Cork pictured at Cork District Court charged with allegedly making grossly offensive and menacing phone calls to the family of Cameron Blair (20), who was murdered in 2020. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Noel Barry from Cherry Tree Road, Togher, Cork pictured at Cork District Court charged with allegedly making grossly offensive and menacing phone calls to the family of Cameron Blair (20), who was murdered in 2020.

Mr Barry, who was already granted free legal aid as he is in receipt of disability benefit, was remanded on bail to the February 1 court sitting.

However, a hearing date is not anticipated for some time due to the affect of the Covid-19 pandemic on jury trials.

The defendant previously made no reply to gardai when the charges were put to him by Detective Garda Pat Connery at Togher garda station.

The charges alleged that on September 4 2020, during a phone call that began at 10.57pm, the defendant threatened to kill or cause serious harm to a named member of the Blair family.

Mr Barry is also charged with sending messages on September 4, 2020, which were grossly offensive and menacing contrary to Noel Blair, Cameron's father.

When the first charge was outlined in court, Det Gda Connery said it was alleged that Mr Barry made four phone calls to the family of the late Cameron Blair.

The family recorded two of the phone calls and it is alleged that threats were made to Noel Blair during them.

Further, the Blair family were allegedly told to "f*** off back to England".

It was also alleged that Mr Blair was informed his family would "never be safe".

In a subsequent call, Mr Blair was told to get his "loyalist friends" so they could "sort this out on the streets of Shankill Road".

The court previously heard the family were deeply upset by the nature and content of the alleged calls.

Mr Blair is the father of Cork college student Cameron Blair (20), who was fatally stabbed at a house party on Bandon Road in Cork on January 16, 2020. The student, an award-winning sportsman, later died in Cork University Hospital (CUH).

Det Gda Connery told the court there was no objection to bail but Judge Olan Kelleher reminded the defendant of the strict bail conditions he must adhere to.

These include signing on at a Cork garda station three times a week and having no contact either direct or indirect with any member of the Blair family.

Barry must also stay out of west Cork and be of good behaviour.




Minister Kuleba says Ukraine will quit Russian and Belarusian power supply chains

Ukraine plans to join the European Union's electricity supply system in 2023.

Reporting by UNIAN

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YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met with the participants of Igorts program on January 26. The program is about involving Diaspora specialists in the state administration bodies.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, greeting the guest, the PM said, We initiated this program with great enthusiasm, expectations and hopes. The goal of the program is that the young specialist of the Diaspora should come and get involved in state administration bodies, work for a period of time, bringing with them new views, freshness.

But we have to confess that the program encountered a number of obstacles just from the beginning, first, because of the coronavirus pandemic and later coincided with the hardest period for us  the war. And of course, from this viewpoint, the period was not favorable, though, on the other hand, your presence at the hardest period was in some sense a great moral support for all of us, in the ministries and state bodies where you were involved. And I want to thank you for that you shared the hardest period for us with your presence.

And now, this idea, that was the fundament of the program, has become more urgent and needed, because the challenges facing the country can be solved by the national consolidation of our intellectual and general potential.

The participants of the program presented to the PM the works they do in different state bodies, as well as shared opinions and addressed with the PM. Nikol Pashinyan talked about the post-war works to be done for the transformation and development of Armenia, strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora-Artsakh relations and other issues.

The participants of Igorts program thanked the Government of Armenia for initiating such a program that gives them an opportunity to invest their knowledge and skills for the development of the Motherland.
White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci on Monday voiced his concern about the new UK variant, which scientists have said is not only more contagious, but also deadly. Fauci, while speaking to NBC, said the preliminary data analyzed by British scientists show the new variant to be more deadly, adding "I'm pretty convinced there is a degree of increase in the seriousness of the actual infection, which we really have to keep an eye on.''

Read: Fauci Says He Was 'skunk At The Picnic' In Trump Administration's COVID-19 Task Force

Fauci warned people that their was a need to maintain caution despite the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive in the country. Fauci said that the drop in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations cannot be attributed to vaccines. Fauci added that it is not the right time to get complacent because of the circulating UK variant in the country, which has already been detected in 20 states and is more contagious.

Read: Coronavirus: Fauci Explains Biden's Plan, Says Vaccine Goal Would Cover 67 Million People

Fauci also said pharmaceutical companies are working to upgrade the vaccines, however, added that the available vaccines should be effective against the new UK and South African strains. US drugmaker Moderna has already developed a new COVID-19 vaccine, which it says will be more effective against the new variants. The firm intends to launch a trial of the new vaccine very soon.

Read: Trump Administration's 'lack Of Truthfulness' In Handling COVID 'very Likely' Cost Lives

Meanwhile, Fauci told NBC that he agrees with the US President Joe Biden's plan to impose a travel ban on South Africa because of the new strain. The infectious disease expert also backed the idea of double masking as he said it makes sense that the double layering will be more effective in blocking the harmful aerosols from entering the mouth or nose of the person using it.

COVID-19 in the US

The United States remains the worst affected country in the world as it recent surpassed the 25 million COVID-19 cases-mark. The country has so far registered more than 25 million infections and over 4,19,000 deaths, way more than any other country in the world. The US is also number one when it comes to inoculating its people as it has to date vaccinated more than 21 million citizens. However, the country has only vaccinated 6 percent of its population, which is still behind some of the other nations such as Israel, which has immunized 44 percent of its population.

Read: 'Fauci Unleashed': Dr. Anthony Fauci Takes 'liberating' Turn At Center Stage

(Image Credit: AP)
A week after the union representing Lake Oswego teachers called the plan to reopen the Portland suburbs elementary schools in early February callous and dangerous, the district has decided to delay that reopening.

In a newsletter to parents sent out Friday, Lora De la Cruz, the Lake Oswego School District superintendent said that after hearing feedback from staff and teachers, talking to public health officials, coordinating with vaccine distribution leads, and weighing operational logistics, the district would change the start date for elementary students to later in February.

Kindergarteners were expected to start on Feb. 4, making them some of the first students in the Portland area to return to the classroom.

The first detected case of COVID-19 in Oregon was diagnosed in a janitor who worked at Forest Hills Elementary School in Lake Oswego on Feb. 28 of last year.

Middle and high school students are expected to transition back to in-person learning in the spring.

De la Cruz said she would announce a more specific timeline as soon as possible.

The need to vaccinate teachers and staff as well as advice from Clackamas County to wait for case counts to decline factored into the decision, De la Cruz said.

The union representing teachers in the Portland suburbs is applauding the districts decision to slow down the reopening.

There is a sense of reprieve, said Lake Oswego Education Association president Kelly Fitzsimmons in a statement Monday. Teachers who were weighing having to quit or take unpaid leave now hope that they will return vaccinated and protected from the worst health impacts of the virus.

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker
Announcing a host of welfare measures on the Republic Day, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday said that his government will soon formulate a new domicile policy and reserve 75 per jobs in the private sector for the people of the state. He also said that the government will recruit school teachers and police personnel.

Unfurling the national flag and taking the salute of the parade at Dumka Police Lines, the chief minister said, "2021 will be the year of appointments." "A new domicile policy will be formulated and 75 per cent of the posts in the private sector will be reserved for local people," he said. Rules are being made for appointment of teachers in minority schools also, the chief minister said.

The government will launch a universal pension scheme to provide Rs 1,000 a month to all elderly people of the state, Soren said. He said that construction of a 500-bed hospital is in progress on the premises of the medical college in Dumka, which will strengthen the healthcare facility in Santhal Pargana Division.

He said that a 'dhoti-sari' scheme will also be launched under which a dhoti or a lungi and a sari will be distributed to 57 lakh poor families of the state at a subsidised rate of Rs 10 apiece. The chief minister said that his government has already brought out an agriculture loan waiver scheme under which loans of up to Rs 50,000 would be waived.

Syracuse, N.Y.  Dennis DePerro, president of St. Bonaventure University, is being treated for Covid-19 at a Syracuse hospital where he is on a ventilator, the college announced.

DePerro, 61, a former vice president of Le Moyne College, tested positive for Covid-19 on Christmas Eve and has been hospitalized since Dec. 29. St. Bonaventure said he is in serious, but stable condition. The school did not disclose which hospital is treating DePerro.

St. Bonaventure has appointed Joseph Zimmer, its provost and vice president of academic affairs, to serve as acting president until DePerro returns.

I know I speak for everyone in the Bonaventure family when I offer prayers for healing and strength to Dr. DePerro and his family at this difficult time, John Sheehan, chair of SBUs Board of Trustees, said in a prepared statement.

St. Bonaventure is in Allegany in the Southern Tier.

DePerro became president of St. Bonaventure in 2017. Prior to that he served as vice president of enrollment and management at LeMoyne College for 18 years. He also served as dean of Le Moynes School of Graduate and Professional studies and as a professor in the colleges business school.

Prior to Le Moyne, DePerro worked in administration at his alma mater Canisius College in Buffalo and Marietta College in Ohio.

James T. Mulder covers health and higher education. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com
The Minnesota Department of Health announced on Monday it has recorded the first known case in the U.S. of the highly transmissible COVID-19 variant that has been spreading through Brazil.

Known as the P.1 variant, it was detected amid a surge of cases in Manaus, Brazil. Minnesota health officials said the patient is a resident of the Twin Cities area who recently traveled to Brazil, and the strain was found via genomic sequencing of random blood samples. The person was tested on Jan. 9, and is now in isolation. Ruth Lynfield, Minnesota's state epidemiologist, said this is a reminder why "it is so important to limit travel during a pandemic as much as possible."

Scientists are closely studying three COVID-19 variants: P. 1, as well as B.1.1.7, first detected in the United Kingdom, and B1.351, first identified in South Africa. Virologists said the variants are independent of one another but there is some overlap in the mutations. The U.K. variant is spreading now in the U.S., but the South Africa variant has not yet been detected. Virologists are especially concerned that the Brazil and South Africa variants contain mutations that may evade the protections of some antibodies.

William Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, told The Washington Post on Monday the Brazil variant is "probably the one causing the most concern among people watching this. It is fair to say that P.1 is the object of very, very serious attention and concern among epidemiologists. We don't know why it has been so successful in Manaus."

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Justice Party then-head Kim Jong-cheol, right, and Rep. Jang Hye-young attend a party meeting at the National Assembly, Jan. 4. Kim resigned, Monday, after admitting he sexually harassed Jang recently. Yonhap



By Kim Rahn



Monday's news of minor opposition Justice Party head Kim Jong-cheol's sexual harassment of fellow lawmaker Jang Hye-young shocked the public. But what was even more surprising and impressive was how the party dealt with the incident, differentiating itself from how other political parties dealt with similar cases. In fact, the Justice Party's response to the latest incident should be seen as an example of how to deal with sexual harassment involving ranking politicians.



First of all, the party disclosed who the victim was, unlike previous similar cases where victims' identities were withheld for their protection. The reason was simple. Jang wanted her identity to be known. She also openly expressed her position through Facebook, saying hiding that fact wouldn't help her life return to normal.



She stressed that there is no such thing as "model behavior" for sexual assault victims, as such notions may introduce biases against some victims and their claims.



"Any woman can become a victim of sexual violence. My position as an incumbent lawmaker does not mean that I am safe," she wrote.



After the incident took place, Jang said she tried her best to pretend that "nothing happened," by attending scheduled meetings and forums. "There is no stereotypical attitude a victim should display," she said, adding that many victims choose different ways to continue with their daily lives and should not be pressured to "look like a victim."



Her message countered the way that many people treat victims of sex crimes, including Kim Ji-eun, the former secretary of former South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung, who accused An of raping her. The former governor was found guilty of raping Kim and was sentenced in 2019 to three and a half years behind bars. When Kim accused her boss of rape, many people raised questions such as "How could such a well-educated woman be unable to say no to her boss?", "Why didn't she report the case immediately to police?" and "How could she maintain her daily life after the incident as if nothing happened?"





Former South Chungcheong Province Governor An Hee-jung is transported to prison in this Feb. 1, 2019 photo, after an appellate court found him guilty of raping his former secretary and sentenced him to three and a half years behind bars. Korea Times file

Such questions not only cast doubt over the trustworthiness of a sexual assault victim, but are often viewed by courts as tacit consent to sexual intercourse. In the case of An and Kim, a local court accepted the former governor's claim that she consented to having sex, because "Kim searched for a tofu restaurant for An on the morning following the alleged rape," implying that the secretary going about her daily work routine is "not what a rape victim would do."



Jang also pointed out that there are no specific types of people who commit sex crimes. "Anybody can become the perpetrator of sexual violence when that person fails to treat a fellow citizen with respect as an equal. It doesn't matter if that person has lived a great life or is respected," she wrote.



This message could be directed at some ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) members and supporters of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who killed himself last July after learning that allegations of his sexual harassment of a secretary were about to be made public. Park, a former human rights lawyer, had emphasized women's rights during his lengthy tenure as mayor, and many supporters refused to trust the victim's claim by saying that the mayor was "not that kind of person." Most DPK lawmakers were even reluctant to refer to the former secretary as a "victim," saying her allegations had not been confirmed by law enforcement authorities.





Bae Bok-joo, deputy leader of the Justice Party, apologizes to the public during a press briefing at the National Assembly, Monday, while disclosing party leader Kim Jong-cheol's sexual harassment of fellow lawmaker Jang Hye-young. Yonhap

President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on more high-level visits and people-to-people exchanges during their phone conversation, Tuesday. Xi showed support for inter-Korean dialogue as well as denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea. Yonhap



By Do Je-hae



Chinese President Xi Jinping underlined his support for dialogue between the two Koreas as well as denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea during a phone call late Tuesday with President Moon Jae-in, according to the presidential office.



"Xi said that North Korea's position announced at its eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea is that it has not closed the door to dialogue with the U.S. and South Korea. He views the situation on the Korean Peninsula overall as stable," presidential spokesperson Kang Min-seok said in a statement. China also underlined South Korea's role for a political solution to the Korean Peninsula issue, Moon's office said.



During the 40-minute phone talks, Moon stressed China's constructive role in resuming diplomacy with North Korea. It is the first time for the two leaders to speak on the phone since May 2020. Moon has yet to speak with new U.S. President Joe Biden.



The phone call was made days after the launch of the Biden administration, which is seeking to strengthen ties with its allies, including Korea, while Sino-U.S. rivalry is expected to continue.



Moon and Xi also agreed to promote high-level visits and people-to-people exchanges ahead of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between their two countries in 2022.





President Moon Jae-in speaks on the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae
Oil prices ticked up on Tuesday alongside rising European shares and amid reports of a blast in Saudi Arabia , trading near 11-month highs.

Brent crude was up 43 cents, or 0.8%, at $56.31 by 1117 GMT, while U.S. crude rose 43 cents, or 0.8%, to $53.20. Both contracts rose nearly 1% on Monday and are set to post the third monthly rise in a row.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

Prices moved up slightly after reports of a blast in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, although the cause remains unclear.

In Europe, gains in financial services and chemical sectors helped stocks rise on Tuesday . Risk assets such a equities and oil often move in tandem.

On the supply side, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies' compliance with pledged oil output curbs is averaging 85% in January, tanker tracker Petro-Logistics said on Monday. The findings suggest the group has improved compliance supply curb commitments.

Also, output from the giant Tengiz field in Kazakhstan was disrupted by a power cut on Jan. 17.

"It appears that market players are cautiously sanguine about the producer group's market management strategy and therefore about the imminent depletion in global oil inventories," PVM analysts said.

Dampening bullish sentiment, US Democrats are still trying to convince Republican lawmakers of the need for more stimulus, raising questions over when and in what form a package will be approved.

Even as the pace of new infections falls in the United States, European nations have set tough restrictions to combat the spread of the coronavirus while vaccines are rolled out.

China is reporting rising Covid-19 cases, casting a pall over demand prospects in the world's largest energy consumer.

Still, there are areas where demand for oil remains strong.

In India, crude oil imports in December rose to their highest in more than two years as the easing of coronavirus restrictions boosted economic activity.





This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: RGRX) ("the Company" or "RegeneRx"), a clinical-stage drug development company focused on tissue protection, repair and regeneration, is addressing rumors in the market regarding its ARISE-3 phase 3 dry eye trial.

"Based on current communication with GtreeBNT, our partner in the 700-patient ARISE-3 clinical trial, the patient database is continuing to be cleaned prior to its being locked. This is talking a little longer than expected but should be completed very soon. The patient database will then be locked, and the trial data analyzed shortly thereafter followed by the release of top line results," stated J.J. Finkelstein, RegeneRx president and chief executive.

About RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

RegeneRx is focused on the development of novel therapeutic peptides, including Thymosin beta 4 (T4) and its constituent fragments, for tissue and organ protection, repair, and regeneration. RegeneRx currently has three drug candidates in clinical development for ophthalmic, cardiac/TBI and dermal indications, four active strategic licensing agreements in the U.S., China, and Pan Asia (Korea, Japan, and Australia, among others), and the EU, and has patents and patent applications covering its products in many countries throughout the world. RGN-259, the Company's ophthalmic eye drop, recently complete a phase 3 clinical trial for dry eye syndrome in the U.S. and is expected to report top line results for the ARISE-3 clinical trial in early 2021.

Forward Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements made under the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, competitive products, statements from us or our joint venture regarding strategic and research partnerships, status of clinical trials, reclassification of our drug candidates from drugs to biologics, regulatory applications and approvals, the development and value of our drug candidates, and the use of our drug candidates to treat various conditions. All forward-looking statements are expectations and estimates based upon information obtained and calculated by the Company at this time and are subject to change. Moreover, there is no guarantee any clinical trial will be successful or confirm previous clinical results. Please view these and other risks described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including those identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, and subsequent quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q, as well as other filings it makes with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements in this shareholder letter represent the Company's views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update this information, as a result of future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

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Vietnam has recently received many large global groups, led by US technology firms, that have brought production chains with capital of up to billions of dollars.

As Apples largest partner in iPhone assembling, Foxconn is planning to invest $270 million to expand its production in Vietnam.

According to Nikkei Asian Review, the factory for Apple products in the Dong Mai Industrial Zone (IZ) in Quang Ninh province exported the first consignment of LCD screens last week to take full advantage of the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership), which was signed recently. The company will also increase production capacity in Vietnam.

Young Liu, chair of Foxconn, said that investment by large corporations is increasing. Foxconn will make a wide range of products in Vietnam, including TVs, telecom equipment and products related to computers.

First investing here in 2007, Foxconn now has five factories in Vietnam, mostly in Industrial Zones in Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Vinh Phuc.

In Bac Giang, Foxconn is building an assembly line for two Apple products, expected to become operational early this year.

Pegatron and Wistron are also scaling up production in Vietnam. In September 2020, Pegatron invested $1 billion in an electronics manufacturing facility in Hai Phong City.

Luxshare has decided to build a factory in Bac Giang as it is relocating a part of the Apple AirPods assembly line to Vietnam. Some sources said the group may start an iPhone assembly line there.

The latest report from Savills Vietnam said that big manufacturers, including Sharp, Nintendo and Komatsu from Japan, and Lenovo from Hong Kong, have announced plans to relocate to or expand production in Vietnam.

Vietnam has received many other well-known investors, including Canon, Microsoft, Nokia, Intel, LG and Samsung.

The latest report from Savills Vietnam said that big manufacturers, including Sharp, Nintendo and Komatsu from Japan, and Lenovo from Hong Kong, have announced plans to relocate to or expand production in Vietnam.

Su Ngoc Khuong from Savills Vietnam said that the Prime Ministers decision on supporting and expanding industrial property for foreign investors to join the real estate market is a positive factor.

Meanwhile, the changes in the global economic situation are a plus for supply chains in Vietnam. Experts said that multinationals manufacturing consumer goods and technological products are under pressure to cut costs and relocate.

Foreign invested enterprises have not only set up new factories in Vietnam, but they have also developed local supply chains. After the pandemic eases, wages are expected to increase, which would prompt manufacturers to come to Southeast Asia to seek a new production base.

A report of the Vietnam Real Estate Brokerage Association showed that industrial real estate market was the only real estate segment that enjoyed positive progress in both rental rates and occupancy rates during Covid-19.

In 2020, the average occupancy rate in industrial zones was up more than 70 percent year-on-year.

Four factors have been cited to explain the rapid recovery of the industrial real estate segment in Vietnam.

First, the middle class and the dynamic private sector are developing rapidly. Second, the business environment is sustainable and political conditions are stable. Third, the government continues to maintain expenses to fight the pandemic.

And fourth, Vietnam has spent more money on infrastructure development and has tried to prevent the real estate market from becoming frozen.

Bilateral FTAs, such as the EVFTA, also promise to improve market accessibility. Vietnam is in a good position to recover and thrive after the Covid-19 pandemic ends.

However, experts point out that Vietnam is still in an early stage of developing industrial real estate in connection with supply chains, warehouses and transport. Therefore, it is necessary to develop more detailed strategies to support investors who want to join the real estate segment.

Nguyen Hoai An from CBRE Vietnam said that IZ developers need to change their view about product development to adapt to the new circumstances. Modern technologies are needed to manage and run infrastructure, and legal and personnel services should be provided to help tenants save time and costs.

When industries develop, demand for qualified workers will increase. The country needs to satisfy the demand for a high-quality workforce. In order to do so, it is necessary to make serious investments in education, especially in information technology, mathematics and science.

As for prospects in 2021, John Campbell from Savills Vietnam said that re-orienting the segments belonging to supply chains is getting clearer, and that many investors are expecting a busy year after barriers are removed.

Duy Anh

Tax evasion questions raised as 55% of FDI enterprises report losses Numerous FDI enterprises have reported losses over the course of several years, despite continuing to expand production and business activities, along with an annual increase in revenue, thereby causing losses and damage to the state budget.
New Delhi: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday (January 26) condemned the incidents of violence in Delhi as some farmers entered into the city and clashed with the police, saying nobody will support whatever happened today but the reason behind it cannot be ignored either. The NCP chief said, "those (farmers) sitting calmly grew angry, the Centre didn't fulfill its responsibility. Govt should act maturely and take the right decision."

On the tractor rally in Delhi, Pawar further said "Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh held a protest in a disciplined manner but the government didn't take them seriously. As restraint ended, the tractor march was taken out. Centre's responsibility was to keep law and order in control but they failed."

"The way the agitation handled today is regrettable. We all sitting in Opposition support the farmers' cause and I appeal-- now you (farmers) should go back to your respective villages peacefully and should not give any opportunity to the govt to blame you," the NCP chief added.

Interacting with media persons in Mumbai, Pawar said Punjab may head towards restlessness if the Centre uses force against protesters and asked the Modi government to not commit that sin. He said a way out should have been found over the farmers demands without hurting the protesters who have been agitating for two months.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that whatever happened in Delhi is a matter of national shame as it does not suit either the protestors or the government. He also questioned the Centre as to why the chaos was allowed to spread, and why did the government wait for this incident? Did the government know that agitating farmers will lose their patience, he asked.

SAD condemns incidents of violence in Delhi

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday condemned the incidents of violence in Delhi as some farmers entered into the city and clashed with the police, saying the party stands for peace and communal harmony and believes in democratic values.

The party also appealed to the people to maintain peace and calm at all costs, a statement said. An emergency meeting of the SAD core committee will be convened on Wednesday to consider the situation arising out of the incidents in the national capital.

Mamata blames Centre's insensitive attitude for Delhi violence

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the Centre's "insensitive attitude" and indifference towards farmers are to be blamed for the violent protests in Delhi, maintaining that she was deeply disturbed by the situation. She, however, urged the Centre to engage with the farmers and repeal the new farm laws, which she termed draconian.

In a tweet, she said, "Deeply disturbed by worrying and painful developments that have unfolded on the streets of Delhi. Centre's insensitive attitude and indifference towards our farmer brothers and sisters have to be blamed for this situation."

Violence in Delhi unacceptable: Amarinder Singh

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the violence during the farmers' tractor parade against the new agriculture laws in Delhi is unacceptable even as he ordered a high alert in his state. Condemning the incidents that took place at the historic Red Fort, he urged the farmers to immediately vacate the national capital and return to the borders, where they had been protesting peacefully for the past two months.

Live TV

Singh ordered a high alert in Punjab amid the tension and violence in Delhi and directed Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta to ensure that law and order in the state is not deteriorated at any cost.

Left parties blame govt for letting things go out of hand

Left leaders also condemned the violence that broke out on the streets of the capital during the tractor rally of farmers, but squarely blamed the government for letting the situation deteriorate.

"The situation has been brought to this pass by the Modi government. Farmers have been protesting peacefully in the cold for more than 60 days, not allowed to come into Delhi and more than 100 kisans are dead," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in a tweet.

Yechury further said the three farm laws must be immediately repealed and the announcement to that should be made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.

CPI general secretary D Raja too said the violence was no way for either party to deal with the situation, but also blamed the Centre for letting things go out of hand.

Raja said, "The farmers have been agitating for almost 60 days and it has been peaceful and nonviolent. When they were stopped at the borders, they sat there. Now after negotiations, they were allowed to have the rally on agreed routes, then why did the police not ensure that they took the designated path? The incident should have been averted. For this, it is the government that is to blame."

Farmers' union body Samyukta Kisan Morcha, however, disassociated itself from those who indulged in violence during the tractor parade and alleged that some "antisocial elements" infiltrated their otherwise peaceful movement.

(Witha Agency Inputs)
Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major industrial nations have condemned Russia for the "politically motivated" detention of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny and the "violent suppression" of protesters demanding his release over the weekend.



In a joint statement on January 26, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States called Navalnys detention "deplorable" and demanded his "immediate and unconditional release."



"Russia is bound by its national and international obligations to respect and ensure human rights," they said.



Navalny was arrested on January 17 upon returning to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal poisoning by a military-grade nerve agent in August he accuses Putin of ordering.



Navalny faces up to a 3 1/2 year sentence if convicted for violating a suspended sentence from a 2014 embezzlement case that Europes top human rights court deemed illegal. Russian prosecutors appear to be claiming that the terms of the sentence were broken when Navalny was flown out of the country on an emergency air ambulance to be treated for the nerve-agent attack.



"It is deplorable that Mr. Navalny is being detained in relation to court decisions which the European Court of Human Rights determined in 2017 to be arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable," the foreign ministers said.



"The confirmed use of chemical weapons against an opposition politician, as well as Mr. Navalny's latest detention further undermine democracy, independent voices, and political plurality in Russia," they added.



Russia was suspended from the G8  now known as the G7  in 2014 in response to its forcible seizure of Crimea from Ukraine.



Despite a sweeping police crackdown that saw more 3,700 people detained in nationwide protests over the weekend, Navalny and his allies are undeterred in pressing for his release and exposing government corruption. Dozens of Navalny associates in various cities were detained before the protests.

The G7 foreign ministers said they were concerned by the violent suppression of peaceful protest and the detention of thousands of people and journalists.



Navalny's team has called for more demonstrations on January 31 and February 2, when a court is scheduled to consider motions to convert his suspended sentence into a real prison term.



Human rights groups have joined Western governments in calling for Navalny's release and condemning the crackdown on peaceful protests.



Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on January 26 called on the EU to impose further sanctions on Russian officials after more than 50 journalists were "arbitrarily detained" during the protests.



The police deliberately targeted certain media, going so far as to enter a private apartment in order to cut off a video feed of the demonstrations, and in a sign of the totally disproportionate nature of the crackdown, even clearly-identified reporters wearing 'press' vests or armbands were held for several hours, Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSFs Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, said in a statement.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on January 26 said there could be "no dialogue" with those who joined the "illegal" protests  Russias biggest anti-government demonstrations in years -- and "took part in riots."



Meanwhile, a prominent hard-line ally of Russian President Vadimir Putin accused the West of using Navalny, 44, to try to destabilize Russia and says the jailed Kremlin foe must be held accountable for allegedly breaking the law.

Referring to Navalny as "this figure," Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council, told the online media outlet Argumenty i Fakty that the opposition leader and anti-corruption campaigner had repeatedly [and] grossly broken Russian legislation, engaging in fraud concerning large amounts of money.

"And as a citizen of Russia, he must bear responsibility for his illegal activity in line with the law," Patrushev said.

He also alleged that "the West needs this figure to destabilize the situation in Russia, for social upheaval, strikes, and new Maidans," a reference to the pro-European protests in late 2013 and early 2014 that ousted Ukraine's Moscow-friendly president, Viktor Yanukovych.

Asked about the protests, Putin said on January 25 that all people have the right to express their point of view within limits, outlined by law."

Speaking to students via video, Putin also called allegations that an opulent Black Sea mansion belongs to him an attempt to "brainwash" Russian citizens.

"Nothing that's shown there as my property belongs to me, or my close relatives, and doesn't and didn't belong. Never," he said in a response to one student's questioning of an investigative report published by Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation on January 19, two days after he was taken behind bars.

The report -- A Palace for Putin -- showcases a luxurious, 100 billion-ruble ($1.35 billion) estate near the popular holiday town of Gelendzhik that it said belongs to Putin

A nearly two-hour YouTube video accompanying the report went viral on Russian social media, with more than 86 million people watching it.

Navalny alleges that Putin effectively owns the palace via a complex trail of companies.

Peskov said that "one or several [businessmen] directly or indirectly own" the property, adding that the Kremlin "has no right to reveal the names of these owners."

Putin has often denied having any serious wealth, and his name has never emerged in any publicly available documents that would attest to massive riches or offshore companies.

But several investigative reports, including by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), have alleged some of Putin's friends and relatives have amassed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of assets without the corresponding jobs to accumulate such wealth.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and TASS

Sunday Adeyemo, a youth leader better known as Sunday Igboho, has described Babafemi Ojudu, a presidential aide, as a liar. Speaking w...

Sunday Adeyemo, a youth leader better known as Sunday Igboho, has described Babafemi Ojudu, a presidential aide, as a liar.





Speaking with some news outlets at his residence in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, on Tuesday morning, Igboho said he never had any meeting with Ojudu over the 2009 rerun election in Ekiti state.

In a piece, Ojudu had said he and Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), met with Igboho ahead of the rerun election.

The presidential aide also said Igboho agreed to meet with them on the condition that Lamidi Adedibu, the strongman of Ibadan politics, who is now late, must not know about the meeting.

But Igboho wondered how Adedibu, who died in 2008, could be an issue in an election which held in 2009.

He also said aside Lam Adesina and Rasheed Ladoja, former governors of Oyo state, he did not associate with other key politicians.

Femi Ojudu is a liar. He is out to defame me Ojodu mentioned Ahmed Tinubu in the piece, you can go and ask Tinubu about the election. I have only worked for two people; the late Lamidi Adesina and Rashidi Ladoja. I have never worked for Adedibu, he said.

Adedibu died in 2008 and Ojudu said the same Adedibu asked me to go to Ekiti in 2009. You can see he is a liar. Politicians are trying to penetrate the Yoruba struggle. You can kill the messenger but you cannot kill the message.

I dont know any Ojudu and if he is sure that I met him in a hotel, let him swear by the life of his children.

Igboho also asked Ojudu to desist from spreading falsehood against him, saying failure to do so will attract a lawsuit.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

This is the moment a very needy baby panda refused to let her zookeeper go and gripped desperately to his leg at a zoo in South Korea.

Six-month-old giant panda Fu Bao, the first of her kind to be born in South Korea, can be seen gripping tightly to her keeper's leg and being swept around the room as he moves around the enclosure at the Everland Zoo near Seoul.

The male keeper then weighs the 22lb-cub on a scale in front of a pile of bamboo shoots, and hoists her over his leg.

Finished with her weigh in, the keeper gently pushes Fu Bao towards the ground - but she doesn't let go.

After many attempts to uncoil her strong arms, the keeper finally separates himself from Fu Bao, who then rolls back on the floor.

Six-month-old baby giant panda Fu Bao can be seen gripping desperately to a zookeeper's leg in South Korea as he carries out his daily tasks

After weighing the 10kg panda, the zookeeper hoists her over his leg, at the Everland Zoo in Yongin, South Korea

Members of the public have been able to visit baby Fu Bao at the zoo since January but keepers have been posting adorable videos of the cub on their social media channels since she was born in July last year.

Her parents, seven-year-old female Ai Bao and eight-year-old male Le Bao, were given to South Korea in 2016 in a 'panda diplomacy' agreement during a summit between Beijing and Seoul.

Shortly after her birth she needed veterinary care but has since recovered.

Despite the zookeeper's best attempts, he is unable to unlatch the baby giant panda from his leg

Fu Bao was born in July last year to parents who were temporarily loaned to Seoul as part of China's 'panda diplomacy'

China usually leases their pandas to foreign countries as diplomatic gifts on five-year terms.

According to Beijing's policy, all cubs born to pandas on loan overseas belong to China and would need to return to the country.

It's rare for panda's to be born without an accompanying visit of Chinese officials. The officials were unable to oversee the birth last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After her arms are finally unlatched from the keeper's legs, Fu Bao rolls on the floor, at the Everland Zoo in South Korea

The cub's name was drawn from 50,000 suggestions made by the South Korean public, but the zoo settled on Fu Bao, which means 'a treasure that brings happiness'.

In November last year, K-pop girl group Blackpink, caused outrage in Korea and China when they released a promotional video showing themselves petting and touching the then three-month-old and an adult panda.

According to social media users on China's Twitter equivalent, Weibo, no one other than trained professionals should be allowed contact with a newborn panda cub.

They accused the girl group, who didn't wear gloves or masks, of endangering the pandas' health as they could unknowingly pass on diseases.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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A provincial deputy police chief in Cambodia is under probe after being accused of confining four Vietnamese and extorting $300,000 from them in exchange for their release.

Brigardier General Hin Sok Kheng, deputy police chief of Cambodias Takeo Province, was placed under investigation following complaints from Takeo police officers and residents last December, Khmer Times on Tuesday cited deputy chief of the Interior Ministrys Inspection Office Lieutenant Colonel Seng Kimheng as saying.

Seng Kimheng said four Vietnamese investors and two Cambodian men have accused Sok Kheng of illegally confining and extorting $300,000 from them at the end of 2019.

The accusation, dated last December, alleged Sok Kheng and his police officers arrested one Vietnamese man and extorted $200,000 from him at the end of 2019, while detained three Vietnamese and two Cambodians and extorting $100,000 from them as ransom within the same time frame.

Sok Kheng and his accomplices allegedly confiscated rings and necklaces from their victims, but later returned these earlier this month, according to the accusation.

An investigation is ongoing. If accusations are proved accurate, Sok Kheng would be punished in accordance with the Cambodian National Polices code of ethics, said National Police spokesperson Lieutenant General Chhay Kim Khoeun.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico was awarded over $460 million for education as part of the latest federal stimulus package  more than three times the amount of funding that came from the earlier Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

The additional money is from two sources that received an infusion under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act that was enacted in December. The aim is to help schools respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has come with hefty price tags for local school districts.

According to U.S. Department of Education documents, New Mexico was allocated nearly $436 million out of $54 billion available from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund this time around. The states amount was based on a Title I formula, which targets students from low-income families.

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................................................................

The state didnt have to submit a new application to get the funding.

New Mexico Public Education Department spokeswoman Judy Robinson said states that received money from this fund under the CARES Act automatically got the latest round of funding.

Meanwhile, another roughly $27 million in federal funds was earmarked for New Mexico from the Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund, a funding stream to help governors with educational efforts. The majority of that money will go toward services at private schools, but about $10 million will be distributed by the governor for early childhood and higher education, in addition to K-12.

PED said that, like the CARES Act dollars, 90% of the roughly $436 million allocation will go directly to districts and charters in New Mexico, based on how many low-income students are at the schools. The rest can be spent by the state on other pandemic-related costs, such as computers, internet and resources for disengaged students.

(Districts and charters) have a lot of flexibility to use the funds for most educational and pandemic response purposes, Robinson said in an email.

The plan is to open the application process by Feb. 1, but the districts have to spend the initial CARES Act funding first.

Federal data  as reported through November  showed that, in New Mexico, 14% of CARES Act money for K-12 education had been spent. And just 6.5% was spent from the pool of money distributed by the Governors Office. Both were awarded in May.

But Robinson said that data may not be up to date.

There is a significant lag between when districts expend funds and when they report the spending to us through a request for reimbursement, she said. Often, districts may not submit a request for reimbursement for many months after having spent funds. We expect that many districts have spent most or all of their funds, but have not yet submitted for reimbursement.
The farmers have been protesting since weeks now and no solution has been attained against the three farm laws by the Centre. Today on Republic Day, thousands of protesting farmers stormed Delhi with their tractors, and even entered the Red Fort complex.



Delhi: Another protestor puts a flag on the pole at Red Fort#RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/lyRTnQjRPz  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021





There were visuals of chaos and one man climbing on a poll and hoisting a flag with Khalsa symbol. The internet has divided opinions while some are lashing at the farmers for this act, others stand in their support as the Delhi police have been trying to handle them by releasing tear gas and lathi charge.

Farmers heading towards Rajpath damaged DTC bus placed to stop their movement at ITO. #FarmersProstests pic.twitter.com/k8AFBt9XiI  RAKESH_TEKAIT (@shailesh_BBK) January 26, 2021

Amid all this, Bollywood actress Kangana who was against the farmers protest demanded an explanation from Diljit Dosanjh and Priyanka Chopra who had earlier shown their solidarity to the protesting farmers.

Agencies

She shared the same picture of a man hoisting the flag and wrote on twitter, You need to explain this @diljitdosanjh@priyankachopraWhole world is laughing at us today, yahi chahiye tha na tum logon ko!!!! Congratulations.

You need to explain this @diljitdosanjh @priyankachopra

Whole world is laughing at us today, yahi chahiye tha na tum logon ko!!!! Congratulations  pic.twitter.com/ApHo5uMInO  Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) January 26, 2021
Graduates can find more info on this promotion on the Nissan of Victoria website

Nissan of Victoria is offering recent college graduates the opportunity to take advantage of their college graduate program. Eligible students who can use this special offer must have graduated within the past 24 months or have a written confirmation that they will be graduating within the next 6 months. Eligible students must also present proof of current or future employment to take advantage of this deal.

With the college graduate program, students have the possibility to save big money when it comes time to find a new vehicle. Graduates with proof of graduation and who are employed/about to be employed can save up to $1,000 of Nissan cashback on top of already existing offers. Even if Nissan of Victoria has other specials going on, eligible students can still use the graduate program rewards on top of that as well.

The process of using this promotion is simple. First, students visit Nissan of Victoria and search for their dream car in their wide variety of inventory. Next, students choose the vehicle they want to take off the lot and present their proof of graduation/upcoming graduation and proof of work/future work. Lastly, students drive off the lot knowing they just saved a boatload of money.

More information can be found about the college graduate program on the Nissan of Victoria site, which can be found by following this URL https://www.nissanofvictoria.com/ or by visiting Nissan of Victoria in person today. If drivers have any questions about this program, and how it works, they can reach out to a Nissan of Victoria representative by calling 361-578-5000.
Kevin Evans was top dog on price yet again at Skipton Auction Marts first online working sheep dog sale of 2021, selling three fully broken dogs for a combined 35,600, while his father David established a new world record price of 6,100 for an unbroken pup.

All three dogs achieved five-figure prices for the legendary Welsh breeder and triallist, who has been setting the working sheep dog world alight of late with his charges, many related to the handlers high profile trials champions.

The three-day virtual timed sale (Jan 18-20) saw Mr Evans, of Llwynfedwen Farm, near Brecon in Powys, head the prices for the third sale in succession when achieving 14,300 with his fully broken March, 2019-born tan and white bitch, the aptly named Pink.

The top price performer is by fellow Welshman Ross Games chocolate and white dog, Caefelin Clem (Taff), out of Roy Prices Blue.

Mated in December and scanned carrying pups to Mr Evans five-year-old Jaff, a litter brother to his world record price Henna, Pink fell to an undisclosed buyer.

Mr Evans was also represented by two further young up-and-coming fully broken 2019 dogs, both rising two-years-old.

First forward was a February-born black and white bitch, Groesfaen Leny, a grandson of his own dual European Nursery and Royal Welsh Champion, Tanhill Glen, out of Glen Evans (no relation) Shell.

The buyer at 11,100 was 37-year-old Northumberland cattle and sheep farmer James Pritchard, custodian of 2,500 acres of hill land in Otterburn.

Tanhill Glen had a major influence on Skiptons opening sale of 2021, with the top stud dogs breeding having a direct bearing on a good number of well-sold entries.

Bred by Kirkby Stephens Alec Baines, Glen was acquired by Mr Evans at just 15 months. He is now eight-years-old and still going strong.

Last up for Mr Evans and making 10,200 was the slightly younger March-born black and white dog, Zac, a son of Lyn Howells red dog, Boss, and also carrying the gene which will produce red pups.

Out of another Howell family dog, Millie, Zac, who is regarded an excellent nursery prospect, found a new home in Belgium with Jo De Meyst, who hails from Oost-Vlaanderens in the province of East Flanders, and has himself sold dogs at Skipton in the past.

Triallist dad David Evans, of Penclyn Farm, Brecon, was himself represented by three youngsters full of promise, with the headline performer his 6,100 new world record price pup, an 11-week-old black and white bitch, Bet.

This record smashed the previous unbroken sale record of 3,700 established by Northern Irelands Donal Mullaney at Skipton last October.
Just like every year, the Indian government has announced the recipients of the prestigious civilian award Padma Shri this year.

And one of the recipients is a scientist who revolutionised research in the field of soil science, helping millions of farmers to help get better yield while also take better care of their land, meet Dr Rattan Lal, who is also the recipient of the World Food Award in 2020.

AP

Early education

Dr Rattan Lal was born in Karya, Punjab on September 5th, 1944 which is now a part of Pakistan after partition. He completed his Bachelors degree in Science from Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana, followed by a Masters Degree in Science from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. After this, he headed to the USs Ohio State University to complete his PhD.

Research career

After completing his academics, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney from 1968-1969. After this, he moved to Nigeria, Africa for the role of a Soil Physicist at IITA, Ibadan, and worked there from 1970 to 1987.

In the year 1987, he arrived back at Ohio State University for the role of Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science and Director of Carbon Management and Sequestration Centre.

Through his research, he has developed and even promoted the use of novel soil-saving technique which has benefitted 500 million small farmers, improving the food and nutritional security of more than two billion people and saving hundreds of millions of hectares of natural tropical ecosystems.

His innovation and research has reduced hunger by pioneering agricultural methods across the globe that has helped to not just restore degraded soil but also reduce global warming.

He has also acted as the President of the International Union of Soil Science during the years 2017-2018.

Awards and accolades

While his name has come up for the reception of 2021 Padma Shri, Dr Rattan Lal has received a long list of awards, including Borlaug Award in the year 2005, Von Liebig award, 2006, Glinka World Soil Prize in 2018, Japan Prize in 2019.

However, the most prestigious award in this list is the World Food Prize Award, which he was awarded last year. This award has also been received the father of Green Revolution -- Dr M S Swaminathan.

AP

Upon receiving this award, Lal said in a statement, Soil science has been recognised by this award. I feel very happy about it. This award to a soil scientist highlights the importance of restoring and managing soil health. We need to give more attention to Dharti Mata (mother earth). Our Shastras and Puranas also indicated that we must pay respect to Dharti Mata. So this award means a lot to me.

He added, It is a privilege and honour to be of service to the many small farmers from around the world because I was one of them. They are stewards of the land. They are the ones with the tremendous challenge of feeding the world.
DALLAS (SMU) - A new study suggests children on the autism spectrum may be more likely to misinterpret healthy arguments between their parents as being negative, compared to children who aren't on the autism spectrum.

That means they may be missing out on an opportunity to learn from their parents how to handle conflict constructively, researchers Naomi Ekas and Chrystyna Kouros said.

"Children can learn how to best handle conflict from watching their parents," said Kouros, associate professor of psychology at SMU (Southern Methodist University). "Seeing parents respectfully problem-solve during a disagreement provides children with examples of how to resolve conflict in a healthy way. But children on the autism spectrum may be missing the chance to benefit from those interactions."

"Children on the autism spectrum reacted more negatively to interparental conflict that we generally think of as being less harmful to children's development, compared to non-autistic kids," said Ekas, lead researcher and an associate professor of psychology at Texas Christian University. "It is possible that these children are misinterpreting the conflict as being more negative than it is."

Kouros and Ekas have received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to further study this topic. They are conducting a larger study of 118 children on the autism spectrum and their parents.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects an estimated 1 in 54 children in the United States. The range and severity of symptoms can vary widely. Common characteristics include difficulty with communication, difficulty with social interactions and repetitive behaviors.

Based on their initial findings, Ekas and Kouros said parents of autistic kids may need to ensure their child understands when a conflict has ended and that their parents have resolved their difference. They also recommended teaching autistic children to recognize differences between conflicts that are destructive, like ones that involve yelling, versus constructive ones, where parents talk through a disagreement.

"This may help them navigate conflict with peers as well," Ekas said.

For the study, Ekas and Kouros arranged for autistic and non-autistic children to watch videos of actors pretending to be parents. In one video, the "parents" were seen having a disagreement in a way that psychologists would consider constructive - they showed respect to each other, spoke calmly, and used problem-solving. The children also watched a video of a destructive argument, where the parents aimed insults or threats at each other.

After viewing the videos children answered questions about how they felt and what they would do if they were in the room. Researchers found autistic children reacted more negatively to parents who fought constructively than did children who were not diagnosed with autism.

There was no significant difference in how kids perceived the destructive arguments, according to a study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Both groups rated destructive arguments very negatively.

The findings are particularly troubling, because research shows that parents of children on the autism spectrum may have higher rates of marital discord compared to parents of children who don't have autism.

The study is based on surveys taken by 21 children with autism and 29 non-autistic children, who were recruited from the Dallas-Fort Worth community through schools, flyers and online advertisements. Children in the study ranged from age between 8 and 13 years old.

To be included in the autism group, children had to be clinically-diagnosed as having the neurodevelopmental disorder.

###

About SMU

SMU is the nationally ranked global research university in the dynamic city of Dallas. SMU's alumni, faculty and nearly 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, communities and the world.
A person looks at pork in a supermarket in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

AVG Capital Partners has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Thanh Hoa Province Peoples Committee to build a $1.4-billion pork processing complex in the province.

A pig farm will be built on 1,000 hectares of land in the Nghi Son Economic Zone to raise five million hogs a year. A compound animal feed production plant with a capacity of two million tons a year, a slaughterhouse and a meat processing plant with a capacity of 0.6 million tons will also be built.

The project will be divided into three phases.

An AVG spokesperson said it would comply with Vietnamese environmental laws and regulations.

The Russian private equity company is a major investor in agriculture, animal feed production, meat processing, and sugar production.
Hays Travel is permanently closing 89 branches across the UK as the pandemic continues to batter the tourism industry.

The former Thomas Cook shops were bought by the holiday company in 2019, and Hays had been hoping trading would rebound in 2021.

But the imposition of another lockdown  and the suspension of flights and holidays by major providers that followed  meant the company had to act to cut costs, it said.

Covid victim: Hays Travel is permanently closing 89 former Thomas Cook shops across the UK as the pandemic continues to batter the tourism industry

Hays said it is offering alternative work to 388 staff who will be affected by the closures.

Dame Irene Hays, owner and chairman, said: 'We had hoped the business would bounce back in January, and it has not.

'We have done everything we could to safeguard jobs and the business thus far, and we have come up with a range of options for those at risk of redundancy to help as many colleagues as we can.'

Chief operating officer Jonathon Woodall added that Hays would be 'ready for the bounce back when it comes'.

Trade union TSSA said the closures were sad but inevitable'.

Manuel Cortes, the general secretary, said: 'With coronavirus rampant and the usual January booking of summer holidays absent, the travel trade continues to suffer.'
Delhi on very high alert as ISI backed Khalistan forces look to infiltrate tractor parade

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: The national capital is on a state of very high alert as the farmers get ready to take out a tractor parade. The Intelligence Bureau has warned that pro-Khalistan elements backed by Pakistan's ISI would look to hijack the protests and disrupt peace in Delhi.

Farmers tractor rally: Tear gas, lathi charge as farmers push into Delhi | Oneindia News

On Monday, the Delhi Police said that over 300 Twitter handles had been traced to Pakistan that were created to sabotage the rally. The proscribed outfit, Sikhs for Justice has been threatening strikes and has even tried to influence the farmers' protest on several occasions.

The CISF control room allegedly received a call from the SJF in which message of Gurpatwant Singh Pannu's message was played. The SJF has been staging protests outside the Indian consulates at UK, US and Canada stating that they are backing the farmers' protests.

Republic Day to tractor parade: Delhi braces for traffic chaos today

Both the IB as well as the Delhi Police have warned that the pro-Khalistan groups will look to disrupt peace. A close watch is being kept especially on the social media, where attempts would be made to spread false news and instigate the people.

"Over 300 Twitter handles have been generated from Pakistan during January 13 to 18 to disrupt the tractor rally by farmers only by misleading people. There are inputs about the same from different agencies too. It will be a challenging task for us, but the rally will be conducted amid tight security after the Republic Day parade is over," Deependra Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence), said.

At a press conference, he also said that mischievous elements can create a law and order situation. The 308 Twitter handles originating from Pakistan have been pushing hashtags linked to the farmers' protest and the tractor rally, he also said.
Although Democrats now hold the White House, the Senate and the House, the Republican Party will not engage in any soul-searching or quiet introspection about its losses. There will be no thoughtful autopsy outlining the reasons why so many Americans rejected its candidates. Instead, Republicans have decided they know what it takes to win and hold political power: They will cheat.

In suburban Atlanta, for example, a GOP county elections official joined the call to change laws to make casting a ballot less convenient, a ploy that makes voting more difficult for the working-class Black Americans who frequently support Democrats. The Georgia Legislature need not roll back all the voting laws that made it easier to cast a ballot during the pandemic, but theyve got to change the major parts of them so that we at least have a shot at winning, Alice OLenick said.

She is hardly alone. She was merely parroting the plans from top Republican leaders across the country. Republicans are not spending long policy sessions thinking of programs that will attract a broader coalition of voters. The party will not renounce racism, ethnocentrism and xenophobia. Its leading figures will not offer a more generous social safety net to attract the working poor or a health care plan that benefits the majority of Americans. Oh, no. Instead, party leaders want to curb mail-in ballots, restrict absentee ballots and put up more barriers to early voting and easy registration. They want to continue to scrub Black and brown voters from the rolls.

Thats why its imperative for the new Biden-Harris administration to put the restoration of voting rights at the top of its agenda. After the former presidents failed putsch at the U.S. Capitol, the new administration should insist on buttressing a fundamental pillar of democracy: the right to vote.

The struggle over access to the ballot box is a narrative thread that runs through the centuries since this democracy was founded. But the full voting rights of poor white men and white women were accorded with relative ease. Black Americans, by contrast, bought their right to vote with blood  broken limbs, bloodied heads, dead bodies.

When Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the Republican Party took notice, and they started a "Southern strategy" to lure whites who were unhappy with the cultural and political changes wrought by the civil rights movement. The pattern of pandering to cultural resentments was enough to guarantee GOP success at the federal level for decades.

But Republican strategists were far-sighted enough to see a demographic wave coming that would sweep away the power of their race-baiting. In 2002, Democrat Tim Johnson hung onto a South Dakota Senate seat by 524 votes. His win was powered by 94% support among the Oglala Sioux. The very next year, the South Dakota Legislature passed a voter ID law requiring a drivers license, something many Sioux do not have. The law explicitly rejected tribal ID cards for voting purposes.

Since then, Republicans in most states have passed strict voter ID laws that disproportionately affect voters of color. They have purged rolls of qualified voters. They have closed voting precincts in Black and brown neighborhoods.

But it was the election of two Democratic senators from Georgia that really unnerved Republican strategists. Stacey Abrams and other voting-rights advocates brilliantly used every legal method at their disposal to get marginalized voters to the polls, including high-profile advocacy for early voting. That strategy resulted in the first Black senator from Georgia, Raphael Warnock, and the first Jewish senator from the state, Jon Ossoff; it also gave Democrats control of the U.S. Senate. As soon as the results were in, GOP Gov. Brian Kemp and his allies started plotting to limit access to the ballot in the next election.

The Biden-Harris administration and its congressional allies need to make sure that cant happen. In 2013, the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but with control of the House and Senate, Democrats can restore its protections. They must move immediately. Our democracy depends on it.

Cynthia Tucker won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2007. She can be reached at cynthia@cynthiatucker.com.
We thought we were ready. We told ourselves we were. Then we told this lie to the world. We are open for business. We are COVID-free! Read more

At a news conference Monday in Hollanders West Loop office, the older brother told reporters: I was there. (Pfleger) was there. We were the only two in the room. His lawyer can say anything he wants. ... Im not here because I want to be. Im here because its the right thing to do.
Attackers would lure security researchers into collaborating via social media and a fake blog (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Google has warned security researchers they are being targeted by an ongoing government-backed hacking campaign based in North Korea.

The tech giant said it uncovered several false social media profiles on platforms including Twitter and LinkedIn, where bad actors would lure targets to a fake blog featuring guest posts from unwitting legitimate security researchers.

According to Googles Threat Analysis Group, attackers would then start talking to potential targets, asking if they would like to work together on cyber vulnerability research and use collaboration tools with hidden malware.

These actors have used multiple platforms to communicate with potential targets, including Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, Discord, Keybase and email. We are providing a list of known accounts and IOCs in the blog post.  Shane Huntley (@ShaneHuntley) January 26, 2021

In several cases, this allowed perpetrators to install a backdoor on to victims computers, even if they were running up-to-date versions of Windows 10 and the Chrome web browser.

Over the past several months, the Threat Analysis Group has identified an ongoing campaign targeting security researchers working on vulnerability research and development at different companies and organisations, said Adam Weidemann, from Googles Threat Analysis Group.

We hope this post will remind those in the security research community that they are targets to government-backed attackers and should remain vigilant when engaging with individuals they have not previously interacted with.

Expand Close Examples of fake accounts used by hackers (Google/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Examples of fake accounts used by hackers (Google/PA)

It comes as North Korea was recently accused by Microsoft of attempting to hack data from pharmaceutical firms and coronavirus vaccine researchers.

In November, the company said that state-backed hackers run by Russia and North Korea had targeted people located in Canada, France, India, South Korea and the US who are directly involved in researching vaccines and treatments for Covid-19.

Stuart Reed, UK director of security provider Orange Cyberdefense, said: This is another example of an attempt by highly sophisticated cyberthreat actors to attack the people that are trying to protect us.

In the past year we have seen a growing number of such incidents  hackers using social engineering attacks, malware campaigns and a whole host of other tricks to disrupt, misinform, aggravate existing geopolitical tensions and generally spread harm.

As a result, the emergent threat model has shifted, creating a new normal for cybersecurity professionals trying to temper panic and anxiety with logical, strategic thinking.
It wasnt exactly a private afternoon tea in the White House Red Room on Monday, but Annie Lamont joined fellow first ladies  and gentlemen  from throughout the country Monday in a virtual get together with first lady Dr. Jill Biden.

It was very bipartisan, said the venture-capitalist wife of Gov. Ned Lamont, an early supporter of President Joe Biden. Dr. Biden reached out to us in that spirit.

The hourlong-Zoom event on Monday was set up last Friday by Bidens staff, and the theme, set by Tracey Quillen Carney, wife of Delaware Gov. John Carney, and Dawn Amano-Ige, wife of Hawaii Gov. Dan Ige, was public service.

Tracey Carney gave a very heartfelt introduction, since shes close friends with the Bidens, Lamont recalled of the event. It was great. There were Republican and Democratic first ladies and gentlemen from throughout the country. Lamont said she had met several of her contemporaries in recent years at National Governors Association events, and the subtext of problem-solving was a familiar one.

Dr. Biden reached out in that spirit, reminding us that you are all passionate about helping people, Lamont said. She was very inclusive. It was very positive, with a message of unity. Lamont said Susan Hutchinson, wife of Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, spoke about her personal campaign against sexual abuse in children.

Lamont said the event was even more impressive just a few days into the presidential term. While Lamont said she didnt speak, others who did included Lauren Baker, wife of Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, and Tammy Snyder Murphy, wife of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

Other subjects discussed included the pain of the pandemic and the mental health needs of children. Lamont expects Biden will have follow-up events of the same nature. Looking at the faces on the screen, it looks like shell have a lot of support, Lamont said.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
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Nigerias top carrier, Air Peace, has announced the launch of new domestic routes and resumption of suspended ones.

In a statement Monday, the airlines Chief Operating Officer, Oluwatoyin Olajide, said the airline would be receiving all its aircraft on overseas maintenance in February, hence the decision to launch the new routes as well as reactivate suspended ones.

The airline has taken steps to reposition after the 2020 hit on the global travel industry caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In August 2020, the carrier agreed to re-employ pilots fired earlier that month, after the intervention of the aviation minister, Hadi Sirika.

The airline fired 69 pilots and cut pay by as much as 40 per cent in a bid to cushion the impact of the pandemic.

Mrs Olajide said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, that the planned launch of the new routes was an effort to underscore the airlines strong resolve to meet the air transportation needs of Nigerians, as well as to drive economic development and foster unity amongst various parts of the country.

As you know, most of our aircraft are on maintenance in different parts of the world but they are all returning in February. For us, it is great news as this means the launch of new routes and the resumption of routes suspended consequent upon the COVID-19 outbreak, she said.

Mrs Olajide emphasised that the new connections were also a testimony to Air Peaces no-city-left-behind initiative and unbridled determination to provide affordable access to safe and seamless connectivity across Nigeria and beyond.

She said the airline was constantly reviewing its route network, to reflect the air travel needs of the flying public. It currently operates 16 domestic routes, five regional routes and two international destinations, one of which is South Africa, launched in December 2020.

The airline also boasts of a fleet size of 26 aircraft and is steadily expanding its fleet as it expects to take delivery of its first Embraer 195-E2 aircraft this month, she said.

The new routes to be launched in February are: Enugu-Kano-Enugu, Enugu-Asaba-Enugu, PHC-Kano-PHC, PHC-Kaduna-PHC, Ilorin-Lagos-Ilorin, Ilorin-Abuja-Ilorin and Ibadan-Abuja-Ibadan.

The suspended routes to be resumed are Kano-Owerri-Kano, Kano-Asaba-Kano, Lagos-Yola-Lagos and Abuja-Yola-Abuja, she added.

(NAN)
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Panamanian-flagged MT Frea, left, and Iranian-flagged MT Horse tankers are seen anchored together in Pontianak waters off Borneo island, Indonesia, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (Indonesian Maritime Security Agency via AP)

Indonesia: Iran, China Caught Red-Handed Illegally Transferring Oil

Indonesian authorities said two seized supertankers suspected of illegally transferring oil over the weekend were caught red-handed and are making their way to dock for further investigation.

The Iranian-flagged MT Horse and the Panamanian Freya were seized on Sunday in waters off Indonesias West Kalimantan province and escorted to Batam island in the countrys Riau Islands Province, according to the Indonesian coast guard.

The ships will arrive in Batam at around 3 p.m. (0600GMT) to 4 p.m. later today, coast guard spokesman Wisnu Pramandita told Reuters.

Officials with the Indonesian coast guard caught the tankers red-handed in an alleged illegal ship-to-ship oil transfer while also recovering an oil spill around Freya, the receiving tanker.

A search by Reuters on the vessels origins concluded the MT Freya is managed by a Chinese company based in Shanghai while the MT Horse is owned by an Iranian tanker company.

The vessels 61 crew members were reportedly mainly of both Chinese and Iranian nationalities, who have since been detained.

Panamanian-flagged MT Freya and the Iranian-flagged MT Horse vessels are seen anchored in the waters off Pontianak, West Kalimantan province, Indonesia, on Jan. 24, 2021. (Antara Foto/via Reuters)

The supertankers, each capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil, are also accused of several other violations, including not displaying national flags, shutting off their identification systems, as well as anchoring illegally.

The International Maritime Organization requires vessels to use transponders for safety and transparency. Iran has previously been accused of concealing identification systems and disabling tracking systems to avoid U.S. sanctions.

Sundays incident comes after multiple international investigations on China, which remains the largest remaining buyer of Iranian oil. The White House warned Chinese shipping companies in 2019 not to turn off their ships transponders to conceal their oil export with Tehran.

In 2018, former President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Tehrans oil export around the world, aiming to cut it to zero, accusing the Islamic regime of supporting terrorists, building and spreading ballistic missiles, lying about developing nuclear weapons, and a litany of other transgressions.

President Donald Trump signs a document reinstating sanctions against Iran after announcing the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear deal, in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington, on May 8, 2018. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

The sanctions target the energy sector as most of Irans export revenue stems from oil. The country has seen its sales abroad deeply impacted after Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Over the past few months, MT Freya has delivered two crude oil cargoes totaling about 4 million barrels into Qingdao port on the east coast of China and northeast Yingkou port, said Emma Li, a senior crude analyst with Refinitiv.

Wisnu told Reuters on Tuesday the seizure of the ships had nothing to do with the U.S. sanctions.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News

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MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To address America's shortage of lifesaving personal protective equipment (PPE), American Mask Company has successfully tested surgical masks and face shields to meet U.S. government standards and have begun manufacturing in plants across the United States using domestically sourced and manufactured materials. American Mask Company's products are available for bulk order by organizations in need of PPE, including key and essential workers, frontline medical professionals, and businesses seeking to protect employees that have returned to the workplace. Additionally, American Mask Company's Half Mask Respirator is currently undergoing precertification testing ahead of submission to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to receive N95 classification. Half Mask Respirators will be available for order as soon as testing is successfully concluded.

(PRNewsfoto/American Mask Company)

COVID-19 has exposed a critical shortage of PPE in the United States and disrupted supply chains, forcing suppliers to import PPE which has frequently fallen short of the acceptable levels of quality, protection and durability, despite often being sold at inflated prices. American Mask Company gives organizations affordable and high-quality PPE options to offer their employees and stakeholders. American Mask Company has also partnered with Global Guardian, a provider of world-class security solutions customized to the individual needs of its global client base. Global Guardian brings years of sales and marketing expertise ensure customer demand for American Mask Company's PPE is met.

"As a subsidiary of Basin Holdings, all products are made in the U.S., which was important to us as it means we are better equipped to guarantee the security of our supply chain as well as the quality of the products," said Josh Kozel, President of American Mask Company. "Our products fill a vital, immediate need in America. The team actually worked with the U.S. Army in designing and engineering the filter cartridges for the Half Mask Respirator that will be released after going through NIOSH testing protocols."



American Mask Company is manufacturing masks at plants in Michigan, California, and Indiana, and the face shields are produced in Kentucky.

To help meet the critical need for PPE by the people who need it most, American Mask Company will donate face shields to UCLA Health and Staten Island Community Organizations Active in Disaster (SICOAD) and its Medical Ecosystem (MES) partners. "Our goal is to get PPE into the hands of the American people. Our donations to UCLA Health and SICOAD enables the rapid distribution of PPE to healthcare and medical professionals, first responders and nursing home workers who are fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines." said Josh Kozel.

American Mask Company's products have been rigorously tested and meet the high safety standards set by the U.S. government. The facilities in which they are manufactured are registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The surgical mask has met the ASTM Level 1 standard via testing provided by Intertek. Testing included rigorous checks for filtration efficiency, fluid resistance, and breathability. In addition, the face shield, while not required, has also been tested and meets ANSI Z87.1-2015 Standard.

The Half Mask Respirator is undergoing testing at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Chemical Biological Centerone of only a handful of agencies that has both the expertise and the equipment necessary to perform tests that precisely measure materials' filtration efficiencies in strict accordance with standards set by NIOSH. Along with the FDA, NIOSH is responsible for evaluating and regulating respiratory protective devices in the United States.

ABOUT AMERICAN MASK COMPANY

Founded to support and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, American Mask Company has domestically engineered the highest-grade personal protective equipment to protect your team using 100% American made materials.

American Mask Company is a subsidiary of Basin Holdings, which is a global holding company that owns and operates businesses organized in seven divisions including equipment supply and distribution, drilling tools, production and completion tools, material handling, precision machining, power solutions, and specialty products. As a leader in the manufacturing industry, Basin Holdings is uniquely positioned to enable AMC to scale to meet the growing PPE demand.

Press contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE American Mask Company
Police were forced to rescue a Covid rule-breaker after he got his 4x4 stuck on the side of a snow-covered mountain.

The man faces a 200 fine for disobeying the stay-at-home law and is set to be ordered to pay for the cost of the rescue operation costing hundreds of pounds in public money.

North Wales Police condemned his behaviour as he was illegally off-roading in sub-zero temperatures when he got bogged down and had to phone for help.

A man is facing a 200 fine for breaching Covid travel rules when he had to be rescue by police after getting his 4x4 stuck on the side of a snow-covered mountain in North Wales

North Wales Police Rural Crime Team were dispatched to the hillside - called Worlds End - in the shadow of the 499 metres (1,637ft) Ruabon Mountain near Llangollen.

After hauling him back on to the road, they said he'd broken the lockdown law and it was also illegal because his antics could damage a site of special scientific interest.

A spokesman said: 'We were called to the Ruabon mountain/Worlds End area where a person had decided to spend some time off-roading (illegally) on a SSSI.

'Of course they are also in breach of COVID rules and got their vehicle stuck after having slid backwards down a steep hill.'

Police released images showing the vehicle stuck on the snow-covered hillside yesterday afternoon.

It is the latest example of people flouting lockdown rules in Wales this month despite government pleas for people to stay home.

Earlier this month, visitors flocked to Brecon Beacons beauty spots prompting Welsh police to warn flouters they would be issued with fines if they were caught out.

Welsh Government guidance is to exercise locally and officers have stepped up patrols to enforce the country's 'Alert Level 4' restrictions.

Police were also forced to stop visitors arriving at Snowden and send them back home as they continued the battle to uphold lockdown rules.

Many were from the north Wales area. However, some had travelled more than 200 miles from London and Milton Keynes to walk their dogs and enjoy the snow.

Images of parked cars lining the streets of the picturesque Welsh beauty spot came as countless ramblers also flocked to London's Richmond Park for a brisk winter stroll.

Long queues of cars snaked through the popular walking spot and nearby carparks appeared jam-packed as eager revellers took to the outdoors in the first days of 2021.

It comes after Britain suffered a devastating winter wave of the virus caused by the super-infectious mutant variant first found in Kent.

The new strain sparked a tsunami of infections and hospital admissions that left the UK with the highest Covid death rate in the world.
Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi attended Police Day celebrations on Monday at the Police Academy in New Cairo.

The ceremony was attended by state officials and ministers, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, and Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb.

Accompanied by Minister of Interior Mahmoud Tawfik, El-Sisi laid a wreath at the memorial of police martyrs.

Police Day commemorates resistance by Egyptian police to British occupation forces in Ismailia in 1952, which resulted in the death of dozens of police officers.

The president honoured the memory of a number of police victims who died on duty, presenting the national order to their families.

The honoured victims include police officer Mohamed El-Houfi, who was killed by terrorists during a police raid in Cairos Al-Amiriya district.

El-Sisi said at the ceremony that the 1952 Ismailia battle has drawn an immortal painting in which the heroics of police and people were intertwined.

He referred to the challenge of terrorism, saying it has become an explicit tool to manage conflicts and execute schemes and conspiracies.

The president thanked policemen for their ongoing efforts amid regional developments that destabilise nations and endanger national security.

He referred to the 25 January 2011 Revolution, which coincides with Egypt's Police Day, saying it was led by faithful youth who have looked forward to a better future."

In January 2011, millions of Egyptian demonstrations flooded the streets to oust late president Hosni Mubarak, forcing him to step down on 11 February.

I say to Egypts youth that your homeland is in need of your vigorous arms and sincere efforts to proceed in the path of reform, construction, and development, El-Sisi said.

He urged Egyptian youth to contribute to achieving the aspirations of all Egyptians for a bright future that secures for all citizens equal chances of a decent life.

Concluding his speech, El-Sisi referred to the government's programme to develop 4,500 villages nationwide, saying the project will change the lives of 55 million people.

He affirmed the states commitment to work on finishing the project in three years.

At the ceremony, the interior minister stressed the ministrys focus on facing terrorism in cooperation with the Armed Forces.

Despite the success (in combating terrorism) that reflected on more security and stability in the region, the ministry is aware of the importance of continued security vigilance and the monitoring of terrorist organisations movements, Tawfik said.

He added that terrorist groups exploit tensions and violence in the region to destabilise other African nations.

This is El-Sisis second visit to the Police Academy in a week. On Friday dawn, he inspected the academy's facilities and was briefed on cadets' training systems.

Egypt's Police Day is celebrated on 25 January and is a paid holiday for employees in the public and private sectors.

This year, employees will take Thursday 28 January off instead, following a decision by the premier to make Thursday a day off instead of any week-day holiday to "give citizens a chance to have a long weekend."

Short link:




Brood X is here

Numerous cicadas and their exoskeletons can be found at Antietam National Cemetery and the nearby battlefield.
As part of a radio broadcast, faith leaders address the role the COVID-19 pandemic has played in the incidence of violence against women and girls in Liberia. "This grant will enable us to adapt existing gender-based violence prevention and response programming to address the new challenges created by the pandemic and other crises as they arise, said Chiseche Mibenge, Director, Gender Initiatives, Episcopal Relief & Development.

Episcopal Relief & Development has received a $188,436 three-year grant from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund), in partnership and with funding through the European Union and United Nations Spotlight Initiative. The grant will focus on strengthening the organizations existing program partnership with the Episcopal Church of Liberia Relief & Development (ECLRD) to address violence against women and girls in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With prior funding from UN Trust Fund, Islamic Relief USA and the Laura Ellen & Robert Muglia Family Foundation, Episcopal Relief & Development, in partnership with ECLRD, is implementing an interfaith program in Liberia to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The partnership mobilizes faith leaders, community members, local government and children to change behaviors and attitudes, reducing violence and providing support to survivors of violence. The program was originally launched in 2015 and has reached 41,067 women and girls with outreach, advocacy and direct care.

Physical distancing measures put in place in response to COVID-19 hampered faith leaders and program staffs' abilities to respond to incidents of violence and reduced the capacity of services such as domestic violence shelters, said Chiseche Mibenge, Director, Gender Initiatives, Episcopal Relief & Development. This grant will enable us to adapt existing gender-based violence prevention and response programming to address the new challenges created by the pandemic and other crises as they arise.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Church of Liberia has continued to focus on the rights and dignity of women in their development work. The organization elevates the voices of women and youth advocates in community mobilization. ECLRD has deepened its collaboration with state agencies and service providers, which has improved its ability to partner with survivors as the survivors define their needs and priorities for restoration and healing.

In addition to strengthening capacity to respond in times of emergencies to the evolving needs of the communities they serve, the Spotlight Initiative grant will support data collection efforts on the effects of COVID-19 and economic empowerment programming, particularly as it relates to gender. The grant will also support ECLRDs efforts in addressing the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions and decision-making, which will continue to elevate the rights and roles of women in the community.

Qualitative research on how COVID-19 affects gender enables womens rights actors to customize their response to the need of women and girls in and out of pandemics, said Annette Musu Kiawu, National Director, ECLRD. It is essential that we understand the nature of abuse and violence being experienced in order for us to meet them where they need it most.

To learn more about Episcopal Relief & Developments work to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, click here. Learn more about the organizations response to the COVID-19 pandemic at episcopalrelief.org/pandemicresponse.

About Episcopal Relief & Development:

For 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.

About the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women:

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) is the only global grant-making mechanism exclusively dedicated to eradicating all forms of violence against women and girls. In the 24 years of its existence, it has supported 572 organizations, investing in innovative and evidence-based civil society-led solutions and life-changing initiatives. The projects it has funded focus on preventing violence, implementing laws and policies to address and eliminate violence against women and girls, and improving access to essential services for survivors. The UN Trust Fund is managed by UN Women on behalf of the UN system.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.

Gov. Greg Abbott will hear from construction workers Tuesday in San Antonio.

Abbott and representatives from the industry, which has slowed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, will meet at the new Cuisine Solutions facility. The 290,000-square-foot sous vide production site is located near Brooks City Base on the Southeast Side.

The listening session is set to begin at 12:15 p.m.

READ ALSO: A little nervous  Texas school districts, battered by pandemic, dont know if Legislature will protect them from funding cuts

Abbott will meet with Blaine Beckman, president of the Associated General Contractors San Antonio, and Frank Fuentes, chairman of the Hispanic Contractors Association, among others.

William Luther/Staff

Beckman's trade group recently released an analysis that found construction jobs across the country are becoming more scarce as public agencies and private owners become hesitant about starting new projects during the pandemic.

The associations 2021 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook Survey found three times more contractors have experienced postponements and cancellations than new or expanded projects.

A livestream of Abbott's listening session will be available on this page when it begins.
Workers throughout the state of Nevada and city of Las Vegas have been extremely hard hit by the escalating coronavirus pandemic as it sweeps through the West of the United States. The policy of herd immunity is being deliberately cultivated as casinos, logistics and other industries have continued to operate as normal with little to no protections in place to stop the spread of the virus.

Las Vegas Boulevard South (Credit: D-Stanley)

In the last week and a half, Nevada has set single-day records for COVID-19 deaths three times, with 62 and 63 people succumbing to the virus on January 14 and 15, respectively, and then again on January 19, when 71 people died. By contrast, there were 83 deaths in the state in the entire month of June when the state began a limited reopening of nonessential businesses. The three-day death toll this month was more than half the number of deaths for the month of July when the reopening began in earnest.

There were 311 coronavirus deaths two weeks ago, setting a weekly record for Nevada. Previously, the highest number of deaths recording in a week was for the week ending December 19, when there were 231 deaths.

Test positivity rates decreased recently, from 21.6 percent to 19.8 percent, to much fanfare from the establishment media. However, the recent rates were still orders of magnitude higher than the September test positivity rate of 6.2 percent.

It was also only two weeks ago that state health officials declared COVID-19 the leading cause of death for the month of December, when the pandemic claimed 981 lives. The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 in December was 981 and the January figure stands at 886, with another week still to go.

With a population of over 3.1 million, Nevada has had 270,006 cumulative cases of COVID-19. The 14-day average of new cases stands at 1,783 and there were 1,549 hospitalizations on January 22. Thus far, the state has seen a total of 4,027 deaths from COVID-19. Out of 1,050 intensive care unit beds available, 73 percent are currently occupied; of the 762 beds that are occupied, 418 are due to COVID-19.

Democratic Governor Steve Sisolaks response to these grisly numbers has been to continue the economic pause instituted in September until the middle of February, which is also when the state plans to reopen schools for in-person instruction. The pause simply limits the size of public gatherings to 50 persons and the occupancy rates of (most) businesses to 25 percent. In other words, putting a hold on conventions and limiting attendance at gyms, but doing little to stop the spread of the virus at crowded, poorly ventilated casinos.

Sisolak also announced the signing of a directive that will place a moratorium on most residential evictions in Nevada, through March 31. The moratorium will apply to tenants unable to pay rent and will not prohibit certain evictions; including for example, lease breaches for things like unlawful activity or nuisance. The moratorium means that those who are unable to pay now will be forced to repay all back rent at a later date or lose their housing.

The rollout of the coronavirus vaccine in Nevada began on December 14, 2020, and as of January 23, 94,188 doses had been administered. The state plans on vaccinating 40,000 to 45,000 people a week but has yet to reach those goals. Further complicating the vaccine rollout, a University of Nevada-Reno study released this weekend claims that over a third of Nevadans say they will refuse the vaccine due to fear and mistrust.

The miserably low rate of vaccine distribution is mainly due, however, to the subordination of public health concerns to the interests of profit and not to individual skepticism. Moreover, a concerted attempt is being made to blame the high rate of COVID-19 infections and low numbers of vaccinations on racism and white privilege in order to tamp down popular outrage over the coronavirus catastrophe.

The Las Vegas Review Journal, for example, noting that in the 89110 Vegas area Zip Code there were over 10,000 infections out of a population of 70,000, writes, The area has a majority Hispanic population, nearly 54 percent, compared with 33 percent in the city overall, according to 2019 data from the US Census Bureau. That helps explain why the disease has run rampant in the area, which encompasses Eldorado and Desert Pines high schools and the Sunrise Library, as Latinos have been hit especially hard by the virus.

In fact, the population affected by COVID-19 has been overwhelmingly poor and working class, regardless of race. These workers for the most part are engaged in the service economy with little to no medical benefits and a high percentage of intergenerational familial living arrangements. Forty percent of those living in the 89110 Zip Code area are classified as white and have suffered grievously from the pandemic as well.

According to the Review Journal, one solution to the pandemic is through a homicidal school reopening policy. Opening schools will allow children to receive free meals and help parents get back to work, they argue. Nothing is mentioned, however, about studies indicating that children often carry a viral load 10 to 100 times more than adults even if they are less likely to exhibit symptoms. There is also the alarming emergence of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome or MIS-C in children across the country.

The Nevada government, like its counterparts throughout the US, has worked hand in glove with corporations and the wealthy in their response to the pandemic. The multi-billion-dollar Las Vegas casino industry, in particular, has benefited handsomely from lax coronavirus regulations. Casinos have been operating at or above 50 percent capacity since the citys reopening in July.

Moreover, the casinos are under no obligation to accurately count infection rates among workers, particularly among floor workers who have regular face to face interactions with customers at gaming tables and other areas.

One worker who spoke to the WSWS and wished to remain anonymous related how her coworkers all of a sudden disappear from the floor without explanation. Those who remain wonder whats happened until they receive confirmation on social media or through direct contact that a coworker is positive for COVID-19. They are left wondering if theyll be the next to leave the floor, knowing that they had been in close proximity to the affected worker.

The Culinary Union represents about 60,000 workers at casino and resort properties throughout Nevada and has done little to protect workers from the ravages of the virus other than initiate a few lawsuits against individual casinos. The only planned job action to date was planned in order to force Wynn Resorts to schedule full-time employees for 40-hour workweeks. After Wynn threatened to lay off workers, the union caved and shelved all talk of strike action.

The UAW, which represents dealers, slot attendants, cage and count workers as well as retail workers at some properties, has also done nothing to protect its members. Workers who spoke with the WSWS said they havent heard a word from the union since they came back from furlough. One worker said that a lot of people were worried, but there was not much that they could do. A lot of the older workers are opting for early retirement if they can afford it, and most people are taking as many no-times (day off with no pay) as they can afford.

Coronavirus testing is almost nonexistent at most casinos while even temperature screening, which is only slightly better than useless for detecting coronavirus cases, is only performed sporadically and, at least at one casino, only on employees. At another casino, where smoking is allowed, one dice dealer stated, Which I find to be ridiculous, as it completely negates the mask mandate as they lean back and exhale. The dealer also said that while they used to clean the chips at regular intervals, it has become more sporadic as time has passed.

The response of the ruling class to the pandemic, supported by the trade unions, will be to continue to subordinate the lives and interests of workers to the pandemic profiteers. Workers lives need not be sacrificed for the profits of a few. The Socialist Equality Party calls on workers to defend their interests by forming rank-and-file safety committees and making the decision to join the SEP.
New York, Jan 26 : India is coming back much faster than expected from the Covid-19 restrictions leading to a hike in projections for its economic growth rate to 11.5 per cent for the next fiscal year, Gita Gopinath, the International Monetary Fund's research head said on Tuesday.

That rate of the growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) would make India the fastest-growing major economy in 2021-22.

Gopinath said the upgrade in India's GDP growth forecast is "because activity and mobility particularly came back much faster than expected in India. We have not seen another wave. In fact, we've seen a very strong decline in cases, which is again a bit different from other parts of the world".

Speaking at a news conference for the release of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update in Washington, Gopinath cautioned that "there is still some distance to go" for India although indicators "point to somewhat faster-paced recovery".

The WEO Update increased the growth forecast for India by 2.7 per cent for the next fiscal year from its earlier projection in October last year "reflecting carryover from a stronger-than-expected recovery in 2020 after lockdowns were eased".

However, it expected the gross domestic product (GDP) to dip in 2022-23 fiscal year to 6.8 per cent.

Gopinath said that the cumulative record of the last two years have to be taken into account.

"India is estimated to have had a contraction of around negative 8 per cent for this 20-21 fiscal year. And then we do have ... bounce back growth to around 11 per cent, but again, cumulatively, by the end of 2022, India is still 9 per cent below its pre-pandemic projected level," she added.

Globally, the report was buoyed by the deployment of vaccines to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report said that the world economy declined by 3.5 per cent during the 2020 calendar year and would grow by 5.5 per cent this year and 4.2 per cent next year.

"Multiple vaccine approvals and the launch of vaccination in some countries in December have raised hopes of an eventual end to the pandemic," it said.

"Economic data released after the October 2020 WEO forecast suggest stronger-than-projected momentum on average across regions in the second half of 2020." China's economy grew last calendar year by 2.3 per cent and is forecast to grow by 8.1 per cent this year and 5.6 per cent next year, the IMF said.

The IMF estimate for India for the current fiscal year and the forecast for the next fiscal year are better than the numbers from the World Bank and the United Nations earlier this month.

The Bank forecast India's economy to fall by 9.6 per cent during the current financial year but recover by 5.4 per cent next financial year if there is wide vaccination against the disease and it is contained.

The UN estimated India's economy to decline by 5.7 per cent in 2020-21 and forecast it to rise by 7 per cent in 2021- 22 and 5.6 per cent in 2022-23.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis)
A hot potato: A former US ambassador to Morocco is suing Apple and Google parent Alphabet, demanding the tech giants give Telegram the Parler treatment by banning the messaging service's app from their stores.

In his suit, Marc Ginsberg, who was once Bill Clinton's ambassador to Morocco, requests that Telegram be removed from the Google Play Store and App Store because it encourages and co-ordinates violence, extremism, racism, and anti-Semitism, reports Bloomberg.

"Telegram is being used to intimidate, threaten and coerce members of the public," says Ginsberg's complaint against Apple. The Coalition for a Safer Web is a co-plaintiff in the lawsuits.

"Telegram continues to enable extremist incitement in its platform, promoting political violence as extremist groups and individuals migrate to Telegram following Apple's suspension of Parler," the complaint alleges.

Ginsberg claims that Telegram remaining on the app stores has resulted in economic loss and emotional distress for himself and others like him.

The suit highlights the companies' decision to ban Parler from their stores in the wake of the Capitol riots on January 6. The 'free speech' social network app was banned by Apple, Google, Amazon, and others for facilitating violence.

"Google has not taken any action against Telegram comparable to the action it has taken against Parler to compel Telegram to improve its content moderation policies," reads Ginsberg's complaint against Google.

Following the riots, Telegram founder Pavel Durov said that its moderators had removed hundreds of posts, adding that any incitements to violence would not be tolerated.

The suits also accuse Telegram of being used as a platform to sell drugs, including cocaine. Moreover, some users allegedly urged followers of the "Parler refugees" channel to launch surprise attacks nationwide in lieu of a second protest in Washington.
The number of cases of coronavirus has reached more than 99.7m globally, as the pandemic continues its spread around the world.

The UK is approaching 100,000 deaths while the USA has surpassed 400,000 dead. However, the figures also show that hundreds of thousands of people have recovered from the disease.

Once youve had the illness are you able to catch it again? Former President Trump was one of those who claimed that he is immune after testing positive for the virus on 1 October and subsequently recovering.

The president tweeted: "A total and complete sign off from White House Doctors yesterday. That means I cant get it (immune), and cant give it. Very nice to know!!! The tweet was later flagged by Twitter as spreading misleading and potentially harmful information.

So can you get coronavirus twice? This is what you need to know about coronavirus immunity and contracting the virus more than once.

If you recover from the new coronavirus, do you have immunity?

To date, there have been more than two million deaths from coronavirus globally. However, most people infected with Covid-19 virus have mild disease and recover, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) .

But, just because you recover from the virus does not mean you cannot catch it again, WHO confirmed in a statement released on 24 April.

"There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from Covid-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection," the organisation said.

According to Li QinGyuan, director of pneumonia prevention and treatment at China Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, those who have been infected with Covid-19 develop a protective antibody - but it isnt clear how long the protection lasts.

"However, in certain individuals, the antibody cannot last that long," Li told USAToday. "For many patients who have been cured, there is a likelihood of relapse."

In children, it is currently believed that the virus causes the development of at least short-term immunity.

No one knows for sure, but most children likely develop at least short-term immunity to the specific coronavirus that causes Covid-19, Dr Peter Jung, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston told The Huffington Post. But just as the flu can mutate, so could Covid-19, which would make an individual susceptible to reacquiring the infection.

According to an August study, researchers have identified a 25-year-old man in the United States who was reinfected with the virus.

In the report, it states that the man tested positive for the virus in April, at which point he showed mild symptoms. He later tested positive again in May and developed more serious symptoms of Covid-19.

In a statement to Reuters, Kristian Anderson, professor of immunology and microbiology at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, said: This study likely represents a clear example of reinfection ... reinfections are possible - which we already knew, because immunity is never 100 per cent.

According to the researchers, they were able to identify that the mans seperate infections represented genetically different strains" of the virus.

However, the researchers did note that reinfection is probably rare, but that more research needs to be done to know for sure whether the virus causes immunity.

Previously, it was thought that people who initially recovered were more likely to relapse rather than get reinfected with the virus.

According to one study, people with mild infections can test positive for the virus by throat swabs for days and even weeks after their illness.

But, that doesnt mean it isnt possible to contract the disease again, especially in those who are immunocompromised.

The immune response to Covid-19 is not yet understood, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains. Patients with MERS-CoV infection are unlikely to be reinfected shortly after they recover, but it is not yet known whether similar immune protection will be observed for patients with Covid-19.

And, as WHO states, "As of 24 April 2020, no study has evaluated whether the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity to subsequent infection by this virus in humans."

While further studies are needed to understand whether it is likely for an individual to be reinfected with new coronavirus, experts recommend those who have been infected follow the hygiene steps outlined by CDC, which include staying away from people who are sick, frequently washing hands, and covering coughs and sneezes.
Runners: Get your summer program off on the right foot
A young father accused of shaking his newborn baby to death will have his charge upgraded to murder on Wednesday.

Juan Visagie, 25, is accused of fatally harming his four-week old daughter, Aleaha, after the infant died on December 27, nearly four months after being rushed to hospital suffering life-threatening injuries.

Juan Daniel Visagie. Credit:Facebook

The 25-year-old was charged with grievous bodily harm three days later on September 7 over allegations he shook the infant at a home in Gosnells.

Following a post-mortem examination, that charge is expected to be upgraded to murder in the Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

State-owned GAIL (India) Ltd plans to launch InvITs (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) for its two pipelines -- Dahej-Uran-Panvel-Dabhol and Dabhol-Bengaluru -- before the proposed split of its pipeline business from gas marketing business.

Initially, the company proposes to sell about 10-20 per cent stake in the pipelines through InvITs, thereby retaining a majority stake, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

An InvIT is a collective investment scheme, similar to a mutual fund, which enables direct investment by individuals and institutional investors in infrastructure projects.

GAIL, which is India's biggest natural gas marketing and trading firm, owns and operates a natural gas pipeline network of 12,502 kilometres. It is further expanding its pipeline network in the eastern region of the country.

The company is considering splitting the pipeline business and transferring it to a new subsidiary, and a note on the proposal will be soon be moved before the Cabinet.

Splitting the pipeline business from the company will lead to bifurcation of its marketing and transportation business. Many of the company's natural gas customers have often complained of not getting a fair access to the company's pipeline network to transport the fuel.

Post bifurcation of the business, GAIL will have to hire capacity from its subsidiary for the pipelines. As the company already has separate accounts for its pipeline and marketing business, it will be easy to split the two entities.

Also read: IMF sees Indian economy growing 11.5% in 2021


The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it is examining if there is a need to introduce central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the country and is exploring ways to operationalise it, if necessary.

The RBI's statement comes against the backdrop of private digital currencies, virtual currencies and cryptocurrencies gaining popularity in recent years. In India, the regulators and governments have been sceptical about these currencies and are apprehensive about the associated risks.

Nevertheless, the RBI is exploring the possibility as to whether there is a need for a digital version of fiat currency and in case there is, then how to operationalise it, the RBI said, releasing a booklet of payment systems in India.

Also read: Budget 2021: Expectations of Indian Auto Industry - Tax Reduction to Vehicle Scrappage Policy

What is central bank digital currency?

CBDC is a legal tender and a central bank liability in digital form denominated in a sovereign currency and appearing on the central bank's balance sheet. It is in the form of electronic currency which can be converted or exchanged at par with similarly denominated cash and traditional central bank deposits.

Innovations are changing the payments space rapidly. This has made central banks around the world to examine whether they could leverage on technology and issue fiat money in digital form, the RBI said.

Has the concept been discussed before?

In February 2020 RBI bulletin, the central bank, citing a survey of central banks conducted by the Bank for International Settlements, had said some 80 percent of the 66 responding central banks have started projects to explore the use of CBDC in some form.

These central banks are contemplating and studying the potential benefits and implications of CBDC in the economy. We discuss below the efforts being made in central banks of China and Sweden in this regard, the RBI Bulletin had said then.

The fact that the RBI is now evaluating the possibility of issuing its own cryptocurrency shows the importance of this sector in the future of currency regulations.

Wasn't India skeptical earlier?

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has been against private cryptocurrencies, reiterating that the sovereign can be the only issuer of currency in the country. In December 2019, Das had said it is too early to talk about a central bank-issued digital currency due to technological handicaps, but the RBI is looking into this idea.

Besides the RBI, even the central government has been skeptical of privately issued cryptocurrencies. In fact, there is a bill lying with the Parliament requesting for a complete ban on privately held digital currencies. The bill is yet to see the light of the day.

Privately issued cryptocurrencies have been grabbing headlines the world over with a massive amount of trading being reported. Bitcoin is being traded at more than Rs 25 lakh and Etherium is being traded at more than Rs 1 lakh currently.

In March 2020, the RBIs ban on banks dealing with crypto exchanges got upturned by the Supreme Court of India. This has allowed crypto exchanges to restart operations in the country and dip into the booming crypto trading business in the world. Players like WazirX, Unocoin, Zebpay have hogged the limelight with a massive jump in trading volumes throughout the pandemic days.
The sight of thousands of protesters filling up Forrest Chase on Tuesday calling for Australia to change the date of its national celebration from January 26 cut straight to the heart for Mingli McGlade.

The Noongar elder has attended Invasion Day protests for nearly 20 years but was almost moved to tears by the turnout for the growing annual event.

Aunty Mingli said January 26, which marks the anniversary of the First Fleets arrival in Sydney and the claim of British sovereignty over the nation, for her was Invasion Day.

Its nothing for us to celebrate, why would we celebrate our destruction, our stolen lands, our stolen children, our women being taken from the land, our men in prison and still in prison, she said.
When the pandemic hit, it disrupted industries around the world. One of the most impacted was higher education and, within that sector, community colleges may have been the most affected of all. But, at least one leader saw this disproportionate impact as an opportunity.

Its not hard to understand why the pandemic hit community colleges so hard. Almost overnight, they had to transition to remote learning, often in communities that lacked the technical infrastructure (in the form of home computers and high-speed internet) to do so.

At the same time, while these colleges were often community bedrocks, they lacked the significant resources of their university brethren. Many community colleges responded admirably, doing their best to meet the needs of their students and communities. But, a few, such as the College of Southern Nevada (CSN), took it as an opportunity to innovate and transform.

The now ubiquitous COVID-19 pandemic has changed things in an incredibly fundamental way, explained CSNs Chief Digital Experience Officer Mugunth Vaithylingam. But, [it] has simultaneously made us take a fresh look at everything.

Along with the colleges administration team and faculty, he realized they needed to meet the needs of the campus community and ensure that no one would be left behind. To do so, they knew they would have to engage with their business partners and employ a healthy dose of creativity  and it would start with a little refocusing.

Refocusing on the Experience

Like many higher education IT organizations, CSNs Office of Technology Services (OTS) was focused on doing what its name stated: delivering technology services.

However, as the pandemic hit, Vaithylingam realized there was an opportunity for technology to play a different role.

Weve entered an age where we can leverage efficiency in our tech that makes things better while costing less, he shared with faculty and staff during the colleges convocation week in August .

He went on to explain that technology played a crucial role in delivering an outstanding student experience: The easier and more inviting the process, the more we provide a compelling answer to the question, Why CSN?

Moreover, as the crisis hit full force, he and others in the administration seized the opportunity to take a leap forward.

In the time since we first started preparing to move operations off campus, weve all been in a constant drive together to move forward and innovate in the name of providing the entire CSN family with the tools and skills necessary to thrive in the new normal, Vaithylingam told the college.

For its part, the team played an important role by helping with things like acquiring and loaning laptops and hotspots to bridge the gap for students not fully prepared to learn remotely; expanding the use of Microsoft Teams to create a fully collaborative and integrated experience; and finding other opportunities to expand the student experience through technology like virtual labs and proctored testing services.

But, they also seized on the unique challenges of the pandemic as an opportunity to reinvent themselves. A vital element of the reinvention process was recognizing there were some things that they needed to stop doing.

As a result, the college entered into an agreement with Open Systems in the pandemics earliest days. It recognized that it needed to get out of the business of security monitoring and threat protection and, therefore, partnered with an expert in the field that could provide better, more up-to-date services.

Doing so, Vaithylingam claims, enabled CSN to both save money and deliver richer experiences with our technology. Most importantly, he believes it helped him refocus his team on providing the digitally powered experiences that would make the difference to students.

Getting Out of the Security Business

The idea of handing off security to an external organization is not that common, particularly for higher educational institutions. After all, it would seem that security is too critical for an organization to give up control, and it wouldn't seem to directly impact the student experience, if that was Vaithylingam's aim.

He sees it differently, though.

I strongly believe that, in higher education, we should be moving away from managing our security operations and data centers. That is why CSN became the first [community college] in the country to roll out security-as-a-service operations, he explained. It is difficult to keep up efficiently and cost-effectively with all the new threats that are coming our way. By contracting our security operations with a recognized expert, weve saved thousands of dollars, and Im able to sleep better at night knowing that all of our data is protected by an industry leader.

As Vaithylingam explained it, the reality is that in their quest to embrace true online learning, they dramatically increased their threat surface and, as such, exponentially increased the risk of getting security wrong. While security might have historically been behind the scenes, it was now a front-and-center issue when it came to the student experience  especially if it prevented them from delivering that experience seamlessly and efficiently.

In a nutshell, security had become so critical  and so challenging to manage in-house  that it made better sense for them to get out of the security business and employ an organization dedicated to security operations. It was the only way they could provide the necessary stability and security for the college so that [their technology] solutionsremain reliable and available  and shift their primary in-house focus to delivering an exceptional student experience.

The Courage to Lead for Tomorrow

The pandemic has resulted in countless tales of devastation, Herculean efforts, and continuing trials. But, it has also left us with stories of organizations that have transformed these challenges into opportunities for rebirth.

In the midst of what could have been an existential crisis, Vaithylingams response shows that he recognized two things that would create the opportunity for transformation.

First, he realized that the experience is now the critical, differentiating factor. Students, customers, employees, constituents  all of us, really  now look to our experience when making choices about almost everything.

Vaithylingam believes this so much that he went as far as changing the name of his organization from OTS to Digital Experience Services (DxS), signifying the transition from delivering technology to a new focus on the students digital experience. This reinvention allowed them to expand their mission to include communications, marketing, events, and technology training to deliver, teach, and use technology to enable our CSN family to do and be their best.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, he acknowledged that it is incumbent upon him  and he believes on all leaders  to do more than just deal with the challenges of today. He believes that he must look forward and have the courage to take actions that will address future challenges.

He has demonstrated this commitment by shifting his organizations name and mission, and by partnering with others to handle critical services so that he could redouble his teams focus on meeting the experiential needs of students and faculty.

During a commencement speech for Victor Valley College, Vaithylingam challenged the graduating students: As leaders, we are not just required to manage today, but also tomorrow. As we juggle between the myriad of priorities and goals we are presented with, we are being asked to do so with an eye on humanity.

It would seem that he is leading by example, and its an example that community leaders around the world should strive to follow.

About the author: Charles Araujo is an industry analyst, internationally recognized authority on the Digital Enterprise and author of The Quantum Age of IT: Why Everything You Know About IT is About to Change. He is Principal Analyst with Intellyx, the first and only industry analyst firm focused on agile digital transformation. He has authored three books and published over 100 articles. He is a regular contributor to CIO.com and has been quoted or published in magazines, blogs and websites including Time, InformationWeek, CIO Insight, NetworkWorld, CIO & Leader, IT Business Edge, TechRepublic, Computerworld, USA Today, and Forbes.

Charles is founder of The Institute for Digital Transformation and a sought after keynote speaker having addressed over 10,000 business and IT leaders in 10 countries over the last several years. He is passionate about the power of technology to deliver competitive and transformational advantage to organizations and in the critical need to develop next generation digital leaders that can transform their organizations into Digital Enterprises. He is presently at work on a new book entitled, Thinking Digital: How to Thrive and Win in the Digital Era, which will explore this topic in detail.

Prior to joining Intellyx, Charles served as an advisor and consultant for nearly twenty years, leading numerous large scale transformation programs for Fortune 1000 organizations and government institutions involving as many as 10,000 program participants. In his early career, he spent many years working in and with IT organizations in the healthcare, financial services and aerospace industries, directly leading teams of more than 100 members.

Edited by Erik Linask
Foxquilt launches as a full-service provider of small business insurance

TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Foxquilt, a leading insurance technology company focused on empowering small businesses and B2B networks to save on small business insurance, has partnered with Digital Partners, a Munich Re company, to enable the company to operate as a full-service insurance provider and co-creator of new, end-to-end insurance products/programs for small businesses.

"Small businesses deserve immediate access to tailor-made insurance solutions that complement their unique operations. However, it requires building new architecture to support data-powered algorithms to afford such value. Our team built a dynamic underwriting platform that rewards business owners with an empowered value offering including simplicity, new products and savings. The progressive platform, Foxden, discerns the nature of the risk, underwrites and rates it, and directs it to a custom-made, proprietary product," said Mark Morissette, CEO and Co-Founder of Foxquilt.

This Digital Partners collaboration provides the Foxquilt team with the autonomy and capabilities to design innovative products and underwriting and rating algorithms.

"Our partnership with Foxquilt will be our first in Canada, and we are delighted to support them in the Canadian SME insurance market," said Dave Brune, President and CEO, North America, Digital Partners, a Munich Re company. "At Digital Partners, we continue to be excited to partner with insurtechs like Foxquilt who are leveraging smart data and machine intelligence to efficiently underwrite small business risks and adapt business coverage as clients grow."

Foxden is a full-stack underwriting platform comprised of data-layered, micro-service architecture. Each of its services, including underwriting and rating, are powered by data algorithms to drive actions across the platform. Foxquilt is one of the first to build a back-end platform focused on profitability; the majority of insurtechs leverage a third-party, vendor platform, don't own the IP and are encumbered by limitations defined by the vendor. The innovative backend system goes beyond traditional insurance transactions and enables underwriting to interact and get changes to the market real-time. Agnostic to channel, (B2C, B2B, SaaS) the platform accesses new sources of data and establishes instant feedback loops to benefit the entire customer journey.

Foxquilt is a proud champion of small business owners and being powered by Foxden will allow the company to continue its mission to become the leading commercial insurance technology company in North America. In February, Foxquilt is launching their initial commercial lines products in Canada underwritten by Munich Re Innovation Syndicate in collaboration with Digital Partners, a Munich Re company. They will expand their offering into the U.S. this Spring.

About Foxquilt

Foxquilt is an Insurance technology company focused on empowering small businesses and B2B networks to save on Small Business insurance. Our Insurance-as-a-Service platform is complemented by a unique data and machine learning underwriting infrastructure. Leveraging innovative technology and creating unique products, we make life easier for business owners. For more information, visit https://www.foxquilt.com

About Digital Partners, a Munich Re company

Digital Partners provides insurtechs and digital distributors with a comprehensive, go-to-market partnership, built on the financial strength and expertise of Munich Re. Our partners bring excellence in customer engagement, technology, and brand while our support includes insurance capacity with experimental underwriting, alongside product expertise, data analytics, technology to manage data and carrier connectivity, execution and operational expertise.

SOURCE Foxquilt Inc.

Related Links

https://foxquilt.com


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Panaji, Jan 26 : With Russia lifting restrictions on air travel from India, the country appears to be keen on tapping the Indian outbound tourism market, which has been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Paresh Navani, Director of the Mumbai-based Russian Information Centre, told IANS that the drop in Covid-19 cases both in Russia as well as in India bodes well for tourism-related travel to both the countries.

"There is also a good level of interest from Indian and Russian travel companies vis a vis our respective destinations," Navani said.

"With the number of Covid cases dropping in India and Russia and vaccines now readily available, it spells good news for business and tourism travel between India and Russia," Navani said.

Founded in Goa, the Russian Information Centre, which now operates out of Mumbai, promotes India-Russia relations in the areas of culture and tourism.

On January 25, the Russian government had announced the lifting of travel restrictions for its citizens and residence permit holders in India, Finland, Qatar and Vietnam. Air travel between the two countries is expected to be facilitated first between Moscow and New Delhi.

Despite the turmoil in the Russian travel sector, where some leading charter companies went bust, Goa has traditionally accounted for the bulk of the Russian tourist footfalls to India. In 2019, nearly one lakh Indian tourists travelled to Russia, according to the Russian Information Centre.

As per the current Covid-19 protocol in Russia, inbound travellers must carry with them an RT-PCR negative test report conducted 72 hours prior to arrival.

According to Nilesh Shah, President of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa, the opening up of air travel between the two countries is a "good sign", but added that both governments should look to expand the dialogue related to travel to the two destinations.

"The opening up of the sector is good news. The Indian government should now start issuing tourist visas. It is a good time to start dialogue about expanding the scope for travel to facilitate tourist flow," Shah said.

Shah also said that the current charter tourism season in Goa has already been washed out on account of the pandemic and that the tourism industry stakeholders should take the opportunity presented by the lifting of air travel restrictions to build on attracting tourists, especially via chartered flights, for the 2020-21 tourism season.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Runners: Get your summer program off on the right foot
Alforno Trattoria in Old Saybrook is reopening Friday after a monthlong COVID safety closure, the restaurant announced Monday.

General Manager Ben Zemmel, son of owners Bob Zemmel and Linda Giuca, said he and his wife contracted COVID at the end of December, cases he described as mild. The family decided to close the restaurant for the month of January, he said, thinking Connecticut may experience a post-holiday surge of cases.
Here are todays leading news stories:

Politics

-- The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam officially opened in Hanoi on Tuesday morning, with the participation of 1,587 delegates. It is slated to conclude on February 2.

Society

-- The Ministry of Health on Monday evening recorded one imported COVID-19 patient  a 47-year-old Vietnamese woman returning from Indonesia, raising the countrys tally to 1,549, with 1,425 recoveries and 35 deaths.

-- One fisherman was killed while seven others have been brought to safety after their boat was allegedly hit and sunk by a cargo ship amid bad and foggy weather off Vietnam's north-central province of Nghe An early on Monday morning.

-- The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has ordered Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, and Bamboo Airways to stop selling more tickets than the number of approved slots ahead of the Lunar New Year.

-- Police in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City are investigating a case where three people were attacked by four knife-wielding men over loud karaoke noise on Friday night.

-- Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City will organize an exhibition at Lam Son Park in District 1 from February 2 to 28 to mark the 91st anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930).

-- Officers in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City have launched an investigation after Do Huy Du, head of Binh Tan Districts office for civil judgment enforcement, fell to his death from the eighth floor of an apartment building on Monday afternoon.

Business

-- Up to 205 traders in Vietnam had been permitted to export rice as of January 18, following a list released by the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

One of Leitrims most impressive businesses, Dromod Boxty, have been announced as a finalist for this years National Enterprise Awards. The awards, an initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices, will take place virtually on the 11th February.

Dromod Boxty were selected to represent Local Enterprise Office Leitrim at the awards and will compete against 29 other finalists for a prize fund totaling 50,000.

Dromod Boxty was founded by Timmy and Angela Faughnan in 1990 and manufacture a range of homemade products including boxty, pancakes and potato bread from their base in Dromod.

Their daughter, Aine took over the business in 2015, and has continued to develop the brand and succeeded in winning awards for their products including a Great Taste Award in 2019. Dromod Boxty supply stockists in the West, North West, Midlands and Dublin, as well as Northern Ireland and the States.

Previous winners who represented Leitrim at the National Enterprise Awards include Art of Coffee in 2019, Global Green Sustainability in 2018 and Jinnys Bakery in 2017.

The finalists, selected by the Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities, represent a diverse range of businesses that are supported by the LEOs across the country. Now in their 22nd year, the awards celebrate small businesses and includes awards that recognise excellence in exporting, sustainability and innovation along with 8 regional awards and an overall National Enterprise Awards winner.

Joe Lowe, Head of Leitrim Local Enterprise, said; It has been a challenging year for small businesses so this is a chance to highlight positive stories and businesses who have excelled in the face of unprecedented challenges. These businesses have been through a rigorous process of judging, auditing every aspect of their business and this in itself can be a huge benefit to them as they plan for the future.

Whether they win or not these finalists are well positioned to follow in the footsteps of the great companies that have gone before them such as Pestle & Mortar, Simtech Aviation and Terra NutriTech and as a network, the Local Enterprise Offices look forward to continuing to support them to help them grow.
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- People in North Mississippi are continuing to have trouble getting appointments for the coronavirus vaccine.

Several are still saying theyre having long wait times on the coronavirus hotline.

Lillie Weaver and her husband Paul. Photo received 01-25-21. Lillie Weaver and her husband Paul. Photo received 01-25-21.

One Corinth lady told WTVA shes been trying to register her sick husband for a vaccine since last week.

My husband needs the vaccine because he is a cancer patient with an immune system that is worthless, Lillie Weaver said.

Weaver is trying to get both her husband and herself registered for the vaccine, but is not having much luck.

Weve tried online and the closest thing and the fastest thing we could find was next Friday, February 5th. "

Weaver told us it was very important for her husband to avoid getting the coronavirus.

His doctor told him not to get it, he would die if he did, Weaver said.

People like Weaver are telling WTVA that they are still having really long wait times on the coronavirus hotline. She said she called the hotline on Monday, and was 97th in line.

After going online, Weaver said she discovered there were no vaccines available at the time.

She said she got a recorded message that said she would get a call back, but she hadnt so far that day.

Mississippi is getting a steady supply of about 37,000 new vaccines each week. Thats according to State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs. He said about 1.3 million people are now eligible for the vaccine.

When we get those doses available to us, we order them right away, and theyre sent off to different locations so they can be administered, Dobbs said, so we dont really have like a stockpile of the vaccine, were using them real-time, almost like a real-time inventory.

Weaver is frustrated by the wait times on the hotline. She suggested a recording that would tell people theyre out instead of making people wait for someone to answer.

This is serious stuff, and people need that information, and they need facts, not somebodys opinion or what they think somebody wants to say, but they need the truth.

For now (written January 25, 2021), healthcare workers, people 65 and older, and those 16 or older with chronic medical conditions can get the vaccine are authorized to get a coronavirus vaccination.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The popularity of genetic and ancestry services like Ancestry.com and 23andMe attests that people care about where their ancestors originated. The underlying assumption is that the geography of one's forebears affects one's genes today.

Historically, scientists have found that geography is the biggest driver behind the genetic diversity of a population. Now, new research from Purdue University indicates that while that may be true for European countries, it is not true for all other parts of the worldespecially places like India, where language and social systems have strongly affected how and where people live. The model the researchers developed to analyze India's population genetics will allow other researchers to analyze populations where genetics are not as closely tied to geography. Understanding the genetics of human populations helps scientists understand the history of human movement and cultures, and paves the way to understanding human health and susceptibility to disease.

Peristera Paschou, a population geneticist and associate professor of biological sciences at Purdue, studies human genetic variation all around the world and led the study with Petros Drineas, associate head of Purdue's Department of Computer Science.

"Our genome carries the signature of our ancestors, and the genetic structure of modern populations has been shaped by the forces of evolution. What we are looking for is what led different groups of people to come together and what drove them apart." Paschou said. "To understand the genetics of human populations, we created a model that allows us to consider jointly many different factors that may have shaped genetics. Interdisciplinary research bringing together genetics and computer science was key to our work, as well as analyzing a comprehensive dataset that represents the diversity of the Indian subcontinent."

Many population analyses mostly rely on datasets from European-ancestry individuals living in Europe or North America; genomic data for populations from other parts of the world is lacking. The data from European samples showed that genetics correlates very closely with geography: If you know someone's genetics, you can guess where they are from, to within a few kilometers in some cases, and if you know where someone's ancestors came from, you have a close approximation of their genetic makeup.

Aritra Bose earned his doctorate at Purdue in both data science and genetics. Reading studies about how European genomes map onto geography, Bose, who was born and raised in Calcutta, thought, "Huh. That wouldn't work in India." India is home to more than 800 languages as well as a millennia-old caste system that regulates who can marryand have children withwhom.

"I read these papers, and I thought, "How can I use this concept in a stratified population like India?'" Bose said. "I grew up there, I have an understanding of the castes and the languages, and the intricacies of the society that can affect genetics."

Former studies of the Indian population had shown that the European model of population genetics and geography failed in trying to explain Indian population genetics. Bose wondered if he could come up with a model that would take into account other factors affecting the Indian population, including the caste system, culture and language.

The model, and the conclusions the team of geneticists and data scientists reached using it, were just published in a study in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution. Their study revealed that shared language, not geography, is the most powerful force in shaping gene flow in India.

Developing the model was not easy. Early on, Bose hit a roadblock with some of his equations and mentioned the problem to his mentor at IBM Research, where he was an intern at the time. Working with both his doctoral advisors and several computer scientists from IBM Research, the team was able to craft a robust, flexible model.

Drineas, one of Bose's doctoral advisers, said: "I was intrigued by the interplay between genetics and socio-demographic factors in shaping the population structure of the Indian continent. It was exciting to see that our model detected spoken language as a major force in bringing people together in India, across geographic and social barriers. We were fortunate to have Aritra Bose, our former doctoral student (jointly advised with professor Paschou) work on this project, since he has extensive background in both the algorithmic and the human genetic sides of our research, as well the expertise to interpret our findings in the context of human genetic diversity within India."

The resulting model, the first to be able to take into account so many different variables, has been highly successful at analyzing the genetics of the Indian population, giving scientists a lens into how the Indian people moved into India and how various groups of people commingled. People who speak the same languageor even similar languagestended to be much more closely related, even if they lived far apart geographically.

"It sheds light on how genetics work in our society," Bose said. "This is the first model that can take into account social, cultural, environmental and linguistic factors that shape the gene flow of populations. It helps us to understand what factors contribute to the genetic puzzle that is India. It disentangles the puzzle."

The data helps place India in context with the rest of the globe genetically. Indians who spoke Indo-European and Dravidian languages were more closely tied to Europeans, while Indians who speak Tibeto-Burman languages were more closely related to East Asians.

This type of interdisciplinary research, pairing data science with population genetics, and this model in particular, will help researchers understand the genetics of the human world, especially non-European countries with rich histories of diversity and migrations.

Explore further Genetics could help diagnose diabetes in Indians, study shows

More information: Aritra Bose et al. Integrating Linguistics, Social Structure, and Geography to Model Genetic Diversity within India, Molecular Biology and Evolution (2021). Journal information: Molecular Biology and Evolution Aritra Bose et al. Integrating Linguistics, Social Structure, and Geography to Model Genetic Diversity within India,(2021). DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa321
Who will be forced to quarantine in hotels?

As a first step, British travellers returning from high-risk countries where new strains of the virus have been detected, such as Brazil and South Africa, will be forced to isolate for ten days in airport hotels.

Foreign nationals are already banned from entering the UK from these places. The Government is looking at widening the hotel quarantine requirement to all arrivals at airports and ports from everywhere around the world, but wants to pilot the process with a smaller group of people first.

Boris Johnson will gather ministers today to sign off on the plans with a decision announced either this afternoon or tomorrow.

What will happen on arrival?

Travellers who face enforced quarantine will be taken by bus to a hotel where they will have to remain for ten days.

Officials have begun talks with hotel groups about block-booking rooms that can be used for isolating.

In Australia, people are required to stay in their room the entire time with security guards patrolling the corridors. Hotel staff are forbidden from cleaning the rooms during a person's stay.

British travellers returning from high-risk countries where new strains of the virus have been detected must isolate for ten days in airport hotels

Can you upgrade your hotel?

Travellers will not get a choice of hotel. In Australia, people do not know in advance where they will be staying and are warned there is no guarantee of access to a balcony or open window.

What are you supposed to do all day?

In Australia, exercise outside is not allowed so guests are encouraged to do stretches or yoga in their room.

A guide given to travellers to help prepare for hotel isolation suggests planning different activities to break up the day. Examples given include getting in contact with different friends and family, learning a foreign language on a mobile phone app, trying out a new hobby such as knitting and calligraphy, and catching up on 'life admin'.

The advice recommends planning 'rewards' to look forward to such as a phone call with a loved one or the delivery of a treat. People sharing rooms with partners and family members are encouraged to set ground rules for the stays such as scheduling a time each day when everyone does a 'quiet' activity to help avoid disagreements.

Last summer an outbreak of coronavirus in Melbourne was blamed on security guards having sex with guests at one of the quarantine hotels.

Who pays the hotel bill?

The Government will arrange transport for travellers to their accommodation, but they will have to cover the cost of their hotel room, estimated to be about 1,500. The cost of 14 days in a quarantine hotel is 1,692 for an adult in Australia, 1,630 in New Zealand and 642 in Thailand.

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[January 26, 2021] Mission Secure Announces Series B Venture Funding to Further Advance Its Patented OT Cybersecurity Protection Platform

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The expansion of digital technologies accompanied by an upswing in ICS-specific threats targeting these critical infrastructure ecosystems is driving operational technology (OT) and industrial control system (ICS) cybersecurity demand in defense, critical infrastructure, and process industries. Mission Secure, a leading ICS cybersecurity technology company, today announced the closing of a Series B financing round from existing and new investors in North America and Europe representing key global industrial sectors. Mission Secure will use the new funding to advance the innovative technologies in its patented cyber-protection platform and to recruit additional ICS cybersecurity experts to support 24/7 managed services for its expanding global customer base in oil and gas, chemicals, maritime, manufacturing, smart cities, and defense organizations. Mission Secure's Series B funding round is co-led by: IREON Ventures Ltd., the corporate venture innovation arm of Motor Oil Hellas, a leading petroleum company in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean;

the corporate venture innovation arm of Motor Oil Hellas, a leading petroleum company in and the Mediterranean; Energy Innovation Capital , the premier capital provider to entrepreneurs addressing the world's most difficult energy-related challenges; and

, the premier capital provider to entrepreneurs addressing the world's most difficult energy-related challenges; and Blue Bear Capital Partners, an investor in high-growth technology companies across the energy, infrastructure, and climate industries in North America and Europe . The Series B investment brings the company's total funding to date to $22.5 Million. Other Series B investors include Chevron Technology Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Chevron Corporation investing in early and growth-stage companies and the University of Virginia LVG Seed Fund. "The cybersecurity concerns associated wit OT have never been higher which is driving extraordinary levels of customer interest and demand," said David Drescher, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Mission Secure. "Our Series B funding is an investment by industry leaders helping us bring even greater OT technology innovations to market with our Mission Secure Platform and recruit the best and brightest OT cybersecurity experts for our Managed Services team to support our mission of protecting our global customers' OT networks and safeguarding their operations."



"With our roots in downstream refining and marketing, we understand the need to protect critical assets from cyber threats and to maintain operational resilience," said Hector Kimonides, Principal at IREON Ventures. "Our investment in Mission Secure is ultimately an investment in the future of our own businesses." "As the digitization of the energy industry continues and increasing numbers of devices get connected, Mission Secure provides a level of industrial cybersecurity protection critical energy infrastructure owners are asking for," said George Coyle, Managing Partner of Energy Innovation Capital (EIC). "We initially invested in Mission Secure in 2018 because they enable safer, more cost-effective operations by protecting industrial control system and operational assets. We're pleased to reinvest and co-lead this round of growth financing."

The primary objective in protecting OT and ICS environments is preventing cybersecurity incidents  making sure they never happen. But further, it involves recognizing the reality that cyber attacks on ICS will sometimes succeed and having the expertise and capabilities in place to rapidly detect and isolate intrusions and remediate and restore operations. This is the mission that unites the Mission Secure team. About Mission Secure:

Mission Secure, an OT cybersecurity leader, is setting a new standard in OT cyber-protection stopping OT cyber threats head-on. The Mission Secure Platform backed by 24/7 Managed Services is the first to seamlessly integrate OT visibility, segmentation, protection, threat hunting, and incident response delivering military strength, industrial grade OT protection. With Mission Secure, customers keep critical operations up and running and safe from harm. Learn more at https://www.missionsecure.com. Follow Mission Secure: Blog, LinkedIn, and Twitter. About Energy Innovation Capital:

Energy Innovation Capital is the premier capital provider for innovators serving the energy industry. EIC provides early and growth-stage funding for visionary entrepreneurs tackling global energy challenges with transformative, market-leading solutions. EIC's team leverages our industry expertise, networks and collaborative approach to help talented entrepreneurs push the boundaries of what's possible and build great companies. To learn more, visit www.energyinnovationcapital.com. Mission Secure Media Contact:

Roslyn Sakaguchi

289658@email4pr.com

832.925.8748 x 305 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mission-secure-announces-series-b-venture-funding-to-further-advance-its-patented-ot-cybersecurity-protection-platform-301215187.html SOURCE Mission Secure, Inc.

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FOSHAN, China, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited ("Bright Scholar," the "Company," "we" or "our") (NYSE: BEDU), a global premier education service company, today announced that it entered into agreements with Yiwu City Government to operate a K-12 school in Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province. The Yiwu Bright Scholar School will provide bilingual education for kids from grade 1 to 12 with a total capacity about 3,300.

The agreement was signed on January 22, 2021 in Yiwu City (the "City"), the world largest small commodities market. In the signing ceremony, Mr. Yi Lin, Party Chief of Yiwu City introduced the significant achievement of the City in transforming and improving the Infrastructure and the business environment since the establishment of its status as pilot free economic zone. He indicated he has great hopes that the Yiwu Bright Scholar school would further help the City to improve the education quality and to better serve the local students. Mr. Lin conveyed his best wishes to the collaboration and believed this would be the starting point for the two parties to deepen cooperation in the future.

Ms. Huiyan Yang, Chairperson of Bright School also attended the signing ceremony and commented, "We are committed to providing quality and personalized education to every kid in our school and to prepare them as responsible global citizens with deep cultural and national identity."

About Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited

Bright Scholar is a global premier education service company, dedicated to providing quality international education to global students and equipping them with the critical academic foundation and skillsets necessary to succeed in the pursuit of higher education. Bright Scholar also complements its international offerings with Chinese government-mandated curriculum for students who wish to maintain the option of pursuing higher education in China. As of November 30, 2020, Bright Scholar operated 94 schools across twelve provinces in China and eight schools overseas, covering the breadth of K-12 academic needs of its students.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company's business plans and development, which can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law.

IR Contact:

GCM Strategic Communications

Email: [email protected]

Media Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +86-757-6683-2507

SOURCE Bright Scholar Education Holdings Ltd.


Records from the archives which sees bachelors James and Patrick Browne who died around the same time as a result of the Spanish Flu in 1919

Finding out where our ancestors came from and what they went through in their lives is an important rite of passage, particularly in the context of the pandemic as our ordinary lives have been thrown so far out of sync.

Enniscorthy TD James Browne has been busy researching his family tree. Describing this as something he has always wanted to do, he explained that he found himself with more time on his hands in the evenings during the various lockdowns, and was first encouraged to explore the Browne family connected to Askamore after local man David Donohoe got the ball rolling.

With help from other historical enthusiasts in the family and Craanford councillor Donal Kenny, James was not sure what he might find once he began and having a keen interest in World War I, James was surprised to discover that two of his great great uncles died within weeks of each other in October and November as a result of the Spanish flu which took hold of the world from 1918 to 1920.

'I made the discovery when I found the death certificate of Andrew Browne who married Julia Butler of Kiltilahane, Askamore from 1940 and 1947 respectively. They had four daughters and five sons, with two of their sons, James (28) and Patrick (21) Browne dying of the Spanish flu, another dying at a young age, but their brother William Browne was a labourer on Murray Farm, Shrule, Craanford.

'William met Elizabeth Byrne, a servant and they married in 1912 in Craanford church and moved to Kilcannon, Enniscorthy to manage a farm for the Walsh's. One of the Walsh's daughters, Luceta, married a porter and later took over the farm. William and Elizbeth had several sons, one of which was Sean Browne who became a TD and another was my granddad, James Browne and the house I grew up with my father John on was built on a site on Porter's Farm'.

James said that he still has some more discoveries to make but that he is deep into it now.

Expand Close A Browne family ancestor: Andrew Browne, a labourer in Askamore / Facebook

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Whatsapp A Browne family ancestor: Andrew Browne, a labourer in Askamore

'Always when I was growing up my Dad would say that we came from Askamore but he didn't really have a lot of details or remaining family connections there. In contrast, I grew up on tales from my mother's side about relatives who fought in Enniscorthy in 1916 and all of that history was very accessible and we knew an awful lot.

'But we have discovered that the Browne sisters all moved away, one to England and the other three to Dublin. My relative Matt Browne went to Dublin for college and got to meet all of the family at that time, and he put me in touch with a grandchild of one of the sisters. I found her on Facebook and she was able to send me wedding photos from all of the marriages. Seeing the images brings it all home.

'I didn't know until I started doing this digging that any of them had died from the Spanish flu, which was the last pandemic before this one. It was great to find this out but that would have been a huge tragedy at the time, for Andrew and Julia to lose two sons in such a short length of time.

'They were so young and it appeared to be the nature of the disease that it took out young people a lot quicker. From my research on it, you got sick and you went out quickly with it. It knocked you right out and you were dead within a few days if you were going to die from it'.

Looking at these details in the context of the current pandemic, James said that he has a new found appreciation for what he ancestors went through.

'It's safe to assume that James and Patrick were labourers and there's no evidence of them being landowners or having had a trade. Back then it was very hard to break into a trade and unless a family member had one. They came a family of labourers and that's what most people did if you didn't own a house: you were a labourer or a servant. When you look back and see how hard it was, you can see it was a harsh existence with the lack of money people would have had.

'World War I is always spoken about but the flu was spoken about less despite all the people that died from it, some families were completely wiped out from it. I'm glad that it is being spoken about more so because of this pandemic. When I heard this about my own family, there was that sense of a deeper connection when you can see what's happening now with this worldwide pandemic and the level of information that's available to people.

'Back then, we can only imagine the level of fear that would be been widespread in communities. I'm always fascinated when I'm canvassing the more rural areas, you'd go down one lane way at about two miles long, and there might be an old stone house that dates back to these times. They would have had no electricity, no cars and to live that far away from anywhere would have added to the challenge.

'They may have gone shopping in Carnew or Camolin, and if somebody had have gotten sick like they did, the doctor would have been in the next door and it would be have been a fair trek to get any kind of help.

'If James and Patrick died from the flu, it was obviously in the community and others would have died from it at the time. They would have had very little health support or any information about what it was or how to deal with it. There was definitely an emotional connection there when you read about what people went through, you can feel the sadness. In rural communities particularly if people didn't understand what it was, there would have been a huge fear factor among neighbours.

'There seemed to be an understanding in the bigger cities about how to protect yourself but in rural Ireland, with a complete lack of communications you really would have been left to your own devices and if you got it, it was a lottery as to whether you survived'.

James said that looking at the family tree now meant that it wasn't just a name on a page.

'A lot of my ancestors had the same names, but now with this pandemic have a greater feeling of understanding for what your direct ancestors went through without the resources we have today like newspapers, radio, the internet and not really understanding what it was or how to stop it.

'People were living in very basic circumstances and the Browne children that we know of would have been those who survived past birth as infant mortality back when would have been huge. In many ways, they would have been lucky to have mad it as far as they did'.

James encouraged others to engage in their own discovery, whether through online records or DNA sampling. He said that it made him appreciate his own family history, his involvement in politics and just how far we have come in one hundred years.

'When you go back to look at those times, we were one of the poorest countries in the world. There's a lot of strengths and weaknesses in our society today but we also have to look at how far we've come as a country.

'When you're in politics you have an interest in society and your local area, and we've a lot of things still to put right but we have come an awful long way and we shouldn't forget that either. We need to celebrate our successes as a country as well as there is nothing inevitable about success,' he concluded.
20 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS/PARTNER NEWS. TRIPS waiver proposal from India, South Africa and other members

By Brajendra Navnit, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to WTO

A proposal by India, South Africa and eight other countries calls on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to exempt member countries from enforcing some patents, and other Intellectual Property (IP) rights under the organizations Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, known as TRIPS, for a limited period of time. It is to ensure that IPRs do not restrict the rapid scaling- up of manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. While a few members have raised concerns about the proposal, a large proportion of the WTO membership supports the proposal. It has also received the backing of various international organizations, multilateral agencies and global civil society.

Unprecedented times call for unorthodox measures. We saw this in the efficacy of strict lockdowns for a limited period, as a policy intervention, in curtailing the spread of the pandemic. International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its October 2020 edition of World Economic Outlook states However, the risk of worse growth outcomes than projected remains sizable. If the virus resurges, progress on treatments and vaccines is slower than anticipated, or countries access to them remains unequal, economic activity could be lower than expected, with renewed social distancing and tighter lockdowns. The situation appears to be grimmer than predicted, we have already lost 7% of economic output from the baseline scenario projected in 2019. It translates to a loss of more than USD 6 trillion of global GDP. Even a 1% improvement in global GDP from the baseline scenario will add more than USD 800 billion in global output, offsetting the loss certainly of a much lower order to a sector of economy on account of the Waiver.

Merely a signal to ensure timely and affordable access to vaccines and treatments will work as a big confidence booster for demand revival in the economy. With the emergence of successful vaccines, there appears to be some hope on the horizon. But how will these be made accessible and affordable to global population? The fundamental question is whether there will be enough of Covid-19 vaccines to go around. As things stand, even the most optimistic scenarios today cannot assure access to Covid-19 vaccines and therapeutics for the majority of the population, in rich as well as poor countries, by the end of 2021. All the members of the WTO have agreed on one account that there is an urgent need to scale-up the manufacturing capacity for vaccines and therapeutics to meet the massive global needs. The TRIPS Waiver Proposal seeks to fulfil this need by ensuring that IP barriers do not come in the way of such scaling up of manufacturing capacity.

Why existing flexibilities under the TRIPS Agreement are not enough

The existing flexibilities under the TRIPS Agreement are not adequate as these were not designed keeping pandemics in mind. Compulsory licenses are issued on a country by country, case by case and product by product basis, where every jurisdiction with an IP regime would have to issue separate compulsory licenses, practically making collaboration among countries extremely onerous. While we encourage the use of TRIPS flexibilities, the same are time-consuming and cumbersome to implement. Hence, only their use cannot ensure the timely access of affordable vaccines and treatments. Similarly, we have not seen a very encouraging progress on WHOs Covid19-Technology Access Pool or the C-TAP initiative, which encourages voluntary contribution of IP, technology and data to support the global sharing and scale-up of the manufacturing of COVID- 19 medical products. Voluntary Licenses, even where they exist, are shrouded in secrecy. Their terms and conditions are not transparent. Their scope is limited to specific amounts or for a limited subset of countries, thereby encouraging nationalism rather than true international collaboration.

Why is there a need to go beyond existing global cooperation initiatives?

Global cooperation initiatives such as the COVAX Mechanism and the ACT-Accelerator are inadequate to meet the massive global needs of 7.8 billion people. The ACT-A initiative aims to procure 2 billion doses of vaccines by the end of next year and distribute them fairly around the world. With a two-dose regime, however, this will only cover 1 billion people. That means that even if ACT-A is fully financed and successful, which is not the case presently, there would not be enough vaccines for the majority of the global population.

Past experience

During the initial few months of the current pandemic, we have seen that shelves were emptied by those who had access to masks, PPEs, sanitizers, gloves and other essential Covid-19 items even without their immediate need. The same should not happen to vaccines. Eventually, the world was able to ramp up manufacturing of Covid-19 essentials as there were no IP barriers hindering that. At present, we need the same pooling of IP rights and know-how for scaling up the manufacturing of vaccines and treatments, which unfortunately has not been forthcoming, necessitating the need for the Waiver.

It is the pandemic  an extraordinary, once in a lifetime event  that has mobilized the collaboration of multiple stakeholders. It is knowledge and skills held by scientists, researchers, public health experts and universities that have enabled the cross-country collaborations and enormous public funding that has facilitated the development of vaccines in record time  and not alone IP!

Way forward

The TRIPS waiver proposal is a targeted and proportionate response to the exceptional public health emergency that the world faces today. Such a Waiver is well-within the provisions of Article IX of the Marrakesh Agreement which established the WTO. It can help in ensuring that human lives are not lost for want of a timely and affordable access to vaccines. The adoption of the Waiver will also re-establish WTOs credibility and show that multilateral trading system continues to be relevant and can deliver in times of a crisis. Now is the time for WTO members to act and adopt the Waiver to save lives and help in getting the economy back on the revival path quickly.

While making the vaccines available was a test of science, making them accessible and affordable is going to be a test of humanity. History should remember us for the AAA rating i.e. for Availability, Accessibility and Affordability of Covid19 vaccines and treatments and not for a single A rating for Availability only. Our future generations deserve nothing less.

Embassy of India in Armenia
MBABANE  Eswatini Revenue Authority is demanding over E9.9 million from Carson Auto (PTY) Limited.

According to the authority the money is in respect on the companys VAT returns and Income Tax returns covering the period July 2015 to June 2018.

The company has now approached the Eswatini Revenue Authority Tax Tribunal where it is appealing the decision of SRA commissioner general that the business should pay a total sum of E9 920 279.97.

In its appeal the appellant (Carson Auto (PTY) Limited) narrated that it received a desk audit outcome letter dated March 26,2020, in respect of VAT and income tax returns covering the period July 2015 to June 2018.

observed

The company further submitted that, according to the desk audit letter, the commissioner general observed that there was a variance between income tax returns turnover compared to the total VAT output , that is, there was an understated of total output supplied as compared with income tax returns.

The appellant said being dissatisfied with the findings made in the desk audit letter it submitted an objection letter dated July 7, 2020, furnishing reasons for the variance.

According to the appellant, the authority responded to the objection letter.

SRA is alleged to have stated that an audit was specifically undertaken to verify the correctness of the returns submitted by a taxpayer as such it served no useful purpose to request for an amendment of returns since the under declaration had already been unearthed by the audit.

The company highlighted that again being dissatisfied with the findings of the outcome of the objection letter it submitted to the authority, an appeal to the objection letter which was reportedly dismissed by the authority on October 5, 2020.

amend

Therefore the appellant humbly avers that the commissioner general erred in law and in fact in finding that once an audit has been made a taxpayer can no longer be allowed to amend returns. There is no law quoted or a specific provision in the Income Tax Order, contended the appellant.

The company also claimed that the commissioner general further erred in law and in fact in basing income tax assessments on erroneous information.

According to the appellant, the authority was made aware of the alleged inaccurate information it had used but still denied to correct the error. This, as per, the appellant resulted in SRA making incorrect findings.

unlawfully

The commissioner general erred in law and in fact to impose 40 per cent penalty without any statutory justification. The appellant admitted to the omission and further requested for an amendment which was, however, unlawfully declined, reads part of the appellants grounds of appeal.

It is the appellants prayer that the authority should be prevented from demanding payment of the disputed assessment and to continue to issue Tax Compliance Certificates to the company as and when required.

These are allegations whose veracity is still to be tested in court.

Through its attorney from KN Simelane Attorneys, the company has also filed an application at the High Court where it is seeking condonation for late filing of the appeal.

It is alternatively seeking an order directing that it was entitled to file or pursue its appeal before the Tax Tribunal in any unlikely event that the High Court found that the condonation for the late filing could not be granted.

appointed

Businessman Moses Motsa, who is the companys Public Officer, deposed to an affidavit where he highlighted that the Minister of Finance had recently appointed or established a Tax Tribunal which had been non- existent ever since the promulgation of the VAT. He pointed out that the Ministry of Finance having announced the appointment of the Tax Tribunal Commissioners the company then noted an appeal against SRAs decision.

Despite the much welcomed appointment or establishment of the Tax Tribunal, the minister has not reinstated the suspended provisions of the VAT Act regarding the Tribunal. This was reasonably expected to take place immediately, hence the filing of the appeal before the tribunal, submitted Motsa.

It was also his contention that SRA was seeking to rely on technicality so as to impose a liability and thereafter put the company in a position to pay a liability under circumstances in which such liability was not a true assessment.

The mater is pending at the High Court and appearing for the company is Kenneth Simelane of KN Simelane Attorneys.






FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2021, file photo, President Joe Biden answers questions from reporters in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex, in Washington. Biden is set to announce a wide-ranging moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on U.S. lands, as his administration moves quickly to reverse Trump administration policies on energy and the environment and address climate change. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden is set to announce a wide-ranging moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on U.S. lands, as his administration moves quickly to reverse Trump administration policies on energy and the environment and address climate change.

Two people with knowledge of Bidens plans outlined the proposed moratorium, which will be announced Wednesday. They asked not to be identified because the plan has not been made been public; some details remain in flux.

The move follows a 60-day suspension of new drilling permits for U.S. lands and waters announced last week and follows Bidens campaign pledge to halt new drilling on federal lands and end the leasing of publicly owned energy reserves as part of his plan to address climate change. The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate.

Environmental groups hailed the expected moratorium as the kind of bold, urgent action needed to slow climate change.

The fossil fuel industry has inflicted tremendous damage on the planet. The administrations review, if done correctly, will show that filthy fracking and drilling must end for good, everywhere,'' said Kieran Suckling, executive director at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group that has pushed for the drilling pause.

Oil industry groups slammed the move, saying Biden had already eliminated thousands of oil and gas jobs by killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office.

"This is just the start. It will get worse,'' said Brook Simmons, president of the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma. "Meanwhile, the laws of physics, chemistry and supply and demand remain in effect. Oil and natural gas prices are going up, and so will home heating bills, consumer prices and fuel costs.''

Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, which represents oil and gas drillers in Western states, said the expected executive order is intended to delay drilling on federal lands to the point where it is no longer viable.

"The environmental left is leading the agenda at the White House when it comes to energy and environment issues,'' she said, noting that the moratorium would be felt most acutely in Western states such as Utah, Wyoming and North Dakota. Biden lost all three states to former President Donald Trump.

The drilling moratorium is among several climate-related actions Biden will announce Wednesday. He also is likely to direct officials to conserve 30% of the countrys lands and ocean waters in the next 10 years, initiate a series of regulatory actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and issue a memorandum that elevates climate change to a national security priority. He also is expected to direct all U.S. agencies to use science and evidence-based decision-making in federal rule-making and announce a U.S.-hosted climate leaders summit on Earth Day, April 22.

The conservation plan would set aside millions of acres for recreation, wildlife and climate efforts by 2030, part of Bidens campaign pledge for a $2 trillion program to slow global warming.

Under Trump, federal agencies prioritized energy development and eased environmental rules to speed up drilling permits as part of the Republicans goal to boost fossil fuel production. Trump consistently downplayed the dangers of climate change, which Biden, a Democrat, has made a top priority.

On his first day in office last Wednesday, Biden signed a series of executive orders that underscored his different approach  rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, revoking approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada and telling agencies to immediately review dozens of Trump-era rules on science, the environment and public health.

A 60-day suspension order at the Interior Department did not limit existing oil and gas operations under valid leases, meaning activity would not come to a sudden halt on the millions of acres of lands in the West and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico where much drilling is concentrated. The moratorium also is unlikely to affect existing leases. Its effect could be further blunted by companies that stockpiled enough drilling permits in Trumps final months to allow them to keep pumping oil and gas for years.

The pause in drilling is limited to federal lands and does not affect drilling on private lands, which is largely regulated by states.

Oil and gas extracted from public lands and waters account for about a quarter of annual U.S. production. Extracting and burning those fuels generates the equivalent of almost 550 million tons (500 million metric tons) of greenhouse gases annually, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a 2018 study.

Under Trump, Interior officials approved almost 1,400 permits on federal lands, primarily in Wyoming and New Mexico, over a three-month period that included the election, according to an Associated Press analysis of government data. Those permits, which remain valid, will allow companies to continue drilling for years, potentially undercutting Bidens climate agenda.
San Antonio Costco members, it looks like a new store is coming to the far West Side.

Costco Wholesale Corp. purchased land between a Walmart Supercenter at the corner of Loop 1604 and Potranco Road and the Shops at Dove Creek, according to an article from the San Antonio Express-News.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
BEIJING: The U.S.-Chinese trade war isnt going away under President Joe Biden.

Biden wont confront Beijing right away, economists say, because he wants to focus on the coronavirus and the economy. However, Biden looks set to renew pressure over trade and technology grievances that prompted President Donald Trump to hike tariffs on Chinese imports in 2017.

Negotiators might tone down Trumps focus on narrowing Chinas multibillion-dollar trade surplus with the United States and push harder to open its state-dominated economy, which matters more in the long run, economists say. But no abrupt tariff cuts or other big changes are expected.

I think Biden will focus more on trying to extract structural reforms, said Louis Kuijs of Oxford Economics. Its going to take some time before we get any shift or explicit announcements.

Biden is evaluating tariffs on Chinese goods and wants to coordinate future steps with allies, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday. She gave no indication of possible changes.

The president is committed to stopping Chinas economic abuses, Psaki said.

Trump acted on complaints that are shared by Europe and other traders, but Washington has little to show for its bruising war. It brought President Xi Jinpings government to the bargaining table but roiled global trade, raised consumer prices and wiped out jobs.

The last major development was a year ago, when Beiing promised in the Phase One agreement of January 2020 to buy more soybeans and other U.S. exports and stop pressuring companies to hand over technology.

China fell short on those purchases. Amid the coronavirus turmoil, it bought about 55% of what it promised. As for tech policy, some economists say those changes matter but question whether it counts as a win. They say Beijing might have made them anyway to suit its own plans.

China faces more opposition than ever in Washington due to its trade record, territorial disputes with neighbors, crackdown on Hong Kong, reports of abuses against ethnic Muslims and accusations of technology theft and spying.

The ground has shifted in a significant way, said Nathan Sheets, a former Treasury undersecretary for international affairs in the Obama administration.

Katherine Tai, Bidens choice to succeed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, sounded a hawkish note on China in a speech this month.

We face stiffening competition from a growing and ambitious China, said Tai. A China whose economy is directed by central planners who are not subject to the pressures of political pluralism, democratic elections or popular opinion.

That means China has to make changes if wants to make progress, said Raoul Leering, global trade analyst for ING. He said that while many of Trumps statements were close to nonsense, he was right that China has more trade barriers and official intervention in the economy than the United States.

It will depend on China, the speed at which they reform and change policies, to see whether Biden will roll back trade barriers, he said.

Chinese officials say they want better relations but have announced no potential concessions.

Foreign Ministry Wang Yi, quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency, expressed hope Washington will regain its rationality. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, appealed to Washington to bring China-U.S. relations back to the right track of development as soon as possible.

After 2 1/2 years and 13 rounds of talks, negotiators have yet to tackle one of the biggest irritants for Chinas trading partners the status of politically favored state companies that dominate industries from banking to oil to telecoms.

Europe, Japan and other governments criticized Trumps tactics but echo complaints that Beijing steals technology and breaks market-opening promises by subsidizing and shielding companies from competition.

Those complaints strike at the heart of a state-led development model Communist Party leaders see as the basis of Chinas success.

They are building up national champions such as PetroChina Ltd., Asias biggest oil producer, and China Mobile Ltd., the worlds biggest phone carrier by subscribers. The party in 2013 declared state industry the core of the economy.

Outside the state sector, the party is nurturing industrial leaders in solar power, electric cars, next-generation telecoms and other fields.

Beijing could offer to drop its claim to being a developing economy, a status it insists on despite having become one of the biggest manufacturers and a middle-income society, Leering said. Under WTO rules, that allows the Communist Party to protect industries and intervene more in the economy.

Giving that up would be a very important gesture, Leering said.

Trumps opening shot in 2017 was a tax hike on $360 billion worth of Chinese imports. Beijing retaliated with tariff hikes and suspended soybean imports, hitting farm states that voted for Trump in 2016.

The U.S. trade deficit with China narrowed by by 19% in 2019 over a year earlier and by 15% in the first nine months of 2020.

That failed to achieve Trumps goal of moving jobs to the United States. Importers shifted instead to Taiwan, Mexico and other suppliers. The total U.S. trade deficit dipped slightly in 2019, then rose nearly 14% through November last year.

Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office estimates tariff hikes cost the average U.S. household nearly $1,300 last year. Businesses postponed investments, undoing some of the benefits of Trumps 2017 corporate tax cut.

A study by the U.S.-China Business Council and Oxford Economics found the U.S. economy lost 245,000 jobs due to the tariffs. It said even a modest reduction would create 145,000 jobs by 2025.

Trump stepped up pressure by cutting off access to U.S. technology for telecom equipment giant Huawei Technologies Ltd. and other companies seen by American officials as possible security risks and a threat to U.S. industrial leadership. Americans were ordered to sell shares in Chinese companies Washington says have links to the military.

The Communist Party responded by vowing to accelerate its two-decade-old campaign to make China a self-reliant technology power.

Psaki, the White House spokeswoman, said Biden also was reviewing those issues but gave no indication of possible changes.

Biden wants to hold Beijing accountable for unfair and illegal practices and make sure American technology doesnt facilitate its military buildup, Psaki said.

Bidens envoys have the option of fine-tuning Trumps penalties by dropping some in exchange for Chinese policy changes, said Kuijs. But he and other economists say rolling back tariffs and curbs on access to technology and financial markets is unlikely to be a priority.

It is difficult to see a U.S. reversal of the recent hawkish trends in China policy, Sylvia Sheng of JP Morgan Asset Management said in a report.

Tech curbs are unlikely to be eased because Washington regards China as a competitor, said Tu Xinquan, director of the Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

Tariff cuts look like the only short-term option, Tu said. He said Biden could defend getting rid of taxes the World Trade Organization says were improperly imposed.

In that case, he wouldnt lose face, said Tu.

___

AP researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed.

___

Wiseman reported from Washington.

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
CHICO, Calif. - The Butte County Sheriff's office Monday released information about the arrest of CSU, Chico History Professor Laird McLeod Easton for possession of child pornography.

Investigators say they uncovered evidence that showed Easton was downloading child pornography and on January 20th obtained a warrant for his arrest.

A search warrant was served at Easton's home on Citrus Avenue in Chico on January 21st. Detectives and University Police Department Officers also served a search warrant at Easton's Office on campus.

Officers seized Easton's cell phone and other electronic devices. They say more than 100 images of child pornography were found on Easton's cell phone. They're still in the process of reviewing other electronic devices.

On January 21st Easton was booked into the Butte County Jail on charges of possessing child pornography. He later posted bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Butte County Superior Court on April 9th, 2021.

The Sheriff's Department is asking anyone with information about this investigation to contact Detective Mary Barker at (530) 538-7671.

The University issued a news release saying, "The University has learned that one of its employees, Laird Easton, has been arrested by Butte County Sheriffs Office in a child pornography investigation. We are cooperating with the investigation and the employee has been suspended from teaching and campus activities until further notice. The University encourages anyone with knowledge about this case or any instance of child exploitation or abuse to contact the Butte County Sheriffs Office. Any questions about the charges or ongoing criminal investigation should be directed to BCSO."
LONDON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kao Data , the specialist developer and operator of advanced, carrier-neutral data centres for high performance colocation, has today announced a new customer contract with InstaDeep , a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) powered decision-making solutions for enterprise. The new high performance computing (HPC) installation at Kao Data's Harlow campus allows InstaDeep to expand its research and development capabilities. Deployment of this sophisticated technical platform reinforces InstaDeep's position as one of Europe's preeminent providers of decision-making processes for real-life industrial environments.

Recently selected by CB Insights as one of the 100 most promising AI start-ups in the world, InstaDeep, a high-growth, AI scale-up, utilises its significant expertise within GPU-powered computing, machine learning and reinforcement learning to build products such as its unique DeepChain  technology - a cloud-native protein design platform which allows the discovery of new protein designs validated with molecular dynamics simulations without human interaction. Today InstaDeep's global reach includes a strategic collaboration with BioNTech on the discovery and development of novel immunotherapies, collaboration with Total on 3D microfossil image detection, segmentation and classification, and development of a train capacity and traffic management system for Deutsche Bahn.

InstaDeep's supercomputer includes AMD EPYC (Milan) powered hardware, supported with the latest generation NVIDIA DGX A100 GPUs, Mellanox switches and a Ceph distributed storage system. It is specifically configured to allow all compute nodes (CPUs and GPUs) access to the storage cluster, optimising performance and accelerating the reinforcement learning process. Given the advanced computing footprint InstaDeep will be operating and the massive datasets they will be utilising, choosing an industrial scale data centre that specialised in hosting HPC and NVIDIA GPUs was crucial.

After reviewing a number of providers, Kao Data was chosen because of the data centre's technical excellence within HPC and AI, the specialist support from Kao Data's team, and the ability for InstaDeep to bespoke build and host their cluster within 28kW adjacent and contiguous racks in a dedicated Technology Suite. In addition, Kao Data's Megaport -enabled campus is engineered to be ultra-efficient and sustainable, meaning InstaDeep could benefit from competitive pricing and 100% certified, renewable power.

"InstaDeep is an EMEA leader in decision-making AI, hence it is key to deploy our supercomputing and AI hardware within a technically superior environment, capable of supporting the latest HPC and GPU-powered technologies," said Karim Beguir, CEO and Co-Founder of InstaDeep. "By working with Kao Data we have found a data centre that offers world-class infrastructure, specialist HPC support and the scalability to help us to grow our industry-leading AI product platforms and solutions."

"Kao Data is delighted to welcome InstaDeep as our first new client of 2021," said Lee Myall, Chief Executive Officer at Kao Data. "Like ourselves, they are a pioneering, high-tech organisation that are at the very forefront of their industry and their disruptive use of HPC and AI is enabling them to create tremendous competitive advantage for their customers. We look forward to supporting their efforts and helping their business to innovate and grow."

For more information visit Kaodata.com

About Kao Data

Founded in 2014, Kao Data develop and operate advanced data centres for high performance colocation. From our hyperscale inspired campus in the heart of the UK Innovation Corridor between London and Cambridge - we provide cloud, HPC, AI and enterprise customers with a world-class home for their compute.

Our Harlow campus - built on the site of Sir Charles Kao's pioneering discovery of fibre optic cable in 1966 - is a development of four state-of the-art, OCP-Ready, carrier neutral data centres. When fully completed the 15 acre, +230m campus will support an ITE load of over 40MW, across 150,000sq ft of technical space  all powered by 100% renewable energy.

Backed by Legal & General and Goldacre - Noe Group, Kao Data is one of the largest campus developments in the UK and represents the future in sustainable, efficient and scalable computing - providing an industry blueprint to develop further best-in-class data centres.

kaodata.com

About InstaDeep

Founded in 2014, InstaDeep is an EMEA leader in decision-making AI products for the Enterprise, with headquarters in London, and offices in Paris, Tunis, Lagos, Dubai and Cape Town. With expertise in both machine intelligence research and concrete business deployments, the Company provides a competitive advantage to its partners in an AI-first world. Leveraging its extensive know-how in GPU-accelerated computing, deep learning and reinforcement learning, InstaDeep has built products, such as its novel DeepChain platform, that tackle the most complex challenges across a range of industries. InstaDeep has also developed collaborations with global leaders in the Artificial Intelligence ecosystem, such as Google DeepMind, NVIDIA and Intel. The Company is part of Intel's AI Builders program and was named a Preferred Deep Learning Partner by NVIDIA.

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A Liberty County pair faces federal prosecution in Texarkana for a COVID relief scam, allegedly filing hundreds of fake loan applications for customers and pilfering $1.3 million from government coffers.

Clifton Pape and Sally Jung, of My Buddy Loan, then went on a spending spree with their illegal earnings, including a go cart excursion in Conroe and glitzy vacation at a San Antonio resort, according to court documents filed in the Eastern District of Texas.

Pape and Jung, whose business was registered to an address in Houston, are accused of charging applicants more than $1,000 to fill out their paperwork for a $10,000 agricultural grant through the Small Business Administrations CARES Act funding, aimed at businesses harmed by the coronavirus epidemic. Instead, their loan enterprise created cookie cutter applications for each of the small business applicants that were fraudulent, officials said.

Investigators say the couple filed 222 Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications in June and July for businesses that all happened to have exactly 10 employees  the amount required to unlock the maximum $10,000 through the program. The SBA granted $10,000 advance funds to 130 of those applicants for a total of $1.3 million.

Pape, 45, and Jung, 58, both of Cleveland, are charged with committing a major fraud. A federal magistrate found there was probable cause to proceed. They waived their right to a preliminary hearing on Jan. 20 and are free on $20,000 unsecured bond.

Jungs lawyer declined to comment on the allegations and Papes counsel did not respond to a request for comment. Pape and Jung also could not be reached on Tuesday. Messages left at several numbers under their names were not returned. At a Houston address referenced in court documents, there was no apparent trace of Jung or Pape  or their business. A security guard let a reporter check a digital inventory in the lobby of the building in West Oaks, which did not show any matches.

Personnel with the U.S. Secret Service built their case against the pair after having an undercover official file for an application through their business.

Investigators pulled bank records and matched them to an Aug. 1, 2020, photograph from Pape's Google records that showed him with Jung wearing bracelets from La Cantera Resort, according to court documents. Four days later, Pape is accused of spending $3,696.77 he collected from applicants for fraudulent COVID relief funds at La Cantera Resort in San Antonio.

Former U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Cox, who stepped down from his post last week, said in a statement this month that the case should prompt the public and banking community to remain vigilant for fraud as another round of COVID relief begins.

At a time when small businessesthe engines of our economy in East Texasmost needed the help that the Small Business Administration was rushing to provide, these individuals took advantage of members of the public, depleting the available resources for small businesses and lining their own pockets with fraudulent gain, he said. It is a priority of the Department of Justice to deter and prosecute this type of fraud.

Sharon Johnson, special agent in charge for the loan program for the central region of the Business Administrations Office of the Inspector General, said her agency is on the lookout for fraudsters: Those responsible for committing fraud against SBA for personal gain will be identified and brought to justice.

Alejandro Serrano contributed.

gabrielle.banks@chron.com
TURIN, JAN 26 - A four-year-old Italian boy has regained the use of a hand that was irreparably damaged in a car accident thanks to the transplant of a toe. The toe has replaced the finger that was lost in the crash. The pioneering surgery was led by Bruno Battiston at Turin's Regina Margherita Hospital. The op used innovative robot technology. Doctors said the new hand will not only function fully but will also grow as the boy gets older. "It is a cutting edge operation," said local 'Health City' Director Giovanni La Valle, "which our professionals managed to carry out by using tools never before used". Battistons' team was assisted by reconstructive microsurgery chief Davide Ciclamini and the head of peripheral nerve surgery, Paolo Titolo. The team transplanted bones, tendons and soft tissues from a toe to the finger using a very high power robot-guided microscope called Robotic Scope. The scope transfers images from the operating field to a viewer used by the surgeon, who can therefore work with "greater ergonomics" and protected for COVID, hospital sources said. Traditional microscopes do not allow the use of such tiny anti-COVID shields, they said. (ANSA).
There are growing calls for the main road between Edenderry and Tullamore to be classified as a national route and undergo major upgrade works.

A motion to that end was brought a meeting of Offaly County Council on Monday by Edenderry councillor for Fianna Fail, Robert McDermott.

His motion stated: "I call on Offaly County Council through its Chief Executive, Ms. Anna Marie Delaney and Director of Services including roads, Mr. Tom Shanahan, to contact the Minister at the Department of Transport immediately to seek a meeting for the purposes of reclassify / upgrade the existing R402 and a section of the R420, namely from the Cloncollig Roundabout to Ballina Cross, to a National Road under The Roads Act 1993 Part 10.

"The purpose and main benefit of this would be to have a National Road from Edenderry in the North of the County and Birr in the South, thus linking both sides of the County. As we are aware, the N52 currently goes through the South of the County and as far North as Tullamore where it links with the Tullamore bypass. This proposal would see the upgrade starting at the Cloncollig Roundabout and continue through Ballinagar, Daingean, Edenderry and hopefully onto exit 9 at the M4 Motorway at Enfield," Cllr McDermott continued.

North Offaly is designated a Commuter Area in the County Development Plan. The two main towns in North Offaly are Edenderry and Portarlington. These towns are described as Self Sustaining Towns in the County Development Plan.

"In order to continue the development in this region and hopefully attract inward investment, a reclassification to a National Road is needed," McDermott added.

"The new road from Enfield to Edenderry which opened in 2014 provides a top-class link from the M6 to North Offaly providing the platform for this reclassification. The reclassification of this route would help to drive the development of this route as a gateway to North Offaly. It would also increase the attractiveness of Edenderry and the surrounding areas as a place for enterprise and development, located on a National route with easy access to the Greater Dublin Area.

"The traffic volumes on the R402 are comparable with National Secondary routes throughout the region, with typical daily volume between 5,000 and 10,000 vehicles, with volumes of 18,000 experienced through Edenderry. These volumes are comparable to the N52 and exceed volumes on the N62."

Michael Nolan, CEO of the Transport Infrastructure Ireland in a September 2020 report stated: The upgrade, maintenance and development of Irelands road network is a critical enabler of economic growth, as well as enabling the realisation of some of the National Strategic Outcomes and Strategic Investment Priorities of the National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework.

"It has been said that roads represent the first social network. They are fundamental building blocks for economic growth, access to services and social cohesion and support the transition to a low carbon future.

The motion garnered the support of other councillors and Offaly County Council will now write to Transport Infrastructure Ireland to request the reclassification.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 17:05:12|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's de facto population has risen to 15.55 million by March 2019, up 16 percent from 13.4 million in the 2008 census, according to the final results of the 2019 general population census released on Tuesday.

The kingdom has a male population of 7.57 million (48.7 percent) and a female population of 7.98 million (51.3 percent), the results said, adding that the number of households in the country is 3.55 million.

According to the results, 4.57 million, or 29.4 percent, of the population aged between 0 and 14 years old, 9.6 million, or 61.7 percent, aged between 15 and 59 years old, and nearly 1.38 million, or 8.9 percent, aged 60 years old and older.

"The percentage of the population living in urban areas is 39.4 percent and in rural areas 60.6 percent," Planning Minister Chhay Than said at the launching ceremony of the final census results.

There are one city and three provinces with more than one million inhabitants, he said, adding that Phnom Penh capital city has 2.3 million, Kandal has 1.2 million, Prey Veng hosts 1.1 million, and Siem Reap houses one million.

The results indicated that infant mortality rate was 18 infant deaths (less than one year of age) per 1,000 births in the 2019 census, down from 26 deaths in the 2008 census.

Also, maternal mortality rate declined, between the two censuses, from 461 to 141 maternal deaths per 100,000 births.

"The 2019 population census are critical for the overall economic and social development of Cambodia, and will be useful for policy makers as well as leaders and planners," Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng said at the launching event.

According to the results, the total population in the 2019 census had not included approximately 1.23 million Cambodian migrants working abroad.

The 2019 general population census was the fourth one in the Southeast Asian country after the first one was conducted in 1962, indicating that the country had the population of 5.7 million.

The second one was held in 1998, finding that the country had the population of 11.4 million and the third one was made in 2008, discovering that the country's population reached 13.4 million. Enditem
Posted Monday, January 25, 2021 6:56 pm

Chehalis City Councilor Chad Taylor told the council Monday night he will submit his resignation after serving for 19 years.

The move comes just after he and his wife Coralee purchased The Chronicle and its sister publications from Lafromboise Communications.

Taylor announced he would resign during a Monday night meeting of the Chehalis City Council and in a letter to Mayor Dennis Dawes.

I am writing this letter to inform you that with this new adventure of purchasing the local newspaper that it would be in the best interest for me and our journalists to retire from the Chehalis City Council Pos. 2 at-large, he wrote.

His last official meeting will be Feb. 8.

With Coralee and I purchasing the Chronicle, our local newspaper, it would be inappropriate for me to remain an elected official and own the business that helps hold elected officials accountable, he wrote.

Taylor said he has enjoyed serving the city of Chehalis and has loved being a part of the decisions that have helped take us to where we are today.

Taylor wrote that over the next two weeks he will be compiling information from the committees he serves on and providing it to the city clerk.

Chad and Coralee Taylor own The Silver Agency in Chehalis. Their new newspaper company is CT Publishing.



The story will be updated.

Lawyers representing the customers of Menzgold Ghana Limited, have petitioned Parliament to freeze the local and international assets of Nana Appiah Mensah (alias NAM 1), the CEO of the defunct gold-trading firm.



The petition signed by lawyers Amanda Clinton and Bianca Clinton also wants Parliament to work with the Attorney General's (A-G) Department to pass legislation that will deal with Ponzi schemes in Ghana.



The lawyers are also requesting specialist guidelines for government agencies including the AG, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), National Security, Interpol, CID, NIB, Office of the President on the fight against Ponzi schemes.



"We ask that Parliament, and in particular the finance committee, work with the Attorney Generals department, even at this late stage, to cull as much assets as possible so that our clients may be able to retrieve some funds," the petition reads.



"Furthermore, if parliament works with the Attorney Generals department to follow suit with other countries and actively pass legislation dealing with Ponzi/pyramid schemes, this is another way of addressing the Menzgold matter, even at such a late stage and to set a precedent so that this level of financial loss to the general public never occurs again particularly since Menzgold was caught by Act 929, but illegally remained unregulated".



The petition further warns that the failure to deal effectively with perpetrators of Ponzi schemes mars the credibility of Ghana's public institutions both locally and internationally.



It is an open invitation to future criminals since government maintains its position that it can do nothing for those who invested in an unregulated company (whilst admitting that the company fell under their remit but somehow remained unregulated and open for business for years without sanction or adequate consequences).



The lawyers have in a separate case sued four state agencies claiming that they were negligent in the Menzgold saga.



The four agencies the former customers have sued are the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Attorney Generals Department.





They are demanding GH11,402.000.00 in damages.



Facts



The facts, as presented by state Prosecutor ASP Asare, are that in October 2018, the police received a complaint from about 16,000 people that Menzgold had convinced them to invest GH1.68 billion in a gold purchase scheme that yielded 10 per cent monthly interest.



According to him, the complainants said their money was locked up and that they could not find Nana Mensah and the other principal officers of the company.



The prosecutor said investigations revealed that Menzgold and Brew Marketing Consult were incorporated as limited liability companies in 2013 and 2016, respectively.



Menzgold, he said, obtained a licence from the Minerals Commission in August 2016 to purchase and export gold from small-scale miners, and that in order to successfully engage in the business, Nana Mensah founded Brew Marketing Consult to be a gold buying agent.



ASP Asare said although Menzgold was licensed to purchase gold, it was not licensed by the Minerals Commission to trade in gold.



Notwithstanding the lack of such a licence, he said, Menzgold went public after its incorporation and invited the public to deposit money for a fixed period with interest, on the pretext of gold purchasing.



The prosecutor said further investigations revealed that the three accused persons were the directors and principal officers of Menzgold and Brew Marketing Consult.



Background



NAM 1 was released from police custody on August 17, 2019, after meeting his revised bail conditions.



Earlier, the court had varied the bail conditions to allow for five sureties to guarantee his bail without showing evidence of having properties worth the GH1 billion bail sum.



The court, however, refused a request by counsel for Nana Appiah for a reduction in the bail sum from GH1 billion to GH20 million.



Hitherto, the court had ordered, on July 26, 2019, that three of the five sureties should show justification, meaning they must show proof that they had properties or interests worth the GH1 billion bail sum.



As part of the bail conditions, the Menzgold CEO was ordered to report himself to the Ghana Police Service every Wednesday.



Accomplices



The prosecution had accused Nana Mensah, his wife, Ms Rose Tetteh, and his sister, Ms Benedicta Mensah, of using Menzgold as a tool to defraud more than 16,000 people of GH1.68 billion.



His wife and his sister are, however, at large.











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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Stephen Fry noticed mental health problems in children from all backgrounds

Stephen Fry said today Eton and private schoolchildren suffer from 'inverted snobbery' and are as likely to self-harm as youngsters from tougher backgrounds.

The actor and comedian, 63, said he had noticed a 'general rise in unhappiness amongst the young'.

And he warned his visits to schools across the spectrum of backgrounds as part of mental health charity Mind showed him a 'prevalence of self-harm'.

Fry, best-known for hosting QI and his roles Blackadder, has suffered from depression himself.

He said it is too easy to assume that youngsters from wealthy backgrounds are happier and less likely to commit self harm.

Fry said: 'There is the general rise in unhappiness amongst the young which is manifested if no other way by the appalling epidemic of self-harm, which I don't remember as a child.

He said the problems could arise in places like Eton or any other expensive private schools

'It may just be we were protected from the notion or it may be that it didn't exist in quite the way that it now does.

'But I don't remember the phrase 'self-harm', I don't remember ever hearing about a child - that I was at school with or at any school I attended - cutting themselves with knives.

'I've been to schools you might describe as sink schools.

'It's a horrible phrase but schools whose at pupils are drawn from very deprived and underprivileged areas and I've been to literally to Eton or other expensive private schools to talk.

'What's interesting is there doesn't seem to be a difference in the prevalence of self-harm.'

He made the comments on the Blank podcast with Giles Paley-Phillips and Jim Daly.

He said there was no 'difference in the prevalence of self-harm' in children from all areas

Stephen, who has been married to Elliott Spencer since 2015, has been vocal in the past about his struggles with mental health, admitting his 'relentless' battle with bipolar disorder is 'incurable'.

Speaking in a BBC documentary, Stephen explained he had been diagnosed with psychothermia - which causes mood swings leading to disturbed behaviour - when he first started seeing the psychiatrist following his suicide attempt in Uganda in 2012.

He has since been diagnosed with bipolar one which can cause manic episodes of elevated high energy as well as periods of depression.

Blank features interviews with well-known names on how they got through difficult moments in their lives and careers went things went wrong.

Fry added to the podcast: 'If you'd said to somebody 20 years ago 'well children whose fathers are absent or drug addicts, who beat them or abuse them in other ways, who gamble the money away, who don't give them books, who don't make them feel loved - they seem to harm themselves a lot', you might go 'yeah I get that.'

'But then you said: 'they don't harm themselves it seems any more than children whose fathers are chairman of companies, or aristocrats and send them to Eton' - and you go 'ah okay so there is something.'

'It's not to say that your life chances aren't a great deal better if you've gone to Eton - we all know that's obviously the case - but it doesn't guarantee happiness.

'The life of a child who happens to have been born to a chairman of a company and a rich aristocrat is not to be valued more lightly than any other child.

'It's easy to be inverted in your snobbery and say, "who cares about a load of privileged kids".'
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A man who was deported from the Bay Area to Guatemala after a police traffic stop must be brought back and given a chance to challenge his deportation because he faces a likelihood of torture in the Central American nation, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

But the ruling was too late. Edgar Archila died in Guatemala two weeks ago, said his daughter, Heydi Weasel of Walnut Creek. And although the official cause of death was organ failure, she said the family believes he may have been poisoned.

Several weeks before Archilas death, Weasel said tearfully, he called her from a hospital where he was being treated and said get him out of there. He was afraid somebody was going to kill him.

During a civil war between Guatemalas military government and left-wing rebels, Archila was a military commissioner for the nations army in the 1970s and early 1980s, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in Mondays ruling. His work included reporting the names of guerrillas and their supporters to the army.

He fled to the U.S. after a group of men shot at him in 1981 while he was riding a motorcycle with his daughter, the court said. Archila returned to Guatemala in 1987 after his brother was shot, apparently by government agents. He was then kidnapped by masked men, tortured and shot but managed to jump out of a car and escape, the court said.

He reached the U.S. again and settled in Walnut Creek, where he and his wife, a legal U.S. resident, raised their children. About two years ago, said his lawyer, Andrew Holley, Archilas car was stopped by police because of a broken brake light, and he was then taken into immigration custody because of a warrant for his arrest in Guatemala. Holley said the warrant from the government falsely accused Archila of murder.

Though Archila, who was in his 50s, had no significant criminal record, Holley said, immigration courts ruled that he would be considered a terrorist in Guatemala and ordered his deportation, rejecting arguments that his departure would cause hardship to his wife, who was seriously ill and has since died.

The appeals court had not been notified of Archilas death before issuing its ruling Monday. The three-judge panel said Archila was ineligible for political asylum because of evidence that he had aided in the persecution of guerrillas to the government, which was known to torture and kill its prisoners.

But the court rejected immigration courts conclusion that Archila himself faced no likelihood of torture in Guatemala. Other former military commissioners have been killed by the government, the court said. Those who have been slain included one of Archilas uncles, a former commissioner, Archilas brother, who was in the military, and his niece, who was taken from her home and murdered in 2012.

Saying Guatemala has serious human rights issues, the court ordered U.S. officials to facilitate Archilas return to the United States for immigration court proceedings on the likelihood he would face torture in his homeland. Such a finding would have allowed him to remain in the country.

The ruling comes two weeks too late, Holley said. The immigration judge (who first ordered his deportation) killed him. Returned him to a country where there are a lot of vengeance killings by both sides.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
The 25-minute speech was a masterclass in double-speak.

Chinas President Xi Jinping told world leaders to shelve their differences as his country blocks $20 billion in Australian exports. He warned confrontation would lead us to a dead end, after China flew two dozen warplanes over Taiwan at the weekend. He said the strong should not bully the weak as Beijing wipes out democracy in Hong Kong.

Two-track Xi was in full swing at the World Economic Forum in Davos overnight. The hypocritical divide between Chinas actions and its leaders spin is inexorable, but it does offer insight into how Xi wants the world to view China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping. Credit:AP

First, Xi wants the world to abandon ideological prejudice, an oft-repeated phrase that paints Communist China as the victim of Western liberal discrimination.
Three retired former banking regulators in North Chinas Inner Mongolia autonomous region have been expelled from the Communist Party on suspicion of corruption in connection with Baoshang Bank Co. Ltd., the failed lender undergoing bankruptcy proceedings.

Xue Jining, who was head of the Inner Mongolia branch of the now-defunct China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) from 2007 to 2014 before retiring in 2015, was expelled from the party, according to a statement (link in Chinese) released by the countrys top antigraft watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, on Monday.

Chen Zhitao (link in Chinese), who was a deputy director of the local banking regulator from 2004 to 2011 and retired in 2013, and Song Jianji (link in Chinese), a deputy director from 2004 to 2014 before retiring in 2017, have also been expelled, according to statements released by the watchdog.

The three former officials were accused of taking bribes and taking advantage of their posts to seek benefits for relatives. They were also accused of tolerating, or even promoting, the risky expansion of Baoshang Bank.

Inner Mongolia-based Baoshang, which was 89% owned by private conglomerate Tomorrow Holding Co. Ltd., was placed under state control in May 2019 amid severe credit risks.

The bank was found to have a 220 billion yuan ($33.9 billion) black hole due largely to massive misappropriation by Tomorrow Holding, whose billionaire founder, Xiao Jianhua, was placed under investigation by Chinese anticorruption authorities in early 2017.

The one-year state seizure of the bank  the first in 20 years  was later extended by six months due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic. This ended in November 2020, when the bankruptcy proceedings were started.

Read more

Cover Story: How China Prevented a Local Bank Crisis From Snowballing

Endemic corruption surrounding the lender was discovered during the states takeover.

Liu Jinming and Jia Qizhen, both former officials at the Inner Mongolia branch of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission  a combination of the CBRC and the countrys former top insurance regulator  were put under investigation by graft busters in 2019. Last year, both were expelled from the party and removed from public office.

Han Wei and Timmy Shen contributed to this report.

Contact reporter Tang Ziyi (ziyitang@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)

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Ukraine not to buy gas directly from Russia  PM Shmyhal

On January 1, 2021, a new price of natural gas was introduced in Ukraine.

Reporting by UNIAN

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It must be noted that the actions are carried out along the borderline of said region.

The Joint Command reported that the deployment of armored units, motorized units, and military personnel in the area was ordered to strengthen control measures in the northern border of Peru, as well as surveillance and preventive actions in the face of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The military personnel from the Northern Operational Command were carried aboard more than 50 vehicles, including armored units, trucks, and patrol cars.

The soldiers were placed on the 30 illegal crossings detected by authorities in the border area, in order to prevent the entry of illegal immigrants.

According to the CCFFAA chief, February will be a critical month, hence the implementation of measures to prevent illegal immigrants who may transmit the COVID-19 virus from entering Peru.

These actions are being carried out following a meeting between Astudillo and his Ecuadorian counterpart, in which they agreed on control and surveillance actions within the framework of the health emergency decreed by the Government.

?? #NDP Fuerzas Armadas despliegan unidades blindadas y personal para reforzar la seguridad y el control en la frontera norte. pic.twitter.com/Pw7mjorX8h

Gran despliegue de unidades blindadas, motorizadas y personal militar hasta 30 pasos ilegales detectados en la zona limitrofe con el Ecuador. En coordinacion con @DefensaEc, se garantiza la seguridad y se refuerzan las medidas de control en la frontera norte del Peru. pic.twitter.com/L0ExofZJIG
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that the moratorium violated federal law as well as an agreement Texas signed with the Department of Homeland Security late in the Trump administration. That agreement required Homeland Security to consult with Texas and other states before taking any action to reduce, redirect, reprioritize, relax, or in any way modify immigration enforcement.
[January 26, 2021] CorelCAD 2021 Powers 2D and 3D Design: Work Faster and Track Projects with Ease

New Drawing Compare Palette and enhanced AutoCAD .DWG file format support enable designers to work more seamlessly with collaborators and teams

OTTAWA, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Introducing CorelCAD 2021, the latest version of Corels professional and affordable computer-aided design software for 2D drafting, 3D modeling and 3D printing. With industry-standard design tools and features, customers can streamline their workflow with clients and coworkers using the new Drawing Compare Palette; conceptualize quickly with enhancements to Pattern commands; and take advantage of support for the latest AutoCAD .DWG file format. Available for Windows and macOS, CorelCAD 2021 offers an affordable collection of powerful CAD tools, purpose-built for the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), and manufacturing industries. CorelCAD 2021 offers a robust set of design tools that make it easy to achieve professional results, faster than before, said Klaus Vossen, Senior Product Manager, Graphics at Corel. The new Drawing Compare Palette enables designers to compare differences between two drawing files, providing a quicker way to understand or showcase changes that have been made by team members or external stakeholders. Plus, new Associative Pattern commands empower users to intelligently modify 2D or 3D elements in a drawing file with speed. With these new time-saving enhancements, CorelCAD 2021 delivers serious productivity gains. With an expansive collection of tools, CorelCAD 2021 delivers the power and control engineers and designers require in a CAD program. NEW! Drawing Compare Palette: Compare two CAD files with ease. Alterations are highlighted for designers to quickly understand the changes made to a file, or to show multiple options for the same project to stakeholders.

Compare two CAD files with ease. Alterations are highlighted for designers to quickly understand the changes made to a file, or to show multiple options for the same project to stakeholders. NEW! Associative Patterns: Patterns in CorelCAD can now be made associative and modified on screen. Quickly adjust levels, number of copies, columns, rows and distances between elements using a simple click and drag action. Save time and make edits to a pattern once its been created.

Patterns in CorelCAD can now be made associative and modified on screen. Quickly adjust levels, number of copies, columns, rows and distances between elements using a simple click and drag action. Save time and make edits to a pattern once its been created. ENHANCED! AutoCAD .DWG File Compatibility: Open, edit, and save files with the latest AutoCAD .DWG file formatincluding the ability to edit AutoCAD dynamic blocks and save them as custom blocks in CorelCAD.

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Mac Version Updates NEW! Data Extraction Wizard: First introduced in the Windows version, the Data Extraction Wizard makes its debut in the Mac release. Users can specify and extract a set of objects and/or block attributes to display as a table in the drawing or save in an external file for easy sharing  ideal for creating BOMs, parts catalogs, order lists and more. CorelCAD 2021 also offers support for macOS Big Sur and runs on the latest Mac models with M1 chips.

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CorelCAD 2021 is available in English, German, Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Pricing is US$699 / 829.99 / 799.99 for the full version and US$199 / 239.99 / 232.99 for the upgrade. Education and volume licenses are also available. GBP and EUR prices include VAT. CorelCAD Mobile CorelCAD Mobile is available for iPad and iPhone on the App Store at http://corl.co/CorelCAD_iOS and for Android devices on the Google Play Store at http://corl.co/CorelCAD_Android. Subscriptions are priced at US$99.99 / 99.99 / 89.99 annually or US$9.99 / 9.99 / 8.99 per month. Free simple mode versions are also available. About CorelCAD CorelCAD is an affordable and powerful CAD software solution for precise 2D drafting and 3D design. With industry-standard CAD features and advanced DWG support, it is a true CAD solution for architectural and mechanical needs. For more information, please visit www.coreldraw.com/corelcad. About Corel Corel products enable millions of connected knowledge workers around the world to do great work faster. Offering some of the industry's best-known software brands, we give individuals and teams the power to create, collaborate, and deliver impressive results. Our success is driven by an unwavering commitment to deliver a broad portfolio of innovative applications  including CorelDRAW, MindManager, Parallels, and WinZip  to inspire users and help them achieve their goals. To learn more about Corel, please visit www.corel.com. 2021 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved. Corel, CorelCAD, CorelDRAW, MindManager and WinZip are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation in Canada, the U.S. and/or elsewhere. Parallels is a trademark or registered trademark of Parallels International GmbH in Canada, the U.S. and/or elsewhere. iPad, iPhone, Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google is a trademark of Google LLC. All other company, product and service names, logos, brands and any registered or unregistered trademarks mentioned are used for identification purposes only and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners. Use of any brands, names, logos or any other information, imagery or materials pertaining to a third party does not imply endorsement. We disclaim any proprietary interest in such third-party information, imagery, materials, marks and names of others. For all notices and information about patents, please visit www.corel.com/patent. Media Contact Saeed Ismail Saeed

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Celebrating the new year always brings in renewed vigor and energy to face the challenges ahead. This 2021, people will still be adjusting to the new normal brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in working and studying at home. Fortunately, personal computers help keep the world going even under quarantine. But when faced with multiple projects and deadlines, students and employees alike may find that a standard, mainstream laptop for general home use cannot always keep up with current demands. Global technology and innovation leader Lenovo suggests utilizing gaming PCs instead, as they have the performance needed to power through 2021 and beyond.

Gaming PCs are more than capable of bolstering productivity through components such as a dedicated graphics processing unit (GPU) or graphics card, better memory and storage capacity, and the latest processors. Lenovo, through its dedicated gaming sub-brand Legion, offers its newest gaming lineup with devices that transcend both personal and professional use.

The dedicated graphics cards in the devices allow users to see and render images and videos to the highest quality with ease, making the job of digital artists more seamless than ever. Adding to this exceptional performance are the enhanced memory and solid-state drive (SSD) storage options that allow programs to run quickly and simultaneously without any hiccups, as well as the latest Intel and AMD processors that unlock other features for more intensive work tasks. Furthermore, the new Legion devices are sleeker and lighter than ever, allowing them to fit right in even in corporate settings.

We purposely designed and developed our new Legion lineup not only for gamers but also with todays workforce in mind. With current business demands, its no longer enough for devices to only run basic office applications and the usual day-to-day tasks. As the world of work evolves  and at a rapid pace at that, we want to equip professionals with devices that can help them adapt and excel in multiple scenarios, said Michael Ngan, Lenovo Philippines President and General Manager.

That said, Lenovo made some recommendations of Legion gaming PCs ideal for different professions to complement everyones renewed vigor in facing new challenges this 2021.

For online entrepreneurs/business owners  IdeaPad Gaming 3i (now starts at Php43,995)

Online businesses are booming amid the COVID-19 pandemic and for those wanting to set up shop, Legion recommends the IdeaPad Gaming 3i. Through its up to 10th-generation Intel processor and up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti dedicated graphics card, the IdeaPad Gaming 3i assures business owners that they can easily run all the applications they need to reach growth and success. Bolstering the completion of tasks further are the up to 16GB DDR4 memory and either up to 1TB NVME PCIe SSD or 2TB HDD storage options.

For content creators (vloggers, graphic designers, photographers, video editors, animators, and layout artists)  Legion 5Pi (now starts at Php67,995)

Producing picture-perfect images and videos is critical for digital artists today to stand out. To help achieve this, Lenovo has the Legion 5Pi notebook that comes with a 15-inch In-Plane Switching (IPS) 1080p display with up to a 144Hz refresh rate and 500nits of brightness for high quality and vivid images and videos without tearing. The display is also a VESA-certified high dynamic range (VESA DisplayHDR 400) screen that comes with 100% sRGB color accuracy, making it perfect for more realistic visualization of images while editing photos and videos.

For musicians  Legion 7i (now starts at Php99,995)

With the ongoing global pandemic making recording sessions difficult, musicians need a home studio setup to continue making music. For the centerpiece of the studio, Lenovo recommends its flagship notebook Legion 7i. Its specifications not only make it the new Legion lineups most powerful notebook for gaming but also produce the best audio through its Dolby Atmos Speaker system. Its specifically made to provide cinema-like sound quality and contains tools that musicians can utilize to get the perfect pitch and sound.

For programmers and developers  Legion 5/5i (now starts at Php52,995)

A computers processor takes the brunt when it comes to compiling and running code. The better they are, the more programs they can run. Knowing this, Lenovo recommends the Legion 5 and Legion 5i (i is for Intel) gaming notebook for programmers. Equipped with either the acclaimed AMD Ryzen 4000-series processor or Intels high-performing 10th-generation processor, the Legion 5/5i is capable of running any application that developers can think of.

For teachers and professors  IdeaCentre Gaming 5i (now starts at Php49,995)

Online learning is here to stay under the new normal and to equip members of the academe to address their education tech needs, Lenovo is recommending the IdeaCentre Gaming 5i desktop. Equipped with up to a 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super dedicated graphics card, the IdeaCentre Gaming 5i, paired with any Lenovo monitor from 21.5 up to 27 (sold separately), can run almost any distance learning tool with ease. It also comes with an up to 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD for storing notes, reports, tests, and worksheets.

For 3D designers and architects  Legion Tower 5i (now starts at Php69,995)

A computer overheating while performing 3D rendering is common since it requires multiple components operating in unison. Fortunately for 3D artists and architects, theres the Legion Tower 5i gaming battle station. The desktop easily breezes through intensive 3D rendering through its Legion Coldfront 2.0 Cooling System, which is a complex system of inner-working hardware and software allowing better airflow and lower system temperatures. In addition, 3D artists and architects can design everything they can think of from scratch with the Legion Tower 5is NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 dedicated graphics card that enables several perks such as ray-tracing and Variable Rate Shading. Also giving the Legion Tower 5i a boost is its up to 10th-generation Intel Core i9 processor that delivers remarkable performance upgrades when it comes to gaming or productivity. It can reach clock speeds of up to 5.3GHz and comes with 10 cores and 20 threads for faster processing of tasks.

Built to last, Legion gaming PCs for work make a great investment in the long run. Further extending their longevity is Lenovos 3-Year Premium Care warranty solution that comes bundled with the devices upon purchase. The service includes comprehensive technical support for any hardware and software concerns, a 24x7 direct hotline to Lenovo experts, and On-site Repair. It also includes an annual PC Health Check to maintain the computers health. All these features and services in Legions newest devices position Lenovo as an integrated solutions provider capable of helping customers address their most critical needs and prepare for the challenges ahead. Lenovo is dedicated to building and managing smarter IT service solutions that are designed to drive customers intelligent transformation and empower them to be more agile and efficient in pursuit of their desired outcomes.

New Year, New Prices and Promos

Click to Enlarge

The Legion lineups new prices for 2021 add another reason to get one for work this year. To celebrate the new year, Lenovo Legion removed up to Php45,000 off from the prices of several of its gaming devices, including those mentioned above.

More information about the new prices can be found on fb.com/lenovolegionPH/posts/1110268429395060

Also, buyers purchasing a Legion device from now up to January 31, 2021 will earn corresponding Empire points under the extended Empire Christmas Sale. All of the Legion devices discussed above are part of the sale, and participants buying them can get exclusive items such as a gaming keyboard, mouse, and chair upon redemption of points.

To learn more about the mechanics of the promo and to redeem points, visit legion.fan/EmpireSalePH. The Empire is the exclusive gaming community of Lenovo Legion.
Yesterday, on 25 January of this year, Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction promulgated the judgment under the civil case Khachatryans vs RA [(Republic of Armenia)] Prime Ministers Staff, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Mane Gevorgyan (Prime Ministers spokesperson) that was initiated upon Gagik, Gurgen and Artyom Khachatryans claim after Press Secretary of the RA Prime Minister Mane Gevorgyans post made on her facebook.com social site page on 28 April 2020 that was insulting and defaming them. The Khachatryans advocate group informed this in a press release, which continues as follows:

Khachatryans claimed to apology for the insulting statement addressed to them as well as refute defamatory information. The Court found it substantiated and approved that the RA Prime Minister made insulting and defaming statements through his spokesperson addressed to RA claimants and awarded that part of the claim.

Particularly, the Court rendered to oblige respondent, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (fathers name: Vova) to refute the public post made by the RA Prime Ministers spokesperson Mane Gevorgyan (fathers name: Gagik) on her official Facebook social site page on 28 April 2020 as follows (quote):

Make the following post on Mane Gevorgyans (fathers name: Gagik) Facebook page within five days after the judgment enters into force: RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan apologizes to Gagik, Gurgen and Artyom Khachatryans for the statement defaming their honor and dignity stated in the post made on Mane Gevorgyans facebook.com social site page on 28 April 2020, for the allegation that Gagik Khachatryan and his sons managed corrupt and mafia-like system as well as accumulated illegal wealth stated in the post. Gagik Khachatryan and his sons acknowledged the fact that they or any other members of the family have robbed and caused damage to the state, or that they were willing to return anything to the state as a stolen property do not coincide with reality.

In case of impossibility to post the texts of apology and refute on facebook.com social site account of the RA Prime Ministers spokesperson Mane Gevorgyan, to oblige RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (fathers name: Vova) to apology, within five working days after the judgment enters into legal force, through any printed newspaper that has at least 5.000 (five thousand) print runs and is consumed in the whole territory of the Republic of Armenia, publishing the same text of apology that was required to be posted on Mane Gevorgyans facebook.com social site page.

The Claimants did not submit a claim for compensation of material damage, but a claim was submitted for compensation of judicial cost which was partially awarded and AMD 8.000 (eight thousand) as the amount of the state duty paid in advance as well as AMD 500.000 (five hundred thousand) as the amount of reasonable remuneration of the advocate was confiscated from the RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (fathers name: Vova) in favor of Gagik Khachatryan (fathers name: Gurgen), Gurgen Khachatryan (fathers name: Gagik) and Artyom Khachatryan (fathers name: Gagik). The judgment shall enter into legal force one month after the promulgation and may be appealed within the same period to the RA Court of Appeal.

Let us remind you that since 2018 Khachatryans have been prosecuted which was condemned by numerous local and international organizations for the protection of human rights and the promotion of free economic activity establishing illegalities in the form of public and administrative pressure, obstruction of economic activity, accompanied by illegal detentions and other interventions. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) applied an interim measure and continues the examination under Khachatryans case, including those on the application of torture and inhuman treatment, discrimination and political persecution.
A report into mother-and-baby homes in Northern Ireland is due to be published today by the Stormont Executive.

Written by a group which the Northern Ireland Executive agreed in February 2016 to set up, it looked into the operation of about 12 mother-and-baby homes and four Magdalene Laundries from 1922-1999.

It was also tasked with looking into historical clerical child abuse which fell outside the remit of the Inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995, and which closed in June 2017.

Todays report is expected to lift a lid on a little known period of Northern Irelands history.

While the numbers of unmarried mothers is believed be as many as 10,000, the infant mortality rates are not well known and todays report is expected to deal with these.

It is also expected to reveal details of adoption practices and living conditions at the homes where girls as young as 13 were sent after becoming pregnant after being victims of rape or incest.

Details are also expected to be released about life in the Magdalene Laundries, which were in effect work houses and where survivors have said they were not paid for what was often exhausting work.

Amnesty International have been pressing for a public inquiry into the homes - which were run by both Protestant and Catholic clergy - since 2013.

Judith Gillespie, chairwoman of the inter-departmental working group on mother-and-baby homes in Northern Ireland, has said there were a lot of complexities in compiling the report.

Commissioned by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, it was carried out by researchers from Queens University Belfast and Ulster University.

Ministers are due to discuss whether or not there should be a public enquiry, according to a report on the BBCs Today programme just after 6am.

Whether or not they go for a public enquiry there are certainly indications that a lung overdue wider investigation of some sort is expected to be announced today.

This might give an investigative body power to compel witnesses to make statements and produce documents.

Earlier this month, the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation found an "appalling level of infant mortality" here.

Up to 9,000 children died in the 14 mother and baby homes and four county homes between 1922 and 1998, by which most of them had closed.

About 56,000 so-called fallen women went through their doors, and around 57,000 children were born in them.

Widely criticised for not dealing in any great detail the issue of illegal or forced adoptions, the report led to an apology to survivors by Taoiseach Micheal Martin in the Dail.
Kiwis, an icon of New Zealand, are flightless birds endemic to the country. About the size of a domestic chicken, kiwis are the smallest extant ratites (a bird group including several flightless birds like ostriches, cassowaries, emus, etc.). There are five species of kiwis, of which four species are threatened (listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List) and one is near-threatened.

Where Do Kiwi Birds Live?

Map of New Zealand. Image credit: Bardocz Peter/Shutterstock

As mentioned above, wild kiwis are found only in New Zealand. In fact, New Zealanders themselves are often nicknamed kiwis. The five different kiwi species live in different parts of this island nation. The little spotted kiwi lives on some small offshore islands, and in sanctuaries established on the mainland. The great spotted kiwi can be found in the northwestern part of the South Island and around Arthurs Pass. The North Island brown kiwi, as its name implies, lives on the North Island. The rowi, or Okarito kiwi, lives on the west coast of the South Island, and the Tokoeka kiwi lives in the southwest corner of the South Island, the Haast mountain range, and the small island of Rakiura, which lies just off the coast of the mainland South Island.

Little Spotted Kiwi

Little spotted kiwi. Image credit: John Carnemolla/Shutterstock

The little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii), also known as the kiwi pukupuku, lives on a few offshore islands, though some live in a sanctuary located in the heart of Wellington, one of New Zealands biggest cities. At one time, there were large populations of little spotted kiwi in the west and north of the South Island, but these populations died out around the year 1980. There was also a variety of the species living on the North Island, but they have been extinct since the late 1800s. The little spotted kiwi is the smallest of the five kiwi species. They are usually pale, light brown, white, or a combination of these colors. Their long bills are pale, as are their short legs and toes. The estimated number of little spotted kiwi is just over 1,500.

Great Spotted Kiwi

Great spotted kiwi. Image credit: Lakeview Images/Shutterstock

The great spotted kiwi (Apteryx haastii) is the tallest of the kiwi species, measuring 45 cm tall on average. Their natural habitat consists of regions on the northwestern part of the South Island, including Nelson, the Paparoa mountain range, and Arthurs Pass. Although certainly larger than the little spotted kiwi, the great spotted kiwi is similar in color and physical appearance. In 2015, it was estimated that there were approximately 14,800 great spotted kiwi.

North Island Brown Kiwi

North Island brown kiwi. Image credit: Jiri Prochazka/Shutterstock

As its name implies, the North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) is indigenous to the North Island of New Zealand. In fact, it is the only kiwi species native to the North Island. There are four varieties of this kiwi species, which are named for the four distinct regions on the North Island in which they live. These varieties are the Northland, Coromandel, Western, and Eastern. The North Island brown kiwi is distinguished by its spikey, dark brown feathers, which are streaked reddish-brown and black. This species, unlike other kiwis, can lay eggs in any month of the year, though its peak laying period occurs between the months of June and November. The total population of the North Island Brown Kiwi was estimated at 24,550 in 2015.

Rowi/Okarito Kiwi

Okarito kiwi. Image credit: Tui De Roy/New Zealand Department of Conservation

The rowi or Okarito kiwi (Apteryx rowi) lives on the South Island, specifically in a small area of forest in the immediate vicinity of the small town of Okarito, though they may also be found on some islands that do not have mammalian predators. Like the North Island brown kiwi, the rowi is brown in color, its feathers are streaked with brown and black, and it is more or less the same size. The two kiwi species also share similar breeding habits, preferring to lay eggs between the months of June and November. Unlike its northern counterpart, however, the feathers of the rowi are soft, not spikey. The rowi has the misfortune of being the most endangered kiwi species. In 2015, it was estimated that there were only 500 specimens left, though three years earlier the estimate was 375, so some progress may have been made in preserving the species.

Tokoeka Kiwi

Tokoeka kiwi. Image credit: David Stang/Wikimedia Commons

Also known as the southern brown kiwi (Apteryx australis), the Tokoeka kiwi lives on the South Island. There are three varieties of this kiwi species: the Fiordland Tokoeka, the Haast Tokoeka and the Stewart Island Tokoeka. The Stewart Island Tokoeka is unique in that it forages for food during the day, unlike the other kiwi species that are generally nocturnal. These kiwi can come in a variety of colors, from reddish to dark brown, and their feathers, like those of the rowi, are soft and streaked with brown and black. The Tokoeka kiwi is the most numerous of all the kiwi species with about 30,000 birds in 2012. Most of them, however, are of the Fiordland or Stewart Island varieties. In contrast, the estimated number of Haast Tokoeka was estimated at just 400 in 2015.

Kiwi Habitat

The kiwi is very adaptable and can live almost anywhere, including scrub, exotic plantation forests, woodlands, brushy grasslands, farmland, and even sand dunes. However, they prefer to live in dense, subtropical, or temperate forests where there is wetland vegetation, lots of underbrush, and trees that run down the edges of rivers. The cover of dense forests and underbrush helps kiwi avoid predators. Kiwi also prefer to live in areas where the soil is good and the ground is not too hard, since they get their food from the soil. Forests are also where kiwi can find hollow logs and dense vegetation that they need to make their nests.

The ideal kiwi habitat can also depend on the particular species of kiwi in question. For example, many great spotted kiwi and Tokoeka kiwi live at higher elevations. The former live in the mountain ranges known as the Southern Alps and Paparoa, while the latter live in Fiordland and the Haast mountain range. In contrast, most North Island brown kiwi live in lowland and coastal forests.

Threats To The Kiwi

200 years ago, there were millions of kiwi spread throughout New Zealand. Today, however, there are less than 68,000 specimens left, and some types of kiwi number in just the hundreds. One reason is that it is very difficult for kiwi to produce offspring. Indeed, half of the eggs laid by kiwi fail to hatch, often due to natural bacteria or the parents being disturbed by predators. And even if the eggs do hatch, 90% of the chicks that are born die within six months, many of them victims of predators. In fact, only 5% of chicks will make it to adulthood.

A stoat attacks a kiwi chick. Image credit: Lakeview Images/Shutterstock

But the biggest threat to the continued existence of the kiwi is human activity. As human civilization has expanded, the natural habitat of the kiwi has shrunk. In fact, 750 years ago, native forests covered 85% of New Zealands land area. Today, that number has shrunk to 23%. At the same time, many of the lowland forests, wetlands, dunes, estuaries that the kiwi like to call home have been turned into pasturelands or urban areas.

In addition, whenever humans engage in land clearing activities, kiwi are put in a very vulnerable position. Land clearance often means that both the kiwi and the creatures that prey on them are forced into a smaller area. Since the kiwi is very territorial, shrinking their habitat forces them into greater competition with each other, and can affect the birds ability to breed. Kiwi can also be killed by fire when burning is used to clear land, or by large rollers used to crush vegetation.

As if losing habitat isnt bad enough, the kiwi also face the danger of predators introduced to New Zealand by people. At one time, there were no land-based mammalian predators in New Zealand. Now, however, the kiwi need to watch out for a number of predatory species, especially stoats, which routinely feed on kiwi chicks. Many other animals, such as ferrets, pigs, possums, hedgehogs, rodents, and weasels can also prey on kiwi, or at least compete with the birds for food and habitat. Even the cats and dogs that people keep as pets have been known to kill kiwi.

Kiwi crossing sign, South Island, New Zealand. Human encroachment on kiwi territory poses the biggest threat to the survival of the kiwi. Image credit: Sofia Zambra Aramburu/Shutterstock

Fortunately for the kiwi, efforts are being made to protect them and prevent them from going extinct. For instance, conservationists are working to control the population of predators in places where kiwi live, leading to an increase in the birds hatching. There are also public awareness campaigns to teach New Zealanders what they can do in order to reduce the dangers that kiwi face. Such conservation efforts are expected to lead to an increase in the population of some kiwi species by 2030, but the birds have a long way to go before they can no longer be considered threatened.
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PARAMUS, N.J., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Savvas Learning Company , a next-generation learning solutions leader for K-12 education, is excited to announce it is integrating its popular my Perspectives English Language Arts (ELA) program with Turnitin's Revision Assistant , a standards-aligned, digital revision tool that allows students to take their writing to the next level.

Revision Assistant uses artificial intelligence to provide students with immediate, customized, and actionable feedback on their writing assignments before submitting them to their teacher.

(PRNewsfoto/Savvas Learning Company) Colorful, easy-to-understand icons show students how well they are conveying their ideas in four key areas.

A student-centered, teacher-inspired 6-12 literacy solution, myPerspectives creates engaging, interactive, and real-world learning environments that promote higher achievement. Offering materials in print, digital, and blended formats, the program gives teachers the highest-quality instructional resources to support their students, no matter where learning takes place.

The addition of Turnitin's Revision Assistant to myPerspectives makes for an even more robust ELA program. With reading and writing tasks aligned to national standards and programs, such as Advanced Placement English and History, International Baccalaureate, SAT, and ACT, students become better prepared for the demands of high-stakes testing. Together, myPerspectives and Revision Assistant develop college and career readiness by teaching students how to write for any situation.

"Learning the craft of writing can be challenging for students, especially now in an age of text messaging. Becoming a strong writer takes practice, and yet students are often not naturally inclined to revise their work," said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. "That is why we have teamed up with Turnitin. Students using myPerspectives can now be inspired to revise their work, with state-of-the-art machine learning technology that makes the revising and editing process much more engaging and instructive."

Turnitin's Revision Assistant uses artificial intelligence to analyze student writing and quickly identify students' strengths and struggles. It motivates students to continually revise their compositions by providing them detailed, holistic and sentence-level comments. It also provides colorful, easy-to-understand icons, representing the four key areas of "Clarity, "Development," "Organization," and "Language," to gauge how well students convey their ideas.

Revision Assistant is integrated directly into Savvas Realize , one of the edtech industry's most versatile learning management systems, to enable a seamless experience with content and online writing tools, as well as simplified single sign-on access.

Revision Assistant doesn't just empower students, it also empowers teachers by saving them time so they can focus on instruction and easily grade student writing. With myPerspectives, teachers can view their students' submitted work and drafts in the Revision Assistant dashboard, provide feedback, and grade the work. Detailed reports provide in-depth, real-time data on students' writing skills, offering insights to inform differentiated instruction and track and measure their growth as they become stronger writers.

ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY

At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design next-generation learning solutions that help prepare students to become global citizens in a more interconnected, digital world. To learn more, visit www.Savvas.com .

ABOUT TURNITIN

Turnitin is a global company dedicated to ensuring the integrity of education and research and supporting the development of original thinking skills. For more than 20 years, Turnitin has partnered with educational institutions to promote honesty, consistency, and integrity. Our products are used by educators to guide their students towards higher standards of integrity and by students and researchers to do their best, original work. Turnitin is headquartered in Oakland, Calif., with international offices in Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Over 15,000 academic institutions, publishers, and corporations use our products: Feedback Studio, Gradescope, iThenticate, Revision Assistant, Turnitin Originality, Turnitin Similarity.

SOURCE Savvas Learning Company

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The U.S. must take "aggressive" steps to combat China's "unfair" trade practices while also investing to bring manufacturing back to the country, said Gina Raimondo, President Joe Biden's nominee for Commerce secretary.

Raimondo pledged to respond to Chinese policies that hurt American workers, while stopping short of a specific game plan. The new administration will take time to review policies carried over from former President Donald Trump, including tariffs, she said.

"China has clearly behaved in ways that are anti-competitive -- dumping cheap steel and aluminum into America, which hurts American workers and hurts the ability of our companies to compete," Raimondo, who has served as governor of Rhode Island since 2015, said Tuesday at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee. If confirmed, she said, "I plan to be very aggressive to help Americans compete against the unfair practices of China."

Her comments echo those of other Biden officials, who have signaled they will continue some of Trump's hard-line China measures, though they've so far omitted specifics. Last week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the U.S. is "prepared to use the full array of tools" to address actions such as "dumping products, erecting trade barriers and giving illegal subsidies to corporations."

Raimondo and her team will inherit numerous enforcement actions against Chinese technology companies. Most notably, the Trump administration instituted an export ban for Huawei Technologies Co. that requires American firms to obtain government licenses before they're allowed to sell U.S. tech and intellectual property to the Chinese telecommunications-equipment giant.

Raimondo, under questioning, didn't specifically commit to keeping Huawei on the entity list that requires those licenses. She said she would consult on the matter and make an assessment based on national security.

"We can't have the Chinese or really anyone having a back door into our network and compromising in any way our national or economic security," Raimondo also said Tuesday. "I will use the bold tool kit at my disposal to the fullest extent possible to protect Americans and our network from Chinese interference or any kind of back-door influence into our network -- and that's Huawei, ZTE, or any other company," she said, referring to China's ZTE Corp., another telecommunications equipment firm.

Raimondo also said that the U.S. will "need to invest in innovation and technology in our manufacturing sector."

Her stated objective of "reshoring" factory jobs to the U.S. is an echo of Trump, though his goal proved elusive. The number of U.S. manufacturing jobs stood at 12.3 million in December, little changed from four years earlier. Two decades ago, the figure topped 17 million.

Tapped to lead a department with wide-ranging international and domestic responsibilities, Raimondo also underlined the need for "bold" action to help America's tourism, travel and restaurant industries recover from the pandemic social distancing that crushed business. She told senators that the U.S. needs to step back and devise a national spectrum strategy for transformative 5G communications airwaves.

Raimondo said that social media companies need to be held accountable for the content on their platforms, and that she would work with Congress to make changes to Section 230, a liability waiver that the companies depend upon to allow relatively unfettered speech by users. Trump had demanded that the protections be revoked.

"We need platform accountability, but of course that reform would have to be balanced against the fact that these businesses rely upon user generated content for their innovation and have created many thousands of jobs," she said.

She also pledged to work to expand broadband access.

Raimondo, 49, has been in public office in her home state since 2011, when she was sworn in as state treasurer. Before that, she spent more than a decade working in venture capital, including co-founding Point Judith Capital.

The Commerce Department comprises a variety of agencies including the Census Bureau, which runs the decennial count and compiles economic data; the International Trade Administration, charged with monitoring unfair global competition from dumping and subsidies, as well as enforcing U.S. trade laws; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, home to the National Weather Service; and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Raimondo was national co-chairwoman of Michael Bloomberg's 2020 presidential campaign. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Monday condemned the recent violence and riots that occurred in various cities across the country against the COVID-19 restrictions. Rutte, while speaking to the press, said that the riots that occurred on Sunday is "unacceptable", calling it "criminal violence". Rutte said that tough action will be taken against those who took part in the riots or helped incite them.

Read: COVID-19: Netherlands Begins First Curfew Since World War II; Travel Ban Comes Into Effect

Rutte also praised the mayors and the police for their timely measures in bringing the violence under control. Rutte said that most of the country is okay with the new restrictions announced to block the spread of COVID-19 virus. The Netherlands witnessed widespread anti-lockdown protests on Sunday, which turned violent as cars, bikes, and other properties were set on fire by rioters, who also attacked police.

Read: Netherlands Begins Mass Vaccinations In Houten

Some cities and towns reported looting of shops and supermarkets. The capital Amsterdam also saw smaller protests against the new measures that were announced on Saturday. According to reports, more than 200 people have been detained in connection with the protests. "This has nothing to do with protesting or fighting for freedom. It is criminal violence and we will treat it as such," PM Rutte said on Monday.

Read: Netherlands Begin Vaccinations; Last EU Nation To Do So

The Netherlands announced a new set of restrictions on Saturday to battle the rise in COVID-19 cases. The new measures include a night curfew, which unusual for a country known for its nightlife. This is the first time the country introduced a peacetime night curfew for its people as the last time it was imposed was during World War II. The government says that the aim of the new measures is to reduce the current infection rate and to delay the spread of the new variants.

Travel ban in the Netherlands

A ban on flights from the United Kingdom and a docking ban for ferries is already in force. A flight ban is also in force for passenger flights from countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Africa, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The ban is expected to remain in place for a month. The Netherlands also requires all passengers travelling to the country to produce a negative COVID-19 result, which should be performed before their departure.

Read: UK Citizens Barred From Entering Netherlands, Germany For Non-essential Travel


NEW YORK: Oil prices rose about 1% on Monday as optimism around U.S. stimulus plans and some supply concerns boosted futures, but demand worries prompted by coronavirus lockdowns limited gains.

Brent crude futures rose 47 cents, 0.9%, to settle at $55.88 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude ended 50 cents, or 1%, higher at $52.77 a barrel.

Officials in U.S. President Joe Bidens administration on a Sunday call with Republican and Democratic lawmakers tried to head off Republican concerns that his $1.9 trillion pandemic relief proposal was too expensive.

Newly inaugurated President Biden seems to be pushing for a quick approval of his proposed $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, a development interpreted by the market as a clear indication that the new U.S. administration aims to kick-start an economic recovery, which will naturally benefit fuel consumption," said Bjornar Tonhaugen, Rystad Energys head of oil markets.

On the supply side, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies compliance with pledged oil output curbs is averaging 85% so far in January, tanker tracker Petro-Logistics said on Monday. The data suggest the group had improved its adherence to pledged supply curbs.

In Indonesia, the country said its coast guard seized an Iranian-flagged tanker over suspected illegal fuel transfers, raising the prospect of more tensions in the oil-exporting Gulf.

Output from Kazakhstans giant Tengiz field was disrupted by a power outage on Jan. 17.

Meanwhile, European nations have imposed tough restrictions to halt the spread of the virus, while China reported a rise in new COVID-19 cases, casting a pall over demand prospects in the worlds largest energy consumer.

Barclays raised its 2021 oil price forecasts, but said rising cases in China could contribute to near-term pullbacks.

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
Dentistry of Mendham, NJ Dentistry is constantly evolving and the technology we use to support our patients' experience needs to evolve as well.

Naren Rajan, DMD and the staff at Dentistry of Mendham in Mendham, NJ are excited to announce the launch of their new Hybrid-Responsive website: https://www.dentistryofmendham.com. Dr. Rajan is known for being on the cutting edge of dentistry and his practices new website fits the bill, with improved accessibility to make it easy for patients to find the information they need.

As Dr. Naren Rajan explains, "Dentistry is constantly evolving and the technology we use to support our patients' experience needs to evolve as well."

The new website has enhanced usability thanks to its Hybrid-Responsive design, which means the site renders equally well on desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. No matter where patients are accessing the website, theyll find intuitive navigation and helpful features that allow them to connect with the practice to schedule appointments, ask questions, and download important paperwork and forms.

In addition to the work he has been putting into creating a new web presence to better serve his patients, Dr. Rajan recently appeared on the August 2020 issue of Dental Products Shopper and was named as a Top Dentist by NJ Monthly magazine for the tenth year in a row.

Dentistry of Mendham is recognized for its embrace of state-of-the-art dental technology, including the Swiss iMetric4D digital metric scanner, which the practice utilizes in its All-on-4 dental implant treatment plans. The scanner allows Dr. Rajan to design a full arch of replacement teeth without requiring any impressions; instead, the scanner uses a fully digital process. In addition to this, the practice just introduced the Trios4, the market-leading intraoral scanner.

With advanced dental technology and a cutting edge website, Dr. Rajan and Dentistry of Mendham are able to provide the best possible service to patients.

About Naren Rajan, DMD

Dr. Rajan is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, an honor achieved by only seven percent of dentists in the United States. He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and served as a resident at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Dr. Rajan is the Assistant Director of Digital Dentistry at the Touro College for Dental Medicine at New York Medical College and travels nationally and internationally as a lecturer and educator on digital technology in dentistry.

About Dentistry of Mendham

Dentistry of Mendham provides comprehensive dental services to patients in Mendham, NJ. Services include preventive care, restorative dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, periodontal care, root canal therapy, and dental implants. To learn more or request an appointment, visit the new website at https://www.dentistryofmendham.com, schedule a visit to the office at 5 Cold Hill Rd., South, Suite 7, Mendham, NJ 07945, or call 973-543-5700.


Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
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.
Patrick Sean Kelley, a man with a 20-year career in the advertising world as a writer, creative director, and executive; has completed his new book Charles: A Novel Inspired by True Events: a gripping and potent novel that revolves around love, family, injustice, and redemption at any cost.

Kelley writes, Charles Albert MacDonald, born of Scottish descent in 1902, father of three, husband to one, WWII war-hero and grandfatherclaimed to be many things that he was not.

His true birth name was Carlos Alberto Roder, of Trujillo, Peru. Born to a large family of generational cane farmers where on a scorched slice of dusty earth, he grew up hard. And in the year of 1916, our young tough Carlos, a.k.a. Carlito, fell in love with perhaps the right girl, but most certainly the wrong daughter. The daughter to one Rafael Morales Torres, chief commissioner of the Peruvian Civil Guard, and in more intimate circles, known as just El Jefe. Carlitos life was set to end well before hed reached his seventeenth year. His flaunted love affair with El Jefes one precious daughter landing him in a black cell, cut deep beneath the great Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu. Until his father, four brothers, and a family burro named Sid, changed his lifes course forever. Once freed, Carlito was stowed aboard a tattered fishing schooner bound for the Republic of Costa Rica. Hidden away from the prying eyes of those who sought to take his fledgling life.

Or so theyd thought.

From Central America he traveled on across the sultry Caribbean Sea and into the vast cerulean bluster of the Atlantic Ocean. To stand upon Liberty Island in Americas New York Harbor. Huddled, tired and poor, yet free. Free to gaze upon Auguste Bartholdis Lady Liberty in all her glory. Where hed step from a rusted, Irish-made steamer to start a new life under the name, Charles Albert MacDonald. His Peruvian roots and family all but forgotten. Left behind to become the bloodied prey of a new Peruvian order and El Jefes brutal rise to power. The girl that would one day be the mother of his child, left behind to perish in agony. To pay for their indiscretions from this life to the next within the callous hands of true evilthe hands of her adopted fatherEl Jefe.

Charles discovered the many horrifying truths late in life, hollowing his soul, rendering him a broken man. Left to ponder endlessly over a myriad of what ifs. The demons of his past roaming freely within him, pulling and pushing at his sanity. But what if he could go back in time to right the wrongs he unwittingly set to motion? To rewrite his lifes tortured story? On the morning of August 28th, 1982, Charles Albert MacDonald passes on. But in an aberrant turn of events, well beyond the natural course of things, hes given an option. A chance at the redemption hed pleaded and begged for throughout his life. But as hell soon find out, true redemption has its price. You see, old scores never really die, they lie in wait, lurking hungerly in the shadow.

Published by Page Publishing, Patrick Sean Kelleys fascinating tale is a discovery of haunting truths and an endless battery of challenges throughout a fight for life, justice and redemption at any cost. Will our protagonist end the agony hes suffered across a lifetime of deception? Or will all of this end him instead?

Find out in this exciting read!

Readers who wish to experience this great work can purchaseCharles: A Novel Inspired by True Events 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.
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A non-governmental organisation, ActionAid Nigeria, has called on the federal government to revise and increase allocation for education to between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of public expenditure.

It also asked the government to provide free quality education for all and halt the dangerous trends of privatisation and commercialisation of education in the country.

The group stated this in a statement by its Communications Coordinator, Lola Ayanda, on Tuesday to mark the 2021 International Education Day.

ActionAid said Nigeria, as a signatory to the Convention on the Right of the Child and the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), should make education readily accessible to all children as these treaties stipulate.

The statement said when schools were directed to be reopened in October 2020, the national School Reopening Guidelines and readiness template was developed to ensure the safe reopening of schools, and commitment of all concerned parties was sought, to ensure states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) meet up with the obligation of ensuring that every child resume to a safe learning environment.

These commitments were yet to be met due to the partial or non-compliance to COVID-19 protocols. Measures such as the provision of handwashing points in strategic places within the school environment were not taken, the group said.

ActionAid said many of the schools still lack portable or running water for handwashing, social distancing is being hampered by inadequate infrastructure and only very few schools enforced wearing of face masks in the year 2020.

Again, Schools were directed to reopen since the 18th of January 2021 despite the rising cases and death across the nation. Observation has shown that only very few schools are fully complying while inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, lack of water supply and shortage of competent teachers amongst other factors remain key challenges which prevent schools from fully complying with the provisions for safe school reopening, the statement said.

The group said against the backdrop of these factors, it joined the rest of the world to commemorate this years International Education Day and is calling on the federal government to improve the quality of teaching through adequate recruitment, remuneration, and continued teacher training and re-training.

It also said the government should increase the tax base by capturing the informal sector to increase resources, working towards a minimum tax to GDP ratio of 20 per cent as well as ensure inclusive education systems and institutions.

It said the government should ensure evaluation of existing safety measures in schools to identify gaps and take corrective measures followed by regular risk assessment at the federal, state and LGA level.

ActionAid also requested the government to provide leadership and funds to support the logistics of monitoring teams at all levels; and enforce compliance to COVID-19 safety rules and measures, and review the security architecture in places where insecurity has affected learning.

Stating that its theme for the year is Recover and Revitalize Education for the COVID-19 Generation, the group said it hoped to highlight commitments and follow-up actions taken to protect education through recovery, increase inclusion, and combat drop-out.

Celebrate initiatives being led by governments, educators, organisationsfrom global to grassroots effortsas well as partnerships demonstrating the potential to recommit education to the principles of equity and relevance, it said.

The group said hoped to highlight best practices in laws and policies on equitable finance for education that effectively and efficiently target the most disadvantaged via a tool featured on UNESCOs Global Education Monitoring Report website, PEER.

It also said with less than a decade to 2030, and in a world thrown into turmoil by the COVID-19 pandemic, the government should recommit itself to honouring the UN commitments.

It is crucial that the federal government takes concrete actions to recommit to honouring the UN commitments and mobilize all available resources to deliver on SDG4 thereby ensuring no child is left behind, it said.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Faced with a critical need for healthcare workers to fill specific jobs, a group of Michigan community colleges are working together to build a unique educational pipeline.

The goal of the partnership is for specific community colleges to identify the healthcare jobs that need to be filled in their respective regions, and then build the curriculum to educate and develop those students for that career.

Julie Parks, a workforce director at Grand Rapids Community College, said the program will help redefine how colleges deliver healthcare education.

Michigan community colleges will have a chance to lead the nation in new ways to offer healthcare programs, she said. Were all really excited about what we might do, what barriers we can take down for people to be successful and grow in healthcare.

Grand Rapids Community College has received a $5 million federal grant to expand healthcare programs across the state amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

GRCC was among 11 community colleges nationwide that received a total of $40 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Labor to fill critical industries such as health care, logistics and cybersecurity, according to a news release.

The college will use the funding in a joint collaboration with the Michigan Community College Association and four other Michigan community colleges  Alpena, Lansing, Oakland and Muskegon  along with regional healthcare employers to address the skills needs across the state.

We are proud to be part of an area-wide effort to help our region recover from the pandemic, and provide residents with new skills that can get them started in a growing field that is especially important in West Michigan, GRCC President Bill Pink said in a statement.

Each of the five participating community colleges in Michigan will identify the specific healthcare needs in their region and build curriculum tailored to that demand, said Parks, GRCCs executive director for Workforce Training.

The partnership will then allow students at each of those colleges to take healthcare courses at other participating schools, helping colleges save costs on curriculum while still offering students the best educational opportunities, Parks said.

Each college is going to lead on one of the curriculum development projects, the goal being that you dont have to go to each one of these colleges, you can take courses online, she told MLive. So a student in Lansing might take one of GRCCs classes online, but theyll do it through Lansing Community College.

The program will launch at GRCC in fall 2021 with a surgical technology apprenticeship program, which has been identified by hospitals as a much-needed job in the workforce but is expensive for a college to offer.

Across the state we have healthcare employers that have jobs they really need to fill, but theres a low number of those jobs, Parks said.

For instance, a surgical tech; most hospitals dont need hundreds of surgical techs, they need a few, like a handful. And to have a college build a program for such a small number in the healthcare field is really expensive. So what were doing is teaming together with other schools to see, can we build a core curriculum together?

The surgical tech program is just a starting point for GRCC, Parks said.

We have a whole list of programs that our employers have said theyre interested in, she said.

GRCC is collaborating with workforce development organizations to find out which areas of the workforce need to be filled, according to the news release. West Michigan Works! is helping lead the program alongside the community college.

Parks said she expects the program to serve around 600 students across the state. It will be available for people who are already in the healthcare field, or for people who want to enter the workforce.

Some of the students will be people who already work in healthcare, maybe somebody that works in environmental services or nutrition services that is interested in a clinical position that wants to move up, she said. This is a great pathway to do that.

Its also for people in our community who always dreamed of being in healthcare but havent been able to do that because there were barriers in their way.

More on MLive:

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

Ferris State University launching social justice degree program next fall

Calvin University launches one-year masters degree program in media communications
Donald Trump directed one of his former political aides on a mission to reassure GOP senators that he doesn't have any plans to form a third party that could siphon off Republican voters.

Brian Jack, who served as Trump's political director during his time in the White House, portrayed his message to Republican lawmakers as they prepare for an impeachment trial against the former president next month.

'The president wanted me to know, as well as a handful of others, that the president is a Republican, he is not starting a third party and that anything he would do politically in the future would be as a Republican,' North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer told Politico of Trump. 'The Republican Party is still overwhelmingly supportive of this president.'

The report indicated that Jack did not specifically mention impeachment during his calls, but wanted to make sure it was known that Trump is still a Republican.

The reassurance comes as reports revealed earlier this month that Trump planned to start and lead a third party  the Patriot Party  which would potentially launch several primary bids against anti-Trump Republicans.

Several Republicans have already signaled they intend to take the impeachment trial for alleged 'incitement of insurrection' seriously  many not saying which way they will vote when it comes time to decide whether to convict the former president.

Donald Trump is sending a message to Senate Republicans that he does not intend to start his own political party that could launch legitimate primary bids against them in 2022

The former president had Brian Jack (left), who served as his political director in the White House, reach out to Republican senators over the weekend to assure them Trump has no plans to move forward with branching off from the party and creating his own

The reassurance comes as the Senate prepares to start its trial. Pictured last night the House impeachment managers walked across the Capitol to deliver the article of impeachment against Trump to the Senate

Public breaks with the former president came after Republican Leader Mitch McConnell condemned Trump for riling up a crowd of supporters before they stormed the Capitol as Congress moved to certify the election for Joe Biden on January 6.

McConnell has still not said which way he plans to vote, indicating earlier this month that he is genuinely undecided.

Trump is supposedly not moving forward with his plans to create a new political party because he doesn't believe that he will be impeached now that the vote has been delayed.

Reports reveal, however, that he could still put pressure on Republicans who oppose him with a shortlist of his own candidates for primaries.

Trump previously told people that the third-party threat gives him leverage to prevent Republican senators from voting to convict him during the Senate trial next month.

Some of the former president's closest allies are still bashing the trial as unconstitutional, since Trump has already left office.

Senator Josh Hawley, a Trump ally who helped lead objections to the certification of President Joe Biden's win in the Senate said: 'This impeachment effort is, I think, blatantly unconstitutional. It's a really, really, really dangerous precedent.'

Possibly the only three Republican senators who won't be affected by threats of primary challengers in 2022 are Ohio's Rob Portman, Pennsylvania's Pat Toomey and North Carolina's Richard Burr  all of whom are retiring.

Notably, Toomey has conceded that Trump committed impeachable offenses.

Democrats will need 17 Republicans to vote on their side to reach the two-thirds vote needed in the Senate to impeach and convict a president.

This would strip Trump of his post-presidency benefits  like Secret Service protection and a pension  and will ban him from seeking public office in the future.

In the 2022 midterm elections, 17 Republicans senators will face reelection  and three additional seats currently held by Republicans will open as Portman, Toomey and Burr retire.

Most of the seats are solidly Republicans  and the one most at risk is Burr's seat in North Carolina, which Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump has floated running to fill in her home state.

The New York Times revealed in a Sunday evening tweet from one of their correspondents that '[i]n the last 24 hours, after floating through a few folks that he was considering creating a third-party as a way to keep Senate Rs in line ahead of impeachment, Trump has been talked out of that and is making clear to people he isn't pursuing it, per ppl familiar w his thinking.'

According to the Times reporter Maggie Haberman, the sources also said Trump believes there are 'fewer votes to convict than there would have been if the vote had been held almost immediately after Jan. 6'.

'There's also the fact that threatening a third party while simultaneously threatening primaries makes no sense, which some folks gently pointed out to him,' Haberman added.

New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman revealed in a tweet Sunday evening that Trump as been talked out of his plan to create the 'Patriot Party' as reports revealed the former president doesn't think he will be impeached since the vote has been delayed

Since President Joe Biden took office, Trump has been ensconced at Mar-a-Lago, remaining publicly cryptic about his plans except to tell a reporter on Friday: 'We'll do something, but not just yet.'

But behind closed doors, Trump is already drafting an enemies list of Republicans who opposed his baseless claims of election fraud, instructing aids to prepare primary challenges against them, sources told the Washington Post.

The list is said to include Rep Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who broke party ranks and voted to impeach Trump over his role in the January 6 Capitol riot, Rep Tom Rice, a South Carolina Republican, is on the list for the same reason.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is also reportedly on the list after provoking Trump's fury for refusing to back his challenge to the state's election results, which were certified for Biden.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who has signaled that she is open to voting to convict Trump, is also said to be a Patriot Party primary target. Kemp and Murkowski are both up for re-election in 2022.

Trump advisers had previously said that they planned to recruit opposing primary candidates and commission polling as soon as next week in districts of targeted lawmakers.

Trump advisers had previously said that they planned to recruit opposing primary candidates and commission polling as soon as next week in districts of targeted lawmakers

To fund his splinter party, Trump has more than $70million in campaign cash on hand, the sources said.

Though the Trump campaign was essentially tapped out on Election Day, the campaign and several allied groups raised $207million between November 3 and November 23, fundraising on his push to challenged the election results.

The number is certainly higher by now, but hard numbers won't be disclosed to the Federal Election Commission until January 31.

Much of Trump's fate in the Senate trial will rest in the hands of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been cagey about his plans but publicly rebuked Trump after the Capitol riot, saying Trump had 'provoked' the mob.

McConnell will have to weigh the exodus of corporate donations away from the GOP in the wake of the riot, against the risk of infuriating and alienating Trump's base by voting to convict.

A vote to convict could split the party, but some see it as the only way to unify Republicans, by banishing Trump to the sidelines and removing the source of the tensest divisions.

A conviction would also allow the Senate to bar Trump from holding federal office again, insuring Republicans would be able to put forward a slate of non-Trump candidates in their 2024 presidential party.

Reps Liz Cheney (left) and Tom Rice (right) are said to be on Trump's enemies list of Republicans to target for primary challenges. Both voted to impeach him

Senator Lisa Murkowski (left) and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (right) are also on the list

Because conviction requires a two-third vote in the Senate, at least 16 Republicans would have to join the 50 Democrats to secure a conviction. Opening arguments in the trial will begin the week of February 8.

Meanwhile, the widening split in the Republican Party was on evidence on Saturday in Arizona, where state GOP officials voted to censure John McCain's widow Cindy McCain and two other prominent Republicans who bashed Trump's election fraud claims.

The censures of McCain, former Senator Jeff Flake and Governor Doug Ducey are merely symbolic.

But they show strong elements of the party are focused on enforcing loyalty to Trump, even in the wake of an election that saw Arizona inch away from its staunchly Republican roots.

Party activists also reelected controversial Chairwoman Kelli Ward, who has been one of Trump's most unflinching supporters and among the most prolific promoters of his baseless allegations of election fraud.

The Arizona GOP's combative focus has delighted Trump's staunchest supporters and worried Republican insiders who have watched the party lose ground in the suburbs as the influence of its traditional conservative establishment has faded in favor of Trump.

Much of Trump's fate in the Senate trial will rest in the hands of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been cagey about his plans

GOP activists in Arizona on Saturday reelected controversial state party Chairwoman Kelli Ward, who has been one of Trump's most unflinching supporters

A growing electorate of young Latinos and newcomers bringing their more liberal politics from back home have further hurt the GOP.

'This is a time for choosing for Republicans. Are we going to be the conservative party?' said Kirk Adams, a former state House speaker and chief of staff to Ducey. 'Or is this a party ... that's loyal to a single person?'

It's a question of Republican identity that party officials and activists are facing across the country following Trump's 2020 loss, and particularly after a mob of his supporters laid siege on the Capitol earlier this month.

Cindy McCain endorsed Biden and became a powerful surrogate for the Democrat following years of attacks by Trump on her husband.

After the censure vote, she wrote on Twitter that 'it is a high honor to be included in a group of Arizonans who have served our state and our nation so well.'

'I'll wear this as a badge of honor,' she wrote.

Also after the vote, Flake tweeted a photo of him with McCain and Ducey at Biden's inauguration and wrote: 'Good company.'

Flake was one of the few congressional Republicans who was openly critical of Trump for failing to adhere to conservative values. He declined to run for reelection in 2018 and endorsed Biden in last year's election.

'If condoning the President's behavior is required to stay in the Party's good graces, I'm just fine being on the outs,' Flake wrote on Twitter before and after the vote.

Ducey is being targeted for his restrictions on individuals and businesses to contain the spread of COVID-19. While it's not mentioned in the proposed censure, he had a high-profile break with the president when he signed the certification of Bidens victory.

'These resolutions are of no consequence whatsoever and the people behind them have lost whatever little moral authority they may have once had,' said Sara Mueller, Ducey's political director.

There was always something a little odd about the exceedingly rare Brydes whales that live in the Gulf of Mexico.

For one thing, the endangered and rarely studied Brydes (pronounced broodus) ranges across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, but the ones in the Gulf are homebodies, preferring to stay in the deep waters between Louisiana and Florida. They also behave differently. Instead of snagging fish near the surface like their far-flung cousins do, the Brydes whales of the Gulf appear to dine in deep water.

A new study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirms what many scientists had suspected  that the Gulfs Brydes whales arent Brydes at all. Theyre a unique species found only in the Gulf  and theyre in deep, deep trouble.

Only about 33 of the whales are likely alive today, according to the most recent NOAA estimate, and they prefer the deep, dark waters of DeSoto Canyon, one the busiest commercial areas of the Gulf, where cargo ships and oil drilling are a constant threat.

What this means is you have one of the rarest, most endangered whales in your backyard, said Michael Jasny, a marine mammal protection expert with the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council. Its a great gift, and its a great responsibility.

The whale, which scientists had been unofficially calling the Gulf of Mexico whale, will now be known as Rices whale, a name that honors Dale Rice, the biologist who first recognized that a version of Brydes whales were in the Gulf nearly 60 years ago. Its scientific name is Balaenoptera ricei.

NOAA used genetic samples, skeletal remains, and years of sighting and beach stranding reports to determine the whales new, evolutionarily divergent lineage. The breakthrough, though, was a dead whale that washed up on a Florida beach in 2019, said Patricia Rosel, the NOAA geneticist who led the study, published this month in the journal Marine Mammal Science.

Theyre so rare that it was our first opportunity to see a complete and intact specimen, said Rosel, who works at NOAAs Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Lafayette. She admits the opportunity to study the 25-ton carcass was chance-in-a-lifetime exciting.

I was happy but also sad because wed lost a whale from such a small population, she said. But it allowed us to confirm its a different species. Thats such a great scientific step forward and could help with its conservation.

The Brydes whale was granted protection under the Endangered Species Act ( ESA) in April 2019. The ESA listing noted a distinct population of Brydes in the Gulf but characterized it as a subspecies. In its final report for ESA status, NOAA listed many threats to the animals survival: oil and gas exploration, oil spills and spill responses, vessel strikes, ocean trash, entanglement in fishing gear and increasing noise in the Gulf.

As Brydes, they were already considered one of the most endangered species in the world, Jasny said.

The Rices whale will retain its protected status under the ESA and will also receive protection under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NOAA officials said.

If compared side-by-side, a Rices whale and Brydes whale would look almost identical. Both species can grow to 55 feet long and weigh up to 30 tons, making them part of what NOAA calls the great whales, a group that includes humpback and blue whales. Rices and Brydes are also both filter-feeding baleen whales that use a range of techniques to catch prey, including skimming the waters surface, lunging and the use of bubble nets to corral small fish, krill or other small animals.

Their DNA and their skulls, however, are quite different.

If you know what youre looking for, the differences are very obvious, Rosel said.

Their feeding behavior also sets them apart. While Brydes go after sardines and anchovies near the surface, Rices whales dive deep. For what, no one really knows.

Thats the million-dollar question, Rosel said. Ongoing research aims to solve a host of mysteries about the whale, including the basics, like what they eat, how they communicate, and which human activities pose the greatest risks to their population.

Oil spills are clearly a big one. BPs Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in 2010 killed about 17% of the population and likely caused widespread health problems, including the failure of about a quarter of all pregnancies, according to an assessment by NOAA and other federal and state agencies.

The spill had this significant (of an) effect even though it occurred outside the whales core habitat, Jasny said.

A looming problem is the recent easing of rules allowing deep-penetration seismic blasts to search for oil and gas deposits at the Gulfs bottom. Seismic airgun survey technology has revealed a bonanza of overlooked oil deposits, but its use can disorient, injure or kill various marine animals. The Gulfs small and struggling population of sperm whales will be harmed 13,000 times per year, and the Rices whales will be harassed more times than its entire remaining population of 33 individuals, a recent NOAA assessment of the new seismic survey rules found.

Their habitat in the Gulf  its like a postage stamp size for a baleen whale, Jasny said. Thats a significant risk, but its also a significant opportunity to do something.

Slowing vessel traffic, halting seismic surveys or limiting oil drilling in that relatively small area could have a profound impact, he said.

This whale is part of what makes the Gulf unique, Jasny said. Hopefully naming this new species will help people recognize that there is a magnificent creature in the Gulf of Mexico, and its worth saving.

___

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Small toy figures are displayed in front of a Zoom logo in this illustration taken on March 19, 2020. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

Zoom Conference on Opposing CCP Disrupted by Online Trolls

A video conference organized by Chinese pro-democracy activists and held on the Zoom video-chatting platform was recently disrupted by internet trolls. Organizers suspected that the trolls were hired by the Chinese regime.

A group of U.S.-based activists planned for a conference themed around how to oppose the Chinese Communist Partys [CCP] threats, to be held on Jan. 21 at 9 a.m.

Early on, organizers noticed that a number of users who attended the event wrote offensive comments using registered participants names.

Chen Pokong, one of the conference organizers, told The Epoch Times: They hijacked the meeting room in the beginning, which caused the hosts and registered participants to not be able to join. During the conference they played filthy sounds and wrote offensive comments. We can conclude that the CCP was trying every possible way to sabotage the conference.

Organizers changed the virtual meeting room repeatedly in order to evade the trolls.

The event was delayed by 2.5 hours.

Chen also expressed his concerns about Zooms security protocols, as the U.S.-based company has software developed in China. He is concerned that content critical of Beijing is being monitored by the platform.

In December 2020, U.S. prosecutors charged a China-based executive of Zoom over his role in disrupting video meetings held to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

They allege that the executive worked under the direction of Chinese security officials to censor a series of meetings held by U.S.-based activists to mark the 31st anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, when the Chinese regime violently suppressed a protest movement calling for pro-democracy reforms. The organizers of that event had their accounts suspended by Zoom.

Zoom did not reply to a request for comment.

During the Zoom conference, activists from around the world shared their thoughts on how to place pressure on the Chinese regime.

Stan, a Polish internet celebrity, suggested that anti-CCP bills should be introduced globally and that world governments should designate the CCP as a criminal organization, adding that countering the CCPs threats is a new bipartisan consensus in the United States.

Sheng Xue, a political commentator based in Canada, proposed that as the world is becoming more clear on the CCPs malign influence following former President Donald Trumps policies, now is the right timing to build a global anti-CCP alliance.

She called for more ordinary Chinese to also join the endeavor. Anti-communism is the mission of this era Chinese people should take the lead because we are the direct victims of the CCPs tyranny.

Chen Weiming, a U.S.-based Chinese activist, called for the internet firewall in China to be dismantled, so more Chinese can access free information about the Chinese regimes actions.

If mainland Chinese know the difference between a civilized society and an authoritarian society, if they truly understand the truth, I think the CCP will collapse, he said.
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By Guo Yuandan

On the evening of January 25, Chinas Ministry of National Defense (MND) released a joint statement on the 9th China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting, according to which the two sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of their frontline troops.

Experts believe that this joint statement sent more positive signals compared to previous meetings, showing that the two sides are willing to reduce disputes further, and the Indian side tends to be less reckless and more rational.

The statement said that the two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of the China-India border. Both sides agreed that this round of meeting was positive, practical and constructive, which further enhanced mutual trust and understanding.

The two sides agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops, maintain the good momentum of dialogue and negotiation, and hold the 10th round of the Corps Commander Level Meeting at an early date to jointly advance de-escalation,accordingto the statement.

In addition, the statement mentioned that both sides agreed to continue their effective efforts in ensuring the restraint of the frontline troops, stabilize the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the China-India border, and jointly maintain peace and tranquility.

According to Indian media reports, the Indian and Chinese delegations to the 16-hour-long 9th round meeting was led by Lieutenant General PGK Menon, Indias XIV Corps Commander, and Major General Liu Lin, commanding officer of the PLA Southern Xinjiang Military Region, respectively. Indian side demanded that Chinese troops completely retreat from all the friction points along the LAC in the eastern part of the so-called Ladakh area to de-escalate the situation.

Qian Feng, director of the Research Department of the National Strategy Institute, Tsinghua University, commented on January 25 that although the joint statement released by the two sides maintains a gentle, pragmatic tone, it is worth noting that the statement first mentioned the two sides would maintain the good momentum of dialogue and negotiation.

This indicates that although no breakthroughs were made, the atmosphere of the meeting remained peaceful, instead of being extremely tense as someone speculated. It is easy to conclude that despite a considerable gap in mutual understanding of the LAC, both sides are willing to further reduce their disagreements, push for disengagement, and de-escalate the situation, Qian noted.

Analysts believe that this joint statement sent more positive signals. First of all, it shows the willingness of both sides to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops. This indicates that the two sides reached a greater consensus than previous talks that just agreed to exchange views on disengagement.

In addition, the two sides agreed to advance the de-escalation of the situation. This would de-escalate the tensions arising from the fact that India announced a plan to reinforce its troops in China-India border areas before the 9th round meeting and hyped the so-called Chinas road construction plan in the border areas. We can expect more outcomes from the upcoming 10th round talks.

Qian also noted that the 9th round meeting had a particular background compared to previous talks. On the one hand, the standoff between Chinese and Indian frontline troops in the western section of their border had entered the eighth month, and it was the first time that the two militaries confront each other face to face in the high-altitude plateau area.

On the other hand, US ambassador to India confessed in mid-January that the US provided information and intelligence support for India amid its border standoffs with China and declassified the Trump administrations documents on the Indo-Pacific strategy in advance. Undoubtedly, the US factor will play a catalyst for China-India standoffs in the long term,Qian said.

The US government just underwent a transfer of power. Most analysts hold that in the short run, the Biden administration needed to address pressing domestic problems such as epidemic control, economic recovery, and racial issues, and diplomatic affairs wouldnt be the priority. In this context, the Modi administration isnt sure whether the US would continue to back India as strongly as the Trump government did.

Qian also pointed out that through the past nine rounds of corps commander-level talks, India has gradually realized that although China has the willingness to maintain the overall stability of bilateral relations and the tranquility in the border areas, it also has a strong will and capacity to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Thus, India becomes less reckless than before and shows more practical rationality in dealing with border standoffs with China.

Disclaimer: This article is originally published in Chinese language edition on the Global Times Website, and it is translated from Chinese into English and re-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.
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CC Neuberger Principal Holdings I ("CCNB1") (NYSE: PCPL), 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, the Company is strongly encouraging that shareholders attend the extraordinary general meeting of its shareholders, which will be held on February 2, 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 Business Combination Agreement, dated as of October 14, 2020 (as amended, the "Business Combination Agreement"), between CCNB1, E2open Holdings, LLC ("E2open") and the transactions contemplated thereby (the "Business Combination").

The General Meeting will be accessible by dialing +1 (833) 795-0481 (toll freeNorth America) or (209) 940-8500 (International). Shareholders will be able to ask questions to CCNB1'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/ccneubergerprincipalholdingsi/sm2021 .

CCNB1 has filed, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has declared effective, a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a definitive proxy statement/prospectus of CCNB1 relating to the proposed Business Combination. CCNB1 has mailed the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents to its shareholders. Investors, CCNB1's shareholders and other interested persons are advised to read the definitive proxy statement/prospectus in connection with CCNB1's solicitation of proxies for the General Meeting to be held to approve the Business Combination as these materials will contain important information about E2open and CCNB1 and the proposed Business Combination. The definitive proxy statement/prospectus has been mailed to the shareholders of CCNB1 as of the record date of December 23, 2020; shareholders that hold their shares in registered form are entitled to vote their shares held on the date of the meeting. Shareholders are also able to obtain copies of the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC, without charge, at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: CCNB1, 200 Park Avenue, 58th Floor, New York, NY 10166.

Participants in the Solicitation

CCNB1 and its directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from CCNB1'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 CCNB1 is contained in the definitive proxy statement, which was filed with the SEC and is available free of charge at the SEC's website at http:// www.sec.gov , or by directing a request to CC Neuberger Principal Holdings I, 200 Park Avenue, 58th Floor, New York, NY 10166.

E2open and its directors and executive officers may also be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of CCNB1 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 CCNB1's or E2open's future financial or operating performance. For example, projections of future growth, financial performance, and other metrics 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 CCNB1 and its management, and E2open 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 negotiations and any subsequent definitive agreements with respect to the Business Combination; (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against CCNB1, the combined company or others following the announcement of the Business Combination and any definitive agreements with respect thereto; (3) the inability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of CCNB1, to obtain financing to complete the Business Combination or to satisfy other conditions to closing; (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 E2open 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 E2open or the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (11) E2open's estimates of expenses and profitability; and (12) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in CCNB1's final prospectus relating to its initial public offering, dated April 23, 2020, subsequent quarterly reports on form 10-Q and definitive proxy statement, filed with the SEC on January 12, 2021 in connection with the Business Combination.

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 CCNB1 nor E2open 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.

Contacts

Investor Contacts

Michael Bowen

ICR, Inc.

[email protected]

203-682-8299

Marc P. Griffin

ICR, Inc.

[email protected]

646-277-1290

Media Contacts

CC Capital

Jonathan Keehner / Julie Oakes / Kate Thompson

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

212-355-4449

Neuberger Berman

Alex Samuelson

[email protected]

(212) 476-5392

SOURCE CC Neuberger Principal Holdings I
Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID
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A case has been brought by a man who claims he was subjected to the deep interrogation method as a teenager in 1972.

British military chiefs are facing further legal action over the alleged use of waterboarding torture techniques on suspects detained during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

A second case has been brought by a man who claims he was subjected to the deep interrogation method as a teenager in 1972.

Similar proceedings have already been issued by Liam Holden, the last man in Northern Ireland to receive the death sentence.

Their civil actions against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Chief Constable of the PSNI are due for trial at the High Court in June.

Both men allege they were tortured by soldiers during questioning at Black Mountain Barracks in Belfast.

Their solicitor, Patricia Coyle, said: "The identification of a second plaintiff who makes similar allegations against the British Army, involving the use of waterboarding at the same venue and around the same time in 1972, indicates that there may be a pattern of the use of this technique for in depth interrogation."

Mr Holden, 66, was sentenced to hang for the killing of a British solider in west Belfast in 1972.

The death penalty was commuted to life in prison before a 40-year fight to clear his name resulted in his murder conviction being quashed in 2012.

The widowed father-of-two, who always maintained the military subjected him to water torture and death threats to extract a confession for the shooting of Private Frank Bell, then launched a civil claim against the MoD and police.

According to Ms Coyle freshly discovered documents have resulted in other alleged victims being traced.

They include a detailed statement of evidence from the mother of the second, unidentified plaintiff about the distress, trauma and consequences of the in depth interrogation he was said to have endured at the age of 17.

Both men claim they were targeted by the army for arrest. Their writs feature allegations of the military's use of the waterboarding, and misconduct in public office by the members of interrogation units involved.

Lawyers contend that an MoD Internal Security Operations Directive which required Cabinet approval when issued in August 1972 for detentions and interrogations circumvented the domestic law in Northern Ireland at the time.

Ms Coyle said: "There may also be a pattern of the use by the MoD of the Directive to target, arrest and subject young men to depth interrogation with the possible prior authorisation of Government Ministers at Westminster at the time."

She added: "It will be open to the High Court in Belfast, on hearing the evidence of both Mr Holden and the second plaintiff at the civil trial, to conclude whether it is more likely than not that waterboarding took place in both instances.

"Both my clients welcome the opportunity to present their case to the court."
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President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday appointed Lucky Irabor, an army major-general, as the new Chief of Defence Staff, following the resignation of the former service chiefs.

The position of Defence Chief is usually occupied by a four-star general.

President Buhari made the surprise announcement after years of defending his refusal to change the service chiefs he appointed in 2015 and who had long passed the public service retirement age.

Nigerians had blamed the reverses suffered by the security forces in the war against the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east on Mr Buharis refusal to rejig the military command and bring in new hands.

The former service chiefs had earlier promised to end the Boko Haram war this year.

In January 2017, Mr Irabor, as the Theatre Commander in the military campaign against the insurgency, distinguished himself as an honest officer when he called a press conference to admit the bombing in error of an IDP camp in Rann village of Kala Balge Local Government Area of Borno State.

He said the military had mistaken the camp for a terrorists hideout. The incident led to the death of many displaced persons.

We got a coordinate and I directed that the air force should go to address the problem.

Unfortunately the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals somewhere in Rann were affected, he said at the press conference.

His proactive move to make the incident public even before journalists got wind of it and honest disclosure had helped the government in managing the crisis.

He also won the respect of many Nigerians for taking responsibility for the actions of his troops.

A statement signed by President Buharis spokesperson, Femi Adesina, on Tuesday announced the resignations of the four service chiefs and Mr Irabors appointment. He is taking office alongside new service chiefs for the army, navy and air force.

Mr Irabor was in 2017 appointed the Commander of the Multi-National Joint Task Force after serving as Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole in Northeast Nigeria.

After his stint at MNJTF, Mr Irabor became the Chief of Training and Operations at the Defence headquarters.

He was later deployed as Commander at Training and Doctrine (TRADOC) Minna, where his predecessor as chief of defence staff, Gabriel Olonisakin, had incidentally served before he was appointed as CDS.

Mr Irabor, from Delta State, is a Regular Course 34 officer and was promoted major general in 2014.

He is an alumnus of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College Ghana, the National Defence College Bangladesh and Harvard Kennedy School of Government Executive Programme, USA.

Mr Irabor has a first degree in engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and holds two Masters Degrees from the University of Ghana, Accra, and Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka.

He is a recipient of several military, ECOMOG and United Nations awards and medals.
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 Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
From luxurious homes on a residential development in Estepona the leaders pulled the strings of what is considered by investigators to be "the most active organisation in Europe dedicated to marijuana trafficking".

However, the entire infrastructure and hierarchy of the gang has been smashed after police raids which resulted in more than a hundred arrests across the network.

During the police operation officers arrested 110 people and carried out 78 searches. Among the items seized was a tonne and a half of vacuum-packed marijuana buds, more than 20,000 plants, 91 kilos of hashish and another 43 of cocaine.

The economic structure of the organisation has also been hit, with more than half a million euros in cash recovered and assets of the gang valued at five million euros located. Eight firearms, eight lorries, a bus and 26 vehicles have also been seized, reported the Guardia Civil.

The investigation, jointly carried out by the Spanish and Polish police and coordinated by Eurojust and Europol, began in September 2019.

It was then that the Spanish officers learned that a drug trafficking organisation had settled in Malaga province and was dedicated to transporting large quantities of marijuana and hashish to Poland from various parts of Andalucia. It is claimed that the gang also operated in areas of Cadiz and Valencia.

The Guardia Civil located the leaders of the gang who resided on a luxury residential estate in Estepona. Officers discovered they relied on other networks, with which they had ties, in the province of Granada, which became the main supply point for marijuana.

Investigators found that in addition to the alleged main Polish drug traffickers leader there were others from Bulgaria, Morocco and Spain.

To transport marijuana and hashish, the drug traffickers used sophisticated double-bottomed secret compartments made in lorries, cars and even a bus.
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Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
MUSKEGON, MI  Three homes will soon be built on city-owned lots in downtown Muskegon that have been empty for years.

The houses will be sold for around $150,000 to $165,000 based on family income. The target market is for households making 80% or below the median income, which is $50,854 in Muskegon County, according to latest census data.

Muskegon City Commission approved last month plans from Community enCompass, a social and community services organization, to build and market the houses.

We felt it was really a priority, and there was some urgency to developing new homes to sell to working wage families, said Kimi George, a housing rehab catalyst with Community enCompass.

The EACH (enCompass Affordable Community Housing) project will put three single-family homes on vacant properties at 180 Houston Ave., 1141 Jefferson St. and 1259 Sanford St.

Related: Muskegon organization ramping up eviction prevention efforts

The EACH project is estimated to cost $570,000  the city approved the use of $250,000 of federal funding and Community enCompass is fronting $320,000.

The new houses will be modular builds, which are less expensive but George said the main benefit is time.

Theres no compromise in it, she said of modular homes meeting the same building codes. But what it allows us to do is get those affordable houses up quicker.

Ground will be broken as soon as the weather allows with the foundations being laid in the spring. The houses will be completed by the end of the year.

Related: Muskegon exploring public-private partnership to build 100 new rentals

The city of Muskegon will retain ownership of the properties until they are purchased by new homeowners.

Were going to remove a cost off our budget, were going to remove blight out of the neighborhood, then were going to add a neighbor back in, said Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson. Theyre all positive things.

The EACH developments are the first of their kind for Community enCompass, which built a modular home on Fifth Street and the four-unit Phoenix development. George said the city of Muskegon is mindful of the need for affordable housing to balance other new developments.

Gentrification doesnt have to happen, she said.

The project also reflects Community enCompass goal to show how affordable housing can be an asset to neighborhoods.

It brings stability to the community, George said. We need all different types of housing stock, all different income levels in communities so those communities are sustainable in the long-term.

Related: Plans underway for affordable senior housing site in downtown Muskegon

A mortgage company will be working with Community enCompass and potential buyers who may have credit issues, George said, and the Community Foundation for Muskegon County will be creating a down payment assistance fund for homebuyers.

The organization plans to replicate the pilot program to bring more affordable home ownership opportunities to Muskegon. The second phase of EACH will develop two multi-family homes and one single family home.

The city of Muskegon also has a $49.5 million plan to build 240 homes on vacant lots, with 100 being offered as affordable housing.

We recognize these neighborhoods are stronger when everybody can live in them, said Peterson.

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Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Raymond Broshears was interviewed twice in New Orleans which resulted in two lengthy transcripts. Instead of posting the entire memos, I am posting the highlights - today, from the first interview and tomorrow, the second.

Large parts of these memos are streams of consciousness - they just let Broshears talk away. And throughout his rambling monologue, he let loose with a variety of names associated with Garrison's investigation.

Broshears on Thomas Beckham

Thomas Beckham had already testified before Garrison's grand jury and his name had been plastered all over the papers in association with the case. Broshears either called Beckham or met him in person and found out what an easy mark Garrison was - he'll even pay your expenses to New Orleans. Garrison's notations are on the left - and throughout the two memos, he takes things quite seriously.

Broshears on Edgar Eugene Bradley

Jim Garrison indicted Edgar Eugene Bradley for conspiracy to kill JFK in December 1968. I tell the whole ridiculous story in my book, On The Trail of Delusion - Jim Garrison: The Great Accuser. Broshears is now confirming to Jaffe that Bradley is one of the tramps along with 'hustler' Red Stowe. Of course, Bradley was not in Dallas on the day of the assassination - he was passing through El Paso on a marketing trip for his employer - Dr. Carl McIntire, a Christian radio evangelist.

Broshears on Jack Ruby

What a paragraph! I'm speechless.

Broshears on "the cell" and Tippit

(the 'he' in the first sentence is David Ferrie)

I would have found it hard to stop laughing at this point.

Broshears on the murder of J.D. Tippit

Broshears says that Ferrie said that Oswald shot and killed Tippit. Garrison writes in the margin that this is "possible misinformation originating from Ferrie - but misinformation, in any case." How about just plain silliness from Broshears? The last part about Shaw is obscene.

Broshears on Clay Shaw's Blackmail of David Ferrie

Broshears claims that Clay Shaw has some pictures or film of a 16-year-0ld boy with Ferrie and is blackmailing him. This is interesting because Oliver Stone included this in his film JFK, and here is the scene:

Besides this scene, Oliver Stone based the character of Willie O'Keefe (the gay hustler) on Perry Russo, David Logan, William Morris and Raymond Broshears. Here is an excerpt from page 66 of JFK: The Documented Screenplay.

Broshears on Fred Crisman's Sexuality

Homosexuality comes up in so many Garrison memos.

Broshears on Fred Crisman's Source of Money

Notice the last two lines - Broshears is adept at learning information from Garrison and others. A reporter from Tacoma believed that Crisman was trying to become head of a program to help Roma children just to steal the money. Well, Crisman was a con man.

Broshears Points the Finger at Layton Martens

But, Broshears has a good source - a 14-year-old girl.

Broshears on the Key to the Assassination

If only we could find the film or the 16-year-old boy, then we would know the truth about the assassination.

Broshears on Thomas Beckham

Three things stand out. First, that Andrew Sciambra called Beckham a "f------ liar." Second, that Broshears had been reading the newsapers about Beckham, and three, that Broshears had talked to Beckham on the phone.

How's this for stream of consciousness?

Broshears' Obsession with Layton Martens

There you have it - the highlights of Broshears' third interview. Tomorrow, the fourth interview and a very surprising revelation.
Rahul Gandhi

As protesting farmers clashed with police at several places in the national capital, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said violence is not the solution to any problem and sought repeal of the three farm laws in "national interest".

Gandhi took to Twitter to say that if anyone gets hurt the damage will be inflicted to the country, after violence broke out during the tractor parade by protesters against the new farm laws.

"Violence is not the solution to any problem. If anyone gets hurt, the damage will be done to our country. Take back the anti-agricultural laws in national interest," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Deviating from the designated route for the tractor parade, protesting farmers entered the Red Fort and hoisted flags from some domes of the iconic monument in the national capital.

They earlier clashed with the police at ITO while trying to enter Lutyens Delhi. The police used tear gas shells and lathi-charge to dispel the violent farmers.

The farmers who began their march from different border points, much before the time permitted for their tractor rally, reached ITO in Central Delhi, though their leaders had earlier agreed not to enter central Delhi.

The Congress also tweeted a video showing smoke from tear gas shells lobbed at farmers to stop them from entering Delhi.

"Republic Day 2021 in New India. Our national capital is up in smoke as the government attacks its own people," the party said on its official Twitter handle along with the video.

The opposition party also said that it is standing strongly behind the farmers in their protest against the farm laws.
At least 3,969 Chinese dredgers have been chased out of the Taiwanese territorial waters after PLAs illegal encroachment, escalating tensions between the island and Beijing, Taiwans Coast Guard said in a statement. As many as two PLA aircraft (Y-8 ELINT and Y-8 EW) entered Taiwans southwest ADIZ on Jan. 19, one PLA Y-8 RECCE fighter jet encroached the airspace on Jan.20, and a PLA Y-9 EW aircraft entered ADIZ as China as People's Liberation Army stepped up belligerent activities in China's southwest.

A total of 380 incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) have been listed by the Taiwanese defense ministry, which condemned Chinas attempts of intimidation after Taipei's de facto ambassador was invited to US president Joe Bidens inaugural ceremony.

The Taiwanese Coast Guard has stepped up patrols to ensure its sovereignty and national security over Chinas vessels' illegal trespassing and incursions into Taiwans territorial waters. Some vessels over the course of last year were intercepted by Taiwanese naval forces in accordance with the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area and the vessels were escorted by the Coast Guard after they illegally entered about 24 nautical miles from Penghu, bearing Chinese flags and vessel numbers, according to Taiwans state press.

Read: Taiwan's Armed Forces Conduct Military Drill Amid Rising Threats From China

Read: EXPLAINER: How Taiwan Figures In US-China Ties Under Biden

Countering PLAs naval blockade attempts

Chinese fishing vessels have reportedly stepped up maritime activities, and to boost its military capabilities and readiness in the South China sea against the Chinese expansionist agendas and invasion threats, Taiwan in December 2020 announced the construction of at least 8 new states of the art submarines. President Tsai Ing-wen said in an online statement that Taiwan was more determined than ever to continue developing our self-defense industries and safeguard our sovereignty and democracy.

Furthermore, she stated that the submarines which will go on trials in the Pacific by 2025 are a "historic milestone which demonstrates Taiwan's strong will to the world.Taiwans leader launched Ta-Chiang and the new Tuo-Chiang class corvette vessels with ROC naval forces aimed at beefing the military presence in the Pacific. These vessels demonstrate the capabilities of our defense industry in R&D as well as supplying our defense needs, the ministry of National Defense ROC said in a tweet.

Read: Chinese Military Pressure On Taiwan Threatens Regional Peace, Stability: US

Read: Taiwan To Quarantine Around 5,000 People In Effort To Curb Latest Coronavirus Outbreak

(Image Credit: AP)
In a letter to Centre, the state government said that due to the massive deployment of manpower and their movement during the polls, the vaccination program would be disturbed

Amravati: Virtually saying it cannot vaccinate frontline workers because of the scheduled elections to the gram panchayats, the Andhra Pradesh government on Monday night wrote to the Centre "seeking guidance" on the further road ahead to achieve the twin objectives of (COVID- 19) vaccination and conduct of elections.

Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das wrote to Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to this effect. "The State Election Commission has announced elections to the gram panchayats and the election process has started.

There are approximately 1.35 lakh polling stations and around five lakh staff will be deployed for election duty, which includes police, panchayat raj, revenue and education departments, who comprise the frontline workers," he said.

"The same frontline workers would be deployed to different polling stations in multiple locations. The issue was more acute in the case of police personnel, who were only 73,188 in number, but have to be deployed to 1.35 lakh polling stations", Das pointed out.

Each police personnel would have to be deployed to three polling stations on an average on rotation, by moving them from one location to another, as some of them would also be other bandobast duties.

"Simultaneously, all the polling personnel are deployed away from their place of work and their residence. This will lead to huge logistical problems and the polling personnel will not be able to be vaccinated as they will be deployed elsewhere from the session site allocated to them," the Chief Secretary said.

He also pointed out that those given the first dose at one location would not be available at the same location for the second dose. Further, the process of vaccination requires a period of observation.

"AEFI protocol has to be followed where continuous monitoring of the vaccine recipient is mandated to minimize any untoward outcomes. It is advisable that the recipients are not put to unnecessary stress and they have to be provided with an environment of low-stress and monitored closely," he noted.

Both the vaccination and elections ought to be undertaken as per the directions of the High Court and the Supreme Court.

"In this backdrop, we seek your guidance on the further road ahead to achieve the twin objectives of vaccination and conduct of elections," Das wrote.
The Economy Minister has been urged to find extra funds to support struggling students after three-quarters of them admitted they were facing financial distress as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It comes after the SDLP revealed the results of a survey that also found 94% of students have poor mental health as a result of the health crisis.

Sinead McLaughlin MLA has now written to Diane Dodds asking her to implement a one-off payment of 500 for every full-time student.

"A payment of 500 would cost approximately 32m, just a fraction of the 105m the Department for the Economy has handed back unspent in recent days," she said.

"The DUP minister must implement such a scheme without any further delay."

Mrs Dodds told the Assembly she was continuing to seek additional funding and had spoken to the Student Loan Company, adding she was "disappointed" with the response.

She said she will "continue to pursue that conversation".

The minister earlier met with Queen's University and Ulster University officials, and has written to local higher education institutions asking them to take all possible steps to support students at a "difficult and harrowing time".

She said she was working to secure "significant additional funding as soon as possible".

"I have asked the institutions to ensure that they make every effort to target this additional funding at those most in need and to make the process for accessing financial support as simple as possible," she added.

Ms McLaughlin claimed students had been virtually ignored despite the burden of Covid-19 falling heavily on young people.

"The financial support they have been offered has been pitiful and did not even begin to address the level of need," she said.

"They are barred from claiming benefits and most of their part-time work has dried up, and many have not been paid furlough payments either.

"Diane Dodds and Conor Murphy have ignored the financial stress suffered by students for too long. The fact we are approaching a year of Covid-19 and most students have yet to receive a penny of financial support is appalling, given the levels of assistance provided to many other sectors.

"Diane Dodds has just handed back millions of pounds to Conor Murphy of unspent monies, and his own department have held back 126m for additional Covid support. Supporting all students should be at the top of their agenda this week."

Hundreds of students responded to the SDLP survey. Ms McLaughlin said the results were "harrowing".

She revealed that 75% of students said the pandemic had impacted their finances, and almost 50% were paying accommodation costs for places they cannot stay in.

"Probably the most frightening statistic is that 94% said the pandemic had impacted their mental health," she added.

Some 41% of students are also paying rent for properties they cannot stay in, and the National Union of Students has called for them to be released early from contracts as courses have moved online.

Many claim they are being treated "unfairly" by private landlords, while Queen's University has extended a rent holiday for those living in their halls of residence until the beginning of March. Ulster University is reviewing requests to leave student accommodation early on an individual basis.
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Highlights Sony might bring the Xperia Compact back in a new avatar.

This model may take on the Apple iPhone 12 mini that was launched last year.

The Sony Xperia Compact model will have two rear cameras and a tall screen.

Sony seems to be in the mood of giving Apple a fight. It may be planning to bring the Xperia Compact line back with a new model that will be more or less the same size as the Apple iPhone 12 mini. A fresh round of renders has appeared that hint that a new Xperia Compact model is in the works. This is strikingly different from the rest of the Xperia lineup that has been there for some time. Sony may be taking a slight detour from making tall smartphones to focus a little on its small Xperia model and this phone might be launched in 2021.

The renders were posted by OnLeaks on Voice show the Xperia Compact model will follow the design language of the Xperia family. This model will measure 140x68.9x8.9mm, which makes it a little bigger than the iPhone 12 mini which measures 131.5x64.2x7.4mm. The Sony Xperia Compact is a little thicker than the iPhone 12 mini but its position in the line is not clear at the moment. While one report suggests this Xperia Compact model will be a flagship model, a different source from Japan has suggested this might be an entry-level device that will use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor.

Reportedly, the Sony Xperia Compact model will have a dual-camera setup on the back consisting of a 13MP main camera while on the front, there could be an 8MP camera. This selfie camera will be housed inside a teardrop notch on the display. The smartphone will have a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There could be a 5.5-inch tall screen and a glossy finish on the back. A dedicated camera button, which is standard across the Xperia line, is also visible in the renders. However, there are no specifications available beyond this point.

Sony launched its first small device in 2018 called the Xperia XZ2 Compact. It was a powerful top-of-the-line device, the dimensions of which are not very different from the upcoming Xperia Compact device. There are, but, of course, some changes in the specifications sheet, the Xperia Compact model leaked in the renders seems to be a small device. This smartphone will take on the Apple iPhone 12 mini but only from the dimension's point of view. It is not clear if this Xperia Compact device will have flagship specifications.

The iPhone 12 mini is a flagship device that is powered by the A14 Bionic processor that is a rival to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset. On the other hand, if the Japanese source is to be believed, the Snapdragon 480 processor will position this phone in the budget segment, making this Xperia Compact another shrunken-down device that has the same gamut of specifications as its size. Sony has not said anything official yet, much like how it did not back when it was readying the Xperia XZ2 Compact.

Even if Sony is considering a flagship device in a compact form, the question of whether there is a market for such devices is still looming. Apple's iPhone 12 mini, despite attracting rave reviews, could not impress customers. It was the least demanded model in the entire iPhone 12 series, according to CIRP. The lacklustre demand even led Apple to convert the orders for iPhone 12 mini into those for the iPhone 12, which is by far the best-selling iPhone 12 series model since the launch. I am not sure what trails Sony seems to be following here with the Xperia Compact model leaked in renders.
If your business wasn't already working with the federal government in some capacity, now may be the time to start.

On Monday, President Joe Biden signed his "Made in America" executive order, designed to strengthen the existing Buy American laws, shore up domestic supply lines, and improve access to contracting opportunities for small and midsize businesses.

Manufacturers are applauding the effort. "Any successful manufacturing policy must ensure we can lead our economic recovery by strengthening supply chains and accelerating onshoring, through incentives for creating the next job or investing the next dollar right here in America," said Jay Timmons, president and CEO of National Association of Manufacturers, an industry group, in an emailed statement.

Biden's order directs federal agencies to revise the definition of American-made, raising the threshold of U.S.-made components necessary to be considered "Made in America" and to qualify for the price preferences for domestic goods. In other words, the government will start requiring more of a product's parts to be made domestically, and it may now be willing to pay more for a locally made item versus one made by a foreign supplier. The original Buy American Act, which codifies these procedures, was created under President Herbert Hoover in 1933--also a time of economic stress.

Biden's order establishes a website where American businesses can see the contracts awarded to non-U.S. vendors, along with any notice of "Buy American" waivers granted by the General Services Administration, the federal agency charged with the bulk of the government's procurement needs. The waivers have, in recent years, served as a loophole, allowing federal agencies to buy products that may only be partially produced in the U.S. A yet-to-be-named director of Made in America at the Office of Management and Budget will lead the new initiative and report on its progress.

For small businesses, the order also presents federal contracting opportunities, as agencies must now utilize the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a national network that works with small and midsize manufacturers across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. Contracting accounts for nearly $600 billion in federal spending, the White House estimates.

Collectively, the measures could be a game changer for small, would-be federal contractors, says Karen Kerrigan, president of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, a nonpartisan advocacy group in Vienna, Virginia. The complexity of working with the government and the lack of transparency regarding opportunities have traditionally been stiff obstacles, she notes.

Buy American Backlash

Of course, some businesses may lose out in the effort, adds Kerrigan. Tightening the rules on Buy American may create opportunities for some smaller contractors, but hurt those who need to source from Canada and other countries. "One real concern is that upping Buy American content may mean some [small and midsize businesses] will be forced to turn to newly restricted domestic supply chains, which may raise their costs and competitively price them out of these contracts or winning new bids," she says. It becomes, in essence, a backdoor tariff.

And to the extent that Biden hopes to restore long-standing trade relations with U.S. allies, including Canada and Mexico, his order might undercut that--or even spark retaliatory measures. Based on a readout from Biden's conversation with Justin Trudeau over the weekend, it's clear the Canadian Prime Minister is dismayed by Biden's decision to rescind the permit for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline being constructed to carry Canadian crude oil south. "No doubt there will be a response from Canada; other nations are watching these types of protectionist measures to determine whether the U.S. will begin to lead again on trade or double down on the Trump approach," says Kerrigan.

Former President Donald Trump also boasted Buy American policies through his "America First" agenda. (Trump also imposed tariffs trying, and failing, to win trade wars.) The Trump administration issued a number of executive orders, which included limits to exemptions or waivers to "Buy American" rules, and extending those rules to loans, grants, and other federal assistance programs. The day before he left office, Trump also issued a final rule increasing the percentage of U.S.-made content that an end product may contain to qualify under "Buy American" rules. It also increased the price preferences for domestic goods under the Buy American Act.
Dr. Catherine Bodnar, medical director for Midland County, suspects one of the current variants of the coronavirus will be the predominant strain here in March.

"If they give the virus an advantage  a more transmissible advantage  we would expect them to take over. I've seen where the (variant first identified in the United Kingdom) may be our predominant virus beginning around March."

Bodnar said she is not sure if that prediction was for the United States or Michigan, and asked why would Midland County be any different. She said not enough information is known yet on two other variants  one first identified in South Africa and another first identified in Brazil  to know if they could be the predominant strain that takes over.

"I think what it all means is when you're eligible to get the vaccine, get the vaccine and until we can quell this pandemic, continue your public health measures, that's what this is telling me. Because if we don't have disease in the community, we're not going to be passing around disease in the community. We know these public health measures are effective."

Those measures include wearing a mask and staying six feet apart when around others, washing hands often, and ventilating indoor spaces.

Vaccine and the strains

The UK strain B.1.1.7 is believed to be more contagious than the current SARS-CoV-2 virus that has been circulating for months, but there is no indication that it tops the clinical outcomes or disease severity of the current virus, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The UK strain has been confirmed in Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor) and in Wayne County (Detroit.)

Bodnar says current coronavirus vaccines are believed to be effective against the UK strain. The vaccine is highly effective against the SARS-CoV-2 strain. The Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective and the Moderna vaccine, 94.5%

"The vaccine looks like it works for the B.1.1.7, the UK variant," Bodnar said. "For South Africa, it seems that there is decrease in effectiveness of the vaccine. That doesn't mean it's not effective, it just isn't as effective."

She said the overall goal for the vaccine was to be over 50% effective. With these variants, the current vaccine efficacy rate may have a 50% reduction but would still be considered to be effective, she said, adding that could help people who contract the virus to have less complications and lower mortality.

Looking for variants

Bodnar said the state has been sequencing, or looking for variants, all along. She said at one point a number of months ago, eight variants of coronavirus were circulating in Michigan.

"You can think of it like the flu virus or other common cold viruses," she said. "They change."

Over the past 10 months, laboratories across Michigan have been submitting samples to the state public health laboratory for surveillance to help monitor the emergence of any variants of concern. MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories prioritizes additional specimens for whole genome sequencing when there is increased concern for a new variant of the virus, such as in people with a travel history to places where the variant is known to be circulating.

"Even after you get vaccinated you need to continue public health measures," she said. "I think we needed to do that before these variants and the emergence of these variants means we just need to do that more. Because if we knock down the disease in the community there is less chance of transmission."

Health Department vaccine update

Bodnar said the Midland County Health Department is in the second week of administering second doses. The department reported last week administering 2,335 first doses since it started vaccinations in December. This week, the health department received 400 doses, and is finishing up people in Group 1A, Bodnar said.

"Our goal every week is to not have any left and to get it to the people it is designated for," Bodnar said. "We must have 5,000 seniors on our list. We can probably vaccinate first doses a thousand people a week. We can vaccinate a lot of people. If we get more vaccine than we can give out, Meijer pharmacy is standing ready to be our partner and they will help us. We are not limited by our capacity to vaccinate, we're limited by the amount of vaccine and the state is trying very hard to distribute it equitably."

Tuesday, Jan. 26 numbers

Midland County added 19 confirmed coronavirus cases Tuesday, according to the state's daily report.

There were five deaths in the five county region, which also includes Bay, Gladwin, Isabella and Saginaw counties, which the Daily News has been chronicling since the pandemic began.

 Midland County: Pandemic total is 4,106 cases, 566 probable, 52 deaths and three probable deaths.

 Bay County: 10 cases and four deaths were added; pandemic total stands at 6,744 cases, 267 probable, 252 deaths and six probable deaths.

 Gladwin County: Seven cases were added; pandemic total stands at 1,186 cases, 217 probable, 38 deaths and three probable deaths.

 Isabella County: Five cases were added; pandemic total stands at 3,401 cases, 410 probable, 66 deaths.

 Saginaw County: 26 cases and one death were added; pandemic total stands at 13,311 cases, 661 probable, 456 deaths and 11 probable deaths.

The state on Tuesday added 1,476 new cases and 79 deaths; 44 from vital records reviews. Overall, Michigan is at 552,556 cases and 14,405 deaths.

Testing

The state report shows as of Jan. 26, Midland County has performed 49,503 COVID-19 tests. Gladwin County is listed as having administered 13,952 tests.

Midland Countys seven-day rolling positivity rate on Jan. 22 was listed at 6%, and Gladwin County was listed at 7.1%. Our 12-county region is 6.4% and Michigan is at 6%.

MidMichigan Health statistics

As of Jan. 25, MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland is listed as having a 69% bed occupancy, with 25 COVID-19 patients, including three in the ICU. MidMichigan Medical Center in Gladwin is listed as having a 4% bed occupancy, with one COVID-19 patient 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.
ARMONK, N.Y. and ZUG, Switzerland, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and DIA announced today that DIA migrated its platform to IBM Cloud and is leveraging IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Services to manage how financial data is sourced, stored, processed and published. IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Services is a hybrid cloud offering designed to deliver sophisticated encryption capabilities to help secure highly sensitive data, which is especially important in the age of hybrid cloud. The migration of DIA's platform to a cloud environment backed by IBM Cloud confidential computing capabilities is designed to protect data and applications from potential malicious inside and external attacks.

DIA is located in Crypto Valley in Zug, Switzerland and is an open-source financial information platform that incentivizes the sourcing and validation of data and provides the data via traditional APIs as well as oracles. Oracles are the third-party trust mechanisms that allow smart contracts to receive data from sources outside of the blockchain.

Data security is key for success of the fast-growing decentralized finance space

DeFi is an emerging area of digital finance that leverages blockchain-based smart contracts to execute and validate transactions, rather than relying on centralized financial institutions. As the industry grows, transparent data sources and oracles become critical to its reliability and success. Data sources that can be compromised and provide little transparency can lead malicious actors to manipulate attacks on DeFi platforms. To help mitigate this risk, DIA is leveraging the IBM Cloud  the industry's most secure and open public cloud for business.

IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Services help enable protection and privacy of data infrastructure

Using IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Services, DIA can help provide technical assurance to its clients and users that their workloads are secured by protecting backend infrastructure against attacks on hardware, servers, applications and data layers. By taking advantage of 'Keep Your Own Key' (KYOK)1 and confidential computing capabilities delivered via hybrid cloud capabilities from IBM, DIA can protect data with complete authority for their data and workloads.

IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Services provide confidential computing capabilities designed to enable data integrity and confidentiality for current and future workloads within hybrid cloud environments by employing isolation and encryption in security-rich enclaves to run cloud software.

This concept allows the platform's users to retain sole access to their crypto keys  meaning not even IBM can access them - and helps mitigate the risk of malicious actors viewing or modifying the confidential data. Built on IBM LinuxONE, by using IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Services, DIA has access to the highest level of security offered commercially by any cloud provider in the industry for cryptographic modules.2

"IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Services, confidential computing capabilities and IBM LinuxONE enable us to help implement a high security standard in the oracle landscape," says Samuel Brack Co-Founder and CTO at DIA. "Being able to assure that no third party can view or manipulate our off-chain computing operations effectively protects DIA and its users from potential malicious inside and outside attacks."

"As reliance on data grows, especially in the era of hybrid cloud, the need for cutting-edge security to protect digital assets becomes even more critical," said Hillery Hunter, IBM Fellow, VP & CTO, IBM Cloud. "On its mission to source and validate financial data, DIA's move toward a confidential computing environment bolsters security for all existing participants within its ecosystem. Now, DIA can work with clients in highly regulated industries and address their higher demand for confidentiality as they access their open source financial information platform."

DIA continues to explore opportunities to increase security, scalability and compliance of data delivery for both institutional and DeFi actors to help grow the ecosystem and to further increase trust in the still nascent DeFi industry.

About DIA

DIA (Decentralised Information Asset) is an open-source, financial information platform that utilises crypto economic incentives to source and validate data. Market actors can supply, share and use financial and digital asset data.

About IBM Cloud: https://www.ibm.com/cloud

1 Encryption keys and cryptographic operations are protected with highest level certified HSM - with Hyper Protect Crypto services: FIPS 140-2 Level 4.

2 Based on IBM Hyper Protect Crypto Service, the only public-cloud enabled FIPS 140-2 Level 4-certified Hardware Security Module (HSM). FIPS 140-2 Security Level 4 provides the highest level of security defined in this standard. At this security level, the physical security mechanisms provide a comprehensive envelope of protection around the cryptographic module with the intent of detecting and responding to all unauthorized attempts at physical access.

Contact:

Kate Gazzillo

[email protected]

SOURCE IBM

Related Links

www.ibm.com


The DUPs Jeffrey Donaldson has said that the suggestion that flights and ferries from the UK to Northern Ireland should be stopped in a bid to halt the spread of Covid-19 was completely untenable.

Air and sea links were necessary as they were very important for the economy, he told RTE radios Morning Ireland.

Weve already said that people should not make non-essential journeys across the Irish Sea.

If flights and ferries were stopped then it would mean that the entire public sector would have to be shut down, he added.

The Northern Ireland Executive had already taken additional measures by extending the lockdown to March 5.

Mr Donaldson said the North still did not have access to travel locator forms for people who arrived into Dublin and then went on to the North. The issue had been with the Irish government for nine months, he said.

We have been told by the civil service that it is a political decision to allow the sharing of this information.

In the Republic, tighter restrictions for people travelling into the State will be brought forward this week by Government.

A number of senior Government sources have confirmed that it is "highly likely" that those entering the State will be subject to new controls.

However, despite tighter restrictions being brought in this week, there is no appetite within Government to seal the border to stop people travelling into the State from the North.
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(CNN)  It's waiting hours in line to buy an oxygen tank  only to find there's none left. For some, it's rushing from hospital to hospital with a sick spouse or parent  only to find there are no beds available. For others, it's waiting outside of hospitals for news of a loved one  only to hear they could not be saved.

For the medical workers, it's frantic 36-hour shifts. For the gravediggers, it's moving the tons of dirt required to create 20,000 more graves.

For the dead, it's the "vertical" burial, with bodies stacked atop each other in the increasingly crowded cemeteries of Manaus, Brazil.

This is the heartbreak of a city whose health care system has collapsed. And it isn't the first time  in less than a year, this isolated city at the core of the Brazilian rainforest is witnessing its second coronavirus wave, a shock to the many who thought its first wave was so widespread that herd immunity must be the result.

Missed warnings

Manaus is the capital and largest city in the state of Amazonas. It has over 30 public and private hospitals, catering to numerous remote indigenous and small communities around the area. But the logistics of getting there  and supplying those hospitals  can be complicated. With road connections limited, most approaches to the city are by air or river.

The coronavirus first tore through Manaus like wildfire in April 2020, creating such a vast surge of cases that scientists speculated it might result in herd immunity. Politicians seized on the idea, hopeful they would be able to avoid economically damaging lockdowns in the future.

But in September 2020, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), a highly regarded Brazilian research institute for public health, recommended that the city impose movement and business restrictions. Manaus was beginning to experience a second wave of the disease, it said. But the city did not impose one.

"We gave 13 alerts, and a very alarming one in mid-December, saying that the situation was getting very serious. Everyone was making fun of the studies and warnings, especially the President Jair Bolsonaro," says Jesem Orellana, researcher at Fiocruz.

Orellana adds that both the state and federal government used the theory of herd immunity to back up their relaxed measures. "They all talked about herd immunity, and an environment was created for this discourse to crystallize, and the measures to relax. That feeling may have been responsible for this relaxation of people's behavior."

A few months later, by late December, the surging number of recorded COVID-19 deaths and cases in Manaus was undeniable. Amazonas state governor Wilson Lima acquiesced to expert advice, announcing new lockdown measures. But these were fiercely denounced by protesters who echoed Brazilian Bolsonaro's urging to keep the country's economy running. Lima quickly backed down and celebrations rang.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Manaus mayor David Almeida now blames those protest gatherings and unfettered year-end celebrations for the current spike in cases, which has brought the city to a total of over 248,000 cases and more than 7,050 deaths.

"We are paying the price for this disobedience, these protests from the end of last year. A lot of people need to be held accountable for this," said Almeida, who took office earlier this month. "During the New Year celebrations, it was precisely the party promoters who were the vectors for this transmission, this propagation and this rise in cases."

Starting Monday, the state of Amazonas will now go into a seven-day lockdown.

Running out of oxygen

By early January, it became clear that the city was on the verge of running out of oxygen  critical for patients with severe cases of COVID-19.

A company named White Martins, which supplied hospitals in Manaus with oxygen, emailed officials from both Amazonas state and the federal Health Ministry by January 8, warning that shortages loomed, according to a report by Brazil's Solicitor General.

Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello visited Manaus January 11, and the federal government sent supplemental oxygen on January 12  but it was not enough.

According to the attorney general's report, Pazuello also encouraged medical professionals to adopt a supposed "early treatment" kit against Covid-19 that combines drugs including hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin  neither of which have been proven as effective treatments for COVID-19. He has since denied doing this.

The day after his departure, a crisis exploded. Just as predicted, oxygen shortages pushed the city's healthcare system into collapse last week, forcing authorities to airlift patients to other states. Local media described patients dying of asphyxiation. Preliminary numbers released by the Federal Prosecutor's Office, which is investigating the crisis, attribute 29 deaths so far due to the oxygen shortages. That number is expected to increase as the investigation continues.

"The reality is that there's a lower supply of oxygen," Pazuello acknowledged later. "Not an interruption, but a lower supply of oxygen."

The shortages persist today. Last week, CNN counted around 40 people in line to buy or replace oxygen cylinders from one private supplier, some frustrated, others anxious.

"There was no preparation from the state for this new surge," Joseney Costa Vicente, 49, told CNN as he tried to buy oxygen for his mother, who is 69 and has tested positive for Covid-19. He spent 16 hours in a hospital with no oxygen or medical attention, he says, before the family decided to care for her at home.

"It makes me angry. We feel really upset and outraged with this whole situation."

Eliane Rodrigues, 49, says at times she's had to wait more than 12 hours to buy oxygen. Everyone in her house has tested positive for Covid-19, and her mother, 71, is in the worst shape.

Fatigued and stressed as they are, many believe it's better to care for the sick at home than send them to a hospital.

"We don't trust the government," Rodrigues says, fearing having to take her mother to a hospital. "We're afraid there will be more death than life there."

Hospitals remain stretched to the limit. Over 530 people are still waiting for a hospital bed, according to the Amazonas State Health Secretary.

CNN visited three hospitals that said they could accept no more patients. People waited outside frantically hoping to find space to hospitalize their loved ones, some screaming and crying.

At one hospital's doors, staff and a security guard worked to ensure that no one entered without authorization, but were unable to provide even basic information to panicked relatives waiting for updates on patients.

Waiting outside, Amanda da Silva Monteiro told CNN that no one had been able to locate her father, 71, for two days since his hospitalization with COVID-19.

"My dad is a working man. I have the right to know if he's alive or dead," da Silva Monteiro told CNN. "Every day we're here but they don't give us any information."

Investigations and finger-pointing

Who is responsible for letting this lethal crisis boil over? Unpreparedness and political upheaval have been blamed for the current situation in Manaus. A clear disconnect between the local and federal governments has also created turmoil since the pandemic began last year.

The office of General Prosecutor Augusto Aras has called for an investigation into the Health Ministry's response to warnings about Manaus' oxygen shortages, as well as investigations into Amazonas state governor Lima, former Manaus mayor Arthur Virgilio Neto and current mayor Almeida.

But the federal government rejects responsibility for allowing oxygen shortages to reach such critical lows  and blames the government of Amazonas state instead. Brazil's vice president Hamilton Mourao said earlier this month that  despite multiple warnings from scientists  there was no way to predict the collapse of Manaus' health system. Pazuello himself denies that his ministry failed to act effectively, and Bolsonaro has accused the state government of mismanaging federal funds.

The Amazonas state government, in turn, has blamed the logistical challenges of rapidly resupplying this isolated city. On Sunday, the State Health Department told CNN that it was making "every effort, with the assistance of the Federal Government, to address the difficulties encountered in the oxygen supply logistics," including deploying planes, helicopters and speedboats loaded with more oxygen cylinders.

For his part, Almeida says the city government is not responsible for the current crisis. Though all hospitals have been overrun with Covid-19 cases, he notes that city-run hospitals did not suffer as extreme oxygen shortages as state hospitals.

His month in office "feels more like a year," he adds.

A recipe for catastrophe

Amazonas state authorities say they will soon open two more hospitals, one with federal support, to increase the city's available bedcount. Pazuello, the Health Minister, has returned to Manaus and this time, he will stay "as long as necessary" to get the city's health system back on track, he says.

But many Manaus residents have little confidence left in authorities to respond to the coronavirus -- and emerging variants of the virus pose additional levels of complication and potential threat.

Luan Matos de Menezes, a 26-year-old ICU doctor, describes what he sees today as an even worse version of what the city suffered last year.

"What's happening is really serious. You can tell that patients' conditions are much more critical than in the first wave. It's much more grave than in other parts of the country. The deaths are much quicker. The number of serious infections is much higher than in the first wave, and the patients are younger." says Menezes.

"Yesterday I had a 24-year-old guy die in my ICU. I've got patients who are 32 and 29. Young patients who are in very critical condition."

Tired and frustrated, Matos de Menezes says he blames both authorities and the Manaus community for failing to learn last year's lessons, and for clinging to unproven theories instead of following scientific recommendation.

"So you have a community that thinks it's safe based on a false (theory of) herd immunity and based on ineffective medicines for Covid-19, in addition to a new variant that is more transmissible and more serious that is circulating in the community... You had the recipe to make this catastrophe happen."

And at every level, Brazilian officials failed to take preventative action in time, he concludes, attributing the slow response to a reluctance to damage the economy.

"A vaccine that starts off late, a lockdown that started late. Done in the name of a God that is called money, in the name of shop owners' greed, in the name of businessmen's greed. Until they realize that they are going to get sick and there won't be a place to get treatment here and money won't buy life."

Marcia Reverdosa reported from Manaus, Brazil. CNN's Taylor Barnes and journalist Rodrigo Pedroso contributed to this report.

This story was first published on CNN.com "How one city missed warning after warning until its health system collapsed"
The Verkhovna Rada has supported bill No. 3612 "On the All-Ukrainian Referendum" at the second reading.

Some 255 MPs voted for it at a meeting on Tuesday.

The bill was supported by 226 deputies of the Servant of the People faction, by 20 members of the Dovira (Trust) group and nine non-affiliated deputies, 15 deputies of the Opposition Platform - For Life, 24 from the European Solidarity and 17 from Holos factions voted against, as well as two non-factional deputies. The deputies of the Batkivschyna and For Maybutnie (For Future) factions abstained from voting.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada adopted at the first reading presidential bill No. 3612 on democracy through an all-Ukrainian referendum on June 18, 2020.

According to the bill, the subject of an all-Ukrainian referendum may be issues of approval of the law on amendments to sections I, III, XIII of the Constitution (General Provisions, Elections, Referendum, Amending the Constitution), issues of national importance, issues of changing the territory of Ukraine, as well as on the loss of force of law of Ukraine or some of its provisions.
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Hotels near Heathrow Airport will take at least three weeks to be ready to host travellers arriving to the UK who have to quarantine, MailOnline has learned.

The Cabinet coronavirus operations committee is today finalising an Australian-style hotel quarantine system that will cost up to 1,500 for ten days' self-isolation with meals served to their room and supervised by security.

But as Boris Johnson prepares to sign off the new tighter border controls, a manager at The Holiday Inn on the M4 near Heathrow warned: 'I've heard it's about a three week turnaround to convert them to quarantine centres.'

As the Holiday Inn boss told MailOnline some hotels would not be ready to accommodate guests until the middle of next month, a number of hotels along the A4 Bath Road leading up to the airport remained open and ready to take guests, but staff appeared unaware of the government's plans.

Next to the airport, the Ibis Hotel already has two guests paying 44-an-night to self-isolate after travelling back to England from abroad.

From the outside, the hotel resembles a 1980s office block and the 356 rooms are basic and mostly small containing a Television, a wooden writing desk and bed.

A manager at the hotel said: 'Guests are required to remain in their rooms at all times and must not leave while in self-isolation. We provide room service and have staff on 24-hours if they are needed.

'The rooms are 44-a-night but that doesn't include meals. If people want to quarantine here for ten days it's going to cost about 500.

A plane passes over the Travelodge Hotel at Heathrow as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to approve plans to force some travellers arriving to the UK to quarantine in hotels to limit the spread of new coronavirus variants

The Courtyard Hotel, owned by Marriott, stands empty as thousands of hotel rooms will be filled every day once the quarantine scheme comes in

Terminal 5 at Heathrow was quiet today but thousands of people every day will be expected to head into quarantine for ten days

The Best Western hotel group (Heathrow branch pictured today) is said to be interested in taking part in the quarantine scheme, which involves guests changing their own sheets and towels during their ten-day stay

Holiday Inn is also understood to be ready to open up its thousands of rooms in the UK to people travelling in when the PM brings in a quarantine system

Who will be forced to quarantine and can I upgrade my hotel room? We answer the vital questions about the Government's new Australia-style isolation for travellers Who will be forced to quarantine in hotels? As a first step, British travellers returning from high-risk countries where new strains of the virus have been detected, such as Brazil and South Africa, will be forced to isolate for ten days in airport hotels. Foreign nationals are already banned from entering the UK from these places. The Government is looking at widening the hotel quarantine requirement to all arrivals at airports and ports from everywhere around the world, but wants to pilot the process with a smaller group of people first. Boris Johnson will gather ministers today to sign off on the plans with a decision announced either this afternoon or tomorrow. What will happen on arrival? Travellers who face enforced quarantine will be taken by bus to a hotel where they will have to remain for ten days. Officials have begun talks with hotel groups about block-booking rooms that can be used for isolating. In Australia, people are required to stay in their room the entire time with security guards patrolling the corridors. Hotel staff are forbidden from cleaning the rooms during a person's stay. British travellers returning from high-risk countries where new strains of the virus have been detected must isolate for ten days in airport hotels Can you upgrade your hotel? Travellers will not get a choice of hotel. In Australia, people do not know in advance where they will be staying and are warned there is no guarantee of access to a balcony or open window. What are you supposed to do all day? In Australia, exercise outside is not allowed so guests are encouraged to do stretches or yoga in their room. A guide given to travellers to help prepare for hotel isolation suggests planning different activities to break up the day. Examples given include getting in contact with different friends and family, learning a foreign language on a mobile phone app, trying out a new hobby such as knitting and calligraphy, and catching up on 'life admin'. The advice recommends planning 'rewards' to look forward to such as a phone call with a loved one or the delivery of a treat. People sharing rooms with partners and family members are encouraged to set ground rules for the stays such as scheduling a time each day when everyone does a 'quiet' activity to help avoid disagreements. Last summer an outbreak of coronavirus in Melbourne was blamed on security guards having sex with guests at one of the quarantine hotels. Who pays the hotel bill? The Government will arrange transport for travellers to their accommodation, but they will have to cover the cost of their hotel room, estimated to be about 1,500. The cost of 14 days in a quarantine hotel is 1,692 for an adult in Australia, 1,630 in New Zealand and 642 in Thailand. Advertisement

'We have at least two guests staying with us at the moment who have themselves decided to self-isolate after flying back from other countries.

'Whether this hotel will be included in an official list of quarantine hotels, I can't say at the moment as I don't have that information.'

Along the A4 Bath Road leading to the airport, the Radisson Blu is open to key workers and travellers from abroad as is the London Heathrow Marriott.

The Holiday Inn is a building site as it is currently being converted into a Best Western. The Premier Inn is currently shut. The Renaissance Hotel is open to flight crews and key workers.

The Novotel is open to key workers only but staff said they have no knowledge on quarantine plans. The Crown Plaza on the M4 is closed now to public and is being used as an immigration centre.

During the first lockdown last year, the Holiday Inn Heathrow Ariel was used as a quarantine centre for passengers entering England.

The circular hotel, just off the busy duel carriageway and underneath the thundering Heathrow flight path has seen better days and is now building site.

White panelling on the outside of the building is gaudy and the brickwork looks tired and faded but it is currently being renovated inside to re-open soon as a Best Western Hotel.

Rob Paterson, chief executive of Best Western Hotels, today revealed his hotels would be well-prepared for the expected new quarantine policy.

He said that some sites already have Covid infection controls in place because they have been used to host 'step-down' patients who complete their recovery in hotels to free up hospital beds.

Mr Paterson told BBC Breakfast quarantining customers would like to see reduced prices, a contact arrival process, CCTV and security to stop people leaving and meals delivered three times a day outside the door - along with clean linen and towels.

MailOnline visited the new Heathrow Best Western hotel today but a security guard, hidden beyond seven foot wooden boards surrounding the site, refused to be drawn on plans for a quarantine centre and said simply they were currently closed because of redevelopment work.

He said: 'Will this hotel be a quarantine hotel? I don't know, I can't tell you. All I know is that at the moment, it's closed and being redeveloped. It will re-open again soon as a Best Western Hotel.

Guests staying at the nearby Sheraton Skyline Hotel can pre-book 'quarantine packages' but at a cost of 110-a-night.

The hotel is currently being used by airline staff, one of whom told MailOnline: 'I don't really think too much of the service here to be honest, some of it leaves a lot to be desired.'

A receptionist said: 'The rooms are 110-a-night but have to be pre-booked on our website. As to any official requests made by the Government for opening up our rooms solely for quarantining passengers, I don't think we've heard anything yet.'

It was the same story next door at the Marriott Hotel, where a manager said: 'The list of hotels requested to be used to quarantine people travelling back home from abroad has not yet been decided.

'We expect more Information to be released either later today or tomorrow.

The Renaissance Hotel across the road, meanwhile, is currently open to key workers, mainly flight crew from airlines using Heathrow, but is very quiet.

A member of staff said: 'We are expecting news on which hotels will be used as quarantine centres in the next few days, maybe as early as tomorrow, but at the moment we're in the dark and haven't been told anything.'

The Radisson Blu hotel say they have no plans to become a quarantine hotel while a large Premier Inn further along the Bath Road A4 is currently closed with notices on the reception door saying the decision is in line with the Government's guidance on Covid-19. Snow and ice still coat the pavement outside the hotel.

A Courtyard by Marriott hotel nearby has also been shut down. A lone security guard who came to the door said: 'I don't know when it's going to re-open - maybe next month or March?'

It comes as ministers continue to hammer out the details of plans for 'quarantine hotels' for travellers arriving in the UK today amid warnings that they would bankrupt the UK's travel industry and ruin the summer plans of millions of Britons.

British holidaymakers have cancelled their 2021 summer breaks abroad and European beaches are empty today ahead of an expected decision tonight to introduce an Australian-style system that would see them locked up on their return.

Mr Johnson is expected to sign off on plans this evening to divert travellers entering the UK from high-risk Covid countries into hotels to stop new mutant strains of coronavirus like the ones from Brazil and South Africa entering the UK. But a decision on whether to expand the plan to those coming from other countries would be delayed.

The PM wants to force travellers entering the UK into quarantine hotels for 10 days where guests will change the sheets, empty the bins and be fed airline-style food three times a day while paying 1,500 for the privilege.

Premier Inn (pictured on the A4 near Heathrow) says it is waiting for the Government to publish guidance in relation to quarantine for international travellers before announcing if it will take part

Marriott are also said to have held discussions with the Government having opened its doors to quarantining people in other parts of the world

Radisson (pictured at Heathrow today) says its hotels has also been equipped with resources to handle suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) and is ready to lockdown for quarantine purposes

Novotel (pictured at Heathrow) has been used by the Australian government for quaranting purposes and could do the same for the UK

Luxury hotel group Renaissance has a Heathrow base and its famous Hong Kong Harbour hotel has been used for quarantine in the past year

Who could be exempt from hotel quarantine? Under the Government's current border rules some people do not have to adhere to self-isolation requirements. It is not yet clear if these exemptions would be carried over should ministers press ahead with hotel quarantine. The current exemptions include: Aerospace engineers who need to take a test but do not have to self-isolate. Aircraft pilots and crew who do not need to take a test and do not have to self-isolate. BBC broadcasters who do have to take a test but do not need to self-isolate. A blanket exemption for all journalists ceased on January 18. Medicine workers who do have to take a test but do not need to self-isolate. Crown servants or government contractors who do not need to self-isolate if they are travelling for essential work. Drivers of goods vehicles who do not need to present a negative test prior to departure and who do not need to self-isolate. Elite sportspersons who do have to have to take a test but do not need to self-isolate. None of the above exemptions are valid for travel from countries which are currently subject to a travel ban. Advertisement

But there are grave concerns that the scheme will have no fixed end date - causing havoc for businesses - and may take weeks to set up.

Amid fury from the industry and consumers, a government source told MailOnline the decisions on the plan will 'go down to the wire', adding: 'The meeting will be where the decision is taken. It's not just rubber stamping.'

They also cautioned that some of those coming in might not be able to pay for their own hotel stay, and there might need to be means-tested support.

'There's a problem with Brits with not a lot of money ... you can see it coming like a slow motion steamroller.'

It came as Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said it was 'too early' to book a summer holiday abroad - but some anxious Britons took to social media to admit the warning came too late, with some having bought flights for as early as the half-term holidays in mid-February.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel company The PC Agency, said: 'This is destroying confidence among holidaymakers. People are not booking summer holidays because they don't believe there is an end game which will see these blanket measures removed.

'This is a sure-fire way of destroying Britain's aviation and travel industries. The Government needs to signal that they will withdraw the hotel quarantine rules by the end of March and return to a system of quarantining arrivals from high-risk areas only.'

In a joint statement, the Airport Operators Association and Airlines UK insisted the country already has 'some of the highest levels of restrictions in the world' and that introducing tougher rules would be 'catastrophic'. ABTA has urged all its travel agent members to lobby MPs in a bid to convince Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to agree a multi-billion pound cash bailout for the industry.

A small number of Britons say they are now stuck in Spain and the Canary Islands, where the usually bustling beaches and promenades were largely deserted, as experts fear Mr Johnson's quarantine plan could bankrupt Britain's already ailing tourism industry.

And photographs from some of Europe's most popular resorts, including Benidorm, show its beaches are deserted with bar and restaurant owners telling MailOnline they will go bust if the Brits don't visit this year.

Stuey Lee Lewis, 70, owner of the Geordie Bar Tat in Benidorm's Rincon area, said: 'Things are really bad. We had locals in but we can't survive on locals, we need the Brits. I know they're missing our home-cooked chips, a cold beer and our sun terrace'. Expat Terence Burgess, 74, told MailOnline: 'I was in Benidorm last week and there wasn't a soul about. It was very sad to see. I went to my favourite karaoke bar to sing and I was the only one in there'.

The quarantine measures will lead to a slew of cancellations and people will not book summer breaks in yet another economic hammer blow to holiday firms and airlines, particularly if, as feared, the travel restrictions stretch into the peak season. Industry leaders have called for a better sector-specific bailout package from the Chancellor.

IBIS has been involved in quarantine schemes in New Zealand and India, where car parks were used to allow people in rooms to exercise each day

The Sheraton Group has been open for quarantine in Australia and the United States

But with some 97,939 deaths now recorded, Britain is set to hit the grim milestone of 100,000 lives lost since the start of the pandemic. It will be the fifth country to do so after the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico.

The UK yesterday recorded another 30,004 Covid cases, down almost a quarter on last Sunday, and a further 610 deaths

But the Prime Minister last night said he wanted 'maximum possible protection against reinfection from abroad' to prevent new coronavirus variants jeopardising the vaccination programme. At a meeting of the Covid-O committee at 6pm this evening, Cabinet ministers will consider making it compulsory for all travellers to quarantine at hotels, regardless of their nationality and where they come from. A formal announcement on the agreed scheme may not come until tomorrow.

One government source told MailOnline the decisions on the detail will 'go down to the wire'. The meeting will be where the decision is taken. It's not just rubber stamping.'

They also cautioned that some of those coming in might not be able to pay for their own hotel stay, and there might need to be means-tested support. 'There's a problem with Brits with not a lot of money... You can see it coming like a slow motion steamroller,' the source said.

British travellers arriving back from South Africa and Brazil will be the first forced to quarantine in airport hotels. Boris Johnson will today sign off on plans to toughen border controls by putting new arrivals into isolation.

Passengers arriving into Heathrow Airport have faced chaos for days as they were forced to queue for hours to get through passport control. Pictures of crowds at passport control have become common, raising fears that the lack of social distancing could easily spread Covid.

Change your own bed sheets and meals dropped by your door: Best Western chief reveals grim Covid protocols faced by travellers forced to quarantine in airport hotels for up to 1,500 A large room at the Best Western - Chiswick Palace Hotel British travellers arriving back from high-risk coronavirus hotspots will be made to change their own bed sheets and eat meals in their rooms in an 'entirely contactless and sterile experience' as they are forced to quarantine in airport hotels. Boris Johnson will today sign off on plans to toughen border controls by putting new arrivals into isolation, at their own expense - with a ten-day stay costing up to 1,500. Rob Paterson, chief executive of Best Western hotels group, said the industry was ready to assist protocols of quarantining international arrivals, which would see guests confined to their rooms, with three meals delivered each day to their doors. He said the franchise could mobilise hotels for quarantining travellers returning to the UK, with 5,000 rooms ready 'within 24 to 48 hours' and said it would be an 'entirely contactless and sterile experience'. He told BBC Radio 5 Live today that hotels will operate a one-way system, with travellers checking in via a contactless system before being escorted to their room by a staff member in PPE. They then remain there for ten days, with CCTV cameras in corridors to ensure no one breaks the rules. 'We deliver three meals per day to the door which the occupant comes out and collects those meals and then cleaning is clean sheets and towels waiting outside the room for the person to safely dispose of their previous sheets and change their own to keep the safety and infection protocols high', he said. Advertisement
Ellen Lee DeGeneres, the famous American comedian, turns a year older today, January 26. She is widely loved for making people laugh out loud on her show The Ellen DeGeneres which has hosted numerous celebrities in over 18 seasons on television so far. Apart from several successful stand-up comedies, chat shows, web series, award shows and voice acting, Ellen has a lot that her fans can know about her.

She became a strong and bold personality on TV when, she came out as a lesbian in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, in 1997. She has, since then, been associated with several programs to highlight the LGBT issues. In 2008, she married her longtime girlfriend Portia de Rossi.

Ellen is also known to have bagged several other achievements. She has authored four books, launched her own records company named Eleveneleven, a production company named A Very Good Production, and a lifestyle brand ED Ellen DeGeneres which markets a collection of apparels, baby and pet items.

As she celebrates her 63rd birthday this year, let us know her more through her and her partners Instagram profiles.

A nice thanksgiving post where, with her partner, Ellen wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

This picture is fun to look at. Ellen looks into the camera over her shoulders while Portia laughs out loud at (probably) something funny that Ellen might have said. The description makes things more clear

An adorable video of Ellen enjoying a meal prepared by her wife Portia! Look how the two have fun when alone

Yet another adorable cooking videoWe all were kitchen ninjas during the lockdown but these 2 seem to be on the next level, sneaking from behind and shooting each other on videos, its just fun to watch.

Another interesting video self-shot by Ellen and Portia at the back tells what the new normal for them was like... Hint: Its more than just cooking.

Here's wishing Ellen a very happy birthday!
[January 26, 2021] RollKall Debuts First-of-its-Kind Software Platform Feature and Appoints New CCO

RollKall, provider of the law enforcement industry's only comprehensive online off-duty management solution, today announced the platform's latest feature, RollKall Connect. This service further supports the efforts of RollKall to connect off-duty law enforcement officers (LEOs) to businesses and communities looking to hire them. The official rollout of RollKall Connect coincides with the appointment of B2B tech veteran Tara Bryant as RollKall's Chief Commercial Officer. Bryant will assist in transitioning RollKall customers to the updated software and further the relationship-building processes with law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and businesses across the nation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005305/en/ Tara Bryant, Chief Commercial Officer (Photo: Business Wire) A one-stop shop for LEAs and businesses to set up and manage extra-duty jobs, or "details," RollKall Connect is designed with law enforcement and businesses in mind, simplifying the administrative burdens that managing extra-duty work requires. The platform makes listing jobs, hiring officers, finding jobs and facilitating payments quick and easy for every officer, agency and business involved in the hiring process, from start to finish. With the RollKall platform and new Connect feature, businesses can: Have peace of mind knowing that the officers they hire are empowered to respond and at, not just observe and report.

Support neighborhoods by providing jobs to local law enforcement officers.

Protect their business with a visible crime deterrent.

Post detailed, customizable job descriptions.

View individual officer profiles to find the best fit for their business from Rollkall's community of more than 59,000 uniformed officers.

Manage all facets of the extra-duty staffing process via RollKall's top-rated, easy-to-use mobile app and business portal, from hiring to reporting.



"I can't speak highly enough about RollKall," says Rojas. "As someone who uses it not only to coordinate my agency's extra-duty work, but my own extra shifts as well, RollKall has saved me countless hours spent managing and organizing requests. And as our officers have had more and more visibility in public spaces, our relationships and ties to the community have become stronger than ever. The ease of the platform and transparency it lends to both officers and the business owners fosters positive interactions that traditional extra-duty management just didn't."

"Local police officers know the pulse and heartbeat of their cities," said Steven Power, president at RollKall. "By working these extra-duty details, LEOs are able to support businesses-and in turn, businesses and communities are able to form positive relationships with their local officers through the visibility and transparency our platform creates. That's one of the reasons why we're excited about Tara jumping on board-she brings the perfect marriage of law enforcement and tech expertise RollKall is looking for." With more than 20 years of experience in B2B technology and being in the law enforcement family herself, Bryant is no stranger to innovative solutions and rapidly-growing companies like RollKall-or the nuances of the law enforcement industry. She is passionate about how RollKall can help improve law enforcement and community relations. She also recognizes the importance of RollKall's work to constantly improve and bolster the value of its platform, as shown through its frequent feature updates, like RollKall Connect. "RollKall's mission to connect officers and communities is what first caught my attention," said Bryant of her move. "Police officers already do so much in our communities, and coordinating extra-duty staffing can be a cumbersome process-and substantial time investment. RollKall's software is a great solution to aid in creating positive relationships for law enforcement, businesses, and the community. About RollKall

RollKall partners with Law Enforcement Agencies to make it easy to coordinate and manage every facet of off-duty staffing - from hiring to payment. As the law enforcement industry's only comprehensive off-duty solution, RollKall brings transparency to off-duty security by connecting every stakeholder in the process - businesses, officers, agencies, coordinators and the communities they serve. RollKall's technology has powered more than 29.6 million hours of off-duty jobs across the country. Learn more about how RollKall builds safer communities at www.rollkall.com and on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005305/en/

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A sign marks the headquarters of Moderna Therapeutics, which is developing a vaccine against COVID-19, in Cambridge, Mass., on May 18, 2020. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

Updates on CCP Virus: Moderna Develops New Vaccine for South African Variant

Moderna announced on Jan. 25 that it had developed a new CCP virus vaccine to combat a new South African variant of the virus, with plans to advance it into a phase one study.

First detected in South Africa, the B.1.351 variant spreads faster and is more contagious, but theres still no concrete evidence suggesting that it is deadlier.

In addition, about 149 people have died after getting a CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus vaccine in the United States, according to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

UK Passes 100,000 Deaths as Outbreak Still Rages

More than 100,000 people have died in the United Kingdom after contracting the coronavirus, a year into Europes deadliest outbreak, figures from the government showed Tuesday.

This toll is more than twice as many people as were killed by German bombs in Britain in the 194041 Blitz, and 30,000 more than the total number of British civilians killed during the six years of World War II.

Hong Kong Locks Down One More Area and Mandates Overnight Testing

Hours after the Jordan area re-opened after a 48-hour lockdown, the Hong Kong authorities locked down the Yao Ma Tei area in Kowloon.

Starting from 7 p.m., Jan. 26, residents at 1527 Pitt Street and 3 Tung On Street are required to complete COVID testing by midnight. All are prohibited from leaving the restricted area until the compulsory testing is complete.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at her weekly briefing earlier on Jan. 26 that future lockdowns will involve fewer streets and be more sudden than the Jordan one.

Global Infection Rate Reached 100 Million

Global confirmed cases of the CCP virus passed the 100 million mark on Tuesday.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. Some 8.8 percent of global working hours were lost last year due to the pandemic, roughly four times the number lost in the 2009 financial crisis, but there are tentative signs of recovery, the International Labour Organisation said on Monday.

Frances New Hospitalizations and ICU Treatments Rise Sharply

The number of people hospitalized in France for the CCP virus rose by more than 1,000 over the last two days, a trend unseen since Nov 16, and the number of patients in intensive care units for the disease exceeded 3,000 for the first time since Dec 9.

The countrys COVID-19 death toll was up by 445, at 73,494, the worlds seventh-highest, versus a rise of 172 on Sunday. The seven-day moving average of new fatalities increased to 401, the highest since Dec. 9. Frances cumulative total of cases now stands at 3,057,857the sixth-highest in the world.

Indonesia Confirms Cases Exceed 1 Million

Indonesias confirmed CCP virus infections since the pandemic began crossed 1 million on Tuesday and hospitals in some hard-hit areas were near capacity.

Indonesias Health Ministry announced that new daily infections rose by 13,094 on Tuesday to bring the countrys total to 1,012,350, the most in Southeast Asia. The total number of deaths reached 28,468.

Dutch Police Detain Over 180 in 3rd Night of Curfew Violence

Dutch police detained more than 180 people in a third night of unrest in cities across the Netherlands, where roaming groups of rioters set fires, threw rocks, and looted stores in violence triggered by a night curfew aimed at curbing the CCP virus.

The first curfew since World War Two followed a warning by the National Institute for Health (RIVM) over a new wave of infections due to the British variant of the virus, and was imposed on Saturday despite weeks of declines in new infections.

UK to Help Other Countries Identify New Variants

The UK government said on Tuesday it will offer its genomics expertise to identify new variants of the CCP virus to countries that do not have the resources to do so.

The New Variant Assessment Platform, led by Public Health England (PHE), will offer Britains capacity to analyze new virus strains to other countries who are in need of such expertise. The UK has carried out more than half of all SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences submitted to the global database, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

UK Eyes Quarantine Hotels for Travelers to Curb Variants

Britain appears ready to order some travelers arriving from abroad to isolate in hotels at their own expense in an attempt to stop the import of new virus variants.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said there would be an announcement Tuesday on plans for tighter border measures. The BBC reported that UK citizens and residents arriving from most of southern Africa and South America, as well as Portugal, will have to self-isolate in a hotel for 10 days at their own expense.

Minnesota Detects First Case of Brazil Variant in US

A new Brazilian variant of the CCP virus has made its first known appearance in the United States in a person who recently returned to Minnesota after traveling to Brazil, state health officials announced Monday.

The Brazil P.1 variant was found in a specimen from a patient who lives in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area who became ill in the first week of January, the Minnesota Department of Health said in a statement. Epidemiologists are interviewing the person to obtain more details about their illness, travel, and contacts. There was no immediate indication that the variant was spreading in Minnesota.

Terri Wu, Alexander Zhang, Reuters, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Airbus plant in Hamburg has become a coronavirus hotspot. A total of 21 workers at the aircraft manufacturer have been infected with COVID-19. As a result, 500 workers on an entire shift have been sent into quarantine. The outbreak at Airbus shows once again that workers are completely on their own when it comes to the high health risks to which they are exposed. The company, the authorities and the trade unions and their works council representatives owe their allegiance to the bank accounts of the shareholders rather than the lives and health of the workforce.

Around 12,000 people work at Airbus in Hamburg. There was no press release announcing the infection and quarantine of an entire shift at the Hanseatic citys largest employer, neither from the company nor the IG Metall union, which dominates the works council, nor by the Hamburg health authorities. It was only after the tabloid Bild reported the incident that the Hamburg health authority and Airbus Group felt compelled to confirm the outbreak to the Deutsche Presseagentur (dpa).

The origin of the cases is still under investigation, Airbus told dpa. The employees had been working in two neighbouring halls and using common break rooms, where the virus was believed to have spread. Whether it was a highly contagious strain of the virus that has greater and more dangerous effects in the workforce, the health authority would not be able to say until the middle of the week at the earliest, it said.

Airbus plant Hamburg-Finkenwerder (Image: Oxfordian Kissuth / CC BY-SA 2.0)

In the meantime, thousands of workers continue to be sent to work, although the dangers cannot be assessed. This applies to all 27 Airbus sites in Germany alone.

The Airbus works council in Hamburg, led by Sophia Kielhorn, has explicitly supported this. In the IG Metall shop stewards Facebook group, she rejected any responsibility. We live in capitalism, she wrote to justify her support for the top management. Capital calls the shots there, and the workers representatives can only mitigate and balance things out.

She was supported by other trade union representatives. Marcus Baitis from the shop stewards committee at Premium Aerotec, a supplier and part of Airbus SE, said that the works council and even the shop stewards had no legal basis to force the employer to close the plant.

The strategic adviser for the works councils, Peter Muller, agreed and warned of damages and fines if the union called a strike. This, he said, was playing with peoples livelihoods.

What a distortion of the facts! Since the beginning of the pandemic, the corporations have been playing with the livelihoodsand the livesof their workers and their families. In Germany alone, over 50,000 people have fallen victim to the pandemicover two million worldwideand there is no end in sight. On the contrary, due to the mutations of the virus with even more dangerous contagion potential, an increase in the number of infections and deaths is to be feared.

The self-imposed impotence of the trade unions comes from the fact that they have devoted themselves body and soul to the corporations and their shareholders. No matter how high the price paid by working people with their health and lives, the economy must keep running.

IG Metall Chairman Jorg Hofmann recently stated in the Augsburger Allgemeine that the facts do not support shutting down the industry to reduce the number of coronavirus infections.  Shutting down the industry would have the most severe economic consequences. It was impossible to imagine what would happen if Airbus were to shut down production for months or work only one shift throughout, wrote Kielhorn, head of the works council.

The health and lives of the 12,000-strong Airbus workforce are being permanently subordinated to corporate profits. This also applies to jobs. At the end of June last year, Airbus took advantage of the pandemic and announced it would be eliminating 15,000 of its 135,000 jobs worldwide, including 5,100 in Germany.

The majority, 3,200 jobs in production, administration and other areas, will be in northern Germany. In the plants in Hamburg-Finkenwerder, Buxtehude and Fuhlsbuttel, more than 2,300 jobs are to fall victim to the cutsalmost one in six jobs there. The coronavirus-related slump in orders is expected to cost over 400 jobs in Bremen, around 360 in Stade and 40 at other locations.

As in the question of working despite the dangers of the pandemic, the union and its works council representatives do not see their task as defending jobs. It is the employer that decides on the jobs and thus the livelihoods of the workers and their families, according to the profit interests of the owners and shareholders. The works council regards itself as an accomplice and henchman, who has no choice but to cushion the cuts in a socially acceptable way, as Kielhorn would put it.

As everywhere, Airbus management and the works council have agreed on the now-familiar cuts implementation mechanisms. The company says it will refrain from compulsory redundancies until the end of March. Until then, older employees aged 58 and over, in particular, are being urged to give up their jobs and accept severance payments. Airbus is planning a so-called transfer company in which employees can supposedly be retrained or gain further qualificationsbefore usually being forced into unemployment.

If not enough workers decide to leave voluntarily, the company is threatening compulsory redundancies starting in April.

The coronavirus outbreak at the Hamburg-Finkenwerder plant and the loss of one in six jobs make clear how urgent it is for workers to organise independently into action committees to take the defence of their health, lives and jobs into their own hands.

The first thing to do is to inform workers in all the other plants and demand they receive immediate and comprehensive information about the coronavirus crisis in their workplaces. The continuing refusal to provide information and the conspiracy of the management, the works council and the trade union can no longer be accepted.

If such a massive coronavirus outbreak can occur in the Hamburg-Finkenwerder plant, which has always praised its high safety standards and its comprehensive hygiene concept, then this means it can take place in any plant and is already developing everywhere.

It is necessary to confront the capitalist profit logic. This requires a socialist perspective that places the defence of the health and living conditions of workers and their families higher than the enrichment of management, business associations and investors. This is what the Sozialistische Gleichheitsparte (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) is fighting for.

We call on all workers who are no longer prepared to accept the high risk of infection in the factories, the systematic coverup of infection figures and the continuation of production despite the dramatic spread of the pandemic: Get in touch with us. The struggle to protect health and lives must be linked to the rejection of the attacks on jobs, wages, pensions and working conditions.
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UTICA, N.Y. --- On Wednesday Governor Cuomo announced vaccination sites need to prioritize certain groups of eligible people. Cuomo also said certain eligible populations need to get vaccinated in certain locations. County sites need to prioritize essential workers, Hospitals should vaccinate healthcare workers, and Pharmacies and state-run mass vaccination sites should vaccinate those 65 and up.

This change is causing confusion and frustration among county governments and those getting the vaccine. The Governor did not specifically say these sites should turn away people, but both Otsego and Herkimer county sites have had to turn away eligible individuals at county run sites because of this change.

Otsego County said they had to cancel the appointments of a good chunk of eligible people simply because they were supposed to go get their vaccine somewhere else.

"We had that clinic last week with our 100 doses. Roughly 80 percent of those were people 65 and older. And the day before the clinic we were told we're not allowed to give it to 65 and older so we had to cancel all of those appointments and open it up and other people quickly filled that void," said David Bliss.

In Herkimer County, the county vaccination site is prioritizing essential workers but is now also accepting those and 65 and older. Before, the county said those people were turned away and told to make appointments at either pharmacies or state-run vaccination sites.

"We're dealing with it now, it's been hard on our employees at the sites, it's not fun," said Vincent Bono.

On Monday afternoon, the Governor changing what he said on Wednesday. Cuomo said County health departments should now help vaccinate healthcare workers.

"We need the local governments to focus on it. There are over 200 hospitals statewide. I cant call every hospital and our state department of health cant call every hospital and work out local issues. But, county governments, mayors  please  you know what hospitals are at what percent. Congratulate the high performers and ask the people who are at a lower level what they need to get their percentage up. Because the variance is too great," said Cuomo.

County sites are closed in Oneida County due to a lack of vaccines. Picente said once the county gets enough vaccines to reopen the sites, the county sites will vaccinate anyone who is eligible while addressing the state's priorities.

"As long as we are within those confines and we are doing the priority population, but we will also do the over 65. And if the Governor wants to penalize me for that, then let him have at it."

Oneida County is expected to receive 500 doses of vaccine this week. Only enough for one day of vaccination.
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Tata Motors is all geared up to resurrect the Safari in India on 26 January. People who are interested in bringing the ride home can either head to the company's official website or a company dealership to book their ride. The 2021 Tata Safari, which previously had the moniker Tata Gravitas was unveiled in India during Auto Expo 2020. It is a seven-seater Harrier and is based on the OMEGARC platform. The 2021 Tata Safari features the Impact 2.0 design philosophy and comes equipped with honeycomb mesh grille, chrome tri-arrows, stepped roof, sculpted tailgate, pronounced wheel arches and chrome accents.

The new Tata Safari will be 63 mm longer and 80 mm taller than the Tata Harrier.

According to a report by Financial Express, the new Tata Safari will sport the same dashboard layout as the Harrier but will feature options between a 6-seat layout or a 7-seat layout. The report adds that the Safari will have Tata's iRA connected car tech and inbuilt navigation. The car will have a 2.0-litre turbo diesel Kryotec motor which is tuned to deliver 170hp and 350Nm of torque.

The report adds that a 6-speed manual transmission will be offered as a standard, while a 6-speed automatic will be offered as well. The car is likely to be equipped with rear disc brakes which are not there in the Harrier. Tata Motors is likely to price the Safari between Rs 16 lakh and Rs 22 lakh (ex-showroom).
A new University of Washington study explores the link between a state-level economic benefit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and reports of child maltreatment. Credit: University of Washington

Providing economic relief to struggling families can lead to another positive effectfewer cases of child neglect, according to new research by the University of Washington.

A 10% increase in a common benefit for low- to moderate-income working families, the Earned Income Tax Credit, led to a 9% decrease in the annual number of reports of child neglect made to child welfare agencies over a 14-year study period. That's a significant impact, researchers say, and can inform future social policies.

The study is relevant to current policy actions, as President Joe Biden has recently proposed an expansion of the child tax credit as part of his new stimulus plan.

"The EITC is an important part of the U.S. safety net that has been shown to substantially reduce child poverty. Our results add to growing evidence that policies that improve family economic security can also prevent child maltreatment," said Nicole Kovski, a doctoral student at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the UW.

She is lead author of the study published Jan. 19 in the journal Child Maltreatment.

Child maltreatment is a common problem in the United States, with an estimated one-third of children subject to a child protective services investigation before they turn 18.

The stress of poverty has long been linked to child abuse and family instability, and other research has explored the impact of different economic policies on child-abuse prevention. The UW study is the first to focus on the Earned Income Tax Credit - a program designed to assist lower-income families, often with a tangible benefit in the form of a tax refundand its potential association with reports of child maltreatment made to child welfare agencies across the U.S.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is provided by both the federal government and 28 states, and eligibility and credit size vary with income and family size. UW researchers focused on the generosity of refundable state EITCs, noting that such a benefit has been found to be put toward a family's basic needs.

The research team analyzed the number of child abuse and neglect reports to local and state agencies from 2004 through 2017 and the correlation with the EITC program at the state level. The team hypothesized that the more generous a state's EITC, the more necessities, such as child care or rent, a family can put the money toward, potentially alleviating some of the stress that can lead to child maltreatment. Over the course of the study period, many states altered their level of benefit as a percentage of the federal tax credit, while others generally held steady. Minnesota, for example, provided an average of 33% of the federal credit, depending on household income, while Oklahoma provided 5% of the federal credit before making its EITC nonrefundable in 2016.

With the child abuse and neglect data, the UW team counted all reports of maltreatment, rather than just those reports that were found to be substantiated, reasoning that any report increases the likelihood of a child being victimized in the future. Taking all states into accountthose with and without an EITCduring the study period, states averaged nearly 4,400 maltreatment reports per 100,000 children each year.

When annual state EITC benefits were taken into account, the team found maltreatment reports, particularly those of neglect, declined as benefit levels rose: A 10 percentage-point increase in state-level benefits was associated with 241 fewer reports of neglect per 100,000 children. The effect was even more pronounced in the number of neglect reports on children from infancy through age 5, the age range at which the majority of maltreatment incidents occur.

Put another way, a 10 percentage-point increase in the refundable EITC benefit led to a 9% drop in rates of reported child neglect.

"This study highlights the importance of investigating the impact of social policies on health. Violence is a health issue with multiple forms, such as child maltreatment. An emerging body of evidence is empirically demonstrating that violence prevention can be an added benefit of social policies that were not necessarily enacted with that specific goal originally. This study is the most recent addition to that literature," said Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, an associate professor of epidemiology at the UW, director of the Violence Prevention Section at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, and the principal investigator of the project that supported this study.

While child neglect showed a trend, the link between EITC benefits and reports of specific types of abusephysical, sexual and emotionalwas not statistically significant. Researchers note that child abuse rates, in general, have declined much more significantly than neglect rates in recent decades, while neglect is found in three-quarters of child maltreatment cases.

Child neglect, too, may be more distinctly associated with poverty, past research has shown, potentially making some interventions more effective in preventing certain types of maltreatment than others.

"Child neglect often involves the failure of a caregiver to provide children with necessities, such as food, shelter and basic supervision. Additional income provided to families through the EITC can improve parents' abilities to meet these basic needs," Kovski said.

Researchers say the findings point to the fundamental value of an economic policythe EITCas a child-maltreatment prevention strategy. In other words, proactively improving financial stability among families may mitigate the circumstances that lead to child neglect and abuse.

Explore further Increase in gas prices associated with increase in child maltreatment

More information: Nicole L. Kovski et al, Association of State-Level Earned Income Tax Credits With Rates of Reported Child Maltreatment, 20042017, Child Maltreatment (2021). Nicole L. Kovski et al, Association of State-Level Earned Income Tax Credits With Rates of Reported Child Maltreatment, 20042017,(2021). DOI: 10.1177/1077559520987302
ALPS and Cann Group Limited sign agreement to confirm and vary facility design, construction management and (post) commissioning services

End-to-End, $2.5 Million Agreement for 363,000 sqft High-Tech Greenhouse

Agreement Includes APIS Installation and Ongoing Service Contract

LAS VEGAS and MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Australis Capital Inc. (CSE: AUSA) (OTC: AUSAF) ("AUSA" or the "Company") announced today that ALPS - a company in the process of being acquired by AUSA - through its wholly owned subsidiary Larssen Greenhouse Consulting ("LGC") has signed an updated agreement with Cann Group Limited (Cann) (versus the "Original Agreement" dated 18 March 2018) to confirm the delivery of end-to-end design, construction and (post) commissioning services for Cann's planned 363,000 sqft, high-tech greenhouse near Mildura in north-west Victoria, Australia. Furthermore, as part of the update to the Original Agreement, ALPS will be assisting Cann in the deployment of a computerised compliance and maintenance management system, APIS. Cann also has the ability to enter into an ongoing service and maintenance contract.

Supporting Cann's Facility Construction

ALPS and Cann originally collaborated in 2018 under the Original Agreement when Aurora Cannabis ("ACB") had an ownership interest in Cann. Subsequently, ACB exited its position in ALPS and Cann. During this time, Cann decided on Mildura for its new flagship cannabis cultivation and processing facility. In March 2017, Cann was issued Australia's first medicinal cannabis cultivation licence, and has now embarked on the construction of a state-of-the-art facility.

Cann announced in November 2020 that the company had secured A$50 million (approximately CAD$49 million) secured debt facility with National Australia Bank to be used for construction of the A$112 million first stage of its Mildura project. Phase I of the project, with first product expected to be processed and released by March 2022, is projected to produce approximately 12,500 kg of GMP certified medical cannabis annually. The high-quality flower and extracts from Mildura will be used to supply both the Australian medical market and export markets, such as the EU, UK, New Zealand, South America and other jurisdictions.

Under the terms of the contract with Cann, as varied, ALPS will deliver end-to-end services and solutions related to:

Design & engineering, including (EU) GMP compliancy

Budget management

Construction/project management

Commissioning

Cultivation support & optimization

Workflow automation & optimization

(Preventative) maintenance programs

The $2.5 million contract with Cann builds on work undertaken while both companies were affiliated with ACB and under the Original Agreement. The facility will benefit from ALPS-developed IP, including the installation of an APIS compliance system, further enhancing the considerable anticipated return on investment.

Building on ALPS' Experience

Building on over 30 years of experience in the horticulture industry, ALPS' has become an exceptionally strong brand, known for the delivery of innovation-driven solutions. Growing premium-quality medical and adult use cannabis is very susceptible to environmental conditions, and ALPS, with its constellation of technology partners, is an expert in controlled environments, incorporating the latest solutions for the optimization of a GMP compliant facility's operational parameters, such as preferred mediums, optimum nutrient delivery per cultivar, photo synthetically active radiation levels (PAR), CO 2 , humidity, air flow, trim, dry and prep for packaging. Furthermore, the ALPS approach puts a strong emphasis on workflow optimization, utilizing a high degree of automation. Consequently, projects supported by ALPS are characterized by high-yielding facilities that deliver high-quality products consistently, at low operational costs, significantly lower OpEx compared to similar facilities elsewhere in the industry. This provides a competitive advantage and has resulted in many cannabis companies seeking out ALPS for their new facility initiatives.

Based on this expertise and the strength of its brand, ALPS, in the past seven years, has been involved in over 50 projects in the cannabis industry. In total, the company has been involved in cannabis projects across the globe with a total grow area in excess of 340 acres (~15 million square ft), representing a total cultivation capacity of approximately 2,000,000 kg of high-quality cannabis per annum.

Contract Revision Provides Cann with First Access to APIS System

The Mildura facility will now also benefit from the installation of an APIS system. APIS is a service offering that delivers industrial level compliance solutions for production facilities of any size with particular application to medium to large scale cultivation. APIS also delivers significant value outside of regulated industries through optimization of facility operations including preventative maintenance and KPI tracking. APIS delivers a recurring revenue stream to ALPS, that will make a significant contribution to the revenues and profitability of AUSA. Since launching APIS, ALPS has already received considerable interest, and the company anticipates converting a considerable portion of its business development pipeline into APIS contracts. The contract with Cann includes climate and room monitoring functionality with supportive CSV (Computer Systems Validation) SOPs in support of GMP requirements, as stipulated by Australia's TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration).

Management Commentary

Thomas Larssen, President of ALPS, stated, "This is a significant contract for us in terms of size, and acknowledges the respect ALPS has garnered in the global cannabis space. It also marks the installation of our recently launched APIS offering. We are very pleased to sign this updated and revised agreement with Cann to continue to expand its footprint and revenue generating potential. Australia has one of the most heavily regulated and fastest growing medical cannabis markets in the world, creating challenges that ALPS more than meets through its exemplary track record in developing EU GMP compliant facilities and its APIS compliance and service solution. We are very excited about APIS, which provides us with an offering that generates recurring revenues, and is anticipated to become a significant contributor to our bottom line. Interest in ALPS and APIS is significant, and we anticipate signing numerous deals in the near-term future. "

Peter Crock, CEO of Cann, added, "We are delighted to have signed this contract with ALPS to establish a significant production footprint for Cann to service our rapidly growing domestic and export markets. The choice for ALPS was simple as we know they deliver the best-in-class cultivation facilities in terms of quality, consistency and low-cost of operations. We are also very excited with the implementation of the APIS system which will greatly reduce time and costs involved with meeting compliance requirements while ensuring our facility will operate at with optimized economic efficiencies, ensuring an excellent ROI."

Dr. Duke Fu, Interim CEO of AUSA, commented, "ALPS have developed an amazing network throughout both the cannabis and traditional horticulture industries. As ALPS' innovative approach consistently delivers on quality, timing, low operational costs and yield, this has resulted in a steady flow of new projects. This contract with Cann confirms that ALPS truly is a global player in the cannabis industry. We are progressing well towards completing the acquisition of ALPS (see press release dated January 5, 2021). I look forward to when we formally can welcome Thomas, Terry and their team as an integral part of AUSA, and jointly and successfully execute on our strategy to drive accelerated growth."

ALPS

AUSA is in the process of acquiring ALPS. ALPS is the world's premier design, construction management, commissioning and post commissioning consultancy company for horticultural crops, such as cannabis, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and algae, and includes APIS, its institutional level compliance solutions for both small and large cultivation facilities. ALPS also brings with it the iconic west coast connoisseur cannabis brand, Mr. Natural.

About Australis Capital Inc.

AUSA is implementing a capital light growth strategy towards establishing a highly competitive and profitable MSO in the U.S. and global cannabis markets. AUSA's business lines and assets include investments in Cocoon, Body and Mind Inc., Quality Green, Folium Biosciences, and land assets in Washington. AUSA is currently working towards the closing of a transaction whereby it will acquire 100% of the membership interest in Green Therapeutics LLC, an award-winning MSO with operations in Nevada, Missouri and Oklahoma. Furthermore, the Company is working towards completing the acquisition of ALPS, the world's premier design, construction management, commissioning and post commissioning consultancy for horticultural crops, such as cannabis, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and algae. The ALPS deal includes Terry Booth, founder and ex-CEO of Aurora Cannabis taking the reins of CEO for Australis. Through GT and ALPS, the Company believes it will be able to secure low-cost access to high quality cannabis to fuel the scale up of its award-winning brands across the U.S. and global cannabis markets.

The Company's common shares trade on the CSE under the symbol "AUSA" and on the OTCQB under the symbol "AUSAF".

For further information about AUSA, contact the Company by e-mail at [email protected].

"Dr. Duke Fu"

______________________________

Dr. Duke Fu

Interim Chief Executive Officer

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein is forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects the Company's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the ability of the Company to successfully satisfy the conditions to closing the ALPS and GT transactions,; the ability of management of ALPS and GT to successfully execute on their respective business plans and milestones; legal changes relating to the cannabis industry proceeding as anticipated; the Company's continued response and ability to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic being consistent with, or better than, its ability and response to date.

Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; the actual results of the Company's future operations; competition; changes in legislation affecting the Company; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals; risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic including various recommendations, orders and measures of governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business closures, service disruptions, quarantines, self-isolations, shelters-in-place and social distancing.

A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in the Company's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

Forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. However, the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Australis Capital Inc.

Related Links

www.ausa-corp.com


(Natural News) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health and the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department are investigating the sudden passing of a doctor who developed a rare autoimmune disorder several days after receiving Pfizers coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.

Dr. Gregory Michael, a 56-year-old obstetrician and gynecologist from Miami Beach, received the vaccine at Mount Sinai Medical Center on Dec. 18. Just three days after receiving the vaccine, he developed a rare autoimmune disorder known as acute immune thrombocytopenia, which prevented his blood from clotting. On Jan. 3, his wife, Heidi Neckelmann, wrote in a Facebook post that he had died from a brain hemorrhage.

Pfizer immediately went on the defensive, releasing a statement saying that they do not believe the death was in any way connected to the vaccine. Nevertheless, the company said they had opened an investigation into the case.

There is no indication  either from large clinical trials or among people who have received the vaccine since the government authorized its use last month  that it could be connected to thrombocytopenia There have been no related safety signals identified in our clinical trials, the post-marketing experience thus far Our immediate thoughts are with the bereaved family.

The company also said that nothing in the technology they used gave any indication that it could cause the rare autoimmune disorder.

Since the coronavirus vaccine began to be distributed in the United States, reports have come out of people experiencing side effects, such as sore arms, fatigue, headaches, fevers and dozens of cases of anaphylaxis. (Related: CDC study: Severe allergic reactions to coronavirus vaccines happening at a higher rate than flu vaccines.)

According to Neckelmann, her husband had absolutely no medical issues or any underlying conditions before he received the Pfizer vaccine. She also said that he had never had any kind of adverse reaction to any medication or vaccines.

He was an avid deep sea fisherman and mostly a family man, she added. He never got COVID because he used an N95 mask from the beginning of the pandemic. He was adamant in protecting his family and patients.

Shortly after receiving the vaccine, Michael developed tiny spots called petechiae, which are formed when tiny blood vessels break open. Recognizing that something was wrong, Michael immediately went to the ER, where doctors discovered that his platelet count had gone down to zero. For two weeks, doctors tried to raise his platelet count and medical experts from all over the world were involved in trying to save him.

He was conscious and energetic throughout the whole process, but two days before a last-resort surgery, he got a hemorrhagic stroke caused by the lack of platelets that took his life in a matter of minutes, Neckelmann wrote in her post.

Neckelmann shared the story of her husbands passing on Facebook, where she hopes it can help make more people aware of the vaccines side effects and that it is not good for everyone, and in this case destroyed a beautiful life, a perfect family and has affected so many people in the community.

Watch this special episode of Brighteon Conversations as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, has an illuminating conversation with researcher and analyst Dr. Paul Cottrell, who sends a dire message to America, warning it about the lies being propagated regarding the coronavirus vaccines, coronavirus RT-PCR tests and more.

Expert claims coronavirus vaccine caused the rare autoimmune disorder

Local and federal officials have also begun investigating the death of Michael. While several experts on the matter have agreed that the case was very unusual, they refused to rule out the possibility that the Pfizer vaccine could be the cause.

The Florida health department immediately referred the case to the CDC, who said in a statement that the agency will be evaluating the situation and will provide updates once new information is available.

Darren J. Caprara, a spokesman for the medical examiners office of Miami-Dade County, said that the county is still investigating Michaels death and will soon be conducting an autopsy to identify the cause.

Citing patient privacy laws, Mount Sinai Medical Center refused to comment on the matter.

Dr. Jerry L. Spivak, an expert on blood disorders and an emeritus professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, believes that  based on the information he got from Neckelmanns post  the vaccine is related to the sudden appearance of the rare disorder.

I think it is a medical certainty that the vaccine was related, said Spivak.

This is going to be very rare, he said, in an attempt to not cause panic. However, Spivak also believes that it could happen again.

Spivak based his diagnosis on the fact that Michaels disorder appeared out of nowhere just three days after receiving the vaccine. His hypothesis is supported by the fact that most people who develop chronic ailments that make their platelet counts rocket down are women and people who are already suffering from other health conditions.

A healthy man like Michael should not have suddenly developed such a condition. But the fact that he did suggests that there was a recent trigger, and the only thing that could have triggered the rare autoimmune condition was the coronavirus vaccine.

Dr. Lyn Redwood, president of Childrens Health Defense, said that idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, the disorder that killed Michael, has been known to develop after inoculation with other vaccines.

For instance, the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is known to occur in one in every 25,000 to 40,000 doses of the vaccine. Thrombocytopenia has also been associated with vaccines for hepatitis A and B, human papillomavirus, varicella-zoster, diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis, polio and pneumococcus.

Despite how adamant he is that the vaccine caused this condition, Spivak insists that it should not stop people from being vaccinated. Instead, he believes that knowing more about Michaels case can help doctors devise better treatment plans in case such a disorder occurs again after vaccination.

If you vaccinate enough people, things will happen, he said.

Learn more about the possible dangers of vaccines at VaccineDamage.news.

Sources include:

HumansAreFree.com

NYTimes.com
BOSTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report shows that in the Boston metropolitan region, people of color are overrepresented in the essential jobs that are disproportionately impacted by the ongoing pandemic. The report uses data to identify workforce equity strategies that should be implemented to foster broad economic prosperity.

Advancing Workforce Equity in Boston: A Blueprint for Action, released today by the National Equity Atlas (a partnership between PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute) with the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, SkillWorks, Burning Glass Technologies, and JPMorgan Chase, highlights stark realities for workers in the Boston metropolitan region.

People of color  especially Black and Latinx residents  face systemic and structural barriers to opportunity, and this impact is widespread. According to the data, White workers in Greater Boston with less than a high school diploma earn about the same as workers of color with an associate degree. In fact, deeply entrenched racial inequity cost the region $44 billion in unrealized GDP in 2018 alone. Disparities in the system are felt by the whole region, but workers of color are bearing most of the burden.

"Across our national network of employers, workforce development boards, training providers, and community partners, the situation mirrors what this data reveals: Racial inequities are entrenched in all aspects of the workforce system," said Amanda Cage, president and CEO of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions. "To ensure the system works for everyone, we need to start fixing these issues now."

Key recommendations to build a thriving and inclusive economy include the following:

Leverage the real estate development boom and industry growth to increase union participation and expand apprenticeship and secure public financing for social programs that support workers of color.

Encourage public policy solutions that result in more good jobs and work across systems to expand investments in childcare, housing, and transportation  all with racial equity at the center.

Encourage educational institutions and employers to transition to skills-based hiring.

Invest in robust data collection and reporting systems to uncover inequities, track progress, and drive change.

"No single solution can reverse the decades of systemic inequity built into our local economy  and made more evident during the pandemic," said Andre Green, executive director of SkillWorks at the Boston Foundation, the local partner of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions. "It will take a multi-pronged approach that includes policymakers, employers, workforce training programs, and most importantly, workers themselves to better understand and improve job quality and equity."

As workers across Greater Boston, especially in Black and Latinx communities, continue to face barriers to good jobs, it's critical to work across sectors to address these inequities," said Abby Marquand, vice president of global philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase. "With data-driven insights and collaboration, and as part of JPMorgan Chase's commitment to advancing racial equity and preparing people for the future of work, we can begin to drive a clear path forward to a more inclusive economy."

The report, data and analysis can be found at https://nationalequityatlas.org/research/workforce-equity-boston.

Advancing Workforce Equity in Boston: A Blueprint for Action was developed through a partnership of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, SkillWorks: Partners for a Productive Workforce, PolicyLink, USC Equity Research Institute, and Burning Glass Technologies, with support from JPMorgan Chase .

SOURCE The National Fund for Workforce Solutions
We are honored to receive this designation. Our patients comfort is always a top priority, along with providing them with exceptional oral health care, says Dr. Kimi Patel of Elegant Smiles

Elegant Smiles is a full-service family dental practice located at 1955 Cliff Valley Way in Brookhaven, GA, with the mission of providing, modern dentistry with a touch of class. The talented and experienced dental team excels in multiple facets of dentistry, including general, restorative and cosmetic dentistry as well as pediatric dentistry and dental implants. Their extensive skill set and patient-centered approach to dental care have largely contributed to the practices recognition as a 2021 Top Patient-Rated Brookhaven Dentist by Find Local Doctors. Find Local Doctors is a credible online directory that helps consumers locate reputable physicians and dentists in their geographical area. Elegant Smiles has earned the Top Patient Rated Dentist award due to the numerous outstanding reviews and five-star ratings left by patients. The clinic features cutting-edge equipment, modern amenities and easy scheduling options for a stress-free visit.

Patients in the Atlanta area can receive complete dental care for every stage of life in one place, such as advanced periodontal therapy, porcelain veneers, and dental implants. Elegant Smiles offers patients the convenience of emergency dental care, same-day appointments, in-house financing plans and sedation dentistry.

We are honored to receive this designation. Our patients comfort is always a top priority, along with providing them with exceptional oral health care, says Dr. Kimi Patel of Elegant Smiles.

More about Elegant Smiles:

Dr. Kimi Patel-Dr. Patel was raised in Farmington Hills, MI, and attended the University of Michigan for her bachelors degree in Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Sciences. She attended the University of Michigan College of Dentistry as well. After completing her doctorate she attended an AEGD residency (Advanced Education in General Dentistry) at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Dr. Bijal Patel- After receiving her BS degree from Seton Hall University, she moved to Boston, MA, to complete her D.M.D. at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. To further solidify her education in dentistry, she completed a general practice residency at St. Barnabas Hospital in Bronx, N.Y.

To schedule an appointment or to find out more about the services offered at Elegant Smiles, please visit http://www.dentalatl.com or call (404) 634-4224.
A popular seaside attraction owned by the mayor of Ocean City is in foreclosure and is scheduled to be auctioned at a sheriff sale, according to a court filing this month.

Gillians Wonderland Pier, filled with kiddie rides and other attractions, has been a landmark on the Ocean City Boardwalk for generations.

Mayor Jay Gillian has defaulted on more than $8 million in debt for the property and the creditors, First Priority Bank, have won an action to collect, according to filings in Superior Court of New Jersey.

Gillian did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday, but there was a message on the piers Facebook page.

We want to reassure all of our loyal Guests that Gillians Wonderland Pier will be open for business, as usual, for the upcoming 2021 Season, according to the message, posted Thursday.

Advertisements for the pier say it has been operated by the Gillians for more than 90 years.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com.
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- W. Gerald (Jerry) Flannery, executive vice president and chief legal officer at Hyundai Motor America, will retire on March 1, following 34 successful years at the company. Flannery's distinguished career has been an integral part of Hyundai's U.S. business success story and continued evolution.

"Since nearly the start of Hyundai selling vehicles in the U.S., Jerry has been a trusted counselor and passionate advocate of the brand and our customers," said Jose Munoz, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America. "Jerry's contributions to Hyundai are endless. We wouldn't be the company we are today without his vision, leadership and integrity. We wish him all the best in retirement."

Flannery joined Hyundai in 1987 as senior corporate counsel just two years after Hyundai established operations in the U.S. Flannery also served as the vice president, general counsel and was elevated to chief legal officer in 2003. He is widely recognized as an authority on automotive product liability, regulatory and safety matters and established Hyundai's U.S. safety office in 2016. Flannery also stepped in as interim president and CEO through most of 2017. Prior to joining Hyundai, Flannery was a senior attorney in the office of the general counsel at Ford Motor Company.

"It's been the honor of my career to help Hyundai build and grow its U.S. business," said Flannery. "The Hyundai story has been one of impressive transformation and I'm enormously proud of everything we accomplished together. And I'm confident that the best is yet to come for the Hyundai organization."

Flannery proudly serves as a member of the Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Foundation Board of Directors and was a founding member of the Hyundai Cancer Initiative at CHOC.

Hyundai will immediately commence a search to fill this critical leadership position.

Hyundai Motor America

At Hyundai Motor America, we believe everyone deserves better. From the way we design and build our cars to the way we treat the people who drive them, making things better is at the heart of everything we do. Hyundai's technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assuranceour promise to create a better experience for customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 820 dealerships nationwide and nearly half of those sold in the U.S. are built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea.

Please visit our media website at www.HyundaiNews.com

Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram

SOURCE Hyundai Motor America
The FBI is conducting an investigation on the explosion that happened at a church in El Monte on a Saturday morning that raised tension between the LGBTQ+ community for its stance on same-sex marriages.

The FBI posted a tweet on Sunday asking for help from the public to call them if anyone has tips on who might be held responsible for the "bomb attack", as described by the investigators, that happened at the First Works Baptist Church.

The FBI responded overnight with @elmontepolice & @LASDHQ to an #IED attack at the First Works Baptist Church in El Monte, CA. Bomb Techs & the FBI's Evidence Team continue to process the scene. If you have a tip about the responsible party, please call 3104776565. #SeekingInfo pic.twitter.com/LobrjbrZtx  FBI Los Angeles (@FBILosAngeles) January 23, 2021

According to an article from The New York Times, someone threw an improvised explosive device at the building which blew out the windows.

"An improvised explosive device was apparently detonated here at the church, causing some damage," claimed David Reynoso, El Monte police chief, from a KTLA article.

Apparently, despite the damages done to the church caused by the explosion, no one got injured, said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.

"A joint investigation is underway for the person or group responsible for the attack," Eimiller said.

"We are continuing to investigate and seek information from the public," she added after the FBI finished processing the scene and turned it back over to the El Monte police

While the motive is still unclear, L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said that she was aware of the "anti-LGBTQ+ and misogynistic sermons" given by Pastor Bruce Mejia but added that "violence is never the answer."

In a report, Lt. Christopher Cano said, "When our units arrived at the scene they found that (the church) ... was having some smoke come out of the windows,"

"It appeared that the walls to the church had been vandalized as well as all the windows. (The windows) appeared at first to be smashed, then we realized that the windows were not smashed, that they had actually blown out from some type of explosion." he continued.

The church, which is headed by Pastor Bruce Mejia, has been the target of community protests for the past few weeks due to its stance on the LGBTQ community. Pastor Mejia even filed a report to the police after receiving a threat of arson on social media. He said his doctrines since the church was launched 3 years ago which includes condemnation of same-sex relationships.

A petition made that recognizes the church as a hate group has over 15,000 signatures coming from those who seek to take them out of El Monte.

During an interview, Pastor Mejia implied that bombing their church won't change his point of view.

"It doesn't change the convictions that are already embedded in my heart," Pastor Mejia said. "I'm never going to stop, so burning down my building or blowing it up does absolutely nothing but make you look bad in front of the community."

Mr. Mejia also said on Saturday: "It's not going to really deter us from doing what we always do,"

"We're not afraid of this. It's just a little bump in the road, and we're still planning to have church tomorrow, obviously not at this current location, but we're still planning to have church and once this is all said and done, we're going to go back." he continued.
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Kootenay Silver Inc. (TSXV: KTN) (the "Company" or "Kootenay") announces that an exploration program has been approved by the Cervantes Joint Venture. The plan calls for a two-phase, $1.13 million CDN exploration program in 2021 for the Cervantes porphyry gold-copper property in Sonora, Mexico. The first phase calls for an $85,000 program of sampling and mapping. The second phase is a $1.05 million dollar drilling program to start sometime in the fall. Aztec and Kootenay recently formed a 65/35 joint venture ("JV") respectively and the JV Management Committee met last week to review and approve the 2021 program as detailed by the operator in an Aztec news release today and para phrased below.

The JV plans to commence work in the first quarter on a Phase 1, $85,000 program of soil and rock sampling and geological mapping (525 soils and 150 rocks will be analyzed) to extend the 100 meter (m) by 100m geological and geochemical grid to the north, west and east boundaries of the property. Mapping will focus on detailed lithological, structural, and alteration mapping of the California, California North, and Estrella targets. View: Cervantes Phase 1 Proposed Sampling and Mapping Plan

Subject to the results from Phase 1 and available funding, the JV plans to initiate a Phase 2, $1.05 million, 22 hole, 5,000m reverse circulation ("RC") drill program during the late third quarter of 2021. Four main targets will be tested. View: Cervantes Proposed Phase 2 RC Drilling Plan

At the California target, previously discovered extensive porphyry gold-copper mineralization (drill intercepts up to 0.77 gpt gold over 160m ), the JV will drill 14 infill and step-out holes at a 50m spacing to expand and define the area of mineralization, followed by two 500m deep holes to test the depth extent of the strong IP chargeability anomaly



At the California North prospect, one hole will test the coincident IP chargeability/gold-copper-molybdenum anomaly



At the Jasper prospect, one hole will test the outcropping copper mineralization and copper-molybdenum anomaly



At the Purisima East target, four holes will test the high-grade gold mineralization in the Glory Hole mine working and coincident IP chargeability and gold-copper-molybdenum anomaly within a breccia along the rim of a porphyry intrusion

The primary objectives of the two phase 2021 exploration program are to better define the open pit, heap leach gold potential of the porphyry oxide cap at California, evaluate the potential for deeper copper-gold porphyry sulfide mineralization underlying the oxide cap, test for north and west extensions of the California mineralization at California North and Jasper, and assess the breccia potential of Purisima East.

Cervantes Project Overview

Cervantes is a highly prospective porphyry gold-copper-molybdenum property located in southeastern Sonora state, Mexico. The project lies 160km east of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico within the famous Laramide porphyry copper belt approximately 265km southeast of the Cananea porphyry copper-molybdenum mine (Grupo Mexico). Cervantes also lies along an east-west trending gold belt 60km west of the Mulatos epithermal gold mine (Alamos Gold), 45km west of the La India mine (Agnico Eagle), and 40km northwest of Santana gold deposit (Minera Alamos). View: Cervantes Project Location Map

Large well-located property (3,649 hectares) with good infrastructure, road access, local town, all private land, water wells on property, grid power nearby





Seven prospective mineralized zones related to high level porphyries and breccias along a 7.0km east-northeast corridor with multiple intersecting northwest structures





Distinct geophysical anomalies, California target marked by high magnetic and low resistivity anomalies, high radiometric and chargeability anomalies responding to pervasive alteration





target marked by high magnetic and low resistivity anomalies, high radiometric and chargeability anomalies responding to pervasive alteration Extensive gold mineralization at California zone, 118 soil samples average 0.44 gpt gold over 900m by 600m area, trench rock-channel samples up to 0.47 gpt gold over 222m





zone, 118 soil samples average 0.44 gpt gold over by area, trench rock-channel samples up to 0.47 gpt gold over Already drilled the first discovery hole at the California zone, intersected gold oxide cap to a classic gold-copper porphyry deposit, drill results up to 0.77 gpt gold over 160m





zone, intersected gold oxide cap to a classic gold-copper porphyry deposit, drill results up to 0.77 gpt gold over Excellent gold recoveries from preliminary metallurgical tests on drill core from California zone; oxide gold recoveries in bottle roll tests range from 75% to 87%





zone; oxide gold recoveries in bottle roll tests range from 75% to 87% California geophysical anomaly wide open laterally and at depth, IP chargeability strengthens and broadens to > 500m depth over an area 1100m by 1200m





geophysical anomaly wide open laterally and at depth, IP chargeability strengthens and broadens to > depth over an area by Three-Dimensional IP Survey conducted in 2019 extends strong chargeability anomalies to the southwest covering Estrella, Purisima East, and Purisima West , coinciding well with alteration and Au-Cu-Mo soil geochemical anomalies, all undrilled.

California Target

In 2017-18, while earning into the property, Aztec completed a Phase 1, 17 diamond core hole drill program, totaling 2,675m (see news release dated June 26, 2018). Phase 1 drilling tested the California target 900 m by 600 m gold-in-soils anomaly that averaged 0.44gpt covering hydrothermal breccias within a quartz feldspar porphyry stock intruding Paleozoic siliciclastic sediments.

The Phase 1 drill program consistently intersected an oxidized gold cap to a porphyry-type gold-copper-silver system at California, including multiple 100+ meter widths of exceeding 0.40 gpt gold, spanning an 800m length and a 200m breadth, to a maximum vertical depth of 150m. The area tested by drilling represents only 30% of the surface gold soil anomaly.

Mineralization at the California zone is open in all directions. Highlights of the 2017-18 Phase 1 drill program are as follows:

160m @ 0.77 gpt gold incl 80m @ 1.04 gpt gold, 0.11% copper in 18CER010





@ 0.77 gpt gold incl @ 1.04 gpt gold, 0.11% copper in 18CER010 139m @ 0.71 gpt gold incl 20m @ 2.10 gpt gold, 0.16% copper in 17CER005





@ 0.71 gpt gold incl @ 2.10 gpt gold, 0.16% copper in 17CER005 118m @ 0.63 gpt gold incl 43m @ 1.18 gpt gold, 0.16% copper in 17CER003





@ 0.63 gpt gold incl @ 1.18 gpt gold, 0.16% copper in 17CER003 122m @ 0.60 gpt gold incl 62m @ 0.88 gpt gold, 0.06% copper in 18CER007





@ 0.60 gpt gold incl @ 0.88 gpt gold, 0.06% copper in 18CER007 170m @ 0.42 gpt gold incl 32m @ 0.87 gpt gold, 0.06% copper in 18CER006

Preliminary metallurgical tests on California drill cores were conducted in 2019 (see news release dated March 12, 2019). Drill core samples were grouped into 4 separate types of mineralization: Oxide 1, Oxide 2, Mixed Oxide/Sulfide and Sulfide. The preliminary results of bottle roll tests showed excellent potential for heap leach gold recovery, as follows:

85.1% recovery on 2.0mm material and 94.3% on 75-micron material in sample Oxide 1





87.7% recovery on 2.0mm material and 94.2% on 75-micron material in sample Oxide 2





77.9% recovery on 2.0mm material and 89.0% on 75-micron material in sample Mixed Oxide/Sulphide





51.2% recovery on 2.0mm material and 78.7% on 75-micron material in sample Sulphide

Additional Targets

Purisima East  outcropping gossans, altered and mineralized diatreme breccias and porphyry intrusions marked by a 700m by 600m geochemical soil anomaly in 193 samples that average 0.25 gpt gold, a small historic 'glory hole' mine where rock chip sampling returned high-grade mineralization up to 44.6 gpt gold.

Estrella  outcrops of gossan and sulfides in silicified Paleozoic sediments near quartz porphyry dikes with rock chip samples up to 3.9 gpt gold and 2,010ppm copper.

Purisima West  a mirror image of Purisima East in size and type of gossans, altered and mineralized breccias and intrusions in association with gold and copper soil anomalies.

Jasper  2017 trenching returned skarn/replacement-type mineralization up to 0.52% copper and 0.62 gpt gold over a 92.4m length.

California North  coincident IP chargeability and gold-copper-molybdenum soil geochemical anomalies may be a north extension of the California target

Other targets  porphyry alteration and geochemical soil anomalies mark the Jacobo and Brasil prospects but more work is required to expand and define these targets.'

James McDonald, B.Sc., P.Geo., is the Qualified Person for Kootenay Silver who reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release.

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.'

About Kootenay Silver Inc.

Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico and in British Columbia, Canada. Supported by one of the largest junior portfolios of silver assets in Mexico, Kootenay continues to provide its shareholders with significant leverage to silver prices. The Company remains focused on the expansion of its current silver resources, new discoveries and the near-term economic development of its priority silver projects located in the states of Sonora, Sinaloa and Chihuahua, Mexico, respectively.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

The information in this news release has been prepared as at January 25, 2021. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Kootenay as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, Kootenay expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Kootenay's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Cautionary Note to US Investors: This news release may contain information about adjacent properties on which we have no right to explore or mine. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

This press release uses the terms "Measured", "Indicated", and "Inferred" resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a Mineral Resource is economically or legally mineable.

SOURCE Kootenay Silver Inc.

Related Links

https://kootenaysilver.com/


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 02:16:52|Editor: huaxia

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HELSINKI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Finnish economy is likely to grow by three percent in 2021, and by 2.6 percent in 2022, predicted OP Financial Group, one of the largest financial companies in Finland, in a press release on Tuesday.

"The economic outlook is basically very clear. There will be stronger recovery as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes as a result of large vaccination coverage," said Reijo Heiskanen, OP Financial Group's Chief Economist, in the press release.

"Of course, there is still uncertainty related to the development of the pandemic itself. However, uncertainty concerning the economy will grow only after the boost following the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis is nearly over," Heiskanen said.

With the vaccination rates increasing, the economies in Finland and abroad will start to recover more strongly. However, the boost brought about by the improvements in the health situation will be rather short-lived, it said.

The service industry in Finland has suffered the most from the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to service consumption and the export of services, the health situation has not had similar direct consequences to the development of industry and construction. For this reason, service sector development is the key to recovery, it said.

"This year and next year will mark the period for recovering from the COVID-19 crisis. After this -- or perhaps already during next year -- we will face reality and must adapt to it. One major concern is that export represents too small a share of our national product, which must not be forgotten even during the period of economic recovery," Heiskanen said.

The second COVID-19 wave may delay recovery, but when recovery accelerates, the employment rate in Finland will increase to 72.6 percent next year, which is slightly above the 2019 level of 72.5 percent, according to OP Financial Group.

In 2022, the unemployment rate in Finland will decrease to 7.2 percent, which is somewhat higher than the 2019 level of 6.7 percent, it said.

As to the global economy, OP Financial Group forecast that it will grow this year by 5.6 percent and by 3.8 percent in 2022.

The industry sector and the global economy have recovered from the COVID-19 crisis faster than the service sector partly thanks to China and other emerging economies, it added. Enditem
Former US president Donald Trump. A Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that 51pc of Americans thought the Senate should convict

The first steps in a historic impeachment of Donald Trump were taken yesterday.

The US House of Representatives formally charged former president Trump with inciting insurrection.

The charge is based on his fiery speech to his followers before this month's deadly attack on the Capitol.

Nine House Democrats who will act as prosecutors walked through the building, carrying the article of impeachment to the Senate where Mr Trump will face trial.

A similar ceremony was carried out for Mr Trump's first impeachment trial last January.

Firsts

It marks two historic firsts - Mr Trump is the only US president to have been impeached by the House twice and will be the first to face trial after leaving office.

The significance of the move is the fact a conviction in the Senate could result in a vote to ban him from future office.

Leaders of the Senate, which is divided 50-50 with Democrats holding a majority because of the tie-breaking vote of Vice-President Kamala Harris, have agreed not to start the trial until February 9.

That gives Mr Trump more time to prepare a defence and allows the chamber to focus on President Joe Biden's early priorities, including Cabinet appointments.

After a two-month campaign to try to discredit his election defeat, Mr Trump on January 6 urged his followers to "fight" to overturn the result. A mob later descended on the Capitol, sending lawmakers into hiding and for several hours delaying Congress' formal certification of Mr Biden's victory.

Ten House Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach Mr Trump, a step akin to an indictment in a criminal trial. Senate Democrats will need the support of 17 Republicans to convict him, a steep climb given Mr Trump's continued popularity with Republican voters.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that 51pc of Americans thought the Senate should convict Mr Trump. That largely broke down along party lines, with less than two in 10 Republicans agreeing. Multiple Republicans, including the party's Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, have condemned the violence and criticised Mr Trump for allegedly inciting it.

Republican Senator Mitt Romney told CNN on Sunday the trial was necessitated by Mr Trump's inflammatory call to his supporters.

"I believe what is being alleged and what we saw, which is incitement to insurrection, is an impeachable offence. If not, what is?" said Mr Romney, a frequent critic of Mr Trump and the only Republican to vote to convict at his first impeachment trial.

But a significant number of Republican lawmakers have raised objections to the impeachment. Senator Marco Rubio pronounced the trial "stupid" and "counterproductive" on Fox News Sunday.

"We already have a flaming fire in this country and it's like taking a bunch of gasoline and pouring it on top of the fire," Mr Rubio said.

The case is a simpler one than Mr Trump's first impeachment, which focused on a phone call with Ukraine's president that was disclosed by a whistleblower.

In this case, the actions played out in a public speech and a separate phone call to a Georgia election official released to the news media.

Mr Trump was acquitted in his first trial last year, which took nearly three weeks and dealt with charges the president had abused his power and obstructed Congress over his call pressing Ukraine to investigate Mr Biden. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday the second trial would be fairly quick.

Healing

"Everyone wants to put this awful chapter in American history behind us. But sweeping it under the rug will not bring healing," he said.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close ally of Mr Trump who has been helping him build a legal team, urged the Senate to reject the idea of a post-presidency trial - potentially with a vote to dismiss the charge - and suggested Republicans will scrutinise whether Mr Trump's words on January 6 were legally "incitement".

Mr McConnell, who said last week that Mr Trump "provoked" his supporters before the riot, has not said how he will vote.
Republic Day 2021: Here are a few interesting facts about this day

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Jan 26: Republic Day is celebrated every year in India on January 26 to commemorate the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect, in the year 1950, and the country became a republic. This year, in 2021, the nation is celebrating its 72nd Republic Day.

The Indian Republic Day is celebrated all across India with lots of patriotism and fervour. At Rajpath, in Delhi, magnificent parades by regiments of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, police, and paramilitary forces are witnessed.

India's defence prowess is on display too, with the latest missiles, aircraft, and weapon systems. Beautiful tableaus, representing the uniqueness of all the states of India are also showcased during the parade. The celebration usually ends with numerous air shows and flypasts by the Indian Forces.

Check here few interesting facts about India's Republic Day:

The first few venues for the Republic Day parade were National Stadium, Red Fort and Ramlila Maidan, and not Rajpath.

At the first parade in Rajpath at 1955, the chief guest was Malik Ghulam Mohammad, the Governor-General of Pakistan.

India didn't have a chief guest for the Republic Day parade in 1952, 1953, and 1966.

India have received the President of France as the chief guest the most number of times ie five.

Another interesting fact is that Indian soldiers march significantly faster than those from other countries. When the French practised last year, they marched at the rate of 106 beats per minute as against 120 beats per minute of the Indian soldiers. The French were actually asked to increase their speed.
President Biden announced Tuesday that his administration would purchase an additional 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine as part of a plan to deliver enough inoculations for 300 million Americans by the end of the summer.

In remarks delivered from the White House, Biden said that the U.S. would purchase 100 million doses of the two-shot vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna, the two companies whose immunizations have been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration. With that move, Biden said, the country would increase its vaccine inventory from 400 million doses to 600 million.

President Biden speaking at the White House on Tuesday. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

This is going to help make sure governors, mayors and local leaders have greater certainty around supply so they can carry out their plans to vaccinate as many people as possible, said Biden, speaking to a group of reporters in the White House State Dining Room.

As of Tuesday, 23,540,994 Americans had been vaccinated for COVID-19, according to the CDC, meaning that the Biden administration will have its work cut out for it to meet its summertime goal.

Biden said the federal government would be increasing weekly vaccine supply to states, territories and Native American tribal areas from 8.6 million to 10 million. Governors will be given increased transparency about the administrations plan of action, including a three-week forecast for vaccine allocations, he added.

Biden underscored the grim reality that the pandemic was likely to worsen in the coming weeks and urged Americans to keep wearing masks as the government ramps up its vaccination effort.

In the next few months, masks, not vaccines, are the best defense from COVID-19, he said.

The pandemic is at a precarious point, health officials say, with multiple COVID-19 mutations having been identified in recent weeks and U.S. deaths from the disease expected to top 500,000 next month. Last week, top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters that a U.K. strain believed to be twice as transmissible and more deadly than the original has been detected in over a third of U.S. states. Troubling, too, is a South African mutation of the virus that has been found to evade antibodies, which will affect the efficacy of the current vaccines. The South African variant has not yet shown up in the States, Fauci said. The chief medical officer for Moderna told the New York Times this week that the company was working on a mutation-proof vaccine as an insurance policy.

Story continues

A pharmacist administers a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in Sumter, S.C., on Tuesday. (Micah Green/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In his remarks on Tuesday, Biden directed blame for the slow rollout of the two COVID-19 vaccines to his predecessor.

Its not [a] secret, he said, that the vaccine program is in worse shape than we anticipated.

Last week, Biden promised to deliver 100 million shots in the first 100 days of his presidency. Its not an especially lofty goal, given that the U.S. already administers 912,000 doses per day. In fact, reporters pressed the president and his team on whether they should be aiming higher. On Tuesday, Biden claimed he was already doing that.

I also want to be clear, 100 million shots in 100 days is not the endpoint. Its just the start, he said.

But as new and more infectious strains of COVID-19 continue to spread and a significant portion of Americans express reservations about receiving a vaccine  particularly in Latino and Black communities  achieving even a modest increase in immunizations could prove challenging.

Biden signed executive orders last week aimed at increasing testing and vaccination. The orders also direct more funding for the production of personal protective equipment, lay out a framework to reopen K-12 schools and tighten travel restrictions to and from the U.S.

The Biden White House has also submitted a lofty $1.9 trillion COVID relief package to Congress. Republicans, however, have balked at the price tag, and the prospect of passing the legislation remains in doubt.

Things are going to continue to get worse before they get better, Biden concluded, adding, and to a nation waiting for action, let me be clearest on this point: Help is on the way.

_____

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Nominee for U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 19, 2021. (Graeme Jennings/Pool/Getty Images)

Senate Confirms Blinken as Bidens Secretary of State

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed President Joe Bidens nominee for secretary of state.

Antony Blinken, a longtime aide to Biden, was approved by a vote of 78-22 in the upper chamber. His predecessor is former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

His confirmation was welcomed by most Democrats and some Republicans, as well as the U.S. Foreign Service political association.

Leadership of the Department of State, our nations oldest cabinet agency, represents a great responsibility, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) said in a statement after he was confirmed. As we have done for his predecessors, AFSA extends our congratulations and welcome to Secretary Blinken. We wish the Secretary and his team the best of luck in the years ahead. AFSA and its members pledge to work alongside them to strengthen the career Foreign Service and protect and enhance the institution that is American diplomacy.

Blinken, during his confirmation hearing in the upper chamber last week, told senators that he would re-engage with Congress on key foreign policy initiatives.

Regarding the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which Pompeo has described as the greatest threat to the United States, Blinken said former President Donald Trump was right in taking a tougher approach to China.

I disagree, very much, with the way that he went about it in a number of areas, but the basic principle was the right one, and I think thats actually helpful to our foreign policy, Blinken said. He did not elaborate on what steps he would take to counter the CCP.

He was pressed about whether the United States would rejoin the controversial 2015 Iran nuclear deal that it left under the Trump administration.

The President-elect believes that if Iran comes back into compliance, we would too, Blinken said on Jan. 19, referring to Biden. But, we would use that as a platform with our allies and partners who would once again be on the same side with us, to seek a longer and stronger agreement. And also, as you and the chairman have rightly pointed out, to capture these other issues, particularly with regard to missiles and Irans destabilizing activities. That would be the objective.

The confirmation follows the Senates approval of Avril Haines for Bidens pick as director of national intelligence, which leads the nations 18 intelligence agencies, as well as Lloyd Austin for secretary of Defense and Janet Yellen to head the Department of Treasury.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggested Blinken would lead the U.S. into foreign entanglements and wars.

Mr. Blinken has been a full-throated advocate of military intervention in the Middle East for 20 years, he said last week, citing Blinkens support for the military interventions in Iraq, Libya, and Syria. Paul described Blinken as more of the same, saying he is part of a coalition of Republicans and Democrats who support American interventionism and the military-industrial complex.
Mexico's president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that Joe Biden told him the U.S. would send $4 billion to help development in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala - nations whose hardships have spawned tides of migration through Mexico toward the United States.

Lopez Obrador, who spoke Friday with Biden by phone, said the two discussed immigration and the need to address the root causes of why people migrate.

Mexico has stopped recent attempts by caravans of Central American migrants to cross Mexico.

Biden's call with Lopez Obrador also came at a tense moment - days after the Mexican president accused the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of fabricating drug trafficking charges against the countrys former defense secretary.

Offer: Mexico's president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador - known by his initials AMLO - said Joe Biden told him he wanted to get $4 billion in aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador

Dispersed: A migrant caravan which tried to make its way north from Honduras to Guatemala was broken up just 30 miles across the Guatemalan border last week, before Biden's inauguration

While Mexico continues to pledge to block mass movements of Central American migrants toward the U.S. border, there has been no shortage of potential flashpoints between the two countries.

Mexico demanded the return of former Defense Secretary Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos after he was arrested in Los Angeles in October, threatening to restrict U.S. agents in Mexico if he wasn't returned. U.S. prosecutors agreed to drop charges and return Cienfuegos to Mexico.

But Mexico passed a law restricting foreign agents and removing their immunity anyway, and went on to publish the U.S. case file against Cienfuegos, whom Mexican prosecutors quickly cleared of any charges.

Lopez Obrador said in a statement Friday that the conversation with Biden was 'friendly and respectful.'

The White House said Biden mentioned 'reversing the previous administrations draconian immigration policies.'
WASHINGTON (WTVA) - U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is against the conviction of former President Donald Trump.

Wicker issued the following statement Monday:

Impeaching President Trump is a mistake. The effort to remove a President who is no longer in office raises serious constitutional questions and threatens to delay national healing. This article of impeachment was rushed through the House of Representatives shortly after the Capitol riot without hearings or any careful consideration of evidence or precedent.

A second impeachment trial is sure to inflame partisan tensions and could poison the cooperative spirit we need in a 50-50 Senate. I fear it will also bring more reproach on Congresss solemn impeachment power, which should be used sparingly and with sober deliberation. The Senate has important business to do and should not be held up by a pointless and divisive delay.

I will vote to dismiss this article of impeachment against President Trump.

The former president is accused of inciting the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

The U.S. House voted to impeach Trump on Jan. 13, making him the only president to be impeached twice.

Related - Trump impeached after Capitol riot in historic second charge

Members of the House sent the article of impeachment to the U.S. Senate on Monday. The Senate is set to start the trial the week of Feb. 8.

Senators will either convict the former president or dismiss the charge. The vote is expected to be along party lines.

Related - Trump impeachment trial takes shape
HYDERABAD: Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday praised DRDO scientists and engineers for taking India close to self-reliance in missile technology with their hard work and perseverance.

After inaugurating two new facilities at the Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Missile Complex here, he visited the exposition of technologies by Missile Complex Laboratories and said that he was elated to see the indigenous products.

I felt reassured about the security and capability of the country given the tremendous progress made by DRDO scientists in developing self-reliant missile technology, Naidu said.

He expressed confidence that DRDO experts will ensure that Atmanirbhar Bharat will attain a position from where the world will be Bharat Par Nirbhar (dependent on India).

Noting that the Akash missile system has recently been put into the negative list of items for import by the defence ministry, he called it a commendable achievement by the DRDO.

"It means that India is now self-reliant in this kind of missile system and so the armed forces need not import similar missile systems", he said.

Referring to the limitations faced by India in having access to high-end missile technology of developed countries prior to the signing of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in 2018, he said that DRDO turned this crisis into an opportunity by developing a range of indigenous missile systems. India, he said, was now trying to shift its status from being one of the largest importers of defence products to one of the top exporters of defence items.

Referring to the rapidly changing technological landscape, the Vice-President asked DRDO to redefine its focus on strategic defence technologies and outsource activities that can be carried out by capable private sector participants.

Maintaining that India's fight against Coronavirus tells a successful story of containing the virus, Naidu said that Indian heroes in this fight were police forces, medical fraternity, scientists and technologists and providers of essential commodities and services.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
Three people were injured in a knife attack, which allegedly stemmed from the loud karaoke noise from a house party in Ho Chi Minh City.

Police of Binh Chanh District in Ho Chi Minh City have commenced their investigation into the assault on T., 25, from the locale, as well as his father and one of his friends, a source told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday.

According to a preliminary probe, T. was singing karaoke and drinking at his house alongside three of his friends when a group of four approached and attacked them with a knife and metal tubes.

The perpetrators said they had been annoyed at the overbearing karaoke sounds from T.s house before slashing him and one of his friends.

Seeing the trouble, T. father tried to intervene but was also injured from the knife attack.

The offenders left the scene shortly after.

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CUNA Senior Economist Jordan van Rijn spoke with The Simple Dollar recently on mortgage forbearance and what borrowers should do regarding future forbearance. The CARES Act allows homeowners to apply for a six-month forbearance period and one additional six-month extension. This has been extended through Feb. 28.

Van Rijn notes that credit union members should talk to their credit union if they need help beyond the forbearance period.

Credit unions in particular, as nonprofit member-owned financial institutions, are more likely to work with their members to try to help them out, he said. This may include flexible installment plans, refinancing, or restructuring the loan. In most cases that we are aware of, the skipped payments are simply added to the end of the mortgage such that the borrower doesnt have to pay the entire amount that was missed while he/she did not make payments.

He also noted the uptick in mortgage refinancing, says its generally best to refinance if you plan to stay in your home for at least five years and would save 0.5%.
The Deputy Communications Director of the ruling NPP, Mame Yaa Aboagye has eulogized President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for listening to the plea of Ghanaians to reduce the size of his government.



According to her, what President Nana Addo has done is laudable and a clear indication of a listening President.



Mame Yaa also described him as a results-oriented President who will stop at nothing to better the lives of Ghanaians.



"Indeed, the President has once again proven to be a listening government and a great leader to Ghanaians. Let us applaud him for being bold to reduce the size of Ministries. NPP government is a listening and results-oriented government. We are here once again to serve and deliver on our promises to break the eight (8) year chain."

Source: peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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This investment proves INFiLED's commitment to the ongoing growth in the LED market to meet the varied and growing needs and expectations of industry customers. The brand-new full-renovated space of 500m 2 located in the center of Barcelona serves as working space for the European Sales and Marketing team as well as a facility filled with INFiLED's latest products for both fixed and rental installations. The city has been voted as best location to host ISE starting 2021 and today is one of the most important and promising World Tech Hubs.

"We're proud and excited to present our brand-new Showroom in Barcelona where visitors will experience a unique presentation of our LED display solutions," said Marco Bruines, Sr. Vice President of INFiLED EMEA. "Our world is changing and same does our industry. With today's extreme global travel limitations, it became important for us to execute and finalize this project in order to be closer to our EMEA partners and customers. If the country regulations allow it, we gladly invite customers here to show our latest technologies and discuss their projects."

INFiLED maintains the companys Office and Warehouse facilities in The Netherlands as well as its Sales Offices in Germany, France and UAE.

To schedule a visit, contact INFiLED at: [email protected]

For more information about INFiLED's worldwide network: http://infiled.com/Worldwide-network/

About INFiLED

INFiLED is a leading high-tech enterprise specialised in developing and manufacturing large LED video equipment. INFiLED's product application range covers advertisement, transportation, sports, events, command & control, corporate branding and meeting rooms, creative applications and many more. With installations in over 85 countries and over 135 patents, one of the highest numbers in the industry, INFiLED has become a top brand of LED screen manufacturing striving to enlighten the world with a visual feast!

CONTACT:



Daniel Xiao

Marketing Manager

Shenzhen INFiLED Electronics Co.Ltd

Tel: +86 15816855028

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.infiled.com

SOURCE INFiLED

A man is due in court in relation to the theft of thousands of euros in cash from church collection boxes across East Cork.

Officers in Midleton say they began a surveillance operation after a local priest reported that a man was captured on CCTV using a wire hook to lift cash donations from a collection box.

When Gardai went to arrest the man in question, he fled the scene in a car and travelled on the N25.

Gardai pursued the man from a safe distance until eventually his car was stopped near the Jack Lynch Tunnel.

When garda officers searched the man's car, a wire hook similar to the one seen in the CCTV footage was discovered.

The man, aged in his 50s, was then arrested and brought to Cobh Garda Station.

He was detained there under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, and has since been charged.

Dates of each of the alleged incidents are listed below:

Carrigtwohill on January 23 and 24

Dungarvan on January 15

Cloyne on January 23

and Shanagarry on November 21, 2020

It is not yet known exactly how much cash was stolen.

The arrested man is due to appear before Mallow District Court this morning.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 19:32:34|Editor: huaxia

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VIENNA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) daily basket price stood at 54.85 U.S. dollars a barrel on Monday, compared with 54.69 dollars per barrel on Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations released Tuesday.

Also known as the OPEC reference basket of crude oil, the OPEC basket, a weighted average of oil prices from different OPEC members around the world, is used as an important benchmark for crude oil prices. Enditem
One by one, they came before the Zoom lens with their stories, each based on individual experiences but with common themes.

They spoke of living in fear and seeing families disrupted. They said theyd come to the United States to work and for freedoms not afforded them in their home countries.

Most of all, they pleaded with President Joseph Biden to show them the understanding they say the Trump administration did not.

The National Sanctuary Collectives virtual press conference Tuesday called on Biden to include in his new immigration policies those now living in sanctuary in churches, including in Northampton and Amherst.

People who have been in quarantine for nearly a year (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) may have a slight idea of what sanctuary life is like, said Irida Kakhtiranova, a Russian immigrant facing deportation who has been living in the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence for 34 months.

To Kakhtiranova, sanctuary life is much worse that quarantine because every outside movement brings risk of legal action or even deportation.

It means living in fear and uncertainty, she said. It means depending on others to feed your family. It means looking into your childrens eyes and holding back tears, even while your heart is breaking.

Houses of worship have provided a home for immigrants living in the country illegally, but Kakhtiranova and other said they yearn to live more normal lives than being sheltered in a church for years.

It is estimated that 11 million immigrants live in the United States without legal permission. Sanctuary leaders say Trumps policies and threats prompted many to seek safety in houses of worship.

Their leaders are asking, demanding and pleading with Biden to enact policies allowing them to circulate and work without fear of deportation or the breakup of families.

Rosa Sabido has lived and worked in the United States for 30 years, yet was forced to seek sanctuary at a Colorado Church in 2017. Sabido, who was part of a group that met with the Biden transition team Jan. 5, said she is optimistic the new administration will, as she put it, free families in churches, though she also said the word sanctuary has yet to be spoken in any Biden immigration policy speeches.

The presidents executive order  signed Jan. 20, the day he was inaugurated  pledged in part to protect national and border security while addressing the humanitarian challenges at the southern border, and ensure public health and safety.

We must also adhere to due process of law as we safeguard the dignity and well-being of all families and communities, the order read.

Biden promised to reset the policies and practices for enforcing civil immigration laws to align enforcement with these values and priorities, but did not specifically mention sanctuary families.

One speaker on Tuesdays Zoom press conference said she was from Amherst, but preferred to withhold her name. She said undocumented immigrants and their families faced challenges before Trump became president, but that immigration officials had been allowed a level of discretion under the Obama administration before Trump took that away.

The woman described her daughter as a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) student and an essential worker. In her own years of experience, she said shes held jobs, had a work permit and was allowed to remove her ankle monitor, but that Trumps arrival changed everything.

I checked in faithfully with ICE (Immigration and Custom Enforcement) for 10 years. But after Trump came, even the demeanor of immigration officials changed, she said.

If sanctuaries didnt exist, our family would have been destroyed or separated, said Lucio Perez, who has been living in the First Congregational Church in Amherst since 2017. Thank God they opened the churches, but I dont wish this on anybody.

The former Springfield resident faced deportation to his native Guatemala for entering the U.S. illegally.

Ive been in this country 20 years, Perez said. Im a father of four and I came here to work. We dont want just false words.

We are tired of living in fear and confinement. We are tired of being ignored, overlooked and left behind, Sabido said.

People value a dog or a cat so much. Were human beings, yet we havent come close to (receiving) that level or love and value, Alirio Gamez said.

Many speakers were from Guatemala, though other countries, including Honduras, were also represented. Maria Chavalan Sut, 47, says she fled Guatemala because of racism against indigenous people such as herself.

We lived in the mountains like animals. Thats why I came to this beautiful country, the United States, Sut said.

As they wait to see whether Bidens immigration policies will embrace them, sanctuary leaders said they remain misunderstood. Many invoked Christian faith in their messages.

We are appealing to (Bidens) heart to help get us out of the shadows, said Maria Merida, who described herself as a sanctuary mother in Massachusetts.

We came here to work, she said. We dont have criminal records. Ive been in the United States for 27 years and I have three children who are U.S. citizens. We are asking that please, get to know us and who we are, and give us our freedom.
(@FahadShabbir)

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Jan, 2021) In order to support the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) and the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi in implementing a robust vaccination programme against COVID-19, Mubadala Health is mobilizing its network to administer COVID-19 vaccines to members of the public. The vaccines are made available at locations in Abu Dhabi City, Al Ain and Mussafah, with the potential to expand the programme in the near future.

The vaccination will be provided free of charge to UAE citizens and residents aged 16 and over at various locations including Mubadala Healths own medical facilities. No appointments are necessary at the Healthpoint or Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC) or Mubadala Health booth at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and soon its centre at Masdar City, while applicants at other locations, including the booth coming up at The Galleria Al Maryah Island, can book for their vaccine appointment.

Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala Health, Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, said, "We are proud to be part of this vaccination programme, which continues to demonstrate the UAEs ability to mount an agile and effective response to the pandemic through collaboration between the public and private sectors.

By leveraging Mubadala Healths infrastructure and working with other partners, we can ensure that more segments of the population will have easy access to the vaccines. In addition, we are actively working on adding new vaccination centres and mobile clinics at various locations outside of our network and facilities."

He explains that all of the Mubadala Health network assets, namely ICLDC, Amana Healthcare, CHSC, Healthpoint, Abu Dhabi Telemedicine Centre (ADTC) and National Reference Laboratory (NRL) will jointly provide the locations, resources and staffing needed. ADTCs role will include answering email enquiries and directing the public to their nearest centre.

MoHAP is currently aiming to vaccinate more than 50 percent of the UAE population during the first quarter of this year, with particular emphasis on the elderly, people of determination and people with chronic diseases.

The vaccine is immediately available via Mubadala Health to citizens and residents aged 16 and older with an Emirates ID and the free AlHosn app downloaded on the mobile phones.
Label manufacturer will create 80 jobs

Project represents more than $9 million investment in Maury County

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Documotion Research, Inc. officials announced today that the company will establish new manufacturing operations in Maury County.

This will be the companys first operation outside of California, where it is headquartered. The project represents an investment of $9.3 million and creation of 80 jobs.

Documotion will renovate an existing building at 971 Greenlick Court in Columbia. Once complete, the facility will be Documotions new manufacturing operations for point-of-sale labels.

Headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., Documotion manufactures labels for various business sectors including food service, healthcare, retail, libraries, inventory management and others.

In the last five years, TNECD has supported nearly 20 economic development projects in Maury County, accounting for approximately 4,000 job commitments and more than $3 billion in capital investment.

QUOTES

I welcome Documotion to Tennessee and thank everyone who came together to bring this project to fruition. Im confident that Columbias highly-skilled workforce will be a valuable asset to the companys growth, and I look forward to seeing how Documotion will further strengthen Maury Countys business landscape.  Gov. Bill Lee

TNECD is proud to welcome another California-based company to Tennessee. The recent influx of West-Coast companies to Tennessee underscores our states exceptional pro-business climate, dedicated workforce and outstanding quality of life. We thank Documotion for choosing Maury County and creating 80 new jobs in Columbia.  TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe

Documotion Research, Inc. is expanding production of its patented line of StickyPOS self-cleaning linerless labels. We are thrilled to have selected Columbia, Tennessee as a manufacturing site and want to thank the state of Tennessee, TVA, Maury County and the City of Columbia for extending us a very warm welcome and support to locate here as we continue to grow our business nationwide.  Joel Van Boom, president, Documotion Research, Inc.

I welcome this jobs announcementyet another indicator that our economic momentum will continue in 2021. Documotion Research, Inc., a company with a reputation for innovation, is a welcome addition to our city and further diversifies our existing industry. On behalf of the City of Columbia, I thank them for investing in our community. And I thank our state and local partners for their good work which has resulted in 80 new and quality jobs to our region.  Columbia City Mayor Chaz Molder

Todays announcement kicks off 2021 with a great start and further emphasizes that Maury County is well-positioned for continued economic development. I welcome Documotion Research, Inc. to Maury County and look forward to watching this company continue to grow and expand.  Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles

TVA and Columbia Power & Water Systems congratulate Documotion Research, Inc. on its decision to locate operations in Maury County. Helping to attract and retain quality jobs and investment is fundamental to TVAs core mission of service. We are proud to partner with Maury Alliance, Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association, and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help further that mission and celebrate this announcement.  John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of Economic Development

We congratulate Documotion Research on their decision to locate this new facility in Maury County. Our district is becoming increasingly more attractive as a place for businesses to locate due to our skilled talent pool, strategic location and business-friendly atmosphere. Helping to foster job creation is a key part of our efforts, and we are proud to partner with Governor Lee, TNECD and our local officials to help further that mission.  Sen. Joey Hensley (RHohenwald)

Thanks to companies like Documotion Research, our district has experienced great growth in recent years. I appreciate this company for bringing new jobs to Maury County and investing in our community.  Rep. Michael Curcio (RDickson)

TNECD Media Contact

Molly Hair

Public Information Officer

(615) 878-0063

molly.hair@tn.gov

About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Developments mission is to develop strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.

###
Beijing is adding new momentum to efforts in Brussels and Washington to curb the power of big tech companies.

China recently joined the chorus of governments advancing plans to impose new competition obligations on a small cadre of large technology companies, including Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

In November, China unveiled its first draft guidelines overseeing competitive behavior by digital giants. The proposals include blocking companies from crunching consumer data to set discriminatory prices, or selling products at prices below cost to gain market share. This month, it heightened scrutiny of electronic-payment companies, warning that nonbank payment firms, if found to be dominating the market, could face antitrust investigations.

Chinas moves come as the European Union and the U.K. pursue similar efforts. In December, an EU bill was proposed to oblige major digital platforms to refrain from many potentially anticompetitive actions, such as promoting their own products over those of competitors. The U.K. plans legislation empowering a new digital-competition unit to enforce codes of conduct for companies that dominate strategic digital markets.

Driving the proposals are a growing number of policy makers, competition specialists and smaller tech rivals in Europe, Asia and the U.S. who say fresh laws are needed to ensure that new tech rivals can emerge to challenge the digital giants.

With each passing year, its increasingly clear that the platforms are very entrenched and that absent a policy change thats unlikely to change," said Jason Furman, a Harvard University economist who led a panel that provided the road map for the U.K.s digital-competition proposals.

Some free-market proponents argue that proposed digital-competition rules go too far. They are likely to hobble digital markets or empower big companies that can exploit the rules, leaving consumers worse off either way, said Mark A. Jamison, director of the digital-markets initiative at the University of Florida and a visiting scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

Youre trying to turn these companies into utilities," Mr. Jamison said. In the case of electricity, maybe thats great. But in the case of digital platforms, thats the opposite of how these markets work."

Chinas involvement in what has been a largely Europe-led push for tech regulation is a new twist. Chinese internet companies had been mostly spared antitrust scrutiny because of an overriding national policy to groom domestic technology champions. Instead, regulators often used antitrust rules as a tool to stem the market influence of foreign companies in the country.

The aura of invincibility for Chinese technology businesses disappeared after an October speech from Alibaba founder Jack Ma, who lashed out at the governments tight financial regulation, prompting a regulatory crackdown on his internet juggernaut.

While Mr. Mas speech might have been the trigger for heightened digital-competition scrutiny, some said the new stance likely reflected broader worries about the growing influence of tech businesses.

There have been longstanding concerns about the increasing concentration in the Chinese tech sector," said Angela Zhang, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong.

China has one of the shortest histories of antitrust regulation among the major global economies, having only adopted an antimonopoly law in 2008. This has allowed lawmakers to draft rules more tailored to the current industry and targeted at win-at-all-costs strategies used by internet platforms, said Kevin Xu, a venture capitalist who runs the technology blog Interconnected.

This month the head of the Chinese antitrust regulator reiterated in an interview on state media that strengthening antitrust and unfair competition rules is a priority. The moves bolster a government strategy of relying more on Chinas domestic economy and consumption for growth, he said.

Companies including Alphabet Inc.s Google are facing increasing pressure in areas from competition to privacy and taxes. Antitrust regulators are pursuing cases in the U.S. and in Europe, and EU privacy regulators are expected to announce some of their first big-tech decisions this year. Policy makers in the U.K. and EU have proposed new content-moderation obligations for social-media companies.

Facebook has said it is open to the new competition proposals. We support rules that help foster innovation, enable competition and protect consumer welfare, and we acknowledge that these rules must apply to us," a spokesman said.

An Amazon spokesman pointed to a blog post in which the company said the bloc should ensure that the same rules apply to all companies."

Alibaba and Google declined to comment. When Alibaba was singled out for antitrust investigation, it said then that its businesses are operating as usual. Google has previously said the EU proposals would appear to specifically target a handful of companies and make it harder to develop new products to support small businesses in Europe."

In the U.S., where Google and Facebook currently face multiple antitrust lawsuits, bipartisan momentum is growing for tech regulation.

Last year Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee released a report calling for changes to antitrust laws, including the creation of nondiscrimination requirements and rules prohibiting dominant platforms from engaging in self-preferencing. House Republicans, in their own report, endorsed a narrower set of changes, including requirements that tech giants make their services interoperable and allow clients to export their data from one company to another.

A global overhaul of digital competition faces obstacles. In China, any meaningful enforcement of antitrust rules would also mean cracking down on state-owned enterprises, monopolies that dominate industries such as telecom and finance. It could take years for the EU to debate and enact its proposed law. Partisan divisions in the U.S. could complicate passage of new tech regulations.

Christian Borggreen, vice president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which represents large technology companies, including Amazon, Facebook and Google, urged legislators to avoid a patchwork of local, sometimes conflicting rules for the global digital economy."

Said Brussels-based Mr. Borggreen: Legislators should work together to ensure that the digital economy remains open and competitive, and that it continues to enable growth."

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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CHICAGO and DENVER, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CQG, a leading global provider of high-performance technology solutions for traders, brokers, commercial hedgers, and exchanges, and PanXchange, a Denver-based over-the-counter (OTC) physical commodity exchange and price discovery platform, today announced the launch of a new PanXchange widget within the CQG Desktop platform. The offering gives CQG's global clients direct access to PanXchange's premium benchmarks and analysis content for hemp, frac sand and East African OTC commodities.

The move builds on a partnership PanXchange and CQG established in 2019, providing CQG clients access to pricing data for the industry's first official benchmark in frac sand.

Julie Lerner, PanXchange Founder and CEO, said: "I'm thrilled to be expanding our partnership with CQG to share our benchmark prices and fundamental analysis for these agricultural products. CQG is a leading provider of trading and risk management solutions to the largest trading and brokerage shops worldwide. We trust that our data will prove to be a significant value-add to its network of commodity traders around the globe."

CQG President Ryan Moroney said: "We're excited to offer our clients access to pricing and analysis based on PanXchange's unique products, which continue to grow in popularity. This embedded widget further strengthens our ability to serve clients in the energy, physical commodity and OTC space as well as to provide an opportunity for users to seamlessly take positions and manage risk across listed and OTC markets."

CQG Desktop is the HTML5 platform offering trading, market data, charting, and analytics in one solution that clients can customize to their trading needs.

About PanXchange

PanXchange is a market structure solution for physical commodities that feed and fuel the world. Centered around its institutional-grade electronic negotiating and trading platform, it offers instant market access and price discovery, especially in relatively thin and/or nascent physical commodity markets. With regard to its benchmark pricing services, PanXchange is a Price Discovery Platform, not a price reporting agency (PRA), because it aggregates actual physical commodity trade activity, not just reported values, which often includes brokers and analysts. PanXchange serves the US industrial hemp market, the 120-million-ton specialty sand (proppants) market for US oil and gas extraction, and East African agricultural markets. For more information, please visit www.panxchange.com.

About CQG

CQG provides the industry's highest performing solutions for traders, brokers, commercial hedgers, and exchanges for their market-related activities globally, including trading, market data, advanced technical analysis, risk management, and account administration. The firm partners with the vast majority of futures brokerage and clearing firms and provides Direct Market Access (DMA) to more than 45 exchanges through its global network of co-located Hosted Exchange Gateways. CQG technology serves as the front end for a variety of exchanges and is increasingly employed as the over-the-counter matching engine for important new markets. CQG's server-side order management tools for spreading, market aggregation, and smart orders are unsurpassed for speed and ease of use. Its market data feed consolidates 85 sources, including exchanges worldwide for futures, options, fixed income, foreign exchange, and equities, as well as data on debt securities, industry reports, and financial indices. One of the longest-serving technology solutions providers in the industry, CQG has won numerous awards for its trading software, technical analysis and multi-asset trading platform. CQG is headquartered in Denver, with 16 sales and support offices and data centers in key markets globally. For more information, visit www.cqg.com.

SOURCE CQG

Related Links

http://www.cqg.com



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Once the acquisition of the European company has been finalised, DFDS is expected to quadruple its cold chain business and create the leading North European cold chain logistics provider

DFDS, the Danish shipping and logistics company, has agreed to buy cold chain logistics provider HSF Logistics Group in a deal worth DKr2.2bn ($358.8m).

It said it was making the debt-free purchase, which will create northern Europes leading cold chain logistics provider, through a newly established and wholly owned subsidiary.

HSF Logistics group, a family-owned business that specialises in offering services to meat producers and other food producers operating in controlled temperature supply chains, employs 1,800 people and has annual revenue of around DKr2.8bn.

DFDS employs around 8,000 people and reports annual revenues of 1.9bn ($2.3bn) across its entire group.

The purchase will give DFDS 700 trucks and 1,700 reefers operating out of 22 locations, it said.

Adding the HSF Logistics Group to the existing activities expands the geographical scope to the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Germany and southern Europe, as well as China and Morocco. In addition, it adds expertise in meat logistics to DFDS expertise in aquaculture/seafood and general food logistics, DFDS said.

Following the deal, DFDSs cold chain logistics revenues will account for around half of the DKr8bn in anticipated revenues from its logistics division.

DFDS chief financial officer Karina Deacon told a presentation the company hopes to have finalised the deal in about three months, pending regulatory approval.

The financial structure of the deal means DFDSs financial leverage will remain essentially unchanged, she said.

DFDS chief executive Torben Carlsen said it was too early to offer details on expected synergies from the acquisition.

It is not an acquisition driven by cost synergies, he said, adding DFDS plans to fully integrate HSF into its operations.

HSF Logistics Group chief executive Martin Gade Gregersen said the deal would give his company access to new growth opportunities.

It enables us to offer customers wider market coverage and use our combined expertise to develop even more efficient and reliable solutions, he said.

First published on www.lloydslist.com
ITB China and China BT MICE, the country's leading digital trade media in the MICE and Corporate Travel sector, announced that the Business Travel MICE Procurement Convention (BTMPC) will take place at this years ITB China Special Edition - a newly designed event format that combines core trade show with convention elements, held in Beijing from May 7-8.

As the most pragmatic and professional MICE industry event in China, the 10th edition of the Business Travel MICE Procurement Convention will take place on the second day of the ITB China Special Edition, May 8, to feature in-depth discussions on industry practices and new trends that will shape the future of MICE events.

China BT MICE is an established digital trade media publication specialising and building up expertise on MICE and Corporate Travel since 2008. It is not only regarded as an important information hub, but also serves as indispensable network of professionals in the MICE industry. The cooperation with BTMPC will sharpen the MICE profile of the ITB China Special Edition and add significant value to all participants by bringing in more MICE industry experiences on product innovation, transformation, upgrading, and expanding the network with more MICE and corporate travel professionals.

Co-organized by China BT MICE and ITB China, the Business Travel MICE Procurement Convention (BTMPC) is representative of the general trend of "micro-crossover" integration in the current market, contributing to mutual and respective advantages in terms of professional resources while supporting the survival and further development of the MICE industry in the new market environment, said Lenny Jia, CEO and Founder of China BT MICE.

More than 500 MICE professionals, including MICE and corporate buyers, hotels, domestic and international destinations, and representatives from across the industry are expected to attend the Business Travel MICE Procurement Convention. The event includes forums on MICE and corporate travel, a dedicated booth area for brand and product launches, matchmaking meetings, and the award ceremony "The Miracle Workers. The award recognises the most successful companies in the MICE industry over the past year. - TradeArabia News Service

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 18:59:10|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Lebanese expert says an imminent government formation in Lebanon is unlikely despite the dire need for a cabinet capable of gaining the international community's confidence and saving the country from its economic and financial collapse.

"There is no chance that a government can be formed in the foreseeable future because everybody still wants their share of the political system," Hilal Khashan, chair of the Political Studies Department at the American University of Beirut, told Xinhua.

Lebanon has been without a cabinet since the resignation of Prime Minister Hassan Diab's government on Aug. 10, 2020 in reaction to the explosions that rocked Beirut on Aug. 4, 2020.

President Michel Aoun and newly appointed Prime Minister Saad Hariri met at Baabda Palace for 14 times in hope to reach an agreement on a cabinet line-up, but their attempts failed in light of disagreements over the distribution of sovereign portfolios among political forces.

Hariri had suggested a cabinet list that goes in line with the French initiative of forming a cabinet of specialists that is independent from the different political forces, but the list was met with a counter cabinet proposal by President Aoun who is keen to ensure negotiations with various parliamentary blocs.

Khashan said that Aoun's objectives are not possible to reach as the Gulf countries in general do not want to include Hezbollah in any cabinet and Hezbollah will not accept to be excluded from any upcoming cabinet, so the deadlock is expected to continue. Enditem
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday wished Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador a speedy recovery from the novel coronavirus.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Modi said: "Concerned to hear about the COVID-19 diagnosis of President @lopezobrador_of Mexico. The people of India join me in wishing him an early and complete recovery."

Concerned to hear about the COVID-19 diagnosis of President @lopezobrador_ of Mexico. The people of India join me in wishing him an early and complete recovery. https://t.co/lGFAvOpDTx  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 25, 2021

Obrador has announced that he has contracted coronavirus and the symptoms are mild.

"I regret to inform you that I am infected with COVID-19. The symptoms are mild but I am already under medical treatment. As always, I am optimistic. We will all move forward," the Mexican President had tweeted.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

He added that Mexico's Secretary of the Interior, Olga Sanchez Cordero, will represent Obrador during the morning press conferences from now on.

Besides Lopez Obrador, other Latin American leaders who have tested positive for the coronavirus are Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, Guatemala's Alejandro Giammattei, Honduras' Juan Orlando Hernandez and Bolivia's then-interim President Jeanine Anez. All have recovered.

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This article was first published on the Boston Business Journals website.

Berkshire Banks parent company has wrapped up its search for a new chief executive, turning to Nitin Mhatre, formerly a community banking executive at Webster Bank.

Mhatre is scheduled to start Friday as president and CEO of Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. and CEO of the bank itself.

Boston-based Berkshire has been looking for its next CEO since August, when Richard Marotta abruptly resigned. Berkshire Bank President and Chief Operating Officer Sean Gray had been serving as acting CEO.

Nitin is a forward-thinking leader who is passionate about community banking and is committed to our mission to serve our customers and local communities with a values-based purpose, Berkshire board chair Bill Dunlaevy said in a statement.

Mhatre is inheriting a bank that has been through three CEOs in the past two and a half years, including Gray in his interim capacity. Marotta left last summer following a quarter in which Berkshire wrote down its entire goodwill balance of $554 million.

The banks struggles have continued since then. In fourth-quarter earnings announced Monday, Berkshire revealed its quarterly total net revenue had declined by 14% year-over-year and its income available to common shareholders by 41%.

Before serving as Websters (NYSE: WBS) executive vice president of community banking, Mhatre held leadership roles in Websters consumer and business banking units. Before working at the Connecticut-based bank, he was at Citi for more than a decade.

I am humbled and honored to join Berkshire on its 175-year banking journey, and to be the first CEO hired from outside the bank since its transformation to a public company in 2000, Mhatre said in a statement.
Archie was out for a walk with his owners when he slipped and fell

A dog has been happily reunited with his owners after he was rescued from rocks at Dun Laoghaires marina pier by a lifeboat crew.

Archie was out for a walk with his owners when he slipped and fell onto the rocks around 11:35am today.

Fortunately, his owners immediately alerted the Coast Guard which requested the local RNLI to launch its inshore lifeboat which arrived on the scene within minutes.

The crew quickly assessed the situation, finding Archie the dog on rocks near the waters edge, said RNLI spokesman Liam Mullan.

"The lifeboat crew made their way towards him and on to the rocks and helped lift him back up on to the pier above. Archie was in good health and happy to see his owners after his ordeal.

Weather conditions at the time were described as calm with good visibility, he added.

Its not clear how Archie wound up on the rocks other than he got excited out on his walk and took a tumble, he told Independent.ie.

Fortunately, he didnt wind up in the water and suffered no injuries, he added.

Hes quite a character, he said.

"He got quite a fright and fell maybe five or six feet on the rocks but he was walking fine, he added.

"I think he was lucky and the crew said he was very happy to see his owners again.

Mr Mullan said the dog owners did the right thing by ringing the Coast Guard instead of trying to rescue Archie themselves

It was much safer for our crew to approach rocks on a day like today by sea when compared to the risks associated with slips and falls from a person trying to make their way down to the waters edge, he said.
Chris Saunders, a young Gunditjmara man, stood with his feet washed by Portland Bay and asked for a short silence.

It was in acknowledgment of those who had gone, he said, their spirits transported far out across the bay to an island known to Indigenous people as Deen Maar, or Dhinmar, and to Europeans as Lady Julia Percy Island.

Gunditjmara man Chris Saunders invites those attending the smoking ceremony at the Convincing Ground, near Portland, to remember the spirits of those massacred on the beach. Credit:Tony Wright

Plenty of spirits had taken leave from this very beach in Victorias far south-west.

Mr Saunders was standing on the land of his ancestors at a place called the Convincing Ground: the site of the first massacre in Victoria of Aboriginal people by Europeans.
Thirty-eight personnel have been awarded police medal for their services, officials said.

Seventeen have been awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG), three President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and 18 Police Medal for Meritorious Service on the occasion of the

DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav and his special cell team, including Inspectors Prabhat Kumar Pankaj, Pankaj Kumar; Sub-Inspectors Krishan Kumar, Neeraj Kumar Sharma; Head Constable Girdhar Singh Gurjer; and Constable Gurdeep Singh, were awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry for bringing under control criminal Kranti Gang in the Delhi NCR in 2018.

A team led by DCP Pramod Singh Kushwah with ACP Hridaya Bhushan, SI Sandesh K and ASI Bhupender Kumar arrested a suspected ISIS terrorist, Yusuf Khan, in September last year and recovered heavy ammunition. They have been awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry.

DCP Pramod Singh Kushwah and Inspector Vinod Kumar have been given the PMG for arresting three ISIS terrorists in Delhi in January last year.

DCP G Ram Gopal Naik, ACP Rajesh Kumar, Inspector Vinay Tyagi and Constable Kuldeep Singh will receive the PMG for rescuing a five-year-old child of a Delhi businessman after an operation of 11 days in 2018.

Special CP Neeraj Thakur, ACP Ritambra Prakash and SI Suresh Kumar have been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

DCP Rajesh Deo, DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, Additional DCP Rajendra Prasad Meena, ACP Anil Sharma, Inspectors Manish Joshi, Vinod Narang and Pratibha Sharma, ASIs Rekha and Mahabir Singh are among the recipients of Police Medal for Meritorious Service.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A new two-year health analytics course, for people who already have an undergraduate degree, should be created at Okanagan College, administrators say.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is set to step down on January 26, Tuesday after losing his majority, and the Italian cabinet will form a new coalition government. The leader will head to the presidential palace today to formally turn in his resignation at a meeting with President Sergio Mattarella, an official statement from Giuseppe Contes office said late Monday. Last week, as former Premier Matteo Renzi withdrew his centrist party, Italia Viva, from the ruling coalition, Conte's leadership weakened due to the thin majority despite his surviving a key vote of confidence in the Senate.

Support for Contes cabinet narrowed after lawmakers and parliamentary groups withdrew support amid the heightened political turmoil due to the COVID-19 pandemic stripping off his governing majority in Parliament. The resignation, however, is expected to give Conte another chance at forming a government. The Council of Ministers is convened for tomorrow morning at 9 am, during which the Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, will communicate to the ministers his will to go to the (Presidential Palace) and hand in his resignation, the statement from Contes office read. He will then see the President Sergio Mattarella, it added.

Conte has called a cabinet meeting for 9:00 am (0800 GMT) when he "will inform the ministers of his desire to resign", his office added. "We remain at Conte's side," a statement from M5S's leaders from both parliamentary houses, Davide Crippa and Ettore Licheri read. Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio said on Twitter: "The country is going through one of its worst-ever periods due to the pandemic, we all have to gather around Giuseppe Conte."

Read: Italy Court Weighs Extradition To Vatican In Fair Trial Case

Read: Spectacular Show As Italys Mount Etna Erupts

To form a more viable coalition

Italian Premier Giuseppe Contes government found itself in the middle of criticism for his administration's ineffectiveness in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that has left Italys long-stagnant economy in shambles. While Conte survived two confidence votes in Parliament, his stepping down will provide the embattled Italian leader an opportunity to form a more viable coalition. Although, Head of state, President Sergio Mattarella might also reject the Italian premiers resignation. Conte is likely to get a mandate to form a new majority, in which case, he would need to include 5 more senators to the existing coalition being led by the center-left Democratic Party (PD) and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) since 2019.

Hours before the announcement by Conte's office about his resignation, former Premier Silvio Berlusconi told AP that he was "trusting the political wisdom of Mattarella," adding that the high road is the only road. "Solution would be a new government that would represent substantial unity of the country in a moment of emergency or it could be a new election to give back the (deciding) word to the Italian voters," AP quoted Berlusconi's statement.

Read: Italy Ski Resorts Stay Closed For Now Due To COVID

Read: Italy's Uffizi Gallery Reopens After 2 Month Closure
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) -Japan Gold Corp. (TSXV: JG) (OTCQB: JGLDF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce acceptance by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ("METI") of 18 new prospecting rights applications covering extensions to the Barrick Alliance, Mizobe and Onoyama-Yamagano Projects in the Hokusatsu Region of the Southern Kyushu Epithermal Gold Province.

Highlights:

The Hokusatsu Region of Southern Kyushu is Japan's largest gold producing area with low-sulphidation epithermal deposits recording a combined production of over 11 million ounces.

The 18 new prospecting rights applications accepted by METI bring the Company's total coverage in the Hokusatsu Region to a total of 100,452.8 hectares, approximately 84% of prospective and explorable ground within the region, Figure 1 .

. Epithermal vein deposits in the Hokusatsu Region are generally hosted on the western margins of gravity anomalies which form the basis for the new prospecting rights applications.

The Onoyama-Yamagano Project is located along the prospective Hokusatsu volcanic front, north of the Company's Ohra-Takamine Project and the Barrick Alliance Mizobe-Onoyama Project, and west of the historic Yamagano Gold Mine which produced in excess of 910,000 ounces of gold at a grade of 17.4g/t 1

9 new applications on the western side of the Onoyama-Yamagano Project were lodged to cover the western flank of a gravity-high feature which has been further defined by the Barrick Alliance project scale geophysical surveys, Figure 2 .

. The Mizobe Project, which now incorporates the Mizobe 1 st Extension Project, is located in the southeast corner of the Hokusatsu Region and covers an area of gold-antimony anomalism associated with an extensive gravity-high feature that runs through the Mizobe Project and into the northeast part of the Ohra-Takamine Project.

Extension Project, is located in the southeast corner of the Hokusatsu Region and covers an area of gold-antimony anomalism associated with an extensive gravity-high feature that runs through the Mizobe Project and into the northeast part of the Ohra-Takamine Project. The 9 new Mizobe West Extension applications were similarly positioned to cover the southwest flanks of the gravity anomaly which coincident with highly anomalous quartz veins, breccia, and sinter floats sampled in drainages on the western side of the Mizobe Project and the southwest portion of the Mizobe-Onoyama Project, Figure 3 .

. The Company's portfolio now comprises of 202,926.2 hectares (2029.26 square kilometers) of prospective ground across Japan's 5 major epithermal gold provinces within the three main islands of Kyushu, Honshu and Hokkaido

Hokusatsu Region, Southern Kyushu Epithermal Gold Province

The Hokusatsu Region lies within the northern half of the Southern Kyushu Epithermal Gold Province and covers an area of approximately 120,000 hectares. Hokusatsu is Japan's largest gold producing region with low-sulphidation epithermal deposits recording a combined production in excess of 11 million ounces1,2,3.

Gold mineralization in the Hokusatsu Region is localised along an 80-kilometer long, arcuate, northeast to northerly trending volcanic front west of the Kagoshima graben, and bound by the Kushikino Mine in the west and the Fuke Mine in the north. Low-sulphidation epithermal deposits in the region are characterised by distinctive Bouguer gravity-high anomalies and gradients related to doming of the underlying Cretaceous basement. The Company has utilised this key feature, among others, to expand its comprehensive coverage over the highly prospective Hokusatsu Region.

Onoyama-Yamagano Project

The Onoyama-Yamagano Project is located along the Hokusatsu volcanic front north of the Company's Ohra-Takamine and Barrick Alliance Mizobe-Onoyama Projects, and south of the historic Yamagano Gold Mine which produced in excess of 910,000 ounces of gold at a grade of 17.4g/t1, Figure 1 . The Yamagano vein system straddles a significant gravity-high feature and has an approximately 400 year history of underground mining. Project scale gravity surveying completed by the Barrick Alliance has defined an area of gravity anomalism approximately 5 kilometers west of the Yamagano Mine, Figure 2. The newly defined gravity anomaly is covered by volcanic rocks which are younger than the host rocks of the Yamagano veins and may therefore cover mineralization related to the gravity feature. The 9 new applications were positioned to fully cover the western flank of this gravity feature as epithermal vein deposits in the region are generally hosted on the western margins of gravity anomalies. With the inclusion of the 9 new applications the Onoyama-Yamagano Project now comprises a total 12,049.4 hectares.

Mizobe Project

The Mizobe Project which collectively includes the Mizobe, Mizobe 1st Extension applications, and the 9 newly accepted Mizobe West 2nd Extension applications now comprises a total area of 7,579.5 hectares. The Mizobe Project is located in the southeast corner of the Hokusatsu Region covering an area of gold and antimony anomalism associated with an extensive gravity-high feature that runs northwest through the Mizobe Project and into the northeast of the Ohra-Takamine Project, Figure 1 & 3. In the eastern part of the Mizobe Project historic mining activities were focused on antimony mineralization at the Semari and Chuzono Mines. Barrick Alliance results reported in a Company news release dated September 30, 2020 discussed strong gold anomalism associated with antimony bearing breccias and banded quartz veins in drainages across the project, indicating exposure of the upper portions of a potentially extensive epithermal system.

Project scale gravity surveying by the Barrick Alliance has further defined the shape of the extensive gravity feature that runs through the Mizobe and in the Mizobe-Onoyama Projects. Gold and pathfinder element anomalous rock float including sinter sampled in drainages on the west of Mizobe, and the southwest the Mizobe-Onoyama Project indicated the need to expand coverage over the southwestern margins of this gravity feature. This has now been achieved with the acceptance of these 9 new applications.

As the Barrick Alliance programs advance, we will continue to expand the portfolio based on the identification of key prospectivity indicators throughout the gold provinces of Japan.

References

1 Watanabe Y, 2005. Late Cenozoic evolution of epithermal gold metallogenic provinces in Kyushu, Japan. Mineralium Deposita (2005) 40: pp 307-323

2Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., LTD. website, production as of end of March 2020.

3Garwin, S.G. et al. 2005. Tectonic setting, Geology, and gold and copper mineralization in the Cenozoic magmatic arcs of Southeast Asia and the West Pacific. Economic Geology 100th Anniversary Vol. pp 891-930

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Japan Gold's Vice President of Exploration, Andrew Rowe, BAppSc, FAusIMM, FSEG, who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

On behalf of the Board of Japan Gold Corp.

"John Proust"

Chairman & CEO

About Japan Gold Corp.

Japan Gold Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused solely on gold exploration across the three largest islands of Japan: Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu. The Company has a country-wide alliance with Barrick Gold Corporation to jointly explore, develop and mine certain gold mineral properties and mining projects. The Company holds a portfolio of 31 gold projects which cover areas with known gold occurrences, a history of mining and are prospective for high-grade epithermal gold mineralization. Japan Gold's leadership team represent decades of resource industry and business experience, and the Company has recruited geologists, drillers and technical advisors with experience exploring and operating in Japan. More information is available at www.japangold.com or by email at info@japangold.com.

For further information, please contact:

John Proust

Chairman & CEO

Phone: 778-725-1491

Email: info@japangold.com

Cautionary Note

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to expected or anticipated future events and anticipated results related to future partnerships and the Company's 2020 gold exploration program. These statements are forward-looking in nature and, as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that include, but are not limited to, general economic, market and business conditions; competition for qualified staff; the regulatory process and actions; technical issues; new legislation; potential delays or changes in plans; working in a new political jurisdiction; results of exploration; the timing and granting of prospecting rights; the Company's ability to execute and implement future plans, arrange or conclude a joint-venture or partnership; and the occurrence of unexpected events. Actual results achieved may differ from the information provided herein and, consequently, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein speaks only as of the date of this News Release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking information or to explain any material difference between such and subsequent actual events, except as required by applicable laws.





Figure 1: Japan Gold and Barrick Alliance project portfolio with contoured government gravity data, Hokusatsu Region of the Southern Kyushu Epithermal Gold Province



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Figure 2: Onoyama-Yamagano Project and new west extension application area on Bouguer gravity contour map



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Figure 3: Barrick Alliance Projects southeast Hokusatsu Region on Bouguer gravity contour map

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72860
Eight popular Northern Ireland restaurants have retained their status in the new Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2021.

The three One Michelin Star restaurants, all in Belfast, are Eipic (Howard Street), Ox (Oxford Street) and The Muddlers Club (Cathedral Quarter).

Meanwhile five establishments have also retained their Bib Gourmand status from last year - Balloo House in Killinchy, Newtownards; Noble (Holywood); Wine & Brine (Moira) and Belfasts Deanes at Queens and Home in Wellington Place.

Despite most restaurants being closed, or at least heavily restricted, for the majority of the last 12 months, the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland continued with its annual awards to top restaurants and chefs in an online ceremony on Monday night, hosted by Davina McCall.

The annual event sees the best restaurants in the UK and Ireland recognised for their innovation and excellence.

It had been pushed back from its usual October date to account for the lengthy closures most businesses have faced.

Due to the ongoing pandemic and lockdown, the accolades were handed out in a live-streamed format rather than at its usual lavish event in London.

The first award of the evening - for service - was dished out to Holywood restaurant Noble.

Its the latest prestigious honour from the Michelin Guide for the restaurant, which opened in 2016 and has gone on to become one of the must visit locations on the Northern Ireland food scene.

Noble is the creation of chef Pearson Morris and manager Saul McConnell who previously worked under the direction of Belfast top chef Michael Deane.

Morris said tonight that the award was recognition for a real, personable service.

Weve always thought that there are a lot of places out there that do amazing food - to be honest probably better food than us. But for most of our customers, when we see them, we know their name, what theyre going to drink and order before they even order it, he added.

He also paid to tribute to a former Deanes colleague who taught him to always make it feel like its somebody walking into your front living room - youll take their coat off, offer them a drink and make sure they have everything.

Read More

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland born chef Clare Smyth, now based in London, was handed her third Michelin star for her venue, Core.

Smyth becomes the second London restaurant to win a third star, having received two Michelin stars just 14 months after opening.

After leaving home - her familys farm in Bushmills, Co Antrim - aged just 16, she went to culinary college in Portsmouth.

She was soon working in some of the best kitchens in the world for everyone from Alain Ducasse and Heston Blumenthal to the Roux brothers.

But it was her relationship with Gordon Ramsay that transformed her career.

Smyth was head chef at his Chelsea restaurant while still in her 20s, becoming the first woman to hold and retain three Michelin stars.

In May 2018, she catered at the star-studded wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

We work hard every day to be the best that we can and try to be better every day than the last, she said tonight.
Michigan foodies have multiple more reasons to salivate after big announcements from food giants Chick-fil-A and Portillos. The two reveals came just minutes apart on Monday, with the Chick-fil-As coming first, following by Portillos essentially saying hold my beer.

First came Chick-fil-A. The chicken chain had said its Northville and Sterling Heights restaurants would open this spring. Then, out of nowhere, it announced the two locations are opening this Thursday, Jan. 28.

The Northville restaurant is located at 20135 Haggerty Road and the Shelby Township one is located at 13811 Hall Road. Both restaurants will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Currently, due to COVID-19, the restaurants will be open for drive-thru only.

Then came the big Portillos announcement. Michigans first location is one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of 2021 in the state. The Chicago Italian Beef chain had been keeping its big opening date reveal under wraps for months, until now.

Mark Tuesday, March 16 at 10:30 a.m. on your calendar. Thats when you can begin indulging in all the beef sandwiches, Chicago-style hot dogs, cheese fries and chocolate cake you can eat.

Portillos is hiring for the new Sterling Heights location. On average, Portillos says it hires around 150 people for new restaurants. The restaurant is looking to fill a variety of hourly and shift leader positions. Apply here.

On top of that, Portillos is bringing its Beef Bus to town next month, which will serve its famous hot dogs, Italian beef and fries. The Beef Bus will begin operating in Sterling Heights starting Wednesday, Feb. 17. You can follow where the bus will be each day on the Portillos Twitter and Instagram pages.

Portillos has restaurants in eight states, including Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Florida, Arizona and California.

Chick-fil-A opened its first stand-alone full service restaurant in Michigan in October 2016 in Lansing with another full service location inside Somerset Mall in Troy opening on the same day. There are now locations in Okemos, Portage, Kalamazoo, Norton Shores, Grand Rapids (two), Wyoming, Holland, Detroit (Detroit Medical Center & Metro Airport express), Allen Park, Ypsilanti (EMU express) and Rochester (Oakland U. express).

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New Delhi, Jan 26 : Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, who was summoned by the National Investogation Agency (NIA) last week in connection with the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) case, was among the group of farmers who entered the Red Fort on Tuesday and hoisted flags in the 17th century monument, even as violent clashes broke out in several parts of the national capital as the tractor rally by the agitating farmers went awry.

Hundreds of farmers riding on tractors, motorcycles and cars entered into the premises of Red Fort on Tuesday afternoon with the tricolour and flags of the farmers' unions in their hands.

The farmers, who outnumbered the security forces and police personnel, soon climbed on the ramparts of the monument and hoisted their flags there.

Sidhu also did a Facebook live while hositing the pennant from the ramparts of the Red Fort. In the video, Sidhu said in Punjabi, "We have only hoisted the Nishan Sahib flag on the Red Fort while exercising our democratic right to protest." Last week, the NIA had summoned Sidhu to appear before it in connection with its probe into the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) case it had registered on December 15 last year.

Even the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) distanced itself from Sidhu and accused him of leading the farmers to the Red fort. The SKM said that Sidhu appeared on a stage on Monday night and gave a provocative speech promoting separatism to sabotage the farmers' protest.

Known to be close to Gurdaspur MP and Bollywood actor Sunny Deol, Sidhu was the election in-charge for the BJP leader during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In December last year, Deol had distanced himself from Sidhu. Even the farmers' unions had banned Sidhu last year.

At least 83 police personnel and several farmers were injured in the violent clashes that erupted at different parts of the national capital on Tuesday.

One farmer also lost his life after the tractor he was riding overturned after hitting a barricade near the ITO intersection in the central Delhi.
WARE  Baystate Health plans to phase out its Mary Lane Outpatient Center within two years, closing the facility by 2023 and relocating a majority of its services to Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer.

In June, Baystate will close the Baystate Mary Lane Satellite Emergency and cancer care services will be transitioned to the DAmour Center for Cancer Care in Springfield. Over the next two years, imaging/3D mammography and rehabilitation services, as well as OB/GYN and pediatric medical practices, will relocate to Baystate Wing, according to a letter from Baystate Health officials distributed Tuesday.

We, along with our Baystate care providers, patients and community are grateful for the quality care that has been provided at Baystate Mary Lane over the many years since it was first established in 1909, stated Dr. Mark A. Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, and Moly Gray, president of Baystate Healths Eastern Region, in the letter. We know this is difficult news for our community. We would like to share with you the reasons behind this decision and the plan for transition of programs and services to ensure comprehensive care for the community.

As for reasons, they said:

Nearly half of Baystate Mary Lane Outpatient Centers capacity is unused during the daytime and 90 percent is unused during overnight hours.

Baystate Mary Lanes Satellite Emergency Facility has had minimal utilization. Of the 28 patients per day seeking care in this location, over 85 percent (24 out of 28) present with common, minor, non-urgent conditions like cold, flu, and sprains, which could be treated in a primary care setting.

It has been challenging to recruit and retain providers in the area, especially in small practices.

Due to the age of the current Baystate Mary Lane building, to maintain

Baystate Health has five hospitals, not including Mary Lane which shrank to an outpatient center in 2016. The hospitals are Baystate Medical Center and Baystate Childrens Hospital on the main campus in Springfield, Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Baystate Noble in Westfield and Wing in Palmer. They total more than 980 beds.

Baystate also has a network of primary care and urgent care offices around the region.

With 12,000 employees it is the regions largest employer.

Baystate Health is also moving forward with plans for a 120-bed, $43 million behavioral health hospital at the old Holyoke Geriatric Authority site on Lower Westfield Road.

When the new hospital opens, the health system will close 22 psychiatric beds at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, 20 at Baystate Noble in Westfield and 27 at Baystate Wing in Palmer. That shift alone is controversial, with advocates saying forcing those receiving treatment and their families to travel from Greenfield, Westfield or Palmer is a hardship.

Baystate will retain 28 psychiatric beds at its main campus in Springfield.

As of Monday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said it had not gotten an application from Baystate Health detailing its plans for Mary Lane.

Baystate Health already acknowledged that it will close the wound care unit at Baystate Mary Lane Outpatient Center after this week. The shutdown comes less than two years after that wound care opened. Baystate blamed the shutdown and end of its relationship with Healogic Wound Care due to lack of demand for hyperbaric chambers.

In 2019, Baystate Health unveiled a $1.7 million upgrade at Mary Lane Outpatient Centers Imaging Center including a 3D mammography unit at the Mary Lane facility.

Three years earlier, Baystate Health merged Wing and Mary Lane, eliminating the inpatient operation at Mary Lane in an effort to close what was at the time a $150,000-a-month budget gap.

The two hospitals were competitors until 2014 when Worcesters UMass Memorial Health Care transferred Wing to Baystate. UMass had operated Wing for 15 years prior to that.
She has jetted to St. Barts with her millionaire husband Duncan Bannatyne.

And Nigora Bannatyne was head-to-toe in designer as she headed out for a sunny stroll with the businessman, 71, and their dog.

The Uzbekistan beauty, 40, teased a hint of her toned abs in a 28O white Fendi T-shirt.

Soaking up the sun: Nigora Bannatyne was head-to-toe in designer as she headed out for a sunny stroll with her businessman husband Duncan, 71, and their dog

She teamed the look with a navy sun visor, purple skintight leggings and Chanel trainers.

Nigora slung a cross-body bag over her shoulder and held their dog's lead.

Duncan was also casually-clad in Leonardo da Vinci inspired T-shirt and blue shorts.

Designer-garb: The Uzbekistan beauty, 40, teased a hint of her toned abs in a 28O white Fendi T-shirt and Chanel trainers

Nigora and Duncan marked their anniversary with a romantic shot of them sharing a kiss at their wedding on Instagram in June last year.

Beside the image, Nigora wrote: 'Happy 3 years anniversary to us! @duncan.banntyne I love you so much [heart emojis]'

Returning his wife's affections, Duncan wrote: 'Love you so much darling. Three years married today. Feels like forever. [heart emojis]'

Nigora is Duncan's third wife after previously tying the knot with Gail Brodie and Joanne McCue, in 1987 and 2006 respectively.

Thrice-wed Duncan has four children with Gail and two with Joanna. Uzbekistan-born Nigora is also a parent to daughter Gabrielle from a former relationship.

Speaking to This Morning shortly after exchanging vows, the billionaire businessman didn't rule out the possibility of having more children.

'Well be planning the future family,' he said. 'I would like to have at least two boys. I cant wait to be a dad again.'

Nigora also conveyed why she wants to expand her family with Duncan, adding: 'Hes an amazing father. I'm proud of how he is with my daughter. She adores Duncan and couldnt ask for better stepfather.

'Hes going to be an amazing father to my future children.'

Duncan and Nigora married in Portugal, where the couple share a home, after a two-year courtship.
100% online auction on February 15  20 is seeing record online visits ahead of the event

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Every February, equipment sellers count on Ritchie Bros.' Orlando, FL auction to attract thousands of equipment buyers from around the world. This year, the premier global auction in Orlando, FL on February 15  20, 2021 will be 100% online to provide certainty in uncertain times; and with online registrations at record highs, it promises to be a global event where you can get the best prices for your equipment.

"Our online auctions in 2020 shattered records for bidder participation and provided consistently strong demand, helping increase selling prices," said Kari Taylor, President, North American Sales, Ritchie Bros. "According to our most recent Market Trends summary report from Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions, pricing for heavy equipment, vocational trucks, truck tractors, and lifting equipment is trending upwards. Also, online right now we are seeing an average of 32 equipment views per item for Orlando, up 90% from 2020. The world is waiting for your equipment."

In 2020 Ritchie Bros. saw website traffic increase by 24%, while bidder registrations were up 44%. Once online, buyers are extremely active, watchlisting more than 600,000 items and making 118,000+ PriorityBids. As of today, Ritchie Bros. has online buyers approved with more than $50 billion in purchasing power.

"Our Orlando auction site will remain open for in person inspections ahead of and during the auction, with onsite parking available," added Ms. Taylor. "Our Orlando mega auction also features a 'Virtual Selling Option', as well as new enhancements that will further benefit both buyers and sellersincluding video inspections on several asset categories, PriorityBid will open significantly earlier for increased customer convenience, and enhanced dynamic bidding for all Timed Auction items. Onsite or online, you can count on Ritchie Bros. to deliver an auction like no other."

Ritchie Bros.' annual February Orlando auction features more than 200 acres for equipment display. The February 2020 event featured more than 13,000+ equipment items and attracted 18,000+ bidders from 85 countries. Early equipment highlights include 460+ excavators, 300+ compactors, 240+ skid steers, 190+ loaders, 150+ dozers, 640+ aerial work platforms, 240+ truck tractors, 290+ trailers, as well as cranes, ag tractors, pickup trucks, and more.

Companies and individuals looking to sell equipment and trucks in the February 2021 Orlando auction should contact their local sales representative or contact the Orlando site directly at +1.855.894.9533. For more information, visit rbauction.com/orlando2021.

About Ritchie Bros.:

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offers live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with featured weekly auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; and Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales. The Company's suite of solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions and Rouse Services LLC, which together provides a complete end-to-end asset management, data-driven intelligence and performance benchmarking system. Ritchie Bros. also offers sector-specific solutions including GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy, plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com.

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A very dynamic Q4 2020 with revenues up 65% at constant currency

Q4 2020 consolidated revenues up by 65% at constant currency, at 89.6 million

Energy sales sustained growth driven by new wind and solar plants vs. continuous weakness of the Brazilian real

Services strong growth in Q4, further Development sales and increased Construction activity

FY 2020 consolidated revenues up by 57% at constant currency, at 239.6 million

Energy sales record contribution, overcoming COVID-related impacts and H1 2020 low wind and continuous weakness of the Brazilian real

Increased share of third-party clients in Services: greater contribution to consolidated revenues

All ambitions confirmed

Growth trajectory in line with EBITDA ambitions

1 GW installed capacity and additional power sales contracts won secure 2.6 GW1 target by 2023

Voltalia (Euronext Paris, ISIN code: FR0011995588), an international player in renewable energies, announces today its revenues for Q4 2020 and the 2020 fiscal year.

We are ending the year 2020 on our highest quarter ever, at almost 90 million, despite the impacts of the sanitary crisis. Many milestones were passed this year: our installed capacity now exceeds one gigawatt, our capacity under management stands at 3.4 GW. And further growth is secured with 1 gigawatt of new power purchase agreements won during the year. This very strong growth has been accompanied with a diversification of our activity both geographically and technologically. On the strength of these major achievements and bolstered fundamentals, we reiterate our confidence in the achievement of our short and medium term objectives, states Sebastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia.

Q4 and FY 2020 revenues

In  million Q4

20202 Q4

2019 Change Change at constant FX rates3 FY

2020 FY

2019 Change Change at constant FX rates Energy sales 50.0 46.6 +7% +35% 157.5 130.5 +21% +46% Services 60.5 35.34 +71% +75% 146.4 144.3 +1% +5% Total revenues (internal and external) 110.5 82.0 +35% +52% 303.9 274.8 +11% +25% Eliminations5 (20.9) (19.6) +7% +11% (64.3) (99.3) -35% -33% Consolidated revenues 89.6 62.5 +43% +65% 239.6 175.5 +37% +57%

Other key figures

Production (in GWh) 968 715 +35% +35% 2,756 2,117 +30% +30% Capacity Installed (in MW, end of period6) 1,015 678 +50% +50% Managed (in MW, end of period) 3,420 2,7507 +24% +24%

Business review

Voltalia Q4 2020 consolidated revenues are 89.6 million, up 65% at constant exchange rates. Consolidated revenues for the year of 2020 (FY 2020) were 239.6 million, up 57% at constant exchange rates. 45% of the 2020 consolidated fully-year sales were generated in Brazil vs. 58% in 2019.

Energy sales

FY 2020 revenues are 157.5 million, up by 46% at constant exchange rates, with growth in the portfolio of plants since H2 2019 (VSM1, Ra Solar, Helexia) largely offsetting poor wind conditions in the first half of 2020, and delays in new commissionings attributable to the COVID-19 situation.

Growth at current exchange rates is +21%: the global sanitary and economic crisis is leading to a weakening of the Brazilian real against the euro. The average EUR/BRL rate was 5.9 in 2020 compared with 4.4 in 2019.

Q4 2020 revenues total 50.0 million. Growth on Q4 2019 reaches 35% at constant exchange rates, driven by increased power production, with volumes up by 35%. Reported growth stands at 7% after taking into account the 27% depreciation of the Brazilian real against the euro, compared with the same period last year.

By country

in Brazil, growth in production and revenues is chiefly due to the full contribution of the new VSM1 wind farm (163 MW) and partial contribution of the VSM2 wind farms (85 MW out of 128 MW), which progressive commissioning is ongoing. The usual seasonal catch-up experienced in Q3 2020 continued in Q4 2020, with older wind parcs production up by 94% on average in H2 2020 compared with H1 2020, which was well below long-term averages;

in France, lower wind and hydroelectric resource is more than offset by new ground and rooftop solar power plants;

in the other countries (United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Jordan and Egypt), production more than doubled, with Voltalia recording increased contribution from new solar power plants, including the contribution of the newly acquired Maan and Mafraq solar plants in Jordan.

Services

FY 2020 revenues (internal and external) are 146.4 million, up 5% at constant exchange rates (1% at current exchange rates). While internal sales are down 35% over the year in the absence of strongly contributing projects, external sales to third-party clients are up 80% compared with FY 2019, driven by the strong commercial activity since late 2019.

Q4 2020 revenues (internal and external) total 60.5 million, increasing by 75% at constant exchange rate and +71% at current exchange rates compared with Q4 2019:

total revenues from the Development and Construction business reach 54.1 million, up 77% at constant exchange rates compared with Q4 2019. The sale of a 35.2 MW portfolio 8 drove Development sales higher compared with Q4 2019, which already included material Development sale. EPC Services grew sharply, driven by new Voltalia plants commissioning in France in the final quarter of 2020 and ongoing constructions carried out for third-party clients in Portugal.

drove Development sales higher compared with Q4 2019, which already included material Development sale. EPC Services grew sharply, driven by new Voltalia plants commissioning in France in the final quarter of 2020 and ongoing constructions carried out for third-party clients in Portugal. total revenues from Operation & Maintenance services stand at 6.4 million, up by 59% at constant exchange rates driven internally by the decennial maintenance work at the Voltalia Kourou biomass plant in French Guiana and externally the successful integration of Greensolver.

The strong commissioning activity for Voltalia-owned plants recorded in the final months of 2020 results both in higher Services revenues and increased revenues Eliminations against Q4 2019. After eliminations of internal sales, the contribution of Services to the 2020 consolidated revenues was up 83% compared with 2019 at 82.1 million, as a result from increased revenues from third-party clients for both activities.

Recent developments

Selling a 35.2 MW onshore wind portfolio with Services to an infrastructure fund in France

In December 2020, following a competitive process, Voltalia sold to Fonds Siloe Infrastructures, new funds of Credit Mutuel Capital Prive, a portfolio made of three wind farms, all backed by long-term power sales contracts: Vergne and Coivert (25.2 MW, under construction) and Adriers (10 MW, in operation).

Voltalia ensured the development of these three projects, the construction of the plant currently in operation (Adriers) and will build the two other wind plants. For all assets, Voltalia will provide Operations & Maintenance services and, for the first time, Voltalia also sold Asset Management services from its subsidiary Greensolver bundled with the other Services, demonstrating the commercial synergies less than one year after the acquisition of Greensolver. This sale is part of Voltalias dynamic development strategy, with a capacity to sell project at various stages of development, ready-to-build, under construction or in operation. This is also part of the strategy to allocate resources on competitive, non-subsidized electricity production everywhere the Company operates.

Buying a controlling stake in a 57 MW portfolio of solar plants in Jordan

Voltalia acquired a 70% controlling stake in a portfolio of four solar plants (57 MW) in Jordan built, maintained and partially developed by Voltalia since 2015. Thanks to this acquisition, Voltalia is now a power producer in the growing Jordan market. The solar plants benefit from a 20-year public-utility power sales contract signed in 2016. Revenues are dollarized and guaranteed by the Government of Jordan for the full duration of the power sales contract.

Signature of new Corporate PPAs

In Q4 2020 Voltalia signed 4 Corporate PPAs9:

In France, LCL, a leading French bank for small and medium-sized businesses part of the Credit Agricole Group, and Voltalia launched a unique service which will enable some fifteen of the companies most involved in the energy transition to benefit from contracts that will secure their supply of green electricity over a long period of time, at guaranteed prices. The electricity will come from a 56 MW photovoltaic plant located in the South of France which Voltalia will develop and operate.

In France, Voltalia signed 15-year minimum Corporate PPA with Decathlon and will build a 16 MW new solar energy plant in the South East of France to supply the retailers French sites. The plant will be operational by 2023 and will supply around 15% of Decathlons annual electricity consumption in France.

In the UK, Voltalia won the first Corporate PPA to be signed directly between a renewables producer and a governing authority and will supply green electricity to London's prestigious business district, the City of London under a 15-year contract. The electricity will be produced by a new solar plant with a total capacity of 49.9 MW built by Voltalia in Dorset.

In Brazil, Helexia, Voltalias subsidiary specializing in solar rooftops and energy efficiency solutions signed a 20-year contract under which it will supply Telefonicas Vivo mobile phone networks with green electricity. 16 new solar plants located in five states will be built for a total capacity of 60 MW, a major contract for Helexia whose portfolio now reaches 165 MW, or 3.2 times its installed capacity when it was acquired in 2019.

Commissioning of new Voltalia plants brings total installed capacity over 1 GW

In November 2020, Voltalia commissioned a new battery storage power plant with a capacity of 10 MW, in Mana in French Guiana. This new plant reinforces the Toco storage complex, Frances largest storage system with 12.6 MW in operation and 0.5 MW under construction.

At the end of Q4 2020, Voltalia announced the start of operation of its Sarry wind farm in Burgundy Franche-Comte (France). The Sarry wind farm, representing an installed capacity of 23.1 MW, has produced its first kilowatt-hours. The Sarry power plant will benefit from the very good wind resources of Burgundy-Franche-Comte and will actively participate in achieving the renewable energy objective set by the region.

At the end of Q4 2020, Voltalias new biomass power plant Cacao in French Guiana produced its first kilowatt-hours. The 5.1 MW plant was designed and built by Voltalia, which is also providing maintenance services. The plant benefits from a contract with a guaranteed tariff for a 25-year period. The power plant has a storage capacity thanks to batteries with a capacity of 550 kW / 250 kWh, enabling the power plant's output to be modulated extremely quickly and helping to stabilize the non-interconnected network of French Guiana.

Green financing

Early January, Voltalia successfully launched its new green and sustainability-linked financing framework, with an inaugural green convertible bond issuance of 200 million. Largely oversubscribed, this issuance was made at very favourable conditions both for Voltalia and its existing shareholders10. The proceeds will be used for the financing or refinancing of Voltalia projects, including potential acquisitions.

Outlook: confirmed short and mid-term ambitions

Capacity and profitability ambitions for 2020, 2021 and 2023 are all confirmed by Voltalias growth trajectory and commercial activity.

2020 2021 2023 Capacity 1 GW in operation - 2.6 GW in operation or construction EBITDA ~100 million ~170 million 275-300 million Assumptions average wind/solar/hydro resource and a EUR/BRL rate of 6.3 from H2 2020





Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of Voltalia, which shall not be considered per se as historical facts, including the ability to manufacture, market, commercialize and achieve market acceptance for specific projects developed by Voltalia, estimates for future performance and estimates regarding anticipated operating losses, future revenues, capital requirements, needs for additional financing. In addition, even if the actual results or development of Voltalia are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments of Voltalia may not be indicative of their in the future.

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. Although the management of Voltalia believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonably made, they are based largely on the current expectations of Voltalia 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 Voltalia could be affected by, among other things, uncertainties involved in Voltalias produced electricity selling price, the evolution of the regulatory context in which Voltalia operates and the competitiveness of renewable energies or any other risk and uncertainties that may affect Voltalias production sites capacity or profitability of as well as those developed or identified in any public documents filed by Voltalia with the AMF, included those listed in section 2.2 Risk factors of the 2018 document de reference filed with the French financial market authority (the Autorite des marches financiers  the AMF) on March 29, 2019 under number D.19-0222. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements made in this press release will in fact be realized. Notwithstanding the compliance with article 223-1 of the General Regulation of the AMF (the information disclosed must be accurate, precise and fairly presented), Voltalia is providing the information in these materials as of this press release, 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.





Installed capacity at 31 December 2020

In MW Wind Solar Biomass Hydro Hybrid* 31 December 2020 31 December 2019 Brazil 665.5 16.0 681.5 464.3 Egypt 32.0 32.0 32.0 Jordan 57.0 57.0 France 74.2** 83.7 4.5 162.4 129.4 French Guiana 22.2 1.7 5.4 29.3 13.3 Greece 4.7 4.7 4.7 United Kingdom 7.3 7.3 7.3 Portugal 12.8 12.8 4.7 Italy 10.2 10.2 8.1 Belgium 11.6 11.6 11.3 Spain 6.4 6.4 2.7 Total 739.7 247.9 1.7 9.9 16.0 1 015.2 677.8

*4 MW of solar and 12 MW thermal

**Including Adriers (10 MW) sold on 31.12.2020

Electricity production report

(in GWh) Wind Solar Biomass Hydro Hybrid* Total 2020 Total 2019 Brazil 2,272.4 45.1 2,317.5 1,833.1 Egypt 76.5 76.5 12.7 Jordan 33.8 France 134.1 101.2 6.4 241.6 199.2 French Guiana 4.3 8.9 19.6 32.8 32.5 Greece 7.2 7.2 7.1 United Kingdom 8.7 8.7 7.8 Portugal 7.3 7.3 6.2 Italy 14.0 14.0 8.8 Belgium 12.0 12.0 10.1 Spain 5.0 5.0 Total 2,406.5 249.8 8.9 25.9 45.1 2,756.4 2,117.4

*Includes the production of Oiapoque solar





Next on the agenda: 2020 Full-year results on March 25, 2021 (before market opening)

About Voltalia (www.voltalia.com) Voltalia is an international player in the renewable energy sector. The Group produces and sells electricity generated from wind, solar, hydraulic, biomass and storage facilities that it owns and operates. Voltalia has generating capacity in operation and under construction of more than 1.3 GW and a portfolio of projects under development representing total capacity of 8.5 GW.



Voltalia is also a service provider and supports its investor clients in renewable energy projects during all phases, from design to operation and maintenance.



As a pioneer in the corporate market, Voltalia provides a global offer to private companies, ranging from the supply of green electricity and energy efficiency services to the local production of their own electricity.



The Group has more than 1,000 employees and is present in 20 countries on 4 continents and is able to act worldwide on behalf of its clients.



Voltalia is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris, compartment B (FR0011995588  VLTSA) and is part of the Enternext Tech 40 and CAC Mid & Small indices. The Group is also included in the Gaia-Index, an index for socially responsible midcaps. Voltalia

Investor Relations: invest@voltalia.com

T. +33 (0)1 81 70 37 00 Actifin

Press Contact: Jennifer Jullia

jjullia@actifin.fr . T. +33 (0)1 56 88 11 11













1 In operation and construction

2 Quarterly figures calculated by difference between FY and 9M

3 2020 revenues calculated at 2019 exchange rates

4 A EUR 0.4 m telecom contribution has been reclassified from Energy Sales to Services. The was no contribution from the Telecom activity in 2020.

5 Eliminations: services provided by the Services business for Group-owned power plants are eliminated upon financial consolidation

6 Including Adriers (10 MW): see Recent development

7 As of March 2020, including Greensolver

8 See Recent developments

9 Corporate Power Purchase Agreement: a long-term power sales contract linking directly the power generator, Voltalia, with the end user of the electricity, a corporate

10 See press release dated January 6, 2021





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Russian Embassy on Tuesday confirmed that it has lifted the travel restrictions from India, Finland, Vietnam and Qatar imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For citizens of Finland, Vietnam, #India & Qatar the restrictions on entry to Russia, imposed due to spread of COVID19, are being lifted. The corresponding order was signed by Chairman of the Russian Government Mikhail Mishustin on January 25, 2021," tweeted the Russian Embassy.

The Russian government's press statement specified that citizens of these states and those who have a residence permit will be allowed to enter through air checkpoints. Russian citizens, in turn, can also fly to any of these countries.

had imposed travel restrictions on March 16, 2020, amid a surge in cases in the country.

has registered 19,290 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours taking the tally to 3,738,690 on Monday.

(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.)
Hudson, NY (12534)

Today

Periods of rain. Low 43F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 43F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch.


Rattled by New Delhis Vaccine Maitri initiative, the Chinese governments mouthpiece, the Global Times, has started a smear campaign against India in a big way.

In a series of articles and opinion pieces, the newspaper has not just questioned Indias capacity to produce enough number of vaccine doses, citing the fire at the Serum Institute of India's campus in Pune last week, but also the efficacy of India's locally-developed vaccines, taking a potshot at Covaxin, India's indigenous preventive against Covid-19, developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV).

Beijings anxiety stems from the fact that it is seen globally as the country where the SARS-CoV-2 originated, which has resulted in over two million deaths and around 100 million infections globally till date. The pandemic brought the world economy to a grinding halt. India, on the other hand, is being seen as a benevolent friend providing the world the much needed healing touch with whatever it has to offer, especially to the poorer nations.

Reaffirming Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), New Delhi so far has gifted around five million vaccine doses to its neighbours, including 20 lakh doses to Bangladesh, and 10 lakh doses to Nepal, a country China is desperately trying to get into its circle of influence. Other recipients include Maldives, a victim of Chinese debt diplomacy, Bhutan, a constant target of Chinese expansionism, etc.

In contrast to India, Beijing is yet to gift vaccine doses to its most trusted ally, Pakistan. Chinas promised 0.5 million doses gift to Pakistan is expected to land in Islamabad by January 31, according to the countrys foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Not just India, a handful of other countries too are using vaccine production as a means to boost their global influence. However, backed by its vaccine manufacturing prowess, India was quick to reach out to its neighbours while starting the worlds largest vaccination drive in its own territory, something China failed to do despite being the industrial production powerhouse of the world.

The US State Department said, "India's a true friend using its pharma to help the global community." Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief, took to Twitter to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for continued support to the global COVID19 response. Invoking Lord Hanuman, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thanked India for supplying two million vaccine doses, akin to "Sanjeevani Booti", to Brazil.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli have also hailed Indias gesture. Indias global image and prestige have got a big boost thanks to Vaccine Maitri. China on the other hand has only received brickbats.

Chinese companies had already signed deals for vaccine supply with at least 24 countries, according to a New York Times report. Chinas coronavirus vaccines were supposed to deliver a geopolitical win that showcased the countrys scientific prowess and generosity. Instead, in some places, they have set off a backlash, wrote the NYT, citing issues with Chinese vaccines in countries like Brazil, Turkey, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore.

Besides, many countries are concerned about the efficacies and side effects of a Chinese vaccine due to opaque data. According to a Bloomberg report, Sinovac had four wildly different efficacy rates ranging from a little over 50% to 91.25%.

The Global Times further claimed that Indias vaccines are mainly supplied to South Asian countries, as a form of aid and not many countries actually purchased Indian vaccines due to quality concerns. Contrary to the claim, a total of 92 countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, Cambodia and Bolivia, have approached India for commercial supply of vaccines, according to a report.

China hoped to shore up its image in view of the backlash over the Wuhan Virus. However, it was India which led from the front when it came to virus-fighting efforts. In March last year, PM Modi held a meeting with SAARC leaders and proposed the creation of a Covid-19 emergency fund with India making an initial offer of USD 10 million. Later, India led the world in the supply of HCQ (Hydroxychloroquine) to over 55 countries, many of them for free, after the US FDA identified it as a possible treatment for Covid-19.

As a caring neighbour and in keeping with its long-stated policy of "neighbourhood first", New Delhi supplied masks, head-covers and even ICU ventilators to neighbouring countries. On the other hand, Chinas efforts were purely commercial, aimed at selling its expensive vaccines, with a two-dose regimen costing anything between $60 to $150, according to a report. Not surprisingly, Indias cheaper and effective alternative has rattled the Dragon.

While criticising Indias efforts on the vaccine front, China forgot that an estimated 65% of the children in the world receive at least one vaccine manufactured by Indias Serum Institute. Besides, it solely accounts for around 60% of the total vaccines supplied to the UNICEF, according to IMARC, a globally recognised leading market research firm.
Delhi Police and thousands of protesters clashed at multiple places in the National Capital during the Republic Day tractor rally, leading to unprecedented scenes and the reported death of one protester

A massive rally of farmers to the National Capital turned violent on Tuesday, with Delhi Police using tear gas and baton-charging protesters as they broke barricades and entered the city to hold a tractor parade on Republic Day. One protestor reportedly died after he was allegedly shot at while driving his tractor.

On the other hand, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has called off the Republic Day tractor parade with immediate effect. The farmers' union has also appealed to all participants to immediately return to their respective protest sites. "The movement will continue peacefully and further steps will be discussed and decided soon," the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said.

While farmer leaders, who have been spearheading the two-month protest at Delhi's border points to demand a repeal of the farm laws, disowned the protesters, one young man was seen hoisting a yellow triangular flag at the flagpole the centrepiece of the country's Independence Day celebrations.

The protesters were later removed from the premises of the Red Fort.

Eclipsing the annual show of military might at Rajpath, the farmers who were supposed to take out a tractor parade on pre-decided routes after the Republic Day event deviated from the original path. Clashes and lathi-charges broke out in many places between a section of the protesters, many of them young, vocal and aggressive, and Delhi Police personnel.

The entry and exit gates of more than 10 metro stations in central and north Delhi were temporarily closed as a result of the protest.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since 28 November, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

After the clashes, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that violence was never the solution to any problem and appealed to the Centre to scrap the three contentious farm laws.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said, Violence is not the solution to any problem. If anyone gets hurt, the damage will happen to our country. Take back the anti-farmer law for the benefit of the country.

           ,          -   !  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 26, 2021

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar criticised the government for failing to keep the law and order situation in Delhi under control.

Nobody will support whatever happened today but the reason behind it cannot be ignored either, he says while speaking about the violence in several parts of Delhi. Those sitting calmly grew angry, the Centre didnt fulfil its responsibility. The government should act maturely and take the right decision.

Nobody will support whatever happened today but the reason behind it cannot be ignored either. Those sitting calmly grew angry, the Centre didn't fulfill its responsibility. Govt should act maturely & take the right decision: NCP Chief Sharad Pawar on the tractor rally in Delhi https://t.co/bJYo0l1fpb  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said the violence during the farmers' tractor parade against the new agriculture laws in Delhi is unacceptable and urged the farmers to vacate the National Capital.

He said the violence will negate the goodwill earned by peaceful protesting farmers.

Shocking scenes in Delhi. The violence by some elements is unacceptable. It'll negate goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. Kisan leaders have disassociated themselves & suspended #TractorRally. I urge all genuine farmers to vacate Delhi & return to borders.  Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) January 26, 2021

Continuing his attack against the Centre over the new farm laws, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said it has never happened in the history of the country that the farmers had to protest so long to get their demands fulfilled.

He said the Central Government has insulted the farmers and claimed that the process adopted while enacting the fresh legislations was faulty since the beginning. The chief minister also appealed to the protesting farmers to maintain peace and not resort to violence.

"The farmers' movement has been peaceful till now. There is an appeal to the farmers to maintain peace and not to commit violence. Violence has no place in a democracy", he tweeted.

                                                          Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) January 26, 2021

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticises the protestors for hoisting flags at the Red Fort. Most unfortunate, he said in a tweet.

I have supported the farmers protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on Republic Day no flag but the sacred Tiranga [national flag] should fly aloft the Red Fort.

Most unfortunate. I have supported the farmers protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on #RepublicDay no flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort. https://t.co/C7CjrVeDw7  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 26, 2021

Taking up cudgels on behalf of the farmers, the CPI(M) lashed out at the Centre over the treatment meted out to protesting farmers during their tractor rally and said tear-gassing and lathi charging them is "unacceptable" and asked the Centre to restore the internet facility 'immediately'.

Why has the Govt ordered an Internet Shutdown in Delhi? So that people and the country can not watch the #HistoricTractorMarch of Farmers on #RepublicDay? Internet facility should be restored immediately,https://t.co/L5bSTcVZ0U  CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) January 26, 2021

The CPM also criticised the Centre for using tear gas and batons on farmers.

Tear gassing and lathi-charging farmers is unacceptable, partys General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said.

"Why, after the Delhi Police and Samyukt Kisan Morcha agreement? Why is the government provoking a confrontation? They must allow the peaceful, agreed tractor parade to continue.

Yechurry in a series of tweets also asked the Centre to repeal the new farm laws "immediately".

Violence in no form is an answer & is unacceptable. A govt which smears dissent, BJPs troll army vilify those who ask for their rights, ministers make wild allegations, law officers make claims without basis in court - this is no way to deal with legitimate demands of our Kisans  Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) January 26, 2021

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expresses concern over the situation in Delhi. Centres insensitive attitude and indifference towards our farmer brothers and sisters have to be blamed for this situation, she added.

First, these laws were passed without taking farmers in confidence. And then despite protests across India & farmers camping near Delhi for last 2 months, they've been extremely casual in dealing with them.

Centre should engage with the farmers & repeal the draconian laws. (2/2)  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 26, 2021

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Sougata Roy said violence cannot solve any problem and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inform the nation about the Centre's stand on the repeal of the three farm bills, reports PTI.

He also expressed surprise on Modi's silence over the farmers' stir.

Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Prahlad Patel condemned the actions of a section of farmers who entered the Red Fort as part of their tractor rally and said it violated the symbol of the dignity of India's democracy.

"The Red Fort is a symbol of the dignity of our democracy. The farmers should have stayed away from it. I condemn the violation of this dignity. It is sad and unfortunate," Patel said in a tweet.

Former Union minister and BJP's national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain called it "an attack on democracy".

I am deeply saddened seeing the kind of anarchy being spread in the name of farmers.

Unfurling a flag other than our Tiranga at the Red Fort is an attack on Indian Republic & Democracy.  Syed Shahnawaz Hussain (@ShahnawazBJP) January 26, 2021

Meanwhile, the Karnataka BJP accused the Congress of being behind today's clash. In a tweet, the party said, "Congress activists are rioting in the name of farmers. The master of thieves @RahulGandhi. They are the direct cause of today's disasters."

Holding the Central Government responsible for the violent clashes between protesting farmers and Delhi Police on Tuesday, DMK chief MK Stalin said that the Centre's attitude is the reason that the farmers' protests dragged on for so long and turned violent today. He also appealed to the two sides to look for a peaceful resolution.

The Aam Aadmi Party strongly condemned the violence during the farmers' tractor parade in Delhi on Tuesday, blaming the Centre for allowing the situation to deteriorate to such an extent, reports PTI

In a statement, the AAP said the violence had "certainly weakened" the movement, which was going on peacefully and a disciplined manner.

"We strongly condemn the violence seen in today's protest. It is regrettable that the Central Government allowed the situation to deteriorate to such an extent. The movement has been peaceful for the last two months," it said.

"Farmer leaders have said that those who indulged in violence today were not part of the movement and were external elements. Whoever they were, the violence has certainly weakened the movement which was going on so peacefully and in a disciplined manner," it said.

Farmer leaders have said that those who indulged in today's violence were not part of the movement but were external elements. Whosoever they may be, the violence has certainly weakened the movement which was going on peacefully and in a disciplined manner. (2/2)  Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) January 26, 2021

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said, Disturbing images of protest going out of control at the Red Fort. Tricolour disrespect is unacceptable. Any violence in a democracy is unacceptable. Law must be supreme. No side wins, the nation loses. Sad day for the Republic.

Disturbing images of protest going out of control at the Red Fort. Tricolour disrespect is unacceptable.

Any violence in a democracy is unacceptable.

Law must be supreme.

No side wins, the nation loses. Sad day for the Republic.  Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) January 26, 2021

With inputs from PTI
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Uniting America by Embracing Tradition and Standing Up to the CCP

Following a highly contested election, our nation needs to find unity as tensions remain high and divisions run deep.

We suggest Americans can find unity by coming together to oppose an enemy who has for decades sought our nations destruction, and by renewing the tradition that has helped to shape and guide our nation.

At stake is more than Americas well-being. The United States is the leader of the free world; the unity or division of the United Statesand its prosperity or declineis vital to the destiny of the worlds people.

Americans need to understand that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the biggest threat to the United States. The CCP has systematically worked to undermine the United Statesan effort that it has now nearly completed.

The CCP has not only gutted American manufacturing, stolen intellectual property worth hundreds of billions per year, and stolen military technology, but also infiltrated every aspect of our lives. The CCP strategy is to divide society by inciting hatred. This is the same strategy it used to seize power in China, pitting one group against another. For instance, CCP-related groups helped foment the riots in our big cities this past summer.

With Huaweis promotion of its 5G services, the CCP is trying to get into our telecommunications, which is the nervous system of our country. With BeiDou, the Chinese regimes version of GPS (Global Positioning System), and its ability to target satellites, the CCP has developed the ability to blind our military. By recently mounting pressure on Australia, the CCP is seeking to break the Wests alliance aimed at countering the Partys influence.

With the Belt and Road Initiative, which many nations have joined, the CCP is trying to build an economic and military base to counter the free-world power of the United States. The communist regime has never stopped regarding the United States as its No. 1 enemy.

In fact, U.S. opinion recognizes the importance of countering China.

One big reason that people voted for Trump in 2020 is that they believed he stood up to China and defended America. One big reason people voted for Biden is that they believed Biden could control the CCP virus better.

There is a consensus in Congress for countering the CCP. If President Joe Biden can adhere to the anti-communist line, he can protect the country under a policy that brings right and left together.

Demoralization

Unfortunately, the United States ability to adopt a strong anti-communist policy is hampered by the ways in which the CCP has affected our culture. Communists have sought to weaken the West by weakening its morality, tradition, family, and foundation in the belief in God.

Thirty-five years ago, KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov had already warned about the Soviet Unions efforts to undermine America.

Marxism-Leninism ideology is being pumped into the soft heads of at least three generations of American students, without being challenged or counter-balanced by the basic values of Americanism and American patriotism, Bezmenov said in a 1985 interview. The demoralization process in the United States is basically completed already.  Most of it is done by Americans to Americans thanks to lack of moral standards.

We are now seeing the results of this decades-long demoralization process. It is all around us, in our schools, in the news media, in movies and music, and even in the advertising we see.

Bezmenov warned: A person who was demoralized is unable to assess true information. The facts tell nothing to him. Even if I shower him with information, with authentic proof, with documents, with pictureseven if I take him by force to the Soviet Union and show him [a] concentration camphe will refuse to believe it until he is going to receive a kick in his fat bottom. When the military boot crashes him, then he will understand, but not before that. Thats the tragedy of the situation of demoralization.

Tradition

Fortunately, America has resources available to help us escape this tragedy.

Americas tradition provides the nations moral and political principles, its heroes, and the narratives that explain to Americans who they are. This binds Americans together in a common purpose that uplifts them and gives them purpose.

During the BLM and Antifa riots over the summer, these radical groups took direct aim at Americas tradition. About 188 statues were destroyed in two months, including those of our Founding Fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, as well as of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.

In such efforts as The New York Times 1619 Project, one sees an attempt to delegitimize our tradition, to recast the entire American story as being about the sin of slavery. This is a typical communist strategy. Such well-planned, well-executed actions to destroy a countrys tradition have been repeated in all communist regimes before.

The wiping of the memory of our history, and the trashing of our heroes and the great symbols of our national life, causes people to lose direction. A nation loses its guiding spirit. That begins a countrys clear decline.

On one side of our coin currency appears the slogan In God We Trust. On the other, E Pluribus Unum, Latin for Out of Many, One. The two are related.

America was founded by individuals seeking the opportunity to worship God freely.

Our nation, trusting in God, has been blessed. We have been a beacon of freedom to the world, enjoyed unprecedented prosperity, and helped to spread prosperity around the world.

In our Declaration of Independence, we state that our rights are a gift from God.

We recognize that our freedoms, and the limitations on those freedoms, come from a source above us. That common source, and the rights and duties it bestows, gives us a basis for principled unity.

Our tradition, in cherishing families, teaching morality, and honoring patriotism, further articulates that unity.

Under assault from communism, our nation is at a crossroads. Every individual, from all walks of life, including those in government, Big Tech, the media, and corporations, needs to make the right choice.

The solution to this crisis is clear: Our nation needs to revive the living tradition that gives us our freedom and our unity, and to use that renewed strength to decisively defeat communism.
WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday that the Senate could vote as soon as next week on a budget bill setting the stage for party-line passage of President Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan.

"The work must move forward, preferably with our Republican colleagues but without them if we must," Schumer said. "Time is of the essence to address this crisis."

Schumer spoke at a news conference a day after Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., signaled he would move forward with a power-sharing agreement governing operations of the 50-50 Senate.

McConnell had sought assurances from Schumer that Democrats would not eliminate the filibuster, the 60-vote supermajority requirement to move most legislation. Schumer refused, but after two centrist Senate Democrats committed publicly to upholding the filibuster, McConnell relented.

McConnell's capitulation ended a days-long standoff that had held up Senate operations and threatened to stall Biden's agenda before it could even get off the ground.

"I'm glad we're finally able to get the Senate up and running," Schumer said. "My only regret is that it took so long."

The first priority for Biden and congressional Democrats is action on a new covid-19 relief package at a precarious moment for the pandemic and the economy.

Publicly, the Biden administration is courting Republican support, and Schumer held out hope of GOP backing. But a number of leading Republicans including McConnell have panned Biden's plan as too costly, and behind the scenes Democrats are making plans to move forward without them.

Democratic leaders in both chambers are tentatively planning to introduce a budget resolution on Monday that could come to a vote later in the week, according to several people with knowledge of the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss them.

The resolution would instruct committees to write legislation codifying Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan. Under special rules governing the budget resolution, the resolution could pass the Senate with a simple majority vote, and the subsequent covid-19 relief bill could also pass with a simple majority -- even without eliminating the filibuster.

Getting all Senate Democrats unified behind the plan could prove a challenge, especially since some have expressed discomfort with some aspects of it. But Schumer insisted Tuesday his caucus was unified on the need to do big things, and he also said that proceeding under "budget reconciliation" did not preclude Republican votes.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, told reporters: "We've got to move as quickly as we can. . .Elections have consequences."

Biden's plan provides for a new round of $1,400 stimulus checks, an extension of emergency unemployment benefits, an increased child tax credit, more than $130 billion for schools, $160 billion for a national vaccination strategy, and an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. There's money for rental assistance and extending an eviction moratorium.

Enhanced unemployment benefits are set to expire in mid-March if Congress does not act first, as are moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures. Administration officials and congressional Democrats point to that deadline as underscoring the need for fast action.

"It's critical ... that we don't get anywhere near the March cliff," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday. "People need security, and what we're trying to do now is provide that."

The administration has been in discussions with a 16-member bipartisan group that has raised issues including whether stimulus checks could be more targeted, something Biden indicated Monday he is open to.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., one member of the bipartisan group, indicated openness Tuesday to moving via reconciliation, saying: "I think you've got to keep all of your options open."

Democrats are attempting to move quickly to take the first steps advancing the coronavirus relief legislation, partly because the Senate is set to convene the week of Feb. 8 to start former president Donald Trump's impeachment trial., which will take an unknown period of time.

The dispute over the filibuster lingered Tuesday as McConnell warned Democrats that Republicans would counter any attempt to eliminate it with "immediate chaos" that would grind the chamber - and the Democratic governing agenda - to a halt.

Republicans, he said, would exercise their rights to object to routine business and demand frequent quorum calls - procedural feints that would grind business to a standstill and require senators and Vice President Kamala Harris to be on constant standby for roll-call votes.

"None of us on either side want to live in a scorched-earth Senate," McConnell said. "This gambit would not speed the Democrats' ambitions. It would delay them terribly."

McConnell said Tuesday a further escalation would mean Senate business would move at "a snail's pace" and "drain comity and consent from this body to a degree that would be unparalleled in living memory."

McConnell's threats are not likely to defuse the tension inside the Democratic ranks over whether to "go nuclear" in the future, as Senate rules changes have come to be called by members of both parties. But the agreement to move forward with the power-sharing deal likely means the issue is on the back burner for the time being.

That deal means that committees can be reconstituted with new members and Democratic chairs after a five-day standoff where the GOP kept control of most committees despite Democrats having a majority on the floor, thanks to Vice President Harris's tie-breaking vote.

- - -

The Washington Post's Jeff Stein contributed to this report.
Vietnam has gained impressive achievements in poverty reduction in recent years under the leadership of the Party and the Government, but more will be done to ensure these efforts leave sustainable impacts.

Growing Sa nhan tim (Amomum Longiligulare T.L.Wu), a valuable medical plant, helps local residents in Dien Bien Province escape poverty and improve their lives.  VNA/VNS Photo Phan Tuan Anh

Under the leadership of the Party and the Government, localities nationwide have implemented solutions and programmes to help local people develop suitable livelihood models to escape poverty and improve their lives, especially in 2016-2020.

The Muong Nhe Nature Reserve in the northern province of Dien Bien started to implement a project to develop the livelihood based on the forest in five communes in the buffer zone of the forest.

The project of planting Sa nhan tim (Amomum longiligulare T.L.Wu), a valuable species of medical plants, was first conducted in Sin Thau Commune, the westernmost area of the country.

Initially, local people were reluctant to join the project as they were unaware of the economic benefits gained from growing the plant.

Po Dan Sinh, a Ha Nhi ethnic resident in Ta Ko Khu tribal village of the commune, was a pioneer in implementing this project. Sinh, a former Party Secretary and Chairman of the Peoples Committee of Sin Thau in 2000-2015, set an example for locals. Witnessing his success, the local residents followed suit.

Sa nhan tim is a valuable plant that can be used as traditional medicine, spice and a source of aromatic material.

Vietnam is rich in wild Amomum Longiligulare and at least four species are commonly used in the country including Amomum Longiligulare T.L.Wu. The demand for this plant is increasing while the amount of the plant collected is decreasing.

The medical plant is easy to take care of and can be sold at a good price. Planting this in mountainous areas also helps the forest as the plants have a high moisture level, helping to prevent fires as well as soil erosion in the forest.

Local farmers can harvest the first crop after about two years with a hectare yielding about 100kg of fruits. Dried fruits can be sold at VND500,000 ($21.7) per kilo.

The success in Sin Thau had a ripple effect. Local residents in other localities including Nam Po, Muong Cha, Dien Bien, Tuan Giao and Tua Chua started planting this species and earned income.

The programmes and solutions to alleviate poverty have had positive results in the district. After five years of implementing the national target programme on sustainable poverty reduction, the rate of the poor households in the district decreased from 74.02 per cent in 2015 to 58.43 per cent in 2020.

Muong Nhe District in Dien Bien is only one of the localities across the nation working to help local residents develop suitable livelihoods to improve their life.

The Party and State have identified sustainable poverty reduction and ensuring social security as an important goal in the development process, which is clearly shown in the documents of the Party, the resolutions of the National Assembly, and strategies, plans, schemes and programmes of the Government.

The National Steering Committee on National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction during 2016-2020 has been assisting Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in directing and co-ordinating ministries, agencies and localities to resolve issues related to mechanisms and policies to realise poverty reduction objectives.

All 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam have also released several policies regarding poverty reduction to support poor households.

Bac Kan Province has issued policies to encourage poor households to develop plants and breeds that are suitable with the local climate, soil and bring high economic benefits.

Hanoi has supported those who are unable to escape poverty while HCM City has constructed a sustainable poverty reduction strategy within its overall socio-economic development plan.

With such persistent efforts, milestone achievements have been attained with more than 6 million people escaping poverty in 2016-2019. Roughly 2 million people were also removed from the list of those living under the poverty line in the same period.

The number of poor households decreased 40.66 per cent in Si Ma Cai District and 39.96 per cent in Muong Khuong District in Lao Cai Province, and 34.51 per cent in Mu Cang Chai District in Yen Bai Province.

Once calculated, the poverty rate in Vietnam is expected to stand at 2.75 per cent in 2020.

By achieving this, the rate of the poor households will have decreased by 1.43 per cent a year, meeting the targets set by the National Assembly and the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress.

What is more, Vietnam attained the UN's Millennium Development Goals on poverty reduction 10 years ahead of schedule and was hailed as a global model in the task.

Despite the impressive results, there are limitations that need to be tackled in poverty reduction.

According to the National Steering Committee on National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction in 2016-2020, poverty alleviation is still not sustainable with a high rate of poor households and the increasing gap between the rich and poor as well as among the groups. The poverty rate among ethnic minority groups is still high.

In addition, some mechanisms and policies for poor areas, mountainous areas, and ethnic minority areas are ineffective.

In late 2020, the Government set new poverty standards for 2021-2025. With this new standard, the country will have about 4.5 million households with income below the poverty line, equivalent to more than 17 million people, which is a huge challenge for the country.

However, this will serve as a basis for more accurate and comprehensive identification of poor households, near-poor households and other beneficiaries of national poverty reduction and social security policies.

The national multidimensional poverty line in 2021-2025 will also serve as the basis for making policies, mechanisms and solutions to achieve multidimensional, inclusive and sustainable poverty reduction. VNS

Six million people in Vietnam escape poverty in four years The number of poor households in Vietnam decreased by 58.12%, equal to 6 million people, in the 2016-2019 period.
As the COVID-19 virus rages across the US, killing thousands of people a day, hundreds of K-12 schools, colleges and universities are beginning to resume in-person classes. This will bring thousands of students and educators together in school buildings and on campuses in the upcoming spring semester.

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in the US, the youth and student section of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), is resolutely opposed to the reopening of schools. The reopening of schools is a criminal act that will only stand to add thousands of names to the horrific toll of death from the pandemic.

Striking grad students at University of Michigan over the summer. (Image Credit: One of our reporters)

The experience of the fall semester has produced incontrovertible evidence that in-person learning led to an increase in community spread, hospitalizations and deaths. In particular, towns and cities with colleges that reopened for in-person learning, or which, for one reason or another, allowed large numbers of students to return to their dorms, quickly became some of the worst hot spots in the country.

Data compiled by the New York Times recorded almost 400,000 known coronavirus cases linked to American universities and campuses from March to December last year.

Among 101 counties with large universities or colleges (university counties), which accommodate 29.4 percent of the US population, only 22 percent implemented fully remote learning for the fall. These counties experienced a 17.9 percent decline in mean COVID-19 incidence during the 21 days before through 21 days after the start of classes, a change from 17.9 to 14.7 cases per 100,000. In that same period, university counties with in-person instruction saw a 52.6 percent increase in incidence, from 15.3 to 23.9 cases per 100,000. Counties without large colleges or universities saw COVID-19 cases decline 5.9 percent.

Now, as the pandemic is killing over 3,000 people a day, the highest death rate since it started over a year ago, schools are moving forward with the same reckless plans.

In the Washington D.C. area, American University plans on doubling its number of in-person courses. George Washington University will allow 1,600 students to reside on campus in the spring, compared to 500 in the fall. Georgetown University will double the number of students living on campus to 1,000 while keeping all classes virtual.

Texas A&M University at College Station held primarily in-person classes in the fall and will continue to do so in the spring. More than 2,700 cases have been recorded at the campus, or 4 percent of the student population of 67,679. Despite having a five-tier program for campus operations during the pandemic, university administrators are only carrying out the second-lowest tier, titled Initial Operations.

The State University of New York (SUNY) system, which includes 29 state universities and 30 community colleges, is operating under a policy that will allow campuses to safely return to in-person instruction for the spring semester. Students returning to campus will be required to submit documentation showing that they have completed a seven-day quarantine or had a negative COVID-19 test before returning to campus. Additionally, in-person courses will begin on February 1 after being fully remote for a short period.

The University of California at San Diego (UCSD) welcomed approximately 1,000 new undergraduate students to live on campus for its winter quarter. UCSD will implement mostly online courses and states that less than 10 percent of undergraduate classes will be held in person in outdoor classrooms. Students, however, will live together in dormitories.

In addition, some institutions in areas with more stringent guidelines have emphatically pushed for the approval to reopen their campuses. Among these are the University of Southern California, Harvey Mudd College and Pomona Collegeall in Los Angeles County, where ambulance crews have been told to not take patients with little chance of survival to overflowing hospitals.

The political forces and social interests behind the back-to-school campaign

Behind these reckless decisions is a broader campaign, spearheaded by the Trump administration but now continued under Biden and supported by both parties, to reopen the economy and prevent any loss in corporate profits. There is no doubt that in the fall universities were also driven by profit concerns (having in mind tuition, college sports, dormitory real estate contracts, etc.), prioritizing their bottom line over the health and safety of students and the broader community.

After securing a multi-trillion-dollar handout for the rich through the CARES Act in March 2020, the ruling class implemented a policy of herd immunity that allowed the coronavirus to circulate without restraint.

Sending workers back to work required sending their children back to school. The schools were opened. When major outbreaks inevitably occurred, they were often covered up, downplayed and obscured. Whistleblowers were silenced, or worse, persecuted, as in the case of Rebekah Jones.

In college towns, school officials tried to shift blame onto students. Contrary to claims of university officials, the rise in COVID-19 cases linked to campuses is not explained by a relatively small number of young people ignoring social distancing measures.

The conditions in K-12 schools, let alone in college dorms, are completely incompatible with social distancing. Furthermore, older college-age students often work in industries that increase their chances of contracting the virus. In fact, more than 1.1 million undergraduates work in health-related occupations, according to census data. Nearly two-thirds of restaurant workers are 34 or younger, and the same age group accounts for nearly half of grocery store workers.

The interests of the wealthy are undoubtedly represented in the university administrations across the US. There is no shortage of university regents and trustees with close ties to corporations and the political establishment, Republicans and Democrats alike. Those in the governing bodies of Americas universities are acutely aware of the financial consequences that proper safety measures would have on their millionaire and billionaire friends.

Both factions of the ruling class are committed to exposing millions of Americans to the deadly virus for the sake of profit. Despite its pretensions, the incoming Biden administration refuses to implement measures that will minimize death until a vaccine is widely distributed. Biden has pledged to keep schools and workplaces open and warned of a dark winter. That is to say that workers will continue to die by the thousands every day as the spectacular rise of Wall Street continues.

In terms of the pandemic, the incoming Biden administrations position and policies are largely the same as his Republican counterparts. Bidens plan consists of a limited mask mandate and promises of more rapid vaccine distribution. His advisers have already acknowledged that it will still be months before most people can get a vaccine, however, even if they meet their goals. They have ruled out shutting down nonessential production to get the spread of the virus under control and have declared that all K-8 schools will be reopened within three months.

At the same time, Biden has called for unity with the Republican Party in the aftermath of the failed fascistic coup attempt on January 6, incited and abetted by leading Republicans. The central demand of the organizations mobilized by the Trump administration is an end to all restraints on the spread of the virus. While Democrats and Republicans differ on tactical questions, mostly over issues of foreign policy, they agree on one basic issue: no restrictions can be put in place that will curb the drive for profit.

The murderous policies of the ruling class are incompatible with democratic forms of rule. Already the giant social media companies, working at the behest of the ruling class, are engaged in an escalating campaign of internet censorship targeting the socialist left.

The latest act of censorship was Facebooks deletion of the official page of the IYSSE at the University of Michigan, along with the pages of leading members of the IYSSE and SEP, for four days without explanation. This comes on the heels of a week-long disablement of the IYSSE US Twitter account.

Such acts of censorship are a desperate response to the growth of popular opposition to inequality, social misery and the ruling classs disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has put profits above the protection of human lives.

The fight against the pandemic is the fight for socialism

To fight against these homicidal policies, workers must organize themselves as an independent social and political force. This fight is already underway. Facilitated by the World Socialist Web Site, workers have begun forming rank-and-file safety committees, independent of the corporate controlled trade unions like the American Federation of Teachers.

Capitalism stands exposed as a historically bankrupt social and economic system. The trillions hoarded during the pandemic by the billionaires must be seized in order to compensate workers and provide full funding for education; childcare for families in need; full income provided to all workers; and free, high quality medical care, including mental health care for all students and workers.

Schools and campuses have been turned into a battleground in which the lives of students, teachers and parents are at stake. In this battle, the interests of the two main classes in society, the working class and the capitalist class, stand most nakedly exposed. The working class stands for life, science and progress, while the ruling class stands for death, lies and profits.

Nothing can be resolved without a frontal assault on the wealth hoarded by the ruling class and the fight for socialism. The trillions that have been handed over to Wall Street and the financial oligarchy must be redirected to provide full unemployment benefits to all workers and universal access to health care and public education.

The IYSSE insists that this fight must be completely independent of the Democrats and the Republicans, along with the corporate-controlled trade unions. It must reject all efforts to divide the working class, whether through the fascistic politics of Trump or the racialist identity politics of the Democrats. It must fight for the international unity of workers in every country, who have the same social interests and the same class enemies.

Students and young people should proceed in this struggle with immense confidence. Over the past several years, workers and youth have proven their strength and willingness to fight in countless protests and demonstrations in defense of immigrants, democratic rights and against capitalism. There is enormous opposition in all sections of the working class to the homicidal policy of the ruling elites.

There is no doubt that workers and youth want to fight. What is needed, above all, is a political program, perspective and leadership. We urge all youth and students committed to this fight to get off the sidelines and make the decision to join the IYSSE, the student and youth movement of the Socialist Equality Party, and take up the fight for life, progress and socialism!

We urge youth who want to get involved to contact us today and sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates. Help us share this statement widely among young people.
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.
A trio of small lakes recovering from recent water drawdowns in Central Pennsylvania were given new fishing regulations by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission in a virtual meeting on Monday. For all 3 lakes the new regulations will take effect after they are published a second time in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

The lakes are Opossum Lake near Carlisle in Cumberland County and lakes Perez and Whipple in Huntingdon County.

Opossum Lake, a 47-acre, state-owned impoundment about 6 miles northwest of Carlisle, was removed from Miscellaneous Special Regulations, which allowed for the harvest of trout under but only catch-and-release fishing for all other fish species.

With fish populations continuing to improve in the wake of the lake being refilled after dam and spillway repairs, the lake was added to the commissions Big Bass program and Panfish Enhancement program for crappies. All other fish species will be managed under general statewide regulations.

Under Big Bass regulations, anglers at Opossum Lake will be permitted to harvest up to 4 bass with a minimum size of 15 inches year-round, except during the annual no-harvest period of mid-April through mid-June. On lakes managed under general statewide regulations, up to 6 bass measuring 12 inches or longer may be harvested daily from mid-June through the end of October and up to 4 bass measuring at least 15 inches each from the start of November through mid-April.

Under Panfish Enhancement regulations, they will be permitted to harvest 20 crappies at least 9 inches in length. Under general statewide panfish regulations, anglers may harvest 50 fish combined species - sunfish, yellow perch, white perch, crappies, catfish, rock bass, suckers, carp, white bass and bowfin.

Opossum Lake was drained in October 2008 to complete dam and spillway repairs and modifications to meet Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection dam safety standards. Following completion of the project, the lake was refilled by spring 2013 and the commission resumed annual adult trout stocking to provide immediate angling opportunities.

In addition, the commission stocked the lake from 2013-15 with select fish species to establish a high-quality, warmwater and coolwater fishery. Bass and panfish populations were evaluated from 2015-20 to monitor progress toward that goal, and sportfish abundance and population size structure have steadily improved to levels where populations can now sustain limited harvest.

Lake Perez, a 72-acre lake owned by Penn State in Barree Township, Huntingdon County, was added to the Panfish Enhancement program for sunfish and crappies. All other fish species will be managed under statewide regulations.

The reservoir was drained in late spring 2009 to complete dam and spillway repairs and modifications required by DEP dam safety standards. Following completion of the project, the lake was refilled in 2014 and the commission resumed annual adult trout stocking in 2015 to provide immediate angling opportunities.

The commission also stocked the lake from 2014-18 with select fish species to establish a self-sustaining, high-quality, warmwater and coolwater fishery.

The bass and panfish populations were evaluated in 2019 and 2020 to monitor progress toward that goal and sportfish abundance and population size structure have improved to levels where populations can now sustain limited harvest.

Under Panfish Enhancement regulations, anglers at Lake Perez will be permitted to harvest sunfish at least 7 inches in length and crappies at least 9 inches in length, each with a daily limit of 20. All other fish species will be covered by general statewide regulations.

For 17-acre Whipple Lake in Whipple Dam State Park, in Jackson Township, Huntingdon County, about 6 miles south of State College, commissioners imposed Miscellaneous Special Regulations that will allow for the harvest of trout but allow only catch-and-release fishing for all other fish species.

As the lake is restocked with fish under a multi-year restocking plan, those regulations will allow for the most rapid development of a balanced warmwater and coolwater fish community while offering some recreational angling opportunities.

Whipple Lake was drained in October 2019 to remove sediment and complete structural improvements to the dam. The improvements were completed last year, and refilling expected to begin this month. The commission plans to initiate stocking of the lake with catchable trout and fingerling plants of select other species this spring.

Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@comcast.net.
AHMEDABAD, India, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (the "Company") today announced that it has commenced a tender offer to purchase for cash (the "Tender Offer") any and all of its outstanding US$500,000,000 3.95% Senior Notes due 2022, CUSIP: Y00130 HS9, ISIN: USY00130HS90 (Regulation S) and CUSIP: 00652M AC6, ISIN: US00652MAC64 (Rule 144A) (the "Notes"). The Tender Offer is being made pursuant to a Tender Offer Memorandum, dated 26 January 2021 (the "Tender Offer Memorandum"), which is available on the tender website (the "Tender Website") https://bonds.morrowsodali.com/adaniports.

The Tender Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York time, on 2 February 2021, unless extended or earlier terminated as described in the Tender Offer Memorandum (such time and date, as they may be extended, the "Expiration Time").

Holders of Notes who validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) their Notes prior to the Expiration Time, or who deliver to the information and tender agent a properly completed and duly executed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery in accordance with the instructions described in the Tender Offer Memorandum prior to the Expiration Time, will receive in cash, for Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase by the Company, US$1,032.3 per US$1,000 principal amount of the Notes (the "Consideration"), plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the settlement date, which is expected to be on or around 3 February 2021 (interest on any Notes tendered via a Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, as described in the Tender Offer Memorandum, will cease to accrue on or around 3 February 2021 and will be settled on or around 5 February 2021).

The Company has announced the Tender Offer as part of a refinancing transaction pursuant to which the Consideration will be derived from a concurrent offering (the "New Notes Issuance") of new debt securities (the "New Notes"), on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Company, together with cash on hand.

The Tender Offer is conditioned on the issuance of the New Notes in a principal amount of at least US$500,000,000 on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Company (the "Financing Condition"). The Tender Offer is also subject to the satisfaction or waiver of a number of other conditions as set forth in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

Subject to market conditions, the completion of the New Notes Issuance on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Company and obtaining all relevant government and other approvals, the Company may choose, on or about the settlement date of the New Notes, to exercise its right to optionally redeem any Notes not purchased by the Company in the Tender Offer, at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date, plus an applicable "make-whole" premium, pursuant to the Conditions and the terms of the Trust Deed. This announcement does not constitute a notice of redemption under the optional redemption provisions of the Trust Deed.

The Company will, in connection with the allocation of the New Notes, consider among other factors whether or not the relevant investor seeking an allocation of the New Notes has validly tendered or indicated a firm intention to tender Notes pursuant to the Tender Offer, and, if so, the aggregate nominal amount of Notes tendered or intended to be tendered by such investor. When considering allocations of the New Notes, the Company intends to give preference to those investors who, prior to such allocation, have tendered, or indicated their intention to tender, Notes.

The following table shows information regarding the Notes subject to the Tender Offer as well as the principal amount outstanding and the Consideration with respect to the Notes:

Title of Security CUSIP/ISIN Principal Amount Outstanding Consideration 3.95% Senior

Notes due 2022 CUSIP: Y00130 HS9, ISIN:

USY00130HS90 (Regulation S) CUSIP: 00652M AC6, ISIN:

US00652MAC64 (Rule 144A) US$500,000,000 US$1,032.3 per

US$1,000 principal amount

Tendered Notes may be withdrawn at any time prior to the Expiration Time so long as they are validly withdrawn in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

The Company has engaged Barclays Bank PLC, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, J.P. Morgan Securities plc and Standard Chartered Bank (the "Joint Dealer Managers") to serve as dealer managers for the Tender Offer. For additional information regarding the terms of the Tender Offer, please contact Barclays Bank PLC at +852 2903 3266/[email protected]; Citigroup Global Markets Limited at +852 2501 2552/+44 20 7986 8969/ +1 212 723 6106/ [email protected] ; J.P. Morgan Securities plc at +44 20 3493 0682/[email protected]; and Standard Chartered Bank at +44 207 885 8888/ [email protected] .

The Company has appointed Morrow Sodali Limited ("Morrow Sodali") to serve as the information and tender agent for the Tender Offer. Questions regarding the Tender Offer should be directed to Morrow Sodali at the contact details provided. Documents for the Tender Offer, including the Tender Offer Memorandum and Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, are available at the Tender Website: https://bonds.morrowsodali.com/adaniports and may also be obtained by contacting Morrow Sodali by telephone in New York: +1 203 609 4910 , London: +44 20 8089 3287 and Hong Kong: +852 2319 4130 or by email at [email protected].

The Tender Offer is being made solely pursuant to, and will be governed by, the Tender Offer Memorandum. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities (including, without limitation, the New Notes) nor will there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created thereby. Actual results may differ materially from these statements. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expect", "intend", "may", "will", or other words or phrases of similar import but these are not the exclusive means of identifying these statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, such expectations might not prove to be correct. Statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and the Company disclaims any responsibility to update or revise such statements.

Investor and Media Contact:

Roy Paul Adani Group Tel: 91-79-25556628 [email protected]

Disclaimers

This announcement must be read in conjunction with the Tender Offer Memorandum. No offer or invitation to acquire or exchange any Notes is being made pursuant to this announcement.

This announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum contain important information which must be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Tender Offer. If any holder of Notes is in any doubt as to the action it should take, it should seek its own legal, tax and financial advice, including as to any tax consequences, from its legal, accounting, financial and other advisers. Any holder whose Notes are held on its behalf by a broker, dealer, bank, custodian, trust company or other nominee must contact such entity if it wishes to participate in the Tender Offer. None of the Company, the Joint Dealer Managers, Morrow Sodali, the Trustee or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents or affiliates, makes any recommendation as to whether holders of Notes should participate in the Tender Offer.

Each holder of Notes participating in the Tender Offer will be deemed to give certain representations as set out in the section titled "Procedures for Tendering Notes" in the Tender Offer Memorandum. Any tender of Notes for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer from a holder of Notes that is unable to make these representations will not be accepted. Each of the Company, the Joint Dealer Managers and Morrow Sodali reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to investigate, in relation to any tender of Notes for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer, whether any such representation given by a holder of Notes is correct and, if such investigation is undertaken and as a result the Company determines (for any reason) that such representation is not correct, such tender of Notes will not be accepted.

This announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum and any related documents do not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell securities in any circumstances or jurisdictions in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration pursuant to the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act"), or an exemption from registration.

The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act, or any state securities laws of the United States, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state laws. The Company has no intent to register any securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. The New Notes will only be offered to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A of the Securities Act and to non-U.S. persons outside the United States under Regulation S under the Securities Act.

If a jurisdiction requires the Tender Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, and any of the Joint Dealer Managers or any of their respective affiliates is such a licensed broker or dealer in such jurisdiction, the Tender Offer will be deemed to be made by such Joint Dealer Manager or affiliate on behalf of the Company in such jurisdiction.

This announcement should not be considered as an advertisement, invitation, offer, sale or solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or purchase any securities, whether by way of private placement or to the public, in India. The New Notes will not be offered or sold, and have not been offered or sold, in India by means of any offering document or other document or material relating to the New Notes, directly or indirectly, in India or to, or for the account or benefit of, any person resident in India.

SOURCE Morrow Sodali
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Host Communities of oil producing states have called on the federal government to scrap the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The communities recommended a new commission in place of the NDDC to be called Host Communities Development Commission.

They said in its over 20 years of existence, nothing good has come out of NDDC neither have the communities been positively impacted by it.

The president of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), Benjamin Tamaranebi, made the call in an interview with journalists during the second day of the public hearing on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

The event, which started on Monday, witnessed oil producing companies, marketers and other major stakeholders stating their observations as well as recommendations for the legislation.

Mr Tamaranebi was explaining how previous interventions set up by the federal government in the past have yielded little or no result, adding that it would be best to scrap the NDDC.

These funds do not get down to the communities. It has always been hijacked by political groups or parties, he said making reference to the 2.5 per cent equity share holding proposed in the PIB for the communities.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the group rejected the proposed 2.5 per cent as they demanded 10 per cent.

NDDC is there, amnesty is there, there is even the Ministry of Niger Delta established by YarAdua. All these interventions are not significant to the communities, Mr Tamaranebi said.

The communities are still in a deplorable form. No development, no light. Imagine a place where billions of dollars are being pumped out and theres no light, no health centre, nothing.

When asked if he wants the commission to be scrapped, he responded in the positive.

He said, To be frank and sincere, that is my wish because they are not performing. NDDC has been there for about 20 years and nothing of good importance has been impacted in communities through it.

Then why do you keep it there. Scrap it and form Host Communities Development Commission  where host communities will come in and that is the basis.

Let our people, whom we trust, handle it. If youre not doing well, well hold you responsible for it.

He further blamed the federal government for gas flaring in the region, which he said is slowly killing residents of the state.

If these funds are directly given to the host communitieswe know our pains, every community knows what to do and thats what we will do, he added.
Bluestone Advances Basic Engineering at Cerro Blanco, Provides Project Update and Plans for 2021

Posted by Publisher Internet

Bluestone Resources Inc. (TSXV:BSR | OTCQB:BBSRF) (\Bluestone\ or the \Company\  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/bluestone-resources-inc/ ) is pleased to provide an update on the Company?s activities during 2020 at its 100% owned Cerro Blanco gold project located in southern Guatemala (?Project?), and provide an outlook on plans for 2021.? During 2020, a Project Readiness Update (?PRU?) was undertaken which involved a thorough and extensive review of the current mine plan, engineering, process flow sheet, capital and operating cost estimates, along with the execution strategy. The PRU will be further optimized in H1 2021 following the completion of an updated mineral resource estimate and mine plan to incorporate the recently completed 2020 drill program.

2020 Highlights

$30 million credit facility with Natixis secured (a lending bank in connection with Project finance).

Jack Lundin appointed as CEO and to the Board of Directors.

Several important optimization and trade-off studies completed.

Completed a successful C$92 million equity financing to fund advancement of the Project.

Technical, environmental, and social due diligence for the Project Finance banks completed.

Completed basic engineering.

Completed over 15,000 meters of infill drilling that returned the highest-grade intercept (1,380 g/t gold & 2,194 g/t silver) ever drilled at the Project.

Jack Lundin, CEO, commented, ?2020 was no doubt a challenging year but from the onset of the pandemic we were able to adapt quickly to this new environment and are feeling motivated entering into 2021. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions in place in Guatemala for the last eight months of the year, the commitment and hard work of our Guatemalan team, together with the firm support of both the Guatemalan government and local stakeholders, allowed us to advance the Project in several key disciplines which included completion of basic engineering, validation of the underground mine plan, as well as the 2019 Feasibility Study (?FS?) production profile over the life-of-mine. Additionally, we were able to successfully complete a 15,000 meters infill drill program in the South Zone in December. We have been supported with a steady flow of great results, including 15 meters grading 21.6 g/t gold and 52 g/t silver plus truly bonanza grades of up to 1,380 g/t gold and 2,194 g/t silver over 1.2 meters (see press releases June 9, 2020 and November 19, 2020).?

Regarding outlook for 2021, Mr. Lundin added, ?The Project execution team will continue to work to optimize the Project as the Company waits for the lagging assay results. We have seen the upside potential in the near surface high grade intercepts and are confident we will be able to increase the mine life at Cerro Blanco with the rest of the results. As we wait, additional studies are currently being undertaken that look at a variety of development options. Our focus remains on maximizing the potential benefits at Cerro Blanco for all of our stakeholders.?

Project Readiness Update

The FS envisioned a 1,250 tonne per day (?tpd?) mine producing approximately 113,000 ounces of gold a year over an eight-year mine life at an AISC of $579/oz (see NI 43-101 technical report titled ?Feasibility Study NI-43-101 Technical Report Cerro Blanco Project Guatemala?, prepared by Maz Mohaseb, P.Eng., Michael Makarenko, P.Eng., Kelly McLeod, P.Eng., Richard Boehnke, P.Eng., Mike Levy, P.E., Garth Kirkham, P.Geo., Hhan Olsen, P.G., CPG and Bryan Ulrich, P.E., dated January 29, 2019 and filed on www.sedar.com under Bluestone?s SEDAR profile. Since that time, Bluestone has completed an infill drill program in the North Zone of the deposit and an updated resource estimate which added over 200,000 ounces of gold in Measured and Indicated categories (see Company press release November 6, 2019). Additionally, with the onboarding of key Project development personnel, the Company has conducted an in-depth technical analysis of the entire Project and completed basic engineering and trade-off studies to optimize future operations.

The PRU is intended as an interim study to build off the compilation of geological, engineering, and hydrological studies performed during the FS. Further optimizations to the mine plan are expected following an updated resource estimate in H1 2021. The mine plan review to date, along with the decision to purchase the mining mobile fleet during the construction period, combined with the additional detail of basic engineering, is expected to result in moderate increases to capital and operating costs compared to the FS; however, the impact of an increased gold price, additional ounces recoverable, and other optimizations are expected to offset this, resulting in robust Project economics in line with the FS.

Highlights below are provided as an interim update and are therefore preliminary in nature, incorporating results of recent basic engineering and various optimization and trade-off studies. The reader is cautioned that the following highlights are considered Forward Looking Statements and subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed (see Forward Looking Statements at the end of this press release).

Unless otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts are stated in U.S dollars (?$?). Base case was completed at a gold price of $1,500/oz and a silver price of $20/oz.

Highlights of the PRU Study

Average annual gold production in line with the 2019 Feasibility Study.

Project within the bottom end of the lowest quartile of the global cost curve, with an average life of mine (?LOM?) all-in sustaining costs (?AISC?) sub $675/oz (net of credits).

Average annual free cash flow of approximately $85 million per year over the LOM.

After-tax internal rate of return (?IRR?) of approximately 30%.

Net present value using a discount rate of 5% (?NPV?) expected to exceed $300 million after-tax.

Initial capital of approximately $225 million* (including preproduction revenue) with an after-tax payback period of under 3 years.

Approximately 1Moz of gold and 3Moz of silver recovered.

*Capital cost is inclusive of contingency and pre-production revenue net of taxes but exclusive of early works activities. Value added tax was excluded as it is refundable.

Darren Klinck, President, commented, ?The additional engineering work confirms that Cerro Blanco would be a low-cost producer with first quartile AISC as demonstrated in the FS. The gold environment has since improved significantly, and offsets increases to capex due to advancing engineering and de-risking of the Project. Looking forward into 2021, we intend to update the Cerro Blanco resource estimate and mine plan in the first half of the year.?

Project Finance

Significant advancements were made during 2020 with the Project Finance negotiations which included the completion of independent technical engineering, environmental, and social reports along with advancements to long-form term sheets. Further corporate and project finance updates will be provided in Q1. As of January 1, 2021, Bluestone had a cash balance of approximately $50 million.

Project Optimizations

Further to the resource update in 2019, an additional 15,171 meters of infill drilling were completed in 2020 which focused on the South Zone with the goal to improve the definition of key veins in parallel to expanding the mineralization of known veins outside of the current resource envelope. Recently reported results included the highest-grade intercept ever drilled at the Project, grading 1,380 g/t gold and 2,194 g/t silver over 1.2 meters (see press Release November 19, 2020). The 2020 infill drill program was successfully completed; however, assay results have been delayed due to slower processing times because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from approximately half of the program are still outstanding but once received, the resource estimate and mine plan will be updated.

A draft LOM plan was updated at the end of 2020 and it is anticipated that further optimizations will be captured following the updated resource estimate over the next few months. The average annual production is expected to be in line with the FS over the LOM. A self-perform vs contractor mining trade- off study was undertaken and the self-perform mine development option was deemed to be the best option. This is a change in the execution strategy compared to the FS in addition to the purchase of the mobile mining fleet now being capitalized.

Since the FS, Bluestone has undertaken additional metallurgical test work which has confirmed the flow sheet and resulted in some simplifications of the process plant design. These optimizations include changing the comminution circuit from three-stage crushing, two ball mill configurations to single stage crushing followed by SAG and ball mill configuration.

Qualified Person

David Cass, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration, is the designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and verified that the scientific and technical information set out above in this news release is accurate and therefore approves this written disclosure of the technical information.

About Bluestone Resources

Bluestone Resources is a mineral exploration and development company that is focused on advancing its 100%-owned high-grade Cerro Blanco Gold and Mita Geothermal projects located in Guatemala. The Company trades under the symbol ?BSR? on the TSX Venture Exchange and ?BBSRF? on the OTCQB.

On Behalf of Bluestone Resources Inc.

\Jack Lundin\

Jack Lundin | Chief Executive Officer & Director

For further information, please contact:

Bluestone Resources Inc.

Stephen Williams | VP Corporate Development & Investor Relations

Phone:? +1 604-757-5559

info@bluestoneresources.ca

www.bluestoneresources.ca?

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

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 press release contains ?forward-looking information? within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and ?forward-looking statements? within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, ?forward-looking statements?).? All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events, or developments that Bluestone Resources Inc. (?Bluestone? or the ?Company?) believes, expects, or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, without limitation: the Company?s plans for 2021; the anticipated results of the PRU and expected optimizations; the Company?s current expectations regarding the mining method and alternative development options; completion of Project financing; anticipated timing and results of exploration, drilling, and assays; increasing the amount of measured mineral and indicated mineral resources; the proposed timeline and benefits of further drilling; the proposed timeline and benefits of the Feasibility Study; statements about the Company?s plans for its mineral properties; Bluestone?s business strategy, plans, and outlook; the future financial or operating performance of Bluestone; capital expenditures, corporate general and administration expenses, and exploration and development expenses; expected working capital requirements; the future financial estimates of the Cerro Blanco Project economics, including estimates of capital costs of constructing mine facilities, and bringing a mine into production, and of sustaining capital costs, estimates of operating costs and total costs, net present value and economic returns; proposed production timelines and rates; funding availability; resource estimates; and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to Bluestone and often use words such as ?expects?, ?plans?, ?anticipates?, ?estimates?, ?intends?, ?may?, or variations thereof or the negative of any of these terms.

All forward-looking statements are made based on Bluestone?s current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by Bluestone and information currently available to Bluestone.? Generally, these assumptions include, among others: the presence of and continuity of metals at the Cerro Blanco Project at estimated grades; the availability of personnel, machinery, and equipment at estimated prices and within estimated delivery times; currency exchange rates; metals sales prices and exchange rates assumed; appropriate discount rates applied to the cash flows in economic analyses; tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operations; the availability of acceptable financing; the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19); anticipated mining losses and dilution; success in realizing proposed operations; and anticipated timelines for community consultations and the impact of those consultations on the regulatory approval process.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of Bluestone 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, Bluestone. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: potential changes to the mining method and the current development strategy; risks and uncertainties related to expected production rates; timing and amount of production and total costs of production; risks and uncertainties related to the ability to obtain, amend, or maintain necessary licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining development activities; risks and uncertainties related to the accuracy of mineral resource estimates and estimates of future production, future cash flow, total costs of production, and diminishing quantities or grades of mineral resources; risks associated with geopolitical uncertainty and political and economic instability in Guatemala; risks related to global epidemics or pandemics and other health crises, including the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19); risks and uncertainties related to interruptions in production; the possibility that future exploration, development, or mining results will not be consistent with Bluestone?s expectations; uncertain political and economic environments and relationships with local communities and governmental authorities; risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the mineral identified as mineral resources from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; developments in world metals markets; and risks related to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. For a further discussion of risks relevant to Bluestone, see ?Risk Factors? in the Company?s annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2019, available on the Company?s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Bluestone 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 Bluestone 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 their inherent uncertainty.? There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures

The Company has included certain non-International Financial Reporting Standards (?IFRS?) measures in this news release. The Company believes that these measures, in addition to measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provide investors an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company and to compare it to information reported by other companies. The non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

All-in sustaining costs

The Company believes that all-in sustaining costs (?AISC?) more fully defines the total costs associated with producing gold.

The Company calculates AISC as the sum of refining costs, third party royalties, site operating costs, sustaining capital costs, and closure capital costs all divided by the gold ounces sold to arrive at a per ounce amount. Other companies may calculate this measure differently as a result of differences in underlying principles and policies applied. Differences may also arise due to a different definition of sustaining versus non-sustaining capital.

AISC reconciliation

AISC and costs are calculated based on the definitions published by the World Gold Council (?WGC?) (a market development organization for the gold industry comprised of and funded by 18 gold mining companies from around the world). The WGC is not a regulatory organization.
Myanmar & COVID-19 Hundreds More Myanmar Migrant Workers Test Positive for COVID-19 in Thailand

A disease control worker sprays disinfectant on a migrant worker at a field hospital in Samut Sakhon province on Jan 10. / Bangkok Post

Thai officials have confirmed 914 new cases of COVID-19 in Samut Sakhon, including 760 among foreign migrant workers, the majority of them from Myanmar. This is the highest daily number since the province emerged as the epicenter of a second wave of the coronavirus in the country.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Samut Sakhon to 6,555, according to the provinces public relations office. In December, Thai health officials imposed a strict lockdown on the area and began widespread testing.

Apisamai Srirangsun, assistant spokeswoman of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said public health officials are aiming to test 10,000 people a day in Samut Sakhon until the end of the month.

With the target [for testing] set at 10,000 people a day, there is a high chance of finding around 800 new cases each day, she said according to The Bangkok Post. But she went on to assure the public that the government has the ability to rein in the outbreak. The CCSA spokeswoman also said that in addition to the 1,091 beds currently available at the provinces field hospital, over 1,400 will be added.

Thailand will administer its first inoculations with the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca on Feb. 14 in Samut Sakhon province to frontline medical personnel and public health volunteers on a voluntary basis, according to Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Kiatphum Wongrachit.

50,000 doses of the first lot of 150,000 AstraZeneca vaccines, from a plant in Italy, are due to arrive in Thailand in early February and they will be given to up to 7,000 frontline medics, according to health officials.

Meanwhile, Surasak Pholyoungsong, the deputy governor of Samut Sakhon, said he had invited stall owners and operators at the provinces Central Shrimp Market to discuss the best way to manage accommodation for Myanmar migrant workers employed at the market.

Apisamai Srirangsun hinted that educational institutes in some areas of Samut Sakhon may reopen in February if the COVID-19 situation there has improved satisfactorily, while businesses may have to wait.

The Thai government is considering relaxing virus-related curbs on Friday, and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will hold a meeting with officials from the CCSA.

When asked about the easing of restrictions in Thailand, Apisamai said the decision will be made based on information sent by provincial governors and local health authorities, which have been working closely with the CCSA.

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Paul Kuroda / Special to The Chronicle

A former Pacific Gas and Electric Co. worker was sentenced to 22 months in prison Monday for his admitted role in a scheme that steered tens of millions of dollars in business to his cousins company, federal prosecutors said.

Ronald Schoenfeld, 65, conspired to secure PG&E contracts for his cousins Stockton transportation company in exchange for about 2.5% of the contracts value, according to the office of U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott. PG&E paid at least $82.1 million to the Stockton business and Schoenfeld received more than $1.4 million from March 2007 through February 2015, the attorneys office aid in a news release.

The mental-health needs of immigrants, who make up nearly 14% of Philadelphias population, are often centered on immigration, a stressful and sometimes traumatic ordeal. Yet many immigrants come from cultures where stigma around mental health makes them reluctant to talk about the emotional difficulties they face.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only aggravated an already difficult situation as immigrants seek out information about the coronavirus in their languages, cope with increased conflict between family members, and look for behavioral health resources that address their needs in a culturally sensitive way.

Thats why these three Philadelphia nonprofits have developed unique approaches to helping the citys immigrant communities at a time of heightened uncertainty. Heres what their work has looked like in the last year.

Chinese Immigrant Family Wellness Program

The Chinese Immigrant Family Wellness Program, a partnership between the Philadelphia Chinatown Downtown Corporation and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, was launched in March right as the pandemic hit. The initiative was originally designed around in-person workshops aimed at the Chinese populations understanding of wellness, said Esther Castillo, the programs manager.

When the lockdown happened in March, obviously all the plans had to be thrown out the window, she said. It was a chaotic month, after the planning we had done in January and February. But we started online workshops in April.

Castillo and her team held weekly workshops over Zoom in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English to discuss how holistic wellness should involve both physical and emotional health. They also talked about how to manage conflict between family members and practice self-care. When the city was gripped by racial unrest in June, Castillo invited her friends who are race scholars to talk about what prejudice looks like.

After that discussion about race, we tested the waters of talking about mental health and mental illness, she said. And we immediately went from 20 attendees to one. We had to pause, regroup, and think about what happened. Mental illness is still really stigmatized, so we went back to the word wellness, which has been very useful and effective. It was a little bit like walking on eggshells.

Castillo noticed that young people in the Chinese community were much more receptive than their elders to open discussions about mental health. In the fall, she put together a series of workshops for them, called the Wellness Leadership Program, that included discussions led by 12 mental-health professionals, 11 of whom were Asian. Throughout the program, the participants, ages 14 to 23, completed interviews with their parents about their immigration experiences to educate themselves, as well as begin the process of regaining dignity for those who had immigrated, said Castillo.

I recognized that this program was very necessary for the Asian American community as a whole, said Felicia Chen, a junior studying nursing at Penn who participated in the Wellness Leadership Program. The program normalizes mental-health issues in immigrant families. There are things that make our trauma and our mental health special, and I found it very crucial to be given space to hold this culture.

Parent workshops are held every second and fourth Tuesday in January, February, and March from 3 to 4 p.m. For more information, go to cifwi.com.

Tabadul: Reflecting on our Experiences Through the Arts

Launched in September 2019, Tabadul incorporates art into the lives of Northeast High School students who are immigrants and refugees, said David A. Heayn-Menendez, director of public education at Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, a nonprofit organization rooted in Arab arts and language. Through art, the students were given an outlet to express their feelings about immigration and their lives, he said.

Heayn-Menendez and his team also held two-hour sessions twice a week for the families of the students in the after-school program because they believed a multigenerational approach would be most effective. (Theyve since switched to Zoom.) The sessions combined ESL classes and art therapy over tea and cookies. The goal was to reduce stress for immigrants by giving them tools to navigate their new world, Heayn-Menendez said.

Most, if not all, of our ESL teachers were Arabic teachers, so they had the capacity to speak and navigate Arab culture and language, he said. We would have workshops on issues like mental health, the census, and how to apply for jobs.

When the team was forced to switch to virtual programming in the spring, it hosted Zoom workshops featuring experts from the Department of Public Health and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services to offer English and Arabic sessions about mental health and family relations during quarantine.

Like Castillo, Heayn-Menendez is careful about the language surrounding mental health. He also pointed out that privacy is especially important in the Muslim community. Many people dont feel comfortable talking about whats going on in their own family or their struggles, he said.

If you were to say mental-health sessions, our participants would think it means like for people who are having a mental breakdown or psychiatric break in some ways, he said. Theres a lot of taboo and obstacles to that. With art therapy, we didnt ask them to tear their hearts out and put them on display. We just asked them to write a poem or a letter to their country, which allowed them to share about themselves and practice language at the same time. That was one of the ways we got over the taboo and barriers.

For more information, go to albustanseeds.org.

Intercultural Wellness Program

The Intercultural Wellness Program was founded last February to give immigrants the skills to promote wellness in their communities, said Manuel Portillo, director of community engagement at the Welcoming Center, which partnered with the African Family Health Organization for the initiative. Twenty community members participated in a five-month training program. Sessions, which focused on specific wellness topics, strategies and coping mechanisms, were led by guest lecturers including mental-health providers.

Given the demographic and social isolation that a lot of immigrants experience, we wanted to develop a program that supports them during this time, Portillo said. We also wanted to explore the meaning of wellness.

Participant Yushan Chou said she wasnt used to discussions about wellness in her home country of Taiwan.

When I first joined the program, I learned different perspectives from other immigrants, Chou said. We all had different ideas about how we can improve ourselves and understand ourselves to better deal with pandemic issues. It helped me see myself a lot better, and gave me more things to reflect on. I liked that we could share our issues openly.

During the program, Chou and her partner Karen Cervera conceptualized Lets Talk Philly Conversation Circles, a space for immigrant millennials to learn English conversation skills and tell stories to break stereotypes about wellness. Their project is now a finalist in the Well City Challenge, a program that supports community-led ventures to address and improve millennial mental and physical health, organized by the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia and Independence Blue Cross.

It helped us find a way to break the stigma, said Cervera, who emigrated from Mexico. I know and understand now that Im not the only one going through this. Theres a lot of people that are going through the same situation as me. Even if we are coming from different countries, we still share so many things in common, and so many struggles in common.

For more information, go to welcomingcenter.org.
A San Antonio police officer accused of possessing child pornography  the third charge lodged against him this month  surrendered to officials Tuesday.

Erik Rodriguez, 39, turned himself at the Bexar County Jail, officials said. A Bexar County grand jury previously set his bail at $100,000.

Rodriguez has been the subject of police scrutiny since a woman told a detective investigating her domestic violence allegations that she believed her alleged abuser was receiving information about the case.

According to SAPD, the investigation led to Rodriguez, who was allegedly compensated by the suspect for providing the information.

On Jan. 13, Rodriguez was arrested and charged with misuse of public funds and later bribery.

On the day of his first arrest, authorities said they discovered a video of a child engaging in sexual conduct, namely sexual bestiality, court records state.

On Monday, the grand jury indicted Rodriguez for possession of child porn.

Prior to turning himself in Tuesday, Rodriguez was out of jail on bonds totaling $90,000.

Rodriguez, a 14-year veteran of the force, has since been suspended without pay.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As a direct response to community feedback that healthcare costs are high, Valley View, an independent, nonprofit health system based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, has created a solution between primary care and emergency room: After Hours Urgent Care.

After Hours Urgent Care offers convenient, urgent care with the backing of the renowned Valley View.

Valley View is an independent, nonprofit health system based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. (PRNewsfoto/Valley View) Ben Peery, MD, Medical Director of Valley View's After Hours Urgent Care and Emergency Services and emergency department physician. (PRNewsfoto/Valley View)

"To respond to the community's needs, we are pleased to offer this After Hours Urgent Care option to provide local healthcare that is high quality for a reasonable price," said Dawn Sculco, Chief Nursing Officer of Valley View. "Valley View's emergency room services and primary care practices are vital to the health of our community, but not every instance or injury can wait for a primary care appointment or require an emergency level of care."

"Valley View's After Hours Urgent Care will be able to treat patients faster and more affordably, and since the location is linked to the hospital, patients will receive exceptional healthcare from Valley View's comprehensive team," shared Ben Peery, MD, Medical Director of the After Hours Urgent Care and Emergency Services and emergency department physician.

After Hours Urgent Care is located next to Valley View's Emergency Department at 1906 Blake Avenue, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601. It treats non-emergent illnesses and injuries MondayFriday, 511 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 128 p.m. If injuries turn out to be serious, Valley View's Emergency Department is conveniently only a few steps away, and patients do not have to be transported by an ambulance.

After Hours Urgent Care treats patients aged 6 months and older for the following minor health conditions: sore throat, cough, sinus pain, nasal congestion, ear pain, fever, mild allergic reaction, rash, urinary complaint, eye irritation, strains and sprains, lacerations and abrasions, toothache or dental concerns, foreign body removal.

The Valley View team collaborated with independent community medical providers to make this service possible. Valley View is proud to also welcome Andrew Chapman, PA; Lewis Perna, APRN and Anthony Carvella, PA, to Valley View to serve as the After Hours Urgent Care providers under the oversight of Dr. Peery.

"This new service is the result of great collaboration across Valley View and with independent community providers," said Brian Murphy, MD, CEO of Valley View. "I want to especially thank Dr. Paul Salmen from Glenwood Medical Associates, Dr. Chris Tonozzi from Mountain Family Health Centers, Dr. Gary Knaus from Roaring Fork Family Practice at Valley View, and Dr. Charlie Abramson and Dr. Ben Peery from Valley View's Emergency Department. Their work and leadership are instrumental in creating this offering to better serve our community."

If patients don't already have a primary care doctor, the professionals at After Hours Urgent Care will try to partner them with one in the Valley View system. Valley View is trying to reduce silos in healthcare, in which the primary doctor should be the first point of contact.

For more information about After Hours Urgent Care, visit www.vvh.org/urgentcare.

About Valley View

Valley View is an independent, nonprofit health system based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. A thriving regional medical center, Valley View is situated on a 21-acre medical campus offering 78 beds, including an additional 400,000 square feet of advanced hospital and medical offices. Its integrated network of physician practices, specialty centers and hospital provide multi-disciplinary care across the health spectrum. Valley View is designated as a Planetree-affiliated facility, representing the highest level of achievement in person-centered care. Valley View has been recognized for performance excellence from Healthgrades, J.D. Power & Associates, Truven Health "Top 100 Hospitals," Survey Vitals and Consumer Reports. It is located at 1906 Blake Avenue, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601. For more information, visit vvh.org or call 970.945.6535.

Contact:

Duree & Company, Inc.

954-723-9350 / [email protected]

SOURCE Valley View
RouteOne Teaming up with RouteOne expands our digital capability to improve our dealers workflow from credit application to contracting across all of HCAs finance and insurance products,

RouteOne announces that Hyundai Capital America is now an available eContracting finance source for Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis dealers utilizing the RouteOne platform. Through RouteOne eContracting, dealers can include finance and insurance products from Hyundai Motor Finance, Kia Motors Finance, Genesis Finance, Hyundai Protection Plan, Genesis Protection Plan, and Power Protect in a single, secure eSigning ceremony.

As the industrys eContracting leader, RouteOne boasts the largest network and most robust tool set; including 170+ eContracting supportive finance sources, 10,000+ eContracting active dealers, and 50+ aftermarket providers available on its eContracting platform. Dealers improve the customer experience and reduce contracts-in-transit while increasing efficiency and customer satisfaction with RouteOnes solution. RouteOne is directly integrated to finance sources and allows all eSignable deal documents to be signed in a single signing ceremony, either in-store, in the showroom or at a remote location. This includes credit application, eContract, aftermarket forms, and any additional dealer uploaded document that signature boxes can be applied to.

RouteOne is pleased to bring Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands the ease and convenience of eContracting with Hyundai Capital America through the RouteOne portal, stated Jeff Belanger, Senior Vice President, Business Development. Our entire team is dedicated to supporting their dealers and successfully implementing these solutions to optimize F&I workflow.

Teaming up with RouteOne expands our digital capability to improve our dealers workflow from credit application to contracting across all of HCAs finance and insurance products, said Eckart Klumpp, Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer at Hyundai Capital America. This partnership allows us to provide faster funding to our dealers and increase customer satisfaction.

Dealers interested in RouteOnes eContracting or Aftermarket Rating and Contracting service can subscribe through the Premium Services page of RouteOne or by contacting their RouteOne Business Development Manager at 866.768.8301 or http://www.routeone.com/salesteam.

###

About RouteOne

RouteOne was formed in 2002 by Ally Financial, Ford Motor Credit Company, TD Auto Finance, and Toyota Financial Services to improve the F&I process for automobile dealers and their customers. Connecting thousands of dealers and finance sources in North America for vehicle financing, RouteOnes platform delivers a comprehensive suite of F&I solutions across multiple channels: in-store, online, mobile, and via third-party solutions. Its product line-up includes digital retail, credit application, eContracting, menu, and compliance solutions. In addition, RouteOne enables dealer choice across a wide variety of best-in-class providers through open integrations with over 200 DSPs. More information is available at http://www.routeone.com.

About Hyundai Capital America

Headquartered in Irvine, CA, Hyundai Capital America (HCA) is a top-10 U.S. auto finance company supporting the financial service needs of Hyundai Motor America, Genesis Motor America, and Kia Motors America. Through Hyundai Motor Finance, Genesis Finance, and Kia Motors Finance brands, HCA provides financial products to Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia dealerships nationwide, including dealer inventory and facility financing, as well as indirect vehicle financing for retail and lease customers. Hyundai Capital America serves more than 1.8 million retail customers and 1,600 dealers nationwide. In addition to its two offices in Orange County, CA, Hyundai Capital America has customer support centers in Atlanta, Georgia and Dallas, Texas. In addition, HCA launched its finance and insurance products in 2013 and is currently posting solid financial performance through its service brands: Hyundai Protection Plan, Genesis Protection Plan, and Power Protect.

Kia Motors Finance is the registered trademark of Kia Motors America, Inc. and is used with permission. Genesis Finance does business in the State of Utah as Genesis Finance USA.
Page Content

On Jan. 14, the California Supreme Court held in Vazquez v. Jan-Pro Franchising Int'l, Inc. that the "ABC" test for determining worker classification fashioned in its groundbreaking decision, Dynamex v. Superior Court, applies retroactively. The court relied on its position that independent contractor classification under the California wage orders was unsettled law until 2018. The decision surprised few in the legal industry, given the court's prior reasoning in the unanimous Dynamex decision.

Employers should note that the California Legislature passed AB 5, applying the same ABC test used in Dynamex for purposes of the California Labor Code, workers' compensation and unemployment benefits. Drafted to be clearly prospective, AB 5 settled the question of retroactivity of the test for those purposes, but the question of retroactivity of the test as applied to the wage orders remained.

The 'ABC' Test



In Dynamex, the California Supreme Court overturned three decades of precedent and ruled that the ABC test was the appropriate standard for determining whether a given worker was an employee or an independent contractor for purposes of the California wage orders. Under the ABC test, a worker is generally considered to be an employee unless the putative employer can prove: (a) the worker was not under its direction and control in performance of the work in question; (b) the worker's business was not in the hiring company's usual course of business; and (c) the worker was customarily engaged in an independent trade or business.

As a practical matter, the ABC test broadens the definition of employment, applying it to many who were previously classified as independent contractors. The ABC test had never been applied in California prior to the Dynamex opinion.

Constitutionally, the legislature creates laws and the courts apply and interpret them. As a result, most court decisions are retroactive, because the law already existedthe court is merely clarifying its application in a particular context. When the law is unclear or unsettled, courts may go further, developing legal standards to further the practical application of an otherwise ambiguous law. On rare occasion, such a standard may not be predictable or the change in direction may contravene fairness and public policy for those who sought to comply with the law as it was previously understood. Courts can choose to lessen the impact of these unpredictable changes by making the new standard prospective only.

Due to the landmark nature of the Dynamex decision, many cases already making their way through the courts lacked guidance on its retroactivity. The California Supreme Court at first declined to provide any finding on retroactive application, denying a petition for rehearing on that question.

The Court Decision

Then, in October 2019, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, by way of Vazquez v. Jan-Pro Franchising Int'l, Inc., also requested the state high court's input on the issue of retroactivity. This time, the court agreed.

Despite the consistent application of the 20-factor Borello test to all types of questions of independent contractor status since the case was decided in 1989, the California Supreme Court relied on three sentences spread across two prior decisions to justify its classification of Borello as unsettled law. The court also relied heavily on the distinction between the applicable test for workers' compensation and wage orders.

By determining that the appropriate test for whether someone is an employee or independent contractor for the purposes overtime and minimum wage (as opposed to workers' compensation) had yet to be decided until Dynamex, the court was able to maintain that "employers were clearly on notice that the law was not settled." As a result, the state high court reasoned, "Dynamex was within the scope of what employers reasonably could have foreseen."

The California Supreme Court additionally found that concerns regarding fairness and public policy supportednot underminedDynamex's retroactive implementation. Just as it discussed in Dynamex, the purpose of the creation and application of the ABC test in California was to extend the protections of the state labor code to individuals who would otherwise be contractors. With this reasoning as its foundation, the court decided fairness and public policy furthered the cause of retroactivity.

What Does This Mean for Businesses?



Based on the relevant statute of limitations, the court's finding only affects those cases involving allegations of a violation of the wage orders, which are already making their way through the legal system, and similar cases filed within the next year or so. Exceptions do exist, however, for those industries and occupations carved out by AB 5 and its successors and the app-based drivers and delivery workers covered by the newly enacted Proposition 22.

The Vazquez decision will certainly impact misclassification cases currently in litigation, but perhaps the most important lesson of Vazquez is that the California Supreme Court continues its full-throated support for its decision that turned California independent-contractor law on its head.

Mel Cole and Michael Lotito are attorneys with Littler Mendelson in San Francisco. Bruce Sarchet is an attorney with Littler Mendelson in Sacramento.  2021 Littler Mendelson. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.


A teenage girl who received a live-saving heart transplant in 2019 has revealed she wears a keepsake ring belonging to her donor, sent to her by the 19-year-old's family.

Kayleigh Llewellyn, 13, from Seaham, County Durham, received a heart transplant from a 19-year-old girl just before Christmas 2019, three months after she was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

More than a year on, Kayleigh and her parents, Shaun, 50 and Sonia, 41, revealed on Good Morning Britain that the two families are still in contact after Kayleigh managed to write the donor's family a letter of thanks following the operation.

The teen, who's been shielding at home during the coronavirus pandemic, touched viewers by revealing her donor's family sent her a Pandora ring which had belonged to their daughter.

They sent the keepsake to Kayleigh after she started making and selling jewellery in order to raise funds for the NHS in 2020.

People praised the teen and her family for raising awareness on cardiomyopathy, a condition which affects the heart muscle and makes it harder for your heart to pump blood to the rest of your body.

Kayleigh received she's still in contact with the anonymous family of the donor whose heart saved her life (pictured in hospital with her mother)

Speaking to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid about the transplant, Kayleigh's dad Shaun said: 'It was the best Christmas present we could ask for, the relief was just amazing.

'Kayleigh was on a life support machine, there was no end in sight,' the father said, adding that his daughter had gone from a 'healthy girl' to struggling to live in a 'matter of weeks.'

Susanna revealed that even though the families of organ donors must remain anonymous, Kayleigh had managed to communicate with them and sent a letter of thanks.

'I just wrote how grateful I was that in that moment they decided to give their organs,' the teen said.

Kayleigh Llewellyn, 13, from Seaham, County Durham, received a heart transplant from an anonymous 19-year-old girl just before Christmas 2019, three months after she was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.

'I shared what I've been through, my story, and how old I was because I couldn't say my name at the time,' she added.

And this bond has remained strong throughout the pandemic, after Kayleigh had recovered from her transplant.

The teenager took to creating jewellery, which she sold during lockdown to raise funds for the NHS.

Mother Sonia revealed Kayleigh had sent an infinity necklace to the donor's family, who had responded by sending her a Pandora ring that used to belong to the donor.

The teenager revealed she had put the ring on her necklace and was wearing it.

The family repeated how grateful they were.

During the pandemic, Kayleigh started to create jewellery to raise funds for the NHS and received a Pandora ring that used to belong to her donor

People were touched by Kayleigh's story and praised the family for raising awareness on cardiomyopathy

'From ten weeks, we thought we were not going to have Kayleigh from one day to the next and I can't thank them enough, Shaun said.

Since then, the family have been shielding due to the coronavirus pandemic, an experience which Kayleigh compared to the movie Groundhog Day, where each day repeats itself.

People were touched by Kayleigh's story and praised her and her family for raising awareness of cardiomyopathy.

'Beautiful. I also have a cardiomyopathy. So glad its getting awareness. Live a long and happy life Kayleigh,' one said.

Kayleigh revealed on Good Morning Britain that she had spent most of 2020 shielding due to the coronavirus

Kayleigh in hospital during her treatment for cardiomyopathy in 2019, when she was hooked on a life support machine to help her breath

'Thank you for talking about cardiomyopathy, my little girl (1) has this condition and it definitely is a disease that needs to be talked about more! Great that shes doing so well, what a brave inspirational girl,' said one parent.

'Donor families are the heroes. The gift they give to other families in their time of grief is inspirational. My son had had two transplants and his donor and their family become part of all our celebrations even though we have not had contact,' said another.

'I can feel for that family. As my 13yr old daughter. Had open heart surgery. Worse time of our lives,' said another.

WHAT IS CARDIOMYOPATHY? Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that affects its size, shape and structure. The condition is usually inherited. The three main types of cardiomyopathy are: Hypertrophic - heart wall is thickened

- heart wall is thickened Dilated - heart muscle becomes stretched and thin

- heart muscle becomes stretched and thin Arrhythmogenic right ventricular - heart muscle cells cannot be kept together All of these types of cardiomyopathy affect the heart's ability to pump blood around the body efficiently. They can also impact the way electrical signals make the organ beat. There is no cure, however, in most cases people's quality or length of life is unaffected. Therapies may include medication, treatment to normalise heart rhythm, pacemakers and, in rare cases, heart surgery or transplants. Source: British Heart Foundation Advertisement

Kayleigh fell ill in autumn 2019 when she woke up one morning for school struggling to breathe.

Doctors diagnosed her with cardiomyopathy and, to the shock of Kayleigh's parents, warned a heart transplant was her only chance of survival.

The disease causes the walls of the heart to become thick or stretched, reducing the heart's ability to pump blood. It can lead to heart failure or sudden death.

Kayleigh was wired up to machines in hospital that pumped blood around her body for her, giving her heart a rest while she waited for a donor.

After around six weeks in intensive care, Kayleigh  who spent some time in a coma  was told she would receive a new heart in time for Christmas 2019.

She woke up with breathing difficulties and took the day off school  but her parents thought it was her asthma.

The next day, she had chest pains. Other signs of cardiomyopathy include swelling of the ankles and dizziness.

Kayleigh was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital that same day after her parents rang 111.

Her heart rate was found to be abnormally high and tests confirmed that she had cardiomyopathy.

The disease is a frequent cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

It cannot be cured. Treatment is usually to slow the progression. Drugs and changes to lifestyle are considered before surgery.

In Kayleigh's case, doctors said she urgently needed a heart transplant to save her life.

She has been cared for at the specialist heart department at the Freeman Hospital ever since, with her childminder mother by her side the whole time.

Kayleigh had a temporary ventricular assist device fitted to the left side of her heart, which can keep blood pumping for patients with a damaged heart.

The right side was linked to an ECMO machine that pumped and oxygenated blood outside her body, allowing her heart and lungs to rest.

After a month in intensive care, Kayleigh was placed on the urgent transplant list in November which fast-tracked her to receive a heart.
Sky broadband crashed for thousands of users today as it went offline for half an hour for customers on the south coast of England.

The connectivity problems started at 4:25pm GMT and outage tracking site DownDetector saw a peak in complaints of more than 2,000 shortly after.

The vast majority of issues were with accessing the internet, accounting for 95 per cent of all problems.

NowTV, the streaming service owned and run by Sky, also experienced an unusually high number of user complaints.

Disgruntled users started reporting problems with their internet around 4:25pm GMT and outage tracking site DownDetector saw a peak in complaints if more than 2,000 shortly after

The south coast of England and London appear to be the two most affected areas by the recent outage

A Sky spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are aware that there was a short outage to our broadband services this afternoon in the Hampshire area.

'This has now been fixed and we're sorry for the inconvenience it may have caused.'

Users took to Twitter to vent their frustration at the loss of service, which comes just two weeks after another drop in coverage.

Hampshire-based user, Lucy Oakley, tweeted: '#skybroadband down again, 2nd time in a few weeks, is it the whole of Hampshire again or the whole of [the] country? Please sort before 8pm for the footy'

Her sentiment was echoed by Ryan Terry, who said he regrets the day he changed broadband to sky last month.

'Always was fine with BT however since moving to Sky constant issues. What's the complaints procedure please?' he adds.

Sky experienced technical issues on January 7 when broadband went down for thousands in the morning.

A Sky spokesperson told MailOnline at the time: 'There was a four minute outage to our broadband services this morning in the South Yorkshire area. We're sorry for the inconvenience it may have caused.'

Hotspots of outages sprung up in Sheffield, Norfolk and London, but smatterings were seen at several major cities.
Passengers push luggage through the Arrival Hall of Terminal 5 at Heathrow (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

Aviation industry leaders have warned of the catastrophic impact of requiring travellers to the UK to quarantine in hotels as ministers prepare to discuss stricter border measures.

A potential hotel quarantine rule is expected to be on the agenda as Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairs a meeting of the Governments Covid-O committee on Tuesday.

Senior ministers will use the meeting to consider how to help prevent the spread of coronavirus variants, such as those found in Brazil and South Africa.

The Best Western hotel chain, which has more than 250 locations in Great Britain, said it was waiting for a Government green light to provide safe, cared for Covid isolation for travellers requiring hotel quarantine.

Andrew Denton, head of hotels at Best Western GB, said: We have spent nine months doing the homework and the hard work behind the scenes working with some of the UKs leading medical people and organisations to put the procedures and policies in place to do this properly and safely, for guests and staff.

We are expecting an announcement from the Government tomorrow. Best Western hotels are ready to step in, help out and contribute to controlling the spread of the virus at this time of national need.

Last month, Best Western said it was working to make 180 hotels available to the NHS for care of non-Covid patients to free up capacity.

AOA & @airlines_UK are concerned by speculation on hotel quarantine, given UK increased travel restrictions only last week. Further steps need to be evidence-based. They would make a devastating situation worse - Govt financial is support ever-more urgent. https://t.co/FJs8RaLDNR  AOA (@AOA_UK) January 25, 2021

Other hotel chains contacted by the PA news agency on Monday said they were waiting for an announcement from the Government before commenting further.

Earlier on Monday, the Airport Operators Association and Airlines UK issued a joint statement insisting that the UK already had some of the highest levels of restrictions in the world, claiming that introducing tougher rules would be catastrophic.

They warned that further measures would impact vital freight and PPE (personal protective equipment) supplies and jeopardise tens of thousands of jobs and the many businesses that depend on aviation.

A spokesman for Heathrow Airport warned that a blanket hotel quarantine would mean the effective closure of the UKs borders and carried huge ramifications for the country and the aviation sector.

The airport called on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to provide a comprehensive financial support package for UK aviation.

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According to reports, a new hotel quarantine requirement for travellers entering the UK could cost them more than 1,000.

The Times also said the potential measure could take up to three weeks to implement.

The newspaper cited a hotel industry source who said that a quarter of the hotels around Heathrow airport in London were currently closed.

Hotels forced to shut their doors due to the fall in passenger numbers will need time to reopen, the Times reported.

Hotel quarantine rules for international travellers have already been implemented in other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand.

In March last year Australia introduce strict border controls, including all requiring arriving travellers to undertake 14 days of quarantine in a designated facility.

Quarantine is administered by the countrys states and territories and inbound travellers have to contribute to hotel quarantine costs.

In New South Wales (NSW), air passengers must undergo a Covid-19 symptom and temperature check at the airport.

Those with symptoms will be tested at the airport and transferred to a hotel managed by NSW Health to await their result. People without symptoms can collect their luggage and are transferred to a hotel or other designated facility.

All accommodation is pre-arranged, with food provided, and travellers are invoiced by NSW at the end of their stay.

Those not following the rules face heavy penalties.

Elsewhere on Monday, President Joe Biden was formally reinstating a ban on non-citizens travelling to the US from the UK, Ireland and the EU over concerns of new highly infectious coronavirus variants.

He was reversing an order from his predecessor, Donald Trump, that called for an end to the restrictions from Tuesday.

Mr Bidens press secretary, Jen Psaki, said: With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants spreading, this isnt the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel.
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Manitoba is tightening its borders and ordering all travellers to self-isolate for two weeks, over concerns they may bring new, and more transmissible, coronavirus variants across provincial lines.

Manitoba is tightening its borders and ordering all travellers to self-isolate for two weeks, over concerns they may bring new, and more transmissible, coronavirus variants across provincial lines.

At a hastily called news conference Tuesday, Premier Brian Pallister announced changes to public health orders that require anyone who enters Manitoba to self-isolate for 14 days. The move will take effect Friday.

It will include travellers from Western Canada, the northern territories and west of Terrace Bay, Ont.  who are not required to self-isolate under current health orders.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister said Tuesday Manitobans who travel out of province will have to self-isolate for 14 days when they return, beginning Friday.

Pallister said it's being done out of an abundance of caution, and knowing COVID-19 variants, including the B117 variant first identified in the U.K., have been detected in other provinces.

"There is a real danger with those variants. It's resulted in a dramatic surge in many other jurisdictions' case numbers and increases we are now seeing cases in Canada, including a tragic outbreak in an Ontario seniors' home," Pallister said.

In Barrie, Ont., 99 people have tested positive for an unidentified COVID-19 variant, with most being linked to an outbreak at a long-term care home that's claimed 46 lives, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed Tuesday.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said Jan. 11, although "early data suggest that the variants first identified in the U.K. and South Africa may be more transmissible, to date there is no evidence that there is any impact on disease severity, antibody response or vaccine effectiveness."

"There is a real danger with those variants. It's resulted in a dramatic surge in many other jurisdictions' case numbers and increases we are now seeing cases in Canada, including a tragic outbreak in an Ontario seniors' home."  Premier Brian Pallister

Manitobans who are currently out-of-province have until 11:59 p.m. Jan. 28 to return without being required to self-isolate.

Acting deputy chief provincial public health officer Dr. Jazz Atwal said the B117 variant has not yet been identified in Manitoba, and surveillance is ongoing with targeted genomic sequencing being performed on swabs collected from travellers, outbreak settings, and at random.

Task force roll call The Manitoba government has released further information on the structure of its vaccine task force, including the names of the implementation teams executive leaders. While Manitobans have become familiar with Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead on the vaccine rollout, a spokesperson for the task force announced Johanu Botha  pulled from the emergency management department  will helm for the operational arm. click to read more The Manitoba government has released further information on the structure of its vaccine task force, including the names of the implementation teams executive leaders. While Manitobans have become familiar with Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead on the vaccine rollout, a spokesperson for the task force announced Johanu Botha  pulled from the emergency management department  will helm for the operational arm. Reimer and Botha will both appear at news conferences going forward, the spokesperson said Tuesday, to give further updates on vaccine rollout across the province. The task forces medical advisory table includes guidance from 27 physicians, one pharmacist and two nurses, the province said. A further eight physicians, one nurse and four pharmacists have been advising on the distribution model for future vaccines. The team is set to advise the immunization campaign for distributing three COVID-19 vaccines currently in development awaiting approval by Health Canada, the province said. More than 50 public servants, largely redeployed from other government departments, have been assigned to the task force, the spokesperson said. The province has also secured 20 staff from Crown corporations and more than 1,700 people across all five health regions to support the immunization campaign.  Julia-Simone Rutgers Close

"We wanted to get ahead of the variant because early analysis shows that, depending on the study you read, it could be up to 70 per cent more communicable, and have the same impacts on morbidity, mortality, hospitalizations, if not worse compared to what we have in the community right now in relation to COVID-19," Atwal said.

"The variants that we see from the U.K. are more impactful, so there is a concerted effort here to try to mitigate that risk for Manitobans."

If detected in Manitoba, Atwal said there will be a concentrated public health response to look at case and contact management, with a focus on determining where the person picked up the infection.

According to the province, current exemptions to self-isolation orders will still be in effect, including people travelling for essential interprovincial work and medical reasons. Exemptions will exist for people who regularly travel to and from communities near the borders for essential purposes.

"The intent is: dont leave the province unless its essential," Atwal said.

THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES /JOHN WOODS Dr. Jazz Atwal, acting deputy Manitoba chief public health officer.

The premier ruled out setting up highway checkpoints to notify motorists arriving or returning to the province about the 14-day self-isolation requirement.

"That would be a useless waste of time," Pallister said, adding the province will get the message out through its COVID-19 advertising campaign and targeted enforcement measures.

"If I have a regret from last year, I would suggest it was we were trying too hard to educate perhaps and not enough to make clear there are serious consequences if you don't want to abide by the rules," Pallister said.

The intent is: dont leave the province unless its essential.  Acting deputy chief provincial public health officer Dr. Jazz Atwal

"Having penalties in place for those who shirk the rules is important. We'll continue to focus on enforcement as a necessary part of protecting one another."

Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew told reporters Tuesday the new travel orders are needed at this time, and could give the province a chance to prepare before the highly infectious COVID-19 variants arrive.

"Let's use this time to make the investments in the health-care system so we can withstand what's coming as the pandemic drags on," Kinew said.

Intensive care units are running well above pre-COVID-19 capacity and it's "not sustainable," he said. "We just came through a period where our ICUs were only working because of the herculean efforts of nurses and doctors."

On Tuesday, the premier also said he supports the federal government imposing greater COVID-19 controls for international travellers and stricter quarantine measures, but not a total ban on international travel.

"Some premiers have called for (a) total travel ban (and) it may be something the federal government may need to do," he said. "I recognize they have a difficult decision to make.

"Doing nothing is not an option," he said. The emerging variants "become a greater concern every passing day."

Atwal said government officials are involved in discussions with counterparts at the provincial and federal levels regarding enhanced COVID-19 controls at local ports of entry.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

Danielle Da Silva

Reporter Danielle Da Silva is a general assignment reporter. Read full biography
GENEVA, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Firmenich, the world's largest privately-owned perfume and taste company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Levenza Toh to the position of Vice President, Perfumery, Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea. Based out of Singapore, she will be responsible for leading the Perfumery business in the region.

"Levenza joins Firmenich with a strong understanding of local market dynamics, drawing from her extensive international experience and deep knowledge of the Asian market," said Felix Frowein, Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Fragrances, Firmenich. "With a strong network encompassing leading manufacturing companies in Personal and Home Care, as well as local customers, we are confident in Levenza's leadership to spearhead our business in the region."

Toh replaces Rajan Arul, who is retiring from Firmenich after 33 years with the organization. Arul first joined Firmenich Singapore in 1988 and worked in Mumbai, Geneva and London during his career. He returned to Singapore in 2012, when he was appointed Vice President for Perfumery Asia, adding the role of General Manager of Firmenich Singapore to his scope in 2015. Arul relished coming full circle to where the journey started for him and has mentored numerous talents in the Firmenich regional headquarters. He also championed the pioneering recruitment and integration of visually impaired sensory panelists at Firmenich in Singapore.

"I would like to extend my gratitude to Rajan for the exemplary leadership he has shown throughout his career, playing an instrumental role in transforming the business and grooming talents within the region over the past decade. His legacy will remain a strong inspiration for both business and colleagues as we continue to push boundaries in a world of transformation," added Frowein.

Toh joins Firmenich from Global Amines Company, a joint venture between Clariant and Wilmar, where she held the position of General Manager APAC, leading sales, marketing, business development, technical, R&D and manufacturing. Prior to that, she worked at Clariant, BASF and Royal Dutch Shell in various commercial roles. Toh holds a BA with Honors in Chemical Engineering from the National University of Singapore and a dual Executive MBA from Tsinghua SEM and INSEAD. She is Singaporean and has lived in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Germany. She speaks English and Mandarin, as well as Malay and Cantonese. Toh will report to Frowein.

About Firmenich

Firmenich, the world's largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company, was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1895, and has been family-owned for 125 years. Firmenich is a leading business-to-business company specialized in the research, creation, manufacture and sale of perfumes, flavors and ingredients. Renowned for its world-class research and creativity, as well as its leadership in sustainability, Firmenich offers its customers superior innovation in formulation, a broad and high-quality palette of ingredients, and proprietary technologies including biotechnology, encapsulation, olfactory science and taste modulation. Firmenich had an annual turnover of 3.9 billion Swiss Francs at end June 2020. More information about Firmenich is available at www.firmenich.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1426981/Firmenich_Levenza_Toh.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1357990/Firmenich_Logo.jpg
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

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Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

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Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

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Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

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Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

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104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

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France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

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Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

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UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

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France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

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Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

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China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

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NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The Department of Education has not received reports that indicated a significant number of students dropping out from school due to struggles caused by distance learning.

In a briefing on Tuesday, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said they have been validating the alleged massive dropouts due to the challenges brought by distance learning. Regional offices were also asked to submit reports, but there is still no solid conclusion proving that such has occurred.

"Hanggang ngayon vine-verify namin kung san nanggaling iyong balita na maraming nagdrop out sa ating programa. Wala pa kamig basehan na makaka-conclude na mayroong massive dropouts," she said. "Nagi-intay kami ng numero sa nagsabi noon, wala naman kaming naririnig na numero."

[Translation: We are still verifying where this news came from that many dropped out from the program. We still have no basis to conclude that there are massive dropouts. We are waiting for data but have not received numbers.]

Briones noted there are a number of students who slowly return to school, especially after holiday breaks like Christmas and summer vacations, but she did not mention figures.

"I don't think it is directly related to iyong sinasabi nilang mga programa ng Department of Education. Hindi naman unusual iyan," she said.

[Translation: I don't think it's directly related to the program of the Department of Education. This is not unusual.]

For the present school year, the department implemented online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 22 million public school enrollees.

As students face difficulties in adjusting to the new setup, the agency dismissed calls for an "academic freeze," calling it a "shortsighted solution."

Briones said they have instead implemented "academic ease" to ease up on the number of assignments that students receive given the new arrangement.
China said on Tuesday it will conduct military exercises in the South China Sea this week, just days after Beijing bristled at a U.S. aircraft carrier group's entry into the disputed waters .

A notice issued by the country's Maritime Safety Administration prohibited entry into a portion of waters in the Gulf of Tonkin to the west of the Leizhou peninsula in southwestern China from Jan. 27 to Jan. 30, but it did not offer details on when the drills would take place or at what scale.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

A U.S. carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt entered the South China Sea on Saturday to promote "freedom of the seas," the U.S. military said, days after Joe Biden began his term as president.

The contested waters have become another flashpoint in the increasingly testy bilateral relationship between Beijing and Washington. The U.S. military has steadily increased its activities there in recent years as China asserts its territorial claims in the area in conflict with neighbouring countries including Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan.

China on Monday complained that the United States frequently sends aircraft and vessels into the South China Sea, through which trillion dollars in trade flow every year, to "flex its muscles" and said such actions are not conducive to peace and stability in the region.

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Posted Tuesday, January 26, 2021 1:40 pm

Six Republican leaders in the district that elected Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., called on him Monday to resign over his vote to impeach former President Donald Trump.

"Though your service to the 4th Congressional District has not gone unappreciated, your vote for impeachment was blatantly against the voters' wishes," said a letter signed by the chairs of the Republican parties in Benton, Franklin, Yakima, Grant, Adams and Douglas counties. Newhouse also represents voters in Okanogan County and part of Walla Walla County.

"As a result, an overwhelming majority our our county constituents are calling for your resignation as our congressional representative," the letter said.

Newhouse was one of 10 U.S. House Republicans to vote to impeach on Jan. 13.

"I am not resigning," Newhouse said in a statement Monday afternoon.

The letter sent Monday to Newhouse said he did not sufficiently consult with those he was elected to represent before the impeachment vote.

His vote endorsed and perpetuated abuse of the impeachment process, the letter said.

"Impeachment is reserved exclusively for "High crimes and Misdemeanors," neither of which existed in this case," the letter said. "Without due process, witnesses or evidence, your vote to impeach endorses and perpetuates another abuse of the impeachment process."

Among those signing, were Franklin County Commissioner Clint Didier, who signed the letter as chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party. Mike Massey signed as the Benton County Republican Party chairman.

Newhouse defends vote

Newhouse has stuck by his decision to vote to impeach Trump, who he backed in 2016. In the 2020 election, Newhouse was the honorary co-chairman of Trump's 2020 election campaign in Washington state.

"After days of deliberation and prayer, I made a decision to vote based on my oath to support and defend the Constitution," he said. "Many Republicans have agreed with my vote, and many have disagreed."

He said he hopes those who disagree will remember his lifelong support for conservative causes and values.

"I am a conservative Republican who holds the principles of our Constitution and the priorities of Central Washington above all else, and we have a lot of work to do to keep the Biden Administration accountable," he said.

The Washington state Republican Party Central Committee also passed a resolution Jan. 16 criticizing Newhouse and a second Republican House member from Washington state, Jaime Herrera Beutler, for voting to impeach.

The Seattle Times reported the vote in favor of the resolution was 111-2.

The state party resolution called the decision to impeach "nothing more than political spectacle" and said it served to further divide and polarize the nation.

Just a month before the impeachment vote, Newhouse had signed onto a brief supporting a Texas lawsuit contesting the results in four states. The Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit.

But on Jan. 13 Newhouse called the House vote on impeachment "a pivotal and solemn moment in our country's history."

"I wholeheartedly believe our nation  and the system of government it was founded upon  may well be in jeopardy if we do not rise to this occasion," he said.

A vote against impeachment would validate the actions of a violent mob that attacked the Capitol. It was intent on disturbing the constitutional duties of Congress and led to the loss of American lives, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer."

"The mob was inflamed by the language and misinformation of the president of the United States," he said. "... He did not strongly condemn the attack nor did he call in reinforcements when our officers were overwhelmed."

___

(c)2021 Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Wash.)

Visit Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Wash.) at www.tri-cityherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan ministry of foreign affairs of the Government of National Accord (GNA) Tuesday welcomed the nomination of Jan Kubis as the new Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General in Libya, an official source said here
Gov. Phil Murphy needs to apply the same clarity of priority planning to his COVID-19 vaccination program that he applied to his reelection fundraising, reaching the maximum of $3.5 million for the June primary six months early.

To avoid a repeat of unnecessary deaths of New Jersey senior citizens, some of them caused by returning COVID-positive patients to nursing homes early in the pandemic, the vaccination priority now should now go to those most likely to die. An 85-year-old is 630 times more likely to die from a COVID-19 infection than a than an 18-29 year old who has one.

Putting the states approximately 500,000 seniors over age 75 in the same appointment pool as about 4 million others, as New Jersey has now done, guarantees that the high-fatality group will not be reached in time as the coronavirus to take its toll, with 100 statewide deaths a day at recent times. The state data dashboard shows that over 80% of the deaths are seniors, and only 5% are below age 50. Follow the numbers.

My wife and I are both over 75 and have other conditions. We have been on the state list for a vaccine appointment since Jan. 7. Recently, I got my wife a vaccination appointment in late January through our county website, but the site closed before I could get an appointment for myself.

What good is the state website? What are they coordinating?

Many of these seniors deaths can be prevented with some clear priorities on vaccination from the governor. He should stop merely listening to his staff telling him what we dont have. Otherwise, these deaths will again needlessly pile up and eventually someone will notice.

John Conway, Jackson

Let the farmer decide on pens for pregnant pigs

Ray Lesniaks recent op-ed, Help may be on the way for N.J.s suffering pigs, is a prime example of why many people are disgusted with politics. In the middle of a pandemic and economic crisis, Lesniak, a retired career politician, proposes that the Legislature spend time banning an agricultural practice that doesnt even occur in New Jersey.

Lesniak wants the state to ban the animal husbandry practice of maternity pens for pigs. Maternity pens, which veterinarians approve of, are used to provide a safe enclosure for sows when they are pregnant. These individual pens allow the animals to receive individual care, nutrition and attention. Farmers use these pens because if pregnant pigs are housed together in groups, they often fight over food and dominance, causing nasty injuries.

Lesniak tried and failed to make this ban become law when he was a state senator. It was a special-interest bill pushed at the behest of anti-meat activists. Polling by my organization found that most New Jerseyans didnt care about this issue.

We should trust farmers and veterinarians  not politicians  to determine the best animal husbandry practices. The Legislature should kill this bill and send a message that important issues take precedence over special interests.

Will Coggin, managing director, Center for Consumer Freedom, Washington, D.C.

In reading former State Sen. Raymond Lesniaks opinion article, Help may be on the way for N.J.s suffering pigs, he is so right in wanting to outlaw gestation crates.

Articles about this have been printed in the paper from time to time and no bill has ever been passed to protect these precious animals. Shame on our leaders to never have protected these animals from their torture.

Former Gov. Chris Christie, in his failed bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, vetoed a bill that Lesniak sponsored and had passed in both houses. Shame on Christie. He has to answer to himself as to why he did not sign the bill. I think we all may know why: Ones own selfishness and ambition can get in they way of doing the right thing.

Legislation to ban confining gestation crates (A-4439/S-1971) has been introduced in the current session by Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, and Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, D-Hudson.

Please pass this bill. Do the right thing. Remember, animals do not intentionally hurt humans to create suffering. Only man, who has a complex brain, kills animals for sport.

Joan Arendt, Brick

Biden reckless with executive orders

In response to Carol Grahams recent letter, Presidents character always an issue, about Donald Trump:

Graham obviously wrote her observations before Joe Biden took office as president on Jan. 20, and before Bidens onslaught of executive orders.

By canceling the U.S. permit for the Keystone XL energy pipeline, he has also eliminated thousands of jobs for Americans, including many that are held by indigenous people, and alienated our closest ally, Canada, where the pipeline originates. Gasoline prices are already rising.

The long-term effects of what Biden has done, along with several other idiotic executive orders, are incalculable.

Contrary to what Graham wrote, President Donald Trump did not want to end immigration; he wanted it done legally. Nor did he ever want to reduce rights for Native Americans nor suppress the votes of people of color.

What Trump, and his supporters, wanted was a fair and legal election, free from fraudulent voting.

You reap what you sow. Biden, along with other Democrats who opposed the entire Trump presidency, have planted the seeds that are continuing to divide the United States.

Wake up, America.

Laureen Berg, Long Valley

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In this Wednesday, May 29, 2019 file photo, a woman checks the Grindr app on her mobile phone in Beirut, Lebanon. Norway is fining gay dating app Grindr $11.7 million under for failing to get consent from users before sharing their personal information with advertising companies, in breach of stringent European Union privacy rules. Norwegian's data privacy watchdog said Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021 that it notified the company of its draft decision to issue a fine for 100 million Norwegian krone, equal to 10% of its annual global revenue. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, file)

Gay dating app Grindr faces a fine of more than $10 million from Norwegian regulators for failing to get consent from users before sharing their personal information with advertising companies, in breach of stringent European Union privacy rules.

The Norwegian data privacy watchdog report last year how Grindr and other dating apps leaked personal information to advertising technology companies for targeted ads in ways the council said violated the EU's tough GDPR privacy rules.

Norway isn't a member of the EU but closely mirrors the bloc's rules and regulations.

"The Norwegian Data Protection Authority considers that this is a serious case," said Director-General Bjorn Erik Thon. "Users were not able to exercise real and effective control over the sharing of their data."

The company has until Feb. 15 to give feedback, which the watchdog will take into account for its final decision.

Grindr said it looked forward to holding a "productive dialogue" with Norwegian regulators about the allegations, which it said date back to 2018 and don't reflect current privacy policy or practices.

The app's privacy approach includes "detailed consent flows, transparency, and control" provided to all users, the company said, adding it has "retained valid legal consent" from all its European users "on multiple occasions."

"We continually enhance our privacy practices in consideration of evolving privacy laws and regulations," the company said in a statement.

The watchdog's preliminary conclusion is that Grindr shared user data with a number of third parties without legal basis. The data included GPS location, user profile information as well as the fact that users are on Grindr, which could indicate their sexual orientation.

Sharing such information could put someone at risk of being targeted, the authority said apnews.com/hub/technology

Explore further Tinder, Grindr accused of illegally sharing user data

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Sharing the common exciting atmosphere of the 13th National Party Congress, Vietnamese expats in Laos expressed their belief that the congress will be held successfully.

Speaking to Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper reporter, 90-year-old Nguyen Thi Nuong, an OV living in Vientiane, said that it was heartening to see the achievements gained by Vietnam over the past years under the clear-sighted leadership of the Party.

Through mass media of Vietnam and Laos, she held that the preparations for the 13th National Party Congress was made thoroughly and carefully, gathering public opinions of people from all walks of life across the country as well as Vietnamese expats on draft documents to be submitted to the Congress.

She reiterated that OVs in Laos always turn their hearts to the motherland and place absolute trust in the Partys leadership.

For his part, Pham Van Hung, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the General Association of Vietnamese in Laos, said that he always reads Nhan Dan Newspaper to keep updated on information about Vietnam, particularly the 13th National Party Congress.

He was proud of the fatherlands achievements, particularly in successfully containing the COVID-19 pandemic and recording positive economic growth in 2020.

Sharing his thoughts about the Party and States policy to support Vietnamese expats, Hung affirmed that OVs community in Laos always receive great care from the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos.

The embassy often hosts talks and events to popularise Party and States guidelines and policies while organising activities to support poor OV families, he added.

He believes that the OVs will continue receiving great attention from the Party as they are an inseparable part of the national community.

He expressed his wish that the 13th National Party Congress will choose and elect talented personnel with moral virtue to help the country further develop in the coming years.

Meanwhile, in Russia these days, the Vietnamese expatriates are looking forward to 13th National Party Congress.

They expect that the Vietnam-Russia traditional friendship will further develop, creating favourable conditions for OVs community in Russia to do businesses and make greater contributions to the homeland.

Tran Phu Thuan, Vice Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese in Russia, stressed that Vietnams achievements in pandemic prevention have inspired national pride among OVs communities, including in Russia.

In his view, during the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnamese peoples trust in the Party have vividly illustrated through the countrys joint efforts to realise the dual task of fighting the pandemic and boosting socio-economic development.

According to Luu Cong Niem, Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese War Veterans Russia, the associations members place trust in the success of the 13th National Party Congress and the personnel work for the 13th tenure. He stressed that the quality of the staff plays a crucial role in the countrys fight against corruption and in national development in the time to come.
The power of Big Tech companies in our democracies was never more obvious than when Google, Facebook and Twitter decided to ban US President Donald Trump after he incited violence at the US Congress building.

Even among those who welcomed Big Techs decision to take responsibility for the harm caused by material posted on their platforms, the censorship of a sitting president has prompted calls for greater scrutiny of tech companies internal rules.

Here in Australia an equally important debate about the role of Big Tech in our democracy has come to the fore in the past week.

The Big Tech companies are locked in a battle with the government over a media code which could force them to pay to use content generated by traditional media companies such as Nine Entertainment, publisher of the Herald.

The federal government is reviewing draft legislation which orders Google and Facebook to negotiate with media companies for the use of news content and if they cannot agree the law would insist on compulsory arbitration to set a fair price.
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Fire investigators on Tuesday were combing through the scene of a blaze that on Monday forced residents to flee the Magnolia Place apartments in Kennett Square, which also houses a Victory Brewing Co. brewpub on the ground floor.

No injuries were reported.

The brewpub had been closed when the first alarms were struck about 6:30 p.m. at the four-story complex on West Cypress Street.

Magnolia Place, which opened in 2015, has 33 apartments.

Flames raged, and at one point, a Chester County fire dispatcher said, every piece of fire equipment in southern Chester County was out there.

Red Cross communications director Dave Skutnik said Tuesday that the agency did not have to provide shelter or food vouchers to any of the buildings residents. All of the tenants had renters insurance, he said, which covered their immediate expenses after the fire.

Kennett Square Police Chief William Holdsworth said the building is structurally unstable, and cannot be occupied. The full extent of the damage was unclear Tuesday morning, as was the cause of the fire, pending a report from the Chester County Fire Marshals Office.

As crews from Peco assessed the scene, a steady stream of residents walked up to the ruined building, asking for updates about their apartments.

Among them were Sarah LaMack and Trish Desmond, who live near each other on the third floor.

LaMack, 30, said she knew something was wrong about 6:30 Monday night when the lights in her apartment started to flicker rapidly before going out. She ran into the hallway, yelling for her neighbors to get out of the building as quickly as possible.

Desmond, 54, said that quick thinking saved her: About a minute after the group had assembled outside, they saw an explosion erupt from the buildings first floor. An electrical transformer nearby was smoking shortly before the blast, Desmond said.

Everyone has gone through the wringer these last 12 months, but we made it out safe, LaMack said. Sure, Ill miss my stuff, but my neighbors all got out and thats what matters.

Both women were able to have fire crews retrieve important items from their apartments, including LaMacks work laptop and Desmonds medication.

They also were able to make accommodations for themselves. LaMack, who grew up in the area, will be staying with relatives and Desmond is moving into her new apartment a few weeks early.

Magnolia Place is filled with working professionals, Desmond said, most 30 or younger. There were no families with children that she knew of living in the complex.

One couple, Annie and Doug Roland, learned of the fire as they were hundreds of miles away, sitting in an airport in Colorado on a layover from a return flight from California.

They were inundated with texts of concern from their friends, asking if they were safe after seeing reports of the fire on the news, Annie Roland said.

It was midnight by the time they arrived home, and her immediate thought was of her cat, Socks. Firefighters let Roland into her apartment, where she found the pet hiding under a bed.

She noticed water damage to the hallways and some apartments, as well as doors broken down by firefighters during their initial sweeps of the building.

But she and her husband are more relieved than anything else, happy that their neighbors are safe.

Were just thankful that no one was hurt, she said.

Victory announced on Instagram that it was working with local fire and police departments to gather information around what it called this unfortunate incident.

We are not aware of any injuries that were uncovered during the initial investigation, the post said. We will continue to work with authorities and with the Red Cross to learn more about what occurred this evening and how we can help our neighbors in the building who have been displaced.

Victory Brewing was founded by lifelong friends Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet, who met on a school bus as fifth graders in 1973 and opened their first location in Downingtown in 1996, following up in 2014 with a brewery in Parkesburg.

The company, whose products are distributed to nine countries, over 30 states across the United States plus Washington and Puerto Rico, is constructing a large taproom at 18th Street and Ben Franklin Parkway in Center City Philadelphia that is expected to open in late 2021.
The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it is working to purchase an additional 200 million doses of the two coronavirus vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use in the United States.

The administration hopes to have enough vaccine supply for almost the entire U.S. population by the end of summer.

The purchase of 100 million doses each of Moderna and Pfizers vaccines would grow the available supply by 50 percent to a total of 600 million doses by summer  enough to fully vaccinate 300 million people as both vaccinations require two doses.

A senior administration official reportedly told the Washington Post that the additional doses would be delivered this summer.

President Biden on Monday increased his administrations vaccine distribution goal to 1.5 million shots administered per day, up from his earlier goal of 1 million shots per day. Health care workers were already administering more than a million shots as of Wednesday.

I feel confident that by summer were going to be well on our way to heading toward herd immunity, Biden said.

The increased target marked a shift from Bidens remarks on Thursday, when the president challenged a reporter who asked if the vaccination goal was high enough, since thats basically where the U.S. is right now.

When I announced it you all said it wasnt possible. Come on, give me a break, man, Biden said then.

If the U.S. can administer 1.5 million shots in 100 days, around 75 million people could be fully vaccinated, or 23 percent of the countrys population.

The vaccine rollout has faced two significant obstacles, an official told the Washington Post: supply of vaccines and states and localities ability to quickly administer vaccines.

The federal government has distributed roughly 20 million more doses than have been administered to people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions.

The Biden administration says it will boost supply to states, tribes and territories over the next three weeks, from a current 8.6 million doses a week to a minimum of 10 million doses per week. It also plans to provide allocation estimates three-weeks out, instead of the one-week look-ahead that states have been receiving.

Story continues

This increased transparency will give state and local leaders greater certainty around supply so that they can plan their vaccination efforts and administer vaccines effectively and efficiently, the White House said.

More from National Review
Part of a famed arch that was part of an ancient Persian palace in Iraq collapsed around the beginning of the year, and Iran has expressed its readiness to help rebuild it.

Irans minister of cultural heritage, Ali Asghar Mounesan, said Iranian archaeologists are ready to help rebuild the ancient Taq Kasra arch following the collapse of a section of it. He said, The problems Iraq has been going through are impeding the protection of artifacts and historical monuments. He added, We are looking forward to paving the way for Iran to help restore Taq Kasra and save this historic building from collapse.

The Taq Kasra was built from between the third and sixth centuries and was in use during the reign of Persian King Khosrow I in the capital, Ctesiphon, or al-Madaein in Arabic. Also known as the Arch of Ctesiphon, the pre-Islamic structure is said to be the largest single-span, unreinforced brick vault arch in the world. The arch is 37 meters (121 feet) high and 26 meters wide (85 feet).

Legend holds that its wall cracked when the Prophet Muhammad was born in the sixth century, making it a sacred place for Muslims. Arabs seized it in 637 in the Battle of al-Qadisiyah against the Sasanian Empire of Persia. The structure achieved even greater status as a sacred site for Muslims after Salman the Persian, a companion of Muhammad, was buried a kilometer (half a mile) from the structure in 656. Salman the Persian ruled al-Madaein, the Arabic term for Ctesiphon, and his tomb became a large mosque. It is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) southeast of Baghdad near Salman Pak.

In recent years, Iran and Iraq have made moves to try to get the Taq Kasra listed as a World Heritage Site.

A UNESCO spokesman told the website Hyperallergic that four meters (13 feet) of the arch collapsed following heavy rains. A Culture Ministry spokesman told Al-Monitor that the part of the arch that fell had been repaired a few years ago.

Baghdad provincial council member Saad al-Muttalibi told Al-Monitor, Iran perceives Taq Kasra as a part of its historical heritage. It believes it is entitled to the restoration and preservation of this special landmark along with Iraq. He said, Obviously, the relevant authorities in Baghdad have neglected any maintenance of the site, which resulted in the collapse of an important part of its roof. This is added to the overall poor infrastructure of the area.

Laith Majeed Hussein, the chairman of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, told Al-Monitor, Iraq is reaping the harvest of the years long administrative corruption and neglect of antiquities, particularly the Taq Kasra, the worlds largest brickwork, in al-Madaein.

Hussein said, The World Monuments Fund warned in 2004 that negligence would cause Taq Kasra to collapse. He added, The Czech company Everis announced in 2013 that rehabilitation works kicked off under a contract with [the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage], which involved stabilizing the foundations of the giant structure, managing the moisture and reinforcing Taq Kasra to prevent any of its parts collapse in the future. A sum of 3.5 billion dinars ($2.4 million) was allocated for the project. He added, Back then, the resident architect said the [State Board of Antiquities and Heritage] had received more than one Iranian initiative to rehabilitate the edifice and adjacent lands, which points at its remarkable interest in this landmark.

He also said, The shortcomings continued, and money was wasted on failed rehabilitation works, particularly since 90% of the allocated sum was spent on lab testing of the foundations, walls, moisture, etc., and the remaining 10% was spent on technical works.

He added, Former Iraqi Culture Minister Abdulamir Hamdani said in 2019 that Everis made many maintenance mistakes and subsequently was blacklisted. Later, he expressed a willingness to carry out joint Iranian-Iraqi maintenance projects for Taq Kasra. Hamdani was nominated for the post by the pro-Iran Asaib Ahl al-Haq, or League of the Righteous, which obtains support from Tehran.

Hussein said that following the new damage to the arch, the Culture Ministry's new administration and the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage staff appealed to ALIPH  the International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas  "to extend a helping hand and advice. He said, ALIPH dispatched a team of specialists that visited the site to conduct a damage assessment and prepare an overall study before embarking on immediate maintenance works." He said the team put up new scaffolding, and said the old scaffolding was inappropriate and also had been stolen from the site.

He said, ALIPH will cover all expenses related to the future site maintenance by its team.

Samia Ghallab, the head of the parliamentary Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Committee, told Al-Monitor, The committee discussed Taq Kasra with the culture minister and [State Board of Antiquities and Heritage] chairman after its partial collapse two years ago. Subsequently, an inquiry committee was formed and found out that the company that was entrusted with the maintenance work fell short.

ALIPH team member Karar Rawaziq told Al-Monitor, More damage will be caused to the outdoor historical monuments, given the absence of guards and how the lack of significant maintenance and monitoring causes erosion. This is in addition to the crack in the Taq Kasra foundation, which poses a threat to this historical edifice that is surrounded by rubble and garbage.

Rawaziq added, This is not only the case of Taq Kasra; its conditions are similar to many of Iraqs archaeological monuments. These have neither been invested in as tourist attractions that generate hard currency for Iraq and bring in the necessary funds for their reconstruction and rehabilitation, nor provided jobs, particularly to unemployed archaeologists and tourism institutes and college graduates.
Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) is seen during a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, on Dec. 2, 2020. (Greg Nash/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

G7 Leaders Under Pressure From Lawmakers to Stand Tough on China

Nearly 70 lawmakers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations have signed a joint letter calling on their leaders to join together in taking a tough stance on China during the upcoming June summit.

The threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party represent the greatest foreign policy challenges of our time. These threats affect not only our nation, but also our most trusted democratic allies around the world, stated U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), according to a Jan. 25 statement from his office.

The letter was addressed to the current leaders of G7 nationsCanada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The G7 summit will be held from June 11 to June 13 in Carbis Bay, a seaside resort and village located in southwestern England.

It is essential that all G7 democracies work together to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable to the freedoms which China has internationally agreed to and that has led the world since the conclusion of the Second World War, Gonzalez added.

Together with almost 70 legislators from all #G7 countries, @RepAGonzalez and I have drafted a letter to our leaders, calling them to unite around a plan of action that addresses Chinas internal & external behaviour which we consider contradictory to international standards. pic.twitter.com/DG9QywN6G1  Norbert Rottgen (@n_roettgen) January 25, 2021

The effort behind the letter was led by Gonzalez and Norbert Rottgen, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Germanys Bundestag, the German parliament. Another 17 current and former American lawmakers were among the sponsors, including Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), and Andy Barr (R-Ky.).

Chinas selective approach to international law and its aggressive foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific as well as increasingly on a global scale, are the main challenges to the international order, Rottgen said, according to the statement.

He added: In order to achieve a joint China strategy of the Free World, we all have to compromise, knowing that the protection of the freedoms which the international system has at its core, is worth it.

In the letter, lawmakers called on G7 leaders to unite around a plan of action that addresses internal and external PRC [Peoples Republic of China] behavior which we consider contradictory to international standards.

The letter identified several issues on which G7 nations should stand united against communist China, including technology standards, human rights, tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

[T]he PRC has weakened international governance, the letter said, pointing to how China undermined the World Health Organization (WHO) and held back important information in the initial stages of the pandemic.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. Evidence points to the virus having originated from Chinas Wuhan city before spreading to countries and regions around the world.

Chinas initial coverup of the virus outbreak has been well-documented. The CCP silenced eight doctors, among them ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, after the Chinese whistleblowers tried to warn the public of the deadly new form of pneumonia spreading in Wuhan.

The WHO initially parroted Beijings claim that the virus was not contagious, dismissing an email warning from Taiwan.

To prepare and prevent future outbreaks, we believe that an independent investigation into the origins and spread of the virus is necessary, the letter states.

Lawmakers also pointed to Chinas oppression against Uyghurs and other minority groups in Chinas far-western Xinjiang region, where an estimated one million Uyghurs are currently detained in internment camps.

On Jan. 19, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that Beijings persecution of Uyghurs and other minorities constituted genocide and crimes against humanity.

The PRCs egregious violations of human rights demand a collective response by the G7 countries to hold the PRC accountable for its treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, the letter added.

It also highlighted that democratic countries should not be dependent on China for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and next-generation wireless communications like 5G.

A coordinated partnership amongst our countries to lead the development of these technologies and set global norms and standards for their use is thus essential to make full use of their potential without compromising our security and interests, the letter said.

Beijing has rolled out industrial plans, such as Made in China 2025 and China Standards 2035, in an effort to seek technology dominance.

In November last year, Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced a bill (S.4901) to scrutinize Chinas influence in setting global technology standards.
A

fter a lifetime of admiring cheetahs, their grace and speed  yet knowing how deadly they could be  Emily Foster felt strangely unafraid when she came face to face with two of them. One had an injured leg and so she brought it food and water to ease its pain. The other was simply curious and attentive, and so she stroked and petted it, feeling the velvet lushness of its fur, hearing it purr, staring into its eyes.

Ahead of Emily was the glass wall of the cheetahs pen and there was a reflection of some text on it. She looked away and then turned to look at the glass again but this time the text was different. And this is when Emily realised she was having her first lucid dream  that is, she was aware and awake, inside the dream, as it happened.

Everything was really, really clear and the colours were so, so bright and I knew I was in this dream and I was petting these beautiful animals and could look around and see how vivid it all was, Emily recalls. It was an amazing adventure. When I woke up, I was so excited  the adrenaline was so amazing. I just couldnt sit still. It really is the best feeling you can imagine.

Mastering the art  or, more precisely, the science  of lucid dreaming is not easy, but when they achieve it, lucid dreamers can exercise some control over their dreams. The most accomplished can travel at light speed to the stars, fly high above imaginary cities or live out their wildest sexual fantasies.

Sleep researchers estimate that 55 per cent of people have experienced lucid dreaming at least once but most would probably not know it was a recognised phenomenon. Increasingly, however, lucid dreaming is entering the public consciousness  not least during the pandemic, as bored and curious individuals look beyond Netflix for new diversions.

According to a recent article in WIRED magazine, Google searches related to lucid dreaming saw a significant spike during the first lockdown. Questions related to How to lucid dream increased by 90 per cent year on year.

More importantly, however, searches for lucid dream mask went up by 250 per cent and this is significant because there is a growing industry in neuroscientific gadgetry claiming to provide short cuts to lucid dreaming, and most involve some kind of mask. The problem is that while certain aspects of this technology are promising, much of it is questionable and researchers claim that some might be dangerous.

EEG differences in brain activity in the WEC (awake with eyes closed) state and REM sleep, compared with brain activity during lucid dreaming ( )

There is nothing new about lucid dreaming. Mystics and philosophers have embraced it for centuries. Aristotle is often credited with writing about it first in 350BC in a treatise entitled On Dreams in which he stated: When one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which tells us that what presents itself is but a dream.

In 1968, in her book Lucid Dreams, the British philosopher and psychophysical researcher Celia Green postulated that lucid dreaming took place in the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleeping, one of the stages of sleep where brain activity is similar to wakefulness and where dreams are most intense.

She was proven right in an astounding experiment conducted by the psychologist Dr Keith Hearne in 1975 at Hull University. Using a piece of equipment called an electrooculogram (EOG), Hearne was able to record a pre-agreed set of eye movements signalled by an experienced lucid dreamer named Alan Worsley while Worsley was lucid dreaming in REM sleep. It was the first time one human being had communicated with another from inside a dream.

In an interview later, Hearne recalled: It was like getting signals from another solar system. I was ecstatic but had to keep quiet not to awaken the subject. It was an amazing, mind-boggling situation. I was looking at a communication from a person in another room who was asleep, unconscious, dreaming, yet in his own vivid world in which he was perfectly conscious and interacting with others.

It was like getting signals from another solar system. I was ecstatic but had to keep quiet not to awaken the subject. It was an amazing, mind-boggling situation

It was his reality. I was in my reality. A channel of communication had been established between those two realities.

Hearnes work was formally recognised and published in the journal of the Society for Psychical Research and subsequently replicated by other sleep researchers. His original ocular signalling chart recordings are on permanent display at the Science Museum in London. So, too, is his Dream Machine, a device he designed in the hope that it would help the subjects in his sleep laboratory to have lucid dreams.

This was the first machine of its kind but it was by no means the last. In the 1990s, the American psychophysiologist Dr Stephen LaBerge produced a device called the DreamLight, and since then, the trickle of lucid dream machines has threatened to become a torrent.

The Dream Machine and the DreamLight worked in similar ways, though the technology incorporated in the DreamLight was much more advanced. When a sleep lab subject was sleeping and dreaming in REM, the devices would alert them to the fact that they were in a dream, thereby making them lucid or aware of the fact. The Dream Machine gave them four mild electric shocks to the wrist  a sign which subjects had been told in advance represented four words: this  is  a  dream.

The DreamLight (which was later superseded by a device called the NovaDreamer) tried to induce lucid dreaming by shining lights from the inside of a sleep mask on to subjects eyelids during REM sleep. The idea was for subjects to realise that when they saw a light flashing inside their dream  from an imaginary streetlight or a passing car or a moonbeam  they were actually dreaming and so were made conscious of the fact, allowing lucidity to occur.

The Hearne Dream Machine, used in experiments by Keith Hearne to increase a subjects dream recall by detecting the onset of REM sleep (The Dream Machine)

As well as light and electrical stimulation, subsequent devices used smell and sound to induce lucid dreaming, all with varying degrees of success.

In 2019, just a few months before the first cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed, a group of academics from the UK and Brazil published a paper entitled Portable devices to induce lucid dreams  are they reliable? which reviewed 10 pieces of equipment supposedly able to increase the probability of a person having lucid dreams. The academics took a critical look at the pioneering DreamLight and NovaDreamer along with newer models called Aurora, Remee, REM-Dreamer, ZMax, Neuroon, iBand, LucidCatcher, and Aladdin.

The best of these, the ZMax, at $900 (660), is used in sleep laboratories around the world and utilises lab-standard technology to measure eye movement, brain activity, temperature, breathing and body movement, and for delivering light, vibrations and auditory stimulation. The cheapest, the Remee mask, at $65 (48), simply has a timer that switches on flashing lights in the hope that its wearer is in REM sleep. This makes it too random for most researchers to take seriously. (I contacted the company that makes the Remee mask but received no response.)

The researchers found that the devices between these two ends of the spectrum either needed more tests, or lacked proof of efficacy, or were unlikely to reach the market because of their makers financial difficulties, or were providing electrical stimulation too low to be effective.

In terms of devices able to reliably induce lucid dreaming straight out of the box, I would say there is nothing at the moment

At the time the research report was published, May 2019, of the 10 devices examined, one was no longer available, one could be found only second-hand, four had yet to be released to the market, one could only be pre-ordered and just three were on sale. For anyone hoping to enjoy proven gadget-induced lucid dreaming, prospects were not good.

One of the authors of the paper, Achilleas Pavlou, a neuropsychologist and lucid dream researcher at the University of Essex, has since enjoyed promising results by using the ZMax in conjunction with his own research into individual volunteers sleep patterns. In his words he figures out the optimal external stimulus method most likely to achieve success through the use of predictive machine learning algorithms for the aspiring lucid dreamer and claims to be able to induce them in 55 per cent of cases  a very high success rate.

There is a growing awareness of lucid dreaming because of films like Inception [where secrets are stolen or implanted by a thief able to access targets subconscious], says Pavlou. I think it is also becoming much more popular because of social media and the internet. Lucid dreaming is an experience and people are always on the lookout for new experiences.

There is already a lot of wearable technology on the market measuring sleep patterns to help people improve the way they sleep  devices like [Googles] Fitbit and the Dreem. But in terms of devices able to reliably induce lucid dreaming straight out of the box, I would say there is nothing at the moment. The ZMax provides a lot of the tools that sleep researchers need, but it requires specific programming and is probably too advanced for the ordinary consumer.

Achilleas Pavlou: People find the idea of choosing the dream they want to experience very appealing (Achilleas Pavlou)

People find the idea of choosing the dream they want to experience very appealing. This is why they will put their money into companies that go bust or buy into scams that tell them there is an easy way to lucid dream by just wearing a device. The truth is we are not there, but we are getting close. It is only a matter of time.

The emerging clamour for lucid-dreaming short-cuts is evidenced by the amounts of money being raised by individuals and companies claiming to have them. For example, three of the devices examined in the paper co-authored by Pavlou were funded by money raised from the public on the Kickstarter platform.

iWink, the company behind the Aurora Dreamband, claimed it would make lucid dreaming easy. It raised $239,000 (176,000) in 2013, promising the first devices would be delivered in February 2014. However, the latest update on its Kickstarter page, dated April 2018, says the company is taking pre-orders on its website, but the website no longer exists.

Lucid dreamers can transport themselves from apocalyptic dreamscapes into blindingly coloured interstellar nebulae (Getty)

In 2017, Inteliclinic, the company behind the Neuroon lucid dreamer, raised $438,000 (322,000) from almost 2,000 backers. A second Kickstarter campaign for a 450 euro (400) sleep tracker has recently raised 356,000 from more than 2,000 backers. This, too, claims to promote lucid dreaming.

Last year, the $379 (279) iBand+ Headband was launched following crowdfunding of more than 1m. Describing the device as an EEG brain-sensing headband, Arenar, the company behind it, promises unequivocally that it will improve sleep and induce lucid dreams, however, its website contains no reference to clinical trials.

Lucid dreaming is a complex skill, and like any other complex skill, it will take time and effort to master. Think of it as learning to playing a musical instrument

I contacted the companies behind the Aurora, Neuroon and iBand+ but none of them responded.

YouTube and the wider internet are full of gadgets, supplements and gurus all promising to induce lucid dreaming  in many cases Tonight! or In minutes!  but purists argue that there is no quick fix, no easy route into them.

Daniel Love  a renowned lucid-dream coach and author of the best-selling book Are You Dreaming?  is sceptical about lucid dreaming technology. When he isnt flying around planets in his dreams (he is a keen astronomer), he devotes much of his time on his YouTube channel, the Lucid Dream Portal, calling out charlatans who make false claims about shortcuts and gadgetry that simply dont work.

Anyone promising lucid dreaming at all, promising it fast, promising shortcuts, is lying to you, says Love. There are no shortcuts to lucid dreaming at this point. It requires hard work. If you are new to lucid dreaming, dont worry; its not that difficult. But it is nothing that can be turned on just like that.

There are thousands of videos on YouTube that claim they can teach you to lucid dream, but most of them are over-hyped nonsense. Any video that claims you can lucid dream easily or lucid dream tonight or lucid dream in one minute or five minutes is being dishonest.

"Lucid dreaming is a complex skill, and like any other complex skill, it will take time and effort to master. Think of it as learning to playing a musical instrument. With the right training it will take most people between one to four months to experience their first lucid dream. To become a regular lucid dreamer takes more time and practice. On average, a year of intensive practice is the minimum required to get a real handle on the skill.

Stephen LaBerge (the American sleep researcher who designed the DreamLight), identified two types of lucid dreams: wake-initiated lucid dreams (WILDs), and dream-initiated lucid dreams (DILDs). These describe the two entry points into a lucid dream. WILDs occur when a person falls asleep consciously entering into dream, so that the lucid dream initiates from wakefulness. DILDs occur when a person becomes aware are that they are dreaming while the dream is already under way, so lucid dreaming initiates from within the dream.

Daniel Love: There are no shortcuts to lucid dreaming at this point. It requires hard work (Daniel Love)

Love says there are thousands of unproven techniques to achieve WILDs or DILDs but he claims there are four core principles that have proven success:

 The keeping of a dream journal. This helps you to remember your dreams, become familiar with their nature, watch for patterns, and learn how they differ from waking life. If youve been writing about certain recurring dreams, this might help you to recognise one when youre inside it.

 Performing regular reality checks. This involves one of any number of techniques that you perform regularly to check whether you are awake or asleep. For example, throughout the day, whenever anything unusual, illogical, or dreamlike occurs, pinch your nose and try to breathe. When you are awake, you cant. But if the habit transfers into your dreams, where unusual and illogical events are common, and you pinch your nose in that dream, youll be able to breathe and will realise youre dreaming. Another simple reality check is to critically observe your environment for anything unstable or nonsensical, such as text morphing upon a second read, digital clocks displaying a random or bizarre output, or environmental instabilities such as items changing colour, vanishing, or anything that would be impossible in waking reality. Emily says the changing of text in the reflection in the cheetahs pen made her realise she was dreaming.

The funny thing about sex in lucid dreaming is that it doesnt always go the way you plan just because you are lucid

 Interrupting sleep to increase awareness during the night, known as the Wake Back to Bed technique, though this is not recommended on a regular basis. Long-term disruption of sleep patterns can be unhealthy.

 Focusing on something while returning to sleep to maintain conscious awareness. This needs to be used alongside Wake Back to Bed or during any natural awakening. Most people have longer periods of REM during the last four hours of sleep, and so some lucid dreamers set an alarm during this period, wake up and get out of bed for roughly 20 minutes in order to increase mental focus, and then return to sleep to attempt to enter straight into REM sleep while being consciously aware that they are doing so.

These, and other of Loves methods (here: https://bit.ly/38O8q8h), worked for 33-year-old Emily, who lives in Norway, after about two months of practice. That was in 2019. Since then, she has played with her cheetahs, flown high above skyscrapers and transported herself from apocalyptic dreamscapes into blindingly coloured interstellar nebulae. She once even met a very curious version of herself who kept asking questions; eventually Emily dismissed herself and watched as she disappeared into a Matrix-style wall of binary code.

Toni Porrello, a 35-year-old writer and yoga instructor from New York, says learning to lucid dream changed her life. She is now able to experience it two to three times a week.

The moment of lucidity for me is like when you're watching a movie with a twist and you're like OMG, the killer is HER? Now everything makes sense! she says. And you start to see things differently, noticing all the signs you should have seen before, and your entire perspective shifts. Physically, things become brighter and your body feels light, but it is still so realistic, like you are in waking reality.

One of my favourite things is eating while lucid dreaming. It's incredible what you can taste. I have eaten clouds, turning them into cotton candy, and I've eaten vegetables I don't like and made them taste like something I do. I've picked berries and tasted the sweetest berry you could ever imagine. It's really incredible.

Toni Porrello: I once unbuttoned a mans pants to find that he had nothing there  like a Ken doll (Toni Porello)

Lucid dreamers will tell you that they are most often asked about flying and having sex in their dreams, so I ask Toni if she has had experience of either.

I have had many experiences with both, she says. The funny thing about sex in lucid dreaming is that it doesn't always go the way you plan just because you are lucid. There are always aspects of the unconscious working that aren't in your control. I have had funny situations where certain parts didn't work. For example, I once unbuttoned a man's pants to find that he had nothing there  like a Ken doll.

I seem to be more open to experience anything in lucid dreaming. Recently, Ive been trying to feel what it's like to be man, and I was able to grow male parts. Then I realised that I wasn't attracted to women, so what do I do with said parts? Needless to say, I was literally caught with my pants down and ended up waking up.

The most rewarding and beautiful thing you can get out of lucid dreaming is lucid living. Instant gratification would take this away entirely

Emily and Toni say learning to lucid dream involves dedication and practice and hard work. So, wouldnt they have preferred to bypass the effort and simply let a machine switch them on to lucid dreaming?

No, says Emily. The discipline involved and the things you learn along the way make your waking life more lucid, too. You become much more aware and appreciative of your surroundings and of yourself. The journey has made me a better person. I have always been painfully shy, but now I feel more confident, Ive grown a thicker skin and am more at ease with myself.

Toni agrees: It would be a sad day the day there was a device that worked perfectly to do that because it would take away all the daytime practising and living lucidly, which is the true beauty in lucid dreaming. The most rewarding and beautiful thing you can get out of lucid dreaming, is lucid living. Instant gratification would take this away entirely.

Several lucid dreaming experts I spoke to said they had concerns over devices worn on sleepers heads, not least, because they are powered by various types of lithium batteries, and some concerns have been raised over these. The US-based National Fire Protection Association says of them: Like any product, a small number of these batteries are defective. They can overheat, catch fire, or explode. And while this is highly unlikely to happen where devices are responsibly charged, one mishap would be one too many.

Perhaps the last word on lucid dreaming devices should go to the man who made the first one: Dr Keith Hearne. I asked him if modern versions of his Dream Machine could transport the masses into lucid dreaming.

In all laboratory experiments, there is a huge psychological effect," he says. In my research, some control subjects who were wired up to the Dream Machine dreamt that they felt the four pulses to the wrist, indicating this  is  a  dream, and they would say: I felt the pulses and I became lucid. The problem was that some of these were hooked up to the machine when it wasnt switched on. So, for them, an empty box that had a few lights and switches would have worked.

These devices are paradoxical. They arent like washing machines that either work or dont work. These cannot work, and yet work because of the psychological effect, so we cant be too scathing of them if they work indirectly. The empty box with switches and lights would work for quite a lot of people in inducing lucid dreams. And the more expensive a device is, the more likely some people would be to convince themselves that it will work  and it might work  even if it doesnt work in the way it was intended.

And if all this feels rather like trying to catch a butterfly with a thimble, then maybe it is. One thing seems certain, at least for now. If you think you can cross into the world of lucid dreaming  guaranteed  every time you slip a piece of gadgetry on to your head, then perhaps its time for another reality check.

Emily Foster is a pseudonym
In its first week in office, the Biden administration has begun to fulfill its pledge to reopen the majority of schools across the United States during the worst stage of the pandemic. Officially, there have now been 25,861,597 infections and 431,392 deaths from COVID-19 in the US alone, with a seven-day moving average of 3,182 people dying every day.

Bidens reckless plan to reopen schools has the full support of Democratic Party politicians in every major city, as well as their backers in the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Education Association (NEA), and their state and local affiliates, including so-called progressive locals such as the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) and others.

AFT President Randi Weingarten (left), First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and NEA President Becky Pringle at January 21 White House meeting

The CTU is being presented by the corporate media as oppositional, despite only taking a strike vote three weeks after allowing schools to reopen. The union has accepted the return to classrooms of pre-K and special education teachers and students, which continued Monday despite the massive 71 percent vote in support of a strike. They have engaged in over 60 secret negotiations with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials and are desperately trying to reach a deal by Wednesday, when CPS is demanding that K-8 teachers return to classrooms before thousands more students return next Monday.

Democratic Party officials decided to back away from their threat to lock teachers out on Monday for an illegal strike and are in engaged in frenzied talks with the union to find some way to package a return-to-school deal before Wednesday.

At the unions Monday morning press conference, CTU President Jesse Sharkey stated, We want to get a safe reopening agreement, thats the goal. No one wants to be locked out of their classroom in the middle of a pandemic. CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates seconded this, stating, We are working to get an agreement.

After New York Citys Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) set the precedent last fall in reopening the largest school district in the country, Democrats have reached agreements with teachers unions to reopen schools in Houston, Boston, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Detroit, Salt Lake City, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, California, and numerous other cities and states.

While the Trump administration and its Republican backers spearheaded school reopenings last summer and fall, Biden and the Democrats have taken up this mantle with the backing of the teachers unions. The new administration is equally committed to sacrificing lives for profit before the population is widely vaccinated and the pandemic is brought under control. With roughly half of the 56.6 million K-12 students in the US presently attending school remotely, Bidens goal of fully reopening all schools by the end of April will vastly accelerate the spread of the pandemic.

At a press conference Monday, Biden stated casually, Were in this for a while. What are we now, at about 410,000 deaths? And theres going to be more. He added, the predictions were were going to see somewhere between a total of 600,000 and 660,000 deaths before we begin to turn the corner in a major way.

Expressing the indifference of the ruling class to the mass death and suffering they have inflicted on workers throughout the pandemic, Biden undercounted the number of deaths from COVID-19 by over 20,000 and presented another 170,000-230,000 deaths as a fait accompli.

Later in the press conference, he sidestepped a question on whether teachers should be vaccinated before schools reopen, falsely claiming that minimal safety precautions and expanded COVID-19 testing will make a safe reopening of schools possible.

He stated, The teachers I know, they want to work. They just want to work in a safe environment, as safe as we can rationally make it. And we can do that, and we should be able to open up every school, kindergarten through eighth grade, if in fact we administer these tests.

While politicians have falsely claimed they are solely motivated by the academic and emotional needs of children, Biden made clear the economic interests underlying the bipartisan drive to reopen schools. [I]tll have the added advantage, I might add, of putting millions of people back to work. All those mothers and fathers that are home, taking care of their children rather than go to work, even when they can work. He added, So, this is about generating economic growth overall as well.

Chicago Public Schools favorably tweeted Bidens comments, writing, We couldnt agree more. AFT President Randi Weingarten also voiced her support, while the CTU tweeted, Thank you, President Biden. Exactly what educators have been saying, and responses from parents have shown since last March.

Last Thursday, the day after his inauguration, Biden released his National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness, a 200-page document outlining his supposed coordinated pandemic response. The plan, which the unions have similarly endorsed, amounts to little more than a PR campaign to restore trust with the American people, while calling for increased testing and proceeding with the laggard distribution of the vaccine. The word lockdown does not appear in the document, while reopen appears 81 times. The phrase safely reopen schools appears 10 times and is the focus of Goal Five of the plan.

As most educators and parents understand, it is impossible to safely reopen schools anywhere in the US at present. The seven-day rolling average presently stands at 174,774 daily new cases, undoubtedly a significant undercount, while the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant of the virus (the UK variant) has been found in at least 24 states and is spreading largely undetected throughout the country.

Without issuing any press release or data, the AFT silently informed the Washington Post recently that they tracked at least 530 deaths among K-12 teachers in 2020 alone, a figure that will vastly increase in the coming months if Bidens plan is implemented with the support of the unions.

There is enormous opposition to school reopenings among educators, parents, students and the broader working class. In the South, educators are mobilizing in the face of mounting deaths stemming from school reopenings in Alabama and Georgia.

Last week, a staggering four educators in Montgomery, Alabama, succumbed to COVID-19. In a powerful demonstration of the true relationship of forces, on Monday after weeks of protests, and the formation of the Alabama Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, dozens of teachers in the school district organized a sickout, prompting local officials to announce a switch to full virtual learning. The district aims to delay this closure of schools until February 1, but there is huge sentiment for an immediate end to in-person learning.

This rebellion took place independently of and in opposition to the Alabama Education Association (AEA), which after the deaths of the four educators last week merely called for a reevaluation of the districts safety measures, stressing, It is not our intention to point the finger or allege blame.

In Georgia, three educators working in the Cobb County School District have died from COVID-19 in the past month, including teacher Dana Johnson and paraprofessional Cynthia Lindsey just last week. Over 100 educators and parents protested at a local school board meeting last week, during which Superintendent Chris Ragsdale and another school board member provocatively refused to wear face masks despite an attendee requesting they do so in honor of Patrick Key, the third teacher who died on Christmas Day who had actively encouraged others to wear masks.

On Monday, more than 120 teachers in Cobb County did not report to their classrooms due to being diagnosed with COVID-19 or being in quarantine after being exposed to the virus.

A teacher in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, which is run by the Democrats, told the World Socialist Web Site, My district is back in person now. The board voted to send us back in early January. Most grades came back today, the remainder come in two weeks. Its all very scary and a little depressing. Our superintendent was determined to get us back. She was seriously pissed in the fall when the board voted to remain virtual.

Speaking on the role of the Lancaster City Education Association (LCEA), she commented, Our union rolled over and agreed with the decision to resume in-person learning. The president addressed the board, telling them in the same breath that most members surveyed wanted to remain virtual, but well go along with their decision.

The same processes are unfolding in every school district that has not yet reopened, and this can only be opposed through the broadest possible mobilization of the working class. The Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, which the Socialist Equality Party has helped organize, has established a network of independent rank-and-file committees in New York, Michigan, Illinois, California, Texas, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, with plans to form further committees in Utah, Colorado, Washington and other states in the coming days.

These committees adhere to the scientific principles that in order to contain the pandemic there must be an immediate nationwide lockdown involving the closure of all schools and nonessential workplaces with full compensation to workers and small businesses. Only health care, food production, energy, logistics and other truly essential workplaces should remain open to provide for the needs of the working class, with the full protection for workers.

The pandemic profiteersincluding hundreds of US billionaires who have amassed over $1 trillion during the pandemicmust be made to pay for massive social programs to ensure that every educator and student has state-of-the-art technology needed for remote learning, and that every family is provided with health care, financial support, therapy and all other services they need.

We urge all educators, parents, students and workers to join and help expand this network of committees across the US and internationally. Preparations must be made for a nationwide political general strike in direct opposition to the Democrats, Republicans, and the unions that have conspired to reopen schools and businesses on behalf of the financial elite. To learn more about this program and get involved, sign up today at wsws.org/edsafety!
Venezuela's Juan Guaido is a "privileged interlocutor" but no longer considered interim president, European Union states said in a statement on Monday, sticking by their decision to downgrade his status.

The EU's 27 states had said on Jan. 6 they could no longer legally recognize Guaido as after he lost his position as head of parliament following legislative elections in Venezuela in December, despite the EU not recognizing that vote.

Following the disputed re-election of President Nicolas Maduro in 2018, Guaido, as head of parliament, became interim president. Guaido is still seen by the United States and Britain as Venezuela's rightful leader.

The status of interim president gives Guaido access to funds confiscated from Maduro by Western governments, as well as affording him access to top officials and supporting his pro-democracy movement domestically and internationally.


Billionaire investor Leon Black knew about Jeffrey Epstein's 2007 child prostitution conviction when he started doing business with him, but thought the pedophile deserved a 'second chance', documents have revealed.

Black stepped down from Apollo Global Management on Monday after an internal investigation revealed he had sanctioned $158million in payments to Epstein from the firm between 2012 and 2017 for his financial expertise.

The investigation was ordered in October last year but it's unclear what prompted it. The report from that investigation was released on Thursday along with the announcement that Black was stepping down

It reveals that Black estimated that Epstein made the firm between $1billion and $2billion after advising on 'a variety of topics related to trust and estate planning, tax issues, philanthropic endeavors, and the operation of the family office.'

It also gives more details of the pair's friendship, and how Black wanted to give Epstein a 'second chance' in 2010 after he emerged from prison in Florida where he'd been convicted of soliciting a child prostitute.

Jeffrey Epstein with Pepe Fanjul (middle) and Leon Black (right) in 2005. Black paid Epstein $158million between 2012 and 2017

The pair first met in the 1990s, the report says, but Black didn't hire him until 2012.

'Black and others at Apollo and the Family Office were aware that Epstein had been convicted in 2008 for the charges of solicitation of prostitution and procuring a person under 18 for prostitution....

'When Black first retained Epstein, he believed that Epstein had served his time for the originally charged offenses and believed that it was not inappropriate to give Epstein a second chance, as many other prominent figures in business, science, politics and academia had done,' the report reads.

The report states Leon and his wife Debra flew to Epstein's homes around the word and sometimes took their kids

It states that Black was under the impression Epstein had only solicited one girl and that he thought she was 18 when she was in fact 17.

Black also compared Epstein to Martha Stewart and Michael Milken and said he believed in 'rehabilitation'.

'Black describes himself as someone who believes in rehabilitation, and in giving people second chances. Based on this belief, he has maintained relationships with other notable figures in the business world, such as Michael Milken and Martha Stewart, who have spent time in prison,' the report reads.

The report states that had he known more about Epstein's crimes, he would not have given him any position.

Milken and Stewart served time for white collar crimes like insider trading, racketeering and securities fraud.

Epstein and Black, the report says, first met in the 1990s but Black didn't hire Epstein at Apollo until 2012, the report claims.

They were such good friends that Black and his wife traveled to Epstein's homes in Paris and New Mexico, and also let him mingle with their children.

According to the report, Black thought of Epstein as a 'confirmed bachelor with eclectic tastes'.

He also thought he was 'an intelligent person' who had impressive contacts.

'Initially, Black viewed Epstein as someone who was very intelligent and knowledgeable regarding issues relating to estate planning and taxation...' part of the report reads.

Black compared Epstein being allowed to re-enter the celebrity world to Michael Milken and Martha Stewart, who both served time for non-violent, white collar crimes

Epstein, however, was a 'caustic and disruptive' force in the company. The report says 'not all of Epstein's advice was useful' but that he made the firm between $1billion and $2billion.

It goes on to describe Black's social relationship with Epstein which deteriorated in 2017 over a dispute surrounding money Epstein said he was owed.

Before then, Black took his wife and kids along to socialize with Epstein.

'Black and his wife briefly visited Epstein at his residence in Paris for drinks on a single occasion.

'Black and his wife also visited Epstein at his property in Santa Fe on a single occasion, while Black and his wife were on their way to California on Blacks personal airplane.

'Black also briefly visited Epstein in Florida on one or two occasions.

'Black recalls visiting Epsteins island in the Caribbean on two occasions and was accompanied by his wife and one or more of his children on both....'

'Black only recalls flying on Epsteins private airplane on a single occasion, when he and one or more of his children went to meet with professors at academic institutions in the Boston area,' the report reads.

It's unclear whether or not Black will retain his position as Chairman of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Black never lied about his relationship with Epstein, according to the report.

Others at Apollo found him unprofessional and rude.

'Epstein was often quick to criticize Family Office employees and had a habit of overdramatizing even minor perceived errors.

'At the same time, Epstein would seek to take credit for good ideas, regardless of his level of involvement, which likely was intended to bolster his perceived value to Black.

'As a result of these actions, some witnesses described a toxic and destructive work environment under Epstein,' the report reads.

It's unclear whether or not he will retain his position as Chairman of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The museum did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries on Tuesday.
Oregon Medical Board actions protect the safety and wellness of our citizens. As always  and now during a global pandemic  the Oregon Medical Board stands to protect Oregonians, particularly patients who are vulnerable or who have a limited choice in their providers. We seek to uphold the basic safety and wellness of every Oregonian through licensing and medical regulation. We also look for opportunities to improve access to quality care.



Every day, more than 20,000 licensed medical, osteopathic, and podiatric doctors, physician assistants, and acupuncturists work diligently with the skill and professionalism to keep us all safe and well. These many thousands of health care providers deliver a broad and diverse array of practice options to Oregonians.



Under Oregon law, the practice of medicine is a privilege, not a right, and we are responsible for ensuring that the practice of medicine in Oregon is conducted safely and professionally.

[I]t is necessary in the interests of the health, safety and welfare of the people of this state to provide for the granting of that privilege and the regulation of its use, to the end that the public is protected from the practice of medicine by unauthorized or unqualified persons and from unprofessional conduct..."  ORS 677.015





When the Oregon Medical Board receives a complaint about the care provided by a licensee, we look at the standard of care," which Oregon law says is that degree of care, skill and diligence that is used by ordinarily careful physicians in the same or similar circumstances in the community or a similar community." We also look to see whether the licensee's practice is contrary to medical ethics [that] does or might constitute a danger to the health or safety of the public."



On very rare occasions, evidence will show that a provider's continued practice poses an immediate danger to Oregonians. When that happens, we are required by law to take action to protect existing and future patients from harm. This is when the Board orders an Emergency Suspension.

You can view recent Board actions or search for a specific doctor or other provider.



When conflicting health information appears online, patients are often frustrated. Your health care provider can help you discern what information is valid, and what is merely unchecked and unsubstantiated information posing as valid health" or medical" information. We recommend:
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New Delhi, Jan 26 : Google has identified a North Korean government hacking group that is targeting members of the cyber-security community engaging in vulnerability research.

The hacking group has used multiple platforms to communicate with potential targets, including Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, Discord, Keybase and email.

In order to build credibility and connect with security researchers, the bad actors established a research blog and multiple Twitter profiles to interact with potential targets.

"They've used these Twitter profiles for posting links to their blog, posting videos of their claimed exploits and for amplifying and retweeting posts from other accounts that they control," revealed the Google Threat Analysis Group team.

"The actors behind this campaign, which we attribute to a government-backed entity based in North Korea, have employed a number of means to target researchers".

Their blog contains write-ups and analysis of vulnerabilities that have been publicly disclosed, including "guest" posts from unwitting legitimate security researchers, likely in an attempt to build additional credibility with other security researchers.

On Januart 14, the actors shared via Twitter a YouTube video they uploaded that proclaimed to exploit CVE-2021-1647, a recently patched Windows Defender vulnerability.

"Multiple comments on YouTube identified that the video was faked and that there was not a working exploit demonstrated," Google said in a blog post on Monday.

After these comments were made, the actors used a second Twitter account (that they control) to retweet the original post and claim that it was "not a fake video." The actors have been observed targeting specific security researchers by a novel social engineering method.

After establishing initial communications, the actors would ask the targeted researcher if they wanted to collaborate on vulnerability research together, and then provide the researcher with a "Visual Studio Project".

"If you are concerned that you are being targeted, we recommend that you compartmentalise your research activities using separate physical or virtual machines for general web browsing, interacting with others in the research community, accepting files from third parties and your own security research," the Google team elaborated.
Senator Mitch McConnell on Monday dropped his demand that the new Democratic Senate majority promise to preserve the filibuster  which Republicans could use to obstruct President Bidens agenda  ending an impasse that had prevented Democrats from assuming full power even after their election wins.

But as in past fights over the filibuster, the outcome is likely to be only a temporary solution. As they press forward on Mr. Bidens agenda, Democrats will come under mounting pressure from activists to jettison the rule, which effectively requires 60 votes to advance any measure, should Republicans use it regularly to stall or stop the administrations priorities.

In his negotiations with Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the new majority leader, Mr. McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, had refused to agree to a plan for organizing the chamber without a pledge from Democrats to protect the filibuster, a condition that Mr. Schumer had rejected.

But late Monday, as the stalemate persisted, Mr. McConnell found a way out by pointing to statements by two centrist Democrats, Senators Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, that said they opposed getting rid of the procedural tool  a position they had held for months  as enough of a guarantee to move forward without a formal promise from Mr. Schumer.
Queensland authorities are on high alert after fragments of Covid-19 were discovered in seven more sewage sites across the state.

Viral fragments were detected at treatment plants along the coast on Tuesday from Maroochydore in the south to as far north as Cairns, Queensland Health said.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said they were taking the findings seriously, with concerns of undetected cases.

'If there is a case we are not yet aware of, it is critical we detect it through our testing mechanisms as quickly as possible to contain any potential spread,' Dr Young said.

Queensland recorded zero locally acquired cases of coronavirus on Tuesday (pictured is an 'Invasion Day' rally in Brisbane) but health authorities have issued an alert after fragments of the virus were detected at seven sewage treatment plants in the state

Residents in Cairns (pictured) are being urged to come forward for testing even if they have the mildest of Covid-19 symptoms after viral fragments were detected in sewage at two treatment plants servicing the city

She added the fragments could represent an old infection where a resident had been shedding the deadly virus.

'While this does not mean we have new cases of COVID-19 in these communities, we are treating these detections seriously,' Dr Young said.

'A positive sewage result means that someone who has been infected was shedding the virus.

'Infected people can shed viral fragments and that shedding can happen for several weeks after the person is no longer infectious.'

Fragments of Covid-19 were detected at the wastewater treatment plant at Condon in Townsville (pictured)

VIRUS WARNING Fragments of Covid-19 was detected at seven wastewater treatment plants in Queensland, including: - Condon (Townsville) - Cairns South - Cairns Marlin Coast - Nambour - Maroochydore - Pulgul (Hervey Bay) - Yeppoon Advertisement

The viral fragments were detected at wastewater treatment plants at Condon (Townsville), Cairns South, Cairns Marlin Coast, Nambour, Maroochydore, Pulgul (Hervey Bay) and Yeppoon.

Dr Young said it was important residents of those areas came forward for testing if they have any Covid-19 symptoms.

'I continue to urge anyone who feels unwell in these communities to get tested and isolate,' Dr Young said.

'Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting, and loss of taste or smell.'

Queensland Health announced Monday viral fragments had been detected at wastewater treatment plants at Caboolture South, Oxley Creek, Bundamba, Gibson Island, Luggage Point and Maryborough.

The state recorded zero locally acquired cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, while no returned traveller in hotel quarantine tested positive.

There were 6,309 tests conducted in the last 24 hours.
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Russias Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine could be approved for use in India within weeks, the country's Russian ambassador Venkatesh Varma said.

The registration of Russia's pioneering coronavirus vaccine has been in full swing in India, Varma said, noting that the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDFI) has been in talks with several local manufacturers, as it prepares to launch the mass production of the jab.

"As we speak, this process is on the way [and] Im hopeful for a successful conclusion in the next few weeks," Varma told RT in an interview. The diplomat added that, once Indias regulators give their seal of approval, the vaccine will be made available for distribution not only inside India, but also for export to Russia and other countries.

The Phase-2 trial of Sputnik V has already been completed in India, and the Phase-3 trial is currently ongoing, he said.

India, which accounts for some 60% of the vaccines global supply, wont just be ramping up production to satisfy its internal demand, but is also intent on sharing with other nations "what it already has in contrast to some other countries that want to focus on their own needs first," according to the ambassador.
Information Technology major Wipro on January 25 said it has appointed Douglas Silva as the Country Head for its Brazilian operations.

Prior to joining Wipro, Silva was the Head of Financial Services Industry in Latin America and Enterprise Sales Director for Brazil for Amazon Web Services (AWS), a company statement said.

Silva has more than two decades of experience in the IT industry and has played key roles in spearheading client transformations across various sectors, it added.

He has held senior positions with SAP, Capgemini and TCS, will be based at Alphaville, Brazil and will report to Wipro Latin America Managing Director Mukund Seetharaman, the company said.

"We are excited to have Douglas Silva join us as we look to build on our legacy of success and drive accelerated growth in one of Latin America's most dynamic markets. Brazil has helped drive growth across the region over the last few years and Wipro remains committed to strengthening its teams to support both global and local clients in their transformation journey," Seetharaman said.

Wipro has made a number of strategic investments in Latin America during the past five years given the region's enormous growth potential. The company has built its local presence across the region significantly by hiring a strong and diverse local workforce, acquiring local companies and establishing offices in key economic hubs.
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Supplier News

26 January 2021

RICHARDSON, Texas. & WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - ASG, a portfolio company of Alpine Investors that buys, builds and operates vertical SaaS companies, today announced that it has acquired Visual Matrix, an industry leading hotel property management software providing an all in one PMS with revenue management, channel management, and operational tools to maximize hotel profitability and efficiency.

This deal marks the 31st acquisition for ASG and the 3rd in the ASG Hospitality Technology vertical. Visual Matrix joins Transcendent, acquired in 2019, and ProfitSword, acquired in 2020. David Awad, Founder of Visual Matrix, will transition out of the business while the team welcomes Georgine Muntz as Executive Chair and CEO.

"We are thrilled to have Visual Matrix joining ASG at this critical time," says Georgine Muntz, Executive Chair and CEO of Visual Matrix. "Now, more than ever, hoteliers need a fully functional system that helps them optimize every resource in their business. The amount of experience on this team, combined with partnership from ASG, will make this next phase of the Visual Matrix journey one that will expand our ability to serve and delight our customers."

Headquartered in Richardson, TX, Visual Matrix was founded in 2000 by David Awad. After gaining over ten years of experience in the industry, David felt the market was lacking a feature rich PMS at an affordable price. After many late nights testing and developing, they launched their first customer in 2003. Today, Visual Matrix has grown from a simple desktop app to now offering a fully functional platform including a cloud version, and features like guest texting with automated triggers, a housekeeping mobile app with time tracking, and a patent pending VM Revenue Management Live. Visual Matrix has grown to over 40 employees with an installation base in over 2,000 properties across 30 countries.

"Joining ASG's hospitality portfolio will provide a tremendous benefit to our client base by integrating products from sister companies. Integration will expand the feature set to include corporate accounting, reporting, analytics, business intelligence and asset management to mention a few," says David Awad, Founder of Visual Matrix.

About Visual Matrix | Since its inception in 2000, Visual Matrix has served the global hospitality industry as a pioneer in advanced hotel property management technology. More than just a full-featured front desk solution, the Visual Matrix all-in-one PMS also provides hoteliers with the ability to maximize profits using a comprehensive revenue analysis platform that is built directly into the PMS. Visual Matrix provides staff with an intuitive user-friendly interface and is available as either a desktop or fully cloud-based solution to suit the unique needs of any hotel business. Based in Richardson, TX, Visual Matrix is the leading PMS supplier to Best Western Hotels & Resorts and currently serves over 2,000 properties across 30 countries. For more details, please visit www.vmpms.com.

About ASG | ASG, backed by Alpine Investors, is a unique and fast-growing software business that buys, builds, and operates market-leading vertical SaaS companies. ASG believes deeply in the power of people and data to grow great organizations, and that sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources across its community of businesses drives exponential growth. Founders of leading SaaS companies continue to trust ASG to grow their businesses and build even stronger legacies for the future.

About Alpine Investors | Alpine Investors is a people-driven private equity firm that is committed to building enduring companies by working with, learning from, and developing exceptional people. Alpine specializes in middle-market companies in the software and services industries. Its PeopleFirst strategy includes a CEO-in-Residence program where Alpine partners with CEOs first and places them into companies as part of the transaction. This provides a distinct solution for situations where additional or new management is desired post-transaction. For more information, visit http://www.alpineinvestors.com/.
An osteopathic physician, Dr. OConnor began serving as a doctor at the White House in 2006, when President George W. Bush was in office.

In December 2019, Mr. Bidens campaign released a three-page memo from Dr. OConnor in which he described Mr. Biden as healthy and vigorous, adding that he was fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, to include those as chief executive, head of state and commander in chief.

Three decades earlier, Mr. Biden, then a senator from Delaware, had a life-threatening health scare. In 1988, just months after ending his first presidential bid, he had emergency surgery for a brain aneurysm. He had another operation months later for a second brain aneurysm and returned to the Senate that year after a lengthy absence. Dr. OConnor wrote in his 2019 memo that Mr. Biden has never had any recurrences of any aneurysms.

More recently, after Mr. Bidens election in November, Dr. OConnor provided information about Mr. Bidens condition after he slipped while playing with one of his dogs and fractured his foot.

Dr. OConnors hiring was reported earlier on Monday by ABC News. His predecessor, Dr. Conley, was thrust in the spotlight after Mr. Trump announced in early October that he had tested positive for the coronavirus and was subsequently hospitalized. But Dr. Conley quickly drew criticism for making misleading comments about Mr. Trumps condition; one infectious disease expert described him as a spin doctor, not a medical doctor, and Dr. Conley admitted that he had sought to reflect the upbeat attitude of Mr. Trump.

[January 26, 2021] FIS Sees Robust Processing Volumes on Real-Time Lending Platform for Latest Round of PPP Loans

Financial technology leader FIS (NYSE: FIS) announced today that it is seeing robust processing volumes on its Real-Time Lending (RTL) platform in the newest round of funding under the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program. Through the first two weeks of the program, FIS has successfully processed nearly $8 billion of PPP loan applications for more than 63,000 U.S. merchants and small businesses. The newest round of subsidized PPP small business funding is enabled under the additional $284 billion in funding approved in December as part of the U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. FIS was one of the largest processors of PPP loans in 2020, helping more than 225,000 merchants apply for funds to help SMBs keep their workforce employed during the pandemic. FIS is providing a convenient self-service portal to streamline the process for merchants and businesses to apply for needed funds through the new round of the PPP program. Through integration with participating bank lenders, the FIS portal automaticlly pre-fills merchant data, creating a quicker application process and seamless experience.



Applicants can track the status of their loan application and apply for forgiveness through the same online portal-providing visibility throughout the loan-to-forgiveness process. FIS said that about 80 percent of the loan applications it has processed in this new round of PPP funding have been submitted through its self-service portal by small businesses. "Having assisted thousands of our customers through the impact of the pandemic over the past year, we understand the challenges many merchants and small businesses are facing in navigating the complexity of the PPP lending process," said Rob Lee, head of Global Core Banking and Channels, FIS. "We are excited to see how our technology and tools can help our customers quickly access the capital they need to survive and thrive."

About FIS FIS is a leading provider of technology solutions for merchants, banks and capital markets firms globally. Our employees are dedicated to advancing the way the world pays, banks and invests by applying our scale, deep expertise and data-driven insights. We help our clients use technology in innovative ways to solve business-critical challenges and deliver superior experiences for their customers. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, FIS is a Fortune 500 company and is a member of Standard & Poor's 500 Index. To learn more, visit www.fisglobal.com. Follow FIS on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (News - Alert) (@FISGlobal). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005929/en/

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As concerns about the rocky vaccine rollout continue, President Biden on Tuesday said states can expect to receive 17% more vaccine next week and get three weeks advance notice from the federal government about how much vaccine they will be getting.

Both would come as a welcome improvement to local health departments and medical providers who say the unpredictable, scarce vaccine supply from state and federal governments makes it almost impossible to plan ahead for appointments and vaccinate more people.

Biden also said the federal government has bought more doses from vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna and should have enough to vaccinate 300 million Americans by end of summer, early fall.

California will shift to an age-based system for prioritizing vaccinations in mid-February, Dr. Mark Ghaly, Californias secretary of Health and Human Services, said Tuesday. Its a change from Californias initial strategy of weighing job-based risk, and health officials hope it will speed up and simplify the vaccination process.

Meanwhile, Californias reopening trajectory became clearer. A day after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state could emerge from its strict lockdown due to improving intensive care unit capacity projections, each of the nine Bay Area counties returned to the purple  most restrictive  tier of Californias color-coded reopening blueprint.

In total, 54 California counties stayed in the most restrictive purple tier, which allows for activities like outdoor dining and indoor personal-care services, such as haircuts and nail appointments, for the first time since early December.

Three counties  Alpine, Mariposa and Trinity  were in the red tier, and Sierra County was in the best shape  the only county in the orange tier.

No California counties are in the least restrictive yellow tier, Ghaly said Tuesday.

Ghaly said some counties did show promise of moving toward a less-stringent tier.

But concerns still loom. Reopening will inevitably cause more cases, and if more infectious variants spread, that could set the state back.

Variants, in general, are a concern, Ghaly said Tuesday. It can create resistance to our antibodies or resistance to tools in our toolkit. ... Thankfully, we have a relatively low number of cases today. ... If (the coronavirus) becomes more virulent, that gives us concern and guides the rest of our response to this pandemic.

Ghaly said that the states lockdown rules could have prevented as many as 25,000 hospitalizations across the state and as many as 5,000 admissions into intensive care units.

Its not a moment to take down our guard, he said.

Ghaly also defended the decision to ban outdoor dining as part of the stay-at-home order implemented last month, which was criticized by business leaders and some health experts who said there was no data tying virus transmission to outdoor dining. The decision was made in an effort to reduce overall movement and overall mixing, Ghaly said, as opposed to signaling that outdoor dining itself was risky.

Californians desire to socially mingle remains a worry for health experts. Every time a cherished holiday or social event  like Christmas or Thanksgiving  arrives, people tend to let their guards down, said Dr. George Lemp, a retired University of California epidemiologist. The next social event that could lead to widespread gatherings is the Super Bowl on Feb. 7.

If you have people congregating indoors for a length of time and theyre not wearing masks and theyre mixing families, then theres always the potential for transmission, Lemp said. Thats always a concern. Obviously, things are looking better and the vaccine is giving people a lot of hope, but were still facing a situation where the vast majority of people arent being vaccinated.

California has scrambled to simplify its vaccine rollout, which has left it ranked 39th among the 51 states and the District of Columbia in per-capita vaccinations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  even as the chief difficulty remains the limited quantities and inconsistency of federal supply.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news briefing on Monday that under a new age-based system, people 65 and over and some essential workers  education workers, food and agriculture workers and first responders  will remain a top priority, along with health care workers and nursing home staff who were first to get vaccinated.

But after most of those groups get vaccinated, the state will transition to an age-based eligibility system, which will allow us to scale up much more quickly to get vaccines to impacted communities much more expeditiously, Newsom said.

Many Bay Area counties and health care providers have already adopted age-based prioritization  vaccinating those 75 and older first, and those 65 and older when vaccine supply allows for it. Marin County is prioritizing those 75 and older, as is Sonoma County, which is poised to open a vaccination clinic at Rohnert Park Community Center on Wednesday for residents 75 and older.

The four main arms of vaccine distribution in Marin County  the public health department, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health and Marin Health  all agreed to focus our next 25,000 doses on our older, most vulnerable residents, Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis said during a COVID-19 update to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Some critics said Californias initial strategy, which factored in workers risk of exposure to the virus when considering their place in line  transportation workers, for instance, were placed in a higher tier than waste and wastewater workers  was too complicated and made it difficult for providers and local health departments to decide quickly who they could vaccinate. It is easier and faster to verify someones age than their occupation.

State and local officials have said that vaccinating older residents first would help reduce deaths and relieve some of the pressure on hospitals, since the majority of COVID-19 deaths and ICU admissions are among those who are 60 or older. But doing so also means that many essential workers under age 65 will have to wait longer to get immunized.

There, of course, is going to be some sectors of our population who dont come to the front of the line as quickly as others, Ghaly said. Were working to make sure that communication is simple and well understood.

The state also announced that a third party administrator will operate a statewide vaccine distribution network, but it did not provide details on who the administrator will be or how exactly it would change the existing vaccine distribution system.

California launched a pilot program called MyTurn that allows Californians to sign up to be notified when it is their turn and to schedule an appointment when they become eligible. It is available at myturn.ca.gov for all state residents to sign up, but only those in Los Angeles and San Diego counties can make appointments. It will expand elsewhere starting in February.

Michael Williams, Aidin Vaziri and Catherine Ho are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: michael.williams@sfchronicle.com, avaziri@sfchronicle.com, cho@sfchronicle.com

Gaborone (Botswana) 26 January 2021 (SPS)- The President of the Republic of Botswana, H.E. Dr. Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, considered that Morocco must end its illegal occupation of parts of the Saharawi Republic, during his reception of Saharawi Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, who is visiting Botswana as Special Envoy of the Saharawi President, H.E. Mr. Brahim Ghali.

President Masisi reiterated the principled and steadfast support Botswana has always granted to the Saharawi legitimate struggle for freedom, self-determination and independence, considering that Africa cannot be free unless the Saharawi Republic is totally free.

Botswana President further considered that the African Union and African countries cannot accept the violation of the principles of the Constitutive Act of the Union, mainly the principles of the respect for the borders existing upon independence.

The meeting was an opportunity for the Saharawi Minister to highly praise Botswana for the advanced and honorable position on the conflict; stressing the important role it can play within regional, continental and international forums.

The meeting was also attended by Botswana Minister for International Affairs and Cooperation, Hon. Dr. Lemogang Kwape, Director of the Department for Africa, Dr. Charles Masole, and the Saharawi Ambassador to Botswana, Mr. Malainin Mohamed.

On Monday, the Saharawi Minister was received by his Botswana peer, Dr. Lemogang Kwape, at the Ministery of International Affairs, in the presence of members of the Ministry's Staff and the Saharawi Ambassador.

The Special Envoy visited other countries during the last few weeks, to brief them on the latest developments in the conflict in Western Sahara after the resumption of war between the armies of the Sahrawi Republic and the occupying army of Moroco last November 13, 2020. (SPS)

090/500/60 (SPS)
Telegram downloads have topped the Google Play Store rankings since WhatsApp tried to force users to agree to its updated terms and privacy policies to continue using the app.

The new terms of service included a clause which allows Facebook to share data from WhatsApp across its other products.

The updated policy revealed that Facebook will have access to users phone numbers, their contacts phone numbers, profile names, and pictures, and status messages including last online time.

WhatsApp has been sharing information with Facebook since 2016, but many users were not aware of the extent to which this was happening.

The in-app notification drew users attention to this privacy issue and caused a privacy backlash against WhatsApp across the world.

As part of this backlash, a lot of misinformation was shared which WhatsApp and Facebook tried to fight, but their damage control campaigns proved ineffective.

The pushback was so severe that it forced the company to delay the date by which users must agree to the terms of service from 8 February 2021 to 15 May 2021.

This, the company said, was aimed at giving it time to explain the changes and help everyone understand their principles and the facts.

The additional information shared by Facebook and WhatsApp did not stem the tide of WhatsApp users who started to use alternatives like Telegram and Signal.

Telegram has reportedly gained 90 million new users this year, which included 25 million new users who joined the platform within a span of 72 hours.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov said on 14 January the already massive influx of new users to Telegram has only accelerated. We may be witnessing the largest digital migration in human history, he said.

The latest spike in users has helped Telegram to pass 500 million users. Weve had surges of downloads before, throughout our 7-year history of protecting user privacy. But this time is different, Durov said.

Growth of Telegram and Signal in South Africa

A good indicator of the popularity of communications apps in South Africa is the Google Play Store rankings which show which mobile apps are downloaded the most by Android users.

The Google Play rankings, provided by App Annie, reveal that Telegram jumped from around 100th to first in South African Play Store rankings after the WhatsApp backlash started.

Telegram remained in first place from 9 January 2021 until now, which shows its strong growth in South Africa is not losing steam.

Signal, in turn, jumped from nearly nowhere to third after the backlash hit social media. Over the last week, it dropped to twelfth but is still far above its previous levels.

WhatsApp, in comparison, dropped from second place at the beginning of 2021 to seventh after the user revolt.

It has recovered to third place in recent days, but it is still behind Telegram, which tops the rankings.

Telegrams dramatic rise in South Africa does not, however, mean that WhatsApp users are abandoning the app. Instead, they seem to be using both messaging platforms.

Recent traffic data, provided to MyBroadband by a prominent mobile service provider, showed that WhatsApp remains the dominant messaging platform in South Africa despite the rapid growth of Telegram and Signal.

There was virtually no change in WhatsApp traffic since the user backlash started earlier this month, and its usage is around 100 times higher than that of Telegram.

The charts below show the Google Play Store rankings for Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp and their traffic levels this month.

Telegram

Signal

WhatsApp

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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

New Delhi, Jan 26 : The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel braved inhospitable conditions in Ladakh on Tuesday when they marched with the national flag on the frozen water body at 17,000 feet above the sea level to celebrate Republic Day.

The ITBP personnel, including men and women, celebrated the event as the temperature recorded minus 25 degrees Celsius.

Also referred to as the ITBP 'Himveers', the personnel raised a full-throated cry: "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Matram".

There was another ITBP personnel team at 14,000 feet in Ladakh, celebrating the day at the Border Out Post. In a video captured from the height, the ITBP men were seen trudging slowly through the fresh snow.

Serving the nation in the most difficult and inhospitable terrain in Ladakh, the ITBP personnel are examples of valour, commitment and patriotism.

ITBP, the specialised mountain force -- most of whose officers and men are trained mountaineers and skiers -- guard the 3,488 km border from Ladakh's Karakoram Pass to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh.

Republic Day celebrations are being held across the country, and the annual parade in New Delhi is the main event
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SANTA FE  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is set to deliver the annual State of the State address Tuesday  a week later than usual.

She will make the speech remotely, and it will be broadcast online, starting at 12:30 p.m., on her Facebook page and the Legislatures website. It will also air on New Mexicos three PBS stations at 2 p.m.

New Mexico usually opens its legislative session with a speech from the governor, but the tradition was postponed this year because of changes triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and security threats.

The Capitol building is closed to the public, and lawmakers are doing much of their work online.

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As farmer protests turn violent, several metros in Delhi shut

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: The entry and exit gates of ITO metro station have been closed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said.

Farmers tractor rally: Tear gas, lathi charge as farmers push into Delhi | Oneindia News

The decision was taken following a clash between the farmers and protesters at the ITO. The police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse the farmers who were protesting.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police appealed to the farmers not to take law into their hands and maintain peace.

Farmers' Protest: Chanting 'jai jawan jai kisan' farmers pour into Delhi on tractors, horses, cranes

The entry to the Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma, Tikri Border,

Tikri Kalan, Ghevra, Mundka Industrial Area, Mundka, Rajdhani Park, Nangloi Railway Station, Nangloi stations have also been closed. The exit from the stations is however permitted the police said.

The protesters meanwhile said the they condemn the violence against the farmers. We have been taking the pre-decided route, farmer leader, Balbir Singh Rajewal said.

The early hours of the protests have been marred with reports of farmers clashing with the police. Reports also said that the police had to use water cannons and tear gas shells to disburse the farmers.

Following a meeting on Sunday, the police said that they had reached a consensus with the farmers on holding the rally at specific locations near the three borders. During the meeting, the farmers had agreed to stick to specific routes and not enter other parts of the city. However, it became clear that the farmers began their rally an hour before the decided time. The farmers had assured the police that they would begin their rally only once the Republic Day parade was over.

At around 11.30 am, the farmers were proceedings towards Akshardham Temple and were trying to enter Central Delhi. The police allowed them to drive up to Ghazipur and take a U turn. However the police had to resort to firing tear gas shells and cane charging.
DAKOTA DUNES, S.D., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey from 1st Financial Bank USA (1FBUSA) reveals students' personal finance opinions in 2020. 1,000 high school and college students from across the United States answered a series of questions about credit cards and allowances.

1st Financial Bank USA Student Finance Survey Infographic

Students view credit cards through a lens of responsibility

Student survey respondents were asked to share what they believe a credit card should be used for and the top benefits of having a credit card. Responses indicate that students see credit cards as a financial tool reserved for covering sudden, unexpected expenses and building a strong financial future.

Emergency was selected to be the top use category for a credit card (73%), followed by food (48%), household (47%), education (46%), and auto (43%)

Build credit was the top perceived benefit of having a credit card (78%), followed by emergency (66%), rewards (55%), not carry cash (50%), and fraud protect (41%)

Majority of students support monthly allowances

Students were asked if they believe college-bound high school seniors should receive a monthly allowance, what dollar amount an allowance should be, and how it should be utilized.

The majority of students believe that college-bound high school seniors should receive a monthly allowance (91%)

The most popular allowance amount was $1 - $100 monthly (32%)

- monthly (32%) The top use for an allowance was determined to be food (60%)

Read the full article and see results divided by regions: 1st Financial Bank USA 2020 Student Finance Survey Results

About 1st Financial Bank USA

1st Financial Bank USA, established in 1910, is a provider of student credit cards and other financial services to college students and college graduates nationwide. The company is also a provider of community banking services, builder loans, and CollegeData , a free online college search website. Learn more at 1fbusa.com .

SOURCE 1st Financial Bank USA

Related Links

https://www.1fbusa.com


Se Hoon Kim: From a CCP Advocate to a Human Rights Activist

Se Hoon Kim, a graduate student at the University of Rochester, shared his journey from being an advocate of the CCP (China Communist Party) to a human rights activist.

Every kid is a nut for something, Kim told Jenny Chang, host of NTDs Focus Talk. I was always a history nut. And one of the things that interested me the most was actually Chinese history.

Kim immigrated from South Korea to the United States at the age of nine. He was fascinated with Chinese history from a young age.

I actually was one of many, many people that are out there, that pretty much accepted this narrative that the Chinese Communist Party is China, Kim said. And the Chinese Communist Party is the reason why China became as big as it is today.

I judged by what I saw in front of me, and I was extremely fascinated, he said.

Kim said that China Central Television (CCTV), the only authorized national broadcaster in China, was a large part of forming his thoughts about China. He was watching it every day.

CCTV is a central player in the Chinese regimes global propaganda network.

Kim recalled watching the Beijing Olympics as a kid, it just looked magnificent, he said. In my heart, I mean, that was China, that was the wonderful form of China that if anybody were to criticize, they would be wrong, right?

In a high school history class one student talked about Falun Gong practitioners and how they are genuinely persecuted.

Kim remembered jumping up to question the presentation: What proof do you have that these people will not somehow rise up against China and really ruin the plans of modernity?  I said, the Chinese government rightfully suppressed these people because they were becoming a societal threat. And I even cited a lot of the governments point of view at that time.

These people are known as a cult, Kim said continuing to repeat the CCP propaganda he had learned.

But right before he entered college, Kim read a book about the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and that experience made him start to question himself.

What country doesnt have protests or even riots at times? Kim initially thought about the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

But after Kim read the onsite stories of the people in the event, a very simple question came into his mind, Is this really the China that I know?

Kim started to contact some of the dissidents out of the pure anger because it was not the China he knew. At the same time, he wondered if these people were trying to spread misinformation.

Thats how my initial research began, Kim said. And as I got in touch with many of the people that were there, my perspective began to shift.

Kim went on to share another very, very profound experience in which he met a member of the Falun Gong community in Flushing, New York.

Firstly, it was funny because here I am in front of these people who I thought [were] just purely crazy, right? Because thats the narrative that Ive been being fed the entire time, he said.

So he approached one of the ladies that were giving out the materials and started a conversation.

He started with some regular stuff such as how is your family, whats going on, Kim recalled. And then she actually told me about her sister, who was taken into custody by the Chinese authorities about several years ago from what she told me.

And I could see it from her eyes at that time about the genuineness, in terms of how genuine she was, but also at the same time, this genuine sorrow that she was feeling, Kim continued.

I immediately thought to myself, you know, what if this happened to my family, what if this was me? Kim said, realizing at that time that he didnt know everything.

Kim said a voice in his heart told him that this was an opportunity for him to get to know the real truth thats out there. He added, I guess thats probably one of my biggest experiences of eye-opening events that helped me to be where I am today.

Se Hoon Kim was in support of Hong Kong protesters. (Courtesy of Se Hoon Kim)

Then, after he was in a college environment, Kim thought to himself, everyone has to have an opportunity to at least judge for themselves after looking at the facts.

Kim started to hold different events every semester, sometimes a dialogue event, sometimes a panelist event, sometimes a cultural event. And the guests or panelists were Tibetans, Uyghurs, Falun Gong practitioners, etc.

Kim said the biggest reward was that many Chinese students got the information and had the chance to think for themselves.

Kim said, These are the members of the next generation that will lead on whatever needs to be led on back in China.

Se Hoon Kim (third from right) meets with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Dec. 3, 2020, as a member of the Committee on Present Danger: China. (Courtesy of Xiaoxu Lin, a Falun Gong practitioner (fourth from right))

Now Kim is the director of Captive Nations Coalition, a sub-committee of the Committee on Present Danger: China. As a committee member, he participated in the meeting with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Dec. 3, along with some victims of the CCP.

Pompeo determined on Jan. 19 that the CCP has committed genocide against the Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, China.

Kim said that is a great thing. He also indicated that theyre trying to designate the CCP as a transnational criminal organization.

If you want evidence of it, go talk to the Falun Gong practitioners, go talk to the Tibetans, the Uyghurs, the Mongolians, go talk to the people in the rest of China that are wanting the same thing that we easily enjoy here today, Kim said. I think we owe it to those people.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 51F. SSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph..

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[January 26, 2021] Ivanti to Acquire Cherwell to Enable End-to-End Service and Asset Management

Ivanti, Inc., the automation platform that makes every IT connection smarter and more secure, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cherwell Software (News - Alert) , a global leader in enterprise service management solutions. The terms of the Cherwell transaction were not disclosed. Ivanti is acquiring Cherwell to expand the reach of its Neurons platform, providing end-to-end service and asset management from IT to lines of business and from every endpoint to the IoT edge. Ivanti will continue to maintain and invest in both Cherwell and Ivanti service management platforms while working to converge the best aspects of each. Neurons, Ivanti's hyper-automation platform, accelerates this vision by connecting the Unified Endpoint Management, Security, and Enterprise Service Management solutions and provides a single pane of glass for enterprises to proactively, predictably and autonomously self-heal and self-secure devices, and self-service end users. Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company will continue to be led by Ivanti chairman and CEO Jim Schaper. "The combination of Cherwell and Ivanti accelerates our innovation at the intersection of unified endpoint management, security, and enterprise service management," said Schaper. "The blend of our two companies, with strong and complementary product capabilities, will further unlock the potential of our hyper-automation platform to service all IT assets and endpoints in the everywhere enterprise. Together, we will build a deepr and more vertically oriented enterprise service management solution. And Neurons, our AI-powered engine that will ultimately be the center of this transformation, moves us from a point-level solution to a truly integrated platform for our users."



"We are excited to join Ivanti and help our customers achieve better business outcomes, innovate faster, and digitally transform their businesses with a unified IT management solution," said Sam Gilliland, chief executive officer, Cherwell. "As it relates to the future of work, Ivanti shares our belief that secure, automated workflows can dramatically change and improve the daily lives of employees while also driving trusted business outcomes. We look forward to continuing to innovate to address the growing market demand for the future of work, giving our customers the critical tools they need to tackle IT challenges associated with the new normal." About Ivanti

Ivanti's automation platform makes every IT connection smarter and more secure across devices, infrastructure and people. From PCs and mobile devices to virtual desktop infrastructure and the data center, Ivanti discovers, manages, secures and services IT assets from cloud to edge in the everywhere enterprise -- while delivering personalized employee experiences. In the everywhere enterprise, corporate data flows freely across devices and servers, empowering workers to be productive wherever and however they work. Ivanti is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah and has offices all over the world. For more information, visit www.ivanti.com and follow @GoIvanti. About Cherwell Cherwell (@Cherwell) empowers organizations to transform their business through the rapid adoption and easy management of digital services. Cherwell's adaptable platform has enabled thousands of organizations to modernize their business operations with customizable service management, automation, and reporting across the enterprise. For more information, visit: www.cherwell.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005284/en/

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Passengers arriving into Ireland without negative Covid-19 tests will be held in quarantine for up to two weeks under plans agreed by the Cabinet Committee on Covid-19.

It comes as an extension of the Level 5 restrictions, including the ban on non-essential construction work, until March 5 was also agreed by the committee.

The Taoiseach and ministers agreed to extend the current lockdown by another five weeks due to the high number of coronavirus patients in hospitals and the pressure on ICU capacity.

A memo going to Cabinet tomorrow says consideration will be given to getting Leaving Cert students and children with special educational needs back to classes, but talks are on-going with the unions.

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However, construction is to remain closed until March.

Meanwhile anyone travelling from Brazil or South Africa will also be held in State-run quarantine hotels for up to a fortnight.

The Cabinet Committee also agreed to temporarily suspend all visa-free short-term travel from South Africa and Brazil.

Apart from facing up to two weeks in quarantine, anyone arriving without a negative PCR test will also face a fine up to 2,500 and/or up to six months imprisonment.

New laws will be introduced to make it a legal requirement for all passengers to restrict their movements for 14 days on arrival into the country. At present, the requirement is only guidance rather than a law.

The new laws will also apply to any passenger arriving in the North but travelling into the Republic. However, there are concerns about how to police these situations.

At last nights meeting, ministers heard the National Public Health Emergency Team proposed testing all passengers on arrival and testing them again five days later.

A source at the meeting said quarantine for all travellers was deemed too excessive.

Most of the measures around quarantining were agreed in principle by ministers and it is expected more legislative work and public health advice will be needed before the new rules are introduced.

There is some debate over when people can leave quarantine when they receive a negative test.

The committee also agreed to increase garda checkpoints near all ports and airports.

Gardai will check travellers to see if they are returning from abroad without an essential reason for travelling. If this is the case they will be fined for breaching the 5km travel restriction.

The current fine of 100 for breaching travel restrictions will be increased.

A source said all the new measures will take time to legislate for if agreed by Cabinet.

Meanwhile the EU has threatened to impose tight export controls within days on Covid-19 vaccines made in the bloc after drug company AstraZeneca said it was cutting the first contingent of its vaccine to the EU.

The EU has committed to buying 300 million AstraZeneca doses with option on 100 million extra shots. Late last week, the company said it was planning to reduce a first contingent of 80 million to 31 million.

Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said the EU will take any action required to protect its citizens and its rights.

EU member states are united: vaccine developers have societal and contractual responsibilities they need to uphold, Ms Kyriakides said after two tense negotiating sessions with AstraZeneca that ended late tonight.

Separately AstraZeneca last night described German media reports saying its Covid-19 vaccine was shown to have a very low efficacy in the elderly as completely incorrect.

German daily papers Handelsblatt and Bild said in separate reports the vaccine  co-developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University  had an efficacy of 8pc or less than 10pc, respectively, in those over 65 and the German government did not expect the European regulator to approve the product for that age group.

Speaking on RTE'S Claire Byrne Live tonight, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said the Government is hoping to open schools on a phased basis across February and early March.

The staggered reopening would start with the return of children with special needs, followed by primary schools and exam years, he said.

But he said it had to be done by agreement and would be subject to discussions with principals, unions and other representative groups.

Mr Varadkar said that because the new Covid-19 variant is more transmissible we want to open schools not with one big bang but on a phased basis".

He would not put a figure on what the daily Covid case numbers would have to be to allow for schools to re-open, but said: We are reasonably confident now that by the middle of February we will be down to daily case rates that were there when schools were fully open.

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The Democratic House impeachment managers have delivered their ratified article against Donald Trump to the Senate, automatically triggering a process that will culminate with a dramatic trial for the ex-president on 8 February.

Senators will be sworn in as jurors on Tuesday.

Mr Trump, who left office on 20 January, will be the first president to stand in an impeachment trial twice.

Mr Trumps legal defence team and the nine House impeachment managers, led by Maryland Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, will have two weeks to file their respective legal briefs and prepare for the trial, a timeline negotiated between Senate Leaders Chuck Schumer (of the Democrats) and Mitch McConnell (of the Republicans).

The House  including every Democrat plus 10 Republicans  voted on 13 January to impeach Mr Trump for inciting a bloody insurrection at the US Capitol just a week earlier, on 6 January, as Congress was certifying then-President-elect Joe Bidens electoral victory.

Among those 10 Republicans was House GOP Chairwoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking member of her conference behind Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Whip Steve Scalise.

The difference three weeks makes

On Monday around 7pm local time, impeachment managers walked the ratified impeachment article over to the Senate side of the Capitol to deliver it to the upper chambers new majority leader, Mr Schumer.

They filed solemnly through the legislatures famed Statuary Hall and the Capitol Rotunda, where less than three weeks earlier hundreds of pro-Trump rioters  many proudly waving Confederate flags and Trump campaign banners  had run amok after overrunning the US Capitol Police.

At a podium on the Senate floor facing the dais, Mr Raskin read aloud the four-page impeachment article, which officially accuses Mr Trump of incitement to insurrection, and promptly exited the chamber.

At the trials conclusion, 17 Senate Republicans must vote with all 50 Democrats if the chamber is to reach the two-thirds majority needed to ban Mr Trump from holding public office again in the future.

While some Senate Republicans have remained circumspect about how they are approaching the trial, many have already publicly expressed their opposition to it.

I think the trial is stupid. I think its counterproductive. We already have a flaming fire in this country and its like taking a bunch of gasoline and pouring it on top of the fire, said Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, joining the ranks of Trump loyalists such as Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott of South Carolina, who have taken the approach of appeasing the mass of GOP voters with false notions of a stolen election.

And GOP Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota on Sunday said it was a moot point if the Senate were to convict Mr Trump because he is already out of office. (As explained above, the Senate can also bar an impeached individual from ever holding office again.)

Donald Trump is no longer the president, he is a former president, Mr Rounds said, alluding to the fringe argument being made by conservative legal scholars in recent weeks doubting the constitutionality of putting an impeached former president on trial.

A political process

While the arguments emanating from the openly anti-impeachment crowd in the GOP are legally dubious and defy precedent, they do underscore how impeachment is an inherently political process.

The Senate technically becomes a jury, yes, but the US Constitution does not lay out specific instructions, as judges at common criminal trials do.

It also neglects to outline a standard of proof, a topic of considerable debate at previous non-presidential impeachment trials.

The Constitution, purposely vague, allows individual senators to construct and apply their own rules for a given trial. That means politics and public perception inevitably influence most senators decision-making.

So even if Mr Rubio and Mr Rounds conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr Trump indeed incited an insurrection  even if they conclude, within their hearts and minds, such behaviour is impeachable  they are still well within their constitutional rights to vote against conviction if they deem the political and social consequences too steep (or whatever else their motivations might be).

While Utah Senator Mitt Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict Mr Trump at his first impeachment trial last February, it appears likely hell be joined by at least a few others this time around.

GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, and Ben Sasse of Nebraska have been quite vocal denouncing the presidents actions and hinting at their support for the hasty House impeachment.

Even Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has left open the possibility of voting to convict Mr Trump, reportedly viewing the former presidents permanent banishment from public office as a decisive means of diminishing his long-term influence over the GOP.

If Mr McConnell indeed votes to convict, perhaps some of the Republicans publicly grousing about the impeachment trial will abandon their instincts and follow his lead.

Democrats remain hopeful

Thats what impeachment manager Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas, believes will happen.

As the days go on, more and more evidence comes out about the president's involvement in the incitement of this insurrection, the incitement of this riot, and also his dereliction of duty once it was going on, Mr Castro told NPR over the weekend.

As for the bulk of the Senate GOP who have not yet said how they will vote, I would hope that, first of all, they keep their powder dry, that they listen to all the evidence and wait for the case to be presented, Mr Castro said.

But most of all, at the end of the day, what we need is for people to put country over person, in other words, over Donald Trump and also country over party, Republican or Democrat, he said.

President Pro Tempore of the Senate Patrick Leahy, the longtime Democrat from Vermont, will preside over the impeachment trial proceedings instead of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

Mr Roberts presided over Mr Trumps first impeachment trial, but as Mr Trump is no longer president, the chief justice is under no constitutional obligation to see this second one through.

Mr Leahy has dismissed the notion that he cannot remain impartial as a Democrat presiding over a process in which he himself will vote.

I have presided over hundreds of hours in my time in the Senate. I don't think anybody has ever suggested I was anything but impartial in those hundreds of hours, Mr Leahy told reporters on Monday, indicating that his time as a committee chairman and senior member of the Senate has prepared him for this role.

I'm not presenting the evidence. I am making sure that procedures are followed, Mr Leahy said.

The Ministry of Interiors prisons sector announced on Tuesday that 3,022 prisoners have been released on Sunday as they were granted a presidential pardon on the occasion of the 69th National Police Day.

The ministry stated that the prisoners were released in accordance with a presidential decree issued by the president allowing prisoners, who meet certain conditions, to leave prison before finishing the remainder of their sentence.

The event coincided with the celebrations of National Police day which also marked the 69th anniversary of the Battle of Ismailia, which is on 25 January.

Prior to the prisoners release, their papers were examined by a set of committees organised by the Egyptian prison authorities to determine which prisoners qualified for the presidential pardon.

2,904 prisoners qualified for release, whereas only 118 inmates, handpicked by the upper council for committees, met the requirements for conditional release.

The presidential pardon is part of an initiative led by the ministry to implement punitive penal policies that are more in line with contemporary criminal justice models.

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Heres a real estate tip for folks joining the incoming Biden administration: A rental vacancy has opened up in the tony DC neighborhood of Kaloramaan area known for foreign diplomats and political heavy hitters.

Ivanka Trump and her husband, ex-presidential adviser Jared Kushner, have decamped for Florida, following in the footsteps of her father, former President Donald Trump.

Now, the couple's former rental is in search of a new tenant. It's available to lease for $18,000 a month.

The recently renovated home with six beds and 6.5 baths has all kinds of style points. It's billed as "one of the most well-known and photographed houses on the planetgiven its recent tenants."

During the Trump years when the upscale abode served as the DC home of the first daughter and her family, it attracted protests and candlelight vigils, according to the Washingtonian. The 2017 gathering shown below was to protest Trump's immigration policies.

Concerned Community members from WA, CA, NM, AZ, TX, ID, VA holding a vigil outside Jared Kushner & @IvankaTrump's house #DefendDACA pic.twitter.com/caGf0mIFah  Cris Ruiz (@votecris2040) September 5, 2017

On the other hand, the Washington Post recently reported that the mansion's bathrooms were off limits to the couple's Secret Service detail. As a result, the security team had to rent a nearby studio apartment at a rate of $3,000 a monthwhich ended up totaling more than $100,000 over the years, according to the Post.

Bathroom access aside, the 1923 home has been meticulously maintained by the landlord and former notable tenants, the listing asserts. Details of the 7,300-square-foot layout include crown moldings, recessed lighting, and wood floors throughout.

Plus, the very contemporary interiors boast high-end finishes and electrical updates made within the past four years.

And you might catch a glimpse of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama in the neighborhood. The couple live just a stones throw away, the listing notes. That proximity to power might appeal to a house hunter joining the Biden administration.

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Watch: The D.C. Neighborhood That Power Brokers Ivanka Trump and the Obamas Call Home

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While new listing photos aren't yet available, the images from 2017 showcase a modern, minimalist living space in a neutral palette decorated with abstract art.

Stone stairs lead to the front door. realtor.com

Exterior shot of a deck realtor.com

The living room features a fireplace and plenty of space for oversized furniture. The sleek kitchen with a long, white island looks to have everything you need to whip up a meal (or unpack takeout). The kitchen also has room for a table and adjoins a family room.

A formal dining room features a fireplace and recessed lighting. The master suite includes French doors, another fireplace, and cool tones.

Down south, the home's former residents are apparently leasing a luxury condo in Miami, according to the Wall Street Journal. But their long-term plans look to involve a 2-acre lot they reportedly purchased on ultraexclusive Indian Creek Island for the jaw-dropping sum of $32 million.

Rodrigo Valderrama with Keller Williams Capital Properties holds the rental listing.

The post Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's DC Home Is Available To Rentfor $18K a Month appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.

Northern Irelands highest court previously ruled that loyalist killer Michael Stone could apply for early release from prison

Loyalist killer Michael Stone has been released from Maghaberry Prison on parole, it has emerged this evening

Last November Northern Irelands highest court ruled that Stone could apply for early release from prison.

It said keeping the notorious paramilitary behind bars until at least 2024 would constitute an interference with the physical liberty of the prisoner and could only arise under clear authority of the law, and in its view this could not be implied.

In 1988, Stone killed three people in a gun and grenade attack at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast.

Stone was freed early from prison in 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

He was sent back six years later after attempting to attack Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness at Stormont.

Stone was serving a 30-year jail term but launched an appeal against efforts to keep him in prison.

The issue under consideration was whether he would stay in jail until at least 2024, or whether his minimum tariff expired in 2018, including the six years he was freed under licence.

The court concluded that the period that the prisoner spent lawfully on licence ought to be included in the relevant part of his sentence.

One of his victims was 20-year-old Thomas McErlean. His sister, Deborah McGuinness, had taken legal action in a bid to attempt her brothers killer from applying for early release.

BBC News NI reports that families of his victims have been informed of the move.

Parole Commissioners took the decision on Monday and Stone was freed from Maghaberry Prison on Tuesday.

The former UDA man was also the gunman in another three murders.

Milkman Patrick Brady was murdered in south Belfast in November 1984, 12 months before joiner Kevin McPolin was shot in the head in Lisburn, Co Antrim.

In May 1987 Dermott Hackett, a bread server, was found dead in his van between Drumquin and Omagh. He had been shot up to 16 times with a submachine gun.

Stones return to prison followed his infamous assault on Parliament Buildings in 2006, armed with explosives, knives and an axe, in an attempt to murder the Sinn Fein leaders.

He denied it had been a bid to kill the politicians, instead claiming it was an act of performance art.

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In a statement tonight, issued through Relatives For Justice, the family of Thomas McErlean said: We have been made aware that Michael Stone is to be released from custody shortly.

As a family we have pursued legal action to try and ensure Stone remained imprisoned. It is unjust Michael Stone is able to move forward with his life when he took the lives of Thomas McErlean and many other people.

"Our family are denied the chance to heal whilst he refuses to answer questions about which parts of the state armed and assisted him with so many murders.

As a family we continue to love, miss and remember Thomas, and call for a proper investigation into his death that will reveal the truth about state collusion and loyalist paramilitaries.

"The victims families need to be the focus rather than Michael Stone.
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The Netherlands was hit by a third night of riots on Monday as hundreds of people clashed with police, set fires, looted stores and overturned cars in multiple cities after the government imposed a night-time curfew.

The port city of Rotterdam bore the brunt of the violence where police said up to 200 people threw rocks and fireworks at officers then tried to set a police station on fire, with a water cannon deployed to stop them.

One officer also fired a warning shot from his service weapon after a group of police were surrounded. At least 50 people have been arrested, commanders said.

In the city of Den Bosch, 40 miles to the east, police also confronted violent crowds who set off fireworks, broke shop windows, looted a supermarket and an electronics store, and overturned cars.

Jack Mikkers, mayor of Den Bosch, told public broadcaster NOL that such unrest was 'unheard of' and condemned the rioters for bringing 'fear, worry, harm and shame' to the city.

Trouble also flared in Amsterdam, the city of Amersfoort in the east, the small southern city of Geleen near Maastricht, and The Hague, according to police. In total, 184 people had been arrested by Tuesday morning.

It comes after the Netherlands - which had shunned strict lockdown measures earlier in the pandemic - introduced a night-time curfew to try and bring cases down, sparking a backlash.

While politicians have insisted that the majority of the public back the measures, the curfew drew immediate comparisons with Nazi occupation - the last time such measures were imposed nationwide.

Rioting struck the Netherlands for the third time on Monday night as hundreds of people set fires, clashed with police, looted shops and overturned cars after the country introduced a coronavirus curfew (pictured, a fire in The Hague)

The port city of Rotterdam was among the worst-hit on Monday, with police saying that up to 200 people threw rocks and fireworks at officers, with at least 50 arrested (pictured)

Masked police officers in The Hague arrest a man suspected of rioting as anti-lockdown protests in the Netherlands turned violent for a third time

A supermarket worker in Rotterdam boards up the front of a supermarket after rioters smashed the windows and then looted the shop amid a third night of unrest in the Netherlands

A worker cleans up shattered glass at a fast food restaurant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on Monday night after the windows were smashed by anti-lockdown rioters

A bike burns in the middle of the street in front of a smashed KFC restaurant after rioters brought chaos to the centre of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, on Monday night

Police officers bring out dogs to confront a group of rioters in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Monday night amid a third evening of unrest over a new coronavirus curfew

Rioters first struck on Sunday night in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and multiple other towns - seeming to catch authorities off-guard and prompting warnings from some politicians of 'civil war'.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte condemned what he called the 'criminal violence', which police officials described as the 'worst rioting in 40 years'.

John Jorritsma, mayor of Eindhoven, warned bluntly that 'we're on our way to civil war'.

Despite the unrest, many countries in Europe are considering tightening their lockdown measures to try and bring cases down - with top medics in both France and Italy warning that month-long shutdowns are needed.

Meanwhile hopes that vaccines might provide a quick way out of the crisis for European leaders all-but faded after France's Pasteur Institute was forced to scrap a jab it had been developing with US drug-maker Merck because it doesn't work.

The news came as AstraZeneca - whose jab has yet to be approved by EU regulators - announced it was cutting vaccine supplies to the continent by up to 60 per cent because of problems with supply chains, thought to be due to under-production at a factory in Belgium.

Head of the EU executive Ursula von der Leyen had a call with the firm on Monday to 'remind them of their commitments', but EU President Charles Michel admitted that vaccinating 70 per cent of Europe's population - the figure theoretically needed to ensure herd immunity - by the end of summer as planned will now be 'difficult'.

In other developments on the continent...

Police in the Netherlands warned of 'days or weeks of unrest' as a result of new curfew measures, imposed on the country for the first since it was occupied by the Nazis

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned rioters will be treated like 'criminals' while insisting '99 per cent' of the country supports curfew

The EU recommended cutting off all-but essential travel to dozens of regions deemed to be among the continent's hotbeds of infection, including locations in Italy, Germany, France and Spain

Italy and the European Union have suggested they could sue AstraZeneca for breach of contract after the company announced it would not meet its vaccine quota

Madrid announced its own curfew as Spain's case numbers continued to soar, with Valencia banning groups of more than two from meeting outside

Spain's health minister, Salvador Illa, stepped down amidst the pandemic to run in local elections in his home region of Catalonia

Europe, which was initially praised for its tough response to Covid after most countries went into full lockdowns in March last year, has been hammered by a second wave that a mish-mash of measures has largely failed to control.

Those efforts have been complicated by the emergence of new and potentially more-infectious variants of the virus, including in the hard-hit UK, which is now back in full lockdown.

While many countries have announced new measures to try and bring infections down, case numbers have remained stubbornly high in countries such as France, Italy and Germany, causing hospitals to run out of space.

Meanwhile Spain and Portugal have both seen infections soar to record levels after a brief dip over the festive period, putting health services under strain.

In France, where fears about the UK variant are prevalent, new border controls came into force on Sunday amid fears that a third nationwide lockdown could be on the cards later this week.

A police officer on a bike stands guard near a burning bin in The Hague, during a third night of unrest in the Netherlands

A resident of The Hague equipped with a fire extinguisher puts out a burning bike and rubbish bin that was left in the middle of tram tracks by rioters who briefly halted public transport services

Police officers arrest a suspect as groups of local youth gather on the streets of The Hague during rioting sparked by a night-time Covid curfew

Protesters were encouraged to gather on the streets of the Netherlands at 9pm, the time the curfew starts, before riots broke out (pictured, police arrest a suspected rioter in The Hague)

Dutch policemen arrest a man during clashes with a large group of young people on Beijerlandselaan in Rotterdam

A man uses a fire extinguisher to put out a blaze in The Hague, the Netherlands, after anti-lockdown rioters clashed with police in a third night of unrest

Mannequins lie on the street after a large group of young people ran riot in Rotterdam, looting shops and clashing with police

Virus cases in Europe have remained stubbornly high throughout winter despite tougher restrictions being introduced, with many countries now considering new national shutdowns - if they have not been imposed already

Deaths from the virus in Europe are now higher than any other continent with 660,000 recorded since the start of the pandemic, and with hospitals under strain following steep case rises

Government spokesman Gabriel Attal told the France 3 broadcaster that 'all scenarios are on the table', adding that 'the next few days will be decisive'.

Some doctors meanwhile said that a lockdown was all but inevitable.

'We moving towards a lockdown,' said Denis Malvy, a member of France's Scientific Council and head of the infectious diseases department in a Bordeaux hospital.

In Italy, Professor Walter Ricciardi - adviser to the Minister of Health - used an appearance on radio to call for another four-week national shutdown, saying it is necessary to bring cases down.

Warning the Italy's current measures will be enough to flatten the number of cases but not decrease them, he added: 'We need a real lockdown of three or four weeks then resume tracing and testing, only in this way can we recover a normality that we lack.'

Meanwhile the EU recommended cutting off all-but essential travel to areas deemed to be infection hotspots with 500 or more cases per 100,000 people, and was due to publish a map later this week outlining where they are.

EU Justice commissioner Didier Reynders said that between 10 and 20 EU countries would see all or part of their territory deemed to be a high-infection zone if the map was published today.

'We also think it is necessary for essential travelers arriving from [those] areas to get tested before traveling and to undergo quarantine, unless these measures would have a disproportionate impact on the exercise of their essential function,' Reynders said.

Europe continues to be the world's worst-hit region with coronavirus, having suffered both more cases and more deaths than any other continent.

Since the start of the pandemic, some 29million cases of the virus have been logged in Europe compared to 28.6million in North America - the second-worst affected.

Meanwhile deaths in Europe are now at a combined total of 660,000 - well above second place North America with 600,000.

The fire brigade extinguishes a fire on the Groene Hilledijk after clashes of a large group of young people with the police in Rotterdam, the Netherland

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire on the Groene Hilledijk in Rotterdam following the riots on Monday night

A man is arrested by police during clashes in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on Monday night

A large group of young people clash with police on Beijerlandselaan in Rotterdam

Europe's vaccine roll-out was already among the slowest in the world, but has been hit by further problems as France's Pasteur Institute mothballed its jab on Monday and AstraZeneca cut supplies to the bloc by 60 per cent due to 'supply issues'

Virus cases in Europe have remained stubbornly high throughout winter despite tougher restrictions being introduced, with many countries now considering new national shutdowns - if they have not been imposed already
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The German supermarket chain will farm out the reward to more than 25,000 workers  a total bonus of more than 5.5m. Photo: REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

Lidls UK arm said on Tuesday it will reward its front-line workers with a one-off 200 ($272.44) thank you payment, in order to recognise dedication shown throughout the pandemic, while its office-based employees will receive 100.

Front-line workers include customer assistants, warehouse operatives, and cleaners.

The German supermarket chain will farm out the reward to more than 25,000 workers  a total bonus of more than 5.5m.

Christian Hartnagel, CEO at Lidl GB said: It has been an extremely challenging period and our teams have done a phenomenal job in helping to keep the nation fed.

I am incredibly proud of the dedication and commitment our colleagues have shown and continue to show and this payment is about recognising their unrelenting hard work and thanking each individual for the important part theyve played in the year like no other.

READ MORE: UK shopper numbers creep up as 'lockdown fatigue' sets in

The news comes following its announcement of an increase in hourly ages from March this year. Entry-level wages will increase from 9.30 to 9.50 per hour outside the M25 and 10.75 to 10.85 within the M25.

It also comes following calls for mask compliance from major supermarkets and essential retailers that have been allowed to stay open despite lockdowns.

In recent weeks many grocery chains said that mask compliance had slipped and called on the government to take action to keep its staff safe. This came after data from the track and trace service showed that supermarkets were the most common place people said they had been before reporting a positive COVID-19 test.

At the time, Morrisons (MRW.L) CEO David Potts said that those who fail to wear a face covering, and are not medically exempt, wont be allowed in the shop.

Following this, Sainsburys (SBRY.L) also said it would challenge non-mask wearers or those shopping in groups. It said it would put trained security guards at the front of the shop to challenge non-compliance.

Story continues

Supermarkets have been among the winners of the pandemic in the business world, as grounded Brits turned to home cooked meals and, in some cases, stockpiled and panic bought goods.

Watch: What UK government COVID-19 support is available?
Colombian officials say Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo has died from complications of COVID-19 He was 69.

President Ivan Duque said that Holmes Trujillo died early Tuesday, adding that he couldn't express the pain he was feeling over the news. He offered his condolences to Holmes Trujillo's wife, children and other family members.

"His life was a reflection of his vocation for public service," Duque said.

Holmes Trujillo became defense minister in November 2019, after serving as foreign minister He was also the mayor of Cali from 1988-1990.

Colombia has recorded more than 50,000 deaths from COVID-19. Coronavirus infections have increased dramatically in the South American country since the Christmas holidays, with more than 15,000 new cases per day reported in the second week of January, compared with about 7,000 cases per day at the start of December.
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Euro Forecast Overview:

The Euro is proving resilient despite a resurgent US Dollar , and it now may be finding the footing needed before attempting another turn higher.

Rising political risks in Italy and the Netherlands has been shrugged off by the Euro, as has some dovish jawboning by the European Central Bank.

Per the IG Client Sentiment Index , the Euro still has a bullish bias in the short-term.

Euro Dealing with Political Risks?

The Euro has been plagued by poor vaccination rates, trailing both the post-Brexit UK and the post-Trump US, and now dual political crises in Italy and the Netherlands have emerged. And yetthe Euro does not seemed burdened. European bond yields are not shooting higher, perhaps because the European Central Bank has issued some dovish jawboning at its recent policy meeting. But even then, the dovish remarks about the Euro have gone unnoticed; the Euro is not trading lower.

EUR/USD RATE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY CHART (January 2020 to January 2021) (CHART 1)

In the prior update it was noted that the rising trendline from the May and November 2020 lows comes into focus near 1.1950 through next week, in the midst of a confluence of significant technical levels: 23.6% Fibonacci retracement of the 2019 low/2020 high range at 1.1945; the August and September 2020 highs at 1.1967 and 1.2011, respectively; and the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement of the 2017 low/2018 high range at 1.2033. In aggregate, this major support zone is carved out between 1.1945 and 1.2033. Failure below here would be a significant bearish technical development.

But the significant bearish technical development never transpired. Instead, bulls held support, and EUR/USD rates have turned higher through the intramonth downtrend. EUR/USD rates are now above their daily 5-, 8-, 13-, and 21-EMA envelope, which is almost in bullish sequential order. Daily MACDs descent above its signal line continues to fade, while daily Slow Stochastics rise towards their median line has gathered pace.

The Euro is proving resilient despite a resurgent US Dollar, and EUR/USD rates now may be finding the footing needed before attempting another turn higher.

IG Client Sentiment Index: EUR/USD Rate Forecast (January 26, 2021) (Chart 2)

EUR/USD: Retail trader data shows 38.52% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.60 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 7.62% lower than yesterday and 12.80% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 5.03% higher than yesterday and 6.43% higher from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests EUR/USD prices may continue to rise.

Traders are further net-short than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger EUR/USD-bullish contrarian trading bias.

EUR/JPY RATE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY CHART (January 2020 to January 2021) (CHART 3)

EUR/JPY rates are back on the up-and-up, thanks in part to the rising tide of global equity markets (which EUR/JPY tends to track more closely than EUR/USD). EUR/JPY remains below the rising trendline from the October and November 2020 swing lows at the end of the week, but has rebounded ahead of the rising trendline from the May and November 2020 lows, as well as the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement of the 2014 high/2016 low range at 124.71.

Momentum is turning bullish for EUR/JPY rates, slowly but surely. Daily Slow Stochastics are trending higher through their median line, while daily MACDs descent above its signal line has faded (just like EUR/USD). EUR/JPY rates are above their daily 5-, 8-, 13-, and 21-EMA envelope, which is aligning in bullish sequential order. A return to the rising trendline from the October and November 2020 lows calls for a move towards 127.00 over the coming sessions (before running into the September 2020 high near 127.08)

IG Client Sentiment Index: EUR/JPY Rate Forecast (January 26, 2021) (Chart 4)

EUR/JPY: Retail trader data shows 40.35% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.48 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 15.12% higher than yesterday and 15.12% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 17.48% lower than yesterday and 5.79% lower from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests EUR/JPY prices may continue to rise.

Yet traders are less net-short than yesterday and compared with last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a further mixed EUR/JPY trading bias.

--- Written by Christopher Vecchio, CFA, Senior Currency Strategist




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Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media

BRIDGEPORT  A West Haven man in custody since last March while awaiting trial on child pornography charges has died with COVID-19, his lawyer confirmed Tuesday.

Harold Alling, 53, charged with two counts of possession of child pornography in the third degree, was being held in lieu of bond.
A court in Germany has sentenced an asylum seeker from Tajikistan to seven years in prison for membership in the Islamic State (IS) extremist group and plotting attacks in Albania and Germany.



Prosecutors accused Ravshan B., whose last name has not been disclosed in line with German privacy laws, of being the ringleader of a group of Tajik nationals suspected of forming a terror cell.



The 31-year-old man made a partial confession and apologized to the court before the January 26 verdict was handed down, saying he was "terribly sorry for everything."



Together with a group of other men from Tajikistan, the 31-year-old went to Albania at the behest of a Russian to carry out a contract murder for $40,000 in order to fund the IS terror cell.



The operation in Albania fell apart and they returned to Germany, where the group also allegedly planned to kill an individual critical of Islam near Dusseldorf.



The cell also planned attacks with flying kites and paragliders and intended to build bombs, prosecutors said.



Among the planned targets were U.S. military bases in Germany.



The other members of the alleged cell are awaiting trial in custody.

Based on reporting by Bild and dpa
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Residents whose lives were made hell by Covid lockdown parties in Corks university precinct have called for a raft of new laws to crack down on a specific sector of the rented housing sector.

The residents of Magazine Road and the surrounding areas, close to University College Cork, said their experience during the Covid-19 public health crisis has exposed serious shortcomings in the management of rented houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs).

HMO is a term used in the UK and Northern Ireland to describe a house rented to several unrelated adults, as opposed to a house rented to a family.

The residents association said the situation they faced last year, with several J1 or Magaluf-style house parties occurring in HMOs during the peak of the first wave, highlights the urgent need for statutory regulations on the standard, management and maintenance of this sector of the rented housing market.

At the very minimum, the residents said the State needed to introduce a public register of rented properties, a licensing system for all landlords, and an NCT-style test that must be passed before properties can be rented, to protect tenants and those who live near these properties.

Read More Cork restaurant only Irish newcomer to Michelin star list

The current legislation in this country on the management and upkeep of rented properties is minimal, outdated and in urgent need of change to make it relevant to 2021, association chairperson, Catherine Clancy said.

No tenants should be left at the mercy of the personality of the landlord."

The association has now written to public representatives calling for a raft of measures, including:

A licensing system for all landlords which would require landlords to be responsible for the condition of their properties, and especially for the health and safety and the behaviour of their tenants

An NCT-type test for rented properties where certain standards must be checked and approved, and that the property is deemed fit for purpose and reflects the income that can be generated, before they can be rented

A public register of the owners or management companies of all rented properties

New laws giving local authorities power to license and inspect HMOs

A three-month limit on the amount of advance rent a landlord can ask for

New planning laws which would require a planning application for the change of use of a two- or three-bedroom residential property being converted to a HMO property with between five and 10 bedrooms.

In the UK and Northern Ireland, a landlord requires a licence from the local government in order to rent out a HMO, it said.

The landlord has to prove that the house is fit for the number of people renting it, follows the necessary safety codes, and that he/she is fit and proper to manage a house.

In our area, in the midst of the pandemic we have students/adults renting shared bedrooms with one bathroom/washing facility between five to eight adults.

Many of these properties are substandard to bedsits, which were made illegal some years ago due to health and safety concerns.

These rented HMOs are not fit for purpose but can generate 50,000 to 60,000 annually for a five/eight bedroom property. These are financially generating businesses and should be treated as such.

Registration of all new tenancies with the Private Residential Tenancies Board is a requirement since 2004.

It is an offence to fail to register a property, with a fine of up to 3,000 or six months imprisonment.

The residents association said a survey of property in their area in 2017 and again in November 2020 shows that of around 245 rented properties, 157 did not appear to be registered with the PRTB.



Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
Shannah Van Winkle joins in the company's newest executive role, reinforcing Matillion's first-priority commitment to customer success

DENVER and MANCHESTER, England, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Matillion, the leading provider of data transformation for cloud data warehouses (CDWs), today announced Shannah Van Winkle has joined the company as chief customer officer (CCO). A seasoned customer success executive, Van Winkle joins Matillion with more than 25 years' experience in go to market and product leadership roles.

"Matillion's relentless focus on prioritizing our customers' success is a key contributor to the business growth they experience by transforming their data for analytics," said Matthew Scullion, CEO of Matillion. "Adding this important role will allow us to leverage Shannah's talent helping customers design and implement strategies that accelerate their success.. We look forward to having her leadership experience and talent to deliver world-class customer success solutions to help our customers make their data useful."

"Matillion's focus on customer success is at the heart of its every innovation," said Van Winkle. "I am thrilled to join Matillion's leadership team, which has a long-lasting track record of excellence in the data transformation industry. I'm honored to apply my experience to further develop the company's industry-leading customer success organization in service of our customers."

As the head of Matillion's customer success team, Van Winkle will lead the group responsible for onboarding users and helping them achieve a frictionless experience using its award-winning Matillion ETL and Matillion Data Loader products, and maturing its global technical customer support and professional services models. The creation of the chief customer officer role aligns with Matillion's customer-obsessed culture and ensures a focus on its customers' success with its products.

Prior to Matillion, Van Winkle held various leadership roles across customer success, professional services, solutions consulting, product marketing and product management, at companies including Splunk, VictorOps, and CA Technologies. Her experience leading customer success teams included responsibilities for recruiting talent, ensuring rapid onboarding, fostering collaboration across teams and functions, and encouraging continuous learning with regard to customer lifecycle management and Agile business practices.

To learn more about how Matillion supports faster time to value within the enterprise, visit: https://www.matillion.com/resources/case-studies/ . For further data transformation industry updates and perspectives, follow Matillion on Twitter @Matillion and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/matillion-limited/ .

About Matillion

Matillion is data transformation for cloud data warehouses. Only Matillion is purpose-built for Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, and Microsoft Azure Synapse, enabling businesses to achieve new levels of simplicity, speed, scale, and savings. Trusted by companies of all sizes to meet their data integration and transformation needs, Matillion products are highly rated across the AWS, GCP and Microsoft Azure Marketplaces. Dual-headquartered in Manchester, UK and Denver, Colorado, with a presence in New York City and Seattle. Learn more about how you can unlock the potential of your data with Matillion's cloud-based approach to data transformation. Visit us at www.matillion.com .

Contact: Shermineh Rohanizadeh, Nonfiction Agency for Matillion, srohanizadeh@nonfictionagency.com, +1 949 378 6469

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/775068/Matillion_Logo.jpg
(Image: Reuters)

Recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the leading cadre of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Xi said he believes time and momentum are on Chinas side, despite challenges, such as COVID-19 and others.

Yet, behind the confident facade and posturing that China has adopted since the pandemic struckwhich has killed over 1,944,750 people worldwide and continues to crush global economy  there may be a certain defensiveness. A couple of events hint at this.

First, is the cancellation of debts owed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Beijing wrote off $28 million in matured loans and pledged $17 million of support to the country. While the move may seem to be a good will gesture  Beijing has major mining investments and interest in the DRC  there is a catch. The DRC signed on to China's ambitious connectivity project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), becoming the 45th country to do so.

But why did China have to cancel debts for a country? Does it reflect that Beijing is under considerable strain to prove that its chequebook diplomacy in not out to ensnare poorer countries? Allegations of Beijing's debt trap are borne out by the outcome of its development aid to countries such as Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Many African countries owe a huge debt to China running into billions of dollars  almost 45 percent of Chinas external aid. The pandemic has wreaked havoc with the continents economy. It is, therefore, symptomatic of China's defensive posture that not just Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi had to do some explaining about China's philanthropic motives regarding both aid and the BRI.

Numerous Op-eds within a short span of time in the Chinese State-run media have also been at pains to debunk the debt trap theory.

Similarly, China has gone vocal reassuring its all-weather friend Pakistan that it will be standing by it as allegations mount that China is economically enslaving Pakistan with the CPEC, something that has put the project at the receiving end of numerous attacks by local dispossessed communities. The promised jobs and infrastructure have not materialised; Pakistan has once again turned to the IMF for a bailout.

Speculation was rife that China was seeking additional guarantee on a $6 billion loan for a railway project under the CPEC due to Islamabad's financial straits. That Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian had to reject these reports reflects that China's intentions remain suspect even in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee remains postponed.

Simultaneously, another development has not gained the traction it should have. In early January the Chinese embassy in Washington tweeted a link to an article by State-run China Daily that cited an unpublished report on population reduction in Xinjiang since 2018 by the Xinjiang Development Research Centre. The minds of [Uighur] women in Xinjiang were emancipated and gender equality and reproductive health were promoted, making them no longer baby-making machines, the embassy tweeted from the study. Twitter removed the post.

The embassy reposted the same story with a different headline, but the backlash prompted Twitter to close the account.

While backtracking or explaining is a new phenomenon for Beijing, the difference this time was that the tweets generated a backlash in the Muslim world too, which till now has turned a blind eye to the Uighur issue. Countries such as Turkey, so vocal about Muslim rights elsewhere, are accused of deporting Uighur dissidents to China via third countries. Pressure is also being exerted on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for its failure to speak up for the Uighurs.

Finally, the virus seems to be turning upon China again. On one hand Chinese Sinovax has met with limited success in Brazil, with President Jair Bolsonaro turning to India. On the other, there is a resurgence of the virus in China, centred in Hebei and Heilongjiang Provinces. Lockdown has once again been imposed in Chinese cities with some 22 million residents. China's initial resistance to allow a World Health Organization is also reflective of a certain defensiveness.

All these seemingly unrelated events indicate a growing unease. Analysts have pointed out that even the summer belligerence at the LAC, which seems to continue with fresh clashes reported on the border, reflected domestic political weakness of the Chinese leadership.

For a country known for its swagger, and which has brazened its way through unmindful of the enormous suffering it has brought the world, explanations and amendments point to one thing  a kind of course correction born out of necessity. China may finally be on the back foot.

Moscow court extends detention of Tomsk physicist charged with treason

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

11:37 26/01/2021

MOSCOW, January 26 (RAPSI)  Moscows Lefortovsky District Court on Tuesday extended detention of physicist from the city of Tomsk Alexander Lukanin, who stands charged with treason, RAPSI learnt from the courts press service.

He will stay detained until April 29.

On October 1, 2020, a court in Tomsk ordered Lukanin to be put in detention until November 29. However, the defendant was transferred to a Moscow detention centre.

Investigators believe the man furnished Russian secret scientific research results abroad.
Fire crews had to rescue a horse from a ditch after it toppled in upside-down and pinned its young female rider beneath it.

The 18-hand horse got into difficulty in fields near Yelverton, Devon on Saturday.

Rescuers assisted the rider with first aid until paramedics arrived and a local farmer and vet were called to help rescue the horse.

The farmer used their telehandler, similar to a mobile crane, to first pick the horse up by its hooves.

Footage however shows the horse became panicked and started to jolt its legs in a bid to get free from the straps attached to its legs.

The mare quickly calmed down and soon after allowed itself to be lifted out of the ditch to safety.

A spokesman for Yelverton Fire Station said: 'On Saturday, Yelverton fire crew and the line rescue team from Camels Head were called to a horse stuck in a ditch at a local Yelverton Livery.

Fire crews had to rescue a horse from a ditch in Yelverton, Devon after it toppled in upside-down and pinned its young female rider beneath it

'Yelverton crew arrived first and found a large horse, 18 hands!, stuck on its back in a ditch and a young lady rider suffering the effects of the horse falling on top of her.

'Crews rendered first aid until the paramedics arrived and then assisted the line rescue team, a telehandler provided by a local farmer and a vet to rescue the horse.

'Our thanks to the local farmers that regularly turn out with their telehandlers to assist at incidents like this, very community spirited of them.'

MailOnline has contacted Devon and Somerset fire and rescue for an update on the rider and the horse's condition.
Heather Fawcett did not want to go through a second trial against the man accused of attacking her with a hammer.

When Pedro Sanchez was first accused of hitting her head with a hammer five years ago, she went to court. Sanchez was convicted of assault in the second degree by a jury, 10-2.

But the U.S. Supreme Court in April struck down Oregons long-held nonunanimous jury verdicts, prompting an appellate court to overturn the conviction and grant Sanchez the opportunity for a retrial, after serving just over 63 months of his 74 to 76 month sentence.

That would have put Fawcett in front of Sanchez again. And to make it worse, this time Sanchez asserted his right to meet his accuser face-to-face, demanding she testify without a mask, despite the trial being scheduled in the middle of a pandemic.

The 41-year-old McMinnville resident wanted to get justice for herself. But then she thought of her parents, both over 65, one with multiple sclerosis and the other with a failing liver. She ran errands for them, bought groceries and helped clean their houses.

Its the second time Im going through this trial, and now youre gonna tell me I have to expose my friends and my family and people that I care about and myself to this virus? she said in an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive.

She decided she couldnt risk it. She could not testify and potentially expose herself to COVID-19. But both of the other witnesses to the assault  her boyfriend at the time and his brother  have died since the first trial. Without her testimony, the case against Sanchez, which was scheduled to go to trial Monday, Jan. 25, was instead dismissed. The motion for dismissal also cited Fawcetts concern over retribution from Sanchez for testifying against him a second time.

Fawcett said she was told by Michelle Enfield, Yamhill County deputy district attorney, she could not wear a mask while testifying because the defendant needed to be able to see her face.

In response to a motion by Sanchezs legal team, Presiding Judge Jennifer Chapman ordered that witnesses must wear a clear face shield and no mask while testifying, according to Enfield.

Mr. Sanchez has the right to confront his witnesses, Olcott Thompson, Sanchezs lawyer, told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Part of what the jury needs to see is the faces of the witnesses while theyre testifying.

Under Article 1, Section 11, of the Oregon Constitution, a defendant has the right to meet a witness face to face.

Former Multnomah County prosecutor Josh Lamborn said the defendants right to confrontation is so strong that judges and prosecutors will almost always err on the side of caution to prevent potential mistrials.

Lamborn also said the ability of a juror to weigh the demeanor of the witness during testimony is important for a fair trial, and this may include looking at facial cues and expressions that may be covered up by a mask.

When Fawcett asked if she could wear a mask with a window over the mouth  such as the ones that allow the deaf to see the speakers mouth  she was told the judge ordered them but they would not arrive in time for the trial.

I dont understand why I have to be put at risk and why I have to choose putting myself at risk in this way in order to get justice, she said between shaky breaths. [And] choose being able to testify on my own behalf or letting him get off and have the charges dropped just because I want to wear a mask to protect myself.

Rosemary Brewer, executive director of the Oregon Crime Victims Law Center, said it is problematic to deny the victim the ability to wear a mask during her testimony before the trial even starts.

Im concerned that courts are not granting victims their rights with the same priority that they are for defendants due to COVID-19, she said.

Courts need to protect the victims constitutional right to be treated with dignity and respect, which includes their health and safety, Brewer said.

Thompson said he was not informed of Fawcetts concerns about testifying in person without a mask until the day the trial was scheduled to take place.

Mr. Sanchez has been in custody for over five years waiting for a fair trial, Thompson said. [COVID-19] is something that were all concerned about. What can we do? But he wanted to go to trial.

A statewide mask order is in effect in Oregon, requiring the use of a mask or facial covering in all public spaces.

An October 2020 order by Oregon Chief Justice Martha Walters permits the removal of masks in court should the judge deem necessary.

The presiding judge may require or permit a witness to remove a protective face covering when they are testifying, provided a minimum of 6 feet of social distance is consistently maintained.

If the removal is for more than 15 minutes, the judge must use additional projective measures, such as the use of a face shield or protective physical barrier, additional social distancing, or the use of remote means.

The Centers for Disease Control and Protection currently does not recommend the use of a face shield as a substitute for a mask.

Evidence is growing of COVID-19 transmission through the air, rendering face shields less effective than masks, especially in an enclosed indoor environment. And research suggests masks not only help prevent wearers from transmitting the virus but from catching it as well.

In dense settings like an unventilated jury room with multiple people speaking for hours, the virus can be found in small airborne droplets, Dr. Michele Barry from the Stanford University Center for Innovation in Global Health said in a June 2020 report by the National Defense Lawyers on courts and public health during COVID-19.

Barry also said individuals removing their mask to speak increases the risk of transmission.

For the trial to even have been scheduled is a rarity during current public health conditions. Since the start of the pandemic, scores of trials have been postponed across the state, in accordance to guidelines set by Walters, Oregons chief justice.

Many hearings have allowed those involved to call in instead of attending in person, which is what Fawcett did for the hearings leading up to the second trial.

Yamhill County has held eight criminal jury trials since the start of the pandemic in March. With the exception of Sanchezs case, masks were not required to be removed in any of the other trials, according to Yamhill County District Attorney Brad Berry.

Clackamas County has held 15 criminal jury trials, and in Multnomah County, only three have taken place since March 16.

The Yamhill court has taken special safety measures with COVID-19 in mind, including staggering the arrival of jurors, requiring social distancing to be maintained throughout the proceeding, regular sanitation of surfaces and requiring face masks be worn by everyone in the courtroom, said Chapman, the presiding judge.

Chapman said the court has also prepared to begin doing temperature and COVID-19-related screenings for all jurors before they enter the courtroom, though she did not indicate whether those measures included COVID-19 testing.

-- Jaimie Ding

jding@oregonian.com; 503-221-4395; @j_dingdingding
YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Emergency Situations Andranik Piloyan met today with Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergei Kopyrkin, the ministry told Armenpress.

In his welcoming remarks the minister highly appreciated the cooperation developments with the Russian respective ministry, as well as attached importance to the productive partnership in the field of humanitarian assistance, the support provided for restoring civilian infrastructure and the role of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Artsakh.

The Russian Ambassador has also touched upon the aforementioned priorities of the cooperation.

The sides praised the activity of the Yerevan-based Armenian-Russian humanitarian response center, as well as the ongoing projects.

The discussion also focused on the return of the Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan, the issue on boosting the ongoing search operations for killed or missing in action.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan




We regret her departure partly because it deprives Springfield of her expertise. But we especially regret that Steans has disappointed voters who assumed she was prepared to do the job for the next two years. Had she decided not to run for reelection, there might have been a wide-open contest for the seat. As it is, voters wont get to weigh in until 2022, when her successor will have all the advantages of incumbency.


Many organizations have had to evolve to provide end-users access to their critical records and content from remote workspaces. SOC 1 & 2 certifications assure our end-users & resellers that we have the proper controls & audit measures to ensure their important records remain secure & available.

Square 9 Softworks, developers of award-winning enterprise content management (ECM) and digital transformation solutions, is proud to announce GlobalSearch Cloud, their cloud ECM platform, and GlobalCapture Cloud Transformation Services, has achieved Service Organization Control (SOC) 1 Type 1, SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA compliance recertification.

The SOC 1 and 2 standards, developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), are a recognized attestation that certifies Square 9s information security policies and procedures for handling data meet strict principles for storage, security, availability, and confidentiality.

Square 9 remains committed to providing industry-leading, cloud-enabled solutions for our cloud customers. Many organizations have had to evolve and provide end-users access to their critical records and content from remote workspaces; SOC 1 and 2 certifications assure our end users and resellers that we have implemented the proper controls and audit measures to make certain their important records and content remain secure and available said Michael Frattini, Senior Vice President of Operations and Corporate Compliance Officer at Square 9.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Security Rule of 2003, commonly referred to as HIPAA, addresses the security of electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). The addition of HIPAA certification extends Square 9s commitment to security, availability, and confidentiality for those customers that process or store any ePHI within Square 9s cloud. Square 9s HIPAA certification enables executing Business Associate Agreements with all covered entities, providing the peace of mind that their information will be handled and secured according to confidentiality standards.

The pandemic may have sped up the need for many organizations to move their records management strategy to the cloud. It is important to these organizations that their service provider can guarantee their records will not be disclosed except where meaningful use applies. Achieving HIPAA certification assures our customers and resellers that they can rely on Square 9 to have the requisite physical and technical safeguards needed to ensure ePHI privacy and security, explained Erin Keller, Director of Operations and Square 9s HIPAA Compliance Officer.

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As a trendsetting software development firm, Square 9 is a creative force in the next generation of both on-premise and cloud-enabled Content Management solutions. Intensely customer-focused and highly responsive, Square 9 delivers effective, value-driven solutions and has achieved a reputation for excellence in meeting its customers rapidly evolving needs. In addition to GlobalSearch, the award-winning Content Management solution platform, Square 9 has been widely recognized for its diverse portfolio of products, including solutions for Document Capture Automation, Business Process Automation, and Web Forms Management. Square 9 Softworks distributes its solutions internationally through a network of highly skilled Channel Resellers from its corporate office in New Haven, Connecticut. http://www.square-9.com.
The Volta Regional Youth Organiser of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Mr. Anthony Nyame has commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for appointing Mr. Joshua Makubu as minister-designate for the Oti Region.



Describing Mr. Makubus appointment as a big motivation person living with disabilities (PWDs), Mr. Nyame said the move would help to eliminate some cultural and social stereotypes and discrimination against PWDs.



Mr. Makubu, an advocate and a person living with disability himself was on Thursday, January 21, announced as a Regional Minister designate for the Oti Region, pending approval from Parliament.



In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr. Nyame, who was elated by the announcement, said the opportunity offered Mr Makubu demonstrated that the country had the welfare of PWDs at heart.



To the best of my knowledge, no President in the Fourth Republic has offered any person living with disability the opportunity to serve as a minister. This is a big boost for the disability community and I sincerely commend the President for setting such a good example, he said.



Mr. Nyame further appealed to the President to continue to prioritise the welfare of PWDs because many of them possess special skills and qualities that could be exploited to advance the development of the country.



He also called for a strict enforcement of the Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) to help address critical issues that undermine the rights and welfare of PWDs in the country.



While congratulating Mr. Makubu on his appointment, he urged him to be a shining example for the PWD community and work to advance the development of the Oti Region.



He expressed confidence that Parliament would approve his nomination because he is competent and fit for the office.



He also appealed to Mr. Makubu to use his office to advocate and push for key government interventions to support PWDs especially in the areas of human rights, justice, and poverty eradication.



I expect him to use this position to help address some critical issues affecting PWDs. He should be a shining example for them and work to prove his critics wrong. I have every confidence in him that he will succeed, he said.







Source: Graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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New Delhi, Jan 26 : The farmers movement that had been peaceful for the last two months turned violent on Republic Day on Tuesday after scores of protesters deviated from the designated route for the proposed tractor rally.

After a clash between the farmers and the police at the ITO intersection where hundreds of protesters were seen chasing police personnel with sticks and ramming their tractors into the buses, they headed towards the Red Fort at around 1 p.m.

Hundreds of farmers on their tractors with flags raising 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan' slogans reached central Delhi from different parts of the national capital and ultimately made their way to the Red Fort after breaching all the barricades on the way.

The farmers swarmed the Red Fort at around 1.45 p.m. and waved flags from the ramparts of the 17th century monument. They even hoisted the Nishan Sahib flag on a flagpole inside the Red Fort, while some Nihangs were seen waving their swords from the dome of the historic monument.

Later the police were seen removing the flag while trying to disperse the protesters from Red Fort, resorting to lathi-charge which resulted in clashes between the two sides.

There was complete mayhem at the site as the agitators refused to budge and continued to raise slogans in support of the farmers' cause, often indulging in clashes with the police, which seemed to be outnumbered by the protesters.

At around 3.30 p.m., hundreds of protesters were seen chasing the cops with sticks and rods which left several police personnel injured. The protesters were also seen pelting stones at the police personnel besides destroying public property.

The protest went out of control for some time but later heavy deployment of the CRPF brought the situation under control to some extent. The protesters finally started to vacate the spot at around 5.15 p.m., after laying siege at the iconic monument for over two hours.

Soon after the unexpected scenes at the Red Fort, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmers' unions protesting against the three Central farm laws, issued a statement, distancing itself from the 'violent elements'.

The farmers' union said, "We condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that have taken place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts." The farmers were supposed to remain in the areas adjoining the Delhi borders and not venture towards central Delhi, but they violated all the agreements and guidelines given to them.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
The 72nd celebrations were cut short in due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there was no dearth of enthusiam and energy as the metropolis witnessed a colourful parade and procession with decorated tableaux at Red Road on Tuesday.

No spectators were allowed at the customary programme, which was truncated to around 30 minutes, and seating arrangements were made following COVID-19 protocols, a senior official said.

"Only a few VVIPs other than Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and senior bureaucrats were invited," he said.

Dhankhar hoisted the tricolour and presided over the march past of the armed forces and the state police at Red Road in the heart of the city.

The West Bengal government showcased tableaux highlighting its initiatives like 'Duare Sarkar' and 'Paray Paray Samadhan'.

The Police also unveield a special tableau 'Loho Pronam' in honour of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to mark his 125th birth anniversary.

Contingents of the West Bengal Police, Mounted Police and Kolkata Police motorcyclists took part in the parade as well.

At least 1,000 police officers along with security personnel of the Heavy Radio Flying Squad and Radio Flying Squad were deployed in and around the Red Road area, the official said.

Bomb squad personnel with sniffer dogs also kept guard, he added.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee, in a tweet, called for protecting and preserving the ideals of the Constitution.

"Justice, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. We must forever strive to protect, preserve & follow all the ideals of the Constitution. Warm greetings to every Indian on Republic Day! Today's parade in Kolkata has been dedicated to Deshnayak Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose," she said.

The chief minister and governor were seen exchanging pleasantries at the end of the programme.
As the number of gunshot and stabbing victims climbed in Philadelphia from 2014 to 2018, police officers took on a greater share of the job of transporting the wounded to hospital trauma centers, saving lives in the process.

Thats the conclusion of a new study Monday led by University of Pennsylvania researchers, who urged that other cities consider adopting the longtime Philadelphia practice known as scoop and run.

The authors found that in 2018, close to two-thirds of shooting and stabbing victims in the city were taken to trauma centers by police cruiser, up from one-third of the total in a previous Penn study of the practice from 2003 to 2007. As in the earlier study, the new analysis found that patients were just as likely to survive whether they were transported by cruiser or ambulance.

The researchers stressed that the success of police transport in no way represented a criticism of the Fire Department, which handles most of the trauma transport by ambulance.

When someone is bleeding profusely, the biggest factor in survival is a speedy trip to the hospital, said senior author Jeremy W. Cannon, the trauma section chief at Penn Medicine. So if a cruiser arrives on the scene first, as often happens, the officers should not wait, he said.

They should just get to the trauma center as quickly as possible, whichever team is there, he said.

 READ MORE: Its time to treat gun violence like the public health emergency it is | Jenice Armstrong

As city gun violence has climbed even higher during the coronavirus pandemic, the police contribution in transporting victims appears to have been even more valuable, Cannon said. The year 2020 was not part of the study, but anecdotal evidence has been compelling, he said.

In the last year, weve seen what I would call unexpected survivors, he said. We were able to get them there just in the nick of time.

In a statement, Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel said he welcomed the police assistance, adding that in the last two years, the Fire Department ambulances have been the busiest in the country.

We appreciate the contributions of our public safety and hospital partners toward our shared mission of saving lives across the city, he said.

In addition to Cannon and others from Penn, coauthors of the study, published in JAMA Network Open, included a West Chester University mathematician.

Overall, victims of penetrating trauma were more likely to die when transported by police cruiser than by ambulance. But those patients had suffered more serious injuries to begin with.

When the researchers matched up victims from the two types of transport by severity of injury, they were equally likely to be alive after 24 hours, the study authors found.

 READ MORE: Amid rising gun crime in Philly, DA Larry Krasner blasts low bail

By another measure  whether victims with the most severe injuries made it to the hospital alive  those transported by police cruiser fared a bit better than those in ambulances, the study authors found.

One limitation of the study was that the authors did not have details on how quickly the police cruisers and ambulances arrived at hospitals. They also had no data on which medical interventions were tried en route.

But previous research suggests that two common ambulance procedures  inserting a breathing tube and giving the person intravenous fluid  do not make much difference for trauma victims, Cannon said. The one technique that does make a big difference is using a tourniquet, he said. And Philadelphia police officers are allowed to use those.

Thats really the most critical piece in the chain of survival, stopping the bleeding as soon as you possibly can, he said.

That lesson was derived from the battlefield, said Cannon, a former Air Force surgeon who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For years, military physicians were reluctant to use tourniquets for fear that the belt-like devices would place soldiers at higher risk of eventual amputation, he said. But the latest evidence suggests that risk is relatively low, and that the risk is worth it when the person would otherwise bleed to death.

The new Penn study was based on 3,313 patients transported to trauma centers from January 2014 to December 2018. That total did not several categories of patients, including those younger than 18, those transported by private vehicle, helicopter, or walk-in, and those transferred from other facilities.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 23:41:11|Editor: huaxia

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KAMPALA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Uganda on Tuesday marked the 35th anniversary of the Liberation Day, when the ruling National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M) took over power after a five-year guerrilla war.

The celebrations were presided over by President Yoweri Museveni at State House Entebbe, 40 km south of the capital Kampala.

The function, which was broadcast live was held under the theme, "Celebrating the 35th National Resistance Movement/Army (NRM/A) victory day, a call to play our duty in securing our nations' future".

"That victory came after a long struggle which started in 1965. By 1965, we had already seen the dangers," said Museveni, who led the 1980 guerrilla war.

Museveni, who won the country's Jan. 14 presidential election, said he is embarking on intensifying the East African regional cooperation.

He said in the next years he would intensify the East African cooperation in order to create a bigger market for the region.

"If we don't solve that problem of market, there is no way these African countries will be prosperous in a modern way," he said. Enditem
Covid-19 Live Updates: First Case of Brazil-Based Virus Variant Found in U.S. California has lifted stay-at-home orders in much of the state. Moderna said its vaccine was effective against new variants but may be less protective against the variant that emerged in South Africa.

The first confirmed U.S. case of a variant discovered in Brazil is found in Minnesota. The Brazil P.1 variant is thought to be more contagious but it is unclear if it causes more severe illness. Credit... Jim Mone/Associated Press A case of a more contagious coronavirus variant first found in Brazil has been confirmed in Minnesota, the states department of health said in a statement on Monday. It is the first confirmed case of the variant in the United States. The case was identified in a Minnesota resident who had recently traveled to Brazil, the department said, which could suggest that the variant may not yet be widely circulating. It was only a matter of time before the variant was detected in the United States, said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a Covid adviser to President Biden. With the world travel that you have, and the degree of transmissibility efficiency, its not surprising, he said. The variant, known as B.1.1.28.1 or P.1, shares many mutations with one first identified in South Africa. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines still protect from the variant circulating in South Africa, the companies have said, but they are slightly less effective. They are expected to perform similarly against the variant identified in Brazil. The variant identified in Britain is more transmissible, but just as susceptible to vaccines as the original form of the virus. But the variants in Brazil and South Africa have additional mutations that may help elude the vaccines. The amount of concern that I have between the U.K. variant, and the South African/Brazilian is much, much different, Dr. Fauci said. The variant identified in Britain has been confirmed in 22 states, and the variant found in South Africa has not yet been confirmed in the United States. The P.1 variant is also thought to be more contagious but it is unclear if it causes more severe illness. The Minnesota Department of Health identified it through its variant surveillance program, which collects 50 random samples from laboratories in the state each week. Minnesota has one of the lowest daily caseloads relative to its population in the country, following a surge in the fall. The person with the confirmed case is a resident of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, the department said. The patient became ill during the first week of January and the specimen was collected Jan. 9, it said. Investigators from the health department had spoken with the person after the test was positive for the coronavirus, and the person had traveled to Brazil before becoming ill. The person was told to isolate and have household members quarantine. Health officials are conducting additional interviews with the person to learn more about the illness, travel and close contacts. The United States is flying blind, scientists have warned, as the country navigates the spread of the new variants without a large-scale, nationwide system for checking virus genomes for new mutations. Instead, the work of discovering the variants has fallen to a patchwork of academic, state and commercial laboratories. Scientists say that a national surveillance program would be able to determine just how widespread the new variant is and help contain emerging hot spots, extending the crucial window of time in which vulnerable people across the country could get vaccinated. The daily U.S. coronavirus caseload and number of hospitalized patients have fallen recent days, but the introduction of the variants into the country threatens to undermine that progress. The weekly average of new cases per day in the United States was down 33 percent on Sunday since two weeks prior, as states like California start to get a hold on their outbreaks. California officials on Monday announced that they were lifting severe coronavirus restrictions on large portions of the state, allowing outdoor dining and personal care businesses to resume limited operations. But the virus has for weeks been raging in Arizona, as well as South Carolina and Rhode Island. New York now has the fifth-worst outbreak in the country, though daily deaths from the virus are far from the levels seen there in the spring. President Bidens press secretary said on Monday that he would extend the Trump administrations ban on travel by noncitizens into the United States from Brazil, along with similar restrictions on Britain and 27 other European countries, where other variants have been identified. It also added South Africa to the list. Concern over the variants spread led to discussions in Europe of restricting nonessential travel. Proposing the new restrictions, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, tweeted that the new variants had led us to take difficult but necessary decisions. In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to announce an extension and tightening of lockdown rules in England this week amid growing concern. Experts point to Britain as a model for what the U.S. could do to monitor the variants. British researchers sequence the genome  that is, the complete genetic material in a coronavirus  from up to 10 percent of new positive samples. Even if the U.S. sequenced just 1 percent of genomes from across the country, or about 2,000 new samples a day, that would shine a bright light on the new variant, as well as other variants that may emerge. Bryan Pietsch and

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Biden, upping vaccine goal, aims to administer 1.5 million doses per day. Federal health officials and corporate executives said last week that it would be impossible to increase the immediate supply of vaccines before April because there is a lack of manufacturing capacity in the United States. Credit... Alex Welsh for The New York Times President Biden, under pressure from an anxious public to speed up the pace of Covid-19 vaccinations, said Monday that he is now aiming for the United States to administer 1.5 million doses a day  a goal that the nation already appears on track to meet. The president made his comments just hours after he banned travel by noncitizens into the United States from South Africa because of concern about a coronavirus variant spreading in that country, and moved to extend similar bans imposed by his predecessor on travel from Brazil, Britain and 27 European countries. Those bans had been set to expire on Tuesday. Mr. Biden has vowed to get 100 million Covid-19 shots in the arms of the American people by his 100th day in office. Because two doses are required, and some Americans have already been vaccinated, his promise would cover about 67 million Americans. To realize it, the United States would have to administer one million shots a day. The pace of vaccinations is already picking up, and the United States already seems to be vaccinating well over a million people per day, according to a New York Times analysis of data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The current average is about 1.2 million over the past six days. With frustration rising across the country over vaccine supply shortages and canceled appointments, Mr. Biden has drawn criticism for not setting his sights higher. Last week, he expressed exasperation  Cmon, man!  at a reporter who suggested his 100 million shot promise was not ambitious enough. On Monday, he appeared to revise it. I think that with the grace of God and good will of a neighbor and creek not rising, we may get it to 1.5 million a day rather than one million a day, the president said. But we have to meet that goal of one million a day. Mr. Bidens comments came as the United States has recorded 25 million coronavirus cases  a staggering tally that the nation reached Saturday afternoon, according to a New York Times database. That works out to about one in every 13 people in the country, or about 7.6 percent of the population  a number that experts say is almost surely lower than the true number of infections. The move comes as officials in the new Biden administration are trying to get their hands around a fast-changing pandemic, with public health officials racing to vaccinate the public  and to expand the supply of vaccine  as more contagious variants of the coronavirus spread. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the governments leading infectious disease specialist, said at the White House last week that were following very carefully the variant of the virus in South Africa because it appears to be more highly contagious. The variant first discovered in South Africa has not yet reached the United States, but it has been reported in more than two dozen countries. The first U.S. case of the variant found in Brazil was confirmed in Minnesota, health officials there said on Monday. The variant, known as B.1.1.28.1 or P.1, shares many mutations with the one first identified in South Africa. On Monday, Moderna said its vaccine was effective against new variants of the coronavirus that have emerged in Britain and South Africa. But the immune response is slightly weaker against the variant discovered in South Africa, and so the company is developing a new form of the vaccine that could be used as a booster shot against it. And Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offered a blunt assessment of the vaccination campaign on Sunday, predicting that supply would not increase until late March. Federal health officials and corporate executives agree that it will be impossible to increase the immediate supply of vaccines before April because of a lack of manufacturing capacity. A third vaccine maker, Johnson & Johnson, is expected to report the results of its clinical trial soon; if approved, that vaccine would also help shore up production.

Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech reconsider their battle plans after a variant proves more challenging. A dose of the Moderna vaccine being filled into a syringe in Mountain View, Calif., on Friday. Credit... Jim Wilson/The New York Times As the coronavirus assumes contagious new forms around the world, two drug makers reported on Monday that their vaccines, while still effective, offer less protection against one variant. That new information is causing the drug makers to begin revising plans to turn back an evolving pathogen that has killed more than two million people. The news from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech underscored a realization by scientists that the virus is changing more quickly than once thought, and may well continue to develop in ways that help it elude the vaccines being deployed worldwide. The announcements arrived even as President Biden is banning travel to the United States from South Africa, in hopes of stanching the spread of one variant. And Merck, a leading drug company, on Monday abandoned two experimental coronavirus vaccines altogether, saying they did not produce a strong enough immune response against the original version of the virus. Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech both said their vaccines were effective against new variants of the coronavirus discovered in Britain and South Africa. But they are slightly less protective against the variant in South Africa, which may be more adept at dodging antibodies in the bloodstream. The vaccines are the only ones authorized for emergency use in the United States. As a precaution, Moderna has begun developing a new form of its vaccine that could be used as a booster shot against the variant in South Africa. Were doing it today to be ahead of the curve, should we need to, Dr. Tal Zaks, Modernas chief medical officer, said in an interview. I think of it as an insurance policy. Moderna said it also planned to begin testing whether giving patients a third shot of its original vaccine as a booster could help fend off newly emerging forms of the virus. Dr. Ugur Sahin, the chief executive of BioNTech, said in an interview on Monday that his company was talking to regulators around the world about what types of clinical trials and safety reviews would be required to authorize a new version of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that would be better able to head off the variant in South Africa. Studies showing decreased levels of antibodies against a new variant do not mean a vaccine is proportionately less effective, Dr. Sahin said. BioNTech could develop an adjusted vaccine against the variants in about six weeks, he said. The Food and Drug Administration has not commented on what its policy will be for authorizing vaccines that have been updated to work better against new variants. But some scientists said that the adjusted vaccines should not have to go through the same level of scrutiny, including extensive clinical trials, that the original versions did. The influenza vaccine is updated each year to account for new strains without an extensive approval process. The whole point of this is a rapid response to an emerging situation, said John Moore, a virologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. Dr. Sahin said a similar booster shot eventually might be necessary to stop Covid-19. The vaccines reduced efficacy may also mean that more people would need to get the shots before the population achieves herd immunity. Scientists had predicted that the coronavirus would evolve and might acquire new mutations that would thwart vaccines, but few researchers expected it to happen so soon. Part of the problem is the sheer ubiquity of the pathogen.

Merck abandons two vaccines in clinical trials. Merck was slower than other companies to get into the Covid-19 vaccine race. Credit... Tom Mihalek/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images Merck announced on Monday that it was abandoning a pair of Covid-19 vaccines in clinical trials. The news came as a disappointment at a time when the United States and other countries are struggling to accelerate their sluggish vaccination campaigns and new coronavirus variants threaten to bring surges over the next few months. The two projects are the second and third vaccines to be abandoned in clinical trials. The University of Queensland in Australia abandoned its own effort in December. Sanofi and other vaccine makers have paused some projects after getting disappointing initial results but are now regrouping to move forward. Merck was slower than other companies to get into the Covid-19 vaccine race. In June, it acquired the Austrian firm Themis Bioscience to develop a vaccine originally designed at Institut Pasteur, based on a weakened measles virus. Researchers began a Phase 1 trial in August. In a second effort, Merck partnered with IAVI, a nonprofit scientific organization that develops vaccines and treatments, on another vaccine. For that one, they used the same design that they successfully employed to make a vaccine for Ebola. Merck and IAVI were awarded $38 million for their vaccine research, but neither of Mercks projects earned the lavish support that Operation Warp Speed showered on other efforts from companies such as Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. In its announcement, Merck said that both vaccines looked safe in early clinical trials. But neither produced a strong response from the immune system. They decided that it was not worth going forward with large-scale trials that would demonstrate whether the vaccines protected people from Covid-19. We are grateful to our collaborators who worked with us on these vaccine candidates and to the volunteers in the trials, Dr. Dean Y. Li, the president of Merck Research Laboratories, said in a statement. Merck will instead focus its Covid-19 efforts on an experimental antiviral drug known as molnupiravir, in partnership with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. Originally designed for influenza, it has shown promising effects in studies on animals and in early clinical trials. The trial is set to finish by May, although preliminary results could come out as early as March. IAVI said it would continue searching for Covid-19 vaccines. Our scientists will continue to evaluate other candidates to see if other routes of administration or changes to the construct could lead to improved immune response, said Karie Youngdahl, senior director and head of global communications at IAVI.

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The White House is extending travel bans on Brazil and much of Europe, and adding South Africa, because of the virus. A health care worker tending to a patient at a temporary ward set up during the coronavirus outbreak at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, last week. Credit... Pool photo by Phill Magakoe President Biden will ban travel by noncitizens into the United States from South Africa because of concern about a coronavirus variant spreading in that country, and will extend similar bans imposed by his predecessor on travel from Brazil, 27 European countries and Britain, his press secretary said on Monday. The move comes as officials in the new Biden administration are trying to get their hands around a fast-changing pandemic, with public health officials racing to vaccinate the public  and to expand the supply of vaccine  as more contagious variants of the coronavirus spread. Mr. Bidens travel ban is a presidential proclamation, not an executive order; typically, proclamations govern the acts of individuals, while executive orders are directives to federal agencies. It will go into effect Saturday and apply to non-U.S. citizens who have spent time in South Africa in the last 14 days. The new policy, which was earlier reported by Reuters, will not affect U.S. citizens or permanent residents, officials said. On his last full day in office, President Donald Trump tried to eliminate the Covid-19-related ban on travel from Brazil, Britain and much of Europe, saying it was no longer necessary. Jen Psaki, now the White House press secretary, said at the time that ending the ban was the wrong thing to do; on Monday, she announced during her regular briefing that it would remain intact. With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants spreading, this isnt the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel, she said. Ms. Psaki also said the Biden administration intended to hold regular public health briefings three times a week, beginning on Wednesday. She said Mr. Biden would be briefed regularly on the pandemic, adding, I suspect far more regularly than the past president. The first confirmed case of the Brazilian variant in the United States has been identified in Minnesota, the states health department said on Monday. It was found in a Minnesota resident who had recently traveled to Brazil. The variant now spreading in South Africa has not yet reached the United States, but it has been reported in more than two dozen countries. In addition to the travel bans, Mr. Biden issued an executive order last week requiring that all international travelers present negative coronavirus tests before leaving for the United States. The move extended a requirement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was issued by the Trump administration but set to expire on Tuesday. A White House official said Sunday that the C.D.C. would not issue waivers from that policy as some airlines had requested. Michael D. Shear and

N.Y.C. will delay opening some mass vaccination sites as supply remains low, the mayor says. A mass coronavirus vaccination site had been set to open this week at Citi Field in Queens. Credit... Ryan Christopher Jones for The New York Times Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City announced on Monday that the openings of planned mass coronavirus vaccination sites at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field would be postponed because of the low supply of doses available. We want to get those to be full-blown, 24-hour operations, Mr. de Blasio said at a news conference, but we dont have the vaccine. The site at Citi Field had been set to open this week, while plans for the one in the Bronx were still being developed. Another site at the Empire Outlets on Staten Island was initially scheduled to open last week, but will also be postponed, the mayor said. The city had a total of 19,032 first doses in inventory on Monday morning, Mr. de Blasio said, and expected to receive just under 108,000 doses this week. But he continued to warn that figure was not nearly enough to keep up with the pace at which New Yorkers were being inoculated: If the supply was greater, the mayor said, New York City would be on pace to administer roughly 500,000 doses per week. Instead, he said many inoculation appointments would continue to be canceled or rescheduled as they were last week. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said the Biden administration was reviewing state and local officials capacity to administer vaccines as it considered how to bolster the vaccination effort. She noted that mass vaccination sites, like football fields, could be quite efficient. Infrastructure is pivotal, she said. Its not just about the science. Some public health experts have worried that the limited supply could undermine goals of state and city officials to prioritize communities hard hit by the virus  Black and Latino people and low-income New Yorkers  in the vaccine rollout. The state has not released demographic information on the distribution, but Mr. de Blasio said on Monday that data would come this week, adding that its part of making sure that we act to address the disparities that have pervaded the Covid experience. The crunch in supply came as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said that a statewide spike in cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks, fueled by holiday gatherings, appeared to be ebbing. While 46 ZIP codes in New York City have seven-day average positive test rates of over 10 percent, according to city data on Monday, and other areas like Long Island are still struggling with higher hospitalization rates, Mr. Cuomo said there was a downward trend in cases statewide. He said on Monday there were 8,730 hospitalizations in New York, down from more than 9,000 more than a week ago. Mr. Cuomo said the state was considering easing restrictions in specific areas that had previously seen high rates of positive test results. He said that elective surgeries in Erie County, for example, could start again, as worries about hospital capacity have decreased. We are seeing that spike come down, he said. Now we can start making adjustments. He said other restrictions could be eased on Wednesday, though he said the changes would probably not include the resumption of indoor dining in New York City, which he barred in December. Mr. Cuomo also acknowledged, however, that the supply of vaccinations was far lower than the demand and the states capacity to administer doses. He warned vaccine distributors not to schedule appointments for more vaccinations than the state had allotted. Its a national supply issue; its not a New York issue, he said. Its a problem across the globe. Every country is trying to get more vaccine. Mr. de Blasio also sent a letter to President Biden last week requesting more doses, along with the flexibility to use second doses to increase the pace of vaccinations. He did not discuss any specific progress made on Monday, but appeared hopeful that an update could come soon. What is so clear now is the commitment of the Biden administration, Mr. de Blasio said, to finding every conceivable way to get us more vaccine quickly. We are waiting in the course of this week for more detailed information. Mr. Cuomo said on Monday that he thought that second doses should not be used as first doses, and he reassured people who had received their first dose that a second dose would be available to them. That appointment will be fulfilled, he said. Troy Closson and

The E.U. escalates a fight with AstraZeneca over botched vaccine deliveries. The European health commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, speaking at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels on Monday. Credit... Pool photo by John Thys The European Union escalated a war of words with AstraZeneca on Monday over the companys sudden announcement on Friday that it would have to drastically cut the number of vaccine doses delivered to the bloc and its 27 members. The European health commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, said a call with the companys leadership on Monday had not yielded sufficient answers as to why the company was breaking its contractual obligation and said another call would be held on Monday evening. A spokesperson for AstraZeneca, said: Our C.E.O. Pascal Soriot was pleased to speak with the Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier today. He stressed the importance of working in partnership and how AstraZeneca is doing everything it can to bring its vaccine to millions of Europeans as soon as possible. The AstraZeneca debacle delivers a serious blow to the blocs sluggish vaccination rollout, and comes days after Pfizer notified E.U. members and several other countries that it would slow down deliveries until mid-February as it upgraded its Belgium factory to increase production. The twin disappointments have left several E.U. countries hamstrung, and have thwarted the blocs collective effort to vaccinate 70 percent of its population by this summer, as Britain and the United States are making better progress with their inoculation programs. The European Union has pre-financed the development of the vaccine and its production, and wants to see the return, Ms. Kyriakides said, implying that the E.U. was concerned the company had sold the vaccines the bloc had funded to other countries. The European Union wants to know exactly which doses have been produced, where by AstraZeneca so far, and if, or to whom, they have been delivered, she added. Ms. Kyriakides also said that the European Commission, the executive branch of the E.U., was proposing its members approve a system in which pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca that produce vaccines in plants in E.U. territory would need to register any intention to export part of that production outside the bloc.

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The E.U. recommends restricting nonessential travel as virus variants boost the case for stricter rules. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:06 - 0:00 transcript E.U. Recommends Travel Restrictions to Curb Virus Cases The European Commission proposed on Monday to restrict nonessential travel to slow the spread of the new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus. The new, more transmissible variants of the virus have surfaced. There is currently a very high number of new infections across many member states, and there is an urgent need to reduce the risk of travel-related infections to lessen the burden on overstretched health care systems. First, the commission proposes that all non-essential travel to and from high-risk areas, is strongly discouraged. In this context, we also invite member states to ensure consistency between the measures they take regarding cross-border travel and travel within their territories. We are suggesting stricter measures for dark-red areas because we must recognize the high level of cases. It is why member states should require individuals coming from these areas to do a test prior to arrival and quarantine after arrival if needed. The European Commission proposed on Monday to restrict nonessential travel to slow the spread of the new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus. Credit Credit... Yoan Valat/EPA, via Shutterstock The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, recommended on Monday restricting nonessential travel in a bid to curb the spread of new more contagious variants of the coronavirus. At the same time, the commissions proposal aims to prevent blanket border closures, which would obstruct trade and the movement of cross-border workers. Traveling without restrictions would still be possible for family, work and health reasons, which are deemed essential. The situation in Europe with the new variants have led us to take difficult but necessary decisions, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the commission, wrote on Twitter. We need to keep safe and discourage nonessential travel. Also on Monday, Moderna announced that while its vaccine is effective against new variants, it appears to be less protective against the one that emerged in South Africa, raising further concern. President Bidens press secretary said Monday that he would ban travel by noncitizens into the United States from South Africa because of concern about a coronavirus variant spreading in that country, and will extend similar bans imposed by his predecessor on travel from Brazil, 27 European countries and the United Kingdom. In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to announce an extension and tightening of lockdown rules in England this week amid growing concern. In the E.U. plan, countries and regions where the 14-day infection rate is more than 500 per 100,000 inhabitants would qualify as dark red, or high-risk zones, and moving between them should be limited to essential reasons, the commission said. At the same time, those coming in from outside the bloc, even for essential reasons, would have to undergo testing and quarantines. The first recommendation is: dont travel, said Ylva Johansson, the blocs commissioner for home affairs. The commissions proposal is nonbinding and needs to be endorsed by national governments, who will discuss it Monday afternoon. It comes after last weeks meeting of the leaders of 27 European Union nations, who agreed in principle to selectively restrict nonessential travel, but did not decide on the details. There is currently a very high number of new infections across many member states, said Didier Reynders, the blocs commissioner for justice. There is an urgent need to reduce the risk of travel-related infections, to lessen the burden on overstretched health care systems. Freedom of movement is the cornerstone of the bloc, but travel restrictions remain the province of national governments and vary from country to country, creating a chaotic patchwork of measures. Belgium, for example, has announced a ban on nonessential travel coming into force this Wednesday, with fines for those who dont comply.

More students are applying to elite universities after test scores became optional. Yale University in New Haven, Conn. Credit... Jessica Hill for The New York Times Students flooded the nations most competitive colleges with a record number of applications to be part of the Class of 2025  so many, in fact, that all eight Ivy League universities have agreed to delay their decision date by about a week, until April 6, so admissions officers will have time to review them all. Harvard said more than 57,000 students had applied by the January deadline, an increase of about 42 percent over last year, according to The Crimson, the student newspaper. Rachael Dane, a spokeswoman for Harvard, said the decision date was being postponed to give full and fair review to everyone who applied. The surge was attributed in large part to the decision by Ivy League schools  along with nearly 1,700 other colleges and universities nationwide  to make it optional for students to submit SAT and ACT scores with their applications for fall 2021 admissions. Standardized dates had to be canceled last year for thousands of students because of the pandemic, making it hard for many to even get a test score. Experts said students who in the past might not have dared to apply to elite schools, assuming they would be automatically screened out by their performance on the tests, are now applying. Theyre saying, let me put my name in the hat, said Hafeez Lakhani, a college consultant. Over all, the volume of college applications submitted by January deadlines was 10 percent higher than last year, amounting to almost 5.6 million applications through Jan. 18, the Common Application, which is used by most American colleges, reported Monday. The increase was driven largely by an increase in applications to the most selective universities, which rose 17 percent, and to the largest universities, which rose 16 percent, the Common App reported. Based on my long career in college admissions, I know that students often dont apply to certain selective schools because they think a test score might keep them out, said Jenny Rickard, the president and chief executive of the Common App. She added: Hopefully those colleges will use it as an opportunity to increase equity and expand the diversity of their incoming classes.

The Chicago school district and teachers union are deadlocked on returning to classes. Meghan Hayes, a teacher at John Hay Community Academy, teaching her class outside the school board presidents home earlier this month. Credit... Pat Nabong/Chicago Sun-Times, via Associated Press With roughly 70,000 kindergarten through eighth grade students scheduled to return to public school classrooms in Chicago next week, the district and the teachers union remain locked in a battle over the reopening plan, with the union saying that a majority of its members voted to authorize a strike if the district seeks to force teachers back into buildings. All staff working in kindergarten through eighth grade classrooms were originally supposed to report to buildings on Monday to prepare for students return next week. But late last week, the union asked its members to vote on a resolution calling on them to refuse to report in-person and to authorize a strike if the district locked them out of its electronic systems. Over the weekend, the two sides jockeyed for leverage. The district sent a message to families and staff saying that it had agreed to a request from the union to postpone the date for staff to return to Wednesday. Shortly after, the union sent its own message denying that there had been any agreement and saying that its members had voted to continue working remotely indefinitely. The district said that the union was making several requests that it disagreed with, including delaying reopening until all staff members had been able to receive at least one dose of the vaccine or until the citywide positivity rate fell below 3 percent. Over the last week, the citywide positivity rate has been 7.2 percent. The district has said it will begin vaccinating teachers in mid-February and that it hopes to vaccinate all employees in the coming months. According to the district, the union was also requesting weekly surveillance testing of staff as well as regular testing of students in parts of the city with high positivity rates. Currently, the district is planning to test up to a quarter of staff each week and is not planning to do surveillance testing of students. Prekindergarten students and some special education students returned to school buildings on Jan. 11, in the first wave of the districts reopening. The district said on Friday that roughly 60 percent of the 5,352 students who were expected to attend in person actually did in the first week. Overall about a third of families in the district who have been given the option to have their students return in person have signed up to do so. Chicago is not the only district where opposition from teachers unions is threatening reopening plans: Over the weekend, plans to reopen schools in Montclair, New Jersey, were postponed indefinitely after the superintendent said he did not have enough teachers to properly staff the schools. The decision capped a tense week in a community known for its liberal politics: Elementary teachers, citing coronavirus safety concerns, boycotted in-school prep sessions in defiance of the superintendent, and a heated board of education meeting on Wednesday lasted until nearly midnight. The decision to return to in-person learning is made more complex in New Jersey, where coronavirus infections have been surging and teachers are not among the first groups prioritized for vaccines  a policy that the statewide teachers union, a close ally of Gov. Philip D. Murphy, has refrained from strenuously criticizing. Yet over the last week, some union leaders and superintendents have cited the policy to justify efforts to keep schools closed. Kate Taylor and

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Google to lend its facilities for use as vaccine clinics. The company announced a series of measures to help accelerate vaccination efforts. Credit... Jeff Chiu/Associated Press Google said it will make company buildings, parking lots and open spaces available to serve as temporary vaccination clinics in partnership with health care providers and public health officials. In a blog post on Monday, Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Googles parent company, Alphabet, said the company will start by opening sites in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, with plans to expand to other sites nationwide. The move is part of a series of measures to help accelerate vaccination efforts. Google also said it plans to contribute $100 million in ad credits to health organizations to educate people about the vaccine and $50 million for groups working on fair access to the vaccine. It will also include more information in search results and maps to help people find vaccination locations with details about who is eligible and whether appointments are necessary. Google said it will provide local distribution information in search results in the coming week so people can determine whether they are eligible to receive a vaccine.

The Flaming Lips performed to people in literal bubbles. But is it safer? The Flaming Lips have used plastic bubbles at concerts to protect against the transmission of the coronavirus, but some experts were unsure about the effectiveness of those measures. Credit... Scott Booker There are Covid-19 bubbles  small clusters of friends or family who agree to socialize exclusively with each other during the pandemic  and then there are the kinds of bubbles the Flaming Lips used at recent concerts. Band members and concertgoers alike rocked out and bounced while encased in large individual plastic bubbles amid bright swirling lights in trippy scenes at concerts on Friday and Saturday in Oklahoma City. The band has taken the elaborate precautions at its live performances to protect against the transmission of the coronavirus, but some health experts were unsure about the effectiveness of those measures. Id need to see how the air exchange was occurring between the outside and the inside of the bubbles to be able to say if it were safe over all or reduced risk of transmission, said Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, the director of global health at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y. The Flaming Lips, an indie rock band founded in the early 1980s, who are known for their exuberant live shows and recording experiments, performed a similar concert in October. They also performed their song Race for the Prize in June using the spheres on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The concerts on Friday and Saturday were originally scheduled for December, but the band postponed them because of rising Covid-19 cases in the Oklahoma City metro area. Its a very restricted, weird event, the bands frontman, Wayne Coyne, told Rolling Stone last month. But the weirdness is so we can enjoy a concert before putting our families and everybody at risk.

California may have lost as much as $30 billion to unemployment insurance fraud. A woman in Oakland, Calif., holds mail that was received at her home addressed to people who presumably tried to defraud the California Employment Development Department. Credit... Jim Wilson/The New York Times As much as $30 billion of the unemployment claims paid last year in California during the pandemic may have gone to swindlers, state officials said Monday, reporting that at least one-tenth of benefits were fraudulently collected by organized crime rings, prison inmates and identity thieves. The breathtaking losses are far more than initially estimated in November, when a task force of district attorneys made the situation public in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling it the most significant fraud on taxpayer funds in California history. Focused mostly on the pandemic unemployment insurance program initiated in spring, when layoffs soared early in the pandemic, the frauds were confirmed to have siphoned off at least 9.7 percent of the record $114 billion in benefits paid out between March 2020 and the middle of this month, said Julie Su, Californias labor secretary. Another 17 percent of payments remain under investigation, even as existing and new screening measures have blocked some $60 billion in bogus claims. By comparison, in 2019, fraud accounted for about 6 percent of Californias total unemployment insurance payments. Most of the fraud occurred in the federally funded pandemic assistance program, which expedited benefits for independent contractors, gig workers, self-employed people and others who did not qualify for traditional unemployment insurance, according to state officials. Because of the hasty rollout of the program, they said, benefits were less secure. But Anne Marie Schubert, the Sacramento County district attorney leading the prosecutors task force, said the systems security also has suffered from the lack of a way to cross-index, say, its roster of jail inmates with unemployment claimants. While I appreciate the great strides we are now taking, she said, the fact is that California had no cross-match system, despite 35 other states having one. Its bad enough that California state prison and jail inmates ripped off the state, but even out-of-state inmates were able to target California because the system failed to stop this. A spokeswoman for the governors office said cross-checking is now possible for prison inmates. But Ms. Su said, There is no sugarcoating the reality. California did not have enough security measures in place. The scandal has thrown the states unemployment program into turmoil, forcing the state to suspend benefits in December for some 1.4 million Californians while investigators confirmed the identities of the claimants. State lawmakers have lashed out at the Employment Development Department, which oversees claims, as constituents have complained about backlogged benefits. News accounts since November have reported one outrage after another, with death row inmates, year-old toddlers, a rapper and someone impersonating Senator Dianne Feinstein, among others, fraudulently collecting unemployment checks. Blake Hall, the chief executive of ID.me, a security firm hired to do fraud prevention for the Employment Development Department, said California is just one of the largest and earliest states to address pandemic aid frauds, which have eviscerated benefits programs across the nation. North Dakota, for example, has about 500,000 workers and yet received 400,000 claims for unemployment benefits during the pandemic, he said. Mr. Hall said most of the fraud in the state appears to have been run by crime syndicates in Nigeria, Russia and Hong Kong. But much of it was also communicated on the dark web, he said, where fraudsters posted open-source playbooks with detailed instructions on how to game the states system with identity theft. E.D.D. was clearly underprepared for the type and magnitude of criminal attacks and the sheer quantity of claims, Rita Saenz, the departments new director, said in a statement. We are focused on making the changes necessary to provide benefits to eligible Californians as quickly as possible and stopping fraud before it enters the system. Mr. Hall commended California for moving quickly. There will be many states that will be far worse off, he said.

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Ukraine reopens schools and restaurants after a week of strict lockdown. Outside a cafe in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday, the first day after lockdown restrictions were lifted. Credit... Gleb Garanich/Reuters Ukraine reopened schools, restaurants and movie theaters on Monday after testing showed the coronavirus was spreading less rapidly after just one week of a strict lockdown. The health minister, Maksym Stepanov, pointed to the improving statistics as a clear indication that a strict lockdown, even if brief, can tamp down numbers. The rate of new infections declined about a third after the first seven days of closures, he said. The cumulative number of infections nationwide last week was just over 30,000, nearly 14,000 less than the week before, Mr. Stepanov said. The statistics are relatively optimistic and point to an improvement in the situation, he said, local media reported. Mr. Stepanov also pointed to a decline in hospitalizations, which typically trail infections by several weeks, suggesting that the downward trend had begun before the lockdowns and that New Year celebrations had not shifted the dynamic. President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly imposed lockdowns last spring before easing them over the summer. The country retained a system that can close businesses in cities or regions with flare-ups. Though the government lifted some restrictions on Monday, not all businesses can open. Nightclubs and sports stadiums remain closed. Schools are not allowed convene large gatherings of students, such as for performances or schoolwide meetings. Ukraine, which aspires to join the European Union but is not in the bloc, has struggled to find vaccines and may not be able to inoculate its population until well into the year, forcing it to rely on quarantines, lockdowns and other restrictions until then.

Dutch prime minister condemns lockdown riots as criminal violence. Protesters clashed with the police during a demonstration against coronavirus restrictions in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, on Sunday. Credit... Rob Engelaar/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands said on Monday that anyone involved in riots over the weekend protesting the countrys coronavirus measures had engaged in criminal violence and warned that perpetrators would be treated accordingly. Hundreds of people were detained during unrest in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and at least eight other cities after the start of a 9 p.m. curfew on Saturday, the police said. Officers used tear gas, attack dogs and water cannons to disperse crowds in the southern city of Eindhoven, where shops were looted and cars set on fire. In Urk, a staunchly protestant fishing village young people burned down a Covid test facility. The riots repeated for a third night on Monday evening in the Dutch cities of Rotterdam and Geleen, Reuters reported. This has nothing to do with protest or fighting for freedom, Mr. Rutte, told reporters on Monday. This is criminal violence, and we will treat it as such. His caretaker government implemented harsh new lockdown measures last week, vetted by Parliament, to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Flights to Britain, South Africa and most of South America were halted on Saturday. It also implemented a nationwide curfew, the first since World War II. The mayor of Eindhoven, John Jorritsma, was visibly upset when he spoke to reporters about the violence in the city. He called the rioters scum of the earth and said he feared the Netherlands, normally one of the quietest countries in the European Union, was on a path of civil war. A spokesman for the Dutch police union said the group feared that the illegal protests and riots were just the start of the curfew-related unrest. I hope it was a one-off, but Im afraid it was a harbinger for the coming days and weeks, the spokesman, Koen Simmers, said, according to the public broadcaster NOS. We havent seen so much violence in 40 years, he added. The protesters also gathered last week in Amsterdam after calls on social media to resist the lockdown rules and the governments policies overall. Mr. Rutte is one of the longest-serving European leaders. Elections in the Netherlands are scheduled for March. Protests also erupted over the weekend in Denmark. Five people were arrested on Saturday during an anti-lockdown demonstration in Copenhagen, local news outlets reported. Around 1,000 protesters gathered to demonstrate against what they said were limitations of their freedoms, after a call for protest by a Facebook group. Protesters tied an effigy of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to a pole and burned it, Danish channel TV2 reported. A sign was hung around the effigys neck saying, She must and should be killed.

Arizonans seeking vaccination are mistakenly calling an 8-year-old girl in Missouri. A parking lot of the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., which has been turned into a mass vaccination site. Credit... Juan Arredondo for The New York Times An 8-year-old girl in Missouri is getting an earful from frustrated Arizonans who are trying to get inoculated against Covid-19 and mistakenly calling her instead. Sophia Garcia of Sullivan, Mo., who used to live in Arizona, has been receiving dozens of calls from people in the state on her hand-me-down phone, whose Phoenix number is just one digit different from the Arizona health departments vaccine help line. Every five minutes my phone keeps ringing, she told Phoenixs CBS affiliate, KPHO/KTVK. Callers have been complaining about scheduling difficulties and asking how to book an appointment, her family said. In response, Sophia has recorded a voice mail message directing callers to the appropriate number. Her story offers a glimpse of the struggles and at times desperation of people seeking vaccination in Arizona and elsewhere. People across the United States have complained of their second dose appointments being canceled after vaccination sites ran out of supplies. And there are concerns that President Bidens goal of 100 million shots in 100 days may not be ambitious enough. Arizona, which has the worst infection rate in the country, is speeding up vaccinations after a slow start, with the Department of Health Services announcing on Sunday that more than 400,000 doses had been administered. Over 61,000 people have received both doses, the health department said. A New York Times tracker monitoring the vaccine rollout in each state places Arizona in the top 20 for doses administered. After earlier glitches and staff shortages, the state attributes the turnaround partly to round-the-clock use of the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix, as a site for inoculations in the past few weeks. The success of our State Farm Stadium vaccination site has made it clear that Arizona can efficiently and effectively administer vaccine to large numbers, Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said in a statement. Another vaccination site at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium is set to open next week. State officials said the federal government had denied a request for an additional 300,000 doses each week. Now the federal government has to step up its game and provide additional vaccine to support Arizonas proven momentum, Dr. Christ said. In the meantime, Arizonans who inadvertently call Sophia in Missouri will get this firm but encouraging message: Hopefully, if you try carefully, you could get the right number.

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For Latinx families and students to thrive in Worcester, there must be accountability and rebuilt trust between the community and the Worcester Public Schools, officials said.

Leaders in Worcester have spent more than a year analyzing data and the community to make recommendations to improve achievement for Latinx residents, who make up about 21% of Worcesters population and 43% of students enrolled in the Worcester Public Schools.

In an effort to respond to concerns about Worcesters Latinx community, Mayor Joe Petty tapped Quinsigamond Community College President Luis Pedraja and Mary Jo Marion, the assistant vice president for urban affairs and the Latino Education Institute at Worcester State University, to head up the Commission on Latino Advancement and Education, which led to a newly-released report on the way forward for Latinx youth and families in Worcester.

The report identified four large improvement areas:

Rebuilding trust between the Latinx community and Worcester Public Schools

Call for racial/ethnic and gender equity

Accountability to families and students

Quality of life: health, housing, and wealth

Pedraja noted that the intent of the report was not to find fault but to look at problems and challenges and find solutions. One thing Pedraja said hed like to see is an equity assessment in the public schools.

Sometimes its difficult to see the gaps that we face internally and its only when someone with experience from the outside lens comes in that they can identify the gaps and we know that with COVID those gaps have grown, Pedraja said Tuesday during a virtual news conference alongside Marion and Petty.

Latinx residents have the worst socio-economic indicators in Worcester and the state in poverty, income, educational attainment, incarceration and unemployment, according to the report.

Advocates stress that challenges must be addressed now, as the Latinx community is projected to see 14% net growth by 2035.

Its important that we address it now, not 10 years from now, Petty said Tuesday.

The report was compiled after 18 months of work, including four at-large community listening sessions and 11 commission meetings. The release of the report was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though gaps have long existed for members of the Latinx community, issues have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Worcester, more than 30% of COVID cases are detected in Latinx residents. Latinx families are more likely to live in multi-generational homes, work in frontline, essential jobs, and have limited access to health care, factors that increase risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

Latinx residents ages 19 and younger have tested positive for the virus at rates up to seven times higher than white children and double to triple the rate for Black children, according to the Worcester Department of Public Health.

I also find it especially cruel that the most marginalized group, Latino students, are the ones most affected by the virus and the ones that experience learning loss, so when the smoke clears on the virus, and that day will come, we have to ask ourselves what are we doing to close the COVID slide, Marion said.

Pedraja said hed like to see a task force or commission created this fall to review exactly how the pandemic has affected Latinx residents and things to do to prevent the issue from happening in the future, but also to help the community recover from challenges brought on by the pandemic.

Internet access has also been a challenge for Latinx residents. Petty noted that 59% of Latinx residents in Worcester did not have access to broadband. With Latinx students making up 43% of the Worcester Public Schools enrollment, that issue has become more paramount with the reliance on remote education during the pandemic.

Worcester students have been learning online since last March. In that time, there have been a number of students who arent engaging in their education and who are Zoomed out, Marion said.

As time goes by with just remote education, that number is growing and so a strategy would be to identify those students that are lacking in engagement and make a plan as to how to get them back, she said.

In particular, Marion said, the district needs to make plans to help students who are English language learners, as remote learning and trying to social distance make an impact in becoming proficient in English.

The school system could also improve by adding more teachers who reflect the diversity of the student body, Marion and Pedraja said, as only 8% of Worcesters instructors are Latinx.

Pedraja noted that there have been some efforts to increase diversity among Worcester educators.

Its still a challenge, he said. We need to increase the pipeline, and we need to increase the hiring and we need to increase the training.

Marion said she hopes Worcester can move forward with unity, even though members of Worcesters community are not all experiencing the pandemic in the same way.

The level of angst and acute need in Latinos households and families and homes cannot be overstated. The virus has many effects both in education, in health, in economics, and were experiencing a true crisis, Marion said.

Massachusetts has been shown to be one of the least friendly states to the Latinx population, Pedraja said, adding that there must be a change for the benefit of the community.

The time for change is upon us and the success for our Latino community and students is success for all of us, Pedraja said.

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A gymnast at the University of California, Los Angeles, has gone viral for her incredible floor routine celebrating black culture after tumbling and dancing to a mashup of hits from black artists.

Nia Dennis, 21, was competing against Arizona State on Saturday when she wowed the judges with her playful, yet impressive floor routine featuring songs by Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott, Soulja Boy, Tupac, and Megan Thee Stallion.

'This routine definitely reflects everything that I am today as a woman and, of course, I had to incorporate a lot of parts of my culture,' Dennis told the Los Angeles Daily News.

Winning fans: UCLA Gymnast Nia Dennis, 21, has gone viral for her incredible floor routine celebrating black culture

Fun: Dennis wowed the judges with her playful, yet impressive floor routine featuring songs by Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott, Soulja Boy, Tupac, and Megan Thee Stallion

'I wanted to have a dance party because that's my personality and of course I had to shout out LA because we out here, UCLA.'

The accomplished gymnast scored a 9.950 on floor exercise for her near-perfect performance, helping UCLA defeat Arizona State in the matchup.

When she wasn't jumping or flipping in the air during her complex tumbling passes, she had the crowd going wild with her dance moves.

Dennis looked like she was having a blast performing the powerful routine, and UCLA Gymnastics proudly took to Twitter to share a video of it.

Playful routine: When she wasn't jumping or flipping in the air during her complex tumbling passes, she had the crowd going wild with her dance moves

Success: The accomplished gymnast scored a 9.950 on floor exercise for her near-perfect performance, helping UCLA defeat Arizona State in the matchup

Going viral: The video of Dennis's performance has been viewed more than 7.7 million times and even caught the attention of rapper Missy Elliot

Impressed: Olympic gymnast Simone Biles tweeted that Dennis's performance was 'so fun to watch' and told her to 'keep killing it'

Work it: Dennis also received praise from Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez

'This is what #blackexcellence looks like. @DennisNia does it again!' they wrote.

In just one day, the video of Dennis's performance has been viewed more than 7.7 million times and even caught the attention of rapper Missy Elliot.

At the beginning of the routine, Dennis danced to the opening of Elliott's hit 'Pass that Dutch,' and the rapper tweeted that the routine was 'snappin.'

Dennis also received praise from Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez, who were both impressed by the performance.

Amazing: Dennis's widely-celebrated performance comes nearly a year after she went viral for her Beyonce-inspired floor routine last March

Meaning: Dennis said her latest routine 'reflects everything' that she is as a woman as well as her culture

Making fans: Dennis is one of the brightest stars on the UCLA Gymnastics team and has been an online sensation for a few years now

'Okay @DennisNia do the damn thing girl. This was so fun to watch! Keep killing it!' Biles tweeted, while Hernandez commented: 'YOU BETTER WORK SISSS.'

Dennis's widely-celebrated performance comes nearly a year after she went viral for her Beyonce-inspired floor routine last March, just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic led to nationwide lockdowns.

The then-college junior performed to a medley of orchestral versions of Queen Bey's songs, including 'Crazy in Love,' 'Ego,' and Destiny Child's 'Lose My Breath.'

Dennis has been an online sensation for a few years now. As part of one of her 2018 routines, she famously spelled her name in the air with her finger  a cheeky move that set her apart from the rest.
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[January 26, 2021] commercetools Doubles Americas Go-to-Market Team as Demand for Modern E-Commerce Grows

DURHAM, N.C., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- commercetools, the next-generation commerce software company, today announced expansions in the Americas, including a significant expansion of its Americas go-to-market team and the appointment of Jim Curtis as Head of Americas Sales. Expansions are being driven by increases in demand for commercetools' modern commerce architecture as B2C and B2B companies seek ways to deliver more unique and engaging e-commerce experiences and unlock new commerce possibilities. commercetools has seen significant increases in demand for its modern commerce architecture over the past year, especially in key markets impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic including Food (56% increase in demand from 2019 to 2020) and Fashion (63% increase in demand from 20219 to 2020). On Black Friday 2020 alone, commercetools saw purchases on its platform peak at 7,000 orders per minute. The global company headquartered in Munich, Germany signed on multiple new customers in the Americas including AT&T, Dawns Foods, Harry Rosen, Tiffany & Co. and VIZIO. New Head of Americas Sales Jim Curtis comes to commercetools with 20+ years of experience in the enterprise software space including senior roles with New Relic and Oracle Corporation. He has a proven track record of helping companies achieve their digital transformation goals. Curtis will lead commercetools' expanded go-to-market team in the Americas as the team helps more companies roll out new commerce possibilities to entice shoppers looking for better digital experiences. "We are excited to have Jim on board with his wealth of experience in delivering top-tier digital experiences," sad Dirk Hoerig, CEO of commercetools. "After many years of global growth and since expanding operations to the U.S. in 2015, commercetools is seeing a surge in demand from top brands in the Americas, and Jim is a great fit to help us meet this increased demand and position us for new growth opportunities."



commercetools was recently recognized by IDC MarketScape as a leading provider of headless commerce, Gartner, as a "Leader" in the 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce, and Forrester, as a "Leader" in B2C commerce and a "Strong Performer" in B2B commerce in The Forrester Wave: B2C and B2B Commerce Suites, Q2 2020 reports. Founded to solve the issue of traditional commerce platforms being too rigid, complex and challenging to update at the speeds needed today, commercetools helps companies:

Build their own e-commerce platforms up to 3x faster (weeks versus months)

Deliver unique and engaging e-commerce experiences across any channel

Make changes to their commerce platform incrementally for immediate ROI

Drive down maintenance costs by up to 70%

Gain the freedom to experiment with new commerce offerings

Take full control over their brand and customer experiences to get away from "cookie-cutter" commerce experiences Learn more about commercetools here . About commercetools

commercetools is the world's leading platform for next-generation B2C and B2B commerce. To break the market out of being restrained by legacy suites, commercetools invented a headless, API-first, multi-tenant SaaS commerce platform that is cloud-native and uses flexible microservices. Using modern development building blocks in a true cloud platform provided by commercetools, customers can deliver the best commerce experiences across every touchpoint on a large scale. commercetools has offices across the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific, with headquarters in Germany. Since its founding in 2006, commercetools software has been implemented by Fortune 500 companies across industries, from retail to manufacturing and from telecommunications to fashion. More information at commercetools.com . Contacts:

Margaret Rea

VP/Head of Americas Marketing, commercetools

E: margaret.rea@commercetools.com

M: 949-278-9149 Rebecca Harbin

Allison+Partners for commercetools

E: rebecca.harbin@allisonpr.com

Tel: 404-832-0698 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/commercetools-doubles-americas-go-to-market-team-as-demand-for-modern-e-commerce-grows-301215189.html SOURCE commercetools

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As violence in Philadelphia continues at a high rate, "scoop-and-run" hospital transportswhen a responding police officer takes a gunshot or stabbing victim to a trauma center as quickly as possiblehave become a time-tested means for delivering patients to life-saving treatment. Twice as many patients are now brought to trauma centers by police, with survival rates comparable to those transported by EMS professionals, according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania who examined five years of data. These findings were published today in JAMA Network Open.

"We saw that patients transported by police are often more seriously injured than patients transported by EMS, but after controlling for significant differences between groups, police-transported patients have similar mortality levels," said the study's lead author, Jeremy Cannon, MD, the Trauma medical director and section chief of Trauma at Penn Medicine. "This study highlights just how crucial to patient care police have become."

While most police officers' roles are typically limited to keeping the peace and solving crime, for approximately 25 years, the Philadelphia Police Department has authorized its officers to quickly transport trauma victims to a trauma center if they feel the situation is dire. A Penn Medicine analysis of data from more than a decade ago found no significant differences between the survival of those with penetrating trauma (gunshots, stab wounds, etc.) who were transported via police or ambulance.

But that study took place before a key change was made to the department's protocol.

"Since the last study, all patrol officers in the city of Philadelphia were issued tourniquets to control extremity hemorrhage during emergencies," said the study's first author, Eric Winter, a medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine. "By giving police officers the ability to quickly manage peripheral bleeding, this tourniquet initiative had the potential to enhance the benefit of rapid police transport to the hospital. We know that Philadelphia's EMS personnel do an exceptional job, but since there's an emphasis on having the first available responder move victims as quickly as possible, we felt further analysis was needed to assess the impact of this new policy."

The new Penn analysis, however, shows that the overall survival rate, measured when patients are discharged from the trauma center, was relatively unchanged after the tourniquet initiative. This raises the question of whether the tourniquet initiative has been effective. Cannon explained that the tourniquets themselves have actually worked, but some external factors sometimes limit their use. These include the ability to identify extremity wounds quickly, whether officers have a tourniquet immediately available, and the cost of tourniquet replacement.

"We are encouraging police to use tourniquets above wounds to the arms and legs whenever they can," Cannon said. "And to ensure they can do it again if needed, we give them a replacement tourniquet when they come into the trauma center."

While there were similar rates of survival found between the two analyses, the study uncovered one significant shift: by 2018, a large majority of trauma victims were being taken to the hospital via police.

In 2014, 328 patients were transported to the hospital by police, and that increased to 489 by the end of 2018, the final year studied. EMS personnel transported 246 patients in 2014 and 281 in 2018. This means that, by the end of the study period, roughly two of every three gunshot or stabbing victims were transported to a trauma center by police rather than EMS personnel. This was a complete flip from the earlier study a decade ago, when well over twice as many patients were transported via ambulance than by police cruiser.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, gun violence in Philadelphia has surged. Although a comprehensive analysis of this experience has not been reported, Cannon said that he and his colleagues have been pleased to see several "unexpected survivors" they might not have otherwise seen without this police transport policy.

Moving forward, Cannon, Winter, and their colleagues are planning two follow-up studies. One is set to examine outcomes by the geographical origin of the victim. The other will look at how much time it takes for patients to be transported by police to the hospital.

"We hope that these studies will be beneficial to our patients and to policymakers alike," Cannon said. "We also hope that we will be able to share our experiences with other cities looking to re-examine the role of police in our communities."

Explore further Standardized policies needed for how and when police interact with trauma patients

More information: Eric Winter et al. Association of Police Transport With Survival Among Patients With Penetrating Trauma in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, JAMA Network Open (2021). Journal information: JAMA Network Open Eric Winter et al. Association of Police Transport With Survival Among Patients With Penetrating Trauma in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,(2021). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.34868
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India bans TikTok permanently; app evaluates notice

Following the temporary app ban dated June 29, 2020, the government of India has issued a notice to TikTok on the permanent ban of the app in the country. Along with TikTok, the government has issued a similar permeant ban notice to 177 Chinese apps which were banned earlier, says sources. Conversely, one of the banned Chinese app has been unblocked.

WEF 2021: Jinping calls for global cooperation, says strong should not bully the weak

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for global cooperation among countries and multilateralism to tackle the challenges faced by the world, including the coronavirus pandemic, and said the strong should not bully the weak. Speaking at the World Economic Forum's virtual Davos Agenda Summit, Jinping warned against cold war and "misguided approach" of antagonism and confrontation.

Pfizer to seek regulatory approval if India places order for COVID-19 vaccine

Pfizer Inc will pursue its request for India to approve its COVID-19 vaccine if the government commits to buying shots, the U.S. drugmaker told Reuters on Monday, even as global supplies tighten. Pfizer was the first company to seek emergency-use authorisation (EUA) for a COVID-19 vaccine in India, but the government this month approved two much cheaper shots - one from Oxford University/AstraZeneca and another developed at home by Bharat Biotech with the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Republic Day 2021: UK PM Boris Johnson wishes India, says both countries on way to success against COVID

The UK and India are working side by side to free humanity from the coronavirus pandemic, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a special reference to the vaccine collaboration in his Republic Day message on Tuesday. Johnson was due to be in New Delhi as the chief guest at the annual parade to mark India's 71st Republic Day but had to call off the visit to focus on the domestic crisis unleashed by the emergence of a new, deadlier variant of coronavirus in the UK at the end of last year.

Green Tax approved for old vehicles; to cost up to 50% of road tax

The central government on Monday approved a proposal to levy a "Green Tax" on old vehicles that are considered polluting to the environment. As part of the proposal transport vehicles older than 8 years could be charged a tax at the rate of 10-25 per cent of road tax at the time of renewal of fitness certificate. For personal vehicles, the tax would have to be paid at the time of mandatory renewal of registration certificate after 15 years.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 01:52:14|Editor: huaxia

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DAMASCUS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least three civilians were killed on Tuesday by an explosion in a rebel-held area in the northern Syrian province of Raqqa, a war monitor reported.

The explosion took place at a vegetable market in the Tal Abyad area in the countryside of Raqqa, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Meanwhile, the Syrian state news agency SANA also reported that a suicide bomber detonated himself at the market in Tal Abyad.

Tal Abyad has been controlled by the Turkey-backed rebels since 2019 after their battles with the Kurdish militia of the Syrian Democratic Forces. Enditem
(Newser)  Promising to "not waver from my constitutional and sworn obligations to administer the trial with fairness, in accordance with the Constitution and the laws," Sen. Patrick Leahy confirmed Monday that he'll preside over the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The Vermont Democrat is the majority party's senior senator. A Leahy spokesman said the decision was up to the Democratic and Republican leaders, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, the Hill reports. Chief Justice John Roberts presided over Trump's first impeachment trial but has declined to do so this time. A spokeswoman said Monday that Roberts would have no comment about his decision, per NPR. Instead, the role will go to Leahy, the Senate's president pro tempore, who is third in line for the presidency. Senators of both parties said they believe Roberts should preside.

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The Constitution specifies that the chief justice should preside over an impeachment trial of the president but doesn't exactly say who should do it when a former president is tried, per the New York Times. Having a Democrat in the chair "really undermines the legitimacy" of the process, Republican Sen. John Cornyn said. Leahy voted to convict Trump the first time, last February. On Monday, Leahy, 80, said he sees no conflict. "I'm not presenting the evidence. I am making sure that procedures are followed," he said. "I don't think there's any senator who over the 40-plus years I've been here that would say that I am anything but impartial in voting on procedure." The Senate trial is scheduled to begin the week of Feb. 8. (The Supreme Court sided with Trump on two lawsuits Monday.)
 US Sentencing Commission publishes report on "Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogues: Federal Trends and Trafficking Patterns." | Main | "The U.S. Sentencing Commissions Recidivism Studies: Myopic, Misleading, and Doubling Down on Imprisonment" 

Last month I noted in this post that L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon made a lot of bold policy changes in his first day in office. Now this new Politico article, headlined "California prosecutors revolt against Los Angeles DAs social justice changes," highlights the push-back these policy changes are engendering. Here are excerpts:

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon ran on a vow to shake up Americas largest law enforcement jurisdiction. Sweeping progressive changes followed  and so has the California backlash.

Within weeks of taking office, Gascon instructed prosecutors to stop seeking the death penalty and trying juveniles as adults. He ordered a halt to most cash bail requests and banned prosecutors from appearing at parole hearings. Most controversially, he barred prosecutors from seeking various sentencing enhancements.

Even if expected, Gascons moves have set off a political confrontation of unprecedented magnitude. Rank-and-file Los Angeles prosecutors have revolted and sought to block their new boss in court. District attorneys elsewhere in California have said they will not share cases with Gascon....

The widening battle offers a high-profile microcosm for larger tensions roiling law enforcement in California and around the country. The outcome will substantially impact Los Angeles and send a message to prosecutors everywhere. Once a pioneer in stringent penalties that drove an incarceration boom, Los Angeles is now the hub of a struggle over the course of criminal justice.

Hes doing exactly what he said he was going to do during the campaign, transition spokesperson Max Szabo said. Theres certainly backlash, but we cant as a system of justice change course based on that backlash and ignore what the broader public has asked for....

This is the first time that a district attorney in Los Angeles County is using data, science and research instead of fear and emotion to drive policy decisions, Szabo said. Enhancements have never been shown to enhance safety, but excessive sentences have been shown to exacerbate recidivism and therefore create more victims of crime in the future.
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CARY, N.C., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- When diverse groups of people get together in a creative and competitive environment, innovation happens. That's the idea behind a new series of global hackathons from SAS, the leader in analytics. The hackathons are focused on using advanced analytics and other technologies to solve big problems.

SAS continually seeks to help more people use powerful analytics every day, shorten the path from data to insights, and inspire bold new discoveries that drive progress. The hackathons support this mission.

The initial #HackinSAS hackathon competition will take place this March. Individuals and teams must register by Feb. 14.

"Through the global hackathons, SAS is helping creative people use technology in new and innovative ways," said Tom Fisher, Senior Vice President of Business Development at SAS. "Hackathon participants and teams are seeking solutions to big business and humanitarian challenges, all while experimenting with the latest analytics and cloud software. At SAS, we believe curiosity is at the heart of human progress, and curiosity abounds at these hackathons."

SAS global hackathons

Hackathons are well-known in the tech industry. During a hackathon, teams of participants collaborate and compete to find the best solutions to a business or humanitarian challenge using technology.

SAS has previously supported regional hackathons. The new global hackathons will gather people from different regions, backgrounds and skill levels to collaborate and develop applications and solutions using SAS analytics, AI, cloud and open-source technology. The vision is to empower everyone to be involved in solving business and society's most compelling challenges.

These applications will aim to solve big problems, from global humanitarian issues such as fighting the pandemic and addressing climate change to business-focused challenges such as helping a bank reduce fraud or a retailer improve its online customer experience.

Through hackathons, participants can explore entrepreneurial approaches, network with fellow innovators, and try out new and emerging technologies like SAS Viya.

And in the process, hackathon teams can create potentially viable applications and products for the marketplace that SAS will assist in developing and commercializing.

How to join the global hackathon

The SAS hackathon events are a great way for all people interested in analytics, including SAS customers and technology partners, independent developers, students and startup businesses, to use the SAS Viya analytics platform running on Microsoft Azure to address business and global challenges.

Hackathon teams can be made up of people within an organization, an organization and a technology partner, or an individual looking to join a group.

For the initial hackathon, register your team by Feb. 14. You'll need to provide a description of the real-world challenge  a business or humanitarian issue  that your team is going to tackle. Once your registration is confirmed, you'll receive emails with further instructions.

The hackathon itself will run throughout March. Finalists will be selected in April and connected with SAS experts for further application development. Winners will be announced at Virtual SAS Global Forum 2021 in May.

Register today for the first of the new SAS global hackathons at www.sas.com/sas/events/hack-in-sas/register.html.

Hackathon 101

On the hackathon website, SAS has created a 50-minute kickoff that includes:

SAS Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Bryan Harris sharing more on this global hackathon and how analytics, AI and open source can be used creatively for social good.

sharing more on this global hackathon and how analytics, AI and open source can be used creatively for social good. A conversation between Angela Bee Chan , CEO of Hackathons International; and Marinela Profi, SAS AI, Innovation & Data Science Marketing Manager, about the scope of collaboration.

, CEO of Hackathons International; and Marinela Profi, SAS AI, Innovation & Data Science Marketing Manager, about the scope of collaboration. Helpful tips from #HackinSAS producers Einar Halvorsen and Peter Lundqvist of SAS, whose insights from past events will give participants an edge.

and of SAS, whose insights from past events will give participants an edge. An opportunity to meet SAS hackathon mentors, a team of experienced data scientists from across the globe ready to help guide your hackathon journey.

Key SAS technology partners Intel and Microsoft are sponsors of SAS global hackathons. And SAS is also partnering with several organizations to create more diverse and inclusive events; read more on the Hacker's Hub community site.

About SAS

Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW.

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries.  indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright  2021 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.

Editorial Contact:

Mike Nemecek

[email protected]

919-531-5140

sas.com/news

SOURCE SAS

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https://www.sas.com


Quest Diagnostics ( NYSE: DGX ), in partnership with the Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan and the United Way of New York City, provided the testing at this event and will support similar activities in New York City, Atlanta, Detroit, Newark and Washington, DC. over the coming months.

"Testing will continue to play an essential role over the coming months in diagnosing COVID-19 and helping to prevent its continued spread," said Steve Rusckowski, Chairman, CEO and President of Quest Diagnostics. "Our work with our partners Choose Healthy Life and the United Way of New York City will help save lives and help stop the disproportionate devastation COVID-19 is wreaking on the Black community is both urgent and necessary. Quest Diagnostics is focused on taking action to address health inequities across our country."

Despite the recent introduction of vaccines in the United States, COVID-19 testing is still critical. One year after the first case of COVID-19 in the United States, there remains a tremendous need for access to testing to help prevent the virus' spread and to ensure that those impacted get access to treatments sooner and continue to protect the health of the community. As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise, testing will continue to have a significant impact on both local and national public health policies, travel restrictions, return to school and offices  all of which directly impact our country's economy.

Rochelle Walensky, M.D., the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has recently called to expand availability of COVID-19 testing, even as vaccines are being rolled out. The United States needs to quickly ramp up the amount and pace of COVID-19 testing and vaccinations to bring the current outbreak under control, Dr. Walensky noted in her first official statement. "Better, healthier days lie ahead. But to get there, COVID-19 testing, surveillance, and vaccination must accelerate rapidly," Dr. Walensky said in a statement. "We must also confront the longstanding public health challenges of social and racial injustice and inequity that have demanded action for far too long."

All too often, underserved communities have been testing deserts during the pandemic. "Equity doesn't happen by default," said Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, chair of President Biden's Health Equity Task Force at a recent Conclave held by Choose Healthy Life to launch testing in hard hit, underserved communities. At the Conclave, Dr. Nunez-Smith explained that COVID-19 testing remains a critical element in slowing the spread and tragic impact of the disease, even as vaccines are distributed. "A majority of Black Americans are showing up at hospitals, having never had a COVID-19 test, often with an infection that has progressed so far that antibody therapy is no longer an effective treatment. Testing for COVID has never been more critical," said Dr. Smith.

According to a report from the Boston Consulting Group, even if current and future vaccines prove their effectiveness, the need to test for COVID-19 will continue in order to: quickly diagnose symptomatic patients; monitor the spread of disease to larger groups; protect vulnerable populations such as the elderly; provide access to return to work or travel on public transportation and test for immunity from vaccines.

"Because testing remains essential in the fight against this pandemic, it's critical that we make testing easily accessible as COVID-19 continues to devastate Black communities," said Debra Frazer-Howze, founder of Choose Healthy Life. "We know from experience that leadership from the Black clergy makes all the difference when it comes to building trust in our communities, and we are grateful for their essential support."

"United Way of New York City is proud to be working together with Choose Healthy Life, leveraging our expertise in convening and mobilizing the best of the nonprofit, corporate and public health sectors to provide needed COVID-19 testing to communities of color, beginning in five major cities across the United States," said Sheena Wright, President and CEO of United Way of New York City.

Quest's involvement with Choose Healthy Life is part of a larger Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE), a multi-year commitment the company announced in 2020 to close health disparities, starting with COVID-19. Q4HE is Quest's long-term commitment to utilize testing and information to address critical health issues that disproportionately impact underserved communities, such as heart disease, diabetes, and COPD.

According to a recent Quest Diagnostics Health Trends report entitled "COVID-19: Magnifying Racial Disparities in U.S. Healthcare," Black Americans view greater testing access as critical to getting the pandemic better under control. Nearly 3 in 4 Black Americans (73%) surveyed view greater access to diagnostic COVID-19 testing as absolutely essential or very important to slowing the pandemic.

In addition to COVID-19 testing, Quest Diagnostics will work with the Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan to provide education and guidance to community members in each of the cities with testing sites. This will include empowering and funding teams of "health navigators"  local outreach specialists  to engage their neighbors, build trust and provide critical information to help reduce the destructive toll that COVID-19 is taking on Black communities. Dr. Nunez-Smith emphasized that work must be done to build trust with vulnerable populations via the clergy and culturally relevant local healthcare workers.

Note to media: Footage of the event can be viewed on the Quest Diagnostics newsroom site

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 47,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com .

About Choose Healthy Life

Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan is a program developed by D. Fraser Associates (DFA) based on the DFA Choose Healthy Life Standard  a sustainable, scalable and transferable approach to public health. The highly successful Standard was created by Debra Fraser-Howze, principal at DFA and founder of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, to address the AIDS epidemic. It is centered around the Black church  the oldest and most trusted institutions in the Black community. Partnering with the United Way agencies, local health departments and community-based organizations, churches receive the necessary resources, training and support to make available health services to the region's most vulnerable individuals. The Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan has been made possible through the support of founding sponsors Quest Diagnostics and the Quest Diagnostics Foundation, and from Resolve to Save Lives, a global health initiative focused on helping advance scalable, proven strategies to prevent and address epidemics. To learn more, visit: www.ChooseHealthyLife.org

About United Way of New York City

United Way of New York City (UWNYC) fights for the self-sufficiency of every low-income New Yorker by taking on the toughest challenges and creating new solutions to old problems. We win by helping families shift from barely surviving to thriving. We unite by mobilizing the best ideas, relevant data, internal and external experts, and resourcesfrom money to manpower. UWNYC maximizes impact by coordinating and aligning organizations, companies, local government, and New Yorkers to help families eliminate tough choices and live better while making ends meet. To learn more, visit: www.unitedwaynyc.org .

SOURCE Quest Diagnostics

Related Links

www.questdiagnostics.com


On January 4, political news site Iowa Starting Line announced it was going on hiatus until further notice. Good journalism should hold the powerful accountable, but it should do so in reality, not just theory, Pat Rynard, founder and managing editor, wrote. And if voters arent listening to it, then what are we doing here?

Rynard launched Iowa Starting Line in 2015 as a left-leaning news blog for political insidersa way to bring some balance to the online political conversation in Iowa, he says. Over the years, the publication evolved into a full-fledged news outlet with a large staff. One year ago, in the lead-up to a chaotic primary election, the New York Times called Iowa Starting Line a success story in the ailing world of local news. This January, Rynard is in the process of reevaluating the publications role.



CJR spoke to Rynard about the influence of local political reporting, its limits, and the challenges it faces. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.



CJR: Who does Iowa Starting Line write for? Whos your audience?



Pat Rynard: Its a mix. In terms of pure numbers, its politically engaged people in Iowa, who just want to have a fuller sense of whats happening in politics. Over the years, I was very intentional in writing things that would be interesting for other reporters, so that our stories wouldnt just stay on one little online news site that has a limited reach, but could end up in a lot of other places. I built up a lot of good relationships with national reporters who were here for the Iowa caucus, offering us up as a resource for a behind-the scenes look at what was happening in Iowa politics.

CJR: In your recent post, you said that good journalism should hold the powerful accountable in reality, not just in theory. Why?

PR: I dont see that conversation happening as much. Its all about How do we keep this stuff surviving? and not so much Is it having its full impact? Its been very disheartening to see so much stellar journalismuncovering massive failures of how the state government was handling the pandemic in Iowaand feeling like it did not have a real impact. When theres a huge expose about some agency failing terribly, there just arent many changes. And thats whats been frustrating to me and why Im trying to figure out either Do I want to keep doing this? or, if I am going to, Whats the way to get the news in front of more people? When I started, my pitch to a lot of people was that it would be impactful journalism: for me, at that point, getting stories picked up in larger news outlets so that a whole lot more Iowans and voters would see it. But now my concern is, if voters arent even reading it or watching those things, then youve got to figure out something different.

How do you get a good, factual news story in front of the twenty-six-year-old guy who works at the Caseys gas station in Knoxville, Iowa? Because those are the kind of folks who dont have a lot of time, or who definitely dont follow all the news, who dont have subscriptions to the Des Moines Register or New York Times, probably dont even watch the local news at night. Most of the news pops up in their news feed. So how do you figure out a way to pop up in front of him? Because otherwise, its too easy to get swamped with misinformation.

CJR: Do you think national outlets have jumped into the lets save local news conversation without evaluating the ways in which local news outlets have degraded or have never really met the needs of their audience in the way that they should?

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PR: I think paywalls are single-handedly eroding our democracy. Even when you get good news out there, its locked behind a paywall. That journalism has a limited impact. Obviously, newspaper paywalls are often essential in keeping reporters employed. But these local news outlets need to find a different business model to move away from that. Weve seen that its not working. When you have a big breaking news story, and a couple of ten thousand people can actually read it in a state, how much impact or influence is it gonna have? Not everybody subscribes to their newspaper anymore. Theres been a very clear trend of politicians trying to sow doubt in the credibility of mainstream news. People are just finding their news wherever they can find it for free.

CJR: Weve seen how misinformation and disinformation can contribute to large numbers of American citizens believing a fair election was fraudulent. Weve also seen disinformation playing a role in prompting a violent mob at the Capitol. How have you seen these trends in disinformation playing out locally?

PR: Even when you have these massively shocking moments, like at the Capitol, that you would think would pierce through some of the fogand I think it does for some peoplethere are too many Americans that get presented a different reality. And I think the misinformation, unfortunately, makes local politics more national. Its not like there are lots of conspiracy theories going around about [Iowa governor] Kim Reynolds. Whats been frustrating about a lot of these more recent elections is that it just feels like the local issues dont matter, because people get whipped up by this misinformation thats related to national politics. Theres a lot of stuff floating around on social media, and its not about your local city council meeting. And local politicians arent held as accountable as they should be.

CJR: Ive held out some hope for the possibility that local news outlets, speaking in a common vernacular, and understanding local concerns, might have some sort of power to build trust with local audiences that national outlets cant. Do you think that theres any hope for that?

PR: I think its a possibility. The issue is justwhat kind of business models are those local, trusted news sources going to transition to, going forward? Or are they all just gonna kind of hang on to this sort of slow decline? And I also know a lot of the problem is with a bunch of these newspapers being part of huge national corporations. I dont know what the answer is.

CJR: In your post, you wrote about the sacrifices youve made. Do you think theres a future where local news can survive and without journalists having to go on this sort of moral campaign to their own detriment?

PR: My situation has been pretty unique. But I do observe that people write for a local outlet for five to eight yearstheyll get outbecause the pay is just so bad. Even though they love the work, at some point, youve got to focus on your family and your own long-term financial stability. And those issues are just getting harder by the year as we keep making more and more cuts. You lose institutional knowledge, and a lot of things.

CJR: In a perfect, miraculous world, how do we get more eyeballs on good journalism?



PR: I dont know yet. I think partially its figuring out ways to write stories a little more colloquially, finding stories that are a little more engaging on social media that arent clickbait. Find a way to get people to click on factual-but-interesting. I think its very salvageable. We just need a lot of new and more imaginative thinking. It kind of goes hand in hand with my frustration with Democratic campaigns in Iowa. Democrats keep getting beat year after year after year, and then you see them run the exact same type of campaigns, year after year after year, without introspection or reflection. Like with all the challenges of the journalism industry, it just requires a lot more reflection and introspection and coming up with creative, more imaginative ways of how to fund news outlets and get their stories in front of people.

The Journalism Crisis Project aims to train our focus on the present crisis, tallying lost jobs and outlets and fostering a conversation about what comes next. We hope youll join us (click to subscribe).



EXPLORE THE TOW CENTERS COVID-19 CUTBACK TRACKER: Over the past nine months, researchers at the Tow Center have collected reports of a wide range of cutbacks amid the pandemic. Now theres an interactive map and searchable database. You can find it here.

CONTRIBUTE TO OUR DATABASE: If youre aware of a newsroom experiencing layoffs, cutbacks, furloughs, print reductions, or any fundamental change as a result of covid-19, let us know by submitting information here. (Personal information will be kept secure by the Tow Center and will not be shared.)

Below, more on recent media trends and changes in newsrooms across the world:

JOURNALISM JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES: MediaGazer has been maintaining a list of media companies that are currently hiring. You can find it here. The Deez Links newsletter, in partnership with Study Hall, offers media classifieds for both job seekers and job providers. The Successful Pitches database offers resources for freelancers. The International Journalists Network lists international job opportunities alongside opportunities for funding and further education. And an organization of fifty writers called the Periplus Collective recently announced a mentorship program to serve early-career writers who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Lauren Harris is a freelance journalist. She writes CJR's weekly newsletter for the Journalism Crisis Project. Follow her on Twitter @LHarrisWrites.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on January 3. Erin Scott-Pool/Getty

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly expressed support for assassinating powerful Democrats, CNN reported Tuesday.

In 2018, Greene wrote on Facebook that "the stage is being set" to hang Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

In 2019, she liked a Facebook comment suggesting Nancy Pelosi get a "bullet to the head."

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia repeatedly expressed support for assassinating leading Democrats, CNN's KFile reported Tuesday.

A review of hundreds of posts and comments on Greene's Facebook page revealed that in addition to posting far-right conspiracy theories about the "deep state" and Democrats, the Georgia congresswoman also engaged with people who called for executing prominent Democratic politicians.

Video: How the Proud Boys brought far-right extremism into the mainstream

CNN reported that in one Facebook post in April 2018, Greene spread baseless information attacking the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which was one of President Barack Obama's key policy achievements. Someone commented on the post, asking Greene, "Now do we get to hang them ?? Meaning H & O???"

The person was referring to Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"Stage is being set," Greene replied, according to CNN. "Players are being put in place. We must be patient. This must be done perfectly or liberal judges would let them off."

Then in January 2019, Greene liked a Facebook comment saying Nancy Pelosi, who had just become the House speaker after Democrats regained control of the chamber, should get a "bullet to the head." CNN said that the following month, Greene broadcast on Facebook Live from Pelosi's office and said the California Democrat would "suffer death or she'll be in prison" for "treason."

Greene also expressed support for other Facebook comments that called for the execution of FBI agents, CNN said. After CNN reached out to the lawmaker, she tweeted a statement saying, "Over the years, I've had teams of people manage my pages. Many posts have been liked. Many posts have been shared. Some did not represent my views."

Story continues

She did not deny any specific allegations or disavow the comments and Facebook interactions calling for the assassination of her political opponents.

The freshman lawmaker is a longtime supporter of the QAnon conspiracy theory, which alleges President Donald Trump was saving the world from a global satanic cabal of child-eating and pedophiliac Democrats. The FBI concluded in August 2019 that QAnon and other far-right conspiracy theories like it posed a domestic-terrorism threat in the US.

Greene made waves even before she arrived in Congress, given her claim that the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, was a hoax and her long history of conveying racist and anti-Semitic beliefs.

The Georgia lawmaker drew swift backlash after CNN's article was published.

"If Members wearing overcoats are not allowed on the floor of The United States House of Representatives, why would we allow those who've liked posts calling for the execution of fellow elected officials?" Rep. Dean Phillips tweeted.

New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell also spoke out, tweeting, "A sitting republican member of Congress called for President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and others to be murdered."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Watch: GOP congresswoman indicated support for executing Democrats before running for Congress
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A 102-year-old Jewish woman hailing from Bristol has revealed she lived in the same apartment as Adolf Hitler in the 1920s. She even spotted a coffin being removed from his apartment at one point.

Alice Frank Stock resided in the same apartment block as one of the most wicked men in history amid the 1920s and 1930s prior to his rising to power and becoming Chancellor of Germany before World War II.

Adolf Hitler's Neighbor

She recently opened up regarding her experience as Adolf Hitler's neighbor for nearly a decade.

Stock, a Jewish woman, resided with her family in Munich's Prinzregentenplatz neighborhood amid the 1920s and 1930s.

According to Stock, she would witness times Hitler being rushed into the building while flanked by towering SS guards, reported The Mail.

Rumors were rife regarding his nocturnal activities, which involve the mystifying fate of his niece Geli Raubal with whom Hitler was allegedly in a relationship.

Stock remarked she once witnessed a coffin being hauled out of Hitler's apartment, which she and others speculated could have been the Raubal's body who had shot herself.

She said Hitler was usually unseen by her and her family. They were later forced to leave Germany mere days prior to the outbreak of World War II, reported Daily Mail.

Stock's family had moved to the city when she was merely three months old due to her father's work as a judge in the High Court. She recounted Munich as a "very cultural city."

According to the 102-year-old, Hitler used to scurry into the building due to fears of assassination.

Also Read: Longest Living Alligator Rumored to Be Part of Hitler's Pet Menagerie Dies At Age 84

The evil dictator moved into the two-bedroom flat in the late 1920s following his release from prison after a failed coup attempt.

According to Stock, "We lived in a small apartment block next to the Prince Regent Theater. It was a lovely apartment, with four or five bedrooms, a big salon, and a dining room."

Stock then moved to Britain and has turned 102 at her Bristol care home.

She celebrated merely with staff and residents at Druid Stoke Care Home run by Bupa due to COVID-19 limitations.

Little did the young version of herself know that within that same lovely apartment block resided a figure that would forever alter history.

Stock stated she was not sure exactly which apartment the infamous Nazi dictator occupied on her block. However, it was close enough for her to occasionally witness Hitler as he left and entered with his group of SS guards.

She rarely saw Hitler in the corridors. "We lived in a house -- a big house -- and there were two entrances. One was our apartment, number 14. The other was either number 13 or 15. That's where Hitler lived. I never spoke to him. I saw him once or twice coming home. His car would draw up," reported Mirror.

Hitler grew up and resided in Austria prior to moving to Germany to pursue his government aspirations. He resided in Munich until he clinched the title of Chancellor in 1933, with which he took over Germany's government and commenced his dictatorship.

Related Article: Hitler Had Deformed Micropenis, 1 Testicle, Historians Say

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Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the eldest child of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings has described him as a perfectionist In many ways, I think I experienced some dimensions of him by observing him in the public domain, but privately he was passionate about things he was a perfectionist, she stated.



Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the eldest child of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings has described him as a perfectionist



In many ways, I think I experienced some dimensions of him by observing him in the public domain, but privately he was passionate about things he was a perfectionist, she stated.

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings, who was interacting with the Ghana News Agency during a vigil in honour of the late First President of the Fourth Republic, said her father was a perfectionist, who would pick on the strangest thing he observes so much.



I remember when he was at the Castle, he walked up the stairs, he just turned and asked me how many steps did you count? I didnt have an answer, but he had a way of bringing your attention to little details



She said the late former President had a sense of humour and that he was always cracking jokes, and, was purpose driven, practical and honest.



Dr Agyeman-Rawlings, also described her mother as a disciplinary, who always ensured the right thing was done.



The state vigil, held on Sunday at the Air Force Officers Mess in Accra, formed part of a four-day state funeral, which started on Sunday with a Requiem Mass at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in honour of the late former President.



In attendance at the vigil were; Mrs Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the wife of the late former President and their children, and Colonel Joshua Agbotui (retired), the Head of the late former Presidents family.



Dignitaries at vigil include; Air Marshall Michael Sampson-Oje, a former Chief of the Defence Staff; Air Vice Marshall (AVM) Issifu Sakib Kadri, a former Commandant of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) and AVM Frederick Bekoe, Air Officer, Special Duties, Jubilee House.



Others were; AVM Christian, Edem Kobla Dovlo, former Commandant, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC); Major General Francis Ofori, the Commandant of KAIPTC, Rear Admiral Moses Beik-Baffour, Commandant, GAFCSC, Dr Evans Agbeme Dzikum, Chief Director, Ministry of Defence; and Commission of Police (COP) Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, the Director-General in-charge of Welfare at the Ghana Police Service, represented the Inspector General of Police (IGP).



The rest were; Mr Victor Gbeho, a former Ambassador, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC); Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, a former Minister of Defence; and Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, a former Minister of Defence.



Mr Fritz Baffour, a former Information Minister, who hosted the vigil described the late former President as a very good man.

Source: GNA









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UNIS/OS/545

26 January 2021

PRESS RELEASE

UN Office for Outer Space Affairs and United Kingdom sign agreement to promote space sustainability

VIENNA, 26 January (United Nations Information Service) - International efforts to protect future space activity have been given a boost thanks to a new partnership between the UN and the Government of the United Kingdom. The agreement will help nations ensure that outer space remains safe and sustainable for future generations.

The increasing complexity of space missions, the emergence of large constellations of satellites and the increased risks of collision all affect the long-term sustainability of space activities. And there are currently approximately 170 million objects in orbit - mainly debris - which could collide with satellites vital to services we use every day.

In 2019, the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), of which the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is Secretariat, adopted the Guidelines for the Long-Term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities (LTS guidelines), which provide a framework to ensure the safe and sustainable use of space. The Guidelines were subsequently welcomed by the United Nations General Assembly.

Following today's announcement, the United Kingdom will support international efforts to promote space sustainability with funding of 85,000. The funds will be used to identify examples of the sustainable use of outer space through a series of events and outreach efforts. This project will also inform future UNOOSA capacity-building efforts to promote the sustainability of outer space, and it will encourage all actors to implement the LTS guidelines to the fullest extent possible.

UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo said: "Global investment and dependency on space activities are increasing rapidly. It is essential, the international community comes together to make the long-term sustainability of space activities a reality. The LTS Guidelines are a landmark expression of global consensus and effective multilateralism on this crucial subject. UNOOSA is working to put sustainability at the heart of global space operations. This project, generously funded by our UK partners, will help us 'connect the dots'; converting the successes of multilateral policy-making into practice and helping to deliver the predictability the global space economy needs to ensure its sustained growth in the years to come."

UK Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: "As the Earth's orbit becomes congested with potentially hazardous debris, it's critical that we work with our international partners to secure the continued safety and sustainability of space. I am therefore delighted the UK is partnering with the UN to implement and promote these vital standards to all emerging and established space-faring nations, helping to ensure that outer space remains open for our next generation of astronauts. This partnership with the UK Space Agency is the first time the UK has funded a project with UNOOSA. It will enable the UN to raise global awareness on this important issue and foster the global governance of outer space based on international law. It is also the first project to be funded from the international element of the UK Space Agency's National Space Innovation Programme, launched in October 2020 to support collaborative projects between UK organizations and international partners."

* *** *

For more information, please contact:

Ottavia Pesce

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

Telephone: (+43 699) 1459 8718

Email: pesce[at]un.org
Hundreds of people have been arrested after a weekend of riots across the Netherlands in which shops were looted and a Covid testing centre attacked.

Mark Rutte, the prime minister, condemned criminal violence yesterday after protesters against a coronavirus curfew went on the rampage in several cities.

Police used water cannon, tear gas and mounted troops to disperse rioters after protests were banned and demonstrators asked to go home.

Around 250 people have been arrested.

Expand Close Mounted police officers in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Sunday, January 24, 2021. Photo: Eva Plevier/ REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp Mounted police officers in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Sunday, January 24, 2021. Photo: Eva Plevier/ REUTERS

Although legal demonstrations against coronavirus restrictions have been taking place for months, this was the first case of widespread violence.

Rioters torched a car, looted shops and  to public horror  pelted windows at a hospital in Enschede with stones.

The riots were prompted by a national curfew preventing people from leaving their homes from 9pm to 4.30am, the first since the Second World War.

It was voted through by a parliamentary majority, even though the government last week stepped down over a domestic scandal.

Other protests have reportedly been planned for forthcoming Sundays.

Trouble flared first in the small fishing village of Urk on Saturday night, when riot police were called in after youths set a drive-in coronavirus test centre on fire.

Read More

On Sunday, protests spread from Amsterdam to Eindhoven, and then 12 other locations by the evening, including The Hague.

The violence is unacceptable, said Mr Rutte, who is acting in a caretaker capacity until a March general election.

This has nothing to do with protesting: it is criminal violence, and we will treat it as such. I am convinced that 99pc of the Netherlands is keeping to the rules and the curfew.

"We are not taking all of these measures for fun.

"We are fighting against a virus, and it is the virus taking our freedom.

Mayor John Jorritsma of Eindhoven, where protesters who were told to disperse pulled knives, batons, Molotov cocktails and other weapons on police, branded rioters the scum of the earth. ( 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]
ASHLAND, Ohio, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashland University's Online Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Program has been ranked #100 by U.S. News & World Report, an increase of 31 spots from last year's ranking.

The program is ranked #1 in Northeast Ohio and fourth in Ohio overall according to U.S. News and World Report. Further, Ashland's Online MBA ranked 63rd in the nation for veterans. U.S. News and World Report provides some of the most reputable and data-driven MBA rankings.

Ashland's Online MBA program has out-ranked many Ohio MBA programs, including all Northeast Ohio universities. Ashland University is proud to rank among the top 100 MBA programs, a strong recognition of Ashland's efforts to continuously innovate and improve the quality of their programs.

Dr. Elad Granot, dean of the Dauch College of Business and Economics, is pleased that Ashland was ranked in the top 100. "We're proud to be recognized as a top business school on the national stage. Our rise above all schools of business in Northeast Ohio is a testament to the unparalleled efforts of our faculty and staff in support of our students. In an effort to continuously improve our programs and provide a world-class MBA," said Granot who continued, "we are working towards accreditation from AACSB."

Ashland University's MBA is known for its high return on investment (ROI), as surveyed alumni report an average 46% salary increase. Ashland MBA alumni realize a more immediate payoff from their investment in higher education.

Ashland University's Online MBA program is extremely flexible. Students can enroll from anywhere, choose a personalized coursework pace, and select from 11+ specializations, or create a customized specialization. Ashland University's MBA offers rolling admissions, and candidates can still enroll in classes beginning this March. Students who choose the one-year MBA option will graduate in March 2022.

For more information, contact the MBA programs office at (419) 289-5214 or [email protected].

ABOUT ASHLAND UNIVERSITY

Ashland's MBA Program has graduated more than 5,000 alumni since 1978. Currently, Ashland University's College of Business & Economics is pursuing AACSB Accreditation. In a recent survey, 100% of Alumni were satisfied with their MBA experience and felt it prepared them for success in their careers.

ABOUT U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT

The Best Online MBA Programs rankings included 329 schools and evaluated schools based on data related to their distance education MBA programs. For this ranking, U.S. News assessed MBA programs using five categories -- student engagement (30%), student excellence (15%), expert opinion (25%), faculty credentials and training (15%), and student services and technology (15%). Full rankings are available here.

MEDIA CONTACT

To request logos, photos, or interviews, members of the media may contact Tiarra Kick at [email protected] or 419-566-9872.

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The Union Tank Car Repair Facility being built near Zachary in 1958. Despite being listed as one of the state's most endangered architectural treasures, the dome was demolished on Nov. 15, 2007, by the Kansas City Southern Railway Co.
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Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - Thesis Gold Inc. (TSXV: TAU) ("Thesis" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that all matters submitted to the shareholders for approval as set out in the Company's Notice of Meeting and Information Circular, both dated December 7, 2020, were approved unanimously with 100% of the votes cast in favour of all matters put forth at the Company's Annual General and Special Meeting ("AGSM") held on Thursday, January 14, 2021.

The Company would like to thank its shareholders for their continued support and participation in the Meeting.

Appointment of New President & CEO

Thesis is also pleased to announce that Ewan Webster Ph.D., P.Geo. has been appointed as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director to lead the Company's growth and expansion of its Ranch Gold Project. Dr. Webster's appointment expands the Company's Board of Directors to five.

Ewan holds a First-Class Honours degree (B.Sc.) in geology from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, a Geoscience B.C funded Ph.D., from the University of Calgary, and is a registered professional geoscientist in British Columbia (P.Geo.). Ewan has worked as an exploration geologist for a number of public companies in North and South America, on a variety of different deposit types. Ewan holds the position of senior geologist for the Metals Group of companies and has been instrumental in the advancement of Benchmark Metals Lawyers gold and silver project, adjacent to Thesis Gold's Ranch project. His experience and knowledge in the Toodoggone region of British Columbia will be tremendously valuable as we advance our district scale Ranch gold project.

Thesis Gold would like to thank Roy Bonnell for his tenure and dedication as CEO and will continue to seek his valuable counsel as a remaining board member.

Grant of Restricted Stock Units

The Company has granted 1,400,000 restricted stock units ("RSUs") to various directors, officers and consultants under the Company's RSU plan. The RSUs are payable in common shares of Thesis and will be vested in four equal installments of 350,000 over eighteen months.

About Thesis Gold

Thesis Gold is a mineral exploration company focused on proving and developing the resource potential of the 17,832-hectare Ranch Gold Project located in the "Golden Horseshoe" area of northern British Columbia, approximately 300 km north of Smithers, B.C. For further details about the Ranch Gold Project, please refer to the Company's website or current geological Technical Report dated September 18, 2020 available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Thesis Gold Inc.

"Roy Bonnell"

Roy Bonnell

President, CEO and Director

For further information:

Nick Stajduhar

Director

Telephone: 780-701-3216

Email: nicks@thesisgold.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 press release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Company's recently completed financings, and the future plans or prospects of the Company. Generally, forward-looking information 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 state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management's discussion and analysis which is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72791
Members of the National Guard listen to President Joe Biden give his inaugural address during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. (Greg Nash/AFP via Getty Images)

National Guard Presence in Capital Unusual and Unnecessary: Former Military Intelligence Officer

The continued presence of at least 5,000 members of the National Guard in Washington until March is unusual, unprecedented, unnecessary, and is in danger of becoming akin to an occupation force, a former military intelligence officer said on Jan. 25.

Retired Lt. Steven Rogers, a former FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force member, suggests that the planned presence of thousands of Guard members even after the inauguration of President Joe Bidenwhich saw more than 26,000 on dutyis cause for concern.

As of Jan. 25, about 13,000 Guard members remain in Washington, according to U.S. Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the head of the National Guard Bureau. A spokesman for the agency confirmed to The Epoch Times last week that it will draw down Guard members to 5,000 until mid-March.

The purpose of the National Guard is to supplement law enforcement agencies, to help them with crowd control, to help them with enforcing laws, just to supplement their manpower. That job was done, Rogers, president of Campaign 4 Americaa new organization that aims to bring the country together and advance what it believes to be a conservative agendatold NTD.

And unfortunately, what the message the American people are receiving is that this is slowly becoming an occupation force that is absolutely unnecessary, he said.

Thousands of National Guard personnel poured into the nations capital for a presidential inauguration like no other in history on Jan. 20, after a group stormed the Capitol building a week earlier during the Joint Session of Congress. No members had to deal with any security problems on Inauguration Day, spokesman Maj. Matt Murphy told The Epoch Times on Jan. 21.

U.S. National Guard troops patrol the vicinity of the U.S. Capitol hours before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

National Guard troops carry riot shields as they assume positions in the vicinity of the US Capitol during the inauguration of Joe Biden in Washington, on Jan. 20, 2021. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

Acting Army Secretary John Whitley said during a Jan. 25 briefing that there had been FBI warnings about possible unrest in the coming weeks that require Guard troops to remain in Washington until March.

Rogers, however, said he believes the continued presence of Guard personnel is political, given that the National Guard hasnt been deployed to handle the incessant riots and acts of violence that have been carried out across the country by the far-left Antifa group in recent days.

Whats more perplexing is the fact that as our troops are in Washington D.C., there are cities on the West Coast coast that are burning down, Rogers said. Weve had a situation where Antifa is attacking city halls, theyre taking over neighborhoods, theyre burning buildings, theyre assaulting police officers.

Antifa members last week smashed windows and vandalized the offices of the Democratic Party in Portland, Oregon, during rioting that took place just hours after Bidens inauguration, while others toppled garbage cans and lit one on fire. A crowd mainly dressed in Antifas characteristic black marched holding banners that read: We dont want Biden. We want revenge for police murders, imperialist wars, and fascist massacres, and We are not governable, along with numerous anarchy symbols.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Jan. 25 that Biden condemns violence and any violence in the strongest possible terms.

Right now, I can only say this is political, what kind of message is being sent, its not a good message for our world leaders. Its not a good message for the American people, Rogers said.

There is an underlying issue, and that issue is the influence of communism, of socialism, in this country, and the optics of troops in our capital doesnt fit well with the American people when there is a concern about a socialist communist agenda of being advanced by some of this country. And the only conclusion that I could draw now is, it simply is not healthy for America. Its not a good sight for anyone to see.

Its time for these troops to come home, Rogers said. Theyre not cops, they have to be combat-ready. They have to be ready to fight wars, and may I add, they have to be ready to go to areas of the country when theyre called upon to help law enforcement agencies.

With reporting from NTD reporter Grace Coulter.
Party General Secretary Do Muoi and Chairman of the Council of Ministers Vo Van Kiet visit China, marking the official normalisation of relations between the two countries from Nov. 5-10. In the photo: the signing of the Vietnam-China trade agreement and a provisional Treaty on the Settlement of Land Border Issues in Beijing, on November 7, 1991. (Photo: VNA)
Paris, 25 January 2021 (SPS) - Representative of the Polisario Front in France Mohamed Sidati said Sunday he is expecting from the new American administration that it reviews the decision of former president Donald Trump, recognizing the alleged sovereignty of Morocco over Western Sahara, and called on Washington to work in the UN Security Council with the bodys other members to remedy the situation.



Trumps legacy is heavy but we will not lose hope seeing that Bidens new administration expressed its willingness to review and reconsider all what was done by his predecessor, said Sidati at the channel France 24.



In this respect, we hope that the administration could address this injustice committed agaist Western Sahara and notably using its position as a member of the Security Council alongside other members of the body to remedy the situation, he added.



While broaching the situation on the ground since the resumption of the armed clashes, the Sahrawi diplomat affirmed that the Sahrawi combatants for freedom bombed Saturday the area of El Guerguerat, because it is from this point that the Moroccan troops tried to extend their illegal occupation, and it is from this zone that they illegally transport goods (), it is obvious today for the Sahrawi combatants to conduct attacks in El Guerguerat.



This shows that there isnt, in Western Sahara, any point that cannot be reached by the Sahrawi combatants, he underlined. In this respect, The Polisario Fronts representative pointed out that Morocco will not be able to continue concealing the reality of a cruel war taking place in Western Sahara where the Sahrawi people are struggling to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination.



The international legality must be restored and the international law must be implemented in Western Sahara to complete the decolonization process, he said. (SPS)



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Fourteen multinational companies went on trial in France yesterday accused of causing grievous harm to a French-Vietnamese woman by selling Agent Orange to the US whose military used millions of tonnes of the toxic chemical in the Vietnam War.

Lawyers for the plaintiff have hailed the trial as potentially historic as a guilty verdict would be the first time a Vietnamese civilian was deemed a victim of the defoliant.

As part of Americans Ranch Hand military campaign to halt the advance of North Vietnamese troops, the US military sprayed an estimated 20 million gallons of Agent Orange between 1961 and 1971. The stated aim was to deprive enemy combatants of cover and destroy crops. But NGOs say that as well as that, it also caused health problems such as cancer and malformations in up to three million people in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The US officially ended the use of the defoliant in the war in 1971, and withdrew from Vietnam in 1975.

To date, only military veterans from the US, Australia and Korea have won compensation for the after-effects of the chemical which has a toxicity estimated to be about 13 times that of herbicides in civilian use. In 1984, seven chemical companies settled with US veteran plaintiffs to the tune of $250m (206m) after 16,000 complained exposure had caused rare forms of cancers, nerve damage, liver disorders and skin problems.

They also claimed it resulted in miscarriages by their spouses and birth defects in their children. However, civilian lawsuits have so far failed.

A recognition of Vietnamese civilian victims would constitute a legal precedent, international law specialist Valerie Cabanes said. NGOs also hope it will bolster a drive to pressure states to recognise ecocide as a crime.

The case centres on Tran To Nga (78), who worked as a journalist in Vietnam in her 20s. She filed the lawsuit in 2014 against firms that made or sold Agent Orange, including Monsanto, now owned by German giant Bayer, and Dow Chemical. Ms Nga said: Im not fighting for myself, but for my children and the millions of victims. She suffers from Agent Orange effects including type 2 diabetes and a rare insulin allergy. She said she also developed a cancer and one of her daughters died of a heart malformation.

The multinationals argue that they cannot be held responsible for the way the American military used their product. The trial continues.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
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Providing economic relief to struggling families can lead to another positive effect -- fewer cases of child neglect, according to new research by the University of Washington.

A 10% increase in a common benefit for low- to moderate-income working families, the Earned Income Tax Credit, led to a 9% decrease in the annual number of reports of child neglect made to child welfare agencies over a 14-year study period. That's a significant impact, researchers say, and can inform future social policies.

The study is relevant to current policy actions, as President Joe Biden has recently proposed an expansion of the child tax credit as part of his new stimulus plan.

"The EITC is an important part of the U.S. safety net that has been shown to substantially reduce child poverty. Our results add to growing evidence that policies that improve family economic security can also prevent child maltreatment," said Nicole Kovski, a doctoral student at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the UW.

She is lead author of the study published Jan. 19 in the journal Child Maltreatment.

Child maltreatment is a common problem in the United States, with an estimated one-third of children subject to a child protective services investigation before they turn 18.

The stress of poverty has long been linked to child abuse and family instability, and other research has explored the impact of different economic policies on child-abuse prevention. The UW study is the first to focus on the Earned Income Tax Credit - a program designed to assist lower-income families, often with a tangible benefit in the form of a tax refund - and its potential association with reports of child maltreatment made to child welfare agencies across the U.S.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is provided by both the federal government and 28 states, and eligibility and credit size vary with income and family size. UW researchers focused on the generosity of refundable state EITCs, noting that such a benefit has been found to be put toward a family's basic needs.

The research team analyzed the number of child abuse and neglect reports to local and state agencies from 2004 through 2017 and the correlation with the EITC program at the state level. The team hypothesized that the more generous a state's EITC, the more necessities, such as child care or rent, a family can put the money toward, potentially alleviating some of the stress that can lead to child maltreatment. Over the course of the study period, many states altered their level of benefit as a percentage of the federal tax credit, while others generally held steady. Minnesota, for example, provided an average of 33% of the federal credit, depending on household income, while Oklahoma provided 5% of the federal credit before making its EITC nonrefundable in 2016.

With the child abuse and neglect data, the UW team counted all reports of maltreatment, rather than just those reports that were found to be substantiated, reasoning that any report increases the likelihood of a child being victimized in the future. Taking all states into account - those with and without an EITC -- during the study period, states averaged nearly 4,400 maltreatment reports per 100,000 children each year.

When annual state EITC benefits were taken into account, the team found maltreatment reports, particularly those of neglect, declined as benefit levels rose: A 10 percentage-point increase in state-level benefits was associated with 241 fewer reports of neglect per 100,000 children. The effect was even more pronounced in the number of neglect reports on children from infancy through age 5, the age range at which the majority of maltreatment incidents occur.

Put another way, a 10 percentage-point increase in the refundable EITC benefit led to a 9% drop in rates of reported child neglect.

"This study highlights the importance of investigating the impact of social policies on health. Violence is a health issue with multiple forms, such as child maltreatment. An emerging body of evidence is empirically demonstrating that violence prevention can be an added benefit of social policies that were not necessarily enacted with that specific goal originally. This study is the most recent addition to that literature," said Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, an associate professor of epidemiology at the UW, director of the Violence Prevention Section at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, and the principal investigator of the project that supported this study.

While child neglect showed a trend, the link between EITC benefits and reports of specific types of abuse - physical, sexual and emotional - was not statistically significant. Researchers note that child abuse rates, in general, have declined much more significantly than neglect rates in recent decades, while neglect is found in three-quarters of child maltreatment cases.

Child neglect, too, may be more distinctly associated with poverty, past research has shown, potentially making some interventions more effective in preventing certain types of maltreatment than others.

"Child neglect often involves the failure of a caregiver to provide children with necessities, such as food, shelter and basic supervision. Additional income provided to families through the EITC can improve parents' abilities to meet these basic needs," Kovski said.

Researchers say the findings point to the fundamental value of an economic policy - the EITC - as a child-maltreatment prevention strategy. In other words, proactively improving financial stability among families may mitigate the circumstances that lead to child neglect and abuse.

###

The study was funded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Co-authors were Heather Hill of the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the UW; Steve Mooney and Erin Morgan of the UW Department of Epidemiology; and Frederick Rivara of the UW Department of Epidemiology, the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center and the UW Department of Pediatrics.

For more information, contact Kovski at kovskin@uw.edu.
OWOSSO, MI -- An Owosso man has been charged after police say he threatened to shoot Democrats and other individuals in the nations capital during the inauguration of President Joe Biden.

Richard Maurer, 65, was arraigned Jan. 22 in Shiawassee County District Court on a single count of false report or threat of terrorism, a felony charge that carries a potential 20-year prison term.

Owosso Public Safety was informed Jan. 16 that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was looking into Maurer who police say made threats against individuals in Washington D.C, police Chief Kevin Lenkart said.

Maurer attended a protest in Lansing the next day where he spoke with the New York Times and other news outlets, making specific threats to individuals in Washington D.C., which police deemed credible, Lenkart noted.

Over the next two days, police spoke with family members and obtained search warrants for Maurers house and social media accounts. Lenkart said there was indication he intended to go to Washington, D.C. Wednesday for the Biden inauguration.

Police found one pistol and two riffles, which were confiscated, Lenkart said.

Maurer was arrested and charged Tuesday, Jan. 19 before he could go to D.C.

He was upset with the recent results of the presidential election, Lenkart said. He had made statements that he disagreed with that and that he meant to do harm to certain individuals in Washington D.C.

According to photos on his Facebook page, Maurer had attended the insurrection on the Capitol Wednesday, Jan. 6.

On December 13, Maurer posted on Facebook Anyone want to be in a militia group?

He also posted after the police and FBI searched his house.

Maurer wrote in the Facebook post that it was his duty to kill to preserve the constitution and he would die for Trump and country but would rather the invaders die. However, he also said he never meant he would kill anyone who wasnt attacking him.

Maurers Facebook account remains active as of Tuesday, Jan. 26.

Public Defender Douglas Corwin, who is representing Maurer, declined to comment on the case as his office is still waiting on police reports.

Maurer was released on a $75,000 personal recognizance recognizance bond on Saturday.

Under the conditions of his release, the court stated he is not to use or access any social media or leave the state of Michigan without permission from the court.

Maurer is next scheduled to next appear in court for a Feb. 3 probable cause conference.

Read more on MLive:

Police seeking suspects in multiple burglaries at Shiawassee County storage facility

Suspect in Bay County drive-thru bank robbery caught in Pennsylvania

Saginaw man charged in shooting of woman on West Side

Police still looking for person who killed Saginaw father of two
Australian model Belle Lucia is the latest celebrity to be caught out by 'snark account' Celeb Spellcheck.

The 25-year-old was answering fans questions during an Instagram Q&A session, when she made an embarrassing comprehension blunder.

On Tuesday, the eagle-eyed social media account pointed out that Belle has misread the question and provided a completely irrelevant answer.

Oh dear! Australian model Belle Lucia, 25, was mocked by 'snark account' Celeb Spellcheck on Tuesday after she misread a question during an Instagram Q&A session with fans

'How are you, really?' asked the fan.

Misinterpreting the question, Belle spoke about how tall she was, saying: 'I don't know why I find this so funny, but I'm 173cms on the taller side for a girl.'

After noticing the gaffe, Instagram account Celeb Spellcheck reposted Belle's mistake, alongside a sassy caption that read: 'Good thanks'.

Whoops! Misinterpreting a question about how she's feeling, Belle responded by revealing how tall she was, writing: 'I don't know why I find this so funny, but I'm 173cms on the taller side for a girl'

Ouch! After noticing the gaffe, Instagram account Celeb Spellcheck reposted Belle's mistake, alongside a sassy caption that read: 'Good thanks'

The error comes after Belle said that she's 'naturally not very intelligent' after being slammed for posting a 'body positive' video showing her squeezing non-existent 'belly fat'.

'Same same different pose,' she captioned a video of herself in lingerie while clutching at skin on her stomach in a slightly unflattering position, which she contrasted with a more 'posed' position.

The resulting comments saw people call Belle 'out of touch' because 'grabbing' at her 'size-zero waist' didn't constitute body positivity.

Controversial: In August, Belle was criticised for sharing a 'body positive' video of herself squeezing non-existent 'belly fat' around her tummy

'Is she f**king kidding? She looks the exact same,' one person said, tagging their friends.

'I think you could have done a less flattering pose because this way you're showing yourself as "superhuman". It will make some people feel really insecure,' said another.

Upon reading the hundreds of negative comments, Belle apologised on Instagram Stories and admitted she was 'not very intelligent'.

Not smart: Upon reading the hundreds of negative comments, Belle apologised on Instagram Stories and admitted she was 'not very intelligent'

'I just want to highlight the difference between me posed and unposed as to me I think I look different and I even felt self conscious to post it,' she said.

'I'm getting a lot of hate. Probably deserved but I just want to reiterate that I didn't want to hurt anyone at all. I'm a very loving and kind person but I'm naturally not very intelligent so maybe I don't fully understand the body-positivity movement.'

Belle said she wouldn't be making any further posts about 'body positivity' because it wasn't 'her lane' to travel down.

'I've gone away to research why my post might have been insensitive. It is my understanding that my post was not relatable as a slim privileged woman,' she said.
Former Trump White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has officially announced she's running for governor of Arkansas in 2022 -- in what's slated to become one of the first tests of how much influence former President Donald Trump maintains over the Republican Party versus the GOP establishment.

Sanders announced her run in a nearly eight-minute-long campaign video posted to her Twitter feed Monday morning, appearing to target disgruntled Trump supporters in her pitch.

"Everything we love about America is at stake. With the radical left now in control of Washington, your governor is your last line of defense. In fact, your governor must be on the front line. So today, I announced my candidacy for governor of Arkansas and ask for your prayers and your support," she said.

Sanders touted her tenure in the Trump administration and listed a few campaign promises throughout the video, including prohibiting sanctuary cities, expanding school choice, lowering income taxes and fighting back against "radical left" environmental policies like the Green New Deal.

"I took on the media, the radical left and their 'cancel culture,' and I won. As governor, I will be your voice, and never let them silence you," Sanders added in the announcement.

Trump officially endorsed Sanders Monday night, saying in a statement that she is a candidate "who will always fight for the people of Arkansas and do what is right, not what is politically correct."

PHOTO: Sarah Huckabee Sanders appears on Fox News, Sept. 17, 2019, in New York City. (Steven Ferdman/Getty Images, FILE)

"She loves our Military and Veterans  and her home state of Arkansas," Trump said in his first official public endorsement since leaving office. "Sarah will be a GREAT Governor, and she has my Complete and Total Endorsement!"

Sanders, a loyalist of Trump's since leaving the administration, is vying for the position her father, Mike Huckabee, held from 1996 to 2007.

When Sanders succeeded Sean Spicer as White House press secretary in 2017, she was only the third woman to serve in the position and did so for nearly two years -- with her tenure marked by a combative relationship with the press.

Story continues

She frequently spread disinformation to defend the Trump administration and admitted to federal investigators that she had made false statements to the public as press secretary while interviewed by the Mueller Special Counsel investigation, calling it a "'slip of the tongue,'" the Mueller report said.

MORE: Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Former officials critical of Trump are 'disgruntled employees'

Sanders left the White House to return to her home state, Trump announced in June 2019 in a tweet, saying, "I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas - she would be fantastic." She has since written a book about her tenure. Prior to serving as press secretary, Sanders worked as a senior adviser on Trump's presidential campaign after managing her father's failed bid.

PHOTO: White House press secretary Sarah Sanders hugs President Donald Trump after announcing she will be leaving her position during an event in the East Room of the White House, June 13, 2019. (Evan Vucci/AP, FILE)

She enters a crowded field with Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin -- considered by many the GOP establishment candidate -- already in the running along with Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, both Republicans, who have combined raised more than $2.8 million, according to the Associated Press. Since leaving the White House, she's laid the groundwork for a run by meeting with GOP groups across the solidly red state.

Current Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson is barred by term limits from seeking re-election next year. No Democrats have announced a run for the seat.

With the backing of the former president, Sanders is seen as a leader in the polls -- but that backing came before the Jan. 6 siege on Capitol Hill. Now, as the Republican Party is facing a break in leadership with Democrats controlling Congress and Trump facing an impeachment trial in the Senate -- the only former president in the position -- Sanders' race will be one of the first indicators of Trump's staying power in the future of the Republican Party.

MORE: 'Start Here': Sarah Sanders leaving, Donald Trump criticized, oil tankers attacked

According to the Arkansas Times, former Gov. Mike Huckabee and wife, Janet, recently bought a $1.7 million home west of Little Rock, the state's capital. The family already owned a $249,000 home in Little Rock but said they planned to "consolidate everything" to a new property, according to the Arkansas Times.

Sanders is the youngest child and only daughter of the former Republican governor of Arkansas.

She was born in Hope, Arkansas, the same town as former President Bill Clinton, who also served as a Democratic governor of Arkansas.

ABC News' Meg Cunningham and Will Steakin contributed to this report.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders appeals to Trump voters in bid for Arkansas governor originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

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The Ministry of Economy and grain market participants have agreed on a maximum corn export volume for the 2020/2021 marketing year (MY) in the amount of 24 million tonnes and will amend the annex to the memorandum of understanding between the grain market participants, the ministry said in a statement following a meeting held on January 25.

"Now, according to the regions, the projected corn production is 30.3 million tonnes, which is one of the best corn yields in all years. The Ministry of Economy believes that there are no problems with exporting corn to foreign markets or a probable shortage of this crop in the domestic market," Economy Minister Ihor Petrashko said.

The report indicates that, if necessary, the parties agreed to revise the approved maximum amount of corn allowed for export, after the publication of official statistics on crop production in 2020.

As reported, the associations of poultry and livestock breeders initiated the restriction of corn exports at the level of 22 million tonnes in 2020/2021 MY in the "grain" memorandum. They argue their proposal to limit exports by the need to guarantee the domestic market 7.5 million tonnes of corn for production of animal feed.

The Ukrainian Grain Association considers the volume of corn exports at the level of 24 million tonnes acceptable for the market participants and corresponding to their forecasts of the harvest of this crop, acting executive director of the association Serhiy Ivaschenko told Interfax-Ukraine. Earlier, the association opposed the restriction of corn exports at the level of 22 million tonnes, since, in its opinion, the real goal of the initiators of the restrictions was to create an artificial surplus in the domestic grain market to reduce prices.

One of the members of the American Chamber of Commerce told Interfax-Ukraine that the association discussed the possibility of limiting corn exports before making a final decision and agreed that there was no urgent need for it, but if such a limitation is introduced, then it should be set at the level of 24 million tonnes, but not 22 million tonnes as suggested by its initiators.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan has issued a statement, noting that the archival documents clearly confirm that the more uncertain the border issues or the solution of today's improper mechanical approaches, the more the rights of the villagers will be violated, and increasingly, disputes and conflicts will arise.

Armenpress presents the Ombudsmans statement:

In 1923 [after the 1921 initiative of I. Stalin ], the "Red Kurdistan" province was artificially created to divide Armenia and Artsakh. This division was made to cover from Karvachar to the Iranian border and from Mrav to the Arax river. Accordingly, those very territories which were within the borders of Soviet Armenia were annexed to Azerbaijan (this issue needs a separate address).

The archival documents related to the determination of the borders of that period are of fundamental importance for the protection of the rights of the border residents of the Republic of Armenia at present.

For example, in 1923, in order to resolve the border disputes between the Red Kurdistan and the Zangezur Province of the Armenian SSR, the Central Executive Committee (CEC) formed a commission in October of the same year where various commissions functioned.

At that time, the border demarcation work with Azerbaijan was still going on with serious difficulties.

In particular, various gangs attacked from the territory of Kurdistan and looted the Armenian border villages of Syunik. There were constant clashes, thefts of cattle from Armenian villagers, provocative arrests, etc.

The archives of the Central Executive Committee of the Armenian SSR in March 1924 attest to these border violations which were compiled on the basis of the applications of the Executive Committee of Zangezur Province.

At that time, there were serious disputes over the demarcation of arable land, pastures, forests and even mountain peaks. In 1926, a local commission was formed, consisting of Axel Bakunts, who was a land builder by profession and who paid special attention to these issues. It is clear from his reports that the Armenian villagers were the main victims, and that their rights were not taken into account.

Axel Bakunts October 18, 1926 report suggests that when determining the boundaries of Zangezur, one should take into account the villages connections to one another, their capacities (which were already scarce) and the difficulties the people faced, and their economic ties (for example, the connection with Kapan; at that time about 50% of the villagers worked in Kapan copper mines).

Further, on the issue of the borders between Meghri and Zangelan, the USSR KGB in 1925 noted the importance for the Armenian villagers of winter pastures, who at that time were actually used by the residents of the villages of Meghri and Kapan regions without grasslands. Moreover, it was specially mentioned that without these pastures, the cattle breeding in the surrounding villages would be paralyzed. The situation of the past is very much the same today.

These historical facts show that, at the present time, the issue of demarcation is of fundamental importance for the rights of the border residents of Tegh, Goris, Kapan, the Syunik Region and other communities, both in terms of their right to life and security, and in terms of socio-economic rights. They can be used not only by the villagers to support their daily lives, but also in terms of economic rights.

The archival documents clearly confirm that the more uncertain the border issues or the solution of today's improper mechanical approaches, the more the rights of the villagers will be violated, and increasingly, disputes and conflicts will arise. It is necessary to take into account that now, in the peaceful communities of Armenia, in the immediate [literally meters] neighborhood of the civilians, there are Azerbaijani soldiers and armed personnel.

It is necessary to take into account all the errors made in the past, to learn the necessary lessons from them, and not to allow any violation of the rights of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia.
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The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted the Progress of the Assembly's Monitoring Procedure annual report (from January to December 2020), in which it called on Kyiv officials to take measures to strengthen anti-corruption structures and refrain from any actions that could adversely affect the rule the rights and independence of the judiciary in Ukraine.

Ukraine must take all the necessary actions to strengthen the structures necessary to fight corruption in the country, including by restoring the effective functioning of the electronic declaration system and clarifying the legal status of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, at the same time refrain from any actions that may have long-term detrimental effect on the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in Ukraine; ensure effective investigation of all attacks against journalists, according to a report published on the PACE website.

The Assembly expressed concern at the persistent shortcomings in the reform of the judiciary and justice systems and the still limited results in the fight against widespread corruption in the country; periodic attacks on journalists.

At the same time, the Assembly welcomed the efforts of the Ukrainian authorities to create and maintain institutions to combat corruption in the country, as well as the ceasefire agreement between the Ukrainian armed forces and illegal armed groups in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The resolution was prepared by Danish politician Michael Aastrup Jensen.
Editors note: Marrian Ching is a writer and editor based in the Bangsamoro. With a feminist lens, she interrogates notions of identity while navigating histories that are either affirmed or erased in the process of nation-building. The opinions in this essay are the authors.

Cotabato City (CNN Philippines Life, January 25)  A few days after the first ceremonial flag-raising featuring the Bangsamoro flag alongside the Philippine flag, both flags were lowered to the half-mast position in honor of Interim Deputy Chief Minister Abdul Raji Sahrin, who also served as the secretary-general of the Moro National Liberation Front. It has been two years since the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was established, and the people of the Bangsamoro have lost as much as they have won in the process of asserting their rights, if not more.

And what the news hardly ever mentions as it reports milestones in the peace process and the establishment of the Bangsamoro is the process of mourning, the heaviness of grief.

Having worked as a nurse, a womens rights advocate in civil society, and a human rights lawyer, Laisa Masuhud Alamia knows the weight of this struggle. She grew up amid armed violence and conflict in the region, and she understands the burdens her people have had to carry.

In a speaking engagement with youth leaders last December, she was asked to share her thoughts on the Bangsamoro peace process and she said that it is hard to find a place where people share a collective grief in the same way people in Bangsamoro do.

Alamia is currently a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) with 79 other presidential appointees, all of whom were selected from nominees submitted by the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The president also appointed MILF Chairman Ahod Al-haj Murad B. Ebrahim as the Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro regional government.

The BTA serves as the interim Bangsamoro Parliament and legislative arm of the regional government, where Alamia is committed to do everything she can to help make sure the political transition of the BARMM goes smoothly.

***

The establishment of a new autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao is anchored on the Bangsamoro peoples right to self-determination. That news coverage and public discourse related to the Bangsamoro no longer dismiss the term right to self-determination is a small victory in itself, especially after decades of pushing for the recognition of said right. The plebiscite held to ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law in January 2019 affirms this, as the people registered their collective desire to establish a new Bangsamoro region  one that enjoys greater autonomy than the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

This is something Alamia knows must not be taken for granted. In her message to the Bangsamoro people on Independence Day last year, she said that the freedoms we now enjoy are freedoms that our people fought for, and these are the same freedoms we must continue to fight for as we continue to assert our right to self-determination.

In the past two years, the Bangsamoro Parliament has been working to pass legislation that responds to the peoples needs. While the Bangsamoro Parliament crafts regional legislation that is only applicable to the BARMM territories, said legislation must still be compatible with the Philippine Constitution and national legislation passed by the Philippine Congress still apply to the Bangsamoro region.

Laws establishing the Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission, the Bangsamoro Womens Commission, and the Bangsamoro Youth Commission were among the first ten that were passed by the parliament, in hopes of institutionalizing initiatives that address concerns related to human rights, especially of marginalized sectors.

However, working within the transition timeline of three years has had its fair share of challenges. As an unforeseen pandemic hit countries around the world, the Bangsamoro government had to allocate time and resources in response to the public health crisis while dealing with already existing problems of recurring displacement due to disaster and conflict across the region.

The Bangsamoro regional government is now in its second year of a three-year transition which, if not extended, will then be followed by the election of new BARMM officials in 2022. Out of six priority codes that it has been tasked to legislate, the parliament has passed one  the Bangsamoro Administrative Code. The Education Code, Local Government Code, Civil Service Code, and Electoral Code await further deliberations in the parliament and are at the committee level, according to the Chief Minister.

***

Alamia acknowledges that three years may not be enough to do everything that needs to be done for the transition, but this is also why she has been working hard to push for legislation that she feels are urgently needed by the Bangsamoro people. Among these is the Internally Displaced Peoples Rights Bill, which she filed on October 23, 2019, but has not moved forward since it was passed in the first reading.

There is no national legislation that affirms the rights of internally displaced people, though Congress passed a similar measure in 2013 and was then vetoed by then-President Noynoy Aquino due to concerns regarding constitutionality.

More than four million Filipinos in Mindanao have been displaced at least once in the last 20 years, Alamia said. Our response to displacement must not only cover relief goods and immediate aid, but must also involve plans towards long-term rehabilitation, reconstruction, and recovery to ensure secure and stable lives for the IDPs once they return to their homes or decide to resettle elsewhere.

Alamia is passionate about the measure not only as an advocate, but as someone whose family lost loved ones and livelihoods to conflict and was displaced from their home. Many members of the Bangsamoro parliament, if not all of them, have had the same experience. Some of them have even taken up arms as freedom fighters or mujahideen in the Bangsamoro struggle.

We need to commit these serious human rights abuses to memory and document them, if we are to do something about them.

***

More than 400 men, women, and children were massacred in Tictapul, Zamboanga City in 1977, but listening to Alamia tell the story makes it seem like it happened only yesterday. She was only a child and hardly has any memory of the incident, but the look in the eyes of her mother as something dimmed within her is something Alamia can never forget.

By sheer luck, my family and I were not in Tictapul when the massacre happened, Alamia said, but we lost almost everything. Armed men believed to be part of the Philippine Army were said to have looted our house before it was razed to the ground. Some of our relatives were among those who were killed that day.

The story may be an unfamiliar one to most Filipinos, but many of the Bangsamoro and indigenous peoples in Mindanao know this story very well. The names and places may vary, but the abuse and indiscriminate killings committed against the people remains the same. In most cases no one is ever held accountable as the rest of the country forgets about it, leaving communities to deal with grief and loss without any form of state support.

A direct response to this concern is institutionalizing transitional justice and reconciliation (TJR) mechanisms, which Alamia highlights in a legislative package that seeks to operationalize a regional TJR program that focuses on social protections. We need to commit these serious human rights abuses to memory and document them, if we are to do something about them, she said.

She also noted the need to provide pensions for ex-combatants and veterans, establish a health program for war survivors and indigents, and secure socio-economic support for war survivors, especially widows and orphans.

***

The Bangsamoro regional government is in a unique position to help the people, as a number of its highest ranking officials are not from dynasties nor powerful political families, but are from the revolutionary movements that waged an armed struggle for the right to self-determination. Many of them also come from civil society organizations that have bridged the gap in social services as the region was at the receiving end of state violence and neglect. With this comes a valuable perspective that allows leaders to center the peoples experiences instead of political ambition and desire for power.

Alamia, for one, derives her proposal for the establishment of a womens caucus in the parliament from her experience both as a government official and a member of civil society. She recognizes the strong relationships that are based on shared struggles between a regional government that hopes to enact meaningful reforms and advocates pushing for more progressive legislation in the Bangsamoro.

And she knows the ways through which a patriarchal society silences and marginalizes women.

There is a need for a more equitable representation for women in [Bangsamoro] Parliament, where there are only 13 women out of 80 members, and there is a need to nurture and encourage the presence of women in key decision-making spaces, she said. Through the womens caucus, she hopes to open up a platform where women can consolidate ideas in response to womens concerns, and where womens rights advocates can directly communicate their proposals with the knowledge that their issues are front and center in the agenda.

The measure is supported by the majority of women in parliament and has just passed the first reading. Alamia hopes it will be passed before the years end.

Our response to displacement must not only cover relief goods and immediate aid, but must also involve plans towards long-term rehabilitation, reconstruction, and recovery to ensure secure and stable lives for the IDPs once they return to their homes or decide to resettle elsewhere.

***

In 2012, leaders of the MILF entered Malacanang Palace for the first time for the ceremonial signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, which marks the commitment of both the Philippine government and the MILF to establish a new autonomous Bangsamoro region. More than a thousand kilometers south of the capital, members of the MILFs armed wing  the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF)  waited for the program in Malacanang to begin as they stood under the heat of the sun in Camp Darapanan, the MILFs stronghold located in Sultan Kudarat.

There was a delay in the ceremonies, but the mujahideen were quickly reminded of its relative insignificance. One of the elders went up to the stage as the radio broadcast was being set up in the camp. Weve been waiting for so many years, he said. What does it matter if we wait an hour and a half more?

Now the Bangsamoro finds itself waiting yet again as it awaits the decision on its appeal for a three-year extension of the BARMM transition period, with less than 30 days left for Congress to amend the Bangsamoro Organic Law in order to accommodate the appeal. The extension is not about power. It is also not about trying to extend our presence in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Mohagher Iqbal, former chairperson of the MILF peace negotiation panel and now education minister of the BARMM said in a press conference last Monday.

If the extension is not approved, regional elections will be held simultaneously with the national elections in 2022. All positions previously appointed by the president such as that of the members of parliament and the Chief Minister will then be subject to a region-wide election.

With or without the extension, however, the regional government has a lot on its proverbial plate. The pandemic still continues with a recent virus mutation, the rehabilitation of Marawi City has encountered numerous delays, while the normalization and decommissioning process is still only in its second phase with 12,145 out of 40,000 combatants and 2,500 out of 7,500 weapons out of commission as of November 2020. The said process includes not only the disbandment of the MILFs armed forces, but also making sure that socioeconomic assistance is available to ensure their transition into civilian life.

Alamia acknowledges the limited timeframe they have to work with, which is why she, together with the rest of the Bangsamoro Parliament, have been putting in their best efforts to accomplish as much as they can before their time is up.

It will take more than legislation and an extension to get the Bangsamoro to where we want it to be, she admitted. So many came before us and gave their lives to the cause, knowing that the change they were hoping for might happen way beyond their lifetimes. We are building a future here, Alamia said, and we have had to mourn the lives and opportunities that have been lost to the struggle. The best thing we can do at this present moment is to honor their legacy and the people we have sworn to serve.
Its more real estate drama for the quick-tempered star of Real Housewives of New Jersey, Teresa Giudice. She's slashed the price of her mansion in Montville, NJ, to try to entice a buyer.

The longtime cast member initially placed her posh property on the market last fall for $2.5 million. Its now back on the market for a little under $2.25 million.

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She and her former husband, Joe Giudice, purchased the property in 2002 for $530,000 and then proceeded to build their dream home together. Their lavish showpiece was completed in 2008.

The spread measures 10,000 square feet, with six bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms. As reality TV fans know, the stars swanky spot often served as a backdrop for the popular show.

The couple also spent time away from the home when they pleaded guilty to multiple federal fraud charges in March 2014. Teresa spent 11 months behind bars. Joe served his prison sentence after Teresa, and got out of jail in March 2019. But because Joe wasn't an American citizen, he was deported to Italy after serving his time.

Now that the couple have split up, they're looking forward to moving on from this home with so much history.

For potential buyers who want to know what its like to live there, look no farther than Giudices Instagram account, which showcases the social media influencer's life at home. She often gives shout-outs to products she's promoting in the kitchen.

She also recently posted shots of her home's holiday decor.

Set on 3.7 acres, the stone and stucco build opens to an opulent entry, with black marble floors, a Cinderella staircase, and glitzy chandelier.

Giudice is also a bestselling author of cookbooks, and the main level includes her infamous chefs kitchen with its center island, the site of many dishy scenes with the Housewives. It's the perfect place to spill the tea, and includes stainless-steel appliances and a butlers pantry.

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Watch: We Just Idolize Ryan Seacrest's Beverly Hills Compound

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In addition, the layout includes a formal dining room, family room, wine cellar, and two-story great room with a wood-burning fireplace.

Upstairs are two bedroom suites, two more bedrooms, an office, and a family room.

The sprawling master suite boasts a detailed vaulted ceiling design, a fireplace, dressing area, three walk-in closets, and a master bathroom with onyx tiles.

Outside, the grounds include a covered patio, a pool that was newly built in 2019, and a landscaped backyard.

So, will the price cut clinch a sale? Perhaps the saga of this home continues into the upcoming season of the show. Stay tuned.

Joshua Baris with Coldwell Banker Realty-Fort Lee Office holds the listing.

The post 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' Diva Teresa Giudice Cuts Price of NJ Mansion appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.

Chris Saunders, a young Gunditjmara man, stood with his feet washed by Portland Bay and asked for a short silence.

It was in acknowledgment of those who had gone, he said, their spirits transported far out across the bay to an island known to Indigenous people as Deen Maar, or Dhinmar, and to Europeans as Lady Julia Percy Island.

Gunditjmara man Chris Saunders invites those attending the smoking ceremony at the Convincing Ground, near Portland, to remember the spirits of those massacred on the beach. Credit:Tony Wright

Plenty of spirits had taken leave from this very beach in Victorias far south-west.

Mr Saunders was standing on the land of his ancestors at a place called the Convincing Ground: the site of the first massacre in Victoria of Aboriginal people by Europeans.
Like the curve of Earth we cant see from the ground, were on a curve in history that we wont fully recognize until decades in the future.

Driving the news: The inauguration of President Biden completes an economic and political consensus that climate change is an urgent threat the world should aggressively address. Whether this consensus produces action remains deeply uncertain.

The big picture: Sometimes history is recognized instantly, like the Capitol insurrection or the pandemic. Because climate change is inherently gradual, history happens so subtly that we may miss it in a world gripped by faster-moving crises.

I asked Daniel Yergin, an energy expert famous for writing a Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the history of oil, how he thinks historians in 2050 will look back on this time for energy and climate change.

History curving, answered Yergin, whose consulting firm, IHS Markit, has traditionally been most focused on the oil and gas sector but whose fastest growing business today focuses on climate change.

2050 is a common benchmark year by which climate change progress is measured. Its a generation away for us humans, but a blip for our planet.

Flashback: This historical curve began with the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, which prompted investors, corporations, the public and politicians to prioritize the problem.

Those shifts cemented the curve in history, despite President Trump vowing in 2017 to withdraw America.

Biden, who officially announced on his first day in office that the U.S. is rejoining the accord, will accelerate policies and technologies that have been growing over the last six years.

By the numbers: Despite the pandemic ...

Investments into clean energy technologies broached $500 billion last year for the first time ever.

Venture capital investments into climate technologies broke records.

Investors poured a record $27.4 billion into exchange-traded funds that are billed, among other things, as environmentally sustainable, per the WSJ.

Sustainable debt broke records, per Bloomberg.

But, but, but: All this evidence indicating the world is beginning to address climate change doesnt actually make the challenges easier. In fact, some are getting bigger and others are merely becoming clearer.

Where it stands: Oil, natural gas and coal accounted for 81% of the world's energy consumption in 1990. Thirty years later  in 2020  that figure dropped to 80%, mainly because of the pandemic, according to the International Energy Agency.

For all the money flowing to cleaner energy, we have a 1% drop in fossil-fuel consumption's share to show for it. It's questionable whether it would have dropped at all were it not for a terrible public health crisis.

it would have dropped at all were it not for a terrible public health crisis. This percentage hasnt dropped more because of, among other reasons, growing energy demand in rapidly expanding economies like India.

The challenges are many and overlapping. Lets look at two foundational ones: Politics and technology.

Politics: To say we live in a polarizing democracy would be an understatement after recent events. Political polarization makes everything harder, but especially climate change, whose impacts are long-term and diffuse and whose solutions are unevenly distributed and uncharted.

Jason Grumet, president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a centrist think tank, compares the failures around the eventually successful moon launch to that of Solyndra, a solar manufacturer that got a federal loan guarantee in the Obama administration and then went bankrupt.

Three astronauts burned to death on the launch pad. And we went forward. A solar company defaulted on its loans, and a nation melted down, Grumet said. The tolerance for failure in our current political system is very low, and success requires taking some big risks.

Technology: Lets get back to 2050. Both the U.S. under Biden and the European Union are setting goals that their economies will emit, on net, zero greenhouse gases within 30 years. New research shows just how daunting this is.

Today, there are no cement plants that bury their emissions underground, and there are no facilities sustainably producing hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel, writes the NYT about a recent Princeton study. By the mid-2020s, several such plants would need to be operating to prepare for wider deployment.

For Europe to meet its target, "per capita emissions will have to decline to the level of India, where the per capita income is about $2,000 a year, compared to Europes $38,000, Yergin writes in his new book The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations.

The only way to close this gap without lowering standards of living is with new technologies widely deployed.

The bottom line: Were on the curve, but we dont know its destination.

Optimistically, historians will say that the Biden administration was able to create a sense of collective urgency that enabled the U.S. to take the kinds of risks that ultimately solved the problem, Grumet says.

"The other path would be that the U.S. squandered its last opportunity to change the structure of its economy in time to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

Editors note: This is Amy Harders final column as an Axios employee. She will be continuing Harder Line on a monthly basis in the coming weeks as an outside contributor.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 18:48:49|Editor: huaxia

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SUVA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The South Pacific island nation of Fiji is expected to get COVID-19 vaccine by the second half of this year, a World Health Organization (WHO)'s Representative for the South Pacific, Corine Capuano, said here on Tuesday.

According to Fiji's leading news website Fijivillage, Capuano said that they are working to find COVID-19 vaccines that will be more adaptive to Fiji's climate.

Fiji is working hard to prepare for a vaccine deployment and vaccination plan which will cover all aspects of rolling out vaccines, from the training to the type of vaccine, she said, adding that Fiji's preparedness for the COVID-19 vaccine arrival and rollout will be scaled up with WHO's assistance.

She also warned that people should not expect the vaccine to be a silver bullet.

According to Fiji's Minister for Health Ifereimi Waqainabete on Tuesday, the ministry is in contact with the WHO as Fiji needs related guidance.

Fiji is also doing its own investigative research on what will be best for the nation's population of around 900,000, he said.

Fiji is now working to register all receivers planned for the first phase of its vaccination against the COVID-19 pandemic. The priority group in phase 1 will include frontline workers and people aged 60 years and above.

Fiji reported a week ago two new imported COVID-19 cases, but now it has no active COVID-19 cases.

The island nation has had 55 COVID-19 cases in total since its first case was reported on March 19 last year, with 53 recoveries and two deaths. The last 37 COVID-19 cases were imported cases.

Currently, Fiji still maintains a strict travel restriction to date for foreign visitors alongside a nationwide curfew effective from March 30 last year. Enditem
[January 26, 2021] L3Harris Technologies Awarded $233 Million in Contracts to Support Key Australia Defence Force Modernization Initiatives

The Australian Defence Force has awarded L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) contracts totaling $233 million (USD) to deliver secure communications and advanced night vision goggle technology to support the country's key modernization initiatives. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005226/en/ The Australian Defence Force has awarded L3Harris Technologies contracts totaling $233 million (USD) to deliver secure communications and advanced night vision goggle technology to support the country's key modernization initiatives. (Photo: Business Wire) L3Harris was awarded a three-year, $115 million follow-on FFP contract under the Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) arrangements for the Australian Defence Force's Delphic - Cryptographic Modernization program. L3Harris will deliver tactical radios, waveforms and ancillaries that support emerging cryptographic modernization standards. The company also was awarded a $118 million contract to provid advanced night vision goggle technology to enhance Army soldiers' ability to locate and engage threats - improving their situational awareness, mobility and safety. The award follows L3Harris' successful delivery of night vision technology for Tranche 1 of the Land 53 program in 2020.



L3Harris will deliver its Fused Night Vision System (FNVS), which incorporates the latest in night vision capabilities - fusing image intensification technology with thermal imagery to provide soldiers with enhanced situational awareness, targeting and identification capability in all battlefield conditions and light levels. When combined with the L3Harris battery pack, the FNVS delivers critical battlefield information directly to the soldier's eye. Both contracts include full in-country support and repair capabilities in Australia.

"These key modernization programs extend L3Harris' long-term partnership with the Australian Defence Force, supporting mission needs for advanced secure communications and night vision capabilities, and will also leverage our expanded technical support capability in Australia," said Dana Mehnert, President, Communication Systems, L3Harris. 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 the value or expected value of orders, contracts or programs, about system or technology 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/20210126005226/en/

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Veoneer and Qualcomm Technologies have signed an agreement under which the companies will collaborate on delivery of scalable Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Collaborative and Autonomous Driving (AD) solutions.

The parties' intended collaboration was first communicated on 27 August, 2020.

The platform will address growing needs of the automotive ecosystem for scalable and upgradable solutions, which requires advanced and power-efficient compute, connectivity and cloud service capabilities across all vehicle tiers.

The system integrates Veoneer's perception and driving policy software stack and Qualcomm Snapdragon Ride ADAS/AD scalable portfolio of System on a Chip (SoC) and Accelerators. Veoneer and Qualcomm Technologies have worked together for several months to create a roadmap of a scalable, open ADAS and autonomous driving system, which will be able to address the entire automotive OEM market with an integrated software and SoC platform.

Arriver is Veoneer's dedicated software unit for the development of the complete perception and drive policy software stack.

"Arriver stands for quality, openness and scalability and has a safety-first approach," said Arriver president, Giuseppe Rosso. "Arriver's goal is to be one of the key players and long-term leaders in the market for ADAS, collaborative and autonomous driving software."

Arriver is 100% owned by Veoneer, but will operate through specific information handling protocols and reporting structures as part of its collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies.

"Today's agreement with Qualcomm Technologies and the creation of Arriver are key milestones in Veoneer's development," added Veoneer president & CEO, Jan Carlson.

"We will now move ahead with full force to create a [n] ADAS solution based on Arriver Software and Qualcomm Snapdragon Ride SoC hardware. Veoneer will now also be able to take the next steps as a next generation Tier-1 supplier offering the latest active safety and restraint controls electronics products to the market."

For his part, SVP & GM, Automotive, Qualcomm Technologies, Nakul Duggal, noted: "We are pleased to take the next step with the announcement of the Arriver perception and drive policy software stack running on Snapdragon Ride, which allows a pre-integrated and pre-validated platform to be offered by Qualcomm Technologies to automakers and Tier-1 suppliers.

"This collaboration expands our joint value proposition and focuses on solving the increasing complexity of ADAS and autonomous driving platform deployment faced by automakers and Tier-1 suppliers."

In addition to the final agreement, Veoneer and Qualcomm Technologies have progressed on roadmap feature implementations. Arriver software is already functional on the Snapdragon Ride Platform, which will be available for automotive customers in the coming months.

The collaboration between the companies has been presented to a number of automotive OEMs and Tier-1 automotive suppliers.
LONDON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pioneer Point Partners LLP ("Pioneer"), the specialist infrastructure investment firm, has reached the 150m first close target of its maiden institutional fund, Pioneer Infrastructure Partners SCSp ("the Fund"). The first close has been supported by five European and North American institutions. The Fund is seeking to raise total capital commitments of 500 million and is targeting a 15+% IRR.

The Fund will be deployed in line with Pioneer's historically successful lower mid-market, value-add infrastructure strategy in the energy transition and environment sectors across Western Europe. Pioneer has previously committed nearly 900 million of equity across nine investments on a deal-by-deal basis, delivering superior risk-adjusted returns.

Pioneer is particularly proud of achieving this first close target in December 2020 having started pre-marketing in February 2020 and set against a backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This successful fundraise which attracted several highly reputable, long established infrastructure investors, is a testament to Pioneer's key differentiators. These include the experience of the team, with the four founding Partners having over 90 years' private equity experience across Europe alone; the sector specialisation which enables a thematic research origination strategy, identifying sub-sectors poised for growth ahead of others; and Pioneer's private equity toolkit, facilitating flexible deal creation, with a particular focus on platform investments, to create long-term, core infrastructure assets.

Pioneer believes the market opportunity remains unprecedented, with trillions of euros of investment required in sustainable infrastructure across Europe to support the shift towards climate neutrality. The drivers of change remain highly complex, however Pioneer has the sector specialism to navigate this landscape and, with its differentiated strategy, is well positioned to develop and maximise the growing interest in and support for the energy transition and environment sectors.

The success of Pioneer's disciplined, sector specialisation and value-add strategy is demonstrated in its strong track record. This includes Nature Energy, a leading Danish green gas producer; Brockwell Energy, which owns Energy-from-Waste and onshore wind projects in Scotland; and SR Investimenti, an independent platform building, owning and operating solar PV assets in Italy.

None of the statements herein is an offer to sell securities of the Fund in the United States. Securities of the Fund are offered and sold in the United States only on a private placement basis pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933.

www.pioneerpoint.com

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A young pregnant woman and her partner have been killed when they were allegedly mowed down by a 17-year-old driver high on drugs in a stolen car.

The couple were walking their two dogs in the Brisbane suburb of Alexandra Hills about 5.30pm on Australia Day when they were hit.

The teenage driver of the allegedly stolen Toyota Land Cruiser was charged with murder, burglary and several driving offences early the next morning.

He is understood to have been on bail facing 50 unrelated charges and high on drugs at the time of the crash.

A woman pays her respects where a young pregnant woman and her partner were allegedly mowed down by a 17-year-old driver high on drugs in a stolen car in Brisbane

The couple were walking their dog when they were struck by an allegedly stolen Toyota LandCruiser, pictured at the scene on Tuesday night

A man and a woman had been walking in Alexandra Hills on Tuesday afternoon around 5.30pm when they were struck and killed by an allegedly stolen Toyota LandCruiser (pictured)

The teen from Waterford West will appear in the Brisbane Children's Court on Wednesday.

The woman, 31, who was believed to be six months pregnant, and the man, 37, both, from Alexandra Hills, were walking their dogs and never saw the car coming.

Police allege the teenage boy was driving erratically through the intersection on Finucane Road and Vienna Drive when his car smashed into a tow truck.

Police allege the Toyota rolled across the road straight into the couple, who died at the scene.

The man was killed instantly while desperate attempts from passersby were made to save the woman's life.

Shocked residents visited the scene of the fatal crash on Wednesday to lay flowers

The local community has been rocked by the crash which claimed the lives of two residents. Pictured are distressed locals expressing their grief over the tragedy

This intersection in Alexandra Hills has reopened to traffic after a horrific crash claimed the lives of a man and a woman out walking their dog on Tuesday afternoon

Witnesses shaken by the crash said a brave pair of men spent close to an hour trying to revive the woman even after ambulances arrived.

The couple's dog Frankie survived but fled in terror and hasn't been seen since, while the other pup was found and taken to the vet with minor injuries.

A local from the shattered community shared a photo of Frankie to social media on Tuesday night, prompting residents to scour the streets trying to find the traumatised animal.

One man said he spent three hours out in the bush with a thermal scope looking for Frankie until 2am, while others searched in their cars into the early hours.

Frankie, who was still missing on Wednesday morning, needs urgent medication for a health condition and residents have been urged to contact policeif they find her.

Witness and local resident Mark Lovorec (pictured on Wednesday morning) has been left shocked and angry by the tragedy

The couple's dog Frankie survived the ordeal but fled the scene in terror and is still missing

The driver allegedly crashed into a silver hatchback just minutes before smashing into the truck in Alexandra Hills (pictured, the footage filmed by a horrified onlooker)

The tragedy rocked the neighbourhood in Brisbane's bayside as shocked witnesses recalled the horrific crash.

Several bouquets of flowers were laid at the crash scene on Wednesday morning, as a number of devastated residents paid their respects.

Local resident Mark Lovorec was on a late afternoon jog when he saw the tragedy unfold.

'I saw the car speed down and two pedestrians were walking the dog and he just slammed straight into them,' he told Sunrise on Wednesday morning.

'A male body has flown over there and the female over the other side. Then the car hit another car and there was a big accident.

'I looked at the people on the road and they were dead and I was in shock. I looked at them and they were gone.'

A shattered resident pays his respects the morning after the horrible crash in his local area

Shattered residents visited the crash scene on Wednesday morning to pay their respects to the woman, 31 and man, 37, who died in Tuesday's crash

Local MP Andrew Laming lays flowers at the intersection where a pregnant woman and her partner where killed

Devastated friends of one of the victims placed a bottle of beer at the shrine. 'He would have preferred beer,' one friend said

Mr Lovorec said the community has been left shocked and angry by the tragedy.

'They are pretty angry, I'm angry. They are local residents, a pregnant woman and her partner,' he said.

'It was horrific and it should not have happened. I am sorry for the loss and everyone is very angry about it.'

Mr Lovorec searched for the missing dog Frankie afterwards but couldn't find him.

'I went home to my house and told the people what I saw, I was in shock and I just sat down and sat there for a while, I didn't know what to do,' he said

Another resident Tony Christianson who lives two blocks away heard the crash.

'We heard this terrific noise and we thought somebody had an accident,' he told the Today Show.

His wife Irene added: 'It could have been us. We walk here every day. Sometimes several times a day.'

The fatal crash has rocked the close-knit community of Alexandra Hills. Pictured are flowers laid at the scene on Wednesday morning

Flower tributes have been laid at the tragic scene in Brisbane's bayside, where two pedestrians were struck and killed

Residents visited the scene on Wednesday to pay their respects to the couple killed

Another witness who watched the horror unfold said he desperately tried to resuscitate the woman.

'My wife and I were there at the time. They didn't stand a chance as the car took them out, it's unlikely they even saw the car that hit them,' the man said.

'Sadly I was more than just a witness.'

Another woman said her husband, believed to be an emergency service worker, had also tried to revive the woman and was still in a 'bad way' after the harrowing ordeal.

'My husband worked on the deceased woman for half an hour. Rest in peace,' she said.

Redland division two councillor Peter Mitchell expressed his sympathies to everyone affected by the tragedy from the family and friends of the victims, the police and paramedics who attended the scene to the witnesses.

Federal MP Andrew Laming (pictured) was among the shocked community members who placed flowers at the scene

A woman lays sunflowers at the growing shrine at the crash scene in Alexandra Hills

The scene of the tragedy was visited by dozens of young families on Wednesday morning

'Let's also remember the family and friends of the charged driver,' Cr Mitchell told Daily Mail Australia.

'There are no winners from any angle and I'm sure the victims' families will rightly be supported by our community and across our community.

'Please also talk openly about this event, and in addition reflect honestly with friends on our own road use habits, speed, impatience and frustration.'

'I urge drivers to slow down, respect the road and each other.'

Local federal MP Andrew Laming visited the crash scene to pay his respects.

Police alleged the 17-year-old driver fled the scene before he was arrested nearby and taken to hospital for minor injuries.

A 17-year-old boy has been charged over a fatal crash in Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon. Pictured are police at the crash scene at a major intersection in Alexandra Hills

Emergency services are seen at the scene at the intersection on Finucane Road and Vienna Drive in Alexandra Hills on Tuesday

Shocking footage surfaced of the teenager allegedly speeding through an intersection before smashing into another vehicle just 15 minutes before the fatal crash.

Nearby drivers screamed in horror as the Toyota sped through the intersection, attempting to cut off a silver hatchback before crashing into the vehicle's side - only to then speed off into the distance.

The driver, who was wearing sunglasses, had been seen making crude gestures towards other motorists while stopped at the traffic lights before slamming into the hatchback.

Angela Fleming, who was filming the teenager from behind with her husband Chris then pulled over to check on the hatchback driver and called police.

'Look, I just saw a hit and run with a guy, we've got it all on the video,' Mrs Fleming can be heard telling a triple-0 operator.

The couple are heard speaking to the driver and occupants in the hatchback after pulling over.

'Are you guys hurt?,' Mrs Fleming asks.

'No but we've got our disabled son in the back of the car,' the driver of the hatchback responds

The 17-year-old driver of the Toyota LandCruiser was allegedly seen in another wild crash just 15 minutes before the deadly collision (pictured, the teen filmed making rude gestures out of the car window)

The Toyota is seen trying to cut off the hatchback before it smashed into its side (pictured) and sped off

At the start of the footage, the woman was heard discouraging others from laughing at the driver, who she labelled a 'd**khead'.

She can then be heard screaming in the shocking video as the driver sped off into what was one of two crashes that afternoon - the second proving to be fatal.

Finucane Road was closed for several hours while investigations continued.

Queensland Ambulance Service said 10 crews arrived at the intersection after the crash.

Two adults and a child were also assessed but did not need treatment.

Police will allege the Land Cruiser 4WD was stolen from a house in Cleveland about an hour before the crash.

Shortly after the crash, the teen allegedly stole a set of keys from a nearby home in Kingston Avenue and attempted to start a car in the garage.

'He fled on foot when approached by one of the residents of the house who followed him to Chelsea Crescent where he was arrested, police said.

The man and woman were killed at the same intersection where grandmother Rhonda Lofting, 65, was struck down and killed in 2014.

She was stopped at a red light at the intersection when her car was struck by a stolen vehicle driven by a 40-year-old man.

The driver was charged with manslaughter over her death and sentenced to 11 years' jail.

The Australia Day tragedy comes after 275 people killed on Queensland roads in 2020, 50 more than in 2019.
As many as 86 Delhi police personnel sustained injuries in the clashes that erupted in various parts of the national capital on Tuesday after hordes of rampaging protesters broke through barriers, pelted stones, fought with the cops, overturned vehicles and damaged property. Delhi Police Additional PRO Anil Mittal confirmed the toll.

Joint Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar told ANI, "Additional DCP (East) Manjeet had a close shave as an attempt was made to mow him down."

Of the 86, 34 cops were injured in East District alone. The data is still being compiled from all over Delhi and its suburbs.

The police said protesting farmers violated the conditions pre-agreed for their tractor parade and indulge in violence and vandalism, leaving 83 of its personnel injured. In a statement, the police also claimed it did all due diligence in following the conditions for the rally, but the protesters began their march much ahead of the scheduled time and extensive damage to public property was caused during the violence by them.

The police statement came as the national capital witnessed clashes between protesters and police during the tractor parade by farmers to press their demand of repealing the three new agri laws. "The protesters violated conditions fixed for the rally. The farmers began tractor rally before the scheduled time, they also resorted to violence and vandalism," Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal said.

"We followed all conditions as promised and did our due diligence but the protest led to extensive damage to public property. Many policemen were also injured during the protest," Singhal said. Alok Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police, said legal action will be taken against those who assaulted the police personnel during the farmers' tractor rally today.

Delhi Police Additional PRO Anil Mittal said the 83 injured included 41 at Red Fort and 34 in East District. A senior police officer said that in the morning at Ghazipur Border, a probationer IPS officer got injured as he along with Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Manjeet tried to stop the farmers from breaking the barricades.

Earlier in the day, farmers atop tractors, on motorcycles and some on horses, broke barricades to enter the city at least two hours before they were supposed to start the tractor march at noon sanctioned by authorities. Steel and concrete barriers were broken and trailer trucks overturned as pitched battles broke out in several parts of the city.

Eclipsing the traditional show of military might at Rajpath, the farmers' tractor parade that was supposed to be peaceful led to virtual anarchy on the streets and unprecedented scenes the most perhaps being the sight of protesters clambering up the flagpole at the Red Fort, the centrepiece of India's Independence Day celebrations, to hoist the Nishaan Sahib', the Sikh religious flag.

Farmer leaders, who have been spearheading the protest at the national capital's border points to demand a repeal of the farm laws, distanced themselves from the protests that had taken such an unseemly turn and threatened to shift public sympathy from their movement. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 farmer unions, alleged that some "antisocial elements" infiltrated their otherwise peaceful movement. The union also condemned and regretted the "undesirable" and "unacceptable" events as the parade turned violent after several groups of farmers deviated from the pre-decided route for the march.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has expressed readiness to hold such elections in response to opposition demands for his resignation sparked by the Armenian sides defeat in the autumn war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Under Armenias existing constitution, snap polls must be called only if Pashinian resigns and the National Assembly twice fails to elect another prime minister. His bloc officially controls 83 seats in the 132-member parliament and should in theory be able to easily prevent the election of another premier nominated by the opposition minority.

Nevertheless, Pashinian demanded earlier this month that the two parliamentary opposition parties formally pledge to refrain from such nominations in the event of his tactical resignation.

Both parties, Prosperous Armenia (BHK) and Bright Armenia (LHK), refused to do that. Their senior representatives say Pashinian fears that pro-government lawmakers would break ranks and vote to install another premier.

My Step deputies stoked the opposition speculation when they met on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of enacting a constitutional amendment that would allow the parliaments pro-government majority to dissolve the National Assembly without Pashinians resignation.

It was a very tentative discussion, one of them, Hamazasp Danielian told reporters after the meeting. Most members of our parliamentary faction were not present at the meeting  and its really too early to formulate any position.

To pass, the would-be constitutional amendment must be backed by at least 88 parliamentarians. A senior My Step lawmaker, Vahagn Hovakimian, admitted that Pashinians political team cannot enact it without opposition support.

Hovakimian did not clearly explain the rationale for amending the constitution instead of activating the existing constitutional mechanism for the parliaments dissolution. This idea is designed not only for the current political situation, he said.

Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers insisted that Pashinian does not trust his own parliamentary group.

Why is Nikol Pashinian afraid of resigning? said the BHKs Naira Zohrabian. Even if he resigns and the BHK or the LHK nominate a prime-ministerial candidate we wont have enough votes without being backed by a large number of My Step deputies. This means that Pashinian does not trust even his own political team.

They are not sure their team would not elect, say, [LHK leader] Edmon Marukian as prime minister, agreed the LHKs Gevorg Gorgisian. That is why they are choosing this option.

Five deputies have defected from My Step since a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement stopped the war on November 10. One of them publicly demanded Pashinians resignation last week.

Virtually all Armenian opposition groups want the fresh elections to be held after Pashinians resignation. President Armen Sarkissian has also called on the prime minister to step down and hand over power to an interim government.
Recently at a gathering of the BOJ Coffee Club one of our members wondered outloud "how can the left/Democrats be so hypocritical?" Well, Ron, here's your answer:

By Victor Davis Hanson

Riotous, rogue Trump supporters who broke into the Capitol on January 6 were properly and widely condemned by conservatives. They were somewhat reminiscent of the mobs of fanatic leftists and union members that a decade ago stormed the Wisconsin state capitol at Madison, or the unpunished hundreds of rioters who created havoc on Washington, D.C. streets during the Trump 2016 inauguration. We expect the Capitol stormers will be punished, and not in the lax fashion of the latter two groups that were not.

Within a few days, the talking points were finalized that all of Donald Trumps supporters deserved blame for the violence. That riot, the Trump defeat, and the loss of the Senate have greenlighted left-wing talk of deprogramming, de-Baathification, re-educating, and reprogramming half the country to ensure they think correctly and act properly from now on  the exact methodology of such brain rinsing apparently to be announced later.

So we are beginning a great reprogramming of America. The construction of Trump and all of his supporters as abettors, terrorists, seditionists, and traitors is certainly proving useful. After the Capitol conundrum, we have seen over the past two weeks a coordinated and synchronized effort by Amazon, Twitter, and Google to destroy Parler, a small conservative-friendly rival to their social media and internet monopolies. More of such humanitarian taking care of business will follow  all as preemption for the most leftwing agenda in a half-century now rolling out.

Round-up Time

Silicon Valleys continued use of social activism to mask 19th-century robber-baron monopolization of its markets remains diabolically brilliant. After all, those who have rings in their noses, and wear tie-dye and flip-flops cannot have anything in common with either John D. Rockefeller, Jay Fisk, or Big Brother, right?

Dont we remember how hipster Apple idealists once fought stodgy Microsoft? Or how liberal techies at Microsoft earlier took on dour, big blue, coat-and-tie IBM and print media? Surely, good Harvard drop-out tech revolutionaries cannot possibly have become bad, trillion-dollar corporate cartels?

Serious Big Brother was never coming to America kicking and screaming in a suit and in a mile-long tie, but rather eagerly welcomed in with jeans and sneakers without socks. The First Amendment could always survive a crude, inebriated Joe McCarthy, but not so easily a social justice ex-barista, doing vanity selfies about diversity, egged on by the progressive media, while saving the planet, and reining in a hurtful, racist media.

Constitutional nihilists do not put up leaders with garish comb-overs and orange tans. Better to unconstitutionally use the FBI to surveil your enemies, catalog the communications of the press, and weaponize the IRS, when led by a constitutional law professor and an icon of the marginalized.

In other words, the visuals were the same old, same old we had seen during the violent 2017 Inauguration Day protests in Washington, the rioting in Ferguson and Baltimore, in New York during the final stages of the Occupy Wall Street take over, and the WTO violence over two decades ago in Seattle  with one major exception. This time the authorities saw far more election-year political advantage in defending the violence than in suppressing it, and so made the necessary adjustments, at least until Election Day.

The mayors of the targeted cities like Portland, Seattle, Chicago, and Minneapolis contextualized and supported the mayhem (block party and summer of love). They cared little for the thousands of lives that were wrecked by the destruction.

Joe Biden excused Antifa as a mere idea (a presidential ante facto impeachable offense?)  largely because millions of his supporters condoned or explained away the violence, and they said so publicly. The New York Times architect of the 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones boasted at the height of the unrest, Destroying property, which can be replaced, is not violence. Shes lucky none of the oppressed took her literally or seriously enough to storm the New York Times. One wonders what is the further utility of BLM and Antifa after the Biden election, and whether erstwhile dead-ender protestors may now be recategorized as rioters given the suddenly bad optics.

Kamala Harris recklessly warned America that the protests, which were increasingly turning more violent, would and should continue. And that sentiment is precisely why Harris helped to bail out arrested street activists instead of raising funds for injured police.

We are to forget all that because destroying the downtowns of major cities (mere brick and mortar) was then accepted tit-for-tat social justice. It was certainly not sedition, insurrection, and treason to try to torch a federal courthouse or incinerate police precincts with all their occupants inside. Slinging around an illegal assault weapon, if you were Seattle rapper Raz Simone, was almost cool and neat, even if four people were shot, and two killed in his autonomous zone.

When the violence spread to the nations capital, a church near the White House was torched. Mobs threatened to enter the White House grounds. When the president raised the issue of employing federal troops in extremis, he was declared a near insurrectionary himself.

Dozens of retired generals and admirals virtue signaled that Trumps mention of federal troops was tantamount to plotting a coup. But we are to forget all that now because there were recently 30,000 troops in Washington  as if Jubal Early had risen from the dead with a Confederate Army.

No retired or active general has warned us of a dangerous militarization of the nations capital that has no parallel since the Civil War. Were there so many troops in Washington because we learned our lessons from exempting the violence and rioting that we saw during the 2017 Inauguration when over 200 people were indicted for, and then excused from, felony rioting charges after hundreds of businesses were looted, vandalized, and destroyed?

Are deprogrammed Americans asked to forget that all leaders should not suggest that violent resistance to the law is acceptable?

When Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) railed at the doors of the Supreme Court amid a throng of furious pro-abortion protestors, called out the judges in session by name, and threatened and warned them that they were to reap a whirlwind and that they would have no idea of what might soon hit them, he later shrugged that he was speaking Brooklynese, the sort of rough patois he grew up with  as opposed, we must suppose, to Donald Trumps Queens rough talk? Is Schumer to lead the Senate trial of Trump because he has the most congressional experience in threatening public officials while revving up a mob?

What are we to do when everyone from Senator Jon Tester (D-Mt.) to Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J) to then-Vice President Joe Biden warned us that the only way to deal with Trump was either to get in his face or punch him or physically assault him? After deprogramming, are we to shout that Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) ignited violence, but Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) wisely turned down the temperature?

For over a year, mobs and rioters have destroyed or defaced thousands of American monuments, and not just those of Confederate generals. We have witnessed attacks on everything from the Lincoln Memorial to statues of Frederick Douglass and Miguel de Cervantes.

In fear, officials have removed iconic statues such as those of Theodore Roosevelt and Christopher Columbus. And in a manner worthy of Soviet Trotskyization, names and references have been wiped out from the collective American memory with no consistency or logic, with no vote of a city council, much less by public referenda.

The Wilson Center at Princeton is now history; the Wilson Center at the Smithsonian is notat least so far in this round of collective madness. Father Junipero Serra is no longer worthy of a small Stanford University named mall, even as Stanford itself is named after a 19th-century railroad tycoon who wrote racist diatribes, but without the compensating vows of penury of the now-banned priest. The logic of the Left? Canceling a long-dead Franciscan priest is not quite the same as changing the prestigious brand name on a ticket-to-success diploma.

The only consistent logic in this massive hysterical iconoclasm is that names or statues that can easily be virtue-signaled away are canceled; and those in a strictly cost-to-benefit analysis that cannot, are not. So we offer sacrificial lambs to the mob to save more profitable or important pigs.

The Waters of Lethe

We are asked to be washed in the waters of obliviousness to forget that for four years the American public was subject to the greatest political hoax and scandal in American history.

Candidate Hillary Clinton hired a foreign national, disguised by the firewalls of the DNC, Perkins-Coie, and Fusion GPS, to compile dirt on rival candidate Donald Trump. Then her minions used her lifelong government contacts to seed the made-up file by Christopher Steele among the highest echelons of the Obama Administration, the Justice Department, FBI, and CIA  with absolute impunity.

We are asked to forget that the FBI deliberately doctored court evidence to greenlight unlawful surveillance, and lost or destroyed evidence and even the phone records of rogue FBI agents.

We are asked to forget that it is illegal for a foreign national like Christopher Steele to work for an American presidential candidate, much less to use his work to seek the destruction of a president-elects transition and presidency.

We are asked to forget that good old Joe Biden has a long history of racial insensitivity, to such a degree his current vice president once denounced him for befriending segregationists in the Senate and opposing bussing. In the spirit of unity, we are asked to forget that Bidens Corn Pop stories were racist to the core, that his put yall back in chains trope was rank racial condescension, that his remarks about clean blacks and donut shop owners were racist, and that his more recent slurs directed at black interviewers such as Are you a junkie? and you aint black were racist.

We are now treated to Hollywood calls for unity. And that is all fine and good. But we are to forget that these ecumenicists for four years have boasted, in word and video, of beating the president up, of burning him alive, of decapitating him, of blowing him up, of shooting him, of torturing his children, of stabbing him. So that was then, this is now, the new age of unity and love?

We are to forget that even daring to voice worry about the sanctity of the 2020 election is in itself seditionary. We are to be deprogrammed to wipe away all memory that for years members of Congress and democratic grandees  including former president Jimmy Carter  described Trump as an illegitimately elected president. We are to forget that Hillary Clinton said repeatedly that she was robbed of her actual victory, and advised Joe Biden never to concede if he lost.

We are to forget that the Left sued to nullify the 2016 election on grounds that voting machines were fraudulent. Hollywood stars ran commercials urging the electors to become insurrectionaries and to undermine their constitutional mandates.

We are to forget how for years Stacey Abrams was feted by elected officials as the real governor of Georgia, as she insisted that she had been cheated out of her real victory. We are to forget that Democrats once warned that massive mail-in and early-voting might be subject to fraud. And let us be reprogrammed to forget too how Democrats sued and harangued to undermine the existing voting protocols passed by state legislatures, so that 100 million votes might be cast before Election Day.

We are to forget because calling for symmetry and standards is now Whataboutism, the new charge of relativism from the relativist Left that for decades has said that prior injustice justifies present injustice. In sum, the deprogramming Left seeks to wash all memory away. In the cosmic quest for equity, justice, and diversity, there can be no fake absolute standards. For the Left, the moral ends are simply too exalted to worry about the means of obtaining them. Violence for equity is nonviolence. Rioting, arson, and looting in the service of justice is justice for the marginalized.

Before we are all reprogrammed, remember for a bit longer that the reset of memory and truth is not just a political agenda, but a holistic effort to redefine our past, present, and future, to change not just what we think but how we think  or do not think.

This desire to wash all memory away was the secret, after all, to Joe Bidens virtual candidacy. The implicit promise was always just to vote for nothingness and then all the acrimony, all the rioting, all the fires and looting, all the media craziness, all the cancel culture, all the Twitter wars, all the hysteria would simply vanish with the disappearance of our Emmanuel Goldstein  and a new, undefined but far better world would take its place. And then at last you too could forget the past, and thereby come to love what youve become in the present.

  

Victor Davis Hanson is an American military historian, columnist, former classics professor, and scholar of ancient warfare. He was a professor of classics at California State University, Fresno, and is currently the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution. He has been a visiting professor at Hillsdale College since 2004.
Will lunar eclipse on May 26 trigger tidal waves? Is it linked to cyclone?

Farmer violence: Shah takes stock of law and order situation

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: In the wake of the violence that took place during the tractor rally by the farmers, Union Home Minister, Amit Shah held a review while taking stock of the situation.

Farmers tractor rally: Tear gas, lathi charge as farmers push into Delhi | Oneindia News

New agency ANI, while quoting sources said that Shah took stock the law and order situation in Delhi from senior Home Ministry officials.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has temporarily suspended the internet at Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri borders, Mukrama Chowk and Nangloi between 12.00 hours today until 23.59 hours, January 26.

Anti-social elements infiltrated our peaceful protest: Farmers' group

The order was passed under the Public Emergency or Public Safety Rules, 2017. The MHA said that the order was passed in the interest of maintaining public safety and averting public emergency.

Earlier, a farmer part of the tractor rally died after a tractor overturned during the parade. The farmers claimed that he had been shot.

The farmers protesting against the agriculture law enacted by the government took out a tractor rally today. However within a short span of time, the parade took a violent turn as the protesters broke the police barricades which led to the police firing tear gas shells.

Some farmers were seen pushing the barricades with their bare hands. It was reported that the protesters were not abiding by the regulations of the parade, which was set in place earlier to ensure that the same was carried out smoothly.

The Khalistan infiltration: What we are witnessing in Delhi is exactly what SJF planned

The early hours of the protests have been marred with reports of farmers clashing with the police. Reports also said that the police had to use water cannons and tear gas shells to disburse the farmers.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 17:01 [IST]
DUBLIN, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "North America Thermal Scanners Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis By Type, Wavelength, and End Use" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The thermal scanners market in North America is expected to grow from US$ 1,592.57 million in 2019 to US$ 3,072.43 million by 2027; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2020 to 2027.



The adoption of thermal scanners has been increasing in the automotive sector. Earlier, the use of the technology was limited to high-end automotive models due to the high cost of these devices. The risk-associated factors such as glare, darkness, and animal crossing, especially during night, can be reduced with the help of thermal cameras, thereby increasing overall road safety by keeping drivers alarmed while driving.



These cameras can be easily integrated with existing infotainment systems. The thermal imaging technology is also expected to gain momentum in road safety and railroad applications in the coming years. Veneer, an automotive supplier, collaborated with FLIR Systems in November 2019.



Following this collaboration, the former company would use the thermal sensing technology provided by the later in the production of level-four autonomous vehicles (AV). Thus, the increasing adoption of thermal scanners in the automotive industry is driving the demand for thermal scanners. The surge in demand for thermal scanners due to outbreak of COVID-19 is among the other factors expected to positively influence the thermal scanners market.



The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted the economic stability in North America. So far, the US is the worst hit country due to this outbreak. North America is one of the most important regions for the adoption and growth of new technologies owing to favorable government policies to boost innovation and presence of huge industrial base. Hence, any impact on the growth of industries is expected to affect the economic growth of the region in a negative manner.



In order to contain the spread of the virus, the governments across North America imposed factory and businesses shutdown, travel restrictions and lockdown which halted the thermal scanner market in the region for a while. However, as the factories and businesses are re-opening with minimal capacity, the need for thermal technologies for checking body temperature is increasing.



Based on end use, the industrial segment led the thermal scanners market in 2019. The low-pricing of technology has opened a newer market for thermal imaging products in the mainstream applications. Today, thermal imaging technology is not only utilized to surveillance and security application but also utilized for predictive maintenance across diverse industry verticals. The thermal imagers are useful wherever electrical and mechanical equipment or process temperatures required to be monitored.



This includes weld monitoring, pressure vessels, plastic injector molding, and glassware manufacturing. Infrared cameras can be utilized in any of the manufacturing facilities. Manufacturing facilities, substations, and refineries are using thermal scanners and cameras to remotely inspect the equipment, identify components at risk of overheating, and offer response before a component fails.



Moreover, industries such as carpet manufacturing and food processing where the heat is used for the manufacturing process can be benefited by the technology to automate and enhance the fire safety control. Thus, increasing adoption of advanced thermal devices in various industry applications is driving the growth of the North America thermal scanners market.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology



4. North America Thermal Scanners Market Landscape

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 North America - PEST Analysis

4.3 Ecosystem Analysis

4.4 Expert Opinion



5. North America Thermal Scanners Market - Key Industry Dynamics

5.1 Market Drivers

5.1.1 Upsurge in demand due to the outbreak of COVID-19

5.1.2 Increasing Integration of Thermal Scanner in Automobile

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 Export Restrictions Imposed on Thermal Cameras/Scanners

5.3 Market Opportunities

5.3.1 Rise in adaptation of Thermal Scanners in Construction Sector

5.4 Future Trends

5.4.1 Internet of Things (IoT) powered Thermal Scanner

5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints



6. Thermal Scanners Market - North America Analysis

6.1 Overview

6.2 Market Positioning - Five Key Players



7. Thermal Scanners Market Analysis - By Type

7.1 Overview

7.2 North America Thermal Scanners Market Breakdown, by Type, 2019 & 2027

7.3 Handheld

7.4 Fixed



8. Thermal Scanners Market Analysis- By Wavelength

8.1 Overview

8.2 North America Thermal Scanners Market Breakdown, By Wavelength, 2019 & 2027

8.3 Short-Wave Infrared

8.4 Mid-Wave Infrared

8.5 Long-Wave Infrared



9. Thermal Scanners Market Analysis - By End-Use

9.1 Overview

9.2 North America Thermal Scanners Market Breakdown, By End-Use, 2019 & 2027

9.3 Industrial

9.4 Aerospace and Defense

9.5 Automotive

9.6 Oil and Gas



10. Thermal Scanners Market - Country Analysis

10.1 Overview



11. North America Thermal Scanners Market- COVID-19 Impact Analysis

11.1 North America



12. Thermal Scanners Market-Industry Landscape

12.1 Overview

12.2 Market Initiative

12.3 New Product Development



13. Company Profiles

FLIR Systems, Inc.

AMETEK Inc.

Robert Bosch GmbH

3M

Leonardo S.p.A.

Electro Optical Industries

Infrared Cameras Inc

Thermoteknix Systems Ltd

Seek Thermal, Inc.

Fluke Corporation

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fkgct8

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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SOURCE Research and Markets

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WASHINGTON  The Justice Department watchdog announced Monday that he had opened an investigation into whether any of the departments officials tried to undo the results of the presidential election, as scrutiny of former President Donald J. Trump and his associates builds ahead of his impeachment trial.

The investigation by the departments inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, followed efforts by Mr. Trump and a top federal law enforcement official, Jeffrey Clark, to push other Justice Department leaders to falsely assert that continuing fraud investigations cast doubt on the election results. As detailed by The New York Times in recent days, Mr. Trump was said to have considered installing Mr. Clark as acting attorney general to carry out the scheme.

The inspector general is initiating an investigation into whether any former or current D.O.J. official engaged in an improper attempt to have D.O.J. seek to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, Mr. Horowitz said in a statement, adding that he was announcing the inquiry to reassure the public that the matter was being examined.

The inquiry adds to the increasing scrutiny on Mr. Trumps attempts to wield the power of the Justice Department to advance his false claims about the election in the final weeks of his presidency. It follows another inspector general investigation into whether a federal prosecutor in Georgia was improperly pushed to help and a broader Democratic-led Senate inquiry into pressure on the department to aid Mr. Trumps cause.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said the Government has not ruled out mandatory quarantine for every person flying into Ireland for the next year.

However he warned if this was to happen, people would not be able to go on summer holidays abroad or see loved ones next Christmas.

He said if it is brought in it would probably be for a year and would only be fully effective if Northern Ireland did the same.

Speaking on RTE Ones Claire Byrne Live, the Tanaiste said that if mandatory quarantine was brought in it would be difficult to reverse.

Read More

"For us to do it on our own it would not be fully effective, as the Republic of Ireland, it would not be fully effective because of the border.

It would be like soup in a sieve, it would slow it down but wouldn't be fully effective. If we did it it would probably be for a year.

Mr Varadkar added that if it was put in place people would not be able to go on a summer holiday or see their loved ones this Christmas.

He said: I think once you take a very dramatic public health care matter like that it's hard to reverse and I don't think we would reverse until everyone is vaccinated and then heading into winter you wouldnt want to open flights before Christmas.

"People who may like to take a summer holiday in August, people who would like to see their relatives this Christmas that they didnt see last Christmas, that would probably be off the agenda.

He added that there are many layers to put in place mandatory quarantine, and said only a certain number of people can be let in, so current essential reasons would no longer be deemed essential.

"Speaking to my New Zealand counterpart there is only so much you can do, the Tanaiste said.

"You can only let about 500 or 600 people in a day. So that would mean that some travel that we deem essential would not be permitted.

People going to London for an interview, people who are travelling for education, people who want to see a dying relative, we wouldn't be able to guarantee that that travel is possible.

So, Im not saying we wont be doing it, we are looking at it. but people need to understand that it wouldn't be fully effective.

He added that he doesn't want the public to view international travel as a silver bullet because thats not where all cases came from.
Alabama remains in phase 1B of its coronavirus vaccine distribution plan, which includes people 75 and older.

That is because the state is not getting enough supply. Other states are already in 1C and vaccinating those 65 and older.

Dr. Karen Landers with the Alabama Department of Public Health was not able to specify when the state plans to allow more people to get vaccinated.

But some people are frustrated with how behind Alabama seems to be.

"I'm still waiting for someone to call me and let me know," 77-year-old Sharon Leftridge said.

Leftridge called the health department's hotline only to be told she would be put on a waiting list.

"It's frustrating. They should at least give me some idea about how long you're going to be on a waiting list," she said.

Other eligible Alabamians had better luck.

"I punched 23 times to get through," David Aycock said.

After dialing the hotline number 23 times, Aycock was able to set up an appointment at the health department off Max Luther Drive. He is now awaiting his second dose in February.

However, the same day he and his wife got vaccinated, a friend of his did, too, without an appointment.

"A friend of ours got in after us with just a walk-in, no problem," Aycock said.

Dr. Landers confirmed some clinics are doing walk-ins, as long as you qualify.

For Carole Thiele, an immunocompromised 65-year-old, she said she is frustrated the state has not included her age group.

"I'm disappointed in Alabama," Thiele said. "We just moved here from Louisiana, and Louisiana is way ahead of it. All my friends already have it, the immunization. I've been very disappointed in Alabama."

According to the CDC, 3.6% of Alabamians have received at least one dose of the vaccine. But as Alabama continues to receive criticism for its slow vaccine progress, people like Aycock said to have a little bit more faith and patience.

"Just because you're not 75 or older, don't think you're left out. They're going to get to you," Aycock said.

Something that will help schedule appointments is an online vaccine website. Dr. Landers said the state will launch it early next week.
Despite everything that happened in 2020, the smartphone launches didn't stop. Now, we're a month into 2021 and a lot of major smartphone brands are gearing up to launch their new devices. A lot of brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, etc. have already launched their phones in India, and a lot more are rumored to come out next month.

Here's a list of phones that are rumored to launch in India next month -

Xiaomi Mi 11 Series

 YouTube/Marques Brownlee

Xiaomi is looking to bring the world's first Snapdragon 888-powered smartphone, the Mi 11 to India next month. The phone is already out in China and it's an all-in-one device with flagship specs. The Mi 11 will be a successor to the Mi 10 flagship and it's expected to cost around Rs 40,000 in India. It'll be interesting to see how the phone turns out and how it's received by the consumers here in India.



Realme X7 Series

 Realme

Realme has also confirmed that it's kicking things off in 2021 with the new Realme X7 series. The phone is said to be powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 1000+ and the Dimensity 800U chipsets. The phone is also said to feature AMOLED panels and more. We'll be learning more about these devices soon, so stay tuned.



POCO M3

 Poco

Although POCO hasn't officially announced that the M3 is coming out next month, some sources have confirmed that it's coming out in February. The phone will reportedly come in two variants and will be priced at around Rs 11,000.



Redmi Note 10 Series

 Xiaomi

Redmi's popular Note 10 series is also expected to debut next month, and we think it'll be a great offering for people who are looking to buy something new without splurging a lot. The exciting thing about this year's Redmi Note series phones is that they'll support 5G too. We'll learn more about these phones soon, so stay tuned.



Well, those are some of the phones that we're really excited to check out next month. We'll have more to talk about these devices later when they come out, so stay tuned to MensXP for more info.
Update: N.J. prison leader should step down while reports of beatings at womens prison are investigated, lawmakers say

Dozens of staff have been suspended and a criminal investigation is underway at New Jerseys only womens prison after officers were accused of severely beating several women inmates earlier this month, according to state and union officials.

Prisoners have told family members and advocates that at least three women at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility were hurt by officers Jan. 11, including one inmate who now has a broken eye socket and a transgender woman beaten so badly she cannot walk and is now in a wheelchair. The family members and advocates have shared letters and other first-hand accounts with NJ Advance Media.

The corrections department is reviewing the alleged violence with the Hunterdon County Prosecutors office and the state attorney generals office, according to prison spokeswoman Liz Velez.

The Department is fully aware of the allegations of use of force, and will not tolerate such behavior, Velez wrote in an email. If wrongdoing is found, the Department shall address it in an expeditious and appropriate manner.

She added that the department may also run an internal investigation to take appropriate action to hold people accountable.

Velez declined to comment further, but she did not dispute details in a summary of accounts from prisoners provided by NJ Advance Media, including that one woman was allegedly handcuffed before she was beaten, and that a Special Operations Group, which is similar to a SWAT team, was involved.

About 30 officers, supervisors and other staff have since been put on administrative paid leave, according to William Sullivan, president of NJ PBA Local 105, the states largest corrections union.

The womens prison was already under heightened scrutiny since the U.S. Department of Justice found that officers repeatedly sexually abused prisoners, and lawmakers have criticized the prison systems response.

I am horrified by the allegations out of Edna Mahan and my heart breaks for the victims of this attack, Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, D-Middlesex, said in a statement.

The incident showed the department was still failing to protect women, she added.

Lopez has previously called for all prison officers to wear body cameras and she helped pass legislation to strengthen the corrections ombudsman, an independent prison watchdog. She said the new allegations made her concerned that office was still not able to effectively police prisons.

The ombudsman, Dan DiBenedetti, said the incident went beyond the day-to-day complaints his office normally reviews.

This is a criminal investigation being conducted by law enforcements agencies, Dan DiBenedetti wrote in an email. This office provided all information received from inmates, families, and inmate advocate groups in order to aid in the investigation.

A spokesman for the Hunterdon County Prosecutor directed questions to the state attorney generals office. An attorney general spokesman said their Office of Public Integrity and Accountability was looking into the accusations.

One transgender woman was allegedly handcuffed in her cell, thrown to the floor and beaten by a group of officers, according to the womans mother, Trimeka Rollins. Three officers stomped on her head, Rollins said, based on messages she received from her daughter two days after the incident.

The attack left the womans knee so damaged she is now in a wheelchair, according to a message to Rollins reviewed by NJ Advance Media.

Im scared, Im scared to death for her, Rollins said. I dont sleep, I dont eat, Im on the phone, Im on the internet, Im trying to find her some help.

She asked that her daughters name not be used to protect against retaliation.

Her account is similar to descriptions from four other prisoners, including details in two letters obtained by NJ Advance Media.

Both said at least three women were hurt, including one whose eye socket was fractured.

Prisoner rights advocates have also received calls and letters during the last two weeks, and some have written lawmakers and state officials to raise the alarm.

Each of you are guilty for not stopping the unconscionable conditions of confinement in this state which have gone on for decades  with this being one of the most egregious, Bonnie Kerness, program director for the nonprofit American Friends Service Committees prison program, wrote in one message to Corrections Commissioner Marcus Hicks and a wide range of officials and lawmakers.

The state attorney generals office asked anyone with information about the incident to call 1-844-OPIA-TIPS.

Editors Note: An earlier version of this story said Trimeka Rollins daughter was attacked by officers and inmates simultaneously Jan. 11. After publication, Rollins contacted her daughter again and clarified she was attacked by inmates at an earlier time. The story has been updated to note Rollins daughter said she was only hurt by officers Jan. 11.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN.

Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

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6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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

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NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning
The Reserve Bank of India issued a discussion paper last Friday on regulations concerning NBFCs. The crux of these regulations is to reduce significantly the arbitrage between NBFCs and banks. The other area of significance is IPO funding where currently it is a free for all with NBFCs employing as much as Rs 75,000-80,000 crore in this activity whenever there is an IPO. RBI has now proposed a cap of Rs 1 crore per person.

The system as it exists today is that an individual can apply for the entire non-institution portion of an IPO.

Let us take the recent case of the IPO from Indigo Paints which was to raise Rs 1,170 crore.

An HNI could apply for half this issue which consisted of HNI and retail for Rs 585 crore individually. The amount of money he would have to put up to make an application of Rs 585 crore would be just 1 per cent or Rs 5.85 crore. Does he have the resources? Not required. All he needs to do is pay a margin of 1 per cent and the interest for borrowing this money which in this case works out to Rs 78.53 lakh upfront. The NBFC concerned will make an application for Rs 585 crore which works out to 38.91 lakh shares. Looking at the oversubscription of 263.05 times, he would be allotted 15,000 shares which would cost him an average interest of Rs 525.

Who are these NBFCs who are willing to take such a risk? Most of them are associates of the merchant bankers. They are more than happy making a joint application or an application under power of attorney, from the borrower. The money does not technically leave the bank where there is a joint account. The money is just blocked under "ASBA". Post the allotment and deducting the value of shares allotted, the balance of the upfront margin is refunded. The margin decided is on the basis of number of times that the HNI portion is likely to be subscribed.

In the case of Indigo Paints, the issue was subscribed 263 times which meant that for an application of 1 lakh shares, only 380 shares would be allotted. The applicant has given a margin of 1 per cent which corresponds to payment for 1,000 shares. The coverage is almost three times.

This leads to the issue being subscribed so heavily and garnering subscription of Rs 45,760 crore against a bucket size of a mere Rs 174 crore. The HNI category consists of two broad categories. The first is the individual who applies for shares between Rs 2 lakh and 2.15 lakh because he believes he stands a better chance of getting allotment in this bucket than the retail category where allotment would be on the basis of draw of lots for just one lot.

The second category is the leveraged investor who borrows money and applies for an amount which is a multiple of his net worth. This category of persons hardly totals four digits or is just under 1,000 people in entire India applying for shares. These people decide the fate of an IPO and could be considered the make or break of the IPO.

An IPO is the combined effort of the promoter, merchant bankers, investors and the NBFC. They together with the grey market combine to make a well-oiled system of IPOs. The grey market drives the subscription and the subscription in turn fuels the grey market. The mathematics is that the cost of funding which is a direct multiple of subscription should get covered in the premium. It is a case of the horse before the cart or the cart before the horse. All these applications which come with leveraged funding happen between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on the last day of the IPO. The final figure catches people unawares and calculations do go awry. An analogy of what interest cost does to the valuation could be compared with a milkshake which is whipped in a mixer and when poured in a tall glass has froth which is more than a third of the overall content. This froth has no value for the consumer but makes it valuable for the seller. In the case of the IPO, this seller is the promoter and the merchant banker as he is able to extract an extra pound of flesh in valuation of the company.

In the case of Indigo Paints, the price of Rs 1,490 would further increase with a funding cost of about Rs 550 to Rs 600 and the expected profit for the risk taker. The NBFC has made money, inflated the valuation of the company from an asking PE of 140 times current earnings to 210 times earnings. Whether this is sustainable or not only time will tell.

This is a capital market and puritans would argue against putting a cap on borrowing, saying this is a risk the borrower and lender take. There is a cap on banks for even loan against shares and IPO funding. Why therefore should NBFCs be allowed unlimited amount will always be debated. The most important argument against NBFC's lending without limit is demand distortion.

Take the example of state-run PSU, Mazagon Dock Ltd. Shares of this company were issued at Rs 145, and the issue in HNI portion was subscribed a record 678.88 times. The cost of funding was between Rs 130-135 which meant that the share had to open at double the price at Rs 290 if leveraged HNI was to make money. It opened at Rs 216.25, a gain of Rs 71.25 or 49 per cent but selling pressure from the leveraged HNI saw the stock close at the lower circuit of Rs 172. Gains for the day were restricted to Rs 27 or 18.6 per cent. To add insult to injury, shares delivered on day one were 65 per cent or 2/3rd of the IPO size. From those days, the share has recovered nicely and now trades in the range of Rs 210-220. There are a number of examples where oversubscription cost has killed the IPO.

The present funding mechanism is flawed because it leads to creating an inflated and unrealistic demand. It allows the price to be manipulated by a handful of investors who remain investors for a couple of hours on listing day only. The entire froth is taken away by the NBFCs as interest which is paid by these highly leveraged investors. Their modus operandi encourages the grey market and has brought about a situation where in most issues post the listing day, more than 90 per cent of the initial investors sell out. This entire exercise is harmful to the development of capital markets and is making IPO a first day first show exit for almost all. Valuations are being pushed to unsustainable levels and an unhealthy grey market is driving the market.

The step proposed by RBI would go a long way in cleaning up unhealthy practices and help restore sanity to primary market issuances going forward.

(Arun Kejriwal is the founder of Kejriwal Research and Investment Services. The views expressed are personal)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Vaccine supply in New York continues to dwindle as the state approaches full administration of the first dose allocation from the federal government.

On Tuesday, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that 93% of the initial doses had been administered around the state leaving about 94,000 vaccines left to be administered. About 30% of second doses have been administered.

Cuomo, like governors and mayors around the U.S., have turned to the federal government and President Bidens administration in the hope that more vaccines will be delivered.

This isnt just a New York problem, its happening across the country, Cuomo said. We have the demand and the infrastructure in place to easily administer over 100,000 vaccinations per day, but our hands are tied.

Bidens office has yet to say how many vaccines are currently in the federal stockpile, but White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the White House will be providing governors with an update Tuesday.

She added that the administration is also working to ensure states have an adequate infrastructure to administer the vaccines.

Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio have repeatedly said they have established systems able to administer vaccines at a high rate, but remain in need of supply.

With vaccine hubs closing around the city, the mayor, who said hes been encouraged by his daily conversations with the new administration, asked for federal permission to begin using doses reserved for second shots. As of Tuesday morning, the city has about 7,700 doses available.

We could be doing so much more, de Blasio said. Right now, I need hundreds of thousands more doses per week. I know that in February we could reach a level of half a million vaccinations per week if we had the supply.

The state has also made available a hotline where New Yorkers can report suspected vaccine fraud. They can call 833-VAX-SCAM (833-829-7226) toll-free or email the state Department of Health at STOPVAXFRAUD@health.ny.gov.

In December, reports surfaced that a clinic company operating locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Orange County allegedly administered a vaccine to someone who wasnt eligible. Cuomo has threatened massive fines and possible license revocation for any provider found to be doing so.
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The IMAGINE Group ("IMAGINE" or "the Company"), a leading provider of visual communications, announced today that it has completed a recapitalization, reducing the company's debt load from $550 million to $100 million and facilitating new capital investment. With this new financial structure in place, IMAGINE has a stronger, healthier balance sheet that will support its ambitious growth plan to accelerate its leadership position in the industry.

In concert with this transaction, IMAGINE will have a new ownership structure, which will include support from investors managed by Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. ("Cerberus"), the Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division and Arbour Lane Capital Management, LP. With this new ownership group, IMAGINE believes it will be well positioned to grow the business, leverage the full strength of IMAGINE's talented team and invest in new systems, equipment and acquisition opportunities.

"Over the past 12 months, we have been executing on a strategy of significant transformation to best position the Company for long-term success. This transaction represents a critical financial step to support our team's work and the operational improvements we have made," said Craig Reese, IMAGINE Chief Executive Officer. "IMAGINE has a bright future ahead and we welcome the opportunity for additional capital to improve our technology, turnaround times, creative service offerings, digital opportunities and print-on-demand capabilities. This new investment, combined with a stronger financial foundation, will give us the support and flexibility we need to succeed against our goals and grow the business."

Rickardo Francis, Managing Director at Cerberus and newly appointed member of IMAGINE's Board of Directors, added, "We have been impressed with the IMAGINE team, the strong customer relationships they have built and the Company's market-leading capabilities. We are looking forward to partnering with the Company as it enters this new phase of growth and innovation. With one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry and an exciting growth plan supported by investments from the new ownership, IMAGINE will be well positioned for continued success."

Reese concluded, "None of this would be possible without the hard work of our team. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has affected each of us, I have seen the IMAGINE team continue to dedicate themselves to our work and our customers  and I want to thank them for everything they've done for our company."

IMAGINE was represented by Paul Weiss as legal counsel and Moelis & Company as financial advisor. The new equity investors were represented by King & Spalding as legal counsel and FTI Consulting as financial advisor.

About IMAGINE

IMAGINE is an industry-leading national provider of visual print communications and experiential marketing solutions. From concept to consumer, IMAGINE partners with companies to realize a better way via teams of trained experts that listen, understand, and move at the speed of change to deliver beautiful pieces that inspire. IMAGINE offers a seamless end-to-end journey including innovative solutions in concepting, pre-media, direct mail, out-of-home, decor, commercial print, location signage, specialty packaging, and fulfillment, backed by state-of-the-art equipment and processes. The IMAGINE family of companies includes IMAGINE Charlotte, IMAGINE Chicago, IMAGINE Twin Cities and IMAGINE Los Angeles/Midnight Oil Agency. Imagine a better way at www.theimaginegroup.com.

About Cerberus

Founded in 1992, Cerberus is a global leader in alternative investing with over $48 billion in assets across complementary credit, private equity, and real estate strategies. We invest across the capital structure where our integrated investment platforms and proprietary operating capabilities create an edge to improve performance and drive long-term value. Our tenured teams have experience working collaboratively across asset classes, sectors, and geographies to seek strong risk-adjusted returns for our investors. For more information about our people and platforms, visit us at www.cerberus.com.

About the Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division

Founded in 1869, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division (MBD) is the primary center for the firm's long-term principal investing activity. MBD is one of the leading private capital investors in the world with investments across private equity, infrastructure, private debt, growth equity and real estate.

About Arbour Lane

Arbour Lane Capital Management, LP ("Arbour Lane") is a registered investment adviser focused primarily on opportunistic credit and special situations investments. Arbour Lane leverages its team's deep experience in various sectors, built over years at both investment banks and primary investment firms, to source and invest in undervalued credit opportunities and special situations in the middle market.

SOURCE The IMAGINE Group

Related Links

http://www.theimaginegroup.com


A nurse prepares a dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the new coronavirus to be injected at the Andras Josa Teaching Hospital in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (Attila Balazs/MTI via AP)

The European Union on Tuesday warned pharmaceutical giants that develop coronavirus vaccines to honor their contractual obligations after slow deliveries of shots from two companies hampered the bloc's vaunted vaccine rollout in several nations.

The bloc already lashed out Monday at pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, accusing it of failing to guarantee the delivery of coronavirus vaccines without a valid explanation. It also had expressed displeasure over vaccine delivery delays from Pfizer-BioNTech last week.

"Europe invested billions to help develop the world's first COVID-19 vaccines. To create a truly global common good," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the World Economic Forum's virtual event in Switzerland . "And now, the companies must deliver. They must honor their obligations."

The statement Tuesday highlighted the level of distrust that has grown between the 27-nation bloc and pharmaceutical companies over the past week. On Monday, the EU threatened to impose strict export controls on all coronavirus vaccines produced in the bloc to make sure that companies honor their commitments to the EU.

The EU said it provided 2.7 billion euros to speed up vaccine research and production capacity and was determined to get some value for that money with hundreds of millions of vaccine shots according to a schedule the companies had committed to.

Ans Lock van de Veen, 91, is injected with a COVID-19 vaccine in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Dutch authorities began vaccinating the first of thousands of people aged over 90 years who still live at home. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

"Europe is determined to contribute to this global common good, but it also means business," von der Leyen said Tuesday via videolink.

And Germany was firmly behind von der Leyen's view.

"With a complex process such as vaccine production, I can understand if there are production problemsbut then it must affect everyone fairly and equally," German Health Minister Jens Spahn told ZDF television. "This is not about EU first, it's about Europe's fair share."

The EU, which has 450 million citizens and the economic and political clout of the world's biggest trading bloc, is lagging badly behind countries like Israel and Britain in rolling out coronavirus vaccine shots for its health care workers and most vulnerable people. That's despite having over 400,000 confirmed virus deaths since the pandemic began.

Karen Brunelli smiles at her husband, Kjeld, as he receives a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Le Cannet, southern France, Thursday Jan. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

The EU has committed to buying 300 million AstraZeneca doses with option on 100 million extra shots. Late last week, the company said it was planning to reduce a first contingent of 80 million to 31 million.

The shortfall of planned deliveries of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is expected to get medical approval by the bloc on Friday, combined with hiccups in the distribution of Pfizer-BioNTech shots is putting EU nations under heavy pressure. Pfizer says it was delaying deliveries to Europe and Canada while it upgrades its plant in Belgium to increase production capacity.

The European Medicines Agency is scheduled to review the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine Friday and its approval is hotly anticipated. The AstraZeneca vaccine is already being used in Britain and has been approved for emergency use by half a dozen countries, including India, Pakistan, Argentina and Mexico.

Nurse Coralie Ferron prepares doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Le Cannet, southern France, Thursday Jan. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Boxes of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are pictured in a fridge at a vaccination center in Le Cannet, southern France, Thursday Jan. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Resident Carl-Einar Joergensen receives a second dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, administered by Dr, Puk Laugen at Plejecenter Faelledgaarden, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Saturday, Jan. 23. 2021. (Nils Meilvang/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Jos Bieleveldt, 91, Ans Lock van de Veen, 91, and Okko Molenkamp, 94, from left to right, wait to be administered a COVID-19 vaccine in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Dutch authorities began vaccinating the first of thousands of people aged over 90 years who still live at home. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Okko Molenkamp, 94, center left with black hat, is filmed and photographed as he walks to the entrance of a COVID-19 vaccination facility in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Dutch authorities began vaccinating the first of thousands of people aged over 90 years who still live at home. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The delays in getting vaccines will be make it harder to meet early targets in the EU's goal of vaccinating 70% of its adults by late summer.

The EU has signed six vaccine contracts for more than 2 billion doses, but only the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been approved for use so far.

Explore further EU pressures AstraZeneca to deliver vaccines as promised

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Joining the military is a great opportunity for many young adults. There are countless benefits for those serve, ranging from financial security, means for obtaining a higher education, developing skills desired by future employers, and, most importantly, a way for someone to participate in something bigger than themselves.

If you want to sign your name on the dotted line in hopes of making a better life for yourself  youre making an excellent decision.

If your sole purpose in enlisting is to collect fat paychecks just know that literally everyone under the rank of general is still waiting for get-that-check-engine-light-looked-at kind of money. That being said, enlisting for cash is just scratching the surface of dumb, preconceived notions that troops come in with.

Now, dont get me wrong, this isnt meant to stop anyone from joining the military  after all, Uncle Sam needs that butt in OD Green. Just know that if youre dead set on some of the following, its going to be painfully hilarious to everyone around you when the truth sets in.

The military also provides enough options to help you float until pay day, if youd like. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Victor Mincy)

The pay is great

As mentioned above, troops dont get paid all that well  especially when first entering the service. Its been long joked within the military that you dont actually break minimum wage until you reach E-3 (which usually takes a year without waiver) when you factor in work call at 0500 for PT and close out formation at 1700  a 12-hour work day.

This number obviously doesnt include overtime pay, 24-hour duties, weekend and holiday pay, or the fact that being in the military is a 24/7 job. If you do look at it like a 24-hour job, youre looking more towards E-7 (at over 8 years time in service) or O-3 just to break minimum wage.

On the bright side, youll get two weeks of paid vacation if you use your leave days correctly!

To be honest, unless you become a drill instructor/drill sergeant, youre not going to do much yelling for the sake of yelling. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Bryan Nygaard)

Youll get to boss others around

If you thought that joining the military was the pathway to position where you can just yell at people and order them around, youre absolutely wrong and would be a craptastic leader.

The only way for you to actually yell at and boss people around without getting some wall-to-wall counselling from your peers is to be in a position over someone  which wont be simply handed to you. Even then, no one will respect you  your superiors, peers, and subordinates alike  if you dont offer them that same respect.

Everyone wants to talk about the awesome moments of being in the infantry but never acknowledges all of the suck that comes with it. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith)

By joining the military, youll be killing bad guys all the time

Theres always that one kid who played too much Call of Duty or watched too many war films and came away with the wrong idea about the military. The fact is, killing bad guys accounts for (maybe) the tiniest fraction of your time spent  even if go infantry.

Lets overlook, just for a moment, the serious mental issue at play here and say that when this doofus says he wants to kill all the bad guys, he means he wants to be a grunt. First, theyd need to be part of the 20% of the military considered combat arms. Then, theyd need to be a part of the 60% of troops that actually deploy at least once. Then, theyll have to be one of the 10% of troops who actually see combat  and this is skewed because it includes every troop thats seen combat even just a single time, not the sustained badassery that most of these would-be killers expect. That number is astronomically low.

Then youll run into the old, youve already got 10 years in, you might as well stay until retirement! And we do (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Yasmin D. Perez)

You can simply collect the benefits and bounce

If you think youll just come in for the three years and get your full ride of the GI Bill, I wont stop you. Good luck with that  the military has a way of keeping troops in.

Its not really clear why it works so well, but the one of the most repeated lines by senior NCOs when retention numbers are low is, you wont find a job out there in the real world except Walmart greeter! That one phrase has done more to keep troop numbers up than any motivational recruitment ad.

Youll be so acquainted with the worlds deserts that you can tell exactly where someone is in the world just by the color of the dirt and sand around them (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Garas)

By joining the military, youll travel the world

Oh, youll travel the world alright. Theres no denying that. Its just that none of the locations on your bucket list match up with anywhere Uncle Sam wants to send you.

Sure, theres a possibility that youll get stationed in Hawaii, Europe, or East Asia. But chances are far better that youll get sent to the exotic Fort Sill, Oklahoma, or tropical Minot AFB, North Dakota, before going to Trashcanistan.

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Editor,

One question that has not been explored recently to any great depth in the attempt to make America great is what it is that makes us Americans in the first place. It has to be something other than geography or political interests where money into my pocket tells me how to answer.

Rather, is it not that we believe that all men are created equal? While the American experiment has been largely an attempt at making that true, there are obvious problems both in our history and in our present moment in time that hinder that grand belief. For the idea of equality can not mean sameness. It is no surprise that we do not have the same idea on an action or direction to take, for not even in our closest relationships in our homes do we agree on all things. And being equal cannot mean that all should receive the same actions. Just as in a school, not all students get the support services of occupational therapy because not all require it.

But it does mean that all men should receive equal respect. And that is regardless of race, political party, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or whether someone likes tacos on Tuesday. This respect requires humility to believe that perhaps someone else has something to say from which I can learn  whether or not I agree with them. It requires a posture of being able to agree to disagree  even on things that I hold intensely dear. And in place of the natural tendency to dismiss as idiots those who do not have the same perspective as I do, I must remember that they, too, have the right to their opinions.

But, what if their ideas are just plain wrong? While I am not suggesting that there is moral ambiguity and each person can do what is right in their own eyes, I am saying that relationship and conversation are the two ways we are given to combat moral failure. So if I disagree with anothers choices on moral grounds, rather than lambast them for what I perceive as stupidity, I should enter a conversation with that person and ask a lot of questions. Why do you believe that? or How did you come to that conclusion? are both good conversational methods that challenge without accusing. Of course this is predicated on a relationship that allows for that. (It is one of the most nonsensical ideas to have arguments on social media with people you do not know.)

Our definition of equality should start with seeing others as equal human beings and loving their humanity  though it may differ in expression  and building those relationships that allow us to really talk to one another about the big ideas that move us. When we do this with humility, the equality of the American people will become more than a dream, and we might just have a chance at making America great.

Kelly Knowlden

Zion Grove
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Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) has announced that its first webinar for 2021 will tackle the Arab regions food security strategies and related opportunities for Brazilian food industry companies.

The online event, in partnership with the Brazilian Food Industry Association (Abia), titled Food security challenges and market opportunities for Brazils food industry in the Arab countries will feature regional experts.

They will discuss food security as one of the pillars of the regions trade programmes and socio-economic development initiatives, including the fundamental economic diversification policy.

The key areas of discussion during the webinar are the business potentials of Arab markets; food security in the Arab Gulf post coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic; and the opportunities for Brazils food industry in major Arab economies. The event will end with a Q&A session.

Rubens Hannun, President, Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, said: Food security is a prominent component of many Arab countries efforts to advance their economies post-Covid-19. Regional governments continue to pour in large investments in agribusiness and other relevant areas to ensure robust food sources for their people. Additionally, the regions food trade relations with Brazilian companies have been contributing to its food supply stability efforts, and more opportunities await industry players from the South American nation. The webinar seeks to highlight both market opportunities and challenges and discuss how all parties can further diversify their trade ties to sustain expansion during and in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Brazils trade alliance with the Arab region is going from strength to strength despite the highly challenging market situation brought about by the still raging global Covid-19 crisis. Food and beverage exports from Brazil to the Arab world rose 2.84 per cent in 2020 from 2019 to reach $7.83 billion. During the period, the top-selling products included sugar, poultry, maize, beef and soybeans. -- Tradearabia News Service

Preparing defence: Former president Donald Trump, with his wife Melania, is the only president to be impeached twice. Photo: Luis M Alvarez

The first steps in an historic impeachment of Donald Trump were taken yesterday.

The US House of Representatives formally charged former president Trump with inciting insurrection.

The charge is based on his fiery speech to his followers before this months deadly attack on the Capitol.

Nine House Democrats who will serve as prosecutors proceeded through the building, carrying the article of impeachment to the Senate where Mr Trump will face trial. A similar ceremony was carried out for Mr Trumps first impeachment trial last January, when the House clerk and sergeant at arms led a small procession of lawmakers through a hushed Capitol.

It marks two historic firsts  Mr Trump is the only US president to have been impeached by the House twice and will be the first to face trial after leaving office.

Expand Close Procession: Democratic House impeachment managers are led through the Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill where, just two weeks ago, rioters rampaged through the building. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/Pool via REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp Procession: Democratic House impeachment managers are led through the Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill where, just two weeks ago, rioters rampaged through the building. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/Pool via REUTERS

The significance of the move is the fact a conviction in the Senate could result in a vote to ban him from holding future office. Leaders of the Senate, which is divided 50-50 with Democrats holding a majority because of the tie-breaking vote of Vice-president Kamala Harris, have agreed not to start the trial until February 9. That gives Mr Trump more time to prepare a defence and allows the chamber to focus on President Joe Bidens early priorities, including Cabinet appointments.

After a two-month campaign to try to discredit his election defeat, Mr Trump on January 6 urged his followers to fight to overturn the result. A mob later descended on the Capitol, sending lawmakers into hiding and for several hours delaying Congress formal certification of Mr Bidens victory.

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Ten House Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach Mr Trump, a step akin to an indictment in a criminal trial. Senate Democrats will need the support of 17 Republicans to convict him, a steep climb given Mr Trumps continued popularity with Republican voters.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that 51pc of Americans thought the Senate should convict Mr Trump. That largely broke down along party lines, with less than two in 10 Republicans agreeing. Multiple Republicans, including the partys Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, have condemned the violence and criticised Mr Trump for inciting it. Republican Senator Mitt Romney told CNN on Sunday that the trial was necessitated by Mr Trumps inflammatory call to his supporters.

I believe that what is being alleged and what we saw, which is incitement to insurrection, is an impeachable offence. If not, what is? said Mr Romney, a frequent critic of Mr Trump and the only Republican to vote to convict him at his first impeachment trial.

But a significant number of Republican lawmakers have raised objections to the impeachment. Senator Marco Rubio pronounced the trial stupid and counterproductive on Fox News Sunday".

We already have a flaming fire in this country and its like taking a bunch of gasoline and pouring it on top of the fire, Mr Rubio said.

The case is a simpler one than Mr Trumps first impeachment, which focused on a phone call with Ukraines president that was disclosed by a whistleblower. In this case, the actions in question played out in a public speech and a separate phone call to a Georgia election official that was released to the news media. Mr Trump was acquitted in his first trial last year, which took nearly three weeks and dealt with charges the president had abused his power and obstructed Congress in relation to his call pressing Ukraine to investigate Mr Biden. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday the second trial would be fairly quick.

Everyone wants to put this awful chapter in American history behind us. But sweeping it under the rug will not bring healing, Mr Schumer said in New York. I believe it will be a fair trial. But it will move relatively quickly and not take up too much time because we have so much else to do.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close ally of Mr Trump who has been helping him build a legal team, urged the Senate to reject the idea of a post-presidency trial  potentially with a vote to dismiss the charge  and suggested Republicans will scrutinise whether Mr Trumps words on January 6 were legally incitement.

Mr McConnell, who said last week that Mr Trump provoked his supporters before the riot, has not said how he will vote or argued any legal strategies.

Read More




Nevertheless, in contrast with many Mexicans and Americans who have long viewed the border as a point of connection, the beginning of their visits to friends and neighbors, a first stop on a day of shopping, leisure, or business on the other side, he sees the border as a line of division. Its how he approached most other things as well.

In Texas, he said this is a tender time for our country, a time for our nation to heal, but Mr. Trump never was a healer of wounds. Not after the Unite the Right white power rally in Charlottesville, Va. Not after the murder of George Floyd. Not after mob violence at the U.S. Capitol.

Whenever he faced turmoil, he furthered division. He returned to the site of traumas he inflicted, as he did in McAllen, home to the largest U.S. Customs and Border Protection detention center, which became notorious in 2018 when national and international observers decried the cruelty of family separation.

A polarizing figure, he embodied the border itself. He was a magnet that simultaneously attracted and repelled, organizing Americans like iron filings in support or opposition: the us-versus-them, friend-versus-foe mentality that conflates perceived external and internal threats, and now targets the latter as much as the former. His supporters  men whod rather fight than win  like in mind and like in skin, as the Drive-By Truckers crooned  marched on the Capitol to fight a revolution they knew they wouldnt win. They scaled the walls outside the building to wage war against the country they claimed to love and hoped to save.

Mr. Trump wasnt the first sower of divisions or builder of walls. That started long before Mr. Casiano was killed, with the dispossession of Mexican lands after the U.S.-Mexico War; relegating Mexican workers to the lowest-paying, most dangerous jobs; casting them as carriers of disease; and lynching them by the hundreds in the first decades of the 20th century. Over the past century, politicians have argued that immigrants steal jobs, commit crimes, bring disease, and take advantage of our safety nets.

President Biden will not close the divisions that our former president deepened, or created himself. Itll take more than one man, and longer than four or eight years. But Mr. Biden has an opportunity to begin the work of healing. The challenges we face at the beginning of this new administration are momentous.

Mr. Biden has already begun to reverse some of the damage, offering a draft of immigration reforms and halting construction on the border wall. These efforts will help get us back to status quo. Thats not enough, but its an important step toward moving beyond the border thinking of Mr. Trump and his supporters.
Beachgoers were ordered to quickly get out of the waters after shark sightings were reported on two different locations.

While celebrating Australia Day, beachgoers from two different beaches, Surfers Paradise and Manly, were asked to evacuate from the waters as the local authorities identified and confirmed that there were indeed sharks feeding on fishes during that time.

The order was given to protect both sharks and people, respectively. The sharks can feed until they swim back to the depths, and no unnecessary human injury or casualty will be recorded in the process.

ALSO READ: Largest Shark Babies: Even Young Megalodons Can Eat You Whole!

Surfers Paradise

The first sighting was at around 10:00 am (Queensland time) at Surfers Paradise.

The lifeguards on duty were quick to blow their whistles and immediately started refusing entry into the water because a bull shark was reportedly seen swimming around the area.

Before they decided to let the patrons return to their swimming, however, just 45 minutes later, another shark sighting was seen in the area.

In the first sighting, the shark was reportedly seen attacking a school of baitfish swimming along with a pod of dolphins.

It still remains unclear if the two sightings were from different sharks.

15 minutes after the second sighting, when the shark reportedly left the beach, Surfers Paradise's patrons were then allowed to return to their swimming. But, beach authorities still continued to patrol the area on their jet skis.

Manly Beach

Almost an hour after the Surfers Paradise incident, the beachgoers at Manly beach were asked to do the same.

#Breaking Crowds at #Manly have been told to get out of the water. A shark has been spotted by @Lifesaverhelo. @9NewsAUS pic.twitter.com/Hf5FnIiFZ3  Kate Creedon (@KateCreedon9) January 26, 2021

At around 11:30 am, a Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter has sighted an adult hammerhead shark swimming on the coast. Beach authorities immediately rang the sirens to warn the people to get out of the water.

Unlike the first sighting, where the beach closed temporarily during the sighting, Manly beach did not cease operations. People were just advised to get out of the water as they dealt with the shark.

Because of the authorities' quick actions, no injuries were reported on both incidents. After the sharks swam away, the people were immediately allowed to return to their Australia Day beach celebration.

The Sharks

Hammerhead sharks, the ones sighted at Manly beach, are large and intimidating creatures. They can reach an average height of up to 6 meters in length. Fortunately, they are not known to be aggressive towards humans.

Bull sharks, on the other hand, despite being smaller than the hammerhead, are more aggressive. Despite only reaching an average of 2 meters in height, these sharks are among the "big three" of the shark kingdom.

Along with the great white and tiger sharks, bull sharks are on the top of the list when it comes to causing human casualties and fatalities.

What to do during shark sightings?

Shark sightings, especially ones that lead to injuries and fatalities, are extremely rare. But, that does not mean it should be taken lightly.

Everyone wants to see a shark in real life, but it's just too dangerous to be around these magnificent creatures. So, when you stumble upon one while on a beach trip, it would be best to immediately get off the water and notify beach authorities.

ALSO READ: FACT-CHECK: Were the Megalodon's Infamous Razor Teeth Just for Show?

For more shark relared news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!

President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated an18-member Presidential Steering Committee on Alternate School Programme (ASP) to address the issue of out-of-school children in the country.

Inaugurating the ASP at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday, Mr Buhari announced the committee would be co-chaired by the Ministers of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and Education.

The president directed the ministries to coordinate and lead the deployment of a National Plan to address the menace of out-of-school children.

Mr Buhari said it was unacceptable to see children abandoning formal school to engage in menial jobs and child labour in the markets, streets and workshops.

He said the plan to be deployed by the federal government, through the humanitarian ministry would ensure a holistic and comprehensive inclusiveness of appropriate basic education for vulnerable children.

To commence this special education initiative, emphasis should be given to first provide a limited scope of subjects in Mathematics, English language, Basic Science and Social studies.

Gradually, the initiative will be scaled up to ensure the acquisition of relevant technical skills in the process that can enable the beneficiaries to participate in gainful economic activities, he said.

Mr Buhari noted that in view of some United Nations agencies that report a disturbing level of out-of-school children estimated at 13 million, the humanitarian affairs ministry had identified the critical need to further address literacy inclusiveness, especially among these vulnerable children.

While we continue to sustain our efforts on providing formal and conventional education through the activities of the Universal Basic Education Commission under the Federal Ministry of Education, it is still a common sight to notice children abandoning formal school to become apprentices in shops, workshops and markets, whilst many others choose to loiter at markets, become cart pushers and hawkers. These are not acceptable, he said.

The president also reiterated the commitment of the federal government to deal with key challenges of absolute poverty and propel Nigeria and Nigerians to a better way of life and development.

Review

While reviewing the administrations programmes on poverty eradication, Mr Buhari expressed delight that many countries are now admiring and imitating Nigerias social investment programmes as an effective strategy in the fight against poverty.

In our first term, many programmes and projects based on firm policies commenced with the fight against poverty being the main goal.

The National Social Investment Program (NSIP) that includes the conditional cash transfer, N-Power, National Home-Grown School Feeding Program and The Government Enterprise and Empowerment programs are today gaining admiration and imitation by many countries as an effective strategy.

Based on the need to sustain these efforts, we have launched the policy of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030 at the beginning of our second term in 2019 to further consolidate the gains of the NSIPs through effective coordination and institutionalisation.

This led to the creation of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development with the mandate to ensure full coordination of all poverty eradication efforts of the government for enhanced impact, he said.

Members

Other members of the Presidential Steering Committee on ASP are Chairman, Northern Governors Forum; Minister of State, Budget and National Planning; Minister of State, Education; Senior Special Assistant to the President, Sustainable Development Goals and Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Others are the Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC); the National President, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON); Representative, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Representative, United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Representative, Global Partnership for Education.

The Chair, Private Sector Advisory Group  SDGs, Chair, Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development, Chair, Senate Committee on Basic Education and the Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education, Shehu Kakale are also members of the ASP.

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The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development will serve as Secretary. (NAN)
New Delhi, Jan 26 : When the Delhi police entered into an agreement with the protesting farmers, little did they realise there were chances of the agreement being violated by the protesters.

When the protesters broke barricades and entered Delhi as the R-Day parade at Rajpath went on, the policemen knew that the situation would turn bad.

The appeals by the police to maintain calm and follow the designated routes were ignored as thousands of protesters soon marched towards Delhi, clashing with the men in uniform at various points. Soon, TV channels started airing visuals of the protesting farmers with heavy sticks and even swords.

The protesting farmers around afternoon on Tuesday swarmed the Red Fort during a 'tractor rally' amid police attempts to block them from proceeding towards central Delhi.

They barged into the 17th century monument, climbed up the ramparts and waved farmer union flags and banners and even hoisted a pennant.

"The farmers violated the guidelines and the agreement they entered with the police regarding the tractor rally. They not just damaged public property but also tried to run over police personnel on duty endangering their lives, we are going to take legal action against the violent protesters," said Alok Kumar, Joint CP, Delhi Police.

The police were caught off guard when the farmers opened multiple fronts at Karnal Bypass, Mukarba Chowk, Transport Nagar, Nangloi, Akshardham, Ghazipur and Tikri border.

Speeding tractors were seen on Delhi roads and one of them even met with an accident in which one farmer died at ITO.

Clashes between police and protesting farmers were witnessed at ITO as a section of farmers tried to break through the security cordon by Delhi Police in the heart of the city. More than 50 police personnel were injured in the violence.

The Delhi Police in a statement said that though it acted in a professional manner and in accordance to the guidelines agreed upon, the protesters took out the march before the designated time which led to the disturbances.

Police are now gathering inputs to identify the protesters involved in the violence.
The farmers' unions who have been protesting against the contentious agri laws at Delhi border points plan to march towards the parliament in New Delhi on 1 February if their demands are not met.

"On 1 February, we will march on foot towards Parliament in Delhi from different locations," said Darshan Pal of Krantikari Kisan Union on Monday.

Also Read | Revenge of the lambs at the Gabbatoir

The announcement comes a day before the proposed tractor march by farmers on Republic Day in the national capital.

The farmers are planning to take out a massive rally after the Republic Day parade. The number of tractors participating in the event has not been ascertained yet.

The routes for the march have also become a bone of contention between the protesting farmers and Delhi police, a day after formal permission was granted to the agri unions for the same.

Farmers' leaders have said that the permitted routes are not the same that was decided by them earlier.

Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday termed the government's proposal to suspend new farm laws for 1-1.5 years as the "best offer" and hoped that the protesting farmers' unions will soon reconsider it and convey their decision.

Why are farmers protesting?

Thousands of farmers have been protesting on different borders of the national capital since 26 November last year against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Eleven rounds of talks between farm unions and the government have failed to end the ongoing impasse as the protesters are demanding a complete withdrawal of the laws and legal guarantee for MSP.

The Centre had offered to suspend the laws for up to 18 months at a meeting with farm unions on 20 January. It had earlier asked the farmers to consider amendment of contentious provisions. Farm unions have rejected both the proposals.

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 MSP and do away with the "mandi" (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.





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A world-first discovery by researchers at Monash University and The University of Queensland could lead to faster and more effective treatments for chronic health complications, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, with 'fluorescent' in vivo biosensors.

The research team, led by Dr Simon Corrie from Monash University's Department of Chemical Engineering and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, took an antibody that binds EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) proteins and engineered it to monitor the concentration of EGFR proteins in serum solutions over time.

Co-authors of the paper, published in ACS Sensors, are Dr Christian Fercher, Dr Martina Jones and Professor Stephen Mahler from The University of Queensland and the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.

An inability to detect the growth of EGFR proteins in humans can be associated with the development of a number of tumors, including cancer, as well as the onset of diseases like Alzheimer's.

Using an independent detection mechanism developed by the research team, involving fluorescent dyes, researchers created a biosensor from a well-known antibody that was able to 'read out' changes of the EGFR protein in real-time by monitoring detectable changes in the fluorescence spectra.

The ability to monitor protein biomarker concentrations in body fluids in real-time is invaluable for tracking patients at risk of rapid deterioration, including those requiring personalized drug monitoring or those at high risk of complications arising from critical conditions, like sepsis, heart attack or tumor response to treatment.

No one has been able to engineer an antibody for continuous testing until now.

All the diagnostic tests that we are familiar with involve sampling something (blood, urine, tissue) at a particular point in time and taking the same to a lab to interrogate it. But for patients suffering from acute conditions, in which time to diagnose and rapid treatment are very important, this traditional diagnostic process is not good enough." Dr Simon Corrie, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University

"Monitoring dynamic changes in proteins, for example protein levels increasing or decreasing over time, is likely to provide much more detailed information about a disease or treatment process, but the sensors required to do this don't exist outside of continuous glucose testing for diabetes.

"Our capacity to create antibodies, which bind reversibly to targets and can be 'read out' using fluorescence, means we can develop in vivo sensors. These sensors can monitor the levels of critical biomarkers as they change over time in response to a disease or treatment, rather than just sending a sample to a lab and getting a snapshot in a day or two.

"These biomarkers could include the amount of surface proteins on a cancer cell and whether or not a drug causes them to reduce in size, therefore testing the efficacy of treatment. It can also be used to monitor the concentration of potentially toxic drugs, like some antibiotics."

This discovery was able to engineer an antibody fragment capable of reversibly binding to a protein analyte (scFv) in a chemical solution, while retaining the specificity of the original antibody sequence.

Through their efforts, continuous in vitro monitoring over multiple hours was successfully recorded.

"Work is underway to employ dyes that are much better suited to medical applications," Dr Corrie said.

"In future, we expect that this process will be used to generate a range of biosensors that can monitor protein concentration continuously inside the human body, through a biopharmaceutical process, or in the environment."
Egypts government still needs to take real actions on the ground to promote investment and business opportunities.

Egypt has to help UK businesspersons recognise these opportunities and make the most of the benefits of the Egypt-UK trade deal that has come into effect since the beginning of January, said Ahmed Ezz El-Din, vice president of the Fed International for Industry and Trade.

Ezz El-Din made his comments during a panel held virtually on Tuesday by the British Egyptian Business Association, attended by Ahram Online, to discuss the opportunities the deal offers for the UK and the Egyptian business communities.

He noted that agribusiness and the foodstuff sector are some of the most promising sectors in Egypt to attract UK investments and business, especially that 40 percent of the UKs foodstuffs is imported.

He also added that the trade deal between the two countries is a significant opportunity for Egyptian exports to thrive.

Meanwhile, Paul Mullard, senior trade policy advisor at the UKs Department of International Trade stressed that the deal came to boost bilateral trade relations between the two countries, adding that businesspersons in the UK need to hear from the business community in Egypt to recognise the potentials that can push the deal forward.

He noted that the Egypt-UK trade deal replaces the Egypt-EU trade deal, particularly the trade terms with the UK, adding that it aims to sustain export and trade movement between the two countries and raise the confidence between them regarding investment and business doing through tackling all kind of disruptions that are likely to occur.

On the benefits that Egypt can gain from the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) and the Egypt-UK trade deal, which both come in effect in January, General Director of trade in goods at the Ministry of Trade and Industry Iman Refaat said that the AfCFTA offers significant potentials for the UKs investment and business.

She added that energy, goods, infrastructure, and agribusiness are the top sectors that represent real potentials for the UKs investments.

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Google has recently unveiled a report that says it detected several security researchers to be the new targets of North Korean hackers using the APT system, with the company's Threat Analysis Group (TAG). These hackers from North Korea are plaguing user's social media and have been introducing malware, and other threats to impede their work.

The internet company from Mountain View's security research team, Threat Analysis Group (TAG), has recently discovered that North Korean hackers have been on the social media platforms, awaiting victims to engage. The hackers have ingeniously launched social media accounts to be researched by the security experts, then inserting malware with its fake accounts.

The hackers are getting clever, as they parade as a completely different person as who they advertise they are on social media. As evidenced in TAG's research, these hackers are pretending to be people that have solved massive security threats, which in turn, would push the security researchers for vulnerability and development to open and view.

Read Also: Apple Allegedly Exempts Google From Its New Policy! Here's Why It Won't Provide Its Data Collecting Habit

Google's TAG Discovers North Korean APT Hackers

According to Google TAG's blog post, the group has pinpointed North Korean hackers to be using APT or advanced persistent threat groups to be behind the attacks. Notably, Google's TAG is mainly concerned with hunting hackers which mainly use the APT type method of hacking that is comparable to covert operations in the military.

Most APT hackers are state-sponsored or supported by massive entities because of the extensive performance they carry out that spans an extended period of time. Google's TAG believes that the North Korean government supports these hackers and has issued a warning to all security researchers who are targets of the hacking campaign.

North Korean APT Hackers Target Social Media Platforms of Security Researchers

Moreover, it is worth noting that several social media platforms were invaded by these North Korean hackers, masquerading as normal accounts, waiting for their prey to bite the bait. Social media platforms including Twitter, LinkedIn, Discord, Telegram, and Keybase are some of the social networks that these hackers have invaded and hide in.

Pretending as security researchers as well, these hackers would engage with legitimate security researchers by sending links about their "works" that have successfully fixed several systems and asks for a collaboration. The files that would be sent over would be containing malware that can effectively hack and invade the security company that person works for.

Other Methods of North Korean APT Hackers

According to ZD Net, apart from social media platforms, the North Korean hackers would also use web browsers, emails, and blog sites to distribute its malware and hack the security researchers after accessing it. Google TAG said that these hackers would endorse a blog site about their exploits against threats, and it would already contain trojans and viruses.

Related Article: Telegram Bot Found Selling Over 500 Million Stolen Facebook Info for Just $20 Each

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Written by Isaiah Alonzo

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(Photo : Screenshot From BuffdaddyNerf YouTube) Curve Bullets with Nerf's New Blaster Shoots Like in Wanted Starring Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy

Nerf has now got a new trick up its blasting sleeves as Hasbro's latest popular foam-shooting sidearms can now curve their shots. This would allow users to possibly hit certain targets despite them not being able to see it. This is something like what is seen in the movie Wanted starring Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy but this time, with bouncy balls instead of actual bullets.

Nerf's New Blasters Can Now Curve Foam Bullets

This is now possible due to Nerf's new three Rival Curve blasters all having adjustable barrels that users can twist in order to change the actual angle of their shots. Users have the option to shoot left, right, or even shoot around the corners instead of just aiming but now adjusting their shots.

According to an article by The Verge, this could still be a skeptical promotion since the MythBusters had already proved that bullets can't be bent in real life about a decade ago. However, users can still try to use their curve toy projectiles like the said foam balls. In fact, certain companies just like Hasbro have already reportedly been doing this for about years in order to increase both accuracy and range.

Hasbro 'Hop-up' and Magnus Effect

When Hasbro officially first introduced its new Rival lineup back in 2015, it had actually borrowed a certain feature that was popularized in other airsoft guns. This is called a "hop-up" which is a nub that puts a certain backspin on the ball while it leaves the barrel chamber which would make it float in the air. In science, this is known as the Magnus effect.

Normally, the actual hop-up is designed in order to make a ball hop up but the Nerf community has also long known that users can simply twist a certain hop-up in order to curve their shots as well. An official demonstration was posted by Out of Darts back in 2016 which showed how this is possible (skip to 2:40).

Read Also: New Nerf Laser Tag Blasters Will Not Require Vests, Only Smartphones

How to curve a Nerf bullet

Now, that particularly twistable hop-up is officially coming to Nerf blasters which can be bought for only between $15 up to $30. This would include a single-shot pistol that is known as the Flex. This is a neat blaster with bolt-action and a 12-round internal magazine that is called the Sideswipe. There is also another 20-round pump-action, hopper-fed blaster that is called the Helix, which is known to have a genuine lip over on its own pump grip in order to keep users' hands from sliding off. This is something extremely rare in the Nerf world.

It is important to know that users will be sacrificing some range in order to achieve this curve. An early video by BuffdaddyNerf on YouTube shows how the bullet may be curved slightly with a simple adjustment made to the Nerf gun. Wanted in real life?

Related Article: Be Careful With Nerf Guns, Kids: You Might Seriously Damage Your Eyes

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Writte by Urian Buenconsejo

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Delhi Police Tuesday said protesting farmers violated the conditions pre-agreed for their tractor parade and resorted to violence and vandalism, leaving many police personnel injured. It said legal action would be taken against violent protesters.

In a statement, the police also claimed the force did all due diligence in following the conditions for the rally, but the protesters began their march much ahead of the scheduled time and extensive damage to public property was caused.

The condition that more than five people will not be seated in tractors was also not followed during the march which turned violent with people opposing the Centre's new agri laws and police clashing at several places of the city. Leaders of farmer unions had on Sunday outlined conditions for the tractor parade in Delhi. They had appealed to the participants of the tractor rally on Republic Day to maintain peace and asked them not to carry weapons, drink alcohol, carry banners with inciting messages. Protestors were asked to specifically follow three routes originating from the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points of the national capital. The conditions were agreed upon by union leaders after meetings with the Delhi Police.

"Legal action according to law would be taken against those who damaged public property and injured the Delhi police personnel. Some even tried to run their tractors over the policemen," said Alok Kumar, Joint CP Delhi Police.

The police statement came as the national capital witnessed violent scenes during a tractor parade by farmers who entered the city in their tractors from different points to press for their demand of repealing the three new agri sector laws.

"The protesters violated conditions fixed for the rally. The farmers began tractor rally before scheduled time, they also resorted to violence and vandalism," Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal said. "We followed all conditions as promised and did our due diligence but the protest led to extensive damage to public property. Many policemen were also injured during the protest," Singhal said. At least 83 Delhi Police personnel were injured, according to latest official statement.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the Tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day on Tuesday.

Police used teargas shells to disperse the restive crowds in some places, while hundreds of farmers in ITO were seen chasing them with sticks and ramming their tractors into parked buses. A protester died after his tractor overturned. ITO resembled a war zone with a car being vandalised by angry protesters and shells, bricks and stones littering the wide streets, testimony to the fact that the farmer movement that had been peaceful for two months was no longer so.
Clarence Fanto can be reached at cfanto@yahoo.com , on Twitter @BE_cfanto or at 413-637-2551.

Clarence Fanto can be reached at cfanto@yahoo.com , on Twitter @BE_cfanto or at 413-637-2551.
Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.


Few of the most common things in the everyday life of celebrities saw a complete shutdown because of the pandemic. One of them is travelling back and forth and being a frequent visitor at the airports. Just a while back, Airport looks had become a raging trend. Celebrity airport looks were scrutinized and critiqued mercilessly by fans and fashion critics alike. Everything they wore became a matter of interest for either admiring them or ridiculing it. However the entire world shutting down because of the pandemic, also brought an end to the frequent airport visits as travelling was banned.

As the world seems to slowly return to normalcy, celebrities are being spotted again at the airports. Their outfits seem to be in absolute accordance with the changing trends that have taken `place in the earlier year where comfort clothing seems to be a common favourite. While some preferred to go for comfortable travel wear, some went for OTT outfits like Kangana Ranaut who was spotted returning to the bay in a saree. On that note, let us have a look at all the celebrities who nailed their post-Covid airport looks:
The Eastern Mediterranean in a decade went from an 'empty sea' towards one of the most promising new frontiers of the global oil and gas industry. The Levant basin contains several impressive hydrocarbon reserves that have brought economic cooperation and peace between political rivals in an unstable region. Chevron in cooperation with Israeli partners is about to invest another $235 million in pipelines to increase production and export to Egypt that will cement ties even further.

The 'rise' of the Eastern Mediterranean is not only determined by the size of the hydrocarbon resources but also due to partly existing infrastructure and vicinity to consumers including export markets. Israel was a resource-poor country that didn't have access to the oil and gas of its Arab neighbors. Therefore, hydrocarbons needed to be imported from afar. The discovery of Tamar and Leviathan has changed that.

Not only has Israels energy security position been strengthened, but the geopolitical landscape is changing due to increased cooperation with Egypt and Jordan. Especially the export agreement with Egypt is a gamechanger that will necessitate economic cooperation for several decades.

Under the previous agreement, Egypt's Dolphinus Holdings agreed to import 85 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas, worth $19.5 billion, over 15 years from Israel's Leviathan and Tamar gas fields through the EMG pipeline. With the $235 million investment, the operators of the gas fields will be able to export an additional 7 bcm annually to Egypt. The decision is in line with Chevrons confidence in the business environment which last year already bought Noble Energy for $5 billion due to its interest in Leviathan. Related: The 5 Best Utility Stocks In 2021

The additional exports would add up to Egypt's imports that will strengthen the country's position as an energy hub and vastly improve its energy security. Although the Arab nation owns the Mediterranean's largest gas field, Zohr, its sizeable and growing population requires ever greater volumes to sustain economic development.

Egypts two LNG export facilities, Idku and Damietta, have been sitting idle for years after the gas intended for export was rerouted towards the domestic market. Recent discoveries such as Zohr and the import agreement with Israel will change that. The two LNG facilities have a combined capacity of 12.1 million tons per annum (mtpa) which adds up to 16.4 bcm. Italian Eni, which operates the giant Zohr field, struck an agreement with Naturgy and the Egyptian government to restart the Damietta facility in the first quarter of 2021.

Egypt's large (and expanding) domestic market, vicinity to Europe for export purposes, and existing export facilities justify the strong confidence of Chevron and others in their endeavor. According to Yossi Abu, CEO of Delek, the fact that we are paying most of the costs involved in building the new pipeline reflects the security and confidence we have in continuing to increase exports to the countries of the region.

Besides the connection with Egypt, Israeli firms are also capitalizing on the momentum in Europe to diversify sources. The discovery of gas fields in Cypriot waters has improved the business case for a multi-billion subsea pipeline to Greece and further into the EU. The spillover effect of increased Israeli-Greek cooperation is the recent 20-year $1.7 billion defense agreement. The parties have also agreed on a final investment decision on the EastMed pipeline in 2022 for completion in 2025.

The discovery of major gas resources has incentivized the formalization of cooperation in the region. The Cairo-based EastMed Gas Forum is an example of regional multilateralism where Arab countries, together with Israel, and European countries such as Greece, Italy, and Cyprus discuss energy topics. There is a strong momentum on developing these resources. Therefore, expect increased cooperation between producing and consuming countries to reap the rewards of the Eastern Mediterranean.

By Vanand Meliksetian for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Working parents never had it easy, but now with offices and schools closed, the home office/school has become more difficult to manage than ever. Thats where corporations can step in to offer benefits like supplemental learning that work for the child, the worker and the company.

Emily Levitt is vice president of education at Sylvan Learning, a supplemental and enrichment education franchise with 750 points of presence across North America, and a mother of two boys.

Since the onset of the pandemic, her work has gone mostly remote. At the same time, her childrens school has switched to distance learning.

My kids are in the same school one grade apart, said Levitt. Instead of dropping them off at school and picking them up in the afternoon, I have to check that theyre working and logged in 18 times a day  its incredible. Some people are managing, but nobody is enjoying it.

Employers provide benefits to employees in the form of contributions to health insurance, matching investments into retirement accounts and helping to pay for parking. Essentially, most things that impact an employees ability to get to work have corresponding employer benefits that use pre-tax dollars.

So why not education? In fact, employers can legally offer $5,250 in education assistance payments to employees that arent included in their gross income, according to The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. Employees can spend this money on education for themselves or their children, but its rarely offered.

According to Levitt, and many parents like her, now is the time to take advantage of this benefit.

It makes employees more loyal to know their company cares about them and their children, she said. Thats huge. That benefit would definitely be a huge sweetener for employees with children looking for the best possible job situation.

Her company, Sylvan, offers an in-person, monitored school support program where kids can attend a socially distanced classroom with a teacher onsite. Employers can provide this service for working families while allowing their parents to focus on work.

Sylvan is doing in-person in places where we can, and thats in almost all of our locations, she said. We social distance, wear masks and only allow half capacity. I put my own sons in Sylvans school support. A certified teacher makes sure theyre in their classes. They can help with questions and guide them through the school day in a way that provides structure for the students.

Working from home full-time while trying to help your kids through school is a nightmare scenario for parents, Levitt said. The school support system alone is worth its weight in gold.

During COVID, a lot of companies are realizing that schools not only serve the traditional role we acknowledged, they also free up parents to do their job, said Levitt. If I have to take 18 breaks a day to log my kids in, I lose productivity. What happens when I have to get up during a presentation?

Additionally, as the pandemic shifts students toward online learning, even more students are missing skills or not able to stay focused and are falling behind. The need for tutoring and supplementation is greater than ever especially for younger students learning to read, special needs students, or older students tracking more critical thinking skills. The switch to distance learning is widening gaps between peers and also affecting students who may have never needed tutoring before.

Personal learning plans like those offered at Sylvan can help students learn the skills they have missed and make sure they continue to learn what they need to learn in their current grade. What a child needs to learn in 5th or 8th grade to be able to keep moving into 6th or 9th isnt changing across the board, despite the pandemic.

While employers once only had to offer good health insurance and some commuter perks to appear competitive in the marketplace, they may soon find the bar has been raised for top talent. By offering education assistance benefits to employees, employers can provide comfort and stability for the families of workers, which in turn helps their employees stay focused on work.

Having a benefit like that benefits everyone, Levitt said. It takes the worry and the stress off of the family. Providing a tutoring benefit like this has become a no-brainer for companies that have started to offer it  the parent, the child, the company, the parent as a parent and the parent as an employee, everyone, absolutely everyone benefits from this.

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 EDGESTEM 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.
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Its the tail end of the silly season before the nation goes back to work and its a total furnace out there. But inside federal Labor the thermostat is approaching Siberia.

Labors former (but still ambitious) opposition leader Bill Shorten delivered a stump speech over the weekend taking aim at the party and leader Anthony Albaneses tiny policy agenda. He might as well have said tiny penis for all the drama it has caused. Shorten took pains to point out he supported Albo, but the whole thing was manna from heaven for political hacks working a weekend shift in January.

Good mates: Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten. Credit:John Shakespeare

And then a curious thing happened. For reasons unknown, Shortens speech failed to materialise from Labors usually reliable press machine.

For those outside the bubble, Labors press machine - run entirely from inside Albos office - is unfailingly reliable in circulating a transcript every time one of its MPs addresses a crowd, always shortly after delivery. And yet, Shortens speech at Readings bookshop in St Kilda remains MIA 36 hours on.
kovop56/iStockBy LAURA ROMERO, DR. JAY BHATT, and HALLEY FREGER, ABC News



(WASHINGTON) -- As officials push to make sure there are enough COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate the nation's vulnerable long-term care residents, many nursing homes are facing the opposite challenge: how to make sure extra vaccine doses don't go to waste.



That's because a substantial number of nursing homes have fewer residents than estimated, say those involved in the vaccination process.



When the federal government calculated the number of doses that would be needed for nursing homes, they estimated that every facility was at 100% occupancy. But CVS and Walgreens, who are handling vaccinations at the majority of the nation's long-term care facilities, report that they're ending up with a significant number of extra doses left over.



"When we actually came on site, what we've learned is that many of the facilities aren't at 100% occupancy," said Walgreens Group VP of Pharmacy Rina Shah. "The numbers of individuals that are even there are less than what was initially reported."



Many facilities are actually at only 60-70% occupancy, said Shah.



To complicate matters, Shah told ABC News that Walgreens has been trying to contact facilities the day before they arrive to confirm the number of vaccines that will be needed, but that many times, small facilities don't respond when they reach out.



"They don't all respond and so there are times when we've called five to six times with emails and we're not able to get ahold of the facility," said Rina.



A spokesperson for CVS told ABC News that in many cases, both resident and staff projections provided by the facilities to the CDC were inaccurate.



"Allocations were based on long-term care facility bed counts multiplied by two to account for staff, " said T.J. Crawford, a spokesman for CVS. "But at most facilities, occupancy is far less than bed count, and staff uptake remains low."



In response, Crawford said that CVS is proactively asking states to "reclaim" allocations they don't need or defer making more allocations for the time being.



With extra doses available, states are trying to figure out where to allocate the leftover vaccines.



In an interview with ABC's Good Morning America, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said that the federal long-term care (LTC) vaccination program is "literally putting aside doses" because they're not getting used -- but he provided assurances that doses are not being wasted.



"We're not throwing any doses away, I promise you that," said Murphy. "It depends on what day of the week you look at it, whether or not we've just gotten supply, et cetera, but we are putting as much -- as many shots in the arms as possible."



In Michigan, 120,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine that were not used are being sent to providers across the state, said Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health.



A spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Health said the state estimates that approximately 30,000 doses are left over from the federal long-term care program. They told ABC News that the extra doses are being sent to Walgreens stores around the state to be given to Arkansans 70 or older and others who are eligible to receive the vaccine under the state's vaccination plan.



In Utah, the department of health's website says that as of Jan. 24, there were about 23,000 unused doses more than seven days old that were still viable and waiting to be administered by CVS and Walgreens. Vaccines can last up to six months if stored in ultra-low-temperature freezers, although common refrigeration units can only store the vaccine for up to five days.



"Some of these doses are likely on-hand in preparation for upcoming clinics this week," the website states. "However, it appears the federal government has allocated too much vaccine to these providers. Any doses above and beyond need to be transferred or diverted to other providers throughout the state that have the capability to get them into arms as quickly as possible."



A spokesperson for the Utah Department of Health told ABC News that the state has 8,775 doses from CVS and Walgreens that were diverted to local health departments for distribution.



In Texas, a spokesperson for the Department of State Health Services told ABC News that the agency has not finalized where doses not used by the federal LTC-pharmacy partnership program will be allocated, but that the CDC will advise the state how many doses are available for relocation, the spokesperson said.



A spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Health told ABC News that the state is anticipating the potential for unused doses as CVS and Walgreens complete their clinics.



"Once the partnership is further along in these visits, we should get a better picture of the volume of unused doses and how we can allocate those back to other priority groups," said Kevin Litten, a Department of Health spokesperson.



Officials with advocacy organizations like the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) say they're concerned that vaccine doses will be wasted.



"These reports about potential vaccines going to waste are not unique to long-term care; they have occurred in hospitals and other settings as well," said a AHCA/NCAL statement provided to ABC News. "We call on governors and state public health officials -- who are in charge of vaccine distribution -- to provide guidance to pharmacies and health care providers about what to do when they have extra vaccine."



Part of the challenge, according to some long-term care advocates, is a lack of transparency about what's happening on the ground.



"The main thing that strikes us here is how little information we really have and how little we actually ... know about what's happening in individual facilities," said Robyn Grant, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care, a group that advocates for nursing home residents.



Although the CDC has a vaccination data tracker, it does not report numbers at the individual facility level. According to Grant, this has kept residents and their family members in the dark about where vaccinations have occurred and where they are needed.



"The information about what's happening would help shape distribution," Grant told ABC News. "Are there areas where they're struggling? Why are they struggling? What's going on, what needs to be done to remedy that? You're blind without data."



Dr. Josh Sharfstein of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health told ABC News that the issue of unused doses "adds complexity to the supply chain."



"If the pharmacies can't use all their doses, they should make a plan with public health on what to do with them," Sharfstein said.



Dr. Mandy Cohen of the North Carolina Department of Health is urging long-term care facilities, hospitals and clinics to keep a waitlist from which providers can "call someone last minute" even if they are not in the priority category.



"Find the closest arm of who wants to get vaccinated and get that in because we as a state don't want to waste any vaccine," said Cohen.



"There are vaccines that are being wasted and that is a travesty," said Terry Fulmer, president of the John A. Hartford Foundation, a private, nonpartisan philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults. "Even one dose wasted is too many."



ABC News' Dr. John Brownstein contributed to this report.



Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has said he expects the economy to take off like a rocket after the pandemic.

He was speaking as new figures reveal the number of redundancies planned by employers more than doubled last year.

Employers notified the minister for enterprise of 11,744 redundancies between March and the end of last month.

This compared with 5,007 proposed job losses that were notified during the same period in 2019.

Under employment legislation, employers proposing collective redundancies must flag them with the minister.

Mr Varadkar said the numbers would have been much worse if the Government had not put an economic rescue package in place.

This included wage subsidy schemes, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), grants, a commercial rates waiver and low-cost loans.

The latest figures show there are over 475,000 people on the PUP and another 189,860 on the Live Register.

Many of these workers have been laid off because of government-ordered shutdowns, so have not been registered as potential redundancies.

Thousands of others wages are being propped up by a State subsidy scheme.

We know last year was a really difficult year with so many people losing their jobs and businesses as a result of the pandemic, he said.

Any redundancy is personally devastating for the individual and I know there is a family behind each one of these figures. With Covid, so many people who had secure jobs suddenly did not and the life plans and financial plans they had are now on hold.

He said there will be an increasing focus on education and training opportunities for people who want to change careers, even temporarily.

I believe the Irish economy will take off like a rocket once the pandemic ends and we will be able to return to low levels of unemployment again within a few years, he said.

Read More

Economist Jim Power noted that the redundancy figures are significantly lower than the 470,000 plus people on the PUP, or the 598,000 on the payment at the peak last May.

So whats happening is that most of those workers on the PUP have not been made redundant, and there are workers on other payment supports that allow companies to keep them on the books, Mr Power said.

I think the redundancy figures obviously show a significant deterioration but the magnitude of that deterioration without PUP and the wage subsidy would have been catastrophic.

However, it is extremely expensive and listening to the Taoiseach at the weekend, I wouldnt be full of confidence of any turnaround any time soon. Inevitably in 2021 we will see another significant increase in those redundancy figures.

Many businesses will decide there is no point going on. The longer this goes on the more long term damage it will do.

Economist Alan McQuaid said he expects the unemployment rate, which stood at around 4pc before the pandemic, will remain in double digits after subsidies are withdrawn.

Weve done better than we thought wed do in terms of the economy, he said.

But in terms of unemployment, redundancies are going to rise the longer this thing goes on. We are lucky to have pharma and tech firms but you cant dismiss the fact that the biggest employers are SMEs and theyre the ones suffering when the dust settles. They are the ones filling in those redundancy forms.

He said the biggest job losses are likely in hospitality and pubs, but construction will be buoyed up by demand.

Meanwhile, the Department of Enterprise said collective redundancy notifications do not reflect total redundancies.

They arise where five employees are being made redundant at firms employing 21 to 49 workers, with specified numbers at larger firms.

Not all proposed redundancies result in job losses as employers may find an alternative, it said.
Meeting with a top personal injury lawyer virtually is a convenient way for an accident victim to obtain legal representation immediately following an accident. The Amaro Law Firm offers this free service to any accident victims in The Woodlands.

THE WOODLANDS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / After a car accident, victims often have a hard time getting to and from doctor appointments due to severe injuries and their inability to drive. But limited resources, health conditions, and a lack of transportation can also make obtaining legal representation difficult, if not almost impossible.

The Amaro Law Firm knows exactly how devastating a car accident can be and how it impacts every aspect of a person's life. The firm currently offers virtual consultations to accident victims for all of its offices, including The Woodlands. This allows accident victims who are not physically capable of driving, those who do not have access to transportation and are avoiding public places for health reasons to meet with top personal injury lawyers from the comfort of their home during a time they need it the most.

Why Legal Representation is Crucial Following an Accident

Immediately following an accident, victims must focus on their recovery. This often involves making it to countless doctor's appointments, therapy sessions, and visits to the pharmacy. People with severe injuries may not be able to drive, relying on friends and family to get them to and from appointments. Making it to every appointment and closely following a physician's treatment plan not only helps the victim to recover faster but can also be crucial to the outcome of a case. A lawyer will use this medical documentation as evidence to show the severity of their client's injuries.

How the Lawyers at the Amaro Law Firm Can Help

During this time, it's also crucial for an accident victim to seek legal guidance. Insurance companies are quick to contact accident victims to learn about the details of the accident. Their goal is to get the victim to say something that may harm their claim. They will also pressure a victim to settle quickly, offering a lowball settlement, knowing that the victim is out of work and in desperate need of cash. Typically, an insurance company will offer a settlement without knowing the extent of the accident victim's injuries.

The experienced attorneys at the Amaro Law Firm will take over all communication with insurance companies and the defendant's attorney to protect their client. They will also use strong negotiating tactics to force an insurance company to pay a just settlement.

A Law Firm that Works for their Clients

The attorneys at the Amaro Law Firm have decades of experience battling insurance companies in and out of court and know exactly what strategies to use to receive a just settlement. They also know how challenging it can be for accident victims to get out of bed and travel to and from meetings with their legal team. They also want to ensure that a client is not missing out on medical treatment to meet with their attorneys. By offering virtual consultations and meetings, clients will now be able to seek the medical treatment they need without having to race across town to make it in time for a meeting with their attorneys.

Legal Representation from the Comfort of Your Home

Seeking legal representation immediately following an accident can be crucial. Evidence can fade quickly. The personal injury lawyers at the Amaro Law Firm know the importance of investigating an accident as soon as possible to gather evidence and help build a case.

Accident victims in The Woodlands can meet with an attorney at the Amaro Law Firm, online, via video conferencing software. This can save their clients time, money, stress, and discomfort. This level of service allows potential clients to meet with the attorneys at the firm, from the comfort of their home, and have their case reviewed by some of the leading attorneys in the state.

Contact the Amaro Law Firm

Meeting with a top personal injury lawyer virtually is a convenient way for an accident victim to obtain legal representation immediately following an accident. The Amaro Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyers offers this free service to any accident victims in The Woodlands. To learn more about virtual meetings or to schedule a consultation, contact the Amaro Law Firm today.

Contact:

James Amaro

contact@amarolawfirm.com

+18325582786

SOURCE: Amaro Law Firm

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625951/Amaro-Law-Firm-Offers-100-Virtual-Consultations-for-Accident-Victims-in-The-Woodlands
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The mother of a Portland teen who died by suicide two days after medical staff allegedly evaluated and released him from the Unity Center for Behavioral Health has filed a $13 million lawsuit against two of the organizations that operate the center.

Leila Meschs lawsuit lists Legacy Health and Oregon Health & Science University as defendants, alleging they are negligent for the death of her 18-year-old son, Jacob Mesch.

Legacy Health spokesman Brian Terrett declined comment because of the pending litigation, saying the health system was aware of the case.

OHSU spokeswoman Tamara Hargens-Bradley declined comment, too, citing patient privacy laws. OHSU extends its sincere condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Mesch. We are a community of healers and the passing of a patient is distressing to us all, she wrote in an email.

According to the lawsuit, Leila Mesch discovered her son was planning to jump from the Fremont Bridge at about midnight on Sept. 2, 2019. She spoke to him by phone and convinced him to let her drive him to the Unity Center, where he was admitted at 2:19 a.m., according to the suit.

Upon admission, Jacob Mesch was antagonistic, confrontational and refused to engage with the treatment team in addition to demanding to be released, the lawsuit states.

A doctor who evaluated him determined that he was an imminent risk to himself, the suit states. Jacob Mesch told staff that he had been thinking about suicide and experiencing increasing depression beginning about five months earlier, and that hed recently broken up with his girlfriend, according to the suit.

The suit states that after another doctor evaluated Mesch and the teen agreed to out-patient therapy, Unity discharged him at 12:18 p.m. -- about 10 hours after hed been admitted.

Jacob Mesch killed himself two days later.

The suit was filed last week in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Portland attorney John Coletti is representing the teens estate.

Help available National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Multnomah County: 503-988-4888 or 1-800-716-9769 Clackamas County: 503-655-8585 Washington County: 503-291-9111 Southwest Washington: 1-800-626-8137 or 866-835-2755 Portland Womens Crisis Line: 888-235-5333 National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee
The RosettaHealth platform plays a crucial role in NicoBoards integration with hospital EHR systems, providing excellent security, integrity, and performance, said Phil Martie, Co-Founder and CEO of Nicolette, Inc.

RosettaHealth, an innovative and secure, big health data interoperability platform, today announced that its health data exchange platform is being used in Nicolette, Inc.s NicoBoard solution, a bedside empowerment technology for parents with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Recently launched by Nicolette, Inc., NicoBoard dramatically improves parents' participation in their baby's care and enhances the partnership with their healthcare team. The solution provides families with the confidence and competence to be better caregivers, while also potentially reducing hospital length of stay and readmissions  yielding substantial savings to healthcare systems and payers.

The NicoBoard solution is leveraging RosettaHealths HealthBus solution, a SaaS-based solution that enables full health information exchange capabilities for sending and receiving all standardized exchange formats. It also offers real-time network analytics capabilities, which include detailed connection status as well as metrics and logs about each facility, feed or protocol.

The RosettaHealth platform plays a crucial role in NicoBoards integration with hospital EHR systems, providing excellent security, integrity, and performance, said Phil Martie, Co-Founder and CEO of Nicolette, Inc. It is a partnership that we are proud to have in our mission to empower NICU parents.

Specifically, the HealthBus solution is enabling the use of HL7's V2 messaging standard, which is being processed and rendered in the NicoBoard application. Ultimately, this allows parents to gain a complete picture of the care being provided for their child in the NICU.

We are thankful for the opportunity to support a solution that truly helps parents during a very difficult time in their lives, said Buff Colchagoff, CEO of RosettaHealth. In addition, the integration of our solution into NicoBoard reinforces how health data exchange capabilities can be used in non-traditional ways for health IT providers.

CHOC Children's, a pediatric healthcare system in Orange County, California, is the first organization to implement the technology.

About RosettaHealth

The RosettaHealth platform is making electronic health record exchange affordable and ubiquitous. Currently, more than ten million health records move across the platform per month. The SaaS platform enables efficiencies, scale and ease not seen before in records exchange. For more information about RosettaHealth, please click here.

About Nicolette, Inc.

Nicolette is a patient empowerment company. They build visual, audio, and interactive displays of individualized medical data and research to enable patients to understand their health quickly and with enough confidence to serve as their own healthcare advocate. Their first product is called NicoBoard, a bedside tool that empowers NICU parents to partner with their medical professionals through visualized medical data, curated research & education, and engagement tools. TO learn more, please click here.


In the future, the young innovator plans on starting his own company which would come up with more such devices and innovations. (Image credit : Facebook)

Hyderabad: For 13-year-old Hemesh Chadalavada, a resident of Ranga Reddy district, Monday would have to be among the best days of his life. His dream of meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi came true, albeit virtually. He was one of the 32 awardees of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar.

"It was very heartening to be in the presence of the PM. He spoke to us about how the youth of the country could make an impact on the world. He spoke to us for an hour. Since there were 32 people on the video call, he could not speak to us individually," Hemesh told Deccan Chronicle.

Hemesh won the award for developing a wearable device that helps those afflicted with Alzheimer's'.

The device monitors the health of the patient such as wandering, pulse, and BP. If the patient starts wandering, or if the patient has abnormal health conditions, an alert is sent to the caregiver and the doctor.

The Prime Minister took to a prominent micro-blogging website to say. I truly admire Hemesh Chadalavadas sensitivity. Seeing his grandmother suffer from Alzheimer's, he decided to work on a 'Smart Wristband' that would help monitor aspects that relate to this disease. Congratulations on being conferred the Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2021!

Inventing was something that he took a fancy to. I took part in Ideate for India in January last year. I was awarded by Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Then, in February, I took part in a competition named 'Eureka Junior' in IIT Bombay, he said.

Prior to this invention, he had come up with a device that could make car rides safer.

"I had taken up a small project in which I came up with a device that could be attached to the seat belt buckle of a car. If an accident takes place the device would alert the authorities," he said.

In the future, the young innovator plans on starting his own company which would come up with more such devices and innovations.
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The UK's foreign aid budget is set to fall below 10billion in 2021/22 as Dominic Raab confirmed the spending cut and said there are 'no easy choices' as the coronavirus crisis wreaks havoc on the public finances.

The Foreign Office today set out how much each Government department will be given to spend on official development assistance (ODA) in the next financial year.

And the estimated total figure is 9.985billion - significantly lower than the approximately 15billion which has been spent in recent years.

The confirmation of the cut comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced at the Budget in November that the UK was slashing its aid commitment from 0.7 per cent of gross national income to 0.5 per cent.

Mr Raab defended the reduction this afternoon as he told the International Development Select Committee that 'you have got to cut your coat according to your cloth'.

Dominic Raab today told MPs there are 'no easy choices' as he confirmed a cut to the UK's foreign aid budget

Mr Raab told MPs: 'The Foreign Office is dealing with, as the rest of Whitehall is, the implications of Covid on the economy, the public finances as you know, the biggest contraction we have been through in 300 years, double the budget deficit that we faced after the financial crash.

'I think we all have to look at that and I had long, as you can imagine, quite intense, in detail, focused discussions about this before we took the decision.

'But I understand there are no easy choices across the public service and public sector piste.

'The first thing to say is we have still got 10billion worth to spend in the year that is coming.

'This still leaves us as one of the top ODA spenders on DAC definitions. But you have got to cut your coat according to your cloth.'

The Foreign Secretary set out the 2021/22 aid spending figures in a written statement to Parliament.

Highlighting the financial context in which the budget cut was agreed, Mr Raab said the UK is facing a 'budget deficit of close to 400billion'.

He said: 'At 19 per cent of GDP this is around double that of the last financial crisis.

'As announced last year, given the impact of this global pandemic on the economy and, as a result, the public finances, we will move to a target of spending 0.5 per cent of GNI as ODA in 2021.

'This is a temporary measure and we will return to 0.7 per cent when the fiscal situation allows.'

The decision to slash the Government's foreign aid spending commitment sparked a Tory revolt last November.

But Mr Sunak insisted at the time that keeping the commitment was 'difficult to justify' during the coronavirus pandemic as ministers borrow billions of pounds to keep the UK afloat.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
French authorities are looking at shutting down a far-right extremist group that has staged several attempts to forcibly block migrants from entering the country by crossing the Alps or the Pyrenees mountains, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Tuesday.

Darmanin, who has also led a recent crackdown on extremist Muslim organisations, said he was "outraged by the efforts by Generation Identitaire activists to undermine the republic."

Last week, around 30 members of Generation Identitaire (Generation Identity) gathered at the Col de Portillion pass on the border of France and Spain in what they termed a surveillance operation to "defend Europe."

It was the latest of several mountain patrols in recent years, often involving the building of fences at key crossing points, that have led to skirmishes with migrants and activists.

"If there is enough evidence, I will not hesitate to advise closing it down," Darmanin told a press conference.

Several lawmakers in southern France have called on the government to shut down Generation Identitaire, but it is the first time Darmanin has publicly condemned the group's actions.

In August 2019, the group's leader and two other activists were handed six-month prison sentences after they set up a blockade in the French Alps and rented two helicopters to search for migrants.

In response, a group of around 100 rights activists escorted some 30 migrants into France, sparking scuffles with police.

Generation Identitaire was accused of vigilantism and the three GI members were charged with trying to pass themselves off as police officers, though an appeals court overturned that ruling last December.

The French government has promised to tighten immigration and asylum laws in response to the huge influx of people trying to reach Europe from Africa, the Middle East and Asia since 2015.

Short link:


The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times eastern):

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott responds to a question during a press conference regarding COVID-19 vaccine distribution, at Queen's Park in Toronto on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin

The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (all times eastern):

6:30 p.m.

British Columbia's top doctor says the province is extending the interval at which people receive their second and final dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says further delays in the production and delivery of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have prompted B.C. health officials to extend the time period between the two shots from 35 days to 42.

Henry provided an update on B.C.'s vaccine supply on Monday while reporting 26 more deaths linked to the illness and 1,344 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed over the last three days.

She says the curve of the outbreak in B.C. has plateaued around 500 cases each day, which is too many, particularly if transmission of several faster-spreading variants of the illness increases in the province.

6:05 p.m.

A third-party report examining how the British Columbia government responded to COVID-19 in long-term care homes during the first wave of the pandemic reveals confusion over policies and infection prevention.

The report, by Ernst & Young, says specific policy orders from the provincial health officer were interpreted differently by health authorities and there were gaps in infection prevention and control as well as emergency preparedness.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said last week that the report presented an "overwhelmingly favourable" review of the government's response and that the report's recommendations had been implemented.

3:40 p.m.

There was a parliamentary pile-on in Ottawa today as MPs of all parties blasted the Liberal government for what they say is a botched approach to rolling out vaccines.

Several pointed to claims by the Ontario government that they are running out of doses, but federal Procurement Minister Anita Anand hit back against that claim.

She says Ontario has at least 100,000 doses it hasn't used so far, so the claim it's run out is simply inaccurate.

Anand says the delays this week in receiving Pfizer-BioNTech doses won't knock the government off its goal of getting all Canadians a vaccine who want one by September.

3:15 p.m.

Saskatchewan is reporting 240 new cases of COVID-19.

Health officials say another resident has died, a senior who was 80 and older.

The Ministry of Health reports 202 people as being in hospital because of the virus, with 32 patients receiving intensive care.

So far, the province has given more than 33,000 shots of vaccine.

Officials say the pace of shots is starting to slow because the province is running low on doses.

The province expects to use its last ones this week.

2:05 p.m.

New Brunswick is reporting another COVID-related death, bringing the total number of deaths in the province attributed to COVID-19 to 14.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell says the newest death involved a resident in their 70s who lived at a long-term care facility in Saint John.

She says another recently deceased resident of that facility who was COVID-positive died for reasons unrelated to the novel coronavirus.

New Brunswick is reporting another 27 new infections today.

2 p.m.

Public health units in Ontario are beefing up infection control measures after detecting a more contagious strain of COVID-19 in their regions.

Toronto Public Health is asking congregate care, educational and other group settings to review their COVID-19 protocols as the U.K. variant appears in the region.

Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Health has found a case of the variant and is advising anyone who recently travelled outside the region to consider taking an asymptomatic COVID-19 test.

Simcoe Muskoka District Health has confirmed at least seven cases of the variant and its increasing testing at long-term care homes dealing with outbreaks that are suspected to have cases of the new strain.

1:40 p.m.

Manitoba is reporting 113 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths.

More than half the cases are in the province's north.

The provincial government says it may have to postpone some second-dose vaccine appointments soon, as a result of the disruptions to the supply of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

1:05 p.m.

Nunavut is reporting two new cases of COVID-19, bringing the territory's active case count to 17.

All of the new cases are in Arviat, a community of about 2,800 people and the centre of Nunavut's original COVID-19 outbreak.

The community, and territory, had been COVID-free since Jan. 2.

Chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson says it's still unclear if the new cases in Arviat are connected to the original outbreak or came from outside the community.

There have been 280 cases of COVID-19 in Nunavut since the start of the pandemic.

To date, 4,458 people have received first doses of the Moderna vaccine in Nunavut.

11:25 a.m.

Ontario is pausing COVID-19 vaccinations of long-term care staff and essential caregivers so it can focus on administering shots to all nursing home residents amid a shortage of doses.

The province is currently dealing with a delay in deliveries of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with no shots of that vaccine expected to arrive this week.

The government says the shift in vaccination focus means all long-term care residents, high-risk retirement home residents and First Nations elder care residents will get their first dose of vaccine by Feb. 5.

That's sooner than the previous goal of Feb. 15, but the earlier plan had included the vaccination of long-term care staff and caregivers.

11 a.m.

Quebec is reporting 1,203 new cases of COVID-19 and 43 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus, including 12 that occurred in the past 24 hours.

Health officials said today hospitalizations dropped by six, to 1,321, and 217 people were in intensive care, a decrease of two.

Hospitalizations have decreased by 179 over the past six reporting periods.

Quebec has reported 254,836 infections and 9,521 deaths linked to the virus since the beginning of the pandemic, with 228,887 cases considered recovered.

10:35 a.m.

There are 1,958 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Ontario today and 43 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says 727 of the new cases are in Toronto, 365 in Peel Region, and 157 in York Region.

She says nearly 36,000 tests were completed since Sunday's report.

Ontario also reports that 2,448 more cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2021.
'A symbol of the people': San Marcos to be named mermaid capital of Texas
Cervical cancer campaigner and patient advocate Vicky Phelan, who is in the US in a bid to prolong her life, has revealed she is very nervous about starting her new drugs trial.

The Kilkenny native and mother-of-two, who now lives in Limerick, flew out to Maryland two weeks ago to prepare for the clinical trial which started today.

A check-up last October confirmed her cancer was growing and she had developed a new tumour in one of her lungs so new drugs were needed.

Ms Phelan, who has been using immunotherapy drug Pembrolizumab said the forthcoming US trial of the drug M7824, which is being directed by Dr Julius Strauss at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in Maryland, and has already showed some positive markers.

@PhelanVicky despite not knowing you Im watching the world clock for stateside times and following the day with you. Best of luck ... #vickyphelan  Noreen Clifford (@Nocnonie) January 26, 2021

Last week she underwent tests to see if she was suitable for the trials which she now is. Three years ago, she went for the trials at the same hospital she is attending now and was told she was not suitable for the treatment.

On April 25, 2018, she gave voice to those who had been suffering in silence, as it emerged that more than 220 women with cervical cancer had initially been given the all-clear based on smear tests carried out by the CervicalCheck screening programme.

Since then, Ms Phelan has become a tireless campaigner for women who have suffered at the hands of the healthcare system.

Im trying to tell myself this is my best chance of getting more time

Speaking to her local radio station KCLRFM, based in Kilkenny and Carlow, just hours before she starts her new treatment she said: Im obviously quite nervous because unlike the drug Ive been on for the past three years (which is) Pembrolizumab, this trial that Im on involves three drugs.

Im a little bit nervous about how my body is going to react as three new drugs are being pumped into me. At the same time Im trying to tell myself this is my best chance of getting more time. She revealed that she would not consider the alternative of not having trial treatment.

The alternative was palliative chemotherapy would not have given me a huge amount of time so Im trying to remain positive and hopeful.

I think this is the best option for me because the main drug on this trial is very similar to Pembrolizumab, the immunotherapy drug, so because I responded so well to it, the doctor looking after this trial thinks I should respond equally as well, so fingers crossed that will be the case.

Great memories of a wonderful evening spent with the amazing Vicky Phelan in Cashel library. Thinking of you today Vicky on your first day of treatment in the US. @PhelanVicky  pic.twitter.com/N7VsVCH5Os  TippCoCoLibraries (@TippLib) January 26, 2021

But yeah Im obviously very nervous about starting and I know Im going to have some fairly rotten side effects. Please God theyll ease off after the first four or five days but Im getting myself ready mentally and physically for a rough week. With her daughter Amelia and son Darragh at home, she explained that all the well messages she is receiving are a massive boost to her.

Whats keeping me going over here with no family and friends is all the support Im getting from home. Its just been phenomenal, to be honest.

I can honestly say that I didnt have the same level of support as I do now when my story broke with the cervical cancer story. Its just amazing and is making things a lot easier for me because leaving my kids at home behind me and into the unknown in the States and in the middle of a pandemic is not for everybody.

The alternative for me was not an option. Im looking forward to a situation in a few months when I can hopefully come home for a visit at least and stay on the drug then for as long as it takes and that it will give me another two or three years like Pembro did.

Today is a big day for Vicky Phelan who is starting her treatment over in the US today, we are all behind you here Vicky, praying and lighting our candle  #VickyPhelan @PhelanVicky #WeSaluteYou pic.twitter.com/J4CG0RzXLG  Dingle Tours (@sleaheadtours) January 26, 2021

RTEs Ryan Tubridy also added his well-wishes to the brave mum on his morning radio show. He said: A word of good wishes to our friend Vicky Phelan and indeed her family. Its a big day today. Shes starting her treatment.

We just want to send all the love in the world to her over in Maryland. She is a remarkable human being. Our thoughts and prayers to her as we admire her so much. We just love and adore (her) with every fibre in our being. Good luck Vicky our thoughts are with you. 

On Twitter Heros Aid said they were sending our love and support to our heroic ambassador. Today is Vickys first day of her new treatment in the USA. Well be lighting a candle for you Vicky.
Mr President,

At the outset the delegation of Sri Lanka wishes to congratulate you on your assumption of the first Presidency of the 2021 session of the Conference on Disarmament. Our delegation assures you and other P6 Presidents of its full support and cooperation to find common grounds for fulfilling CDs obligations towards strengthening international peace and security. We are encouraged by the approach of the six presidencies working together as a team in this regard. We also thank the Secretary General of the CD and the CD Secretariat for their support.

Sri Lanka aligns itself with the statement of G21 delivered by Indonesia.

Mr. President, our delegation notes with appreciation the package proposal presented by you on behalf of the six Presidents. We affirm our full support for your efforts to develop this package through a consultative process and reach consensus on a balanced and comprehensive programme of work with a view to resuming multilateral disarmament negotiations, which we have failed to achieve for far too long.

Sri Lanka has been an active player in the field of disarmament for long years. We are pleased to recall that Sri Lanka's presidency of the CD in 2018 was able to once again make a meaningful contribution to this process through the adoption of the decision CD/2119 in February 2018. We take this opportunity to urge all members of the Conference to work with renewed commitment and a sense of urgency demonstrating maximum flexibility, to support the efforts of the six Presidents of the Conference in 2021.

As we are fully aware, the year 2021 presents unprecedented challenges for all of us as the world continues to fight against a deadly pandemic. This situation brings home the most pertinent question of whether a security regime based only on exotic weapons is the best measure to achieve sustainable human security.

We are concerned of the rapidly deteriorating international arms control and security regime which would have a profound impact on humankind that would endure the pandemic itself bringing in our vulnerabilities to heightened realities. We also note with concern the lack of progress on the NPT and the inability of states to work together to advance non-proliferation goals of the Treaty as we are on the run up to the tenth review conference of the Treaty this year. Modernization of nuclear arsenals as well as a move, by some states, to include new low-yield nuclear weapons in their national security strategies and postures are of grave concern. It appears that nuclear possessing states, instead of implementing coordinated measures to abandon their nuclear weapons arsenal are moving more towards expansion and modernization. Advancement of autonomous weapon systems and related emerging technologies devoid of meaningful human control also remains a matter of grave concern. Early commencement of negotiation of binding limitations and regulations of such weapon systems are an absolute necessity. We note the importance of continuing serious dialogue in good faith among all parties concerned in the interest of international peace and security of all peoples.

However, we remain hopeful that our collective efforts would lead to concrete results and that we would continue to build on the positive work we have achieved so far as we endeavor to understand the legitimate security concerns of all states and how we could narrow our differences.

We sincerely hope, Mr. President, that your inclusive approach and willingness to engage across regional groups will assist to gather momentum for the work ahead. It is our earnest hope that the Conference will be able to untie its gordian knot at least this year so that we could decide how best we could utilize our meager resources to optimum advantage in the best interests of the human kind.

I thank you Mr. President.

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NCP chief on Tuesday called the violence during a tractor parade by farmers in Delhi as an indefensible act, but said one also cannot ignore reasons that led to the chaotic situation in the capital as he warned against use of force on protesters.

The former Union Agriculture Minister asked the to hold a dialogue with cultivators seeking scrapping of the new agri-marketing laws giving up its "extreme position" on the issue.

He wondered "what was the difficulty" in Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier holding talks with the farmers protesting against the new agri laws near Delhi for more than two months now.

A tractor march meant to highlight farmers' demands dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the capital, as hordes of rampaging protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the rampart of Red Fort, a privilege reserved for the tricolour.

Interacting with media persons here, Pawar said Punjab may head towards restlessness if the uses force against protesters and asked the Modi government to not commit that sin.

The farmers organised tractor rally. It was expected of the and those responsible for law and order then to deal with them sensibly. But it did not happen is obvious, Pawar alleged.

Pawar said a way out should have been found over the farmers demands without hurting the protesters who have been agitating for two months.

The NCP leader said that according to the information he received, strict conditions were imposed on the protesters before they took out the tractor rally.

It was required to deal with the protesters keeping in mind their 50-60 days agitation and their patience. But a different view was held (by the authorities) and hence, the situation has deteriorated.

None can defend what is happening there today. But we also cannot ignore why it is happening, Pawar said.

Pawar said it was the responsibility of the Centre to note why the farmers who were protesting peacefully till now turned angry and added the government should have handled the agitators accordingly.

But it did not happen and the situation deteriorated, Pawar said.

It is my expectation that the Centre shows prudence and gives up its extreme position on the issue while holding dialogue with these (farmers) bodies.

It should hold a dialogue. It should think of their demands seriously and take a suitable decision, Pawar said.

He said Punjab may head towards restlessness if the Centre uses force against the agitators.

If this is not done (dialogue is not held) and if we (the Centre) try to use force, then Punjab -- which was restless once upon a time, but has recovered -- may head towards restlessness and the Modi government should not commit that sin, Pawar added.

Most of the farmers agitating against the new agri laws outside Delhi are from Punjab.

Referring to the farmers protest in Mumbai on Monday, Pawar said the Maharashtra government handled the situation with patience and added the Centre, too, should have approached the demonstrations near Delhi borders in a similar manner.

But if it (the Centre) thinks the issue can be resolved using force, then I think that thinking is wrong, the NCP patriarch added.

The Rajya Sabha MP said he will discuss the situation with other opposition leaders ahead of Parliament session, which is beginning later this week, as what happened in Delhi cannot be ignored.

The veteran leader, to a question, said it was required of the prime minister earlier to take note of the situation and hold talks with the protesting farmers.

What was the difficulty in holding a dialogue with those protesting near Delhi? he asked.

(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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ZURICH, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For the last 1.5 years, the world has been fiercely battling with Covid-19; the viral calamity of our time. Scientists all around the world are working day and night to find an effective formulation that will effectively antagonize the symptoms of SarsCov2 and other emerging variants.

ActoPharma; a renowned German Pharmaceutical Company has acquired the licenses of three antiviral formulation patents invented by Erdal Can Alkoclar and Metehan Yesil. Related bioceutical formulation consisting of two flavonol glycoside analouges is designed to simultenaously reduce viral load, decresse platelet aggregation and modulate the cytokine ratios in order to effectively suppress cytokine storm; the clinical term referring to dramatically elevated cytokine signaling leading to a severe autoimmune reaction that eventually uptegulates platelet aggregation and increases the likelihood of blood clots.

Another auxiliary treatment requirement that comes along with Covid-19 is the maintainance of muscle mass and cardiovascular integrity; two crucial matters challenged by lack of exercise and mobility. Alkoclar and Yesil also had a conclusion with ActoPharma regarding the exclusive license rights of their SARM (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulative) Formulations that may serve as an effective means for preserving via selectively onsetting nitrogen retention and muscle protein synthesis while exerting minimal or no androgenic effects.

"This may serve especially beneficial for the elderly who are forced to stay indoors for prolonged periods. We firmly believe that co-application of those formulations may serve as potential adjunctive treatments for Covid-19. We are planning to conduct clinical trials for both formulations," said Dr Sabahattin Ataoglu, supreme consultant and supervisor of related formulations.

ActoPharma

ACTO GmbH was founded in Braunschweig, Germany in 1998. As of today, our headquarter and the factory is located in Wietzen-Holte, Germany, and other branches in Braunschweig, Bavaria, and Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany, an office and factory in Istanbul, Turkey, and an office in New Delhi, India.

Specialized in hygiene, disinfection, wound care, personal care, industrial cleaning, food supplements, cosmetics, veterinary products, and fertilizers. In addition, ACTO GmbH operates in the manufacturing, sales, and marketing of medical devices as well.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1427089/ActoPharma.jpg
Leading global construction and energy law specialist Fenwick Elliott said it had emerged stronger than ever from a challenging 2020 and was expecting a 20 per cent revenue growth this year due to pursuing expansion opportunities across the Mena region into Qatar, pivoting to an online business model, and appointing integral new promotions.

Fenwick Elliott has a key presence in the region, having already serviced many Middle Eastern territories include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman.

It is now planning to enter Qatar this year where it will provide the new market with access to a high level of construction, infrastructure, engineering, and energy law expertise from one of the most renowned firms globally in the sector, said a statement from the company.

After the Covid-19 pandemic drove the majority of business operations online in 2020, Fenwick Elliott harnessed the opportunity to update its business model and technical capabilities to become a leading firm for digital operations, and for the facilitation of digital hearings.

Embedding technology and online ways of working into its culture, Fenwick Elliotts team now encompasses a dedicated partner and personnel that are focused on the implementation of digital technologies and resources such as text analytics and technology providers.

This has allowed the specialist law firm to develop tailored solutions in respect of contract analysis, contract automation, matter analytics, and matter management that enhance its services and minimise costs to clients.

Simon Tolson, a senior partner with Fenwick Elliott, said: "The Middle Easts forward-thinking vision and rapid action of getting operations under control and re-open after 2020s lockdown and tight restrictions, as well as opening the borders with Qatar, has allowed us to harness a huge opportunity and expand our services in the Middle East in this first quarter, which we believe will allow us to grow the company significantly in 2021."

Patrick Stone, the newly appointed managing partner at Fenwick Elliott, UAE, said: "We see technology and law as an essential partnership for our business moving forward. 2020 brought an instant need for us to pivot the way the business was operating, which saw the majority of our meetings and hearings migrating to online, which in turn meant that we were able to continue servicing our clients whilst harnessing the growing technology services in the sector."

To support the companys planned expansion into Qatar and its continued growth in the Saudi Arabia with alliance partners Hammad & Al Mehdar, Fenwick Elliott has also already made numerous structural changes and promotions in 2021.

Stone, who joined the Dubai office as partner in 2019, will now be leading the law firms operations as Managing Partner for the UAE, operating out of Fenwick Elliotts international office in Dubai.

He replaces Ahmed Ibrahim, who is now moving on to become an independent arbitrator after his success in establishing Fenwick Elliotts Dubai office in 2015.-TradeArabia News Service

Two new teams can be added to the list of potential Marcus Semien suitors, as SKOR Norths Darren Wolfson reports (Twitter link) that the Twins and Brewers have each spoken with representatives for the free agent shortstop. While Semien might not necessarily join one of those two clubs, Wolfson writes that there is some sense that Semien is moving closer to a decision.

Minnesota has been speculatively linked to Semien for months, considering that the Twins have been known to be monitoring the middle infield market as part of their rather broad range of free agent considerations. MLBTRs Steve Adams wrote back in September that acquiring a new everyday shortstop or second baseman would allow Minnesota to shift either Jorge Polanco or Luis Arraez into super-utility duty, thus effectively filling Marwin Gonzalezs old role as a Swiss Army knife off the bench.

Or, it isnt out of the question that Semien could find himself playing elsewhere than shortstop, if the Twins were one of the teams considering him at other infield positions. Its probably safe to assume that Semien would get the bulk of the action at shortstop in Minnesota, but if he was open to playing some second base (or even third base, to occasionally spell Josh Donaldson), it would further increase manager Rocco Baldellis flexibility in regards to lineup construction and in-game maneuvering.

J.A. Happ and Hansel Robles have been added on the pitching side, but the Twins have yet to make a significant position player move this winter. There isnt yet any news on the Nelson Cruz front, and Minnesota already said goodbye to a notable power bat when Eddie Rosario was non-tendered (though the team hopes that top prospect Alex Kirilloff can immediately step in to fill Rosarios shoes). Before salaries were reduced last season, the Twins had a non-prorated $132MM payroll projected for 2020 and currently have a little over $100MM committed for the 2021 roster, so there is theoretically room to add at least one more big salary while still not approaching their 2020 spending.

Signing Semien would perhaps be an even more interesting move from the Brewers perspective, and it would mark the first big-ticket addition of the offseason within an NL Central that has collectively seemed more focused on cutting payroll than planning to contend. It could be that the divisions general inactivity has given Milwaukee some inspiration in making a move that could separate the team in the playoff race, even if it means stretching the budget to some extent. Granted, there was considerable debate over what Semiens next contract would look like even in the early days of the offseason, and as we approach February, its possible Semiens asking price has dipped into the Brewers range. Milwaukee had a pre-proration payroll of just under $97.5MM in 2020 and are just shy of $85MM in projected payroll for 2021 thanks to some notable contracts (including Ryan Braun) coming off the books.

Semien would immediately solidify a rather uncertain left side of the Milwaukee infield, as Orlando Arcia and Luis Urias are respectively slated as the starting shortstop and third baseman. Daniel Robertson and Jace Peterson have also been added this winter as backup infield options. Similar to the aforementioned scenario with Semien and the Twins, Semien would likely mostly play shortstop in Milwaukee but perhaps also get some work at other infield spots to stay in the lineup every day while the Brew Crew juggles their other players in and out of the lineup.

(Newser)  Residents of 15 eastern states and the District of Columbia can experience "a rare wonder of the natural world" this springif they can get over the noise. Billions of cicadas are expected to emerge from the ground for the first time in 17 years in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as in Washington, DC, reports the Guardian. These areas are home to a group of red-eyed periodical cicadas known as Brood X, or the Great Eastern Brood, which hide out underground in 17-year cycles, per the Detroit Free Press. The brood last emerged in 2004. That means there should be swarms appearing as the weather warms around the middle of May. People in West Virginia, Virginia, and parts of North Carolina witnessed this same thing last year.

story continues below

"They may amass in millions in parks, woods, neighborhoods, and can seemingly be everywhere," a Michigan State University entomologist tells the Guardian. He warns that pets who eat the nonbiting insects may get sick, though that doesn't appear to be the case with humans. Humans and pets will both have to deal with the din, however. The mating call of male cicadasproduced through vibrations in two membranes on either side of the abdomen, called tymbalscan generate the same level of noise as a motorcycle revving its engine, per the Guardian. The cicadaswhich have spent the last 17 years in wingless form, slurping up sap from tree rootsare expected to emerge as the soil reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Females will then lay eggs in trees. Once hatched, nymphs will burrow into the ground to repeat the cycle. (Read more cicadas stories.)
Billy Graham prayer line seeing spike in calls amid fears of uncertainty

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The Billy Graham Evangelistic Associations prayer phone line has received 1,000 calls every day since its creation in March 2020 in response to COVID-19 and the lockdowns, said its assistant director Jonathan Edwards.

Most people call the prayer line because theyre afraid and worried about current events, said Edwards, who manages the prayer line for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, in an interview with The Christian Post. Call numbers rose rapidly at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Theyve started rising again at the beginning of January.

Right now, the phone line receives 200 more calls than usual every day, he said. Call numbers get even higher after the Rev. Franklin Graham appears on television.

A lot of folks are just experiencing a lot of fear. People are just calling, and they dont know where to turn. They see where we are in the world and theyre just not sure where to turn, said Edwards. They just need hope.

Calls come from a mix of Christians and non-Christians, he said. Some of the people call because they experienced personal tragedies. Others call because they're stuck in COVID-19 wards without anyone to pray with, and still others call because theyre afraid of the increasing chaos and fear in American politics. They all want prayer.

People on the prayer line commonly ask for healing, peace from God, and comfort for fear, said Edwards. The BGEA, in a press release, shared several stories of individuals who called the prayer line. The group changed the names in the stories for privacy.

Ines, a believer, voiced her concern about troubles at the Capitol. As a child, her family left Cuba during tumultuous times. Ines still remembers the disturbing events and is fearful of seeing continued unrest in America, the release read. The volunteer assured her that God sees everything thats going on and He is the El Roi, a Hebrew name for God that means the God who sees me.

The BGEA originally planned for the prayer line to be a short-term feature during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Edwards said. But the lockdowns continued, and more people called than the group expected.

[Call numbers] have been very, very, consistently high, he said. Eventually I thought wed see that balance slow down, and it hasnt. They need to find the hope of Christ somewhere.

Over 6,700 people decided to follow Jesus after talking with volunteers on the prayer line, said Edwards. This number makes up part of a larger trend in evangelism. In 2020, 1.7 million people became Christians through the BGEAs online ministries, an increase of 400,000 people from 2019.

The ministry team which operates the prayer phone line, reads the Bible to keep from feeling overwhelmed by the fears they hear about every day, said Edwards. Consistently dealing with fear can be an emotional burden.

Were going to experience fear. Nowhere in the Bible does Christ say were not going to experience fear, Edwards said. With a personal relationship with Jesus Christ you can know your salvation is assured, you can know where youre going. There will be times that were fearful, but you can experience peace with God.

Edwards said he often shares Psalm 56:3 with his team.

The text reads, When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise 

in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
The annual production volume recorded by the Omani Vegetable Oils and Derivatives Company in 2020 touched 50,000 tonnes of vegetable oils (cooking oils).

The products included palm oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, and other vegetable oil products, an Oman News Agency report quoting Eng Mohammed Ahmed Jaboob, Commercial Manager at Omani Vegetable Oils and Derivatives Company, said.

These products are available in major commercial stores, supermarkets and retail companies. Additionally, the company adopts multi-channel distribution method throughout the Middle East and Africa, and undertakes significant efforts to expand its business to meet the needs of customers in the emerging markets, Jaboob pointed out.

The factory was established in 2005 in Raysut Industrial City in Dhofar as an initiative of Dhofar Cattle Feed Company, Dhofar Insurance Company, and Dhofar International Development and Investments Holding Company. The Omani Vegetable Oils and Derivatives Company has its own subsidiaries and branch offices in Muscat, UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Bread - Ireland worried about tariff-induced price rises

Food Drink Ireland (FDI), which represents companies in the country's food and drink sector, has warned the Brexit trade deal agreed by the UK and the EU is having a negative impact on Irish bakery businesses.

FDI is concerned about the rules of origin element of the trade agreement, which the trade body says will result in tariffs being applied to flour imports and increased costs for the sector.

It has called for a "derogation" for the Irish bakery sector in order to avoid the tariffs.

The issue relates to the rules of origin requirement that wheat used in bakery products should be of UK or EU origin, with a maximum tolerance of 15% for grain from other countries such as Canada or the US.

FDI director Paul Kelly said: "If the wheat used to make flour is more than 15% of third-country origin, the full tariff of EUR172 (US$208.7) per tonne becomes payable. This is a significant problem for the Irish bakery industry, which purchases flour from millers in Great Britain with a high proportion of third country wheat, mainly Canadian or US, which is rarely below the 15% tolerance level."

Kelly points out there are no industrial milling options available in Ireland after the closure of a number of mills in recent years, meaning the country is not self-sufficient in flour. Some 80% of the flour used in the Irish baking sector is imported.

"This results in a distorted marketplace where a GB, Northern Irish or EU-based bakery competitor, using the same specification flour, but not facing the same tariff will be at a significant competitive advantage selling their finished product in the marketplace versus an Irish-based bakery. This is a problem uniquely faced by Irish-based bakeries," he said.

FDI said the tariff would be equivalent to a 50% increase in product cost and could equate to a 9% consumer price increase in bread.

"In order to avoid distortion of trade and negative impacts on Irish consumers we are seeking a derogation for the Irish bakery sector from this specific rule of origin in order to deliver a tariff-free solution and put the businesses on a level playing field with UK and EU bakery competitors," Kelly said.

just-food has asked the European Commission for a response to FDI's request.


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 23:21:17|Editor: huaxia

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THE HAGUE, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The international online Climate Adaptation Summit (CAS) 2021, hosted by the Netherlands, ended on Tuesday, with the event's host, Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, expressing her satisfaction with its results.

"I'm thrilled that our mission to accelerate climate adaptation around the world is succeeding," van Nieuwenhuizen said at a press briefing. "It's incredible how much energy has come together at this summit. World leaders are announcing concrete and ambitious plans. Promising multi-stakeholder initiatives are born. Knowledge and best practices are shared. A great boost to climate adaptation."

On the first day of the summit on Monday, over 30 world leaders already expressed their support for climate adaptation in online messages. They all promised action, unveiled concrete initiatives or committed to raising adaptation finance.

"We have heard so many game-changing initiatives to make the world more resilient," van Nieuwenhuizen said. "It was the first climate summit since a long time where China and the United States stood side-by-side to affirm their commitment to climate action."

Addressing the Summit via video link in Beijing, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Monday called for joint efforts of all countries to enhance actions of climate adaptation and work for new progress in global climate governance.

Han said that climate change is the common challenge facing humanity, and its response requires accommodating both mitigation and adaptation.

China has attached equal importance to mitigation and adaptation, he said, adding that China is formulating a national strategy of adapting to climate change for 2035 and would make the country more resilient to climate risks.

As 2021 marks the comprehensive implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, the vice premier called for global solidarity to enhance adaptation actions to promote the new progress in global climate governance.

Han also urged developed countries to offer more financial and technical support to developing countries regarding climate change.

John Kerry, the United States' Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, announced that his country will increase funding for adaptation and resilience and improve adaptation programs.

"This summit couldn't have been more timely as COVID-19 and climate change are two sides of the coin," van Nieuwenhuizen said. "In the words of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of unity and timely action. The need to invest in adaptation action can coincide with the economic stimulus packages; it is even smart economics to do so."

Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said that her institution was increasing coverage of climate actions in its annual country economic assessments.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) announced a new Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) focusing on agriculture, infrastructure, youth and innovative finance.

Among other leaders, French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed that two billion euros (2.43 billion U.S. dollars), one-third of France's climate finance aid, will be allocated for climate adaptation. German Chancellor Angela Merkel committed an extra 270 million euros for climate adaptation.

All the contributions, initiatives, programs and best practices discussed during the two-day CAS 2021 will now be included in a comprehensive Adaptation Action Agenda that sets out practical climate solutions for this decade. (1 euro = 1.21 U.S. dollars) Enditem
How many of you have admired someone? What were those reasons? Was it their character? Their lifes achievements? Their political policies? Their teachings? Most of us have people that we have well and truly put on a pedestal and would follow them into the trenches, because we respect them and believe in them.

History is flush with men and women who have been held in high esteem by the worlds population, and at times we think that these people could do no wrong! Until they fall, caught up in some scandal and all of a sudden that person we respected so much, that person whose words we held onto as gospel truth is no longer that beacon of hope and trust we once held onto.

When this happens, it is absolutely heart breaking, to see people we hold in such high regard fall, is a devasting experience for all.

A fallen giant

For most of the Christian Apologetics community we are all up to date with the scandals that surround the late Ravi Zacharias. When this was first brought to my attention, I absolutely denounced it. It was slander! This was the enemy trying to bring down the legacy of a true general of the Christian faith. Many people thought as I did.

Ravi Zacharias was a beacon of hope, integrity, faith and truth for so many Christians, the beauty in which he communicated the Christian world view in seminars and debates, was so pure, so eloquent. He spoke with humble authority that slew his opponents and brought many to faith. His work, I would say has had the biggest impact on me wanting to become better at Christian Apologetics.

Then a statement confirming details of alleged sexual misconduct by Ravi Zacharias released by RZIM late last year hit me like a truck. I was grieved, heart-broken, and as I shared this story with fellow Christians who hadnt heard about any of this, their eyes told the tale. I was angry at his behaviour and saddened for his victims.

A race well run?

What are we to do about this, how are we to react? This was a man a lot of people looked up to, who taught these absolute truths of how we should run the race, how we should live our lives for Jesus, how we should equip ourselves to defend the Faith.

If Ravi Zacharias couldnt do it, what chance do we have? After much soul searching, I weirdly felt a sense of comfort from Ravis fall. I will not glorify his sin, and he should have suffered the consequences of his actions here on earth, but Ravis fall cemented in me the need for Jesus in my life.

How many of us are the same in public and behind closed doors? Just like the Apostle Paul struggled with the thorn in his flesh, we too, struggle with fleshy and sinful desires of our fallen nature.

I wont stand here in judgement of Ravi, but his actions were unacceptable. This is the reason for the body of Christ to gather around each other and pray for each other, that we do not fall to our bodys sinful nature.

Accountability

Who was keeping Ravi accountable? Are you surrounded by friends who are merely yes men not willing to ruin the friendship by offering a heartfelt rebuke? Brothers and sisters, we are at war with our bodies every single day, we need Jesus, every day, and we need each other every day to help us keep each other on track to finish the race well.

While we should always respect our leadership and those we hold in high esteem, remember, they are human and are prone to make mistakes. Jesus sits on the throne, not Ravi Zacharias and not your churchs senior pastor. Pray for them, but they are not our example  only Jesus is.

So I mourn the downfall of a man who did so much for the faith, his books and seminars are still great for learning how to defend Christianity, but his actions have now undoubtedly caused great harm to his ministry, and because of this I will continue to seek Jesus in my day-to-day life as my absolute standard; I will search the scriptures and seek God, because when our leaders fall and chances are they will, Jesus never will.
West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation

A West Virginia woman was sentenced to just over 11 years in federal prison Monday for a scheme in which she kidnapped her daughter, fled to Mexico, and attempted to sell classified NSA information to Russia.

Elizabeth Jo Shirley, 47, pleaded guilty to charges of unlawfully retaining documents containing national defense information and international parental kidnapping last year, in connection with the 2019 scheme.

Shirley betrayed the trust of the American people when she took classified information from her work with the Intelligence Community, Assistant Attorney General John Demers said in a statement. This sentence will hold Shirley accountable for her violations of the American peoples trust, and serves as a warning to others who would seek unlawful profit at Americas expense.

Shirleys journey began relatively inauspiciously. A former defense contractor with a security clearance, Shirley didnt return her daughter, Josephine Craft, then 6, to her ex-husbands home in West Virginia at the end of her visitation period.

When I went to pick her up... [Shirley] had sent me a text message saying that her car had broke down, Miranda Craft, Josephines custodial parent, told a local CBS affiliate in 2019.

After weeks of radio silence, Josephine and Shirley were found in a hotel in Mexico City. According to prosecutors, Shirley didnt just have her daughter in towshe also had classified NSA information, which she was attempting to sell to Russia in order to further her criminal abduction of her daughter, Demers said in the statement.

According to Shirleys plea deal, which was obtained by The Daily Beast, she agreed that she fled the country with the intent to make contact with representatives of the Government of Russia to request resettlement in a country that would not extradite her to the United States.

Shirley held a position that required the highest level of trust, Bill Powell, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, said in a statement. Shirley deserves her sentence and not a day less.

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New Delhi, Jan 26 : The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmers' unions protesting against the three Central farm laws, has condemned the violence that broke out in the national capital during the 'Kisan Gantantra Parade' organised on the occasion of Republic Day on Tuesday.

The leaders of famers' unions under the aegis of SKM said in a statement, "We thank the farmers for the unprecedented participation in today's Farmers Republic Day Parade. We also condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that took place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts." "Despite all our efforts, some organisations and individuals have violated the route and indulged in condemnable acts. Anti-social elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement. We have always held that peace is our biggest strength, and that any violation would hurt the movement," it added.

The farmers' body said that the long struggle for more than six months, and over 60 days' protest on the borders of Delhi, seem to have led to this situation.

"We dissociate ourselves from all such elements that have violated our discipline. We appeal strongly to everyone to stick to the routes and norms of the parade, and not indulge in any violent action or anything that taints national symbols and dignity. We appeal to everyone to desist from any such acts," the statement said.

The SKM has been trying to get a full picture of all the events with regard to the several kisan parades that were planned on Tuesday and will share a detailed statement soon.

Earlier in the day, groups of farmers indulged in vandalism as scores of them reached the Red Fort after deviating from the set route for the rally. After violent incidents, the SKM called off the Republic Day tractor rally and appealed to the protesters to immediately return to their respective protest sites.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
By Stella Qiu, Jamie Freed and Ryan Woo BEIJING/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Iphie Nie, a 30-year-old designer in Beijing who usually travels to visit family in her hometown of Shenzhen during the Lunar New Year has, like many Chinese, reluctantly decided against booking a flight for the mid-February holiday. To limit the spread of COVID-19, the government has discouraged travel in what is normally the busiest time of the year. Those who are going anyway must present a nucleic acid test with negative results taken in the seven days before returning home. As a result, airline bookings ...
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 06:35:01|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The number of people in South Sudan in need of aid has jumped from 7.5 million last year to 8.3 million, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

The landlocked country has a total population of just over 11 million.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) blames years of conflict, climate change and now COVID-19 for the hike. Those in need include 310,000 refugees and asylum seekers.

"Conflict, insecurity and natural disasters have displaced nearly 4 million people since 2013," the office said.

Hunger is growing, with more than 7.2 million people projected to be severely food insecure during 2021, it said in a release. Some communities face "catastrophic levels of food insecurity."

"The already serious humanitarian situation has been compounded by severe flooding, affecting approximately 1 million people each year in 2019 and 2020. The South Sudanese people also continue to be highly vulnerable to epidemic diseases, due to low immunization coverage, a weak health system and poor hygiene and sanitation."

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating and multi-faceted socio-economic impact on people. The humanitarian office said that among the difficulties they face are severe economic contractions, spikes in commodities prices, loss of livelihoods, particularly in urban areas, increased protection risks and disrupted access to basic services.

South Sudan, one of the world's youngest countries in the world, only became independent in 2011. Although it is rich in oil, it is among the poorer nations, ranking 157 out of 194 countries or territories in the International Monetary Fund's 2020 estimate of the World Economic Outlook. Enditem
I talk about my book which has been returned from Gyldendal with a strange response, insinuating that I have been reading too much Freud, Tove Ditlevsen writes of a publisher rejection. I dont even know who Freud is.

Bleak, honest, wryly funny: the Danish authors three-part memoir, Childhood, Youth, Dependency charts Tove Ditlevsens emergence from a working-class corner of Copenhagen to becoming one of its best-known literary stars. By the time of her death at 58 in 1976, she had published 29 books, having published her first poetry collection while barely out of her teens. Ditlevsens work has been adapted for the stage, screen and even the pop charts; her long-running agony aunt column has recently been released as a door-stopping compendium. The Scandinavian answer to Salinger, she is taught to Danish schoolchildren. Why, then, has it taken the UK a century to publish her work  and why should we read her now?

First, though, the books. While Ditlevsen may have broken out as a poet  her debut collection, Pigesind, was published in 1939, when she was 22  it is the memoirs and novels of the late Sixties for which she is now being recognised beyond Denmark. Translated into Childhood, Youth, Dependency, and otherwise known as The Copenhagen Trilogy, Ditlevsens retelling of her life has been variously compared to Elena Ferrantes Neopolitan Quartet and the writing of Jean Rhys and dubbed a manifesto for art.
President Biden is encouraging Americans to wear masks to limit the spread of the coronavirus. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

President Biden announced Tuesday that his administration will rush additional vaccine doses to states, territories and tribal governments and purchase 200 million more, ramping up its effort to inoculate more Americans more quickly as the death toll from COVID-19 continues to rise.

Under the plan, 10 million doses would be distributed each week for the next three weeks, up from the current 8.6 million. Acknowledging that even the increased number of doses is unlikely to meet the vast demand for vaccines, Biden urged patience and encouraged people to continue to wear masks to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The brutal truth is, its going to take months before we can get the majority of Americans vaccinated, he said. In the next few months, masks  not vaccines  are the best defense against COVID-19.

An average of 3,000 people have died of COVID-19 each day for the last week, and the total death toll could surpass 500,000 next month. New variants of the virus are also believed to be more contagious, increasing the potential for faster spread of the disease.

Biden said the additional 200 million vaccine doses would be delivered this summer, bringing the total purchased to 600 million. Half would be from Pfizer and the other half from Moderna. Because each vaccination requires two doses to be fully effective, the additional supply would be enough to inoculate an additional 100 million Americans.

This is a wartime undertaking, he said. Its not hyperbole.

Although Biden credited scientists and the previous administration for successfully developing vaccines, he complained that the distribution plan he inherited was poorly developed. The vaccine program was in worse shape than we anticipated, he said.

Biden did not specify his concerns. When he took office last week, the country was already nearing the pace necessary to accomplish his goal of administering 100 million shots in his first 100 days as president. On Monday, he suggested raising the target to 150 million shots.

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Vice President Kamala Harris receives her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., on Jan. 26, 2021. (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press)

Insufficient vaccine supplies are not the only challenge, however. Some states have struggled to quickly administer doses that theyve already acquired, leaving people frustrated and confused.

Administration officials said more details on improving distribution would be released on Wednesday. They have begun holding conference calls with state leaders, conversations that previously devolved into acrimony under then-President Trump.

We are trying to reset and be partners here in a more effective way than weve seen over the past 10 months, said Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary. She acknowledged that there will be more challenges ahead.

This is going to be hard, Psaki said. Were not going to sugarcoat that.

Biden said his administration was working to improve the flow of information so that local officials know three weeks in advance how many doses will be available to them.

This is going to help make sure governors, mayors and local leaders have greater certainty around supply so they can carry out their plans to vaccinate as many people as possible, he said.

California is struggling to get shots into arms, and the states epidemiologist said last week that it could take until June to inoculate all residents 65 and older. Not only have supplies dwindled, but websites for booking vaccine appointments have crashed and older residents have struggled to navigate the system.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said Tuesday at a news conference in Annapolis that there is an extremely limited supply of vaccines that are being produced and allocated, adding, This will obviously be a much longer process than any of us would like.

The faster distribution announced by Biden wont make that much of a difference, Hogan said. The state is already administering 18,000 doses per day, and the extra supply still wont be able to keep pace with the rate of vaccinations.

Vice President Kamala Harris received her second dose of the vaccine on Tuesday.

I want to urge everyone to take the vaccine when it is your turn, she said afterward. It is really pretty painless and it will save your life.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Today, realme Malaysia has officially announced the realme X7 Pro 5G for the Malaysian market. From their livestream, the price is RM1999 and the first online sale is coming on 2 February 2021 at 12AM only on Shopee. There will be a special RM50 discount on the launching day for the early birds as well.

To recap the tech specs and features, it's exactly the same as the one released back in China. It features a Dimensity 1000+ 5G chipset by MediaTek, 8GB of RAM and 256GB internal storage. The Super AMOLED display is 6.55-inches in FHD+ resolution with 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate support.

The battery is just 4500mAh but its charging speed is fast, carrying a 65W SuperDart Charge technology. A vapour cooling system is on board too and for the cameras, it houses a 64MP Sony IMX 686 quad camera setup. An in-display fingerprint sensor and Dolby Atmos Dual Speakers are available too.

Are you planning to get this phone? And what do you think? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

Mobilization Coming: Resist and Defeat the Green New Deal

Jan. 25 , 2021 (EIRNS)EIR and the Schiller Institute will soon begin circulating a powerful expose of the financial oligarchs so-called Green Deal scheme and the counter-strategy of financing high-technology development to defeat it. This report will build on the Special Report we published last May, The LaRouche Plan To Reopen the U.S. Economy: The World Needs 1.5 Billion New Productive Jobs, which is still the only full outline for really reversing the terrible economic effects of COVID-19 pandemic and defending against the next one.

EIRs Alert Service has warned that the five-day World Economic Forum Davos Agenda conference which began today involves a planthe Great Reset or Green Dealby British oligarchs to ban dirty modern energy technologies, and by City of London and Wall Street finance and the biggest central banks to get tens of trillions spent on new, actually primitive energy technologies. The process will reduce the human population, its liberty and its pursuit of happiness in ways very unpleasant for the billions of the other 99%. Only those around the British royals will admit that is their goal.

With shock, the South African government learns that its new coal-power projects are cancelled, and it is under pressure to close down, in this decade, many of the coal-power plants which provide the lions share of electric power to the entire country. The worlds biggest fund management company, Wall Streets BlackRock, Inc., pressured South Koreas leading power engineering company, which was building the South African power complexes, to abandon them. Other projects in Indonesia and the Philippines come under the same threat. In Kenya, financing disappears for development of an oil reserve which is the key to a new railroad and port corridor connecting the north of the country to its neighbors. The President of Ghana comes under intense pressure to drop plans for a nuclear complex which was to be his development centerpiece.

In London, government institutes arrogantly announce offers of $1 billion for all of Africa and India, as compensation for shutting down coal and oil power!

In the United States, half of all the coal-power plants are closed in five years by BlackRocks and Sir Michael Bloombergs Beyond Coal drive, in spite of President Donald Trump.

In Germany or the United States, the continued imposition of a Green New Deal means tremendous prices for electric power, industrial chaos, blackouts.... But in Africa, India or any developing nation, it means population reduction by millions of unnecessary deaths.

The reigning British Royal Malthusian Prince Charles and his teams of eco-advisors and City of London banking friends believe that now, after 30 years of Earth summits, Davos Conferences and Green New Deals, they have finally got a financial stranglehold against human numbers and the dirty fossil fuels and dangerous nuclear technologies which have allowed the human population to grow. They exult at the ousting of President Donald Trump who was the most powerful single adversary of their Green New Deal and had pulled the United States out of the economy-killing Paris Climate Accord. They think that now governments will not oppose them and big finance, Green Finance as they call it, will starve these most productive energy technologies of all capital to exist. Joe Biden is taking the White House into their camp.

But weve also made clear that this plan can be stopped. To a great extent because of the influence of China, the Asian nations are opposing it; and so is Putins Russia.

The World Economic Forum put out a strategy paper for their conference this week, which claimed that $30 trillion in capital funds are committed to green finance; that is, to preventing investment in fossil fuels or nuclear power. It supposedly will only invest for environmental, social and governance purposesa lot of bullst. But just 0.8% of this green finance, they admitted, was in Asia!

In effect, the Prince and his oligarchs are waging a European war on economic progress targeting Asia and Africa. Chinese banks are funding three-quarters of the coal-power projects in all developing countries, and while its leaders use the language of the Paris Climate Accord, China plans still to be producing half of its electric power from coal in 2050with much of the other half from nuclear power plants. India and Russia are equally committed to coal power, nuclear power, the international crash program for fusion power that Putin called for in July 2018, and to space exploration and space science.

We know how this kind of development can be financed without any green financiers or central banksby creating Hamiltonian national banking institutions in each country. As a first task, build a modern healthcare and public health system in every country.

We have to battle the Biden Administration for this policy of industrialization and development as the peerless American System economist Lyndon LaRouche conceived it. Set the Great Reset on its ear. Reject Bidens ideas about Earth Day summits, because thats playing the British oligarchys game. We need to fight for a conference to launch LaRouches New Bretton Woods. EIRs forthcoming white paper will be the opening weapon for that fight.
Hyundai Motor Group has launched the DAL-e, a customer service robot that independently communicates with people using precise recognition capabilities and mobility functions.

The DAL-e is an acronym for Drive you, Assist you, Link with you-experience. Designed to pioneer the future of automated customer services, the DAL-e is equipped with state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology for facial recognition as well as an automatic communication system based on a language-comprehension platform.





The DAL-e is a next-generation service platform that can offer automated customer services anytime. It is expected to become a messenger capable of delivering consistent messages to customers in a more intimate and personal way than conventional robots. With continuous updates and improvements, the DAL-e will provide fresh, pleasant experiences to our valued customers in a contact-free environment. Our objective is to enable the DAL-e to engage in a smooth and entertaining communication with customers and present valuable services to them. Dong Jin Hyun, Vice President and Head of the Robotics Lab at Hyundai Motor Group

Hyundai Motor Group unveiled the DAL-e at a Hyundai Motor showroom in southern Seoul, where the robot has commenced its pilot operation. Following the pilot operation, it is expected to be used in various fields that require everyday interactions with customers, such as other showrooms of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation.

With its truncated, humanoid body exuding a welcoming appeal (measuring 1,160 X 600 X 600 mm and weighing 80kg), the DAL-e is significantly lighter and more compact compared to other customer service and guide robots in the market.

It features friendly, emotive physical features for close interactions with customers. In the event that a customer enters the showroom without wearing a mask, the robot recognizes it and advises the customer to wear one. In terms of its communication capability, it can engage in an automated and smooth dialogue with customers by providing useful information on products and services and responding to verbal and screen touch commands.

In terms of mobility, the DAL-e can move freely and escort customers to designated spots using its omnidirectional four wheels. Furthermore, it purveys entertaining information, such as explaining vehicles and technologies by connecting wirelessly to a large display screen at the venue, beckoning visitors to take photos with it, and providing gestured feedbacks using its movable arms.

At the exhibition hall where it is being pilot-operated, the DAL-e is credited with easing the staffs workflow and offering hands-on help to customers, including those who do not prefer to be assisted by human staff in light of the Covid-19 circumstances, as well as those who visit the venue during busy peak times such as the weekend.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to continuously update the DAL-e based on data from pilot operations, perfecting its operational capabilities as an advanced android robot.
Alibaba-backed community group buying platform gets fined for uncompetitive practices; U.S. and China trade officials hold their first phone call under the Biden presidency; and the yuan surges to a three-year high against the dollar

May 28, 2021 05:54 PM
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Coronavirus could become a 'much more treatable disease' over the next six to 18 months, NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens said today

Coronavirus could become a 'much more treatable disease' over the next six to 18 months, NHS England's chief claimed today as he revealed the Covid hospital death rate has fallen from one third to one fifth.

Sir Simon Stevens said the UK vaccination programme was 'on track' to immunise the 15million most vulnerable Britons with both doses of the jabs by spring - which will slash hospital rates and give the overstretched NHS some much needed breathing room.

This, combined with the advent of new therapies, will make the disease more manageable and pave the way for a 'much more normal future', he claimed.

Sir Simon made the encouraging comments during a virtual House of Commons Health Select Committee today.

He told MPs he expects Covid and flu vaccines will be combined into a single jab as soon as this winter, if not next, as the country learns to live with the new virus.

But he warned the NHS was still in for a few more weeks of turmoil, with Covid patients taking up three-quarters of all ICU beds and a third of general beds, causing massive disruption to vital non-Covid care, including cancer treatment.

He also revealed that 'about a quarter of hospital admissions for Covid are for people aged under 55' and about half of all ICU patients were under 65 - highlighting the risk to those who fall outwith the four most vulnerable categories. And as there is a still a risk of severe Covid for younger people, the NHS boss said critical public-facing staff including teachers and police officers should be next in line for vaccines after vulnerable members of the public.

Sir Simon said Covid deaths were 'highly concentrated' in the older age groups, including those aged 70 and above, the clinically extremely vulnerable, and the health and social care staff looking after them.

'But when you look at the use of hospital resources, it's not quite as concentrated at the apex of the pyramid of risk. By the time you are vaccinating people, 65, 70, 75, you're beginning to make a big impact on the hospital bed usage, not just the avoidable deaths.'

Later at tonight's Downing Street press conference, Sir Simon revealed the chances of a Covid hospital patient dying from the disease had been slashed from a third to a fifth since the start of the pandemic. 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.

It comes as official figures revealed today as the total number of people killed by coronavirus since the pandemic began passed 100,000. Four in 10 deaths in England and Wales in the week ending January 15 were caused by the disease, the UK's national statistics body said.

Meanwhile, fears are growing over vaccine supplies, with makers of both approved jabs warning that production problems mean they cannot supply the expected numbers. In response, the EU has threatened to restrict exports of jabs made in the bloc, which could see the UK miss out on Pfizer jabs manufactured in Belgium.

Sir Simon, laying out the road map for the rest of the year, told MPs: 'The first half of the year, vaccination is going to be crucial,' he said.

WHAT TREATMENTS ARE THERE FOR COVID AND WHAT IS BEING STUDIED? The steroid dexamethasone was the first drug to be shown to treat Covid. Dexamethasone was found to cut the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators and by a fifth for those on oxygen. But the drug does not work on people with mild illness. Further data suggests another steroid, hydrocortisone, is just as effective in severely ill patients. Both calm down an immune overreaction which occurs in some people and causes deadly inflammation. The anti-inflammatory medicines tocilizumab and sarilumab were also found to reduce the risk of death by about a quarter in ICU patients. Those drugs appear to only be effective in Covid patients who, despite receiving dexamethasone, is still deteriorating and needs intensive care. But studies into other promising treatments are still ongoing. The RECOVERY trial, being run by the University of Oxford, is testing whether gout drug colchicine could reduce the risk of death. It is an anti-inflammatory, and a separate study by the University of Montreal, revealed just this week that it could cut the chance of being admitted to hospital by up to 25 per cent. Another drug, called interferon beta, has shown early promise in trials. Interferon beta is a protein which the body naturally produces when it gets a viral infection. The medicine is used for treating multiple sclerosis. It's being given to hospitalised Covid patients in the form of a spray which is inhaled as part of a major trial in Leeds. Experts hope the drug will stimulate a better immune response in people who struggle to fight off the virus. Early findings suggest interferon beta can cut the odds of a Covid hospital falling critically ill by almost 80 per cent. Injecting coronavirus patients with the blood of survivors may also speed up their recovery. Known as convalescent plasma, the treatment sees antibody-rich blood from former Covid patients injected into vulnerable or elderly people who catch the virus and struggle to fight the infection naturally. Scientists running a major British trial last month found the therapy had no impact on critically ill patients. But the REMAP-CAP will continue to test the plasma on people with moderate Covid illness to see if it can halt the infection before their symptoms get worse. Advertisement

'I think a lot of us in the health service are increasingly hopeful that the second half of the year and beyond we will also see more therapeutics and more treatments for coronavirus.'

'And I think it is possible that over the course of the next six to 18 months, coronavirus becomes a much more treatable disease with antivirals and other therapies, which alongside the vaccination programme holds out the hope of a return to a much more normal future.'

He added that, as the country learns to live with the virus, 'it would be great if the Covid vaccine and flu vaccine ends up being combined into a single vaccine, which we might see if not this winter but future winters as well'.

Sir Simon also told the Committee that Covid vaccines were being used as fast as they arrived in the NHS, and more than half of those aged 75-79 have now had their first vaccine doses.

'We are at the moment pretty much using up each week's vaccine as we get it, as we receive it through the safety testing, the batch testing, distribution to the NHS, then it gets sent out across the country,' he said.

Asked about vaccine priority, he said teachers, police and people with learning disabilities will need to be considered for the next round of Covid-19 vaccinations, and suggested that this should perhaps happen as early as February.

'Our current proposition that once we have offered a vaccination to everyone aged 70 and above, and the clinically extremely vulnerable, then the next group of people would be people in their 60s and 50s.

'But there will also be a legitimate discussion in my view that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will have to advise on as to whether or not there are certain other groups who should receive that priority.

'People with learning disabilities and autism, certain key public service workers, teachers, the police, they will have to be factored in that post-February 15 prioritisation decision.'

Sir Simon said reducing the number of hospital beds occupied by Covid-19 patients was not 'the only consideration' policymakers would take into account when deciding the vaccination priority list.

'Fundamentally, the most important thing is to get the overall infection rate down, this is not principally about pressure on the NHS, this is principally about reducing the avoidable death rate,' he added.

Vaccinating everyone aged 65 and over will have a 'big impact' on the pressure on hospital beds, Sir Simon said, but added that about a quarter of hospital admissions for Covid are for people aged under 55, and about half of inpatient critical care bed days for coronavirus relate to patients under the age of 65.

Earlier, Sir Simon said there will come a point where people are told they can come forward for a vaccination if they have not yet received one.

'As we move through each successive cohort there will come a moment when we will say: 'If you haven't been contacted then please come forward yourselves.'

'Right now, because we have been asked to move down the risk pyramid, the NHS is asking people to book an appointment, so we're saying: 'Wait for us to contact you', rather than: 'You phone your surgery', for example.

'But as we get to the end of each cohort we will then be saying very clearly: 'If you fall into this category and you haven't been vaccinated, here's how you can come forward and be vaccinated.'

Teachers and police should be considered for vaccines after most vulnerable, Sir Simon says Ministers should consider bumping teachers and police up the vaccine priority list, NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens said today. He said high transmission of the virus was sparking the winter wave of deaths and piling pressure on the NHS. Sir Simon said there should be a 'legitimate discussion' about vaccinating public-facing workers like teachers and police once the most vulnerable have been immunised, to tackle Covid spread. He also suggested people with learning disabilities should be prioritised. 'Our current proposition that once we have offered a vaccination to everyone aged 70 and above, and the clinically extremely vulnerable, then the next group of people would be people in their 60s and 50s,' he told the Commons committee. 'But there will also be a legitimate discussion in my view that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will have to advise on as to whether or not there are certain other groups who should receive that priority. 'People with learning disabilities and autism, certain key public service workers, teachers, the police, they will have to be factored in that post-February 15 prioritisation decision.' Sir Simon said reducing the number of hospital beds occupied by Covid-19 patients was not 'the only consideration' policymakers would take into account when deciding the vaccination priority list. 'Fundamentally, the most important thing is to get the overall infection rate down, this is not principally about pressure on the NHS, this is principally about reducing the avoidable death rate,' he added. Vaccinating everyone aged 65 and over will have a 'big impact' on the pressure on hospital beds, Sir Simon said, but added that about a quarter of hospital admissions for Covid are for people aged under 55, and about half of inpatient critical care bed days for coronavirus relate to patients under the age of 65. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has examined data on who suffers the worst outcomes from coronavirus and who is at highest risk of death. The JCVI's guidance says the order of priority should be the below. Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers All those who are 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers All those who are 75 years of age and over All those who are 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals, excluding pregnant women and those under 18 years of age All those who are 65 years of age and over Adults aged 18 to 65 years in an at-risk group, such as the morbidly obese All those aged 60 and over All those aged 55 and over All those aged 50 and over Advertisement

Asked about the impact on cancer treatment due to an NHS under pressure, Sir Simon said he was 'concerned' about cancer surgery.

He said there was a 'huge focus' to ensure that services for those requiring urgent cancer surgery were sustained.

He added: 'There's particular pressure on anaesthetists at the moment, many of whom are being diverted to help the critical care surge for coronavirus patients.'

Sir Simon said just under 33,000 Covid patients are currently in hospitals across the country, which was 'very, very serious'.

He added: 'When you look at the critical care positions, again, we have got over 4,000 patients in critical care and about three-quarters of our critical care are there for Covid-related reasons.'

It comes as Office for National Statistics figures revealed today that four in 10 deaths in England and Wales in the week ending January 15 were caused by Covid-19.

The ONS said the total number of people killed by the disease since the pandemic began passed 100,000.

There were 7,245 Covid deaths in England and Wales in the most recent week, making up over a third of the total, 18,042 (40 per cent).

This was the highest proportion of weekly deaths accounted for by coronavirus of any point since the outbreak began last year.

The report added that, across the entire of the UK, there had been 103,704 Covid fatalities by the middle of this month.

This figure is slightly higher than the Department of Health's tally of 98,531 because the ONS includes all fatalities with Covid on the death certificates, whereas the Government's figure relies on positive tests.

The official count, which missed off untested care home residents in the first wave, is expected to top six figures today or tomorrow.

Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, a statistician at the University of Cambridge, described the 100,000 figure as an 'awful total'.

It comes after Britain suffered a devastating winter wave of the virus caused by a fast-spreading variation of the virus that emerged in the South East in the autumn.

Only four countries, the US (421,129), Brazil (217,664), India (153,587) and Mexico (150,273), which have far larger populations, have suffered higher death tolls.

The death toll in the UK continued to rise in the most recent week, with 7,245 Covid deaths in the seven days up to January 15, but it comes as other data suggests the second wave is coming to a head.

Numbers of people getting infected with the virus appear to have been declining since the beginning of the year, with NHS Test & Trace now picking up an average of 33,738 cases per day, down from 59,660 at the peak on January 8.

And new admissions to hospital have started to decline across the country, too, falling from 4,221 per day in the week surrounding January 9 to 3,863 on January 18.

Hospital patient numbers remain extremely high, with around 38,000 people on wards and 4,000 of them on ventilators, which means the death toll is expected to remain high in the coming weeks, but these figures are expected to begin declining in the wake of a fall in cases.

Experts say one of the driving factors behind the UK's huge toll has been the Government's failure to protect frail and elderly people in care homes.

Care home residents have accounted for almost a third of the total number of coronavirus deaths in England and Wales. As of January 15 2021, a total of 30,851 residents had been killed by the virus.

Separate damning ONS figures show weekly fatalities among care home residents in England alone have almost tripled in the last fortnight, as the virus makes a deadly resurgence in the sector.

The number-crunching body said there were 1,705 deaths in English care homes reported to the Care Quality Commission in the seven days to January 2, up from 661 a fortnight ago.
When Daniella Chusy, currently at Indiana University, USA, learned that many captive elephants were thought to be overweight and that their low birth rates suggested that they may be facing a fertility crisis, she began seeing parallels with the obesity crisis humans face currently. But no one had actually measured how much fat captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in zoos carry. 'I was interested in discovering whether methods predominantly used in human health research could help us learn more about elephants', says Chusyd at University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA (UAB) at the time. She and her colleagues decided to learn about the relationship between the amount of fat the animals carry and their health and they publish their discovery that captive Asian elephants are less fat than the average human in Journal of Experimental Biology at https:/ / jeb. biologists. org .

'Obesity is not clearly defined in humans, let alone elephants', she says. However, Chusyd, Janine Brown at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, USA, and Tim Nagy (UAB) suspected that they could get a reasonably accurate estimate by paradoxically measuring the amount of water in the elephants' bodies, which they could then subtract from the body mass to calculate the animals' fat levels. The best way to measure body water is to give an animal a dose of so-called heavy water, although that is easier said than done; there can be no spillages. 'We came up with the idea of using bread soaked with heavy water to deliver it to the elephants', she chuckles, explaining that the animals are particularly partial to the treat; 'I quickly became their best friend', she smiles. The animals' keepers also collected blood samples before and up 20 days after the elephants consumed the heavy water, to track the quantity of heavy water in their bodies.

Returning to UAB with the samples from zoos across the USA and Canada, Chusyd analysed them with support from Catherine Hambly and John Speakman at the University of Aberdeen, UK. Calculating the animals' body water and fat content, they found that on average the males carried slightly less fat (~8.5%) than the females (~10%) - healthy humans average 6-31% fat. Overall, the females' body fat ranged from 2% to 25%, although the males were larger and carried more total fat. But how did the animals' fat levels correlate with their overall fitness and fertility?

Fitting each animal with an elephant-sized fitness tracker, the team was pleased to see that the captive animals were walking similar distances (between 0.03 and 2.8 km each hour) to free-ranging animals, with the youngest elephants walking the farthest. In addition, when David Allison, Lilian Gozarri-Arroyo and Stephanie Dickinson at Indiana University compared the females' fertility, they were surprised that the infertile females carried the least fat, more similar to the disrupted fertility cycles of underweight female humans.

However, when the team compared the animals' insulin levels, the fattest elephants tended to have the highest insulin levels. 'It is possible that elephants could develop a diabetic-like state', says Chusyd, adding that the jury is still out on whether captive Asian elephants experience obesity. But when it comes to the care provided by zoos for the majestic mammals, Chusyd says, 'They are doing a great job ... they know their individual elephants best', adding that activity seems to be the key to keeping elephants in shape.

###

IF REPORTING THIS STORY, PLEASE MENTION JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY AS THE SOURCE AND, IF REPORTING ONLINE, PLEASE CARRY A LINK TO: https:/ / jeb. biologists. org/ content/ 224/ 2/ jeb219543

REFERENCE: Chusyd, D. E., Nagy, T. R., Golzarri-Arroyo, L., Dickinson, S. L., Speakman, J. R., Hambly, C., Johnson, M. S., Allison, D. B. and Brown, J. L. (2021). Adiposity, reproductive and metabolic health, and activity levels in zoo Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). J. Exp. Biol. 224, jeb219543.

DOI: 10.1242/jeb.219543

This article is posted on this site to give advance access to other authorised media who may wish to report on this story. Full attribution is required, and if reporting online a link to jeb.biologists.com is also required. The story posted here is COPYRIGHTED. Therefore advance permission is required before any and every reproduction of each article in full. PLEASE CONTACT permissions@biologists.com

THIS ARTICLE IS EMBARGOED UNTIL TUESDAY, 26 JANUARY 2021, 18:00 HRS EST (23:00 HRS GMT)
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 25, 2021 / Dynasty Gold Corp. (TSXV:DYG)(FWB:D5G)(OTC PINK:DGDCF) ("Dynasty" or the "Company") is responding to two articles published by the Globe and Mail on January 18 and January 20 about Dynasty's mining operation in Xinjiang, China. Dynasty is among one of three Canadian companies which were identified as being in the Xinjiang Province of China where there are alleged "re-education" centres.

Dynasty has invested more than US$12 million in the Hatu gold mine in Karamay, Xinjiang , China , in which Company holds a 70 percent interest. The remaining 30 per cent is held by Western Region Gold Co. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the state-owned enterprise, Xinjiang Non-Ferrous Industrial Group Limited ("XNF"). The Company engaged SRK, Canada , in 2005, to complete a NI 43-101 resource estimate. This report was updated in early 2007 followed by a pre-feasibility study which confirmed an in situ 6.29 million tonnes with a grade of 2.65 g/t gold, using a cut off above 1.0 g/t for a total of 536,000 ounces, for open pit mining. As per the Globe and Mail's article titled "Canadian firms operate in China 's Xinjiang region" published on January 18, 2021, the resource is estimated to be "worth around US$1B at current prices".

While developing the resource in Xinjiang, the Company employed over 150 workers and support staff at its peak where equitable compensation was provided to all. Many ethnicities, including Uyghur, were represented in all ranks of the work force. All protocols and cultural practices were followed including special holidays for religious practice.

In 2016, the thirty percent property holder, Western Region Gold Co. Ltd, listed Hatu gold mine in an initial public offering on the Shanghai Stock Exchange without Dynasty's consent. Dynasty's 70 percent interest was not acknowledged in the prospectus, nor did Dynasty receive any proceeds from the initial public offering. In 2017, Dynasty initiated legal action against Western Region Gold Co. Ltd, and its parent company XNF for compensation and to restore the mining joint venture for which Western Region Gold Co. Ltd. and XNF had signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") acknowledging Dynasty's 70% interest in the Hatu gold mine, and agreed to form a mining joint venture to jointly develop the mine. Western Region Gold Co. Ltd. has been operating this gold producing mine. However, the local court in Xinjiang did not recognized the NI 43-101 resource report by SRK citing it was written by a foreign company, not in accordance with Chinese standards. Further, the court interpreted the intention of the MOU to be that without a Chinese minable reserve, the Chinese parties had no obligation to form the mining joint venture with Dynasty. The Company disagrees with these assessments. Due to Covid-19 travelling restrictions, the Company has not been able to travel to China to follow up but intends to do it as soon as the travel ban is lifted. The Company is also considering other alternatives.

There is no assurance that the Company will receive any compensation from China . Investors are cautioned in trading shares based on this information.

About Dynasty Gold Corp.

Dynasty Gold Corp. is a Canadian gold exploration company currently focused on gold exploration in North America . For more information on the Company and its projects, please refer to the website www.dynastygoldcorp.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DYNASTY GOLD CORP.

"Larry Kornze"

Larry Kornze, Director

For additional information please contact:

Vancouver Office:

Ivy Chong

Phone: 604.633.2100. Email: ichong@dynastygoldcorp.com

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" that involve a number of 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. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Dynasty Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625890/Dynasty-in-Legal-Action-Over-536000-oz-of-Gold-in-Xinjiang


WASHINGTON - The Biden administration said Tuesday it was on the cusp of securing an additional 200 million doses of the two coronavirus vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States.

The purchases would increase available supply by 50%, bringing the total to 600 million doses by this summer.

Because both products - one developed by Pfizer and German company BioNTech and the other by Moderna - are two-dose regimens, that would be enough to fully vaccinate 300 million people. An estimated 260 million people in the United States are currently considered eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine, though Pfizer and Moderna have initiated trials for children as young as 12, the results of which could expand the pool.

The deals promised by President Joe Biden would not immediately speed up vaccinations. But they would greatly boost his chances of returning the nation to some semblance of normalcy by late summer or the fall.

The president said Monday he expects the general public to gain access to shots by the spring - as he seemed to elevate his administration's goal from 1 million vaccinations a day to 1.5 million - though aides said that was aspirational. And Biden drew back Tuesday to his earlier ambition of administering 100 million shots in his first 100 days, insisting it would be a good start.

Biden, in remarks Tuesday evening, said he expected the additional doses to be delivered through the summer.

Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford

"This is an aggregate plan that doesn't leave anything on the table or anything to chance, as we've seen happen in the past year," the president said.

He added, in a further effort to distinguish his approach from that of his predecessor, "This is a wartime effort."

The companies were more cautious in public statements, though people knowledgeable about the negotiations said formal deals were imminent because the government was using options built into existing contracts to receive the additional doses. Those people, like several others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal matters.

Moderna spokesman Ray Jordan declined to comment. Pfizer spokeswoman Amy Rose said the company "has engaged in regular communications with the Biden administration and we stand at the ready to start negotiations should the White House choose to execute their option for additional doses."

Each company has already agreed to deliver 200 million doses to the federal government by the end of June. Pfizer has said it can deliver 120 million of those doses by the end of March, at a price of $19.50 per dose, while Moderna has pledged 100 million by then, with each dose sold for $15.

Manufacturing has steadily ramped up, in pace with those targets. As a result, federal allocations to states and other jurisdictions will increase by about 16% next week, easing shortages that have intensified nationwide without immediately alleviating supply problems.

Jeff Zients, coordinator of the White House's coronavirus response, informed governors of the increase on a call Tuesday afternoon, according to two people who participated and spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the conversation.

The weekly allocation is forecast to go from about 8.6 million doses to about 10 million. The vaccines are distributed on a population basis among 64 jurisdictions, including 50 states, eight territories and six major cities.

Senior administration officials said the increased supply will come mostly from releasing more doses of Moderna's vaccine. The stepped-up allocations will remain for three weeks, these officials said, as the Department of Health and Human Services provides estimates on that time scale going forward.

The increased allocations and the promise of better forecasts came as welcome news to state and local officials, who have implored the federal government for estimates of available supply so they can plan and set expectations for the public.

Such projections were not possible in December, according to current and former federal officials, because of uncertainty about manufacturing and instability in the supply chain. The government has gained greater understanding of production schedules, especially after directing suppliers to fulfill Pfizer's needs under the Defense Production Act.

Moderna this month raised its global target for the year from 500 million doses to 600 million. Pfizer and BioNTech recently raised their target from 1.3 billion doses to 2 billion.

But precise manufacturing schedules remain difficult to predict, and Zients could not answer questions on Tuesday's call with governors about exact production levels and when he expected significant scale-up, according to one state official who participated. The official said the administration promised more details "sooner rather than later."

Meanwhile, vaccine shortages are having stark consequences throughout the country. Appointments have been canceled en masse as health officers and medical providers confront a sharply limited supply of doses, which are being targeted at medical workers, older people, some front-line workers and other highly vulnerable people. The patchwork of rules about eligibility has deepened confusion about access to the shots.

New information is around the corner about a third vaccine, though its efficacy is not publicly known. Health officials are awaiting data from a trial by Johnson & Johnson, which will probably arrive in the next week.

That data may also suggest how a vaccine performs against one of the virus variants spreading alarm globally, because some of the trial was conducted in South Africa, where a more transmissible variant has been identified. The federal government has already paid $1 billion for the first 100 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, which, if it proves effective, would be a boon because it is a single dose.

The effort to buy additional Pfizer and Moderna doses vaccines represents a shift in strategy, as the Biden administration doubles down on two highly effective products authorized by federal regulators. The Trump administration worked to spread its risks over many vaccine candidates.

Once the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines late last year showed such high efficacy - about 95% - some government experts argued the administration should quickly acquire as much of those vaccines as possible, even if the United States ended up with more vaccine than needed.

That argument has gained currency with the Biden administration, according to people familiar with the government's thinking, partly because of the emergence of variants that appear to be more transmissible and possibly more lethal than the original coronavirus.

Early data shows that the two vaccines may be effective against the British variant of the virus that already is causing infections in the United States. And scientists believe they may possibly be effective against other variants, including ones identified in Brazil and South Africa. The South African variant has not appeared in the United States, but the Brazilian one was recently found in a case in Minnesota.

In addition, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which use a platform known as mRNA to elicit a potent immune response, are the easiest type of vaccine to change to counter threatening new variants.

Biden and his top aides have stressed that vaccine supply is only one aspect of the challenges involved in executing the immunization campaign. The administration is seeking additional resources for state and local health departments and has vowed greater federal coordination of the efforts, including plans to augment the public health workforce and set up mass vaccination sites.

The administration has also pledged to increase transparency for state and local officials overseeing ground-level planning and for members of the public waiting to be vaccinated.

Biden administration officials are also seeking to have more data related to vaccination efforts posted on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a federal health official. Ideally, that would include data about manufacturing, supply and allocation to the states. Information about production and supply is not currently publicly available.

The vaccine rollout has been marked by a lack of transparency about stockpiles, short-term rollout schedules and contradictory statements from government officials. Companies producing vaccines have issued broad statements about vaccine goals, based on quarterly projections.

In Pfizer's case, production estimates were recently accelerated by the Food and Drug Administration's recognition of a sixth dose in each vial, which previously had been considered to be "over fill'' beyond the initial five-dose capacity. The change resulted in an instant 20% increase in Pfizer's quota.

The companies said they have been giving more detailed information about vaccine availability to the government, which then relays the information about weekly shipment expectations to state officials.

But the lack of accurate and consistent information has been a major complaint at the state level, as the initial shipments of vaccine have not matched the volume of vaccines local systems are demanding.

The Biden administration appeared to put pressure over the weekend on Pfizer and Moderna to improve the flow of information about vaccine manufacturing and supply. Appearing on "Fox News Sunday,'' Biden's director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky, said, "I can't tell you how much vaccine we have, and if I can't tell it to you then I can't tell it to the governors and I can't tell it to the state health officials.''

Asked to respond to Walensky's concerns this week, Moderna and Pfizer said they have been reporting on a daily and weekly basis the amount of vaccine that will be ready.

"We have and are continuing to work closely with the U.S. government on our production, release and shipping schedules - to ensure Americans receive their first and second doses of the vaccine on time,'' Pfizer said in a statement this week. "We have provided them with a specific schedule, and we foresee no issues in delivering on the commitments we have made."

Jordan, Moderna's spokesman, said the U.S. government is in charge of relaying fine-grained information to states. "The U.S. Government is our customer, and they are free to communicate as they wish," he said.

A former Trump administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to address sensitive matters, said Moderna has been more forthcoming about its vaccine production than Pfizer.

"With Moderna, we always had a pretty clear sense of what was further ahead, and any potential issues, a better ability to accurately predict what was coming," the official said. "With Pfizer, we didn't have as much insight. It was a byproduct of their unwillingness to work as collaboratively with Warp Speed as other companies."

Pfizer did not respond to a request to address the criticism.

Along with other vaccine manufacturers, Pfizer last summer signed an advanced purchase contract with the Trump administration. But the company did not accept research and development money or backing for clinical trials from the government.

Pfizer also opted to distribute its vaccine to states on its own, rather than permit its vaccine to be shipped by national wholesaler McKesson, the government's designated distributor for vaccine and supplies. Its shipments are nonetheless following the federal government's allocation guidance.

Much of Pfizer's supply is obligated to other countries. But the pharmaceutical giant has recently delayed or reduced shipments to Canada and Europe as it retools a factory in Belgium, frustrating foreign governments.

- - -

The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein, Carolyn Y. Johnson, Annie Linskey and Lena H. Sun contributed to this report.

Members of the Senate Republican Conference have introduced legislation to help reset the restaurant and hospitality industries that have been hit hard financially during the coronavirus pandemic.

Several employees in these industries have found themselves in the unemployment line after restaurants were forced to close early on in the pandemic to curb the spread of the virus.

The state has also suffered without the sales tax revenue from the hospitality industry, which is the second highest revenue source in the state.

A bill by State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-47, is included in the legislation, and would provide a credit on liquor license renewals for bar and restaurant owners that were forced to close during the pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a detrimental effect on New Yorks restaurants, bars, and banquet halls and other venues, forcing many to reduce their hours, cut staff or close their doors for good, said Griffo. As we continue to confront this public health crisis, it is imperative that we consider and examine all the options that are available to help our struggling small business owners. This legislation will provide much-needed relief to establishments that are facing significant financial difficulties and uncertainties.

Sen. Peter Oberacker, R-51, also proposed a bill that would create an employee retention tax credit, modeled after the Federal Employee Retention Credit, to help employers keep workers on the payroll.

Below are more key items included in the legislation package:
Republican Kevin McCarthy said in a statement that responsibility is everyone's for the Capitol attack. When he said it, he drew the anger of some in Capitol Hill who disputes his words.

The events on Capitol Hill during January 6 was unfortunate, but what is done has been done. The only way is to move forward.

According to McCarthy, everyone in America shares responsibility for the unfortunate events at the U.S. Capitol. He spoke on why it is so and explained his thoughts on the matter, reported The Epoch Times.

Everyone has part of the blame

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) mentioned that President Donald Trump never called for a violent protest.

Events on January 6 have made things as they are now. DEMS are heaping blame on Trump as the alleged cause of insurrection. It is biased, though, and not based on fact.

On Gray TV's "Full Court Press," he interviewed the show last Sunday, saying in the program that he has not changed his mind yet.

He explained that the president had some responsibility in determining the best response but was caught off guard. Citing that the words were to demonstrate peacefully, others misinterpreted the president's remarks. He was asked a question later if there was goading done, but the answer is that everyone in the nation shares part of the blame for the events.

Also read: Harvard Professor Says Democrats Violated the Constitution Six Times During Impeachment Process

What can be done to fix it

Kevin McCarthy speaks on several points that should be noted, not misconstrued.

Too many things have happened since the Capitol attack; there have been too many missteps as a nation. Everything must do to correct it is essential.

According to the representative, the word "peacefully" is stressed when

Trump spoke. He ponders if more could have been done faster, but readiness on that day is still debated.

If there were more preparation, the chaos would have been lesser than what happened. The joint session was halted, and general panic all over the capitol that day.

The Capitol Breach

President Trump was not done speaking when the breach happened. The Ellipse is only two miles away from the center of the chaos on January 6. He made statements on video telling the people to go back home to avoid the violence. Another request is to follow the police officer and respect them.

Trump prioritized herding supporters out peacefully to lessen the violence at the capitol. But this was ignored by critics and even interpreted as insurrection.

McCarthy said that he like the second video of Trump, saying it should have been the first one aired.

DEMS took offense at remarks

Liz Cheney argued that it was only Trump who causes the mob and the attack. Adding it was no one's fault. Another DEM, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), said in a tweet that it was only President Trump's fault.

Democrats incensed dubbed Kevin McCarthy a Trump operative and refusing to admit their part in the Capitol attack.

Related article: More DEMS Want Chuck Schumer to End Senate Filibuster Despite GOP Plea

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  New Mexico has distributed more than 200,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine in the last month. Still, hundreds of thousands of people who are qualified to get the vaccine havent yet received a shot.

And state health officials say it could be months before there is enough vaccine to inoculate all of them, let alone move on to vaccinating other key groups, including those who work in essential businesses.

The vaccines are arriving as the state is seeing encouraging trends in the spread of the virus. The state reported fewer than 500 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday for the first time in more than three months. And state health officials said based on current data, its likely the number of people dying every day because of complications with COVID-19 will also decrease.

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Hundreds of thousands have qualified for vaccine

Of the 221,375 doses of vaccine the state has received since Jan. 24, 203,830 have been delivered, said Dr. Tracie Collins, the secretary-designate of the Department of Health. That means the state has delivered more than 92% of the doses it has received, which makes New Mexico one of the most efficient states in the country, she said.

But those doses mean just a fraction of as many as 800,000 New Mexicans who are currently qualified for a vaccine have received at least one shot, Collins said. It takes two doses of the vaccine, delivered weeks apart, before a person is believed to have maximum immunity.

In addition to about 138,000 health care workers, the state also has about 150,000 folks age 75 or older and 466,000 who have a chronic condition and are currently eligible to receive the vaccine, Collins said.

Meanwhile, the state is receiving between 25,000 and 35,000 doses of the vaccine each week. So it will be some time before all of those individuals are vaccinated, she said. She did say that health officials are hopeful the number of vaccines being distributed across the country will increase, which could speed up vaccination efforts.

We could vaccinate 30,000 New Mexicans each week. But if you look at what the demand is compared to the supply, we ultimately need more vaccine, she said. It may take several months to vaccinate currently eligible populations.

The state is encouraging people to register for the vaccine on the health departments website at vaccineNM.org.

Collins acknowledged that health officials have heard stories of people making up chronic conditions during registration in an effort to jump the line.

This is a time when everyone is trying to get the vaccine and we dont have enough so weve had to prioritize those groups most at risk, Collins said. If you jump the line youre actually allowing someone else to wait who is really in need of this vaccine and is at risk of serious complications.

Encouraging trends

New Mexicos vaccination efforts come as the state is seeing improvement as far as the spread of coronavirus. The state reported 494 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, continuing a recent downward trend. Of those cases, 143 were in Bernalillo County.

Monday was the first time since mid-October that the state reported fewer than 500 cases in a day, and it dropped the states seven-day average to 776 cases per day.

The state didnt provide any hospitalization data on Monday because of a disruption in reporting.

The state reported 12 additional deaths Monday, bringing the statewide toll to 3,157 deaths related to COVID-19. The seven-day average of deaths now stands at 28.86 deaths per day, according to a Journal analysis.

Dr. David Scrase, the Cabinet secretary for human services in the state, said COVID-related deaths typically come about four weeks after a confirmed case. Based on the current trends, its likely the state will see bigger declines in daily deaths in early February.

Also, Scrase said on Monday the states positivity rate, meaning the share of coronavirus tests that come back positive, had dipped to 7.3% after being above 10% for several months.

The states goal is a positivity rate of 5% or less.

When were above 5% on test positivity rate it means in general we dont have a lot of confidence that were seeing all the cases, Scrase said. This is an early sign that maybe  were getting the pandemic under better control.
The U.S. military is exploring the possibility of using a Red Sea port in Saudi Arabia and an additional two airfields in the kingdom amid heightened tensions with Iran, the military said Tuesday.

While describing the work as `contingency' planning, the U.S. military said it already has tested unloading and shipping cargo overland from Saudi Arabia's port at Yanbu, a crucial terminal for oil pipelines in the kingdom.

Using Yanbu, as well as air bases at Tabuk and Taif along the Red Sea, would give the American military more options along a crucial waterway that has come under increased attack from suspected mine and drone boat attacks by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

However, the announcement comes as Saudi-American relations remain strained by the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and the kingdom's ongoing war in Yemen in the first days of President Joe Biden's administration. Deploying even temporarily American troops to bases in the kingdom, which is home to the Muslim holy city of Mecca, could reignite anger among extremists.

U.S. Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for Central Command, said the evaluation of the sites had been going on for over a year, sparked by the September 2019 drone-and-missile attack on the heart of the Saudi oil industry.

Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have blamed that attack, which temporarily halved Saudi oil production and saw a spike in oil prices, on Iran. Tehran has denied being involved and the Houthis claimed the assault, though the drones involved appear to be Iranian-made.

``These are prudent military planning measures that allow for temporary or conditional access of facilities in the event of a contingency, and are not provocative in any way, nor are they an expansion of the U.S. footprint in the region, in general, or in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in particular,'' Urban wrote.

U.S. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, visited Yanbu on Monday. Defense One and the Wall Street Journal, which traveled with McKenzie to Yanbu, first reported on the American planning. Saudi officials did not respond to request for comment Tuesday.

Already, Saudi Arabia paid for improvements at the sites and are considering more, Urban said. Tabuk is home to King Faisal Air Base, while Taif is home to King Fahd Air Base.

The Gulf Arab states are home to a vast array of American military bases, the legacy of the 1991 Gulf War that saw U.S.-allied forces expel Iraq from Kuwait, and the later 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and 2003 invasion of Iraq. America pulled its forces out of Saudi Arabia after the 9/11 attacks. Osama bin Laden had cited their deployment in his attacks targeting the U.S.

Already, U.S. Central Command has a forward headquarters in Qatar. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet operates from the island kingdom of Bahrain off Saudi Arabia's coast. Kuwait hosts the U.S. Army Central's forward headquarters, while the United Arab Emirates hosts American aviators and sailors.

Those locations also don't include the American troop presence in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Former President Donald Trump also deployed the first troops into Saudi Arabia since 9/11 over concerns about Iran. Some 2,500 American troops now man fighter jets and Patriot missile batteries at Prince Sultan Air Base southeast of Riyadh.

The addition of these Saudi locations appears to be part of what McKenzie previously described to the U.S. Congress as the ``Western Sustainment Network,'' a new logistics system designed to avoid maritime chokepoints, said Becca Wasser, a fellow at the Washington-based Center for a New American Security.

These locations likely would not have permanently stationed troops and could allow the U.S. to drawdown forces at other bases through that flexibility, she said.

`If we are trying to have a flexible posture where we are not tied to permanent bases, you are going to need to back it up with a logistics network that can make sure you can flow in people and weaponry as needed,' Wasser said.

Such contingency plans already exist in the Mideast, like the agreements that grant American forces rights to use bases in Oman under certain circumstances. But the western coast of Saudi Arabia also provides additional distance from Iran, which has invested heavily in ballistic missiles as sanctions have locked it out of global arms sales.

The Persian Gulf `would be contested waters under any scenario of armed conflict with Iran, so you look at the places where you would move your forces as they enter the theater from being in a contested area,' McKenzie was quoted as telling journalists in Yanbu.

For Iran, additional bases likely will increase the suspicions of its theocratic government. Tensions between Iran and the U.S. remain high after Trump unilaterally withdrew from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018, leading to an escalating series of confrontations.

Alireza Miryousefi, a spokesman for Iran's mission to the United Nations, criticized the U.S. move, calling the presence of foreign troops in the Mideast ``one of the main reasons for the chaotic situation and insecurity in our region.''

`Any `contingency for conflict' with Iran would only make sense if another country intended to attack Iran and we are determined to defend ourselves if attacked,'' Miryousefi said.

It remains unclear how Biden's relationship with Saudi Arabia will be during his presidency. While campaigning, Biden referred to the kingdom as a `pariah' over the killing of Khashoggi.

However, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states remain top clients for American weaponry and rely on the U.S. for ensuring the free flow of oil and goods through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

Riyadh also came under a mysterious air attack on Saturday which the U.S. State Department under Biden condemned as ``an attempt to target civilians.'' It remains unclear if it was a missile or a drone used in the attack.

Yemen's Houthi rebels, who earlier have targeted Riyadh, denied being involved, though Gulf Arab countries blamed the assault on the rebels. A previously unheard-of group called the ``True Promise Brigade'' said it carried out the attack with `drones of terror,`without offering evidence to support its claim.

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The title characters of "Malcolm & Marie," an up-and-coming film director and his gorgeous, whippet-thin girlfriend, are just getting home from his latest premiere as the movie opens. It's around 1 a.m. in Malibu, Calif., and as they enter the chic, low-slung house where they're staying, they don't say a word. Hiking up her spangly sheath, Marie uses the bathroom while Malcolm fixes a drink and listens to James Brown.

So far, so unremarkable. But once the silence is broken - once Malcolm asks Marie if anything's wrong while she's fixing him a midnight snack - the floodgates open. It turns out that plenty is wrong for Marie, for whom a slight earlier in the evening has metastasized into everything that's wrong with Malcolm, their relationship and his art. What starts out looking like a commercial for a luxury brand aimed at prosperous millennials ends up more akin to "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," albeit with prettier people. It's going to be a bumpy night but never at the expense of silky, aspirational style.

The reference to Mike Nichols's 1966 film is definitely intended by writer-director Sam Levinson, who has shot "Malcolm & Marie" on black-and-white film stock, giving this sometimes intriguing, sometimes self-indulgent exercise the sheen of historic cinema. Filmed on a tight schedule in the "Caterpillar House" in Carmel, Calif. as one of the first productions to get underway during strict covid-era protocols, "Malcolm & Marie" makes resourceful use of its built environment, an enticing maze of horizontal planes and glossy reflective windows and mirrors through which the characters move with unforced ease. In that first scene, cinematographer Marcell Rev follows Malcolm - played by John David Washington - as he dances to "Down and Out in New York City," the camera observing from outside as he glides and bops through the living room, at one point hopping on to a window ledge out of pure exuberance. Malcolm's movie has all the makings of an instant hit - his first. Who wouldn't jump for joy?

When Marie brings him down to earth, it's not clear if she's being a passive-aggressive wet blanket or if she might have a point. Levinson clearly had the intense two-handers of Ingmar Bergman and John Cassavetes in mind when he created "Malcolm & Marie," in which Zendaya brings her signature brand of watchfulness and ferocity to a character who's never quite reliable but, somehow, always utterly believable. This movie may not have the emotional heft of the forebears Levinson so self-consciously references, but there's little doubt that Marie's complaints will be familiar to anyone who has felt taken for granted or poorly treated, whether at the hands of a lover or a business partner. In the real-time argument that ensues - punctuated by shouts, murmurs, microaggressions and micro-reconciliations - Marie will give voice to everything from the invisibility of women's emotional labor to the psychodynamics of the artist-muse hierarchy.

That sounds awfully pretentious - just the kind of gobbledygook that Malcolm can't stand when it comes to the critics who, on this night at least, were fawning over his work. He's particularly bothered by a journalist who insisted on comparing him to Spike Lee and Barry Jenkins instead of William Wyler. ("It was a super-White moment," he recalls.) Some of the most trenchant - and entertaining - soliloquies in "Malcolm & Marie" find Washington's title character fulminating against the tendency of White critics to frame work by African American artists as specifically political instead of universally human, rants that ring even truer (and funnier) when Marie chimes in with spot-on imitations of earnest studio executives giving lip service to inclusion.

The pleasure of "Malcolm & Marie" lies in similarly glancing but semi-profound revelations, whether they have to do with self-sabotage, fraudulence, the male gaze or creative vampirism. If the actual drama often feels both ginned-up and padded-out - if all the angst often feels like an excuse for two gorgeous creatures to swan around a cool house for a couple of hours - it's couched in an exceedingly appealing package, which includes the magnificent setting, Rev's sensuous photography and a flawless soundtrack and musical score (the latter composed by Labrinth).

Mostly, "Malcolm & Marie" showcases the incandescent talent of Zendaya, with whom Levinson works on the HBO series "Euphoria" and who from the beginning of her career had all the attributes of a natural, self-possessed talent. Graciously accompanied by Washington (who can even make eating mac-and-cheese compelling), Zendaya emerges as the star of this show, delivering a performance that calls on sudden, turn-on-a-dime reversals - emotional figure-eights that she executes with impressive, unstudied finesse. At one point, Levinson films one of those transitions so that her face is upside down. But even from that angle, she makes her feelings clear. And whoever's in the way should probably duck.

- - -

2 stars. Rated R. Available Feb. 5 on Netflix. Contains pervasive strong language and sexuality. 106 minutes.

Ratings Guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time.
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MOUNT VERNON, VA  While U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths have been trending downward over the past week, hospitals across the country still report straining to meet the demands of the ongoing pandemic.

At the national level, during the week ending Jan. 25, deaths were running at an average of just under 3,100 a day  down from a peak of more than 3,350 in the weeks prior, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. New cases were averaging about 170,000 a day after hitting almost 250,000 earlier this month.

Meanwhile, state health officials in Virginia reported to the federal government that 72 percent of all inpatient beds in hospitals across the state were still occupied as of Jan. 23. Around 16 percent of beds statewide were filled by COVID-19 patients, they reported.

Another set of federal data released this week shows how close hospitals in Fairfax County and Alexandria are to reaching capacity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publishes this capacity data on a weekly basis for tens of thousands of hospitals nationwide, including the portion of inpatient beds occupied by adults confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19.

The latest hospital-specific numbers, included below, are current through Thursday, Jan. 21.

Health experts have said that the share of each hospitals total beds devoted to coronavirus is key to understanding the strain on its resources. A share greater than 10 percent is said to be a cause of concern. When that share exceeds 20 percent, a hospital is said to be under extreme stress, and as the share approaches 50 percent the stress is said to be immense.

Here are the latest figures for hospitals in Fairfax County and Alexandria.

Editors note: This list was automatically generated using data compiled by the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. The local hospitals included in the list are limited to those included in the government data. Please report any errors or other feedback to content@patch.com.

Story continues

INOVA MOUNT VERNON HOSPITAL

2501 PARKERS LANE, ALEXANDRIA

Total beds (7-day average): 256

All adult inpatient beds: 256

Inpatient beds occupied: 167.3

Percent of inpatient beds used: 65.35%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 43.7

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 36.1

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 17.07%

INOVA ALEXANDRIA HOSPITAL

4320 SEMINARY RD, ALEXANDRIA

Total beds (7-day average): 316

All adult inpatient beds: 316

Inpatient beds occupied: 240.6

Percent of inpatient beds used: 76.14%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 60.1

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 47.4

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 19.02%

INOVA FAIR OAKS HOSPITAL

3600 JOSEPH SIEWICK DRIVE, FAIRFAX

Total beds (7-day average): 203

All adult inpatient beds: 203

Inpatient beds occupied: 121.1

Percent of inpatient beds used: 59.66%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 33.6

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 22.6

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 16.55%

INOVA FAIRFAX HOSPITAL

3300 GALLOWS ROAD, FALLS CHURCH

Total beds (7-day average): 900

All adult inpatient beds: 687

Inpatient beds occupied: 575.9

Percent of inpatient beds used: 83.83%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 189.6

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 126.4

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 27.60%

RESTON HOSPITAL CENTER

1850 TOWN CENTER PARKWAY, RESTON

Total beds (7-day average): 272

All adult inpatient beds: 218

Inpatient beds occupied: 187.3

Percent of inpatient beds used: 85.92%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 38.4

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 38.4

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 17.61%

This article originally appeared on the Mount Vernon Patch
My husband, Brian, complains I take forever to get to the point, so here it is: I got my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Which now makes the Roof Cow a symbol of hope.

Our neighbors John and Susan have a cow on their roof, a Holstein. Rumor has it she abdicated her throne in the Cow Palace and was exiled to the outer, outer, outer, outer Excelsior.

Susan, Roof Cows mother, bakes bread from scratch and started a book club at the beginning of this long quarantine, delivering milk and doughnuts when the Fisher-Paulsons were sequestered with a case of COVID in the house. She raised children who are normal, except for the fact that they brought home a stray cow. Susan reminds us that even in a pandemic we can still be kind.

Which brings me to my mother, Nurse Vivian. She didnt put up with any nonsense when it came to health. If I was sick enough to stay home, I was too sick for television. Therefore, I took a total of three sick days, the third being the day Sister Mary Magdalene explained the i before e poem, which is why I still cannot spell the word recevie.

She never let us miss a vaccination. On one visit to Dr. Rizzutos office, I complained about the needle and Nurse Vivian explained that the word vaccination was invented by Edward Jenner in 1796. He noticed that cowpox immunized milkmaids against smallpox, so he started injecting people with the contents from pustules on the bovines to immunize them. It worked, and so he named it using the Latin word for cow, vacca.

Side note: He invented the word, not the process. The Chinese had developed a similar method around A.D. 1000, and it was practiced in Africa, as well as Turkey.

Im no Nurse Vivian, and Brian is no Nurse Nana, but weve insisted that our sons get the biggest needle possible every single time they need to get an injection. Zane got blase after a while, but not Aidan. He screams like a coloratura soprano if theres even a hint of a syringe.

Aidans not very affectionate. He gives the most desultory of hugs and has been known to avoid kissing his own grandmother. But the last time he needed a vaccine he held my hand so hard that as the nurse walked over, my knuckles popped. We laughed so hard he never felt that shot.

So, I figured I had to be brave when my turn came.

Which brings us to last week. The COVID-19 vaccine came out a few weeks ago and San Francisco rolled out its supply of Pfizer and Moderna, starting with the vulnerable and the frontline workers. The deputies who work at the hospital report to me, so Im quasi-semi-partly essential, and so my turn came.

Why do we call it coronavirus? Because little barbs grow out of the virion, making it look like a coronet. These thorns are made of S protein. If I get this right, the vaccine uses RNA to teach the body to make its own protein spikes, so the body figures out how to beat them.

Thats right. We defeat it by growing our own crowns.

The nurses took a picture as I got my first injection, so the boys could see that I didnt scream and that I didnt grow a third arm.

It was a dose of RNA, yes, but also a dose of hope. This whole things not over, not by a long shot. Theres still anxiety about the second dose. Theres still anxiety about getting my husband vaccinated. Brians 20 years of smoking make this just a little more dangerous for him.

So if theres a message today, its your job to save your life. Getting an appointment will be a pain, but get one. Grow your own crown. Be patient, and in the meantime, be kind.

I drove home to the husband and sons I love, past the Roof Cow, grateful for brave nurses and yes, grateful for cow pus.

Kevin Fisher-Paulsons column appears Wednesdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com
DALLAS, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:J) was selected by U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast for base operating support services at the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia and outlying areas. The contract, known as Kings Bay Base Operations Support I (KB BOSI), goes into effect June 1, 2021 and has a maximum potential award to Jacobs of $421M over a one-year base period and seven one-year options.

Jacobs expands its partnership with the U.S. Navy with this win, delivering intelligent asset management solutions on three contracts providing base operations services (BOS) at Naval Station Mayport in Florida, Naval Base Kitsap's West Sound in Washington and now Kings Bay.

"The Kings Bay contract allows Jacobs to leverage its experience and longstanding relationship with the U.S. Navy to support NAVFAC Southeast's critical mission ensuring our countries warfighters have reliable facilities to protect our country," said Jacobs Critical Mission Solutions Senior Vice President Steve Arnette. "Our team will apply innovative and agile technical and management approaches across all elements of the contract enterprise while ensuring a strong focus on safety."

Work under the KB BOSI contract includes providing intelligent asset management solutions to enhance infrastructure reliability and availability in the areas of force protection, facility management, facility investment, utilities management, electrical, steam, wastewater, water, compressed air, SCADA, telecommunications, chiller plant, transportation, and equipment, environmental and other related services. Leveraging Jacobs' depth of capabilities in reliability-centered maintenance programs, the company will provide enhanced operation and maintenance expertise to increase infrastructure reliability at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.

Kings Bay provides management, maintenance and operation services for the Ohio class nuclear-powered submarines, systems, infrastructure and facilities.

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With approximately $14 billion in revenue and a talent force of more than 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company's business. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 2, 2020, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law.

For press/media inquiries:

Kerrie Sparks

214.583.8433

SOURCE Jacobs

Related Links

http://www.jacobs.com


YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Head of Armenias delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Ruben Rubinyan has discussed the issue of the Armenian prisoners of war who are currently in Azerbaijan with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric and PACE President Rik Daems.

Today I had meetings with CoE Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric and PACE President Rik Daems in Strasbourg. Both officials have assured that they will keep in their spotlight the issue of the fate of Armenian prisoners of war and other detained persons, as well as the anti-Armenian manifestations in Azerbaijan, Rubinyan said on Facebook.

The MP stated that during the meeting they also talked about the visit of CoE and PACE representatives to Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
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It is time for the winter break and that means that drivers and teams can enjoy a well-deserved holiday. In the F1 Social Stint of GPblog.com you will find out what drivers and teams are doing in preparation for the Formula 1 season of 2021.

Aston Martin teasers

In preparation for the new Formula One season, it is natural for drivers to visit the factory, especially if you have switched teams. One of the most high-profile switches announced last year was of course that of Sebastian Vettel. He has left Ferrari behind to take his place alongside Lance Stroll at Aston Martin F1 Team. That team is now sharing teasers via Twitter that Vettel has arrived at the factory. More soon, no doubt.

We don't think you're ready for this. #IAMF1 pic.twitter.com/rmLYjMctBy  Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) January 26, 2021

Verstappen trains hard for a 'Full Send' in 2021

Max Verstappen is still training hard to be completely ready for the 2021 Formula 1 season. The Dutchman enjoyed a nice holiday, but is now back to work. On Twitter, the Dutchman posts a video of running in Monaco.

Leclerc very lucky to test in 'The Beast'

Charles Leclerc is very happy to be driving the 2018 Ferrari. The Monegasque made his debut at Ferrari in 2019, so he never drove the car with which Sebastian Vettel was seriously competing for the world title for a long time. It is Leclerc's first day back on the track after testing positive for the corona virus this winter.

Raikkonen and Giovinazzi have a race to load cars

Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi see competition in almost everything. Even when it comes to loading their cars for a holiday or a big move. Although Raikkonen doesn't seem to be too keen this time around.

Big move coming up? Call Kimi and Antonio @alfa_romeo pic.twitter.com/G86meIMYes  Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN (@alfaromeoracing) January 25, 2021

Giuliano Alesi follows in his father's footsteps

Giuliano Alesi today followed in the footsteps of his father Jean Alesi. Alesi sr. sat in a Ferrari F1 car for the first time in 1990. More than thirty years later it is the turn of son Giuliano. Alesi drove today during the Ferrari test at Maranello. Nice detail is that he drove with number 28 on his car, the number his father drove with during his Ferrari years. Jean Alesi drove for the Italian team from 1991 to 1995.

First images from Ferrari's test day at Fiorano

Ferrari will be at the Fiorano circuit this week, working with old cars to make some metres in 2021. Carlos Sainz gets the chance to step into the red car for the first time, but on Monday it is the turn of young talents first. Today Giuliano Alesi, Marcus Armstrong and Robert Shwartzman will step into the Ferrari ui 2018.

Ricciardo gets a warm welcome from McLaren fans

Daniel Ricciardo will be McLaren's new driver in 2021, after two years with Renault. The fans of the team from Woking are looking forward to the arrival of the Australian and let them know in a new video from McLaren. If this does not make you feel special as a driver, then what does?

No welcome to this team is complete without a word from our fans. Take it away, team...#FansLikeNoOther @DanielRicciardo pic.twitter.com/4AhNMyWUkL  McLaren (@McLarenF1) January 21, 2021

Hamilton speaks of historic day for America

Lewis Hamilton has made it clear on Twitter that he is delighted with the inauguration of Joe Biden as America's new president. According to Hamilton, it is a historic day, which will hopefully lead to a brighter future and more room for diversity. Hamilton wishes Biden and Kamala Harris the best of luck in their new roles.

A historic day in America. Today brings so much hope for the future, an example of diversity in leadership that I hope to see mirrored across industries and governments. Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris, best of luck. pic.twitter.com/FX6t4PfpCu  Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) January 20, 2021

Mclaren reveals colours and new name of 2021 car

McLaren is just busy with the marketing team to hype up the new 2021 car as much as possible. In a new message on Twitter, we clearly see the colours orange and blue returning, but we also see the new name of the car. In big letters it says MCL35M. This suggests that the 2020 MCL35 will only be updated in name with the Mercedes engine, which is why the 'M' has been added to the car's name.

Alonso in the snow, Gasly in the gym

Now that there are no races, the drivers have a bit more free time than usual. Nevertheless, the new Formula 1 season is slowly approaching and that means that the training sessions are becoming more important again. Both Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly are working on that, but both in their own way. Alonso is braving the snow-covered mountains in Spain, while Pierre Gasly chooses the old familiar gym. Clearly in a slightly warmer capacity, in Dubai.

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram Een bericht gedeeld door Fernando Alonso (@fernandoalo_oficial)

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram Een bericht gedeeld door PIERRE GASLY (@pierregasly)

McLaren hopes Australian fans will be patient a little longer

The Australian fans will have to wait a little longer to see their hero, Daniel Ricciardo, in action in his own country. At McLaren, they have also thought about that and so a letter went out to the fans in Australia. Be patient and ask yourself one important question: How is the weather in November?

Bottas to rally in Lapland with unique helmet design

In the time that Valtteri Bottas is not in a Formula 1 car, he enjoys driving rallies. Because the Finn does this purely for fun and has no sponsor obligations, he can go to such rallies with unique helmets. For the Arctic Lapland Rally he will therefore be wearing a special helmet designed by his partner Tiffany Cromwell.

Grosjean is not yet allowed to go out into the cold, so he's going to cook

Romain Grosjean is getting better and better, but is not yet allowed to do everything. On Instagram, he tells us that his wife and children are out for a walk, but Romain's hands still can't cope with the cold. So he goes to work in the kitchen baking a chocolate cake.

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram Een bericht gedeeld door Romain Grosjean (@grosjeanromain)
Farmer dies after tractor overturns during protest

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: A farmer part of the tractor rally died after a tractor overturned during the parade.

Farmers enter Red Fort, hoist a flag | Tractor rampage at ITO | Oneindia News

The farmers claimed that he had been shot.

The farmers protesting against the agriculture law enacted by the government took out a tractor rally today. However within a short span of time, the parade took a violent turn as the protesters broke the police barricades which led to the police firing tear gas shells.

'Don't take law in your hands, maintain peace': Delhi police appeals to farmers

Some farmers were seen pushing the barricades with their bare hands. It was reported that the protesters were not abiding by the regulations of the parade, which was set in place earlier to ensure that the same was carried out smoothly.

The early hours of the protests have been marred with reports of farmers clashing with the police. Reports also said that the police had to use water cannons and tear gas shells to disburse the farmers.

Following a meeting on Sunday, the police said that they had reached a consensus with the farmers on holding the rally at specific locations near the three borders. During the meeting, the farmers had agreed to stick to specific routes and not enter other parts of the city. However, it became clear that the farmers began their rally an hour before the decided time. The farmers had assured the police that they would begin their rally only once the Republic Day parade was over.
In refugee camps, access to the internet means being able to connect to family, information and resources. Credit: Shutterstock

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world is in an unexpected moment of global uncertainty and change. Countries, cities and communities worldwide are moving through rotating economic lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. At this time, the divides and potential benefits of digital technology are ever more apparent.

Qualitative research that involves working directly with remote communities is always difficult to undertake, and even more so right now. Digital research tools like mobile phones and tablets, which are wireless and connected to the internet, make it possible.

Using mobile phones, our team is working with community-based researchers in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi to explore how refugees in Dzaleka use, teach and learn technology.

Remote data collection methods were built into our research design prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to minimize the impact of international research partnerships on local communities, including the challenges related to research travel into camps.

The presence of outsider researchers can be costly and add to the workload of community partners. There are also health and safety concerns for everyone involved when conducting research in areas of conflict and crisis. In these ways, our project was designed to focus on digital data collection before the pandemic made physical travel difficult.

Gathering data

Technologies including initiatives that distribute iPads to those who need them, community radio programs, solar power systems and e-commerce are increasingly prevalent in Dzaleka, as they are in many camps. Humanitarian aid organizations, private sector philanthropic groups and governments are all looking for technology solutions to support refugees.

There is a gap in research related to how people teach and learn with available technology in refugee camps, particularly from a community-based perspective. Our project explores how refugee communities teach, learn, troubleshoot, problem solve, adopt and adapt available technologies in ways that support their lives and aspirations.

Community researchers are compiling audio recorded field notes, making illustrations, taking pictures and videos and capturing sound recordings of individuals and the environment using technology in the camp. All of this data, along with audio recorded interviews, will be used to create descriptive multimedia portraits. These portraits will show how people in Dzaleka use technology.

Using video conferencing tools like Zoom, we are building relationships with our community researcher colleagues. We are exchanging data and information using instant messenger chat groups and sharing files using cloud services. We are establishing a shared agreement in testing remote data collection systems to support community-engaged, collaborative work.

Technology in refugee camps

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently 26 million refugees worldwide. Ten percent of these individuals live in formal camps managed by the UNHCR. The UNHCR supports efforts to keep refugee communities connected to the internet.

Camps are often geographically and socially isolated places. They typically lack material and technological infrastructure. And yet different types of technology continue to infiltrate their borders. This reality makes technology education and understanding local teaching and learning practices important work.

Technology in forced migration is widespread. This includes the collection of biometric data such as retinal eye scanners to buy groceries in camps and big data analytics related to food security. Technology enters refugee camps as health initiatives, legal processes related to migration and family reunification, education, communication and leisure.

In refugee camps, mobile phones are the prevalent technology in the hands of community members. Phones connect people in the camps with each other, with family and friends globally, and to important information online and through social networks.

Research in fragile settings

Understanding how local communities build and share knowledge about how to use tools, ranging from computers to apps on mobile phones and radios, is important for community self-reliance. Strengthening technology access and education through research can establish more consistent and autonomous pathways to information for people living in refugee camps.

Our research will contribute to better decision-making about technology and education in camps. The study will inform what types of technology are relevant for community use. Study outcomes will also be used to show what types of local curriculum design and pedagogy can support the successful deployment of those tools.

Research findings from this study will also be used to refine collaborative digital data collection methods in camps. It is our goal to create meaningful contributions to the practice of digital and remote research. And we are working towards positive social change for, by and with community members as partners.

Explore further Refugees at increased risk of coronavirus due to barriers to healthcare

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

[January 25, 2021] TROUVER Launches Its Robotic Vacuum Cleaner 'Finder' in Korea, Enabling an All-in-One Smart Home Cleaning Experience

SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TROUVER, a youthful new brand in the Xiaomi ecological chain focused on performance, trendsetting design, and quality, is launching its newly-introduced Robotic Vacuum Cleaner named Finder in Korea. The launch, jointly presented by Ahmed Elsheikh, structural engineer and Professor of Biomaterial Mechanics from University of Liverpool, echoes TROUVER's commitment to creating next-level products that combines powerful core tech for the young generation. With its powerful suction featuring a sweep and mop two-in-one function and a Laser Distance Sensor (LDS) unmanned navigation system, Finder is designed to relieve the young generation from house-cleaning tasks with a 360-degree comprehensive in-depth smart cleaning experience.



The LDS navigation, verified by the National Radio Research Agency in Korea, allows Finder to get a full scan of a house using a 6 meter radius. Along with its self-developed Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) path planning algorithm and dual-core processor, the vacuum cleaner has advanced smart mapping as well as efficient whole-house cleaning capabilities.

To enable a thorough cleaning experience, the Finder introduces the sweep and mop two-in-one function. In addition, its 2000Pa suction can clean surfaces with 4 modes, including removing dust, hair and debris, enhancing the cleaning effect with one simple step. The advanced vacuum cleaner also guarantees long duration and strong performance by applying a brushless motor and 270ml water tank to make mopping closer to the ground. A smart connection system with voice control will ensure a customized cleaning experience for users. "The Finder showcases how TROUVER is creating a smart home for our consumers where they can truly enjoy their time at home without the chore of house-cleaning. It is a comprehensive demonstration of our technologies, including the smart home connections that enable remote management with enhanced cleaning effect such as suction power control, mapping and power management as well as the setting up of virtual walls," said Weisheng Zhang, President of TROUVER. Pioneering in technology, industrial design, art, and fashion crossover as well as a supply chain matrix, TROUVER has applied innovative technology, cutting-edge design, and materials science in its product development which empowered by over 300 professionals in advanced aerospace technology backgrounds. TROUVER is also working with people across industries; cooperating with the UK Butler Group, experts from universities and institutions, as well as experimental fashion and fashion artists, the company is making efforts to provide more consumers with higher quality products that integrate multiple trendy elements among the young generation. With its advanced factories and labs located in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou, TROUVER's ground-breaking products have been sold in Europe, Middle East, Australia, Southeast Asia and East Asia. About TROUVER TROUVER belongs to an important leading enterprise of the Xiaomi ecological chain -- Dreame Technology. Pioneering in technology, industrial design, art, and fashion crossover as well as supply a chain matrix, TROUVER is committed to creating next-level products that combine the powerful core technology for young people. For more information, please visit http://www.trouver-tech.com/index_en.html SOURCE TROUVER

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U.S. Capitol Police survey the corridor around the House of Representatives chamber after enhanced security protocols were enacted, including metal detectors for lawmakers, after protesters stormed the Capitol, in Washington on Jan. 12, 2021. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

Capitol Police Chief Offers Sincerest Apologies for Not Being Prepared for Jan. 6

The newly installed head of the U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday told lawmakers that the agency wasnt prepared enough for Jan. 6, when protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol during a joint session of Congress.

Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told members of Congress in a closed door briefing that what happened earlier this month was a terrorist attack by tens of thousands of insurrectionists determined to stop the certification of Electoral College votes.

Federal authorities told reporters in a call around the same time that they werent sure how many people entered the Capitol on Jan. 6.

While the U.S. Capitol Police fulfilled its mission of protecting members of Congress, its inability to immediately secure the U.S. Capitol emboldened the insurrectionists and horrified millions of Americans, Pittman said in prepared remarks released to the media by the House Appropriations Committee.

Pittman offered her sincerest apologies on behalf of her department. The agency, she added, should have been more prepared for this attack. Officials knew by Jan. 4 that both militia groups and white supremacist organizations would be taking part in the rally, she claimed, and were aware of plans by some to bring firearms and other weapons.

We knew that there was a strong potential for violence and that Congress was the target, she said.

The U.S. Capitol Police did make some preparations, increasing the number of officers working that day and activating its SWAT team, but did not do enough, Pittman told lawmakers. She pegged the number of employees working on site at over 1,200, but said they were no match for the protesters.

Protesters storm the Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Ahmed Gaber/Reuters)

In my experience, I do not believe there was any preparations that would have allowed for an open campus in which lawful protesters could exercise their first amendment right to free speech and at the same time prevented the attack on Capital grounds that day, she said.

Changes made so far include providing additional training, working on better communication with other agencies, and holding daily internal intelligence briefings.

House Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said in a statement after the briefing that government agencies failed in their most basic responsibilities on Jan. 6.

It is now obvious that intelligence agencies had ample evidence an angry mob would descend on Washington, with Congress meeting to certify the presidential election as the intended target. The law enforcement agencies tasked with protecting the Capitol did not act on this intelligence or adequately prepare for the looming threat, she said.

The committee will keep pursuing answers and oversee changes in the agencies, DeLauro added.

Pittman was elevated to acting chief on Jan. 11 after Chief Steven Sund announced his resignation. Pittman said the department had been actively reviewing video and other materials that appeared to show some U.S. Capitol Police officers violating regulations and policies, and that several officers had already been suspended.
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Coastal flooding is of growing concern across Tidewater Virginia and in other coastal areas worldwide. Credit: J.D. Loftis/VIMS

The annual update of their sea level "report cards" by researchers at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science adds further evidence of an accelerating rate of sea-level rise at nearly all tidal stations along the U.S. coastline.

The team's web-based report cards project sea level to the year 2050 based on an ongoing analysis of tide-gauge records for 32 localities along the U.S. coast from Maine to Alaska. The analysis now includes 52 years of water-level observations, from January 1969 through December 2020. The interactive charts are available online at www.vims.edu/sealevelreportcards.

The project's founder, VIMS emeritus professor John Boon, says "The year-to-year trends are becoming very informative. The 2020 report cards continue a clear trend toward acceleration in rates of sea-level rise at 27 of our 28 tide-gauge stations along the continental U.S. coastline." The one continental outlierin Crescent City, Californiajoins four Alaskan stations as sites where coastal uplift makes it appear sea level is falling relative to land.

VIMS marine scientist Molly Mitchell says "Seeing acceleration at so many of our stations suggests thatwhen we look at the multiple sea-level scenarios that NOAA puts out based on global modelswe may be moving towards the higher projections." Mitchell has partnered with Boon to generate the report cards each year since 2017.

"Acceleration can be a game changer in terms of impacts and planning, so we really need to pay heed to these patterns," says Boon. "We have increasing evidence from the tide-gauge records that these higher sea-level curves need to be seriously considered in resilience-planning efforts," adds Mitchell.

Boon says the report cards add value by providing sea-level projections that are updated more frequently than those issued by NOAA or other agencies. Boon and colleagues also use a statistical approach that includes evidence for the recent acceleration in the rate of sea-level change at many U.S. tide-gauge stations, and stress their use of relative sea-level measurementschanges in water level relative to the land surface on which people live and work. The relative sea-level rise in Virginia and other East and Gulf coast areas is due to both rising water and sinking land.

East Coast Trends

Sea-level rise has now been accelerating at all U.S. East Coast stations since 2014. Prior to that year, stations south of Cape Hatteras had recorded little or no acceleration. "Today," says Boon, "sea level is accelerating faster at many of these southern stations than at some stations further north considered to be sea level rise 'hot spots' not long ago."

"Rates of sea-level rise in Norfolk, Virginia are still the highest along the Atlantic Coast at 5.4 millimeters per year," says Mitchell. "However, acceleration at stations in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia indicate that we should be watching sea-level patterns in those states very closely." Some studies indicate that the "hot spot" of sea-level rise in the mid-Atlantic is moving southward, and that stations south of Cape Hatteras will see greater sea-level rise by 2050 than their histories suggest.

Gulf Coast Trends

Most Gulf Coast stations witnessed an upturn in acceleration rates beginning around 2014, and all nine of them have experienced increased acceleration during the last three years. At Grand Isle, Louisiana and Galveston, Texas, these trends marked a transition from deceleration to acceleration. At others, including Pensacola, Florida and Rockport, Texas, sea level has been accelerating since 2004 but trending faster in recent years.

Texas and Louisiana stations continue to show the highest rates of rise in the country. Rockport has the second highest annual rise rate (7.1 mm/year in 2020), and the highest projected sea-level rise for 2050 at 0.82 meters (2.69 ft) above mean sea level in 1992, the midpoint of the most recent National Tidal Datum Epoch. Grand Isle flips the tables, with the highest annual rise rate (8.1 mm/year in 2020), and the second highest projected sea-level rise for 2050 at 0.58 meters (1.9 ft) above 1992 levels. Galveston places third in both measures, with an annual rise rate of 6.6 mm/year in 2020, and a projected rise in 2050 sea level of 0.57 meters (1.87 ft).

Mitchell and Boon attribute the extreme rise rates and sharp contrast in acceleration among the Gulf Coast stations in part to their location within a sedimentary basin with a complex history of water and mineral extraction. Pumping of groundwater and oil can cause land subsidence, which contributes to relative sea-level rise.

West Coast Trends

With the exception of Alaska and Crescent City, Californiawhere plate movements and post-glacial rebound generate pronounced coastal upliftU.S. West Coast stations had been essentially neutral since at least 2004, with relative sea level neither rising nor falling at significant rates. That is no longer the case, as most stations have experienced acceleration since 2017. "Upward trends in acceleration presage positive and increasing sea-level rise rates at most stations along the continental west coast," says Boon. "Rise rates had been near zero for some time, but nascent acceleration is beginning to cause them to pop."

"Although sea level has been rising very slowly along the West Coast," adds Mitchell, "models have been predicting that it will start to rise faster. The report cards from the past five years support this idea." Scientists suggest that the speed-up is due to a shift in wind patterns associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, an El Nino-like pattern of climate variability.

Overall Trends

Previous work by Boon, Mitchell, and VIMS colleague Derek Loftis suggests the current acceleration in rates of sea-level rise began around 2013 or 2014, likely associated with ocean dynamics and ice-sheet loss. In 2020, rates of sea-level rise accelerated at all 21 of the report-card stations along the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, and at 7 of the 8 monitored stations along the U.S. West Coast excluding Alaska. All four stations monitored in Alaska show relative sea level falling at increasingly rapid rates. This is due to various processes causing rapid uplift of the coast, tide gauges rising along with the land they rest on.

Notable 2020 findings

The 2020 report cards show an accelerating rate of sea-level rise at 27 of the 32 monitored stations. Rockport, Texas recorded the highest acceleration rate in 2020, with a value of 0.262 mm/y2. The next highest rates of acceleration were observed at Pensacola, FL (0.24 mm/yr2); Wilmington, NC (0.238 mm/yr2); Cedar Key, FL (0.21 mm/yr2); Naples, FL (0.199 mm/yr2); Eastport, ME (0.195 mm/yr2); Charleston, SC (0.181 mm/yr2); Portland, ME (0.166 mm/yr2); Boston, MA (0.165 mm/yr2); and Port Isabel, TX (0.16 mm/yr2). Significant acceleration in rates of sea-level rise at these widely distributed localities hints at global drivers, with climate change the obvious suspect. NOAA recently reported that 2020 was tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record.

Boon and Mitchell note that acceleration at these and other locations sharply increases their quadratic, "best-estimate" sea-level projections for 2050, despite in several cases a relatively low 2020 rise rate. For instance, Eastport, Maine had a rise rate of only 2.02 mm in 2020, but sea level there is projected to rise 0.41 m (1.3 feet) above 1992 levels by 2050. That 2050 projection is on par with the 0.51-m projection for Norfolk, Virginia (1.67 ft), even though the latter's 2020 rise rate was 5.39 mm/yr, almost three times higher than in Eastport.

The VIMS team stresses that sea level will also experience short-term variations in the future just as it does today. Thus, coastal residents and planners in Virginia and other areas likely to experience significant sea-level increases by 2050 must also account for storm surges and other transient forces raising sea level even higher than the projected mean rise value. The 95% confidence bands placed about the projected quadratic curve in VIMS' sea-level report cards are a further reminder that average sea level in any given month can deviate from the projected annual mean by as much as 20 centimeters (8 inches).

The value of an annual, localized report card

Because long-term changes in sea level are typically on the order of a few millimeters per year, researchers have traditionally felt little need to issue frequent forecasts of sea-level changes. Moreover, many sea-level projections are global in scope, with a forecast horizon of 2100far enough off to allow for readily discernible linear change. An example is the United Nation's oft-reported projection of 65 centimeters (2.1 feet) of absolute sea-level rise by the end of this century.

The VIMS team has purposefully taken a more localized and timely approach, one designed to add maximum value for coastal residents, businesses, and governments.

Says Boon, "Our report cards show what sea level has been doing recently, what's happening now at your locality. Numerous studies show that local rates of sea-level rise and acceleration differ substantially from the global rates published by the IPCC and NOAAa key result because local rates of relative sea-level rise give a direct indication of the extent to which homes, buildings, and roads are at risk of flooding."

The team's decision to use a subset of available tide-gauge data runs counter to the traditional approach taken by NOAA, the agency that operates the nation's official network of tidal stations. "NOAA should be commended for their care in ensuring the continuity, consistency, and availability of the nation's long-term tidal datasets," says Boon. "But at the same time, a longer record isn't always better, especially when there's evidence of recent non-linear changes in the rate of sea-level rise like we see along the U.S. East Coast."

An earlier analysis by Boon showed that this acceleration began in 1987, at the center of a 36-year sliding window beginning in 1969thus setting the start date for the VIMS report cards. This is decades after many U.S. tide-gauge stations began operation but within a span where many more stations now have complete or nearly complete records. Given recent evidence of ongoing warming, it makes sense in a nation-wide, comparative study of sea-level change to analyze only those observations made over the same period of time.

Mitchell explains further, "If you cross a threshold in terms of something like sea-level rise, what came beforesay a tide-gauge record that began in 1900is biased in terms of seeing where you're going. We think ice sheets are melting faster today, and if that's true then the previous 90 years of data won't accurately predict the future."

The difference between the linear rates used in NOAA's sea-level forecasts and the non-linear, accelerating rates used in VIMS' report cards can lead to sharply different forecasts of our sea-level future. Extending NOAA's linear sea-level projections to mid-century for the tide gauge in Norfolk, Virginia indicates that sea level here will be 0.3 meters (11.4 inches) higher by 2050, while the VIMS forecastusing a non-linear, accelerating rateis 0.51 meters, or 20.1 inches. That extra 21 centimeters (8.6 inches) of sea-level rise would have major implications for the low-lying region.
EDWARDSVILLE  Felony criminal charges recently filed by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include:

 Austin R. Davis, 22, of Pocahontas, was charged Jan. 25 with aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. According to court documents, on Jan. 24 Davis elbowed a sheriffs deputy in the neck/chest. Bail was set at $40,000.

 Danyelle M. Price, 21, of Glen Carbon, was charged Jan. 25 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department. According to court documents, on Jan. 23 Price was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Deandre Q. May, 26, of Granite City, was charged Jan. 25 with aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on Jan. 23 May intentionally strangled a family or household member. Bail was set at $50,000.

 Darren J. Booth, 23, of Granite City, was charged Jan. 25 with forgery, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on Jan. 20 Booth presented an altered check to First Community Credit Union. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Jessica M. Kneese, 32, of Granite City, was charged Jan. 25 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on Jan. 23 Kneese was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Santana Minjarez, 32, of Collinsville, was charged Jan. 25 with retail theft under $300 (second subsequent offense), a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. According to court documents, on Jan. 24 Minjarez attempted to steal liquor and other beverages valued at less than $300 from Sav-on Liquor at 809 St. Louis Road. It was noted he had a prior conviction for burglary. Bail was set at $20,000.

 William L. Finazzo, 39, of Worden, was charged Jan. 25 with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude police, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Worden Police Department. According to court documents, on April 29 Finazzo was driving a 2002 GMC Yukon when he attempted to flee a Worden police officer, disobeying several traffic control devices in the attempt. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Aaron M. Christie, 44, of Belleville, was charged Jan. 25 with aggravated unlawful use of weapons, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. According to court documents, on Dec. 12 Christie was found to be carrying a 9 mm Taurus handgun without a valid Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Card or a concealed carry license. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Teddy M. Brown, 57, of Springfield, was charged Jan. 25 with unlawful possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, a Class X felony. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. According to court documents, on Jan. 23, Brown was found to be in possession with intent to deliver more than 15 grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $100,000.

 Latara R. Clarkston, 38, of Wood River, was charged Jan. 25 with aggravated driving while under the influence, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. According to court documents, on Nov. 25 Clarkston was driving a 2012 Dodge Journey with Georgia registration and no liability insurance, while under the influence of alcohol. Bail was set at $15,000.
Prof Philip Nolan said there is a worryingly high number of infections among over-75s. Photo: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

The number of Covid-19 patients treated in intensive care units will remain very high for weeks to come although admissions to hospital have now peaked, it has emerged.

People were warned that although the number of new daily cases is falling rapidly the country is in for the long haul as far as restrictions are concerned due to the huge amount of infection still circulating.

Prof Philip Nolan of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) said the number of patients with the virus in hospital will decline very slowly in the coming weeks.

He added there is ongoing concern about a worryingly high incidence of the virus among the over-75s.

Over three weeks up to 1,000 residents a week in long-term residential care have been catching the virus along with 500 staff in these facilities.

He was speaking as seven more deaths and 1,372 newly diagnosed cases of the virus were reported.

The number of patients in intensive care rose by one to 219 and there is one third more now receiving ICU treatment than in the first wave.

There are now 1,905 Covid-19 patients in hospital, down from around 2,000. But daily admissions have also fallen from as many as 140 to 74 yesterday.

Virus related deaths have reached 688 this month, with an average of 52 deaths a day. There was a death toll of 175 in December and 164 in November.

Read More

Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said there was no evidence to link the higher deaths to preliminary data by UK scientists who believe the new, more infectious UK variant of the virus is more deadly.

Prof Nolan said: We are seeing higher levels of infection acquired among health staff and among patients than at any point in the pandemic. He cited the UK variant for contributing to the spread.

We are seeing over 5pc of infection acquired among patients and 5pc among staff in healthcare settings," he added.

That relates to the high level of virus entering those settings from the community.

Dr Glynn said there is still no evidence that the more infectious Brazilian strain of the virus is here.

Following an appeal, 50 to 60 people came forward for testing and there was no evidence of concern.

Asked about funerals he said that in recent months there were a number of incidents where they led to significant large outbreaks, causing sickness and in some cases death.

People needed to stick to safety guidelines around funerals, he added.

Questioned on schools he said at this point in the third wave it was not the time to instigate the mobility of one million people.

Commenting on whether people should take Vitamin D supplements to increase their defences against Covid-19 disease he said it was important for people who are at home cocooning to maintain their levels of this vitamin.

Waterford GP Dr Dermot Nolan said his county had been hit hard in this wave with one in 20 getting the virus.

He told of one of his patients who suffered heart failure and refused to go to hospital because she was afraid of getting Covid-19.In another case a whole family were infected leaving their 10-year-old son with acute appendicitis to go to hospital on his own.

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced today it has received CE Mark for two new uses of its Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device for the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus: asymptomatic testing and self-swabbing.

Panbio COVID-19 Ag's label has been updated with clinical data on asymptomatic individuals, which enables mass testing (mass screening1) of people who do not currently present symptoms of the disease. According to a recent study published in JAMA,2 at least 50% of COVID-19 infections are estimated to have originated from exposure to asymptomatic individuals.

The other update to the label allows self-collection of nasal specimens under the supervision of a healthcare worker. Self-swabbing with a patient-friendly nasal swab improves patient comfort and reduces the risk of accidental exposure to the virus for healthcare workers as they can maintain distance during the testing procedure.

"Rapid testing continues to be one of our most important tools for fighting this pandemic, and the ability to perform mass screening allows us to expand testing and reach more people in more places," said Robert B. Ford, president and chief executive officer, Abbott. "Now that Abbott's Panbio rapid antigen test has an asymptomatic indication, it becomes an even more valuable tool for enabling a safer return to work, school, travel and other activities of daily life."

Since last August to date, Abbott has shipped 200 million Panbio rapid antigen tests to 120 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. Healthcare professionals globally have seen the clinical utility of the test in detecting COVID-19 infections. In coordination with the Global Fund, the World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Abbott continues to make Panbio rapid antigen tests available to low- and middle-income countries.

Panbio COVID-19 Ag is not available in the U.S., where Abbott manufactures and sells the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card, which has received emergency use authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Abbott is in the process of pursuing FDA EUA of an asymptomatic indication for BinaxNOW.

Both Panbio and BinaxNOW rapid antigen tests use similar biologics and are highly portable, reliable and affordable.

Widespread, frequent and fast testing facilitates return to work

The large number of COVID-19 cases and fear of disease spread has resulted in a global economic recession, increased workplace absenteeism and the inability of employers to bring their employees back to the office. As a result, employers and governments around the world are looking for ways to ensure business continuity and restart their economies.

Frequent and fast screening of employees using rapid antigen tests such as Panbio COVID-19 Ag  along with preventative measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, handwashing, disinfecting facilities and any other actions required by government  can support a safer return to work by quickly identifying and isolating infected and contagious individuals. Employees who test negative can be admitted to facilities and resume their work.

"Since October 2020, Abbott has used rapid antigen tests in a phased rollout of employee testing across multiple sites globally," said Mary Moreland, executive vice president, Human Resources, Abbott. "Our experience proves that testing helps our employees feel safer and more comfortable coming into the office during this time, so they can more effectively collaborate with each other and perform their duties."

Expanded rapid antigen testing plays critical role in restoring freedom of mobility

Beyond workplace screening, the ability to conduct mass screenings at ports of entry using the Panbio rapid antigen test will facilitate the resumption of global travel. A number of governments now mandate proof of a negative COVID-19 viral test before entering the country.3,4

Additionally, various airlines and cruise ship companies require that passengers present negative test results before boarding. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airports Council International (ACI) have publicly called for a systematic approach to testing that is fast, accurate, affordable, easy-to-use, scalable and supported by public health authorities. Mass screening can help restore freedom of mobility across borders and will allow people to travel safely and with confidence.

"Being able to effectively screen asymptomatic people  along with other hygienic measures already in place  is the best way to ensure the safety of our passengers and all air transport workers," said Olivier Jankovec, director general, Airports Council International Europe. "Over 100 airports across Europe are already providing COVID-19 testing facilities in close cooperation with their health authorities. Rapid screening using high-quality and affordable antigen tests is a crucial part of resuscitating global travel until the vast majority of the world's travelers and crews are vaccinated."

Digital solutions facilitate return to daily life and understanding epidemiological trends

Digital health technologies play an important role in pandemic response.5 Integrated into testing strategies, digital technologies can support mass screening of people for safe entry into facilities and disease surveillance management to understand epidemiological trends. Abbott is offering two distinct digital solutions to support each of these functions.

Abbott's NAVICA mobile app for iPhone and Android devices allows people who test negative to display a temporary digital health certificate that is renewed each time a person is tested by a healthcare worker together with the date of the test result. Organizations using the NAVICA verifier app can scan and verify the information on a mobile device to manage safe entry into workplaces, airplanes and cruise ships, schools and universities, and other places where people come together in large numbers. NAVICA for use with Panbio Ag is soon to be available at no charge to customers outside the U.S.

In support of public health strategies, Abbott is offering Sympheos, a web-based data collection and visualization tool, for use with Panbio Ag. Sympheos allows healthcare workers to log real-time test results on a smart phone, aggregate the collected data, and display it in a dashboard with heat maps, disease surveillance and testing trends. Sympheos data visualization may help health authorities better understand the epidemiological status of their epidemic and mobilize their COVID-19 response more effectively. Sympheos, which is available now to customers outside the U.S., can also be used to track in parallel other diseases such as malaria and HIV where there are high rates of co-infection.

Since the pandemic began, Abbott has developed the most advanced and comprehensive portfolio of COVID-19 tests across its testing platforms  from high-throughput molecular tests on its m2000 RealTime and Alinity m lab-based systems; to serology tests on its Alinity i and ARCHITECT i1000SR and i2000SR instruments; to rapid molecular tests on the ID NOW instrument; to rapid antigen test options on BinaxNOW (available in the U.S. only) and the Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device (available in countries outside the U.S.).

About Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device

Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device is a lateral flow assay for rapid, qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus. A nasal or nasopharyngeal swab is used for collection of specimens from individuals. Test results are delivered in as early as 15 minutes with no instrumentation.

Negative results must be combined with clinical observations, patient history and epidemiological information. Negative results do not preclude COVID-19 infection and cannot be used as the sole basis for treatment or other management decisions.

Clinical performance of Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device was determined by testing 483 asymptomatic people for SARS-CoV-2 antigen and comparing results against a PCR reference method.

Positive results (n=50) were stratified by cycle threshold (Ct) counts in order to understand the correlation between product performance and the amount of virus present in the clinical sample. A lower Ct value corresponds to a higher concentration of the virus.

Specificity of the test across 433 negative samples was 100.0%, which means no false positives were identified. Results for sensitivity were:

93.8% in 32 samples with Ct values less than or equal to 30

80.0% in 40 samples with Ct values less than or equal to 33

66.0% across all 50 positive samples (at all Ct counts)

There is a growing body of scientific literature6 and experience focused on the correlation between infectiousness, Ct counts and viral load. Specifically, scientific evidence suggests that at Ct counts in the 30s, the SARS-CoV-2 virus can't be replicated, meaning people are no longer infectious. This underscores the importance of frequent antigen testing to catch people with lower Ct counts while they are most contagious and need to self-quarantine.

Panbio COVID-19 Ag is CE-Marked for use with a nasal swab on asymptomatic and symptomatic people. Abbott has submitted documentation to the World Health Organization for Emergency Use Listing for the two new claims for asymptomatic testing and self-swabbing. Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test device is available in countries outside of the U.S. and subject to local regulatory and commercialization requirements.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 107,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.







1 Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device is not approved for screening of blood supply. 2 JAMA, SARS-CoV-2 Transmission from People Without COVID-19 Symptoms, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2774707. 3 CDC Expands Negative COVID-19 Test Requirement to All Air Passengers Entering the United States | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC 4 The types of test accepted for travel may vary on a country by country basis. 5 Lancet, Applications of digital technology in COVID-19 pandemic planning and response, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(20)30142-4/fulltext. 6 This article is a pre-print and has not been peer-reviewed. The article reports new medical research that has yet to be evaluated and so should not be used to guide medical practice.

SOURCE Abbott

Related Links

http://www.abbott.com


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Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Armored Vehicle Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Armored Vehicle Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Armored Vehicle Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Armored Vehicle Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Armored Vehicle Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 3.42% over the period of forecast.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints& Opportunity of the Market:

Demand for MRAP vehicles is growingly rapidly among various military organizations worldwide. The constant threat from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) deployed by the extremist groups has compelled the military forces including the United Nations and NATO peacekeeping troops to ensure minimum casualty of human lives. This factor is expected to boost demand for MRAP vehicles globally, especially in the countries across Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (RoW). The transforming military operations from conventional to asymmetric warfare has led to the deployment of armed troops in extreme environmental situations. Moreover, the growing power of various terrorist organizations has amplified the risks in military operations globally. Owing to these factors, the demand for rugged vehicles and improved vetronics are gaining importance among governments worldwide. The factor is expected to continue boosting the demand for enhanced armed vehicles over the forecast period. In order to improve modularity, the designs of the vehicles encourage on factors such as resilience, adaptability, agility and MRO expenses. The increasing demand for more powerful and well equipped vehicles from military organizations is currently fuelling the adopting of advanced technological improvements in the developing modern military vehicles. Various technological developments such as mine protection, situational awareness, electric armor, vehicle information integration and inter operable communication among others are rapidly being integrated by the armored vehicle manufacturers worldwide. Following this factor, the demand for development of enhanced unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) is also on a rise globally.

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Civilian population in the developed and many developing nations across the world are investing on security measures heavily. The increasing crime rates and threat of insurgency fuels the transformation of civilian vehicles market. As a result, the demand for armored commercial vehicles is growing at a tremendous pace globally, especially in North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific. The major consumers of armored commercial vehicles include, government representatives, high profile corporate personnel, celebrities and other high net worth individuals. The market for armored commercial vehicles is expected to rise substantially over the forecast period, owing to the rising competition among the manufacturers. Apart from the military organizations, armored vehicles are gaining importance among civilians worldwide. The demand for armored commercial vehicles is surging owing to factors such as increasing concerns of personal safety during insurgent activities and constant security challenges. Major consumer segment of the armored commercial vehicles market comprise of government representatives, NGOs, high profile corporate personnel, celebrities and high net worth individuals among others. The government personnel generally opt for B6 & B7 level of armoring while the other end users mainly opt for the B4 level of armoring. The armored commercial vehicles manufacturers include retro-fit and line-fit companies. Currently the major demand share for armored commercial vehicles is accounted by Middle East and Asia. The demand for retro-fit vehicles is on a surge in Middle East. For instance, Dubai registered the entry of numerous retro-fit market players in the past few years and the trend is expected to continue over the forecast period.

Moreover, the steep growth of the automotive sector worldwide also fuels growth of the market for armored commercial vehicles market. Trending rapid growth in demand for armored vehicles by civilians, various original equipment manufacturers in the automotive segment are expanding their armored vehicle portfolios globally. For example, in 2014, Mercedes launched the M-Guard. Following which, in 2015, Range Rover introduced the Sentinel. Furthermore, various user friendly government rules are boosting the demand for armored commercial vehicles globally. For example, in Brazil, no government restriction is imposed for procurement of armored vehicle with B4 level protection. Similar governmental policies are also applicable in countries such as Iran, Yemen and Jordan among others. Owing to these factors, the market for armored commercial vehicles is growing at a substantial pace over the forecast period. With the increasing application of network centric military operations and growing initiatives for military modernization, defense contractors and technology providers are continually adopting new technologies for development of enhanced armored vehicles. Various military vehicles such as light protected vehicles, armored amphibious vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers and others are being refurbished by military organizations in order to improve command, control, communication, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) efficiency for the troops. The procurement of new vehicles is expected to slow down by the end of the short term (2015  2017) of the forecast period; however, investments on retrofit vehicles and new research initiatives are expected to grow significantly worldwide. Owing to this factors, the demand for enhanced armored vehicles is rising steadily year on year in the regions. Moreover, following the growing emphasis on development of versatile mission-capable ground vehicles by military organizations, the market for armored vehicles is expected to experience a significant boost over the forecast period from 2019 to 2027.

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the global Armored Vehicle Market encompasses market segments based on platform, mobility, system and country

Get Request for Table of Contents: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/armored-vehicle-market/174#content

In terms of platform, the Armored Vehicle Market is segregated into:

Combat Vehicles

o Main Battle Tanks (MBTs)

o Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs)

o Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs)

o Armored Amphibious Vehicles (AAVs)

o Mine-resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP)

o Light Protected Vehicles (LPVs)

o Self-propelled Howitzers

o Air Defense Vehicles

o Armored Mortar Carriers (AMCs)

Combat Support Vehicles

o Armored Supply Trucks

Armored Fuel Trucks

Armored Ammunition Replenishment Vehicles

Armored Ambulances

o Armored Command and Control Vehicles

o Repair and Recovery Vehicles

o Others (Bridge-laying Tanks and Mine Clearing Vehicles)

Unmanned Armored Ground Vehicles

By mobility, Armored Vehicle Market is segregated into:

Wheeled

o 4x4

o 6x6

o 8x8

o Others

Tracked

By system, Armored Vehicle Market is segregated into:

By Engines

o Diesel Engines

o Turbine Engines

By Drive Systems

o Power Transmission Drives

o Suspension and Braking Systems

o Tracks and Wheels

Ballistic Armor

o Composite Armor

o Explosive Reactive Armor

o Electric Armor

o Homogenous Armor

o Depleted Uranium Armor

o Add-on Armor

o Others (Wire Cage Armor and Slat Armor)

Turret Drives

Ammunition Handling Systems

Fire Control Systems

Armaments

Countermeasure Systems

Command & Control (C2) Systems

Power Systems

Navigation Systems

Observation & Display Systems

Hulls/Frames

By country/region, the global Armored Vehicle Market has been divided into:

North America (the U.S., Canada)

South America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries)

Europe (Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, and other countries)

Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand and other countries)

Middle East and Africa (GCC, South Africa, Israel and Other countries)

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as:

Arquus

Bae Systems PLC

China North Industries Corporation (Norinco)

Denel Soc Ltd.

Fnss

General Dynamics Corporation

Hanwha Corporation

Hyundai Rotem

Imi Systems

Iveco

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann

Kurganmashzavod Jsc

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Nexter Group

Ordnance Factory Board

Oshkosh Corporation

Otokar Otomotive Ve Savunma Sanayi

Paramount Group

Rheinmetall AG

St Engineering

Tatra Trucks A.S.

Textron Inc.

The Kalyani Group

Ukroboronprom

Uralvagonzavod

Others players have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Armored Vehicle related investment & spending and developments by major players of the market are tracked in this global report.

Report Highlights:

In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2017-2027. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players.

Salient Features:

 This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Armored Vehicle Market, size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2019  2027, taking into account 2018 as the base year

 It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market

 This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, launch of new products, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook

 Profiling of key market players in the world Armored Vehicle Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview

 Leading market players covered this report comprise names such as BAE, Textron, FNSS among others

 The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of products, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation

 The world market for Armored Vehicle caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Armored Vehicle Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

 Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports

 Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation

 Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion

Reasons to buy:

v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Armored Vehicle Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Armored Vehicle Market

v Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data

v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential

v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events

v Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects

v Identify key strengths and weaknesses of important market participants

Full View of Report Description: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/armored-vehicle-market/174
Israel's head of mission in Rabat took up his post on Tuesday, the Israeli foreign ministry said, under a deal to upgrade ties with Morocco, the fourth Arab country to forge relations with Israel in recent months.

Israel's cabinet on Sunday approved the U.S.-brokered agreement reached last month with Morocco, which followed the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan in moving towards normal ties with Israel.

In a statement, the Israeli foreign ministry said the head of Israel's liaison office in Rabat, Ambassador David Govrin, and his staff will work towards advancing "political dialogue, tourism, economy and cultural ties" with Morocco.

The ministry also announced the opening on Tuesday of the Israeli consulate in Dubai, two days after Israel inaugurated its embassy in Abu Dhabi and the UAE's cabinet approved the establishment of an embassy in Tel Aviv.

An Israeli embassy in Bahrain has been operating for several weeks, the statement said.

On Monday, an Israeli cabinet member, Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen, for the first time led an official delegation to Sudan to discuss moving forward on normalising relations.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said he wants to build on Israel's deals with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco that were part of a final foreign policy push by the former Trump administration.

Short link:


A case of a more contagious coronavirus variant first found in Brazil has been confirmed in Minnesota, the states department of health said in a statement on Monday. It is the first confirmed case of the variant in the United States.

The case was identified in a Minnesota resident who had recently traveled to Brazil, the department said, which could suggest that the variant may not yet be widely circulating.

It was only a matter of time before the variant was detected in the United States, said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a Covid adviser to President Biden. With the world travel that you have, and the degree of transmissibility efficiency, its not surprising, he said.

The variant, known as B.1.1.28.1 or P.1, shares many mutations with one first identified in South Africa. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines still protect from the variant circulating in South Africa, the companies have said, but they are slightly less effective. They are expected to perform similarly against the variant identified in Brazil.
Biden Hints at Pandemic Restrictions Through Early Fall, Says It Wont Take Two Months

President Joe Biden said Monday that Americans should expect to deal with the pandemic through the early fall of 2021.

Im going to shut down the virus, but I never said Id do it in two months, Biden told reporters before adding: Its going to take a heck of a lot of time.

He was responding to a question from a reporter who asked the president about whether he was fulfilling his campaign promise to shut down the CCP virus after being elected.

The president said that it would take longer to combat the virus via lockdowns and other restrictions, while he noted that vaccinations for most people take at least two weeks.

Were still going to be dealing with this issue in the early fall, he said, noting: Were in this for a while.

During the 2020 campaign, Biden made defeating the CCP virus pandemic a key promise and often criticized former President Donald Trump for not doing a good enough job in combatting the pandemic.

However, in recent days after taking office, Biden acknowledged that it will take much longer to combat the virus and predicted hundreds of thousands of more American deaths.

If we fail to act, there will be a wave of evictions and foreclosures in the coming months as this pandemic rages on, because theres nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months, Biden said last Friday. The comments drew critical comments from Republicans in Congress and a variety of commentators.

Bidens Health and Human Services nominee Xavier Becerra tried to clarify Bidens remarks, saying on CNNs State of the Union that I believe President Biden made it very clear, the plane is in a nosedive, and we gotta pull it up. And youre not going to do that overnight.

He added: But were gonna pull it up, we have to pull it up. Failures not an option here, and so we will.

The president made the remarks Monday as he acknowledged that it might not be possible to include $1,400 stimulus payments and checks in the next COVID-19 relief bill. Biden last week proposed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package to combat the economic downturn caused by lockdowns and layoffs.

Were going to have arguments. For example, I proposed that, because it was bipartisan it would increase the prospects of passage, the additional $1,400 in direct cash payments to folks, Biden said. Well theres legitimate reason for people to say, Do you have the lines drawn the exact right way? Should it go to anybody making over X number of dollars? Im open to negotiate those things.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-25 22:07:19|Editor: huaxia

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Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with members of the eighth board of directors of the Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA) in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Monday called for efforts to pool the wisdom and strength of overseas-educated talent to help build a modern socialist China.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks while meeting members of the eighth board of directors of the Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA).

No matter how the environment at home and abroad evolves, the strong sense of patriotism and the pursuit of serving the country among the overseas-educated Chinese shall not change, he stressed.

The WRSA should guide overseas-educated scholars to understand the strength and advantages of the CPC, Marxism, and socialism with Chinese characteristics, said Wang.

Wang also called on the association to better play its role as a talent pool in the service of the country, a think tank for good ideas and proposals, and a vital force in people-to-people diplomacy.

The overseas-educated talent is a valuable asset to the Party and the people, and Party committees at all local levels should support the work of the WRSA, he said.

You Quan, a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. Enditem
Riley June Williams in a file booking photograph (L), and a still image from video, believed to be taken by Riley June Williams, shows a laptop computer being handled in what the FBI believes is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office on Jan. 6, 2021. (Dauphin County Prison via AP; FBI)

Woman Accused of Stealing Pelosi Laptop During Capitol Breach Trying to Cover Tracks: Prosecutors

The 22-year-old Pennsylvania woman who is accused of stealing House Speaker Nancy Pelosis laptop computer during the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol is trying to hide her involvement in the crime, prosecutors alleged Monday.

Prosecutors told the court that they were aware Williams was shutting down her social media accounts, news outlets reported. But, prosecutors added, they now have indications that she was instructing other people to delete messages as well.

Williams was released to home confinement last week. Prosecutors now want her Internet access cut off. A public defender representing Williams told the court that the accused does not have access to a computer or a smart phone, Fox News reported.

The hearing was pushed back until Tuesday before concluding.

A computer is pictured in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Williams was taken into custody earlier this month after being accused of stealing a computer or hard drive from Pelosis office on Jan. 6. A friend of the woman, as well as her lawyer, say the person identified by the FBI as a tipster is an abusive ex-boyfriend. In an amended affidavit, an FBI special agent said local law enforcement officers in Harrisburg received a suspicious persons report filed by Williamss mother regarding the ex-boyfriend.

Williams deleted all of her social media accounts, court documents indicate. Her lawyer has said they were deleted as part of the effort to escape the former romantic partner.

That man gave the FBI copies of several video clips on Jan. 18, including one four-second video that shows a laptop on a wooden desk. A female voice believed to be Williams can be heard telling a male to put on gloves before a mans arm with a black glove begins to lift the computer off the table. Text imposed on the clip states, they got the laptop.

The FBI said it confirmed with U.S. Capitol Police representatives that an HP brand laptop was stolen from Pelosis office.

The agent also said in the amended court document that he observed a person reposting the videos provided by the tipster on Twitter along with posts from a user named Riley on Discord, a social media platform. In the posts, Riley states, among other things, I stole [expletive] from Nancy Polesi [sic], and I took Polesis [sic] hard drives.

Williams faces four charges, including obstructing an official proceeding and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. She faces over 30 years in prison if convicted.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Efficacy and convenience are two important factors for New Yorkers when determining if they will get the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, according to poll results.

A stronger public awareness campaign is needed to reassure New Yorkers that the vaccine is safe and effective, the Association for a Better New York (ABNY) poll found.

The poll also found that Black, Latino, and other non-white New Yorkers were twice as likely to say that they do not have enough information about the vaccines safety and efficacy to consider getting vaccinated.

Sixty-nine percent of all respondents said they dont have enough information to make an informed decision about the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.

The communities that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 are the same communities that have experienced long-standing systematic health and social inequities. These are the same communities that have a deep distrust of government and the systems responsible for administering a COVID-19 vaccine, said ABNY Executive Officer Melva Miller.

The poll found that 80% of Black respondents and 69% of Latino respondents said vaccine efficacy is significantly shaping their opinion. Only 2% of white respondents said they were likely to refuse the vaccine.

Eighteen percent of Staten Island and Queens respondents said theyre unsure if they will accept the vaccination compared to 14% of Brooklyn and Bronx residents and 9% of Manhattan residents.

Respondents said their physicians, healthcare providers, and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, are considered trustworthy information sources.

President Joe Biden is also considered a trustworthy source of information, 65% of respondents said.

Convenience is reportedly a large factor for those seeking to get vaccinated; 79% of Staten Island residents said convenience is very important to them. Additionally, 83% of Latinos said it was also important to them.

Seeing how friends and family members respond to the vaccine and its possible side effects is a significant factor for 71% percent of survey respondents.

FOLLOW KRISTIN F. DALTON ON TWITTER.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.  It was Donald J. Trumps last full week in office, so Andrew E. Lelling, the federal prosecutor in Boston, knew he had limited time left in his job. But there was one more important arrest to announce, one that had been in the works for more than a year and would burnish his record on a key initiative of his tenure.

Police officers that morning had arrested Gang Chen, a professor of mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, on suspicion of hiding affiliations with Chinese government institutions in order to secure $19 million in U.S. federal grants.

Dr. Chens prosecution was the latest in the Justice Departments two-year-old China Initiative, which aims to root out research scientists passing sensitive technology to China.

At a news conference that morning, Mr. Lelling said he believed that Dr. Chen, 56, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen two decades ago, had remained loyal to the country of his birth.
Age-adjusted incidence rates per 100,00 in 1990 and 2017 in all countries studied. Credit: European Heart Journal

The wealthiest countries in Europe have higher death rates from atrial fibrillation than the least wealthy and these death rates are increasing more rapidly than incidence rates, according to the first analysis of its kind published in the European Heart Journal today. The study also found that women who developed the condition were more likely than men to die from it in all 20 European countries studied.

The researchers believe the difference between countries could be due to lifestyle factors, such as increased obesity and alcohol consumption in wealthier countries, or what is known as the 'survivor effect', where people live for longer due to better treatments for other diseases such as cancer, leaving greater numbers of more elderly people to die from diseases of the heart or circulatory system, such as atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart beats at an abnormal and often rapid rhythm. It is one of the most commonly diagnosed heart rhythm disturbances and it can lead to stroke and heart failure. Until now, it's been unclear whether trends in deaths from atrial fibrillation vary between European countries and between men and women, and whether they have improved over time.

Professor Markus Sikkel, adjunct associate professor at the University of Victoria and clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, Victoria, Canada, and Dr. Becker Al-Khayatt, a cardiology specialist registrar at Croydon Heart Centre, Croydon University Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK, led a team of researchers to analyse data from the Global Burden of Disease Study on incidence and deaths from atrial fibrillation between 1990 and 2017 in 20 European countries. They looked at trends over the 28-year period and calculated the mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) by dividing the numbers of deaths by the numbers of cases for each country. MIRs help to identify if a country has a higher or lower death rate per case diagnosed.

They found enormous variation between countries and there was no overall identifiable trend either towards or away from improved incidence and death rates, although the incidence of atrial fibrillation was consistently higher in men than in women in all countries throughout the study period.

Age-adjusted mortality rates per 100,000 in 1990 and 2017 in all countries studied. Credit: European Heart Journal

Austria, Denmark and Sweden experienced peaks in incidence in the middle of the study period, while in nations with lower gross domestic product (GDP) there was less variability with a steady decline in incidence over the years, with a few exceptions. For example, in Portugal there was a sharp drop in incidence (-6% in men and -8% in women per year) between 2006-2009; in Italy there was a sharp rise in incidence in men between 1995-2001 (+3.5% per year); in Croatia incidence rates declined to the lowest levels in Europe in the first 10-20 years of the study (down to 39 per 100,000 men in 2000 and 24 per 100,000 women in 2006), but then rose sharply in men between 2006-2010 (+2.5% per year) and more slowly in women between 2010-2017 (+1.2% per year).

Death rates were highest in wealthier countries, reflecting the incidence in Austria, Denmark and Sweden. Sweden had the highest death rates for both men and women: 9 per 100,000 of the population in 2017, with a sharp 6% increase per year in male death rates between 2001-2006. In Sweden and Denmark, the mortality rates did not decline following the initial rise, unlike the incidence rates, and were among the highest in Europe by 2017. Germany also had a rapid and sustained increase in death rates throughout the 2000s, particularly in women, in whom they rose by 4% per year to 7 per 100,000 in 2017.

Mortality-to-incidence ratios stayed roughly the same for many countries over the 28 years, although increases occurred in Sweden, Germany and Denmark in both men and women. MIRs were consistently higher for women than men. The differences varied from relatively small in Bulgaria where the MIR was 5.4% higher in women than men in 2017, to large in Germany where the MIR in women was 74.5% higher than in men. In Austria the opposite occurred, with the disparity decreasing from 45.7% higher in women than men in 1990 to 19% higher in 2017.

Prof. Sikkel said: "The ratio of deaths to cases of atrial fibrillation in Europe has not improved over time and, in many European countries, it is actually increasing despite apparent advances in treatment and care. We think this could be due to differences in lifestyles in wealthier western European countries, where risk factors such as obesity, alcohol consumption and sedentary behaviour are more prevalent than in less wealthy, eastern European countries.

"The second important factor, in our view, is that patients in richer countries may survive long enough from other illnesses such as ischaemic heart disease and cancer, and then succumb to diseases that are more difficult to treat successfully: heart failure related to atrial fibrillation is one of these. Another possibility is that atrial fibrillation is less well recognised in poorer countries in a systematic way. We think this is likely to be a real difference and not just an artefact of better documentation in richer nations judging by the findings of previous studies."

Mortality to incidence ratios (MIRs) in 1990 and 2017 in all countries studied. Credit: European Heart Journal

Dr. Al-Khayatt said: "The gender disparity between men and women has persisted over many years in Europe and is rarely commented on. It is highly variable between nations and the cardiology community needs to work out why that is and whether different countries can learn from each other to reduce the disparity.

"We feel there are multiple factors behind this disparity, with healthcare inequality between men and women, as well as intrinsic biological differences being plausible explanations. There is some evidence that women are diagnosed later and treated less aggressively than men."

Limitations of the study include possible variations between countries in the data; data were not available for factors that could affect the results such as social class, obesity, smoking and alcohol use; atrial fibrillation and heart flutter were classified together although they carry different risks; and although there were differences between European countries in wealth, they are all still relatively wealthy compared to some other countries in the world.

In an accompanying editorial, Professors Michiel Rienstra and Isabelle Van Gelder, of the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands, write: "The authors should be congratulated for their excellent contribution to our knowledge on the diversity of incidence of AF and AF-related mortality in Europe . . .it is interesting that both incidence and mortality are heterogeneous throughout Europe. This diversity may be explained by the fact that Europe is a non-homogeneous region."

They conclude: "This study emphasizes the diversity of incidence of AF and AF-related mortality throughout Europe. It underlines the differences in integrated AF care and access to it, and the clinical profile of AF patients in Europe. In addition, sex differences are emphasized. It is a call for more research in individual countries and more multinational studies including Western and Eastern European countries."

Explore further One small alcoholic drink a day is linked to an increased risk of atrial fibrillation

More information: Becker M Al-Khayatt et al, Paradoxical impact of socioeconomic factors on outcome of atrial fibrillation in Europe: trends in incidence and mortality from atrial fibrillation, European Heart Journal (2020). Journal information: European Heart Journal Becker M Al-Khayatt et al, Paradoxical impact of socioeconomic factors on outcome of atrial fibrillation in Europe: trends in incidence and mortality from atrial fibrillation,(2020). DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa1077
Russia may abandon Nord Stream 2 completion plans  Polish expert

The U.S. and European sanctions could push Russia to leave the pipeline unfinished.

Reporting by UNIAN

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US President will sign a proclamation later in the day to keep travel restrictions for Europe and Brazil over COVID-19 concerns, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki informed reporters here on Monday.

"Today, the President will sign a presidential proclamation to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through travel, especially as we see faster spreading variants emerging across the world," the White House spokesperson said.

"President Biden has decided to maintain the restrictions previously in place for the European Shenzhen area, the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Brazil... And in light of the contagious variant B1351, South Africa has been added to the restricted list."

She said beginning Tuesday international travellers coming into the US must provide proof of a negative test within three days of travel to airlines prior to departure.

Noting the danger posed by the pandemic, the proclamation said, "The Federal Government must act swiftly and aggressively to combat disease 2019 (COVID-19). The national emergency caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States continues to pose a grave threat to our health and security."

Last week, Biden had announced that travellers flying to the US from foreign countries will be required to mandatorily quarantine upon their arrival and pass a COVID-19 test before departure.

Prior to this, he had mandated wearing face masks and observing social distancing on government property, urging "every American to mask up for the next 100 days."

The new administration has also predicted that the US death toll will top 500,000 next month from its current count of nearly 419,000, adding that wearing masks is the "the single best thing we can do.

(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 South African Revenue Service (SARS) has launched a new eFiling browser in response to users complaining that they were having issues with Flash forms not loading on the eFiling website.

Microsoft, along with Adobe and their industry technology partners, announced that Adobe Flash Player will no longer be supported after December 2020.

Adobe said its decision to end support for Flash Player was made due to the diminished usage of the technology and the availability of better, more secure options such as HTML5.

Microsoft ended support for Adobe Flash Player on Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11 at the end of 2020.

Google has also removed Flash completely from its recently released Chrome 88 browser, signalling the death of Flash.

This has caused problems for many South African taxpayers who complained that important forms on the eFiling website would not load, which made it impossible for them to fulfil their tax obligations.

SARS has previously apologised for the disruption in service caused by the termination of support of the Adobe Flash Player and assured taxpayers that they were working on solutions as the highest priority.

SARS has now revealed its solution, and it is not a new eFiling website with HTML5 forms as expected.

Instead, it released a new SARS eFiling browser which supports Flash.

We are pleased to inform you that a SARS Browser solution has been implemented enabling you to complete and submit the Flash-based forms not migrated to HTML5 yet, SARS said.

The new SARS eFiling Browser enables access to ALL eFiling forms, including those that would otherwise have required the Adobe Flash software to be installed on your computer, thus maintaining compliance with your filing obligations, it said.

SARS added that its new eFiling Browser deploys as a separate application for access only on the SARS eFiling website and SARS corporate website.

It is not a browser for general internet browsing, SARS said.

The new SARS eFiling Browser is currently only compatible with Windows devices.

SARS eFiling Browser document

Now read: SARS still using discontinued Adobe Flash Player despite security risks
Selbyville, Delaware, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



According to latest report Parkinsons Disease Therapeutic Market by Drug Class (Levodopa/Carbidopa, Dopamine Agonists, Adenosine A2A Antagonist, COMT Inhibitors, MAO-B Inhibitors, Glutamate Antagonist), Route of Administration (Oral, Subcutaneous, Transdermal), Patient (Adult, Pediatric), Regional Outlook, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast 2027, by Global Market Insights, Inc., the market valuation of Parkinsons disease therapeutic will cross $8 billion by 2027.

Growing funding in research and development have boosted the developments in the treatment of Parkinsons disease. The Parkinsons Foundation invested around USD 3.5 million across 34 research grants to support the work of promising scientists in the field of Parkinsons disease (PD) in 2020. Additionally, the funding programs by the Michael J. Fox Foundation supports basic, translational and clinical research from academia and industry. Funding opportunities provided by the Parkinsons Disease Biomarkers Program (PDBP) support discovery projects to promote the identification of progression and diagnostic biomarkers for Parkinsons disease. Thus, rise in funding provided to R&D sector for production of novel therapies is augmenting the demand and supply of Parkinsons disease therapeutics.

Request for a sample of this research report @

https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2724

Rising awareness among the population will drive the Parkinsons disease therapeutic market growth. The lack of awareness and knowledge pertaining to Parkinsons disease in the past years posed barriers to the early diagnosis and provision of optimal care to the affected patients and commenced the launch of several awareness programs. World Parkinsons Day is dedicated to influence new research and treatment initiatives by increasing awareness pertaining to the Parkinsons disease. Such programs have fueled the demand and manufacturing of effective therapeutics.

Dopamine agonists segment was valued at around USD 694 million in 2020. Dopamine agonists are preferred for the treatment of Parkinsons disease because they resemble the effect of dopamine in the brain. The drug class does not have side effects, including, dyskinesia, as caused by other drug classes. In addition, patients suffering from early Parkinsons disease can be treated for several years before opting for other treatments with dopamine agonists.

Subcutaneous segment in the Parkinsons disease therapeutic market is projected to witness more than 8.1% growth rate till 2027. Subcutaneous route of administration enhances the efficacy of dopaminergic agents either L-DOPA or dopamine agonists by improving the speed of onset and increased bioavailability. Furthermore, apomorphine is administered via subcutaneous route, also the subcutaneous route assist in reducing the risk of dyskinesia.

Adult patient segment is anticipated to expand at 6.9% CAGR through 2027 owing to the risk factor of aging that is associated with development of idiopathic Parkinsons disease. Growing aging population across the globe is resulting in the large number of Parkinsons population.

Brazil Parkinsons disease therapeutic market size was USD 90 million in 2020 on account of growing incidences of Parkinsons disease, and substantial economic & infrastructure development in the country. Brazil has a dynamic research sector in pharmacology and biotechnology that is supported by defined government focusing on various diseases. The Brazilian health research policy is engaged in promoting networks and partnerships among scientists in academic institutions for research that are considered fundamental to guarantee the quality of research.

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https://www.gminsights.com/roc/2724

The key players operating in the Parkinsons disease therapeutic market include Orion Corporation, Roche, AbbVie Inc., Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, UCB, Teva Pharmaceutical among others. These industry leaders have implemented several strategic initiatives and innovative product launches to maintain competitive edge in the market.

Table of Contents (ToC) of the report:

Chapter 3 Parkinsons Disease Therapeutic Market Insights

3.1 Industry segmentation

3.2 Industry landscape, 2016 - 2027 (USD Million)

3.3 Industry impact factors

3.3.1 Growth drivers

3.3.2 Industry pitfalls & challenges

3.4 Growth potential analysis

3.4.1 By drug class

3.4.2 By route of administration

3.4.3 By patient

3.5 COVID-19 impact analysis

3.6 Pipeline analysis

3.7 Porters analysis

3.8 Competitive landscape, 2019

3.9 PESTEL analysis

Browse Complete Table of Contents (ToC) @

https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/parkinsons-disease-therapeutics-market

About Global Market Insights, Inc.

Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider, offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy, and biotechnology.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - Bluestone Resources Inc. (TSXV: BSR) (OTCQB: BBSRF) ("Bluestone" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Company's activities during 2020 at its 100% owned Cerro Blanco gold project located in southern Guatemala ("Project"), and provide an outlook on plans for 2021. During 2020, a Project Readiness Update ("PRU") was undertaken which involved a thorough and extensive review of the current mine plan, engineering, process flow sheet, capital and operating cost estimates, along with the execution strategy. The PRU will be further optimized in H1 2021 following the completion of an updated mineral resource estimate and mine plan to incorporate the recently completed 2020 drill program.

2020 Highlights

$30 million credit facility with Natixis secured (a lending bank in connection with Project finance).

Jack Lundin appointed as CEO and to the Board of Directors.

Several important optimization and trade-off studies completed.

Completed a successful C$92 million equity financing to fund advancement of the Project.

Technical, environmental, and social due diligence for the Project Finance banks completed.

Completed basic engineering.

Completed over 15,000 meters of infill drilling that returned the highest-grade intercept (1,380 g/t gold & 2,194 g/t silver) ever drilled at the Project.

Jack Lundin, CEO, commented, "2020 was no doubt a challenging year but from the onset of the pandemic we were able to adapt quickly to this new environment and are feeling motivated entering into 2021. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions in place in Guatemala for the last eight months of the year, the commitment and hard work of our Guatemalan team, together with the firm support of both the Guatemalan government and local stakeholders, allowed us to advance the Project in several key disciplines which included completion of basic engineering, validation of the underground mine plan, as well as the 2019 Feasibility Study ("FS") production profile over the life-of-mine. Additionally, we were able to successfully complete a 15,000 meters infill drill program in the South Zone in December. We have been supported with a steady flow of great results, including 15 meters grading 21.6 g/t gold and 52 g/t silver plus truly bonanza grades of up to 1,380 g/t gold and 2,194 g/t silver over 1.2 meters (see press releases June 9, 2020 and November 19, 2020)."

Regarding outlook for 2021, Mr. Lundin added, "The Project execution team will continue to work to optimize the Project as the Company waits for the lagging assay results. We have seen the upside potential in the near surface high grade intercepts and are confident we will be able to increase the mine life at Cerro Blanco with the rest of the results. As we wait, additional studies are currently being undertaken that look at a variety of development options. Our focus remains on maximizing the potential benefits at Cerro Blanco for all of our stakeholders."

Project Readiness Update

The FS envisioned a 1,250 tonne per day ("tpd") mine producing approximately 113,000 ounces of gold a year over an eight-year mine life at an AISC of $579/oz (see NI 43-101 technical report titled "Feasibility Study NI-43-101 Technical Report Cerro Blanco Project Guatemala", prepared by Maz Mohaseb, P.Eng., Michael Makarenko, P.Eng., Kelly McLeod, P.Eng., Richard Boehnke, P.Eng., Mike Levy, P.E., Garth Kirkham, P.Geo., Hhan Olsen, P.G., CPG and Bryan Ulrich, P.E., dated January 29, 2019 and filed on www.sedar.com under Bluestone's SEDAR profile.) Since that time, Bluestone has completed an infill drill program in the North Zone of the deposit and an updated resource estimate which added over 200,000 ounces of gold in Measured and Indicated categories (see Company press release November 6, 2019). Additionally, with the onboarding of key Project development personnel, the Company has conducted an in-depth technical analysis of the entire Project and completed basic engineering and trade-off studies to optimize future operations.

The PRU is intended as an interim study to build off the compilation of geological, engineering, and hydrological studies performed during the FS. Further optimizations to the mine plan are expected following an updated resource estimate in H1 2021. The mine plan review to date, along with the decision to purchase the mining mobile fleet during the construction period, combined with the additional detail of basic engineering, is expected to result in moderate increases to capital and operating costs compared to the FS; however, the impact of an increased gold price, additional ounces recoverable, and other optimizations are expected to offset this, resulting in robust Project economics in line with the FS.

Highlights below are provided as an interim update and are therefore preliminary in nature, incorporating results of recent basic engineering and various optimization and trade-off studies. The reader is cautioned that the following highlights are considered Forward Looking Statements and subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed (see Forward Looking Statements at the end of this press release).

Unless otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts are stated in U.S dollars ("$"). Base case was completed at a gold price of $1,500/oz and a silver price of $20/oz.

Highlights of the PRU Study

Average annual gold production in line with the 2019 Feasibility Study.

Project within the bottom end of the lowest quartile of the global cost curve, with an average life of mine ("LOM") all-in sustaining costs ("AISC") sub $675/oz (net of credits).

Average annual free cash flow of approximately $85 million per year over the LOM.

After-tax internal rate of return ("IRR") of approximately 30%.

Net present value using a discount rate of 5% ("NPV") expected to exceed $300 million after-tax.

Initial capital of approximately $225 million* (including preproduction revenue) with an after-tax payback period of under 3 years.

Approximately 1Moz of gold and 3Moz of silver recovered.

*Capital cost is inclusive of contingency and pre-production revenue net of taxes but exclusive of early works activities. Value added tax was excluded as it is refundable.

Darren Klinck, President, commented, "The additional engineering work confirms that Cerro Blanco would be a low-cost producer with first quartile AISC as demonstrated in the FS. The gold environment has since improved significantly, and offsets increases to capex due to advancing engineering and de-risking of the Project. Looking forward into 2021, we intend to update the Cerro Blanco resource estimate and mine plan in the first half of the year."

Project Finance

Significant advancements were made during 2020 with the Project Finance negotiations which included the completion of independent technical engineering, environmental, and social reports along with advancements to long-form term sheets. Further corporate and project finance updates will be provided in Q1. As of January 1, 2021, Bluestone had a cash balance of approximately $50 million.



Project Optimizations

Further to the resource update in 2019, an additional 15,171 meters of infill drilling were completed in 2020 which focused on the South Zone with the goal to improve the definition of key veins in parallel to expanding the mineralization of known veins outside of the current resource envelope. Recently reported results included the highest-grade intercept ever drilled at the Project, grading 1,380 g/t gold and 2,194 g/t silver over 1.2 meters (see press Release November 19, 2020). The 2020 infill drill program was successfully completed; however, assay results have been delayed due to slower processing times because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from approximately half of the program are still outstanding but once received, the resource estimate and mine plan will be updated.

A draft LOM plan was updated at the end of 2020 and it is anticipated that further optimizations will be captured following the updated resource estimate over the next few months. The average annual production is expected to be in line with the FS over the LOM. A self-perform vs contractor mining trade- off study was undertaken and the self-perform mine development option was deemed to be the best option. This is a change in the execution strategy compared to the FS in addition to the purchase of the mobile mining fleet now being capitalized.

Since the FS, Bluestone has undertaken additional metallurgical test work which has confirmed the flow sheet and resulted in some simplifications of the process plant design. These optimizations include changing the comminution circuit from three-stage crushing, two ball mill configurations to single stage crushing followed by SAG and ball mill configuration.

Qualified Person

David Cass, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration, is the designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and verified that the scientific and technical information set out above in this news release is accurate and therefore approves this written disclosure of the technical information.

About Bluestone Resources

Bluestone Resources is a mineral exploration and development company that is focused on advancing its 100%-owned high-grade Cerro Blanco Gold and Mita Geothermal projects located in Guatemala. The Company trades under the symbol "BSR" on the TSX Venture Exchange and "BBSRF" on the OTCQB.

On Behalf of Bluestone Resources Inc.

"Jack Lundin"

Jack Lundin | Chief Executive Officer & Director

For further information, please contact:

Bluestone Resources Inc.

Stephen Williams | VP Corporate Development & Investor Relations

Phone: +1 604-757-5559

info@bluestoneresources.ca

www.bluestoneresources.ca

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 press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events, or developments that Bluestone Resources Inc. ("Bluestone" or the "Company") believes, expects, or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, without limitation: the Company's plans for 2021; the anticipated results of the PRU and expected optimizations; the Company's current expectations regarding the mining method and alternative development options; completion of Project financing; anticipated timing and results of exploration, drilling, and assays; increasing the amount of measured mineral and indicated mineral resources; the proposed timeline and benefits of further drilling; the proposed timeline and benefits of the Feasibility Study; statements about the Company's plans for its mineral properties; Bluestone's business strategy, plans, and outlook; the future financial or operating performance of Bluestone; capital expenditures, corporate general and administration expenses, and exploration and development expenses; expected working capital requirements; the future financial estimates of the Cerro Blanco Project economics, including estimates of capital costs of constructing mine facilities, and bringing a mine into production, and of sustaining capital costs, estimates of operating costs and total costs, net present value and economic returns; proposed production timelines and rates; funding availability; resource estimates; and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to Bluestone and often use words such as "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "may", or variations thereof or the negative of any of these terms.

All forward-looking statements are made based on Bluestone's current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by Bluestone and information currently available to Bluestone. Generally, these assumptions include, among others: the presence of and continuity of metals at the Cerro Blanco Project at estimated grades; the availability of personnel, machinery, and equipment at estimated prices and within estimated delivery times; currency exchange rates; metals sales prices and exchange rates assumed; appropriate discount rates applied to the cash flows in economic analyses; tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operations; the availability of acceptable financing; the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19); anticipated mining losses and dilution; success in realizing proposed operations; and anticipated timelines for community consultations and the impact of those consultations on the regulatory approval process.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of Bluestone 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, Bluestone. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: potential changes to the mining method and the current development strategy; risks and uncertainties related to expected production rates; timing and amount of production and total costs of production; risks and uncertainties related to the ability to obtain, amend, or maintain necessary licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining development activities; risks and uncertainties related to the accuracy of mineral resource estimates and estimates of future production, future cash flow, total costs of production, and diminishing quantities or grades of mineral resources; risks associated with geopolitical uncertainty and political and economic instability in Guatemala; risks related to global epidemics or pandemics and other health crises, including the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19); risks and uncertainties related to interruptions in production; the possibility that future exploration, development, or mining results will not be consistent with Bluestone's expectations; uncertain political and economic environments and relationships with local communities and governmental authorities; risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the mineral identified as mineral resources from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; developments in world metals markets; and risks related to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. For a further discussion of risks relevant to Bluestone, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2019, available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Bluestone 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 Bluestone 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 their inherent uncertainty. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures

The Company has included certain non-International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") measures in this news release. The Company believes that these measures, in addition to measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provide investors an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company and to compare it to information reported by other companies. The non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

All-in sustaining costs

The Company believes that all-in sustaining costs ("AISC") more fully defines the total costs associated with producing gold.

The Company calculates AISC as the sum of refining costs, third party royalties, site operating costs, sustaining capital costs, and closure capital costs all divided by the gold ounces sold to arrive at a per ounce amount. Other companies may calculate this measure differently as a result of differences in underlying principles and policies applied. Differences may also arise due to a different definition of sustaining versus non-sustaining capital.

AISC reconciliation

AISC and costs are calculated based on the definitions published by the World Gold Council ("WGC") (a market development organization for the gold industry comprised of and funded by 18 gold mining companies from around the world). The WGC is not a regulatory organization.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72776
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  State health insurer PhilHealth has acknowledged there has been a slight delay in the processing and release of claims, and has offered causes behind it.

Among the reasons PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Dante Gierran cited are healthcare providers who hand over applications with deficiencies.

"In effect, not all claims are good claims kasi kulang ang signature, kulang ang data [they lack signature, they lack data], these are one of the causes, noh," Gierran said during the Palace's regular virtual presser.

PhilHealth then has to return the concerned applications to the healthcare providers, effectively causing a delay in the process, the official explained.

Gierran also admitted lapses in PhilHealth's IT system.

"Medyo kulang pa rin tayo, kasi kung napakaganda ng IT natin sana, mabilis ang pagbayad," he said.

[Translation: We are still lacking in this aspect. If our IT (system) was very good, payments would have been faster.]

PhilHealth's IT system has previously been under scrutiny amid alleged irregularities in the agency, with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission flagging its lack of validation mechanism. The Commission said this makes it vulnerable to fraud committed by hospitals and employees.

The reasons Gierran mentioned come atop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which he emphasized has been affecting everyone, particularly their mobility. This, he initially noted, has been affecting other government offices as well.

PhilHealth was slated to implement an increase in member contributions this 2021, but President Rodrigo Duterte ordered its postponement early January. Gierran said the contributions rendered prior to the hike's delay will be considered as advance payments on the members' end.

The PhilHealth chief also assured the public it has sufficient funds for the year, and that the liquidation of the allegedly missing 15 billion funds is already close to completion.
A RUSSIAN billionaire who lives in Remenham has donated 250,000 to help launch a mental health project.

Andrey Borodin made the donation with his wife Tatiana to Berkshire Community Foundation, which will help residents in Wokingham borough suffering with anxiety, isolation and stress.

The trial, which will run for 18 months, will be operated by mental health charity Oxfordshire MIND.

Councillor John Halsall, leader of Wokingham Borough Council, said: This fantastic new service is coming thanks to the generosity of Mr and Mrs Borodin. I want to thank them personally.

If the pilot proves successful, we will make sure there is funding in place for it to continue but this incredible donation has allowed us to start now.

The scheme will focus on recognising mental health issues early and intervening to prevent further problems. It is hoping to reach about 1,000 people every year.

Those with mild to moderate mental health needs will be supported with non-medical interventions, such as peer support and self-management.

Although the service will be based in Wokingham town centre, services will also be available at GP surgeries across the borough.

Councillor Charles Margetts, executive member for adult social care, added: The service will build on our work with the voluntary sector during the covid-19 pandemic, which we know has had an impact on many peoples mental health.

The service will allow us to work with Oxfordshire MIND and other organisations to reduce the levels and impact of problems such as isolation, anxiety and stress.

The Borodin family paid 140 million for Park Place Estate in 2011. Mr Borodin was granted asylum by the Home Office two years later after being accused of fraud in his homeland.

In April, the family donated 1 million to the Royal Berkshire Hospital to provide ongoing support during the covid-19 crisis. The hospital hopes to use the funding to open a wellbeing centre for staff.
When the stay-at-home order was announced in early December, some Californians expressed a mix of anger and futility. Weeks after the order, cases soared and hospitals were overwhelmed.

During the spring, summer and early fall, officials could convincingly argue that the closure of schools, restaurants and barbershops was keeping the virus at levels well below other states. But the winter surge has turned the tables  and, for many, scrambled assumptions about how the virus is spreading.

In November, Mr. Newsom and Dr. Ghaly held a briefing in which they showed that California ranked 39th in the country in seven-day averages of confirmed cases per capita. Dr. Ghaly singled out four states  North Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota and Minnesota  as having seven-day case rates much higher than California.

Two months later the picture is starkly different: California has gone from 39th to seventh in the same measure, and its one-week average of cases surpassed those four states when adjusted for population. The British variant, believed to be around 50 percent more transmissible, was first detected in California in December and researchers are tracing the spread of yet another variant that may have played a large part in the winter surge.

California has also slipped below large states with more laissez-faire approaches to virus precautions like Texas and Florida. Both of those states now have fewer cases per capita during the pandemic than California, according to a New York Times database.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 00:06:24|Editor: huaxia

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Consumers shop at a duty-free shop at Sun Moon Plaza in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, on Dec. 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)

HAIKOU, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Preparations are in full swing for the first China International Consumer Products Expo set to be held in May in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province.

It will be the first international expo in the tropical province since China released a master plan last June to build the whole of Hainan Island into a globally influential, high-level free trade port by the middle of the century.

According to the provincial bureau of international economic development, many overseas companies have already secured their spots in the 80,000-square-meter exhibition venue.

Kentaro Fujiwara, Shiseido China CEO, said the expo will create a global platform for international investors to display and trade consumer products.

Amid a global economic downturn due to COVID-19, the Hainan free trade port has become a unique magnet for foreign investment as it ushers in a golden opportunity of further opening-up.

According to the government work report delivered Sunday by Feng Fei, acting governor of Hainan, the number of new market entities in the province increased by 30.9 percent year on year in 2020. The number of new enterprises, says the report, grew by 113.7 percent.

Official statistics showed that in 2020, a total of 1,005 overseas-funded enterprises were established in Hainan, surging 197.3 percent over the previous year, and its actual use of foreign capital stood at 3.03 billion U.S. dollars, up 100 percent.

Eighty countries and regions had investment in Hainan last year, double the number in 2019, and the investors covered all G20 member countries, said Peng Wei, deputy director of the provincial commerce department.

On Feb. 1, the 2020 negative list for foreign investment access in Hainan free trade port will take effect. The list introduces measures to promote opening-up in crucial areas, such as value-added telecommunications and education. Overseas high-level universities and vocational colleges specializing in science and engineering, agriculture, and medicine will be allowed to run on the island independently.

Hainan is making every effort to build itself into a place for educational innovation.

Germany's Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences signed an agreement to open a campus in the Yangpu Economic Development Zone last year. The campus plans to enroll students this year.

Meanwhile, public opinion is being solicited for a draft Hainan free trade port law, which is expected to grant the province greater autonomy in reform and provide a legal guarantee for the construction of the free trade port, according to Shen Xiaoming, Party chief of Hainan. 
More than 150 people have been charged with federal crimes so far over the January 6 rampage at the US Capitol by supporters of then president Donald Trump, the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Investigators have opened probes into more than 400 people who participated in the violent attack on the US legislature, said Michael Sherwin, the acting federal prosecutor for Washington.

Making use of copious video footage and social media records of the attack, as well as a huge amount of tips from the public, the Justice Department expects the number of cases to keep rising.

"As we sit here right now, that list is growing," said Sherwin.

Although many of the initial charges announced were for minor crimes of illegally entering the Capitol and disorderly conduct, Sherwin said prosecutors have now added "significant" felony charges for most of the 150 suspects.

Those include assaulting police officers and disrupting a federal proceeding -- the hundreds of attackers temporarily prevented lawmakers from certifying the election victory of President Joe Biden.

Such charges carry penalties ranging from five to 20 years in prison.

And federal authorities are also investigating a number of participants for possible conspiracy and sedition charges, which can bring up to 20 years in prison.

So far, three people have been charged on that basis, he said.

That case is significant, Sherwin said, because "it shows militia groups actively involved in planning and breaching the Capitol."

Steven D'Antuono, the FBI agent in charge of the investigation, said they are still searching for the person or persons who planted two pipe bombs -- that did not explode -- near the Capitol that day.

The FBI has offered a $75,000 reward in that case.

D'Antuono said the January 6 assault on the US legislature is among the largest cases the agency has handled, and has brought in more than 200,000 tips from the public.

"This case is challenging, complex, and it is big," he said.

The officials spoke as the US Senate prepared to put Trump, who stepped down as president on January 20, on trial for incitement of insurrection for allegedly encouraging the attack.

pmh/sst
Marred by violence: Did farmers digress on what was agreed upon

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: The farmers protesting at the three borders said that they decided to adhere to the route agreed upon during their meetings, but some groups of protesters started the rally and drove on prohibited routes within Delhi.

Farmers tractor rally: Tear gas, lathi charge as farmers push into Delhi | Oneindia News

The early hours of the protests have been marred with reports of farmers clashing with the police. Reports also said that the police had to use water cannons and tear gas shells to disburse the farmers.

Following a meeting on Sunday, the police said that they had reached a consensus with the farmers on holding the rally at specific locations near the three borders. During the meeting, the farmers had agreed to stick to specific routes and not enter other parts of the city. However, it became clear that the farmers began their rally an hour before the decided time. The farmers had assured the police that they would begin their rally only once the Republic Day parade was over.

Protesting farmers enter Red Fort complex, hoist flag

At around 11.30 am, the farmers were proceedings towards Akshardham Temple and were trying to enter Central Delhi. The police allowed them to drive up to Ghazipur and take a U turn. However the police had to resort to firing tear gas shells and cane charging.

The farmers had said that this would be a peaceful protest, but they went berserk. There were directives issues stating that the tractors should not play loudspeakers or crowd the tractors. While the unions had urged the farmers not to carry arms, the participation of the Nihang Sikhs atop horses carrying and wielding swords became a flashpoint of the chaos that ensued today.

Chaos was reported at Mukarba Chowk, Nangloi and one group of protesters took the Akshardham route instead of the Apsara road, which was designated.

The national capital is on a state of very high alert as the farmers get ready to take out a tractor parade. The Intelligence Bureau has warned that pro-Khalistan elements backed by Pakistan's ISI would look to hijack the protests and disrupt peace in Delhi.

On Monday, the Delhi Police said that over 300 Twitter handles had been traced to Pakistan that were created to sabotage the rally. The proscribed outfit, Sikhs for Justice has been threatening strikes and has even tried to influence the farmers' protest on several occasions.

'Don't take law in your hands, maintain peace': Delhi police appeals to farmers

The CISF control room allegedly received a call from the SJF in which the message of Gurpatwant Singh Pannu's message was played. The SJF has been staging protests outside the Indian consulates at UK, US and Canada stating that they are backing the farmers' protests.

DOVER, DE / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / Hero Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK:HENC), a vertically-integrated "seed-to-sale" cannabis company, today announced plans to expand its strategic workforce. The company is currently interviewing to hire up to three new corporate development managers. The company has hired 1 person, has another person under a prior contract, and may hire 1 to 2 additional persons.

Hero Technologies expects that its new hires will: identify, develop financial models for, and negotiate term sheets for merger and acquisition opportunities; conduct market research; and contribute to financial planning and forecasting, specifically in regard to potential investments and acquisitions.

The full job description for the remote position(s) can be found here.

"We are acting quickly to execute our growth strategy," said Hero Technologies' CEO Gina Serkasevich. "We are investing in key resources to expand company revenue and profits through further acquisitions. We look forward to continue reporting on our progress to our investors as we build our team."

About Hero Technologies

Hero Technologies Inc. is a cannabis company with a vertically-integrated business model. The company has a majority stake in BlackBox Systems and Technologies LLC, an aeroponic cannabis cultivation system that provides optimal growing conditions to enhance photosynthesis and cultivation of large flowering plants, creating increased harvest efficiencies. The company's business plan includes cannabis genetic engineering, farmland for both medical and recreational cannabis cultivation, production licenses, distribution licenses, consumer packaging and retail operations, and dispensaries that make the company a multi-state operator (MSO).

About The Chesapeake Group Inc.

Chesapeake Group is an award-winning full-service investor relations firm with an international reach that maximizes investor outreach. Headquartered in Maryland, Chesapeake Group has been assisting public companies since 1996.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may include: management plans relating to the proposed project; the expected timing of the completion of the proposed project; the ability to complete the proposed project; any statements of the plans and objectives of management for future operations, products or services, including the execution of plans proposed project; any statements of expectation or belief; projections related to certain financial metrics; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "outlook," "plan," "project," "seek," "should," "target," "will," "would" and other similar words and expressions or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time and are beyond our control. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Neither Hero Technologies Inc. nor its holding company or subsidiaries assumes any duty and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements. Because forward-looking statements, by their nature, are uncertain or assumptive to varying degrees, actual results or future events could differ, possibly materially, from those that Hero Technologies Inc., its holding company or subsidiaries anticipated in the forward-looking statements, and future results could differ materially from historical performance.

Hero Technologies Contact:

Ms. Gina Serkasevich, CEO

(302) 538-4165 | info@herotechnologiesinc.com

Brokers and Analysts:

Chesapeake Group

(410) 825-3930 | info@chesapeakegp.com

SOURCE: Hero Technologies Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625893/Hero-Technologies-to-Add-Corporate-Development-Jobs-Growing-Cannabis-Company-Expands-Acquisition-Strategy
Simulated cases by end of 2020. Credit: Peter Chen

UConn professor of geography Peter Chen has published a study in the January 2021 issue of the International Journal of Geographical Information Science outlining a comprehensive predictive model for COVID-19 in every Connecticut town based on travel behaviors.

This model, named the MSEIR model, is a major contribution to the field, as it is the first COVID-19 model to focus on the town, rather than the state or national level.

Chen's collaborators included Aiyin Zhang from Clark University, Hui Wang from the University of Idaho, and Xiaolin Zhu from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Adam Gallaher, a Ph.D. student in geography at UConn who also developed the Connecticut COVID-19 monitoring dashboard, is another member of the team.

"We came together to evaluate the problem," Chen says.

Using data from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the team modified the traditional SEIR model, a classical model for epidemic simulations, by adding in social distancing metrics and residents' travel activities. Essentially, they surveyed Connecticut residents to find out if they were traveling and if so, how far.

"SEIR is an isolated, secluded model that doesn't consider travel behavior," Chen says. "We used real-world data to understand where people are going in the new model."

Simulated infections in the early outbreak. Credit: Peter Chen

This information on social distancing behaviors is critical for building accurate models of the pandemic in Connecticut. Especially with state-to-state travel bans and restrictions, most infections are not coming from outside the statethe virus is being transmitted from town-to-town because of intrastate travel.

"After the early outbreak, all travel was happening on a local level," Chen says. "Most infections occur on a town level. Those are where infections were happening."

Chen's group created nine models. Each model considers different levels of social distancing containment and compliance. Model 1 presents the impact of the most stringent restrictions and Model 9, the least. According to the models, looser social distancing restrictions and compliance will put towns at a greater risk for increased infection rates.

The models predict cases in each Connecticut town. Some towns, such as Ledyard and Lisbon, are predicted to see a significantly greater percentage increase of cases than others based on the scenarios the models presume. This information is important for local and state health officials determining how to leverage resources and form social distancing policies.

While larger-scale studies are easier because they have much larger aggregate data sets to work with, this kind of mesoscale study is much more informative to local health officials.

"I think this will be very important not only to people at the Connecticut Department of Health managing resources and leveraging them to serve high-risk towns, but also on the local government level," Chen says. "If they realize they have a high risk, they can be more cautious."

Even though the pandemic can take unexpected turns, the model still provides valuable insights based on current trends. The team is still collecting data weekly to incorporate it into the ever-evolving pandemic situations.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: Xiang Chen et al. Compliance and containment in social distancing: mathematical modeling of COVID-19 across townships, International Journal of Geographical Information Science (2021). Xiang Chen et al. Compliance and containment in social distancing: mathematical modeling of COVID-19 across townships,(2021). DOI: 10.1080/13658816.2021.1873999
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She has been in Dubai for an extensive stay and what she deems 'a work trip'.

Yet it was back to reality for Chloe Ferry on Tuesday as she was spotted touching down in the UK amid ever-tightening restrictions around the coronavirus pandemic.

The Geordie Shore star, 25, was barely-recoginisable in a casual black ensemble with a face mask in place, in a change from the assault of bikini-clad snaps she has been using to clog Instagram in recent weeks.

Back home: It was back to reality for Chloe Ferry on Tuesday as she was spotted touching down in the UK amid ever-tightening restrictions around the coronavirus pandemic

Chloe kept things low-key as she headed through the airport with her mask in place and no doubt armed with her COVID-19 Approved PCR Test.

Like much of the reality TV world, Chloe has escaped the UK coronavirus crisis and imposed herself upon the United Arab Emirates for a 'business trip'.

The nature of her business was not made clear at any point in the trip, however she did litter social media with an onslaught of beach and clubbing snaps.

Love Island star Laura Anderson, who has reportedly dropped a sizeable 12,000 followers, sparked a backlash when she said it was 'really hard' to be an influencer following unimpressed comments on her Dubai snaps.

Back again: The Geordie Shore star, 25, was barely-recoginisable in a casual black ensemble with a face mask in place, in a change from the assault of bikini-clad snaps she has been using to clog Instagram in recent weeks

Wow: She has been in Dubai for an extensive stay and what she deems 'a work trip'

Over recent weeks, reality stars have seen a growing furore from the public as their Dubai trips as Brits back at home are in a nationwide lockdown.

Many have travelled abroad under the ruse that their trips are 'for work,' sparking backlash from fans who have been holed up in lockdown amid the pandemic.

Olivia Attwood, who found fame on Love Island, had suggested that unimpressed fans unfollow the stars abroad after she lashed out at them earlier this month.

Happy days: Chloe kept things low-key as she headed through the airport with her mask in place and no doubt armed with her COVID-19 Approved PCR Test

Heading home: It was back to reality for the star

The beauty told people to stop trolling influencers following her own rant, instead suggesting they take a less vocal approach and simply unfollow the stars.

Ahead of her arrival back in the UK, last week the star took to Instagram Stories to reveal she would be flying home in a few days, adding she was looking forward to getting back into her gruelling fitness regime.

She said: 'I'm back home in a few days and I'm not gonna lie I'm actually really excited to get back to doing some workouts I want to start training and eat healthy every single day and get some work done.

I'm back baby: Like much of the reality TV world, Chloe has escaped the UK coronavirus crisis and imposed herself upon the United Arab Emirates for a 'business trip'

'It's really really out of my routine here I can't wait to just get in the gym get training every single day, I know you probably can't tell I've put weight on but I can feel it in myself.

'I just can't wait. I know I've obviously been training a little bit out here, and I was at the start just living on chicken Caesar salads, but then it started becoming burgers everyday and pizzas and stuff like that.

'So I'm gonna really get my mind in a good place, eating healthy, meditating, stuff like that.'
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In an action to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through travel, President Joe Biden signed a presidential proclamation imposing air travel restrictions on incoming non-US travelers to the United States from 26 European countries in the Schengen Zone, the UK, Ireland and Brazil. In the light of the more contagious new variant of the coronavirus, South Africa also has been added to the restricted list. Additionally, beginning Tuesday, all travelers who fly in to the United States will be required to show a negative coronavirus test within three days before their U.S.-bound flight. The White House said Biden took the decision on advice of his administration's medical and COVID team. 'With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants spreading, this isn't the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel,' White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. Issuing an executive order lifting travel restrictions for much of Europe and Brazil, imposed in March last year to restrict coronavirus-infection from abroad, was one of his last actions Donald Trump took as U.S. President. Trump had ordered on January 18 that the restrictions would become ineffective on January 26. Psaki said on Monday that the White House press office will begin public health briefings on Wednesday, and that it 'will be done regularly for the foreseeable future.' 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 Cassation Court of the Supreme Court notifies convicted former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych that on March 15, 2021, a complaint by his lawyers against the verdict of Obolonsky District Court of Kyiv and the ruling of Kyiv's Court of Appeal will be considered, according to the Uriadovy Kurier newspaper.

"In accordance with the ruling dated January 15, 2021, the consideration of criminal proceedings on the cassation complaints of defenders [...] who act in the interests of convicted Yanukovych against the verdict of Obolonsky District Court of Kyiv dated January 24, 2019 and the ruling of Kyiv's Court of Appeal dated October 2, 2020 [...] is scheduled for consideration in the Cassation Criminal Court of the Supreme Court at 11:00 on March 15, 2021," according to a notice signed by judge of the Supreme Court Andriy Chystyk, published in the Uriadovy Kurier newspaper on Tuesday.

In a separate statement, the same judge officially notifies Yanukovych of the date and place of consideration of the cassation by the Cassation Criminal Court.

As reported, on January 24, 2019, Obolonsky District Court of Kyiv sentenced Yanukovych to 13 years in prison for high treason and complicity in an aggressive war against Ukraine on the part of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the court found Yanukovych not guilty on charges of complicity in encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, which led to the death of people or other grave consequences.
A driver struck at least six pedestrians, killing one, during a series of hit-and-runs that unfolded Monday afternoon over a 15-block stretch of Southeast Portland.

Witnesses and police described a chaotic scene as a man, yet to be publicly identified by police, drove a silver Honda Element on the road and on the sidewalks, plowing into people and cars.

One victim died at the hospital hours after the crash, police confirmed. Five others have non-life-threatening injuries, Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman Rich Chatman said during a press conference Monday afternoon.

Tyler Meyer, 30, said he saw the SUV swerve into his lane on Belmont Street, then strike a cyclist as he turned sharply onto 30th Avenue. Meyer said the suspect, who was speeding and running red lights, then clipped a pedestrian at Stark Street and 15th Avenue, did a U-turn and smashed into two people who became wedged between the SUV and a retaining wall at Stark and 19th Avenue. The driver then ran into an elderly woman on 19th, before doubling back and striking another pedestrian, Meyer said.

I saw two down jackets just explode and feathers go everywhere once he was on top of them, Meyer said.

Portland police say someone first reported a hit-and-run at 33rd Avenue and Pine Street, near Laurelhurst Park, at around 1 p.m.

Officer Derek Carmon, a spokesman for the agency, said police soon began to get other calls about the same driver hitting other pedestrians and cars.

Carmon said the driver, in a silver Honda Element, struck people and cars from 33rd to 18th avenues, along Stark, Pine, Washington and Belmont streets. The man eventually tried to run from the scene after crashing his car. Carmon said a group of bystanders saw him and ran after him, holding him back until police arrived.

Police have not yet disclosed any details about the driver or the person who died. Several bystanders and reporters said the Honda Element had Washington license plates.

Witnesses said they saw the driver hit one pedestrian after another. Three people who were hit were taken to the hospital, where one person later died, fire officials confirmed.

Larry Wolfe said he had an appointment to meet the person who was killed, a woman in her 70s, at the corner of Washington Street and 19th Avenue. Wolfe told The Oregonian/OregonLive he saw the woman get hit by a car and scream. He said he started walking toward her, then saw the car come back and hit her again. The car then did a U-turn and dragged the woman for some time, Wolfe said.

Minutes earlier, Daveed Jacobo said he saw the Honda Element driving down the hill on 33rd Avenue, turn right onto Pine Street, speed up and hit a woman who was crossing the street. He said the license plate flew off the car, allowing him to report the incident and the drivers license plate number. He said emergency responders quickly arrived to transport the injured woman to the hospital.

Cody Warnes, who works in the area, said he saw a heavily dented silver Honda Element driving east on Belmont Street, turn into oncoming traffic on 30th Avenue, then hit a cyclist on the corner.

On 19th Avenue, Sarah Mirk said she saw the grass torn up with tire marks, like a car had swerved all over the block. She saw one person lying in the road who was later treated by paramedics.

Jonathan Rendon said he was walking on 17th Avenue when another driver warned him about a vehicle targeting pedestrians. He then saw the Honda Element drive onto the sidewalk, hit a pedestrian and continue driving.

The driver bolted from his SUV after ramming into an Chevrolet El Camino with a woman inside, Rendon said. The man started running toward Rendon on 17th Avenue.

Hes coming towards me, running toward my house, Rendon said. I grabbed the nearest brick, and with the neighbors, were trying to keep him from going anywhere.

Meyer said he also watched the driver run into the El Camino. He said the man attempted to fight bystanders and threw potted plants from nearby homes.

I told him, I think you just killed a lady up the street, Meyer said. He laughed and said, Ah, thats too bad.

The man had not been booked into Multnomah County jail by 7:30 p.m., according to jail records.

Lizzy Acker, Jaimie Ding, Beth Nakamura, Jayati Ramakrishnan, Michael Russell, Ted Sickinger, Samantha Swindler and Fedor Zarkhin of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.


The drills will be conducted alongside the Joint Forces Command with the involvement of certain military command and control bodies.

Ukraine's Armed Forces have begun preparations for the Joint Efforts 2021 strategic command and staff exercises, which will be held at all training grounds in Ukraine, as well as in the waters of the Black and Azov Seas in September this year.

"Today, January 26, the initial, scheduled conference of the Joint Efforts 2021 strategic command and staff exercises has begun at Ivan Cherniakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine," as reported by the press service of Ukraine's General Staff on Facebook.

The drills will be conducted alongside the Joint Forces Command with the involvement of certain military command and control bodies, military units, forces and means of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as other components of the security and defense forces.

Foreign representatives and units of NATO member states are also set to take part in the exercises.

Read alsoNATO following "very closely" Russia's military buildup, including in Crimea  StoltenbergThe maneuvers will launch in September this year at all military training grounds, covering a number of regions , as well as in the waters of the Black and Azov Seas under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Background

The Joint Efforts 2020 military exercise took place from September 22 to September 25. About 12,000 servicemen and 700 pieces of equipment were involved.

The exercises were conducted against a single operational-strategic background, which is close to the possible nature of the development of the military-political situation around Ukraine. For the first time, military units of NATO countries, namely the U.S. and Great Britain, were involved in the exercises.

Reporting by UNIAN
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With no public catwalk shows due to the Covid-19 pandemic, fashion houses have had to get creative this 'virtual' Paris Haute Couture Week to showcase their SS21 collections.

One of the high points of the yearly fashion calendar, the annual event kicked off yesterday (Monday 25) in the French capital and concludes on Thursday, with brands replacing the runway with online manifestations.

And it's already seen very elaborate presentations from Christian Dior, Schiaparelli, Ziad Nakad, Julien Fournie and Farhad Re, all of which debuted elaborate hand-stitched ensembles in their own artistic fashion, providing a much-needed touch of luxurious escapism.

Despite various restrictions on travel, many of the industry's top models including Bella Hadid and Cara Delevingne were spotted emerging from their hotels today ahead of making an appearance on the virtual runway.

With no public catwalk shows to avoid crowds amid the Covid-19 pandemic, fashion houses have had to get creative this 'virtual' Paris Haute Couture Week to showcase their one-of-a-kind outfits. Pictured: a model poses during the Ziad Nakad Spring/Summer 2021 presentation today

One of the high points of the yearly fashion calendar, the annual event kicked off yesterday (Monday 25) in the French capital. Pictured: a model poses during the Ziad Nakad Spring/Summer 2021 presentation today

Today Ziad Nakad revealed its Spring Summer 2021 Couture collection at the Chateau de Vaux-Le-Vicomte, entitled Birds of Love (pictured: models show off the creations)

The Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte, a Baroque French chateau located in Maincy, near Melun, southeast of Paris, provided an elegant backdrop for the Ziad Nakad show

Feathers were a prominent feature of the Lebanese fashion designer's elaborate evening gowns, while the elegant venue provided a stunning backdrop

Models pose in elegant ballgowns during the Ziad Nakad Spring/Summer 2021 presentation as part of Paris Fashion Week

Ziad Nakad is renowned for his eccentric fabrics, sheer embroideries and unconventional beadings and mastered the art of couture by working with many famous fashion designers in Beirut

A model poses in a floor-length red embellished evening gown by Ziad Nakad during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, brands have been advised that no guests will be allowed at shows this season, reports WWD. And there are expected to be some big name designers missing from this year's showcase, including Jean Paul Gaultier, Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad and Ralph & Russo, as lockdowns continue to be rolled out across Europe.

Today Ziad Nakad revealed its Spring Summer 2021 Couture collection at the Chateau de Vaux-Le-Vicomte, a Baroque French chateau located in Maincy southeast of Paris, entitled Birds of Love.

Ziad Nakad is renowned for his eccentric fabrics, sheer embroideries and unconventional beadings and mastered the art of couture by working with many famous fashion designers in Beirut.

Unsurprisingly given its name, feathers were a prominent feature of the Lebanese fashion designer's elaborate Bird of Love evening gowns, while the elegant venue provided a stunning backdrop.

Meanwhile Farhad Re showed off its 'Galatea' haute couture collection in an eight minute film yesterday. The French designer used 500 metres of organza to create the 15 dresses in the collection, which evoke a futuristic take on ancient Greek mythology.

And French fashion designer Julien Fournie's collection was all about 'avoiding the totalitarianism of gloom', he told Forbes.

In a film he directed that unveils the collection, entitled First Storm, three young women explore five different environments, all equally dreamlike and glamorous. According to the fashion house, they are like characters in a fairytale and, immersed in Fournies fetish worlds and under his secret guidance, they will find their own legend and cast a new light on their true personality.

Chiffon and tulle abound in the collection, along with elaborate sleeves, tight pleats, feathers and semi-sheer material.

Farhad Re showed off its 'Galatea' haute couture collection in an eight minute film. Pictured: a model posing in a striking outfit from the futuristic meets mythology collection

Farhad Re's collection was inspired by the ancient Greek myth Pygmalion. Pictured: a model poses during the presentation yesterday

French designer Farhad Re used 500 metres of organza to create the 15 dresses in the collection, which evoke a futuristic take on ancient Greek mythology

A model poses in an ivory silk gown during the Farhad Re Spring/Summer 2021 presentation as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 25

Model Sheherazade Darkhlaoui poses during the Julien Fournie Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2021 presentation as part of Paris Fashion Week

French fashion designer Julien Fournie's collection was all about 'avoiding the totalitarianism of gloom'. Pictured: model Michaela Tomanova during the showcase

In a film Fournie directed that unveils the collection entitled First Storm, three young women explore five different environments, all equally dreamlike and glamorous. According to the fashion house, they are like characters in a fairytale and, immersed in Fournies fetish worlds and under his secret guidance, they will find their own legend and cast a new light on their true personality

Chiffon and tulle abound in the collection, along with elaborate sleeves, tight pleats, feathers and semi-sheer material. Pictured: model Sheherazade Darkhlaoui and designer Julien Fournie

On Monday lavish golden dresses decked out in zodiac signs and tarot symbols provided some Christian Dior-infused mysticism for the start of the week.

In a whimsical film, set in a fairy-style castle populated by Libra, Capricorn and models decked out as other astrological signs, Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri provided glitter and gold with gowns that combined lame fabric with velvet.

Silhouettes strayed from Chiuri's usual cinched waists, with empire line necks in some cases, and capes fit for medieval royalty, including one decked out entirely in intricate flowers made from feathers.

The collection was inspired by tarot cards - a recurring motif and reference at Dior, including under the brand's superstitious late founder - with many looks evoking a 15th century illuminated tarot deck known as the Visconti-Sforza.

Chiuri said she had been keen to explore the magic and solace tarot could offer nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic, which has upended lives and industries globally, while many nations are still under lockdowns to control the disease.

'It can help you not to be afraid of something you don't know, that's so insecure,' Chiuri said of the tarot references in an interview. The cards are often used for fortune telling, a theme explored in the Dior film, directed by Italy's Matteo Garrone.

Yesterday lavish golden dresses decked out in zodiac signs and tarot symbols provided some Christian Dior-infused mysticism for the start of the week

Luxury brands have had to transform the way they plan for collections with coronavirus restrictions. Pictured: models showcase medieval-inspired gowns from the Dior Haute Couture collection

Speaking about the tarot references in the collection in an interview, Chiuri said: 'It can help you not to be afraid of something you don't know, that's so insecure.' The cards are often used for fortune telling, a theme explored in the Dior film, directed by Italy's Matteo Garrone

Silhouettes strayed from Chiuri's usual cinched waists, with empire line necks in some cases, and capes fit for medieval royalty

Chiuri said Dior had forged ahead with its collection in order to give some of the industries that depend on fashion weeks a leg up too

In a whimsical film, set in a fairy-style castle populated by Libra, Capricorn and models decked out as other astrological signs, Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri provided glitter and gold with gowns that combined lame fabric with velvet

Chiuri said she had been keen to explore the magic and solace tarot could offer nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic

Yesterday Schiaparelli, whose Texan designer Daniel Roseberry dressed Lady Gaga for Joe Biden's inauguration as US President last week, showcased bejewelled gowns paired with oversized earrings and super-hero style dresses which appeared to give models sculpted abdominals.

Chanel is also due to present its Haute Couture ranges online. Luxury brands have had to transform the way they plan for collections with coronavirus restrictions, and Maria Grazia Chiuri said Dior now carried out fittings with haute couture clients over Zoom calls, orchestrating adjustments from afar.

Runway shows are usually an opportunity for fashion editors, bloggers and buyers to get a sense of the brands' buzz up close.

Chiuri said Dior had forged ahead with its collection in order to give some of the industries that depend on fashion weeks a leg up too.

'We tried to make the best of it for the supply chain too. We have to maintain the tradition of embroidery in Paris,' Chiuri said.

Yesterday Schiaparelli, whose Texan designer Daniel Roseberry dressed Lady Gaga for Joe Biden's inauguration as US President last week, showcased bejewelled gowns paired with oversized earrings and super-hero style dresses which appeared to give models sculpted abdominals
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We will hold a public discussion and then place the draft amendments to the Electoral Code into circulation in February. This is what deputy of the My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Hamazasp Danielyan told reporters after the factions session today.

When we were planning the electoral reforms one-and-a-half years ago, we expressed the idea that we would touch upon the main part after the constitutional amendments since there are provisions in the electoral procedure that are regulated by the Constitution, and taking into consideration the fact that the Constitution hadnt been amended yet and the package of the Electoral Code was mostly ready, we were considering the question whether we should try to make certain constitutional amendments in parliament, he said.

Asked if the faction had considered the idea of providing the National Assembly with the opportunity to self-dissolution, Danielyan stated that this was also considered during the session. When snap elections are held, the period for campaigning is, in essence, short, especially for small and new forces to present their viewpoints. Consequently, there is a need for self-dissolution, but can the constitutional amendments be made in parliament? This isnt only up to the My Step faction to decide. The amendment requires at least 88 votes. Consequently, the opposition also has to express its views, he said.

(MJL) The Israeli wine industry, with its many microclimates, use of cutting-edge technology, and highly trained winemakers, is worth a visit  even if the only current option is a virtual one. So start off 2021 in good taste by drinking your way through our pick of Israeli wines.

Whether you like light and crisp or deep and jammy; sweet dessert wines or celebratory bubbly, theres something here for you.

New to the States

Carmels recently released Vat series includes a four vat red (to enjoy with dishes such as lamb or grilled tuna), a two vat white (to drink on its own or accompanied by light dishes), and a two vat rose (with scents of strawberries and red grapefruit). The vat number isnt arbitrary, but actually refers to the numbers of vats used to age the wine. These wines are bold, ripe, and fruit forward. Also new to the States, and garnering lots of excitement from several wine connoisseurs, is a full-bodied blend of Syrah and Carignan grapes from Raziel Winery, a new boutique winery from the highly respected Castel Winery.

ADVERTISEMENT

International Award Winners

In the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards, six Israeli red wines were awarded gold medals. Kosher wine columnist Yitz Applbaum waxed euphoric about one of them: Gvaot Winerys Gofna Cabernet Franc Reserve, 2017. Its a single-grape wine that he describes as complex, with notes of aged tobacco and ripe plum. The winemakers at Gvaot, says Applbaum, take chances in doing a 100% Cabernet Franc wine. Its a great wine, a bold wine, and a good expression of how Israelis take risks. Enjoy it with falling-off-the-bone braised short ribs.

A Return to Roots

Israeli wine runs the gamut from the familiar  Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc  to wines made of little-known grapes indigenous to the land of Israel. Jeff Bartash, formerly the sommelier of Michael Solomonovs award-winning restaurant, Zahav, is a fan of Recanatis Marawi wine. The Marawi grape, says Bartash, is believed to have been cultivated in Israel for more than 2,000 years. The wine has so much complexity youd swear its a blend, and is versatile enough to be paired with anything from salads to mezze to cheeses, or enjoyed as an aperitif.

Something Sweet

Ice wine is a sweet wine made from grapes that have been frozen on the vine. You would not imagine that it is made in the desert country of Israel. But it is  kind of. Bat Shlomo Vineyards has an ice-style wine made with specialist technology that freezes their hand-picked, estate-grown Semillon grapes, and presses them while still frozen. The result is a dessert wine that perfectly balances sweetness and acidity.

Everythings Coming Up Rose

Rose, as a category, has exploded, says Gary Wartels, owner of Skyview Wine and Liquors. The last five years, Israel has produced some excellent ones, which are drunk year-round. Wartels is a fan of Carmels Appellation Rose, with its floral and citrus notes, but was quick to add that there are dozens more hed recommend, many of which will be available for Passover this year.

The Bubbly

In March 2021, Matar Winery in the Golan Heights will be launching a light pink, Champagne-method sparkling wine  their first  called Matar Blanc de Noir. Matar is the kosher sister winery to Pelter Winery, which has its own well-respected bubbly, Pelter Blanc de Blancs. Columnist Applbaum is a fan, too, of Golan Heights Winerys Yarden Katzrin Blanc de Blancs, which he describes as, light, approachable, fresh, and one of the best bubbly wines from Israel.
Greencore said it had manufactured 619 million sandwiches and other food to go products in 2020. Photo: Getty

The pandemic has crushed sales of a go-to lunch item favoured by Brits: the packaged sandwich.

Dublin headquartered sandwich-maker Greencore Group (GNC.L) said on Tuesday that it had seen its revenue fall 15% in the last quarter, as people were all but grounded by the most recent coronavirus lockdowns.

Reported revenue in the quarter was 312.7m ($425.7m), it said, reflecting the impact of Covid-19 related restrictions on demand in food to go categories.

Revenue for its food-to-go sector declined by 21.7%, to hit 188.5m

Greencores share price plunged on the opening bell to recover slightly. At 8.40am in London it was still down 1.6% although up from five days before.

Its share price has had a rocky year, having declined more than 50% since last January.

A five-day look at Greencore stock. Chart: Yahoo Finance

The company said that for the full year of 2020 it had manufactured 619 million sandwiches and other food to go products, 116 million chilled prepared meals, and 264 million bottles of cooking sauces, pickles and condiments.

The recovery in demand that was evident at the end of 2020 was impeded by the tiered regional restrictions on mobility introduced across the UK in October, and then by a subsequent national lockdown until early December, followed by the implementation of tiered regional lockdowns, it said in its trading update.

READ MORE: Lidl gives UK workers one-off 200 thank you payment for pandemic work

In terms of its outlook for 2021, revenue is still currently lagging by 20% from the previous years levels due to the announcement of another national lockdown.

The group will continue to proactively manage costs and cash flow through the duration of the current lockdown, while also preparing for recovery and growth as mobility restrictions begin to ease, it said.

Watch: What UK government COVID-19 support is available?

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Attorney Tom Marrone being selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for 2021 marks the 9th consecutive year receiving this accolade.

MOREMARRONE LLC is honored to announce that Thomas More Marrone has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for 2021. This marks the ninth consecutive year that Tom Marrone has been recognized by his peers and received this accolade. Thomas More Marrone has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Personal Injury Litigation  Plaintiffs. This honor reflects the high level of respect attorneys have earned among their peers in their communities and respective practice areas for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected attorney ranking service in the world. For more than 30 years, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the attorneys best qualified to represent them in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Best Lawyers lists are published in leading local, regional and national publications across the globe. The Best Lawyers in America recognizes the very best lawyers in each practice area and metropolitan region in the country.

About Thomas More Marrone and MOREMARRONE LLC:

MOREMARRONE LLC has handled cases producing some of the largest verdicts and settlements in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The firm represents plaintiffs in significant personal injury, class action, and other complex civil litigation. After a recent 11-month stretch that included two class action jury trials resulting in a settlement and verdict amounting to well over $15 million in addition to several substantial personal injury recoveries, successful business and employment negotiations, and hundreds of satisfied clients, Tom Marrone established his multifaceted firm, MOREMARRONE LLC.

Licensed to practice in the State and Federal courts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, Tom Marrone has extensive experience and proven success handling difficult, complex cases, especially class actions and collective actions, cases involving personal injury, employment, wage and hour claims, insurance matters, product liability, consumer protection, consumer fraud, deceptive practices, legal malpractice, and wrongful use of civil proceedings.

Individual and corporate clients also engage MOREMARRONE LLC for advisory services, including legal matters, crisis prevention and crisis management. A veteran class action trial lawyer, Tom Marrone also offers consultations with other attorneys and law firms related to class action and complex litigation theory development, implementation, and trial strategy.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has described January 26 as a day that causes pain for Indigenous people, but said she has renewed hope Australia was closer to being truly one mob.

Ms Berejiklian, who does not support changing the date of Australia Day, on Tuesday said the country was still evolving as a nation, but that its past should never be denied.

We cannot and should never deny any aspect of our history, or the key milestones that have made us the nation we are today, she said in an address to the WugulOra morning ceremony at Barangaroo in Sydney.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian WugulOra morning ceremony at Barangaroo on Australia Day. Credit:Nick Moir

As we raise the Aboriginal flag alongside the flag of Australia, it renews my hope that each passing Australia Day brings us closer to being truly one mob.
TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mandalay Resources Corporation ("Mandalay" or the "Company") (TSX: MND, OTCQB: MNDJF) is pleased to provide an update on the Youle extension project at Costerfield, highlighting the delineation of the previously reported southern domain, and the discovery of a new high-grade extension to the northern trend of Youle.



Youle Drilling Highlights

Drill holes convey lateral continuity of current mine development area, linking to previously reported southern domain (Figure 4):

264.1 g/t gold and 19.7% antimony over a true width of 0.23 m in BC162; and

in BC162; and 94.7 g/t gold and 16.4% antimony over a true width of 0.05 m in BC158.

New high-grade results north of Youle extending at depth:

345.1 g/t gold and 19.7% antimony over a true width of 0.11 m in BC166W1;

in BC166W1; 316.1 g/t gold and 0.1% antimony over a true width of 0.22 m in BC167; and

142.0 g/t gold and 0.0% antimony over a true width of 0.07 m in BC157.



Note: Significant drill composites are given in Tables 1 and 2 in the Appendix to this document.

Dominic Duffy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mandalay, commented, "We are encouraged by the development and confirmation of the recently discovered high-grade gold southern domain reported in October 2020. Recent drill intercepts convey a link to the current mining area, providing strong indications that the high-gold grades currently mined will continue through to this zone."

Mr. Duffy continued, "Moving to the north, a series of holes support a high-grade plunge extension in the northern extents of Youle, providing a clear target for further focused exploration efforts and are likely to provide additional growth to Costerfield's mine life."

Mr. Duffy concluded, "Costerfield's 2021 forecast exploration spend of US$6.2 million is the site's highest budget to date as the team looks to follow up on recent successes at Youle and also regionally. Imperative to the growth of Costerfield, this year's exploration program will focus on targets below recent and historical mined deposits."

Youle Extension Drilling Results

Recent drilling has focused on delineating the southern high-grade zone as well as testing the northern plunge extension of Youle. The southern drilling demonstrated structural continuity of the veining below the southern high-grade domain although these intercepts (BC159 and BC165) did not carry the gold endowment noted above. Drilling above the gold domain confirms the gold content continues with composite grades recorded of 264 g/t gold over 0.23 m (true width) in BC162 and 94.7 g/t gold over 0.05 m (true width) in BC158. These intercepts also contain increased antimony grades alongside the gold adding to the known mineralization framework of Costerfield. Antimony grades for these intercepts are given in Tables 1 & 2 in the Appendix to this document.

Figure 1. Photograph of the Youle intercept within BC162.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ef2b1545-aa58-4732-953d-f8d6dca39271

Moving to the north, a series of holes confirmed the presence of the lode structure, but were not successful in extending higher grades along the shallow northern extension with quartz veining containing only trace amounts of gold and antimony. The steeper trend of mineralisation however showed promising grades in an extension to the currently mined veining with 345.1 g/t gold over 0.11 m (true width) in BC166W1 and 316.1 g/t gold over 0.22 m (true width) in BC167. The mineralisation character between the northern and southern domains are linked with antimony present within the BC166W1 and at trace level within the lower BC167.

Figure 2. Photographs of the Youle intercept within BC167.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/46a7651c-ca65-4403-a1ac-8c17edfb1c13

Figure 3. Enlarged images of gold grains seen within Youle veining on BC167.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/47933ba6-9f10-441d-bb1a-ca770f04331e

Exploration efforts on Youle are now focused on depth and lateral extensions to this steep north plunge as well as covering a possible change in mineralisation setting replicating the subvertical veining seen at the top of the Youle deposit.

The Youle Setting Unlocked Throughout Costerfield

Recent drill intercepts at depth alongside information gained from mining throughout 2020, has provided a more detailed understanding of the dynamics at play in the formation of the enriched Youle deposit. There are strong indicators that many of the mineralogical variations at Youle are representative of a deeper emplacement setting to that of previously mined orebodies along the central Costerfield corridor. Data from the Brunswick, Augusta and Cuffley production areas and drilling programs have been reassessed with multiple Youle analogue targets being identified at depth below these deposits.

In 2016, one such target was intercepted in a Cuffley depth extension drilling campaign. The intercept graded at 11.1 g/t gold and 3.8% antimony over 2.7 m (down hole) within hole AD146 120 m below the Cuffley development. Without the current context of Youle, this mineralization was not deemed of high priority at that time. This target, along with others in similar settings, are a major part of the exploration activities scheduled in 2021.

Figure 4. Longitudinal section of Youle illustrating the location of recent Youle extension and optimization intercepts as well as extent of current workings.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/261500c9-69b3-4ec4-96ee-7018cc836260

Drilling and Assaying

All diamond drill core was logged and sampled by Costerfield geologists. All samples were sent to OnSite Laboratory Services in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, for sample preparation and analysis by fire assay for gold, and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) for a complete description of drilling, sampling, and assaying procedures.

Qualified Person:

Chris Davis, Vice President of Operational Geology and Exploration at Mandalay Resources, is a Chartered Professional of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (MAusIMM CP(Geo)), and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific information provided in this release.

For Further Information

Dominic Duffy

President and Chief Executive Officer

Edison Nguyen

Manager, Analytics and Investor Relations

Contact:

647.260.1566

About Mandalay Resources Corporation

Mandalay Resources is a Canadian-based natural resource company with producing assets in Australia and Sweden, and care and maintenance and development projects in Chile. The Company is focused on growing production at its gold and antimony operation in Australia, and gold production from its operation in Sweden to generate near term cash flow.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securitieslaws,includingstatementsregardingtheexplorationanddevelopmentpotentialof theYouledeposit(Costerfield).Readersarecautionednotto place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things,changesincommoditypricesandgeneralmarketandeconomicconditions.Thefactors identifiedabovearenotintendedtorepresentacompletelistofthefactorsthatcouldaffect Mandalay.Adescriptionofadditionalrisksthatcouldresultinactualresultsanddevelopments differingfromthosecontemplatedbyforward-lookingstatementsinthisnewsreleasecanbe foundundertheheading"RiskFactors"inMandalay'sannualinformationformdatedMarch 30, 2020, a copy of which is available under Mandalay's profile at www.sedar.com. In addition, there can be no assurance that any inferred resources that are discovered as a result of additionaldrillingwilleverbeupgradedtoprovenorprobablereserves.AlthoughMandalayhas attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differmateriallyfromthosedescribedinforward-lookingstatements,theremaybeotherfactors thatcauseactions,eventsorresultsnottobeasanticipated,estimatedorintended.Therecan be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results andfutureeventscoulddiffermateriallyfromthoseanticipatedinsuchstatements.Accordingly, readersshouldnotplaceunduerelianceonforward-lookingstatements.

Appendix

Table 1. Youle Extensional Drilling Composites

Drill Hole

ID From

(m) To

(m) Drill Width

(m) True Width

(m) Au Grade

(g/t) Sb Grade

(%) AuEq

(g/t) AuEq (g/t) over min.

1.8m mining width BC156 196.20 196.49 0.29 0.09 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 BC157 150.66 150.79 0.13 0.07 142.0 0.0 142.0 5.5 BC158 149.52 149.60 0.08 0.05 94.7 16.4 111.4 3.1 BC159 178.80 178.95 0.15 0.08 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.0 BC160 119.66 119.88 0.22 0.11 1.3 1.4 2.7 0.2 BC161 177.90 178.60 0.70 0.27 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.2 BC162 134.25 134.55 0.30 0.23 264.0 19.7 284.1 36.3 BC163 238.49 238.73 0.24 0.06 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 BC164 123.54 123.64 0.10 0.04 40.4 31.4 72.4 1.6 BC165 121.39 121.75 0.36 0.29 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 BC166W1 128.91 129.07 0.16 0.11 345.0 19.7 365.1 22.3 BC167 140.71 141.06 0.35 0.22 316.0 0.1 316.1 38.6

Notes

1. The AuEq (gold equivalent) grade is calculated using the following formula:

AuEq g per t = Au g per t + Sb% x

Au price per g x Au processing recovery Sb price per 10kg x Sb processing recovery

Figures used are based on a 9-month average from April through December of 2020: Au $/oz = 1,834 Sb $/t = 5,672 Au Recovery = 91.2% and Sb Recovery = 96.6%

Table 2. Youle Production Optimisation Drilling Composites

Drill Hole

ID From

(m) To

(m) Drill Width

(m) True Width

(m) Au Grade

(g/t) Sb Grade

(%) AuEq

(g/t) AuEq (g/t) over min.

1.8m mining width KD718 31.23 31.48 0.25 0.23 24.6 5.0 29.6 3.8 KD719 41.73 42.00 0.27 0.18 24.3 11.7 36.2 3.6 KD720 56.57 56.85 0.28 0.20 12.2 18.1 30.6 3.4

Notes

1. The AuEq (gold equivalent) grade is calculated using the following formula:

AuEq g per t = Au g per t + Sb% x Au price per g x Au processing recovery Sb price per 10kg x Sb processing recovery

Figures used are based on a 9-month average from April through December of 2020: Au $/oz = 1,834 Sb $/t = 5,672 Au Recovery = 91.2% and Sb Recovery = 96.6%
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a joint news conference with European Council President Charles Michel at the end of a EU summit video conference at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. European Union leaders assessed more measures to counter the spread of coronavirus variants during a video summit Thursday as the blocs top disease control official said urgent action was needed to stave off a new wave of hospitalizations and deaths. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool Photo via AP)

The European Union has called on Joe Biden to help draw up a common rule book to rein in the power of big tech companies like Facebook and Twitter and combat the spread of fake news that is eating away at Western democracies.

In a speech to the Davos World Economic Forum, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen urged the Biden administration to join forces against the darker sides of the digital world, which she said were partly behind the storming of the US Capitol on January 6.

The business model of online platforms has an impact and not only on free and fair competition, but also on our democracies, our security and on the quality of our information, Ms von der Leyen said. That is why we need to contain this immense power of the big digital companies.

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The head of the EUs executive body called on the the new US president to join the 27-nation blocs efforts, saying that together, we could create a digital economy rule book that is valid worldwide, and would encompass data protection, privacy rules and the security of critical infrastructure.

In December, the commission proposed two new pieces of EU legislation to protect consumers and their rights online, make tech platforms more accountable and improve digital competition, building on the blocs data protection rules, which are among the most stringent in the world.

Ms von der Leyen said: We want the platforms to be transparent about how their algorithms work. Because we cannot accept that decisions that have a far-reaching impact on our democracy are taken by computer programmes alone.

She said the EU wants the onus put on the tech giants, adding: We want it clearly laid down that internet companies take responsibility for the manner in which they disseminate, promote and remove content.

She also referred to the decision earlier this month by Facebook and Twitter to cut off Donald Trump from their platforms for allegedly inciting the assault on the US Capitol, an unprecedented step that underscored the immense power of tech giants to regulate speech.

No matter how tempting it may have been for Twitter to switch off President Trumps account, such serious interference with freedom of expression should not be based on company rules alone, she said. There needs to be a framework of laws for such far-reaching decisions.
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Photo: The Canadian Press European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen

Canada's anxiety-laden COVID-19 vaccine programs are facing further threats as Europe warns drug makers it might impose export controls on European-made vaccine doses.

All of Canada's current vaccine doses from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are made in Europe, potentially putting at risk the entirety of Canada's vaccine deliveries.

Europe  like Canada  is being shorted on deliveries from Pfizer as the company slows production to expand its plant in Belgium.

But AstraZeneca has also now informed Europe productions issues will reduce initial deliveries of its vaccine, which Europe is expected to approve for use later this week.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says in a tweet today that the world's largest trading bloc will establish "a vaccine export transparency mechanism."

Canada has no ability currently to produce COVID-19 vaccines but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has insisted repeatedly that Canada will get enough vaccine doses for all Canadians who want it by the end of September.


[January 26, 2021] Schulte Roth & Zabel Presents Its 30th Annual Private Investment Funds Seminar

Schulte Roth & Zabel (SRZ) is hosting its 30th Annual Private Investment Funds Seminar today. At the forefront of the asset management industry, SRZ has unparalleled experience advising private investment funds. The seminar, which has been an industry-leading event for 30 years, features SRZ lawyers sharing their insights and knowledge on a wide range of subjects, including the latest on market trends and capital raising, the changing regulatory landscape, ESG, finance strategies and structures, credit, private equity, distressed investing and more. The seminar will also include a conversation with Afsaneh Beschloss, founder of RockCreek and former chief investment officer of the World Bank. The virtual event is by invitation only. "We are thrilled to host our 30th Annual Private Investment Funds Seminar today, which will cover not just the developments of the last year, but what we see in the year ahead as the market continues to evolve," said David Nissenbaum, SRZ co-head of the Investment Management Group. "The next few months promise a great deal of change within the regulatory industry. Beyond the pandemic, we now have a new administration which will likely bring new guidance and rulemaking. In today's conference, we will touch on some of our predictions and more," added Marc Elovitz, SRZ co-managing partner and chair of the Investment Management Regulatory & Compliance Group. "This year we are providing attendees with more top-of-mind content than ever before. We look forward to holding in-depth conversations on a variety of subjects today, from market trends and capital raising to ESG," commented Stephanie Breslow, SRZ co-ead of the Investment Management Group and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. "Over the past few years, the number of ESG-focused conversations we have had with our clients has steadily increased, and this year was no exception. Today we will discuss what we are seeing in that space, and also hear from Afsaneh Beschloss on what types of investments she is currently pursuing," said Jason Kaplan, SRZ partner in the Investment Management Group.



With a great depth of practice, SRZ advises on the formation and operation of a wide array of funds with varying investment strategies, including hedge funds, private equity funds, credit funds, distressed funds, real estate funds, activist funds and hybrid funds, among others. SRZ is consistently placed in the top tiers in rankings, including in Chambers and The Legal 500. In 2019, SRZ was named one of the "Asset Management Practice Groups of the Year" by Law360. SRZ lawyers provide advice on U.S. and U.K. law to a wide variety of funds and managers located worldwide. Notably, SRZ is one of only a few law firms with a dedicated regulatory and compliance practice within its private funds practice. The lawyers have specialized expertise on the issues private fund managers face in setting up, running and growing their businesses. About Schulte Roth & Zabel

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP (www.srz.com) is a full-service law firm with offices in New York, Washington, DC and London. As one of the leading law firms serving the financial services industry, the firm regularly advises clients on corporate and transactional matters and provides counsel on regulatory, compliance, enforcement and investigative issues. The firm's practices include: bank regulatory; bankruptcy & creditors' rights litigation; blockchain technology & digital assets; broker-dealer regulatory & enforcement; business reorganization; complex commercial litigation; cybersecurity; distressed debt & claims trading; distressed investing; education law; employment & employee benefits; energy; environmental; finance & derivatives; financial institutions; hedge funds; individual client services; insurance; intellectual property, sourcing & technology; investment management; litigation; litigation finance; mergers & acquisitions; PIPEs; private equity; real estate; real estate capital markets & REITs; real estate litigation; regulated funds; regulatory & compliance; securities & capital markets; securities enforcement; securities litigation; securitization; shareholder activism; tax; and white collar defense & government investigations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126006122/en/

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In this image from video, Nicholas Sandmann speaks from Washington, during the second night of the Republican National Convention, on Aug. 25, 2020. (Courtesy of the Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via AP)

Nicholas Sandmann Discharges Lin Wood Over Comments on Mike Pence

Nicholas Sandmann, a Kentucky high school student who was subjected to negative and defamatory press coverage based on a video that went viral, has dismissed his lawyer, Lin Wood.

I have ended my lawyer-client relationship with Mr. Wood and no longer wish to be represented by him, Sandmann said in an affidavit in court filings obtained by Reuters.

Wood, who had previously noted he expected Sandmann to let him go, said he was honored to lead the case and that he did his best.

I love Nicholas Sandmann, Wood wrote on Telegram. I was honored when he asked me to lead the battle against the angry mob which falsely accused him. I did my best for him and am proud that I obtained settlements for him against mainstream media giants CNN and The Washington Post. I wish Nicholas continued success in his remaining cases against NBC, CBS, ABC, Rolling Stone, Gannett, and The New York Times.

Wood added that when Todd McMurtry, a lawyer who is still representing Sandmann, informed me that Nicholas Sandmann wanted me out of his cases, I told Todd I would be happy to withdraw voluntarily.

Wood wrote in a Telegram post on Monday that McMurtry is an excellent lawyer and that the best is yet to come with regard to Sandmanns ongoing lawsuits.

Attorney Lin Wood sits down for an exclusive interview with Crossroads Joshua Philipp. (Screenshot from NTD News)

On Sunday, Wood said that he was expecting Sandmann to abandon him due to the controversial posts that Wood wrote on social media about former Vice President Mike Pence being engaged in treason and facing execution by firing squad.

My post about Pence was rhetorical hyperbole conveying my opinion that his actions on the Electoral College vote were treasonous to We The People, Wood said regarding his posts about the former vice president.

Earlier this month, Sandmann conveyed concerns about his former lawyers social media posts, writing on Twitter, Im sorry but what the hell.

In mid-2020, Sandmann announced hed settled a defamation lawsuit against the Washington Post for its coverage of him, thanking Wood and McMurtry for their efforts.

On 2/19/19, I filed $250M defamation lawsuit against Washington Post. Today, I turned 18 & WaPo settled my lawsuit. Thanks to @ToddMcMurtry & @LLinWood for their advocacy. Thanks to my family & millions of you who have stood your ground by supporting me. I still have more to do.  Nicholas Sandmann (@N1ckSandmann) July 24, 2020

In a video that went viral in 2019, Sandmann and other students with Kentuckys Covington High School were in the District of Columbia for the March of Life. An edited version of the video that was aired by a number of media outlets appeared to show the students and Sandmann surrounding Native American activist Nathan Phillips, but a longer version of the video showed that the students were not taunting or berating Phillips, as numerous media outlets had suggested.

The video showed that previously members of the Black Hebrew Israelites extremist group had been shouting racist remarks at the students, to which the students responded by chanting their school chant to drown them out. At that point, Phillips approached the group while banging a drum until he was face-to-face with Sandmann, who stood his ground and smiled back.

Nick Sandmann, wearing a Make America Great Again hat, looks at Nathan Phillips, a Native American anti-President Donald Trump activist,in Washington on Jan. 18, 2019. (Survival Media Agency via AP)

In the $250 million lawsuit, Sandmann alleged that the Washington Posts reporting falsely claimed he instigated the incident. His attorneys cited several of the papers articles and said they communicated the false and defamatory gist that Nicholas instigated a confrontation with Phillips and subsequently engaged in racist conduct.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
A developer that wants to build five industrial buildings on mine land in southwest Hazleton wants the city to declare eminent domain on three parcels for traffic and stormwater drainage improvements near the project site.

City council will vote on first reading of an ordinance that authorizes the city to file a declaration of taking for three parcels near mine-scarred land off South Church Street that Hazleton Creek Commerce Center Holdings wants to develop for warehousing or light manufacturing.

Hazleton Creek Commerce requested the declaration for traffic and stormwater improvements near 366 acres that the firm wants to develop, according to an ordinance that council will review at a virtual meeting that begins 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The developer will pay all costs associated with the taking and acquisition of the parcels, which are owned by John F. Craig, Jr., Yamulla Trucking and Excavating Co. and Hazleton Creek Properties, the ordinance reads.

Hazleton Creek Commerce asked the city to file a complaint in condemnation and acquire the parcels after it unsuccessfully made many efforts to purchase the parcels, the ordinance reads.

City Council President Jim Perry said Monday that he planned to contact the administration and get a better understanding of the ordinance. Hazleton Creek Commerce representatives will be available during Tuesdays meeting to answer questions, Perry said.

It is a unique process, Perry said.

The process applies to parcels that include a roughly 1.6-acre tract and a 0.1-acre parcel where an 84-inch municipal stormwater line discharges, city solicitor Sean Logsdon said.

Plans call for filling an existing discharge channel and installing a pump station that would divert the water to the Cranberry Creek channel, Logsdon said.

The water currently has no defined downstream discharge point other than an underground mine pool, he said.

To become law, ordinances must be approved by council on three readings.

Council will also consider:

 A resolution that authorizes the city to apply for a $1 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant that USA Pork Packers Inc. seeks for expanding its facility on South Wyoming Street.

 A resolution authorizing the city to apply for a $350,000 gaming grant on behalf of Hazleton Area Public Library. The grant would pay for the first phase of work to stabilize the historic St. Pauls Church building.

 A resolution that permits police to conduct a traffic study that will determine if a stop sign should be placed at Grant and Seventh streets.

A link and other details about the virtual meeting are available by clicking the council and agenda tabs at hazletoncity.org.
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[January 25, 2021] Samsung Display Unveils New Low-power OLED Display for Smartphones

Samsung (News - Alert) Display Company today announced a new low-power OLED display for smartphones that reduces power consumption up to 16 percent. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210125005831/en/ Samsung Display OLED technician examines performance of a new OLED organic material. (Photo: Business Wire) Samsung Display, the world's largest OLED producer, developed the new OLED smartphone display after commercializing a just-developed organic material whose luminous efficiency has improved dramatically compared to the company's previous OLED smartphone panels. The new panel is being used for the first time in Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphones. OLED displays don't require a separate light source, but instead produce their vibrant colors by running an electric current directly through a proprietary set of self-luminous organic materials. This is why the efficiency of organic materials plays a crucial role in determining an OLED display's performance including its color gamut, high lminance, high-dynamic range imaging ( HDR (News - Alert) ), outdoor visibility and power consumption.



"The constant progression of display technologies has increased demand for lower power consumption to enable features such as larger screens, faster display driving, and greater resolution," said Jeeho Baek, Executive Vice President and Head of the Mobile Display Sales, Marketing & Product Planning Office at Samsung Display. "Building upon our industry-leading expertise in material technology, which has been increasing for a long time, Samsung Display is directly engaging with many of its customers to improve performance of their newest products," he added. Samsung Display's novel organic material achieved its sharp increase in luminous efficiency by having electrons flow faster and more easily across the display's organic layers. In other words, thanks to this process, OLED panels can create brighter light while consuming less power, which improves the battery lifetime for 5G smartphone users who spend more time watching video. The display panel is one of the most important components affecting a smartphone's total power consumption. Therefore, when the display's power consumption is cut, this can significantly impact smartphone usage time.

Samsung Display has been channeling much of its technological resources into securing "super-gap" competitiveness in the composition of more efficient organic display materials. To that end, the company has been closely collaborating with a number of global material companies, and widening its own talent pool in this field over the past decade. Samsung Display now holds 5,000 patents worldwide that involve the use of organic materials for displays. Also, it has applied for more than 370 patents related to OLED organic materials in each of the past three years. About Samsung Display Samsung Display Co., Ltd. is a global leader in display panel market, with OLED and LCD technologies and products. Samsung Display has seven production facilities and five branch sales offices worldwide. The company specializes in high-quality displays for consumer, mobile, IT and industrial usage, including those featuring OLED (organic light emitting diode) and LCD technologies. As a total solution provider, Samsung Display strives to advance the future with next-generation technologies featuring ultra-thin, energy-efficient, flexible, and transparent displays. For more information, please visit www.samsungdisplay.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210125005831/en/

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A strong tornado hits Alabama leaving behind a trail of destruction in its wake.



Monday night, January 25th, Alabama was hit by what the National Weather Services (NWS) described as a "large and extremely dangerous" tornado. It caused significant damages to several properties all over the state, particularly in Jefferson County and throughout the surrounding areas.

Confirmed Tornado in Jefferson County near Fultondale, headed generally toward Center Point! Seek Shelter! #ALwx pic.twitter.com/PTtGIo1rWH  NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) January 26, 2021

Structures damaged due to tornado

Many structures received major integral damages.

The total number of casualties, injuries, and damages are still being evaluated by the local authorities.

Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency director James Coker said that search and rescue operations are still ongoing, and they will give an update as soon as they can.

Our current goal is always life safety," Coker said. "That is not only for the people who may have been injured but also the first responders who assist them."

He claimed that they are exhausting all their current resources to the response operation.

Patrons of the Hampton Inn in Fultondale shared their terrifying encounter. The unstoppable gust of strong wind passed through the hotel like it was nothing more than a bathroom curtain. According to Fultondale Mayor Larry Holcomb, at least 20 people took minor injuries from his area during the tornado's terrifying rampage.

NEW: Fultondale Mayor Larry Holcomb tells @spann at least 20 people have suffered minor injuries from overnight tornado, more injuries possible. I-65 closed in Fultondale. @abc3340 #alwx  Stephen Quinn (@StephenQ3340) January 26, 2021

It's not just commercial establishments that were affected; several residential homes also sustained significant structural damage.

The tornado reportedly tore off a church's roof like it was removing the plastic ceiling off of a lego house.

Everyone who is affected is advised to remain alert and vigilant. The residents are to stay in safe areas where there are no risks of potential harm.

Local authorities also told their constituents to not move around so much without the rescue units' assistance as the tornado left behind ruins that can cause injuries like sharp tree branches, broken walls, and exposed live electric wires.

What to do during a tornado?

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), here are the things one should do during a tornado.

Always Be Prepared

Not just during tornado emergencies, preparedness never hurt anyone.

Fresh batteries and a battery-operated TV, radio, or internet-enabled device to listen to the latest emergency weather information;

A tornado emergency plan including access to a safe shelter for yourself, your family, and for people with special needs;

An emergency kit (including water, non-perishable food, and medication); and

A list of important information, including telephone numbers and emergency contacts.

Stay Aware of Weather Conditions

Always be mindful of the weather conditions that follow. Some tornadoes come before or after a storm hits. Keeping track of the weather will help you choose your next course of action.

Find Proper Shelter

Tornadoes leave nothing untouched; it would be safer to steer clear away from it and hide in a sturdy shelter.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 05:33:14|Editor: huaxia

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AMMAN, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Tuesday voiced appreciation to the Gulf states' support to the country and expressed keenness to boost cooperation between the two sides.

The remarks were made by Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi at a meeting in Amman with Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf who visited Jordan to discuss activating the dialogue between Jordan and the GCC countries.

The two officials discussed cooperation priorities in the next stage, including the sectors of health, agriculture, food security and transportation, in addition to trade and investment, in preparation for a foreign ministers' meeting between the two sides.

Safadi expressed appreciation for the supportive stance of the Gulf countries towards Jordan's development.

Underlining that the security of the Gulf countries and Jordan is indivisible, both sides agreed on intensifying cooperation and coordination.

Focusing on the economic and health challenges caused by the spread of the coronavirus, they stressed the importance of joint international efforts to combat its repercussions. Enditem
WASHINGTON - The commander of the District of Columbia National Guard said the Pentagon restricted his authority ahead of the riot at the U.S. Capitol, requiring higher-level sign-off to respond that cost time as the events that day spiraled out of control.

Local commanders typically have the power to take military action on their own to save lives or prevent significant property damage in an urgent situation when there isn't enough time to obtain approval from headquarters.

But Maj. Gen. William Walker, the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, said the Pentagon essentially took that power and other authorities away from him ahead of the short-lived insurrection on Jan. 6. That meant he couldn't immediately roll out troops when he received a panicked phone call from the Capitol Police chief warning that rioters were about to enter the U.S. Capitol.

"All military commanders normally have immediate response authority to protect property, life, and in my case, federal functions - federal property and life," Walker said in an interview. "But in this instance I did not have that authority."

Walker and former Army secretary Ryan McCarthy, along with other top officials, briefed the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday behind closed doors about the events, the beginning of what is likely to become a robust congressional inquiry into the preparations for a rally that devolved into a riot at the Capitol, resulting in five people dead and representing a significant security failure.

The military, which isn't structured to be a first responder like law enforcement, took hours to arrive at the scene primarily because the Capitol Police and the District government hadn't asked the District Guard to prepare a contingency force for a riot. The Capitol Police chief also didn't call Walker to tell him a request for Guard backup was imminent until about 25 minutes before rioters breached the Capitol.

But the restrictions the Pentagon placed on Walker also contributed to the delay. He needed to wait for approval from McCarthy and acting defense secretary Christopher Miller before dispatching troops, even though some 40 soldiers were on standby as a quick reaction force. That standby force had been assembled in case the few hundred Guard members deployed that day on the District's streets to assist police with traffic control and crowd management needed help, Walker said.

The Pentagon required the highest-level approval for any moves beyond that narrow mission, in part because its leaders had been lambasted for actions the District Guard took during last June's racial justice protests, including helicopters that flew low over demonstrators in the District. Top officials concluded those maneuvers resulted from "fragmentary orders" that hadn't received high-level approval and were looking to prevent a repeat of that situation.

"After June, the authorities were pulled back up to the secretary of defense's office," McCarthy said in comments to The Post. "Any time we would employ troops and guardsmen in the city, you had to go through a rigorous process. As you recall, there were events in the summer that got a lot of attention, and that was part of this."

McCarthy said he worked hard to ensure authority was pushed back down the chain of command to Walker ahead of the inauguration, during which Walker oversaw the 25,600 troops that came to the District. As for the preparations ahead of Jan. 6, McCarthy said, "It was everyone just being very careful. When you go back to times when we've done this, like June, we wanted to make sure we were very careful about the employment - careful about fragmentary orders."

Had he not been restricted, Walker said he could have dispatched members of the District Guard sooner. Asked how quickly troops could have reached the Capitol, which is two miles from the District Guard headquarters at the Armory, Walker said, "With all deliberate speed - I mean, they're right down the street."

Still, even if Walker had been able to send the troops on standby to the Capitol immediately, and round up others in the District, it's unclear how much that would have affected the situation, given the large size of the mob and the last-minute nature of the call for help.

Walker recalled how Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who has since resigned, asked him on a call in the run-up to Jan. 6 to have National Guard troops at the ready.

"All he said was, 'If I call you, will you be able to help?' " Walker said. "And I said, 'Yes, but I need permission. So send a formal request,' and I never got it, until after the fact."

The request came, but only at 1:49 p.m. the day of the attempted insurrection. Sund called Walker to say rioters were about to breach the building and the Capitol Police would soon request urgent backup.

"I told him I had to get permission from the secretary of the Army and I would send him all available guardsmen but as soon as I got permission to do so," Walker said. "I sent a message to the leadership of the Army, letting them know the request that I had received from Chief Sund."

Permission from the Pentagon to activate the full District Guard wouldn't come for another hour and fifteen minutes, according to a Defense Department timeline of events, as members of Congress barricaded themselves in their offices and hid from a marauding horde trying to undo the results of the Nov. 3 election. It would take nearly three hours before the acting defense secretary authorized the District Guard to "re-mission" and help the Capitol Police establish a perimeter around the Capitol.

In the meantime, Sund dialed into a phone call with the Pentagon.

In an interview with The Post, Sund recalled Army staff director, Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt, saying, "I don't like the visual of the National Guard standing a police line with the Capitol in the background."

Piatt, in a statement, initially said he didn't make those remarks or any comments similar to them. Later, he backtracked, saying he didn't recall citing such concerns but note-takers in the room told him he may have said that. Piatt, who wasn't in the chain of command, was leading the call while waiting for the Army secretary to receive approval for the full activation of the District Guard from the defense secretary.

Walker said a lot of people were on the chaotic call.

"There was some talk about optics, but I can't assign that to one person," Walker said. "From the Army leadership, there were quite a few people on the call. . . . It's clear that somebody talked about the optics. Who said that? I'm not sure."

Asked if the District Guard leadership kept a record of the call, Walker said it wasn't recorded but Guard officials memorialized the conversation in notes known as a memorandum for record.

In the days before the protest, all the living former defense secretaries warned the Pentagon not to get involved in the peaceful transition of power, after reports that former national security adviser Michael Flynn had raised the possibility with President Donald Trump of declaring martial law to "rerun" the election.

The day before the Jan. 6 event, a senior U.S. official told The Post the military had "learned its lesson" after being rebuked over Trump's heavy-handed response to racial justice protests last year. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the details of the preparations, said the military would be "absolutely nowhere near the Capitol building" because "we don't want to send the wrong message."

Pentagon officials were also concerned that sending Guard troops who answered to the president into the Capitol during the riot could give the impression that the military was aiding Trump's supporters in a coup. Senior defense officials said federal law enforcement should always be in the lead clearing buildings, rather than soldiers, who shouldn't be the tip of the spear on U.S. soil.

Members of the District Guard ultimately arrived at the Capitol around 5:30 p.m. and helped establish a perimeter around the grounds. District Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, first called McCarthy, the Army secretary, to request an unspecified number of troops at the scene four hours earlier.

"Do I wish I could have got there sooner?" Walker said. "Of course. I mean, I think everybody does. I absolutely wish I could have got there sooner. But, you know, I follow orders, and those making the decision went through a decision-making process."

Whether the Guard could have arrived sooner at this point is "probably axiomatic," Walker said. "Here's what I want you to know: We got there and we made a difference upon arrival."

Because the District is not a state, the president technically controls the District Guard but defers his power to the defense secretary and Army secretary.

Memos obtained by The Post show how tightly the Pentagon restricted Walker ahead of the events.

In a Jan. 5 memo, the Army secretary, who is Walker's direct superior in the chain of command, prohibited him from deploying the quick reaction force composed of 40 soldiers on his own and said any rollout of that standby group would first require a "concept of operation," an exceptional requirement given that the force is supposed to respond to emergencies.

McCarthy was also restricted by his superior, Miller. In a Jan. 4 memo, McCarthy was prohibited from deploying District Guard members with weapons, helmets, body armor or riot control agents without defense secretary approval. McCarthy retained the power to deploy the quick reaction force "only as a last resort."

Miller, in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, dismissed accusations that the Defense Department dragged its feet in rolling out the Guard. "Oh, that is complete horse----," Miller said, contending the Pentagon leadership "had their game together."

Top Pentagon officials said they didn't deploy the quick reaction force during the riot because they hadn't approved a "concept of operations" ahead of time with the Capitol Police.

Walker said one takeaway from the Jan. 6 riot should be that when in doubt, city and federal authorities should always err on the side of requesting a contingency of National Guard troops to be at the ready in advance, even if they don't end up being used.

Ahead of the event, Bowser made a narrow request for a District Guard presence, resulting in about 340 personnel to help with traffic and crowd management and another 40 in the quick reaction force. In a letter, she cited the administration's problematic deployment of federal agents without insignia on the streets last year and said the District wasn't requesting any additional support.

Days after the violence, Walker was tasked with overseeing the Guard members who filtered into the capital from across the nation to secure the inauguration. Walker said the Capitol Police have requested a contingent of about 7,000 of the 25,600 troops to stay until at least March 12.

Walker expressed gratitude to the soldiers who showed up, and thanked their families and their employers for contributing to a successful and secure event.

"People have jobs that they walked away from at a moment's notice. They have families that they walked away from at a moment's notice," Walker said. "This is what the Guard has done since 1636."
MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / Kisses from Italy Inc. (OTCQB:KITL), a U.S.-based restaurant chain operator, Franchisor, and product distributor (the "Company"), is pleased to announce that an exclusive co-branding agreement has been entered into with Gluten-Free specialist and food manufacturer Mastro Vinci, based in Mississauga, Ontario. The new agreement is now in effect and covers the entire North American market. The exclusive agreement will immediately include Mastro Vinci's Organic and Gluten-Free Gnocchi as well as the Gluten-Free Dry Pasta. Both parties have agreed to leave room in the exclusive agreement for the list of products to grow in the future.

Michele Di Turi, President, co-CEO and co-founder of Kisses from Italy stated, "having worked with Mastro Vinci, in a short period of time, both organizations have realized that the aligning of our interests was the best course of action to take immediately. We are impressed with Mastro Vinci's vision of the market, their products and production process. We felt that it was important to attach our brand to Mastro Vinci's Organic and Gluten-Free Gnocchi as well as the Gluten-Free Dry-Pasta and we expect the list of products included in the co-branding agreement to grow in the future. Di Turi added," from the first time we tried Mastro Vinci's Organic and Gluten-Free Gnocchi and Gluten-Free Dry Pasta we became instant fans. We were certain that we had fallen upon one of the more superior products when compared to other Gluten-Free pasta products available in the market."

Olesya Krivobok, President of Mastro Vinci, commented" we are pleased to enter into this agreement with Kisses from Italy sharing the same vision to offer superior products to an increasingly demanding segment of the population. Furthermore, we feel that we are a good alternative with a locally produced gluten-free line of products. We are proudly Canadian made with an Italian flair and possess the capabilities to meet larger demand with our affiliate manufacturing and production plants in California."

Claudio Ferri, co-CEO, CIO and co-founder of Kisses from Italy commented, "Kisses From Italy/ Mastro Vinci Organic, Gluten-Free Gnocchi and Gluten-Free Dry-Pasta have been in stores since the beginning of December and we have been humbled by the high demand for these products, therefore we needed to solidify this agreement with the team at Mastro Vinci. When the Company began its project to have Kisses From Italy branded products in retail stores in Canada, at the end of November 2020, we expected to have our products in approximately 2 or 3 retail stores by the end of 2020. Having underestimated the demand and the unexpected overwhelming welcome from the consumers we ended 2020 by being in 9 retail stores, in Canada. Presently, the number of stores carrying Kisses From Italy products has grown to 15 and we strongly believe that it will only continue to climb higher from here". Ferri further stated," we have been able to penetrate 15 stores, in the Montreal and Toronto area, at a minimal expense and we believe that we have barely scratched the surface of what is possible in Canada, let alone the enormous North American market and the overall demand for healthy gluten-free products."

Kisses From Italy's focus remains on the main business lines of being a restaurant chain operator, Franchisor, and product distributor and continues to move forward in growing the brand and streamlining its efficiencies which includes its current retail stores in South Florida, Bari (Italy) and soon to be open the Company's first franchise in the State of California which has been unexpectedly delayed due to the onset of COVID. Despite the severe challenges we faced in 2020 we have emerged as a stronger and better positioned Company going into 2021.

Kisses From Italy / Mastro Vinci Organic and Gluten-Free Gnocchi

(Potato, Beet Root, Butternut Squash, Spinach)

Kisses From Italy / Mastro Vinci Gluten-Free Dry Pasta

(Black Bean, Yellow Corn, Beet Root and Red-Lentil)

About Kisses from Italy Inc.

Kisses from Italy Inc. is a U.S.-based restaurant chain operator, franchisor and product distributor with locations in North America and Europe. The Company offers a quick-service menu and a unique take on traditional Italian delicacies with an All-American flair. Kisses from Italy offerings include sandwiches, salads, Italian roasted coffee, coffee-related beverage and an array of other products. The Company currently operates four corporate-owned stores. It successfully commenced operations in May 2015 with the opening of its flagship location in Ft. Lauderdale at 3146 NE 9th St. This was followed by three additional sites across the greater Ft. Lauderdale/Pompano Beach area. The Company recently opened its inaugural European location in Ceglie del Campo, Bari, Italy in October of 2019. In September of 2019, Kisses from Italy Inc. was given the approval by FINRA to trade its common stock and was approved for up-listing by the OTC Markets Group to the OTCQB in mid-October 2019 under the ticker symbol KITL.

About Mastro Vinci

Mastro Vinci, founded in 2017, is a Canadian based manufacturer, producer and distributor of high-quality products. Mastro Vinci's high standards allow them to be at the forefront of manufacturing products such as kosher, gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free, non-GMO healthy foods. Mastro Vinci also provides a large selection of European and locally grown corn flour, legume pulses, specialty flour, pasta, pizza, canned products and a growing list of natural products. Mastro Vinci's production capabilities extend into the U.S. with affiliate production plants in California.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected, including statements related to the amount and timing of expected revenues and any payment of dividends on our common and preferred stock, statements related to our financial performance, expected income, distributions, and future growth for upcoming quarterly and annual periods. These risks and uncertainties are further defined in filings and reports by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors detailed from time to time in our filings with the SEC. Among other matters, the Company may not be able to sustain growth or achieve profitability based upon many factors including, but not limited to, general stock market conditions. Reference is hereby made to cautionary statements set forth in the Company's most recent SEC filings. We have incurred and will continue to incur significant expenses in the expansion of our existing and new service lines, noting there is no assurance that we will generate enough revenues to offset those costs in both the near and long term. Additional service offerings may expose us to additional legal and regulatory costs and unknown exposure(s) based upon the various geopolitical locations where we will be providing services, the impact of which cannot be predicted at this time. Additionally, the ultimate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our company's operations continues to evolve, is highly uncertain and subject to change.

For more information, please visit www.kissesfromitaly.com

Contact Information:

Kisses from Italy Inc.

305-423-7129

info@kissesfromitaly.com

SOURCE: Kisses from Italy Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625962/Kisses-From-Italy-Announces-an-Exclusive-North-American-co-Branding-Agreement-with-Manufacturer-Mastro-Vinci
Back in June, Dr. Roberto Garofalo, vice chair for research in the department of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch, drafted a grant proposal to the Gerber Foundation to examine two categories of pregnant women: those who were infected with COVID-19 during their pregnancy or perinatal period and those who have never had the virus.

The foundation approved a three-year, $300,000 grant for UTMB to determine whether breast milk has an innate ability to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus, or if an infected mother who recovers can pass antibodies to her child through her milk.

Garofalo hopes to collect colustrum  the initial milk produced immediately after delivery  and breast milk from 50 mothers right after birth and their mature milk, which comes a few days a later.

On HoustonChronicle.com: COVID-19 vaccine trials didnt include pregnant women. So what should they do?

My interest over the past 30 years has been looking at innate factors that are protected in milk. In this case, it would be women who never had a history of COVID, and yet, potentially have anti-COVID, anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity in their breast milk, Garofalo said.

In the study, which launched in November, breast milk of women who have tested negative will be examined for antiviral factors. Milk from women who had a confirmed COVID-19 case will be tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Since it remains unclear whether the virus can be shed into breast milk, scientists will look for the presence of SARS-CoV-2, as well.

Researchers already know breast milk has natural neutralizing properties that could help fight infection, including antibodies, fats, sugars and white blood cells, Garofalo said. Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce asthma risks, Type 1 diabetes and severe lower respiratory disease and gastrointestinal infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Younger infants seem to be less affected or unaffected by COVID, Garofalo said, and researchers think it may have to do with breastfeeding.

Newly-vaccinated mothers will be used as a control group, Garofalo said. Since pregnant women were not included in Moderna or Pfizers clinical trials, vaccinated mothers will present new information on how the vaccines benefits may transfer through the breast milk.

We know they have been vaccinated with the ideal amount of the virus, he said. We can potentially look at those women with vaccinations and see if they have specific antibodies in their breast milk already.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston experts spell out what moms need to know about breastfeeding, COVID-19

Immunoglobulin A (IGA) antibodies are present in breast milk and continue to provide protection to the baby while he or she is breast feeding, said Dr. Kjersti Aaagard, professor in obstetrics, gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine at Texas Childrens Hospital. Fetuses start their own immune development as early as 16 weeks inside the womb.

Garofalo is working with Dr. George Saade, professor and chief of obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine at UTMB, to enroll pregnant women who will participate in the study following the birth of their child. The women will deliver at UTMB facilities.

Before Garofalos study, Saade and his team were already collecting biospecimen  blood and breast milk  from COVID-positive patients right after birth. He said there could be multiple studies conducted from the collected specimens.

Results from this study could help doctors treat other infections, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or types of influenza, Garofalo said. The fact that SARS-CoV-2 is easily transmitted opened avenues of research that havent been prioritized with other, less contagious viruses, he added.

With COVID, we have a vaccine that has been approved so we can go through and test (the breast milk theories), Garofalo said. Its a great opportunity we have at this point.

julie.garcia@chron.com

Twitter.com/reporterjulie
Fans were shocked when Jess Eva washed co-star Robert 'Dipper' DiPierdomenico's underwear on Tuesday night.

The 36-year-old radio host said: 'Sometimes I wash Dipper's undies and he decided to come with me today and we got into the most beautiful chat.'

'Jess washes Dippers undies? That's worse than any of the trials I reckon,' one person tweeted.

'That's worse than any of the trials!' I'm a Celebrity fans were shocked when Jess Eva (pictured) washed Robert 'Dipper' DiPierdomenico's underwear on Tuesday night

'Things I never thought I'd hear: @JessEva84 "Sometimes I wash Dipper's undies" #ImACelebrityAU,' one wrote.

Another person commented: 'Do they wash Dippers undies in the sink they wash the dishes in?'

'Why is Jess washing Dipper's undies and why is he letting her? It's giving me Ash vibes,' another wrote.

The 36-year-old radio host said: 'Sometimes I wash Dipper's (pictured) undies and he decided to come with me today and we got into the most beautiful chat'

While washing their clothes, Jess opened up to Dipper about her modest upbringing.

She revealed she had no electricity at home until she was 18 and also said she never went on a school camp or attended her Year 12 formal, because her family couldn't afford it.

Jess admitted that while most people find her upbringing 'a bit unusual', she still 'had a great time'.

But she confessed her family's financial struggles provided her with the motivation she needed to pursue a successful media career.

'Jess washes Dippers undies? That's worse than any of the trials I reckon,' one person tweeted

Candid: While washing their clothes, Jess opened up to Dipper about her modest upbringing

'I never wanted to be stuck for money,' she admitted.

'I saw how stressed it made Mum, I saw how stressed it made Dad. [I know] that if I can have a crack at stuff, then I can help my mum, I can help my brother.'

After pursuing a career in radio, Jess moved to the Maldives to host a show, before returning to Australia after suffering a monkey bite in India.

She then landed a job at a radio station in Cairns, which is where she met her husband Norm Hogan, who she's been with for 10 years.
A research report has been published which sheds light for the first time on the operation of institutions in Northern Ireland for unmarried mothers and babies as well as industrial homes known as Magdalene Laundries (Niall Carson/PA)

A significant 500-plus page research report has been published which sheds light for the first time on the operation of institutions in Northern Ireland for unmarried mothers and babies as well as industrial homes known as Magdalene Laundries.

Here is some of the key information uncovered:

 What were the institutions and why are they being examined?

The operation of homes for unmarried mothers and babies, Magdalene Laundries and to a lesser extent baby homes which operated in Northern Ireland until 1990 have been examined by academics.

These institutions have historically been shrouded in secrecy.

Those who experienced them have levelled accusations of abuse, cruelty and inappropriate physical labour such as scrubbing floors, even in the final stages of pregnancy, under an ethos of shame, and being described as fallen women.

 How many people went through these institutions?

It is estimated that more than 14,000 girls and women went through the doors of mother and baby homes, Magdalen Laundries and industrial homes between 1922 and 1990. This figure is more than double the number previously thought.

10,500 women entered mother and baby homes. At least the same number of children would have been born to the women, assuming some were twins.

The youngest was 12, and the oldest 44; however, a third were under the age of 19.

Girls and women were sent to the homes by their families or church leaders under a shadow of stigma, secrecy and shame, believing they had no other choice due to being pregnant out of wedlock. Some were victims of rape, incest or unlawful carnal knowledge.

Meanwhile, 3,000 women were sent to Magdalene Laundries with numbers peaking in the 1930s.

Some were referred by their families, others by priests and some by state agencies, including the courts, police, probation, welfare and GPs.

These included women who suffered with alcohol dependency, teenage girls described as having behaviour issues, some with learning difficulties, and some from the mother and baby homes to serve penance.

The facilities were described as an austere environment where women were punished by being made to stand while eating meals, and kneeling and reciting misdemeanours. Names were taken away and new names assigned.

Some women died in the laundries after spending the majority of their lives doing unpaid, strenuous labour.

A further 707 women entered an industrial institution run by the Salvation Army at Thorndale in Belfast which was described as being used as an alternative to prison, like a probation home.

Most people had shorter stays there, and it was also used as emergency accommodation for girls and young women who were victims of sexual crime or domestic violence.

It was described as being poorly funded, with staff who were not sufficiently trained to deal with people with complex needs.

The Catholic orders which ran institutions were also described as not being adequately trained to look after those in their charge.

Expand Close A message left on railings at the site of a former Magdalene Laundry in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp A message left on railings at the site of a former Magdalene Laundry in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

 How many institutions operated in Northern Ireland?

There are believed to have been more than a dozen mother and baby homes.

Those examined in the research report, included Marianville in Belfast and Marianvale in Newry, both run by the Good Shepherd Sisters; Mater Dei in Belfast; and others run by boards which included Protestant clergy such as the Belfast Midnight Mission at Malone Place in south Belfast.

In addition, the report looked at four Magdalene Laundry-type institutions  including three run by the Good Shepherd Sisters as well as the Salvation Army Industrial Home at Thorndale.

 Why is the matter being examined now?

An interdepartmental working group, chaired by former PSNI deputy chief constable Judith Gillespie, was set up by the Stormont Executive in 2016 to look at institutions which were not covered by the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry.

It looked at mother and baby homes, Magdalene Laundries and those who suffered clerical abuse outside institutions.

Academics from Queens University Belfast and Ulster University were commissioned to carry out research on the mother and baby homes and Magdalene Laundries.

Expand Close A memorial to 222 children from the Bethany Mother and Child Home, at Mount Jerome Cemetery in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp A memorial to 222 children from the Bethany Mother and Child Home, at Mount Jerome Cemetery in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA)

 Is the report similar to the one released in the Republic of Ireland earlier this month?

The research report on mother and baby homes and Magdalene Laundries in Northern Ireland was carried out by academics. It cannot be directly compared with what happened in the Republic of Ireland, where a commission of investigation was carried out.

Researchers in Northern Ireland had no legal powers to compel those associated with former institutions to co-operate.

The research report in Northern Ireland is being regarded as the first chapter in the story and is likely to raise more questions than answers.

Other key differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is that women generally stayed in institutions north of the border for shorter periods of time  around a few weeks before leaving after the birth of the baby  and they tended to give birth in local hospitals rather than in the homes.

 What issues are raised in the research report?

As well as the treatment of the women in the institutions, the report delves into the legality of the adoption of babies, hundreds of babies taken across the border, and questions around whether consent was freely given by the mothers who were described as isolated and vulnerable.

In one case examined, an infant had two birth certificates, one in Northern Ireland and one in the Irish Republic.

The report also examined the mortality rate of infants in the mother and baby homes, but does not reach firm conclusions mainly because mothers and their children did not remain there for long periods.

Around a third of the babies went to baby homes, a quarter left with their mothers, just under a quarter were adopted, and 15% went to foster care.

Questions are also raised over discrepancies around entry records to the laundries and burial records, and women buried in communal graves up to the 1980s.

Expand Close Academics spoke to survivors of the institutions for their research report (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Academics spoke to survivors of the institutions for their research report (Niall Carson/PA)

 Did the academics speak to survivors of the homes?

Archives were examined, literature reviewed and witness testimony taken from 60 people.

These included former probation officers, social workers, two nuns from the Good Shepherd Sisters, and priests, but the majority were survivors of the institutions and relatives of women who had been in the Magdalene Laundries, including the children who were adopted.
The Staff of the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) published a report on vandalism against the Armenian cultural heritage in the occupied territories of the Republic of Artsakh and the threat of destruction of Armenian monuments, the ombudsman of Artsakh informed on Facebook.

As a result of military aggression against the Republic of Artsakh, at least 1,456 overwhelmingly Armenian historical and cultural prominent immovable monuments, including 161 monasteries and churches, 591 khachkars (cross-stones), the ancient sites of Tigranakert, Azokh, Nor Karmiravan, Mirik, Keren, fortresses and castles, sanctuaries and other monuments remained under the control of Azerbaijan. 8 state museums also came under the control of Azerbaijan with 19 311 exhibits, as well as private museums of Armenian Carpet and Armenian dram of Shushi.

The report presents a number of cases of destruction and acts of vandalism against the Armenian cultural heritage during the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression and after the ceasefire, including deliberate targeting and vandalism against St. Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral and St. Hovhannes Mkrtich (Kanach Zham) Church of Shushi.

The report also refers to Azerbaijans policy of deliberately spreading disinformation on Armenian cultural heritage and albanizing the Armenian cultural monuments which is also a threat of extinction of the Armenian cultural heritage in the territory of Artsakh.

The analysis of the identified cases and the context of Armeniaphobia shows that the destruction and distortion of the Armenian cultural heritage are systematic and widespread. The actions and statements of the Azerbaijani state bodies and public figures show that this is a specific state policy based on the criminal policy of inciting hatred against the Armenian nation.

Given the many precedents and the real threats of deliberate destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories under the control of Azerbaijan by the Azerbaijani authorities, the Staff of the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh considers it urgent for the relevant international organizations and especially UNESCO to take effective and immediate steps to preserve the Armenian cultural heritage in the territory of Artsakh.

The English content of the report can be found here, the Armenian and Russian versions will be published later.
The eponymous heroine of Saint Maud, the horror-tinged debut feature of the English writer-director Rose Glass, isnt really named Maud. A young nurse working as a home hospice aide, she has rechristened herself after a traumatic experience with a patient sparked her conversion to Christianity. As to whether Kate-turned-Maud really is a saintor for that matter, a heroineopinions may differ right up to this psychological thrillers last gooseflesh-raising shot. But one thing is certain: As played with searing intensity by the Welsh actress Morfydd Clark, the damaged, possibly delusional, and almost certainly dangerous Maud is a character you wont soon forget.

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The same goes for Mauds patient Amanda Kohl (Jennifer Ehle), a celebrated modern dancer and choreographer in the late stages of lymphoma. Amanda doesnt get as much screen time as Maudtheres not much to spare in this 84-minute gem of a movie. But shes every bit as complex a character, dry-humored to the point of nihilism one minute, needy and vulnerable the next. After an unsettling cold open hinting at the events that led to Mauds conversion, she moves into Amandas Gothic hilltop mansion in an unnamed seaside town. (The exteriors were filmed in Scarborough, a melancholy resort town in Northern England with a strip of neon-lit pleasure palaces that seem preserved in 1970s aspic.) Almost immediately the two women begin a sadomasochistic cat-and-mouse game, each one trying to turn the other into the person she needs her to be.

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For Maud that means pushing Amanda, a staunch atheist, to join in her fervent daily prayer sessions. (When it comes to making religious ecstasy look sexual, Bernini statues have nothing on Maud.) For Amanda it means trying to break through Mauds self-punishing refusal of earthly pleasures and tease her into enjoying life a little. Meanwhile Amanda, a dedicated libertine, pursues those same pleasures constantly without seeming to enjoy them much at all. She drinks too much, smokes nonstop, and frequently entertains a younger lover (Lily Frazer) who, to Mauds outspoken disgust, appears to accept money in return for her visits. At a party, Amanda and her friends mock and humiliate the priggish nurse, leading to a vengeful response that gets Maud fired from her job. But her fixation on saving her ex-employers immortal soul is only just beginning.

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The second half of the movie tumbles with Maud down a spiral of female solitude and hallucinatory madness that invokes cinematic precedents as varied as Ingmar Bergmans Persona, Roman Polanskis Repulsion, and Lynne Ramsays Morvern Callar. Godsometimes represented by a large beetle who patrols the walls of Mauds dingy bedsitstarts communicating more directly with Maud, and the acts those communications drive her to range from hard-to-watch mortifications of the flesh to a scarily self-destructive night on the town. The line between reality and fantasy grows blurrier as the ever more disconnected Maud ties to reconcile her exalted visions of purity with the irreparably fallen world around her.

When it comes to making religious ecstasy look like sexual pleasure, Bernini statues have nothing on Maud.

Glass has set herself a high bar to clear in ones first feature: tackling hard-to-film ideas about faith, psychic trauma, and mental illness. Yet rather than seeming abstract or preachy, Saint Maud is visceral, sensuous, and tactile. The production design (by Paulina Rzeszowska) and cinematography (by Ben Fordesman) work together to create a sharp contrast between the velvety, carnal reds of Amandas lushly upholstered house and the pallid beiges of Mauds ascetic flat. The relentless pacing (the editor is Mark Towns) sweeps the viewer up and carries her from one disturbing image or encounter to the next with seeming effortlessness. And the body-horror effects are all the creepier for being intermittent and subtle, as when Maud, in response to anguish, ecstasy, or some combination of the two, opens her mouth just slightly wider than any human mouth should be able to open. When the climactic encounter between the two women comes, it feels brutal and almost too swiftwere used to horror movies that milk the ending for at least one extra jump scarebut also mysteriously right.

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Clark, a trained stage actress whos played supporting roles in Whit Stillmans Love and Friendship, the TV miniseries Patrick Melrose, and last years The Personal History of David Copperfield, is a revelation as the fiercely uncompromising and heartbreakingly lonely Maud. And Jennifer Ehle is one of those rare performers whose every project is worth following, both because she chooses her roles with care and because she has a fierce native intelligence that seems to light up her characters from within. Often cast as a serene, nurturing type, she is a wicked thrill to watch in Saint Maud as an unsentimental hedonist cracking mordant jokes about her own imminent demise.

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The only hints we get of Amandas dance careera framed poster, a glimpse of a videotaped performancesuggest an artist of singular intensity and originality, someone who should have gotten a longer career as well as a longer life. Lucky for us that the women behind Saint MaudEhle, Clark, and the 31-year-old newcomer Rose Glassstill have plenty of life, and hopefully many movies, left in them.

Saint Maud was originally set to be released last spring; after being held back nearly a year because of the pandemic, it opens in theaters and drive-ins on Jan. 29 and begins streaming on Epix on Feb. 12. Even though the movie never had a public screening in 2020, I put it on my Top 10 list for the year as a kind of promise of all the great films to come in 2021. Its a thrill to realize that, in ways that go beyond the movie release calendar, that future is finally starting to arrive.
It must have been fairly evident to any police officer that this kind of a tractor rally cannot be smooth. It is impossible to maintain this kind of a rally or a procession which has no agenda but says only that we should have permission between 12pm to 5pm on a set of pre-decided routes. First of all, tractors are not meant for cities. They are meant for rural areas and they are dangerous too, especially in the context of intelligence reports.

I'm sure there must have been intelligence reports from the Intelligence Bureau or the Delhi police, that there are elements in it, who will create problems. What was the idea of holding a rally on January 26 when the police resources are stretched to the maximum? As one who has been part of the arrangements for the Republic Day celebrations for more than a decade, I understand the tension, the angst, the preparations, and the whole gamut of things that the Delhi police and the intelligence officials have to go through.

So I'm not too sure that as a police commissioner, I would have allowed a procession of this kind under any circumstance. Obviously this decision was taken from the top. And if that is so, they would have been prepared for the collateral damage, which has taken place.

Secondly, it is very unfortunate that there were 40 farmers organizations and their chiefs went on talking eloquent all over the TV during the various discussions and there was some self-styled spokesmen who were saying things like it's going to be peaceful. Then there were intellectuals and liberals who were saying that in America and other places, people are allowed to celebrate their festivals. Yes, they are allowed to celebrate festivals like the Republic Day but not on a day in the same town where there is a massive Republic day parade, which is seen by the whole nation.

Thirdly, I think democracy has been scarred today. And the image of a flag being hoisted by the protestors on the Red Fort, where the national flag was flying is really unfortunate. It hurt the image of the 72nd Republic Day. And I, as a common citizen, I'm deeply hurt by this kind of mobocracy. This could not be allowed.

Lastly, it is truly unfortunate that policemen were beaten up. The same policeman who was out in the cold for 60 days trying to guard those tents. At least the farmers are inside but these cops are outside. What have they done? They have not taken a decision or have anything to do with farm laws. Running trucks amuck amongst public is the worst kind of example you can give of so-called discipline. This agitation has lost its credibility.

As told to News18 in New Delhi.

The author is a former Central Information Commissioner and Special Director, Intelligence Bureau.

A paddy field in Ben Tre Province is cracked and parched due to drought, March 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa.

Vietnam would need $35 billion until 2030 to meet climate adaptation demands, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at the 2021 Climate Adaptation Summit (CAS 2021) hosted online Monday.

At the summit, Phuc said Vietnam has restructured its economy toward a low-carbon model and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, while pledging to strengthen the resilience and adaptation of communities, economic stakeholders and the ecosystem in response to climate change.

The country would also step up disaster risk reduction, mitigate climate-related damage, invest in human resources, scientific research and the development of advanced technologies in the fight against climate change. Climate adaptation would also be further mainstreamed into national strategies and planning, it was added.

"Despite such efforts, our economy may only meet around 30 percent of our climate adaptation demands, and Vietnam needs an additional $35 billion between 2021 and 2030," Phuc said.

Increasing resilience among communities, industries and sectors against climate change, bolstering sustainable development, gender equality and poverty eradication, providing financial and technological support to developing countries and promoting multi-stakeholder partnerships for climate change adaptation would be key to tackle challenges posed by the climate crisis, he noted.

The CAS 2021, hosted online by the Netherlands on Jan. 25-26, would see the launch of a comprehensive Adaptation Action Agenda that sets out clear commitments to deliver new concrete endeavors and partnerships to make the world more resilient to the effects of climate change.

The online summit was attended by over 30 world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Former U.S. Secretary of State and Joe Biden's newly-appointed climate envoy John Kerry and Deputy Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng also spoke at the summit.

Vietnam is one of six economies most affected by climate change between 1999 and 2018, according to the Global Climate Risk Index published by the German environmental think tank Germanwatch.

Within the period, the country suffered 226 extreme events, a death toll of 285 and losses of more than $2 billion per year.

Rising temperatures and sea levels, along with the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events combined with population growth and urbanization, are increasing the risk of coastal erosion, urban flooding and drought.


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Proper - the Properchips brand owner - to merge with Eat Real

Proper, the UK-headquartered health snacks firm previously trading as Propercorn, has sold a majority stake to London-based Exponent Private Equity, which plans to form a new snacks group with another one of its portfolio brands acquired last year.

Set up in 2011 as a popcorn manufacturer by Cassandra Stavrou and Ryan Kohn, the company then changed name to Proper in 2019 to reflect its move into vegan crisps with the launch of Properchips made with lentils.

Exponent was also an investor in two companies producing Asian-style foods including snacks  TRS Foods and East End Foods  before the private-equity firm merged the businesses to create Vibrant Foods last year.

Vibrant then went on to acquire another UK firm based in the city of Leicester in the English Midlands, Cofresh Snack Foods, which manufactures a range of Indian-style snacks under its namesake brand and also that of Eat Real, a line of allergen-free snacks.

Proper and Eat Real will now be formed into a new group by Exponent by the end of the quarter with a new CEO heading up the business  Chris Schulze-Melander, the current CEO of People Against Dirty, a manufacturer of clean-label household products. The two brands will remain separate.

In March, Schulze-Melander will replace Proper's CEO Mike Hedges, who will remain during a transition period until the summer.

In a statement provided to just-food, Proper's co-founder Stavrou said: "After ten years of building Proper, choosing the right partner for our next chapter meant everything to me. This marks a big moment for this company and our category. From our first sales in Google's offices to now millions of bags of Propercorn and Properchips sold every month, we are proving that healthy and sustainable snacking has a massive audience.

"Working with Exponent and Eat Real to achieve our vision was an opportunity too good to miss. While our brands will remain distinct, we have a shared goal to take healthy snacking mainstream and global. This partnership will amplify every arm of the business."

Terms of the deal or the size of the stake taken by Exponent were not disclosed.

Proper had previously been backed by JamJar Investments, a London-based venture-capital fund, and Piper Private Equity, a start-up investor also based in the UK capital.

In 2020, Proper, which exports to ten markets, posted revenues of GBP24m (US$32.8m).
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SANTA FE  A proposal to shed more light on New Mexicos secretive capital outlay process is heading to the House floor  a quick start for a transparency measure that has previously stalled in the Senate.

The legislation, House Bill 55, would require the Legislature to publish a list of capital projects approved each year with details on which legislators sponsored each project and how much funding they allocated to it.

Transparency around government spending increases public trust and makes us more responsive and accountable to our voters, Rep. Matthew McQueen, D-Galisteo, said in a written statement. House Bill 55 will make capital outlay appropriations as transparent as all of our other official legislative actions.

McQueen is jointly sponsoring the proposal with two fellow Democrats  Sen. Bill Tallman and Rep. Natalie Figueroa, both of Albuquerque  and Republican Rep. Kelly Fajardo of Los Lunas.

The bill passed its first and only House committee Monday and now heads to the full chamber for consideration.

A similar measure passed in 2019 but failed to make it through the Senate in time.

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[January 26, 2021] SunPoint Public Adjusters, Inc. Recognized by Duckhorn Portfolio

The wildfires that raged in Northern California this past fall displaced thousands of people and resulted in billions of dollars in property damage - and several well-known wineries were in the path of the destruction. SunPoint Public Adjusters has worked with many wineries and was recently complemented by the General Counsel of Duckhorn Portfolio, Sean Sullivan. Founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has been crafting classic Napa Valley wines for 40 years. Duckhorn Vineyards has been named one of the "Top 100 Wineries" in the world seven times by Wine & Spirits, and the 2014 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot Three Palms Vineyard was named the "2017 Wine of the Year," by Wine Spectator. To respond to the new challenges, Sean Sullivan, Esq., assumed the role of crisis manager in addition to his regular responsibilities since joining the Duckhorn Portfolio in early 2019 as its first general counsel and chief administrative officer. Sullivan's skills in crisis management were tested early. Shortly after joining Duckhorn, an event triggered Sullivan to retain specialized experts to help with a complicated insurance claim. He chose SunPoint Public Adjusters Inc., which specializes in advocating for policyholders on large complex first-party commercial claims. SunPoint Public Adjusters Inc.'s Masood Khan led a team that worked directly with Sullivan to help marshall a myriad of intricate issues. "Sean has a keen ability to maintain a profound understanding of sophisticated facts and legal matters from the 60,000-feet perspective while commanding the nuances from the weeds," says Masood Khan. "It was an inspiration to see the respect Sean has garnered from his colleagues and counterparts and we are honored to have been an intricate part of Sen's go-to team of insurance experts." Sean Sullivan has been recognized as a rising star for his insights as Duckhorn's Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel and in this article from Vanguard Law Magazine.



SunPoint Public Adjusters Inc. and its seasoned experts have been working with wineries for many years. It is an industry that has needed the help of professionals at SunPoint Public Adjusters for advice with insurance claims. "We are grateful for the opportunity to help wineries with their insurance claim needs," said Masood Khan, Executive Vice President, at SunPoint Public Adjusters, Inc. "Claims involving wineries require years of experience and industry know-how. Our team understands the nuances of the wine industry so that we can best advocate for our valued clients no matter where they are or what disaster befalls them." Masood Khan stated that SunPoint Public Adjusters Inc. is recognized by its clients for "providing a level of expertise that goes toe-to-toe with the insurance company to advocate not only for our client's bottom-line but more importantly so the Executive C-Suite Decision Makers can focus on their company, brand label, and minimize suspension of operations in the face of calamity."

Experts from SunPoint Public Adjusters, Inc. exclusively advocate for businesses or homeowners who are affected or sustain damage to their property by disasters or other covered circumstances. Masood Khan advised that their "deep bench of seasoned experts collaborate with captains of industries and business owners to represent their best interests with their insurance companies. We evaluate the coverages, prepare a comprehensive claim, and work with our clients to achieve favorable recoveries according to a broad range of options available according to an insurance policy's terms." Masood Khan stated that SunPoint Public Adjusters Inc. always has the client's interest in mind to "properly avoid any land mines through a complicated claim and negotiation process." At SunPoint Public Adjusters Inc."our job first and foremost is to protect the business owner's interest and make sure they are treated fairly during a challenging time to avoid suspension of operations and expeditiously work with insurers to resolve their financial losses," added Masood Khan. To schedule an interview with a locally based expert, contact Tom Evans at the information above. About SunPoint Public Adjusters, Inc.: SunPoint Public Adjusters, Inc. are professional loss consultants, commonly known as Public Adjusters. We are licensed in over 30 states to represent the interest of policyholders after a disaster. Our team consists of industry-expert Licensed Public Adjusters, construction experts and estimators, inventory specialists, Certified Forensic Accountants, equipment, and machinery experts. Our role is to prepare, present, and favorably negotiate the claim with only our client's best interest at heart. Unlike insurance companies, we are advocates only for the insured. Our team ensures you are properly represented and get the recovery necessary to make you whole after a loss. We focus on your insurance claim so you can focus on rebuilding your home, your business, and your life. About Masood Khan: Masood brings decades of insurance, legal and claims expertise to the clients at SunPoint Public Adjusters, Inc. At SunPoint Public Adjusters, Inc., Masood Khan shares his passion for advocating on behalf of commercial professionals and homeowners who have suffered catastrophic losses and need a professional and dedicated advocate on their side to level the playing field. Masood's attention to detail, industry expertise and unwavering commitment to adding a personal touch to every insurance claim has created a legacy of gratitude and praise by the previous clients who have become lifetime friends. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126006080/en/

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They're often referred to a man's best friend, and now a new study has revealed that some dogs can learn new words as quickly as a two-year-old child.

Researchers analysed the speed at which dogs can learn new words, and found that the most gifted pooches can learn new words after hearing them only four times.

According to the experts, that's roughly the same speed as a toddler at around two to three years old.

However, the researchers say that only very few dogs are this talented at learning words quickly, in the absence of formal training.

In particular, Border Collies were found to be one of the most 'gifted' breeds, although the skill also exists in other dog breeds, as well as mongrel dogs.

Researchers analysed the speed at which dogs can learn new words, and found that the most gifted pooches, such as Whisky (pictured), can learn new words after hearing them only four times

HOW DO DOGS LEARN NEW WORDS? In the experiment, two gifted dogs, Whisky and Vicky Nina, were exposed to new words in two different conditions - during an exclusion-based task, and in a social playful context with their owners In the exclusion-based task, the dog was faced with seven familiar, already named dog toys and one new toy. The dogs showed that they were able to select the new toy when their owner spoke a new name. This confirms that dogs can choose by exclusion, in other words excluding all the other toys because they already have a name and selecting the only one left. However, the most successful way for the dogs to learn a new word was in a social context. When owners pronounced the name of the toy while playing with their pooch, the dogs learned its name even after hearing it only four times. Whisky and Vicky Nina were able to select the toys based on their names when they had learned the names this way. Advertisement

While most dogs do not learn words unless they are extensively trained, a few have shown these exceptional abilities despite any formal teaching.

Study author Professor Adam Miklosi, of Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, said: 'Such rapid learning seems to be similar to the way human children acquire their vocabulary around two to three years of age.'

Social media sensation Whisky, a Border Collie from Norway, and Vicky Nina, a Yorkshire terrier from Brazil, participated in the new study.

In the experiment, the two 'gifted' dogs showed their ability to learn a new word after hearing it only four times.

Lead study author Dr Claudia Fugazza, of the same university, said: 'We wanted to know under which conditions the gifted dogs may learn novel words.

'To test this, we exposed Whisky and Vicky Nina to the new words in two different conditions, during an exclusion-based task and in a social playful context with their owners.

'Importantly, in both conditions the dogs heard the name of the new toy only four times'.

While it is natural to think that dogs, like human children, would learn words mostly in a social context, previous studies tested the ability of talented dogs to learn object names during specific tasks.

In one task, the dog was faced with seven familiar, already named dog toys and one new toy.

The dogs showed that they were able to select the new toy when their owner spoke a new name.

This confirms that dogs can choose by exclusion, in other words excluding all the other toys because they already have a name and selecting the only one left.

Social media sensation Whisky, a Border Collie from Norway, and Vicky Nina (pictured), a Yorkshire terrier from Brazil, participated in the new study

However, when the dogs were then presented with the newly-learned name alongside another new name, they were unable to recall the newly-learned name.

Instead, the researchers found that the dogs learned new words best when in a social context.

When owners pronounced the name of the toy while playing with their pooch, the dogs learned its name even after hearing it only four times.

The study suggests that gifted dogs can learn new words at the same speed as a two to three-year-old (stock image)

Whisky and Vicky Nina were able to select the toys based on their names when they had learned the names this way.

To test whether most dogs would learn words this way, another 20 dogs were tested in the same condition, but none of them showed any evidence of learning the toy names.

This confirms that only very few and gifted dogs are able to learn words quickly, in the absence of formal training.

Dr Fugazza added: 'After such few exposures, however, Whisky's and Vicky Nina's memory of the learned words decayed quite fast.

'While in the first test, conducted a couple of minutes after hearing the toy names, the dogs were successful, they did not succeed in most of the tests conducted after ten minutes and one hour.'

To find out more about the number of words that the gifted dogs can learn in a short timeframe, the researchers have also recently launched the Genius Dog Challenge a project that went viral on social media.

Vicky Nina passed away in the meantime and could not take part in the Genius Dog Challenge.

Whisky is participating in it, together with other five talented dogs that the scientists found all over the world in the past two years of search.

The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Sunday he has tested positive for COVID-19 and that the symptoms are mild.

Mexico's president, who has been criticized for his handling of his country's pandemic, said on his official Twitter account that he is under medical treatment. "I regret to inform you that I am infected with COVID-19," he tweeted. "The symptoms are mild but I am already under medical treatment. As always, I am optimistic. We will all move forward..."

Lopez Obrador, 67, has long been criticized for not setting an example of prevention in public. He has rarely been seen wearing a mask and continued to keep up a busy travel schedule taking commercial flights. He has resisted locking down the economy, noting the devastating effect it would have on so many Mexicans who live day to day.


Christian leaders urge Biden to lift sanctions on Syria

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Prominent Christians and human rights activists have urged the Biden administration to end U.S. sanctions on Syria which they say have contributed to the starvation and poverty of its citizens.

In letters sent to both President Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday, signatories urge the world leaders to "help Syrians to alleviate a humanitarian crisis, which causes profound suffering to the civilian population and threatens a new wave of instability in the Middle East."

John Eibner, international president of Christian Solidarity International, forwarded the letter to Biden in an appeal to end "U.S. economic sanctions that kill, displace, impoverish and psychologically damage Syrias civilians.

Eibner stressed that the over 90 signatories who are calling for an end to sanctions, all have sterling records of religious, diplomatic, legislative, military, academic, human rights and/or humanitarian service.

"At the center stand Syrian Christian leaders who remain with their respective flocks as their country approaches the brink of not just hunger, but of starvation, according [to] the U.N. World Food Program," he added.

In the letter sent to Johnson, signatories urge the prime minister to take action by: 1) Endorsing the U.N. Special Rapporteurs recommendation; 2) Terminating the U.K.'s economic-sector sanctions against the Syrian people; 3) Protecting U.K. citizens and institutions from the coercion of the United States extraterritorial and extrajudicial secondary sanctions.

The sanctions referenced in the letter to Johnson were imposed by the U.S. government on June 17, 2020, as part of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, The Washington Times reported. The Act was "named after a Syrian military photographer who smuggled out 55,000 digital images of the destruction the civil war has caused."

The sanctions further devalued Syria's currency and targeted companies that conduct business with Syria or President Bashar Assad and his wife, Asma, whom former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had described as one of Syrias most notorious war profiteers, The Epoch Times reported. The travel restrictions and financial sanctions also blacklisted Assads siblings, select senior generals, and Iranian militia.

The escalation of sanctions was intended to further weaken the Assad regime in an attempt to force it back into U.N. negotiations and to end the country's ongoing war.

On Sept. 30, 2020, in an attempt to oust Assad, the U.S. Treasury and State Departments blacklisted top Syrian officials and "alleged financiers, including the central-bank governor and an intelligence chief," The Wall Street Journal reported at the time.

The U.S. government's actions "were designed to hold individuals accountable for helping a government accused by Western officials and human-rights groups of committing war crimes throughout its long-running civil war, including the use of chemical weapons," WSJ added.

The sanctions also marked "the third anniversary of an attack that killed 32 civilians, including more than a dozen children, in the northwestern town of Armanaz near the Turkish border."

The letter to Biden insists that unless sanctions are lifted, Millions of hard-pressed Syrians will go to bed hungry and cold tonight.

According to estimates from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights 585,000 people have been killed in the war that began in March 2011. In 2010, Syria had a population of 21.4 million people. Due to refugees fleeing and deaths, the country now has a population of 17.7 million people, according to World Population Review.

In May 2011, the U.S. ordered sanctions against the Syrian government in response to Assads human rights violations. Syria has remained under export sanctions and is not allowed to receive most forms of U.S. assistance. However, the U.S. remains the largest humanitarian donor to Syria, giving $12.2 billion in humanitarian aid to "vulnerable individuals" and those who are "displaced in the region since the start of the crisis," according to the State Department.

After 10 years of civil war between the Assad regime and various rebel groups, Christian Solidarity International and others have warned that sanctions have further impoverished Syria.

"Although the fighting has now ceased in much of the country, over the past year, the U.S. and its allies have ratcheted up the sanctions on Syria, sending its currency into a tailspin and pushing millions of Syrians into poverty," CSI said in a statement.

"Sanctions on Syria make it extremely difficult to import the medications and medical equipment necessary to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and other illnesses and conditions, such as cancer, kidney failures, and schizophrenia," the group added.

The U.N.'s Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures, professor Alena Douhan, also recommended lifting the U.S. sanctions.

"I am concerned that sanctions imposed under the Caesar Act may exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation in Syria, especially in the course of COVID-19 pandemic, and put the Syrian people at even greater risk of human rights violations," Douhan said in a statement back in December.

"When it announced the first sanctions under the Caesar Act in June 2020, the United States said it did not intend for them to harm the Syrian population," she added. "Yet enforcement of the Act may worsen the existing humanitarian crisis, depriving the Syrian people of the chance to rebuild their basic infrastructure."

U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Joel Rayburn countered Douhan's claims, asserting that Assad is to blame for Syrias suffering, not U.S. sanctions.

"The Special Rapporteurs attempt to blame Syrias economic crisis on U.S. sanctions is misguided and false. The blame for Syrias economic situation and humanitarian crisis falls on Assads brutal war against the Syrian people, not on U.S. sanctions," said Rayburn in a statement last month, adding that a U.N. investigation found that Assad, not sanctions are responsible.

"The U.N. has shown the world the substantial evidence that the Assad regime and its foreign enablers have dropped bombs impacting hospitals, schools, markets, and homes. Furthermore, the regime continues to obstruct the U.N. from delivering humanitarian aid ..."

Rayburn added: "The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act and other targeted sanctions on the Assad regime and its supporters seek accountability for the regimes atrocities and to cut off the resources Assad uses to fuel the conflict. They do not target humanitarian-related trade, assistance, or activities."

It's been reported that the starvation of Syrians has resulted from the actions of many parties, including the Assad regime, rebel groups, and the Islamic State terrorist group. Crops have been burned, bakeries and markets have been attacked and blockades have been enforced as a war tactics.

Ten years ago, Syria was a breadbasket for the region. Today it is on the verge of not just hunger, but of starvation, according to the World Food Program, the letter sent to Biden adds. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic is raging through the country, unhindered by a healthcare system largely destroyed over ten years of war.

All of the actors struggling for power and influence, and the various weapons they use, have contributed to the suffering of the Syrian people over the past ten years, Eibner said.

But today there is growing awareness that these sanctions are a disproportionate use of economic force and a form of collective punishment of innocent civilians, which harms the weakest, most vulnerable members of society more than those in power, he added.

The letters concludes by asserting that U.S. national interests can be achieved without imposing economic sanctions.
KYIV, Ukraine, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center (BYHMC) unveiled its plans for constructing one of the world's largest Holocaust memorial centers. The complex will be built at Babyn Yar, over an area of 150 hectares. It will include a dozen buildings in memory of the 33,771 Jewish victims were shot at the Babyn Yar ravine by the Nazis during just two days, 29 and 30 September 1941 and estimated number of 100,000 victims: Jews, Ukrainians, Roma, mentally ill and others murdered at Babyn Yar, making it Europe's largest mass grave and in the memory of 1.5 million Jews murdered in similar Nazi mass shootings across Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, The establishment of the Babyn Yar Memorial Center which will begin during the 80th year since the terrible massacre, is essential for the commemoration of the Holocaust (Credit: President Office)

The buildings which will be erected as part of the complex include: A museum to commemorate the Babyn Yar massacre; a museum to commemorate the Holocaust of Ukrainian and Eastern European Jewry as a whole; a structure depicting the names of the victims; a religious/spiritual center including a synagogue, church and mosque; an educational and scientific research center; a multi-media center; a learning and recreational space for children; an information and conference center and more. The very first synagogue at the site, plus an additional exhibition space are scheduled to be completed this year, ahead of the eightieth anniversary of the Babyn Yar massacre, which will be commemorated in September.

Plans for the museum complex are being formulated by Ilya Khrzhanovsky, BYHMC's Artistic Director, in cooperation with international experts in museum development, including: Nick Axel - Head of the architectural design department at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam; Robert Jan Van Pelt - Professor at the University of Waterloo, who chaired the working group which created the master plan for the future Auschwitz Museum; Troy Conrad Therrien  Chief Curator of Architecture and Digital Initiatives at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Professor at Columbia University; Ines Weizman - Head of the MPhil/PhD Architecture Program at London's Royal College of Art; Barbara Holzer  Urban planning expert and Professor of Architecture and Interior Design at the Peter Behrens School of Art in Dusseldorf (DE) and Adrien Gardere  A designer and museographer, who has designed several prestigious museums, such as the Louvre-Lens in France (2012) and the Cairo Islamic Art Museum in Egypt (2010); Marina Abramovic  An internationally acclaimed pioneer of performance art, who is also a writer and filmmaker. The team also includes talented young Ukrainian experts in various fields. Maks Rokhmaniyko  Architect and 3D model developer; Anna Furman  Director of the BYHMC Names Project; Oleg Shovenko  Head Manager of the BYHMC library and publishing project and Anna Kamyshan  Head Manager of the BYHMC Architectural and Design Department.

In September 2020, Ukraine's government represented by the Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko, under the auspices of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with BYHMC, represented by Supervisory Board member Ronald S. Lauder, to promote the construction of a fitting memorial to the Babyn Yar tragedy.

Last month BYHMC presented its plans for the Memorial Center to President Zelensky and the Minister of Culture. The President welcomed the plans and instructed the Minister of Culture to promote the opening of a synagogue and an additional exhibition space in the complex during this year, which marks eighty years since the Babyn Yar massacre. Doing so during this eightieth anniversary year, will enable residents of the Ukraine and visitors from all over the world to see, touch and feel the horror which took place there and was subsequently silenced.

Ilya Khrzhanovsky and his team of international experts presented its concept for the Memorial Center to the Supervisory Board of BYHMC. The Supervisory Board, comprised of eminent international figures, enthusiastically welcomed the plans.

Underscoring the need for such a memorial, a recent survey in Ukraine, conducted to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day, revealed that 68 per cent of respondents believe the memory of twentieth century genocides such as the Holocaust is fading. Meanwhile, just 16 per cent of respondents knew that more than one million Jews were shot dead near their homes during the Holocaust.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky: "The Babyn Yar Massacre and the Holocaust of the Jews of Ukraine are an important and tragic chapter in the history of our country. The establishment of the Babyn Yar Memorial Center, the construction of which will begin during the 80th year since the terrible massacre, is essential for the commemoration of the Holocaust. As Europe's largest mass grave, Babyn Yar represents unimaginable destruction. Thanks to these plans, it will become a place of peace, reflection and tranquility."

Head of the Presidential Administration, Andrii Yermak: "As we enter this eightieth anniversary year since the massacre at Babyn Yar, it is more important than ever that we properly remember the tragedy and honor its victims. The crimes that took place at Babyn Yar were a national tragedy and as a country, we are committed to making sure it is fittingly commemorated. Approving these plans for establishing a world-class museum complex, is a significant and meaningful step towards doing this."

The Artistic Director of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, Ilya Khrzhanovsky: "The decision to establish a museum complex expanding across the entire territory where one of the greatest tragedies of the Holocaust took place, was taken in order to build a place of commemoration and learning, of observation and doubt. It will transform a place of killing and destruction into a sacred space. It is designed in a way that everyone can connect to a life that was and is no longer. The construction of this complex will keep the story of the Jews of Ukraine and Eastern Europe alive."

The chair of the Supervisory Board of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, Natan Sharansky: "The concept which was presented is both very interesting and amazing. It demonstrates how the museum and educational center will not only both be high quality, but at the same time different from many other Holocaust centers. As such, it will help fill a vacuum in the field of Holocaust studies."

BYHMC is already operating a series of research and education programs. Through the Center's work, around 20,000 previously unknown names of massacre victims have been uncovered and verified. Meanwhile, scientific research at the Center has been completed to determine for the first time exactly where the shootings took place in the Babyn Yar Forest. In addition, educational programs have been built together with Yad Vashem and a number of new memorial structures have been erected in the area.

About the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center

The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Centre https://babynyar.org/en/ is a non-governmental charity whose purpose is to preserve and cultivate the memory of the Holocaust and the Babyn Yar tragedy in Ukraine by turning the Babyn Yar area into a place of remembrance. The Foundation's mission is to worthily honour the memory of the victims of the tragedy and to contribute to the humanization of society through preserving and studying the history of the Holocaust. A series of commemorations during 2021 will mark the eightieth anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1425846/Babi_Yar_Zelensky.jpg

SOURCE Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center

Related Links

https://babynyar.org/en/


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IPRAs analysis of the bullet trajectories from the officers guns showed both opened fire while standing next to Golattes vehicle instead of in front of it, according to the report.
Its more real estate drama for the quick-tempered star of Real Housewives of New Jersey, Teresa Giudice. She's slashed the price of her mansion in Montville, NJ, to try to entice a buyer.

The longtime cast member initially placed her posh property on the market last fall for $2.5 million. Its now back on the market for a little under $2.25 million.

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She and her former husband, Joe Giudice, purchased the property in 2002 for $530,000 and then proceeded to build their dream home together. Their lavish showpiece was completed in 2008.

The spread measures 10,000 square feet, with six bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms. As reality TV fans know, the stars swanky spot often served as a backdrop for the popular show.

The couple also spent time away from the home when they pleaded guilty to multiple federal fraud charges in March 2014. Teresa spent 11 months behind bars. Joe served his prison sentence after Teresa, and got out of jail in March 2019. But because Joe wasn't an American citizen, he was deported to Italy after serving his time.

Now that the couple have split up, they're looking forward to moving on from this home with so much history.

For potential buyers who want to know what its like to live there, look no farther than Giudices Instagram account, which showcases the social media influencer's life at home. She often gives shout-outs to products she's promoting in the kitchen.

She also recently posted shots of her home's holiday decor.

Set on 3.7 acres, the stone and stucco build opens to an opulent entry, with black marble floors, a Cinderella staircase, and glitzy chandelier.

Giudice is also a bestselling author of cookbooks, and the main level includes her infamous chefs kitchen with its center island, the site of many dishy scenes with the Housewives. It's the perfect place to spill the tea, and includes stainless-steel appliances and a butlers pantry.

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Watch: We Just Idolize Ryan Seacrest's Beverly Hills Compound

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In addition, the layout includes a formal dining room, family room, wine cellar, and two-story great room with a wood-burning fireplace.

Upstairs are two bedroom suites, two more bedrooms, an office, and a family room.

The sprawling master suite boasts a detailed vaulted ceiling design, a fireplace, dressing area, three walk-in closets, and a master bathroom with onyx tiles.

Outside, the grounds include a covered patio, a pool that was newly built in 2019, and a landscaped backyard.

So, will the price cut clinch a sale? Perhaps the saga of this home continues into the upcoming season of the show. Stay tuned.

Joshua Baris with Coldwell Banker Realty-Fort Lee Office holds the listing.

The post 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' Diva Teresa Giudice Cuts Price of NJ Mansion appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
Sen. John Cornyn is defending his fellow Texan senator Ted Cruz against an ethics investigation of Cruz that Democratic senators requested.

Seven Democratic senators asked the chamber's ethics panel to determine whether Cruz and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley failed to put loyalty to the highest moral principles and to country above loyalty to persons, party, or government department when they objected to certifying Arizona's electoral votes for President Joe Biden, the Houston Chronicle's Benjamin Wermund reports.

TEXAS IN POLITICS: Sen. Ted Cruz reintroduces amendment imposing term limits on congressional members

Cruz and Hawley's objections have been accused of encouraging a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, which resulted in the deaths of five people, including a Capitol police officer.

Cornyn called the ethics complaint the politics of personal destruction in an interview with Fox News, the Dallas Morning News' Elizabeth Thompson reports.

I dont think Senator Hawley or Senator Cruz should be penalized in any way for making an argument," Cornyn said. "Maybe it didnt carry the day, but I think they have every right to make the argument."

Cruz and Hawley voted to object to certifying Arizona and Pennsylvania's election results on Jan. 6, hours after a mob breached the Capitol and delayed the certification process. Both senators have faced widespread calls to resign.

The complaint filed against Cruz and Hawley alleges that their objections gave credibility to Trump's baseless claims of election fraud.

By proceeding with their objections to the electors after the violent attack, Senators Cruz and Hawley lent legitimacy to the mobs cause and made future violence more likely, the senators wrote in the ethics complaint filed Thursday. The Senate has the exclusive power to determine whether these actions violated its ethics rules, to investigate further conduct of which we may not be aware that may have violated these rules, and to consider appropriate discipline.

Cornyn said on Fox News that Democrats had previously objected to election results. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., objected to Ohio's Electoral College vote for former President George W. Bush in 2005, prompting an easily defeated vote in Congress. In 2017, then-Vice President Biden dismissed half a dozen House Democrats who raised objections to Trump's election without a senator's support, telling one, It is over, and earning cheers from Republicans.

There were others that had previously done it, Cornyn said. Its within their right to make those objections. But its also their responsibility to accept the outcome once its been decided, and thats what we should all do, and move on.

Cornyn also said in an interview with Austin's NBC affiliate KXAN that he would not call on Cruz to resign and does not believe Cruz holds any responsibility for the Capitol riot. Cruz has said he will not resign.

No, I dont, Cornyn said when asked if he thinks Cruz bears any responsibility for the attack, KXAN's Josh Engel reports. Free speech gives people the right to be wrong. It gives them a right to express their strongly held views.
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. Capitol security officials apologized on Tuesday for "failings" during the deadly attack on the building by followers of then-President Donald Trump in a bid to stop the certification of Joe Biden's election victory.

The officials specifically acknowledged a number of missteps: conflicting intelligence, inadequate preparation and insufficient mobilization of partner agencies, and called for improving accountability systems and communications structures.

"I am here to offer my sincerest apologies on behalf of the Department," said Yolanda Pittman, the acting chief of Capitol Police, according to a prepared statement for the U.S. House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee.

"The Department failed to meet its own high standards as well as yours," she added.

Pittman said many of the officers are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after the Jan. 6 assault in which five people died, including one Capitol police officer. Pittman said the death of a second officer was indirectly linked.

She and Timothy Blodgett, the acting U.S. House of Representatives' sergeant at arms, said security officials were working to do more to boost protection of the U.S. Capitol, the seat of government.

Pro-Trump supporters stormed the building following Trump's urgings at a rally near the White House to go to the Capitol. Trump was impeached by the House on a charge of incitement and the trial in the Senate is scheduled for February.

The then-chiefs of the Capitol Police and House sergeant at arms stepped down.

In the weeks since the attack, security has been heightened around the Capitol and in Washington in general, with eight-foot-high fencing surrounding the perimeter and National Guard troops brought in for Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20.

Some 5,000 National Guard troops will remain in Washington through mid-March.

(Reporting by Makini Brice; editing by Grant McCool)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Sources tell CNN Philippines the Supreme Court has ordered Solicitor General Jose Calida to comment on a Facebook post made by a person using the name 'Antonio Parlade', which in part said "very soon, blood debts will be settled."

In a motion on Monday, Anti-terrorism Law petitioners, among them former Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, said the post could possibly be meant to intimidate them ahead of the ATL oral arguments scheduled on February 2.

READ: Anti-Terrorism Act oral arguments moved to Feb. 2 as Calida's staff catch COVID-19

The petitioners want the government's top lawyer to explain whether the post is an official communication from government or a public officer.

They added the post was also meant to interfere with the Supreme Court's power to administer justice and falls within Section 4 or "Terrorism" of the Anti-terrorism Law, which punishes anyone who engages in acts intended to cause death or serious injury or endangers a person's life.

The Anti-Terrorism Act is now the most challenged law in the Supreme Court's recent history. Lawyers and framers of the Constitution, legal experts, and human rights advocates say the "unconstitutional" measure relaxes safeguards against abuse, something authorities have repeatedly denied.

CNN Philippines' Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.
HONG KONG  When Shirley Leung, 60, woke up enclosed in Hong Kongs first coronavirus lockdown, she surveyed the tiny room she shares with her adult son, which fits a single bed and cardboard boxes and plastic tubs for storing clothes.

She tried to ignore the smell of the ceiling and walls, which were blanketed with mold. She rationed out the fresh vegetables she had at home, dissatisfied with the canned foods and instant noodles the government had provided when it imposed the restrictions on Saturday. She considered the cramped, interconnected nature of her apartment building.

If one room is infected, then how is it possible for cases not to spread among subdivided flats? Ms. Leung said in a telephone interview. How can it be safe?
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, 1/26/2021 at 5:00 pm EST, Children's Health Defense (CHD) will hold a press conference regarding the oral arguments in its landmark case against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

CHD's case challenges the FCC's refusal to review its 25-year-old obsolete wireless "health guidelines" and to adopt scientific, biologically -based radio frequency emissions rules that adequately protect public health from wireless devices and infrastructure, including 5G. The petitioners filed 11,000 pages of evidence .

Children's Health Defense and the Environmental Health Trust (EHT) filed separate cases against the FCC, but filed joint briefs . While EHT has been represented by attorney Ed Meyers, because of a court decision that only one attorney would be allowed to present in the Oral Arguments , Scott McCollough, CHD's attorney, argued for both CHD and EHT Petitioners.

In the hearing, the honorable Judge Wilkins, a chemical engineer by training, told the FCC, " I am inclined to rule against you ."

The honorable Judge Patricia Millet consistently pushed the FCC to answer why the FCC and/or the FDA didn't review the evidence on non-cancer effects of wireless technology; why they addressed only cell phones when there is evidence on effects from various other devices and infrastructure; and why they didn't address the cumulative effects from the chronic exposure for numerous devices.

"This is a landmark case and it is of the utmost importance to Children's Health Defense , which works relentlessly to eliminate the epidemic of sickness in children," said the organization's chairman, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He added, "The overwhelming experimental and human evidence which the FCC has ignored leaves no doubt that wireless technology is a major contributory factor to this epidemic. The FCC has shown that its chief interest is protecting the telecom industry and maximizing its profits. Its position as put forward in its brief, and as we saw today in court, is simply indefensible."

Press Conference speakers : Robert F Kennedy, Jr., CHD's Chairman and co-counsel in the case; Scott W. McCollough, CHD's attorney; Dafna Tachover, attorney and CHD's Director of the 5G and Wireless Harm Project who spearheaded the lawsuit.

Register for the Press Conference

Contact

Dafna Tachover

202-599-1461

SOURCE Children's Health Defense

Related Links

http://www.childrenshealthdefense.org


Shell is buying ubitricity, the European provider of on-street charging for electric vehicles (EVs) that has the largest public EV charging network in the UK, the supermajor said on Monday.

The expansion of Shells EV charging offering is part of the oil majors support for low-carbon transport by offering electric vehicle drivers public on-street charge points integrated into existing street infrastructure, the company said.

Thats not the first deal for Shell in the EV charging business. As early as 2017, Shell signed a deal to buy one of Europes biggest EVs charging networks, Netherlands-based NewMotion. Shell has also partnered with a consortium involving some of Europes largest carmakers to build a network of EV fast-charging stations across the continent.

The acquisition of ubitricity, founded in Berlin, is the first major EV charging deal since Shell announced in April 2020 its ambition to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 at the latest, joining other majors such as BP and Eni in unveiling plans to curb carbon emissions.

The transaction, for which Shell did not disclose a purchase price, is expected to be completed later in 2021, subject to regulatory clearance.

The ubitricity deal will give the supermajor 100 percent in the largest public EV charging network in the UK with over 2,700 charge points, with a 13.1 percent market share in the UK as of the end of January, according to Zap-Map data.

The second-largest EV charging network is that of bp pulse, with a 12-percent share in the UK. bp pulse was named as the UKs fastest-growing and most used public network in 2020, by Zap-Map.

Shell and BP will thus be the main competitors on the UKs EV charging network market. Both companies have supported the UKs ban of the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars and vans, which Britain adopted last year and banned those sales from 2030.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
[January 25, 2021] SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS BSX, SPLK INVESTORS of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuits

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 25, 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







To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-splunk-inc-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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As farmers turn violent, Delhi Police issue fresh traffic alert

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: The Delhi Police has issued a fresh alert in the wake of the farmer protest turning violent.

Farmers enter Red Fort, hoist a flag | Tractor rampage at ITO | Oneindia News

Traffic movement is closed from Kapashera Chowk to Bijwasan Road. Diversion is given from Kapashera Border Samalkha T Point. Traffic movement is closed from Dwarka More to Uttam Nagar East Metro Station. Diversion is given from Dwarka More. In case of any queries, the people are requested to contact DTP Helpline at 011-25844444 and 1095, the Delhi Traffic Police said.

Earlier, a farmer part of the tractor rally died after a tractor overturned during the parade. The farmers claimed that he had been shot.

Farmer dies after tractor overturns during protest

The farmers protesting against the agriculture law enacted by the government took out a tractor rally today. However within a short span of time, the parade took a violent turn as the protesters broke the police barricades which led to the police firing tear gas shells.

Some farmers were seen pushing the barricades with their bare hands. It was reported that the protesters were not abiding by the regulations of the parade, which was set in place earlier to ensure that the same was carried out smoothly.

The early hours of the protests have been marred with reports of farmers clashing with the police. Reports also said that the police had to use water cannons and tear gas shells to disburse the farmers.

Following a meeting on Sunday, the police said that they had reached a consensus with the farmers on holding the rally at specific locations near the three borders. During the meeting, the farmers had agreed to stick to specific routes and not enter other parts of the city. However, it became clear that the farmers began their rally an hour before the decided time. The farmers had assured the police that they would begin their rally only once the Republic Day parade was over.
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[January 26, 2021] Ketner Group Communications Celebrates 30 Years as a B2B PR Agency

Ketner Group Communications, a public relations, marketing and communications firm for innovative technology companies, today announced the firm's 30th anniversary. Serving clients throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K., Ketner Group has established itself as a trusted partner to clients ranging from publicly traded companies to high-growth startups. Ketner Group is the leading agency for retail technology companies. Specializing in this vertical has allowed Ketner Group to play a role in retail's fast-paced evolution by representing a wide range of innovative clients, from omnichannel commerce to online marketplaces, hospitality and supply chain solutions. Ketner Group has expanded its portfolio of clients in the last five years to include B2B technology and professional services companies across a number of verticals, while still maintaining its leadership in retail technology PR. "I have worked with the Ketner Group for two decades of its 30-year journey and right from the start recognized there was something different about its approach -- sophistication, intelligence and authenticity," said Joseph Skorupa, strategic adviser and former editor at large for RIS News. "These are principles I value, and clearly they have been instrumental in the agency's three-decade record of success." Ketner Group has achieved many milestones throughout its 30 years as an agency, including reporting year-over-year growth in employee size and its client portfolio and naming Ketner Group's longtime leader Catherine Seeds as the agency's president and partner in 2019. In recent years, the agency has expanded office locations beyond its Austin headquarters; opening an office in New York City and another in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2020, Ketner Group was named to the 2020 PRNEWS PR Agency Top 100 list. The list highlights the top communications, marketing, and digital agencies serving the U.S. Ketner Group was named to Austin Inno's 2019 50 on Fire and is regularly recognized as one of the top PR agencies in Austin. Seeds was recently selected as one of the Top 100 Women in Power in Central Texas.



"It's an honor to celebrate Ketner Group's 30th anniversary, and it's even more exciting to look to our future," said Jeff Ketner, founder and CEO. "We've experienced year-over-year growth for the past four years, and we're off to our best start ever in 2021. I'm grateful for all our team members, especially Catherine and our senior leadership. None of this would be possible without them and the support of so many long-term clients, and we will continue our momentum in the years ahead." Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ketner Group team has continued to provide the highest levels of support and results for clients, securing media coverage in publications like Reuters (News - Alert), Variety Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, MarketWatch and more. It has guided clients on the best practices in communications during the pandemic and officially launched the agency's first webinar series, KG Connects, bringing together influencers and industry experts to discuss trends in PR and marketing.

"We are proud of the growth and reputation our agency has established during these 30 years. Our hard work, integrity and strategic creativity has helped us earn the trust of our clients and partners, and in many cases, have led to longtime friendships," said Catherine Seeds. "It is an honor for me to serve as president of Ketner Group Communications, alongside my team of fearless and kind PR professionals, and I look forward to sharing additional news about the agency's future in the coming months." To learn more about Ketner Group's capabilities and future career opportunities, visit ketnergroup.com. About Ketner Group Communications Ketner Group Communications represents innovators that are reshaping the world we live in, including high-growth companies in retail, e-commerce, grocery and CPG, advertising and marketing, social media and consumer technology. We work with clients throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K, and our core capabilities include media and analyst relations, content development, social media strategy and implementation, and digital content marketing. Ketner Group has called Austin home for close to 30 years and expanded in 2019 with the addition of offices in New York City and Nashville. For more information please visit www.ketnergroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005042/en/

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WESTMINSTER, Colo., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Cozy Corner Patios, a patio furniture company based in Colorado, announced that it has distributed over 23,000 meals to those in need by partnering with Pledgeling Food Fund. Meal began distribution on May 5, 2020, as the Coronavirus reached a new peak and limited access to countless resources across the country.

The YellowStone - 7pc Sunbrella Outdoor Sofa Set

Of the furniture brand's latest announcement, Cozy Corner Patio co-founder Maria said, "We felt it was important to make an effort to support the community through service and make a social impact amidst a particularly tough time for all residents of the colorful state."

Pledgeling Food Fund, a nonprofit based in Venice, California, has raised over $45,723 via 920 donations. With a stated mission to provide meals to individuals in need, the fund has donated to national organizations focused on child hunger in the past, including Feeding America.

Vibhas Sen, VP Marketing and Sales, also commented, "A strong and engaged community will lead to improved products, learning and innovation, as well as company growth."





Cozy Corner Patios's efforts to help those in need come as more than 8 million Americans slip underneath the poverty line, a consequence of the destructive Coronavirus pandemic.

Others can support the cause by visiting the company's website at https://www.cozycornerpatios.com/.

Donations for the Pledgeling Food Fund can be submitted at https://www.pledgeling.com/organizations/fund-0001/Pledgeling-Food-Fund.

About Cozy Corner Patios: Cozy Corner Patios, which calls Colorado home, is dedicated to producing some of the best quality patio furniture available in the United States. Utilizing exceptional quality, sophisticated and elegant designs, and reasonable pricing, the company strives to develop an innovative and out-of-the-box approach to conventional furniture.

The idea for Cozy Corner Patio was sparked when Maria, its founder, became frustrated by the limited patio furniture options available at local furniture stores, home improvement stores and big-box stores. From overpriced items to low-quality pieces, it seemed that there wasn't a suitable variety of furniture that offered reasonable prices with long-lasting durability. As such, Maria decided to take matters into her own hands by launching Cozy Corner Patios: a patio furniture supplier that boasts premier materials, stylish options and affordable pricing.

Visit https://www.cozycornerpatios.com/ to learn more about the company and support its vision.

Media Contact:

Vibhas Sen

Cozy Corner Patios

818-666-2523

[email protected]

SOURCE Cozy Corner Patios LLC

Related Links

https://www.cozycornerpatios.com/


With restaurants closed and all of us spending more time in our kitchens, it was inevitable that lockdown would prove a fertile ground for a crop of new home cooks.

According to an international study led by Queens University Belfast and National University of Ireland Galway, were ditching ready meals and takeaways. The research, which was carried out last May, seems to suggest that with a little more time on our hands, many of us are now dining on dishes made from scratch.

From relying on jars of pasta sauce to relying on Mary Berry, Gearoid Og O Greachain from Co Clare has a newfound appetite for cooking. He says: Before the pandemic, I would have been able to make pasta and toast and Id have been proud of myself for pouring a jar of Dolmio Bolognese onto mince!

There were a few reasons why Id never got into cooking before. One was that, at university, I lived in a digs arrangement where I wasnt allowed to use the kitchen to cook for myself and this led to a lot of take-out meals and the start of a bad habit.

The other is that I had undiagnosed ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] until my early twenties and that made it hard to have the focus to concentrate on cooking a substantial dish. With ADHD, a lot of simple things can seem daunting  such as cleaning a room  and the biggest challenge is getting started. Even now that I enjoy cooking, I still have to push myself to crack the first egg or chop the first pepper.

Gearoid explains: I work as a tour guide in the GAA museum and, when lockdown hit, I suddenly had a lot of free time as there was no way for me to work from home. I decided to start simple and try a recipe for brownies. When that went well, I started on dinners, making chilli con carne, lasagne and even a Christmas yule log for myself and my parents.

My family has been delighted, and theyve clearly been following my Instagram stories as I got a lot of kitchen equipment for Christmas presents! I also got a Mary Berry recipe book  shes my go-to  although I have to say I found Richard Brutons videos on scones and Thai prawn curry useful.

I do regret not learning to cook sooner because the funny thing is, if you start easy and work your way up, its not that difficult to get into the habit of cooking for yourself. Ill definitely keep doing it when life returns to normal. I might not have the time to make a main course and dessert in the one day but I reckon cooking will be a great way to unwind after work.

Meanwhile, mum-of-two Deirdre OMalley from Co Mayo is married to a sheep-farmer, Pat, but admits her attempts at cooking lamb never went beyond bunging it in the oven...until lockdown hit.

She says: From an early age, I remember my mother saying youre a plain Jane when it came to what I would eat. I wasnt a big fan of spice or anything too adventurous, so any cooking I did revolved around the basics.

Also, I work as a hotel manager doing nights and evenings, and the staff meals are so lovely Ive never had to think about making something to bring in to eat. When I cooked at home, it was always very much of the spuds, meat, veg variety.

But then Covid came along, and lockdown, and suddenly I had the time to try cooking new things like stroganoffs and curries. On Facebook, I came across a page called Eileens Kitchen Table and I started following her weekly online cooking classes. Her recipes are step-by-step and easy to follow  now Eileens vegetable soup and roast dinners are a favourite in our house. Ive also become a big fan of chef Edward Hayden and Siobhan Berry of Mummy Cooks.

Read More

Deirdre admits: Ive had some disasters that our dogs have had a field day with! But Id like to think Im improving and I definitely feel more enthusiastic about cooking. I made duck for dinner last night and tonight its roast lamb.

Before, I would have just bunged the lamb in a dish and shoved it in the oven but now I use oil and herbs and cook it on a bed of carrots and onions. My taste buds have changed and Im not as squeamish about the smell of raw meat.

Now I find myself looking up the latest kitchen gadgets online rather than trying to find a great deal on a pair of shoes or jeans!

Busy CEO Niamh Taylor says her hectic schedule before Covid left no room for cooking from scratch.

She says: I got married 10 years ago and Im ashamed to say a lot of the good kitchen stuff we got as wedding gifts  Le Creuset dishes and Dualit blenders  had never been used until now!

I own a busy digital marketing agency, Digital Twenty Four, based in Belfast but with clients in London and Dublin, so I travelled a lot and convenience at mealtime was essential. That meant mostly eating out in restaurants or often my husband would stop at a deli on his way home from work and pick up pre-prepared meals. At the weekends, he enjoys cooking, so I would just do the dishes! Bar the occasional barbecue, I never really cooked.

But then lockdown hit. I had more time, going to restaurants wasnt an option and I was determined to change. I followed a video that took me step-by-step through making a prawn linguini and it was so easy, its now one of my favourite dishes.

Niamh adds: Cooking has given me routine in lockdown and I enjoy getting away from my computer and into the kitchen. My husband and I take it in turns now, but he says he prefers when I dont cook because apparently I make a mess of the kitchen which he then has to clean up as thats the rule  one cooks and the other cleans!

Meanwhile in Co Sligo, Jemima Barrie this time last year could only cook potatoes, sausages, chips and frozen pizzas but for the first time, she was able to roast a chicken for dinner last Christmas.

She says: I never had any interest in cooking before but now Im hooked. What got me started was the fact that there was nothing else to do in lockdown. I was bored and cooking put the time in. I think the first thing I made was soda bread and the smell of it cooking in the house was lovely.

I signed up to an online cookery course led by Eileen Kirrane. The more I made, the more my confidence grew. I started buying mixers, blenders and bowls, chopping boards and wooden spoons. Im cooking from scratch and were definitely eating more vegetables now. I cant believe I used to buy canned soup, I can make my own soup now and it tastes nicer.

From the moment I started cooking, I knew that one of the things I really wanted to be able to do was roast a chicken, so when I served one for Christmas  with its golden cracking skin and lovely and moist inside  I was really proud of myself.

I regret not learning sooner and buying ready meals when I could have been cooking them  but I can make them myself now. I cook for myself and my 16-year-old son. He loves it and said the other day that I should have learned years ago. But I told him that at least now Ill be able to teach him!

Expand Close One of the most searched-for recipes last year was for scones / Facebook

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Whatsapp One of the most searched-for recipes last year was for scones

According to Google, the most searched-for recipes in Ireland in 2020 included scones, cakes, chicken recipes and pizza dough  so how many made your lockdown dinner table?

1. Brown bread

2. Scones

3. Pizza dough

4. Apple tart

5. Soda bread

6. Strawberry daiquiri

7. Chicken recipes

8. Carrot cake

9. Margarita

10. Chocolate cake
For the past three weeks, a group of Trump supporters and QAnon believers met online, swapped theories and eagerly awaited the conspiracys violent climax. I was listening in. This is what they sounded like.

As President Bidens inauguration ticked closer, some of Donald Trumps supporters were feeling gleeful. Mr. Trump was on the cusp of declaring martial law, they believed. Military tribunals would follow, then televised executions, then Democrats and other deep state operatives would finally be brought to justice.

These were honestly held beliefs. Dozens of Trump supporters spoke regularly over the past three weeks on a public audio chat room app, where they uploaded short recordings instead of typing. In these candid digital confessionals, participants would crack jokes, share hopes and make predictions.

Look at the last four years. They havent listened to a thing weve said. Um  theres going to have to be some serious anarchy that goes on. Otherwise, nothing is going to change.

I spent the past three weeks listening to the channel  from before the Jan. 6 Washington protest to after Mr. Bidens inauguration. It became an obsession, something Id check first thing every morning and listen to as I fell asleep at night. Participants tend to revere Mr. Trump and believe hell end the crisis outlined by Q: that the world is run by a cabal of pedophiles who operate a sex-trafficking ring, among other crimes. While the chat room group is relatively small, with only about 900 subscribers, it offers a glimpse into a worrying sect of Trump supporters. Some conspiracists like them have turned to violent language in the wake of Mr. Trumps electoral loss.

If the Biden inauguration wants to come in and take your weapons and force vaccination, you have due process to blow them the [expletive] away. Do it.

Times Opinion has included audio clips from the chat in this story because the group is public. Names and any identifying information have been omitted.

Theres a persistent belief that the online world is somehow not real. Extreme views are too easily dismissed if theyre on the internet. While people might say things online they would never do in person, all it takes is one person for digital conspiracies to take a deadly turn. That should be clear after the Capitol riot, which was largely organized online and resulted in five deaths.

Listening to the conspiracists  unfiltered and in their own voices  makes that digital conversation disturbingly real.

To participants, the channel is mainly a way to share and fact-check the news, cobbling theories together from fringe right-wing websites, posts on Facebook, and private channels on the messaging apps Telegram and Signal. They say their main focus is reinstituting paper ballots.

The most commonly used phrase is some version of I heard, followed by a theory:

 S o I h e a r d w h e n , i n 2 0 1 6 , w h e n H i l l a r y w a s s u p p o s e d t o b e p r e s i d e n t , t h e m i l i t a r y a c t u a l l y s t e p p e d i n a n d a p p o i n t e d T r u m p a s t h e c o m m a n d e r i n c h i e f .   T h e r e  s p e o p l e t h a t a r e a c t u a l l y s l e e p i n g i n s i d e t h a t b u i l d i n g t o w a t c h o v e r t h e a r e a , I g u e s s . U m , I h a v e n o l i n k t o c o n f i r m t h i s . J u s t f r o m p e o p l e t h a t I  v e h e a r d t h a t s h o u l d k n o w w h a t t h e y  r e t e l l i n g m e .   B u t i f y o u l o o k i n t o i t a n d r e a d t h e p o s t , i t  s a c t u a l e m a i l s f r o m P e n c e t r y i n g t o g e t T r u m p o u t b e f o r e h e e v e n w o n t h e e l e c t i o n .   I j u s t r e a d s o m e w h e r e t h a t B i d e n j u s t l o w e r e d t h e a g e o f c o n s e n t t o a g e 8 . H a s a n y b o d y h e a r d a n y t h i n g a b o u t t h a t ?   Y o u k n o w , y o u l a u g h e d a b o u t T u p a c a n d B i g g i e ? H e w a s m u r d e r e d , a n d I t h i n k i t w a s t h e d e e p s t a t e t h a t m u r d e r e d h i m . 

Sometimes the chat is lighthearted, like when supporters swap details about grocery runs or wish one another happy birthday. But the conversation can also turn dark, like when they speak longingly about brutal televised executions or simply ask, Can the people declare war inside the country if they wanted to?

Key to sustaining their beliefs is the expectation that the other shoe is always about to drop. One prediction, concerning 10 days of darkness, was perpetually about to come true in the form of media blackouts, social media bans or power outages.

Nearly every day, there were signs that the 10 days of darkness had begun in some form. Power outages in India and at the Vatican were possible signs. Then blackouts were reported across the world. Then state-of-emergency orders were circulated for various storms, recalling a Q catchphrase, The storm is coming.

Itd be wise to stock up water, canned foods, ammo and cash, gasoline in your vehicles, one said days after the Washington rally.

The Q delusion requires fitting unexpected events into a bigger narrative. The riot in Washington was one such opportunity. The day before, many in the chat room were worried about antifa attacking their friends. Yet it was also clear they wanted a confrontation.

I wish theyd storm the Congress and the Senate and pull all them treasonous guys out of there.

As the rally began, participants uploaded dispatches from the ground. The mood was positive, even emotional. In the chat, they shared their real-time reactions as Mr. Trumps supporters stormed the Capitol.

Patriots are in the building. Its beautiful.

And when Mr. Biden went on television to demand an end to the siege, one chatter asked, Does he not realize President Trump called us to siege the place?

Another remarked, Honestly, I think the patriots should have been allowed to go in there, grab those S.O.B.s and pull them out of the building and, you know, have an execution right there.

But by the next morning, members who had called for the siege had changed their tune. Now it was antifa that was responsible for the Capitol raid and any violence that followed.

Over and over again, confusing decisions, unexpected outcomes and a lack of evidence were recast as part of Mr. Trumps master plan.

Im hoping that he was planning on antifa showing up there and doing what they did, one woman said. And he has a master plan behind that. Im hoping.

They believed Mr. Trump would use his Washington rally to announce mass arrests and release long-awaited evidence supporting Qs theories. None of that happened.

Instead of coming to grips with that loss, they moved on to another idea: Mr. Trump needed to allow the vote to be certified to spot his enemies. He could use the Insurrection Act at any moment, putting America under martial law and using the military to seize control of the government.

I am ready to see something go down. I want to know that this is all real, or weve just been being yanked around by a bunch of idiots sitting in their bedrooms, throwing all this fake information out there. I mean, I want to believe that Trump is holding all the cards, and that hes just being deceitful right now so that he can nail everybody.

They had been through this cycle so many times before, with promises of lawsuits that could overturn the election or a Supreme Court intervention that Mr. Trump had planned for months. None of it came to pass. Still, they had hope.

Its very hard to be patient cause we  you know, remember, were like, Oh, the executive order, and Were waiting for D.N.I. report. Were waiting for this, were waiting for that, that passed, and then Jan. 6, and that passed, and then  its hard, but we have to stay focused, and I think were so close. I mean, theres just a couple of days left.

As the inauguration approached, signs were adding up in their favor. Thousands of National Guard troops were deployed to the city, and many of them were deputized to perform arrests  surely a sign that Mr. Trumps plan for martial law would come true.

Days went by, and nothing. Yet, as the inauguration drew closer, it was still raised as a possibility.

 I t  s t a k i n g l o n g e r t h a n i t s h o u l d b e , b u t p o s s i b l y h e c o u l d a n n o u n c e w h a t h e  s g o i n g t o d o n e x t . W e s t i l l h a v e t h e I n s u r r e c t i o n A c t .   I f a n y t h i n g g o e s d o w n , i t  l l b e t o d a y o r I n a u g u r a t i o n D a y . I d o n  t t h i n k i t w o u l d b e M o n d a y .   I f i t d o e s g e t s i g n e d , i f t h e I n s u r r e c t i o n A c t g e t s s i g n e d , i t  l l b e t o d a y o r t o m o r r o w . N o t a d a y l a t e r .   T h e s o u r c e I f o l l o w , I h e a r d , s a i d , T r u m p c a n f i l e  o r c a l l m a r t i a l l a w e v e n u p t o f i v e m i n u t e s b e f o r e B i d e n  s i n a u g u r a t i o n i f h e h a s t o .   I t h i n k m i d n i g h t  t h e r e  s g o i n g t o b e a l o t o f s t u f f h a p p e n i n g . 

One member described her prediction in vivid detail: His farewell speech is going to be, he declares martial law, and then as hes doing that, theyre arresting the people, like Bidens administration and all those corrupt suckers, and thats why they have all the security around the White House, Capitol Hill area. And as theyre doing that, hes going to read to us all the evidence, show us everything, and lay it all out right there.

But when Jan. 20 came, Mr. Trump left the White House, rattled off some accomplishments, said, Have a good life, then boarded a jet to Mar-a-Lago. Mr. Biden was inaugurated. Nothing they predicted came true.

When Mr. Bidens inauguration played out as normal, participants were frustrated. By rejecting mainstream news, they embraced liars who fed them exactly what they wanted to hear.

We know not to watch CNN. We know not to watch these people. But when we have people that we trust on the right, and were pushing that information out  because we dont have many media sources, so the ones that come out, they need to be pretty damn good. And for them to take advantage of peoples hope? We cannot have that.

If the Q movement had a slogan, it would be Do your research. The conspiracy is designed like a game. Discovering clues that clarify Qs cryptic missives produces a eureka effect, which offers a hit of dopamine and improves memory retention. Its the same satisfaction that comes from solving a puzzle or finding the answer to a riddle.

Believers apply the same approach to everyday news: Find information that confirms any existing beliefs, then use it to augment their understanding of the conspiracy. Reject facts or information that counter the existing beliefs. Its one of the reasons they struggle to recruit their family members, unless theyre persuaded to do research themselves.

I wondered what would happen in the days after Mr. Bidens inauguration. Rather than re-evaluate their approach in the wake of Qs failures, many doubled down. The problem wasnt that the whole worldview was false, just that they had been led astray by inaccurate reports and misinterpretations. Their response was to improve their process. They would develop a list of sources, vet credentials, link to original material, and view unconfirmed information skeptically. They were, in a sense, inventing journalism.

Others made excuses. Theories spread that Q was actually part of a deep state plot to keep Mr. Trumps supporters complacent. A few members tied Qs strategy to a C.I.A. psychological operation. And if that was true, their prophets, like Q and Mr. Trump and major personalities in the community, werent everything they hoped they would be.

By us believing that, you know, theres all these things going on behind the scenes. Its preventing us from doing anything because were just sitting down, waiting and watching for all this to secretly happen. And I dont think its happening, one said.

We cant be digital warriors our whole life. We cant be keyboard warriors our whole life, another said, recommending they focus on banking, education and passing real laws instead. He added: We cant put all our eggs in one basket like were doing and waiting on Trump. Our forefathers never relied on one man. We rely on each other going forward.

If the current version of the Q conspiracy theory dissolves, what happens to its followers? They already found a community, and their friendships weathered Mr. Bidens inauguration. If anything, their bonds have been strengthened. The channel was thriving, keeping hope alive for dozens of followers. Right-wing activists were organizing with fervor on Signal and Telegram. A few in the chat discussed plans to meet in person.

It didnt play out the way we wanted, but it showed that we can  were powerful when were together, one said. Its created a whole new era. Its not done. Its far from over.

After the inauguration, Ron Watkins, one of the main pushers of QAnons theories, who some suspect is actually Q, seemed to signal the end of the movement. In a message to followers, he focused on the strength of the community, writing, As we enter into the next administration please remember all the friends and happy memories we made together over the past few years.

The original version of the conspiracy seems in tatters, but the community is strong. And that will be harder to unravel.

Trump has changed things forever. Its a lot of seeds that he planted. And history is going to be very kind to him and the people that fought on the right side of the war.

What should Qs followers inspire in us? Anger? Sympathy?

The audio chat offers a clearer picture of these believers than the Facebook pages and Telegram channels where they also gather. The all-caps screeds of the internet give way to gentler moments, like when they talk about their pets or babysitting their grandkids. Many members were struggling in some way  financially or emotionally, with legal troubles or addiction. As Covid-19 swept their states, many got sick, and some family members died. A few members were recently out of prison. Another was living in a sober house.

I dont think they understand that were not all evil, one member said about how the left views them. Like you said, were not evil. Were not bad people.

As I listened over these three weeks, I saw that theyre drawn to Q and Mr. Trump for many reasons. The political status quo wasnt working for them. Mr. Trump was an antidote to Washington and was beholden to neither party. And Q offered not just a political orientation but also a way to place themselves in a bigger narrative that explains lifes shortcomings.

Many believers have paid a price for their views. Some were shunned by friends and family. Apps and social networks, like this audio chat room, stepped in, offering a welcoming community with shared beliefs.

Does anybody elses family members on here think youre crazy? one asked.

I have family that think that way. I think theyre crazy for not seeing what the hecks going on, another replied.

Ive stopped talking to every single person that isnt on board with this, another said.

I cant even express it enough  Im so thankful for every person in this group.

In the process, followers have become more isolated, stuck inside an echo chamber from which they may never escape.

Beneath the anger in their voices is often pain or confusion. When the chat dies down to just a few members, theyll share stories about their struggles with affording health insurance or the shame of going on government assistance. Hearing them talk with one another, I could start understanding the pull of conspiracy communities  how they exploit the vulnerable and create a worldview out of shared enemies. Then you can watch those views harden.

And while none of it excuses participation in a dangerous collective delusion, it takes the complex process of radicalization and gives it a human dimension. What seemed like a preposterous descent into a kind of madness made slightly more sense.

Not every politician is bad. Not every Democrat is bad. But were going to automatically assume that theyre deep state. So, I mean, you have people, a small few, that makes the majority look bad.

As I spent more time in the group, I understood why the conspiracy has such gravitational pull. And while I didn't lose my way, I was taken aback by the experience. It turned my brain to mush. I was left rattled and deeply concerned. About what would become of this group when I left. And more important, how one can lessen the appeal of a conspiracy that gives so much purpose to peoples lives.

Listening in, I came to realize what extremism researchers and cult experts have long known to be true: You cannot just destroy a community and expect it to disappear when it is load bearing. If we are to deradicalize Q believers in a Biden era, how will we do it? What can we offer them in its place?

One woman had an idea for how to solve some of these problems. They could try hearing from their opponents directly. Maybe they could understand their point of view, learn what motivates them. But then she paused. Id love to get into their heads, but it scares the [expletive] out of me, she said. So I keep my distance and stay with you patriots.
Egypt's culture ministry has released on Monday an English-language documentary film about pop art pioneer Reda Abdel-Salam.

Directed by Fatma AlHaj, the film was published on the YouTube channel of the Supreme Council of Culture as part of the 'Culture in Your Hands' initiative launched a year ago by the ministry.

Egyptian illustrator, painter and art critic Reda Abdel-Salam graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1977, eleven years before he finished his Ph.D to enjoy a flourishing career.

The longtime illustrator of Al- Mussawar magazine has worked with Al- Ahram newspaper (1977 to 1981), is a member of the Fine Arts Committee at the Supreme Council of Culture.

The acclaimed Suez-born artists have enriched the Egyptian arts with dozens of exhibitions and activities regionally and internationally winning a collection of awards and trophies.

Since the last spring's pandemic's lockdown, hundreds of videos from various culture activities have been published through multiple channels of the culture ministry with a few gaining viewers' attention.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Despite a few really cold days every year, Egypts warm winter remains an eternal bliss. And so, Ahram Online decided it is time to explore various winter destinations and take those long walks we have been meaning to take. Lets follow the sun, shall we?

Luxor

We start, of course, with Upper Egypt. Luxor, Our Town, indeed. With one third of the worlds antiquities and many childhood memories affiliated with that classic school trip, Luxor is your kind of town.

The temples and tombs, the feluka (boat) ride at sunset, the classic hantour ride (horse carriage) on the Nile Rivers bank. Tea in the terrace of the Winter Palace, the oldest hotel in Upper Egypt, and was once the destination of world royalties. Be sure to have a look inside and see where Howard Carter announced the discovery of King Tutankhamuns tomb.

For brave hearts, we highly recommend the hot air balloon ride. It is an enchanting experience where you get to literally follow the sunrise up close.

Before you leave the city, make sure you visit Karnak Temple at night and enjoy the really inspiring sound and light show.

Be sure to also visit Luxors oldest photography house, Gaddis, and get a taste of what the city looked like in 1907.

Qena

Qena is home of the folk Beni Helal epic, and according to folk beliefs, the place of Berket El-Teir, an enchanted lake where the mother of Abu Zeid, the epics hero, asked God to grant her a son as fierce as the black bird.

This is also the birthplace of Said El-Daw, one of the very few poets who recited the Beni Helal epic. El-Daw and Gaber Abu Hussien were the two main sources from which poet Abdel-Rahman El-Abnoudy was able to document the oral history of the epic in 15 books. Qena also houses its own museum of the Beni Helal epic, which was founded by the late poet.

Qena is a land of tradition. Being the shortest route between The Nile and the Red Sea, it was the route of trade as well as Muslim pilgrimage to mecca for centuries.

Relics of the Neqada civilisation are also traceable in Qena, in the village of Neqada, but also in the art motifs and artistic style that is still found in the pottery work of the village of Garagous.

Hegaza village is also a must see. This whole village works in wood art crafts. Their handmade wood works are quite remarkable. Hegaza is named after Al-Hijaz (Land of Islamic pilgrimage) because it was one of the main stops on the pilgrimage route to Mecca. The villagers have for long mastered handmade woodwork.

Such a variety of ornaments are quite impressive because each item is hand-carved from one wood log. The type of wood used is that of Al-Sersaw, which has all shades of brown in each log. The results are impressive.

Dandara Temple is one of the most enchanting experience you will find. It is dedicated to astronomy, with stars and zodiacs vividly decorating its Egyptian blue ceiling. It is quite a sight to behold.

Quseir

The small harbour city of Quseir is one of the oldest cities in the area. The town was used by Pharaohs and Romans as a commercial port; for example, the ancient Egyptian queen Hatshepsut used the port as a base for launching trade journeys to the Land of Punt. Arabs used it for pilgrimage to Mecca.

During the French campaign in Egypt in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte realised the importance of this port and tried to occupy Quseir but failed to stay in the city for a long time.

Sohag

Akhmim village in Sohag was the capital of the ninth sector in Ancient Egypt and was named after the god of fertility Mein. In Coptic Egypt, it was called Khamin, and in 1527 AD it was renamed Akhmim.

Since ancient times, Akhmim has been known for its marvellous textile, skilful needle work, and signature motifs that date back to ancient and Coptic Egypt. One of its specialties was the Kabaty (Coptic) textile  Egypts finest.

Minya

Minya has by far the most beautiful bank of the Nile. The blue water, greenery, and the yellow mountain are elements of the perfect picture.

One of the landmarks of Minya is the Jesuit and Brothers Association, right next to the 1886-year-old Jesuit monastery.

Arts and culture have helped many young students find their passion. This place is always flooded with art and development projects that uplift the soul.

There are many ancient Egyptian sites in Minya. We chose, the ancient city of Hermopolis in Malawi village.

The ancient city of Hermopolis and Tuna Al-Gabal  the burial site of Hermopolis  reflect the core of ancient Egyptian civilisation: the quest for knowledge and keen observation.

The city of Hermes or Hermopolis is known today by its Arabic name Ashmunin, which is derived from the Coptic Shumnu, which comes from the ancient Egyptian Khmnu, meaning the city of eight or ogdoad.

Mythologically, the ogdoad are made of four masculine deities and their feminine counterparts, who represent the primordial creative forces whose marriage enabled harmony to be born, said founder of the village of New-Hermopolis, Dr. Mervat Abdel-Nasser in her latest book: The path to the New Hermopolis.

While in Malawi, make sure you visit the Medhat Fawzi centre for stick arts and see how the ancient Egyptian art of Tahteeb is still practiced and passed on from one generation to another.

Cairo

Cairo is the city that truly conquers your heart and soul. It may seem too much to grasp, but its because the city literally beholds centuries of civilisations. To be able to unfold such cultural richness, we have to walk into the heart of Cairo.

We started off at what Tour guide Maissa Moustafa described as the edge of the city, where Cairo ends and many graveyards begin, situated in Al-Khalifa district in historic Cairo  one of Egypts 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

We took a walk from the Citadel to the House of Architecture which used to be the residence of renowned architectural icon Hassan Fathy and now serves as a museum of Egyptian architecture in all its eras.

On the other end of the road, we got to visit the house of 14 legends, which is also known as Gayer Anderson Museum.

We also explored the mausoleum of Imam Al-Shafii, the founder of the eponymous Shafii school of Islamic jurisprudence.

We also could not pass Al-Moez street tour and enjoyed the walk guided by Mohamed Khalil, head of administration of heritage awareness of the Gamalya district.

Khalil pointed out a church complex, a Jewish synagogue, and many mosques side by side in the heart of Fatimid Cairo.

Alexandria

Alexandria is also a true winter treat. We delved into the heart of the city and tracked down Sufi relics and architectural gems.

The Canal trio

The trio is often referred to as the Canal Towns, Port Said, Port Fouad, and Suez, each have an individual character of their own. Of course, Suez was on top of our list simply because it is one of the oldest towns on the Red Sea.

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Health care workers transport a patient at the Royal London Hospital, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in London, Britain, on Jan. 19, 2021. (Hannah McKay/Reuters)

Anger and Grief as United Kingdoms COVID-19 Death Toll Nears 100,000

LONDONAs the United Kingdoms COVID-19 death toll approaches 100,000, grief-stricken relatives of the dead expressed anger at Prime Minister Boris Johnsons handling of the worst public health crisis in a century.

When the novel coronavirus, which first emerged in China in 2019, slid silently across the United Kingdom in March, Johnson initially said he was confident it could be sent packing in weeks.

But 98,531 deaths later, the United Kingdom has the worlds fifth worst official death tollmore than its civilian toll in World War Two and twice the number killed in the 1940-41 Blitz bombing campaign, although the total population was lower then.

Burials take place at a cemetery in North East London in London, Britain, on Jan. 23, 2021. (Henry Nicholls/Reuters)

Behind the numbers there is grief and anger.

Jamie Browns 65-year-old father died at the end of March after it was suspected he contracted COVID-19 while traveling on a train into London for work. At the time, the government was mulling a lockdown.

Told by medics to stay at home, he awoke days later with a tight chest, disorientated and nauseous, and was taken to hospital in an ambulance. He died from a cardiac arrest five minutes after arriving.

His son said the virus had damaged his lungs to the point where his heart gave up. He was a month away from retirement. For me, it has been terrifying and harrowing to see everything that you hope for taken away. He will never be at my wedding; he will never meet any grandkids, Brown told Reuters.

Then, you watch the death toll rising whilst ministers pat themselves on the back and tell you what a good job they have done. It changes very quickly from a personal to a collective grief.

Some scientists and opposition politicians say Johnson acted too slowly to stop the spread of the virus and then bungled both the governments strategy and execution of its response.

Johnson has resisted calls for an inquiry into the handling of the crisis and ministers say that while they have not got everything right, they were making decisions at speed and have among the best global vaccination programs.

The United Kingdoms death tolldefined as those who die within 28 days of a positive testrose to 98,531 on Monday. The toll has risen by an average of over 1,000 per day for the past seven days.

Just Unforgivable Response

In a series of investigations, Reuters has reported how the British government made several errors: it was slow to spot the infections arriving, it was late with a lockdown and it continued to discharge infected hospital patients into care homes.

The governments chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, said in March that 20,000 deaths would be a good outcome. Soon after, a worst-case scenario prepared by government scientific advisers put the possible death toll at 50,000.

A nurse attends to a patient on a COVID-19 ward at Milton Keynes University Hospital in Milton Keynes, Britain, on Jan.20, 2021. (Toby Melville/Reuters)

Many of the bereaved are angry and want an immediate public inquiry to learn lessons from the governments response.

Ranjith Chandrapala died in early May at the same hospital where he took passengers to and from on his bus.

His daughter, Leshie, said the 64-year-old was slim, healthy and had not missed a day of work driving buses in the last 10 years.

She said he was not issued with a face maskshe bought him one herselfand the passengers were not told to wear them.

The governments handling of the crisis has been negligent, it is just unforgivable, she said. People in power just sent these guys over the line unprotected.

Chandrapala stopped work on April 24 after developing COVID-19 symptoms. He died in intensive care 10 days later, with his family unable to say goodbye in person.

Early in the pandemic in March, one of Englands most senior doctors told the public that wearing a face mask could increase the risk of infection. The government made face coverings mandatory for passengers in England on June 15.

Nearly 11 months after the United Kingdom recorded its first death, some British hospitals look like a war zone, Vallance said, as doctors and nurses battle more infectious variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that scientists fear could be more deadly.

On the COVID-19 frontline, patients and medics are fighting for life.

Joy Halliday, a consultant in intensive care and acute medicine at Milton Keynes University Hospital, said it was truly heartbreaking for staff to see so many patients die.

(Patients) deteriorate very, very quickly, and they go from talking to you and looking actually very well, to 20 minutes later no longer talking to you, to a further 20 minutes later no longer being alive, she said.

That is incredibly difficult for everyone.

By Andrew MacAskill and Paul Sandle
WASHINGTON, January 25, 2021  U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) reintroduced legislation today to create a moratorium on fracking and drilling along Californias Central Coast and in the Bay Area.

The bill would stop the Bureau of Land Management from acting on the Trump administrations 2019 decision to allow fracking and drilling on 725,500 acres of public lands and mineral estate.It would require the agency to complete and circulate for public comment a supplemental environmental review of the lands across 11 affected counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Stanislaus.The environmental review will evaluate the impacts of fracking and drilling on air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, groundwater, surface water, wildlife, low-income communities, communities of color and Indigenous communities. If the bill passes, the BLM wont be able to proceed with oil and gas development in the area until the review is complete.While we look forward to President Biden following through on his campaign promise to ban new oil and gas leasing on federal lands, this important legislation would move us toward permanent protections for our air, water and health along Californias coast, said Clare Lakewood, legal director at the Center for Biological Diversitys Climate Law Institute. Were grateful that Rep. Panetta is continuing to push back against the dangerous expansion of oil extraction in our state.The Trump administrations California fracking plan faces ongoing legal action. In 2019 the Center and allies sued over the plan, pointing out that the BLM had violated federal law by failing to consider the potential harm from oil and gas extraction to groundwater and the climate, as well as the potential for fracking-induced earthquakes.Fracking is an extreme oil-extraction process that blasts toxic chemicals mixed with water underground to crack rocks. According to the BLM, about 90% of new oil and gas wells on public lands are fracked.The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
MOBERLY LAKE, B.C. - A First Nations leader is calling on the British Columbia government to release several reports on the Site C dam, claiming details of escalating costs and safety concerns have been "shrouded in secrecy."

The Site C Dam location is seen along the Peace River in Fort St. John, B.C., on April 18, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

MOBERLY LAKE, B.C. - A First Nations leader is calling on the British Columbia government to release several reports on the Site C dam, claiming details of escalating costs and safety concerns have been "shrouded in secrecy."

In an open letter to Premier John Horgan, Chief Roland Willson of the West Moberly First Nations says work on the hydroelectric dam in northeastern B.C. should be suspended immediately until cabinet makes a decision on the project.

"You can reject the madness of ploughing ahead with this unnecessary, unsafe, and unlawful project. You can choose instead to immediately suspend the project," the letter says.

The letter says BC Hydro has withheld its two latest progress reports from regulators and the premier has refused to release a report prepared by special adviser Peter Milburn.

Although BC Hydro initially said the reports were commissioned by the government and referred comment to the province, it later clarified that the progress reports are its responsibility.

The Crown corporation said in a statement it is undergoing a re-baselining process for the project and will file its next progress report with the B.C. Utilities Commission after that is complete.

The Energy Ministry said in a statement it is reviewing Milburn's advice and "will share the findings as soon as possible."

In addition, government is awaiting a report from two independent international experts who are reviewing the measures proposed to address geotechnical challenges at Site C, the ministry said.

The ministry did not respond directly to questions about whether it would pause the project or respond to allegations that the project infringes on the First Nation's treaty rights.

Willson said in an interview if the reports aren't made public voluntarily, the First Nation will seek their release through court action.

The First Nation has already prepared a notice of application and served the parties with a motion but is awaiting scheduling availability before filing the document with the court, said Tim Thielmann, a lawyer for the First Nation.

If the documents reveal significant safety risks, costs or scheduling implications, the First Nation may apply for a second injunction against the project. When the B.C. Supreme Court denied an injunction in October 2018, it said a new injunction could be granted if there was "unforeseen and compelling change in circumstances," he said.

"If we find out that there is a serious safety risk or financial implication that justifies another injunction, then the court has left the door open for West Moberly to bring a new injunction," Thielmann said.

Soon after taking power, Horgan announced in December 2017 that the government would support completion of Site C, but said it is a project the NDP would never have started.

BC Hydro reported to the B.C. Utilities Commission in July that geotechnical problems found in late 2019 had created a "project risk," requiring stability measures to be taken on the right bank of the dam.

The B.C. government appointed Milburn, a former deputy finance minister, in July to review the project. Energy Minister Bruce Ralston said this month he wouldn't discuss its findings until they are reviewed by the premier and cabinet.

Willson said in an interview that the hydroelectric dam is an unnecessary infringement of the First Nation's treaty rights and he doesn't believe the community's concerns have been taken seriously.

"It's a shame we're at this stage. We should have never gotten this far down the road. We should have sat at the table like adults," Willson said.

The Peace River, where the dam will sit, runs through the heart of the First Nation's territory, Willson said.

"We're sitting here watching our valley get ripped apart," he said. "Our spiritual areas are getting destroyed, our burial sites along the river are getting destroyed."

Treaty members still live near the site and work should be halted if there are real safety concerns, he said.

Given the government's stated commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Willson said he's disappointed the government is allowing the project to forge ahead.

The First Nation has already asked the government to share the reports but decided to pen the open letter after hearing no response, he said.

"It's ridiculous. We're in an age of reconciliation. We wanted to sit down with them and have a conversation with them about how we can meet the energy needs of B.C. without flooding the valley," Willson said.

"We want to give them a chance to do the right thing."

BC Hydro said in a statement that since 2007, it has undertaken extensive and meaningful consultation and engagement with First Nations on Site C and reached benefits agreements with the majority of Treaty 8 First Nations that have been affected by the project.

"We're committed to working with Indigenous communities and building relationships that respect their interests," it said.

The project is designed to the highest recommendations of the Canadian Dam Association, it said.

"Safety has been  and will always be  our key priority."

 By Amy Smart in Vancouver.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2021.
On Thursday, from 12:00 - 1:00 (PST), UCI Professor Chris Schwarz returns for the third year to the Irvine Chamber Business Outlook event.



Chris' presentations are great. This is free. Register here



Tuesday:

 At 9:00 AM ET, FHFA House Price Index for November. This was originally a GSE only repeat sales, however there is also an expanded index.



 Also at 9:00 AM ET, S&P/Case-Shiller House Price Index for November. The consensus is for a 8.1% year-over-year increase in the Comp 20 index.



 At 10:00 AM, Richmond Fed Survey of Manufacturing Activity for January.



 Also at 10:00 AM, State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) for December 2020<
In September 2020, the Narendra Modi government in India cleverly circumvented all parliamentary processes to push 3 bills through.

If the bills had gotten the needed attention, they could have mitigated restrictions on the private players that hold sway in agricultural markets.

The circumvention of the bills infuriated farmers in Punjab which has been the epicenter of the Green Revolution as far back as the '50s.

Thousands of farmers started marching to New Delhi in late November after they protested to no avail for 2 months.

The Modi government responded to this movement by placing paramilitary troops in the street, armed to the teeth with tear gas shells and water cannons.

The deployed troops were protected by concertina wires, barricades, as well as deep trenches, dug hastily into the freeways at the capital city's borders.

The Largest-ever Mobilization of Farmers in Independent India

The protests have spread all over the second-most populous country in the world. And could win the World Guinness Record as the largest-ever mobilization of farmers in independent India to date.

The demonstrations have claimed more than 70 human lives; most of them made political statements by committing suicide while others died mainly of cold.

This group action is not all about the official cancellation of the 3 laws but includes demands that the state guarantee MSPs (minimum support prices) for all the private and public purchase of produce. However, this agitation is no doubt announcing the end of the green revolution.

ALSO READ - Practicing Soil Conservation Benefits Farmers and Their Crops, Study Says

THE Green Revolution Perspective

The Green Revolution is basically promoting gilt-edged industrial agriculture and more of a scheme from the Cold War than a human-centered initiative.

After India gained independence in 1947, communist-led peasant movements mounted fierce pressure on the Indian National Congress - the ruling party - to efficiently distribute land anew from landlords right down to peasants.

According to a 1968 speech delivered by William Gaud, the administrator for U.S. Agency for Internal Development, the Congress was under a moral obligation to landlords for electoral support in rural regions.

And so it was not willing to implement such extensive land reforms. And that is how the United States government promoted the Green Revolution in this context in order to displace a Soviet-style Red Revolution.

This comprised of subsidized irrigation, fertilizers, wide varieties of wheat and rice bred in order to absorbed high doses of fertilizers as well as training programs sponsored by the state in order to assist farmers in transitioning quickly to new practices.

As a result of the considerable expense involved, only a few, well-turned districts in Punjab, as well as a handful of states, got to enjoy access to it.

And since bumper harvests unavoidably depress prices, farmers were reassured and guaranteed procurement via state-run market yards or mandis as declared in advance by MSPs.

Therefore, state procurement became highly crucial to transforming Punjab into the breadbasket of India.

Unions of Agricultural Laborers Support Agitation

The demonstrations have garnered support from unions of agricultural laborers, especially those with little or no land.

Women are also at the forefront of the agitation, and farmers' groups have also joined, demanding the release of jailed political prisoners, human rights activists, and revolutionaries.

The government is expected to concede the prompt demand to discontinue the 3 laws.

But farmers need to adopt diverse, agroecological, decentralized food systems and drop the Green Revolution paradigm.

RELATED ARTICLE - Small Holder Farmers In Zambia Can Combact Deforestation, Climate Change

For more news, updates about farmers and similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
(Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is "deeply sorry" for every life lost to coronavirus as he insisted the UK government did "everything we could" to minimise deaths and suffering.

The prime minister offered his "deepest condolences" to those whose relatives have died of Covid-19, and pledged to ensure their loved ones are remembered.

His comments came as the government's figure for coronavirus deaths passed 100,000 a though separate data published by statistics agencies places the toll at 115,000.

Johnson said: "I think on this day I should just really repeat that I am deeply sorry for every life that has been lost and of course as I was prime minister I take full responsibility for everything that the government has done.

"What I can tell you is that we truly did everything we could, and continue to do everything that we can, to minimise loss of life and to minimise suffering in what has been a very, very difficult stagea

"And a very, very difficult crisis for our country, and we will continue to do that, just as every government that is affected by this crisis around the world is continuing to do the same."

Referring to the 100,000 deaths, Johnson said it was "hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic: the years of life lost, the family gatherings not attended and for so many relatives the missed chance to even say goodbye".

He told a Downing Street press conference that "you would exhaust the thesaurus of misery" in trying to describe the figure, adding: "It's an appalling and tragic loss of life, there's no question about it."

England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty braced the country for "a lot more deaths over the next few weeks before the effects of the vaccines begin to be felt".

He said the number of people testing positive for coronavirus was "still at a very high number, but it has been coming down".

Whitty also cautioned against relaxing restrictions "too early" as he said Office for National Statistics data demonstrates a slower decrease.

The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in the UK was still an "incredibly high number", he stressed, and "substantially above the peak in April".

Whitty said it looked like hospital figures were coming down slightly in areas such as London and the South East and the East of England, but in some areas levels were "still not convincingly reducing".

Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said that more than a quarter of a million severely ill coronavirus patients have been looked after in hospital this year.

"This is not a year that anybody is going to want to remember nor is it a year that across the health service any of us will ever forget," he said.

He also told the briefing that there will be an end to the "incessant" new Covid-19 admissions to hospitals.

"What people (health staff) probably want right now is three things a first of all to be able to look forward to some sort of respite from what has been an incredibly demanding and continuous year of pressure.

"Secondly to know that there are reinforcements on the way, that the staffing pressures in the health service will be taken seriously in the years to come.

"And thirdly to tackle the pressures in the here and now which fundamentally are about reducing the number of new patients who turn up in A&E severely ill with coronavirus day in day out.

"So it's that combination I think. The sense there will be some respite, the sense the health service will get resilient, staffing support it needs in the years to come, but right now we actually collectively turn off the incessant new admissions that are arriving with very severely ill coronavirus patients."

Labour leader Keir Starmer said the 100,000 death toll was a "national tragedy".

He added: "We must never become numb to these numbers or treat them as just statistics. Every death is a loved one, a friend, a neighbour, a partner or a colleague. It is an empty chair at the dinner table."

In other developments, the Government said that, as of 9am on Tuesday, there had been a further 20,089 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.

More than 6.8 million coronavirus vaccinations have taken place in the UK as of Monday a a rise of 279,757 on the previous day's figures.

Analysis of official data by the PA news agency showed care home residents have accounted for almost a third of the total number of coronavirus deaths in England and Wales.

The Office for National Statistics revealed the unemployment rate reached 5% in the three months to November for the first time since early 2016 after another 202,000 people lost their jobs.

Meanwhile, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said he was "confident" that the Pfizer Inc vaccine supply would continue a despite the EU threatening to impose tight controls on the export of coronavirus jabs made in the bloc.

The UK government looks set to announce plans on Wednesday to make passengers arriving in England from high-risk coronavirus hotspots quarantine in hotels. Home Secretary Priti Patel will give a statement to MPs on Wednesday afternoon on health measures at the border.

She told the Commons on Tuesday that the government "will not hesitate to take further action" to protect the UK from new strains, and said "measures are always under review".

The prime minister was due to discuss the proposals a designed to ensure people follow self-isolation rules a with senior ministers at the "Covid Operations" committee on Tuesday.

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Asset Management One selects new offering for Japan due to more efficient and automated reporting process

NORWALK, Conn., and TOKYO, Jan. 26, 2021, its flagship portfolio reporting solution, in Japan. Asset Management One Co., Ltd., (AM-One), is the first Japanese client to select FactSet's Vermilion for domestic use due to its ability to create highly customized and detailed reports while increasing efficiency and transparency.

"As one of the largest asset management companies in Japan and Asia, we aim to provide top-level solutions and services to our clients globally," said Yasumitsu Mori, Managing Executive Officer, Head of Investment Trust Marketing Div., Asset Management One Co., Ltd. "By implementing Vermilion, a state-of-the-art reporting system, it will be possible to improve the quality and efficiency of our document creation while providing the highest level of customer service, which we continually strive to improve."

Vermilion is widely used by global asset management firms and allows users to produce enhanced client-facing reports and communications using automation technology. FactSet will work with AM-One to implement Vermilion across the company, resulting in a faster process that simultaneously incorporates more comprehensive data. The product eliminates the need to create Excel reports by allowing users to build report templates that can be customized to individual client demand, including design and format, that will then be automatically generated. It also automates the approval and distribution process, increasing firm-wide transparency and helping streamline the reporting workflow across the front, middle, and back office.

"Monthly portfolio reporting remains a highly manual process in Japan," said Yumi Tanaka, Regional Director of FactSet, Japan. "Our automated solution leverages cutting-edge technology and data integration to help improve the reporting workflow. The Japanese market is ripe for such a solution and we are seeing positive signs of interest."

About FactSet

FactSet. Learn more at www.factset.comand follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/factset .




Vaccination of the third group in the Government's Vaccine Allocation Strategy will begin next month.

Under the strategy, people aged 70 and older will be vaccinated in the following order: 85 and older, 80-84, 75-79, 70-74.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the start of the community vaccination programme in February is subject to the regulatory approval of AstraZeneca.

Mr Donnelly said Ireland will receive a delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine within the expected range for February despite the anticipated disruption to deliveries announced last week.

It is expected the delivery in March will be more impacted and will be considerably lower than was originally stated by the company.

The Health Minister said the most vulnerable in our society will continue to be prioritised against the backdrop of limited supply.

"For the moment, people do not need to take any specific action. The next stage of our vaccine programme will begin with those aged 85 years and older and will be administered initially through GPs in their surgeries," said Mr Donnelly.

"The HSE is preparing a public information campaign that will provide all necessary details in advance and ensure that everyone knows when, where and how to access their vaccine."

Read More AstraZeneca fails to allay EU Commission's fears over vaccine supply

Up to January 24, the HSE administered 143,000 vaccine doses.

Mr Donnelly said every possible nursing home resident has received one dose while some have received their second dose.

"Healthcare workers are also a priority. Second doses will be administered over the coming weeks to 77,000 healthcare workers.

"We will continue to roll out first and second doses to our remaining frontline healthcare workers during February."

Some nursing home residents and staff who had Covid-19 recently were unable to receive the vaccine. Vaccination teams were also unable to vaccinate in some facilities where there were particularly large outbreaks.

As we have seen in recent days, in these early stages things can change quickly and we have to build delivery around supply.

"Everyone involved understands the importance of this programme to the country. Everything that can be done is being done, and will be done, to deliver it."

Mr Donnelly confirmed his commitment to providing the public with daily figures for vaccine administration but said the HSE has advised that there is a backlog of figures to be inputted and validated.

"It is working hard to achieve full utilisation of the vaccination IT system at which point it will be in a position to provide updates."
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
ROCHESTER, Minn. - President Joe Biden is issuing an executive order to raise the minimum wage for federal workers to $15 an hour. So what would that mean for the Med City?

The President is starting with federal contractors, but he wants to eventually raise the minimum wage for everyone. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour and it's been that way since 2009. In 2019, almost 400,000 American workers were making that and another 1.2 million made even less, that's according to the U.S. Department of Labor. So raising the national minimum wage to $15 an hour would lift 1.3 million workers above wages that put them below the poverty line. Minnesota currently has a minimum wage of $10.08 for large employers and $8.21 an hour for small employers. Iowa's minimum wage matches the current federal minimum wage at $7.25.

Rochester Mayor Kim Norton said it's time the federal government steps up and does something, but she also has reservations about raising the number by that much. "Doubling wages will double the amount of money that a small business has to pay and if they can't make ends meet now, what does that mean? It means they close their doors, it means they lay employees off and we don't need that either," she explained. "So hopefully some really good thinking will go into this."

Mayor Norton said if the federal minimum wage is raised to $15 an hour, the lower wage businesses will have to be able to pay their employees some how. So that means some things could become more expensive for the public down the road. During the pandemic when so many small businesses are struggling to stay open, putting the pressure on a wage increase will be tough. "I have some concern about our smaller businesses who are struggling right now and hanging on by a thread what a change would look like to them," explained Mayor Norton. "So I think if something is going to be done, whatever is going to be done, should be done very carefully with a real eye toward not negatively effecting our really small businesses who are already struggling."

CBS News is learning that Democrats in the House are expected in the coming weeks to reintroduce a version of the Raise the Wage Act that passed in the chamber two years ago, but never gained traction in the Republican-controlled Senate.
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A Kentucky man arrested by the FBI on Monday and charged for his role in the pro-Trump riot on the U.S. Capitol on January 6 once won fourth place in a 'sexy farmer' contest.

Jordan T. Revlett, 23, of Island, was arrested in Owensboro on charges of unlawful entry on restricted grounds and violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

He was caught by FBI agents after sharing video and pictures to his Snapchat account from the carnage and being seen on surveillance footage entering the Capitol via a west terrace door.

The FBI received screenshots and a 42-second video from a tipster on January 7 that showed Revlett's posts from the chaos inside the riot, which resulted in the deaths of five people including a Capitol police officer.

Jordan T. Revlett, 23, was arrested in Owensboro on charges of unlawful entry on restricted grounds and violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. He is pictured above in a 'sexy farmer' contest from 2019 in which he won fourth place

Revlett was caught by FBI agents after posting from the Capitol on his Sanpchat account

Yet before this, Revlett's main claim to fame was placing fourth in a WBKR's 'She Thinks Her Farmer's Sexy' contest in July 2019.

He received close to 8,000 of the 64,000 listener votes cast to choose the best-looking local farmer.

It is not clear who nominated Revlett or if he put his own name forward.

In his competition photo, he is pictured wearing a sleeveless plaid button-up with a white cowboy hat, paired with denim jeans and boots as he sits in front of John Deere farm equipment

'I'd like to thank everyone that voted for me, almost 8,000 votes,' he wrote in a tweet after his fourth-place win was announced and he won tickets to see country artist Justin Moore in Louisville.

'This started as a contest, but it turned into much more than that for me. It turned into my friends and family making sure that I got what I wanted, and I really couldn't appreciate any more than I do.'

He lost out to three other Kentucky farmers who had all been nominated by their wives.

Revlett was the sixth person from Kentucky to be charged for taking part in the Capitol riot.

He pleaded not guilty in federal court in Owensboro on Monday afternoon.

Revlett thanked those who voted for him in the sexy farmer contest in July 2019

Revlett encouraged people to follow him on Snapchat where he posted from the riot

He has continued to support the actions of the rioters on social media

According to the criminal complaint, the FBI was provided with a video from Revlett's account that showed the chaotic scenes as the crowds barged through a door on the Upper West Terrace.

It was taken from the perspective of someone also entering the building, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.

'We're in the (expletive) White House!' a man shouts in the video as they break inside.

The video then switches to a shot of rioters clashing with police officers inside the building and chanting, 'Let us through'.

The next part of the video shows a selfie of Revlett with the caption: 'Just so you guys know a capitol police officer opened the door from inside to let us in.'

Another picture shows a line of ten police officers guarding a hallway next to a statue of Abraham Lincoln.

'FYI there was no gunshots,' it was captioned.

Revlett pleaded not guilty when he appeared in court on Monday afternoon

The 23-year-old remains in custody and will now be tried in a D.C. Circuit Court

All of the videos and pictures show Revlett's Snapchat account username.

On his Twitter account, Revlett had also encouraged people to follow him on Snapchat to see what was happening at the Capitol.

Revlett lost the 'sexy farmer' contest to Brent Wright (pictured above) who was nominated by his wife

He has since posted more about his support of the rioters' actions as well as his continued support for President Trump.

Revlett was first interviewed by FBI agents on January 15 during which he was shown the Snapchat video.

He admitted that it was his and that he and his parents had gone to the Capitol after President Trump's speech at the Stop the Steal rally.

The 23-year-old also claimed that he did not take part in any violence or break anything but remained in the Capitol building and walked around inside for several minutes.

He told FBI agents he did not see any signs telling him he was not supposed to be in the building and a police officer standing by the door he went through did not try to stop him.

Revlett remains in custody and will now be tried in a D.C. Circuit Court.
He has promised a harder line against Russia than President Donald J. Trump was willing to take, and will review American policy toward North Korea, which he described at the Senate hearing as a problem that has not gotten better; in fact, its gotten worse.

Mr. Blinken intends to keep the tougher tone that Mr. Trump struck against China  an overarching strategy the Biden administration will wield either to confront Beijing on human rights abuses and military aggressions, or to compete against it in Africa, Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

I disagree, very much, with the way that he went about it in a number of areas, but the basic principle was the right one, Mr. Blinken told senators last week, referring to Mr. Trumps approach toward China. And I think thats actually helpful to our foreign policy.

He also called the Abraham Accords  agreements that the Trump administration helped broker for Israel to warm relations with Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates  a good thing.

However, he said, some of the incentives that were offered to the four states to improve ties with Israel merited a hard look. Among them are benefits that defy international norms, such as recognizing Moroccos sovereignty over the Western Sahara.

Some of the policies Mr. Blinken is now reviewing are decisions that were issued in the final days of the Trump administration and were clearly designed to box in Mr. Biden, said Anne W. Patterson, a former career diplomat.

Mr. Blinken has to reverse some of these, said Ms. Patterson, an ambassador during the Obama and George W. Bush administrations and the assistant secretary of state for Middle East policy from 2013 to 2017.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 02:37:25|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi forces have captured three suppliers for the Islamic State (IS) sleeper cells in the eastern province of Diyala, an Iraqi official newspaper reported Tuesday.

Acting on intelligence information, the Iraqi security and paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces ambushed and captured the three suppliers during the past few days, Sadiq al-Husseini, spokesman of Hashd Shaabi forces in Diyala, told al-Sabah newspaper.

Meanwhile, the international coalition aircraft carried out an airstrike at dawn on Monday on a group of IS militants hidden inside a cave in Makhoul mountain range in the northern part of Salahudin Province, according to al-Sabah.

In the western province of Anbar, the provincial intelligence service seized 15 roadside bombs in the town of al-Garma near Fallujah city, some 50 km west of Iraq's capital Baghdad, and arrested an IS militant in the town of Heet, some 160 km west of Baghdad, the newspaper said.

The three operations came as part of the security forces' efforts against the recent increase in IS deadly activities, including the twin suicide bombings on Jan. 21 that killed 32 and wounded more than 100 others in Baghdad, as well as the attack on Hashd Shaabi outpost in Salahudin on Jan. 23 that killed 11 paramilitary members and wounded 12 others.

The security situation has been relatively improved in Iraq since the Iraqi security forces fully defeated IS militants across the country late in 2017.

However, sporadic deadly incidents still occur in the war-ravaged country as IS remnants have since melted into urban areas or deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Enditem
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Thousands of Indian farmers protesting against agricultural reforms breached barricades on Tuesday to enter the historic Red Fort complex in the capital and hoist flags after clashing with police who fired tear gas to scatter them

The protesters marched, rode horses and drove long lines of tractors to New Delhi where they stormed the historic site in a symbolic challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

As the country celebrated Republic Day, the farmers waved farm union and religious flags from the ramparts of the fort, where prime ministers annually hoist the national flag on the country's August independence day holiday.

Thousands of Indian farmers protesting against agricultural reforms breached barricades on Tuesday to enter the historic Red Fort complex in the capital

A man scaled a flag pole at historic site during the farmers' protests on the same day as the country's Republic Day parade

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons and set up barricades in attempt to prevent the protesters from reaching the centre of New Delhi

The protesters marched, rode horses and drove long lines of tractors to New Delhi where they stormed the fort

The demonstrations were a symbolic challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, taking place where prime ministers annually hoist the national flag

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons and set up barricades in attempt to prevent the protesters from reaching the centre of New Delhi, but the demonstrators broke through in many places.

People watched in shock as the takeover of the fort, which was built in the 17th century and served as the palace of Mughal emperors, was shown live on hundreds of news channels.

Protesters, some carrying ceremonial swords, ropes and sticks, overwhelmed the police trying to stop them.

The farmers have been protesting for nearly two months, demanding the withdrawal of new laws that they say will favour large corporate farms and devastate the earnings of smaller scale farmers.

The contentious legislation has exacerbated existing resentment from farmers, who have long been seen as the heart and soul of India but often complain of being ignored by the government.

Protesters, some carrying ceremonial swords, ropes and sticks, overwhelmed the police trying to stop them

The farmers have been protesting for nearly two months, demanding the withdrawal of new laws that they say will favour large corporate farms

The farmers waved farm union and religious flags from the ramparts of the fort during the wild demonstrations on Tuesday

People watched in shock as the takeover of the fort, which was built in the 17th century and served as the palace of Mughal emperors, was shown live on hundreds of news channels

A farmer throws back a tear gas shell fired by the police to disperse them during a tractor rally

'We want to show Modi our strength,' said Satpal Singh, a farmer who drove into the capital on a tractor along with his family of five. 'We will not surrender.'

Thousands more farmers marched on foot or rode on horseback while shouting slogans against Modi.

At some places, they were showered with flower petals by residents who recorded the unprecedented protest on their phones.

Leaders of the farmers said more than 10,000 tractors joined the protest, and authorities tried to hold back the rows upon rows of tractors, which shoved aside concrete and steel barricades.

Authorities also used large trucks and buses to block roads, but thousands of protesters managed to reach some important landmarks.

Farmers have long been seen as the heart and soul of India but often complain of being ignored by the government

Indian farmers clash with police near their headquarters after thousands marched on foot while shouting slogans against Modi

Leaders of the farmers said more than 10,000 tractors joined the protest which authorities tried to hold back

Authorities also used large trucks and buses to block roads, but thousands of protesters managed to reach some important landmarks

Police said one protester died after his tractor overturned, but farmers said he was shot. Television channels showed several bloodied protesters.

Farmers - many of them Sikhs from Punjab and Haryana states - tried to march into New Delhi in November but were stopped by police.

Since then, unfazed by the winter cold, they have hunkered down at the edge of the city and threatened to besiege it if the farm laws are not repealed.

'We will do as we want to. You cannot force your laws on the poor,' said Manjeet Singh, a protesting farmer.

The government insists that the agriculture reform laws passed by Parliament in September will benefit farmers and boost production through private investment.

Police said one protester died after his tractor overturned, but farmers said he was shot

The government insists that the agriculture reform laws passed by Parliament in September will benefit farmers and boost production through private investment

Farmers are the latest group to upset Modi's image of imperturbable dominance in Indian politics

The protests overshadowed Republic Day celebrations, in which Modi oversaw a traditional lavish parade along ceremonial Rajpath boulevard

Agriculture supports more than half of the country's 1.4billion people but the economic clout of farmers has diminished over the last three decades

Still, the government has offered to amend the laws and suspend their implementation for 18 months. But farmers insist they will settle for nothing less than a complete repeal. They plan to march on foot to Parliament on Feb. 1, when the country's new budget will be presented.

Farmers are the latest group to upset Modi's image of imperturbable dominance in Indian politics.

Since returning to power for a second term, Modi's government has been rocked by several convulsions. The economy has tanked, social strife has widened, protests have erupted against discriminatory laws and his government has been questioned over its response to the pandemic.

Agriculture supports more than half of the country's 1.4billion people. But the economic clout of farmers has diminished over the last three decades. Once producing a third of India's gross domestic product, farmers now account for only 15% of the country's $2.9trillion economy.

Farmers take part in a tractor rally as they continue to demonstrate against the central government's recent agricultural reforms in New Delhi

More than half of farmers are in debt, with 20,638 killing themselves in 2018 and 2019, according to official records

Sikhs hoist a Nishan Sahib, a Sikh religious flag, on a minaret of the historic Red Fort monument

Modi has tried to allay farmers' fears by mostly dismissing their concerns and has repeatedly accused opposition parties of agitating them

More than half of farmers are in debt, with 20,638 killing themselves in 2018 and 2019, according to official records.

Devinder Sharma, an agriculture expert who has spent the last two decades campaigning for income equality for Indian farmers, said they are not only protesting the reforms but also 'challenging the entire economic design of the country.'

'The anger that you see is compounded anger,' Sharma said. 'Inequality is growing in India and farmers are becoming poorer. Policy planners have failed to realize this and have sucked the income from the bottom to the top. The farmers are only demanding what is their right.'

Modi has tried to allay farmers' fears by mostly dismissing their concerns and has repeatedly accused opposition parties of agitating them by spreading rumors. Some leaders of his party have called the farmers 'anti-national,' a label often given to those who criticize Modi or his policies.

Police said the protesting farmers broke away from the approved protest routes and resorted to 'violence and vandalism'

The group that organised the protest, Samyukt Kisan Morcha, or United Farmers' Front, blamed the violence on 'anti-social elements'

Republic Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the country's constitution on January 26, 1950

The protests overshadowed Republic Day celebrations, in which Modi oversaw a traditional lavish parade along ceremonial Rajpath boulevard displaying the country's military power and cultural diversity.

Authorities shut some metro train stations, and mobile internet service was suspended in some parts of the capital, a frequent tactic of the government to thwart protests.

The parade was scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic. People wore masks and adhered to social distancing as police and military battalions marched along the route displaying their latest equipment.

Republic Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the country's constitution on January 26, 1950.

Police said the protesting farmers broke away from the approved protest routes and resorted to 'violence and vandalism.'

The group that organised the protest, Samyukt Kisan Morcha, or United Farmers' Front, blamed the violence on 'anti-social elements' who 'infiltrated an otherwise peaceful movement.'
Meet flu fighter NaSha DeRamus from Billingsley, Alabama. Nasha is the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) flu vaccination promotion coordinator at The Wellness Coalition in Montgomery, Alabama. NaSha and her team educate and promote the importance of getting the influenza vaccine to combat flu complications among African American persons with both low income and low education in the census tracts they serve.

What led you to be involved with REACH?

The Wellness Coalition (TWC) has a five year REACH cooperative agreement through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The flu grant provides an additional opportunity to continue to work with our targeted population to educate and promote the importance of flu vaccination. We know that people in our target area suffer from chronic conditions that can heighten their risk of complications if they contract the flu. TWC understands that this same population is skeptical about getting vaccinations due to historical events where unethical medical research was conducted on African American persons (e.g., the Tuskegee syphilis study and the case of Henrietta Lacks). Thats why it is important for TWC to help defy myths about the vaccine to help end vaccine hesitancy. We want everyone to feel comfortable and safe when getting vaccinated. How are you involved in flu now?

I promote vaccinations through training trusted spokespersons such as Wellness Navigators that come in contact with our target audience daily. I also connect vaccine providers with venues that hold free mobile flu clinics in our target areas, and I educate the public by providing informational sessions to health ministry leaders on the importance of getting vaccinated. We were even able to be interviewed on the Alabama State Universitys radio station WVAS (90.7 FM). This interview was powerful because the university is very prominent in the African American community in Montgomery, Alabama, and the station also reaches nearby Lowndes and Macon Counties, which also make up areas that cover our targeted audience. What is your goal with REACH?

My goal for this project is to educate the community and connect venues with providers to partner with to keep our targeted population free of flu. I would also like to encourage and help to get as many people vaccinated as possible. It is very important to us here at TWC to help debunk the myths about vaccinations, so in years to come people will be encouraged to get vaccinated. We want to inform everyone that contracting the flu is very serious, because people still die from complications from contracting the virus, and many people dont realize that.


The world will get out of the COVID-19 pandemic only with an that fights inequality, French President said on Tuesday while asserting that the of tomorrow has to be one that thinks about innovation and humanity.

Speaking at the online Davos Agenda Summit, Macron also said, "Let's not forget that the target should always be to build the good life with all its advantages and with the will of respecting the other."



In conversation with the WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, the French President said, "We will get out of this pandemic only with an that fights inequality."



He said societies are transforming as a result of the current health crisis and emphasised the importance of saving lives during a pandemic.

More than 73,000 have died in France due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While over a million people have been vaccinated in France so far, the country is currently not in a national lockdown, unlike many of its European neighbours. It has instead imposed tighter border controls and a 12-hour-a-day curfew.

"The economy of tomorrow needs to think of innovation and humanity and has to build competitiveness alongside climate considerations," Macron added.

Macron further said capitalism has resulted in stark inequalities and urged companies to play an active role in fighting inequalities within society and also take responsibility for mitigating the impact on climate change.

"A lot more needs to be done to live up to the commitments made to protect our planet," he said.

Talking about the power of Artificial Intelligence technology and quantum computing, he said these developments will completely change industries and capacity to solve problems including the climate crisis.

But, at the same time, technology can have a negative impact on societies and democracy, he cautioned.

Macron said, "What is happening around us can change things deeply. Having that said, it means that we cannot build anything in the post-COVID world without reaping the benefits and learning the lessons from what we have experienced."



He said societies are vulnerable and nature is reminding everyone of that fact.

"We are vulnerable to pandemics, climactic events, and so on. And so the economy of tomorrow needs to be strengthened by these lessons," Macron told the Summit.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Facebook News, the social networks dedicated section for news content, is to launch to its 51 million UK users tomorrow afternoon (January 27th, 2021)

The UK is the second market to get Facebook News, which launched in the US last year. The new feature is a dedicated tab within the Facebook mobile app, accessible by tapping the three-line icon for more options.

The tab features a mix of major daily news stories and personalised news selected for each reader based on their interests, as decided by Facebooks algorithm.

Facebook says it pays publishers for content that is not already on the platform, and that the feature will also provide publishers with new advertising and subscription opportunities.

Several major news publishers, including Channel 4, Sky News, Financial Times, The Telegraph and The Guardian have signed deals with Facebook to provide content. It comes as the tech industrys relationship with the media comes under increased scrutiny.

Google last week threatened to pull out of Australia if forced by law to enter commercial agreements with news publishers  something about which Facebook has also expressed concern.

And French publishers recently agreed a deal with Google on how a new EU copyright law about news excerpts should be applied.

Facebook News is the social networks own attempt to address the long-running friction between it and news publishers, as advertising spend has increasingly moved to the large tech firms instead of individual news outlets.

Speaking in todays Telegraph, former deputy Prime Minister Sir Nick Clegg who is effectively third in command at the social media giant, has insisted that Facebook is neither a publisher nor a utility and should be regulated as something entirely new.

However, Baroness Nicky Morgan, a former culture secretary disagreed. In my view they are publishers, she told The Telegraph. In relation to their news offering, they should be transparent about how they personalise the content for each user otherwise the problem of people being caught in echo chambers and never challenged by different opinions just gets worse.

Adds Karl Weaver, Future Strategy Club member and former CEO of UK Data at the Publicis Groupe:

Data is one of the most precious commodities that firms can access. Data can generate incredible commercial insights, and the launch of Facebook News will provide news publishers a much-needed boost. Although this highlights the rise of personalised content in the future, it poses risks around echo chambers and radicalisation.

For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv

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"We must carry on the fight," said Xi to global leaders on curbing the COVID-19 outbreak at the WEF virtual event of the Davos Agenda on Monday. "Yet we remain convinced that winter cannot stop the arrival of spring and darkness can never shroud the light of dawn."

Themed "A Crucial Year to Rebuild Trust," the event this year, taking place on January 25-29, aims at rebuilding trust and shaping the policies and partnerships needed in 2021. More than 1,500 business, government and civil society leaders from over 70 countries and regions will set the agenda for 2021.

China has said that it hopes Xi's speech this year will help reach global consensus, rebuild global trust, and boost global cooperation, and together find solutions for urgent global problems the international community is facing.

Xi said that global cooperation is the best way to defeat the pandemic as well as other global crises. The world should champion multilateralism and build a community with a shared future for mankind, the Chinese president said, noting that no global problem can be solved by any one country alone.

"There should be global action, global response and global cooperation," he said.

Facilitate global cooperation and consultation mechanism

China has always been a firm defender and active practitioner of multilateralism, joining or building multilateral platforms.

It has initiated the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and China International Import Expo and signed the world's largest free trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), in November last year.

As the world faces the urgent task of economic recovery in the post-pandemic era, Xi said that countries should first step up their macroeconomic policy coordination to promote stronger and more inclusive growth of the world economy, using the G20 as the premier forum for global economic governance.

China's economy grew by 2.3 percent in 2020, making it the only major economy to see positive growth with the world economy ravaged by the pandemic.

Leading financial agencies, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), expect China to lead the global macro recovery as it is believed that the spending power of Chinese consumers will drive the country's continued recovery in 2021.

In addition, Xi also called on the world to avoid confrontation using excuses of differences in history, culture or system. Instead, the world should stick to cooperation based on mutual benefits and resolve disagreements through consultation and dialogue.

Strive for balanced development for all countries

With the world grappling with the pandemic, the economic recoveries of developed nations and developing countries are following divergent trajectories. The developing countries with fewer resources, particularly hit by the pandemic, are imminently in need of help to catch up in the global recovery.

In his speech, Xi called on the world to provide necessary help in terms of more resources and space for the development of developing countries, for the sake of the good of all. "We should recognize that with the growth of developing countries, global prosperity and stability will be put on a more solid footing, and developed countries will stand to benefit from such growth," he said.

The Chinese president also cautioned that the world should stay committed to international law and international rules instead of seeking one's own supremacy. "Multilateralism is about having international affairs addressed through consultation and the future of the world decided by everyone working together," he said.

The international community should safeguard the legitimate development interests of developing countries. It should make strengthening equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules the long-term goal so that all countries will benefit from the opportunities and fruits of development, he added.

China restates continued cooperation for common prosperity

Despite the pandemic, China has managed to push forward its domestic tasks. Over the past 40 years, China has made historic gains in ending extreme poverty, bringing over 800 million people out of poverty, representing over 70 percent of global poverty reduction.

For China's part in contributing to the brand new year, Xi pledged that China will work with other countries to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity. He has promised that China will give a helping hand to developing countries to eradicate poverty, ease debt burden, and achieve more growth.

As China enters a new development stage, Xi said that China will follow a new development philosophy and foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other, unleashing the potential of the huge Chinese market and enormous domestic demand.

"We hope these efforts will bring more cooperation opportunities to other countries and give further impetus to global economic recovery and growth," Xi said.

Original article: here.

SOURCE CGTN
By M. Anthony Mills

President Biden has announced a full-scale wartime effort to vaccinate the American people against the coronavirus. This is hardly the first time our struggle against the pandemic has been likened to warfare. Operation Warp Speed, the public-private partnership that helped spur the invention of two COVID-19 vaccines last year, has often been compared to the governments programs during World War II to mobilize scientific knowledge to accomplish awesome technological feats in short order.

Such comparisons lend support to an increasingly popular notion in Washington, that what we need are more Manhattan Projects  more Operation Warp Speeds  to address our most pressing challenges. If, with enough federal money and direction, we were able to invent the bomb in just three years, or a COVID-19 vaccine in less than a year, why couldnt we do the same for every other major societal problem?

To answer that question, we should take a closer look at these government programs  and what it was that made them successful.

In both cases, the government utilized science  and spent lots of money  to solve urgent, practical problems by developing and deploying new technologies. And while they served the broader aim of neutralizing large-scale threats, these programs all had discrete, technical objectives (e.g., building a nuclear weapon or radar system or mRNA vaccine). Both the vaccine push and its wartime predecessors were also international efforts that required governmental and non-governmental actors to work together, blending military, scientific, and industrial leadership. Gen. Gustave F. Perna, the four-star general in charge of logistics for Operation Warp Speed, was reportedly inspired by Freedoms Forge, a book chronicling the successful collaboration between the U.S. military and American industry during World War II.

There are some notable differences between now and the 1940s. The governments role in the race to develop a vaccine was a lot smaller than the scientific effort during World War II. Pfizer  an American corporation that partnered with a small German firm, BioNTech, to develop the vaccine  declined to accept any government funds or assistance during research and trials (although Pfizer did sign a $1.95 billion advanced-purchase agreement). Moderna worked more closely with the government, welcoming both federal funds and personnel. This arrangement is somewhat akin to World War IIs lesser-known (though arguably more significant) radar program, which was funded by the government but housed at M.I.T. under civilian leadership. Yet overall, Operation Warp Speed involved significantly less federal direction and less federal funding than the governments vast array of research programs during World War II. (The cost of M.I.Ts Rad Lab alone exceeded that of Operation Warp Speed.)

Organizational differences aside, the governments efforts during both crises offer impressive examples of large-scale directed research. So why couldnt the government just do the same thing after the pandemic to solve other large-scale problems? To answer that, we should consider another  less remarked on  similarity between Operation Warp Speed and the governments wartime research.

Neither the race to invent COVID-19 vaccines nor the push to develop nuclear weapons, radar systems, and computing devices took place in a scientific vacuum. In fact, World War II came on the heels of what historians calls the Second Scientific Revolution  the most momentous advance in science since the 17th century.

The roughly hundred-year period spanning the mid-19th century until the start of World War II witnessed an astonishing array of scientific discoveries, many of which spurred (and continue to spur) technological inventions. These included, to name only a few associated with World War II: radio waves (the basis of radio and radar), binary logic (the basis of modern computing), modern statistics and probability (used in radar detection systems), and, of course, atomic and nuclear physics, without which there could have been no bomb.

Although many of these discoveries turned out to be technologically useful, most were not driven by utilitarian goals. That is not to say that the scientists and mathematicians who made them were totally unaware of potential applications or that technology played no role. Science and technology feed back on each other. But, generally speaking, the men and women who made these discoveries  George Boole, Andrey Kolmogorov, Heinrich Hertz, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Otto Hahn, Enrico Fermi, Lise Meitner, to name only a few  were not intending to invent anything, much less the particular inventions their discoveries later enabled. They were trying to advance our understanding of nature.

Similarly, the medical breakthroughs that led to the COVID-19 vaccines were possible  and possible on such a short time scale  in part because of scientific discoveries made decades before. In fact, while mRNA vaccines are relatively new, the discovery of mRNA came almost exactly half a century earlier  and had little to do with medical technology. By the middle of the last century, enormous progress was underway in the life sciences, especially in the burgeoning field of molecular genetics, spurred by Watson and Cricks famous discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953. This was the beginning of a revolution in the life sciences comparable in significance to that which took place in the physical sciences in the decades leading up to World War II.

During this period, scientists were also beginning to understand RNA, a molecule similar in structure to DNA that is also essential to life. In the late 1950s, biologists around the world  including Crick and Syndney Brenner in England, Jacques Monod and Francois Jacob in France, and Lazarus Astrachan and Elliot Volkin in the United States  independently discovered a special type of RNA that came to be called messenger RNA. mRNA is a short-lived molecule that couriers genetic information from DNA to the cytoplasm in the cell, where the ribosome uses the information to produce proteins, an essential biological process. (mRNA vaccines encode genetic information in synthetic mRNA fragments that tells the body how to develop an immune response.)

Without these scientific advances a half century ago, researchers today could not have used mRNA to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Yet the discovery of mRNA  and many of the discoveries on which it depended  were not driven by the exigency of a pandemic or any other practical needs. The scientists involved surely knew of the potential for medical applications. (Many of the key scientific insights about RNA during the 1950s came from experimental work on bacteria, including E. coli.) But Monod, Jacob, Brenner, Crick, Astrachan, Volkin, and their colleagues were not looking to invent a vaccine or anything else when they made their foundational discoveries. Rather, like Hertz, Einstein, Bohr, Fermi, Hahn, and Meitner, they were trying to advance our understanding of nature.

What lessons might this history offer for policymakers today? What enabled the rapid invention of COVID-19 vaccines and the atom bomb, radar, and computing devices was not simply federal money and direction  or even private-sector ingenuity, risk-taking, and technological know-how. These were all necessary. But they would have been insufficient were it not for scientific discoveries made long before. Some of the research that led to these discoveries was supported by government, either directly or indirectly. But it was not steered toward solving practical problems  much less the particular problems these discoveries later helped us solve through their application to wartime and medical technologies.

History shows that in moments of crisis, the government can, when working cooperatively with the private sector, act swiftly and effectively to spur technological innovation. Operation Warp Speed and the governments research programs during World War II offer different models for how to do so.

What the government cannot do is order up the scientific knowledge needed for such innovation on demand. Scientific discoveries take time and are difficult, if not impossible, to plan. This is not to discount the role of government in science. Besides the active role it plays directing research during crises, the government can and should play a role in science during ordinary times  especially by funding undirected research.

Without prior advances in basic science, the U.S. government would not have been able to spur the invention of technologies that helped us win World War II and will help us win the war against COVID-19. To prepare for the next large-scale threat, policymakers should prioritize funding basic science.

M. Anthony Mills is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and a senior fellow at Pepperdine Universitys School of Public Policy.
The 72nd Republic Day is being celebrated today with a lot of zeal across the nation. The auspicious day is when the constitution of the nation came into effect in the year 1950. Many television stars took to their social media to wish fans a happy Republic day.

Ankita Lokhande shared a video about our constitution and wrote, Republic Day Of India, It honours the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India and thus, turning the nation into a newly formed republic. Happy Republic Day  jai hind Jai Bharat #proudindian

Jay Bhanushali shared a picture with wife Mahhi Vij from the Wagah border and wrote, Dont ask the world what is our story, our identity is just that we are all Indians. Happy Republic Day! #happyrepublicday #wagahborder #attariborder #amritsar #loc @mahhivij #mahhivij

Bigg Boss 13 fame Rashami Desai tweeted, "Today we celebrate an #AatmaNirbharBharat a Nation with vibrant diversity and extreme confidence. Heres wishing all my fellow Indians a very Happy 72nd Republic Day! #JaiHind"

Today we celebrate an #AatmaNirbharBharat a Nation with vibrant diversity and extreme confidence. Heres wishing all my fellow Indians a very Happy 72nd Republic Day!  #JaiHind#RashamiDesai #RepublicDay2021 #TeamRashamiDesai #Rashamians #ImMagical  Rashami Desai (@TheRashamiDesai) January 26, 2021

BB 13 winner Sidharth Shukla also wished his fans by tweeting, "#HappyRepublicDay2021 to all Indians .... did you guys know that the Indian constitution is the longest in the world with 448 articles and 12 schedules ..."

#HappyRepublicDay2021 to all Indians .... did you guys know that the Indian constitution is the longest in the world with 448 articles and 12 schedules ...  Sidharth Shukla (@sidharth_shukla) January 26, 2021

Kavita Kaushik wished everyone by sharing a picture of her flag hoisting and wrote, "Happy Republic day all, from the snow clad mountains that have the warmth of patriotism today."

Gautam Rode shared a picture with wife Pankhuri Awasthy celebrating Republic Day and wrote, "A day to be remembered and be proud of always! Happy #RepublicDay to all. Jai Hind."

Karanvir Bohra shared an adorable picture with his twin daughters, where they are all seen holding the Indian flag with joy and pride. The actor wrote, A very #happyrepublic day  @twinbabydiaries

Krystle D'Souza shared a beautiful picture with her mother and is seen holding the tricolour as she wished everyone a 'Happy Republic Day'.

Besides Krystle, Arjun Bijlani, Jasmin Bhasin, Siddharth Nigam and Salman Yusuf Khan also wished their fans on Republic Day. Take a look!

ALSO READ: Republic Day EXCLUSIVE! Sharad Malhotra To Adaa Khan; TV Celebs On The Changes They Want To See In India

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE! Republic Day Spl: Shubhangi Atre, Kunal Jaisingh & Others Recall Their Fondest Memories

STORY LINK GBP to ZAR Exchange Rate Holding Higher as Coronavirus Uncertainties Weigh on Risky Rand

GBP Exchange Rates Struggle for Ground despite Stronger than Forecast UK Data

The more people we keep in work, the faster we can recover. But with the job retention scheme set to end in April, millions of peoples jobs hang in the balance.



When the government planned to withdraw support last autumn, despite restrictions still being in place, unemployment surged. We cant let that happen again.



Its time to end the uncertainty and anxiety. The chancellor must urgently extend furlough support to the end of the year to keep jobs safe.

ZAR Exchange Rates Unappealing as Coronavirus Uncertainty Hits Markets This Week

Vaccination programmes are making much slower progress in a number of countries than had previously been planned. Moreover, it is uncertain to what extent vaccinations are also effective against new mutations of the virus,



The markets initial reaction seemed to return to the old pattern in view of this new wave of uncertainties: risk-off and into USD despite falling US yields.

GBP/ZAR Exchange Rate Forecast: Coronavirus Developments in Focus

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Despite mixed demand for the Pound this week, the British Pound to South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) exchange rate has been able to sustain gains due to weakness in the Rand. Investors are a little more hesitant to take risks this week, and this combined with South Africas concerning coronavirus situation is leading to Rand losses.Since opening this week at the level of 20.71, GBP/ZAR has been trending with an upside bias. At the time of writing, GBPZAR has seemingly recovered most of its recent losses and trends in the region of 20.85.GBP/ZAR movement has been notably more bullish in comparison to last week, when the pair opened the week at the level of 20.69 and spent most of the week tumbling before its late-week recovery.Still, GBP/ZAR has been unable to recover to the highs seen near the beginning of the month, when Rand weakness saw the pair touch on a multi month high of 21.08.The Pounds movement has been mixed this week so far. Against many major currency rivals, the Pound has been struggling to advance or falling.This is due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on Britains economic outlook. Britains infection rate is showing minimal signs of softening despite the third coronavirus lockdown.However, the Pound has been able to advance against a comparatively weak South African Rand.Todays UK job market report beat expectations in many key prints. While this had little impact on the Pounds overall movement, it likely helped Sterling to sustain some gains against the weaker Rand.Britains key unemployment rate was a little better than the forecast 5.1%, coming in at 5.0% instead. The employment change figure was not as bad as feared, and wages actually rose more than expected.Analysts also had mixed responses to the data. Most appeared to be concerned about the potential for more job losses when the governments current job retention schemes end a few months from now.According to Frances OGrady, General Secretary at TUC:The South African Rand is a currency often correlated to risk and emerging market sentiment. It often strengthens in times of market confidence and weakens in times of uncertainties.This week, investors have been hesitant to take more risks as the global coronavirus situation has worsened. Many major economies are being hit more by the pandemic in early 2021 than hoped.As a result, the Rand is being weakened by risk-aversion this week.According to Antje Praefcke, FX and EM Analyst at Commerzbank:On top of this, the Rand is unappealing due to concerns over South Africas high infection and death rates, as well as concerns that South Africa is struggling to secure its own vaccination programme.Amid a lack of major UK or South African data due for most of the week, the Pound to South African Rand exchange rate is more likely to be driven by shifts in market trade and risk sentiment, as well as coronavirus news.Britains coronavirus outlook continues to cloud over the Pounds movement in recent sessions. Unless UK infection rates show more solid signs of softening, investors may have little reason to buy the Pound again.In fact, if the UK coronavirus lockdown is extended or the situation worsens in other ways, the Pound may struggle to hold its current gains against the Rand.The Rand remains weak as well however. Unless there is an improvement in the overall global outlook, the Rand could see continued weakness.Optimistic developments in vaccination shipments or South Africas vaccination schemes are the biggest chances the Rand has of a more sustained recovery.There is some South African data due at the end of the week. Stronger than expected South African trade balance data on Friday could support the Rand and weigh on the Pound to South African Rand exchange rate.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

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Delhi- property market has maximum stuck housing units at 1.9 lakh (190,000), worth nearly Rs 1.2 trn crore (Rs 1.2 trillion), that were delayed by at least seven years, according to property consultant Anarock.

A total of 1,90,120 housing units, worth Rs 1,19,291 crore, were stuck in the Delhi- as of 2020-end. These flats were launched in 2013 and before.

The property market of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has the second highest number of stuck housing units at 1,80,250, worth Rs 2,02,145 crore.

Across seven major cities, as many as 5,02,340 housing units, worth Rs 4,07,005 crore, were stuck at the end of last year.

As on 2019-end, 1,322 projects comprising 5.76 lakh units were stuck in various stages.

Commenting on the report, Anarock Chairman Anuj Puri said: "Project delays have been the bane of the Indian sector over the last decade. Even the implementation of RERA had only a little impact on this".

Among other factors, the liquidity crunch threw up roadblocks for developers, which is why the government intervened with the creation of the Alternate Investment Fund (AIF) in late 2019 with a corpus of Rs 25,000 crore, he said.





"This last-mile capitalization mechanism couched in the Special Window for Affordable & Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) fund has proved to be effective in getting stuck projects going again," Puri said.

As many as190 stuck/delayed housing projects accounting for over 73,560 units were completed in 2020, Anarock said.

As per the data, 29,850 housing units worth Rs 22,276 crore were stuck in Bengaluru.

Pune has 80,480 units worth Rs 49,667 crore that were delayed as of 2020-end.

As many as 9,180 housing units worth Rs 5,436 crore were delayed in Kolkata.

Hyderabad has 6,520 stuck housing units worth Rs 4,305 crore, while Chennai has 5,940 units worth Rs 3,886 crore.
Presta, who has been mayor since 2013, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers said in a statement last year that the money was for campaign-related expenses, and that the donor was, of course, setting Mr. Presta up in an attempt to induce criminal activity which did not come about.
Two medical teams of four hospitals in Vietnam -- Le Huu Trac National Burn Hospital, Viet Duc University Hospital, Military Hospital 103, and Central Dental Hospital -- successfully performed a surgery to remove a giant tumor, which had occupied the right half of a patients face.

The lump started with a small mole on the 74-year-old female patients face six years ago, according to Dr. Vu Quang Vinh, director of the Center for Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at the Le Huu Trac National Burn Hospital.

Dr. Vinh said that the type of tumor the patient encountered was a fibrous tumor, of which the incidence on the face is 0.05-0.5 percent.

The condition is also rarely found in Vietnam.

The patient had not sought treatment over her financial difficulty, with her husband exposed to Agent Orange and her two children dead.

Six months ago, the tumor began growing at a pace that posed a risk of life-threatening complications if the patient did not take medical treatment.

During a charity visit to the Vietnamese central region at the end of 2020, doctors discovered the patients situation and made donations for her treatment.

Following her hospitalization in December, the patient suffered cachexia -- a complex syndrome causing ongoing muscle loss that is not entirely reversed with nutritional supplementation.

This supplied photo shows a patients face after a surgery to remove a large tumor from her face at Le Huu Trac National Burn Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The tumor had blocked an area of 12x14 cm on the right side of her face, compressing her nose, eyes, right jaw, causing nasal obstruction and loss of right eye vision, and pressing against the jaw, sinuses, and skull base.

In addition, her pre-existing conditions included hypertension and atrial fibrillation without any treatment.

At Le Huu Trac National Burn Hospital, doctors from the four aforementioned hospitals collaborated to treat her tumor.

The large size of the tumor endangered the base of the skull, presenting a threat of cerebrospinal fluid leakage.

The doctors thus were divided into two surgical teams to take out the tumor and process bones and teeth, and reconstruct the jaw and the face of the patient.

After five hours of surgery, they managed to remove the entire tumor, and shaped the face with the remaining bone structure and soft tissues.

The doctors are set to perform upper jaw bone shaping and implantation so that the patient can eat and chew better once her health condition improves.

On January 18, the patient was discharged from the intensive care unit and is expected to be released from the hospital in time to welcome the upcoming Lunar New Year festival, which falls on February 12.

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Real Talk I am THRILLED by the national partnership between the Miss America Organization and Advanced Recovery Systems which will empower titleholders across the country to educate on these issues nationwide, and maximize our impact in creating safer, drug-free communities." - Miss America 2020

Miss America Organization and Advanced Recovery Systems announce partnership to expand Real Talks educational ambassador program nationwide. The program has served the Florida community since 2016 and has impacted over 15k students since its founding.

"Its no secret that I dedicated my role as Miss America to educating about prescription drug safety and substance use disorders, as well as fighting the opioid epidemic, but making lasting change takes more than just one person, said Camille Schrier, Miss America 2020. I am THRILLED by the national partnership between the Miss America Organization and Advanced Recovery Systems which will empower titleholders across the country to educate on these issues nationwide, and maximize our impact in creating safer, drug-free communities."

Real Talk is a comprehensive, educational program designed for high school and college students that discusses the dangers of drugs and alcohol, particularly in relation to how these behaviors can result in substance abuse and addiction. Real Talk ambassadors encourage students to ask questions about substance abuse, share their experiences without guilt or fear, and embrace healthy habits for their futures. Ambassadors also use their voice through social media campaigns, blogging and creating videos about addiction and mental health.

Now in its fifth year, Advanced Recovery Systems and The Miss America Organization are partnering to expand Real Talk nationwide. Each state titleholder is encouraged to apply to participate in the program in their state. There currently are 20+ state holders signed up to participate in the Real Talk 2020 Program.

"To date, our Real Talk program has reached over 16,000 high school students, colleges, and community organizations through open, honest discussions about substance abuse and addiction, said Allison Walsh, Vice President, Business Development of Advanced Recovery Systems. While 2020 has been a year of uncertainty, we're proud of the way we pivoted to accommodate an emerging public health crisis and rapidly-changing environment to expand our Real Talk program into a virtual offering. We are thrilled to work with over 25 Real Talk Brand Ambassadors and now we are partnering with the Miss America Organization to reach even more communities nationwide. With teen mental health being a top priority, we are dedicated to being part of the solution.

The curriculum for the Real Talk program has been adapted from the Alcohol Literacy Challenge, which has revolutionized classroom-based prevention efforts by changing students' beliefs about the effects of alcohol through cutting-edge brain science and media literacy education. The Alcohol Literacy Challenge curricula is included in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)'s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices.

To learn more about Real Talk, please visit http://www.therecoveryvillage.com/real-talk or contact Allison Walsh at awalsh@advancedrecoverysystems.com.

About Advanced Recovery Systems

Advanced Recovery Systems is an integrated behavioral health care management company dedicated to the treatment of addiction, substance abuse and mental health conditions. The Advanced Recovery Systems network of treatment centers includes The Recovery Village Umatilla (Umatilla, Florida), The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake (Palmer Lake, Colorado), The Recovery Village Ridgefield (Ridgefield, Washington), The Recovery Village Columbus (Groveport, Ohio), Orlando Recovery Center (Orlando, Florida), Next Generation Village (Sebring, Florida), and The IAFF Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery (Upper Marlboro, Maryland). Advanced Recovery Systems also manages three locations of Next Step Village (Maitland, Umatilla and Eustis, Florida), recovery residences providing supportive, transitional living opportunities. For more information, visit http://www.AdvancedRecoverySystems.com.
Nationals Push for Coal Investment to Save Jobs

The Nationals have reignited a fresh climate change debate within the Coalition, with the release of a manufacturing plan supported by the creation of new coal-fired power stations.

Backbench members of the coalition partner released their Manufacturing 2035 plan (pdf) and called for local investment into coal and gas-fired power which they believe would reduce Australias overall environmental footprint.

It would be better for the environment for more Australian coal to be used to manufacture goods in Australia, instead of Australians importing manufactured goods from countries that use lower-quality coals, the report said.

The report noted that the main barrier to strengthening the Australian manufacturing sector over the past decade was Australias high energy costs. If Australia could not turn this around, the report warned it could destroy what little hope there is of increasing investment in Australian manufacturing.

The report outlines nine points that the party believes would help revitalise the manufacturing industry, promote local economic growth, and decrease the nations reliance on imports.

Included in the list is making sure Australia can process its own fibres, direct government support through tax incentives and financial aid for the industrial sector, and the expansion of the Australian oil and coal industry.

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, who heads the partys backbench policy committee, claimed the plan would also generate up to 800,000 jobs within 15 years and support the expansion of the manufacturing sectors.

It is the cheapest way to provide the reliable power needed to support manufacturing, Canavan said.

The former resources minister noted the plan could benefit working Australians and power prices could be drastically reduced with the construction of more coal-fired power stations.

The Nationals backbenchers report also warns that the CCP virus pandemic had highlighted a correlation between therising geopolitical tension in our region and the decline of Australias manufacturing sector.

We cannot allow this trend to continue, the report says. Australia will be much better prepared to face further rising tension if the overall position of our manufacturing industry is strong and agile, not just the small part of it devoted to defence manufacturing, the report noted.

The Nationals manufacturing blueprint could be problematic though for Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Following President Joe Bidens election in the United States, increasing pressure has been mounting on the Australian government to have a stronger stance on climate change with the former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull calling on the Morrison government to use Bidens election to commit to the same goal.

Biden has committed America to reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
Jeon Yeo Bin will be Song Joong Ki's sophisticated and charming leading lady in the forthcoming drama "Vincenzo"!

Many were curious who will be the next onscreen partner of the prominent actor Song Joong Ki after his hiatus on the small screen. But fret not as a new drama is coming this February, and it is already expected to get the attention of the international audiences.

"Vincenzo" will tell the story of an Italian mafia and a lawyer named Vincenzo Cassano, to be portrayed by Song Joong Ki. After facing a conflict with his previous organization in Italy, he flew back to Korea to start a new life. Upon his stay in his hometown, Vincenzo will meet lawyer Hong Cha Young. They both have the same goal and decided to join forces in order to fulfill their missions.

Meanwhile, after releasing its first drama teaser, tvN shared a series of stills of actress Jeon Yeo Bin, showing her charismatic and fierce character as Hong Cha Young. The 31-year-old actress will be playing the role of a fearless lawyer, considered as an outstanding one in Woosang, one of the best law firms in Korea.

She can provoke her opponents by projecting a very relaxed attitude while targeting them with her sharp words. Hong Cha Young is not your typical lawyer -- she can gracefully ace every case with her excellent and competitive skills.

Through the newly released photos, Song Joong Ki's newest leading lady manifests her character perfectly. She is not afraid to speak her mind, an independent lawyer who can't tolerate losing, and a very straightforward person who lives with no fear and always ready to cut down anyone who gets in her way.

Her strong personality will surely leave a big impression to the viewers. Plus, her onscreen chemistry of Song Joong Ki is now gaining much curiosity.

Jeon Yeo Bin also shared something about her new character, saying, "Hong Cha Young is a kind of character that is very competitive, she is not afraid to show her true self, she also has a sharp tongue, brilliant talent, yet charming side. Her character is very different from my previous one, so I tried not to limit myself in expressing a character like her."

The actress also added that "Vincenzo" is a fun project and people should look forward to it.

Jeon Yeon Bin won as Best New Actress in the 56th Daejong Film Awards in 2020 for her amazing portrayal in the movie "After My Death," She also starred in dramas such as "Save Me," "Live," and "Be Melodramatic."

"Vincenzo" will air its pilot episode on Feb. 20 at 9:00 p.m (KST)

Are you also excited to see Jeon Seo Bin and Song Joong Ki's chemistry? Share your comments with us!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Written by Shai Collins
A border poll in 2028 on the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Former unionists, converted by the arguments for Irish unity, prominent in the campaign. Sinn Fein and the SDLP playing a part, but somebody outside party politics - Paddy Kielty is one suggestion - leading the campaign.

Unionists are wise to no longer dismiss a united Ireland as a laughable notion because, behind-closed-doors, nationalists are having serious conversations about preparing their case for a referendum, and all sorts of ideas are in the mix.

Brexit, DUP antics, Stormont's continuing dysfunctionality, and Covid have combined to create an almost perfect storm, and transform Irish unity from pipe dream into feasible political goal.

Over coming months, discussions will become more public about the 'new Ireland'. Future health and education systems, pensions, policing and whether or not Stormont would continue to exist, will all be debated.

Sinn Fein has long called for a referendum on Irish unity, but its main nationalist rival has always been much more hesitant. With Brexit done - if not completely dusted - that position has changed.

"The SDLP are very serious about getting ready for a border poll," says Colum Eastwood.

"I believe the UK is coming to an end. I don't say that gleefully to rub noses in it. If you look at polling in Scotland, they're on course to win a referendum whenever they get one.

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"Young people - nationalist, agnostic and unionist - see the EU as modern, liberal, open and progressive. They prefer it to introverted English nationalism. The route back to the EU is through a unity referendum."

The campaign for a united Ireland won't be focussing on '800 years of oppression'. "This isn't about the righting of past wrongs, it's about looking to the future," Eastwood says.

"Our New Ireland Commission will be launched in coming weeks. We have been having quiet conversations with people from a unionist background, and that is set to intensify at all levels of the party.

"Expert policy work will be done, but this is not just about producing documents - it is not a static process - it is about sparking debate.

"If unionism was clever, it would be calling for a border poll tomorrow because there is so much work to be done."

Under the Good Friday Agreement, the Secretary of State should call a border poll when a majority for Irish unity looks likely. Nationalists disagree on how easy this will be to secure.

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"I can't see the Tories ever calling a border poll. It will happen only under a Labour government and that could be a decade away," one says pessimistically.

Even under Labour, nothing is guaranteed. While Jeremy Corbyn would have been much more amenable to a referendum, Keir Starmer is seen as sympathetic to unionists.

There is talk of a legal challenge if a Secretary of State refuses to call a border poll in the circumstances laid out in the Good Friday Agreement. Yet some nationalists don't believe it will come to that. They point to the comments last week of former British Chancellor, George Osborne, who suggested that few in London would care if Northern Ireland left the UK.

Bookies' odds would still have to favour unionists if a border poll was called imminently, but they face a ticking demographic time bomb, albeit one on a slow fuse.

The ending of the IRA campaign, plus the rise of Scottish nationalism, has increased the appeal of Irish unity among the general Catholic population. However, it is those religiously and politically agnostic here who will be key in a border poll.

Campaigners for a united Ireland will have to significantly extend their reach if they want to win.

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The Scottish Government produced a 650-page white paper laying out the case for independence in 2013. There is no sign from Dublin that a similarly comprehensive blueprint is on the horizon.

Andree Murphy is a member of the civic nationalism group, Ireland's Future, which includes Senator Frances Black and lawyer Niall Murphy.

Speaking in a personal capacity, she says: "There is growing frustration that the Irish Government isn't calling a citizens' assembly and doing the preparatory work.

"Nationalism doesn't want to find itself in a Brexit referendum-type scenario where the electorate doesn't understand what its voting for.

"People will now be looking to the new administration in Washington, and seeing it as an increasingly important player in this conversation."

Paul Gosling, a Derry economist who joined the SDLP last year, says it's a matter of "when, not if" a border poll is held.

"Northern Ireland is already economically semi-detached from Britain with an Irish Sea border and closer economic ties with the Republic," he says.

"As the commercial links lesson with Britain, so will the social attachment. Business leaders will be going to do deals with Dublin, we will be buying our vegetables, flowers and so much else from the South. That will change things significantly."

Northern Ireland's low cost of living and high number of public sector jobs are reasons supporting the Union, but most economic factors favour Irish unity, he argues.

"We've poor infrastructure, low wages, and a very small private sector here. Our higher education sector is too small and doesn't focus on developing the right skills. We produce too many teachers, and not enough lab and computer technicians.

The economic impact of Covid and Brexit on both the UK and the Republic will be key to the unity debate, he says: "The South won't have a lot of spare cash, but there will be pressure in London to reduce the subvention to Northern Ireland to save money."

Gosling says the rise of secularism and the decline of the Catholic Church's power in the Republic has hugely helped the cause of Irish unity as unionists can no longer claim that it's a clerical state.

He stresses that only a broad campaign for Irish unity will succeed: "If it's a narrow Sinn Fein-led project, it won't work. It has to be a genuine non-partisan campaign drawing from right across the political spectrum."

Emmet Doyle, an Aontu councillor in Derry, agrees: "Sinn Fein doesn't have the power to win a referendum by itself.

"I think people will be able to leave their political baggage at the door and build a united campaign because the prize at stake is so great.

"Brexit and Covid have really awakened support for Irish unity. I can walk from my front door in Derry to Donegal in 10 minutes. There was a genuine fear of a hard Brexit border here, and people felt powerless to stop it.

"That frustration and anger pushed normally soft 'don't know' nationalists very much into a pro-unity position.

"Covid has also highlighted the craziness of partition. We should have had an all-island strategy to deal with the virus, not two separate ones stopping at the border."

The failure of the DUP and Sinn Fein to successfully work together at Stormont has also strengthened the case for Irish unity. Introducing voluntary coalition isn't necessarily a panacea as whichever big party isn't included in government will likely try to wreck the Executive from the outside.

The continuing existence of Stormont in a unitary state divides nationalist opinion. Some believe the Dail should be the sole legislature. Others think that unionism needs a home and that Stormont should be retained "although not in a way that could stymie the dynamics of a new state".

Kevin Meagher, author of A United Ireland: Why unification is inevitable and how it will come about, disagrees. "Keeping Stormont - which would become a zombie parliament in a country of just 6.5m people - seems pointless," he says.

"It might be better to adopt the British policy of powerful elected mayors for local councils and wider conurbations, giving communities meaningful control of their affairs."

Meagher believes that there is unstoppable momentum towards Irish unity. Northern Ireland is "limping on" but we are "in injury time".

He says: "A lot of 'teething problems' over Brexit will actually reveal deeper issues, especially when the 600m Northern Ireland receives from the EU each year disappears.

"Do farmers here think they will be treated as well by British ministers who have English voters to pacify? There are no votes in Antrim livestock."

Meagher, a former adviser to Labour Secretary of State Shaun Woodward, says that English people are increasingly concerned about their own affairs and Northern Ireland is a "far away place of which they know, and care, little".

He argues that a growing number of people from a unionist background will "make a hard-headed assessment" that Irish unity is "preferable to remaining in a loveless relationship with a UK that simply doesn't want to know".

Others believe that the number of unionists who can be won over to Irish unity is over-exaggerated. "It's a small percentage at best, not the 10% or 20% that some suggest," one leading nationalist campaigner says.

But it is not just pro-unity campaigners who will face issues in converting others in a future border poll.

Meagher says: "The challenge for unionists is that, having done nothing in 100 years to politically win over nationalists to the Northern Ireland state, it could be seen as a bit late in the day for them to be trying now."
While we plan on having a new team to orchestrate everything within our community while were not here, Aiman and I will still be tutoring and monitoring the Tutor4Service email to ensure that everything is running smoothly, Kalarical said. We hope that Tutor4Service will continually grow and be passed down among each generation of students.
This is part of a broader, $1.8 million initiative to support foodbanks nationwide in cities including Oakland, Miami, Indianapolis and others. This initiative came about when the company recognized a huge void it wanted to fill. While food banks do a great job distributing food, there generally aren't any partners providing disinfecting wipes to recipients, especially when such supplies are so scarce. Terraboost is stepping up and providing not only the disinfecting wipes but the kiosks it manufactures that efficiently distribute such wipes.

Terraboost is a major manufacturer of wellness products including sanitizers, disinfectants, wipes and dispensing kiosks. Based in Chicagoland, the company is focused on the retail channel, keeping shoppers safe at retailers such as Albertsons, CVS, Walgreens and Bed Bath + Beyond. This past year has been extraordinarily busy with sales up more than 500%, as Terraboost ramped up its facilities to more than 400,000 sq. feet in the Chicagoland area. The company prides itself on being "purpose-driven," and this latest charitable initiative is another example.

"When my brother Brett and I founded Terraboost 15 years ago, we were resolute that giving back was one of the fundamental pillars we would always remain committed to, no matter how difficult things became. We committed to always being purpose-driven in a major way, not just profit-driven," said CEO Brian Morrison.

"The greater Chicago area has been the epicenter of our U.S.- based operation for some time. The area has blessed us with talented and caring employees, supportive vendors, and a world class location for distribution," Morrison continued. "Additionally, several of our larger retail clients, such as Walgreens and Aldi, are based here. Giving back to the area that has given us so much (Chicago) was a natural decision for the first $400,000 installment of our $1.8 million charitable initiative.

We are so happy that the Greater Chicago Food Depository is able to be there for our community during one of the most trying times we've ever experienced, and we are thrilled to be able to take on the role of providing free sanitation and disinfecting supplies to keep our community a little safer and COVID free," Morrison added.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository is Chicago's food bank, serving a robust network of hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other programs in the city and throughout the Cook County suburbs.

"During the pandemic, the demand for food has significantly increased. The Food Depository's partners have had to be vigilant about safety and sanitation in order to meet the increased need," said Joshua Sovell, the Greater Chicago Food Depository's corporate relationship manager.

"Thanks to this generous donation, we can focus our attention and resources on safely serving our neighbors in need," Sovell said. "We're grateful to the Terraboost team for its support in this ongoing crisis."

Anyone else looking to donate or register to volunteer is welcome to visit chicagofoodbank.org

About Terraboost / Terraboost Media

Terraboost is a "purpose-driven" manufacturer of sanitizer, wipes and other wellness products while also boasting a network of more than 100,000 sanitizing billboards across the U.S. Terraboost is proud to collaborate with some of the country's most admired retailers, restaurants, universities, and more to deliver comprehensive health & wellness solutions addressing the safety and well-being of the public. To learn more, email [email protected] or visit www.shop.terraboost.com or www.terraboost.com

About The Greater Chicago Food Depository

The Food Depository is part of a united community effort working to bring food, dignity and hope to our Cook County neighbors. We act as the hub for a network of more than 700 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other programs. These programs provide food where it's most needed. We also address the root causes of hunger. Public benefits outreach and job training programs offer support for our neighbors to overcome poverty.

As the face of hunger in our community has changed, the Food Depository has evolved. Our programs address the specific needs of diverse groups, including children, older adults and veterans.

By taking hunger off the table, we enable families to focus on other priorities, like education, growth and security. We enable communities to face their challenges with confidence. Today and in the long term, providing nutritious food is an investment in health and hope for our neighbors and our community. Learn more about how we make an impact on hunger every day. The Food Depository is a member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks.

Media Contacts :

John Mooney, CRC, Inc., (908) 720-6057, [email protected]

Hollis Byram, CRC Inc. (318) 820-1892, [email protected]

SOURCE Terraboost Media

Related Links

http://www.terraboost.com


Chicago P.D. plans to introduce topics that reflect the current social climate. The protagonists will go through tough situations as the show explores the nature of law enforcement. One of the most popular characters is Atwater, and he plays a crucial role in the series.

Similar to reality, Atwater will have to confront racial bias in the police force this season. Actor LaRoyce Hawkins explains the character will grow as a person.

LaRoyce Hawkins is an actor on Chicago P.D.

Kara Killmer as Sylvie Brett, LaRoyce Hawkins as Kevin Atwater, Eamonn Walker as Wallace Boden, Patrick John Flueger as Adam Ruzek, Marina Squerciati as Kim Burgess | Matt Dinerstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

Raised in a southern suburb of Chicago, Hawkins was born on May 4, 1988. In high school, he won the title of state champion in comedy speech writing. He attended Illinois State University, where he majored in theater arts.

During his college years, the actor performed stand-up comedy and got his first major role in The Express: The Ernie Davis Story. Hawkins has made guest appearances in a couple of shows. The star landed the role of Officer Kevin Atwater in Chicago P.D.

Atwater is one of the main characters on the show, and not much is known about his background. He used to be a patrol officer at the 21st District, but he now works with the CPDs Intelligence Unit. Hawkins made several appearances as Atwater in Chicago Fire and Chicago Med.

Most of Hawkins career has been working on the Chicago franchise. However, he has appeared in a couple of films like Canal Street. The star also has a recurring role in a comedy series titled South Side.

Atwater faces racism in the show

RELATED: Chicago P.D.: Who Plays Samantha Miller on the Show?

Chicago P.D. got renewed for a couple of more seasons, and season eight first premiered in November 2020. The series returned after months of significant events that have occurred in the United States. The show will be addressing heavy topics, and Atwater is facing themes like racial injustice.

In the show, Atwater teams up with another cop named Doyle. Doyle ends up racially profiling an innocent person and gets fatally shot. Despite his family having close ties with the police department, Atwater reveals the truth.

The finale of season seven ended with Atwater getting surrounded by his colleagues. The newest season will have the character come head-to-head with institutional racism within the police force. When he refuses to change his story, Nolan begins to harass him by planting drugs in his car.

The push for racial justice will have the protagonist confront different aspects of his identity. Specifically, being a dedicated police officer and a black person. Atwater stands up to Nolan by telling him that he will tell the media how he got intimidated into resigning for reporting racism.

Atwater has some personal growth this season

There are big plans for Atwater in Season 8. So far, there are only three episodes out, but he faces the struggle of doing his job while dealing with racial insensitivity in the police department. Actor Hawkins reveals what is in store for his character.

In an interview with ET, the star mentioned how the show portrays people trying to navigate through a pandemic and social unrest. Some characters will discover personal truths, and Atwater will have plenty of room to grow more as a protagonist.

As we watch Atwater and his truth unfold, he has a pretty dynamic assignment ahead to not just be a cop and an officer that we trust but also a Black man and staying true to his culture and to what he understands the truth to be, Hawkins stated.

The actor explained how he learned a lot from portraying Atwater. The character is trying to hold onto his truth and manage his vulnerability.
Im writing to thank you for the editorial U.S. rejoins global climate fight (Editorial, Jan. 22): The 2015 Paris Agreement is a rare treaty for a war we havent faced in the past. Our adversary is unlike any other in history, and this reference to wartime circumstances is no metaphor. When I look at climate change, its in the category of sources of conflict around the world and things wed have to respond to, said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford in November 2018.

The writers of the editorial underscore the importance of the U.S. joining the treaty because of the potential to encourage other nations to move toward a carbon-free future. The adversary we face doesnt know borders. And the danger of the rhetoric that were compromising ourselves by helping other countries is that it takes away from our ability to inspire, and we fail to carry out our duty as a leader. Joining the agreement is the first step in facing the threat that is climate change. Meeting our goals and helping the rest of the world meet theirs would be a testament of our commitment to world peace. It would be a source of national pride.

Arjun Vinod, Fremont

Defend the Constitution

There has been talk by the GOP senators that they do not want to bring former President Donald Trump to an impeachment trial because it is now a moot point. I think that it is imperative that he be brought up on charges, and its not moot. Without this, it will legitimize his actions, opening up the Pandoras box of allowing it to happen again. This assault on the Constitution must never occur again, and by acting, Congress can set the precedent that demonstrates a president must be held accountable for his actions if he is not, as his oath of office requires, defending the Constitution.

Steve Rabin, Mountain View

Larger issues to solve

Regarding Valid reasons for Trumps impeachment (Letters, Jan. 25): I would like to respond to The Chronicles letter writer who claims it would be best for Congress and the Senate to concentrate all their efforts on an impeachment of a president who is already out of office when there are so many other issues much more important to the people of this great country. How does impeachment save the life of one American suffering through the COVID-19 virus? During the impeachment process, how are our representatives adding one job, offering one place of employment for those out of work?

Then your letter writer goes on to say, If the Republican Senate had done its job. Again, what have Democrats done for those of us in need except continuing to harp on the impeachment of a man already out of Washington?

Robin Larson, Union City

Reasons to convict

When GOP senators voice their reasons to vote against convicting the already impeached former President Donald Trump for inciting insurrection, I wonder if they would have said the same things for Adolf Hitler (had he not committed suicide) and his Nazi followers, since the war was over, he had not personally killed or imprisoned anyone and it would help unite the German people. Fortunately, others thought otherwise and we had the Nuremberg trials and convictions.

Debra Bibel, Oakland

School choice matters

If education is choosing our path of knowledge, then every student should have the ability to choose where they want to learn. As a teacher who has worked in a variety of school districts, and now online at California Virtual Academies, Ive seen firsthand how important our educational environment is to students success. School choice has lifelong effects. When students find a program that fits their needs, their confidence soars, and they face challenges with a better attitude. As adults, were more productive and lead happier lives when we enjoy what we do. This is the same with our students. When they have a program that elevates their love for learning, they too become more productive and lead happier lives.

This year, COVID-19 has shown us the influence school choice has on thousands of families. Having options and innovations has been vital to navigating and adapting through the pandemic. With National School Choice Week having begun on Jan. 24, we need to make sure that our state protects a students right to choose a school that meets their unique learning needs no matter their location.

Sheri Schermerhorn, Oakley

Miscarriage of justice

Regarding Bad behavior in courts (Front Page, Jan. 24): Cheers for your informative and upsetting article by Tal Kopan. As a woman of 73, I was appalled but not surprised. I have fought for equality since the 1960s, and here we are in 2021 with continuing rampant sexism and racism in the male-dominated courts.

My late husband Ben Hudnall, business manager for Engineers and Scientists of California and vice president of the Alameda Labor Council, spent his entire career as a leader fighting for issues like this. He is no doubt spinning in his grave. We need reporters like yours to document the many miscarriages of justice in this misguided country. Former President Donald Trumps misogynistic legacy lives on.

This all has to be eradicated, and it is reporters like yours who help to educate us all. The media is of course partly to blame, and Rupert Murdochs empire needs to be held accountable for its lies and coddling of the Trump administrations gang of lying crooks, thugs and the Republicans who enabled them. I pray for justice in this country and the world but we need more brilliant exposes like yours to make this happen. Keep up the good work!

Michele Manning, Berkeley

Preserve the city

Regarding Sacramento offers housing example (Jan. 24): Usually I am a fan of Heather Knight, her perspective and opinion. Alas, not today. Sundays column about Sacramentos approach to the housing crisis is a tired beating of a dead horse at the expense of San Franciscans who strive to strike a balance among neighborhood preservation, livable density and affordability. Sacramento wants to be a destination for new residents, per their mayor. Good for them.

Have at it. Were already a destination, and no amount of new housing will ever satisfy the appetite of those who want to live here. Shoehorning people into high-density housing serves only to create a bland, utilitarian, crammed existence in the glorious Technicolor landscape that is San Francisco. Families wont live in upzoned neighborhoods, nor will they live in small, multiunit buildings. We talk about our parks, playgrounds and schools as important ways to keep families here.

If that is genuine, then preserve our city in all its urban suburban glory. And no, the suburbs of the west side that Matt Regan pejoratively referred to actually exist in many pockets throughout the city, not just the west side. Its one of many reasons we all cherish living here.

Meagan Levitan, San Francisco

Farewell, Willie Brown

This will not be anywhere near the most eloquent letter you receive on this subject, but I hope Willie Brown gets to read it. I was sad to learn at the end of his column today that it would be his last. I have enjoyed the hell out of it and trusted his insights more than those of most folks I read. He is irreplaceable, but I am sure you know that. I wish him well and thank him for being my Sunday-smart rapscallion for so many years.
On Monday, about 400 workers at nine maquiladora factories in Matamoros, Mexico, a major industrial city on the border with Brownsville, Texas, joined a strike to demand a 15 percent wage increase and a bonus of 10,157 pesos ($514).

The strikers gathered outside of most of the plants before daybreak and called on their co-workers to join them. Some chanted, Join us! Join us! At the furniture maker Kwalu and the car seat maker GDI International, the strikers decided to down their tools inside the plants.

Striking Matamoros workers in January 2019 with banner declaring, "The union and companies kill the working class"

Except for Batory, a sugar-processing plant where all workers struck in opposition to a 6 percent wage increase offer, the strikers at the rest of the plants reportedly represent a small percentage of the workforce.

Many others arrived at the plants ready to strike only to find lines of anti-riot police, union goons and even National Guard troops at the entrances of the industrial parks. Management and union officials were waiting outside to threaten workers that they would be fired if they didnt report to their stations. This was combined with offers to pay the bonus and wage increases of between 6 and 10 percent.

The participation of federal forces in the repression is significant, as the government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) continues to shift toward open repression and authoritarianism. In recent months, the National Guard, which was created by the AMLO administration itself, has been deployed against earlier protests of Matamoros maquiladora workers, demonstrations by health care workers demanding protective equipment during the pandemic, farmers in Chihuahua (where one woman was shot dead by the soldiers) and Michoacan educators.

Under the banner of the 10/15 movement, the strike was organized by the Independent Union for Industry and Service Workers (SNITIS) of labor lawyer Susana Prieto. It was launched without any mass assembly or democratic discussion about what workers need after decades of attacks against their real wages and amid a homicidal response by the ruling class to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

From her hometown of Ciudad Juarez, Prieto simply called on workers to strike and hope for the best; that is, for the brutal corporations and the gangster-ridden Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) unions that control the contracts at the plants to agree to their 10/15 demand.

Such an approach confirms the warnings of the World Socialist Web Site,which has consistently argued that the so-called independent trade unions like the SNITIS are working to contain the growing unrest among workers within channels acceptable to the corporations.

Anti-riot state police threatening workers outside of the Autoliv and Inteva plants (MV Noticias)

Above all, they seek to isolate their fight from the broader international resurgence of the class struggle and prevent it from acquiring an anti-capitalist and socialist direction.

This has increasingly been understood by workers. The strike organized by SNITIS has mobilized a small fraction of the 70,000 workers that joined the historic strike wave across Matamoros in 2019, when workers formed independent strike committees, carried out mass assemblies in rebellion against the CTM unions and appealed to workers in the United States to join their struggle. The intervention of Prieto and the independent unions sought to keep their struggle chained to the CTM unions and bolster illusions in AMLO.

Yet again, the SNITIS has channeled the growing opposition behind the corrupt CTM as the brave strikers face threats of mass reprisals and police-state repression.

Meanwhile, Juan Villafuerte, whose CTM-affiliated trade union controls a majority of the contracts in Matamoros, called on strikers to desist on Monday, claiming that any picket lines are an aggression and deserve an intervention by the authorities to be removed from those places.

In fact, last Wednesday, metalworkers at the Concurrent maquiladora in Matamoros carried out their own wildcat strike, attempting to take the control of the struggle out of the hands of the SNITIS and CTM unions.

A striker at Robertshaw, an Illinois-based company that produces auto parts, thermostats and electronics, explained to the website Rossy Conexion JM, Ive worked here for 13 years and they have increased my salary three or four pesos, here or there, but then I have to give that to the union. Im fighting because I dont like injustices. Ive seen many being humiliated and I tell them not to allow it. Dont put your head down. One must fight. Since the managers came out to intimidate us, many remain inside.

At the Michigan-based Fisher Dynamics auto parts plant, where strikers in 2019 sent a video to US and Canadian workers through the WSWS in support of their struggle against plant closings by General Motors, workers did not join the current strike. A worker recently fired by Fisher Dynamics after leading the strike in 2019 and making powerful appeals to workers internationally, said to the World Socialist Web Site: They developed an independent union inside of the plant and it agreed to an 11 percent wage increase and a 3,500 [pesos] bonus in vouchers or cash.

Strikers at Componentes Industriales (MV Noticias)

She added that the new union has not fought against her dismissal and explained: I was a key part of the strike during the previous year and they [management] decided not to take chances this year. And I was invited to join their union and I did not accept. Workers who led the movement last year had created it, but they sold out to the company in order to get a [daily] wage of 410 [pesos or $20] only for themselves. Besides, the lawyers that supposedly would defend us through the union worked for the Fisher corporation.

The rapid transformation of this new independent union into an arm of management is an important experience that exposes the claims of the pseudo-left that trade unions can be recovered or reformed to defend the interests of the working class.

Asked about the role of the new union during the pandemic, the worker responded, No, regarding the pandemic, they have done nothing besides following the safety recommendations. Its really dire to lose your job now, so many have submitted and stayed.

Similarly, the SNITIS has abandoned any pretense of protecting workers from the pandemic and taken a leading role in calling on workers to comply with the homicidal return-to-work orders of the AMLO administration. It has also refused to organize any fight against thousands of layoffs carried out as reprisals for strikes during 2019 and 2020.

At the gates of the factories owned by the Michigan-based Inteva and the Swedish-American Autoliv, both major transnational corporations that supply the main global automakers, the state authorities deployed five trucks packed with anti-riot police to threaten any workers thinking of joining the strike. So far, workers there have not struck.

At Tridonex Cardone, another major US-based auto parts supplier that has seen frequent strikes in the last two years, workers have not struck. They reported a deployment of police vehicles outside of the plant, while the company had offered a 10 percent increase and bonus of 12,000 pesos (which became 9,500 pesos after taxes).

Facing the growing danger of repression and dictatorship, workers in Matamoros need new forms of working class organization, rank-and-file factory and workplace committees, independent of every faction of the trade union bureaucracy and the political establishment. These bodies must coordinate their struggle with workers internationally in order to place safety, living wages and working conditions above capitalist profits.
Some Senate Republicans are urging President Joe Biden not to renew the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, which expires on Feb. 5. They are wrong. The treaty benefits the United States and Russiain some ways, us more than the Russianswithout harming either. In any case, Congress has no say in the matter. Article XIV of the treatywhich more than two-thirds of the Senate ratified in 2010permits the two countries to extend its terms by up to five years with a simple stroke of the pen. Both Biden and President Vladimir Putin are keen to extend the treaty, while Donald Trump wanted to let it lapse.

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The treatywhich was signed by then-Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedevlimits each side to 1,550 nuclear warheads on long-range missiles and bombers. Meeting this limit required only modest reductions. But New START also imposes highly intrusive procedures to verify that neither side is cheating. Each side has to notify the other whenever it produces, deploys, or moves a missile, warhead, or bomber (Russia has issued 20,000 such notifications in the decade since the treaty went into effect). And each side can demand up to 18 on-site inspections of the other sides weapons sites per yearin addition to the intelligence gained from spy satellites and other monitoring.

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Since the U.S. is relatively open about its nuclear activities (anyone can read about them in congressional hearings) and Russia is relatively closed, these inspections and notifications give us an inside peek that we wouldnt otherwise have.

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And the treaty has been effective. Though critics complain that Russia has violated most of the other arms control treaties it has signed, nobody seriously contends that it has cheated on New STARTthe only treaty that restricts the U.S. weapons that can destroy Russia and the Russian weapons that can destroy the U.S.

Finally, no U.S. military officers are chomping at the bit to build more nukes. (Many want new nukes to replace the existing ones, but thats a different issue.) A special unit at U.S. Strategic Command draws up nuclear war plans to conform to the limits set by the treaty, and no one in the unit has complained that they dont have enough weapons to do whatever it is they think they might need to do.

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In fact, shortly after signing New START, Obama ordered a detailed review of the nuclear war plan. Senior officials from the White House, the Pentagon, and StratCom spent months poring over the plan in excruciating detailexamining how many U.S. warheads were aimed at each Russian target and whether so many were needed. In the end, the officials all concluded that the arsenal could be cut by an additional one-thirdfrom 1,550 to roughly 1,000with no harm to national security. (I describe this highly classified exercise in my 2020 book The Bomb, whichshameless plugcomes out in paperback next week.)

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The Joint Chiefs of Staff affirmed the groups report, but told Obama that they would not endorse any cuts of that size unless the Russians made similar cuts in their arsenal. Obama had hoped that New START would spark talks for a follow-on treaty, but Russias annexation of Crimea and its armed incursion into eastern Ukraine quashed those hopes.

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The point here, though, is that New START gives StratCom more than enough weapons. There is no rationale for letting the treaty lapse in order to build more.

But those who want to end New START make a different argument. They note that the treaty restricts only long-range weapons. Therefore, they argue, before the U.S. agrees on an extension, Russia should cut the number of its short-range nuclear weapons in Europe. They also insist that China should join the treaty, so that its growing arsenal can be cut down in size as well.

Russia does have about 2,000 nukes that could hit targets in Europe. There is much concern about these tactical nukes, but few believe they give Russia a real advantage in the event of war. In any case, no U.S. officers have argued that we need to put thousands of nukes in Europe to match. Russia has nukes in Europe primarily as a way to counter what they see as U.S. and NATO superiority in conventional arms on the continentjust as, in the 1960s to 70s, the U.S. had as many as 7,000 short-range nukes in Western Europe to counter the Soviet and Warsaw Pacts conventional edge.

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In other words, it is unlikely that Russia will get rid of those short-range nukes. Nor is it likely to adopt some formula that includes them in some treaty that allows each side an equal number of total nuclear weaponsshort-range and long-range combined. Such a treaty would give the U.S. numerical superiority in long-range weapons, which Russia would regard as politically unacceptable. If we lack the leverage to cut their short-range nukes, its best to retain the limits on their long-range ones.

As for China, it makes no sense to include that country in a follow-up to New START. China has only about 300 nuclear weapons. Its leaders have no desire to join a treaty with the U.S. and Russia. If they did join, they would soon demand parity. In other words, simply putting them in the forum would give them an incentive to build a lot more nuclear weapons than they have now. China has never been engaged in a nuclear arms race with either country. Its nuclear policy has been mainly to build enough weapons to deter either country from attacking it. It has enough to do that. Why give them the slightest excuse to build more?

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The real reason most critics want to finish off New START is that they dont like arms control treaties, period. They fear that any internationally imposed restraint, however beneficial, inherently shackles our sovereignty. They also fear that any reduction in tensions with our adversariesany forum that gives us more cause for dialogue and trust (or at least less distrust)is prone to make us complacent and is, therefore, dangerous.

This is the worst kind of shortsightedness. Even for those who arent keen about nuclear disarmament, arms control treaties are a valuable way to bound the threat. Without New STARTs verification procedures, U.S. intelligence agencies would draw up worst-case scenarios on how large the Russian arsenal might grow. In response, StratComs generals would demand more weapons in response. If New START is extended, we will know the size of Russias arsenal for the next five yearsmuffling the alarm bells.

Moscow and Washington arent on good terms, to say the least. Russias interference with the 2016 election and, more recently, its massive hacking of SolarWinds mark it as, in many ways, a threat. However, this was true, to an even greater degree, during the last three decades of the Cold War, when the U.S. and Soviet Union negotiated several arms control treaties, cooperated to fight terrorism, and even jointly developed a smallpox vaccine. Then as now, we have common and converging interests, and its worth pursuing those, whatever else is going on.
Google Maps will soon display locations that offer Covid-19 vaccinations, further bolstering awareness of the virus  and how to avoid it.

The feature is rolling out in the coming weeks, beginning in four states: Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Google announced Monday that searches for "vaccines near me" have increased five fold since the beginning of the year and it's implementing this feature to ensure it's "providing locally relevant answers."

The results, which will also be shown in search results in designated information panels, include details about whether an appointment is required, if the vaccine is only available to certain groups and if there's a drive-thru. Google said it's working with "authoritative sources" for the information, including local governments and retail pharmacies. Information about vaccine sites will roll out to other states and countries later.

Confusion about the vaccine is rampant with 60% of Americans saying they don't know when or where to get it, according to a survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Vaccine availability in the United States has also been problematic with President Joe Biden urging patience that the rollout will soon be improved. He's ultimately aiming to deliver 100 million doses of the vaccine in his first 100 days iin office.

It's the latest change to Google Maps in relation to the pandemic. In September, the Maps app began displaying seven-day averages of new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people.

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai also said Monday that the company is donating $100 million in ad grants to CDC Foundation, the World Health Organization and other nonprofits to run "critical public service health announcements" about the virus. "We recognize that getting vaccines to people is a complex problem to solve, and we're committed to doing our part," he said.

Certain parts of Google facilities, including parking lots and open spaces, in California, New York and Washington will also be opened for vaccination efforts and administration. It's the latest corporate conglomerate to help improve the vaccine roll out, with Starbucks, Amazon and Walmart offering similar efforts in recent weeks.

DGAP Voting Rights Announcement: QIAGEN N.V.

QIAGEN N.V.: Release according to Article 40, Section 1 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] with the objective of Europe-wide distribution



26.01.2021 / 22:03

Dissemination of a Voting Rights Announcement transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The AFM (the Netherlands Authority For the Financial Markets has informed us on January 26, 2021 that a notification related to our institution has been released by the AFM. The following notification has been disclosed in the relevant register on the AFM website: Date of transaction: 22 jan 2021

Person obliged to notify: Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP

Issuing institution: Qiagen N.V.

Registration Chamber of Commerce: 12036979

Place of residence: VENLO Distribution in numbers Type of share Number of shares Number of voting rights Capital interest Voting rights Manner of disposal Ordinary share 0,00 10.822.115,00 Real Real Directly

Distribution in percentages Type Total holding Directly real Directly potential Indirectly real Indirectly potential Capital interest 0,00% 0,00% 0,00% 0,00% 0,00% Voting rights 4,69% 4,69% 0,00% 0,00% 0,00% QIAGEN N.V. is not responsible for the accuracy and correctness of the notification above. The content has been taken from the relevant register of the AFM:

https://www.afm.nl/en/professionals/registers/meldingenregisters/substantiele-deelnemingen/details?id=105276

26.01.2021 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


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if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
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Human remains found inside a wheelie bin floating in a dam in Perths hills have been identified by police.

The 51-year-old Perth man had been missing for more than a week but police never issued a public plea for his whereabouts.

The mans body was discovered on Monday afternoon by a group of people on a picnic at John Forrest National Park who noticed an awful smell coming from Glen Brook Dam.

Police were called and found the remains wrapped in plastic inside the bin.
Badaun : , Jan 26 (IANS) A 44-year-old man allegedly consumed poison and died when the police raided his house here.

The man, Dinesh Sharma, feared that the police would implicate him in another case and put him behind the bars.

The police said that Dinesh Sharma was a history-sheeter facing 16 criminal cases in various police stations across the district.

However, in the last eight years, he had not been booked for any criminal activity in the region. The last case against Sharma was filed in 2012 at the Bisauli police station.

A resident of the Chatuiya village of Badaun, Sharma had come out on bail a few months ago but each time there was a robbery or any other crime in the region, police would pick him up for questioning.

According to reports, late on Sunday night, when Sharma and his wife were fast asleep, a police team comprising two sub-inspectors and four constables raided the house without any warrant.

They barged into the home to take Sharma to the police station in connection with a recent robbery.

"My husband was trying to lead a peaceful life. He was always worried that police would implicate him in a false case and put him in jail. We got married last year and everything was fine till December last year when my husband went to Delhi for work. In between there was a robbery and police started looking for him. They raided our house several times and misbehaved with us. On Sunday, my husband returned home and we were sleeping when a police team raided our house. They barged into the house. My husband, meanwhile, consumed poison," said Geeta Sharma, the wife.

Sharma was rushed to a hospital where he died.

Police, on their part, said they just wanted to question him in connection with a loot case in which he was a suspect.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Badaun, Sankalp Sharma, said, "Our investigation team had a tip-off that Dinesh Sharma was involved in a robbery case. He was absconding from his village for the last few days. When we came to know that he had returned home, a team was sent to his house to bring him for questioning. But he consumed poison.

We took him to hospital but he could not survive. We never intended to falsely implicate him in any case. He was a history-sheeter and had been involved in many crimes in the past."
The third Consultative meeting of the five presidents of the Central Asian countries was scheduled for October 2020 to be held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. However, it was postponed to take place in another country  Turkmenistan in 2021. This surprising delay raised concern about the reluctance of Central Asian leaders to reinvigorate the process of regional integration and about invisible geopolitical forces that slow it down. Explanations for the delayed meeting unconvincingly referred to the COVID-19 pandemic and its coincidence with disturbances in Kyrgyzstan in a situation where serious steps toward regional integration are urgently needed.

BACKGROUND: Regionalism in Central Asia, on the backburner for 10 years from 2006 to 2016, was revitalized at the initiative of Uzbekistans second President Shavkat Mirziyoev who proclaimed immediately after ascending to power that Central Asia would be a priority in Uzbekistans foreign policy. Since then, the leaders of the five regional states have decided to gather regularly for so-called Consultative Meetings. The first such meeting took place in Astana in March 2018, the second in Tashkent in November 2019. This has been evaluated as a cautious but promising relaunch of the regional cooperation and integration process that was initially proclaimed in 1991.

However, the new regional process appears to be unstable, controversial and susceptible to geopolitical winds. The announcement that the third Consultative meeting is postponed until 2021 was reminiscent of a similar postponement of the second meeting in 2019. The Bishkek meeting was officially canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this explanation is unconvincing since COVID-19 did not preclude online meetings within other formats, such as C5+1, the Turkic Council, the CIS summit, and the SCO summit  all held this year. It remains unclear why the third Consultative Meeting could not be held online, as well.

Some observers pointed to another circumstance that supposedly prevented the expected meeting of Central Asian leaders: on October 4 2020, parliamentary elections took place in Kyrgyzstan, which appeared to be fraudulent and organized in favor of pro-government parties. The subsequent outrage among the public and opposition parties forced the acting president to resign. The disturbances in Kyrgyzstan may have been a reason for the postponement of the Central Asian summit. However, political uncertainty and instability did not prevent Kyrgyzstans Interim President Sadyr Djaparov from participating in the online SCO summit on November 10. Thus, the countrys political situation cannot justify the cancellation of the 2020 Consultative Meeting.

Indeed, in the wake of the political upheaval in Kyrgyzstan, the other four Central Asian states issued a Joint Statement expressing not only common concern over the events, but also emphasized that the Kyrgyz are brotherly people. The statement reminded that all Central Asian neighbors are linked through centuries-long bonds of friendship, neighborliness and common cultural and spiritual values, calling on the Kyrgyz people to demonstrate wisdom in order to save peace and stability in the country.

IMPLICATIONS: In this context, the four Central Asian presidents and the interim president of Kyrgyzstan could have gathered online for the third Consultative Meeting and included in the meeting agenda, among other things, a discussion on the situation in Kyrgyzstan. Such a discussion could reflect the inviolability of friendship and unity of all countries and peoples of the region, especially in the difficult times related to the pandemic or political disturbances. Both the pandemic and political instability were in fact a serious test for all countries of the region to revalidate their commitment to common agreements under the most difficult circumstances.

Interestingly, against the backdrop of the reluctance of Central Asian presidents to meet, the presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan agreed to provide Kyrgyzstan with economic and humanitarian assistance. This was officially announced on November 12. On November 14, a telephone conversation took place between Mirziyoev and Djaparov, who discussed further development of Uzbek-Kyrgyz relations of friendship, good neighborly relations and strategic partnership. The gesture from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan may be considered compensation for the lack of a stronger and more consolidated pentalateral process. Yet regardless of some positive efforts, the regional process indeed seems to take one step forward, one step back.

The controversial machinations in the region-building process reproduce suspicions about the invisible hand of geopolitics. As in most significant areas of the world where the interests of great and regional powers intersect, competing external forces are active in Central Asia, interested in either preserving or changing the status-quo in the region. Since independence, Central Asia has permanently been exposed to the geopolitics of great powers with different positions concerning regional integration perspectives.

The above-mentioned Joint Statement on the situation in Kyrgyzstan can be considered a manifestation of the Consultative Meeting, since the four states joined voices and expressed a common view. The third Consultative Meeting will most likely be held after all. However, if the pandemic lasts longer or if any other political disturbances break out, the meeting risks being postponed again.

It is noticeable that the relative passivity of Central Asian leaders regarding the intra-regional format contrasts with their activity in various extra-regional formats. This imbalance raises confusion over the process of regional integration, for example regarding the sharp contrast between the pseudo-integration within the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and the indecisive integration of Central Asia. Moreover, on November 10, Uzbekistans Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulaziz Kamilov met the Chairman of Afghanistans High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah. Both sides pointed to the importance of Afghanistans involvement in Central Asias integration process. This indicates the seeming importance attached to mentioning the integration process in engagements with other countries, whereas the process is facing serious fluctuations within Central Asia itself.

Meanwhile, during the SCO summit that was conducted online on November 10, the member states expressed their commitment to what they called the Shanghai spirit. A similar rhetoric and normative vision is lacking in Central Asia. Indeed, the five countries would be well served by articulating a Central Asian spirit, a normative vision that awards priority to this region over other regions and broader formats. With or without the geopolitical burden, intentionally or unintentionally, Central Asian leaders have created for themselves a sort of engagement-disengagement dichotomy within the region. When they engage more with the EEU or SCO or other organizations, they seem to disengage from their own regional cooperation.

Neither the EEU, nor SCO, nor other organizations in which the Central Asian states are members have a modest consultative character; however, the Central Asian regional format has. The very fact that they revitalized the regional meetings of presidents in 2018, after a break lasting a decade, reflects at least two things: a) that they recognized the value and reality of the region as a common home that needs repairing; and b) that they are ready to proceed towards closer region-wide cooperation. These two things  recognition and readiness  are rather static categories that should be manifested in a dynamic process. The latter  dynamics  is sluggish so far.

One reason for the delays of the Consultative Meetings is that they are just consultative. This format cannot provide an adequate framework for any serious advancement of the regional process. The Consultative Meeting format must be transformed into a weightier and firmer structure if the five states want to avoid falling into the trap that they can unintentionally create by diminishing the vital importance of regional integration and by unnecessary self-restraint due to fears of the mythical geopolitical consequences of integration.

CONCLUSIONS: The reductionist and at the same time eclectic vision of the regional perspective caused by strategic hesitation, geopolitical pressure and normative deficiency cannot but slow regional integration when it is urgently needed to speed up this process. Neither the pandemic, nor political instability can justify the delay, which will reproduce the one step forward, one step back modality and contribute to stagnation in the integration dynamics.

Regional activism and dynamism, and commitment to common agreements should be constantly demonstrated and maintained at the level of Consultative Meetings, which is actually the minimal task  minimal because this format should be regarded as just the first major step towards future integration. Until and unless the Consultative Meetings are transformed into a somewhat institutionalized entity, there is no guarantee that the next meetings will not continue to be postponed for different reasons.

AUTHOR'S BIO:

Dr. Farkhod Tolipov holds a PhD in Political Science and is Director of the Research Institution Knowledge Caravan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Image Source:Public Domain


Help India!

The people who are silent over the arrest of Munawar Faruqui should remember that if you do not allow a joke in a democracy, then democracy will turn into a joke.

By Md Asif Khan

Support TwoCircles



We surely need more humour in public life, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on 17 March 2017. Its not clear whether Modi was serious or this tweet was meant to be a joke. If you observe the current situation in India, one will realize that showing your sense of humour in public can be harmful to your life.

Recently, a Muslim comedian named Munawar Faruqui was arrested for thinking a joke. Yes, you read it right  for thinking a joke. The police did not have any evidence against him. SP of Indore police justified Faruquis arrest by saying that he was going to crack a joke against Hindu Gods. Faruqui was performing in Indore. While performing, his program was interrupted by BJP supporters and later on, an FIR was lodged against him and his colleagues. He has been languishing in jail since 1 January for a joke he never cracked.

This is not the first time when someone is being targeted in India because of the expression of humour. The Narendra Modi regime and his supporters keep targeting artists, comedians etc. In July 2017, an FIR was registered against comedian Tanmay Bhatt for sharing a meme of Narendra Modi. In July 2018, comedian Kunal Kamras show was cancelled in Gujarat because some people threatened to disrupt the show. In December 2020, Supreme Court of India decided to proceed with the criminal contempt of court case against stand-up comedians Kunal Kamra and cartoonist Rachita Taneja for their Tweets criticizing the top court.

The fact is that people like Kunal Kamra have Hindu privilege backing them but Munawar Faruquis Muslim name is enough to put him behind the bars. There are many cases in India where civilians were arrested for criticizing PM Modi or BJP leaders on social media.

Recently, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who is an ally of BJP, has made anti-govt social media posts a cybercrime. If anyone will criticize govt through social media and if govt finds it offensive, the social media user will be arrested for committing cybercrime.

Although Hindu Nationalists or Modi supporters openly give hate speech on media or social media, they enjoy total impunity because of their privilege. Recently, a Hindu leader Swami Anand Swaroop delivered hate speech against Muslims and Christians but no action was taken against him till now.

Presently, a web series Tandav is the new target of Hindu right. The show is accused of being anti-Hindu. Muslim actors and Muslim director of this series have become targets and an FIR has been registered against the maker of the show.

India is a Hindu Majoritarian country now. Indian govt and systems work according to the sentiments of the majority society. Earlier, mobs of extremists used to lynch Muslims on the streets but now they are using legal apparatus to target Muslims and critics of govt. Munawar Faruquis case is a live example before us. He has been punished by the Hindu majoritarian government because of his Muslim identity. His incarceration will set a precedent in the country. In future, if someone mocks any powerful politician or charlatan, then his followers can file a case against the particular comic or cartoonist, and police will arrest him for hurting sentiments of the majority community.

In a civilized democracy, everyone has the right to express their thoughts through humour or art, but in Indian democracy, people do not seem to have a right to use their humour. Freedom of Expression is a majority privilege in India. While Hindutva leaders can deliver hate speeches without facing any legal consequences but a Muslim cant even think a joke.

What is very unfortunate is that the arrest of a Muslim comedian did not draw enough attention in international media, neither he received enough support inside India. A country of 1.3 billion people has become afraid of humour. The people who are silent over the arrest of Munawar Faruqui should remember that if you do not allow a joke in a democracy, then democracy will turn into a joke.

Md Asif Khan is a social activist. He tweets at @imMAK02
A standoff that has led to international travellers coming to Northern Ireland during the pandemic without having to isolate may be over.

The Irish government has so far refused to hand over passenger locator data to authorities here, citing legal and data protection concerns.

This means anyone flying into Dublin from around the world has been able to travel to Northern Ireland unchecked since the start of the pandemic.

The situation has become even more concerning since the emergence of the South African and Brazilian variants of Covid-19 and the revelation that 3,000 people flew to the Republic from the affected countries in recent weeks.

But last night, it emerged that passengers arriving in the Republic without proof of a negative Covid-19 test will be held in quarantine for up to two weeks under plans agreed by the Irish Cabinet Committee on Covid-19.

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Anyone travelling from Brazil or South Africa will also be held in State-run quarantine hotels for up to a fortnight.

The Cabinet Committee also agreed to temporarily suspend all visa-free short-term travel from South Africa and Brazil.

Anyone arriving without a negative PCR test will also face a fine up to 2,500 and/or six months imprisonment. Passengers will have to pay for their own stay in quarantine hotels which may be policed by security firms.

The committee also agreed to increase Garda checkpoints near all ports and airports.

Meanwhile, Irish Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said gardai had put checkpoints near airports since Friday in an attempt to cut out non-essential flying.

He also told Claire Byrne on RTE Radio 1, that there will be extra checks near the border, but said the idea of restricting travel across the border, or creating an all-island bubble isnt politically possible as of yet.

If someone is on a road 5km south of the border, and doesnt have a valid reason as to why they are travelling, they will be subject to prosecution and a fine. The guards have those powers, said Mr Ryan. There was no specific news on whether passenger locator data would be shared with the authorities here.

It had been reported that Health Minister Robin Swann was becoming increasingly frustrated at the impasse  but First Minister Arlene Foster revealed yesterday that Taoiseach Micheal Martin told her he hopes the matter will be resolved soon.

Detailing a telephone conversation with Mr Martin where the pair discussed a number of matters relating to the pandemic response, she said: I also pressed him on sharing travel locator forms. He committed to movement soon on that issue.

The arrival of a vaccine resistant strain in Northern Ireland would be catastrophic, according to public health expert Professor Martin McKee.

Ministers at Westminster were due to discuss at a meeting yesterday whether to tighten restrictions at UK borders, including the possibility of hotel quarantines for travellers.

A spokeswoman from the Department of Health said: There have been ongoing discussions between the four nations on the potential tighter border measures that could be introduced.

Often there is alignment between England and devolved administrations where operationally possible.

There is also an open dialogue with Republic of Ireland officials to consider how we can work together collaboratively.

Under current travel curbs, almost all people arriving in the UK must test negative for Covid to be allowed entry. However, at a Downing Street news conference on Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not rule out taking further action. Asked about the possibility of quarantine centres for new arrivals in Northern Ireland, the chief medical officer, Dr Michael McBride, said: In terms of new variants, new variants are going to be with us, you cant put the genie of this virus back into the bottle.

It will continue to mutate, some of these new variants

undoubtedly will be areas of concern, many of them as we have seen to date will be more transmissible and some of them may become problematic in terms of escape from the vaccine and were just going to deal with that.

I think the measures that we put in place in these islands will delay the arrival of new variants. But you cant prevent totally the arrival of new variants because they are so transmissible; that will happen in time because we known the movement of people internationally and globally is important... so the most we can hope to do with some of the restrictions we put on travel is delay until we get more people vaccinated.

In terms of quarantining people at hotels, I think that probably helps with confidence. As to how much additional benefit from a public health perspective and an epidemiological perspective that would add, I think thats probably debatable.
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(Photo : Screenshot From Pxhere Official Website) Adobe Flash Player Shutdown Caused 'Chaos' for Chinese Railroads for Over 20 Hours

Back in 2017, Adobe had announced that it would officially be deactivating its Flash by the end of 2020. Some time earlier this month, on the 12th of January, Adobe had finally carried out with its non-negotiable plan, to deactivate Flash installations all around the world. However, it seems like the shutdown of the Adobe Flash Player caused chaos for a Chinese railroad over in Liaoning province.

Adobe Flash player shutdown

According to Apple Daily, officials at the China Railway Shenyang had used Flash-based software in order to plan each day's thorough railroad operations. As a result of this particular outage, Apple Daily stated that staffers were reportedly unable to see the certain train operation diagrams, formulate the critical train sequencing schedules, and even arrange the shunting plans.

As a result of the loss of Adobe Flash, the railroad was even unable to dispatch its trains. This then led to a complete shutdown of its own railroads over in Dalian, Liaoning province according to the report of Apple Daily. After about a day of chaos, the railroad was able to find a temporary solution as it had obtained a pirated version of the Adobe Flash Player without the needed self-deactivating code. The railroad then installed it early on January 13 and this allowed their operations to continue. This story was reported by arsTechnica.

Chinese officials defend

Officials then gave a statement regarding the incident on the Chinese social media account known as QQ saying after over 20 hours of "fighting," there were no complaints and none of them gave up. This was translated by Google Translate. It was said that even if there is only little hope, there is still existing motivation to move forward.

The post has then attracted quite the amount of mockery throughout the Chinese internet. There were observers that pointed out that the railroad officials should have anticipated this particular program and had developed an alternative non-Flash dispatching system a couple of months earlier since Adobe had announced its shutdown way back in 2017. The post was then reportedly taken down. However, there is still a copy available for viewing at archive.org.

Read Also: Honor Spinoff Reveals Huawei's Plans to Work with Intel and NVIDIA: Company Confirmed Partnership with AMD and Microsoft

Flash player no more

With the Adobe Flash shutdown, this welcomed the age for newer programming technology. In the past, almost everything was built on the Flash Player as opposed to JavaScript and others but this was a really long time ago. As of the moment, with Adobe Flash out of the picture, there seems to be little impact in the overall internet. However, a few were still affected as they were not able to update their programming.

The Chinese railroad's problem was that it was not able to make an alternative non-Flash program that could handle their systems before the official shutdown took place. Although the announcement was released way back in the past, the Chinese railroad is now still running their programs on a cracked version of Flash.

Related Article: Tesla Employee Sued For Allegedly Stealing 'Highly Confidential' Software Code Claims 'It's Just a Misunderstanding'

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Urian Buenconsejo

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
CAIRO  Egypt's gold and jewelry exports have risen sharply in 2020, generating huge revenue for the country as it prepares to build its first jewelry-making city. The boom in gold production came after amendments to mining regulations two years ago, paving the way for more investments in this precious metal.

Gold, jewelry and gemstones exports increased during the first nine months of 2020, achieving a revenue of $2.444 billion, compared to $ 1.392 billion during the same period in 2019, a growth rate of 76%, according to the latest data released by Egypts Export Council for Building Materials, Refractory and Metallurgy Industries.

The London-based organization for gold industry, the World Gold Council, showed in its annual data that gold reserves in Egypt increased to 79.87 tons in the third quarter of 2020.

This increase in the extraction and export of gold was an expected result of the reforms introduced to the Mineral Resources Law No. 198 in 2018. The amended law has reduced the fees imposed on gold investors, attracting many international and local companies to mine for gold.

Omar Taima, former head of the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority, told Al-Monitor over the phone, After the amendments to the mining law, the world started paying attention to mining in Egypt and many companies have come to Egypt to invest in gold.

One of these companies is the Canadian Aton Resources, which confirmed in a Jan. 4 statement that it is seeking to build the second gold mine in Egypt.

Aton enters the new year with the minerals sector in Egypt now showing tangible signs of development, with optimism, purpose and a determination to succeed that is truly exciting. We intend to develop Egypts second operating gold mine at Hamama, the firm stated.

The Canadian company obtained the license to work in Egypt last February, after the ratification of the new amendments. In addition to Hamama, it is also operating in the Rodroin and Abu Marawat sites, where the latter has district scale potential and contains many exciting gold exploration targets, Aton Resources added.

Wasfi Amin Wasfi, head of the gold division at the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, told Al-Monitor that the field of gold exploration requires high technical capabilities, including satellite searches and other modern equipment. He pointed out that foreign companies investments are vital, because of their long experience in gold mining around the world.

In addition to attracting foreign investments, Egypt's return to the gold production map encouraged ordinary citizens to invest their money in gold bars and coins. Also, many local investors have installed labs for gold manufacturing in different parts of the country.

During the past 10 years, large entities have been established to produce and manufacture gold. We have imported many gold-making machines  and with the availability of manpower here, we now have the ability to export a huge amount of gold jewelry, Wasfi said.

He added that many pieces of jewelry manufactured in Egypt are exported abroad, especially to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is a market for selling gold and gemstones to other countries.

The UAE topped the list of countries that imported gold, jewelry and precious stones mined from Egypt in 2020. Abu Dhabi acquired about 69% of Egypt's total exports worth $ 1.495 billion, compared to $823 million in 2019, according to the latest data issued by the General Organization for Export & Import Control.

With the growing demand for Egyptian jewelry exports, the government has repeatedly expressed its aspiration to establish a gold-making city. This goal was met Jan. 16 when President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the start of procedures to establish an integrated city for gold industry and trade and provide all the financial resources to build it.

Taima said that Sisi's decision is important to the gold industry, adding, Although it has been long delayed. If the state pays enough attention to the field of mining, the next stage will be the stage of the rebirth of mining in Egypt, and this will give a qualitative leap to Egypt's economy.

Taima, who is currently president of the Geologist Company for Mining and Petroleum Services, noted that manufacturing any raw material in Egypt is the best way to achieve the maximum benefit from any product, and that is the purpose of establishing the long-awaited city for the gold industry. After adding value-added taxes and other fees to the price of jewelry, this will generate a much higher revenue than simply exporting the product as an unprocessed material.

Minister of Supply and Internal Trading Ali al-Moselhi said in an interview with the Egyptian newspaper Al-Shorouk Dec. 22 that he had communicated with the Ministry of Housing to allocate a plot of land in El-Obour city, northeast of Cairo, to build the city for jewelry-making. According to the plans, the city will include 400 technical laboratories for gold production, and 150 other educational labs and a large school. It will also have a permanent exhibition throughout the year  while providing suitable exhibition spaces for traders in Egypt, he said.
Concept art showing plasmon-enhanced phase microscopy. This new method will enable ultra-sensitive imaging of highly optically transparent objects in fields ranging from materials science to medical imaging. Credit: La Trobe University

Australian scientists have discovered a new way to analyze microscopic cells, tissues and other transparent specimens, through the improvement of an almost 100-year-old imaging technique.

La Trobe University researchers have led a four-year collaboration to make "the invisible visible" by using custom-designed nanomaterials to enhance the sensitivity of phase contrast microscopy, an imaging technique commonly used by scientists to study biological specimens.

The discovery, detailed in Nature Photonics, will benefit a broad range of researchers and has the potential to advance research into the understanding and detection of disease.

Project leader and La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS) physicist, Professor Brian Abbey, said the discovery allows scientists to detect minute changes in the composition or structure of transparent or nano-thin objects, enabling their key features and structures to be visible when put under a microscope.

"Features that were previously impossible to detect using conventional techniques can now be imaged using our microscopy method, developed by lead author and La Trobe Senior Research Fellow Dr. Eugeniu Balaur," Professor Abbey said.

"It has allowed our teams to delve deeper into the identification of early destructive processes in neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis," Professor Abbey said.

Phase contrast microscopy, an optical technique that can be utilized to produce high-contrast images of transparent specimens, was first invented in 1934 by Nobel-prize winning physicist Frits Zernike.

"This technique allows scientists to examine cells in their natural state without previously being stained or labeled. As a result, their structure and functionand perhaps even their dynamicscan be better understood," Professor Abbey said.

"We now have the tools to manipulate matter at the nanoscale. Our custom designed nanomaterials have enabled us to achieve a huge leap forward in terms of image quality and contrast, building on the groundbreaking phase work of Zernike in the 1930s."

La Trobe neuroscientist and study co-author Dr. Jacqueline Orian said the research team is working to translate the study to ensure their new microscopy technique can be utilized by scientists worldwide.

"A major application of the technique would be in the evaluation of candidate drugs for promotion of repair to nerves and their protective casings known as myelin," Dr. Orian said.

"The technique the team developed enables us to perform label-free imaging of cellular structures with exceptional contrast and in their natural state. Coupling nanotechnology with phase contrast microscopy lays the foundation for entirely new fields of research and represents a significant leap forward for the life sciences," Dr. Nicholas Anthony, study co-author from the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) said.

Explore further Seeing the invisible: Polarizer adjustments increase visibility of transparent objects

More information: Eugeniu Balaur et al. Plasmon-induced enhancement of ptychographic phase microscopy via sub-surface nanoaperture arrays, Nature Photonics (2021). Journal information: Nature Photonics Eugeniu Balaur et al. Plasmon-induced enhancement of ptychographic phase microscopy via sub-surface nanoaperture arrays,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-020-00752-0
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Question: Mr. Soriot, why hasnt Astra Zeneca been more specific on detailing the supply problem detected on its European plants? What exactly is the problem?

Pascal Soriot: I think we have been relatively specific with the information. Of course, we are all very disappointed. We would like to produce more. I think we will deliver up to Europe in the month of February a reasonable quantity actually, very similar to what others have delivered on a monthly basis. But of course, its less than expected and also because our vaccine is easy to use people expected more, so we could scale up. Our team is working 24/7 to fix the very many issues of production of the vaccine itself. You have two steps in the production of a vaccine: one is you produce the vaccine itself. We call it a drug substance, the vaccine. And then when we are finished with this, we move this into different plants where we put the vaccine into vials, and we call that the drug product, the final product. For Europe, the drugs substance is essentially produced in two plants, one in the Netherlands, one in Belgium. And then the drug filling, the drug products, is actually produced in Italy and in Germany. So from a drug product viewpoint, we have full capacity. We have zero problem. The problems we have had to do with manufacturing the drugs substance.

So maybe I need to give you a little bit of explanation as to how we manufacture those vaccines so you understand. Essentially, we have cell cultures, big batches that are 1000 liters or 2000 liter batches. We have cell cultures inside those batches, and we inject them with the virus, the vaccine, if you will. And then those cells, they produce the vaccine, its a biotechnology protection, and in some of those batches have very high yield and others have low yield. And so, essentially, weve had sites with very high yield and other sites with lower yield. Particularly in Europe, we had one site with large capacity that experienced yield issues. So, its essentially a question of when you scale up to the level we are scaling up to  something like this thats never been done. We are scaling up to hundreds of millions, billions of doses of vaccines at a very high speed.

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A year ago, we didnt have a vaccine. When you do that, you have glitches, you have scale-up problems. So, the yield varies from one to three, by the factor of three. The best site we have produces three times more vaccine out of a batch than the lowest producing site. We do this with a series of partners: In the US, those partners are actually approved by BARDA, the US administration, the group that manages those things and manages the capacity.

In the US, we also have issues of yield and essentially, our engineers have worked with our partners to identify what the issues are. We believe we have sorted out the issues now. The issues are different, for instance, in Belgium, we believe it was more a question of downstream filtering because when you finish making the vaccine, you have to filter it. When you filter it you put it into vials. Our partner in Australia for instance also had yield issues. And they have been in the vaccine business for 20 years. But its complicated, especially in the early phase where you have to really kind of sort out all sorts of issues. We believe weve sorted out those issues, but we are basically two months behind where we wanted to be. And the issue here is weve had also teething issues like this in the UK supply chain. But the UK contract was signed three months before the European contract. So with the UK we have had an extra three months to fix all the glitches we experienced. As for Europe, we are three months behind in fixing those glitches. Would I like to do better? Of course. But, you know, if we deliver in February what we are planning to deliver, its not a small volume. We are planning to deliver millions of doses to Europe, it is not small.

Question: So Europe signed the contract too late, unlike the UK?

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Soriot: I will not pass judgment on this. But I can only tell you the facts and the facts are that we basically signed an agreement with the UK three months before we did have it with Europe. Now, part of this can be easily explained. When we entered the agreement with Oxford, they had already been working with the UK government on this. So they had a head start. So, we were able to quite quickly take the UK supply chain and improve it. We had to modify the formula in the process, because Oxford gave us a process that needed to be modified to enable manufacturing at scale. Think about weve done all of this in months. Usually, it takes years. We got a manufacturing process that Oxford gave us, which was producing a good vaccine, but not at an industrial scale. It was just able to produce quantities for clinical trials. So then we had to modify the process to turn it into a process that could manufacture billions of doses. At a cost that is reasonable and at a speed that is reasonable.

We had to change all of these. Then we had to do what we call technology transfer. So, we go to each partner, and we train them on the process. We train them on how to manufacture. And then, you know, some people are new to this process. Its like they learn the process. They dont know how to make the vaccine, and theyre not as efficient as others.

So, you may have lower productivity. So, thats why we have a productivity going from one to three. And so, unfortunately, its really bad luck. Actually, theres nothing mysterious about it. But look, the sites that have the lowest productivity in the network are the sites that are supplying Europe. And quite honestly, I mean, were not doing it on purpose. I mean, Im European I have Europe at heart. Our chairman is Swedish, is European.

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Our CFO is European. I mean, many people in the management, you know, are European. So we want to treat Europe as best we can. You know, we do this at no profit, remember? So we didnt go into this to try and make money or whatever. So we would like to treat Europe as good as possible. And I actually do believe we treated Europe fairly.

Now, let me give you another number. Our total capacity globally now is about 100 million doses a month. From February onwards we are able to make 100 million doses a month, so thats not small. Most vaccines have 100 million doses a year. So that already takes us on a 1,2 billion pace per year. We are going to keep growing. Of course, we are ramping up production and Europe is getting 17 percent of this global production in February for a population that is 5 percent of the world population.

Now, you know, we from the beginning took very seriously the approach that Europe took, which we thought was fair and we all took. And in fact, the US didnt say that Europe said that. Europe said the vaccine is common good and everybody needs to get access at the same time globally. And thats what we are doing. Europe is getting 17 percent of our global supply for a month for 5 percent of the world population. The problem is 100 million doses is a lot, but we have 7,5 billion people in the world.

We are in the ramp up phase and basically, it will improve, but it takes time. Having said all of this, Im not looking for excuses, honestly. We take accountability. We want to do better, and were working day and night. Our people in manufacturing, we have hundreds of people, thousands of people now. Many of them didnt take any Christmas vacation. So Im not asking you feel sorry for us but you know, were doing our very best. But its a very complicated process and a big scale.

Question: After the explanation you just gave us at the same time the aggressive way in which the EU has responded is striking. Even imposing now a new control on exports of out of Europe? And they are suggesting that youre selling your product to some countries?

Soriot: The suggestion we sell to other countries to make more money is not right because we make no profit everywhere. Thats the approach we took, and we agreed on that. Thats the agreement we have with Oxford University. Its actually even written in a contract we have with Oxford University: that we will be at no profit. We have slightly different prices from one geographic to the other because the cost of goods may be different. We have a supply chain in Brazil, we have another one in Latin America, we have another one in South Asia. We have one in Japan. And of course, you know, local costs are different. So youve got slight variations, but more or less, its about three to four dollars, more or less everywhere. It makes no difference. Zero difference. I understand we all want to be vaccinated. I think the populations of Europe, like everywhere else in the world, have been under so much stress with this pandemic for so long now, for a year or so, that people are tired. And I think the people who didnt want to be vaccinated maybe six months ago are now saying, I want to be vaccinated. You have many people who want to be vaccinated.

So, governments are under pressure. Everybody is getting kind of a bit, you know, aggravated or emotional about those things. But I understand because the Commission is managing the process for the whole of Europe. Were certainly not taking vaccines away from the Europeans to sell it somewhere else at the profit. It would not make sense, honestly, if you think about it, but we engage in this process a year ago, and were going to make zero profit. It would not make sense for us to then say were going to make a profit somewhere else and destroy the whole spirit of the agreement. First of all, we would be in breach of the agreement we have with Oxford. And secondly, weve done it because we want to do it for the good of humankind.

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Question: You said that the UK signed the Astra Zeneca vaccine contract three months before EU, so you had more time to tweak and fix the potential disruptions of the supply. Why did you commit to similar contracts with the EU, if you knew that in a very short time there could be problems like the one the EU supply chain is experiencing right now?

Soriot: First of all, we have different plants and they have different yields and different productivity. One of the plans with the highest yield is in the UK because it started earlier. It also had its own issues, but we solved all, it has a good productivity, but its the UK plant because it started earlier.

Anyway, we didnt commit with the EU, by the way. Its not a commitment we have to Europe: its a best effort, we said we are going to make our best effort. The reason why we said that is because Europe at the time wanted to be supplied more or less at the same time as the UK, even though the contract was signed three months later. So we said, Ok, were going to do our best, were going to try, but we cannot commit contractually because we are three months behind UK. We knew it was a super stretch goal and we know its a big issue, this pandemic. But our contract is not a contractual commitment. Its a best effort. Basically, we said were going to try our best, but we cant guarantee were going to succeed. In fact, getting there, we are a little bit delayed.

Question: So this is the contract that the EU signed?

Soriot: Yes, certainly. Now we have a vaccine and everybody thinks its easy. But in April last year, everybody was saying Its impossible to do a vaccine by the end of the 2020, or Youre going too fast or Youre cutting corners, You cant do it, etcetera. Now everybody is saying Youre too slow, while before we were too fast. At that time, when we talked about those things, first of all we didnt know whether we would have a vaccine or not. We didnt know what the yield would be. When you develop a vaccine, usually you do that over five, six years. We did this in a few months, so we thought, you know, if we are successful, we can get through this yield. Unfortunately, some manufacturing sites got to the yield and others didnt. We knew that it was going to be very challenging. But if we had not stretched the process like this, maybe we would not even be able to produce vaccines now.

Question: Italy is one of the two countries that they have explicitly threatened legal action against Astra Zeneca. However, from what you are saying there is no feasible basis for a potential legal action against Astra Zeneca?

Soriot: I dont want to give judgment on anything that has been said. I can only tell you whats in their contract. And the contract is very clear. Our commitment is, I am quoting, our best effort. There are a lot of emotions running in this process right now, and I can understand it: people want vaccine. I want the vaccine too, I want it today. But, at the end of the day, its a complicated process. We are getting there, in two or three months we will be at scale. We have a 17-million-dose production per month right now, it is actually not small at all. But of course, its less than people want and understandably so.

Question: Is there any chance that the contracts could be reconsidered in the sense that you may distribute the vaccines in some other way? For instance, would it be possible to take some of the vaccines destined for UK and move them to the EU or some other countries? Or is this such a fixed contract that you cannot change it?

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Soriot: The UK agreement was reached in June, three months before the European one. As you could imagine, the UK government said the supply coming out of the UK supply chain would go for the the UK first. Basically, thats how it is. In the EU agreement it is mentioned that the manufacturing sites in the UK were an option for Europe, but only later. But were moving very quickly, the supply in the UK is very rapid. The government is vaccinating two and a half million people a week, about 500.000 a day, our vaccine supply is growing quickly. As soon as we have reached a sufficient number of vaccinations in the UK, we will be able to use that site to help Europe as well. But the contract with the UK was signed first and the UK, of course, said you supply us first, and this is fair enough. This vaccine was developed with the UK government, Oxford and with us as well. As soon as we can, well help the EU. I mean, as a company, we are half Swedish and half British. So, in fact, were global, of course, but we are European as much as we are British.

Question: About the infamous allegation on the 8% efficiency of the AZ vaccine among the elderly quoted in the German paper Handelsblatt last night: Your colleagues in Germany have already officially denied this story. Do you think this is kind of an exercise of political scapegoating? And what is the risk of this?

Soriot: What can I say? I dont have any idea where this number is coming. Its incorrect. Several regulators of many countries have approved this vaccine for people 18 years old and above. How can one think that all these people, all these regulators around the world would have approved our vaccine if its efficiency was eight percent? I mean, of course not. Lots of very smart people are working for regulators, we must have approval now in 10 or 12 countries, including the UK, of course, which is a very strong, very tough regulator. I dont know where these numbers come from. Now, why do people come up with this? I dont know. Again, the emotions are raw. I would really like to call on people to really focus on the details and focus on the regulators. There is a lot of silly talk going on right now about all sorts of things. Some people making up stories, for what reason? Im not sure. There may also be local political considerations sometimes? I cant say. Like testing and masks in the past, the vaccine has become a political tool. Its unfortunate because you would like to tell people this is a moment to come together, really work together and try and resolve this issue. Its not a moment to use the testing of vaccines as a political tool.

Question: Is there any risk that this may embolden the anti-vaccine movement in Germany and elsewhere?

Soriot: The anti-vax are quiet powerful in Germany. They are powerful in the Netherlands, theyre powerful in France. Im sure they are powerful in Italy and Spain, everywhere. They spread all sorts of stories. Like that the mRNA vaccine is going to modify your DNA, youre going to die of an allergy By the way, the safety profile of the Oxford vaccine is very good. The reactions you might get like fever, pain in the arm or headache after vaccination were really quiet low. And in the second dose are lower than in the first dose, while with other vaccines you have more reactions. So the safety is good.

So the anti-vax, yes, anybody who makes statements on the vaccines that have to do with its efficacy or safety, if they do for scientific reasons, they should debate it in scientific circles. But if they do this for political reasons, its shameful, because basically what it does is that reduces peoples confidence in vaccines. People will start thinking about it, maybe these vaccines dont workeverything is confused, I dont want to be vaccinated. Thats why I say to the media, that sometimes get attracted by this, that you have to be very careful with what you write. Because, of course, you want to attract attention to issues, etc, but you should also remember that people listen to you, and people can be impacted and lose trust in vaccines.

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Ultimately, these vaccines are approved by regulators. And those are experts. And its not just one. Its not like you only have one regulator. You have one in Europe, one in the US, one in the UK, one in Japanin Australia, in Canada, in India. Everyone has its regulator. Theres a whole series of very smart people who are experienced, looking at this data. You really would have to be a big conspiracy theorist to believe they conspire together on a global basis to approve vaccines that are risky or not effective. Fundamentally, people should trust those experts. And, on top of it, in the medicines and the drug world, when the regulators approve the medicine then it gets used. In the vaccine world, when the regulators approve the vaccine, it then goes  in most countries, not all countries but most countries  it then goes to an expert group of vaccinologists. And they further review the data and further decide how to use the vaccine. So, I mean, you have two layers of expert reviews. If you cant trust this, what will you trust? But people who actually spread those rumors, unfortunately, they impact the peoples trust.

Question: Given the fact that a lot of countries have high hopes on the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine but now there are supply problems, does it make sense for EU countries to give a second thought to one-dose strategy that the UK is using?

Soriot: I think the UK one-dose strategy is absolutely the right way to go, at least for our vaccine. I cannot comment about the Pfizer vaccine, whose studies are for a three-week interval. In our case, the trial were talking about was conducted by Oxford University. We are conducting the US trial, which we think is going to be ready very soon. Oxford University conducted the so-called Oxford trial in UK and Brazil, and we have data for patients who received the vaccine in one-month interval, 2 or 3 months interval. First of all, we believe that the efficacy of one dose is sufficient: 100 percent protection against severe disease and hospitalization, and 71-73 percent of efficacy overall. The second dose is needed for long-term protection. But you get a better efficiency if you get the 2nd dose later than earlier. We are going to do a study in the US and globally to use two-month dose interval to confirm that this is indeed the case, there are many reasons to believe it is the case with our vaccine. We have a different technology.

First of all, when you look at level of antibody production, this is higher if you give the second dose three months or two months later, than one month later. And also, if you look at Ebola, its vaccine, which is also using the Adenoviral vector like the Covid one, the second dose needs to be given eight weeks later. Finally, the J&J vaccine with Adenoviral vector also are performing studies on a two-month interval. And J&J has the same technology as ours. Therefore, for our vaccine, there is no doubt in my mind that the way the UK is going is the best way, because right now you have a limited amount of vaccine, but also you have a limited number of doctors and nurses able to inject people. So you maximize the number of people who get one dose. You give them enough protection for two or three months, then you give them the second dose after 3 months. By March, the UK will have vaccinated maybe 28 or 30 million people. The Prime Minister has a goal to vaccinate 15 million people by mid-February, and theyre already at 6,5 million. So they will get there.

Question: You said that EU is going to receive a reasonable quantity of doses by February, could you please quantify this?

Soriot: First of all, as soon as we get an approval, in the next few days, we will be shipping at least three million doses immediately to Europe, then well have another shipment about a week later and then the third or fourth week of February. And the target is to deliver 17 million doses by February. So, I am just estimating roughly, that would mean like about 3 million doses for Germany, probably 2,5 million for Italy and something like 2 million for Spain. I dont know exactly what the precise allocation is, but its based on the population of each country. If youre in Germany, you can vaccinate three million people in one month. Its actually not so bad especially for the people who are the most exposed and most at risk. Thats not a small proportion. And if you apply the three month regimen, then in March, you can do the same again or more potentially because we are working hard to increase our goals. Its not as good as we would like to, but its really not so bad.

Question: Will you get an Oxford vaccine jab?

Soriot: Yeah, of course, as soon as possible. My mother lives in France, she is 92, and she was offered the Pfizer vaccine. I told her to take it and be protected quickly, but she said, No, I want to take the AZ vaccine. So I would take it myself, of course. Its a good vaccine.

Question: So, you can assure that this vaccine is efficient for the elderly?

Soriot: The issue with the elderly data is not so much whether it works or not. Its that we have today a limited amount of data in the older population. You have to think that the program we have today was run by Oxford, it was the Oxford program. And Oxford is an academy group. Theyre very ethical, and very academic. So they didnt want to vaccinate older people until they had accumulated a lot of safety data in the 18 to 55 group. They said it was not ethical to vaccinate old people until they had enough safety data in younger people. Other companies took their risk and went ahead and vaccinated older people faster or earlier. If you start earlier, you have more data. Essentially, because Oxford started vaccinating older people later, we dont have a huge number of older people that had been vaccinated. So thats what the debate is. But we have strong data showing very strong antibody production against the virus in the elderly, similar to what we see in younger people. Its possible that some countries, out of caution, will use our vaccine for the younger group. But honestly, it is fine. Theres not enough vaccines for everybody. So if they want to use another vaccine for older people and our vaccine for younger people, whats the problem? Its not a problem. Were trying to deal with this crisis together. If you add up our capacity, plus the Pfizer capacity, plus the Moderna capacity, theres not enough in the world. Theres not enough for the entire world. I personally think that the group of people who are between 50 and 70 are an important group to protect. If you are 50, 60, you need to be protected. Many people may have hypertension, overweight, you need to protect them. And the younger people, at some point, we need to protect them also. So, even though no country has done so so far, its possible that some countries will say: We will not use the AZ vaccine in older people until we have the US data confirming that it is indeed to be used in older people. Different groups or countries will take different approaches. The UK said: we believe it works in older people, were going to use it in older people.

Question: So youre obviously saying the 8% Handelsblatt report is nonsense, but what is the number then for the over 65, how efficient is the AZ vaccine for people over 65? Can you give us a number?

Soriot: I dont have the number in mind, to be honest with you, because the team has been finalizing the analysis. We had an interim analysis based on the November analysis of the data. What you do when you run a big trial like this is you do interim analysis. Pfizer did an interim analysis, so did Moderna. So we had an interim analysis with the data as they were in November, with a () number of elder people, and then we had a final analysis in December, with more than 200 cases of infections, so a very high number of infections. And so the efficacy in that group, I dont remember precisely the number, its comparable to what you had in younger people.

The problem is that it is a statistics debate, in a way. When you run a trial, you then say, the result is X%. And then you say, there is a confidence interval around this result. You may have heard this expression, we have 95% confidence interval, which is around this estimate of X%, what could be the lowest and what could be the highest. And if you have a lower number of people in the trial, then the confidence interval is very wide. So you have a point estimate, but the reality is that it could be higher or it could be lower. And thats why people say, we dont know, we cant be sure, because we dont have enough patients and therefore you have a large confidence interval.

So the answer to this is that the data is showing good level of antibodies in elderly as you see in younger people, so we believe other regulators concluded the point estimate is real, even though the confidence is large. So its comparable to what we had in younger people. The point is that whats important as far as the efficacyat the end of the day, what is really important is the protection against severe disease and hospitalization. Because if you can stop people from being severely sick, and importantly, if you stop them from going to the hospital, the whole thing becomes completely manageable. The hospitals are not overwhelmed, and people may cough a bit, or maybe run a little bit of fever, but they get on with their lives, as with the flu. Thats what you really want to do. Eliminate severe disease and hospitalization. Get rid of it. And, in our study, we have 100% protection against severe disease and hospitalization.

Question: If you could give me more details on the Italian plant?

Soriot: Yes. We work with a big plant in Anagni, Italy that does the filling. Youd be pleased to hear that the Italian team does a fantastic work. That plant works very well. Theres no issue there and productivity is very high. So we are very happy with the work the Italian team is doing. They are really fundamental all together with the German team to fill the vaccine.

Question: And what about the new variants?

Soriot: You probably have seen that Moderna published data with the South African variant. And essentially, what they said is thatwhat you call neutralizationin which you take the blood of people who have been vaccinated, you take the antibodies and you apply then to the virus, to see if these antibodies neutralize the virus. And the neutralization effect against the South African variant is 6 fold lower. But still, they believe it is high enough to control the disease. And its still higher than what people who had the disease have. And they say that they are developing a new vaccine for the new variant. In our case, we dont have the results yet. Public Health England, which is the UK health system, is doing the analysis, and we should have it very soon. I believe its logical to think well have the same effect as seen with the Moderna vaccine, but we do not know yet. The neutralization may be reduced. But I also think that there is a good chance patients will still be protected. At least, if they get infected, they will not get seriously ill, because the t-cells, the cellular immunity will also be protecting. Having said that, were also working on a vaccine with Oxford University that will target the variant. In the meantime, I dont think people should worry so much, because this variant is not that common in Europe and elsewhere. The vaccination will protect people, even if not completely to some extent. And it may be like flu, well have to produce a new vaccine every couple of years or something.

But I think an important point isand in some extent this sort of takes us back to Europe. This virus mutates and perfects itself. We need to vaccinate as many people as possible around the world, because if you leave virus of the world where virus can multiply, it will mutate in these populations. Because it moves around people, and it mutates as it moves. So we need to vaccinate a sufficient number of people around the world. And thats why its so important to say, as Europe said, that we should get access to vaccines to everyone around the world in a fair and quick manner. And for Europe to say they are going to control exports is the contrary to what they said a few months ago, that they were going to give access to everybody. We have supply chains that are dedicated to regions, but we also manage our supply chain globally.
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Travellers living next to the Dale Farm site now say they want to leave but cannot sell the land neighbouring 'Britain's biggest flytip' a decade after a 7million eviction battle over Europe's biggest illegal traveller site.

Neighbouring travellers on a legal site by the infamous plot near Basildon, Essex, say they have 'had enough' of the town and want to move on.

But because the land is worth so little and may have 'up to 60 owners', the plan is proving increasingly difficult.

Their claim comes almost 10 years after taxpayers spent nearly 7million on clearing Dale Farm, where more than 1,000 people lived at its height, but now is a desolate wasteland.

Neighbouring travellers on a legal site by the infamous plot near Basildon, Essex, say they have 'had enough' of the town and want to move on. Pictured: the remains of Dale Farm, which cost taxpayers 7million to clear in 2011

Dramatic scenes from the eviction in 2011. The site was once Europe's biggest illegal traveller site and had more than 1,000 people living there at its height, but now is a desolate wasteland dubbed 'Britain's biggest flytip'

Police officers pictured during the Dale Farm eviction in 2011. The final cost of the eviction was nearly 7million, with Basildon Council picking up a bill for 4.3million whilst Essex Police spent 2.4million on their involvement

A file picture showing the whole of the Dale Farm site in Basildon, Essex, before the eviction. Travellers living next to the site say they want to leave but cannot sell the land

Officials claimed it would be returned to Green Belt land after the eviction battle in October 2011 - but it is still a polluted wasteland blighted by rubbish and the decaying remains of the site.

Now the legal travellers who live on the neighbouring Oak Lane pitches say they want to sell up, and hope a developer swoops in to develop the area for housing.

Stuart Carruthers, who represents the group in court, says the 400 travellers want to leave South Essex.

He said: 'I'm expecting it to be turned into houses at some point and the sooner they do that the better. But there are so many issues they are facing.

'They are struggling to sell the land, it's so cheap. The only reason they settled there was because the land is so cheap.

'The travellers are more than happy to move on, if they get the money for it, otherwise they can't afford to buy anywhere else.

The area is filled with rubbish in 2019 and a number of temporary structures in the background are seen still up

A mound of rubbish can be seen at the site in 2019 including a tool box, mattress, and various pieces of wood and other debris

A large amount of rubbish on the site. Now the legal travellers who live on the neighbouring Oak Lane pitches want to sell up

A file picture showing the legal part of the site in Essex after the eviction of the illegal travellers in 2011

'I think they've had enough of Basildon, they just don't like the town anymore. No one is going to build the homes until a developer comes along and buys it.'

However, any plans for housing would be stymied by 'serious highway problems' as the site is near the busy A127 dual carriageway.

Officials have poured cold water on the plans to develop it with the deputy leader of Basildon Council, Kerry Smith, saying it is not their decision.

He said: 'We don't know who owns the land. It is down to the landowners, with what they want to do with it.

An internal shot of a burnt out illegal home on the former traveller site in Essex. Smashed glass can be seen on the right

A barrier to stop fly tippers going into the site and dumping rubbish. In 2018 it emerged Basildon Council had failed to recover a single penny from the travellers

A number of wooden crates at the site, and what appears to be a fridge on the far right hand side of the alley, pictured in 2019. Further rubbish can be seen in the background of the shot

An internal shot of one of the old illegal properties filled with debris such as mattresses and various bits of wood

'They need to come together and go through the local plan process and put some recommendations forward. The council is still owed money from the evictions. I think that figure sits around 4million.

'If the council waived that money then I'm sure the landowners will then want to do something.'

The final cost of the Dale Farm eviction was nearly 7million, with Basildon Council picking up a bill for 4.3million whilst Essex Police spent 2.4million on their involvement.

In 2018 it emerged Basildon Council had failed to recover a single penny from the travellers.

A 'lack of information about landowners whereabouts' had stalled plans to claw back the cash and official documents recommended 'no further action' should be taken.
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ROME, N.Y.  Rome police are looking for a suspect accused of slashing a man across the face with a sharp object in a Burger King parking lot on Saturday, Jan. 23, around 8:15 p.m.

The victim told police he was driving west on Erie Boulevard near the intersection with South Madison Street when the suspect, who was standing in the median, starting throwing snowballs at his vehicle.

The victim turned into the Burger King parking lot where he claims the suspect approached his vehicle and assaulted him with a sharp object, leaving cuts on his face, nose, eye and left hand. When the victim got out of his vehicle, the suspect fled the scene toward Woodrow Avenue.

Police describe the suspect as a Black man, about 5-feet 7-inches or 5-feet 8-inches tall, who was wearing a black beanie and a gray jacket at the time of the incident.

Anyone with information should contact Det. Bryan Zoeckler at 315-339-7712 or Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-866-730-8477 to leave an anonymous tip.

TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

Dr. Dadi Segal, CEO of Panaxia Global, said, "Our success in this prestigious French government tender along with our partner, Neuraxpharm, is a huge achievement for Panaxia, and we are proud to be part of the elite group of global medical cannabis leaders selected for the program. The fact that four Panaxia products met the French regulatory requirements, including sublingual tablets for the first time, serves as powerful confirmation of the uncompromising quality of the company's products. We believe the French market will become one of the world's most advanced medical cannabis markets as well as a significant growth driver for Panaxia. We are excited to take our first steps there and provide the patients in the program with innovative and quality cannabis products."

Panaxia Labs Israel Ltd. ("Panaxia Israel,") (TASE: PNAX), Israel's largest manufacturer of medical cannabis products, today announced that together with its partner, European pharmaceutical leader Neuraxpharm, it has been selected as a primary supplier in the tender issued by the French government and National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) in the first pilot of its kind to regulate the medical cannabis industry in France. Alongside Israeli company Panaxia, three of the world's leading medical cannabis companies were selected as primary suppliers for the pilot: Canadian companies Tilray and Aurora as well as Australian Little Green Pharma.

In the tender, four1 finished products developed by Panaxia under the Naxiva-Panaxir brand, which it shares with Neuraxpharm France, were selected. The products met ANSM's strict requirements for finished products. In the pilot, Panaxia, as the primary supplier, will supply two types of cannabis-based oils in various doses of THC/CBD. Additionally, Panaxia, as a secondary supplier, will provide two types of sublingual tablets in various doses. Additional companies selected as secondary suppliers only are Australian company Althea and UK company Emmac Life Science.

The prestigious pilot, expected to begin at the beginning of March 2021, will include 3,000 patients and last for two years. Physicians, nurses and pharmacists will be selected for the pilot and will undergo special training for issuing and dispensing medical cannabis prescriptions to patients in accordance with the list of indications developed by ANSM.

France is one of the world's largest Western countries, with the strictest regulation in the Western world regarding use of medical cannabis. France currently has a population of 67 million, and according to published figures/estimates,2 there are approximately 700,000 patients who meet the criteria and can be eligible in the future for a prescription for treatment with medical cannabis.

At the end of the pilot, the French government will decide on permitting the use and sale of medical cannabis products and subject to this, Panaxia, which is currently the only Israeli company with EU-GMP certification from a European agency for production and export of medical cannabis according to European and international standards, will submit an application for regulatory marketing to the French authorities for marketing and distribution of the products.

The first shipments of the products are expected to be sent to France in the coming weeks, subject to receive of import and export permits as required when exporting narcotics.

Dr. Jorg-Thomas Dierks, CEO of Neuraxpharm, stated, "Following the announcement of our strategic collaboration with Panaxia in April 2020, we are now delighted to have been jointly selected for this pioneer study on emerging medical cannabis use in France. We are confident that France will lead the way for other countries to embrace the use of medical cannabis in the coming years. This excellent opportunity highlights our commitment to offer new therapeutic solutions for our patients, to respond to their unmet needs and enable them to live a better life."

Dr. Malgorzata (Gosia) Meunier, VP Innovation at Panaxia and the manager of this project, said, "Being personally linked to France, I'm especially proud that Panaxia will participate in this prestigious experiment and provide a response to the enormous need of patients in France. Beyond that, this is an amazing regulatory achievement for us and another powerful confirmation that testifies to the uncompromising quality and uniqueness of the finished products that Panaxia produces."

About Panaxia Israel

Panaxia Labs Israel, Ltd. is a publiclytraded company at TASE (TASE: PNAX). It is the largest Israeli manufacturer and home-delivery distributor of medical cannabis products, and the first to have received the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Health for the manufacturing of medicinal cannabis-based pharmaceuticals (under the IMC-GMP directive) as well as EU-GMP standard certification required for commercial production and export of medical cannabis and its products to Europe. The company manufactures over 30 hemp-based medicinal products and has accumulated a broad foundation of clinical experience based on tens of thousands of patients.

Panaxia is a subsidiary of the Segal Pharma Group, owned by the Segal family and founded over forty years ago. The company manufactures over 600 different pharmaceutical products that are distributed in over 40 countries worldwide.

Visit the Panaxia website at https://panaxia.co.il/

For more information:

Noa Leviel

[email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1179669/Panaxia_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Panaxia Pharmaceutical Industries
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Australians stopped singing God Save the Queen as our national anthem in 1984, but nearly 40 years later our elected leaders are still expected to promise to serve the Queen of the United Kingdom.

We now sing Advance Australia Fair with different words that better reflect our modern nation. Our words should reflect who we serve  just as a new police officer taking an affirmation of service to the people or a doctor taking the oath to serve their patients state when they take on their duties.

The wrong master: MPs are required to swear allegiance to the Queen. Credit:Getty

New Australian citizens are asked to pledge their loyalty to Australia and its people. As their elected representatives, our duty is to the Australian people above all else and our oath of office should reflect that important fact.

Australia is one of the few countries in the world whose people do not require their elected representatives to swear to serve their interests in Parliament. As it stands, when an Australian is elected to the Federal Parliament they are required to swear an oath or take an affirmation to Queen Elizabeth II and her heirs and successors before they can take their seat in Parliament.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jurny, Inc. , a leading hospitality tech company offering SaaS-based management solutions, today announced an agreement to operate Hotel Brexton, a historic hotel located in the famous Mount Vernon District situated near Baltimore's Inner Harbor central to museums. Jurny will integrate its proprietary technology and management services to operate the newly remodeled 25-unit hotel originally built in 1881.

"Hotel Brexton is an exciting property to add to our growing portfolio for its history, central location and endless potential," said David Phillips, Co-Founder and President of Jurny. "As hotel operators work to adjust to unpredictable market conditions and the evolving demands of travelers, our technology helps boutique hotels, like Hotel Brexton, streamline operations and appeal to the modern traveler without losing their charm."

Jurny offers a turnkey management solution for independent hotels and multi-family building owners designed to enable a contactless guest experience and streamline operational efficiencies, including booking services, cleaning management and customer support. The company currently operates more than 500 units across major U.S. and international cities including Miami, Nashville, London and Tel Aviv.

About Jurny

Jurny is a hospitality tech company offering SaaS (software as a service) based management solutions designed to accommodate the modern traveler's evolving needs and expectations. Jurny connects consumers with high-end branded suites and apartments owned by independent property and hotel owners for short-term stays. From design to implementation, Jurny's turnkey management service enables an industry-first true automated experience from check-in to check-out for both guests and owners, resulting in flawless operations and increased profits. Jurny is pioneering the next generation of tech-first, on-demand hospitality.

For more information, please visit www.jurny.com , and join the conversation on Instagram , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Media Contact:

Angela Petersen

[email protected]

(631) 830-3305

SOURCE Jurny, Inc.
Phuket Vice Governor confirms no mandatory quarantine for Bangkok arrivals

PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong has publicly confirmed the order issued on Sunday, which no longer requires arrivals from Bangkok to observe a 14-day mandatory quarantine after arriving on the island as a standard requirement.

COVID-19Coronavirushealthtourismeconomics

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 26 January 2021, 10:44AM

Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong at the meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 25). Photo: PR Phuket

The confirmation came at a meeting of the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee held at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 25), joined by Phuket Public Health Office Chief Thanit Sermkaew and other relevant officers.

V/Gov Pichet explained that under the new order all arrivals to Phuket are to be classified into one of four groups, reduced from five groups in the order issued on Jan 11.

V/Gov Pichet explained that Group 1 comprised people arriving from seven red zone provinces: Samut Sakhon, Rayong, Chonburi, Trat, Chanthaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Nonthaburi

Group 1 arrivals must:

1) Install the Mor Chana app

2) Register their travel details on gophuget.com

3) Be tested and followed up by staff at an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)

4) Quarantine at home or at an Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) hotel for 14 days

5) Follow the disease control measures strictly

Group 2 arrivals comprise people arriving from 21 provinces/areas on the secondary list of red zone risk areas: Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Tak, Saraburi, Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, Suphan Buri, Lop Buri, Sing Buri, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Nayok, Ranong, Chumphon, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Sa Kaeo, Ratchaburi, Petchburi, Samut Songkhram, Angthong, Chachoengsao and Prachin Buri.

Group 2 arrivals must:

1) Install the Mor Chana app

2) Register their travel details on gophuget.com

3) Have EOC staff determine whether they have to quarantine for 14 days or not.

4) Follow the disease control measures strictly

Group 3 arrivals comprise people arriving from 11 orange zone provinces: Sukhothai, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chainat, Phetchabun, Chaiyaphum, Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Surat Thani or Phang Nga.

Group 3 arrivals must:

1) Install the Mor Chana app

2) Register their travel details on gophuget.com

3) Self-monitor at their home or accommodation for 14 days

4) Follow the disease control measures strictly

Group 4 arrivals are people arriving from anywhere else in the country  38 provinces designated as yellow zone risk areas.

Group 4 arrivals must:

1) Install the Mor Chana app

2) Register their travel details on gophuget.com

3) Follow the disease control measures strictly

However, not adding any clarity to the current entry requirements for Phuket, V/Gov Pichet yesterday noted that people making round-trips to Phuket  a term believed to mean day-trippers  must only 1) Install the Mor Chana app; 2) Register their travel details on gophuget.com; and 3) Follow the disease control measures strictly.

No other details or requirements about day-trippers were explained.

V/Gov Pichet also repeated that there is currently a general ban on moving migrant workers from neighbouring countries into and out of Phuket, unless the employer had a necessary reason or was doing so in order to follow an order issued by the Ministry of Labour or other officials.

Employers who need to move their workers must first submit the required documents to a relevant official and be approved, V/Gov Pichet said.


Musa Kalenga presents New ways for New Days at #BizTrends2021 online event on Thursday, 28 January 2021.

Your background lies in adapting technology for social good. How and when did your interest in tech begin?

Last chance to register for BizTrends2021 - tomorrow, 28 January at 11am Here's a sneak preview of what you can expect from BizTrends2021 - Towards New Norths & New Narratives on Thursday, 28 January 2021. We invite you to join us as trend 'rockstars' point to new 'north stars'...

In your opinion, what is the state of tech innovation in South Africa?

On average, I think most are between the Technology Trigger and The Tough of disillusionment.

From your point of view, what are the opportunities and challenges for tech in Africa?

The problem in Africa is about a systematic approach to unlock the opportunity

With your passion for the African continent, what can be done to widen digital inclusion and STEM education in Africa?

STEM remains an important opportunity around the building blocks of a competent population of the future and much more can be done to support alternative ways of learning STEM subjects.

Brave Group's Musa Kalenga Best Individual Contributor to Digital Technology is changing the future of business and Musa Kalenga's achievements in digital, are testament to this. Kalenga, chief future officer at Brave Group, was announced as Best Individual Contribution to Digital at the 2020 IAB Bookmarks Awards...

As an entrepreneur and investor, what are the trends that you are starting to see in the ecosystem? In marketing and advertising, programmatic marketing as well as performance marketing will be increasingly valuable for marketers and brands. Both are areas of marketing that can create and deliver immense value. Artificial intelligence across almost every sector is becoming a key topic to debate and discuss. This begins by operationalising AI in organisations starting with data strategy, but also more importantly - the softer issues like ethics in the field of AI. Artificial intelligence across almost every sector is becoming a key topic to debate and discuss. This begins by operationalising AI in organisations starting with data strategy, but also more importantly - the softer issues like ethics in the field of AI.

You've been described as a marketer of the future. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the marketing and media industry at the moment?

There is also a gaping hole regarding policy formulation with regards to all of the above on industry bodies.

You're speaking at our BizTrends2021 online event. What can we expect to hear from you?

#BizTrends2021: How we can create new ways to adapt to our new days Musa Kalenga, CEO and founder of Bridge Labs, delivered a keynote talk at the #BizTrends2021 live virtual event held on 28 January. In his talk, Kalenga discussed creating new ways to adapt to our new days...

With many titles to his name, Kalenga is the CEO of Bridge Labs, as well a shareholder and a board member at The Brave Group and Loxyion Conexyion. He was the first chairman of the Youth Advertising Board of South Africa in 2005/6 and also currently holds the position of Chairman of the School of Consumer and Information Sciences Industry Advisory Board at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). He is also the author of, a book that shares anecdotes and experiences about growing up in Southern Africa, as well as working and doing business all over the continent.I caught up with Kalenga to chat about his passion for Africa, technology and humanity ahead of BizTrends2021 online - Towards New Norths & New Narratives As far as I can remember I have always been interested in solving problems for the continent. Initially this was by ensuring that we used the minds of young people to give a new and fresh perspective. This organically evolved into the use of technology as a means to engage young people and solve problems. Back in 2009, in one of my first business ventures - Monatefellaz, we conducted some experiential research using closed Facebook groups as a way to engage, track and gather data on young people within a certain research cohort. This was the beginning of my appreciation of the scale and impact that technology could have.Using the Gartner Hype Cycle as a reference, the various industries are at different stages of maturity.The technology trigger is super early stage and in fact likely not internal innovation, but innovation forced by external changes in the market - i.e Covid-19. At this stage the expectations of technology generally are unrealistic and not achievable. This stage leads to a flurry of activity and panic driven decision-making and often ends in tears. The Trough of disillusionment is the outcome of knee-jerk reactions to innovation and in South Africa many companies feel duped or let down by the promise of innovation.In almost every sector, there are massive opportunities.. Based on the Gartner Hype Cycle, most companies will struggle to capture a market opportunity because of a lack of skill and foresight.I think the basics need to be put in place. We need a new crop of educators with a high level of digital literacy skills. This will transform their appreciation of what technology can do for learners and to enhance the classroom experience.There is also an opportunity for a narrow, much more intense focus on STEM-only curriculum. There may be an argument of reduced cost and hyper focus on these core subjects.A lack of skills in critical thinking, creative and the application of digital literacy.The curriculum that marketing students are exposed to also needs to evolve to meet the new market demands.My talk is all about New ways for New Days. This is understanding the way is shifting and being practical about the challenges and opportunities that come with it.
LANSING, MI  Canadian government and business interests are mounting a full-court-press on Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, hoping to badger the Midwest Democrat into reversing an order that shuts down a controversial Enbridge oil pipeline under Lake Michigan later this year.

Whitmer administration officials say formal calls are coming from nearly all corners of Canada to allow the Enbridge Line 5 oil line crossing under the Straits of Mackinac to continue operating after a May deadline, which the governor imposed several months ago when she announced revocation of the pipeline easement over past violations.

Diplomats and business leaders across the border say the move imperils Canadian jobs and theyre threatening to escalate the matter with new U.S. President Joe Biden, who is juggling the desire of climate voters demanding a shift away from fossil fuels with efforts to improve an international relationship strained under Donald Trump.

Local and provincials officials in Ontario, where the 645-mile pipeline crosses back into Canada at Sarnia, are pushing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take the matter directly to Biden.

At some point, there will be some discussions with the new administration, whether that be directly between our prime minister and the president, or at the cabinet-level on both sides. Thats still up in the air, " said Joe Comartin, a former Parliment member and Canadas consul-general in Detroit.

The position by Enbridge, generally, and we support it, is that the state does not have the jurisdiction and authority to close this (pipeline) down, Comartin said.

FILE - In this June 8, 2017 file photo, fresh nuts, bolts and fittings are ready to be added to the east leg of the pipeline near St. Ignace as Enbridge prepares to test the east and west sides of the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac in Mackinaw City, Mich. Enbridge Inc. applied Wednesday, April, 2020, for state and federal authorization to construct an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the Michigan waterway that connects two of the Great Lakes. (Dale G Young/Detroit News via AP)/Detroit News via AP)AP

In November, Whitmer rewarded environmental groups and Enbridge critics by terminating a 68-year-old easement which enabled the company to run dual oil lines under the Great Lakes next to the Mackinac Bridge. The move was heralded by many concerned that the aging pipeline posed an oil spill risk, but has been criticized by pro-business and labor groups who say the pipeline is necessary to support energy jobs and supply home heating fuel in Michigan.

Whitmer gave Enbridge until May to wind down operations, ostensibly a date chosen to allow time for alternative fuel supply issues to be figured out in the Upper Peninsula, where the line moves propane for residential heating.

Enbridge has pushed back, saying it wont comply with the shutdown absent a court order. The company is seeking permits to build a huge $500 million tunnel under the straits to house a replacement for the pipeline.

Were getting a lot of pressure from Canada, said Hugh McDiarmid, spokesperson at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), which is reviewing several of Enbridges permit applications for the tunnel. Every, or almost every, province has written a letter in support of keeping the pipeline open.

McDiarmid said multiple business organizations and commerce chambers have also lobbied on Enbridges behalf.

McDiarmid said he helped arrange a briefing on the issue earlier this month for members of the Canada desk at the U.S. State Department, which reached out to Michigan officials through members of the International Joint Commission, an independent bi-national body that deals with boundary waters disputes along the U.S.-Canada border.

Canadian news sites have quoted a litany of local, provincial and federal officials as being concerned about a Line 5 shutdown and making efforts to lobby the Michigan governor. Canadas ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, is reported to have spoken to Whitmer and Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford has also written the governor to urge that she reconsider.

Aaron Henry, a senior director at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, claims Michigan is running afoul of a Transit Pipelines Treaty governing the operation of cross-border pipelines signed in 1977 by the U.S. and Canada.

Enbridge pipeline maintenance crews place an oil containment boom in the St. Clair River during a large-scale practice drill in Marysville in 2016. The drill simulated a 13-minute, 5,000-barrel spill from Line 5. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive)MLive.com Detroit

Mayors across Ontario have reportedly been circulating a letter this month making a similar argument.

Escalating a dispute under that treaty would basically mean this then gets removed from Michigans jurisdiction and becomes something the U.S. and Canada would seek arbitration on and seek to resolve, Henry argued.

He said Biden voted in favor of the treaty as a senator.

Comartin was a more circumspect on whether the treaty offered a mechanism for resolving the Line 5 dispute, saying the agreement has never been tested or used by either side.

Its difficult to say at this point, Comartin said. We are analyzing it.

Comartin said Canada has had little success communicating with Whitmer and is relying mostly on the governors public statements regarding consideration of the Line 5 easement.

The communication had been quite clear that theyre intending to go ahead with this, he said.

Amid litigation with Enbridge, Whitmers office has been fairly tight-lipped about the Line 5 issue since announcing the easement revocation. Deputy press secretary Chelsea Lewis told MLive recently that the administration has received outreach from the Canadian Government, tribes, and advocates on both sides of this issue.

One of the governors top priorities is to protect and defend the Great Lakes, which are vital to Michigans economy, Lewis said, citing employment numbers in Michigan connected to the lakes. We cannot risk the devastating economic, environmental, and public health impacts associated with a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes.

On the Canadian side, jobs and the economy are also top of mind. Henry and Comartin say Line 5 an important piece of infrastructure for their country because it connects extraction from crude reserves in the tar sands region of Alberta with refineries in central Canada and elsewhere through Enbridges extensive Lakehead network. It carries about 540,000 barrels of oil and other products per day between Enbridge terminals in Superior, Wis., and Sarnia, Ont. Line 5 crosses the border at Marysville via a tunnel under the St. Clair River.

In Sarnia, the pipeline feeds refineries that make jet fuel for the Toronto airport and it supplies other Enbridge pipelines that move fuels around Ontario. Between Wisconsin and Sarnia, the pipeline crosses both Michigan peninsulas and many waterways, prompting criticism from those who see little benefit but substantial risk for Michigan from its existence.

The Mackinac Bridge is shown fromthe Straits of Mackinac in Mackinaw City, on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)Mike Mulholland | MLive.com

Having unrestricted ability to move oil from Western Canada to market through the United States is highly important to the Canadian government and pipeline disputes are likely to be an ongoing source of conflict, said Barry Rabe, a professor of public policy and environment at the University of Michigan.

That conflict gained steam this month when Biden, immediately upon taking office, canceled authorization from the Trump administration for the TC Energy Corp Keystone XL pipeline to cross the border in Montana. The move was cheered by some as a victory in the fight to decarbonize the economy and mitigate the impact of climate change, but it prompted calls for economic retaliation against the U.S. from provincial leaders in Canada.

Bidens expected Buy American order to federal agencies this week is expected to further test the strained U.S. trade relationship with Canada.

On Enbridge, Keystone and other points of energy infrastructure, this is going to be an issue that emerges a lot over the next few years, said Rabe.

In Canada, Henry concurred. He said that Biden and Trudeau may agree on aspects of climate policy, but energy security is going to be a sticking point for us and there could be dedicated calls for lengthy discussions and negotiations on it.

On the U.S. side, Rabe said is Biden inheriting from Trump a very weak environmental record and a damaged relationship with Canada, which he gauged as being around a 30-year low point following disputes over trade, tariffs, Arctic policy and pandemic-related border restrictions. During the renegotiation of trade agreements in 2017 and 2018, Rabe said Canadian diplomats went directly to some U.S. state governors in an effort to pressure the Trump administration.

If Canada escalates the Line 5 dispute to the White House, as seems likely, Rabe thinks Biden will be forced to find a path between further alienating a historical ally and the rewarding voters in a key state where he won in the election.

There is also Whitmers stature in the Democratic Party to consider. The governor has strong ties to the Biden White House and the party structure. Biden nominated Whitmer as a Democratic National Committee co-chair this month after the governor was a co-chair for his presidential campaign and served on the inaugural committee.

Bidens nomination of Whitmer predecessor Jennifer Granholm as energy secretary, a move that signals a strong focus on clean energy, is also a factor to consider.

This is a classic tough choice Biden will face, Rabe said. Hes not going to want to harm the Canadian relationship, but hes also not going to want to constrain a state acting in its own environmental self-interest.

He doesnt see Whitmer bowing to Canadian pressure.

Is she going to backtrack? No, Rabe said. This is a high stakes political game here for everybody.

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Enbridge Line 5 ordered shut down by Michigan Gov. Whitmer
Her recent posts from abroad have caused somewhat of a stir on social media.

Vanessa Hudgens took to Instagram with a series of outdoor selfies on Monday from the country of Scotland.

Ever the thrill-seeker, Hudgens, 32, explored the countryside and shared a photo in front of a stone wall that displayed the sign Loch Road.

In spite of the pandemic: Vanessa Hudgens took to Instagram with a series of outdoor selfies on Monday from the country of Scotland

Vanessa stayed warm underneath a cozy black puffer jacket paired with a creamy long-sleeved sweater.

She had on gold earrings and wore a small black purse adorned with a white Playboy bunny pattern.

Earlier in the day, the Beastly star happily posed against a river with a red bridge in the distance while taking in the sights abroad.

Out and about: Earlier in the day, the Beastly star happily posed against a river with a red bridge in the distance while taking in the sights abroad

She also has posted various brief video snippets to her IG stories from her Scottish travels.

Some social media users criticized the High School Musical star for the posts, citing coronavirus restrictions and implying that the actress was flouting them.

However, other fans were quick to point out that Hudgens had a viable, professional reason to be in Scotland, as she is said to be filming the third installment of her Princess Switch film franchise.

Flack: Some social media users criticized the High School Musical star for the posts, citing coronavirus restrictions and implying that the actress was flouting them

However: Fans were quick to point out that Hudgens had a viable reason to be in Scotland, as she is said to be filming the third installment of her Princess Switch film franchise there

And as with all professional film productions currently underway, the utmost precautions are being taken to ensure all those on set are at minimal risk of infection.

Like many parts of the US, Scotland is currently on a coronavirus-related lockdown.

As of this month, the Scottish government does not permit travel between Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom, and strongly discourages or outright prohibits nonessential foreign travel, the BBC reports.

However, as seen back home in Hollywood, Vanessa's Princess Switch shoot is apparently deemed essential as the production creates a significant amount of jobs in the local area.

Vhud supporters: Fans of Vanessa quickly came to her defense on Twitter on Monday
A bill that would protect businesses and health care providers from coronavirus-related lawsuits is advancing quickly through the Montana Legislature, after the states Republican governor said the measure was necessary to remove a statewide mask mandate put in place by his Democratic predecessor.

Gov. Greg Gianforte also said more vulnerable Montana residents would have to receive COVID-19 vaccines before he lifts the mandate former Gov. Steve Bullock implemented in July.

Montana joins at least 20 other states that are considering liability protections against claims related to COVID-19 for businesses, health care providers or educational institutions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The House Businesses and Labor Committee held a hearing Friday on the bill after the Senate passed the bill in a 37-13 vote earlier in the week.

Republican lawmakers, with majorities in both the House and Senate, say the measure is needed to reopen the states economy following an economic downturn induced by the pandemic.

Under the bill, businesses cannot be sued by individuals exposed to the coronavirus on their premises, except in cases of gross negligence or when businesses intentionally spread the virus. Business owners would not be required to uphold federal or state mask requirements or temperature-check requirements if they remain in place.

This is not an immunity bill, said bill sponsor Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls. Its about people who are doing the best they can, and then still getting sued. We want to incentivize people to do the best they can, open their business and get going.

Fitzpatrick said the bill was written with support and guidance from the governors office.

Gianforte said Friday that hes encouraged by the progress on the bill, but would have to wait until it landed on his desk to see if it was sufficient to lift the mask requirement.

The governor also said not enough vulnerable residents had been vaccinated to remove mandate, and encouraged Montana residents to continue wearing masks to reduce the spread of the virus. As of Friday, only 14,000 Montana residents _ less than 2% of the states population _ had received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine necessary to achieve immunity.

The liability measure has wide support from industry groups in the state, which say it would allow their businesses to operate more confidently during the pandemic. Opponents of the measure say it would provide blanket protections for businesses and the medical industry from legitimate lawsuits.

Michelle Zizian, a resident of Gardiner, a gateway community to Yellowstone National Park, said the bill could hurt the towns economy by allowing employers in the tourism industry to sidestep any consequences of putting employees in harms way.

As of a week ago, there were 32 lawsuits filed in the state related to COVID-19, but only two would be affected by the legislation, said Al Smith, executive director of the Montana Trial Lawyers Association. Both target long-term care facilities where residents have died from the virus.

Smith said existing Montana law already protects businesses from frivolous lawsuits, making this bill unnecessary.

As far as an explosion of lawsuits  it just hasnt happened in Montana, he said.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to cause severe disruptions to ordinary life the world over, scientists persist in searching for a vaccine that will help achieve herd immunity to the virus. The earliest vaccines by Pfizer, Moderna, Astra-Zeneca, and other pharmaceuticals are already being rolled out in England, the USA, China, India, and a host of other places. However, a recent preprint research paper posted on the medRxiv* server asks the question: Is herd immunity to COVID-19 a realistic outcome of any immunization program with the two main vaccines currently licensed in the UK?

Vaccine efficacy

R0 at the beginning of the pandemic was estimated as 2.87, but with the emergence of the D614G strain, it became a little higher, currently estimated to be 3.72. A new variant, dubbed the British variant (Lineage B.1.1.7, termed Variant of Concern VOC-202012/01), is thought to have higher transmissibility than the ancestral strain, with the R0 being 1.5 times higher. If the original value of 2.87 is used, then the current R0 for B.1.1.7 would be 4.48, while for the higher original value of 3.72, the new lineage would have an R0 of 5.80.

The researchers from the University of East Anglia noted that the efficacy of 95% is recorded in the regulatory approval documents for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and of 70% against the symptomatic illness for the Oxford vaccine. The latter was derived from data pooled from two different dose regimens.

The Pfizer vaccine has the potential to stop viral shedding from the nose from the first-day post-vaccination, judging from the data in non-human primate studies, though human studies on this aspect have not been conducted. The Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine is not fully effective against asymptomatic infections. However, since these are somewhat less infectious (65%) than symptomatic cases, it still reduces transmission but may not entirely prevent it.

The Oxford vaccine is meant to prevent serious illness and symptomatic illness, though the former is more commonly achieved. It is relatively ineffective against asymptomatic infection, estimated to account for 15% of total transmission. When total incidence is considered, this brings its efficacy against all infections down to 52.5% from the pooled data.

Population coverage and protection

If the reproduction number (R0) of the virus is taken to be 2.87, the population coverage with the Pfizer and Oxford vaccines would need to be 69% and 93%, respectively, to bring the R0 below 1. Alternatively, the infection would need to spread through almost 90% of the population to achieve an R0 less than 1.

With the higher R0 of 4.48, vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine would have to cover 82% of the population to prevent further spread of this variant. Even if 100% coverage was achieved with the Oxford vaccine, the R0 would drop only to 1.325, preventing effective containment. When asymptomatic infections are included, the R0 goes up by a fifth or more, from 1.325 to 1.6, even assuming 100% coverage with this vaccine. This is because vaccinated individuals can still contract an asymptomatic infection, transmitting the virus to the unvaccinated or those with weakened immunity.

Impact of percentage of population vaccinated on overall R-value for COVID-19. Reference line is drawn at R = 1. Green line is Pfizer vaccine; Three upper lines are for Oxford vaccine. Blue: efficacy against symptomatic infection as stated in regulatory approval documents, based on pooling data for SD/SD and LD/SD regime. Purple: same pooled data, but including asymptomatic infection amongst vaccinated individuals. Orange: efficacy for licensed SD/SD regime against both symptomatics and asymptomatics observed in the phase 3 clinical trial (Voysey et al., 2021). Yellow line is equivalent information for immunity in response to natural infection based on data from the SIREN study (Public Health England, 2021c).

Vaccines authorized only for 16+

Since neither vaccine is meant to be given to children, this will push up the R0 to 2.2, say the researchers, even with 100% coverage with the Oxford vaccine. While being more effective in asymptomatic infection, the mRNA Pfizer vaccine may still be unable to fully arrest the pandemic because it is not approved for pediatric use, allowing viral spread among children.

With the Pfizer vaccine, if all adults are vaccinated and a sizable number of children become immune due to natural infection with SARS-CoV-2, the transmission should drop below sustainable levels, with the R-value below 1.

What are the implications?

The researchers conclude that vaccines in current use against SARS-CoV-2 infection can prevent serious illness in a substantial majority of cases among those who have received the vaccine. The Oxford vaccine claims only this function. With the mRNA Pfizer vaccine, non-human primate studies indicate that it may have the ability to stop the virus from being shed through the nasal secretions, thus reducing its spread.

Both vaccines will protect the most vulnerable individuals from severe or critical COVID-19. However, this hinges on adequate coverage.

Since surveys have revealed that a substantial minority of people are unwilling to take the vaccine even when available, full protection is likely to be only a dream for some time to come. However, given the potential for asymptomatic infection in those who receive the Oxford vaccine, the researchers recommend that at least among those professions that involve numerous contacts with other people, including all healthcare and social workers, a vaccine that protects against asymptomatic infection should be strongly preferred. This will avoid the false security resulting from vaccination with a vaccine that prevents symptomatic illness but may still allow transmission.

Secondly, since the Oxford vaccine allows the virus to continue circulating, it is quite possible that the virus may adapt by increased transmission efficiency or escape mutations to current neutralizing antibodies. This would make revaccinating with another vaccine that prevents infection altogether a top priority.

Finally, the evidence that the Pfizer vaccine limits asymptomatic transmission is indirect and must be updated by actual human data. The reasons for the lower efficacy of the Oxford vaccine should also be explored, as well as for the variations in the effectiveness of the two-dose regimens, where the low dose/standard dose regimen appears to have led to a higher level of protection than two standard doses. The role played by the difference in intervals between the doses should be examined.

Nonetheless, with these currently approved vaccines, herd immunity to COVID-19 will be very difficult to achieve. It appears likely that non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) will need to be continued for some time, at least.

*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.

CBS has placed two top TV executives on leave after a report detailing accusations that they had created a hostile work environment, including making disparaging remarks about female and Black employees.

The executives, Peter Dunn, the president of CBS television stations, and David Friend, the senior vice president of news for TV stations, were placed on administrative leave pending the results of a third-party investigation, the company said in a statement on Monday.

CBS is committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where all voices are heard, claims are investigated and appropriate action is taken where necessary, according to the statement. CBS declined further comment.

The suspensions came after The Los Angeles Times published a report on Sunday in which employees accused the executives of bullying female managers and blocking efforts to hire and retain Black journalists.
[January 26, 2021] MetLife to Provide Annuity Benefits to 13,500 Lockheed Martin Retirees and Beneficiaries

MetLife, Inc. announced today that its subsidiary, Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company, has entered into an agreement with Lockheed Martin (News - Alert) Corporation (NYSE: LMT) to provide annuity benefits to approximately 13,500 retirees and beneficiaries in Lockheed Martin's defined benefit (DB) pension plans, representing pension obligations of approximately $1.4 billion. Lockheed Martin, through its master retirement trust, purchased a group annuity contract from Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company in December 2020. The transaction will not change the amount or timing of the monthly pension benefit received by the corporation's retirees and beneficiaries. Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company, rather than Lockheed Martin, will be responsible for making these monthly payments. No action is needed by retirees or beneficiaries. Lockheed Martin and MetLife will provide details to retired participants and beneficiaries whose ongoing payments will be made by Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company. This is the second pension risk transfer transaction Lockheed Martin has signed with MetLife. In 2019, MetLife assumed approximately $1.9 billion in pension obligations for approximately 20,000 of the company's retirees and their beneficiaries. "With this transaction we are looking forward to continuing our work with Lockheed Martin to provide guaranteed lifetime income for their retirees as well as benefits to the retirees' spouses and beneficiaries," said Graham Cox (News - Alert) , executive vice president and head of Retirement & Income Solutions at MetLife. "MetLife is a leading pension risk transfer (PRT) provider. By taking on these pension oligations, we will help Lockheed Martin provide its retirees and beneficiaries with financial security."



The PRT market rebounded in the second half of 2020 and MetLife expects to see this trend continue in 2021. MetLife's 2020 Pension Risk Transfer Poll found that while most plan sponsors reported that their companies have been broadly impacted by COVID-19, 81% said the pandemic would neither decrease the likelihood of transacting nor cause a delay in transacting. MetLife, through Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company, is a market leader in the pension risk transfer industry, managing benefit payments of approximately $3 billion a year for about 720,000 annuitants. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company issued its first group annuity contract in 1921 to fund a defined benefit plan. MetLife's Retirement & Income Solutions Customer Solutions Center team has been recognized by J.D. Power for providing "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience" for the Live Phone (News - Alert) Channel. MetLife's Retirement & Income Solutions (RIS) business includes U.S. Pensions, Institutional Income Annuities, and Structured Settlements in addition to other institutional products.

About MetLife MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacturing, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. Forward-Looking Statements The forward-looking statements in this news release, such as "looking forward" and "will," are based on assumptions and expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, including the "Risk Factors" MetLife, Inc. describes in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. MetLife's future results could differ, and it has no obligation to correct or update any of these statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005949/en/

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An FDNY firefighter was hit in the head by a falling air conditioner unit as he and his crew attended a blaze in Brooklyn in Monday morning.

The man was seen walking next to a building when out of nowhere the metal unit fell from above striking the man with a glancing blow.

The firefighter from Ladder 172 fell to the floor instantly as his colleagues rushed to his aid.

An FDNY firefighter was seriously injured when he was struck by a falling air conditioner at a Brooklyn house fire on Monday

Video captured the horrific scene as the firefighter was walking out to the street

The air conditioner came straight down on top of him knocking him unconscious

The firefighter didn't stand a chance against the AC unit which can weight from 40-120lbs

A loud crash can be heard in the video, before the AC unit pummels the firefighter, knocking him to the ground.

The member of New York's Bravest was responding to a two-alarm blaze along with 106 other firefighters in the Bensonhurst area of Brooklyn just before 9am on Monday.

Incredibly, the rescuer survived and he was taken to Lutheran Hospital in stable but serious condition.

The accident happened while firefighters were operating at the scene of a two-alarm fire in Brooklyn's Bensonhurst neighborhood Monday morning

Fellow firefighters rushed to their colleagues after being struck by the falling unit

The FDNY said his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

At this time it is not clear if the air conditioner fell from the building accidentally or if it was thrown deliberately according to the Daily News.

Air conditioning units can weigh anything from between 40 to 120lbs.

Five other firefighters also suffered minor injuries as they batted the blaze that damaged two homes.

'All details of the incident and the fire are under investigation,' an FDNY spokesman said.

More than 130 firefighters attended the two-alarm fire which affected two homes in the area

Smoke could be seen drifting into the air from several blocks away as the fire took hold
Some groups of farmers started going back to their respective sit-in sites after hours of chaos during their tractor parade

Farmers near the body of a fellow-farmer who died after his tractor allegedly overturned at ITO, during their 'tractor march' on Republic Day, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. (PTI)

New Delhi: A protesting farmer died after his tractor overturned at Central Delhi's ITO during the farmers' tractor parade on Tuesday, police said. However, a group of farmers is holding a sit-in demonstration at ITO with the body as they allege he was shot dead by the police during the violent clashes, media reports say.

They said the details about the deceased are yet to be gathered.

The man died as his tractor overturned at ITO where many farmers participating in the parade had reached from the Ghazipur border after taking a detour of the pre-agreed route for the march, a senior police officer said.

Police said the man was driving the tractor and he came under the vehicle as it overturned.

The farmers draped the body in the tricolour and kept it at the ITO crossing, not allowing the police to send it for post-mortem.

Meanwhile, some groups of farmers started going back to their respective sit-in sites on Tuesday evening after hours of chaos during their tractor parade against the farm laws, but thousands of other protesters were still in several areas, including ITO, Nangloi and Mukarba Chowk, of the national capital.

Hundreds of farmers were sitting at the ITO crossing and many, who entered the city from the Singhu border protest site, were moving towards Delhi's Outer Ring Road.

Farmers were seen moving back in batches to Tikri and Ghazipur border protest sites on Tuesday evening.

Earlier, wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day on Tuesday.
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The American Film Institute on Monday announced its top 10 films of the year, including Pixars jazz themed Soul and two of Chadwick Bosemans final films: the August Wilson adaptation Ma Raineys Black Bottom and Spike Lees Vietnam drama Da 5 Bloods, both of which are Netflix films.

Netflix featured heavily in the AFIs list, which took up four positions on the list including David Finchers Citizen Kane origin story Mank and Aaron Sorkins The Trial of the Chicago 7. Amazon, too, got two spots with the hearing loss drama Sound of Metal, with Riz Ahmed and Regina Kings One Night in Miami.

Chlo Zhaos awards and festival favorite Nomadland with Frances McDormand was also named an honoree in advance of its theatrical rollout in the coming weeks, as was Minari, with Steven Yeun, which opens Feb. 12. AFI also selected Warner Bros. Black Panther Party film Judas and the Black Messiah which will have its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Feb. 1.

The AFI also named its top 10 television shows, including Netflixs The Queens Gambit, the Disney+ phenomenon The Mandalorian and Apple TV+s Ted Lasso.

The selection jury included filmmakers Rian Johnson and Lulu Wang. The group also included a special citation for Hamilton.

In lieu of the annual luncheon celebrating the honorees, AFI will hold a virtual benediction on Feb. 26 streaming on YouTube and the AFI website.
(TNS) - Roughly 75 percent of Cedar Rapids firefighters and a handful of Cedar Rapids police officers have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.Fire Chief Greg Smith reported that 108 of the department's 144 firefighters have started the vaccination process.Seven Cedar Rapids police officers also have had the first of two shots, Smith reported at a Public Safety Youth Services committee meeting Monday,Linn County is in Phase 1A of its vaccine distribution schedule, which includes adults living in long-term care facilities, nursing facilities, assisted living programs or group homes for the elderly, according to Linn County Public Health.Phase 1A also includes health care workers  "paid and unpaid people serving in health care settings, who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious material and are unable to work remotely."Like many of the larger career fire departments across the state, the Cedar Rapids Fire Department requires that its personnel be certified EMTs at the time of hiring, and more than one-third of the department's firefighters also are paramedics.That means firefighters are included in the Phase 1A vaccine distribution, Smith said.The police officers who qualified are certified EMTs or paramedics, he said.The rest of the police department will be eligible for vaccinations during the next phase of the state's vaccine rollout.The vaccines were administered through Area Ambulance.The Marion Fire Department also requires it firefighters to be certified EMTs, said Fire Chief Deb Krebill, who said about 75 percent of the MFD's 41 firefighters have received their first vaccinations. That includes the supervisory staff, as many of them  including the chief  still go on calls regularly.At both fire departments, vaccines were made available on a voluntary basis.In Cedar Rapids, Smith said of the 36 firefighters that were not inoculated, some were unable to get vaccinated due to timing and others declined. Those who declined, he said, were not asked to give a reason since the procedure was voluntary."The fire department conducted a voluntary signup for those firefighters who wanted to receive the vaccination," Smith said. "There were some employees on vacation or not available when the sign up process was conducted, and a couple of firefighters had recently recovered from COVID-19 and wanted to wait until they were fully recovered so they chose not to get vaccinated at the time."In Marion, Krebill said some firefighters opted to not take the vaccination "because they wanted to learn more about it first."Cedar Rapids firefighters received their first doses Dec. 28, Smith said. Marion firefighters were vaccinated about a week later, Krebill said. Both departments will receive their second doses in the coming weeks, which is about the same time the state will begin transitioning in to Phase 1B.Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Thursday that Iowa would begin the second phase of its vaccination program during the first week of February.Phase 1B will include law enforcement, emergency responders, K-12 educators, child care workers and Iowans ages 65 and older.However, the number of newly eligible Iowans  which the state estimates will be more than 660,000  will outnumber the number of vaccine doses available, according to state officials, who asked for patience from the public.As of Wednesday, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported that 156,296 vaccine doses were administered across the state, 147,968 of which went to Iowa residents.In Linn County, 12,125 vaccinations have been administered and 11,894 county residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. In Johnson County, 20,040 vaccinations have been administered and 13,370 county residents have received vaccinations.Iowa City firefighters are also required to become certified EMTs within their first year of employment with the department, but Fire Chief John Grier said Johnson County's rollout of the vaccine is slightly different from Linn County's because of the number of health care workers and long-term care facilities in the county."Firefighters, along with police officers, will qualify for the vaccination in the next phase," he said.According to the Johnson County Public Health website, Phase 1B in Johnson County will be divided into five tiers, and first responders, child welfare social workers, early education school staff and child care workers in that tier. Individuals age 65 and older will qualify regardless of what tier the county is in.That said, some of Iowa City's firefighters have been able to get vaccinated through their affiliation with other fire departments or ambulance services, the chief said.___(c)2021 The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)Visit The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) at thegazette.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
LIMERICK City and County Council has expressed its disappointment at the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) report which was published earlier this week.

The report, relating to the final litter survey of 2020, shows Limerick city just failing to attain clean status, in 18th place in the ranking of 37 towns and cities.

"Limerick City has come a long way in the last number of years and has narrowly failed to regain clean status despite some improvement. The riverside environments in Limerick City deserve special mention with regard to overall presentation, creating such a positive impression within the city," read the report.

Commenting on the results of the survey, a spokesperson for Limerick City and County Council said although noted that the latest report more positive than then the previous mid-year report.

"Of the 24 sites assessed the IBAL assessor gave 13 sites an A rating, 4 a B+ rating, 3 a B, 3 receive a C rating and there was 1 D rating (the Bring Bank on the Dock Road)" said the spokesperson.

Limerick City and County Council Environmental Awareness Officer, Sinead McDonnell especially appealed to user of Bring Banks to exercise vigilance when using such facilities.

"We would ask site users of all our Bring Banks to use the sites in the manner they are meant to be used. Do not leave materials at the site if they are full and we would appreciate if you could report full Banks to our customer services. We would also appreciate if members of the public do not leave bags or boxes that you bring with you at the site. The Council will continue to tackle the issues at this site but there is no questions that support from Bring Bank users is absolutely required," she said.

Limerick City and County Council says disposable coffee cups and facemasks are a particular issue and it is appealing to citizens of all ages to please not litter.

"Litter is a behavioural issue. Changing behaviour if you litter by simply putting it in the bin will really help in our quest to keep Limerick clean," added Ms McDonnell.
A West Virginia woman who once served in the Air Force was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison Monday for planning to hand over top-secret information from the National Security Agency to the Russian government after kidnapping her six-year-old daughter.

Elizabeth Jo Shirley, 47, pleaded guilty last year as part of an agreement to one count each of willful retention of national defense information and international parental kidnapping.

'Shirley held a position that required the highest level of trust,' U.S. Attorney Bill Powell of West Virginia's northern district said in a statement. 'When she committed these crimes, she not only broke that trust, she potentially endangered the very people who employed her and her neighbors. National security is one of our highest priorities. Shirley deserves her sentence and not a day less.'

Elizabeth Jo Shirley, who previously served in the Air Force, was sentenced Monday to more than 11 years in federal prison for planning to offer top-secret information from the NSA to Russia, and for kidnapping her daughter

Prosecutors said Shirley, of Hedgesville, leased a storage unit and kept a document - without authorization - relating to national defense that outlines intelligence information regarding a foreign government's military and political issues.

Shirley worked on assignments with the NSA while serving in the Air Force.

From 2001 to 2012, Shirley held various positions with the Navy's Office of Naval Intelligence, the departments of Defense and Energy, the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force and at least five different cleared defense contractors. She also held top-level security clearances at various times, the statement said.

Shirley took her daughter to Mexico in July 2019 after she failed to return the child on the agreed-upon date to the girl's custodial father, the primary residential parent, and his wife in West Virginia.

Prosecutors said Shirley went to Mexico with the intent of contacting Russian government representatives to request resettlement in a country that would not extradite her back to the US.

While in Mexico, Shirley prepared a written message that referenced an 'urgent need' to have items shipped from the US related to her 'life's work before they are seized and destroyed,' prosecutors said.

Shirley had fled with her six-year-old daughter, Josephine, to Mexico, where she intended to reached out to Russian government representatives

Shirley was arrested in August 2019 at a hotel in Mexico City and the girl was returned to her father.

Authorities said the NSA document was located that month in a storage locker in Martinsburg, while messages Shirley had drafted to Russian government officials along with other classified information were found on her electronic devices, including a top-secret Office of Naval Intelligence PowerPoint presentation.

'Shirley betrayed the trust of the American people when she took classified information from her work with the Intelligence Community,' said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the National Security Division. 'She then sought to profit from her betrayal by seeking to sell this information to Russia, one of America's foremost adversaries, in order to further her criminal abduction of her daughter.

'This sentence will hold Shirley accountable for her violations of the American people's trust, and serves as a warning to others who would seek unlawful profit at America's expense.'
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 03:29:37|Editor: huaxia

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ATHENS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Greece's Parliament ratified on Tuesday a bill authorizing the construction of the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) natural gas pipeline and ratifying the foundation treaty of the EastMed Gas Forum (EMGF), the Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

The bill was supported by the ruling conservative New Democracy party and two opposition parties.

Bulgaria has already ratified the bilateral cooperation agreement on the IGB, which enables the linking of the Greek and Bulgarian natural gas pipeline networks.

The IGB project is already underway. It is 52 percent complete and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021, Minister of Environment and Energy Kostas Skrekas told Parliament, according to AMNA.

The IGB project upgrades the geostrategic position of Greece as the country becomes a gateway for natural gas to the European market from diversified sources, he said.

The new pipeline will be connected to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which transports natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe via Greece, as well as with the floating storage and regasification unit offshore Alexandroupolis in northern Greece, he explained.

With Tuesday's vote in the Greek Parliament, the EMGF's charter enters into force as Greece is the fifth country to have ratified the treaty, the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy noted.

The forum's goal is to ensure the security of energy supply for the wider region at competitive prices, Skrekas told the plenary.

The EastMed Gas Forum is an energy alliance among Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Italy, Jordan and Palestine that was established as an international organization in January 2020.

It will be based in Cairo and will be open to accepting as a member any country that shares the common interests and objectives of the forum, the Greek ministry said in a press statement.

On Jan. 13, the U.S. submitted a request to join the forum as an observer, following the European Commission and the United Arab Emirates, which have also expressed interest in participating as observers, the ministry added. Enditem
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In the mid-1990s, a few pharmaceutical companies made broad claims regarding the safety and efficacy of opioid medications for pain management. These claims were based on limited research that did not fully account for these drugs potentially harmful effects. As a result, we are now facing an opioid epidemic across the United States.

Now, New Jersey joined several other states by legalizing marijuana for recreational use. While there are clear differences between opioids and marijuana, we may be making the same mistake without realizing it. Like opioids in the 90s, we lack adequate clinical research to make informed decisions about the safety and benefits of marijuana use.

This is why physicians with experience treating patients with substance use disorders ask people to think twice when considering this important public health issue.

Marijuana is designated as a Schedule I controlled substance. That means its illegal under federal law, and also that the scientific research that we can do is limited. If that designation changes, then well learn about its benefitsbut right now, we know a lot more about the potential harm.

From the current research on marijuana, we can tell you that there are some well-defined health risks. These include the risk of psychosis, which can be thought of as a loss of contact with reality along with symptoms such as delusions (false beliefs) and hallucinations (seeing and hearing things that others do not). Other serious risks include cognitive decline (confusion or memory loss) and addiction, which includes a documented withdrawal state (symptoms associated with stopping drug use).

Risk of psychosis with cannabis use

Cannabis use and psychosis are clearly associated. In comparison to healthy individuals, those who exhibit psychotic symptoms including delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior are at greater genetic risk for impaired function and have higher rates of cannabis use disorder (CUD). This risk increases in a dose-dependent manner, meaning you are more likely to develop the above symptoms as your consumption increases. This is particularly important in the child and adolescent patient population who are likely to have increased access to cannabis if legalized for recreational use. Its recommended that a child or teen with a family history of psychosis or subclinical symptoms not use marijuanabut doctors wont always know that history.

Were starting to see concerns that high potency forms of cannabis might be linked to higher risks of psychosis. The legalized recreational market in the U.S. is distributing stronger forms of cannabis through vaping, dabbing, and rosin. In the early 1990s, the average tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content confiscated was 3.7%, but in 2014 that number rose to 6.1%. The most potent cannabis products are butane hash oil, which can have a THC content of up to 80%. In states that pass recreational marijuana laws, legally purchased cannabiss potency is a relevant public health concern.

Risk of irreversible cognitive decline

A recent study followed 1,037 individuals from birth to age 38 and checked for cannabis use in young adulthood. The younger a person is and the more consistent the use of cannabis, the more impaired they become across all cognitive domains. Impairment was concentrated among adolescent-onset cannabis users, with more persistent use associated with greater decline. The researchers noted individuals who started using cannabis in adolescence lost an average of 8 intelligence quotient (IQ) points, while those who used cannabis as adults had no decline in their IQ score. Cessation of cannabis use did not fully restore the lost function, suggesting a neurotoxic effect of cannabis on the adolescent brain.

Risk of cannabis use disorder and withdrawal

Its common among proponents of legalized marijuana to say that cannabis use disorder (CUD) is rare, and the symptoms do not impair function the way other drugs do. But a 2016 study found that one in five lifetime users met the criteria for CUD, of those users 23% had severe CUD. The symptoms people with CUD can include anxiety, restlessness, depression, irritability, insomnia, vivid dreams, tremors, and decreased appetite. Furthermore, 48% of those in the study with severe CUD were not functioning in any major role, such as keeping a job. Withdrawal is most severe during the first week but can persist for up to one month after discontinuationand it shows up in 33% of regular users in the general population and 50-95% among heavy users in treatment. It can impair people and often leads to cannabis or other substances use to relieve the symptoms.

The debate is likely to continue as both sides are passionate about their position. There is still a great deal to learn about the potential medical benefits and risks of cannabis use. While the risks of marijuana are different from opioids, they are no less real. Before deciding that cannabis is safe and beneficial, we need to first change the schedule I status of cannabis. This will help provide an evidence base for consumers to make an informed decision. I urge you to carefully consider the risks and benefits of cannabis use. Your health and that of your children may be at stake.

Garrett Rossi is a psychiatry resident who blogs at Shrinks in Sneakers.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Hybrid learning has resumed in Lenox, but many students have opted to keep learning remotely  particularly at the middle and high school.
The Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation, an Indian American-founded nonprofit, announced it gave $8 million in grantmaking and charitable gifts in 2020. The founders are seen above. (photo provided)


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Queenslanders have fought back against a Chinese developer which has effectively strangled a local tourism destination with restrictions and stringent regulations.

China Bloom snapped up a portion of Keswick Island in Queensland's Whitsundays region for $20million on a 99-year lease almost two years ago.

The remaining 80 per cent of the island, 34km from the coastal town of Mackay, is national park.

But locals say the Beijing-backed developer has a stranglehold on tourism and has crippled their way of living by banning boats access from the public ramp, shutting down the air strip and forbidding visitors from the beach - which it hopes to redevelop.

On Tuesday, boatloads of Queenslanders arrived from the mainland - some travelling from as far away as Brisbane - to protest the treatment of locals.

On Tuesday, boatloads of Queenslanders arrived from the mainland - some travelling from as far away as Brisbane - to protest the treatment of locals and support the community

They set their boats up in the marina side by side and parked early on Tuesday morning, vowing to celebrate Australia Day in the waters in solidarity with people who call the island paradise home

They set their boats up in the marina side by side and parked early on Tuesday morning, vowing to celebrate Australia Day in the waters in solidarity with people who call the island paradise home.

They are also demanding Annastacia Palaszczuk and her state government tighten restrictions and step in to assist locals.

'I think most Australians are reasonable people, but you push them enough and this is what happens,' insurance assessor Fraser Goodchild from Mackay said.

'The culture of China has always been a passive nation, they've always wanted to help people but now they are turning into (a) nation of bullies.'

One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts arrived in from Brisbane on Australia Day and had a message for the state government.

'China Bloom gets away with it only because the state government is not doing it's damn job,' he told A Current Affair.

While some residents claim their lives have been turned upside down since the acquisition, others say life on the idyllic island has never been better and denied claims of access being restricted.

The protesters (pictured on Tuesday) are also demanding Annastacia Palaszczuk and her state government tighten restrictions and step in to assist locals

Locals are divided over China Bloom's future plans to develop Keswick Island (pictured, tourists on the island in the Whitsundays)

Keswick Island is located off the coast of Queensland in the Whitsundays region, popular with those looking to sample the delights of the Great Barrier Reef

Rachael Cameron is among the outraged locals concerned about plans to redevelop the beach, which she says a nesting site for turtles, a claim refuted by China Bloom.

'To be told that turtles no longer nested on Keswick Island and that there had been no human intervention was an absolute disgrace and an insult to our intelligence,' she told the Courier Mail.

Rayna Asbury claimed she lost 18 months of rent on her holiday home on the island when the developer told her she couldn't lease it on AirBnB.

She later discovered holiday renting was permitted.

But other locals were quick to defend the developer, including Glenn Leigh-Smith who has been on the island for 21 years.

'All they've done is maintain the island. If you go fly there, you'll see the place is impeccable,' he said.

Mr Leigh-Smith slammed protesters opposing the developer's plans for the island by labelling them as being unfair.

Outraged locals have accused China Bloom of banning boats from accessing the public ramp, shut down the air strip, and attempted to stop visitors from using the beach, which the developer has denied (pictured, one of the signs restricting public access)

The last posts uploaded on Keswick Island's official social media platforms were in April 2019, a month after China Bloom secured the lease.

China Bloom has denied any closure of the airfield or national parks and claims just four permanent residents live on the island.

'In the first quarter of 2021, the island's plane service, which was paused as with the aviation plane industry with the COVID-19 pandemic, will be reinstated to increase capacity,' the developer said in a statement to the Courier Mail.

The developer also claimed Queensland Parks and Wildlife found no turtles on the island over a 10-year period.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted China Bloom for further comment.

China Bloom snapped up a portion of Keswick Island (pictured) for $20million on a 99-year lease in March 2019

The developer has previously stated they're working hard to 'increase visitation and access to the island for both tourists, current and future residents' and accused the outraged locals of interfering with their plans to make the island more accessible.

China Bloom said angry locals are interfering with their plans to make the island more accessible.

A Change.org petition set up by Ms Cameron urging the federal government to strip China Bloom of its island lease has reached more than 13,200 signatures.

'We are calling for the federal government to put in place legislation to rescind leaseholders within our Queensland Islands, especially those that are National Parks, in particular Keswick Island.'

The campaigners say access to its national park is being 'tampered with' and 'denied by the leaseholder'.

'The ecological protections of the island have furthermore been breached through the destruction of turtle nests which impacts on the turtle protection program,' the petition reads.

Outraged locals have accused developer China Bloom of restricting public access to Keswick Island (pictured)

'In addition, breaches, such as unauthorised tree removal are currently occurring and we ask that this be stopped immediately.'

Federal Nationals MP George Christensen is another vocal supporter of the Reclaim Keswick Island campaign.

He recently travelled to the island to erect an Australian flag and has called on the Queensland government to intervene and tear up the lease.

'To date, the Palaszczuk Government has ducked and dived on this issue, falsely claiming the Federal Treasurer signed off on the transfer, and also hiding behind bureaucratic protocols for their non-action,' Mr Christensen posted on Facebook.

'We need to put pressure on the Palaszczuk Labor Government if the fight to Reclaim is to be successful.'

The new Salmon Cooking Guide 's video and recipe content demonstrate how to cook "perfect salmon, five foolproof ways" at home. The site also aims to help everyday home cooks overcome uncertainty about preparing salmon and get inspired to try new meal ideas with help from a broad range of expert contributors. Salmon Cooking Guide contributors include Maya Wilson and Barton Seaver showing baking and roasting salmon, YouTube star Adam Ragusea demonstrating easy pan-searing, Alaska Native art star Apay'uq Moore alongside Bristol Bay fisherman and food blogger Susie Brito covering easy poaching, Chef Kevin Benner of Aqua by El Gaucho instructing grilling technique, and Seattle's renowned chef Tom Douglas explaining at-home salmon steaming. Additionally, expert tips come from Texas barbecue pitmaster Jess Pryles, Alaska-based chef Kaylah Thomas, and more. The new site also helps find nearby seafood retailers of Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon, including local fishermen-owned businesses and direct-to-your-door delivery options.

Many U.S. households are cooking at home more than ever before, and retail sales of seafood have boomed alongside increased interest for easy, do-it-yourself recipes. The fishermen-funded Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon brand created the new Salmon Cooking Guide site to support consumers who may be trying salmon for the first time at home or looking for fresh new meal ideas. A "work-from-home" visual theme is a common thread in the video content, aiming to relate to consumers' lives at home through much of 2020 and into 2021.

About Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon: The Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon brand is managed by the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, funded by the 8,000 commercial fishermen in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Learn more at bristolbaysockeye.org and bbrsda.com

Contact: Matt Aboussie, [email protected]

SOURCE Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon

Related Links

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FREELAND  Rose Fox is no stranger to the Freeland YMCA, and she recognizes there are big shoes to fill stepping into the CEO position of an institution often described as the heart of the community.

But as a longtime director, instructor and Y mom, she sees her new role as more than a job.

Its a passion. I really care about the Y, Fox said recently after taking the helm in the midst of a pandemic. I want the Y to be here for the future. I want the Y to be here for my grandchildren and be a place for people to come home to.

Honored to be chosen, she said she hopes to build upon the legacy of the leaders who came before her, such as Joe Flanagan and Tom Landers, whose names have been synonymous with the Y for decades.

Her knowledge of and commitment to the community is one of the reasons Fox immediately stood out among the other candidates for the job, said Chris Kimmel, a director who served as interim CEO for the past nine months.

The Y was fortunate to have Kimmel step up in the interim so the board could put the CEO search on hold and focus on revamping the facility during COVID-19 restrictions and closures, said Ben Beuhring, board president.

In the fall, the board began to actively search for a permanent replacement and Fox emerged as one of several excellent candidates for the job, he said.

We chose Rose for several reasons, Beuhring said. It was obvious how much she cherished our small community of Freeland and she felt the best way to give back to it was through the YMCA.

Director Deb Carr was thrilled to have Fox as the new CEO, noting that she brings experience and has insight to pull people together and make things happen, Carr said in an email.

I know she can do it all, but I also know she is strong enough to know how to engage others, she said. Rose is approachable. Her enthusiasm is contagious. As the Ys around us have closed, the Freeland Y has been positioned to grow stronger.

What I think we will see from Rose is program expansion and accountability, Carr said.

Fox, who retired from the Hazleton Area School District, brings knowledge of the community and its residents and spent years as a volunteer spearheading fundraisers for the Y, including the Run for the Children and gift cards sales, Beuhring said.

She knows where the Y is strong and wants to build upon those strengths, he said. She has fantastic ideas for various programs and opportunities that will bring more members of our community and surrounding areas through our doors.

Fox and Kimmel admit the walls of the Y falling silent through the pandemic was depressing, when it has always been a bustling place and second home for so many in the community.

Activity is slowly resuming, Fox said. Several college kids came in early on Martin Luther King. Jr. Day to workout, but she expected many more young people to come out with the holiday, she said.

With the pandemic, only members can use the facilities as day passes are on hold and constant cleaning and other precautions are necessary, Fox said. In addition to the gym, fitness and weight rooms, dance and Zumba classes have started and more are on the horizon, she said.

Its slowly starting up, said Fox, who is looking ahead at youth programs and growing the member base. There may be a few surprises as well, she said.

Beuhring and the other board members have faith in Foxs ability to keep the Y healthy, he said.

We have the utmost trust in her to continue the Ys success in serving the members of our community for many years to come, he said.
DUSHANBE -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has declared the country coronavirus-free, claiming there have been no new cases this month.

Rahmon made the claim in a January 26 address to parliament even though the Health Ministry said earlier this month that several new cases were registered in the Central Asian country since the New Year.

"Tajikistan today is without COVID-19," Rahmon said, adding that the "absence of coronavirus" within Tajikistan's borders did not mean that citizens can now neglect regulations such as wearing masks and social distancing.

RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.

He also said that individuals arriving in Tajikistan from other countries must be placed in quarantine.

Tajik authorities have said that mosques in the country will reopen as of February 1 as long as they meet sanitary requirements.

Many in Tajikistan have questioned the need to keep the regulations in place, since they aren't being adhered to or enforced in areas such as markets and on public transportation.

The number of registered coronavirus cases in Tajikistan is 13,308, with 90 deaths.

However, an investigative report by RFE/RL last summer revealed that the actual number of lethal cases of COVID-19 in the country might be several times higher, including dozens of physicians and nurses who treated COVID-19 patients.


BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The pound erased its early losses against its major rivals in the European session on Tuesday, as European shares rose on strong earnings results and M&A activity.



AstraZeneca rejected German media reports that its Covid vaccine has low efficacy in older adults.



The European Union blamed the drug maker over vaccine supply, pressuring to deliver more coronavirus vaccine doses to its 27 nation bloc as per the contractual arrangements.



In Italy, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned to get a fresh mandate from the President to try and forge a new coalition Government.



The resignation comes after a junior party left his coalition in a dispute over the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis.



In economic news, the U.K. unemployment rate increased and the employment rate continued to decline in three months to November, labor force survey results from the Office for National Statistics showed.



The jobless rate rose 0.6 percentage points from the previous quarter to 5 percent in three months to November. The expected rate was 5.1 percent.



At the same time, the employment rate dropped 0.4 percentage points sequentially to 75.2 percent. Employment decreased by 88,000 on the quarter.



The number of people out of work increased by 202,000 on quarter to 1.72 million in three months to November.



The pound advanced to 142.12 against the yen and 1.3701 against the greenback, after falling to a 5-day low of 141.28 and a 1-week low of 1.3609, respectively. The pound is likely to find resistance around 145.00 against the yen and 1.41 against the greenback.



The pound jumped to a 5-day high of 1.2174 against the franc and a 4-day high of 0.8865 against the euro, off its early low of 1.2104 and a 4-day low of 0.8905, respectively. The pound is seen finding resistance around 1.24 against the franc and 0.86 against the euro.



Looking ahead, U.S. FHFA's house price index and S&P/Case-Shiller home price index for November and consumer confidence index for January will be featured in the New York session.



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The lawyers representing Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, in his trial for fraud and money laundering in the United States, have applied to withdraw from his case.

Gal Pissetzky and Vicki Podberesky said Mr Abbass stopped communicating with them and has now retained new lawyers to defend him in the case.

The lawyers announced their decision after months of negotiations with the U.S. government, court documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES showed.

Earlier last June, the 37-year-old Nigerian , known for flaunting his opulent lifestyle on social media, was arrested in Dubai by special operatives, including Emerati police officers and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) operatives.

The FBI, according to an affidavit obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, said Mr Abbas financed his extravagant lifestyle with proceeds of crime.

He is alleged to be the leader of a mafia behind computer intrusion, business email compromise (BEC) fraud and money laundering. He duped his victims, who are majorly in the U.S, of hundreds of millions of dollars, the FBI said.

In July, Mr Abbas with Olalekan Ponle, popularly known as Woodberry, was extradited to Chicago in the United States where he was first arraigned.

However, because the U.S Court in Illinois does not have jurisdiction over the case, he was transferred to Los Angeles, a city in California, where his trial will begin in May.

At the pretrial services, Mr Abbass pleaded not guilty to the four counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracies, international money laundering and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.

He has demanded to be prosecuted with complaint and not indictment. This he did by filing a waiver of indictment accepted by the court.

A complaint is the statement of the law enforcement agents containing essential facts of the offences. On the other hand, to obtain an indictment, a prosecutor must present proposed charges to a grand jury  a body of jurors that investigates crimes and decides whether charges should be filed.

Withdrawal

Mr Pissetzky, a top Chicago lawyer, was initially hired to defend the 37-year-old. But due to the transfer of Mr Abbass to Los Angeles and his inability to practises outside Chicago, the lawyer was retained as a record counsel.

As a result, Mr Abbass hired Ms Podberesky, a California-based criminal defence lawyer, as his local counsel.

According to documents exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Pissetzky and Ms Podberesky recently filed a motion at the United States District Court in California to withdraw from representing Mr Abass.

In the application dated January 21, Mr Pissetzky, who claimed to have been negotiating with the government over the case, said Mr Abass suddenly stopped communicating with him.

Since Mr Abbas arrest and arrival in the Central District of California, I have received voluminous discovery from the government and have been diligently reviewing it and investigating the allegations in this matter.

My communications with Mr Abbas are by telephone given my inability to fly from Chicago to Los Angeles due to the pandemic. Ms. Podberesky, as local counsel, has made several visits to see Mr Abbas at the Santa Ana Jail and has also communicated with him by telephone.

I, through Ms. Podberesky, have provided Mr Abbas with a copy of the discovery, reviewed it with him, and had numerous conferences with Mr Abbas telephonically, and Ms Podberesky has also met with him in-person to discuss the case. We discussed with Mr Abbas the potential theories that might be available to him at trial, pre-trial motions, the sentencing guidelines and the potential of a plea agreement.

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After months of discussions with Mr. Abbas and negotiations with the government, Mr Abbas now refuses to effectively communicate with me.

I have made numerous attempts through family and jail staff to have Mr Abbas call me to discuss critical issues. Mr Abbas, however, has not communicated with me. Both family and jail staff have told me that they have conveyed my messages to Mr Abbas to call me, the lawyer stated.

He said the lack of communication has created a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship to the point where he believed that Mr Abbas deliberately chose to stop talking to them.

However, on January 21, Mr Pissetzky said he received a telephone call from Mr Abbas, informing him of the decision to retain a new counsel.

He informed me that he is retaining new counsel. I informed him that I and Ms. Podberesky were moving to withdraw given his refusal to communicate and cooperate with us, the lawyer added.

The lawyers application for withdrawal will be heard by the court on February 22.

However, while this newspaper has no details of Mr Abbass new attorney, he is likely to be a criminal defence lawyer with licence to practice in California.
Today, January 26, 2021, marks India's 72nd Republic Day. Every citizen of the country is celebrating their inner patriot on this occasion. On this occasion, some members of the Bollywood fraternity have also taken to their social media to mark the special day.

Talking about the same, Amitabh Bachchan shared a Republic Day wish with his fans. He shared a picture of himself saluting amidst a silhouette of the tricolour. Take a look at the same.

Apart from that, Big B's Badla co-star, Taapsee Pannu also wished her fans on the occasion of Republic Day. She stated, 'On 72nd Republic Day here's wishing and hoping that we all read and understand our constitution as much as we celebrate it. Will help us be more patriotic than what we actually are. Jai Hind.'

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE! Republic Day Spl: Shubhangi Atre, Kunal Jaisingh & Others Recall Their Fondest Memories

On 72nd Republic Day heres wishing and hoping that we all read and understand our constitution as much as we celebrate it. Will help us be more patriotic than what we actually are.

Jai Hind  #HappyRepublicDay2021  taapsee pannu (@taapsee) January 26, 2021

Akshay Kumar went on to introduce the Indian action game Fau-G while wishing his fans on the occasion. The actor wrote, 'Face the enemy. Fight for your country. Protect Our Flag. India's most anticipated action game, Fearless and United Guards: FAU-G takes you to the frontlines and beyond! Start your mission today.'

Also Read: Republic Day EXCLUSIVE! Mr World 2015 Thakur Anoop Singh: I Would Love To Bring In Changes For Women Safety

Face the enemy. Fight for your country. Protect Our Flag. Indias most anticipated action game, Fearless and United Guards: FAU-G takes you to the frontlines and beyond! Start your mission today.

Download now: https://t.co/8cuWhoq2JJ#HappyRepublicDay #FAUG @BharatKeVeer pic.twitter.com/uH72H9W7TI  Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) January 26, 2021

Neetu Kapoor shared a picture of the tricolour along with a picture of her late husband and actor Rishi Kapoor. While Tiger Shroff shared a picture of himself and his team holding the Indian flag. Take a look.

Apart from that, Ishaan Khatter shared a picture of the preamble on the occasion of Republic Day. While Siddhant Chaturvedi also shared a post to celebrate the event. Take a look at their wishes.

Apart from that Priyanka Chopra also shared an empowering post on the occasion of Republic Day wherein she celebrated the 15 women in the first Constituent Assembly of India who helped draft the Constitution of India. Kareena Kapoor Khan also shared a beautiful post stating, 'Freedom in our mind, strength in our words, pureness in our blood, Pride in our souls. Wish you a very Happy Republic Day.' New mommy Anushka Sharma also wished her fans on her Instagram story.

Sidharth Malhotra and Sonu Sood also shared Republic Day wish for their fans. While Sidharth wished for the democracy and constitution of the nation to fly higher, Sonu pledged his support for Atmanirbhar. Take a look.

On this 72nd #RepublicDay, I support #AtmaNirbhar India initiative.

I pledge to support and promote such practices  thanks to Shri @amitabhk87 and @NITIAayogs for such great initiatives for a 100% #swadesi Cloud-based storage, @TheDigiboxx.  sonu sood (@SonuSood) January 26, 2021

Sara Ali Khan also wished her fans on the occasion of Republic Day. She shared some throwback pictures with director Aanand L Rai near the Rashtrapathi Bhavan. Take a look at her post.
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Monday signed an order aimed at forcing the federal government to buy more goods produced in the United States, a key part of his campaign pledge to revive domestic manufacturing.

Standing in front of a blue backdrop reading "The Future Will Be Made in America," the president said he was directing regulators to tighten the definition of American-made products and creating a new position in the Office of Management and Budget to oversee purchases of domestic goods.

The president's order also will make it harder for federal agencies to issue waivers allowing the government to purchase some products made overseas. Under the new rules, agency officials will be required to justify such choices to the White House.

Biden acknowledged that efforts to promote domestic content have been a familiar part of previous presidents' agendas. President Donald Trump issued new regulations increasing the share of a product's components that must be produced domestically to qualify as made-in-the-USA one day before he left office.

"This is different and not the same," Biden insisted.

Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford

The executive order will create a website where American businesses can see what contracts are being awarded to foreign vendors, allowing them to alert the government to the availability of a domestic alternative, Biden said.

The order reflects the shifting consensus in American politics away from free trade and toward direct government intervention to promote U.S. manufacturers, a position Trump embraced. The pandemic has intensified calls for the United States to shore up its domestic manufacturing capabilities, given gaps last year in the medical supply chain that left U.S. medical workers scrambling for personal protective equipment.

"We're going to make sure that they buy American and are made in America," Biden said Friday.

The measure drew labor union plaudits, with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka calling it "a good first step in revitalizing U.S. manufacturing." But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the initiative probably would not bring home lost manufacturing jobs and would boost the cost of government projects.

Turning Biden's aspirations for reviving domestic manufacturing into reality may be difficult. Trump's top trade adviser, Peter Navarro, pushed aggressively for similar provisions but was often rebuffed by other officials who argued that his proposals risked backlash from foreign nations as well as higher costs for U.S. taxpayers.

Trump's last-minute regulations, which take effect Feb. 22, give American companies the edge over foreign rivals even if their products cost 20% to 30% more.

Major U.S. allies oppose such efforts, fearing the loss of lucrative contracts. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised his concerns in a phone call with Biden last week, officials in Ottawa said.

An aggressive Buy America campaign also may complicate Biden's hopes of securing a united allied front to meet rising Chinese influence.

"The Biden administration is sending a clear signal that it intends to aggressively protect U.S. commercial and trade interests, belying the hopes of U.S. trading partners anticipating a softer touch from the new government," said Eswar Prasad, a former International Monetary Fund official now teaching at Cornell University. "It is clear that the Biden administration is hardly rushing to usher in a new era of global trade and economic cooperation."

The administration is determined to move beyond the traditional single-minded focus on price and efficiency in its approach to trade policy.

"As we sort out what globalization is going to look like in the future, we're headed toward a more thoughtful policy," said one trade specialist advising the administration, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak to the press.

The federal government spends as much as $600 billion annually on contracts, but a meaningful portion of that money goes to foreign businesses, said Lori Wallach, a trade expert at Public Citizen, a nonprofit watchdog organization.

It is unclear how much federal contracting money goes abroad, Wallach said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says 97% of federal procurement funds go to "U.S. firms." But that figure includes the foreign subsidiaries of American corporations, meaning the purchases could support workers in Vietnamese or Mexican factories rather than Americans.

Under a World Trade Organization accord on government procurement, the U.S. generally has been more receptive to foreign firms bidding on contracts than other countries have.

In 2010, the most recent year such data is available, the U.S. opened $837 billion in government contract competitions to foreign firms, more than twice the combined figure of the next five countries - the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Norway and Canada, according to the Government Accountability Office.

The U.S. that year allowed foreign companies to bid on about 48% of its $1.7 trillion government procurement market while those five nations put out to bid 16% of their combined $2.4 trillion market.

William Reinsch, a trade specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Monday's White House announcement would have little immediate impact. But by raising domestic content requirements, the administration could affect corporate supply chain decisions.

"This is going to be a long-term play, not a short-term play," said Reinsch, a Commerce Department official in the Clinton administration.

Biden has the power to reduce the list of 60 countries whose companies are granted waivers from Buy America regulations, meaning their products are treated as if they were made-in-America for purposes of government contracting. Those waivers, which he said Monday have been issued "with impunity," will be permitted only under "very limited circumstances," such as to meet national security requirements.

Loopholes in government procurement regulations must be closed before Biden launches other major initiatives, according to Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.

"Biden is envisioning this massive new federal investment in infrastructure, in clean energy, in economic recovery, so getting the updated statutes in place ahead of this spending is going to be key to its success," he said.

Pentagon spending also could be ripe for a greater Buy America focus, according to a trade specialist advising the Biden administration. A 2018 Defense Department study found "a surprising level" on foreign suppliers, including the Chinese and recommended that the government mitigate it by expanding taxpayer investment in low-level defense manufacturers.

Most economists have panned Buy American provisions, saying they raise costs for the U.S. government.

"Neither protectionism nor purposefully raising the cost of the federal government will help the economy grow any faster," said Adam Ozimek, an economist at the freelancing site Upwork, adding that he had not been briefed on the details of the Biden plan.
Vaccine adoption and adherence is our strongest weapon in the fight against COVID-19." - Aditya Bansod, co-founder and CTO, Luma Health

Luma Health, the most complete and validated Total Patient Engagement Platform, today announced a new set of solutions to enable rapid, end-to-end vaccine delivery and operations. The Luma Health COVID-19 Vaccine Operations Solution allows healthcare organizations to rapidly operationalize and execute COVID-19 vaccine education, deployment, and administration strategies into a single, integrated patient journey.

Vaccinating patients against COVID-19 requires a much greater level of logistical preparation than mainstream vaccines like flu shots. Healthcare providers must actively plan for CDC reporting requirements, shipment coordination, staff training, vaccine storage, scheduling, and keep up with the ever-changing directives from the local government, even before the vaccine reaches their doorsteps. Healthcare providers also need to engage effectively with patients, from educating them about vaccine safety to vaccine appointment scheduling and communicating the importance of adhering to the second dose.

Vaccine adoption and adherence is our strongest weapon in the fight against COVID-19. Yet, the coordination and communication of vaccination eligibility, access, and scheduling is a gargantuan task, said Aditya Bansod, co-founder and CTO, Luma Health. We are proud to be part of the solution by helping healthcare organizations succeed in the crucial role of engaging patients quickly, at scale, and encouraging compliance throughout the vaccination process.

Luma Healths award-winning Vaccine Operations Solution, recognized as a UCSF COVID-19 Patriot, uses the most complete and validated patient engagement platform. It has been designed and built for health systems and community health networks to ensure providers can quickly ramp and manage entire vaccine program operations at scale.

The end-to-end patient engagement platform streamlines COVID-19 vaccine operations and enhances patient experience through the following features:



Patient Education: Luma Healths Broadcast Messaging solution helps providers proactively inform patients on vaccine availability, eligibility and administration timelines, and address vaccine apprehensions while reducing inbound calls.

Screening and Consent: Luma Healths Mobile Patient Intake solution automates patient eligibility verification using customized Self-Screening Surveys. Once verified, Luma Healths Intake Forms capture patient consent and collect necessary PHI to kickstart the patients vaccination journey.

Scheduling: Luma Healths Patient Scheduling+ solution offers patients the convenience of online self-scheduling based on the providers unique workflows. Luma Healths Smart Waitlist tool offers available appointment slots in real-time when other patients cancel or reschedule.

Appointment Reminders: Luma Healths automated, multilingual, and HIPAA-compliant Interactive Appointment Reminders help reduce no-show rates and phone volumes, manage cancellations, and ensure patients are prepared for the appointment with AI-powered conversational workflows.

Check-in and Vaccination: Luma Healths Zero Contact Check-in and Zero Contact Waiting Room solutions enable patient self-check-in and move them through the virtual waiting room with automated text instructions. Luma Healths Mobile Patient Intake tools can help capture a patients insurance information and drivers license in advance to minimize physical exchange during appointments.

Post Appointment Follow-up: Luma Healths Patient Screening Forms prompt vaccine recipients to assess and track their wellness following their appointment, and guide those experiencing adverse events to seek appropriate medical attention while complying with pharmaco-vigilance requirements.

Next-dose Reminder: Luma Healths Appointment Reminders and Patient Communication solutions ensure patients schedule and show up to their booster dose appointments.

Luma Health COVID-19 Vaccine Operations Solution Video Tour:

https://youtu.be/krBOao-p-9c

Supporting Quotes

With entire communities needing vaccinations faster than healthcare providers can manage, vaccine operations need to be streamlined and enhanced while reducing the burden on call centers and providers, said Farooq Ajmal, Chief Information Officer of Ryan Health.

Within a week of launching our vaccine deployment efforts, a premier academic medical center was booking approximately 10 COVID-19 vaccination appointments per minute through Luma Health. The health system needed speed and scalability, and we delivered, said Aditya Bansod, co-founder and CTO, Luma Health.

One of the largest health systems in the country looked to Luma Healths Vaccine Operations Solution to help roll out the vaccine. Together we mapped out a workflow that used Luma Healths Broadcast and Waitlist features to offer a seamless patient experience. We sent over one hundred thousand messages in just a few weeks, said Aditya Bansod, co-founder and CTO, Luma Health.

About Luma Health

Luma Health was founded on the idea that healthcare should work better for all patients. Every single point along the care journey should be simple, seamless, and effective, from accessing care to achieving health goals. Luma Health empowers providers to make this a reality through its digital health solutions, designed to boost access, streamline patient-provider communications, and drive increased revenues.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Luma Healths Total Patient Engagement Platform is accelerating the digital transformation in healthcare by delivering digital health solutions that drive patient engagement and continuous care, empowering thousands of providers and more than 20 million patients across the United States today. Additional information about the company is available at https://www.lumahealth.io/, https://blog.lumahealth.io/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/lumahealth/, https://www.facebook.com/lumahealth, and https://twitter.com/lumahealthhq.


Promoting positive life messages with an innovative approach, Generalis Song Nhu Y was awarded Marketing Campaign of the Year by InsuranceAsia News

Riding on the campaigns success, the company has recently launched the 2021 Lunar New Year version of the Song Nhu Y music video, sending positive life messages to viewers.

The Song Nhu Y campaign consists of a series of short music videos telling stories of people living the life they have always dreamed of. The campaign has been well received by the audience, attracting more than 100 million views on Generali Vietnams official YouTube channel and Facebook page, as well as four million shares and comments, especially from Millennial viewers, the campaigns target audience.

The music videos were launched to coincide with special occasions, such as the Lunar New Year, International Womens Day, and Fathers Day, featuring high artistic value, touching stories that truly reflect life and convey messages of empathy, love, and respect for individuals differences, and dreams so everyone can live the life they desire.

Generali Vietnam has recently released its 2021 Lunar New Year music video with meaningful messages about family emotions

Apart from increasing Generali Vietnams brand awareness, Song Nhu Y also enables Generali Vietnam to build brand love as it promotes positive life messages with an innovative approach, based on its profound insights and understanding of its customers and the community.

The campaign titled 'Song Nhu Y' is inspired by the Italian way of life  always valuing family and friends, always being positive and optimistic, and concurrently conveying the message of live the life you desire, said Tina Nguyen, Generali Vietnam CEO. Through this campaign, we would want to encourage everyone to embrace their loved ones dreams, so all can live the life they desire'  being brave and strong to live the life they have always imagined with passion and enthusiasm.

The music videos were launched to coincide with special occasions, such as Lunar New Year, International Womens Day, and Fathers Day

The 2020 Lunar New Year and the Fathers Day music videos of the Song Nhu Y campaign also made it to the YouTube APAC leaderboard for Top YouTube Ads People Watched in Asia-Pacific. The campaign also earned Generali Vietnam the gold prize in the Brand Awareness category at the MMA Smarties Awards 2020, celebrating outstanding marketing achievements.

The campaign also earned Generali Vietnam the gold prize in the Brand Awareness category at the MMA Smarties Awards 2020, celebrating outstanding marketing achievements.

Riding on the success of the Song Nhu Y music videos launched throughout 2020, Generali Vietnam has recently released the 2021 Lunar New Year music video, capturing the touching story of an affectionate father and his young daughter struggling between going home for the new year or staying in the city amidst all the hustle and burden of life.

The music video resonates well with the audience after a year of uncertainties and losses due to the pandemic and natural disasters, thus quickly becoming popular online.

The music video features a perfect blend of Vietnamese and Italian cultures as it combines the melodies of the Italian folk song Bella Ciao and popular Vietnamese song Cho Con by songwriter Pham Trong Cau.

It continues to deliver the positive message of Live the Life You Desire, encouraging sharing, caring, and empathy among family members so they can be strong shoulders for one another to lean on in hardship and together celebrate the New Year they desire.
BOSTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ariadne Labs today announced three recipients of the Ariadne Labs Spark Grant innovation award. Now in its eighth year, the Spark Grant program was founded to "spark" new and early-stage ideas focused on addressing gaps in health care and improving delivery of care.

New this year, Ariadne Labs partnered with Harvard Medical School to award two Dean's Innovation Grants in Health Care Delivery to Harvard-affiliated faculty.

The 2020-2021 recipients were chosen following a competitive selection process from a diverse pool of candidates. The work of this year's awardees addresses gaps in care during the transition from prenatal to primary care, the expansion of home-based palliative care services for eligible patients, and the development of protocols for safe postpartum care following cesarean delivery for women in rural Africa.

"More than ever, we need innovative ideas to bridge the gaps in delivering equitable health care," said Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Ariadne Labs. "Over the past eight years, our Spark grantees have played a critical role in pushing us to continue to innovate, and have directly contributed to our ability to expand our work into new areas of the health care system, ultimately improving care for more patients."

"The history of medicine has shown us time and again that elegantly simple and scalable solutions can have profound and disruptive effects on health care systems, patient outcomes, and human lives. These catalytic grants and the collaboration that has enabled them are posed to achieve just that," said Harvard Medical School Dean George Q. Daley, MD, PhD.

The 2020-2021 recipients are:

Chloe Zera, MD, MPH, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Beyond Birth: Optimizing the Transition from Obstetric to Primary Care: The period of transition from pregnancy care to ongoing primary care represents a key opportunity to reduce short- and long-term adverse outcomes following birthing and delivery. Currently, there is little data to guide providers in improving outcomes, and there is an urgent need to explore models of care that support the changing focus of health during pregnancy and delivery to health beyond birth. This project aims to design and test a model to improve the hand-off from obstetric care to primary care for those at highest risk of morbidity in the year after birth, with the ultimate goal of developing a scalable intervention to bridge this gap.

Recipients of the Harvard Medical School Dean's Innovation Grants in Health Care Delivery are:

Anita Wagner, PharmD, MPH, DrPH, Associate Professor, Department of Population Medicine, a joint Department of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute; Director, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Ethics Program

Patricia Toro, MD, MPH, Associate Medical Director, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Developing a model for a joint provider-payer strategy to increase use of home-based palliative care: Research suggests that home-based palliative care offers numerous benefits, including improved quality of life and care that is less intensive, less costly, and more patient-centered. It may even prolong survival in some patients. Home-based palliative care has been shown to offer numerous benefits, including improved quality of life, potentially prolonged survival, and less intensive, less costly, more patient-centered care. However, the majority of patients who could benefit from home palliative care, including those with chronic, serious illnesses, do not receive it. The ability to identify eligible patients at a population level is a key barrier to more widespread use. This project aims to develop a scalable provider-payer collaboration to ensure rapid targeting of patients for whom home-based palliative care would be appropriate and address the barriers to adoption among payers and providers.

Bethany Hedt-Gauthier, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Protocols for safe postpartum care at home for women delivering by cesarean section in rural Africa : Cesarean sections (c-sections) are the most common surgery performed worldwide. Global protocols detail standards of care for the procedure and hospitalization; however, reviews suggest there is a lack of guidelines for post-discharge instructions, leading to inconsistent care messages and poor follow-up. This gap is particularly harmful for women at high risk for complications after discharge, most notably for surgical site infections, which are common in women delivering via c-section in sub-Saharan Africa. This project will begin building a foundation for development of protocols for postpartum care for women delivering via c-section. The protocols aim to improve consistency in discharge messages and quality of care and to set a reference point for future interventions, including those that incorporate use of community health workers.

About the Spark Grant Program:

Founded in 2012, the Spark Grant program provides eligible Ariadne Labs and Harvard Medical School faculty with a year of funding to support research and refine promising new ideas to address gaps in health care and create a pipeline of innovative, scalable solutions to continue to improve delivery of care at every stage of the health care journey. To learn more about the Spark Grant program, visit: https://www.ariadnelabs.org/spark-grants/.

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.

Media Contact: Brigid Tsai, bts[email protected]

SOURCE Ariadne Labs

Related Links

http://www.ariadnelabs.org




RICHMOND, Va. - A small group of residents seeking to keep the state's giant statue of Robert E. Lee standing on Monument Avenue filed an appeal Monday with the Supreme Court of Virginia, arguing that a lower-court judge erred in ruling that Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam could remove the figure.

The filing came hours after the Northam administration had workers erect metal fencing around the statue, saying it was preparing to take Lee down if the high court cleared the way.

"That's wishful thinking," said lawyer Patrick McSweeney, who represents five residents challenging Northam's action.

A spokeswoman for Virginia Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring noted Monday that his office has asked the court to expedite its handling of any appeal, and the court said it would consider the request.

Herring "remains committed to taking this divisive relic to Virginia's racist past down as quickly as possible," spokeswoman Charlotte Gomer said in an emailed statement.

Northam ordered the statue removed from state property on Monument Avenue in June amid a local and national uproar over police violence against African Americans. Demonstrators in Richmond focused on the city's Confederate monuments as symbols of persistent racial inequity.

Legal challenges kept Lee standing throughout the summer, even as Mayor Levar Stoney had nearly a dozen other Confederate memorials taken down from city property. Over time, the towering figure of Lee - covered with graffiti, surrounded by tributes to Black people who lost their lives at the hands of police - became a national icon of racial reckoning.

McSweeney's suit said Northam's order to remove Lee violated the terms of a resolution the General Assembly passed in 1889 promising to care for the statue forever. The state also accepted deeds under those terms.

In October, Circuit Judge W. Reilly Marchant ruled in Northam's favor but placed an injunction against the statue coming down so the five residents could appeal.

The appeal filed Monday said Marchant had erred in several ways, including by accepting actions the General Assembly took last summer. During a special legislative session, lawmakers passed an amendment to the state budget setting aside money for the statue's removal and rescinding the 1889 resolution. Marchant ruled that the legislative action showed a clear change in public policy regarding the statue.

McSweeney argues the action was improper because it amounts to "special legislation" - meaning a law targeting one specific case, which is unconstitutional, instead of setting out broad policy.

Herring's office argued at trial that a budget amendment is by definition aimed at something specific, such as funding for a school or a construction project.

The state now has a chance to respond to the appeal, and the high court must decide whether to take the case. It was unclear how long that might take to play out.

Even if the state panel eventually rules in Northam's favor, McSweeney said his clients could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, contending that the state's action violates federal contract law.

Meanwhile, in a chilly rain on Monday afternoon, the circle around the Lee statue was empty of the usual clusters of demonstrators. Signs on the new metal fencing warned unauthorized visitors to "keep out." Memorials remained around the statue's base, but the state's Department of General Services said if the Lee statue comes down, those items will be removed and stored "until a decision is made as to their disposition."
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An elderly gorilla is recovering from a serious case of COVID-19 at the San Diego Zoo after being treated with cutting-edge synthetic antibodies following an outbreak of the virus among his troop.

Winston, a 48-year-old silverback, was one of several gorillas among the San Diego Zoo Safari Park's troop who were confirmed positive for the virus on January 11, based on fecal samples.

It was the first known case of natural transmission of the virus to great apes, and was suspected to have occurred because of contact with an asymptomatic staff member, despite the use of personal protective gear.

The troop was infected with a new, highly contagious strain of the coronavirus, recently identified in California, San Diego Zoo Global, the nonprofit that operates the zoo and safari park said in a statement.

Scroll down for video

Winston, 48, was one of several gorillas among the San Diego Zoo Safari Park's troop who were confirmed positive for the virus

Some of the gorillas were reportedly showing symptoms including mild coughing, congestion, runny noses and bouts of lethargy, as is typical in humans

Two research groups in California have identified a homegrown strain that they believe was driving the Golden State's year-end surge in infections.

The troop remained under close observation following the diagnosis, and were quarantined together at the park.

Some of the gorillas were reportedly showing symptoms including mild coughing, congestion, runny noses and bouts of lethargy, as is typical in humans.

Because of his advanced age, his symptoms and concern about underlying health conditions, Winston was examined under anesthesia.

Veterinarians confirmed the silverback had pneumonia and heart disease, and initiated a treatment that included heart medication, antibiotics, and monoclonal antibody therapy.

Monoclonal antibodies are a lab-made version of the body's natural infection-fighting proteins, and they are delivered by intravenous infusion.

The therapy is meant to block COVID-19 from infecting cells by using Y-shaped immune proteins that coat the virus.

COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies have been approved for emergency use in the US, and were notably used to treat former president Donald Trump.

But Winston's treatment came from a supply not permitted for human use, the statement said.

The veterinary team who treated Winston believe the antibodies may have contributed to his ability to overcome the virus, it added.

As of Monday, the zoo said all the animals were drinking and eating, with there being no indications the gorillas wont make a full recovery.

Veterinarians confirmed Winston (seen left) had pneumonia and heart disease, and initiated a treatment that included heart medication, antibiotics, and monoclonal antibody therapy

As of Monday, the zoo said all the animals were drinking and eating, with there being no indications the gorillas wont make a full recovery

Winston, a critically endangered western lowland gorilla, arrived at the San Diego Safari Park in 1984 and will celebrate his 49th birthday on February 20, according to the website.

He is considered to be one of the oldest breeding male gorillas in a managed care setting, and is the leader of his troop.

San Diego Zoo Global has also been provided with some COVID-19 vaccines and is in the process of identifying suitable animal candidates at the zoo and safari park.

The hope is that we would be able to vaccinate wildlife that would be susceptible to illness and then prevent them from ever catching it, Peterson said.

The statement didn't identify which vaccine it was, but said it was based on synthetic versions of a surface protein of the virus, and was intended for animal use.

Veterinarians routinely vaccinate wildlife against a range of diseases, both in captivity and in their natural environment.

Gorillas are now the seventh animal species to have contracted the virus naturally, following confirmed infections in tigers, lions, mink, snow leopards, dogs, and domestic cats.

While there are documented cases of mink-to-human transmission of the virus in the Netherlands and Denmark, there is no evidence to currently suggest that other species can make humans sick.

Lisa Peterson, executive director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, says the facility has strict protocols for preventing infections, including a daily questionnaire for staff and full protective suits for those in direct contact with the animals.

Nearly all the veterinarians and others at the zoo who work directly with the animals have received a COVID-19 vaccine, Peterson said.

San Diego Zoo Global has also been provided with some COVID-19 vaccines and is in the process of identifying suitable animal candidates at the zoo and safari park

Lisa Peterson, executive director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, says the facility has strict protocols for preventing infections, including a daily questionnaire for staff and full protective suits for those in direct contact with the animals

Winston, a critically endangered western lowland gorilla, arrived at the San Diego Safari Park in 1984 and will celebrate his 49th birthday on February 20, according to the website

The news of the troops positive tests confirms earlier research that western lowland gorillas  along with several other endangered species of apes  are particularly susceptible to COVID-19.

The potential for COVID-like disease outbreak in either captive or wild populations of endangered primates is pretty high, Harris Lewin, a professor of ecology and evolution at University of California, told National Geographic.

Currently, fewer than 5,000 gorillas live in the wild; and because they live in close family groups researchers worry should one catch the virus, the infection may spread quickly and diminish already precarious populations.

All confirmed cases of zoo animals contracting COVID-19 in the US have been at AZA-accredited facilitiesthe Bronx Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and Louisville Zoo, which all follow strict health protocols.

Where unaccredited zoos are confirmed  which lack the expertise of their accredited counterparts  its not known how many animals, if any, may have contracted the virus.

Peterson said she is hoping to share what the zoo learns with other facilities and experts to help protect both captive and wild gorilla populations.
Hyderabad, Jan 26 : Hyderabad police have arrested a serial killer who was targeting women after his wife eloped with another person.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar on Tuesday announced the arrest of Maina Ramulu, a labourer, for killing two women.

Police found that the 45-year-old was earlier involved in 16 murders and had escaped from jail while undergoing life imprisonment in one of the cases.

The accused has been targeting women found near toddy compounds after trapping them by offering money for sex. He used to murder them and snatch valuables found on them.

A resident of Borabanda in Hyderabad, Ramulu was arrested in a joint operation by Hyderabad and Rachakonda police while investigating the cases of two missing women.

On January 1, one Kavala Anathaiah lodged a complaint with Jubliee Hills police station that his wife Kavala Venkatamma, a labourer, went missing on December 30.

The Task Force, North Zone team, Hyderabad city started working to trace the missing women. On January 4, the dead body of Venkatamma was found near railway track at Ankushapur village, in the limits of Ghatkesar police station.

During the investigations, including with the help of CCTV footage police found that the accused trapped Venkatamma at Yousufguda toddy compound under Jubilee Hills police station limits and took her to an isolated area at Ankushapur village.

After consuming liquor, he killed her with boulder and fled with her valuables.

The police also found that he murdered an unidentified woman aged between 35 and 40 years on December 10 after trapping her at Bala Nagar toddy compound under Cyberabad police commissionerate.

He took her to isolated area in the limits of Japtha Singyapally village in Siddipet district and strangulated her with her saree and committed theft of her silver jewelery.

According to police, Ramulu hails from Sanga Reddy district. When he was 21 years old, his parents performed marriage with a woman, who later eloped with another person. "Since then he bore grudge against women and committing serial killings of women," the police commissioner said.

He earlier committed 16 murders between 2003 and 2019.

In a murder case in 2009, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. While undergoing the sentence he escaped with five others from Erragadda hospital on December 12, 2011. After the escape, he committed five more murders. He was re-arrested in 2013 but was released from jail in 2018.

The police chief said the accused did not change his attitude and committed two murders. He was released from jail in July last year.
Islamabad, January 26: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter held a protest demonstration outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to mark Indias Republic Day, today, as Black Day.

The demonstration was attended by the Hurriyat AJK leaders and heads of other political organizations and other leaders.

Addressing the protesters, the leaders said that the Kashmiri people were offering unprecedented sacrifices to end Indias illegal occupation.

The Hurriyat leaders said that India had no right to celebrate its Republic Day in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir as it was holding the territory against the will of the Kashmiri people. They expressed serious concern over the surge in Indian state terrorism in IIOJK and maintained that Indias brutalities cannot suppress the Kashmiris struggle for securing their inalienable right to self-determination.

The deplored that Narendra Modi-led fascist Indian government wanted to change the demography of IIOJK to against the UN resolutions. The leaders appealed to the international community to impress upon India to stop its atrocities on the people of the occupied territory.

An anti-India rally was taken out at the end of the programme.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumers staffers are a hardy bunch. In his 50 years in public office, Schumer has gained a reputation as someone who works his staffers as hard as he works himself  which is to say, the grind never stops. His office has churned out alumni that can be found all over the political arena, from elected office to government appointments to influential consultant firms. Here are just a few of the graduates from the Schumer school of politics in New York.

Tyquana Henderson-Rivers

A long-time political consultant who later founded her own firm  Connective Strategies  Henderson-Rivers counts among her government experience time working on Schumers staff. Today, her fingerprints can be found in any number of elections, from local City Council races to Gov. Andrew Cuomos last reelection.

Rodney Capel

Capel served as deputy state director to Schumer for several years in the late 90s and early 2000s, and has been a mainstay in city and state politics since he left. Among his many posts through the years, working for the likes of former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, are two stints as executive director of the state Democratic Committee. Today, works as vice president of government affairs at Charter Communications.

Teri Coaxum

Coaxum worked for several years as Schumers deputy state director, the first Black woman to hold the role in the senators office. After her time with the senator, Coaxum worked in the Obama administration as a regional advocate in the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration until Obama left office. She now has her own consulting firm, Coaxum Connects.

Anthony Weiner

The once rising star was also one of Schumers top proteges before his two-time fall from grace. A former Schumer aide, Weiner replaced him in Congress when Schumer ran his successful 1998 campaign to unseat then-Sen. Al DAmato, a Republican, in the Senate. Their relationship reportedly soured over the years, and Schumer declined to endorse in Weiners 2013 New York City mayoral run  when his second sexting scandal broke. Weiner is completely out of the political sphere  for now  and works as the CEO of a manufacturing company at Brooklyn Navy Yards.

Josh Isay

Isay managed Schumers successful campaign for Senate in 1998. After Schumer took office, Isay served as his first chief of staff in the Senate. After leaving Schumers office, Isay co-founded the consulting firm SKDK, one of the premiere public affairs and political consulting firms in New York. It has also become the home of many former Schumer aides after they leave government.

Risa Heller

Now a coveted public relations guru in New York City, Heller served as Schumers communications director for over two years in the mid-2000s. Since taking her leave, Heller founded her own communications firm with high-profile clients  including Ivanka Trump, a move that raised some eyebrows.

Preet Bharara

The former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York is something of a celebrity in Democratic political circles at this point, but he put in time first working as Schumers chief counsel. He served as Schumers top aide on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he helped lead an investigation that led to the resignation of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Bharara now hosts a podcast after former President Donald Trump fired him in 2017.

Stu Loeser

Although he is closely associated with Michael Bloomberg, having served as his long-time press secretary during his time as mayor of New York City, Loeser came to that post by way of Schumers office, where he served as the senators communications director. Loeser now leads his own communications firm.

Daniel Squadron

The former state senator is also a former aide to Schumer. And when Squadron ran an upset primary campaign against former state Sen. Martin Connor for his legislative seat, Schumer weighed in on the race to endorse his former staffer, something he doesnt do often. And when Squadron ran an unsuccessful campaign for public advocate of New York City in 2013, Schumer again offered his endorsement, while staying out of Weiners race that year. Squadron left the state Senate in 2017 to co-found an organization that identifies and supports state legislative candidates across the nation, where he still is the executive director.

Polly Trottenberg

Trottenberg started her career in government as a transportation adviser to several different senators, with one of those being Schumer. In 2013, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio picked her to be commissioner of the city Department of Transportation, where she remained until last year. And now shes headed back to Washington to serve as a deputy transportation secretary in the Biden administration.

Editor's Note: Due to an editorial oversight, several noteworthy people were not initially included in this list. This post has been updated to include additional entries.
President Biden signed several executive orders last week to help combat COVID-19, including a face mask mandate on federal property and domestic travel rules that will affect people flying into San Francisco International Airport.

Heres a look at the presidents latest orders and how they compare to what California is already doing to combat the spread of the virus.

Face masks

What Bidens orders require: Face masks and physical distancing on federal property. Also, his order on masks states that the federal government will help state, local, tribal, business and other leaders maximize public compliance with mask wearing and social distancing.

What California is doing: The state requires every Californian to wear a face mask or covering in public, with some exceptions. Children younger than 2 years old, individuals of the hard of hearing community or those who have a medical condition or disability are exempt.

Travel

What Bidens orders require: Masks on domestic and international travel. Masks will also be required on public transportation, including trains, intercity buses and airplanes. Those traveling to the U.S. from overseas must present a negative coronavirus test and quarantine upon arrival. Other agencies must impose additional public health measures for domestic travel, land and sea travel.

What California is doing: California requires individuals to wear a face mask while on public transportation, including airplanes, ferries and trains, and at boarding points, like airports and train stations. The state issued a travel advisory on Jan. 6 urging Californians to avoid non-essential travel of more than 120 miles from their homes. Out-of-state travelers are strongly discouraged from entering the state. Those who enter the state are asked to self-quarantine for 10 days.

Schools

What Bidens orders require: The order directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to collect data on when and how to safely reopen elementary and secondary schools and child care centers. The agency must also provide technical assistance to state, local, tribe and territory leaders to accelerate the distribution of COVID-19 relief funds to child care providers.

What California is doing: Gov. Gavin Newsom last month announced a framework for safely reopening schools, including a $2 billion incentive for state school districts if in-person instruction resumes in February. Newsom said the state will pay $750 per elementary child.

Before Newsons latest announcement, some counties had been following guidelines in the states Blueprint for a Safer Economy, a tier system based on a countys case rate, positive test rate and health equity metric, which measures the positivity rate in the most disproportionately impacted communities. There are four tiers: Widespread (purple), Substantial (red), Moderate (orange) and Minimal (yellow).

Schools are allowed to reopen for in-person instruction if their county has been in the red-tier for at least five consecutive days. Schools in counties with widespread risk (purple tier in the color-coded system) are not allowed to reopen for in-person learning unless the local health department grants the school a waiver for grades K-6.

Former President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion relief package into law last year providing approximately $8.5 billion to California. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state expects to receive $1 billion for child care assistance, which is nearly triple the $350 million the state received in the first relief package in the spring. The bill also includes $250 million for the federally funded early childhood education program Head Start, which has nearly 2,000 locations in California.

Now Playing: Video: San Francisco Chronicle

Equity

What Bidens orders require: One of the presidents orders not only directs the Department of Health and Human Services to support research of COVID-19 treatments, but says that agencies must prioritize improving equitable access to COVID-19 care and treatment to individuals without health coverage.

Another order takes on equitable distribution of pandemic supplies, stipulating that a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force'' will be established to address how the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color. The task force will collect data, ensure supplies  such as testing, vaccines and personal protective equipment  are distributed equitably, partner with state, local, tribes and territorial governments to help families that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

A third order states that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration must protect health care workers and other essential workers  many of whom are people of color and immigrants and are at a higher risk of COVID-19  by providing guidance to employers on workplace safety and enforcement.

A Biden order also will establish a COVID-19 Pandemic Testing Board meant to increase testing and reduce disparities in access to testing by providing COVID-19 tests to people who dont have access to health insurance. The board must also provide reforms to improve the federal governments response to future pandemics.

What California is doing: Californias reopening guidelines in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy focuses on addressing equity in the coronavirus pandemic. One of the main ways California has attempted to track its progress toward targeting vulnerable communities was the creation of a COVID-19 health equity metric that measures the positivity rate in the most disproportionately impacted communities, such as essential workers and low income, Latino, Black and Pacific Islander communities.

State and local health officials calculate case and positive rates in all counties, including the countys disproportionately impacted neighborhoods. The state collects data broken down by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, income, crowded housing and access to health insurance. Counties are also required to show officials how state funds will be used to support these communities.

The states Division of Occupational Safety and Health also has COVID-19 guidance for employers on workplace safety. The guidance is broken down by industry and includes recommendations such as developing a screening and monitoring strategy to prevent the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Data

What Bidens orders require: The COVID-19 response office and federal agencies must improve federal data collection and sharing. Federal agencies are required to make data available and accessible to the public.

What California is doing: The state works with local governments, research universities and others to publicly share COVID-19 data. You can find data on cases, deaths, hospitalizations, demographics, ICU availability, personal protection equipment distribution, bed surges and more. However, state officials were criticized for not sharing how they calculated their projected ICU availability figures, which triggered the lifting of the latest stay-at-home order, The Associated Press reported. In response, officials on Tuesday released four-week regional ICU capacity projections, per capita case rates and transmission rates.

Jessica Flores is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @jesssmflores
[January 26, 2021] Pepperdine Graziadio Soars in U.S. News & World Report's 2021 Best Online Programs Ranking

The Pepperdine Graziadio Business School announced today that its online MBA program was ranked number 26 in the list of 2021 Best Online Programs from U.S. News & World Report (USNWR), making Graziadio the number one faith-based online MBA program on the West Coast. This year, the Pepperdine Graziadio online MBA ranking soared 21 spots from the 2020 Best Online MBA Programs ranking. Pepperdine Graziadio was also ranked number 17 for Best Online MBA for Veterans, moving up 12 spots from the 2020 ranking. As part of USNWR 2021 Best Online Programs, USNWR ranked business schools for key specialty areas in which Pepperdine Graziadio was ranked number 11 for Best Online MBA in General Management, number 12 for Best Online MBA Program in Marketing, and number 16 for Best Online MBA Program in Business Analytics. In addition, USNWR released the 2021 Best Online Master's Business (non-MBA) in which Pepperdine Graziadio ascended to number 53 and placed number 26 for Best Online Master's Business (non-MBA) for Veterans. "Pepperdine Graziadio was an early mover in online education and our online programs are specifically designed to match the ways people are learning new skills, advancing their career, and preparing for the future," said Deryck J. van Rensburg, dean of the Graziadio Business School. "Our faculty and staff are committed to providing high quality education and a digital environment that cultivates Best for the World Leaders, whether they be executives, young professionals, or men and women who served our country and are seeking the best online program." The USNWR Best Online MBA Programs rankings follows the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School being nationally recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the Best Business Schools for 2021 and number 9 for Most Competitive Students-the only business school in California for this category-and number 11 for the Top Online MBA Programs for 2021.



The Graziadio Business School two-year, AACSB-accredited online MBA program includes 15 courses taught by distinguished faculty and features six customizable 14-week trimesters. The online MBA program also offers students the opportunity to participate in the Education to Business (E2B) Program, in which students work with Fortune 500 companies, regionally recognized organizations, and startups to address complex business issues. Through the E2B program, students are able to work directly with company executives, translate theory into practice, and expand their professional network. The 2021 Best Online MBA Programs rankings evaluate 295 schools based solely on data related to their distance education MBA programs. U.S. News and World Report determines ranked online MBA programs using five categories: engagement, expert opinion, faculty credentials and training, student excellence, and student services and technologies. The full methodology for the 2021 Best Online MBA programs can be found on www.usnews.com/online.

About Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School For more than 50 years, the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School has challenged individuals to think boldly and drive meaningful change within their industries and communities. Dedicated to developing Best for the World Leaders, the Graziadio School offers a comprehensive range of MBA, MS, executive, and doctoral degree programs grounded in integrity, innovation, critical thinking, and entrepreneurship. The Graziadio School advances experiential learning through small classes with distinguished faculty that stimulate critical thinking and meaningful connection, inspiring students and working professionals to realize their greatest potential as values-centered leaders. Follow Pepperdine Graziadio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005883/en/

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New Delhi: Asserting that multilateralism is important in tackling crises affecting the world, German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday rued that industrialised nations have become too inward-looking and are not doing enough to help developing countries. "This is the hour of multilateralism The question of who receives vaccinations around the world will create a new narrative," she said in a special address at the World Economic Forum's online Davos Agenda Summit.

Merkel, however, said humankind is capable of great scientific feats and that shows the way out of the coronavirus pandemic. "The pandemic has left deep imprints on our societies and our economies and it will determine how we live over the next few years. But we all live in one planet. In such an existential crisis, shutting yourself off from others fails," she said.

Merkel said the vaccine shows we can find a way out of this pandemic but it will be much harder than what everyone thinks. "This is going to be a very arduous road, much of an uphill battle," she said. On climate change and the Paris Agreement, she said Europe could be the first climate-neutral continent and listed ways through which it could achieve a 55 per cent reduction in emissions.

But she said industrialised nations have become too inward-looking and we are not doing enough to help developing countries. "Shutting ourselves off against others will not help either tackle the climate crisis or the COVID-19 climate," Merkel said.

She called for greater transparency and said it's a "very good message" that the US under President Joe Biden wants to be involved in the work of the World Health Organization. On world trade, she said the World Trade Organization is of the essence if we want to be sincere about multilateralism.

If we want to have multilateral agreements, common standards have to be put down as regards conditions of work and the environment. We have to be very fast at finding new answers to digitalisation, she added.
BATON ROUGE  Preliminary data for December 2020 released today by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) shows that the number of seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals was 151,160, a drop of 26,871 from the November 2020 figure of 178,031. The states seasonally adjusted unemployment rate also declined over the month by 1.3 percentage points to 7.2%. This is the lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the state since March 2020.

Since November 2020, the number of seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 31,456 from 1,910,222 to 1,941,678 in December 2020. From December 2019, the number of seasonally adjusted employed individuals decreased by 51,530.

The civilian labor force, or the number of people employed or looking for work, rose to 2,092,838, a gain of 4,585 from November 2020. The series is down 9,367 individuals from the December 2019 figure of 2,102,205.

Seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment also grew over the month, adding 4,000 jobs from November to 1,901,200 for December 2020. This is the highest employment level since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Nonfarm employment is down 82,700 jobs from the December 2019 figure of 1,983,900.

Seasonally adjusted total private employment rose by 2,700 jobs to 1,577,900 from November 2020s figure of 1,575,200. Total private employment is down 74,000 jobs from the December 2019 figure of 1,651,900.

"Louisiana weathered a global pandemic and multiple hurricanes in 2020, said Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie. "The job gains we are witnessing shows the resiliency of the people of Louisiana. Storm recovery and the potential of the newly released Covid-19 vaccines point to a much brighter 2021.

Among Louisianas MSAs in December 2020, seasonally adjusted data shows:

 Alexandria gained 200 jobs from November 2020, but lost 2,100 jobs from December 2019.

 Baton Rouge lost 600 jobs from November 2020 and lost 18,200 jobs from December 2019.

 Hammond gained 400 jobs from November 2020, but lost 2,300 jobs from December 2019.

 Houma lost 1,100 jobs from November 2020 and lost 2,900 jobs from December 2019.

 Lafayette gained 500 jobs from November 2020, but lost 7,500 jobs from December 2019.

 Lake Charles gained 1,000 jobs from November 2020, but lost 14,700 jobs from December 2019.

 Monroe gained 300 jobs from November 2020 and gained 1,600 jobs from December 2019.

 New Orleans gained 1,000 jobs from November 2020, but lost 45,200 jobs from December 2019.

 Shreveport gained 1,200 jobs from November 2020, but lost 5,100 jobs from December 2019.

Not Seasonally Adjusted Data

Since November 2020, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 3,700 jobs from 1,908,000 to 1,911,700 in December 2020. When compared to December 2019, not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment decreased by 83,200 jobs.

Since November 2020, not seasonally adjusted private sector employment increased by 5,400 jobs from 1,579,500 to 1,584,900 in December 2020. When compared to December 2019, not seasonally adjusted private sector employment decreased by 74,300 jobs.

Louisianas not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December 2020 is 6.9 percent, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points from November 2020s revised not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 8.2 percent. The December 2019 rate is 4.9 percent.

Since November 2020, the number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals increased by 18,110 from 1,918,962 to 1,937,072 in December 2020. When compared to December 2019, the number of not seasonally adjusted employed individuals decreased by 50,947.

Since November 2020, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals decreased by 29,926 from 172,445 to 142,519 in December 2020. When compared to December 2019, the number of not seasonally adjusted unemployed individuals increased by 39,538.

November metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and parish unemployment rates will be released on February 2, 2021. The 2021 state and MSA data release dates schedule is now available, please click here.

Seasonally Adjusted vs. Not Seasonally Adjusted Data

Jobs and employment trends data are often difficult to understand because there are two different ways to look at the data, seasonally or non-seasonally adjusted data.

Seasonal adjustment works to measure and remove the influences of predictable seasonal patterns to reveal how employment and unemployment figures change from month to month. Not seasonally adjusted data retains seasonal employment trends.

Over the course of a year, the labor force size, available jobs and employment rates undergo predictable fluctuations due to seasonal changes in weather, harvests, major holidays, and school schedules. Seasonal adjustment reduces the impact of these changes, making it easier to understand trends. Seasonally adjusted data is best utilized when comparing several months of employment and jobs data, while not seasonally adjusted data is best used to compare over-the-year trends. Seasonally adjusted data are useful for comparisons among states and the nation.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission primarily uses seasonally adjusted data because it provides a more useful and telling picture of Louisianas jobs and employment situation.

To view all available employment data, visit Louisianas employment homepage at http://www.laworks.net and select Labor Market Information from the top-right menu. Then, select LOIS (Louisiana Occupational Information System) and select Employment and Wage Data listed under Data Trends. To view the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics for the state, visit http://data.bls.gov/pdq/querytool.jsp?survey=la. For BLS nonfarm employment data, click here: http://data.bls.gov/pdq/querytool.jsp?survey=sm.

Data Considerations

All data published from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is preliminary and is subject to revision on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. Revised numbers for previous months are available from the BLS databases located on bls.gov. The revised numbers are available upon release of new data.

Resources for Employers and Job Seekers

Job-seekers can explore careers, apply for top-rated jobs and connect with local training providers using Louisiana Star Jobs, the LWCs free career tool, at http://www.laworks.net/Stars/. Employers looking for workers should visit Louisianas employment homepage at http://www.laworks.net. Click on HiRE (Helping Individuals Reach Employment) and create an account allowing access to qualified job seekers.

About the Louisiana Workforce Commission

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is an agency of state government that administers programs designed to enhance workforce growth and provide family-sustaining jobs for Louisiana residents. The commission monitors employment, administers unemployment compensation and tax funds, provides training resources for employers and employees and oversees worker compensation benefits. The agency also gathers and supplies information on the labor market and occupational sectors in Louisiana.
The 25-minute speech was a masterclass in double-speak.

Chinas President Xi Jinping told world leaders to shelve their differences as his country blocks $20 billion in Australian exports. He warned confrontation would lead us to a dead end, after China flew two dozen warplanes over Taiwan at the weekend. He said the strong should not bully the weak as Beijing wipes out democracy in Hong Kong.

Two-track Xi was in full swing at the World Economic Forum in Davos overnight. The hypocritical divide between Chinas actions and its leaders spin is inexorable, but it does offer insight into how Xi wants the world to view China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping. Credit:AP

First, Xi wants the world to abandon ideological prejudice, an oft-repeated phrase that paints Communist China as the victim of Western liberal discrimination.
Its over! Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy are officially divorced, Us Weekly can confirm.

Read article

The designer, 34, and Sarkozys case was disposed by the New York Supreme Court on Monday, January 25. This means the judge signed off on the pairs settlement agreement and their divorce has been granted.

The news came less than two weeks after the exes reunited on January 13, for a virtual hearing to sort out the details of their separation.

MediaPunch/Shutterstock

So, we have reached a final agreement, Sarkozys attorney Michael Mosberg said to the judge during the Zoom hearing, which lasted 20 minutes. And we appreciate the time and latitude that youve given us.  Its been incremental, but we continue to make forward progress.

He noted that the duo just needed to revise the agreement before sending it to the court. The deal is now done, he added.

Read article

The Full House alums lawyer, Nancy Chemtob, reiterated his points, saying, Weve been working very hard and we appreciate the courts time and the adjournments, and we do have a settlement, and we will be able to get that signed and executed, as Mr. Mosberg said, by next week. All issues are resolved.

The judge concluded: So, everyone is clear that if we get the agreement, you dont have to see me, which as much as I enjoy seeing everyone here, I think you would all prefer to be done with this. Lets get it done. File the papers and lets get them divorced. I think thats the same objective for all of us.

The Sherman Oaks, California, native, who married Sarkozy, 51, in November 2015, signed a petition for divorce in April 2020, but her motion was stalled amid the coronavirus pandemic, with New York City courts briefly shutting down, which led to a backup in cases being heard.

Olsen then filed an emergency order to end her five-year marriage the following month, but a judge rejected the bid.

Read article

A source exclusively told Us at the time that the former child star had an ironclad prenup ahead of the divorce proceedings. Her business interests and fortune are protected, the insider added.

The former actress owns and operates The Row clothing line and contemporary fashion label Elizabeth and James alongside twin sister Ashley Olsen. The pair also have an estimated combined net worth of $500 million from their film and TV careers among other business ventures.
Thank you for reading!

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Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
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.

Katie Holmes and her boyfriend Emilio Vitolo Jr know how to make a fashion statement together.

On Monday, the 42-year-old actress and her 33-year-old boyfriend took a stroll through the SoHo neighborhood of New York City together.

The two were dressed to the nines as each of them wore super stylish outfits during their outing.

Shared walk: Katie Holmes and her boyfriend Emilio Vitolo were spotted going for a stroll together in New York City on Monday

The Dawson's Creek actress donned a stylish dark yellow plaid overcoat on top of a white sweater, blue jeans and a pair of black Vagabond loafers.

She tied her gorgeous brunette hair into a messy bun.

Her boyfriend looked dapper in a double-breasted red flannel coat and a black v-neck t-shirt above a set of crimson jeans and leather shoes.

The chef wore a multicolored cabbie hat to cover up his hair during the walk.

Looking good! The Dawson's Creek actress opted for a large yellow plaid overcoat for the leisurely walk

Taking it easy: She contrasted her colorful top with a pair of blue jeans and black leather shoes from Vagabond

Tying it back: Holmes kept her usually flowing brunette hair in a messy bun

The couple wore masks to protect themselves from any potential exposure to the coronavirus.

Holmes and Vitolo have been dating since September, when they were seen getting close to each other in a New York City restaurant.

The actress was previously married to actor Tom Cruise from 2006 until 2012; the couple shares a daughter named Suri, aged 14.

She was also romantically involved with actor Chris Klein, who she reportedly remain friends with.

Keeping it consistent: Vitolo wore a double-breasted red plaid jacket on top of a pair of crimson-colored pants

Taking precautions: To keep themselves safe in the midst of the global pandemic, Holmes and Vitolo wore face masks for the length of the walk

Pandemic: COVID-19 is spiking nationwide with a reported 1.35M confirmed cases in New York state (575K in NYC) leading to 42,090 deaths as of Monday

After her divorce, Holmes entered into a relationship with Jamie Foxx, which was not confirmed publicly until they accompanied each other to the 2019 Met Gala. They split up not long after the appearance.

Vitolo was previously engaged to fashion designer Rachel Emmons before they separated last year.

The actress and her beau have been taking things easy outside of their relationship for the past few months as the circumstances of the global pandemic have forced them to simplify their lives.

In an interview with Vogue Australia, Holmes discussed quarantining in New York City with her daughter and listed what she had come to be thankful for in that time.

Time for two: Holmes and her boyfriend have been seeing each other since September of last year when they were first spotted together at a New York City restaurant

Seriously? Katie's eyes bulged as she chatted away with Emilio, who works in the kitchen of his father's Italian restaurant Emilio's Ballata

Still going strong! The 33-year-old actor-chef went Instagram official with The Secret: Dare to Dream actress in honor of her birthday on December 18, and the couple both used the 'L' word in the post

Date night! Vitolo carried a doggy bag following their dinner date

'To live for a moment in time without the pressure of results and instead appreciate the natural rhythms of mother and daughter was the most precious gift,' she remarked.

The actress also spoke about the life lessons that she had indirectly learned during her time at home, including what she referred to as the most important one overall.

Holmes remarked: 'Throughout this experience the through-line for me has been a heightened awareness of each moment and really taking it in and appreciating it.'

Before spending time with her boyfriend the Ohio native was spotted shopping.

Holmes was seen carrying multiple bags out of a Santa Maria Novella location in New York and nonchalantly walked away from the store after making her purchases.

She was dressed in a large navy blue overcoat with gold buttons on top of a patterned blouse.

The actress contrasted her top with a wide pair of blue jeans and leather shoes that she would later wear during her time with Vitolo.

Holmes also wore a stylish red cap while allowing some of her hair to fall down her backside during her trip.

Dawson's Creek is available to stream on Stan in Australia

Stepping out: Earlier in the day, the actress was spotted going on a solo shopping trip

Similar outfit: Holmes wore a large navy blue overcoat and jeans with leather shoes, the latter of which she wore later in the day while seeing her boyfriend

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The Bachelorette's Elly Miles has been called out for promoting a seemingly contradictory message about Australia Day.

On Tuesday morning, the Bondi influencer, 26, uploaded a video of herself delivering a sombre speech about how painful Australia Day can be for Indigenous people, before sharing a photo of herself attending an 'Invasion Day' protest in Sydney.

Just hours later, however, the nurse raised eyebrows by documenting herself attending a boozy Australia Day pool party.

'Beyond tone deaf': Elly Miles has been slammed for sharing an 'Invasion Day' message on Instagram (left) - just hours before attending a wild Australia Day pool party (right)

The rather tone-deaf sequence of events wasn't lost on Elly's Instagram followers, many of whom accused her of being a hypocrite.

One fan wrote: 'Just a little contradicting and confusing to be posting about your support with changing the date and then heading to what one can assume would be an Australia Day party... as it's a party on Australia Day?

'I hope you acknowledge this. I'll be eager to see your reasoning.'

Another commented on Elly's Instagram page: 'It is very upsetting to see you post a change the date post on this day of mourning, yet you go to an Australia Day party the same day. This is so disappointing and beyond tone deaf.'

'Be the change': On Tuesday morning, the Bondi influencer, 26, uploaded a video of herself delivering a sombre speech about how painful Australia Day can be for Indigenous people, before sharing a photo of herself attending an 'Invasion Day' protest in Sydney (pictured)

Not a care in the world! That afternoon, Elly shared a far more upbeat video of herself attending a backyard pool party

'Just a little contradicting and confusing': The rather tone-deaf sequence of events wasn't lost on Elly's Instagram followers, many of whom accused her of being a hypocrite

Other followers accused Elly of feigning empathy for Indigenous people to improve her public image as an influencer.

'Your manager must have reminded you to give some lip service and a quick pic and then off to get blind and party. Performative influencers,' one fan grumbled.

Another agreed: 'I feel like these influencers say something about it just to say they did. Maybe because they'll cop s**t if they don't?'

'Your manager must have reminded you to give some lip service': Other followers accused Elly of feigning empathy for Indigenous people to improve her public image as an influencer

In her speech on Tuesday morning, Elly told fans 'it would just be so good if we could change the date' and insisted she would love 'everybody in Australia to celebrate Australia on a day that isn't severely traumatic and awful for our Indigenous cultures'.

She even said she had gone out of her way to start 'conversations' with her 'Indigenous friends' about what Invasion Day means to them.

'If you feel like you don't know enough, have a conversation. Like start a conversation, that's how my view has changed,' she said.

Dolled up: 'Get me to the pool,' Elly captioned this photo of herself in a bathrobe and bikini

Partying hard! During the festivities, Elly was seen drinking with pals, taking shots of tequila and posing for busty selfies

'Because growing up I had celebrated Australia Day but I just didn't know any better. And it took me to have conversations with some Indigenous friends and work colleagues for me to truly understand the meaning of the day for Indigenous culture, and it's not good,' she added.

A few hours after this thoughtful speech, Elly shared a far more upbeat video of herself attending a backyard pool party.

'Get me to the pool,' Elly wrote as she posed in a bathrobe and snakeskin bikini.

Say cheese! Elly looked like she was having the time of her life as she posed for pouty photos

Throughout the festivities, Elly was seen drinking with pals, taking shots of tequila and posing for busty mirror selfies.

She apologised for her 'lapse of judgment' on Wednesday, posting on Instagram Stories: 'To answer people's comments from yesterday, there is nothing else I can say in this situation other than "I am sorry".'

'I had a complete lapse of judgment and have a lot of regret for my actions. I sincerely apologise for upsetting anyone,' she added.

'I stand by my attendance at the Change the Date protest and feel that it is an incredibly important issue. I truly wasn't being insincere with my attendance.

Whoops: Elly apologised for her 'lapse of judgment' on Wednesday, posting on Instagram Stories: 'There is nothing else I can say in this situation other than "I am sorry"'

Tone-deaf: Elly isn't the only Insta-famous celebrity to receive backlash for their behaviour on Australia Day. On Tuesday, Michael Clarke's fashion designer girlfriend Pip Edwards (pictured) also received criticism for sharing conflicting messaging on Instagram

'I know how it looks, we all make mistakes - I made one yesterday and all I can say once again, from the bottom of my heart, is that I truly am sorry.'

Meanwhile, Elly isn't the only Insta-famous celebrity to receive backlash for their behaviour on Australia Day.

On Tuesday, Michael Clarke's fashion designer girlfriend Pip Edwards, 40, also received criticism for sharing conflicting messaging on Instagram.

'In black and white': In a post on Instagram Stories, Pip shared a letter to a publication (pictured) which argued that Australia Day shouldn't be celebrated on January 26

In a post on Instagram Stories, Pip shared a letter to a publication which argued that Australia Day shouldn't be celebrated on January 26.

The activewear mogul endorsed the letter's message by captioning her post: 'IN BLACK AND WHITE.'

But just hours later, the P.E Nation co-founder shared photos from an Australia Day party she attended, and wrote: 'A day to celebrate the land that we live and thrive on. I love you, Australia.'

Mixed messages: Hours later, Pip shared photos from an Australia Day party she attended, and wrote: 'A day to celebrate the land that we live and thrive on. I love you, Australia'

Fans were quick to criticise Pip for posting photos from the small gathering, which involved a backyard barbecue. Her boyfriend, retired Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke, was among the guests.

'Did you forget about the Story you posted earlier today? Performative activism is gross,' commented one follower.

Another added: 'Wowwwwww. Don't post a little Instagram story in "support" of changing the date and then go and celebrate Australia Day. Educate yourself!'

Celebration: Fans were quick to criticise Pip for posting photos from the small gathering, which involved a backyard barbecue. Her boyfriend, retired Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke (left photo, centre), was among the guests

Slammed: Others branded her posts 'embarrassing', 'inappropriate', 'completely tone deaf' and 'downright insensitive'

Others branded her posts 'embarrassing', 'inappropriate', 'completely tone deaf' and 'downright insensitive'.

Pip also shared a video of a man raising both the Australian and Aboriginal flags, but the Aboriginal flag was flown upside down by mistake.

'UGH. And the flag you put up was upside down...' commented one person, while another wrote, 'Also... your Aboriginal flag is upside down on your flagpole.'

Getting it wrong: Pip also shared a video of a man raising both the Australian and Aboriginal flags, but the Aboriginal flag was flown upside down by mistake
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 51F. SSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph..

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Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 51F. SSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph.
A US online insurance marketplace is setting up a software development centre here, creating 70 new jobs paying 52K on average.

EverQuote, which is based in Massachusetts, has already recruited 12 of the staff for its new operation here.

Economic development agency Invest NI is supporting the investment with 420,000.

The new roles will generate salaries of 3.7m when all the jobs are in place - giving an average of nearly 52,860.

All staff will work remotely - though co-founder Tomas Revesz told Business Telegraph it hoped to have a physical presence here in future.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds said NI's reputation for skilled people remained a core strength which was an attraction to new investors.

"This reputation has been bolstered further by the positive response existing global investors experienced in Northern Ireland during Covid. Many of our existing investors have cited the resilience and adaptability of their Northern Ireland teams as instrumental to their business' response and continuity following Covid."

EverQuote connects consumers with insurance providers, and says its mission is "to empower insurance shoppers to better protect life's most important assets - their family, property, and future".

Chief architect Mr Revesz said the presence of other long-established firms in the sector in NI - such as Liberty IT - had impressed the company.

And he said Covid-19 had accelerated its adoption of remote working and consideration of further-flung locations.

But it hoped to have a presence here in future. He told Business Telegraph: "We very much committed at being remote, but by the same token, over recent months we've wanted to congregate, to socialise and be able to be around colleagues in a group physical setting, and there's a healthy balance in the long-term.

"At some point we will likely have some office space in Belfast and make it available when needed but it won't likely become a case of requiring everyone to be at the office every day."

He and colleagues had first visited NI to scope out its potential in late 2019, he said.

"The combination of talent, capability and the strong cluster of insurtech companies that we found when we visited Northern Ireland really impressed us.

"As a company, we also place significant importance on providing meaningful skill and career development opportunities for our people.

"We were keen to ensure we had the ability to work with local universities to create a team that has a blend of both experience and new talent. The calibre of the two universities, and the graduates they are producing made Northern Ireland very attractive to us as well."

The company will be recruiting for technology roles like software engineers and IT and product management positions. But Mr Revesz said that longer term, it had an interest in data science and analytics roles.

EverQuote currently employs around 425 staff at its offices in Massachusetts and Seattle. It also has an operation in India.
Representative image

A total of 19,50,183 beneficiaries have so far been vaccinated for COVID-19 through 35,785 sessions held till the evening of January 25, the tenth day of the immunisation drive, according to a provisional report of the Union Health Ministry.

On January 25, 3,34,679 beneficiaries were vaccinated till 7.30 pm through 7,171 vaccination sessions, the ministry said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the vaccination drive with healthcare workers at the frontline of India's COVID-19 battle getting their first jabs on January 16.

Indias drug regulator has approved two vaccines - Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech and Covishield from the Oxford/AstraZeneca stable being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) - for emergency use in the country.

According to the government, the shots will be offered first to an estimated one crore healthcare workers and around two crore frontline workers, and then to persons above 50 years of age, followed by persons younger than 50 years of age with associated comorbidities.

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

Here are all developments related to the COVID-19 vaccine in India:

> Over 7,400 healthcare workers received COVID-19 vaccine shots in Delhi as the inoculation drive picked up pace in the city on January 25, recording 91 percent turnout for the day, according to officials. The targeted number for vaccination on January 25 was 8,100, they said.

> More than 67,590 health workers were vaccinated in Rajasthan on the sixth day of the inoculation drive against the coronavirus on the day, officials said. According to an official spokesperson, 94,334 health workers were to be vaccinated at the 995 vaccination centres in 33 districts of the state. On Monday, 67,591 health workers (around 71.65 percent of the day's target) were vaccinated.

> The Maharashtra government said 35,816 health staffers, or 74 percent of the targeted workers for the day, were administered COVID-19 vaccine doses across 477 centres in the state on the day.

> More than 33,200 healthcare workers in Haryana received COVID-19 vaccine shots on the day, taking the number of beneficiaries vaccinated against the disease in the state so far to over one lakh, officials said.

> As many as 72,530 health workers in Kerala have been administered the COVID-19 vaccine so far, including 18,450 on the day, Health Minister KK Shailaja, said.

> Faced with the problem of circulation of rumours about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, the Centre has asked the states to check the spread of such misinformation and advised them to take penal action against those who are found to be involved in dissemination of wrong and ill-informed news.

> Lauding the country's quick response in coming out with a vaccine to control the novel coronavirus, President Ram Nath Kovind said India is rightfully being called the "pharmacy of the world" as it has not only rolled out vaccination for the domestic population but is also supplying it to several other countries. In his address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day, Kovind urged citizens to utilise this "lifeline" and get vaccinated as per the guidelines.

States Total Beneficiaries A & N Islands 2,369 Andhra Pradesh 1,55,453 Bihar 88,200 Chhattisgarh 40,022 Karnataka 2,30,119 Kerala 71,976 Madhya Pradesh 56,586 Tamil Nadu 68,916 Telangana 1,17,978 West Bengal 1,21,615 Chandigarh 1,928 Odisha 1,77,090 Punjab 39,414 Haryana 1,05,419

Here is the state-wise vaccination:

(With inputs from PTI)

Follow our full coverage on COVID-19 here
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LONGVIEW, Cowlitz County (AP)  A former employee of the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife who stole tens of thousands of dollars of fuel was sentenced to three months in jail and must pay nearly $57,000 in restitution.

Bob Woodard had worked for the department for about 25 years and was an IT specialist in the Southwest Washington region, The Daily News reported.





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(Alliance News) - Tesco PLC on Tuesday announced the purchase price to be paid in connection with its cash tender offer for its senior notes.

Earlier this month, Tesco announced tender offers for its USD1.15 billion in 6.15% senior notes due 2037, as well as a number of euro and sterling-denominated notes.

The cash offer is for any and all of the outstanding dollar notes and is intended to strengthen the supermarket chain's balance sheet though "addressing upcoming debt maturities and achieving net annual interest savings".

Tesco said it will pay a purchase price of USD1,348.42 per USD1,000 principal amount of securities validly tendered and not withdrawn before the expiration deadline of 1700 New York time on Tuesday.

The stock closed 0.2% lower at 243.40 pence on Tuesday in London.

By Arvind Bhunjun; arvindbhunjun@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vyopta, a leading provider of Collaboration Intelligence, today announced the release of its Intelligent Monitoring Engine. This new solution is part of Vyopta's Collaboration Performance Management (CPM) suite, and offers industry-leading proactive monitoring that is purpose-built for collaboration. It features smart alerts that empower IT and collaboration engineers to quickly detect and solve problems.

"Since the pandemic, usage of collaboration technology as a service skyrocketed, but headcount to support it has remained flat," said Jonathan Sass, Vyopta's VP of Product Management. "Our goal in creating the Intelligent Monitoring Engine was to enable customers to make data driven decisions, and to intelligently notify them on the issues that matter without increasing alert noise. We've received great feedback from the customers who've started leveraging it, including several global Fortune 500 enterprises."

Vyopta's Intelligent Monitoring Engine ensures collaboration service delivery by solving common use cases. This includes:

Proactively identifying degraded experiences of users in key roles

Isolating root-causes affecting calls and meetings tied to UCaaS, corporate infrastructure or off site worker setups

Determining when home network or personal peripherals are potential culprits for remote participant issues

Automating identification of anomalies and disconnect reasons

Extending troubleshooting beyond UC specialists to generalist IT, Help Desk, and Support teams

All of this functionality is delivered in a single pane that includes UC, video, and voice vendors as well as cloud and on-premises deployments. Features include:

Live views of alert statuses and configurations

Ability to set critical informational thresholds and triggers

Advanced event logic to create actionable alerts

Over 60 metrics, 350 filters, and limitless combinations for effective alerting

Integration into existing operations workflow by sending alerts to IT Service Management, ticketing systems, and messaging platforms

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.

SOURCE Vyopta Inc

Related Links

http://www.vyopta.com


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DENVER  A federal judge has ordered city officials in Denver to give seven-day notices before clearing out illegal homeless encampments in the city.

Judge William Martinez ruled on Monday that Denver must give a weeks notice before each sweep, regardless of the size of the encampments, after finding out that city officials had not done so before several high-profile sweeps last year to avoid growing protests, The Denver Post reported.

Martinez said the decision to clear the encampments with effectively no advance notice to the residents were actually based, as plaintiffs counsel has argued, on the possibility of additional public scrutiny and the threat of First Amendment protected activity, and these managers preference to avoid the same.

The ruling stems from a class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court of Colorado last October by attorney Andy McNulty to stop the sweeps. Martinezs ruling was announced as the lawsuit makes its way to trial.

McNulty said not giving notice was a damning indictment of the citys practices, saying officials were so afraid of people showing up to criticize their actions that they hid it from the public.

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The order also requires city officials to tell McNulty and the City Council member who represents the district when, where and why the sweeps will happen.

Martinez also said officials can clear out an encampment with a warning no less than two days in advance in certain emergencies, but that doing so would require approval from the state Department of Public Health and Environment and written justification from the city.

The ruling was criticized by Michael Strott, spokesman for Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

Todays ruling dangerously ties the hands of city officials and prevents us from acting swiftly in the case of a public health or safety emergency or significant environmental impacts, which we unfortunately see with some frequency in large encampments, Strott said.
ALBANY  An undercover FBI sting netted the arrest of a Vermont man accused of planning to meet an officer who had posed as a Watervliet woman, offering him her 12-year-old daughter for sex.

Thomas Cesiro, 66, of Rutland, a married father, described himself in conversations as a "daddy" -- and called his would-be child victim his "little tramp" and "little precious princess slut"-- all while unwittingly speaking to undercover officers, court papers alleged.

Cesiro is charged in U.S. District Court in Albany with attempted enticement or coercion of a child. He was arrested Oct. 20 after he drove to a parking lot in Bennington to meet the would-be mother and daughter. On Monday, U.S. District Magistrate Judge Christian Hummel set Cesiros bond at $200,000, which he was expected to make and be under electronic monitoring. On Tuesday, the judge modified the conditions, allowing federal probation officers to "supervise Mr. Cesiro with full lock down on home detention."

Federal prosecutors in Albany had asked the judge that Cesiro, a former Vermont state police officer who was working from home as a sales marketing manager, be detained. Vermont State Police said he was a member of their force more than 35 years ago, from 1980-85.

A criminal complaint and court papers described this sequence of events:

On Sept. 29, a Colonie police officer on an FBI task force began posing online as a 39-year-old woman from Watervliet with a 12-year-old daughter. Cesiro, who used the name Wanderingcarver," reached out to the undercover officer that same day.

"Would you be interested in talking with a Daddy. You have a great day and keep that lovely smile going wherever you go, Cesiro told the supposed mother.

On Oct. 10, the undercover officer responded that she was a mother and daughter looking to add a guy I trust with her. The officer claimed to be quite taboo but discreet and interested in the sexual encounter.

Over the next 10 days, the undercover officer and Cesiro text-messaged one another using graphic, X-rated language to describe a would-be upcoming underage sexual encounter. Another officer later posed as the purported 12-year-old girl and spoke with Cesiro.

On Oct. 20, Cesiro did not show up at a planned meet-up in Menands, which led the undercover officer to tell Cesiro to lose her number. The "mother" claimed she had taken a day off from work for nothing. Cesiro then agreed to meet the would-be mother in a parking lot in Bennington, where he was arrested.

Details from the case said Cesiro arrived to the meet-up with sex toys - but also children's items like coloring books and Crayola paint brushes. Police also allege he had multiple ropes including one rope tied to appear as a flogger."

Cesiro was expected to have to forfeit his passport.

His attorney, Peter Brill of Long Island, said Cesiro has a number of significant health issues that put him at high risk for COVID complications. The court gave him permission to renew his bail application if the infection rate at the jail significantly increased, which it recently has, Brill noted. Cesiro will be confined to his home with GPS monitoring and monitoring of his use of electronics while his case is pending, his attorney said.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Vietnam's ruling Communist Party began a crucial week-long meeting in the capital Hanoi to set the nation's path for the next five years and appoint the country's top leaders.

Thanks to its successful efforts at containing the spread of the coronavirus, 1,587 delegates from across the country hve assembled for the event, which is held every five years.

Vietnam is a single-party Communist state in which stability and continuity are favored over change. Healthy economic growth achieved under the leadership selected at the last national Party Congress in 2016 makes any challenges to the status quo even more unlikely.

The main duty for the delegates to the 13th Congress is to pick the country's next leaders.

Conventional wisdom holds that General Secretary of the Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong, 76-years-old, will be selected for a third five-year term in the country's most powerful job. He made his name by waging a much-needed war on corruption.

Congress delegates will elect the 200-member Central Committee, which will choose between 15 and 19 of its members to serve on the Politburo, the highest party body. The Politburo will make nominations for the "four pillars" _ General Secretary; the President, a largely ceremonial post; the Prime Minister; and the National Assembly chairman. Those nominations are then put to a vote of the Congress delegates.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday condemned the scattered incidents of violence that broke out in Delhi as protesting farmers clashed with police in the national capital on Republic Day. "Violence is not the solution to any problem and sought repeal of the three farm laws in national interest," said Gandhi.

Gandhi took to Twitter to say that if anyone gets hurt the damage will be inflicted to the country, after violence broke out during the tractor parade by protesters against the new farm laws.

ALSO READ | MHA Suspends Internet Services Temporarily at Protest Sites in Delhi as Farmers Rally Turns Violent

           ,          -   !  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 26, 2021

Congress stalwart Shashi Tharoor, too, joined Gandhi to call out the violence and said that "On Republic Day, no flag but the sacred Tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort."

One of the protesting farmers on Tuesday climbed up one of the poles at the Red Fort and put a Nishan Sahib flag atop it.

"Most unfortunate. I have supported the farmers protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on #RepublicDay no flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort (SIC), Tharoor's tweet read.

Reprobating the clash between the farmers and Delhi police, Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill asked protesters to "follow the dharma of democracy".

Peace is the strength of any protest & gets weakened when you need to bank upon violence-urge both sides (protestors & police) to remain calm, follow the dharma of democracy because when lives are lost & national property is damaged then it is loss of entire Nation  Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) January 26, 2021

Meanwhile, BJP's Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir urged for peace. "Violence and vandalism will lead us nowhere. I urge everyone to maintain peace and honour agreements. Today is not the day for such chaos," he said.
Representatives from a network of women deans, chairs and distinguished faculty in biomedical engineering are calling upon the National Institutes of Health and other funding agencies to address disparities in allocating support to Black researchers. The group made the call to action in the Jan. 26, 2021, issue of the journal Cell.

In examining the racial inequities and injustices that prevent Black faculty from equitably contributing to science and achieving their full potential, insufficient federal funding for research by Black scientists rose to the top as a key issue.

According to studies of National Institutes of Health research funding allocations, Black applicant award rates have stood at about 55 percent of that of white principal investigators of similar academic achievement. Despite internal reviews of the reasons behind this disparity, and promises to do better, the funding gap continues.

Efforts have been made to improve the educational pipeline to encourage Black students to prepare for and enter careers as researchers and college and university faculty. But once they have faculty positions, lack of research funding can derail their careers. Many universities review faculty members' ability to support their research as part of decisions on tenure and promotions. In this way, NIH and other agencies' funding disparities can jeopardize the careers of Black scientists. Without adequate research funding, these scientists can become discouraged and leave their professions.

This means that fewer Black scientists remain to serve as role models and mentors for the next generation. It also means that many research questions vital to society are not being asked, because the perspectives, creativity, and knowledge of a diverse population of scientists are not being tapped. The public is also less likely to see the faces or hear the voices of Black scientific experts speaking on important issues.

The authors of the paper made several recommendations on how research funding disparities can be eliminated. Among the steps funding agencies might take are:

Explicitly state that racism persists in the United States research enterprise and that it must be expelled

Develop federal funding institute policies to immediately achieve racial funding equity

Incorporate diversity into research proposal scoring criteria, prioritize research teams that exemplify diversity, and diversify proposal review panels

Train funding agency leadership and staff, and grant reviewers and recipients, to recognize and stop racism

"Scientific colleagues, let us each use our voices and actions to now overcome our profession's racism and serve as antiracist agents of change," the Cell article authors wrote.

The authors also suggested ways individual scientists and universities, colleges and institutes can act to bring about social justice. These recommendations include recognizing how they might be unintentionally contributing to systemic racism in their academic roles. Academia, they noted, must move forward from statements of solidarity to transformative organizational changes

In closing, the authors look also to the private sector, such as foundations, professional societies, philanthropists as well as to industrial leaders whose companies depend on scientific innovation, to help offset racial disparities in research funding. The biotech company Genentech is held up as an example of leadership in reducing racial disparities in science, with its creation of a research funding awards program for Black scientists.

Together, private and public sectors can enhance the creativity and innovation of science and advance the greater good of society by funding innovative ideas and robust talents of Black scientists.

###

The corresponding authors on the paper, "Fund Black Scientists," are senior author Omolola Eniola-Adefeso, the University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, and lead author Kelly R. Stevens, assistant professor of bioengineering and of laboratory medicine and pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the UW College of Engineering. She is an investigator at the UW Medicine Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine.

Other engineering faculty researchers co-authoring the paper are: Kristyn S. Masters University of Wisconsin-Madison; Princess Imoukhuede and Lori A. Setton, Washington University St. Louis; Karmella A. Haynes, Emory University; Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernandez and Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert, University of Texas at Austin; Muyinatu A. Lediju Bell, Johns Hopkins University; Padmini Rangamani and Karen Christman, University of California San Diego; Stacey Finley, University of Southern California; Rebecca K. Willits and Abigail N. Koppes, Northeastern University; Naomi Chesler, University of California Irvine; Josephine Allen, University of Florida in Gainesville; Joyce Y. Wong, Boston University; and Hana El-Samad and Tejal Desai, University of California San Francisco .
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COMMERZBANK AG - Pre Stabilisation European Union EUR 7yr & 2050 Tap

Pre-Stabilisation notice

26 January 2021

Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

European Union

New  7year and  Tap due 2050 dual benchmark bonds

Commerzbank AG (contact: Daniela Olt-Farrelly; telephone: +49 69 136-20) 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: European Union Guarantor (if any): none Aggregate nominal amount: EUR benchmark 2028 Notes

EUR 4bn 2050 Tap Notes Description: EUR Fixed Rate RegS bearer bonds under its SURE Social Bond programme Offer price: tbc Other offer terms: maturities 02-June-2028| 04-Nov-2050, backed by the European Union Member States and EU budget, settlement 02-Feb-2021 Stabilisation: Stabilsation Coordinator

Stabilising Managers: Commerzbank AG

Barclays

Deutsche Bank

Goldman Sachs

LBBW Stabilisation period expected to start on: 26 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 SE

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
Prayagraj : , Jan 26 (IANS) The Allahabad High Court has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to clarify under what circumstances an exorbitant amount of personal bond and sureties have been sought from Sitapur farmers.

A bench comprising Justice Rajeev Singh and Justice Ramesh Sinha directed the Additional Advocate General Vinod Kumar Shahi to fetch instructions in the matter from the respondent no.2-District Magistrate, Sitapur. The matter is listed for February 2.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Arundhati Dhuru. On Monday, a mention was made by Veena Rajes, Counsel for taking up the matter today because it is urgent matter as orders have been passed by the District Administration of Sitapur against the farmers, who are the tractor owners, causing financial hardship to them and not allowed to move freely from their dwelling place.

The petitioner, who is said to be an independent researcher and social activist as well as worked as advisor lo the Uttar Pradesh Government and Commissioners Officer on appointment by the Apex Court in the food case, has come up before this Court raising the plight of the farmers, who are tractor owners, of District Sitapur and has stated that several orders have been passed by Sub-Divisional Magistrates of the different areas of District Sitapur, who are working under the respondent no.2- District Magistrate, Sitapur, whereby notices have been issued on January 19 and subsequent dates to the farmers including lady farmers of District Sitapur under Section 111 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, calling upon them to furnish personal bond of Rs. 50 thousand to 10 Lacs and two sureties in the like amount on apprehension that he/she would violate the law and order in the light of the ensuing farmers protest in the district.

Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner has submitted that notices issued by the State authorities are not only baseless but also rake away the fundamental rights of a person as farmers are not allowed to come out from their houses as the police have surrounded their houses. He also submitted that the amount of personal bond and sureties, which have been sought by way of the notices, is exorbitant amount and such exorbitant amount cannot be sought from poor farmers and that too merely on the basis of the report of the local police personnel and without providing any opportunity of hearing to such farmers.

"Considering the averments made in the present writ petition and notices, which have been issued to the farmers, who are the tractor owner, we deem it appropriate to call instructions from the State authorities as to under what circumstances such an exorbitant amount of personal bond and two sureties have been asked to furnish to them," the court order said.

Las Vegas schools are planning to reopen within weeks as anger and concerns grow over US student mental health and a possible surge in suicides since they closed due to Covid-19 last March.

Nevada's Clark County, which includes Las Vegas and the fifth-largest school district in the country, has recorded 19 suicides among students since the school closures.

That figure is "more than double the nine the district had the entire previous year," the district's press office told AFP, without directly tying the trend to reopening schools in the western state.

A large number of complex factors contribute to suicides, which can never be explained by a single cause, experts warn.

But studies have shown that the pandemic has particularly impacted more vulnerable parts of society, including among out-of-school youths. And an increase in psychological disorders have coincided with the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns.

As attitudes toward lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic have grown more politically polarized in the US, opponents of school closures have amplified the voices of victims' families and some mental health experts in warning about their impact on child wellbeing.

Former President Donald Trump repeatedly tried to pressure schools into reopening, while Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ex-director Robert Redfield cited "increases of adolescent suicide" among the costs of children missing school at a briefing last July.

"When we started to see the uptick in children taking their lives, we knew it wasn't just the Covid numbers we need to look at anymore," Clark County superintendent Jesus Jara, who has been lobbying for months to reopen schools, told the New York Times.

"We have to find a way to put our hands on our kids, to see them, to look at them. They've got to start seeing some movement, some hope."

Alarmed by mental health concerns, the district set up an alert program last summer to identify at-risk students.

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The scheme included sifting through iPads given to students to scan for key words related to suicide or mental health concerns, and prompted more than 3,100 alerts between June and October.

This caused the district to introduce 24-hour monitoring in November, according to the New York Times.

No date has been formally set for Las Vegas schools to reopen. But the district has been given the green light to proceed subject to health regulation compliance.

The first students, including younger children, could be back at their desks in weeks.

ban-amz/jh
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ST. PAUL, Minn.  A variant strain of the COVID-19 virus has been found in Minnesota.

The states Department of Health (MDH) says this case of the Brazil P.1 variant is the first such instance of this more easily transmissible coronavirus strain in the United States. It was found in a resident of the Twin Cities metro area with a recent travel history to Brazil.

Were thankful that our testing program helped us find this case, and we thank all Minnesotans who seek out testing when they feel sick or otherwise have reason to get a test, says Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm. We know that even as we work hard to defeat COVID-19, the virus continues to evolve as all viruses do. Thats yet another reason why we want to limit COVID-19 transmission  the fewer people who get COVID-19, the fewer opportunities the virus has to evolve. The good news is that we can slow the spread of this variant and all COVID-19 variants by using the tried-and-true prevention methods of wearing masks, keeping social distance, staying home when sick, and getting tested when appropriate.

MDH says the infected person became ill during the first week of January and the specimen was collected January 9. The person spoke with case investigators after the initial test came back positive for COVID-19, and reported traveling to Brazil prior to becoming ill. With the new lab information showing the case to be the Brazil P.1 variant, MDH epidemiologists are re-interviewing the person to obtain more details about the illness, travel and contacts.

The MDH Public Health Laboratory says it also found two more cases of the B.1.1.7 variant  commonly known as the UK variant  through last weeks COVID-19 variant surveillance testing. Both are Twin Cities metro area residents and both reported recent travel to California. One had no symptoms but sought testing following their travel, as recommended by MDH and CDC guidelines. One had a symptom onset date of January 3.

MDH also reported that the CDC identified one additional patient with the variant  also a metro area resident  with recent travel history to the Dominican Republic. This case had a symptom onset date of January 10.

These cases illustrate why it is so important to limit travel during a pandemic as much as possible, says State Epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield. If you must travel, it is important to watch for symptoms of COVID-19, follow public health guidance on getting tested prior to travel, use careful protective measures during travel, and quarantine and get tested after travel.
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Pfizer Inc. will be able to supply the U.S. with 200 million Covid-19 vaccine doses two months sooner than previously expected, according to its top executive.

Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said Tuesday that the drugmaker and its partner, BioNTech SE, will be able to deliver more doses to the U.S. and European Union before the end of the second quarter due to a change in the vaccines label that allows health-care providers to extract an additional dose from each vial.
BURLINGTON, MA  Burlington town meeting voters approved every article before them at January Town Meeting Monday, except for four articles that were either withdrawn or postponed.

Two school-related articles, to fund a coronavirus testing program and add to the schools budget, were withdrawn before the meeting. An article altering the public way on Dartmouth Road was postponed, as was a revision of the town's stormwater bylaws.

But the remaining articles passed, most with relative ease.

Three articles were needed to rename the Board of Selectmen the "Select Board," a common gender-neutral alternative. Members would be "select board members." That change will also require approval from the state, which has consistently been granted in recent years.



Housekeeping articles, including a cleanup of the zoning bylaws, an annual transfer from free cash to the reserve fund and a transfer from free cash to the water stabilization fund, passed easily.

The most controversial article was one to fund an associate director of public health position with $40,000 for the remainder of the year. Town Administrator Paul Sagarino asked for more time to review the request, noting that Lexington "has been trying to hire a director for over a year," but the Board of Health Chair Ed Weiner and others urged the meeting members to approve the article, saying the health director has worked seven days a week, 12 or more hours per day throughout the pandemic.

The article passed 72-24.

Members also approved a request to use the fees the town collects from ride-hailing apps to approve the town's subsidized rideshare program and a $9.9 million appropriation for the next phase of the town's connection to the Massachusetts Regional Water Authority.

Finally, after the postponements, withdrawals and the conclusion of the renaming articles, members approved a new bylaw limiting curbside pickup hours to 7 a.m. or later, except in emergencies.

Story continues

Article summary:

Reports. Select Board rename part 1: Approved. Zoning bylaw housekeeping: Approved. Board of Health  Associate Director of Public Health: Approved. Replenish Reserve Fund: Approved. Transportation Infrastructure Fund: Approved. Transfer from Free Cash to Water Stabilization Fund: Approved. Phase 2A MWRA Water Connection: Approved. COVID-19 Testing Program: Withdrawn. Amend the FY2021 Operating Budget - Local Education: Withdrawn. Alteration of Public Way - Dartmouth Road: Postponed Select Board rename part 2: Approved. Select Board rename part 3: Approved. Stormwater: Postponed. Curbside pickup: Approved.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.

This article originally appeared on the Burlington Patch
(Natural News) Technology giant Amazon has offered to help President Joe Biden with distributing the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine. In a letter to the president, an Amazon executive said the e-commerce giant stands ready to assist the Biden administration. The letter came amid the presidents announcement that 100 million Americans will be vaccinated against COVID-19 during his first 100 days in office.

Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO Dave Clark wrote in his Jan. 20 letter that the company is prepared to leverage its operations, information technology and communication capabilities and expertise. He added: Our scale allows you to make a meaningful impact immediately in the fight against COVID-19, and we stand ready to assist you in this effort.

Clark also called for the early vaccination of Amazons more than 800,000 U.S. employees, as most of them are essential employees who cannot work from home. These essential workers assigned at Amazon fulfillment centers, Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers and Whole Foods Market stores should receive the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine at the soonest possible time, he said.

The Amazon executive mentioned that the company is proud of the role our employees have played to ensure customers continue to get important products and services while at home. He continued that the employees efforts were fundamental for people with underlying medical conditions and people susceptible to complication from COVID-19.

As such, Clark reiterated that Amazon will assist its employees in providing key services to customers. The company has struck an agreement with a licensed third-party workplace health care provider to vaccinate employees at Amazon locations. He added that the firm was prepared to move quickly once vaccines are available.

Since the beginning of the crisis, we have worked hard to keep our workers safe. We are committed to assisting your administrations vaccination efforts as we work together to protect our employees and continue to provide essential services during the pandemic, Clark concluded his letter to Biden.

Amazons actions show where its loyalties lie

The technology firms expression of support to Biden clearly shows where its loyalties lie. Amazon used its wide online reach to actively suppress former President Donald Trump and his supporters while turning a blind eye to contents encouraging violence against Bidens predecessor.

AWS terminated its contract with alternative social media platform Parler on Jan. 11 following the Washington, D.C. riots, which left five dead. Parler was the platform of choice for Trump supporters long exasperated with Big Tech censorship. AWS cited Parlers refusal to remove content that encourages or incites violence against others on its website, adding that it saw 98 posts inciting violence on the platform. (Related: Trump supporters cancel Amazon Prime subscriptions after Amazon kicks Parler off its web hosting service and expresses support for Black Lives Matter.)

Parler then sued the technology giant, alleging that AWS breached its contract by skipping a 30-day notice period before terminating its hosting contract. Parler also accused the company founded by Jeff Bezos of engaging in antitrust violations and interfering with its business relationship with its users.

A federal magistrate ruled Jan. 21 that AWS doesnt need to immediately restore Parler back online, the Associated Press reported. U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein ruled that Parler had fallen short in proving why an injunction ordering it back online should be issued. The magistrate added that she rejected any suggestion that the public interest favors requiring AWS to host the incendiary speech that  some of Parlers users have engaged in.

Meanwhile, conservative watchdog Media Research Center (MRC) found more than 200 items on Amazons marketplace that promoted violence against Trump and Republican Party members. The MRCs findings included shirts with slogans advocating the killing of Republicans and flags with gory depictions of the former president. It also found products that encourage violence against members of law enforcement.

Amazons Terms of Service state that merchandise promoting hatred, violence, racial, sexual or religious intolerance  or organizations with such views are banned from the platform. However, the technology company seems to have ignored these guidelines when it came to the products that the MRC found. (Related: Amazon censors anti-Kamala items; Allows f*** Trump apparel.)

JeffBezosWatch.com has more news about the technology and e-commerce giant.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Assets.AboutAmazon.com [PDF]

BBC.com

VOANews.com

APNews.com

NewsBusters.org

SellerCentral.Amazon.com
Syracuse, N.Y.  Katie Rosenberg is essentially trapped in her Fabius home until she can get the Covid-19 vaccine.

The 31-year-old, who lives with her parents, was born with a cyst on her brain. She is developmentally disabled, has a seizure disorder and trouble swallowing.

Intellectually, Katie is stuck between 18 months and 5 years, says her mother, Jennifer Rosenberg. Katie does not understand why its important to wear a mask or practice social distancing. For all those reasons, she is at high risk of getting Covid-19 and suffering severe complications from the virus.

But she and about 80,000 other developmentally disabled New Yorkers  including nearly 5,000 in Central New York  who live in the community are not eligible yet to get the vaccine unless they are at least 65. Development disabilities include Down syndrome, autism and other disorders. Disability advocacy groups want the state to prioritize this population, the same way it has prioritized people with developmental disabilities who live in group homes and other congregate residential facilities.

Their pleas come at a time when the states vaccination program is fraught with confusion and dysfunction. The state expanded eligibility earlier this month to about 7 million people, even though its getting less than 300,000 doses of the vaccine a week.

ARC of New York is encouraging families of people with disabilities living in the community to send emails to their state and federal elected officials, asking that their loved ones get priority for the vaccine.

Eric Geizer, CEO of Arc of New York, acknowledged the state is in a tough spot because it does not have enough vaccine for people over 65 and some others who have already been deemed eligible for the shots. But our population has inherent risk factors the general population may not have, he said. We have an obligation as a society and state to make sure they are protected from harm.

Jack Sterne, a spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said while the state is sensitive to the disability groups concerns, ... we are constrained until the federal government steps up and provides more doses.

The state announced two weeks ago it was adding people with weakened immune systems to the eligibility list. People who are immunocompromised, however, have not been able to make appointments for the vaccine because the state is waiting for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to clearly define who qualifies under the immunocompromised category.

State Sen. John Mannion, D-Geddes, chair of the Senates Disability Committee, has also asked Cuomo to make all developmentally disabled individuals eligible for the vaccine.

Historically, people with developmental and intellectual disabilities have not received equitable medical treatment when resources are scarce, Mannion said in a letter to the governor.

Katie Rosenberg attended a day habilitation program in Liverpool run by ARC of Onondaga until the pandemic hit in March. Her parents are anxious for Katie to go back, but wont let her until she is vaccinated.

Jennifer Rosenberg is upset Katie and her peers are not considered a high priority for the vaccine. They have been forgotten, she says.

Nick Cappoletti, CEO of LIFEPlan CCO NY, a Utica agency that coordinates care for Central New Yorkers with developmental disabilities, said hes hearing from many parents upset about the lack of vaccine for their children. Until the vaccine is available, many families are keeping their children home, he said.

They cant work, they cant volunteer and they cant move on with their lives, he said.

People with intellectual and development disabilities are three times more likely to die of Covid-19 than patients without those disabilities, according to a recent analysis of insurance claims by FAIR Health, a nonprofit that operates a database of private insurance claims. Recent studies by researchers at Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University have also concluded Covid-19 poses a much greater risk to this population.

Many people with developmental disabilities have underlying medical conditions that make them vulnerable to the virus, according to Dr. Margaret Turk, an Upstate Medical rehabilitation specialist and disabilities researcher. She said those underlying conditions include cardiovascular disease, lung disease, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and cancer.

Many people in this population are unemployed, live in poverty and dont have good access to health care, according to Turk. She said society tends to overlook their problems This is a vulnerable population and an invisible population, she said.

Turk co-wrote a paper released last month with SU professor Scott Landes and other researchers that says limiting vaccine prioritization to developmentally disabled people who live in group homes is short-sighted.

Caring for those with the greatest need is a moral responsibility, the paper says. Whether, and how, we prioritize people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Covid-19 vaccine allocation will reveal the extent to which we value this group within our society.

James T. Mulder covers health and higher education. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@syracuse.com
Contributed photo / Rotary Club of Middletown

MIDDLETOWN  Each year, the Rotary Club of Middletown honors a high school student from each of the eight high schools in the region. These individuals embody the clubs motto of service above self, and are recognized for their outstanding commitment to the community, according to the club.

Portland High School senior Justin Coe was the Rotary student of the month for November. Justin has a quiet, but substantial leadership ability, and his passion for his town and state are evident in the activities in which he participates, according to a press release.

House Clerk Cheryl Johnson, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) walk through the Capitol's Statuary Hall to deliver the article of impeachment for incitement of insurrection against former President Donald Trump to the Senate floor in Washington on Jan. 25, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Pool/via Reuters)

House Transmits Article of Impeachment Against Trump to the Senate

The House of Representatives late Monday transmitted an article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump to the Senate.

House prosecutors delivered the sole incitement of insurrection impeachment charge (pdf) in a ceremonial walk across the Capitol to the Senate.

The move, out of formality, sets the stage for preparations ahead of the trial that alleges Trump incited an insurrection that resulted in riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

House Democrats voted to impeach Trump on Jan. 13, with every Democrat voting in favor of impeachment, and 10 House Republicans joining.

Initial proceedings start on Tuesday, but opening arguments will be pushed to February. The Senate is expected to start a trial on Feb. 9 on the article of impeachment.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Friday that there will be a full trial, and it will be a fair trial.

A number of Republican lawmakers have objected to the impeachment, some arguing that it would be a violation of the Constitution to hold a trial now because Trump no longer serves as president.

President Donald Trump greets the crowd at the Stop The Steal rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz, who defended Trump during his Senate impeachment trial in 2020, recently said that impeaching Trump after he has left office is plainly unconstitutional and that the Senate should not proceed with this unconstitutional act.

Schumer did not agree with that argument on Monday.

The theory that the Senate cant try former officials would amount to a constitutional get-out-of-jail-free card for any president, Schumer told the Senate.

Trump had urged the public to act peacefully and patriotically on Jan. 6 and repeatedly condemned the violence at the U.S. Capitol after the incident, which saw riots at the U.S. Capitol grounds, as well as a breach of the Capitol building by a mob. Lawmakers were gathered in the building to count electoral votes for the president of the United States.

That day, the mob breached the building before Trump had finished giving a speech to a large crowd of supporters more than a 30-minute walk away, a timeline of the day by The Epoch Times shows.

Protesters mass in front of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Courtesy of Mark Simon)

This is the first time in U.S. history that a president has been impeached twice. It is also the first time a former president faces an impeachment trial after leaving office.

Although Trump left office on Jan. 20, Senate leaders are determined to press forward. If convicted, senators can then choose to disqualify the former president from ever holding office in the future.

No president in U.S. history has ever been convicted. A conviction would require a supermajority vote. Democrats hold 50 seats in the Senate and Republicans also hold 50.

Senate Democrats will need the support of 17 Republicans to convict Trump in the Senate. Some Republicans have said theyre open to convicting Trump, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the Senates longest-serving member, said on Monday he will preside over the trial.

Butch Bowers, a South Carolina-based lawyer, will be the lead attorney on the Trump legal team.

Shortly before the impeachment charge delivery, Trump formally opened the Office of the Former President, which will manage official activities to advance the interests of the United States and to carry on the agenda of the Trump Administration, the office announced.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Reversing his predecessor Donald Trump's policy, President on Monday re-imposed a ban on travellers from and Brazil.

The White House also barred those from from entering the US due to emergence of a new variant of coronavirus in that country.

The President is taking these steps on the advice of his COVID-19 and medical team, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily press briefing.

President Biden has decided to maintain the restrictions previously in place for the European Schengen area, the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Brazil, Psaki said.

With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants spreading, this isn't the time to lift restrictions on international travel, Psaki said.

"And in light of the contagious variant B1351, has been added to the restricted list, she said.

Additionally, beginning January 26, international travelers to the United States must provide proof of a negative test within three days of travel to airlines prior to departure, she added.

This applies regardless of citizenship, she asserted.

The State Department said US citizens should reconsider non-essential travel abroad. Those that must travel abroad following the implementation of this order should carefully consider the strict implementation of the travel restrictions.

Many individuals infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 are asymptomatic and unaware they carry the virus. If you test positive, you will not be able to return home as planned. What plan do you have in case you cannot come home for several weeks? Where will you stay? How will you finance your stay, it said.

Responding to a question, Psaki refuted that these travel restrictions were similar to that of Trump.

I don't think that's quite a fair articulation. The president has been clear that he felt the Muslim ban was xenophobic. He overturned the Muslim ban. He also, though, has supported -- and himself, even before -- or we did, I should say, even before he was inaugurated -- steps, travel restrictions in order to keep the American people safe to ensure that we are getting the pandemic under control. That's been part of his policy, she said.

But he was critical of the former president for having a policy that was not more comprehensive than travel restrictions. He conveyed at the time, and more recently, the importance of having a multifaceted approach -- mask wearing, vaccine distribution funding--in order to get 100 million shots in the arms of Americans in the first hundred days, not just travel restrictions, Psaki said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
State-owned gas utility (India) Ltd plans to launch an of its two gas pipelines between Dahej and Bengaluru ahead of a proposed splitting of the pipeline business from the gas marketing function, sources said.

The nation's top gas marketing and transportation firm plans to monetise Dahej-Uran-Panvel-Dabhol pipeline and Dabhol-Bengaluru pipeline by setting up an Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT), two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

InvITs are like a mutual fund, which enables direct investment of small amounts of money from possible individual / institutional investors in infrastructure to earn a small portion of the income as return.

will retain majority stake in the pipelines that run from Dahej in Gujarat to Dabhol in Maharashtra and from there to Bengaluru in Karnataka.

The may involve selling 10-20 per cent stake initially, the sources said.

owns and operates a natural network that spans 12,502 kilometers, mostly in the western, southern and northern part of the country. It is building more pipelines in eastern part of the country.

The sources said InvITs are new infrastructure financing model and GAIL is keen to use them.

The two pipelines proposed for had incurred over Rs 3,000 crore spending.

The move comes ahead of a planned spin-off of GAIL's pipeline business into a 100 per cent subsidiary.

GAIL is India's biggest natural gas marketing and trading firm and owns more than 70 per cent of the country's 16,981-km pipeline network, giving it a stranglehold on the market.

Users of natural gas have often complained about not "fairly" getting access to GAIL's 12,160-km pipeline network to transport their fuel.

Sources said to resolve the conflict arising out of the same entity owning two jobs, bifurcating GAIL is being considered.

GAIL's core business after the bifurcation would be marketing of natural gas and petrochemical production. It will have to hire capacity on pipelines from the subsidiary and pay the regulator approved traffics for the same.

Sources said a note for the split will be moved for the consideration of the Cabinet soon.

The proposal involves separating the accounts of the pipeline division as well as transferring employees directly connected with the pipeline operations to the new subsidiary, they said adding a suitable name for the subsidiary is being mulled over.

GAIL already keeps separate accounts for its and marketing businesses, making it easier to split them into two entities.

By unbundling GAIL and opening the sector, the government hopes to increase gas use to 15 per cent of the energy mix by 2030, from current 6.2 per cent.

The government has a 54.89 per cent stake in GAIL 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.)
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(CNN)  US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to repeal a Trump-era ban on most transgender Americans joining the military on Monday alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

"This is reinstating a position that the previous commanders and, as well as the secretaries, have supported. And what I'm doing is enabling all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform," Biden said, speaking from the Oval Office just before signing the executive order.

US President Donald Trump's ban has been rebuked by the Democrat-led House of Representatives and condemned by LGBTQ activists as discriminatory. Austin voiced his support for overturning the ban in his Senate confirmation hearing last week.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that cases in which transgender service members were discharged from the military because of their gender identity would be reexamined.

"No one will be separated or discharged from the military or denied reenlistment on the basis of gender identity, and for those transgender service members who were discharged or separated because of gender identity, their cases will be reexamined," Psaki said during a White House briefing.

"President Biden believes gender identity should not be a bar to military service and that America's strength is found in its diversity," Psaki said. "America is stronger around the world when it is inclusive."

Biden had a meeting late Monday morning with Austin, Vice President Kamala Harris and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, according to the White House. Later on Monday, Harris ceremonially swore in Austin as Defense secretary in the Roosevelt Room at the White House.

Harris and Austin are the first two Black people to hold their respective positions, and their joint appearance underscores the record diversity of Biden's administration. Austin is the first Black secretary of defense, and Harris is the first Black vice president, as well as the first woman and first South Asian to hold the position.

Austin addressed the ban in his confirmation hearing on Friday and told the Senate Armed Services Committee: "I truly believe, senator, that as I said in my opening statement, that if you're fit and you're qualified to serve and you can maintain the standards, you should be allowed to serve."

He was confirmed by the Senate later that day, after being granted a congressional waiver to serve in his post because he was assuming the post before waiting seven years after active-duty service. Austin was the second member of Biden's Cabinet to be confirmed by the Senate, following Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

Trump first announced the ban on Twitter in July 2017, arguing transgender people in the military would lead to "tremendous medical costs and disruption."

The policy, later officially released by then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis in 2018, blocks individuals who have been diagnosed with a condition known as gender dysphoria from serving with limited exceptions. The policy specifies individuals without the condition can serve, but only if they do so according to the sex they were assigned at birth.

Trump's ban reversed a policy initially approved by the Defense Department under former President Barack Obama, which was still under final review, that would have allowed transgender individuals to openly serve in the military.

The Supreme Court allowed Trump's transgender military ban to go into effect in January 2019. The House of Representatives passed a resolution in March of that year expressing opposition to Trump's ban, describing it as discriminatory and saying it was based on "flawed scientific and medical claims."

"We're thrilled that the Biden administration has moved forward to place this garbage policy into the dustbin of history," Sasha Buchert, a transgender military veteran and senior attorney at LGBTQ legal advocacy group Lambda Legal, told CNN on Monday.

Human Rights Campaign president Alphonso David praised Biden's move.

"The greatest military in the world will again value readiness over bias, and qualifications over discrimination," he said in a statement.

CNN's Arlette Saenz and Donald Judd contributed to this report.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Biden lifts transgender military ban"
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Johnson & Johnson expects to report results from the eagerly-anticipated clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine next week, the US pharmaceutical's chief financial officer told CNBC Tuesday.

The company would be expected to apply for an emergency approval for its single-dose shot at the same time, and would likely become the third authorized vaccine in the US soon after that.

"We plan to report out by early next week in terms of our results," said Joseph Wolk.

He added that the phase 3 study of 45,000 people across 80 countries potentially included cases of new strains identified in South Africa and Brazil.

"In terms of supply we're very confident and on track to meet all of our commitments," he added.

These include 100 million doses to the US by the end of June, about 200 million doses by the end of the year to the EU with shipments starting in April, and 200 million doses to developing countries that will begin shipping in the second half of the year.

The addition of an extra vaccine comes as the US looks to accelerate its rate of immunization, with new President Joe Biden now targeting 1.5 million shots a day.

Biden announced the new goal Monday, which is up from his earlier policy of 100 million shots within the first 100 days of his administration.

Like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the J&J shot delivers genetic instructions for human cells to create a specific protein of the coronavirus, in order to train the immune system for the live virus.

The Pfizer and Moderna use single-stranded RNA molecules, while the J&J vaccine deploys double-stranded DNA that gets converted to RNA inside human cells, in order to achieve the same goal.

The DNA piggybacks a ride on a modified, non-replicating version of a common-cold causing adenovirus. This virus acts as a vehicle to deliver genetic cargo into the nucleus of human cells.

The AstraZeneca, Sputnik and CanSino vaccines all use a similar approach, referred to as "adenoviral vector vaccines."

They are more rugged than the cutting-edge RNA vaccines and can be stored at refrigerator temperatures, rather than requiring deep freezers.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
Editors Note: This story has been updated to note that the head of the womens prison was previously suspended.

State senators on Monday demanded the head of New Jerseys prison system be placed on leave in response to an NJ.com story detailing accusations that officers severely beat inmates at the states only womens prison earlier this month.

State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, and Sen. Linda Greenstein, D-Middlesex, said theyd lost faith in the people overseeing the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton.

We are appalled by the egregious acts reported today, the senators wrote in a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy. This is not the first report that shows that the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility is out of control, improperly managed, and clearly an abusive danger to the women locked up behind its walls.

Corrections Commissioner Marcus Hicks and Edna Mahans warden should step aside until the incident can be fully investigated, the lawmakers said.

Wardens are called administrators in New Jerseys prison system. The corrections department lists Sarah Davis as the facilitys administrator, but she was on leave when inmates said they were attacked, according to William Sullivan, president of NJ PBA Local 105, the states largest corrections union.

The person who had been in charge, Associate Administrator Sean St. Paul, was previously suspended, Sullivan said.

Messages left with St. Paul were not returned.

On Monday the prison system appointed a new administrator, Patricia McGill, according to an internal memo obtained by NJ Advance Media. The document noted her long experience with the corrections system but made no mention of the ongoing investigation.

Representatives for Murphy and the prison system did not respond to requests for comment.

A total of 30 officers and supervisors have been suspended and the state attorney generals office is investigating the alleged beatings, state and union officials said. One transgender woman told her mother she was handcuffed in her cell and thrown to the floor so officers could stomp on her head.

The U.S. Department of Justice previously found evidence that officers sexually abused inmates.

Time after time, crisis after crisis weve seen how the Administration handles our State Prison population and oversees the county jails  yet another F grade, state Sen. Mike Testa, R-Cumberland, wrote in a message to NJ Advance Media.

A bipartisan review of the New Jersey Corrections system is well overdue, he said. Testa called for the corrections commissioner to step down last year over his handling of the pandemic behind bars.

Weinberg and Greenstein, who have overseen hearings about alleged abuse behind bars, also asked the governors office to increase oversight of the womens prison and to create an independent review board for the facility, including former inmates, to confidentially receive complaints.

Furthermore, they said federal investigators should expand their earlier review.

The lawmakers asked the governor to respond to their letter within the next two weeks.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN.

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Police officers and vehicles arrive to disperse people from the site of one of the COVID-19 curfew protests in Geleen, Netherlands, on Jan. 25, 2021, in this still image from video obtained from social media. (Evert Bopp via Reuters)

Dutch Police Detain More Than 180 in Third Night of Curfew Violence

AMSTERDAMDutch police detained more than 180 people in a third night of unrest in cities across the Netherlands, where roaming groups of rioters set fires, threw rocks, and looted stores in violence triggered by a night curfew aimed at curbing the coronavirus.

Burning objects are seen on a street amid COVID-19 curfew protests in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Jan. 25, 2021, in this still image from video obtained from social media. (Facebook, Instagram @Imadbenoffical via Reuters)

The first curfew since World War Two followed a warning by the National Institute for Health (RIVM) over a new wave of infections due to the British variant of the virus, and was imposed on Saturday despite weeks of declines in new infections.

We have had riots in the past, but its rare to have this for several nights across the entire country, said National Police spokeswoman Suzanne van de Graaf. Its not only in known problem areas, but much more widespread.

Riot police with shields and batons were called out in more than 10 cities, many of which had issued emergency ordnance to provide officers with greater powers to conduct searches.

Police officers and vehicles arrive to disperse people from out from the site of one of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) curfew protests in Geleen, Netherlands, on Jan. 25, 2021, in this still image from video obtained from social media. (Evert Bopp via Reuters)

Police scuffled with rioters in several cities late into the night, chasing them down narrow streets with vans or on foot as helicopters hovered overhead.

In the capital Amsterdam, groups of youths threw fireworks, broke store windows, and attacked a police truck, but were broken up by massive police presence.

Ten police were injured in Rotterdam, where 60 rioters were detained overnight after widespread looting and destruction in the city center, a police spokeswoman said. Supermarkets in the port city were emptied, while rubbish bins and vehicles were set ablaze.

Two photographers were hurt after being targeted by rock-throwing gangs, one in Amsterdam and another in the nearby town of Haarlem, police said.

Van de Graaf said much of the aggression had been targeted at police officers. More than 470 people have been arrested during three days of unrest, with riot police deploying water cannon and officers on horseback to restore order in several places.

Schools and non-essential shops across the Netherlands have been shut since mid-December, after bars and restaurants were closed two months earlier.

The countrys death toll stands at 13,579, with 952,950 infections to date.

By Anthony Deutsch
Newtown native Brendan Smialowski got a taste of fame last week when his infamous photo of Bernie Sanders became a viral meme.

"I am not crazy about (my photojournalism) becoming memes but I am glad to have eyes on my work," the 40-year-old father of one, who works for the wire service Agence France-Presse told Hearst Connecticut Media Group.

But that photo is certainly not Smialowski's only feat. He has traveled as a photographer with President George W. Bush to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with President Barack Obama to Nelson Mandela's funeral and with President Donald Trump to his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the Demilitarized Zone, to name a few.

Here are some of Smialowski's other photographs from recent events in politics.
EP Global Opportunities Trust plc (the "Company")

Total Voting Rights

As a result of the purchase of 50,000 Ordinary 1p shares placed into Treasury on 25 January 2021 and in conformity with Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule 5.6.1A, the issued share capital and voting rights of the Company are as follows:

Class of share Total number of shares in circulation Number of voting rights attached to each share Total number of voting rights of shares in circulation Number of shares held in treasury (carrying no voting rights attached until issued) Total number of shares in issue Ordinary 1p Shares 38,487,725 1 38,487,725 26,021,917 64,509,642

The above total voting rights figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine whether they are required to notify their interest in EP Global Opportunities Trust plc under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

26 January 2021

LEI: 2138005T5CT5ITZ7ZX58

Enquiries:

Kenneth Greig

Edinburgh Partners AIFM Limited

Tel: 0131 270 3800

The Company's registered office address is:

27-31 Melville Street

Edinburgh

EH3 7JF
The acclaimed artist Peter Kingston will return his Australia Day award, joining notable recipients who say the elevation of former tennis champion Margaret Court to the countrys highest honour undermined the awards intention to foster community unity.

The landscape painter renowned for capturing the beauty of Sydney Harbour and its iconic ferries was awarded the Medal of Australia in 2013 for his art and environmental activism for helping to save Hinchinbrook Island, Luna Park, and Nutcote, the harbourside home of May Gibbs, from development.

Peter Kingston is handing back his honour. Credit:Louie Douvis

Mr Kingston called on Mrs Court, a Pentecostal preacher who has attracted criticism for her views on same-sex marriage and homosexuality, to reconsider her words and actions and acknowledge the pain they caused.

Journalist Kerry OBrien also refused to accept the Australia Day honour he was due to receive on Tuesday, citing the deeply insensitive and divisive decision. Mr OBrien expressed his support for Canberra medico Dr Clara Tuck Meng Soo who will also return the Order of Australia she received in 2016 for her work with the LGBTQI + community and people living with HIV.
We have seen the growth in demand for used Haas machines every quarter in 2020

For more than 30 years, Haas CNC Machines has been a global leader in the industry, with a commitment to producing high-quality CNC machines, while providing certified customer and repair services. Its HQ in Oxnard, California hosts the most modern, largest production facility in the U.S. for manufacturing machine tools. It has produced more than 200,000 machine tools since 1988.

Based on their Q4 sales, CNCMachinies.com determined that Haas Automation is preferred by customers up to 50% more than other brands. Part of the data collected was based on the CNC Machine Price tool, which provides users with honest prices for CNC machines.

Haas Automation is known as the biggest machine tools builder in the west and manufactures a line of CNC horizontal machining centers, vertical machining centers, rotary products, and more. Haas also manufactures all of the vital components in-house, offering four main product lines: horizontal machining centers (HMCs), vertical machining centers (VMCs), rotary tables, and CNC lathes, while also offering large five-axis and specialty machines.

With a focus on unique qualities such as affordability, repeatability, durability, and high-accuracy, its no wonder clients have an affinity with the brand. While others have tried to compete in terms of repair and support programs, Haas Automation has proven to be the best choice.

This may have stemmed from the roots of the company, which was founded in 1983 by Gene Haas, a trailblazer in the industry. Because metal fabrication was still an inefficient, labor-intensive trade, the world needed better machines and processes, which Haas delivered across the world.

He released the worlds first automatic programmable collet indexer, the HA5C, which remains popular even to this day. Haas then went on to create many innovative automotive solutions, becoming the biggest machine tool builder in the country.

Curt Doherty, CEO of cncmachines.com mentions, We have seen the growth in demand for used Haas machines every quarter in 2020, even through the COVID-19 pandemic, It remained our top selling brand within our inventory.

With over 18 years of experience in the industry, Curt has a deep understanding of how to assist manufacturers with technology and has learned the value of CNC machines. Through his dedication and hard work, he has nurtured CNC Machines to become the brand that all manufacturers and machinists can trust. Since 2014, Curt and his team boast more than 500 CNC machines on their websites inventory and have purchased and sold more than 1,000 used CNC machines.

From Haas CNC machines to 10 of the top CNC brands, you can be sure to find what you need at cncmachines.com. Find the right CNC machine to suit any need today by checking out the listings in their vast inventory or by giving them a call. And because theres no such thing as a one size fits all solution when it comes to CNC machine tools, having a partner that understands how CNC machines work is a significant advantage.

To view a copy of the survey and numbers email jonathan@cncmachines.com
A 'lack of maintenance work' by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has again resulted in severe farmland flooding in Gwynedd, according to local farmers affected.

The flooding occurred as a result of the Afon Croesor overflowing once again to the nearby Internal Drainage District.

The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) said it had left 'some of the best agricultural land in the area' submerged.

The problem had been brought to the attention of NRW on 'several occasions', and site meetings were held with staff following flooding in July 2020.

At those meetings, local farmers showed NRW officers trees and overhanging branches which impeded the flow of the river, and where maintenance work was required.

FUW Meirionnydd County Executive Officer, Huw Jones said farmers and officials also discussed the 'clear need' to dredge parts of the river.

He said it was 'abundantly clear' that the capacity of the river Croesor had been significantly reduced due to the fact that it had not been dredged regularly.

"We gave a clear warning that doing nothing was not an option," Mr Jones explained.

"Flood banks in urgent need of repairs were also shown, with a request that a detailed inspection is carried out as soon as possible, with a view to making repairs as soon as possible."

According to the FUW, dredging would usually be done every few years, but this had not been done for decades, causing silt to build up on the river bed.

"We have excellent agricultural land in this area, and moreover, there is no doubt that substantial damage is done to habitat and biodiversity with continuous flooding, Mr Jones said.

Glyn Griffiths, who farms nearby, and who chairs the local Dwyfor & Meirionnydd IDD Advisory Group, said farmers were 'promised' by NRW that works would be carried out.

"It is so disappointing that these promises were not kept, and the necessary works not carried out," he added.

"The Land Drainage Act 1991 and Water Framework Directives show clearly that NRW has a statutory responsibility as the Drainage Board to maintain and improve the drainage within the district.

Areas near the Afon Dwyryd at Maentwrog have also suffered from flooding once again. A site meeting was held at the bridge near Maentwrog last August, where the silt that has built up over many years is clearly seen.

Mr Griffiths said further meetings and investigations will now commence on whether NRW had 'breached their duty of care'.

"The whole issue must again be referred to Liz Saville Roberts MP, and we must make every effort to ensure that this does not happen again.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday claimed that more MLAs will desert the TMC in the coming days and wondered whether West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will contest from their seats as well. The chief minister has announced that she will contest from Nandigram seat, of which Adhikari was the sitting MLA, besides her Bhowanipore constituency after the former transport minister in Banerjee's cabinet quit the ruling party in the state, sparking an exodus of TMC leaders to the BJP.

"Banerjee has announced that she will contest from Nandigram seat where she will be trounced. Besides, her vote share in Bhowanipore constituency has also shrunk drastically since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "The TMC supremo may also declare in the coming days that she will contest from Domjur or Bally seats. But wherever she goes, she will face the music," Adhikari said while addressing a public meeting.

Earlier in the day, the Trinamool Congress issued a show-cause notice to Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghoshal after his resignation from two party posts, alleging he was not being allowed to carry on work in his constituency by a powerful section within the TMC. Ghosal, who made it clear that he will continue to be a member of the assembly and did not have immediate plans to desert the TMC, was asked to explain "why he discussed internal party affairs with the press" and cautioned "not to do such things in future", a source said.

He resigned as a member of the Hooghly district committee and also quit as TMC spokesperson. "I have been forced to take this decision as there is an active lobby in the party that is not allowing me to do my work in my constituency. I will still continue to be MLA keeping in mind the needs of people," Ghoshal told reporters here.

He also alleged that a conspiracy is being hatched to defeat him in the upcoming assembly polls "if I contest again from the Uttarpara seat". Ghoshal claimed the TMC fared poorly in the Lok Sabha polls from the seat due to "infighting" within the party.

Lashing out at Banerjee again over the Victoria Memorial episode, Adhikari asserted that 'Jai Shri Ram' has been used as a greeting for a long time and wondered why the TMC supremo gets angry on hearing the chant.

Banerjee refused to deliver her speech after 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans were raised from the audience in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as she stood up to speak at Victoria Memorial on the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on January 23. "Ram Rajya means ushering of good governance where every citizen  from farmer to worker  is happy. 'Jai Shri Ram' has been used as a greeting as Lord Ram is integrated into our psyche.

"He loves and cares for every resident in his kingdom but why does our honourable CM get upset on hearing the chant," Adhikari said. State BJP chief Dilip Ghosh told reporters in Kolkata that from now on, Banerjee will be greeted with 'Jai Shri Ram' wherever she goes.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham has confirmed that the tornado that hit the northern Jefferson County city of Fultondale late Monday was an EF-3 with winds estimated at 150 mph.

The tornado-warned storm moved through that area late Monday night and is being blamed for considerable damage in the cities of Fultondale and Center Point, which are just north of Birmingham.

One person has been killed and at least 30 others were injured.

The weather service storm survey team looked at the central Alabama damage for much of the day. It gave the storm a preliminary rating of a high-end EF-2 at first but cautioned that it could change -- and it did after more assessment.

The storm was estimated to have top winds of 150 mph. It was on the ground for 9.5 miles and was 500 yards wide at its peak intensity.

NEW: The Fultondale tornado has been given a rating of EF-3 w/ peak winds around 150 mph. Keep in mind that intensity & width varied along its path. The EF-3 damage was focused near Lykes Blvd to New Castle Rd. We will continue to review, but don't anticipate a change in rating. pic.twitter.com/VXZmQY1cG1  NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) January 27, 2021

NWS Storm Survey Photos from Fultondale today. Surveys remain ongoing with LOTS of data still to gather. Stay tuned for further survey updates as we go through the day. #alwx pic.twitter.com/5NcJzszw3n  NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) January 26, 2021

The storm in question had already spawned tornadoes to the west in Mississippi but stayed under severe limits until it moved into Jefferson County around 10:30 p.m. Monday.

It intensified again near the Interstate 65 corridor and caused significant damage in the Fultondale area as well as in Center Point. It later prompted another tornado warning for parts of Cherokee, Cleburne and Calhoun counties near the Georgia border, though no damage has been reported there.

Meteorologists look at storm damage and assess how strong the winds were that likely caused it. Then they assign the damage a rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which runs from EF-0 (65-85 mph) to EF-5 (200 mph and higher).
Rome: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is planning to resign on Tuesday, Rome time, in a move that prolongs the countrys political chaos and risks complicating the coronavirus response.

Contes office said in a statement Monday night that Conte would inform his ministers he was stepping down and would then meet with President Sergio Mattarella to tender his resignation.

Contes decision leaves Italy with no straightforward path to reestablishing a workable government, all while it tries to manage the pandemics health crisis and a vaccination campaign that has slowed because of Pfizer-BioNTech shortages.

Giuseppe Conte, Italys Prime Minister, who plans to resign. Credit:Bloomberg

There is still a chance Conte could return as prime minister of a recomposed coalition. But, just as likely, a party that had recently defected from the government could return to the government - with somebody else replacing him at the top. If those options fail, the country could usher in some kind of unelected unity government.
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Legacy Collective, a giving community dedicated to funding nonprofits addressing systemic issues with sustainable, innovative solutions, today announces its partnership with Thrivent and Notley to launch the first "Social Enterprise Pitch-Off." Students in the School of Business and Technology's Biz Ready Program at Huston-Tillotson University, Austin's only Historical Black College and University, will be challenged to create a nonprofit solution to meet a need in the community. The winning team will receive $15,000 donated by Thrivent and Legacy Collective to launch the nonprofit or donate it to a nonprofit in their community meeting a similar need.

Legacy Collective (PRNewsfoto/Legacy Collective)

For the Spring 2021 semester, the group, led by Dr. Rohan Thompson, Interim Dean of the School of Business and Technology, will be divided into three teams, each creating a business plan for a nonprofit organization. Biz Ready is a new program offered within the School of Business to empower students to become business-savvy individuals of tomorrow. The program is designed to take high-performing students beyond the classroom and apply the knowledge obtained from their classes in real-life business environments.

Legacy Collective will provide a mentor to each team to assist them in their efforts. Additionally, Notley and Legacy Collective will provide guest speakers throughout the semester.

"I want to thank Legacy Collective, Thrivent and Notley for their generosity and pathway to impact Austin and the entire Central Texas area," says Dr. Thompson. "Within the School of Business and Technology, we want to continue to push our students to blend theory with practical experience."

At the end of the semester, the three teams will present their nonprofit solutions to a panel of judges from the Thrivent and Notley communities. Judges will choose the winner based on their innovative, sustainable solution meeting a need in the community and present the team with $15,000. Additionally, the winning team will be introduced in September 2021 at Austin Philanthropitch, a social impact fast pitch competition helping innovative nonprofits scale and expand impact. Philanthropitch is a Notley initiative.

"Our mission at Notley is to catalyze growth and champion the leaders of tomorrow. We are thrilled to be a part of this pitch competition with Hutson-Tillotson, Legacy Creative and Thrivent," says MC Deskins, Director of Development at Notley. "We can't wait to see the creative solutions these budding entrepreneurs come up with and support their efforts now and in the future."

"This collaboration is something Thrivent has been dreaming up for the past couple of years," says Kristen Kirkley Ford, Engagement Leader for Thrivent. "We are incredibly excited to have found like-minded organizations in Legacy Collective and Notley to come alongside us to serve the Huston-Tillotson University community. It's going to be amazing to see what these new social entrepreneurs will create, and the impact we can have together."

"Legacy Collective is thrilled to partner with Huston-Tillotson University, Thrivent, and Notley as we join forces to empower the next generation of problem solvers and nonprofit leaders," says Erin Arnheim, CEO of Legacy Collective. "These students are bright and innovative. I cannot wait to see what solutions they bring to the judges in April, as well as support them in bringing these ideas to fruition in the future!"

About Legacy Collective

Legacy Collective works to engage systemic problems related to social issues by resourcing what we believe to be the most innovative efforts and funding the most critical projects. To learn more, visit www.legacycollective.org.

Contact: Whitney Otstott, 512-699-7730, [email protected]

SOURCE Legacy Collective
"Continued rise in hospital care costs has made it imperative to provide pediatric care at home possible. We are passionate about bringing parents peace of mind and were thrilled to bring the full spectrum of pediatric home health and hospice services to southeast Idaho. - Dr. Aaron Gardner

Just 4 Kids Home Health & Hospice focuses specifically on children with medically complex health conditions who are cared for by highly skilled pediatric nurses, therapists and certified home health aides from the comfort of their homeallowing families to stay together while each medically fragile child receives the high level of care they deserve. Just 4 Kids offers Private Duty Nursing and hospice care, along with Physical, Speech and Occupational Therapy.

When asked the reason for expanding to pediatric home health and hospice, Doctor Aaron Gardner stated, With the continued rise in hospital care costs, it has never been more imperative to provide pediatric care at home whenever possible. We are passionate about bringing parents peace of mind and were thrilled to bring the full spectrum of pediatric home health and hospice services to southeast Idaho.

Just 4 Kids Home Health & Hospice provides skilled nursing through nurses and home health aides who are compassionate, experienced, and dedicated to helping parents care for their child. Just 4 Kids staff are well prepared to support children with tracheostomies, ventilators, feeding tubes, and more. To ensure each family feels comfortable with the staff at Just 4 Kids, Just 4 Kids offers free in-home consultations for interested families.

Just 4 Kids Home Health & Hospice is currently building their services, and will be contracting with insurance companies along with completing the accreditation process in the coming months. Each week Just 4 Kids will be adding new patients and services. Although they havent started taking on hospice patients yet, they look forward to helping those families continue to receive curative treatments along with hospice care. Just 4 Kids is providing services for families in the greater Idaho Falls area, and will seek to expand their service area in the future.

If youre longing for peace of mind about your childs care, call Just 4 Kids Home Health and Hospice today. The company is looking for skilled pediatric professionals to join their team. If you are interested in what positions are available, or applying, reach out to them via email listed above.


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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 11:17:46|Editor: huaxia

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LUANDA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Angolan government and Dubai Ports (DP) World, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) company, signed on Monday a contract of 190 million U.S. dollars to modernize the multipurpose terminal of the Port of Luanda.

DP World will invest overall 190 million dollars during the next 20 years, the company's chairman and chief executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said at the end of an audience with Angolan President Joao Lourenco.

The UAE's global port operator intends to leverage the activity at the Port of Luanda and use the connections worldwide to bring more investments to Angola, said the chairman, adding that the contract signed will transform the port into a gateway for the country and the region of large investments in technology, automation and digital platforms.

Angolan Minister of Transport Ricardo de Abreu, in his turn, said that the partnership with the UAE company will help improve Angola's logistic capacity.

The agreement aims to promote the development and improvement of the efficiency of the port activity in Angola through the selection of a private operator of worldwide reference, the official added.

Angola and the UAE have cooperation in a wide range of sectors, including oil and gas, mining, trade and investment, energy, defense, transportation, agriculture, fishing, banking, telecommunications and finance. Enditem
In a recent string of high-profile escapes from the isolated country, the acting ambassador to Kuwait and now the North Korea defector joined South Korea, a lawmaker from the south have confirmed on Monday.

North Korea's embassy in Kuwait had been led by Ryu Hyun Woo since former Ambassador So Chang Sik was expelled after a 2017 United Nations resolution sought to scale back the overseas diplomatic missions of the country.

According to Aljazeera, Tae Yong Ho, who was the deputy ambassador of North Korea to Britain before he settled in the South in 2016 and being elected as a lawmaker last year, shared that Ryu defected to South Korea last September.

Moreover, the country of Kuwait had been a major source of foreign currency for the North, which sent thousands of laborers there, and the majority of them were assigned to construction projects.

The former deputy ambassador of North Korea to Britain, Tae, also mentioned that Ryu is the son-in-law of Jon Il Chun, the person who oversaw a Worker's party bureau responsible for managing the ruling of the secret coffers of the Kim family, labeled room 39.

On the other hand, when asked regarding the issue, The National Intelligence Service refused to give any comment.

Read also: IRS Announced Delay in Tax Filing Season, But Here's How You Can Get Refunds ASAP

Drifting Power of the Regime

Tae Yong Ho, the former North Korean ambassador to Britain but now a lawmaker in the South, also shared that the defection of Ryu could be a sign that the elite in North Korea who shore up Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's power base has been drifting away from him slowly but constantly.

The move made by the North Korea defector was just several months later after the acting ambassador of North Korea to Italy, Jo Song-Gil, disappeared with his wife from the embassy and resurfaced in South Korea.

Based on the report of Reuters, the knowledge and experiences on the outside of the Hermit state that he gained as a diplomat had fostered disillusionment among his family, that why he decided to escape and gave his children the freedom that they deserve.

He also called the attention of other officials to follow what he had done.

During an interview, Tae also said he wants to deliver to his colleagues that are working around the world and the elites in North Korea that there is an alternative to North Korea, and the door is open, The Wall Street Journal reported.

For several decades, a lot of individuals from the Hermit State have defected to other nations aside from the South which is their closest option.

Also, the southwest London suburb of New Malden is also a favorite place for the Korean community, as they're around 600 North Korean defectors in the area.

North Korea organized a rare party congress a few weeks ago which ended with its Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un adopting to bolster the nuclear deterrent of the country.

During the congress, the Supreme Leader mentioned that the country was developing a host of advanced weaponry.

After the congress, a military parade in Pyongyang has exhibited a new submarine-launched ballistic missile.

Related Article: Capitol Riot's "Zip Tie Guy's" Release Blocked by Federal Judge

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Itanagar, Jan 26 : Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Dr) B. D. Mishra (Retd) on Tuesday urged the people to maintain the Covid-19 safety measures despite the vaccination drive.

Unfurling the national flag on the occasion of Republic Day at Indira Gandhi Park here, the governor said : "We are proud of the fact that two made in India vaccines are now available. We would keep on working hard to ramp up our capacity for covering more and more population for inoculation." Urging the people to wear a face mask, wash hands regularly, avoid spitting in public places and observe physical distancing, the governor said that vaccination does not mean that the people relax their precautions.

He said the state government had undertaken a Rs 400 crore ambitious missions for upgrading the health infrastructure in the districts, besides establishing Intensive Care Units in seven major hospitals in the state.

The governor said that the central government under the Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan has approved schemes to provide 4G mobile connectivity to 1,683 remotely located villages by 2022. "Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the highways along the frontiers would be prepared soon. The state government has planned to provide potable tap water connection to all households in rural areas by 2023, one year ahead of the national target, under Jal Jeevan Mission," he said.

According to the governor, to electrify most villages across the state the government has taken steps to ensure electricity connectivity in all the districts with the National Grid.

The governor said that to improve the economic conditions of the farmers, the government has successfully formed 25 Farmers Producers Companies comprising more than 8,000 farmers and 10 Farmers Producers Organisations comprising 1,000 farmers.

Brig Mishra (Retd) said the Centre has approved a major project under "Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD)" scheme for development of Parshuram Kund in Lohit district in southern Arunachal Pradesh.

The state government aiming at dialect preservation and development has undertaken a linguistic survey and is taking up construction of indigenous heritage centres including the centrally funded Tagore Cultural Complex in a phased manner in all districts.
ENCAMPMENT, Wyo., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The international bestselling writing team of W. Michael and Kathleen O'Neal of Cody, Wyo., will receive the 2021 Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Contributions to Western Literature, Western Writers of America (www.westernwriters.org) has announced.

The Gears, best known for their prehistory series of novels, will also be inducted into the Western Writers Hall of Fame, housed outside the McCracken Research Library at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody.

"For more than three decades, Kathleen and Michael Gear have been bringing the past to vivid life with their books about the indigenous peoples. Both individually and as a writing team, their work stands out for its focus and readability," WWA President Chris Enss said. "The Wister Award was created for such talent."

Added WWA Executive Director Candy Moulton: "Michael and Kathleen, with their careers in archaeology and as award-winning bison ranchers, bring extraordinary understanding and passion to everything they write, whether the subject involves the prehistory of America or the genetics of bison."

The nonprofit guild's highest honor is scheduled to be presented during WWA's convention June 16-19 in Loveland, Colorado.

The Gears, who live in Cody, won a Spur Award for their novel People of the Raven in 2005; their People of the Moon and Moon Hunt: People of Cahokia were Spur finalists in 2006 and 2018; and Michael's novel This Scorched Earth was a Spur finalist in 2019.

Kathleen has more than 200 nonfiction publications in the fields of archaeology, history and bison conservation and has authored or co-authored 47 international bestsellers. Michael has written 20 novels under his own name and authored another 37 with Kathleen. The Gears' newest jointly written book is People of the Canyons.

Since the early 1950s, WWA has honored and promoted all forms of literature about the American West. Previous Owen Wister honorees include Pulitzer Prize winner N. Scott Momaday; historians Eve Ball and Robert M. Utley; and bestselling novelists Rudolfo Anaya, Elmore Leonard, Tony Hillerman and Lucia St. Clair Robson.

The Wister Award is a bronze statue of a bison created especially for WWA by artist Robert Duffie.

SOURCE Western Writers of America

Related Links

http://www.westernwriters.org


Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

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Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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

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NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning
President Joe Biden upped the country's daily coronavirus vaccination goal to 1.5 million on Monday, even as more infectious variants surfaced across America.

"I think with the grace of God . . . we'll be able to get that [vaccinations] to 1.5 million a day," Biden said during a media briefing.

Initially, Biden had promised 1 million shots a day, or 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days in office, the Washington Post reported. But the country has been meeting that target in the past week.

A million shots a day is still his minimum goal, Biden said, but "I hope we'll be able to increase as we go along so we'll get to 1.5 million. That's my hope."

By spring, everyone who wants a vaccine should be able to get one, Biden added.

"It's going to be a logistical challenge that exceeds anything we've ever tried in this country, but I think we can do that," Biden said. "I feel confident that by summer we're going to be well on our way to heading toward herd immunity. I feel good about where we're going, and I think we can get it done."

The ambitious goal was announced the same day that a more contagious coronavirus variant first spotted in Brazil was diagnosed in a Minnesota man who had just returned from traveling to that country, the Associated Press reported. At the same time, a variant that first surfaced in Britain and prompted a nationwide lockdown there has already been detected in 24 U.S. states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, an even more troubling variant that was first detected in South Africa has shown the ability to lessen the effectiveness of vaccines in testing, but it hasn't been spotted in the United States yet.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's leading infectious diseases expert, told CBS News that health officials are worried about the South African variant.

"We have concern about the mutation that's in South Africa," Fauci said. "It is clearly different and more ominous than the one in the U.K."

As of Tuesday, more than 22.7 million Americans have been vaccinated while more than 41.4 million doses have been distributed, according to the CDC. Over 3.3 million people have received their second shot.

Biden bars travelers from South Africa as variants spread

As more infectious coronavirus variants first detected in Britain, Brazil and South Africa circulate globally, Biden announced plans to bar travel by non-citizens into the United States from South Africa.

The South Africa travel ban will go into effect on Jan. 30 and an existing ban will be extended on non-citizen travelers from Europe and Brazil, The New York Times reported.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently warned that the British coronavirus variant could become the dominant source of infections in the United States by March and would likely trigger surges in cases and deaths.

The agency has also announced a new policy that requires all arriving international air passengers, regardless of vaccination status, to be tested for the coronavirus within three days of their departure for the United States, and to provide written documentation of their test results or proof of having recovered from COVID-19.

In small studies published last week, scientists found that the South African variant is less susceptible to antibodies created by natural infection or by vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, which have both been authorized for emergency use in the United States, the European Union and elsewhere. Those vaccines can be altered in a matter of weeks, but experts warn that it would be difficult to update them constantly, the Times reported.

There was better news on Monday, however: In a small study involving 8 patients, Moderna said that although its vaccine did show a sixfold reduction in levels of antibodies when pitted against the South Africa variant, those antibodies "remain above levels that are expected to be protective," the Times reported.

Dr. Tal Zaks, Moderna's chief medical officer, told the newspaper it is already developing a booster vaccine that could perform better against the South Africa variant "to be ahead of the curve should we need to."

Meanwhile, coronavirus vaccines have held up against the British variant in one study. But during a media briefing in London last Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the variant was not only more contagious but may also be more deadly. While scientists agree that the evidence of the so-called British variant's greater lethality is preliminary and based on limited data, U.S. health officials took note of the news.

"We need to assume now what has been circulating dominantly in the U.K. does have an increase in what we call virulence to cause more damage, including death," Fauci told CBS News on Sunday..

A global scourge

By Tuesday, the U.S. coronavirus case count passed 25.3 million while the death toll neared 421,000, according to a Times tally. On Tuesday, the top five states for coronavirus infections were: California with over 3.2 million cases; Texas with nearly 2.2 million cases; Florida with over 1.6 million cases; New York with more than 1.3 million cases; and Illinois with over 1.1 million cases.

Curbing the spread of the coronavirus in the rest of the world remains challenging.

In India, the coronavirus case count was nearly 10.7 million by Tuesday, a Johns Hopkins University tally showed. Brazil had nearly 8.9 million cases and over 217,600 deaths as of Monday, the Hopkins tally showed.

Worldwide, the number of reported infections passed 99.8 million on Monday, with more than 2.1 million deaths recorded, according to the Hopkins tally.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new coronavirus

Copyright  2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Have you gone out publicly and said that there was not widespread voter fraud and that Joe Biden is the legitimate president of the United States? If you said that, then Im happy to listen to you talk about other things that might inflame anger and divide. But if you havent said that, thats really whats at the source of the anger right now, Romney said. Youve got to have that get to the rearview mirror before you talk about the next stage toward unity.
NEW YORK and LONDON and MADRID, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To broaden its services related to new mandatory obligations under the updated Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD II) Cecabank S.A., one of the largest global custodian banks in Spain, has selected Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR), a global Fintech leader, to provide them with Broadridge's leading global proxy voting solution.

The Directive aims to improve relations between shareholders and listed companies at the European level, making them more fluid, transparent and efficient. In general SRD II allows more transparency into shareholders, regulates the transmission of information between the company and shareholders, and encourages the involvement of shareholders in the corporate governance of listed companies, facilitating the exercise of their voting rights. Likewise, it obliges institutional investors and asset managers to develop and make public an engagement policy with which they must be consistent in the exercise of such voting rights.

SRD II marks the greatest change to European corporate governance standards and processes in recent years. It is global in scope and applies to all types of financial intermediaries, including banks and brokers, wealth managers and central securities depositories (CSDs) that trade or hold European equities.

The solution is already live and is providing Cecabank's wide range of domestic and cross-border institutional clients with a comprehensive and fully automated global proxy voting service. Cecabank's move to adopt Broadridge's solution comes as the Spanish government is due to sign off its transposition to make SRD II a compulsory legal requirement in Spain.

"We are extremely pleased to have chosen Broadridge as our strategic provider for SRD II," said Luis Francisco Jimenez Aragon, Head of Securities Custody and Settlement at Cecabank. "As an established global market leader for investor communications, we know that they have the critical mass, deep expertise and reputation for service excellence to ensure the timely deployment of a highly efficient solution. We are very well-prepared and already in live operation, ahead of the Spanish authorities' transposition deadline, and helping to drive higher standards of governance and transparency for our clients and other constituents throughout the proxy voting lifecycle."

"In selecting Broadridge's end-to-end global proxy solution, Cecabank is better prepared to meet the upcoming SRD II regulatory transposition in Spain and further strengthen its position as a leading Spanish securities services bank," said Demi Derem, Head of Broadridge's International Bank Broker Dealer Communication Solutions. "It clearly demonstrates their responsible and proactive approach to regulatory change, their continued commitment to corporate governance and the associated benefits that this delivers to their customers."

Broadridge has received unprecedented demand for its award-winning SRD II solutions, carrying out over 220 client implementations. These clients, based within and outside of Europe, comprise both retail- and institutional-focused firms, including multiple tier-one banks, brokers and wealth managers.

About Broadridge

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a $4.5 billion global Fintech leader, is a leading provider of investor communications and technology-driven solutions to banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and corporate issuers. Broadridge's infrastructure underpins proxy voting services for over 50 percent of public companies and mutual funds globally, and processes on average more than U.S. $10 trillion in fixed income and equity securities trades per day. Broadridge is part of the S&P 500 Index and employs over 12,000 associates in 17 countries. For more information about Broadridge, please visit www.broadridge.com.

About Cecabank

Cecabank is a Spanish wholesale bank that is a leader in Securities Services. It offers innovative financial solutions tailored to its clients, guiding them through their projects to reach their business goals. Cecabank is present in the main European financial markets, providing it with an international dimension and enabling it to foster the services it offers outside of Spain. For more information about Cecabank, please visit www.cecabank.es/eng.

Contacts:

Broadridge

Investors:

W. Edings Thibault

Head of Investor Relations

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.

+1 516-472-5129

[email protected]

Media:

North America:

Matthew Luongo

Prosek Partners

+1 646-396-0966

[email protected]

Europe:

Ruby Yeomans

Cognito

+44 (0) 7463 730043

[email protected]

Cecabank

Spain

Monica Malo Serisa

Head of Communication and External Relations

+34 699534065

[email protected]

Margarita Castaneda

Head of Communication

+34649463005

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Lourdes Carmona

Roman

+34 667684419

[email protected]

SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.

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Police in New Jersey have launched an investigation into a topless photo of Kellyanne Conway's 16-year-old daughter that was posted to the former Trump aide's Twitter on Monday.

Claudia had accused her mother of leaking the image on Twitter's newly launched Fleets feature, which deletes posts after 24 hours, Monday night.

The teen later walked back her comments Tuesday, insisting in videos on TikTok that Kellyanne 'would never intentionally do that' and said her account was probably 'hacked'.

Four officers with the Bergen County Prosecutors Office and Alpine Police Department were seen arriving at the Conway family's mansion in Alpine, New Jersey, just before noon on Tuesday.

They were inside the home for around an hour before leaving at 1.10pm.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Alpine Police Chief Christopher Belcolle confirmed that a probe into the apparent leak is underway.

'An investigation is being conducted. No additional information can be released,' Belcolle said.

Twitter told Variety it is also investigating the matter. The social media giant said its currently unsure how long the post was visible, how many people saw it, and who deleted it.

Scroll down for video

Claudia Conway apologized Tuesday for publicly accusing her mother Kellyanne of leaking a topless photo of her to Twitter, insisting shed never intentionally do that and says she believes the former Trump aide was hacked

Claudia Conway is seen at the family home in Alpine, New Jersey

Four officers with the Bergen County Prosecutors Office and Alpine Police Department were seen arriving at the Conway family's mansion in Alpine

A group of four officers were seen leaving the Conways' home at around 1:10pm Tuesday

The allegations come days after Claudia threatened to release 'hours and hours' of footage which she claims proves Kellyanne is an 'abusive' mother

Claudia Conway tells her mother she's 'going to f***ing jail' after topless photo is shared In a series of videos posted to TikTok on Monday, Claudia warned her mother Kellyanne, 'you're going to f***ing jail.' In the clips, which have since been deleted, Claudia accused her mother of taking a picture of image to 'use against her' some day. 'Anytime she's taken it, she takes it all the time,' Claudia, who turned 16 in October, said. 'She took a picture of that so that was on her phone and I guess she accidentally posted it or somebody hacked her, but nobody would ever have any photo like that ever. 'I'm shaking. I don't know what to do,' the visibly upset teen continued. 'Nobody would ever have that photo. Ever. It was on my phone. I don't think I've ever sent it to anyone.' Claudia added: 'So, I'm assuming that my mom took a picture of it to use against me one day and then somebody hacked her or something because there's no physical, possible way that anybody would have that photo of me.' The teenager found out about the alleged leaked photograph from comments on TikTok on Monday and initially said she didn't know if it was a joke. 'I don't know if this is a joke or not, but I'm like really scared,' Claudia, who appeared to have been crying, said in response to the comment. 'If this is a joke, please shut the f*** up. If it's not... bye.' Advertisement

In videos posted to her official TikTok page Monday, Claudia confirmed the topless image was authentic and claimed that Kellyanne had been keeping it to 'use against [her] someday'.

The teen warned her mother she was 'going to f***ing jail' for uploading the image.

The allegations came just days after Claudia threatened to release 'hours and hours' of footage which she alleged proves Kellyanne is an 'abusive' mother. Police also visited the Conway family home on January 20 in response to a 'juvenile matter', after the claims of abuse were made.

However, Claudia later reversed course Tuesday and apologized for publicly accusing her mother.

Claudia said she had acted 'irrationally' and insisted her mother would 'never intentionally' post anything on social media to harm her. She also said she believes her mother was hacked.

I have faith and I know my mother would never put something like that on the internet, same with me, Claudia said in one clip. My mother and I, we fight like mothers and daughters but we also love like mothers and daughters and I do love her.

In a separate video posted Tuesday, Claudia continued: Yesterday when I was made aware of the situation, I was distraught and reacted very irrationally and impulsively and its something that I do regret.

I know that my mom would never, ever post anything to hurt me like that intentionally and I do believe she was hacked.'

Claudia also pleaded with her 1.6 million followers to 'stop contacting authorities' and stop 'inciting violence and hate' against her family.

'Please stop calling authorities because it only hurts us, more than it helps us  making threats, and what not, is really putting my safety at risk and putting me in danger,' she said.

'I get youre trying to help me, but by putting my family in danger youre also putting me in danger.

'So please stop with that, were going to handle this privately and I will never ever be speaking about this publicly.'

Claudia added that she and Kellyanne are both taking time away from social media to 'work on [their] relationship offline.'

'I will be taking a break because social media is a really dark place. So instead of shedding light on this situation, hate and violence was incited. And that was never ever my intention, nor my moms.

'We will not be dealing with this on social media anymore, and we are both going to take breaks [from social media] to work on our relationships because we do love each other, very, very, very much. And we would never intentionally try to hurt each other  especially not in the public eye.'

The teen also sought to preemptively stamp out speculation she had been forced by her parents to apologize.

'Before you guys say this is forced, this isnt forced. And we all do things and say things we dont mean in the heat of the moment and out of fear and frustration and anxiety  and Im sorry, it was not mature of me.'

Her father, George Conway, also posted a link to her videos on Twitter Tuesday, writing: 'Our daughter Claudia asked me to tweet this statement for her.'

The Alpine Police Department confirmed to DailyMail.com they are investigating the matter

The department declined to provide further details, though officers were pictured at the Conways' home on Tuesday afternoon

Possession of sexual images involving a child is a crime in New Jersey punishable up to five years in prison. Guilty parties are also added to sex offender registry

Claudia said Tuesday that she and Kellyanne are both taking time away from social media to 'work on [their] relationship offline' (The pair are pictured together in 2017)

Her father, George Conway, also tweeted Claudia's statement on Twitter

Claudia, 16, directly addressed her mother in a since deleted TikTok video over the allegations and said: 'So, Kellyanne, you're going to f***ing jail'

'My mom would never, ever post anything to hurt me': Claudia Conway's apologizes to Kellyanne Claudia posted four videos to TikTok on Tuesday morning apologizing to her mother for accusing her of intentionally leaking the topless image. Below is the full transcript: Video 1: Hi guys, just wanted to come on here and address this situation. This isnt forced, this is coming completely from me, Claudia. I have faith and I know my mother would never put something like that on the internet, same with me. My mother and I we fight like mothers and daughters but we also love like mothers and daughters and I do love her. I will be taking a break from social media because we are really tired of being headlines. We fight like mothers and daughters, but being in the public eye exacerbates that greatly and adds a lot of stress to both of our lives, and I dont want that. I dont want any drama. I dont want any hate. So I will be leaving social media for a bit to work on my relationships with my mom and my family. Please do not incite hate or violence on my family. I love my mom and she loves me.' Video 2: Like I said in my last video, I will be taking a break because social media is a really dark place. So instead of shedding light on this situation, hate and violence was incited. And that was never ever my intention, nor my moms. We will not be dealing with this on social media anymore, and we are both going to take breaks [from social media] to work on our relationships because we do love each other, very very very much. And we would never intentionally try to hurt each other  especially not in the public eye. I just wanted to clear everything up. Please put an end to all of this. If you see a picture of me, report it. If you see anything about my mom and I, report it. Please do me a favor and stop spreading this, because it hurts me more than it helps me  same with my mom. It hurts us. Thanks for understanding.' Video 3: Yesterday when I was made aware of the situation, I was distraught and reacted very irrationally and impulsively and its something that I do regret. I know that my mom would never, ever post anything to hurt me like that intentionally and I do believe she was hacked. On another note, I do want to apologize for making all of this public and the best option  the best path  for the both of us right now is to get off of social media and work on our relationship. Before you guys say this is forced, this isnt forced. And we all do things and say things we dont mean in the heat of the moment and out of fear and frustration and anxiety  and Im sorry, it was not mature of me. We are going to work on our relationship offline.' Video 4: Please stop calling authorities because it only hurts us, more than it helps us  making threats, and what not is really putting my safety at risk and putting me in danger. I get youre trying to help me, but by putting my family in danger youre also putting me in danger. So please stop with that, were going to handle this privately and I will never ever be speaking about this publicly.' Advertisement

Claudia told her followers on Monday that the topless image of her was taken 'months ago', and said she believes her mother, 54, took a picture of it when she 'took [her] phone'.

'Anytime she's taken it, she takes it all the time,' Claudia, who turned 16 in October, said. 'She took a picture of that so that was on her phone and I guess she accidentally posted it or somebody hacked her, but nobody would ever have any photo like that ever.

'I'm shaking. I don't know what to do,' the visibly upset teen continued. 'Nobody would ever have that photo. Ever. It was on my phone. I don't think I've ever sent it to anyone.'

Claudia added: 'So, I'm assuming that my mom took a picture of it to use against me one day and then somebody hacked her or something because there's no physical, possible way that anybody would have that photo of me.'

The teenager found out about the alleged leaked photograph from comments on TikTok on Monday and initially said she didn't know if it was a joke.

'I don't know if this is a joke or not, but I'm like really scared,' Claudia, who appeared to have been crying, said in response to the comment.

'If this is a joke, please shut the f*** up. If it's not... bye.'

The 16-year-old then told her followers she's 'at a loss for words', and urged them, 'If you see it, report it.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Kellyanne Conway for comment.

A representative for the New Jersey Department of Children and Families told BuzzFeed News that the agency is 'looking into all the concerns around the incident.'

Possession of sexual images involving a child is a crime in New Jersey punishable up to five years in prison. Guilty parties are also added to sex offender registry.

The teenager found out about the alleged leaked photograph from comments on TikTok on Monday and initially said she didn't know if it was a joke

Kellyanne Conway has been accused of posting a topless picture of her teenage daughter on Twitter

Claudia then returned to TikTok and said the photo was real and claimed Kellyanne had taken a picture of the photo and 'accidentally posted it'

Claudia and Kellyanne have had numerous public fallings out and clashes over the last few months, with much of the drama documented on the teenager's social media pages.

Last week, Claudia posted two videos to TikTok of a woman she claims to be Kellyanne, screaming and swearing at her.

Claudia claimed the heavily edited clips were a compilation of some of the 'verbal abuse' she has suffered at the hands of her mother.

'I'm not looking for attention, I'm really not,' Claudia said in a clip. 'I'm looking for safety, that's it.'

'I couldn't fit it all into a 60-second video,' the teen explains. 'I will release the full videos but they are hours and hours and hours long.'

'I've literally shown you proof. If you want more proof, I'll give you proof, but I don't know what else to do.'

The former Trump adviser was not shown in the videos but she appears to tell Claudia she is lucky her mother is pro-life, as well as calling her a 'b***h', and an 'a**hole' who she is going to 'beat the s**t out of.'

In the first video posted on TikTok last week, captioned 'a covid recap with kelly', Kellyanne allegedly calls Claudia an 'a**hole'.

'I can get you taken out of here today ... [for the] stupid a** things you always say,' the woman alleged to be Kellyanne is heard saying.

'F**k you, what the f**k is wrong with you,' Kellyanne later asks.

As it continues, Kellyanne is allegedly heard saying that Claudia should be glad she's pro-life, that she can't catch coronavirus from the president, and that Claudia will be put 'in the only place that will take you and stop you from posting'.

Elsewhere in the videos, the woman thought to be Kellyanne tells Claudia: 'You're never gonna record another f*****g thing in your life, it's going for forensic analysis'.

She also asks her 'Do you know what you've done to yourself?', before stating 'they're paying attention to you because they know you need extra help', and 'I want you out of here'.

'You just lie to everyone and everyone sees it,' she states at another point.

In a TikTok post last week, pictured above, Claudia Conway claimed that she has hours and hours of footage of her mother Kellyanne Conway abusing her

She had released two 60-second clips where she claimed showed the abuse

She directly addressed her mother in the clip posted early January and, in a separate video, also took aim at Mitch McConnell in the wake of the violent mob storming Congress on January 6.

In that video, which has already been viewed more than a million times, Claudia gloats 'your party lost' and repeatedly asks Kellyanne 'how do you feel?'.

She said: 'Hey mom, it's Claudia. If you're watching this, I don't know where you are, you might be downstairs, upstairs, wherever, I haven't seen you in a little bit.

'How do you feel about your army becoming rioters, because I remember when I was going to protest in the summer you weren't too happy with it, so how do you feel? I'm just wondering.

'Also how do you feel that your party lost yesterday because I know you went to Georgia a few days ago to help campaign. How do you feel?'

She added: 'Have you talked to your friend Mitch, the Senate majority, I mean minority leader. How does he feel?

'Anyway mom if you see this come to my room, let's talk, let's talk it out. Let's have a nice discussion.'

According to an OK! Magazine report, amid Claudia's claims of abuse, officers from the Alpine Police Department responded to the Conway family home on January 20.

Police declined to share details but said the incident regarded a 'juvenile matter'.

Claudia later posted a video of an officer visiting their home and her mother telling him her daughter was 'upset' because she had a 'tough call with her school'. The video was later removed.

Claudia hit out at Kellyanne again in a viral TikTok video as she slammed the former Trump aide's 'army'

Claudia, 16, directly addressed her mother in the clip posted early January and also took aim at Mitch McConnell in the wake of the violent mob storming Congress

Claudia has repeatedly criticized her mother online for her conservative views and support of President Trump.

Her father George meanwhile has been an ardent critic of Trump, causing a rift in the Conway household. He was also a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump Republican group which sought to stop him getting reelected.

Kellyanne left the White House in August after months of public family feuds in which Claudia even threatened to seek legal emancipation.

She said in a series of tweets that her mother's job had 'ruined her life' after she previously called Trump 'a f**king idiot' and asked Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to 'adopt her'.

Claudia wrote: 'I'm officially pushing for emancipation. Buckle up because this is probably going to be public one way or another, unfortunately. Welcome to my life.

Claudia has repeatedly criticized her mother online for her conservative views and support of President Trump

Claudia's parents, Kellyanne and George, have previously tried to prevent the media from contacting her as she became more and more of a viral star

Claudia says her mom working for Trump (pictured with Kellyanne in 2016) has ruined her life

'My mothers job ruined my life to begin with. Heartbreaking that she continues to go down that path after years of watching her children suffer. selfish. its all about money and fame, ladies and gentlemen.

'As for my dad, politically, we agree on absolutely nothing. We just both happen to have common sense when it comes to our current president. Stop "stanning" him.'

The teenager added: 'I have been using social media as an outlet to express my passions, individuality, and to shed light on some hardships. I have been vulnerable for a reason. Thank you for supporting me.'
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley visits "Fox & Friends" at Fox News Channel Studios in New York City on Nov. 12, 2019. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Nikki Haley Calls for Biden Not to Rejoin UNs Human Rights Council

A former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Monday called on President Joe Biden not to rejoin the United Nations Human Rights Council, accusing the body of making a mockery of human rights.

Nikki Haley, who served in the position during the Trump administration, said the council is a cesspool of political bias that makes a mockery of human rights.

If Biden rejoins the council whose membership includes dictatorial regimes & some of the worlds worst human rights violators, it will fly in the face of our fight for human rights, she wrote in a tweet.

The United States in 2018 withdrew from the council, noting that repeat human rights offenders such as China and Cuba sit on it.

For too long, the Human Rights Council has been a protector of human rights abusers, and a cesspool of political bias, Haley said at the time.

Former President Donald Trump had the previous year lauded the head of the United Nations for moving to reform the international body, saying: In some cases, states that seek to subvert this institutions noble aims have hijacked the very systems that are supposed to advance them. For example, it is a massive source of embarrassment to the United Nations that some governments with egregious human rights records sit on the UN Human Rights Council.

Biden has already moved to rejoin the Paris Accords and the UNs World Health Organization. During the 2020 campaign, he said he would rejoin the Human Rights Council if he won the election.

We will rejoin the UN Human Rights Council and work to ensure that body truly lives up to its values, he said in a blog post in 2019.

The White House didnt respond to a request for comment.

The United States cannot rejoin the council until later this year, when the next election takes place.
Pfizer announced it is developing a booster to help its vaccine protect against new highly-infectious variants just hours after the first case of Brazil's 'super-COVID' was reported in the US.

'Every time a new variant comes up we should be able to test whether or not [our vaccine] is effective,' Pfizer chief Albert Bourla said during a Bloomberg event.

'Once we discover something that it is not as effective, we will very, very quickly be able to produce a booster dose that will be a small variation to the current vaccine.'

He did not specify which variant or variants the booster shots the firm is currently developing will target.

It comes after Moderna announced that it is advancing its own variant booster shot to combat the South African variant to clinical trials.

Lab tests done by both firms suggest each of their vaccines will be work well enough against coronavirus variants from the UK and South Africa to be 'protective.'

But Moderna's tests suggested the South African variant might make their shot less effective, or cut the amount of time that the vaccine works for.

It comes after Minnesota reported the first case US of the Brazilian P1 COVID-19 variant. Already, at least 175 people in the US have the UK 'super-covid' variant.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday that the firm is developing booster shots for its coronavirus vaccine to make it work better against variants - but did not say which ones

Lab tests published last week said Pfizer's vaccine is effective against the spike mutation seen in the UK variant that is also present in the South African variant. However, the South African variant has additional mutations that the the firm hasn't tested its shot against

No cases of the South African variant have been detected in the US so far, but the Brazilian variant shares mutations with it that could make vaccines less effective against either.

Bourla said 'there is a high probability' that coronavirus will become an annual, seasonal virus, and vaccines may have to be augmented yearly too, to combat its evolving forms.

Pfizer announced last week that its vaccine was effective against the B117 variant that has become dominant in the UK and has been detected in at least 25 states.

Its lab studies showed that antibodies triggered by the vaccine successfully bind to the mutated spike protein that makes B117 about 70 percent more infectious.

The firm noted that the lab study did not test the vaccine against the whole, live virus, but sid the findings make it 'likely that COVID-19 caused by the U.K. virus variant will also be prevented by immunization with' its shot.

It also noted that the South African variant shares the mutation seen in B117's spike.

However, the South African variant has additional mutations, including some to its spike protein that are also present in the Brazilian variant.

It's these mutations that have scientists worried.

No cases of South Africa's COVID-19 variant have been detected in the US, but on Tuesday Minnesota reported the first case of the similar Brazilian 'super-covid' variant

Not only do the mutations of the South African and Brazilian variants make them about 50 percent more infectious, they may also help the virus 'hide' from antibodies triggered by vaccines or prior infection.

'What they're likely seeing is a diminution more with the South African variant than the UK variant in what would be the efficacy in the vaccine-induced antibody,' Dr Anthony Fauci said in a White House press briefing last week.

Moderna said Monday that its vaccine was still protective against the South African variant's spike mutation in lab tests.

However, the potency of antibodies from the shot against the mutation was about six times lower compared to how effective it is against the original form of coronavirus in similar lab tests.

The efficacy of the shot against the variants hasn't been tested in humans or animals.

But Moderna's and Pfizer's shots are both mRNA vaccines, so if the new variant renders one less effective, it's possible the same will be true for the other.

Bourla also said the firm is ahead of schedule for its delivery of vaccines to the US and other nations in 2021.

Supply chain issues for raw materials put it behind schedule late last year and Pfizer had to cut its projected global shipments for the end of 2020 in half.

Now, Bourla has said that the firm will be able to ship 120 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to US distribution centers by the end of the first quarter and 200 million by about the start of May - two months earlier than projected.

But there's no telling when its vaccine boosters will be ready or shipped.
Pune, Jan. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global undercarriage systems market is set to gain impetus from the increasing usage of excavators in several applications, such as demolition, quarrying, and mining. Fortune Business Insights published this information in a new report, titled, Undercarriage Systems Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Rubber Track, Steel Track), By Application (Agriculture, Construction, Forestry, Mining and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027. The report further states that the market size was USD 21.80 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 24.76 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 1.9% during the forecast period.

Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market.





Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/undercarriage-systems-market-104589





COVID-19 Pandemic to Obstruct Growth Owing to Declining Demand from End-users

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the undercarriage systems industry by causing temporary lockdowns in various countries worldwide. OEMs are facing difficulties owing to the unavailability of finished steel products that are needed to assemble undercarriage systems. Besides, lower end-user demand and rapid changes in dealer inventories are set to hamper growth in 2020. We are providing elaborate research reports to help you regain business confidence by adopting crucial strategies.

How Did We Develop This Report?

Our skilled research analysts have collected information from multiple end-user facilities to provide the supply chain and value chain analysis. At the same time, they have conducted Porters analysis to provide detailed information about the bargaining power of every link in the value chain. The report also contains recent industry developments, such as joint ventures, new product launches, collaborations, and acquisitions to focus on the vital investment zones.





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Drivers & Restraints-

Rising Need to Simplify Complex Tasks will Favor Growth

Nowadays, companies are investing huge sums in heavy equipment to develop them technologically. These initiatives would help them to finish complex tasks efficiently. At the same time, the introduction of IoT-enabled products would help users and companies to track the conditions of their equipment in real-time. These factors are likely to boost the undercarriage systems market growth in the coming years. However, undercarriage systems require preliminary materials, such as rubber, steel, and aluminum. But, fluctuations in their prices may hamper growth.

Segment-

Construction Segment to Grow Significantly Backed by Introduction of Smart Projects

Based on application, the construction segment earned 38.8% in terms of the undercarriage systems market share in 2019. The rising government initiatives to invest in green infrastructural developments would aid growth of this segment. Additionally, the emergence of smart constructions is also set to augment growth. The segment generated a share of 43.1% in 2019 in China.

Regional Insights-

Asia Pacific to Dominate Fueled by Rising Demand for Residential Infrastructure

Geographically, Asia Pacific is set to grow rapidly throughout the forthcoming years backed by the high demand for residential infrastructure. It would mainly occur because of the increasing urbanization in the region. It held USD 8.60 billion in terms of revenue in 2019. Besides, China is expected to contribute majorly to this growth stoked by the rising investments of the government in the infrastructure sector.

On the other hand, Europe would show considerable growth in the near future. This growth is attributable to the rising international and domestic demand for mining products. Hence, it would accelerate the export of agri-food products, as well as surge equipment rental businesses in the region.





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Competitive Landscape-

Key Players Focus on Modernizing Pre-existing Technologies to Compete in Market

The global market contains numerous renowned companies that are presently focusing on implementing various programs to modernize or refurbish the pre-existing technologies to manufacture defect-free undercarriage components. Some of the others are aiming to gain a competitive edge by ordering innovative products from other firms. Below are the two latest industry developments:

November 2020 : The shares of Titan International Inc. reached up to 4.41%. The companys current market cap is USD 334.5 million. It manufactures undercarriage systems, tires, wheels, and rims for usage in agricultural equipment, such as planters, plows, combines, and tractors. These are directly sold to the aftermarket OEMs.

: The shares of Titan International Inc. reached up to 4.41%. The companys current market cap is USD 334.5 million. It manufactures undercarriage systems, tires, wheels, and rims for usage in agricultural equipment, such as planters, plows, combines, and tractors. These are directly sold to the aftermarket OEMs. November 2019: Ridgway Rentals placed an order of 130 Komatsu machines to update its fleet. It contains a blend of wheel loaders, bulldozers, and excavators worth 12 million. The company is focusing on updating its fleet with environmentally friendly and efficient equipment.

A list of the reputed undercarriage systems manufacturers operating in the global market:

Berco S.p.A. (thyssenkrupp AG) (Germany)

Marubeni-Komatsu Ltd (Marubeni Corporation) (England)

Renomag (Czech Republic)

DRB (Korea)

Caterpillar (United States)

VTS Track Solutions (The Netherlands)

Titan International, Inc. (United States)

Appletree Global Ltd (ATG) (United Kingdom)

Trackline Ltd (United Kingdom)

Eurotrack Ltd (United Kingdom)





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Major Table of Content:

Introduction Definition, By Segment Research Approach Sources

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Macro and Micro Economic Indicators Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities and Trends Impact of COVID-19 Short-term Impact Long-term Impact

Competition Landscape Business Strategies Adopted by Key Players Consolidated SWOT Analysis of Key Players Porters Five Force Analysis Global Undercarriage Systems Market Share Analysis and Matrix, 2019

Key Market Insights and Strategic Recommendations

Profiles of Key Players (Would be provided for 10 players only) Overview Key Management Headquarters etc. Offerings/Business Segments Key Details (Key details are subjected to data availability in public domain and/or on paid databases) Employee Size Key Financials Past and Current Revenue Gross Margin Geographical Share Business Segment Share Recent Developments

Primary Interview Responses

Annexure / Appendix Global Undercarriage Systems Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2016-2027 By Type (Value) Rubber Track Steel Track By Application (Value) Agriculture Construction Forestry Mining Others (Oil & Gas) By Region (Value) North America Latin America Europe Middle East and Africa Asia Pacific



TOC Continued..





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Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in.



Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data.



At Fortune Business Insights, we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We therefore offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges.
DUBLIN, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "India Gensets Market Research Report: By Power Rating, Power Requirement, Application, Engine Capacity, Fuel Type - Industry Analysis and Demand Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The market is expected to reach $3,006.6 million by 2030, from $1,385.6 million in 2019 at a healthy 13.3% CAGR between 2020 and 2030.



The Indian gensets market has witnessed a slump in its growth rate during the COVID-19 crisis, as a result of the nationwide lockdown implemented to stop the virus from spreading. Subsequently, a large number of manufacturing plants and commercial complexes have shut down, while construction activities have stopped due to laborers heading back home. Even the Indian Railways has suspended its passenger services, which has further led to a reduced demand for gensets.



Historically, the above-15 kVA category has held the largest share in the Indian gensets market, based on power rating. Commercial complexes, residential facilities, restaurants, small industrial units, and telecom towers widely deploy these gensets to meet their auxiliary electricity demands. As the number of residential societies and commercial complexes increases in the country, so will the demand for above-15 kVA gensets.



In the years to come, the commercial category will dominate the Indian gensets market, under segmentation by application. The installation rate of gensets is rising rapidly in restaurants, telecom towers, hospitals, hotels, malls, and various other commercial settings. With the growth of the telecom, healthcare, retail, and hospitality sectors, an increasing number of gensets will be installed.



The highest value CAGR in the Indian gensets market, of 14.0%, is predicted to be seen by gensets with an above-400 cc engine capacity. The commercial and industrial sectors, where the electricity requirement is always high, require gensets with a higher engine capacity, for reliable operations. Moreover, if the power load increases suddenly, higher-engine-capacity gensets are able to respond quickly.



The major companies in the Indian gensets market are Ashok Leyland Limited, Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited, Mahindra Powerol Ltd., Greaves Cotton Limited, Perfect Gas Generators, Cummins India Ltd., Kohler Power India Pvt. Ltd., Atlas Copco (India) Ltd., Escorts Ltd., and FG Wilson.

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Research Background



Chapter 2. Research Methodology



Chapter 3. Executive Summary



Chapter 4. Introduction

4.1 Definition of Market Segments

4.1.1 By Power Rating

4.1.1.1 Below 6 kVA

4.1.1.2 6 kVA-10 kVA

4.1.1.3 11 kVA-15 kVA

4.1.1.4 Above 15 kVA

4.1.2 By Power Requirement

4.1.2.1 Prime power

4.1.2.2 Backup power

4.1.3 By Application

4.1.3.1 Commercial

4.1.3.1.1 Retail establishments

4.1.3.1.2 Offices

4.1.3.1.3 Telecom towers

4.1.3.1.4 Hospitals

4.1.3.1.5 Hotels

4.1.3.1.6 Others

4.1.3.2 Industrial

4.1.3.2.1 Manufacturing

4.1.3.2.2 Energy & power

4.1.3.2.3 Others

4.1.3.3 Residential

4.1.4 By Engine Capacity

4.1.4.1 Below 110 cc

4.1.4.2 110 cc-200 cc

4.1.4.3 201 cc-400 cc

4.1.4.4 Above 400 cc

4.1.5 By Fuel Type

4.1.5.1 Diesel

4.1.5.2 Gasoline

4.1.5.3 Gas

4.1.5.4 Others

4.2 Value Chain Analysis

4.3 Pricing Analysis

4.3.1 Generators

4.3.2 Engines

4.4 Market Dynamics

4.4.1 Trends

4.4.1.1 Implementation of stringent regulations to curb emissions

4.4.2 Drivers

4.4.2.1 Growth in the manufacturing industry

4.4.2.2 Demand for power for commercial applications and construction projects

4.4.2.3 Impact analysis of drivers on market forecast

4.4.3 Restraints

4.4.3.1 Detrimental environmental impact and carcinogenic nature of engine exhausts

4.4.3.2 Growing penetration of electricity grids

4.4.3.3 Impact analysis of restraints on market forecast

4.4.4 Opportunities

4.4.4.1 Adoption of PV-powered hybrid genset systems

4.5 Impact of COVID-19

4.5.1 Global Share by Countries

4.5.1.1 Contribution of Countries in Global Manufacturing Output

4.5.2 Contribution of Countries in Global Export and Import (2019)

4.5.3 Global Scenario of COVID-19 Impact

4.5.4 Global Scenario

4.5.5 Assessment of COVID-19 Impact on GDP and Economic Forecast

4.5.6 Assessment of COVID-19 Impact on Workforce across Various Sectors

4.5.7 Impact of COVID-19 on India Gensets Market

4.6 Regulatory Analysis



Chapter 5. India Market Size and Forecast

5.1 By Power Rating

5.2 By Power Requirement

5.3 By Application

5.4 By Engine Capacity

5.5 By Fuel Type

5.6 By State



Chapter 6. Competitive Landscape

6.1 List of Other Players

6.2 Market Share Analysis of Key Players

6.3 Unique Selling Points of Generator Manufacturers

6.4 OEM Analysis of Generator and Engine Manufacturers

6.5 Strategic Developments of Key Players

6.5.1 Mergers and Acquisitions

6.5.2 Product Launches

6.5.3 Other Developments



Chapter 7. Company Profiles

7.1 Business Overview

7.2 Product and Service Offerings

7.3 Key Financial Summary

Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited

Ashok Leyland Limited

Greaves Cotton Limited

Mahindra Powerol Ltd.

Cummins India Ltd.

Perfect Gas Generators

Atlas Copco ( India ) Ltd.

) Ltd. Kohler Power India Pvt. Ltd.

FG Wilson

Escorts Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/oh5cwp

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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With a ground floor retail base, the apartments are envisioned for low-income residents with disabilities, according to Impact Executive Director Patti Capouch. She said Impact would offer some voluntary services to the residents, with a corresponding goal of allowing them to live as independently as possible.
Samsung Galaxy A72 4G launch imminent as its support page goes live on official website

Support page for the Galaxy A72 4G (SM-A725F/DS) has gone live on Samsung's official Russian site, suggesting the smartphone will go official soon.

Samsung hasn't detailed the Galaxy A72 4G specs yet, but the smartphone was spotted on Geekbench with Snapdragon 720G SoC, 8GB RAM, and Android 11.

Machine translated from Russian

The Galaxy A72 will have a 5G version as well, which appeared in leaked renders last month with a punch hole display rumored to measure 6.7". The screen is said to have a fingerprint reader underneath for biometric authentication.

Leaked render of Galaxy A72 5G

While we are yet to learn the full specs of the 4G and 5G variants of the Galaxy A72, the former was listed on a German portal Idealo with its prices: 449 for 128GB storage and 509 for 256GB storage. The Galaxy A52 5G was listed with the same prices and storage by the retailer.

The A52 4G was also included in the listing with 128GB and 256GB storage options priced at 369 and 429, respectively.

It's needless to say these prices shouldn't be considered final until they are confirmed by Samsung.

Source 1 (in Russian), Source 2 (in German) | Via 1, Via 2 (in Dutch)
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.
UCelli Presents 4 Woman "They made their mark on the world because they refused to be anything other than who they are. Their stories need to be told," Mark Lomax II

Composer, drummer, activist, and educator Dr. Mark Lomax, II has created Four Women, a multidimensional new work featuring a score composed by Lomax and performances by members of UCelli: The Columbus Cello Quartet. Four Women is presented as an hour-long documentary, available to stream at https://marklomaxii.com/four-women-film beginning on February 1. The project was commissioned by the Johnstone Fund for New Music for the benefit of, and to honor, Urban Strings Columbus, a nonprofit performing youth string orchestra founded by Catherine Willis in 2007 to recruit and support underserved minority youth in Central Ohio.

This dynamic musical experience offers a graphical portrait of each woman depicting her strength, leadership, faith, and selflessness. Each segment is narrated by Lomax and features original artwork and commentary by artist Richard Duarte Brown, who created paintings of each woman that help connect her identity with her story.

Four Women is a four-movement work performed by four female virtuoso cellists in honor of four women who made significant contributions to our world:

Queen Nzinga (1583-1633) of the Mbundu people (present-day Angola) successfully led her people in a 30-year war against Portuguese colonization by showcasing her military prowess and high-stakes diplomacy.

Ida B. Wells Barnett (1862-1931) overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to become a force for justice by leading the anti-lynching movement and the fight for womens rights.

Angela Davis (1944- ) came to prominence during the civil rights movement as a symbol of Black Power. She is a scholar, activist, author, and lecturer who has fought tirelessly for human rights around the world.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (1977- ) asserts that we spend too much time teaching children gender-specific behaviors and attitudes. The Nigerian-born author, lecturer, and self-proclaimed feminist advocates non-gender-specific humane, innate abilities that enable people to enrich their communities.

These women represent a greater story of the contributions Black women have made to societies across the world throughout history, said Lomax. I chose four that exemplify womanism in a way that was unapologetic, and frankly, bad-ass. They made their mark on the world because they refused to be anything other than who they are. Their stories need to be told, and this composition celebrates examples of the power that derives from the most authentic expression of Humanity.

Lomax, along with Zoe and Jack Johnstone from the Johnstone Fund for New Music, hope to make Four Women accessible to students of all ages and to anyone who wishes to experience this unique interpretation of history, music, and art.

Four Women was born from Lomaxs historic work, 400: Afrikan Epic, a 12-album cycle with more than eight hours of music exploring thousands of years of Black history, including pre-colonial Afrika, the Maafa (the 400 years between 1619 and 2019), and Afro-futurism (an expression of what Blacks in America will heal toward in the next 400 years). Its title and structure were inspired by Nina Simones composition Four Women (1966).

The music tells a powerful story, but to connect with a broader audience, we needed to present a tangible representation to drive home the narrative, Dr. Lomax added. In spite of the years of being marginalized and abused, here are examples of four women from Afrika who not only prevailed but changed things. We selected four, but there are countless numbers of women just like them who fight every day and dont get the same praise. The simple truth is, we would not be here without them and without the activism, engagement, love, nurturing, and the strength of Black women.

About Dr. Mark Lomax, II (marklomaxii.com)

Critically acclaimed composer, recording artist, drummer, activist, and educator Dr. Mark Lomax, II, earned his Bachelors, Masters, and Doctor of Music Arts degrees from The Ohio State University. Hes also received numerous accolades for his work as a composer and performer, including the coveted Wexner Center for the Arts Artist Residency Award in 2018. Using music and engaging conversation as a vehicle, Lomax inspires audiences to think critically about realizing the potential of our collective humanity to change the world.

About UCelli: The Columbus Cello Quartet (ucelli.net)

Featuring Pei-An Chao, Mary Davis, Cora Kuyvenhoven, and Wendy Morton, UCelli is a quartet of virtuoso cellists whose individual artistry and combined chemistry result in a unique, vibrant concert experience. The collaborations between these four cellists, who are also members of the Columbus Symphony and ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, allow for exciting explorations of new and unconventional intersections between music and life.

About The Johnstone Fund for New Music

The Johnstone Fund for New Music was founded by Columbus community leaders Jack and Zoe Johnstone in 2008. It supports the continuing growth and vitality of contemporary classical music by funding the creation and performance of new works for a growing audience in Central Ohio.

Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 26.01.21:

The internal political crisis in Armenia is underway. Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan is trying to find ways to schedule such parliamentary slap elections to exclude the election of a new PM by the parliament.

His My Step majority faction is discussing the initiative to change the constitution to allow the parliament to self-dissolve with the PM in power.

Under the current constitution law in Armenia, if the PM resigns, the factions may nominate their PM's candidate twice.

According to experts, PM fears that the opposition may nominate their candidate if Pashinyan resigns to hold elections.

Nowadays, Pashinyan is looking for solutions to exclude such a scenario.

The Azerbaijani side handed over the soldier's body to the Armenian side.

The bodies of the other three servicemen were found during search operations in the Jabrayil region. A total of 1,287 bodies have been retrieved so far.

Meanwhile, the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) defense army has reported that 65 more soldiers, reservists, and volunteers had fallen.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted a resolution on the report of the monitoring committee for 2020.

The Assembly touched upon the Karabakh conflict and called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric that interferes with political dialogue.

All parties should 'immediately put in action the exchange of prisoners of war and bodies, to respect cultural heritage,' the resolution added.

The Assembly also expresses its concern about reports of violations of humanitarian and human rights law, and allegations of degradations to some religious sites and monuments, as well as the destruction of private property.

The police visited and explored the scene of the incident. The criminal broke the window on the second floor on which a piano lesson was in progress. There are no victims.

The Cultural Center is the headquarters for the coordination of Armenian organizations. During the war in Artsakh, it coordinated the humanitarian aid being sent from Marseilles and southern France to Armenia.

Azerbaijanis have attacked a row of Armenian trucks in the primarily Azerbaijani-populated Marneuli in Georgia and destroyed over 30 trucks transporting cargo.

This is already the second time the enemy is attacking Armenian trucks in the past month following the signing of the capitulation act.

Armenia Embassy in Georgia has later issued a statement on an attack on Armenian trucks.

According to it, escorted by patrol officers, the truck drivers reached the Georgian-Armenian border and crossed it.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has launched a criminal case regarding this incident.

Moscow and Tehran note the deepening of their mutual interest in dialogue on some regional issues, including the Karabakh conflict, Russian FM noted.

Sergey Lavrov's remarks came while opening talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

"Given the role of our countries in the region, we are interested in deepening the dialogue on issues such as security in the Persian Gulf, the Afghan settlement, and, of course, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh," Lavrov noted.

Zarif, in turn, highly appreciated the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin in establishing peace in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Iranian Foreign Minister has also held talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and other high-ranking officials.

As part of the tour, Zarif will also visit Armenia and Georgia.

Vazgen Manukyan, the opposition Homeland Salvation Movements PM candidate, visited on Tuesday Armenia's Ararat Province.

During his speech, Manukyan noted that PM Nikol Pashinyan is lying when he says he stopped the war.

"There is no Artsakh, there is no Russia, and the Caucasus passes completely under Turkeys rule," the PM candidate noted. "This issue was being resolved and continues to be resolved. Secret talks are in progress with Azerbaijan and Turkey."

He is sure that PM Nikol Pashinyan will definitely step down. "There will be a resignation, all the same," Manukyan said.
Morocco began distributing coronavirus vaccines to different regions of the country on Monday.

Trucks carrying supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine received last Friday from India left a warehouse in Casablanca, escorted by security forces.

According to MAP, the country's news agency, the North African country will begin its vaccination campaign this week.

Health workers, teachers, security forces, people over the age of 75 and those living in areas with high rates of COVID-19 will receive the first doses, the government has announced.

Authorities said Morocco will also receive the Sinopharm vaccine from China this week.

According to MAP, Morocco has bought enough doses to vaccinate all its 33 million-strong population.

According to the Johns Hopkins University, by Monday the country had registered 466,626 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 8,000 deaths.

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A 28-year-old bride-to-be has died with coronavirus after she was admitted to hospital with suspected appendicitis.

Laura Gentry, from Kessingland near Lowestoft, was rushed to hospital with abdominal pains just before the New Year.

She was diagnosed with Covid-19 while on a ward in James Paget University Hospital in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and put on a ventilator.

Her family said the horse-riding enthusiast, who was engaged to partner Jack Brighouse, then passed away on January 17 in hospital.

It is not known if she had any other underlying health conditions, or if she contracted the virus while being treated in hospital.

NHS England could not tell MailOnline how many people have picked up Covid-19 in hospital at any point during the pandemic.

However, internal Health figures seen by the Daily Mail show that more than 25,000 patients have caught coronavirus in hospital since the second wave of the pandemic began in September, with officially just one in six Covid patients infected while being treated for other conditions.

Laura Gentry, who was engaged to partner Jack Brighouse, was initially rushed to hospital with abdominal pains just before the New Year. She was diagnosed with Covid-19 while on a ward in James Paget University Hospital in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and put on a ventilator

Her family said the horse-riding enthusiast, from Kessingland near Lowestoft, tragically passed away weeks later on January 17. Her sister Amy is now raising money for her funeral

UK's Covid death toll hits 100,000: 'Awful' ONS figures show 103,704 people had died with the virus by January 15 as care home fatalities surge to more than 30,000 since the pandemic began The UK's coronavirus death toll has passed the grim milestone of 100,000, official figures show. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today revealed that, as of January 15, there had been 103,704 Covid fatalities since the pandemic began. The figure is slightly lower than the Department of Health's tally of 98,531 because the ONS includes all fatalities with Covid on the death certificates, whereas the Government's figure relies on positive tests. The new strain sparked a tsunami of infections and hospital admissions that left the UK with the highest Covid death rate in the world. Only four countries, the US (421,129), Brazil (217,664), India (153,587) and Mexico (150,273), which have far larger populations, have suffered higher death tolls. Experts say one of the driving factors behind the UK's huge toll has been the Government's failure to protect frail and elderly people in care homes - who account for a quarter of all deaths. Advertisement

Friends and family have paid tribute to Ms Gentry, describing the Norfolk care worker as a 'warm-hearted' person who could 'light up any room'.

Her sister Amy is now raising money for her funeral, writing on JustGiving: 'My sister Laura was sadly taken from us far too soon at only 28 years old.

'I would love to raise some money for her to give her the send off she deserves. She was a beloved daughter, sister, fiancee, niece, cousin and friend to so many.

'She could light up any room. Laura we missed you today, just like we missed you yesterday. Just like we will tomorrow and for the rest of our lives.'

Her sister's initial target of 1,000 was smashed within hours, and people have raised nearly 4,000 to help pay for the funeral.

Ms Gentry worked at a riding school which gives lessons to children with disabilities, her sister told the Eastern Daily Press - adding that she met her partner Mr Brighouse in 2016 and the pair got engaged in 2018.

Candelit vigils were held last Wednesday in memory of the former Kessingland Primary, Gisleham Middle and Sir John Leman High School.

Tributes flooded in for Ms Gentry, with Amie Swarbrick posting: 'The first time I heard you sing was when you sang reflection in middle school.

'Every single person in the room was wowed by your voice. I hope you knew that we all saw the person you were inside and out.

'And you were very much loved for who you were.'

Abby Mace commented: 'Was such a lovely friend to my daughter and always being there for her.'

It comes as Britain's official coronavirus death toll today passed the grim milestone of 100,000, with data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that, as of January 15, there had been 103,704 Covid fatalities since the pandemic began last year.

The figure is slightly lower than the Department of Health's tally of 98,531 because the ONS includes all fatalities with Covid on the death certificates, whereas the Government's figure relies on positive tests.

Only four countries, the US (421,129), Brazil (217,664), India (153,587) and Mexico (150,273), which have far larger populations, have suffered higher death tolls.

Experts say one of the driving factors behind the UK's huge toll has been the Government's failure to protect frail and elderly people in care homes - who account for a quarter of all deaths.

Yesterday the UK recorded 592 new Covid deaths, down one per cent in a week

Separate damning ONS figures show fatalities among care home residents have almost tripled in the last fortnight, as the virus makes a deadly resurgence in the sector.

The number-crunching body said there were 1,705 deaths reported to the Care Quality Commission in the seven days to January 2, up from 661 a fortnight ago.

Commenting on the figures, Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, an eminent statistician at the University of Cambridge, said: 'The more accurate ONS data show that over 100,000 people in the UK had already died with Covid on their death certificate by January 7, nearly three weeks ago.

'This rose to 108,000 by January 15, and the total now will be nearly 120,000. Around 90 per cent of these had Covid as the immediate cause of death, and so perhaps we can say that around 100,000 people in the UK have now died because of Covid. An awful total.'
Bondvol Lake, a Portuguese-era hilltop lake in Goa, will soon be declared a wetland. It will be a victory for the residents of Santa Cruz, which is a suburban area near Panjim, the capital of Goa. For the past decade, the residents have tried to save the lake which they observed started drying due to human intervention and construction projects. The Calapor comunidade, which is a land-owning institution, filed a case in the Bombay High Court seeking protection for the lake. Peter Gonsalves of the Calapor comunidade was responsible for filing the case.

A public interest litigation (PIL) was also filed in the Bombay High Court by a Santa Cruz villager Arturo DSouza requesting the same. He is a former English and History teacher who in 2015, turned full-time social activist.

According to a 2019 report by Mongabay, other villagers also moved to the National Green Tribunal in a bid to save Bondvol Lake.

Their efforts are near fruition now as the Herald has reported that the Environment Department has issued the draft notification on the Bondvol Lake. The lake is a 110-year-old natural reservoir and collects rain and spring water over a 9.365-hectare submergence basin.

Santa Cruz resident Elsa Fernandes said that they realised that the level of the lake was dropping but could not understand the reason behind the same. Eventually, the villagers realised that the drop in the level is due to construction activities. She also adds that the tenants owning a large area of land is also a struggle in the conservation of Bondvol Lake.

Over the years, citizens of Santa Cruz put many efforts to make this dream come true. Apart from holding public meetings and bike rallies, they also mobilised others who documented the violations in the Bondvol Lake.

In 2016, Save Bondvol Lake received recognition by the members of the community. Arturo says that they had to file the petition to the High Court after they urged government authorities for conservation of the lake.

A task force was set up in 2017 by the High Court to demarcate a no development buffer zone of 200-metre area around the lake. They were also able to attain a stop work order against builders, which prevented the cutting of trees.

The efforts of the citizens of Santa Cruz have led to the conservation of the natural reservoir. For more such stories, you can visit Mission Paani at https://www.news18.com/mission-paani/. It is an initiative by CNN News18 and Harpic India to preserve the precious water resources of the country.

Be a part of the Harpic  News18 Mission Paani campaign, take the Pledge to Save Water and catch all updates to the Waterthon here.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari (Image: Twitter/@BSKoshyari)

Maharashtra faced a financial blow during the COVID-19 crisis, but the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government took different measures to come out of the situation, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari said on Tuesday.

Addressing a programme in Marathi at the Shivaji Park here to mark the 72nd Republic Day, Koshyari said Maharashtra remained at the forefront of attracting investments and employment generation even during the adverse situation of COVID-19 crisis.

He hailed the government machinery for working "day and night" hand-in-hand with the state's health apparatus, and said that is why people welcomed the New Year with "a positive beginning and lots of hope".

The governor also urged people to exhibit the "same courage" shown during the COVID-19 crisis and remain alert about health by adopting a new lifestyle with self-discipline.

"Though we faced calamities like COVID-19, hailstorm, cyclone Nisarg, untimely rains and bird flu, we are marching ahead in all sectors. During the COVID-19 crisis, the state received a financial blow, but my government took different measures to come out of this situation, he said.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

"We are combating all these calamities with might and determination, and I am confident that we will keep the tradition of development of Maharashtra by converting calamity into opportunity," he said.

Koshyari noted that the number COVID-19 patients has come down, but said people need to remain vigilant.

The governor stressed on giving utmost priority to maintaining social distance, use of masks and washing hands regularly.

He said the government implemented its 'My Family My Responsibility' campaign successfully by creating awareness among citizens.

The state government has given benefit of Rs 20,000 crore to 30 lakh registered farmers under its Mahatma Jyotirao Phule farmers' loan waiver scheme during the period of one year, he said.

The government has launched a campaign of 'whatever is sold would be cultivated' for farmers and under the initiative, projects of developing district-wise and crop-wise 1,345 value chains are being implemented, he said.

"I am also happy to mention that the state government has purchased cotton to the extent which is a record in the last 10 years. For the first time, this year, my government purchased un-milled food-grains during the Rabi season, the governor said.

During the COVID-19 crisis, the government reduced the price of Shiv Bhojan' meal to just Rs 5. There are over 900 Shiv Bhojan centres made functional in the state and more than 2.5 crore needy people have benefitted from the scheme, Koshyari said.

He said Maharashtra remained at the forefront of attracting investment and employment generation even during the adverse situation of COVID-19 crisis.

The state attracted investments worth Rs 2 lakh crore by inking memorandum of understanding (MoU) with various leading companies and through foreign direct investment under the 'Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0' initiative, he said.

Employment generation for 2,53,880 people will be there through this investment and it is a big achievement of my government, he said.

The governor also said that the government provided a financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to more than 10 lakh construction and Mathadi workers during the lockdown period.

Shelter homes and meals were provided to labourers who had to migrate due to the lockdown and workers from other states, he said.

On the issue of women's safety, Koshyari said the government has prepared a Shakti bill, and added that it is creating the first separate women's battalion in the State Reserved Police Force.

He said work on the coastal road, that will connect Mumbai island city to western suburbs, is going on in a speedy manner.

The Metro services in cities of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur will soon become functional so that it will help reduce the pressure on local train service, he said.

The 'Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Prosperity' highway corridor, joining various districts of Maharashtra, will also become functional soon, the governor said.

The stretch between Nagpur and Shirdi on this corridor will be opened for traffic soon, he added.

The governor said the government's decision of reducing stamp duty for house purchase has helped revive the construction sector and in addition helped bring the state economy to normalcy.

During the period of four months between September and December last year, property registration has increased by 48 per cent while revenue has increased by Rs 367 crore, compared to previous year of 2019 for the same period, he said.

The government has made changes in the 7/12 extract for the first time after eight decades, Koshyari said.

Twelve changes like water mark, unique code will result in curbing the irregularities in land matters, he added.
The Shoppes at South Abington may begin taking shape this summer, with tenants moving in before the years end, its developer said.

Demolition of the Nichols Village Hotel and Spa on Northern Boulevard wrapped up a few months ago to make way for the new addition to the Abingtons commercial district, according to Ankim Shah with developer Falcon Partners LLC of New Jersey.

The project is moving along, Shah said. Were currently conducting site work and will start going vertical with buildings by the end of the summer.

An online listing for the Shoppes at South Abington from Bennett Williams Commercial said the project has deals in place with Wendys, Starbucks, AutoZone and Mattress Warehouse. Shah said he cant disclose the tenant roster yet.

We should see tenants moving in by the end of this year, with completion by summer of next year, he said.

The project might have been further along if not for the COVID-19 pandemic, Shah said, which brought on delays particularly when Gov. Tom Wolf restricted Pennsylvania business operations starting in March. In August, a contractor tasked with demolition pulled out from the project, creating another delay.

Nichols Village closed Nov. 1, 2019. Longtime owner George Nichols sold the property, then called the Inn at Nichols Village, in 2008, to a partnership headed by Shah. The inn was founded in 1949 by Nichols parents, Mary and William Nichols.

South Abington Twp. Supervisor Giles Stanton said the developer had a mountain to move to start with, and it seems like theres half a mountain to go. He complimented Falcon Partners for doing a tremendous job with the project.

Along with increased tax revenue being a plus for the township, he said potentially new offerings at the shopping plaza could be of interest to people in the area.

We look forward to having a really nice-looking facility there, Stanton said.
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DGAP-News: Nouveau Monde Graphite / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

NOUVEAU MONDE ADVANCES ITS 2,000-TONNE COATED SPHERICAL GRAPHITE PRODUCTION FACILITY - COMMISSIONING SET FOR Q1 NEXT YEAR



26.01.2021 / 09:00

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





- Nouveau Monde is advancing with the deployment of its environmentally friendly coated spherical graphite anode material - which is a critical material for lithium-ion batteries

- The production of coated spherical graphite is part of Nouveau Monde's broader supply of anode material to especially the electrical vehicle and renewable energy storage industries

- Nouveau Monde has successfully completed the detailed engineering study and procurement of equipment has commenced for its Phase-1 production line - with first production currently planned for Q1-2022

- The initial capacity is targeted at 2,000 tonnes per annum with scope for significant expansion in a Phase 2

- Exclusive collaboration with Professor Philippe Ouzilleau, an expert in materials engineering from McGill University, to optimize performance and sustainability of Nouveau Monde's anode material for lithium-ion batteries

- In a show of support for this project, the Quebec Government has provided the Company with a grant to partly fund the development of Nouveau Monde's spherical graphite coating initiative

MONTREAL, QUEBEC, January 26, 2021 - To meet the demand from battery manufacturers seeking locally sourced and environmentally friendly materials, Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. ("Nouveau Monde" or the "Company") (TSXV: NOU; OTCQX: NMGRF; Frankfurt: NM9) is advancing with the development of its portfolio of coated spherical purified graphite ("CSPG") by setting up a production line with a planned capacity of up to 2,000 tonnes per year (Phase 1) and continuing its research and development ("R&D") initiatives.

Jonatan Julien, Quebec Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Cote-Nord region, mentioned: "Our government is proud to support the activities of Nouveau Monde Graphite, a company involved in the battery market. The objective of our program is to support companies in carrying out their research and development projects in order to innovate and improve the competitiveness of Quebec's mining industry."

Eric Desaulniers, President and CEO of Nouveau Monde, explains: "I am excited about our progress in R&D for value-added anode materials. I am sure the coating initiative will prove to be a wise investment, as it further supports our vertically integrated business model. Our ongoing commercial discussions with the end-users have confirmed the importance of coated products that are ready for use in lithium-ion battery anodes as part of our international growth strategy. By covering the entire value chain from the mine to advanced materials, we are proposing to provide our customers with a turnkey solution that combines high quality, a carbon-neutral footprint, low costs, and guaranteed traceability."

Arne H. Frandsen, Chairman of Nouveau Monde continued: "On behalf of the board, I am grateful for the further show of support from the Quebec Government. Its ongoing and tangible support for companies like Nouveau Monde, helps position Quebec as the 'North American Electrification Hub.' Our research partnership with the distinct Quebec-based McGill University is also a show of Nouveau Monde's commitment to the Quebec centre of excellence for battery materials R&D."

Currently, production of CSPG is located entirely within Asia. With exponential growth expected in battery production to support the electric vehicle and energy storage industry, demand for graphite anode materials is forecasted to reach over 2.8M tonnes in 2025, with CSPG representing a significant proportion of this amount (Benchmark Minerals Intelligence, Lithium-Ion Battery Megafactory Assessment, January 2021). Roskill's Fall 2020 issue reported 2019 average Chinese sales prices of US$7,157/tonne for CSPG material with specifications similar to the anode material that is expected to be produced by Nouveau Monde.

Full integration ensures operational control and product line deversity

Through Nouveau Monde's continuing R&D efforts, the recruitment of specialists in natural graphite, carbon and industrial chemistry - including talent from Asia - as well as research partnerships, Nouveau Monde believes it is on track to become a strategic supplier for Western World manufacturers. The high-grade graphite concentrate from Nouveau Monde's Matawinie deposit, combined with the availability of sustainable and abundant hydroelectricity from Hydro Quebec are expected to advantageously position the Company in this market.

Commencement of CSPG Anode Material Production

The first phase of CSPG production involves installing a coating line with a planned capacity of up to 2,000 tonnes per year at the Company's plant. This coating line is intended to transform the spherical and flake graphite purified at Nouveau Monde's purification facilities using the established coating process for which laboratory testing has shown superior performance over the anode material from Asian commercial producers.

Detailed engineering on long-lead equipment is complete and procurement has now commenced. Nouveau Monde plans to launch the production and sales of CSPG in Q1-2022.

In order to manage the risk profile, the Company is applying its proven phased development strategy. By implementing a modular approach, Nouveau Monde seeks to reduce the risks associated with new operations, including the optimisation of its coating process, and support the design developments as it grows its commercial anode material facilities.

The capacity of the main equipment selected for this production line could potentially be tripled through an upgrade in the medium term, which is expected to significantly reduce the future investments required once full-scale commercial operations commence at the Phase-2 facilities in Becancour, Quebec.

Concurrent with its efforts to develop a comprehensive industrial batteries ecosystem on its territory, the Quebec government's Programme d'appui a la recherche et a l'innovation du domaine minier (PARIDM) has awarded Nouveau Monde with a grant of $600,000 to support the development of its coating operations.

Advanced and Proprietary Research Initiatives

In addition, Nouveau Monde is continuing to develop advanced materials to remain at the forefront of industry trends and strives to offer the highest performing and most environmentally friendly lithium-ion battery anode material portfolio on the market.

To this end, coating enables each small sphere of purified graphite to be covered with an amorphous carbon coating that reduces the graphite's porosity, decreases exfoliation, and therefore increases the performance and life span of batteries.

The Company is working with materials engineering expert Philippe Ouzilleau, a professor at McGill University, and his research team to develop new types of precursors and coating technologies (e.g., from biomass) to reduce the environmental footprint of these products, optimize production costs, and improve the properties for existing performance.

Nouveau Monde is also collaborating with Forge Nano to conduct laboratory testing to evaluate its Atomic Laser Deposition coating technology on the Company's CSPG. These tests are expected to confirm the superior performance of the "double coating" and therefore enhance Nouveau Monde's advanced product portfolio.

About Nouveau Monde

Nouveau Monde is striving to become a key element in the sustainable energy revolution. The Company is working towards developing a fully-integrated source of green battery anode material in Quebec, Canada. Targeting full-scale commercial operations by 2023, the Company is developing advanced carbon-neutral graphite-based material solutions for the growing lithium-ion and fuel cell markets. With low-cost operations and high ESG standards, Nouveau Monde aspires to become a strategic supplier to the world's leading battery and auto manufacturers, ensuring robust and reliable advanced material, while guaranteeing supply chain traceability.

Media Investors Julie Paquet

Director, Communications

+1-450-757-8905 #140

jpaquet@nouveaumonde.ca Christina Lalli

Director, Investor Relations

+1-438-399-8665

clalli@nouveaumonde.ca

Subscribe to our news feed: https://nouveaumonde.group/investors/news

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to (i) the positive impact of the foregoing on project economics, (ii) the commencement of the production and sales of the CSPG, (iii) the capacity of the future production line, (iv) the results of the ongoing R&D initiatives and (v) generally, or the "About Nouveau Monde" paragraph which essentially describe the Company's outlook and objectives, constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of certain securities laws, and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Moreover, these forward-looking statements were based upon various underlying factors and assumptions, including the timely delivery and installation of the equipment supporting the production, the Company's business prospects and opportunities and estimates of the operational performance of the equipment, and are not guarantees of future performance.

Forward-looking information and statements are subject to known or unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking information and statements. Risk factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, delays in the scheduled delivery times of the equipment, the ability of the Company to successfully implement its strategic initiatives and whether such strategic initiatives will yield the expected benefits, the operating performance of the Company's assets and businesses, competitive factors in the graphite mining and production industry, changes in laws and regulations affecting the Company's businesses, technological developments, the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the governments' responses thereto, and general economic conditions. Unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this Cautionary Disclaimer could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements.

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Further information regarding Company is available in the SEDAR database (www.sedar.com) and on the Company's website at: www.NouveauMonde.group
[January 26, 2021] Sidecar Health Raises $125 Million to Scale "Cash Price" Health Insurance Offering

Health insurtech company Sidecar Health today announced it has raised $125 million in its Series C funding round at a valuation of $1 billion. The company utilizes a "cash price" model that enables members to pay lower "self-pay" or "cash" prices to their healthcare providers rather than the higher rates negotiated by insurance companies. The investment will further accelerate the company's growth as well as fund the launch of a new Affordable Care Act offering for federal and state exchanges. The round was led by Drive Capital and joined by new investors BOND, Tiger Global and Menlo Ventures (News - Alert) along with existing investors Cathay Innovation and GreatPoint Ventures. Sidecar Health has raised more than $175 million since its founding in 2018. "The plans we designed give Sidecar Health members two things: the money they need to purchase care and the information to make decisions that are right for them," said Patrick Quigley, co-founder and CEO of Sidecar Health. "By doing so, we are turning patients into purchasers of healthcare. This latest funding accelerates us on our mission to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for all Americans." Sidecar Health will use the investment to expand its geographic footprint, grow its team and invest in new insurance products that build on its success in the uninsured market. The first of these will be an ACA or "Obamacare" offering for 2022, followed by a product for the self-funded employer market. "Sidecar Health is the biggest idea I have seen in almost two decades of investing in healthcare," said Noah Knauf, General Partner at BOND. "We are strong believers in their product which brings unprecedented value, simplicity, transparency and choice to consumers."



"The extraordinary level of transparency Sidecar Health brings to the marketplace has the potential to fundamentally change how millions of Americans shop for healthcare," said Molly Bonakdarpour, Partner at Drive Capital. "We think Sidecar Health's team of consumer, technology and healthcare veterans is well positioned to capitalize on the large healthcare insurtech opportunity." Sidecar Health's innovative approach to health insurance is predicated on the simple principle that all consumers can be better purchasers of healthcare. In addition to offering members lower monthly premiums and the option to see any doctor, the company's proprietary app and payment technology allow members to see their benefit amounts for more than 170,000 medical services and prescription drugs before they access care. Members can also view what providers have charged other Sidecar Health members for services. This transparency of cost and coverage - completely unprecedented in the U.S. healthcare system - lets members comparison shop for care as they would for any other product or service. And, because members can pay doctors at the time of care using a Sidecar Health Visa card that pulls payment directly from their plan's claims account, members can take advantage of doctors' discounted "self-pay" or "cash" rates, saving them 40% or more on healthcare costs, without network restraints or surprise bills.

Reception among consumers has been strong, with membership increasing sharply in 2020 and reviews on third-party review site Trustpilot reaching 4.5 (out of 5). "Before I came to Sidecar Health, I had plans that looked great but they were difficult to use. Hidden fees. Asterisks on statements. I know insurance is complicated, but I just want clarity," said Scott Kammerman of Houston, who has been a Sidecar Health member since May 2020. "With Sidecar Health, it's very straightforward. I know the costs upfront." The company is currently operating in 16 states and will continue its geographic expansion in 2021. About Sidecar Health Sidecar Health is changing health insurance. Unlike traditional insurance, which sits between the patient and the doctor, members pay for care directly when they receive it using the Sidecar Health Visa card. As a result, members can see any doctor, all coverage is transparent and members save 40% compared to traditional insurance. We believe it's health insurance the way it should be. Founded in 2018, Sidecar Health has raised more than $175 million to date from Drive Capital, BOND, Menlo Ventures, Tiger Global, Cathay Innovation, GreatPoint Ventures and Morpheus Ventures. For more information visit: www.sidecarhealth.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005709/en/

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New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Tuesday (January 26, 2021) said that more than 80 of its personnel have sustained injuries during clashes with the farmers in the tractor parade, following which the police registered FIRs against the culprits.

As per the recent reports, the Delhi Police has so far registered four FIRs in connection with the protesting farmers' tractor parade, of which, three have been registered in the east district, while one in Shahdara district.

According to senior Delhi police officers, cases will also be filed for obstructing government work, attacking policemen, damaging public and private properties, violating the COVID-19 guidelines and disobeying the NOC rules. They added that strict action will be taken after identifying the culprits.

This is to be noted that the permission to hold the rally was given on specific routes and after the Republic Day 2021 celebrations conclude at the Rajpath, but Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal told PTI news agency that the protesters violated conditions fixed for the rally.

"The farmers began tractor rally before the scheduled time, they also resorted to violence and vandalism," PTI quoted Singhal as saying.

He added, "We followed all conditions as promised and did our due diligence but the protest led to extensive damage to public property. Many policemen were also injured during the protest."

Delhi Police Additional PRO Anil Mittal informed that a total of 86 police personnel were injured in the clashes including at the Red Fort and in the East District.

The violence also led the Centre to snap the internet services temporarily in some parts of Delhi. The government's order said that the suspension of services was necessary for maintaining public safety and averting a public emergency.

It read, "In the interest of maintaining public safety and averting public emergency, it is necessary and expedient to order, the temporary suspension of internet services in the areas of Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi and their adjoining areas in NCT of Delhi till 23:59 hours on January 26."

As per the latest inputs, farmers are now going back to their camps at the Singhu and Tikri border points of Delhi.

Meanwhile, mobile internet and SMS services have also been suspended in three Haryana districts namely Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal until 5 pm on Wednesday.

Haryana's Home Secretary Rajeev Arora said the order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the districts.

He said the order covers internet services (2G/ 3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS services (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services etc provided on mobile networks except voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of Sonipat, Palwal and Jhajjar. These three districts lie adjoining the national capital.

Notably, thousands of farmers have camped at the Delhi borders and have been demanding these laws to be repealed - 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.

(With inputs from agencies)



Live TV
An artist's rendering of UTSA's new downtown School of Data Science and National Security Collaborat

The University of Texas at San Antonio launched construction of its downtown School of Data Science and National Security Collaboration Center  a $90 million, 167,000-square-foot facility  with a virtual groundbreaking Monday.

The interdisciplinary building at 506 Dolorosa St., along San Pedro Creek, will have a tremendous impact on our community, our business economy around data science and cybersecurity (and) on workforce development, said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. Theres nothing like bricks and mortar to kick this all off, so Im deeply, deeply excited.

The building is slated for completion in July 2022.

The six-story facility will feature classrooms, laboratories, research and innovation space, a cafe and a public event venue. An expansion of UTSAs inner-city campus, it could draw up to 6,500 additional students downtown.

The location will allow easier collaboration with downtown businesses, government offices and other organizations.

On ExpressNews.com: UTSA, Port San Antonio unite on research, workforce initiative

At the center of this project is jobs  great jobs, San Antonio tech entrepreneur Graham Weston. The people who will be graduating from this school of data science will be qualified to take some of the best paying, most highly sought after jobs in the country.

And if we produce a few graduates, those graduates will find jobs anywhere in the country, he said. If we produce a lot of graduates, companies will want to come here to hire.

The vision for the center started two years ago, after Weston and others approached Eighmy about selling the universitys downtown campus to another university.

We felt that the downtown campus had been an orphan for a long time, and that we felt that its such an important institution that we wanted to have a university come in and really embrace having a downtown campus, Weston said.

Eighmy nixed the idea and came back with a proposal for a greater downtown presence for the university.

Weston contributed $15 million for the project and the UT System kicked in$75 million.

The 86,000-square-foot School of Data Science will house the universitys computer science, computer engineering, statistics and data sciences and information systems and cybersecurity departments. It will be home to the Open Cloud Institute.

All told, it will bring together more than 70 faculty members specializing in cybersecurity, cloud computing, data analytics and artificial intelligence.

The school of data science, which by our measure looks to be the first of its kind here in Texas is going to have a deep impact on our economies that are tied to data science, Eighmy said. USAA, HEB, Amazon, Intel, Dell, Rackspace are all companies where data is so critical to their business trajectory  and San Antonio presently has a huge flag in the ground about this.

The 81,000-square-foot National Security Collaboration Center will continue serving as a hub for government, university and industry in the cybersecurity field. It will also house the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute.

The fact that this is going to have such an impact on job creation, high-wage job creation, workforce development is so important  its the way to keep our young people here in San Antonio, Eighmy said. Its going to be incredibly transformational just from that aspect, and its going to help grow this ecosystem.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said, San Antonio and Bexar County have the largest cybersecurity presence in the nation, outside of Washington, D.C. Communities likes ours that have well-educated young people in cybersecurity and data science are going to have a big edge on other communities.

Last month, UTSA and Port San Antonio formalized a research, education and workforce development partnership and named UTSA as the ports main academic partner. The new downtown facility, officials said, will help foster that partnership.

From the residential life and vibrancy of a 24/7 place of recreation and business, to having some of the most profound emerging economies centered in the heart of our city, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said, the National Security Collaboration Center and the School of Data Science will attract the kind of talent and employers we want to see grow in San Antonio.

Brandon Lingle writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. brandon.lingle@express-news.net
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Anurag Srivastava, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson on January 26 not only shared the images of 122-member Bangladeshi regiment marching during the 72nd Republic Day parade but also deemed it a historic moment in 50 years of bilateral ties between both the nations. This was for the first time ever, that contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces participated at the historic Republic Day celebrations at New Delhi on Tuesday.

As per reports, the majority of the soldiers in the contingent come from the most distinguished units of the Bangladeshi Army comprising of 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 & 11 East Bengal Regiment and 1, 2 and 3 Field Artillery Regiment. These units reportedly also have the distinct honour of fighting and winning the Liberation War of 1971.

Marking another historic moment in 50 years of India-Bangladesh diplomatic ties!



In a first, a 122-member tri-service contingent from Bangladesh participates in Republic Day parade, bearing testimony to fraternal ties as well as shared historic struggle & sacrifices. pic.twitter.com/n02YCdQveG  Anurag Srivastava (@MEAIndia) January 26, 2021

During the iconic ceremony, according to the tradition, the national flag was unfurled in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other dignitaries, followed by the national anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. Among other highlights of the parade, India even showed its military might with Rafale fighter jets taking part in the flypast for the first time and the armed forces showcasing T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system, and Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets.

Read - Republic Day 2021 LIVE Updates: Relive The Iconic R-Day Parade At Rajpath

Read - India Celebrates Republic Day 2021: Highlights From Across The Country

Very good experience and great responsibility

Earlier, Colonel Mohatsim Hyder Chaudhary, chief of the Bangladesh contingent had said on January 25 that the marching style of both Indian and Bangladeshi contingent is similar and thus, they did not have to change the pattern a lot. Just hours before the largest and most important of the parades marking the Republic Day celebrations in India begin in New Delhi, Chaudhary had told news agency ANI that it is a great responsibility assigned to Bangladeshi contingent of putting a great show. He also said that the forces are excited about Tuesdays parade.

"It is a great responsibility that has been assigned to us. The men with me are very excited to participate in this parade... If you ask about the feelings, participating in a foreign land, with a foreign army and with the same tempo is very much exciting," he said.

Chaudhary added, "It is a very good experience. Fortunately, the way we march and the marching of the Indian contingent are quite similar. From that point of view, we didn't have to change our pattern much."

Read - Republic Day Celebrated In Kashmir Amid Tight Security

Read - Republic Day 2021: TN CM Palaniswami Hands Over Anna Medals For Gallantry
This week: Pitkin Countys front line workers are eligible for the COVID19 vaccine, but can your employer require you to get vaccinated? Also a look at the two back-to-back worldwide ski events Aspen is hosting beginning March 10. Host Alycin Bektesh is joined by Madeleine Osberger, Erica 
The Biden administration announced this week that it would include an American Sign Language interpreter in its daily press briefings, a step that the previous administration avoided taking until a court ordered it to do so late last year.

The move is a historical first, according to Howard A. Rosenblum, the chief executive officer of the National Association of the Deaf.

Past administrations have occasionally had A.S.L. briefers at some White House events and meetings, Mr. Rosenblum said, but President Biden is the first to make it a fixture.

The president is committed to building an America that is more inclusive, more just and more accessible for every American, including Americans with disabilities and their families, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said during Mondays briefing. She introduced the interpreter as Heather.
The Manhattan Institute recently published a report concluding that the Supreme Courts 2020 decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue requires states to grant charters to religious organizations, including those that intend to deliver an explicitly religious curriculum that teaches religion as truth.

Derek Black of the University of South Carolina School of Law reviewed Religious Charter Schools: Legally Permissible? Constitutionally Required? He determined that the report is useful in identifying the key issues to be resolved regarding religious charter schools, but its conclusions lack an adequate foundation to guide states in policymaking.

The report reasons that the logic of Espinoza, which struck down the exclusion of religious schools from a publicly financed private school voucher program, applies in full force to charter schools as well. That outcome is certainly possible, given the current make-up of the U.S. Supreme Court. And Professor Black praises the report for raising an important question and for identifying the essential issues for answering it.

But Black points to several weaknesses in the reports legal arguments, including the omission of key federal and state case law. Similarly, the report fails to acknowledge extensive key expert analysis on matters left unresolved by courts. The result, Professor Black concludes, is a one-sided analysis of the issue that is not a reliable basis for state action.

Find the review, by Derek Black, at:

http://nepc.colorado.edu/thinktank/religious-charters

Find Religious Charter Schools: Legally Permissible? Constitutionally Required?, written by Nicole Stelle Garnett and published by the Manhattan Institute, at:

https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/sites/default/files/religious-charter-schools-legally-permissible-NSG.pdf

NEPC Reviews (http://thinktankreview.org) provide the public, policymakers, and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. NEPC Reviews are made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: http://www.greatlakescenter.org

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), a university research center housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: http://nepc.colorado.edu/
Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gather near the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

As of January 24, more than 300 Americans have been arrested and charged in connection with the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 when pro-Trump protesters stormed the building of the U.S. Congress in an attempt to block the certification of Joe Bidens victory in the presidential election.

The Capitol mob attack is unprecedented in the U.S. history as the country often touts itself as a land of law and order.

The insurrection shook the nation, drawing rare bipartisan condemnation. Newly sworn-in U.S. president Joe Biden denounced it as an assault on the nation's law and democracy. "They weren't protesters. Don't dare call them protesters. They were riotous mobs, insurrectionists, domestic terrorists," Biden said in the press conference.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose office was ransacked, accused the rioters of choosing their "whiteness over democracy" and pushed Trump's second impeachment on a charge of "incitement to insurrection.

Even Trump's closest allies, such as Ted Cruz, Kellyanne Conway, and Mike Pence, disavowed the mayhem at the U.S. Capitol. "Peaceful protest is the right of the every American, but this attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated, and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Mike Pence, the former vice-president, tweeted.

Federal law enforcement officials in the U.S. have established a nationwide dragnet, including web page tracking, to hold those who participated in the riots accountable.

"The rights of freedom of speech and assembly do not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection," wrote the Military Joint Chiefs of Staff, a statement to show their support and defend the U.S. Constitutional Law.

(Photos from Xinhua, Global Times)

Similar riot happened in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2019 when a gang of people stormed the Legislative Council Complex, scrawling graffiti, robbing items, damaging offices, and inciting violence in Hong Kong elsewhere.

Riot mobs in Hong Kong are much "luckier" than those participating in the Capitol siege. Turning blind eyes to the escalating violence, some western politicians and media portrayed the mobs as "pro-democracy fighters.

Nancy Pelosi, who broke down in tears as she branded the Capitol riot an "assault on our democracy," called the turmoil in Hong Kong "a beautiful sight to behold."

What happened in Hong Kong is akin to the Capitol Hill's assaulting that participants in both riots have violated the law and posed a dangerous threat to the constitutional order. How come one be praised as a "pro-democracy protest" and one be defined as insurrection?

Apparently, the American version of respecting the law only is limited within its territory. Instead of condemning the violence that disrupts life and threatens the security of Hong Kong citizens, U.S. politicians stood with so-called "peaceful protestors," preventing China from stopping the riots and conduct its constitutional rights.

Cracking down domestically and inciting outside is the U.S. attitude on domestic and international riots, which epitomizes the countrys double standard and hypocrisy.

Mohamad Safa, a Lebanese diplomat and also Permanent Representative to the United Nations, made his comment on Twitter after the U.S. Capitol riot, saying that "If the United States saw what the United States is doing in the United States, the United States would invade the United States to liberate the United States from the tyranny of the United States."

The United States deed in Hong Kong corroborated Mohamad's word. When China introduced the National Security Law to restore peace and stability in Hong Kong, the U.S. released a raft of measures, interfering with Chinas domestic affairs.

Under the excuse of protecting Hong Kong autonomy, the U.S. authorities approved the notorious Hong Kong Autonomy Act, imposing sanctions on officials, businesses, and individuals who contribute to crackdowns on the riots and bring peace to the Hong Kong citizens.

Even though most Hong Kong citizens welcomed the National Security Law that would bring peace and prosperity to Hong Kong, Nancy Pelosi slandered it as "brutal law" that would "frighten, intimidate and suppress those peacefully seeking freedom."

Maybe after the U.S. Capitol riot, Nancy Pelosi would understand the feeling of Hong Kong citizens at that time.

It is hoped that one day the U.S. will respect other countries' efforts to restore law and order, just like what they do in their own country.
Carey Mulligan has explained why she chose to speak out about a film review that suggested she wasn't hot enough to play the lead character in Promising Young Woman.

In the review, written by freelance film critic Dennis Harvey and first published by Variety in January last year, Mulligan is labeled as an 'odd choice' to play the femme fatale character.

Harvey also suggests that Margot Robbie, a producer on the project, should have taken on the role instead.

Carey Mulligan has explained why she felt it was important to call out a film review that commented on her looks in her movie Promising Young Woman

The critic even compares Mulligan's costumes in the movie to 'bad drag', and writes 'even her long blonde hair seems a put-on'.

Given the film's underlying theme of sexual assault, Mulligan, 35, felt the review, which was mostly positive aside from the unnecessary commentary on her looks, was disappointingly tone deaf.

The British star reflected on it in an interview last month, telling New York Times: 'I read the Variety review, because I'm a weak person,'

She said the review suggested she wasn't 'hot enough to pull off this kind of ruse' but she wasn't talking about it because she was hurt, moreso because it missed the mark so much.

'It wasn't some sort of ego-wounding thing  like, I fully can see that Margot Robbie is a goddess.' she told the Times.

In the review, written by freelance film critic Dennis Harvey and first published by Variety in January last year, Mulligan is labeled as an 'odd choice' to play the femme fatale character

His preferred option: Critic Harvey also suggests that Margot Robbie, a producer on the project, should have taken on the role instead. The critic compares Mulligan's costumes in the movie to 'bad drag'

'It drove me so crazyI was like, "Really? For this film, you're going to write something that is so transparent? Now? In 2020?" I just couldn't believe it,' she added.

The movie sees Cassie, played by Mulligan, go to nightclubs and act highly intoxicated, luring predatory men back to her apartment so she can teach them a lesson when they try to take advantage of her.

It becomes clear as the film progresses that Mulligan's character is still haunted by the rape of one of her best school friends and she makes it her mission to exact revenge on the perpetrators.

After Mulligan's comments about the film review, Variety posted an apology at the top of the review which read: 'Variety sincerely apologizes to Carey Mulligan and regrets the insensitive language and insinuation in our review of 'Promising Young Woman' that minimized her daring performance.'

'It drove me so crazyI was like, "Really? For this film, you're going to write something that is so transparent? Now? In 2020?" I just couldn't believe it,' Mulligan (seen here in the movie) said about the review in an interview last month

Ruse: The movie sees Cassie, played by Mulligan, go to nightclubs and act highly intoxicated, luring predatory men back to her apartment so she can teach them a lesson when they try to take advantage of her

In an interview with Zendaya on Variety's Actors on Actors the actress praised the publication's apology and talked more about why she spoke out about the film review.

'I feel it's important that criticism is constructive. I think it's important that we are looking at the right things when it comes to work, and we're looking at the art, and we're looking at the performance and the way that a film is made. And I don't think that goes to the appearance of an actor or your personal preference for what an actor does or doesn't look like, which it felt that that article did,' she said.

'Which for me felt disappointing, because obviously the film is sort of tackling issues around our perceptions and our preconceived ideas about people. In the broadest sense, I think there's an element to where we have idealized women on screen for so long that I think we start to lose sight of what women really look like. When I worked with Steve McQueen on Shame, he said, 'Really, what we're all doing is holding up a mirror. That's what we do as storytellers,' she went on to explain.

'I think it's important that we are looking at the right things when it comes to work, and we're looking at the art, and we're looking at the performance and the way that a film is made.' In an interview with Zendaya on Variety's Actors on Actors the actress talked more about why she spoke out about the film review

'And I don't think that goes to the appearance of an actor or your personal preference for what an actor does or doesn't look like, which it felt that that article did,' she said of the Variety review

'And I think if women continually look on screen and don't see themselves, that's not helpful for women or for anyone, really  that we're not going to tell authentic stories. So I think in criticizing or sort of bemoaning a lack of attractiveness on my part in a character, it wasn't a personal slight, it wasn't something that I felt. It didn't wound my ego, but it made me concerned that in such a big publication, an actress' appearance could be criticized and it could be that, you know, that could be accepted as completely reasonable criticism.

'I think it's important to call out those things, because they seem small and they seem insignificant. People around me at the time said, Oh, you know, get over it. Whatever. It's great  it's a great review. Or whatever: People love the film,' she continued.

'But it stuck with me, because I think it's these kind of every day moments that add up  that mean that we start to edit the way that women appear on screen, and we want them to look a certain way. We want to airbrush them, and we want to make them look perfect. Or we want to edit the way that they work, the way they move, and the way that they think and behave. And I think we need to see real women portrayed on screen and in all of their complexity. So I felt that it was one small thing to point out that could be helpful.'

The Emerald Fennell-directed movie has received glowing reviews since it premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2020 and is now available to stream on Amazon Prime.
A New Orleans, Louisiana, man has been sentenced to prison for conspiring to stage automobile accidents as part of a scheme to defraud insurance and trucking companies, federal officials say.

U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana said U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana Mario Solomon, age 48, of New Orleans, was sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers in the New Orleans area. The Operation Sideswipe staged accidents are believed to have begun in June 2017 and is ongoing.

At least 33 defendants have been charged in the federal probe the staged accidents. As of early November 2020, 11 of the 33 indicted defendants had tendered guilty pleas in relation to the scheme. Among those who have pleaded guilty and admitted their participation are Solomons codefendants  Larry Williams, Lucinda Thomas, Mary Wade, Judy Williams, Dashontae Young, and Damian Labeaud.

According to documents filed in Federal Court, Solomon, along with his co-conspirators and others, beginning in approximately June 2017 conspired to commit wire fraud in connection with staged accidents, including two that occurred on June 6, 2017, and June 12, 2017.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said Solomon admitted to acting as a spotter for Labeaud in both the June 6 and the June 12 staged automobile accidents alleged in the Superseding Indictment.

As a spotter, Solomon would follow Labeaud in a separate vehicle as Labeaud prepared to stage accidents with 18-wheeler tractor-trailers. After the accidents, Solomon would pick up Labeaud after he exited the vehicle in which he had staged an accident. Solomon was paid in exchange for serving as a spotter.

Solomon served as a spotter in at least two car accidents that Labeaud staged with 18-wheeler tractor-trailers. Solomons codefendants received a total of $43,000 as a result of the fraudulent lawsuits that were filed on their behalf, according to federal prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon sentenced Solomon to 21 months imprisonment followed by three years supervised release. Additionally, Solomon was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $71,816.00 to the victims in this case.

The U.S. Attorneys Office acknowledged the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh; Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni.

Source: U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana

Related:
The United States is not the only one preparing for the resumption of negotiations on Irans nuclear program. Israel, too, appears set to restore the historic drama to the world stage almost six years after it peaked with the signing of the deal with Iran and largely dropped from the agenda. Now, with the Joe Biden administration intending to enter into negotiations with Tehran as soon as possible and given reports reaching Jerusalem that some of the new presidents people believe the United States should first return to the original accord and only then discuss amendments or improvements, drama is unfolding behind the scenes in Israel.

Israels former national security adviser, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, framed the issue in clear terms in Jan. 18 comments at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. In a situation where the United States returns to the old nuclear agreement with Iran, Israel will have no choice but to act military against Iran to prevent it from manufacturing a nuclear weapon, he said.

Amidror no longer holds an official government role, but remains a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his remarks often reflect Netanyahus views and even his guidance. His latest remarks, so it seems, were hardly a slip of the tongue. They were probably deliberate, measured and intended to raise the ante and convey a veiled threat to Washington: If you reject our recommendations and return to the original Iran nuclear deal, all options are on the table, including the military one.

Similarly, last week Channel 12 military affairs analyst Roni Daniel quoted an unnamed senior security source who put it bluntly that if the United States rushes back into the original nuclear agreement without making significant changes, Israel will find itself in a very difficult spot.

Someone is confused, another senior Israeli security source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. We are back in the days when Israel convinced itself that it  and not the United States  was a world power, and this is not particularly wise.

Between 2009 and 2013, Israel toyed with the military option in which it had invested some $3.7 billion, debating at length the pros and cons of a direct hit on Irans nuclear facilities. It sent US-Israel ties into a tailspin and tensions persisted until talks were concluded between the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (the United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, France and Germany, known as the P5+1) and Iran. Israels window of opportunity slammed shut when the deal was inked in July 2015.

Is history repeating itself? Probably, but the circumstances are quite different. In the past, the heads of Israels defense and security agencies opposed a military strike on Iran. At the time, military chiefs Gabi Ashkenazi and Benny Gantz, late Mossad head Meir Dagan and his successor Tamir Pardo, the military intelligence, air force commanders and the Shin Bet domestic security agency issued stern warnings against embarking on such an adventure. The political leaders, Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Ehud Barak, debated and deliberated until the opportunity had passed.

The two former army chiefs, Gantz and Ashkenazi, have since traded in their uniforms for suits and ties to serve as Israels foreign and defense ministers, respectively, but they have not changed their minds. They regard an Israeli military operation against Iran carried out without US support and an international umbrella as a last resort. They will be in office at least until June (when a new government is installed by the March 23 elections), and while they are politically marginalized, they still hold a great deal of power by virtue of the law, as well as veto power on government decisions by virtue of their April 2020 coalition agreement with Netanyahu.

Gantz and Ashkenazi know full well that Amidrors remarks and other recent comments are broad hints that Netanyahu is conveying to Biden. This is totally unnecessary bravado, a senior Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Netanyahu did not learn a thing from the events of 2014 and 2015, when he clashed head on with President [Barack] Obama, refused to stop and lost many points. Rather than trying to threaten the Americans, Israel should enter into an intimate discourse with them as quickly as possible, share the intelligence with them and try to bridge the gaps between us and them to the extent possible. This is how a responsible leader is supposed to act.

While this fight between Gantz and Ashkenazi and Netanyahu and his people is still being waged behind the scenes, last week it popped up briefly in the media when Gantz told the Walla news site that he had no intention of letting anyone circumvent the security agencies in discussions with the United States on the Iranian nuclear issue. I intend to make sure that no one even thinks to interfere with us maintaining Israels security with all sorts of tricks and bypassing measures that endanger us, Gantz said in a thinly veiled message to Netanyahu, who consistently sidelined him in contacts with the Trump administration. Repeating these statements on Twitter, Gantz also alluded to his political rivalry with Netanyahu, saying he intends to replace those who cannot be trusted to lead honestly and reliably.

According to Gantz and Ashkenazi's associates, the correct way to go about the issue with the new administration is to immediately convene a team of professionals to work with the Americans, creating a sincere and in-depth dialogue and trying to bridge the gaps between Jerusalem and Washington. These associates argue that taking the opposite tack by explicitly threatening a military strike would only spur the Americans into a hasty return to the previous agreement with Iran in order to preclude unilateral Israeli military action. That could be a mistake that would haunt us for generations, the senior Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor.

Against this backdrop, the upcoming March elections will be crucial not only in terms of Netanyahus fate and his trial on corruption charges, but also regarding Israels role in the renewed contacts with Iran. A Netanyahu victory would renew conflict between the Washington and Jerusalem, this time on steroids. Netanyahus replacement after 12 years in office would signal a new era of dialogue and dispute resolution and a return to the way things were.
Model Jesinta Franklin has thrown her support behind the campaign to 'change the date' of Australia Day.

In a stunning Instagram post on Tuesday, the 29-year-old branded the national holiday a 'day of mourning' before going on to say 'there is no pride in genocide'.

The former David Jones ambassador, who is married to Indigenous AFL star Buddy Franklin, started by saying the land will always belong to the Aboriginal people.

'No pride in genocide': Model Jesinta Franklin , 29, (pictured) snubbed Australia Day on Tuesday, calling the national holiday a 'day of mourning' on Instagram

'Always was, always will be,' Jesinta wrote repeating the activist slogan while sharing a photo of Buddy taking a dip in the water.

The pregnant glamazon continued: 'Today I pay my respects and stand in solidarity with the Traditional owners of this land, on this day of mourning.

She went on to say the date should be abolished before saying there was 'no pride in genocide'.

Activist: The former David Jones ambassador, who is married to indigenous AFL star Buddy Franklin (pictured together), wrote that Australian land will always belong to the Aboriginal people

'It's time to abolish the date and as a country acknowledge that today is not the day to be celebrating. There is no pride in genocide.'

Next to her photo was a picture of Buddy taking a swim at the beach.

Last year, the mother-of-one famously penned an emotional column for Stellar magazine where she revealed why she refused to celebrate Australia Day on January 26.

Reflective moment: Next to her photo was a picture of Buddy taking a swim at the beach

'I have seen my husband well up when talking about his mum and how she used to have to run away with her siblings when they knew the government trucks were coming to take them away from their parents,' she wrote.

The star was referring to the stolen generation, where Aboriginal children were forcibly removed from their communities due to various government policies.

It was hearing painful stories from her husband's family which had a big impact on Jesinta, making her realise the importance of changing the date.

Upsetting: Last year, the mother-of-one famously penned an emotional column for Stellar magazine where she revealed why she refused to celebrate Australia Day on January 26

'While I had read and learnt about the horrors of Australia's past, it wasn't until I listened to the pain endured from someone close to me that I began to deeply feel the importance of changing the date.'

She added that his sisters had shared stories of their grandparents, who were 'born into a world that considered them flora and fauna.'

Jesinta finished by saying that the date needs to be moved to one which 'all Aussies feel celebrated', and to a date which: 'Doesn't hold so much hurt for so many people.'
[January 26, 2021] LoRaWAN Roaming Now Available in More than 25 Countries

Driven by LoRa Alliance Member Initiatives Roaming Services are in Active Use by a Multitude of Customers FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The LoRa Alliance, the global association of companies backing the open LoRaWAN standard for the Internet of Things (IoT) low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs), today announced that multiple network operators have deployed roaming-capable platforms, with full LoRaWAN roaming capabilities now available in 27 countries around the world, as well as via satellite. Multiple customers globally are already leveraging the roaming services provided by public LoRaWAN network operators. The LoRa Alliance continues to drive a strategy of making LoRaWAN widely accessible and easy to use, said Donna Moore, CEO and Chairwoman of the LoRa Alliance. As of the end of 2020, we have public and private LoRaWAN networks active in more than 160 countries around the world. We also know that true global coverage is most quickly accomplished by interconnecting networks and allowing devices to seamlessly move between them  especially for logistics and tracking applications. Many of the largest global brands have supported this approach by implementing LoRaWAN roaming across their networks, making LoRaWAN more accessible than ever before. Recent updates to the TS002-1.1.0 LoRaWAN Backend Interfaces Technical Specification completed in Q4 2020 enhance ease-of-use for roaming implementations and add support of LoRaWAN geolocation features for roaming devices. LoRaWAN roaming covers both mobile assets and fixed ones of multi-national customers whose devices leverage the radio coverage from roaming partners across multiple countries. In addition to public-to-public network peering, LoRaWANs roaming capabilities also support public-to-private and private-to-private network peering. The LoRaWAN protocol also offers a very unique feature, whereby a given device could be served simultaneously by several gateways that may belong to the home and one or more visited networks. From a functionality perspective, this allows several networks gateways to act as one, with unified coverage servin the device.



To further support roaming, the LoRa Alliance has launched the Connect EU initiative to accelerate roaming across Europe, with participation from other regions. The initiative supports and encourages collaboration among all LoRa Alliance members who are interested in leveraging LoRaWAN roaming. This effort, along with the LoRaWAN Backend Specification enhancements, shows the alliance's commitment to the continuous improvement of this capability and ensures active member engagement in roaming networks and hubs. LoRaWAN roaming capability is presently available from the following LoRa Alliance Members in these countries:

3S in Tunisia

A2A in Italy

Charter Communications in the USA

Connexin in the United Kingdom

Czech Republic (Ceske Radiokomunikace, a.s.) in the Czech Republic

ER-Telecom-Domru in Russia

Everynet and its partners in Brazil (American Tower do Brazil), Indonesia (Telkom Indonesia), Iceland (Lysir), UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Mexico

Digita Oy in Finland

komro GmbH in Germany

KPN in The Netherlands

Lyse in Norway

Minol-ZENNER Group in Germany

MIOT Melita.io Technology GmbH in Germany

Netmore in Sweden

NNNCo in Australia

Objenious by Bouygues Telecom in France

Orange in France (Roaming is currently limited to a single partner, it will be extended to the French market in H2 2021)

Pingday in Sweden

Proximus PLC in Belgium and Luxemburg

Senet in the USA

SenRa in India

Swisscom Ltd in Switzerland

Telekom Srbija in Serbia

VTC Digicom in Vietnam

Actility Roaming Hub (interconnecting 20 networks for roaming)

Lacuna Space (LoRaWAN satellite company) In addition to being able to access LoRaWAN roaming via agreements with network operators, multiple LoRa Alliance members have launched roaming hubs that can mutualize multi-network interconnections. The hubs make it easier for network providers to connect to multiple vendors at one time. Finally, roaming is already accessible via satellite network provider Lacuna Space allowing for integrated terrestrial and satellite networks, providing coverage to remote areas. To learn more about LoRaWAN, the LoRa Alliance, the benefits of membership, and to keep up with the alliances latest developments, please follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter or visit our website. About the LoRa Alliance: The LoRa Alliance is an open, nonprofit association that has become one of the largest and fastest-growing alliances in the technology sector since its inception in 2015. Its members collaborate closely and share expertise to develop and promote the LoRaWAN standard, which is the de facto global standard for secure, carrier-grade IoT LPWAN connectivity. LoRaWAN has the technical flexibility to address a broad range of IoT applications, both static and mobile, and a robust LoRaWAN Certification program to guarantee that devices perform as specified. Deployed by 150 major mobile network operators globally, LoRaWAN connectivity is available in more than 160 countries, with continual expansion. More information: http://lora-alliance.org/ LoRa Alliance and LoRaWAN are registered trademarks, used with permission. An image accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c83862ee-af3b-4f15-95f2-87b112eac9bc

MEDIA CONTACT Eric Lawson for LoRa Alliance elawson@kiterocket.com

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HOUSTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Howard Hughes Corporation  (NYSE: HHC) announced today that it will release 2020 fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday, February 25, 2021, after the market closes and will hold its fourth-quarter conference call on Friday, February 26, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Company's earnings release will be posted to the Investors section of the Company's website prior to the conference call.

To participate in The Howard Hughes Corporation's fourth-quarter earnings conference call, please dial 1-877-883-0383 within the U.S., 1-877-885-0477 within Canada, or 1-412-902-6506 when dialing internationally. All participants should dial in at least five minutes prior to the scheduled start time, using 0300450 as the passcode. A live audio webcast will also be available on the Company's website ( www.howardhughes.com ).

In addition to the dial-in options, institutional and retail shareholders can participate by going to app.saytechnologies.com/howardhughes to submit questions to Say prior to the Earnings Call. Shareholders can email [email protected] for any support inquiries.

A taped replay of the call can be accessed 24 hours a day through March 26, 2021, by dialing 1-877-344-7529 within the U.S., 1-855-669-9658 within Canada, or 1-412-317-0088 when dialing internationally, using the passcode 10150081.

About The Howard Hughes Corporation

The Howard Hughes Corporation owns, manages and develops commercial, residential and mixed-use real estate throughout the U.S. Its award-winning assets include the country's preeminent portfolio of master planned cities and communities, as well as operating properties and development opportunities including: the Seaport District in New York; Columbia, Maryland; The Woodlands, The Woodlands Hills, and Bridgeland in the Greater Houston, Texas area; Summerlin, Las Vegas; and Ward Village in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Howard Hughes Corporation's portfolio is strategically positioned to meet and accelerate development based on market demand, resulting in one of the strongest real estate platforms in the country. Dedicated to innovative place making, the company is recognized for its ongoing commitment to design excellence and to the cultural life of its communities. The Howard Hughes Corporation is traded on the New York Stock Exchange as HHC. For additional information visit www.howardhughes.com.

Media Contact

The Howard Hughes Corporation

Cristina Carlson, 646-822-6910

VP, Corporate Communications & Public Relations

[email protected]

Investor Relations

The Howard Hughes Corporation

David M. Striph, 214-741-7744

EVP, Head of Operations & Investor Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE The Howard Hughes Corporation

Related Links

http://www.howardhughes.com


Solei is the first brand from Aphria's portfolio to enter the topicals market with its lineup including three of its popular Moments: Unplug (Lavender) , Balance (Orange Citrus) , Free (Cucumber Mint) and Free Unscented . Solei Topicals have been carefully formulated to provide consumers with the highest potency topical currently available in the Canadian market (500mg of cannabinoid per container) and a superior texture comparable to a premium non-infused cream - rich to the touch.

"Adding topicals to our Solei brand product line up is a natural expansion, and an exciting format offering for Aphria. Topicals are one, if not the most, accessible cannabis format available today, making it appealing to a large segment of consumers," said Irwin D. Simon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Aphria Inc. "We are listening to the needs of our consumers. The team worked hard to create a cream with a range of premium scents , providing a compelling and relevant product for consumers."

Solei Balance and Unplug topicals are currently available online and in select retail stores across Ontario and will be rolling out in other markets in the coming months. Solei Free and Free Unscented topicals will be available in select markets starting February 2021.

Solei Topicals will be available in the following variants:

Free Unscented  500mg CBD

Free (Cucumber Mint)  500mg CBD

Balance (Orange Citrus)  250mg THC, 250mg CBD

Unplug (Lavender)  350mg THC, 150mg CBD

For more information, visit: www.solei.ca

About Solei Adult-Use Cannabis Brand

Our Solei brand is a sungrown, adult-use cannabis brand inspired by the joy of discovery. Based in Ontario, Solei's occasion-based offerings are curated to complement the familiar moments of everyday. Available in a wide range of formats including whole dried flower and pre-rolls, as well as smoke-free oils, oral sprays, soft gels, vapes and now topicals. Our Solei brand makes it easy for anyone to choose a cannabis product for any occasion.

About Aphria Inc.

Aphria Inc. is a leading global cannabis-lifestyle consumer packaged goods company with operations in Canada, United States, Europe and Latin America, that is changing people's lives for the better  one person at a time  by inspiring and empowering the worldwide community to live their very best life by providing them with products that meet the needs of their mind, body and soul and invoke a sense of wellbeing. Aphria's mission is to be the trusted partner for its patients and consumers by providing them with a cultivated experience and health and wellbeing through high-quality, differentiated brands and innovative products. Headquartered in Leamington, Ontario, Aphria cultivates, processes, markets and sells medical and adult-use cannabis, cannabis-derived extracts and derivative cannabis products in Canada under the provisions of the Cannabis Act and globally pursuant to applicable international regulations. Aphria also manufactures, markets and sells alcoholic beverages in the United States.

For more information, visit: aphriainc.com

SOURCE Aphria Inc.

Related Links

https://aphriainc.com/


Atlanta rapper Lil Baby wants to keep Houston warm this winter. The "My Turn" artist came to Houston Tuesday to deliver coats to families in need.

A representative from his label Quality Control told Chron that this is the fourth major city where he's held a coat drive-in.

RAPPERS GIVING BACK: Trae tha Truth is the real Santa Claus this year

During the beginning of the pandemic, the rapper put out the song "The Bigger Picture," which showed solidarity with the protests calling for justice across the nation, and supporting the Black community. The proceeds from streams of the song went to different advocacy groups, including The National Association of Black Journalists, Breonna Taylors attorney, The Bail Project and Black Lives Matter.

The 4 Pockets Full CEO previously did coat drives in Memphis, Atlanta, and Birmingham within the past two months.

via Shelby Stewart

"When Lil Baby put out his Grammy-nominated single "The Bigger Picture" he took some of the proceeds and decided to give back in certain communities," Quality Control representative Simone Mitchell said. "He wanted to give back to families in need of coats."

The rapper partnered up with Change Happens to give back to families in need. Over 350 families attended the drive-through event, and over 1,000 coats were distributed.

In order to maintain social distancing, volunteers were seen wearing face coverings, as well as gloves. Families who registered for the event were given a notecard that they filled out with their coat sizes. From there, volunteers would then place a bag filled with coats into cars.

via Shelby Stewart

Because of his charitable efforts to give back to the Houston community, Lil Baby was presented with a certificate of recognition from the Office of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

A representative on Jackson Lee's behalf made a statement during the coat giveaway.

"You've all heard Lil Baby's song where he's speaking about activism and he's speaking about the bigger picture and that is something that we know that is important to him, and this is a pure representation of what's important to him," Jackson Lee's representative said. "By him being here, on the ground, not just speaking about it, but being here in the community with coats."

Lil Baby's charitable efforts won't stop here. According to his label representative, more announcements are coming, and the rapper has more plans to give back in the future.
Asos is in exclusive talks to buy Topshop out of administration with a deal likely to be signed within a week.

Rival bidders are waiting in the wings but the online fashion group has stolen a march in the frenzied bidding war for the jewel in the crown of Sir Philip Green's collapsed Arcadia empire.

But there are fears for Arcadia's 13,000-strong workforce as Asos does not want to take on the stores if it completes the deal.

Target Topshop: Online fashion group Asos has stolen a march in the frenzied bidding war for the jewel in the crown of Sir Philip Green's collapsed Arcadia empire

The internet-only retailer is also seeking to buy Topman, Miss Selfridge and the HIIT gym clothing brand, with the price tag believed to be at the higher end of the 250million to 300million range.

It is up against deep-pocketed rivals including Boohoo, Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein and US investment firm Authentic Brands, which is working with High Street retailer JD Sports.

The Issa brothers, who bought Asda last year, have also made a 'very competitive' offer in a bid to gatecrash the process at the last minute.

Asos said the deal 'would represent a compelling opportunity to acquire strong brands' that 'resonate well with its customer base' but cautioned that a deal was not guaranteed.

Sources said administrators were keen on Asos because of its existing wholesale relationship with Topshop and because its cash offer would allow the transaction to be completed quickly.

An insider said: 'Everyone's very focused on trying to get it done this week, or early next week.'

Asos shares rose 5.6 per cent, or 268p, to 5,056p yesterday. The move is a diversion from its strategy of developing its own brands, and last month the business had played down rumours it would be a serious contender for Topshop.

But it decided to join the fray believing the strength of its teams of designers and marketers, and the ongoing popularity of Topshop with fashion-conscious customers aged 18 to 34, made it a good fit.

In the last fortnight, tough competition has tested Asos's mettle.

Shein and Authentic are on the hunt for a trophy asset to give them a foothold in the UK market, pushing up the price.

Next was forced out of the race last week, with bosses saying they were not prepared to pay the premium. A sale to Asos would usher in a changing of the guard in British retail, following yesterday's sale of Debenhams to Boohoo.

In 2006 when Green was knighted and given the nickname 'king of the High Street', Asos was turning over just 19million.

Green is even said to have labelled Asos a 'fad'. Asos is now a 5billion giant operating in 239 countries. Arcadia's stable of brands and 440 stores is expected to fetch no more than 400million having suffered a decade-long decline.

But a cloud remains over Arcadia's estimated 350million pensions black hole as the national 'lifeboat', the Pension Protection Fund, confirmed it is still analysing the deficit.

Green's wife Tina paid in the second instalment of a planned 100million in December, but the fall in the value of the Oxford Street store means it is likely savers will be forced to take a cut.

In 2017, Green was forced to put 363million into the pension scheme for BHS workers following calls for him to be stripped of the knighthood he received for services to the retail industry.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - If Canada was able to navigate Donald Trump's four years of bilateral bluster, it can surely find safe harbour from the protectionist measures of his Democratic successor, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested Tuesday.

Conservative MP Tracy Gray rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. The Opposition Conservatives are urging the federal government to push back on President Joe Biden's protectionist Buy American plan.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - If Canada was able to navigate Donald Trump's four years of bilateral bluster, it can surely find safe harbour from the protectionist measures of his Democratic successor, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested Tuesday.

Joe Biden's White House has more in common with Canadians than Trump ever did, Trudeau said when asked if he expects stronger headwinds from the latest version of Buy American than the Conservatives fought through a decade ago.

That's when then-president Barack Obama, desperate to jump-start the U.S. economy following the global economic crisis of 2008, imposed domestic procurement rules similar to those Biden enacted Monday.

Biden's version reflects important differences, including more rigid enforcement rules, more stringent oversight and  perhaps most importantly  a U.S. electorate steeped in four long years of divisive and nationalist rhetoric.

Trudeau's answer suggests the federal Liberals hope to extract every ounce of political cover from that rhetoric that they can, even though Trump is no longer in office.

"Over the past four years, we faced an American administration that was both unpredictable and extremely protectionist, and we were able every step of the way to stand up for Canadian interests," Trudeau said.

He counted off a list of wins, including the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, an eventual end to Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs and last year's agreement to keep trade and commerce moving across the otherwise-closed Canada-U.S. border.

"We were there to be able to advocate for Canada's interests, and I can tell you we will continue to be effective in advocating for Canada's interests with this new administration," Trudeau said.

"President Biden has a lot of similar priorities to this government's, to Canadians' ... and these are things that we're going to be able to work on closely with our nearest ally and closest friend."

The political goal behind Biden's iteration of Buy American, a cornerstone of his successful election campaign, was to win over the same protectionist blue-collar workers who helped elect Donald Trump in 2016.

But on Monday, Biden didn't sound like someone who's backing down now that he's in the White House.

Waivers, the exceptions that allow Canadian contractors, manufacturers and suppliers access to a lucrative and often essential source of business, will be granted only under "very limited circumstances," Biden said.

A new "Made in America" office attached to the White House will review waiver applications and grant them only "when there's an overwhelming national security, humanitarian or emergency need here in America," he said.

"This hasn't happened before. It will happen now."

It took Canada more than a year to negotiate an escape from the rules Obama imposed in 2009, with Biden as his vice-president. Whether that experience makes those talks easier or more difficult this time around remains to be seen.

"We've got some work ahead of us in Canada to make sure we get exemptions from some of these things," said Dennis Darby, CEO of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.

Canada is in a constant state of having to remind American officials of the integral role it plays not only in its own economic health, but that of the U.S. as well, Darby said.

"Is it a concern? Yes, and this is no time for us to take our foot off the gas."

In Ontario, where the provincial government embarked on a strategy last year of forging closer economic ties and "strategic investment" agreements with regional and state leaders in the U.S., anxiety was running high Tuesday.

"If Ontario were a country, we would be the United States' third-largest trading partner," said Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli.

"Buy American policies disrupt existing Ontario-U.S. cross-border supply chains and erode the deep and long-standing relationships we have built over the years."

If nothing else, the lesson from another round of Buy American hand-wringing ought to be the importance of diversifying Canada's export markets, said Jenifer Bartman, a business adviser and consultant based in Winnipeg.

"From a Canadian perspective, this situation is a reminder that, although the U.S. is our largest trading partner and agreements are in place, it is beneficial for Canadian businesses to diversify their customer base into other countries," Bartman said.

"It takes time for companies to understand the intricacies of foreign markets and to build customer relationships, and both time and qualified support are needed in order to achieve this."

Conservative MP Tracy Gray, the party's international trade critic, pressed the government Tuesday during question period on how it plans to secure a waiver, which the governing Conservatives did in 2010.

"We understand that both countries benefit from the integrated, secure and resilient supply chains between our two countries," said International Trade Minister Mary Ng.

"Canada is the No. 1 customer for more than 32 states. We look forward to working with the American administration for the interests of Canadian workers and Canadian businesses here in Canada, indeed on both sides of the border."

The latest Buy American strategy is the second potential blow to Canada's economic fortunes to land in less than a week.

On his first day in the White House, Biden rescinded the presidential permit for Keystone XL, a controversial cross-border link between the Alberta oilsands and refineries and ports on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Trudeau and Biden have long talked about using the push into "green" jobs to fuel their economic recoveries  a notion taking new urgency in the aftermath of Keystone XL.

That theme came up again Tuesday when the prime minister spoke with John Kerry, the president's newly named special envoy on climate change  a call that included a pointed reminder of the economic ties between Canada and the U.S.

"The prime minister noted the important energy security relationship between the two countries and the importance of the integrated auto, power and supply chain markets between the two nations," according to a readout of the call from the Prime Minister's Office.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2021.
A new batch of 95,940 Pfizer BioNTech vaccine doses arrived today in Romania by air at the airports of Otopeni, Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara, the National COVID-19 Vaccination Coordination Committee (CNCAV) informs.

According to a release, the manufacturing company ensures the transport to the storage centers under optimal safety conditions, the land transport included, with the vaccines packed in special dry ice containers and sealed in foil.

The second stage of the vaccination campaign started on January 15 for people over 65 years of age, persons with chronic diseases regardless of age, as well as key personnel in essential industries.

"The allocation of the vaccine doses is made according to the delivery schedule provided by the manufacturing company, with Romania receiving the due quota of the vaccine deliveries to the EU. As the new batches are flown to Romania, the booking website updates allowing for the continuation of the booking process for the categories eligible in the current stage. As regards the vaccine delivery schedule, Pfizer has announced it will return to the original timetable for EU deliveries starting from January 25, and that around February 15 it will increase the number of doses shipped per week," CNCAV said.
Its an honor to be recognized and named to the Power 200 again. As we continue our tremendous growth and surpass more major milestones in 2021, what I look forward to most is seeing our clients, brokers and agents benefit from our success," stated Dan Duffy, Chief Executive Officer

United Real Estate Group Chief Executive Officer, Dan Duffy and Chief Operating Officer, Rick Haase are being recognized as two of the most influential real estate leaders in the nation. This is Duffys seventh time making the Swanepoel T3 Sixty Groups Top 200 ranking and the fourth consecutive year for Haase.

The SP 200 annual ranking considers the professional accomplishments and influence of more than 3,000 residential real estate leaders, weighing multiple criteria including company size, decision-making power, large initiatives such as mergers and acquisitions, financial resources and profitability, as well as the organizations overall impact within the residential brokerage industry.

In 2020, Duffy and Haase, along with the companys leadership team, led the continued expansion of United Real Estate, doubling its agent count following its late 2019 merger with Charles Rutenberg Realty-Ft. Lauderdale and December 2020 mergers with Nashville-based Benchmark Realty and Virtual Properties Realty (VPR), based in Atlanta.

The same year, the North Texas Company announced a major initiative to generate economic impact and communities throughout the nation by returning $1 billion in transactional efficiencies to local markets by 2025. Through its 100-percent gross commission structure, United returns agent sales commission dollars normally retained by traditional brokerage models back to the agent and local economy. The firm anticipates it will eclipse its goal within four years.

Its an honor to be recognized and named to the Power 200 again, said Duffy. As we continue our tremendous growth and surpass more major milestones in 2021, what I look forward to most is seeing our clients, brokers and agents benefit from our success, he added.

In 2020, the company also recently announced deployment completion of its Agent & Broker Productivity Platform  Bullseye. The proprietary technology is the realization of a decade of investment in technology development and provides agents with next-generation technology, training, tools and services. As a result, agents can create exceptional client experiences and transact sales 100-percent virtually, if their clients desire.

It is certainly an honor to be recognized by my industry colleagues, but the highest honor is being allowed to serve our agents and employees within our company, stated Haase. I am reminded daily of our teams important role in helping clients make well-informed decisions and in helping to change the financial trajectory of our agents careers. Theyre the reason I love what I do, he added.

United Real Estate has a network of more than 100 offices, 10,500 agents closing over 48,000 transactions and $12 billion in real estate sales annually.

To learn more about United Real Estate, brokerage succession planning, brokerage valuation and sale or franchising opportunities, visit http://www.GrowWithUnited.com or call 888-960-0606.

Agents interested in learning about career opportunities with United Real Estate can visit http://www.JoinUnitedRealEstate.com or call 888-960-0606.

About United Real Estate

United Real Estate  http://www.UnitedRealEstate.com  a division of United Real Estate Group  was founded with the purpose of offering solutions to real estate brokers and agents in the rapidly changing real estate brokerage industry. URE provides the latest training, marketing and technology tools to agents and brokers under a 100%/fee-based agent commission model. By leveraging the companys proprietary Bullseye Agent & Broker Productivity Platform, United delivers a more profitable outcome for agents and brokers. United Real Estate operates in 24 states with more than 100 offices and over 10,500 agents.

About United Real Estate Group

United Real Estate Group (UREG) operates United Real Estate and United Country Real Estate, addressing the unique market needs of suburban, major metropolitan urban and rural markets. Utilizing the Bullseye Agent & Broker Productivity Platform, UREG offers the latest training, marketing and technology tools producing a significant competitive advantage. The platform realizes a decade-long investment in virtual agent and brokerage technology services and is powered by a 1.8+ million listings data warehouse generating over 3 million monthly visitors and 30,000 leads per year. Together, the United Real Estate Group supports more than 600 offices and 16,000 real estate and auction professionals across four continents. Through its in-house advertising agency, UREG offers differentiating marketing support and collateral for specialized lifestyle property websites as well as access to a 650,000+ opt-in buyer database. For more information about United Real Estate or United Country Real Estate, please visit UnitedRealEstate.com or UnitedCountry.com.

###
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Turkey not to deport the journalist, Mohammad Mosaed. In November, he had been awarded the organizations International Press Freedom Award; he fled his country after receiving orders to go to prison.

A senior Turkish official confirmed that Mr. Mosaed had been detained and hospitalized because of poor health. Mr. Mosaed identified himself as a journalist and applied for international protection, the official said, ruling out his deportation.

Turkey, in line with her international obligations, strictly complies with the principle of non-refoulement, Hami Aksoy, a Turkish foreign ministry spokesman, said in a statement when asked for comment, referring to the repatriation of people to countries where they might face persecution.

Despite Turkeys assurances, Iranian activists and dissidents in the country say they are worried about their future.

Somayeh Ramoz, 38, an activist who is also represented by Mr. Piskin, is in hiding in Turkey after she said she received threats from Iranian intelligence agents. A hairdresser from the southern town of Abadan, she was part of an underground group supporting a return of a constitutional monarchy in Iran that organized protests in 2017. She escaped to Turkey three months ago.

In Iran, she was detained last year for three months and beaten so badly under interrogation that she sustained an injury to her liver, her lawyer confirmed. Then, she said, a guard sexually assaulted her. Day and night I have nightmares about that, she said. I wake up screaming on my own.

She was released on bail on July 31, court documents show. Ms. Ramoz said she was living in a small town on Turkeys northern coast and had received threats online and in person.
Shes choosing to focus on her beautiful children amid her marital woes with their father.

And Kim Kardashian posted an endearing video clip to her Instagram stories on Monday night, showing her five-year-old son Saint practicing Japanese.

The beautiful little boy was watching what appeared to be a Japanese video lesson as he munched on a whoopie pie.

Too sweet: Kim Kardashian posted an endearing video to her Instagram stories on Monday, showing her son Saint practicing Japanese with daughter Chicago in the background

His little sister Chicago, two, seemed to be engrossed as well, as she munched on some pizza in the background.

Saint repeated Japanese words and numbers with skill, as he followed along in rapt attention.

Kim, 40, lovingly labeled the clip, 'My baby speaks Japanese'.

Focused: Kim is choosing to focus on her Skims business and beautiful children amid her marital woes with Kanye West

Good student: Saint repeated Japanese words and numbers with skill, as he followed along in rapt attention

The video comes as the middle Kardashian sister is reportedly still enmeshed in prepping for a divorce from the father of her four children, Kanye West.

Kim seemed to be psyching herself up for a big change or transition, as earlier on Monday she posted some telling and inspirational quotes to her Instagram stories.

The first read, 'You ever stopped and thought "wow, I prayed for this. It's here. Its happening"'

Telling: Kim seemed to be psyching herself up for a big change or transition, as earlier on Monday she posted some inspirational quotes to her Instagram stories

On the bottom, Kim added her own comment, 'All the time!!!'

She added prayer hands and twinkle emojis.

The next slide read, 'Love yourself a little extra right now. Youre learning, healing, growing, and discovering yourself all at once. Its about to get magical for you.'

The next slide read: 'Love yourself a little extra right now. Youre learning, healing, growing, and discovering yourself all at once. Its about to get magical for you'

In addition to Saint and Chicago, Kim shares eldest daughter North, seven, and youngest son Psalm, one, with rapper West.

The pair have allegedly been living separately for some time now, with Kanye, 43, remaining at his ranch in Cody, Wyoming, while Kim has been with the children at their Hidden Hills, California mansion.

Earlier on Monday, Page Six reported that West finally returned to the Los Angeles area via private jet, in his first sighting since news of the embattled couples separation broke.
New York City has just 7,710 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine left, prompting Mayor Bill de Blasio to beg the federal government to allow him to give out supplies currently reserved for second shots.

The vaccine supply for first doses had dwindled to 7,710 in NYC as of Tuesday, according to the city's health department.

There are currently 202,119 shots put aside for those who need to receive their second dose of the vaccine.

De Blasio has argued that he should be able to start handing out the reserved doses while the city waits for its next vaccine shipment.

He has asked the federal government for authorization to do so.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has argued that he should be able to start handing out the reserved doses while the city waits for its next vaccine shipment. The vaccine supply for first doses had dwindled to 7,710 as of Tuesday

'I'd rather give more people some protection than fewer people full protection,' de Blasio said.

He acknowledged that it could potentially mean delays for people waiting to receive their second shot.

'Even if we have to say to people, 'Your second dose is going to be slightly delayed,' it's still better to get a first dose in as many people's arms as possible to give them that 50 percent protection,' de Blasio said.

'Otherwise, what we're left with is a situation where we can do very few vaccinations at all. We're just stuck right now because we don't have supply.'

The Mayor had earlier tweeted the city could be doing more if it wasn't for vaccine shortages.

'New York City has now vaccinated more people than the entire population of Portland, Oregon. We could be doing MUCH more,' he tweeted.

The city handed out just over 7,000 first doses and 8,800 second doses on Monday.

Given the supply shortages, the city is on track to fall short of de Blasio's goal of one million vaccinations by the end of the month.

The city handed out just over 7,000 first doses and 8,800 second doses on Monday

The vaccine supply for first doses had dwindled to 7,710 in NYC as of Tuesday, according to the city's health department. There are currently 202,119 shots put aside for those who need to receive their second dose of the vaccine

The Biden administration will now give states an approximately 17 percent boost in vaccine next week following complaints around the US of shortages so severe that some vaccination sites had to cancel tens of thousands of appointments with people waiting for their first shot.

New York is among the sites who have had to cancel appointments.

Detailed figures posted on the CDC website on Tuesday showed that the government plans to make about 10.1 million first and second doses available next week, which is up from this week's allotment of 8.6 million.

The increase comes as vaccination sites around the US are canceling large numbers of appointments because of vaccine shortages. Governors and top health officials have complained about inadequate supplies and the need for earlier and more reliable estimates of how much is on the way so that they can plan accordingly.

Amid the rising frustration, the White House scheduled its first virus-related call with the nation's governors on Tuesday.

The president planned to give an update on efforts to bolster the vaccine supply and put more shots into Americans' arms more quickly, press secretary Jen Psaki said.

The weekly allocation cycle for first doses begins on Monday nights, when federal officials review data on vaccine availability from manufacturers to determine how much each state can have. Allocations are based on each jurisdiction's population of people 18 and older.

States are notified on Tuesdays of their allocations through a computer network called Tiberius and other channels, after which they can specify where they want doses shipped. Deliveries start the following Monday.

A similar but separate process for ordering second doses, which must be given three to four weeks after the first, begins each week on Sunday night.

A total of 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccines were handed out in the United States yesterday. The seven-day rolling average for daily COVID-19 vaccinations nationwide is currently at 1.3 million

So far 7.1 percent of the US population has been vaccinated. In total, 23.4 million vaccine doses have been administered, which is 56 percent of the 41.4 million shots already distributed to states by the federal government

The US has now vaccinated 7.1 percent of its population after an additional 1.1 million shots were handed out on Monday. The seven-day rolling average for daily COVID-19 vaccinations nationwide is currently at 1.3 million.

So far 23.4 million vaccine doses have been administered, which is 56 percent of the 41.4 million shots already distributed to states by the federal government.

Despite the rough start, the number of shots being handed out nationwide has been increasing since the rollout began in mid-December under Trump's administration. Since January 1, the average number of vaccine doses per day has quadrupled.

It comes as Moderna said on Tuesday it was on track to deliver about 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the US by March and another 100 million by June.

The company, which signed a purchase agreement with the US for 200 million doses, said it has supplied 30.4 million doses of its vaccine so far.

According to CDC data, only 10 million of those Moderna vaccines have actually be distributed.

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which both require two doses, are currently the only ones being offered in the US.

Shots made by Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, which only require one dose, have not been approved by the FDA but both are expected to be within the next few months.

Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday it expected to report eagerly-awaited data on its COVID-19 vaccine early next week and that it would be able to meet the delivery target for doses to countries with which it had signed supply agreements.


MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2021) A Taliban delegation arrived in the Iranian capital on Tuesday, meetings with Iran's special representative on Afghanistan, as well as Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif are expected, according to Iran's foreign ministry.

"This delegation arrived in Tehran this morning under a preliminary agreement and invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the ministry's spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, as quoted on the official ministerial Telegram channel.

According to Khatibzadeh, the delegation, led by the head of the Taliban's political office, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, is expected to discuss the Afghan peace process and related issues with Iran's special envoy for Afghanistan and foreign minister Zarif.

Last week, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev held a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Shamkhani, discussing the Afghan peace process.

The Afghan government and the Taliban launched peace talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, in September. That month, Zarif expressed support for dialogue between the conflicting sides and said that the future of Afghanistan should be determined without external intervention.

In early December, Kabul and the Taliban took a three-week break in their talks for consultations on a negotiation framework. The sides resumed negotiations on substantive issues on January 6 in Doha.

On February 29, the United States and the Taliban movement signed a peace deal in Doha, Qatar, stipulating a gradual withdrawal of US troops as well as the beginning of intra-Afghan negotiations and prisoner exchanges. The talks were delayed multiple times until the Afghan government and the Taliban managed to agree on the prisoner exchange process.
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lean Center Media is launching its crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo featuring limited edition political figurines. The past four years have been historic, and they have decided to memorialize the most iconic characters.

Their featured figurine is the infamous Mitch McConnell and the nicknames he has earned. They include Nuclear Mitch, Cocaine Mitch, the Grim Reaper, and Midnight Mitch. LCU Media is also offering seven other mystery figurines, which they will be revealing over the next several days.

Mitch Set

The campaign will be running on Indiegogo starting Tuesday, February 2, at 10:00 AM and run until Thursday, March 4. LCU Media will offer 25% off to anyone who signs up for updates on their pre-launch page.

A company representative said, "Mitch has been a key figure the past four years and will now be the leader of the new resistance."

Lean Center Media was started in 2019 and is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and New York, NY. Their crowdfunding campaign was supposed to be launched in mid-2020 but was delayed due to Covid-19.

To learn more about the campaign, you can visit their website at lcumedia.com and follow them on Twitter.

Media contact:

Jason Kowalski

[email protected]

203-805-8456

SOURCE Lean Center Media

Related Links

https://www.lcumedia.com


The National Lottery is to end gambling by credit card on its Lotto draws and games.

From February 4, members of the public will no longer be able to link a credit card or commercial card to a new account.

Card-linkage has enabled users in recent times to programme their favourite numbers to be automatically selected for each draw, with an accompanying charge against the card.

Customers who already have cards linked to their account will be unaffected for now, but will have to change "soon".

The National Lottery said in a new message to account holders: "We're always looking at ways to promote and improve responsible play.

"It's something we take very seriously, which is why we have taken the decision to phase out the use of credit cards and commercial cards as a means of payment for playing online."

The National Lottery is now owned by a consortium that benefits the Ontario teachers' pension fund in Canada.

The new move will prevent users from running up credit card debts in pursuit of a desperate dream.

Phase

"We will get to a stage where only personal debit and pre-paid debit cards will be accepted, in line with best practice," the company said.

The ban on new credit cards will be followed by a second phase, in which customers will no longer be able to top up their account using any credit card or commercial card.

Customers were told: "Don't worry, we'll let you know closer to the time the change is about to take place."

Those whose account is linked to a debit card have been told there is no need to take any action.

But those linked to a credit card are encouraged to switch to a debit card soon to avoid disruption later on.

The email ends: "Please continue to play responsibly, play for fun."

The move follows a ban on credit card use for lotto gambling in the UK.

It means the National Lottery here is following efforts by the British government to tackle problem gambling while protecting vulnerable customers.

"Credit card gambling can lead to significant financial harm," said Neil McArthur, the UK commission's chief executive.
Primary school pupils could return to class before Easter in a boost for under-pressure families, a minister hinted today as medical experts suggested it was safe.

Vaccine Supply Minister Nadhim Zahawi said studies about infection rates at primary schools had been 'encouraging'.

He spoke after a Public Health England expert said there was a 'strong case' for allowing primary-aged children to restart lessons at school, because of the low risk of spreading the infection.

Everything we have learnt from the summer half-term and the recent autumn term indicates that they are safe to remain open, PHE's chief schools investigator Shamez Ladhani said.

Mr Zahawi told BBC Breakfast: 'We've seen some encouraging data from Public Health England, and the Prime Minister reviews the data all the time, around primary schools.

'The infection rates are much lower among primary school children than secondary - I think it is five times higher in secondary schools.

'I think once we see the national infection rates continue to drop - we still have 37,000 people in hospital with Covid, but once we get to a place where schools can be safely reopened, it will be the first thing we do.'

He spoke after a Public Health England expert said there was a 'strong case' for allowing primary-aged children to restart lessons at school, because of the low risk of spreading the infection.

Vaccine Supply Minister Nadhim Zahawi said studies about infection rates at primary schools had been 'encouraging'.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is expected to confirm this week that hopes of a full return immediately after the half-term break next month have been abandoned.

Ministers have hinted that the reopening of schools could be delayed until after Easter - or even until May - prompting fury from many Conservative MPs.

Boris Johnson ducked questions about the issue yesterday. But Whitehall sources said last night that Mr Williamson has ordered officials to draw up options for the return of at least some classes and year groups before Easter if the pandemic eases.

The initial focus is likely to be on the youngest primary pupils who are hardest to teach remotely, and on older children in exam years.

Options to allow a return to school in areas where the virus has declined most sharply could also be considered, although a national restart is favoured.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is expected to confirm this week that hopes of a full return immediately after the half-term break next month have been abandoned.

Labour shadow schools minister Wes Streeting questioned whether schools were being prioritised by the Government, telling BBC Radio 4's Today: 'The Prime Minister said yesterday that he was looking at and hoping to ease restrictions from mid-February but then later the same day Downing Street was saying that schools may not reopen until Easter.

'That does not sound to me like education being the priority.'

Mr Streeting said ministers lacked a plan on reopening schools and said Labour's position was classrooms should be back in use before Easter 'if the circumstances allow'.

He added: 'We're criticising ministers for lacking a plan and being passive bystanders when it comes to education and behaving as if everything is out of their control.

'Of course the decision about a date has to be driven by the trajectory of the virus - we all understand that. But Government can and should be acting now.

'And bluntly, given the absolute state we've seen from the Department for Education over the best part of the year with insufficient planning, poor rollout and delivery, whether it is on laptops or testing or support for safety measures in schools, it is entirely reasonable - indeed necessary - to ask the Government for a plan because if there is one thing we know from the Department for Education, it is that they are absolutely useless when it comes to planning and preparation and actively doing everything they can to get children learning.'

The Haryana Cabinet held a special meeting here on Tuesday evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister M L Khattar in the wake of the events that unfolded in the capital during the tractor parade and appealed to all protesting farmers to return to their homes.

Khattar said farmer unions had assured a peaceful tractor rally in the capital. "But the events which unfolded today make it clear that this agitation is now not under the control of these farmer leaders. And the command of this agitation is now in the hands of such anarchic elements whose ideology is different from the farmers' interests," he said.

The chief minister issued a statement asking the farmer community to ponder over where their agitation was headed.

"The entire Haryana cabinet, through its special meeting held today, humbly appeals to all farmers of this agitation to return to their homes. The strong need of the hour this time is that together we defeat the designs of the anti-social elements," Khattar said.

Earlier, he described as "most unfortunate" the incident of a protesting farmer hoisting a religious flag at the Red Fort.

Such an incident at Red Fort on Republic Day is strongly condemnable, Khattar had said.

"In a democratic setup, there is adequate space to resolve issues through dialogue," he said, referring to the farmers who have been sitting in protest for two months near Delhi's borders against the Centre's new farm laws.

But no Indian will tolerate anyone hoisting any flag other than the tricolour from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Khattar said. This is an insult to those freedom fighters and martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of this nation, he added.

The freedom fighters did not fight for the country's independence to see the spread of this type of anarchy, Khattar said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Applications to Harvard Universitys undergraduate college for regular decision surged more than 42% for the 2021-22 academic year.

Harvard fielded a record of more than 57,000 applications from high school students seeking admission for the fall semester, the Ivy League School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said Monday in an emailed statement.

The pandemic has altered the way students are applying to colleges. They no longer need to submit test scores at Harvard and dozens of other selective schools, which dropped the requirement as test centers were shuttered to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

Separately on Monday, Ivy League member Cornell University said current high school juniors will not be required to submit standardized test scores with their applications for the 2022-23 academic year.

The health crisis has also curtailed traditional campus visits, which help students decide where to apply, so theyre flocking to the biggest names, said David Rion, director of college guidance at the private Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut.

You have a lot of students doing online research and word of mouth," Rion said. Its easy for the rich to get richer in that environment."

Because of the deluge of applications, the eight Ivy League members, including Harvard, Yale and Princeton universities, agreed to postpone their joint decision release date until April 6.

Princetons applications rose 15% to more than 37,000, said spokesman Michael Hotchkiss. The school eliminated the early round this year to give students and schools more time to complete the application, he said.

Yale, in New Haven, Connecticut, received a record 7,939 applications for its early-action round -- a 38% increase from a year earlier. Jeremiah Quinlan, the dean of undergraduate admissions, said the school expects to release more complete application data in April.

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The entry and exit gates of more than 10 metro stations in central and north Delhi were temporarily closed on Tuesday following clashes between police and protesting protesters at a number of places in the capital.

Police used tear gas on groups of farmers and resorted to baton charge as protestors broke past barricades at different border points and did not take the pre-decided routes for their tractor parade in the capital.

The Rail Corporation took to Twitter to inform the public about the temporary closure of metro station gates.

"Entry/exit gates of Indraprastha metro station are closed. Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed," the tweeted.

The Delhi Police had given permission to farmers protesting the three farm laws to hold their tractor parade on selected routes only after the official Republic Day parade on the Rajpath concludes.

However chaos ensued as the farmers were were adamant of heading towards central Delhi and way ahead of the designated time.

(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.)
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Germany is considering almost completely halting flights into the country to slow the spread of more infectious strains of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Tuesday.

"The danger from the numerous virus mutations forces us to consider drastic measures," Seehofer told the Bild newspaper.

"That includes significantly stricter border checks, especially at the borders of high-risk areas, but also reducing air travel to Germany to almost zero, as Israel is currently doing," he added.

The emergence of new virus variants in Britain and South Africa, deemed more infectious than the original strain, has fuelled concern at a time when many nations are struggling to rein in the pandemic.

A slower-than-expected rollout of vaccines in the European Union has added to the worries.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, addressing a meeting of lawmakers from her conservative CDU/CSU bloc, said citizens had a right to expect that the government would take "certain precautions at border", participants told AFP.

"Everyone understands that now is not the time to travel," she was quoted as saying.

Although Germany coped relatively well with the first coronavirus wave last spring, it has been hit hard by a second wave in recent months.

The country renewed restrictions in November, shutting down bars, restaurants, culture and leisure facilities. Measures were tightened further in December, with schools and non-essential shops also ordered to close.

The current shutdowns are set to last until mid-February at least.

Travellers arriving in Germany from countries where the new variants have been detected are currently required to provide a recent negative test upon arrival, which has led to long queues at the German-Czech border.

"The people in Germany who accept the tough restrictions expect us to protect them as best we can from an explosion in infection numbers," Seehofer told Bild.

Germany has recorded over two million COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic and more than 52,000 deaths.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
Tech and professional services firm Walker Sands Communications has elevated president Mike Santoro to the role of chief executive officer.

Mike Santoro

Santoro succeeds Ken Gaebler, who has held the title of CEO since founding the agency in 2001. Gaebler will continue to serve on the companys board.

Santoro joined the Chicago-based firm in 2007 as vice president of client services. He was previously a marketing manager at customer relationship management consultancy Technology Advisors, Inc. He started his career as staff reporter for Bugle Newspapers in Niles, IL.

Santoro also currently serves as a treasurer to the PR Council.

Walker Sands, which maintains offices in Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle, counts Ensono, Hub Group and Globant as clients.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Sudan and Israel Monday signed a Memorandum of the Understanding (MoU) in the area of security as the first major move between the two countries since ties normalization agreement have been inked this month.

Israels Intelligence minister Eli Cohen signed the agreement with Sudans Defense minister Yassin Ibrahim  becoming therefore the first top Israeli official to travel to the African country after the normalization agreement.

Sudan this month became the fourth Arab country to thaw ties with Israel after signing the Abraham Accords with the United States. UAE, Bahrain and Morocco also opened diplomatic and cooperation channels with Israel.

Cohen invited Sudanese authorities to visit Israel.
TRAVERSE CITY  Munson Healthcare is expanding the criteria for getting a COVID-19 vaccine to anybody 80 and older in the Munson service area.

Dianne Michalek, vice president of marketing and corporate communications at Munson Healthcare, said during news conference this morning featuring health officials from across the region that the organization is now taking applications for vaccinations.

She also said those 65 and older living with somebody 80 or older could apply to get a shot as well.

"If you live in a household with with somebody who is 80 and above and you are 65 or older you can get vaccinated at the same time," Michalek said; Munson began vaccinating the new group on Monday.

This population is part of group 1C, according to a vaccine timeline slide presented by Michalek. Munson is also currently vaccinating groups 1A, which includes healthcare workers, long-term care residents and staff; as well as group 1B, which includes school teachers and staff, state and federal frontline responders, corrections staff, childcare workers and other frontline staff.

Since Monday, Munson has vaccinated more than 16,757 people, and over 62 % of Munson Healthcare workers have been vaccinated.

RELATED: FAQ: Covid vaccine questions answered by Benzie health department

Michalek also reported Munson has clinics open in Cadillac, Charlevoix, Grayling, Kalkaska, Manistee, Ostego and Traverse City.

Those in the eligible groups can call (231) 935-7468 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to get in line for the vaccine. Munson has 100 lines dedicated to registering people for the vaccine and they are taking calls seven days a week. To be eligible, the caller must be within Munson's service area.

Michalek said Munson is in the early stages of getting vaccines "in the arms" of eligible populations. She also said supply of the vaccine is limited, and that it could take until December to get vaccines to everybody who wants one.

"We can't let our guard down," Michalek said. "It is important we continue to protect the vulnerable members of society."

That statement was also present in an update from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday, when state health officials said wearing a mask and social distancing is still the best option to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while populations are slowly getting vaccinated.

NEW VARIANTS

New variants of COVID-19, one from the United Kingdom and one from South Africa also were discussed. Dr. Mark Cannon, infectious disease specialist for Munson, said health officials expected COVID-19 to mutate, and that while it wasn't a fast mutating virus, it was a " decent mutator."

"We expected there to be a handful of variants around," Cannon said. "There's always some anxiety around these new strains and whether or not the tests will detect them and if the vaccine will work against them."

Cannon said vaccine makers and health officials were testing vaccines and tests against the new strains, and that tests are picking up the new variant and the vaccine is still effective against it.

"The UK variant is more infectious, but it isn't more virulent (causing worse symptoms)," he said, "There were some reports it was more virulent but so far, at this point, there is no good evidence to indicate that."

Early reports on the South African variant indicated it was less infectious, but more virulent. Cannon said the second "booster" shot people get might be specifically tailored to combat the strain.

"We knew we would have to tweak the vaccine," he said.

NEW VACCINE TESTING

Cannon also said Johnson & Johnson Is working on a different kind of vaccine which adds a gene to an adenovirus (which causes symptoms similar to the common cold), to trigger cells to create spikes similar to COVID-19. When absorbed by the body's cells it triggers them to create COVID spikes, which also triggers the body's natural immune system to react and "trains it" to attack COVID spike proteins.

The modified adenovirus cannot replicate or cause illness.

The adenovirus is still being tested, and could also be used to combat HIV and Zika. Other vaccine tests being done by University of Oxford and AstraZeneca are also using adenovirus methods.

FLU ACTIVITY

Cannon said flu activity Is low this year, likely due to people taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as mask wearing and hand washing.

"We predicted this and saw incredibly low levels of the flu in the Southern Hemisphere," he said. "If it ran rampant along with COVID-19 it would create all sorts of problems and there would be a lot of confusion."

LOCAL VACCINATION PROGRESS

Area health department officials also said they are dealing with vaccine shortages while seeing increasing demand for vaccinations from eligible populations.

Grand Traverse Heath Department reported it had delivered 8,700 doses total since it began vaccinating, and that a partnership with the Northwestern Michigan College's Hagerty Center greatly helped in its efforts. Last week, the health department was vaccinated 2,150 people at the center, and scheduled 3,200 people to be vaccinated this week.

RELATED: Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

The Benzie-Leelnau District Health Department is continuing to vaccinate group 1A and is scheduling different sized clinics in different communities. Lisa Peacock, health officer for the department, said demand is far higher than the supply, and that creating clinics in rural counties with a spread out population is a challenge. She said the health department is working on communicating with seniors who may not have internet access or be able to navigate their website or Facebook.

District Health Department #10, which serves 10 counties including Manistee, is beginning to plan for group 1C and has vaccinated 11,944 people total, with 1,709 being vaccinated last week.

Northwest Michigan Health Services reported that federally qualified health centers, private practices, pharmacies, health departments and primary care offices are all getting vaccines at different times, and that there is no centralized process for administering the vaccine. Counts and requests are based on the number of employees, patients and residents.

RELATED

Health department adds vaccine waitlist registration to website

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A statement released by the embassy said the incident took place near the village of Qvemo Ponichala just outside Tbilisi. It said unknown persons threw stones at the trucks and smashed some of their windshields before fleeing the scene.

The trucks were then escorted by [Georgian] road police to the Georgian-Armenian border and crossed it, read the statement.

The embassy added that Georgian law-enforcement authorities have launched a criminal investigation and that it is actively working with them to ensure that the attackers are brought to justice and to prevent a repeat of such incidents.

The Georgian Interior Ministry issued no statements on the reported attack.

The Yerevan.today news service reported that more than 30 Armenian trucks were damaged in the incident. Cargo shipments through Georgia are becoming very dangerous, it quoted one of their drivers as saying.

The online publication also posted a mobile phone video that showed a truck cab littered with broken glass.

Qvemo Ponichala is located along a highway connecting Tbilisi to the main Georgian-Armenian border crossing. It also passes through other Azerbaijani-populated towns and villages.

The Sadakhlo-Bagratashen crossing was effectively shut down on September 28 the day after the outbreak of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Citing security reasons, Armenian and Georgian authorities told commercial trucks with Armenian license plates to use another, more remote and smaller border checkpoint leading to Georgias Javakheti region mostly populated by ethnic Armenians.

The Sadakhlo-Bagratashen crossing was reopened for cargo traffic on December 1, three weeks after a Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped the war.

Georgia serves as the main transit route for Armenias trade with the outside world. Armenian trucks mainly use Georgian territory for cargo shipments to and from Russia as well as European countries.
The Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
India celebrates Republic Day on January 26 to honour the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect in 1950. This year, the nation will be celebrating its 72nd Republic Day. The main event will take place at the Rajpath in the national capital of India, New Delhi. Earlier, it was being said that the United Kingdom's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson will be the chief guest for this years Republic Day Parade. But due to the new variant of the Covid-19 pandemic, he has cancelled his visit to India on Republic Day 2021.

The president of India hosts the flag at the Rajpath each year, after which the R-Day parade are organized to pay tribute to India, its unity in diversity and the rich cultural heritage. Also, all the states of the country build beautiful tableaus during the parade to showcase their culture and uniqueness.

The Indian National Flag, it comprises three colours  saffron, white and green, with the Ashoka Chakra in navy blue colour at the centre. Every colour of the flag represents a certain aspect of the country.

Saffron: The topmost colour of the flag indicates the strength and courage of the country. The colour also symbolises sacrifice and hence, represents selfless feelings towards the nation. The colour reminds the political leaders to work for the country without self-motives and also encourages the soldiers for their selfless works at the borders to protect the country.

White: The middle band of the flag is of white colour indicating peace, truth and purity. White stands for purity, honesty, and peace. As India is a nation with vivid cultures and religions, this colour reminds everyone to maintain peace and live in harmony. The colour also represents knowledge and cleanliness.

Ashoka Chakra: The chakra is navy blue in colour and is made up of 24 spokes. It depicts the "wheel of the law" or the "wheel of Dharma" in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by Emperor Ashoka. It represents motion or the life in movement and death in stagnation.

Green: Green is the colour of the last band of our flag. It represents greenery or fertility, prosperity and faith. The colour shows the importance of the environment and agriculture.
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Britain and the European Union should both get the vaccines they have ordered and it is wrong to respond to supply problems with restrictions, Nadhim Zahawi, the British COVID-19 vaccine deployment minister, said on Tuesday.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn earlier backed EU proposals to restrict vaccines leaving the bloc, saying Europe should have its fair share.

Zahawi said that he was confident the manufacturers of the three COVID-19 vaccines approved for British use, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna, would be able to meet their supply obligations, for both Britain and the EU.

The EU proposal comes in the wake of AstraZenecas decision to cut its supply to the EU by 60% to 31 million doses for the first quarter of the year, while Pfizer has also altered delivery schedules.

Im very confident that Pfizer... will deliver for the EU and will deliver for the UK, as will AstraZeneca, Zahawi told Times Radio. Vaccine nationalism is the wrong way to go. No one is safe until were all safe.

AstraZeneca has a domestic British supply chain to make its vaccine, but Britains supplies of the Pfizer vaccine come from a factory in Belgium.

The total projected amount of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine supplied to Britain between January and March is unchanged by a planned upgrade at a production facility.

But Britain has consistently said that supply is limiting the pace of its vaccine rollout, although it expects early wrinkles to be ironed out over time.

Supplies are tight... they continue to be, Zahawi told BBC TV. Any new manufacturing process is going to have challenges, its lumpy and bumpy, (then) it gets better, it stabilises and improves going forward.

Britain is seeking to give initial shots to 15 million of the most at-risk people by mid-February.

Short link:



Chandigarh, Jan 26 : Perturbed over the "shocking scenes" of violence in the national capital, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday appealed to the farmers to vacate Delhi and return to the borders.

"Shocking scenes in Delhi. The violence by some elements is unacceptable," the Chief Minister said in a tweet.

"It'll negate goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. The farmer leaders have disassociated themselves and suspended tractor rally. I urge all genuine farmers to vacate Delhi and return to borders," he said.

Protesting farmers swarmed the Red Fort in Delhi during the tractor rally on the Republic Day even as the police tried to prevent them from driving towards central Delhi.
BISHKEK -- Former Kyrgyz Deputy Interior Minister and ex-presidential candidate Kursan Asanov has been placed in a detention center over his role in anti-government protests against the official results of parliamentary elections that ousted the government and President Sooronbai Jeenbekov in October.



Asanov's lawyer, Ikramidin Aitkulov, told RFE/RL on January 26 that his client was charged with the illegal seizure of a state building.



A Interior Ministry official confirmed to RFE/RL that Asanov was taken into custody but gave no further details.



Asanov was initially arrested in early October and placed under pretrial arrest, but a court in Bishkek transferred him to house arrest in November.



While under house arrest, Asanov registered as a presidential candidate for a January 10 early presidential election at which he got 0.5 percent of the votes.



Sadyr Japarov easily won the election.



Asanov's wife, Kulnara Usonkanova, was summoned to police for questioning in a fraud case on January 11. Authorities said at the time that she suffered a stroke during the questioning and was hospitalized.
Joe Biden

West Hartford, Conn.,

Jessica Rosenworcel

Federal Communications Commission

Ajit Pai

Federal Communications Commission

FCC

Barack Obama

Connecticut

U.S.

Miguel Cardona

Jen Psaki

Council on Environmental Quality Brenda Mallory and National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy

Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection

Hall High School

West Hartford

Wesleyan University

Middletown

New York University

FCC

United States Senate Committee on Commerce

Washington, DC

FCC

Democrats

Republicans

President Biden

Senate

(TNS)  Presidenthas appointednativeas the acting chairwoman of the. Shes now a front-runner to become a full-time replacement for former chairman and Trump appointeeI am honored to be designated as the Acting Chairwoman of theby President Biden, Rosenworcel said, in a statement. I thank the President for the opportunity to lead an agency with such a vital mission and talented staff. It is a privilege to serve the American people and work on their behalf to expand the reach of communications opportunity in the digital age.Rosenworcel, a proponent of net neutrality and an advocate for bringing broadband communications to underserved communities, was first nominated to serve on theby Presidentin 2011. Trump nominated her for an additional five-year term in 2017.Biden so far has tapped a number ofnatives for important roles in D.C., includingeducation secretary nominee, press secretary, chair of the, who served as commissioner of thefrom 2004 to 2009.A 1989 graduate ofin, Rosenworcel received a bachelors degree frominbefore earning her law degree fromPrior to joining the, Rosenworcel served as senior communications counsel for the, Science, and Transportation. She has also practiced communications law inThe balance of power at theis now split between twoand two. That could change whennominates additional members to be confirmed by the narrowly controlled DemocraticRosenworcels brother, Brian, is the drummer for the band Guster.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
funkykar Senior - BHPian



Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 2,499 Thanked: 4,458 Times

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Re: 1000+ kms on a rare 407 4x4 The drive day- Jan 8th, 2020

The run-up to this date, I planned in a way this day should be a relaxed and chilled out day as we were to start in the night around 2300HRS. However, there were a lot of rains the entire week and we couldn't manage to get the 2 wheelers loaded and had to happen on the drive day. That evening me, Chethan and Sujith managed to take the 2 wheelers to that loading place and took the 407 there. We had to load them in like 60 seconds as this was a very busy street and we would be blocking traffic and will be a bit of mess. Sujith and Chethan enjoyed and rode the 2-wheelers to the loading area and gave me a call to get the 407. I drove it there and in less than a minute we had finished loading them. We then drove to a nearby place where we could peacefully pack the 2 wheelers. All of the 2 wheelers who had parked in nearby establishments went helter-skelter thinking we are Bangalore Traffic Police lifting vehicles, was a super funny sight



Sujith then tied up both the 2 wheelers with quite a bit of ease. Honestly, my contribution to this was at max handing him what he asked for. He did not even use the cardboard and a lot of things I had got for this work. Since it did not look fancy, I had a feeling it won't last even 10 kilometres until we reach Sujiths home to pick him later in the night. Since he was the expert and I was the underdog I shut my mouth. It's a different thing that it did not move even an inch for the rest of the 1000kms we eventually drove



8th Jan 2021, 2300 HRS

Arun1100 comes home. Brings very good home-cooked meals for both me and Chethan. We were so busy with all the packing and etc, we had completely forgotten to have our dinner. After we say the food, we realised how much we were starving. Earlier, I had spent over 40 minutes washing the 407 and cleaning the windshield several times with toothpaste as it had a lot of scratches and night visibility was poor.



While we sumptuously ate, Arun verified a lot of things on the 407 including our checklist, the documents we were carrying and also ensured all the fluids were topped, gave us some power banks and snacks for the drive. After fuelling, we started exactly at 0000HRS 9th Jan 2021. By time we picked Sujith it was 00:40HRS. As we had a long journey ahead, we wasted no time set sail right away. While I drove, Sujith had researched on the process to obtain a temporary permit and had all the papers ready. Once we were at the border, me and Sujith headed to the counter to obtain permit while Chethan would inspect if our cargo was secure enough and also let Arun go back home and monitor our progress.



Arun1100 joined us at the fuelling station and was with us till about Hosur in his Ford Fiesta. He mainly wanted to be with us until we got TN state permit after which we were good to go. Just realized, we did not happen to capture many pictures. All that we captured:



Arun at Reddy petrol pump, Seshadripuram. A very trusted bunk in Bangalore





Enroute to Hosur with Arun, while my friend Girish drove his Fiesta





Aruns click before he left back to Bangalore





Me and Sujith were back in a jiffy! Except for a couple of minor hitches, we had the permit. Back in the cabin, discussion of what route to take came up. Just a week ago we had done the default route of Bangalore-Hosur-Salem-Dindigul-Madurai-Kollam. I proposed them another route. We don't get a chance to do such a drive anytime in life, why not make it longer, more adventurous and more fun. Also, the 'Tamilnaduweatherman' popular weather blogger had mentioned 9-11th or the likes of it will be full of rains within Tamil Nadu and more towards the coast. Now, be it Fiat or Tata 407, who wouldn't like to drive in rains. We also wanted to drive a lot in single carriage roads. So, instantly I came up with a random route. None of the 3 had done such a route before. The plan was Bangalore-Hosur-Krishnagiri-Ambur-Vellore-Polur-Thiruvannamalai-Villupuram-Ulundurpet-Perambalur-Thiruchinapalli- Melur-Madurai-Thirunalveli-Nagercoil-Kollamcode. This route would get us all the types of roads, a lot of rain and not a frequented route. Both Chethan and Sujith accepted the idea as they were also already loving the drive in the 407.



After the turnoff from Krishnagiri, we literally belted on the empty 6 lane for over 100 km. Then we hit single carriageway for over 100kms until we reached NH38. The entirety of single carriageway driving was done by Sujith. He wanted to drive this beast straight away in not so easy driving conditions. Honestly, it was quite difficult driving in single carriageway as the windshield was in bad shape and oncoming HighBeam and even low beam would cause a lot of refraction and hurt the eye. Sujith banked on all his years of driving experience and made it look so easy.



Later on, we stopped for a really refreshing and yummy tea when daylight broke. Our cargo remained intact, not an inch it had moved.



A selfie at chai break. Was a lovely single carriageway





Sujith driving





Sujith was desperately waiting to have some of the authentic tea made in these boilers





The boiler







We then continued on and finally stopped at a place to have some breakfast. The food here was very delicious and even the coffee was very tasty. From here on, Chethan took the wheel and he too enjoyed driving the 407 for maybe next 200 kilometres. None of us had even a minutes sleep, yet we were fresh and fine. We encountered lots of rains in our drive too.



Idli and wonderful accompaniments





Breakfast was too good





Coffee tasted authentic





Our cargo was intact. Unmoved.







We had a late lunch in a place called Temple Hotel. This place was after Madurai, a huge place and served delicious south Indian meal. There were 2 options. 1 which was 100rs and other with additional items at 140rs. Both were unlimited meals. With not a great appetite we chose the 100rs one. A mountain of rice and every item given delicious, we had a stomach full. It was a very satisfying meal.



Pics we took during lunch





Pics we took during lunch





Pics we took during lunch







I took the wheel back from Chethan. Sujith warned me ahead of things. He told me traffic will get really bad after we hit Nagercoil and will have to drive in a lot of frustrating traffic for quite a while. I accordingly set my mind and we headed to the destination. We kept updating my friend on our progress. Honestly, he was mightily impressed with how quickly we were moving even though we had taken a route which was 150-200kms longer. Most of the time he was in disbelief that we chose to take a difficult and longer route. He was fine with it as long as the mission is accomplished and we are enjoying ourselves.



Arun called and reminded me that we needed to take a pic as we did on my Ambassador a few years ago as documented here. He said it wasn't an option to skip and was mandatory.







Our idea was to reach the destination by 200HRS which meant if we were to stop for a photoshoot, it had to be just 5-10 mins. Also, we did not have any cameras or a tripod or not even a selfie stick. We really wanted to get a timed shot as close to the ambassador shot we had taken with Arun. Now, Sujith used some of the cardboard and made makeshift tripod that could capture some of the below shots. We dint have time to capture the makeshift tripod properly.



Chethan and his antics





Chethan and his antics





Chethan and Sujith





Chethan and his posing antics





Chethan and his antics





Chethan and his antics





Me trying hard to pose





ME posing





Timered shot using tripod made by Sujith





What a car it has been all the while. Hats off!





Chethan after inspecting cargo





The makeshift tripod Sujith made





We egged on and we reached Nagercoil. Sujith had prearranged an escort for us. He asked me what car I would like. He named a host of cars including many luxury ones, but I chose the Jeep Compass. Being his cousins car, I knew I would get to drive it too. His cousin had come down from UK for the holidays and was kind of stuck with no flights to go back. His cousin Tom was also kind enough to offer his car to go all the way to Kollam next day where Chethans Linea awaited us.



The last 2+ hrs was quite horrible to drive. Extreme traffic, we were also quite fatigued. I had really set my mind up for this and was quite Ok with it. There were all the ingredients to get frustrated, get pissed off and whatnot. This is where all of ur past driving experience came to the rescue. After a lot of confusion with routes and address, finally, we made it to the destination around 2130HRS. On one hand, we were extremely happy that the very long day has finally come to an end, especially after the hard traffic of 100+ minutes. On the other hand, our association with the 407 is over. 1300+ kilometres of fun and happiness would come to an end.



The very last sight of the Tata 407 which has been such a wonderful companion last 24 hours and in general last few days





We handed over the vehicles, its documents and then got into the Jeep Compass. All 3 were super tired and probably smelled bad too . Sujiths cousin Tom hooked us up to a very nearby hotel in Poovar. It was very late in the night. We had skipped dinner also. HE managed to get us some packed food. We ate well, had a shover and crashed for the night.



As the speedo was conked, we used Ulyssy app for measuring the speeds and distances. Unfortunately, this spare phone did not work properly initially for a couple of hours as the GPS wouldn't lock. Just sometime after Krishnagiri it started to work. We surely covered 1000+ km in this journey:

The run-up to this date, I planned in a way this day should be a relaxed and chilled out day as we were to start in the night around 2300HRS. However, there were a lot of rains the entire week and we couldn't manage to get the 2 wheelers loaded and had to happen on the drive day. That evening me, Chethan and Sujith managed to take the 2 wheelers to that loading place and took the 407 there. We had to load them in like 60 seconds as this was a very busy street and we would be blocking traffic and will be a bit of mess. Sujith and Chethan enjoyed and rode the 2-wheelers to the loading area and gave me a call to get the 407. I drove it there and in less than a minute we had finished loading them. We then drove to a nearby place where we could peacefully pack the 2 wheelers. All of the 2 wheelers who had parked in nearby establishments went helter-skelter thinking we are Bangalore Traffic Police lifting vehicles, was a super funny sightSujith then tied up both the 2 wheelers with quite a bit of ease. Honestly, my contribution to this was at max handing him what he asked for. He did not even use the cardboard and a lot of things I had got for this work. Since it did not look fancy, I had a feeling it won't last even 10 kilometres until we reach Sujiths home to pick him later in the night. Since he was the expert and I was the underdog I shut my mouth. It's a different thing that it did not move even an inch for the rest of the 1000kms we eventually droveArun1100 comes home. Brings very good home-cooked meals for both me and Chethan. We were so busy with all the packing and etc, we had completely forgotten to have our dinner. After we say the food, we realised how much we were starving. Earlier, I had spent over 40 minutes washing the 407 and cleaning the windshield several times with toothpaste as it had a lot of scratches and night visibility was poor.While we sumptuously ate, Arun verified a lot of things on the 407 including our checklist, the documents we were carrying and also ensured all the fluids were topped, gave us some power banks and snacks for the drive. After fuelling, we started exactly at 0000HRS 9th Jan 2021. By time we picked Sujith it was 00:40HRS. As we had a long journey ahead, we wasted no time set sail right away. While I drove, Sujith had researched on the process to obtain a temporary permit and had all the papers ready. Once we were at the border, me and Sujith headed to the counter to obtain permit while Chethan would inspect if our cargo was secure enough and also let Arun go back home and monitor our progress.Arun1100 joined us at the fuelling station and was with us till about Hosur in his Ford Fiesta. He mainly wanted to be with us until we got TN state permit after which we were good to go. Just realized, we did not happen to capture many pictures. All that we captured:Me and Sujith were back in a jiffy! Except for a couple of minor hitches, we had the permit. Back in the cabin, discussion of what route to take came up. Just a week ago we had done the default route of Bangalore-Hosur-Salem-Dindigul-Madurai-Kollam. I proposed them another route. We don't get a chance to do such a drive anytime in life, why not make it longer, more adventurous and more fun. Also, the 'Tamilnaduweatherman' popular weather blogger had mentioned 9-11th or the likes of it will be full of rains within Tamil Nadu and more towards the coast. Now, be it Fiat or Tata 407, who wouldn't like to drive in rains. We also wanted to drive a lot in single carriage roads. So, instantly I came up with a random route. None of the 3 had done such a route before. The plan was Bangalore-Hosur-Krishnagiri-Ambur-Vellore-Polur-Thiruvannamalai-Villupuram-Ulundurpet-Perambalur-Thiruchinapalli- Melur-Madurai-Thirunalveli-Nagercoil-Kollamcode. This route would get us all the types of roads, a lot of rain and not a frequented route. Both Chethan and Sujith accepted the idea as they were also already loving the drive in the 407.After the turnoff from Krishnagiri, we literally belted on the empty 6 lane for over 100 km. Then we hit single carriageway for over 100kms until we reached NH38. The entirety of single carriageway driving was done by Sujith. He wanted to drive this beast straight away in not so easy driving conditions. Honestly, it was quite difficult driving in single carriageway as the windshield was in bad shape and oncoming HighBeam and even low beam would cause a lot of refraction and hurt the eye. Sujith banked on all his years of driving experience and made it look so easy.Later on, we stopped for a really refreshing and yummy tea when daylight broke. Our cargo remained intact, not an inch it had moved.We then continued on and finally stopped at a place to have some breakfast. The food here was very delicious and even the coffee was very tasty. From here on, Chethan took the wheel and he too enjoyed driving the 407 for maybe next 200 kilometres. None of us had even a minutes sleep, yet we were fresh and fine. We encountered lots of rains in our drive too.We had a late lunch in a place called Temple Hotel. This place was after Madurai, a huge place and served delicious south Indian meal. There were 2 options. 1 which was 100rs and other with additional items at 140rs. Both were unlimited meals. With not a great appetite we chose the 100rs one. A mountain of rice and every item given delicious, we had a stomach full. It was a very satisfying meal.I took the wheel back from Chethan. Sujith warned me ahead of things. He told me traffic will get really bad after we hit Nagercoil and will have to drive in a lot of frustrating traffic for quite a while. I accordingly set my mind and we headed to the destination. We kept updating my friend on our progress. Honestly, he was mightily impressed with how quickly we were moving even though we had taken a route which was 150-200kms longer. Most of the time he was in disbelief that we chose to take a difficult and longer route. He was fine with it as long as the mission is accomplished and we are enjoying ourselves.Arun called and reminded me that we needed to take a pic as we did on my Ambassador a few years ago as documented here. He said it wasn't an option to skip and was mandatory.Our idea was to reach the destination by 200HRS which meant if we were to stop for a photoshoot, it had to be just 5-10 mins. Also, we did not have any cameras or a tripod or not even a selfie stick. We really wanted to get a timed shot as close to the ambassador shot we had taken with Arun. Now, Sujith used some of the cardboard and made makeshift tripod that could capture some of the below shots. We dint have time to capture the makeshift tripod properly.We egged on and we reached Nagercoil. Sujith had prearranged an escort for us. He asked me what car I would like. He named a host of cars including many luxury ones, but I chose the Jeep Compass. Being his cousins car, I knew I would get to drive it too. His cousin had come down from UK for the holidays and was kind of stuck with no flights to go back. His cousin Tom was also kind enough to offer his car to go all the way to Kollam next day where Chethans Linea awaited us.The last 2+ hrs was quite horrible to drive. Extreme traffic, we were also quite fatigued. I had really set my mind up for this and was quite Ok with it. There were all the ingredients to get frustrated, get pissed off and whatnot. This is where all of ur past driving experience came to the rescue. After a lot of confusion with routes and address, finally, we made it to the destination around 2130HRS. On one hand, we were extremely happy that the very long day has finally come to an end, especially after the hard traffic of 100+ minutes. On the other hand, our association with the 407 is over. 1300+ kilometres of fun and happiness would come to an end.We handed over the vehicles, its documents and then got into the Jeep Compass. All 3 were super tired and probably smelled bad too. Sujiths cousin Tom hooked us up to a very nearby hotel in Poovar. It was very late in the night. We had skipped dinner also. HE managed to get us some packed food. We ate well, had a shover and crashed for the night.As the speedo was conked, we used Ulyssy app for measuring the speeds and distances. Unfortunately, this spare phone did not work properly initially for a couple of hours as the GPS wouldn't lock. Just sometime after Krishnagiri it started to work. We surely covered 1000+ km in this journey: Last edited by funkykar : 24th January 2021 at 23:24 .
A York County man accused of dragging a police officer during a traffic stop earlier this month was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service on Monday, according to a statement.

40-year-old Shane Eckert, charged with aggravated assault, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer and other related charges, was found in a hotel room in Fairview Township, York County, according to the Marshals.

Eckert, of Thomasville, ran when a marshals task force and Fairview Township police tried to apprehend him by forcing his way into an adjacent room and running away through the hallway, according to the marshals.

Eckert successfully got out of the hotel and ran across the Pennsylvania Turnpike into an overgrown area, the marshals said.

An extensive search with members of several local law enforcement agencies led to Eckert being found just before 2 p.m. in the carport of a residence in the 300 block of Limekiln Road, Fairview Township, the marshals said.

Eckert refused to comply with orders to surrender but was subdued after a brief struggle, the marshals said.

Eckerts original charges stemmed from a traffic stop that occurred in West Manchester Township on Jan. 16, according to the marshals. During the stop, police learned Eckert had violated state parole and was wanted.

Eckert drove away from the traffic stop, dragging an officer a short distance before he got away, according to the marshals. It was unclear from the statement if the officer suffered injuries from being dragged.

The marshals said Eckert is now at York Countys Central Booking Unit for arraignment and processing, with his escape attempt at the hotel under investigation.

Read more on PennLive:
Telangana CM inspects new secretariat works

Hyderabad, Jan 26 (UNI) Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday visited and inspected the progress of construction works of New Secretariat Building.

The CM went around and visited every nook and corner and interacted with the engineers on the site and representatives of the working agency.

The CM instructed them to speed up the works and to ask them to maintain the highest quality standards in construction.
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Kenyans were Monday morning treated to an outrageous documentary based on the life of controversial Kenyan private detective, Jane Mugo.

Titled Kenyas Spy Queen, the piece by BBC investigative segment Africa Eye let viewers in on the intriguing detective work of the social media sensation who claims to have solved hundreds of crimes including murders and kidnappings.

I am the best in the world. In Africa and Kenya, nobody can beat me up, Jane Mugo told BBCs Sharon Machira.

At one point in the piece, Jane tries to showcase her taekwondo skills that left a lot to be desired. She also introduced her squad which she claimed had to undergo rigorous training.

Jane also revealed that she lives in a secret compound protected by 10 bodyguards and trained dogs, one of which is named Hitler.

Further, Mugos food has to be tasted by others before she can eat it.

If the chef refuses to have the food of course Im not going to have it. Because if you cooked the food why dont you want to taste it? she posed.

While her methods and claims have been questioned, the BBC piece mentioned that Jane Mugo has put behind bars more than 70 criminals.

I love my job and I love justice. Fighting for justice is in my blood system, Mugo says, despite receiving numerous death threats.

The docu saw Jane Mugo top trending topics on Twitter as Kenyans(KOT) took to the platform to poke holes in her claims while bashing BBC for wasting 30 minutes of their lives.

We have sampled some reactions below.

Its all jokes and laughs until Jane Mugo exposes all our secrets on this here Twitter while we are here doubting her spying skills. pic.twitter.com/PwuMeu0Q64  Dr. Chao (@chao_mbogho) January 25, 2021

Security ya Jane Mugo in action. pic.twitter.com/aZmv1TvkaH  The One (@The2021_) January 25, 2021

Jane Mugo: we are the best in the world, better trained than the US Special Forces.

 The US: pic.twitter.com/rWvN3y4KGu  John Ngungu (@j_ngungu) January 25, 2021

How BBC is seeing jane mugo vs how Kenyans are seeing her pic.twitter.com/iqngynJWnY  Bevalyne Kwamboka (@bevalynekwambo3) January 25, 2021

The guard at night after tasting Jane Mugos food for poison pic.twitter.com/HpbRdPnGcb  Kibz  (@Tonio_kibz) January 25, 2021

*Me the whole time watching Jane Mugos interview * pic.twitter.com/6xAdqebX8o  K!RUR! (@___xx_kiruri) January 25, 2021

Haha huyo Jane Mugo anasema shes the best detective in the world and criminals fear her yet she cant even lift her legs   MUHAMMAD ONYANGO  (@Moha001_Onyango) January 25, 2021

Jane Mugo trying to spy on a client  pic.twitter.com/3Ny0Fhm7bg  Mutinda (@brianmutinda_) January 25, 2021

Jane Mugos Tae con doh instructer pic.twitter.com/kfjZ4ucipB  Mutinda (@brianmutinda_) January 25, 2021

I have wasted a lot of time in my life but the 27 minutes wasted this morning watching BBC Africa Eye documentary on Jane Mugo must be the worst ever. pic.twitter.com/IKIUAv1ToT  Oliver Mathenge (@OliverMathenge) January 25, 2021

That BBC documentary on Jane Mugo is painful viewing. Shouldve come with viewer discretion for those who dont want to burn their brain cells.  Gabriel Oguda (@gabrieloguda) January 25, 2021

The dude that taught Jane Mugo how to do Taekwondo pic.twitter.com/XpjXB4i1Ie  Droid (@droid254) January 25, 2021

Jane Mugo on a cheating-spouse mission pic.twitter.com/9BPknbnAeo  bosibori (@bosibori_Ke) January 25, 2021

Spies are discrete and unknown to public coz they live a private life Jane Mugo: pic.twitter.com/fedFQJjItz  Karomaindo  (@mcpipita) January 25, 2021

Have you ever felt soo embarrassed on someones behalf? Watching Jane Mugos karate skills like pic.twitter.com/Ym5UruZr64  Lee Otieno jr, Ph.D  (@levisotieno98) January 25, 2021

Please KOT, we should not engage in a twitter war with any country for a while because Jane Mugo  pic.twitter.com/AIUmHqkvfd  Mac Otani  (@MacOtani) January 25, 2021

Kenyas Spy Queen Jane Mugo on a mission pic.twitter.com/Kvck9NxIY2  Billy The GOAT (@_crazynairobian) January 25, 2021

After watching that BBC documentary about Jane Mugo the spy queen, all I can say is Kenya is full of comedy   Moraa (@Its_moraa) January 25, 2021

Jane mugos chef on her third year eating all the food to confirm it doesnt have poison pic.twitter.com/GfMzqkjPsW  fuego (@ovofuegoo) January 25, 2021
A 43-year-old Slidell man who was fatally shot by law enforcement officers responding to reports of a stabbing has been identified by St. Tammany Parish Coroner Charles Preston as 43-year-old Caleb McCree.

McCree was pronounced dead outside the Circle K gas station and convenience store on Airport Road in Slidell late Sunday afternoon after he was fired upon by law enforcement officers, according to Slidell Police.

One man was injured in the stabbing and taken by ambulance to an area hospital where he was treated and released Sunday night, authorities said.

The investigation into the shooting is being conducted by Louisiana State Police, which said in a news release Sunday night that its crime lab was processing the scene and that the investigation remains active.

Police received a report of a stabbing around 4:30 p.m.

A Slidell police officer was first on the scene and called for backup. Another Slidell Police officer and a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's deputy responded. The Slidell Police Department in a news release Sunday night said the gunshots were fired by Slidell police and the Sheriff's Office.

The two officers and the deputy are on on paid administrative leave pending the results of the State Police investigation, according to their respective agencies.

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+3 Stabbing suspect fatally shot by Slidell police, St. Tammany Sheriff's Office deputies Slidell police officers and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's deputies responding to a report of a stabbing shot and killed the alleged suspect in 

A witness who videoed McCree's encounter with officers from across the street said he saw an officer pointing a gun at a man who was holding a knife. The man continued moving toward the officer despite being told to stop and being Tasered, the witness, Richard Blake Whittington, said.

According to State Police, McCree was armed with two "bladed instruments."

Members of McCree's family told WWL-TV that he suffered from mental illness.

In officer-related shootings, the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office asks the family of the deceased if they want to have an observer present at the autopsy, a Coroner's Office spokesman said. McCree's family has indicated that they wish to have someone present.

The autopsy has not yet been scheduled, the spokesman said.
Dramatic scenes were witnessed on Tuesday after the agitating farmers clashed with the Delhi Police near ITO intersection in central Delhi, with the police firing the tear gas shells and resorting to lathi charge to disperse the farmers.

The farmers, who started their 'Kisan Gantantra parade' much ahead of their scheduled timing entered the national capital defying the agreement of the scheduled time of tractor rally and creating multiple fronts at Karnal Bypass, Mukarba Chowk, Transport Nagar, Akshardham, Gazipur and Tikri border and some farmers armed with swords were also seen clashing with the police.

As soon as the farmers reached ITO intersection and tried to move towards the Red Fort, many of the farmers clashed with the police personnel and attacked them with sticks and iron rods. The farmers also damaged several vehicles with their tractors.

Following the violence from the farmers, the police fired tear gas shells on the farmers and also resorted to lathi charge multiple times.

After the lathi charge from the police, the farmers left their tractors and rushed to take cover.

Meanwhile, some farmers tried to crush the policemen with their tractors. Several tractors were seen charging towards the police personnel deployed at the ITO one after another. The farmers also pelted stones of the police personnel.

Many of the farmers and the police personnel were left injured in the clashes.

Earlier in the day, farmers comprising mostly youths entered the national capital from the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh Ghazipur border after breaking the barricades and clashed with the police near Akshardham intersection of east Delhi.

Some farmers armed with swords were also seen clashing with the police after damaging the trucks and DTC buses that were parked to stop them to enter towards central Delhi.

Police fired tear gas shells on the farmers after they entered Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar from Delhi-Haryana Singhu border.

The visuals of the men riding horses were seen at the Karnal Bypass while the protesters were also seen breaking barricades at Singhu and Mukarba Chowk.

On Sunday, Delhi Police had allowed the tractor rally after the annual Republic Day parade.

Earlier, during the talks with the police, the protesters were told they could not disrupt the celebrations at Rajpath even as the farmers insisted their parade would be "peaceful".

However, going back on their promise, the farmers broke barricades and started the rally much before the scheduled time.
Cubans in Tapachula: Blessings and Curses Passing through Mexico in search of the 'American dream', the same traits that distinguish and favor Cubans can place them in danger, a human rights activist explained to DIARIO DE CUBA.

Statistics on migration in Mexico show that, compared to migrants from Central America, Cubans are a fortunate group. This fact is extremely curious, given that the continued presence of the islanders on the dangerous roads that lead to Tapachula is relatively recent, and coincided with an era marked by anti-immigrant policies emerging from Washington, with repercussions throughout the region.

Cubans' relative advantages are evident in the daily life of Tapachula, and in the statistics. However, there is data also showing that the benefits of being a Cuban immigrant can also turn into deadly stigmas. In a region marred by violence and organized crime, even privileges can turn into perils.

Advantages

Besides the music they listen to and their distinct accent, which can be heard from a mile away, it is also quite easy to recognize Cubans by their economic status. Their clothing, state of health and the jobs they most commonly take make Cubans perhaps the migratory group that is most welcomed and best adapts to the social dynamics of Tapachula.

This is mainly due to the fact that, above all, most Cubans do not arrive in Tapachula with empty pockets. Part of the capital with which they arrive, according to several interviewees, comes from the sale of properties in Cuba, such as cars and houses. The other portion usually comes from the money they save in the urban areas they pass through on their way to Mexico.

While Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans make gruelling, ceaseless journeys, on which they usually continue without stopping for "caravans", Cubans usually stop to look for work, make money, and continue their treks. Cubans, in general, cannot conceive of migrating without the security of money.

This last point prompts many Cubans to forego travelling in caravans. In most cases, when hundreds of Cubans make up a caravan it is for two main reasons: they do not have enough resources to continue on their own, or in small groups; or some border bottleneck causes them to coincide with hundreds of other migrants.

According to Rita Robles, Head of Advocacy at the Fray Matias de Cordova Human Rights Center, "Cubans and Africans, unlike Central Americans, bring many resources with them."

"As they have money, Cubans do not usually sleep on the streets, or seek help from human rights organizations, but rather rent rooms in houses, or sleep in hotels," she continued.

According to Robles, another distinctive feature of Cubans compared to the rest of the migrants in Tapachula is their level of political awareness.

"Central Americans accept everything. They are not aware that they have rights. They ask for everything as it were a favor. Cubans, on other hand, do not plead, and do not back down. Cubans show up, demand their rights, and start giving orders," she explained.

Cubans have often been involved in protests and clashes occurring along the Mexican border. In general the presence of Cubans at a border crossing closed to a caravan means that the mass of migrants will end up organizing and asserting its right to continue along its way.

"During the periods in which the caravans have been stuck, the Cubans have harangued the authorities, who are not used to dealing with such people. Cubans do not knuckle under, and since this is not normal, they manage to be heard in the end," Rita Robles told DIARIO DE CUBA.

Cubans' habit of voicing demands can backfire on them, however. In April 2019, several Mexican media sources reported the arrest of a Cuban doctor who organized a whole caravan of migrants to cross Tapachula. Mikel Hernandez, a specialist in Neurology, not only organized the group, but also became a spokesperson for it, vociferously condemning the continuous human rights violations to which those stranded in the city were subjected.

"One day he disappeared, and we inquired as to his whereabouts. We filed a forced disappearance complaint, but then it came to light that the Federal Police had arrested him. They took him to the Siglo XXI immigration facility, and later deported him to Cuba. "

Another of the most prominent advantages that Cubans have over other migrants in Tapachula is the possibility of finding employment. While most Central Americans (many of them illiterate) live on the charity of religious and human rights institutions, shine shoes, or work as greeters at small stores for tiny tips, Cubans can access other types of jobs due to their levels of schooling.

"I worked in garbage collection until last week. Many Cubans do. It's like the easiest job to get. And it's not bad, because it's 2,500 pesos ($125) for two weeks of work," said Yadiel, who had already left this job to make his way up to the northern border with his wife.

"Working as a barber is not bad, but you depend a lot on the tips. I work at a Venezuelan barbershop, perhaps the only one with air conditioning in the whole city. The salary is about 2,500 and 3,000 pesos (150 dollars). You finish the month, if you are lucky, and customers leave you something, but important people go there and you always get by," Javier told us.

The DDC was able to confirm that the most common jobs Cubans take in Tapachula are, precisely, as barbers/hairdressers, and garbage collectors. The latter, although it may be hard to believe, offers good pay for migrants in this southern part of Mexico - sometimes better than a barber position. To understand how far this much money can go for a Cuban, it suffices to know that most of the small rooms they usually rent in Tapachula cost about 1,400 pesos (70 dollars) per month.

"In addition to the funds they possess and their professional skills, another of the things that ensures employment for Cubans is the fact that the vast majority of those who cross the border and pass through Tapachula are young men. This does not mean that there are no women, but they are few relative to men, and almost all of them are very young," Robles reported.

Curses

The fact that the Cuban migrant generally enjoys certain advantages relative to his Central American counterparts, however, does not mean that he does not face the same dangers. In fact, according to Robles, some of these attributes can actually be a cause of mortal danger along the route to the United States.

The fact that they travel with money makes them prime prey for highway thieves, who are aware of this difference between Cubans and the Central Americans and Haitians who cross the jungle.

Another major hazard they face is kidnappers. In mid-2019, to cite one example, five Cubans were kidnapped in Ciudad Juarez by organized crime members. After they were released the news spread, and other Cubans stepped forward to report threats, kidnapping attempts and efforts to force them to join prostitution networks. Generally, this does not happen in Tapachula, which, according to the latest Peace Index, lies in the third safest state in the country, by Mexican standards.

"Cubans are plagued by some very dangerous sexual stereotypes, especially in the north of the country, where they can be victims of human trafficking networks. This mainly affects Cuban women, who are easy targets for these groups, which prefer them," said Robles.

"Moreover, Cubans' insubordinate attitudes towards immigration authorities can work against them. And, when it comes to organized crime, they can be downright deadly."

According to Robles, organizations working with the Fray Matias de Cordova organization and others dedicated to the protection of migrants' human rights do not have solid statistics on Cubans in Mexico. These groups, along with other religious institutions, have a network of shelters throughout the country that take in migrants, and that also track them, acting in the event of enforced disappearances. Because Cubans travel with money and stay in hotels, or rent rooms in houses, it is almost impossible to record statistics on them.

And, although most Cuban migrants are young men, several children arrive every year in Tapachula after having crossed Central America. In the last two years, according to statistics, the INM (immigration institute) in the state of Chiapas registered the arrival of 188 minors from the island, 21 not accompanied by an adult. Of the latter, 13 were under 11 years of age. The stories behind those boys and girls who came to Mexico will never appear in the statistics. Sadly, neither will there be any record of those who did not make it.
U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, a Republican from the Harrisburg area, acknowledged Monday that he introduced former President Donald Trump to a Department of Justice attorney sympathetic to the presidents false election claims, who later joined Trump in a plot to pressure Georgia officials to overturn the results in that state.

Perry issued a statement confirming his role in linking a Philadelphia-born attorney, Jeffrey Clark, to Trump, in a move reported by the New York Times over the weekend.

Throughout the past four years, I worked with Assistant Attorney General Clark on various legislative matters. When President Trump asked if I would make an introduction, I obliged, Perry said in a statement first reported by the Harrisburg public radio station WITF. My conversations with the President or the Assistant Attorney General, as they have been with all with whom Ive engaged following the election, were a reiteration of the many concerns about the integrity of our elections, and that those allegations should at least be investigated to ease the minds of the voters that they had, indeed, participated in a free and fair election.

Clark and Trump, according to the Times, hatched a plan to have Clark installed as attorney general, so he could use the nations top law enforcement office to pressure Georgia officials to reverse the election results, which were recounted twice and each time affirmed that President Joe Biden had won the state.

When other top officials at the Department of Justice heard about the plot, they threatened to resign en masse, heading off the effort, according to the Times.

Clark has told the Times that its portrayal is inaccurate, but has declined to specify how. He didnt respond to a message seeking comment Monday. The Justice Departments inspector general said Monday that it would investigate whether any former or current D.O.J. official engaged in an improper attempt to have D.O.J. seek to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

 READ MORE: Fact-checking false claims about Pennsylvanias presidential election by Trump and his allies

Perry, a member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus which spent months amplifying Trumps false claims of a stolen election, was one of the House leaders in the GOP push to block Pennsylvanias Electoral College votes from being counted. He later claimed the states procedures were unconstitutional and that as a result, all of the states nearly 7 million votes should be thrown out. Numerous courts have rejected such arguments.

Perrys push included taking to the House floor hours after the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol, itself fueled by a false belief in voter fraud, to proclaim that Pennsylvanias election was unconstitutional. In a speech, Perry decried lawlessness by Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, though courts have shot down challenges to her actions.

Its not clear how much Perry knew about the plan between Trump and Clark to try to change the Georgia results. But Pennsylvania Democrats have demanded accountability, without specifying what that would entail.

Perrys office declined an interview request Monday.

 READ MORE: First it was fraud, then they just didnt like the rules: How Pa. Republicans justified trying to overturn an election

Rep. Perrys attempt to compromise our justice system is a disgrace. For months, hes spread lies and placed his political ambitions above the will of voters and the democracy he swore to protect, Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, tweeted Monday. Pennsylvanians deserve better from their leaders. He must be held accountable.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro tweeted Sunday that there must be consequences for Perrys conduct while U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, a Philadelphia Democrat, tweeted with the hashtag resignPerry.

And U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Delaware County Democrat, said Perrys efforts to politicize the DOJ were a disgraceful continuation of efforts to undermine our elections and perpetuate the lies which fueled the mob attack on our Capitol.

His support for overturning the 2020 election should disqualify him from serving in public office she said on Twitter.

Clark, who lived in Tacony, is a 1985 graduate of Father Judge High School, where he was a member of the National Honor Society, active in several clubs, and worked on the school newspaper and yearbook, according to the schools 1985 yearbook.

He received an undergraduate degree in 1989 from Harvard University, a masters in urban affairs and public policy in 1992 from the University of Delaware and a law degree in 1995 from Georgetown University, according to his LinkedIn page. His political and professional career has been centered in Washington, including a combined 18 years as an associate and then partner at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis, interrupted for four years by his first service in the Department of Justice as a deputy assistant attorney general from 2001 to 2005.
Dubai is making considerable headway in planning for future challenges and preparing its economy for the post-Covid era, industry experts said during a recent virtual event hosted by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The event, held as part of the Dubai Chamber Interview Series, was headlined by Khalfan Juma Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, and attended by 330 participants from 44 countries, including Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chamber, and business leaders representing a wide range of economic sectors.

Addressing participants, Belhoul said the Dubai Future Foundation, led by the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, works closely with government and private sectors, international companies and startups, research centres, universities and educational institutions in the UAE and abroad to spread a culture of foresight, and to empower government officials and decision makers with the right tools and skillsets, research driven knowledge and updates on latest global trends, enabling them to make sound decisions and take proactive steps towards the development of their sector; hence contributing to the countrys drive to innovation.

Belhoul emphasised that keeping pace with the changes and adapting to the trends imposed by the fourth industrial revolution is a key enabler of Dubais diverse economy, an economy that seeks to attracts global talents and empower local ones, create an environment that promotes the testing of innovative and disruptive technologies and design regulations that allow for innovative to take place.

For his part, Buamim stressed the importance of open dialogue and close cooperation between public and private sector stakeholders as a key strength for Dubai and factor supporting the emirates post-Covid recovery.

Dubai Chambers President & CEO noted that Dubai currently finds itself in a strong position as various economic activities have already resumed in line with preventative health and safety measures.

The emirate is pushing ahead with new initiatives and strategies designed to fast-track digital transformation and sustainable growth, he explained, adding that such efforts complement existing stimulus packages, which have improved ease of doing business and enhanced economic competitiveness.

Launched in 2020, the Dubai Chamber Interview Series features live-one-on-one interviews with prominent local and international business figures from a wide range of industries addressing timely issues impacting businesses. -- Tradearabia News Service
Antiquarium reopens as permanent exhibition space in Pompeii.

Pompeiis museum has been given a new lease of life after a long history of "ups and downs," announced the director of the archaeological park, Massimo Osanna.

Known as the Antiquarium, the museum narrates the history of Pompeii through exquisite finds unearthed at the ancient Roman city which was buried in volcanic ash after the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Inaugurated in about 1873, the museum was damaged in 1943 by bombing during world war two, leading to "the destruction of an entire room and the loss of hundreds of artefacts," said Osanna.

The Antiquarium reopened in 1948, however the massive Irpinia earthquake in 1980 led to its closure for 36 years, only opening again for temporary exhibitions in 2016.

The reopening of the museum on a permanent basis - hailed by Osanna as a "sign of great hope during a very difficult moment" - follows lengthy closures at the archaeological site over the last year due to the covid-19 crisis.

Treasures on display at the Antiquarium include fragments of frescoed walls, sculptures, silver spoons, furnishings, amulets and items from everyday life before the city was destroyed.

The museum also has a room dedicated to the eruption of Vesuvius, containing casts of Pompeii residents and their animals - unearthed in excavations at the Villa of Civita Giuliana - who perished as they tried to flee the ancient city.

Access to the Antiquarium will be included in the entrance ticket to the vast archaeological site which, due to Italy's coronavirus travel restrictions, is currently only open to visitors from the Campania region which includes Pompeii and Naples.

For full details see Pompeii website.

Cover image: Su concessione del Ministero per i Beni e le Attivita Culturali e per il Turismo - Parco Archeologico di Pompei.
The UK Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee meeting on Saturday was held following the extraordinary events surrounding the attempted coup in the US on January 6 and the inauguration of Joe Biden, and amid a dramatic worsening of the pandemic.

Introducing the meeting, special needs teacher Tania Kent said, The UK is now leading the world in the death count from Covid. A staggering 21,024 people died in the first three weeks of 2021 with over 1 million infections since the new year. The lockdown imposed by the Tory government on January 5 is significantly less restrictive than the first in March, with 10 million classified as key workers, despite a new more contagious strain of the virus and worse hospitalisation rates.

The closure of schools in response to overwhelming opposition amongst educators has not resolved anything. The unions have continued their collaboration with the government, allowing lives to be sacrificed over profits. Early years and special schools remain open and up to five times more children [are]in school than in the first lockdown. This is not a lockdown. This is not safe!

The National Education Union along with the Labour Party have played the key role enabling the unsafe reopening of schools. The NEU like all trade unions is tied to the defence of the capitalist system, which exist to dissipate, disorient and block the development of a genuine opposition that exists within the working class.

The only solution is the building of independent organisations of the working class We call for an immediate closure of schools and non-essential industry with full compensation to workers. We fight for a political general strike to end the wave of deaths and for workers to take matters into their own hands.

US Socialist Equality Party member Evan Blake reviewed the situation confronting educators and all workers as the Biden administration takes office.

The inauguration took place under a state of siege roughly 25,000 National Guard troops occupied sections of Washington, D.C. surrounding the Capitol.

Any belief that a Biden administration represented a rejuvenation of American democracy or would tackle the pandemic, which had by then claimed 423,079 lives, was illusory. The new Biden-Harris administration will defend the interests of the ruling class as ruthlessly as the Republicans.

There has already been an escalation of internet censorship, he said, with leading members of the SEP in the US and others having their Facebook profiles deleted. The incoming Biden administration pledged to deepen the drive to war with Iran, China and Russia and will continue to persecute whistleblowers such as Rebekah Jones, Julian Assange, and Edward Snowden.

Bidens pandemic plan consists of a limited mask mandate and promises of a slightly more rapid vaccine distribution. More than 3,000 people are dying every day, hospitals are overflowing with COVID-19 patients Biden ruled out shutting down nonessential production to get the spread of the virus under control and declared most K-8 schools [elementary-middle schools] will be reopened within three months this has already begun in numerous Democrat-led cities and states, despite enormous opposition among educators.

Biden and the Democrats are doing everything to cover up Donald Trumps coup attempt on January 6, which marked a turning point in US and world history. The Socialist Equality Party in the US issued the call for a public, televised and live-streamed investigation into January 6.

Had the coup attempt succeeded, this would have encouraged the ruling classes internationally to similarly turn towards far-right and fascist parties.

Evan referenced the report by WSWS chairman David North at a recent online meeting, The Trump Coup and the rise of Fascism: Where is America Going? The horrific social implications of the modern form of financial parasitism were exposed by the pandemic. The sole concern of the government was to protect the markets, not save lives.

Everything depends upon the independent initiative of educators and the broader working class, said Evan. There is a growing radicalization within the American working class. Over the past week, there has been a major strike by 1,400 Hunts Point market workers in New York City, which the Teamsters [union] are trying to end. We have an Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee in New York City, trying to unite educators and all workers with the Hunts Point workers.

Workers picket at the Hunts Point Market on January 19, 2021 [Credit: WSWS Photo]

There are now 10 active education committees across the US, we have worked with autoworkers and Amazon workers to form their own committees [for] ultimately international strike actions coordinated with your committees and others.

Teaching assistant and SEP member Harvey Thompson said, Infections and hospitalizations are sweeping through nurseries and early years settings. Boris Johnsons government lyingly said they are "unlikely to be playing a driving role in transmission".

A survey by the Early Years Alliance found an estimated 31,000 staff working in nurseries and pre-schools have tested positive for coronavirus since December 1. A further 3,000 childminders contracted the virus. Thousands of key workers in the Early Years sector are not deemed by the government to be a priority to be given the vaccine. The Early Years sector is demanding access to testing for staff and for them to have priority status.

Answering to a question from Ruth, a teacher from the Isle of Wight, as to how many states in the US had in-person teaching in schools, Evan said roughly half. Attendee Ross questioned the feasibility of uniting workers, and whether workers would gain public support for school closures.

Kent emphasised the commonality of workers interests, within the US, the UK and internationally. The unions were dividing the working class. There was a call for strike action in September, to oppose the opening of schools. The unions were saying, There's no support, teachers aren't interested but you had this mass meeting on NEU members online, hundreds of thousands of workers wanting action. The unions knew this sentiment exists. They want to suppress it.

We are confident the working class will move, forced by the conditions they confront. The issue is programme, perspective and leadership.

Ruth raised that over the summer, the NEU ran focus groups of small numbers of union members, and then told the membership repeatedly that the membership was not anxious and wanted to get back to work. Kent said at their conference, the NEU executive refused to accept a resolution on strike action.

Blake added, In the US some members of our rank-and-file committee thought there's a passive acceptance of the conditions workers face. Since July, there's been hundreds of protests, over a dozen wildcat strikes to oppose school reopenings there's been a major upsurge of the class struggle internationally since 2018. The crisis of capitalism is compelling workers into struggle, and radicalising hundreds of millions all over the world. There has been a shift in mass consciousness, a thoroughgoing exposure of the inability of capitalism to address the basic social needs of the working class.

Lucia raised concerns about the governments vaccination programme, including why special needs staff are not being vaccinated. Kent replied, We have to close schools until it is safe for workers [and] fight for a maximum vaccination of all workers. The government can't do it. because profits are involved. The only way is to take control of society.

The meeting ended by proposing the resolution below in support of victimised Covid whistleblower Rebekah Jones, a critic of the US governments herd immunity policy and back to work drive. SEP (UK) member and Learning Mentor Liz Smith explained Jones was fired from her job, subjected to a police raid and arrested.

The UK Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee condemns the arrest of data scientist Rebekah Jones, which is a flagrant effort to intimidate the outspoken and courageous scientist who has exposed the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida and in schools across the US.

Rebekah Jones, who is now sick with COVID-19, is being silenced because she took it upon herself to commit the crime of telling the working class the truth, both about the pandemic and the criminal response of the government to the public health crisis.

The arrest is an attack on the right to free speech and access to information. Educators internationally must come to the defence of Jones and all whistleblowers fighting for full transparency and reporting of all data on COVID-19.

We pledge and urge all workers to fight against this censorship and defend all democratic rights.

The resolution was passed unanimously.

We urge all educators, parents and students to sign up for the Educators Newsletter and join and participate in upcoming meetings of the UK Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee.
(Newser)  Four hours of footage captured Kyle Rittenhouse and his mother in a police station interrogation room just hours after he shot and killed two men in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Chicago Tribune reports the footage shows what the at-times distressed pair was concerned with: social media and PTSD. The newspaper obtained the video Monday under a FOIA request, and it reports on the various exchanges the footage taken at the Antioch police station shows between the then-17-year-old and Wendy Rittenhouse as they wait for a lawyer. At one point, Kyle asks his mom, who has taken off her glasses and put her head in her hands, if she's OK. "F------ dumb f------ on Facebook," she replies softly. "They're saying youre a piece of s--- and I'm a piece of s--- mother. But it's just f------ words."

story continues below

She instructs him to get rid of his social media accounts "cause they're going to harass you if they can find you anywhere." He writes down his Snapchat login info but tells his mom other passwords are in his phone, which the police have. He later asks an officer, "After you guys get a warrant to go through all my (expletive), can you make sure everything like my social media is deleted?" Per the Tribune, Kyle "appeared to not understand the serious consequences he faced": He variously asked if he could go home and if he could talk to a counselor "about what happened ... I don't want to be one of those people that lives with PTSD the rest of their life." ABC7 reports Kyle appeared to hyperventilate at one point. He was not heard on the video asking about the victims, who he claims he shot in self-defense. (The teen was given new bond terms after he went to a Wisconsin bar with his mom.)
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A construction company's limited English-only policy did not constitute a hostile work environment, a state appeals court ruled, affirming a trial court decision in a lawsuit brought by two Spanish-speaking employees.

The English-only policy was not companywide, but rather applied solely to radio communications among specific individuals, some of whom did not understand Spanish. In addition, the policy was based on business necessity and the urgency of avoiding life-threatening accidents, the court said.

Applicable Law

The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits an employer from adopting or enforcing a policy that limits or prohibits the use of any language in the workplace unless both of the following conditions exist:

The language restriction is justified by a business necessity.

The employer has notified its employees of the circumstances and the time when the language restriction is required to be observed and of the consequences for violating the policy.

"Business necessity" is defined as an overriding legitimate business purpose such that:

The language restriction is necessary to the safe and efficient operation of the business.

The language restriction effectively fulfills the business purpose it is supposed to serve.

There is no alternative practice that would accomplish the business purpose equally well with a less discriminatory impact.

In concluding that the company's language policy did not violate the employees' rights under FEHA, the trial court determined that the employer had no companywide English-only policy. Rather, the company had a narrowly tailored policy requiring communication in English while using the radio. The policy was aimed at ensuring the safe delivery of extremely heavy materials and so satisfied the business necessity requirement, the trial court found.

[Looking for state-specific information? See State & Local Updates]

The trial court also found that Spanish was spoken on the job. It was common knowledge among company management that a large percentage of the company's workers only spoke Spanish. The plaintiffs testified at trial that they spoke Spanish on the job "all the time." Both plaintiffs also testified that they were never disciplined for speaking Spanish on the job, despite the fact that their supervisors were always present at the jobsites. The company presented testimony from numerous former and current employees who denied there was any English-only policy on the jobsites.

Further, witnesses said the company would communicate to its Spanish-speaking employees in Spanish at all-hands meetings that the plaintiffs attended.

The evidence showed that the employer did not have a companywide English-only policy, the appellate court concluded. Rather, its limited policy applied solely to radio communications among specific individuals, some of whom did not understand Spanish. The policy was based on business necessity and the urgency of avoiding life-threatening accidents. Company employees spoke Spanish at work, and the company conducted safety and other meetings in both English and Spanish. Thus, the policy did not violate FEHA, the court said.

Martinez v. Trademark Construction Co. Inc., Calif. Ct. App., No. D076247 (Dec. 30, 2020).

Professional Pointer: FEHA regulations state that an English-only restriction may not be based on business convenience or customer or co-worker preference. The regulations further provide that a language restriction may not be implemented during an employee's non-working time, including breaks, lunch and unpaid events sponsored by the employer.



Joanne Deschenaux, J.D., is a freelance writer in Annapolis, Md.
ROME - Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte resigned Tuesday after a key coalition ally pulled his partys support over Contes handling of the coronavirus pandemic, setting the stage for consultations this week to determine if he can form a third government.

Leader of The League party, Matteo Salvini, meets reporters in Rome, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte resigned Tuesday after a key coalition ally pulled his partys support over Contes handling of the coronavirus pandemic, setting the stage for consultations this week to determine if he can form a third government. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

ROME - Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte resigned Tuesday after a key coalition ally pulled his partys support over Contes handling of the coronavirus pandemic, setting the stage for consultations this week to determine if he can form a third government.

Conte tendered his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella, who held off on any immediate decision other than to ask Conte to keep the government running in the near-term, Mattarella's office said. The president will begin consulting with leaders of political parties on Wednesday.

Conte hopes to get Mattarella's support to try to form a new coalition government that can steer the country as it battles the pandemic and an economic recession and creates a spending plan for the 209 billion euros ($254 billion) Italy is getting in European Union recovery funds.

The premier said in a message posted on Facebook that his resignation was aimed at achieving a government that can save the nation during the health, social and economic crisis provoked by the pandemic.

The widespread suffering of citizens, deep social hardship and economic difficulties require a clear perspective and a government that has a larger and more secure majority, Conte wrote.

Contes coalition government was thrown into turmoil earlier this month when a junior party headed by ex-Premier Matteo Renzi yanked its support. Conte won confidence votes in parliament last week, but fell short of an absolute majority in the Senate, forcing him to take the gamble of resignation.

Mattarella, Italy's largely ceremonial head of state, can ask Conte to try to form a broader coalition government, mandate a new prime minister to try to form a government from the same parties, appoint a largely technical government to steer the country through the pandemic or dissolve parliament and call an election two years early.

A technical government and early election are considered the least-likely outcomes. But Conte would need Renzi's support to form a new governing coalition or the backing of independents and the centre-right Forza Italia party.

The most likely outcomes in my opinion are two: one is another government with Conte and with Renzi, and the second most likely is a government without Conte and with Renzi,'' Roberto D'Alimonte, a political science professor at Rome's LUISS University, said.

The partners in the current coalition  the 5-Star Movement, the Democratic Party and the smaller LeU (Free and Equal) party  are all hoping for a third Conte government. Conte's first government starting in 2018 was a 5-Star alliance with the right-wing League party led by Matteo Salvini that lasted 15 months. His second lasted 17 months.

Salvini and centre-right opposition parties are clamouring for an early election, hoping to capitalize on polls prior to the government crisis that showed high approval ratings for the League and the right-wing Brothers of Italy party led by Giorgia Meloni.

Salvini has blasted the palace games and buying and selling of senators of recent days as Conte has tried to find new coalition allies, claiming that Conte is incapable of leading Italy through the crisis.

Lets use these weeks to give the word back to the people and well have five years of a serious and legitimate parliament and government not chosen in palaces but chosen by Italians, Salvini said Monday.

Democratic leader Nicola Zingaretti says an early election is the last thing the country needs. He tweeted Monday: With Conte for a new clearly European-centric government supported by an ample parliamentary base that will guarantee credibility and stability to confront the challenges Italy has ahead."

The ratings agency Fitch said in a statement that the political crisis could hinder Italy's ability to relaunch its economy after the pandemic, particularly if the government is unable to come up with a strategy to use the EU recovery funds.

The advent of a substantially weaker government or persistent political uncertainty could hamper efforts to improve growth prospects after the pandemic via a coherent economic strategy, Fitch said ."It could also increase the risk of delays in disbursing" the recovery funds.

____

Colleen Barry contributed from Milan.
A couple who won a 1million Euromillions jackpot have helped feed hundreds of homeless people struggling in the Covid-19 lockdown.

Bill Mullarkey, 60, and Cath, 59, from Coventry, West Midlands, created a dish inspired by a Caribbean curry from St Lucia for a charity's outreach team.

The pair helped chef Jim Eaves, who volunteers for Langar Aid, make the meal after purchasing and delivering the ingredients, alongside other snacks and drinks.

The professional chefs, who scooped a jackpot prize on their weekly EuroMillions Millionaire Maker in 2017, came up with the idea after seeing volunteers deliver 1,000 Domino's pizzas to stranded lorry drivers in Kent last month.

Bill Mullarkey, 60, and his wife Cath (both pictured above), 59, from Coventry, West Midlands, created a dish inspired by a Caribbean curry from St Lucia for a charity's outreach team

The couple, from Coventry, West Midlands, pictured delivering the ingredients, snacks and drinks with the help of volunteer Inderjit Singh

Bill, who is also known as William, said: 'I saw the Langar Aid guys on the TV dishing out meals to stranded lorry drivers on the M20 over Christmas. I was inspired and wanted to help them look after homeless people in Coventry.

'Ordinarily Cath and I would have gone into the kitchens and cooked everything but working with Stuart was the best way of still making a difference while minimising contact.

'As Cath is from St Lucia we went for a Caribbean curry. A vegetable and coconut curry with a side order of rice and peas plus drinks.

'We also handed over lots of chocolate bars as treats.'

Cath added: 'Jim was brilliant. We chatted through meal ideas, the ingredients because everything is vegetarian, even the cutlery.

'He and the other volunteers give up their spare time and stand out in all weathers; it's so cold at the moment, a lot colder than St Lucia and I am in awe of the work they do.

'That's why Bill and I wanted to also give something to the volunteers as well to say thank you.'

Langar Aid is a project set up by Khalsa Aid which feeds the homeless, vulnerable and those living in poverty in the UK.

The pair scooped a 1million jackpot prize on their weekly EuroMillions Millionaire Maker in 2017 and 'celebrated with a nice cup of tea'

Bill and Cath seen buying the ingredients for the meal in Coventry. They were inspired after seeing volunteers deliver 1,000 Domino's pizzas to stranded lorry drivers in Kent last month

The charity's team states on its website: 'We work collaboratively with organisations, Governments, and NGO's to effectively co-ordinate and supply vital nutrition in times of need.'

Avtar Kaur, Project Manager at Langar Aid said: 'Thank you Bill and Cath. It was great to see so many people enjoy their Caribbean curry on Saturday night.

'It was the first time we've had a Caribbean dish and it went down very well with lots of positive comments. The service members were very grateful, and we hope to see Bill and Cath soon.'

The couple also designed and created a three-course Carribean-themed Christmas meal for 100 pensioners at the Jubilee Crescent Community Centre two years ago.

Bill and Cath found out they won 1million after receiving an email from Camelot, but Bill almost deleted it, thinking it was spam, until his granddaughter urged him to click it.

The dish designed by the couple, which was based on a Caribbean curry from Caths native St Lucia, and served up as meals on Saturday 23 January

Chef Jim Eaves pictured cooking at Langar Aid's HQ. Cath said: 'Jim was brilliant. We chatted through meal ideas, the ingredients because everything is vegetarian, even the cutlery'

Bill first noticed he had an email while in St Lucia on June 27 but couldn't check it until he was back in the UK 16 days later, on July 12.

He said at first they thought they had won 10,000 or 100,000 but ended up 'screaming and dancing' around the living room when they figured out it was 1million.

The couple previously said they planned to spend their money on a second home in Cath's native St Lucia in the Caribbean.

The pair's first priority was to help Messiah - their nephew who was left paralysed from the waist down in a bike accident near his home in St Lucia - paying for changes to his home.

Bill said at the time: 'I got an e-mail when we were in St Lucia from the National Lottery and I just had a look on our return last Wednesday.

'I spoke to a young lady on the phone and then waited for a few minutes, which felt like forever, and then she said we had won 1 million.

'At that moment there was such excitement in the house and lots of screaming. We celebrated with a nice cup of tea and I didn't sleep all night, it just wouldn't sink in.'
Around 800 retail jobs in Northern Ireland are expected to go as online retailers moved closer to snapping up brand assets of department store chain Debenhams and Topshop.

The renewed prospect of job losses come as the first labour market survey of 2021 today is expected to show an unemployment rate of over 4% for the end of 2020.

Boohoo's swoop on Debenhams and Asos's anticipated deal for Topshop and other Arcadia brands reflect how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the move to online shopping.

It will bring the loss of about 500 jobs at Debenhams here, and 280 jobs at dozens of Arcadia stores and concessions, like Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Topman. There are also Arcadia concessions in Menarys stores around NI.

Four Debenhams stores here - key anchors for shopping centres Ballymena, Newry, Belfast and Craigavon - are tipped to close by the end of March. In a separate move, Asos told investors that it is in exclusive talks to buy the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands and online businesses from administrators for Sir Philip Green's Arcadia empire.

A Debenhams in Londonderry's Foyleside Shopping Centre has already been sold to Frasers Group, led by sportswear tycoon Mike Ashley.

Neil McShane, a commercial property investment advisor and founder of consultancy InPrio, said the deals would "decimate" the high street. "The Boohoo deal is more bad news for the high street as it will see Debenhams vacate 118 large units in high streets and shopping centres across the UK.... these large units will not be easily filled given the current market challenges but also the small number of retailers who trade from these larger units. Some may lend themselves to a split for smaller requirements but many will not.

"If the Asos deal for the Arcadia brands goes ahead, it will further decimate the high street as it appears the plan is to take the brands and not the shops. Again, a huge number of jobs are at risk.

"However, these voids, in typically prominent positions, are in the most popular size bracket and will therefore present opportunities for other existing and new businesses who want to capitalise on the in-person shopping experience that people will crave when we get back to normality.

"We could also see other uses come to the high street, including co-working space, community and healthcare uses. Proactive landlords will already be exploring new uses and end users."

Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said the closure of four Debenhams would be "a hammer blow to our already struggling high streets".

"We are also concerned that if the Asos talks to buy Topshop, Topman, etc to buy the brand and not the stores are successful then sadly we will see further store closures and job losses."

He added: "The Executive needs to immediately establish the High Streets Taskforce to get down to work, producing a big bold radical new plan for our post-pandemic high streets and town centres."

While Asos' deal would mean Arcadia's own physical stores would close, it's understood concession arrangements could survive where a wholesale arrangement exists.

Arcadia administrators Deloitte have said they want to complete a deal disposing of Arcadia's assets by the end of January.

Boohoo has bought high street brands Karen Millen, Oasis and Warehouse in the past two years to take them online-only and shut stores.

Guy Elliott at Publicis Sapient said the online firm's deal for Debenhams is similar, in that it will open up Boohoo to a different demographic to its core teenage and millennial customer base.

Around 800 retail jobs in Northern Ireland are expected to go as online retailers moved closer to snapping up brand assets of department store chain Debenhams and Topshop.

The renewed prospect of job losses come as the first labour market survey of 2021 today is expected to show an unemployment rate of over 4% for the end of 2020.

Boohoo's swoop on Debenhams and Asos's anticipated deal for Topshop and other Arcadia brands reflect how the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the move to online shopping.

It will bring the loss of about 500 jobs at Debenhams here, and 280 jobs at dozens of Arcadia stores and concessions, like Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Topman. There are also Arcadia concessions in Menarys stores around NI.

Four Debenhams stores here - key anchors for shopping centres Ballymena, Newry, Belfast and Craigavon - are tipped to close by the end of March. In a separate move, Asos told investors that it is in exclusive talks to buy the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands and online businesses from administrators for Sir Philip Green's Arcadia empire.
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Alibaba-backed community group buying platform gets fined for uncompetitive practices; U.S. and China trade officials hold their first phone call under the Biden presidency; and the yuan surges to a three-year high against the dollar

May 28, 2021 05:54 PM
The democratic island of Taiwan has reiterated a ban on imports of COVID-19 vaccines made in China, as repeated incursions by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) into its air defense zone in recent days stoked simmering regional tensions.



Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in a recent statement to Reuters that the island's 23 million population should be cautious about accepting offers of vaccination while living and working in China, and "cautiously evaluate the safety and necessity" of doing so.



Taiwan, which has never been governed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), nor formed part of the People's Republic of China, has repeatedly warned its citizens of health risks associated with Chinese-made vaccines, and requires anyone vaccinated in China to undergo a stringent 14-day quarantine on arriving home.



The PLA has flown dozens of sorties into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) since the weekend, in a move that politicians and analysts alike have viewed as a test of U.S. resolve to support Taiwan at the start of the Biden administration.



Unlike previous incursions, recent operations have included bombers and fast-moving fighter jets usually used for offensive purposes, linking it to the reported presence of a U.S. aircraft carrier group in the vicinity,



Beijing followed up the incursions on Tuesday with an announcement of further military drills in the disputed South China Sea, after protesting the presence of the U.S. Navy's Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group in the region since Jan. 23.



At the same time, pro-China media in Taiwan suggested that China was keen to start sending its COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan, a sovereign state under the 1911 Republic of China founded by Sun Yat-sen, despite the import ban.



According to the pro-CCP China Times, the vaccines could be sent as "private donations," while Taiwanese citizens could be pressed into service to promote the vaccines on the island.



Citing a "person involved in Taiwan affairs," the paper said that Taiwan "must first remove political and legal obstacles," for discussions to take place.



The MAC said its policy hadn't changed, and that the decision about which vaccines to procure rested with the island's epidemic control and command center.



"This is a medical issue for healthcare professionals to decide, and has nothing to do with politics," it said in a statement.



"The epidemic command center has said there is incomplete data regarding Chinese-made vaccines ... and has decided to tighten requirements during the emergency pandemic situation," it said. "Chinese vaccines cannot be imported under current laws and regulations."



"[We] will not be purchasing vaccines from mainland China for the time being," it said.

Alternatives to invasion



Taiwan Thinktank consultant Tung Li-wen said China is making preparations for a potential invasion of Taiwan, and that the CCP has never renounced the use of military force to annex the island.



But at the same time, they are trying "soft power" alternatives like vaccine diplomacy to boost Beijing's influence on the island, where the majority of Taiwanese have no wish to be ruled by the CCP, but where many people rely on China as a source of business opportunity, Tung said.



"The CCP has accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government of setting up barriers to cross-straits relations, by which it means restrictions linked to the pandemic, and some changes made by Taiwan on national security issues [to counter Chinese influence]. They see those things as obstacles," Tung said.



"They won't give up their attempts to use vaccines as a way to achieve foreign policy goals," he said.



Former Kuomintang (KMT) official Chao Chun-shan, who was at a meeting between CCP general secretary Xi Jinping and former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou, said he thought behind-the-scenes discussions of some kind could well be under way between the two governments.



"Of course there will be [contact], but we won't know about it," Chao said. "We haven't seen any harsh words from either Xi or Tsai so far."



President Tsai Ing-wen has ruled out government-to-government contact with China unless Taiwan comes to the table with equal status as a sovereign state, a level of recognition unlikely to be accorded by the CCP.



Reported by Hwang Chun-mei for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
New Delhi: Russia has lifted the travel restrictions, which were imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, from India. Russian Embassy today confirmed it via a tweet.

Apart from India, the travel restrictions have also been lifted from Finland, Vietnam and Qatar.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

"For citizens of Finland, Vietnam, #India & Qatar the restrictions on entry to Russia, imposed due to spread of COVID19, are being lifted. The corresponding order was signed by Chairman of the Russian Government Mikhail Mishustin on January 25, 2021," tweeted the Russian Embassy.

For citizens of Finland, Vietnam, #India & Qatar the restrictions on entry to #Russia, imposed due to spread of #COVID19, are being lifted. The corresponding order was signed by Chairman of the Russian Government Mikhail Mishustin on January 25, 2021 pic.twitter.com/5xDPKVg80M  Russia in India (@RusEmbIndia) January 26, 2021





The Russian government's press statement specified that citizens of these states and those who have a residence permit will be allowed to enter Russia through air checkpoints. Russian citizens, in turn, can also fly to any of these countries.

.@GovernmentRF's press statement specifies that citizens of these states and those who have a residence permit are allowed to enter Russia through air checkpoints. Russian citizens, in turn, can also fly to any of these countries  https://t.co/EmgdPCpsjs  Russia in India (@RusEmbIndia) January 26, 2021

On 16 March 2020, Russia had imposed travel restrictions in a bid to check the surge in coronavirus cases in the country.

Russia has registered 19,290 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours taking the tally to 3,738,690 on Monday.

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Watch: Earth's ice melting at record rate

Earths ice is melting at a rate 57% higher than it was three decades ago  and 28 trillion tons of ice have already melted away, new research has warned.

Land ice in Antarctica, Greenland and in mountain glaciers has added enough water to the ocean during the past three decades to add 3.5cm to sea levels worldwide.

Mountain glaciers accounted for 22% of ice loss totals, despite accounting for only about 1% of land ice, the research found.

In the Arctic, sea ice is shrinking to new summertime lows - with last year seeing the second-lowest sea ice extent in more than 40 years of satellite monitoring.

The research was published in the journal The Cryosphere.

Ice is melting faster than ever before. (Getty)

Read more: Antarctic records hottest temperature ever

As sea ice vanishes, it exposes dark water which absorbs solar radiation, rather than reflecting it back out of the atmosphere.

This phenomenon, known as Arctic amplification, is reducing Earths ability to reflect solar radiation back into space.

The global atmospheric temperature has risen by about 1.1C since pre-industrial times.

But in the Arctic, the warming rate has been more than twice the global average in the last 30 years.

Using 19942017 satellite data, site measurements and some computer simulations, the team of British scientists calculated that the world was losing an average of 0.8 trillion metric tons of ice per year in the 1990s, but about 1.2 trillion metric tons annually in recent years.

Read more: Antarctica now has more than 65,000 meltwater lakes

The South Pole, the most remote place on the planet, has warmed three times faster than other areas over the past three decades, researchers say.

Research published in Nature Climate Change found that an abrupt shift has seen temperatures rocket upwards at the pole from 1989.

Since that point, temperatures at the pole have risen 0.6 degrees per decade, three times the rate for the rest of the planet.

Researchers believe that the high temperatures are being fuelled not just by a rise in greenhouse gases, but also by natural weather shifts in the tropics.

Story continues

Read more: A 1988 warning about climate change was mostly right

Record breaking high temperatures are being fuelled by increases in greenhouse gases - and natural weather shifts in the tropics, say scientists.

The 'double whammy' sheds light on why Antarctica is bearing the brunt of climate change.

Dr Kyle Clem of Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, said: "These trends were unlikely the result of natural climate change alone.

"The effects have likely worked in tandem to make this one of the strongest warming trends on Earth."

Watch: America rejoins Paris agreement on Bidens first day
A judge has struck down a North Dakotas law that landowners say takes away their property rights.

The so-called pore space law passed the Legislature in 2019 after supporters sought clarification on the use of cavities in rock or soil. Pore spaces are used when the petroleum industry injects saltwater from oil and gas production underground for permanent storage or for enhanced oil recovery.

Northeast District Judge Anthony Benson ruled the law unconstitutional because it gives the landowners value from pore space to the oil and gas industry for free.

The Northwest Landowners Association sued the state in 2019 arguing the law deprives them of their right to be compensated for the use of their pore space.

With energy development in this state, pore space is a massive, massive part of the puzzle, said association chairman Troy Coons.

The North Dakota Petroleum Council pushed for the law. The councils president, Ron Ness, said that he was disappointed in the judges ruling, the Bismarck Tribune reported.

No matter how this court ruled we expected one side to be disappointed, he said. We expect to see an appeal, there will be more to come.

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

Topics Legislation Energy Oil Gas North Dakota
Following its recent entry into esports and gaming, and the completion of the FIFA 21 in December 2020, Zain Group announces its next esports tournament Champions Squad, a Tencent approved PUBGM community event.

One of the worlds most popular games, PUBG Mobile is an officially authorized combat and survival mobile game entertaining millions of gamers from all age groups.

A social media campaign has been launched inviting PUBG Mobile gaming teams from across the MENA region to register on zainesports.com and qualify for the group stages. The qualifying rounds will be held January 26 and 27 that will determine the 24 qualified teams that will go on to play the 8 invited teams in the semi-finals and finals that will be held and livestreamed on Zain esports YouTube channel on 29 and 30 January as well as 5 and 6 February (7pm KSA)

Zain esports has signed up popular PUBG Mobile gaming influencers (Bayati and Rico) to promote and play in the competition as well as be the special guests on Zain esports Twitch channel Monday night show that was broadcasted on 25th January and will also be held on 1st and 8th February (8pm KSA).

Commenting on the upcoming Zain esports competition, Sheikh Abdulla Bin Khalid Al Khalifa, Director, Communications & Investor Relations at Zain Bahrain said: PUBG Mobile is a phenomenal partnership fit for Zain as it is one of the fastest growing and most popular gaming events across the region. We are keen on filling the void of what the regional gaming community wants and are excited by the many upcoming community esports tournaments we plan to hold in 2021.

Sheikh Abdulla continued: This gaming manifestation of Zains digital lifestyle strategy is geared towards empowering society and driving socio-economic development by creating multiple opportunities for young people right across the Middle East. Regional amateur and professional gamers will also have the opportunity to win various prizes in a fair and competitive environment.

Zain esports plans to identify and foster local talent in numerous ways, including by creating a competition to select casters, analysts and commentators for Arabic commentary, as well as creating a conducive environment for esports content creators aiming to create popular influencers.

Zain Group aims to ensure that all its esports tournaments must be held in accordance with UNICEFs guidelines to ensure Child Online Safety and prevent cyberbullying, hence creating a safe space for all interactions between the players.

Moreover, Zain esports will support and use local social media influencers to promote leagues among local gamers. Zain esports also plans to create an incubator creating opportunities for aspiring coders and producers to contribute technically to the Zain esports initiative on an ongoing basis.

Zain esports will hold a year-long calendar of large and exciting regional online esports tournaments comprised of multiple Flagship events as well as smaller, regular community tournaments with attractive prizes. - TradeArabia News Service
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 03:38:37|Editor: huaxia

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JERUSALEM, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi hailed the reopening of the Israeli Liaison Office in Rabat, Morocco, on Tuesday, following an agreement between the two countries to establish full diplomatic ties.

The foreign ministry said in a statement that the office has been reopened 20 years after the former Israeli Liaison Office in Morocco was shut down when the ties between the two countries were severed.

Also on Tuesday, the Israeli consulate in Dubai was officially launched, the foreign ministry said, two days after the Israeli embassy was opened in Abu Dhabi.

Ashkenazi said in the statement that the arrival of the Israeli envoys to Morocco and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is "an important day for peace."

He hailed the moves as "an exciting day for the implementation process of the agreements with the UAE and Morocco."

The foreign ministry said that the main goal of the Israeli consulate to Dubai is to develop economic ties between the two nations, with an emphasis on advancing the Israeli high-tech industry. It will also work to advance aviation and tourism.

After signing a U.S.-brokered normalization deal in September 2020, Israel and UAE have established direct flights and exchanged several trade delegations.

Israel and Morocco announced in December 2020 that they have agreed to normalize ties and establish full diplomatic relations. Enditem
As India celebrates the 72nd Republic Day, Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli has expressed his best wishes for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the people of India, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal on Tuesday. PM further admired India's 'spectacular progress in various fields of science, technology, medicine & economic development', it added.

PM KP Sharma Oli has expressed his best wishes for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the people of India. PM admired India's spectacular progress in various fields of science, technology, medicine & economic development: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal#RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/Rlnn38b8D0  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

PM Oli also expressed gratitude to the Govt of India for providing one million COVISHIELD vaccines to Nepal as 'a grant gesture of good neighbourly relations.'

READ | Serum Institute's Covishield Consignments To Reach Kathmandu, Dhaka Today

Nepal received Indian vaccine

On January 21, the Serum Institute of India (SII) consignment of COVID-19 vaccines with 10 lakh dosages was delivered to Nepal after which PM Oli took to Twitter and thanked PM Modi for helping Nepal at the critical time when India is rolling out vaccination for its own people.

I thank Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji as well as the Government and people of India for the generous grant of one million doses of COVID vaccine to Nepal at this critical time when India is rolling out vaccination for it's own people. pic.twitter.com/uO7qQpLiSx  K P Sharma Oli (@kpsharmaoli) January 21, 2021

The Nepal Government has arranged to inoculate 72 per cent of its citizens. Nepal has announced that legal and financial preparations for rolling out of vaccine have been completed and everything is set with vaccination drive soon to start in the Himalayan Nation. Earlier, India had provided Nepal with medical equipment, medicines and other logistical support to fight the pandemic.

READ | PM Modi Says 'fight Against COVID Shared Effort' As Mauritius PM Thanks For Vaccine Supply

India's Vaccine Roll out

On January 16, India rolled out a massive Coronavirus vaccination drive under which two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, were administered to its frontline health workers across the country. On January 20, vaccination supplies began with Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles. India fulfils the commitment to use its vaccine production and delivery capacity to help all of humanity fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Bhutan receives 1,50,000 doses of Covisheild vaccine and 100,000 doses to the Maldives. Over 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were provided to Bangladesh and 1 million doses to Nepal. On January 22, India sent a consignment of 1.5 million doses of Covishield vaccine to Myanmar.

READ | India To Gift 2 Million Doses Of COVID Vaccine 'Covishield' To Bangladesh On January 20

Prime Minister Modi has said India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used for the benefit of all humanity to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. He said last week India was ready to do everything possible for a healthy planet and country will continue to strengthen cooperation on healthcare.

READ | Maharashtra Company Claims 'Covishield' Trademark; Files Suit Against Serum Institute
LEXINGTON, Ky., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a letter from Maj. Gen. Michael Davidson, Asst. Chairman Joint Chiefs (Ret.), U.S. Medical Glove Company.

Today President Biden issued an executive order titled "Ensuring the Future Is Made in All of America by All of America's Workers"

This is why I am leading the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars to build "Liberty Glove" project to create the largest domestic network of high-technology nitrile glove factories right here in America.

This will create thousands of American jobs, expanding the industrial base for nitrile examination gloves while using massive budgets created by our tax dollars to develop plant-based polymer examination gloves for the safety of Americans.

Companies like ours at U.S. Medical Glove Company and U.S. Medical Glove Manufacturing Company are depending on the leadership of President Biden to produce critical healthcare products and the machines that make them  and do all of it here in the U.S.A.

We can compete with China in this industry because U.S. raw material costs are comparable, we do not have to pay international shipping costs and the modern production technology creates fewer higher paying jobs at the factory.

We are already underway ordering 25.6 million pounds of American steel, 12.12 miles of high tension 8" wide chain, 576,000 ceramic "hand" formers and plastics, to be used with American sensors and track and trace circuitry to establish five factories that will create more than 1,200 American jobs directly and support another 18,000 jobs indirectly while generating hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. economic activity.

President Biden is correct when he says "We're going to make sure that they buy American and are made in America."

That is why we are building the machines and making the nitrile gloves America needs here in America. We have access to the nitrile, we have the technology and the demand, we simply need to value our own workers -- and do the work. Even better, we can use the demand for this critical but environmentally harmful product to lead the transition to biopolymers that can replace the nitrile and be used across industry for countless applications in marine, aerospace and automotive.

I served in our Armed Forces for decades and I can think of no bigger service for this country today than to lead our effort to bring high-technology manufacturing jobs back to the United States.

I applaud President Biden for his leadership on this critical issue and welcome everyone who can to join us in this critical mission.

Website: usmedicalglove.com

SOURCE U.S. Medical Glove Company

Related Links

https://www.usmedicalglove.com


Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong failed to appeal his two-and-a-half-year jail sentence for bribing ex-President Park Geun-hye by the deadline Monday.

Prosecutors did not appeal either.

"Lee has humbly accepted the court's judgment and decided not to appeal," his lawyer said.

It seems Lee concluded any appeal would be pointless since the Supreme Court already back the case to the Seoul High Court in August 2019.

In a press release, prosecutors said they respects the Seoul High Court's judgment on Jan. 18, saying their "goal of finding the truth in the corruption and bribery scandal [that brought down Park Geun-hye] has been achieved."

Since Lee already served about a year on remand, he has to stay in jail until July 2022 unless he is released early.
More than 49,000 people have managed to get onto Harris Countys new COVID-19 vaccination wait list Tuesday despite technical issues that diminished access for some to the countys website.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgos office said 49,287 people were able to sign up as of 4:30 p.m.

Health officials said there has been an overwhelming amount of people trying to use the website at ReadyHarris.org.

Its down. Its been down. We have had it crash several times, said Martha Marquez, a spokesperson for Harris County Public Health said earlier Tuesday. I know that, as we speak, theyre working on it.

The website launched Tuesday afternoon but quickly ran into trouble. The page that describes the new program is available, but when users go to enroll on the waiting list, some get a Site is under maintenance message. A phone line for the program, (832) 927-8787, also is available. It often presents a busy tone when dialed.

The wait list, a new approach announced Monday, aims to ease the burden on residents by having them enroll for the vaccine once, instead of scrambling to sign up every time the agency announces new appointment availability. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said access to the vaccine should not depend on computer acumen.

The system is supposed to give priority to people depending on which phase of the state distribution plan they fall under, and their age. It will randomize the pool and select individuals for the appointment windows. Those people would have 48 hours to claim their spots.

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience, the health agency wrote on Twitter.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com
NOT FOR RELEASE IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: GLH) (OTCQB: GLDFF) (Golden Leaf or the Company), a premier, consumer-driven cannabis company specializing in production, processing, wholesale, distribution and retail, is pleased to announce that all tranches of its non-brokered private placement (the Non-Brokered Offering) of units (Units), previously announced on December 21, 2020, have now closed. The Company received total subscriptions for gross proceeds of C$3,446,121. Each Unit is 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 C$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. Finder's fees of 5% cash and 5% finders warrants, each such warrant entitling the holder to acquire one Common Share for C$0.06 for a period of 24 months, were paid on certain subscriptions. Insiders have subscribed for a total of approximately C$300,000.

Included in the Non-Brokered Offering were subscriptions from certain directors and officers, who were issued Units at a deemed issue price of C$0.05 in satisfaction of foregone 2020 compensation totaling C$404,528.

In total, six directors and officers have subscribed for a total of C$704,528 or 20% of the offering, demonstrating their confidence in the future of Golden Leaf Holdings.

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 premiere consumer-driven cannabis company specializing in production, processing, wholesale, distribution and retail, with 7 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.

There's nothing worse than treating yourself to a delicious takeaway, only to discover that your chips are soggy when they arrive.

But the days of eating limp fries could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new patch designed to prevent food deteriorating between the restaurant and your door.

The patch sticks to the inside lid of the food container and absorbs condensation, keeping the contents fresh while in transit.

The patches are expected to cost just $2 (1.47) for a pack of 10, suggesting they could offer restaurants a budget-friendly way to keep their customers' food fresh.

Scientists have developed special patches that absorb condensation and keep food fresh while in transit

HOW DO THE PATCHES WORK? Air contains moisture, which condenses out of the air when it reaches 'dew point'  the temperature at which can no longer hold all of its water vapour. This usually means that your takeaway gets covered in liquid water, causing your food to become soggy. To combat this issue, the SAVRpak patches are actually frozen. Its designers explained: 'Following the laws of thermodynamics, the frozen SAVRpak exists at a temperature beneath the dew point and actively draws moisture from the air. 'The ice inside the patch provides extra extraction power, keeping your food fresher without harmful chemicals.' Advertisement

The patches were developed by California-based start-up SAVRpak, and work by removing moisture within takeaway boxes.

On its website, SAVRpak explained: 'Condensation is the enemy of fresh food.

'But all food creates condensation -- whether it's french fries, chicken wings, or salad.

'The patented SAVRpak is a frozen peel-and-stick patch that forces moisture from the air of a container before it converts into condensation. The patch then traps the moisture to keep it away from your food.'

According to the company, the patches can reduce humidity in food containers by up to 45 per cent, keeping food fresh and crisp.

Air contains moisture, which condenses out of the air when it reaches 'dew point'  the temperature at which can no longer hold all of its water vapour.

This usually means that your takeaway gets covered in liquid water, causing your food to become soggy.

To combat this issue, the SAVRpak patches are actually frozen.

Its designers explained: 'Following the laws of thermodynamics, the frozen SAVRpak exists at a temperature beneath the dew point and actively draws moisture from the air.

According to the company, the patches can reduce humidity in food containers by up to 45 per cent, keeping food fresh and crisp

While you might worry that a frozen patch would cause your food to become cold, thankfully SAVRpak reassures that this isn't the case

'The ice inside the patch provides extra extraction power, keeping your food fresher without harmful chemicals.'

While you might worry that a frozen patch would cause your food to become cold, thankfully SAVRpak reassures that this isn't the case.

It added: 'The ice in SAVRpak will not make hot food cold. Simply put, it takes more energy to force vapor out of the air than it does to make ice melt. While SAVRpak reduces humidity, it only lowers the ambient temperature by 5%.'

The patches are already being used by several food distributors and restaurants in San Diego

The patches are already being used by several food distributors and restaurants in San Diego.

Now, SAVRpak plans to trial selling the patches in large shops in the US, such as Walmart and Target.

The company has not yet announced any plans to expand outside of the USA.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th January, 2021) US President Joe Biden considers the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project to be a poor deal for Europe, White House Press Secretary Jan Psaki said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

"The president continues to believe that Nord Stream 2 is a bad deal for Europe," Psaki said of the a joint project between Russia's Gazprom and several European energy giants.

Nord Stream 2 is a planned 745-mile-long twin pipeline that will carry nearly 2 trillion cubic feet of gas annually from Russia to Germany.

The United States is a vocal opponent as it seeks to export more liquefied natural gas to Europe. Construction was suspended a year ago after US sanctions forced Swiss offshore pipeline company Allseas to withdraw from the project, but resumed in December and is expected to take several months to complete.

The German authorities, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, have repeatedly rejected the US extraterritorial sanctions and said they consider Nord Stream 2 to be an economic rather than political project.
Regeneron's coronavirus antibody drug reduces the risk of getting COVID-19 after exposure by 50 percent, early data suggests.

The treatment prevented 100 percent of the 186 people who got the drug after being exposed to coronavirus from developing symptomatic COVID-19.

It comes a week after Eli Lilly said its similar drug prevented 80 percent of nursing home residents from getting COVID-19.

The Regeneron cocktail also reduced overall infection rates - including asymptomatic ones - by about 50 percent.

Both Regeneron's and Eli Lilly's drugs have already been given emergency FDA approval for treating mild to moderate COVID-19, but they've been sorely underutilized.

Regeneron said it would discuss the interim results with health regulators to potentially expand the antibody cocktail's interim approval status to using it as a preventive.

Its drug could also play a third role: While it's not a substitution for vaccine for most people, if the antibody cocktail gets greenlit as a preventive, it might be the next-best-thing for a small subset of people who have bad reactions to vaccines.

Regeneron's antibody cocktail (pictured, in the manufacturing process) cut the risks of developing COVID-19 after exposure by 50% early trial data show. It prevented 100% of symptomatic infections

Regeneron's antibody drug could stand to find a new life.

Both it and Eli Lilly's antibody drug were quickly given emergency FDA approval in November after former President Trump was treated for COVID-19 with Regeneron's therapy, touted it a 'cure' and promised it would be made available to all Americans, for free.

The federal government purchased hundreds of thousands of doses and shipped them to hospitals across the country.

Just before President Biden's inauguration, the Trump administration set aside another $2.6 billion to purchase more of the drugs.

But the drugs have been chronically underutilized.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on January 6 that about 75 percent of doses were unused.

Doctors cited the narrow window of time at the beginning of a COVID-19 infection as complicating the use of the drugs.

Antibody therapies are also given as a one-time IV infusion - it's not a drug you can pick up at the pharmacy and take on your own.

They do reduce risks of hospitalization and death, but hardly rise to the level of 'cures.'

But they could be game-changing post-exposure drugs.

Regeneron's ongoing trial tested its antibody cocktail, REGEN-COV, for use as a passive vaccine, which involves direct delivery of virus-fighting antibodies into the body unlike traditional vaccines in which the receiver's immune system is activated to develop its own antibodies.

During the trial, jointly run by Regeneron and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one death and a COVID-19 related hospitalization were reported among those who received placebo, but there was no such incident in the treatment group, the company said.

'These data using REGEN-COV as a passive vaccine suggest that it may both reduce transmission of the virus as well as reduce viral and disease burden in those who still get infected,' said George Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron.

People who did get infected after receiving the antibody cocktail had lower viral loads and their infections lasted one week. There were only 10 infections among the 186 people who got the IV antibody cocktail.

By comparison, about 40 percent of the infections in the placebo group are lasted three or four weeks.

People who got Regeneron's drug also had viral loads that were about 100-times lower, compared to people who got the placebo.

That's a good sign that not only will viral loads be too low to make the person who got the antibody cocktail sick, they likely won't have enough copies of the virus to shed it and pass it on to others.

Preventing transmission could become particularly critical as more infectious variants emerge around the world and become dominant.

CDC officials suspect the UK 'super-covid' variant - which is about 70 percent more contagious than older forms - could be dominant by March.

It is more infectious, and potentially 30 percent more deadly, but not any less responsive to vaccines, early testing suggests.

Dr Anthony Fauci warned last week that there are some signs that highly infectious variants from South Africa and Brazil may evade antibodies from vaccines, prior infection and even treatments.

It is not yet clear whether Regeneron's drug works against new variants.

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Tuesday said politically immature people had taken the opposition hostage

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2021 ) :Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Tuesday said politically immature people had taken the opposition hostage.

In a series of tweets, the federal minister said serious leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan People's Party should come forward and become alternative leadership.

"Governance, elections and judicial reform were undoubtedly important but who will negotiate with this immature leadership," he questioned.

The government coordinator in the parliament had been asked that the government was requesting, one chief minister was saying that he was not accountable to the government, if we talk about election reforms, they are not ready for it, Chaudhry Fawad said.

The opposition on one-day talks about no-confidence movement, second day about long march and third day resignations. Such a frivolous political leadership was a threat to the future of the country, he added.
Getting the itch to just get away from your home and head out on the next adventure? As American travelers are scouring websites in search of their next travel experience for 2021, there's a unique getaway option right here in Houston that's recently revamped its amenities and design direction.

Only five minutes from Houston's Galleria-Uptown area, newly renovated Grand Tuscany Hotel announced that it's now a part of the WorldHotels Distinctive Collection after quietly launching last year. Early last year, Grand Tuscany Hotel rolled out initial renovations, but operations were soon derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

GET OFF THE GRID: Where Americans want to travel in 2021

"We took a low-profile at that time, because everything was shut down," Grand Tuscany Managing Director Syed Hasan told Chron. "What happened it's a great marriage between us and WorldHotels. It fits the concept of everything WorldHotels believes in. It was a win-win for us."

The upscale hotel currently features 280 guest rooms, which blend modern design and indulgent amenities. The big draw for Texas guests is the hotel's island oasis, which includes a 350-foot lazy river, poolside cabanas and a resort-style pool.

Grand Tuscany Hotel

"The entire structure of the hotel was redone completely," Hasan said. "We've basically added in the courtyarda lazy river, the island oasis, the private cabanas, and a huge greeting space. We've also created some unique designer suites featuring Versace, Gucci and Louis Vuitton furniture."

Hasan said the hotel also designed private home theater suites.

"For staycations, this is an ideal spot. If you want to get away from home and you want a resort atmosphere, this is it," Hasan said.

Grand Tuscany Hotel

If you're a Houston foodie in search of unique ambience, the hotel features four different outlets of fine dining, including the Brasserie Restaurant, the Barista Cafe, Audrey Wine Room and private-dining option Audrey II.

"In fact, Audrey Hepburn is the theme of the fine dining," Hasan said. "It's a facility that really attracts a lot of people, artists."

Hasan added that the hotel is a perfect spot for families.

"It's amazing for families, for leisure. They love to spend time by the pool," Hasan said. "They can spend all of the time by the pool, and then at night, you can have your own private home theater where you can watch movies."
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SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report shows that despite the San Francisco Bay Area's reputation for innovation and prosperity, deep racial inequities are built into the regional economy and disproportionately impact people of color. The report analyzes disaggregated data to identify workforce equity strategies that should be implemented to foster broad economic prosperity.

Advancing Workforce Equity in the Bay Area: A Blueprint for Action, released today by the National Equity Atlas (a partnership between PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute) with the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, ReWork the Bay, Burning Glass Technologies, and JPMorgan Chase, highlights stark realities for workers in the region.

Occupational segregation is stark and the impact of this is widespread. Latinx workers are about 22% of the total area workforce, but more than 67% of building maintenance workers, and just 5% of computer and mathematical jobs. White workers earn more than people or color across every level of education, with the exception of Asian American or Pacific Islander workers with a bachelor's degree, who earn similar median wages to White workers.

Deeply entrenched racial inequity cost the region $348 billion in unrealized GDP in 2018 alone. Inequities in the system are felt by the whole region, and workers of color are bearing the burden.

"Across our national network of employers, workforce development boards, training providers, and community partners, the situation mirrors what this data reveals: Racial inequities are entrenched in all aspects of the workforce system," said Amanda Cage, president and CEO of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions. "To ensure the system works for everyone, we need to start fixing these issues now."

The report offers a robust plan, which centers workers themselves, to build a thriving and inclusive regional workforce:

Establish a worker bill of rights.

Define health and wellness standards to empower workers and incentivize employers.

Develop community-centered economic plans.

Strengthen the social safety net to improve worker benefits.

Include workers' rights training into workforce development programs.

"Our region has generated tremendous wealth, but it has been inequitable. We want everyone, especially underpaid working people, to have jobs that allow them to both benefit from and shape the Bay Area's economy," said Rob Hope, director at Rework the Bay  the local partner of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions.

The report, data, and analysis can be found at https://nationalequityatlas.org/research/workforce-equity-bay-area.

Advancing Workforce Equity in the San Francisco: A Blueprint for Action was developed through a partnership of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, ReWork the Bay, PolicyLink, USC Equity Research Institute, and Burning Glass Technologies, with support from JPMorgan Chase .

SOURCE The National Fund for Workforce Solutions
MIDDLETOWN  While the coronavirus pandemic may be causing myriad difficulties in education, a developing partnership is aiming to help local high school students get a head start on their higher education.

As part of a partnership with the local community college, Middletown public high school students will be able to take courses that will allow them to work toward, or, in some cases, obtain, an associate degree while earning their diploma.

One of the things our community wants to see is dual enrollment between high school and college where students can earn credits from Middlesex Community College simultaneously with equivalent high school classes, according to Superintendent of Schools Michael Conner.

Post-pandemic, students will have the opportunity to take high school classes in-person, and online college courses at night or over the weekend, Conner said. Completion of various classes will knock out some of the prerequisites at the college, he said.

Conner and Middlesex Community College Chief Executive Officer Steven Minkler have been partnering in the effort since November 2017, the CEO said.

The districts second strategic plan, Middletown 2024: Elevating Innovation, Creativity, and Equity, recently was released by the superintendent. It is a vision that will guide the public schools over the next three years, which includes this college course component.

The collaborative agreement will spell out if a student takes this set of courses while theyre in high school, that could get them pretty close to getting an associates degree  if not getting one, Minkler said.

Most associate degrees require obtaining 60 credits  or 20 courses. Thats kind of a tall order for high school students, Minkler said.

Those who earn their two-year degree can transfer to participating universities such as the University of Connecticut to obtain a bachelors degree, Minkler said. Most MxCC students go on to attend Central Connecticut State University, he said.

As long as students are in high school, college credits are free, Minkler said.

You could take a whole blend of classes that would meet the degree requirement at Middlesex, Minkler said. Officials are looking at specific pathways, such as the current business and manufacturing tracts, as well as a soon-to-be developed liberal arts honors major.

The plan is in its final stages, Minkler said. The school district and college are intent on making sure the program is equitable, he said. In the past, it would be a real savvy student or a student getting good guidance from a guidance counselor or parent to push this along. Were trying to make this available for all students, he said.

Some students, if theyre really aggressive, if they take one or two classes at night, they could graduate from Middlesex, Minkler said. For the most part, students enrolled in the program would need to take more courses to earn their associate degree, he said.

The program will be limited to certain majors, such as business, manufacturing and liberal arts.

Our goal is to raise college awareness to have all students succeed in early college experiences. Together, we believe that educational opportunity unlocks economic opportunity, Minkler said.

This will strengthen ties between the college and school district, and provide students with amazing opportunities to get college credit, and advance their educational path, he said.

For information, visit middletownschools.org and mxcc.edu.
Update: Onondaga County and Kinney Drugs will make an announcement about vaccines for seniors at 10:30 a.m. today. Find out how to watch.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Onondaga County plans to launch a pilot pre-registration system for Covid-19 vaccines specifically for seniors, many of whom have been left out of the online rush to sign-up for shots, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said today.

Instead of rushing to get vaccine appointments that disappear quickly, this system would allow more time for people 65 and older in Onondaga County to fill out a form on the internet.

That would create a waiting list, McMahon said today. Then, as the county gets vaccine shipments each week, the county would randomly draw from those names and set up appointments for those seniors.

We know there is a challenge with seniors registering online, he said. This is very emotional for seniors. People are scared and they want their lives back.

The system isnt open yet. McMahon said he hopes to have more details Tuesday -- with a pre-registration site open specifically for seniors.

McMahon said he wants to test this new system this week.

The county is expecting 1,000 more first-shot doses to arrive on Tuesday. Appointments for all eligible residents will open up at the countys existing appointment portal on Thursday. Those 1,000 doses will be administered on Friday.

But hes going to hold some of those slots for seniors using the new, pre-registration system as a test.

Well try this out, he said. Well see if it works better. If not, he said, hell try something else.

The pre-registration system would work even better, he said, if Kinney Drugs participates.

McMahon said hes talking with the chain about future vaccinations at drugs stores, which are meant for seniors. Instead of seniors racing to a website to get a slot at Kinneys, the county would provide the drug stores with a list of randomly selected, pre-registered seniors, McMahon said.

McMahon said hes also working on pre-registering seniors by household, so couples could go together to appointments.

But he cautioned this new system is still being built.

And, he acknowledged, this wont solve all the vaccine worries for now. The demand for vaccine still far outweighs the supply. He estimates about 70,000 in the county of 460,000 now qualify for the vaccine.

So far, the county has administered neary 14,000 first-dose shots at its vaccine site.

The county on Monday also vaccinated 275 people at The Peoples AME Zion Church in Syracuse. Thats part of a state program to bring the vaccine into black and brown communities, which have suffered more deaths proportionately than other groups.

McMahon said he believes that by the end of this week about 10% of county residents will have received a shot. That estimate includes all sites at the Oncenter, the New York State Fairgrounds and participating pharmacies.

Well grind through this, he said.

Got a story idea or news tip youd like to share? Please contact me through email, Twitter, Facebook or at 315-470-2274.
Dubai-based Flydubai has announced that it has temporarily halted passenger services to and from Israel for about a week starting today (January 26), said a report.

This comes after Israel confirmed it will ban foreign airlines from flying in and out of the country in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus infections, said a report in Zawya.

In line with the notice to airmen issued by the authorities in Israel, Flydubai flights from Dubai International to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport have been suspended, a spokesperson told Zawya.

Passengers who are booked to travel on these flights will be offered a refund or the option to rebook to a later date, the spokesperson said.
JACKSON --- On January 15, a trooper with the Tennessee Highway Patrols (THP) Interdiction Plus Unit (IPU) stopped a semi-tractor and trailer for a traffic violation on Interstate 40 at the 101-mile marker in Henderson County. As the trooper was performing a Level II commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety inspection, he discovered possible indicators of criminal activity.

Additional troopers were requested to the scene to assist. As the troopers proceeded with the CMV inspection, discrepancies and irregularities were discovered with the drivers shipping manifest. Continuing with the inspection, troopers entered the semis trailer. Troopers examined several pallets of cargo where they located a pallet that was not indicated on the original shipping manifest. The pallet appeared to be professionally packaged with affixed shipping labels and wrapped with cellophane.

During the inspection, troopers opened 12 undocumented boxes to inspect the contents. The boxes contained 383 pounds of vacuumed sealed marijuana. A smaller box contained 40 pounds of cocaine.

Charges were filed in state court on both the driver David A. Seville, age 25, from Brooklyn, New York and the co-driver Michael J. Blake, age 57, from Jamaica, New York for possession of schedule VI (marijuana) with the intent to deliver. A criminal complaint was filed on both men in federal court for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Day care shortage creates barriers for working parents

With a labor shortage plaguing the state, working parents are ready to fill these positions. The lack of childcare options creates barriers.
New Delhi:

Ivanka Trump, advisor to the US President Donald Trump, on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the latters invitation to lead the U.S. delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India.

Thank you, Prime Minister Modi, for inviting me to lead the U.S. delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India this fall, she tweeted.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a warm invitation to President Donald Trump and his family to visit India.

"I would like to invite you to India, along with your family. And I hope that you will give me the opportunity to welcome you and host you in India," Modi said in his remark.

Thank you, Prime Minister Modi, for inviting me to lead the U.S. delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India this fall. pic.twitter.com/ZNwmTTnGYD  Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) June 27, 2017

Also Read: India, US call on Pak to stop terror attacks launched from its soil, ask to bring perpetrators of Mumbai and Pathankot attacks to justice

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
I guess its not so lonely at the top after all.

Thats my conclusion after outgoing president Donald Trump granted clemency to a Florida eye doctor who is a close friend of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez

Most of the pardons and grants of clemency issued by The Donald had obvious political explanations. But Trump is a Republican and Menendez a Democrat. Why would Trump help the friend of his enemy?

In 2017, eye doctor Salomon Melgen was sentenced to 17 years in prison after he was convicted by a jury in Florida of defrauding Medicare of up to $105 million. Later that year he went on trial in Newark with Menendez as his co-defendant. They faced a laundry list of charges stemming from favors the doctor did for the senator, allegedly in return for political acts.

But the jury hung that laundry list out to dry. That left Menendez free to seek re-election in 2018 and to resume his constant attacks on Trump.

The most recent came on Jan. 12, when he called for Trump to step down immediately because of his role in firing up that crowd that stormed Congress.

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, the senator said.

Yet just eight days later Trump granted clemency to the 66-year-old Melgen.

Among those seeking an explanation was Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen.

Hiaasen scoffed at the White House statement that Trump sprung the senators pal partly because of pleas from a group of Bay of Pigs veterans called Brigade 2506.

The Brigade 2506 letter absurdly claimed that Melgens trial was political revenge for his friendship with Menendez and other Cuban-American leaders who oppose normalizing relations with Havana, Hiaasen wrote. In reality, the doctor was prosecuted for one simple reason: He was a thief who ripped off taxpayers year after year. The evidence against him was mountainous.

Hiaasen also laughed at the notion that Trump freed Melgen out of the goodness of his heart.

We might never find out what really motivated Trump to free a jailed friend of a Democratic foe, but it almost certainly wasnt compassion, Hiaasen concluded.

Another South Florida resident familiar with the case has a different take on why The Donald did what he did.

Tom Anderson has followed this case from its inception back in 2012. Working for a government watchdog group called the National Legal and Policy Center, he uncovered the eye doctors efforts to win a potentially lucrative deal for providing port security to Melgens native country the Dominican Republic.

Menendez ran interference with federal regulators to aid Melgen in his ultimately unsuccessful effort to get that contract. He also helped Melgen out with the feds in his Medicare fee dispute.

Why was a New Jersey senator acting on behalf of a Florida eye doctor? In that trial in Newark, the federal prosecutors argued that Menendez did it because of the favors that Melgen did for him, including a stay at a luxury hotel in Paris as well as numerous trips to the Dominican Republic on Melgens private jets.

The feds produced ample evidence, including blown-up photos of the jets  Melgen had two  as well as testimony from three young women of considerable sightliness whom the senator had aided in immigration proceedings.

But the jury failed to convict. Like others who covered the trial, Id give the credit to Menendez defense attorney Abbe Lowell. Lowell, who is perhaps the pre-eminent inside-the-Beltway defense attorney, did a masterful job of picking apart the governments case to the point where the jury could not agree on a verdict.

At that point, Anderson said, You have a situation where the Trump Justice Department had an opportunity to prosecute Menendez again after the hung jury. But the Trump Justice Department said, Leave this guy alone.

Why would a Republican-run Justice Department let a Democratic politician off the hook?

Perhaps its because of the close relationship Lowell had with the Kushners, Anderson said. In June of 2017, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner hired Lowell to represent him in that inquiry into alleged election interference by the Russians.

And in January of 2018, everything gets dropped for Menendez, Anderson said.

And now everything gets dropped for his one-time co-defendant as well. That might sound confusing  unless youre a Washington insider.

Anyone who knows anything about Washington, D.C., knows that at the end of the day you cant box yourself into a corner, Anderson said. You have to be friends with everyone. Abbe Lowell is that kind of guy.

He certainly was a good friend to Menendez.

Maybe Trump should hire him.
Chandigarh, Jan 26 : Terming the violence perpetrated by certain elements during Tuesday's tractor rally in the national capital as unacceptable, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh urged all the genuine farmers to immediately vacate Delhi and return to the borders, where they had been protesting peacefully for the past two months.

The Chief Minister also ordered a high alert in Punjab amid the tension and violence in Delhi and directed Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta to ensure that law and order in the state is not disturbed at any cost.

Expressing grave concern over the situation, the Chief Minister said the violence was apparently triggered by some people who violated the rules laid down for the tractor rally through mutual agreement between the Delhi Police and the farmers' unions.

It was unfortunate that these elements disturbed the peaceful agitation of the farmers, he said, condemning the incidents that took place at the historic Red Fort and some other key points of the national capital.

Pointing out that the major farmer leaders had already disassociated themselves from the violence, Amarinder Singh said the agitating farmers should immediately vacate the national capital and get back to their camps at the borders, and continue to engage with the Centre to resolve the crisis over the farm laws.

"Shocking scenes in Delhi. The violence by some elements is unacceptable. It'll negate the goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. Kisan leaders have disassociated themselves and suspended the tractor rally. I urge all genuine farmers to vacate Delhi and return to borders," the Chief Minister tweeted.

Amarinder Singh also called upon the farmers to continue to exercise the restraint with which they had conducted their peaceful protest for the past two months on the borders of Delhi, and in Punjab prior to that.

Pointing out that peace had been the hallmark of their agitation, and the reason for the support they had received from across India and the world, the Chief Minister stressed on the need to maintain law and order at all costs.

The protesting farmers swarmed the Red Fort in the heart of the national capital on Republic Day even as the police tried to prevent them from heading towards central Delhi, resulting in violent clashes between the protesters and the police.
The Mission Paani Waterthon, an initiative by News18 and Harpic India is set to bring together some of the biggest celebrities, leaders and changemakers to join hands for an initiative towards saving water and sustaining it for the generations to come. Hosted by Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, the campaign ambassador, the event will emphasise on Paani Ki Kahaani, Bhaarat Ki Zubaani, the theme to raise awareness about water crisis in India.

Kumar, while addressing the people on the need to conserve water, spoke on the many positives of hydrotherapy. The actor, who is a fitness junkie, has often spoken about his rigorous training sessions and he gave a sneak peek into how water helped him recover.

Hydrotherapy or Aquatherapy is a form of activity performed in water to help with rehabilitation and recovery from hard training or serious injury. This has increasingly become a popular form of treatment and exercise for athletes.

Speaking about a difficult time back in the 1990s when he had suffered from slipped disc, the superstar said how hydrotherapy was something that was able to bring him back relief when nothing else worked for him.

The superstar, elaborating on it further, said how while performing a difficult stunt for a film, he had lifted The Undertaker and ended up suffering from slipped disc. When none of the treatment worked, his doctor suggested him to undergo hydrotherapy. Explaining the process, the actor said, "The process entails working out in the water. Be it running, walking or any form of exercise, hydrotherapy involves working out in the water. What happens in this case is that the water pulls away the impact of the exercise and the buoyancy of water reduces the stress of bearing weight on one's body."

Kumar added that one can perform exercise such as these in swimming pools or in any water body. He also spoke about a recent addition to his work out equipment, a water treadmill. Elaborating on the same, the actor showed a short clip of himself running inside the treadmill and also explained how the water that he uses in the exercise can be stored, cleaned and reused for upto 3-4 months, thus ensuring minimum wastage of water.
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The Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
An independent investigation into mother and baby homes will be carried out, the Executive has today agreed.

The move follows todays publication of the research report on historical Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries between 1922 and 1990.

Last week the Derry News published the story of Donegal man Mark McCollum, who was a Mother and Baby Home adoptee, and spoke of his lifelong search for his Derry mother Kathleen McGuire.

Her identity was hidden from him for decades and Mark was told his mother was from Belfast.

When he finally found out her surname and that she was in fact from Derry, it was too late, she had died in the years prior in a nursing home in England.

Yesterday, ahead of the publishing of the report, Mark stood at Free Derry Corner where his mother's name now dawns the wall as a stark reminder of the 'cold and uncaring' treatment she received.

The extensive research was undertaken by a team of academics from Queens University Belfast and Ulster University. It gives an account of individual and collective experiences of the institutions and highlights the need for further examination of a number of important issues, including adoption and infant mortality rates.

Ministers have agreed that the independent investigation should be shaped by survivors through a co-design process, which will be facilitated by experts and completed within six months.

First Minister Arlene Foster said: This is an important day for women and children who were resident in Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries.

The report documents the experiences of survivors and crucially allows their voices to be heard, when they have been silenced for far too long. I want to pay tribute to all those women, and their now adult children, who provided their personal testimony for this research.

It is with deep regret that I acknowledge the pain of those experiences and the hurt caused to women and girls who did nothing more than be pregnant outside of marriage, some of them because they were victims of criminal acts. It was shameful how so many of these women were treated. The accounts of cold and uncaring treatment are truly harrowing; and the separation of mothers from their children a terrible legacy.

Many unanswered questions remain and we want to work with victims and survivors to ensure they are supported in the right way. In moving forward, we must recognise the sensitivity of these issues and respect the rights and wishes of each individual. But today we give a commitment to survivors, that you will be silenced no more.

Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said: The research report into Mother and Baby homes and Magdalene Laundries is a difficult read, but an important step towards addressing the harm caused to survivors and the pain they have endured. It gives a sad and troubling insight into the lived experiences of the thousands of women and girls, and their now adult children, who suffered in these institutions.

The harsh treatment of these women was cruel, unjust and inhumane. As a mummy, my heart breaks for the women and girls who did no wrong, whose rights were ignored and whose children were so cruelly taken from their arms. For those children who never knew their mothers, who for too long have been kept in the dark. They were failed on every level and we cannot allow them to be failed any longer.

While we can never make up for what they have been through, we must do all we can to ensure that survivors voices are heard, to support them and where possible, give them answers, information and recognition. This research report is just the first step. We now need to move swiftly on with a further independent investigation. We recognise how sensitive this issue is and how raw the pain still felt by all who suffered. We must move forward carefully and respectfully and ensure that at all times the voices of those survivors and their now adult children are at the centre of this process. They will shape how it progresses.

Health Minister Robin Swann said: I welcome the publication of the report and commend the research teams for their diligent work in carrying out the research. It not only gives us a sorrowful insight into the experiences of the women who were resident in these institutions, but increases our understanding of the devastating impact their treatment had on the rest of their lives.

As a society, all of us should strive to protect and care for those who are vulnerable. That is not what happened to women and girls in Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries. They were stigmatised and cast into institutions where they often endured harrowing, emotionally-damaging experiences; their voices were silenced and their wishes ignored.

In light of the findings of the research and the gaps it highlights, the Executive has agreed to undertake a further independent investigation into these institutions in partnership with survivors. This will be a further step towards meeting survivors needs.

To any survivor, woman or child, who is experiencing trauma or emotional distress, help is available and I would urge you to reach out and get support if you need it.

The research report has been published and is available at: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/ publication-research-report- mbhml

Research  key findings

The research was commissioned by the Executives Inter-Departmental Working Group on Mother and Baby Homes, Magdalene Laundries and Historical Clerical Child Abuse.

It examined eight Mother and Baby Homes, a number of former workhouses and four Magdalene Laundries.

The research found that around 10,500 women were admitted to Mother and Baby institutions and around 3,000 women were admitted to Magdalene Laundries here between 1922 and 1990  the period covered by the research.

The last Mother and Baby institution closed in 1990; the last Magdalene Laundry in 1984.

Mother and baby institutions

There were strong similarities with the experience of women examined in the recent report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, although there were a number of key differences.

There was stigma attached to pregnancy outside of marriage.

Women and girls were admitted by families, doctors, priests and state agencies.

They were required to undertake tough chores late into pregnancy.

They had little preparation for childbirth and some had cold and castigating birth experiences.

Many women and girls were separated from their children by placing them in childrens homes, boarding them out (fostering) or through adoption.

There was also the issue of the cross-border movement of women and children into and out of these institutions.

Some questions about adoption and infant mortality rates remain unanswered and will require further examination.

Magdalene Laundries

Women and girls entered by a number of routes, including from Mother and Baby institutions.

There is evidence of some admissions triggered by the circumstances of our past.

Girls and women were given class names and there was a greater number of children (under 18s) in the laundries than the Hart Inquiry was able to identify.

Work was carried out without pay and some women spent a lifetime in a laundry, died and were buried from there.

Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 48F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 48F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
The logo and building of the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, 15 April 2020 (reissued 21 January 2021). US President Joe Biden in the first hours in office signed several executive orders reversing policies of his predecessor including on the coronavirus pandemic, the Paris climate agreement and Trump's controversial border wall. / EPA-Yonhap



The World Health Organization (WHO) issued fresh clinical advice on Tuesday for treating COVID-19 patients, including those displaying persistent symptoms after recovery, and also said it advised using low-dose anti-coagulants to prevent blood clots.



"The other things in the guidance that are new are that COVID-19 patients at home should have the use of pulse oximetry, that's measuring the oxygen levels, so you can identify whether somewhat at home is deteriorating and would be better off having hospital care," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a U.N. briefing in Geneva.



The WHO advised clinicians to put patients into the awake prone position, on their front, shown to improve the oxygen flow, she said.



"Also we recommend, we suggest the use, of low-dose anti-coagulents to prevent blood clots forming in blood vessels. We suggest the use of lower doses rather than higher doses because higher doses may lead to other problems," Harris said.



She added that a WHO-led team of independent experts, currently in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where the first human cases were detected in December 2019, is due to leave quarantine in the next two days to pursue its work with Chinese researchers on the virus origins.



She declined to commment on reports of delays in roll-out of vaccines in the European Union. She said she had no specific data and the WHO's priority was for health workers in all countries to be vaccinated in the first 100 days of the year.



AstraZeneca, which developed its shot with Oxford University, told the EU on Friday it could not meet agreed supply targets up to the end of March. (Reuters)



"Each of these local organizations contribute to our city and I encourage everyone to consider donating..." --Mike Bracchi, Wilton Manors City Commissioner

Mike Bracchi was elected to the Wilton Manors City Commission in November, 2020 with overwhelming support from residents throughout the city. Although a first-time political candidate, Bracchi quickly became the front-runner. He had one of the largest kick-off events in Wilton Manors history and outraised the other candidates by more than 3:1. Ultimately, Bracchi garnered support from throughout the city and came in first place in all six precincts.

Candidates have 90 days after the election to disburse any unspent funds. Options include returning donations to the donors on a pro-rated basis, donating the unused funds to a 501(c)(3) non-organization, or moving the money into an office account that can be used during the length of the commission term.

Unlike many candidates who transfer the unused funds into an office account, Bracchi decided the right thing to do was to donate any remaining monies to four local non-profit organizations. It just did not feel right holding on to the campaign contributions when so many organizations are in need of funding, Bracchi stated.

Bracchi donated funds to the Wilton Manors Historical Society, Wilton Manors Friends of the Library, Wilton Manors Sculpture Walk, and to the South Florida Audubon Society.

Each of these local organizations contribute to our city and I encourage everyone to consider donating to these organizations, Bracchi stated. Although the South Florida Audubon Society is not located in the island city, they have a maintenance agreement with one of Wilton Manors beautiful parks, M.E. DePalma park, named after a local resident.

More about Mike Bracchi

Bracchi is an attorney and Shareholder in the Florida Probate Law Firm, PLLC. He obtained a number of degrees including a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from St. Johns University in 2002, a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), and an M.S. in Business Management and Leadership. After practicing law for several years, Bracchi held a number of management and executive roles with hospitals and health systems.

Bracchi ultimately returned to his roots and is currently practicing law. He also serves as an Arbitrator with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and previously was an Arbitrator with the New York City Court  Small Claims Division.
U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna said Monday its COVID-19 vaccine appears to produce virus-neutralizing antibodies against new variants of the coronavirus found in Britain and South Africa.

In a statement, the company said it conducted studies to ensure the two-dose regimen of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is protective against emerging strains of the virus detected to date.

The company says it will continue a clinical strategy to proactively address the pandemic as the virus continues to evolve, including testing the effectiveness of an additional booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine.

That news comes a day after U.S. health officials said they are increasing efforts to track several COVID-19 variants emerging as the virus continues to spread throughout the world. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Rochelle Walensky said in an interview Sunday the plan is to monitor "the impact of these variants on vaccines, as well as on our therapeutics."

She said the CDC was collaborating with the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, as well as the Pentagon, in tracking the coronavirus mutations.

The White House also said Sunday it is ready to restrict entry of non-U.S. citizens traveling to the U.S. from South Africa because of concerns about the highly contagious coronavirus variant that has emerged there.
Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially this evening. Low near 75F. SSW winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially this evening. Low near 75F. SSW winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

James was been the property manager at Augustana Lutheran Church for the past 10 years, Pastor Charles Strietelmeier said in 2018 but had been less involved over the prior year due to personal issues.
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Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Satellite Manufacturing Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Satellite Manufacturing Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Satellite Manufacturing market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Satellite Manufacturing market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Satellite Manufacturing market is projected to expand at a CAGR of more than 10% over the period of forecast.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints& Opportunity of the Market:

Satellites are artificial objects that are placed in the orbit around the earth and other planets for the purpose of telecommunication. Satellites are utilized for providing number of products and services such as broadcast, VSAT services or trunking, mobile voice, broadband internet access, TV services and data among others. The implementation of satellite technology in developed countries IS high owing to the growing demand for digital content. However, the demand is slowly growing in the developing countries.

Request for Report Sample: https://datainsightspartner.com/request-for-sample?ref=227

The global satellite manufacturing market is driven by number of factors. One of the primary drivers for the market is the increasing market for commercial satellite. This is due to the increase in internet and wireless use of satellites. The other major driver is the increasing need for satellites in the defense industry. Despite of the presence of number of drivers, the demand of the global satellite manufacturing market is mired by various challenges. One of the key restraints is the decreasing government funding for space based research. This is largely due to the slowdown in the economic growth of the many developed countries, in particular Europe. Another serious challenge is the inevitable need to impose space debris related set of laws.

Although there are several challenges, the global satellite manufacturing market is expected to witness reasonable growth due to the existence of some trends that could affect the market positively during the forecasted period. One of the trends is the increasing demand for HTS and high power due to the increasing demand for internet connectivity and broadband internet.

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the global Satellite Manufacturing market encompasses market segments based on application, and country.

In terms of application, the Satellite Manufacturing market is segregated into:

Communication satellite

Military Surveillance

Navigation Satellite

Earth Observation Satellite

Others

By country/region, the global Satellite Manufacturing market has been divided into:

North America (the U.S., Canada)

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries)

Europe (Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, and other countries)

Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand and other countries)

Middle East and Africa (GCC, South Africa, Israel and Other countries).

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as

Lockheed Martin Corp.

Boeing,

Orbital Sciences Corp.

APCO Technologies SA.

Indian Space Research Organization

Thales Group

NASA

Other players have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Advanced Driving Assistance Services related investment & spending and developments by major players of the market are tracked in this global report.

Report Highlights:

In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2017-2027. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players.

Get Request for Table of Contents: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/satellite-manufacturing-market/227#content

Salient Features:

 This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Satellite Manufacturing Market , size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2019  2027, taking into account 2018 as the base year

 It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market

 This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, launch of new products, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook

 Profiling of key market players in the world Satellite Manufacturing Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview

 Leading market players covered this report comprise names such as NASA, Boeing, ISRO

and others

 The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of products, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation

 The world market for Satellite Manufacturing caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Satellite Manufacturing market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

 Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports

 Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation

 Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion

Reasons to buy:

v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Satellite Manufacturing Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Satellite Manufacturing Market

v Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data

v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential

v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events

v Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects

Full View of Report Description: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/satellite-manufacturing-market/227
MUMBAI : Overseas investment by domestic firms fell by over 42% to $1.45 billion in December 2020, according to Reserve Bank data.

In the year-ago period, companies in India had invested $2.51 billion in their foreign firms (joint ventures / wholly-owned units).

In November 2020, the total outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) was of $1.06 billion, down by 27% from a month ago period.

Of the total FDI investment by the Indian companies during the month under review, $775.41 million was in the form of equity infusion and $382.91 million was in the form of loan.

Investment of $287.63 million was in the form of issuance of a guarantee, as per the data.

Among major investors, ONGC Videsh Ltd invested a total of $131.85 million in joint ventures and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Myanmar, Russia, Vietnam, Colombia, British Virgin Islands among others.

Intas Pharmaceuticals invested $75.22 million in a wholly-owned subsidiary in the UK and Tata Consultancy Services invested $27.77 million in a wholly-owned unit in Ireland.

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Joining Network18's Mission Paani Waterthon, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari pointed to the Buldhana model of water conservation.

"It helped solve water problem of 152 villages," he said.

He added that while soil was obtained for construction of the highway, the goal of water conservation was also attained with minimal cost in Maharashtra's drought-prone Buldhana.

Buldhana receives less rainfall and faced shortage of water. But with this model in 2019, farmers of 152 villages benefited as it helped recharge the ground water.

Soil was extracted from rivers, nullahs and other natural and man-made water bodies in and around the area where water the new highway was being constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Working in collaboration with a teams of PWD engineers, the water holding capacity of these water bodies was increased.

A total of 5,510 TCM (thousand cubic meters) storage capacity was created, benefiting around 152 villages, Gadkari informed.

He was speaking at the Mission Paani Waterthon. Mission Paani Waterthon is an initiative by News18 and Harpic India to bring together some of the biggest celebrities, leaders and changemakers to join hands for an initiative towards saving water and sustaining it for the generations to come.

Hosted by Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, the campaign ambassador, the event emphasises on Paani Ki Kahaani, Bhaarat Ki Zubaani, the theme to raise awareness about water crisis in India.

Gadkari said such a model of water conservation will definitely help resolve the water crisi of parched districts in Maharashtra like Vidharba. "India faces water crisis, but there is no water shortage," he said, adding that there is a need for awareness on water conservation.

You can contribute to the cause by taking a Jal Pratigya. Visit www.news18.com/mission-paani

Watch the Waterthon LIVE here.
Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad said the ministry has been working on developing a general framework for the national strategy for climate change to incorporate it into the sectoral labor training plans of other ministries.

In a report released Monday, Fouad gave an overview of the ministry's achievements over the past two years, including extended efforts and climate change projects undertaken by the ministry since 2018 to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, whether at the national or global levels.

Prominent among these efforts is the completion of a three-phase project to develop an interactive map for Egypt's vulnerability to climate change, which is being carried out in cooperation with the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) and the National Water Research Center (NWRC) of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the minister said.

The project aims to assist decision-makers in identifying areas vulnerable to climate change in such a manner that could affect the state's development projects, taking measures necessary to deal with this risk and facilitating access to climate change adaptation funds offered by relevant international bodies, Fouad pointed out.

Other projects include one funded by the Green Climate Fund to "Enhance Climate Change Adaptation in the North Coast and Nile Delta Regions," in cooperation with the irrigation ministry, and the "Renewable Energy Financing Framework" project that will support Egypt in meeting its target of 20% renewable energy generation by 2022.

Fouad also shed light on the Transforming Financial Systems for Climate in Egypt project, implemented in collaboration with the French Development Agency (AFD) to provide technical support to small and medium-sized businesses at a cost of 150 million.

The report also highlighted Egypt's contributions to international climate negotiations, including its co-chairmanship of a ministerial high-level dialogue on climate finance during the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) hosted by Poland in December 2018.

Egypt also co-led the "Resilience and Adaptation Coalition" at the 2019 Climate Change Summit in September 2019 with the UK, the minister pointed out.

Short link:


A Cabinet minister walked out of an acrimonious breakfast television on Monday, branding it "insulting".

Therese Coffey turned off her camera after a back-and-forth with Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan over the UK's high coronavirus death toll.

The work and pensions secretary had told the presenter that the UK's awful death rate from Covid-19 was because it had an obesity problem and an older population.

When Mr Morgan suggested she was saying the public was "too old" and "too fat", the minister replied: "I think that's a very insulting thing that you've just said."

She added: "I also have to point out that you started this interview late. Unfortunately I have to go to other broadcasters as well, and I wish we had more time."

The presenter responded: "I haven't interviewed you since May, so you can come back any time.

"It was you that boycotted the programme. Please don't play the 'we haven't given you enough time' card, because we gave you eight months and you didn't turn up."

But Ms Coffey moved to turn off her camera, concluding: "I'm sorry Piers, I'm going to have to go to another broadcasters. Piers, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to go. You've already had 20 minutes of my time, I appreciate your time as well."

The government has had an acrimonious relationship with Good Morning Britain in recent years, at time refusing to send ministers to ITV's flagship news programme because of Mr Morgan's combative interview style.

In November Downing Street lifted its boycott of the programme, sending Matt Hancock onto the show after a 201-day absence.
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Health officials are still figuring out the source of the UK variant that reached the mountainous town of Bontoc.

Dr. Alethea de Guzman, medical specialist IV of the Health Department's Epidemiology Bureau, on Tuesday said there is no strong evidence yet to conclude that the traveler from the United Kingdom is the source of the UK variant that infected 11 residents in Bontoc, Mountain Province.

The patient tested positive for COVID-19, but he was not found with the B.1.1.7 variant that is more transmissible. But de Guzman said all 11 cases are linked to him.

"We are not yet concluding that he is the source of infection or the index case... Nakikita natin na naka-link sa kanila ang cases [We can see that the cases are linked to him]," she said in a media briefing.

The traveler arrived in Manila from the UK on Dec. 11 and tested negative for COVID-19 the next day. He reached Bontoc on Dec. 14 and traveled to Sagada on Dec. 21. During the holiday break, he attended a Christmas party and a cultural ritual. On Dec. 27, he complained of abdominal pain  a COVID-19 symptom. He was confirmed to have COVID-19 on Dec. 29.

DOH confirmed there is local transmission of the UK variant in Bontoc, but stressed there is no community transmission yet. To declare a community transmission, there should be several cases coming from different clusters and the source of infection can no longer be traced.

Bontoc has the highest number of cases of the UK variant in the country, accounting for 12 of the 17 cases. Children aged 5, 6, and 10 were infected. At least 34 close contacts of the Bontoc cases contracted COVID-19: six were cleared of the new variant, while the samples of 28 patients have yet to be submitted to the Philippine Genome Center for review.

Experts said the UK variant spreads up to 70% quicker than other variants. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that while data is not conclusive, "there is some evidence that the new variant may be associated with a higher degree of mortality."

Mass testing

Following the surge of COVID-19 cases in Bontoc, free mass testing will be conducted in Barangays Samoki, Tocucan, Bontoc Ili, Poblacion, and Caluttit until Thursday. These barangays are under enhanced community quarantine until month-end.

Frontliners, business owners and their employees, tricycle drivers and operators, uniformed personnel and all government workers from these areas will be tested for free. Mayor Franklin Odsey also ordered the testing of barangay officials, members of barangay health emergency and response teams, barangay peacekeeping action team, senior citizens, persons with comorbidities and pregnant women.

Odsey said the free tests are the local government's strategy to stop the spread of the virus.

There are 421 active cases in Mt Province as of Jan. 24, majority of the cases are recorded in the capital town of Bontoc with 278 active cases, followed by the town of Sabangan with 58 active cases and Bauko with 26.

CNN Philippines' stringer Lauren Anuma contributed to this report.

Germany is considering slashing air travel to 'almost zero' as queues build up at border checkpoints.

Chancellor Angela Merkel told her parties' legislators she did not want a travel ban, but with the pandemic raging this winter there should be no tourism, sources said.

Interior minister Horst Seehofer earlier told the Bild newspaper Merkel had asked him to examine ways of limiting the scope for mutant variants to enter Germany.



Measures considered included closing borders with regions where the new variants were more prevalent and reducing the number of flights to almost zero.

It comes as long queues of vehicles formed at the Czech-German frontier on Monday as tighter restrictions for travel into Germany came into force.

Chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured today) told her parties' legislators she did not want a travel ban, but with the pandemic raging this winter there should be no tourism, sources said

Cross-border workers wait for Covid-19 antigen testing at parking lot in Folmava, Czech-Germany border on Monday

Passengers check the flight board in a terminal at the international airport in Frankfurt, Germany, today

Long queues of vehicles formed at the Czech-German frontier on Monday as tighter restrictions for travel into Germany came into force

Seehofer (pictured last week) told Bild: 'The risk posed by these virus mutations demands of us that we consider even drastic measures'

Merkel told legislators: 'To the extent possible, no tourist travel should be taking place.'

Merkel has repeatedly called for tourism to be curtailed during the pandemic, with mixed success.

Seehofer told Bild: 'The risk posed by these virus mutations demands of us that we consider even drastic measures.

'They include stricter border controls, especially at frontiers with high-risk regions, but also a reduction of air traffic to Germany to almost zero, as Israel is currently doing.'

Cross-border workers voiced frustration between the Czech Republic and Germany as tighter restrictions for travel into the latter came into force.

At the Folmava-Furth im Wald border post - where the Iron Curtain once separated East and West - tempers flared as people waited around two hours to cross what is now an internal EU border.

'It's cold and it's snowing and there aren't even any toilets,' Yveta Haladova, a Czech nurse working in Germany said.

Cross-border workers wait in front of a Covid-19 antigen testing point at the Czech-German border in Horni Folmava near Ceska Kubice, Czech Republic, on Monday

The car park at the border was full and 150 cars could be seen in the queue to cross. A centre for carrying out antigen tests had been hastily set up in a customs building

As the Czech Republic is now classed as high risk by Germany because of an elevated infection rate, anyone arriving must show a negative coronavirus test result

Cross-border workers wait for Covid-19 antigen testing at parking lot in Folmava, Czech-Germany border, on Monday

'It's difficult for everyone, including my employer, because we do not know how long this is going to last,' she said.

The car park at the border was full and 150 cars could be seen in the queue to cross. A centre for carrying out antigen tests had been hastily set up in a customs building.

'I've just had my test and I'm waiting for the result, which should arrive by SMS or email,' said Lukas Kottnauer, an auto industry worker.

'It's very annoying, especially since we are going to have to test every 48 hours.'

As the Czech Republic is now classed as high risk by Germany because of an elevated infection rate, anyone arriving must show a negative coronavirus test result.

In the case of people crossing the border into the German state of Bavaria like those at the Folmava border post, the test must have been taken within the past 48 hours - meaning that commuters will need to take a test every other day.

Tens of thousands of Czech regularly travel to Germany for work, many of them in healthcare.

In the case of people crossing the border into the German state of Bavaria like those at the Folmava border post, the test must have been taken within the past 48 hours - meaning that commuters will need to take a test every other day

Tens of thousands of Czech regularly travel to Germany for work, many of them in healthcare

At the border control, German police officer Gerhard Bauemler voiced frustration at people not respecting social distancing and smoking in the queue to get tested

Bavaria plans to open more rapid test centres at various border crossing points, according to local media

Medical worker Nikole Dzamova said she had been waiting for about an hour and a half.

'I don't know if I'll get into work on time. It really complicates my life because I go back and forth every day,' she said.

Miroslava Jozova, who works in an electronics factory, said she was considering an offer from her company to provide her with lodging in Germany.

'But that is just not possible for anyone with young children that has to go back to Czech Republic every day,' she said.

At the border control, German police officer Gerhard Bauemler voiced frustration at people not respecting social distancing and smoking in the queue to get tested.

Bavaria plans to open more rapid test centres at various border crossing points, according to local media.

In the neighbouring German state of Saxony, the rule has been relaxed to allow workers to undergo tests twice a week on the German side, before starting work.


PITTSBURGH, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "I always had to bend when pushing my children in the stroller," said an inventor, from Evanston, Ill. "I thought there could be a more comfortable way, so I invented the BRAND ADJUSTABLE STROLLER HANDLE. My design helps to reduce strain on the back when pushing a stroller or wheelchair."

The invention provides a more comfortable way to push a stroller or wheelchair. In doing so, it eliminates the need to stoop or hunch over handles that are too short. As a result, it enables the user to walk with a natural, full stride and it enhances comfort and control. The invention features a user-friendly design that is adjustable, convenient and easy to use so it is ideal for parents with young children, individuals who utilize wheelchairs and healthcare facilities. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.

The original design was submitted to the Chicago sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 19-CKL-1397, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp

Related Links

http://www.inventhelp.com


Classes in the Wilkes County Schools will start on Aug. 23 and end on May 25 in 2021-22 as a result of a calendar approved by the Wilkes Board of Education on Feb. 1.
Michigan Teachers Chosen As State Finalists for Presidential Teaching Award

Michigan Teachers Chosen As State Finalists for Presidential Teaching Award

Martin Ackley, Director of Public and Governmental Affairs 517-241-4395 Education

January 26, 2021

LANSING  Three Michigan educators have been selected as state finalists for the 2020 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the Michigan Department of Education announced today.

Amanda Barbour, Discovery Elementary, Kentwood Public Schools, K-6 Science

Stephanie Phillips, Emma Murphy Elementary, Lapeer Community Schools, K-6 Mathematics

Bridget Zahradnik, Parkview Elementary, Novi Community Schools, K-6 Science

The PAEMST program is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The selections are usually made in June but, due to the pandemic, the process was pushed back until now.

Michigan and its students are fortunate to have so many dedicated and talented teachers, said State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. We salute our three great educators and wish them the best of luck at the national level this year.

Each year, a national committee of prominent mathematicians, scientists, mathematics/science education researchers, district level personnel, and classroom teachers recommends up to 108 teachers to receive PAEMST awards.

Up to two teachersmathematics or sciencefrom each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Territories as a group (comprising American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and schools operated in the United States and overseas by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) receive the award.

Teachers who are selected as PAEMST awardees receive a trip to Washington, D.C., where they attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities. They also receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation and a presidential certificate, and join an elite cohort of award-winning teachers who support and promote state/jurisdiction and national science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching.

Nominations for the 2021 PAEMST program are currently open PAEMST website. The 2021 program year is open to educators who primarily teach STEM subjects to students in grades 7-12.

For more information, please visit the website or contact Michigan program coordinator Josh Roesner at RoesnerJ1@Michigan.gov.
The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost.
Small Press Distribution has hired a workplace investigation and mediation firm following allegations of wage and discrimination issues by current and former employees. The move is the first in a series of steps that were promised earlier this month by the board of the Berkeley-based non-profit book distributor.

In an announcement to employees, SPDs board said the company has picked Oppenheimer Investigations Group to conduct a full review of SPD's practices. The board members emphasized the neutrality of OIGs mandate.

There is absolutely no expectation or directive about the course their findings may take, the board wrote, Although they are a law firm, their focus is not litigation; rather they act exclusively in a neutral capacity, helping organizations through difficulties like ours. OIGs role is not as an advocate for SPD management or their interests. The goal is simple, to objectively assess the facts.

This week, OIG is conducting voluntary one-on-one interviews with employees. Information from those interviews will be anonymized and incorporated in a report that will include findings and recommendations. SPD has committed to sharing that report with all employees.

Allegations of wage theft first appeared online in early December, when a former employee posted an anonymous Medium piece detailing two instances in which the company underpaid them to the tune of $4,000. The revelations gave way to an acrimonious back-and-forth in which current and former employees charged that SPDs executive director, Brent Cunningham, presided over a toxic and exploitative work environment. The California Department of Industrial Relations is looking into the initial complaint.

In early January, board president Alan Bernheimer expressed sympathy for concerns raised by employees, along with an eagerness to verify complaints and overhaul the organizational structure of SPD. But Bernheimer also said that the company could not move as swiftly as demanded by the employees, pointing to the holidays as one impediment to bringing an outside firm on board to provide a review.

OIG is poised to make up for that lost time, with the report due by the end of February at latest. In their letter, the board wrote that, The conclusions reached in the assessment will be the basis for mediation, conflict resolution, and any actions by the board.

"The board knows we need to rebuild trust given the time that its taken," Bernheimer told PW. Part of that rebuilding will occur when the report is issued and a restorative process begins between staff and management. At that time, SPD will take up long-term issues, including any changes to the the company's organizational structure. "We will definitely look at the org chart question, and that may be an issue for the mediation and conflict resolution stage, because that really needs to be a discussion amongst all of us, the board and the staff," Bernheimer said.

Among the actions SPD has already committed to is an expansion of the board itself. That promise was reiterated in the letter, in which board members solicited suggestions from employees for candidates who reflect new voices with expertise on social justice and the modern workers movement.

Jacob Smullyan, publisher of Sagging Meniscus Press, said that an overhaul within the company would be a welcome sign to publishers like his, which are distributed by SPD. I think there are other symptoms of the [workplace] problems in the organization, especially in the functionality it delivers. There is a mismatch between the model they have and the actual needs of the presses they serve.

For that reason, Smullyan said the OIG review was a positive sign, but that he wants to see where it leads. The key metric will be...what does the staff think about this process, Smullyen said.

This article has been updated with a corrected spelling of Jacob Smullyan's name.
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- L'Occitane, Inc. ("L'Occitane" or the "Company"), a leading U.S. retailer of beauty and well-being products rich in natural and organic ingredients that preserves and celebrates the traditions of Provence, today announced that it has taken action to further accelerate a transformation already well underway to best position its business for the future. With its iconic global brand and highest quality offerings beloved by many, L'Occitane has successfully evolved its business model to serve customers nationwide across multiple channels. The initiative announced today will allow the Company to create a sustainable U.S. store platform for the long term.

To implement this store footprint optimization plan, including the contemplated exit of unprofitable locations, the Company commenced a voluntary case under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. The filing does not include the L'OCCITANE en Provence brand or any operations outside the U.S.; parent company L'Occitane International S.A. ("Group"); or any other Group subsidiaries, including ELEMIS and LimeLife.

Boutiques Open; Ample Liquidity to Support Ongoing Operations Across All Channels

L'OCCITANE en Provence boutiques across the country are open and operating safely in accordance with all applicable COVID-related guidelines. The Company has ample liquidity to support ongoing operations across all channels and fulfill commitments to its valued employees, customers, and suppliers in the ordinary course during the restructuring of its U.S. store lease portfolio, which it anticipates completing in short order.

Transformation Well Underway to Achieve Iconic Brand's Full Potential in U.S.

Despite L'Occitane's success in advancing its strategy, including dramatic year-over-year growth in online sales, its business continues to be impacted by disproportionately high store rent obligations that are no longer tenable. The Company determined that a Chapter 11 process was the necessary path to right-size its brick-and-mortar presence following repeated endeavors to engage with its landlords to address unmanageable store lease terms.

"Today's action is a pivotal step forward in achieving the full potential of L'Occitane's U.S. business," said Yann Tanini, Managing Director of L'Occitane North America. "Over the past year, we have moved aggressively to address COVID-related challenges head on, developing innovative new ways to connect with our community and continue to deliver the extraordinary L'Occitane beauty experience that our customers know and love, all while accelerating the essential transformation of our store footprint already underway. We look forward to working collaboratively with our landlords to achieve partnerships that make economic sense in this current retail environment and best position our marquee brand's boutique offering for years to come."

Mr. Tanini added, "Just like in L'Occitane's other markets around the world, we look forward to continuing to serve our loyal clients here in the U.S. in our boutiques, online, and through our amazing team of passionate beauty advisors. As always, L'Occitane is focused on creating a delightful and personalized customer experience, and we will continue to develop innovative products with unique benefits. Our unwavering commitment to sustainability and ambition to make a positive impact in the world are stronger than ever. We appreciate the continued support of our employees, community, and partners, and we are excited about the bright future of our U.S. business."

First Day Motions

The Company has filed with the Court a series of customary motions seeking to continue operating its business as usual, allowing for ongoing successful engagement with customers in-store, online, and through L'Occitane's clienteling applications, particularly during this period of continued social distancing. These "first day" motions include requests to continue to pay wages and provide benefits to employees as usual, honor all gift cards in the normal course, and maintain customer policies. The Company intends to continue to pay suppliers in the ordinary course for all goods received and services rendered after the filing, just as it had done prior thereto.

Additional Information

Additional information about L'Occitane's lease portfolio restructuring, including Court filings, is available at https://cases.stretto.com/LOccitane.

Fox Rothschild LLP is serving as legal counsel, RK Consultants LLC is serving as financial advisor, and Hilco Real Estate, LLC is serving as real estate advisor to the Company.

About L'OCCITANE en Provence

Founded by Olivier Baussan more than 40 years ago, L'OCCITANE captures the true art de vivre of Provence, offering a sensorial immersion in the natural beauty and lifestyle of the South of France. From the texture of L'OCCITANE products to the scent, each skincare, body care, and fragrance formula promises pleasure through beauty and well-being  a moment rich in enjoyment and discovery that goes beyond tangible benefits to create a different experience of Provence. L'OCCITANE products are available at usa.loccitane.com and in boutiques throughout the U.S.

Media Contacts

L'OCCITANE en Provence, North America

Ashley Arbuckle, Vice President of Brand Marketing and Wholesale

[email protected]

Kekst CNC

Sherri L. Toub / Wendi Kopsick

[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE LOccitane, Inc.

Related Links

http://usa.loccitane.com


Japanese artist and childrens book author-illustrator Mitsumasa Anno, known for his highly detailed illustrations containing visual tricks, humorous elements, and math concepts, died on December 24. He was 94.

Anno was born March 20, 1926, in Shimane Prefecture, in western Japan. He grew up in Tsuwano, a small town surrounded by mountains, where his talent for drawing and an aptitude for mathematics began to shine, and where his dream of becoming an artist first took root.

In a 1983 Horn Book interview, Anno noted that even as a young boy he had always longed to journey beyond the isolation of his small community. Because my world was cut off from the outside world, first by the mountains and then by the ocean, the desire to go and see what lay on the other side grew stronger, he said. Anno got his first opportunity to leave home and explore when he attended a regional high school where he studied art and drawing. He would later document impressions of his lifes travels in the Journey Book series of wordless picture books, including Annos Journey, which featured images inspired by his 1963 trip to Germany, England, and Scandinavia; Annos Italy; and Annos USA.

Anno served in the Japanese army during WWII. After the war he studied at Yamaguchi Teacher Training College, earning his degree in 1948. He taught math at a Tokyo elementary school for 10 years and during that time developed creative ways to present material to his students using different perspectives. Anno continued working on his art in his spare time until he fully launched his career as a painter in 1961.

Annos passions for mathematics, science, and depicting varying perspectives would all serve as inspiration for his picture books, beginning with Topsy-Turvies: Pictures to Stretch the Imagination (Weatherhill, 1970) Upside Downers: More Pictures to Stretch the Imagination (Weatherhill, 1971) (like all of Annos work, these books were originally published in Japan before being released in translation in the U.S.). Annos Alphabet: An Adventure in Imagination (Crowell, 1975) became a phenomenon in Great Britain, and was so popular that it was being considered for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1974, until the judges learned that the book was originally published in Japan by a Japanese author and was not eligible for the award. Critics praised Annos Mysterious Multiplying Jar (Philomel, 1983) for its clever and deceptively simple portrayal of the concept of factorials. Annos Magic Seeds (Philomel, 1994) presented a history of agriculture and conservation intertwined with math games.

Throughout his career, Anno received numerous honors, citations, and awards for his work internationally, including multiple first prizes for graphic excellence at the Bologna Childrens Book Fair, and having his books selected for the New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year list. In 1984 he received the prestigious international Hans Christian Andersen Medal, which honors authors and illustrators who have made lasting contributions to childrens literature. His art has been exhibited at major galleries and museums in Japan, Canada, Great Britain, and the U.S., and in 2001, the Mitsumasa Anno Museumdesigned by the artist himselfwas established in his honor in his hometown of Tsuwano. At that time, Annos longtime U.S. editor, Ann Beneduce, told PW that Anno is as popular as a pop star. People from all over the country will travel to this museum. Beneduce added, He really wants his museum to be a place where children can come in and try things. He has always been very interested in science and math and in introducing these subjects to kids in an enjoyable way. He sees his museum as an opportunity to do just that, and has even included a planetarium as part of the building.

Reflecting on the many years when she and Anno worked on projects together, Beneduce shared these words of tribute with PW: Anno was a great artist and a great friend. He once stayed in our house and made sketches of dung beetles. I also visited him and his museum in Japan, where he was a national treasure and great host.
View the full Brand Finance US 500 2021 report here

View the full Brand Finance Global 500 2021 report here

Apple has overtaken Amazon and Google to reclaim the title of the world's most valuable brand for the first time since 2016, according to the latest report by Brand Finance  the world's leading brand valuation consultancy. Apple has the success of its diversification strategy to thank for an impressive 87% brand value increase to US$263.4 billion and its position at the top of the Brand Finance US 500 2021 ranking and Brand Finance Global 500 2021 ranking.

Laurence Newell, Managing Director, Brand Finance Americas, commented:

"Steve Jobs' legacy continues to flow through Apple, with innovation built into the brand's DNA. As Apple reclaims the title of the world's most valuable brand from Amazon five years since it last held the top spot, we are witnessing it Think Different once again. From Mac to iPod, to iPhone, to iPad, to Apple Watch, to subscription services, to infinity and beyond."

Tesla races up ranking

The importance of technological innovation as a driving force behind brand value is best exemplified by Tesla (up 158% to US$32 billion), the fastest-growing brand in the Brand Finance US 500 2021 and Brand Finance Global 500 2021 ranking. Emerging unscathed from the various controversies surrounding CEO, Elon Musk, Tesla's market capitalization has grown by an eyewatering US$500 billion over the last year, making it worth as much as the next nine largest automobile manufacturers in the world combined.

AMD leapfrogs ahead

AMD (up 89% to US$2.7 billion) is the fastest growing tech brand, the second-fastest growing brand in the US overall and the biggest mover in the ranking this year, jumping up 186 spots from 473rd to 287th.

Laurence Newell, Managing Director, Brand Finance Americas, commented:

"As artificial intelligence, data centers, 5G technology, IoT, and autonomous vehicles are rapidly growing, semiconductor brands are perfectly positioned to match this growth as demand requires a new era of sensors, memory and chips."

The impressive growth of the AMD brand can be attributed to the highly anticipated upcoming launch of its Ryzen 5000 Mobile series and many other impressive innovations.

Nvidia (up 73% to US$8.1 billion) is the fifth-fastest growing brand in the Brand Finance US 500 2021 ranking, an upward trajectory it plans on continuing through its US$40 billion deal to acquire British chip designer Arm.

From product setbacks and sales delays, to COVID-19 and Apple making its own computer chips, Intel has negotiated a turbulent year. Despite this, the California-based tech multinational has managed to increase its brand value by 16% to US$31.8 billion, placing 19th overall in the US. In a move to remain relevant in an increasingly competitive market, Intel has also undergone a rebranding to better reflect its future goals.

COVID docks cruises

The ongoing global pandemic has strongly impacted the travel and tourism industries, with cruises being at the helm. Cruises disappear from the Brand Finance US 500 2021 ranking for the first time ever, with Royal Caribbean International (down 90% to US$494 million) dropping 631 spots from 169th to 800th, and Norwegian Cruise Line (down 98% to US$49 million) dropping 1,159 spots to 1,439th overall.

Long haul problems for aviation

A clear impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, US-based airlines have decreased in brand value across the board, with Boeing (down 40% to US$13.6 billion) among the top ten fastest falling brands for 2021. Following suit, American Airlines (down 40% to US$5.3 billion), United Airlines (down 39% to US$5 billion) and Delta (down 38% to US$5.8 billion) each experienced significant losses in brand value.

Boeing's woes continue after hitting headlines at the beginning of this year when its 737-500 passenger plane crashed in Indonesia, its reputation taking yet another battering.

Coca-Cola claims podium spot

In addition to measuring overall brand value, Brand Finance also evaluates the relative strength of brands, based on factors such as marketing investment, customer familiarity, staff satisfaction, and corporate reputation. According to these criteria, Coca-Cola (down 13% to US$33.2 billion) has overtaken Disney (down 9% to US$51.2 billion) as the US' strongest brand, and 4th globally, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 91.7 out of 100. The soft drinks giant was not immune from the impact of COVID-19, however, with the multinational forced to restructure, which has seen over 2000 jobs cut and the brand lose over a tenth of its value this year.

Coca-Cola's biggest soft-drink rival, Pepsi (down 3% to 18.4 billion), is also one of this year's strongest performing brands, ranking ninth overall in the US with a BSI score of 88.4 out of 100 and a AAA rating.

Meet the world's top Brand Guardians

This year's top CEO in the Brand Finance Brand Guardianship Index is Mastercard's Ajay Banga. Mr Banga announced his transition from CEO to executive chairman in 2020, rounding off a successful and decorated 10 years as CEO. Since taking the helm of Mastercard, Mr Banga has embraced technological innovation, ensuring the brand remained relevant despite a period of rapid change in financial services. Mr Banga also champions the idea of financial inclusion, and has leveraged his influence to build strategic partnerships with financial institutions worldwide to help fight poverty.

View the full Brand Finance US 500 2021 report here

View the full Brand Finance Global 500 2021 report here

Note to Editors

Brand Finance is the world's leading brand valuation consultancy with its US base in Dallas, Texas. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organizations of all kinds make strategic decisions.

Every year, Brand Finance puts 5,000 of the biggest brands to the test, evaluating their strength and quantifying their value, and publishes nearly 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. The world's 500 most valuable US brands are included in the Brand Finance US 500 2021 report, while the world's 500 most valuable brands are included in the Brand Finance Global 500 2021 report.

Brand value is understood as the net economic benefit that the owner of the brand would if it licensed the brand in to the business that operates it. Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand's performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors.

Media Contacts

Laurence Newell

Managing Director Brand Finance US

T: +1 (214) 722-6971

M: +1 (214) 803-3424

[email protected]

Florina Cormack-Loyd

Senior Communications Manager

T: +44 (0)207 389 9444

M: +44 (0)7939 118 932

[email protected]

Follow Brand Finance on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Disclaimer

Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organization.

The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.

SOURCE Brand Finance
HARTFORD  A city man will spend three years in federal prison for fentanyl and crack cocaine sales, stemming from a 2019 investigation, according to federal prosecutors.

Nathaniel DeJesus, 21, was sentenced by Judge Kari A. Dooley to serve 36 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.

In July 2019, after what authorities referred to as a spate of gun violence in Hartford, the FBIs Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, DEA, Hartford police and other law enforcement agencies launched an investigation into gang-related drug sales and associated violence in north Hartford.

Investigators made controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from DeJesus during the course of the investigation, officials said.

DeJesus was arrested on state charges on Aug. 28, 2019. When law enforcement took him into custody, he was found to be in possession of fentanyl and crack packaged for distribution, authorities said.

On Sept. 13, 2019, DeJesus was arrested on federal narcotics distribution charges.

When investigators searched his Andover Street home, authorities said they found 73 grams of fentanyl, more than two grams of crack and items used to process and package narcotics for street sales.

DeJesus has been detained since his September 2019 arrest.

He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base  crack.
Fort Necessity National Battlefield

The battle at Fort Necessity in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War. This war was a clash of British, French and American Indian cultures. It ended with the removal of French power from North America. The stage was set for the American Revolution. The battle at Fort Necessity in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War. This war was a clash of British, French and American Indian cultures. It ended with the removal of French power from North America. The stage was set for the American Revolution. Learn more... Friendship Hill National Historic Site

Albert Gallatin is best remembered for his thirteen year tenure as Secretary of the Treasury during the Jefferson and Madison administrations. In that time he reduced the national debt, purchased the Louisiana Territory and funded the Lewis & Clark exploration. Gallatin's accomplishments and contributions are highlighted at Friendship Hill, his restored country estate. Learn more... Johnstown Flood National Memorial

The South Fork dam failed on Friday, May 31, 1889 and unleashed 20,000,000 tons of water that devastated Johnstown, PA. The flood killed 2,209 people but it brought the nation and the world together to aid the "Johnstown sufferers." The story of the Johnstown Flood reminds us all, "...that we must leave nothing undone for the preservation and protection of our brother men." Learn more... Flight 93 National Memorial

On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their lives. Because of the actions of the 40 passengers and crew aboard one of the planes, Flight 93, the attack on the U.S. Capitol was thwarted. Learn more...
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-- President Xi Jinping urged abandoning arrogance and isolation mindsets, saying that "we have been shown time and again that to beggar thy neighbor, to go it alone, and to slip into arrogant isolation will always fail."

-- "Multilateralism should not be used as pretext for acts of unilateralism. Principles should be preserved and rules, once made, should be followed by all."

-- Xi said the international community needs to "stand united and work together," stressing that people should "let multilateralism light our way toward a community with a shared future for mankind."

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday expounded on China's stance over how to improve multilateralism against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and world economic recession, when attending his first international virtual gathering in 2021.

"Every choice and move we make today will shape the world of the future," said Xi in his special address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda and delivers a special address via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

REJECTING SELECTIVE MULTILATERALISM

Noting that the problems facing the world are intricate and complex, Xi said that the way out of them is "through upholding multilateralism and building a community with a shared future for mankind."

"Multilateralism is about having international affairs addressed through consultation and the future of the world decided by everyone working together," Xi said.

The Chinese president called on the international community to say no to narrow-minded, selfish beggar-thy-neighbor policies, and stop unilateral practice of keeping advantages in development all to oneself.

"Multilateralism should not be used as pretext for acts of unilateralism. Principles should be preserved and rules, once made, should be followed by all," Xi said.

"Decision should not be made by simply showing off strong muscles or waving a big fist," he said, adding that "selective multilateralism should not be our option."

Each country is unique with its own history, culture and social system, and none is superior to the other, he said, reiterating that "no two leaves in the world are identical, and no histories, cultures or social systems are the same."

"State-to-state relations should be coordinated and regulated through proper institutions and rules. The strong should not bully the weak," he said.

Moreover, he said scientific and technological advances should benefit all humanity rather than be used to curb and contain other countries' development.

Xi urged abandoning arrogance and isolation mindsets, saying that "we have been shown time and again that to beggar thy neighbor, to go it alone, and to slip into arrogant isolation will always fail.

Chinese medical team experts and Italian doctors pose for a photo in Padua, Italy, March 18, 2020. (Chinese Medical Team/Handout via Xinhua)

LOOKING TO FUTURE TO UPHOLD MULTILATERALISM

Xi noted that multilateral institutions provide the platforms for putting multilateralism into action and are the basic architecture underpinning multilateralism, saying that their authority and effectiveness should be safeguarded.

He called on the international community to stay committed to openness and inclusiveness, to international law and international rules, to consultation and cooperation, and to keeping up with the times instead of rejecting change.

"History and reality have made it clear, time and again, that the misguided approach of antagonism and confrontation, be it in the form of cold war, hot war, trade war or tech war, would eventually hurt all countries' interests and undermine everyone's well-being," he said.

"To uphold multilateralism in the 21st century, we should promote its fine tradition, take on new perspectives and look to the future. We need to stand by the core values and basic principles of multilateralism. We also need to adapt to the changing international landscape and respond to global challenges as they arise. We need to reform and improve the global governance system on the basis of extensive consultation and consensus-building," he said.

Xi urged to give full play to the role of the World Health Organization in building a global community of health for all, and to advance reform of the World Trade Organization and the international financial and monetary system in a way that boosts global economic growth and protects the development rights, interests and opportunities of developing countries.

Photo taken on July 15, 2020 shows the exterior view of the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo by Li Ye/Xinhua)

Adriano Lucatelli, co-founder and managing director of Descartes Finance, which is a leading Swiss digital wealth management company, told Xinhua that he expected China to continue to push for multilateralism to find global solutions for an after-pandemic world and wished China to take a leading role in fostering global cooperation.

CHINA'S CONCRETE ACTS IN PROMOTING MULTILATERALISM

More than 2,000 business, government and civil society leaders and over 20 heads of state or government are set to meet virtually for the WEF Davos Agenda to tackle the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and address the urgent need for global cooperation.

The Davos Agenda 2021 was scheduled to convene from Jan. 25 to 29 under the theme "A Crucial Year to Rebuild Trust."

In his speech, Xi elaborated China's pledge in five aspects to promote multilateralism and common prosperity, including taking an active part in international cooperation on the fight against COVID-19, implementing a win-win strategy of opening-up, promoting sustainable development, advancing science, technology and innovation, and promoting a new type of international relations.

Statistics showed that China's GDP exceeded the 100-trillion-yuan (15.42 trillion U.S. dollars) threshold in 2020 and is expected to be the only major economy to post growth in the pandemic-ravaged year.

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 14, 2021 shows the container terminal of Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

"As China enters a new development stage, we will follow a new development philosophy and foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other," Xi said.

"Zero-sum game or winner-takes-all is not the guiding philosophy of the Chinese people. As a staunch follower of an independent foreign policy of peace, China is working hard to pursue friendly and cooperative relations with other countries," he said.

Xi said China will get more actively engaged in global economic governance and push for an economic globalization that is more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all.

As people in the world now cope with the current crisis and endeavor to make a better day for everyone, Xi said the international community needs to "stand united and work together," stressing that people should "let multilateralism light our way toward a community with a shared future for mankind."
Why has the Lankan MPs links to Kasargod come under the ambit of the Indian agencies

NIA charges two for propagating violent Jihad in Kerala ISIS Omar Al Hindi case

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: The National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet against two terrorists in connection with the ISIS Omar Al Hindi module case.

The two to be charged are Sidhikul Aslam from Thiruvananthapuram and Muhammad Polakkanni of Kozhikode, Kerala.

The case was registered by the NIA, suo motu in 2016 based on credible information regarding the conspiracy and formation of the ISIS / Daish-inspired terrorist module Ansarul Khilafa-KL, by certain youth from Southern India.

NIA searches 7 locations in Kerala in connection with Jund Al Aqsa case

The NIA said that the module was formed with the intention of furthering the activities of the ISIS. Five persons were arrested by the NIA on October 2, 2016 from Kannur district when they were preparing to carry out terror attacks in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The accused had planned targeting prominent persons including judges, police officers and politicians apart from tourist places which are frequented by foreigners, especially Jews.

Manseed Muhmood , Swalih Mohammed , Rashid Ali , Ramshad N K, Safvan P and Moinudheen P K were convicted by the court on November 27, 2019 and were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment ranging from 3 to 14 years along with a fine.

The probe revealed that Aslam had conspired with the convicted persons and attempted to recruit more persons into the ISIS. Aslam was arrested on October 28 2020 upon his return to from Saudi Araia.

Investigation also established that accused Mohammad Polakkanni had actively conspired with the convicted persons to propagate violent extremism by actively disseminating materials supporting Jihadi ideology and to effect terrorist attacks in South India.

Farmers enter ITO, vandalise bus, press on to Central Delhi | Oneindia News

He had also travelled to Georgia during early-2018, with the intention of crossing over to Turkey and eventually to Syria to join the Islamic State. He was arrested by Georgian authorities while attempting to illegally cross-over to Turkey, using fake passport. He was arrested in this case on 19th September, 2020, following his return from Georgia.
Mumbai, Jan 26 : Expressing shock over the violent turn to the farmers agitation in New Delhi on Tuesday, top leaders of Maharashtra ruling coalition slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party terming it as "arrogant, insensitive" to the cause of the peasantry, while appealing for peace and shunning violence.

Holding the Centre responsible for the violence, Nationalist Congress President Sharad Pawar aid it was its duty to maintain law and order and control the situation, but it failed completely.

"For over 60 days, the farmers have been protesting peacefully. They are from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and agitated in a disciplined manner. However, the government did not take them seriously and as their restraint ended, the tractor march was taken out," he said.

While saying nobody would support what happened in the national capital on Tuesday, Pawar pointed out that the farmers have been repeatedly targetted by the BJP which has even labelled them as 'terrorists or anti-nationals' in past few weeks.

The Shiv Sena termed the violent outcome as a result of "intelligence failure" by the Centre which ended in a "national shame for the country" on Republic Day.

"What was the government doing when the farmers entered the Red Fort? The whole world has watched something unprecedented. The protests were going on peacefully for two months so what has happened does not augur well for the government or the farmers," Sena MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut said.

Congress state President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat blamed the "arrogance" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government which led to the violent turn and the loss of one life this afternoon.

"As the head of the country's government, the PM did not acknowledge this historic struggle by the farmers. Though what has happened was inappropriate and cannot be supported, but the government ignored the demands the country's 'anna-daata' (food-providers) for so long," he said.

The peaceful agitation went on but even after the 10 rounds of talks, the government took no decision and instead sought to discredit the farmers as 'terrorists or Khalistanis', Thorat pointed out.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the farmers' demands are just and the government must accept their demands, saying he was with the farmers but did not support violence.

Suspecting the handiwork of some 'agent provocateurs' in the violence, All India Kisan Sabha state Vice President Uday Narkar said the Delhi Police must probe how this happened when one section of the tractor rally passed off peacefully.

Shiv Sena's farmer face Kishore Tiwari said what happened in Delhi is only a "trailer" of the anger of peasants across India, but if the BJP does not accept the farmers' demand, the situation could worsen.

Another Minister Yashomati Thakur alleged sabotage by anti-social elements who may have entered or were sent to infiltrate the farmers' procession and led to the unfortunate violence.

Ministers Vijay Waddettiwar and Bacchu Kadu attacked the Centre with the latter claiming that an industrial 21lobby was preventing the BJP government from withdrawing the three contentious farm laws.

The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leaders like Pravin Darekar, Sudhir Mungantiwar and others, however, targeted the Congress and other parties terming the developments in Delhi as "sabotage" and "an attempt to damage PM Modi's image before the world" when the country celebrated the Republic Day.

Social crusader Kisan Baburao alias Anna Hazare urged the Centre to immediate resolve the farmers issues at the earliest to prevent any more violence.
Direct Health Care Agreements: A New Option for Patient-Centered Care That Costs Less and Reduces Provider Burnout "This approach to investing in primary care has been shown to reduce costs, emergency room visits, inpatient care and visits to specialists, all while increasing patients satisfaction with their care." - Josh Archambault, Senior Fellow, Pioneer Institute.

Especially in the COVID era, many are looking to alleviate the increased burden on the healthcare system. One solution is direct healthcare (DHC), which can provide more patient-centered care at affordable prices and is an effective model to increase access to care for the uninsured, underinsured and those on public programs like Medicaid, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute.

This approach to investing in primary care has been shown to reduce costs, emergency room visits, inpatient care and visits to specialists, all while increasing patients satisfaction with their care, said Josh Archambault, co-author with Greg George of Direct Health Care Agreements: A New Option for Patient-Centered Care That Costs Less and Reduces Provider Burnout.

Under DHC, patients pay practices a set monthly fee that covers a prearranged universe of services. It is most common in primary care, but can be used for other types of care such as physical therapy, behavioral and mental health, and dentistry. There are currently 1,200 direct primary care (DPC) practices in the U.S., at least 16 of which are in Massachusetts.

For primary care, patients begin by choosing their provider, then purchase a complementary insurance plan. They can usually buy a much less expensive plan with a higher deductible because they have access to so many services through DPC.

DPC agreements commonly include:



Unlimited office visits

Home visits

Same- or next-day appointment availability

Longer visit durations

Annual physicals

Vaccinations

Routine lab tests

Stitches and splintering or casting of fractured or broken bones

Help navigating the rest of the healthcare system

24/7 emergency triage support

Some agreements include access to generic prescription drugs at near wholesale prices. Many DPC physicians give patients their personal cell phone numbers.

In 2018, nearly 80 percent of DPC subscription fees were between $51 and $99 per month, and costs have been stable over time. About 60 percent of patients who belong to a DPC practice have an annual household income of $95,000 or less.

One DPC provider shared the story of an uninsured 30-year-old man who pays $648 a year for access to the direct primary care practice.

Since joining the practice the patient has suffered from a serious sinus infection, recurrence of cellulitis with abscesses that required draining, had multiple musculoskeletal injuries due to a car crash, and needed an x-ray for a possible femur fracture. The only additional cost to the patient for treatment of all these ailments was a $60 x-ray and inexpensive antibiotics. All other care was provided for under the $648. If he had sought care at the emergency room for any of the ailments, his bill for one visit would have been two or three times that amount.

There are no deductibles, co-pays or third-party insurance claims. The transparency and lack of surprise bills address the issue of those who dont see their doctors because of uncertainty over the cost.

DPC patients have an average of four, 35-minute visits a year with their physician. Under the typical fee-for-service model, patients have 1.66 visits annually and spend around 15 minutes per visit with their physician.

DHC also results in far less physician burnout. Status quo providers currently report spending around a third of their day on administrative tasks, by contrast direct care providers spend much more time with patients because there is no paperwork to fill out for insurers.

DHC could help a number of patient groups. Access to same- or next-day appointments could be particularly helpful to MassHealth members.

Pre-pandemic, the average wait for a doctors appointment in Boston was 50 days, and many providers dont accept Medicaid.

Older adults on Medicare who often have trouble finding transportation to medical appointments could benefit from the home visits usually included in DPC agreements and from the more personal management of chronic illnesses that comes with longer and more frequent appointments.

A study published in the American Journal of Primary Care found that a small subset of direct health care arrangements studied resulted in a $119.4 million decrease in preventable hospital use in these practices in New York, Florida, Virginia, Arizona and Nevada. Over 90 percent of the savings  $2,551 per patient  came from Medicare patients.

DHC also offers an innovative option for small businesses. Superior Packaging and Finishing in Braintree saved $370,000 in a year, or over $4,300 per enrolled employee, when the company switched to offering a DPC plan to its employees.

Archambault urges the Commonwealth to take four steps to embrace DHC:

1. Division of Insurance guidance should be updated to match 35 other states by clarifying that any form of direct care should not be regulated like insurance. If there was clear support, the Legislature could codify this standard.

2. The Group Insurance Commission should embrace direct health care arrangements for public employees and offer it as a lower-cost option.

3. MassHealth should explore DHC arrangements, especially for some of the sickest patients on the program.

4. The Legislature could consider requiring that insurance companies offer at least one product to consumers that wraps around DHC arrangements, especially DPC. This reform would introduce a new, less-expensive option for consumers, as the product would have a higher deductible than most plans currently offered in Massachusetts.

Josh Archambault is a Senior Fellow at Pioneer Institute. Prior to joining Pioneer, Josh was selected as a Health Policy Fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. In the past, Josh served as a Legislative Director in the Massachusetts State Senate and as Senior Legislative Aide in the Governors Office of Legislative Affairs. His work has appeared or been cited in outlets such as USA Today, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fox News, NPR, Boston Herald and The Boston Globe. He is the editor and coauthor of The Great Experiment: The States, The Feds, and Your Healthcare. Josh holds a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard Universitys Kennedy School and a BA in Political Studies and Economics from Gordon College.

Greg George is the health policy and state affairs advisor for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Prior to joining Mackinac, Greg served as a senior research fellow at the Foundation for Government Accountability. He has also been a policy advisor for the Michigan House of Representatives and legislative director for the Michigan Speaker Pro Tempore. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Hillsdale College and a Master of Business Administration from Western Michigan University.

About Pioneer

Pioneers mission is to develop and communicate dynamic ideas that advance prosperity and a vibrant civic life in Massachusetts and beyond.

Pioneers vision of success is a state and nation where our people can prosper and our society thrive because we enjoy world-class options in education, healthcare, transportation and economic opportunity, and where our government is limited, accountable and transparent.

Pioneer values an America where our citizenry is well-educated and willing to test our beliefs based on facts and the free exchange of ideas, and committed to liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise.


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CRM giant Salesforce on Tuesday signed a definitive agreement to purchase enterprise communications platform Slack, as widely expected.

Under the terms of the agreement, Salesforce will pay $26.79 in cash and 0.0776 shares of its common stock for each share of Slack, for a total of about $27.7 billion.

"Combining Slack with Salesforce Customer 360 will be transformative for customers and the industry," Salesforce stated.

"Stewart and his team have built one of the most beloved platforms in enterprise software history, with an incredible ecosystem around it," said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce.

"This is a match made in heaven," Benioff continued. "Together, Salesforce and Slack will shape the future of enterprise software and transform the way everyone works in the all-digital, work-from-anywhere world. I'm thrilled to welcome Slack to the Salesforce Ohana once the transaction closes."

Slack CEO and Co-Founder, Stewart Butterfield enthused, "As software plays a more and more critical role in the performance of every organization, we share a vision of reduced complexity, increased power and flexibility, and ultimately a greater degree of alignment and organizational agility. Personally, I believe this is the most strategic combination in the history of software, and I can't wait to get going."

In June, Slack launched Slack Connect, which lets up to 20 organizations share a single Slack channel. This offers "instant communications between businesses," which can just drop a link to partners, customers and others in a shared channel instead of going through email or in-person meetings, Butterfield said at the time.

Slack Connect has been widely accepted in the enterprise.

360-Degree View

Slack will be deeply integrated into every Salesforce Cloud and will be the new interface for Salesforce Customer 360, a platform that lets users build unified profiles of their customers, surface customer information, and integrate customer data.

That unified profile, known as a 360-degree view, is the holy grail for companies which seek to capture all data about transactions with customers in order to understand them better and improve sales.

The 360-degree view "makes an organization's relationship with customers experiential rather than transactional," according to the Digital Marketing Institute. This is "the key to long-standing customer relationships and positive endorsements."

Salesforce's Growing Portfolio

"In acquiring Slack, Salesforce takes another big step toward building its importance to enterprise operations beyond those that are directly customer facing," Nicole France, a principal analyst and VP at Constellation Research, told the E-Commerce Times.

"It follows in the path already set by the MuleSoft and Tableau acquisitions, which extended Salesforce's reach into IT and finance/planning, respectively."

The move gives Salesforce "a healthy and growing revenue stream that will help achieve its stated ambition to reach $40 billion in revenue by 2028 and $60 billion by 2034," France said.

Salesforce in March 2018 purchased MuleSoft, a platform for building application networks connecting enterprise apps, data and services, across any cloud and on-premise. That deal was a combination of cash and stock totaling about $6.5 billion.

It bought analytics platform Tableau in June 2019 to "accelerate Salesforce's opportunity in the $1.8 trillion digital transformation space."

The Slack acquisition "suggests that Salesforce is very likely to expand its portfolio of offerings to compete more broadly with the likes of Oracle and SAP, as well as Microsoft, across business operations capabilities," France suggested.

Questions About the Deal

Shares of Salesforce stock fell by $4.45 to $241.35 in after-hours trading Tuesday, following the announcement of the Slack purchase.

There has been some speculation that this shows the market's concern about the deal as many analysts have questioned how Salesforce could afford to pay for the purchase.

Some also feared the purchase is a bad move because Slack has yet to turn a profit and is being soundly beaten by Microsoft's Teams collaboration platform, which had more than 115 million daily active users (DAU) in October. Slack had not provided a DAU figure since October 2019, when its tally stood at 12 million.

Although Slack "was overmatched competing with Microsoft," its acquisition by Salesforce "provides the potential for a more even fight going forward, assuming the merger is successful," Rob Enderle, principal at the Enderle Group, told the E-Commerce Times.

Slack's open platform seamlessly integrates with more than 2,400 apps and Salesforce has the largest enterprise app ecosystem, Salesforce said. "Together, Salesforce and Slack will create the most extensive open ecosystem of apps and workflows for business and empower millions of developers to build the next generation of apps, with clicks, not code."

Salesforce is "still overmatched" by Microsoft, but "is large enough to compete more effectively if it focuses on Slack," Enderle said. However, the two "don't dovetail nicely, making a favorable outcome less likely." Further, collaboration within a company's sales force "isn't as common as that between operational units."

Rapid Results

That said, Salesforce "has shown with Tableau and MuleSoft that it's better at rapidly integrating and delivering value from large acquisitions than most other software vendors," Rebecca Wettemann, principal at Valoir, told the E-Commerce Times.

"We'll likely see the impact of the acquisition on the value and roadmap of both Salesforce and Slack in quarters, not years," she predicted.

Slack "still falls short of Teams on the video and call front, but there are plenty of smaller players Salesforce could tuck in to fill those gaps," Wettemann noted.

Salesforce may have another option: Slack and video communications firm Zoom signed a contract aligning product roadmaps in 2019, and Zoom offers an app for Slack. Salesforce might be able to work the collaboration between the two to its advantage.

Richard Adhikari has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2008. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, mobile technologies, CRM, databases, software development, mainframe and mid-range computing, and application development. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including Information Week and Computerworld. He is the author of two books on client/server technology. Email Richard.


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NEW YORK  The teen abortion drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always landed a leading seven nominations, Chadwick Boseman was posthumously nominated and women dominated the best director category in the Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations announced Tuesday.

The 36th annual Spirit Awards, like most awards shows during the pandemic, are adjusting to the difficult circumstances. Tuesdays nominees were announced virtually, with taped messages from Olivia Wilde, Laverne Cox and Barry Jenkins  who was joined by his dog, Chauncey Wang-Jenkins. The awards, usually held in a massive tent on the Santa Monica, California, beach the day before the Oscars, have been postponed to a primetime broadcast on IFC on April 22, three days before the Academy Awards.

2020 was obviously hell on earth but one glorious lifeline these past few months has been the ability to watch so many great films and shows, said Josh Welsh, president of Film Independent, in the presentation streamed on YouTube.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



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Eliza Hittmans Never Rarely Sometimes Always, a Pennsylvanias teens odyssey in getting an abortion, racked up nominations for best feature film, best director and best female lead for Sidney Flanigan. It was followed closely by Lee Isaac Chungs Korean immigrant family drama Minari, with six nominations including best feature film, best director, best male lead for Steven Yeun and supporting nods for Yeri Han and Yuh-jung Youn. Chloe Zhoes Nomadland, starring Frances McDormand, scored five nods, including best feature, best director and best female lead for McDormand.

The other nominees for best feature were Kelly Reichardts First Cow (also up for best director and best supporting male for Orion Lee) and George C. Wolfes August Wilson adaptation Ma Raineys Black Bottom. Viola Davis and Boseman, the two stars of Ma Rainey, were also nominated, as was Glynn Turman.

Four out of five nominees for directing were women: Reichardt, Zhao, Hittman and Emerald Fennell, for Promising Young Woman. Overall, the nominees were notably diverse: 42% of nominees were women and 37% were people of color. None of the nominees for best feature film were directed by a white male.

Those five films have been regularly celebrated in a pandemic-marred awards season that has accelerated lately. Nomadland took top honors at the Gotham Awards earlier this month. The American Film Institute announced its best 10 films of 2020 on Monday.

Also on Tuesday, the National Board of Review gave a boost to Spike Lees Vietnam War drama Da 5 Bloods, naming it best film along with awards for directing and best ensemble. Other picks by the long-running organization of film enthusiasts, which normally holds a flashy gala for winners in New York, also included Soul for best animated film, Time for best documentary and acting awards for Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) and Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal).

At the Spirits, the preeminent indie film soiree, nominees are limited to films made for less than $22.5 million. Last year, Lulu Wangs The Farewell won best feature, while Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems) and Renee Zellweger (Judy) took the top acting awards. This year, Netflix led all studios with 16 nominations.

Mulligan, star of Fennells revenge drama, was among the nominees for best female lead, along with Davis, Flanigan, McDormand, Nicole Beharie (Juneteenth) and Julia Garner (The Assistant). In the best male lead category, Yeun and Boseman were joined by Ahmed (Sound of Metal), Adarsh Gourav (White Tiger) and Rob Morgan (Bull).

The Spirits Robert Altman Award, an honor for a films ensemble, will go to Regina Kings feature film directorial debut One Night in Miami, a fictional account of a 1960s meeting of Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown.

The nominees for best documentary are: Collective, Crip Camp, Dick Johnson Is Dead, Time and The Mole Agent. Up for best international film are: Bacurau, The Disciple, Night of the Kings, Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time and Quo Vadis, Aida?

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
Charlotte Dawson is in labour with her her baby boy, the reality star announced on Tuesday morning.

The Ex On The Beach star, 28, shared a photo from her hospital bed, with rugby player fiance Matthew Sarsfield by her side after a night of trying to kickstart labour.

On Monday, which marked her due date, Charlotte updated her Instagram followers after going for a sweep with her midwife, where she was told her baby's reduced movements and gestational diabetes complications may lead to an induction.

Not long now! Charlotte Dawson is in labour with her her baby boy, the reality star announced on Tuesday morning after she spent the night trying to kickstart her labour

Charlotte's at-home techniques of eating a spicy Nandos and having sex did the trick though as on Tuesday morning she shared that she was in labour.

'I did it ... just in labour my darlings. I can't believe I did most of it at home but thankyou for all your messages. Love you all,' she wrote alongside the hospital snap.

Matthew also gave an update, writing on his Instagram page: 'Where all set ready for our little man! Charlottes waters broke at 4.30 so proud of my girl shes a trooper '

The proud dad-to-be shared videos of Charlotte bouncing on her pregnancy ball in the early hours of Tuesday at home, and a second clip of his fiancee in hospital and using gas and air, writing 'doing so well.'

In labour: The star's rugby star fiance Matthew Sarsfield also gave an update, writing on his Instagram page: 'Where all set ready for our little man! Charlottes waters broke at 4.30'

Charlotte has been giving daily updates on her pregnancy, declaring on Monday night after her latest midwife appointment 'there's always a drama!'

The star was booked in for a sweep - which involves a midwife or doctorsweeping their finger around the cervix during an internal examination to attempt to separate the membranes of the amniotic sac surrounding baby to bring on labour.

A concerned Charlotte told fans in a series of videos: 'I'm such a worrier. I've just got back from hospital and there's always a drama. I had my sweep from salad fingers aka the professional sweeper.'

'She went right up there a right good rummage and she came back to tell me I'm one centimetre dilated and I think my mucus plug thing has gone.'

New arrival incoming: The proud dad-to-be shared videos of Charlotte bouncing on her pregnancy ball in the early hours of Tuesday at home,

Charlotte explained that it was 'good news' as it meant her baby was 'en route' but the midwife told her she was concerned about his reduced movements.

'His movements haven't been as good because I'm literally holding no water for some reason,' Charlotte told her fans. 'I'm literally all baby. It's tight.'

Charlotte said her midwife was also concerned about her unborn baby, partly because she is suffering from gestational diabetes. She added: 'I went on the monitor and the monitor wasn't meeting the criteria every time. She wasn't happy. I was under 4.9 and you're meant to be over five'

'She booked me for a scan because I have to be careful with the diabetes. He is nine pounds so she just basically said we really need to think about an induction if you don't go naturally tonight. Because of the diabetes they are just so worried about him not moving as much.'

Worries: Charlotte has been giving daily updates on her pregnancy, declaring on Monday night after her latest midwife appointment 'there's always a drama!' as she explained she may need an induction

Bring on labour! Charlotte said her midwife was also concerned about her unborn baby's movements, and she was determined to try and bring on labour

Charlotte explained she had another appointment on Tuesday afternoon to monitor her baby but until then she was determined to try everything she could to bring on labour to try and avoid an induction.

Turning to old wives tales, she said: 'I've got my pineapple, I'm going to go on my ball and I think I need sexy time. Apparently nipple stimulation or something so Matthew is in for a right good night, the most action he's seen all year.'

At around nine pm the mum-to-be headed out to buy some spicy food with Matt and said: 'Some spicy Nando's to get baba out. Hot, oh my god, I'm petrified I've never ever had extra hot.'

After her extra hot dinner Charlotte lshowcased her baby bump in black underwear as she busted out some dances moves at her home in Manchester.

Celebration! Charlotte showcased her baby bump in black underwear later on Monday as she busted out some dances moves at her home in Manchester

She captioned the amusing Instagram clip: 'How Im feeling after my extra hot Nandos chicken .....' (sic) alongside crying laughing emojis.

She previously said she hopes that she can delay her labour until February 2 which was the birthday of her late dad, comedian Les Dawson.

The mum-to-be has shared very honest details throughout her pregnancy about how she's coping.

She has revealed how the last few weeks of pregnancy have been 'emotional' and said that after her gestational diabetes diagnosis, she's been missing comfort food and her usual treats.

Having fun: The Ex On The Beach star, 28, was doing her best to kickstart labour, with her dance moves and spicy dinner doing the trick

Comedian: She showed her sense of humour as she made a reference to her Nando's dinner while dancing around

The former Ex On The Beach star announced that she was expecting her first child with Matthew in August - just a month before they announced their engagement.

Speaking with OK! magazine, Charlotte said: 'I might have liked to go out and have a good time, but I know Im going to be an amazing mum and will do anything for my baby.'

Charlotte also revealed that her baby is due just a week before what would have been her late father Les's 90th birthday, on February 2, 2021.

Baby: The former Ex On The Beach star announced that she was expecting her first child with Matthew in August - just a month before they announced their engagement

She said: 'We went for the first scan and my due date is actually the week before, but theres every chance I could give birth on his birthday. What a tribute that would be!'

She added: 'He wouldve been the best grandfather. Its bittersweet because he would have been here, making everyone laugh.'

A month later, Charlotte took to Instagram to share the news of her engagement, after her beau got down on one knee in front of Les' statue at Memorial park in Lancashire.

Baby joy! Speaking with OK! magazine, Charlotte said: 'I might have liked to go out and have a good time, but I know Im going to be an amazing mum

The TV personality and rugby league player Matthew have been together for four years, with the couple recently buying a house.

Earlier this year, they appeared on Celebs Go Dating to work out a few issues in their relationship, but insist that it made them even stronger.

It hasn't been the easiest of years for the Dawson family with Charlotte's brother-in-law Glen Southern passing away after taking his own life in June.

Speaking candidly with OK!, pregnant Charlotte explained that she had shown Glen her scan picture just three days before he died.

At their baby shower, the daughter of late comedian Les Dawson told OK! magazine: 'So excited, we're having a chuffing boy! We're having a mini Matt! A mini Matt and a mini Les together!

What a tribute! Charlotte also revealed that her baby was due just a week before what would have been her late father Les's 90th birthday, on February 2, 2021 (pictured with a cardboard cut of late father Les)

'I just am so excited to have a boy! So excited! A mummy's boy!'

In November, Charlotte revealed she was feeling 'petrified and drained' as she battled gestational diabetes during her pregnancy.

Charlotte, who was 31 weeks pregnant at the time, shared a selfie lying in bed as she revealed diabetes has caused her to be frightened of what she is eating, while admitting she felt scared in the final weeks of her pregnancy.

She wrote: 'I'm struggling....this is my reality face today!! I'm so hormonal it's a joke I've not stopped crying & working myself up, I'm petrified, I'm drained.. I'm hardly eating cos I'm so scared of eating the wrong thing & spiking my blood sugar levels..

'I'm hoping this gestational diabetes has something to do with how I'm feeling... the reason I've posted this ... the truth is I'm not going to sugar coat how I'm feeling because I'd be lying to you all..
A Spanish court has ordered German carmaker Volkswagen to pay 16.3 million euros ($19.8 million) in compensation to people in Spain who bought cars with emissions-cheating devices installed, consumer group OCU said on Monday.

The company will appeal the ruling, a spokesman said.

After a five-year legal battle, a Madrid court found Volkswagen had engaged in anti-competitive business practices and ordered the carmaker to pay 3,000 euros in damages to each OCU member affected, the group said in a statement.

Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to using illegal software to cheat U.S. diesel engine tests, a scandal that has so far cost it more than $30 billion in vehicle refits, fines and provisions.

Nearly all U.S. owners of affected cars agreed to take part in a $25 billion settlement in 2016.

Last year Germanys highest court for civil disputes ruled Volkswagen had to pay compensation to owners of vehicles with rigged diesel engines in Germany.
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German politicians have been dubbed 'vaccine snails' today in the face of growing public anger over their 'embarrassingly slow' Covid jabs roll-out which has fallen far behind the UK and US.

Ministers were told they 'can and must do better' in a scathing editorial in Bild newspaper, after apparently spending the night spreading rumours that Britain's Oxford/AstraZeneca jab barely works in old people.

The story was published in two German newspapers before being quickly rubbished by the country's own Health Ministry, but gives a glimpse into growing nervousness among politicians over their stalled jabs programme.

Business paper Handelsblatt has not retracted the story and was still running it prominently on its website even after it was widely debunked on Tuesday, while other German media outlets avoided directly criticising the error.

But the figure was rejected by AstraZeneca, Oxford University and the UK and German governments, with Berlin suggesting it was a mix-up with the eight per cent of trial participants in an older age group.

Once praised for having one of the best Covid responses in the world, Germany is now plagued with stubbornly high case numbers, a high death rate, and a vaccine roll-out that has seen them jab just 2 in 100 people over the course of a month - a figure that Israel manages to achieve every single day.

In total, the UK has vaccinated 7million people while Germany has managed just 1.8million.

German ministers once promised that their vaccine drive would rival the UK but that now appears almost impossible after Pfizer and AstraZeneca both announced they were cutting supplies to the EU, prompting Germany to demand controls that would allow them to halt exports of the jabs.

News that the roll-out will be delayed further could hardly come at a worse time as patience with lockdown measures wears thin, particularly in neighbouring Netherlands which has been hit by three nights of rioting over its new curfew measures.

Europe's vaccine roll-out was already among the slowest in the world, but has been hit by further problems as France's Pasteur Institute mothballed its jab on Monday and AstraZeneca cut supplies to the bloc by 60 per cent due to 'supply issues'

Virus cases in Europe have remained stubbornly high throughout winter despite tougher restrictions being introduced, with many countries now considering new national shutdowns - if they have not been imposed already

Deaths from the virus in Europe are now higher than any other continent with 660,000 recorded since the start of the pandemic, and with hospitals under strain following steep case rises

Handelsblatt was still running the disputed story today with the headline: 'Setback to coronavirus vaccine: AstraZeneca vaccine appears to hardly work on seniors'. A subheading noted that Germany's health minister Jens Spahn had been 'circumspect' about the claim, without mentioning the ministry's subsequent denial.

Mass-market paper Bild, which also ran a story last night casting doubt on AstraZeneca's vaccine, has similarly not retracted its claims, maintaining today that German ministers feared only a partial approval from EU regulators.

Other German news outlets pointed out the apparent error more prominently, with Der Spiegel saying on its homepage: 'Did the newspaper make a mistake? That's what the health ministry suspects'.

Berlin paper Berliner Zeitung ran the story under the headline: 'AstraZeneca vaccine: Claims about effectiveness apparently based on an error', while public broadcaster ZDF said that 'media reports saying that the AstraZeneca vaccine is unsuited to seniors are seemingly wrong'.

Other news organisations such as broadcaster ARD and newspaper Die Welt reported the claim and denial without coming down on one side or the other - with AstraZeneca currently at loggerheads with the EU over whether supplies will arrive soon enough to revive the bloc's stuttering vaccination programme.

Europe's vaccine roll-out got off to a bad start as its medical regulator was one of the slowest to approve the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for use - which was signed off in the UK on December 2, the US on December 11, but not given approval in the EU on December 21.

The EU has still not approved the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab for use despite the UK approving it on December 30, which has made a significant difference in early access to vaccines.

Britain has been able to rapidly increase its roll-out since the AstraZeneca was approved because the company has quickly scaled up production. The company is now on course to supply an average of 2million doses per day for the remainder of the year.

Instead, the EU pressed ahead with approving Moderna's vaccine which has taken much longer to enter mass production, and - similar to the Pfizer jab - must be stored in a freezer, making it more complicated to deliver and administer.

Oxford's jab, meanwhile, can be stored in a fridge - meaning it is quicker to deliver and can be administered easier, with few worries about unused doses left in vials.

The EU's programme has also been hit with supply shortfalls, with Pfizer being the first to warn that deliveries will be cut by 20 per cent in the near-term, which it promised will be made up for with more doses later on.

German newspaper Handelsblatt still had this headline prominently on its website today, saying: 'Setback to coronavirus vaccine: AstraZeneca vaccine appears to hardly work on seniors'. The story has been debunked by the manufacturers and UK and German authorities

Europe is currently devising a 'transparency mechanism' which would give it the means to block vaccine exports by denying manufacturers permits to ship the jabs abroad, teeing up a tug-of-war with the UK

AstraZeneca then warned deliveries would also be cut due to problems within the 'EU supply chain' - thought to be caused by low production at a lab in Belgium.

While an exact figure has not been disclosed, it is thought the cut could total 60 per cent of deliveries that were bound for the EU.

The news prompted furious reaction from Europe, with Brussels demanding drug firms give them early warning when exporting Covid jabs outside the bloc, raising the prospect that they could be subject to export bans.

Germany's health minister Jens Spahn was among those demanding restriction on jabs leaving the EU on Tuesday, suggesting that any shortfall in AstraZeneca supplies should affect the UK and Europe 'equally'.

It is not clear exactly why the EU has been so badly affected with shortfalls, but data published by the Financial Times suggest the US and UK - whose supplies are flowing better - spent much more on their vaccine drives up front.

The two have spent about seven times more upfront per-person on vaccines than the EU, data gathered by Airfinity showed.

Rasmus Bech Hansen, Airfinitys chief executive, suggested that the EU should have been quicker to finance upgrades of factories and raw materials suppliers.

The EU was also slow to do deals with vaccine-makers, including Pfizer whose vaccine was the first to roll out.

The EU began pushing its 'transparency mechanism' after AstraZeneca, the company manufacturing the vaccine developed at Oxford, said it was cutting EU supplies by 60 per cent while leaving the UK unaffected

While the UK and US placed extra orders with the company back in June after promising early trials, the EU did not place its orders until November.

Lawrence Gostin, a public health law professor at Georgetown University, added that companies expecting a shortfall in supply are likely to prioritise those countries with 'the earliest and most-binding contracts'.

As news of the supply issues spread, EU president Ursula von der Leyen intervened - calling company chief Pascal Soriot on Monday to insist he 'must deliver'

'The EU helped with money to build research capacity and production facilities early on. Europe invested billions to help develop the world's first COVID-19 vaccines,' she said on Tuesday.

'Now the companies must deliver. They must honour their obligation. This is why we will set up a vaccine export transparency mechanism.'

The proposed mechanism would force manufacturers to report how many vaccines are produced in the EU and to obtain permits to ship those vaccines out.

That would theoretically allow European leaders to deny permits to vaccine shipments they would rather keep on their soil.

Speaking about the plans, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said: 'It makes sense that we have an export restriction.

'Vaccines that leave the European Union need a permit so that we can first of all know what is being manufactured in Europe, what is leaving Europe, where it is leaving Europe and whether it is then also a fair distribution.'

Meanwhile patience with lockdown measures appeared to be wearing thin after a third night of rioting in the Netherlands, making the need for injections all the more pressing

Amid the chaos newspapers began turning on ministers - with Bild publishing a report that branded politicians 'vaccine snails'.

Europe's roll-out was branded 'embarrassing' by the paper which added that 'everything can - and must - get better'.

Meanwhile Die Welt published a column that accused Mr Spahn of using 'smoke and mirrors' to distract from the country's vaccine failures.

Hungary has even gone so far as to reach outside the bloc and secure 1million doses of Russia's Sputnik vaccine - which is also being looked at by European regulators, who have yet to approve it.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has often been involved in spats with the EU, said: 'Hungarians need the vaccine, not an explanation.

'After the epidemic there will be time for member states to examine whether or not it was a good decision to entrust the procurement of the vaccine to Brussels.'

Europe continues to be the world's worst-hit region with coronavirus, having suffered both more cases and more deaths than any other continent.

Since the start of the pandemic, some 29million cases of the virus have been logged in Europe compared to 28.6million in North America - the second-worst affected.

Meanwhile deaths in Europe are now at a combined total of 660,000 - well above second place North America with 600,000.
Financial Darwinism in its purest form has hit the High Street. Two once-great names, Debenhams and Topshop owner Arcadia, are about to evaporate from our town centres into the ether of online shopping.

Much as we may lament their demise, it is inevitable.

In the great sweep of business trends, it is rare to be able to identify a precise inflection point when an industry changes for good. But when stores such as these disappear, it certainly looks as though we are witnessing a pivotal moment  and it is undeniably sad.

Shopping is an activity almost as old as humanity itself, and is so much more than a mere commercial transaction. The downfall of these much-loved businesses  even though they were long past their best  will leave both empty stores and an emotional void.

Two once-great names, Debenhams and Topshop owner Arcadia, are about to evaporate from our town centres into the ether of online shopping. Pictured: The business owners Sir Philip Green and wife Tina

Rebirth

For millions of British women, going to Topshop was a mother-and-daughter Saturday fixture, or a rite of passage in our teenage years, giggling in the fitting room with our friends.

Debenhams was the place for smarter stuff: that graduation frock or first interview suit and, of course, the pots, pans and plates for setting up home.

These shops are entwined with significant moments of our lives, so it is poignant when the shutters come down for good.

My prediction, though, is that were not witnessing the death of the High Street, but the start of a painful rebirth.

Not so long ago, it would have been unimaginable that pillars of the retail scene such as Debenhams and Topshop would be reduced to nothing more than fodder for online upstarts.

While they have suffered from the pandemic and the shift to online shopping, the real reasons they have been brought low are greed and grotesque mismanagement. The inexorable laws of capitalism mean that, sooner or later, these sins will be punished: and so it has proved. So although their demise will be a bitter blow, it does not sound a death knell for the High Street as a whole.

The seeds of Debenhams plight were sown back in 2003, when it was taken over by a trio of private equity firms: Texas Pacific Group, CVC and Merrill Lynch Global.

Debenhams (pictured, in Oxford Street) was the place for smarter stuff: that graduation frock or first interview suit and, of course, the pots, pans and plates for setting up home

Just three short years later, these firms cashed in by floating the store chain on the stock market, making back three times the 600 million of capital they had put in.

While their wallets were bulging, Debs had been bled white. At the time of its float, it was juddering under 1.2 billion of debt, which acted as a drag on its finances for years to come. The chain wrote off 300 million relating to that era as recently as two years ago.

The freeholds of some of the largest flagship stores were sold off  and Debs rented them back, in some cases at an onerously high cost. Stores grew dowdy and were starved of investment.

Avarice

It was a classic example of asset-stripping, and it left the former grande dame of department stores helpless when the pandemic struck.

Avarice and financial engineering also figure heavily in the collapse of Arcadia.

Sir Philip Green and wife Tina bought the business for 850 million in 2002  she is the official owner. After three years with her husband at the helm, Lady Green extracted a 1.2 billion dividend.

Her payout was largely financed by debt. Thanks to her residence in Monaco, she has enjoyed it tax-free.

The downfall of these much-loved businesses  even though they were long past their best  will leave both empty stores and an emotional void. Picture: Stock

If only that vast sum had been deployed to invest in the stores and the brands, the business could be looking very different today.

The Greens did not set about trying to make their empire fit for the future until far too late.

Only last year, when Arcadia had already fallen into administration, did Sir Philip Green lay out a blueprint to beef up its online offering.

These abject failures left both groups as cheap meat for predators. But it is primarily bad owners, who treated these stores as lucrative baubles, who are to blame for their plight, not the pandemic or online rivals.

Other well-known names have also fallen by the wayside in the past year, including Monsoon, Laura Ashley and Edinburgh Woollen Mill, and no doubt more will go the same way.

But to argue it is impossible for traditional stores to survive is simply not true.

Take Next. A favourite with young career girls in the 1980s and 1990s, it could easily have become another casualty.

The company, though, is still making chunky profits  albeit much lower numbers than before the coronavirus  and its shares have risen strongly in the past year.

How? Strong and enlightened management.

Sir Philip Green and wife Tina (pictured with their daughter Chloe) bought Arcadia for 850 million in 2002  she is the official owner

Nexts chief executive, Lord Wolfson, is regarded as one of the best retailers of his generation, with a reputation for honesty combined with a long-term approach.

The antithesis, if you like, of the brash rag-traders embodied by Sir Philip Green, and a world apart from the vulture capitalists who pillaged Debenhams.

Wolfson has both invested and adapted to the changing retail scene. The online operations are top-class: some have dubbed them a mini-Amazon and they propped up sales when the physical stores were closed.

Or look at B&M, a low-priced bazaar resembling the late lamented Woolworths. B&M made bumper profits in 2020 and its share price has soared. While others have been closing their doors and making staff redundant, it has opened new shops and created hundreds of jobs.

True, it has the benefit of having been allowed to remain open because it sells some groceries. But its real secret is that old-fashioned retail elixir: identify the goods customers want, and sell them at prices they can afford.

The point is that, notwithstanding the sad failures at Debenhams and Arcadia, there is plenty of potential life in the High Streets and shopping malls of Britain  once these infernal lockdowns are lifted.

Households have tucked away 100 billion of surplus cash and are itching to spend it. Once we have the corona-virus in retreat, the conditions are in place for a rapid and strong bounce.

Bounce

The pandemic has brought home the need to reinvent our traditional shopping centres.The whole rotten system of business rates needs to be ripped up and replaced by a fairer levy. Online retailers should be taxed to reflect their turnover so they do not escape with tiny bills on multi-billion pound sales.

For millions of British women, going to Topshop was a mother-and-daughter Saturday fixture, or a rite of passage in our teenage years, giggling in the fitting room with our friends

Landlords will have to tear up exorbitant rent agreements. Huge rents turned many High Streets into identikit venues, lacking any individuality, because only the big chains could afford to pay.

Cheaper rents and rates could give an opportunity for a new and vibrant generation of independent stores and cafes to move in.

Those who fear the High Street is doomed to oblivion underestimate its capacity for reinvention.

Yes, the weak will be winnowed out, but new entrepreneurs will replace them.

Surfing a website, or soulless click-and-collect, is no substitute for the fun and the frisson of actual, physical shopping.

We have been deprived during lockdown. But when it ends, what better way to cheer us up than some retail therapy?
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Defense of Artsakh released the names of 65 more troops who were killed in action in the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh War, bringing the number of identified KIAs to 1997.

As of January 20, the death toll stood at 3439, of which hundreds of remains are still undergoing DNA identification.

However, search operations for the casualties of the war still continue in the combat zones.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Campbell- impacted by Covid

As we move into 2021, just-food continues to provide daily updates on how the Covid-19 pandemic is still affecting the world's packaged food sector  and how the industry's executives see the market and consumer behaviour taking shape in the months ahead.

Don't subscribe to just-food? Click here for a trial

This article is now closed. These rolling updates built on our previous bulletins, published throughout 2020.

Wednesday 10 March

Campbell expecting sales slowdown as world emerges from lockdown

US food giant Campbell Soup Co. has said it expects its full-year sales to fall as Covid vaccines lead to society opening up again.

It is forecasting fiscal 2021 sales will fall between 3.5% and 2.5% as consumers gradually return to their pre-pandemic lives and, by leaving their homes more regularly, reduce their reliance on ready-to-eat soups and snacks.

Reporting its Q2 results today (10 March), Campbell revealed that net sales rose 5.4% to US$2.28bn in the three months to 31 January, compared to the same period last year, but the company missed estimates of $2.30bn, partly because of declines in its foodservice segment due to the Covid lockdown.

Adjusted EBIT was up 8%, year-on-year, to $393m.

Mark Clouse, Campbell's president and CEO, said: "We delivered another quarter of strong results, with top-line growth in both segments - partly tempered by foodservice and supply constraints caused by Covid-19 - as well as continued growth in EBIT and EPS."

Thursday 4 March

Olymel's Alberta pork plant starts phased reopening

Canadian pork and poultry processor Olymel said its Red Deer plant in Alberta province will resume slaughtering operations today (4 March) as it plans a phased reopening following a temporary 14-day closure due to a Covid outbreak.

Cutting room operations will recommence on Friday, Olymel said in a statement, following inspections on Monday and Wednesday this week by Alberta Health Services (AHS), the Occupational Health and Safety authority (OHS), and the Environmental Public Health department.

"AHS made several recommendations aimed at adjusting and reinforcing certain measures that were already in place and gave the green light to gradually resume operations," the company said.

It added: "The employees that are needed to ensure that the gradual restarting of operations goes smoothly will be recalled in accordance with applicable collective agreement provisions. Since March 3, employee groups have been recalled to take part in training sessions covering all implemented health measures, adjustments and additions made to some of them, and the action plan developed for reopening. The training sessions also focus on the important role information plays in compliance with all the health measures that are in place at the plant."

Olymel, which is majority-owned by the Sollio Cooperative Group, will continue to work closely with AHS and the OHS throughout the entire gradual reopening process."

The processor said "most of the employees" who had Covid-19 have since recovered, while three "have unfortunately passed away".

"Although 1,370 employees at the Red Deer plant have been tested since January 1, 2021, AHS experts will be on site when operations resume and will offer rapid testing to anyone who has not tested positive and wishes to be tested," Olymel said.

--

Wednesday 3 March

Two Hilton workers die from Covid after outbreak at UK seafood plant

Two employees of UK-based Hilton Food Group have died after contracting Covid-19.

The workers were employed within the company's Hilton Seafood division and were based at a processing facility in Grimsby in north-east England.

--

B&G to invest in online operations following Covid sales surge

US-based B&G Foods has said it plans to invest in its e-commerce operation this year to build on sales momentum achieved during the Covid lockdown period.

Talking to analysts after the release of its full-year 2020 results, The Green Giant and Clabber Girl brands owner said online sales had grown substantially in 2020,

CEO David Wenner said: "The great majority of our brands grew in fiscal 2020 substantially because of the dramatic effects of Covid on consumer buying and dining patterns. E-commerce was a growing driver of those trends and we invested during the year to follow consumers as they bought more through various online means and we saw sales through those means of buying grow and return.

"Although, there's no precise way to measure this, using IRI and other data sources, we believe that our online sales grew by roughly 150%, albeit from a relatively modest base. We expect that trend to continue in 2021 and are investing further in building out our online presence and on marketing with various retailers on their site so that we can be at the forefront of this new way of selling."

B&G's 2020 net sales were up 18.5% to US$1.97bn, while its adjusted EBITDA was up by 19.4% to $361.2m.

UK government urges regular food industry Covid testing

The UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has called on the country's food manufacturers to introduce regular Covid testing for asymptomatic employees.

In a letter to food businesses signed by environment secretary George Eustice, it said: "We now have a roadmap to open up our communities and restart our lives, but we need to remain vigilant and continue to protect our sectors and the workforce as we go forward.

"That means taking all necessary precautions to reduce the risk of transmitting the infection in the workplace."

Defra has called on employers to adopt the government's workplace testing programme.

"Providing the tests is quick and easy, and results are received rapidly. Employers should be aiming to test staff members twice each week," Eustice said in the letter.

The programme of free tests is open to all employers of more than 50 staff and will run until 30 June but firms must register by 31 March.

Tuesday 2 March

Lindt & Sprungli forecasts sweeter sales in 2021

Covid-19 soured Lindt & Sprungli's sales in 2020 but the Swiss chocolate maker is expecting its top line to recover this year.

The Lindor owner saw its sales fall more than 6% on an organic basis last year, with its retail business hit by lockdown-related closures and gift sales hampered by families being less able to get together.

However, Lindt today (2 March) forecast a 6-8% rise in its organic sales in 2021. The upmarket chocolatier added it's "convinced that it will master the current economic downturn and emerge even stronger from this global crisis".

In 2020, Lindt's sales fell 10.9% on a reported basis to CHF4.02bn (US$4.38bn), which equated to a 6.1% decline on an organic basis.

The company's EBIT tumbled to CHF420.3m, contributing to a 37.5% slide in net income to CHF320.1m.

Lindt's EBIT margin was 10.5% and the business today forecast that would return to 13-14% this year.

During 2020, Lindt's online sales doubled to account for around 5% of its business.

--

FrieslandCampina profits hit by Covid-19

Dutch dairy major FrieslandCampina said that the coronavirus pandemic has led to it recording a "significantly lower profit" in it full-year 2020 results.

Announcing its results this morning, the dairy revealed its profit has declined by 71.6% year-on-year to EUR79m (US$95m).

Revenue also declined, by 1.4% to EUR11.1bn.

CEO Hein Schumacher said: "The direct and indirect impacts of the corona pandemic that really became evident within the company starting in March, overshadowed the excellent results in the first quarter.

"FrieslandCampina's operating profit was hard hit by this."

He added: "While there is light at the end of the tunnel now that vaccination programmes are getting underway throughout the world, for the next couple of months we are still totally immersed in the corona crisis. In the first half of 2021, the results will therefore still be under pressure."

Monday 1 March

Coming to the crunch during Covid-19  UK snack bars deep dive, part one

On our analysis pages today, Andy Coyne takes a close look at the UK snack bar category and at how it has adapted to the unique trading conditions created by Covid lockdown restrictions.

Many people have assumed the UK snack-bar category would have come under significant pressure over the last year as the on-the-go market has been hammered by the slump in mobility wrought by Covid-19, with a huge chunk of the population working from home, emptying city centres with their express supermarkets and meal-deal outlets.

However, the stats suggest UK snack bar manufactures have adapted to change more successfully than was widely thought.

--

Maple Leaf to relaunch plant-based brands after Q4 sales disappointment

Canada's Maple Leaf Foods is planning to relaunch its Field Roast and Lightlife brands after seeing sales from its meat-free division slow  while the company also pointed to the pandemic as a factor in the "category deceleration" it saw.

Friday 26 February

A2 Milk Co. has reacted to pressure on its sales in China, a key market for the New Zealand-based dairy and infant-formula business, and lowered its forecasts for annual sales.

The changes to the forecasts came alongside half-year financial results that included a slide in sales and profits.

In the first six months of the company's current financial year, revenue fell 16% to NZD677.4m (US$491m), with its EBITDA down 32.2% at NZD178.5m. A2 Milk Co.'s net profit after tax stood at NZD120m, versus NZD184.9m a year ago.

A factor in the first-half results was, A2 Milk Co., said "challenges resulting from Covid-19 disruption experienced in the daigou/reseller channel with a flow on impact to the cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) channel".

Wednesday 24 February

Trident Seafoods resumes operations at Alaska facility

US-based Trident Seafoods has resumed operations at its Akutan, Alaska, processing plant following a Covid outbreak-enforced temporary closure.

The outbreak among its employees at the plant, which processes seafood such as crab and pollock, spurred a pause on operations on 21 January but now the facility is back up and running.

Trident said surveillance testing, symptoms screenings, PPE and distancing protocols will remain in place.

It added that additional measures are in place to support a swift response if Covid-19 risk is detected again in the future. These include a redesign of shift and break schedules to limit instances of close contact and capacity limits to allow distancing in all areas outside work stations.

Stefanie Moreland, the company's VP of government relations, said: "The management team on site has been working to make sure these operational changes do not come as a surprise, and to ensure our employees know their safety is our priority."

Monday 22 February

UK food manufacturers respond to roadmap for easing lockdown

After UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson this afternoon (22 February) set out the Government's "roadmap" for removing lockdown measures, the trade body representing food manufacturers in the country has given its response.

A phased timetable includes a plan to allow hospitality venues to serve punters outside from 12 April at the earliest, the Government said.

From 17 May at the earliest, indoor hospitality is slated to re-open. Hotels, as well as indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, are also lined up to open again from this date.

Next week, UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak will announce the country's Budget, which will include details on how the Government plans to support businesses and employees affected by the lockdown measures and the phased lifting of the restrictions.

The measures announced today apply to England but the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are setting out similar plans.

Ian Wright, the chief executive of The Food and Drink Federation, the association representing food and soft-drink manufacturers in the UK, said: "It is disappointing but wholly expected that the Prime Minister's roadmap shows no signs of taking account of any input from business.

"For a great many of the food and drink manufacturers supplying the hospitality and food service sectors, a return to 'business as usual' seems an awful long way off. As such, it is only correct that the Chancellor outlines significant extensions to the furlough and credit insurance schemes as part of his Budget announcement next week. The food and drink industry is the UK's largest manufacturing sector. It will therefore be key to the country's economic recovery, with a footprint in every region.

"Now is the time for government to provide additional support to ensure those businesses most at risk can play their part in putting the country back on its feet."

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Australian rice grower SunRice warns of possible sales pressure

SunRice Group, an Australia-based rice grower, has warned disruption to shipping traffic linked to Covid-19 could impact its sales in the second half of the fiscal year, exacerbating what it says are already "difficult market conditions" driven by the pandemic.

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Olymel shifts production to US after Canada plant closure

The Canada-based pork processor, which has had to temporarily close a factory after a Covid-19 outbreak among staff, has issued an update on the changes it has made to production.

Olymel said its hog production division, which supplies the Red Deer plant in Alberta now closed, will "move a substantial amount of company-owned production" to the United States to create enough plant capacity.

The company, majority-owned by Sollio Cooperative Group, made the comments in a statement framed as a "message to Alberta pork producers".

It said: "The temporary shutdown of Olymel's hog slaughtering, cutting and deboning plant in Red Deer is affecting the many Albertans hog producers, including Olymel's company owned farms that ship market hogs to Red Deer on a weekly basis. The company understands the strain this has put on their operations as we estimate the backlog to be approximately 80-90,000 animals. The company has implemented several strategies to mitigate the impact as much as possible including a clear path to reducing the backlog as quickly as possible."

The meatpacker added: "With the added capacity Olymel anticipates that the backlog of market ready hogs will be cleared up within 4-5 weeks after the plant is able to resume activities."

Last week, Olymel said its hog slaughtering, cutting and deboning plant in Red Deer had seen "a resurgence of positive cases of Covid-19 among plant employees".

Olymel said that, despite close collaboration with Alberta Health Services to deal with the problem, it believed the conditions meant it could not continue normal operations in a safe and efficient manner.

The company, which has suspended all pending deliveries at the plant until further notice, has not said how many workers have been affected by the outbreak.

19 February

Fazer assesses staff count again at Finnish candy plant

Finland's Fazer Group is planning another round of potential lay-offs linked to Covid-19 at its confectionery plant in the city of Vantaa, located in the south of the country.

18 February

US meal-kit firm Blue Apron sees sales soar during lockdown

Blue Apron, the US meal-kit firm saw its year-on-year sales increase by 22% in Q4, 2020, to US$115m, partly as a result of stay-at-home consumers ordering its products during the Covid-19 lockdown.

But the company has cautioned that growth levels may dip as lockdown restrictions ease.

The fourth quarter marked the third consecutive quarter of double-digit year-on-year year increase in net revenue for the business.

The company said that there have been changes in consumer behaviour due to the pandemic as customers ordered more frequently and added more meals per order.

"Since late March 2020, Blue Apron has experienced increased demand for its meal kits reflecting, in part, changes to consumer behaviour in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to meet the increased demand, the company continued to focus on increasing capacity at its fulfilment centres, including hiring new employees, increasing wages for frontline workers, and temporarily reducing menu options, which limits the need to change production lines and allows for more time to pack meal kits," it said.

But it added a note of caution.

"Management continues to monitor the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the company's business, including changes to consumer behaviour relating to cooking at home. While the company believes that a portion of the increased demand it has experienced over the last few months can be sustained through the first half of 2021 and potentially beyond, this will likely occur at varying levels as the impact of the pandemic changes over time," it said.

16 February

Canada's Olymel temporarily closes Alberta meat plant

Canadian meatpacker Olymel has announced the temporary closure of its plant in Red Deer, Alberta, following a Covid outbreak

The hog slaughtering, cutting and deboning plant has seen "a resurgence of positive cases of Covid-19 among plant employees", Olymel said in a statement.

Olymel said that, despite close collaboration with Alberta Health Services to deal with the problem, it believes that the conditions are such that it cannot continue normal operations in a safe and efficient manner.

After notifying the union, Olymel management drew up a temporary closing plan for an indefinite period. Over the next few days, plant management will mobilizs the staff necessary to cease operations and complete the facility closure as soon as possible.

Olymel said it will strongly encourage all staff to get tested before returning to work. In the meantime, it will continue ongoing investigations to determine what may have caused such a large outbreak of Covid-19 cases since 20 January.

Olymel, which has suspended all pending deliveries at the plant until further notice, has not said how many workers have been affected by the outbreak.

15 February

JBS reveals 700 workers vaccinated at US plant

Brazilian meat giant JBS has announced that 700 workers at its Beardstown, Illinois, pork production facility in the US have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

In partnership with the Cass County Health Department, employees were vaccinated on site at the plant in what is understood to be the largest vaccination effort to date at a US red-meat facility.

Bob Krebs, president, JBS USA Pork, said: "We remain committed to providing a safe working environment for our team members and doing all we can to ensure our workforce across the country is given the opportunity to be vaccinated as soon as possible. They have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to provide food for all Americans, and their access to the vaccine should absolutely be prioritised."

Vaccination at the Beardstown facility is voluntary and all employees who choose to be vaccinated receive a US$100 incentive bonus. Vaccines were administered on site by trained third-party nurses and the second dose of the vaccine will be provided to Beardstown workers in March.

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2 Sisters poultry plant in Devon comes down with cases again

2 Sisters Food Group's Willand plant in Devon, south-west England, has once again seen a number of cases of Covid-19 following a bout of infections at the same site last summer.

The poultry-processing facility in the town of Cullompton, which employs around 1,000 workers, saw a cluster of cases emerge a few days ago.

Local media reported workers as saying a testing centre had been set up in the car park of the plant.

A spokesperson for the 2 Sisters' Cullompton site said in a statement provided to just-food: "Colleague safety remains the number one priority at our Willand site.

"We are currently working closely with external agencies and are offering our colleagues the opportunity of voluntary Covid-19 testing. This testing opportunity further strengthens our Covid prevention measures, which have been in place for almost a year and are regularly independently assessed."

12 February

US baker Flowers Foods sees sales going stale in 2021

Another major US-based food company is, perhaps unsurprisingly, cautioning its sales in 2021 may fall after pandemic-fuelled growth in 2020.

Flowers Foods, one of the country's largest bakery businesses, has forecast a 2-4% decline in its sales in 2021 after a 6.4% rise last year, which was also helped by an extra selling week.

As well as lapping a year when Covid-19 boosted at-home consumption, Ryals McMullian, Flowers' president and CEO, said other factors could also dampen sales.

"Our guidance for fiscal 2021 incorporates our expectation of some mix reversion during the year as the impact of the pandemic dissipates, as well as the potential for a higher promotional environment, back-half commodity headwinds, and investment to implement our digital initiative. Partly offsetting those factors are expected benefits from our brand investments and continued savings from portfolio optimisation and operational efficiencies. We are investing in our business at a time when visibility may be more limited than normal, but it is clear that we are on the right path."

Flowers, home to brands including Dave's Killer Bread and Tastykake, generated sales of $4.39bn in 2020. The company's net income fell 7.4% to $152.3m amid expenses linked to a pension-plan settlement. Income from operations stood at $321.5m, up from $225.4m in 2020.

Expo West goes digital, while Expo East will go ahead in person in September

Expo West, the annual organic food industry event normally held in March in Anaheim, California, will now be held virtually in May after the organisers decided against holding a physical gathering due to Covid-19.

The event had been pushed back to May, but will now be held digitally instead from 24-27 May, Informa Market's New Hope Network, which organises the trade fair, said.

Meanwhile, New Hope is promoting its "enhanced" Natural Products Expo East trade show as an opportunity for people to get together in person, designed to serve both Expo East and Expo West customers. It will be held from 22-25 September in Philadelphia.

11 February

Kellogg expects dip in underlying sales in 2021

With lockdowns seeing most meals switch to being made and eaten indoors, breakfast-cereal giant Kellogg saw its sales rise in 2020  but the US group is forecasting a decline this year.

The Corn Flakes and Coco Pops owner today (11 February) forecast its net sales would fall 1% on an organic basis in 2021, pointing to a comparison with "unusually-strong, Covid-related growth" last year. In 2020, Kellogg's net sales rose 6% in on an organic basis to US$13.8bn.

Kellogg, home to brands including Pringles snacks and Eggo frozen waffles, said a 1% decline would still mean "a two-year compound annual growth of about 2.5%".

The company also said it expects its adjusted operating profit to fall in 2021, forecasting a drop of around 2%, Again, Kellogg pointed to Covid-19 but also said the 2020 fiscal year had 53 weeks.

In 2020, Kellogg's adjusted operating profit rose 2.6% to $1.81bn. The company made a net income of $1.25bn in the year to 2 January 2021, up from $960m 12 months earlier.

10 February

Londoners leading surge in home delivery of snacks during lockdown - research

New research has revealed a surge in the home delivery of snacks in London during the Covid lockdown period.

Analysis firm The NPD Group's research showed that demand for home delivery of snacks and coffee in London was up by 95% in 2020 compared to the previous year.

This is significantly ahead of the 11% increase in orders placed by families across the country as a whole.

Dominic Allport, insights director (foodservice) at The NPD Group said: "The main reason is the greater use of delivery subscriptions such as Deliveroo Plus in the capital, where customers pay a flat monthly fee for unlimited free deliveries.

"As these subscriptions become increasingly common across the country, we expect to see a growth in people ordering snacks and drinks to be delivered to their homes more regularly."

The average amount spent per person on snack delivery increased by 20% nationally in 2020 vs. 2019 to reach GBP5.66. The number of items bought during each snacking occasion in London has increased significantly and is now +18% higher than the national average.

Allport added: "Once lockdown is over, this trend is likely to remain embedded in the population."

Danish Crown closes German slaughterhouse after 13 Covid infections

Meat processor Danish Crown has closed a beef slaughterhouse in Germany for a week after 13 of the approximately 300 workers tested positive for Covid-19.

The facility in the town of Husum, situated in the county of North Frisia near the border with Denmark, has been shut as a precautionary measure to prevent the further spread of the virus, a spokesperson for Danish Crown confirmed.

Danish Crown plans to reopen the site on 14 February subject to prevailing conditions at the time.

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8 February

Covid cases identified at Cargill meat plant in Canada

US agri-food giant Cargill has seen a small number of its employees at a meat plant in Canada test positive for Covid-19.

Some six employees at the company's High River facility in Alberta have tested positive for the virus, Cargill told just-food. They are in isolation and receiving medical care and support.

The High River facility, which employs more than 2,000 people, is continuing to function as normal.

It is the second Covid outbreak at the plant. It was shut down for two weeks in April 2020 because of an outbreak that affected more than 350 of its workers and saw two employees die.

In relation to the newly-announced Covid cases amongst its High River workforce, a Cargill spokesperson said: "We continue to learn how to help slow the spread of the virus and are working with Alberta Health Services (AHS) to add safety measures as they become available to safeguard our valued co-workers."

5 February

2 Sisters recruiting 500 workers as pandemic pushes up poultry demand

2 Sisters Food Group plans to hire hundreds of workers to meet growing demand for poultry products in the UK with consumers confined to the home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With factories situated around the UK, 2 Sisters said it had hired approximately 800 workers over the past 12 months to across the entire business to cater to the increased demand.

But Covid has also taken a toll, with a number of sites seeing staff test positive for the virus.

3 February

Premium Brands-owned Belmont Meats shuts Toronto plant amid Covid outbreak

Belmont Meats, a protein business owned by Canada's Premium Brands Holdings, has seen an outbreak of Covid-19 at its factory in Toronto.

The Toronto Public Health agency said 78 cases of the virus have been confirmed at Belmont's North York site, a district in Toronto, and two of those workers have been identified as having the B.1.1.7 strain of the virus, a variant that first appeared in the UK.

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Baxters to close visitor centre and retail outlet in Scotland

Baxters Food Group, the UK-based soups-to-condiments maker, plans to close its visitor centre, restaurant and retail outlet in Edinburgh, Scotland, as the pandemic curtails foot traffic across the hospitality sector.

The Highland Village centre is located in the same village as Baxter's headquarters in Fochabers, Moray, in north-east Scotland. The site employs around 30 people, according to a media report, all of whom face the prospect of losing their jobs.

2 February

Nestle seeking to help with Covid vaccine rollout

Food giant Nestle is seeking ways to help with the Covid-19 vaccine programme in countries in which it operates.

News agency Reuters reported the Switzerland-based company's chief executive Mark Schneider as saying that while it has already donated to the Red Cross and other organisations to help cover the financial cost of vaccination programmes, it wants to go further.

Schneider told the Forum Horizon event in Lausanne: "We will also try to find ways to either sponsor the payment for the vaccine or sponsor the way it gets applied in communities where we are present.

"The price of a vaccine for an advanced economy is negligible...but to a developing country which has been struggling already with all the impacts of Covid, on top of that to pay for the vaccine and for the services to get it applied is going to be very significant," he said.

Reuters reported that the specific details of how Nestle will help still need to be worked out, according to Schneider, who described the project as a "work in progress".

1 February

US Congress probing meatpackers over Covid deaths

A US Congress panel is investigating three of the country's largest meatpacking businesses in relation to worker deaths at their facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Muller reports fatality at another UK plant

Another UK plant owned by Germany headquartered dairy giant Muller has been affected by Covid-19.

An employee at the facility run by Muller Milk & Ingredients in Droitwich, a town in the English Midlands county of Worcestershire, has died from the virus, although the staff member had been off work since 30 December due to a "personal matter", a company spokesperson confirmed in a statement.

A further 26 workers are currently self isolating out of a total employee count in Droitwich of 607.

"It is important to stress that fresh milk processing is highly automated, ensuring no risk to products," the statement read.

26 January

Greencore's food-to-go revenues slide in Q1 amid lockdowns

Greencore, a major supplier of food-to-go products to UK retailers, has reported an across-the-board drop in revenues for the group and its business units due to Covid-19-related restrictions.

In a trading update this morning (26 January) for the first quarter to 25 December, the Ireland-based private-label manufacturer said reported group revenues fell 15% to GBP312.7m (US$425.9m) and were down 15.1% on a pro-forma basis, "impacted by the reduction in mobility arising from tiered restrictions and lockdowns in the UK".

The food-to-go category saw reported and pro-forma revenues decline 21.7% to GBP188.5m, while other convenience foods fell 2.1% to GBP124.1m.

"[The] latest lockdown significantly impacting demand in food-to-go categories, though not as marked as the initial lockdown in March 2020. Currently, pro-forma group revenue is approximately 20% below prior year levels, with performance in food-to-go categories down approximately 35% on [the] prior year, while other convenience categories remain stable," Greencore said.

"The recovery in demand that was evident at the end of FY-20 was impeded by the tiered regional restrictions on mobility introduced across the UK in October, and then by a subsequent national lockdown until early December, followed by the implementation of tiered regional lockdowns."

Greencore also provided an early assessment of the impact of a free trade deal reached between the UK and the EU on Christmas Eve.

"The operational impact has been modest to date as the group had completed extensive Brexit planning and was well prepared for any near-term volatility in the supply chain.

"The ongoing uncertainty regarding the duration and impact of Covid-19 on the group's trading environment, and in particular on demand in its food-to go-categories, continues to make it difficult to predict FY-21 performance. In this context, the group's financial guidance remains suspended."

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Chocolate maker Godiva to close North America retail outlets

Chocolate maker Godiva, owned by Turkey's Yildiz Holding, plans to close or sell its 128 retail stores in the US and Canada after consumers switched to online purchases during the pandemic.

"Demand for the in-person shopping experience offered through Godiva's brick-and-mortar locations has waned as a result of the pandemic and its acceleration of changes in consumers' shopping behaviour. In response to these market dynamics, Godiva will exit its 128 brick-and-mortar locations in North America, partially through sales and partially through closures, by the end of the first quarter," it said in a statement.

However, Godiva's products will still be available online in those North American markets, along with grocery and drug stores and other retail outlets. Europe, the Middle East and China are not affected by t

25 January

Food companies among UK Covid testing scheme

Meat company Moy Park and sugar refiner Tate & Lyle Sugars are among what the UK says are "dozens" of employers in the country to have signed up to a scheme testing workers without symptoms who cannot work from home.

Lateral flow tests are being used to see if staff have Covid-19 without realising they are carrying the virus. The UK government said around one in three infected people have no symptoms and may be unknowingly spreading the virus.

More than 730,000 tests have been distributed across the UK public and private sectors so far. Frozen-food group Apetito and cheese-products maker Primula are also among the companies to have joined the scheme.

Gerald Mason, senior vice president of Tate & Lyle Sugars, said: "Mass testing has really helped us get one step ahead of the virus by identifying colleagues who were infectious but showed no symptoms. This has been especially welcome over the last few weeks at our east London factories as the levels of virus in the local area have been extremely high."

22 January

Trident Seafoods closes Akutan plant for three weeks

Trident Seafoods, which claims to be the largest vertically-integrated seafood harvesting and processing company in North America, has had to temporarily close a plant in Alaska amid a number of Covid-19 infections.

The first of four cases at the processing facility in Akutan became apparent last weekend with an employee testing positive, and the other infections were discovered when the worker's three room mates were tested. All four had tested negative for the virus two weeks earlier.

In a statement issued yesterday (21 January), privately-owned Trident, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, said it will pause operations for three weeks while it undertakes "comprehensive" testing and to "support a preventative quarantine" for the 700 workers.

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JBS, Pilgrim's Pride offer US workers $100 vaccine incentive

Meat packers JBS and Pilgrim's Pride are offering to give US employees a US$100 bonus if they voluntarily take a Covid-19 vaccine.

"The new initiative is designed to encourage maximum participation in the Biden administration's accelerated pandemic response efforts and ensure that every JBS USA and Pilgrim's team member who wants to get vaccinated can do so as soon as vaccines are made available," the two companies said in a joint statement.

JBS, headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is the majority-owner of US poultry processor Pilgrim's Pride. Both companies have, in the recent past, reported Covid-19 cases at their plants in the US and the UK.

"With nearly 66,000 US team members, we are hopeful this initiative will lead to high vaccination participation rates that will benefit our workforce and the rural communities and cities in which they live and work across America," said Andre Nogueira, the CEO of JBS' US division.

"Throughout the pandemic, JBS USA and Pilgrim's have adopted industry-leading measures to protect our essential frontline workers who continue to provide food for the nation. Our goal in offering this extra pay to our team members is to remove any barriers to vaccination and incentivise our team members to protect themselves, their families and their co-workers."

China confirms first cases of Covid among meat workers - report

China has reportedly detected its first cases of Covid-19 among meat workers, with ten confirmed cases at a poultry factory owned by Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Foods.

The facility in question is located in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province in China's north-east region.

Reuters reported from an official Chinese news briefing that a further 28 employees at the plant, along with three family members, were asymptomatic amid a wider community outbreak in the region. The news agency added that samples taken from inside the slaughterhouse, its cold storage area and the outside of product packaging earlier this week came up positive for the virus.

Officials at Charoen Pokphand's Bangkok headquarters "made no immediate comment", Reuters said.

21 January

Muller hit by Covid-19 infections at UK plant, worker dies

Unternehmensgruppe Theo Muller, the Germany-headquartered dairy giant, has confirmed a slew of Covid-19 infections at one of its UK plants, along with the death of an employee.

20 January

Trident Seafoods reports cases at Alaska plant

Trident Seafoods, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, has reported four cases of Covid-19 at a processing plant in Akutan, Alaska, despite "rigorous preventative measures".

CEO Joe Bundrant, the son of Trident's founder Chuck Bundrant, said in a statement: "Health and safety are our absolute priority. We have said from the beginning of this pandemic that if we have an issue, we're going to shed a light on it. We want to be sure people are aware and know that we are taking this very seriously."

The first case became apparent last weekend with an employee testing positive, and the other infections were discovered when the worker's three room mates were tested. All four had tested negative for the virus two weeks earlier.

One of the workers is currently in hospital, while the three others are self-isolating.

Stefanie Moreland, Trident's vice president of government relations and sustainability, said the company is working to try and establish the source of the infections among the 700 staff at Akutan.

"We have notified the state of Alaska, the city of Akutan and our medical partners and are coordinating with all to conduct further tests, implement protocols and contain exposure," Moreland said.

19 January

Lindt & Sprungli annual sales drop on pandemic-related challenges

Lindt & Sprungli, the premium chocolate maker based in Switzerland, has reported a 6.2% decline in annual organic sales to CHF4.02bn (US$4.53bn).

The drop  minus 10.9% on a reported basis - was put down to "major global challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic", namely the closure of its store network and reduced shopping visits, and also strength in the Swiss franc.

Still, the decline in organic sales was within the company's expectations for a 5% to 7% decrease (Stifel -5.2%), while the company said it notched up market share gains in "practically all countries" in which Lindt & Sprungli operates.

"The global restrictions and regulations to contain the pandemic unfortunately had an impact on important areas of Lindt & Sprungli's business. The restrictions on the foodservice area in North America and the traditional speciality stores in Italy had a major impact on sales. The travel retail business also recorded a sharp drop in sales due to the restricted air traffic," it said in a statement.

Sales in Europe fell 2.9% on an organic basis and were down 6.8% in North America. It was worse in the rest of the world segment, where sales dropped 16.1%, although China and Japan posted growth.

Lindt & Sprungli said the medium- and long-term organic growth targets remain unchanged at 5-7% per year, while the operating profit margin of 10% realised in 2020 is expected to "return to a level of around 15% in 2022".

18 January

UK trade bodies lobby government to support foodservice suppliers

A group of trade associations are pressing the UK government to provide financial support for food manufacturers supplying the out-of-home sector, warning they risk going out of business without some form of aid.

The 18-strong group is led by the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) which have written a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak and other government ministers pointing out how pubs, restaurants and cafes have received extended financial support but the businesses that supply them have not.

They are calling for an extension to the 12-month exemption period for local business rates for companies operating in the hospitality and foodservice sector and the introduction of capital and tax break allowances aimed at retaining staff.

The group is also pressing the Government to formalise the deferment of PAYE and NI payments until the end of 2021 for the sector. And to increase the level of funding for the Additional Restrictions Grant and to make the funding accessible, along with providing grants for those companies that have had to dispose of stock because of lockdown restrictions.

BFFF CEO Richard Harrow said: "England's national lockdown, plus restrictions in the UK's other nations, have been devastating for our many businesses supplying the hospitality and foodservice markets and they are facing a bleak winter. Their continued existence will be critical as the economy starts to recover."

14 January

Bakkavor annual revenues decline on pandemic impact  trading update

Private-label fresh food supplier Bakkavor has said revenues fell in the fiscal year through December amid a new round of Covid-19-related lockdowns in the final quarter.

In a trading update today, the London-based business said group revenues were down 4.9% on both a reported and like-for-like basis in the 12 months ended 26 December ahead of the final results on 16 March. The decline was more protracted in the UK, where like-for-like sales fell 5.3%.

On the international front, revenues dropped 21.6% in China, which was the Bakkavor division "most severely impacted by the pandemic", offsetting a 12.7% increase in revenues in the US.

Bakkavor currently anticipates adjusted EBITDA will be in line with the previous annual print of GBP138m (US$188.3m).

CEO Agust Gudmundsson said: "Notwithstanding the ongoing impact of Covid-19, we have a sound business model and solid platform that leaves us well-placed to navigate the current environment and achieve long-term sustainable growth."

11 January

Maple Leaf Foods to acquire facility for plant-based unit Greenleaf

Canadian meat processor Maple Leaf Foods is set to purchase a production facility in the US for its plant-based unit Greenleaf Foods amid challenges to its expansion strategy in the country caused by Covid-19.

8 January

Cases rise at 2 Sisters' Coupar Angus facility in Scotland

2 Sisters Food Group, a UK-based poultry processor, has seen the number of Covid-19 cases rise at its Coupar Angus facility in Scotland.

Earlier this week, the company reported five infections amongst workers at the poultry plant in South Lanarkshire and now, according to NHS Tayside, the number has since climbed to 30.

The same site had to be closed temporarily last August after a number of employees tested positive.

A spokesperson for 2 Sisters said the company had nothing to add to the statement from NHS Tayside when contacted by just-food.

Dr Emma Fletcher, a director of public health for Tayside NHS, said a "comprehensive risk assessment" has been conducted at the facility a noted the safety measures 2 Sisters has put in place to protect workers.

"For several reasons the public should be reassured that it is possible for the factory to remain open at this time as we are in a very different position to when there were Covid-19 cases at the factory last August. The rate of community infection is much higher compared to August's outbreak," she said.

"The factory is continuing to work closely with NHS Tayside's Public Health team and Food Standards Scotland to help manage the situation."

7 January

BMPA urges UK government to prioritise meat workers for vaccines

The British Meat Processors Association is urging the UK government to prioritise "frontline workers in meat factories" for the coronavirus vaccines.

"The risk of more rapid spread of the virus amongst key workers, coupled with expected disruption of food supplies at our ports as the full effects of Brexit begin to unfold, pose a severe challenge to the industry and to the smooth running of the nation's food supply chain," the BMPA said in a statement today.

As well as the meat industry, BMPA members also include some of the major UK supermarkets, food retailers and ingredient suppliers. It said there is an increased risk that meat plants could close as the new strain of coronavirus pushes up absenteeism rates, which could possibly lead to food shortages.

"Given the specialised nature of the meat-processing industry, if absences go above a certain level, it becomes impossible for a plant to continue operations. If this starts happening, plants would be forced to close entirely and a sizeable chunk of food supply would disappear from supermarket shelves," it said.

Nick Allen, the CEO of BMPA, continued: "As the new coronavirus variant takes hold across the whole of the UK, we are hearing widespread reports of rapidly rising absences in the food-supply chain. In some cases, notably in the supermarket sector, companies are seeing a tripling of staff having to take time off work through illness or enforced self-isolation.

"We are therefore calling on Government to include meat-factory workers in the initial roll-out of vaccinations. This would provide much-needed protection and comfort to this at-risk group and the communities in which they live, as well as ensuring that the critical food-supply chain continues to run smoothly."

6 January

Thai Union says all plants operating amid dozens of Covid cases

The seafood giant has issued a statement to say it is "proactively testing" employees in a province south west of Bangkok and confirmed some 69 of its staff at its sites in the region have tested positive for the virus.

Thai Union Group said it had tested 23,630 out of 27,552 employees in the province of Samut Sakhon, with the rest of the workers to be tested by next week.

"We have comprehensive protocols in place in case of positive test results; these protocols include ensuring taking care of the affected employees while isolating them according to government guidelines, identifying and testing close contacts and deep cleaning of visited work areas," Thai Union CEO Thiraphong Chansiri said. "It is very important to note that, due to the extremely small number of impacted employees, all Thai Union's factories currently remain open and operational at capacity."

Samut Sakhon province is one of the regions the Thai government has designated as a "red zone", or area with high infection rates. It is also Thailand's chief hub for seafood production.

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Foster Farms faces lawsuit from workers union over Covid-19 safety

The US poultry processor, has become the subject of a lawsuit filed by the United Farm Workers union, which claims the company "refused" to follow safety guidelines after a number of workers died from Covid-19 at two of its plants in California.

5 January

UK announces grants for retail, foodservice businesses

The UK government has said it will make available "one-off, top-up grants" to the country's retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in the wake of the country's the fresh lockdown measures.

Firms can apply for grants worth up to GBP9,000 (US$12,200), with the Government suggesting the cash will benefit more than 600,000 companies.

"This will help businesses to get through the months ahead  and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they are able to reopen," Rishi Sunak, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, said. "Throughout the pandemic we've taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today we're announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the spring."

The UK's furlough scheme had already been extended until the end of April.

--

2 Sisters plant operating "as normal" amid Covid cases

The UK food manufacturer has reported a fresh clutch of positive cases of Covid-19 at a plant in Scotland that was hit by the virus during the summer.

2 Sisters said its Coupar Angus facility was "working as normal", with five of its staff having tested positive.

Last August, the site, located in south Lanarkshire, halted production for two weeks to after a number of employees caught the virus.

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Cargill re-opens Covid-hit Canada plant

The US agri-food giant has resumed production at a meat plant in Canada closed before Christmas due to dozens of cases of Covid-19 among staff.

Cargill called a halt to output at the facility in Ontario in the week before the festive period. The company said at the time around 60 of its workers at the site in Guelph in Ontario had been diagnosed with Covid-19 amid a "community spread" of the virus.

Approximately 1,000 staff are employed at the factory, which is located in the city of Guelph. According to the Cargill website, the plant processes 1,500 head of cattle per day and is one of its two beef facilities in Canada. Combined, the plants make up 55% of the beef processing market in Canada, Cargill says.

"The health and safety of our employees continue to be our top priority," Cargill said in a statement on the re-opening of the factory. "In addition to safety measures we implemented at our facilities months ago, we have taken time during the idle to conduct a full, deep-clean of the facility as an additional step to respond to the community-wide impacts of the virus."

Like food manufacturers across the industry, and particularly in the meat sector, Cargill saw its production affected in the early months of the pandemic after positive cases were diagnosed among staff.

4 January

Nestle to expand US site to meet Covid demand

Nestle is to up the production capacity of a plant in the US to meet changes in demand sparked by the virus.

23 December

FDF calls for compensation for exporters following border "chaos"

UK industry association The Food and Drink Federation has called on the country's government to compensate businesses affected by the closure of the border between Britain and France.

21 December

"We see consumer behaviours evolving in ways we think will stick beyond the pandemic"  General Mills' CEO Jeff Harmening on H1 results

General Mills reaped rewards from Covid-19 shopping behaviours in its fiscal first half as organic growth notched up a print of 8% compared to last year's flat performance. And the benefits look set to continue judging by the emergence of a new strain of the virus in the UK and Italy, while the US still grapples to contain the disease. Simon Harvey looks at the key talking points behind the results.

--

FDF warns of disrupted food supplies as France closes border with UK

The Food and Drink Federation is warning that supplies of food into the country face disruption as a result of France closing its border with Britain.

18 December

Cargill halts output at Canada meat site amid Covid-19 cases

Cargill has called a halt to production at a meat-processing facility in Canada after dozens of staff tested positive for Covid-19.

The US agri-food giant said around 60 of its workers at the site in Guelph in Ontario had been diagnosed with Covid-19 amid a "community spread" of the virus. Approximately 1,000 staff are employed at the factory.

--

Tyson Foods in spotlight over Covid protective measures

Following cases of Covid-19 at a number of Tyson Foods' meat plants since the virus erupted, the comptroller for New York City is calling on the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate the company's methods to protect workers.

Comptroller Scott Stringer has criticised Arkansas-headquartered Tyson of "flagrantly misrepresenting its poor pandemic response" to investors.

He has called out Tyson's Form 10-K, a financial results document presented to the SEC annually, for containing scant information on the company's workplace safety measures.

Tyson has been plagued by Covid-19 infections at a large number of plants, some of which have been forced to temporarily shutdown or pause production as the appropriate cleaning and sanitisation processes are carried out. The affected sites have included factories in: Portland, Maine; Waterloo, Iowa; Goodlettsville and Shelbyville, Tennessee; Pasco, Washington; Dakota City, Nebraska; and Longansport, Indiana.

Six workers died from coronavirus at the Waterloo site, which witnessed more than a 1,000 infections.

"There is human cost to Tyson's failures  preventable deaths, hospitalisations and sick workers," Stringer said in a letter to Tyson. "These failures have material impacts on its business operations that carry serious risks for shareholders."

Tyson has yet to respond to just-food's request for comment.

17 December

Tyson Foods sacks seven managers linked to Covid-19 betting pool

Tyson Foods has sacked seven plant management employees at the US meat giant's site in Waterloo, Iowa, following an independent probe into a betting pool linked to Covid-19 infections.

16 December

Greencore's Nottingham factory hit by Covid

Greencore, a food-to-go manufacturer headquartered in Ireland, has a "number" of Covid-19 cases at a UK plant in the county of Nottinghamshire.

In a statement, the ready-meals to sandwiches maker said coronavirus infections in the Bassetlaw district in north Nottingham have been rising and Greencore now has an unspecified number of cases at its Manton Wood facility. All are currently self-isolating.

"We have arranged for testing to be carried out at the site, and have wide-ranging social-distancing measures, stringent hygiene procedures and regular temperature checking in place," the statement read. "We are liaising closely with the Director of Public Health for Nottinghamshire County Council and Public Health England. Our thoughts are with all those affected, who are currently recovering at home, and we will continue to monitor their welfare as the situation develops."



Jonathan Gribbin, a director of public health for Nottinghamshire County Council, added in the same statement provided by Greencore: "We have been carefully studying the cluster of cases across Bassetlaw district. We are working with Greencore and Public Health England to provide testing and to understand more about how people are acquiring the infection. Greencore has an extensive range of controls in place, has responded quickly and decisively to the situation and is working closely with us."

Other Greencore sites have seen cases of Covid during the year.

15 December

EU food-manufacturing workers "should be priority for vaccines"

FoodDrinkEurope, the trade body for representing food manufacturers operating in the EU, has called on the bloc's member states to take up a recommendation from The European Commission to include workers in the agri-food sector as "a priority group" for vaccines against Covid-19.

A joint statement issued with European trade union federation EFFAT said the Commission had provided guidelines to member states when developing their vaccination strategies and had included agriculture and food sector workers as one of six priority groups.

"The approval and availability of vaccines against Covid-19 is a huge step forward in the fight against the global pandemic. Vaccinating the entire EU population will take significant time, and due to the limited number of doses available not everybody can be immunised immediately," the statement read.

"Food security can only be ensured when the health and safety of the workers in the food and drink industry is protected and production can run smoothly. This holds true in the workplaces, as well as when considering a vaccination strategy."

Quoting an unnamed German government source, Reuters said The European Medicines Agency is set to issue a positive verdict on the first Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine next Wednesday (23 December).

9 December

Six new Covid cases confirmed at Bakkavor's Tilmanstone plant since Friday

Bakkavor, a UK private-label supplier, has said its salads plant in south-east England where two workers have unfortunately died after contracting Covid-19 has seen a further six new cases since last Friday (4 December), although numbers are declining.

A two-day mass-testing exercise was started at the Tilmanstone site in Kent on Monday (7 December) with 375 staff out of a workforce of "over 900" tested so far. In an update provided by Bakkavor yesterday afternoon, the company said 48 employees are now off work having tested positive, with another 44 self-isolating as a precautionary measure.

The testing programme was due to end at midnight yesterday. The Tilmanstone plant is currently operating at "reduced capacity", the company said, although a spokesperson for the business told just-food it is "a temporary adjustment, [with] no impact on service levels".

Bakkavor said in a statement: "As a business, we have fully followed PHE guidelines for the duration of the pandemic. We are currently working closely with Public Health England (PHE) South East and Kent County Council to monitor the situation and we will take whatever appropriate action is necessary to limit the spread of Covid-19 and to ensure that our staff on site are safe. We will follow PHE advice and, if and when further steps need to be taken, we will communicate any new developments."

--

4 December

Bakkavor to test all staff at Covid-hit plant

The UK private-label manufacturer is to test all staff working at a factory in south-east England for Covid-19 in the wake of two employees at the site dying after being diagnosed with the virus.

After talks with local government and health officials this week, Bakkavor will start conducting the tests at the facility, located in Tilmanstone in Kent, on Monday.

On the two members of staff who died, the company said: "We have sadly had two colleagues pass away following positive tests for Covid-19. These were valued members of our team and we are doing everything to support their families during this tragic time. At this early point in our investigation there is no evidence that either case was contracted in the workplace."

More than 900 employees work at the factory, which manufactures salad products. Bakkavor said 59 staff that have tested positive for Covid-19 are off work and a further 54 are self-isolating as a precautionary measure.

--

Survey reveals Covid, Brexit outlook for UK hospitality

A UK business survey reveals Covid-19 has "wrecked confidence" among company chiefs in the hospitality industry, with the majority (82%) downbeat on prospects for the coming year.

The poll by Manchester-based research consultancy CGA and Fourth, a provider of cloud-based cost control solutions to hospitality, shows the figure was up from 40% in a similar survey conducted in February.

"Extended restrictions on trading and socialising over the autumn have led more than a quarter (27%) of multi-site business leaders to predict their groups will be unviable within the first six months of 2021 if current levels of support continue. Single-site businesses are at even greater risk of failure," the survey reveals.

Looking at the impact on the hospitality sector when the Brexit transition period ends this month, the majority of company chiefs anticipate a hit to profits (65%) and increased costs on imports (80%).

In terms of investment, the survey of 121 business leaders across management roles, reveals "widespread closures" are expected next year, with 38% having no plans to open new sites. "Substantial market churn, especially in London, where closures of offices, retail and tourist venues has hit footfall, can be expected," the researchers said.

CGA's research and insight director Charlie Mitchell said: "As we near the end of hospitality's toughest year in memory, the bleak picture of the sector will come as little surprise. Suffocating restrictions across Britain will devastate trading in what should be businesses' busiest time of the year.

"Leaders' optimism is at least rising from the rock bottom level of our last survey, and news of a vaccine is a reason for cautious hope of recovery in 2021. However, this week's Tier 2 restrictions in England and strict new limits in Wales could be fatal for smaller business in particular, making the case for more relaxed trading conditions and better government support even more urgent."

3 December

Second Covid death reported at Bakkavor salad plant

A second employee at a UK salad plant owned by private-label major Bakkavor has died after contracting Covid-19.

--

PepsiCo 'temporarily closed US plant due to Covid outbreak'

US food and beverages giant PepsiCo is reported to have temporarily closed a Frito-Lay snacks plant in its home market due to an outbreak of coronavirus.

On Tuesday (1 December), media outlets in the US quoted Clark County officials as confirming 17 cases among employees at the plant in Vancouver, Washington State.

Public health officials said the first worker tested positive on 29 October. PepsiCo confirmed in a statement emailed to local media that multiple employees had tested positive for the virus although it did not list a specific number.

It described the decision to close the Vancouver plant as "a precautionary measure and in partnership with the Clark County Health Department". It said that the plant was being sanitised during the closure.

Reports suggested the plant was closed from 25 November but was due to re-open on Tuesday evening.

just-food has asked PepsiCo for an update on the situation at the plant.

1 December

Union calls for mass testing at Bakkavor UK site after Covid outbreak

The GMB trade union has called on private-label major Bakkavor to introduce mass Covid-19 testing at a salad facility in southern England after an outbreak of the virus among workers there.

--

BRF plant hit by Covid outbreak cleared to resume exports to China

A plant in southern Brazil operated by meat major BRF has been given the all-clear to resume exports to China following an earlier Covid-19 outbreak.

BRF said on Monday (30 November) its Lajeado pork unit has been authorised to resume exports to China, according to a statement sent to news agency Reuters.

The plant, which saw an outbreak of the virus among workers in May, employs about 3,000 people. The unit should resume exports over the coming days, the statement said.

"After an inspection by the Chinese authorities, it was possible to prove the commitment that all of us at BRF have always had regarding the health and safety of our employees and our products," Reuters quoted BRF as saying.

The news agency reported that least three other Brazilian meat factories remain blocked by China over coronavirus concerns, All are located in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul.

BRF's Lajeado unit had been suspended by China since July.
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of London-listed company director and manager changes announced on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News:







St Modwen Properties PLC - Birmingham-based property investor and developer - Hires Alison Nimmo as non-executive director, starting February 1. Nimmo was chief executive of the Crown Estate from 2012 to 2019. The Crown Estate, which manages the Queen's property holdings, is the largest property owner in London's West End. She also held senior roles organising the London 2012 Olympic Games. Nimmo is current a non-executive director of housebuilder Berkeley Group Holdings PLC.







AEX Gold Inc - gold exploration and mine development in Greenland - Hires Jaco Crouse as chief financial officer, effective immediately. Crouse also will be proposed as a board director at the next annual general meeting. He replaces George Fowlie, who will remain a board director. Crouse is an experienced mining CFO, AEX says, having held the role at Detour Gold Corp and before that Triple Flag Mining Finance Ltd. He also was vice president for Business Planning & Optimization at Canada's Barrick Gold Corp.







Aminex PLC - Tanzania focused gas project developer - Jan Gunnar Opsal, a representative of shareholder Eclipse Investments LLC, steps down as non-executive director, effective immediately. Eclipse has the right to appoint two directors. As it now is down to only one director, Aminex says Eclipse retains the right to name a second. Back in November, James Lansdell had joined the board as the other Eclipse representative.







Frenkel Topping Group PLC - Manchester-based financial adviser and asset protection services - Hires Mark Field as non-executive director, effective immediately. Field was a member of Parliament for 18 years, representing the Cities of London & Westminster. He served as UK Minister for State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and as vice-chair of the Conservative Party.







eEnergy Group PLC - London-based energy efficiency-as-a-service - Hires Gary Worby as independent non-executive director, effective immediately. Worby was managing director of Energy & Carbon Management, a specialist UK energy, carbon and water consultancy that was acquired by Inprova Finance in 2018. Inprova was itself bought by AIM-lised Inspired Energy PLC in the same year.







GSTechnologies Ltd - Milton Keynes, England-based provider of wireless, electronic cabling, security, and other services to clients in infrastructure development - Adds Jack Bai and Shayne Tan to board as executive directors, effective immediately. Bai is a technology entrepreneur who is co-founder of, and leads the development of, the Coalculus blockchain technology, which enables enterprise-ready blockchain-as-a-service to financial institutions and enterprises, GS Technologies says. Bai led the subscription of 198.0 million shares at a price of GBP0.001 per share that raised GBP198,000 for GSTechnologies last week. Tan also is a co-founder of the Coalculus blockchain platform and is its chief marketing officer.







Volex PLC - Basingstoke, England-based connectivity and power products maker - Hires Amelia Murillo as independent non-executive director, starting Tuesday. Murillo is vice president of financial planning & analysis and treasurer at US industrial firm Carlisle Cos Inc. Meanwhile, Adrian Chamberlain has stepped down from the board, having served since June 2016.







Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd - rare earth metals projects in Burundi and South Africa - Hires Chris le Roux as lead process consultant and Charles Graham as lead project manager. Le Roux was lead process engineer on several projects for South Africa's Gold Fields Ltd. He was responsible for the preliminary economic assessment for the Lofdal rare earths project in Namibia and the definitive feasibility study for Peak Resources Ltd's Ngualla rare earths project in Tanzania, Rainbow Rare Earths notes. Graham also was at Gold Fields, working as a project director.







By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 21:38:43|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Jan. 19, 2021 showed Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte attends a debate ahead of a confidence vote in Senate in Rome, Italy. (Pool via Xinhua)

President Mattarella has confirmed Conte's resignation. "Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has offered his resignation," Mattarella's office said in a statement.

"The President of the Republic has reserved the right to decide and has invited the government to remain in office for the time being to take care of day-to-day business," the statement said.

ROME, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has met with President Sergio Mattarella to hand in his resignation, the Italian government said in a statement after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Conte "has expressed ... his intention to ... submit his resignation", the statement said.

Mattarella has confirmed Conte's resignation. "Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has offered his resignation," Mattarella's office said in a statement.

"The President of the Republic has reserved the right to decide and has invited the government to remain in office for the time being to take care of day-to-day business," the statement said.

It is now up to Mattarella to sound out Italy's political forces in order to form a new government to guide the country through the end of the current legislature's natural five-year term in March 2023.

Mattarella's statement said he will begin consultations with Italy's various political leaders on Jan. 27. If Mattarella's efforts fail and no new governing coalition can be found, Italian voters will be called to a snap general election.

Italy's last general election was held in March 2018.

Conte last week requested and won two confidence votes in both houses of parliament after a junior member of his ruling coalition, the Italia Viva party led by former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, withdrew its backing earlier this month.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (M) speaks at a press conference in Rome, Italy, on Dec. 30, 2020. (Pool via Xinhua)
Current Affairs

T wenty fishermen/poachers from the Dominican Republic were apprehended and arrested in Turks and Caicos Islands waters over the past week.



On Thursday, January 21st, 2020, the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) with assistance from the Marine Police, apprehended four panga-styled poacher vessels in the vicinity of Bush Cay on the Caicos Banks.



Each vessel was manned by four individuals, resulting in a total of 16 persons, believed to be from the Dominican Republic, who were apprehended and "found to have illegally caught marine product on-board", according to a government press release which stated that the amount of seafood was undetermined.



On Saturday, January 16th, 2021, a joint effort by officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force Marine Branch and the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) resulted in the arrest of four men from the Dominican Republic.



Two vessels were intercepted south of East Cay.



The vessels and marine products were handed over to the DECR officials and the Dominican nationals are currently in custody at the Grand Turk Police Station.






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AGRIGENTO, JAN 26 - Italian police on Monday night arrested three people on suspicion of beating up three young people solely because they are disabled in the Sicilian town of Licata. One of the victims was allegedly beaten with a stick, bound with duct tape and left in the street until a passing woman freed him, police said. On other occasions, police said, the three disabled who were targeted were allegedly humiliated with their faces being painted, as well as being derided on social media. The three alleged culprits are accused of kidnapping and torture, among other things. (ANSA).
ROME, JAN 26 - Giuseppe Conte on Tuesday handed his resignation as premier to President Sergio Mattarella, sources said. Conte, who left the presidential palace about 30 minutes after entering, is expected to seek a mandate from the head of State to form a new executive with a broader coalition. It is highly uncertain, however, where the crisis will lead. The government no longer had an absolute majority in the Senate after ex-premier Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva (IV) party triggered a crisis in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic by withdrawing its support. Attempts to bring in so-called 'responsible' or 'constructor' lawmakers to support the government and make up for the loss of IV were fruitless. The centre-right opposition is calling for early elections to be held, which opinion polls suggest it would win. The three other parties in the government coalition, the 5-Star Movement (M5S), the centre-left Democratic party (PD) and the left-wing LeU group, have expressed staunch support for Conte. Justice Minister Alfonso Bonafede, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini and Health Minister Roberto Speranza on Tuesday expressed backing for Conte in their respective roles as the lead representatives within the government of the M5S, the PD and LeU group after he told them he was resigning at a cabinet meeting early on Tuesday, sources said. Matteralla, who as president is the referee of Italian politics, is set to call a round of formal consultations with the parties in parliament and other institutional figures before deciding what to do. The consultations are not expected to start earlier than Wednesday afternoon. The government survived two confidence votes in parliament last week after IV pulled out but it failed to muster an absolute majority in the Upper House. Conte may have decided to quit now because the government risked being defeated in a vote in the Senate on a report by Bonafede this week. If Conte does manage to put together a new government it will be his third. His first government, which lasted from June 2018 until August 2019, was backed by the M5S and Matteo Salvini's right-wing League party. Renzi's IV pulled its support over issues that included differences over the plan on how to spend the over 200 billion euros Italy is set to get from the EU's COVID-19 Recovery Fund. Renzi had blasted the Recovery Plan as lacking ambition, making hand-outs rather than structural investments, and ignoring ministers and parliament in setting up task forces. IV also complained about the government's failure to take cash from the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) to invest in the national health system, which has been pushed to the limit by the coronavirus emergency. There has been speculation that IV could come back into the ruling alliance, even though the M5S and the PD had ruled out reopening the door to Renzi's group. Another possibility is for a new government to be formed under a different premier, perhaps with the support of Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party to make sure the government's COVID-19 Recovery Plan is delivered. (ANSA).


Toto Wolff has dismissed "teasing" comments made recently by his Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner.

Horner claimed that George Russell's surprisingly good form in seven time world champion Hamilton's Mercedes cockpit recently proved that Max Verstappen is "the best" driver in Formula 1 today.

"If someone had to get into Max's car - if he had coronavirus - they would never reach his level of performance," Horner said.

When asked about the comments, Mercedes boss Wolff told the Austrian broadcaster ORF: "Christian can't stop teasing us, but that's just part of it."

He said he does not agree that Russell's performance in the Sakhir GP proved anything.

"You can only judge the best drivers on the grid if you let them race against each other," said Wolff.

"We haven't seen Lewis against Max yet. We haven't seen George against Lewis and we haven't seen Charles Leclerc in a top car.

"But the future is for the young drivers and at some point they will all race against each other with the same equipment and then we will see who is the best," he added.

(GMM)
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Entrepreneurs Organization has been a critical support network and catalyst for strategic growth for entrepreneurs in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world

Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), the worlds leading peer-to-peer network of successful business owners, recently launched its third San Francisco Bay Area chapter to specifically serve the East Bay community.

In addition to this new chapter, EO also has a Silicon Valley chapter which is going on its 30th year and has 47 members and a San Francisco chapter which is also going on its 30th year and has 87 members. The new East Bay chapter already has 20 members and plans to add 20-30 new members in 2021.

EO is made up of entrepreneurs who are founders/co-founders or majority shareholders of a business that exceeds $1 million in annual revenue. In total, these San Francisco Bay Area businesses employ over 4,000 people and are responsible for annual sales in excess of $350 million. Companies such as 1-800-Got-Junk, Spanx, Cold Stone Creamery, Sanctuary Clothing, Mary Frances Accessories, and Bun Mee, to name a few, make up the EO network globally.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the number of applications for new businesses in the U.S. is rising at the fastest rate since 2007, when the nation was in the middle of The Great Recession. While hundreds of thousands of businesses are closing doors due to the pandemic, new entrepreneurs are emerging out of the pandemic at the same rate.

Despite the insane and unexpected challenges 2020 brought, many of which were still facing today, we are optimistic because of the number of new entrepreneurs that are emerging in the local landscape, said Mike Birdsall, Area Director of EO West Region. Entrepreneurs Organization has been a critical support network and catalyst for strategic growth for entrepreneurs in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world, and we are excited to continue the momentum and offer support to this new wave of business owners through all three area chapters.

Among the three Bay Area chapters, 27 percent are minority-owned businesses.

We recognize that diversity in each of our chapters is critical to the entire member experience, said Sia Bani, Membership Chair and President Elect of EO Silicon Valley. We are committed to finding new ways to reach more of our minority population including Black, indigenous, people of color, women, and more of our LGBTQIA+ community. Successful entrepreneurs come from all economic backgrounds, races, religions and beliefs and we plan to increase our diversity numbers this year by at least 20 percent.

Unlike its competitor organizations like Vistage which is led by a paid facilitator, EO is member-led and focuses on building a global network to serve the unique needs of the complete entrepreneur. Members have the opportunity to take part in a forum, which fosters peer-to-peer sharing between a small group of 7-12 members in a trusted and confidential environment. Forum offers a format where the complex intersections between an entrepreneurs business, personal life and community engagement can all be addressed head-on, so that members can achieve fulfillment in all of their endeavors. Members also enjoy learning events featuring global business leaders, access to prestigious training and tools, global leadership conferences and more.

Globally, the organization boasts more than 14,000 members in 61 countries. Founded in 1987, EO is the catalyst that enables leading entrepreneurs to learn and grow, leading to greater success in business and beyond. This innovative process that EO offers has sustained a growing organization that has withstoodeven flourishedduring times of economic uncertainty.

In addition to its flagship program, EO also offers a program called EO Accelerator, where entrepreneurs who have anywhere from $250,000 to under $1 million in annual revenue can join and attend quarterly learning events as well as a monthly forum meeting with a goal to grow their business to over $1 million in revenue and join EO.

Interested area entrepreneurs are invited to attend an upcoming Test Drive event on Friday, February 26 from 12-2:30 p.m. to experience a light version of what EO offers. For more information, please fill out the interest form at https://get.eobayarea.com.

About the Entrepreneurs Organization

Entrepreneurs Organization is a high-quality support network of 14,000+ like-minded leaders across 61 countries. We help entrepreneurs achieve their full potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences and collaborative learning.
Janet Yellen won overwhelming Senate confirmation as the first woman to lead the U.S. Treasury on Monday, setting her quickly to work with Congress on coronavirus relief, reviewing U.S. sanctions policy and strengthening financial regulation.

The Senate voted 84-15 to confirm Yellen, with all opposition coming from Republicans, several of whom have expressed concerns about President Joe Bidens proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid plan, tax hikes and other spending initiatives.

Shortly after the vote, House of Representatives Democrats delivered to the Senate a charge of impeachment against former President Donald Trump, accusing him of inciting insurrection in a speech to supporters before the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol. The planned February trial has stoked some partisan divisions in the chamber, but those were largely absent on Monday.

Secretary Yellens confirmation shatters another glass ceiling," Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said in a statement. In a field dominated by men, its refreshing to finally see a woman leading the Treasury Department."

Yellen, 74, made history in 2014 when she became the first woman to chair the Federal Reserve. A portrait of the economist and daughter of a Brooklyn, New York, family doctor will join those of 76 other secretaries in Treasurys hallways, dating back to the first, Alexander Hamilton.

The White House had no immediate comment on when Yellen would be sworn in, or by whom.

She won the votes of 34 Republicans in a strong bipartisan vote, with a number of them pledging to work with her.

I hope bipartisanship continues & we can work 2gether on commonsense tax/fiscal policy for all Americans," Republican Senator Chuck Grassley wrote on Twitter.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz congratulated Yellen and voiced hope that she could help lead progress on reaching an international agreement on digital taxation. He told Reuters: Janet Yellen is a very impressive person."

Yellen will play a key role in working with Congress on Bidens coronavirus stimulus plans and on his pledges to invest $2 trillion in infrastructure, green energy projects, education and research to boost American competitiveness.

Treasury will oversee Bidens plans to help finance these initiatives by trying to persuade Congress to raise the corporate tax rate to 28% from 21% and increase taxes on Americans making over $400,000 a year.

Republicans have expressed concerns over the price tag and increased debt in a return to fiscal conservatism after running up deficits during Trumps term with 2017 tax cuts and nearly $5 trillion in coronavirus spending.

Yellen told senators at her confirmation hearing last week that they needed to raise the minimum wage and act big" on stimulus measures or risk a longer, more painful recession brought on by the pandemic.

SANCTIONS REVIEW

Yellen also said during her confirmation hearing that she would conduct an immediate review of U.S. financial sanctions policy administered by Treasury to ensure that they were used strategically and appropriately" after a major ramp-up of such measures under the Trump administration.

Yellens confirmation less than a week after Biden took office is quick by recent standards. Her Republican predecessor, Steven Mnuchin, was not confirmed until three weeks after Trumps 2017 inauguration on a party-line vote.

The Treasury on Monday announced more members of Yellens team, bringing back some Obama administration veterans who served at the agency.

The Treasury named Natalie Wyeth Earnest as counselor to the secretary for strategic communications. Earnest served as assistant secretary for public affairs at Treasury under former Secretary Jack Lew and in various communications roles under former Secretary Tim Geithner.

Mark Mazur, director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and a former Treasury assistant secretary for tax policy, was named as deputy assistant secretary for tax policy in Treasurys Office of Legislative Affairs.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  An investment fund aimed at bolstering minority-owned businesses in West Michigan has raised more than $8.5 million and expects to begin making its first contributions by early summer.

The New Community Transformation Fund, which is based in Grand Rapids and launched in early 2020, announced its fundraising progress in a virtual news conference on Tuesday, Jan. 26. In addition to the $8.5 million in committed investments, the fund has $17 million in investments in the pipeline, officials said.

We want to make sure we are no longer a flyover city for entrepreneurs of color, said Skot Welch, a Grand Rapids-based consultant focused on diversity, equity and inclusion who helped found the investment fund. We want to be a place where people say youve got to go to West Michigan because thats where some really important work is occurring.

Welch founded the fund in partnership with Birgit Klohs, president and CEO of The Right Place, a Grand Rapids-based economic development organization. She said the idea is to build a more diverse economy and create economic prosperity in West Michigans communities of color.

Theres a lot of venture fund money floating around for young white kids coming out of Stanford, but not so much for young people of color, said Klohs, whos retiring from The Right Place on Jan. 31 after spending more than three decades at the organization.

A range of local, state and national companies have invested in the fund. That includes the Consumers Energy Foundation and Bank of America, which provided the initial seed investments to launch the fund. Other donors include Spectrum Health Ventures, Mercantile Bank and Autocam-Medical.

Next steps for the fund include reaching a $10 million fundraising goal, and hiring a day-to-day manager of the fund, financial analysts and administrative assistants.

Kwame Anku, a California-based entrepreneur whos serving as an adviser to the New Community Transformation Fund, said he expects the fund will reach its $10 million goal by next month and have a management team in place by April. He also said the fund has $17 million in the pipeline.

Realistically, with due diligence, youre probably looking at the first investments being late summer, said Anku, who also serves as CEO and general partner of Black Star Fund.

The initial investments provided by the fund to businesses are expected to range between $250,000 and $500,000. The businesses being targeted by the fund are established businesses in the following sectors: advanced manufacturing, food and agribusiness, e-commerce and information technology, life sciences, finance technology, as well as legacy and transitioning succession businesses.

The fund will focus on providing funding to minority-owned businesses in West Michigan. However, it will entertain investments in non-local companies if the company pledges to move most of its operations to the region, according to a news release.

People of color are vastly underrepresented in business ownership.

In the Grand Rapids-Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area, about 6 percent of the businesses in the sectors being targeted by the fund are owned by people of color, according to data provided by The Right Place.

We only have a paltry handful of wealth-creating, multi-generational businesses owned by people of color in the region, Klohs said. She added that most of the businesses owned by people of color fall into the category of lifestyle businesses, which is not among the sectors the fund is targeting.

What the fund really is meant to do is increase ownership and multi-generational wealth creation so that the ownership in 5, 10, 15 years in this region looks different than it does today,

When the New Community Transformation Fund was announced in January 2020, officials said the goal is to raise up to $25 million, and that they hoped to do so by the end of 2020.

When asked about the failure to reach that goal in 2020, Anku said the COVID-19 pandemic did change the timeline. But it and other events, such as the social unrest that rocked the nation following the death of George Floyd, did not change the interest in the fund, he said.

With the momentum thats happening  we should be able to hit our goal, Anku said.

Read more:

State awards $4.75M loan to Grand Haven residential development at underutilized site

Basketball coaches association calls on Gov. Whitmer to get kids in the game

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One of the houses of Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, has been gutted by fire.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered from sources close to the activist that his Ibadan home located at Soka area started burning around 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

Mr Adeyemo no longer lives in the house affected by the fire.

The fire incident occurs days after Mr Igboho led his followers and aggrieved residents to Igangan in Ibarapa area of Oyo State to eject the Fulani leader of Igangan, Salihu Abdukadir.

He accused the Fulani leader of harbouring criminal herders who were kidnapping and killing residents of the community.

Mr Abdullahi rejected the allegations, saying members of his community have also been victims of the criminality perpetrated by kidnappers and other outlaws.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how some houses and cars were burnt in the process of evicting Mr Abdukadir.

This newspaper could not confirm the cause of the fire that gutted Mr Igbohos house as of the time of this report.

Mr Igbohos known telephone number could not be reached at the time of this report.

The Oyo police spokesperson, Olugbenga Fadeyi, could also not be reached on his official telephone number.

Details soon
A new, highly accurate COVID-19 test, Virus Hunter 6 (VH6), which delivers results in under 20 minutes is being trialed across the University of Surrey, this week.

Developed by three leading universities - University of Surrey, Brunel University London, and Lancaster University - in collaboration with commercial partner Vidiia Ltd, the test has been shown to be 99 per cent accurate in lab trials and has been developed for use as a mass point-of-care product in large settings such as universities, airports, and care homes.

The device can test up to six samples simultaneously and uses LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification - which is more rapid and easier to perform than PCR) technology, a single-tube technique that amplifies the nucleic acid of the virus using nasal and oral swab samples. A unique buffer used in the device reduces processing time, makes handling samples much safer and removes the need to send samples to a laboratory. This state-of-the-art device uses a mixture of swab samples, image processors and AI, all shared with a mobile app, which reduces testing times and possible errors with result interpretation.

As part of its ongoing COVID-19 testing programme the University of Surrey will require 1,000 samples from its staff and students, who have decided to remain on campus as well as those returning to essential teaching programmes, to trial the new technology. Data gathered from testing will help validate the test for mass use. It is hoped that the innovative device, which has recently received official registration with The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and has a CE marking, will be further tested in a hospital setting.

Developing a highly accurate COVID-19 test that delivers rapid results has been a priority since the beginning of this pandemic. Initial results from our testing have been very encouraging; the next stage of its development is to begin testing on a large scale. I am delighted that this will take place on our campus and that our staff and students will be a part of this vital step in combatting the impact of COVID-19." Roberto La Ragione, Professor of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, University of Surrey

David Rimer, CEO of Vidiia, said: "Testing on this scale is a welcome opportunity for Vidiia to further evaluate the VH6 testing product, software and algorithm that the team and universities have worked so hard on over the past nine months. We are now at an exciting stage of our journey to provide point-of-care LAMP testing far and wide to control the spread of COVID-19, and I would like to thank the staff and students at the University of Surrey for contributing to testing such a critical product."

WamadevaBalachandran, Research Professor at Brunel University London and lead academic on the project, said: "We are excited to be part of the University of Surrey trials ofVirus Hunter 6. These will further validate trials completed at Surrey and Lancaster universities using NHS clinical samples."

Dr Muhammad Munir, Molecular Virologist at Lancaster University, said: "Backed by an innovative technology, strong institutional collaboration and a vibrant industrial partner, the testing of a smart diagnostic platform on the University of Surrey campus is a step closer to offering a fast and reliable diagnostic test for early detection of COVID-19 infections in multiple communities." Students returning to campus are still required to take a government approved lateral flow test in conjunction with the new test.

South Africa: Relief for Cyclone Eloise battered communities

With Cyclone Eloise having subsided on Monday evening, the national and provincial governments in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal have activated relief interventions to assist communities left devastated by the cyclone.

The tropical rains experienced in the three provinces over the weekend were a culmination of Cyclone Eloise, which began in the Indian Ocean in Mozambique last week.

Before the storm battered the eastern provinces, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said national and provincial emergency services and emergency centres were activated by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Disasters.

[They were] mobilised so that we could be ready for the storm. When the Ministers met on Saturday, officials were already meeting, guided by the information they were receiving from the South African Weather Service, she said.

The hardest hit districts include Vhembe and Mopani in Limpopo, Ehlanzeni in Mpumalanga and those in the far-north in KZN.

The cyclone uprooted trees, blocking roads, and buildings were destroyed, with lives being lost.

Emergency services have been very responsive but some communities have been cut off. Some municipalities are dealing with that. Some government buildings have been affected by the storm, including bridges, and people in those areas are not able to cross, said Dlamini-Zuma.

She expressed appreciation to the search and rescue teams for their efforts.

We have been coordinated because the Disaster Management Centre nationally has been coordinating with the disaster management centres in those three provinces. We are tracking the storm.

We are told that the tropical storm has moved to Botswana, but it is coming back again and maybe more provinces, such as the North West and maybe the Free State and KZN, may be affected again, she said.

Government is now in the process of assessing the damage.

Families that needed to be helped have been helped but we are assessing the damage in all the districts that been affected, so that we can activate short-term measures to assist and relieve the pressure.

Government is working with NGOs, and a team of Ministers and MECs and local leaders, Dlamini-Zuma said.

Ezekiel Sibeko, from the South African Weather Service (SAWS), confirmed that the storm has moved to parts of Botswana.

It has lost most of its intensity, however, still causing some rain over the western parts of the North West today.

Moving further, from Wednesday, the remains of this storm are expected to merge with another weather system, and [there will be] potential heavy rain over the eastern parts of the Northern Cape, parts of the North West, Free State, as well as the eastern part of the Eastern Cape.

"We are currently monitoring the situation and warnings will be issued.

Currently, Sibeko said, it is still cloudy in Limpopo, KZN and Mpumalanga but little rain is expected in the coming days.

Limpopo COGTA MEC, Basikopo Makamu, said the tropical storm has subsided today in the Vhembe and Capricorn Districts, adding that teams have been deployed.

The situation was largely under control, with the exception of a few bridges that were washed away.

The situation is the same in Mpumalanga, where the storm claimed the life of a five-year-old boy, who was swept away by a heavy current while trying to cross a river.

Two other people are the subject of a South African Police Service (SAPS) search and rescue mission after they went missing on Monday.

In KZN, said COGTA MEC Sipho Hlomuka, a 14-year-old drowned at the weekend.

We have provided short-term intervention. Weve made sure that people have shelter.

Were working together as government and providing support to save lives.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

A German serial killer already in prison for the murders of three children has been charged in France over the killing of a 10-year-old boy in 2004 that horrified the country

Nantes (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2021 ) :A German serial killer already in prison for the murders of three children has been charged in France over the killing of a 10-year-old boy in 2004 that horrified the country.

Martin Ney, sometimes dubbed "the Masked Man" in German media reports, has been charged with murder and kidnapping over the disappearance of Jonathan Coulom at a school holiday camp in western France, prosecutors said.

Coulom's body was found bound and weighed down by a concrete block in a pond more than a month after he was snatched from a dormitory at the seaside camp in Brevin-les-Pins.

Ney, 50, was charged and transferred to the French city of Nantes from his high-security jail in Germany after telling a fellow prisoner he had killed Coulom, French lawyer Catherine Salsac said.

"Investigators found similarities between the methods used," said Salsac, who represents Coulom's family, referring to Ney's murders in Germany.

She said the investigation had "accelerated" after the alleged confession.

Ney, who wore masks and balaclavas during his attacks, was jailed for life in 2012 after he confessed to killing three boys aged between eight and 12.

The British press has also linked him to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who was snatched from her parents' rented apartment during a holiday in Portugal in 2007.

German prosecutors are investigating a different man, 43-year-old paedophile Christian Brueckner, in connection with the McCann case.
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Athens, GA (30605)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low near 65F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low near 65F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
[January 26, 2021] 120Water Achieves 250% Revenue Growth in 2020; Rapidly Expanding Workforce and Solution Portfolio

ZIONSVILLE, Ind., Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 120Water, a leading digital water platform, achieved 250 percent year-over-year revenue growth in 2020 and expanded its customer base to 19 states. New customers include Denver Water, The City of Newark, NJ, the City of Asheville, NC, and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau.

The 120Water platform consists of sample & filter kits, cloud-based software, and services used to manage and execute water programs at scale while saving operational resources. The companys sample kit volume grew 1,610 percent year-over-year as a result of its rapid adoption by the industry. In addition to its core lead reduction solutions, the company has been aggressively building its portfolio of drinking water and wastewater solutions, including: A COVID-19 wastewater monitoring solution that enables communities to frequently test wastewater for the presence of viruses to make more informed and faster public health decisions.



The Lead Service Line Probability Finder, which helps municipalities meet the requirements of the recently revised Lead & Copper Rule requirements by efficiently inventorying and mapping their existing lead service lines so they can be replaced.



An automated communications module and Public Transprency Dashboard to help utilities and states remain compliant with new Lead & Copper Rule communication mandates.





Although 2020 was a challenging year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the drinking water and wastewater industries are ripe for innovation, as infrastructure investments increase and communities rely on water utilities to play a greater role than ever in protecting public health, said Megan Glover, CEO of 120Water. Other notable achievements include:



Completion of one of the largest COVID-19 wastewater monitoring studies in the United States by volume of sites, partnering with the University of Notre Dame and Microbac Laboratories. The study supported 14 communities in sampling wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 RNA beginning in August 2020.



Expansion of testing capabilities to include contaminants such as arsenic, Legionella (ASHRAE 188), and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in addition to lead.



Launch of its partnership ecosystem with water industry and technology leaders including Daupler, Hach, KHAFRA, Noah Water, and PUR.



The addition of key management positions, including Rory Billing as director of solutions, Nicole MacLean as director of marketing, and Steve Cornett as director of quality, security & compliance. 120Water nearly doubled its workforce in 2020 and plans to hire 157 workers by the end of 2022 as part of a $2 million investment in its operations and personnel. A list of open positions is available at https://120water.com/open-positions/. About 120Water

Water professionals across the country rely on 120Water to streamline and modernize their most complex drinking water and wastewater initiatives. The 120Water platform consists of sample & filter kits, cloud-based software, and services used to manage and execute water programs at scale while saving operational resources. 120Water solutions are used across the United States for clients including the city of Newark (NJ), Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, Chicago Public Schools, and Indiana Finance Authority. More information is available at 120Water.com and on Twitter @120_Water. For information contact: Linda Muskin, 847-432-7300

lmuskin@teamclarus.com Mara Conklin, 847-816-9411

mconklin@teamclarus.com



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New Delhi, Jan 26 : Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as prostate gland enlargement is a common condition that older men tend to suffer more during those chilly months. Lifestyle modifications like not opting for fluids at night and medications can help one get that much-needed relief from the symptoms, says a noted urologist.

One of the most common problems faced by men above the age of 60 is enlarged prostate (Benign prostatic hyperplasia). The prostate gland produces the fluid that carries sperm during ejaculation. It surrounds the urethra, which is the tube through which the urine passes out of one's body. But when you suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), your prostate is larger than usual which squeezes the urethra. Thus, this can weaken your pee stream owing to which you may wake up several times at night to urinate.

Be watchful of symptoms like frequent or urgent need to urinate, nighttime urination, and inability to empty the bladder completely. Unfortunately, urinary symptoms worsen as the days become colder and that is how prostate enlargement cases crop up more during the winter season, Dr Suraj Lunavat, Urologist, Apollo Spectra, Pune, told IANSlife.

"This year, Pune city has witnessed a 30 per cent surge in the prostate enlargement cases. The reason why one encounters the problem of enlarged prostate during winter is that we sweat less and lose less fluid through sweating and in this process we produce more urine instead. Thus, during winter, one feels the urge to pee more frequently. It is not a grave problem but can affect one's life if not tackled at the right time." He added,"Though, this problem can be managed by adopting few lifestyle changes, medications or the last resort can be a surgery called Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Get yourself evaluated by opting for a sonography and consult the doctor for the proper line of treatment suitable for you." To get relief from the symptoms of BPH, it is essential to follow few guidelines, he says.

"Empty your bladder properly when you go to pee as this will reduce the need for subsequent trips to the toilet. Men who are nervous and tensed may feel a frequent urge to urinate so cut down the stress by staying physically active and practicing relaxation techniques like meditation." "Avoid drinking fluids after the evening. Say no to caffeine and alcoholic beverages during the night as it can irritate your bladder and stimulate the kidneys to produce more urine leading to nighttime urination. Do pelvic exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles. Also, try to stay warm during winter as cold weather can cause frequent urination." (Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in)

BROOKVILLE, N.Y., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Results of a breaking Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling and Analysis national poll reveal America's first impression of President Biden and opportunities for common ground in 2021.

A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE CONFIDENT THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL DO A GOOD JOB HANDLING THE CORONAVIRUS (64%) AND THE ECONOMY (53%)

Americans were asked if they believe President Biden will do a good job handling the coronavirus. Of the respondents, 64% said yes, 20% said no, and 16% said they didn't know or gave no answer. 92% of Democrats, 55% of Independents/other, and 35% of Republicans said they believed President Biden will do a good job handling the coronavirus. When asked if they believe President Biden will do a good job handling the economy, 53% of respondents said yes, 28% said no, and 20% said they didn't know or gave no answer. 85% of Democrats, 40% of Independents/other, and 22% of Republicans said they believed President Biden will do a good job handling the economy.

DO AMERICANS BELIEVE PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL BRING THE COUNTRY TOGETHER?

BEFORE JANUARY 6 EVENTS ON THE CAPITOL ( DECEMBER 21-22, 2020 NATIONAL POLL): 47% of Americans said yes, 34% said no, 19% said unsure/no answer.

47% of Americans said yes, 34% said no, 19% said unsure/no answer. AFTER JANUARY 6 EVENTS ON THE CAPITOL ( JANUARY 21-22, 2021 NATIONAL POLL): 52% of Americans said yes, 26% said no, 22% said unsure/no answer.

Americans were asked if they believe President Biden will bring the country together. A comparison of national polls conducted by the Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis in the days before and after the events on January 6 indicate that the Capital riots increased American confidence in President Biden's leadership in unifying the country. The difference in respondents' affirmative answer increased by five percentage points when asked if President Biden will bring the country together, from 47% in the December poll to 52% in the January 21-22, 2021 poll. Political identification of respondents made a difference. In the earlier poll, 75% of Democrats, 38% of Independents/other, and 20% of Republicans said they believed President Biden will bring the country together. In the latter poll, 82% of Democrats, 41% of Independents/other, and 26% of Republicans said they believe President Biden will bring the country together.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMON GROUND AMONG PARTIES INCLUDE ISSUES ON CORONAVIRUS, ECONOMY, AND SAFE REOPENING OF SCHOOLS

National poll results found that more Americans agreed with President Biden's first week of executive orders and memorandums on issues related to coronavirus measures, the economy, and safe reopening of schools, suggesting opportunities for common ground among parties.

Do you agree with President Biden's first week of executive orders and memorandums to:

IMPROVE AND EXPAND ACCESS TO CARE AND TREATMENTS FOR COVID-19

93% of Democrats, 76% of Independents/other, and 62% of Republicans said YES.

PROMOTE COVID-19 SAFETY IN DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

91% of Democrats, 73% of Independents/other, and 57% of Republicans said YES.

LAUNCH A "100 DAYS MASKING CHALLENGE" TO ENCOURAGE AMERICANS TO WEAR MASKS

94% of Democrats, 65% of Independents/other, and 48% of Republicans said YES.

EXTEND EVICTION MORATORIUM FOR RENTERS WHO HAVE FALLEN BEHIND ON THEIR BILLS DUE TO UNEMPLOYMENT OR REDUCED WAGES DURING THE PANDEMIC

87% of Democrats, 65% of Independents/other, and 59% of Republicans said YES.

RESTORE A TEAM IN CHARGE OF PANDEMIC RESPONSE WITHIN THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

92% of Democrats, 59% of Independents/other, and 43% of Republicans said YES.

REJOIN THE UNITED STATES WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

92% of Democrats, 56% of Independents/other, and 40% of Republicans said YES.

SUPPORT THE SAFE REOPENING OF SCHOOLS

56% of Democrats, 49% of Independents/other, and 58% of Republicans said YES.

MIXED RESPONSE AMONG PARTIES INCLUDE ISSUES ON IMMIGRATION, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND GLOBAL RELATIONS

National poll results found a mixed response among parties on President Biden's first week of executive orders and memorandums on issues related to immigration, climate change, and global relations.

Do you agree with President Biden's first week of executive orders and memorandums to:

PRESERVE AND FORTIFY THE DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS (DACA) PROGRAM WHICH PROTECTS IMMIGRANTS BROUGHT TO THE UNITED STATES AS CHILDREN

86% of Democrats, 56% of Independents/other, and 38% of Republicans said YES.

REJOIN THE UNITED STATES TO THE PARIS AGREEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

89% of Democrats, 52% of Independents/other, and 37% of Republicans said YES.

PAUSE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BORDER WALL WITH MEXICO

87% of Democrats, 49% of Independents/other, and 29% of Republicans said YES.

INCLUDE UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN THE CENSUS

79% of Democrats, 45% of Independents/other, and 26% of Republicans said YES.

REMOVE THE MUSLIM BAN THAT RESTRICTED ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATE FROM MAJORITY-MUSLIM COUNTRIES

76% of Democrats, 44% of Independents/other, and 27% of Republicans said YES.

WHAT ONE ISSUE MATTERS MOST FOR AMERICANS

While a variety of reasons were mentioned, the coronavirus and the economy were the issues that mattered most for Americans. The coronavirus was the one issue that mattered most for Democrats (40%). The economy was the one issue that mattered most for Republicans (40%) and Independents (29%).

HIGH VIEWERSHIP OF INAUGURATION

National poll results found that 7 out of 10 respondents tuned in to watch President Biden's Inauguration. High viewership of the event was supported by Nielsen ratings that estimated 33.8 million Americans watched President Biden's Inauguration, which exceeded the nearly 31 million Americans that watched President Trump's Inauguration in 2017 by comparison.

METHODOLOGY

This Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis online poll was conducted through SurveyMonkey from January 21  22, 2021 among a national sample of 1,622 adults ages 18 and up. Respondents for this survey were selected from over 2.5 million people who take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform each day. Data for this week have been weighted for age and gender using the Census Bureau's American Community Survey to reflect the demographic composition of the United States. The modeled error estimate for this survey is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

ABOUT THE LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY STEVEN S. HORNSTEIN CENTER FOR POLICY, POLLING, AND ANALYSIS

The Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis conducts independent polling, empirical research, and analysis on a wide range of public issues. Our studies inform the public and policy makers about critical issues, attitudes, and trends shaping the world. Visit liu.edu/Hornstein for more information and results from this national poll.

ABOUT LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY

Long Island University, founded in 1926, continues to redefine higher education, providing high quality academic instruction by world-class faculty. Recognized by Forbes for its emphasis on experiential learning and by the Brookings Institution for its "value added" to student outcomes, LIU offers over 250 degree programs, with a network of 270,000 alumni that includes industry leaders and entrepreneurs across the globe. Visit liu.edu for more information.

SOURCE Long Island University

Related Links

www.liu.edu


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A married teacher accused of having sex in a field with a 15-year-old schoolboy asked whether he 'preferred boobs or bum,' a court heard today.

Kandice Barber, 35, is standing trial for a second time over the allegations from 2018 when she was doing supply work at Princes Risborough school in Buckinghamshire.

Before retiring to consider their verdict, jurors at Amersham Law Courts were told how the mother-of-three kissed him on the neck before whispering: 'What do you want to do now?'

Miss Recorder Bal Dhaliwal, summarising the complainant's evidence, said: 'He had just finished school.

'She kissed him on the neck, he kissed her back, she then whispered, "what do you want to do now?" She touched him along his clothing and on his abs area.

'She said, "do you want to have sex?" and he said, "I don't mind" and then, "yes".'

The judge also told how the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed to have sent Barber an unsolicited picture of his abdominal muscles and a picture of his penis.

Other witnesses described seeing messages on the boy's iPhone from Barber which asked: 'Do you prefer boobs or bum?'

Kandice Barber, 35, is standing trial for a second time over the allegations from 2018 when she was doing supply work at Princes Risborough school in Buckinghamshire

Barber's lawyers insist there was 'no independent evidence' to convict her and said traffic cameras had not caught her car near the fields at the time of the alleged intercourse.

Nadia Chbat, summing up the case for the defence, said: 'It is physically impossible, you may conclude, for her to meet him at location X and avoid three ANPR cameras, that she does not even know are at the location.

'The ANPR agreed facts tell you there may be a number of reasons it did not activate: the camera might not have been working - we know it was working and we know there are three of them in this location.

'That is the sort of independent evidence that makes you sure they met up, isn't it, and you do not have it here and the reason is not because they did not check - they investigated it and then checked it - the reason you may think there is not any is because they did not go there.'

But Barber was accused of 'slipping up' in court by a prosecutor after she failed to tell jurors about two previous times she was interviewed over other offences.

The teacher had previously claimed she had never been in a police interview before and so said 'no comment' on the advice of her solicitor when she was quizzed in March and August 2019 over having sex with the pupil.

Before retiring to consider their verdict, jurors at Amersham Law Courts (Barber pictured arriving today) were told how the mother-of-three kissed him on the neck before whispering: 'What do you want to do now?'

Barber, of Wendover, Bucks., denies three counts of causing or inciting a child aged under 16 years to engage in a sexual act

When appearing in the witness box during her trial - on three counts of sexual activity with a child - Barber said: 'I was advised by my solicitor, I have never been in this position before.'

Richard Milne, prosecuting, revealed Barber, then known as Kandice Keenan, had previously been interviewed by the Department of Social Security and convicted over failing to disclose a change in situation regarding benefits in 2013.

She also was interviewed by Kent Police on suspicion of theft by an employee in 2012, when she was doing some book-keeping for a dance studio. The investigation concluded that there was no evidence of wrongdoing by Barber.

Mr Milne, in his closing speech at the Amersham Law Courts, said: 'Mrs Barber is smart, she is not a fool, she is savvy, she is an adult, she is a teacher, she was in a teaching role at the school. Was she being given the run around by this boy simply making all of this up?

'She gave a no comment interview and a prepared statement effectively denying all of the allegations.

Husband Daniel Barber arriving at court today

'You may think she slipped up, she over-egged the pudding when she was explaining away why it was she offered no comment.

'She slipped up didn't she, members of the jury, because she had been in precisely the position you may think at least once, certainly by admission if not twice.

'How do you forget that you have been interviewed by Kent Police just a few years before? How do you forget that the DSS interviewed you under caution, resulting in a conviction?

'She is smart, members of the jury, she did not forget. She was trying to pull the wool over your eyes.'

Jurors have been made aware of Barber's conviction from September, when she was convicted of causing a child over 16 to watch a sexual act by a position of trust - relating to a video of her performing a sex act on a bed surrounded by sex toys - and sexual communication with a child, relating to her sending the same boy topless pictures.

Yesterday her husband Daniel Barber said told the court their marriage is as 'strong' as ever.

Barber, of Wendover, Bucks., denies three counts of causing or inciting a child aged under 16 years to engage in a sexual act.

The trial continues.
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Meat factories with major Covid outbreaks should be shut down, union says

MEAT plants with major outbreaks should be shut down and the entire workforce tested, Siptu has demanded.

The unions manufacturing division organiser, Greg Ennis, said workers should get full pay while a deep clean and testing is carried out,before work recommences.

He was speaking after over 100 cases were confirmed following outbreaks at meat processing plants in Wexford and Cork.

Read More

Slaney Foods in Bunclody is operating at a significantly reduced capacity after confirming 42 positive cases.

Another 66 cases have been identified at an ABP plant in Bandon in Cork, which is also running at a reduced capacity.

Mr Ennis also questioned the accuracy figures on infections among workers disclosed by the industry over the last ten months.

Where there are significant outbreaks like this, production should be halted while the plant is deep cleaned and sanitised, without loss of earnings, he said. Whats at stake is peoples safety over a drive for profits. We are now dealing with highly transmissible variants.

Mr Ennis said he was aware of around 2,200 cases among the total workforce of 15,000 meat plant workers up to last October

Since then weve heard very little, he said. Throughout the first six months, and May, June, July and the second wave, we were getting daily information about outbreaks.

Then all of a sudden there was nothing about meat plants. Its hard to believe that during the third wave, where there were far more cases, that it was not pro rata in meat plants.

Siptu said in a statement that the issue of quarantine on arrival to Ireland must be conclusively addressed.

This is vital in low paid sectors where so many migrant workers are employed, it said.

Many workers and their union representatives believe the numbers who have contracted the virus across the meat industry in Ireland is far greater than those disclosed.

Mr Ennis urged the government to act on the recommendations of an Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 for the industry.

He said they included mandatory sick pay, making the granting of work permits conditional on sick pay provision, appointment of compliance officers, and routine testing of workers with results within 24 hours.

The Tanaistes commitment to put sick pay on a statutory footing by the end of this year is too little and very late, he said.

ABP said in a statement that is was working closely and taking direction and guidance from the HSE and Health and Safety Authority in relation to operations at both plants.

Following the screening of staff at ABP Bandon last week, the company has been notified of 66 positive Covid -19 cases, it said.

In line with Covid-19 protocols all close contacts of those impacted are currently self-isolating. The site is also operating at a significantly reduced capacity.

It said it was notified of 42 positive cases at Slaney Foods last Friday. In line with Covid-19 protocols all close contacts of those impacted are currently self-isolating, said the statement. The site is also operating at a significantly reduced capacity.

Staff safety and public health is our priority and Slaney Foods will continue to work with the HSE in relation to the matter.
SACRAMENTO  Gov. Gavin Newsoms abrupt move Monday to lift Californias stay-home order evoked growing criticism from state legislators who said they worry his seesaw decisions on coronavirus health directives seem arbitrary.

Without warning many legislators, Newsom ended the order, effective immediately. He said the move was justified by projections showing intensive care unit capacity improving in coming weeks.

Some Democrats publicly fumed over the move. They said they were struggling to explain the change to constituents, especially those from regions where bed capacity in hospital intensive care units remained at 0%, such as Southern California and the Central Valley.

If you think state legislators were blindsided by, and confused about, the shifting & confusing public health directives, youd be correct, tweeted Assembly Member Laura Friedman, D-Glendale (Los Angeles County).

Republicans called the move a politically motivated attempt to counter the campaign to recall Newsom, an effort driven in large part by frustrations over months-long pandemic restrictions.

Newsom brushed off that criticism Monday, calling the GOPs allegations complete, utter nonsense. He said he was more concerned about allowing some businesses to reopen quickly than keeping legislators in the loop.

The question is do we delay making a significant announcement that can help small businesses of all stripes? Newsom asked during a news conference in Sacramento County. I hope folks that are concerned that they werent given heads-up are also pleased at the direction the states now moving.

The governor said ICU-capacity projections from his administration  numbers that some critics say they dont trust  show bed capacity will rebound across the state over the next four weeks, as the postholiday surge in cases recedes.

Still, some legislators said they dont understand Newsoms rationale. State Sen. Steve Glazer said he worries the move is premature and could lead to another surge before California can improve its sluggish vaccine distribution and contact tracing efforts.

Glazer, D-Orinda, said he worries the states constant back-and-forth on health directives undermines residents willingness to follow health rules and avoid social gatherings.

If the public doesnt have confidence in how the decisions are being made, it erodes any directive on individual behavior, he said. Part of the reason that the soon-to-be-expired health order wasnt as effective as it could have been was because people stopped listening.

Newsom issued the stay-home order Dec. 3 for counties with less than 15% ICU-bed availability, saying he was pulling the emergency brake on a third surge of the pandemic.

The move came after months of counties toggling back and forth on the states color-coded reopening plan. In November, the state had moved nearly every county to its most restrictive, purple tier as cases began to snowball.

Now, Newsom has canceled the stay-home order as infection rates begin to fall. However, the number of new cases remains high, with more than 27,000 new infections reported Sunday.

The latest action allows most counties to reopen some businesses with limited capacity, such as outdoor dining at restaurants or hair and nail salons. The state reverted to its color-tiered reopening system, with businesses falling in the purple tier.

Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido (San Diego County), said she was glad Newsom eased the order even just a little bit. But she said the nature of the decision showed the process is flawed.

I am greatly concerned over the lack of transparency hes using to make these decisions. He says hes guided by data, but he is not sharing the data with anyone, she said. How can people plan their lives with this level of uncertainty?

As of Monday afternoon, Newsoms administration had not released the models it used to project the improving ICU-availability rates it cited, though his staff said they would begin doing so.

Despite simmering frustrations in Sacramento, Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College, doubted many Californians will look at Newsoms decision to lift the order so critically.

I think what they care about is, can I get a haircut? Can I go to a restaurant outside with my friends? she said. I find it hard to believe that this is really going to hurt Newsom at all.

Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner

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Kentucky's new law demands clinics, hospitals, and doctors themselves to save babies who survive abortion procedures, a report says.

The new law, called Senate Bill 9, was passed last week even without the governor's signature, the Christian Post reported. Senate Bill 9's author, Senator Whitney Westerfield, explained that the bill is "going to protect children that are born alive, under any circumstance, not just from a failed abortion attempt."

"Any born-alive infant, including one (1) born in the course of an abortion procedure, shall be treated as a legal person under the laws of this Commonwealth, with the same rights to medically appropriate and reasonable care and treatment," explained the provisions of he law, "After birth, a birth certificate shall be issued and, if death occurs after birth, a death certificate shall be issued."

"The parent or guardian of a born-alive infant shall not be held criminally or civilly liable for the actions of a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, nurse, or other healthcare provider that are in violation of this section and to which the parent or guardian did not give consent."

The doctor performing an abortion under the bill must "take all medically appropriate and reasonable steps to preserve the life and health of a born-alive infant" as it "requires a 'born-alive infant' be given nourishment along with medical care, treatment and surgical care deemed medically appropriate."

Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, did not sign the bill and refused to veto it as well. He previously vetoed a similar bill out of the needs of the coronavirus pandemic.

Westerfield expressed disappointment that Beshear did not sign the law but at the same time is grateful since it was not vetoed amidst pressures from legislators and others to do so.

"I'm disappointed he didn't sign it, but I'm grateful he didn't veto it. I'll take what I can get," Westerfield said.

The Christian Post reported that the bill was part of the local government's efforts to undo the 2019 controversies made by former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam wherein, during an interview with WTOP, babies with "severe deformities" were discussed as examples to third quarter abortions.

"In this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable. It would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired and then a discussion would ensue between the physician and the mother," Northam said previously that garnered criticism from pro-life groups.

US News reported that many oppose the bill since it is not actually needed as nothing of that sort occur in Kentucky, which is a "leading pro-life state" in memory.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky similarly expressed its disappointment on the law, except on its passing.

"It is an inflammatory law that was motivated purely by politics and has no basis in the real-life practice of medicine," Samuel Crankshaw, a spokeman of ACLU of Kentucky, pointed out.

U.S. News said "critics of such measures say that medical ethics would require any health professional to take appropriate steps to save the life of any infant in such circumstances".

According to Governor Andy Beshear's spokeswoman Crystal Staley, the law actually "involves a situation that, to our knowledge, has never happened in Kentucky and is already illegal under other Kentucky laws."
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Elliot Page and Emma Portner got married in 2018. Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for L.A. Dance Project

Elliot Page and Emma Portner filed for divorce in Manhattan court, according to multiple outlets.

"We have made the difficult decision to divorce following our separation last summer," they told People on Tuesday.

The couple continued, "We have the utmost respect for each other and remain close friends."

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Elliot Page and Emma Portner are ending their three-year marriage.

"After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce following our separation last summer," they said in a joint statement to People on Tuesday. "We have the utmost respect for each other and remain close friends."

TMZ was the first to report that the "Juno" actor filed for divorce on Tuesday in Manhattan court. Us Weekly and Page Six later confirmed the news.

Representatives for Page did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Portner and Page first met over Instagram in 2017 after the Oscar-nominated actor sent a message to the choreographer complimenting her dancing video. They began dating shortly thereafter.

The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony in early January 2018. Although they shared few details about their wedding with the public, Page later called it the "most magical night" of his life during an interview with Net-A-Porter.

Read more: Elliot Page and Emma Portner have been married for 2 years. Here's a timeline of their relationship.

In December 2020, the "Inception" actor came out as a transgender in a lengthy social media announcement, telling fans that he uses both he/him and they/them pronouns and thanking the transgender community for their support.

Read more: 'Umbrella Academy' and 'Juno' star Elliot Page comes out as transgender

Portner reshared Page's statement in her own Instagram post and vocalized her admiration for him.

"I am so proud of @elliotpage. Trans, queer and non-binary people are a gift to this world," Portner captioned her message.

Story continues

She continued, "I also ask for patience & privacy but that you join me in the fervent support of trans life every single day. Elliot's existence is a gift in and of itself. Shine on sweet E. Love you so much."

Read the original article on Insider
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A downtown Cleveland resident arrested while trying to pick-up groceries he ordered during the curfew that followed the May 30 riot has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Cleveland and the group of officers who arrested him.

Mehdi Mollahasani showed Cleveland police his ID, a pay stub with his East 9th Street address and his digital grocery receipt on his cellphone as proof that he walked to pick up groceries on May 31. He also told the officers that he was not a looter, according to the complaint.

You look like one, a sergeant identified in the complaint by only his badge number replied.

Mollahasani spent two days in the Cuyahoga County Jail before police and city prosecutors slapped him with a misdemeanor charge of failure to comply with a police order. Five months later, prosecutors dropped the charges.

The complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Cleveland accuses the officers and the city of Cleveland of wrongful arrest without probable cause, unlawfully extending his detention and maliciously prosecuting him, all in violation of Mollahasanis rights under the constitutions Fourth and Fourteenth amendments. It also says Cleveland carried out ongoing unconstitutional arrests dating back to the 2015 mass arrest of protesters after a Cleveland judge found a police officer not guilty in the killings of two unarmed motorists and during the 2016 Republican National Convention.

The suit seeks a chance for Mollahasani to take his case to a jury and seek compensatory and punitive damages.

Mollahasani told cleveland.com in a phone interview Tuesday that the entire incident left him feeling like he lived in a police state.

What makes a police state? Arresting people for no cause, Mollahasani said. When the police arrest you for no cause, and you havent done anything wrong, and they are just packing people into vans and putting them into cells, if thats not a police state, what is?

Mollahasani is represented by attorneys Sarah Gelsomino, Terry Gilbert, Jacqueline Greene and Marcus Sidoti from the Gilbert, Friedman and Gerhardstein firm, and attorney Eric Long from Friedman and Nemecek.

Mehdi left his home on May 31, 2020 to pick up groceries and walked into a nightmare, Gelsomino told cleveland.com. Without any reason to believe he was committing any crime, Cleveland Police officers profiled him as a looter, arrested him, and threw him into jail, where he sat for days without answers, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot let this outrageous and dangerous abuse of power stand in our City.

A spokeswoman for the city of Cleveland on Tuesday declined to comment, citing the citys policy not to comment on pending litigation.

Mollahasani, 38, told cleveland.com in a Tuesday phone interview that he was born in Iran, grew up in Canada and moved to the U.S. to get his bachelors degree from the Harvard Extension School. He works as a brand manager at a firm in New York City, and for the past three years has split living in Cleveland and New York City. He said his pay stubs and most of his mail are delivered to his apartment at East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue.

He did not participate in the May 30 protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The demonstrations resulted in police clashing with hundreds of demonstrators, which lead to widespread vandalism and looting across much of downtown. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson instituted a curfew for the citys downtown business district from 8 p.m. May 30 to 8 a.m. May 31. The curfew picked up again at noon on May 31 and continued for several days.

Mollahasani, who had not been going into grocery stores since the coronavirus pandemic began in March, ordered the groceries delivered to his apartment around 4 p.m. on May 31, the complaint said. He told cleveland.com he could not remember exactly when he placed the order but frequently did so a day, if not several hours, in advance. He said he spent the day watching from his apartment as officers allowed several people to freely walk around downtown.

The driver called him and said she couldnt get through the barricades that Cleveland police and Cuyahoga County sheriffs deputies set up, so he agreed to meet her at the barricades on East 30th Street, the complaint said.

Mehdi Mollahasani said he, like most people who work in New York, usually wears all black clothing. Cleveland police arrested him while he was picking up groceries during a curfew following the May 30 riot and told him he looked like "a looter," according to a lawsuit.

Mollahasani wore a black blazer with a shawl around his neck and a cloth face mask as he walked along Euclid Avenue to meet her. Two Cleveland police officers pulled up to him in a police cruiser near East 12th Street and asked him where he was going, the complaint said. He told them he lived downtown and was picking up groceries, and the officers drove away, the complaint said.

A block away, a Cleveland police sergeant and four officers on foot confronted Mollahasani, and he gave the same explanation he gave the other officers, the complaint said.

Mollahasani said the officers aggressively came toward him and did not observe social distancing, so he asked if they could take a step back to comply with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommendation to remain six-feet from others.

One of the officers stepped closer to Mollahasani, told him were not playing here, and demanded to see his ID, the complaint said.

Mollahasani showed the officer his drivers license, which listed his New York address. Mollahasani knew that could be a problem, so he brought a copy of a pay stub that showed his address on East 9th Street, the complaint said.

Once the sergeant saw Mollahasanis New York address, he ordered the officers to detain him, the complaint said. Mollahasani repeatedly explained that he was picking up groceries and showed the officers his Instacart receipt, which also included the address that matched the one on his pay stub, the complaint says. He said he also offered to show them his American Express credit card that he used to pay for the groceries so officers could match the number on the grocery receipt to his card.

The sergeant wouldnt budge, he said.

The sergeant told Mollahasani he looked like a looter. Mollahasani said he suspected it was because he was wearing all black. When he tried to make that case, one of the officers said that he is from New York and people there dont wear black, he said.

The officers led him into the back of an unmarked police van where five other arrested people sat, he said. Only a few wore masks, he said.

He got to the county jail, where he was first put into a large room with dozens of other people awaiting booking. Very few people wore masks, he said. He looked around and noticed that of the roughly four dozen people he saw, only a handful of the people were white. He said he then remembered that the people he saw earlier in the day walking freely about downtown were mostly white.

It was very clear they were just rounding up people by stereotyping, Mollahasani said.

Mollahasani remained jailed for two days, the complaint says. Prosecutors charged him in a complaint filed 10 days later with a single misdemeanor count of failure to comply with an order of a police officer regulating traffic.

Mollahasani said he spent two weeks in a hotel in quarantine after his release because he feared he had contracted the virus in the jail and did not want to risk spreading the virus to his partner. He tried to get tested after five days but the hospital he called said he didnt qualify for a test.

Mollahasani said he was very lucky that he could afford the ability quarantine himself away from his families. He wondered about the dozens of people he was locked up with who didnt have that luxury.

They basically just created a super-spreader event among people of color, he said. All these people are being let out, they go back into their communities, and we wonder why the communities of brown and Black people are being impacted by COVID more.

Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Suzan Sweeney granted a motion to dismiss the charge against Mollahasani in October. The court listed groceries/Instacart order as the reason for the dismissal in a journal entry that same day.

Mollahassi is among more than 50 people arrested during the curfew, only to see the charges dropped. That number includes downtown resident Anthony Body. Cleveland police arrested Body, who rode a bicycle to pick up food from a friend on the Detroit-Superior Bridge after working at the Justice Center for the non-profit Bail Project, which uses donations to post bail for people jailed on low-level and non-violent offenses.

The cases against those arrested for violating the curfew took a hit when U.S. District Court Judge Patricia Gaughan ruled in November that because the mayor -- who is not a police officer -- issued the curfew, police lacked probable cause to arrest two Pennsylvania men on charges of failure to comply with a police order based on the curfew. Those men were charged federally after searches of their cars and cellphones after their arrest turned up evidence that they had planned to join in the rioting.

Mollahasanis lawsuit argues that police officers lacked probable cause to arrest him and that Cleveland has a history of allowing unconstitutional arrests and detention practices in response to mass protests. The city agreed to pay $50,000 to five protesters and a legal observer who filed a civil rights lawsuit after police arrested them during the May 2015 protests following the acquittal of officer Michael Brelo in the killing of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams.

As protests wore on throughout the day, police cornered dozens of demonstrators in a narrow alleyway and arrested them, then held several of them in a makeshift jail set up at Burke Lakefront Airport for days on low-level misdemeanor charges.

Cleveland police Deputy Chief Wayne Dornat Drummond said a month later that it didnt make sense to arrest protesters and then release them immediately back onto the streets.

The city also agreed to pay $225,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by well-known activist Gregory Joey Johnson after police arrested him as he burned an American flag during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Police arrested more than a dozen people that day, and later dismissed all charges against them.

Mollahasani said that spending two nights and three days in jail was not as severe as other people around the world and said he did not mean to demean those who have spent much longer times behind bars on bogus charges. But he said he watched other people who were arrested along with him who seemed to do nothing wrong, including a young man who called his mother crying and told her he was sorry, and felt he needed to say something.

If we accept three days, next thing you know it will become a week. Then if we accept a week, it will become a month, he said. Nothing happens immediately. If people dont speak out and say this isnt appropriate and shouldnt be happening, then these things will continue to get worse and worse and worse.

Read more stories

Most criminal charges stemming from May 30 riot in downtown Cleveland either dropped or drastically reduced
Michigans state health department reported two-day totals of 3,011 new coronavirus cases and 35 new deaths Monday, Jan. 25, after taking a day off from reporting on Sunday, Jan. 25.

New cases were spread across 76 of the states 83 counties, while 18 counties accounted for the new deaths linked to COVID-19, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Over the last week, Michigan has reported an average of 1,815 new cases and 72 new deaths per day. Two weeks ago, it averaged 3,071 cases and 103 deaths per day.

Hospitalizations and positive test rates continue to decrease as well, while vaccinations are on the rise.

To date, there have been 730,453 COVID-19 vaccines administered, including in 119,408 residents who have received both recommended doses. Michigan has had nearly 1.48 million doses allocated from the federal government thus far, though 430,200 have gone directly to pharmacies to be used to vaccinate staff and residents of long-term care facilities.

(The above chart shows Michigans 7-day rolling average of new confirmed coronavirus cases. You can put your cursor over a bar to see the number. You also can click on the option just below the headline to see the actual number of new cases reported by day.)

Wayne led all counties with 424 new cases Monday, followed by Oakland with 278, Kent with 250, Macomb with 190, and Washtenaw with 104. Counties with no new cases reported included Arenac, Baraga, Alcona, Mackinac, Schoolcraft, Luce, and Keweenaw.

Wayne County also reported the most new deaths -- six -- while Genesee had four, Oakland and Lenawee had three each, and Macomb, Livingston, Kalamazoo, and Clare counties each added two new deaths.

(The above chart shows Michigans 7-day rolling average of deaths involving confirmed coronavirus cases. You can put your cursor over a bar to see the number. You also can click on the option just below the headline to see the actual number of new deaths reported by day.)

Hospitals across the state were treating 1,647 patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 on Monday, including 371 in the ICU. It was an improvement from 1,843 such patients Friday.

Meanwhile in labs throughout Michigan, there were 26,220 diagnostic tests processed Sunday, of which 6.93% came back positive for SARS-CoV-2. The daily average over the last week has been 5.9%, down from 8.9% a month ago.

Since the start of the pandemic, Michigan has reported 551,080 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 14,326 confirmed deaths. Health departments have also noted 49,013 probable cases and 893 probable deaths, in which a physician and/or antigen test determined it was likely COVID-19 but without a confirmatory PCR test.

Case reporting

First is a chart showing new cases reported to the state each day for the past 30 days. This is based on when a confirmed coronavirus test is reported to the state, which means the patient first became sick days before.

You can call up a chart for any county, and you can put your cursor over a bar to see the date and number of cases.

(In a few instances, a county reported a negative number (decline) in daily new cases, following a retroactive reclassification by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. In those instances, we subtracted cases from the prior date and put 0 in the reported date.)

The next chart below shows new cases for the past 30 days based on onset of symptoms. In this chart, numbers for the most recent days are incomplete because of the lag time between people getting sick and getting a confirmed coronavirus test result, which can take up to a week or more.

You can call up a chart for any county, and you can put your cursor over a bar to see the date and number of cases.

For more statewide data, visit MLives coronavirus data page, here.

To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Read more on MLive:

Monday, Jan. 25, coronavirus data by Michigan county: A month after Christmas, numbers still trending down

Michigan now has 17 confirmed cases of coronavirus variant in two counties

The 2020 heart attack Michigans economy suffered wont heal overnight, economists say

Michigan Health Department responds to why certain high school sports cant compete
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) will from Monday, February 1 this year, commence an eviction exercise to clear traders and hawkers from pavements in the Central Business District (CBD).



According to the Assembly, selling on the pavement, which is illegality, was the major contributory factor to congestion at the CBD, and the management was not going to allow such illegality to continue.



A statement signed by Ms Henrietta Afia Konadu Aboagye, Public Relations Officer of the Assembly and issued in Kumasi, said the traders had up to the end of January to relocate to the approved trading areas.



This, he said, would help ease congestion and bring sanity in the conduct of commercial activities in Ghanas second-largest city.



The Assembly wishes to inform all such traders to voluntarily leave the unauthorized premises by January 30 to avoid any punitive measures against them, it said.



The exercise, according to the statement, was also necessitated by the upsurge in COVID-19 cases in the country.



Under an agreement between the Assembly and leadership of the Petty Traders Association, the traders before the Christmas festivities were permitted to do business on the pavements.



The statement reminded the traders that the grace period to voluntarily leave the pavements elapsed on January 15, and, therefore, they should comply with the directive in their interest.



Most pavements at the CBD have almost been choked as traders conduct their businesses, making pedestrian movement extremely difficult.



The practice has also led to excessive generation of waste, adding up to the KMAs waste generation burden of 1, 500 tonnes per day.





Source: GNA









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Officers in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City have launched an investigation after the head of Binh Tan Districts bureau for civil judgment enforcement fell to his death from the eighth floor of an apartment building on Monday afternoon.

Residents at the Carina Plaza apartments in Ward 16, District 8 found out about a man falling to the ground of a common passage at about 1:45 pm on Monday.

As the victim died, the residents reported the incident to local police.

District 8 police officers quickly arrived at the venue to examine the scene.

Preliminary results of the investigation showed that the victim was Do Huy Du, born in 1978.

Du was head of Binh Tan Districts bureau for civil judgment enforcement.

The case is still under investigation.

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AMHERST Police Chief Scott Livingstone was not on the published agenda for Mondays Town Council meeting but he was targeted by a member of the 13-person body for not publicly condemning the events at the nations Capitol on Jan. 6  now the subject of a far-reaching FBI investigation.

We did not hear from the chief of police on this, Amherst Town Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke said at the Jan. 25 meeting.

She said that was in contradistinction to after George Floyds death, when the chief, town manager, school superintendent along with the Amherst Police Patrol Officers Union, and Amherst Police Supervisors Union, issued a joint statement.

I was deeply disappointed the chief didnt speak out about the Jan. 6 events, Hanneke said.

If we are going to become an anti-racist community our department heads need to be held to higher standards, she said.

Could you ask the police to come up with a statement? District 5 Councilor Shalini Bahl-Milne said, directing her question to Town Manager Paul Bockelman.

It is not feeling resolved to me, she added.

The finger pointing by members of the Council, and feelings that that the towns police department should have denounced the Jan. 6 events, occurred during context of their discussing a resolution deploring the insurrection and violence on Jan. 6 the councilors said.

The Council unanimously approved this by a 13-0 vote.

It is titled: Resolution Condemning the January 6, 2021 Insurrection and Violence at the U.S. Capitol.

The resolution begins saying, we congratulate President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on his election as the 46th President of the United States of America. And we congratulate Vice President Kamala Harris as the first woman, first African American, and first Asian American elected as Vice President of the United States of America.

It says in part: we, the Amherst Town Council, most vehemently condemn the incitement of violence and the actions of the insurrectionists on January 6, 2021 and state they have no place in our democracy or the peaceful transfer of power.

Bockelman, during Mondays meeting, said there are free speech issue to consider.

To the point about the chief and police unions taking a stand on George Floyd and Jan. 6 events, Bockelman told the council that he had reached out to Amherst-Pelham Regional School Superintendent Michael Morris to issue a joint statement about Jan. 6.

Bockelman said that at the time concern for the children was paramount, and it made sense for a town/school district joint statement.

The manager also said that he had not asked Livingstone to sign onto this joint statement that he and Morris issued on the Jan. 6 matter.

Related:
NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE: APO) (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, Apollo) today announced that the Conflicts Committee of the Board of Directors has completed its previously announced independent review of Chairman and CEO Leon Blacks previous professional relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and publicly released the reviews findings. At a regularly scheduled Board meeting in October 2020, Mr. Black requested the Conflicts Committee, comprised of independent directors, retain outside counsel to conduct an independent and thorough review. The Committee subsequently retained Dechert LLP (Dechert), a leading global law firm.



Michael Ducey, Chair of the Conflicts Committee said, On behalf of the Board, we want to thank Dechert LLP for conducting a timely and thorough review. We are releasing the report and findings in its entirety in the interest of being fully transparent to all of our stakeholders.

Key findings of the Dechert report include:



Apollo never retained Epstein for any services and Epstein never invested in any Apollo-managed funds;

Epstein regularly advised Mr. Black on trust and estate planning, tax issues, philanthropic endeavors, and the operation of his Family Office;

All fees paid to Mr. Epstein by Mr. Black or his Family Office were for bona fide tax, estate planning and other related services, and the amounts were intended to be proportional to the value provided by Mr. Epstein;

Epsteins advice was vetted by respected professional advisors; and

Dechert found no evidence that Mr. Black was involved in any way with Mr. Epsteins criminal activities at any time.

The findings of the report are consistent with statements made by Mr. Black and Apollo regarding the prior relationship.

In producing the report, Dechert had unrestricted access and examined more than 60,000 pieces of communication, including emails, text messages and documents, and conducted interviews with more than 20 relevant individuals. The report is publicly available via an 8k SEC filing.

About Apollo

Apollo is a leading global alternative investment manager with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, Bethesda, London, Frankfurt, Madrid, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo. Apollo had assets under management of approximately $433 billion as of September 30, 2020 in credit, private equity and real assets funds invested across a core group of nine industries where Apollo has considerable knowledge and resources. For more information about Apollo, please visit www.apollo.com.

Apollo Contact Information:

For investors please contact:

Peter Mintzberg

Head of Investor Relations

Apollo Global Management, Inc.

+1 212 822 0528

APOInvestorRelations@apollo.com



For media inquiries please contact:

Joanna Rose

Global Head of Corporate Communications

Apollo Global Management, Inc.

+1 212 822 0491

Communications@apollo.com


Moscow has joined Tehran in calling on U.S. President Joe Biden to lift crippling economic sanctions on Iran if he wants to save a multination deal aimed at keeping the Middle Eastern country's nuclear program in check.



Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on January 26 that the two nations "share the same position on urging the United States to lift sanctions as a condition for Iran's return to compliance.



"This in turn will provide the preconditions for the implementation of all requirements of the nuclear deal by the Islamic Republic of Iran," Lavrov said at a joint press conference in Moscow with Zarif.



Former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear pact with world powers in 2018 and reimposed crushing sanctions in violation of the deal, prompting Tehran to gradually breach some of the accord's parameters.



Biden, who took office on January 20, has said the United States intends to rejoin the pact if Tehran resumes strict compliance.



During his confirmation hearing last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that, while the United States wants to reenter the deal, it would depend on Iran "coming back into compliance with their obligations."

Blinken also said the 2015 agreement would be "a platform" for a "longer and stronger agreement" that would include other issues such as Iran's missile program and malign activities.



Known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the deal was agreed between Iran, the United States, China, Russian, Britain, France, and Germany in 2015.



Iran has repeatedly rejected any additional conditions to the JCPOA.



"Why on earth should Iran -- a country that stood firm and defeated 4 years of a brutal U.S. economic terrorism imposed in violation of the JCPOA & UNSC Resolution-- show goodwill gesture first? It was the U.S. that broke the deal -- for no reason. It must remedy its wrong; then Iran will respond," Zarif wrote on Twitter, reiterating a statement he's made several times recently.



Following the Moscow talks, the French presidency rejected the stance, saying Iran must first comply with the accord in order to see the U.S. return.



"If they are serious about negotiations and if they want to obtain a reengagement of all the stakeholders in the JCPOA, they firstly need to refrain from further provocations and secondly respect what they no longer respect, that's to say their obligations," a presidency official was quoted as saying by several media outlets on condition of anonymity.



Meanwhile, Iran is signaling it will continue to increases the stakes.



Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei on January 26 threatened to block short-notice inspections of its nuclear facilities by the United Nations atomic agency (IAEA) starting the week of February 19.



The inspections, known as the Additional Protocol, are considered a key part of the treaty, which provides an ability to monitor and verify that nuclear activities are for civilian purposes.



"Our law is very clear regarding this issue," he told a televised news conference.



"But it does not mean Iran will stop other inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency," he added.

Following the assassination of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Irans parliament in December passed a law ordering an immediate ramping up of the country's uranium-enrichment program to 20 percent and an end to UN inspections if sanctions are not removed by February.



In Moscow, Zarif reiterated that Iran can quickly reverse its violations if U.S. sanctions are removed.



"If favorable actions are taken before that time...Iran will not interfere with the admission of (IAEA) inspectors under the additional protocol," he said.

With reporting by AFP, Interfax, Reuters and TASS
Iran has sentenced the brother of First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri to two years in prison on finance-related charges.



Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said on January 26 that charges against Mehdi Jahangiri included "currency smuggling" in the amount of $847,200.



He was ordered to return the funds and fined four times the amount in question, Esmaili said, adding that the verdict was final and cannot be appealed.



Jahangiri was on the board of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce and is also the founder of the private Gardeshgari Bank.



He was arrested in October 2017 and released on bail in March 2018.



At the time of his arrest, his brother wrote on Instagram that the move was "predictable" and that he hoped it was not a case of political "abuse."



In October 2019, President Hassan Rohani's brother Hossein Fereidoun was sentenced to five years in prison on corruption and bribery charges.

Fereidoun has denied any wrongdoing and accused hard-liners who dominate the Iranian judiciary of trying to discredit him by obtaining evidence through "illegally intercepting communications of the office of the president."



Tensions between Rohani and Iranian hard-liners have escalated since the United States pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers and stepped up economic sanctions on Iran.

With reporting by AP
London: An unseemly dispute between Europe and the pharmaceutical companies manufacturing two key coronavirus vaccines threatens to slow shipments of the lifesaving jab to Australia should the row worsen.

In the first major example of long-feared vaccine nationalism, the European Union has slapped export controls on vaccines produced within its territory because Pfizer and AstraZeneca can no longer meet their pre-agreed supply volumes and timelines with the bloc.

While Australia plans to produce the AstraZeneca jab at a Melbourne factory owned by biopharmaceutical firm CSL, the 10 million doses it has agreed to buy from Pfizer will be manufactured in Belgium.

The Pfizer jab is the only one granted approval for use in Australia to date and is due to roll out from late next month.
A New Orleans man accused of ramming a Harrison County deputys patrol car was driving a stolen vehicle hed gotten after walking into a Biloxi home and demanding the keys, Harrison County Sheriff Troy Peterson said in release.

The burglary, theft, car chase and assault that followed resulted in the arrest of Charles Romelis Travis, 29, of New Orleans, on Monday, the release said.

Authorities arrested Travis on felony charges of receiving stolen property, attempted motor vehicle theft, motor vehicle theft, failure to stop for a motor vehicle when an officer signals to do so, burglary, and assault on a law enforcement officer, the release said.

Man fatally shot by Slidell police responding to stabbing identified by coroner A 43-year-old Slidell man who was fatally shot by law enforcement officers responding to reports of a stabbing has been identified by St. Tamm

The entire encounter started shortly after Travis abandoned a vehicle on Mississippi 67 and walked to a Dollar General Store nearby Sunday.

At the store, the release said, Travis robbed a customer of their car keys, and attempted to steal their vehicle, but couldnt get it started and ran away.

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From there, the release said, Travis walked into a home in the 16000 block of Willow Oak because the door was unlocked, confronted the resident to get their keys, and then fled in the stolen vehicle.

Shortly after that, authorities spotted the stolen car on Interstate 10 and chased it until Travis sped into the parking lot of the Home Depot on Cedar Lake Road and rammed into a Harrison County patrol car.

The stolen vehicle stalled at that point, the release said, and Travis fought with law enforcement officers before he was taken into custody.

After his arrest, authorities found the first vehicle Travis had abandoned on Highway 67. That car had been reported stolen out of New Orleans, the release said.

No injuries were reported.
Pennsylvania became the eighth state in the nation to record more than 800,000 COVID-19 cases over the weekend.

The 3,976 new cases reported Sunday and Mondays 3,924 bring the statewide total to 807,867 cases since the coronavirus was first detected in March, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Healths two-day update. (The department does not issue a COVID-19 report on Sunday.)

Pennsylvania recorded its 20,000th death on Thursday. With 138 new deaths reported Sunday and Monday, the state is quickly approaching 30,000 lives lost.

The rate of new cases and hospitalizations continues to decline after a brutal two-month holiday surge in infections and hospitalizations. Deaths still remain high.

(Cant see this map? Click here.)

Heres your coronavirus update for Monday, Jan. 25, 2021.

Coronavirus in Pa.

(Cant see this chart? Click here.)

Pennsylvania surpassed 800,000 coronavirus infections on Sunday, the day after the U.S. recorded 25 million virus cases.

Reaching the grim milestone, Pennsylvania joins California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, Ohio and Georgia, according to a New York Times database of cases.

But the states rapid case growth is slowing. In early December, it took the state only nine days to record another 100,000 cases. Then 12 days, 13 days and now 16 days.

Over Sunday and Monday, Pennsylvania added 7,910 new cases bringing the statewide total to 807,687 cases. That breaks down to 3,934 cases Monday and 3,976 Sunday.

The average daily cases over the last week continues to show an encouraging downward trend. As of Monday, the state is averaging 5,146 new daily cases over the last seven days, a 22% drop from Jan. 18.

(Cant see this chart? Click here.)

Nationally, we are seeing case numbers drop, which is a good indication that people did heed our advisories to stay home during the Christmas and New Years holidays to avoid another holiday surge. We also are seeing hospitalizations decrease, department spokesperson Maggi Barton said.

There are 3,887 people currently hospitalized with 770 patients requiring intensive care and 461 on a ventilator. The majority of those hospitalized are over the age of 65.

Hospitalizations have dropped substantially from the states Dec. 16 peak of 6,346 patients on the heels of Thanksgiving gatherings, but they remain above the spring peak. Since then, 6,309 people have died, according to state data tracking deaths by the date they occurred.

Unfortunately, we are seeing deaths continue to increase, which is often the case after a hospital surge, Barton said. It is a constant reminder that this is a deadly virus and that we must continue to wear a mask, wash hands, social distance and avoid even small gatherings.

Nationwide more than 414,000 people have died from COVID-19.

Pennsylvania reported 138 new deaths over the two-day period, taking the pandemics death toll to 20,664 Pennsylvanians to date. All but four of the new deaths reported occurred in January.

The majority of those who have died are over 65 and about half lived in nursing homes.

Thus far, 2,910 people have died from the coronavirus in January and 6,253 lost their lives in December.

(Cant see this chart? Click here)

The state issued its weekly early warning monitoring dashboard update Monday, which also shows a drop in week-over-week new cases and a drop in the test positivity rate. The data compares the week of Jan. 15-21 with the week of Jan. 8-14.

The state saw almost 9,000 fewer new cases and the statewide percent-positivity rate dropped to 10.5% from 12.7%. (The health department calculates its test positivity rate without removing duplicate tests. Lehighvalleylive.com follows the Johns Hopkins University methodology.)

After six straight weeks of all 67 counties reporting in the substantial level of transmission, we now have one county moving into the low level of transmission category  a great sign of progress, Gov. Tom Wolf said in a news release. But there is still more work for us to do and we must not become complacent.

Cameron County  the states least populous  is the only one with a low level of transmission.

An outbreak at a state prison in tiny Forest County, where the population is just 7,313, has given the county the states highest per capita infection rate over the last week.

The prison accounts for 49% of the 1,739 inmate coronavirus cases across the entire state corrections system, according to state data. There are at least eight staff members positive at the prison, which currently houses 2,261 inmates.

The state also provided an update Monday on cases in young people.

Throughout the pandemic, 67,546 young people ages 5 to 18 have tested positive, with 4,143 of the cases occurring from Jan. 15-21. Thats fewer than the prior week when there were 5,376 new cases amongst young people.

With less than 10% of people answering questions about where theyve been, the department of health is again reminding Pennsylvanians how essential it is they cooperate with contact tracers to help break the chain of infection.

Coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley

(Cant see this chart? Click here.)

The Lehigh Valley is seeing encouraging downward case trends as well, with large drops in the average daily cases over the last week. Given daily reporting fluctuations, rolling averages offer a clearer picture of trends.

The Lehigh Valley reported 437 new cases of COVID-19 over Sunday and Monday. Lehigh County with 211 of them, while Northampton County reported the other 226. Those new cases bring the regions total to 48,892 total cases since March.

There were also three new deaths reported in the Lehigh Valley, two in Northampton and one in Lehigh. The Lehigh Valleys total death toll is now 1,198.

The regions top healthcare providers report demand for COVID-19 vaccines outpaces the available supply. The federal government allocates vaccine doses to the states on a weekly basis and the state then divvies up shipments amongst vaccine providers.

At least 22,253 people have received their first vaccine dose in Lehigh County, while 6,263 have received both doses. In Northampton County, 19,011 people got their first dose and 3,973 received both.

Here is how other nearby Pennsylvania counties compare in Mondays state report:

Berks County has 30,230 total cases and 748 deaths, with 131 new cases and one new death reported.

Bucks County has 38,206 total cases and 1,013 deaths, with 181 new cases and one new death reported.

Carbon County has 4,150 total cases and 118 deaths, with 13 new cases and one new death reported.

Monroe County has 8,191 total cases and 237 deaths, with 44 new cases and one death removed. (This happens when the home county of someone who dies is improperly first reported.)

Montgomery County has 46,137 total cases and 1,347 deaths, with 300 new cases and no new deaths reported.

Schuylkill County has 10,782 total cases and 319 deaths, with 28 new cases and one new deaths reported.

(Cant see this chart? Click here.)

The vaccination campaign

Americas vaccination campaign is accelerating after a sluggish start with about 1.4 million doses being put into arms each day.

That breaks down to roughly 18.5 million people who have received their first does and 3.2 million that are now fully protected after receiving their second shot. At this rate, in the coming days more Americans will have been vaccinated than infected by COVID-19.

President Joe Biden has set a goal of administering 100 million shots in his first 100 days as president. Current vaccines require two shots.

The country still has a long way to go to reach the herd immunity threshold  estimated to be about 85% of Americans by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations senior official for infectious diseases. And demand for the vaccine in many places, including the Lehigh Valley, is outpacing supply.

(Cant see this chart? Click here.)

Pennsylvania began receiving its first Pfizer-BioNTech shipments the week of Dec. 14. Moderna shipments began Dec. 21.

Through Sunday, 680,219 of the 1.56 million doses allotted to Pennsylvania have been administered. (This does include doses administered by CVS through a federal partnership inoculating the states nursing home residents and staff.)

A total of 565,843 people have been vaccinated. This breaks down to 451,467 who have received one dose and 114,376 people who have received both doses.

The federal government has partnered with CVS and Walgreens to vaccinate residents and staff of long-term care facilities.

Less than 1% of the American population lives in long-term care facilities, but as of Jan. 21 they account for 36% of the nations COVID-19 deaths, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

More than half of Pennsylvanias 20,664 coronavirus deaths have been residents of long-term care facilities, making residents and staff in nursing homes the top priority for vaccinations behind frontline healthcare workers.

The state was reporting a seven-day moving average of about 200 new residents cases the week ending Jan. 19. A total of 60,597 Pennsylvania residents and 11,372 workers have been infected to date.

CVS announced on Monday that it has administered the first round of COVID-19 vaccines in almost 8,000 skilled nursing facilities. Second doses are well underway and expected to be completed in the next month.

In Pennsylvania, CVS has partnered with 510 skilled nursing facilities. All have received their first dose and 45% of them have received their second dose, according to the companys data. That is about 6,300 vaccines administered.

The federal pharmacy partnership splits long-term care facilities into two categories: skilled nursing and assisted living and other facilities.

CVS just began vaccinations in long-term care and assisted living facilities last week after the Pennsylvania approved it to start vaccinating those populations. Thus far, 431 clinics have been held administering about 13,623 vaccines.

About 24% of the 1,772 facilities working with CVS have received their first dose.

Nationally, more than 40,000 first-doses at all long-term care facilities partnering with CVS will be complete by mid-February.

CVS Health cautions that looking at the doses administered as a percentage of whats been allotted to a state is not an accurate way to determine progress.

Allocations were based on long-term care facility bed counts multiplied by two to account for staff, but at most facilities occupancy is far less than bed count and staff uptake remains low, the company said in a news release.

COVID-19 vaccines will eventually be available at CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide subject to availability and the tiered eligibility. Currently, locations in Indiana, Massachusetts and New York are offering vaccines to certain age groups with more to follow.

Pennsylvania is currently only offering vaccines to those in the first phase of eligibility, which includes frontline healthcare workers, residents and staff of nursing homes, anyone 65 or older and people 16 to 64 with certain medical conditions.

CVS has the capacity to administer 20 million to 25 million shots per month. Vaccines in retail pharmacies will be offered on an appointment only basis once they become available.

Walgreens did not respond to a request seeking information on its vaccine efforts.

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Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.

Louisiana will receive a roughly 16% bump in vaccine doses next week after the Biden administration announced a similar increase nationwide, officials said Tuesday.

Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration said last week they were told to expect "relatively flat" shipments of vaccines each of the next four to five weeks, with potentially a 5% to 10% increase.

Edwards spokesperson Christina Stephens said Tuesday they now expect 29,250 Pfizer doses and 38,100 Moderna doses next week, totaling 67,350 doses. That's up from about 58,000 doses this week.

"Thats more than what weve received in previous weeks, assuming the estimates hold," Stephens said. "Any increase in doses is welcome and we work to get as many Louisianans vaccinated as we can."

Edwards said last week the flat shipments would mean the state would not have enough doses to roll out mass community vaccination sites to meet huge demand from elderly patients.

+8 These Louisiana cities are administering the coronavirus vaccine faster than others; see map Residents in New Orleans and Louisiana's other southeastern parishes are receiving coronavirus vaccines at a much faster rate than in the rest

The governor participated in a call with the White House earlier Tuesday about vaccine distribution. Shortly after, President Joe Biden announced his administration was boosting purchases of coronavirus vaccines in an effort to provide enough doses to inoculate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer.

Biden said states would see a roughly 16% increase in deliveries in the coming weeks. And he addressed a complaint of state officials and providers that they have little knowledge of what future shipments would hold. Biden said states would know their shipments three weeks out moving forward.

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

Louisiana expects 'relatively flat' coronavirus vaccine shipments; here's how it creates 'problems' The Biden administration has told Louisiana officials that shipments of the coronavirus vaccine wont be increasing much for at least a month,

"This is unacceptable," Biden said at a press conference. "Lives are at stake here. From this week forward(states) will always have a reliable three-week forecast of the supply theyre going to get.

The increase will mean states get 10 million doses a week, up from 8.6 million doses, Biden said.

+2 Flawed data on race of coronavirus vaccine recipients leaves equity of rollout unclear Flawed data collection concerning the race of coronavirus vaccine recipients in Louisiana has made it hard for state officials to understand i

As of Tuesday, Louisiana ranked 14th among states and the District of Columbia in the number of doses administered per capita. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the state had administered roughly 57% of the doses distributed to the state so far, which ranked 18th in the country.

Louisiana has received flat shipments for about a month, after previous assurances from the Trump administration that vaccine distribution would ramp up week to week.

Some providers, including Ochsner Health System, have resorted to canceling appointments in recent weeks, citing a lack of supply. Ochsner's chief executive, Warner Thomas, told reporters Monday the system had canceled roughly 21,000 appointments so far, after scheduling more than 100,000 over several weeks.
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Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte gestures as he speaks ahead of a confidence vote at the upper house of parliament after former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi pulled his party out of government, in Rome, Italy, January 19, 2021. / REUTERS-Yonhap



Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was set to hand in his resignation to the head of state on Tuesday, hoping to be given the opportunity to try and put together a new coalition and rebuild his parliamentary majority.



The deepening political crisis is playing out against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 85,000 Italians  the second highest death toll in Europe after Britain and the sixth highest in the world.



Conte lost his absolute majority in the upper house Senate last week when a junior partner, the Italia Viva party headed by former premier Matteo Renzi, quit in a row over the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis and economic recession.



Efforts to lure centrist and independent senators into the coalition to fill the hole left by Renzi have met little success, leaving Conte no choice but to resign and open a formal government crisis that will give him more time to find a deal.



President Sergio Mattarella is expected to accept his resignation and hold rapid consultations with party leaders on Wednesday and Thursday to test the political waters.



If he thinks Conte might get the necessary backing to pull together a new administration, he will give him a few days to try to finalise a deal and draw up a new cabinet.



Up until now, the main coalition parties  the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and centre-left Democratic Party (PD)  have backed Conte's efforts to stay in power.



"Conte is the essential element and we need to broaden and relaunch the government's action," Debora Serracchiani, the deputy head of the PD, told state broadcaster RAI.



EARLY ELECTION?



However, if Conte cannot find new allies, Mattarella will have to come up with an alternative candidate deemed capable of piecing together a workable coalition.



If all else fails, the president will have to call an election, two years ahead of schedule, although political analysts say this is the least likely scenario.



Italy's coronavirus crisis has triggered its worst recession since World War Two and the government has been struggling to draw up a plan on how best to spend some 200 billion euros ($240 billion) of European Union funds to help the economy recover.



Renzi has accused Conte of lacking a strategic vision, saying he risked squandering the unprecedented EU bonanza on hand-outs rather than long-term investments.



Conte is a lawyer with no direct political affiliation, but is close to 5-Star, the largest party in parliament.



He first came to power in 2018 after 5-Star formed an unexpected coalition with the far-right League. When that pact unraveled a year later, he stayed on as head of a new administration involving the 5-Star and leftist parties.



Opinion polls show that Conte is Italy's most popular leader, with an approval rating of 56%, almost 20 points above the next closest politician, according to a poll published by Corriere della Sera daily on Saturday.



If he is ousted from office, political sources have suggested he might try to cash in his popularity by forming his own party or else by taking charge of 5-Star. (Reuters)


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WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new comparative analysis out today analyzes the carbon footprint of medium-duty and heavy-duty (MD-HD) engine vehicles powered by propane and electricity. The analysis, Decarbonization of MD-HD Vehicles with Propane, found that propane-fueled MD-HD internal combustion engine vehicles provide a lower carbon footprint solution in 38 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., when compared to MD-HD electric vehicles (EVs) charged using the electrical grid.

Fifteen states and Washington, D.C., have proposed full electrification of medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2050 with a target of 30 percent "zero-emission" vehicle sales by 2030. The rationale behind the proposals is based on the dubious assumption that the electrical grid will be fully decarbonized by that time. Likewise, policy based on exhaust carbon dioxide (CO2eq) emissions alone as opposed to life-cycle analysis results misses the full picture. As a result, policy proposals today conflate the promise of electrification with actual decarbonization.

The comparative analysis also reveals that MD-HD vehicles powered by renewable propane provide a lower carbon footprint solution in every U.S. state except Vermont where electricity is generated by, and imported from, Canadian hydroelectric power plants. Renewable propane is derived from sources such as beef fats, vegetable oils, grease residue, and other biomass feedstocks.

Moreover, the analysis shows that decarbonization can be accelerated by adopting propane as the fuel of choice for MD-HD vehicles. The conclusion is supported by a life-cycle analysis of equivalent CO2eq emissions between electric and propane-fueled vehicles across the U.S. using CARB carbon intensity values along with a powertrain efficiency analysis.

"It's often assumed that full electrification of all sectors will lead to their full decarbonization, but little thought on how electricity is currently generated, stored, transmitted, and consumed has been considered," said the author Dr. Gokul Vishwanathan, director of research & sustainability at the Propane Education & Research Council. "While a fully renewable-based electric grid is not feasible anytime soon, propane is an effective solution today for accelerating decarbonization of transportation and other energy sectors."

The comparative analysis presented the following decarbonization recommendations:

All 50 states should aggressively invest resources in incentivizing renewable fuels.

Federal government agencies, particularly the Department of Energy, should aggressively invest in various parallel pathways for renewable and synthetic fuel production to ensure supply.

The U.S. should aggressively pursue immediately available decarbonization efforts using alternative fuels such as propane and dimethyl ether (DME) rather than wait on grid infrastructure improvements that are decades away from realization.

About PERC: The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit that provides leading propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies. PERC is operated and funded by the propane industry. For more information, visit Propane.com.

Contact: David Gibbs representing PERC

[email protected]

SOURCE Propane Education & Research Council

Related Links

https://propane.com


Upstart & BeeSeen Solutions Partnership Announcement We believe in providing a pure resource that small to midsize businesses can truly benefit from. UpStart Business Solutions Inc. provides cost effective accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, merchant and business services that smaller business owners can take advantage of.

BeeSeen Solutions, a full-service Strategic Advisory with Expertise in Business Process Outsourcing, Digital Marketing, Process Automation, Merchant Processing, and Call Center Services, headquartered in Long Island, New York, is excited to announce its partnership with Upstart Business Solutions Inc., A premier provider of virtual business services such as accounting, bookkeeping, consulting, outsourcing, payroll, merchant, and business services to small businesses across the US.

What makes this partnership unique is our combination of offerings, perfect for business owners seeking support for starting, managing, marketing, building, and scaling a successful small business.

We believe in providing a pure resource that small to midsize businesses can truly benefit from. UpStart Business Solutions Inc. provides cost effective accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, merchant and business services that smaller business owners can take advantage of. We are an extension of our clients internal teams at a fraction of the cost that is supported with over 30 years of accounting and back office processing experience. Our unique virtual programs allow you to cost-effectively get access to CFO level advice at a fraction of the cost, said Thomas LaMarco, President UpStart Business Solutions Inc.

Upstart has developed a unique system that makes it quick and easy to file your taxes. Whether you live overseas or simply prefer to work remotely, you will find the right fit for your business needs.

We are honored to have partnered with Upstart Business Solutions Inc as their digital business solutions provider. Through our Digital Marketing Expertise and ability to help increase revenues through our cutting edge strategies we are excited to help take UpStart Business Solutions to the next level. They are an innovative organization. During these challenging times it is great to see how UpStart Business Solutions is helping business owners reduce costs and create a healthier bottom line," stated Patrick Pinto, CMO BeeSeen Solutions.

Bookkeepers and the experts working at Upstart Business Solutions Inc, can also help set up and train your staff on the financial systems you might be using or installing, such as QuickBooks or other legacy systems.

We work with you to ensure that your personal or business processes are conducted in a manner that supports ongoing integrity in your financial transactions and back office process. We are there every step of the way for business owners to feel secure in knowing they have a partner with UpStart Business Solutions acting as an extension of their internal team. We understand that each business has unique needs. We can create a custom accounting, document management, storage solutions and a full scope of solutions to fit any small to midsize business, added Thomas LaMarco, President.

Upstart provides the same level of service online that you would receive sitting in our office, and they utilize the most secure methods in transmitting your private information.

Their service portfolio includes, but is not limited to:



Online Bookkeeping

Remote Accounting

Digital Marketing

Merchant Services

Review of Financial Statement Chart of Accounts

Business Transaction Process Flow

Review of Management Prepared Financial Statements

Management Analysis of Financial Statements Compilations

Financial Planning

Tax Preparation and Advising

Audit Assistance

Budget Preparation

QuickBooks Set-Up and other Legacy Platforms

"We understand that each business has unique needs. We can create a custom accounting, document management, and storage solution to fit your business, added Thomas LaMarco, President.

Accounting and other business services no longer require in-house staff and all the accompanying overhead expenses and hassles. Advances in technology now allow UpStart Business Solutions Inc, to securely provide you with accounting bookkeeping and other business services anywhere in the world. You can access your financial information and business files online, anytime, for a fraction of the cost of in-house staff with a 24/7 solution. Through UpStart Business Solutions Inc, business owners can now get a premier suite of services at extremely competitive pricing. They are providing business owners with an opportunity to have tremendous talent that prior was not available, stated Peter Pinto, Co-Founder BeeSeen Solutions.

BeeSeen Solutions is Strategic Advisory that provides its clients with Marketing, Process Automation, Call Center Services, and a full suite of Outsourcing Solutions to help drive efficiency, compliance, and revenues while ensuring a positive customer experience.

We are a results-driven and client-focused team that remains dedicated to providing a positive customer experience and helping its clients exceed their goals through a proven track record of performance.

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Sight & Sound Theatres production of Noah will be available for viewing free on television on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021.

Noah will air at 8 p.m. Friday on Trinity Broadcasting Network. In the greater Harrisburg area, TBN is channel 290 on Comcast Xfinity; 295 on Verizon FIOS; 372 on DirecTV and 260 on Dish.

The production will also be available for free on the TBN app Friday through Sunday.

According to Sight & Sound, Noah was seen live by 5 million people.

With a catastrophic storm on its way, Noah is given a monumental task: build a boat big enough to save mankind from a flood that will cover the entire earth, according to Sight & Sound. Filmed in front of a live audience, Noah takes you on historys best-known voyage as you board the enormous arkalong with two of every kind of animal!

Last year, Sight & Sound offered Jesus and Jonah on television.

Sight & Sound is located in East Lampeter Twp., Lancaster County. The theater offers biblical-based shows. The current production is Queen Esther, which runs until the end of the year.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the theater is operating at a reduced capacity and using plexiglass seat dividers and seating every other row.

Employees are wearing face masks. Those attending shows are encouraged to also wear face masks in common areas.

Both camps are expressing confidence ahead of the ballot of 300 local members in Ivanhoe. Party operatives with knowledge of the group of voters predict a tight race that could be determined by non-rusted on voters who make up their mind on the day. Those members will be weighing up Mr Andrews three decades of work in Parliament  where he has championed conservative causes by opposing abortion medication and voluntary euthanasia laws  against the military and legal career of Mr Wolahan, a Cambridge-educated young father. Former Defence Minister Kevin Andrews (L), with then-prime minister Tony Abbott in 2015 announcing preparation for a troop deployment to Iraq. Credit:Andrew Meares I am making a difference for the people of Menzies and Australia, Mr Andrews wrote in a campaign flyer, which included endorsements from John Howard, Tony Abbott and Mathias Cormann. The MP, who has indicated to local members he will retire in the next term of Parliament, has outlined a fresh five-year plan. Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrote a letter to local members urging a vote for Mr Andrews, who he said brought unrivalled expertise to Canberra. Kevin Andrews is an enthusiastic, hard working and dedicated member of the government. He provides wise counsel to ministers and colleagues, including myself, Mr Morrison wrote.

The tone of those supporting the incumbent is contrasted with that of Mr Wolahan, who  without overtly critiquing Mr Andrews  is urging a vote for the future. I put my hand up to serve because I felt we needed to renew. The colossal challenges of this year have strengthened my resolve, wrote Mr Wolahan, who has not sought high-profile endorsements and has relied on the support of local community members. The time to make a difference is finally upon us. Together, I know we can ensure a brighter future for our country. The vote, first scheduled in March last year but postponed due to pandemic restrictions, takes place under the pall of months of internal feuding over an audit into branch stacking in the Victorian Liberal Party. A review, which last month found evidence of 170 illegitimate members, was launched after The Age reported Mr Andrews office was the operational hub of the faction run by Mr Sukkar.

Former operative Marcus Bastiaan, who resigned after The Ages report, allegedly directed Mr Andrews staff to carry out party political work, which is not allowed in work time under federal laws. One of those staffers, who helped recruit Mormons in a period when many were joining the party, is facing expulsion from the party. Mr Andrews and Mr Sukkar were cleared of wrongdoing by a departmental review. Party sources said only a handful of members deemed illegitimate were eligible to vote in Menzies, meaning the audit is unlikely to have a practical effect on the outcome. The saga is unlikely to weigh heavily on voters decision-making, either, because Mr Wolahan has refrained from using the issue as a political weapon. The timing of the Menzies preselection has itself been the cause of infighting and there is anger among Mr Sukkars conservative group about the current leadership of the organisational wing of the party and its president, Mr Clark. An ally of Mr Andrews, who predicted a win for the incumbent, said a win for Mr Wolahan would reflect what he said was Mr Andrews lack of work in recruiting members to shore up his local support. Hes simply not good at internal politics and everyone else, including Keith since 2008, has been signing up members, the source said. Mr Wolahan moved to address his association with the special forces following the war crimes inquiry that last year uncovered almost 40 alleged murders by Australians in Afghanistan. In a letter to members he said he was shattered by the findings of the inquiry and said it highlighted the need for politicians to engage in wars judiciously. The Brereton report contains no allegations or adverse findings against Mr Wolahan or the platoon he commanded.

Loading Ms Credlin headlined an event with Mr Andrews on Sunday and some local members believe her support could prove significant. The former chief-of-staff to Tony Abbott has emerged as a popular figure in Victorian conservative politics after she used her media platform to go toe-to-toe with Premier Daniel Andrews in press conferences viewed by large numbers of Victorians during the states second wave of COVID-19 infections. One Liberal source said losing Mr Andrews, who is well-known in the religious community, would diminish the partys support among Catholic voters. In a sign of potential nastiness during the preselection event, where candidates give speeches and take questions, a senior party operative questioned whether the person chairing the event would act impartially. Andrew Asten, the chair of the Menzies branch, will run the Sunday ballot. He has also endorsed Mr Andrews and is a key member of his support team.
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being released by Donlin, Recano & Company, Inc. the Court Appointed Claims and Noticing Agent for the Archdiocese of New Orleans (ANO).

On May 1, 2020, the Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans (ANO) filed for Chapter 11 Reorganization under the United States Bankruptcy Code. More details about this case can be found at www.NolaChurchClaims.com or by calling (877) 476-4389.

Anyone sexually abused before May 1, 2020 by a member of the ANO clergy or other individual related to the Archdiocese, its parishes, schools, orphanages or a related ministry must file a claim by March 1, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. (Central Time). Individuals whose claims are approved may receive compensation for the claim. Individuals who do not file a timely claim may lose legal rights that may exist against the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

To file a clergy abuse claim: Individuals claiming abuse must file a claim using the Sexual Abuse Survivor Proof of Claim by March 1, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. (Central Time). For more detail and to file a claim, visit www.NolaChurchClaims.com or contact the restructuring information center toll free at (877) 476-4389 or submit an inquiry via e-mail to [email protected] .

For more information on the Archdiocese of New Orleans' reorganization and a video message from Archbishop Aymond, visit  www.nolacatholic.org/renew .

SOURCE The Archdiocese of New Orleans
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Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, has reacted to the fire incident at one of his houses in Soka area, Ibadan, Oyo State.

This newspaper reported how sources close to the self-titled Yoruba warrior said his Ibadan house was gutted by fire at midnight.

The development occurred a few days after Mr Igboho led some youth and aggrieved residents to Igangan in Ibarapa area of Oyo State to eject the Fulani leader there, Salihu Abdukadir.

They accused Mr Abdukadir of harbouring criminal herders who were kidnapping and killing residents of the community.

Some houses and cars were burnt during the eviction.

Mr Abdukadir denied the allegations. He explained that Fulanis in the community have, in the past, also been victims of kidnaps and killings.

Speaking to journalists in Ibadan on Tuesday, Mr Igboho, who no longer lives in the burnt building, expressed displeasure over the incident.

Around 3:30 a.m., my younger brothers in the old house ran to me that some persons came with guns and were shooting and they set the place ablaze. By the time I got there, they have already (run) away.

Asked if he suspected anyone, he simply said some Yoruba folks would have knowledge of the incident.

I did not expect Yoruba to be supporting herdsmen. They are killing our brothers and sisters. I am working to send them away but Yoruba are supporting them to set my house ablaze. I didnt suspect anybody but I know some Yoruba have hands in it. Why didnt they come to my house where I have my boys? If they had come to my house, you would have met their dead bodies.

What got destroyed in the house worth nothing less than N50 million. I learnt they came with five vehicles and my brothers there ran for their lives. Police had come to the place,, he told reporters who visited him.

Also, the state police spokesperson, Olugbenga Fadeyi, in a statement, said an investigation has been launched to examine what truly transpired.

At about 0620 hrs of today 26/01/2021, report was received at Sanyo Police Station that some unidentified hoodlums came to Sunday Igbohos house at SOKA area of Ibadan in a Hummer bus and Micra firing sporadically, and set the house ablaze.

The mini sitting room got burnt in the process while (the) amount of other properties is yet to be estimated. Immediately the DPO Sanyo got wind of the incident, he contacted Fire service while he also went to the scene for on the spot assessment. The fire was eventually put out. Investigation has commenced into the incident while the Police is on the trail of the hoodlums, he said.

Earlier, the Director of Operation, Oyo State Fire Service, Ismail Adeleke, confirmed that it was only the living room and the corridor of the building that were affected by the fire, due to their timely intervention.
Capitol rioter Garret Miller claims that he was effectively following former U.S. President Donald Trump's order when he joined the violent riot that enveloped the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Miller was charged with invading the Capitol and threatening Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Miller is set to appear at a detention hearing in federal court in Dallas.

He also apologized to AOC for writing "Assassinate AOC" in a Twitter post, saying that he would be willing to testify to Congress or a trial about the riot, according to a CNBC News report.

The suspect is facing charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted buildings or grounds without lawful authority.

The Texas man is also charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, obstructing or impeding any official proceeding, among others, according to a Radio.com report.

Miller's attorney issued a statement suggesting that Miller was taking orders from Trump, who earlier claimed that the election was rigged and stolen from him.

Related story: Fact Check: Was Chuck Norris at Capitol Riot? Actor Speaks Up After Alleged 'Selfie' With Protesters Went Viral

Miller's Arrest

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said that it confirmed Miller's identity through a subpoena of AT&T, which confirmed his Twitter account was connected with his cellphone number.

The agency also confirmed that his Facebook account was associated with the same phone number and Twitter account, according to a Meaww report.

One of the commenters on his Facebook account tried to pin the riot to "paid infiltrators." Miller allegedly replied to the commenters statement, "Nah we stormed it."

The FBI complaint contained several still photos from a security camera video showing Miller being part of the crowd that pushed pass the officers to storm in the Capitol.

The FBI also claimed that Miller threatened to kill the police officer who killed Babbitt on social media, allegedly posting on Jan. 10 that they were going to get a hold of him and hug the police officer's neck with a nice rope.

Miller is represented by Clinton Broden. Broden said that Miller regrets and takes responsibility for his actions.

His lawyer added that Miller's actions were a misguided effort to show his support of Trump. Broden added that he does not believe there is evidence that his client planned to carry out the threats.

"His social media comments reflect very ill-considered political hyperbole in very divided times and will certainly not be repeated in the future. He looks forward to putting all of this behind him," Broden was quoted on a report.

Capitol Police Investigation

Meanwhile, the Capitol Police are conducting a probe into whether members of Congress inappropriately gave visitors access to the Capitol a week before the breach.

Former Vice President Mike Pence called Vice President Kamala Harris to offer assistance, according to a New York Times report.

Several lawmakers expressed concerns that their colleagues might have allowed some members of the mob inside before the Capitol breach.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had named Russel L. Honore to lead security of review of the Capitol in the wake of the riot. Honore is a retired Army lieutenant general.

Related story: McEnany: Trump Condemns Violent Riot at U.S. Capitol
Mumbai, Jan 26 : The brand value of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) grew by $1.4 billion in 2020 over the prior year which is the highest absolute growth among the 25 companies assessed in a pandemic-hit year, a new report said on Tuesday.

TCS has further consolidated its position among the top 3 most valuable brands in the IT services sector, according to Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation firm.

According to the Brand Finance 'IT Services 25 2021' report, TCS grew in a challenging year when the brand value of IT services companies collectively dropped by 3 per cent.

At 10 per cent growth over the prior year, TCS has outperformed its peers in the top 3 category.

"With what was a very tough 2020, led so ably by its CEO Rajesh Gopinathan, TCS has excelled itself once again. Along with 10 per cent growth in its brand, its market cap also hit pole position in its industry and it is increasingly closing in on the top two in the IT services sector table," said David Haigh, CEO, Brand Finance.

"2021 will, undoubtedly, be another great year for TCS and its brand." The seamless adaptation to new ways of working and the increased agility engendered by location-agnostic remote working models have led to faster execution on the ground and enhanced customer satisfaction, helping TCS win more business and gain market share, the report mentioned.

"This recognition of our brand strength is a stellar reaffirmation of the continued trust that our customers have placed in us over the years," said Rajashree R, CMO, TCS.

"We are proud and excited to embark on the next phase of our growth, building on our beliefs, and harnessing the passion, dedication and strength of our 469,000 associates who are the true custodians of Brand TCS".

TCS was recognised as a 'Superbrand' across the US and the UK, based on the strength of its brand reputation across channels, business performance, industry-leading job creation, scale of employee training and development, and dedication to nationwide corporate social responsibility initiatives.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With more than 1500 teachers on the line, Raj Setty, president of local engineering firm SETTY, recently explained how the recently upgraded HVAC systems in D.C. schools will ensure better air quality for District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) teachers and students. An invited guest of DCPS, Setty joined a panel of speakers at the DCPS Community Townhall on their #reopenstrong Term 3 Reopening Plan for DC Schools.

"We were glad to take part in this discussion to provide teachers with the data and information they need to feel safe in their classrooms," Setty said. "The reality is there are relatively simple upgrades that can dramatically improve the quality of the air we breathe. DCPS is doing the right things to get those upgrades in place."

Joining Setty on the panel were Dr. Lee Ann Beers from Children's National Hospital , and Dr. Ankoor Shah, from the DC Department of Health . Setty, who serves on the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers ( ASHRAE ) Epidemic Task Force, also discussed efforts other districts are taking to upgrade their HVAC systems and how DCPS's efforts compare.

To date, the SETTY team has assessed and developed game plans for all 117 DCPS schools, working closely with nearly two dozen general contractors, program managers, and controls experts to get the schools ready for their planned re-opening next month.

The SETTY Advanced Indoor Air Quality (IAQ2) strategy is rolling into schools across the district to give minute-to-minute visibility into damaging air pollutants and how to control/mitigate for student safety.

Learn more at www.SETTY.com .

CONTACT: Sierra Nguyen

[email protected]

SOURCE Setty & Associates

Related Links

http://www.SETTY.com


EBRD and GCF provide US$ 4 million loan to Bank Eskhata

Funding under Banks GEFF supports resource efficiency and access to green finance

Support for Tajikistans transition to sustainable and climate-resilient economy

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has organised a financing package of US$ 4 million to Tajikistans largest private lender Bank Eskhata (Eskhata) under its Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) to support green financing for households and small private-sector companies investing in green technology solutions.

Households and small and medium-sized enterprises across the country, including in villages and remote rural areas, will benefit from Eskhatas loans for climate adaptation technologies and services, such as drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting and storage, sustainable land-management solutions, solar panels and energy-efficient cold-storage facilities. Beneficiaries can identify climate friendly technologies through the Green Technology Selector database, which is supported by the GEFF Tajikistan technical assistance team.

The funding, provided by the EBRD and the Green Climate Fund, will be available in local currency and US dollars in three tranches.

The GEFF is part of the EBRDs recently announced plan to scale up its climate and environmental finance under the Green Economy Transition (GET) approach, according to which the Bank will aim to increase green financing to more than 50 per cent of its annual investment by 2025 while paying particular attention to gender considerations.

In Tajikistan, the GEFF is supporting equal gender access to green finance and is supported by the European Union, the GCF and South Korea.

The GEFF programme operates through a network of more than 145 local financial institutions across 27 countries, supported by more than 4.6 billion of EBRD finance for 190,000 clients to date. These projects have led to annual CO 2 emission reductions of more than 8.6 million tonnes so far.

To date, the EBRD has invested 749 million through 136 projects in Tajikistans economy.
Brood X is here

Numerous cicadas and their exoskeletons can be found at Antietam National Cemetery and the nearby battlefield.

PM's advisor steps down after gaining European funds for his association

The Environment Ministry refused corruption allegations. The prosecutors office will look into the case.

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Pavol Kalinsky was one of 12 reporters who left the public service RTVS television in May 2018. Recently, the Hospodarske Noviny daily reported that he works as an external advisor to PM Igor Matovic. His citizens association Pre lepsiu buducnost (For a better future) gained almost 400,000 in funds at the Environment Ministry.

The case was met with criticism from opposition parties but also from coalition partner Freedom and Solidarity. Kalinsky decided to cancel his external position at the Governmental Office as a result.

I want to prevent any speculations and I refuse it, he said in the statement, explaining his steps, as quoted by the Dennik N daily. He also added that he does not want a good idea to be misused for the political fight.

26. Jan 2021 at 11:26 | Compiled by Spectator staff
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Only 5,615 healthcare and frontline workers were given the coronavirus vaccine on Republic Day on Tuesday - the 11th day of the drive, taking the tally of those vaccinated to over 20 lakh.

As per the provisional report, 5,615 beneficiaries were vaccinated in five states - Andhra Pradesh (9), Karnataka (429), Rajasthan (216), Tamil Nadu (4,926) and Telangana (35). Six adverse events following immunisation were reported.

A total of 3,34,679 people were vaccinated on Monday, 31,466 on Sunday and 3,47,058 a day before that. "In view of Republic Day celebrations across the country, limited number of sessions in limited states were conducted today," the Union Health Ministry said.

A cumulative number of healthcare workers vaccinated against Covid-19 has crossed 20.29 lakh on Tuesday. A total of 20,29,424 beneficiaries, till 7 p.m. on Tuesday, have been vaccinated through 36,572 sessions, as per the provisional report.

Statewise, Karnataka has inoculated 2.31 lakh people, highest so far, followed by 1.77 lakh in Odisha, 1.56 lakh in Andhra Pradesh, 1.36 lakh in Maharashtra, 1.23 lakh in Uttar Pradesh, 1.22 lakh in West Bengal, 1.30 lakh in Telangana and 1.05 lakh in Haryana.

The nationwide vaccination drive had started on January 16 with the help of two vaccines -- Covaxin and Covishield. Initially, the government aims to vaccinated one crore healthcare workers and two crore frontline workers.
The Palwal police chief and another officer had a narrow escape Tuesday as some protesting farmers allegedly drove their tractors dangerously and tried to break barricades to force their way into Delhi through a non-designated route at Palwal-Faridabad border, police said.

They said the farmers had been given a different route for their tractor parade, but they did not stick to it, forcing the police to resort to lathicharge.

A Palwal police official said some farmers drove their tractors dangerously on the Agra-Mathura-Delhi Highway, endangering the lives of police personnel on duty, which prompted the police action.

Some farmers were injured in the incident. Palwal SP Gahlawat told PTI a few policemen were also hurt.

"We were trying to persuade them (farmers) to use the designated route allotted to them, but some among them turned violent. About 4-5 tractors dangerously drove towards us and I and one more officer had a narrow escape," he said.

He said it was at that point that the police decided to use force to stop the farmers from proceeding ahead in that fashion.

Gahlawat said just before the tractor parade, the Palwal police held dialogues with the group of farmers who had been sitting in protest there for the past several days.

"We had given them the option of using 60 km stretch of KGP expressway and told them they could use the route after taking a right turn from Faridabad's Sector 58. However, they were adamant on using the other route towards Delhi, which we had disallowed," he said.

Meanwhile, security had been stepped up in Palwal and Faridabad districts, which are in close proximity of the capital.

Faridabad district authorities had also imposed prohibitory orders, preventing assembly of five or more persons at one place.

As part of the larger tractor parade, wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered Delhi from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day on Tuesday.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price 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.)
The biggest concern of North Korean diplomats being assigned overseas is often whether their children will be accompanying them. North Korea's Foreign Ministry staff are said to weep during each reassignment season because they often have to leave one of their children behind as "security" to prevent any attempt at defection. Even twins are separated to secure a hostage. When North Korean nation founder Kim Il-sung was leader, the North's diplomats willingly entrusted their children to the care of an elite party school in Pyongyang, but the days of such blind loyalty ended with the devastating famine of the 1990s. Rim Ju-song, North Korea's first Paralympic swimmer who competed in London in 2012, is said to be the child of a diplomat. He was left alone in Pyongyang in childhood and lost an arm and a leg in an accident.

Around a dozen North Korean diplomats have defected to South Korea. Many decided to defect out of concern over their children. Thae Yong-ho, the senior North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea in 2016 and is now a lawmaker, wrote in his autobiography that he fled the North seeking to "break the chains of slavery" binding his children and to help them "find their dreams." Another North Korean diplomat fled when his child, who had gotten a taste of K-pop and freedom, walked into a South Korean diplomatic mission. A former North Korean diplomat said, "There were colleagues who bribed officials to produce fake medical papers, taking advantage of regulations allowing children to accompany them overseas if they are gravely ill."
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Tunisias Assembly of Peoples Representatives or parliament, on Tuesday began a plenary session for the vote of confidence in new ministers proposed by the head of government Hichem Mechichi.

Amid tight security measures, the plenary session was chaired by Rached Ghannouchi, Speaker of the Parliament, in the presence of 165 deputies out of 217.

On January 16, Mr Mechichi announced a cabinet reshuffle, the first since his government obtained the confidence of the parliament on September 2, 2020.

In a recent statement, Mr Mechichi said the objective of this reshuffle which included 11 ministerial portfolios, is to have more efficiency in the performance of the government.

(Xinhua/NAN)
SPRINGFIELD  State officials on Monday announced nearly $13 million in grant funding to communities and agencies across Massachusetts to prevent domestic and gang violence.

Gov. Charlie Bakers administration said the money would be awarded under two programs: the Sen. Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative and the Violence Against Women Act, Services Training Officers Prosecutors.

Shannon grant funding, which pays for gang violence prevention, totaled $10 million, while funding for the domestic violence program totaled $2.9 million.

Our Administration remains committed to using every public safety tool available to protect residents and communities from violence, Baker said in a prepared statement. For victims and survivors affected by these crimes, especially women and young people, these grants will help to equip victim-support organizations, criminal justice agencies, and community-based partners to respond effectively and compassionately.

The grants are administered by the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Securitys Office of Grants and Research.

Springfield received $1.06 million in Shannon Grant funding, third statewide behind Bostons $1.8 million and Worcesters $1.1. million.

The Shannon grants are designed to combat gang violence through a combination of prevention and early intervention, and through law enforcement and reintegration programs. The grants combine police, academics and research centers.

The funding for domestic violence prevention is part of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, a piece of federal legislation that provided federal money for local and community programs focused on aiding victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The Northwestern district attorneys office received a grant for $120,000 to pay for its intervention program.

Under the program, which has been in place for 20 years, the DAs office works with local police in Hampshire and Franklin counties and with the Behavioral Health Network and the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition to assist victims of domestic assault. The program makes domestic violence counselors always available  and when police respond to a call involving domestic violence, they can call a hotline to have a counselor come speak with the victims.

It allows us to be able to reach out to the victims at the time they are in need, said Mary Kociela, director of the DAs Domestic and Sexual Violence Project.

The money helps the DAs office pay for two part-time staffers and to pay the organizations for the counseling service.

Having a trained advocate who can respond immediately at the time of the incident and provide support is an important way that we can help survivors and their children, she said.

Of the grant amount, she said, Its a great appropriation.

The Hampden County Sheriffs Department received $44,250 for a program at the Western Massachusetts Womens Correctional Center in Chicopee, according to a spokesman.

The money will be used to fund a program to help female inmates who are themselves survivors of sexual exploitation or trafficking.

The program is in its fourth year.

It includes counseling and treatment services for women at the jail and after their release.

Other Western Massachusetts recipients include Northamptons Safe Passage, which was awarded $139,000, and Holyokes Womanshelter/Companeras, which received $47,000.
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Vermont Democratic Sen. Pat Leahy was hospitalized Tuesday just hours after being sworn in to preside over the second impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Leahy, 80, began feeling 'unwell' on Tuesday evening, and underwent tests at hospital before being released hours later.

But his wife Marcelle Pomerleau - a nurse - believes he could be back to work tomorrow.

Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate Majority Whip, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he had spoken to Marcelle, saying: 'She says things are going well, so we've all got our fingers crossed that he'll be back tomorrow'.

Leahy is the president pro tempore of the Senate. He is third in the line of succession and the most senior Democrat in the Senate.

He took up his role presiding as other senators were sworn in as the court of impeachment Tuesday.

In this image from video, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, swears in Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, who will preside over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Leahy was hospitalized after telling the Capitol physician he wasn't feeling well

'This evening, Sen. Leahy was in his Capitol office and was not feeling well. He was examined in the Capitol by the Attending Physician', his spokesman David Carle told ABC News.

'Out of an abundance of caution, the Attending Physician recommended that he be taken to a local hospital for observation, where he is now, and where he is being evaluated,' he added.

Carle later issued an update, saying: 'After getting test results back, and after a thorough examination, Senator Leahy is now home. He looks forward to getting back to work.'

Beyond his mostly ceremonial role at the trial, Leahy, like every other Senate Democrat, helps ensure the party's the 50-50 Senate. Since Democrats control the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris can break ties as president of the Senate and provides the party effective control.

Leahy is the senior most Senate Democrat and president pro tempore of the body

In this image from video, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, shakes hands with Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate

Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts presided over Trump's first impeachment, but reportedly was not keen on presiding over the second one

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presided over Trump's first impeachment, but reportedly did not want to do it again for the first impeachment of a former president.

News of Leahy's hospitalization came hours after 45 Republicans voted on a procedural motion that the trial of Trump after he left office was unconstitutional  a sign that the effort to impeach Trump faced steep obstacles.

Seventeen Republicans would need to join 50 Democrats to convict Trump. A single Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, voted for an impeachment article during Trump's first impeachment last year.

Tuesday's trial action was mostly ceremonial, and sets up a substantive trial that will begin February 9.

In the meantime, Trump's lawyers and Democratic managers are preparing briefs that they would file on the charge of 'incitement of insurrection' following the Jan. 6 MAGA riots inside the Capitol.

The interregnum will give the Senate time to move on some Joe Biden cabinet nominations as the nation grapples with the Coronavirus pandemic that has taken more than 400,000 American lives.

Leahy is the top Democrat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, and previously chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee. First elected in 1974, he served decades with President Joe Biden when he was in the Senate, and has been a prominent figure in Supreme Court confirmation battles.

An avid amateur photographer, he snapped images inside the Capitol rotunda Monday shortly before House managers made the historic delivery of the impeachment article to begin the process.

45 Republican senators including Mitch McConnell vote that Donald Trump's impeachment trial is unconstitutional because he is no longer in office - in sign they will vote to acquit

A majority of Republicans voted Tuesday that Donald Trump's second impeachment is unconstitutional

It's a sign the former president will likely be acquitted in his upcoming trial

Republican Senator Rand Paul forced the Senate to vote on the matter

Paul argued that trying a former president would violate the U.S. Constitution

'I think it'll be enough to show that, you know, more than a third of the Senate thinks that the whole proceeding is unconstitutional, which will show that ultimately they don't have the votes to do an impeachment,' Paul said

45 Republicans voted trial was unconstitutional

Paul said the vote meant 'the impeachment trial is dead on arrival'

'It's one of the few times in Washington where a loss is actually a victory,' he said

Also, the 100 senators were sworn in as Trump's jury

The trial is expected to begin on Feb. 9 but the article of impeachment was delivered to the Senate Monday evening

By Emily Goodin, Senior U.S. Political Reporter For Dailymail.com

A majority of Republicans voted Tuesday that Donald Trump's second impeachment is unconstitutional, a sign the former president will likely be acquitted in his upcoming trial.

Republican Senator Rand Paul forced the Senate to vote on the issue, arguing the trial was illegal given that Trump no longer occupies the Oval Office.

Most Republicans, including GOP Leader Mitch McConnell agreed with him: 45 of them voted it was illegal but five GOP senators joined Democrats to give them 55 votes to proceed.

It would take two-thirds of the Senate to convict Trump, which would mean 17 Republican senators would have to cross ranks and vote for the conviction.

If Paul received more than 34 votes from Republicans, it would demonstrate that a Trump conviction would seem all but impossible. He got 44 to join him.

He told reporters afterward the vote meant 'the impeachment trial is dead on arrival.'

'It's one of the few times in Washington where a loss is actually a victory,' he noted.

The Republicans who went against Trump and with Democrats were Senators Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey.

And Collins later told reporters on Capitol Hill that the vote was indicative that Trump would be acquitted.

'I think it's pretty obvious from the vote today that it is extraordinary unlikely that the president will be convicted,' she said. 'Just do the math.'

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who is acting as a liaison between Trump and the Republican senators said he spoke to the former president Monday night.

'He's decompressing,' Graham said. 'He's got a legal team he's trying to organize and he just needs to keep doing what he's doing and trial will be over in a couple of weeks, I think.'

Tuesday's vote was a good sign for Trump. Ahead of it, Paul argued that trying a former president would violate the U.S. Constitution.

'He is a private citizen,' the senator said of Trump during remarks on the Senate floor.

A majority of Republicans voted that Donald Trump's second impeachment is unconstitutional in a sign he will likely be acquitted when the time comes

Paul pointed that article one, section three of the Constitution states when the president of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside. Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy is presiding instead of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who sat over Trump's first impeachment trial.

'The Chief Justice's absence demonstrate that this is not a trial of the president, but one of private citizen. Therefore I make a point of order that this proceeding, which would try a private citizen and not a president, a vice president or civil officer violates the Constitution, and is not an order,' he said.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Paul's theory nonsense and said it would give presidents a 'constitutional get out of jail free card.'

'The Senate has the power to try former officials and the reasons for that are basic common sense. It makes no sense whatsoever that a president or any official could could commit a heinous crime against our country and then defeat Congress's impeachment powers and avoid a vote on disqualification by simply resigning or by waiting to commit that offense until their last few weeks in office,' he said.

'The theory that the Senate cannot try former officials would amount to a constitutional get out of jail free card for any president who commits an impeachable offense,' Schumer concluded.

Republican Senator Rand Paul forced the Senate to vote Tuesday on whether the upper chamber can legally hold a trial for Donald Trump

Only five Republican senators joined Democrats in voting Trump's trial should proceed

The 100 senators - 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans - were sworn in as Donald Trump's jury

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell joined the 45 GOP senators who said it was unconstitutional to impeach President Trump now that he was out of office

Earlier, in a speech on the Senate floor, Paul railed against Democrats, calling them 'angry, unhinged partisans, deranged by their hatred of the former president.'

'Shame on those who seek blame and revenge, and who choose to pervert a constitutional process while doing so,' he said. 'I want this body on record  every last person here.'

Ahead of the vote he told reporters on Capitol Hill he did not expect to come out victorious but expected to get at least 40 Republican senators to vote with him.

Five Republicans who voted against Trump Five Republican senators went against Donald Trump and voted with Democrats on Tuesday to proceed to the impeachment trial: Mitt Romney of Utah: Romney is a longtime critic of Trump and voted to convict him on one article of impeachment in his first impeachment trial Ben Sasse of Nebraska: Sasse slammed Trump for his role in inciting the January 6th riot. He said the attack on the Capitol was 'the inevitable and ugly outcome of the President's addiction to constantly stoking division.' Susan Collins of Maine: Collins also held Trump accountable for the riot, saying 'The president does bear responsibility for working up the crowd and inciting this mob. It was completely irresponsible.' Lisa Murkowski of Alaska: Murkowski called on Trump to resign immediately after the January 6th attack, even before Joe Biden took office. 'I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage,' she said. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania: Toomey, who is retiring, also called on Trump to resign as president. 'The best way for our country is for the president to resign and go away as soon as possible. I acknowledge that may not be likely, but that would be best.' Advertisement

'I think it'll be enough to show that, you know, more than a third of the Senate thinks that the whole proceeding is unconstitutional, which will show that ultimately they don't have the votes to do an impeachment,' Paul said.

'This is purely about petty partisanship and rancor and bitterness,' the Republican from Kentucky said.

Before Paul made his objection, the 100 senators - 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans - were sworn in as Trump's jury.

'Do you solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald John Trump...you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help you God?,' Leahy asked them.

'I do,' the senators replied.

After taking the oath, senators, in groups of four via alphabetical order, walked to the well of Senate to sign the oath book.

'Here ye! Here ye! Here ye! All persons are commanded to keep silence on pain of imprisonment while the House of Representatives is exhibiting to the Senate of the Unites States an Article of Impeachment against Donald John Trump, former President of the United States,' the clerk of the Senate reminded the lawmakers.

Trump is the only president to have been impeached by the House of Representatives twice. And he is the first to face a trial after leaving office. He could be disqualified from holding future public office if convicted.

The trial is expected to begin on Feb. 9 but the article of impeachment was delivered to the Senate Monday night.

The House approved the single article of impeachment on Jan. 13, accusing Trump of inciting an insurrection with his speech to his supporters before they stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, which resulted in five deaths and the interruption of the certification of the election.

There was a debate among scholars over whether the Senate can hold a trial for Trump since he left office on January 20th. Many experts have said 'late impeachment' is constitutional, arguing that presidents who engage in misconduct late in their terms should not be immune from the very process set out in the Constitution for holding them accountable.

Senate Republicans on Tuesday invited constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley to join them at their weekly luncheon to address senators questions on the constitutionality of holding an impeachment trial for a former president.

Turley wrote an article in 1999 where he came out in favor of trying former federal officials.

'I say that repeatedly that what I said in '99 is true that obviously those three trials, they had a value other than removal because people were gone. And I explained that that value was the condemnation of conduct as well as possible disqualification. I still believe the historical statement in that,' he told reporters on Capitol Hill after the luncheon.

And he confirmed he got many, many questions from the senators.

'Yes. And no lunch,' he said.

Senator Rand Paul told reporters before his vote that he wanted to get enough Republican senators to vote with him to prove there were not enough votes to convict Donald Trump

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, the president pro tempore, swore in the senators and will preside over Trump's trial

Trump's trial is expected to begin on Feb. 9 in the Senate chamber

At least 17 Republican would need to join all 50 Democrats in the evenly divided Senate for Trump to be convicted, a two-thirds threshold that appears unlikely to be reached.

Trump remains a powerful force among Republicans and his supporters have vowed to mount election challenges to lawmakers in the party who support conviction.

Some Republicans have criticized Trump's false claims of voting fraud and his failed efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's Nov. 3 election victory. But no Senate Republicans have said definitively that they plan to vote to convict him.

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Authorities have released the name of a 14-year-old who died when an EF-2 tornado ripped through Fultondale Monday night.

The Jefferson County Coroners Office identified the fatality victim as Elliott Hernandez. He was in the ninth grade at Fultondale High School.

Elliott was killed and 30 others injured in the storm that packed 135 mph winds. The tornado hit the northern Jefferson County city about 10:30 p.m. and cut a quarter-mile wide swath after touching down near Interstate 65. It moved northeast toward Fultondale High School where substantial damage took place. Jefferson County Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin said the school was so heavily damaged that he doubts students can return to the classroom this year.

We were deeply saddened to learn of the loss of one of our students,' said Gonsoulin. This is a tragic day for the Fultondale community and the entire Jefferson County School District. Our thoughts and prayers are with the students family, as well as his teachers and classmates.

Of the 30 people injured 18 were taken to hospitals, said Fultondale Fire Chief Justin McKenzie. Another six people trapped in homes had been rescued.

First responders from throughout Jefferson County worked throughout the night and into Tuesday to remove debris and conduct secondary searches of homes.

Sadly, here in Fultondale, were very experienced in this kind of thing, McKenzie said, referencing the April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak. Fultondale also caught the tail end of an EF- 4 tornado that ripped across Alabama from Tuscaloosa to that day in, 2011, killing 65 people and injuring 1,500 along a damage path more than 80 miles long, according to the National Weather Service.

We knew exactly what to do and when to do it, we just dont like to do it as a result of that tragedy, McKenzie said.

The National Weather Service in Birmingham on Tuesday confirmed that the tornado that hit the northern Jefferson County city of Fultondale late Monday was at least a high-end EF-2 with winds estimated at 135 mph. That rating is preliminary, forecasters cautioned, and the storm survey continued as of Tuesday afternoon. The rating could change pending further analysis.

The teens death was initially reported shortly after 3 a.m. The Jefferson County Coroners Office confirmed the single death at 4:48 a.m. and then identified him Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities said Elliott and other family members- including his mother and father - took cover in the basement. A tree fell on their home and caused the house to collapse.

Fultondale Police Chief D.P. Smith said the teens parents both were critically injured and the other relative sustained minor injuries but was in shock. They were doing what they were supposed to be doing,' the chief said.

The teen was pronounced dead on the scene. That was tough,' the chief said.

Smith said Tuesdays searches did not turn up any additional fatalities. They found some walking wounded who needed medical attention, but nothing life-threatening. Looking at the houses (near where the teen was killed) I would have thought there would be more fatalities today,' he said, but the good Lord smile on us and we didnt find anybody else.
The Biden administration today laid out its policies on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and stressed its intention to renew ties with the Palestinian Authority.

Why it matters: The Trump administration dramatically changed U.S. policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. President Biden's policies, laid out for the first time today, will shift the U.S. back to the more traditional positions held by previous Democratic and Republican administrations.

Driving the news: The policy was presented by the acting U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Mills, during a monthly meeting on the Middle East at the UN Security Council.

Mills said the Biden administration will support a two-state solution, which it sees as "the best way to ensure Israel stays a democratic and Jewish state."

He added that the new administration will base its policies on consultations with both sides  by contrast, the Trump administration hardly spoke to the Palestinians for three years.

Citing the large gaps between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Mills said the administration believes that its goal should be to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution in the future while focusing on improving the situation on the ground, mainly in Gaza.

Mills said Biden would encourage Israel and the Palestinians to avoid unilateral steps that will make a two-state solution harder to reach  like annexation, settlement building, the demolition of Palestinian homes by Israel, and the payments to terrorists from the Palestinians.

He said the Biden administration would renew ties with the Palestinian Authority, which boycotted Trump's administration after he moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

Mills added that the U.S. would renew economic and humanitarian aid to the Palestinians and reopen diplomatic missions which were shut down by the Trump administration  like the PLO office in Washington and the U.S. consulate general in Jerusalem.

He added that the Biden administration would oppose one-sided or biased resolutions that single out Israel in international forums.

Whats next: Mills said Biden welcomes the normalization agreements between Israel and Arab countries but doesn't see them as a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace. He added that Biden would want to promote further normalization agreements in a way that would bolster the push for a two-state solution.

Heavy-duty trucking and farming all seem to be on the way to becoming a lot cleaner. New technologies and new interest in electric trucks, farm equipment and other heavy-duty battery-electric-powered vehicles is driving the sector at a speed not seen in decades, industry observers say.Climate change, I think, is becoming more and more believable, said Steve Heckeroth, CEO and founder for Solectrac , a maker of electric tractors, speaking on a virtual panel last week at the 2021 Cleantech Forum.Especially with whats happening today, I think going forward, were going to make our decisions on facts rather than on speculation, Heckeroth added, in a clear reference to the Biden administration.One of Bidens first actions as president was to rejoin the Paris Agreement, a pledge by nations to lower greenhouse gases. Former President Donald Trump rejected the United States participation in the accord and was often at odds with the science community in areas such as climate change and the novel coronavirus crisis.Battery technologies and costs are probably doing more to accelerate the development of electric heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses  but also fire engines, garbage trucks and farm tractors  than almost any other variable, speakers said.The size of the battery, the cost of the battery has been prohibitive for most, whether its a passenger car or a truck. Its been cost prohibitive. And now were starting to get to the points where we see the cost of the battery power coming down to make it commercially viable, said Alfred Poor, CEO of Ideanomics, a company working to facilitate the adoption of EVs by commercial fleets.The move toward electric trucks is also being urged along by public policy, namely the action taken by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which has put in place new rules to transition the trucking industry in the state to become zero-emission in the coming decades.I am sure our regulatory efforts have made some difference, said Tony Brasil, branch chief for California Air Resources Board, during the panel. We do believe that some of the manufactures who had electric vehicles in other countries were motivated to hopefully bring them here, given the certainty were providing to the market.Though the heavy-duty EV market seems to be taking off, it is still nascent and in need of support, advocates said, urging the need for subsidies, infrastructure development and financing mechanisms specifically designed for electric fleets.Another barrier to adoption is having the available vehicles. If you ordered a truck today, it would not likely arrive until 2022, said Michael Roeth, executive director for North American Council for Freight Efficiency.On farms, the sun can power a lot more than just plant growth, said Heckeroth, as he advocated for solar roofs on barns and electric farm equipment, which can translate into much cleaner air for farm workers.With solar being so inexpensive, and there being room on farms, and in rural areas, where tractors are used, I think barriers are less demanding than they are in the urban areas, said Heckeroth.I think well be able to convince farmers, if they look at the lifecycle costs, rather than just the first cost, he added. And we can get them the financing they need to spread that first cost out over the period of use that they use the tractors, I think we can go head-to-head with diesel right now.An electric tractor pilot project recently launched in rural Oregon, where three e-tractors will be tested and used by local farmers to not only showcase the technology, but allow the farming industry to understand how to fit the tractors into various farming applications.I dont see any barriers  Its really just a mindset that weve been stuck with for the last 100, 120 years, that fossil fuel is the only thing to use, Heckeroth remarked.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday called an emergency meeting at his residence over the violence that rocked parts of the national capital during the farmers' Republic Day parade.

According to sources, senior officers of Delhi Police are present at the meeting that has been called to take stock of the security arrangements in Delhi.

The Home Ministry swung into action after a group of farmers swarmed the historic Red Fort, while incidents of violence were reported from the ITO area.

Taking serious note of the chain of incidents, Shah called an emergency meeting where deliberations were underway to strengthen the security apparatus.

According to intelligence inputs, some 'organised groups' are behind the violence.

The meeting is also trying to zero in upon the individuals responsible for triggering the violence and provoking the farmers during the tractor parade, especially those behind hoisting a pennant at Red Fort.

Besides, the security arrangements in the border areas of Delhi are also being reviewed.

As the farmers' protest turned violent, Internet services in some of the locations in the city were stopped following the government's instruction.

The instruction came at the request of Delhi Police that looked helpless in controlling the aggressive farmers who unexpectedly rammed police barricades and moved towards Red Fort soon after the Republic Day parade concluded.

The telecom operators like Jio, Airtel and Idea alerted their customers through messages about the disrupted Internet services.

"As per the government instructions Internet services have been stopped in your areas till further notice," said a message received from Jio in a particular area where Internet services were barred.

The Home Ministry in an order also suspended Internet services at Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi, along with their adjoining areas, till 11.59 p.m. for maintaining 'public safety'.
On Tuesday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton, a Donald Trump appointee, issued a bizarre decision purporting to block Joe Bidens 100-day halt on deportations. Tiptons order, which applies nationwide, claims to freeze Bidens effort to pause the Department of Homeland Securitys deportation machine while the new president revises its priorities. In reality, however, it is unclear whether the order will do anything. Tipton does not appear to have a rudimentary understanding of either immigration law or the practical realities of the immigration system. His ignorance may well render Tuesdays order effectively toothless.

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Upon assuming the presidency, Biden issued a memo that began the process of readjusting the federal governments immigration policies. The government cannot, realistically, deport every immigrant eligible for removal, so every new president prioritizes certain categories of deportations and deprioritizes others. Biden ordered a 100-day pause on most deportations while his Department of Homeland Security established new rules, with exceptions for immigrants suspected of terrorism or convicted of an aggravated offense. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who recently led an unsuccessful effort to overturn the 2020 election, promptly asked the federal judiciary to issue a nationwide block on Bidens memo.

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Paxton filed his case in the Southern District of Texas to ensure that he would draw a conservative judge. Sure enough, his case landed before Tipton, a member of the Federalist Society. The judge swiftly blocked Bidens deportation freeze across the entire country, finding that it likely exceeded DHS authority.

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There are several remarkable aspects of Tiptons decision. First, it applies nationwideeven though conservative jurists and Republican politicians spent the last four years decrying nationwide injunctions as illicit and unlawful. Trumps Department of Justice launched a campaign against these injunctions, complaining that they unconstitutionally interfered with executive power. Right-wing judges condemned them as lawless power-grabs that promote gamesmanship and chaos. Republican lawmakers proposed legislation bringing them to heel. Intellectuals in the conservative legal movement accused resistance judges of using them to sabotage the president. Now, six days into Bidens term, a conservative judge has issued a nationwide injunction at the behest of a Republican politician.

Second, it is extremely difficult to determine the harm that Bidens memo inflicted on Texasand, by extension, why the state has standing to bring this case at all. In his lawsuit, Paxton failed to identify any concrete harm to Texas that actually flows from the deportation pause. Instead, he rehashed general complaints about the states expenditures on immigrants eligible for deportationusing estimations from 2018and asked the court to assume that Bidens memo would raise these costs. Paxton offered zero evidence that this specific memo would raise costs to Texas. Tipton gave the state standing anyway.

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Third, and most importantly, Tiptons decision is utterly divorced from both the entire framework of federal law governing deportation and the removal system as it functions on the ground. The thrust of Tiptons reasoning is that a federal statute says the government shall remove an immigrant who has been ordered removed within 90 days. But, as the Supreme Court recognized as recently as last June, federal law also gives DHS sweeping discretion to determine which immigrants to deport and when. A slew of statutes and regulations recognize this authority and address immigrants who are not removed within 90 days, a clear signal that this deadline is not, in fact, an iron rule.

Moreover, the deportation process is complex and time-consuming. It involves not only legal appeals but also tedious pragmatic considerations, like how an immigrant will actually be transported out of the country. The government has to plan this transportation on a mass scale, and it does not have a travel agency at its disposal that can guarantee an international flight full of deported immigrants within 90 days or your money back.

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In short, if immigration law meant what Tipton says it does, then every president has violated it every day of their term, including the one who appointed him. Luckily, it does not. And there is therefore a very good reason to doubt that Tiptons order will cause many, if any, deportations. The judge blocked Bidens general policy of nonenforcementbut he did not, and could not, force the government to actually ensure that every immigrant who is eligible for removal be deported within 90 days. Bidens DHS can merely exercise its authority to pause deportations on an immigrant-by-immigrant basis by granting an administrative stay of removal. It can halt travel arrangements and cancel deportation flights. Bidens memo might be on hold, but it is perfectly lawful for the government to freeze deportations under its existing discretionary powers.

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Even so, Tiptons order does not bode well for the Biden administration. Trump installed 234 judges in the federal judiciary, and many of them will not hesitate to issue similarly ridiculous decisions purporting to exercise authority that belongs to the president. Paxton, a speaker at the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the Capitol riot who is under federal investigation on separate corruption allegations, cheered Tuesdays decision as a victory against a seditious left-wing insurrection. There should be no doubt that many of Trumps judges will view every act by the Biden administration just as Paxton doesas an illegitimate attack on the Constitution that must be thwarted by any means necessary.
Analysis The Inside Story of Thailand and Myanmars Troubled Dawei Mega-Project

A truck passes by a sign on a road leading to a deep seaport project in Mayingyi, part of the Dawei Special Economic Zone development, on Jan. 27, 2012. / Soe Than WIN / AFP

Myanmars long-delayed Dawei mega-project experienced yet another setback after contracts with Thailands construction giant Italian-Thai Development were canceled recently.

The ambitious, but controversial Dawei Special Economic Zone (DSEZ) project seeks to transform the sleepy coastal town into Southeast Asias largest industrial and trade zone  covering an area of about 200 square kilometers and incorporating a deep seaport the size of Thailands Laem Chabang.

Since its inception 12 years ago, the multibillion-dollar project has hit numerous snags, including funding shortfalls, local opposition and concern over environmental damage.

On Jan. 14, the Dawei Special Economic Zone Management Committee (DSEZMC) announced it was canceling contracts with the projects contractor Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD), citing repeated delays, continuing breaches of financial obligations  and failure to confirm their financial capacity to proceed with development.

The management committee said it had lost confidence in the Thai firm after repeated issues. The panels chair, Myanmar Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy U Tun Naing, said his country would now look for new developers to invest in the projects.

ITD, which had invested more than Bt8 billion (US$266.91 million, 355.85 billion kyats) via its five project companies, has requested help from the Thai government following the termination of its seven concession agreements. The deals included the construction of an industrial estate, a small port, liquefied natural gas terminal, power plants and telecommunications.

How it started

In May 2008, the Thai government led by Samak Sundaravej signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Myanmars military junta to develop the Dawei Special Economic Zone bordering Thailand on the Indian Ocean. The MoU granted ITD a 75-year concession to construct the project and attract investment.

In 2012, both governments agreed to complete the project by 2015. Initially, the projects estimated total cost was $8.6 billion but later rose to $10.7 billion.

In 2013, ITD was stripped of its status as sole developer after failing to attract enough investment. The Thai and Myanmar governments took over responsibility from ITD in a bid to rescue the floundering project. Each government took a 50 percent stake and sought international investors.

Thailand and Myanmar asked Japan to become a third-party investor, but the Japanese government refused. Meanwhile, Thai banks have committed $4 billion to keep the project moving.

But after two years of paralysis, many experts argued the mega-project was doomed to failure.

However, in 2014 Thailand and Myanmar revived the project and asked ITD once again to construct the initial phase of the SEZ.

Myanmar granted the contract to a consortium led by ITD in August 2015 and March 2016.

In January 2015, Japan finally agreed to participate in the project as an equal partner with Thailand and Myanmar, pledging technical and financial support.

Controversial project

The mega-project has faced strong opposition and criticism since its early days. Local villagers alleged land seizures, forced evictions, and insufficient compensation for confiscated farmland  claiming some of these amounted to human rights abuses.

Meanwhile, fears grew that chemical industries in the massive industrial complex would spew pollution and cause health problems.

Critics also said Thailand was helping Myanmar build the mega-complex to skirt more stringent environmental and health standards at home.

Non-governmental organizations claimed the project was destroying the local economy by undermining the livelihoods of local farmers and fishermen through land confiscation, restriction of coastal access, and destruction of farmland. It also sparked concern over food security for local villages.

Protective mangrove forests were cleared to make way for the project, while road construction and deforestation compromised watersheds, causing erosion and dirtying rivers and streams, activists said.

On the other hand, many locals expressed hope the project would bring much-needed employment and help boost the regions hardscrabble economy.

Thai reaction

Following Myanmars termination of the contract and ITDs request for government help, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Thailand remained committed to developing the Dawei SEZ.

The project has experienced some problems but we are making progress. There will be negotiations with Myanmar authorities and I think things will improve, the PM said.

He assigned the task of negotiating with Myanmar to Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow, who chairs the Thai-Myanmar Joint High-Level Committee for the DSEZ, and Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, who chairs the DSEZ Joint Coordinating Committee.

Supattanapong and Arkhom are tasked with examining whether the contracts between ITD and DSEZMC are protected under the ASEAN Charter, which provides a legal framework for cooperation between the 10 ASEAN member countries.

Meanwhile, the Thai government remains committed to loaning Bt4.5 billion for Myanmars construction of a 139-km road to link Dawei with Kanchanaburi province on the Thai border.

The Thai government views the Dawei project as a vital part of Thailands strategy to create links with the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), said Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council.

Among other things, the mega-project would give Thai imports and exports direct access to the Indian Ocean trade route to the West.

What next?

Despite the contract termination, Myanmar will continue to cooperate with the Thai government to develop the Dawei mega-project, assured DSEZMC chairman Tun Naing.

The decision to scrap the ITD contracts meant his panel now had an opportunity to find new partners for the project, he added. One lesson from the long-delayed construction was to avoid signing contracts for national infrastructure with a single party, he said.

We should divide the project into phases or blocks and select the best developer for each phase or block. We should also avoid giving large areas to a single developer, he said.

Myanmar is now counting on Japan for financial and technical support to kickstart construction of the stalled Dawei port and complex.

In November last year, Japan agreed to join Myanmar and Thailand by investing in the full-phase implementation of the project, The Irrawaddy reported. Japan launched plans to carry out an environmental impact assessment and feasibility study, including on the deep seaport.

In February last year, China was touted as a potential partner, as Myanmar and ITD entered talks to keep the contracts alive. Chinese firms expressed interest in joining the Dawei project, but Myanmar was lukewarm at the time.

If the current investors cannot develop the project effectively, then Chinese companies are our only options. The Chinese have the capacity to develop this project, the Myanmar Times quoted a local analyst as saying.

Giant contractor

ITD, which describes itself as Thailands leader in infrastructure construction, was founded in August 1958 by Thai businessman Chaijudh Karnasuta and Italian engineer Giorgio Berlingieri. The firm was initially named Italian-Thai Development Corporation.

Four decades later, the firm was registered as a public limited company in March 1994, and listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in August that year with registered capital of Bt2.5 billion. Its registered capital is now Bt6.3 billion, with Bt5.2 billion paid up, according to ITDs website.

Among projects built by ITD are Suvarnabhumi International Airport, BTS and MRT mass-transit structures and stations, double-track railways, and underground power-cable tunnels.

The Thai construction giant also has expanded overseas to India, Taiwan, Madagascar, Bangladesh, Maldives, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines, among others.

This article was first published by Thai PBS World.

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A businessman who held up a courtroom with a fake pistol and hoax pipe bomb in a terrifying siege has been jailed for six years.

Edmond Dunican (47) pulled out a realistic gun and revealed an apparent home-made explosive device around his neck, subjecting his estranged wife, a barrister and a judge to a frightening ordeal.

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to eight years, with two years suspended, backdated to the day of the crime, December 20, 2018.

She said it had been a planned and premeditated offence.

Dunican, with an address at Stadium Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin pleaded guilty to carrying an imitation firearm with criminal intent at a Dublin courthouse.

Dunican, described as a man on the edge, had been at a hearing when he took a realistic imitation gun from a briefcase while wearing an elaborate device that resembled a bomb. A fitter by trade, he made the fake bomb at home.

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Dunican threatened barrister Lisa Daly, while presiding judge at the time Judge Susan Ryan refused to leave when Dunican told her she could go. The judge stayed in court, repeatedly appealing to him to drop the gun.

The 17-minute siege ended after an armed garda negotiator persuaded Dunican to surrender.

Today, Judge Patricia Ryan said aggravating factors were the fact that it was a planned and premeditated offence and the fake explosive was designed to look like a bomb.

A number of people had been obliged to remain in the court, although others were allowed to leave, she said.

It was brought to a conclusion when members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU) entered with shields. When requested by the presiding judge and gardai, Dunican did not comply with requests to put down the weapons, the judge said.

She took account of victim impact statements.

In mitigation, the judge said that although Dunican was caught red handed, the value of his guilty plea was taken into account, as was the fact that he co-operated in the garda investigation and gave full details of how he built the device.

She took account of serious medical conditions he was suffering from. Just before the incident, documents he deemed important for court were lost in a fire and he felt this was his only option.

Dunican had worked as a fitter employing up to 20 people at one point in his successful business. He accepted full responsibility for his actions, showed remorse and wrote a letter of apology, the judge said. A psychological report put him at a low risk of reoffending.

The judge also noted he had been in custody since the date of the offence, where he had suffered hardship and isolation with only one visitor.

The two-year suspended portion of the sentence was suspended for three years, including 18 months of probationary supervision.

At a hearing last week, Det Gda Shane Connolly told Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, prosecuting, that Ms Daly had had a number of dealings during court proceedings with Dunican, who was representing himself.

On the day in question, Ms Daly told the court that it was her last day, as she was going to become a solicitor. When Dunicans matter was called, he drew the imitation firearm and told Ms Daly: Did I hear you say today is your last day? You have no idea, Lisa, you have no idea.

As Ms Daly crouched in her chair, the judge repeatedly told Dunican: Put your weapon down sir, please. The court registrar pressed the panic alarm and gardai were called to court over the tannoy system, while Dunican said: Its too late for the guards judge.

Dunican said the registrar and judicial assistant could leave the court and the judge too, telling her he didnt mean her any harm, but the judge replied: Im not leaving.

The judge continued to reason with Dunican until armed gardai entered the court and a negotiator persuaded Dunican to surrender.

Ms Daly told gardai it was a terrifying experience and she believed Dunican was going to shoot her in the head or detonate a live bomb.

Dunicans wife said she was petrified and frozen in fear".

The court heard the "bomb" was fitted with a metal pipe and a functioning red and green light. The judge told gardai she had remained in order to defuse the situation as best she could. She told gardai the incident was surreal and she had never experienced anything like it.

Victim impact statements were handed into court from Ms Daly and Dunicans wife, but the judge declined to make one. Fiona Murphy SC, defending Dunican, said he appreciates the serious nature of the matter before the court.

The court heard Dunican's life crumbled in recent years. Ms Murphy said Dunican had become increasingly stressed in the months before the offence, that he suffered from heart problems and was at the end of his rope.

He was a man on the edge, she said.
NILES, MI  A Berrien County woman was rescued Monday after her vehicle overturned and landed in the St. Joseph River.

The 25-year-old from Buchanan was driving along East River Road in Buchanan Township when she swerved to avoid a deer at around 10 a.m., Monday, Jan. 25, the Michigan State Police said in a news release.

The woman lost control of her vehicle, which then struck a utility pole and two trees before going off a ledge, overturning, and landing in the St. Joseph River, police said.

Troopers from the Michigan State Police Niles Post, along with members of the Buchanan Police and Fire Departments, helped rescue the woman from her vehicle, which she was trapped inside of.

Jaws of life were used to free the driver from her car due to the roof of the vehicle being partially crushed, police said.

The woman, the lone occupant of the vehicle, was transported to Lakeland Hospital Niles with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Michigan State Police issued a statement reminding motorists to slow down as quickly and safely as they can when encountering a deer or other animal in ones path.

Swerving to avoid an animal can put you at risk for hitting another vehicle or losing control of your car, the statement read. It can also confuse the animal as to which way to go. Your odds for surviving an accident are better when hitting an animal than when hitting another car or object.

Also on MLive:

Kalamazoo man accused of killing sleeping 54-year-old during drive-by to stand trial

Congressman Meijer eager to focus on policy following Trump impeachment vote

Wife of former Kalamazoo pastor arraigned on human trafficking, child sexual assault charges
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Ukraine expects the first batch of 700,000 doses of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine to arrive in three to four weeks, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

He said this in his speech in the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday, January 26, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"On December 30, Ukraine signed an agreement to purchase vaccines from Sinovac Biotech. [...] Last week, this vaccine was approved for use in Brazil, where its clinical trials were conducted. We expect the first batch of 700,000 doses of the vaccine from this manufacturer to come in around three to four weeks," Shmyhal said.

He also added that Ukraine expected the supply of 8 to 16 million doses this year under the COVAX scheme. "We expect COVAX's decision on inclusion in the first wave distribution by February 1. In case of a positive decision we will receive up to 200,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines in February," Shmyhal said.

He noted that the most likely other vaccines that can be supplied to Ukraine under the COVAX initiative will be those with which this organization signed production agreements  Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Novavax, and Sanofi.

The results of clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech conducted in Brazil were announced on December 12. The trials showed the vaccine was 50.4% effective.

Late in 2020, the Ukrainian Health Ministry signed a contract for the supply of 1.913 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac Biotech. The first batch will be 700,000 doses.

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A cashier at a bank in Taiyuan, Shanxi province counts renminbi notes. [Photo/China News Service]

Unified registration mechanism to use movable property, rights as collateral

China has established a unified national financing registration system that uses movable property and rights as pledges, which is expected to increase loans for small and medium-sized enterprises and improve the overall business environment.

The unified system has been expanded across the country since Jan 1, after pilot programs were conducted in four citiesBeijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Guangzhou in Guangdong provincecentral bank officials said at a news conference.

The People's Bank of China, the central bank, was authorized by the State Council, China's Cabinet, to take full responsibility for the unified registration system. It started providing support and inquiry services on Jan 1, and the nationwide system is running smoothly, said Zhang Zihong, head of the PBOC's Credit Reference Center.

A statement from the PBOC said seven types of pledges of movable property and rights will be subject to the unified registration. These include production equipment, raw materials, semifinished products and finished products, accounts receivable, deposit slips, warehouse receipts and bills of lading, and financial lease pledges.

Based on the type of pledge of movable property and rights, the market entities can apply for registration within a single system.

It will increase the transparency of real rights for pledges, add to the certainty of realizing the rights of secured parties, reduce the risks and costs of credit transactions and support financial institutions and other secured parties to provide pledge financing, experts said.

The State Council decided on Dec 22 to unify the nation's registration system for movable property and rights pledges from Jan 1,2021. The Credit Reference Center of the PBOC was designated to carry out the registration service accordingly.

Analysts said the decision was in line with requirements under the Civil Code and will help improve the business environment in the country.

Providing loans for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises based on their credit information is a measure that the central bank promoted last year, which facilitated production resumption since the novel coronavirus outbreak, said Tian Di, deputy head of the PBOC's Credit Information System Bureau.

By the end of 2020, 131 corporate credit information institutions received approvals from the central bank to provide registration and inquiry services to market entities. The PBOC said that seven key market-oriented institutions helped about 2.35 million small and micro companies receive 1.41 trillion yuan ($216.2 billion) of credit by the end of last year, with a nonperforming loan ratio of 1.16 percent, a relatively low level.

The measures are effective in helping small businesses get financing and mitigate the shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic, said Tian.

China is establishing the world's largest database of financial credit information and it will be a key component of the national social credit system, Chen Yulu, vice-governor of the central bank, said in December.

Analysts said they expect the next five years to be a golden period for developing the credit information services market in the Chinese mainland.

The government will allow market-based credit information services institutions to collect business and personal credit information, and it will not be restricted to bank lending data, said Chen. All types of credit information services should be approved by the PBOC before starting the business, he said.
SEATTLE, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PitchBook, the premier data provider for the private and public equity markets, today released its 2020 Annual European Venture Report, which found venture capital (VC) deal value remained aloft and set a new annual record despite COVID-19 and the subsequent macroeconomic damage. Pandemic-induced opportunities and existing VC companies within technology and healthcare were well positioned to grow at the same time the deluge of capital deposited into larger rounds continued a decade-long trend. Capital from the US flowed freely into Europe and deal value with corporate VC (CVC) participation set a new annual record. After a lethargic start, exit value gathered momentum as the year progressed with one of the strongest quarterly showings ever in Q4. The pandemic created favourable market conditions for VC-backed companies seeking an exit in sectors such as biotech and pharma. European VC fundraising also achieved a record high in 2020 as LPs and GPs across the continent shrugged off long-term concerns posed by COVID-19. Fundraising processes have successfully adapted to remote tools, while larger VC vehicles have attracted burgeoning heaps of capital from existing and nontraditional investors to target pandemic-proof and pandemic-induced opportunities. Restrictions on travel, recessions and battered sectors have not stifled commitments from LPs, as GPs have been supplied with record levels of capital to put to work heading into 2021.

To download the full report and underlying data, click here.

"Few predicted the insatiable appetite to commit to and invest in VC in 2020. While other asset classes crumbled amid widespread volatility, Europe's maturing VC ecosystem  and venture as an investment strategy  showed remarkable resilience with dealmaking, fundraising and CVC participation reaching record highs," said Nalin Patel, PitchBook EMEA Private Capital Analyst. "We believe capital will continue to pour into pandemic-driven areas as recoveries commence and the allure of a return to normality will drive capital into resurgent pre-pandemic trends, both of which will combine to hold overall VC activity aloft in 2021."

Investment Activity

VC deal value reached a new annual record of 42.8 billion across 9,341 deals, representing a 14.8% year-over-year increase in value from the previous record set in 2019.

Deals sized over 25 million represented a record 61.8%, or 26.5 billion, of capital invested in 2020. CureVac's 560.0 million late-stage round in Q3 was the largest deal of the year. Klarna, Deliveroo, N26, Revolut, and Northvolt all closed deals over 500 million as well, whereas just two companies raised such a sum in 2019.

Investors deployed 14.5 billion into the software sector across 2,123 deals, marking a marginal 7.9% year-over-year increase and more substantial 22.3% year-over-year decrease, respectively. The sector remains the most popular investment strategy, representing a third of total European VC deal value in 2020, but investment into biotech & pharma startups jumped 41.1% year-over-year to 5.4 billion as COVID-19 held attention globally.

All regions apart from Central & Eastern Europe beat their respective deal value figures from 2019. The UK & Ireland remained the highest deal value provider with a record 14.3 billion in 2020, providing a third of the total in Europe despite Brexit.

beat their respective deal value figures from 2019. The UK & remained the highest deal value provider with a record 14.3 billion in 2020, providing a third of the total in despite Brexit. CVC participation accrued 19.4 billion in value through 2020, easily surpassing the previous record of 15.6 billion set in 2019. CVCs participated in many of 2020's largest rounds, including Deliveroo's 527.6 million round and Hopin's 106.2 million round.

Exit Activity

Despite market volatility, total European VC exit value rose 13.9% year-over-year to 18.6 billion across 697 deals. The European exit market gained momentum after a lethargic Q1, closing on 7.6 billion in value in Q4.

Biotech & pharma companies capitalized on increased interest in the sector, securing 6.7 billion in venture exit value in 2020, or 35.9% of Europe's total. Notable exits in the sector include the IPOs of CureVac and ADC Therapeutics, both totalling over 200 million, and the acquisition of Themis Bioscience, which sold for 1.1 billion.

total. Notable exits in the sector include the IPOs of CureVac and ADC Therapeutics, both totalling over 200 million, and the acquisition of Themis Bioscience, which sold for 1.1 billion. As was the case in 2019, the DACH region (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland) generated the most liquidity of any European ecosystem, closing on 4.6 billion in 2020, or 24.7% of the continent's total. The region's expertise in developing highly valued biotech & pharma companies bolstered exit figures.

VC-backed IPOs grew slightly to 50 in 2020 from 46 in 2019, suggesting that some startups were bullish and willing to list even amid such a turbulent year. The resurgence of public equities and lack of listings in the second and third quarters created pent-up demand for IPOs, and healthcare startups such as Compass Pathways, Freeline and Nanox decided it was the perfect time to exit.

Fundraising Activity

European VC funds raised a record 19.6 billion in 2020, representing a 35.2% year-over-year increase as LPs and GPs across shrugged off long-term apprehension posed by COVID-19. The quantity of closed VC funds ticked up to 172, reversing a two-year decline.

VC funds over 100 million represented 82.0% of the total capital raised in Europe in 2020, just below the peak of 83.8% set in 2019, and we expect they will continue gaining share in 2021. Fund sizes have climbed during the last decade, buoying overall capital raised year to year.

in 2020, just below the peak of 83.8% set in 2019, and we expect they will continue gaining share in 2021. Fund sizes have climbed during the last decade, buoying overall capital raised year to year. The UK & Ireland raised the most capital for venture funds with 5.1 billion, narrowly topping the DACH region, which raised 5.0 billion in 2020. Israel -based VC funds have now raised over 1.0 billion in each of the last five years, with a record 2.7 billion raised in 2020, and we believe GPs based in this region have the capital resources to develop their ecosystem even further and compete globally for commitments.

Additional coverage in this report includes:

Introduction

Overview

Corporate VC

Spotlight: 2021 Outlook

Exits

Fundraising

For more information about PitchBook, click here.

About PitchBook

PitchBook is a financial data and software company that provides transparency into the capital markets to help professionals discover and execute opportunities with confidence and efficiency. PitchBook collects and analyzes detailed data on the entire venture capital, private equity and M&A landscapeincluding public and private companies, investors, funds, investments, exits and people. The company's data and analysis are available through the PitchBook Platform, industry news and in-depth reports. Founded in 2007, PitchBook has offices in Seattle, San Francisco, New York and London and serves more than 45,000 professionals around the world. In 2016, Morningstar acquired PitchBook, which now operates as an independent subsidiary.

SOURCE PitchBook
(Image: Reuters)

The protesting farmers are all set to take out their tractor march on January 26 in support of their demands-- the repeal of the three farm laws, and a legal guarantee on minimum support prices (MSP) for their crops.

The march, they said, will, however, not enter Central Delhi. The Kisan Gantantra Parade' or the 'Farmers' Republic Parade' as it has been termed, will start peacefully only after the official Republic Parade is over, they said.

Delhi Police said on January 24 that it has allowed the farmers tractor march in the city on Republic Day, with elaborate security arrangements in place. Three routes were finalised after a week of meetings between farmers and senior police officers.

A five-layer security cover comprising of border pickets, inner, middle and outer security has been deployed in and around the city to maintain law and order during the Republic Day event and the proposed tractor march. It will be for the first time in more than five decades that the Republic Day event is being held without a chief guest.

"We should consider farmers as chief guest today," said Yogendra Yadav, president of Swaraj Abhiyan and one of the leaders of the protest.

The farmers, who have started entering Delhi from three border pointsSinghu, Tikri and Ghazipur, said they expect around two lakh tractors to participate in the march as a show of strength.

Follow our LIVE BLOG on Farmers' Protest Here

The first march will start from Singhu border to Sanjay Gandhi Transport nagar towards Kanjhawala Chowk, KMP expressway before coming back to Singhu border covering a distance of 62 kilometres

The second march will start from Tikri Border and pass through Nangloi, Baprola Village, Najafgarh nd KMP Expressway covering 64 km for the march.

The third march from Ghazipur border will touch some parts of NH-24 where it will turn towards ISBT Anand Vihar and Lal Kuan to reach KGP Expressway (Eastern Peripheral Expressway) covering a distance of 46 kilometres.

READ| Farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day: 10 key things to know about January 26 march



61                             26          

 Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) January 25, 2021

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on January 25 that insensitive policies of the Modi government were to blame for the protesting farmer unions' decision to take out a tractor parade on Republic Day.

Farmer Union leader Darshan Pal said that the farmers were firm on their demand of repeal of the three farm laws.

The farmers unions have also announced a foot march to the Parliament on February 1, the day government will be presenting Union Budget 2021-22.

The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of farmers unions, said only tractors and trolleys with tableaux will be allowed in the march; no one should carry a weapon, not even sticks; and maximum of five people can ride on one tractor.

No one will ride on the bonnet, bumper or roof of tractors, it said in a statement.

Thousands of farmers, primarily from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at several Delhi border points for over two months, demanding the repeal of the laws, and a legal guarantee on minimum support prices (MSP) for their crops.

Enacted in September 2020, 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.

The protesting farmers, however, have expressed their apprehension that these laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of minimum support price and do away with the 'mandi' (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

Eleven rounds of talks between farmers unions and centre have so far failed to end the impasse.
A significant 500-plus page research report has been published which sheds light for the first time on the operation of institutions in Northern Ireland for unmarried mothers and babies as well as industrial homes known as Magdalene Laundries.

Here is some of the key information uncovered:

What were the institutions and why are they being examined?

The operation of homes for unmarried mothers and babies, Magdalene Laundries and to a lesser extent baby homes which operated in Northern Ireland until 1990 have been examined by academics.

These institutions have historically been shrouded in secrecy.

Those who experienced them have levelled accusations of abuse, cruelty and inappropriate physical labour such as scrubbing floors, even in the final stages of pregnancy, under an ethos of shame, and being described as fallen women.

How many people went through these institutions?

It is estimated that more than 14,000 girls and women went through the doors of mother and baby homes, Magdalen Laundries and industrial homes between 1922 and 1990. This figure is more than double the number previously thought.

10,500 women entered mother and baby homes. At least the same number of children would have been born to the women, assuming some were twins.

The youngest was 12, and the oldest 44; however, a third were under the age of 19.

Girls and women were sent to the homes by their families or church leaders under a shadow of stigma, secrecy and shame, believing they had no other choice due to being pregnant out of wedlock. Some were victims of rape, incest or unlawful carnal knowledge.

Meanwhile, 3,000 women were sent to Magdalene Laundries with numbers peaking in the 1930s.

Some were referred by their families, others by priests and some by state agencies, including the courts, police, probation, welfare and GPs.

These included women who suffered with alcohol dependency, teenage girls described as having behaviour issues, some with learning difficulties, and some from the mother and baby homes to serve penance.

The facilities were described as an austere environment where women were punished by being made to stand while eating meals, and kneeling and reciting misdemeanours. Names were taken away and new names assigned.

Some women died in the laundries after spending the majority of their lives doing unpaid, strenuous labour.

A further 707 women entered an industrial institution run by the Salvation Army at Thorndale in Belfast which was described as being used as an alternative to prison, like a probation home.

Most people had shorter stays there, and it was also used as emergency accommodation for girls and young women who were victims of sexual crime or domestic violence.

It was described as being poorly funded, with staff who were not sufficiently trained to deal with people with complex needs.

The Catholic orders which ran institutions were also described as not being adequately trained to look after those in their charge.

A message left on railings at the site of a former Magdalene Laundry in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

How many institutions operated in Northern Ireland?

There are believed to have been more than a dozen mother and baby homes.

Those examined in the research report, included Marianville in Belfast and Marianvale in Newry, both run by the Good Shepherd Sisters; Mater Dei in Belfast; and others run by boards which included Protestant clergy such as the Belfast Midnight Mission at Malone Place in south Belfast.

In addition, the report looked at four Magdalene Laundry-type institutions  including three run by the Good Shepherd Sisters as well as the Salvation Army Industrial Home at Thorndale.

Why is the matter being examined now?

An interdepartmental working group, chaired by former PSNI deputy chief constable Judith Gillespie, was set up by the Stormont Executive in 2016 to look at institutions which were not covered by the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry.

It looked at mother and baby homes, Magdalene Laundries and those who suffered clerical abuse outside institutions.

Academics from Queens University Belfast and Ulster University were commissioned to carry out research on the mother and baby homes and Magdalene Laundries.

A memorial to 222 children from the Bethany Mother and Child Home, at Mount Jerome Cemetery in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA)

Is the report similar to the one released in the Republic of Ireland earlier this month?

The research report on mother and baby homes and Magdalene Laundries in Northern Ireland was carried out by academics.

It cannot be directly compared with what happened in the Republic of Ireland, where a commission of investigation was carried out.

Researchers in Northern Ireland had no legal powers to compel those associated with former institutions to co-operate.

The research report in Northern Ireland is being regarded as the first chapter in the story and is likely to raise more questions than answers.

Other key differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is that women generally stayed in institutions north of the border for shorter periods of time  around a few weeks before leaving after the birth of the baby  and they tended to give birth in local hospitals rather than in the homes.

What issues are raised in the research report?

As well as the treatment of the women in the institutions, the report delves into the legality of the adoption of babies, hundreds of babies taken across the border, and questions around whether consent was freely given by the mothers who were described as isolated and vulnerable.

In one case examined, an infant had two birth certificates, one in Northern Ireland and one in the Republic.

Read More Brain surgery survivor embarks on 99km charity walk with rescue dog

The report also examined the mortality rate of infants in the mother and baby homes, but does not reach firm conclusions mainly because mothers and their children did not remain there for long periods.

Around a third of the babies went to baby homes, a quarter left with their mothers, just under a quarter were adopted, and 15% went to foster care.

Questions are also raised over discrepancies around entry records to the laundries and burial records, and women buried in communal graves up to the 1980s.

Academics spoke to survivors of the institutions for their research report (Niall Carson/PA)

Did the academics speak to survivors of the homes?

Archives were examined, literature reviewed and witness testimony taken from 60 people.

These included former probation officers, social workers, two nuns from the Good Shepherd Sisters, and priests, but the majority were survivors of the institutions and relatives of women who had been in the Magdalene Laundries, including the children who were adopted.

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On January 25, 2021, at approximately 2:00 pm, Iberia Parish Sheriffs Deputies responded to a call regarding a disturbance in the 4400 block of Old La. 25. Upon their arrival deputies attempted to detain the suspect. The suspect gained control of a marked Iberia Parish Sheriffs Office Patrol vehicle and fled the area. Immediately, IPSO deputies initiated pursuit of the suspect.

The suspect, Steve Duhon (m, 48 yrs. old) fled down Hwy. 14 to Hwy. 90 through St. Martin Parish and into Lafayette Parish with IPSO deputies in pursuit. With assistance from Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Parish Sheriffs Office and Louisiana State Police, the suspect was stopped at the intersection of Hwy 90 and Tower Dr. in Lafayette Parish. Steve Duhon was then apprehended by IPSO K-9 unit.

Steve Duhon was placed under arrested and later transferred to Lafayette General Medical Center for treatment. Once released, he will be booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center with charges of Aggravated Flight and Unauthorized use of a vehicle and then transported to the Iberia Parish Jail.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
On a Tuesday afternoon in Belmont, two men stood on a road. When the encounter ended, one man was dead and the other was charged with murder.

Many of the grim details surrounding the killing of Henry Tapia, who authorities said was fatally struck by a pickup truck during a road rage incident last week that turned deadly, were laid out in court documents filed Monday.

When police arrived on Upland Road in Belmont the afternoon of Jan. 19, they were told a person had been run over intentionally.

Tapia, 34, of Boston, was found on the ground. He was screaming in pain, yelling for help, according to responding officers.

Together with statements from the Middlesex District Attorneys Office, the accounts of the officers accuse 54-year-old Dean Kapsalis of killing Tapia during what they called a road rage incident.

But authorities also accuse Kapsalis, a white man, of hurling a racial slur at Tapia before running the Black man over with his red Dodge pickup truck.

When police discovered Tapia, the Boston man had suffered two deep cuts, one on the front of his head and another on the back. He was dealing with bilateral swelling as well as deformities on his head, left forearm and left leg, according to the records.

Tapia told police he couldnt breathe and was going to die. While talking with emergency medical personnel, he said his pain level was 10 out of 10, the court documents read.

After being given emergency medical aid, Tapia was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital. However, by the time he got there, he had no palpable pulse or blood pressure and was declared dead.

The scope of Tapias injuries was widespread. His legs and ribs were broken, and he was left with blood in his chest cavity, which had been crushed after he was run over, according to the complaint.

Based on the medical records obtained from Massachusetts General Hospital, which indicate that the victim suffered extensive crush injury to the left chest wall, as well as traumatic cardiac arrest, the victims death was caused as a result of being struck and run over by the defendants vehicle, the complaint read.

Tapia leaves behind no small impact on the world.

He is being mourned by his three children, his partner, his mother and numerous other loved ones, including members of the Boston gaming community, which he was a significant part of, according to the mans friends.

Known by the nicknames Henny and TheBadGuy, Tapia was described as a kind soul and a gentle giant, a loyal friend, with a big unforgettable smile, and an even bigger heart.

For all who knew Henny, despite his moniker, he was nothing short of AMAZING, wrote Danny Garcia, one of Tapias friends who helped set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the mans family. As a friend, Ive watched Henny grow into such a stellar individual! He tried hard everyday to be the best role model for his children. He had aspirations of buying his first home with his partner Courtney, and worked diligently towards this goal.

Courtney Morton, Tapias girlfriend, told The Boston Globe that with his death, she lost her best friend, soulmate, partner and protector.

He had a smile that could melt your heart, and thats literally what won me over, Morton said in an interview with the Globe through tears. That, and his eyes. And the fact that he was like a bear. He was just a cuddly, lovey bear.

Im feeling really weak, brokenhearted and lost, she added.

The GoFundMe organized in the wake of Tapias death has already raised more than $150,000 of its $10,000 goal.

Kapsalis, meanwhile, has been arrested and charged with a slew of offenses related to the killing of Tapia.

The 54-year-old Hudson man was charged last week with a civil rights violation causing injury as well as assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury in connection with the Jan. 19 killing of Tapia, Ryans office said.

On Tuesday, prosecutors added another charge: murder. During Kapsaliss virtual arraignment, Cambridge District Court Judge Ina Howard-Hogan ordered he be held without bail and have no contact with the Tapias family or any witnesses in the case, according to authorities.

The events leading up to Tapias death started to unfold around 4:15 p.m. the evening he was killed.

Around that time, multiple people who said they witnessed the fatal encounter told police they heard men yelling and saw Tapia standing next to a gray sedan and Kapsalis outside of a red truck further up the street.

The two men were apparently fighting about something that happened while they were driving, according to the criminal complaint.

The argument appeared to be winding down, that is until Kapsalis reportedly hurled a racial epithet at Tapia. He is accused of yelling, [expletive] n-----.

Authorities said Kapsalis then returned to his Dodge Dakota and ran the victim over with the truck.

The victim was facing the truck when he was hit and hands went on the hood of the car and his legs underneath it, the complaint said. The victims body disappeared under the truck and appeared to be dragged under it as it drove over him.

Police claimed Kapsalis did not stop driving after striking the victim and left the scene.

Audio captured by a Ring security doorbell near the scene recorded Tapia and Kapsalis voicing their displeasure about each others manner of driving, according to the Belmont Police Department.

The devices audio, the department noted, caught Kapsalis calling Tapia a [expletive] r-----, ignorant and an idiot. The recording, police claimed, also confirmed witnesses statements that the suspect called the victim the racial slur.

Tapia responded by saying, What did you say to me? You want to try and say that again?

Seconds later, a motor vehicle engine accelerates and a loud thud noise is heard, the complaint read. The video then depicts the red Dodge Dakota leave the scene, drive down Upland Road at a high rate of speed and take a right-hand turn on Beech Street.

Roughly 30 minutes later, Kapsalis is accused of walking into the Belmont police station and saying he was involved in the incident. He was provided his Miranda warning and agreed to be interviewed by police, according to the department.

While talking with police, the department said, Kapsalis claimed Tapia had tailgated him and cut him off before they got out of their respective vehicles and started arguing about each others driving.

Kapsalis also accused Tapia of threatening to shoot him, though his allegations were not confirmed by witness accounts or the video recording, according to the criminal complaint.

No firearm was found in the victims car either, and Kapsalis and his girlfriend were the only ones who told police Tapia threatened to use a gun, police added.

The defendant said he took off and drove around the victims car, the complaint said. He said he might have hit him. He then drove to 3 Oxford Road where he called his girlfriend on his cell phone and asked her to pick him up and bring him to the Belmont police station.

Garcia said his friends death is devastating and wont be forgotten.

It will continue to haunt me and everyone who loved Henny, forever, he said.

Related Content:
Winners of the 61st Australia of the Year Awards. (Salty Dingo)

Australian Women Sweep the 2021 Australian of the Year Awards

The board of The National Australia Day Council announced four women as the winners of the 61st Australia of the Year Awards on Jan. 25.

Since 1960, Australia has celebrated the achievements and contributions by conferring the award on leading citizens who ignite discussion and change on issues of national importance.

Designed to offer an insight into Australias evolving identity, the awards reflect Australias evolving relationship with Britain and the world. They show the role sport has in our society and the impact of multiculturalism.

The awards also demonstrate the special status indigenous people have in our country.

This years winners of the Australia day honours were:

Australian of the YearGrace Tame



Advocate for survivors of sexual assault and #LetHerSpeak campaigner. (Salty Dingo)

Grace Tame is a 26-year-old rape survivor and advocate for victims of sexual assault. She is a regular guest speaker for television programs and high-profile events to push for legal reform and raise public awareness about the impacts of sexual violence.

Senior Australian of the YearMiriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann

Aboriginal activist, educator, and artist. (Salty Dingo)

Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann AM is a 73-year-old Aboriginal elder from Nauiyu and a renowned artist, activist, writer, and public speaker. She became the Northern Territorys first fully qualified Aboriginal teacher, and in 2013, she established the Miriam Rose Foundation to preserve the Aboriginal culture and drive reconciliation at a grassroots level.



Young Australian of the YearIsobel Marshall

Social entrepreneur. (Salty Dingo)

Isobel Marshall is a 22-year-old student of medicine and surgery. After graduating from high school, she co-founded TABOO, a business that helps women gain greater access to hygiene products.

They dedicate all profits to sanitary health projects in developing countries. Marshall and business partner Eloise Hall crowdfunded $56,000 to successfully launch their range of organic cotton pads and tampons in August 2019.

Australias Local HeroRosemary Kariuki



Advocate for migrant and refugee women. (Salty Dingo)

60-year-old Rosemary Kariuki is a refugee who fled Kenya alone in 1999, an experience that helped her recognise the isolating experience of many migrant women.

She is a multicultural community liaison officer for Parramatta Police, helping migrants facing domestic violence, language barriers, and financial distress. Her work was the subject of the documentary Rosemarys Way.

It is only the second time since 2003 that all four awards were given to Australian women. The first was in 2015 when Rose Batty won the Australian of the Year award for her work campaigning against family violence.
A recent article explained how political parties are organized in the United States. All individuals registered by political party have a say in the operations, policies and decisions made by the party they have chosen to become a part of. Unaffiliated or independent voters do not have this right.

Political parties tend to be heavily criticized because those who are knowledgeable of how the system is supposed to work frequently hi-jack it and go in directions the grass roots members oppose. Most party members choose not to participate because of the bad behavior of some of the leaders. This allows the bad boys to become even more powerful.

I doubt the average Democrat supports abortion or gun control. But, the activists. who have seized control, do. I doubt the average Republican supports open borders or subsidies to just about everybody and his brother. But, those who have seized power, do.

What we have leading both parties are groups of activists who have axes to grind and agendas of their own and to a great measure have the goal of subverting the will of the grass roots. Establishment leadership, of both parties, often really considers the members of the party to be useful idiots. The grass roots has lost control. Both Democrats and Republicans can easily recover by simply attending precinct meetings and electing delegates who are willing to carry out the wishes of the grass roots.

A good example of this is the Beaufort County Republican Party. Two years ago it was taken over by what is commonly called the yellow sheeters. That is, a band of outsiders, who are intent on imposing their liberal will on the citizens of Beaufort County by electing more of their kind.

During the 2020 elections the Beaufort County Republican Executive Committee under the leadership of former Senator Bill Cook and Paul Varco used the party machinery to help elect their candidate, John Rebholz, and harm the candidacy of the three conservative candidates. The conservative candidates were: Randy Walker, Tandy Dunn and Hood Richardson.

The Executive Committee gave no assistance to the conservatives, refusing to allow Walker, Richardson and Dunn to include their signs with others the Party placed at the polls on election day. This meant these three candidates had to drive to every precinct in the county to place their signs on election day. John Rebholz got special privileges from the party in placing his campaign signs, and making campaign calls.

The party has an email data bank with abut 6,000 email addresses. The conservative candidates did not know of its existence until it was too late to use it. John Rebholz used the email data base extensively.

The executive committee refused to send out minutes of meetings and notices of meeting to elected Republican officials, who are automatically ex officio members of the Executive Committee. Ex officio members are entitled to all of the privileges of Executive Committee membership except to vote.

That is, they are to receive all notices, mailings and have the privilege of the floor for debate. The leadership of former senator Bill Cook and Paul Varcoe denied all of the above rights to elected GOP officials. Complaints to the State Republican Chairman went nowhere.

The result of this behavior was that John Rebholz was elected and the true conservative, Tandy Dunn, did not get elected.

Rebholz, along with RINO Frankie Waters, then joined with the two Democrats to elect Frankie Waters Chairman and Democrat Jerry Langley Vice Chairman. Frankie Waters and John Rebholz violated their loyalty to the Republican Party when they voted for the Democrat Langley to be Vice Chairman even though Republican Randy Walker was running for the same office. The two Republicans refused to vote for conservative Republican Randy Walker.

Because of the Beaufort County Republican Executive Committee, control of the Board of Commissioners is in the hands of Democrats: Ed Booth and Jerry Langley. John Rebholz and Frankie Waters were elected as Republicans but vote as Democrats. The three conservatives: Walker, Deatherage and Richardson are shut out. This, in a county that had a 50 percent Republican majority in the November 2020 elections. We have a swamp in Washington, NC and just as we do in Washington, DC.

This is the same kind of subversive behavior that was used by the Republicans against Trump. It is a chipping away of the Republican advantage, just enough for these back room dealers to get what they want but not have to face the full light of honesty. The people who do these things do not care about the grass roots desires for free speech, guns, anti abortion, and honest elections or other planks in the Partys Platform.

The Republican Party has never taken a stand for honest elections that could stand the test of audits. Not re counts, but audits. The fraudulent votes are still counted in re counts. We need the ability to do audits, that is determine whether the votes are legal or fraudulent. This is particularly true for mail-in ballots. The only way we will get honest elections is to go to the precinct meetings and send honest delegates up the line to demand that the laws be put into place to guarantee honest elections. I understand Florida and Ohio have already done this.

These special interest groups who elbow their way into positions of power so they can do their special thing are corrupt and need to be done away with.

The Unites States of America is among a few unique countries in the world in which individuals have the ability to change government peacefully. We do not have to wait for a signal from any higher authority. But it can only be done if the grass roots of the parties actively participate in the partys process of selecting its leaders. Those who dont participate allow, by default, the Swamp Dwellers to rule.

It is not that the Swamp Dwellers have different positions on the major issues, but it is purely about them maintaining their power. We see this playing out in Washington DC by those RINOs who refused to support President Trumps call for an investigation of the elections. The Establishment did not want a judicial trial or an investigation simply because they could remain in office even if the election was stolen from President Trump. The simple fact is that the 2020 Presidential Election was determined by fraudulent practices. None of the complaints were ever tried in a court of law or investigated by an impartial review process. The reason this happened is that the Establishment refused to stand up for the seventy-five million voters and the party leadership simple turned their heads the other way.

The same thing happened in the Democrat Party. The grass roots remained silent while a small group of far-left radicals took over the Democrat Party. Now Joe Biden will be caught between the Rock and the Hard Place as he attempts to govern. But mark our words, he will not succeed. His tenure will be a disaster for the nation and ultimately for the Democrat Party. There is a good chance Biden will be impeached. If that happens you will likely see that small group dictate what happens and it is likely they will throw him under the bus in favor of getting Kamala Harris in as President. The only way that will not happen is if the grass roots step up and put a stop to the power-hungry establishment leadership that is more intent on preserving their power rather than what is best for the country.

It will happen again and again, unless the grass roots take back our parties. Obviously, term limits would help, but that is an issue we will discuss in a future article.

Do your part. Go to your precinct meeting, Democrat or Republican, and tell them what you think and then hold the leadership accountable for running the party as the grass roots want it run. Stay home and the Swamp Dwellers will rule and our nation will suffer.
Deputies highlight issues related to city's digital transformation

From:ChinaDaily | 2021-01-26 11:28

Bridging the digital divide and preventing data abuse have been highlighted in discussions among Shanghai's legislators during the city's annual legislative and political consultative sessions.

Mao Yuhua, a deputy of the municipal people's congress and also a bank employee, said a divide has emerged between the young and the old as banks embark on digital transformation.

"We should not overlook the needs of the elderly when we launch digital services," Mao said in a discussion on Sunday.

"Their preference for traditional services should be respected, and we should not simply dismiss their reluctance to embrace new technologies. Instead, we should help them learn to use these technologies."

Deputy Chen Yuechuan echoed these sentiments, saying that the government should procure services to educate the elderly and the disabled in the use of smart devices.

Chen also raised the problem of big data discrimination. He said as more people are now using mobile apps in their daily lives, companies behind these apps can apply different prices for individuals based on their purchase histories.

"We should make regulations to prevent this kind of monopoly and abuse of personal data," Chen said.

Hu Xiaoli, another municipal legislator, said she has received feedback from local residents regarding the use of facial recognition in the security checks in residential neighborhoods.

"The residents are concerned about the abuse or leak of their personal information, and I think we really should pay attention to the issue of data privacy in the city's digital transformation," Hu said.

Deputy Li Xiangnong, who is also a lawyer, said Shanghai should follow the national legislation on the protection of personal information, which was implemented in October.

"Shanghai should also make its own local regulations to make better legal arrangement over the use of personal data," Li said.
" Eric Turquin and Marc Labarbe are repeating the operation attempted a year and a half ago with the 'Caravage de Toulouse', even if the circumstances are quite different, " says thierry Ehrmann, President and Founder of Artmarket.com and its Artprice department. " Of course, Guido Reni and Caravaggio are not at all on the same market footing. However, since the Caravaggio sale, much has evolved: first, Turquin and his team have had several opportunities to demonstrate that their strategy of selling works before restoration and as close as possible to the place they were found can be very effective , and secondly the pandemic has pushed a large section of the global art market into the online environment, a significant advantage for this kind of strategy ."

Attracting international demand

Like the Toulouse Caravaggio, Guido Reni's Cleopatra was found by chance in Toulouse, where it will be sold by Marc Labarbe on 28 January 2021 and is unlikely to stay there very long. And indeed (we ask) what exactly would be the logic of trying to sell it in New York, London or even Paris when the painting obviously interests numerous collectors and museums all over the world?

In recent months, American buyers have been the best clients for Eric Turquin's findings: the Toulouse Caravaggio appears to have joined Tomilson Hill's collection; the Cimabue from Senlis has gone to the Alana collection and the Master of Vyssi Brod from Dijon now belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

Sending an artwork across the Atlantic and engaging the services of a major auction house entails massive costs which cannot always be justified today. The lockdowns have accelerated the switch to online of a whole section of the auction market and this trend is somewhat undermining the logic of maintaining large sales structures in the centres of the art market's major capitals.

Are artworks just as beautiful wherever they are?

The prestige of a major auction house and a large city undoubtedly helps to attract international demand. But is all this "staging" really necessary? This question is to a certain extent a question about the 'efficiency' of the art market: put another way, does the price of a work depend on the circumstances of its sale? Whatever the answer, it seems fair to say that a certain degree of correlation exists between the two.

Although scheduled to appear in a sale of Old and Modern Paintings in the south of France, Guido Reni's Cleopatra has been the subject of a very specific examination, the details of which have been presented in a dedicated catalog. Marc Labarbe (the auctioneer) and Eric Turquin (the appraiser and valuer) are clearly confident that having conducted all the necessary research and having publicized the sale around the entire planet, the work no longer needs the support of prestigious Anglo-Saxon houses to attract the most likely international buyers.

Top 5 auctions outside the art market's major capitals*

 Artprice.com

1. Cimabue (XIII), Christ Mocked - $26.8 million 10/27/2019 - Hotel des Ventes de Senlis.

2. Francesco Guardi (1712-1793), View of the Giudecca and the Zattere in Venice - $14.9 million, 12/01/1989 - Sotheby's, Monte Carlo.

3. Raden Saleh (1814-1880), La Chasse au taureau sauvage (1855) - $11.1 million, 01/27/2018 - Jack-Philippe Ruellan, Vannes.

4. Marc Chagall (1887-1985), Le village en fete (1978) - $10.8 million, 06/21/2002 - Kornfeld Galerie & Cie, Berne.

5. Frans Francken II (1581-1642), Der Mensch [...] (1635) - $9.5 million, 04/21/2010 - Dorotheum, Vienna.

* New York, London, Paris and China

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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 748,000 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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Anger: Nelson McCausland was heavily criticised for his Facebook post

A leading voice in the LGBTQ+ community has called for the removal of a former DUP minister from the Education Authority board.

It came after Nelson McCausland shared the story of Becket Cook on Facebook.

In his article Mr Cook claims to have been a gay man in Hollywood working in the fashion industry until he met Jesus.

Mr McCausland wrote: A powerful testimony of a life changed by God and some important insights into the whole gay movement from someone who has been there.

Following criticism, Mr McCausland denied his post had supported so-called gay conversion therapy.

Alliance councillor Eoin Tennyson, who is gay, said Mr McCauslands post was shared without any regard for the devastating impact this ex-gay nonsense has on young LGBT+ people.

Being gay is not a disease, it cant be cured, he said.

Gay conversion has been consistently discredited and denounced.

It has absolutely no basis in scientific fact.

Its clear youve never been 11 years old, crying yourself to sleep at night praying to be cured because youve internalised the nonsense.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

Meanwhile Conor Houston, who is a director for the LGBTQ+ group Shout Out, said he was horrified by the deeply offensive post.

He called for Mr McCauslands removal from the Education Authority board.

Compassion and education are the antidote to such ignorance, said Mr Houston, who is also the chair of Belfasts Fleming Fulton special school.

Speaking last night, Mr McCausland denied that the article he posted was related to gay conversion therapy.

Councillor Tennyson must have misread or misunderstood the article that I posted as it was not about gay conversion therapy, the former North Belfast MLA and ex-Social Development Minister said.

It was a testimony from The Gospel Coalition website and was in the form of an interview about the life-transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The person interviewed had not undergone any therapy.
Ho Chi Minh City is seen from above, January 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

HCMC wants to become a smart city by 2025 and remain the country's growth driver, its chairman, Nguyen Thanh Phong, has said.

Speaking to correspondents ahead of the 13th Party Congress which opened in Hanoi on Tuesday, he said by then HCMC authorities also need to turn it into a modern and industrialized city with a per capita income of $8,500.

The city strives to become a Southeast Asian economic, financial and technological hub by 2030 and achieve a per capita income of $13,000, nearly twice the 2019 figure of $6,862.

City authorities set their sights even further and want to make HCMC an Asian economic and financial hub by 2045 with per capita income increasing to $37,000.

The focus of development will be key industries like financial services, banking and tourism.

The city will start implementing a plan to turn into a global financial center, encourage production and export of high-tech products and software and make the most of opportunities thrown up by free trade agreements Vietnam has signed.

A favorable business environment and rapid and steady economic growth are essential conditions for financial centers to thrive.

HCMC has been the country's economic spearhead, contributing 22 percent of GDP and 27 percent of government revenues.

The city expects to retain an increased proportion of its revenues -- 24 percent from 2021 and 28 percent from 2026 -- up from the current 18 percent.

It will focus on training human resources to international standards in eight priority areas: information technology, communications, mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, corporate governance, finance and banking, healthcare, tourism, and urban management.

Technology and innovation will be the main drivers of socio-economic development with priority given to the use of artificial intelligence and 5G technology. Telecom companies are trialing 5G services at several popular public spots like Nguyen Hue Street in District 1.

The city will seek to improve people's health and quality of life and develop into a specialized medical hub.

It has seen a surge in interest from foreign investors in the last five years thanks to Vietnams robust economic growth. HCMC also attracted nearly $4.4 billion worth of FDI last year, or 15 percent of the countrys total.
NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi continued with his tradition of wearing colourful turbans on the occasion of countrys Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations. This year too, the PM sported a colourful 'paghdi' which was gifted to him from the royal family of Gujarat's Jamnagar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was wearing Halari pagh ( royal head turban ) gifted to him by Jamnagar Royal Family for todays Republic Day event.

Prime Minister Modi is wearing a special 'Paghdi' from Jamnagar, today. The first such 'Paghdi' was gifted to the PM by the royal family of Jamnagar, Gujarat. pic.twitter.com/7wRITqsC52  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

The bright coloured turban that PM Modi sported was complemented by a grey jacket and cream coloured shawl.

Also Read: Delhi Metro shuts entry, exit gates of 10 stations as Kisan tractor rally turns violent, check full list

PM Modi was spotted wearing the colourful paghdi while he laid a wreath at the National War Memorial on the occasion of Republic Day, which has been a low key affair due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

#RepublicDay: Prime Minister Narendra Modi leads the nation in paying tribute to the fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial at the India Gate pic.twitter.com/mDX47YYVfr  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

During the Republic Day celebrations last year, the PM had worn a saffron bandhej headgear with a tail. In 2019, he had worn a yellowish-orange turban which had a red tail.

The PM in 2014, the year he took over as PM appeared for the Independence Day in a bright headgear. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always made a style statement with his choice of turbans during the Republic Day and Independence Day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier greeted Indians all over the world on the occasion of Indias 72nd Republic Day.

"Wishing all the people of India a Happy #RepublicDay . Jai Hind!" Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet in Hindi. India celebrates its 72nd Republic Day on Tuesday (January 26, 2021), which will be the first to be organized amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year, the Republic Day celebrations will be a quieter affair as there will be a shorter parade, no chief guest to grace the occasion and much less public participation in the event.

Despite all restrictions and COVID-19 safety protocols, India will show its military might with Rafale fighter jets taking part in the Republic Day flypast for the first time and the armed forces showcasing T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system, Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets, among others.

According to a Defence Ministry statement, a total of 32 tableaus -- 17 from states and union territories, six from the Defence ministry and nine from other Union ministries and paramilitary forces -- depicting the nation's rich cultural heritage, economic progress and defence prowess will roll down the Rajpath at the Republic Day parade.

"School children will perform folk arts and crafts displaying skills and dexterity handed down from generations -- Bajasal, one of the most beautiful folk dances of Kalahandi in Odisha, Fit India Movement and Aatmanirbhar Bharat," the Defence Ministry said.

A 122-member proud contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces will also march on Rajpath on Tuesday, the ministry said.

Live TV
As the day-long Mission Paani event commenced on the 72nd Republic Day of India, many including water warriors, politicians, union ministers and celebrities came together on Network18 to take the pledge of water conservation. And among the many who took the pledge was Ranjitsinh Disale, the schoolteacher from Maharashtra who went viral on social media after winning a $1 million prize.

Disale, who became a household name in December 2020 after winning the coveted Global Teacher Award, graced the day-long Mission Paani Waterthon initiative undertaken by News18 and Harpic India. The event aims to bring the conversation on water conservation to the forefront of civil society discourse by encouraging and felicitating water warriors and environmentalists like Disale.

Though his fans know Disale as a teacher, not many know that he is also an environmentalist at heart. Disale, who is from Paritewadi village in Maharashtra's Solapur district, has been encouraging water harvesting techniques among the students in his village to preach water conservation during the coronavirus lockdown last year.

"During the lockdown, we started an observation seat to monitor how much water and electricity is used by each student at home," Disale told News18. "Based on data, students prepared a plan of action to understand for how long the water available in the village can be used," he added.

"They also devised a plan B in case there is a rainfall deficit. Students have now started using water judiciously," Disale said.

Disale won the $1 million annual Global Teacher Prize 2020 in recognition of his efforts to promote girls' education and trigger a quick-response (QR) coded textbook revolution in India. The schoolteacher believes that teachers are the world's "real changemakers", had promised to share half of the prize money with the other finalists.

On Wednesday, Disale and other change-makers like water warrior Amla Ruiya and Dr Fawzia Tarannum, child environmentalist Licipriya Kanjugam and actors like Akshay Kumar, came together to support the cause of water conservation.

The youth is important when it comes to climate action and saving resources like water. Having teachers like Disale onboard the initiative increases the scope of its message at the ground level.

Mission Paani, an initiative by CNN News18 and Harpic India is leading a drive to save Indias precious water resources and make hygiene a way of life. You can contribute to the cause by taking a Jal Pratigya. Visit www.news18.com/mission-paani
[January 26, 2021] Rice-based stable coin is being launched in Indonesia

MALANG, Indonesia, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Penjaga Lilin Nusantara, an Indonesian Cooperative in Malang- East Java is setting up Ricetron.com a Tron based DeFi (decentralized finance) to tokenized rice based stable coin. Ricetron aims to invite crypto enthusiasts to stake Tron and mint RET (Rice Economy Token), a governance token that will fund RIC (Rice Inventory Coin) stable coin. RET token holder will benefit from 30% of all transaction fee and profit sharing of RIC DeFi, where once the DeFi platform running will be distributed back as Protege Dividend to RET token holder wallets. Total supply is 269,000 RET with only 190,000 RET minted through staking. It is TRC-20 token, using a TRX blockchain where the speed and the fee of transaction are much better compared to ERC based token. Indonesia uses BULOG (state owned logistic agency) to stabilize staple price, which ostly focuses on rice. Due to lack of data reading skills, BULOG wastes 30,000 ton decayed rice every year, that amounts to almost 30 Million USD/year of Indonesian government budget.



Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM0hoA90T1A&t=6s "The whole idea came from our meeting with a cooperative chairman named Mr. Steven Henry Raharjo. His cooperative has a rice savings program where with this program, he is able to make price stability for its members. Besides that, rice savers can also get additional rice at the end of the year as well as give zakat and sadaqah (donations) to those around them who need it without having to spend any more money," says Mr. Victorinus Widyanto, COO of Ricetron.

Thus, the cooperative came up with idea to tokenized premium grade Rice and also taking advantage of the recent cryptocurrency bull run. By creating rice based stable coin, it gives people more access to rice especially BULOG rice. In addition, RIC can also be converted to DeFi savings and collateral, and it guarantees RIC holders to fresh rice at the time of exchange, since it is backed by BULOG's purchase order (voucher) with no time expiration. 1 RIC cryptocurrency equals to 1Kg of premium grade rice, with more Rice-based stable coins will be launched in the future with different grade. This project also benefits BULOG in creating consumers-based data, optimizing the agency rice procurement and the most important thing reducing annual government budget loss. "Meanwhile RET will also be used as an anchor token for cooperative future projects. So people can participate to fund future projects by staking RET," says Eka Suwandana, CTO of Ricetron. Ricetron started the staking program on 15th of January 2021, it is divided in 7 rounds. They also now offering Youtube Staking Contest, where 67.6 RET in total will be given as Prize. Checkout their telegram: https://t.me/ricetron, channel for more information. SOURCE Cooperative Penjaga Lilin Nusantara

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Minister of Foreign Economy and Foreign Affairs of Hungary Peter Szijjarto will pay a working visit to Ukraine on Wednesday at the invitation of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said.

"The heads of the foreign ministries of Ukraine and Hungary will hold talks on topical issues of Ukrainian-Hungarian relations, discuss further steps to build confidence in relations and implement the potential of cooperation between the two countries," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

On January 27 at 11:10, Kuleba and Szijjarto will hold a joint press conference.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : India is reaching out to the Caribbean, in tune with Prime Minister Narendra Modis focused outreach to the Indian diaspora across the globe.

India's public broadcaster has now signed an agreement with International Television Broadcasting LLC (ITV) of the US, which has a strong presence in the territories of North America, South America and the Caribbean (namely, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname and Jamaica and Barbados, among others.

"Dissemination of Indian view on world affairs among Asian diaspora and Caribbean communities has been minimal. With our plans to distribute DD India thru ITV in whole of USA and parts of Caribbean, this gap will be filled. DD India will be immediately available in the Tristate area (NY, NJ and Connecticut)," observed Sudhir Parikh, Chairman International Television Broadcasting.

It may be recalled that the Prime Minister had in 2019 met 14 leaders of the CARICOM group of countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. While reiterating India's commitment to strengthen its political, economic and cultural ties, he referred to the presence of a million-strong Indian diaspora in the region. He had also announced a $14 million grant for community development projects in the CARICOM and another 150 million Line of Credit for solar, renewable energy and climate-change related projects.

By leveraging its network of bureaus and correspondents across India and the world, DD India will offer an Indian perspective on global events. Thus, television audiences in the Americas will have the opportunity to see and experience the emergence of a new self-reliant India through the DD India, the global news and current affairs channel of Doordarshan. Moreover, the Indian diaspora in Americas too, will have a window into the latest news and events in India.

The Chief India Correspondent of ITV C Anand Velayudhan remarked, "epistemic trespassing by individuals on social media had left Indian origin people in a quandary. We have now overcome that dilemma by bringing DD to USA".

The Additional Director-General Global Outreach Prasar Bharati Sunil said: "We were always keen to expand DD India in all geographies around the world. USA is among the initial steps and the Indian diplomatic presence in whole of North America could help ramp up the viewership. Visiting Indian dignitaries would be happy to see DD India. We wish to see DD grow with this MoU." (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
[January 26, 2021] Set Your Children Up For Success: Nevada Virtual Academy Now Accepting Enrollments for 2021-2022 School Year

After an academic year like no other, Nevada Virtual Academy (NVVA), a full-time online public-school academy serving K-12 students throughout the state, is welcoming students to enroll for the 2021-2022 school year. NVVA is the state leader in providing safe, alternative education options, while giving your student a personalized experience and providing them with what they need to succeed. NVVA is tuition-free to all students who reside in Nevada, staffed by state-licensed teachers, and is an authorized online public-school program of the Nevada Public School System. They offer a personalized approach to learning, delivering rich, engaging curriculum designed to assist students who seek alternative pathways to education. "Parents only want their children to be successful and NVVA can provide them with that opportunity," saidDr. Yolanda Hamilton, Head of School. "There's no doubt this past school year was unlike any other, but our technology and student-focused curriculum will give your children the advantage they need to do well at the next level."



Students choose online school for a variety of reasons including advanced learning, a bullying-free environment, and the ability to support extracurricular pursuits or medical needs. NVVA's online platform gives students the opportunity to pursue their academic goals in a supportive environment and at an appropriate pace for their learning style. NVVA is now accepting enrollments for the 2021-2022 school year. More information, how to enroll, and a schedule of upcoming events can be found at https://nvva.k12.com/.

About Nevada Virtual Academy Nevada Virtual Academy (NVVA) is an online and blended public charter school serving students statewide in 6th through 12th grade. As part of the Nevada public school system, NVVA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc., a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about NVVA, visit nvva.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005004/en/

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[January 26, 2021] HyperX Sponsors New Orange County School of the Arts Esports Program

HyperX, the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., today announced a new partnership with Orange (News - Alert) County School of Arts (OCSA), by donating a full array of gaming peripherals to launch their esports program in the Digital Media Conservatory. Products provided to the school include HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headsets, HyperX Alloy Elite RGB keyboards, Pulsefire mice, FURY mousepads, Quadcast microphones and FURY memory. With this equipment, OCSA is upgrading and creating a state-of-the-art, 36-station gaming hub for both OCSA's esports teams and other integrated curricular activities with the goal of serving 400 students each year. The technology lab will be named the HyperX Digital Media and Performance Lab. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005101/en/ HyperX Expands Orange County Community Support by Providing Gaming Essentials for Digital Media Computer Lab (Photo: Business Wire) "HyperX is a perfect partner for OCSA and we are thrilled they have provided the necessary technology to support the inauguration of our esports program and make it successful," said Patrick Williams, the director of OCSA's Digital Media Conservatory. "Esports takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions. Instead of students playing video games in isolation at home, esports clubs create a community of boys and girls who enjoy gaming and related activities. We are excited to take the enthusiasm of gaming and use it as a vehicle for science, entrepreneurship, team building, technology education and a future career." This donation from HyperX will help positively impact OCSA's student population with an esports club growing and expanding this year and in the 2021-22 school year as part of the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF). This learning environment will be available to everyone, especially young females. Seventy-five percent of students in OCSA's Digital Media Conservatory are female, with gender equality and representation being an important part of the planned use of the gaming lab and services. Additional partnership activities between HyperX and OCSA to virtually assist students with learning about career opportunities in gaming and technology with gaming and esports career panel discussions with students, and student participation on consumer insights panels for product feedbak.



"HyperX is excited to partner with OCSA to help build and develop a strong and diverse student population that is the next generation workforce by using gaming as one of many critical tools in education, now and in the future," said Wendy Lecot, head of strategic alliances and digital marketing innovation. "Gaming has become an influential part of our day-to-day lives and helps all students to achieve their very best." About HyperX

HyperX is the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the world's largest independent memory manufacturer, with the goal of providing gamers, PC builders, PC, console and mobile power users with high-performance components. For 16 years, the HyperX mission has been to develop gaming products for all types of gamers - high-speed memory, solid state drives, headsets, keyboards, mice, charging accessories for console players, USB flash drives, and mousepads - to the gaming community and beyond. The award-winning HyperX brand is known for consistently delivering products that deliver superior comfort, aesthetics, performance, and reliability. HyperX gear is the choice of celebrity ambassadors, pro gamers, tech enthusiasts, and over-clockers worldwide because it meets the most stringent product specifications and is built with best-in-class components. HyperX has shipped over 75 million memory modules, 15 million gaming headsets, two million keyboards and one million mice worldwide. Join the global #HyperXFamily and learn how HyperX products can enhance your console experience and boost performance for both you and your PC, console or mobile device at hyperxgaming.com. Whatever your skill level, whatever genres you play, we embrace all gaming enthusiasts everywhere with our core belief - We're All Gamers. Website: http://www.hyperxgaming.com/

Twitter (News - Alert) : https://twitter.com/HyperX

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hyperx/

Facebook (News - Alert) : http://www.facebook.com/hyperxcommunity

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kingstonhyperx About Orange County School of the Arts The nationally recognized Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) provides an unparalleled arts and academic education in a creative, challenging and nurturing environment to a diverse student body passionate about the arts, preparing them to reach their highest potential. Founded in 1987 and still led by visionary educator Ralph Opacic, Ed.D., OCSA currently serves more than 2,200 gifted students in grades seven through 12 from more than 100 cities throughout California. In addition to a college-preparatory academic program, OCSA offers pre-professional arts training in 16 conservatories within the schools of applied arts, dance, fine & media arts, music and theater. The nonprofit public charter school relies solely on private donations, totaling $12 million annually, to fund the pre-professional arts training programs. For additional information, visit www.ocsarts.net. About OCSA's Digital Media Conservatory OCSA's Digital Media Conservatory (DM) was launched in 2012 by Patrick Williams, an OCSA alumnus who earned his bachelor's degree in illustration design from Art Center College of Design and his M.F.A. from California State University, Long Beach. Under his direction, the conservatory offers 80 students in 9th through 12th grades training in animation, games, design and media. Using new and emerging technologies, students learn to build narratives, create fantastic characters and design innovative worlds across a variety of digital and analog platforms. Digital Media students enjoy a rigorous and thoroughly challenging curriculum equivalent to digital media programs at competitive colleges and universities. Upon graduating, students possess the experience, discipline and skill sets needed to attend a four-year college or university, enroll in an arts conservatory program and pursue a professional career in the digital workforce. Editor's Note: For additional information or executive interviews, please contact Mark Tekunoff, Kingston Technology Company, Inc. 17600 Newhope Street, Fountain Valley, CA (News - Alert) USA 92708, 714-438-2791(Voice). Press images can be found in Kingston's press room here. Kingston, the Kingston logo, HyperX and the HyperX logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Kingston Technology Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All registered trader respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005101/en/

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The Married At First Sight Grand Reunion special is set to see Jessika Power reunited with several of her former co-stars.

On Tuesday, the 28-year-old revealed that she was feeling 'apprehensive' to see Martha Kalifatidis again, following their feud last year.

In an interview with 9now, the reality star admitted that they used to have a 'great friendship' but 'nasty words' were thrown around.

Nervous: Jessika Power (pictured) has revealed she was feeling 'apprehensive' to see Martha Kalifatidis again at the MAFS Grand Reunion special, following their feud last year.

'Martha [Kalifatidis] and I, we had a great friendship when I was on the show,' she told the publication.

'Essentially Martha was my rock throughout that whole experience, and very much after the show ended she was still there for me a lot.'

However, she said that things got a bit more complicated once 'the media [came] into it'.

Candid: In an interview with 9now, the reality star admitted that she and Martha (pictured) used to have a 'great friendship' but 'nasty words' were thrown around

'Martha and I have thrown nasty words around about each other, and I guess I was apprehensive to see her, but I was also excited too,' Jess added.

Jessika and Martha's strong friendship came to an end after Jessika accused her of cheating on her partner Michael Brunelli.

Back in March, Jessika told Hit Mid North Coast's Krysti & Bodge that their co-star, Ines Basic had 'text messages' to support her allegations that Martha once cheated on Michael.

Rumours: Jessika and Martha's strong friendship came to an end after Jessika accused her of cheating on her partner Michael Brunelli (both pictured)

'Ines is going to kill me because she just said to leave it, but it's true!' she said.

Jessika claimed there 'was a lot of cheating going on' around Christmas 2018, after the MAFS cast had finished filming the sixth season.

Her allegations however remain unproven. She has not provided specific details, and doesn't have access to the text messages that allegedly corroborate her claims.

When contacted by Daily Mail Australia at the time, Martha denied the cheating allegations but refused to comment further.

The Married At First Sight Grand Reunion premieres Sunday, January 31 at 7pm on Channel Nine
When then-President Donald Trump was pressing Senate Republicans to reject Biden electors in Congress earlier this month, no senator gave the party more cover in resisting Trumps demands than conservative Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, a trusted member of MAGA society. After the House impeached Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, though, Cottons influence cut the other way. Cotton said in a statement the day of the House impeachment vote that the Senate lacks constitutional authority to conduct impeachment proceedings against a former president.

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Cottons argument, which is far from consensus expert opinion on the question, offered a procedural exit for Senate Republicans who may have felt that the president did commit an impeachable offense but politically couldnt stomach a vote to convict him.

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On Tuesday afternoon, in a preimpeachment trial proxy vote, Senate Republicans were rushing for that exit. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paulwho is among the strictest proponents of the belief that its unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial for a former president, a legal opinion that aligns directly with his political interestraised that objection in a rare constitutional point of order, to force a vote.

It was the first time Senate Republicans were forced to go on the record regarding Trumps second impeachment, and Pauls goal was to show that support for conviction wasnt there.

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If more than 34 Republicans vote against the constitutionality of the proceeding, Paul told reporters ahead of the vote, the whole things dead on arrival.  [Impeachment managers] probably should rest their case and present no case at all because its dead on arrival.

One promising sign for Pauls maneuver was whom Republican leaders invited as Senate Republicans guest speaker to Tuesdays lunch: George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, the view-shifting law professor Republicans leaned on as an outside expert against Trumps first impeachment and are leaning on again for his second. After that lunch discussion, Paul told reporters that upwards of 40 Republicans would support his position.

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When the dust cleared at the end of the vote, it was 45 Republicans, including McConnell and the entirety of Senate Republican leadership. Only five RepublicansMitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Pat Toomeyjoined all the Democrats.

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It was never likely that 17 Republicans were going to go along with Democrats to produce the necessary 67 votes to convict. But based on Tuesdays tally, Trumps second acquittal may now be sealed.

I think it shows that the impeachments dead on arrival, Paul, declaring victory after the vote, told reporters. If you voted that [the trial] was unconstitutional, how in the world would you ever vote to convict somebody of this?

That was not an entirely accurate description of what the vote was. Paul did argue that the impeachment trial was unconstitutional, in his point of order. But what followed from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was a motion to tablei.e., to dismissthe point of order, a motion thats not debatable. So senators were not directly voting on the question of whether they considered the impeachment trial constitutional, but on whether to dismiss that question right away, with no further discussion.

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That distinction does leave the tiniest bit of space for Republicans who voted with Paul to still convict Trump. They could argue that Pauls constitutional question deserved a floor debate instead an out-of-hand dismissalbut that their feeling about holding the debate wasnt indicative of their overall thoughts on the trial. There was at least one senator who ran with this argument: Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who had announced on Monday that he wouldnt be seeking a third term.

I feel like thats something we ought to have a debate on, Portman said of Pauls argument. The vote to table is inconsistent with that, you know, but Ive not made my mind up. He said that this was the same view McConnell held, too.

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But for most of the caucus, this was probably a close proxy of their final verdict. Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, for examplea persuasive member of Senate GOP leadershipwas pretty forthright in his statement afterward.

I believe the constitutional purpose for presidential impeachment is to remove a president from office, not to punish a person after they have left office, Blunt said. No consideration was given to impeaching President Nixon when he resigned in 1974. The Constitution hasnt changed, and the Congress should not set a new, destructive precedent.

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Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who did vote to dismiss Pauls argument, suggested the writing was on the wall, too.

I think its pretty obvious from the vote today that it is extraordinary unlikely that the president will be convicted, Collins told reporters. Do the math.

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Trump doesnt have a great defense on the merits, and few Republican senators are willing to defend his actions on Jan. 6. But his best defense has always been the passage of time. The more days that went by after Jan. 6, the more excuses could amass to allow Republicans to let the ex-president off the hook and avoid the rage of Republican constituents. Theyve all seen whats happened to GOP Rep. Liz Cheney after she voted for impeachment, and it isnt pretty. Its so much easier to move on and trust the past to reliably fade away.
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The U.S. is trying to seize around 2 million barrels of what it thinks is Iranian oil, according to people familiar with the matter, in Washingtons latest attempt to block the Islamic Republics energy exports.

The crude is on board the Liberia-flagged Achilleas, which is sailing to the U.S. after the Department of Justice issued a seizure order, said the people, who asked not to be identified as theyre not authorized to speak to media.

The order came before Joe Biden succeeded Donald Trump as U.S. president on Jan. 20, according to the people. Under Trump, Washington tightened sanctions on Iran in an effort to halt its oil sales, end its nuclear activities and stop it interfering in other Middle Eastern countries.

The Achilleas Greek owner, Capital Ship Management Corp., alerted U.S. authorities to the possibility it had unknowingly taken on Iranian crude, after initially believing it came from Iraq, said the people. The vessel is fully loaded and can carry more than 2 million barrels, according to shipping documents.

CONSEQUENCES: Oil faces Iran shock if Biden win points to nuclear deal

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice declined to comment.

Biden has said he wants to renegotiate a nuclear pact with Iran that Trump abandoned in 2018. But Bidens nominee for Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said last week a rapprochement is a long way off.

Still, Tehran has said its already increasing oil exports in anticipation that Biden will take a softer line. Several firms that monitor Iranian output -- including Petro-Logistics SA, Kpler Ltd. and SVB International LLC -- have said shipments are creeping up.

Iran pumped about 2 million barrels of crude a day in December, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Thats barely half what it was producing before Trump left the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and tightened sanctions. Of todays output, only around 10% is exported, most of it to China.

The Achilleas, a vessel known as a Very Large Crude Carrier, received its oil from another ship at the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah in November. According to the shipping documents, the Achilleas was then scheduled to sail to the Omani capital of Muscat.

Its tracking system was switched off from Jan. 1 until Jan. 13, when it was sailing near South Africa, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Its now traveling across the South Atlantic Ocean.

The U.S. has tried to seize Iranian petroleum before. Last year, it intercepted vessels it said were carrying gasoline from the Islamic Republic to Venezuela.

Many ships leaving Iran switch off their transponders, making it difficult to track them and to calculate the level of the countrys exports, which the government doesnt disclose.
Editors Note: This is the 16th in a series of stories about local nonprofits and how they have dealt with the challenges of the pandemic and their plans for 2021.

EDWARDSVILLE  The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people in many ways, but nature is still open for business.

The Watershed Nature Center, a 46-acre nature preserve at 1591 Tower Ave. in Edwardsville, continues to draw a steady stream of visitors despite the changes that the coronavirus has forced in the operation of the center.

A lot of people discovered the Watershed this year, which we are very grateful for, said Megan Riechmann, a consultant for Watershed Nature Center. We hope to keep them engaged as things open back up.

We want to continue to provide education and volunteer opportunities. We are gearing up for a more normal year in 2021.

Riechmann was brought on January 2020, as the center was working on Access Nature, a capital project designed to make the Watershed more visible and accessible, including a patio at the entrance to the Visitors Center, as well as some dedicated educational spaces.

They have been working on it since 2015, and the project is nearly complete, but as of last January, they did not have the funds necessary to start construction, Riechmann said.

A primary fundraiser for the center is the semi-annual Whiskey for the Watershed event, which was slated for March 27, 2020. But like so many other events, it was canceled due to the pandemic.

It became clear that we were not going to be able to have an in-person event, so we switched to a virtual event, which was held on Oct. 16, Riechmann said. A lot of organizations had virtual events in 2020, but they were able to start from scratch, while we had 170 ticket holders. We had to take their expectations for the event and translate them into something virtual.

People were hoping to do whiskey tasting and have food and music, but we sold another 80 tickets and it was a sellout. I cant say enough about the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon-Alton community and their support for the Watershed. We raised $33,000 toward Access Nature, which is almost exactly what we needed.

Construction for Access Nature started on Nov. 2, but the Watershed put the project to bid in July.

The city of Edwardsville has done a big chunk of the project as their portion because the Watershed is owned by the city and the Nature Preserve Foundation is the nonprofit entity that manages the site, Riechmann said.

The city did their work in 2019, including improving the parking lot, some grading work and a new trail connection. That was wonderful, and it helped build a lot of momentum for the project, but we had some deadlines that we needed to meet from other funding sources.

Mayer Landscaping from Belleville earned the bid and worked with the Watershed to bring the project into a scope that met both the purpose of the project and the budget.

They have been phenomenal in helping us understand where we are at, Riechmann said. The pandemic has affected a lot of the supply chain and it has raised costs in places that we previously didnt anticipate, but they have helped us bring the project to fruition. The project is almost near completion and were just waiting for some things to be delivered.

People can also buy an inscription on a paver brick at the Access Nature Welcome Patio.

It can be for yourself, as a gift, or a memorial to a loved one, said Riechmann, who noted that sales of the paver bricks were brisk during the holiday season. Its an 800-square-foot patio, so it can provide a revenue stream for us for several years.

Sometime in April, the Watershed hopes to hold a ribbon-cutting event for the Access Nature project, along with a Welcome Earth Day celebration.

It is among the many events the Watershed plans to hold when the pandemic is finally over.

We also want to bring back the 5K run that used to be so popular at the Watershed, Riechmann said. We want to do a plant sale and we want to bring back the Discovery Days program for the kids. Im working with the board to figure out how to get all of that staffed.

From March through May, the Watershed did a program called Nature is Not Canceled that was led by Sheila Voss, who was the board president at the time, and Danielle Kulina, who was a graduate intern at the time.

It was a virtual opportunity for families and kids to engage with the Watershed, and there was a Facebook Live event that was centered on exploring different aspects of the ecosystem of the Watershed, Riechmann said. We wanted to let folks know that even if they are stuck at home, there are still plenty of opportunities to learn.

Last summer, the Edwardsville Community Symphony did a Facebook Live quartet performance from the Watershed as a fundraiser for the center.

They donated all of the proceeds to the Watershed, which was really lovely, Riechmann said. They approached us because it was something they wanted to do.

In the meantime, the Watershed is still finding ways to connect with the community.

Our check-ins online have skyrocketed over the last year, Riechmann said. We were one of the only parks in the area where the trail was open, although we closed for a very brief time when the pandemic first hit. The trail usage has been off the charts. Even though its just a mile, I think people just needed to get out of their houses.

Our Visitors Center has remained closed the entire time because there is just not staff and funding to keep it clean. Were working on that and meeting with a cleaning company to see what it would take to have the center reopen sometime this spring.

Support for Watershed Nature Center comes from a variety of sources, including SIUE and the local business community.

We have a really close relationship with SIUE, and we have several members of their staff on our board, Riechmann said. The STEM program at SIUE gives us access to a lot of their undergraduate students. We also get incredible support from businesses like the Phillips 66 Wood River refinery to help fund some of those graduate students.

For more information about Watershed Nature Center, go to http://www.watershednaturecenter.org/, call 618-692-7578 or visit the Watershed Nature Center page on Facebook.
SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Jan, 2021) The Sharjah Astronomical Observatory at the Sharjah academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology (SAASST) of the University of Sharjah, has detected rare sequential impacts on the Moon.

Prof. Hamid M.K. Al Naimiy, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, General Director of SAASST, and President of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, announced this observation.

He added that these impacts were observed using the Sharjah Lunar Impacts Observatory Telescope (SLIO) of the Sharjah Astronomical Observatory. It consists of a three-metre-high dome equipped with a 14-inch Meade telescope and many sensitive instruments.

He stressed the importance of the SLIO telescope as it is conducting ground monitoring of the dark part of the moon to determine the rates and sizes of large meteoroids that hit its surface. This is to enhance understanding of lunar impacts effects on space missions, which in turn helps protect and facilitate manned space missions. Monitoring such phenomena opens the gate to study the types and effects of such impacts on the surface of the moon and how craters form over billions of years.

The University Chancellor affirmed that SAASST, thanks to the generous and continuous support of the Ruler of Sharjah, and through this great achievement confirms its capabilities in accomplishing this aspect of its scientific role.

Prof. Mashhoor Ahmad Al Wardat, Vice General Director of SAASST for Academic Affairs and the Sharjah Astronomical Observatory, confirmed that after analysing the time of impacts and their relative positions, the team concluded that they are a series of meteorite impacts. They resulted from the disintegration of the meteoroid due to the gravitational pull of the moon as it approaches its surface.

Meteoroids are fragmented and fall in pieces scattered longitudinally and happened in several impacts, such as the case of Comet Shoemaker-Levy when it approached the surface of Jupiter in 1994.

Its parts were fragmented and collided with the planet in the form of a longitudinal chain. This also happened to the asteroid that hit Earth in 2008, and its parts were scattered over a wide longitudinal area in the Nubian Desert in Northern Sudan.

Prof. Al Wardat explained that the Sharjah Astronomical Observatory team is now working on a deeper analysis of these lunar impacts to determine the source and mass of the main object. This within the observatory's various projects, which include monitoring galaxies and binary stars, studying variable stars, and determining the age of star groups  all to disseminate scientific information and supporting research projects.

Talafha also stated there are monthly scheduled observations to monitor lunar impacts using the Sharjah Lunar Impact Observatory (SLIO) telescope. These impacts appear in the form of very short light flashes, sometimes reaching fractions of a second, so accuracy is crucial.

What distinguishes this series of impacts, he added, is that they occurred within a short time (one minute) and were of greater brightness than usual. Also, their flash periods were relatively long, as periods of up to a quarter of a second were recorded in each impact and this is considered a long time for such events. It is noticeable that these impacts spread in the middle of the dark eastern side of the moon at the time of observation and spread over a distance of 1000 kilometres on its surface.

He added that it appears from preliminary analyses of these impacts have created new craters on the surface of the moon ranging in diameter from 5 to 10 metres.

The observatory has recorded several impacts during the previous period as the first observatory in the Middle East dedicated to this type of observations. It also is collaborating with the European Space Agency in this type of observations.
Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon became close when she played Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie. The child actor was in the same age group as her TV dads daughter, Leslie Landon. In her book, Prairie Tale, the author shared that she was with Leslie when she got drunk for the first time.

Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls Wilder, Michael Landon as Charles Philip Ingalls|NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal

Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert drank too much with Michael Landons daughter in Hawaii

Throughout her book and in multiple interviews, Gilbert described Landon as her surrogate father. When the actors father, Paul Gilbert, died on February 13, 1976, she sought comfort in having an on-screen dad. Soon, The Miracle Worker star had sleepovers with Landons kids and joined them on family vacations.

RELATED: Little House on the Prairie: Why Michael Landon Nicknamed Melissa Gilbert Half-Pint

One of her trips with the Landons took place when she was 15. She went to Hawaii with the family and her mother, Barbara Cowan. During the trip, the adults left the adolescents to attend dinner on the island. Once they realized they were free from their parents supervision, Gilbert, Leslie, and Helen Reddys daughter, Tracy Wald, decided to raid their hotels minibar.

The three of us parked ourselves in front of the minibar and drank everything in it, she wrote in Prairie Tale. We had vodka, rum, wine, champagne, Crown Royal, and Baileys Irish Cream, which I liked.

Landon didnt criticize Melissa Gilbert for getting drunk

After they mixed multiple alcoholic beverages, Gilbert said she and Leslie felt like we were an inch from death the next day. The friends barely made it through a day at the beach because of their hangovers. She said they were slumped in chairs on the sand when Landon confronted them about their activities the night before.

I hear you two had a little adventure last night, he said.

RELATED: Little House on the Prairie: The 1 Episode That Nellie Actor Alison Arngrim Thought Was Pretty Bold

Once they got caught, the Bonanza star asked the teenagers if they would ever drink themselves sick again. Both of them said no and began to cry. However, Gilbert soon learned that the Charles Ingalls actor wasnt mad at her or his daughter. While at the beach, the actor gave them two glasses of what appeared to be tomato juice.

I think both of us were crying from the pain we felt and the relief we hoped he could provide, rather than from fear or shame, she said. Mike handed each of us a glass. They were Bloody Marys.

Landon got drunk during Little House on the Prairie

In her memoir, Gilbert admitted that she was surprised that she and Leslie didnt get into any trouble after getting drunk. She said her mother never mentioned the escapades. The Joshuas Heart actor also felt that her Hollywood privilege was a factor.

RELATED: Little House on the Prairie: The 1 Actor Who Always Wore a Wig on the Show

Landons relationship with alcohol couldve been another reason he didnt punish his TV daughter. During a 2009 interview with Today, Gilbert said the Highway to Heaven star sipped vodka from his coffee mug when he worked on Little House on the Prairie. However, she learned about his habit after the show ended, as he kept it hidden from the child actors.

To his credit, I never saw him get drunk; I never saw his personality change. He didnt have that switch, she said. I did later on when I began drinking. I would reach a point where that switch would flip, and my personality would change  but Michael was able to maintain no matter what.

On July 1, 1991, Landon died of pancreatic cancer.

The Chinese president's comments come in the backdrop of Joe Biden's recent plans to revitalise global alliances to counter China's growing influence

Paris: Chinese President Xi Jinping warned global leaders at an all-virtual Davos forum Monday against starting a "new Cold War" while he championed multilateralism.

Representing the only major economy to record economic growth last year, Xi presented himself as the defender of multilateralism, as he did at the same forum four years ago when Donald Trump was about to assume the US presidency.

Without naming the United States, Xi seemed to have a message for Trump's successor Joe Biden, who entered the White House just a few days ago, but who is not addressing the annual World Economic Forum (WEF).

"To build small cliques or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimidate others... will only push the world into division," Xi told the world's political and economic elite as the Biden administration plans to revitalise global alliances to counter China's growing influence.

Trump had chosen open confrontation and verbal attacks, without tangible results for the enormous US trade deficit with China.

Though Biden may be dismantling one by one the controversial measures of the Trump era, he has nonetheless signalled the United States will closely look out for its own interests.

An executive order is to give US companies and products priority in contracting with the federal government as part of an overall plan to save industrial jobs by increasing investments in factories and workers.

Meanwhile, European leaders presented agendas of their own at the WEF  normally held in the Swiss ski resort of Davos but taking place virtually this year because of the pandemic.

German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier defended a controversial accord signed by the European Union and China in late December to provide increased mutual market access.

The deal duplicates "a lot of the arrangements that the US already has with China," Altmaier said.

'Year of recovery'

Herbert Diess, head of the German auto giant Volkswagen, which has several plants in China, noted that the country represented a great opportunity for European companies.

But some members of the European Parliament and activist groups say the accord should be contingent on Beijing's ratifying international conventions banning forced labour.

And Kenneth Roth, head of Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental organisation, commented on Twitter that Xi "promotes global collaboration on COVID-19 , so long as it doesn't involve investigating his three-week cover-up of human-to-human transmission in Wuhan, which enabled the virus to go global."

A year ago, the emergence of a mysterious flu-like disease in China prompted few comments at the forum when it took place at its usual site in Switzerland.

A year later, the world is still struggling to contain the coronavirus , which has killed more than two million people and cost 225 million jobs, according to the UN's International Labour Organization.

The world's richest people have barely been touched, the non-governmental organisation Oxfam charged.

Meanwhile, "it could take more than a decade for the world's poorest to recover," Oxfam said in the study titled "The Inequality Virus".

Optimism raised late last year by new vaccines has been tempered by production delays and new variants, and many countries are again mulling lockdowns to stem the spread of the virus.

But European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde nonetheless forecast that 2021 will be "the year of recovery".

She said that while renewed economic activity "seems to be a little bit delayed," it "should not be derailed".

Other forum subjects broached on the first day was global taxation of digital giants, a priority for France that until recently has been opposed by the United States.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire welcomed a more conciliatory tone from the new Biden administration on the subject.

He hoped that a multilateral accord under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) could be reached by the middle of this year.
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Southwest China's Yunnan Province lifted the remaining 442,200 impoverished people out of poverty in 2020, according to the ongoing annual session of the provincial people's congress.

The 11 ethnic minority groups in the province with relatively small populations or transitioned directly from primitive society to socialist society after the founding of the People's Republic of China also bid farewell to poverty, said Wang Yubo, acting governor of Yunnan, in his government work report delivered Tuesday.

The problem of absolute poverty that had plagued Yunnan for thousands of years has been solved historically, Wang added.

The population of impoverished rural residents in Yunnan was more than 8.8 million in 2012, and all of them have been lifted out of poverty.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa launched the new Customs Affairs Strategy 2021-2024 during a ceremony to mark the World Customs Day.

The Interior Minister congratulated President of Customs Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa for winning international trust through his appointment as the Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO).

He appreciated the efforts being exerted to develop the Customs Affairs, calling for highlighting the customs accomplishments to society.

He explained that the Customs Affairs is part of the main keylines, and its affiliates are competent and trustworthy. "I'm looking forward to implementing the new strategy in the coming phase through the ongoing efforts."

The minister noted that Bahrain had gained a good reputation in dealing with coronavirus pandemic through programmes enforced under the leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince Prime Minister.

He highlighted that studies had proven the efficiency of operations, and the team assigned to implement the vision and plans that succeeded in controlling the fast-spreading risks.

"The threat continues to exist as we aren't isolated from the world, he said.

The Interior Minister said: "There is a success story of how Bahrain dealt with the pandemic, giving us the confidence to achieve the goals through well-studied plans and determination."

President of Customs hailed the efforts of various sectors in fighting the pandemic, valuing all personnel working at customs ports for their commitment and sacrifices for the nation's security.

He also valued the Interior Minister's approach for the continuous efforts to achieve excellence within available resources. He hailed the work environment of the Customs Affairs that contributed to winning various awards and recognitions.

The new strategy includes three new strategic goals, and it follows the previous strategic plan, implemented from 2017 to 2021 with 100% enforcement and many accomplishments.

The new strategy and its goals and initiatives were highlighted in a film displayed during the ceremony, along with implemented projects.

The Interior Minister honoured distinguished customs employees and wished them all the best.
Religious groups have called on President Joe Biden to remove the sanctions on the Syria, claiming that they are compounding the suffering of the Syrian people reports Al-Masdar.

The Council of Eastern Churches and the heads of churches and religious authorities called on US President Joe Biden to abolish the unilateral coercive measures imposed on the Syrian people, which increase their suffering.

In a message to Biden on the occasion of his assumption to the presidency, the council and religious leaders said, Once again, in defense of human rights and human dignity, the Middle East Council of Churches renews its call for the abolition of the economic sanctions imposed on the Syrian people, which are violating their right to live in dignity and threatening an unjust humanitarian disaster.

The message called for, immediate action to abolish the economic sanctions that the Syrian people have been suffering under for years under difficult living conditions and economic, social and health crises that are exacerbated daily, especially with the coronavirus pandemic and its catastrophic repercussions, referring in this regard to the report of Alena Dohan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the matter.

The letter indicated that Syria ten years ago was the food basket for the region, but today, due to the war and US coercive unilateral measures, the Syrian people are suffering greatly.

The letter called on Washington to stop using unilateral measures to achieve its interests at the expense of the people, especially through the unjust sanctions imposed on Syria.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The amount of fraud paid out by the California Employment Development Department, or EDD, is over $11 billion. That number comes from a media call by the state's unemployment department Monday.

Rita Saenz, the EDD's new director, along with Labor Secretary Julie Su and ID.Me CEO Blake Hall, detailed the state's fraud and how they are trying to combat it.

The state paid out $114 billion in claims so far and says 10% of that is fraud, amounting to $11 billion. But Su says that the amount could go up to as much as $30 billion after clearing an extra 1.4 billion claims flagged for fraud. This comes after nearly a year of unprecedented unemployment and equally unprecedented fraud.

| More | EDD backlog and fraud timeline: How we got here

Sister station KCRA first began profiling the fraud, involving individual actors, international fraud rings and even prisoners inside California's prisons and jails, last year. The fraud is mostly run through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program or PUA. The EDD hired ID.Me to help sift through the claims and verify legitimate claims while stopping false ones.

A side effect of that process, however, has been increasing the state's backlog. After a strike team by California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued recommendations that the department shut down for two weeks to address the nearly 1.5 million claims in limbo, the department did just that. The goal, according to EDD, was to reduce the backlog and eliminate it by the end of January.

EDD says that the current backlog of more than 900,000 claims is a different backlog from the original one set forth by the task force. That one, spokesperson Loree Levy says, is "99.9% eliminated." However, Californians reaching out to KCRA, as well as state legislators, have said that a backlog, however different in the type of claims, is still a backlog.

Julie Su said that the PUA program from the federal government opened up states like California for fraud as there was no actual employer to verify employment. This was a program designed to help contractors, like gig economy workers, such as rideshare and food delivery drivers. She says more guidance from the federal government would have helped to prevent the fraud.

"That does not excuse EDD for being underprepared for them," said Su, adding that they are now working to shore up defenses and get benefits to Californians who need them.

Still, legislators, Congressional members and KCRA continue to get daily calls from Californians saying they cannot get their identities verified and cannot get through to EDD.

EDD and ID.Me said they are reducing wait times and the verification process is now down to roughly two hours to get a video verification for those flagged for extra ID verification.

Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, has described the billions of misallocated dollars as "incredibly disturbing."

"At the same time that EDD has failed to address fraud, they've also failed to allow honest Californians to get the benefits that they are due," Chiu said.
United States Senator Bill Hagerty Tuesday voted to confirm Antony Blinken as Secretary of State.

As the former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, I understand the importance of having a competent, empowered, and level-headed Secretary of State, said Senator Hagerty. While Antony Blinken and I will not agree on everything, he is qualified to represent the United States and our interests abroad. Mr. Blinken has publicly asserted that President Trump was right in taking a tougher approach to China. Although Mr. Blinken disagrees with some of the Trump Administrations tactics, he acknowledged the basic principle was the right one, and I think thats actually helpful to our foreign policy.

I recently discussed with Mr. Blinken the importance of countering Chinas growing threats, securing American and international 5G networks against Huawei and other untrusted foreign actors, and staying strong and clear-eyed on growing nuclear dangers from Iran and North Korea. In addition, we discussed those Tennesseans who remain in jeopardy around the globe, and I urged Mr. Blinken to act swiftly in these cases. Mr. Blinken understands my concerns, particularly with respect to Tennesseans abroad, and he is clear on my priorities for the United States on the world stage. I will work every day to ensure that he and the State Department remain accountable for keeping these issues as top priorities.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on Tuesday closed the entry and exit gates of various metro stations on the yellow, green, violet and blue lines in wake of the farmers' tractor rally running amok in the heart of the national capital.

Thousands of tractors rolled into Delhi even as the 72nd Republic Day parade was underway. Vandalism was reported from ITO where the Police Headquarters are situated. Police was caught completely unaware.

The DMRC took the crucial step and tweeted: "Entry and exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed." These stations are on the yellow line.

Besides this, entry and exit gates of all stations on green line have been shuttered.

Violet line's Lal Quila metro station and Blue line's Indraprastha metro station were also shut.

Chaos and ruckus was reported from various parts of the border areas of Delhi on Tuesday as the protesters entered Delhi defying agreement of the scheduled time for the tractor rally.

Thousands of farmers marched into the national capital on foot and riding tractors, even as the paramilitary forces and Delhi Police personnel kept a wary eye on the evolving situation.

The police had to resort to tear gas shells firing and mild lathi-charge to contain the situation. However, within the hour it was the farmers running the show, with tractors menacingly running at crazy speed towards police platoons, who were forced to take cover.

Several policemen were injured as they were chased with swords.

Earlier, the Entry for the various green line stations was closed which including Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma, Tikri Border, Tikri Kalan, Ghevra, Mundka Industrial Area, Mundka,Rajdhani Park, Nangloi Railway Station and Nangloi.

Hundreds of farmers on tractors and foot have now occupied ITO. A tractor even ran over a police officer's legs. The farmers carried out a coup of sort from multiple fronts trying to make their way towards India Gate and Rajpath.

The Delhi Police has been appealing for maintaining of peace and order.
Now that the dimwits are creating a precedent for impeaching former Presidents, how about LBJ? In October of 64 in a campaign speech he said, We will not send American boys to Southeast Asia to do the job Asian boys should be doing."

At that time we had 1,500 advisors in Southeast Asia. Four years later we had 550,000 boys in Asia doing, as LBJ said, the job Asians boys should be doing. Fifty-eight thousand young Americans, boys and girls, eventually gave their life in service to our country. Later we learned LBJ and Defense Secretary Strange McNamara never ever thought we could win the war they sent our troops off to. If this isn't treason I would like to know what is.

I understand that LBJ is dead. However there is another precedent to trying a politician that has passed away. Oliver Cromwell in England was exhumed three years after his death and his bones sent to the guillotine. I think that would be an appropriate punishment for LBJ.



Douglas Jones


The building of the Korea Council on Foreign Relations in Seocho District, Seoul. Korea Times file



By Bahk Eun-ji



The Korea Council on Foreign Relations, an organization of former and incumbent diplomats, is facing criticism for abusing its power against an alternative school that leased the third and fourth floors of the council's building in southern Seoul.



A student attending the Soopna School there, filed a petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website Friday, calling for help to stop the council's unfair treatment of the school including banning students and staff from using facilities in the building such as elevators.



The school with about 80 students and 20 teachers with a dormitory, moved into the building in 2019, and has been in conflict with the council since its current head was inaugurated in early 2020.



According to the petition and media reports, the council has banned students and teachers from using the front door, the lobby, elevators and the schoolyard since March last year.



In order to get to their classrooms, students have to use a side door in the building's lower ground floor and climb the stairs. If they want to use the elevator to carry heavy luggage, such as sacks of rice for the school cafeteria, they must obtain permission through a lawyer hired by the council and pay up to 300,000 won ($272) for the privilege.



"The council demanded the closure of the cafeteria and kitchen as the council members complained about the smell of food," said Joo Tae-yong, a representative of the teachers at the school.



The council also did not permit the school to repair the heating system, so children had to stay in a dormitory with temperatures at 14 degrees to 15 degrees Celsius in winter, according to a press release by parents.



Students have been staging a rally in front of the building to protest the council's unfair treatment since last week and while doing so, some students claim that the janitor of the building used abusive language to them.



With the criticism intensifying, the council released statement denying the media reports and said the school has been making false accusations.



"The lease contract for the school is limited to the third floor of the building, and the use of the front door, the elevator and the playground is not included," the council said in a statement.





Korea Council on Foreign Relations President Lee Joon-gyu / Captured from the council's homepage
San Francisco: The United States should not agree to ban the use or development of autonomous weapons powered by artificial intelligence (AI) software, a US government-appointed panel said in a draft report for the Congress.

The panel, led by former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt, concluded two days of public discussion about how the worlds biggest military power should consider AI for national security and technological advancement.

Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO. Credit:Bloomberg

Its vice chairman, Robert Work, a former deputy secretary of defence, said autonomous weapons were expected to make fewer mistakes than humans do in battle, leading to reduced casualties or skirmishes caused by target misidentification.

It is a moral imperative to at least pursue this hypothesis, he said.
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh says violence in Delhi unacceptable, orders high alert in Punjab

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Chandigarh, Jan 26: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said the violence during the farmers'' tractor parade against the new agriculture laws in Delhi is unacceptable even as he ordered a high alert in his state.

The chief minister condemned the incidents that took place at the historic Red Fort and urged the farmers to immediately vacate the national capital and return to the borders, where they had been protesting peacefully for the past two months.

Singh ordered a high alert in Punjab amid the tension and violence in Delhi, and directed Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta to ensure that law and order in the state is not deteriorated at any cost.

Expressing grave concern over the situation unfolding in the national capital, the Punjab chief minister said the violence was apparently triggered by some people who violated the rules laid down for the tractor march through mutual agreement between the Delhi Police and the farmer unions.

It was unfortunate that these elements disturbed the peaceful agitation of the farmers, he said in a statement issued here.

Singh also condemned the incidents that took place at the Red Fort and other places in the national capital.

Pointing out that the farmers' leaders have already and categorically dissociated themselves from the violence, he said the agitating farmers should immediately vacate the national capital and get back to their camps at the borders and continue to engage with the Centre to resolve the crisis over the agri laws.

COVID-19 pandemic far from over, bur winter cannot stop arrival of spring: Xi Jinping

"Shocking scenes in Delhi. The violence by some elements is unacceptable. It''ll negate goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. Kisan leaders have disassociated themselves & suspended #TractorRally. I urge all genuine farmers to vacate Delhi & return to borders," the chief minister tweeted.

Singh called upon the farmers to continue to exercise the restraint with which they had conducted their peaceful protests for the past two months at the Delhi borders and in Punjab prior to that.

Saying that peace had been the hallmark of their agitation and the reason for the support they had received from across India and the world, he stressed the need for law and order to be maintained at all costs during the democratic protests by the farmers.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered Delhi from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day on Tuesday.

Singh on Monday had appealed to farmers to ensure their tractor parade remains peaceful as their stir against the "anti-farmer" laws have been so far.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several border points of Delhi for the past several weeks, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 23:51 [IST]
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 01:27:25|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on China and Belarus to boost high-quality development of bilateral Belt and Road cooperation.

In his telephone conversation with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Xi also urged the two sides to make solid progress in the construction of China-Belarus industrial park.

Xi pointed out that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Belarus, bilateral ties have seen continuous development, adding that in the face of the pandemic, the two sides have carried out close anti-epidemic cooperation, and practical cooperation in various fields has maintained a good momentum of steady progress.

Noting that this year is the first year for China to implement the 14th Five-Year Plan, Xi said China's efforts to foster a new development pattern and promote reform and opening up at a higher starting point will provide more development opportunities and open up broader cooperation space for countries worldwide, including Belarus.

He also called on the two sides to boost cooperation in the fields of anti-epidemic, economy and trade, education, science and technology, culture, as well as exchanges at local levels.

"I believe that as long as the two sides can uphold the spirit of mutual trust and win-win cooperation, the China-Belarus comprehensive strategic partnership will surely achieve greater development," he said.

Xi stressed that China supports Belarus in pursuing a development path that fits its national conditions, hopes that Belarus will maintain political and social stability, and is willing to provide assistance within its own capacity to the economic and social development in Belarus.

The two sides should continue to support each other, safeguard the common interests of developing countries and defend international fairness and justice, Xi added.

For his part, Lukashenko expressed his admiration and warm congratulation to China on its remarkable and significant achievements in battling the pandemic, resumption of work and production, poverty alleviation and lunar exploration projects, saying that he appreciates China for providing invaluable support for Belarus's fight against the epidemic as well as for his country's economic and social development.

Noting that Belarus and China are comprehensive strategic partners, he said Belarus firmly stands with China on issues involving China's core interests such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjiang and firmly opposes all external interference.

He also said that his country is willing to join China in actively promoting bilateral Belt and Road cooperation and the construction of the Belarus-China industrial park, and strengthening cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade and exchanges at local levels, adding that he wishes the Chinese people a happy New Year, prosperity and health. Enditem
She's currently filming Benjamin Millepied's new movie, Carmen, in Australia.

And on Tuesday, Chris Hemsworth's wife Elsa Pataky, 44, praised her co-stars on Instagram.

The actress shared a series of behind the scenes photos and wrote: 'So happy to be #working with this legend @rossydpalma and @melissabarreram and @paul.mescal in a beautiful project directed by @benjaminmillepied.'

New project: Elsa Pataky (pictured) praised her Carmen co-stars as she continued filming the movie in Sydney on Tuesday

It comes after Elsa was spotted filming Benjamin Millepied's new film, Carmen, at Sydney's Maroubra Beach.

Carmen, which is based on the opera of the same name, tells the story of a soldier who falls in love with an irresistible woman by the name of Carmen.

Irish actor Paul Mescal plays the male lead, while Melissa Barrera takes on the titular role of Carmen.

Post: The actress shared a series of behind the scenes photos and wrote: 'So happy to be #Working with this legend @rossydpalma and @melissabarreram and @paul.mescal in a beautiful project directed by @benjaminmillepied'

Elsa's role hasn't been confirmed yet, but she took part in a lively scene in which a male co-star chased her across the beach.

While the original was set in Spain, this adaptation will follow a Mexican woman's search for freedom in Los Angeles.

The production, which was originally slated to take place in Mexico and LA, relocated to Australia due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Film: Carmen, which is based on the opera of the same name, tells the story of a soldier who falls in love with an irresistible woman by the name of Carmen

Elsa is known for her role as Elena Neves in the Fast and Furious franchise. She also recently starred in Netflix show Tidelands.

She married her husband Chris 10 years ago, and the power couple reside with their children in a $20million mansion in Byron Bay, on the New South Wales north coast.

The genetically-blessed pair share three children: daughter India Rose, eight, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, six.
NEW YORK and CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NYC whistleblower attorney Timothy J. McInnis, and Chicago attorneys Stephen B. Diamond and Tony Kim, jointly announced a $2.5 million settlement against Call One, Inc., a Chicago-based provider of telecommunications services. The settlement resolves allegations contained in a qui tam whistleblower complaint that had been filed under seal in September 2018 in the Circuit Court of Cook County Illinois and ordered unsealed on January 25, 2021, by Circuit Judge Jerry A. Esrig.

The complaint, brought under Illinois' False Claims Act by two former employees, alleged that Call One failed to collect and remit state taxes for telecommunications services. Specifically, the ex-employees alleged that Call One failed to pay telecommunications excise taxes, simplified municipal telecommunications taxes, and telecommunications infrastructure maintenance fees on contracts with some of its sales tax-exempt customers, such as municipalities.

The State of Illinois, through the Office of the Attorney General, joined in the lawsuit, according to a notice of intervention filed on January 22, 2021. The Attorney General's office also negotiated the terms of the settlement, noted Attorney McInnis.

Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, which became effective on January 21, 2021, Call One was to pay the State $2.5 million by January 22, 2021. Further, according to its terms, the two former employees collectively are to receive 15% of the settlement amount shortly after it is paid to the State and they can petition the court for up to a total of 25% within 21 days. The former employees can also seek reimbursement for reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses in a separate petition on or before that date, stated Attorney Diamond.

All three attorneys for the whistleblowers express their appreciation to the State, and its attorneys and representatives in the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Revenue, for the decision to intervene in the case and see it through to a successful resolution.

The case is captioned, State of Illinois ex rel. John Havis and Robert Kintz v. Call One, Inc., Index No. 2018 L 010085, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, County Department, Law Division.

For additional information, please contact Timothy J. McInnis, Esq., of McInnis Law, at (212) 292-4573 or Tony Kim, Esq., of Kim & Burns LLP, at (312) 995-7146.

SOURCE McInnis Law

Related Links

http://www.mcinnis-law.com


Recognizing unmarried couples needs social consensus



The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is moving to recognize unmarried or cohabiting couples as a legally defined family. Korea's Civil Act limits the definition of a family to spouses, lineal blood relatives, brothers and sisters. The Framework Act on Healthy Families, which constitutes the basis of various family policies, also defines a family as the "basic social unit formed by marriage, blood relations, and adoption." The ministry is proposing to break up this framework, as part of government moves to overhaul laws and systems to suit rapid social changes, including the concept of family.



According to statistics, the share of households composed of married couples and their unmarried adult children fell to 29.89 percent in 2019 from 37 percent in 2010, suggesting new forms of families, based on unmarried or cohabiting couples, have increased. In a 2019 survey, 60.1 percent of respondents consented to expand the legal family scope to common-law marriage, and unmarried and cohabiting couples, reflecting changing public attitudes.



Some European countries have long broadened the scope of a legal family. A case in point is France's pacte civil de solidarite (PACS), which provides cohabiting couples the same support as married couples. Such a system would also likely help to raise Korea's birthrate, which currently is the lowest in the world. The imperatives to change laws and systems related to the definition of family have been verified in more than a few ways. However, basic individual rights on residency, care and healthcare are being given within the current legal family framework, widening the gulf between reality and institutionalism. Criticism is growing over the failure of family-related laws to catch up with changes in societal perceptions.



However, the nation has a long way to go before turning the ministry's idea into reality. The drastic change in the concept of family requires a social consensus. The ministry's plan to hold a public hearing to listen to experts and ordinary citizens' views seems to be part of efforts to induce such a social agreement. The issue of changing the legal definition of family does need this and so the government should expedite the discussion and consensus process.






TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / Talisker Resources Ltd. ("Talisker" or the "Company") (TSX:TSK)(OTCQX:TSKFF) is pleased to announce assay results of a systematic rock and soil sampling program from its Golden Hornet Project located 23 kilometres from Rock Creek, British Columbia (Figure 1). The rock and soil sampling program was conducted during the 2020 field season in conjunction with a detailed structural mapping program.

Key Points:

Gold-rich polymetallic sheeted vein complex identified

2,700 soil samples define a robust 2.8 km x 1.3 km multi-line, multi-station gold anomaly

210 rock samples validate high-grade historic channel samples of 27.0 g/t over 2.0 m [1] and 22.1 g/t over 5.2 m 1

and 22.1 g/t over 5.2 m Four mineralized outcropping vein zones including three newly discovered outcropping vein zones extending known historic mineralisation

Veins surrounded by broad halos of outcropping disseminated sulphide mineralisation

Polymetallic Montana Zone returned up to 14.05 g/t Au, 7.84% Zn, 1.8% Cu and 4.4% Pb

Drill permit submitted, expecting receipt in early March

First of four Greenfields drill projects planned for 2021

Terry Harbort, President and CEO of Talisker commented, "We are very pleased with the initial results of our 2020 exploration program at Golden Hornet. These results demonstrate the overall size potential of the mineralized system with robust soil anomalies extending along strike up to 1.5 km away from the previously known mineralized outcrops. We look forward to rapidly advancing to drill stage at Golden Hornet, the first of our four Greenfields drill targets slated for drill testing 2021."

In addition to the rock and soil sampling program, Talisker also initiated a 1,093 line kilometre airborne Versatile Time-Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) and Magnetic geophysical surveys to identify areas of high sulphide content, targeting both the massive sulphide vein systems and the surrounding disseminated sulphide halos. Results from the geophysics surveys are expected to be received shortly and will be correlated with the geochemistry to assist in confirming the drill plan.

Talisker has initiated permitting to drill a total of 6,700 metres testing all four mineralized zones, with the focus being the Main Hornet Zone. Drill Permit approval is expected in early March with drilling beginning shortly thereafter.

Rock Sampling Results

Talisker's geologists collected a total of 210 rock samples over an extensive 10 km x 9 km area returning multiple high-grade values of up to 26.5 g/t Au, 1.8 % Cu, 7.84 % Zn and 4.4 % Pb with 17 samples focused in four main outcropping mineralized zones returning over 1 g/t gold (Figure 2).

Soil Sampling Results

A total of 2,700 B-horizon soil samples were collected to identify extensions of known mineralized zones and to confirm structural continuity between zones (Figure 3). A 2.8 km x 1.3 km northwest trending multi-line, multi-station gold in soil anomaly has been delineated with 55 samples returning values over the 98th percentile of 68 ppb Au and two samples returning over 1 g/t Au. These results identified multiple new targets along strike of the Main Hornet Zone, located in previously unexplored portions of the district.

Golden Hornet Project Highlights

Golden Hornet is divided into four zones including the Main Hornet Zone, plus three additional zones (Iron Canyon Zone, Montana Zone and Idaho Zone) that were discovered during Talisker's Greenfields exploration program in 2020. Figure 2 shows the relative location of each zone.

Main Hornet Zone

A series of sheeted northwest trending 1 to 3 metre wide quartz-sulphide veins with disseminated sulphide halos exposed by historic trenching at the Main Hornet Zone (Figure 4). Talisker's results define a series of seven veins outcropping over an area of 500 m x 300 m. Results include:

Sample C0009931- 26.5 g/t Au (0.5 m Channel)

Sample C0009293- 12.2 g/t Au (0.6 m Channel)

Sample C0009771- 10.1 g/t Au (1.5 m Channel)

Sample C0009938- 9.2 g/t Au (Grab)

Sample C0009774- 6.6 g/t Au (Grab)

Sample C0009935- 3.0 g/t Au (Grab)

Sample C0009935- 1.64 g/t Au (Grab)

Talisker's sampling adds to historic trench samples previous released by former operators from the Main Hornet Zone that included:

22.1 g/t Au over 5.2 m 1

27.0 g/t Au over 2.0 m 1

4.17 g/t Au over 14.0 m1

Iron Canyon Zone (New Discovery Zone)

Talisker geologists mapped a 1 to 2 metre wide quartz-sulphide vein with large disseminated lower-grade sulphide halos located 2.5 kilometres along strike from the Main Hornet Zone (Figure 2). Results include:

Sample C0009295- 9.8 g/t Au (Grab)

Sample C0009293- 5.96 g/t Au (1 m Channel)

Sample C0009947- 5.94 g/t Au (1 m Channel)

Sample C0009941- 4.78 g/t Au (Grab)

Sample C0009921- 2.32 g/t Au (Grab)

Montana Zone (New Discovery Zone)

A series of polymetallic sheeted quartz-sulphide veins hosted within andesitic volcanic rock (Figure 2). Results include:

Sample C0009184- 14.05 g/t Au, 0.62% Cu, 1.6% Pb, 4.4% Zn (Grab)

Sample C0009128- 0.35 g/t Au, 91 g/t Ag, 1.8% Cu, 7.84% Zn (Grab)

Sample C0009127- 0.3 g/t Au, 0.53% Pb (Grab)

Sample C0009185- 0.28 g/t Au, 0.63% Cu, 5.37% Zn (Grab)

Idaho Zone (New Discovery Zone)

Small outcropping area hosted in hornfel (Figure 2). Although no veins were observed at Idaho due to the limited outcrop, significant areas of disseminated sulphide were identified. Results include:

Sample C0009143- 1.35 g/t Au (0.75 m Channel)

Sample C0009141- 0.65 g/t Au, 0.35% Cu (Grab)

About Golden Hornet

The Golden Hornet Project sits within the mining friendly Greenwood District, 21 kilometers north of Rock Creek, BC and covers 5,070.37 Ha, containing 21 gold showings. The Project area is easily accessible via major highway and contains a dense network of forestry roads allowing for year round access.

The Golden Hornet Project presents a large footprint, intrusion-related gold system hosting sheeted quartz-sulphide veins containing high-grade gold values associated with massive pyrite, arsenopyrite and pyrrhotite. The main northwest trending veins at the Main Hornet Zone outcrop continuously over a 500 m x 300 m area. Additional low-grade gold mineralization associated with disseminated sulphide and interstitial fracture veinlets is observed between the major veins indicating opportunity for bulk tonnage potential.

Talisker is providing an opportunity for shareholders and other interested parties to participate in a Webinar to be held at 4 pm ET on Thursday, January 28th. To register, please click on the following link - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rQYbWy_PQOihLwcnZz5TMg. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

About Talisker Resources Ltd.

Talisker (taliskerresources.com ) is a junior resource company involved in the exploration of gold projects in British Columbia, Canada. Talisker's projects include the Bralorne Gold Complex, an advanced stage project with significant exploration potential from a historical high-grade producing gold mine as well as its Spences Bridge Project where the Company holds ~85% of the emerging Spences Bridge Gold Belt and several other early-stage Greenfields projects. With its properties comprising 278,364 hectares over 256 claims, three leases and 198 crown grant claims, Talisker is a dominant exploration player in the south-central British Columbia. The Company is well funded to advance its aggressive systematic exploration program at its projects.

For further information, please contact:

Terry Harbort

President & CEO

Terry.harbort@talliskerresources.com

+1 416 361 2808

Mick Carew

VP, Strategic and Corporate Development

mick.carew@taliskerresources.com

+1 604 803 7711

Qualified Person

The technical information contained in this new release has been approved by Luis Arteaga, M.Sc. P.Geo. Talisker's Exploration Manager, who is a "qualified person" within the meaning National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Sample Preparation and QAQC

Sample preparation and analyses is carried out by ALS Global, at their laboratory in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Stream sediment sample preparation was includes drying in an oven at a maximum temperature of 60C, sieve samples to -180 micron (-80 mesh), retaining both fractions (PREP-41). Rock sample preparation includes drying in an oven at a maximum temperature of 60C, fine crushing of the sample to at least 70% passing less than 2 mm, sample splitting using a riffle splitter, and pulverizing a 250 g split to at least 85% passing 75 microns (code PREP-31).

Gold and multi-elements in soil samples is analyzed by aqua regia digestion of a 50 g sample split with detection by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) for 53 elements (Au, Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, Hf, Hg, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Pd, Pt, Rb, Re, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Ta, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Zn, Zr) (Code AuMe-ST44).

Gold in rock samples is analyzed using fire assay of a 50 g sample split with detection by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) (code Au-ICP21). Multi-elements are analyzed by aqua regia digestion of a 0.5 gram sub-sample with detection by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) for 51 elements (Au, Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, Hf, Hg, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Re, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Ta, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Zn, Zr) (code ME-MS41).

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Talisker's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the operations of the Company and the timing which could be affected by the current global COVID-19 pandemic. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to Talisker. Although such statements are based on reasonable assumptions of Talisker's management, there can be no assurance that any conclusions or forecasts will prove to be accurate.

While Talisker considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in project parameters as plans continue to be redefined, risks relating to variations in grade or recovery rates, risks relating to changes in mineral prices and the worldwide demand for and supply of minerals, risks related to increased competition and current global financial conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic, access and supply risks, reliance on key personnel, operational risks, and regulatory risks, including risks relating to the acquisition of the necessary licenses and permits, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks.

The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and Talisker is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

[1] The Company notes that these selected samples are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted on the Property. Limited drilling has been completed within the Project.

SOURCE: Talisker Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625906/Talisker-Receives-265-gt-Gold-Sample-and-Defines-a-28-km-x-13-km-Gold-in-Soil-Anomaly-at-the-Golden-Hornet-Project
Death Row Records co-founder and former drug kingpin Michael 'Harry O' Harris wept with remorse and pledged to devote his life to help kids avoid crime, in his first interview after Donald Trump granted his freedom.

The 59-year-old, who created the record label that launched the careers of rap legends Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre and Tupac Shakur, walked free from a California federal prison last Wednesday.

He had been behind bars since 1988 until Trump's pardon cut his sentence seven years short.

In an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV, Harris said he was a 'walking cautionary tale', telling how desperate poverty and the lure of riches from pushing drugs corrupted him to 'help kill my people.'

He revealed how a lobbying campaign by Snoop, MC Hammer, venture capitalist Chris Redlitz and justice reform activists swayed the former president's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, securing his freedom in the final days of Trump's administration.

And the former Los Angeles drug lord expressed his regrets at the fate of Death Row, which he said turned from a mouthpiece for black voices in the music industry, into a 'money making machine' that 'crashed and burned' with notorious criminal co-founder Suge Knight at its helm.

Sat in the unfamiliar comfort of a marina view suite at a Ritz Carlton hotel in Los Angeles, Harris told DailyMailTV he was still reeling from his unexpected release.

Death Row Records co-founder and former drug kingpin Michael 'Harry O' Harris' voice cracked and he wept with remorse and pledged to devote his life to help kids avoid crime, in his first interview after Donald Trump granted his freedom

The 59-year-old, who created the record label that launched the careers of rap legends Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre and Tupac Shakur, walked free from a California federal prison last Wednesday

Harris served 23 years in state prison for attempted murder and kidnapping. Prosecutors said the kingpin suspected a distant relative and employee of his drug operation of stealing, so he and two accomplices took the man out to the desert, shot him and left him for dead

He had been behind bars since 1988 until Trump's pardon cut his sentence seven years short.

Harris thanked Trump for commuting his sentence, but would not comment on the 45th president's motives, and said he would deal with either party to campaign for justice reform

'It was an awestruck moment,' he said. 'I'm riding in the car with my folks and we coming back from the prison. I just had a [peace] of mind and I said 'I don't feel it.' They said 'what?' I said 'I don't feel what I just left.'

'That does not mean I didn't get the insight from the 33 years, the wisdom,' he added. 'But for that moment I felt like I had never been in prison. That's how powerful freedom is. I have a second chance to make different choices.'

Harris thanked Trump for commuting his sentence, but would not comment on the 45th president's motives, and said he would deal with either party to campaign for justice reform.

'I appreciate Donald Trump, his children, his son-in-law. Whyever he did it, he did it, when so many others wouldn't do it,' Harris said.

'First of all I'm grateful that God did whatever God do to get me to sit in this seat. And whatever vessel he used.

That's how powerful freedom is. I have a second chance to make different choices.

'I put in for clemency with Obama and it had to go through so many bureaucratic loopholes it never got to him I don't believe. But it didn't happen on his watch.

'There's not a dime of difference between Democrats and Republicans when it comes down to results to me at this point. Until that change, I don't have a dog in the fight, unless the people that's in power deal with the people that are powerless in a respectful way.'

Harris grew up in South Central Los Angeles in the 'low bottoms' neighborhood, spending his school years shining shoes for 'high-rollers and players'.

He had a musical upbringing, classically trained by his next-door neighbor, Mrs Payne, as a pianist and joined his school band playing the trombone and drums. He also went on to take classes in acting at college.

And he said that as a young boy his neighborhood, though poor, was on the up-and-up  until the drug trade took hold.

'I remember as a young man, a community where everybody's grass was manicured, even though it was considered a red zone or a ghetto. Everybody had jobs and everybody made sure their kids went to school,' he said.

'Then all of a sudden like a hurricane something happened. It was like a typhoon, and we all got swept up in it. Some of us became addicted to drugs, and some of us became addicted to selling drugs. But we all became addicted. We all had some form of sickness.

'South Central Los Angeles, where I was raised, was hit really hard. California became this distribution center for evil, for poison.'

And the former Los Angeles drug lord expressed his regrets at the fate of Death Row, which he said turned from a mouthpiece for black voices in the music industry, into a 'money making machine' that 'crashed and burned' with notorious criminal co-founder Suge Knight at its helm. Pictured: Harris and members of his family after his release

In the 1990s the label took off, selling 18 million albums and earning more than $325 million in its first four years alone, launching to stardom west coast rap legends including Dr. Dre, NWA, Snoop Dogg (pictured with Trump) and Tupac Shakur, and was widely credited with changing the face of hip hop

The label Death Row Records is behind music legends Dr Dre, Tupac Shakur (right) and Snoop Dogg (left,) Harris' successful pardon campaign started on December 26, when Snoop asked for help from former music producer and federal prisoner Weldon Angelos, who was also pardoned by Trump last month

Age 20 he started selling crack cocaine, making close connections with both the infamous Bloods and Rollin 60s Crips gangs.

He grew a vast distribution network reaching New York, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois, supplied by Colombian drug cartels, according to the DEA.

By 26 his organization was making a reported $2 million per day  a figure he refused to confirm to DailyMailTV.

But in 1988 his empire came crashing down when he was convicted of attempted murder and drug trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.

Harris said as a young man he saw no option but to start peddling crack to his neighbors, claiming that he made similar choices to billionaire rappers like Jay-Z; he just got caught.

But the former kingpin said that in the first few years of his sentence, his thoughts were not of justice reform and repentance, but of his interrupted plans to dominate the hip-hop industry with Death Row Records

'I'm one of the guys who went to jail. You got some rappers now who are worth billions of dollars who say they did the same thing I did, they just did it and got out,' he said.

'I didn't get out in time, but my intentions was just like theirs, whether it be Jay-Z or whoever.

'Just imagine waking up one day and there's a truck on your street and it has two tons of dope in it. I'm talking about in a neighborhood where everybody's still paying their mortgage,' he said.

'Your stomach is about to touch your back because you ain't had a meal in three days. That stuff parked in that truck, if you sell it you'd become rich. Are you about to tell me that you wouldn't do it in that situation?

'This is not justification, this is the realization of what happened. It shouldn't have ever happened.'

But Harris, his voice cracking, said he is now consumed with regret after coming face-to-face with the consequences of his crimes in San Quentin state prison.

'I done sit in prison with people who have been on drugs for the last 20 or 30 years. I been in prison with crack babies, their parents is people who consumed the drugs that me and so many other people sold. And I had to sit with them, I had to talk to them, I had to see the results of what we did.

'I'm telling you man, every day, even now, I think about my participation and it makes me sick to my stomach that I let them trick me to help kill my people. That's killing me even today.'

Harris served 23 years in state prison for attempted murder and kidnapping. Prosecutors said the kingpin suspected a distant relative and employee of his drug operation of stealing, so he and two accomplices took the man out to the desert, shot him and left him for dead.

Despite his decades behind bars at some of the country's most notorious prisons, Harris kept an 'exemplary' record, re-establishing the San Quentin prison newspaper as editor, setting up programs for convicts to learn computer programming helping their rehabilitation, and teaching at-risk youths to stay on the straight and narrow

Alongside his dealings with drug cartels, Harris ran a string of successful legitimate businesses, including a theatre company that gave actor Denzel Washington his first break

He said: 'I would talk to Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and the whole family, everybody that was signed to Death Row. I had an opportunity to speak with them about the vision and how their words could affect people.' Pictured: Photo of Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre in the 1990s

He has always claimed innocence of the state crimes, and the former drug lord got a glimpse of freedom in 2011 when the alleged victim recanted their testimony at a parole hearing.

The parole board decided to end his state sentence  but Harris was simply moved to a federal prison to serve his separate drug trafficking sentence until 2028. He ended up incarcerated for a total of 33 years.

Despite his decades behind bars at some of the country's most notorious prisons, Harris kept an 'exemplary' record, re-establishing the San Quentin prison newspaper as editor, setting up programs for convicts to learn computer programming helping their rehabilitation, and teaching at-risk youths to stay on the straight and narrow.

But the former kingpin said that in the first few years of his sentence, his thoughts were not of justice reform and repentance, but of his interrupted plans to dominate the hip-hop industry with Death Row Records.

'I should have probably spent every waking hour on my case. But I put that aside to focus on this company, because I felt it would be a platform to speak to people who couldn't see things I was seeing from behind the walls,' he told DailyMailTV.

'I would talk to Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and the whole family, everybody that was signed to Death Row. I had an opportunity to speak with them about the vision and how their words could affect people.

'I had watched how the people in prison, Pelican Bay and all these notorious yards, when they would hear those songs, the pride they would have when somebody says Compton or LA or Long Beach. They ran for it, they embraced it.

'So I expressed that to them. I said 'Your words have power, people hang on your every word so you should take care what you say.'

'That album we produced, the Chronic, was filled with all of that.'

The rap mogul said his record label's name was inspired by his short stint in San Quentin's wing for inmates facing the death penalty.

'I saw guys younger than me, 23, 24 years old with death sentences. It tripped me out. [Crips founder] Tookie Williams was there,' he said.

'Being on death row is weird, it's real quiet. I would hear when they would take guys to the chamber. I would hear them walking, saying 'pray for me'.

'It had a profound effect on me, it changed my life. It made me want to tell those stories. There comes the name Death Row.'

As well as regretting his criminal past, Harris said he made a fatal error picking Suge Knight, who is currently serving 28 years in prison for a hit-and-run killing, to help him run Death Row from the outside

Harris said although he provided the funding and called the shots at the new label, his incarceration kept him from being the face of the firm.

'At the time I was in prison with a life sentence, I had a federal sentence, and I was concerned with how it would look if I told the world it was my company,' he said. 'I wanted the company to succeed. So I took a back seat. I didn't want my name on the company.

'Dr Dre actually put 'thank you Harry O' on the cover of the sleeve. That was as much as I was comfortable with.'

As well as regretting his criminal past, Harris said he made a fatal error picking Suge Knight, who is currently serving 28 years in prison for a hit-and-run killing, to help him run Death Row from the outside.

'I wanted him to be the executive producer. The Suge Knight the world came to know is not the Suge Knight I first set with,' he said.

'A lot of people ask me 'how can you even be in business with this guy?' When I met him for that moment he was like a student. He listened intently, he said all the right things. I was in a situation where I needed somebody to listen.'

In the 1990s the label took off, selling 18 million albums and earning more than $325 million in its first four years alone, launching to stardom west coast rap legends including Dr. Dre, NWA, Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur, and was widely credited with changing the face of hip hop.

But with success came controversy. Knight wrestled control of the company from Harris, hired as security notorious LAPD officers embroiled in the Rampart drug trafficking scandal, and turned Death Row into a firm synonymous with contentious lawsuits and criminal prosecutions.

'It became a money machine and people went crazy,' said Harris. 'I put the blueprint together, and it was destroyed. It was on steroids.

'I'm responsible in my mind for helping to create Suge Knight. Maybe that's why I had to suffer so much in jail. Maybe I needed to be punished for that.

'Because so many people that I love has lost their life behind people like him, trusting in him, and trusting in people who only care about themselves.

But with success came controversy. Knight (pictured) wrestled control of the company from Harris, hired as security notorious LAPD officers embroiled in the Rampart drug trafficking scandal, and turned Death Row into a firm synonymous with contentious lawsuits and criminal prosecutions

One of the major turning points in the downfall of the label was Tupac's murder in 1996  a case which remains unsolved and a source of countless conspiracy theories

'I don't look at the artists as slaves, I look at them as human beings, as partners. People I can work with to the benefit. Suge Knight was not that guy.

'Based on the circumstance that I was faced with when I created the company, I put him in charge.

'It was a moving vehicle. He wasn't managing it, it's just going. When you don't have somebody at the wheel you're going to crash and burn, and that's what happened.'

One of the major turning points in the downfall of the label was Tupac's murder in 1996  a case which remains unsolved and a source of countless conspiracy theories.

Harris said he felt about Tupac's death 'the same way I felt when George Floyd was killed. It was painful. It's painful to see anybody snuffed out of their life when it doesn't have to happen.'

He added that he believed the killing would not have happened if Knight had not been in charge.

'I saw a guy who had a future,' he said. 'I saw mismanagement being the reason this man lost his life. I saw people who didn't appreciate his talent. The same way I saw pain and loss in Notorious BIG's life and so many other young rappers who lost their lives because of jealousy or hatred or mismanagement.

'When you've been put in a position to manage an artist of this caliber and you do this, you let him go into that world unprotected, you're a bad manager. That's what you're talking about, it's bad management.'

But Harris added that he did not regret 'the fruits of Death Row'  changing the music industry, and providing a platform for rappers from the country's meanest streets.

And he said he hopes to use the fame of Death Row to share his experience of the horrors of prison, so he can encourage youths to not repeat his mistakes.

'Crime is hectic. A lot of people think it's cool, something you can do. Some people are forced into it or felt like they had no options. But you wake up every day in that world and you don't know if you're going to be alive at the end of that day,' he said.

'Everybody has an agenda and today they might just say 'I don't want to do business with you, I just want to kill you, take it and be done with it.

'Yes they buy nice houses, businesses and cars. But every day they go through hell. Everything they thought it was, turns out not to be what it is.

'A lot of people leave prison and lie about their experiences. But it's really painful. There's so much hate there, you can cut it with a knife.

'If youngsters really understood how dark it was, and how evil it was, they wouldn't be rushing in.

'Yeah, imma make you laugh, imma make you dance, imma make you have fun. But it ain't no fun when the rabbit got the gun. There's real business behind these walls. That's what Death Row Records was created for.'

Harris said he now plans to use his freedom and influence as a former rap mogul to push for justice reform and help for poverty and crime-ridden neighborhoods across the US.

One flagship program, The Last Mile, developed with Silicon Valley venture capitalist and entrepreneur Chris Redlitz, provides lessons to teach convicts to code, giving them a shot at a stable career after their release.

And the former kingpin says he wants to enlist the help of Jeff Bezos' ex wife for more social justice programs.

'The government is not going to be able to fix this country by itself. It's going to need business, community leaders and people like me,' he said.

'I'd like to sit down with Mackenzie Scott. I see a woman on a mission. I see somebody who became one of the richest women in the world, and now she wants to help people.

'The fact that I'm out of jail and I got a chance to help my people, and if I gotta go back to the past and talk about the past so that it's never repeated on no level, I will do it til my dying days.'

He thanked justice campaigners Alice Johnson and Weldon Angelos, who were also pardoned by Trump, for helping secure his release.

'It took a lot of people to make this happen,' he said. 'For people to stop and say Michael Harris means something, and we want to do everything we can to get him back to his family, I feel special, that's how I feel.'

Harris said he now plans to use his freedom and influence as a former rap mogul to push for justice reform and help for poverty and crime-ridden neighborhoods across the US via his new charity, Community One World.
In an effort to safeguard the health and well-being of its students and staff, Laredo Independent School District has temporarily modified its instructional schedule to remote at-home learning only beginning Feb. 1-16.

All students are required to log in and attend their classes through LISDs virtual platforms during this two-week period. Teachers will provide daily instruction and attendance will be taken.
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LIMASSOL, CYPRUS / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / The broker has announced the launch of the new platform, which is now available to all its traders through desktop and mobile applications.

SquaredFinancial Chief Executive Officer, Mr Husam Al Kurdi, explains why the company is now offering the upgraded platform: "In many ways, MetaTrader 5 was ahead of its time. It took several years for it to reach the peak, partly due to the attachment many traders have to MetaTrader 4. But we are now seeing the benefits of MetaTrader 5, as investors need access to a genuine multimarket platform, with greatly enhanced compatibility and functionality. We offer a full range of high-quality investment instruments, acting as a global market gateway, so we see MetaTrader 5 as an important option for our clients."

The launch of the MetaTrader 5 platform coincides with the introduction of futures and shares to the products available for traders. The new trading options include VIX, Gold, Brent and WTI as well as single stock shares from Louis Vuitton to Amazon.

"As with all our new products, we spend time making sure we have the best specification and investment opportunities for our clients. The current levels of market volatility, often linked to fast-moving news flows, require traders to be able to hedge risks and to diversify across a range of asset classes. Offering futures and shares, combined with the launch of MetaTrader 5, provides the options and flexibility our clients need to maximize their trading," added Mr Al Kurdi.

SquaredFinancial is constantly offering additional support to its clients, through the SquaredFinancial Academy, webinars and online resources, to help traders in generating the best results, when trading with the new products via the MetaTrader 5 platform.

About MetaQuotes

Established in 2000, MetaQuotes Software has been developing B2B software for brokerages, banks, hedge funds and stock exchanges. MetaQuotes is internationally known as a leader in the financial software market. The company's representative offices are located all around the world. MetaQuotes Software always applies a fair and mutually beneficial approach to working with customers and partners. Reputation and reliability is what matters the most in the financial software business. Today, thousands of international companies rely on our organization being reputable as a trustworthy software supplier. This is the best evidence of professional competence and reliability of MetaQuotes Software. Know more at https://www.metaquotes.net/.

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CALGARY - Canadian exports of crude oil by rail jumped 87 per cent in November as oil production rose in Western Canada amid limited pipeline capacity for heavy crude.

This Nov. 6, 2013, file photo, shows a warning placard on a tank car carrying crude oil near a loading terminal in Trenton, N.D. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Matthew Brown

CALGARY - Canadian exports of crude oil by rail jumped 87 per cent in November as oil production rose in Western Canada amid limited pipeline capacity for heavy crude.

The Canada Energy Regulator says rail shipments of oil amounted to 173,000 barrels per day, up about 80,000 bpd from 92,800 barrels per day in October.

That's down from 302,300 barrels per day shipped by rail in November 2019.

Crude-by-rail numbers have been volatile in the past year, with shipments rising to a record 412,000 bpd last February, then falling to an eight-year low of 39,000 bpd in July.

Rail transportation of crude oil is considered to be more expensive than shipping by pipeline so shippers tend to use it only when pipelines are full or if the destination market offers much higher prices than can be achieved in Canada.

The CER says overall Canadian crude oil exports in November came to 3.74 million bpd, up by almost five per cent from 3.57 million bpd in October.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2021.

Kentucky bill requiring abortion clinics to save babies born alive becomes law

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A bill that requires abortion clinics to save babies that survive the procedure has become law in Kentucky after Democratic Governor Andy Beshear refused to veto it.

The new law, known as Senate Bill 9 and passed last week, requires a physician performing an abortion to take all medically appropriate and reasonable steps to preserve the life and health of a born-alive infant.

Any born-alive infant, including one (1) born in the course of an abortion procedure, shall be treated as a legal person under the laws of this Commonwealth, with the same rights to medically appropriate and reasonable care and treatment. After birth, a birth certificate shall be issued and, if death occurs after birth, a death certificate shall be issued, states the law.

The parent or guardian of a born-alive infant shall not be held criminally or civilly liable for the actions of a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, nurse, or other healthcare provider that are in violation of this section and to which the parent or guardian did not give consent.

Republican State Senator Whitney Westerfield, sponsor of the legislation, told kentucky.com that he would have preferred for the governor to sign the bill into law rather than just let it pass.

Im disappointed he didnt sign it, but Im grateful he didnt veto it, explained Westerfield, then added that Ill take what I can get.

Critics of the legislation, like the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, urged Beshear to veto the bill, arguing that it was an unnecessary measure.

This bill is a solution in search of a non-existent problem, stated Jackie McGranahan of the ACLU of Kentuckys Reproductive Freedom Project, in a letter to the governor sent before the bill became law.

Senate Bill 9 uses inflammatory rhetoric to make physicians who provide abortion care appear criminal. Moreover, this bill could violate patient privacy by violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

In April of last year, Beshear vetoed a similar bill, reasoning at the time that he was just not doing divisive issues right now as the state grappled with responding to the coronavirus.

Weve got to have 100 percent of our effort aimed toward it and we got to have unity in this Commonwealth, stated Beshear, as reported by Kentucky Today. I just didnt think it was the right direction for us to go.

The bill was one of many legislative efforts at the state and federal level in response to controversial comments made by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam in 2019.

When discussing third-trimester abortions in an interview with WTOP, Northam gave the hypothetical example of a baby born with severe deformities or is not viable.

In this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable, said Northam at the time. It would be resuscitated if thats what the mother and the family desired and then a discussion would ensue between the physician and the mother.

The comments generated backlash from pro-life groups and politicians, including a denunciation by United States Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska spoken on the Senate floor.

Let's be clear what we're talking about. We're talking about killing a baby that's been born. We're not talking about some euphemism, we're not talking about a clump of cells, stated Sasse.

Everyone in the Senate ought to be able to say unequivocally that killing that little baby is wrong. This doesn't take any political courage.
Variants halt travel worldwide

Countries across the world are tightening their borders as they attempt to seal themselves off from the threat of more resilient and contagious variants of the virus.

In Europe, France is moving to impose strict border measures, Britain is considering a mandatory hotel quarantine for some travelers, and Germany is considering shutting down nearly all flights to the country. The European Union is asking for more coordinated action among member states to limit travel from high-risk areas.

Australia recently suspended its travel bubble with New Zealand for three days after a case of the South African variant slipped past New Zealands strict quarantine system. New Zealands prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said today that the countrys borders would remain closed until New Zealanders are vaccinated and protected.

In the United States, President Joe Biden reinstated some travel restrictions that former President Donald Trump had lifted before leaving office.
Three weeks after announcing tighter coronavirus restrictions due to rising cases, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell appears poised to ease those rules now that data is improving, a city official said Tuesday.

The mayor and her health director, Dr. Jennifer Avegno, plan to announce the new guidelines Wednesday, spokesperson Beau Tidwell said during his weekly news briefing. The current restrictions, which include a ban on large gatherings and a 25% occupancy limit for businesses, expire Friday at 6 p.m..

"We do anticipate some easement of the restrictions, and that is due to the hard work that people have done," Tidwell said.

New Orleans has averaged 140 new daily coronavirus cases over the past seven days, and while this remains much higher than in October when cases were closer to 25 per day, it's much lower than the peak of 266 average daily cases seen in early January.

+2 Louisiana coronavirus: 2,004 more confirmed cases reported; hospitalizations increase The Louisiana Department of Health reported 2,004 more confirmed coronavirus cases and 26 more confirmed deaths in its noon update Tuesday.

The announcement came as city officials chided a bar and a Carnival krewe for hosting large events in recent days. Despite those incidents causing a stir on social media, Tidwell nevertheless signaled that the city's outlook had improved enough to relax current rules.

Starting Jan. 8, which was also the most recent peak in cases in New Orleans, Cantrell banned all get togethers larger than the size of a single household and limited businesses to 25% occupancy. Indoor and outdoor sporting events were also reduced to 4% capacity.

The city had already banned indoor service in bars as of Dec. 30 under state rules that require parishes to shutter their bars when the rate of positive coronavirus tests rises above 5%.

The January rules were crafted in response to rising COVID-19 infections in the city. When the city first began reopening, officials put the threshold for advancing to looser restrictions at fewer than 50 new cases per day averaged over at least three days.

Jefferson Parish is ready for mass coronavirus vaccinations; here's why they're having to wait Jefferson Parish government leaders have the equipment and infrastructure ready for a mass rollout of the coronavirus vaccine -- they're just 

Under federal guidelines, jurisdictions must see a downward trajectory of cases within a 14 to 21 day period to move to a new phase, a threshold which appears to have been met over the past two weeks.

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The city has not seen an average of under 50 cases per day since mid-November.

Tidwell did not say Tuesday which restrictions would be changed. The existing rules more or less brought the city back to those residents and businesses were abiding by in June 2020.

He also chided the Mystic Krewe of Nyx for holding its ball at the IP Hotel and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi Saturday, rather than canceling the event, as many other krewes have done.

Jeff Asher: Coronavirus progress comes amid new dangers; next few months will be critical There is a scene in the movie Apollo 13 where the astronauts are hurtling towards Earth and NASA realizes that a typhoon is right near the e

And while the city can't police an event held in a different state, Tidwell said pulling the krewe's parading permit in 2022 after its move to hold a ball was "certainly a possibility."

Between 40 and 50 people attended the Nyx event, according to krewe spokesperson and attorney Doug Sunseri. Soon after pictures of the ball were shared with news outlets and on social media, City Hall urged Nyx members to quarantine when they came home, calling the event irresponsible.

City officials also issued a warning to the Monkey Hill Bar on Magazine Street after a photo of maskless partygoers began circulating on social media over the weekend.

Monkey Hill Bar reportedly under fire after maskless crowd photo circulates in New Orleans A photo of a mostly maskless crowd at Monkey Hill Bar has circulated online after the Uptown watering hole hosted a live music event Saturday 

The bar's owners said a private live music event Saturday was supposed to be limited to 40 people, but more people showed up than expected, overrunning the bar's capacity limits.

Tidwell said the city typically leads with a verbal warning before issuing further sanctions. He could not immediately say Wednesday if it had been Monkey Hill's first violation.

News Summary: This January StreamzAI is hosting a webinar on Scaling Sales Readiness with invited industry leaders from Forrester, AWS and Castrol. Join this complimentary live webinar to gain insights and knowledge on how companies can scale sales readiness and increase their ROI.

SINGAPORE, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- StreamzAI has invited Forrester to speak at their complimentary live webinar (also available on-demand) where keynote speaker and Principal Analyst Mary Shea PhD will share key themes from recent research on seller competencies and share her insights on the importance of scaling sales readiness programs and framing them from an ROI perspective. StreamzAI will later be joined by their panellists - Sumeet Wadhwa - Global EV & Growth Unit Director at Castrol, Harley Young - Head of Partner Solutions Architecture at AWS, and Kushal Bhomick- Chief Revenue Officer at StreamzAI, for a roundtable discussion on Scaling Sales Readiness and the challenges to overcome.

When: Thursday, January 28, 2021 | 7 PM SGT | 4.30 PM IST | 12.30 PM CET

Those who are interested can register for the webinar by clicking the link: https://streamz.ai/webinar-scaling-sales-readiness/

"The way people are buying products has changed drastically over the last two years," said Jawahar Kanjilal, CEO and co-founder of StreamzAI. "Buyers are very well informed about your product; hence, sales reps these days need to become expert advisers about the products and industry to engage prospective buyers in value-adding coversations. This is only possible by having a framework for your Sales Readiness programs that focus on developing and sharpening the sales reps' skills to prepare them to confidently drive sales."

In this webinar, Thought leaders and Industry practitioners will talk about how companies can successfully roll out initiatives that are accommodating of all sellers within and outside organisation, the challenges to overcome in scaling these sales readiness initiatives, and the metrics to measure the outcomes of the Sales Readiness programs.

About StreamzAI: StreamzAI is an AI-based Mobile Sales Readiness platform that empowers companies to build and maintain a highly prepared, engaged and differentiated sales teams converting their regular sales reps to expert advisors. We have successfully enabled various Fortune 1000 companies to scale out their sales readiness programs across multiple countries consistently and measurably.

Visit here to know more: https://streamz.ai/

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ANN ARBOR, MI  The University of Michigan and Toyota Research Institute have renewed their research partnership for five more years, with projects funded up to $3 million per year.

Since the partnership launched in 2016, more than 50 faculty members have participated in 38 research projects focusing on artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous driving, according to a university news release.

Those projects have resulted in 16 patents and 126 publications, with 23 projects still ongoing, the release states.

Projects in the first five years of the partnership have included developing soft robots to provide companionship for the elderly, analyzing bicycle and car interaction data to design self-driving algorithms that safely interact with both, research and developing reliable control systems for lane keeping and adaptive cruise control, and enabling computers to create fully representational 3D visuals for autonomous scenarios, according to the release.

The partnership with TRI has allowed our faculty and students to pursue bold ideas that inform the cutting edge in automated vehicles while working with a top global company. It really doesnt get any better, said Eric Michielssen, associate dean for research at the College of Engineering.

Research projects for the next phase of the partnership will focus on advancing those same research areas  automated driving, robotics and machine-assisted cognition, according to the release.

In 2016, Toyota established a TRI facility in Ann Arbor as part of a $1-billion investment in research in automated driving, robotics and accelerated materials design and discovery, the release states. The company is also a founding partner of Mcity, UMs facility for developing connected and automated vehicle technology.

Collaboration is essential if we want to transform the future of mobility, said Rebecca Cunningham, UM vice president for research. In partnering with the Toyota Research Institute, innovative researchers across (UM) will continue to address important challenges that impact our communities  from driverless vehicle technology to artificial intelligence.

Toyota is also extending collaborations with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, while also selecting 13 additional academic institutions to participate in the next five-year phase of its research program, according to a release from TRI.

READ MORE:

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Donald Trump isnt the president anymore, but people still have opinions!

Republicans are complaining that it was divisive for Joe Biden to condemn political extremism, white supremacy, and domestic terrorism in his inaugural address and to propose a large COVID-19 relief bill. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and George W. Bush dirty-tricks gargoyle Karl Rove have purported to be offended by the inaugural remarks, which they say were a smear against all Republicans. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio typified the GOP response to the relief proposal when he characterized Biden as having a radical leftist agenda; on Monday, Politico reported that Maine Sen. Susan Collins is manifesting her characteristically judicious concerns about whether the stimulus checks proposed in the bill are too generous. Is this going to be a problem for Bidens unity rhetoric? Remember what the narrative about being a divisive radical did to Barack Obama during his first term?

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The professionally confrontational left is also cheesed off, as it tends to be. Cued by Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a number of prominent to semi-prominent Twitter users and the hosts of the Chapo Trap House podcast became incensed that Bidens proposed relief bill calls for $1,400 stimulus checks rather than the $2,000 they thought had been promised. The socialists who run the socialist-intellectual publication Current Affairs have been complaining that achieving unity with Republicans is a substantively immoral goal. There is a whole thing, which is truly best described as a whole thing, revolving around a leftist YouTube talk show with 850,000 subscribers whose host is furious that Democrats in the House havent held a vote on Medicare for All. Is Biden selling out Democratic voters in a Charlie Browninflected pursuit of Centrism Points when Republicans arent ever going to think of him as anything but Obummers Chief Deputy for Communist Obummery? Remember how hesitancy and negotiating against oneself backfired against the sinister Dr. Obuttheader, Barack Obamaduring his first term? Oh, boy, geez! Think about all the things that could go wrong!

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Good news: Most of those things are not likely to go wrong again! The right-wing spin machine doesnt have the traction it once did with the media and the voting public, nor, for that matter, does the center-right concern machine. The left doesnt have the same grounds for being upset that it did during the Obama administration, nor does it have the same legitimate grievance about being denied a hand in setting party strategy that it did during the Long Primary of 2016. If you are not a member of the far right or the online left, and are not literally Susan Collins, you can ignore the complaints from those entities without sacrificing any understanding of what your government is likely to be doing in the coming months and how those actions could affect the future arrangement of political power.

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First for the Republicans. Barack Obamas health care plan took more than a year to pass because of long, careful negotiations with industry groups and Republican senators. Part of this was because he thought there was political and ethical value in appealing to Republicans; part was because health care reform involves entrenched interests in a complicated system, in which changes are likely to disrupt at least some peoples existing coverage. Obama also agreed to an $800 billion stimulus bill when the chief White House economist thought privately that $1.8 trillion was the amount that was actually needed, and did so not just to demonstrate bipartisanship but because he believed a high-leverage set of voters would be upset if it appeared that the Democratic Party was spending too much money on the wrong kind of people. Indeed, that is what happened: The Tea Party movement launched itself around the issueand again I must caveat that this was merely the purported issue at handof government spending, while similar concerns were expressed more politely by pundits. In the New York Times, the first column that influential centrist columnist David Brooks wrote during Obamas term urged him to endorse Susan Collins efforts to cut money from the stimulus bill. Wrote Brooks: Exploding federal deficits are a galvanizing issue for those in the center. In 2010, Democrats lost seven seats in the Senate and 63 in the House.

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Biden is dealing with an even more fanatically uncooperative Republican Party that Obama did, but the rest of the world has continued to turn in ways that are useful for him. There is now urgent support for relief at all levels of society, while at the same time deficits have receded as a voter priority relative to inequality and affordability issues. Direct stimulus spending, which may as well not have existed as a concept in 2009, is now widely acknowledged as both useful policy and, thanks to Democrats victories in the Georgia Senate runoffs, butt-kickin politics. The Republican Partys cynical exploitation of procedural norms, and its circulation of disinformation, just got five people killed in the Capitol; most swing voters and CNN anchors no longer treat its talking points as good-faith contributions to the discourse. David Brooks first column of the Biden presidency asserted that if Republicans go into full obstruction mode, Democrats should absolutely kill the filibuster, which would allow for passing major relief legislation on a party-line vote, without Susan Collins.

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None of this would matter if the Biden administration didnt recognize what has changed. But by all appearances, it does. On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki pointedly noted that a relief bill could be passed through the budget reconciliation loophole, which requires only 50 Senate votes, and that holding a reconciliation vote would not preclude Republicans from supporting it. She also observed that such a bill would need to be finished by March to prevent unemployment insurance benefits from running out. The administration is listening to Republicansthree high-level White House staffers spoke to Collins and other potentially cooperative middle-ground senators on Sundaybut it is giving them a deadline and holding on to its leverage. Biden, in his own Monday remarks, emphasized that he believes he can affirm the (conveniently abstract) ideals of unity and consensus-seeking without necessarily convincing some number of Republican senators to vote yes on everything he supports.

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The White House can take this confident position because it knows that, unlike a complicated reimagining of the health care system that requires some people to pay more in premiums and taxes, or a bailout that most directly benefits large, private companies, the things it wants to do are easy to understand and popular. Support for prioritizing another relief package above other policy issues is enormous, as is support for individual components of the bill Biden has proposed, like stimulus checks and raising the minimum wage to $15.

That brings us to the left, which is responsible for Bidens popular ideas but is largely failing to realize that, because it is so unused to a position of actually being listened to. It should have been a signal that despite Bernie Sanders being Bidens biggest rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, the Day One story about Sanders was the funny position in which he was wearing big mittens during Bidens inauguration rather than disagreements they are having over legislation. Thats because Democrats won the Senate on the backs of a stimulus-check push, and Sanders is going to be the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee; he doesnt have substantive disagreements with the Biden administration at the moment. (Rashida Tlaib and AOC endorsed $1,400 bonus-check legislation themselves before the amount became a point of contention, to give you a sense of how narrow the substantive difference is between the center and its most vocal critics among actual elected Democrats who can cast votes.) The habit of opposition dies hard. The recriminations over the 2016 primary lasted as long as they did because they were genuinely unfinished business, but Bernie would have won doesnt have the same urgency now that someone else has, in fact, won.

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The debate over whether Democrats should prioritize inclusive optimism or rabble-rousing economic populism is over for now inside the party because Biden and new Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock won tough elections by doing both at once. Bidens relief proposal actually checks in at $1.9 trillion, a cool one hundred billion dollars more than the number that was considered so farfetched Obamas economics team never even proposed it to their president, and Biden spent Monday projecting confidence that he will be able to pass it with the support of all 50 Democratic senators, from Sanders to Elizabeth Warren to West Virginias Joe Manchin. The peace wont last forever; the party coalitions interests wont align this well when the time comes to take on policing reform, the public option, or whatever the next national crisis may be. (Its going to be climate change releases an ancient evil from the Canadian frost mountains.) The threats to humane and sensible progress are howling just outside, like they always are, but the windows are sealed and locked and the furnace, for the first time in years, is humming comfortably. Breathe out.

The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Indonesia since the pandemic began has crossed one million, as hospitals in some hard-hit areas neared capacity.

Indonesias Health Ministry announced that new daily infections rose by 13,094 on Tuesday to bring the countrys total to 1,012,350, the most in Southeast Asia.

The total number of deaths reached 28,468.

The grim milestone comes just weeks after Indonesia launched a massive campaign to inoculate two thirds of the countrys 270 million people, with President Joko Widodo receiving the first shot of a Chinese-made vaccine.

Expand Close A nurse gives a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine to a colleague at a community health centre in Indonesia (Binsar Bakkara/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A nurse gives a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine to a colleague at a community health centre in Indonesia (Binsar Bakkara/AP)

Healthcare workers, military, police, teachers and other at-risk populations are being prioritised for the vaccine in the worlds fourth most populous country.

Officials have said that Indonesia will require almost 427 million doses, taking into account the estimate that 15% of doses may be wasted during the distribution process in the vast nation of more than 17,000 islands, where transportation and infrastructure are limited in places.

Jakarta continues to be the hardest hit city in Indonesia, confirming more than 254,000 cases as of Tuesday, including 4,077 deaths.

Only 8.5% of a total 8,066 hospital beds in the city were left for new patients as of Tuesday, while beds with ventilators were filled.
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - German stocks rose on Tuesday despite escalation of U.S.-China tensions in the South China Sea, continued political uncertainty in Italy and doubts over the speed and size of U.S. stimulus. The benchmark DAX was up 107 points, or 0.8 percent, at 13,751 after losing 1.7 percent the previous day. China announced today it would conduct military exercises in the South China Sea this week, just days after Beijing bristled at a U.S. aircraft carrier group's entry into the disputed waters. Meanwhile, index provider MSCI Inc said it will remove five Chinese firms from its global index as of the close on Jan. 27 in the absence of an update on a Trump administration order banning Americans from investing in certain Chinese companies. Italian Prime Minister Conte is set to resign today and try to form a new coalition government ahead of a key vote on judicial reforms later this week, which commentators suggest the government was on course to lose. 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.
Short-distance trips are gaining popularity among Chinese tourists as travel agencies suspend trans-provincial group tours during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday to curb the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, comnews.cn reported on Jan. 25.

A tourist visits an ice and snow amusement park in Mohe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 8, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

The changes in traveling and spending habits of tourists indicate that safety has become a priority in planning a trip, said Ma Yutao, an analyst with online travel agency Mafengwo.

Data from the platform show that since January 2021, in-depth travel and short-distance trips have become attractive to young people, with the keyword search volume of short-distance trips surging by 71 percent.

Mafengwo has witnessed increasing keyword searches related to trips that provide brand-new experiences, such as walking along the traditional hutong alleyways in Beijing, exploring bookstores and cafes in Shanghai, and visiting museums and exhibitions in south Chinas Guangzhou.

As the holiday is drawing near, the platform sees a 25 percent rise in the keyword search of self-driving tours, with the most popular destinations including Guangdong and Hainan in south China, Zhejiang in east China, and Yunnan and Guizhou in southwest China.

More tourists will choose off-peak times to travel during the holiday, with plans to make trips from mid-January to late February.
Heres a real estate tip for folks joining the incoming Biden administration: A rental vacancy has opened up in the tony DC neighborhood of Kaloramaan area known for foreign diplomats and political heavy hitters.

Ivanka Trump and her husband, ex-presidential adviser Jared Kushner, have decamped for Florida, following in the footsteps of her father, former President Donald Trump.

Now, the couple's former rental is in search of a new tenant. It's available to lease for $18,000 a month.

The recently renovated home with six beds and 6.5 baths has all kinds of style points. It's billed as "one of the most well-known and photographed houses on the planetgiven its recent tenants."

During the Trump years when the upscale abode served as the DC home of the first daughter and her family, it attracted protests and candlelight vigils, according to the Washingtonian. The 2017 gathering shown below was to protest Trump's immigration policies.

Concerned Community members from WA, CA, NM, AZ, TX, ID, VA holding a vigil outside Jared Kushner & @IvankaTrump's house #DefendDACA pic.twitter.com/caGf0mIFah  Cris Ruiz (@votecris2040) September 5, 2017

On the other hand, the Washington Post recently reported that the mansion's bathrooms were off limits to the couple's Secret Service detail. As a result, the security team had to rent a nearby studio apartment at a rate of $3,000 a monthwhich ended up totaling more than $100,000 over the years, according to the Post.

Bathroom access aside, the 1923 home has been meticulously maintained by the landlord and former notable tenants, the listing asserts. Details of the 7,300-square-foot layout include crown moldings, recessed lighting, and wood floors throughout.

Plus, the very contemporary interiors boast high-end finishes and electrical updates made within the past four years.

And you might catch a glimpse of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama in the neighborhood. The couple live just a stones throw away, the listing notes. That proximity to power might appeal to a house hunter joining the Biden administration.

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Watch: The D.C. Neighborhood That Power Brokers Ivanka Trump and the Obamas Call Home

___

While new listing photos aren't yet available, the images from 2017 showcase a modern, minimalist living space in a neutral palette decorated with abstract art.

Stone stairs lead to the front door. realtor.com

Exterior shot of a deck realtor.com

The living room features a fireplace and plenty of space for oversized furniture. The sleek kitchen with a long, white island looks to have everything you need to whip up a meal (or unpack takeout). The kitchen also has room for a table and adjoins a family room.

A formal dining room features a fireplace and recessed lighting. The master suite includes French doors, another fireplace, and cool tones.

Down south, the home's former residents are apparently leasing a luxury condo in Miami, according to the Wall Street Journal. But their long-term plans look to involve a 2-acre lot they reportedly purchased on ultraexclusive Indian Creek Island for the jaw-dropping sum of $32 million.

Rodrigo Valderrama with Keller Williams Capital Properties holds the rental listing.

The post Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's DC Home Is Available To Rentfor $18K a Month appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
Teen gunman Kyle Rittenhouse asked officers if they could delete his social media accounts after he and his mother discussed negative comments being made about them following his arrest over the deadly Kenosha shooting, new videos from a police interview shows.

The 18-year-old, who lives in Antioch, Illinois, has pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting two people and injuring another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin last August.

The footage from the police interview was taken just hours after the shooting but has only just been released publicly.

The video shows the then-17-year-old sitting in an interview room at the Antioch Police Department with his sobbing mother Wendy Rittenhouse.

After asking for a lawyer, Rittenhouse asked the two officers in the room to delete his social media accounts. The teen was never actually interviewed by the officers because he asked for an attorney.

Teen gunman Kyle Rittenhouse asked officers if they could delete his social media accounts after he and his mother discussed negative comments being made about them, new videos from a police interview shows

'Can you guys delete my social media accounts?' Rittenhouse asked. 'Like after you guys get your warrant to go through all my sh**? Can you make sure everything like my social media is deleted?'

The officer responded: 'We can't discuss the case with you but we will look into it.'

The 18-year-old, who lives in Antioch, Illinois, has pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting two people and injuring another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin last August

His Facebook account was filled with photos of him posing with rifles and standing front row at a Trump rally.

In an earlier video when police weren't present, Rittenhouse and his mother could be seen speaking to each other about the negative comments being made on social media about them.

'All those dumb f***ers on Facebook. Doesn't matter, they're pieces of s**t...' his mother could be heard saying about those making the comments.

When he asked her what they were saying, his mother said: '(They're) saying you're a piece of s**t and I'm a piece of s**t mother. It doesn't matter, they're just words.'

They then both discussed the need to delete his social media accounts and his mother asked if he remembered his Facebook and Snapchat passwords.

In another video after police left the room, Rittenhouse could be heard breaking down and sobbing as his mother hugged him.

'I did nothing wrong,' Rittenhouse told his mother.

The footage from the police interview was taken just hours after the shooting but has only just been released publicly. After police left the room, Rittenhouse could be heard breaking down and sobbing as his mother hugged him

At one point, Rittenhouse told his mother: 'I did nothing wrong'. The 18-year-old, who lives in Antioch, Illinois, has pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting two people and injuring another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin last August

The videos show him consoling his mother broke down sobbing and wailing after she learned he could be facing homicide charges.

'Mom, Mom, look at me. It's going to be OK. I'm going to be OK. We're going to be OK. You're scaring me.' Rittenhouse said.

Prosecutors allege Rittenhouse left his home in Antioch, Illinois, and traveled to Kenosha to answer a call for militia to protect businesses on August 25 as hundreds were protesting the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake.

Rittenhouse opened fire with an assault-style rifle during the protest, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz, authorities said.

The recently released footage was filmed in Antioch before he was eventually extradited to Kenosha to face charges.

At one point in the videos, one officer left the room to make calls after Rittenhouse and his mother said they wanted to call a lawyer.

'With everything going on social media, it's all blown up as cops against the thing,' his mother could be heard telling her son and the remaining officer.

Prosecutors allege Rittenhouse left his home in Antioch, Illinois, and traveled to Kenosha (above during the unrest) to answer a call for militia to protect businesses on August 25 as hundreds were protesting the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake

His Facebook account was filled with photos of him posing with rifles (pictured above) and standing front row at a Trump rally

A Wisconsin judge modified Rittenhouse's conditions of release last Friday after was seen drinking at a bar in the southeastern Wisconsin city of Mount Pleasant earlier this month. Prosecutors also say he posed for a photo outside Pudgy's Pub with two men (above) as they made the 'OK' sign with their hands, a symbol used by white supremacists

'You have to look at that point because you're already being labeled as a white supremacist gun person. You have to look at your safety and stuff like that.'

At that point, Rittenhouse told his mother: 'Can you stop talking, Mom?'

Rittenhouse has pleaded not guilty to all counts and argued he fired in self-defense.

Conservatives have rallied around him, generating enough money to make his $2 million bond.

According to online court records, a Wisconsin judge modified Rittenhouse's conditions of release last Friday to note Rittenhouse 'shall not knowingly have conduct with any person or group of persons known to harm, threaten, harass or menace others on the basis of their race, beliefs on the subject of religion, color, national origin, or gender.'

He is also barred from possessing and consuming alcohol and from having firearms.

Prosecutors had requested the modifications after Rittenhouse was seen drinking at a bar in the southeastern Wisconsin city of Mount Pleasant earlier this month. In Wisconsin, Rittenhouse could legally drink alcohol because he was with his mother.

Prosecutors wrote in their request that Rittenhouse also posed for a photo outside Pudgy's Pub with two men as they made the 'OK' sign with their hands, a symbol used by white supremacists.

They allege that five men at the tavern serenaded Rittenhouse with a song that has become the anthem of the Proud Boys, a neo-fascist group.

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TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / AEX Gold Inc. ("AEX" or the "Corporation") (TSXV:AEX), announces that Jaco Crouse has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") of AEX effective immediately, replacing George Fowlie who has stepped down as the CFO but remains on the Board as a Director. The Board intends to propose Mr. Crouse as a director of the Company at the next annual general meeting.

Mr. Crouse is a seasoned mining executive with nearly 20 years' experience in financial management, mine financial planning, business optimization and strategy development. He most recently occupied the position of CFO of Detour Gold Corp., where he facilitated the successful financial and operational turnaround and sale of the corporation to Kirkland Lake Gold for US$3.7 billion. Prior to that, Mr. Crouse was Chief Financial Officer & Vice President-Finance of Triple Flag Mining Finance Ltd., ("Triple Flag") a Toronto-based private metal streaming business. From 2015-2016 Mr. Crouse was Vice President Business Planning & Optimization at Barrick Gold Corp. where he was instrumental in resetting the cost structure and improving the capital allocation discipline to deliver free cash flow improvements from underperforming assets during a period of low gold prices.

Mr. Crouse started his career in mining in 2002 at Xstrata Alloys, the world's largest ferrochrome producer, and went on to join Xstrata Nickel in 2007 (after the acquisition of Falconbridge) to integrate and optimize the nickel business unit, during which time he worked extensively in the Canadian business unit of Xstrata Nickel. He also worked as an Asset Manager at Glencore following its merger with Xstrata in 2013 and was responsible for integrating their nickel marketing offices. Mr. Crouse is a Chartered Professional Accountant (Ontario), a Chartered Accountant (South Africa), and a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM) with a BComs (Honours) in Accounting Sciences from the University of South Africa.

Eldur Olafsson, Founder and Chief Executive Office of AEX Gold, commented:

"On behalf of the board, I would like to welcome Jaco Crouse to the AEX Gold team. Jaco brings with him significant industry and financial experience which will be vital as we continue our progress towards recommencing operations at the Nalunaq Gold Mine and moving into production."

Enquiries:

AEX Gold Inc. Eldur Olafsson, Director and CEO +354 665 2003

eo@aexgold.com Eddie Wyvill, Investor Relations +447713126727 ew@aexgold.com Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Nominated Adviser and Broker) +44 (0) 20 7710 7600 Callum Stewart Simon Mensley Ashton Clanfield Camarco (Financial PR) +44 (0) 20 3757 4980 Gordon Poole Nick Hennis Emily Hall



Further Information:

About AEX

AEX's principal business objectives are the identification, acquisition, exploration and development of gold properties in Greenland. The Corporation's principal asset is a 100% interest in the Nalunaq Project, an advanced exploration stage property with an exploitation license including the previously operating Nalunaq gold mine. The Corporation has a portfolio of gold assets covering 3,870 km2, the largest portfolio of gold assets in Southern Greenland covering the two known gold belts in the region. AEX is incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act and wholly owns Nalunaq A/S, incorporated under the Greenland Public Companies Act.

www.aexgold.com

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Corporation's current expectations regarding future events and the future growth of the Corporation's business. In this press release there is forward-looking information based on a number of assumptions and subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Corporation's control, that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Final Prospectus available under the Corporation's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Any forward-looking information included in this press release is based only on information currently available to the Corporation and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect new circumstances or events. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Inside Information

This announcement contains inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 ("MAR").

SOURCE: AEX Gold Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625776/AEX-Appointment-of-New-Chief-Financial-Officer

Developed by scientists at the University of Illinois, SHIELD Illinois uses a saliva-based test that detects three genes of the virus and identifies pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, according to the release. The test has been used more than 1.1 million times and kept positivity rates below 2% on U of I campuses during the fall, according to the news release.
Simulated glass bead numerical model. Credit: Toyohashi University of Technology.

Jihui Yuan (Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology) proposed a numerical bead model to predict the upward-to-downward reflection ratio of glass bead retro-reflective (RR) material purposed for urban heat island (UHI) mitigation and reducing energy consumption. It revealed that the retro-reflectivity of glass bead RR material gradually increases from morning to noon, at which time it begins to gradually decrease. These results will contribute to existing research on the absorption or reflection of solar radiation to improve urban thermal and lighting conditions, and to reduce building energy consumption.

Various measures for UHI mitigation and reduced building energy consumption have been widely implemented. Further, the solar reflectivity of the surrounding pavement and outer wall surfaces of a building are reported to be important factors that affect the air-conditioning load of the building, which is directly related to its energy use. Rooftops covered with diffuse highly reflective (DHR) materials (i.e., highly reflective paints) can reflect solar radiation to the sky if there are no high buildings in the vicinity. However, if there are high buildings nearby, much of the solar radiation will be reflected to neighboring buildings and roads, where it will be absorbed to exacerbate the UHI phenomenon. Thus, although DHR materials are widely applied to building facades, RR materials have been recommended as a replacement to mitigate the UHI phenomenon and reduce building energy consumption.

However, RR materials are still in the research and development phase and have not been used practically. Most research indicates that when the incident angles of sunlight become very large, the RR capacity is critically reduced, and the downward solar reflectivity, such as specular reflectivity, increases. In addition, the downward solar radiation from building facades not only negatively impacts pedestrians, but it also heats the urban environment through the heat absorbed by the ground surface; thus, downward solar radiation is regarded as a major contributor to the UHI phenomenon. Therefore, in consideration of how much a change in incident angle can affect the RR capacity and downward solar reflectivity of RR materials, a comprehensive prediction is needed.

Thus, Assistant Professor Jihui Yuan within the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Toyohashi University of Technology, in collaboration with researchers at Osaka City University, proposed a glass bead numerical model to predict the upward-to-downward reflection ratio of glass bead-type RR materials. The results of this study have been published online in advance in the Elsevier journal Urban Climate in March 2021.

As mentioned previously, to better understand the reflection principle of glass bead-type RR materials, a glass bead numerical model was developed and simulated. The simulation was performed to evaluate glass bead-type RR material sunlight reflection by analyzing the retro-reflectivity and upward-to-downward reflection ratio of glass beads.

Future work will focus on exploring methods to suppress the downward reflecting light and on attempting to develop the RR materials that can minimize it. Future work will also focus on the development of more accurate models for the evaluation of the RR properties of RR materials, and on performing actual optical measurements of RR materials.

If we can predict directional reflection characteristics of RR materials applied to building facades, such as the upward-to-downward reflection ratio, then we would be able to apply these RR materials to the exterior surfaces in different directions to optimize the absorption or reflection of solar radiation; this would ultimately improve urban thermal and lighting conditions, and reducing energy consumption.

Explore further Advanced facade material for urban heat island mitigation

More information: Jihui Yuan et al, Evaluation of retro-reflective properties and upward to downward reflection ratio of glass bead retro-reflective material using a numerical model, Urban Climate (2021). Jihui Yuan et al, Evaluation of retro-reflective properties and upward to downward reflection ratio of glass bead retro-reflective material using a numerical model,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.uclim.2021.100774
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Signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) Between Development of the Private Sector (ICD) and SQB Securities, Uzbekistan
Rolling out COVID-19 vaccines to all of Alabama, at warp speed, was always going to be a challenge. But that state effort has been slowed by federal miscommunications, misunderstandings, and confusing federal guidance during the last gasps of the Trump Administration.

From initially implying that states would get more vaccine than they did, to announcing policies and never implementing them, to a disappearing stockpile of vaccine and problems getting CARES Act funds to Alabama, the states difficult job of getting shots into arms was not made easier.

No. 1: Expected doses drop

Dr. Scott Harris -- Alabamas State Health Officer and the head of the Alabama Department of Public Health, which is distributing the vaccine to hundreds of hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics in Alabama  has said since the early days of the rollout that the biggest obstacle was that Alabama didnt have enough doses of the vaccine.

Early on, the federal government told states to make plans to deliver a certain number of doses as quickly as possible. But planning can only go so far if theres no product to roll out.

Harris said Alabama was initially expecting 112,000 doses during the first week of the rollout in December. But then, when it was time for the vials to be shipped, Alabama found out it was getting just 41,000 doses.

We had communication from the federal level that Alabama was going to have much more vaccine, well not Alabama, every state, had the idea that they were going to get much more vaccine than ultimately they got, Harris said Friday. I assume that this is related to optimistic predictions and ultimately, the inability of the manufacturers to keep up with that, I suppose.

Harris said the CDC told the states later that the early vaccine numbers were only for planning purposes.

CDCs response when we ask is, well, we never told you youre getting 112,000, we just told you to plan as if you were getting 112,000, he said.

No. 2: States dont know how many doses theyre getting week to week

Planning is much easier when you know what to expect, and ADPH doesnt know that right now.

Harris said the state doesnt know from week to week how many doses it will receive in the state and therefore its hard to ration it out to the more than 800 facilities now registered to give the vaccine.

We dont know what were getting either until the day before we get it, or at least until the day before it starts being shipped to us, Harris said. Thats very frustrating for people that are trying to run clinics, you know.

Its hard to make an appointment when you dont know if youre going to get vaccine or not.

Then, once the shipments are announced, Harris said it creates a frenzy at the state level to determine where those doses need to go.

When we find out what our total state allotment is allowed to be, we have people who have to scramble frantically, working all night almost, to figure out how those doses get divided up and where they go, by the time they start shipping, by the next day or so, Harris said.

No. 3: The non-existent stockpile

On Jan. 12, eight days before Joe Bidens inauguration, officials with the outgoing Trump Administration announced that it would no longer be holding reserves of vaccine for second doses.

Then-Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced in a sweeping news conference that the CDC would release doses it had been holding in reserve for immediate distribution.

Because we now have a consistent pace of production, we can now ship all of the doses that had been held in physical reserve, Azar said. Were now making the full reserve of doses we have available for order, [and] we are 100% committed to ensuring a second dose is available for every American who receives the first dose.

State officials believed that meant a new flood of shipments to hospitals and clinics.

That didnt happen.

The Washington Post reported on Jan. 15, that in reality, no such stockpile existed. The CDC had already been shipping everything it had since December. States would not be getting additional shipments after all.

Our first thought was, Oh, thats great, Harris said. Our allocation is likely to double and of course, were hopeful that means there is going to be a second dose when we need it in three or four weeks.

But that, our understanding was -- and everyone else in the country -- was not correct, because there werent second doses being held physically.

No. 4: CARES Act funds not getting through

Alabama was given significant funding for vaccine rollout through the federal CARES Act, but its not always easy to access that money.

Harris said most of the federal money is being delivered through reimbursements. And the process hasnt been smooth so far, Harris said.

It was essentially a credit line, and so it required us to spend money first and then submit that for reimbursement and their rules for reimbursement werent always clear to us, Harris said Friday.

At this time, I think ADPH has somewhere approaching $8 million in expenses that we dont have the ability to get reimbursed for so far. Well see if that changes soon.

No. 5: Changing the rules, or just appearing to

In the same press conference in which he announced the empty stockpile would be released, Azar also announced that the feds were switching up the program, that instead of handing out vaccines based on population, the CDC would start giving more vaccines to whichever states were giving it out the fastest.

This new system gives states a strong incentive to ensure that all vaccinations are being promptly reported, which theyre currently not, and... to ensure doses are going to work... protecting people, rather than sitting on shelves or in freezers, Azar said.

But it looks like that change was announced, but never implemented. Azar said on Jan. 12, the policy was set to begin in two weeks, when he and others only had eight days left on the job.

While four lawmakers in Alabama wrote an open letter to ADPH arguing the change would cost Alabama extra doses, given the states slower vaccination rate, Harris said he has never been told by anyone under either administration that the state allocation would change.

That has never been discussed with us, Harris said. Ive never had any conversation with anyone at the federal level about that. Its never been brought up to my attention by anyone at the federal level.

Harris said hes been told in all his communications with the CDC that states will get vaccine based on their population, not how many doses theyve given out.

We get a per capita allotment, Harris said. Alabama is about 1.4% of the United States [population], we get 1.4% of the amount thats manufactured. And that number is steady, and theyve told us, is not going to change anytime soon.

The CDC also softened its guidance on second doses last week, suggesting that it may be acceptable for people to receive their second shot 42 days after the first, instead of 21 or 28 days depending on which vaccine the person took.

Some experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci have cautioned that delaying the second dose may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine, and that people are not fully protected until one to two weeks after that second dose.

No. 6: Pharmacy program hasnt materialized

Alabama was expecting significant contributions from chain pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens through a program that was handled by the federal government and would not come out of Alabamas allotment.

The idea was that those pharmacies would offer vaccination appointments at their retail locations across the state offering another avenue for people in Alabama to get the vaccine.

But that program has not yet materialized.

Now Alabama says it is partnering with Walmart pharmacies to distribute the vaccine at those locations, but thats not part of the federal program. Those doses are coming out of Alabamas allotment that would otherwise be going to hospitals or smaller medical centers.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent Insurance Group LLC ("Independent Group") today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Sterling National Life Insurance Company ("Sterling National") from SILAC Insurance Company ("SILAC").

Independent Life Insurance Company ("Independent Life"), Independent Group's life and annuity subsidiary, is focused on the primary issuance of structured settlement annuities, with the mission of helping personal injury victims and their families meet their financial needs over their lifetimes. Independent Group was founded by management and LKCM Headwater Investments, the private equity arm of Luther King Capital Management, an SEC-registered investment advisory firm based in Fort Worth, Texas. Sterling National, licensed in 33 states and the District of Columbia, ceased writing insurance business in early 2020.

"This acquisition is a key element of our broader strategy to continually enhance our overall business profile," said George Luecke, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Independent Group. "Building upon the strong foundation we have created to date, Sterling National brings us licenses in the majority of states across the U.S., further expanding our footprint, market presence and diversification potential."

"2020 was a year of many accomplishments for us," added Michael Upchurch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Independent Group. "We will continue to take prudent steps to benefit our company, brokers and payees, and bring innovation and growth to our industry. We are looking forward to making further positive announcements in 2021."

Dan Acker, President of SILAC, commented "We are pleased to announce the sale of Sterling National, a wholly owned subsidiary of SILAC, to Independent Group. This transaction will allow us to continue our focus on providing valuable fixed annuity products through more than 11,000 agents and advisors under the SILAC brand. SILAC will remain domiciled in Utah and this transaction will not impact any of our employees".

Further details of the transaction were not disclosed. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP acted as legal counsel and Fletcher Financial, Inc. acted as broker to Independent Group in this transaction. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

ABOUT INDEPENDENT INSURANCE GROUP

Independent Life, Independent Group's life and annuity subsidiary, is the first insurance company to focus exclusively on structured settlements. Independent Group's goal is to provide competitive and innovative annuity products and services that professional consultants can efficiently integrate into their settlement planning solutions, for the long-term protection of personal injury victims and their families. Among other significant achievements since its formation, Independent Life was recognized as the second fastest growing life and annuity insurance company in 2019 by S&P Global Market Intelligence1. For additional information on Independent Life, please visit www.independent.life.

ABOUT SILAC INSURANCE COMPANY

SILAC was established in 1935. The company is Utah's oldest active life insurance company and among the state's largest insurers. Licensed in 47 states and the District of Columbia, SILAC has focused on meeting the life and health insurance needs of seniors for decades. Since entering the annuity market in 2018, they have grown their annuity product line and premium revenue to over $3 billion in annual sales. For additional information, please visit www.SILACins.com.

ABOUT LKCM HEADWATER INVESTMENTS

LKCM Headwater Investments is a Texas-based private equity firm that partners with management teams to build highly successful companies. LKCM Headwater Investments is affiliated with Luther King Capital Management, an SEC-registered investment advisory firm established in 1979 with $21.6 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2020. LKCM's proven investment discipline centers on a long-term focus of investing in well-managed companies that demonstrate an ability to re-invest cash flows into high return investment opportunities.

1 S&P Global Market Intelligence 6.9.2020

SOURCE Independent Insurance Group

Related Links

http://www.independent.life/


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A Schertz firm came through for the San Antonio Food Bank and the San Antonians its serves, with a donation of $50,000 worth of PPE products.

Paul Richmond, owner of Richmond Advantage in Schertz, personally delivered the PPE (personal protective equipment) supplies Jan. 13 to the San Antonio Food Bank and its president and CEO, Eric Cooper. The donation goal was two-fold: Protect the food banks employees and volunteers during the Covid-19 pandemic, and distribute PPE to San Antonians in need.

The San Antonio Food Bank has done amazing things as far as keeping the hungry fed, putting food on the table, and just taking care of people in general, Richmond said in the food bank parking lot on Highway 151, with Cooper by his side. The food bank needs PPE supplies to take care of the volunteers and the San Antonio community.

Its not a cheap product, from the mask and sanitizer to the dispensers. So we know this could help keep their employees safe and help keep the community safe, Richmond said, as boxes were loaded on carts and wheeled into the building.

Cooper thanked Richmond and his staff for thinking of the food bank, its workers and its mission.

Most people know the San Antonio Food Bank for food. But they dont realize all that we distribute thats non-perishable and non-food, things like PPE, things that families desperately need but sometimes cant afford, Cooper said. A donation like this goes a long way in making sure those that struggle will be kept safe also.

Richmond Advantage is one of the areas leading hospitality and restaurant industry product suppliers. In business since 1986 originally as Richmond Paper, the firm became a leader in the restaurant-hospitality supply industry. It recently pivoted to production of PPE products and found it had an abundance of the product.

You know San Antonio is such a unique town. People do things here without an agenda. Its just a giving community. And I just wanted to give back to San Antonio, Richmond said.

Richmond said at years end he told his office staff, We have some extra PPE, who is important to you? The Food Bank came up and he said he couldnt agree more.

As a board member of the San Antonio Restaurant Association, Richmond said he met Cooper about 20 years ago.

I just remember him being an upstanding guy, he said. Not only that, but seeing what they did back then, and for all of San Antonio, theyre an incredible organization, with incredible leadership.

The boxes that were unloaded on Jan. 13 included 6,000 face masks, 40 dispenser hand-sanitizer stands and 40 dispensers, 140 gallons of hand sanitizer, 220 8-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer, and 38,400 total hand sanitizing wipes.

That was the main thing, Richmond said. We just wanted to make sure their volunteers were taken care of so they could continue to serve the community.

Richmond said another reason he called upon the food bank is because it helps other charities and causes.

I called them not only because of their reputation, he said. Because of their size, they also filter down to other charities. I like that they can make sure that people who need it are taken care of.

The food bank is largely a community-and-business-supported agency, with only a two percent overhead. It serves roughly 58,000 people a week  numbers that have been stretched to the limit in the past 10 months during the Covid-19 pandemic.

We want to thank the Richmond Advantage folks for thinking about us and for donating. It makes us feel special that someone is looking out for us, Cooper said.

jflinn@express-news.net
Two Offaly-based charities have become the latest beneficiaries of Aldis Community Grants programme, with each charity receiving a 500 grant from the Aldi store teams in Offaly.

500 grants were presented to KS Food Appeal and Little Wishes.

Aldis Community Grants programme helps fund local charities and organisations that contribute vital work and services in their local communities. Each local charity supported is chosen by Aldi employees, enabling them to help the local good causes they are passionate about.

The programme has contributed to 750 local projects to date, donating over 375,000 since 2016.

Commenting, John Curtin, Group Buying Director, Aldi Ireland said: We are very proud to have been able to contribute to supporting local charities across the country through the Aldi Community Grants programme and were pleased to see the impact of our donation in the local communities for County Offaly.

"The Community Grants programme is one example of how Aldi is committed to investing and partnering with local communities and charities across Ireland and we look forward to continuing this engagement into 2021.

Operating two stores in County Offaly, Aldi is deeply involved in the local community. To date throughout Ireland, Aldi has donated a total of 2.6m worth of meals to FoodCloud, over 20,000 in vouchers to Barnardos for vulnerable families (since our partnership launch in October 2020) and 375,000 to the Community Grants programme since 2016.

[January 26, 2021] Sauder Schelkopf & Lieff Cabraser File Class Action Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against Devereux Foundation and QualityHealth Staffing, LLC on Behalf of "Most Vulnerable" Children Across the U.S.

Sauder Schelkopf LLC and Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP announce the filing of a federal class action sexual abuse lawsuit in Pennsylvania on behalf of six individuals and a putative class of thousands of other children across the U.S. against Devereux Foundation (a/k/a Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health) and QualityHealth Staffing, LLC. The complaint details multiple alleged violations of state and federal law, including assault; battery; failure to report child abuse; Title IX creation of a sexually hostile culture/heightened risk of sexual harassment; deliberate indifference to prior sexual harassment; negligence and failure to provide safe environment with adequate protection, supervision, and care; negligent hiring of unsuitable personnel; negligent retention of unsuitable personnel; negligent supervision; gross negligence; and negligent misrepresentation. "The appalling, widespread allegations of the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of vulnerable children entrusted to Devereux's care shine a light on this large-scale institutional child abuse," notes Lieff Cabraser partner Annika K. Martin, who represents the plaintiffs in the action. "Given its scale, securing immediate relief to stop any ongoing abuses from continuing is as important to our team as getting justice for those who have suffered the abuses at Devereux over the years and even decades." One of the largest behavioral health organizations in the country, Devereux has more than 7,500 staff members across 21 facilities in 13 states. Included among Devereux's facilities and programs are residential treatment centers, psychiatric hospitals, group homes, supported living communities, schools, special education centers, and outpatient programs that focus on troubled youth, including those with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and specialty mental health needs. QualityHealth Saffing, LLC is a subsidiary of Devereux that was formed to assist Devereux with recruiting and retaining individuals to work in the field of behavioral health.



Rather than fulfilling its promise and solemn responsibility to protect children among the country's most vulnerable youth, as the complaint alleges Devereux instead "exposed [vulnerable youth] to predators and abusers...failed to enact safety measures and other policies to protect the children, failed to adequately screen, hire, train, and supervise staff, and failed to fulfill its duties under state and federal law." As a result of Devereux's alleged misconduct, children in Devereux facilities across the country have been reportedly sexually abused - often by Devereux staff. As reported by the media, some sexual abuse cases against Devereux have already gone to court, including one that led to a jury verdict of $60 million for the plaintiff victim. Widespread media attention has focused on the sexual abuse allegations against Devereux; in August 2020, the Philadelphia Inquirer released a devastating report detailing decades of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse inflicted upon these especially vulnerable children by Devereux staff members. The report revealed that "at least 41 children as young as 12, and with IQs as low as 50, have been raped or sexually assaulted by Devereux staff members in the last 25 years."

"Given not just the breadth and severity of the allegations against Devereux, but also the sheer number of children still residing under Devereux's control and supervision," notes Sauder Schelkopf partner Joe Sauder, who also represents the plaintiffs, "we are committed to moving this case forward and getting protection and justice for our clients and the larger class as quickly as possible." The complaint goes on to allege that after the Inquirer's August 2020 report was published, an additional 13 former Devereux students came forward about the sexual abuse they experienced. These children were as young as 8 years old when they were reportedly sexually abused. Twelve of the children were allegedly abused in Pennsylvania Devereux facilities, and one was allegedly abused in a Delaware facility. Seven of those children reportedly complained to Devereux staff or a social worker while the abuse was happening, but their complaints were allegedly ignored, and the abuse continued. The complaint includes allegations of the rape and sexual abuse of inpatient clients as well as abuses committed by fellow inpatients that were ignored and/or suppressed by Devereux staff and management. Some patients who raised such allegations claim they were not only disregarded but punished for initiating complaints, including the withholding of food, physical restraint, isolation, and even physical abuse. The lawsuit seeks damages as well as injunctive relief to enjoin Devereux and QualityHealth Staffing from continuing any alleged conduct that threatens imminent harm to the proposed class-vulnerable children drawn from more than a dozen U.S. states. "Protecting children from abuse is the highest calling in our society," notes Lieff Cabraser partner Mark P. Chalos, who also represents the plaintiffs. "We intend to hold the wrongdoers accountable and to prevent them from endangering children in the future." View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126006110/en/

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VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - CuePath Innovation Ltd ("CuePath", or "the Company") announced today that the Company has signed a Service Agreement ("the Agreement") with The Care Company, an Ontario-based at-home care provider for seniors and chronic health patients. The Agreement makes CuePath's Medication Adherence as a Service (MAAS) a standard service offering provided to The Care Company's growing client population. Through the Agreement, both CuePath and The Care Company are delivering a Home Care industry first: medication adherence monitoring with real-time client data to quickly identify clients with extra needs, and ultimately provide the freedom to age-at-home for longer.

"Over the past year the demand for innovative virtual care solutions has accelerated. We have evaluated multiple technologies that help with medication adherence, and CuePath is the only one we've found that does not require a senior to change their medication dispensing system or pharmacy providers," stated Kris Aiken, CEO & Co-Founder of The Care Company. "This is a solution that is simple to implement and cost effective. The Care Company is proud to be the first Home Care provider in the city of Toronto to offer this to our clients."

"We are so pleased to announce not just our CueCare Plus product and service launch in North America, but also the immediate help we can provide to so many people left to deal with their complex medication regimen alone during the Covid-19 pandemic," said Ken Piaggio, CEO of CuePath Innovation. "Our mission is to help improve the quality of life of seniors at home through better medication adherence, and we are excited by the response we have received from Home Care agencies across North America. We are here to help."

About CuePath

CuePath is a Vancouver-based company providing real-time Medication Adherence as a Service (MAAS) to North American Home Care Agencies and their clients. CueCare Plus is a contactless solution for remote patient medication monitoring and adherence that requires no behavior change for patients currently using standard pharmacy blister packs. CueCare Plus detects and helps resolve prescription medication adherence problems before they start, reducing the need for health care workers to provide in-person medication adherence services, along with a staggering number of unnecessary hospital intakes amongst this patient population.

CuePath's proprietary printed electronic sticker is easy for pharmacists to apply to the back of conventional prescription drug blister packaging. Along with a low-cost plug-and-play internet gateway, the CuePack reminds patients who take their medication late, at the wrong time, or who forget altogether, first electronically by our CueCall system, and then by an in-person call. Home Care Agencies receive instant, time-series medication adherence reports on each patient and can prioritize home care calls accordingly.

www.cuepath.com

About The Care Company

Everything we do is done with the sole purpose of creating a better life for people with medical or support needs who want to live at home. We offer concierge service where we coordinate all your needs at no extra charge. Your care comes with free nursing oversight available to you 24/7 from our care managers. Our Reliability pledge means you can count on knowing that "no visit goes unfilled." Our Care Squad is made up of Companions, Personal support workers, Nurses and Physiotherapists who are available around the clock to keep you or your loved one living where they want to be. When you hire The Care Company, you are choosing a better life for those at home.

www.carecompany.com

CuePath Innovation

Ken Piaggio

CEO

Safe Harbour for Forward-Looking Information Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking information based on management's expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and financial results are forward-looking statements. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. There is no guarantee that the Company's technology can or will improve processes in the target industry; even if the Company's technology can be used as described in this document, there is no guarantee that such use will result in orders for the Company's technology.

SOURCE CuePath Innovation Ltd

Related Links

www.cuepath.com


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PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour (Ministry VSA) has established a COVID-19 Taskforce to make sure Sint Maarten will be well prepared when the vaccine will arrive from the Netherlands.

Ministry VSA is aware of the urgent need for information, and clarification and the ministry would want to ensure you that the Taskforce has been working day and night to make sure to create a smooth, fair and safe National Vaccination Implementation Strategy.

In the last month, a lot of work has been done in the background to lay the groundwork for this huge logistics challenge. As there are still uncertainties regarding the exact date of arrival, amount, and type of vaccines, all possibilities had to be considered.

This week the Taskforce will be strengthened with the arrival of Henk Veerdig as the official Vaccine Manager, who will report directly to the Minister of Public Health.

Part of the responsibilities of this Taskforce is also the distribution of information to the public, via an information and public awareness campaign, which will commence this week.

Information will be disseminated via the official Government mediums of the Department of Communication (DCOMM) such as the Website (sintmaartengov.org), Facebook, Government Information Page, Public Service Announcements (PSAs), St. Maarten Cable TV, YouTube, among other Non-governmental, communication and private sector entities.

The Taskforce works closely with other Kingdom partner communication groups from Curacao, Aruba, the Caribbean Netherlands (Saba, Sint Eustatius & Bonaire), and the Netherlands to ensure a consistent communications effort throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
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.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  City Councilman Carlos Menchaca has a progressive vision for the citys future that he thinks makes him an ideal candidate in the upcoming mayoral election.

Menchaca, a Democrat who represents part of Brooklyn including Sunset Park and Red Hook, is part of a deep field of candidates running to replace outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio in the November election.

With a progressive policy approach to things like economic inequality and a long background in New York City government, Menchaca said he feels the most qualified among the more than 20 candidates.

Its exactly because the city is facing these enormous challenges, Menchaca said when asked why he was the best candidate. I bring leadership and compassion and progressive policies that are going to be needed to make those changes happen.

Before his current role in the City Council, Menchaca served as the LGBT and HIV/AIDS liaison for former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and as a budget and policy coordinator for former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

During his time in the City Council, Menchaca has had 24 pieces of legislation he authored signed into law, including a bill that brought the city its first municipal identification card (IDNYC). Those cards are available to all residents of the city regardless of immigration status.

As City Council chair of the Committee on Immigration, he made the issue a central part of his time in office. The councilman has appeared on Staten Island multiple times with leaders of the local immigrant community.

In addition to IDNYC, Menchaca, who is from Texas and is the first Mexican-American elected to any office in New York state, helped secure public defense funding for undocumented immigrants, and supported programs for day laborers.

Menchaca drew particular controversy over his opposition to a rezoning that wouldve allowed the expansion of Sunset Parks Industry City  a complex of former warehouse buildings at Bush Terminal that have been renovated, drawing a variety of businesses, including tech companies, retail outlets, and a training facility for the Brooklyn Nets.

Industry City representatives argued that the expansion would provide for thousands of jobs and business partnerships that would improve the community. Opponents to the project argued that the proposal was outdated and pointed to other such projects, like the Hudson Yards development, in which developers economic promises never materialized.

Ultimately, the developers withdrew their rezoning application after a congressional delegation that included Rep. Jerry Nadler, the Democrat who represents the area, joined Menchaca and local activists in their opposition to the project.

The Sunset Park Industry City rezoning proposal would exacerbate real estate pressures, lead to rent increases, and accelerate the gentrification that is eroding Sunset Park's affordability. I joined @NydiaVelazquez & others in urging the NYC City Council to reject the proposal. pic.twitter.com/i53mibGVPR  Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) September 22, 2020

I think it was something that never really happened before, where this massive, massive developer pulled their application in response to our community alignment, where even the congressional team stepped in, Menchaca said, adding that his opposition also considered a lack of commitments from the city.

Part of the reason it was a bad deal was that the city was not ready to come in with any resources, Menchaca continued. We wanted this particular application to be better and the city just refused to do that. As mayor, thats the first place we start.

On the issue of job creation, Menchaca said his focus is on creating work that will benefit a sustainable, green economy, like the wind turbine staging and assembly site Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed for the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal last week. The terminal is part of Menchacas district.

Like Staten Island, Sunset Park felt a significant impact from Superstorm Sandy in 2012, which Menchaca said helped influence his focus on economic development that considers environmental impact.

With the major challenges of the pandemic, its economic fallout, and months-long protests that have called criminal justice practices into question, the candidate said he thinks new ideas are what the city needs  particularly on issues that have been put off by previous administrations.

Council Member Carlos Menchaca attends a vigil Wednesday, October 7, 2020 for a cyclist killed in Brooklyn. (Courtesy: New York City Council)

What COVID did is that it exposed everything we need to be thinking about, Menchaca said.

For example, Menchaca said he wants to address economic inequality and affordability for the New Yorkers who have lived here through the pandemic.

On the issue of criminal justice, Menchaca said he thinks the city needs a mayor who is willing to take on the NYPD, and reaffirm civilian control of the department.

He believes that can be achieved by taking funds from the departments budget and putting them toward things like mental health and social services. On the $1 billion cut from the department in last years budget, Menchaca called it an accounting gimmick.

Im questioning whether or not our Police Department is civilian-run, Menchaca said. What we want to do is build a better public safety system that allows us to service our neighborhoods with qualified staff to address mental health issues.

Not to be outdone by fellow mayoral candidate Andrew Yang, he said hell be pushing for a universal basic income during his last term in the City Council. Yang made the concept of a government-funded universal income to all Americans a central part of his failed bid for the presidency last year.

Overall, the city councilman said that improving the city will take an approach that considers all of the citys challenges before moving forward.

Its just about priorities and courage to make that happen, he said.
New Delhi: Thousands of protesting farmers camping at the Singhu and Tikri border points of the national capital took out a tractor march against Centres three farm laws, broke police barricades and clashed with cops on Tuesday morning forcing the police to order a mild lathi-charge on protesters as they forced their way into the capital city.

According to officials, security personnel tried hard to convince the farmers that they have been given permission to hold their tractor parade in Delhi after the Republic Day parade at the Rajpath concludes. "But some groups of farmers did not relent and started moving towards the Outer Ring Road breaking police barricades," an official said.

The protesting farmers also tore a poster of the ruling BJP near the Tikri border as they proceeded with their tractor march.

Delhi Police had to use tear gas shells after isolated incidents of a scuffle between protestors and police took place at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar and protestors took over a police vehicle.

A member of the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 unions, leading the protest against the three Central farm laws at several border points of Delhi, said those who broke the barricades belonged to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.

#WATCH Farmers tractor rally in protest against the Centre's farm laws gets underway at Tikri border Tractor rally route: Tikri border-Nangloi-Baprola Village-Najafgarh-Jharoda border-Rohtak bypass-Asoda toll plaza#RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/yTr2gaHY7w  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

He said the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha's tractor parade will start as scheduled after police give farmers way. The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee on Monday announced that they would hold their march on Delhi's busy Outer Ring Road on Republic Day.

The protesting unions have also announced a foot march to Parliament on February 1, when the annual Budget is presented, to press for their demands including a repeal of the three new agriculture laws.

Heavy security has been deployed in view of the 'Kisan Gantantra Parade' that will move into Delhi from the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points.

India is celebrating its 72nd Republic Day on Tuesday (January 26, 2021), which will be the first to be organized amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, the Republic Day celebrations will be a quieter affair as there will be a shorter parade, no chief guest to grace the occasion and much less public participation in the event.

Despite all restrictions and COVID-19 safety protocols, India will show its military might with Rafale fighter jets taking part in the Republic Day flypast for the first time and the armed forces showcasing T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system, Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets, among others.

According to a Defence Ministry statement, a total of 32 tableaus -- 17 from states and union territories, six from the Defence ministry and nine from other Union ministries and paramilitary forces -- depicting the nation's rich cultural heritage, economic progress and defence prowess will roll down the Rajpath at the Republic Day Parade.
She has been on vacation for the past week with her BFF Kylie and Kendall Jenner.

And Stassie Karanikolaou is making the most of her vacation content by sharing yet more bikini snaps from their luxury trip to Mexico.

On Monday, the make-up mogul's BFF, 22, showed off her incredible curves in a red bikini while sipping on what appeared to be a margarita cocktail, with the caption: 'Spicy mami.'

Striking a pose: Kylie Jenner's BFF Stassie Karanikolaou calls herself a 'spicy mami' as she stuns wearing a red bikini during luxury getaway in Mexico

The snap had been taken in the luxurious accommodation where the group of pals are currently staying during their time in South America.

The Instagram model has been whisked away by the sisters with a handful of pals on a lavish vacation where they soaked up the sun at a luxury villa.

Taking to Instagram last Thursday to giving a further glimpses into her dreamy getaway, Stassie posed up a storm in a black Fashion Nova bikini as she suggestively told her followers, 'enjoy the view.'

Leaning into island life, she stripped down to a black high rise bikini with an underwire top as she showed off her trim waist and accentuated backside.

Bottoms up! The influencer appeared to be sipping a spicy margarita while posing in her red bikini

She kept her brown locks down and sported a light face of makeup as she showed off her sun kissed skin while posing on a cobblestone path with tropical views.

The post acquired a slew of comments from the KarJenner clan as Kylie wrote, 'i will thank u,' and Khloe posted, 'Ummmm Does someone want to explain to me what is going on? The sexiness is at an all-time high.'

Stassie and her pals continued to live it up in paradise as they were seen spending the day by the pool and enjoying the sunset in Jalisco.

Wow! Stassie Karanikolaou shared a further insight into their idyllic getaway on Thursday, as she posted a sizzling bikini snap on her Instagram page

Mexican getaway: Stassie has jetted on holiday with sisters Kylie and Kendall Jenner

Their accommodation of choice - Ocean Castle Sol De Oriente - costs a whopping $7K a night and boasts 12 rooms and unobstructed ocean views.

The fancy friends were seen drinking tequila til their heart's' content and naturally posting loads of Instagram content.

Nothing new for the reality television family, they have been seen globetrotting throughout the entire pandemic, making no effort to taper back their wealth and vacation outfits.

Becoming an influencer in her own right on account of her cozy relationship with the Kardashians and her exaggerated curves, Stassie has garnered quite the following on social media.

Travel bug: The makeup mogul has traveled all over the world during the pandemic

Relaxation: An oiled up Kendall flashed her model figure while indulging in a poolside margarita

Luxury digs: The friends splashed out on a multi-night stay at the Ocean Castle Sol De Oriente in Jalisco

Photo op: The friends had no qualms about posting from paradise amid the pandemic as they have done an extensive amount of traveling during the pandemic

Mamacita: Vacation outfits to boot, Jenner paid no mind to splashing out money for a couple days away

Though Stassie and Kylie spent New Year's Eve apart with the reality star in Aspen and Karanikolaou in the Bahamas, the longtime friends reunited for a girls' weekend where they goofed around.

Micheladas on the menu and lots of chips and guacamole, they put on a silly display on TikTok with Carter Gregory, the Villarroel sisters and Sydney Carlson.

Not present for the exclusive retreat was Stassie's beau Noah Centineo. The pair were first linked back in the fall and were seen packing on the PDA at a Halloween party shortly thereafter.
The Global Unions Federations and the International Trade Union Confederation call on the Egyptian president to order the immediate release of Ahmed Khalifa, social news editor at Egypt 360 website.

Read the full statement here:

Ahmed Khalifa, social news editor at Egypt 360 website, was arrested on 6th January after publishing a series of factual reports about workers protests.

He was charged on 16th January with joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and using the internet to commit a crime, and remains in detention.

The Global Unions Federations and the International Trade Union Confederation call on the Egyptian president to order his immediate release.

Before his arrest, Khalifa published several reports about workers strikes at the state-owned ElDelta Company for Fertilizers and Chemical Industry. In December 2020, the workers and their families organized protests and a sit-in for three weeks, after the plan to modernize the factory was replaced by an order to reallocate it to another city 150km away, without proper consultations with the workers as required by law. According to reports , security forces arrested eight workers on 31 December including four union leaders. Three days later they were charged with incitement and disruption of production.

The global trade union movement condemns Khalifas detention simply for doing his job and demands his immediate release. Labour leaders are especially outraged that his factual reporting on workers protests has been considered as false news and a crime by the attorney general.

President Abdul Fattah Al- Sisi bears the ultimate responsibility for the detention of Khalifa and must set him free. Since president Sisi took office in 2014, his security forces have led a repressive campaign against critical journalists and the media, union leaders, human rights defenders and civil society activists. On 22 January, the UN Special Rapporteurs on protection of human rights and freedom of expression deplored the Egyptian authoritys criminalization of fundamental human rights. According to the recent EU Parliament Resolution on Human Rights in Egypt , thousands are currently in jail in life threatening conditions. There are currently 25 imprisoned journalists in Egypt according to the IFJ , this makes it the second biggest jailer of journalists in the world, only surpassed by Turkey.

We demand the immediate release of jailed union leaders, workers, journalists and all those who are currently jailed in Egypt for practicing their basic rights.

We stand united in solidarity with the Egyptian workers who are struggling to secure a decent life for their families and with all journalists and human rights activists who are paying a heavy price for making their voices heard.

This statement is supported by: ATUC/ITUC, EI, IFJ, ITF, IUF PSI, UNI Global
GREENWICH  Three clinics to vaccinate against COVID-19 open this week in Greenwich but health officials arent sure if supply will meet the demand.

Monday, Greenwich Hospital opened a clinic on the Brunswick School campus on King Street and Family Centers Inc. began providing vaccines at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center. And on Tuesday, the towns Health Department will begin providing vaccinations at Town Hall.

Greenwich Hospitals clinic launched smoothly on Monday morning with 251 appointments scheduled through the day. The Civic Center opening went without a hitch, organizers said.

Among those who stood in line was Nancy DeFilippo, who said she was very eager to get the shot and very happy to get scheduled.

Theyre making it very easy here in Brunswick, DeFilippo said. Im hoping to get some normalcy back in my life. Ive been very serious about isolating and being careful. Im 78 and I dont want to get very, very sick. Its kind of a relief today just to know Im on that path now.

However, all three locations are dealing with the same challenge taking place across the country: insufficient supply of the vaccine to meet the demand of people who are eligible, health officials said.

Late last week, Greenwich Hospital had to temporarily suspend making new vaccination appointments for its Brunswick School and 500 West Putnam Ave. clinics so it could make sure it had enough to provide both shots to everyone who had already signed up.

On Monday, Greenwich Hospital President Diane Kelly said the hospitals website at ynhhs.org/covidvaccine was taking appointments again but limited by the supply of vaccine.

Were going to have to go day by day when we open up appointments for January, Kelly said. We are opening them as we get clarification of how much allocation (of vaccine) were going to receive for the month of February.

Kelly suggested eligible people looking to make their appointments check the website every day.

When we have the ability to get the vaccine out, we definitely want to fill that up, Kelly said. But we also have to be mindful that were working in the collaboration with the state and that there are challenges that everyone is experiencing.

The state does not have a lot of vaccine coming in ... to deal with the demand so all vaccination sites may not be getting what they ordered, Baisley said. The vaccination sites, including ours, can keep up with the demand if there was enough vaccine. Vaccine production and distribution cannot keep up with the population demand in the U.S. This affects all states including Connecticut.

What about when Phase 1b expands?

Health officials also said they worried that expanding vaccination during Phase 1b  when seniors 65 to 75, younger people who are vulnerable to the virus because of co-morbidities and those deemed essential workers in Connecticut  could mean the existing vaccine supply will not be able to meet those numbers.

Kelly said the entire Yale New Haven Health System is working with the state and waiting for guidance on when to offer those vaccinations and what defines an essential worker.

Clinic and appointment information Vaccines are currently being given by appointment three days a week (schedule to find out which days) at the town-run clinic at Town Hall; 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Family Center-run clinic at the Civic Center; and 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. seven days a week at the Greenwich Hospital-run clinic at Brunswick School, 1252 King St. Schedules can change as circumstances (and vaccine) demand. Under the state's Phase 1b, seniors 75 and older are eligible to be vaccinated, a process that takes two shots. Appointments are being made through the federal government's Vaccine Administration Management System, which is being overseen in the state by the Department of Public Health online at dphsubmissions.ct.gov/onlinevaccine for the town's clinic at Town Hall or Family Centers at the civic center. For appointments for Greenwich Hospital, use the hospital's website at ynhhs.org/covidvaccine Town Director of Health Caroline Baisley said her department is providing help to seniors without internet access. Call 203-622-7703, 203-622-7842, 203-622-7836, 203-622-7865 or 203-622-7614 or call the town's Commission on Aging at 203-862-6710. See More Collapse

I believe we will have what we need (to vaccinate people in Phase 1b), Kelly said. I just dont know the timing. It may take longer than everybody wants because we all want to get past this collectively. But I know everyone at every level, whether state or nationally, are working very hard to get this vaccine out.

Production of the vaccine is expected to ramp up given the order signed last week by President Joe Biden under the Defense Production Act but it is unclear when those vaccines will be getting to the states.

Dennis Torres, Family Centers chief health officer, said Family Centers orders its vaccine a week in advance for its appointments, but there is no guarantee the site will get the vaccine it ordered: Last week they requested 300 vaccines but were given 200.

You dont really know of what you ask for how many youre actually going to get until the end of the week, Torres said. It makes it a little harder for planning. I think once they open the faucets we can start booking out further in advance because the last thing we want to do is cancel appointments. We only create appointments for vaccine they have.

He suggested that people use the VAMS system to get enrolled and accepted as eligible, which would allow them to see available appointments anywhere, not just in Greenwich.

For those who want specifically to go to the civic center, Torres said appointments will be posted by them on Friday and people can search the Greenwich zip code on the VAMS system for Family Centers.

A busy first day

The clinic on at Brunswick is being held in the gymnasium. On Monday, large road signs on King Street alerted people where to go and police officers were providing information. Once inside, there was a temperature screening and registration before people got their vaccinations.

Masks were mandatory for all and seats were wiped clean after each use. People receiving the vaccine were asked to remain for observation for 15 to 30 minutes to make sure there were no side effects.

The hospital also had set up a place for pictures by a sign saying I did my part to #CRUSHCOVID by getting vaccinated.

At mid-morning Monday, recipients of the vaccine and hospital employees said they felt things were running smoothly. All the hospital employees assigned to the clinic have received their vaccinations as part of Phase 1a in the state, which covered front-line medical workers.

My son-in-law is a doctor and my daughter is an EMT and weve been very restricted, said Jayne Schiff, in line for a vaccination Monday. Its been difficult. Weve had to Zoom a lot of holidays. ... Im not going to be running around even after getting vaccinated.

Westport resident John Backus said he came to Greenwich very eagerly Monday, taking the first appointment he could get in the region. The 91-year-old man said he didnt want to hesitate.

I couldnt wait to get it, Backus said. The whole process was very easy. I called this morning to get this appointment and when I heard they had this appointment here this morning, I told them sold!

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
Catoosa County government has launched a COVID-19 vaccine hotline in partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health. Beginning Tuesday, Catoosa County residents can call 800-8004 and provide basic contact information so that they can be scheduled for appointments to receive COVD-19 vaccinations.

The Ringgold Telephone Company is providing 15 phone lines, equipment and support dedicated to the Catoosa County COVID-19 vaccine hotline call center at the Catoosa County Colonnade.

Catoosa County government and Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce employees will staff the call center Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. until further notice.

The Catoosa County Health Department, an affiliate of the Georgia Department of Public Health, will continue to take calls through its phone line at (706) 406-2022 from residents who wish to sign up for COVID-19 vaccines as well as other routine Health Department business. More information from GADPH is available at https://nwgapublichealth.org/ and https://dph.georgia.gov/.

Supplies of COVID-19 vaccine remain limited throughout the region. COVID-19 vaccinations are currently only available by appointment to residents 65 years old and up, health care workers and first responders.




While people often feel powerless to help the vast number of refugees fleeing war, famine and persecution, one group of local people from Naas decided to do something about it.

Through a Government programme, they volunteered to help a Syrian family come to Ireland and build a new life in Naas.

The Naas Community Sponsorship Group (NCSG) was set up under the Community Sponsorship Programme Ireland, in initiative of the Government of Ireland.

In traditional refugee resettlement models, the state provides resettlement and integration services directly to refugees.

Under the new scheme, groups of private citizens become the face of welcome for new arrivals, committing to providing financial, emotional and settlement support to them.

This is a national programme that offers communities anywhere in the country a chance to take responsibility for the integration of a refugee family into their community.

The Naas group was set up in 2019 by local Naas resident Frieda Donohue, who was moved to action by the distressing images she saw in the media of refugees fleeing war.

Once Frieda decided to do something , she found many others in the community who also wanted to help.

There are now 12 members in the group, all local residents who bring a range of relevant financial, administrative and other skills to the project.

The group arrange all aspects of the family's integration, from finding the family home for the first two years after their arrival, to helping the family set up a bank account, learn English and register children in local schools.

Elaine McHale, a member of the group explained that preparing to welcome a Syrian refugee family to Naas, though challenging, is also very exciting.

I had previous experience of working with a Sudanese family who came to Naas eight years ago. Their eldest daughter is now studying medicine in Trinity and her sister is studying law. Families like this have so much to offer our community and they now consider Naas their home.

Many people have no option but to flee their homes and countries to try to build a new life in a foreign country, often with a very different culture.

Elaine says that while governments can do a lot to help refugees at one level, it's local communities who help rebuild the lives of these families.

The Naas group have raised the required initial funding for the project (10,000) through fundraising in the local community.

They have also completed a resettlement plan that will ensure that all the necessary supports are in place to help the family become fully integrated in Naas.

Their final challenge in preparing for the arrival of the family is finding suitable accommodation. The lack of available accommodation has proven the biggest challenge for us says Elaine.

The family can't be selected until we have found a house and, while we're desperate not to delay their arrival anymore than necessary, we are finding it extremely difficult to find a property.

The group has held information evenings, spoken to local estate agencies, placed articles in the local press and posted on social media.

They have given public talks in the local churches, written to local developers and larger corporations to ask for support.

We are now trying to reach out to more people who may be able to help us to find a property. We know how difficult it is for so many families to find accommodation in a housing crisis, but we really feel that this is such a deserving cause.

A family enduring very difficult conditions in a refugee camp in Lebanon is awaiting accommodation.

We will happily look at any property within the Naas area. We have a limited budget, but we would be happy to carry out basic decorative work if required. We hope that there are property owners who would like to have a guaranteed rental income for two years. We will be there to support the family throughout the two year period," Elaine added.

The group is greatly encouraged by the success stories in other communities like Dunshaughlin who welcomed the first community sponsorship family in 2019.

And they remind the public that Irish pe0ple were once refugees during the Great Famine.

For further information please contact naascsg@gmail.com.
The House is poised to deliver to the Senate on Monday its article of impeachment charging former President Donald J. Trump with incitement of insurrection, formally advancing the process even as the trial itself has been delayed.

At 7 p.m., the House impeachment managers will march the charge across the Capitol. That is the official, if ceremonial, start of the Senate trial process, during which the managers are expected to make their case that Mr. Trump should be held accountable for his role in inciting the deadly assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6. Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland and the lead impeachment manager, will read the article on the Senate floor.

Senate leaders last week struck a deal to pause the trial until the week of Feb. 8 to give the prosecution and the defense time to draft and exchange legal briefs, a timetable that also allows President Biden time to install members of his cabinet. Senators will be sworn in as jurors on Tuesday.

During that period, the Senate will continue to do other business for the American people, such as cabinet nominations and the Covid relief bill, which would provide relief for millions of Americans who are suffering during this pandemic, said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader.
Regime forces have targeted opposition positions in the Jabal al-Zawiya region, with artillery and missiles reports North Press.

Syrian government forces targeted positions of the Turkish-backed armed opposition groups in the Jabal al-Zawiya region, in southern Idleb Governorate.

The government forces bombardment comes amid mutual targeting with the armed groups, which has been taking place in areas that have been part of the de-escalation zone for months.

On Saturday, Syrian government forces bombed sites of the armed opposition groups in the al-Ghab Plain west of Hama, and Jabal al-Zawiya south of Idleb.

On Sunday, two militants from the Turkish-backed National Liberation Front were killed when they were targeted by government forces in Toffahiyah village north of Lattakia.

A military source from the armed groups told North Press that the government forces shelled their positions at the opening of the village of Benin, in the Jabal al-Zawiya region, with artillery and missiles.

The bombardment of the armed groups positions in the aforementioned areas resulted in significant material losses of public and private property.

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.
      - Egypt News :   :  20  2021

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NEWARK, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Triple Ring Technologies is pleased to announce that it is now operating in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. These two new locations are key to supporting Triple Ring's clients throughout Europe and North America, and furthering the company's reach as a top-tier Medical Device & Life Sciences co-development partner.

Triple Ring believes Denmark's healthcare innovation ecosystem, built around world-class academic institutions, biopharmaceutical and medical technology industries, and tightly aligned hospital system, make it an ideal location to support the European market. The company has forged strong relationships with the Danish government, industry innovators, and academic institutions and their incubator facilities. Triple Ring has also hosted the US-Denmark MedTech Partnership Conference in Copenhagen and Silicon Valley, and plans to resume the conference series when conditions permit.

"We are very excited to have established Triple Ring's presence in Copenhagen this year and look forward to growing our business into Scandinavia and the European Union," said Christina Pedersen, Vice President of Projects. "This is an ideal base of operations for Triple Ring as we bring our world class co-development services to the continent."

The Toronto, Ontario region is another dynamic healthcare innovation hub in which Triple Ring is excited to participate.Toronto has established an excellent technology development and investment community, with particular strengths in artificial Intelligence, by combining the efforts of government, academia, and industry. Triple Ring aims to contribute to the growth of this ecosystem through partnerships with top universities, major research hospitals, life science and medical device companies, and investment organizations. The company has already begun relationships with pioneers in the region, and it looks to continue to grow its presence in the ecosystem.

"It is gratifying to see Triple Ring's international footprint grow, particularly in these two important geographies," said Joe Heanue, CEO of Triple Ring. "We are excited by the opportunities this expansion provides in bringing critical innovation services to the medical device and life sciences industries."

About Triple Ring

Triple Ring Technologies is a co-development company headquartered in Silicon Valley, with offices in Boston, Toronto, and Copenhagen. They partner with clients, primarily in medtech and life sciences, to create new technologies, launch innovative projects, and start new ventures. Their capabilities span strategic investment, incubation, early R&D, product development, manufacturing, regulatory approval, and market access.

Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/company/triple-ring-technologies

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Rising health care costs over the last decade have led to a boom in Americans crowdfunding for their medical expenses, according to data published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA).

I personally think these kinds of platforms have just shown how bad the situation is, Suveen Angraal, a second-year resident physician at the University of Missouri and one of the co-authors of the report, told Yahoo Finance. This more reflects the ongoing problem with the cost of health care than revealing a new issue that the cost is rising.

The JAMA research found that between May 2010 and December 2018, 26.7% of the 1,056,455 fundraisers on the crowdfunding site GoFundMe were for health-related costs. And those health-related campaigns sought a collective total of nearly $10.3 billion and raised about $3.7 billion.

Crowdfunding has become increasingly popular. (Chart: JAMA)

In 2010, the U.S. spent $2.6 trillion on health care. In 2018, the overall cost had soared to $3.6 trillion. And during that same time period, tens of thousands of Americans turned to crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe to raise money for their medical bills.

"It is an absolute moral outrage that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, our people are forced to hold online fundraisers amounting to billions of dollars just to get the medical care they need to stay alive, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), an outspoken critic of the current U.S. health care system, said in a statement to Yahoo Finance when asked about the findings. The time is long overdue for America to join the rest of the industrialized world and guarantee health care as a human right for all."

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In a statement to Yahoo Finance, GoFundMe also stressed the need for affordable access to comprehensive health care.

While GoFundMe can provide timely, critical help to people facing health care crisis, we do not aim to be a substitute social safety net, the company stated. A fundraising platform can not and should not be a solution to complex, systemic problems that must be solved with meaningful public policy ... action must be taken at the local, state, and federal levels of government to make this a reality for all Americans. But in the meantime, we will continue to work hard to provide a place where Americans can help one another during times of need.

Story continues

Billions of dollars sought

Angraal highlighted the sheer growth in the number of the fundraisers related to medical debt.

In 2010, there were just 42 health care-related campaigns on GoFundMe, seeking a collective total of $717,125. But in 2018, that number shot up to 119,373 fundraisers seeking more than $4.6 billion.

Cancer is the most common medical condition fundraisers are seeking money for. (Chart: JAMA)

According to the study, cancer was the most common medical condition that funding was sought for.

Cancer therapy is expensive, and out-of-pocket costs for newly diagnosed patients with cancer frequently represent 23% to 63% of their household income, the report stated. Our study suggests that many patients are using online fundraisers to cope with the high financial burden due to cancer.

Trauma/injury was the second-most common medical condition for which funding was sought. Unexpected medical costs can incur high bills  the average emergency room visit charge is approximately $600, though surprise medical billing can lead to much higher costs.

Dr. Antoni Ribas speaks with cancer patient Stew Scannell before Scannell receives a dose of Lambrolizumab during a cancer treatment clinical trial at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles August 19, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

Not everyone is successful in raising enough money

The increased reliance on crowdfunding medical bills can cause problems down the road.

A 2019 survey from the NORC at the University of Chicago found that 20% of Americans have either contributed to a health care-related crowdfunding campaign or reported someone in their household who has.

But given that not all of the health-related GoFundMe campaigns between May 2010 and December 2018 were successful, what happens when the funds are not raised?

A crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe.

We dont really know what people do when they dont meet their campaign goals, Susan Cahn, senior research scientist at NORC, a non-partisan research institution at the University of Chicago, told Yahoo Finance. We dont know if they succeed in getting additional financial assistance, for example, from the hospital or maybe from another local group. Whats so interesting about crowdfunding is that it enables you to reach a much broader group of individuals.

Furthermore, the question arises: What would Americans burdened with medical debt do if crowdfunding sites werent around at all?

The thing if these platforms dont exist, well just see more people having a difficult time covering their health care costs, and its still the case, Angraal said. Even with these online fundraising platforms, not everyone is successful in raising enough money to pay for their bills.

Adriana is a reporter and editor covering politics and health care policy for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @adrianambells.

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Cloud driving public safety improvements

Public-safety organizations have more opportunity than ever to be efficient, interoperable and data-driven thanks to cloud computing, a panel of experts said during a webinar.

For instance, Californias Office of Emergency Services Public Safety Communications (PSC) Division turned to the cloud to use device-based location data for 911 callers. When that data first became available a few years ago, the equipment in the states public-safety answering points (PSAPs) couldnt integrate it. Now, 82% of the states 911 calls come from mobile devices, and with cloud, dispatchers can immediately view location data on their screens and verify it with callers.

Its a game-changer because now the dispatcher can reliably count on that location information thats coming in, said Budge Currier, 911 branch manager at PSC. He spoke during the Jan. 19 Public Safety and Justice Industry Digital Forum: The Future of Public Safety webinar hosted by Microsoft.

In Canada, the Calgary Police Service issues smartphones to all patrol officers, who then use them not only for communications, but also for investigations. Supervisors there have discussed eliminating mobile workstations -- laptops in police cars -- and using smartphones only, Brent Dyer, the services executive director of IT and infrastructure, said during the presentation.

Automation also plays an important role in policing today, added Kirk Lonbom, director of public-safety and justice strategy and solutions at Microsoft and former CIO and chief information security officer for the state of Illinois. Every responding agency is looking to free public-safety workers from lower-value tasks through bots and other tools. That will enable them to spend more time with the community, focusing on our job, Lonbom said.

Cloud-based videoconferencing is another way to accomplish that goal. Officers in Calgary have been attending morning meetings via Microsoft Teams videoconferences in their patrol cars, getting them onto their beats faster, Dyer said. The technology can also be used to establish instantaneous information-sharing and incident management channels across disciplines such as fire and emergency medical services.

We went from 10 people using Microsoft Teams  to having 800, 900, 1,000 people being able to use Teams. And just in this short period of time  short meaning a little less than a year  weve got people using this type of capability beyond my imagination, Dyer said. Thats just one example of how cloud and technology has changed how we do business.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the benefits -- but also the challenges -- of cloud, as public-safety organizations have, like many in the public and private sectors, scrambled to enable remote work.

When PSAPs have to shut down for a deep cleaning or because staff members have contracted COVID, the current technology we have deployed in California  just really doesnt support quickly moving those calls and that dispatch capability to another location, Currier said. Theres some huge technology barriers.

Plus, California requires that any time a 911 call moves from Point A to Point B, it must do so over a regulated service. That means 911 dispatchers working from home cannot use their own internet connection to answer a call. The state is in the process of deploying next-generation 911, which will enable calls to be routed anywhere, but until thats ready, PSC must work with local agencies, which have varying degrees of willingness to embrace new processes and technologies.

You have to map [technology solutions] with the realities of the organization thats answering the 911 call and how are they interacting with their radio systems, their computer-aided dispatch systems and all the other technology that those dispatchers need to have at their fingertips, Currier said. Those, I think, are the harder questions that we have to talk through. The technology side will probably be easier to solve than the operational side.

Early and current cloud adopters had an easier time adapting to remote-work needs when the pandemic hit, Lonbom said. At the same time, the crisis removed some of the barriers that other agencies had about trusting and using cloud. It will open the capabilities for public safety to really exploit the cloud, he said.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Microsoft has shared a new ad on YouTube titled 'Microsoft Surface Pro 7: The Better Choice, mocking Apples popular MacBook Pro laptop.

The new ad compares the MacBook Pro with Microsoft's Surface Pro 7, apparently mocking the MacBook Pro's lack of support for either a touch screen or a pen.

It also highlights the detachable keyboard of the Surface as well as support for various bits of software including games that macOS doesn't have.

Microsoft further takes a dig at the MacBook for not being a gaming device.

The Surface Pro, according to the ad, remains a "much better gaming device" than Apple MacBook Pro.

In the end, the price of the two products compared in US dollars.

MacBook Pro starts at $1,299 whereas the Surface Pro 7 starts at $890.

Comparing it to the prices in India, the 13-inch Intel-powered MacBook Pro with 512GB storage starts at Rs 1,74,900, and the M1-powered starts at Rs 1,22,900.

This is not the first time Microsoft has taken a dig at Apple in an advertisement.

The company previously compared the Surface Laptop 2 against the MacBook Air, stating that its notebook is better in performance and battery life.

Microsoft has long positioned its Surface devices as an ideal combination of both a tablet and computer experience.
Despite outside assistance from Russia, China and Iran, the embattled socialist regime of President Maduro has proven incapable of rebuilding Venezuelas once-mighty petroleum industry. According to the latest OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report Venezuelas December 2020 oil output averaged 431,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily. While that represents a 4% increase over a month earlier, it is still less than a quarter of Venezuelas average daily production for 2017 when the U.S. first placed sanctions on crude oil exports. The Latin American countrys once mighty oil industry, which is the backbone of the economy, is in inexorable decline. This is starkly evident when it is considered that not only was Venezuela once one of the worlds largest petroleum exporters, but it is home to the third-largest refinery complex yet suffers from crippling gasoline shortages. Even assistance from Russia, China and Iran has done little to improve the situation, leaving an already crippled oil industry and economy in a state of terminal decline. Much of Venezuelas aging oil infrastructure is nothing more than rusting hulks which operate intermittently and cause considerable environmental damage through a steady stream of oil spills. It will take a massive injection of capital, technology, expertise and skilled labor to rebuild Venezuelas shattered oil industry. That can only be provided by western oil majors if they can be enticed to invest in Venezuela once regime change occurs and U.S. sanctions are lifted. It is global energy supermajor Chevron which is ideally positioned to rebuild Venezuelas shattered oil industry. The integrated energy company has been operating in Venezuela for around 100-years and stayed in the strife-torn country long after rivals had quit. Chevrons Venezuelan assets pumped 23,000 barrels net per day during the second quarter 2020, although Chevron has ceased reporting on its operations in the country since that period. The companys key Venezuelan asset is its 39.2% interest in Petroboscan, a joint venture with national oil company PDVSA, which operates the Boscan field, a large heavy oil asset located west of Lake Maracaibo.

Related: Barclays: WTI To Average $52 In 2021

After being ordered by the Trump White House during April 2020 to wind down operations and prepare to leave Venezuela by 1 December 2020, Chevron elected to write-down the value of its assets in the troubled Latin American country. That saw the oil supermajor write down the full value of its Venezuelan assets and book an impairment charge totaling $2.6 billion for the second quarter of 2020. As a result, Chevron removed 160 million barrels of oil from its proven reserves and chose to cease reporting on production for its Venezuelan operations. That means Chevron is not only no longer required to report the performance of its Venezuela operations but its assets in the country are essentially worthless, giving it a clean slate when and if it can recommence operations.

Despite the pressure from Washington and that enormous impairment charge, Chevron remains committed to operating in crisis-riven Venezuela. When Washington announced that Chevron must wind down operations and prepare to leave the Latin American country, Chevron CEO Michael Wirth told CNBC;

We intend to comply, obviously, with the requirements of the Government, but were not actually winding down or leaving the country.

In November 2020, the U.S. Department of Treasury extended Chevrons authority to remain in Venezuela until 3 June 2021. At that time Ray Fohr External Affairs Advisor, Chevron Africa and South America issued the following statement:

Chevron will continue to comply with applicable laws and regulations in relation to the activities that it is authorized to undertake in Venezuela. We remain committed to the integrity of our joint venture assets, the safety and wellbeing of our employees and their families, and the companys social and humanitarian programs during these challenging times.

Related: The 5 Best Utility Stocks In 2021



This development essentially leaves the future of Chevrons ventures in Venezuela in the hands of President Joe Biden, who is likely to take a softer, more diplomatic and humanitarian approach to Venezuela. This augurs well for Chevrons ability to continue operating in Venezuela and one day once again realize the value of those assets and benefit from their considerable potential. It also means that Chevron, which has a long history of successfully navigating difficult geopolitical environments, will have a first mover advantage once Venezuela is open for investment from foreign energy companies.

Last week in a surprise announcement President Maduro stated that he intended opening Venezuelas hydrocarbon sector to investment. This forms a key part of his plan to expand Venezuelas oil production to 1.5 million barrels daily or almost four times greater than what was reported for November 2020. That comes a year after claims that Caracas was prepared to cede control of Venezuelas oil industry to a foreign energy major with names like Rosneft, Eni and Repsol being thrown around. Now that Venezuelas economy is in tatters and the economic backbone of the country has collapsed Maduro is recognizing the need for foreign technology, capital and labor to rebuild the petroleum sector.

Venezuelas oil industry is essentially the only part of a broken economy still functioning, albeit poorly, and will become a powerful lever for rebuilding the shattered country. That coupled with Bidens plans for a multilateral approach to Venezuela focused on restoring democratic institutions and alleviating the worst of the humanitarian crisis bodes well for the gradual rebuilding of the Latin American countrys oil industry. If that occurs, Chevrons asset value, oil reserves, production and ultimately profitability will ultimately receive a healthy bump.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Food safety advocates are calling on the United States Department of Agriculture to better protect consumers with new enforceable standards that will reduce, with an aim to ultimately eliminate, Salmonella types of greatest public health concern while continuing to target reductions in Salmonella and Campylobacter overall. The petition also asks the agency to require slaughterhouses to control risks in their supply chains, following best practices for food safety from farm to fork. The groups say the changes are needed in order to achieve public health goals for the coming decade.

In a regulatory petition filed today with USDA, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, and Stop Foodborne Illness (STOP), as well as David Clubb, Amanda Craten, Diana Goodpasture, Mary Graba, and Melissa Lee, individual victims of foodborne illness, are urging the agency's Food Safety and Inspection Service to target the strains of Salmonella that are of the greatest public health concern, as opposed to regulating Salmonella as a single species. One of the most common Salmonella strains in poultry products, Salmonella Kentucky, rarely causes illness in consumers, while other strains, such as Enteritidis and Heidelberg are far more likely to cause illness and send consumers to the hospital. Other strains, like Typhimurium and Infantis, are concerning because they are more likely to resist treatment with antibiotics.

The groups are also asking the agency to require slaughterhouses to adopt science-based tools to prevent animals from being infected by these bacteria on the farm, including by vaccinating live poultry and monitoring farms for the presence of dangerous bacteria. Such practices have been in effect for years in Europe, where they helped bring about substantial declines in foodborne illness rates.

"Consumers want to be able to trust that the food they eat is safe," said Amanda Craten, a petitioner and member of the Board of Directors at STOP, whose 18-month son was seriously injured and permanently disabled as a result of Salmonella-contaminated chicken. "My family wants nothing more than to ensure the USDA is using the best possible tools to keep others from suffering what we have suffered."

At the start of the last decade, USDA and other federal agencies committed to meeting the Healthy People 2020 goals, which aimed to improve the health and wellbeing of Americans, including by reducing the incidence of foodborne illness caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter. Yet at the close of 2020, progress on both fronts has been dismal: incidence of illness from both types of bacteria has remained as high, if not higher, than it was at the start of the decade.

"We have seen little progress in actually reducing the number of people getting sick from Salmonella or Campylobacter," said CSPI deputy director of regulatory affairs Sarah Sorscher. "A big reason for that is the USDA has yet to take full advantage of the best current technology and science to control foodborne disease from farm to fork."

New targets aimed at tackling illness from Salmonella and Campylobacter have been set for Healthy People 2030. These two pathogens together caused over 70 percent of the confirmed foodborne illnesses from bacteria or parasites tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network in the U.S. in 2019. Many of the illnesses are caused by contaminated raw poultry meat, which can sicken unsuspecting consumers after even seemingly minor lapses in at-home food safety practices.

"It's unacceptable that the USDA is lagging so far behind the science, other food safety regulatory bodies and some members of the poultry industry itself in requiring adequate controls to prevent illnesses from these bacteria," said Michael Taylor, a former USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service administrator and current board co-chair of STOP. "At the end of the day, the agency's priority should be protecting the consumer from preventable illness."

Other groups have also called for similar changes. In 2019, the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods, a committee of scientific experts that advises USDA, recommended that the agency consider pre-harvest controls and the development of approaches that prevent Salmonella strains of public health concern from contaminating raw poultry products.

"A science-based approach is imperative to identifying the measures and controls that will help reduce foodborne illness rates linked to Salmonella and Campylobacter," said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for Consumer Reports, and former USDA deputy undersecretary for food safety. "We must leverage FSIS' public health expertise, available science, and industry best practices in order to fully protect consumers."

The current petition comes nearly a year after a petition filed by food safety attorney Bill Marler on behalf of consumer groups, which called to ban 31 "outbreak serotypes" of Salmonella in meat and poultry. Two of the signatories to the Marler petition, Consumer Federation of America and Consumer Reports, also signed the petition submitted today, which builds on the Marler petition by laying out a process for USDA to create enforceable standards to target and ultimately eliminate priority Salmonella serotypes, as determined by USDA, while also addressing risks from Campylobacter and requiring slaughterhouses to control food safety risks all the way back to the farm.

"For too long, progress on reducing infections caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter in meat and poultry has stalled," said Thomas Gremillion, Director of Food Policy at Consumer Federation of America. "The science and technology available to reduce foodborne illness has advanced by leaps and bounds, but USDA food safety regulations have not kept up. That needs to change."

SOURCE Center for Science in the Public Interest

Related Links

cspinet.org


Weve been hearing since a while that ice in the polar regions is melting which is causing a rise in the water levels that is expected to cause irreversible damage to human and animal life in the future.

Getty Images

However, now, new research has revealed that approximately 28 trillion tonnes of ice has melted from our planet between the year 1994 and 2017.

To put things into perspective, this much ice can cover the whole nation of the United Kingdom in an ice sheet over 300 feet thick. Yes, that much!

This is according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Leeds -- the first-ever global survey of ice loss based on data collected from satellites around our planet.

Researchers looked at 215,000 mountain glaciers spread around the planet, the polar ice sheets in Greenland as well as Antarctica, ice shelves floating around Antarctica and sea ice drifting in the Arctic and Southern Oceans.

Researchers discovered that the annual rate of ice loss has spiked over 65 percent in the aforementioned 23-year period. As per the data the melt has been largely driven by massive losses from polar ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland.

Reuters

Thomas Slater, of the University of Leeds, explains, Although every region we studied lost ice, losses from the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets have accelerated the most. Sea-level rise on this scale will have very serious impacts on coastal communities this century.

Researchers believe that the exponential rise in ice loss is due to the warming up of the planets oceans which have seen temperatures rise of 0.26 degrees Celsius and 0.12 degrees Celsius, every decade since the year 1980. Out of the total ice melted, 32 percent is due to oceans whereas the rest 68 percent is due to atmospheric melting.

Paper author and earth scientist Isobel Lawrence further explained, Sea ice loss doesn't contribute directly to sea-level rise but it does have an indirect influence. One of the key roles of Arctic sea ice is to reflect solar radiation back into space which helps keep the Arctic cool.

Getty Images

He added, As the sea ice shrinks, more solar energy is being absorbed by the oceans and atmosphere, causing the Arctic to warm faster than anywhere else on the planet. Not only is this speeding up sea ice melt, it's also exacerbating the melting of glaciers and ice sheets which causes sea levels to rise.

Researchers have warned that not only will this cause a rise in sea levels, it will also affect freshwater resources for local communities.
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA)  Four people, including a forester, were killed on Monday evening in Nobere (Zoundweogo), when a vehicle carrying dynamite exploded, the Burkinabe news agency (AIB) reported on Tuesday

Impeachment

Regarding Dont let Trump off, (A12, Jan. 22): Enough! Americans are done with blowhards in both parties. Elected officials must work for the people instead of pushing another impeachment circus. Let it go and make America positive again.

Karen Stinson, Spring

If unity is President Bidens goal, then impeaching a president no longer in office makes no sense to me.

Jane Barnhill, Brenham

Regular Americans

Regarding Letters, (A11, Jan. 23): Its odd that here is so much negative commentary about Rep. Dan Crenshaws regular American comment since nobody seems to be able to define what a regular American is. But whoever they are, they must be bad given there is so much animosity. I believe Crenshaw was referring to the factory workers, waitresses, bus drivers, retired people, independent farmers, warehouse workers, police officers, fire fighters, military personnel, people who toil behind a desk each day and many, many more. They dont necessarily identify as anything other than what they are and want to earn a decent living without excessive regulation, dont want their college loans forgiven and believe in the inviolability of our borders. However, for those that worship at the altar of identity politics, they are also Black, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish, Muslim, gay, transgender, Republican and Democrat. They just choose not to identify as such and want to be known as a regular guy who the government also cares about.

Kenneth Campbell, Houston

I am dismayed that the Houston Chronicle and several readers interpreted Rep. Dan Crenshaws reference to regular Americans as bigoted. To me regular Americans are people of all races, religion and gender who are just trying to live our lives the best that we can and are tired of being told what is best for us by wealthy elites on both coasts. It is this taking umbrage at every remark by anyone who is a conservative that is causing the divisiveness in our country.

Reggie Teer, Houston

Executive orders

Regarding President Biden, dont write off oil and gas, (A17, Jan. 24): Christi Craddick, chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas, writes an editorial pleading for saving the oil and gas industry. But in that op-ed she never once mentions global warming, except in a back-handed quoted phrase climate risk, implying that catastrophic global warming is both simply a risk and questionable.

If the chairman wants to help the industry, she needs to face up to the reality of global warming and offer solutions rather than whining. Highlighting issues is important, but ignoring the underlying problem and not offering solutions is unhelpful.

Alan Jackson, Houston
Researchers studying the effect of convalescent sera and monoclonal antibodies from recovered patients found the UK and South African SARS-CoV-2 variants are more resistant to neutralization compared to the wild-type virus.

As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread across the globe, it has evolved and undergone several mutations. The new virus strains may have different transmissibility and infectivity which may affect how neutralizing antibodies work against them.

There have been reports of a decrease in antibody response to the virus, and some reinfection cases have been reported. Antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein are the major proportion of neutralizing antibodies. The virus variants originating recently in the United Kingdom, B.1.1.7, and South Africa, B. 1.351, have several mutations on the spike protein. This is concerning with regards to the effect of neutralizing antibodies.

Researchers from Chongqing Medical University in China studied how effective convalescent sera and monoclonal antibodies are to these variants. They published their results in a research paper posted on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

Mutant viruses resistant to some antibodies

The team used previously obtained blood samples from 20 COVID-19 patients in February 2020 and then again in October 2020, after their recovery, to collect eight receptor-binding domain (RBD) specific monoclonal antibodies. They expressed the wild type and the UK and South African mutant strains in a lentiviral pseudotype system.

The authors assessed the infectivity of the variant strains using luciferase assay. They found the two variants had entry efficiencies 34 times that of the wild type virus. This suggests the variants have higher infectivity than that of the wild-type virus.

The sera collected from patients about 25 days after symptom onset were less effective in neutralizing the mutants than the wild-type virus. Neutralizing antibody titers were 825 for the wild-type and 343 and 148 for the UK and South African variants, respectively.

When tested against sera collected about eight months after symptom onset, 85% of the samples showed inhibitory dose (ID 50 ) greater than 40 to the wild-type virus. About 40% and 90% of the samples had ID 50 titers below the UK and South African mutant threshold, respectively. Thus, some convalescent sera are not able to neutralize the variants.

Next, the authors tested how effective monoclonal antibodies collected from the convalescent sera were in neutralizing the different virus strains. Of the eight types of antibodies collected, all had strong neutralizing activity on the wild-type virus. While the variants had almost no effect on two antibodies, the other six had diminished neutralizing activity against the variants.

Of these six, three and five were less effective by 3-folds or more against the UK and South African strains, respectively. Two antibodies had no effect on the South African variant, and it reduced the effect of the most potent antibody 26 folds compared to that of the wild-type virus.

Neutralizing activities of convalescent sera and monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants. a Infectivity of WT and variant pseudovirus conducted in 293T-ACE2 and A549-ACE2 cells. Cells were inoculated with equivalent doses of each pseudotyped virus. WT, wild-type Spike (GenBank: QHD43416) pseudotyped virus; Variant 1, N501Y.V1 mutant Spike pseudotyped virus (containing H60/V70 deletion, Y144 deletion, N501Y, A570D, D614G, P681H, T716I, S982A, D1118H); Variant 2, N501Y.V2 mutant Spike pseudotyped virus (containing K417N, E484K, N501Y, D614G). b-c Pseudovirus-based neutralizing assays were performed to detect neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers against SARS-CoV-2. The thresholds of detection were 1:40 of ID50. Twenty sera (indicated by circles) were drawn 5 to 33 days post-symptom onset (b); 20 sera (indicated by triangles) were drawn ~ 8 months post-symptom onset (c). d-e The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for tested monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against pseudoviruses (d) and representative neutralization curves (e). Statistical significance was determined by One-way ANOVA

Implications of new variants on antibody neutralization

These results show that both the variants increase viral infectivity compared to the wild-type strain. Both the variants have the mutations D614G and N501Y in the spike protein, which have been associated with an increase in viral fitness and transmissibility.

The inability of the convalescent sera and monoclonal antibodies derived from patients who were infected during the first wave of infections in China suggests these variants may have evolved to escape neutralization by antibodies. However, it is yet unknown if these patients will be at higher risk of reinfection by these variants.

Given the evolving nature of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome, antibody therapeutics and vaccine development require further considerations to accommodate mutations in Spike that may affect the antigenicity of the virus, write the authors. Further studies with a larger sample size and using the complete SARS-CoV-2 virus and mutant strains, rather than the pseudoviruses, will help further our understanding.

*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.
The court took a serious view of interveners like the AP Government Employees Federation, doctors and bureaucrats in the matter and opined that it was uncalled for.

VIJAYAWADA: The Supreme Court dismissed the AP governments plea to postpone the gram panchayat polls and cleared the decks for going ahead with the elections as per schedule.

A division bench comprising justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy held a hearing on Monday.

Justice Kaul observed, Ego problems between two authorities are causing all this lawlessness. This cannot be allowed. The court will not be a party to an ego clash. Some decisions are political while some are administrative. We will not assume everyones functions. Some decisions have to be taken by the SEC. We feel that the real issue is actually something else and not what is being argued here.

He pointed out that elections were held in several parts of the country even during the prevalence of Covid-19 pandemic. Kerala conducted elections though it witnessed a major spike in cases.

The court took a serious view of interveners like the AP Government Employees Federation, doctors and bureaucrats in the matter and opined that it was uncalled for.

Government senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi argued that holding gram panchayat elections were difficult as the state government was preoccupied with Covid-19 vaccination programme and more than five lakh persons were to be vaccinated. He asked whether the state government should allow its employees to conduct polls without undergoing vaccination and fall prey.

Rohatgi said Goa had deferred the polls for the same reason. He informed the court that gram panchayat polls could be held from March 1 considering that by the end of January, all healthcare workers could be vaccinated.

However, the court observed, Whenever there are elections, you come to the court. The point of AP HC order was to have elections held and it is the SEC which has to hold them. Look at the grounds in your petition. How is the State Election Commissioner acting in a mala-fide manner while employees associations are passing resolutions against him.

Though Rohatgi tried to convince that the government is not concerned with the dispute with the Election Commissioner, the court remarked, Your appeal only gives this impression. You are talking about when the Election Commissioner will retire. In the past, elections have been successfully held in even more difficult times.

It may be mentioned that the State Election Commission issued election proceedings to conduct gram panchayat polls in four phases on January 8. When the state government challenged it before a single judge in the High Court, the latter issued an interim order setting aside election proceedings. The SEC then moved the regular bench, which set aside the single judges interim order, and allowed conduct of gram panchayat polls.
(Natural News) Have you checked your social credit score lately? You might want to. Mine seems to have taken a nosedive this month. You might want to see how yours is doing.

(Article by Josh Hawley republished from NYPost.com)

Everyone knows what a credit score is. But social credit scores are new. Theyre the latest corporate import from Communist China, where government and big business monitor every citizens social views and statements.

And theyre the latest form of cancel culture in this country, as corporate monopolies and the left team up to shut down speech they dont like and force their political agenda on America. For those who still believe in free speech and the First Amendment, this is the time to take a stand.

Like the old-fashioned kind of credit score, your social credit requires a lot of maintenance. Youll need to get good grades in school and stay out of trouble with the law. But thats just the start  you have to earn your right to live in polite society these days. So if you want to get a good job, stay at hotels and be served at restaurants, you will need to do a few other things. You will need to voice the right opinions. You will need to endorse the right ideas. You will need to conform. Thats what the corporate chieftains tell us, anyway.

They tried to reprimand me this month because I didnt. On behalf of the voters of my state, I raised a challenge to the presidential electors from Pennsylvania after that state conducted the election in violation of the state constitution. Maybe you agree with me. Maybe you dont. But whatever your view, corporate Americas rush to cancel those it dislikes should trouble you.

In my case, it started with leftist politicians demanding I resign from office for representing the views of my constituents and leading a democratic debate on the floor of the Senate.

Taking that cue, a corporate publishing house then canceled a book it had asked me to write. Ironically enough, the book is about political censorship by the most powerful corporations in America. (And will be published by an independent publishing house.) Now corporate America is canceling my political events, because two parties are apparently one too many for their taste.

It will get worse. The tech titans have already booted dozens of conservatives off social media, and if they have their way, half the House Republican conference will be expelled from Congress. The corporate titans seem to believe that the only way to get a democracy to their liking is to eliminate all threats to the Democratic Partys unified control of government.

The alliance of leftists and woke capitalists hopes to regulate the innermost thoughts of every American, from school age to retirement. And theyve trained enforcers of the woke orthodoxy to monitor dissent or misbehavior. A Karen who cuts the wrong person off in traffic gets followed home on a livestream and shamed into crying for mercy as her license plate is broadcast to an online horde eager to hound her out of a job.

Everyone knows it can happen to them, so everyone shuts down. The circle of trust narrows. Conversations  too easily recorded  shift to encrypted messaging apps. For now. Until those get banned too for interfering in efficient social credit markets.

For some time, conservatives, recognizing that were now the counterculture, indulged in the delusion that we could opt out of all this. Wed send our kids to schools that dont teach all the woke stuff. Wed make our friends at church, not at work, and take comfort that trust and openness were still possible in communities of shared purpose. Wed vote our conscience, because the ballot box was something no election could take from us.

And if ever our political organizing were impeded by censorship  say, by the big tech giants  we could build our own platforms.

But the left and the corporations are challenging all of this now. Your conservative social platform isnt worth much when Amazon can shut it down. Your vote may still be yours, but if your party is denied the means to effectively organize by corporate monopolies, its not going to win. Your church, well, you can still attend for now, but go to the wrong church and you may not have a job in a few years.

Heres the good news. The cancel culture agenda will only succeed if we let it. We need live in fear only if we choose to say nothing. In this time of testing, conservatives must not shrink back. We need to stand up for the right of every American to be heard.

We need to stand up for the basic principles that join all Americans together  the right to speak freely, to debate openly, and to address our differences graciously without fear of being silenced or punished for dissenting views.

I for one am not going to back down. My book will be published, and I will continue to represent the people of my state without fear or favor, whatever the left or the corporations say.

The powerful see in the present moment an opportunity to consolidate their control over society and to squelch dissent. That means those who believe in the First Amendment and the fundamental principles of American liberty must now take a stand, while we still can.

Sen. Josh Hawley is a Republican representing Missouri.

Read more at: NYPost.com
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Police at the scene of the murder in the Windermere Road area of south Belfast on August 16th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

A 61-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a mother-of-four in her south Belfast home last summer.

On August 16, Susan Baird (60) was murdered in her home at a cul-de-sac at Windermere Road in the Four Winds area of the city.

Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Major Investigation Team arrested the man on suspicion of murder earlier today.

The suspect has been taken to Musgrave custody suite for questioning.
Gardai are seeking the public's help in tracing the whereabouts of Elise Mulumba, 17 years, and Aaliah Mulumba, 15 years, who are both missing from the Tralee area since Monday.

Elise is described as being 5'2" with black hair, of slim build and with brown eyes.

Aaliah is described as being 52 with brown hair, slim build and with brown eyes.

Elise and Aaliah are believed to be with one another and currently in Dublin.



Anyone with information on their whereabouts are asked to contact Gardai in Tralee on 66 7102300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
Passengers arriving into Ireland without negative Covid-19 tests will be held in quarantine for up to two weeks under plans agreed by the Cabinet Committee on Covid-19.

Anyone travelling from Brazil or South Africa will also be held in State-run quarantine hotels for up to a fortnight.

The Cabinet Committee also agreed to temporarily suspend all visa-free short-term travel from South Africa and Brazil.

Anyone arriving without a negative PCR test will also face a fine up to 2,500 and/or up to six months imprisonment.

Read More

The committee also agreed to increase garda checkpoints near all ports and airports.

Gardai will check travellers to see if they are returning from abroad without an essential reason for travelling. If this is the case they will be fined for breaching the 5km travel restriction.

The current fine for breaching travel restrictions will be increased from the current penalty of 100.

A source said all new measures will take time to legislate for if agreed by Cabinet.
Along with roadblocks caused due to lack of ownership of land, Adivasi farmers in Maharashtra also faced massive losses of crop due to excessive rains and floods in 2019 and 2020, for which they are yet to receive compensation

It is the 72nd Republic Day and almost 15,000 farmers from all over Maharashtra have gathered at Mumbai's Azad Maidan to show solidarity with the farmers protesting against the Centres farm laws on Delhi's borders.

However, small and marginal Adivasi farmers, who were part of the Mumbai's protests, are here to draw attention to one of the major issues they are facing - lack of implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA).

A significant number of protesters at the Azad Maidan sit-in are Adivasi farmers from districts like Nandurbar, Palghar, and Nashik  many of whom had marched 180 kilometres to Mumbai in 2018 to demand the complete implementation of FRA.

Since the Kisan Long March in 2018, adivasi farmers are still grappling with problems due to the lack of ownership papers for the land they have been cultivating even before the forest department existed.

Along with roadblocks caused by this, farmers in the Maharashtra's tribal belt also faced massive losses of crop due to excessive rains and floods in 2019 and 2020, for which they are yet to receive compensation.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown only exacerbated their poor economic condition, as jobs in the agricultural labour market also dried up. Agricultural labour is usually a means to earn money in times that have not seen a good yield, but with big farmers also reeling from the effects of the lockdown, there was no budget to hire farm labour.

Raise issues of ownership of land and crop losses, demand Maharashtra Adivasi farmers

Sitting under the shamiana at the Azad Maidan after hoisting of the Tricolour on occasion of the 72nd Republic Day on Monday, farmers wait for their turn to board buses and trains back home. They arrived from all over Maharashtra, united under the banner of the 'Samyukta Shetkari Kamgar Morcha', for a three-day sit in on Sunday night.

Ramnath Raman, a farmer from the Bhatode village in the Dindori taluka, received his praman patra or acknowledgment certificate for one acre of forest land from the Nashik district collector in December 2019. He then proceeded to sow soyabean, udad daal, and toor daal crops.

Six months later in July 2020, forest department officials descended on his land without a prior notice and uprooted his crop, broke his house, and beat him up.

We wanted to file a complaint against them, but the police refused to write down our complaint. Even after providing the letter from the DC, the police were cross-questioning us instead, asking why we were cultivating the land, he said.

The farmers are eager to talk about the issues they are facing, and conflict with the forest department over occupancy, cultivation, and ownership of forest land emerges as a common thread.

Ramans case is unique in the fact that he has received a legitimate document for his land, but the conflict is a pattern among other residents of the Bhatode village. Several said that they have applied for the ownership of land in 2002, but their applications are still pending.

Several farmers from villages like Chendi Kapur, Bhatode, Ozarkhed, Gondhari, and Sangamner in the Dindori taluka have also carried certain documents from their local courts with them to the Mumbai protest.

These documents show that they have spent a duration of two weeks in jail in 2002, on the charge of 'illegal' occupancy of public land at the time.

Incidentally, it is this document from the court that is crucial proof for their claims of having occupied the land before December 2005. According to the Forest Rights Act, 2005, people who can provide proof of occupancy from before 2005 are to be granted rights over the land.

However, despite providing this document to authorities, they have not received ownership or acknowledgement of their occupancy on the land.

All the decisions about land rights are made by officials who have never visited the villages to verify the applications and claims of ownership. They accept and reject claims on their whims and fancies, said Appa Vatani from the Nandurbar district.

Apart from periodic clashes with the forest department, farmers say that the lack of ownership papers create obstacles in receiving the insurance under the Centres Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in the event of crop failure.

In many cases, the saat-baara, which is a document indicating the owner of the land, names the government as the primary owner and the farmers as secondary owners.

We pay the insurance amount for our crops every year but when our crop fails, the insurance money goes back to the government because the land documents say that the government is the owner, said Tukaram Damu Badade from the Kwaraty village in the Dindori taluka.

Badade grows soyabean, cotton, and peanuts.

Excessive rains in 2019 and 2020 led to his entire crop failing in both the years.

Farmers in the entire taluka faced major losses because of unseasonal rains, and have been struggling to provide food for their families for almost two years, he said.

However, government officials are yet to visit Badades village to map the extent of loss and start the process of compensating them for it, they said. A majority of Adivasi farmer families use their yield for their own use as they are faced with rising food prices and an inadequate amount of ration from the Public Distribution System (PDS).

When our crop fails, we are asked to produce a saat-baara document in our name to be able to claim compensation. But how can we do that when the same administration has issued the saat-baara with the government as the owner? he questions.

Farmers from the three districts are incredulous at the processes with which the decisions on land ownership are made. They reject our claims of occupancy despite the fact that we show them unambiguously that we are occupying the land. Its very frustrating because its a matter of our livelihood, Raman said.

The only means for survival for farmers in such dire circumstances is to engage in agricultural labour. However, with big farmers also struggling with funds, the labour work has almost completely dried up or the wages have dropped further.

Sandeep Laxi Gadag from the Dhapchari village in Palghar districts Dahanu said that before the pandemic, he was able to earn Rs 450 as a daily wage labourer. However, the rate has now reduced by Rs 100.

Meerabai Uttam Dhamode, a farmer from the Kwaraty village in Dindori, walked 35 kilometres to Nashik to participate in the Azad Maidan protest. She also travelled to Delhi to join the protest at its borders.

She has faced massive crop losses in 2019 and 2020 and has turned to labour as a last resort. However, she said that she earns only Rs 100 as a daily wage labourer.

We have no concept of an income or expenditure because we live from day to day. If there is money, we buy food properly. If there is no money, we survive on bhakri and salt, she said.

How will the farm laws affect marginal Adivasi farmers?

Isram Yashwant Lilke from the Nashik district agrees that land ownership is the main issue for farmers in Maharashtra but adds that the provisions of the contentious farm laws and the issue of non-execution of the FRA are insidiously linked.

Currently, the saat-baara issued by the government lists the government as the main owner of the forest land and the farmer as a secondary owner. If the provisions of the farm laws like contract farming are implemented, the government is at the liberty to deprive the farmer of her land and hand it over to companies, Lilke explains.

He adds that the APMC system is not as flawed as its critics claim it to be. True that there are middlemen who manipulate the prices, but in the APMC system, we are at the liberty to choose whether or not to sell in a certain market. If the rates in the Nashik APMC market are not suitable for me, I can choose to go to any other market till I get favourable rates. If the laws are implemented, that will be taken away.

Dr Ajit Nawale of the CPM-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), which has been instrumental in rallying the causes of farmers in Maharashtra for the last few years, said that the Maharashtra farmers had conducted the Azad Maidan protest with a few clear demands, one of which is the complete repeal of the Centres farm laws.

If the laws will be implemented, the small and marginal farmers will be left completely vulnerable. They will be left without food security without PDS and regulated prices in the APMC markets. The issues of FRA and the new laws are intertwined, he said. Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have been at the helm of the two-month-long protests against the new farm laws. Unlike farmers in these states who have large land holdings, farmers from the tribal belt in Maharashtra own between an acre to five acres of forest land.

In a year of good harvest, they are able to save some yield to sell in the APMC markets, however, successive floods in 2019 and 2020 either completely destroyed many of their crops.

Shankar Appa, a CPM office-bearer from the Mukhed taluka in Nandurbar, stated, In the present circumstances, we are hopeful that small farmers will receive ownership rights over forest land with sustained protests. But if the new laws are implemented, the possibility of a favourable resolution for us is completely negated. 
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
A Hindu Rohingya woman speaks to a BenarNews reporter in a section of the Kutupalong refugee camp designated for Hindus in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Jan. 24, 2021.

Bangladeshs priority is returning to Myanmar more than 1 million Muslim Rohingya refugees, not a small group of Hindus among them, Dhaka said Monday in responding to Naypyidaws demand that some 500 Hindu Rohingya be included in the first phase of repatriation.

Meanwhile, Hindu refugees living in a camp designated for them in Coxs Bazar district said they wanted to return to Myanmar with the consent of both countries. They had fled across the border, after Rohingya Muslim militants killed nearly 100 Hindus while attacking police and army outposts in Myanmars Rakhine state in 2017.

The number of Hindu Rohingya is close to four hundred. Their repatriation is not our priority, Muhammad Delwar Hossain, director general of the Myanmar Cell of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

The number of Muslim Rohingya who have taken refuge in this country is more than 1 million. It will not make much difference whether a small number of Hindu Rohingya return or not, he said.

Alluding to the Hindu refugees, he said it was easy for them to go back as he alleged that Myanmar government forces were on their side.

The return of the Hindus and the return of the Muslim Rohingya, who fell victim to brutality by Myanmar forces, is not the same. When the Muslim Rohingya return, the Hindus will also go. We have no objection in this regard, Hossain said.

There are 550 Hindu Rohingya, divided into 115 families, in the Hindu section of the Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, according to a BenarNews reporter who conducted a tally at the camp during the weekend.

Last week, Myanmars foreign office had demanded that Bangladesh send back the Hindu refugees in the first repatriation phase, during an online meeting with Bangladeshi and Chinese officials, according to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA), a sister entity of BenarNews.

The two neighbors had tentatively discussed a fresh attempt to begin repatriation in the second quarter of 2021, although it was not immediately clear what guarantees Rohingya would receive about their safety and livelihood under the plan.

Myanmar had urged that verified refugees, including the Hindus, be returned in the first phase after the coronavirus pandemic subsided.

About a million Rohingya have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh, most living in 34 refugee camps in and around Coxs Bazar. These include more than 740,000 who escaped a brutal military crackdown in 2017 after Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army insurgents attacked police and army outposts in Rakhine.

At the time, ARSA insurgents carried out attacked Hindu women, men, and children in two villages and abducted residents, according to a May 2018 report by Amnesty International.

Hindu refugees want to come home

Myanmars demand that Hindu refugees be returned during the first stage of the repatriation is an attempt at misdirection, said Ehsanul Haque, a professor of international relations at Dhaka University.

Myanmar has been dilly dallying to repatriate Rohingya refugees from the very beginning. The country has been maneuvering to prolong the issue, Haque told BenarNews.

Saying they want to take back the Hindu Rohingya is a ploy. By doing so, they seem to want to show the international community that they want to take at least some Rohingya back.

Still, the Hindu Rohingya refugees want to return to Myanmar, said Shishu Shil, a Hindu refugee leader at the Kutupalong camp.

The government is taking care of our security, but we want to go back to our country, Shil told BenarNews.

If the environment in Rakhine is safe, I want to return to my country without any condition if arranged through bilateral talks between the two countries.

Meanwhile, a Hindu community leader in Rakhines Maungdaw township told RFA that the refugees longed to return to their homeland.

The Hindus over there want to come back to our side as soon as possible. They want to come home. They have expressed their wishes to return to Myanmar to the Bangladeshi authorities, Ni Maw said.

They expressed this to the Myanmar authorities too. We also want them to be repatriated and have the people of our ethnic group back in their homeland.

According to Myanmar government announcements, more than 170 men and 290 women have returned to the Nga Khu Ya refugee welcome center in Maungdaw between 2018 and October last year, but none of the repatriated refugees were Hindu.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry sends a protest note calling for "an end to the provocations" and to "respect the mandate" which entrusts the management of the area to Waqf. The police allegedly blocked access and identified workers and technicians, with threats of arrest and deportation. So far no official reaction from the Israeli government.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A new battle front has opened between Jordan, guardian of the Holy Sites of Jerusalem through the Waqf group, and the Israeli authorities who have been blocking restoration work on the al-Aqsa mosque and compound. Daifallah Alfayez, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Amman, says his government has sent a "note of protest", demanding Israel "put an end to violations and provocations" and "respect the mandate" he assigns to Jordan " the control of Muslim sacred places .

So far there have been no official reactions from the Israeli government.

Over the weekend, the Israeli police raided the Temple Mount complex and prevented the workers attending to the directives of Waqf (the pious Muslim foundation that deals with the sacred places of Islam) from proceeding with the long-planned restoration operations.

In the note, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry criticizes Israels intervention, recalling that the Waqf "is the sole authority responsible for the care and supervision of the compound". The Amman government accuses the police of having blocked "all reconstruction works", including the interruption of "supplies and basic materials necessary for routine maintenance".

According to the Muslim foundation that presides over the place of worship, the maintenance teams "have not been able to repair even the basic parts of the mosque and their workers are subjected to intimidation, threats of arrest, trial and deportation". The Israeli policemen, concludes the Waqf indictment, interrupted the work "by photocopying the identity cards of workers and technicians, preventing them from operating and threatening arrests" in the event of further infringements of their provisions.

Under the peace treaty signed in 1994, Israel recognizes Jordan's supervision and care of Muslim holy sites in East Jerusalem. Known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif (Sacred Shrine) and Temple Mount to Jews, the complex is home to the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque.
 Flash

At least 21 people were killed and 33 injured, with seven in critical condition, after a bus crashed on Monday in the southern Brazilian state of Parana, the Military Police Air Operations Battalion (BPMOA) reported.

According to the BPMOA, which initially reported 10 dead and six injured, the accident occurred on a stretch of road in the municipality of Guaratuba on the coast of Parana, when the bus went off the road and overturned for reasons still unknown.

Local fire department captain Icaro Grenert explained to the press that it is not known if the accident was due to a mechanical failure.

The vehicle was carrying 54 passengers and two drivers at the time of the accident.

It had left the northern municipality of Ananindeua and was bound for the seaside resort of Camboriu on the coast of Santa Catarina state.
The UK's vaccination programme could now face a significant delay - GETTY IMAGES

Britain's Covid vaccine supply is in jeopardy after the EU threatened to block exports of the Belgian-made Pfizer jabs amid a row with UK-based AstraZeneca.

Brussels decided to impose tighter controls on exports after reacting with fury to the news that AstraZeneca will deliver 50 million fewer doses to the EU than it had expected.

Ministers now fear deliveries of the Pfizer jabs will  at best  be delayed by extra paperwork and that the EU could try to stop doses being sent to non-EU countries after saying it will "take any action required to protect its citizens".

In March, the bloc imposed export restrictions on personal protective equipment after it struggled with supply to its member states.

On Monday night, MPs accused the EU of acting out of "spite" and trying to deflect blame for its own mistakes in getting vaccination programmes off the ground.

The EU's health commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, summoned AstraZeneca bosses to a series of video meetings on Monday at which she made clear that their explanations for the reduction in doses were unacceptable.

Ms Kyriakides said an "export transparency mechanism" would be put in place "as soon as possible", which would mean that "in future all companies producing vaccines against Covid-19 in the EU will have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries".

She also demanded that AstraZeneca produces a list of how many doses it has provided to each country  information both the company and Downing Street have been desperate to keep under wraps.

The UK is heavily dependent on the Pfizer vaccine and is expecting almost 3.5 million doses, integral to the Government's target of vaccinating all over-70s by mid-February, to be delivered in the next three weeks.

Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, had already warned that meeting that target will be "tight" and that any unforeseen supply issues could blow the chances of doing so off course.

Story continues

On Saturday, The Telegraph revealed that around half a million fewer doses of Covid vaccine would be delivered to the NHS this week because of supply delays.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Monday, Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, hinted at potential supply problems, saying: "The rate-limiting factor to this vaccination programme remains supply. As we know, supply is tight."

So far, Britain has given 6,573,570 people their first vaccine dose, reaching 78.7 per cent of the over-80s.

A total of 40 million Pfizer doses have been ordered  enough to inoculate 20 million people  of which 30 million were due to arrive by the end of May.

Germany's health minister, Jens Spahn, said exports of Covid vaccines should be authorised at EU level before they could leave the bloc, meaning Brussels would have the final say over whether Pfizer jabs could cross the Channel. He said: "We, as the EU, must be able to know whether and what vaccines are being exported from the EU."

The row blew up after AstraZeneca  which developed the vaccine with Oxford University  told the EU last week that it would only be able to deliver 31 million of the 80 million doses that EU countries had been expecting by the end of March.

The company blamed "production problems" caused by work to ramp up long-term production at its factories. But in a phone call with Pascal Soriot, the chief executive, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, demanded that the contract be honoured in full.

The EU, which is finally expected to approve the use of the AstraZeneca jab this week, has been humbled by the slow start to its vaccine rollout, with Britain surging ahead of other European countries.

The AstraZeneca jab has only been found to be eight per cent effective in the over-65s and will not be approved by the European Medicines Agency for use for that age group, according to reports in the German tabloid Bild and Handelsblatt on Monday night, citing unnamed sources.

A spokesman for AstraZeneca refuted those claims as "completely incorrect" and said data published in November demonstrated "strong immune responses" in older adults, with 100 per cent of second dose recipients generating "spike-specific antibodies".

The UK declined an invitation to be part of an EU-wide procurement process and was able to steal a march on the rest of the world by becoming the first country to approve the Pfizer jab and the first Western nation to begin vaccinating its citizens.

While Britain has administered more than 6.5 million doses, Germany has only administered 1.78 million, the highest number of any EU country.

David Jones, the deputy chairman of the Tory European Research Group, told The Telegraph: "Quite clearly they've had a very cumbersome procurement process which has resulted in this. The fact is we were far more astute in our purchasing process.

"Frankly, it seems like a rather childish and spiteful way to behave. This looks awfully like blackmail, which is pretty disreputable and shows why we were right to leave the EU."

The former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "If the EU were to take action unilaterally that restricted supplies of vaccine bought legally and fairly by the UK, it would poison economic relations for a generation. At such a critical moment, the world needs vaccine nationalism like a hole in the head."

Greg Clark, a former Business Secretary and the chairman of the Commons science committee, added: "This is no time to be introducing extra bureaucracy into the production or delivery of vaccines. The focus of manufacturers should not be distracted from making as many doses as possible as quickly as possible and getting them into the hands of vaccinators."

A Government spokesman said: "We remain in close contact with all of our vaccine suppliers and scheduled deliveries will fully support vaccination [of over-70s] by Feb 15."

The Government said the "bulk" of the AstraZeneca vaccine for the UK was made in Oxfordshire and Staffordshire.

However, AZ also has production facilities in Europe, which have been used to supply the UK in the past. EU sources said they wanted to establish whether any vaccines earmarked for the EU had ended up being sent to Britain after it began its vaccination programme first.
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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - SKRR Exploration Inc. (TSXV: SKRR) (OTC Pink: SKKRF) (FSE: B04Q) ("SKRR" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it mobilized personnel in preparation for a 1600m diamond drilling program at the Leland gold project (the "Leland Property"), located 23 kilometers southwest of SSR Mining's Seabee Gold Operation, within the Trans Hudson Corridor of east-central Saskatchewan. Under the terms of the option agreement with Taiga Gold Corp. ("Taiga"), SKRR may earn up to a 75% interest in the Leland Property.

Sherman Dahl, SKRR's CEO comments:

"SKRR and our drilling partner Terra Logic have been in recent contact with ALS labs in Saskatchewan and anticipate assays from the Olson project very soon. The extreme back up at labs throughout Canada is simply a result of a dramatic increase in drill programs in late 2020 and COVID-19 operational issues throughout Canada. The announcement of the commencement of drilling at the Leland Property and the upcoming assays results lay the foundation for an exciting 2021 for SKRR Exploration."

2021 Drill Program

The 2021 winter drill program will focus on testing a 1 km strike length of the gold-mineralized shear system between the Irving Lake and Simon Lake showings. This will be the first drill program to test this orogenic gold-bearing system. Targets have been prioritized based on surface rock grab and trenching results, soil geochemistry and detailed airborne (drone) magnetic survey data. Up to a total of 9 holes from 6 pads are slated for the 1,600m drill program this winter.

Figure 1: Winter 2021 Drill Program



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6952/72803_dbff4351f4ea1b8a_002full.jpg

2020 Work Program

The 2020 summer field program at the Leland Property included detailed prospecting and mapping, infill and grid soil geochemical sampling, channel sampling of trenches and ground truthing of geophysics anomalies generated by 2019 drone airborne geophysics survey. Work was focused on the Michelle/Irving area (channel sampling), the East Leland target area (systematic soil sampling) and the newly discovered Irvle magnetic anomaly area (prospecting and soil sampling). An ATV trail was also constructed to provide access from the main camp to the Irving and Simon showing areas. A total of 71 rock samples (34 channel, 35 grab and 2 float) and 135 soil samples were collected and submitted for geochemical analyses. Rock sampling returned values ranging from trace quantities to a maximum of 2.1 g/t Au (grab) with channel sampling returning 1.1 g/t over 0.7 m. Results of soil samples ranged from trace quantities to a high of 12.6 ppb Au.

The 2020 field program was successful in verifying and extending the known strike-length exposure of several gold-bearing veins and shears within the Irving-Simon shear zone corridor. Rock grab samples are selective samples by nature and as such are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted across the Leland Property.

Highlights of Previous Work at Leland

In 2019 Taiga completed a three-phase geological and geophysical program at the Leland Proeprty. Highlights from the program include:

Gold mineralization grading up to 5.4 g/t Au over 0.65 m within 2.1 g/t Au over 3.22 m (channel sample) from the Irving trench along the Simon-Irving Trend.

Discovery of 5 new gold-mineralized occurrences along the Simon-Irving trend grading between 113 ppb Au and 3.5g/t Au.

Soil geochemical results proximal to the Leland showing (SMDI-2390) support samples collected in 2015 and delineate a new zone of anomalous soils to the west of the Leland Showing and northeast of the Simon Showing (SMDI-2388) that are targets for future follow up work.

Recent staking by Taiga included claims overlying the Duck Lake Occurrence (SMDI 1731) covers two quartz stockwork zones within a shear with the Main Zone traced on surface for 180m. Limited historical grab sampling returned values up to 3.2 g/t Au.

Drone magnetic survey defines association of Simon-Irving mineralization with a magnetic low linear feature.

Some of the above results were taken directly from the SMDI descriptions. SKRR cautions that historical results were collected and reported by past operators and have not been verified nor confirmed by a Qualified Person, but form a basis for ongoing work in the Leland Property area. Rock grab samples are selective samples by nature and as such are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted across the property.

Leland Property History

The 10,761 ha Leland Property hosts several zones of orogenic gold mineralization with good exploration potential. Historic work in the western part of the Leland Property has identified numerous gold-bearing quartz veins with notable grades including the Leland Lake South Zone, which hosts grab samples ranging from trace values to up to 32.8 g/t Au and 8.6 g/t Au; and the Simon/Irving Lake Zone, which returned up to 60 g/t Au and 53 g/t Au from within a 2km x 600m shear zone centered along an open- ended contact between mafic volcanic and intrusive rocks. Near the new eastern limit of the property, known vein-hosted mineralization at the Sun Zone returned values ranging from trace quantities to up to 8 g/t Au. Gold-bearing shear zones at this location are proximal to mafic volcanic and intrusive rock units that also contain VMS-style base metal mineralization. None of the showing areas have been drill-tested but trenching indicates they contain structurally-controlled mineralization and are open along strike. The presence of amphibolite-grade meta-volcanic and associated meta-intrusive rocks hosting well-defined shear zones are considered positive indicators for the presence of orogenic gold deposits. The mineralization, host rocks and structural framework are similar to gold deposits in the region such as the nearby Seabee Gold Operation. Additionally, this prospective geology is considered to be underexplored for 30 km of strike length within the current Leland property boundaries. SKRR cautions that past results or discoveries on proximate lands are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved on the Leland Property.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Ross McElroy P.Geol, a director of the Company and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. McElroy verified the data disclosed (unless indicated otherwise) which includes a review of the sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information and opinions contained therein.

About SKRR Exploration Inc.:

SKRR is a Canadian-based precious metal explorer with properties in Saskatchewan - one of the world's highest ranked mining jurisdictions. The primary exploration focus is on the Trans-Hudson Corridor in Saskatchewan in search of world class precious metal deposits. The Trans-Hudson Orogen - although extremely well known in geological terms has been significantly under-explored in Saskatchewan. SKRR is committed to all stakeholders including shareholders, all its partners and the environment in which it operates.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Sherman Dahl

President & CEO

Tel: 250-558-8340

For further information contact:

Rich Matthews, Investor Relations Integrous Communications

rmatthews@integcom.us

+1 6047577179

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 Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements that address the planned drilling on the Leland Property, receipt of assays from the Olson property, other statements relating to the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, its projects and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of metals, the ability to achieve its goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, adverse weather conditions, decrease in the price of gold and other metals, equipment failures or failure to obtain the necessary equipment, adverse weather conditions, failure to maintain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, the impact of COVID-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, failure to maintain community acceptance (including First Nations), increase in costs, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72803
Study: Accounting for value of nature reinforces Paris climate targets

Posted on 26 January 2021 by dana1981

This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections

A new study in Nature Sustainability incorporates the damages that climate change does to healthy ecosystems into standard climate-economics models. The key finding in the study by Bernardo Bastien-Olvera and Frances Moore from the University of California at Davis: The models have been underestimating the cost of climate damages to society by a factor of more than five.

Their study concludes that the most cost-effective emissions pathway results in just 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) additional global warming by 2100, consistent with the aspirational objective of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.

Models that combine climate science and economics, called integrated assessment models (IAMs), are critical tools in developing and implementing climate policies and regulations. In 2010, an Obama administration governmental interagency working group used IAMs to establish the social cost of carbon  the first federal estimates of climate damage costs caused by carbon pollution. That number guides federal agencies required to consider the costs and benefits of proposed regulations.

Given the importance of the social cost of carbon to federal rulemaking, some critics have complained that the Trump EPA used what they see as creative accounting to slash the governments estimate of the number. In one of his inauguration day Executive Orders, President Biden established a new Interagency Working Group to re-evaluate the social cost of all greenhouse gases.

IAMs often have long been criticized by those convinced they underestimate the costs of climate damages, in some cases to a degree that climate scientists consider absurd.

Perhaps the most prominent IAM is the Dynamic Integrated Climate-Economy (DICE) model, for which its creator, William Nordhaus, was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Judging by DICE, the economically optimal carbon emissions pathway  that is, the pathway considered most cost-effective  would lead to a warming increase of more than 3C (5.4F) from pre-industrial temperatures by 2100 (under a 3% discount rate). IPCC has reported that reaching this level of further warming could likely result in severe consequences, including substantial species extinctions and very high risks of food supply instabilities.

In their Nature Sustainability study, the UC Davis researchers find that when natural capital is incorporated into the models, the emissions pathway that yields the best outcome for the global economy is more consistent with the dangerous risks posed by continued global warming described in the published climate science literature.

Accounting for climate change degrading of natural capital

Natural capital includes elements of nature that produce value to people either directly or indirectly. DICE models economic production as a function of generic capital and labor, Moore explained via email. If instead you think natural capital plays some distinct role in economic production, and that climate change will disproportionately affect natural capital, then the economic implications are much larger than if you just roll everything together and allow damage to affect output.

Bastien-Olvera offered an analogy to explain the incorporation of natural capital into the models: The standard approach looks at how climate change is damaging the fruit of the tree (market goods); we are looking at how climate change is damaging the tree itself (natural capital).

In an adaptation of DICE they call GreenDICE, the authors incorporated climate impacts on natural capital via three pathways:

 The first pathway accounts for the direct influence of natural capital on market goods. Some industries like timber, agriculture, and fisheries are heavily dependent on natural capital, but all goods produced in the economy rely on these natural resources to some degree. According to GreenDICE, this pathway alone more than doubles the models central estimate of the social cost of carbon in 2020 from $28 per ton in the standard DICE model to $72 per ton, and the new economically optimal pathway would have society limit global warming to 2.2C (4F) above pre-industrial temperatures by 2100.  The second pathway incorporates ecosystem services that dont directly feed into market goods. Examples are the flood protection provided by a healthy mangrove forest, or the recreational benefits provided by natural places. In the study, this second pathway nearly doubles the social cost of carbon once again, to $133 per ton in 2020, and it lowers the most cost-effective pathway to 1.8C (3.2F) by 2100.  Finally, the third pathway includes non-use values, which incorporate the value people place on species or natural places, regardless of any good they produce. The most difficult to quantify, this pathway could be measured, for instance, by asking people how much they would be willing to pay to save one of these species from extinction. In GreenDICE, non-use values increase the social cost of carbon to $160 per ton of carbon dioxide in 2020 (rising to about $300 in 2050 and $670 per ton in 2100) and limit global warming to about 1.5C (2.8F) by 2100 in the new economically optimal emissions pathway.

(Note for economics wonks  the model runs used a 1.5% pure rate of time preference.)

Climate economics findings increasingly reinforce Paris targets

It may come as no surprise that destabilizing Earths climate would be a costly proposition, but key IAMs have suggested otherwise. Based on the new Nature Sustainability study, the models have been missing the substantial value of natural capital associated with healthy ecosystems that are being degraded by climate change.

Columbia University economist Noah Kaufman, not involved in the study, noted via email that as long as federal agencies use the social cost of carbon in IAMs for rulemaking cost-benefit analyses, efforts like GreenDICE are important to improving those estimates. According to Kaufman, many papers (including one he authored a decade ago) have tried to improve IAMs by following a similar recipe: start with DICE => find an important problem => improve the methodology => produce a (usually much higher) social cost of carbon.

For example, several other papers published in recent years, including one authored by Moore, have suggested that, because they neglect ways that climate change will slow economic growth, IAMs may also be significantly underestimating climate damage costs. Poorer countries  often located in already-hot climates near the equator, with economies relying most heavily on natural capital, and lacking resources to adapt to climate change  are the most vulnerable to its damages, despite their being the least responsible for the carbon pollution causing the climate crisis.

Another recent study in Nature Climate Change updated the climate science and economics assumptions in DICE and similarly concluded that the most cost-effective emissions pathway would limit global warming to less than 2C (3.6F) by 2100, without even including the value of natural capital. Asked about that paper, Bastien-Olvera noted, In my view, the fact that these two studies get to similar policy conclusions using two very different approaches definitely indicates the urgency of cutting emissions.

Wesleyan University economist Gary Yohe, also not involved in the study, agreed that the new Nature Sustainability study supports growing calls for aggressive near-term mitigation. Yohe said the paper provides added support to the notion that climate risks to natural capital are important considerations, especially in calibrating the climate risk impacts of all sorts of regulations like CAFE standards.

But Yohe said he believes that considering the risks to unique and threatened systems at higher temperatures makes a more persuasive case for climate policy than just attempting to assess their economic impacts. In a recent Nature Climate Change paper, Kaufman and colleagues similarly suggested that policymakers should select a net-zero emissions target informed by the best available science and economics, and then use models to set a carbon price that would achieve those goals. Their study estimated that to reach net-zero carbon pollution by 2050, the U.S. should set a carbon price of about $50 per ton in 2025, rising to $100 per ton by 2030.

However climate damages are evaluated, whether through a more complete economic accounting of adverse impacts or via risk-based assessments of physical threats to ecological and human systems, recent economics and climate science research findings consistently support more aggressive carbon emissions efforts consistent with the Paris climate targets.
Philanthropist Betty Wold Johnson has bequeathed $20 million to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

It is the largest gift to the institutions endowment fund in the history of NJPAC, matching a $20 million donation from the Leon and Toby Cooperman Family Foundation to fund an education and community center in 2019.

The money arrives at a crucial time, with arts organizations big and small struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wold Johnson, who died in May at the age of 99, was the matriarch of the Johnson family of Johnson & Johnson fame.

The philanthropist was the widow of Robert Wood Johnson III (who died in 1970)  grandson of Johnson & Johnson co-founder Robert Wood Johnson  and mother to Robert Wood Woody Johnson IV, co-owner of the New York Jets and United States ambassador to the United Kingdom during the Trump administration, and Christopher Wold Johnson, Jets co-owner and CEO.

We anticipated that she was going to make a bequest to the arts center, but I had no idea the size of the bequest, NJPAC CEO John Schreiber tells NJ Advance Media. It was shocking in the best way possible. I was knocked out by what she had decided to do.

NJPAC before the pandemic.

In COVID-19 crisis, an indispensable gift

Schreiber notes that the gift comes at an especially trying time for nonprofit arts organizations, nearly a year since the start of the pandemic.

In a typical year, our operating budget is anywhere from $45 to $50 million dollars, Schreiber says. This season our operating budget is $20 million.

In previous years, two-thirds of the arts centers income is derived from sources like tickets sales, parking and facility rentals. This year, 93% of income will be generated by non-revenue sources like donations and endowment earnings, he says.

In July, NJPAC furloughed about half of its full-time staff. A third of that group was laid off in September. Part-time staffers like ushers and stage crew members  about 300 employees  have also been furloughed.

Most of our team has not worked since March, Schreiber says, though the arts center has hosted many virtual shows, programs and classes.

At times like this, philanthropy becomes indispensable, he says.

NJPAC is currently booking events from August on, though a return date for in-person shows is not yet in hand. For now, employees are working on safety protocols for reopening, whenever that may be. Schreiber is hoping that fall may bring a comeback for live stage shows in some capacity.

John Schreiber has been CEO of NJPAC since 2011. With stages empty because of the pandemic, he says philanthropy will constitute a much larger portion of arts center income this year.Ben Solomon | For The Star Ledger

A stage for a friend of the arts

Wold Johnson, who lived in Hopewell, had a history of strong NJPAC patronage.

In 2008, she gave the arts center $11 million, which was at the time the largest individual contribution to NJPAC.

Before making that donation, Wold Johnson asked Larry Goldman, who was NJPACs first president and CEO, what needs were hardest to meet with fundraising. He told her maintenance was always difficult.

Now, as then, Wold Johnsons money will support capital maintenance of NJPACs theaters and campus.

Mrs. Johnson wanted to give in ways that would be most useful for the long term, and so thats what this gift is, Schreiber says.

Each year, a portion of the donation will be available to use through the endowment fund, whether it be for replacing seats or upgrading audio systems.

For as long as theres an arts center, that gift is going to keep on giving, and thats the beauty of it, Schreiber says.

Wold Johnson was known for her philanthropy in New Jersey and beyond, which continued after her death. In September, Liberty Science Center in Jersey City announced that she had bequeathed $5 million to renovate its tower, which will be renamed the Robert Wood Johnson III Tower.

The philanthropist did not ask NJPAC to name any part of the building after her, but the arts center plans to name the stage at Prudential Hall in her honor.

Woody Johnson, former U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom and Jets co-owner, at left, with his brother, Jets CEO and co-owner Christopher Johnson, in 2018. John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Mom once said that the arts feed the spirit, and she would have been pleased and proud of this very fitting recognition for her long-time support of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Christopher and Woody Johnson said in a statement.

Schreiber, who has been CEO at NJPAC since 2011, says that while Wold Johnson wasnt a regular at shows, her visits to the Newark arts center were memorable.

She wouldnt just sit in my office, she would tour with me around the campus, around the facility, he says. She would talk to staff members. She would go into our arts education building and talk to our teaching artists. She talked to stagehands. I mean, she really wanted to know not only how we were doing but what we were doing.

NJPAC opened its doors in 1997. In 2001, Wold Johnson and her husband Douglas Bushnell, who died in 2007, received the arts centers Chambers Award  named after founding co-chairman Raymond Chambers  for their patronage.

Former Gov. Tom Kean, another founding chairman, was friends with Wold Johnson for more than 25 years.

She was very thoughtful about giving, he said in a statement. I dont know that anyone in the state gave more than she did, but it was always planned giving. She had to be convinced that the money would be well spent, and you didnt get a cent from her until you showed her that.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter.


A fight broke out at an Australia Day protest when an indigenous activist grabbed a man's phone during an argument about the flag before punching him in the face.

Footage of the incident at an 'Invasion Day' rally in Sydney on Tuesday morning showed the two men in an argument before the activist grabbed for the phone of the other man who claimed to be recording a podcast.

'That's my phone,' the man can be heard saying before attempting to take it back and wrestling the much larger activist, who swiftly uppercuts him and sends him to the ground.

Two police officers then stepped between the two men.

The podcaster (left) and the activist (right) were involved a heated argument before the activist took the man's phone, prompting him to clumsily try to grapple the activist

The podcaster had been previously walking around the rally telling groups sitting on the grass that they should be celebrating Australia Day rather the protesting.

He then brought up the copyright issues surrounding the indigenous flag to one group - which sparked the altercation with the protester named Nathan, 7 News reported.

The Aboriginal flag is copyright to Luritja man Harold Thomas who created the yellow, red and black design in 1971.

The flag is licensed out, and anyone wanting to use the design is required to pay a fee.

Police, who were already present at the largely peaceful event, then quickly swarmed in - assisting the podcaster on the ground and attempting the calm the activist.

The activist then swiftly delivers an uppercut to the podcaster for his trouble (pictured)

The 'Invasion Day' rally was held in Sydney on Tuesday morning with more then 7,500 people expected to attend (pictured)

Nathan, wearing a shirt with the Indigenous slogan 'Always was, always will be' written on it said the podcaster had been trying to provoke people.

'(He's) just coming to try to be a d******d... when you know it's just meant to be a peaceful protest. It's a hot day, people get hot under their hat anyways.'

The podcaster was escorted from the rally and advised by officers not to return.

There were reportedly no arrests made.

Police were also out in a visible presence a the rally to ensure social distancing was adhered to

Two girls hold up a placard demanding the date of Australia Day be changed (pictured)

The protest in Sydney was one of a number organised in major cities.

The rallies called for Australia Day, commemorating the arrival of the First Fleet, to be abolished or the dates changed in recognition of First Nations people.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Police for comment.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Two people were taken to the hospital Monday after a serious crash near the Interstate 81 South on-ramp from Old Liverpool Road, Syracuse firefighters said.

Multiple people called the Onondaga County 911 Center at 8:36 a.m. to report the crash.

Syracuse police and firefighters, and American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance responded to the scene. Syracuse firefighters said they received a report that the driver of one of the vehicles was critically injured and unconscious after the crash.

Firefighters used hydraulic rescue tools to extricate a driver from one of the vehicles, according to a Syracuse Fire Department news release.

The damage to the vehicle was significant, the release said, and the extrication process took several minutes.

The injured driver was removed from the vehicle. Syracuse firefighters and AMR paramedics then treated the person at the scene before AMR ambulance took the driver to a local hospital.

AMR ambulance took two patients to a Syracuse hospital; their names and conditions were not immediately available.

Syracuse police are continuing to investigate the crash. Police have not yet commented.

Check back for updates.

Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call 315-470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook
Of all the pardons former President Donald Trump granted in the hours before he left office, perhaps none was as galling to his critics, government watchdog groups and even some of his allies as the pardon of his former chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon.

Mr. Bannon, 67, had been charged with conspiring to swindle donors to a private fund to build a wall along the Mexican border, siphoning off more than $1 million for personal and other expenses, the indictment said.

Even The Wall Street Journals editorial page, a conservative bastion, suggested Mr. Bannons pardon was unseemly and egregious, asserting that, if the charges were true, Mr. Trump should be furious at his ex-adviser for turning his signature issue into a grift.

But the pardon also left three other men who were indicted with Mr. Bannon in an unusual and unenviable predicament. None of them received pardons and so they still must face a trial in May. Whats more, legal experts said, Mr. Bannon could now be called as a government witness to testify against them, potentially increasing their legal jeopardy.
Graves County Deputies Praised for Saving Inmate

By West Kentucky Star Staff

GRAVES COUNTY - Graves County Jailer George Workman is honoring two former Graves County Deputy Jailers for saving the life of an inmate.On January 6, a Graves County Jail inmate attempted to harm himself with a cord from a medical device he had been cleared to use.A short time later, a control room deputy noticed the inmate acting odd and dispatched deputies to the cell.Graves County Deputies Erick Jones and Jasper Mundy entered the cell and cut the device from the inmates neck. Mundy then performed CPR on the inmate until EMS arrived. The inmate regained consciousness and was breathing before he left the facility.In a Facebook post, Workman praised the actions of the deputies.He said, "Due to the fast action of the deputies, a person is still able to continue to grow and change."According to Workman, Mundy has since left the jail to pursue a career with the Mayfield Police Department, and Jones is pursuing a career with the Kentucky State Penitentiary."We wish these two the best with their new careers and look forward to hearing other great works from them." Workman continued, "We would also like to thank the Mayfield/Graves County Fire Dept. for their assistance."You can see the full post below.
A graph generated by the dashboard shows COVID-19 daily cases per million people. Cases are much higher in the U.S. and Sweden compared to Norway, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. Credit: Alexej Jerschow/NYU

A new online dashboard, created by NYU Professor Alexej Jerschow, brings together COVID-19 data from U.S. states and countries around the world to compare cases, deaths, vaccines, and testing in a visual, user-friendly format.

The tool also integrates a range of policies governments have implemented to limit the spread of COVID-19including school closings, stay-at-home orders, and mask mandatesin an effort to compare policy responses with COVID-19 outcomes.

Jerschow, who is a professor of chemistry and typically works in the field of magnetic resonance imaging and battery research, was looking for a convenient way to compare COVID-19 data from different countries and states. While the data were available from different sources, there was not a single tool that allowed him to easily analyze how different geographic areas were faring and responding to the pandemicso, he created one.

"I was curious, for example, whether one could draw parallels between specific U.S. states and other countries, and also how cases correlate with policy decisions," said Jerschow. "My hope is that this dashboard can fill the gap and become a resource to help people quickly gain an overview of how the COVID situation and policy decisions develop. It is going to be particularly interesting to look at what happens once the vaccinations ramp up further."

A graph generated by the dashboard shows the number of positive COVID-19 cases per thousand tests (positivity rate). Countries such as Austria and Mexico and states such as Idaho and Alabama recently experienced periods when more than half of their tests came back positive--bringing into question whether sufficient testing is being done more than six months into the pandemic, when testing capacity should have improved. Credit: Alexej Jerschow/NYU

For instance, while the U.S. and Sweden have reported high numbers of COVID-19 cases and fatalities, the dashboard shows lower prevalence in countries like Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Norway. "It is clear from looking at the graphs that these countries have found a formula for success and government actions affected outcomes," said Jerschow.

Crises are not only reflected in cases or fatalities; looking at how many positive cases of COVID-19 are found per test can reveal whether countries and states are managing the crisis well logistically. Countries such as Austria and Mexico and states such as Idaho and Alabama recently experienced periods when more than half of their tests came back positivebringing into question whether sufficient testing is being done more than six months into the pandemic, when testing capacity should have improved.

The dashboard may be useful to researchers, educators, journalists, and the general public seeking to study COVID-19, compare all 50 U.S. states, U.S. territories, and 192 countries, and easily visualize the data.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
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A year ago, the U.S. Capitol was the kind of place where a suspicious flicker on a radar screen was all it took for police to lock doors and stop traffic on surrounding streets.

Weve got alerts for anything you can imagine, Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund told a congressional committee in February, explaining an incident Nov. 26, 2019, that sent parts of the Capitol into a half-hour lockdown while police investigated.

Being ready to take decisive action quickly was crucial, Sund told Congress during budget hearings last year, as he disclosed a 75% increase in threats to the Capitol under President Donald Trump. Sund told congressional leaders that he needed a $54 million budget boost, including $7 million atop an eight-figure materials budget to upgrade equipment and supplies. No one in the hearing objected.

Video: National Guard troops back at US Capitol after being forced to move

Yet three weeks ago, when the threats turned into the single largest attack on the main building under the agencys protection, hundreds of officers were sent into the chaos with little if any protective gear. Their bare knuckles gripped the tops of lightweight metal barriers that the rioters peeled off and used to beat them. A few officers threw punches, eyes wide behind blue surgical paper masks  the only shield between them and the throng of insurrectionists.

Visual story: We took a look inside the Capitol Police budget after the deadly riot

Flashes of heroism by the force during the siege added to questions of how Capitol Police could be overrun by a loosely knit mob of far-right extremists, rioters and hangers-on. The answers will be picked apart by the public, inspectors general and Congress for years to come, starting with a closed-door House Appropriations briefing Tuesday about what went wrong.

Whatever the departments shortfalls, money wasnt one of them: Capitol Police spend as much as the entire Dallas Police Department to protect a 2-square-mile jurisdiction: the Capitol and its perimeter.

Story continues

Growing threats against members of Congress was a bargaining chip for Sund in asking lawmakers for a budget increase for this year, as it had been for his predecessor, Matthew Verderosa. In 2019, Verderosa pushed for millions extra to prepare for the 2020 Republican and Democratic National Conventions and Januarys inauguration.

The agencys budget is shrouded in secrecy, largely because it is exempt from the laws that require most other state and federal law enforcement agencies to disclose records. A nearly 600-page list of itemized expenses from October 2017 to March 2018 offers a snapshot of how money flows through the department.

In 2017, the year Sund told Congress the department began experiencing the uptick in threats, Capitol Police spent nearly $10 million over a six-month period on tactical gear, cyber infrastructure and related supplies. It spent an additional half-million dollars on controlled explosives and ammunition and almost a quarter of a million on external training.

Among the largest contracts was nearly $4 million to a company that provides electronic security, audio and visual surveillance and cyber intelligence. Almost $1 million went for X-ray security screening machines.

This year, Sund earmarked $22 million of the departments nearly $516 million budget for equipment.

They shouldve had everything they needed to protect the Capitol, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., told USA TODAY. Those barricades were so flimsy; it was a horrible scene.

What went wrong, and whos to blame?

Ed Bailor watched the Capitol riot with tears in his eyes as outmanned and under-equipped police were overrun and beaten on live television.

Bailor led the threat assessment unit for the Capitol Police until he retired in 2005. In his 32-year career there, he commanded everything from the 400-man civil disturbance unit to the horse-mounted officers.

After preparing for eight inaugurations and the Million Man March in 1995, Bailor has doubts that leaders of his former agency could have failed to anticipate the threats leading up to Jan. 6. The force has spent millions beefing up physical security, he noted, such as reinforced concrete walls and steel fences around the building.

It was police management problems, officer problems and members of Congress problems, Bailor said. There are ways to secure the building that could have been done faster and sooner.

Sund resigned in the fallout from the Capitol siege, as did Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Stenger and House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving. Stenger, Irving and Capitol Architect J. Brett Blanton make up the Police Board that coordinates protection plans for major events. Sund, as chief of police, was the fourth, nonvoting member of the board.

At least 17 Capitol Police officers have been suspended while investigators look into how they handled the invasion. Officer Brian Sicknick, 42, died the day after rioters bludgeoned him with a fire extinguisher, and 81 officers were injured, according to court records.

Anne Seymour, a crime victim advocate, creates a makeshift memorial Jan. 9 in Washington for U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who was fatally injured when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol.

In her first public statement since taking over the department this month, acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman apologized Tuesday for the failures. The agency should have done more to protect the Capitol, she said.

'We did not do enough': Acting Capitol Police chief apologizes to lawmakers for handling of Jan. 6 riot

Pittman said Capitol Police had asked 1,200 officers to be ready for an attack, but only four of the platoons were outfitted with riot gear and less lethal ammunitions  less than a quarter of the officers. She expressed the belief that nothing could have prepared them to prevent a protest of that size overrunning the Capitol.

The Capitol, even in its layout and design, was made to be open and welcoming to citizens, she said.

"I doubt many would have thought it would be necessary to protect it against our own citizens," Pittman said in the statement.

"We know the eyes of the country and the world are upon us," she said.

Sund did not return several telephone calls from USA TODAY seeking to understand why the forces advanced equipment was not on wide display Jan. 6.

In interviews with NPR and The Washington Post, Sund said he wanted to send more officers out in riot gear, but Stenger and Irving were concerned about how it would look, a claim that Pittman confirmed Tuesday. They would have needed to agree on a major show of force.

Sund said he tried to get military support lined up ahead of time.

The Post reported last week that Charles Flynn was one of the top military leaders in the room when the Army rebuffed Sunds request for help as the rioters descended on the Capitol. Flynns brother, former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017. He received a pardon from Trump in November and called for Trump to declare martial law and force a redo of the election.

Waters disputed Sunds claims that he tried in vain to get help before the riot. She said when she spoke with him ahead of time, he mentioned only Washington Metropolitan Police as a source of backup.

If Sund knew the severity of the coming threats and was unable to get outside help, Waters said, he and the board should have stepped up their own efforts. Barricades should have been stronger, she said, and every single officer on the ground should have been armed with the best protective gear available.

Handling threats portrayed as top priority in budget hearings

Speed and intensity, especially in response to potential threats, was a consistent theme in Sunds remarks to the House Committee on Appropriations last February.

When a congressman asked Sund to explain the lockdown in November 2019, he described it as a day Ill remember for a long time.

That morning, there had been a tip about a possible aircraft moving bizarrely near the Capitol. Something  no one knew quite what  showed up on a radar screen.

Capitol Police sprung into action. For 23 to 26 minutes, officers stood ready to evacuate the building at a moments notice. And nothing happened.

It was nothing? House Appropriations Committee Chair Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, asked in a video of the hearing in February.

Sund shook his head and said it was nothing.

It wasnt a drone, it wasnt a... Ryan continued.

It was nothing, yup, Sund responded. It was a radar anomaly that wasnt even in the area.

By the end of the year, records show, Congress had approved most of Sunds proposed budget for this year. A large portion was slated for an increased contribution to the federal employees retirement system, Sund said.

It remains unclear how the rest of the money  or the specialized equipment detailed in the 2017-2018 expenditures  may have figured into Capitol Polices response Jan. 6.

Three years ago, about $825,000 went to Smiths Detection, a company based in Edgewood, Maryland, that makes X-ray security screening machines and other threat detection equipment, according to the companys website. Yet rioters who entered the Capitol were photographed carrying spears, poles and stun guns. One is accused of bringing in a gun.

Jacob Anthony Chansley of Phoenix, aka Jake Angeli, entered the Capitol wearing a headdress with horns and carrying a flag attached to a spear Jan. 6.

MC Dean, a company in Tysons, Virginia, that provides electronic security, audio and visual surveillance and cyber intelligence, got $3.8 million. Yet Capitol Police appeared caught off guard as rioters scaled walls, pushed into tunnels and bashed in windows.

Daniel Schuman, policy director of the liberal advocacy group Demand Progress, told USA TODAY that the Capitol Police have essentially been building an empire, and Congress rarely opposes their budget requests.

This is the democracy death spiral, Schuman said. All this money is being siphoned off to go to the Capitol Police, and not only did they fail, but also theyre incredibly expensive.

Despite the false alarm in 2019, everyone at the hearing in February agreed with Sunds better-safe-than-sorry approach to threats. That had been Sunds mantra since he joined the U.S. Capitol Police as an assistant chief and continued after he became chief in June 2019.

Sund told the House committee that his officers had thwarted a number of serious and credible threats against lawmakers in cases that not only made national headlines but led to charges.

Days before Sunds testimony, Jan Peter Meister of Arizona was charged with threatening Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., that he would blow your brains out in a voicemail reacting to a Fox News segment. Meister spent six months behind bars before a judge sentenced him to time served plus three years supervised release, the forfeiture of his firearms and a $100 fine.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., right, leads the group of impeachment managers through the rotunda on their way to the Senate on Jan. 16, 2020.

In the hearing, Sund asked for and later received a more than 11% increase in the departments budget  from $462 million to $516 million. The money, he said, included salaries, training-related overtime and security for the 2021 presidential inauguration.

For any part of the federal budget, that increase is huge, said Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute.

Despite the massive budget, some suggested that cost remains part of the decision-making process for Capitol Police. Bailor speculated that the failures Jan. 6 may have been rooted in a basic budget consideration: reluctance to spend more on overtime, especially with the inauguration looming.

Threats consume resources, rarely result in charges

Capitol Police officials said the force spends hours every day sifting through threats lodged by angry or deranged Americans, many of them citing specific, actionable harm. When their agents testify in threat case hearings, they make it clear that their mission extends well beyond the Capitol itself.

We protect the 535 members of Congress, their employees and their families, both here on Capitol Hill, as most standard police departments, and then nationwide, through our protection details and our investigations, said Special Agent Christopher Desrosiers, who tracked down Meister in Arizona.

Because Congress has exempted its police force from public scrutiny, no public accounting of time spent on threats exists.

In 2017, USA TODAY began requesting all investigations from cases the Capitol Police passed on to the FBI to gauge the level and tenor of threats. Those documents reveal that although the FBI swiftly takes action on those cases, federal prosecutors rarely pursue charges.

In the resulting sampling, which spans decades, more than 80 members of Congress have been seriously threatened. Based on the thousands of pages of investigative information sheets provided, those threats ranged from unhinged social media posts to letters and phone calls.

One man warned Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., in a note that he should get ready for a head stomping and threatened his family. Another person called the office of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and said he would put her in a body bag.

After Trump took office in 2017, The Associated Press reported that then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would work to repeal President Barack Obamas signature health care law. Quoting the clip, a Twitter user wrote, Yeah um Im gonna kill Mitch McConnell dont you dare.

The threat was detected by the U.S. Senate Office of Protective Services and Continuity and forwarded to the U.S. Capitol Police, who in turn notified the FBI. The writer turned out to be a Kent State University student in Ohio, who admitted to the FBI that she had made the threat but never intended to carry it out and had no access to weapons.

After a nine-day investigation, the U.S. attorneys office declined to prosecute.

In 2019, staff for Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., received a voicemail threat to the congresswoman's life. Capitol Police investigated, preserved the voicemail and sent it to the FBI. The FBI tracked the phone to a San Jose woman and interviewed her. Again, no charges were filed.

The fact that charges are rare frustrates law enforcement officers, Bailor said.

I have to go tell that member of Congress, You know that guy from Minneapolis who said hes going to shoot you and your wife? Well, thats not being pursued anymore, Bailor said.

Waters expressed disappointment about the agencys handling of a threat she faced in 2018.

After someone attempted to mail a bomb to her office and she received multiple death threats, Water said, she asked Capitol Police officers to see her home on nights she worked late on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., says she asked for a Capitol Police escort after she received threats.

Initially, they were happy to oblige, Waters said, but later, one told her that Irving, the House sergeant-at-arms, found out about it and told them to stop. Irving did not respond to requests for comment from USA TODAY.

He took away whatever small measure of protection I had, Waters said.

Waters raised the matter with Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House committee on Homeland Security. He told her there were too many members of Congress for the police to provide that level of security for each of them. Thompson did come up with $25,000 to pay for protection when lawmakers go to and from official duties.

Official duties, Waters repeated. Well, I have to be careful even when I go to the grocery store.

Contributing: Nicholas Wu, Kenny Jacoby

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Insurrection exposed an unprepared Capitol Police despite $500M budget
W

hite supremacy remains the nation's oldest and deadliest form of political violence. Monuments erected to its legacy remain in city centres.

On 6 January, the banners of racist violence entered the US Capitol as rioters brandishing Confederate flags stormed one of the bastions of democracy, fuelled by the former president's ongoing attacks on election integrity with a big lie that the election was stolen from his supporters.

While the deadly insurrection has revived calls for stronger domestic terrorism statutes, politicians including Michigan congresswoman Rashida Tlaib  a member of the high-profile "squad" of progressive lawmakers  argue that dozens of existing laws can do the same job.

Recommended Capitol riot was openly organized on mainstream social media

Lawmakers say the inability to successfully target those responsible is not from the absence of authority or ability, but a lack of political willpower. A new War on Terror inside the borders of the US could ultimately end up placing more Americans in the government's crosshairs, they argue.

"If our government and the previous administration had focused more on the threat of white nationalist terrorism and less on Black Lives Matter and civil rights groups and others, they would have seen this coming from miles away and taken action to prevent it," Rep Tlaib tells The Independent.

"If anything, I find that by them looking away, it just enabled it," she says. "The intelligence failure that allowed the Capitol breach was not the result of insufficient security or surveillance powers."

Democrats like Congresswoman Tlaib say deadly white supremacist attacks have prompted well-intentioned but misguided calls among pundits and lawmakers to charge offenders through a domestic terrorism dragnet. In the wake of the attack on the Capitol, Hillary Clinton called for "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".

President Joe Biden has tapped national security veteran Russ Travers  reportedly ousted under Donald Trump for eyeing the state of domestic threats  as a deputy homeland security adviser. The White House has also ordered the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to work with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to deliver a review of domestic extremist threats.

The Brennan Centre for Justice at New York University's School of Law has argued that "existing statutes have long provided substantial authority for the federal government to investigate and prosecute acts of domestic terrorism."

Congresswoman Tlaib  one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, along with Ilhan Omar of Minnesota  knows far too well how reactionary policies to violence in the US can infringe on civil rights and harm communities that lawmakers sought to protect.

"Even though I think people are well intended here, to expand the government's national security powers once again at the expense of the human civil rights of the American people would only serve to further undermine our democracy, not protect it," Ms Tlaib tells The Independent.

She is leading an effort to urge congressional leadership to reject calls to expand national security power.

"Our biggest worry is that establishing another policy is not going to address the core problems from within," she says. "It's just going to target people who look like me or communities like mine."

Congresswoman Tlaib and nine other House Democrats  including Congresswoman Omar, Earl Blumenauer, Jamaal Bowman, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Mondaire Jones, Barbara Lee, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley  sent a letter to Democratic and Republican leadership in the House and Senate to "reject reactionary demands to further erode the rights and liberties of the American people".

They wrote that US "history is littered with examples of initiatives sold as being necessary to fight extremism that quickly devolve into tools used for the mass violation of the human and civil rights of the American people".

The House Un-American Activities Committee dismissed investigations into the Ku Klux Klan to target alleged communists. Rather than dismantle the re-emergence of the KKK and racist violence, the FBI's harmful legacy of Cointelpro operations attacked Black Americans.

Post-9/11 measures under the newly formed Department of Homeland Security sought to prevent similar attacks but developed unprecedented domestic surveillance measures. The Trump-era Justice Department sought felony convictions for left-wing and Black Lives Matter demonstrators rather than tackle police brutality at the heart of the protests.

The Capitol riots also revealed a growing number of law enforcement officers and military personnel and veterans who participated in the rally that preceded the insurrection, resulting in more than a dozen suspensions and internal and FBI investigations, as well as federal charges against at least two officers.

"I feel very much that the reason that the threat posed by [white supremacist groups] hasn't already been adequately addressed under current powers and current law is because of a deeply ingrained unwillingness, and a hesitation on part of all three branches of the government, including law enforcement, the Justice Department, the FBI, national security and other intelligence agencies," Congresswoman Tlaib tells The Independent.

Last year, FBI director Christopher Wray told the House Judiciary Committee that the threat of far-right domestic violent extremism had risen to a "national threat priority" and will continue to pose a "steady threat of violence and economic harm" to the US as long as its underlying drivers  including "perceptions of government or law enforcement overreach, sociopolitical conditions, racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and reactions to legislative actions"  persist.

A 2020 Homeland Security report claimed domestic violent extremist groups remain the nation's largest security threat. An intelligence bulletin shared among federal law enforcement agencies in the days after the Capitol attack warned that those groups "very likely pose the greatest domestic terrorism threats in 2021".

Critics have also condemned the role of federal law enforcement under the former president, who asserted a false equivalency between protesters and political dissidents and a far-right attempt to seize the halls of Congress.

Congresswoman Tlaib says: "They had bombs. They erected a noose to hang the vice president of the United States. They were chanting and looking for Speaker Pelosi. They left human faeces throughout the hall. They did so many outrageous things directed at, 'This is how we feel about the United States of America'. They're a threat from within."

More than 100 civil rights and human rights organisations led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights have also joined the effort.

"The government's inadequate response to rising white nationalism is a disgraceful policy failure," said Wade J Henderson, interim president and CEO of the LCCHR. "The problem is hardly new, and prosecutors have long had a multitude of criminal statutes at their disposal to confront white supremacist violence," he said in a statement.

"The time is overdue to refocus resources, implement prosecutorial guidance, and prioritise combatting white nationalism as the grave threat that it is. Congress can support these efforts, not by passing additional counterterrorism laws, but instead by enforcing existing laws and using its formidable oversight and appropriations authority to demand a more effective response from federal law enforcement agencies."

Congresswoman Tlaib has urged Congress to open an investigation into the Capitol attack, including introducing witnesses and testimony from lawmakers and Capitol Police officers who were there.

Investigations may also reveal the role of lawmakers who fed into the lies amplified by the president, only to defend their opposition to the results of the 2020 election as a way to ensure "election integrity" despite their refusal to condemn false claims of fraud.

"I just want that opportunity to bring it to light, put it into congressional record," Ms Tlaib says. "A lot of people are making assumptions right now about what we need without doing a complete overhaul and investigation of the very people that were targeted, the people who were there. ... It's very important [to] have an effective and efficient investigation into this before we start passing legislation on something we have no information on."

Investigations can also uncover the role of social media platforms and the entities that supported the rioters, including potential sources of funding and organisations that benefit from spreading misinformation that fuelled the violence, she says.

"Someone is benefitting from weakening our country, benefitting from feeding this misinformation to people," Congresswoman Tlaib says. "I don't know why we're not applying the same thorough investigation and really looking at this. I'm not going to allow people to continue to guess. That's irresponsible. ... I don't feel like we're going to find an answer until we dig deeper into the full investigation. That's the only way we're going to be more informed and more thoughtful into how we approach this."
Venture just a little down the road from The Woodlands and you'll find the quiet lakeside town of Conroe, Texas.

What you might not know, however, is that this small town gem was among the top places in America to move to in 2020, according to U-Haul.

The rental van company ranked Conroe No. 24 on its list of "Top 25 Growth Cities" of 2020. U-Haul based its rankings on company data tracking customers' migration patterns over the previous year.

According to a U-Haul press release, the number of people with one-way truck rentals heading to Conroe in 2020 increased 17 percent over the previous year. This increase accounts for the number of one-way rentals leaving Conroe, U-Haul notes.

Conroe residents might not be surprised by this news. The city was crowned one of the "fastest-growing cities in the country" by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2017, and there's been a solid uptick of interest in moving to this Texas lake community.

OFF THE GRID: Where Americans want to travel to in 2021

"Absolutely, we're seeing a boom in Conroe," Boulevard Realty owner Billy Baldwin told Chron. "It's cheaper in the suburbs for the most part and the schools are considered as good."

According to Baldwin, one of the factors driving the boom is the perception that people now have the freedom to work remotely during the pandemic. He added the price point of home loans with a 2.5 percent mortgage rate have attracted many to making that jump to the 'burbs.

"In the suburbs, there's the perception that they might not have to commute," Baldwin said. "They believe they will work remote in some fashion. Also, there's the sheer perception of being near green space. Lake Conroe is a huge bidding war right now. The 2.5 percent rate is making the price point very attractive.

Baldwin said that the pandemic changed everything in terms of perception about living in the 'burbs.

"They're moving to areas that they would not have considered before the pandemic," Baldwin said. "Some may even switch careers so they can work remotely."

When you break it down, 13 of the top 25 growth cities on U-Haul's list are in the Southeast, with five in Florida and Tennessee.

The only other Texas town that made the list was Tyler, Texas, ranked at No. 10. Tyler earned the ranking with a 21-percent increase in arrivals over 2019.

Yes, Texas saw its share of folks coming into the state in 2020, as it was the second-most-popular state in terms of growth for incoming U-Haul movers in the country.

Here are the top 25 "growth cities" in 2020, according to U-Haul:
Dear Colleagues, Excellencies,

I would like to join my dear colleague, Ms Spatolisano, in welcoming you to todays event. As she has stressed, our societies are stronger when people can contribute to decisions that affect their lives. This is perhaps one of the strongest messages that the 2030 Agenda sends, both through its overall call for stakeholder engagement and through SDG 16 which includes key, enabling principles for stakeholder engagement.

UNDPs latest Human Development Report, The next frontier: Human development and the Anthropocene, also confirms that dialogue in society is not only intrinsically a good idea but is instrumental for any country to face its challenges: The HDR 2020 argues that human development is not only about expanding peoples capabilities but also about agency and values. It shows that  and here I quote: [S]upporting the agency and empowerment of disadvantaged populations  by respecting their human rights, increasing their access to resources and ensuring that they are represented and their voices are heard - can break the vicious cycle of planetary and social imbalances.

In short, the HDR confirms that peoples ability to participate in decision-making and to hold government to account is essential for finding long-term solutions for the multiple crises we are facing - from climate change to the current pandemic.

UNDP has extensive experience in supporting national and local level dialogue processes to help stakeholders identify solutions and build consensus around complex societal issues. Empowering stakeholders and creating space to question the status quo, to challenge prevailing assumptions and to envision transformation is at the heart of bringing about the systemic change that the HDR calls attention to.

I see the framework we are launching today as an important tool in this effort. It was spearheaded by UNDPs Oslo Governance Centre, together with UNDESA, and with financial support from the Government of Norway. I know many of you joining today have been involved in shaping it and we are very grateful for your support.

As you will see, the framework is simple and enables national actors to steer the process:

 It uses three key principles reflected in SDG 16 which are also the three main principles of a human-rights based approach  inclusion, participation and accountability  to analyse and strengthen the quality of stakeholder engagement practices;

 It is meant to be used by national actors themselves  governments, communities, businesses, civil society - and, ideally, together, to review or design the way they engage with each other. For example, in the development of a Voluntary National Review report on the countrys SDG progress or in the follow up of such a VNR and the implementation of the SDGs through national development planning processes.

 The framework also includes suggestions on how to deal with the current pandemic or similar crises. It emphasizes that even during a crisis, and perhaps even more so, it is essential to engage stakeholders and obtain peoples views - in order to respond and recover strategically and effectively.

Colleagues,

We are happy to have so many of you join today, including from government, civil society, the UN and academia! I wish you the best for what promises to be a very interesting discussion. After todays launch, we warmly invite you to road-test the framework. We are keen to learn about your experiences, document them on our interactive platform - the SDG 16 Hub - and support you technically.

Thank you.
Photo: Nathan Posner/Shutterstock

As recent press conferences, Borat sequels, and reported SDNY investigations into his conduct in Ukraine have shown, Rudy Giuliani is not your average personal attorney for a former president. So, naturally, the $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit that Dominion Voting Systems filed against Giuliani on Monday isnt your average legal document. Over 107 pages, the filing lays out some of the former mayors peculiar behavior since the election in his campaign to baselessly claim mass electoral fraud  including the assertion that the company was founded by Hugo Chavez as a way to skew U.S. elections. Below, the highlights from the suit.

Trumps former cybersecurity adviser has some interesting ideas about cybersecurity

The Dominion / Rudy lawsuit is incredible pic.twitter.com/lH4QGst8q7  Madeline Peltz (@peltzmadeline) January 25, 2021

Dominion hits Giuliani for his cranklike behavior

As the lawsuit notes, the astute analysis provided above could be yours for just $596 for the 4-year service if they used the promo code Rudy when ordering.

Dominions attorneys note that in the same podcast episode, Giuliani claimed supplements would cure his viewers achy joints and muscles and implored them to stop wasting money and switch. He instructed them to use his name when ordering and said they could get a second bottle free if they ordered now. And in another podcast, shortly after detailing how an American election had been fixed by a Venezuelan-owned company, Giuliani marketed cigars from an American-owned company, offering $20 off orders over $100 if his viewers used the code Rudy20 when ordering.

One of Giulianis forensic experts supports anti-Semitic conspiracies

Russell Ramsland, a forensic expert who purportedly confirmed Giulianis nonexistent evidence of corrupted voting machines in Michigan, has a long history of dabbling in conspiracy theories, as the lawsuit describes: Before Giuliani touted Ramslands expertise, Ramsland had publicly claimed, among other things, that George Soros helped form the Deep State in Nazi Germany in the 1930s  along with President George H.W. Bushs father, the Muslim Brotherhood, and leftists. Such a venture would be quite ambitious for the young Soros, who was born in 1930.

The threats Dominion faced after Giulianis false claims were frequent  and violent

The lawsuit states that one Dominion employee received texts saying, We are already watching you. Come clean and you will live. Alarming voice-mails were also left on the companys customer-support line, including a bomb threat and the following death threat:

Youre all fucking dead, Youre all fucking dead. Were bringing back the firing squad and you fuckers are all dead, everybody involved up against the wall you motherfuckers. Were gonna have a fucking lottery to fucking give people a chance to shoot you motherfuckers you fucking wait you cocksuckers you commie pieces of shit. Were going to fucking kill you all you motherfuckers. After a fair trial of course you pieces of shit. The American people are fucking coming for you this is the end of your fucking line guys your fucking days are numbered you better enjoy your Thanksgiving because youll never see another one you fucking cocksuckers. You will be gone soon. Happy Thanksgiving. Cock suckers. Youre almost done just watch and see what happens. Check out the executive order from September 12, 2018. Youll see whats going to happen. Youll own nothing. Youll be on the fucking 2030 plan because youll own nothing you fucking cocksuckers. Its coming. Buckle your fucking seatbelts. Watch whats going to happen next.
Stefan Carter was a 14-year-old Jewish boy in Poland the last time he saw his mother alive.

Stefan Carter was a 14-year-old Jewish boy in Poland the last time he saw his mother alive.

On that sunny September day in 1942, Stefan and his mother, Janina, were ordered by the Nazis to leave their workplace and assemble at the Umschlagplatz, or collection point, in the Warsaw Ghetto.

SUPPLIED Stefan Carter in his Polish high school certificate from 1946.

With a nod of his head, an SS soldier sent Stefan  who was tall for his age  back to the factory. "They thought I would be good for labour," he said.

His mother was sent to a train at a nearby railway siding and, ultimately, to her death at the Treblinka concentration camp.

"She was sick," said Carter, 92, now a retired doctor in Winnipeg. "She may have died on the train on the way, or in the camp. I dont know."

For Carter, those memories from long ago are still fresh in his mind, as is his escape from the ghetto.

DAN HARPER / CMHR Stefan Carter speaking at an event at the CMHR in 2016.

"It was a miracle," he said of how relatives managed to smuggle him out and arranged for him to be hidden in the homes of Polish Christians.

Through false papers and learning Christian prayers, the teenager was able to stay alive until the end of the war.

"I dont know to this day how it happened," he said. "Maybe it involved bribes, I dont know."

On Wednesday, Carter will be the featured speaker as the Winnipeg-based Canadian Museum for Human Rights marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The online event, co-sponsored by the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, will mark the 80th anniversary of the sealing of the ghetto and the murder of more than 300,000 Jews who were imprisoned there.

The event will also include a screening of the film Memories of the Warsaw Ghetto, based on the childhood experiences of Eugene Bergman, who was deafened when a Nazi soldier hit him on the head with a rifle butt.

In 1948, at the age of 20, Carter emigrated to Canada, settling in Winnipeg, where he studied medicine and became a renowned vascular specialist. He was also a professor in the Max Rady Faculty of Medicine for more than 40 years, and participated in Manitobas first open-heart surgery in 1959.

Looking back, Carter remembers that terrible time in the ghetto and his time avoiding capture by the Nazis. "It was a traumatic experience," he said.

Unlike some other survivors, some of whom have still nightmares "to this day," Carter said he was "able to put it behind me and move on."

In his retirement, he spends his time sharing about that experience and warning about the dangers of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial and distortion.

"We have to constantly keep talking about it," Carter said. "The stories of survivors have to be told over and over again.

"Within each of us is the potential for good and evil. Either cant be brought out," he said. To prevent future Holocausts, people need to "nurture the good" inside of them.

The event, which starts at noon, will conclude with a question-and-answer period facilitated by Daniel Stone, professor emeritus of history at the University of Winnipeg. Online ASL interpretation will be provided.

For more information and to register, visit http://wfp.to/DSQ.

faith@freepress.mb.ca
Roger Wing sculpts in wood, stone, bronze, ice, sand and sometimes snow. He lives in Philadelphia, but since he started carving ice in 1997 hes been in competitions around the globe, most recently in Beijing, China, last year where he took home medals in three of the four events he competed in  a bronze, a silver and a gold.

Saturday, he was in New Jersey during the Haddonfield Winterfest Sidewalk Sale, to use his well-honed skills to honor front line workers of the COVID-19 pandemic, turning two 300-pound blocks of ice into two separate sculptures, the first one honoring nurses.

Saturday, December 23, 2021 - A chainsaw cuts through the ice block.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The event held in Kings Court was a collaboration between Downtown Haddonfield and Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust as a thank you to health care workers. An appreciative crowd of passers-by watched the action as the first block of ice took the form of a Rosie the Riveter type character over the course of about 90 minutes.

A chain saw was the tool of choice for most of the heavy lifting, but a variety of finer tools came out for the finishing touches  grinders and chisels, little fine hand saws. But, mostly we use our imagination, Wing said. Our most powerful tool is our imagination.

When the first sculpture was complete, nurses and family members were invited in for a photo opportunity and some words of appreciation.

Saturday, December 23, 2021 - Passers-by at the Haddonfield Winterfest Sidewalk Sale watch the progress of the work.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Saturday, December 23, 2021 - Eric Wagner, fellow ice carver looks at the template on a 300 lb block of ice before carving.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Saturday, December 23, 2021 - Spectators photograph an ice sculpture honoring nurses.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Saturday, December 23, 2021 - At right, Marc Robb, of Haddonfield, holding his daughter Mckinley Robb, 2, watch the artist at work.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Saturday, December 23, 2021 - Nurses and family pose with the artist (2nd from left) in front of an ice sculpture honoring nurses, the first of two sculptures.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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Michael Mancuso may be reached at mmancuso@njadvancemedia.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Research led by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine found that the widely prescribed pain-relief drug gabapentin can prevent harmful structural changes in the injured spinal cords of mice, and also block cardiovascular changes and immune suppression caused by spinal cord injury.

"Gabapentin is often prescribed as a treatment for pain, but if it is given early after injury - before symptoms develop - it can also limit structural changes in nerve cells. We show that these benefits remain even one month after stopping gabapentin treatment in spinal injured mice. We believe that gabapentin could be repurposed as a prophylactic therapy that can prevent autonomic dysfunction in people affected by spinal cord injuries," said Phillip Popovich, senior author and chair of Ohio State's Department of Neuroscience.

Study findings are published online in the journal Cell Reports.

"This is the first time a treatment has been shown to prevent the development of autonomic dysfunction, rather than manage the symptoms caused by autonomic dysfunction. In response to stress or danger, autonomic nerve cells in the spinal cord trigger a 'fight or flight' response. This is a normal and helpful response that increases blood pressure and releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol," said lead author Faith Brennan, research scientist in Ohio State's department of neuroscience.

But, after traumatic spinal cord injury, massive structural changes occur within spinal autonomic nerve centers that control the fight or flight response, and these changes cause uncontrolled autonomic reflexes.

For example, normally harmless stimuli, such as the bladder filling, will trigger the fight or flight response. But because of the spinal cord injury, the response is uncontrolled and can cause several health problems, including severe high blood pressure, heart rate slowing and long-term immune suppression.

"Autonomic dysfunction is a major problem for people living with a spinal cord injury. The cardiovascular complications can lead to severe morbidities like heart attack and stroke while long-term immune suppression can lead to serious recurrent infections like pneumonia," Popovich said.

Currently, these symptoms can only be managed, (regular bowel/bladder voiding regimens, for example), but there is no treatment.

"The possibility of repurposing gabapentin as a prophylactic therapy to prevent the development of autonomic dysfunction could significantly improve the quality of life for individuals living with spinal cord injuries, including greater independence in society, reduced caregiver reliance, reduced infection susceptibility and increased life expectancy," Brennan said. "Gabapentin is FDA-approved, and is already widely used to manage neuropathic pain caused by spinal cord injuries. If patients are treated early after their injuries, gabapentin could prevent the harmful structural changes that are inevitable in most severe spinal cord injuries."

This study builds on Ohio State's previous research showing that autonomic dysfunction directly drives immune suppression, said Popovich, who also is a researcher in Ohio State's Neurological Institute and the Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury.

"We don't know how long treatment can be delayed after injury and still maintain the beneficial effects. Ongoing studies in the Belford Center are optimizing this treatment onset window. We also don't know if gabapentin targets other cells/organs in the body, so we'll investigate the effects of this therapy on other tissues beyond the spinal cord," Popovich said.

###

The Ohio State team collaborated with scientists at Duke University and University of California San Francisco on this study.

This research is supported by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, Wings for Life, The National Institutes of Health, the Ray W. Poppleton Endowment and the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
New and more dangerous varieties of COVID-19 from Britain and South Africa will be covered by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, preliminary evidence suggests, although the vaccines will be slightly less effective.

We are yet to see a virus that can evade a vaccine response to a degree where it would be of significant concern, said Associate Professor Stuart Turville, a virologist at the Kirby Institute.

An English patient receives a dose of the Pfizer vaccine inside Salisbury Cathedral Credit:Getty

The vaccine responses so far have been strong in many studies and this level of strength will hopefully translate to cover many different viral flavours.

Pfizers vaccine won regulatory approval in Australia on Monday and the federal government plans to roll it out from the end of February.
Even as violence broke out in the tractor march held by farmers in the national capital, farm union leader Rakesh Tikait has denied reports of violence and claimed that march is peaceful. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, while speaking to news agency ANI, said that the tractor march is peaceful, even as farmers broke barricades and vandalised buses at ITO in New Delhi. He said that the Centre should repeal the farm laws and farmers will continue to protest. As the farmers' entered New Delhi during their tractor march on January 26, tear gas shells were fired at near the Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, and the farmers' were seen heckling the police personnel near ITO. Visuals also show that farmers are carrying sticks, despite the Delhi Police circular stating it clearly that they are not allowed to carry any weapon.

READ | Open violence breaks out at farmers' tractor rally; promise of peaceful protest shattered

"Rally is going on peacefully. I don't have any knowledge of it. We are at Ghazipur and are releasing the traffic here," Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) said.

#WATCH Protesters break barricade, attack police personnel and vandalise police vehicle at ITO in central Delhi pic.twitter.com/1ARRUX6I8E  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

READ | Delhi Police allows only 5000 tractors for farmers' R-Day rally; Read all conditions here

Farmers' Republic Day parade

After 11 rounds of Centre-farmer talks, the two parties failed to reach a middle ground. The farmers' union have refused Centre's proposal for suspending the implementation of the aforesaid legislation for one and a half years and said that they want repeal of the laws. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar categorically said that the Union government is ready for another meeting only if the farmers want to discuss this proposal. Meanwhile, the Delhi police gave permission to the farmers to hold their Republic Day tractor rallies beginning from Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders - proceed towards Haryana or Uttar Pradesh before returning back to the starting points covering 62 km, 60 km and 46 km respectively.

Darshan Pal, Rajinder Singh, Balbir Singh Rajewal, Buta Singh Burjgil, and Joginder Singh Ugraha were asked by Delhi Police to coordinate with the police during the rally. The unions have instructed that the parade should be carried out peacefully, no display of political flags, no loudspeakers without permission, no trolleys, animals, carts, no weapons or firearms. Moreover, the Delhi Police mandated that a maximum of 5000 persons with 5000 tractors can participate in the rally on Republic Day from noon to 5 pm. Protests have continued for 62 days till date.

READ | FM Sitharaman leads symbolic pre-Budget 'Halwa ceremony' as 2021 Budget goes paperless

READ | Farmers Plan To March To The Parliament On Feb 1, Day When FM Will Present Budget 2021
One of the highest priority issues Biden stressed throughout the campaign was a review of all regulations and executive actions that patently affected the environment or public health.

by K.M. Seethi

With Joe Bidens assumption of office as 46th President of the United States, there are expectations of a liberal internationalist foreign policy set to emerge from Washington. However, the new team in the White House knew from the first day in office that this would not have been possible without constant recalibration. Many would have little dispute that Donald Trump was a president with very little intellectual endowment and international morality. They would still see him as a bumbling misfit in the White House whose four years in office were blemished by arrant mismanagement of both national and international affairs. Hence the dismantling of the Trumpian policy regime would have the virtue of resuscitating a win-win liberal international order.

According to Dan Pfeiffer, Whenever Trump did something that hurt someone or said something that offended everyone, there was something we could do. It was possible to turn the anger into activism, to undo the damage and right the wrong. Pfeiffer, the author of Un-Trumping America: A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again is one of the most perceptive observers of American politics (who also served as senior adviser to President Barack Obama). He called Trumpism a plutocracy in populist clothing. Two days before Trump quit the office, Pfeiffer tweeted: Beating Trump has been the organizing principle for the progressive universe for the last four years.

In less than a few hours after Donald Trump bragged in his farewell address to the nation on 20 January 2021that We reclaimed our sovereignty by standing up for America at the United Nations and withdrawing from the one-sided global deals that never served our interests, the new incumbent in the White House, Joe Biden, started undoing the damage that his predecessor caused to the nation through a series of reckless policies.

On the first day in office itself, President Biden stepped in with a spate of executive orders to rescind the policies of the Trump administrationthat ranged from revisiting the climate change policy (which included rejoining the Paris Agreement), the management of the COVID-19, reentering the World Health Organization (WHO), to halting the controversial border wall and sensitive immigration issues.

One of the highest priority issues Biden stressed throughout the campaign was a review of all regulations and executive actions that patently affected the environment or public health. President Biden thus declared his resolve to rejoin the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement by reversing the Trump administrations lopsided policy.

The Paris accord aims to reduce global warming and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The US was among 194 countries that signed the Agreement when Barack Obama was President. Trump annulled this decision two years later arguing that it was a symbol of reassertion of our sovereignty. He said that the accord put the U.S. at a disadvantage due to regulatory and financial burdens it would put on American business corporates. Trump also blamed China, Russia and India as filthy nations, arguing that the agreement was unfair to the U.S. which must pay for nations which benefitted the most.

Now that a new instrument of acceptance of the Paris Agreement by the USexpressing its consent to be bound by the Agreementwas deposited with the UN Secretary-General, it was notified that the Paris Agreement would enter into force for the United States on 19 February 2021, in accordance with its Article 21 (3). In a summit held in December 2020, the countries emitting half of all global carbon pollution committed themselves to carbon neutrality, or net-zero emissions.

Upon the US decision to rejoin the accord, the UN Secretary-General reminded that The climate crisis continues to worsen, and time is running out to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and build more climate-resilient societies that help to protect the most vulnerable. The new White House team, which consists of liberal internationalists knows that environmental security is fundamental to the health and human security in the world and a concerted global action alone can sustain peace and development across the world.

The fact that health security is one of the top priorities of the Biden Administration is testified by its immediate focus on the pandemic, among the executive actions signed by the new Presidentwhich mandated masks and physical distancing on federal property and by federal employees. The White House also issued a comprehensive anti-COVID-19 strategy, pledged a genuine wartime strategy to expand vaccine distribution, supplies and testing. Biden's $1.9 trillion rescue plan is part of this grand strategy to combat the coronavirus pandemic which already claimed more than 4.20 lakh lives with the largest number (more than 25 million) of infection cases in the world.

Presidents executive order extended the federal eviction freeze to support those struggling from the COVID-19 economic consequence, set up a new federal office to coordinate a national response to the pandemic and reinstated the White Houses National Security Council directorate for global health security and defense, an office Trump had shut down. It may be recalled that Biden had criticised his predecessor for the incompetent response to the worst public health crisis in 100 years.

President Biden also reversed the process of withdrawing from the WHO. Last year, Trump had threatened to put a permanent hold on U.S. funding for the organisation unless it conformed to substantial changes. He had criticised the agency for its handling of COVID-19 and its relationship with Beijing. Trump also accused the WHO chief of waiting too long to declare COVID-19 a public health emergency.

President Biden announced that the U.S. will fulfil its financial obligations to the WHO as well as restore sufficient American staff who work with the organization. The US also plans to join the COVAX alliancean initiative led by the WHO and two other groups, that seeks to secure greater access to COVID-19 vaccines for poor countries.

Right from the beginning of the election campaign, Biden has been forthright in his position on the issues of immigration. He said he would restore the credibility of the nation as a migrant-friendly country. Naturally, six of Biden's 17 executive orders, memorandums and proclamations deal with immigration. He ordered efforts to preserve Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a programme that has sheltered hundreds of thousands of people who landed up in the US as children from deportation since it was put in place in 2012.

Biden also extended temporary legal status to Liberians who escaped from the civil war and the Ebola outbreak. While halting the work on border wall with Mexico, Biden sought to ensure that the interests of asylum-seekers would be taken care of. With this, the Trump administration's contentious remain in Mexico policy necessitating asylum-seekers trying to enter the U.S. from the southern border to wait in Mexico for American court hearings would be suspended.

The executive order ending the restrictions on travel and immigration from some predominantly Muslim countries and few from other parts of the world came as a relief to many. During Trump's first week in office, the Muslim ban at first restricted travel from seven Muslim-majority nationsIran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Later a few more countries were added to the list which included Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Tanzania, North Korea and some Venezuelan officials and their relatives. President Biden called these actions as a stain on our national conscience and are inconsistent with our long history of welcoming people of all faiths and no faith at all. The order directs the State Department to recommence visa processing for those countries and develop a plan to address people affected, such as those who were denied entry to the US.

The new administration also brought in an order asking federal agencies to prioritise racial equity and re-examine policies that bolster systemic racism. Biden repealed an order issued by Trump that required to exclude noncitizens from the census and mandated federal employees to take an ethics pledge that would commit them to upholding the independence of the Justice Department. Biden sought to take all lawful steps to ensure the adoption of the US Supreme Court ruling elucidating that LGBTQ people are among those protected from workplace discrimination.

Notwithstanding the fresh lease of life offered by President Biden on a number of issues bequeathed from the past, the new administration surely confronts an array of intractable economic challenges, intensified by the coronavirus pandemic. Even as tens of millions of people remain unemployed and hundreds of thousands of small businesses have been crushed, the wealth of the capitalist oligarchs have ascended to extraordinary levelsthanks to the ceaseless flow of capital from the Federal Reserve and global central banksadding to the enormous accumulation of debt.

Joe Biden assumed office at a crucial global economic juncture. The World Economic Forum has recently brought out its 2021 Global Risks Report that warned that in a critical period of pandemic, job losses, a widening digital divide, disrupted social interactions, and abrupt shifts in markets could lead to dire consequences and lost opportunities for large parts of the global population.

As a leading economic power, the United States cannot but see this economic scenario as a challenging, if not an inhibiting factor, in its global engagements. The success of the new administration depends on how effectively it negotiates with countries in the European Union, on the one hand, and China and other East Asian countries, on the other. The expectation is that with a team of liberal internationalists in the Biden administration, there would be more room for diplomacy, international cooperation and constructive engagements, rather than a return to a self-help system of international relations.

The author is Director, Inter University Centre for Social Science Research and Extension (IUCSSRE), Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala. He also served as Dean of Social Sciences and Professor of International Relations and Politics, Mahatma Gandhi University. He can be contacted at kmseethimgu@gmail.com
United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said he was "deeply sorry for every life lost" as the coronavirus death toll in the country crossed 100,000. The UK is the first country in Europe to surpass the threshold.

Johnson said his government had done everything it could to minimise loss of life in the coronavirus pandemic after the country's death toll exceeded 100,000.

"I take full responsibility for everything that the government has done," Johnson said on Tuesday. "What I can tell you is that we truly did everything we could, and continue to do everything we can, to minimise loss of life and to minimise suffering."

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

"Its hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic. I am deeply sorry for every life lost," he added.

The government has faced criticism for its management of the pandemic from experts who said that it waited too long to impose lockdowns and failed to get sufficient stocks of protective equipment for health workers.

Mistakes have been made," said Richard Murray, chief executive at The Kings Fund, a think tank focused on health and social care. Decisions to enter lockdown have consistently come late, with the government failing to learn from past mistakes or the experiences of other countries."

Meanwhile, England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty said on Tuesday that the country will see more deaths from coronavirus before a vaccination programme takes effect.

"Unfortunately we're going to see quite a lot more deaths over the next few weeks before the effects of the vaccines begin to be felt," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A growing number of people in the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Japan's ruling party believe it will be necessary to extend the state of emergency for parts of the country continuing to see a high number of coronavirus cases, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The state of emergency, which entails urging the public to refrain from going outside unnecessarily and asking restaurants and bars to shorten their opening hours, could remain in place until the end of February, the sources said. The current end date is Feb. 7.

The government will ask health experts next week whether the number of coronavirus cases in the prefectures in question  Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Tochigi, Aichi, Gifu, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka  and the strain on the medical system warrant an extension.

Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister in charge of Japan's COVID-19 response, said at a parliamentary committee meeting on Tuesday the government will avoid waiting until the last minute to announce its decision so the prefectures will not be caught off guard.

Suga, meanwhile, admitted Japan's medical system has been ill-prepared to deal with the surge in COVID-19 patients, acknowledging that more lives may have been saved had proper treatment been available.

The rare admission of fault comes as public support for Suga's administration continues to dwindle amid mounting dissatisfaction with his pandemic response.

Asked by opposition lawmaker Kiyomi Tsujimoto in the meeting of the House of Representatives' Budget Committee whether he felt responsible for COVID-19 patients that died at home after being turned away from hospitals, Suga said, "As the one in charge, I feel terribly sorry."

"We have not been able to provide the necessary care, and I recognize that because of this the Japanese people are feeling anxious," Suga said.
A surge in threats against lawmakers and the US Capitol have forced National Guard troops to remain in Washington ahead of former President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial.

The troops will remain on Capitol Hill as the US Senate trial begins on 8 February, marking the first time in American history in which a former president has faced an impeachment trial after leaving office. The House voted to impeach Mr Trump for fomenting a deadly insurrection at the Capitol as Congress convened to certify his electoral defeat in the 2020 elections, citing his speech held just before the deadly attacks and conduct during the riots, which left at least five people dead, including United States Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.

Officials have since begun preparing for a potential second attack on the Capitol as the impeachment trial begins, the Associated Press reported on Sunday, and were examining violent threats targeting lawmakers as they entered the building, though the credibility of such threats remained unknown.

Estimates have indicated as many as 5,000 to 7,000 National Guard troops could remain in Washington through February  a significant reduction from the nearly 20,000 troops stationed in the nations capital during President Joe Bidens inauguration ceremonies last week.

Mr Biden was still sworn in on the footsteps of the Capitol, where just two weeks prior his predecessors extremist supporters were attacking security officials and breaching the walls of government.

At least 130 people currently faced federal charges for their alleged involvement in the Capitol riots, as the FBI and other federal agencies seek information and further evidence while carrying out numerous investigations into the deadly incident.

The FBI previously said in a statement it had received more than 100,000 pieces of digital evidence submitted from across the country about people who allegedly took part in the attacks.

Some of those included people who allegedly made death threats against lawmakers, including a Texas man facing five criminal charges for his role in the riots. According to court documents, Garret Miller seemingly referred to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a tweet when he wrote: Assassinate AOC.

His lawyer has since said the comment was made in the heat of the moment.

Lawmakers like Ms Ocasio Cortez, a New York Democrat, have since suggested they do not feel safe returning to work, citing the numerous threats while raising questions about whether any of their Republican counterparts were somehow involved in the coordination of the 6 January riots.

The Capitol Police department is currently investigating whether any lawmakers gave rioters tours of the building or played a role in fomenting the attacks.

Federal investigations are also underway into Parler, the Twitter-like social media platform popular among right-wing users, which has been accused of playing a role in the riots. The company has reportedly provided information to the FBI on users allegedly involved in the attacks.
Appointment

26 January 2021

Aimbridge Hospitality, the leading, global, third-party hotel management company, has promoted Joe Isaac to Senior Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions, where he will be supporting the Office of the Executive Chairman, focusing on transformational growth including capital markets, mergers & acquisitions, and new business opportunities. He will serve as a strategic cross-functional business partner and be responsible for evaluating and reporting on mergers & acquisitions, underwriting, and deal structuring, leading due diligence, and supporting integration planning.

Isaac brings extensive accounting and finance acumen with him to the new role. He has been with Aimbridge for three years, most recently serving as Vice President, Financial Operations and Accounting Strategy, where he worked with owner relations and was a key contact for the Aimbridge Owners Advisory Council, among other things. Prior to Aimbridge, Isaac served as Chief Financial Officer of a mid-sized tech company.
RAMALLAH, West Bank  A day after US President Joe Biden was sworn in on Jan. 20, the Palestinian Authority (PA) vowed to legally pursue former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman after his recognition and approval of a settlement project called the City of David in the center of Jerusalem.

No sooner had Friedman  whom Palestinians call the settler  wrapped up his tasks than he gave a huge present to Israel by recognizing the City of David on Jan. 18 and praising it as a testament to Americas Judeo-Christian heritage and founding principles.

The US Commission for the Preservation of Americas Heritage Abroad is working with the Elad settlement organization, which has been working for years to turn the town of Selwan located south of Al-Aqsa Mosque into the City of David by seizing dozens of Palestinian houses and carrying out extensive excavations.

In June 2019, wielding a sledgehammer, Friedman had inaugurated the Pilgrimage Road, which consists of a tunnel dug under the houses of Palestinians in Selwan.

The Elad organization has seized more than 60 properties in Selwan where over 55,000 Palestinians live. It is also digging tunnels under the town and trying to build the supposedly historical City of David over its ruins.

Friedman, who is a staunch supporter of settlements and an opponent of the two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state, was appointed as US ambassador to Israel in March 2017. He had been considered the godfather of settlements in the Trump administration, which recognized in March 2019 the sovereignty of Israel over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and declared in November 2019 that it did not consider settlements in the West Bank as a violation of international law.

Ever since Friedman was appointed, the Palestinians have criticized him and refused to deal with him because of his blatant support for Israeli settlements.

Ahmed al-Deek, political adviser to the Palestinian minister of foreign affairs, told Al-Monitor, The ministry will personally oversee the matter [of recognizing the City of David] with legal experts and concerned parties to seek accountability for the settler Friedman before competent international courts.

He said, The ministry has formed a team that started taking practical steps to prepare the black file of Friedman who played a major role in most of the Trump administration decisions in favor of settlements. These decisions constitute a violation of international legitimacy and international treaties and resolutions.

Deek noted that Friedmans recognition of the City of David, which settlers want to build over Selwan and in the surroundings of Al-Aqsa Mosque, is illegal and constitutes part of the Trump administrations gifts to Israel.

He added, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has started high-level deliberations with local and international legal experts and advisers to determine the legal steps needed to file lawsuits against Friedman over his crimes against us [Palestinians] and violations of international law.

He explained that the goal behind suing Friedman is to shift from formal and verbal condemnation and denunciation to practical steps in prosecuting Israel and its settlement project. He said, We have always wanted to impose sanctions that would deter Israel and anyone supporting its settlement projects. Countries that care about human rights must see this task through.

Palestine acceded to the United Nations in 2012 as an observer, nonmember state. In 2015, Palestine joined the International Criminal Court (ICC), and it has been threatening to pursue Israel in court over its settlement project ever since. But so far, the pursuit has not materialized.

Deek commented on the slow procedures in the legal pursuit before the ICC, saying that it is due to pressure from the United States and some countries on the ICC and some judges to prevent it from looking into the three files submitted by Palestine regarding the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, the detainees in Israeli prisons and the settlements.

He noted, Palestine has implemented all necessary measures and submitted all the reports and pleadings to proceed with the files before the ICC and begin the trial of the war criminals.

In April 2020, ICC Prosecutor in The Hague Fatou Bensouda insisted that the court has jurisdiction to investigate war crimes in Palestine, which means empowering the PA to transfer the criminal competence on its territories to the ICC.

Palestinian Minister of Justice and professor of international law Mohammed al-Shalaldeh told Al-Monitor that it is possible to pursue Friedman as an executive figure responsible for any violations of the international law principles, the international humanitarian law and the human rights principles. Friedmans statements violate international agreements and treaties ratified by the United States, he added

He said that each state has the legal responsibility to pursue its executive parties on the one hand, and on the other, there is criminal, personal responsibility to pursue those violating human rights, international treaties and international law. Consequently, Friedman can be prosecuted by the US judiciary, any international judiciary or the ICC, he added.

Shalaldeh believes that Friedmans actions amount to a hate and incitement crime against the Palestinian people and deprives them of their right to self-determination, in addition to violating their rights. Friedman, according to Shalaldeh, also violated the principles and rules of international law and the UN Charter governing relations between states.

He stated that it is possible to resort to European courts to pursue Friedman. The European Court for Human Rights condemned France in June 2020 for violating freedom of expression, in response to the French courts condemnation of activists supporting Palestine that had called for boycotting Israeli products. Also, the Supreme Court of Justice issued a decision in November 2019, dictating the European Union countries to label settlement products.
FALL RIVER, Wis., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EK, an industry-leading contract manufacturing company located in the heart of Wisconsin, launched a fresh-faced branding campaign and new website to match their incredible growth over the last several years. EK has been quietly growing, incorporating new capabilities, expanding their team, and making a huge impact on the Fall River community through economic growth and youth apprenticeship programs.

"It's all about respect," says Gary Errthum, Founder and CEO of EK. "It's about working together and showing respect no matter what your job or title is," Errthum explains when describing EK's key to success. There's no doubt it's working as EK has grown to encompass over 200,000 sq. ft. across two state-of-the-art facilities housing two major divisions: their core business, Complete Manufacturing, and their newest Power Products line. With a team of over 200 people working across three shifts, EK outmatches its competition in comprehensive machining, fabrication, welding, assembly, powder coating, and power system protection products like large-scale generator enclosures.

EK's sales and development team set out to re-launch the company's brand to match their success in mid-2020. "Incorporating our history and emphasis on quality was really important to the project." Says Dan Weinberger, Director of Sales and Estimating. Steve Slack, Vice President of Operations, echoes this sentiment: "It's not just about what we do, it's how and why we do it. We work really hard to create a culture of respect, education, and pride, and that shows in our end product."

The team spent several months leading up to their 50th anniversary diving into their history, evaluating their customer feedback, and working with EK employees to find the right balance of modern, bold design while still honoring their past. "One of our biggest goals for our 50-year anniversary was to give our brand a new look that represents who we are and what we do," Weinberger commented. EK's new logo unifies their two divisions under the singular and strong moniker: EK.

EK's team modernized the iconic trailer element from their old logo by updating it's curved lines to a more assertive and bold look and embedding it directly in their business name, marking the bedrock of the company. Each letter pushes forward, matching the movement of the trailer mark, signifying their continuous growth and innovation. Every element of EK's new logo comes together to show where they started: working with transportation trailers in the agricultural industry, to where they've come: a full-scale, state-of-the-art contract manufacturing business.

True to their business model, EK kept their customers at the forefront of the rebranding initiative, choosing to upgrade their website to a user-friendly, UX/UI backed web experience thoughtfully designed to educate the public on their capabilities and culture. The new and improved EKMachine.com launched on January 12, 2021.

"We're just getting started," says Errthum when asked what the future holds for EK. "If you're going to work for 40 years, like I always said, you've got to enjoy what you do. Because then it's not a job, it's a hobby."

About EK

Since 1970, EK has been a leading supplier of manufactured steel components and assemblies to several industries throughout the United States and worldwide. EK combines adaptable, advanced manufacturing equipment and quality-focused processes with expert manufacturers, engineers, and diligent project management to meet or exceed customer expectations on every project, every time. For more information about EK, please visit ekmachine.com . Follow us on Facebook @ekmachine and LinkedIn @ek-machine-company.

Press Contact:

Dan Weinberger

Director of Sales and Estimating

920-484-6713

[email protected]

SOURCE EK
Woodlands leaders are pushing for more federal CARES Act funds from Montgomery County.

Officials with The Woodlands Township have sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott and are lobbying U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady to help secure more money from the $105 million Montgomery County received. If those county-level efforts dont materialize, the township has asked for funds from state-managed pools to be allocated to The Woodlands to help cope with the financial impact caused by the pandemic.

On HoustonChronicle.com: The Woodlands comes up short in CARES Act funding

Township board Chairman Gordy Bunch has expressed both his concern and his disappointment with the CARES Act situation since spring 2020 when township officials claimed they were owed more than $6 million from Montgomery County. When the township only received a fraction of that expected total in fall 2020, Bunch and others said they were being shortchanged by county officials when it came to the funds intended to reimburse communities for COVID-19 related expenses.

Now, Bunch says, the township is seeking other remedies to the situation in an effort to secure more funds to help offset coronavirus response costs.

We have had a call with governors staff regarding the disparity of CARES Act funds reaching local governments in Montgomery County. The Woodlands Township has requested Texas open up some of their remaining funds for the township to apply for, Bunch said. Congressman Bradys office has been made aware of the disparity of funding allocated to local governments within Montgomery County.

Bunch also said hes worked to understand why the township did not get much in the latest funds dispersal, noting he has tried to work with Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough on the issue since June. The township made two requests for fund reimbursements to Montgomery County totaling $6.1 million, however the township received around $280,000.

I met with Judge Keough in June 2020 and there have been several requests for CARES Act funds formally submitted to the county ahead of their imposed deadlines. The township submitted for a total of $6.1 million from Montgomery Countys $105 million received. The township received around $280,000.

Keough explained in response to Bunchs criticisms how the county decided to disburse the funds, stating some expenses requested by The Woodlands were deemed disallowed after a routine audit. In December, Keough said an audit of the expenses submitted led to the funds allocated to the township.

On HoustonChronicle.com: The Woodlands to get some CARES Act funds from Harris County

Last year, Montgomery County reimbursed all of our cities and entities for expenses they incurred as a result of COVID-19. The Woodlands, specifically submitted documentation and receipts for their direct expenses from March-September 2020 to the Commissioners Court which we in turn approved reimbursement based on the amount approved by the County Auditor, Koeugh said in an email. As you are aware the county being the sole responder for the COVID pandemic incurred vast expenses to ensure our cities and entities would not spend funds on PPE, and related sanitizing materials. We made our warehouse of supplies available to them at all times and have fulfilled weekly request for supplies and will continue through 2021.

Letter to Abbott

The township learned of its CARES Act allocation from the county in December, a disappointment for township officials who wanted millions of dollars more in reimbursement funds. The community is not the only one where officials have been disappointed with the funds allocated to them by the county.

Some Conroe City Council members also vented their frustrations in December with the citys lack of funds from the relief money.

In response to the situation, Bunch penned a Dec. 22 letter to Abbott on behalf of the township as well as the Board of Directors, lamenting the lack of funds allocated to the township.

It is unfortunate that Montgomery County failed to honor the congressional intent of the CARES Act. Still, the township has honored its responsibility to our residents to provide the necessary services to ensure our communitys safety and welfare, Bunch wrote. As such, we respectfully seek the states assistance and ask that you consider providing from the states CRF allocation the outstanding $5.8 million to provide the Township $55 per capita as has been provided by Texas to other local jurisdictions smaller than 500,000 in population.

The Woodlands did receive an allocation of CARES Act funds from Harris County, which Bunch said used the $55 per person formula for every resident of the Village of Creekside Park, the only portion of The Woodlands not in Montgomery County.

The Harris County allocation totaled $715,000 for Creekside Park and the roughly 14,000 Woodlands residents that live there. The majority of township land and more than 100,000 residents are in Montgomery County.

Keough noted county officials believed sharing the federal funds with local school districts, notably the Conroe Independent School District, was important because of the enormous cost related to educating students amid the pandemic.

Since our cities and entities were made whole on all approved expenses submitted to the county we turned our focus to our local school districts. Each of whom were struggling with enormous cost of providing a safe school environment and the increased technology cost associated with providing remote learning capabilities. As a result the county approved reimbursing our schools $300 per pupil out of CARES funds, Keough said. Since Montgomery County is 100 percent responsible for the use of CARES funds and ultimately county tax payers, the county determined the best course would be to directly reimburse all necessary and approve expenses incurred by our cities. This would ensure the county tax payers are not on the hook paying back a claw back to the federal government for monies spent by sub-recipients, because our sub-recipients have been audited prior to our reimbursing them.

Bunch said he will continue to push for what he and other officials believe is their fair share of federal dollars.

We will continue to engage with the county on CARES Act funding allocations. I believe the treasury intended for these funds to reach local governments and the township, along with other municipalities, should be eligible for the $55 per capita standard being applied across Texas, Bunch said. The Woodlands has received the $55 per capita from Harris County without any difficulties.

jeff.forward@chron.com
The House and Senate could Thursday to resend Gov. Charlie Baker a climate change bill designed to push Massachusetts toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, according to one senior State House official.

The House and Senate both have formal sessions planned for Thursday, when the climate bill that was refiled last week in the Senate by Sen. Michael Barrett and Rep. Thomas Golden could come up for a vote.

That appears to be the plan, texted one House official who has worked on the climate issue in the past. House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka have both said they want to quickly pass the same bill that Baker vetoed after the end of the last two-year session.

That bill would require Massachusetts to go carbon neutral by 2050, but would allow for changes to local building codes that Baker worries will stymie housing construction.

The governor also laid out other concerns with an additional offshore wind procurement and the lack of funding for climate resiliency projects, and has expressed his desire to work with lawmakers on amendments.

I dont accept the false choice between equitable economic prosperity and tackling the climate change needs of our planet, Spilka said in a interview that aired Sunday on WCVB.

The Senate plans to meet in a formal session on Thursday, and the House laid out plans for the week that include an informal session Wednesday and a formal on Thursday.
[January 26, 2021] FirePoint Brings First Hacking for Defense Program to Kansas

WICHITA, Kan., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This semester, students at Wichita State University have become the first in Kansas to put their innovation skills to work in solving real-world national defense challenges as part of the Hacking for Defense (H4D) program, thanks to the FirePoint Innovations Center and WSU's Masters of Innovation Design program. H4D, a program of the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), is a semester-long course offered only at select, top-tier universities across the country that provides students the opportunity to work directly with Department of Defense (DoD) agencies in an applied learning environment. "Problem sponsors" from the DoD and intelligence community present technology challenges to student teams who then rapidly develop, iterate and test solutions using an agile, tech-startup-style approach, ultimately aiming to deliver a viable product to the problem sponsor. In the process, students gain creative problem solving and technical skills in an immersive learning experience, along with professional networking and exposure to potential career opportunities within the defense and national security sectors. "Applied learning opportunities are critical for enabling students to gain the kind of real-world experience that they can't get in the classroom," said John Tomblin, WSU Senior Vice President for Industry and Defense Programs. "This kind of professional experience is one of the things that sets WSU apart and gives our students a competitive edge in the job market." For DoD and intelligence agencies, H4D serves as a force multiplier, allowing them to tap into outside resources to gain a new perspective and accelerate mission-critical problem solving. In the process, DoD program sponsors also gain access to a pipeline of talented and much-needed STEM students to help address future workforce needs. Since it first launched in 2016, H4D has resulted in 18 funded solutions and nine new business startups. "We're thrilled to be able to bring this truly unique program to the students here at Wichita State," said Steve Cyrus, Executive Director with FirePoint. "This is a perfect fit for exactly the type of work we dobuilding partnerships to bring nontraditional sources of innovation to DoDso it's another arrow in our quiver for technological development. But it's also expanding the culture of DoD collaboration and innovation we're building here on the Wichita State University campus." To bring H4D to Wichita State, FirePoint leveraged its extensive partnerships with not only NSIN, but also the U.S. Army DEVCOM Aviatio and Missile Center, Army Futures Command and the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), also located at Wichita State. Cyrus says because of the significant and growing defense-related R&D resources available on the Wichita State campus, the university is uniquely qualified to offer students an outstanding H4D experience.



"We're building a strong center of mass for DoD problem solving and innovation, which is raising the profile of our programs within the national security and intelligence communities and with potential students and employers," Cyrus said. "This is a big win for the Army, NSIN and the Wichita State community." H4D is open to students in any academic discipline, and FirePoint plans to continue the course in both the fall and spring semesters going forward. To learn more, view the syllabus here.

To learn more about FirePoint, visit www.firepoint.info. About FirePoint

FirePoint is a partnership between Wichita State University and the U.S. Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command, Aviation and Missile Center (DEVCOM, AvMC) that accelerates joint technology development, transfer and commercialization among CCDC, universities, industry and other government organizations. FirePoint aims to support the educational, commercial and workforce development necessary to drive innovation and collaboration across the key Army modernization priorities. FirePoint initiatives support collaboration, partnering, and STEM workforce development to ensure modern Army combat readiness and overmatch in the multidomain battlespace. For more information, visit www.firepoint.info. About Wichita State University

Wichita State University serves as the Kansas urban-based research university, enrolling more than 15,000 students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven. Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations. For more information, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wichitastate and Facebook at www.facebook.com/wichita.state. MEDIA CONTACT:

Nicole Paleologus

SSPR

267-589-9165

nicolep@sspr.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/firepoint-brings-first-hacking-for-defense-program-to-kansas-301215158.html SOURCE FirePoint

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[January 26, 2021] Triple Ring Technologies Expands International Business in Scandinavia, Canada

NEWARK, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 /CNW/ -- Triple Ring Technologies is pleased to announce that it is now operating in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. These two new locations are key to supporting Triple Ring's clients throughout Europe and North America, and furthering the company's reach as a top-tier Medical Device & Life Sciences co-development partner. "It is gratifying to see Triple Ring's international footprint grow, particularly in these two important geographies," said Joe Heanue , CEO. Triple Ring believes Denmark's healthcare innovation ecosystem, built around world-class academic institutions, biopharmaceutical and medical technology industries, and tightly aligned hospital system, make it an ideal location to support the European market. The company has orged strong relationships with the Danish government, industry innovators, and academic institutions and their incubator facilities. Triple Ring has also hosted the US-Denmark MedTech Partnership Conference in Copenhagen and Silicon Valley, and plans to resume the conference series when conditions permit.



"We are very excited to have established Triple Ring's presence in Copenhagen this year and look forward to growing our business into Scandinavia and the European Union," said Christina Pedersen, Vice President of Projects. "This is an ideal base of operations for Triple Ring as we bring our world class co-development services to the continent." The Toronto, Ontario region is another dynamic healthcare innovation hub in which Triple Ring is excited to participate. Toronto has established an excellent technology development and investment community, with particular strengths in artificial Intelligence, by combining the efforts of government, academia, and industry. Triple Ring aims to contribute to the growth of this ecosystem through partnerships with top universities, major research hospitals, life science and medical device companies, and investment organizations. The company has already begun relationships with pioneers in the region, and it looks to continue to grow its presence in the ecosystem.

"It is gratifying to see Triple Ring's international footprint grow, particularly in these two important geographies," said Joe Heanue, CEO of Triple Ring. "We are excited by the opportunities this expansion provides in bringing critical innovation services to the medical device and life sciences industries." About Triple Ring Triple Ring Technologies is a co-development company headquartered in Silicon Valley, with offices in Boston, Toronto, and Copenhagen. They partner with clients, primarily in medtech and life sciences, to create new technologies, launch innovative projects, and start new ventures. Their capabilities span strategic investment, incubation, early R&D, product development, manufacturing, regulatory approval, and market access. Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/company/triple-ring-technologies View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/triple-ring-technologies-expands-international-business-in-scandinavia-canada-301215366.html SOURCE Triple Ring Technologies

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If your company is in the arts world and needs financial help  and who doesnt?  its possible that a Paycheck Protection Program loan may not be your best option. Instead, you should probably look into a program with an ungainly name: the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant Program.

Thanks to the stimulus bill passed at the end of 2020, the Small Business Administration has put aside $15 billion targeted to help profit-making and nonprofit enterprises in the arts, specifically people who put on concerts and shows, book acts and represent artists, as well other businesspeople in the fields of theater, museums, the performing arts, zoos and aquariums, and movie houses, among others.

Heres the most important thing: The $15 billion is not for loans. Its for grants. So the money doesnt have to be paid back, as long as the rules are followed.

To be eligible, you would have to show that your enterprise suffered a 25% decline in revenues between April and December of last year because of COVID-19.

Small businesses get priority: $2 billion has been reserved for those with fewer than 50 full-time employees. The program hasnt opened yet, but will do so shortly. When it does, the first round of money will go to those with the steepest revenue declines.

Theres a lot of money available.

If your business was in operation on Jan. 1, 2019, you can get a grant equal to 45% of the revenue during that year. If your business is newer than that, you can get your average monthly revenue in 2019, multiplied by six. However, the program is limited to businesses that started before Feb. 29 of last year.

The top initial grant is $10 million. However, refresher grants equal to 50% of the prior grant will also be available. So some could receive as much as $15 million.

How important is this for Philadelphias arts community? Very, considering the dramatic impact that the pandemic had on this industry.

For many Philadelphia theaters who have buildings, the grant program is very important to offset the costs of having a building during this time when they cannot be used, but still require mortgage, utilities, etc., says LaNeshe Miller-White, executive director of Theatre Philadelphia, a nonprofit advocacy group.

Miller-White also points out that since grant recipients can dip into the money for payroll, as well as to pay independent contractors, firms will hopefully see theater workers reaping the benefits as well and seeing more work.

Christopher Collier, executive director of Renew Theaters, a nonprofit that currently operates four movie theaters in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, agrees.

This grant would make an incredible difference toward the future sustainability for our venues, he says. The funding would give us the resources to not only replenish our losses from being closed for nearly a year, but also provide us the safety net needed to get through 2021.

There are some rules. While the money can go to rent, payroll, mortgages and older loans, among other allowable expenses, it cant be used to buy real estate, make investments, or pay pre-pandemic loans.

These funds would first and foremost allow us to rehire and provide support to our staff, Collier says. We will also use the funds to pay rent, taxes, and other operations expenses that have continued to pile up, even while we have been closed.

As welcome as the grants may be, they still may not help all those in the arts who need money.

Based on the current rules, it appears that individual actors, technicians, and other contractors  although eligible to receive payments from companies that employ them  wont be eligible for direct payments. The program is also barred to theater owners who received a loans in the last go-round for those.

For those that are eligible, the money could not be coming at a better time. Collier says his movie houses, closed since early 2020, saw income drop by three quarters last year. Without the help of members and patrons, almost no money would have com in.

Which is why he plans to apply for this program as soon as he shows his first movie this year.

We are still waiting on the final details of the grant and the application portal to open, he says. We have been busy, however, compiling as much information we can so that we are ready when that happens.

Gene Marks is a certified public accountant and the owner of the Marks Group, a technology and financial management consulting firm in Bala Cynwyd.
Northern Ireland's Department of Health has reported another 16 deaths and 550 new cases of coronavirus.

Latest figures show 11 deaths occurred in the 24 hours up to 10am on Tuesday, while another five happened previously.

The death toll has risen to 1,763.

Read More

In terms of testing, 4,583 have contracted the virus in the past seven days, that is down from 6,338 the previous week.

In total over 763,000 people have been tested and 101,291 found positive.

Hospital bed occupancy is at 95%. There are 819 people in hospital with Covid and 68 are in intensive care.

There are 133 care homes dealing with an outbreak.

It comes as the PSNI launched an investigation into it scenes at a republican funeral republican funeral in Londonderry breached Covid-19 regulations.

Large crowds gathered to follow the funeral cortege of former IRA member Eamon 'Peggy' McCourt after he died from Covid-19 at the weekend.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has said scenes from a republican funeral in Londonderry on Monday will be "heartbreaking" for families who have lost loved ones during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Read More

It was also revealed on Tuesday that redundancies in Northern Ireland have hit a 10-year high over the past year.

The latest labour market statistics published by the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency (Nisra) on Tuesday show during 2020, 11,000 collective redundancies were proposed and 4,700 confirmed.

Almost 10,500 redundancies were proposed since March, when the coronavirus pandemic's effects were first felt.

The collective number of redundancies over the year was more than double that of 2019.

Amid more calls for an all-island approach to handling the pandemic, with the Irish Government considering imposing a mandatory quarantine centres for visitors arriving in Dublin for up to two weeks, Ian Paisley has accused the Irish Government of being "all mouth and no trousers" because it has not shared travel locator documents with Northern Ireland.

The North Antrim MP has insisted it was not plausible for the Republic to blame GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) constraints, adding the Irish Government needs to do more, telling the Irish Government to stop using it as an "excuse".

Meanwhile, military medical personnel will be on hospital wards across Northern Ireland by the end of the week to help the heath service in the fight against Covid-19.

The request by Health Minister Robin Swann for military assistance was accepted the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to help ease pressure at a number of hospitals here.

The Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) agreement will see over 100 medical technicians provide nursing support to a number of local trusts during the current stage of the Covid 19 pandemic - this MACA support is also being provided in other UK regions.
The PSNI has launched an investigation into whether large crowds that gathered at a republican funeral in Londonderry on Monday broke Covid-19 regulations.

Pictures from the funeral of Eamonn 'Peggy' McCourt (62) - who passed away on Saturday at Altnagelvin Hospital after contracting Covid-19 - showed a large number of people following the funeral cortege as it passed through the Creggan area.

At least 11 men dressed in white shirts and black ties, who were socially distanced and wearing face masks, walked beside the hearse, but a large number of people gathered closely together to follow the procession.

According to the Covid-19 health and safety regulations, up to a maximum of 25 people can attend a funeral.

It comes after police also investigated suspected Covid breaches at the funeral of veteran republican Bobby Storey in June.

Expand Close Crowds: The funeral of veteran republican Eamonn McCourt in Derry / Facebook

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Whatsapp Crowds: The funeral of veteran republican Eamonn McCourt in Derry

A number of senior Sinn Fein figures, including Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, attended Mr Storey's funeral - with around 2,000 others - which saw a cortege pass through west Belfast. The fallout out of that funeral sparked a political crisis at a vital stage of the fight against Covid-19.

Monday's images prompted the DUP's Foyle MLA Gary Middleton to say "certain individuals" are viewed as being more important than the health regulations "within republicanism".

Expand Close Crowds: The funeral of veteran republican Eamonn McCourt in Derry / Facebook

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Whatsapp Crowds: The funeral of veteran republican Eamonn McCourt in Derry

Mr McCourt, who was a Sinn Fein activist in Londonderry and a former IRA member, was shot in 1981 when the SAS fired at a car in the Creggan area, killing IRA men George McBrearty and Charles 'Pop' Maguire.

Chief Superintendent Darrin Jones said on Monday night that police became aware of Mr McCourt's funeral over the weekend and knew it had the potential to draw a significant number of people.

Police engaged with family and political representatives, and the local church to emphasise the need for adherence to the health regulations.

"As a result, police were given a number of assurances as to the conduct of the funeral, and that people would seek to pay their respects to the deceased from outside their homes rather than gather at the funeral," continued Mr Jones.

"Regrettably at the funeral on Monday morning, a significant number of people gathered as part of the cortege, in a manner likely to be in breach of the health protection regulations.

"As a result, police have commenced an investigation into the matter, and where individuals are identified as potentially being in breach of the regulations, they will be reported to the Public Prosecution Service with a view to prosecution."

Sinn Fein's Londonderry branch held an online tribute to Mr McCourt on Monday night and stated before the service that the wake and funeral would be conducted in line with regulations.

Former Sinn Fein Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney spoke during the virtual commemoration and said Covid-19 had robbed the community of the chance to gather as one and lay Mr McCourt to rest.

"At another time we will come together to mourn and celebrate the life and loss of our comrade and friend," he added.

Speaking during the funeral service in St Mary's Church in Creggan, Fr Joe Gormley said Mr McCourt's death had brought "the reality" of the virus to the community.

Meanwhile, Mr McCourt's son Eamonn wrote that his father's funeral was the hardest day of his life but also the most humbling.

"My family were amazing and really honoured my da," he said. "The guard of honour led with family, including the son and grandson of George McBrearty, was a privilege to our family and to my daddy no doubt. To my da's second family, his comrades in the republican movement, we can't thank you enough for giving him the respect and the best republican funeral we could give in these awful times."

Reacting to the images of the crowds at the funeral, which were shared on social media, Mr Middleton said he struggled to put into words the "sheer recklessness" of those involved.

"This is compounded by the fact that Mr McCourt passed away after contracting Covid-19 and at the funeral it was stated his death had brought 'the reality' of coronavirus to the community," he stated.

"The reality of Covid-19 is that restrictions on funerals are difficult and even painful for grieving families, but they have been put in place for an important reason."

He added: "Within republicanism it seems that certain individuals are viewed as being more important than public health regulations."

The DUP's South Antrim MLA and Policing Board member Trevor Clarke said that the PSNI must explain the "inaction of the police" at the funeral.

"Incidents such as this do nothing to remove the appearance of two-tier policing which the PSNI is always so keen to dismiss," said Mr Clarke.

Local Ulster Unionist councillor Darren Guy described the images as a "kick in the teeth" to those who abide by the health regulations.

The UUP's justice spokesperson Doug Beattie MLA added that the Executive now has a challenge to face.

"Will they come out with one voice and condemn this flagrant disregard for the regulations they set and ask the police to take action?" he tweeted. "If any MLA attended or helped organise [the funeral] they should immediately be reported."

A spokesperson for Sinn Fein stated last night that "everyone has a responsibility to follow the public health guidelines".

"Sinn Fein held its own tribute to his [Mr McCourt's] memory online," the party added.
Googles Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has warned that it has discovered a relatively new campaign over the last several months that targeted security researchers and other members of the infosec community across several companies.

The team at Google believes that the attacks were carried out by a government-backed entity based in North Korea, Google TAGs Adam Weidemann said in a blog post on Monday.

As the infosec community is usually wary of suspicious looking accounts or sources of information, the attackers had created a research blog and set up multiple Twitter accounts which they then used to get in touch with their targets - the researchers. Those accounts disseminated posts made to the research blog, which were then retweeted by other accounts to give them a sense of credibility and amplify them, the threat analysis team said.

As the infosec community is usually wary of suspicious looking accounts or sources of information, the attackers had created a research blog and set up multiple Twitter accounts which they then used to get in touch with their targets - the researchers. (Google TAG)

Whats interesting is that while the attackers blog had analyses of publicly disclosed vulnerabilities, they also managed to convince legitimate security researchers to contribute as guests to their site, perhaps luring them with the promise of a good platform to be featured on and a chance to network with other researchers. The researchers were contacted on Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, Discord and Keybase.

Also read: Chrome for Android gets another zero-day vulnerability fix

Those who agreed to collaborate were sent a Visual Studio Project, which would infect the targeted researchers computer and install a backdoor access for another malware controlled server, then wait for commands from the main server. Google says the attackers seemed to target only Windows systems. Also, users who were running updated Windows 10 and Chrome browsers were still infected, suggesting the attacks were previously undetected - also known as zero day vulnerabilities.

While the attackers blog had analyses of publicly disclosed vulnerabilities, they also managed to convince legitimate security researchers to contribute as guests to their site (Google TAG)

We hope this post will remind those in the security research community that they are targets to government-backed attackers and should remain vigilant when engaging with individuals they have not previously interacted with, Weidemann. If you are concerned that you are being targeted, we recommend that you compartmentalize your research activities using separate physical or virtual machines for general web browsing, interacting with others in the research community, accepting files from third parties and your own security research, he added.
Dramatic increase in microplastics in seagrass soil since the 1970s

Large-scale production of vegetables and fruit in Spain with intensive plastic consumption in its greenhouse industry is believed to have leaked microplastic contaminants since the 1970s into the surrounding Mediterranean seagrass beds. This is shown in a new study where researchers have succeeded in tracing plastic pollution since the 1930s and 1940s by analyzing seagrass sediments.

About half of Sweden's cucumbers and a fifth of the tomatoes in Sweden are currently imported from Spain according to the Swedish Board of Agriculture. A special area in Spain where large-scale vegetable cultivation takes place is Almeria on the Mediterranean coast in southeastern Spain. A new study from the area of Almeria, also known as "the sea of plastic", shows that the intensive use of plastics in the greenhouse industry seems to have led to ever-increasing emissions of microplastics since the development of intensive greenhouse farming in the 1970s.

"Almeria is unique in Europe because it is one of the few human structures that can be seen from space because it is so large. The area accounts for about a quarter, or three million tonnes, of the total Spanish exports of vegetables and fruit", says Martin Dahl, researcher in marine ecology at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, who is the first author of the study in the scientific journal Environmental Pollution.

The study was conducted by researchers from Stockholm University in collaboration with the Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes, the Spanish High Council for Scientific Research (CEAB-CSIC), the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) and Sodertorn University.

Sediment storage can be used as historical environmental archives

Seagrass beds act as filters for coastal areas and can therefore capture particles, including microplastics, from land that get stuck on the leaves or end up in the sea bed. This makes seagrass beds interesting to study as they stabilize and build up thick sediment layers that can be used as historical environmental archives to, among other things, study the accumulation of microplastics over time.

The high concentrations of microplastics that have accumulated in the seagrass bed can potentially lead to the spread of microplastics to other environments or to animals:

"Seagrass beds could serve as a first step in the transfer of microplastics to animals, as many graze on seagrass or live in its sediment, and in this way could be exposed to plastic", says Martin Dahl.

Microplastics can also bind to heavy metals and other environmental toxins.

"We generally don't know enough about the effect of microplastics on the environment, but on the other hand we know that today plastic and microplastics occur almost everywhere in the oceans and therefore I think you should see it as a warning signal. Historically, there is usually a certain time lag from the introduction of environmental toxins until effects can be seen, such as with PCBs and DDT", says Martin Dahl.

The researchers found PVC and polystyrene

The high use of plastic in Almeria is mainly due to the plastic films they use to cover the greenhouses. These wear out quickly and need to be replaced relatively often. Through usage and weathering of the plastic film and other types of plastic used in the production of vegetables and fruits, they end up in the environment and are passed on to the sea through runoff.

The researchers were able to find PVC and polystyrene used in greenhouse cultivation in Almeria. However, the analysis could not identify all specific plastic polymers and link them directly to the type of plastic that the greenhouses are covered with.

The researchers have chosen to investigate the area on the coast outside Almeria due to the fact that it has previously been known that greenhouse cultivation has a high consumption of plastic and that this might influence microplastic contaminants in the surrounding seagrass beds, which are known to capture particles that are transported with the water.

According to Martin Dahl, there are several ongoing research projects on microplastics in Sweden, especially at Kristineberg's marine research station outside Fiskebackskil in western Sweden, but they have mainly looked at plastics in other types of bottoms and in the open sea, not in seagrass sediments.

"Studying microplastics in seagrass beds is very new and this is the first study, as far as I know, where dated seagrass sediments have been used to analyze the accumulation of microplastics over time, which makes the study very exciting", says Martin Dahl.

"There are still many questions about the effect of microplastics on seagrass ecosystems, but I hope that this study can draw attention to the problems that obviously exist around microplastic pollutants, not only in Almeria but in the ocean in general", says Martin Dahl.

###

More information

The article "A temporal record of microplastic pollution in Mediterranean seagrass soils" is published in the scientific journal Environmental Pollution. https:/ / www. sciencedirect. com/ science/ article/ pii/ S0269749121000294

Contact

Martin Dahl, researcher at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University. 46-70-433 61 12 martin.dahl@su.se

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China says it will hold military exercises in the South China Sea this week. Tuesdays announcement came just days after China criticized the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier group in the disputed waters.

Chinas Maritime Safety Administration released a notice banning entry into some of the sea -- from the Gulf of Tonkin to the west of the Leizhou peninsula -- in southwestern China. The ban is set for January 27 to 30. China did not release further details about the planned exercises.

A U.S. carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt entered the South China Sea on Saturday. The U.S. military said its purpose there is to demonstrate support for freedom of the seas. The move comes just days after new U.S. President Joe Biden took office.

Differences over the disputed sea have created problems in the U.S.-China relationship. The U.S. does not have any territorial claims over the sea. But it believes the waters should be free to other nations. The U.S. military has increased its activities in the area in recent years.

China claims large parts of the South China Sea. Other claimants include Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan. China says its claims come from historical usage of the waters. Trillions of dollars of trade flow through the waters every year.

On Monday, China said the United States often sends aircraft and ships to the South China Sea to flex its muscles. It also said the U.S. actions did not create an environment of peace and stability in the area.



Taiwan, meanwhile, began military exercises Tuesday after several Chinese warplanes flew into the island nations air defense area over the weekend. Taiwanese air force jets took to the skies in a show of battle readiness.

China claims Taiwan as its territory. On Saturday and Sunday, Chinese fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers flew into the southwestern part of Taiwans air defense identification area.

The Taiwanese military base in the southern city of Tainan often sends jets to intercept planes from Chinas air force. Flight crews aim to get jets in the air within five minutes of the first emergency call.

Colonel Lee Ching-shi told Reuters Taiwanese jets usually go up armed with guns and missiles when reacting to Chinese jets, and are ready to respond at any time.

We are ready, he said during a government-organized visit to the base. We will not give up one inch of our territory.

China has given no explanation for the most recent actions of its aircraft. U.S. officials called on China to stop pressuring Taiwan, and reaffirmed its support for the democratic island.

While Taiwans air force is well trained, it has far fewer military aircraft than China. Over the past few months, forces from Taiwan have had to react to continuous Chinese military activity near the island.

Im Susan Shand.

The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

maritime  adj. of or relating to the sea

flex  v. to move or tighten a muscle

muscle  n. the body tissue that makes movement possible

stability  adj. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change

capable  adj. the ability to do or have something

intercept  v. to stop, seize or interrupt something in progress

reaffirm  v. to state something as true again

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Admin gears up as Hisar farmers get set to protest today

Punjab MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu hoists black flag at his residence in support of protesting farmers

If anyone gets hurt, damage will happen to our country: Rahul Gandhi over farmers' protests

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Jan 26: As protesting farmers clashed with police at several places in Delhi on Republic Day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has lashed out at the Modi government.

Gandhi said violence was never the solution to any problem and appealed to the Centre to scrap the three contentious farm laws.

Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said, "Violence is not the solution to any problem. If anyone gets hurt, the damage will happen to our country. Take back the anti-farmer law for the benefit of the country."

Farmers attack police at Red Fort, try to reclaim monument again

The unprecedented Republic Day agitation saw farmers entering the Red Fort complex and hoisted flags from some domes of the iconic monument.

The unprecedented Republic Day agitation saw farmers entering the Red Fort complex and hoisted flags from some domes of the iconic monument.

BJP MP from North-East Delhi Gautam Gambhir also said, "Violence and vandalism will lead us nowhere. I urge everyone to maintain peace & honour agreements. Today is not the day for such chaos."

Police used tear gas on groups of farmers and resorted to baton charge as protestors broke past barricades with tractors at different border points.

Farmers enter Red Fort, hoist a flag | Tractor rampage at ITO | Oneindia News

Farmers also entered Red Fort premises, breaching police barricades, attacking personnel and even vandalising a bus at ITO. The farmers also hoisted a flag on a flagstaff at Red Fort which was later pulled down by the police.

The farmers protesting against the centre's new farm laws had received permission to hold the tractor rally on Republic Day.

Anti-social elements infiltrated our peaceful protest: Farmers' group

Delhi Police, however, had issued a series of restrictions, saying permission was given only to show respect for the farmers' demand. Chaos broke out this morning when the farmers changed their plan and decided to make their way into the capital earlier than permitted.
After months of teasing, Mariska Hargitay was spotted on the Manhattan set of former co-star Christopher Meloni's 13-episode spin-off Law & Order: Organized Crime on Monday.

The Special Victims Unit executive producer-star - who turned 57 on Saturday - warmly embraced and walked arm-in-arm with her 59-year-old castmate despite strict social-distancing protocols.

The talented twosome made sure to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus by wearing masks.

Premiering later this year! After months of teasing, Mariska Hargitay was spotted on the Manhattan set of former co-star Christopher Meloni's 13-episode spin-off Law & Order: Organized Crime on Monday

Guest star duties: The Special Victims Unit executive producer-star - who turned 57 on Saturday - warmly embraced and walked arm-in-arm with her 59-year-old castmate despite strict social-distancing protocols

COVID-19 is spiking nationwide with a reported 1.35M confirmed cases in New York state (575K in NYC) leading to 42,090 deaths as of Monday.

Mariska and Christopher were between takes of reprising their roles as ex-partners, Captain Olivia Benson and Detective Elliot Stabler, on the NBC police procedural.

Hargitay - who's directed seven SVU episodes - bundled up in a long black winter coat with matching leather gloves and wedge booties.

Meloni - who abruptly left SVU in 2011 due to a contract dispute - wore a grey coat over a formal suit and maroon scarf.

Safety first! The talented twosome made sure to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus by wearing masks

Pandemic: COVID-19 is spiking nationwide with a reported 1.35M confirmed cases in New York state (575K in NYC) leading to 42,090 deaths as of Monday

Reunited! Mariska and Christopher were between takes of reprising their roles as ex-partners, Captain Olivia Benson and Detective Elliot Stabler, on the NBC police procedural

Frozen Big Apple: Hargitay - who's directed seven SVU episodes - bundled up in a long black winter coat with matching leather gloves and wedge booties

Kept his hands in his pockets: Meloni - who abruptly left SVU in 2011 due to a contract dispute - wore a grey coat over a formal suit and maroon scarf

Later that day, the Emmy and Golden Globe winner shared a b&w selfie from the day as well as a snap of their director's chairs.

Mariska - who boasts 3.5M social media followers - captioned her slideshow: 'It's all happening. OC PTL.'

Hargitay's Instagram post received glowing comments from her castmate Demore Barnes, Will & Grace star Debra Messing, and The Late Show's Laura Benanti.

Fans can expect the D.C.-born Emmy nominee's SVU reintroduction to air the same night as the premiere of Organized Crime.

Surprise! Later that day, the Emmy and Golden Globe winner shared a b&w selfie from the day as well as a snap of their director's chairs

Mariska - who boasts 3.5M social media followers - captioned her slideshow: 'It's all happening. OC PTL'

'Go get it girl': Hargitay's Instagram post received glowing comments from her castmate Demore Barnes, Will & Grace star Debra Messing, and The Late Show's Laura Benanti

Showrunner tease: Fans can expect the D.C.-born Emmy nominee's SVU reintroduction to air the same night as the premiere of Organized Crime

Christopher dished on The Talk back in July: 'There are a lot of unanswered questions about how he left, why the silence vis-a-vis Olivia Benson. I think, in real terms, society, and what we are dealing with in society, has changed dramatically. So, I think you have to address that'

'There are a lot of unanswered questions about how he left, why the silence vis-a-vis Olivia Benson,' Christopher dished on The Talk back in July.

'I think, in real terms, society, and what we are dealing with in society, has changed dramatically. So, I think you have to address that. And, I think the person Elliot was, I think we all evolve. I think all those things are going to be put into play.'

The longest-running US prime-time drama in history, created by Dick Wolf, is now in its 22nd season airing Thursdays on NBC.
Senate Confirms Janet Yellen as Secretary of the Treasury

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Janet Yellen as the nations 78th secretary of the Treasury.

The 8415 Senate confirmation vote late Jan. 25 marks the first time a woman will take up the role. Yellen, 74, is also the oldest to hold the role in recent history.

Yellen is the third member of President Joe Bidens Cabinet to be confirmed. She was chairwoman of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018 under the Obama administration. Her term wasnt renewed by President Donald Trump.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told the floor before the vote that Yellen has bipartisan support and that she has a breathtaking range of experience.

As Treasury secretary, Yellen will play a key role in shaping and directing Bidens economic policies.

The Finance Committee unanimously approved her nomination on Jan. 22 in a 260 vote. Republicans on the panel pledged to work with her, although they disagreed on a number of policies that the Biden administration is planning related to spending and increasing taxes.

Biden has promised to invest some $2 trillion in infrastructure, green energy projects, education, and research to boost American competitiveness. He has said he also plans to raise the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 21 percent and increase taxes on those making more than $400,000 a year.

Yellen is expected to work with Congress on Bidens $1.9 trillion relief proposal to address the impacts of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. At her confirmation hearing before the committee last week, she urged action on Bidens proposal, saying that the nation may face a longer, more painful recession without a quick response.

The legislative proposal would give $1,400 in stimulus payments to individuals making below $75,000 annually, as well as provide expanded unemployment benefits, further aid for small businesses, and support for cities and states to prevent layoffs. The proposal also provides for vaccine production and distribution.

Biden in his proposal also called for a $15-per-hour federal minimum wage. Yellen last week said that job losses from boosting the federal minimum wage would be very minimal. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated last year that raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour would wipe out a minimum of 1.3 million jobs.

The Treasury on Jan. 25 announced more new members of staff who will serve in key roles, bringing back some Obama administration veterans who previously served at the agency.
The main business items of the company are mainly the sale of ants, formicaria and related supplies. He has developed many kinds of formicaria and related products based on his own ant breeding skills and experience. He strives to change people and get more people to join ant farming. He believes that as more and more people raise ants, more people will know about the world of ants and will join the study of ants. Now his products are not only sold in Taiwan, but also exported all over the world. He is committed to speaking out for ants and reducing misconceptions about them.

Ray is a nature lover because of his father. As a child, his father took him to his hometown far from the city. From the very beginning, Ray did not enjoy the time.

With his father by his side, he experienced the fun of nature and he enjoyed the adventure of nature. When Ray was in high school, he participated in a science fair with ants as the subject of his experiments. It was his first time to participate in a science fair, but he won the first place, which made Ray started to study and raise ants.

After graduating from university, he took up raising ants as a hobby and documented this time on his blog. When people came across his blog, they would ask Ray if he wanted to sell ants and formicaria, so he started selling them. In 2013, during his military service that Ray set up his own company, Empire Ant Studio, and has been in the ant business since.

As a result of observing ants for many years, Ray began to cooperate with different institutions. For example, he found that ants that eat pineapples die easily, so he provided the information to academic institutions in the hope of researching an ant control drug, and an optical electronics factory came to him to ask if they could make panels that are not easily damaged by ants through his knowledge of ants. Solving problems makes ant farming more worthy of attention.

Now Ray has a bigger plan; he wants to build a Taiwan Ant Museum. Relying on his experience in running an ant empire, he knows how to teach people the importance of proper knowledge and ants. "Imagine when you walk into our ant museum, it's like walking into an underground ant nest. Walking from the first room to the deepest room, you will know and understand what real ants are and how important they are. And, in our museum, you can see more than 50 species up close and personal," Ray said excitedly.

SOURCE Empire of ants CO. LTD

Meet flu fighters Elia Medina, Monica Parra and Emily Piltch. Elia, Monica and Emily facilitate a wide array of public health projects made possible through a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant. Emily, with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), is the program manager at the state level, and Elia and Monica facilitate the program in Madera County and Merced County, respectively.

Elia Medina serves as the health education coordinator for Madera County, and she facilitates several grants for the county. Elia fights flu because through her work with the health department she recognizes the importance of vaccines. She says its especially important this year because her communities are going through a lot of challenges and sacrifices, so making sure they have the knowledge to make the right decision about getting vaccinated will help provide peace of mind. Elia wants her community members to have access to not only important health information but to flu vaccination, too.

Monica Parra serves as the health education specialist for Merced County, and she implements all the deliverables and the workflow for the REACH program. Monica grew up in Merced County, so this project is close to home because she is a member of the community. Monica fights flu because she loves what she does. Monica was a pre-medical student, so she saw first-hand how not getting vaccinated against flu can have negative outcomes. Both of her parents are high risk, and one year they each got very sick with flu. Luckily, both lived, but Monica remembers the difficulty of that time. Monica wants people to make informed decisions about flu vaccination by addressing misconceptions and removing barriers for people in her community.

Emily Piltch is the program manager for REACH at CDPH. In her role, she ensures all administrative components and reporting occurs, and she is a liaison to both Madera County and Merced County REACH teams. She has subject matter expertise in both nutrition and physical activity. Emily previously worked on a REACH grant on the Navajo Nation, so she was excited to work within another program to promote health equity and flu vaccination.
What will be the price of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in India?

Covid-19: First consignments of medical supplies from US, Russia expected to reach India by Thursday

Second batch of 1.5 lakh Russian Sputnik V Coronavirus vaccine to arrive in India in next 2 days

Sputnik V vaccine priced at Rs 995 for imported dose, first shot administered by Dr Reddy's in Hyderabad

Indians can now travel to Russia

International

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Moscow, Jan 26: Russia has lifted the travel ban for India, Vietnam, Finland and Qatar. The ban was imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The Russian government said that citizens of these countries will be able to travel to Russia by plane. The Russians would also be allowed to fly to these countries.

Joe Biden reverses Trump ban on transgender people in military

Russia had introduced travel restrictions on March 16 2020 to prevent the spread of the virus. Russia registered lesser than 20,000 new COVID-19 daily cases for the first time since November 11, the country's coronavirus crisis response centre said on Monday.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 9:48 [IST]
Google thanks all helpers in its final coronavirus doodle

Mothers Day 2021: Google Doodle wishes mothers all around the world with adorable pop-up card

Google celebrates India's republic Day with 'Unity' Doodle; Meet this Mumbai-based artist

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Jan 26: As India celebrates it's 72nd Republic Day, Google has released a beautiful doodle on its search page to join in the celebration.

In celebration of India's Republic Day today's Google Doodle artwork reflects the range of vibrant cultures that bring the colorful nation to life through elements of the subcontinent's culture which have been evolving for centuries.

From the nation's distinctive architectural styles to the Bollywood film industry, India's cultural impact is felt across the world.

Today's Republic day special Google Doodle is illustrated by Mumbai-based guest artist Onkar Fondekar who is honouring the national day with an incredible sketch.

With origins that stretch back hundreds of years, musical instruments, as dholak and sitar both feature in the doodle artwork, are the part of the rich heritage of India.

In the words of Onkar Fondekar, "I knew there were so many things, so much diversity and such a wide canvas I could illustrate."

On asking about the inspiration behind the doodle artwork, Fondekar said, "I drew inspiration from the people of India-the culture, traditions, history, and architecture."

Farmers enter ITO, vandalise bus, press on to Central Delhi | Oneindia News

As Google writes in its blog, "Republic Day marks the completion of India's transition from the British Raj to an independent republic. It also represents the anniversary of the declaration of Purna Swaraj, which translates to "complete freedom," by the Indian National Congress in 1929."
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
WARSAW, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The delay in Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine delivery is slowing the costly fight against the pandemic, Polish President Andrzej Duda told The Financial Times in an interview published on Monday.

Duda said that Pfizer's limitations to deliveries is a problem for all countries that have signed on to the vaccine, especially financially. He estimated the daily cost for Poland's efforts to contain the coronavirus at one billion Polish zloty (267.4 million U.S. dollars).

Pfizer announced on Jan. 15 that it will temporarily reduce vaccine shipments to upgrade its production facilities in Puurs, Belgium, to enable it to meet rising demands later on.

Government spokesperson Piotr Muller said on Friday that Poland will consider legal steps if Pfizer does not deliver the ordered volumes of the vaccine, adding that he counts on Pfizer to keep to its commitments.

Another vaccine producer, United Kingdom-based AstraZeneca, faced strong pushback from the European Union (EU) on Monday for failing to deliver doses ordered despite receiving EU funding. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is scheduled to issue its opinion on the marketing authorisation for the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday.

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

Meanwhile, 237 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 64 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Jan. 22.
Slovakia will take part in the inaugural summit of the Crimean Platform which will take place in Kyiv on August 23.

As the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine informs, this was discussed at the sixth Ukraine-Slovakia Expert Forum, opened by First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Ingrid Brockova.

Emine Dzheppar outlined the priorities of Ukraine's foreign policy for 2021, in particular in terms of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, energy security and countering Russian aggression.

Speaking about the situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea, the First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine drew attention to the deteriorating human rights situation and the ongoing militarization of the peninsula by the Russian occupation administration which threatens the security of the Black Sea-Azov region.

"In this regard, Emine Dzheppar presented the goals and mechanisms of the Crimean Platform to Slovak colleagues, informed the participants about the preparations for the Platforms inaugural summit in Kyiv on August 23 and thanked the Slovak side for its readiness to participate," reads the statement.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Ingrid Brockova stressed that Ukraine is an important neighbor of Slovakia, which supports its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations and does not recognize the violation of its territorial integrity.

The event was attended by Ukrainian and Slovak experts, representatives of government agencies and business.

The Ukraine-Slovakia Expert Forum is organized annually by the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council in partnership with the Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association and serves as a platform to discuss important issues of bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Slovakia.

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Demi Moore and her daughter Scout Willis arrived in Paris on Tuesday alongside a host of A-listers to attend Fashion Week in the French capital.

The actress, 58, gave a nod to the Parisian style as she sported a beret and a chic black coat while toting a Gucci suitcase and checked scarf.

Other stars spotted arriving in Paris included Cara Delevingne and Bella Hadid, as they prepared to oversee the festivities for the week that has mostly gone virtual.

Here she is! Demi Moore and her daughter Scout Willis arrived in Paris on Tuesday alongside a host of A-listers to attend Fashion Week in the French capital

Demi, who shares three daughters with her ex-husband Bruce Willis: Rumer, 32, Scout, 29 and Tallulah, 26, looked stunning as she stepped out in the ensemble.

Last month, Demi's eldest daughter, Rumer, pleaded with her followers to at least wear a face mask while outdoors after she was exposed to the virus.

'It's not up for discussion anymore!' she posted to her Instagram Story. 'I don't really care what you want to do for yourself but for others WEAR A DAMN MASK!...

'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.'

Arrivals: The actress, 58, gave a nod to the Parisian style as she sported a beret and a chic black coat while toting a Gucci suitcase and checked scarf

Stylish: Scout looked stunning alongside her mum

Their trip comes after Tallulah's father spoke out after being pictured entering a Southern California place of business without a face mask two weeks ago.

The Die Hard star, 65, released a brief statement to People on Tuesday, in which he said the move 'was an error in judgment.'

'Be safe out there everyone and let's continue to mask up,' he added.

Out and about: Demi, who shares three daughters with her ex-husband Bruce Willis: Rumer, 32, Scout, 29 and Tallulah, 26, looked stunning as she stepped out in the ensemble

Gucci girl: She clutched a Gucci suitcase as she stepped into the hotel

Despite California government issuing strict rules that have been in place for months, the Hollywood actor had been pictured shopping inside a Los Angeles pharmacy store without wearing a face mask.

It was reported that Willis even refused to cover up when entering the RiteAid store in LA, even though he was seen to be wearing a scarf around his neck that easily could have been pulled up over his mouth and nose.

A representative for the actor did not immediately respond DailyMail.com'suest for comment at the time, though pictures clearly show him flouting the strict government guidelines as he walked around and while leaving the retail outlet.
Tot With Rare Heart Defect Died 9 Times, Still Smiles as Family Gives as Many Days as Possible

Born with a rare heart defect, Samson Farkas underwent two open-heart surgeries and had clinically died nine times before he was even 1 year old. But the brave boy survived, and with the love and support of his family, he continues fighting for life.

At the very least, his mother hopes to give Samson the opportunity to as many days, earth-side, as possible, she shared with The Epoch Times.

Renee McIntosh, 40, is a mom to 19-year-old twin boys Lachlan and Jordan, 17-year-old Brock, and 11-month-old Cruiz.

The older boys have an unbelievable bond with Samson and have also felt a great deal of heartache with [the] traumatic rollercoaster ride our family set on, 3.5 years ago, she said.

Renee and her partner, Jason Farkas, of Cairns, in far north Queensland, Australia, learned at 16 weeks pregnancy with Samson that Renee was at high risk for Edwards syndrome and Down syndrome.

She describes the catastrophic, and miraculous, events that occurred during the pregnancy.

I stood up and had lost all fluid around the baby, Renee, who has type 1 diabetes, recalled. I was sent home with the bag of bears of hope, which is given to mothers whose babies pass.

Yet, four days later, Renees waters had reaccumulated. This in itself said to me, Wow, this kid really wants to be here, she marveled.

At 23 weeks, Renee flew to Brisbane, where a team of cardiologists diagnosed Samson with hypoplastic right heart syndrome (HRHS), a rare defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart. He was given a 5-percent chance of survival.

We were given the option of termination multiple times, Renee recalled, but there was no backing down for me; this kid wanted to be here.

Renee went into labor at 31 weeks. She was flown to Brisbane with only the clothes on her back, she said, by Australias Royal Flying Doctor Service. There, baby Samson, weighing only 1.6 kilograms (approx. 3.5 pounds), was delivered via emergency cesarean section.

Samson was born blue and needed to be resuscitated and put on life support, said Renee. I wasnt able to see my little boy until over 32 hours after I had given birth; he was too unstable.

Brokenhearted, Renee and Jason were asked if they would like to take their baby home to love him for as long as he survives.

Samson fought hard over the months that followed. At 14 days old, he caught rhinovirus. He spent 54 days on respiratory support, but by the age of 3 months, he had reached his goal weight.

He received a cardiac catheter but needed to be resuscitated after reacting to the anesthetic. He underwent his first open-heart surgery for a shunt, which failed, and then spent nine long, grueling hours on a bypass machine.

Samson received donated tissue but lost oxygen during the procedure and began to have seizures. After an MRI, Renee and Jason were told that their son would never walk or talk.

The couple spent Samsons first 183 days of life in the hospital. Owing to the financial toll, they lost their home in Ravenshoe but relocated to Cairns with the support of family to await another procedure. After the operation, Samson turned 1.

This was one hell of a celebration, said Renee.

Today, Samson has only 60 percent oxygen saturation to his blood, and exhausts easily, but Renee marvels at his bravery.

Samson loves his brothers, the moon, trains, the beach, and playing doctor. Through all his battles and daily struggles he still manages to smile, said Renee, adding, Our motto is, God only gives his greatest battles to his strongest soldiers, and he chose us for a reason.

Samson continues to defy the odds.

He is walking and talking, said Renee. He has a team of great therapists. He was recently given clearance to attend daycare, [where] he just flourished and absolutely loved seeing all his friends.

The toddler nonetheless requires further heart surgery; his family is awaiting their doctors verdict. Its like PTSD, Renee explained. I just pray for the best possible outcome, and again, hold onto faith.

In support of Renee and Jason, a family friend launched a crowdfunding page to help with rent, flights, and accommodation related to Samsons procedures. The financial help, said Renee, allows her family to remain emotionally present for Samson.

He could live another 20 years or it could all end tomorrow, Renee told Daily Mail. Its a waiting game  if [the next surgery] doesnt go ahead, doctors say theres nothing more they can do.

Renee and Jason maintain a Facebook group, Samsons Crew FNQ, to chronicle their sons ongoing journey. Just sharing his story and having people pray, or emit their positive energy our way, is more than enough for us, said Renee.

This story was last updated in January 2021.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
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Neighbours have launched a DIY SOS-style plan to help a family whose semi-detached home in Cornwall was reduced to rubble when all three of its exterior walls were blown off in a gas explosion heard over a mile away.

Miraculously, none of the three people inside the home in the seaside resort of Bude suffered serious injury.

Paramedic Darren Cornish, who was visiting his parents' home, said he smelled gas and the explosion happened after he opened the kitchen door.

With the help of neighbours, all three of them were able to stagger from the wreckage of their home, picking their way over breezeblocks and window frames. The family said that the explosion 'sounded like a bomb going off'.

Demelza Snell, the couple's daughter, said that her brother Darren and mother Josie had both suffered burns to their face and hands while her father Alan, who was sitting in the living room, was unhurt.

The house in Bude, Cornwall, was completely destroyed by a gas explosion although no one was seriously hurt in the blast

Demelza Snell, pictured with her husband Dan Snell, said: 'We were all gobsmacked by what the house was turned into'

Despite the force of the blast in Bude, the family suffered relatively minor injuries including burns to their faces and hands

Covered in bruises and with half his house blown away, paramedic Darren Cornish miraculously survived the explosion

The explosion happened around 9pm with several neighbours also evacuated due to the unstable structure

Her mother had initially been treated for her injuries at North Devon District Hospital then discharged. But she had been readmitted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol four days after the explosion due to an infection.

Her daughter said she remained in 'good spirits'. 'It is a miracle that nobody was seriously hurt,' said Demelza. 'Apparently it sounded like a bomb going off and people a mile away thought it was a thunder clap.

'We were all gobsmacked by what the house was turned into. We could not believe our eyes.'

She added that the family had been overwhelmed by the generosity of local people who had been in touch to say they 'want to help with everything, even building a new house from scratch'.

Offers had come via a page the family set up on social media titled Bude DIY SOS, based on the title of the BBC television series DIY SOS.

She said: 'We are so overwhelmed. We're still waiting on documents and insurance to let us know [what we can do], but everyone is just willing to crack on.'

Alan and Josie Cornish, the owners of the home, are pictured with their daughter Demelza on her wedding day

A double bed is exposed to the street from an upper floor room hanging precariously after the support collapsed below

Paramedic Darren Cornish, 48, was enjoying an evening at the house in Bude in front of the television when he smelled gas

Rubble lies on top of a yellow Mini Cooper parked outside the destroyed property in the Cornish town of Bude

Offers to have come via a page the family set up on social media titled Bude DIY SOS, based on the title of the BBC's DIY SOS

Demelza, 41, who works for a vet in Bude, said: 'It happened at 9pm. Mum had put some food in the oven to warm up and they were all sitting in the living room watching TV when they smelt an eggy smell.

'Darren and Mum got up to investigate, Mum opened the oven door and boom. They said they were forced backwards off their feet. Looking at the house, it's a miracle any of them are alive. They are so, so lucky.

'Dad said he was in his armchair with the remote control in his hand and was about to change channel when he heard the massive bang and found himself looking straight out onto the street, the remote control still in his hand.

'All the house walls had gone along with the electricity. He was dumbfounded.'

Demelza was alerted by neighbours and rushed to the scene from her home in Kilkhampton, five miles away.

She continued: 'When I got there, there were flashing lights everywhere and all the emergency services in attendance. Mum was in an ambulance. She told me, 'I'm alright dear', but the next day everything had swollen up.

Miraculously, none of the three people inside the family home in the town in Cornwall suffered any serious injury

Fire crews said it was 'quickly established that all persons were accounted for, and remarkably, there were no serious injuries'

Dramatic photographs showed how the house was completely destroyed following the gas explosion in Bude, Cornwall

The couple who live at the home didn't have any insurance on their property and many of their possessions were destroyed

Witnesses described hearing a loud bang as large parts of the property in the Cornwall town of Bude completely collapsed

'On Sunday, she had a temperature and there was redness to the burns on her wrist so she was taken to hospital in Bristol. We hope she'll be home by the end of the week.'

The explosion forced the couple's neighbours to move into temporary accommodation and father Alan's yellow Mini was showered with rubble.

Demelza said her parents will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary in May after 50 years of marriage.

'We are quite lucky that there wasn't a fire so whilst the house is destroyed we know that sentimental stuff like their wedding album, are safe.

'They are really inseparable and Dad is missing her terribly. They have moved in with me for now and my husband and I are sleeping downstairs.'

The couple who live at the home, which was destroyed in the gas explosion, have three children and six grandchildren

People look at the shocking aftermath of the gas explosion which completely destroyed the house in Bude, Cornwall

Pictures taken from the outside of the home in Bude showed a double bed exposed to the street from an upper floor room

Darren Cornish said he had smelled gas at the home in Bude and the explosion happened after he opened the kitchen door

A photograph taken by Demelza Snell of the damage inside the property in Bude following the huge explosion

Demelza said the couple will not be returning to the house having already been planning a move to Kilkhampton. But the family have been blown away by the kindness of local people.

'A local man Ian French helped us set up an DIY SOS page and we have had lots of local traders offering to help. We just need a quantity surveyor and a structural engineer.'

Another local Nigel Kenneally has also set up a Go Fund Me page to help the family.

The explosion took place last Wednesday. Fire engines from Bude and Holsworthy were sent to the scene along with specialist shoring equipment to help stabilise the two storey semi-detached house.

Rubble and window panes are left scattered among the debris outside the property in Bude where the explosion happened

The kitchen was left in ruins following the explosion at the property in Bude on Wednesday last week

Alan and Josie Cornish are pictured on their wedding day. They will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary in May

Fire crews attended the house in Bude following explosion on Wednesday evening last week

Firefighters at the scene of the gas explosion in Bude last week. The cause of the blast is still being investigated

Glenn Thorne, Wales & West Utilities gas emergency service manager for Bude said: 'We were called to reports of an explosion at a property in the Traly Close area of Bude and immediately sent a team of engineers to the scene.

'On arrival we found that the property had been damaged and emergency services were in control of the scene.

'We worked with the emergency services to make the area safe and carried out all necessary gas safety checks. We have found no evidence of a mains gas leak in the area and the property itself was not connected to our gas network.

'The cause of the explosion is still being investigated by the emergency services, however, we do not believe it is related to the mains gas network.'
[January 26, 2021] Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware Launches Grassroots Canvassing Campaign to Engage Citizens to Advocate for Diversity on Delaware's Courts

This weekend, Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware (CPBD) launched a canvassing campaign to reach thousands of Delawareans as they directly engage with and educate citizens on the lack of diversity on Delaware's highest courts and shed light on the opaque judicial nomination process. This campaign kicks off as Governor Carney is set to make a critical judicial appointment to replace the outgoing Chancery Court Chancellor Andre G. Bouchard when he retires at the end of April. CPBD, Reverend Al Sharpton, civic leaders and citizens are calling for Gov. Carney to appoint an African American judge to replace Bouchard and restore diversity to the Chancery Court. The recent appointment and confirmation of aul Fioravanti Jr. to serve as Vice Chancellor on the Delaware Court of Chancery - replacing Justice Tamika Montgomery-Reeves, the first African American woman to sit on Delaware's Supreme Court - has called into question Gov. Carney's commitment to diversity and transparency and highlighted the lack of transparency of the nomination process.



Said Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware Campaign Manager Chris Coffey: "Every time we get out and talk to Delawareans, they are shocked by the lack of transparency and diversity in the state's courts. The process is inaccessible to the everyday citizens whose lives are affected by the decisions the court makes - from the thousands of minority businesses in the state to employees of companies headquartered or operating in Delaware. This appointment comes at a pivotal time in the fight for diversity in this state and in this nation, and we will continue our unrelenting effort to give a voice to the citizens of Delaware on this issue."

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005780/en/

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Maybe it took a former San Francisco mayor to ease the oversized influence of the Bay Area on this state and nation, where two San Franciscans now stand Nos. 1 and 2 in the line of succession behind new President Joe Biden.

Newsom didnt approach it in terms of regional identity. Pressured to make Oaklands longtime Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee a senator, he went with Padilla, despite the numerous Black women who lamented that Harris departure from the Senate leaves it with no Black females. Instead, Newsom went with personal loyalty in choosing Padilla, one of his earliest and most consistent backers while he spent more than eight years seeking to become governor. There was also the fact that Padilla, a Latino and more moderate than Lee, might be a stronger candidate for election on his own next year.

For sure, Padilla will face Democratic competition in that upcoming primary, possibly from the likes of Burbank Congressman Adam Schiff, who spearheaded the impeachments of Donald Trump; Silicon Valley Rep. Ro Khanna, a darling of the Democratic left; Lee, current San Francisco Mayor London Breed or Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, a perpetual short-lister for other big jobs who never seems to land them. Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf also are possible entrants.
LOS ANGELES, CA  Share-worthy stories from across the Southland Patch cities to talk about tonight.

Overall, there have been 62 pediatric cases of the mysterious MIS-C syndrome in Los Angeles County including one fatal case.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's homicide detectives will investigate the death of a bleeding man who was handcuffed by police and later died.

The former District 12 councilmember was sentenced Monday and received a $15,000 fine for trying to obstruct a corruption investigation.

Three LA police officers and one deputy have reportedly been identified among those present at the U.S. Capitol the day of the riot.

The Imagineers are making some long-awaited changes to the Jungle Cruise at both Disneyland Resort & the Magic Kingdom.

The controversial casino owner's 27,000-foot square home is the fourth most expensive home for sale in Los Angeles County.

A Los Angeles County lifeguard Monday received the prestigious Governors Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor for his brave cave rescue.

City Manager Reva Feldman said she will leave, citing what her lawyer called a hostile relationship with Councilman Bruce Silverstein.

Hours after Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted statewide stay-at-home orders, the county lifted local restrictions as well.

One car flipped over and another rolled off Kanan Dume Road on Saturday, California Highway Patrol reported.

Story continues

Lifting the state order could mean back to outdoor dining, at least some services at gyms, barbershops & nail salons in Orange County.

A high surf and wind advisory are in effect in Redondo Beach through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Rancho Palos Verdes will develop a Meals on Wheels program for seniors, city officials announced.

Unfilled sandbags and sand are available for Rancho Palos Verdes residents as rainy weather hits the Southland.

At least 68 Redondo Beach and Torrance residents lost power early Monday, Southern California Edison reports.



More than 50 residents lost power early Monday in the Palos Verdes area, Southern California Edison reports.

With flurries of rainstorms turning to snow at higher elevations, the Saddleback Mountain Range got dressed up in their winter coat.

To get the signatures needed to trigger a recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom, recall organizers have accepted help from fringe groups.

The Zoom meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. on January 28.

This article originally appeared on the Los Angeles Patch
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden had his first call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House and Kremlin said. U.S. officials said Biden raised concerns about the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny while pressing the Russian president on his nations involvement in a massive cyberespionage campaign and bounties on American troops in Afghanistan.

On a positive note, the two presidents agreed to have their teams work urgently to complete an extension of New START, the last remaining U.S.-Russian arms control treaty, before it expires next month.

In the nearest days, the parties will complete the necessary procedures that will ensure further functioning of the pact, the Kremlin said in its readout of the call.

Biden has looked to establish a break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. But the new president also is looking to preserve room for diplomacy.

Unlike his immediate predecessors, Biden has not held out hope for a reset in relations with Russia but has instead indicated he wants to manage differences with the former Cold War foe without necessarily resolving them or improving ties. And, with a heavy domestic agenda and looming decisions needed on Iran and China, a direct confrontation with Russia is not something he seeks.

Moscow reached out last week to request the call, according to the U.S. officials, who were familiar with the call but not authorized to discuss it publicly. Biden agreed but wanted first to prepare with his staff and speak with European allies, including the leaders of Britain, France and Germany.

On Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression.

Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds breach and the reports that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan,. Biden said the United States is willing to defend itself and will take action, which could include further sanctions, to ensure that Moscow does not act with impunity, according to the administration officials.

The Kremlins readout did not address the most contentious issues between the countries, though it said the leaders also discussed other acute issues on the bilateral and international agenda. It described the talk as frank and businesslike  often a diplomatic way of referring to tense discussions. It also said Putin congratulated Biden on becoming president and noted that normalization of ties between Russia and the United States would serve the interests of both countries.

Among the issues it said were discussed were the coronavirus pandemic, the Iran nuclear agreement, Ukraine and issues related to trade and the economy.

The call came as Putin considers the aftermath of pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 Russian cities over the weekend. Bidens team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on the protests, in which more than 3,700 people were arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow. More protests are planned for the coming weekend.

Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner and Putins best-known critic, was arrested Jan. 17 as he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had spent nearly five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Biden has previously condemned the use of chemical weapons.

Russian authorities deny the accusations.

Trump seemed to seek Putins approval, frequently casting doubt on Russian interference in the 2016 elections, including when he stood next to Putin at their 2018 summit in Helsinki. He also downplayed Russias involvement in the hack of federal government agencies last year and the allegations that Russia offered the Taliban bounties.

Despite this conciliatory approach, Trumps administration toed a tough line against Moscow, imposing sanctions on the country, Russian companies and business leaders for issues ranging from Ukraine to energy supplies and attacks on dissidents.

Biden, in his call with Putin, broke sharply with Trump by declaring that he knew that Russia attempted to interfere with both the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Biden on Monday told reporters he hoped the U.S. and Russia could cooperate in areas where both see benefit.

I find that we can both operate in the mutual self-interest of our countries as a New START agreement and make it clear to Russia that we are very concerned about their behavior, whether its Navalny, whether its SolarWinds or reports of bounties on heads of Americans in Afghanistan, Biden said.

Bidens approach has met with approval from some former U.S. diplomats who have dealt with Russia and are looking forward to seeing how Bidens team, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his nominee to be the No. 3 at the State Department, Victoria Nuland, delineates the contours of Russia policy.

Nuland, who held the Europe portfolio at the State Department in President Barack Obamas second term, is reviled by Putin and his aides in particular for her support of pro-Western politicians in Ukraine. She and Sullivan are said to share opinions about how to deal with Moscow, taking a tough line on human rights and Russias intentions in eastern and central Europe while keeping an open channel to the Kremlin on other matters.

But their starting position is complicated, they say, particularly given Putins experience in dealing with Trump, who frequently undercut his own administrations hawkish stance on Russia by privately trying to cozy up to the Russian leader. Trump also was frequently ill-prepared for foreign leader calls, ignoring warnings from staff, limiting those who could listen on the calls and, especially after calls with Putin, telling very few aides what was discussed.

Its hard but its doable, said Daniel Fried, a U.S. ambassador to Poland and assistant secretary of state for European affairs in the George W. Bush administration. Theyre going to have to figure this out on the fly, but its important to pursue New START without hesitation and push back on the Navalny arrest and other issues without guilt.

They need to do both and not let Putin tell them he wont accept New START unless they drop Navalny, SolarWinds or Afghanistan, said Fried, who is now with the Atlantic Council. You have to push back and you cant let Putin set the terms.

Story by Jonathan Lemire and Matthew Lee. Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow also contributed to this report.

RELATED: Biden open to negotiating income thresholds for $1,400 stimulus checks
Mr. Hsiehs death shocked the tech and entrepreneurial worlds because of his relative youth and his writing on corporate happiness. Zappos was a star of the early consumer internet, helping convince the cautious that buying online held few perils. Mr. Hsieh became chief executive in 2001, promoting to all who would listen the notion that companies should try to make their customers as well as their employees happy. He relocated Zappos from the Bay Area to Las Vegas.

Amazon bought Zappos for $1.2 billion in 2009. The next year, Mr. Hsieh published Delivering Happiness, a best seller. Our goal at Zappos is for our employees to think of their work not as a job or career, but as a calling, he wrote.

Mr. Hsieh remained at Zappos but turned his attention to a civic project to revitalize downtown Las Vegas. Many investments and many years later, the project was at best an incomplete success. In the last year or so, Mr. Hsieh concentrated on Park City, Utah, where he spent tens of millions of dollars buying properties and became so manic that friends said they had discussed an intervention. Few outsiders knew that he had quietly left Zappos.

On the night of the fire, according to police interviews, Mr. Hsieh was despondent over the death of his dog the previous week during a trip to Puerto Rico. He and Ms. Brown had a disagreement that escalated, at which point Mr. Hsieh retired to the shed. An assistant checked with him frequently, logging the visits with Post-it notes on the door. Mr. Hsieh would generally signal that he was OK.

As the group prepared to depart in the middle of the night for the airport, Mr. Hsieh asked for the check-ins to be every five minutes. But four minutes were all it took for the fire to become deadly. Attempts by those in the house to break down the locked door were unsuccessful. Three Mercedes-Benz passenger vans arrived to take the party to the airport about the same time that firefighters arrived.

Ms. Brown, an early Zappos employee, did not return calls for comment. A family spokesman also did not respond to a message for comment.
A social post about a Texas digital road sign is burning up Facebook unchecked.

User Shanell Nicole posted a photo of a road sign along Interstate 10 near General McMullen Drive that says "CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF"

RELATED: 'No Valentine? Your Seatbelt Will Hold You': TxDOT back at it again with its themed road signs

A quick look at txdot.gov shows the cautionary sign being used throughout the San Antonio area so you won't have to drive far if you want to see the message for yourself.

Most Facebook users replied to Nicole's post with a tearfully laughing emoji and one person asked a friend to go to the neighborhood to verify that the sign was real.

Whos job is this lmao Posted by Shanell Nicole on Monday, January 25, 2021

User Patricio Cantu commented "This my new cover photo that's my hood."

It's unclear if the sign is a reference to Ice Cube's 1992 hit "Check Yourself" But Facebook commenters seem to think so.

RELATED: The next TxDOT digital highway message could come from you. Here's how to enter the contest.

Ricardo Ochoa added the rest of the verse for good measure: "Cause shotgun bullets are bad for your health. "

The DOT message was a winner of the Texas DOT's highway sign contest which was held at the end of 2020.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 05:29:02|Editor: huaxia

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KIEV, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine ranked second among the world's grain exporters behind only the United States in the 2019-2020 marketing year, Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported on Monday.

"According to the 2019/2020 marketing year results, Ukraine became the 'silver medalist' in terms of the grain export volume being beaten only by the United States," Ukrainian deputy Minister of Economy Taras Kachka quoted by Interfax-Ukraine as saying.

According to Kachka, Ukraine has the potential to further increase grain production and export.

According to the estimates of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, whose data were used to compile the rating, Ukraine exported 21.01 million tons of wheat with a harvest of 29.17 million tons, 28.93 million tons of corn with a harvest of 35.89 million tons while overall grain exports amounted to 55.09 million tons with a harvest of 75.72 million tons. Enditem
The newly inducted fighter aircraft featured for the first time in India's flypast as it carried out the 'Brahmastra' formation alone and was part of the 'Eklavya' formation with four other fighter jets.

The fighter jet conducted Eklavya formation by flying at a height of around 300 meter along with two Jagaur and two MIG-29 aircraft. The five jets resembled a V shape with leading the pack.

The 25,000 strong audience was able to see fighter jet again when it culminated the flypast by conducting the Brahmastra formation wherein it traversed at a low altitude for some distance, then pulled up vertically at 90 degrees and conducted rolls before stabilising at a higher altitude.

In a major boost to India's air power capability, five French-made multirole Rafale fighter jets were inducted into the IAF on September 10 last year.

A total of 38 IAF aircraft and four planes of the Indian Army participated in the flypast on Tuesday.

Goel siblings who came all the way from Yamunanagar, Haryana to attend the ceremonial event, were ecstatic to see Rafale take to the sky at the celebrations for the first time.

"That 'Vertical Charlie' by Rafale at the end was a total show-stopper. It was my first time at a Republic Day, and less crowd actually helped me enjoy the event more. I must admit, Rafale's aerial manoeuvre was just scintillating," said 24-year-old Mayank Goel, an engineer.

His sister Kirti Goel, who attended it for the second time, when asked, what was the most amazing experience from the 2021 event at Rajpath, she quipped, "Rafale's aerial stunt".

"I attended it in 2015 for the first time, when US President Barack Obama was the chief guest. That time, I had seen the 'Beast' and this time I saw the fighter jet Rafale, so two amazing experiences," she told PTI.

For Kuldeep Sharma, who works in the IT sector, and his wife, Rafale's aerial manoeuvre at the end of the parade was the "most awe-inspiring experience".

As is traditionally the case on Republic Day, flypast was divided into two blocks: the first was along with the parade and the second was after the parade.

In the first block, there were three formations. The first was the 'Nishan' formation comprising of four Mi17V5 aircraft that carried the flag and logos of all three services.

It was followed by the 'Dhruv' formation by four helicopters of Army Aviation Corps.

The last was the 'Rudra' formation -- comprising a single Dakota aircraft flanked by two Mi17V5 helicopters -- which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the country's victory in the 1971 war.

Dakotas played a major role during that war. On December 16 last year, India launched year-long celebrations of its victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

The second block of the flypast consisted of nine formations.

These nine formations were 'Sudarshan', 'Rakshak', 'Bhim', 'Netra', 'Garuda', 'Eklavya', 'Trinetra', 'Vijay' and 'Brahmastra'.

Sudarshan formation had one Chinook and two Mi17V5 helicopters, Rakshak formation comprised one Mi-35 and four Apache helicopters, Bhim formation consisted of three C-130J aircraft and Netra formation comprised indigenously developed early warning and control aircraft Netra flanked by two Sukhoi-30 fighter jets.

Garuda formation had one C-17 Globemaster plane with two MIG-29 and two Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft. Trinetra formation comprised three Sukhoi-30 MKIs. Vijay formation showcased three advanced light helicopters.

The IAF showcased models of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile Dhruvastra on its tableaus during the parade.

They also showcased scaled-down models of Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet and Rohini radar on the tableaus.

Indigenously developed next-generation anti-radiation missile Rudram and anti-tank guided missile Dhruvastra were displayed on the LCA and the LCH respectively, on the tableaus.

Sukhoi-30Mki was displayed with indigenously developed Astra and Brahmos missiles at the tableau. Indigenously developed Akash missile was displayed along with the Rohini radar.

The IAF's marching contingent at the parade consisted of four officers and 96 soldiers marching in a box formation of 12 rows and eight columns.

The marching contingent was led by Flight Lieutenant Tanik Sharma and three supernumerary officers -- Flight Lieutenant Manjeet Singh, Flight Lieutenant Apoorva Yadav and Flying Officer Kuttapa.

(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.)
ANI

Thousands of protesting farmers who stormed into Delhi with their tractor rally, entered the Red Fort complex by afternoon, as violence continued in parts of the city. Visuals from the spot showed them climbing a flagpole at the ramparts of the iconic Mughal fort, from where the Prime Minister addresses the nation on Independence Day. As tractors took over the Ram Leela Maidan outside the fort -- the original site where they had planned their protest -- farmers were heard saying that they will not leave. Read more



Protesting Farmer Dies In Delhi; Farmers Allege He Was Shot

ANI

A group of farmers is holding a sit-in demonstration at Delhi's ITO with the body of a protester who they said was shot dead by the police during the violent clashes that broke out. The deceased has been identified as Navneet Singh, a 24-year-old from Western Uttar Pradesh. However, according to the police, Singh was driving one of the tractors that had charged at them from the protesters and he died after his vehicle overturned. Read more



Girl Who Carried Her Father On Cycle During Lockdown, Gets PM Bal Puraskar

Screengrab

In May last year, in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown, Jyoti Kumari made headlines not just in India, but around the world after a video of her went viral, showing her carrying her ailing father for 1,200 kilometres from Haryana to Bihar's Darbhanga on a cycle. Her story was one of the many which highlighted the plight of the millions of migrant workers who were stranded due to the lockdown. Read more



Galwan Martyr Colonel Santosh Babu, Awarded Mahavir Chakra

Indian Army

Colonel B Santosh Babu, the former Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment, the highest-ranking officer martyred for India during the hand-to-hand combat between the Indian troops and Chinese in Galwan last year has been posthumously named for Mahavir Chakra. According to an official announcement, he has been named for the second-highest military award, for his acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy. Read more



Fiery Protests Against New Lockdowns Rock Europe

AP

Over the weekend, protests against Covid-19 lockdowns rocked the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain, just as several European governments began the new year by stepping up restrictions on movement amid concerns over more contagious variants of the coronavirus. On Saturday, Netherlands began its first nighttime curfew of the pandemic, said to be the countrys first since World War II. Read more


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But after Lightfoot laid out her opposition last week in a letter to Beale, aldermen instead advanced a two-year pilot program that the administration will support as long as he can find appropriate private funding to pay for it for the duration, and police officials agree that his plan will ensure the safety and security of officers in the COP House.
Ofcom will take no further action against Channel 4 after the broadcaster sparked hundreds of complaints when it used a digitally created 'deepfake' version of the Queen's annual festive message.

Yesterday it was revealed that the media regulator has decided not to investigate the 354 complaints it received about the Christmas Day broadcast.

Deepfake technology uses artificial intelligence to alter people's faces in videos.

Ofcom will take no further action against Channel 4 after the broadcaster sparked hundreds of complaints when it used a digitally created 'deepfake' version of the Queen's annual festive message

Yesterday it was revealed that the media regulator has decided not to investigate the 354 complaints it received about the Christmas Day broadcast

Ofcom said Channel 4 had made it clear the images were 'deliberately manipulated'.

The decision to broadcast the fake version of the Queen sparked anger with one former Tory councillor calling the move 'incredibly irresponsible'.

The sketch included jibes aimed at the Duke of York's links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Deepfake technology uses artificial intelligence to alter people's faces in videos

A spokesman for Ofcom said: 'We assessed complaints from viewers who felt that this programme was disrespectful to the Queen.

'In our view, Channel 4 made clear that the images were deliberately manipulated as a device to question societal trust in what we see online.

'We also consider that the satirical tone of the film was in keeping with audience expectations of this broadcaster.'

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Donald Trump was cultivated as a Russian asset more than 40 years ago which exploded into a decades-long 'relationship' of mutual benefit to both Russia and Trump, a shocking new book claims.

Trump was rescued multiple times from multiple bankruptcies by boatloads of Russian cash laundered through his real estate in the 80s and 90s, the author asserts. Russian money also picked up the tab for buildings franchised under Trump's name.

An invitation to Russia by a high-level KGB official in 1987 under the guise of a preliminary scouting trip to build a Trump hotel in Moscow, was in fact 'deep development' by KGB handlers that furthered creating secret back channels and allowed the Russians to influence and damage American democracy, the author claims.

When Trump became President, it was time to pay the piper and Trump gave Putin everything he wanted, the author writes.

Author Craig Unger makes the revelations in his new book, American Kompromat, How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power and Treachery. Unger is a journatist and author of six books, including the New York Times bestsellers House of Bush, House of Saud, and House of Trump, House of Putin.

A new book claims Donald Trump was cultivated as a Russian asset more than 40 years ago and that exploded into a decades long 'relationship' of mutual benefit to both Russia and Trump. When Trump became President, it was time to pay the piper and Trump gave Vladimir Putin everything he wanted, the author writes

The author writes Trump was rescued multiple times from multiple bankruptcies by boatloads of Russian cash laundered through his real estate in the 80s and 90s as well as Russian money picking up the tab for buildings franchised under Trump's name

Asking if Trump was a Russian asset is the single most important question about the president, the author writes after extensive interviews with high-level sources, Soviets who defected, former CIA officers, FBI counter-intelligent agents, lawyers and more.

'This is a story of dirty secrets and the most powerful people in the world' and Unger reveals what went wrong in the numerous congressional investigations into Trump.

Trump and the Russians were also in bed together through Trump's close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, who was supplying the Russians and Silicon Valley with underage girls, the author claims.

American Kompromat How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery by Craig Unger is out January 26

Epstein claimed to have introduced Melania to Donald when Donald was partying with Epstein's 'girls'.

Epstein had made videotapes of sexual acts that he could use for blackmail or kompromat  compromising material - and photos of Trump with a bevy of young girls and girls giggling at the semen stains on Trump's pants when in the company of the under eighteen-year olds and he couldn't hold back his 'excitement'.

Trump's association with Russia began in 1976 when he decided to make his move from developing real estate in Queens to Manhattan.

Under the tutelage of the 'Mafia lawyer and dark satanic prince of the McCarthy era', Roy Cohn, who tutored Trump on how to find generous tax abatements, the brash real estate developer paid one thin dollar to buy the old decrepit Commodore Hotel that sat next to Grand Central Station on 42nd and Park Avenue.

The development of that decaying monstrosity into the Grand Hyatt New York offers the key to Trump's first encounter with the Russians when he went downtown to Joy-Lud Electronics at Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street to buy hundreds of television sets for his new hotel.

Store co-owner Semyon 'Sam' Kislin, was a Ukrainian Jew who emigrated to Manhattan from Odessa in 1972 and hung a sign on his store's front door reading, 'We speak Russian'.

Kislin co-owned the store with another Soviet emigre Tamir Sapir and sold electronic equipment to Soviet diplomats, KGB officers and Politburo members returning to the Soviet Union because it had all been adapted to PAL, technical standards used in Europe and Russia.

That stood Jud-Lud Electronics apart from the wildly popular 47th Street Photo and Crazy Eddie grabbing the airwaves with their big pitch, discount claims.

Jud-Lud was the only place to buy electronic equipment and consumer goods to take back to the Soviet Union.

Trump picked up the TVs on credit and paid Kislin back in 30 days, an unusual move for the man well known for stiffing his vendors.

Donald Trump and Tamir Sapir at the Trump Soho Launch on September 19, 2007 in New York City. Tamir Sapir owned a store and sold electronic equipment to Soviet diplomats, KGB officers and Politburo members returning to the Soviet Union

Back in the 70s Trump picked up TVs on credit and paid Ukrainian Semyon Kislin (left) back in 30 days, an unusual move for the man well known for stiffing his vendors. Kislin had run a highly celebrated fresh produce store back in Odessa where foodstuffs passed through the black market. A former KGB officer Yuri Shvets (right) said Kislin would have been recruited by the KGB

The author asks the question why the Grand Hyatt needed TVs with dual systems enabling them to receive broadcasts to the Soviet Union  but the answer is lost to the passage of time.

Kislin had run a highly celebrated fresh produce store back in Odessa where foodstuffs passed through the black market.

A former KGB officer Yuri Shvets, informed the author that a Jewish guy running a fresh produce store back then would have had to have been recruited by the KGB.

The deal was if Kislin wanted to emigrate from the Soviet Union, he had to sign a pledge to cooperate with the KGB.

Back in the US, if anyone questioned letting in so many Soviet Jews, they faced being called anti-Semitic.

Kislin's store, under the KGB seal of approval was 'used by the KGB to initiate overtures to prospective assets'.

So Trump was under the watchful eye of the KGB. But that had begun years earlier when the 'young, vain, narcissistic and ruthlessly ambitious real estate developer' sold multimillion-dollar condos to the Russian Mafia laundering money by buying through anonymous shell companies.

The sale of these condos made Trump rich again after losing billions of dollars when his Atlantic City casinos went belly up.

Surveillance of Trump began even earlier in 1977 when he married Ivana Zelnickova, a Czech national from a district where the secret police force was in league with the KGB and Trump was already talking about wanting to be president one day.

Trump sold multimillion-dollar condos to the Russian Mafia laundering money by buying through anonymous shell companies. The sale of these condos made Trump rich again after losing billions of dollars when his Atlantic City casinos went belly up

The author claims Trump's association with Russia began in 1976 when he decided to make his move from developing real estate in Queens to Manhattan

Trump probably also appealed to the KGB because he was 'vain, narcissistic, highly susceptible to flattery and greedy'.

'With Trump it wasn't just weakness. Everything was excessive. His vanity, excessive, Narcissism, excessive. Greed, excessive. Ignorance, excessive', writes the author.

'Deeply insecure intellectually, highly suggestible, exceedingly susceptible to flattery, Trump was anxious to acquire some real intellectual validation - and the KGB would be more than happy to humor him,' the author added.

Kislin denied any ties with the Russian Mafia years later but hung in close to Trump and donated more than $40,000 to Rudy Giuliani's 1993 and 1997 New York mayoral campaigns.

The file on Trump with the Soviet/Russian intelligence went from laundering money through Trump luxury condos, to partnering with wealthy Soviet emigres in franchising scams, to becoming involved in countless financial irregularities, to creating secret back channels with the Russians, to partying with Jeffrey Epstein, and on and on,' writes Unger.

Epstein, whose father had been a municipal parks department employee in Coney Island, amassed hundreds of millions of dollars, owned fabulous homes around the world and lived two short miles from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.

Within his house there were scores of women and young girls, dozens in their teens who were passed around like party favors by Epstein with the help of one time girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell -- to the world's most powerful men.

'All the while, he was secretly recording their activities, the tapes of which provided a hammerlock of kompromat, leverage, and influence', Unger writes.

It was a world of unimaginable decadence  gorgeous young women, private planes, spectacular residences  and sex with young girls.

Billionaire oligarchs shipped in teenage girls from Russia and the Ukraine.

Russian models and beauty pageant contestants were flown in and manipulated for sexual favors by Epstein with Ghislaine as his fixer, the author claims.

Trump fit in and he reciprocated Jeffrey and Ghislaine's invites.

The author claims surveillance on Trump began in 1977 when he married Ivana Zelnickova, a Czech national from a district where the secret police force was in league with the KGB and Trump was already talking about wanting to be president one day (pictured in Russia)

In 1987 Donald and Ivana Trump visited Palace Square in St.Petersburg, Russia. The author says the invitation to Russia by a high-level KGB official in 1987 under the guise of a preliminary scouting trip to build a Trump hotel in Moscow, was in fact 'deep development' by KGB handlers that furthered creating secret back channels and allowed the Russians to influence and damage American democracy

Twenty-eight young women were flown in to Mar-a-Lago for a calendar girl competition and the only two males guests were Trump and Epstein.

Trump was known for nonstop groping as well as putting his hands up the skirt of the girlfriend of the organizer of the calendar girl competition  all the way to her crotch.

Christina Oxenberg, daughter of Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia and sister of Dynasty star Catherine Oxenberg, met Ghislaine when Ghislane was knitting together a social network that introduced Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew to Epstein.

Christina said her mother had an affair with JFK in 1962 and suggested she was President Kennedy's love child.

'Ghislaine was the woman behind the world's greatest Rolodex  and all about power and money', stated Oxenberg.

When the FBI raided Epstein's homes, 'they found video recording equipment, hard disks and evidence of kompromat  videos of billionaires in the act of pedophilia, raping underage girls, committing crimes that could lead to hard time'.

Trump's name was in Epstein's black book with no fewer than 16 phone numbers.

'Trump Model Management was very much a part of Epstein's picture and allegedly indulged in many of the dubious practices  violating immigration laws and illegally employing young foreign girls,' the author writes.

Epstein took the fifth when asked if he ever socialized with Trump in the presence of females under eighteen.

Epstein claimed he was the one who introduced Melania to Trump.

'Jeffrey and Ghislaine knew Trump's secrets, and he knew theirs  secrets were the ultimate currency in the decadent and highly transactional world they lived in,' the author writes.

After 17 years of friendship, the close friends permanently fell out in 2004 when Epstein told Trump that he was keen on buying a spectacular mansion in Palm Beach being sold out of a bankruptcy auction.

With his heart set on the property, he wanted to make one change  move the swimming pool. So he brought his pal Trump to the property for advice.

In financial straits with his bankruptcies in Atlantic City, Trump outbid his friend with an offer of more than $41 million.

Trump put the house up for sale shortly thereafter for $125 million.

The author claims Trump was connected to Russians through friend Jeffrey Epstein, who was supplying the Russians and Silicon Valley with underage girls

Trump appealed to the KGB because he was 'vain, narcissistic, highly susceptible to flattery and greedy,' the author writes. Trump and Putin pictured in 2017

Enraged, Epstein never spoke to Trump again but showed around photos of Trump with topless young girls and one photo with semen stained pants.

After three years into Trump's presidency, the curtain was pulled back and revealed 'Trump was a sociopath who had given false or misleading statements more than 20,000 times while in office and created false narratives that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election on Trump's behalf.'

When it came to 2020 and the president's daily briefings on the rapidly expanding Covid-19 pandemic as early as January that Trump never read, 'He did next to nothing when it came to stopping the spread of the virus', writes Unger who calls it 'a death cult'.

He just didn't care if Americans died.

Deceit was the new norm with Trump's lies that were anti-science and free of reason  'that killed hundreds of thousands of Americans'.

'The pandemic was being handled by a superstitious, science-defying authoritarian leader who had decided to let the people fend for themselves  and die accordingly,' the author writes.

The nation was now in free-fall - thanks to the 'vulgar and vile, misogynistic, racist firebrand' - who had mesmerized tens of millions with 'anti-science based policies that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans'.

'The Russians had undermined the US elections in 2016 and Trump had collaborated with them', writes Unger. And now thanks to the virus, everything wrong with the United States  sex trafficking, racism and greed - was visible.
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An employer has been ordered to pay compensation to an office-based worker who resigned from her job during the first Covid-19 lockdown after her plea to work remotely from home was rejected.

Employment law expert Richard Grogan described the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ruling as a wake-up call for employers.

WRC adjudication officer Kevin Baneham has ordered the employer to pay the woman, who worked as an operations co-ordinator, 3,712 compensation for her unfair dismissal on May 12 last year.

Mr Grogan  who wasnt involved in the case  stated: The amount of compensation isnt high as the worker got a new job within a short space of time, but the findings are important as it is the first ruling that the WRC has made concerning a Covid-19 related unfair or constructive dismissal.

The Dublin-based solicitor stated: I believe that we are going to see an awful lot more of such Covid-19 cases going through the WRC.

In an email to her employer  a university-based facilities management service provider  last April, the worker stated that her employers refusal to accept the remote-working proposal has increased the infection risk with Covid-19 for all three operations co-ordinators.

She stated: In the event one of us gets sick, I will be putting at risk my husband who is an asthmatic patient."

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In his ruling, Mr Baneham found that the operations co-ordinator had no real option but to resign after her employer failed to take reasonably practicable steps to mitigate risk posed by Covid-19 in the workplace.

Mr Baneham found that the employer failed to implement the proposals made by three office workers that would have eliminated the risk of transmission of Covid-19 in the workplace.

The employer rejected a proposal from the three that two could work remotely at any one time in response to the risk posed by Covid-19.

In the case, the woman  represented by SIPTU  worked for the facilities management company at a university where there are 3,200 rooms to accommodate students.

In his findings, Mr Baneham found the requirement by the employer that she attend the workplace without adequate consideration of the elimination of risk posed by Covid-19 amounts to repudiation of contract.

He stated: This arises as providing a safe place of work is a fundamental term of the contract of employment.

Mr Baneham found that the employer did not comply with the statutory framework by first seeking to eliminate risk, causing the worker to attend work in greater danger.

In this case, the risk could have been readily eliminated or reduced through reasonably practicable steps, as suggested by the complainant, Mr Baneham said.

He stated the operations co-ordinator articulated a clear grievance and suggested how the work could be done in the safest way possible.

This was not adequately considered by the respondent, leaving her with no real option but to resign.

The award made by Mr Baneham would have been higher but the worker concerned secured alternative employment within five weeks at a higher pay rate.

Mr Baneham stated: As an infectious disease, Covid-19 constitutes a biological hazard. In this context and at the centre of this case are the duties of both employer and employee arising from the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act and the underpinning health and safety principles.

Up to 1,000 students were stuck on campus in March, some of whom were self-isolating. Mr Baneham stated the worker and her colleagues dealt with the difficult task of managing thousands of students who vacated their accommodation at the start of the lockdown.

The worker provided a lockdown photo taken on April 17 showing her and her colleagues working in close proximity in the small office.

In an email sent that day, the worker told her employer that she was not able to socially distance from her two colleagues in the workplace.

In a formal grievance lodged on April 30, the three operations co-ordinators stated: All three of us have family members in the at risk category and we are concerned about the health of our family members, as well as our own wellbeing.

However, the employer rejected the work-from-home proposal.

In a letter on May 4, the employer stated: Prior to Covid-19 there was never a suggestion that the roles could be performed remotely, and the same situation pertains in a post-Covid situation.

Each person may absent themselves from work and check if they are entitled to a State benefit. The position will be kept under review, but at present the employers position is that the three roles are not suitable for remote working.

In her emailed resignation letter on May 12, the woman stated that on her return to the office, her anxiety and stress levels had once again increased and had caused her to experience panic attacks.

She stated: With this email communication I am handing in my notice, as I am not able to manage the levels of pressure imposed by management and the impact this is having on my health and wellbeing.

She said the employers approach to the whole situation has been a real disappointment and the lack of care for their employees has left me feeling disheartened and insecure.

The managing director of the facilities management company told the hearing that the worker was of the opinion she should work from home, but the companys client would not have allowed this to happen.

He stated that her job was essential, and the client would not have allowed her to work from home. He outlined that it was the co-ordinators role to deal with the students and they were required to be on campus.

The managing director stated that no staff member contracted Covid-19, either in the university or elsewhere.
Sun Country Airlines is launching twice-a-week service from San Antonio International Airport to Cancun, Mexico, on May 28  the latest sign that the aviation industry is expecting demand for international travel to climb this year as more people get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The flights will depart on Monday and Fridays, with an introductory one-way fare of $129.

As travel picks up, we expect Cancun to resume being a popular destination for leisure travelers, city Aviation Director Jesus Saenz Jr. said in a statement. Prior to the pandemic, more than 61,000 travelers flew between San Antonio and Cancun each year.

Sun Country joins a number of airlines betting that South Texas residents are tired of staying home and want to travel internationally.

VivaAerobus is expanding its four-times-a-week service to Monterrey, Mexico, to seven days on Feb. 3. Aeromexico launched a second daily flight to Mexico City earlier this month, and Southwest Airlines will resume once-a-week service to Cancun on March 13, said Brian Pratte, the airports chief air service development officer.

The added service is reinforcing our reputation as being a really good hub for Mexican service, said Pratte.

The optimism may be dimmed, though, by new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rules that go into effect on Tuesday. Passengers ages 2 and older who travel abroad will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of their return flights.

The new requirement is the CDCs attempt to encourage U.S. travelers to stay home, said airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group in San Francisco.

The U.S. is taking steps to throttle back international travel, he said.

On ExpressNews.com: Southwest employees honor Herb  and send a message

He said CDC officials are worried that Americans have a greater risk of catching fast-spreading mutations of the COVID-19 virus overseas.

The new testing requirement will definitely kill some desire for traveling abroad, Harteveldt said. People dont want the hassle of getting a test while on vacation, plus the added cost if their insurance doesnt cover it.

Harteveldt said he doesnt see the CDC lifting the test requirement until large segments of the U.S. and international populations are vaccinated.

Pratte, meanwhile, said he said travel scene could improve by the end of May, with the CDC possibly lifting the testing rule by the time Sun Country begins its flights.

Sun Country spokeswoman Erin Blanton said the airline will list COVID-19 testing sites in Mexico on its website to help travelers meet the CDC requirements. The airline is waiting until late May to start its Cancun service because demand usually is strongest in the summer, she noted.

Pratte said the travel industry is working to increase the number of COVID-19 testing sites to encourage people to fly.

They are certainly looking at making testing as easy as possible so their profits arent restricted, he said.

In September, the CDC issued a travel advisory asking Americans to reconsider travel to Mexico because of the countrys high COVID-19 rates.

randy.diamond@express-news.net
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.
Biden attends mass at DC church that prayed for dignity of the unborn

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President Joe Biden attended mass at a historic Jesuit Catholic congregation in Washington, D.C., the same church he attended when he was vice president years ago.

Biden went to mass on Sunday at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, which was founded in the 18th century and is based in the Georgetown neighborhood of the nations capital. He attended with his son, Hunter, and two of his grandchildren, Finnegan and Maisy, reported the Associated Press.

Biden is the second Roman Catholic president in United States history. John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the first Catholic commander-in-chief after being elected president in 1960.

Holy Trinity held multiple masses on Sunday, with Biden attending the noontime mass and receiving holy communion, according to a representative of the church.

The 9:00 a.m. mass, which was livestreamed and not attended by the president, showed a service practicing social distancing guidelines.

The Rev. C. Kevin Gillespie gave a homily in which he discussed a recent experience on Capitol Hill after the Inauguration, explaining that when helping to pick up American flags with others, he felt as if a new life had happened there and nationwide.

Change is always happening, when we notice it or not, said Gillespie, who quoted National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gormans Inauguration day poem The Hill We Climb.

During the prayers offered up for petition, a prayer was offered for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to lead our country toward unity and justice for all people.

Right after that prayer, another offered up was that the dignity of the human person be realized and upheld, especially the elderly and the unborn, the prisoner and the migrant.

Some have questioned the beliefs of Biden due to his pro-choice stance, as he stated on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade last week promising to codify the controversial decision.

In the past four years, reproductive health, including the right to choose, has been under relentless and extreme attack, said Biden in the White House statement.

We are deeply committed to making sure everyone has access to care  including reproductive health care  regardless of income, race, zip code, health insurance status, or immigration status.

In 2019, Father Robert E. Morey of Saint Anthony Catholic Church in South Carolina garnered headlines when he denied then-candidate Biden the sacrament of communion.

Holy Communion signifies we are one with God, each other and the Church. Our actions should reflect that. Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching, Morley explained to SC Now at the time.

However, last November, Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory stated that he will not refuse Biden communion, in spite of his position on the abortion issue.

The kind of relationship that I hope we will have is a conversational relationship where we can discover areas where we can cooperate that reflect the social teachings of the church, Gregory told Catholic News Service.
Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, considered one of the world's richest men, has tested positive for COVID-19 and is suffering mild symptoms.

This was confirmed by the 80-year-old Mexican billionaire's family and his spokesperson on Monday. Carlos Slim Domit, the tycoon's son, tweeted that his father is very well and making good progress after more than a week of minor symptoms.

The announcement that Carlos Slim was diagnosed with COVID-19 came after Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that he was infected with the virus, too, AFP reported.

Slim's son said his father is getting "tests, monitoring, and timely treatment" from the National Nutrition Institute, according to CBS 17 report.

"He is very well and has had a very favorable development," Slim Domit said in the report.

Slim's fortune is estimated to be at $59.9 billion, making him the world's 21st richest person. The Mexican billionaire's most valuable asset is his stake in America Movil, a Latin American mobile telecom firm.

According to a Forbes report, Carlos Slim was included in Forbes' list of billionaires in 1991 with a fortune of $1.7 billion, which mainly depend on his Grupo Carso stake.

His most notable success started with the privatization of state-owned phone company Telmex in 1990, which was led by his industrial conglomerate Grupo Carso with France Telecom and Southwestern Bell, which is now part of AT&T.

Carlos Slim was the world's richest person in 2012, with a worth amounting to $69 million. Forbes put him on the cover then.

Related story: Mexico Surpasses 90,000 COVID-19 Deaths, Destroying Region's Day of the Dead





Mexico's COVID-19 Death Toll

Mexico's COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 150,000, according to the government's count a day after Lopez Obrador announced that he had contracted COVID-19.

The health ministry reported over 659 deaths in its daily update, making the total number at 150,273. According to a Yahoo News report, this makes Mexico behind the United States, Brazil, and India.

Since mid-December, Mexico City has been in a state of maximum alert. More than 90 percent of hospital beds are full due to rising infections. Meanwhile, non-essential sectors and activities have been suspended in the capital.

The country began mass immunization on Dec. 24 using the vaccine developed by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. However, the nation is facing a limited supply.

A senior official from the World Health Organization said Monday the high rate of positive COVID-19 tests in Mexico likely meant the country was screening too few people. Also, hospitals in Mexico have been overwhelmed by surging cases, and the country sets two daily coronavirus death records this week.

According to The Guardian report, despite the death toll continuing to rise, the country has offered the market restriction-free travel to international tourists.

Mexican health officials have also refused to implement some specific evidence-based pandemic response measures, including mass testing. Mexico has one of the lowest testing rates in the world.

Dr. Laurie Ann Ximenez-Fyvie, director of the Molecular Genetics Laboratory at Mexico's Autonomous National University, said the country's failure to create enough testing network would make complying with new U.S. travel requirements difficult.

Ximenez-Fyvie further noted that meeting the demand of passengers traveling abroad will be a problem as the country's testing capacity is not up to the needed level.

Related story: Residents of Mexico Are At Higher Risk for COVID-19, Says Health Professionals




Elizabeth Taylor died an icon. The British-American actress certainly made a name for herself in the 20th century, though she did run into some issues regarding her reputation. Taylor married eight times during her life, including marrying the same man twice. At the time, it was somewhat taboo for a woman to wed so many times.

Still, when Taylor died, she left one of her ex-husbands a heavy sum of money  though it didnt compare to her actual net worth at the time of her death.

Elizabeth Taylor | Archive Photos/Getty Images

Elizabeth Taylor wed eight times throughout her life

Taylor was born in the United Kingdom but spent most of her life in the United States. The actress began her career as a child, and by the time she was 18, she had already been through one failed engagement to William Pawley Jr. At 18, she married Conrad Nicky Hilton, who was six years older than her. The two divorced because of Hiltons alleged drinking and abuse.

Taylor married six other men after Hilton, including actor Richard Burton, whom she divorced in 1974 then remarried a year later, for a total of eight weddings. After things didnt work out with Burton the second time, Taylor married politician John Warner and later tied the knot with construction worker Larry Fortensky. Fortensky was Taylors last marriage, and the two wed in 1988 but divorced in 1996.

Elizabeth Taylor with her seventh husband, Larry Fortensky, in 1990 | Sonia Moskowitz/IMAGES/Getty Images

RELATED: Elizabeth Taylors Shortest Marriage Only Lasted a Few Months Due to Alcohol and Abuse

Taylor left ex-husband Larry Fortensky $825,000 in her will

The world was shocked and saddened when Taylor died in 2011. The actress reportedly used drugs such as pain killers and tranquilizers throughout her career, and she even went through a few near-death experiences, including breaking her back and surviving a difficult bout with pneumonia.

Taylor didnt make too many public appearances in the last decade of her life. The actress was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2004 and died in California in 2011. She left her latest ex-husband, Fortensky, a whopping $825,000 in her will when she passed, despite that the two had been divorced 15 years earlier. Fortensky said he was so shocked to hear about her death, according to RadarOnline.

Fortensky had reportedly struggled financially after he and Taylor divorced, but she always had plenty of respect for him because he never spoke of their relationship to the media. Its unclear why she left him the money, but those seem like viable reasons. Fortensky died about six years after Taylor in 2016.

Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky | Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images

Taylor was worth a whopping $600 million when she died

Taylors money to Fortensky was just a drop in the bucket compared to her massive fortune. The actress and humanitarian had managed to amass a $600 million net worth at the time of her death.

There have been rumors that her estate was worth as much as $1 billion when she died, though its exact worth appears to be lower than that. Taylor had four kids and several grandchildren when she died, so they likely received the bulk of her fortune.
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President Joe Biden spent his first day in the White House signing a spate of executive orders aimed at undoing the policies of the Trump administration. One of them sparked outrage on Facebook over its effect on American jobs.

On Jan. 20, Biden signed an order that revoked the permit for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. In a Facebook post published the same day, one user said the move would cost thousands of jobs.

"By revoking the Keystone pipeline permit, Biden is destroying 11,000 jobs and roughly $2 billion in wages," the post says. "Democrats couldnt even get through Day 1 without killing jobs for middle class Americans."

The post was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

Weve seen several similar posts offer other figures for how many jobs were lost as a result of Bidens executive order, ranging from 12,000 to 83,000. So we wanted to take a closer look.

TC Energy Corp., the Canadian company that owns the Keystone XL pipeline with the Alberta government, has said more than 1,000 people are out of work because of Bidens executive order. The 11,000 and $2 billion figures cited in the Facebook post are estimates published by the company, but most of the jobs would be temporary.

We reached out to the user who published the post for their evidence, but we didnt hear back.

What Bidens order does

The Keystone XL pipeline is an international project years in the making. Without support from the U.S. government, its effectively halted.

The 875-mile pipeline would carry a heavy crude oil mixture from Western Canada to Steele City, Neb., where it would connect with another leg stretching to Gulf Coast refineries.

Bidens order revokes the permit that was granted March 29, 2019, by then-President Donald Trump on the grounds that it is harmful to the environment.

While an 11-volume State Department report on the Keystone XL pipeline found in 2014 that it would not significantly contribute to carbon pollution, critics say the project threatens Albertas rivers and forests. And the project has become a symbol for the political debate over fossil fuels.

The Obama-era State Department had denied TC Energys request for a permit in 2015. Trump revived hopes for the project once he took office, ultimately approving it with an executive order. Construction began in April 2020, but that same month, a federal court said that the project had to go through a full endangered species review. TC Energy appealed the ruling, but the Supreme Court upheld it in July.

Before Biden signed his executive order, only a 1.2-mile section of the pipeline had been completed in Montana near the U.S.-Canada border.

Thousands of lost jobs, but most are temporary

Over the past several years, weve fact-checked many claims that the Keystone XL pipeline would create thousands of American jobs. Several of them lack context about the duration and nature of these positions, and this Facebook post is similar.

In a Jan. 20 statement, TC Energy said Bidens order "would directly lead to the layoff of thousands of union workers." It did not specify exactly how many jobs would be lost.

President Richard Prior told the Associated Press that the layoffs would number more than 1,000. We reached out to TC Energy for more information, but we havent heard back.

The 11,000 figure in the Facebook post appears to stem from an Oct. 28 press release on the pipelines website.

In October, TC Energy awarded contracts to six American union contractors to build the Keystone XL pipeline in three states in 2021. Those contractors were "responsible for hiring 7,000 union workers."

RELATED: Keystone XL pipeline: Unbuilt, opposed by Biden, mired in lawsuits

"When combined with additional 2021 contracts to be announced later, the total number of American union workers constructing Keystone XL in 2021 will exceed 8,000 and $900 million in gross wages," the release said. "In total, Keystone XL is expected to employ more than 11,000 Americans in 2021, creating more than $1.6 billion in gross wages."

Thats close to what the State Department found in its 2014 report.

In the report, the agency wrote that 10,400 estimated positions would be for seasonal construction work lasting four to eight-month periods. Since the State Department defines "job" as "one position that is filled for 1 year," that would equate to approximately 3,900 jobs over a two-year period.

In short: Most of the estimated jobs were temporary.

The State Department forecasted that no more than 50 jobs, some of which could be located in Canada, would be required to maintain the pipeline. Thirty-five of them would be permanent, while 15 would be temporary contractors.

We reached out to the White House for a comment, but we havent heard back.

Our ruling

A Facebook post says that Bidens executive order revoking the Keystone XL pipeline "is destroying 11,000 jobs."

That number is an estimate, and the claim lacks context about the longevity of Keystone jobs.

TC Energy said more than 1,000 people are out of work because of Bidens executive order. In October, the company said it expected to employ more than 11,000 Americans in 2021 and generate more than $1.6 in gross wages.

But both TC Energy and the State Department have said the majority of those jobs would be temporary. A 2014 report found that the company would need only 50 employees to maintain the Keystone XL pipeline once its finished, 35 of them permanent.

Temporary jobs are still jobs. But this post could leave the wrong impression without full context. We rate it Half True.
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The Government is to begin quarantining travellers arriving in Ireland from overseas for the first-time with the Cabinet signing off on the principles for the new measures. Who will the measures apply to and how it will work?

Who faces being held in quarantine?

All passengers arriving from South Africa and Brazil could be held for up to two weeks in quarantine. The Government has also suspended all short-term visas for people coming from South Africa, Brazil and other South American countries. The aim is to stop people travelling to Ireland from these regions. However, those that do will face quarantine when it is introduced. Anyone arriving into Ireland without a negative PCR laboratory Covid-19 test also faces quarantine.

How long will they be held?

Anyone arriving from South Africa or Brazil can be held for up to 14 days. Those arriving without a negative test from other countries also face a fortnight in quarantine but may be released after five days if they get a negative test. This group of poeple will be tested on arrival in Ireland and will then be put into quarantine. But five days later they can be tested again at their own expense. If they have two consecutive negative tests, they will potentially be released from quarantine.

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Where will they be held?

They will be held in quarantine hotels which will potentially be policed by private security firms. The Taoiseach has indicated the Citywest Hotel may be used as a quarantine centre.

How much will this cost?

Details of how much it will cost or who will pay are still being worked on by officials, but in countries such as New Zealand the cost of isolation is more than 1,800 for a single person with extra charges for partners and children. The Governments Senior Officials Group is to consider charging passengers for their stay in quarantine.

Will there be fines?

Yes, people who arrive without a test face being fined up to 2,500 or could even be hit with a prison sentence of six months.

What about people arriving with a negative Covid test?

Guidance on restricting movements for two weeks on arrival in Ireland for other passengers is to be made a legal requirement underpinned by new laws. This will mean any breaches of the law will be punishable by fines or imprisonment. Travellers arriving from countries which require two weeks of restricting movements will be asked to quarantine in their homes for a fortnight and may be subjected to spot checks by gardai. The rules will also apply to people living in Ireland who fly into Belfast and travel into the south.

How are they trying to stop people making unnecessary journeys overseas?

The Government is also set to increase the 100 fine for breaches of the 5km travel rule and put more Garda checks near airports to catch people making unnecessary journeys. A 500 fine is expected. There are also plans to put Garda checks near the Border to stop people travelling to and from Belfast for non-essential overseas travel.

What about working with the North and Britain on travel rules?

The Cabinet memo committed to working with the Northern Assembly and Westminster on finding a two-island solution to issues around travel.

When will all of this come into force?

There is no clarity on when any these measures will be introduced with Cabinet ministers only told legal and operational arrangements for the quarantine measures are to be brought to Government by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly following more discussions with other departments.

(Newser)  Two high-level CBS executives have been suspended after the Los Angeles Times reported that employees accused them of sexist and racist behavior. Peter Dunn and David Friend are on administrative leave while an outside investigation is conducted, per the New York Times. Dunne is president of CBS television stations, and Friend is senior vice president of news for TV stations. Employees say Dunne blocked the network's attempts to hire Black journalists and bullied at least four female managers. He repeatedly dismissed a Black news anchor in Philadelphia as "just a jive guy," per the LA Times. The article ran Sunday, and leaders of the National Association of Black Journalists met with CBS officials the same day to urge the two executives be fired. CBS issued a statement saying it is "committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace."

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Employees had already put their faith in an earlier investigation sparked by sexual misconduct accusations against chief executive Les Moonves. That effort by outside law firms was supposed to find whether there were similar problems elsewhere in CBS. "The horrific behavior would finally be exposed," a woman who quit as newsroom boss at the Philadelphia station said. But when the investigation was concluded, Dunne and Friend still had their jobs. "Was it just for show?" a former general manager of the Chicago station said, per the LA Times. A few people were ousted, including Moonves and journalist Charlie Rose. But the 28 CBS-owned stations, which have faced lawsuits and protests for years, are much the same. Just three of the local station general managers are women, and two are people of color. (A 60 Minutes boss also was fired after accusations of harassment.)
Teresa Giudice shared another image to Instagram with her new boyfriend Luis Ruelas.

The 48-year-old reality TV personality looked cuddly with the 46-year-old businessman.

The stars were mask free as they were seen inside Mastro's Steakhouse in Los Angeles. 'Enjoying some LA vibes with my man @louiearuelas,' said the Bravo star as she added a red heart.

It's love! Teresa Giudice shared another image to Instagram with her new boyfriend Luis Ruelas. The 48-year-old reality TV personality looked cuddly with the 46-year-old businessman

There are several Mastro's in California with locations in Beverly Hills, Malibu and Thousand Oaks.

It's an unusual sight to see anyone inside a restaurant in California. California has been under strict lockdown for months.

Not only are residents not allowed to dine inside restaurants, they also have not been able to dine outside restaurants.

While a return to outdoor dining in Los Angeles will take place on Friday, even then diners have been asked to follow the usual coronavirus protocols such as not eating inside restaurants, socially distancing when outside and mask wearing when not eating.

Teresa and Luis were seen at the Los Angeles airport LAX on Monday.

Close as can be: Giudice and Ruela in Los Angeles last week: 'Hollywood with Boo' she told her 2M Instagram followers

Teresa and Luis seemed to have a ball while in Los Angeles.

On Sunday the lovebirds posed arm in arm in front of the famed Hollywood sign: 'Hollywood with Boo' she told her 2M Instagram followers.

The cookbook author also posed in the same location with two of her four daughters.

She had on a maroon bra top that flashed her toned tummy and added matching leggings with a dark jacket tied around her waist. The reality TV fixture added white sneakers and black ombre sunglasses.

Her glam was in place with her raven hair worn in soft curls and plenty of jewelry on.

Her partner was in a tank top and shirts with dark sneakers. He too had on sunglasses as the Hollywood sign was seen behind them.

They can't keep their hands off each other: Teresa then shared another photo where they were arm in arm while on a sidewalk in front of a wall of bright bougainvillea

Teresa then shared another photo where they were arm in arm while on a sidewalk in front of a wall of bright bougainvillea.

The lovebirds have been dating since the fall of 2020 and only went public in November.

They also spent the holidays together. They were side by side as they stood by a tall Christmas tree in the foyer of her New Jersey mansion which she once shared with ex-husband Joe Giudice.

The beauty had on a low-cut black dress with her raven hair down as she was glammed to the nines. Her new man was dapper in a dark suit as he put an arm around his lady love and held her hand.

In her caption she said, 'It's official.'

She also said Luis was 'the BEST thing that came out of 2020.'

In early November, the reality TV personality posted an image to her Facebook account to let her followers know that she was moving on and had met someone new; the caption for the post read: 'Excited to reveal my new boyfriend.'

It was made known that month that Giudice had begun a relationship with Ruelas.

Teresa was previously married to Giuseppe 'Joe' Giudice from 1999 until this year.

The former couple were heavily featured on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey and share four daughters.

It's love: The reality TV personality shared this photo in December with her better half

They're serious! In her first photo to social media with Luis she looked just as happy. And she said in her caption, 'The BEST thing that came out of 2020'

In 2009, Joe and Teresa couple filed for bankruptcy, which set off a chain of legal battles culminating in the two being convicted for various forms of fraud.

Five years later, the two were handed prison sentences; Joe's status as an illegal immigrant was also brought into question, as he had never gained citizenship despite living in the United States since he was a year old.

At the end of his time being incarcerated, Joe went to live with his family in Italy to await the results of his deportation hearing and subsequent appeals.

The Giudices separated in December of 2019, months after Joe was released, and finalized their divorce in September.

The media personality's former husband is reportedly both aware and supportive of her new relationship.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is hoping to address the immediate impact of the pandemic by releasing a new education plan.

The goal of the Due North Education Plan' is to make sure every child has access to a world-class education no matter their race or zip code.

During a press conference on Monday, Walz said, We're going to have to first and foremost recover from COVID. We're going to have to make extra opportunities available to bring our kids back to where they need to be and change that system to look towards the future. We've learned a lot during COVID. Not only things that don't work but things that do work for kids.

The plan includes actions to reform school financing, expand opportunities for students in greater Minnesota, and build the most qualified and diverse teaching workforce in the nation.

Students like Chanhassen High School senior Olivia Schaefer say having inclusive academic standards that reflect students of color and indigenous classmates is important to close opportunity gaps and end disparities.

Schaefer said, If this pandemic has taught us anything its that there's a number of inequities within our education system that have gone unaddressed for much too long. I'm hopeful that with the 'Due North' plan we're able to actionable and measurable steps to close the opportunity gap. Minnesota's young people are in need of support.

Students also say having mental health programming is important and note its addressed over the summer and throughout the school year in the plan.

Walz worked with the governors education round table, school finance working group, and Minnesota Department of Education to develop the new plan.

You can find the full release below:

[ST. PAUL, MN]  Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today announced the Due North Education Plan, a sweeping agenda for the future of education in Minnesota. Developed from a robust engagement effort with educators, school leaders, students, and families across the state, the Due North Education Plan is centered on ensuring every child in Minnesota receives a high-quality education, no matter their race or zip code.

As a former classroom teacher for over 20 years, Ive seen firsthand how a high-quality education shapes students lives for years to come, said Governor Walz. The Due North Education Plan guides us toward a future where every child receives a high-quality education, no matter their race or zip code.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated disparities in education across Minnesota, especially along racial and geographic lines. The Due North Education Plan will help students recover from learning loss this year while closing the opportunity gap and transforming our education system for years to come.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not deterred us from bold, intentional education reform; it has emphasized its urgency, said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. While weve seen incredible innovation from teachers and administrators in this moment, weve also seen already existing opportunity gaps widen along the lines of race and zip code exacerbated by the pandemic. The time to reimagine what education can look like in Minnesota is now. The Due North Education Plan sets a course so that all of our children can see themselves reflected and valued in their classrooms and curriculum.

The Due North Education Plan is built from the voices and ideas of Minnesotans whom the Walz-Flanagan Administration engaged in their first two years in office, including the Governors Education Roundtable, the School Finance Working Group, the creation of the Minnesota Department of Educations Strategic Plan, and conversations with educators, school leaders, education organizations, students, and families. The Governors Education Roundtable and the School Finance Working group pulled together our states top leaders in education policy and school finance reform from all perspectives and corners of our state to examine best practices in the field. The Minnesota Department of Educations Strategic Plan was inspired by countless conversations, research, and visits to schools where innovative programs are successfully moving the needle for our students.

One of the powers of the Governors office is to convene Minnesotans, and that is exactly what weve been doing for the past two years, Governor Walz continued. Our announcement today is the result of countless conversations with educators, school leaders, education organizations, students and families with diverse viewpoints. This plan was built by Minnesotans, for Minnesotans.

In order for there to be fundamental change in our education system we must also change the way we fund it, said Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker. The proposals from the School Finance Working Group that are embedded in the Due North Plan will help ensure that students across Minnesota will receive the same educational opportunities not matter where they live in our state.

The Minnesota Department of Education is dedicated to supporting our students and their learning every single day, said Deputy Commissioner Heather Mueller. The Minnesota Department of Educations Strategic Plan includes strategies that will accomplish the goals of the Due North Education Plan and create an education system that is student-centered, removes structural barriers, provides the best teacher workforce, and fosters safe and welcoming environments in every school in Minnesota

The plan includes actions to support students during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, reform school financing, expand opportunities for students in Greater Minnesota, and build the most qualified and diverse teaching workforce in the nation. The plan would ensure academic standards address the modern needs of the workforce, are inclusive of ethnic studies, and are reflective of students of color and Indigenous students in order to close opportunity gaps and end disparities.

For me, this is about justice. Our educational system has systematically failed children of color, Indigenous, disabled, and poor children, said Justice Alan Page. It is important that the plan recognizes this failure, and acknowledges that systemic change is needed. It is also important that the plan calls for putting children first so every child has the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential.

If Minnesota is to prepare its students for a multicultural, multiracial future, its time to change our schools and provide those schools with the resources they need to do the job right, said Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota. The fact that were talking about doing so many good things at once speaks to the urgency and complexity of the challenges, and the political courage of Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shot and killed on Tuesday a Palestinian man they said attempted to stab soldiers. Palestinian officials offered a somewhat different account of what happened.

One soldier blocked the assailants multiple stabbing attacks, said the IDF in a statement on Twitter. The commander at the scene fired toward the assailant and neutralized him.

No Israeli soldiers were injured, according to the IDF.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) provided different information on the incident. The PA-run WAFA News Agency reported that Atallah Muhammad Riyan, 17, was shot and killed by Israeli fire west of the city of Salfit in the West Bank. Salfit is south of the Israeli settlement Ariel. WAFA did not report a reason for Riyan being shot but alleged that the soldiers did not provide medical attention to him at first.

The West Bank is occupied by Israel. Parts of the Palestinian territory, including the settlements, are controlled by the Israeli military. The PA administers other areas. In November, the PA announced it would resume security cooperation with Israel.

Such incidents have happened before with Israeli and Palestinian authorities disagreeing on the circumstances. In November, the IDF shot and killed a motorist they said fired at them. Palestinian officials conversely called it an extrajudicial execution. A similar incident also took place in July.

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Wellington: After eight years and thirty rounds of negotiations, the New Zealand government has put pen to paper on what has been called the worlds largest free-trade agreement.

The deal offers some New Zealand goods faster access to Chinese markets and a reduction in tariffs for paper and wood products.

Trade Minister Damien OConnor and Chinas Commerce Minister Wang Wentao inked the deal in a video-link meeting on Tuesday afternoon, more than a year after it was first settled by the countries.

NZ Trade Minister Damien OConnor and Chinas Commerce Minister Wang Wentao sign the upgraded free trade deal via video-link on Tuesday.

Signing the paperwork in the Beehive in Wellington, OConnor said the upgrade meant the deal was suitable for another decade. New Zealand was the first developed country to sign a free trade agreement with China, in 2008.
Here counterfeiting is on display, but many consumers don't know just how pervasive the practice isfrom your medicine cabinet to your media library, fake goods aren't nearly as harmless as you might think.

Two long-time business colleagues, Terri Goldstein, a top branding expert, and Joseph Gioconda, a leading trademark lawyer, are joining forces to write a bookBrand Larceny, The Trillion Dollar Heist. In it, they tackle the intellectual property theft crisis from two unique perspectivesbrand design and IP lawto illuminate readers how counterfeiting happens and how to protect your brand and yourself, from owning protectable colors to identifying fake goods and websites. Brand Larceny is the perfect marriage of thrilling stories with practical advice.

Go to trilliondollarheist.com to report cases of brand counterfeiting and read updates from other consumers.

"Joe and I have been fighting brand theft hand-in-hand for years, that's why I always advise my clients to trademark every inch of their trade dress during the brand design processfrom the colors to the symbols," Terri Goldstein, founder and CEO of The Goldstein Group, said.

"We hope to reach a broad audience, as counterfeiting affects everyone whether you know it or not," Joseph Gioconda said. "We advocate for more information to help protect consumers and law-abiding companies," he continued.

The authors are fielding inquiries from a variety of publishers and book agents and are available to speak at any conferences or events.

To find more information about their expertise please visit http://tggsmart.com and https://giocondalaw.com/

The Authors:

Terri Goldstein is an entrepreneurial brander and visual thinker with unmatched expertise in brand and package design. Founder and CEO of The Goldstein Group, Terri has lent her experience to hundreds of companiesadvising brand evangelists and authoring groundbreaking research on consumer behavior.

A graduate of Yale Law School, Joseph Gioconda is a leading intellectual property lawyer known inside and outside the courtroom. He served under President Biden during his tenure on the United States Senate Judiciary Committee and has since protected some of the world's most profitable and successful brands as both a lawyer and prosecutor.

SOURCE The Goldstein Group

Related Links

http://www.tggsmart.com


As of this Sunday, January 24, Mexicans who wish to enter Germany must present a test with a negative result for COVID-19 . The European nation included Mexico in a list of twenty new countries considered 'high risk', due to their high rates of coronavirus contagion.

The German Embassy in Mexico confirmed the news through social networks. They detailed that the measure will apply to all Mexican travelers over 6 years of age, who will have to prove that they are not carriers of the virus by means of a PCR or antigen test , carried out in the 48 hours prior to their arrival in Germany .

Travelers from Mexico to: As of 01/24, it is mandatory to present a negative COVID-19 test prior to travel.

Reisende von Mexiko nach mussen ab 24.1. einen negativen COVID-19 Test vor der Einreise nachweisen.

More info / Mehr Informationen: https://t.co/EU5LbJfYOq pic.twitter.com/aIqi59d4yz - German Embassy in Mexico (@AlemaniaMexi) January 22, 2021

The German Interior Ministry explained that the regulations will be systematically implemented in airports and ports. As for the land routes, the controls will be carried out randomly.

In addition to Mexico, the provision will also apply to all travelers from countries such as the United States, Spain and Portugal . Other European nations that will have to comply with the measure are the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Albania and Andorra.

The list is completed by Panama, Colombia and Bolivia , in Latin America; as well as Iran, Israel, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates , in Southwest Asia.

See also: Japan ensures that it is determined to celebrate the Olympic Games

Different types of risk

Germany establishes three categories for travelers visiting the country: risk regions, high-risk regions and regions with variants of the virus . Different control and quarantine rules apply to each one, according to Europa Press .

Risk areas are those whose incidence exceeds 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the last seven days. This currently applies to almost all of Europe, except some areas of Greece, Finland, Norway, Austria and Denmark. Travelers from these regions must undergo a coronavirus test within 48 hours of arrival and spend ten days in quarantine.

High-risk areas are those with significantly higher infection rates than Germany. As a general rule, these are countries with an incidence value higher than 200, since the incidence in Germany is 111. However, other countries below this mark can also be declared 'high incidence areas' under certain conditions .



The virus variant zones are those where highly infectious strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been detected, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa and Brazil.

With information from Europa Press .

Related:

Lopez Obrador Confirmed That He Tested Positive for Covid-19 With This Message

Lopez Obrador confirmo que dio positivo a COVID-19 con este mensaje

To travel to Germany, Mexicans must present a negative test for COVID-19



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Many scholarly works have been written dealing with the emergence of Indonesian nationalism and the Indonesian struggle for freedom.

by Prof. V. Suryanarayan

The well-known columnist, Suhasini Haidar, in The Hindu dated January 24, 2021, has highlighted a noble gesture made by the Indonesian Ambassador to India, His Excellency Sidhartho Suryodipuro to commemorate the memory of an Indian hero, who played a heroic role in the Indonesian freedom struggle. The hero is none other than Bijayananda Patnaik (16 March 1916  17 April 1997), popularly known as Biju Patnaik, who, in later years, became the Chief Minister of the State of Orissa. A daring pilot, who floated the Kalinga Airlines, Biju Patnaik was a close friend and comrade of the Indonesian nationalist triumvirate  Sukarno, Hatta, and Sjahrir. He defied the ban imposed by the Dutch authorities over the Indonesian Republican territory and brought Sjahrir and Hatta to New Delhi in his small aircraft.

Jawaharlal Nehru paid a glowing tribute to Biju Patnaik in a press conference held on 28 July 1947: I pay a tribute to the very gallant Indian airman who brought Sjahrir from Indonesia to New Delhi. He had been known to us for some years. Not only for his great efficiency in flying but also for his adventurous and daring spirit. In fact, during the Indonesian Revolution (1945-1949), India was Indonesias window to the outside world. The first external broadcast of the All India Radio was in Bahasa Indonesia.

Biju Patnaiks daring flights against heavy odds can be explained in the manner in which he brought Mohammad Hatta to New Delhi Patnaik had arrived in Jogjakarta carrying much-needed medical supplies. After a detailed discussion with the Indonesian leaders, Patnaik agreed to take Hatta as his co-pilot and renamed him, Abdullah. Patnaik had arranged for a pilots uniform and also a passport. It took four days of air travel from Jogjakarta to New Delhi.

Nehru did not know that Hatta was in India and when Hatta went to Teen Murti House, Patnaik informed Nehru that there was a guest from Indonesia called Abdullah, who had a message for him. When Nehru came out and saw Hatta, he was angry with Patnaik: This is Mohammad Hatta. Why did you not tell me his real name Nehru had met Mohammad Hatta in the Congress of Oppressed Nationalities in Brussels in 1927 and had corresponded with him since then. During the free and frank talks, Hatta asked whether India could provide arms to the Indonesian Republic because there were definite signs that the Dutch armed forces would attack the Indonesian Republic. Nehru answered that he was heading a provisional government and matters relating to arms supply had to be decided by the British Government.

While Nehrus response was couched in diplomatic language, there was more to it. P R S Mani, journalist-turned diplomat, who was personally invited by Nehru to join the Indian Foreign Service and was posted in Jogjakarta in this critical phase has written in his book, India and Indonesian Revolution (published by the Centre for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Madras), the full story is yet to be told. To quote Mani: In the classified archives of the Government of India, there is a memorandum still to be released for publication, which gives the totality of the entire spectrum of aid given to the Indonesian Republic. Till its release, suffice it to say, that no request of the Republic went unheeded at the hands of Nehru.

An inter-related issue needs to be related. Sjahrir, who arrived in New Delhi on the last day of the Asian Relations Conference, had detailed discussions with Nehru on the strengths and weaknesses of the Indonesian Republic. Dr. Sarvepalli Gopal, the biographer of Jawaharlal Nehru, told me that of the three nationalist leaders Sjahrir intellectually was the closest to Nehru. Sjahrir mentioned that the Republic had no air defense at all against Dutch Air Force Nehru positively responded to this weakness and made arrangements for the training of Indonesian pilots by a private agency in Allahabad. A batch of 18 young men was sent to Hind Provincial Flying Club in Bamrauli, Allahabad. In later years these cadets rose to high positions in the Indonesian Air Force. They were known as Angkataan Paneerbang India  India Pilot Branch. After the training in Allahabad, they could not immediately return to Indonesia, so they proceeded to Burma and assisted the U Nu government in its fight against the Kachin and Karen rebels.

While working in the National Archives for my book, Together in Struggle: India and Indonesia, 1945-1949, I saw in the catalogue a file entitled Biju Patnaik. With high hopes, I requisitioned the file, but to my great disappointment, the slip was returned the next day with the comment N T (not transferred). I tried to get the file through high ups in the Ministry of External Affairs but in vain. I do not know whether the Patnaik collection in the Indonesian Embassy has this file as also the Memorandum to which I had made a mention in an earlier paragraph.

Many scholarly works have been written dealing with the emergence of Indonesian nationalism and the Indonesian struggle for freedom. As I mentioned earlier the Indonesian nationalist triumvirate has acknowledged Indias seminal contributions, but the Western scholars have generally displayed a marked tendency to minimize Indias role. Except for incidental references to Nehrus plan to visit Indonesia (which did not take place) and the New Delhi Conference on Indonesia in 1949, even the oft-quoted and widely acclaimed book on Indonesian nationalism, Nationalism and Revolution in Indonesia, by Prof. George MCT Kahin does not give much credit to Indias efforts to mobilize international opinion on behalf of Indonesia. It is all the more saddening because Prof. Kahin was present in Jogjakarta and was an eyewitness to the momentous developments. Late Prof. Benedict Anderson, who considered Indonesia his second home, also errs on the same side. His book, Java in the Time of Revolution, suffered from the same shortcoming.

My book, Together in Struggle- India and Indonesia, 1945-1949 (published by Antar Rashtriya Sahayog Parishad) is a modest attempt to put the record straight and to highlight Indias role in the struggle for Indonesian independence. I hope it will help to generate interest among the younger generations, both in India and in Indonesia, and also help to foster better relations between the two countries. In the Ramayana, there is the story of the squirrel, which also contributed in a small way to the construction of the Ram Sethu. The squirrel got the blessings of Lord Rama. I hope my efforts would receive encouragement from all concerned with cultural diplomacy  the Indian Embassy in Indonesia, Indonesian Embassy in India, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and Antar Rashtriya Sahayog Parishad. They should take the initiative and get this book translated into Bahasa Indonesia.

*Dr. V. Suryanarayan is Founding Director and Senior Professor (Retd.), Centre for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Madras, Chennai. His email id:suryageeth@gmail.com


Gerhard Schmitt was interviewed for this article in Einsiedeln, where he lives with his wife and daughters. For centuries, the town has been a destination for religious pilgrims and a source of inspiration for the non-religious as well. In order to maintain social distancing, we met outside at the great square in front of Einsiedeln Abbey, where Schmitt was recognised and greeted by numerous passers-by: a sign that the recently retired ETH professor has maintained strong local connections despite his reputation as a visionary and his many years as a global ambassador for the university.

However, the time he spent as a globetrotter was not something that could be taken for granted. "Early on in my career I realised that being physically present is a luxury, and a stressful one at that," he explains. "Around one-third of my duties required meeting face to face. The other two-thirds could be done just as easily online, if not even better." Armed with this conviction, Schmitt made use of virtual meetings for his academic work starting in the early 90s, connecting with scholars around the globe. In the year 2000, he and his project team launched the ETH World programme, which developed numerous virtual tools and collaboration methods for the university. Examples include a production platform for video streaming, the ETH video conferencing system, the E-pics image information system in use at the ETH Library, and the ongoing Project Neptune initiative, which provides students with top-of-the-line mobile computing equipment. The coronavirus, which has confronted us with unprecedented challenges, ultimately confirmed the prescience of Schmitt's vision.

The earthquake that started it all

In the early 70s, academic mobility within Europe was not yet the norm, but that didn't hold true for Schmitt. He grew up in Eltville am Rhein, the childhood place of Johannes Gutenberg, and trained as a paratrooper before going on to study mathematics, physics, astronomy and political science at the University of Frankfurt  where Schmitt's mother, a pioneer in heart surgery, worked as a professor and ran a lab. At the time, many students saw the classroom more as a stage for political protest rather than a place to acquire knowledge.

Not for this reason, but because he discovered his passion for architecture, Gerhard Schmitt soon moved on to the Technical University of Munich. The architecture curriculum in Europe at the time did not pay much attention to earthquake research, energy efficiency or computer modelling methods. However, these were the areas that Schmitt most wanted to explore, inspired in part by the devastating earthquake that hit the Friuli region of Italy in 1976. A merit scholarship sent him to UCLA in 1979 and one year later to Berkeley, where he worked on what would later become his Master's thesis in 1981: a four-volume work on energy-conscious construction. Thanks to the supercomputer housed at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Schmitt was able to more thoroughly explore the links between energy research, architecture and computer simulation for his doctoral thesis.

Early proponent of computer-aided architecture

In 1984, Schmitt became an assistant professor of architecture at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Three years later, he was promoted to associate professor. In 1988, he was called to ETH Zurich to work on Computer Aided Architectural Design (CAAD) and establish computer-aided teaching and research within the Department of Architecture. In his role as researcher, Schmitt launched Swiss National Science Foundation projects on topics such as artificial design intelligence for the development of completely new design aids. Within a decade, over 3,000 students and doctoral candidates studying in his department gained valuable CAAD skills.

Schmitt's academic interests were always subordinate to the aim of trying to help people optimise their shared spaces. "When I started researching 40 years ago, the goal was modelling the best building shells," he explains. "But that wasn't enough. The people who use the building impact up to 80 percent of the energy consumption. So models also need to take human behaviour into account." In earlier times, construction standards simply revolved around humans and their natural environment. "There was deep knowledge on the influence of materials, locations and weather, meaning we already had sustainable building construction and maintenance centuries ago," says Schmitt. "Monasteries like the one here in Einsiedeln are excellent case studies of 'responsive' design  responsible, long-term construction methods that are consistently adapted to human needs and abilities." According to Schmitt, today's architecture and urban planning research often focuses on generating the same kind of effects achieved by these older structures, but on a much larger scale.

Working on behalf of ETH

Schmitt worked on behalf of ETH as a whole from 1998 to 2008. During his time as Vice President for Planning and Logistics, he managed the autonomy process made possible by the revised ETH Act which substantially increased the institutions creative freedom. He also paved the way for significant private and institutional co-funding for new buildings such as the Branco Weiss Information Science Laboratory and the Sport Centre. And not least, he shaped the character of the Honggerberg campus, helping it develop into a living "science city" and also worked with the Planning Commission to prepare the massive expansion of the university.

While ETH Zurich has always had an open and international character, it wasn't until 2008, under the tenure of then-President Ralph Eichler, that the university developed an official strategy for its international involvement and activities. Schmitt became ETH's first delegate for International Institutional Affairs, a unit that merged with the North-South Centre to become ETH Global in 2012. Together with Gerhard Schmitt in his role of Senior Vice President for ETH Global, this staff office bundled the entire spectrum of globalization and development activities at ETH.

Knowledge with an impact

Taking a holistic perspective is also the approach that Schmitt applied as the founding director of the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC), a project that he heavily promoted with a great deal of personal dedication starting in 2010. The centre is home to the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL), which has identified a number of factors critical to sustainable urban development such as society, infrastructure, transportation, business, culture, and politics. Researchers at the centre study the overall impact of these factors "through science, by design, in place", as the FCL puts it. Schmitt and his team shared many of their findings to over 180,000 students from 180 countries in the MOOC series Future Cities.

In parallel, he continued to develop the field of information architecture, thanks in part to enormous advances in computer and data science. His experience with the Science City project played a key role in this process and led to the development of what is termed Citizen Design Science: he and his team developed crowdsourcing tools that allow citizens to simulate and visualise urban life on all levels, from individual buildings all the way up to entire metropolitan regions.

The "in place" part of FCL's motto points to an important motivator for Schmitt: the need for his knowledge to have an impact on the ground. Issues such as air pollution, noise, environmental damage and climate change-induced heat waves have become enormous challenges in densely populated metropolises around the globe. "We need fast, easy-to-implement solutions to prevent living in big cities from becoming even more of a health risk," says Schmitt. "This is why I'm happy that the city of Singapore is involved in Cooling Singapore  our transdisciplinary, cross-institutional project  and is integrating the findings and suggestions into their planning."

Research on issues of urbanisation, resilience and health technology is growing. Under Schmitt's tenure as director, three large-scale projects were launched in 2020, with investments to come from the Singaporean government, ETH Zurich and Singapore-based universities over the next several years.

Rediscovering architecture

Now that Schmitt has retired and handed over the reins in Singapore to Gisbert Schneider, he has been able to reconnect with his passion for architecture. Four years ago, his childhood home in Rheingau fell victim to a fire. The replacement building designed by Schmitt is a showcase for his talent and skill. "The house is on a vineyard and will be made of wood," he explains. "Linked up with high-tech, not just smart but responsive too. And it will produce a lot more energy for housing and mobility than it consumes, serving as a small example for the regenerative cities of tomorrow."
Manchester Arena's operators today blamed their security contractor for failing to spot terrorist Salman Abedi in the hour he waited before launching his attack.

US-owned multinational SMG said contractor Showsec should have sent stewards to confront him before locking down the venue.

Abedi killed 22 men, women and children when he blew himself up in a suicide bomb attack in the arena foyer at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.

Andrew O'Connor QC for SMG, dismissed suggestions the fanatic could have been spotted by a CCTV operator if he had not been in a blind spot.

He insisted there was nothing about Salman Abedi's dress or conduct that would have made it 'even reasonably likely' he would have been clocked.

But in a closing statement he declared the inquiry should conclude 'with a high degree of confidence' that, had a Showsec supervisor gone up to the mezzanine level of the City Room foyer in the course of his final check at about 10.15pm 'he would have both seen Salman Abedi and considered him sufficiently suspicious to take further action.'

The public inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing carried out by Abedi (pictured)

This was the blind spot where Abedi was loitering before he carried out his attack

Mr O'Connor said such a supervisor 'would have walked past Salman Abedi' and unlike a CCTV operator, he would have seen him close up and would have been able to speak to him.'

'There is ample evidence from those who were in close proximity to Abedi at about that time that he looked nervous and suspicious,' he said.

Had there been a supervisor there, there was also 'a real likelihood' that, the parent who raised concerns with a junior steward would have raised his concerns about Abedi with their supervisor.

The same 'applies equally to the presence there of any of the British Transport Police officers on duty that night' who failed to patrol the arena foyer, Mr O'Connor said.

SMG, now called ASM Global, also defended their security provisions, saying the 'consistent advice' they received from Greater Manchester Police was that the security arrangements in the City Room were 'adequate'.

There were frequent visits and discussions from their police counter-terrorism security adviser from 2014 onwards and 'steadily increasing scores,' Mr O'Connor said.

The inquiry has heard evidence on the police and ambulance response to the terror attack

Police's desperate calls for help as only one medic visited terror site in first 43 minutes PC Matthew Hill who was in the City Room foyer at 11.02pm, where the explosion had taken place half an hour earlier, and was heard on his radio saying to a colleague: 'We need paramedics, like f***** yesterday.' At 11.08pm, a PC Mark Kay walked over to his colleague PC Michael Ball and said: 'There is nobody we can move really is there?' PC Ball replied: 'Not really no, they are all really badly injured. If we start moving people, we need paramedics basically.' Sgt Kam Hare of the Greater Manchester Police Tactical Aid Unit entered the City Room at 10.50pm and recalled 'shouting over the radio for paramedics to enter the City Room.' Advertisement

There has been 'no evidence' of Ken Upham proposing changes to the security operation in the City Room that were rejected or ignored by SMG, Mr O'Connor said.

'At no point did Mr Upham enter any note of caution about his ability to give such broad advice, or about SMG relying on it.'

Mr O'Connor described Mr Upham as a 'highly trained expert' who 'had not entered any reservation about the scope of the advice that he could give, far less making any suggestion that SMG should seek additional advice elsewhere.'

'It was, we say, entirely reasonable for SMG to rely upon the CTSAs' advice on the identified attack methodologies and other matters to inform its assessments and baseline measures. '

Abedi would still have blown himself up and killed many of those around him, even if he had been confronted as he lay in wait to launch his attack, police have told the inquiry.

British Transport Police officers failed to patrol the City Room foyer where Salman Abedi launched his attack at the end of the concert, despite instructions to do so from superiors.

Two officers drove five miles to get a kebab during a two-hour meal break on the night of attack while two others took a 90-minute meal break.

Abedi killed 22 men, women and children when he blew himself up in a suicide bomb attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.

Austin Welch, on behalf of the victims' families, told the inquiry that British Transport Police had become 'institutionally complacent almost to the point of apathy.'

In closing submissions on security at the arena, Mr Welch said the officers who were policing the arena were 'woefully lacking in experience, seniority, instruction or supervision.'

'Their role was reduced to little more than directing people to the exits and trains at the end, rather like ushers in a cinema,' he said.

John Cooper QC, for 12 of the victims' families, criticised 'distasteful' and 'condescending' written submissions on behalf of the force, in which they said the inquiry had 'deliberately indulged a certain amount of speculation, partly in an effort to encourage free expression of ideas and feelings, perhaps for therapeutic reasons.'

But Patrick Gibbs QC, for BTP, suggested their presence in the City Room foyer would have made no difference.

Had an officer been on the mezzanine level where Abedi, a worried parent called Chris Wild, who reported him to a junior steward, 'may very well have reported his concerns to that officer.'

'What that officer may have done with that report is very hard to say, but they may have spoken to the bomber,' Mr Gibbs said.

'What may have happened thereafter is easy to imagine but impossible to say,' he added.

'It may have depended on the bomber's state of mind, his resourcefulness, his instructions, the disposition of people within the room at that moment, and so much else besides.'

The officer could have been dissatisfied by the bomber's responses, and that could have turned into a 'concrete suspicion' which he thought should be passed on to SMG staff in the control room, to stop people leaving the Ariana Grande concert.

'What the bomber may have done in this period, as the conversation continued, as radio messages were passed to and fro is hard to say,' Mr Gibbs said.

'One thing, you may think, is most unlikely to have changed, in that period is his determination to die and to kill as many innocent people as possible.

'And who may have been where exactly at that time, you have the stills which show the number of people waiting in the City Room in the minutes before the main body of the audience emerged.

'None of them is many steps away from where the bomber had been sitting.'

Mr Gibbs told the inquiry: 'What it comes to, we submit, is if the preceding events had gone differently there would have been a different outcome, but what exactly that outcome would have been, and how many people would have died, and how many would have been seriously injured, and who they would have been is impossible with any confidence to say.'

Nevertheless, Mr Gibbs said it was 'reasonable' for Sgt Gareth Wilson to expect that if his officers were 'unavoidably detained' they would 'inform him of the difficulty.'

'I know that you will take into account that there may be a difference between what it is reasonable for a supervisor to expect of casual security staff on the one hand and of full-time highly trained professional people on the other,' he added.

Closing submissions on arena security continue tomorrow.
The meme of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and his viral hand-knit mittens continues to make splashes across the Internet. You can now find the meme crocheted on a bollard, vertical posts used to control traffic and mark boundaries, at Port Aransas beach.

Diana Vondra, an organizer of the Yarn Bombing & Bollard Buddies in Port A, said it took four days to crochet Sanders. On Tuesday, she added the piece to her more than 200 yarn bomb collection currently spread across bollards at the beach.
Novartis has invested in Credence, confirming its interest in employing Credence technology for its injectable medicines. The investment is geared towards supporting Credence's ramp-up of manufacturing capacity for its innovative drug delivery systems and enabling commercial supply of Credence devices to the pharmaceutical market.

Credence MedSystems announced today that Novartis has made a strategic investment in the Company. The investment will advance ongoing development and scaling of Credence's innovative drug delivery systems, with an initial focus on the Credence Companion Safety Syringe System. With the investment in Credence, Novartis seeks to support its patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals by enhancing the safety and user experience during administration of Novartis injectable medications.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005050/en/

The Credence Companion allows pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide critical usability and safety features to their end-users. At the completion of the injection, the user receives end-of-dose cues indicating that the full dose has been delivered, and the needle automatically retracts into the syringe barrel. The enhanced usability can contribute to improved adherence, while the passive needle retraction helps protect users from accidental needlesticks and prevents reuse of the syringe.

Credence Companion technology integrates with the syringe before the medication is filled. To facilitate implementation for pharmaceutical manufacturers and offer this technology for a variety of applications and therapeutic fields, a fully integrated solution that is compatible with various syringe barrels is a prerequisite. The integrated approach to safety, where no additional devices need to be assembled after syringe filling, brings operational efficiencies to drug manufacturers. In support of this more efficient approach to the market, a collaboration between Credence and SCHOTT AG for the application of Credence Companion technology with SCHOTT's pre-fillable glass and polymer syringe systems has recently been announced.

Jeff Tillack and John Merhige, Credence's COO and CCO, jointly stated, "We are excited to welcome Novartis as a strategic investor. This represents an important validation of Credence technology in the market and helps support our continued growth. We look forward to working together with Novartis to improve the user experience and contribute to better patient outcomes."

About Credence MedSystems, Inc.

Credence MedSystems is an innovator of drug delivery systems that solve unmet market needs for the pharmaceutical industry. Credence's philosophy of Innovation Without Change allows pharma manufacturers to impress and protect their end users while preserving their existing processes, sourcing strategies and preferred primary package components. The Companion family of syringe systems includes proprietary needle retraction technology, syringe reuse prevention and other critical safety and usability features. The Dual Chamber Reconstitution platform offers single-step mixing and injection for medicines that require reconstitution at the time of delivery. The Credence Connect brings digital connectivity to any prefilled syringe. Metered dose systems and other novel devices address the needs of specific therapeutic markets such as ocular therapies and cosmetic applications.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005050/en/

Contacts:

John A. Merhige

jmerhige@credencemed.com

www.CredenceMed.com

+1-844-263-3797 (844-CMEDSYS)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has given the task to present a detailed program for vaccination against COVID-19 in Ukraine as soon as possible.

He stated this at a traditional online meeting on preventing the spread of coronavirus infection held at the President's Office on Monday, January 25, according to the presidential press service.

Zelensky said the vaccination program in Ukraine should contain a detailed plan for every region.

"We need to determine the number of vaccines, the clear timing of vaccination, a list of categories of the population that should get vaccinated in the first place. A vaccine management and logistics system must also be set up," he said.

In addition, the situation with those who have already contracted COVID-19 should be analyzed to determine when this category of people should be vaccinated.

At the same time, the President's Office said that negotiations on the purchase of the vaccine were in the final stage and the Ukrainian side positively assessed the results of the negotiations.

Vaccination in Ukraine is expected to begin in February. Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said that it would be conducted by mobile teams during the first stage.

op

San Antonio Police Department

A suspect in the fatal shooting of a man during an alleged drug deal gone wrong last summer in the Northwest Side was indicted by a Bexar County Grand Jury.

Mason Alvarado, 20, charged with murder in the death of Cyrus Holmes, 20, will stand trial in the 290th District Court, the Bexar County District Attorney's Office said.
FRANKLIN, Tenn., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The White House announced on Monday that President Joe Biden has issued an Executive Order designed to strengthen Buy American Provisions, with the goal of creating more quality U.S. manufacturing jobs.

"We are very encouraged by the President's efforts to strengthen the Buy American Provisions by directing more of the federal government spend on goods and services towards supporting America's workers and businesses. Regardless of what part of the political spectrum you support, buying American-made products is just good for U.S. manufacturing and the businesses, such as Carlstar, which are committed to it," said Jacob Thomas, CEO of The Carlstar Group.

With tire manufacturing plants in Clinton and Jackson, Tennessee, and a wheel manufacturing plant in Aiken, South Carolina, The Carlstar Group has always had a significant U.S. manufacturing presence. As a leading specialty tire and wheel manufacturer, The Carlstar Group's American-made products are focused on the Agriculture, Construction, and Powersports (ATV/UTV) industries.

"We invest millions of dollars each year into our U.S. manufacturing plants to launch new products, and to make them more productive. These investments also enable us to be good corporate citizens in the communities where our employees work and live. As the only domestic specialty tire manufacturer in America, we are strongly encouraged by this focus at the federal level for American-made products and for recognizing the impact that manufacturing has on our economy. Our U.S. facilities, supported by a vast national dealer network, stand ready to answer the call."

For more information about The Carlstar Group, please visit www.carlstargroup.com.

About The Carlstar Group

The Carlstar Group is headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee and is a global manufacturer of original equipment and aftermarket specialty tires and wheels for the agriculture, construction, outdoor power equipment, powersports, and high speed trailer markets. The diverse portfolio of solutions are offered under several leading brands including Carlisle tires and wheels, ITP tires and wheels, as well as Cragar, Black Rock, Unique wheels and Marastar tires. The Carlstar Group employs over 3400 associates in 17 facilities located in 4 countries. The Carlstar Group nurtures a legacy of excellence in product innovation, quality, and customer service across its diverse market segments serving premier Original Equipment and Aftermarket customers. For more about The Carlstar Group, visit www.carlstargroup.com.

SOURCE The Carlstar Group, LLC.

Related Links

https://www.carlstargroup.com


ONE of the countrys top medical experts, Solwayo Ngwenya, who has been among the leading voices with regards to educating and warning Zimbabweans about the lethal coronavirus, has come under heavy attack on social media for this work.

But speaking to the Daily News yesterday, the highly regarded acting chief executive of Mpilo Hospital brushed aside the trolls, saying the attacks on him were like water off a ducks back.

The forthright doctor also surmised that the attacks were being led by groups of people who might be benefitting from the soaring coronavirus deaths in the country.

Although Ngwenya specialises in gynaecology, he has been effective in using social media to warn people about the dangers of letting down their guard on coronavirus  with his critics accusing him of being alarmist. I have been warning people against Covid-19, but some people attack me because of their narrow-minded business interests and society-sponsored thinking.

People can attack you for many reasons, including jealousy, race, tribe and so forth. Then you have interested people who want Covid-19 to spread so that they can benefit from it, for example, people who run tenders  Covid-19 tests and so forth.

Then there is a third group of people who will want Zimbabwe as a whole to fail, working with outside forces who want people to die in large numbers, Ngwenya told the Daily News yesterday.

However, he warned, even those who were attacking him and capitalising on the raging pandemic were also as much at risk of dying from the virulent respiratory disease like everyone else.

I am just motivated by wanting to prevent Zimbabweans from dying en masse. If I and others who should speak decide to keep silent people will die. I have to make noise so that authorities and the population are made aware and make informed decisions. Whether they listen to me or not, Covid-19 is a serious disease. I will not keep quiet, he added.

This comes as the second wave coronavirus drumfire has deepened since the turn of the New Year, with the global pandemics local death toll now having passed the 1 000 mark. It also comes as the deadly virus has so far claimed the lives of four government ministers, with more said to be bed-ridden in hospitals.

Such has been the devastating effect of the virus that the countrys major hospitals are now struggling to deal with the high numbers of patients battling the deadly respiratory disease, who require admission. In addition to being unable to take more patients, stretched private hospitals are also charging hefty fees which are beyond the reach of the majority  with some of them demanding anything between US$1 500 and US$10 000 upfront for admissions only. Daily News

So, you've committed to new ways of eating and exercising  but come the middle of the week you're wavering. Then there's the small matter of lockdown . . .

It's a test for even the most driven among us.

Don't throw in the towel! Remember, these new routines are going to make you healthier, happier and energised. They just take a little time to get used to and for you to feel the benefits.

What you need right now are a few smart motivational strategies to keep your good intentions on track  try some of the ones which follow and you'll be ready to face any difficult day.

Goal-setting is such a powerful tool. Even smashing a small target can result in a big sense of achievement and increases your motivation.

The key here is to aim for short-term gains you can really achieve and which are not based on body image or weight-loss alone.

Don't throw in the towel! Remember, these new routines are going to make you healthier, happier and energised

So it could be: 'Today I'm going to skip that glass of wine' or 'I'm going to stop looking at my phone two hours before going to bed.'

As well as giving you a mental boost, these little wins make a massive difference to your mental and physical wellbeing.

It's Mind(set) over Matter

To get yourself in shape, you need to understand what is driving you but also what is holding you back  so you can put some strategies in place to help you.

Struggling to get up early to exercise because you're not a morning person? Work out at lunchtime instead. Don't think you have time to cook healthy meals? Switch 'I can't do it', to 'I can, and I will'.

Turn A Wobble Into A Win

We've all been there. Gone to bed with good intentions of getting up early for a run, only to stay buried under the duvet when the alarm goes off.

Every time you feel a wobble coming on remember why you wanted to make changes in the first place. Then get up and try a workout or a walk.

All those lovely endorphins released after exercise will soon lift your mood and give you a fantastic chance to turn your day around.

Also remember that everyone has bad days. But what's important is to recognise each one for what it is: just a bad day and not the end of the world.

Don't Just Go It Alone

Research has shown that we're more likely to exercise if we work out with others.

So, grab the kids and do one of my daily workouts. Or, if you live by yourself, start a fitness WhatsApp group with friends  set a time to begin a workout and check in with them at the beginning and at the end.

Also, tell people about your commitment to change  share your goals on social media or blog about it and update everyone on your progress. This will make you less likely to veer off track.

How to Beat that Biscuit-Binge Guilt

You wouldn't be human if you didn't have the odd day when you lose all drive, skip the exercise and eat everything in sight.

That happens to me when I feel stressed or emotional  and when I fall hard, I fall hard!

But one thing I never do is feel guilty about it.

Just acknowledge it as a day when your emotions changed, and you chose to eat more food than normal.

Get back in the kitchen to prep a healthy breakfast and lunch for the next day. Then, in the morning wake up and exercise, lift your energy, change your mood and move forward.

Vietnamese sticky salmon

SERVES ONE

 small cucumber

Salt

1 x 200g skinless boneless salmon fillet

1 small clove garlic

 red chilli

1 pak choi

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp soft brown sugar

 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame seeds

250g pre-cooked coconut rice

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

Preheat the grill to maximum. Using a rolling pin, bash the cucumber until it starts to split, then cut into rough diagonal pieces. Put it into a sieve over a bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Leave for a few minutes to allow the water to drain off.

Cut the salmon fillet in half then place the two pieces on a baking tray, and slide it under a hot grill for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic and red chilli  remove the seeds if too much heat isn't to your taste.

Cut the pak choi in half lengthways. Now mix together the fish sauce, soft brown sugar and soy sauce in a small bowl, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Come back to the salmon.

Lay the pak choi, cut side down, on the baking tray, then drizzle the sauce over the salmon. Scatter over the sesame seeds and slide back under the grill for 3 minutes. While the salmon and pak choi are grilling, ping the coconut rice in the microwave according to packet instructions.

Drain away any water from the bowl underneath the cucumber, then tip the cucumber into the bowl. Stir in the finely chopped garlic, chilli and rice wine vinegar. By now the salmon should be cooked  check this by slicing into the thickest part of one of the pieces to make sure the flesh has turned a matt pink.

Pile the coconut rice into a bowl, lay the sticky salmon and pak choi on top. Drizzle over the cooking juices and serve with the smacked cucumber.

Saag paneer with cauliflower 'rice'

SERVES ONE

 small head cauliflower

60g paneer (/ of average pack)

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp garlic-ginger paste

 tsp dried chilli flakes

2 large handfuls baby spinach leaves

2 tsp garam masala

Salt and pepper

Juice of  lemon

Roughly chop the cauliflower then blitz in a food processor until it resembles rice. Keep to one side. Cut the paneer into large cubes. Ping 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a microwaveable bowl to melt.

Stir in the ground turmeric, drop in the paneer cubes, toss to coat. Heat a saucepan over a medium to high heat. Spoon in 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. Once melted, add the garlic-ginger paste and chilli flakes.

Cook for 1 minute then add the spinach to the pan. When wilted, keep the pan on a very low heat while you fry the paneer. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Lay the paneer in the pan, fry for 3-4 minutes, turning as each side becomes golden and crisp.

Tip into the saucepan along with the spinach. Put the frying pan back on the heat (don't bother washing it  it will add flavour). Melt the remaining coconut oil. Tip in the cauliflower rice, sprinkle in the garam masala and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper.

Fry for 2 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. Dish up the cauliflower rice. Squeeze the lemon juice into the paneer and spinach, season to taste then pile on top of the 'rice'.

Chimichurri steak with mixed grains

SERVES ONE

Small handful parsley

Small handful coriander

1 small clove garlic

2 pickled jalapenos plus 1 tbsp pickling juice, plus a few extra to serve, optional

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 x 225g sirloin steak, trimmed of visible fat

200g pre-cooked mixed grains

 medium courgette

1 roasted red pepper from a jar, drained

Large handful of rocket

Squeeze of lemon juice

Make the chimichurri. Put the parsley and coriander (stalks and all) into a small food processor with the garlic, pickled jalapenos, 1 tablespoon of pickling juice and most of the olive oil. Blitz to a smooth green sauce. Add a little water if you need it.

VEGGIE SWAP Replace the steak with 30g toasted, chopped hazelnuts and 30g feta, crumbled and stirred into the mixed grains along with the chimichurri. Advertisement

Season to taste with salt and black pepper  you want it to be nice and tangy. Heat a griddle pan over the highest heat. Drizzle the steak with the remaining oil, rubbing it into the flesh, and season all over with salt and pepper.

When the pan is searingly hot, carefully lay the steak in it. Cook according to preference  I like my steak medium rare, so 2 minutes on each side, turning regularly  then leave to rest, covered, until you're ready to eat.

While the steak is cooking, ping the mixed grains in the microwave, according to packet instructions.

Peel the courgette into long ribbons. Slice the red pepper. Mix the warmed grains, courgette and pepper together in a serving bowl, along with the rocket. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, to taste.

Thinly slice the steak on a diagonal, then pile on top of the mixed grains. Drizzle over the chimichurri. If you like it spicy, scatter over a couple more pickled jalapenos.

Chipotle turkey tacos

SERVES ONE

1 tbsp coconut oil

200g turkey mince

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp tomato puree

2 tsp chipotle paste

/8 small red cabbage

Juice of 1 lime

 avocado

3 small corn tortillas

Small handful of coriander

Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat.

VEGGIE SWAP Replace the turkey mince with  small head of cauliflower. Cut it into smallish florets and cook in the same way. Advertisement

Tip the turkey mince into the pan. Break the mince into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Season, and fry for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the tomato puree, chipotle paste and 50ml water in a small bowl. Pour into the pan with the turkey, mix well then leave the turkey to bubble away in its sauce for 5 minutes.

While the turkey is cooking, finely slice the red cabbage, put it into a bowl, pour over half the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Mix together. Scoop the avocado into another bowl, squeeze in the remaining lime juice, season, then use your fork to roughly mash. Heat the tortillas.

Come back to the turkey, check it is cooked by making sure the meat is white all the way through, with no raw pink bits remaining

Once you're happy with the meat, assemble your tacos. Spoon the turkey mince between each tortilla along with the avocado and red cabbage. Tear over the coriander leaves, and serve.

Blackened cod with pico de galla salsa and smashed avo

SERVES ONE

 small red onion

Handful coriander (stalks and all)

1 large ripe tomato

 jalapeno

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 x 200g skinless cod fillet

1 tbsp fajita seasoning

1 ripe avocado

COOK'S TIP Make the salsa and smashed avocado beforehand, but cook the cod just before serving. Advertisement

Make the salsa. Finely chop the red onion, most of the coriander, the tomato and the jalapeno  remove the seeds if you don't like it hot. place in a bowl, squeeze in the juice of half the lime.

Give everything a good mix and season with salt and pepper to taste. Melt the coconut oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Coat the cod in the fajita seasoning, then place in the hot pan.

Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, carefully flipping halfway. Meanwhile, make the smashed avocado. Scoop the avocado into a bowl, squeeze in the juice of the remaining lime half, season, then use your fork to roughly mash.

Come back to the cod, check that it is cooked through by cutting into one of the thicker parts to make sure the flesh has turned from raw and pale to to cooked and bright white. Put the blackened cod on a plate, dish up the salsa and avocado then scatter over the remaining coriander leaves.

Parma ham and sundried tomato

SERVES ONE

 large aubergine

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

6 slices Parma ham

2 tbsp sundried tomatoes

1 x 227g tin chopped tomatoes

1 small clove garlic

Pinch dried chilli flakes

 small ball of mozzarella (about 63g)

1 tbsp dried breadcrumbs

Handful basil leaves

Preheat the grill to maximum. Slice the aubergine into 2cm-thick rounds. Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Drizzle most of the olive oil over the aubergine rounds, rubbing the oil into the flesh. Season with salt and pepper. Lay the aubergine in the frying pan. Fry for 3 minutes on each side, until softened and golden brown.

VEGGIE SWAP Change the Parma ham for 30g toasted pine nuts, layered into the dish in the same way you would the ham. Advertisement

Transfer the aubergine to a plate and put the pan back on the heat. Peel the Parma ham slices straight out of their packet into the hot frying pan. Fry for 1-2 minutes until the ham shrivels and crisps. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool slightly. Roughly chop the sundried tomatoes then put them in a bowl.

Tip in the chopped tomatoes, crush in the garlic clove, add a pinch of chilli flakes and some salt and pepper. Stir together. Dollop a third of the sundried tomato sauce into the bottom of a small ovenproof dish.

Layer in half the fried aubergine along with half the crispy parma ham, spoon over a third more sauce, then tear over half the mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, finishing with the mozzarella.

Scatter the breadcrumbs over the top and drizzle with the remaining oil. Slide under the grill and cook for 8 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Leave to cool for a couple of minutes and scatter over the basil leaves before tucking in.

The benefits of meditation (and how to do it)

Several people have told me over the years that meditation would help me deal with the thoughts and worries that race through my mind at a million miles an hour. I downloaded a few guided meditation apps but found it so difficult to sit and focus that I always gave up.

It took a chat with comedian Russell Brand on his podcast to change that. I committed myself to doing 20 minutes of guided meditation every day for two weeks  and no lie, it changed my life.

THE WRITE STUFF Stay on track by jotting down what you achieved and how you felt each day and look back at it when you're feeling demotivated. Seeing how your wins make you feel will encourage you to exercise and eat healthily. Advertisement

For the first time in years, I stopped looking at my phone, I slowed down, I breathed and let myself go to a place of calm and peace that I'd never been to before. It's one of those skills which you get better at over time  just like learning to cook or taking exercise.

The more you do it, the more experience you get and the more you get out of it. Now I do it about three or four days a week.

I like to follow apps or YouTube tutorials, but if you're a complete beginner, a really simple thing is to spend time just focusing on your breathing.

It can instantly calm and release any tension you're holding in your body. To give it a go, make yourself as comfortable as you can, whether you're sitting on a chair, on the floor or lying on your back.

Relax your shoulders and let your hands hang loose at your sides, in your lap or on your knees.

Close your eyes and start to deepen your breath, without forcing it. If you can, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, gently and regularly. Gradually start to lengthen your breath, counting to five on the inhale and five on the exhale.

Try this for three to five minutes and see if you can focus your mind on the simple act of breathing. How do you feel afterwards? Did you manage to keep your mind free of distractions? It will take practice at first, but the more regularly you try it, the easier it will be and the more transformative it can feel.

Extracted from 30 Day Kick Start Plan by Joe Wicks (Bluebird 18.99).  2020 Joe Wicks. To order a copy for 14.81 go to www.mailshop. co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193. Free UK delivery on orders over 15. Promotional price valid until 05/02/2021
NGO report accuses Turkey, Azerbaijan of genocidal intent in Nagorno-Karabakh offensive

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A new report by International Christian Concern accuses Muslim-majority Turkey and Azerbaijan of having an intent to commit genocide when they launched a weeks-long military offensive in an ethnic Armenian territory last year.

ICC, a U.S.-based advocacy organization, published the new report The Anatomy of Genocide: Karabakh's Forty-Four Day War last Friday.

The report asserts that the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh (known as the Republic of Artsakh in Armenia), which lasted from September until November 2020, had strong religious freedom concerns that should alarm human rights advocates and governments worldwide.

According to ICC, Turkey and Azerbaijan destroyed churches and other religious sites, abused prisoners of war and hired known extremists, including members of the Islamic State, as mercenaries to help regain control of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The disputed territory is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians for decades.

Chatter on the Syrian side showed that they were being recruited using jihad terminology against Christians, the ICC reports of the mercenaries.

For example, AsiaNews quoted a source from Syria who explained that they were going to fight alongside Azerbaijan because it is part of the Jihad; it is a holy war of Muslims against Christians. Syrian mercenaries reported that they were offered monetary bonuses based on different actions, such as beheading Christians.

According to the report, one of the more pressing humanitarian issues that have emerged from the offensive is Azerbaijans treatment of Armenian Christian prisoners of war, both military and civilian.

Rationalization and justification tactics have been displayed throughout this entire process concerning the POWs, ICC notes.

Videos have emerged showing how captors have dismantled prisoners sense of identity and choice.

They are not simply taunted or beaten. Their captors use their power for control and coercion in a manner which reinforces the narrative used to justify the war, the report reads, adding that ICC viewed one video showing the treatment of three Armenian men dressed as civilians.

One lies on the ground, presumably deceased. While the other looks on, the captors beat one demanding that he affirms their belief that Karabakh is Azerbaijani, ICC reports. He eventually does for the camera. Given the nature of Pan-Turkism, what he is being asked is more than a question of nationality. He is being asked to ignore every aspect of his identity, including his faith.

Videos widely shared on social messaging platforms show Azerbaijani soldiers beheading two Armenian civilians who were reported to be non-combatants. Those videos were among several others that have emerged depicting shocking atrocities committed by Azerbaijani soldiers against civilians and prisoners.

These crimes implicate Turkey because the Turks trained these soldiers, International Christian Concern contends.

Indeed, many of the footage of war crimes committed during the conflict show troops wearing the dual patches of Azerbaijan and Turkey, making it hard to distinguish the actual nationality of the perpetrator, the report explains.

As an impression management tactic, this makes accountability challenging by redefining the concept of state while also making clear that whatever this redefined concept of state means, that is who is responsible for initiating the war. Blurring the definition so profoundly reduces the ability for accountability.

In places the Turks and Azerbaijanis invaded, they destroyed churches and ancient Christian crosses called khachkars, the report said. Video evidence shows the destruction was intended. ICC accused the two governments of holding Karabakhs Christian cultural sites hostage.

Khachkars are often centuries old, are individually and uniquely crafted, and tell the story of Christianity in that specific location, ICC stressed. Destroying a church prevents corporate worship. Destroying a khachkar erases Christian history.

For many ethnic Turks in Azerbaijan and Turkey, being Turkish means being Islamic, according to the report.

As they attempted to destroy evidence of Christian history, Turks and Azerbaijanis emphasized their own history, the report added. Both Turks and Azerbaijanis trace their heritage back to the Ottoman Empire, and Turkeys Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan refers to the countries as one nation, two states.

Azerbaijan and Turkey were both parts of the Ottoman Empire, which committed the 1915 Armenian genocide. Both nations still argue the murder of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman government wasnt genocide.

Erdogan triumphantly invoked the names of leaders involved in the Armenian genocide in a speech delivered after military victories against Armenia.

Today, may the souls of Nuri Pasha, Enver Pasha, and the brave soldiers of the Caucasus Islam Army be happy, he stated, according to the Armenian Mirror-Spectator.

Enver Pasha was the Ottoman Minister of War during the genocide, and Nuri Pasha led troops in the Caucasus that were responsible for carrying out the genocide against the Armenians.

Our iron first embodies both our unity and strength. That iron fist broke the enemys spine and crushed the enemys head. If Armenian fascism ever raises its head again, the result will be the same. Again, Azerbaijans iron first will break their back, said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the same event, according to The Mirror-Spectator.

To hide violence against Armenians, Turkish and Azerbaijani national media distorted the truth, ICCs report alleges.

Media outlets claimed that there was no historical Christian presence in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and that the region originally belonged to non-Armenian people. The Turkish and Azerbaijani state used these claims to justify their offensive.

The first narrative denies the historic presence of Christianity in Karabakh. The second narrative redefines it, not as Armenian, but as originally belonging to either the ethnic Udi or Albanian communities, the ICC report summarizes.

In regards to the second, it is noteworthy that at these Christian sites, it is the Armenian language which is written and often engraved onto the stone. Both narratives share in common that they are meant to dismantle and discredit attempts at framing this war within religious freedom terminology. It also sends the subtler message that they will tolerate Christianity only on very specific terms.

ICC concludes that the world should take note that the strategic planning by Turkey and Azerbaijan show an intent of mass extermination, thereby genocide, of Karabakhs Armenian residents because of their combined faith and ethnic identity.

Azerbaijan has made it clear that though they want territorial ownership over Artsakh, they do not want a caretaker role over the residents who live there unless those people validate a particular identity, the report concluded.

Both Azerbaijan and Turkey have made it clear these actions are taken because of a Pan-Turkic ideology that prefers conformity to Islam, with some exception for very specific versions of Christianity. These two countries have pursued their actions in a way which elevates and echoes the 1915 genocide of ethnic Christians.

President Joe Biden told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday that he is looking to revitalize the transatlantic alliance with Germany, a relationship that became strained under former President Donald Trump.

The new president has made a series of calls to his foreign counterparts in recent days as part of his efforts to recalibrate U.S. relationships around the globe after four years of Trumps more inward-looking America First" policy.

The White House said in a statement that Biden conveyed that he viewed the U.S. partnership with NATO and the European Union as the cornerstone of our collective security and shared democratic values."

Trump and Merkels relationship started off icy and remained cool throughout Trumps term.

After meetings with Trump in 2017, Merkel said Europe could no longer completely rely on its allies and must become more independent.

After the 2018 NATO summit, Trump called for members to devote at least 4% of their GDP to military spending and took particular aim at Merkel, whom he accused of paying Russia billions of dollars for gas and energy while failing to meet her nations commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense.

Steffen Seibert, a spokesperson for the German government, said in a statement regarding the call that Merkel welcomed Bidens decisions in the first day of his presidency to rejoin the World Health Organization and Paris climate agreement. Trump had withdrawn the U.S. from the international health agency and climate accord signed by nearly every nation to limit global warming.

Merkel has spoken positively of Bidens election.Last week, the chancellor said that there is simply a much broader political overlap with President Biden than with Trump. But Merkel cautioned that not everything will be smooth in line with her long track record of keeping public expectations low.

There will be differences of opinion with the Biden administration, too, she said.

One issue that will likely continue to be contentious is a German-Russian gas pipeline project, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would bring Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea. It faces bipartisan opposition in Washington.

Neither side mentioned the project in their statements on the leaders call.

Biden has also spoken with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron and Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador.

Merkel invited Biden to visit Germany as soon as the pandemic situation allowed, Seibert 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
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 02:55:57|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, on Tuesday told the Security Council that the world body stands ready to support the Palestinian elections scheduled for later this year.

In his first briefing to the Council, the senior Norwegian diplomat said the elections will be a crucial step towards unity in the region.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree earlier this month announcing that parliamentary and presidential elections will be held starting in May, marking the first vote across the Occupied Territories in 15 years.

Wennesland has joined UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in welcoming the development.

"The holding of elections in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, will be a crucial step towards Palestinian unity, giving renewed legitimacy to national institutions, including a democratically-elected parliament and government in Palestine," he told the virtual meeting.

"The United Nations stands ready to support efforts for the Palestinian people to exercise their democratic rights. Elections are a crucial part of building a democratic Palestinian State built on rule of law, with equal rights for all."

Abbas was elected in 2005 and his Fatah party controls the Palestinian National Authority, which is based in the Occupied West Bank. The militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, won parliamentary elections held a year later.

Wennesland said forthcoming talks in Cairo to resolve outstanding issues related to the elections will be important for the preparatory process to move forward.

Addressing the broader context, the new envoy underscored the UN's support for a two-state solution for the Palestinians and Israelis, and hopes for a negotiated and lasting peace in the region.

"Despite the significant challenges, achieving the outcome remains possible. And there are opportunities unique to this moment that should not be missed," he said.

"I hope that the promise of the recent agreements made between Israel and Arab countries will lead to a situation where a more peaceful Middle East can be realized. However, it requires leaders on all sides to re-engage meaningfully and return to the path of negotiations," he added. Enditem
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Despite the federal scrutiny, Lightfoot aides have shown no signs they will block RMG from shredding scrap on the former Republic Steel property along the Calumet River. Set back from Avenue O at 116th Street, the shredder and scrap yard are within sight of Washington High School, where state monitoring equipment routinely detects some of the citys dirtiest air.
tech2 News Staff

The Karnataka High Court on 24 January issued an order which restrains the central government and National Informatics Centre (NIC) from sharing Aarogya Setu app data without obtaining user consent. The bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Vishwajit S Shetty had reserved the order. It was found that Aarogya Setu users' data was being shared without their informed consent as provided in the Aarogya Setu Data Access and Knowledge Sharing Protocol, 2020.

Additionally, as per the High Court's order, the central government can not deny any benefit or services to a user only on the ground that the user has not installed Aarogya Setu.

Further, the Bench also noted that the informed consent is limited to collection of information as provided in the privacy policy. As of now, the NIC and Union of India are refrained from sharing data without informed consent.

The order comes after a petition was filed by SFLC.in's advisory board member Anivar A Arvind. He challenged the "voluntary-mandatory imposition of Aarogya Setu and invasion of privacy rights in the absence of specific legislation governing data collection and processing by it," according to a press release issued by SFLC.in.
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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In February of 2019, people from all over the world met in Cucuta, Colombia in an attempt to deliver humanitarian aid into Venezuela. Juliana Penaranda-Loftus, director of the short documentary THE CROSSING, knew she had to be there as she felt she had the moral responsibility to tell this story. In two days, she assembled a crew and flew to her hometown of Cucuta, hopeful of delivering aid to her Venezuelan neighbors. She never expected the chaos that would ensue.

THE CROSSING, produced by Hidden Village Films, pulls back the curtain on Venezuela's escalating humanitarian crisis as it reaches a fever pitch. It has been playing in select festivals across the US while amplifying the conversation about the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis by highlighting facts and voices that hopefully will inspire and create opportunities to drive change.

One of the expert voices featured in the documentary is that of exiled Venezuelan deputy, Gaby Arellano, who has lived in Bogota since 2018; as she has an arrest warrant in her name for Conspiracy and Treason Against the Country. As a young member of Parliament, deputy Arellano, has been persecuted and forced into exile for having led peaceful protests in Venezuela that sought to achieve freedom, democracy and progress in the Venezuelan Republic.

The raw and intimate images of the film, as deputy Arellano relates, "helped me dismantle a lie that the Venezuelan dictatorial regime had been spreading through a number of pro-regime media outlets, which stated that on February 23, 2019 at the Francisco de Paula Santander Bridge, I gave the order to burn humanitarian aid and bring in weapons, when they actually contained food and medicine."

Moreover, she states that, "We set out to collect images of what had happened on February 23, 2019 and only weeks after Juliana appeared and showed me everything she had collected from that day, I saw images that I had never seen before. Those images have recently served to document before international courts the allegations of crimes against humanity and human rights violations."

In Juliana's words, "THE CROSSING is a film that inspires solidarity and generosity between countries; it is a story of brotherhood between citizens of different nations. This is the biggest refugee crisis in Latin American history, and I am committed to get my documentary to audiences to ensure that this issue remains at the top of the international human rights agenda."

The film is currently in contention for the best documentary short subject category at the 93rd Academy Awards.

To watch the trailer and find more information about the film please visit https://www.thecrossingdoc.com

SOURCE Hidden Village Films

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 19:21:03|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed his government's commitment to implementing global climate change adaptation initiatives.

Kenyatta called for concerted global efforts in addressing climate change saying, like COVID-19, the challenge is a reality that the world must confront urgently.

"Kenya commits to implement the adaptation action agenda; but we can only succeed if we all, as a global community, collaborate in this noble endeavor," Kenyatta said in Nairobi Monday evening during a virtual high-level session of the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021.

The meeting was attended by several world leaders including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

According to a statement issued after the meeting, Kenyatta told the summit that Kenya has scaled up its climate change adaptation efforts by mainstreaming the subject into its national development strategies.

"Kenya is already experiencing the multi-fold climate impacts, including erratic rainfall, droughts and increased temperatures. To contain this situation, we have scaled up our adaptation efforts; mainstreaming it into our national development strategy," he said.

The leaders who spoke during the summit called for acceleration of climate adaptation efforts so as to safeguard communities from the harmful impacts of a changing climate.

Kenyatta emphasized that by pulling together the world will emerge stronger and more resilient from the dangers posed by climate change.

"Indeed, we can expect to reap the triple dividends of reducing emissions, spurring economic growth and delivering social and environmental benefits," Kenyatta said as he implored world leaders to rally behind efforts to upscale climate adaptation efforts.

He identified agriculture as a top priority in Africa's climate change adaptation agenda, saying a large percentage of the continent's population rely on the sector for its survival.

The Kenyan leader said African farmers must be given the tools, information and financial support to enable them to embrace sustainable agricultural practices, respond to changing weather patterns and maximize productivity of their farms. Enditem
President Joe Biden has vowed to replace the almost 650,000-strong federal vehicle fleet with electric cars as part of his climate agenda.

The federal government also owns an enormous fleet of vehicles, which were going to replace with clean electric vehicles made right here in America made by American workers, the President said on Monday, as quoted by Reuters.

The current offerings are pretty slim, but the industrys about to unleash an avalanche of new product, and a lot of it built in North America, Kristin Dziczek, Automotive Research VP of industry, labor and economics at the Center for Automotive Research, told CNBC. Just about every U.S. plant is going to have a hybrid or electric product.

TechCrunchs Kristen Korosec noted that the pledge is part of a broader effort from the new administration to create 1 million new jobs in the carm manufacturing industry and supply chain.

All U.S. carmakers have ambitious EV programs, not to mention the many EV startups jumping on the climate change bandwagon with a variety of models, most of them at the prototype stage.

GM, for instance, plans to have 30 electric models by 2025. The total investment, including spending on autonomous models, will come in at $27 billion. Ford is also pouring billions$11.5 billion by 2022 to be precisein EVs, betting on electric versions of its most well-known and popular models such as the Transit and the F-150.

CNBC noted that the President failed to provide a timeline for the shift from gasoline vehicles to EVs and whether the plan included plug-in hybrids. It might take a while, the report noted, as EVs are more expensive than ICE cars.

Reuters reported that as of 2019, the U.S. federal fleet consumed 375 million gallons of fuel, as per data from the General Services Administration. The 645,000-car fleet cost the government $4.4 billion during that year.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
But for months, she and her husband, Peter Golembiewski, who is also a flight attendant, took money out of their savings and retirement plan to pay for bills.

In November, Ms. Riley said she was hospitalized with severe abdominal pain. Doctors ran a series of tests that led to thousands of dollars in bills despite her health insurance.

Some of the bills are starting to come in, and our eyes are getting bigger and bigger, she said. I just dont know how much more we can handle.

The stimulus package passed by Congress in December provided $15 billion to airlines, allowing companies to recall furloughed flight attendants. But the funding did not cover the wages lost in October and November. And the package provided only enough funding to keep workers on the payroll through March. The uncertainty of what happens after that is agonizing, Ms. Riley said.

We need a more settled, permanent plan for our future, she said. If not, I dont know how a lot of us are going to make it.

People feel a bit more emboldened.

Nearly 2,500 flight attendants have been infected with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, according to an estimate from the Association of Flight Attendants on Tuesday.

Airlines have strict mask policies but the Trump administration refused to order a mandate on interstate travel, putting the onus on flight attendants and other workers to enforce mask rules. In one case in September, a flight attendant complained that an airline captain did not wear a mask while greeting passengers.
A married father-of-four has died of a rare form of cancer just 18 months after his triplets were born.

Steve Sparshott, 35, from Milton Keynes, was told he had a sarcoma tumour shortly after his premature baby daughters were born in June 2019 and while they were still in hospital.

Despite constant treatment, which even included the latest Proton beam therapy radiotherapy, Steve learned late last year that the cancer had spread throughout his bone marrow and was in his liver and lungs.

With weeks to live, one of his last wishes was to marry partner Marta - something the couple had planned to do before the Covid pandemic struck.

On December 8, the couple said their vows at a tiny ceremony at the civic offices register office in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

The following day Steve was admitted to hospital and then, shortly afterwards, to Willen Hospice. He was discharged on January 7 to spend his last few days with his family and passed away on January 12.

A fundraising page has been set up to help the young widow bring up her toddler triplets and four-year-old daughter, as their father had no life insurance. Well-wishers and family members have raised more than 8,000 so far.

Doting father Steve Sparshott tragically died leaving his much-adored triplets to be raised by their mother Marta. The triplets, all girls, are pictured here with Steve and four-year-old daughter Annie

A fundraising page has been set up to help Marta bring up her toddler triplets and four-year-old daughter, as their father had no life insurance

The triplets, Sophie, Ellie and Penny, are too young to know what has happened to their father but their older sister Annie, four, is more aware.

She constantly asks when Steve is coming home, the family say.

What are sarcomas? Sarcomas are a group of rare cancers affecting the tissues that connect, support and surround other body structures and organs They often have no obvious symptoms in the early stages. They can cause symptoms as they get bigger or spread. The symptoms depend on where the cancer develops. The outlook for a soft tissue sarcoma mostly depends on the type of sarcoma it is, how likely it is to spread (the grade) and how far it has already spread (the stage) by the time it's diagnosed. If it's detected at an early stage or is a low-grade tumour and it can be removed during surgery, a cure is usually possible. However, larger, high-grade tumours have a greater risk of coming back or spreading. A cure is not usually possible if a soft tissue sarcoma is only detected when it has already spread to other parts of the body. Source: NHS Advertisement

'Due to Covid restrictions, only Marta was allowed to see him. We had to video call with the little girls so he could see their faces,' said Steve's sister-in-law Shoshana Toli today.

'This was too difficult for Steve to handle, as all he wanted was to be with his family and to spend his last few days with his beautiful girls. With his last wishes in mind, he was discharged on January 7. '

Steve, a previously fit and healthy man whose passion was climbing mountains in Wales, passed away five weeks after his wedding day.

'It is just heartbreaking. Marta is amazing, she is like a superwoman. But she is now left with four little girls to bring up without their daddy,' said Shoshana.

'The triplets are too young to understand why their daddy isn't there any more, but Annie keeps asking questions and insists he's coming back.

'Annie won't accept it when her mummy tells her he's in Heaven. She says 'you're lying, daddy is coming back'. It's just too sad for words.'

Ever since the triplets were born, Steve spent long periods of time in hospital.

Shoshana's fiance, Steve's brother Michael Sparshott, said: 'In reality there are no words to describe the pain and devastation this story holds. The pandemic has masked many stories just like this one and with everyone focussed on the virus within our communities, cancer has been hidden in the shadows.'

Marta's family are in Poland and her mother lives in Germany and visited yet due to Covid travel restrictions. Shoshana and Michael live in Milton Keynes, as does Steve's mother Sue.

'We will all do all whatever we can to help. We are determined to be a very special aunt and uncle to Steve's girls. He was so proud of them all and so delighted to have triplets - though it was a real surprise when they found out there were three babies on the way. Two of them are identical twins and they are the spitting image of him,' said Shoshana.

Steve (pictured with the babies) succumbed to cancer 18 months after the three babies were born

The triplets, Sophie, Ellie and Penny, are too young to know what has happened to their father but their older sister Annie, four, is more aware

Steve's funeral is to be held on February 5. His dying wish was that he be cremated and his ashes turned into jewellery for his girls.

A building site manager, Steve had no life insurance

'Steve never wanted to have any fuss made over him and was adamant that he did not want any money spent on flowers and cards, etc.

'We have been contacted by lots of Steve's loved ones about how they can help us so we have decided to set up this GoFundMe for those that wish to donate towards Steve's funeral costs and to help towards supporting his family,' said Michael.

A building site manager, Steve had no life insurance.

Marta, who worked as a warehouse operative before having the babies, is struggling to work out how she will ever cover childcare costs and go back to work.

'Already a local nursery has stepped in and let Annie go there for free a couple of afternoons a week. They take the triplets for a time once a week so that Marta can have a break. They've been wonderful,' said Shoshana.

'But Marta has a house to run, bills to pay and four little girls to bring up. We're hoping the GoFundMe page will raise a little extra so life will be a bit easier for them.'
'Unlawful' changes to rape prosecution policy have led to a 'shocking and unprecedented' decline in the rates of rape offences taken to court, the Court of Appeal has heard.

The End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition claims that between 2016 and 2018, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) took a series of actions which changed the way cases of alleged rape and other serious sexual assaults are considered by prosecutors, leading them to become more risk-averse about the cases they prosecute.

The coalition is bringing a legal challenge against the CPS, arguing these actions were unlawful and gave rise to 'systemic illegality'.

Kate Ellis, solicitor for the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) Coalition, outside the Royal Courts of justice in London today

At a hybrid hearing today, lawyers for EVAW argued that between 2016 and 2018, the CPS made a move away from a 'merits-based approach' (MBA) of determining which cases should be prosecuted.

The CPS is opposing the challenge and argues there has been no shift in approach.

Phillippa Kaufmann QC told the three senior judges that up to 2016, prosecutors were told to take an 'objective approach' to cases and 'put aside myths and stereotypes' about rape cases and rape victims.

She said it was 'drummed into prosecutors over six years' to use the MBA to 'ensure an evidential-based approach was applied'.

Ms Kaufmann said that from September 2016, it was decided to take a 'fundamentally different course', and 'do away' with the MBA, which created a risk that prosecutors ended up not prosecuting cases that did meet legal tests to do so.

In documents before the court, Ms Kaufmann said from November 2016, prosecutors were 'trained away' from the MBA, particularly through a series of roadshows.

In addition, from May 2017 onwards, legally binding guidance on the MBA and how to apply it was removed, and between 2016 and 2018, the CPS introduced a 60% conviction rate in relation to rape cases, Ms Kaufmann claimed.

She said both the volume of rape cases charged and the charging rate have fallen since 2016/17.

Between 2009/10 and 2016/17, an average of 3,446 rape cases were charged per year, she said, and this fell to 2,822 in 2017/18 - down 23% compared to 2016/17.

In addition, the barrister said, the charging rate has 'declined precipitously' from 56% in 2016/17 to 47% in 2017/18 and 34% in 2018/19.

She said: 'In light of this shocking and unprecedented decline in both the rate and volume of rape offences charged by the CPS (which is not disputed), it is EVAW's case that the actions taken by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in 2016-18 have given rise to systemic illegality, insofar as there is a real risk that a more than minimal number of Crown prosecutors have, since these actions were taken and in consequence of them, applied the unlawful predictive approach when deciding whether to charge those alleged to have committed the crime of rape.'

This predictive approach - known as the 'bookmaker's approach' - relates to prosecutors considering what may happen if they prosecute a case based on past experience of similar cases, rather than the MBA approach based on objective assessment of the evidence, the documents say.

In written submissions, Ms Kaufmann argued the CPS's actions were unlawful, and the process by which it took these actions 'demonstrates a wholesale disregard for the principles of legality and good administration enshrined in public law'.

The barrister said the actions were irrational and breached equality laws, and that the 'manner and ultimate adoption' of the changes was 'wholly opaque and confusing' in breach of transparency duties.

The documents claim the conviction target was removed at some point in either 2017/18 and 2018/19.

Lawyers for the CPS argued the case was not suitable for legal challenge and asked the Court of Appeal to dismiss the claim.

In written submissions, Tom Little QC said it was EVAW's case 'that prosecutors are (or are at risk of) routinely making unlawful prosecution decisions'.

He said: 'According to the claimant, the systemic failure (or the systemic risk) is that prosecutors are making decisions whether to prosecute rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) cases taking into account the sorts of subjective considerations or prejudices that a jury might bring to bear on a case...'

There is evidence against this 'far-reaching' proposition, Mr Little argued, going on to say a report in 2019 concluded the code for deciding whether to prosecute was correctly applied by CPS prosecutors in 98% of cases out of 250 where no further action had been taken.

The majority of these cases were from the period after the dedicated MBA guidance had been removed.

In documents before the court, Mr Little also argued the term 'merits-based approach' was removed out of a concern that 'some prosecutors were using the MBA as though it was an alternative (lesser) standard by which to determine whether the evidential test was met' in cases of rape and other serious sexual offences.

Mr Little argued that the decision to initiate the roadshows and to remove the dedicated MBA guidance 'did not result in any substantial change in the application of the evidential test in the code for Crown prosecutors'.

And he claimed notes show what was said to prosecutors at the roadshows about MNA was balanced and 'absolutely not an exhortation to prosecutors to move away from the objective assessment of evidence towards a bookmaker's approach'.

EVAW is understood to be asking to the court to order the CPS to reconsider all rape and sexual assault cases since 2016 which resulted in a decision not to charge, an order the CPS argued would be 'extraordinary and unprecedented'.

Previous Home Office data has shown that in the 12 months to March just 1.4% of 55,130 rape cases recorded by police led to prosecution. Of the cases that were closed, 41% collapsed because the victim did not support further action.

The hearing, before the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, Lord Justice Holroyde and Lady Justice Elisabeth Laing is expected to last for two days and they are expected to give their ruling at a later date.

A CPS spokesman said: 'There has been no change of approach in how the CPS prosecutes rape. Our skilled prosecutors are experienced and highly trained to make sure criminals can be brought to justice. No matter how challenging the case, whenever our legal test is met, we always seek to charge.

'Independent inspectors have found no evidence of a risk averse approach and have reported a clear improvement in the quality of our legal decision making in rape cases. The principles of the merits-based approach are enshrined in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, which guides every charging decision.

'Along with the police, we remain committed to making real, lasting improvements to how these horrific offences are handled, so every victim will feel able to come forward with confidence that their complaint will be fully investigated and, where the evidence supports, charged and prosecuted.'
Due to forced labor concerns, a ban on imports from Xinjiang to the United States appears likely. This could be another blow for polysilicon producers hit by industrial accidents and the threat of floods in the third quarter of 2020. Chinese polysilicon prices have surged more than 50% in a matter of a months. Consequently, wafer prices have skyrocketed, bringing increasing costs to the solar cell and PV module segments. In the face of price hikes, some projects are now postponed until the first half of 2021.From pv magazine 01/2021 The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in September ...

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 (dpa-AFX) - Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. (CHT) on Tuesday provided its financial outlook for fiscal 2021 on a consolidated basis. For 2021, Chunghwa Telecom expects total revenue to increase by 0.8 percent to 1.0 percent, to NT$209.26 to NT$209.72 billion, as compared to the un-audited consolidated total revenue of NT$207.61 billion in 2020. The company expects the increase in revenue to be driven by increases in mobile communications revenue, internet revenue, handset sales revenue and MOD revenue, as well as revenue coming from the expansion of emerging business in the digital economy. These are expected to offset the impact from the decrease in voice revenue resulted from continuing VoIP substitution and the higher ICT revenue base of last year. Chunghwa Telecom forecasts fiscal 2021 net income attributable to stockholders of the parent and net earnings per share in a range of NT$32.60 to NT$34.09 billion and NT$4.20 to NT$4.40, respectively. These figures represent a decrease of NT$0.82 billion to an increase of NT$0.67 billion, and a decrease of NT$0.11 to NT$0.09 respectively, year over year. 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.
Farmers' union body Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Tuesday disassociated itself from those who indulged in violence during the tractor parade, and alleged some "antisocial elements" infiltrated their otherwise peaceful movement.

The union also condemned and regretted the "undesirable" and "unacceptable" events as the parade turned violent after several groups of farmers deviated from the pre-decided route for the march.

The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 farmer unions, is leading the protest against the three central farm laws at several border points of Delhi. "We thank farmers for the unprecedented participation in today's farmers' Republic Day Parade. We also condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that have taken place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts. "Despite all our efforts, some organisations and individuals have violated the route and indulged in condemnable acts. Antisocial elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement. We have always held that peace is our biggest strength, and that any violation would hurt the movement," the farmers' body said in a statement.

Its statement comes as farmers clashed with police at several places in the national capital. A protesting farmer died at Delhi's ITO after his tractor overturned. Police also had to use lathicharge and teargas shells to control unruly protesters at multiple locations in the city. "We dissociate ourselves from all such elements that have violated our discipline. We appeal strongly to everyone to stick to the route and norms of the parade, and not indulge in any violent action or anything that taints national symbols and dignity. We appeal to everyone to desist from any such acts. "We are trying to get a full picture of all the events with regard to the several parades that were planned today and will share a full statement soon. Our information is that apart from some regrettable violations, the parades are underway peacefully as per plan," it said.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the Tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day on Tuesday. Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.
Philadelphia Nursing Home Attorney Brian P. Murphy, Esq. Now, more than ever, it's important that Philadelphia nursing homes take every step necessary to provide top quality care for their residents.

Reports from the Philadelphia Inquirer and CBSregarding the Bucks County nurses strike over staffing shortages and the bracing of understaffed Philadelphia healthcare workers for a daunting new wave of COVID-19 patientsraises the question of how staffing issues during the continued coronavirus pandemic impacts care for elderly Philadelphia nursing home residents. A recent Associated Press article reveals that, as COVID care swamps workers in understaffed nursing homes, non-COVID residents are neglected. According to Philadelphia nursing home abuse attorney Brian P. Murphy, as basic care and attention is withdrawn from vulnerable residents due to overwhelmed staff, many of the effects of nursing home neglect are primed to increase, bed sores among them.

Also known as pressure ulcers, bed sores develop on immobile residents skin when they are left too long in one position by care workers.

Bed sores are entirely preventable, says Murphy. Regular repositioning, hygiene maintenance, and adequate hydration and nutrition are paramount for preventing the development and the severity of pressure ulcers.

In addition to referencing the troubling emergence of bed sores, the AP article cites how staffing shortages and the crisis of a pandemic create the perfect storm for other harbingers of nursing home neglect to appear, including malnutrition, dehydration, and poor hygiene; these in turn can lead to infections, septic shock, and death.

Family members of Philadelphia nursing home residents who become aware that their loved one has developed pressure ulcersor shows other signs of neglect that amount to nursing home abuseneed to reach out to a trusted Philadelphia bed sore attorney, says Murphy. As a seasoned Philadelphia nursing home abuse attorney, Murphy has several years experience litigating bed sore and nursing home neglect cases.

Now, more than ever, says Murphy, its important that Philadelphia nursing homes take every step necessary to provide top quality care for their residents.

About The Law Offices of Brian P. Murphy

Established in 2015, The Law Offices of Brian P. Murphy helps victims of nursing home abuse and neglect in Philadelphia/Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Brian P. Murphy holds long-term care and nursing facilities responsible for providing poor quality care, as evidenced by the incidence of bed sores, falls, and other injuries. He has presented several lectures and written multiple law articles and legal guides on nursing home abuse and the effective litigation of neglect and abuse cases. For more information please contact Brian P. Murphy directly at (215) 579-8500, or visit http://www.thenursinghomeattorneys.com.
[January 26, 2021] Parsons' Newly Acquired Braxton Technologies Awarded Tibbetts Innovation Excellence

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Parsons Corporation's (NYSE: PSN) newly acquired Braxton Technologies, LLC, has been awarded the prestigious Tibbitts Award, which recognizes excellence in Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) efforts. Braxton leader Ed Baron was also recognized with an individual Tibbetts Award for his significant contributions and advocacy for SBIR programs within the defense and aerospace community. Baron's dedication and ingenuity positively impacted the Colorado Springs economy, resulting in job growth and over $370 million towards local businesses. The Tibbetts Award winners are evaluated on how they use the SBIR program to stimulate technical innovation that encourages commercialization of federal research through diverse participation. Previous winners have notable social, economic, and business impacts resulting from their SBIR/STTR funding. "I am honored to be recognized along with our wonderful staff by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for our efforts within the SBIR program," said Baron, senior vice president of space and geospatial solutions. "A great amount of our country's technical innovation is forged by small businesses in extremely competitive environments. Support through the SBIR program allowed us to deliver advanced, affordable capabilities along with partners in the Air Force Research Lab's Space Vehicles Directorate Recognition by the SBA, the champions of small business, is truly humbling."



Since winning the first SBIR award in 2013, Braxton has leveraged $160 million in Phase III SBIR funding from the Department of Defense, creating a strategic roadmap to use existing contracts to build on each other successively while identifying growth areas. Braxton develops software for multiple space operations and weapons systems programs, and will join Parsons' space and geospatial solutions market. Parsons plans to continue leveraging Braxton's SBIR/STTR successes. The SBIR program is supported by 11 federal agencies and has awarded over $50 billion in funding to small business since it's inception in 1982.

To learn more about Parsons' leading space capabilities, please visit: https://www.parsons.com/capabilities/space/ Parsons (NYSE: PSN) is a leading disruptive technology provider in the global defense, intelligence, and critical infrastructure markets, with capabilities across cybersecurity, missile defense, space, connected infrastructure, and smart cities. Please visit parsons.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook to learn how we're making an impact. Media Contact:

Bryce McDevitt

+1 703.851.4425

Bryce.McDevitt@Parsons.com Investor Relations Contact:

Dave Spille

+ 1 571.655.8264

Dave.Spille@parsons.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/parsons-newly-acquired-braxton-technologies-awarded-tibbetts-innovation-excellence-301211516.html SOURCE Parsons Corporation

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The proposed historic Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) will consist of: former NASA astronaut and Axiom vice president Michael Lopez-Alegria as commander; American entrepreneur and non-profit activist investor Larry Connor as pilot; Canadian investor and philanthropist Mark Pathy; and impact investor and philanthropist Eytan Stibbe of Israel.

Lopez-Alegria, who flew to space four times over a 20-year, record-setting career at NASA and last visited the ISS in 2007, will become the first person to ever command both a civil and a commercial human spaceflight mission. Connor will be the first private mission pilot in the annals of spaceflight.

Pathy will be Canada's 11th astronaut. Stibbe, a close personal friend of Columbia astronaut Ilan Ramon and a former Israeli Air Force pilot, will be Israel's second. Both will fly as mission specialists.

"This collection of pioneers  the first space crew of its kind  represents a defining moment in humanity's eternal pursuit of exploration and progress," Lopez-Alegria said. "I know from firsthand experience that what humans encounter in space is profound and propels them to make more meaningful contributions on returning to Earth. And as much as any astronaut who has come before them, the members of this crew have accomplished the sorts of things in life that equip them to accept that responsibility, act on that revelation, and make a truly global impact.

"I look forward to leading this crew and to their next meaningful and productive contributions to the human story, both on orbit and back home."

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will serve as Ax-1's backup commander, while John Shoffner of Knoxville, Tenn. is the backup mission pilot. Carrying a time-honored approach over from the civil spaceflight era to the private one, the prime and backup crews are slated to go through Axiom's full training program together.

Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1)

The proposed Ax-1 mission will include the crew living aboard the U.S. segment of the ISS for approximately eight days, participating in research and philanthropic projects.

Connor, who has founded and led organizations in the real estate, fintech, and non-profit sectors, will collaborate with Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic on research projects. He also intends to provide instructional lessons to students at Dayton Early College Academy in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio.

Pathy is collaborating with the Canadian Space Agency as well as the Montreal Children's Hospital, who are helping identify health-related research projects that could be undertaken during the mission.

Stibbe plans to conduct scientific experiments of Israeli researchers and entrepreneurs coordinated by the Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency at the Ministry of Science & Technology and to undertake educational activities from orbit to inspire Israeli children, youth, and educators.

"We sought to put together a crew for this historic mission that had demonstrated a lifelong commitment to improving the lives of the people on Earth, and I'm glad to say we've done that with this group," Axiom Space President & CEO Michael Suffredini said. "This is just the first of several Axiom Space crews whose private missions to the International Space Station will truly inaugurate an expansive future for humans in space  and make a meaningful difference in the world when they return home."

Axiom Space is the commercial space industry's only full-service orbital mission provider for private and national astronauts. Its all-inclusive offering provides services such as training, transportation, mission planning, hardware development, life support, medical support, crew provisions, safety and hardware certifications, on-orbit operations, and overall mission management.

Precursor to commercializing Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

With the first launch opportunity no earlier than January 2022 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, Ax-1 is the first of Axiom Space's "precursor" private astronaut missions to the ISS  subject to approval from NASA and its international partners. Axiom Space and NASA are working together on the final approvals of a formal Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) to enable private astronaut missions, with further discussions underway to agree on and authorize the Ax-1 mission profile.

Houston-based Axiom intends to offer private and national astronaut flights to ISS at a rate of up to two per year to align with flight opportunities as they are made available by NASA, while simultaneously constructing its own privately funded space station. The Axiom Station's modules will be attached to the Harmony node of the ISS beginning as early as 2024, a commercial expansion of the orbiting lab for which NASA selected Axiom in January 2020.

At ISS retirement, the Axiom Station will separate to form the world's first free-flying, privately developed, internationally available space station  the central node of a near-future network of research, manufacturing, and commerce in LEO.

About Axiom Space

Axiom Space was founded in 2016 with the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. While building and launching the Axiom Segment of the International Space Station to one day form the world's first free-flying commercial space station, Axiom provides access to the ISS today by conducting full-service, end-to-end crewed missions for professional and private astronauts. More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com.

SOURCE Axiom Space

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Developer Gerry Gannon is entitled to judgment for 2.18m rent against a company which operated a car park for Dublin Airport passengers on lands in Santry owned by the builder, a High Court judge has ruled.

Mr Gannon initiated proceedings last year against Parkfly Ltd and Last Bus Ltd, both companies controlled by transport entrepreneur John OSullivan.

He sought orders for possession of the car park premises against both defendants and a summary judgment order for 2.18m rent against Parkfly in respect of its 2019 lease for the premises.

Parkfly operated the car park premises under two leases granted in 2014 and 2019.

Last Bus Ltd, operator of a shuttle bus service between the car park and the airport, had, under a licence agreement with Mr Gannon, used a bungalow adjoining the lands as an office.

The second of Parkflys leases expired on October 4th 2019 and Last Bus licence agreement terminated the same day.

Mr Gannon claimed the 2.18m claimed represented the rent, including turnover rent, due from January 2019 to October 4th 2019. It was also claimed no monies had been paid by the defendants concerning their occupation of the car park since October 5th 2019.

In correspondence between the sides before the case was initiated in September 2020, Parkfly disputed rent arrears were due in respect of the 2019 lease and said arrears of some 1.9m relating to its occupancy of the lands before October 2018 would be dealt with in due course. The company also said it had expected its tenancy of the car park would be renewed and 60 jobs would be lost if it was not.

It was alleged Mr Gannon was seeking to take advantage of Covid in an attempt to gain possession. In correspondence, solicitors for Mr Gannon refuted the claims.
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Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said the government is distorting the basic tenets of the Constitution by enacting laws to discriminate against the citizens on the basis of religion.

He was addressing a public meeting in Bidar on the topic Save Constitution-Save India.

Owaisi said that in the country of Gandhi, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Maulana Azad, legislation had been passed on love jihad. He said an attempt was being made to spoil the Constitution by enactment laws contradicting the statute.

He said he had taken the canonical opinions of religious scholars, Muftis and even ulema of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board about the status of the masjid in Ayodhya to be built as a replacement for Babri masjid. All of them had opined that it must not be called a masjid and prayers cannot be performed there. Performing prayers and contributing for the construction of that masjid is haram (not permissible), Owaisi claimed.

Muslims should not perform prayers in that masjid. Instead of contributing to the construction of that Masjid, Muslim should contribute to the marriages of poor girls, Owaisi said.

Owaisi said those who had faith in the teachings of Dr Ambedkar should mould their lives within the frame of the Constitution. We will enjoy the fruits of independence if we ensure liberty, equality, fraternity and justice in a true spirit for every citizen, Owaisi said.

Owaisi quoted Dr Ambedkar as saying, until you achieve independence you will not prosper. Until you ensure equality you will not get justice and without fraternity no one will come near you and said these four basic principles were mentioned in the preamble to the Constitution.

He asked Muslims to refrain from competing with Dalit and Backward Classes. The time has come to cooperate with them. If these three communities start cooperating with each other, you will be able to end the 70 years of rule by upper caste people who constitute only 22 per cent of the population, Owaisi said.


Just the Beginning: Trump Painter Jon McNaughton Looks Toward 2021, Shares Message of Hope

Traditional art lovers started hearing the name Jon McNaughton a lot more often in 2019, after his cheeky painting of President Trump Crossing the Swamp went viral on Twitter. It portrays Trump in a boat, navigating an allegorical swamp (Washington, D.C.) in a tongue-in-cheek homage to the painting of George Washington Crossing the Delaware, which hangs in New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art.

That one really hit a nerve, McNaughton jokingly told The Epoch Times in a Zoom call, adding that those kinds of paintings get him noticed the most.

Crossing the Swamp. (Courtesy of Jon McNaughton)

Since Trumps inauguration in 2017, McNaughton has given voice to a pro-American movementalthough hes been painting professionally since high school, and making political art for nearly a decade.

Now, bidding farewell to a turbulent 2020, the artist is set to face 2021 with optimism, hoping his work will shine a light on uncertain times ahead. With Trump gone from the White House, McNaughton shares what might come next.

Regardless of whether hes in the White House or not, hes going to be speaking out against the swamp, said McNaughton, who recently completed a pencil sketch of the president with a dated quote, The movement we started is only just the beginning!

Just the Beginning. (Courtesy of Jon McNaughton)

McNaughton said that 2020 was the year for Trump to really show how much inner strength he has.

Ive just been amazed what that guys been through, from impeachment to coronavirus.  Hes had the whole world against him.

And the guy just does not give up, and thats what I appreciate about him. And I believe that a lot of Americans are the same way; were not giving up.

Turning to other recent artistic endeavors, the artist has released a number of paintings in 2020, each taking from a few weeks to two months to complete. Meanwhile, some are still waiting in the wings, yet to be unveiled.

Legacy of Hope. (Courtesy of Jon McNaughton)

Last year, he was inspired to paint Legacy of Hope, portraying Trump surrounded by famous figures from historyGeorge Washington, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, John F. Kennedy, and Frederick Douglasslaying their hands on him and praying for him. Inspiration for that work came when a group of black conservatives visited the White House while riots raged throughout the country. A photo was taken while they prayed for Donald Trump around his desk.

The artist was stirred.

President Trump did give a lot of hope to those who voted for him, McNaughton said about Legacy of Hope, which he says was a very popular painting. And I believe theres still hope for the future.

Another recent popular painting included You Are Fake News, humorously titled after Trumps now-famous pronouncement on live television. It depicts Trump meeting with the press, portrayed as clowns, on the White House lawn with Marine One in the background.

You Are Fake News. (Courtesy of Jon McNaughton)

What I try to do with my paintings is create something that I think might become an iconic image in the future, when history looks at our time, and they ask what it was like to be conservative, he said.

During our Zoom call, the artist was even coaxed into admitting that he has an unreleased painting still under wraps, pending copyright approval, although no sneak peek was given. Its one of those paintings that is going to be hidden in my vault until about 50 years from now, when its released, and its a doozy, he said mischievously.

As for future prospects, McNaughton tries to stay fluid and open to ideas. Hes been considering the subject of the Second Amendment for a painting, a subject he touched on in prior paintings Stand Your Ground and Take a Stand. He chooses subjects that he finds important to him, such as liberty, freedom, and the Constitution.

Probably, McNaughtons most famous work is The Forgotten Man, an allegory painted after the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010. The picture was purchased by news host Sean Hannity and was even featured on his show. It portrays presidents, past and present, some venerating the Constitution and others desecrating it, while a man, representing the American people, is rendered despondent and forgotten in their midst.

The artist says that masters of art from the past who have made an impression on him include Francisco de Goya, who also painted politically. McNaughton even painted a parody of Goyas The Third of May. Instead of depicting Spanish soldiers executing a mob of rebels, he portrayed Antifa threatening a group of conservatives while burning an American flag.

The Resistance. (Courtesy of Jon McNaughton)

The artist also admires Leonardo da Vinci and fellow American realist Norman Rockwell. McNaughton is steadily becoming a household name like that prolific painter of Americana.

I think maybe 50 years from now, 100 years from now, people will look at [my work] and say: Well, thats what was going on in the country, the artist said.

Looking ahead, McNaughton predicts the country is in for a crazy whirlwind in 2021, with the new administration in place. He hopes his art will express how people feel during this time. [For] people who buy my paintings,  it expresses how they feel about whats going on with the country. And so, I just focus on that, just hope for the best, and will just keep fighting the fight.

To see more of Jon McNaughtons work, sign up for his free e-book.

Jon McNaughton in his studio. (Courtesy of Jon McNaughton)
A shortage of speciality syringes is challenging plans to get an extra dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech coronavirus vaccine out of its vial, medical device giant Becton Dickinson (BD) said.

"Low dead space syringes" can be used to extract six doses instead of five from vials containing the companies' vaccine, but a BD spokesman told AFP on Saturday there is a supply crunch for the syringes and no easy way to address it.

"Low dead space syringes are niche products and there has... traditionally been minimal market demand based on health care provider needs," the spokesman said.

"Because of this, those products have limited production capacity, and it would take time to increase production capacity of these device."

Newly-installed US President Joe Biden has vowed to employ the Defense Production Act to increase industrial output of key medical supplies and set a target of getting 100 million vaccinations administered in his first 100 days in office.

However, that quest would be made more difficult if a lack of the speciality syringes wastes the extra shot of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, which along with Moderna's vaccine is one of two inoculations against the virus authorized in the United States.

When BD began working with US officials last spring, "there was no emphasis placed on low dead space syringes, so other devices took priority when production was ramped up to meet Covid vaccination needs," the spokesman said.

The company "is proactively collaborating with the US government to discuss capabilities for low dead space devices," he said.

jum-jmb/cs


Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen has led a delegation to Khartoum, a spokesman said Tuesday, months after Sudan and Israel struck a deal to normalise ties.

The Monday visit marked the first time an Israeli minister headed a delegation to the African state, Cohen's office said.

Sudanese state media did not report the visit.

The Israeli intelligence ministry said members of the delegation met head of state General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan and Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim for talks on "diplomatic, security and economic issues".

"A first-ever memorandum on these topics was signed between the Sudanese defence minister and Cohen," it said.

The sides also discussed "deepening intelligence cooperation".

"The Sudanese authorities briefed the Israeli delegation on their progress on cancelling the law boycotting Israel, and amending the law imprisoning Sudanese migrants, including to Israel, who return to Sudan," the ministry added.

Sudan agreed to normalise ties with Israel in October last year and an Israeli delegation visited Khartoum the following month.

On January 6, Sudan signed the "Abraham Accords" normalising ties with Israel, making it the third Arab country to do so after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain last year.

Morocco also normalised its ties with Israel in December.

Khartoum signed the accords less than a month after Washington removed it from its "state sponsors of terrorism" blacklist as part of a quid pro quo.

But protests against normalisation have continued in Sudan. On January 17, dozens of protesters gathered outside the cabinet office in Khartoum and burned the Israeli flag.

Until last year, Egypt and Jordan were the only Arab countries to have recognised Israel, in bilateral peace deals struck decades ago.

Other Arab governments refused to normalise relations until Israel reached a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinians and its other neighbours.

Cohen said his visit to Khartoum "laid the foundations for many important collaborations that will help Israel and Sudan, boost regional stability, deepen our ties with Africa and lead to more agreements with states in the region".

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New Delhi, Jan 26 : After closing all the stations on the Green line at noon on Tuesday, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has now shuttered all stations on the Grey line as well, in the wake of the farmers' tractor rally running amok in the national capital.

The Grey line stretches from Dwarka to Najafgarh metro station, while the Green line includes Inderlok all the way to Brigadier Hoshiyar Singh station.

Besides these, a few stations on Yellow, Blue, Red and Violet lines are also closed. Violet line's Lal Qila and Jama Masjid stations, Blue line's Indraprastha station and Red line's Jhilmil and Mansarovar Park stations have also been shut.

For Yellow line, the DMRC tweeted, "Entry and exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18-19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed." Thousands of tractors rolled into Delhi even as the 72nd Republic Day parade was underway. Vandalism was reported from ITO where the Police Headquarters are situated as the police was caught completely unaware.

Chaos and ruckus was reported from various parts of the border areas of Delhi on Tuesday as the protesters entered Delhi defying the agreement on the scheduled time for the tractor rally.

Thousands of farmers marched into the national capital on foot and riding tractors.
Mr Affail Monney, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has eulogized late former President Jerry John Rawlings for his contributions towards Ghana's democratic dispensation.



He said the former President was the architect of the Fourth Republican Constitution of Ghana, which had endured for over two decades, and needed high commendation.



Mr Monney said this in Accra in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on day two of the four-day state funeral for the former President.



He also extolled the late former President for laying a solid foundation for Ghana's press freedom; adding that Ghana was one of the nations on the African continent with a vibrant and a free press.



The GJA President said democracy was a process and not a destination, and that the GJA expected the media community to continue to champion the course of probity and accountability and the course of freedom and justice.



Mr Monney also appealed to the media to champion the course of the poor and the vulnerable in society, as championed by the late former President Rawlings.

Source: GNA









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London: Boris Johnson says he did everything he could to prevent the loss of life, as Britains coronavirus death toll passed 100,000.

The British Prime Minister appeared sombre at a news conference held in Downing Street, during which he said he accepted full responsibility for the handling of the pandemic, promising that lessons would be learnt.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves the podium after leading a virtual press conference on the COVID-19 death toll. Credit:AP

While the steep decline in the rate of new COVID-19 infections continued on Tuesday, the death toll increased by another 1631, taking the overall toll to 100,162.

Its hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic, the years of life lost, the family gatherings not attended, for so many relatives, the missed chance even to say goodbye, Johnson said.

In every geographic region, data center capacity is dramatically expanding in a build-out of historic proportions. That requires people  to design, build and operate data centers. The availability (or lack) of specialist staff will be an increasing concern for all types of data centers, from mega-growth hyperscales to small, private enterprise facilities. By quantifying demand, this research will help raise awareness of the strong employment opportunities for job seekers and give employers, education institutions, and governments a way to measure the need for investment in workforce training and education.

Data center staff requirements are forecast to grow globally from about 2 million full-time employees in 2019 to nearly 2.3 million by 2025. Most demand is expected in the Asia-Pacific region, followed by North America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. In the large and mature data center markets of the U.S. and Western Europe, there is concern that many employees are due to retire about the same time, causing an additional surge in demand, especially for senior roles. This "silver tsunami" effect may last for the coming decade.

"This study helps us as an industry better understand the size and scope of the staffing challenge," said Rhonda Ascierto, vice president of research, Uptime Institute. "It is also a quantitative assessment of the long-term career opportunities available. This is a fast-growing and dynamic industry  and we need people from all backgrounds, all over the world."

Historic Growth of Demand:

Demand growth will mainly come from cloud and colocation data centers. Cloud data centers  either owned or leased by cloud/internet companies  will require the most staff, by a significant margin.

Enterprise data centers are expected to continue to employ many staff, although the cloud workforce will surpass enterprise after 2025.

Staffing Requirements:

Most positions will require either a university/college or technical trade school degree or  critically  equivalent experience that can be substituted for a formal education. Employers should reevaluate their current job requirements to attract a wider pool of diverse talent.

More education and training, including on-the-job, will be key to meeting future demand.

Technical staff are notoriously difficult to recruit for data centers. Mechanical and electrical engineers in strategy and operations roles, and all types of controls and monitoring employees, are among the technical staff that will be increasingly needed through (at least) 2025.

To create the forecast, Uptime Institute Intelligence estimated demand for more than 230 specialist job roles (organized into nine job domains) needed to design, build, and operate data centers. Estimates are based on industry input and extensive expert advice from across Uptime Institute.

Join us Wednesday, February 3rd at 9:00 AM Pacific time, for a webinar on the report findings with Rhonda Ascierto and our esteemed guest speakers Heather Dooley, Head of Data Center Business Operations, Google Data Centers, and Nancy Novak, chief innovation officer, Compass Datacenters. Register today, as you do not want to miss it.

Information is available on all Uptime Institute accredited educational course offerings and advanced seminars, also; see the full Uptime Institute 2021 Course Calendar.

About Uptime Institute

Uptime Institute and the company's Tier Standard has become the IT industry's most trusted and adopted global standard for the proper design, build and operation of data centers  the backbone of the digital economy. For over 25 years, Uptime Institute has provided customers with the assurance that their digital infrastructure can perform at a level consistent with their business needs across a wide array of operating conditions. With its data center Tier Standard & Certifications, Management & Operations reviews, Efficient IT Stamp of Approval, and accredited education curriculum for data center professionals, Uptime Institute helps organizations optimize critical IT assets while managing costs, resources, and efficiency. Today, thousands of companies rely on Uptime Institute to enable their digital-centric business success. Uptime Institute  The Global Data Center Authority  has office locations throughout the world, including those in North and South America, Europe, Middle East, Russia, and Asia.

SOURCE Uptime Institute

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A jealous ex-husband is facing jail after binding his former wife with gaffer tape and choking her upon discovering she had remarried.

Javad Arabhalvaei, 45, still regarded Parissa Ali-Kaei as his 'property' and flew into a rage when he learned of her new Iranian husband after secretly recording her calls.

A jury heard how he crept up behind her and stuck the tape over her mouth before dragging her to the floor and wrapping his legs around her neck in a choke-hold.

Ms Ali-Kaei told the court she was 'about to die' but managed to grab his testicles and wriggle free of his grasp.

Arabhalvaei had turned up the sound system at their flat in Camden Town, north London, during the August 20 attack to try muffle her screams.

But the mobile phone he had slipped under the bed to record her calls proved to be a crucial piece of evidence in the trial.

A jury convicted him of wounding with intent - but he was cleared of a further count of attempted murder.

Javad Arabhalvaei, 45, still regarded Parissa Ali-Kaei as his 'property' and flew into a rage when he learned of her new Iranian husband after secretly recording her calls, the Old Bailey heard

Ms Ali-Kaei sobbed as she recalled the events of the attack at the Old Bailey in central London.

She said: 'He had opened the tape and it was ready to be put on my mouth. He came from behind me and as soon as he entered the bedroom he put it on my mouth.

'I had no time to turn around and see what had happened. While I was on the floor he was on top of me. He was trying to bite me on the top of my shoulder.

'I was trying to defend myself so I just tried to push his face away and that is why I injured my hand.

'He was trying to strangle me and I was trying to defend myself. His fingers were inside my mouth and my lips were tearing apart. The only defence I had was biting his hand.

'I was about to die and the only thing I could do was grab his testicles.'

During the trial Arabhalvaei argued he was only trying to calm his wife down during the row.

But the jury rejected his full version of events and Judge Mark Dennis will pass sentence for wounding with intent on 19 February.

James Thacker, prosecuting, said: 'This case involves the brutal attack of the defendant's ex-partner, Parissa Ali-Kaei, in her own home that she had shared with the defendant.

'The prosecution case is that the defendant had discovered that his ex-partner had remarried another man in Iran but continued to consider that Parissa remained his property to control and do with as he saw fit.

'If he could not have her, no-one else could. He intended to kill her or cause her really serious harm.

'He used gaffer tape across her mouth to prevent her from calling for help and said "I will kill you tonight. I'm not going to let you go like this."

'He repeatedly punched her face and the sides of her head. He used his thighs and knees as a vice to hold her head in place whilst he continued to use his fists upon her head.

'He forced his fingers inside her mouth and attempted to rip her mouth open whilst repeating the phrase "tonight I will kill you".

'He said: "You can't go anywhere. The door is locked. Nobody can hear you." Parissa opened her bedroom window and was shouting for help.

'The defendant stabbed her in the back. He attempted to stab her again but the blade separated from the handle.'

Jurors were told that during the fight Arabhalvaei revealed to his wife he had been secretly recording her under her bed with his phone.

Sentence will be passed at the Old Bailey (pictured) on 19 February

'Unfortunately for him he didn't know that the police would attend and seize the phones. The entire incident is recorded,' Mr Thacker added.

'The defendant remained silent when he was interviewed later at the police station.

'He replied "no comment". However, after his arrest at the scene he said "whatever I say is not going to be acceptable in this country because this country is different, the culture, everything".'

Judge Dennis said the defendant's 'dangerousness' will be considered ahead of sentence.

The judge said: 'This is an offence of serious violence, albeit first offence. There is a background. Dangerousness would have to be considered.'

Arabhalvaei, of Finchley Road, Camden, denied attempted murder and an alternative charge of wounding with intent.

He was cleared of attempted murder and convicted of an alternative of wounding with intent.

Sentence will be passed at the Old Bailey on 19 February.
Delhi: A farmer died and dozens of others were injured as clashes with police over agriculture reforms marred Indias Republic Day.

Thousands of farmers in a convoy of tractors were met with tear gas and stick-wielding police as they breached barricades in the capital, New Delhi on Tuesday.

The farmers, some on foot and others on horseback, went on to storm the citys Red Fort as they continued the series of demonstrations that has proved to be the biggest challenge to Narendra Modis government since agitation against reforms of citizenship law a year ago. Protesters have camped at the edge of the capital and blockaded highways to the north for two months.

Sikhs hoist a Nishan Sahib, a Sikh religious flag, on a minaret of the historic Red Fort monument in New Delhi, amid protests by farmers. Credit:AP

Farmers leaders are demanding the withdrawal of new laws which they say will favour large, private buyers over producers and destroy farmers earnings.
 Flash

The 9th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting was held on the Chinese side of the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point Sunday, according to a joint press release.

The two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of China-India border areas, said the press release.

Both sides agreed that this round of meeting was positive, practical and constructive, which further enhanced mutual trust and understanding, and agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops.

They also agreed to follow the important consensus of their state leaders, maintain the good momentum of dialogue and negotiation, and hold the 10th round of the Corps Commander Level Meeting at an early date to jointly advance de-escalation.

In addition, the two sides agreed to continue their effective efforts in ensuring the restraint of the frontline troops, stabilize and control the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the China-India border, and jointly maintain peace and tranquility.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 26, 2021 - 19:13 | All, Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi urged Moscow on Tuesday to release Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny and peaceful protestors from detention, joining the United States and the European Union in expressing concerns over the crackdown.

"The Japanese government is closely watching (the situation) with concern. We want to request the release of Mr. Navalny and those who have been detained arbitrarily while engaging in peaceful demonstrations," Motegi told a press conference.

Navalny, known as a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was detained by police on Jan. 17 soon after he arrived in Moscow from Germany, where he had been recuperating for five months after a nerve-agent attack he blames on Russian authorities.

Thousands of people demonstrating across Russia against the detention of Navalny were detained on Saturday.

"Regarding the poisoning incident with Mr. Navalny, Japan calls on Russia to ensure transparency and bring the perpetrators to justice," Motegi said.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he is "very concerned" about the arrest of Navalny at a press conference on Monday, while the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, condemned the arrest of Navalny and demanded his immediate release in a call with Putin on Jan. 22.
Hema and Alka along with little Prachi, who belong to an area a few hours away from Mumbai, join the Mission Paani stage. They speak about their everyday ordeal in fetching water from far away places. (Image: News18)
It was a seaside retreat built for a Prince, but now part of it can be yours - and without the need for a royal multi-million pound budget.

A section of the house that once belonged to the second son of King George III - Prince Frederick, who was known as 'The Grand Old Duke of York' - is currently for sale.

The house in Kent's Margate was built for the Prince in 1788, who used it as his seaside retreat. It was later turned into a hotel, before that was closed in 1909 and the building was divided into flats.

A flat at Royal York Mansions in Margate, Kent, is being sold for 425,000 via estate agents Miles & Barr

The spacious flat has two large double bedrooms that have been colourfully decorated with rich colours

Today, the top floor flat has two bedrooms and is on the market via estate agents Miles & Barr with a price tag of 425,000.

The flat has been restored by its current owners and has a modern feel.

There is a spacious hallway, a living room with views across Margate and two double bedrooms, with the smallest still measuring an impressive 15'7 ft by 14'4 ft.

An immaculate kitchen and bathroom means that the flat is ready to move into. The property is also being sold with the attraction of no chain.

The top floor flat has a contemporary living room with views across the south coast in Kent

Extensive sea views amid the pandemic: The flat has views of the sandy beaches at Margate

The restored flat is part of a grand building in Kent that was built for the prince in 1788

THE GRAND OLD DUKE OF YORK Pictured: Prince Frederick, the Duke of York and Albany Prince Frederick, the Duke of York and Albany was born in 1763 and was the second son of King George III. The prince was a soldier from 1764 to 1803 and the heir presumptive to his elder brother George IV following the death of his father in 1820. The property in Margate is called Royal York Mansions, having previously been the Royal York Hotel. The Prince lived there between 1763 and 1827, as mentioned on a blue plaque on the property. The Prince was mocked in the rhyme 'The Grand Old Duke of York' after his military setbacks of 1799. In past times: The prince lived at the property (pictured) between 1763 and 1827 Advertisement

There are two bedrooms, with the smallest still measuring an impressive 15'7 ft by 14'4 ft

Designer white subway tiles are on the walls of the shower room in the Margate flat

The building is in the Old Town of Margate, which has a vibrant mix of vintage shops, bars and restaurants.

It is within walking distance of the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery, Dreamland and Margate train station, which has services to London via Kings Cross, St. Pancras.

It also has good access to roads links to the capital via the A299 Thanet Way and the M2 Motorway.

The average price of a property in Margate is 229,970, up more than 11,619 in the past year, according to property website Zoopla.

It compares to the 316,516 average value of a home in Britain today, which is up 17,208 on a year ago.

Tom Parker, of Zoopla, said: 'If you're on the hunt for a home with royal links, but without the hefty price tag that comes with many former regal residences, this is the perfect property.

'This chic apartment not only boasts a modern interior but also has a stunning location overlooking Margate Parade with a sea view.

'What's more, it's also a short walk to Margate train station which has direct trains to London, making it a great choice for London commuters seeking a seaside retreat.'

The subway tiles continue in the kitchen, which has grey cabinets and black worktops

Fifty shades of grey: The designer look continues in the spacious hallway, which has a mirror

Room with a view: The flat is in a stunning location, which overlooks Margate Parade
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Officials clarified on Tuesday that the Philippines will still receive from the COVAX facility COVID-19 vaccines for 20% of the Philippine population. But the vaccine allocation for 5% percent of the country will not be for free, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said, noting a drawdown in COVAX funds.

Galvez and the Department of Health assured the country already has funds for 5% percent of the populace.

Nagkaroon ng drawdown sa kanilang funding. I believe meron naman tayong [fund] allocation doon, he told a forum.

[Translation: There was a drawdown in their funding. I believe we have fund allocation for 5% of our population.]

The budget for the 5% has been secured, DOH said in a statement on Monday.

Galvez earlier announced they were expecting to receive free COVID-19 vaccines for 15-16% of the countrys population, instead of 20%.

COVAX is a global initiative led by the World Health Organization with the vaccine alliance Gavi and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations that aims to ensure equitable access to coronavirus vaccines.

Another way the coronavirus vaccines will reach Filipinos is through procurement, which is being handled exclusively by the national government, although tripartite agreements can be entered into by the private sector and local government units.

The country seeks to buy 148 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from seven frontrunners in the COVID-19 vaccine race, such as US-based Pfizer and British firm AstraZeneca, to immunize up to 70 million Filipinos this year.

Galvez said the country is still on track to receive 17 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine. He was reacting to reports that the pharmaceutical giant will delay its vaccine delivery to European Union nations during the first quarter of 2020 due to an issue in manufacturing. But in case AstraZeneca announces there will be delays in the shipment of its vaccine to the Philippines, another firm may fill the gap, he said.

We are negotiating just in case magkaroon ng downsizing yung manufacturing ay pwede tayong humingi ng tulong doon sa Serum Institute of India, he said.

[Translation: We are negotiating just in case there would be downsizing in manufacturing of AstraZeneca vaccines. We can ask the Serum Institute of India for help.]

He noted the Serum Institute of India is producing vaccines made by AstraZeneca and American vaccine developer Novavax.
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[January 26, 2021] Vensik Electronics Co., Ltd. Selects Epicor ERP to Streamline Processes

TAIPEI, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, today announced that Taiwan's Vensik Electronics Co., Ltd. has chosen to implement Epicor ERP, the global enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, to help improve its operations by increasing production efficiency and reducing labour costs. Founded in 1978 as a producer of plastic bags, Vensik is now a leading manufacturer of high-quality connectors, cable assemblies, and electronic automotive components based in Taiwan. Its products are exported to the US, Europe, China, South America, and other markets around the world. The Vensik family also includes two other subsidiaries in Taiwan. Aiming to capitalise on the increasing popularity of electric vehicles globally in recent years, the company has been expanding its automotive connector production lines. Its customers include major players like GM, VW Group, Audi, Porsche, BMW, Ford, and Honda. Prior to using Epicor, Vensik had been using a local ERP system which was designed primarily for small enterprises. It was unable to provide comprehensive and accurate data visualization analysis the company needed as its operations expanded. The system also failed to deliver up-to-date information in a timely manner, leading to miscommunications when following up on orders. Furthermore, using Excel to handle its complicated documentation process was largely inefficient. Finally, Vensik decided to completey replace its existing ERP system with a new solution that would resolve all these issues and help it better handle future development challenges.



Dean Chueh, Executive Assistant to the General Manager, Vensik said, "The search for a new ERP system began with a few reputable local and international providers. During the review process, we learned that the Epicor ERP best suits the manufacturing industry. Its high level of flexibility and powerful features enable us to stay up-to-date with our operations. By having this real time information allows for deeper analysis  providing actionable insights for the business. Epicor ERP is clearly identified as the system that best meets our current and future needs." Howard Chueh, Executive Assistant to the President at Vensik added that they will be working closely with Epicor to increase the company's production efficiency, while adding capability for more accurate data analysis. This will provide greater insight into its overall costs control. Vensik also plans to introduce the Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) solution in the near future, to further automate its business processes.

Epicor has already laid out an implementation timetable for Vensik, with plans for the new ERP system to go live mid next year. Epicor will provide relevant training and installation of the system's hardware, as well as work to re-establish the enterprise processes. This will allow Vensik to better integrate the operations with its subsidiaries and streamline workflow. "With over 40 years of experience, we pride ourselves on our extensive knowledge when it comes to building ERP systems for the precise needs of businesses involved in the manufacturing industry. Our highly flexible and scalable solutions are designed to help manufacturers meet their development goals and in turn drive business growth. We look forward to supporting Vensik with its continued growth in the region and wider afield," said Vincent Tang, regional vice president, Asia, for Epicor. About Epicor Software Corporation Epicor Software Corporation drives business growth. We provide flexible, industry-specific software designed to fit the precise needs of our manufacturing, distribution, retail, and service industry customers. More than 45 years of experience with our customers' unique business processes and operational requirements are built into every solution?in the cloud or on premises. With this deep understanding of your industry, Epicor solutions dramatically improve performance and profitability while easing complexity so you can focus on growth. For more information, connect with Epicor or visit www.epicor.com. Epicor and the Epicor logo are trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners. The product and service offerings depicted in this document are produced by Epicor Software Corporation. SOURCE Epicor

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Republic Day 2021: Indias military might to be on display today

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: India's military and cultural might will be on display during the 72nd Republic Day celebrations. This year the celebrations would be different owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the parade would follow all the preventive protocols.

The parade will begin at 9.50 am from Vijay Chowk and would proceed towards the National Stadium. The tableaux will start from Vijay Chowk and proceed to the Red Fort Ground.

The parade will begin from Vijay Chowk, as usual, but will end at the National Stadium instead of Red Fort. As opposed to 1.15 lakh people, this year only 25,000 spectators will be allowed to witness the parade. Children below the age of 15 and elderly with comorbidities will not be permitted. Also, this year for the first time in over 5 decades there will be no chief guest from a foreign country.

The 122-member proud contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces comprising soldiers of the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force will lead the contingent march on Rajpath. The contingent will carry the legacy of the legendary Mukti-joddhas of Bangladesh, who fought against oppression and mass atrocities and liberated Bangladesh in 1971.

72nd Republic Day 2021 LIVE: PM Modi greets nation on R-Day

The event would culminate with the Rafale aircraft flying at a speed of 900 kilometres per hour and will carry out a Vertical Charlie.

There would be 32 tableaux, 17 from states and Union territories, nine from various ministries or departments and paramilitary forces and six from the ministry of defence, which would depict India economic progress, defence powers and rich cultural heritage.
The Type Directors Club (TDC), the global typography organisation, has enhanced diversity within its leadership with the announcement of a new advisory board.

Elizabeth Carey Smith, chair of the TDC Advisory Board

Cey Adams, artist, designer, Cey Adams Studios, Brooklyn



Dr. Nadine Chahine, director, ArabicType Ltd, London



Manija Emran, founder, creative director, Me & the Bootmaker, Los Angeles



Zelda Harrison, principal, ZHarrison & Associates/ZELDESIGN, Los Angeles



Saki Mafundikwa, founder, director, Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts (ZIVA), Harare

Elizabeth Carey Smith (chair), designer director, Saturday Design, New York



Paul Carlos, principal, Pure+Applied, New York; adjunct faculty, Parsons School of Design, The New School



Liz DeLuna, principal, main5design, New York; professor, Graphic Design, St. John's University



Carrie Hamilton, designer, Carrie Hamilton Design, New York; instructor, The City College of New York



John Kudos, managing partner, KUDOS Design Collaboratory, KASA Collective, New York



Bobby C. Martin, Jr., founding partner, Champions Design, New York



Joe Newton, designer, illustrator, educator, Anderson Newton Design, New York



Juan Carlos Pagan, founding partner, executive creative director, Sunday Afternoon, New York



YuJune Park, partner, cofounder, Synoptic Office, New York; assistant professor, Communication Design, Parsons School of Design, The New School



Christopher Sergio, vice president, group creative director, Henry Holt & Co/Macmillan Publishers, New York

The advisory board, which includes five new members, is the first elected by TDC membership since the organisation became part of The One Club for Creativity in October 2020. The merger provides TDC with resources and infrastructure to broaden and grow its programming and aligns with TOCCs existing emphasis on promoting diversity and inclusion.The new joining members are:Returning to the TDC Advisory Board are:Christopher Sergio has also been appointed to represent TDC on The One Club Board of Directors and Carol Wahler continues in her role as TDC executive director.TDC will continue to be run as an autonomous, committee-based organisation, with the advisory board responsible for all TDC programming, effective January 2021.A top priority of the new TDC Advisory Board is to take action on how to authentically address the industrys stark inclusion and diversity problems through representation, membership and programming.The new members bring a wealth of experience and diverse perspectives to the TDC Advisory Board, helping us create new paths forward in the creative community and maintaining our commitment to celebrating typographic excellence, said Elizabeth Carey Smith, TDC past-president who will serve as board chair.
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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, RepairSmith, the company whose mission is to deliver convenient auto repair everywhere, announces that Alison Burnham, PhD, has been promoted to Chief Data & Analytics Officer. Additionally, two new executives are joining the RepairSmith team, automotive industry experts Tom Peterson as Senior Vice President of Fleet and Dave Pributsky as Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships.

- Alison Burnham, PhD, has been promoted to Chief Data & Analytics Officer. Previously, Burnham served as Vice President of Data Science since 2018, where she built a world-class data science team. Burnham and her team created RepairSmith's price model, which incorporates automation and revolutionizes how car owners receive quotes on car repair and maintenance services. As Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Burnham will continue to lead the data science team leveraging artificial intelligence to focus on automated pricing, operational efficiencies, customer retention, and diagnostics.

- Tom Peterson joins as Senior Vice President of Fleet. Peterson brings nearly 20 years of industry experience from GE Capital Fleet Services and Element Fleet Management, North America's largest fleet management company. He previously held executive-level commercial leadership roles at both companies which were focused on driving client retention and new business growth. During his career in fleet, he was awarded National Salesperson of the Year and several other national awards. Peterson will focus on expanding RepairSmith's fleet business.

- Dave Pributsky joins as Senior Vice President of Partnerships, bringing more than 20 years of experience in strategy and business development to the team. Prior to RepairSmith, Pributsky oversaw and managed partner development at TrueCar, a leading digital automotive marketplace, for 11 years. He was responsible for executing TrueCar's digital strategy and business development, generating and spearheading more than 400 partnerships with companies including USAA, AAA, American Express, Chase, and Consumer Reports. Pributsky will build RepairSmith's network of partnerships.

"We are investing in best-in-class talent and technology to grow our convenient repair and maintenance service for car owners and fleets," said Joel Milne, RepairSmith CEO. "I am excited to welcome our new executives to our leadership team as we focus on expanding into new markets and advancing our services with optimizations and new features this year."

The announcement follows a year of record growth for RepairSmith. In 2020, RepairSmith's award-winning service expanded to include more than 550 cities, the company introduced its 'No-Contact Car Repair' service, launched service for property managers and fleet owners, and committed a quarter of a million dollars to support local nonprofits.

In 2021, RepairSmith will expand its service to new locations and bolster its services in support of its mission to deliver convenient auto repair everywhere.

To apply to join the team, visit https://jobs.lever.co/repairsmith.

About RepairSmith

RepairSmith is on a mission to deliver convenient auto repair everywhere. The company's at-home service offers car owners complete, convenient repair and maintenance service, upfront prices before booking, and five-star quality service all at an affordable price. RepairSmith delivers repair and scheduled maintenance on-location for fleet owners to maximize vehicle utilization and consolidate costs.

Founded in 2018, RepairSmith is based in Los Angeles and offers service across 550+ cities. All RepairSmith mechanics are employees of the company and are equipped with quality tools and parts to deliver a five-star service experience. The company is backed by Daimler AG.

RepairSmith has been recognized by Built In LA as one of the 'Best Places to Work,' and awarded the 'Business Transformation Award' by the Association for Corporate Growth in Los Angeles. RepairSmith's technicians have been named 'Essential Worker Hero of the Year' by the Consumer World Awards.

To learn more, visit www.RepairSmith.com and follow the company on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and YouTube. Apply for career opportunities at https://jobs.lever.co/repairsmith.

SOURCE RepairSmith

Related Links

http://www.repairsmith.com/


Mississippi police are asking for help tracking down relatives of a young girl who was murdered and stuffed into a 55-gallon metal drum left in the New Hampshire wilderness four decades ago, as DNA evidence shows she has ancestors in the South.

In 1985 police discovered a metal drum holding the badly composed bodies of two women, and found another drum in the same area in 2000, holding two more bodies, outside Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire.

Officials ruled all of their deaths a homicide.

Three of the victims were identified in 2019 as Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch and her two young daughters, Marie Elizabeth Vaughn and Sarah Lynn McWaters.

Now police are asking for help in identifying the final victim, a young girl believed to be between two and four years old, found in the second drum in 2000.

Her biological father is serial killer Terry Peder Rasmussen, according to a DNA analysis in 2016 and authorities say he is the primary suspect in 'Jane Doe's death.'

New DNA evidence shows her mother has relatives in Pearl River County in Mississippi, prompting the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations to issue a plea for help in identifying her potential family members.

Authorities believe the little girls mother, who is unidentified, is likely another one of Rasmussens victims.

Police are asking for help in identifying a young girl who was murdered and stuffed into a 55-gallon drum that was left in the New Hampshire wilderness and discovered in 2000. Police shared this artist rendering (left) showing what the child looked like at the time of the murder between 1979 and 1981. A DNA analysis found she is the daughter of serial killer Terry Peder Rasmussen (right) and her mother, who is unknown, has relatives in Pearl River County in Mississippi

The Bear Brook murders: In 1985 police discovered a 55-gallon drum holding the badly composed bodies of two women and found another one in the same area in 2000 holding two more bodies. Officials ruled all of their deaths a homicide. A view of one drum found near Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire

A view of another metal drum in which Rasmussen's alleged victims were found above

Authorities believe Rasmussens daughter was between two and four years old when she was killed. She was likely born between 1975 and 1977 and was likely murdered between 1979 and 1981, police officials said.

Rasmussen is suspected of killing at least six people across the US and is dubbed the 'Chameleon Killer' because he went by a series of aliases including Terry Peder Rasmussen, Robert (Bob) T. Evans, Curtis Mayo Kimball, Jerry Edwards Gorman, Gordon Curtis Jenson, and Lawrence William Vanner.

He died in a California prison in December 2010 at the age of 67 before he could be questioned about this girl's identity.

The Bear Brook mystery was a cold case for years but is slowly being solved thanks to genetic investigations.

Rasmussen was identified as the killer in the case in 2017 and his victims were named in 2019, all except for this last Jane Doe.

The New Hampshire State Police partnered with the Genetic Genealogist Dr. Barbara Rae-Venter to help identify Jane Doe.

The child and her mother could be the descendants of Thomas 'Deadhorse' Mitchell, who was born in 1836 or William Livings who was born in 1826. Shed be the fifth or 6th great-grandchild of one of these men, authorities say.

Mississippi authorities are asking for people to share the rendering of Jane Doe on social media and if possible for Mississippi residents to upload their DNA into GEDmatch or Family Tree DNA to increase chances of identifying the girl

The victims: Three of the four victims found wrapped in plastic and placed inside the metal drums left in the New Hampshire woods were identified in 2019 Marlyse Elizabeth Honeychurch (above) and her two young daughters, Marie Elizabeth Vaughn and Sarah Lynn McWaters

Honeychurch was killed along with her two daughters including Marie Elizabeth Vaughn (above). They were last seen in November 1978 in La Puenta, California when Marie Elizabeth was six

Honeychurch and her kids had no ties to Mississippi nor New Hampshire prior to going missing. A view of her youngest daughter found murdered Sarah Lynn McWaters above. She was just 11 months old when she was last seen in November 1978

'She had slightly wavy brown hair and stood approximately 3 feet, 3 inches to 3 feet, 9 inches tall. She had a slight overbite that may have been noticeable,' the news release said.

She may have had anemia in her life, according to a bone analysis, and her DNA showed she is primarily Caucasian with a small amount of Asian, Black and American Indian ancestry.

Mississippi authorities are asking for people to share the rendering of Jane Doe on social media and if possible for Mississippi residents to upload their DNA into GEDmatch or Family Tree DNA to increase chances of identifying the girl.

'The idea is to get as close as we can to a living relative,' Associate Attorney General Jeffery Strelzin, who oversees the Cold Case Unit, said on the case.

Pearl River County is in southern Mississippi and borders Louisiana and has a popluation of 55,500.

Authorities are hoping someone in Pearl River County will remember a woman and her young daughter disappearing in the late 70's.

The analysis found that the young, unamed girl, was not related to Honeychurch or her daughters.

Honeychurch and her girls were all last seen alive in November 1978 in La Puenta, California. They had no ties to Mississippi nor New Hampshire prior to going missing.

Honeychurch was just 24 at the time and visited her family for Thanksgivng at her mothers house where she introduced them to Rasmussen.

In 2003 Rasmussen pleaded guilty to murdering his then-girlfriend 44-year-old California chemist Eunsoon Jun, whose dismembered body was found in her Richmond, California home

She, Rasmussen and the daughters, who were then six and 11 months old, left the home after Honeychurch and her mother got into an argument and the family never saw the three ever again.

'It tore my mom up. She took the blame for her leaving. [It] just hurts that she doesnt know that it wasnt her fault, that she left with somebody that was gonna be horrible,' Honeychurchs brother David Salamon said to ABCs 20/20 last year.

Rasmussen has a lengthy criminal record.

In 2003 Rasmussen pleaded guilty to murdering his then-girlfriend 44-year-old California chemist Eunsoon Jun, whose dismembered body was found in her Richmond, California home.

Since 2017 he has been linked to several other crimes, thanks to DNA profiling.

If you are aware of a missing child or a missing child and mother from this time frame, please contact NH State Police at (603)MCU-TIPS or Sgt. Matthew Koehler of the NH State Police Major Crime Unit at (603)223-3648 or matthew.koehler@dos.nh.gov.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The scheduled delivery to Argentina this week of doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has been delayed indefinitely, a government source in Buenos Aires told AFP Tuesday.

An Aerolineas Argentinas flight was scheduled to depart to Russia last Sunday to bring back a third batch of the 19.4 million doses Moscow had committed to provide before the end of February. So far, Argentina says it has received 600,000 shots of the vaccine that requires two doses.

Airline boss Pablo Ceriano said on Twitter Monday the flight would be rescheduled "as soon as we have a confirmation from all the parties involved in the supply chain."

On Tuesday, a government source told AFP a new date had not yet been set. The government has not provided a reason for the delay.

Aerolineas Argentinas has undertaken two flights to Russia and back so far to bring doses of the vaccine which Argentina started administering on December 29.

The country of 44 million inhabitants has recorded 1.8 million coronavirus infections and 47,000 deaths.

It is administering the second vaccine dose to health personnel in the initial stage of a national inoculation program.

The government in Buenos Aires says it has secured more than 51 million vaccine doses.

Including its deal with Russia's Gamaleya laboratory, Argentina has signed contracts for the delivery of the shot developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, is negotiating with drugmaker Pfizer for access to its vaccine, and will also get doses under the UN's Covax distribution project.

Sputnik V is still undergoing Phase 3 trails, the final testing round before a drug is approved.

Russia says the shot has been given to some 1.5 million people, and early trial results have shown it to be more than 90 percent effective.

Europe, too, is having trouble getting promised vaccine deliveries as drugmakers battle to keep up with demand.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday companies "must honor their obligations" after British-Swedish group AstraZeneca and US company Pfizer both announced delivery delays.

Italy has threatened to take legal action against Pfizer.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
Jersey City police are investigating a shooting incident on the same block where shots were fired into a car last month, authorities said.

Police responded to Forrest Street between Martin Luther King Drive and Bergen Avenue at 1:48 a.m. Saturday on a report of shots fired in the area, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said.

No one was reported injured in the incident, which occurred hours after The Jersey Journal reported online the arrest of a man wanted in the Dec. 12 shooting incident on the same block of Forrest Street.

Police say Jameek Madison fired into the drivers side of a car, but the two women inside the vehicle were not injured. Madison was arrested on Jan. 17 after trying to flee from police in the vehicle that was used in the December shooting incident, authorities said.
A man who killed his two wives within three years was finally convicted and sentenced to life in prison after the exhumation of his first partner's body revealed clues that she was murdered following her mysterious death.

The premiere of the Oxygen network's new true-crime series Exhumed revisited the murders of Diana Kelley and Christy Kelley, who died three years apart in the small town of Joplin, Missouri, in the early 1990s.

Suspiciously, they were both married to Doyle Kelley at the time of their deaths, leading detectives to exhume Diana's body looking for answers.

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True crime: The murders of Doyle Kelley's first wife, Diana Kelley (left), and second wife, Christy Kelley (right), were revisited on the premiere of the new true-crime series Exhumed

Terrible crimes: Doyle murdered his estranged wives three years apart and almost got away with Diana's death

Diana, 24, was found dead in the passenger seat of her car with blood on her nose and hand on September 26, 1990, after a paint store employee noticed a strange vehicle parked outside.

She and her estranged husband Doyle were married for five years and had a four-year-old son together. They separated two weeks before she was killed.

'She was very giving, going door to door on any day giving flowers out or involved with Girls Scouts. She was easy to know and easy to love,' Gary Stubblefield, Dianas brother, told producers on the show.

Diana was with a friend the night before her body was found and was supposed to meet Doyle at 9 p.m., but he claimed she never showed up. She also never picked up their son from her mom's, which her brother said was out of character for her.

Doyle filed a missing person's report hours before her body was found.

'For her to be found deceased was very shocking to the family, and it really shocked them to the core,' Det. Sgt. Keith Meyer explained on the show.

Doyle told police that he and Diana were separated but had remained friendly.

Tragedy: Diana, 24, was found dead in the passenger seat of her car with blood on her nose and hand on September 26, 1990, two weeks after separating from Doyle

Suspicious: The couple had a four-year-old son together, and Diana was supposed to meet Doyle at 9 p.m. the night before her body was found, but he claimed she never showed up

Joplin Police Chief David Niebur recalled how Diana's family said she was 'in very good spirits and was getting on with her life.' She had even rented a new apartment.

However, her suspicious death led detectives to question her mental state, and they wondered if she was depressed enough over the separation to take her own life.

Officials hoped an autopsy would give them the answers they were looking for, but it only led to more confusion.

There were signs of hemorrhaging on her face and neck, and it was concluded she died from respiratory failure, but the medical examiner couldn't determine if she died of natural causes or strangulation.

Among the potential suspects was Richard Blackwood, a man that Diana was dating at the time. People who knew him said he was obsessed with her, and during questioning, he said he wanted to kill himself to be with Diana.

'This was a very strange and strange-acting individual,' Meyer said.

Richard had given Diana a necklace with a St. Christopher medal and always wanted her to wear it. The friend who was last with Diana said she had been wearing the necklace, but she didn't have it on when her body was discovered.

Hard: 'For her to be found deceased was very shocking to the family, and it really shocked them to the core,' Det. Sgt. Keith Meyer explained. Diana's case went cold for three years

Murder: In April 1993, Christy was found dead, floating face down in the bathtub in her home after suffering blunt force trauma to the head and being drowned

Diana's estranged husband Doyle was also a suspect. While he claimed they were friendly, others noted he had a dark side to him.

'There was a lot of gossip about what happened and one name kept popping up: Doyle Kelley,' Pam Giger, a Joplin resident, told producers. 'He had a really bad temper, was very controlling.'

Despite the suspicions surrounding Doyle, there was no evidence to link him or anyone else to the death, and the case went cold for three years.

In April 1993, Doyle's second wife, Christy, was found dead, floating face down in the bathtub in her home. She had suffered blunt force trauma to the back of the head and then was held down in the water until she drowned.

'It was too much of a coincidence,' Niebur told producers.

Christy had married Doyle in 1991, and they were in the process of splitting up at the time of her murder. Her friend Giger told producers that Doyle was abusive.

She had moved on with her landlord Mike, who was initially a suspect because there wasn't any sign of forced entry into Christy's home. However, he said he was out of town at the time and had a solid alibi.

Suspicious: Joplin Police Chief David Niebur said the deaths of both of Doyle's wives were 'too much of a coincidence,' and they received permission from Diana's family to exhume her body

Big break: A new medical examiner determined that Diana had been strangled and the cause of death was changed to homicide

Mike told police that Christy was afraid of Doyle, saying he was controlling and once told her that he would kill himself if they couldn't be together.

Doyle told the police that he saw his estranged wife that day around 2 p.m., but then went to a pig roast. Friends said he showed up late, but he claimed he had just gotten lost.

Doyle's shaky alibi was destroyed after neighbors told investigators that they had seen him with Christy in the front yard of her home as late as 5 p.m., turning him into the prime suspect.

His apparent role in the murder of his second wife then led police to re-position him as a suspect in the death of his first partner Diana.

In light of Christy's death, detectives began to reinterview Diana's friends and family to see if there was anything they had missed that would connect him to her death.

During the second round of interviews, a friend revealed that he had been at Doyle's house the day after Diana died, and had watched him smash up the St. Christopher medal that she had been wearing the night before her death.

The new information led to a police request permission from Diana's family to exhume her body in search of more clues that would implicate Doyle.

While they agreed, Doyle tried to legally stop the exhumation of his late wife's body but was unsuccessful.

Murderer: Doyle was found guilty of the first-degree murders of Diana and Christy in October 1994 and was given two life sentences without the possibility of parole

Appeal: The murder conviction in Christy's case was overturned on a technicality in 1997; however, Doyne, now 61, remains in prison for Diana's murder

Diana's body was still well-preserved when it was exhumed on August 23, 1993, which was helpful to the new medical examiner.

The second autopsy showed indentations and bruising around her neck, as well as damage to her throat bone, indicating she had been strangled. The cause of death was changed to homicide.

In September 1993, Doyle was charged for both the murders, right before he was about to take a third wife. He was engaged to marry a 21-year-old named Jill when he was arrested, the Chicago Reader reported in 1994.

Doyle was found guilty of the first-degree murders of Diana and Christy in October 1994 and was given two life sentences without the possibility of parole.

However, Doyle's murder conviction in Christy's case was overturned three years later on a technicality following an appeal.

'In his direct appeal, Defendant's principal claims of trial court error are in two categories: First, that the trial court committed reversible error when it allowed the State to join the two murder charges and refused to sever the cases, and second, that the trial court erred in several evidentiary rulings,' the Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District wrote in an opinion for the case State v. Kelley.

'We reverse the judgment stemming from Defendant's conviction for the murder of Christy Kelley and remand that case for further proceedings. We affirm the judgment on Defendant's conviction for the murder of Diana Kelley.'

Doyle, now 61, remains in prison for Diana's murder.
This year's Republic Day Parade will witness several major changes owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no foreign dignitary in attendance for the first time in 55 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers Amit Shah and Prakash Javadekar extended greetings to the nation on the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day. "Wishing all the people of India a Happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!" Modi wrote on Twitter.

        ! Wishing all the people of India a Happy #RepublicDay. Jai Hind!  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 26, 2021

   71      Greetings to all Indians on 71st Republic Day. pic.twitter.com/BRn4YB5q0h  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 26, 2020

Modi will be participating in the Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath in New Delhi. He led the nation in paying tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial, after which he will witness the Republic Day parade at Rajpath.

Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the day celebrates "the vibrant cultural diversity, defence preparedness and confidence of Aatmanirbhar Bharat". While Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh thanked "all who fought for our freedom and shaped our country to be a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular and Democratic Republic", West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot urged citizens to "forever strive to protect, preserve and follow all the ideals of the Constitution".

Greetings on 72nd Republic Day. Today we come together to celebrate the vibrant cultural diversity, defence preparedness & confidence of #AatmaNirbharBharat. We will continue to work towards a better & brighter future with the spirit of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas'. pic.twitter.com/HLWm9953MC  Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 26, 2021

Today on 71st #RepublicDay, let's take a minute to thank all who fought for our freedom & shaped our country to be a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular & Democratic Republic with the adoption of the Constitution. Let us pledge to uphold & safeguard these values of our great Nation. pic.twitter.com/Hzq5fsmF9P  Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) January 25, 2020

Justice, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity We must forever strive to protect, preserve & follow all the ideals of the Constitution. Warm greetings to every Indian on Republic Day! Todays parade in Kolkata has been dedicated to Deshnayak Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 26, 2021

         

                                  #HappyRepublicDay2021 pic.twitter.com/NqHkY29VWj  Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) January 26, 2021

Today I join our great Nation in celebrating our #RepublicDay. On this historic occasion let us rededicate ourselves to faithfully discharge our Fundamental duties as responsible citizens and be proactive partners in nation building. pic.twitter.com/bwfh5bwYc6  N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) January 26, 2021

The Congress said on Twitter that the Constitution's singular aim is the welfare of Indians, "we cannot and will not compromise on it". The party also highlighted its endeavour to "protect and preserve the rights" of the people in a video showing visuals from the post-Independence era.

Our republic was constituted with a singular aim: the welfare of each Indian; we cannot and will not compromise on it.#RepublicDay # pic.twitter.com/dJBT07Um7c  Congress (@INCIndia) January 26, 2021

From the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly to this day, the Congress party has always endeavoured to protect & preserve the rights of our people. This Republic Day, we honour the Constitution of India and the great minds that drafted it. #RepublicDay # pic.twitter.com/pAuEfLlZ6a  Congress (@INCIndia) January 26, 2021

Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge said the "resilience of our republic is being tested", while YSRCP MP V Vijaysai Reddy said we are "citizens of the most vibrant democracy and our strength lies in our constitutional values".

Let us all remember the fact that India had a very turbulent journey to be a prosperous republic. The resilience of our republic is being tested & it is upto us that we ensure we dont squander what our forefathers have fought for. My best wishes to all for the #RepublicDay  Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) January 26, 2021

We, are the citizens of the most vibrant democracy & our strength lies in our constitutional values! This little tribute in the form of the recital of Our Preamble fills me with hope, joy & pride! Nothing better than remembering these golden words on the occasion of #RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/ZTElHctNlC  Vijayasai Reddy V (@VSReddy_MP) January 26, 2021

ITBP officials unfurled the tricolour in the snow-clad mountains of Ladakh and sand artist Sudarsan Pattanaik designed a sand sculpture on the occasion of Republic Day.

#WATCH: Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans celebrate the 72nd #RepublicDay at a high-altitude Border Outpost in Ladakh. (Source: ITBP) pic.twitter.com/Osgf8pfMAB  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

Wishing all a Happy #RepublicDay . Jai Hind!. My SandArt at Puri beach. pic.twitter.com/IJxDjEPnuR  Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) January 26, 2021

President Ram Nath Kovind will unfurl the national flag, which will be followed by the national anthem and a 21-gun salute and the parade will commence. India will show its military might with Rafale jets taking part in the Republic Day flypast for the first time and the armed forces showcasing T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system, Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets.

A total of 32 tableaus, including 17 from states and Union Territories, six from the defence ministry, and nine from other Union Ministries and paramilitary forces, will be a part of the parade. This year's Republic Day Parade will witness several major changes owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no foreign dignitary in attendance for the first time in 55 years. The contingents will only march for a distance of 3.5 km instead of the usual 8.5 km.

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 25, 2021 / AI/ML Innovations Inc. (CSE:AIML) is pleased to announce that, further to its news release of January 20th, it has completed the second and final closing of a non-brokered private placement offering (the "Offering"). The Offering generated gross proceeds of $3,000,000.00 for 4,000,000 units at $0.75 per unit. The Offering is comprised of the previously announced first closing of 2,000,000 units for gross proceeds of $1,500,000, combined with the herein announced second closing of 2,000,000k units for gross proceeds of $3,000,000.00. Each unit is comprised of one common share and one share purchase warrant, with each warrant having an exercise price of $1.00 and an expiration date of 18 months from the date of issuance, subject to the Company's option to accelerate expiry if its shares trade at $1.25 or more for 10 consecutive trading days.

The Company intends to use the proceeds of this offering to further advance its platform deployment with key healthcare clients as well as to pursue accretive acquisitions.

The Company paid finder's fees in respect to the Offering of $36,450 and issued 48,600 finder's warrants, each warrant entitling the holder to subscribe for one additional common share for $1.00 for a period of six months.

All securities issued pursuant to the financing are subject to a resale restriction until May 26, 2021.

For more information about AI/ML Innovations:

Investor slidedeck: https://aiml-innovations.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/AIML-mini-1-21.pdf

Corporate video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2QSjo7clXc&feature=youtu.be

AI/ML Innovations Inc. has aligned its business operations to capitalize on the burgeoning areas of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), with an initial focus on emerging companies in the digital healthcare space. AI/ML's shares are traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "AIML". For detailed information please see AI/ML's website at https://aiml-innovations.com/ or the Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com.

For further information, contact Blake Fallis at (250) 384-1999 or info@aiml-innovations.com.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services for dissemination in the United States of America. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U. S. securities law.

SOURCE: AI/ML Innovations Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625914/AIML-Innovations-Inc-Completes-Second-and-Final-Closing-of-Over-subscribed-Strategic-Financing-for-Total-Gross-Proceeds-of-3-Million
Marking the 72nd anniversary of India's Republic Day, internet search giant Google captured the vibrant art, architecture, culture and heritage of the country in a fascinating doodle noting it as "bringing the nation to life'. The illustration has been done by Mumbai-based guest artist Onkar Fondekar.

Displaying the colours of the Indian flag, old buildings in the pattern of Havelis have been sketched in the background in a light saffron hue. Meanwhile, underlining the diversity of India, people coming from various religious, cultural backgrounds and timezones- from a mahout - elephant rider to motorbike owner in the recent decades - adorns the front part of the drawing in the shade of green.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

While letters 'G' and 'O' stand towards the left of a caparisoned elephant, the last three letters of 'Google', are positioned to its right. The majestic pachyderm itself represents the second 'O' in the technology bellwether's name.

The company in its release said, "Home to approximately one-sixth of the global population, India is among the most diverse countries in the world. Todays Doodle, illustrated by Mumbai-based guest artist Onkar Fondekar, honors the day 72 years ago when the Indian Constitution took effect and made official the countrys full transition to a sovereign republic."

From our unique architecture to iconic instruments, todays #GoogleDoodle truly reflects Indias vibrant culture and the impact it has created on the world.



Heres to the 72nd year of being a sovereign republic.

 https://t.co/ZCE1i1Wwzi#HappyRepublicDay2021  pic.twitter.com/wmILJuCIZ6  Google India (@GoogleIndia) January 26, 2021

It further added: In celebration of India's Republic Day, today's doodle artwork reflects the range of vibrant cultures that bring the colorful nation to life.

"With origins that stretch back hundreds of years, musical instruments such as the dholak (a two-headed hand drum) and the sitar (a long-necked stringed instrument), both featured in the doodle artwork, are just a few examples of India's rich heritage," the note by Google said.

Google has a tradition of making iconic doodles to mark significant and historic events and this particular artwork was done keeping in mind the importance of India's Republic Day, which marks the adoption of the Constitution by India and came into effect on January 26, 1950.

Several times in the previous years, Google has done a doodle to mark the occasion.

"From its distinctive architectural styles to the Bollywood film industry, India's cultural impact is felt across the world, and today, there is much to celebrate. Happy Republic Day, India!," it said.

Artist Fondekar, who made the illustration, said: He was ecstatic to be part of this art project with Google, and hoped the message of unity in diversity will reach the masses when they see the artwork online.

"I drew inspiration from the people of India -- the culture, traditions, history, and architecture," he was quoted as saying in the statement.

(With inputs from agencies)





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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 15:05:45|Editor: huaxia

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JAKARTA -- Ten miners have been trapped underground as landslides struck a coal mine in South Kalimantan province in central Indonesia, a senior disaster official said on Tuesday.

The landslides occurring outside the underground area from Sunday night to Monday afternoon triggered mud flow and submerged the site, head of the Emergency Unit of the Provincial Disaster Management Agency Abdul Rahim told Xinhua via phone. (Indonesia-Landslide-Trapped)

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WASHINGTON -- U.S. House delivered on Monday an impeachment article against Donald Trump to the Senate, charging the former president with inciting insurrection leading to the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Nine House Democrats, appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as impeachment managers who will serve as prosecutors in the upcoming trial, made the ceremonial walk through the Capitol building to the upper chamber to deliver the article. (U.S.-Impeachment-Trump)

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TRIPOLI -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that more than 450 illegal migrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast in the past week.

"In the period of 19 to 25 January 2021, 452 migrants were rescued/intercepted at sea and returned to Libya," the IOM said. (Libya-IOM-Migrants)

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WASHINGTON -- A 5.1-magnitude earthquake jolted Santa Cruz Islands at 0508 GMT on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 11.2648 degrees south latitude and 165.2696 degrees east longitude. (Santa Cruz-Earthquake) Enditem
Tom Hallberg covers a little bit of everything, from skiing to long-form feature stories. A Teton Valley, Idaho, transplant by way of Portland and Bend, Oregon, he spends his time outside work writing fiction, splitboarding and climbing.
What was supposed to be an evening of celebration was disrupted Saturday night, when intruders managed to hack into an externally hosted chat platform at the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's Winter Ball.

According to the Houston Chronicle's Amber Elliot, the intruding individuals then posted racial slurs and other inappropriate messages.

VIRTUAL INTERRUPTION: Houston-area 19-year-old charged with making bomb threat during UH Zoom lecture

Elliot reported that the words "congrats [racial slur]" appeared repeatedly in the chat during a presentation from Roslyn Bazzelle Mitchell, a Black honoree. An attorney, accessories designer, fitness expert, mother and wife, Mitchell is one of this years 10 Women of Distinction.

It happened within a matter of seconds, said Leigh Ellen Key, executive director of the foundations South Texas Chapter. Essentially there would be a quick series of the word before the users were cut off. Unfortunately, they were able to pop back in again.

Mitchell was celebrating with a small group of friends for a watch party Saturday night when she was made aware of what was going on, and said she had to immediately step away to process what happened.

This is one of those things where Im trying not to take it personally," she said, as reported by Elliot. "But the fact that someone saw an African-American woman being celebrated, and had the angst to want to tear that down and put me in my place ... Im just trying to channel that into action."

Despite the interruption, Mitchell said the event still managed to raised $400,000 to fund inflammatory bowel disease research.

On Sunday, the foundation sent emails to supporters stating, in part, that they are deeply committed to anti-racism and deeply "regret that our participants had to see such terrible language in what we had intended to be a safe place where we could celebrate our community and our honorees," as reported by Elliot.

According to the Foundation's vice president of marketing and communications Sharon Saias, they have a transcript of the exchange and an investigation is underway.
Avent Ferry Shopping Center is grocery-anchored by a high-volume Food Lion. Given the past year, it has become more obvious than ever that these necessity-based shopping centers are a pillar of our communities."

Broad Reach Retail Partners, LLC, a value-add owner and operator of retail shopping centers, is jump-starting its new year with the acquisition of Avent Ferry Shopping Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. This acquisition comes shortly after the commercial real estate firms previous purchase of Warsaw Village Shopping Center in September.

Both purchases underline the need for neighborhood centers with essential retailers like grocery stores, pharmacies, and other supporting retail. These centers continue to provide their surrounding communities with necessary goods and services, especially during these challenging times.

Given the past year, it has become more obvious than ever that these necessity-based shopping centers are a pillar of our communities, said Nate Tower, Founder & CEO of Broad Reach Retail Partners. Our acquisition of Avent Ferry reinforces Broad Reachs commitment to elevate the value these centers bring to their local residents.

The addition of Avent Ferry to the Broad Reach portfolio expands their geography as they enter the Raleigh market for the first time. Anchored by Food Lion, Avent Ferry is in a growing area with strong demographics. Additionally, the center is located within walking distance to North Carolina State University and just three miles from downtown Raleigh. The 119,652 SF property is 87% occupied and is also home to Walgreens, Family Dollar, the North Carolina DMV, Hardees, Circle K and Wing Stop.

For leasing information, please contact Ashley Allen, Partner & VP of Leasing, at 443.890.1538 or aallen@broadreachretail.com.

###

About Broad Reach Retail Partners

Founded in 2006, Broad Reach Retail Partners, LLC is a privately held, fully integrated owner and operator of shopping centers. Since its beginning, Broad Reach has owned, lease or managed 47 centers, representing 4.7 million square feet. Our mission is to create value for our partners, properties, and people. We do this by maximizing the full potential of underutilized shopping centers through focused leasing, disciplined buying, and meticulous management. For more information, visit http://www.BroadReachRetail.com.
Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao joined Network18's initiative Mission Paani Waterthon to spread awareness against the looming water scarcity threat. The actor listed the several steps he takes on a daily basis to conserve water.

"I'm very conscious about water conservation and I want to tell everyone that we don't need to try very hard to save water. There are small steps that we can imbibe in our lives, through which we can contribute a lot to this issue. Because there is nothing greater than water. 70% of our body is water. A small thing, that I can say, is that when you are brushing your teeth in the morning, a lot of people keep their taps on. There is no point. It just takes half a second to put the tap off. So please turn your taps off. A lot of men, when they shave, they keep their taps on. Don't do that. These little steps are very easy and need to be a part of our lives. We can make a big contribution to this issue," he said.

"I don't use a shower, I use a bucket so that I know how much water I'm using. When we use a shower we don't get an idea and a lot of water is wasted. So there are the few things that I want to request everyone to make a part of our lives. We might not understand it now, but in a few years we will understand the value of it," he added.

Rajkummar opened up about his own experiences growing up in a middle-class joint family in Gurugram. He added that their family faced water crunch and had to get a tank made to store water. He added that as a child, it was a source of fun for him, but he has now understood the significance of the tank after growing up.

Read: Akshay Walks on Treadmill for 21km to Shift Focus to Water Scarcity Problem

Rajkummar also added that he would like to be a part of a film made on the cause of water conservation. The Newton actor said that cinema has the power to bring real change, and hopes a director will take a project forward.

The Mission Paani Waterthon, an initiative by News18 and Harpic India, brought together some of the biggest celebrities, leaders and changemakers to join hands for an initiative towards saving water and sustaining it for the generations to come. The event emphasises on Paani Ki Kahaani, Bhaarat Ki Zubaani, the theme to raise awareness about water crisis in India.
Twitter has been making considerable efforts in a bid to find effective ways of dealing with fake news, misinformation and propaganda, and the latest move from the company is Birdwatch. A new feature that was previously in works, Birdwatch essentially takes on a community approach where a select number of designated users will be able to add annotations for lending context to tweets that are factually debatable. Think of this as a Wikipedia approach of sorts, where the user community backed by factual verifiers in the background can contribute to removing something that may qualify as propaganda, or confirming something that creates a stir in terms of political bias.

As of now, Twitter Birdwatch is a pilot programme, so it may also be so that it never makes it to a global scale. However, Twitters approach is interesting, since adding context or information to a post made by a public figure would qualify as among the more neutral actions that a platform such as Twitter can undertake. Over time, technology giants such as Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft have, in various ways, been accused by conservatives of majorly favouring liberals. However, the issue can swing both ways, and all social media platforms are still far, far away from being able to strike a balance in terms of getting rid of misinformation on the platform.

It is not very clear as to how Twitter will select the community of users who can add these annotations, but they are proceeding with caution for now. As part of its approach, the Birdwatch annotations will not appear in the public Twitter feed, but in a separate Birdwatch sub-site. Twitters VP of product, Keith Coleman, says about this approach, Pilot participants can also rate the helpfulness of notes added by other contributors. These notes are being intentionally kept separate from Twitter for now, while we build Birdwatch and gain confidence that it produces context people find helpful and appropriate. Additionally, notes will not have an effect on the way people see Tweets or our system recommendations. Users can learn more about being part of the Birdwatch community from here.

The approach is being squarely looked at from the political spectacle, which is understandable since political influencing is one of the biggest aspects ravaging social media companies so far. Coleman further says on this matter that Twitter will be making all contributed Birdwatch data public, and the same will apply for its algorithms including the Birdwatch reputation and consensus systems.

We hope this will enable experts, researchers, and the public to analyse or audit Birdwatch, identifying opportunities or flaws that can help us more quickly build an effective community-driven solution. We want to invite anyone to sign up and participate in this program, and know that the broader and more diverse the group, the better Birdwatch will be at effectively addressing misinformation, concludes Coleman, in what may be a project that looks back at one of the older ways of information authentication in uncharted technology waters.

NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RockTree Capital, a merchant bank in Beijing and Shanghai that invests into and advises blockchain projects across North America and Greater China, announced today investment into and China market partnership with decentralized exchange 'dYdX'. RockTree participated in dYdX's $10m Series B round, led by Three Arrows and DeFiance Capital and is partnering with the exchange to accelerate its growth in the Greater China market.

dYdX's total cumulative trade volume across Spot, Margin and Perpetuals increased 40x over the past year, reaching $2.5 billion in 2020. They also make up a group of strategic investments made by RockTree Capital into burgeoning decentralized finance and blockchain projects that include; PlasmaPay, The Graph, Hathor, Centaur and CasperLabs.

RockTree Capital's investors and investment partners in China include Huobi, ZhenFund, DFund, and is led by CEO, Omer Ozden, who said "The top blockchain teams think globally, and understand Greater China is a strategic market which has significant potential to help a project scale. RockTree Capital identifies tier 1 investment opportunities and teams early, like dYdX, and then helps accelerate their growth in Greater China, one of the largest and most liquid blockchain markets in the world."

CasperLabs, which RockTree Capital is co-founding investor, closed their over subscribed $14m private round in October 2020, and delivers Ethereum 3.0 capabilities to enterprises today. They have been supported by RockTree Capital in the Greater China region for the last two years resulting in CasperLab's largest global community being in China, and a number of major investors and partnerships from the market.

Ilia Maksimenka, CEO of PlasmaPay, a decentralized finance services platform with recent rapid international growth, said "Having both an investor and local growth partner rolled into one like RockTree Capital is highly valuable, particularly for the perceptually foreign and sometimes misunderstood Greater China market."

RockTree Capital began 2021 by holding an online 'International Investment' event with a handful of its investee projects on Jan. 21, in conjunction with Bishijie, a major media outlet in China, which was streamed to thousands of people from retail and institutional blockchain community backgrounds.

For more information contact: [email protected]

About: RockTree Capital is an international merchant bank conducting overseas finance, and listing execution on a global scale. The RockTree Capital team in Beijing, Shanghai, New York and Toronto includes a full team of multi-jurisdictional lawyers and finance experts speaking Chinese and English who provide a truly international solution in a rapidly evolving blockchain industry.

Related Links

www.rocktreecapital.com

SOURCE RockTree Capital
They starred together in the 2004 romantic comedy 13 Going On 30.

And Jennifer Garner and Judy Greer forged a friendship that continues to this day.

On Monday, Garner teased her Instagram followers by challenging them to guess who she was hanging out with as she took a walk with Greer.

BFFs: They've been friends for almost 17 years. And on Monday Jennifer Garner decided to have a little fun with her Instagram followers as she met up with Judy Greer for a walk in LA

She showed her companion from behind on her Instagram Story and wrote: 'Today I got to take a walk with one of my most favorite people ever.'

On another image, Garner wrote: 'Hint: She stops and talks to every dog she sees.'

Then 'Ding Ding Ding' she posted across images of the correct answer sent to her by her followers.

Who's this? Garner shared an image that showed her companion from behind on her Instagram Story and wrote: 'Today I got to take a walk with one of my most favorite people ever'

Love: On another image, Garner wrote: 'Hint: She stops and talks to every dog she sees'

Success: Then 'Ding Ding Ding' she posted across images of the correct answer sent to her by her followers

The affection Garner, 48, has for Greer, 45, is reciprocated.

Back in 2018, Greer teared up while talking about Garner during an appearance on the Canadian show The Social.

'I just really love her so much, and she is such a special person,' Greer gushed. 'There's not a lot of people in the world that deserve everything that they've gotten, and all the success, and she is one of them.'

The actress added: 'She's also, like, a really amazing mom and a really great friend.'

Fantastical tale: Garner and Greer played childhood contemporaries who are 'magically' transported to the future where they are work colleagues in 13 Going On 30 (pictured on set with director Gary Winick)

Mutual admiration: 'I just really love her so much, and she is such a special person,' Greer gushed of Garner in 2018. 'There's not a lot of people in the world that deserve everything that they've gotten, and all the success, and she is one of them.' (the two are pictured in 2004)

Garner is mom to daughters Violet, 15, and Seraphina, 12, and son Samuel, eight, whom she shares with ex-husband Ben Affleck.

She and the Argo Oscar winner split in 2015 after 10 years of marriage and finalized their divorce in 2018.

Greer has been married to TV producer Dean E. Johnsen since 2011.
Indias goal of doubling renewable power by next year is getting a boost from international investors who see the massive markets potential outweighing significant risks.

French oil major Total SAs $2.5 billion investment in Adani Green Energy Ltd. last week is a sign that global companies increasingly under pressure to invest in environmental assets are eyeing Indias 1.3 billion energy users, despite a mounting debt at generation companies and attempts by some provinces to renege on power purchase contracts.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

Foreign investments are key to meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modis target to nearly double renewable energy capacity by 2022 and raise it five-fold to 450 gigawatts over the next decade. The plan offers investment opportunities of $20 billion a year through 2030, Modi told investors at a gathering last year.

For India, the Total-Adani deal can also be perceived as a reflection of increasing confidence among foreign investors in Indias power sector," said Charanjit Singh, head of ESG research at consultant firm Acuity Knowledge Partners. With an improvement in the commercial viability of the power distribution sector, more foreign investments in the space could be expected."

Indias renewables industry should be a prime candidate for investors increasingly demanding products that comply with the Paris climate agreement. The country is expected to have the worlds second-largest clean energy fleet by 2050, and unlike No. 1 China, it isnt dominated by state-owned giants.

For investments to rise more, though, the country may need to fix its ailing power distribution sector. Power producers have been beset by delayed payments from provincial distribution utilities, which are often forced by local governments to sell power below cost.

Andhra Pradesh, a southern state in the country, decided to renegotiate renewable power purchase contracts in 2019, saying they were exorbitantly priced" and needed to be reviewed to ease the financial burden of the states utilities and reduce power costs for consumers.

The decision, now under litigation, soured the mood of investors who kept away from project auctions for months. With the federal governments pledge to protect the investments and enforce contracts, investors seem to be regaining that lost confidence, with participation rising in recent auctions.

In addition to Total, oil majors such as BP Plc and Malaysias Petroliam Nasional Bhd have invested in the sector, along with private equity and pension funds of countries including Canada and Singapore. Indias low per capita energy use, which is a third of the world average, holds promise of consistent demand growth.

A key reason that draws investors to India is the scope for growth in energy use, led by urbanization, applications from homes to transport, and a switch to green energy," said Kameswara Rao, leader for energy and mining at PwC India. Still, they will look for mature platforms that shuffle their assets and improve quality and lower risk."

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Officials grappling with the same difficult questions have come to different conclusions, creating a patchwork of policies and timelines that vary dramatically, according to an analysis by the Prison Policy Initiative, a research nonprofit devoted to reducing mass incarceration. But at least 27 states directly name inmates in their public plans, and about a dozen place them in the first phases of vaccine distribution  including Massachusetts, where tens of thousands of prisoners are set to be vaccinated by the end of next month. New Jersey began vaccinating people in prisons in December.

Others plan to vaccinate prison and jail workers before incarcerated people, breaking with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends vaccinating everyone at correctional facilities simultaneously. Some, like New York, do not address those behind bars at all.

We have people dying on a weekly basis, said Stefen Short, a lawyer for the Prisoners Rights Project at the Legal Aid Society. What are the plans? Theres got to be a consistent message coming out of Albany and coming out of these agencies on this. Otherwise, youre just generating a lot of fear.

Vaccinating incarcerated people in the early stages of distribution has proved politically fraught. In New York, state senators have questioned whether prioritizing people in prisons makes sense. In Colorado, a draft plan to offer the vaccine inside prisons was met with fierce backlash for, as one district attorney wrote in The Denver Post, prioritizing the health of incarcerated murderers ahead of law-abiding Coloradans 65 and older.

New York officials said the state was preparing a plan. But public health experts broadly agree that incarcerated people are at particularly high risk for contracting and spreading the virus, as at least 8,800 people living or working in New Yorks prison system have tested positive since the start of the pandemic.
We, as citizens of a democratic nation, celebrate the national days of importance with great fervour and enthusiasm. Republic Day being a national holiday, one usually stays home watching the celebrations in the national capital every year. But what do you do next? You can binge watch a series of patriotic movies.

For the 72nd Republic Day, we have shortlisted a few movies for you to watch with your friends and family.

1. Rang De Basanti: A 2006 Bollywood drama, Rang De Basanti is a story of a bunch of youngsters who explore their love for the nation during a dramatic performance and become all set to write history thereafter. Starring some of the best supporting actors with Aamir Khan as lead, the movie was a huge blockbuster and is a must-watch for those looking to feel patriotic.

2. Airlift: Starring Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur, Airlift is the story of a successful businessman stranded in the city of Kuwait set during the time when it got invaded by Iraq. The film shows an actual picture of what the Indian citizens went through before being rescued and brought home with the help of the authorities.

3. Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran: The story of how India became a nuclear powered nation, this 2018 film is full of insights and interesting facts. Starring John Abraham and Diana Penty, Parmanu: The story of Pokhran reveals how the country faced several challenges during the testing of its nuclear weapons and how it was ultimately a huge success!

4. Raazi: The fate of a daughter of an Indian spy was to be the next in line after her father. Starring Alia Bhatt in the lead role and Vicky Kaushal as male protagonist, Raazi is an inspirational story of a spy, Sehmat who helped save India from a huge enemy attack.

5. Baby: If you want to understand a glimpse of how the secret intelligence services work and serve the nation, this is the movie you should watch. Baby is about a secret operation the team carries out to catch some terrorists on the move.
He is followed by ex-President Petro Poroshenko.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is still in the lead in the presidential rating.

If the presidential elections had been held in the second half of 2021, as many as 13.4% of respondents among those who intend to vote and 19.8% of those who have made up their mind would have supported the incumbent president, according to findings of a poll conducted by Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

Another 10.6% and 15.7%, respectively, would vote for ex-President, leader of the European Solidarity Party Petro Poroshenko; 8% and 11.8% would back the leader of the Batkivshchyna Party, Yulia Tymoshenko. Some 7.4% and 11% would support co-chair of the Opposition Platform - For Life Party Yuriy Boyko. Another 6% and 8.9% would cast ballots for the leader of the Syla i Chest (Strength and Honor) Party Ihor Smeshko, 5% and 7.5% would root for Chairman of the Opposition Platform - For Life Party's political council Viktor Medvedchuk, and 3.9% and 5.8% would vote for the leader of the Ukrainian Strategy Party, Volodymyr Groysman.

In general, the respondents were provided with a list of 14 candidates, which also includes Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko. Today 0.6% of all respondents and 0.9% of those who have made up their mind are ready to give their votes for the incumbent Kyiv mayor if he runs for president.

Read alsoZelensky to intel officers: Ukraine learning how to contain, resist external threatsSome 3.5% and 5.3%, respectively, want to vote for another candidate not included in the KIIS list.

A total of 9.3% of the respondents said they had not decided on the candidacy yet, while 19.2% said they would not vote at all.

Poll: Details

The survey was conducted on January 22 through computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) using a random selection of cell numbers.

The sample is representative of the adult population (aged 18 and older). The survey was conducted in settlements across Ukraine with the exception of Russia-occupied Crimea and certain districts in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The study covered 1,005 respondents.

The margin of error does not exceed 3.1%.

Reporting by UNIAN
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.
Weve said it time and again: All roads lead to Staten Island, one way or another.

There were only 12 of us from Staten Island and we ran into President Biden and his wife, Jill, at breakfast, said retired Surrogate Robert J. Gigante. Biden was a United States senator at the time and he was unbelievably friendly. We had breakfast together every morning. He could have gone off. But instead he sat down with us. And he was engaging, honest and sincere. And he made such an impression on us. That was back when we were there for the first inauguration of Bill Clinton in 1993. It was Jon DelGiorno who made the plans..

At the time Gigante was chairman of the Staten Island Democratic Party and Biden, a U.S. Senator from Delaware.

Gigante had been in Washington with a contingent of Staten Island Dems who were slated to not only attend the Inauguration, but there for the pre-inaugural events that led up to the big day.

The entourage of 12 made reservations in the Morrison-Clark Historic Inn & Restaurant, a former Victorian mansion that has since been transformed into a contemporary hotel in downtown Washington.

The Bidens in January 1993. (Courtesy/Robert J. Gigante)

Gigante said that chance meeting sparked his admiration for Biden.

Since that time I followed his career. And the striking thing about him is what you see is what you get. I think he is just the right person for the job.

President Biden and his wife were extremely warm and welcoming individuals, said DelGiorno, a partner in the consulting firm of Bishop, Pitta & DelGiorno. At the time President Biden was Judiciary Chair in the Senate and we were just so impressed by the couples warmth and hospitality at the Historic Morrison-Clark Inn. They asked what we had on the agenda. We had a lot of events scheduled. And we were sharing our calendar with the Bidens.

Also part of the Staten Island contingent were Gigantes wife, Barbara, and their children, Justice Wayne Ozzi and his wife, Lucy, late Public Administrator John Kearney, Assemblyman Michael Cusick, John and Ceil Scalia, owners of Scalia Home for Funerals in Eltingville, John Sollazzo, whos been dubbed Mr. Democrat, psychologist Dr. Larry Arann and wife Susan, and Debra Passarello, Democratic executive board member and Democratic Party secretary, and her husband, Dan.

President Joe Biden takes the oath of office from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts as his wife, first lady Jill Biden, stands next to him during the 59th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/TNS) TNSTNS

It was nice to be with Joe and Jill, who were very young then, Scalia said. In fact, we went to D.C. with two limousines. We enjoyed our stay and attended every event  including all the pre-inaugural events, as well as the Inaugural Ball. We even went to the Capital Centre, where all the stars performed. We were there for about four days and also attended the parade.

He also remembers having breakfast at the same table every day with the Bidens, who were friendly and forthcoming.

At the Inauguration I sat next to Johnny Corcoran. And on the bus I sat next to President Clintons brother, Roger. Once you got there you were taken everywhere by bus. It was a wonderful experience.

Scalia also remembers that his wife, Celia, who is often asked to use American Sign Language, signed at the Inauguration and assisted in front of the stage.
An Irish traveller has revealed she isn't allowed to go on holiday until she is married and said most women in her community don't ever get a job in a series of revealing TikTok videos about her lifestyle.

Caitlin, 20, from London, has garnered 114k followers after sharing clips about life as an Irish traveller alongside her sister Lizzy, 18, on the social media platform.

In one video, Caitlin revealed: 'I feel like one out of 100 traveller women actually have a job and go to work, because they mostly leave it down to the husbands.

'We don't really go to work. I know people that have been to work.'

Caitlin, 20, from London, has gained thousands of social media followers after revealing an insight into her life as an Irish traveller on TikTok

The youngster often shares videos with her young sister Lizzy, 18, in which they offer glimpses into their fashion, home and lifestyle

Starting the series, Caitlin explained: 'We never realised how interested non-travellers are in the travelling community.

'If you have any questions about us travellers, we'll give you as much detail as we can give you.'

Meanwhile 18-year-old Lizzy added: 'We'll do it from our experience and what we know, because everyone's different and how they grew up, how they were raised.'

Meanwhile Caitlin, who has finished primary school, secondary school and is now in college, has even offered followers tours of the caravan where she will live with her family until she is married.

The sisters often invite their online followers to send in questions to learn more about the travelling lifestyle

In one clip, Caitlin revealed she has completed 'all her GCSEs' and is now attending college to earn a qualification

In one video she explained: 'I finished primary school, secondary school, I'm in college right now, I completed all my GCSES.

'Some will go to school, some won't, but it's more common for them to not go to school.

'I think it just depends on the family whether they want to send them to school. Most likely no because that's not the line of work that traveller boys or girls go down.'

Meanwhile in another clip she said she had lived in a house for 'over a decade', adding: 'We've been living in this site for seven years.'

The 20-year-old, who often shares clips with her sister Lizzy, has been keen to dispel myths about the traveller community

The sisters said that while 'most people' within the community marry in their teenage years, they are not married yet

The 20-year-old was also keen to dispel myths about Irish travellers marrying at a young age, saying: 'Everyone assumes all travellers get married at 14 or 15. Some do get married at 14 or 15, maybe not 14, maybe 15. Some get married 18, 19, 20, you can get married at 25.

'But it's more common to get married in your teenage years. And it all depends on when you meet them.

'Some get married two months after they know them, or five years after they know them. You can't put a time to a person.'

When she does get married, Caitlin will be allowed to go on holiday for the first time without her parents.

Meanwhile she also offered a tour of the caravan where she has lived for the past seven years, saying she had previously lived in a house for a decade

In another clip, the sisters said they 'are not allowed to go on holiday' unless they are married or with their family

She said: 'As Irish girls we're not allowed to go on holiday until we're married, or with our family. Obviously there's different circumstances.

'If we were allowed, I'd be gone every year. You're not allowed that until you're married, or with your family. It's a big no.'

Her educational videos about her lifestyle have have racked up thousands of likes and comments, with some people praising her home and her fashion.

Her educational videos about her lifestyle have have racked up thousands of likes and comments, with some people praising her home and her fashion

One person said: 'You are the literally the two nicest travellers I've seen on here, so nice and informative.'

Someone else wrote: 'Ignore them haters hun you're amazing.'

A third added: 'You should not get any hate babe! Your unreal! And your home is perf.'
California will adopt an age-based system to vaccinate residents, a shift away from the states initial strategy of weighing job-based risk, that health officials hope will speed up and simplify the vaccination process.

People 65 and over and some essential workers  education workers, food and agriculture workers and first responders  will remain a top priority, along with with health care workers and nursing home staff who were first to get vaccinated. But after most of those groups get vaccinated, the state will transition to an age-based eligibility system which will allow us to scale up much more quickly to get vaccines to impacted communities much more expeditiously, Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news briefing Monday.

The age-based eligibility will take effect statewide in mid-February, the California Department of Public Health said Tuesday. But many Bay Area counties and health care providers have already adopted it and are vaccinating seniors  those 75 and older first, and those 65 and older when vaccine supply allows for it.

Some critics said the initial strategy, which factored in workers risk of exposure to the virus when considering their place in line  transportation workers, for instance, were placed in a higher tier than waste and waste water workers  was too complicated and made it difficult for providers and local health departments to decide quickly who they could vaccinate. It is easier and faster to verify ones age than ones occupation.

While were proud of the framework we put out ... we realized it has advantages and disadvantages as it relates to speed and efficiency, Newsom said.

State and local officials have said that vaccinating older residents first would help reduce coronavirus deaths and relieve some of the pressure on hospitals, since the majority of COVID-19 deaths and ICU admissions are among those who are 60 or older. But doing so also means that many essential workers under age 65 will have to wait longer to get immunized.

Younger individuals in professions or in situations where they arent nearly as exposed as some if the high-exposure industries will end up waiting a little longer than others who have either high risk or high exposure to COVID risk factors, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Tuesday. There of course is going to be some sectors of our population who dont come to the front of the line as quickly as others. Were working to make sure that communication is simple and well understood.

The state had been already moving toward age-based system since earlier this month when it announced that counties and health care providers should start vaccinating people 65 and over as long as health care workers who wanted a vaccine had been offered one.

Some Bay Area counties and providers are already implementing age-based vaccinations ahead of the state. Marin County is prioritizing those 75 and older, as is Sonoma County, which is poised to open a vaccination clinic at Rohnert Park Community Center on Wednesday for residents 75 and older.

The four main arms of vaccine distribution in Marin County  the public health department, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health and Marin Health  all agreed to focus our next 25,000 doses on our older, most vulnerable residents, health officer Dr. Matt Willis said during a COVID update to the board of supervisors Tuesday.

The county and providers are administering about 1,500 shots each day, and could do more if they could get more predictable and consistent vaccine supply, he said. Their vaccine allocation fluctuates each week from zero to 7,000 doses.

The state on Tuesday also announced a third party administrator will operate a statewide vaccine distribution network, but did not provide details on who the administrator will be or how exactly it would change the existing vaccine distribution system. The state launched a new pilot program called MyTurn that allows Californians to sign up to be notified when their turn is up and to schedule an appointment when they become eligible. It is currently available for residents of Los Angeles and San Diego counties and will expand elsewhere starting in February.

Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho
Not to be confused with the 1960s rock band from Limerick, this Grannys intention refers to the idea to develop a flying boat facility at Crookhaven Harbour, West Cork in the early 1930s. Grannys Island, lies to the north of Crookhaven, Co Cork. It is a mere scrap of an island with sparse vegetation and though its name suggests otherwise, should really be identified as an islet.

At the western end of the harbour the main road winds in from Goleen along a pleasant road. Beyond that is Barleycove where imposing sand dunes eventuated from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake when

incalculable tonnes of sand were shifted northwards by the resultant tsunami.

The eastern end of the harbour is dominated by Rock Island and the former coastguard houses. This is attached to the mainland by a very short isthmus though has been known to have been cut off in spring tides. Grannys Island forms a focal point in the summer for youngsters beginning to learn their starboard from their port.

And seals haul themselves out on Granny.

(An odd sentence, but there you go).

Dan McCarthy: 'In 1930 a suggestion was advanced to develop the harbour as a landing facility for flying boats.'

In 1930 a suggestion was advanced to develop the harbour as a landing facility for flying boats. In 1927 the world was captivated by the achievement of Charles Lindbergh in flying solo across the Atlantic, and the possibilities of linking the continents aroused huge interest. The home of flying boats in Ireland was of course Foynes on the Shannon Estuary in Co Limerick where a successful transatlantic enterprise was begun in 1935. Another proposal to develop a facility at Deenish Island adjacent to Shannon Airport come to naught.

A John Downing writing in 1930 in the Southern Star said that the villages suitability for a seaplane station was second to none, and its position is certainly more convenient to trans-Atlantic traffic than any other port on the coast. Crookhaven harbour had had an illustrious past.

Downing recorded that it was the furthest outpost in Europe in regard to the US. A fact recognised by Reuters Press Agency in 1861 when news of the civil war was eagerly sought. Despatches from the US were landed in Crookhaven and thence

telegraphed to all the capitals of Europe. Downings far-sighted proposal would have seen seaplanes land on the harbour almost a mile in length and half a mile in width, taking in Granny Island. Its upper reaches from Rock Island to Granny Island, and thence to Leenane point, would afford snug shelter even if a tornado swept the coast, wrote Downing. The plausible idea,

unfortunately, gained no traction.

Granny Island formed part of an extensive portfolio of lands owned at the turn

of the 19th century by British MP Charles Pelham Clinton.

Grannys Island is also known as Grannys Rock and Oilean Greanai meaning a gravelly place. There are a few other Granny placenames, including Granny, Co Kilkenny, which is an anglicisation of An Ghreanach. There is another in Co Mayo which is also derived from gravelly place, as attested by Tomas O Maonaile who is one of the founders of the Irish placename website meitheal.logainm.ie. The sister website of logainm.ie was also set up by Fiontar in DCU to help individuals and communities record and share minor placenames such as the names of fields, streams, houses, rocks, pathways, hills, wells, shops, and forges, says Tomas.

Regarding Greannai, Tomas says there was a small scattered village near where his father grew up in Erris, Co Mayo called Greannai. At the same time that I was

collecting the placenames from my father, a big project was underway in the wider area by Uinsionn Mac Graith and his wife Treasa Ni Ghearraidh collecting local placenames, history and heritage. Uinsionn has given the English meaning of Greannai as gravelly place, says Tomas.

They published their work in Logainmeacha agus Oidhreacht Dhun Chaochain which has about 1,600 local placenames. A similar project was carried out on Cape Clear by Eamon Lankford. The authors seek further contributions from anywhere in the country, however small.

Visit the address below.
A San Antonio police officer recently accused of bribery  allegedly taking money to provide a domestic abuser with details about the case  is now facing a child pornography charge.

A Bexar County grand jury on Monday returned multiple-count indictments against Erik Rodriguez, a 14-year veteran of the force, according to the Bexar County District Attorneys Office.

On ExpressNews.com: SAPD officer accused of giving suspected domestic abuser details about case

In a two-count indictment, Rodriguez is accused of bribery and misuse of public information. While on the job, Rodriguez is alleged to have accepted $100 from Jeremiah Gonzalez, for information to which Rodriguez had access because of his employment, and which information had not been made public.

Rodriguez also is accused of disclosing the identities of a reporting person and a suspect in the same SAPD case, the document states.

The grand jury also indicted Rodriguez on Monday on a charge of possession of child pornography.

The indictment alleges on Jan. 13, Rodriguez was in possession of video of a child under 18 engaging in sexual conduct, namely sexual bestiality, the document states.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said he is suspending Rodriguez without pay. The allegations against Officer Rodriguez are serious and troubling and will continue to be addressed through criminal and administrative processes, he said.

Because Rodriguez had not been charged with the child pornography offense prior to Monday, the grand jury set a bond of $100,000 in that case, the DAs office said.

The DA declined to comment, citing the pending cases.

Rodriguez was arrested Jan. 13 on charges of bribery and misuse of information. He was released after posting $90,000 bond, online court records indicate. Rodriguez had been on administrative leave since his arrest.

Police said in that arrest, a detective investigating allegations of dating violence learned that the victim believed her abusers friend was providing him with information about the ongoing investigation.

The detective discovered that the suspected abuser received case information from Rodriguez, who was paid by the suspect, authorities said.

The veteran officer has been disciplined before. In 2016, Rodriguez was among four SAPD officers and a detective who were suspended for various violations.

On ExpressNews.com: Records: 4 SAPD officers, 1 detective served suspensions during July

Documents obtained in July 2016 by the Express-News showed Rodriguez was suspended for 45 days without pay for: failure to perform basic functions of a police officer, including responding to service calls, reporting details of a crime, arresting people wanted on warrants and using his dashboard camera.

The documents state Rodriguez failed to supply accurate details about a violent altercation. In that instance, Rodriguez said a man involved had pushed a woman when he allegedly punched her and pulled her hair.

In February 2016, Rodriguez failed to respond to a call about a registered sex offender who was in the vicinity of children, the documents state.

Officials also said Rodriguez gave courtesy rides to people without obtaining permission, and on 18 occasions did not use his dashboard camera. He also was disciplined for failing to arrest people wanted on outstanding warrants during traffic stops or service calls, records show.

The new charges against Rodriguez are being prosecuted by the DAs Offices Public Integrity and Cyber Crime Unit in the 226th District Court, Judge Velia Meza presiding.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 72F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 72F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
State Police Identify Man in Fatal Graves Crash

By West Kentucky Star Staff

GRAVES COUNTY - Police have released the name of a man that died in a Graves County crash earlier this month.Kentucky State Police say 78-year-old Eugene Hawkins of Paducah was driving the vehicle that pulled out in front of another vehicle, leading to the collision Jan. 17 on US Highway 45 North, at the intersection of KY 1241 in Folsomdale.Hawkins' passenger, Jacqueline Robertson, also passed away as the result of injuries sustained in the collision.
The Border Security Force unfurled a 131-feet-high tricolour along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu district on Republic Day on Tuesday, officials said. The flag measuring 3020 feet is the tallest in the Jammu region, flying at a 131-feet-high pole, which can be seen even from a distance in Pakistan, the BSF officials said.

On the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day, Inspector General of BSF Jammu frontier N S Jamwal hoisted one of the largest national flags along the International Border (IB) at Octroi border out post (BoP) in the R S Pura belt with great fervour and enthusiasm, they said. The IG BSF before hoisting the tricolour at Octroi unfurled the national flag at the BSF headquarters in Jammu.

The hoisting of the flag at Octroi was possible because of the sponsorship of the Lupin Foundation, the J-K tourism and the administration, the officials said. Inauguration of the national flag at BoP Octroi would serve as an important landmark for the people visiting the Jammu border, they said.

A cultural program was organized at the post on the occasion. Cultural performances by BSF troops, regional outreach bureau, J-K tourism, Harman dance institute, besides performances by cultural artists and school children were held at the venue, the officials said. Sub Divisional Magistrate, R S Pura, R L Sharma handed over the land ownership deed of the BoP Octroi and said the pending cases of land transfer of BSF BoPs will also be settled within a month, they said.
A general view through the bars of Birmingham Prison in Winson Green in Birmingham, England, on Aug. 20, 2018. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

UK Terror Watchdog to Review Terrorism in Prisons

The UKs independent terrorism legislation watchdog is to start reviewing how to deal with terrorism in prisons.

Jonathan Hall QC, appointed in May 2019 as an independent reviewer of the UKs terrorism legislation, has so far submitted two annual reports to the government. He announced on Monday that the subject of terrorism in prisons in England and Wales will be a part of his next review.

Terrorism in Prisons. Details of my independent review are here: https://t.co/3NrTpHUCq0  Independent Reviewer (@terrorwatchdog) January 25, 2021

There has been a steady drumbeat over recent years of terrorist attacks against prison officers, and an increasing number of individuals who may well have formed their terrorist intent in prison under the influence of high-status terrorist prisoners, Hall told The Times of London.

Scrutiny was needed of how prisons operate to either contain, or worse encourage, terrorism, he said.

Unless measures are in place, prisoners may come under the influence of terrorists while in jail for other crimes, later going on to commit terrorist attacks on their release.

Or inmates may plan and carry out attacks on prison staff or other prisoners.

Brusthom Ziamani, one of the two men who stabbed prison officer Neil Trundle in January 2020 in the first terrorist attack in a British prison, was serving a 19-year sentence for plotting to behead a soldier in 2014.

Judge Mrs. Justice May said that Ziamanis adherence to extremist ideology clearly persists, and that his accomplice Baz Hockton was inspired by extremist beliefs and had a terrorist connection, according to the BBC.

According to a report (pdf) published last year by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, which examined data from 10 European countries, there have been six known cases of terrorist attacks within prisons and 22 prisonrelated plots since 2015.

The prisonrelated plots included attacks that followed an inmates release; plots the perpetrators of which met in prison; or attempts to coerce authorities into releasing prisoners.

Solutions to the problem require a degree of flexibility to fit the situation in a particular prison, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, the report stated.

Hall told The Times of London that there is likely more radicalisation than currently recorded.

It is unlikely that every act of encouragement will have led to a plot, so it is reasonable to assume that there is more encouragement going on in prisons than disclosed by these plots, he said.

He also said that he was shocked that terrorists arent despised as paedophiles are, but instead somewhat revered.

In his announcement, Hall said he will focus on three areas in regard to terrorism in prisons (pdf):

Firstly, he will investigate criminal acts of encouraging terrorism in prison, including glorifying terrorism and disseminating terrorist publications.

Secondly, Hall is interested in the status and influence of convicted terrorist prisoners in prison, and whether this is connected to Muslim or right-wing prison gangs.

Thirdly, he will look at responsibilities for securing admissible evidence of terrorist offences or terrorism-related activity in prison.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

When Parkland, Fla., high school student Emma Gonzalez spoke forcefully against gun violence in 2018 after the mass shooting at her high school, the video of her plea went viral. She received acclaim and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. But soon she was bombarded by hateful, violent invective that didn't focus so much on her strong anti-gun views as on her gender, race, and sexual orientation.

That kind of response is not unusualand it's been happening more and more, says Sarah Sobieraj, a professor of sociology and author of the recently published "Credible Threat: Attacks Against Women Online and the Future of Democracy."

Unless efforts are made to rein in these often-anonymous attacks on women, the effect will be chilling, she says, eliminating voices from debates on wide-ranging issues that affect us all. The net result, she fears, is a loss to democracy in America.

Sobieraj's research focuses on "political voice and visibility in the United States and how they are shaped by the interventions of the media," she says. The author of "Soundbitten: The Perils of Media-Centered Political Activism" and "The Outrage Industry: Political Opinion Media and the New Incivility," co-written with Tufts political scientist Jeffrey Berry, Sobieraj became interested in what happens when people use new technologies to speak out.

"There's this idea that it's democratizing, but at the same time, I kept hearing these stories about women being attacked online," she says. That led to research for the new book, talking in-depth with 52 women who have been on the receiving end of abuse from strangers based on their identities. The result is chilling look at abuse that is focused on women who speak publicly about everything from politics to gaming.

Tufts Now recently spoke with Sobieraj to learn more about the online attacks against women, what they mean for America, and what can be done about them.

Tufts Now: Who is being subject to these anonymous online attacks?

Sarah Sobieraj: Initially, I thought it was feminist women or those who were talking about topics like sexual assault, for example. But it wasn't that. All you had to do is be a woman speaking in public; I started finding all these stories about women who were speaking publicly about very non-scandalous or controversial issues and were still being attacked.

What really struck me when I started looking at this in depth was the way that genderand identity more broadlyis the weapon that's used in the attacks themselves. It's not talk about ideas. A tremendous amount of the pushback is about women's bodiestheir appearance, their sexual behaviorand the abuse is filled with identity-based stereotypes and epithets.

Are the kinds of attacks you see different for men than women?

For another piece of research, I looked at patterns of abuse in tweets directed at legislators, broken down based on their gender and race. The abuse directed at men is different. It's not polite, certainly, or we wouldn't be calling it abuse, but it does not have the same tenor. It doesn't focus as much on their identity as evidence that what they have to say is not of value.

Obviously, if you're on the receiving end of this, it's really hard, but it also serves to silence people.

There's a woman in the book who, after six years of online abuse, left the country and changed her name. There's another woman who, at the time I interviewed her, when she gave public talks would have to be accompanied by dogs sniffing for IEDsimprovised explosive devices. Those are extreme cases, but being ridiculed, defamed, and demeaned on social media is remarkably common for journalists, public intellectuals, activists, comedians, and other women in the public eye.

They get understandably tired of having their DMs and inboxes flooded with threats, pornographic gifs, and hate. So, yes, some stop speaking out. But many also self-censor in sometimes subtle ways, worrying about where they're going to post something, what they're going to write about, how they're going to write about it.

What are some of the dangers of allowing this behavior to continue?

The abuse can be personally devastating. Many women experience serious mental health effects. There are also significant social, economic, and professional ramifications. But what seems to get missed is that online abuse and harassment impact all of us, not just the people who are targeted.

The abuse says is that if you're female, especially if you are also queer or from a religious, ethnic, or racial minority group, political involvement is both high risk and something to avoidand that's very unhealthy for our democracy.

We lose their contributions to public discourse. And because the reluctance to weigh in is especially pronounced when the issues women wish to address are volatile, or their views are in the minority, or the conversation is male-dominated, we are losing the very perspectives that stand to most broaden our conversations.

This has epistemological and policy implications. We are also already seeing cases where this climate has deterred women from running for public office and kept women from pressing their research beyond the ivory tower.

Online abuse and harassment also contribute to the disinformation crisis. The abuse lobbed at women running or and holding public office is riddled with conspiracy theories and wild claims. Though ridiculous, these accusations have consequences. The disinformation distracts constituents, colleagues, and journalists from focusing on more pressing issues, and it requires those attacked to defend themselves, taking time away from their work. It also undermines the democratic process, since elections are only meaningful if the citizenry has adequate information when they enter the voting booth.

Is there a profile of the type of woman who is subject to this invective?

Well, like all inequalities, digital harassment is shaped by other social hierarchies. It tends to be worse for women who are members of marginalized groupswomen who are queer, Muslim, and/or Latinx, for example. The abuse is intersectional, so Black women, for example, receive gendered abuse that draws on racial stereotypes in addition to having to deal with abuse that is about race and gender exclusively.

Another group that bears the brunt of this are women who write about or work in spaces that have been traditionally malesports, tech, gaming, politics. These types of spaces tend to be incredibly hostile. The third category of people for whom this can be especially rough are women who are perceived as feminist or, in some other way, non-compliant to gender norms. And there are plenty of women who fall into all three of these categories.

Is most of the abuse on social media, or is it elsewhere?

It comes in lots of places. A lot happens publicly on the major social media platforms, especially Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, but some abuse comes in via email and direct message. Some happens in chat rooms and in gaming spaces. There's a lot that transpires in the comment sections of newspapers and web publications, too.

What other kinds of online abuse do these women face?

Another thing that's happening is image-based abusesometimes women are sent pornographic content, sometimes photos and videos are altered in ways that are upsetting. For example, using photoshop or another editing tool to put the target's likeness into a pornographic image. Sometimes they are awkwardly altered and other times they look convincing. It can be incredibly upsetting.

The abuse also includes doxing, for example. One of the women I interviewed for the book had the floor plans to her house, her home address, and photos of her car published. That's really intimidating obviously, given that you don't know where it's coming from.

You talk about reward systems for corrosive behavior on social platforms. Can you explain that?

If you're very inflammatory and in a social context where other people are part of your community politically or ideologically, you're going to be retweeted, liked, followed, or favoritedyou may gain followers for being objectionable. There is an incentive to photoshopping Kamala Harris' face into a demeaning pornographic image.

Much as Jeff Berry and I described in "The Outrage Industry"on television if you're more reasoned, you don't break through the clutter of cable channels. Being inflammatory is going to offend a lot of people, but there's going to be a slice of people who come for that, because it's dramatic and engaging and validating.

How new is all this? Online platforms didn't exist until 15 years ago.

There has always been hate mail, and hecklers are as old as the day is long. But with heckling, you have to be willing to be publicly seen as abusive or hostile. Letter writing is a lot more work than firing off a tweet.

The ability to lash out is incredibly easy now, and attackers are operating in what is effectively a consequence-free environment. If someone flags your comment on Twitter or Facebook, yes, the comment can get taken down. If there's a pattern, your account can be shut down temporarily or permanentlybut it's not difficult to create a new one. It's very easy to be really horrible without consequence.

What can be done about it?

Quite a lot. Most of it would involve the platforms enforcing their existing policies. If you read the Twitter rules, you would be shocked to see the things that are not allowed on Twitterhateful conduct, for example. Hate speech and identity-based attacks are not allowed, and yet they are everywhere.

Platforms could moderate content before it goes up, but I don't know that that's practical or even necessarily desirable. But it does seem reasonable to me that if you're new on a platform, you have a certain number of months in which you are moderated until it's determined that you're using the platform in a reasonable way. That would at least prevent people from putting up new accounts immediately and resuming their negative behavior.

It also seems reasonable that if a particular person has been targeted by a deluge of abusive content, that there might be a pause, a window of time, during which posts or tweets mentioning that person go into a moderation before they're released.

Is it possible to bring charges against abusers for harassment?

Our laws are just not set up for thisthey are based on the idea that you have a crime and a perpetrator. They're not oriented around victims or targets. With abuse like this, there are harassment laws or stalking laws, but those pertain to a pattern of behavior over time. As one of my respondents in the book said, "It's not illegal to be an asshole."

If 500 people individually call you a bitch or a whore, each one of those individual missives is fully legal. The problem is that the cumulative impact is the same as, if not more dramatic than, the experience we think of as harassment, in which one person targets you repeatedly with hostile treatment.

Unless there is a "credible threat" of violence the threat is perceived as serious and danger imminentand the attacker can be identified, there is little legal recourse. Even defamation suits have limited utility, because if the plaintiff is considered a public figure, as is the case for most of my participants, the burden of proof is heavier.

We need to put victim-centered structures in place, such that when an onslaught of digital attacks happens, there are people who can support victims.

We need to have advocates available to answer very common questions like, "How do I get this taken down? What do I do? What are my legal options? What are the next steps?" People need support to get through this, even if what has happened is not in violation of our criminal laws.

What about the question of free speech?

There's a knee-jerk reaction about free speech that is really misguided in terms of understanding what free speech even means. Platform enforcement of their own existing policies is not government suppression. What's more, much of what is flung at these women would not be covered by the first amendment. And, at the end of the day, online abuse is inhibiting victims' ability to participate in public political discussions, so concerns about free speech are just as relevant for targets as they are for attackers.

What I most hope is that this book prompts more careful thinking about this as something worthy of our attention, and that is not inevitable. I saw that Biden and Harris are planning to have an online harassment and abuse task force as part of their efforts with violence against women. That seems a promising step toward taking this more seriously.

Explore further Kamala Harris abuse campaign shows how trolls evade social media moderation
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Efficient luminescent halide quadruple-perovskite nanocrystals via trap-engineering for highly sensitive photodetectors. Credit: YANG Bin and BAI Tianxin

In recent years, lead-free halide perovskite nanocrystals have drawn more and more attention due to their low toxicity, high stability and chemical diversity.

It's important to reveal the carrier dynamics of lead-free perovskite nanocrystals to apply them effectively in the field of optoelectronic devices.

A research group led by Prof. HAN Keli from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed the luminescence enhancement mechanism of a series of new lead-free quadruple halide perovskite nanocrystals, and prepared high-performance photodetectors.

This study was published in Advanced Materials. on Jan. 25.

The researchers reported for the first time a series of quadruple perovskite colloidal nanocrystals with ordered vacancies. By alloying Cs 4 MnBi 2 Cl 12 nanocrystals, the fluorescence quantum yield could be increased by nearly 100 times.

Through carrier ultrafast dynamics studies, the researchers found that in the quadruple perovskite nanocrystals, free excitons were rapidly self-trapped as "self-trapped excitons," and a self-trapped exciton-assisted donor-acceptor (Mn2+) occurred energy transfer process. Alloying could eliminate the ultra-fast defect state trapping process that competed with energy transfer, and increase the crystallinity of the nanocrystals, thereby improving the luminous efficiency.

Based on the alloyed quadruple perovskite nanocrystals with high crystallinity and long carrier lifetime, the researchers prepared a photodetector, which had ultra-high responsivity. Its sensitivity was much higher than that of the previously reported photodetectors based on lead-free perovskite nanocrystals.

The study shows that the quadruple perovskite type nanocrystal opens up new possibilities for photovoltaic applications. It was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

More information: Tianxin Bai et al. Efficient Luminescent Halide QuadruplePerovskite Nanocrystals via TrapEngineering for Highly Sensitive Photodetectors, Advanced Materials (2021). Journal information: Advanced Materials Tianxin Bai et al. Efficient Luminescent Halide QuadruplePerovskite Nanocrystals via TrapEngineering for Highly Sensitive Photodetectors,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202007215
Thousands of Indian farmers on Tuesday escalated protests to revoke controversial agricultural laws, clashing with police and storming key landmarks in New Delhi to pressure Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The farmers, who have camped at various border points around the capital for two months, had permission to demonstrate after the completion of an annual military parade to mark Republic Day, a major public holiday in India. But many gathered early in the day and broke through barricades on the outskirts of the city, prompting police to deploy tear gas in some areas.

Television footage showed thousands of protesters clashing with police in central Delhi before reaching the iconic Red Fort, where Indian prime ministers typically address the nation on the country's independence day in August. It remained unclear if the farmers, many of whom gathered peacefully, would camp out in the middle of Delhi or return to locations outside the city where they had been staying.

"We are talking to the farmers -- we are convincing them to go back," said Depender Pathak, special commissioner of police. "We have faith in farmers. This is an unprecedented situation."

India's federal home ministry suspended mobile internet services in some parts of the city where the protests were most tense. Several metro stations were also shut down.

Farmer leaders called on protesters to stay peaceful, warning that any violence could hurt their cause.

"For the last two months, the entire country and the world has been saying that the peaceful nature of these farmers protests is their strength," said Yogendra Yadav, leader of Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organization of several dozen farm groups leading the protests. "If this peace breaks down, our strength will take a hit."

Leaders of the protests have rejected Modi's offers to temporarily shelve the three laws passed in September that overhauled the way farm goods are sold in the country of more than 1.3 billion people, almost half of whom depend on agriculture for their livelihood. The government has defended the legislation, saying they would eliminate middlemen in state-run wholesale markets, increase earnings for farmers and make India more self-reliant.

The farmers have continued to call on the government to repeal the legislation, which they say will hurt their incomes and leave them vulnerable to big corporations. While Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party has a lock on parliament and doesn't need to call a national vote until 2024, the protests risk hurting his appeal in state elections and could halt momentum for other reforms.

Although the demonstrations have hurt the government, the scenes on Tuesday of unruly farmers may undermine their cause, according to Asim Ali, a New Delhi-based researcher at the Center for Policy Research.

"This was always the danger, and it seems that it has gone out of hand," Ali said. "This is possibly what the ruling party would have liked to see."

The tractor rallies marked the first time the protesting farmers have marched into the capital. They are mostly from the neighboring states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. But they have also found support in other Indian cities, including financial centers Mumbai and Bangalore, where protest marches have also taken place.

"More than a 100,000 people with tractors have gathered here and we expect more to join us," said Manjit Rai, 57, a farm leader coordinating entry at one of the half-dozen entry points into the capital. "People are enthusiastic about the celebrations and we are determined that we will peacefully continue to make our case."


Less than a year after moving to Hong Kong, Francis Chan and his family have had their visas rejected and been forced to leave their fledgling house church ministry behind.

Chan, known as a spirited preacher and bestselling author of Crazy Love, told his ministry partners early in January that he was back in the US but applying to return to Hong Kong, where he and his sons-in-law were leading three house church gatherings.

Hopefully we can get back in Hong Kong because, man, we want to be there, he said in a January 5 video from San Francisco.

Besides the pandemic hitting in 2020, last year brought further political unrest to Hong Kong, where protestors opposed the imposition of new national security law allowing mainline China to hold more authority over the area.

As a result, some Americans, including journalists, have struggled to get visa extensions, and ministry leaders from overseas have grown more worried about oversight.

Chan described leaving the churches behind on a couple weeks notice and appointing young leaders to take their place, reminding them that the early church too relied on the Spirit when leaders like Paul had to move on.

That went way faster than we expected, but now Im going, Wow, Lord, I think if Id stayed too long, that might have hurt the church, he said.

A Chinese American, Chan announced his familys plans to move to Asia in 2019, describing a sense of calling to a region where he had experienced the gifts of the Spirit and, eventually, to a neighborhood where his late mother had ministered before moving to the US.

He described wanting to leave the crowded ministry landscape in the US for a pond where fish are biting and no ones fishing in it.

While some Christians celebrated his willingness to follow Gods call, other missionaries challenged his approach as a celebrity pastor coming in as an outsider in the region.

There are actually millions of passionate Christians in Asia, and many of them are active and well equipped to share the gospel contextually in their own local communities, wrote Craig Greenfield, a Canadian missionary living in Cambodia. They are far and away the most effective people to reach their neighbours, because they share a common worldview, culture and language.

Greenfield added, Im more than hopeful that Francis Chan will surround himself with folks that will challenge his role at the center of the gospel-sharing, church-planting story that he is telling. Hes a wise and seasoned leader, and a good listener.

Chan described it as a stretching experience to rely on Scripture while teaching using his horrible Chinese. He said he and has family of 12including his daughters, sons-in-law, and grandkidshad fun building a church family that spanned from street kids to crazy rich Asians. They had gathered three house churches of 1520 people each.

The pastor smiled throughout the 30-minute update and praised God that even after the unexpected news around their visas, his whole family is at perfect peace at a time when most people would be freaked out. One of Chans daughters and sons-in-law have returned to Los Angeles, while the other went to Ireland.

The day after Chans announcementJanuary 6dozens of pro-democracy activists, including Christians, were arrested in the latest police raid, most have since been released on bail. The incoming Biden administration has recently spoken up about its plans to stand with the people of Hong Kong.
Farmers take part in a tractor rally to protest against farm laws on the occasion of India's Republic Day in Delhi, India, January 26, 2021. (Image: Reuters)

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an amalgam of over 30 unions leading the stir against Centre's farm laws, condemned the violence at farmers' tractor rally. In a statement issued following the clashes and chaos, the farmers' body accused "anti-social elements" of infiltrating their movement.

"Anti-social elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement. We have always held that peace is our biggest strength, and that any violation would hurt the movement," the statement said.

Farmers participating in the tractor rally deviated from the police-assigned route, and stormed towards central Delhi's ITO.

Follow Live Updates of Farmers' Protest in Delhi



#WATCH Violence continues at ITO in central Delhi, tractors being driven by protestors deliberately try to run over police personnel pic.twitter.com/xKIrqANFP4

 ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

Video clips shared by news agencies showed the rally participants clashing with the cops, and also chasing policemen using their tractors at ITO. A farmer reportedly died in the area after the tractor he was driving overturned.

Shortly after the farmers entered the national capital, nearly 20 tractors rushed towards the Red Fort. Hundreds of farmers entered the fort and raised their flags from its ramparts - the site from where the prime minister delivers his annual Independence Day address.

"We condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that have taken place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts," the statement of Samyuta Kisan Morcha said.

"Despite all our efforts, some organisations and individuals have violated the route and indulged in condemnable acts," it added.

"The long struggle for more than 6 months now, and more than 60 days of protest at Delhi borders also seemed to have led to this situation," the Morcha further said, while adding that it would completely "dissociate" itself from elements responsible for the violence.

The tractor rally, called on the occasion of Republic Day, was aimed at pressuring the government to withdraw the three farm reform laws.

The rally, as per the police permit, was to start from Tikri border and move towards Nangloi. It was further scheduled to be taken through Baprola Village-Najafgarh-Jharoda border and Rohtak bypass before terminating at Asoda toll plaza.

The protesters, however, entered into central Delhi's ILO leading to chaos and clashes with the cops. The police force was also compelled to use tear gas shells in some parts of central Delhi to disperse the protesters.

Following the clashes, a number of roads were closed in the national capital, telecom services were restricted and internet connection was temporarily suspended in some parts of Delhi-NCR . The entry and exit gates of several metro stations were also sealed to prevent the galvanisation of protesters.


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(Bloomberg) -- The Securities and Exchange Commission has been largely silent on the financial wreckage of the U.S. shale industry in recent years, but that may be about to change.

The top U.S. financial regulators reported investigation into how Exxon Mobil Corp. values shale assets follows years of concerns about the industrys rosy projections, which have left hundreds of billions of dollars of investor losses and writedowns.

Exxon, the Wests biggest oil company, is accused in a whistleblower complaint of inflating the value of a key asset in the Permian Basin and making drilling plans that were too optimistic, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The company denied the the claims, while Exxons stock fell as much as 6%.

The SEC is cracking down on the overvaluation of these type of hard-to-value assets, said Arthur Jakoby, a former SEC official and now a partner at Herrick, Feinstein LLP in New York, and whos not involved in the case. Its a very easy way to pump up the price of one stock, especially oil and gas companies using estimates for what they have in the ground.

The shale revolution upended global energy markets over the past decade, making the U.S. the worlds top oil and gas producer and providing oceans of cheap crude to consumers. The jump in production was built on shaky financial foundations, however. Funded by cheap money and spurred on by the sky-high prices that shale assets were fetching at the height of the boom, industry executives pushed a narrative to investors that fracking would make U.S. oil fields comparable to those in the Middle East.

Oil giants like Exxon, ConocoPhillips and BP Plc made multibillion-dollar shale acquisitions, turning wildcatters into overnight billionaires. Fracking pioneers like Chesapeake Energy Corp. struck large, highly leveraged deals of their own. But even as the technology advanced and production soared, those companies continued to burn cash. The industry wrote down $450 billion of invested capital and saw more than 190 bankruptcies between 2010 and 2020, according to Deloitte LLP.

Many investors point to the gap in what shale companies say they can profitably drill and what they ultimately do. Exxon bought a large position in the Permian in 2017 and quickly ramped up production targets, culminating in a pre-pandemic plan to reach 1 million barrels of oil a day by 2024. The whistleblower complaint says some Exxon employees pushed for a lower valuation for some Permian assets because drilling times were longer than expected in 2018, the Journal reported.

The claims are demonstrably false, Exxon said in a statement, without confirming or denying that an investigation is under way. Actual and provable performance exceeded drilling plans for the Permian and such performance has been accurately represented to the investment community. The SEC declined to comment.

Still, the reported whistleblower complaint echoes what investors -- and some engineers -- have been saying about smaller shale companies projections for some time. Many investors now focus almost exclusively on free cash flow, a figure thats harder to manipulate.

Its all been boiling under the surface since 2012, said Ed Hirs, a longtime energy fellow at the University of Houston. But the challenge here is really that, for the last several years, the investment community has only been looking at the cash flows.

Nowhere is shale more hyped than in the Permian, now the biggest U.S. oil field. The excitement reached a fever pitch after the oil price crash of 2014-2016, when private equity rushed to get a piece of the action, getting what it believed would be a profitable entry point. Recently, many of those players have been forced to book massive impairments.

Concho Resources Inc., which Conoco agreed to buy in October, took a $12.6 billion charge for its oil and gas assets earlier last year, one in a long list of huge writedowns that followed a coronavirus-fueled collapse in crude prices. The move came two years after the company bought RSP Permian at a price that valued its oil and gas assets far higher than deals involving neighboring producers.

Apache Corp. also wrote down the value of its flagship Alpine High project, long touted as a prolific find in an ignored part of the Permian, which instead ended up being far richer in gas than oil.

At the start of the boom, when Aubrey McClendon was turning Chesapeake into a shale gas giant, the regulator changed its rules for how companies could calculate oil and gas reserves.

Many blame the relaxed regulatory environment on just how complicated calculating future production can be. It is, after all, an estimate based on assumptions like drilling times, how close together wells are fracked, and the cost of leasing land. As some engineers have said, reservoir engineering is more art than science.

Its not a simple investigation because assets can be valued in many different ways, Jakoby said. The SEC will be looking for a smoking gun showing that management pushed for an overvaluation.

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Charlie Weber happens to be among the celebrities who have maintained a private love-life making it hard to keep track of all his flings, hookups, and breakups. Despite not revealing much, Weber is known to have had been in two on-screen matchups, one with Karla Souza in 2014 on How to Get Away with Murder and Sarah Habel in Underemployed (2012).

He also has a daughter named Lotus from his early relationships, but he has yet to reveal the mothers name.

Up Close With Weber

RELATED: How to Get Away With Murder: Robert Hsieh Is the Most Pointless Character, According to Fans

Born as Charles Alan Weber Junior, Weber is an American actor and a former model born on September 20, 1978, in Jefferson, Missouri, USA.

At the age of 19, Weber already had the dream of becoming an actor, so he moved to New York City and studiedacting at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

His screen debut was in 2000 when he landed his first role in The Broken Hearts Club; A Romantic Comedy; Greg Berlanti handpicked him for the feature. Later in the same year, Weber cast in Buffy the Vampire Slayers recurring role, which brought him to the limelight.

He has appeared in: Dead Above Ground, Vampire Suck, ExPatriot, Coyote Lake, After We Collided, Everwood, Burn Notice, State of Georgia, Underemployed (Mini-Series), 90210, How to Get Away With Murder.

Webers Role on How to Get Away With Murder

CHARLIE WEBER | Byron Cohen via Getty Images

In 2014, Weber landed a role as Frank Delfino in How to Get Away with Murder, an American television series created by Peter Nowalk that premiered on ABC from September 25, 2014, to May 14, 2020. He got the opportunity to work with Viola Davis, who was portraying Annalise Keating; he was so pleased with this opportunity.

As a criminal defense professor and law professor, Annalise and a group of ambitious law students get involved in a murder plot that changes the course of their lives. Annalise had helped Frank get parole when he was in prison even though he didnt want to leave prison and kept spoiling his chances of getting out. Frank did not hold a law degree, but Annalises husband, Sam Keating, convinced her to hire Frank as her paralegal.

In season 5, Frank finally tries to turn his life around and applies for the law program at Middleton, but unfortunately, it didnt happen. Frank was killed by Philadelphia courthouse security after he shot and killed Governor Lynne Birkhead; this was after Annalise won her trial. Frank tells Bonnie Winterbottom that he had to make it right.

Franks death ended Philadelphias law enforcements corruption cycle. Frank murdered several people as part of his work and also avenging the murders of Nathaniel Lahey, Sr., Asher Millstone, and his mother Hannah Keating before he died.

Weber on and off-screen relationships

In April 2015, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the How to Get Away with Murder star had a private wedding with attorney Giselle. The marriage ended in a confidential divorce within nine months. TMZ reported that he filed for divorce from his wife in Los Angeles in February 2016 due to irreconcilable differences. It was a clean and amicable split, and they also had a prenup.

Not a long after the divorce, Weber was romantically linked with another woman, his co-star Liza. They started dating each other in the summer of 2016 and had both separated from their marital partners. Liza was married to Greys Anatomy actor Paul Adelstein. Weber and Lizas on-screen off-screen chemistry was intense. Weber gushed over their romance, saying he was pleased, via ETOnline.com.

Is Charlie Weber married?

E! Online has reported that Charlie and Liza broke up in February 2019. Liza and I share an amazing relationship rooted in love and respect. That relationship has found its way back to the great friendship weve always had, Weber told People. We will continue to support each other and will always love working together.

As of 2020, Weber is not known to be in a relationship with anyone; he is not married. But his fans wont be shocked or surprised when they find out that he has a relationship under wraps; he tends to keep his love-life away from the limelight. It is common to see celebrities publicize their relationships. Some have even used it to gain attention; this is not the case for Weber as he appears to appreciate privacy.
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Thigh-flashing models have strutted down the catwalk in Saudi Arabia as the repressive kingdom attempts to display modern ideals with haute couture hijabs.

The private event was attended by a mixed-sex audience on the diplomatically sanctified grounds of the Belgian ambassador's residence in Riyadh on Saturday.

The models wore chic abayas, traditional Islamic robes, designed by Princess Safia Hussein Guerras and Belgian designer Christophe Beaufays.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been trying to project a liberal image since coming to power, giving women the right to drive, opening cinemas and allowing mixed-gender concerts.

Models walks during the presentation of the collection by Saudi and Belgian designers Safia Hussein and Christophe Beaufays, at the Belgian embassy in Riyadh on Saturday

Thigh-flashing models have strutted down the catwalk in Saudi Arabia as the repressive kingdom attempts to display modern ideals with haute couture hijabs. Models wearing veils and head coverings during the fashion show on Saturday

A model is photographed by male guests (left) and another walking down the runway (right). Two sources close to the organisers told AFP that Saudi authorities initially refused to grant the Belgian embassy permission to host the show.

Saudi Princess Safia Hussain (left) leads her models out for a final procession at the end of the show in Riyadh on Saturday

Two years ago he told American broadcaster CBS that he didn't believe long robes and face coverings were mandatory in Islam, hinting that the country's strict dress code might be relaxed.

Fashion displays are rare in the deeply conservative Muslim kingdom and have usually been restricted to women or avoided female models altogether - one even displayed dresses dangling from drones.

Speaking of her designs, Princess Safia said: 'The stigma around the abaya and the hijab around the world - I wanted to change that.

'If I bring it to a level of chicness and acceptance... maybe our generation will embrace the abaya.'

Draped in shimmering embellishments, half a dozen models, most of them Saudi or of Saudi origin, displayed the collection that sought to redefine the abaya as a stylish overcoat suitable not just for Muslims but for women everywhere.

While many see the abaya, which has been obligatory public wear for Saudi women for decades, as a symbol of chastity and piety, feminists generally view it as a symbol of oppression.

The dress code was once fanatically enforced in the kingdom by the religious police.

While it is no longer enforced for foreigners, Saudi women are still required to wear the garment in public.

In a brewing cultural rebellion, however, the once all-black garment is now repurposed in bright colours and many women leave their cloaks open at the front.

Despite the risk of riling arch-conservatives, a handful of bold Saudi women have taken the rebellion a step further - they have stopped wearing the abaya.

But Princess Safia, 50, said she hoped to make the garment 'fashionable', a crossover between tradition and modernity that blends Arab motifs and patterns with contemporary fabrics.

While many see the abaya, which has been obligatory public wear for Saudi women for decades, as a symbol of chastity and piety, feminists generally view it as a symbol of oppression. A model wearing heels is photographed by the mixed-sex audience at the Belgian embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday

The models wore chic abayas, traditional Islamic robes, designed by Princess Safia Hussein Guerras and Belgian designer Christophe Beaufays. The models walking around a swimming pool at the Belgian embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Despite the risk of riling arch-conservatives, a handful of bold Saudi women have taken the rebellion a step further - they have stopped wearing the abaya. A model walks down the carpeted runway on Saturday in Saudi Arabia's capital city Riyadh

The private vent was hosted at the Belgian ambassador's residence in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh on Saturday A model wears a face covering with an open robe (left) and another wears a shawl with her abayah (right)

The designs would appeal to women from different cultures and religions who share views on 'modesty and elegance', said Beaufays. A model wears a shiny zipped up abayah showing off modern Saudi fashion

The designs would appeal to women from different cultures and religions who share views on 'modesty and elegance', said Beaufays, who is based in the kingdom and works for Jeddah-based Lomar which designs traditional 'thobes' for men.

The fashion show, unthinkable in the kingdom barely four years ago, was organised at the residence of the Belgian ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

It comes amid Prince Mohammed's contentious drive to shake off his country's ultra-conservative image.

But despite the liberalisation drive, organising the event appeared to be mired in government red tape.

Two sources close to the organisers told AFP that Saudi authorities initially refused to grant the Belgian embassy permission to host the show.

There was no public comment from authorities or the Belgian embassy. After heated diplomatic wrangling, the show was eventually allowed to proceed, the sources said.

The event toasted the stylish abayas, which Princess Safia says will go on sale in the kingdom.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been trying to project a liberal image since coming to power, giving women the right to drive, opening cinemas and allowing mixed-gender concerts. Women walk down the runway during Saturday's show

A model walks during the presentation of the 'Khaleeki Chic' (Stay stylish) collection by Saudi and Belgian designers Safia Hussein and Christophe Beaufays, at the Belgian residence in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh's diplomatic quarter

Models bared their legs in robes designed by Princess Safia Hussein Guerras and Belgian designer Christophe Beaufay A model wearing silver slippers and a black robe walks down the runway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday

There was however hardly an abaya in sight in the audience, which was restricted to roughly three dozen people amid the coronavirus pandemic. A model wearing a white hat and long black robes struts round the pool

There was however hardly an abaya in sight in the audience, which was restricted to roughly three dozen people amid the coronavirus pandemic, including Saudi royal family members, diplomats and social media influencers.

Despite the small crowd, the show marked progress compared to previous fashion events.

In April 2018, Jean Paul Gaultier and Roberto Cavalli headlined the kingdom's first ever Arab Fashion Week -- a women-only event that barred not only men but also cameras.

And in June 2018, a video of dresses floating in the air, suspended from drones, at a fashion show in the Red Sea city of Jeddah went viral on social media.

It was ridiculed widely as a 'ghost show', with comments online peppered with ghost emojis.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday asserted that the country's armed forces are "adequately mobilised" in a "well-coordinated" move to thwart any attempt to undermine national security, and recalled how its valiant soldiers foiled the "expansionist" plans by China in Ladakh last year.

"Our national interest will be protected at all costs," the President declared in his address to the nation on the eve of the 72nd Republic Day during which he also said every Indian saluted the farmers and sought to allay their fears over the three contentious farm laws.

Kovind's remarks came amid the nearly nine-month-long military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh and the deadlock between the Centre and the farmer unions over the farm laws enacted in September. "The path of reform at the initial stages may cause misapprehensions but the government is singularly devoted to the farmers' welfare," he said, as the protests by the farmer unions demanding repeal of the three laws continues at border points in Delhi.

On the country's efforts to fight COVID-19, the President said an effective response to the pandemic would not have been possible without the Constitutional value of 'Fraternity' among the people of the country. He also took pride in the fact that India was called as "pharmacy of the world" for supplying medicines to several countries to alleviate the sufferings across the globe.

He felt that after about a year of this "unforeseen ordeal", India today stands "not despondent but confident." Also, he said the slowdown has turned out to be transitory as the economy has regained its dynamism.

Kovind urged people to utilise the "lifeline" provided by the COVID-19 vaccine and get inoculated as per guidelines. "Your health opens the way for your advancement." Paying tributes to the 20 Indian soldiers who laid down their lives at Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh last June during clashes with the Chinese troops, the President said the past year "was a time of adversity, and it came from many fronts." "We faced an expansionist move on our borders, but our valiant soldiers foiled it. To achieve this objective, 20 of them had to lay down their lives." Kovind said the nation shall remain grateful to those brave soldiers.

"Though we reiterate our commitment to peace, our defence forces - Army, Air Force and Navy - are adequately mobilised in a well-coordinated move to thwart any attempt to undermine our security. Our national interest will be protected at all costs. We have also ensured a widespread understanding in the international community of India's firm and principled stand," the President said.

He said adversity often plays the role of a great teacher and makes people stronger and more confident. With that confidence, India has taken great strides in several sectors. "Economic reforms have continued apace and have been supplemented by long-pending reforms in the areas of labour and agriculture through legislation," he added.

Paying tributes to the farmers, the President said every Indian salutes our farmers who have made our vast and populous country self-reliant in food-grains and dairy products. He said that despite adversities of nature, numerous other challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic the farmers sustained the agricultural production.

"A grateful nation is fully committed to the welfare of our farmers." The President said that like hardworking farmers ensure food security for the country, the brave soldiers of the armed forces ensure security of our national boundaries amid severest conditions. "From the freezing cold at Siachen and Galwan valley in Ladakh with temperatures as low as minus 50 to 60 degree Celsius to the scorching heat in Jaisalmer with temperatures as high as 50 degree Celsius - on land, in the skies and at the vast coastal areas - our warriors are vigilant every moment. Every citizen feels proud about the bravery, patriotism and the spirit of sacrifice among our soldiers," he said.

He also spoke about the scientist community saying that by their contribution to food security, national security, protection against disease and disasters and to different areas of development they have strengthened the national endeavours.

"From space to the farms, from educational institutions to hospitals, the community of scientists has enriched our life and work. Our scientists have been working day and night for decoding the Coronavirus and they have succeeded in developing the vaccine in record time. With this accomplishment, our scientists have added a glorious chapter of contribution to the well-being of humanity." He said that the scientists, along with doctors, administrators and people from other walks of life, have made major contribution in containing the virus and keeping the fatality rate lower in our country, compared to that in developed countries.

"The net outcome of all these efforts is before us." The President said a self-reliant India has manufactured its own vaccine for COVID-19, and is now undertaking a mass vaccination drive, which will be the largest exercise of its kind in history. He said the administration and health services are working with full readiness to make this exercise a success.

"I am sure that this love for humanity and the spirit of sacrifice will take us to great heights. He said let us look at 2020 as a year of learning." Kovind also said India is moving ahead and taking its rightful place in the world.

"During the recent years, its arc of influence has been expanding and encompassing the larger part of the world. The manner in which India got overwhelming support of the international community for its entry as non-permanent member in the Security Council this year is indicative of that influence." He said the engagement with world leaders has enhanced manifold and India, with its vibrant democracy, has rightfully earned its respect as a responsible and trustworthy nation.

He said the call of 'Atma-Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan', or 'Self-reliant India Mission' given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was for converting a crisis into an opportunity and is in line with the aspiration to shape a new India by the year 2022 when our country turns 75.

"This will be a significant milestone in the journey of the nation as we are determined to achieve major goals: from providing pucca houses with basic facilities for every family to doubling the income of farmers. In order to build an inclusive society of new India, we are giving special emphasis on education, health, nutrition, upliftment of the under-privileged and welfare of women," he added.

Recalling the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi for making all efforts to wipe tears from every eye, the President asked people to remember Constitutional mantras -- Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity -- and added that equality is the watchword for the great project of the Republic.

"Social equality warrants dignity for each one of us, villagers, women, weaker sections of our society, namely, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Divyang-jan and the elderly people. Economic equality entails equal opportunity for all and handholding for the downtrodden."

Also read: Republic Day Parade 2021 Live: PM Modi pays tribute to martyrs; tractor rally enters Delhi from Tikri
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
CPS has been working really, really diligently from the very beginning of this pandemic, but certainly through this school year and particularly over the last couple months, to make sure were reaching out, were educating people, were answering questions, were listening and being responsive, Lightfoot said. Its not unlike what weve been talking about today about vaccine hesitancy. Folks are a little nervous and tentative. I think as they start to see, as weve seen now, I think were in week three of students being back, things are going fine, so I think were going to start to see more and more, and Im hearing from more and more parents about the fact that they want to have that opportunity if its right for them. (Gregory Pratt)
Three weeks ago, Jim Lober became one of the lucky few to receive a first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Bayou City Event Center. Lober, a 69-year-old attorney, left the venue where thousands would wait in lines wrapping around the building with the beige card indicating hed received the vaccine on Jan. 8 and was due back in four weeks for the final shot.

At first, the Houston Health Department told him to call back the week before his second shot; but when he checked the citys website, he learned he should wait for the department to reach out to him for scheduling. Now, with one week left before Lober should receive the second dose of Moderna, he has no clue when or where to go.

More Information By the numbers Doses ordered by the U.S. government: 400 million Second doses shipped to Texas as of Jan. 29: 988,725 Second doses shipped to Texas during the week ending Jan. 29: 216,350 See More Collapse

Hes not the only one. As the first of Texas 1B group returns for their second doses, many worry that reported vaccine shortages and scheduling problems could hamper their chances of being fully immunized.

My wife said to be grateful to get the first vaccine, but the consequence of a busted second dose could be serious, Lober said.

Across the globe, people are cold calling and crashing websites in hopes of scoring a coveted COVID-19 vaccine appointment. Pfizer and Moderna, the two pharmaceutical giants behind the vaccines on the market, agreed to send 200 million doses to the U.S. by the end of March.

Whats in a second dose?

When a person gets the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, its about 52 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 symptoms, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. The mRNA in the vaccine shows the body what the virus looks like, preparing the immune system to attack any similar cells. The second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines bring effectiveness up to 95 percent and strengthens the immune systems response to COVID-19.

ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS: Need answers to COVID-19 questions? Ask them here

The second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be given after a minimum of a three-week period; the Moderna vaccine after a minimum of a four-week period.

People can wait up to six weeks after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to receive their second shot, according to updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are currently limited data on efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines administered beyond this window, the agency wrote. If the second dose is administered beyond these intervals, there is no need to restart the series.

Pfizer has manufactured all the second doses intended to pair with first doses already shipped to the U.S., said Eamonn Nolan, a company spokesperson.

We have provided the U.S. government with a specific schedule and we foresee no issues in delivering on the commitments we have made, Nolan said.

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration gave vaccine providers the OK to draw six doses out of every Pfizer vial, which can be difficult for some clinicians to do and requires a special syringe. Those extra doses will count toward Pfizers contract to supply the U.S. with 200 million doses by the summer.

Anna Nagurney, a professor who studies supply chains at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, said all the recent information on extra doses per vial and extending the time to get a second shot points toward potential vaccine supply shortages.

That to me is a signal theyre concerned they wont be able to meet demand, and demand is huge, Nagurney said.

Moderna did not respond to a request for comment.

Timing is key?

Representatives from the Houston Health Department, Memorial Hermann and Houston Methodist, the three largest COVID-19 vaccine providers in Houston, said that they will be administering second doses as scheduled.

Most vaccine providers are still trying to shoehorn patients into the three or four-week window for vaccines, rather than ask patients to wait.

Researchers in the U.S. understand the push to vaccinate more people with first doses and push back second doses, but don't agree with it, said Roberta Schwartz, executive vice president of Houston Methodist Hospital and overseer of the hospital systems COVID-19 response. "We believe that people should be vaccinated as close to on schedule as they can," she said.

The Houston Health Department has 28,000 people in its database who need to return for the final shot, while Memorial Hermann still has to administer 25,000 second doses. Houston Methodist will provide second doses for at least 25,000 people next week, with thousands more set to receive them in the weeks following.

Providers recommend patients stick with the same location for both shots; each provider receives vaccines based on how many first shots theyve administered. They also note that patients should not mix-and-match the type of vaccine they receive  those who received a first dose of Pfizer should not switch to Moderna, and vice-versa.

Scheduling conflicts

As the global COVID-19 infection rate eclipsed 100 million cases on Tuesday, people are losing confidence theyll be fully vaccinated if they havent set up a time for a second appointment.

Some who received their first COVID-19 vaccines at Kroger and the Houston Health Department said they havent gotten any communication on when to come back for the second dose.

Kingwood residents Virginia and Richard Murray got their first shots at a Kroger pharmacy in Galveston in early January after their daughter, a pharmacy technician at the store, booked their appointments. The Murrays, who are both over 75, havent heard back on when or where to book their second.

We dont want to jump the gun and be afraid, Virginia Murray said. But what if that two-week time frame comes and goes?

Kroger did not respond to a request for comment.

However, the reports of shortages that have plagued other hospitals nationwide wont affect second doses, vaccine providers said.

We've been hyper disciplined about ensuring that we have adequate supply for the second dose, said Dr. James McCarthy, chief physician executive at Memorial Hermann.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Harris County to create COVID-19 vaccine wait list to handle massive demand

In its first batch of vaccinations, Memorial Hermann did not immediately assign return appointments, but that has been fixed, McCarthy said. The health system says it has the capacity to provide second doses within the three- to four-week period.

As of Jan. 20, the Houston Health Department expects to vaccinate the 28,000 people due for a second dose within the same timeframe, said Scott Packard, a department spokesperson.

We would prefer to schedule the second with the first but initially are unable to do so because of the flux with supply timelines and locations, Packard said.

Department staff will call everyone about second doses, and are urging the public not to call unless its 48 hours before the due date.

Lober, who got his vaccine from the Houston Health Department, has resigned himself to wait for the citys call to schedule his next appointment. He cant help but worry he will be only partially immunized against COVID-19 if he doesnt get a second shot.

If things are a total bust, then youve wasted hundreds of thousands of peoples efforts, he said.

gwendolyn.wu@chron.com

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WATERLOO, ON and BEIJING, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced an expansion of its strategic partnership with Baidu, whose high-definition maps will run on the QNX Neutrino Real-time Operating System (RTOS) and will be mass-produced in the forthcoming GAC New Energy Aion models from the EV arm of GAC Group (Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd.).

The milestones build on the company's January 2018 agreement to make BlackBerry QNX's industry-leading ISO 26262 ASIL D certified operating system (OS) the foundation for Baidu's 'Apollo' autonomous driving open platform.

Baidu is one of the few high-definition map vendors with an Automotive SPICE certification from TUV Rheinland  an industry certification that addresses rigid requirements for the software development process for Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers. With world-leading levels of data granularity, Baidu's high-definition maps provide a critical component for global automakers looking to launch next generation connected and autonomous vehicles in China.

The QNX Neutrino RTOS foundation for Baidu's high-definition maps is a robust real-time microkernel operating system that provides deterministic performance as well as flexibility to address the limited resources of the embedded system.

"With BlackBerry QNX's embedded software as its foundation, Baidu has made significant progress as part of its Apollo platform in establishing a commercial ecosystem for innovative technologies that OEMs can leverage for their next generation vehicles," said Dhiraj Handa, VP, Channel, Partners and APAC, BlackBerry Technology Solutions. "We look forward to continuing to work closely with Baidu to help develop and deploy leading edge autonomous driving and connected vehicle technologies to meet the ever increasing mission-critical and security requirements of the automotive industry."

"We aim to provide car manufacturers with a clear and fast path to the production of autonomous vehicles, with safety and security as the top priority. The BlackBerry QNX software performs well in functional safety, network security and reliability, while Baidu has achieved long-term development in artificial intelligence and deep learning. Together, we can help car manufacturers quickly produce safe autonomous vehicles and promote the development collaboratively of the intelligent networked automobile industry," said Wang Yunpeng, Senior Director of Technology Department of Baidu's Intelligent Driving Group.

As the leader in safe, secure, and reliable software for critical embedded systems, BlackBerry QNX provides OEMs and Tier 1s around the world with state-of-the-art foundational software and cybersecurity technologies. BlackBerry QNX technology is used in more than 175 million vehicles on the road in their advanced driver assistance (ADAS), digital instrument clusters, connectivity modules, hands-free, and infotainment systems.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including over 175M cars on the road today. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.

For more information, visit BlackBerry.com and follow @BlackBerry.

Trademarks, including but not limited to BLACKBERRY, EMBLEM Design and QNX are the trademarks or registered trademarks of BlackBerry Limited, its subsidiaries and/or affiliates, used under license, and the exclusive rights to such trademarks are expressly reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.

Media Contact:

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SOURCE BlackBerry Limited

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HAMBURG, Germany, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Neutrino Energy Group, led by Holger Thorsten Schubart, is convinced that we are encountering a similar situation in the case of neutrino-generated electricity. While skeptics continue to doubt the validity of neutrinovoltaic energy generation, Schubart and his team have already demonstrated the practical utility of neutrino energy many times over.

Neutrinovoltaics Are a Natural Evolution of Photovoltaics

Neutrinovoltaics Are a Natural Evolution of Photovoltaics

Like photons, neutrinos are also produced by the sun. Unlike photons, however, neutrinos pass through rather than strike most objects. Estimates suggest that 60 billion neutrinos pass through every square centimeter of the Earth's surface every day.

For decades, scientists concluded that neutrinos do not carry energy. With the 2015 discovery that neutrinos possess mass, however, it was proven that neutrinos have energy-generation potential.

As a result, neutrino energy can be considered a natural evolution of solar energy. Since sunlight is visible and warm, it's obviously the form of solar radiation that scientists would first turn to for energy production. While more ethereal, however, neutrinovoltaic may prove to be much more practical for energy generation as time goes by.

Neutrino Energy Is the Revolution the Future Needs

Already, the United States Department of Energy has recognized the validity of neutrino energy production, and millions of dollars have been poured into neutrino research around the world. According to Schubart, however, it's time this research takes a more practical approach.

While recognizing the impressive positive changes that modern technologies have wrought in our lives, Schubart laments that "when it comes to energy production, we are, figuratively speaking, still standing in a phone booth that only takes coins and has a rotary dial." According to former Austrian Undersecretary Gernot Spanninger, "the necessity for a technological revolution in the field of energy production cannot be asserted clearly enough - or often enough." Neutrino energy is that very revolution.

Neutrino Energy Is Proven and Environmentally Friendly

Since they can produce electrical energy continuously even in complete darkness, neutrinovoltaic devices are both simpler and more reliable than their photovoltaic counterparts. Neutrinovoltaic devices produced by the Neutrino Energy Group have been proven to produce electricity in laboratory settings.

In neutrino energy, humanity finally has a reliable solution to the modern energy crisis. Neutrinovoltaic devices still have a ways to go before they can be practically implemented, but just as with photovoltaic cells, this new technology will eventually be accepted as a viable solution to the world's energy needs.

Author: Stephen Underwood

Neutrino Deutschland GmbH

Unter den Linden 21-23

10117 Berlin

Tel.:+49 30 20924013

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Neutrino Energy

Neutrinovoltaics Are a Natural Evolution of Photovoltaics

SOURCE Neutrino Energy Group
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 21:29:15|Editor: huaxia

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ROME, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has met with President Sergio Mattarella to hand in his resignation, the Italian government said in a statement after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Conte "has expressed ... his intention to ... submit his resignation", the statement said.

Mattarella has confirmed Conte's resignation. "Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has offered his resignation," Mattarella's office said in a statement.

"The President of the Republic has reserved the right to decide and has invited the government to remain in office for the time being to take care of day-to-day business," the statement said.

It is now up to Mattarella to sound out Italy's political forces in order to form a new government to guide the country through the end of the current legislature's natural five-year term in March 2023.

Mattarella's statement said he will begin consultations with Italy's various political leaders on Jan. 27. If Mattarella's efforts fail and no new governing coalition can be found, Italian voters will be called to a snap general election.

Italy's last general election was held in March 2018.

Conte last week requested and won two confidence votes in both houses of parliament after a junior member of his ruling coalition, the Italia Viva party led by former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, withdrew its backing earlier this month. Enditem
FARGO, N.D. (AP)  A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a district judge's order for a full environmental impact review of the Dakota Access pipeline, but declined to shut the line down while the review is completed.

Following a complaint by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said in April 2020 that a more extensive review was necessary than the environmental assessment conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The $3.8 billion, 1,172-mile (1,886 kilometer) pipeline crosses beneath the Missouri River, just north of the the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation that straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border. The tribe, which draws its water from the river, says it fears pollution.

We are pleased that the D.C. Circuit affirmed the necessity of a full environmental review, and we look forward to showing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers why this pipeline is too dangerous to operate, Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Mike Faith said in a statement.

Officials with the Corps and Energy Transfer, which owns the pipeline, have not responded to phone messages left by The Associated Press seeking comment.

The U.S. Court of Appeals ruling does not require the pipeline to stop operating or be emptied of oil, as Boasberg had initially ruled. The appellate court blocked that order last summer.

EarthJustice, an environmental group that opposes the pipeline, said Dakota Access should not be allowed to operate until the Corps decides whether to reissue a federal permit granting easement for the pipeline to cross beneath Lake Oahe. The group said President Joe Biden has the discretion to shut the pipeline down; last week, the leaders of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, and Yankton Sioux Tribe wrote to the president asking him to do so.

Craig Stevens, spokesman for the GAIN Coalition, a group that supports large infrastructure projects, touted the decision to keep oil flowing and said the pipeline has safely operated for more than three and a half years, after its developers worked closely with state and federal regulators to meet all permitting requirements.

Story continues

The Dakota Access pipeline was the subject of months of sometimes violent protests in 2016 and 2017 during its construction. The Standing Rock Sioux continued to press legal challenges against the pipeline even after it began carrying oil from North Dakota across South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois in June 2017.

The Obama administration originally rejected permits for the project, and the Corps prepared to conduct a full environmental review. In February 2017, after President Donald Trump took office, the agency scrapped the review and granted permits, concluding that running the pipeline under the Missouri River posed no significant environmental issues.

Boasberg later ruled that the Corps had largely complied with environmental law when permitting the pipeline but ordered more review because the agency did not adequately consider how an oil spill under the Missouri River might affect Standing Rocks fishing and hunting rights, or whether it might disproportionately affect the tribal community.

Giraldo said this about his book: "The reason and the intention for which I made this book was to collect all my 'writings' distributed in the Colombian festivalsa request from some of my countrymen. Also, remember those grandparents' sayings and song phrases? But most importantly, don't forget our culture.

Year after year since I arrived in Los Angeles with my husband, sons, and daughters, I was showing my longing for Colombia and all its 'ailments' that it has complained about. I felt powerless because I couldn't even 'grumble' when my country was discredited. This is why in an English with very high barriers, I shouted, 'I am proud to be Colombian!'

Each 'writing' is a tear shed with great nostalgia, which has become an eggyes, a condor egg, which needs incubation to be read so that if already converted into a pigeon, it begins to fly slowly until it reaches the height of their ancestors."

Published by Page Publishing, Ligia Chirivi Giraldo's new book Anorando a mi Colombia shares a profound and impassioned dedication to proclaiming the vast wealth of Colombian heritage and culture that will surely captivate people's interest.

Consumers who wish to learn and appreciate the essence of Colombian culture can purchase Anorando a mi Colombia in any bookstore or online at Apple iTunes, Amazon.com, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries, you can contact Page Publishing, through the following number: 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional full-service publishing house that handles all of the intricacies involved in publishing its authors' books, including distribution in the world's largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex, and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at www.pagepublishing.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1425896/Ligia_Chirivi_Giraldo.jpg

SOURCE Page Publishing

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Larry Kudlow, the former CNBC star who served as director of President Donald J. Trumps National Economic Council, is returning to broadcasting.

Mr. Kudlow was named the host of a new daily show on Fox Business set to begin later this year, the network said on Tuesday. He will also appear on Fox Business and Fox News as an on-air financial analyst starting Feb. 8.

This is the first major television gig secured by a senior Trump aide who stayed in the White House until the presidents term ended last week. It is also something of a hiring coup for Fox Business, which competes against CNBC and will now feature one of its rivals longtime featured players.

Fox said that it would provide more information about Mr. Kudlows new weekday program 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.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/25/2021



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STEPHANIE AND RYAN

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MIKE AND NATALIE

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BRANDON AND JULIA

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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.

featured Yara Zaya learning she's pregnant with Jovi Dufren 's baby, Stephanie Davison reuniting with Ryan Carr in Belize, Brandon Gibbs deciding to move out of his parents' house to please Julia Trubkina, Natalie Mordovtseva and Mike Youngquist agreeing to set a wedding date, and Amira Lollysa questioning her future with Andrew Kenton during Sunday night's Season 8 broadcast on TLC.'s new season stars three returning couples from the franchise: Mike, a 35-year-old from Sequim, WA, and Natalie, a 35-year-old from Ukraine; Tarik Myers , a 46-year-old from Virginia Beach, VA, and Hazel Cagalitan , a 28-year-old from the Philippines; and Rebecca Parrott , a 49-year-old from Woodstock, GA, and Zied Hakimi , a 27-year-old from Tunisia.Mike and Natalie previously starred on Season 7 of , Tarik Myers and Hazel Cagalitan found fame on Season 2 of : Before the 90 Days, and Rebecca and Zied first appeared on : Before the 90 Days' third season.The four new couples starring on Season 8 of are Brandon, a 27-year-old from Dinwiddie, VA, and Julia, a 26-year-old from Russia; Jovi, a 29-year-old from New Orleans, LA, and Yara, a 25-year-old from Ukraine; Stephanie, a 52-year-old from Grand Rapids, MI, and Ryan, a 27-year-old from Belize; and Andrew, a 32-year-old from Roseville, CA, and Amira, a 28-year-old from France.features Americans who have fallen in love with foreigners bringing their fiances to the United States on K-1 visas.However, once the couple is in America together, the American must marry their overseas partner within the 90-day period allowed by the visa or the foreigner has to return to their home country.Below is the latest on several of 's eighth-season couples based on the eighth episode.In October 2020, Stephanie said the borders had finally opened up and so she'd be able to visit her 27-year-old boyfriend Ryan in Belize. However, Stephanie said the pair hadn't been getting along at all, with jealousy and trust issues.Stephanie and Ryan had gone 10 months without seeing each other, however, and so she was excited to see him. Stephanie figured the distance between them had been causing most of their problems.When packing up her suitcase, Stephanie included about 12 watches -- including a $3,000 snake watch -- for Ryan as well as a shirt with skulls on it. She also decided to take the ring her father had given her mother when they were married.Stephanie always wanted to wear that specific ring if she were to get married."Although Ryan and I are engaged, he hasn't officially proposed yet, so the ideal thing for me is for him to propose with my mother's ring. I have a feeling this might be the time he proposes, on this trip. We shall see!" Stephanie gushed.Stephanie said goodbye to her beloved cat and planned to be away for about two weeks."I love Ryan with all my heart, and I hate the level that we're fighting now because our love will never survive if we can't restore the trust in our relationship," Stephanie explained."This will be the trip where we decide, 'Do we move forward or do we end it?' I'm excited but I'm also incredibly nervous. These last 10 months have been the worst of our relationship... I hope we can work out the kinks."When Stephanie arrived in Belize, she ran up to Ryan and he greeted her with flowers and a balloon. They embraced and kissed multiple times, and Ryan told Stephanie that she looked sexy. As for Stephanie, she appeared overjoyed.Ryan said he was 23 years old when he met Stephanie and she was either 47 or 48 at the time. Ryan said Stephanie's return to Belize was his "dream come true," and he drove Stephanie to her hotel, which he called "paradise."Once Stephanie returned to Ryan's arms, she felt like maybe they could make things work and love might actually conquer all. All of Stephanie's anger and resentment appeared to disappear in the moment.Stephanie then gifted Ryan sandals, shirts, underwear, shorts, sunglasses and more. Stephanie had spent thousands of dollars on his gifts, but she said she loved buying Ryan gifts because he was always so appreciate and didn't have many belongings.Stephanie also gave Ryan glow-in-the-dark condoms, with the pair revealing they had once slept together four times a night for about six days straight. Ryan said although Stephanie was older, she could definitely "keep up."Stephanie explained they needed to make a decision about Ryan's K-1 visa, and Ryan said he wanted to make amends with Stephanie and show her the best two weeks of her life. Ryan told Stephanie that making her happy would be his No. 1 priority.Once in the hotel, Stephanie suddenly asked Ryan to see his phone so she could make sure that he wasn't texting other women, and she discovered a woman named Kayla SC in his phone -- but it turned out to be his cousin.Ryan told Stephanie that he'd remove the password from his phone so she could check it whenever she wanted in order to make her feel secure and comfortable. Ryan insisted he wanted to get their relationship back on a good path."Some days, Stephanie drives me really crazy and you know, like, f-ck, I would probably just want to give up on all this, but I'm hoping she's willing to work with me. Right here, right now, let's make a new beginning, a new chapter, fresh," Ryan Sh. red."Because I'm actually way too deep in it already and I actually really want to get to America. I want to see what America looks like, you know?"Stephanie and Ryan then enjoyed a romantic dinner out together, and Ryan said his goal was to earn Stephanie's trust back.Stephanie asked Ryan if he figured she would ask to see his phone upon her arrival, and he replied, "No." Ryan said his phone wasn't on his mind and he was more concerned with Stephanie arriving in Belize safely.Stephanie said their relationship had been "sh-t" ever since coronavirus started, and Ryan agreed. But Ryan insisted he'd get to the United States eventually and Stephanie should stick with him no matter what.Ryan asked Stephanie not to worry about things that were out of their hands.Stephanie then gave Ryan the ring to propose marriage with if he decided that he was ready to do that and continue with the K-1 visa process. Ryan set out to prove to Stephanie that he was a changed man and wanted what was best for them as a couple.Stephanie, however, hadn't been honest about sleeping with Ryan's cousin Harris, and so she was feeling a little guilty. Stephanie wasn't sure when the right time would be to drop that bomb.With 66 days to go on Natalie's K-1 visa, things were a bit calmer in Mike's household. The pair had a blowup the day prior, and Mike said he and Natalie really needed to work on things if they were going to end up together and be happy.But Natalie felt frustrated because she said Mike didn't understand what she was going through."I think if I'm more flexible with Mike and be more soft with him in woman ways, he would be more pleased and he wouldn't be that hard on me," Natalie told the cameras.Natalie admitted she overreacted when she had called Mike "a low class drunk" and more, and she insisted that she was happy to be with him. Natalie, however, asked Mike to try to understand her as well because she had left everything behind her.Mike promised Natalie that he wasn't there to hurt her and asked his girlfriend to have patience going forward."Sometimes I'm angry with him and sometimes I want to run away, but I don't want to live with anger for 90 days. I realize I have two choices: either I am married or I am right. I prefer to be married," Natalie said with a laugh.Once Mike and Natalie were in a better situation, Mike's mother Trish was going to visit for a weekend and he hoped Natalie and his mother would love each other and get along great.Trish was well aware Mike and Natalie had fought and she had given her engagement ring back, and Natalie admitted she was a little upset about Mike having shared private details with his mom about their relationship.Mike told the cameras his mother is "a tough broad" and no joke because she had grown up on a farm, riding horses and whatnot. He called her "hardheaded" and explained to Natalie that means practical, realistic and not very sentimental.Natalie said she wouldn't get along with Trish if she's not sentimental, but Mike pointed out that Natalie tended to be hardheaded sometimes too.Natalie just hoped Trish from Oklahoma -- whom Mike said he saw about once a year -- would like her and the visit would be a positive one.Once Trish arrived, Trish said she didn't have "a super impression" of Natalie but she intended to work on that and hopefully change their dynamic.Trish told Natalie that Mike is a happy and jovial person, and Natalie could tell where Mike had gotten his sense of humor from when Trish joked she had birthed an elephant.Trish asked when the couple was going to give her grandchildren, and Natalie told the cameras she wanted to have babies but wasn't sure whether Mike was even ready to marry her.Natalie told Trish that Mike always kept her guessing and was paying her back for returning her engagement ring, and Trish could tell the couple had major differences and may not be able to work everything out."I think they really need to explore what they might be getting into," Trish noted.The trio later went to dinner together and Trish admitted she was struggling to have a full-on conversation with Natalie due to the language barrier.Natalie told Mike not to eat butter at dinner, but Trish argued that butter is good for one's mind and helps with memory. Natalie said she wanted Mike to be healthy and had challenged him not to eat meat.Trish said eating meat or not would be Mike's decision, and Trish was shocked to hear Natalie had yet to unpack her suitcases because the couple had been fighting."We don't have a wedding date and Michael didn't give me the ring back. I feel unsure and insecure, I don't know," Natalie explained to Trish, adding that she was upset about Mike not giving the engagement ring back.Natalie confessed to Trish she had made a mistake by giving the ring back, and Mike was glad to hear Natalie accept blame and take some responsibility for their relationship falling apart. Mike said it felt nice to hear that Natalie regretted her actions.Trish pushed Mike and Natalie to set a wedding date so Natalie's mother could attend the wedding and plan her trip, and Mike thought it was a good idea and said he'd work on things with Natalie."I feel like I found the magic button to Mike's heart -- Trish. Because if I'm good with Trish, everything works for me in the best way," Natalie shared with a laugh.Natalie thanked Trish for her guidance and support, but Trish still wasn't convinced Mike and Natalie's relationship was going to work out in the long run. Trish thought the pair had too many differences and didn't like how her son had already been hurt from all of this.The next day, Natalie and Mike settled on April 3 because she thought that represented the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Her last wedding was on the 22nd of the month, and so Natalie wanted to avoid any bad luck.Mike knew there was a lot more to do than just pick a date, and Trish didn't think 90 days was enough time to figure out their relationship and truly go through with a wedding.Natalie determined it was okay not to get married in the church because Mike had never been baptized. Natalie said she was fine with a simple wedding, and Trish suggested the pair could get married in the yard surrounded by flowers.Natalie appeared overjoyed to share her wedding date with her mother over the phone, and she kissed and hugged Mike with excitement.Natalie then broke down into tears because she missed her mother terribly.Julia was shown doing farm chores and feeding the animals, and she complained the life was boring and she was always dirty and smelled bad. Julia said she "hated" farm life and felt like she was stuck in a bad movie that was on repeat.Julia told the cameras that she missed her family, especially her father Igor, whom she decided to FaceTime.Julia complained about being dirty like a pig and lamented about how she wanted to move out of Brandon's parents' home."If I stay here, I will lose my mind soon, sitting around all day cleaning poop," Julia told her dad.Julia said Brandon wasn't taking care of her because he wasn't trying hard enough to fix the situation. She wanted her man to stand up for her and move them somewhere else.Igor agreed that Brandon needed to "man up," put his foot down and make his own decisions, and Julia admitted she wasn't sure whether the wedding was going to happen."If he doesn't change, I think I will go home," Julia noted, adding that she was tired of hearing Brandon saying they'd move "soon" without really acting on his promise.Julia said she was prepared to leave Brandon if he didn't step up to the plate and make their living situation better.Julia then FaceTimed Brandon and said she no longer wanted to live on the farm and hated it as well as all of her chores."I hate this place," Julia complained. "Brandon, I don't want to stay here. I want to leave now... You hear me?!"Brandon asked Julia to stop ranting and raving and asked if they could talk about it once he returned home from work. However, Julia pushed to have a conversation immediately, and so Brandon obliged.Julia said if they didn't move, she would return to Russia."You don't care about this. You not fix problem and I not feel you love me. And I don't love you too if you don't love me. I hate you now, Brandon. I hate you," Julia complained.Brandon asked what was wrong with taking care of a few cute animals, and Julia repeated how she hated her fiance.Brandon told the cameras that Julia had no idea how lucky they were to be living in a place for free while he was saving money for their future together. Brandon felt like his effort was in vain due to Julia's reaction.Brandon insisted to Julia that he was trying and their situation was just temporary. Julia argued, "I try for you!" But Brandon said the work wasn't as hard as Julia was making it out to be.Julia told Brandon they needed to leave his parents' house or else she was going to leave."You choose," Julia said.Brandon said he loved Julia and it hurt him to hear she'd be willing to leave, but Julia said she had given Brandon her life and so he needed to do the same for her."It's hard to hear, but I'm going to fix this for us. I'm going to talk to my parents and tell them we're leaving because I don't want to lose you. I'm going to be the man that you want me to be," Brandon said.Julia was so excited to start a new future with Brandon, but Brandon was worried about disappointing and upsetting his parents.Regardless, Brandon was clearly ready to choose Julia over anything or anyone else.Yara had been feeling really sick for several days, so with 53 days left to wed, Yara decided to buy an at-home pregnancy test at the store.After Yara's miscarriage, doctors had told her it would be "so hard" for her to get pregnant again, so the Ukraine native apparently had a hard time thinking she could be expecting a baby.Yara was scared about potentially being pregnant, saying she wasn't necessarily ready to take care of a baby and all of the responsibilities that come with that given she was in a foreign country with no job or family or friends around.Yara also acknowledged she and Jovi had things to work out."I honestly don't even know if he wants to settle down with me and [stop] partying all the time," Yara explained. "It just makes me feel crazy. I don't think it's the time for me to get pregnant. It's not time yet."Yara then took the test behind a closed bathroom door, and fans were able to wait with Yara for her results.Yara then FaceTimed her friend Lera and revealed her test result was positive."I don't want to be pregnant. I wasn't planning to be pregnant," Yara lamented.Lera suggested maybe the test was wrong, but Yara had a good feeling the test was probably right. Yara didn't know what to do, and the idea of being pregnant had yet to settle in Yara's mind.Yara didn't want to sit home alone while Jovi went off to work for weeks at a time. Yara said that wasn't her plan "for sure."Yara planned to wait to share the news with Jovi so he could hear about it in-person after his work trip. He was due to come back in a couple of days.Yara admitted she was not ready to have kids but it was time to tell Jovi that she was pregnant.Later on, Yara and Jovi reunited after a month apart. Yara was excited about seeing her man again, but Jovi was drinking whiskey at around 8AM, and Yara was angry and displeased.Yara accused Jovi of being a different man than the guy she had started dating."He don't want to grow up and stop partying, and I need to tell him about the pregnancy. But now I don't even know if I do want to marry him or if I don't," Yara shared.In June 2020, Amira was still reeling from spending three days in the immigration detention center in Mexico City. Amira was finally on her way home, but she only had 39 days left on her K-1 visa.Amira and Andrew's plan had gone totally awry, with Andrew at the Mexican resort by himself and Amira back home in France."That trip to Mexico was the worst nightmare ever of my entire life, but I'm relieved to be safe in France and I am desperate to see my father again," Amira shared.Amira's father Hamdi picked his daughter up at the airport, and Amira said she felt guilty because her father had suffered because of her since he was unable to reach her while she was detained.Over a nice lunch, Amira revealed she had been detained within 30 minutes after her flight landed in Mexico and they took her phone and passport away. Amira's watch had also been taken away, and Amira said it was just like being in prison.Amira said the Mexican authorities detained her for allegedly having "no passport," but Amira insisted they were lying because they had placed her passport in the same envelope as the paperwork.Hamdi told Amira that she never should have went to Mexico to begin with, and Amira explained that she wanted to prove her love to Andrew and that she'd be willing to take risks for him.Hamdi determined Andrew wasn't the right guy for Amira, who also wished Andrew had looked for her while she was detained. Amira told Hamdi maybe he would change his mind upon meeting Andrew, but Hamdi said Andrew was "not a man" and seemed "very selfish."Amira didn't want her father to disapprove of her partner, and so she said she'd have to find a way to fix that."I have a very bad feeling about Andrew, and I don't think this relationship is good for her," Hamdi told the cameras.Once he learned Amira was safe, Andrew decided to have a little fun and focus on his self-care. Andrew therefore went to the beach and received a massage. He decided to just enjoy his vacation since he had already taken the time off from work.Andrew then FaceTimed with Amira, who said she had taken four planes in five days and was exhausted. Andrew said his trip felt "empty" without Amira but he had a lot of excursions planned.Since Andrew was vacationing, Amira felt there was no room for her to open up about what had happened to her. Andrew said if the borders didn't open up and Amira's K-1 visa expired, they might have to try this all over again in a different country.Amira, however, said she had been through so much already and didn't want to go through that struggle again. Andrew's expectations of Amira made her "speechless" considering she finally just returned home and was healing from her bad experience."It's like he doesn't really see what I'm going through. I love Andrew, and I know right now he is pushing me hard to go to the U.S., but I am hesitating," Amira said."Now that I have talked to my dad and heard he has negative things to say about Andrew, I feel torn. The more Andrew is pushing me, the more I am questioning, 'Does he really want the best for me?'"Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!

The Khalistan infiltration: What we are witnessing in Delhi is exactly what SJF planned

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: A couple of days back the proscribed terror group Sikhs for Justice which is batting for a separate Khalistan state had offered a reward for Punjab farmer to hoist a Khalistan flag at the India Gate.

On India's Republic Day, those protesting against the farm laws stormed the Red Fort and hoisted a flag and it was not the Tricolour. It was not a flag of Khalistan either as the SJF had asked for.

Protesting farmers enter Red Fort complex, hoist flag

These violent scenes witnessed in Delhi today come in the way of Intelligence reports stating that the Pakistan based Khalistan groups are being pushed by their handlers to exploit the agitation in a bid to revive militancy in Punjab.

A day before the tractor parade, the Intelligence Bureau had declared a high state of alert in Delhi. The Intelligence Bureau has warned that pro-Khalistan elements backed by Pakistan's ISI would look to hijack the protests and disrupt peace in Delhi.

Farmers enter Red Fort, hoist a flag | Tractor rampage at ITO | Oneindia News

On Monday, the Delhi Police said that over 300 Twitter handles had been traced to Pakistan that were created to sabotage the rally. The proscribed outfit, Sikhs for Justice has been threatening strikes and has even tried to influence the farmers' protest on several occasions.

The CISF control room allegedly received a call from the SJF in which the message of Gurpatwant Singh Pannu's message was played. The SJF has been staging protests outside the Indian consulates at UK, US and Canada stating that they are backing the farmers' protests.

Both the IB as well as the Delhi Police have warned that the pro-Khalistan groups will look to disrupt peace. A close watch is being kept especially on the social media, where attempts would be made to spread false news and instigate the people.

"Over 300 Twitter handles have been generated from Pakistan during January 13 to 18 to disrupt the tractor rally by farmers only by misleading people. There are inputs about the same from different agencies too. It will be a challenging task for us, but the rally will be conducted amid tight security after the Republic Day parade is over," Deependra Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence), said.

Farmers' Protest: Chanting 'jai jawan jai kisan' farmers pour into Delhi on tractors, horses, cranes

At a press conference, he also said that mischievous elements can create a law and order situation. The 308 Twitter handles originating rom Pakistan have been pushing hashtags linked to the farmers' protest and the tractor rally, he also said.

On January 23, India had alerted several; nations against pro-Khalistan protests. "Wherever our missions see that anti-India activities are taking place, this issue is raised with the government of that country and we work with them," MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava had said.
CHEYENNE, Wyo., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Geo. W. Carver, the brand honoring groundbreaking food scientist George Washington Carver, is bringing its collection of snacks to consumers this spring and summer. The brand will feature snacks inspired by recipes and formulas developed by one of America's most famous scientists during his incredible career of advocacy for better nutrition. He explored recipes using peanuts, tomatoes, pecans, sweet potatoes, corn, vinegars, dry coffee and candy. Delivering familiar flavors with a message of individual dignity, humanity and heartland values, the snacks are destined to be a favorite for anyone seeking an alternative to larger, traditional snack brands.

"For decades George Washington Carver has been a symbol of American innovation," said Frank Cargle, Partner, Blue Bear Brands, the exclusive licensing agency brought on to secure licensing partnerships on behalf of the Geo. W. Carver brand. "With consumers expressing demand for healthier snacks and looking for ways to show their support for Black-owned brands, extending the George Washington Carver's legacy into the food & beverage sector was a logical step."

The debut of the Geo. W. Carver brand includes:

Pre-Bagged Nuts and Fruit: Peanuts, Pecans, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes;

Nut-Based Spreads: Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Cashew Butter and Hazelnut Butter, Fig Jam, Pistachio Spread;

Cookies: Biscotti, Shortbread, Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle;

Salty Snacks: Potato Chips, Sweet Potato Chips, Trail Mix, Peanut Butter Pretzels;

Condiments: Tomato Relish, Mustard, Peanut Chili Sauce;

"The story of George Washington Carver is uplifting. He's an enduring American treasure, all can celebrate," added Cargle.

Carver's story is one of self-determination and triumph in the face of adversity. Orphaned in childhood, he developed a keen interest in plants and flowers which would eventually lead him to Iowa State University, where he studied botany. He would go on to teach and conduct research at Tuskegee University for decades, traveling the world promoting agricultural and racial harmony. He won the admiration of President Roosevelt, his family and Henry Ford, who built a replica of Carver's birth cabin at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, as a tribute.

Geo. W. Carver products will be available at e-commerce outlets, grocery stores and retailers nationwide, this summer. For more information on Geo. W. Carver's full collection of products and licensing inquiries, prospective suppliers can contact the brand at https://www.geowcarver.com.

About Blue Bear Brands

Blue Bear Brands designs, develops and sells consumer products and services for both its own brands, and those of cultural significant people, places, brands and organizations. Blue Bear Brands was founded in 2014 as an e-commerce marketplaces and brand marketing consultancy Blue Bear's diverse team is a minority and female-owned and operated business.

SOURCE Wellness In Nature

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Kim Ward didnt set out to be a politician. She chose to be a respiratory therapist.

But when she crossed paths with a young intern-turned AIDS activist, it sparked an interest in government and how she could play a role in it.

That was a lesson along with a few others, including ones instilled in her by her 82-year-old mother Joanna Renko, that helped Ward secure her place in Pennsylvania history.

The southwestern Pennsylvania native has become the first woman in the state to serve as a majority leader in the General Assembly.

Ward, 64, of Westmoreland County, said breaking glass ceilings was not what drove her to seek that post.

It was more about her being from the western part of the state that was her selling point. Thats where the states Republican base has migrated and where most of the House and Senate Republicans reside. Last years departures of top Republicans  Mike Turzai of Allegheny County as House speaker and Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County as Senate president pro tempore  created a void in the regions representation in leadership.

It didnt really dawn on her that she made history until after the GOP caucus election. Ward, a married mother of three grown sons and grandmother to three, simply said, Im a woman and Im a senator.

It finally sunk in when a reporter asked her about the history she made and then seeing congratulatory notes pour in.

Thats when it hit that I have an important position and I have to do a good job, Ward said.

Sen. Kim Ward, R-39th District, is the first woman elected floor leader in Pennsylvania history (beating out House Minority Leader Rep. Joanna McClinton by a few hours) when she was named Senate majority leader for the 2021-2022 session. Nov. 19, 2020. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com

Her colleagues and supporters mentioned her directness, pragmatism and levity as reasons why they saw her as the right person to lead the caucus and advance its policy agenda.

She reflects a mindset or a perspective that I think is what you would think of in a leader that came out of the West in terms of pro-jobs, the dignity of each person and being strong on a lot of issues that are important to those that are from a right of center perspective, said Turzai, who has known Ward for over 20 years through GOP circles.

Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-Venango County, along with Sen. Joe Pittman, R-Indiana County, had been nudging Ward to run for the leadership post.

She is a really a meat-and-potatoes kind of legislator, not one with highfalutin ideas, Hutchinson said. She is focused on the basics and doing them well and that policy will carry our state forward.

Ward will do that in the Senate chamber, standing a little taller with the help of a stool her fellow Republicans gave the 5-foot-tall lawmaker. It carries a reminder of what she accomplished.

On its side is an engraved plate that reads: Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward  Shattering Glass Ceilings One Step at a Time.

Senate Republicans presented vertically challenged Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland County, with a stool as a gift in honor of her becoming the state's first female majority caucus leader. It has a plaque on the side that reads: "Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward. Shattering glass ceilings one step at a time." Submitted photo

Her activist streak

Ward said she has always been an activist, even back when she was in high school.

I was a class officer and never shied away from giving my opinion, she said. Id go to school board meetings and my dad would go with me. Id jump up to say something and hed whisper, Sit down. But I cant help it. Ive always been that way.

When working as a respiratory therapist at Vanderbilt University Hospital a couple years after the discovery of the AIDS virus in the early 80s, her desire to help others kicked in again. She wanted hospital employees to be safe at a time when so little was known about that virus.

Not everybody had access to the charts but we would make sure anybody who drew blood, we would tell to be careful. Be extra cautious here is all I would say, Ward said. It was a scary time. But it was my little activism.

It was there she met Dr. Hacib Aoun , an intern who contracted AIDS when a glass tube, containing a sample of a patients blood, shattered and pierced his hand. She saw him take his own situation and launch it into a national crusade.

Aoun became known for his efforts of raising awareness of the dangers that the AIDS virus posed to health care workers and pushing for funding to find a cure or treatment for the disease.

Ward recalls being home on maternity leave watching Aoun on television testifying before Congress and appearing on talk shows. That made an impression.

He was a fighter for the cause, she said. He opened my eyes to government in action.

When she returned to southwestern Pennsylvania, she got involved in politics and became county GOP chairman. She went on to serve as chair of the partys southwestern caucus and later statewide secretary for the Pennsylvania Republican Party Committee.

She helped to get other candidates elected. Then in 2001, she decided to run for office, after becoming outraged over her townships plan to spend $5 million on a recreation center.

I was like, whos going to pay for that? Im going to pay for that? And we cant get a red light here? she said.

Ward put her name on the ballot for Hempfield Township supervisor, despite knowing the odds were against her. Her township hadnt had a Republican supervisor on its board in 20 to 25 years, let alone a woman.

All I heard was that I was not going to win that, Ward said. They said they wont elect a woman. They wont elect a Republican.

They were wrong.

She got elected. During her five years on the supervisors board, the township got its rec center but at a tenth of the original cost, Ward said.

Then some issues arose in Westmoreland County government that piqued her interest and led to her successful run for a county commissioner seat. She was a commissioner for just eight months when the 39th senatorial district seat opened in 2008 and she was recruited to run for it.

Ward admits she was unsure about making that move but with the support of Senate Republican leaders and with the Senate Republican Campaign Committee bankrolling her efforts, she won.

Since then, she has made her mark through legislation she advanced in the areas of health care, child protection, transportation, among others.

Last year, one of her bills that became law reminded her of her friend Auons crusade. The measure allowed first responders to be alerted to confirmed COVID-19 cases at addresses where they were responding to emergencies.

It is in the best interest of all of us for our first responders to know as much as possible about their risk of exposure to a highly communicable novel virus like COVID-19 when they are responding to a call, Ward said.

She also authored a proposed constitutional amendment to give the General Assembly more say in how long disaster declarations last. It would limit them to 21 days, unless the legislature extends the declaration. Ward said that idea was born out of Gov. Tom Wolfs response to the COVID-19 pandemic and his refusal to work with the General Assembly in dealing with it.

Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland County, authored a proposed constitutional amendment to restore the balance of power during disaster declarations after growing frustrated with Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's failure to work with the General Assembly in making decisions about how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nov. 19, 2020. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com

Getting along

Despite her effort to clip Wolfs wings through that proposed amendment, Ward described her relationship with the Democratic governor as OK.

Hes always treated me politely, she said. Hes always been a gentleman. I dont agree with him on a whole lot of things but thats OK. We can still get along.

She is hoping that also holds true with the Democrats in the Senate. But this legislative session got off to a rocky start with them.

The Senate Republican majority refused to seat Democratic Sen. Jim Brewster of Allegheny County at the Jan. 5 Swearing-in Day. Their reason: his narrow win over his GOP opponent Nicole Ziccarelli remained in dispute.

That decision sparked chaos in the chamber. Angry words were spoken and the controversy drew national attention. Democrats left there pursuing a lawsuit to compel the Republicans to seat Brewster, who was declared as the winner in that race based on results certified by state and local election offices. Ziccarelli filed an unsuccessful lawsuit to overturn the results, and Brewster was sworn in on Jan. 13.

Ward issued a statement welcoming Brewster back to the Senate and committing to working across the aisle on election reform.

We are all elected to represent our constituents. We are all elected to represent different constituents. There is absolutely no reason we cant disagree and still be respectful and not engage in name calling and making accusations, Ward said, referring to the maelstrom that erupted on Swearing-in Day. That takes away from the chamber. We represent the people and they dont want to see us up there calling each other names and yelling.

Personally, she said she has no issue with any Senate Democrats, although she admits she doesnt know some of the newer ones very well.

I hope we can work smoothly together, disagree or not, Ward said. Ive always had a collegial relationship with the other party. I hope thats not threatened this year because of the overall kind of feeling left from the election and surrounding issues.

Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa of Allegheny County, said he has had a longstanding good relationship with Ward, particularly in working in the areas of transportation and community development. He hopes to see that continue.

While we did have a significant disagreement with respect to the start of the Senate session, I do believe we will get back on track and do the peoples business, Costa said. Its imperative that we move forward and do the peoples work. We can disagree on some of these issues but we have to be able to have an open and transparent and appropriate debate and discussion on issues that Republicans believe in and issues that Democrats believe in also deserve an opportunity to be aired.

He hopes the new majority leader will allow more Democrat-sponsored bills to get a Senate vote.

We cant continue down a path where 90% of the bills that are coming out of the Senate are Republican bills and less than 10 % are Democratic bills, Costa said Thats not acceptable.

Sen. Kim Ward, R-39th District, is the first woman elected floor leader in Pennsylvania history (beating out House Minority Leader Rep. Joanna McClinton by a few hours) when she was named Senate majority leader for the 2021-2022 session. Nov. 19, 2020. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com

Another Democrat who respects Ward for her history-making achievement is Sen. Lisa Boscola of Lehigh County.

Boscola said over the years, she and Ward have talked about their personal lives, their positions on issues and how legislation could be modified to win each others support.

On Jan. 5, when Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre County, referred to Ward as madam leader  and Boscola saw Ward at the majority leaders podium, she said it brought on a feeling of immense pride.

Its incredible, Boscola said. I do recognize what a huge accomplishment this is and how hard she had to work to get to that leadership position. Its not easy. So Im hoping there are many young women out there who are watching this and who are inspired.

Boscola was impressed when Wards male colleagues presented her with that stool.

I was like, wow, for her colleagues to do that was impressive as well, Boscola said. I actually went over to see it. I took a picture.

Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland County, credits her mom, Joanne Renko, for her strength and determination that contributed to her being elected by her fellow GOP senators as their caucus leader. Submitted photo

Being leader

After being elected on Nov. 12 as majority caucus leader, Ward thought she would have a slow run up to the 2021-22 legislative session. It proved to be anything but.

Ward found herself immersed in the fallout from the general election and challenges of President Joe Bidens victory in Pennsylvania.

She attended a Senate Majority Policy Committee meeting where unproven claims of election rigging and voter fraud were aired by former President Donald Trumps lawyers. Federal, state and local officials defended the integrity of the election and courts in Pennsylvania - and around the country - rejected efforts to overturn the results.

Ward signed on to failed efforts led by Trump supporters that would have resulted in tossing out Pennsylvanias election results, including signing a letter to Congress urging its members to reject the states electoral votes for Biden.

Ward said she did so because of a feeling that the Wolf Administration and the Democratic majority on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overstepped the bounds of their authority with some of their election guidance and rulings, raising questions for many about the elections integrity.

The temperature had been very high. This election was very emotional for a lot of people and legislators, not just me, she said.

It was that high emotion that spurred Ward to tell a New York Times reporter that given the feelings of GOP party leaders, they expected her to sign that letter to Congress. She was then quoted as saying if she didnt, Id get my house bombed tonight.

Ward claims her comment was said in jest while having a laugh with that reporter and was disappointed the comment was portrayed in a way that carried a more serious tone.

However, she admits she has received death threats from both the left and the right over actions she took related to the election.

The election wasnt the only thing that filled her days after her Republican colleagues chose her as their caucus leader.

She called one last hearing in late November as Senate Transportation Committee chairwoman to address a transportation funding issue.

It came to light as work on the state budget to fund government through the end of the fiscal year was nearing completion. PennDOT officials requested authority to borrow $600 million because it had run out of money. Without an infusion of cash, PennDOT officials said work on hundreds of road and bridge projects were at risk of stopping by early December. A last-minute agreement to move money around to keep those projects on track averted that situation.

During the hearing, Ward asked why PennDOT waited until two weeks before it ran out of money to try to squeeze $600 million in borrowing authority out of the General Assembly.

It feels like it was intentional to hold us over a barrel knowing that if it didnt get into the budget that thousands and tens of thousands of jobs, folks would be getting laid off. Its just no way to do business, Ward said.

Wolf administration officials said they warned of funding problems long before that time

Wards cut-to-the-chase style prompted Hutchinson to urge Ward to seek the leadership post.

She has an ability to look to the crux of a matter very quickly, he said. She can get right to that immediately and not beat around the bush and figure out how we should deal with it.

Hutchinson looks for Ward to advance issues such as growing the economy, making government live within its means, and addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Turzai said it is her direct, principled, and common sense nature that had him rooting for her behind the scenes to become the Senate GOP leader.

Shes not afraid to move forward and make tough decisions and is just full speed ahead, Turzai said. But I will also tell you Kim has a great sense of humor. She is very outgoing. She uses levity to keeps things in check but shes not afraid to speak her mind. I just think thats what you want in a leader.

Ward says she gets that strength and drive to fight for what she wants from her mother.

My mom just never gave up. She said theres always a way to fix it. There was nothing you cant fix. Shes always been really strong, Ward said.

She did this to me.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called on the government to consider re-introducing restrictions on public gathering to help curb the increasing infections of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).



In a press statement jointly signed and issued Monday by the President and General Secretary of the GMA, Dr Drank Ankobea and Dr Justice Yankson said: "The Covid-19 pandemic is still a major health threat to all persons living in the country."



They said the pandemic has a potential of further "weakening our already fragile health systems."



"Government should as a matter of urgency restrict social activities such as parties, church services, funerals, clubs and other social gathering of such nature. the markets should be regulated and as much as possible restricted."



"Government should restrict the number of people attending the state funeral for the late H.E. Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings and rather encourage people to follow proceedings on television and other social media platforms.:



The GMA argued that the non-adherence to the Covid-19 preventive measures has the potential to further escalate the spread of the disease.



It also added that the government should ensure prompt, continuous supply and adequate distribution of PPE to all health workers in the various health institutions.



"Suppliers and vendors of the various types of PPE especially the face mask should not take advantage of the new surge of Covid-19 cases and the increase demand for their products by scaling up prices. This in the long ran will not inure to the benefit of the country in our quest to defeat the virus."



"Ghanaians are entreated to get tested if they have flu like symptoms and as much as possible desist from self-medication."



"Once again, each and everyone should take their personal safety into their own hands by adhering strictly to all the Covid-19 safety protocols.









Source: Graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Spanish government has updated its guidelines for international relations. A draft of the 2021-2024 Foreign Action Strategy, which the Cabinet is planning to send to parliament on Tuesday, discusses the opportunity to improve relations with the United States now that Joe Biden is the new US president. It also emphasizes the need for a feminist foreign policy and humanitarian diplomacy.

This document will replace the previous foreign policy strategy drafted in 2015. Although it only represents the governments opinion, other sources were consulted  including regional, provincial and local authorities, and national agencies such as the Council of State, the governments top advisory body.

Spain hopes to gain relevance in the international arena with a policy based on reformed and reinforced multilateralism

The 100-page text draws a somber picture of a fractured global scenario where the concept of multilateralism is in crisis. We live in an increasingly volatile and fragmented world that tends to generate two opposing trends: an outward force of disunity marked by the rise of populisms and exclusionary nationalisms, and an inward force with inclusive answers to global challenges, reads the document.

In this context, Spain hopes to gain added relevance in the international arena with a policy based on reformed and reinforced multilateralism. The strategy, drafted in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, holds that the health crisis has accelerated processes that were already underway, but that it is still too soon to know whether we are immersed in an era of change or in a change of era.

The following are some of the main points:

United States. The Biden administration opens up a more optimistic scenario and an opportunity that has to be taken. Spain wants a broader agenda for bilateral relations in the economic and trade spheres, and will seek to get unfair unilateral trade measures lifted, alluding to tariffs on olive oil and wine. The existing cooperation on defense issues should be maintained, and the Cervantes Institute will open a new branch in Los Angeles, adding to the ones in New York, Chicago and New Mexico.

Europe. Spain will encourage a more federal European Union with greater strategic autonomy, competence over more policy areas, and more matters that may be approved through qualified majorities rather than unanimous votes. Spain will play an active role in the Conference on the Future of Europe, which will address necessary reforms for the EU, and encourage the integration process when it holds the six-month rotating EU presidency in the second half of 2023. The document calls for the consolidation of permanent tools of joint debt issue and for Europe to create its own resources, as well as for a harmonized tax system that ends competition within the EU. The United Kingdoms withdrawal from the EU is described as a great opportunity for Spain to take on greater leadership towards a more global Europe.

Feminism. Spain will approve a Feminist Foreign Policy Strategy to incorporate gender issues in all areas of foreign action and it will lead by example by encouraging a greater presence of women in Spains external activities. Women currently represent 28% of diplomats and 20% of mission heads. Spain will also lead initiatives to promote diversity, particularly LGTBI rights and the rights of all communities that are underprivileged or discriminated against.

Latin America. Spain will encourage relations between the EU and Latin America and support the completion of an agreement with the Mercosur trade bloc. The king and queen will visit Chile to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the first documented circumnavigation of the globe. Several Central American countries, as well as Peru and Mexico, are also celebrating the bicentennial of their independence. The latter country is also observing the controversial 500th anniversary of Hernan Cortes conquest, and Spain will work towards a constructive dialogue about the celebration of historical milestones. In Venezuela, the priority will be restoring the democratic framework and providing support for overcoming the political and humanitarian crisis. As for Cuba, the country is updating its political and economic model and Spain must stimulate this process through critical yet constructive support.

Immigration. Spain supports a European System of Immigration and Asylum guided by the principles of solidarity and equally shared responsibility. It wants to see integral management of borders, a zero-tolerance policy against smuggling rings, and the creation of safe, regular and orderly migration channels.

Health. Spain will support the European Commissions efforts to create the foundations for a European health union, as well as the reform and reinforcement of multilateral global institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO).

United Nations. Spain will apply to sit on the UN Human Rights Council for the 2025-2027 period. The technological platform for the UN system in Quart de Poblet (Valencia) will be consolidated and expanded.

China. Spain will seek more balanced relations with China, especially on economic issues, avoiding dynamics of confrontation. It will encourage a strategic relationship through the EU, without ignoring clear elements of rivalry in terms of values and interests especially on human rights issues and unfair competition.

Development aid. The document maintains a commitment to earmark 0.5% of Spains gross domestic product (GDP) to development aid. A new law on international cooperation for sustainable development will be passed, and the Spanish International Cooperation Agency will undergo reform.

Climate. Spain wants to lead agreements on climate change with a climate diplomacy. It will encourage an international coalition on green hydrogen (hydrogen production from water) and will commit to the protection of biodiversity.

Western Sahara. Spains priority with regard to its former colony is to contribute to the UNs efforts to reach a political solution to the conflicts in the region in accordance with international parameters.

Gibraltar. Gibraltar is only mentioned in reference to the recent agreement of December 31 laying out the groundwork to incorporate the British Overseas Territory into the Schengen space. Spain will encourage the negotiation process for an agreement between the EU and the UK with regard to Gibraltar.

English version by Susana Urra.
TACOMA, Wash. (AP)  Protesters set a large fire, damaged buildings and marched with signs late Sunday in response to a police car driving through a crowd in Washington state the day before, leaving at least two people injured.

The demonstrators gathered near the intersection in Tacoma where the police car plowed through a crowd of pedestrians while responding to a reported street race Saturday evening. Video of the incident was widely shared online and appeared to show at least one person being run over.

Both injured people went to hospitals with injuries not considered to be life threatening. One person has since been released, news outlets reported.

Sunday evening, demonstrators gathered at a park, then marched through downtown where windows were shattered and spray paint was tagged on multiple buildings. Several items were set up to create a barricade in the street where a large trash can was set ablaze. The demonstrators also passed by the Pierce County Jail.

There were no known injuries from the demonstration, police said in a tweet, adding that the protest was cleared around 11 p.m.

The officer involved in the incident Saturday is a 58-year-old man who has been with the department for 29 1/2 years, Tacoma police said. He had been surrounded by a crowd after arriving at the reported street race. People began hitting the body of the cruiser, and the officer feared for his safety. The officer drove forward through the crowd, and then stopped and called for medical aid, police said.

The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Protesters told news outlets they want the officer to be fired, and criticized the city for what they said was a lack of transparency.

The Tacoma Communitys Police Advisory Committee scheduled a virtual meeting Monday at 6 p.m. to discuss the incident.

The Pierce County Force Investigation Team is looking into Saturdays incident. The team is comprised of law enforcement officials from around the county and community representatives, The Seattle Times reported.

Police additionally said Sunday that while officers were observing the protest, three people appeared to try to get onto the roof of a building downtown. Two were armed with a handgun and knives and were arrested. The third got away.

Tacoma is located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Seattle.

About the photo: A trash can burns as people take part in a protest against police brutality, late Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, in downtown Tacoma, Wash., south of Seattle. The protest came a day after at least two people were injured when a Tacoma Police officer responding to a report of a street race drove his car through a crowd of pedestrians that had gathered around him. Several people were knocked to the ground and at least one person was run over. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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.
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of earnings reports by London-listed companies, issued on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News:







React Group PLC - South Derbyshire-based cleaning, hygiene and decontamination - For the financial year that ended September 30, swings to pretax profit of GBP188,000 from GBP183,000 loss the year before, on revenue that grows by 41% year-on-year to GBP4.4 million from GBP3.1 million. The Covid-19 pandemic offers opportunities and challenges for the business, React says, as Covid-19-specific business contributes GBP444,000 in revenue, replacing some lost due to the decline in customer requirements. Looking ahead, current financial year starts with profit and cash generation stronger in first quarter than the same period in the prior year.







Quiz PLC - Glasgow-based fashion retailer - For the six months to the end of September, swings to pretax profit of GBP10.6 million from loss of GBP6.7 million the year before, due to non-cash gain of GBP16.2 million arising from the administration of subsidiary Kast Retail Ltd. On an underlying basis, however, pretax loss was GBP5.6 million, swung from profit of GBP256,000. Revenue plunges by 73% year-on-year to GBP17.2 million from GBP63.3 million, due to closure of stores from March to June 2020 due to the virus pandemic. In addition, due to store restructuring and new lease negotiations, many stores remained closed until autumn. For third quarter to the end of December, revenue drops by 59% to GBP15.2 million from GBP36.7 million the prior year, as government restrictions continue.







Real Good Food PLC - Liverpool-based food producer - For the six months to the end of September, pretax loss widens to GBP4.0 million from GBP2.5 million the year before, as revenue from continued operations declines by 26% to GBP23.9 million from GBP32.4 million. The pandemic and national restrictions led to customers purchasing in much lower volumes. Looking ahead, Covid-19 is expected to have an effect on the rest of the financial year, however, third-quarter revenue remained in-line with the same period the prior year. "With further restrictions announced for January 2021, revenues for the year are expected to be in-line with the board's modest expectations," the company stated.







Agronomics Ltd - Isle of Man-based investor in cellular agriculture with a focus on cultivated meat and alternative proteins - For half year ended December 31, pretax loss widens to GBP1.4 million from GBP493,493 the year before, due to foreign exchange losses widening to GBP1.5 million from GBP7,591. Total investment income increases to GBP510,635 from GBP84,262 the prior year. "The first half of the financial year has been both busy and very exciting. Our current investment portfolio shows considerable promise for future growth given the scale of opportunity to invest in the nascent alternative foods sector. We are expecting significant developments in a number of our portfolio companies that should positively impact their valuation in the coming months," says Chair Richard Reed.







Advance Energy PLC - upstream oil and gas company - For the six months to the end of October, pretax loss widens to USD631,000 from USD528,000 the year before, due to higher administrative expenses. Post-period, enters into a subscription agreement to buy 50% of Timor-Leste Petroleum Pty Ltd's subsidiary Carnarvon Petroleum Timor for up to USD20 million, and through that a 50% indirect interest in the Buffalo Oil Field. Is looking to raise funds for the acquisition.







LPA Group PLC - Essex-based LED lighting and electro-mechanical system manufacturer - For the year to that ended September 30, swings to pretax profit of GBP551,000 from loss of GBP237,000 the year before, on revenue that rises by 6.0% to GBP20.7 million from GBP19.5 million. This is in spite of customer delays caused by the pandemic. Order entry drops by 19% to GBP21.9 million from GBP27.0 million. Due to uncertainty, declares no dividend for the year. Appoints Robert Bodnar-Horvath as non-executive director and chair-elect with effect on February 1. Will replace Chair Peter Pollock when he retires later in 2021.







Blencowe Resources PLC - natural resources company focussed on the development of the Orom-Cross graphite project in Uganda - For the year that ended September 30, pretax loss widens to GBP1.1 million from GBP243,119 the year before, due to a sharp rise in administrative expenses. During the year, completed the acquisition of Consolidated African Resources Uganda Ltd, owner of the Orom-Cross project. Looking ahead, seeking to define maiden JORC resource for project.







Ideagen PLC - Nottinghamshire-based information management software for regulated industries - For the six months to the end of October, pretax profit rises sharply to GBP1.2 million from GBP93,000 a year before, on revenue that grows by 7% year-on-year to GBP29.2 million from GBP27.3 million. On an adjusted basis, excluding amortisation expenses and one-off costs, pretax profit was 23% higher year-on-year at GBP7.4 million from GBP6.0 million. As at October 31, annual recurring revenue book up 13% at GBP54.8 million from GBP48.7 million at end of April. Interim dividend raised 15% year-on-year to 0.12p per share from 0.104p. Appoints Senior Independent Director Richard Longdon as non-executive chair with effect in May, replacing Executive Chair David Hornsby after three years in the role since 2018.







Velocity Composites PLC - composite materials supplier for aerospace sector - For the financial year that ended October 31, pretax loss widens to GBP3.2 million from GBP652,000 the year before, on revenue that fell by 44% year-on-year to GBP13.6 million from GBP24.3 million. The pandemic's effect on the airline industry forced Velocity's customers to close plants and operations, leading to lower order levels. Adjusted loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation was GBP1.9 million, compared to profit of GBP834,00 in the prior year. Looking ahead, expects to achieve a breakeven position in adjusted Ebitda in second half of current financial year.







Standard Life Private Equity Trust PLC - investment company - For the financial year that ended September 30, net asset value total return is 11.7%, outperforming the FTSE All-Share index, which had a negative return of 16.6%. As at September 30, NAV per share is 501.0 pence, up 8.5% from 461.9p on the same date a year before. Share price was 320.0p, reflecting a 36% discount to NAV. Declares a total dividend of 13.2 pence per share, up 3.1% from 12.8p.







InfraStrata PLC - UK-based strategic infrastructure projects company - For the financial year that ended July 31, pretax loss widens to GBP10.4 million from GBP1.2 million the year before, as management and administrative expenses rose to GBP9.5 million from GBP1.4 million, due to a much larger business leading to a larger cost base. However, reports maiden revenue of GBP1.5 million from ship repair business, through a contract signed with British technology company Triumph Subsea Services Ltd to build two windfarm development vessels.







By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com

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Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has reintroduced a constitutional amendment that would impose term limits on members of Congress for the third time.

If passed, the amendment would limit U.S. senators to two six-year terms and members of the House of Representatives to three two-year terms.

TEXAS POLITICS: Texas GOP denies its slogan links to QAnon after online criticism resurges

The rise of political careerism in todays Congress is a sharp departure from what the Founders intended for our federal governing bodies," Cruz said. "I have long called for this solution for the brokenness of Washington, D.C., and I will continue fighting to hold career politicians accountable. As I have done in the past, I urge my colleagues to submit this constitutional amendment to the states for speedy ratification.

Cruz introduced similar amendments in January 2017 and January 2019. In December 2016, Cruz also published an op-ed with then Florida representative Ron DeSantis in the Washington Post, arguing in favor of former President Donald Trump's campaign call for enacting congressional term limits to "drain the swamp."

Under the amendment, terms beginning before its passage would not count toward a representative's term limit.

The senator from Texas is currently in his second term. If his proposed amendment was ratified, the soonest Cruz could be term limited would be in 2036.

Term limit proposals dating back to the 1940s have historically failed. The amendment needs to be approved by both chambers of Congress by a two-thirds majority, as well as three-quarters of state legislatures or conventions. The 27th amendment, the most recent amendment to be ratified, was proposed on Sept. 25, 1789, and ratified on May 7, 1992.
Florida coral populations took a massive hit in 2020.

Florida Fails to Respond to an Epizootic Coral Disease

A coral population from Florida, all the way to the greater Caribbean basin, suffered from a great number of losses due to a lethal case of STCLD (Stony Tissue Loss Disease). Because of the high mortality and the massive number of susceptible species affected, this epizootic epidemic is likely the worst and most lethal case recorded in modern history.

But, unsurprisingly, this breakout did not happen in just one instance.

For too long, there has been a terrifyingly steady decline in coral reefs. At first, it was believed that this was due to the local dredge projects, which had been ongoing during the preliminary reports. However, in a recent study published by carbonate sedimentologist William Precht, he provided an in-depth overview about what might have gone wrong and how Florida's coral population ended in such a dire situation.

In his study published in the scientific journal "Rethinking Ecology," the current Director of Marine and Coastal Programs for the independent environmental consulting firm Dial Cordy and Associates Inc. said that the state authorities failed to prevent what could have been a completely avoidable mass population decline. He also highlighted the steps that should be taken to avoid the regional extinction of various coral species.

Related Article: Almost 40 Percent of Corals Die Due to Climate Change in South China Sea

Coral Disease Observed in 2014, but Not Addressed. What happened?

The coral disease that devastated the local population was first observed in September 2014 near Virginia Key, Florida, and is, unfortunately, still active throughout the Caribbean to this date.

Despite the clear signs of a bigger catastrophe, the authorities missed the short window of opportunity to respond to the emerging epidemic before it managed to spread.

The moment is started spreading, many, including the mass media, were quick to blame the ongoing Port Miami Dredge Project for the coral reef losses, even though its activities, meant to widen or deepen existing ship channels while minimizing damage to coral reef resources, had already been under thorough scrutiny by government agencies and intensive monitoring, conducted by trained scientific divers. Nevertheless, dredging has typically been assumed to be bad for corals. Furthermore, these events coincided with Florida's prohibition for government employees to acknowledge global warming in their work.

All the blame game gave the SCTLD enough time to incubate and spread even further.

"Finally, when the agencies responded to the outbreak, their efforts were too little and much too late to make a meaningful difference. While eradicating the disease was never a possibility, early control measures may have slowed its spread or allowed for the rescue of significant numbers of large colonies of iconic species. Because of the languid management response to this outbreak, we are now sadly faced with a situation where much of our management efforts are focused on the rescue of genetic material from coral species already at risk of regional extinction," explains Precht.

"Why was the response to the loss of our coral reefs to a coral disease epidemic such a massive failure? This includes our failure as scientists, regulators, resource managers, local media, and policymakers alike," he adds.

ALSO READ: Corals of the Caribbean: How Corals with High Genetic Diversity Survived Climate Change

For more news about the environment, don't forget to follow Nature World News!


During the interview, Wiesen said Vietnam was commended for the significant preparations of all the background documents for the 13th National Party Congress, particularly socio-economic development strategy and the socio-economic development plan.



The official noted these critical documents will determine Vietnams cause of development for the next five- and ten-year periods.

Wiesen affirmed the UNDP has been delighted to partner with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and other partners to contribute to the development of the socio-economic strategy and plan, saying it is looking forward to joining the Vietnamese Government in implementing them.

The UNDP official said she thought all eyes are on Vietnam for its success in 2020, adding that what critical for Vietnam will be the quality of growth, including inclusive and sustainable growth.

Talking about the countrys achievements last year, she praised Vietnams first time appearance in the list of countries with the high human development index by the UNDP as an extraordinary accomplishment.

Wiesen said it showed the Vietnamese Governments dedicated commitment to growth and to the people-centered development.

She attributed Vietnams fulfillment of its dual goal of pandemic control and economic growth to a strong and clear leadership that anticipated the health impacts, adapted quickly and responded with agility.

According to the official, Vietnams overall success was also a result of the countrys mobilization of wide citizen support and of innovation.

Wiesen said the UNDPs survey serving the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Indexes (PAPI) recorded a high satisfaction rate among citizens on the governments performance in response to the pandemic.

The UNDP representative concluded that Vietnam can be proud of its achievements last year, which will be the driving force behind its development in 2021.
It sounded so promising in the beginning.

A developer wanted to acquire a vacant, run-down industrial property in Millville and transform it into a thriving business hub.

In the last few years, those plans have fallen apart and descended into a battle of dueling legal filings.

The city is suing to sever its agreement with the developer and the developer is threatening to sue the city for $350 million over defamation claims.

The developer claims the city isnt operating in good faith, while the city says it has given the developer many opportunities to come up with a plan for the site and that its time to move on.

Redeveloping an eyesore

With its aging residential and commercial infrastructure, Millville officials designated the entire city of nearly 28,000 residents as an area in need of rehabilitation in 2017 and adopted a city-wide redevelopment plan, which includes the disputed property, the same year.

The city struck a conditional deal with Anthony DeSantis and his business partners in 2017 to redevelop the former Wheaton Glass Co. property at 200 G Street.

The plan called for demolition of dilapidated structures on the 18-acre property and construction of a plastics manufacturing facility that would convert recycled water bottles into new plastics and employ 300.

The property had been tied up in a bankruptcy court battle between the city and the previous owners, GGI Properties LLC, over unpaid taxes. It ended with the city owning the property, but DeSantis team  Millville Plastics  paying $125,000 to the original owner as a proposed buyer. A new conditional agreement was reached between the city and DeSantis last year that called for the city to sell the property to DeSantis and his colleagues.

But DeSantis breached his agreement with the city by not meeting a July 1, 2020, deadline to file for site plan approval, according to the citys lawsuit, which seeks a ruling that the agreement is void and that DeSantis is not entitled to reimbursement from the city for the $125,000 already paid.

The lack of a site plan from DeSantis meant the project couldnt move forward, according to city solicitor Brock Russell.

When you make a site plan application, you have to provide a very detailed application. You have to know what youre doing with the property. You cant make those plans if you dont know exactly what youre going to do with the property and he never made an application to the planning board. He had various proposals for this property over a period of years and there never was a site plan.

You may have a lot of nice concepts that sound good, but those are not going to get ground broken.

The city was faced with a choice about what to do with this property and decided to go to court and seek an end to its dealings with DeSantis.

At some point you have to make a decision, Russell said. Are you going to keep giving this guy additional opportunities or is it better to try to find somebody else.

These preliminary renderings show plans envisioned for the redevelopment of 200 G Street in Millville. (Provided by Anthony DeSantis)

Millville is the real loser

After learning about glass factories shutting down in Millville, DeSantis, who is based in New York City, said he saw an opportunity to tap into the available labor market in the area.

He feels the city is working against his efforts in Millville, noting that he has bought adjacent properties as part of his project and has been a good neighbor.

The citys attorneys on three different occasions by three different lawyers have vetted me, my partners, my investors and the company about the reality of us having the capacity to start this project, he said. Weve proved our commitment to the city of Millville by purchasing over a million square feet adjacent to that property and across the street.

It seems to us that there is an agenda here from the city.

He said the city has thrown up roadblocks by tacking on new requirements, including requiring site plan approval within 30 days in order for him to obtain the title.

The people that we hired told us we couldnt do 30 days even without COVID, he said. How do you create a site plan for a property that you dont own legally yet?

Based on the settlement of the GGI tax dispute, DeSantis believes the property is his. He said he needs the title to the property if hes going to close a deal.

Weve been trying to negotiate with the city to obtain what we rightfully paid for and what they had instructed the courts they were going to do.

The original plan for the plastics manufacturing facility was scrapped when an interested party ended up choosing a spot elsewhere because of what DeSantis called Millvilles intentional delays.

Millville is the real loser here, he added. How much money has the city lost by delaying this project in lost revenue, in lost jobs, in lost investment.

Developer claims defamation

The latest plan is to develop a refrigerated warehousing operation on the site, but DeSantis said that project could have been endangered by comments made by Millvilles mayor.

DeSantis has filed a tort notice with the city, signaling his intention to sue the city for $350 million over remarks Millville Mayor Michael Santiago made during the Sept. 15 city commission meeting.

That session included discussion of a request by DeSantis for an extension to the deadline for submitting a site plan for refrigerated warehousing. Some commission members supported that, but Santiago expressed reservations.

Mayor Santiago informed the board that Anthony DeSantis was subject to an investigation, and that he was a person of disrepute, and unsavory  the tort states, adding that These statements were false and defamatory.

Santiagos remarks were appropriate, according to the citys solicitor.

The mayor said absolutely nothing wrong. We did have some investigations and they primarily were of potential investors Mr. DeSantis was bringing to the table and we had concerns about them, Russell said. What the mayor said was entirely appropriate and its the kind of thing that a governing body should do.

DeSantis also referenced a letter the mayor read to the committee in February of last year urging caution on the project. We were informed that there may be some fraudulent behavior in seeking investors for this project, Santiago wrote.

The letter contained complete lies about me and my project, DeSantis said, and was an attempt to scare off investors.

Still committed to Millville

The tort notice is a message that Millville needs to be open for business, DeSantis said.

I dont want to hurt the city. That tort notice was for (Santiago) to stop the lies. If theres something that he needs to say, it needs to be factual.

DeSantis remains committed to Millville.

Were ready to do the paperwork. Were ready to do everything required.  Once we own the property, then we can start working on it.

The refrigerated warehousing operation could attract a variety of clients, he said, including food processors. Right now, we have a company that wants to come in from Italy and what they want to do is make cold cuts.

As an indication of his commitment, DeSantis said he moved his family to South Jersey so that he could put all of his energy into this project. My wife is down here. She gave up a career in New York.

He hopes the disputes with the city can be resolved and the project can move forward.

Im not asking for a special favor, he said. Im asking for what I am legally entitled to do as an owner and developer of the property.

These preliminary renderings show plans envisioned for the redevelopment of 200 G Street in Millville. (Provided by Anthony DeSantis)

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
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Alert Disney Call Center Agent Helps Domestic Abuse Victim

Call centers can sometimes get a bad reputation for long wait times and inattentive, unhelpful agents. But in the case of a Disney (News - Alert) call center, a helpful agent may have helped save a domestic abuse victim's life.

According to the York Dispatch, a local Pennsylvania woman reached out to the Disney call center pretending to buy tickets. But the call was actually an attempt to get help from an abusive boyfriend who had allegedly strangled her numerous times and threatened to kill her.

The Disney call center agent overheard the woman yelling "get off me" and "get away from me" while on the call and went into action. The agent began asking the woman questions, but she would only reply with "yes" and "no" answers.

The criminal complaint stated, "The Disney World employee at one point asked if (the woman) was actually calling to book a stay and she stated 'no.' She then asked (the woman) if she needed law enforcement to her home and she stated 'yes.'"

The quick-thinking call center agent went into action and called for help, and local police were sent to the residence. Wayne Terry Shiflett, 38, already had an active warrant for theft and was subsequently arrested and charged with felony strangulation as well as misdemeanor charges of simple assault and making terrotistic threats with intent to terrorize another, as well as harassment. He is being held on $20,000 bail, according to the York County Magisterial District Court.

While call center employees don't receive training specific to domestic assaults or other emergencies, the quick thinking of the Disney employee could have saved a life. Agents are now being encouraged to work more closely with callers, become more empathetic and pay more attention to details. That practice could ultimately pay off in a number of ways, as evidenced by the Disney call.





Edited by Maurice Nagle
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 51F. SSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 51F. SSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph.
Aldi Ireland has pledged to support the planting of one million native Irish woodland trees around Ireland over the next four years as part of its long-term commitment towards the environment.

Aldi is the first retailer in Ireland to commit to this level of partnership with the Department of Agricultures Woodland Environment Fund (WEF)  an initiative under which Irish businesses can partner with landowners and the Department to help create new native woodlands in Ireland.

It provides additional incentives to plant new native woodlands and supports the Governments target to plant 22 million new trees a year until 2040.

Working with Green Belt forestry consultancy, Aldi Group MD Niall OConnor was joined by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue and Minister of State Pippa Hackett to plant the first of 30,000 oak, birch and ash trees in Aughrim, Co Wicklow.

Planting one million native trees will remove more than 160,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over a 100-year period  equating to roughly 640 million km driven by an average car.

The native tree plantations will create a wildlife corridor for native species and enable grassland to revert to more natural vegetation, further enhancing biodiversity in the area.

We are delighted to support the Governments objective, said Mr OConnor. Aldi is committed to minimising the environmental impact of its business.

Aldi Ireland and Aldi UK have been carbon neutral since January 1, 2019.

Under its 6m Project Fresh investment programme, stores will be powered by 100% green electricity..

As minister responsible for forestry, I am delighted to see Aldi interact with our Woodland Environment Fund, said Minister Hackett. Its one which demonstrates the best of public-private partnership, as it offers firms the opportunity to top up payments to farmers and landowners who commit to Department-funded forestry.
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It is time for the winter break and that means that drivers and teams can enjoy a well-deserved holiday. In the F1 Social Stint of GPblog.com you will find out what drivers and teams are doing in preparation for the Formula 1 season of 2021.

Aston Martin teasers

In preparation for the new Formula One season, it is natural for drivers to visit the factory, especially if you have switched teams. One of the most high-profile switches announced last year was of course that of Sebastian Vettel. He has left Ferrari behind to take his place alongside Lance Stroll at Aston Martin F1 Team. That team is now sharing teasers via Twitter that Vettel has arrived at the factory. More soon, no doubt.

We don't think you're ready for this. #IAMF1 pic.twitter.com/rmLYjMctBy  Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) January 26, 2021

Verstappen trains hard for a 'Full Send' in 2021

Max Verstappen is still training hard to be completely ready for the 2021 Formula 1 season. The Dutchman enjoyed a nice holiday, but is now back to work. On Twitter, the Dutchman posts a video of running in Monaco.

Leclerc very lucky to test in 'The Beast'

Charles Leclerc is very happy to be driving the 2018 Ferrari. The Monegasque made his debut at Ferrari in 2019, so he never drove the car with which Sebastian Vettel was seriously competing for the world title for a long time. It is Leclerc's first day back on the track after testing positive for the corona virus this winter.

Raikkonen and Giovinazzi have a race to load cars

Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi see competition in almost everything. Even when it comes to loading their cars for a holiday or a big move. Although Raikkonen doesn't seem to be too keen this time around.

Big move coming up? Call Kimi and Antonio @alfa_romeo pic.twitter.com/G86meIMYes  Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN (@alfaromeoracing) January 25, 2021

Giuliano Alesi follows in his father's footsteps

Giuliano Alesi today followed in the footsteps of his father Jean Alesi. Alesi sr. sat in a Ferrari F1 car for the first time in 1990. More than thirty years later it is the turn of son Giuliano. Alesi drove today during the Ferrari test at Maranello. Nice detail is that he drove with number 28 on his car, the number his father drove with during his Ferrari years. Jean Alesi drove for the Italian team from 1991 to 1995.

First images from Ferrari's test day at Fiorano

Ferrari will be at the Fiorano circuit this week, working with old cars to make some metres in 2021. Carlos Sainz gets the chance to step into the red car for the first time, but on Monday it is the turn of young talents first. Today Giuliano Alesi, Marcus Armstrong and Robert Shwartzman will step into the Ferrari ui 2018.

Ricciardo gets a warm welcome from McLaren fans

Daniel Ricciardo will be McLaren's new driver in 2021, after two years with Renault. The fans of the team from Woking are looking forward to the arrival of the Australian and let them know in a new video from McLaren. If this does not make you feel special as a driver, then what does?

No welcome to this team is complete without a word from our fans. Take it away, team...#FansLikeNoOther @DanielRicciardo pic.twitter.com/4AhNMyWUkL  McLaren (@McLarenF1) January 21, 2021

Hamilton speaks of historic day for America

Lewis Hamilton has made it clear on Twitter that he is delighted with the inauguration of Joe Biden as America's new president. According to Hamilton, it is a historic day, which will hopefully lead to a brighter future and more room for diversity. Hamilton wishes Biden and Kamala Harris the best of luck in their new roles.

A historic day in America. Today brings so much hope for the future, an example of diversity in leadership that I hope to see mirrored across industries and governments. Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris, best of luck. pic.twitter.com/FX6t4PfpCu  Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) January 20, 2021

Mclaren reveals colours and new name of 2021 car

McLaren is just busy with the marketing team to hype up the new 2021 car as much as possible. In a new message on Twitter, we clearly see the colours orange and blue returning, but we also see the new name of the car. In big letters it says MCL35M. This suggests that the 2020 MCL35 will only be updated in name with the Mercedes engine, which is why the 'M' has been added to the car's name.

Alonso in the snow, Gasly in the gym

Now that there are no races, the drivers have a bit more free time than usual. Nevertheless, the new Formula 1 season is slowly approaching and that means that the training sessions are becoming more important again. Both Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly are working on that, but both in their own way. Alonso is braving the snow-covered mountains in Spain, while Pierre Gasly chooses the old familiar gym. Clearly in a slightly warmer capacity, in Dubai.

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram Een bericht gedeeld door Fernando Alonso (@fernandoalo_oficial)

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram Een bericht gedeeld door PIERRE GASLY (@pierregasly)

McLaren hopes Australian fans will be patient a little longer

The Australian fans will have to wait a little longer to see their hero, Daniel Ricciardo, in action in his own country. At McLaren, they have also thought about that and so a letter went out to the fans in Australia. Be patient and ask yourself one important question: How is the weather in November?

Bottas to rally in Lapland with unique helmet design

In the time that Valtteri Bottas is not in a Formula 1 car, he enjoys driving rallies. Because the Finn does this purely for fun and has no sponsor obligations, he can go to such rallies with unique helmets. For the Arctic Lapland Rally he will therefore be wearing a special helmet designed by his partner Tiffany Cromwell.

Grosjean is not yet allowed to go out into the cold, so he's going to cook

Romain Grosjean is getting better and better, but is not yet allowed to do everything. On Instagram, he tells us that his wife and children are out for a walk, but Romain's hands still can't cope with the cold. So he goes to work in the kitchen baking a chocolate cake.

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram Een bericht gedeeld door Romain Grosjean (@grosjeanromain)
November 08, 2020

Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:

> Though the maths and maps suggests Biden will likely reach 270 Electoral votes, the old saying It aint over till its over, holds true. The electoral vote scenarios in the key swing states would only apply if there is no litigation, fraud or theft. However all three are in play  If you are stuffing the ballot box, you first wait to see what the regular vote is, so that you know how many votes you need (mathematical anomalies aside) to push your candidate over the top. Trump, somewhat rashly, gave out the GOP vote calculations at 02.30 on Wednesday, and hey-presto, loads of absentee ballots suddenly arrived at certain polling stations at around 04.00. That seems to have happened in Wisconsin, where over 100,000 Biden votes appeared seemingly out of nowhere on a flash drive delivered by hand from a Democratic district. That put Biden ahead in Wisconsin  but litigation is in process. Likewise, it appears that a huge absentee ballot dump appeared in Michigan that heavily favored Biden.

This is just the beginning of a new and more uncertain phase that could go on for weeks. <

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The CEO of Goya Foods has been told by his own board that he must keep his thoughts to himself following recent television appearances where he kept on questioning the results of the presidential election.

Robert Unanue, 67, who owns less than five per cent of the company, has been censured for recent remarks over the January 6th invasion of the Capitol.

During an appearance on inauguration day he called Biden's election 'unverified' while appearing on Fox Business.

The CEO of Goya Foods, Robert Unanue, 67, has been told he must seek permission of the board before speaking on matters of politics going forward

'I think this it is mission accomplished. Mission accomplished by the union, the partnership, the conglomerate of social media, Big Tech, big media and government, big government, for ushering in the dawn of a new world order. This great reset,' Unanue said during an interview with Fox Business.

'With an unverified election, and the big prize is the United States,' he continued.

But now a vote by Goya's nine-member board now means Unanue must obtain permission before making any more media appearances according to the New York Post.

'Bob does not speak for Goya Foods when he speaks on TV,' Goya board member and third-generation owner Andy Unanue said. 'The family has diverse views on politics, but politics is not part of our business. Our political point of views are irrelevant.'

Unanue, who is a longtime Trump supporter made some controversial remarks in the wake of the deadly January 6 invasion of the US Capitol building. Above, Unanue is seen in July

Although Robert Unanue has declined to comment on the vote on the board, he acknowledged that he would reign in the airing of his political thoughts.

'Independently, I've made the decision to lower the temperature and walk away from speaking about politics and religion. I realize it's important because of the diverse views of the company and our market,' he said.

But he also stated that he may speak out from time to time should he felt the need.

The CEO, who personally owns less than five percent of the business, didn't fully close the door on speaking out either.

'I don't believe I should speak politically or in a faith-based manner on behalf of the company,' he said. 'But I leave open the possibility of speaking on behalf of myself.'

Unanue drew the ire of fellow Goya directors last July after stated the US was 'truly blessed' to have Trump for president.

Donald Trump followed his daughter's lead and tweeted his support for Goya last July

The comments led to calls for the company to be boycotted. Goya shareholders, meanwhile, also claimed the CEO's comments cost them sales by alienating customers.

'We should be growing more than we are,' a Goya source said.

Although sales are up as a result of buying during the pandemic, sales have fallen since calls for a 'buycott' in July and it is leading to calls for Unanue to be removed from the board.

Nielsen data shows that sales of Goya beans grew by 82 percent with its rice shooting up by 85 percent until June 1st. Then sales fell after his praising of President Trump.

Year-on-year, sales in recent weeks are up only 10 percent over a year ago.

Goya is privately held and does not publicly disclose earnings, making specifc details impossible to verify.

'More than 50 percent of the shareholders do not want Bob to be the CEO,' a Goya source said the The Post. 'All these political statements that Bob is making is dangerous for the company and for us personally as owners.'

The controversy in July came after CEO Bob Unanue (left) praised President Donald Trump, leading to outcry from celebrities and liberal figures

'It will hurt the Unanue name and company if he continues. He should be thrown out as CEO. I think it's really hurting us.

Unanue appears to be fully aware of the divisive nature of his comments.

'I'm attacked by my own family' he said to The Post. 'I could be fired tomorrow  whatever. It's touch and go.'

In an attempt to perhaps draw Democrat supporters back to the brand, Unanue praised Biden's inaugural address.

'I was very thrilled to hear Biden call for unity and prayer. I respect him. I just don't know if everyone on the left agrees with him. If President Biden gets his way, it's good,' he said.
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The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) will appeal the decision of the Economic Court of Kyiv, which canceled its order No. 1572 of December 13, 2018 on declaring the tender for the privatization of PJSC Centrenergo invalid, the department has told Interfax-Ukraine.

The Economic Court at the end of last week announced the adoption of such a decision on January 12, 2021, but its text has not yet been entered into the database of the single court rulings register.

As reported, the SPF in October 2018 announced a tender for the sale of 78.289% of shares of Centrenergo at a starting price of UAH 5.985 billion. The sale was scheduled for December 13, 2018. The competition was to take place if there were at least two participants, one of which was foreign. Six companies announced their intention to participate in the competition. Of all the applicants, only Ukrdoninvest LLC (Kyiv), whose beneficiary is Vitaliy Kropachev, and the Belarusian unitary enterprise Neftebitumen Plant, owned by the largest private Belarusian oil trader Interservice, submitted documents with a financial guarantee.
As if someone just flipped a switch, California's meager rainy season will transition from deficit to abundance this week as a parade of storms strike the state. Record rain and snow totals are possible, which will help reverse drought conditions but also bring a myriad of hazards to the region, including flash flooding, mudslides and avalanche risks.

Check the forecast >>>



"This is a blockbuster winter storm event for us" said Mark Deutschendorf, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Reno, Nevada. "Travel is not recommended from late Tuesday night to Friday across the Sierra and Lake Tahoe area, including western Nevada. If you do venture outdoors, be prepared to spend time an extended period of time in your car."

This is just another example of California stuck in a "weather whiplash" -- moving from one weather extreme to the opposite extreme.

Feet of snow forecast for Sierra

A dramatic shift in scenery will occur as winter kicks into high gear.

"Parts of the Sierra will need a yardstick to measure the forecast snow in the forecast," tweeted the NWS in Sacramento Monday.

The foothills could see 6 inches to a foot of snow while the mountains could see anywhere from 3 to 5 feet. In some areas, up to 7 feet is forecast across the Sierra Nevada's favored terrain through Friday.

"This storm remains projected to be a major headache for the region and will bring heavy snowfall to the Sierra as well as portions of western Nevada," said NWS Reno.

A backcountry avalanche watch is in effect for much of the region, including the Tahoe Basin, through Friday. The combination of heavy snowfall and strong winds will lead to extreme avalanche danger, says the NWS.

Ridgetops in the Sierra could see gusts exceeding 125 mph.

This heavy snow is all thanks to a category 3 -- out of 5 -- atmospheric river.

Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow regions in the atmosphere -- like rivers in the sky -- that transport water vapor, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The moisture laden air from this atmospheric river (AR) event will be forced to rise over the mountains' crest and loft upwards, cooling as it rises. As the air cools, it condenses, forming heavy precipitation, which will flirt with snowfall duration records.

"The Owens Valley (Great Basin Desert) could receive near-record amounts of snow over a two-day period. Their previous 48-hour snowfall record was 23 inches set back in 1969," NWS Meteorologist Jenn Varian told CNN.

Atmospheric river creates flash flood potential

As the atmospheric river points its firehose along the central coast, excessive rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches will threaten flash flooding in the region.

San Francisco averages 4.19 inches of rain during January. Suppose the atmospheric river concentrates the heaviest rain across the Bay Area: In that case, it's possible the city could receive a month's worth of precipitation in just a few days.

Depending on the precise placement of the atmospheric river, coastal locations south of San Francisco to Santa Barbara could get between 5 to 10 inches of rain with locally higher amounts. Lesser but still significant rain totals of 1 to 2 inches are likely from Los Angeles to San Diego.

Evacuations underway as risk for debris flows increases

This heavy rainfall combined with the burn scars of the record wildfire season of 2020 brings a dangerous risk of mudslides and debris flows.

Forecasters are especially concerned about Monterey County and Santa Cruz County where evacuations are underway, according to a statement released by California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Intense wildfires can compromise soil structure, making sloped terrain more vulnerable to debris flows and mudslides during heavy rain events.

If enough rain falls upon a recent burn scar, a torrent of mud, rock and debris can cascade downhill and put communities in danger. Properties directly affected by recent fires or those located directly downstream from burn areas are at the most risk.

The storms could relieve current drought conditions

Although atmospheric rivers can be hazardous, residents rely upon them to bring beneficial precipitation to the region.

"Thirty to 50 percent of annual precipitation on the west coast occurs in just a few AR events," according to NOAA.

California's winter snowpack, fueled in part by atmospheric rivers, is crucial to the state's water supply. Warmer spring temperatures melt the snow and fill reservoirs, so freshwater is available during the dryer summer months.

This AR event can be viewed as much needed relief because the current statewide snowpack is just 40% of average to date.

This storm, along with an active weather pattern forecast into early February, will help alleviate drought conditions across California and the Great Basin.

Severe drought conditions cover nearly 80% of California.

However, just like anything in moderation, it's possible to have too much of a good thing.

This 'weather whiplash' will happen more often

Research shows that the US West Coast, specifically California, can expect more climate extremes in the future.

Precipitation extremes -- such as the current atmospheric river -- will intensify while dry spells are likely to become longer and more frequent, according to climate scientists.

"In a place like California, we really need to be thinking about both risks [drought and flood] simultaneously," said Daniel Swain, a University of California, Los Angeles climate scientist and lead author of a study on the subject.

Dramatic swings are becoming more common and will continue to do so in the coming decades thanks to man-made climate change, according to a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Drastic swings from extremely wet to extremely dry and vice versa will be nearly twice as likely, occurring on average once every 25 years, by 2100.

Climate variability is due, in part, to human activity such as the burning of fossil fuels.
An entrepreneur in Washington state has been accused of injecting patients with an unknown substance he purported to be a coronavirus vaccine for up to $1,000 a shot.

Johnny Stine, 55, was arrested on federal charges for 'introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce' last Thursday, the Department of Justice said in a news release.

Prosecutors said Stine, who bills himself as the founder and president of a biotech company called North Coast Biologics in Seattle, Washington, launched his vaccine scheme last March when the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the US.

In online postings dating back to March 2, Stine advertised his fraudulent 'vaccine' with a price range of $400-$1000 for each shot, a criminal complaint states.

'Untested, untried and potentially unsafe  this defendant was injecting people with an unknown substance claiming it was a vaccine for COVID-19,' US Attorney Brian T Moran said. 'Preying on our fears in the midst of this pandemic is unconscionable.'

It's unclear what was actually in Stine's 'vaccine', or how many patients paid for and received it. Stine claimed in conversations with undercover agents that he was traveling around the country administering his jabs.

The investigation revealed that in addition to peddling inoculations for coronavirus, Stine also 'preyed' upon cancer victims by offering them vaccines he said could eradicate malignant tumors.

Johnny Stine, 55, was arrested on federal charges injecting patients with an unknown substance he purported to be a coronavirus vaccine. Stine is seen holding up a solution believed to be his vaccine at his lab in Redmond, Washington, in a photo from the DOJ

Federal authorities obtained these two photos of a man Stine allegedly injected with his unproven COVID-19 vaccine last year. In online postings dating back to March 2, Stine advertised the shots with a price range of $400-$1000 each, a criminal complaint states

The Food and Drug Administration was alerted to Stine's online postings about the COVID-19 infections in early March and sent an undercover agent to investigate, the DOJ said.

Stine allegedly told the agent that his company focused on creating vaccines to fight cancer tumors, and that he used a similar method to develop one for the coronavirus.

A few weeks later on March 27, the FDA received a complaint from an 'area resident' who said Stine had injected their friend with his vaccine.

In another meeting with undercover FDA agents in early April, Stine indicated that he had been traveling to other states, including Texas and Arizona, to administer the vaccine to customers. At that point he allegedly offered to go to California to inject a family member of one of the agents.

Stine (pictured) bills himself as the founder and president of a biotech company called North Coast Biologics

The Washington State Attorney General's office issued a cease and desist letter to Stine in late April ordering to stop advertising and administering the vaccine.

'Rather than be deterred, Stine indicated it had just increased demand for his injections which he now called "immunogen" instead of a vaccine,' the DOJ said.

Two months later in June, Stine agreed to stop promoting or selling the vaccine under a Consent Decree with the state AG's office.

But it appears Stine didn't adhere to that decree. In August he coordinated with an undercover agent and traveled to Idaho with the intention of vaccinating the agent, before being intercepted by law enforcement.

Agents seized his stash of vaccine and raided the Redmond warehouse where he claimed his research was conducted.

This month, authorities were informed that at least one person vaccinated by Stine had been hospitalized with COVID-19.

Photos included in the criminal complaint showed Stine holding up a test tube with an orange liquid believed to be the 'vaccine'.

They also showed a man holding out his arms after receiving two jabs.

'The very idea that someone would prey upon fearful people seeking a COVID vaccine in the midst of a global pandemic is not only despicable, but potentially deadly behavior,' Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in the Pacific Northwest, said in a statement.

'Equally appalling is the exploitation of vulnerable cancer patients and their families, desperate for treatment.

'Snake oil salesmen, such as this, who endanger consumers should take this arrest as a stern warning.

'HSI, along with our law enforcement partners, remain dedicated to protecting the community from these criminals and the dangerous substances they sell.'

The criminal misdemeanor charges filed last week are unrelated to the civil cease and desist letter and civil Consent Decree, the DOJ clarified, suggesting that Stine could soon face more charges for violations of those orders.

If convicted of the misdemeanors, Stine could face up to one year in prison.

He is also facing separate charges for allegedly selling untested 'vaccines' to cancer patients with malignant tumors.

An investigation revealed that in addition to peddling inoculations for coronavirus, Stine also 'preyed' upon cancer victims by offering them vaccines he said could eradicate tumors

Stine spoke out about his brushes with the FDA last September, bragging to Forbes that he had foiled the agency's attempts to stop him from selling his jabs.

Describing how he discovered that two women seeking his vaccine were undercover FDA agents, Stine said: 'It was obvious.'

He also downplayed the potential danger of his unproven jabs.

'The biggest issue people had was because I charged for my approach, which I thought that I should be able to do since I'm a longtime trained microbiologist and since I was between collaborations with my therapeutic antibody work, I needed the money,' he said.

Stine spoke out about his brushes with the FDA last September, bragging to Forbes that he had foiled the agency's attempts to stop him from selling his jabs

'But it was only for family and friends, its not like I was able to mass produce or mass market.'

He said he was motivated to find his own vaccine because he knew the FDA's extensive research requirements - with multiple stages of rigorous trials - would dramatically delay the introduction of an official vaccine.

'I thought it was immoral to tell people to wait two years for something that is available today, today while people are dying,' he said.

Stine, who was described by one friend in a search warrant as a 'mad scientist', started his career in microbiology as a scientist for a Bothell company, according to the Seattle Times.

In 2005 he launched a biotech firm called Spaltudaq, with a goal of creating targeted cancer drugs with limited side effects.

Within its first two years the company raised $29million in venture capital funding and expanded to include research on infectious and autoimmune disease antibodies.

The company's name was formally changed to Theraclone Sciences in 2009, after Stine had already moved on to form his new venture, North Coast Biologics.

According to the Washington Secretary of State's website, North Coast Biologics has been 'inactive' since 2012, but the state's Department of Revenue site still lists it as 'active' and still has maintained social media pages under its name.

Stine's company, North Coast Biologics, is based in the building above in Seattle, according to its website. According to the Washington Secretary of State's website, North Coast Biologics has been 'inactive' since 2012, but the state's Department of Revenue site still lists it as 'active' and still has maintained social media pages under its name

Ten months after Stine introduced his version, the FDA has only approved three vaccines and many others are still in the pipeline.

Moderna and Pfizer were granted emergency use authorization in early December, followed by AstraZeneca last week.

America's vaccine rollout has been slow and tumultuous. As of Tuesday, just over 22.73 million jabs have been administered, out of more than 41.41 million distributed to states.

Vulnerable groups such as medical workers and the elderly are facing weeks-long wait times to get appointments for the vaccine while officials say it won't be available to the general population for months.
[January 26, 2021] Shutterstock to Acquire TurboSquid, the World's Largest 3D Marketplace

NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 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 it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire TurboSquid, Inc., positioning Shutterstock as the world's largest 3D marketplace. For over 20 years, TurboSquid has been a 3D industry leader, offering a unified 3D workflow, and operating a marketplace offering of more than one million 3D models, a 2D marketplace derived from 3D objects, and a digital asset management solution offered on a SaaS basis. Since its inception in 2000, TurboSquid has enabled the creation, optimization, publishing and monetization of 3D models, while accelerating time to market and reducing development hours via its proprietary technology. "At Shutterstock, we are constantly at the forefront of innovation, monitoring the creative roadmap through our clients," said Stan Pavlovsky, CEO of Shutterstock. "The growth of 3D, AR and VR content and the potential to engage consumers with this disruptive technology is at an all-time high, and TurboSquid's industry-leading platform allows us to make the distribution of 3D accessible to Shutterstock's community of creators and marketers across video, gaming, e-commerce, and beyond." TurboSquid's Chief Executive Officer Matt Wisdom added, "Nobody in the world understands the creative landscape better than Shutterstock. The visionary leadership and tech innovation make it the perfect place for TurboSquid and its employees to continue what we do best -- creating and building a 3D powerhouse and cloud-based digital asset management solution." The acquisition of TurboSquid establishes Shutterstock as the premium destination for 3D models. In addition, TurboSquid's PixelSquid offering provides access to content sourced from 3D models in an easy-to-use 2D format, which allows users to tap into the power and flexibility that comes with 3D. TurboSquid's SaaS offering, Kraken, is a turnkey solution that companies use to manage their own libraries of models and streamline 3D asset management. CapM Advisors acted as financial advisor to Shutterstock, and Raymond James acted as financial advisor to TurboSquid. Transaction Highlights Shutterstock will become the world's largest 3D marketplace.

Strong strategic fit and meaningful revenue synergies with Shutterstock.

Consideration for the transaction consists of $75 million of cash payable at closing.

of cash payable at closing. Expected to be immediately accretive to adjusted net income per diluted share and adjusted EBITDA.

Transaction is targeted to close in early February, subject to customary closing conditions. ABOUT SHUTTERSTOCK Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), is a leading global creative platform offering full-service solutions, high-quality content, and tools for brands, businesses and media companies. Directly and through its group subsidiaries, Shutterstock's comprehensive collection includes high-quality licensed photographs, vectors, illustrations, videos and music. 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 also owns 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.

ABOUT TURBOSQUID Founded in 2000, TurboSquid is the world's leading source for stock 3D models. Their customers include over half of the Fortune 100 and a diverse set of industries including film and television, retail, gaming, news media, advertising, architecture and defense. Powered by a passionate contributor community from around the globe, TurboSquid is dedicated to improving how 3D models are built, bought and used. Their latest initiative, Kraken, is an asset management platform designed to help organizations finally bring order to their 3D libraries. TurboSquid is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. For more information, please visit turbosquid.com. 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 risk that closing of the acquisition will not proceed as planned and the future of the Company's or TurboSquid'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 the potential benefits of the proposed transaction, 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. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shutterstock-to-acquire-turbosquid-the-worlds-largest-3d-marketplace-301214601.html SOURCE Shutterstock, Inc.

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The analysis comes ahead of the Australian Electoral Commissions release of 2020 financial year donations data this Monday, revealing how funding changed after the last federal election and during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. As well as considering direct payments to parties, the centres report reveals $3.5 million in payments to groups that engage in public campaigns including the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union and the Business Council of Australia. But the analysis is limited by challenges with the AEC disclosure regime, which does not reveal all payments and has been dogged by years of ambiguity about other receipts such as payments to attend political events, which companies deny are donations. The Liberal Partys federal secretariat has been the recipient of more than double the funds received by the ALPs federal branch, the report says.

While companies regularly deny using donations to seek favours, many have been exposed for seeking deals with political leaders at the same time they donate to federal or state campaigns. Loading Walker Corp lobbied Treasurer Josh Frydenberg when he was environment minister in 2016 to seek a boundary change to the Moreton Bay Ramsar wetlands near Brisbane, Guardian Australia reported last year, citing documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have revealed ties between governments and property developers dating back decades, including donations from Mirvac and Walker. At a state level, the Casey land scandal in Victoria highlighted ties between developers and the Andrews state government before the 2018 state election.

The Centre for Public Integrity cites NSW ministerial diaries, which are disclosed under state rules, to argue that donations can help secure access to ministers for companies seeking favourable decisions. The Meriton Group met NSW ministers on at least 18 occasions between January and September last year, the analysis says, including talks on housing supply, the construction industry, tenancy relief, planning policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. The single biggest property donor last year was Sugolena, a private company set up by Isaac and Susan Wakil. While donations from property developers have been banned under state law in NSW and Queensland, they are legal in Victoria and remain a significant part of federal political funding. Yet the long period covered by the report meant payments to the two major parties were worth $13.6 million in NSW over two decades, more than triple the $4.9 million paid to the same parties in Victoria despite the recent ban.

When developer and former Newcastle mayor Jeff McCloy challenged the NSW donation ban, the High Court ruled against him in a judgment that said politicians may be tempted to bargain with wealthy donors over decisions. In a joint judgment by Chief Justice Robert French and Justices Susan Kiefel, Virginia Bell and Patrick Keane, the court also warned of the long-term threat from clientelism, in which politicians depend on donors. Loading This particular concern is that reliance by political candidates on private patronage may, over time, become so necessary as to sap the vitality, as well as the integrity, of the political branches of government, the court said. The Liberal, Nationals and Labor parties joined forces in federal Parliament in September to ensure property developer donations could continue in national politics, passing laws to clarify the state curbs would not apply to federal parties. Greens leader Adam Bandt and crossbench MPs including Helen Haines, Zali Steggall and Andrew Wilkie opposed the bill.

Westfield made $3.7 million in donations over two decades, eclipsing others even though the Lowy family sold the company in 2017 and appeared to make its last donation in 2016. One of Mr Lowys private companies, Croissy, was ranked as the fourth-biggest donor with $2.6 million in payments over the period even though it was deregistered in 2010.  ... those companies with greater access and political favour are more likely to gain competitive advantage. Geoffrey Watson, SC That took the Lowy familys interests to $6.3 million in donations when Croissy and Westfield were combined, making this group the biggest source of funds in the property business. Mr Chaus interests, including Hong Kong Kingson Investment Company and Australia Kingold Investment Development Company, paid a combined $4.4 million over the two decades, making his group the second-largest source of funds in property.

Mr Chau is suing the ABC, Nine, owner of this masthead, and investigative journalist Nick McKenzie over news reports in 2017. In a statement of claim, Mr Chaus lawyers said the reports defamed their client in six ways, including by suggesting he was a spy who betrayed his country, Australia in order to serve Chinas interests, and paid large sums to Australian political parties that were intended as bribes. The ABC and Nine deny the publications convey those meanings. Loading The single biggest property donor last year was Sugolena, a private company set up by Isaac and Susan Wakil, who came to Sydney after World War II and assembled a portfolio of empty buildings across the city. The couple sold their properties in 2014 to raise $200 million for a charitable foundation. While Sugolena had no history of substantial donations, the company, led by Mr Wakil after the death of his wife three years ago, gave $4.1 million to the Liberal Party in the weeks before and after the May 2019 federal election.
Highlights Mapple offers discounts and cashback on all iPhones.

The iPhone 12 Mini is something you should probably pass.

iPhone 11 makes a better buy.

If you have been planning to buy one of the newer iPhone models, this is probably the best time with Maple Online store offering great deals and discounts on all variants. The iPhone can be grabbed for Rs 16,000 less combining the Maple exclusive discount of Rs 8000 coupled with an HDFC cashback offer of up to Rs 9000. Similarly, the iPhone 12 Mini is available with a discount of Rs 12,000. This includes Rs 3000 Maple cashback and Rs 9000 HDFC Bank offer on credit card.

While the deal on iPhone 12 makes a lot of sense, the iPhone 12 Mini is something you should probably pass and for more than one reason. Even after the discounts, the base model of iPhone 12 Mini which comes with 64GB of internal storage would cost you around Rs 52,490. The iPhone 11 can be grabbed for much less and makes for a better smartphone, at least for most users.

iPhone 12 Mini vs iPhone 11: Price

Before we talk about the specs and let's look at the price of two smartphones to see why buying iPhone 11 makes more sense. As mentioned before, the iPhone 12 is priced at Rs 64,490 in India and even with Rs 12,000 off on Mapple Store Rs 3,000 store discount and Rs 9000 off on HDFC Bank debit card will cost you Rs 52,490.

The iPhone 11 is priced less than that to begin with. The 64GB model of the phone is listed at Rs 52,400 on the Mapple store. Above this, the customers can get discount of Rs 5,000 with the HDFC Bank credit card, further bringing down the cost to Rs 47,400. Clearly, the iPhone 11 is a better investment in terms of value.

iPhone 12 Mini vs iPhone 11: Display

The iPhone 12 Mini gets few improvements over the iPhone 11. Key changes include a full HD display and a more powerful A14 bionic chipset. However, it's the screen size which is a problem in 2021 the times when smartphones are not just used for calling but also to stream content and play games. While there is a niche that prefers compact smartphones, 5.4-inch is just too small to enjoy any media.

Also, the smartphone is so compact that it can be difficult to adjust the grip and type on it. Again, it makes it really difficult to read news or even reply to messages or e-mails. Meanwhile, the 6.1-inch screen of the iPhone 11 offers a better real estate while keeping the form factor under check. Against the common belief, the iPhone 11 is not a huge phone by any means. In fact, it offers an ideal size.

iPhone 12 Mini vs iPhone 11: Camera and Battery

If cameras are your priority, then again there is not major difference between the two smartphones. While the iPhone 12 Mini is equipped with 12MP sensors and improved stabilization on the iPhone 11, neither of them have been improved drastically and iPhone 11 still remains to be a capable smartphone for photography. As expected, Apple had reserved most advanced features for the Pro models.

Battery is another area where iPhone 11 beats the iPhone 12 Mini hands down. The smartphone is known for delivering better battery life among recent Apple smartphones.

None of this means that iPhone 12 Mini is a bad buy. It's all about who is buying the phone and what exactly are they seeking from it. The smartphone is ideal for those who are looking for a compact and lightweight device but iPhone 11's bigger (or rather ideal) size makes all the difference.
Jules Sebastian has shared her simple recipe for the 'easiest summer cocktail ever', and thousands have labelled the drink the 'perfect tipple for Australia Day'.

The 41-year-old mum-of-two said her 'Champagne Weiss Spritz' includes just two ingredients, and it's perfect for sweltering hot days.

'The easiest summer cocktail has literally two ingredients. Note, the strawberry is purely decorative and these need to be drunk as soon as they are made,' Jules posted on Instagram.

'I recommend you make as you need them instead of mixing it up in a big batch (it takes one minute to whizz). You can thank me later!'

Scroll down for video

Jules Sebastian shared her simple recipe for the 'easiest summer cocktail ever', and thousands have labelled the drink the 'perfect tipple for Australia Day' (pictured with the drinks)

The 41-year-old mum-of-two said her 'Champagne Weiss Spritz' includes just two ingredients, and it's perfect for sweltering hot days (pictured making it)

To make the delicious cocktail, Jules said you'll need a bottle of the Champagne of your choice and some Weiss sorbet.

Jules picked the mango flavour and opted for a tub, which can be found at Woolworths, Coles and other major supermarkets.

'All we're going to do is put half of the Champagne bottle into the Nutribullet and half of the Weiss sorbet into it too, whizz it up, pour it in and enjoy,' Jules said.

'How good does this look! It's like a boujis iced mimosa.'

You can also add a strawberry to the top of the glass to make it look even more tasty.

'That is absolutely delicious. Oh my god, please try this. It was so easy. Cheers!' Jules said.

'How good does this look! It's like a boujis iced mimosa,' Jules said of the finished resulting cocktail (pictured)

Jules (pictured) has gained a name for herself in recent months for sharing instructional cooking clips of things she makes for her family

More than 100,000 people who saw the clip said they will certainly be trying this treat for their next summer barbecue.

'This is the perfect summer balmy night drink,' one woman posted.

Another commenter added: 'This looks so good and is too easy for me not to try'.

A third wrote: 'This is my kind of cocktail'.

Over Christmas, another mother revealed she combines fresh mango and moscato to make a 'delectable' summer drink (stock image)

This isn't the first ridiculously simple two-ingredient cocktail to set the internet alight.

Over Christmas, another mother revealed she combines fresh mango and moscato to make a 'delectable' summer drink.

'It literally takes seconds to throw together and is so good,' she wrote on Facebook.

To make the cocktail, first peel a mango and pop it in a blender with ice and blitz for a few seconds until smooth.

Then pour into a large jug, add in a bottle of Moscato and stir well with a utensil.

Alternatively frozen mango pieces and the alcohol can be mixed together in the blender.

'I use ALDI frozen mango and just cheap Moscato - it's seriously delicious,' one mum said.
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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pts20210126030 Medizin/Wellness, Unternehmen/Wirtschaft

AOP Orphan: PAH Treatment for Patients in Argentina

Wien (pts030/26.01.2021/14:35) - The Austrian pharmaceutical company AOP Orphan joined forces with the Argentinean company Tuteur to bring treatment to patients in Argentina suffering from Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). The respective agreement was signed in December 2020.

AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG (AOP Orphan) is a European pioneer in the field of special diseases offering treatment for PAH patients: A permanent subcutaneous application via a pump. The therapy increases life expectation and quality of life, i.e. allowing patients to walk (again) longer distances without being out of breath and following a rather normal every-day life. "To achieve this improved quality of life, it is not only the drug that is needed, but a lot of knowledge and experience with the general therapy approach. Business partners like Tuteur use this know-how as part of the package. This way we can be sure that all patients get the best treatment", explains AOP Orphan CEO Andreas Steiner.

TUTEUR S.A.C.I.F.I.A (Tuteur) is a leading company with over 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and has already built strong expertise with its treatment portfolio in the area of PAH in Argentina. "We focus on satisfying the needs of patients with complex diseases through the development, manufacture and commercialization of pharmaceutical products in the fields of oncology, hematology, central nervous system and orphan diseases. Integrated therapy approaches like those of AOP Orphan are of interest to us because they complement our portfolio. Therefore, we are very much looking forward to this cooperation with a company of the caliber of AOP to bring this important therapy for PAH patients in Argentina," says Jonathan Hahn, President of Tuteur in Buenos Aires.

Strategic growth course

This deal marks the beginning of a cross-continental partnership with significant growth potential: With this new partner AOP Orphan is continuing its consistent growth course and enters a broader territory in Latin America. "We are very proud in starting this important collaboration with our partner Tuteur in Argentina which builds the ground for a long-lasting relationship in South America and is a major milestone to bring this complex treatment to patients in Argentina", says Agnes Kohl, Director of Program and Business Development.

AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG is an international pharmaceutical company with a focus on rare and special diseases. Over the past 25 years, the company has become an established provider of integrated therapy solutions from its headquarters in Vienna. This development has been made possible by a continually high level of investment in research and development on the one hand and a highly consistent and pragmatic orientation towards the needs of all our stakeholders on the other - especially the patients and their families but also the doctors and care professionals treating them. In the third quarter of 2020, AOP Orphan took over Amomed and SciPharm, two European health care companies, continuing its consistent path of growth into a pan-European health care group specializing in special diseases requiring a complex management.

Tuteur S.A.C.I.F.I.A. is a company based in Argentina with more than 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. The company is focused on the development, manufacture and commercialization of pharmaceutical products, specializing in the sectors of oncology, hematology, central nervous system and orphan diseases. Its products are commercialized in the domestic market and in several other Latin American countries. Tuteur s purpose is to satisfy the unmet needs of patients with complex diseases and provide a service of excellence to the entire healthcare community.

Contact

AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG

Wilhelminenstrasse 91/IIf, 1160 Vienna, Austria

Ms. Nina Roth, MAS,

Corporate Communications Manager

E: nina.roth@aoporphan.com

Aussender: AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals Aktiengesellschaft Ansprechpartner: AOP Tel.: +43 503 72 44-24 E-Mail: nina.roth@aoporphan.com Website: www.aoporphan.at

(Ende)
AITUC leaders and activists along with ASHA workers stages dharna at Guntur General Hospital, Guntur city seeking justice for Asha worker Vijayalakshmi of Penumaka village, who died due to corona vaccine mutation on Sunday. (DC Photo)

VIJAYAWADA: A health worker died while undergoing treatment five days after taking the Covid-19 vaccine in Guntur district on Sunday. The relatives and health workers staged a protest following the death of B. Vijayalakshmi, an ASHA health workers, alleging that reaction to the vaccine had caused the death.

Demanding justice, they said that Vijayalakshmi had got the vaccine on January 19 but developed complications two days later. She was admitted to the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Guntur. The government had failed to provide proper treatment, they alleged, and sought compensation for her family.

The family members and leaders of Telugu Desam and various organisations rushed to GGH and staged a protest demanding justice.

The family members said that Vijayalakshmi, 42, working under the Tadepalli Primary Health Centre, and her colleague G. Lakshmi had received the shot on January 20. Two days later, Vijayalakshmi started suffering from headache, vomiting and dizziness. After primary treatment, she was admitted to the GGH. Lakshmi also fell ill but recovered.

Family sources said Vijayalakshmi suffered a brain-stroke and went into a coma.

TD Guntur East in-charge Md Naseer and other leaders demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation, government job to a family member, and a house. CPI(M) Guntur district east secretary Pasam Rama Rao recalled that Vijayalakshmi was a Coronavirus warrior and was entitled to the Rs 50 lakh compensation.

Guntur collector I. Samuel Anand Kumar rushed to the spot and assured to send a proposal to the government seeking release of compensation, house site and job to a family member. He assured to provide all possible aid from the government side after which the protestors withdrew their agitation.

Meanwhile, Director of Medical and Health department Dr Geetha Prasidini conducted a meeting with medical experts and discussed the side-effects of the vaccine. She said that only a few people had experienced simple reactions after taking the vaccine. She said they are waiting for an autopsy report of Vijayalakshmi to know the exact cause of her death.


President Joe Biden has phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time in office  and raised a series of sensitive issues that stand between the U.S. and Russia.

Among the most pressing concerns he brought up were the Russian state clampdown on peaceful protesters following the return of opposition figure Alexei Navalny to Russia.

Navalny is currently serving a 30-day prison sentence in Russia after leaving the country for medical care after being poisoned.

President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House said. In this March 10, 2011, file photo, then-Vice President Joe Biden shakes hands with Putin when he was prime minister

Biden also raised Russian 'interference in the 2020 election,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday at her daily press briefing, along with reports that Russia had placed 'bounties' on U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

Psaki said Biden initiated the call to pitch an extension of the New Start strategic nuclear treaty.

'He called President Putin this afternoon with the intent of discussing our willingness to extent New START for five years. Also to reaffirm our strong support for Ukraine sovereignty in the face of Russias ongoing aggression,' she said, mentioning Russia's 2014 invasion of Crimea.

She said Biden also called 'to raise matters of concern' and mentioned the solar winds hack on networks across the U.S. government, 'reports of Russia placing bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, interference in the 2020 election, the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, and treatment of peaceful protesters by Russian security forces.'

INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK: Putin has denied opposition leader Alexi Navalny's claims of corruption

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden and Putin spoke during the course of her press briefing, which began around 12:30 pm

Intervention: Joe Biden said Monday he was not reluctant to raise issues with Russia including the detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny

Russian policemen detain men during an unauthorized protest rally against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny

She said the call was also 'to make clear that he United Staes will act firmly in defense of our national interests in response to malign actions by Russia,' and promised a further readout.

She identified election interference as a concern she listed Monday, although Biden didn't mention it when he was asked about Russia later Monday.

U.S. intelligence determined that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections, and top officials gave warning of ongoing actions this fall.

Word of Biden's call follows a Trump administration where the president was reluctant to criticize Russia, even as his administration under congressional pressure imposed sanctions on Russian actors to protest the government's actions.

Even after reporting this summer that the U.S. had intelligence of the Russian bounties, Trump failed to raise the issue with Putin when they had a call in July.

'That was a phone call to discuss other things, and frankly, thats an issue that many people said was fake news,' Trump told Axios at the time.

He said regularly during the 2016 campaign and afterward that it would be a good thing if the U.S. had better relations with Russia.

During his infamous Helsinki meeting with Putin, Trump appeared to accept his denials of interfering in the U.S. elections, despite what U.S. intelligence agencies concluded.

By bringing up Ukraine, Biden raised an a territorial invasion that sparked a round of Obama administration and European sanctions.

President Trump made his infamous July 25 call to Ukrainian President Volodym Zelensky seeking an investigation of the Bidens. His administration held up military aide being sought by the country in a bureaucratic maneuver that became a subject of his first impeachment.

After the 2016 elections, Trump's incoming national security advisor Mike Flynn held calls with the then-Russian ambassador. He would later plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russia contacts, where Obama-era sanctions were discussed. Trump pardoned Flynn before Thanksgiving.

Psaki on Monday called for the 'immediate' release of Navalny, who returned to his home country and is being held for 30 days after being poisoned with a chemical nerve agent.

'These continued efforts to suppress Russia's rights to peacefully protest and assemble, their freedom of expression, the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny and the crackdown on protests that followed are troubling indications of further restrictions on Russian civil society,' said Psaki, echoing a State Department statement issued Saturday.

'So I'll just reiterate our call from here on Russian authorities to release all those detained for exercising their universal rights and for the immediate and unconditional release of Alexei Navalny,' she added.

It came after a weekend which saw his wife Yulia Navalnaya arrested them released from custody in Moscow after being part of an anti-Putin rally on Saturday.

Alexei's wife was among nearly 3,500 people to have been detained by Russian police officers during protests in as many as 100 cities.

An official White House readout of the call laid down a marker by saying the U.S. would 'act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to actions by Russia that harm us or our allies.'

'President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. They discussed both countries willingness to extend New START for five years, agreeing to have their teams work urgently to complete the extension by February 5,' according to the readout.

'They also agreed to explore strategic stability discussions on a range of arms control and emerging security issues. President Biden reaffirmed the United States firm support for Ukraines sovereignty. He also raised other matters of concern, including the SolarWinds hack, reports of Russia placing bounties on United States soldiers in Afghanistan, interference in the 2020 United States election, and the poisoning of Aleksey Navalny. President Biden made clear that the United States will act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to actions by Russia that harm us or our allies. The two presidents agreed to maintain transparent and consistent communication going forward.'

'The extension is in the interest of both countries, as well as the whole world,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking of the exchange of papers to advance about the arms treaty extension. The Kremlin said the two leaders 'expressed satisfaction' about the exchange of diplomatic information.
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Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2021 ) :Americans tend to notice everything about an incoming president at their inauguration, and thus Joe Biden's choice to wear a $7,000 Rolex watch on the day he was sworn in did not pass without comment.

Nor did the fact that the timepiece was made in Switzerland escape attention, as it marked one of the new president's first breaks with his predecessors, who chose watches a bit more quotidian and even manufactured domestically -- the type of industry Biden says he wants to promote.

Biden's stainless steel Rolex Datejust "is a far cry from the Everyman timepieces that every president not named Trump has worn conspicuously in recent decades," The New York Times wrote, referring to just-departed head of state Donald Trump.

The new president is of course not the first to wear a Rolex, sharing the fashion preference with Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson and Ronald Reagan.

But since the presidency of Bill Clinton, American leaders have tended towards more low-profile or patriotic timepieces.

Clinton's chose a Timex Ironman, but that won him no kudos from The Washington Post, which after his 1993 inauguration described it as "a plastic digital watch thick as a brick and handsome as a hernia." His successor George W. Bush was even more the penny pincher, wearing a Timex model costing less than $50.

Barack Obama, whom Biden served under as vice president from 2009 till 2017, went with American watchmakers like Detroit-based Shinola, or California's Jorg Gray.

Known for his taste in gold, Trump's wrist bore a Patek Philippe "Golden Ellipse", a Rolex or a Vacheron Constantin.

Biden's fans on Twitter collectively rolled their eyes at the wristwatch ruckus, with Trump foe and former Star Trek actor George Takei tweeting "No (New York Times) we don't care what watch Joe Biden wore, like we never cared about Obama's tan suit."
Appointment

26 January 2021

Shoreline Hotel Waikiki, a tropicool boutique hotel situated in the heart of Waikiki in Oahu, Hawaii, is excited to announce their new General Manager, Jeff Perkins, effective January 13, 2021. Perkins will focus on establishing the brand and the market position, and mentor the Shoreline Hotel Waikiki team in perpetuating a culture of service that is authentic, anticipatory and consistent.

A former United Airlines owned and operated hotel that once hosted their flying crews, Shoreline Hotel Waikiki went through major property renovation in 2018, concepted by Army of Moon People and designed by BHDM Design. The redesign features a colorful update to the 135-room hotel, including a 26-foot high white "jungle wall" art piece in the lobby, custom furnishings, and an updated rooftop pool deck with commissioned mural artwork. The property is centrally located one block from Waikiki Beach, Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, Luxury Row, and two blocks from The International Marketplace.

Perkins, who has returned to Oahu after working on the mainland for two years, has over 25 years of hotel leadership experience working with luxury brands such as The Ritz Carlton, The St. Regis and The Beverly Hilton. He also previously served as the General Manager for Queen Kapiolani Hotel, and served as the Resort Manager for Kahala Hotel & Resort and Turtle Bay Resort, where he oversaw multimillion-dollar renovations and relaunched hotels into their destination markets.

Additionally, Perkins served on the board of organizations that support Tourism and Community, including several state appointed committees in his career, such as Board of Directors for the Chambers of Commerce, North Shore, HI, and Redondo Beach, CA, President of the King Harbor Association, Redondo Beach CA, and Skal International, the Hawaii, and Los Angeles Chapters.

The Shoreline Hotel Waikiki team is thrilled to have Jeff join the team, where he will add immediate value and set new milestones at the hotel for the foreseeable future.

Turkeys national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, has suspended flights to Israel from Jan. 26 until Jan. 31 without providing explanation.

The airline indicated that the move was in line with a decision by related authorities, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports citing Anadolu news agency.

The decision however coincides with Israels ban on all arriving international commercial flights as part of measures to curb covid-19 variant contaminations.

The order will be enforced until Jan. 31. Under the government directive, Times of Israel reports, all commercial aircraft are barred from entering Israeli skies or landing at Ben Gurion Airport.
After A section of media reported that NLFT vice-president Utpal Debbarma was arrested, Tripura police have said that they had no information relating to the alleged arrest of the top National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) leader in Bangladesh.

A Tripura police officer on Monday said it had no credible information to confirm the arrest of Debbarma. However, Police has confirmed that the NLFT leader has been operating from his hideouts in the neighbouring country. There was a report that Debbarma was arrested on Sunday in Chittagong in southeast Bangladesh. The reports said the NLFT leader was picked up from his hideout in Chittagong by the counter-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh police. One report claimed he was taken to a safe house where he was being interrogated.

Debbarma is one of few underground leaders from Tripura who has not yet given up arms and continues to lead the Biswamohan Debbarma faction of the NLFT. He was the self-styled foreign secretary in the undivided NLFT. The group has recently stepped up activities in Tripura.

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New Delhi: Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth on Tuesday (January 26, 2021) became the first Indian woman fighter pilot to participate in a Republic Day flypast at Rajpath.

Bhawana Kanth was part of the Air Force tableau which had a theme 'Indian Air Force: Touch the Sky with Glory' on the 72nd Republic Day parade. They showcased scale models of the Light Combat Aircraft, Light Combat Helicopter, Su-30 MK-I aircraft and the Rohini radar.

Notably, 28-year-old Flight Lt Kanth is also one of the first three women chosen for the IAF fighter stream in 2016. She was selected along with Mohana Singh and Avani Chaturvedi.

In 2015, ten women were commissioned as fighter pilots following an experimental plan to join the Indian Air Force's combat stream. After training for class first, Kanth got a chance to choose a fighter stream.

Bhawana joined the Fighter Squadron in November 2017 and a year later, she flew the MiG-21 aircraft solo over the Indian skies for the first time.

Flight Lt Bhawana Kanth has also received Nari Shakti Puraskar in March 2020.

Kanth, a resident of Begusarai in Bihar, is currently posted in Rajasthan and flies a MiG-21 Bison jet. In an interview, she had also expressed that she likes to fly Rafale and Sukhoi.

Bhawana's father worked at the Indian Oil Corporation in Begusarai and she did her schooling from the same city. She then went to Bengaluru to earn her engineering degree from the BMS College of Engineering.



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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 07:26:50|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Jan. 26, 2021 shows a view of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin, capital of Germany. The memorial, located in the center of Berlin, was built to remember the up to six million Jews killed in Nazi Germany during World War II. In 2005, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which designated Jan. 27 as the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)
The sister of a West Virginia mother who shot dead her three sons and two stepchildren, before turning the gun on herself and burning down their home, has paid tribute to her youngest nephew, who would have turned two on Monday.

Oreanna Myers, 25, carried out the quintuple murder-suicide on December 8, but law enforcement officials in Greenbrier County only revealed the harrowing details of the shootings last week.

According to the local sheriff, Myers was upset that her husband, Brian Bumgarner, had been staying with relatives during the work week, instead of coming home to her.

The children who were killed with shotgun blasts to the head were identified as Shaun Dawson Bumgarner, 7, Riley James Bumgarner, 6, Kian Myers, 4, Aarikyle Nova Myers, 3 and Haiken Jirachi Myers, age 1.

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Haiken Jirachi Myers, pictured above as a baby, would have turned two years old on Monday. He was killed by his mother, along with four siblings, on December 8

Haiken's maternal aunt, McKenzie Kersey, took to Facebook on Monday to pay tribute to her slain nephew on his birthday

Haiken, right, is pictured alongside one of his brothers, who was also killed

The youngest of the five boys would have celebrated his second birthday on Monday.

'Haiken Jirachi Myers, my sweet baby,' Myers' sister McKenzie Kersey wrote in a Facebook status update. 'Today you are two years old and while I wish with every fiber of my being you were here so Aunt Kenzie could give you big hugs and kisses, I know you're playing with your big brothers, running around God's playground and eating all the cake that little belly can handle.

'We love and miss you and your brothers so very much, sweet angel. I can't wait until the day I can kiss your sweet little face again. But, until that day be good and don't beat your brothers up too much.'

In the days after the tragedy, Kersy composed a touching post about her late sister, writing: 'I dont know what Ill miss more, the love you radiated or the hugs you gave me.'

According to an obituary, Haiken, being the youngest, was 'spoiled by all and loved driving his toy cars.'

Officials in West Virginia have revealed that Oreanna Myers, 25 (pictured), shot dead her three biological children and two stepchildren, before setting their home on fire and killing herself

Pictured above are five of the children who were killed: Shaun Dawson Bumgarner, 7, Riley James Bumgarner, 6, Kian Myers, 4, Aarikyle Nova Myers, 3 and Haiken Jirachi Myers, age 1

Kersy, right, Myers' sister, mourned her death in a December Facebook post

Bumgarner, Oreanna's husband, has stayed out of the public eye over the past month.

One day after the murders, Bumgarner took to Facebook, sharing a status with his friends which read: 'I just wanted to say sorry and thank you to everyone reaching out to me and messaging me. I can't get back to all of you but in a truly dark time, I feel like I could fall and all of you guys would catch me. It gives me something... I don't know what. Maybe it be hope or strength or grit, I don't know. All I know is I have something and that's not nothing!!!'

Speaking to the media last Thursday, Greenbrier County Sheriff Bruce Sloan said the five children's bodies were found with shotgun wounds to the heads inside the Williamsburg home, while Myers was found outside near a picnic table.

Sloan described how Myers was found, revealing that she was wearing a coat with a hood, and had a red line drawn across her face from ear to ear, reported MetroNews.com.

First responders were called to the family's home after getting reports of a fire. There, they found the bodies of the children and Myers

The mysterious line was seen on surveillance video when Myers had gone to pick up two of her sons from the bus stop at the end of the school day. One of the boys asked her if it was blood on her face, but Myers replied she had just drawn the line.

An hour later, emergency dispatch got a 911 call about a house fire on Flynns Creek Road. When firefighters arrived on the scene just before 4pm, they found the residence engulfed in flames.

The five-bedroom, one-bath house was built in 1888 and had an estimated value of $126,000.

About 40 minutes later, Myers' body was found outdoors. Four of the children were found dead inside the house that same day, but the fifth child's body was only recovered from the debris four days later, reported WVNS-TV.

Myers' husband, Brian Bumgarner, stayed with relatives instead of at home during the work week due to transportation issues, Sloan said. Text messages between Myers and her husband showed that his absence during the week had been 'a tremendous source of contention' between them.

According to the sheriff, the woman grew more desperate after Bumgarner left the house on December 6 after dropping off groceries for his family.

'Youll have nothing to come back to but to corpse [sic]. No one cares why should I? Myers texted her husband. 'Money will come and go, once I go theres no replacing me. I beg and cry for help but never get it. Its my mental health that needs tending tohelp me I do not care anymore.'

The murder-suicide and arson took place outside Williamsburg, West Virginia, on the afternoon of December 8

Sloan said he was unaware of whether the woman was under treatment for any diagnosed mental illness at the time of the deaths. But in several notes she left before carrying out the murder-suicide and setting fire to her family home, Myers complained about the lack of treatment for mental illness, according to the sheriff.

'This is no ones fault but my own. My demons won over me. Sorry, I wasnt strong enough,' she wrote.

Myers texted her husband the day of the shootings saying she left something for him in their vehicle. A letter addressed to him was found inside with a bloody fingerprint next to her initials, Sloan said.

'I'm so sorry Brian,' she wrote to her husband. 'I was not strong enough for you or this family. My head is so (expletive). Im sorry for my evil crime. I was not strong enough to fight these demons, Snap. Crunch, Boom. So depressed. Heart numb. Soul completely shattered. I am sorry I failed you. I am sorry I failed our handsome boys. I am so sorry I was not strong enough. OAM.'

Myers was upset that her husband, Brian Bumgarner, had been staying with relatives during the work week for logistical reasons. Prior to the killings, Myers texted Bumgarner, warning him that he would come home to find a 'corpse'

Bumgarner addressed the tragedy in a Facebook post two days after the fact without going into specifics

The sheriff said the woman also placed three notes inside a plastic bag and taped them to a side-view mirror on the family vehicle, including phone numbers to reach relatives, a confession and a will.

'I had shot all of the boys in the head. I had set house on fire. I had shot myself in the head. Im sorry,' she wrote in her confession. 'Mental health is serious. I hope one day someone will help others like me. Mental health is not to joke about or taken lightly. When someone begs, pleads, cries out for help, please help them. You just might save a life or more lives. Thank you, OAM.'

Also recovered from the vehicle were glass jar with a crystal and a cloth decorated with a spiral symbol.
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ROME  Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy resigned on Tuesday after weeks of political infighting, thrusting the country into renewed instability as the coronavirus pandemic ravages lives and livelihoods.

The latest political crisis caught many off guard as the country struggles to cope with the virus, which has already killed more than 85,000 in Italy. As in the rest of Europe, Italys immunization campaign has been held up by production delays for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. At the current pace, it would take almost five years to vaccinate the majority of Italians, according to the most recent data.

Mr. Contes is serving his second consecutive stint as prime minister  first as the head of an alliance of right-wing nationalists and populists, and then leading a coalition of populists and the center-left establishment that focused almost exclusively on the pandemic.

A change in government would likely shift attention back to issues that have been put on a back burner during the coronavirus crisis, including a more forceful crackdown on illegal immigration, which has slowed dramatically because of the virus.
NewTradition_Logo Were honored to partner with some of the nations most esteemed landlords and properties, and adding Ovation Hollywood to our portfolio of inventory is a proud moment for us, said Evan Richheimer, CEO of New Tradition.

This January 2021, New Tradition Media has signed a long-term lease agreement with DJM and Gaw Capital Partners to take over the master advertising lease at the famed Ovation Hollywood property (previously Hollywood and Highland) in Los Angeles.

New Tradition is a rocket ship within the out-of-home media industry and is consistently closing new acquisitions and signing new agreements, particularly on the West Coast. This partnership with DJM and Gaw Capital is exemplary of New Traditions consistent growth.

Were honored to partner with some of the nations most esteemed landlords and properties, and adding Ovation Hollywood to our portfolio of inventory is a proud moment for us, said Evan Richheimer, CEO of New Tradition.

Ovation Hollywood is one of the countrys busiest and most acclaimed shopping centers spanning 463,000 square feet. The signage at the property is unprecedented with its reach of consumers including the propertys hallmark Highland Nose Billboard. As DJM and Gaw Capital transform the Times Square of Los Angeles shopping destination on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, New Tradition is excited to be an integral part of the Ovation Hollywood evolution.

About New Tradition

Founded in 2010, New Tradition is one of the fastest-growing Out-Of-Home media companies in the United States as well as one of the largest independent operators of large format digital and static signage. With a focus on urban core environments, New Tradition provides advertising platforms for national brands and advertising agencies throughout the country. This includes signage in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Nashville, Miami, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Las Vegas. For more information, please visit http://www.NewTradition.com.

About DJM

DJM Capital Partners, Inc. is a private real estate equity and development firm based in San Jose, California. With a core strength in retail combined with expertise in office and residential asset classes, DJMs market knowledge and strategic acquisition of undervalued assets is represented by a current portfolio of approximately three million square feet with an estimated total portfolio value of $1 billion. For more information, please visit http://www.djmcapital.com.

About Gaw Capital USA

Gaw Capital USA ("Gaw USA"), an affiliate of Gaw Capital Partners, was formed in 2013 to provide services for private equity real estate fund management and separate account investments in the United States. Gaw USA through its associate, Downtown Properties, has been investing in US real estate since 1995. Currently, Gaw USA is investing its third U.S. dedicated private equity fund and manages multiple single-asset separate account investments, with over US$3.0 billion under management as of 2Q20.

Gaw Capital USA pursues a value-driven investment strategy with a strategic focus on repositioning projects located in major knowledge and innovation markets marked by a young, well-educated population and strong employment growth prospects. The firm differentiates itself through its strong reputation, its significant local network of relationships, and a successful track record of more than two decades of investing in real estate within emerging areas of US gateway and secondary cities.

On Monday, the House impeachment managers delivered to the Senate a lone article of impeachment against Donald Trump for incitement of insurrection. Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, has promised that an impeachment trial will begin in two weeks and President Joe Biden said on Monday that the trial has to happen. Some Republican senators, though, have questioned whether it is constitutional for the Senate to try a former president once he has left office.

Some of these senators seem likely to latch onto an argument made in the Washington Post earlier this month by J. Michael Luttig, formerly a judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the Constitution clearly establishes that the Senate may not hold an impeachment trial for a president after he leaves office. Luttig, however, could not be more wrong.

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The Constitution, in fact, is silent on the question of who is subject to impeachment. Luttig cites the clause in Article II providing that [t]he 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. All this clause clearly establishes is a mandatory punishment (removal from office) for current officers. It does not even purport to address whether the impeachment power extends to former officers, let alone whether an officer who is subject to impeachment proceedings may evade punishment by leaving office. The clauses that define the ambit of the impeachment power are found in Article I and make no mention of the limitation Luttig reads into the Constitutions text. Article I assigns to the House the sole power of impeachment and to the Senate the sole power to try all impeachments. Nothing in this assignment of authority excludes former officers.

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While the Constitutions text may be ambiguous, the original understanding and subsequent congressional practice emphatically establish that a former officer is subject to the Senates sole power to try impeachments. As Alexander Hamilton makes clear in Federalist No. 65, Great Britain provided [t]he model from which the idea of this institution has been borrowed. It was firmly established in Britain at the time of the founding that former officers were subject to impeachment. Indeed, the British impeachment that most informed the Framers thinking about the impeachment power was the impeachment of Warren Hastings for improprieties as the governor-general of Bengal. Hastings had been out of this office for two years before his impeachment by the House of Commons. Moreover, at least two statesVirginia and Delawarehad established that their impeachment power extended to former officers. Against this background, it is particularly telling that there is no indication in the Federalist Papers or in any other significant commentary from the founding era indicating that the Framers intended the new Constitution to deviate from this baseline understanding.

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Congress has also expressly addressed this question and resolved it in favor of the original understanding. In 1876, the House drafted articles of impeachment against President Ulysses S. Grants Secretary of War, William Belknap, but Belknap resigned before the House could vote on the articles. The House debated whether Belknaps resignation deprived the House of jurisdiction. After the debate, the House voted to impeach Belknap, implicitly rejecting the argument that it lacked jurisdiction. The Senate also took up the issue and voted 3729 that Belknaps resignation did not deprive it of jurisdiction.

The Constitutions structure also confirms the original understanding that former officers may be impeached. If the only punishment for impeachment and conviction were removal from office, that would strongly indicate that the power applies only to current officers, since it would be futile to convict someone who holds no office from which to be removed. But removal is not the only constitutionally sanctioned punishment. The Constitution also authorizes the Senate to disqualify a person convicted from ever holding federal office. An officer who is convicted of accepting bribes could avoid this disqualification by the simple expedient of resignation. The impeachment of Trump vividly illustrates the point. He stands impeached for inciting sedition and waging war on our democracy. Disqualifying him from ever holding office again would be anything but futile.

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Luttig apparently recognizes just how weak his argument is. He acknowledges the Belknap precedent yet offers no distinction. Instead, he suggests the Supreme Court will have to decide what to make of it. But that too is wrong. The Supreme Court has held that the Constitution assigns the power to try impeachments exclusively to the Senate and that this assignment precludes the court from involvement. When Judge Walter Nixon challenged his Senate conviction, the Supreme Court unanimously held that his claim raised a political question, which the court could not resolve because the Constitution commits the resolution of the content of the Senates power to try all impeachments exclusively to the Senate itself.

It is perhaps a testament to just how indefensible Trumps conduct is that his defenders must resort to specious procedural arguments. The Senate should not be fooled. Its authority to try former President Donald Trump is overwhelmingly clear. In fact, it is the Senates constitutional duty to hold a trial.
Biggest churches push 'superficial Christianity,' 'phonies' now being exposed: John MacArthur

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Some of America's biggest churches support a culture of corrupt, superficial Christianity and made a lot of money doing it but the internet is now making it harder for phonies to survive, Pastor John MacArthur recently said.

Speaking at the pulpit of Grace Community Church in California for the first time after a brief absence during which some speculated he may have been ill, MacArthur suggested that the pandemic combined with the technological shift in ministry has led to a sifting and shifting.

We had for decades, people trying to create a cultural Christianity that would appeal to nonbelievers, that was accepting of immorality, accepting of homosexuality, accepting of racial hatred. There was a kind of superficial, shallow Christianity that watered down the Gospel, didnt talk about sin, tried to have a positive message. And it was very successful. And I get it because I fought that battle well for almost all the time Ive been here, he told his congregants in a sermon just over a week ago.

He explained that one of the things he likes to do is to call the church to repentance but it was a tough call because superficial Christianity made a lot of money and elevated a lot of charlatans.

It was successful. The biggest churches in America are part of it. It was very hard to call people to faithfulness when you could be so corrupt and so successful in Christian religion. That was the battle. Now I think theres a sifting and a shifting, he said before alluding to sex scandals surrounding prominent Christian figures like late apologist Ravi Zacharias and former Hillsong Church Pastor Carl Lentz without mentioning their names.

First of all, phonies are going to have a hard time hiding with the internet. Were seeing one after another after another. Dead ones and alive ones. This dead apologist had a deviant sex life. This cool dude rock and roll pastor was immoral with multiple women for years and years, MacArthur said.

I look at all that and my thoughts were I dont think if it werent for Jesus Christ that I could sell anybody on Christianity. We preach Christ, right? And youre attracted to Him, right? But if there are people out there looking at Christianity, it has to be uninviting, maybe even repulsive. Who are these people? Filthy rich, immoral, corrupt, narcissistic. If it werent for Jesus Christ, Christianity would have no appeal, he said.

MacArthur also explained that despite efforts by government authorities to shutter his church during the pandemic, he has managed to defy every restriction and remain open regardless of fines and court actions against his church.

They tried every way to close Grace Church. And I think it is true that there is no more scrutinized church in the United States of America than Grace Community Church, he said, calling out major media organizations like ABC, CNN and the Los Angeles Times as well as ungodly bloggers who tried to discredit his church.

Im still here, he said.

MacArthur said the decision to remain open in defiance of government restrictions has been a blessing to his church. He said even though the church had not collected an offering in the last 10 months, congregants have given more in the last 10 months than any 10-month period in the history of this church.

MacArthur fought for his churchs legal right to hold indoor worship services amid the pandemic and said even though his church has faced fines each Sunday for their defiance, the congregation has only continued to flourish.

In the middle of the lawsuit, the Lord has grown our church. So this was a very small tiny local church until COVID. One thousand new members, baptisms, he said, calling his new members Grace refugees.

Did you hear the testimonies in baptism Sunday night? Theres a new evangelical term. I love it. Its Grace refugees, he said as his congregation laughed.

Its the people who had no other church to go to so they came here as church refugees, he said to more cheers.

And arent we happy about that? Arent we blessed? Well take you whoever you are even if youre a Presbyterian refugee. People have flown in from all across America, driven in from all across the West every Sunday to be with us. Some of you only came here because it was the only church open and you found it wasnt just a church that was open. It was a church that was presenting the Gospel and the Word of God, he said.
Lidl will hand out a one-off bonus of 200 to its supermarkets staff, cleaners, warehouse staff and customer assistants as a 'thank you' for their hard work during the pandemic.

The German discounter, which employs a total of over 25,000 people in the UK, said its 1,800 office-based employees will also receive a 100 bonus.

With 800 stores and 13 distribution centres in England, Scotland and Wales, Lidl said the move will cost it 5.5million.

Popular: Lidl supermarkets in the UK raked in 'record' sales during Christmas

'The payment is in recognition of their tireless efforts to keep the nation fed and provide a safe shopping experience for customers up and down the country,' the supermarket said today.

This is the second bonus Lidl pays to its workers, having handed out 150 to all colleagues in March last year as the pandemic unfolded.

The supermarket, which has grown rapidly in recent years and saw 'record' sales over Christmas, also announced a pay rise in November.

The new wages, which will come into effect from March this year, will see entry-level wages increase from 9.30 to 9.50 an hour outside the M25 and 10.75 to 10.85 within the M25.

Rival Aldi also announced last week it would bump up its national minimum hourly pay rate for store employees to 9.55 from 9.40 in February.

Lidl, crowned the cheapest supermarket of 2020 by consumer group Which?, posted a record 17.9 per cent surge in total sales over the four weeks to December 27, compared with the same period last year.

Rival Aldi announced last week it would bump up its national minimum hourly pay rate for store employees to 9.55 from 9.40 in February

Buoyed by its popularity, it has been opening new stores, with four new sites beginning to trade in December, including in Southampton and Nottingham.

It aims to boost its store portfolio from 800 to 1,000 by 2023, and it recently claimed it remained 'on track' to achieve this.

Christian Hartnagel, chief executive of Lidl's UK business, said: 'It has been an extremely challenging period and our teams have done a phenomenal job in helping to keep the nation fed.

'I am incredibly proud of the dedication and commitment our colleagues have shown and continue to show and this payment is about recognising their unrelenting hard work and thanking each individual for the important part they've played in the year like no other'.
Ukraines Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) will receive UAH 58.8 million worth of state support for the implementation of nine projects within the sectoral budget program of the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development.

"For the first time in the history of Ukraine, 11 Regional Development Agencies will receive UAH 58.8 million from the state budget for the implementation of nine projects within the sectoral budget program of the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development. The projects must be implemented within the next three years," the ministrys press service reported.

At present, Regional Development Agencies have been created in 19 regions of Ukraine. They act as offices providing advice and practical assistance regarding the preparation and implementation of regional development programs and projects. Thanks to their work, it is possible to unite the efforts of the state, regional and local authorities, the public and private sector.

In 2021, RDAs in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Rivne, and Zakarpattia regions will receive real financial support from the ministry.

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California plans to launch a coronavirus vaccination information and data hub in the coming weeks that will allow state residents to sign up for alerts when they are eligible to receive a vaccine, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.

The vaccination hub, dubbed My Turn, uses technology from Salesforce and Skedulo and is currently being piloted in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, Newsom said, with the intent of making it available statewide by February.

Residents will be able to use My Turn to sign up for text or email notifications when they can finally receive a vaccine as well as information on where vaccines are available, how many state residents have already been vaccinated and the tiers for vaccine access.

Newsom touted My Turn as the most robust vaccination information system in the country, but noted that getting it available to all Californians will take a few weeks to ensure a smooth roll out.

We just want to make sure that we dont run this thing into the ground and have a system that shuts down, Newsom said Monday during a briefing on the pandemic.
DIDCOT, UK / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / Altus Strategies Plc (AIM:ALS)(TSXV:ALTS)(OTCQX:ALTUF) announces further encouraging results from the recently completed 10,308m Reverse Circulation ("RC") drilling programme at its 100% owned Diba gold project ("Diba" or the "Project") located in western Mali. Diba hosts a shallow-dipping, near-surface gold deposit (the "Diba Deposit") and several other prospect areas.



Highlights:

Completion of 10,308m RC drilling programme at Diba gold project in western Mali

Further encouraging intersections from Diba Deposit, including (intersections are down-the-hole and not true widths): 43.83 g/t Au over 5m from surface 11.03 g/t Au over 3m from 37m 2.11 g/t Au over 14m from 21m

Diba Deposit extended by 100m to the west with near surface lenses intersected

Approximately 25% of the assay results from the drilling programme are pending

Follow up drilling at the Diba Deposit and other prospects is being planned

The current Mineral Resource Estimate (" MRE ") for the Diba Deposit (See Mineral Resource Update following, and Altus' news release dated 08 July 2020 titled "Significant Gold Resource at Diba Project, Western Mali") comprises: 4,834,000 tonnes at 1.39 g/t Au for 217,000 ounces in the Indicated category 5,479,000 tonnes at 1.06 g/t Au for 187,000 ounces in the Inferred category

") for the Diba Deposit (See Mineral Resource Update following, and Altus' news release dated 08 July 2020 titled "Significant Gold Resource at Diba Project, Western Mali") comprises: Diba is strategically located in a world-famous gold belt that hosts numerous open pit mines

Steven Poulton, Chief Executive of Altus, commented:

"We are delighted to report on further highly encouraging results from the recently completed 10,308m RC drilling programme at the Diba gold deposit in western Mali. The results include 43.83 g/t Au over 5m from surface, from a drill hole designed to test a modelled northeast trending high-grade zone. We are also encouraged by intercepts outside the current MRE envelope, including 11.03 g/t Au over 3m from 37m, which may potentially extend the mineralised zone by approximately 100m to the west.

"Results are currently pending from 33 holes that have been drilled at a number of prospects outside of the current MRE. Our technical team is reviewing the data received to date and planning a ground magnetic survey which will commence shortly and be used to guide the next phase of drilling. We look forward to updating shareholders in due course."

Diba Project: Drilling Programme

The RC drilling programme was completed by Capital Drilling Limited and comprises a total of 10,308m over 114 holes. A total of 4,932m was drilled (over 57 holes) in and around the Diba Deposit testing potential up dip, down dip and along strike extensions, as well as infilling areas within the MRE envelope to increase the resource confidence. A further 5,376m was drilled to test a number of prospects located within 3km of the Diba Deposit. All the drill holes were drilled at -60 degrees inclination and ranged between 50m to 270m in length. Drilling has been orientated perpendicular to the strike of the Diba Deposit and the interpreted structural orientation of the target areas.

The assay results for 30 holes (2,572m) reported in this news release are summarised in Table 1 below. Assay results for the first 51 holes (4,886m) of this drilling programme were reported by the Company on 07 January 2021 (see Altus' news release titled "Broad High Grade Gold Intercepts from Drilling at Diba Project, Western Mali" (https://www.altus-strategies.com/news/exceptional-intersection-of-3.34-g-t-gold-over-60m-at-diba-project-western-mali/).

The programme was designed to:

Testing potential extensions of the Diba MRE envelope

Increase the resource confidence of the MRE including the NE trending high grade zone

Test the potential for mineralisation at five surrounding prospects within 3km of that part of the Diba Deposit subject to the MRE

Provide QAQC support for the Diba Deposit model

Testing potential extensions of the Diba MRE envelope

Drilling was undertaken along strike (to the north and south), down-dip (to the east) and also targeted the potential for new lenses to the west. A total of 4,979m of drilling over 58 holes has been completed within the Diba Deposit. Assay results from 11 holes for 852m of drilling are reported in this release.

The results received to date confirm the discovery of a new zone of mineralisation, which may potentially extend the Diba Deposit by approximately 100m to the west, including (intersections are down-the-hole and not true widths):

11.03 g/t Au over 3m from 37m down hole (20KSRC-053)

1.21 g/t Au over 8m from 10m down hole (20KSRC-052)

1.05 g/t Au over 13m from 25m down hole (20KRC-003) (previously reported)

Increase the resource confidence of the MRE including the NE trending high-grade zone

A total of 1,984m of drilling has been completed in 22 holes within that part of the Diba Deposit subject to the MRE, particularly targeting the interpreted high-grade northeast trending zone. Assay results from 10 holes are reported in this news release.

The further results provide additional confirmation of the high-grade and near surface mineralisation, including (intersections are down-the-hole and not true widths):

3.21 g/t Au over 3m from 5m down hole (20KSRC-066)

43.83 g/t Au over 5m from surface (20KSRC-067)

2.13 g/t Au over 6m from 25 m downhole (20KSRC-069)

2.11 g/t Au over 14m from 21m downhole (20KSRC-072)

2.32 g/t Au over 5m from 12m downhole (20KSRC-073)

Test the potential for mineralisation at five surrounding prospects within 3km of the MRE

A total of 5,375m of reconnaissance drilling has been completed in 57 holes across five target areas outside of the main Diba Deposit. The prospects tested were Diba NW (40 holes for 3,725m), Central Plateau (5 holes for 400m), Diba Southwest & Twin Plateau (10 holes for 1,050m) and Diba East Plateau (2 holes for 200m). Assay results for a further 9 holes have been received from outside of the Diba Deposit and these are summarised in Table 1, along with the results of 21 holes in the Diba Deposit which have not previously been reported. The results of 31 holes from outside of the Diba Deposit were reported by the Company on 07 January 2021. Assay results for 17 holes from outside of the Diba Deposit are still pending and therefore have not yet been released. The priority holes planned for the Diba Southwest prospect were not drilled due to poor access for the drill rig. The remaining holes will be completed in the next phase of drilling.

Planning for a ground magnetic survey is being undertaken by the Company, the results of which will be used to guide the next phase of drilling outside of the Diba Deposit, on existing as well as new prospect areas.

Provide QAQC support for the Diba Deposit model

A number of holes were planned proximal to historic holes to validate previous assay results and intersections in the Diba Deposit model. Four holes were drilled and assay results have been received from one hole to date (as previously reported).

Table 1: Diba drill intersections from current programme

Location Hole ID From

(m) To

(m) Intersection

(m) Grade

(g/t Au) Diba Deposit (within MRE) 20KSRC-066 5.00 8.00 3.00 3.21 43.00 44.00 1.00 1.10 75.00 77.00 2.00 0.68 20KSRC-067 0.00 5.00 5.00 43.83 33.00 34.00 1.00 1.83 49.00 59.00 10.00 0.72 20KSRC-068 14.00 15.00 1.00 1.54 69.00 70.00 1.00 9.81 20KSRC-069 15.00 18.00 3.00 2.04 25.00 31.00 6.00 2.13 41.00 44.00 3.00 0.64 20KSRC-070 41.00 46.00 5.00 0.56 64.00 65.00 1.00 0.67 20KSRC-071 11.00 15.00 4.00 0.66 25.00 26.00 1.00 0.67 20KSRC-072 21.00 35.00 14.00 2.11 39.00 48.00 9.00 1.98 52.00 53.00 1.00 1.23 58.00 67.00 9.00 1.84 20KSRC-073 4.00 5.00 1.00 10.30 12.00 17.00 5.00 2.32 25.00 32.00 7.00 0.81 39.00 46.00 7.00 0.80 20KSRC-074 2.00 3.00 1.00 4.52 39.00 45.00 6.00 0.74 50.00 58.00 8.00 0.73 20KSRC-078 46.00 47.00 1.00 2.12 56.00 57.00 1.00 0.89 82.00 83.00 1.00 0.50 91.00 93.00 2.00 0.58 Diba Deposit (outside MRE) 20KSRC-052 10.00 18.00 8.00 1.21 20KSRC-053 28.00 30.00 2.00 1.58 37.00 40.00 3.00 11.03 67.00 68.00 1.00 0.51 76.00 77.00 1.00 0.61 20KSRC-054 15.00 18.00 3.00 1.83 20KSRC-058 51.00 54.00 3.00 1.33 20KSRC-059 No significant result 20KSRC-060 No significant result 20KSRC-061 80.00 81.00 1.00 0.84 20KSRC-062 No significant result 20KSRC-065 20.00 21.00 1.00 1.27 25.00 26.00 1.00 0.56 20KSRC-075 No significant result 20KSRC-079 21.00 24.00 3.00 0.61 Diba Southwest Prospect 20KSRC-055 No significant result 20KSRC-056 No significant result 20KSRC-057 No significant result 20KSRC-080 No significant result 20KSRC-081 No significant result Diba Twin Plateau Prospect 20KSRC-063 No significant result 20KSRC-064 No significant result Diba Eastern Plateau Prospect 20KSRC-076 No significant result 20KSRC-077 No significant result

Notes:

Intersections based on 0.5 g/t Au cut off and  3m consecutive internal waste Intersections are down-the-hole and do not represent true widths of mineralisation No grade capping has been applied Estimated true widths for the holes is from 75% to 100% of the intercept width

Illustrations

The following illustrations have been prepared and relate to the disclosure in this announcement and are visible in the version of this announcement on the Company's website (www.altus-strategies.com) or in PDF format by following this link: https://altus-strategies.com/site/assets/files/5001/altus_nr_-_diba_26_jan_2021.pdf

Location of the Diba project in western Mali is shown in Figure 1.

Location of Diba Deposit and satellite prospects is shown in Figure 2.

Plan of drill holes with assay results returned from Diba MRE is shown in Figure 3.

Cross section of drill holes within the Diba MRE area is shown in Figure 4.

A selection of photos of drilling at the Diba Project is shown in Figure 5

Mineral Resource Update

The Company intends to incorporate the results from the current drill programme when all have been received and compiled into an updated MRE for the Diba Deposit. Diba currently hosts an MRE of 217,000 ounces at 1.39 g/t Au (Indicated) and 187,000 ounces at 1.06 g/t Au (Inferred) in both oxide and fresh domains as set out in Table 2. The MRE was previously reported by the Company on 06 July 2020 (see Altus' news release titled "Significant Gold Resource at Diba Project, Western Mali").

Table 2: Diba Mineral Resource Estimate

Domain Indicated Inferred Tonnes (t) Grade (g/t) Contained gold (oz) Tonnes (t) Grade (g/t) Contained gold (oz) OXIDE 3,900,000 1.46 183,100 939,000 1.10 33,200 FRESH 934,000 1.12 33,600 4,540,000 1.05 153,300 Total 4,834,000 1.39 217,000 5,479,000 1.06 187,000



Notes:

The MRE has an effective date of 06 July 2020. The Mineral Resources in the MRE are classified according to the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) "Estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Best Practice Guidelines" dated 29 November 2019 and CIM "Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" dated 10 May 2014. Mineral Resources are reported within a pit shell and are reported to a base-case cut-off grade of 0.5 g/t Au. The quantity and grade of reported Inferred Resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these Inferred Resources as an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource category. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, marketing, or other relevant issues. All tonnages reported are dry metric tonnes. Minor discrepancies may occur due to rounding to appropriate significant figures. Tonnages are rounded to 1,000t and gold to 1,000oz as this is an estimate.

Diba Project: Location

The 81km2 Diba (Korali Sud licence) project is located in the Kayes region of western Mali, approximately 450km northwest of the capital city of Bamako. The Project sits 5km west of the Company's Lakanfla gold project, which is under joint venture with ASX listed Marvel Gold Limited and approximately 13km south of the multi-million ounce Sadiola gold mine and 35km south of the multi-million ounce Yatela former gold mine, both owned by Allied Gold Corp. Diba is bounded by the Sadiola permit on its northern and eastern boundaries. Mineralisation hosted on these properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralisation hosted at Diba.

Diba Project: Geology and Mineralisation

Mineralisation at the Diba project is sediment-hosted within a series of stacked lenses, typically between 20m and 40m thick. The lenses are shallow-dipping at approximately 30 degrees angled to the east/east-southeast. The Diba Deposit is considered to be controlled by a number of northwest and northeast orientated structures, with gold occurring as fine-grained disseminations in localised high-grade calcite-quartz veinlets. Alteration at Diba is typically albite-hematite+/-pyrite, although pyrite content is generally very low (<1 %). The weathering profile at the Project is estimated to be up to 70m vertical depth, resulting in extensive oxidation from surface. The oxide gold mineralisation at Diba is predominantly found in saprolite within 50m of surface and across a compact 700m x 700m area.

QAQC

All RC samples were collected following industry best practices with an appropriate number and type of certified reference materials (standards), blanks and duplicates inserted to ensure an effective QAQC regime. Samples were collected at 1m sample intervals and a representative sample was split at the site and sent for analysis at SGS SARL (Bamako, Mali) by fire assay technique FAE505. All standard, blanks and duplicates have been reviewed and no significant issues with the data have been identified.

Qualified Person

The technical disclosure in this regulatory announcement has been approved by Steven Poulton, Chief Executive of Altus. A graduate of the University of Southampton in Geology (Hons), he also holds a Master's degree from the Camborne School of Mines (Exeter University) in Mining Geology. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and has over 20 years of experience in mineral exploration and is a Qualified Person under the AIM rules and NI 43-101.

For further information you are invited to visit the Company's website or contact:

Altus Strategies Plc

Steven Poulton, Chief Executive

Tel:+44 (0) 1235 511 767

E: info@altus-strategies.com

SP Angel (Nominated Adviser)

Richard Morrison / Adam Cowl

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0470

SP Angel (Broker)

Abigail Wayne / Richard Parlons

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0471

Yellow Jersey PR (Financial PR & IR)

Georgia Colkin / Charles Goodwin / Henry Wilkinson

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3004 9512

E: altus@yellowjerseypr.com

About Altus Strategies Plc

Altus Strategies (AIM:ALS)(TSXV:ALTS)(OTCQX:ALTUF) is a mining royalty company generating a diversified and precious metal focused portfolio of assets. The Company's focus on Africa and differentiated approach, of generating royalties on its own discoveries as well as through financings and acquisitions with third parties, has attracted key institutional investor backing. The Company engages constructively with all stakeholders, working diligently to minimise its environmental impact and to promote positive economic and social outcomes in the communities where it operates. For further information, please visit www.altus-strategies.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information included in this announcement, including information relating to future financial or operating performance and other statements that express the expectations of the Directors or estimates of future performance constitute "forward-looking statements". These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, the completion of planned expenditures, the ability to complete exploration programmes on schedule and the success of exploration programmes. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking information, which speak only as of the date of this announcement and the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Where the Company expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is based on assumptions made in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. The forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as at the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information or any forward-looking statements contained in any other announcements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law or regulations.

TSX Venture Exchange Disclaimer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organisation of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Market Abuse Regulation Disclosure

Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 ("MAR") until the release of this announcement.

Glossary of Terms

The following is a glossary of technical terms:

"Au" means gold

"CIM" means the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum

"g" means grams

"g/t" means grams per tonne

"grade(s)" means the quantity of ore or metal in a specified quantity of rock

"km" means kilometres

"m" means metres

"MRE" means Mineral Resource Estimate

"NI 43-101" means National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" of the Canadian Securities Administrators

"Qualified Person" means a person that has the education, skills and professional credentials to qualify as a qualified person under NI 43-101

"RC" means Reverse Circulation drilling

"t" means a metric tonne

SOURCE: Altus Strategies Plc

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625888/Further-High-Grade-Gold-Intercepts-from-Drilling-at-Diba-Project-Western-Mali
Construction manufacturing company will build a new 100,000-square-foot facility

Hargett Materials will invest $2.2 million to expand Gibson County operations

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Hargett Materials, Inc. (HMI) officials announced today that the construction materials manufacturing company will build a new facility to expand its Milan operations.

As part of the expansion, HMI will invest $2.2 million and add 50 jobs over the next five years.

HMI will expand its operations by constructing a new 100,000-square-foot production facility and rail spur to serve the Milan facility with raw materials and help export finished products nationwide.

HMI is an industrial aggregates processing company that supplies a wide range of blended sands and cements, concrete cleaners, primers and curing compounds for the concrete industry. In addition, the company manufactures a product called Elephant Armor, a high-performance patch material for asphalt and concrete pavements.

Another portion of HMIs business is supplying components for buildings and data center modules that shield critical infrastructure from Electro Magnetic Pulses (EMPs). The shielding provides protection for utility companies, defense systems and communications hubs throughout the United States. This expansion project is needed primarily due to an increased demand to protect critical infrastructure systems.

Over the last five years, TNECD has supported more than 40 economic development projects in Northwest Tennessee, accounting for more than 6,650 job commitments and $1.4 billion in capital investment.

QUOTES

One of my top priorities as governor is to support the economic development of our rural counties, and Id like to thank Hargett Materials for creating 50 quality jobs for the residents of Milan and Gibson County. Hargett Materials plays an integral role in developing and maintain important transportation infrastructure, and I look forward to seeing the companys success.  Gov. Bill Lee

Companies invested nearly $3 billion in rural Tennessee communities last year, and we are very proud of that growth especially in the midst of a pandemic. Hargett Materials is a valued partner in Gibson County, and these jobs will provide additional opportunities in Northwest Tennessee.  TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe

Hargett Materials, Inc. is very excited about the growth of our company here in Milan. We are very appreciative of the help of our local agency involvement, our state government representatives, TVA, and of course the TNECD officials who have made this project possible. It takes a team of good people to succeed, and I am very proud of this team that has worked diligently to help with the funding and execution of a good plan to promote business in our rural communities.  Jon Hargett, president, Hargett Materials, Inc.

On behalf of the city of Milan, I want to congratulate Hargett Materials and thank Jon Hargett for his lifelong commitment to Milan and the growth of the Milan business community. The expansion of Hargett Materials will create new, well-paying jobs which is great for both Milan and Gibson County and continues to show that Milan is a great place to do business. I would also like to thank TNECD and the Delta Regional Authority for their assistance with grant funding to construct the rail spur for the project. This is an exciting announcement and a great day for Milan, Tennessee!  Milan City Mayor BW Beasley

TVA and Milan Public Utilities congratulate Hargett Materials, Inc. on its decision to expand operations in Gibson County. Its always an exciting day when we can celebrate a companys commitment to continued growth in the Valley, and we are proud to partner with Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Gibson County Economic Development, Gibson County, City of Milan and Milan Chamber of Commerce to help foster new job creation and investment in the region.  John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of Economic Development

The Delta Regional Authoritys investment to strengthen Gibson County infrastructure further supports economic growth by providing businesses the capability to expand its operations. The Hargett Materials, Inc. operations expansion is projected to create 50 new jobs, providing more economic opportunities for workers and jobs seekers in Northwest Tennessee.  Chris Caldwell, federal co-chairman, Delta Regional Authority

Hargett Materials is an innovator in the construction materials industry. It comes as no surprise that their successful business located in Milan is once again expanding. These 50 new jobs will be great for our community, and I look forward to seeing the continued success of Hargett Materials.  Sen. John Stevens (R-Huntingdon)

Hargett Materials is a valued employer in Gibson County. Their commitment speaks to our favorable business climate and our ability to provide the talented workforce they need. I thank them for their continued investment in Milan and I congratulate our local officials and economic development leaders who work hard to help our existing industries thrive.  Rep. Curtis Halford (R-Dyer)

TNECD Media Contact

Molly Hair, Public Information Officer

(615) 878-0063

molly.hair@tn.gov

About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Developments mission is to develop strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.

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An incredible collection of Cold War relics, including a number of Soviet disguised weapons, is set to be sold at auction - and is expected to sell for 365,000.

Historian and collector Julius Urbaitis, 57, who worked as the consultant on the HBO series Chernobyl, amassed the remarkable group of gadgets over a 30-year period, procuring almost 400 items in that time.

The items were put on display at a KGB Espionage Museum in New York back in 2019, where Urbaitis was the curator, but the coronavirus pandemic has meant the gallery has had to close down and sell off the collection.

Mr. Urbaitis filled the museum with items from his personal collection, like a listening device used by Adolf Hitler, and artifacts and replicas acquired specifically for the museum and enlisted his daughter, Agne Urbaityte, 30, to serve as co-curator.

An incredible collection of Cold War relics, including a number of Soviet disguised weapons, is set to be sold at auction - and is expected to sell for 365,000

One of the most sought-after items in the collection is a KGB spy umbrella which conceals a poison syringe and has been valued at 3,700

Historian and collector Julius Urbaitis, 57, (pictured holding the 'Bulgarian Umbrella') who worked as the consultant on the HBO series Chernobyl, amassed the remarkable group of gadgets over a 30-year period, procuring almost 400 items in that time

Another intriguing item in the collection is a 'kiss of death' lipstick gun used by female operatives which has been valued at an estimated 1,500

Weaponised jewellery: This gold ring had a hidden function designed for subterfuge. A KGB agent would wear this ring, and inside the container on top was a tiny camera

One of the most sought-after items in the collection is a KGB spy umbrella which conceals a poison syringe and has been valued at 3,700.

A spring-loaded syringe is hidden within the shaft fires the needle tip from the end of the umbrella when a trigger near the handle is activated.

The umbrella is a reproduction of the one thought to have been deployed to assassinate the Bulgarian defector Georgi Markov in London in 1978 - in that incident, a pellet containing ricin was fired into his leg.

Another intriguing item in the collection is a 'kiss of death' lipstick gun used by female operatives which has been valued at an estimated 1,500.

Hidden cameras: This necktie is just one of a host of Soviet gadgets being sold at auction which, at one time, concealed cameras and microphones

Pen is mightier than the sword: Another spy gadget up for auction is this KGB spy pen which doubles as a tiny gun

Nothing out of the ordinary: This seemingly normal packet of cigarettes houses an espionage secret, with a camera hidden inside the box

This seemingly innocent metal cigarette case has plenty of room inside to house a hidden camera, with a strap helping to hold it in place

A number of hidden spy cameras, including one concealed within a necktie are also up for sale at around 2,200.

One of the more expensive items in the collection is a 'through the wall' pinhole surveillance camera which allowed photographs to be taken through a small hole drilled into a wall and is valued at around 4,400.

Additionally, a Soviet shoe featuring a special compartment is set to sell for 500 and a lie detector machine could fetch as much as 600.

A KGB ashtray with a hidden microphone bug has an estimate of 900, the same as a fake suicide tooth which has a hidden compartment for storing cyanide.

Licence to drill: Another item up for auction is this 'needle drill' kit, which allowed secret agents to drill tiny holes into walls, into which microphones and cameras could then be inserted

Business as usual: The ultimate must-have for any KGB agent, this leather bag held a number of pieces of spying equipment as well as a hidden camera inside the lining of the bag

You may have to squint to see it, but there is also a tiny camera hidden on the surface of this otherwise normal ashtray

It would have been used by captured agents so they could not be tortured and disclose valuable information.

The collection is being sold by Julien's Auctions in California on February 13, and Martin Nolan, from the auctioneers, said: 'They are like something out of a James Bond film, especially the lipstick gun.

'It is really chilling to think the weapons would have been used by the KGB.

'It is an incredible collection which will be of great interest to the market.'
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China has deployed 15 fighter jets into Taiwan airspace for the second time in two days, in what could be one of the earliest tests for Joe Biden's administration.

According to Taiwan's Defense Ministry, the Chinese air force flew 15 military aircraft into Taiwan on Sunday.

The day before, a number of fighter jets and bombers had also been sent into Taiwan airspace.

In response to the Chinese aircraft, Taiwan deployed fighters and air defense systems as well as broadcasting warning messages over the radio.

It is believed the movements of the Chinese aircraft was a chilling message directed at Joe Biden, with the new President only having been in office a few days and the de-facto Taiwan ambassador being invited to Biden's inauguration.

China has deployed 15 fighter jets into Taiwan airspace for the second time in two days, in what could be one of the earliest tests for Joe Biden's administration. Pictured: File image of Chinese J15 on April 23, 2018

China has not commented on what its air force has been doing over the weekend.

A spokesperson for the State Department said: 'We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan's democratically elected representatives.'

For years, China refrained from deploying aircraft in Taiwan's south-west air defense identification zone, despite having the right to do so as the areas are not recognized by international law.

It comes after a US aircraft carrier entered the South China Sea in what the Pentagon called a voyage to 'ensure freedom of the seas' but Beijing said was an effort by Washington to 'flex its muscles' in the region.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt sailed into the disputed waters with its carrier strike group on Saturday, with US military saying the warships would be carrying out 'routine operations' to ensure freedom of navigation and reassure US allies.

But China's foreign ministry today bemoaned the deployment and said it was 'not conducive to peace and stability in the region'.

The US has accused China of trying to build a 'maritime empire' with militarized artificial islands in the region, with one analyst saying that the patrol was a sign that the new Biden administration 'cannot show weakness in foreign policy'.

It also comes amid US concerns over tensions between China and Taiwan, which both claim parts of the waterway along with Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei.

The strike group entered the waters on the same day that Taiwan reported an incursion of Chinese bombers and fighter jets into its air defense zone.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt (pictured) sailed into the disputed waters of the South China Sea with its carrier strike group on Saturday to carry out 'routine operations' and reassure its allies in the region, the US military said

The Theodore Roosevelt is being accompanied by the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Russell and USS John Finn.

The Pentagon said the strike group was carrying out routine operations 'to ensure freedom of the seas, build partnerships that foster maritime security'.

Rear-admiral Doug Verissimo lauded the mission as an effort to 'reassure allies and partners' and promote freedom of navigation in the region.

'After sailing through these waters throughout my 30-year career, it's great to be in the South China Sea again,' he said.

'With two-thirds of the world's trade travelling through this very important region, it is vital that we maintain our presence and continue to promote the rules-based order which has allowed us all to prosper.'

'It's business as usual for strategic competition,' said Renato de Castro, a defence expert at Manila's De La Salle University, adding the patrol was 'both reassuring and concerning'.

'The Biden administration cannot show weakness in foreign policy,' he added.

The Trump and Obama administrations also carried out regular patrols to challenge China's 'nine-dash line' claim to jurisdiction over almost the entire South China Sea.

Beijing has complained about US vessels in the South China Sea close to islands it controls, claims, or constructed and turned into military installations.

Chinese coastguard and survey vessels were repeatedly tracked in 2020 near energy exploration in offshore plots operated by Malaysia and Vietnam.

But Southeast Asian countries, while largely welcoming the US presence, fear that escalating tensions could lead to military confrontation, with potential for trade disruptions that would wreck their economies.

This map shows China's territorial claim in the South China Sea (in red), which the US rejects. Marked in blue are US bases in Okinawa off Japan and in Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory, and Sembawang wharf in Singapore where Britain's Royal Navy maintains a small presence. Marked in red are three naval bases in South China belonging to the People's Liberation Army

Biden's nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, told a confirmation hearing last week there was 'no doubt' China posed the most significant challenge to the US.

China has repeatedly complained about US Navy ships getting close to Chinese-occupied islands in the sea, which sees trillions of dollars worth of trade every year.

China has not commented on what its air force was doing in Taiwan's airspace, and foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian referred questions to the defense ministry.

He reiterated China's position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that the United States should abide by the 'one China' principle.

Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen visited a radar base in the north of the island on Monday, and praised its ability to track Chinese forces, her office said.

'From last year until now, our radar station has detected nearly 2,000 communist aircraft and more than 400 communist ships, allowing us to quickly monitor and drive them away, and fully guard the sea and airspace,' she told officers.

Biden's new administration says the US commitment to Taiwan is 'rock-solid'.

The US, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is the island's most important international backer and main arms supplier.
BAD AXE  For seven years, Ashley Furniture in Bad Axe has been donating beds to kids in need across Huron County. The program expanded to include Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac counties for Christmas 2020, ending the year on a positive note.

Since the Kids in Need of a Bed program began in 2013, 100 beds and one crib have been donated across the Upper Thumb. This year, the program was able to give 18 beds to families in need. Recipients receive a bed frame, mattress and box spring, mattress protector, sheets, blankets, pillows, and a comforter.

According to store manager Crystal Yaroch, children in need are found through local agencies. A percentage of bed sales from September through December at the Bad Axe Ashley Furniture fund much of the program along with a few anonymous donors who gave cash.

It is an amazing program and it really opens your eyes, Yaroch said. In the past, weve given back to families and the children dont know what a comforter is.

It is one of the many programs within the community that really make a difference in the community, she added.

This year, as it has in the past, Charlies Angels Quilting Group donated comforters. The group is made up of women from Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties who make and donate hand-made quilts.

In the past, volunteers from Ashley Furniture deliver and set up the beds for children in need. This year, due to the pandemic, the choice was left up to families, whether they needed the bed set up or just delivered.

If they needed the help, we set up the beds like usual, taking into consideration necessary precautions, Yaroch said. If they preferred that we didnt come into their home, we honored those wishes.

In any other year, the beds are delivered by Christmas, she added. Some of this years deliveries were delayed until after the beginning of the year.

The idea for the Kids in Need of a Bed program came when Jay Cameron, Ashley Furniture store owner, wanted to give back around the holidays in response to the generosity he saw within the community. The need for items like food, clothing, and toys seems well taken care of around the holidays so it was decided to donate beds.

I cant say enough what a great program it is, Yaroch said. It truly is a team effort, from the sales team selling beds in the store to workers volunteering their time to set them up for families.

We look forward to continuing our Kids in Need of a Bed program in the coming years, she added.
A group of overseas Korean adoptees has joined an online campaigning to protest President Moon Jae-in's controversial remarks during his New Year press conference that adoptive parents should be allowed to cancel their adoptions or change the child if they don't get along well. Kara Bos, or Kang Mi-suk, a Korean American adoptee now living in Amsterdam with her family, is participating in the campaign, promoting images of overseas Korean adoptees with the hashtag "#NotAThing." The other petitioners included Kevin Omans, Liat Shapiro, Cam Lee and Allison Park. Courtesy of Kang Mi-suk



By Jung Da-min



A group of Korean-born overseas adoptees has launched an online campaign to demand an apology from President Moon Jae-in over his remarks during his New Year press conference that adoptive parents need to be allowed to cancel their adoptions or change the child if they don't get on well.



Commenting on the recent media focus on the death of a 16-month-old girl in last October following alleged brutal abuse by her adoptive parents, Jan. 18, Moon made the controversial remarks which critics saw as offensive to families with adopted children, and an infringement on such children's rights. Online petitions calling for an apology from Moon followed domestically.



Kara Bos, or Kang Mi-suk, a Korean American adoptee now living in Amsterdam with her family, also launched an online campaign with other Korean adoptees living abroad starting Monday, to demand an apology to the adoptee community from Moon, and a meeting with all parties involved to work collaboratively toward ensuring the safety of all adoptees.



"President Moon Jae-in's sentiments do not ensure or promote the safety of the children whose very lives the country's adoption agencies have been entrusted to protect," read the petition launched by Kang's group on the site change.org. The other petitioners included Kevin Omans, Liat Shapiro, Cam Lee and Allison Park. "The President must accept and understand the gravity of his words  adopted children are human beings who should not be viewed as commodities."



Kang and Korean adoptees abroad have also engaged in social media campaigns with the hashtag "#NotAThing" to promote rights of adoptees.



"The time for change is now, as adoptees and allies of adoptees, we are all stakeholders in the process," Kang said in a press release. "We advocate not only for ourselves, but also for the children growing up affected by a flawed adoption system. We recognize our power and obligation to change the landscape for all future adoptees. They too should be given a chance to flourish resiliently like the beautiful mugunghwa, South Korea's national flower  a symbol of resilience."



Kang, an activist promoting the rights of adoptees, is known for a local court ruling in which her request to be legally recognized as a daughter of her biological father has been approved. It was the first paternity lawsuit filed in South Korea by an overseas adoptee and she won the case 36 years after she was abandoned when was three years old.



Kang said she is also planning to petition to Cheong Wa Dae on its website. "We are still working on collaborating with domestic adoptees to finish that process, and also desiring to collaborate with all parties involved, including single moms and adoptive parents, to ensure that the adoption process is safe and secure for all current and future adoptees," Kang said.



Cheong Wa Dae had earlier provided an explanation of Moon's controversial remarks, with spokesman Kang Min-seok repeatedly stressing that Moon's true intention had been misconstrued. Kang said Moon was talking about a temporary foster period before a child is formally adopted, but critics said the presidential office's explanation did not make sense and was inappropriate.



Cheong Wa Dae was unavailable for a comment on the campaign.


(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Jakarta, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2021 ) :Indonesia's Covid-19 cases topped the one million mark on Tuesday, as the archipelago launches one of the world's biggest vaccine drives to clamp down on a soaring infection rate.

The Southeast Asian nation of nearly 270 million has recorded 1,012,350 virus cases and almost 29,000 deaths, according to official data. But low testing rates mean the crisis is believed to be much more severe than those figures suggest.

Some hospitals are on the brink of collapse as they are overwhelmed with patients in one of Asia's worst-hit nations, health experts warn.

"I think we hit one million cases of Covid-19 a long time ago," said Pandu Riono, a University of Indonesia epidemiologist.

"We are still climbing a mountain and we don't even know where the peak is. This is a never-ending climb." There are reports of patients being unable to access intensive care units and isolation rooms due to high demand -- a shortage underscored by an East Java city's move to outfit a train carriage to accommodate the sick.

The virus has killed more than 600 doctors, nurses and other medical workers, many outfitted with limited protection equipment, according to independent researchers.

"Hospitals are already collapsing," Riono said, adding that the government had "no management, no plan, no priorities, just trial and error".

Indonesia's government has been widely criticised for initially downplaying the pandemic and, later, for lacking a coherent strategy to deal with the deadly respiratory illness, which has killed more than two million globally.

Reacting to Tuesday's grim milestone, health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the country was "grieving" those who died.

The one million figure shows we "need to keep working harder and harder so we don't waste the sacrifices made by our fellow health workers", he said.

- 'Low discipline' - The World Health Organization has pointed to a "wide gap between the number of people tested and suspected cases" in Indonesia.

"Improving testing capacity is therefore imperative," it added in a report last week.

Jakarta has reimposed movement restrictions as cases spiked in the mega-city capital.

But health protocol breaches are widespread nationwide, including on holiday island Bali where police are forcing some violators to do push-ups as punishment for not wearing a mask.

"Our discipline remains low," said Laura Navika Yamani, an epidemiologist at Airlangga University.

"For a country with a big population like ours, it's not easy to practice health protocols, especially physical distancing." The country of some 17,000 islands is now rolling out a huge vaccination drive with front-line workers and other high-risk groups among the first to get the jab, produced by China's Sinovac.

Officials had earlier said they would focus on inoculating the 18-59 year old working population instead of prioritising the elderly, like many countries are doing.

But the health ministry later said some 25 million seniors would be targeted after doctors and other front-line workers if testing shows the Sinovac jab is safe for older people.

This month, Indonesian President Joko Widodo received the country's first Covid-19 jab on live television along with his health minister, several senior officials, as well as business and religious leaders.

Muslim-majority Indonesia's top religious body also approved the vaccine as halal -- meaning permissible under islam -- in a move that could help convince wary citizens.

Previous vaccination drives have been met with resistance by some segments of the country's huge population, the world's fourth-largest.

Indonesia is aiming to inoculate nearly 182 million people over the next 15 months.

The country has signed deals for about 330 million vaccine doses from a string of pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Chinese suppliers.
MARYLAND CITY, Md., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CanopyLAB, the EdTech company whose vision is to change the way we learn by combining artificial intelligence, virtual learning, social media, and empowerment through learning, announced it has attracted a $3 million funding round. $1.5 million consists of venture financing and $1.5 in venture debt from the Danish Growth Fund combined with soft money from the Innovation Fund Denmark, amongst others.

CanopyLAB co-founders at HQ in Copenhagen, Denmark

The investment will help the company further expand its sales and marketing efforts. The investment round was led by Finnish edtech specialist Sparkmind.vc and joined by The Index Project, JBO invest, and the existing investor group. Sparkmind.vc Partner Kai Talas will join CanopyLAB's Board of Directors as the Chairman.

The financing builds on an exceptional year for CanopyLAB, which saw a rapidly growing roster of clients, key executive appointments, and market momentum in the areas of eLearning and artificial intelligence. CanopyLAB's client roster grew to include 200+ companies and educational institutions such as CARE (Peru), Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (India) and TEINTE Educacion (Mexico), The Danish Electrician Association among many others.

"As an industry, we're just scratching the surface of how powerful virtual learning. Learners from across the globe turn to CanopyLAB for a trusted partner to digitise schools and corporate learning," said CanopyLAB's Chief Executive Officer Sahra-Josephine Hjorth. "Having the financial support and expertise of Sparkmind.vc and the Index Project will help us execute our vision even more rapidly and broadly - and with the benefit of experience, perspective, and relationships of a leading tech investor.

"CanopyLAB's offering is well-timed with the rapidly increasing demand for solutions that extend the reach of a brand's content and drive business results," said Kai Talas, Partner at Sparkmind.vc. "CanopyLAB is a powerful solution for the industry, and we are excited to collaborate with and support them as they work to build a great company in an exciting sector."

About CanopyLAB

CanopyLAB is an EdTech company founded in Copenhagen. It introduces new engaging and collaborative learning methods to meet the 21st-century skills gap. Based on one platform, CanopyLAB offers both white label solutions for educational institutions and organizations and a free, global learning solution for leading NGOs focusing on Climate Action & Sustainability, the SDGs, Health, Sexual & Reproductive Rights, Entrepreneurship, and Democracy.

David Pines, COO, [email protected] +1 (610) 283-4085

https://canopylab.com

About Sparkmind.vc

Sparkmind.vc is the first Nordic venture capital company exclusively focused on the learning sector. The company invests from Seed to Series B stages in teams transforming how the world learns. Its investments are focused on solutions that improve learning outcomes, increase access and efficiency of learning or use data insight to better support educators and learners.

Kai Talas, Partner, [email protected], +358 40179 20 44

https://www.sparkmind.vc

Related Images

co-founders-christian-s-j-jensen.jpg

Co-founders Christian S J Jensen and Sahra-Josephine Hjorth

CanopyLAB co-founders at HQ in Copenhagen, Denmark

SOURCE CanopyLAB

A resident presents flowers to martyrs who died in the fight against the CCP virus outbreak and compatriots who died of the disease in Wuhan, China on April 4, 2020. (Getty Images)

Wuhan Residents Reflect on Virus Lockdown Anniversary

Jan. 23 marks the first anniversary of the Wuhan lockdown due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreak. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Wuhan residents voiced their concerns and called on more people to reflect upon the unprecedented disaster and prevent it from recurring.

A local surnamed Hao told the Chinese-language Epoch Times that officials regard Jan. 23 as a sensitive date, and they have cautioned many residents against accepting interviews from foreign media outlets. He said they are attempting to cover up their botched handling of the CCP virus when it first broke out in Wuhan.

A white-collar worker surnamed Zheng lives near the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. In the early stages of the outbreak, the Chinese regime claimed the CCP virus originated from the seafood market. Zheng said in an interview that one year ago, the Wuhan lockdown caught millions of residents off guard: normal life was suddenly disruptedcountless families encountered troubles, and many had difficulty shopping for supplies and seeing a doctor.

A general view of the south tower at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, where the first patients to die with COVID-19 were housed, on Jan. 10, 2020. (Getty Images)

During the lockdown, days were really tough, he recalled. Getting stranded at home was a painful thing.

Luckily, I was able to circumvent Chinas firewall and read the news from overseas media outlets. Also, my family has certain privileges within the CCPs system. So, I had access to some information about the CCPs coverup of the pandemic. I learned that the actual pandemic situation is far more serious than whats been officially reported. I knew that the lockdown was an option. Nonetheless, even people like me didnt anticipate that the CCPs mishandling would cause such disastrous consequencesmassive numbers of people infected [with the virus], deaths, and a hard-hit economy, he added.

Authorities Response

In Zhengs opinion, Chinas initial handling of the outbreak was lousy.

He said that local authorities silenced the whistleblowers and disregarded concerns over the risk of human-to-human transmission. Local officials and elites still attended the annual Two Sessions (an annual key meeting among top CCP officials) and other public events. The authorities stayed silent until the outbreak got out of control, Zheng said.

Then came the order to lock down the epicenter on Jan. 23.

By this time, however, virus carriers had spread the disease in other parts of China and other countries, causing enormous, irredeemable losses, which could have been avoided if the Chinese regime had been transparent [about the whole situation]. Thats the most plaguing part of the story to the public, said Zheng.

The Two Sessions, or Lianghui in Chinese, is a high-level meeting among Chinas rubber-stamp legislative bodiesthe National Peoples Congress (NPC) and the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). They are held first locally and then in Beijing at a later time of the year. The Wuhan NPC and CPPCC held meetings between Jan. 6 to 10 and between Jan. 11 to 15 in 2020.

Zheng said that the public is heavily brainwashed by the CCP. He pointed out that they seemed to have forgotten how COVID-19 became a global pandemic due to the CCPs mishandling of the outbreak at the initial stage. Even worse, the people gradually believed the official narrative, which creates a positive image for the regime, he said. Zheng used the example of how Beijing touted Chinas achievements in creating COVID-19 vaccines as their contribution to the world in fighting the pandemic. Many Chinese have mocked Europe and the United States, regarding their large numbers of COVID-19-related deaths as a failure of the democratic system, he said.

Zheng emphasized that there are many people around him who are gullible and easily believe in the CCPs lies.

Reflecting on Past Experiences

Zheng believes that the Chinese regime should rethink why its pandemic response didnt work, though it had supposedly learned from past experience in battling the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) pandemic in 2003; why it hadnt reported virus cases, issued warnings, and banned large-scale social gatherings during the initial outbreak; and why it has continued its efforts in concealing the severity of new outbreaks while using draconian measures to maintain social order.

Zheng added that citizens should ponder on how they can save themselves and change the status quo while living under the one-party rule of a communist regime, and why they easily forget about tragic incidents from the past.

Another resident surnamed Hao shared his perspective. In the name of fighting against COVID-19, he believes the CCP is using the virus as a tool to enslave the people, which could turn China into a modern-day concentration camp.

Probe Into CCP Virus Origin

A team of experts, led by the WHO (World Health Organization), arrived in Wuhan on Jan. 14 to investigate the origin of COVID-19.

Zheng hopes that the team will carry out a transparent and thorough investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

Initially, the Chinese regime claimed the CCP virus originated from the Huanan Seafood Whole Market.

However, on Mar. 12, 2020, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian tweeted a series of posts, suggesting without evidence that the United States was the source of COVID-19. He wrote on his Twitter account, It might be US army [sic] that brought the epidemic to Wuhan.

China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian. (Screenshot/China Foreign Ministry)

Zheng said the official data of COVID-19 deaths is questionable.

By official accounts, as of April 17, 2020, the latest figure of Wuhan deaths was 3,869, according to the findings released by the Wuhan command center for pandemic prevention and control.

However, many people expressed skepticism.

According to a study that has not yet been peer-reviewed and was posted to the U.S.-based SSRN website, total COVID-19 deaths in Wuhan was estimated to be at least ten times the Chinese official data. The reports information was based on official government figures, state and non-state media reports, funeral urns distribution, and cremation services in the city.

SSRN is a digital platform for the dissemination of early-stage research.

Zheng said that Chinese officials, from top to bottom, should be held accountable for their roles in covering up the outbreak.

Zheng and Hao expressed concern about the whereabouts of citizen journalists whove been persecuted by Chinese authorities.

Fang Bin in a video posted on Feb. 4, 2020. (Screenshot/YouTube)

Fang Bin, Zhang Zhan, Chen Qiushi, and Li Zehua traveled to Wuhan in early 2020 to document the outbreak on-the-ground. Fang remains missing, after friends said local police broke into his home and took him away on Feb. 9, 2020. Chen also went missing at around the same time. His whereabouts remain unknown. A tweet from Chens Twitter account, currently managed by his friend, on Dec. 13 said he has been out of contact for 311 days after covering coronavirus in Wuhan.

The two interviewees called on the international community to pay attention to Fangs plight.

Luo Ya contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday signed an executive order seeking to repeal his predecessor Donald Trump's ban on most transgender people serving in the military.

The executive order "sets the policy that all Americans who are qualified to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States should be able to serve," the White House said in a statement.

"President Biden believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America's strength is found in its diversity,"the statement said.

Biden's order "immediately prohibits involuntary separations, discharges, and denials of reenlistment or continuation of service on the basis of gender identity or under circumstances relating to gender identity," the statement said.

The order also directs the immediate "correction of" military records for any who had been affected by Trump's ban.

However, the order doesn't at once undo all restrictions on transgender service, said Chris Johnson, White House reporter for Washington Blade, which is a top LGBT news source since 1969.

"For now, gender dysphoria aren't cause for discharge, but trans enlistments are still on hold," Johnson tweeted, adding that the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security must produce a report within 60 days after consultation with Joint Chiefs.

The Barack Obama administration, in which Biden was vice president, enabled transgender people to serve openly in the military in 2016.

But in 2017, Trump tweeted he would reverse the policy, saying he would "not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military."

The Pentagon in 2019 implemented a policy meant to fulfill Trump's order that bars most transgender people from serving in the military unless they do so in their biological sex.
Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan today met with participants of the "iGorts" program for engagement of Diaspora Armenian professionals in Armenias public administration bodies.

The Prime Minister greeted the participants and stated the following:

The government prepared for the program with great enthusiasm and great expectations. The meaning and aim of the program was to bring young Diaspora Armenian professionals and engage them in the work of Armenias public administration bodies for a certain period. However, I must admit that there were several complications right from the start, including the coronavirus pandemic and the war. Now, the idea that initially lied at the core of the program is more urgent because we can solve the challenges facing Armenia through the intellect and potential of the whole nation. I would like to hear your and High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyans opinions on the program and listen to you share your impressions.

Sinanyan stated that the results of the first "iGorts" program show that it corresponds to the vision underlying the program. He stated that there were 800 applicants, but this year there are 49 participants from different countries who arrived during and after the war. They are working for 19 state institutions and have the opportunity to share their knowledge and experience for improvement of various sectors and development of policies and programs. Sinanyan also touched upon the social aspect of the program and informed that some of the participants have decided to repatriate to Armenia with their families.

The participants of the program introduced themselves, talked about the activities that they are carrying out with various government agencies and shared their impressions and asked the Prime Minister their questions of concern. Pashinyan shared his views on the expectations in the post-war era, Armenias transformation and advancement, economic development, increase of effectiveness of the public administration system, education reforms, development of the IT sector, strengthening of the Armenia-Diaspora-Artsakh relations, efforts for preservation of the Armenian identity within Armenian communities of the Diaspora and more.
Acquisition of landmark hotel in Central Copenhagen marks Starwood Capital's first real estate investment into Denmark

LONDON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Starwood Capital Group ("Starwood Capital"), a global private investment firm focused on real estate and energy investments, announced today that a controlled affiliate has acquired the Skt. Petri hotel in Copenhagen from Strawberry Forever for an undisclosed sum.

Located in the heart of Copenhagen, the Skt. Petri has 288 rooms and was voted the #1 hotel in Northern Europe by Conde Nast in 2020. As part of the transaction, Starwood Capital is also acquiring ~50k sqft of leisure and retail space located on the ground floor of the hotel.

Alongside the acquisition, Starwood Capital and Strawberry Forever intend to work together to pursue future hotel investments across the Nordics, drawing upon both parties' hospitality experience and track records in hotel investing. As part of this relationship, Strawberry Hospitality Group will continue to operate the Skt. Petri while Starwood Capital plans for a redevelopment of the hotel.

Timothy Abram, Vice President at Starwood Capital, said: "We are delighted to announce the acquisition of the Skt. Petri, which will be Starwood's first real estate acquisition in Denmark, and look forward to announcing our future plans for the hotel in due course. We are also very excited to explore future acquisitions together with Petter Stordalen given his unique hospitality track record in the Nordics."

Petter A. Stordalen, owner of Strawberry Forever, said: "This transaction marks the beginning of a relationship between Strawberry and Starwood Capital, the world's leading hotel investor. In a post-corona world, we see numerous possibilities together as the hospitality industry recovers. Maybe it is telling that our first move together will be one of the largest European hotel transactions of 2021."

Arctic Securities and Bech Bruun acted for Strawberry Forever on the sale. Nordic Hotel Consulting, Paul Hastings and Accura advised Starwood Capital on the acquisition.

About Starwood Capital

Starwood Capital Group is a private investment firm with a core focus on global real estate, energy infrastructure and oil & gas. The Firm and its affiliates maintain 16 offices in seven countries around the world, and currently have approximately 4,100 employees. Since its inception in 1991, Starwood Capital Group has raised nearly $55 billion of equity capital, and currently has in excess of $70 billion of assets under management. The Firm has invested in virtually every category of real estate on a global basis, opportunistically shifting asset classes, geographies and positions in the capital stack as it perceives risk/reward dynamics to be evolving. Over the past 29 years, Starwood Capital Group and its affiliates have successfully executed an investment strategy that involves building enterprises in both the private and public markets. Additional information can be found at starwoodcapital.com.

About Strawberry Forever

Strawberry Forever is a real estate company which owns and manages commercial property worth 6.2 BNOK. Strawberry Forever invests in high-quality real estate with a prime location in major cities and capitals in the Nordic region. For more information: strawberry.no.

Media Contacts for Starwood Capital:

Tom Johnson/Dan Scorpio

Abernathy MacGregor

(212) 371-5999

tbj@abmac.com / dps@abmac.com

Media Contacts for Strawberry Forever:

Ida Holen

+47 975 44. 903

ida.holen@choice.no



Kenneth Hultgren

+46 70 695 85 90

kenneth@strawberry.se

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The Order of Australia is a reflection of where this country is  and that should make us embarrassed and ashamed. Its not just that there arent enough women and no clear indication of whether we recognise First Nations people, points clearly made by Jacqueline Maley and Nigel Gladstone in the Good Weekend. Its not just that one of Australias top homophobes and former tennis player Margaret Court has been given our highest honour. Its not just that mens rights advocate Bettina Arndt was awarded one last year  and got to keep it. Its not even that there are a host of awardees youd prefer to avoid in a dark alley. Let me remind you of what Shane Stone, the chair of the Council for the Order of Australia, said last September: Short of a criminal conviction, we are not going to be arbiters of what people can or cant say.

The Companion in the Order of Australia (AC), Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) and Member in the Order of Australia (AM)

The problem is the council is the final arbiter of a process that is secret and secretive. We dont know who gets nominated. We dont know who misses out or why. For some inexplicable reason, its meant to be confidential. And those different factors mean Australians dont understand the process or the practice.

We can do better, both as individuals and as institutions. Victoria has a gold standard process that other states and territories would do well to copy.

In 2017, the Andrews government implemented the Recognition Matters program to improve the representation of women on the lists and attached real financial support to the program.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "Innovative technologies such as AI have become an ally in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, playing key roles in many areas such as pandemic research and judgment, simulation and prediction," said Gong Rujing, founder and chairwoman of Yidu Tech (02158.HK), a leading medical AI technology company in China.

Rujing was invited to attend the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda and joined in a panel discussion on "Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis" on January 25.

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a worldwide crisis. According to latest data from World Health Organization, the cumulative confirmed cases worldwide climbed over 97 million, with more than 2 million lives lost.

Innovative technologies have shown great significance in the fight against COVID-19 crisis, and Rujing shared the anti-epidemic experiences of Yidu Tech.

"When the pandemic broke out, we immediately sent a team to the hardest-hit city Wuhan, helping local institutions in patient tracking, infection control and other emergency response tasks, as well as providing technical support for the relevant institutions in their decision-making." She said, adding that Yidu Tech had also assisted many other cities and areas in efficient traceability investigation of the pandemic.

In addition, Yidu Tech is also committed to exploring the values of AI for medical treatment, leveraging the company's technological advantages to empower clinical scientific research, public decision-making and public health.

A number of distinguished guests, including Peter Maurer, President of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Nanaia Mahuta, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, also joined in the Leadership Panel discussion, which examines the most effective response and recovery efforts, with recommendations on how businesses and governments can improve and increase their collaboration.

In the era of globalization, national governance and international cooperation has become increasingly important. Panelists believed that 2021 would be a key year to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, and all the countries should seize the opportunity to cooperate with each other and finally realize mutual benefit.
Herreid Legion to remember 400 Campbell County area veterans Monday

The Herreid American Legion and the Sons of the American Legion work together to recognize veterans on Memorial Day.
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.
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As states await the promise of a renewed federal pandemic response and expand the number of Americans who qualify for a shot, some governors are trying to scale up their covid vaccine operations  and smooth out the kinks  with the help of the private sector.

In Washington state, Starbucks, Microsoft and Costco are lending logistical expertise and manpower to public health agencies that are trying to dispatch their doses of vaccines more efficiently.

Over the weekend, thousands of people filed through the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina  now serving as a mass vaccine site  run by Honeywell and other local businesses that have partnered with the state.

And on Monday, Google pledged $150 million to "promote vaccine education and equitable distribution" and to make it easier for people to find "when and where to get the vaccine."

This backup from businesses comes as states continue to navigate uncertainty around when they'll receive doses. A patchwork of vaccination eligibility rules and ways to sign up for a shot have left many Americans confused, frustrated and even frightened, as those at high risk of serious complications from the covid virus continue to wait with little news on when they'll be inoculated.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee calls private enterprise the "arsenal" of the coronavirus vaccination campaign, comparing the partnership to the production of battleships during World War II, but even Inslee, a Democrat, did not oversell the immediate impact.

"This is not going to be an expectation of an Amazon delivery system," Inslee said while announcing his state's plan last week. "There will be times when people will not have dosages available in their community because there isnt enough being delivered."

Washington and more than half of all states have opened up vaccines to anyone 65 and older  greatly spiking demand  yet a major hang-up continues to be making use of all the delivered vaccines.

Of the approximately 41 million vaccines delivered to states, more than 19 million have not yet been given, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Its a dance that requires a lot of complex choreography," said Alison Buttenheim, an associate professor of nursing and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania.

"We arent always so innovative and nimble in public health and this is the moment where we need that  we need innovation and we need states trying different things."

The Washington state partnership is using Starbucks to streamline the vaccine clinics, Microsoft to provide tech support and space on its campus, and Costco to manage logistics around delivering the shots.

Every state should be looking to its businesses to fill gaps in the vaccination operations, whether around online scheduling, public messaging or the nitty-gritty details of coordinating delivery and clinics, Buttenheim said.

"Theres no one corporate entity thats going to solve this, but most have something to offer," she said.

Many public health departments have struggled with making the vaccine process "customer friendly" because they don't typically provide this kind of direct service, said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), which represents state health directors.

"It has been challenging to scale those kinds of things up," he said. "Then you add in that public health departments have been dealing with covid for a year, with limited resources and people are tired."

In North Carolina, Atrium Health, a nonprofit health care system, is part of the business partnership with Honeywell that aims to give 1 million shots by July.

"It allows us as the health care system to focus on what we do best  getting the shots in the arms and making sure people are tolerating it and the aftercare," said Dr. Scott Rissmiller, Atrium's executive vice president.

"Our hospitals are full, and its the same people that are working in our hospitals that we are needing to redeploy for the vaccines."

Looking ahead

The Biden administration has pledged more transparency around the availability of doses and enlisted the Federal Emergency Management Agency to set up mass vaccination sites, as many as 100 in the next month.

While the pace of vaccination has picked up, public health experts warn the U.S. must move faster as at least one more contagious variant of the virus shows up in a growing number of states and threatens to drive another devastating surge.

A federal partnership with large pharmacies has faced criticism for not moving more quickly. Some states have gone through the majority of their doses, while others have used fewer than half of what's been delivered.

Public health can get a boost from the private sector, but there are limits to what can be outsourced, said epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo of Johns Hopkins University.

"This isnt just handing somebody a package; this is a clinical encounter," said Nuzzo.

Data entry involves sensitive personal information, and the actual vaccinators need to be trained and credentialed.

Nuzzo, who has studied the U.S. capacity for mass vaccination, estimates the U.S. will need anywhere from 100,000 to 184,000 people to staff vaccine clinics, of which 17,000 would have to be vaccinators, to meet the Biden administration's goal of 100 million shots in 100 days.

"I think it would be extraordinarily difficult to just find those vaccinators," she said.

The private sector may be able to contribute, but Nuzzo cautioned that any partnerships cannot appear to favor the employees of the company.

Last week, Amazon offered to assist the Biden administration on the vaccine rollout and has signaled it hopes to vaccinate its own front-line workers as soon as possible.

The shaky supply has limited the ability of some states to pursue mass vaccine sites, and many providers are still hesitant to schedule vaccines too far in advance. A hospital in Arlington, Virginia, canceled 10,000 appointments after the state changed how it allocates its supply of vaccines.

In Arizona, which has two mass vaccine sites so far, appointments are already booked through February.

Since the early days of the vaccine rollout  when the Trump administration promised 20 million doses before 2021  the public has received confusing messages about when they'll be able to get a shot.

States still face the challenge of how to set realistic expectations. Many are ramping up their capacity for giving vaccines, even before the supply has caught up.

"The worry I have is that if we create expectations for how quickly people can get vaccinated and then dont deliver, people will become perhaps jaded or disappointed or, worse, mistrustful of vaccination efforts," she said.

More than half of unvaccinated Americans say they need more information about when or where they'll get vaccinated, according to a national survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF.)

At his grocery store in Everett, Wash., Wil Peterson, a cashier, hears this confusion around the vaccine process from his co-workers.

"Theres a lot of information thats been floating around, so Im just trying to keep up with the latest developments," said Peterson, who's in his 50s and expects his turn to get a shot will come sometime in February.

Peterson worries about catching the virus every day he goes to work and still deals with customers who refuse to wear masks, so he's eager to get vaccinated.

But he also knows it may not go smoothly, after hearing from a friend who tried to sign up for his shot.

"But the site crashed, so Im kind of bracing for maybe that happening when I try to do it, but Im hoping that wont be the case," he said.

This story is part of a partnership that includes NPR and KHN.
One of the decisive points in the success of the ongoing National Party Congress is the preparation of relevant documents, since they outline the Partys directions and decisions for the countrys development.

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The draft documents submitted to the 13th Congress were meticulously prepared, manifesting the intelligence and enthusiasm of the entire Party and the people.

To prepare the draft documents for the 13th National Party Congress, the Editing Team worked tirelessly for a long period of time, placing quality as the top priority.

Before being widely publicised to seek public opinion, each written page and sentence in the drafts was considered carefully and revised numerous times, in strict accordance with the directions of Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong.

During the less than one month they were open for public comment, the documents received positive feedback from a large number of officials, Party members, and people inside and outside of the country.

The comments received have enriched the content of the draft documents. On that basis, central authorities have gathered, synthesized, and categorized comments totalling more than 1,400 pages and compiled a general report of nearly 200 pages.

After a long period of preparation, modification, and supplementation, participants at the 14th session of the 12th Party Central Committee reached high consensus on the documents to be submitted to the 13th Congress./. VNA
Larry Kessler is a retired Sun Chronicle local news editor. Reach him at larrythek65@gmail.com . He blogs at larrytheklineup.blogspot.com
[January 26, 2021] Kraig Biocraft Laboratories and MtheMovement by Kings Group sign Exclusive Purchase and Sales Agreement for up to potentially $40 million

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (Company or Kraig Labs), the biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of spider silk, announces that it is forming a joint venture partnership with MtheMovement, an eco-friendly luxury streetwear apparel line, part of the Kings Group of Companies and its affiliated companies (Kings Group).

The joint venture will develop and sell Kraig Labs spider silk fibers under the new innovative apparel and fashion brand, trade named SpydaSilk and potential other trademarks to be announced. All intellectual property related to SpydaSilk will be jointly owned by Kraig Labs and Kings Group. The deal combines Kraig Labs industry leading fibers with Kings Groups business skills and regional enterprise expertise, creating what we believe will be a strong vertical integration for both companies. Under the terms of this agreement, Kraig Labs granted the joint venture and the SpydaSilk brand an exclusive geographic license to all Kraig Lab technologies for the ASEAN region, in exchange for a 4 year firm commitment to purchase up to $32 million, with an additional projected purchase of $8 million, of Kraig Labs raw recombinant spider silk, with an initial payment of $250,000. SpydaSilks mission is to create high-impact products and technologies, so partnering with Kings Group, which we believe has strong product development expertise and intense understanding of ASEAN market, is a powerful combination that we believe will drive SpydaSilks sales and innovation, said Kim Thompson, Kraig Labs founder and CEO. Kraig Labs has always been proud to maintain our vanguard position in the spider silk space; this agreement strengthens our leadership role with a partner who shares our vision and places Kraig Labs and Kings Group on the best path for success. Spider silk is among the strongest fibers produced in nature, and the agreement represents the world's first large-scale commitment to purchase spider silk fibers The new SpydaSilk alliance combines the strengths of both companies and calls on Kraig Labs to provide fibers and materials expertise, while Kings Group will lead the marketing, sales, and distribution. The two companies will work together to increase Kraig Labs produc development agility and production scalability.



Under this collaboration, Kraig Labs and Kings Group believe that the material will not only be applied to apparel; the joint venture is also exploring uses to enhance other industries such as building construction and medical industries. "Kings Group is dedicated to helping unleash the benefits of spider silk and this bold enterprise, the unveiling of the SpydaSilkTM joint venture, significantly accelerates that goal. We believe that we will help improve the world through innovation to drive profitable growth, reduce emissions, enhance customer loyalty, and create long-term shareholder value," said Mr. Walter Wee, Chief Investment Officer of Kings Group. "In researching various spider silk technologies, we came to the conclusion that Kraig Labs is the leader. Our agreement with Kraig Labs represents the first large-scale commitment to spider silk commercialization and we could not be happier to begin this part of our SpydaSilk journey."

To view the most recent news from Kraig Labs and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/news . About Kings Group and MtheMovement: Kings Group is headquartered in Singapore and established regional offices in Indonesia and Vietnam. They have associate companies spread throughout Asia that have a dynamic synergy for maximizing resources and outreach to a huge consumer market. Kings Group is a forerunner in International Marketing and Innovative Product Trading; they specialize in bridging domestic businesses and projecting their products internationally. For further information, please visit www.kings.com.sg, www.kingsglobalconsultants.com MtheMovement is Kings Groups premiere eco-friendly luxury streetwear line, for the past 20 years, they have been the leaders of fashion trends and have consulted designs with branding for many renowned corporates. Their Chief Creative Officer has also dressed many of the Grammy and Emmy Awards participants and famous international fashion celebrities. For more information, please visit www.mthemovement.com About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc.: Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. ( www.KraigLabs.com ), a reporting biotechnology company, is a developer of genetically engineered spider silk based fiber technologies. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information Statements in this press release about the Companys future and expectations other than historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are made on the basis of managements current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that managements expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as believes, plans, expects, anticipates, foresees, estimated, hopes, if, develops, researching, research, pilot, potential, could or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include future sales of SpydaSilk and descriptions of the Companys business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Ben Hansel, Hansel Capital, LLC

(720) 288-8495

ir@KraigLabs.com



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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A Port Richmond felon has racked up his second major drug arrest in Bayonne in less than two weeks.

Walter Harris, 34, of New Street, was busted Monday morning during a car stop for possessing nearly three pounds of pot, said Bayonne police.

The defendant was pulled over at about 11:20 a.m. in the area of Kennedy Boulevard and West 30th Street, police said.

Officers had observed him speeding, said police.

On approaching, cops detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from inside the car, said police.

A search uncovered about 2.8 pounds of weed, police said.

Harris was charged with marijuana possession, marijuana possession with the intent to distribute, and marijuana possession with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school, said police.

Just 12 days earlier, Bayonne police had arrested Harris, also with a sizable amount of marijuana in his car, said cops.

Harris was stopped at around 8:45 p.m. on Jan. 13 near Goldsborough Drive and Chosin Few Way, police said.

Inside his vehicle officers recovered 690 grams of marijuana and marijuana edibles, or slightly more than 1.5 pounds of the contraband, said police.

Harris was arrested on charges of marijuana possession, marijuana possession with the intent to distribute and marijuana possession with the intent to distribute within 500 feet of public housing.

He was also accused of possessing narcotic paraphernalia and possessing narcotic paraphernalia with the intent to distribute.

It appears that the Bayonne Police Department has put a target on Mr. Harris, seemingly following him from the moment he wakes up to get a cup of coffee, said defense lawyer Mario F. Gallucci. This, like the first stop, appears once again to be a pretext stop, and I await the production of discovery materials to confirm my suspicions.

Harris has served three prison stints in New York state, show online records of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

Initially, in 2005, he was sentenced to up to three years behind bars for drug- and weapon-possession convictions.

Following, in 2008, he served 30 months for drug possession.

Most recently, in 2015, he was sentenced to three to six years after pleading guilty to attempted conspiracy and possessing cocaine with intent to distribute.

In allocuting to attempted conspiracy, Harris admitted he shot and wounded a co-defendant also arrested in a major 2013 takedown of a drug- and gun-trafficking ring.

Authorities said the group moved cocaine from Mexico to Staten Island.
(Natural News) The new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) plans to bring in the military and medical students for mass vaccination efforts. Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a Jan. 19 Good Morning America appearance that the public health body will commission military medical personnel, retirees and nursing and medical students for the countrys immunization program. She also committed to the CDC making the vaccine more accessible through mobile vans and additional doses for pharmacies.

Walensky made the remarks amid low vaccination turnout in the country. According to CDC data, only 1.6 million people across the country have completed both doses of the Wuhan coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. Israel has registered the highest vaccination rates for COVID-19 at 28.52 percent, compared to the U.S. only registering 4.48 percent. As a result, President Joe Biden announced his plan to vaccinate 100 million Americans Jan. 14 on his first 100 days in office.

According to Walensky, the 100 million target could be achieved with the Biden administrations really ambitious but doable plan. The plan also involved getting more personnel on board to administer the vaccine to the public. We need to make sure we have the people  on the ground. Were going to commission  military medical personnel  and retirees, were going to look at upper level nursing students and medical students, she mentioned.

The incoming CDC director added that the Biden team is focused on ensuring the right supply reaches the right states and increasing the number of places where people can get the Wuhan coronavirus jab.

Under the plan, Americans can get the jab at community vaccination centers, mobile vans and federally qualified health centers and pharmacies. Walensky remarked that the plan is underpinned with equity to ensure equal and equitable vaccine distribution nationwide.

The incoming CDC director also agreed with the Biden administrations increased coronavirus measures

Walensky started her term as CDC director upon Bidens Jan. 20 inauguration, as her position does not require Senate confirmation. She took a swipe at her predecessors, which included former President Donald Trump and the previous CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield.

We need to reset the stage here  [and] make sure the country [and] the people understand: This pandemic is now going to be addressed with science, trust, transparency and communication of exactly where we are, she said. (Related: CDC errors caused crucial delays in the war on the Covid-19 coronavirus.)

She admitted that the outgoing Trump administrations refusal to cooperate with a peaceful transition made things more challenging. Ive been working closely with the agency review team  [and it] has really been helpful for me  to get up to speed with where we are, Walensky said.

The public health agency director seconded the Biden administrations rejection of a last-minute travel ban lifting, as she believed it was not yet the time for such bans to be lifted.

According to officials who talked to Reuters, former President Donald Trump had intended to remove current COVID-19 restrictions beginning Jan. 26. Travelers from the U.K., Brazil and Europe would be able to visit the U.S. when the flight ban is rescinded. Trump argued that removing the travel ban is the best way to continue protecting Americans  while enabling travel to resume safely.

However, the Biden administration did a complete 180-degree turn with regard to the travel ban lifting. Incoming White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a tweet that President Joe Biden will shoot down the plan, adding that more stringent measures will be implemented.

With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel, the press secretary wrote. She added that the administration will not lift the restrictions  and will even plan on strengthening public health measures around international travel to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Walensky bolstered Psakis statement, saying: I dont think now is the time to encourage people to get on international flights. [If] anything, I think we can expect that they might tighten  especially in the context of variants that we are hearing about.

As of writing, the U.S. has recorded 107 cases of the more contagious B117 strain of the Wuhan coronavirus. The variant first discovered in the U.K. is said to be up to 70 percent more infectious than the standard strain. The CDC has warned that the mutated variant could become dominant in the U.S. by March 2021. (Related: Israeli authorities to lock down country for the THIRD time despite a coronavirus vaccination drive.)

Data collated by Johns Hopkins University shows the U.S. with a 24.4 million COVID-19 caseload and 406,147 deaths.

Visit JoeBiden.news to find out how the new president and his team will respond to the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

GoodMorningAmerica.com

USAToday.com

Twitter.com 1

Twitter.com 2

Coronavirus.JHU.edu
Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID
In a post-Trump America, just after an insurrection and an inauguration, young people have questions: Why bother with politics? When will my school reopen? Was there election fraud?

City Councilperson Helen Gym and City Commissioner Al Schmidt are answering some of them. In a virtual, traveling road show, the pair are meeting with some Philadelphia students in real time, talking democracy and life.

In recent stops in classes at Masterman and Kensington Health Sciences Academy, high school students were a little awed by the somewhat unlikely duo of the progressive Democratic lawmaker  a former public school teacher and community organizer  and the Republican elections official whose postelection profile was so high he had spurious election fraud claims personally leveled at him by President Donald Trump.

But mostly, the youth wanted the skinny.

Whats it like to be on City Council?

Its not too much different from high school, Gym said. There are definitely cliques and there are different personalities, though everyone works hard and is committed.

What about those votes the former president said werent counted?

There was not in this election, at all, any evidence of widespread voter fraud, period, Schmidt told Masterman students Friday, noting that before a single vote was cast, before a single vote was counted, there were efforts to undermine confidence in the results. We were under siege in the weeks leading up to Election Day.

 READ MORE: The wait for a vaccine is frustrating teachers and adding uncertainty to school reopening plans

With COVID-19 keeping Philadelphia students physically out of school since last March, a return to buildings was on the minds of many, a reality Gym acknowledged.

There are a lot of questions on the table , said Gym. Is our city prepared and is the school district prepared to again not only deal with health disparities, but educational disparities?

School reopening is important, Gym said, but what we want is to be able to match the return to school with an investment in schools, not just to force people back at any costs.

(The federal coronavirus relief package gives the Philadelphia School District some breathing room from financial woes that stem largely from rising fixed costs and the systems inability to raise its own revenue. Philadelphia is set to receive over $500 million from the feds over the next two years, enough to stave off its looming deficit for a few years. The system is now projecting a $224 million gap in 2024.)

 READ MORE: Get Phillys kids back in classrooms as soon as possible, Kenney and City Council tell School District

Why bother with politics? one Kensington Health Sciences Academy student asked.

Whether you want to be or not, youre already political, said Gym. You are a public school student whose schools are being left behind. That in and of itself is a political issue.

Schmidt, who said he did not grow up dreaming of running for public office, urged students to move in that direction.

I would encourage everyone to consider public service in their future, whether its in elected or other capacity, said Schmidt. Even now, he said, students have a responsibility to spread truth and get involved.

How do you solve the problems of poverty and illiteracy and language access and everything else, Schmidt said. Thats where I would encourage everyone to be engaged.

For now: Register people to vote at your school, Gym said. Register people to vote on your block. Support people who will work for the issues you care about.

And though in many ways, we are living in a very dangerous time, Schmidt said, I dont think Ive ever been more hopeful about our democracy and the future of our republic.

More visits are planned in the coming days.

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Arnab Goswami made a special announcement earlier this month, wherein Republic Media Network launched the Republic-Aatmanirbhar Bharat Initiative as a part of their national service to promote Indian glocal organizations. As part of the initiative, the network has announced editorial partnerships with Koo and Mitron.

Republic Media Network, Indias no.1 news network, was conceived with one laser pointed vision  Nation First, No Compromise. Over the last 3 years, the network has lived up to the motto and has been pro-nation, pro local. Taking the Prime Ministers vision ahead and doing their bit as the leading news network in the country, Arnab Goswami, Managing Director and Editor-in-chief, Republic Media Network announced the Republic-Aatmanirbhar Bharat Initiative where the organization will work with, support and ensure that proudly Indian, homegrown, glocal brands shine and beam, especially the ones from the Tech Media space. Following this mega announcement, the network has been flooded with promising endeavours from innovators across the country.

As a deliverance on the promise, Republic has proudly announced two mega editorial partnerships under the initiative, with two homegrown brands  Koo and Mitron.

Koo was founded in March 2020, as an inclusive micro-blogging platform in Indian languages where people from across different regions in India can express themselves in their mother tongue. Just 10% of India speaks English. 90% prefer Indian languages. Theres no place on the internet for them to express themselves in their native language and discover others from the same community. Koo provides a voice to Indians who prefer Indian languages. This is how Koo has become a game-changer that is available in multiple languages such as Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, etc.

The journey of Mitron started in April 2020, with a belief to build a homegrown app for Indian users in compliance with Indian community standards and laws. The app provides an easy and seamless interface for users to create, edit and share their videos, and at the same time browse through a library of top videos across the globe. Going forward, the company envisages developing a deeply integrated social media and e-commerce platform, where people not only spend time watching videos but interact with videos to create their social assets and are able to buy products featured in videos.

This announcement comes as a first of many endeavours that will be undertaken as a part of Republic-AatmaNirbhar Bharat Initiative. Republic Bharat will collaborate with these two brands editorially and seamlessly integrate their content.

On this endeavour, Arnab Goswami, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Republic Media Network said, It is a phenomenal start to the Republic-Aatmanirbhar Bharat Initiative. Aprameya, Mayank (of Koo), Shivank, Anish (of Mitron), are rock-solid examples of the nations AatmaNirbhar Bharat beacon call. What these young entrepreneurs have created is truly remarkable. These are brilliant initiatives developed by the whizz-kids of India. This is only the beginning. We vow to support, encourage and give a platform to the bright minds, ideators, innovators, and entrepreneurs who are rooted in this great nation and take pride in India.

Vikas Khanchandani, Group CEO of Republic Media Network said, The network has been clear about its objective since inception; hence the Republic AatmaNirbhar Bharat initiative came to us naturally. We are extremely excited about this unique enterprise that we are launching with two phenomenal local brands - Koo and Mitron. Our endeavour is to utilise this opportunity and give the platforms a national level push which they rightly deserve. The talent and vision of both the apps must be celebrated and that is what we as a network are doing through this strategic initiative.

Koo and Mitron news partnerships will be seen on Republic Bharat starting Republic Day, 26th January 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.
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.
26thJanuary 2021

Early Equity PLC

("Early Equity" or "the Company")

Issue of Equity

Early Equity Plc (AQSE: EEQP), is pleased to announce that it has raised 243,000 by way of a subscription for 48,600,000 new ordinary shares of 0.1p at a price of 0.5p per share ("the Subscription"). The proceeds of the Subscription will be used to provide the Company with additional working capital.

The Company incurred expenses in connection with the Subscription of 12,150 which have been settled by the issue of 2,430,000 new ordinary shares of 0.1p.

As a result the Company has issued a total of 51,030,000 new ordinary shares and application will be made for them to be admitted to trading on AQSE, which is expected to be on or around 29 January 2021.

The new ordinary shares will rank pari passu with the existing ordinary shares of the Company. Following the issue of the new ordinary shares, the Company's issued share capital will comprise 1,048,748,684 ordinary shares of 0.1p (including the 51,030,000 new ordinary shares).

The above figure of 1,048,748,684 should be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

This announcement contains information which, prior to its disclosure, was inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014.

The directors of Early Equity Plc accept responsibility for this announcement.

Enquiries:

Early Equity Plc

Greg Collier

Tel: +44 (0)7830 182501

Novum Securities Limited

AQSE Corporate Adviser

David Coffman / Lucy Bowden

Tel: +44 (0)207 399 9400

About Early Equity plc:

Early Equity is an e-commerce focused group based in Malaysia whose Ordinary Shares are admitted to trading on the AQSE Growth Market in London with the trading symbol EEQP.
ANN ARBOR, MI -- People looking for a bite to eat this winter will have a chance to stop by a shelter to pick up a meal thanks to a celebrity donation.

CNBCs The Profit host Marcus Lemonis runs the Plating Change program, a mission to help small businesses connect with those in need in the community by working with organizations and his celebrity friends to help support local restaurants.

Lemonis, along with journalist Maria Shriver and her sons Patrick and Christopher Schwarzenegger, called Zingermans Co-Founder Ari Weinzweig in December 2020 to prepare and deliver 5,000 sandwiches to anyone in need.

Related: Maria Shriver and sons choose Zingermans to donate meals to community

Lemonis is giving Weinzweig $50,000 to make the food, which will be prepared from the Zingermans family restaurants Miss Kim, Zingermans Delicatessen and Zingermans Roadhouse.

Everything is still going to plan, Weinzweig said.

Ann Arbor-based Food Gatherers will handle the distribution, along with Shelter Association of Washtenaw County and Mission. Food Gatherers President and CEO Eileen Spring said the organization faced several challenges in providing food to the community due to the coronavirus pandemic, given that the organization runs daily lunches and dinners inside the Delonis Center.

Theres a particular need for prepackaged prepared meals, Spring said. Normally in our community kitchen in the Delonis Center, we serve 125 people for dinner and for lunch everyday. Were doing a lot of to-go meals ... we are trying to make ready-to-eat, easy-to-store meals for those people.

Anyone who is seeking services or staying at the Delonis Center, or is visiting warming centers in the area can stop by for a meal, Spring added. Up to 450 meals will be distributed each week. The Delonis Center will offer limited dining room space.

My goal is to keep Main Street USA alive and well during the economic troubles that COVID-19 has brought to our small business owners, Lemonis said in a news release. I also want to thank the restaurants and staff that have unselfishly supported this initiative to feed our most vulnerable community members.

Part of the reason they chose Zingermans was because of Christophers tie to the University of Michigan.

Christopher went to Michigan. Its hard to think of Ann Arbor and the university without thinking of Zingermans, Shriver said in an Instagram video. Its synonymous with the school and the town. Ari is such a staple of Ann Arbor. I always admired Ari so much for staying there, for building these restaurants, for giving jobs to so many people, for all the work hes done in educating people about visioning and restauranting.

Food Gatherers provides several resources on their website for anyone needing access to food. More information is available onlline.

Blue LLama Jazz Club to host livestream shows

Williams-Sonoma store at Ann Arbors Briarwood Mall closes

H&M to close store in Ann Arbors Briarwood Mall
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 04:50:49|Editor: huaxia

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BRASILIA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government has banned the entry of passengers arriving from South Africa in order to avoid the possible impact of the new variant of the coronavirus that has emerged in the African country, according to a resolution published in Tuesday's edition of the Government Gazette.

Access to the Brazilian territory is suspended for passengers on flights originating from or passing through South Africa in the last 14 days, the provision said.

Meanwhile, passengers from the United Kingdom, where another new variant of the coronavirus emerged, are still not allowed to enter the South American country, with the same restrictions imposed on South Africa.

However, other travelers may enter the country by air as long as they provide a negative COVID-19 test result received no more than 72 hours before arrival in Brazil.

The provision also maintains restrictions on entry into Brazil of foreigners of any nationality by land or river, with the exception of Paraguayans and residents of border cities. Enditem
Being told 'you curse like a sailor' is usually not a compliment, but scientists who have studied swearing for decades say using foul language is actually beneficial.

Numerous studies have found using taboo words may be a sign of intelligence, honesty and creativity, as well as a way to withstand pain.

Although swearing has been deemed language of poverty, researchers found well-educated people are better at coming up with curse words than those with a smaller vocabulary.

Profanity has also been linked to honesty and creativity, as people choose such powerful words to express their emotions and when doing so an area of the right brain is activated, which is known as the 'creative brain.'

Timothy Jay, professor emeritus of psychology at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, who has studied swearing for more than 40 years, told CNN: 'The advantages of swearing are many.'

'The benefits of swearing have just emerged in the last two decades, as a result of a lot of research on brain and emotion, along with much better technology to study brain anatomy.'

Scroll down for video

Being told 'you curse like a sailor' is usually not a compliment, but scientists who have studied swearing for decades say using foul language is actually beneficial. Numerous studies have found using taboo words may be a sign of intelligence, honesty and creativity, as well as a way to withstand pain

Jay has conducted a number of studies into the art of swearing and believes there is an evolutionary advantage to using such lingo, 'or we would not have evolved to do it,' he told The New York Times.

There has been a myth that such language is the 'poverty of vocabulary,' but in a 2015 study, Jay put this idea to rest.

The work tested participant's ability to generate words based on a given letter.

The results showed that those who formulated the most words, along with animal names, also used the most swear words.

Although swearing has been deemed language of poverty, researchers found well-educated people are better at coming up with curse words than those with a smaller vocabulary

Jay and his team also found taboo words positively correlated with the Big Five personality traits neuroticism and openness and negatively correlated with agreeableness and conscientiousness.

Neuroticism and openness have also been found to correlate with honesty, which suggests those who curse may also be the most honest.

A study from 2017 conducted by an international team found profanity is typically used to express the person's genuine feelings.

The team determined those who swear are honest at an individual level and with integrity at a society level.

Jay told The New York Times that people see those who swear as being more honest because truth tellers get right to the point and do not think about what they are going to say.

Whereas liars use more brain power to formulate their stories and are very meticulous about word usage.

There have also been links found between profanity, honesty and creativity, as people choose such powerful words to express their emotions and when doing so an area of the right brain is activated, which is known as the 'creative brain

Although these studies look at abilities and actions of participants, other work has pinpointed where swearing appears in the brain and it does so on the right side known as the 'creative brain.'

Emma Byrne, the author of 'Swearing Is Good for You,' told CNN that there are a number of cases where a patients who have a stroke on the right side of their brain will stop swearing, even if they have used such language their entire lives.

And swearing seems to give us superpowers by allowing us to endure more pain.

Researchers from Keele University's School of Psychology determine swearing can have a 'pain-lessening effect.'

The team believes swearing triggers our natural 'fight-or-flight' response.

Volunteers submerged their hands in a tub of ice water for as long as possible while repeating their taboo word of choice.

Researchers found that the volunteers were able to keep their hands submerged in the ice water for a longer period of time when repeating the swear word, establishing a link between swearing and an increase in pain tolerance.

Although there are numerous studies that find benefits of using foul language, there are those that contraindicate such findings.

Two researchers from Southern Connecticut State University determined swearing can make you seem dishonest and less intelligent than your peers.

Even those who are not offended by foul language hold lower opinions of swearers than non-swearers, researchers found.

As well as lacking intelligence and trustworthiness, foul mouthed individuals are also judged as less likeable and more aggressive.

These findings may suggest that swearing is similar to the saying 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder.'
Why would you drink middling $45 Mumm when you can have this charismatic Clover Hill Vintage Release 2014 for the same price?

I know, its a rhetorical question, one that Ive posed before (here), but I want to bring it up again because everyone needs to hear it again, and Australia Day (whatever the date is) provides a good opportunity to push the case of good Australian fizz over Champagne.

Clover Hill is particularly notable because the recent releases from this Tassie stalwart have been uniformly impressive, and this 14 Brut is v. good. Yeasty nose, has quite some aftershave Pinot perfume, dry and quite sustaining palate has a sense of purpose and the acidity feels right too.

This is quite an accomplishment  it doesnt have the perfect acid delicacy and subtle integrated sweetness of big house Champagne (in fact its just a little sweet and the acid is also a bit taut). But there is character, intensity of flavour, leesy development and a stamp of fruit here that means you come away feeling like this was made by a person (who gave a shit) in a vineyard. Its not going to take down a bottle of delicious Veuve Fourny (see here), but you get the drift.

Piper at $50 at your local Dans or $38 on spec. for this Clover Hill  its an easy choice. The former is about keeping up with the (Champagne drinking) Joneses, the latter about getting a nice bottle of fizz.

Best drinking: good to go. 17.7/20, 92/100. 12%, $45. Clover Hill website. Would I buy it? Yeah.



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This article is the second in a series of three pieces discussing application modernization-driven transformation. My earlier article addressed how digital transformation initiatives involving application modernization can easily stall, how so many encounter pitfalls end up moving only the most simple applications, and how often organizations have even higher IT costs supporting both new and old legacy applications.

We presented three fundament characteristics of successful planning as a framework, while incorporating the use of the Right Mix Advisor to successfully complete the application modernization journey. At a high level these were as follows:

Business Discovery: Top-line catalogue of what IT services are required for the business

Application Discovery: Application functions and detailed components to provide the IT services

Hybrid View: Detailed information on all elements that provide each component and function

Now, this article will explore the Right Mix Advisor approach in more detail. Underpinning this approach is two types of business applications. Those that address the:

Need to work - Run the current business, day-to-day business needs

Need to win - Innovate and create competitive advantage

Analysts still report today that 60-70% of legacy business applications remain expensive and land-locked on-premises, often in proprietary technologies. In addition, these workloads that havent moved tend to be the ones that are core to the business, including revenue-generating workloads that could bring tremendous value to the business if modernized. However, for these applications a move to hybrid cloud is complex and has a lot of risk, exacerbated by caution emanating from the impact of the pandemic.

Organizations must then balance the risk of adopting innovation within given budgets and resource boundaries while also running the business. Its a tough spot to remedy for most  but unless remedied, it also increases risk and cost if they wait much longer.

Modernizing legacy applications can be a daunting task, especially for those with a large legacy footprint. Modern software applications are developed by targeting a variety of devices, platforms, and browsers. But legacy applications were designed to meet specific needs or work a certain way within a particular environment.

Deconstructing inflexible legacy architectures requires a deep and accurate understanding of how an application behaves within its current environment and what its requirements are. Organizations should have comprehensive knowledge of what the applications dependencies are with other systems; what the business, technical, functional, and implementation requirements are; and what the security and compliance requirements are in order to determine the right migration strategy and then weigh the timing and cost based on risk, ease of migration, and impact on the business.

Using Right Mix Advisor helps organizations determine the right mix of hybrid cloud strategies and hybrid cloud infrastructure targets, based on the workload catalog. This considers all business application requirements and doesnt ignore the more challenging and unique legacy applications. It is not a move everything directly to public cloud approach but rather one that strikes the right balance and the steps to success. It accounts for the business and technical needs of the application with the level of complexity, risk, time, and cost to move it. It spans the landscape from simply re-rehosting legacy applications to being composable for container infrastructures, and to re-architecting to stateless and microservices, enabled for agile DevOps.

At the center of the Right Mix Advisor approach and tooling is an outcome, given to customers, called the Master Data Repository (MDR). This is a record of truth. The data contained within the MDR becomes exposed transparently for analysis, weighing each application candidacy against various constraints, stakeholder priorities, and business benefit perspectives in making decisions around moving to hybrid cloud, both at the infrastructure level and the workload level.

Master Data Repository and Discovery

The discovery phase incorporates organizational or industry-partner tooling, as appropriate. This phase creates a top-level view of what the business needs for it to operate, which group owns what, and how the business service is delivered. This layer shouldnt care about what vendors, infrastructure, hardware, or software is in place or even selected; it simply captures what functions the business needs from IT Services to operate, to what volume, to what scale, and how it scales.

Aside from the discovery function itself, some examples of the weighting factors brought into it from an established MDR that are considered closely, and must continually be refreshed throughout the transformation journey for true success, include:

Type of Application (core vs innovative)

Organizational Goals / Readiness

Complexity/Inter-dependencies

Costs/Benefit or Business Impact/Returns

Disposition/Lifecycle/Competitiveness

Actionable Plan

Master Data Repository and Assessment for Planning

A solid plan to address application modernization should consider both complex and simple applications. It should provide deeper insights into legacy application challenges and provide the clarity for what the viable targets are to move to cloud, how to move them, in what order to move them, what to modernize, and what to keep on-prem. Application data discovery and assessment should drive the plan of action with a roadmap. It is the MDR that provides the basis for these considerations.

What we are seeing today, utilizing Right Mix Advisor, is that about one-third of a clients easy application migrations from legacy environments to public cloud have been completed, or will be soon, and net-new application development is predominantly cloud-native. What is left is the difficult workload or those not wanting to be touched because theyre business critical. The MDR provides the necessary information and planning criteria to address all of this legacy workload. By cyclically running the discovery function it helps determine, at the planning phase, the target cloud endpoint and migration strategies for each application along journey lifecycle. The refreshed MDR is at the center of this, providing the basis for continuous and evolving insights into migration strategy, processes, plans, dependencies, budget/financials, etc., throughout the transformation or digital journey (discover, assess & plan, detailed design, build & migrate, operate & optimize) while maintaining simplicity and efficiency.

Here, what we are looking for, are the functional components, applications, interfaces, queues, and any areas that support the business services but in slightly more granular way. Here, we capture application owners, lifecycle information, development roadmaps, software details, testing and release cycles and owners, security models, business continuity, and compliance requirements. We learn how application lifecycle changes are handled in the organization, who approves, testing strategies for application releases, and more. We also explore how each functional team (ie., security or ITOps) views their level of criticality their contribution might be as individuals.

Master Data Repository and Infrastructure

The final layer to capture is the infrastructure view of how these business applications and workloads reside and interface on the overall IT Infrastructure. HPE has built powerful scanning tools over the many years in the data center consolidation/transformation space, combined now with tools from VMware, Microsoft, and several of our close partners, and now some of the HyperScalers as well. All of this data is converged into a single record of truth for our customers overall environment.

HPEs Right Mix Advisor program offers the clearest steps that organizations can take to navigate the pitfalls of modernization journeys. Beginning with a combined IT and business view that defines the services catalogue required to support the business, ultimately leading to the hybrid view with the single repository of truth. The Master Data Repository might be a boring name, sure, but it is the secret behind many successful transformation journeys today.

For further information please contact digitaladvisor@hpe.com.

____________________________________

About Peter J Zandstra


People are clamouring to get the Covid-19 vaccine but how soon they will receive the jab is increasingly uncertain.

The roll-out to over-70s living at home is promised to start next month and this group needs around one million doses before they are fully protected.

But the vaccine supply is nowhere near what we had hoped for. What does this mean for the fight against Covid-19 in Ireland?

Our fair share

A major dispute has arisen between the EU and the makers of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine over its failure to deliver the agreed number of doses. This vaccine is due to be approved for use on Friday and Ireland has been anxiously awaiting the green light, calling this vaccine a game changer.

It can be kept a regular temperatures and administered by GPs.

It was also due to be relatively plentiful with around 600,000 doses delivered in the first quarter.

In August, the EU entered a deal for 300m doses of the jab with the option of another 100m. Now it seems supplies could be 50m lower. That in turn means a much smaller share here.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the deliveries here next month will be at the lower end of the expected range and will be considerably lower in March.

The discussions between the European Commission and the drug company in recent days have been robust and officials are fuming.

Read More

Missing doses

So where are all of those vaccine doses which were destined for Ireland and the other EU member states going? It is still unclear if it is due to manufacturing problems or whether they have gone to non-EU Britain.

Effectiveness

The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine was embroiled in more controversy yesterday after German media reported that it was largely ineffective in people over 65. This was strongly rejected by AstraZeneca and later contradicted by the German health ministry.

Waiting game

Irelands roll-out is set to come under greater scrutiny and its time for further investigation into how many people are getting the vaccine, who they are and who has still not received a first dose.

Nobody seems to be in charge despite a task force, HSE officials and Department of Health civil servants being involved in the operation.

The information is still too haphazard, despite efforts to spin the story in some media.

What we do know is that up to last Sunday, 143,000 doses have been administered. It has been roughly split between residents aged over 65 and staff in long-term care homes, and frontline health workers. The two doses are given 28 days apart.

Most have received just a first dose. This week around 70,000 healthcare workers, as well as some residents and staff in long-term care facilities, get their second dose.

Due to outbreaks of Covid-19, four long-term care facilities were not included in this first series of vaccinations on public health advice. Another 120 are not completed due to active outbreaks.

Roll-out plans must be flexible to accommodate unforeseen events and to operate in what is an evolving situation internationally.

The HSE said that due to limitations of vaccine supply, it is not possible to administer a vaccine to all staff at this time. Staff who do not receive the vaccine in the coming week will be included in the vaccination programme for frontline healthcare workers which will continue in February as vaccine supply increases.

In the queue

There are thousands of healthcare staff who still have not received a first dose. It emerged today that all mental health services which provide care for people over 65 years of age in long-stay accommodation have still not received their vaccinations.

Gary Kiernan of the Mental Health Commission (MHC) said many of these centres have not yet received a vaccination schedule from the HSE and have received no assurance about how and when vaccinations will take place. The MHC believes this is unacceptable in the context of the Governments direction that these vulnerable people must receive a vaccine as part of the first priority roll-out.

The HSE has said that mental health services for people over 65 years of age will receive full vaccination cover before the end of January. The confirmed Covid-19 case numbers continue to rise across the mental health services. As of Friday there were 269 confirmed resident and staff cases, a 44pc increase in confirmed cases since the previous Friday. The MHC was also notified of the deaths of a further three residents in two centres.

Supply chain

Ireland is mostly reliant on Pfizer BioNtech for a supply of doses. It has to reduce deliveries due to upgrading of its Belgium plant but after this week it will be back on track.

In the week of January 15 it delivered 70,000 doses, Last week that reduced to 24,570 doses and this week around 32,760 doses will arrive. Deliveries are set to increase in February and March.

Without the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine our vaccination campaign would be almost non-existent. The only other vaccine approved here is made by Moderna. However, so far it has only delivered a small number of doses.

There are hopes that more vaccines will be approved in the coming months which could improve supply  including the Johnson and Johnson vaccine  but it has still to apply for authorisation.

One thing is certain, the Covid-19 vaccine saga will test our nerves in 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.
Board of Directors of Kerala-based have given approval to appoint J K Shivan as managing director and CEO of the Bank.

It may be recalled that the shareholders of the Kerala-based had voted against MD & CEO Sunil Gurbaxani On September 30, 2020. Then, in December that year, the lender appointed Shivan as the new MD & CEO. However, the banking regulator, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), had asked the Board to get shareholders approval before appointing J K Shivan as the next chief of the bank.

According to experts, RBI's direction was unusual since the board typically appoints the candidate recommended by the regulator as additional director and then seeks shareholders approval at the next AGM. In this case, the lender's Board had moved a resolution on December 26, as asked by RBI, for shareholders approval via electronic voting, for Shivan's appointment.

The bank has moved a resolution for Kerala-based Shivan's appointment and 105 members have cast 63,322,890 votes, or 99.81 per cent of the total, favouring the resolution, while there werr 18 votes against the resolution or 0.19 per cent of the total.

The resolution appointing Shivan has been passed with the requisite majority.

has seen two of its MD-CEOs resign ahead of their term after losing shareholder's confidence. The lender went through a bad phase during 2008-2013 and was under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework of the for some time.

Gurbaxani was ousted as MD-CEO by shareholders with over 90 per cent votes against his leadership on October 1, 2020, in the first AGM since his appointment in February 2020. Gurbaxani then alleged that directors pressurised him to quit after he raised certain governance issues. He had been named MD & CEO for three years, effective February 2020. However, the ordinary resolution moved for Gurbaxani's appointment was defeated, with 90.49 per cent of the votes polled against the proposal last September. Only 9.51 per cent of the votes were favoured his appointment.



ALSO READ: Which bank next on the RBI radar?

The bank is currently managed by a committee of directors and has given it four months to appoint a new head.

Shivan, who is from Pallakad, Kerala, has over 37 years experience in State Bank of India (SBI) and worked in functional areas like commercial banking.

He headed corporate banking, international & forex operations and was also involved in retail advances and agriculture credit. He also has experience as branch and regional head in SBI. He retired as chief general manager of the stressed assets resolution group at SBI. He was retail branch head for 6 years in Kerala at rural and urban centres of SBI. He headed geographic areas of Central India stretching from Gujarat to the North-East. Later, he headed sectoral teams, handling stressed accounts in infrastructure and commercial real estate. Also, he looked after areas like airlines, telecom, trading, gems & jewellery, food processing and edible oil processing, among others.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday delivered to the Senate a charge accusing former President Donald Trump with inciting insurrection in a speech to his supporters before the deadly attack on the Capitol setting in motion his second impeachment trial.

Nine House Democrats who will serve as prosecutors in the trial, following the clerk of the House and the acting sergeant at arms, carried the written accusation through the Capitol Rotunda and to the Senate chamber, following the same path that a mob of Trump supporters took on Jan. 6 as they clashed with police.

The Senate is expected to start a trial on February 9 on the article against Trump.

The 100 senators are due to serve as jurors in proceedings that could result in Trumps disqualification from ever again serving as president.

Ten House Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump on Jan. 13. Senate Democrats will need the support of 17 Republicans to convict him in the Senate, a steep climb given the continued allegiance to Trump among the Republican Partys conservative base of voters.

France 24s Kethevane Gorjestani reports on Trumps impending impeachment trial

Democrat Patrick Leahy, the Senates longest-serving member, said on Monday he will preside over the trial.

Although the Constitution calls upon the U.S. chief justice to preside over presidential impeachments, a senator presides when the impeached is not the current president, a Senate source said.

First elected to the chamber in 1974, Leahy, 80, holds the title of Senate president pro tempore.

Chief Justice John Roberts presided over the impeachment trial when the Senate, the controlled by Trumps fellow Republicans, acquitted Trump in February 2020 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigate President Joe Biden and his son.

Leahy will still be able to vote in the trial, an aide said, noting that senators still vote on all matters when presiding over the chamber.

Some Republicans questioned the arrangement. How does a Senator preside, like a judge, and serve as juror too? Republican Senator John Cornyn asked on Twitter.

A number of Republican lawmakers have objected to the impeachment, some arguing that it would be a violation of the Constitution to hold a trial now because Trump no longer serves as president.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, rejected that argument on Monday.

The theory that the Senate cant try former officials would amount to a constitutional get-out-of-jail-free card for any president, Schumer told the Senate.

Trump is the only U.S. president to have been impeached by the House twice and is set to become the first to face trial after leaving office. He left office on January 20.

A divided senate

The Senate is divided 50-50, with Democrats holding a majority because of the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Senate leaders on Friday agreed to put off the trial for two weeks to give Trump more time to prepare a defence and let the chamber focus on Bidens early priorities, including Cabinet appointments.

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The impeachment focuses on Trumps speech to supporters on a grassy expanse near the White House shortly before a mob stormed the Capitol, disrupted the formal certification of Bidens victory over Trump in the November 3 election, sent lawmakers into hiding and left five people dead, including a police officer.

During his speech, Trump repeated his false claims that the election was rigged against him with widespread voting fraud and irregularities.

He exhorted his supporters to march on the Capitol, telling them to stop the steal, show strength, fight much harder and use very different rules.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and other lawmakers in the party have condemned the violence and some have accused Trump of inciting it.

Republican Senator Mitt Romney told CNN on Sunday that the trial was necessitated by Trumps inflammatory call to his supporters.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Friday found that 51% of Americans thought the Senate should convict Trump, breaking down largely along party lines.

(REUTERS)

France 24 is Premium Times syndication partner. We have its permission to republish.
Labour has called on the size of juries to be cut from 12 people to seven to help clear the backlog of criminal cases waiting to come to court amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The party called on the Government to resort to 'wartime juries', as were used during the Second World War when numbers were cut except for murder and treason trials, to reduce the space needed to hold socially-distanced trials.

This could also help reduce the likelihood of jurors becoming infected with coronavirus while attending court, according to Labour.

Victims of rape, murder, domestic abuse, robbery and assault are facing delays of up to four years in getting justice, the party said.

It also called for more Nightingale courts to be opened, quicker.

'The justice system is facing its gravest crisis since World War Two, leaving thousands of victims waiting too long to get justice,' Shadow justice secretary David Lammy said.

Shadow justice secretary David Lammy, pictured, has called on the size of juries to be cut from 12 people to seven to help clear the backlog of criminal cases waiting to come to court amid the Covid-19 pandemic

'Victims of rape, murder, domestic abuse, robbery and assault are facing delays of up to four years because of the Government's failure to act.

'Justice cannot be delayed any further.

'Labour is calling on the Government to tackle the backlog by speeding up the rollout of Nightingale courts and temporarily introducing wartime juries of seven until the pandemic is over.'

In June Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said he hoped to clear the backlog of court cases by Easter this year.

At the time he said he was 'still very attracted' by the idea of using smaller juries and also suggested jurors could take part in some trials over Zoom as he considered multiple options to keep the justice system moving.

But some legal figures have warned against cutting jury numbers.

Derek Sweeting, chairman of the Bar Council, said there was 'no doubt' more measures were needed to tackle the backlog but warned 'tampering with juries' should be a 'last resort'.

'Reducing the size of juries risks diluting that experience and denting confidence in our justice system,' he added.

In June Justice Secretary Robert Buckland (pictured outside Downing Street in December) said he hoped to clear the backlog of court cases by Easter this year

James Mulholland, chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, said more investment was needed in space and extra courtrooms instead, adding: 'A jury of 12 must continue to be the means by which serious criminal allegations are determined and it must remain a beacon of light amidst the darkness that surrounds us.'

The calls come as a former senior judge said the backlog of court cases must not be allowed to 'fester'.

Delays had resulted in injustice and a concerted effort was needed to deal with the problem, argued independent crossbencher Lord Woolf, who served as lord chief justice of England and Wales, in the House of Lords on Tuesday.

Last week, justice watchdogs warned the 'unprecedented and very serious' court case backlog poses the greatest threat to the criminal justice system in England and Wales, with four top inspectors joining forces to express their 'grave concerns' about the situation which has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

The criminal courts backlog stood at 457,518 as of November, the latest available figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) show.

There were 53,950 cases outstanding in the crown courts and 403,568 outstanding in the magistrates' courts.

The criminal courts backlog stood at 457,518 as of November, the latest available figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) show. There were 53,950 cases outstanding in the crown courts and 403,568 outstanding in the magistrates' courts. Pictured: The Royal Courts of Justice

The overall number of outstanding criminal cases has fallen slightly since October, but is still about 100,000 higher than figures for February 2020, before the country first went into lockdown in March, according to the data.

There were 599 confirmed cases of Covid-19 among court staff and users, the judiciary and jurors across 199 court and tribunal buildings in England and Wales between November 24 and January 11, according to MoJ figures.

The Government previously said it was investing 450 million to 'boost recovery in the courts and deliver swifter justice', insisting this was 'already yielding results'.

A spokesman for the MoJ said: 'We have prioritised measures that yield the greatest impact and more courtrooms are now open for jury trials than before the pandemic.

'This approach is already delivering results, with magistrates' backlogs falling significantly and the number of cases being dealt with in the Crown Courts reaching pre-Covid levels last month.'
The Government has today agreed that the current public health restrictions will remain in place until 5th March 2021. While we have seen a welcome decrease in the numbers of cases in recent days, the overall numbers and, significantly, the numbers in hospital and ICU with COVID-19 are at their highest since the start of the pandemic. For this reason, we must continue efforts to get the virus under control by limiting congregation, mobility and social contacts as much as possible.

Maintaining Level 5 restrictions will place continued demands on society and business, however, it is essential that we continue to hold firm and reduce the cases in order to protect the vulnerable, protect our health care services (including maintaining non-COVID healthcare) and reopen schools at the earliest opportunity. The Minister for Education will continue to work with stakeholders to agree a plan for a phased return to in-school provision, commencing with children with special educational needs.

International Travel

Noting that non-essential international travel is a breach to Level 5 rules, the Government has agreed to introduce a number of measures aimed at reducing the risk it poses, including (See notes to editors for further detail):

An increase to the fixed penalty for breach of the rules relating to international travel.

Increased Garda checks and enforcement activity relating to people travelling internationally who are in breach of level 5 rules.

The existing regulations requiring pre-departure PCR tests will be extended to 5th March.

A range of mandatory quarantine measures will be introduced, applying to all international arrivals.

Mandatory quarantine at a designated facility will be required for passengers who arrive in breach of the pre-departure negative PCR requirement.

Mandatory quarantine at designated facility will be required for persons who arrive from Brazil and South Africa.

Application of these measures to passengers who are not EU/EEA citizens can be introduced by regulations. For all other passengers, it will be necessary to amend primary legislation. The detailed legislative work to implement this will get under way immediately.

In other cases, passengers will be required by law to quarantine at home.

Restriction of travel from South Africa, Brazil and other south American countries, including suspension of visa-free short-term visits, until 5th March.

Supports

It is fully recognised that these further restrictions will be very difficult for people. Payments available under both the Employment Wage Support Scheme (EWSS) and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) will continue to be maintained. This will ensure continued support for both employers and workers who lose their jobs due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions. In addition, the Government continues to make available a wide range of supports for businesses.

Payments remain available at current levels under both the Enterprise Wage Support Scheme (EWSS) and the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). This ensures continued support for both employers and workers who lose their jobs due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions.

Under the EWSS, which provides a subsidy to qualifying employers to offset payroll costs, a payment of up to 350 per week will continue to be available. This enhanced payment level will remain in place until the 31st March.

Similarly, the PUP, available to those who have lost their jobs, including the self-employed, as a result of COVID-19, will continue to be made available at the current pay-related level of up to 350 a week until 31st March.

In addition, the Government continues to make available a wide range of supports for businesses.

Notes to editors

Further detail on measures in relation to international travel:

Restriction until 5th March (to be reviewed before that date) of visa-free short-term visits from South Africa, Brazil and other south American countries.

The various categories of essential travel to be reviewed to ensure this is as limited as possible.

The regulations requiring pre-departure PCR tests, due to expire on 31 January, to be extended to 5 March.

Extra Garda checkpoints, including on routes near ports/airports, and checks of returning passengers at ports/airports, to detect/deter non-essential international travel in breach of level 5 rules.

Mandatory quarantine at a designated facility will be required for passengers who arrive in breach of the pre-departure negative PCR requirement.

Mandatory quarantine at designated facility will be required for persons who arrive from Brazil and South Africa.

In other cases, passengers will be required by law to quarantine at home.

Application of these measures to passengers who are not EU/EEA citizens can be introduced by regulations. For all other passengers, it will be necessary to amend primary legislation. The detailed legislative work to implement this will get under way immediately.

Place on a statutory/penal footing the advice to restrict movement/self-isolate at home for persons arriving from abroad, with minimal essential exceptions, and with monitoring and enforcement.

Ensure that the current travel regulations applicable to persons who travel to Ireland from overseas also apply in respect of passengers who route their journeys via Northern Ireland.

Amend the Passenger Locator Form regulations to require all inbound passengers, including those going on to Northern Ireland, to provide place of residence/address on the form.

Conclude arrangements with Northern Ireland regarding data sharing and follow-up with passengers who travel via Ireland to Northern Ireland.

Continue discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive and UK Government on opportunities for increased alignment and/or common outcomes on travel issues more generally.

Continue to participate in EU level discussions and be ready to adapt measures as necessary in light of EU developments.

Business Supports

The Government continues to make available a wide range of supports for businesses including the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme; extensive tax warehousing arrangements; reduced VAT rates, both at the standard rate and at the lower rate for the hospitality and tourism sectors, a commercial rates waiver, and a wide range of reduced cost loans, grants and voucher schemes, such as the 2 billion COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme, COVID-19 Business Loans from Microfinance Ireland, the Sustaining Enterprise Fund, and Trading Online Vouchers.
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With its soaring expanses of glass and light, the new Moynihan Train Hall, which rises behind the colonnades of the Beaux-Arts James A. Farley Building across from Pennsylvania Station, has achieved the near impossible: It has left New Yorkers, 10 months into a pandemic, feeling transported and inspired.

On a recent weekend day, it also gave them something to do.

Perfect quarantine activity, said Mara Golden, who lives in Brooklyn, as she took in the sweep of the main concourse from a balcony. Alongside her was her friend Samantha Stahl, who lives in Long Island City. Neither woman had gone out much during the pandemic, but they made an exception for the train hall, which Stahl said looked like an indoor park.

Clara Lipson and her husband, John Ricker, arranged to meet up at the hall with two of their friends from the West Village, Alba Gallo and Sigrid Esser. As they stepped into the main hall, the friends, who are in their 60s and 70s, slowed to a stop. They murmured approval to one another behind their masks.

Across the hall from Ms. Lipson and her friends, Ben Manna, who is 24 and lives in Queens, was strutting back and forth. He was sporting a white hoodie from a clothing line he had just started up, as his friend John Padoginog, 25, from Long Island, took photos and video.

They had spotted the hall on Instagram, and were drawn to it because they wanted to shoot Mr. Manna and his wares in a place that had clean lines and modern architecture. There were also few other public places in New York, let alone one of its transit hubs, that were as pristine.

This is pretty much the cleanest place in the city right now, Mr. Padoginog said.

Its Tuesday  take it all in.




Colombia's Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo has died from viral pneumonia related to COVID-19, the government said on Tuesday.







Trujillo was reported infected with coronavirus earlier this month and was transferred to an intensive care unit. He died in the military hospital in Bogota aged 69.







"The death of Carlos Holmes fills me with pain," a visibly moved President Ivan Duque said. "Colombia has lost one of its best men."







Before serving as defense minister, from where he coordinated military and police operations in the fight against drug trafficking, illegal armed groups, illicit mining and other criminal acts, Trujillo served as foreign minister in Duque's government.







A lawyer, politician and diplomat whose career spanned more than 30 years, he was mayor of the city of Cali, a member of the National Assembly which reformed Colombia's constitution in 1991. He also served as Interior Minister and Education Minister among other roles.







Other notable Colombians infected with coronavirus include first lady Maria Juliana Ruiz, who tested positive in November, and Vice President Marta Lucia Ramirez, who tested positive in October.







President Ivan Duque has not tested positive. Duque has regular coronavirus tests because of his high level of exposure and busy schedule.







Colombia has reported more than 2 million coronavirus infections, as well as close to 52,000 deaths due to COVID-19, the disease it causes. (Reuters)


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Name: Ron Konezny

Company: Digi International

Job Title: CEO, Board Director

Location: Hopkins, MN

Ron Konezny joined Digi International in December 2014, as President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining, he was Vice President, Global Transportation and Logistics division of Trimble Navigation Limited, a global provider of navigation and range-finding equipment and related solutions. Konezny has extensive experience in the wireless M2M industry working with solutions comprised of hardware and cloud-based applications.

What was the most valuable piece of career advice that you received? The best bet you can make is on yourself. This gave me the confidence.

What was the worst piece of business advice that you received? If you work hard, you will succeed. Dont get me wrong, having a strong work ethic is critical. However, as your career matures, you have to combine your work ethic with a strong sense of context and ask yourself hard questions: why am I doing the work? What are we trying to achieve? Is the level of effort worth the outcome?

What advice would you give to someone starting their career in IT/tech? The whole world changes all the time, but IT changes even faster. Be prepared and embrace change.

Did you always want to work in IT/tech? Yes. As an elementary student, I fell in love with computers and computer programming. Ive always like math (my father was an accountant), and that probably contributed to my interest in computers and IT.

What was your first job in IT/tech? One of my first roles in IT was entering trades for Citigroup London. I worked off the foreign exchange desk, while in between my junior and senior year. I was using a SWIFT terminal, and I couldnt help but think about how to make the process quicker and more efficient.

What are some common misconceptions about working in IT/tech? One of the biggest misconceptions is thinking that you necessarily need to be a technology expert to work in IT. There are many aspects to succeed in IT, not the least of which is the human side of change management.

What tips would you give to someone aiming for a C-level position? Sometimes people think leadership is a reward for all the work they put into getting to that level. In other words, the you made it moment. In all truth, thats when the real work begins. You have to really understand the responsibility you have within your team, the pressures you will face, the very tough decisions you will have to make, and that (usually) its not as glamorous as its sometimes made out to be. Its an incredible experience for those that can handle the varied pressures on the role puts on the intellectual and emotional intelligence.

What are your career ambitions and have you reached them yet? I have many personal and career ambitions to accomplish. It is a never-ending list, as soon as I accomplish one, I seem to add more. This is what keeps my role as CEO and my future in technology interesting, I hope I never run out of goals.

Do you have a good work life balance in your current role? Honestly, no. I try hard, but worry that Ive over-emphasised work. Up until the pandemic, my responsibilities took a lot of my personal time. During the pandemic, with the absence of travel and remote work, Ive been able to spend much more time with my family, and its been wonderful. Im sure when business travel re-emerges, Ill be working a lot harder to keep that balance.

What, if anything, would you change about the route your career path has taken? I really dont think much about regrets. Ive been very fortunate and feel incredibly blessed. I do wonder what my career would have been if I decided to go to business school instead of starting a company, but certainly wouldnt want to change anything.

Which would you recommend: A coding bootcamp or a computer science degree? Computer science degree. Its so important you understand how computers work. With that base knowledge, you can go many different directions, including coding.

How important are specific certifications? Very much depends on your career path and interests. For example, those on a more technical career path and that like working with a certain technology (e.g., networking, Cisco switches) should seriously consider specific certifications. But, be prepared for certifications to multiply and never stop your thirst for learning.

What are the three skills or abilities you look for in prospective candidates? Unfortunately, I have found many candidates struggle to answer these specific questions in an impressive way:

Self-awareness: Tell me about your career journey, and why did you choose that path. What do you like and what are you good at?

Outcomes, not just results: Tell me about projects you are particularly proud of, what role did you play, and what was the outcome?

Context, impact: Tell me about the specific objectives you are held to and tell me about your most recent performance review?

What would put you off a candidate? It throws me off when a potential candidate talks too much, is too self-absorbed, and not specific in their experiences and their roles/contributions.

What are the most common mistakes made by candidates in an interview? How can those mistakes be avoided? Candidates need to know the company they are interviewing to join, and know the interviewers background. With LinkedIn and other resources available, they are only being lazy  and perceived as that - if they dont put in the work.

Do you think it is better to have technical or business skills  or a mix of both? It depends on the persons aspirations. Its very important to realise that you can have functional as well as leadership career paths and a symbiosis of both. Too often, functionally excellent resources are moved towards a leadership career path, even if they dont like or arent good at management.

I certainly like both. I would recommend tactical people to learn some leadership traits, as they always help build rapport and understand what leadership and business-focused roles require from you. On the other hand, for someone trying to step into a leadership path, it would be helpful to understand technical aspects to lead teams in the right direction.
Queen Elizabeth II, at Trooping the Colour in 2020. The palace is hiring for a communications assistant. (Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The Queen is seeking to bolster her staff with a new role in the royal household.

A job for a senior communications assistant has been advertised with Buckingham Palace, for someone looking to build their skills on a new platform.

The role is offering 27,000 a year plus benefits, for 37.5 hours a week work on the palaces intranet, keeping somewhere in the region of 1,200 employees informed.

The palace is looking for someone who has creative flair and technical expertise, and an eye for design to make videos and online content for the treasurers office.

According to the job description, the new employee will manage our social intranet to ensure its a must visit place for every employee. You'll co-ordinate news, source and write content, support local editors and be a point of technical know-how.

Her Majesty also wants the new employee to be a brand ambassador, adding: We don't stand still here; and you'll be encouraged to make an impact at the heart of this world-famous institution.

Watch: Queen Elizabeth has been vaccinated - palace

Read more: Ofcom won't take action against Channel 4 for 'deepfake' version of Queen's Christmas message

Charlotte Davies, careers expert at LinkedIn, said confidence is key when it comes to applying for the role.

Offering application tips for the amazing opportunity she said: Its a unique role (with a very high-profile boss!)  so very few applicants will have direct experience working with royalty. As with any role, be confident in your abilities and be sure to highlight your key skills  in this case, it could be your digital savviness or being able to work under pressure.

She added: Employers will most likely search for candidates online to check previous experience and judge character. Its important that your social presence is royally up-to-scratch, particularly when applying for a communications role like this.

Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and ensure your other public social channels dont contain anything that would make any of the Royals blush!

Story continues

For those who get an interview, she said: The interviewers for this role are sure to be on the lookout for tip-top manners and etiquette from candidates  attentive body language and steady but friendly eye contact are both really important for giving a great (virtual) interview.

The Queen, here during a visit with a group of school children inside the old Senate chamber of the Virginia state capitol in 2007, is said to be a good boss. (Reuters/Matthew Cavanaugh)

Read more: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding chef makes history with third Michelin star

The job will be under the household of the Privy Purse and Treasurers Office, which is responsible for the finances of the Royal Family.

The current Keeper of the Privy Purse is Sir Michael Stevens, whose work for the Queen saw him knighted in 2017.

And while the new employee is unlikely to ever report to the Queen, there are accounts that she is a good person to work for. Author SJ Bennett told Yahoo UK the Queen is very relaxed about bumping into her staff in the corridors of the palaces.

Although the current structure of the role isnt listed, the job description mentions flexible ways of working are likely to continue post pandemic.

Sharing the opportunity on LinkedIn, the Royal Household quickly racked up dozens of likes so there could be stiff competition for the role.

The department is also hiring for a digital learning advisor, helping to develop digital and learning environments for the other royal employees.

Applications for both roles close on 7 February, and interviews are taking place in February.
Based on a statement by a user on weibo, it seems that Xiaomi could be unveiling a variant of the Xiaomi Mi 10 series thats equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset. While not much is known in regards to the exact release date, it does give us a better idea on what to expect when it is available in the global market.

In terms of the tech specs, the smartphone in question comes equipped with largely the same specs such as LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.0 storage, 6.67-inch 90Hz display, as well as a 4780mAh internal battery. As for the camera, it has a 108MP + 13MP + 2MP + 2MP rear camera while the front comes with a 20MP front-facing selfie sensor.

However, do take some of the information with a grain of salt, due to the fact that Xiaomi has yet to provide an official statement on the leak. Not only that, but theres also no news on the Malaysia release date, local pricing, and exact tech specs for now.

Would you be interested in getting the Xiaomi Mi 10 equipped with the SD870 chipset? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.

As we bid farewell to 2020, an annus horribilis if there ever was one, spare a thought or two for Canadas youth. Hard as 2020 was on Canada a whole, young Canadians are paying big time for the unavoidable consequences of COVID-19.

Opinion

As we bid farewell to 2020, an annus horribilis if there ever was one, spare a thought or two for Canadas youth. Hard as 2020 was on Canada a whole, young Canadians are paying big time for the unavoidable consequences of COVID-19.

Many Canadian young people were supposed to be having the proverbial "time of their lives." Instead, they were (supposedly) in lockdown at home, subject to many restrictions, and denied the social activities that were crucial rites of passage: parties, high school and university sports, dating, and the like.

Goodness knows how many social events, outings and fun activities were cancelled by public-health regulations and the wise decisions to socially isolate. No doubt many young and fresh relationships fell by the wayside.

The very young, struggling with grade school assignments at home, will effectively lose a full year of basic skills acquisition. This lost time is not easily made up, particularly for children under Grade 4. Wealthy and highly motivated parents will have found alternative instruction; the poor and marginalized are sure to fall further behind.

For students in grades 11 and 12 preparing for graduation, failure rates have skyrocketed. Thousands of students will be held back. Many others will limp into post-secondary education. Teachers and schools are focusing on "credit rescue," which essentially means a sharp reduction in the quality of the learning experience.

Students have generally been unimpressed with the online learning experience. The best students, in the main, are doing OK, even if the digital classrooms leave a fair bit to be desired. For weaker students, the loss of high-quality high school experiences could well linger into subsequent life and educational efforts.

For those who graduated from high school, in hastily and awkwardly completed fashion in late spring 2020, they moved in two directions: to an unwelcoming job market with soaring unemployment rates or to a post-secondary system that had made an emergency transition to online instruction. Students, teachers and institutions have tried hard last fall, but students are not warming to the online learning environment. Course failures, dropouts and the learned distaste for advanced study will echo in 2021 and well beyond.

Graduates from college, polytechnics and universities made a last-minute transition to online learning to complete their studies and then graduated into a horrible job market. It was not all horrible, but many of the "default" positions  gig workers, tourist-related jobs and any low-skilled opportunities  disappeared, particularly in the hard-hit small business sector.

Unrelated changes, such as the sharp decline in the oil and gas industry and global economic uncertainties in general, destroyed job opportunities for thousands of entry-level workers.

If this were not bad enough, there are indications that the economic challenges and uncertain employment will linger in 2021 and beyond. The government of Canada talks of billions of dollars in its "stimulus" package, but the track record for government-inspired and funded economic growth is far from encouraging.

Todays youth may, following on the example of the 2008-09 recession, experience uneven engagement with work and, consequently, with savings and debt repayment. Young people who graduate into a recession often take decades to recover.

On the positive side of the ledger, the government of Canadas fast and generous emergency payments, particularly CERB, ensured that the young and unemployed maintained a steady income. While the money helped prevent a nationwide panic, it appears thousands of young people took the government funding rather than look for work. Relying on "easy" government funding is hardly the best introduction to the world of employment and personal income.

This is not the end of the problems facing Canadian youth. University, college and polytechnic fees will almost certainly rise next year, even as it is harder for young people to find decent-paying jobs and lucrative careers. Rapid technological change and subsequent transformation of the world of work seems like yesterdays news, but the full effects still lie ahead. If preparing for a career was challenging a few years ago, it is much more difficult now.

To top it off, the governments of Canada, the provinces and territories have borrowed at historical levels, running up debts and deficits that todays youth will be paying off during their entire lives. Add to this list of difficulties the disruptive potential of the Trudeau governments newly announced climate-change agenda and the future prospects for Canadian young people remain uncertain at best.

Canadian youth are a diverse group, with highly motivated and exceptionally talented men and women in the same age cohort as unmotivated and low-skilled individuals. But this generation has not made its mark as being a particularly resilient and self-reliant bunch. Indeed, the current generation is noted for being demanding and collectively self-assured. Their resolve and talent will be severely tested in the years ahead, but more than a few adults are less than optimistic about the road ahead.

Ken Coates is a Munk senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

 Troy Media

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he remains confident in Canada's vaccine supplies despite threats from Europe that it might impose export controls on vaccines produced on that continent.

European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen addresses European lawmakers during the presentation of the program of activities of the Portuguese Presidency on a plenary session at the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Francisco Seco, Pool

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he remains confident in Canada's vaccine supplies despite threats from Europe that it might impose export controls on vaccines produced on that continent.

Speaking to reporters outside his Ottawa residence Tuesday morning, Trudeau said the situation in Europe is worrisome but he is "very confident" Canada is going to get all the COVID-19 vaccine doses promised by the end of March. And despite the sharp decline in deliveries of a vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech this month, he said Canada will still vaccinate all Canadians who want shots by the end of September.

"We will continue to work closely with Europe to ensure that we are sourcing, that we are receiving the vaccines that we have signed for, that we are due," Trudeau said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video statement posted to Twitter Tuesday that Europe will set up a "vaccine export transparency mechanism" so Europe knows exactly how many doses are being produced in the world's largest trading bloc and where they are being shipped.

"Europe invested billions to help develop the worlds first COVID-19 vaccines to create a truly global common good," she said. "And now the companies must deliver."

Europe is also getting smaller shipments from Pfizer than promised, because the company temporarily slowed production at its plant in Belgium so it can be expanded.

AstraZeneca has also warned Europe its first shipments of vaccine will be smaller than expected because of production problems.

But Europe, which invested more than C$4 billion in vaccine development, is demanding the companies fulfil their contracts on time.

"Europe is determined to contribute to this global common good but it also means business," said von der Leyen.

International Trade Minister Mary Ng said she had spoken to her European counterpart, Valdis Dombrovskis, about the situation and will keep working with Europe to keep the supply chain open.

"There is not a restriction on the export of vaccines to Canada," Ng said in question period.

Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner accused Ng of playing games with her response, noting the issue isn't that there is an export ban now, but that Europe is threatening to impose one.

With all of Canada's current vaccine doses coming from Europe, "that's a concern," Rempel Garner said.

"If the Europeans ban exports of vaccines, what's Plan B for Canada?" she asked.

Both Pfizer and Moderna are making doses of their vaccine in the U.S. and in Europe, but all U.S.-made doses are currently only shipped within the U.S.

Former U.S. president Donald Trump invoked the Defence Production Act last year to prevent export of personal protection equipment. He then signed an executive order in December demanding U.S.-produced vaccines be prioritized for Americans only and threatened to use the act to halt vaccine exports as well.

President Joe Biden has already invoked the act to push for faster production of PPE and vaccines. Though he has not specifically mentioned exports, Biden has promised 100 million Americans will be vaccinated within his first 100 days of office, making the prospects the U.S. shares any of its vaccine supply unlikely.

Canada has contracts with five other vaccine makers, but only two are on the verge of approval here. AstraZeneca, which has guaranteed Canada 20 million doses, needs to finish a big U.S. trial before Health Canada decides whether to authorize it.

Johnson and Johnson is to report results from its Phase 3 trial next week, one of the final things needed before Health Canada can make a decision about it. Canada is to get 10 million doses from Johnson and Johnson, but it is the one vaccine that so far is administered as only a single dose.

Trudeau said AstraZeneca isn't supplying Canada from its European production lines. A spokeswoman for Procurement Minister Anita Anand said Canada will not say where the other vaccines are coming from because of the concerns about security of supplies.

AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson have set up multiple production lines in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, India, Australia and Africa. Canada has no current ability to produce either those vaccines or the ones from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. It is entirely reliant on foreign production at the moment.

More than 113,000 people in Canada have received two full doses of either the Moderna or BioNTech vaccine. Another 752,000 have received a single dose.

But the reduction in Pfizer shipments to Canada forced most provinces to slow the pace of injections. Europe, Mexico, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also have slowed their vaccination campaigns because of the supply limits.

Trudeau said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla assured him the full shipments will resume in mid-February, and that Canada will get its contracted four million doses by the end of March. He said he spoke to Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel Tuesday morning and was promised Moderna's shipments of two million doses by March 31 are also on track.

MPs were scheduled to have an emergency debate on Canada's vaccine program Tuesday night.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2021.
SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- City Council took action Monday (Jan. 25) to take care of its non-residential buildings, now and in the future.

It also said yes to legislation that aims to preserve the buildings of yesterday.

As expected, council approved two long-discussed pieces of legislation. One is a dark store ordinance, which seeks to ensure that all vacant non-residential buildings are registered with the city and properly maintained.

The other created a South Euclid Landmark Commission that will serve to preserve buildings deemed historically significant.

I know these were ordinances that were a long time coming, Economic Development Director Michael Love said during the online meeting. I know the Planning Commission and Zoning & Planning Committee (of council) spent much time and effort in crafting both pieces of legislation.

We do believe that implementing the dark store ordinance for commercial properties, similar to what weve been able to do for residential properties, will hopefully lead to the same levels of success in terms of ensuring that vacant buildings do get re-occupied and that we help alleviate the problem of property owners who choose to let one or two units of their strip center sit vacant without making any effort to try and get those storefronts leased, he said.

In addition, we also feel that the landmark legislation ordinance can lead to achieving much success here in the future in helping to preserve what we do want to preserve in our downtown district and other areas of the city, and helping ensure those structures have all the available incentives to them to be restored and be rehabbed in the future.

The dark store ordinance makes building owners responsible for proper upkeep of property, including removal of weeds and grass mowing; registering the property with the city; and paying an annual fee to the city for as long as their buildings remain vacant.

The fee will be 15 cents per square foot during the first year of vacancy, 20 cents the second year and 25 cents the third and remaining years.

Before a vacant building is sold, it must be inspected and a certificate of compliance, at $200, will have to be obtained.

Only Councilwoman Susan Hardy voted against the dark store ordinance, believing the fees could be too high when considering the size of some buildings.

The landmark commission will consist of seven non-paid members. The legislation states that the commission will serve to stabilize and improve property values, safeguard the citys heritage, enhance aesthetics, foster civic pride, promote historic preservation and strengthen the citys economy.

Funding may be made available to preserve or enhance buildings the commission deems landmarks.

In addition, council passed a resolution -- a companion to the dark store ordinance -- that will allow Love to work with the owners of vacant buildings to find what could be temporary uses for those buildings.

We also realize, in some cases, it can be difficult to find new tenants and get properties re-occupied, Love said, so we do want to do this for landlords who are really trying to improve their properties and make them attractive to new tenants.

We want to incentivize them to do that and dont want to seem putative through the dark store ordinance, he said.

The thought behind this resolution that Councilwoman (Jane) Goodman and Councilwoman (Ruth) Gray came up with would allow us to negotiate with property owners to actually use their properties for an alternative use, such as an indoor farmers market, flea market or bazaar, or some other type of civic use, for groups to have meetings, or things like that.

(Or to) display artworks, as we did in the past with the storefront art initiative, or temporary gallery space. Just something to utilize the space.

And, it helps the landlord in terms of getting publicity out about their space and hopefully attracting a new tenant, Love said.

Its free marketing for them and, of course, it helps the city, as well, by not having the building be vacant and being used for some civic purpose.

And, by (owners) agreeing to this, to allow space to be used, it would exempt them from having to pay registration fees, because the property would not be vacant. It would be used for some purpose.

Pay to stay

Council also heard the first reading Monday of what is called a pay-to-stay ordinance.

Council heard from Molly Martin, director for strategic initiatives for the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, who said that the organization has lately, during the COVID-19 pandemic, been doing a lot of statewide advocacy for eviction protections and on rights for renters.

The CDC has extended until March 31 its eviction moratorium. Martin, no relation to city Housing Manager Sally Martin, said: Ohio is one of only five states where landlords have the right to file for an eviction immediately after nonpayment of rent.

And so, under a pay-to-stay ordinance, renters who are late on payment, if a landlord has filed a for an eviction for non-payment of rent, then that tenant has the right to pay the past-due rent and the late fees by the time of the hearing, and that would result in the dismissal of the eviction judgment.

Martin said that, if there are also other reasons for eviction, such as damage to property, the landlord could still evict. The ordinance would only pertain to non-payment of rent.

They should have the right to stay in their home for just one day late on rent, Martin said, noting that not all renters have qualified for emergency rent assistance.

Currently, if a landlord receives payment of rent after filing for eviction because of non-payment, the eviction can still proceed.

The cities of Toledo and Yellow Springs, Ohio, have already passed such legislation, while Dayton, Cleveland and Cleveland Heights are in the process of considering such legislation.

Deer talk

Ward 3 Councilwoman Sara Continenza, who chairs councils Recreation Committee, said the committee will next meet online at 6 p.m. Feb. 22 to further discuss steps being taken to limit the citys deer population.

Read more from the Sun Messenger.
Two are grandfathers, the other has three young children. All three are extremely wealthy, with the means to pay the $55 million ticket price for an eight-day stay on the International Space Station. They are the first would-be spaceflight crew comprised entirely of private citizens in a mission to the station.

Sometime early next year, if all goes according to plan, the trio - Larry Connor, the managing partner of the Connor Group, a real estate investment firm based in Ohio; Mark Pathy, the chief executive of Mavrik Corp., a Canadian investment firm; and Eytan Stibbe, a businessman and former Israeli Air Force fighter pilot - will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for what is scheduled to be an eight-day stay on the International Space Station.

Accompanying them will be Michael Lopez-Alegria, a former NASA astronaut who flew to space four times and is now a vice president of Axiom Space, the Houston-based company that is coordinating their trip to space. Lopez-Alegria is overseeing their training and will serve as the mission's commander.

If it takes place as envisioned, the flight would mark a watershed moment in human space flight, one that according to Axiom, which announced the identities of the three paying passengers on Tuesday, will eventually make space more accessible and further erode the monopoly that governments have long held on space travel. The company is planning two flights per year and also is developing a space station of its own that NASA hopes may one day replace the International Space Station, the orbiting lab that has been in space for 22 years.

"This is just the first of several Axiom Space crews whose private missions to the International Space Station will truly inaugurate an expansive future for humans in space - and make a meaningful difference in the world when they return home," Michael Suffredini, Axiom Space president and chief executive, said in a statement.

Over the years, several wealthy private citizens have flown to the space station before - but on the Russian Soyuz craft because NASA forbade the practice on flights from U.S. soil. In 2019, NASA reversed its stance, saying the missions would help boost a growing commercial space industry as well as help NASA's bottom line. The space agency charges $35,000 a day per passenger for food, storage and communication during stays on board the orbiting laboratory - a total of $840,000 for three people for eight days.

"But it won't come with any Hilton or Marriott points," Jeff DeWit, NASA's former chief financial officer, said at the 2019 announcement of the policy change.

Pathy, who has three young children, has a lifelong passion for space but didn't think he would ever be able to go until a friend told him about the Axiom missions. His initial reaction was skeptical.

"I wasn't sure it was completely real, and I'd never heard of this company, Axiom," he said. "I obviously was not going to blast off in a rocket if this was some sort of Mickey Mouse travel outfit. But the more I inquired and the more I spoke with them directly, the more I realized they were the real deal. It was really possible. And that moment where you think, 'Holy cow, this is something I could actually do,' it's a bit of a surreal moment."

Flying private citizens to space is a goal that NASA has had for years. At the beginning of the space shuttle program, it envisioned offering seats to private citizens and started a "Spaceflight Participant" program. A couple of members of Congress flew first, Sens. Jake Garn, R-Utah, and Bill Nelson, D-Fla., but then NASA selected a teacher - Christa McAuliffe, who taught history in Concord, N.H. Next, a journalist was to go, then perhaps an artist.

The program ended, however, after the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff, killing McAuliffe and the other astronauts on board. The agency decided spaceflight was too risky for ordinary citizens.

In an op-ed in The Washington Post two days after the disaster, Michael Collins, who flew to the moon with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin aboard Apollo 11, seemed to take aim at NASA's efforts to send civilians to space as cavalier, warning that PR stunts can't overcome the punishing force of physics.

"I have been expecting something like this for 20 years," he wrote of the Challenger disaster, which took place on a cold morning 35 years ago Thursday. "Anyone who has lived with large rocket engines understands that their awesome power is produced by machinery churning away at very high temperatures, pressures and velocities. A thin and fragile barrier separates combustion from explosion."

In interviews with The Post, the crew of the Axiom flight said they were well aware of the risks and were taking the flight seriously. Within the ranks of the professional astronaut corps, there may very well be skepticism, if not outright objection, so their goal is to prove their merit through conviction and a humble dedication the endeavor deserves.

"There will definitely be some resistance," said Lopez-Alegria, who spent 20 years as a NASA astronaut and holds the record for the most spacewalks. "I think it's our job to win them over. We can do that certainly by being as prepared and expert as possible. And so, my goal is to get those guys to the point where no stone is unturned. And when they get on board station, the crews are pleased, maybe pleasantly."

That was his experience when in 2006, he flew on the Soyuz with Anousheh Ansari, who reportedly paid about $20 million for the experience. But at first, he was dubious, thinking she was a dilettante.

"I think the hesitancy was natural when you come from a background as a military pilot and then spend your whole career studying to want to be an astronaut, and then somebody kind of cuts the line, if you will," he said. "It was a little hard to swallow."

But what won him over was her "consummate professionalism" and the fact that she wrote a blog from space. "Millions of people were reading it," he said. "These are people that otherwise wouldn't have cared less about what was going on in human spaceflight. And that idea of sharing the experience really hit home for me."

Stibbe, who flew combat missions for the Israeli Air Force and is the founding partner of an investment firm, is well aware of the risks, especially because he was close friends with Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut, who died in 2003 when the space shuttle Columbia came apart over Texas on reentry. He serves now on the board of a foundation created in Ramon's honor. As for his flight, Stibbe said, "Obviously there's some fear, and this is definitely extreme. And then there are risks, and I'm aware of the risks."

Connor said he wanted to leave a good impression so that others might follow in his footsteps. "We have a vital responsibility as a first group of private astronauts to do this thing correctly so that we don't end up being the last group," he said.

They embrace the challenge wide-eyed, they said, chastened by past disasters, aware of the risks, but bullish on the benefits. Private citizens in space would not only bring attention to the space program but allow them to do research on board the station, raise awareness of science and math activities in their communities, and give their already robust philanthropic efforts a cosmic boost.

They are aware, too, that there are problems on Earth that need to be addressed and that spaceflight is viewed by much of the public as a superfluous indulgence, especially during a pandemic and an economic crisis. The crew members say they see the flight as an enhancement of their other philanthropic efforts.

"There are a lot of issues - adversity, and in some regards, crises, here, not only in the U.S., but worldwide," Connor said. "And those absolutely need to be a priority. But we cannot forget about the future. We cannot forget about having long-term visions . . . and hopefully this mission and the research we're going to do is going to be one small step on that journey."

In space, he said he does "not want to be a spectator. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I want to do something of value and how that translates into research and experiments."

Connor is collaborating with the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic on research projects. He also intends to teach lessons to students at Dayton Early College Academy, a K-12 charter school with 1,300 students, 75% of them from low-income families.

Pathy is working with the Canadian Space Agency and the Montreal Children's Hospital on health-related research projects. And Stibbe plans to conduct scientific research coordinated by the Ramon Foundation and the Israeli Space Agency.

Their mission comes at a significant time for human spaceflight. Last year, SpaceX flew the first NASA astronauts to the space station from U.S. soil since the space shuttle was retired in 2011 - the first launch of humans into orbit by a private company, not a government. It flew another mission in November and is scheduled to fly more this year. Boeing also intends to fly NASA astronauts to the station this year.

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin are planning to fly paying customers to space, as well. Those missions are not intended to go into orbit but rather to the edge of space, coming back down after giving passengers a few minutes of weightlessness. (Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

Those trips, although still expensive, cost far less than trips to the space station. Virgin charged $250,000, although that price probably will go up in the short term. Blue Origin has not yet announced prices.

Pathy and Connor traveled to Cape Canaveral last year to witness SpaceX's first launch of astronauts. It was the first time either of them had been to a rocket launch, and both said they were awestruck.

"You feel that sound in your chest," Pathy said. "And for me, especially, I'm thinking that was going to be me in a few months. It was a really exciting and intense experience."
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says most pregnant women should not get a COVID-19 vaccine at this stage due to insufficient data and a low number of cases in Australia.

The country recorded its ninth consecutive day with no community transmission on Tuesday, as globally the number of COVID-19 cases approaches 100 million.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says there is insufficient evidence to recommend the routine use of COVID vaccines in pregnant women. Credit:AP

RANZCOG President Dr Vijay Roach said because of the limited spread of the virus in Australia, coupled with a general caution around advice to pregnant women about what medicines they can take, it seems reasonable to wait for more data.

I think the underlying principal is caution when it comes to pregnant women and unborn babies, he said.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind (WTHI) - The American Red Cross says every blood donor can help save up to three lives.

Because of the pandemic, the need for blood is greater this year.

The winter months are usually a time the organization is reaching out in search for volunteers to donate blood.

They're looking to keep donors safe while saving lives.

Those who answer the call in February will get a $5 gift card from Amazon.

If you'd like to donate you can schedule an appointment on the American Red Cross website.
On India's 72nd Republic Day parade, a total of 32 tableaux were seen going down Rajpath. Among these, the tableaux of Ladakh and of Jammu & Kashmir, were included for the first time. The parade also saw the Rafale carrying out the 'Vertical Charlie'.

India celebrates its 72nd Republic Day today. Usually, this day is commemorated with elaborate displays, bravery awards and the gravity-defying stunts by motorcycle-borne men at Rajpath, but this year, due to the Covid-19 protocols, many of the major attractions were missing. Even the number of guests were reduced to 25,000 from around 1.25 lakh last year.

The day started as the tricolour was unfurled at Delhis Rajpath in presence of President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries including Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Prime Minister Modi started the celebrations with a visit to the National War Memorial this morning. PM Modi led the nation in paying tribute to the heroes of India who gave their lives for the country.

#72ndRepublicDay Prime Minister Narendra Modi leads the nation in paying tribute to the fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial. pic.twitter.com/tK3AXkkimc  NewsX (@NewsX) January 26, 2021

The Republic Day parade was led by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, Ati Vishisth Seva medal, General Officer Commanding Delhi Area. Major General Alok Kacker, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area is the Parade Second-in-Command. Apart from tableaux of the Armed forces, 17 tableaux from different states and nine tableaux from the ministries and departments of the central government and paramilitary forces are part of the parade. Keeping the Covid protocols in mind, the size of marching contingents was reduced from 144 to 96. Also, all members of the tableaux contingents from various states, ministries and government departments underwent Covid testing.

The display of cultural tableaux begins at #RepublicDay parade, with Ladakh leading. It's the first-ever tableau of the UT. It shows Ladakh's culture & communal harmony besides art & architecture, languages & dialects, customs & costumes, fairs & festivals, literature, music. pic.twitter.com/jdBN8KFlE4  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

Also read: India celebrates R-Day: A glance at Indias constitution & what we have managed to achieve in 72 years

Also read: Farmers R-Day tractor rally: Travel advisories issued; commuters to face traffic disruptions today

Due to Covid, there was no chief guest for the parade but the invited guest, UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson sent a video message saying, I was hugely looking forward to joining you for this important occasion at the kind invitation of my friend Prime Minister Modi, alas our common struggle against Covid has kept me in London. He also talked about visiting the country and his message was to celebrate the birth of an extraordinary Constitution that had established India as the biggest sovereign democracy in the world.

Today as India celebrates #RepublicDay and the birth of the extraordinary Constitution that established your nation as the biggest sovereign democracy in the world, I want to offer my sincere greetings to a country that is very close to my heart: UK PM Boris Johnson pic.twitter.com/i6YfFXdpf8  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

The parade concluded with a single Rafale aircraft flying at a speed of 900km/hr carrying out a Vertical Charlie for the first time and the armed forces showcased T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system, Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets, among others. The Indian Army showcased the main battle tank T-90 Bhishma, infantry combat vehicle BMP-II-Sarath, mobile autonomous launcher of the Brahmos missile system, multi-launcher rocket system Pinaka etc.

#RepublicDay parade culminates with a single Rafale aircraft flying at a speed of 900km/hr carrying out a Vertical Charlie. The aircraft is piloted by Gp Capt Harkirat Singh, Shaurya Chakra, Commanding Officer of 17 Squadron with Sqn Ldr Kislaykant. pic.twitter.com/ochv25VhkT  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

The Indian Air Force (IAF) showcased models of light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas and indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile Dhruvastra during the parade. They also showcased scaled-down models of the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet and Rohini radar on the tableaus. A total of 38 IAF aircraft, include Rafale, and four planes of the Indian Army participated in the flypast.

This year, the President approved the conferment of 119 Padma Awards. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP) posted a special video to commemorate the 72nd Republic Day of India and in the video, the soldiers can be seen braving the freezing temperatures to hoist the national flag at Ladakh and sing Vande Mataram.

#BreakingNews Watch Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans marching with the national flag in Ladakh on frozen water body celebrating #RepublicDay2021 pic.twitter.com/dBLSKCT091  NewsX (@NewsX) January 26, 2021

Ladakh: ITBP personnel celebrate #RepublicDay at the banks of Pangong Tso lake pic.twitter.com/MjDtGLYGry  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

Also read: As India celebrates 72nd Republic Day, heres a look at Pakistans constitutional journey

Also read: Indias democracy versus Chinas socialism: The power of constitution
The music manager who discovered singer Lorde and helped make her an international star has been sacked from his role at Warner Music New Zealand after admitting years of harassing behaviour.

The dismissal of Scott Maclachlan on Sunday came after a Stuff #MeTooNZ investigation prompted him to publicly admit years of harmful actions towards staff and colleagues. He told Stuff on Friday he was in intensive psychotherapy and was trying to live a simpler, less egotistical life.

Maclachlan said he had been guilty of stupid, insensitive and ignorant comments to women in the industry, including asking them if they wanted sexual contact with him, and making comments about their bodies.

Theres not a day goes by that I dont regret the harm I have caused people around me and most importantly the pain and embarrassment I have caused my wife and children. I have to live with that guilt, knowing that people I worked with have also endured pain and stress because of my actions, Maclachlan told Stuff.
Posted Monday, January 25, 2021 5:19 pm

U.S. Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, on Friday spoke out against President Joe Bidens decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, which had been abandoned by former president Donald Trump.

In a post to Facebook, Herrera Beutler said the pact is a great deal for China but remains a bad one for the U.S.

And re-entering it this week as Americans are attempting to survive the economic turmoil caused by COVID and COVID-related shutdowns was a costly move by the Biden Administration, she wrote. Studies show it could cost a Southwest Washington family of four $20,000 in lost income, not to mention higher electricity costs for homes and small businesses.

Herrera Beutler said China  which she said is the worlds largest carbon emitter  can continue to raise carbon emissions until 2030 and will not reach carbon neutrality until 2060, a full decade longer than every other major economy, with no penalties for missing its targets.

We can and should work together toward a cleaner, healthier environment, but not with an agreement that was never ratified by Congress that puts Southwest Washington residents at a severe disadvantage to our Chinese competitors, Herrera Beutler wrote.
Expedition Purpose

Why Are Scientists Exploring the Chile Triple Junction?

[NOTE: For additional information about plate tectonics and deep-sea chemosynthetic communities, please see the INSPIRE: Chile Margin 2010 Expedition Education Module.

A key purpose of NOAAs Ocean Exploration Initiative is to investigate the more than 95 percent of Earths underwater world that until now has remained virtually unknown and unseen. Such exploration may reveal clues to the origin of life on earth, and provide new knowledge about the forces that shape the Earths surface.

Earthquakes and volcanoes are among Earths most spectacular and terrifying geological events, and both are linked to movements of Earths tectonic plates. Where underwater volcanic processes are active, underwater hot springs known as hydrothermal vents may form. The first hydrothermal vents were discovered near the Galapagos Islands in 1977. Here, researchers found large numbers of animals that had never been seen before clustered around plumes of hot fluid flowing from cracks in the lava seafloor. The presence of thriving biological communities in the deep ocean was a complete surprise, because it had been assumed that food energy resources would be scarce in an environment without sunlight to support photosynthesis. Researchers soon discovered that the organisms responsible for this biological abundance do not need photosynthesis, but instead are able to obtain energy from chemical reactions through processes known as chemosynthesis. Ocean explorers have also discovered other types of chemosynthetic communities that are distinctly different from those found near hydrothermal vents. Cold seeps are areas where hydrocarbon gases (such as methane) or oil seep out of sediments and are commonly found along continental margins. Like hydrothermal vents, cold seeps are home to many species of organisms that have not been found anywhere else on Earth.

In parts of the ocean where dissolved oxygen concentration is very low, hydrogen sulfide builds up and can support communities of chemosynthetic organisms. These communities are also found around dead whales (called whale falls) and large masses of dead kelp or trees. Although there are similarities between the chemosynthetic communities in these different habitats, hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, and large organic falls each support hundreds of endemic species (endemic means that these species arent found anywhere else). Even along the global ridge crest, which is almost continuous along its entire length, at least six different groups of endemic fauna have been recognized (Van Dover et al., 2002).

Along the western coast of Chile, three of Earths tectonic plates intersect in a way that does not occur anywhere else on the planet (see Figure 1). Chile, and the other countries of South America, lie on top of the South American tectonic plate. To the west of Chile, the Nazca Plate extends beneath the Pacific Ocean and meets the Pacific Plate along a divergent plate boundary called the East Pacific Rise. The southern edge of the Nazca plate adjoins the Antarctic Plate along another divergent plate boundary called the Chile Rise. The eastern edge of the Chile Rise is being subducted beneath the South American Plate at the Chile Triple Junction (CTJ), which is unique because it consists of a mid-oceanic ridge being subducted under a continental tectonic plate. The eastern portion of the Nazca Plate is also being subducted along the Peru-Chile Trench, and the Andes Mountains are one consequence of this process. Not surprisingly, complex movements of three tectonic plates at the CTJ result in numerous earthquakes. In fact, the largest earthquake ever recorded occurred along the Peru-Chile Trench in 1960. While earthquakes and volcanoes are often associated with massive destruction and loss of human life, the same processes that cause these events are also responsible for producing unique habitats for very different life forms.

The INSPIRE: Chile Margin 2010 Expedition was directed toward three key questions: about the CTJ:

Does intense seismic activity just north of the CTJ cause increased flow of hydrothermal or cold seep fluids?

Does the complex and unique interaction between ridge and trench tectonic processes at the CTJ produce different types of hydrothermal vent systems than have been found in other areas?

Are similar organisms found in various chemosynthetic ecosystems near the CTJ, or do these ecosystems have species that are endemic to a particular type of habitat?

To answer these questions, the 2010 expedition was directed toward:

Locating hydrothermal vent and cold-seep ecosystems near the CTJ;

Mapping and photographing two new hydrothermal vent sites and two new cold-seep sites near the CTJ;

Seismic monitoring near the CTJ; and

Chemical analyses of hydrothermal and cold-seep fluids.

To locate hydrothermal vent and cold-seep ecosystems, expedition scientists used data recorders that can detect chemical and physical water characteristics that signal the presence of hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. Once plumes were located, scientists planned to use an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to prepare high-resolution maps and collect overlapping photographs of vent and cold-seep sites. Unfortunately, less than halfway through the expedition, acoustic signals from AUV ABE (autonomous benthic explorer) suddenly stopped and the vehicle was never heard from again (the daily log for March 6, 2010). This meant that several objectives of the 2010 expedition could not be fulfilled. The INSPIRE: Chile Margin 2012 Expedition is intended to complete this unfinished work.

Hydrothermal vents and cold seeps cause changes to the chemistry and physical characteristics of the surrounding seawater. As this altered seawater diffuses away from vent and cold-seep sites, it produces plumes that are distinctly different from normal seawater. Scientists search for these plumes, since they provide clues about the location of hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. Redox potential is one of the key chemical characteristics used to locate cold seeps and hydrothermal vents. When an atom or molecule loses an electron it is said to be oxidized, and when an atom or molecule gains an electron it is said to be reduced. A reducing substance is one that reduces; in other words, it donates electrons. Similarly, an oxidizing substance is a substance that oxidizes; that is, it receives electrons. A reaction in which one or more electrons are transferred between two molecules is called a redox reaction. Moving electrons can produce electric currents, so electronic instruments can be used to measure these currents. The voltage produced by redox reactions is called redox potential. Chemosynthesis depends upon the availability of reducing substances such as hydrogen sulfide or methane that can donate electrons. Habitats in which these substances occur are called reducing habitats.

Another important change that can signal the presence of hydrothermal vents is the presence of unusually high concentrations of iron and manganese that dissolve in hydrothermal fluids while these fluids are still inside rocks below the seafloor. When these fluids enter seawater near vents, the metals precipitate and produce particles that can be detected with optical sensors. Results from the INSPIRE: Chile Margin 2010 Expedition suggest that hydrothermal vent systems near the CTJ may be different from other vent systems on mid-ocean ridges, and that a modified strategy may be needed to pinpoint their location. The big difference is that water samples collected near suspected location of CTJ vents did not have the expected increase in metal particles.

A possible explanation for this difference is that the tectonic plate margins of the CTJ are much closer to land than many other hydrothermal vent locations, and probably receive substantial amounts of sediment from the nearby South American continent (including the western watershed of the Andes Mountains). In other vent locations that receive substantial sediment input hydrothermal fluids must rise through sediment layers before they emerge from the seafloor, and the metals in these fluids precipitate while they are still within the sediments. This eliminates the metal particles that can signal the presence of vents, and also causes changes to the sediments as a result of the precipitated metals. To help detect vents that may be buried beneath sediments, the INSPIRE: Chile Margin 2012 Expedition will use an AUV named Sentry that carries instruments to measure redox potential, as well as sidescan sonar to provide images that show the topography of the ocean floor and reveal changes to sediments that may have been caused by precipitated metals from hydrothermal fluids.

In addition to AUV Sentry, the INSPIRE: Chile Margin 2012 Expedition will use other technologies including a towed camera system (TowCam), multicorer to collect sediment samples (and whatever may be living in the sediments), trawls to collect animals living on the seafloor surface, and instruments to measure temperature, conductivity, and depth (CTD). For more information on these technologies, please see the INSPIRE: Chile Margin 2010 Expedition Education Module and the introductory essays for the INSPIRE: Chile Margin 2012 Expedition.
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he remains confident in Canada's vaccine supplies despite threats from Europe that it might impose export controls on vaccines produced on that continent.

European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen addresses European lawmakers during the presentation of the program of activities of the Portuguese Presidency on a plenary session at the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Francisco Seco, Pool

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he remains confident in Canada's vaccine supplies despite threats from Europe that it might impose export controls on vaccines produced on that continent.

Speaking to reporters outside his Ottawa residence Tuesday morning, Trudeau said the situation in Europe is worrisome but he is "very confident" Canada is going to get all the COVID-19 vaccine doses promised by the end of March. And despite the sharp decline in deliveries of a vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech this month, he said Canada will still vaccinate all Canadians who want shots by the end of September.

"We will continue to work closely with Europe to ensure that we are sourcing, that we are receiving the vaccines that we have signed for, that we are due," Trudeau said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video statement posted to Twitter Tuesday that Europe will set up a "vaccine export transparency mechanism" so Europe knows exactly how many doses are being produced in the world's largest trading bloc and where they are being shipped.

"Europe invested billions to help develop the worlds first COVID-19 vaccines to create a truly global common good," she said. "And now the companies must deliver."

Europe is also getting smaller shipments from Pfizer than promised, because the company temporarily slowed production at its plant in Belgium so it can be expanded.

AstraZeneca has also warned Europe its first shipments of vaccine will be smaller than expected because of production problems.

But Europe, which invested more than C$4 billion in vaccine development, is demanding the companies fulfil their contracts on time.

"Europe is determined to contribute to this global common good but it also means business," said von der Leyen.

International Trade Minister Mary Ng said she had spoken to her European counterpart, Valdis Dombrovskis, about the situation and will keep working with Europe to keep the supply chain open.

"There is not a restriction on the export of vaccines to Canada," Ng said in question period.

Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner accused Ng of playing games with her response, noting the issue isn't that there is an export ban now, but that Europe is threatening to impose one.

With all of Canada's current vaccine doses coming from Europe, "that's a concern," Rempel Garner said.

"If the Europeans ban exports of vaccines, what's Plan B for Canada?" she asked.

Both Pfizer and Moderna are making doses of their vaccine in the U.S. and in Europe, but all U.S.-made doses are currently only shipped within the U.S.

Former U.S. president Donald Trump invoked the Defence Production Act last year to prevent export of personal protection equipment. He then signed an executive order in December demanding U.S.-produced vaccines be prioritized for Americans only and threatened to use the act to halt vaccine exports as well.

President Joe Biden has already invoked the act to push for faster production of PPE and vaccines. Though he has not specifically mentioned exports, Biden has promised 100 million Americans will be vaccinated within his first 100 days of office, making the prospects the U.S. shares any of its vaccine supply unlikely.

Canada has contracts with five other vaccine makers, but only two are on the verge of approval here. AstraZeneca, which has guaranteed Canada 20 million doses, needs to finish a big U.S. trial before Health Canada decides whether to authorize it.

Johnson and Johnson is to report results from its Phase 3 trial next week, one of the final things needed before Health Canada can make a decision about it. Canada is to get 10 million doses from Johnson and Johnson, but it is the one vaccine that so far is administered as only a single dose.

Trudeau said AstraZeneca isn't supplying Canada from its European production lines. A spokeswoman for Procurement Minister Anita Anand said Canada will not say where the other vaccines are coming from because of the concerns about security of supplies.

AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson have set up multiple production lines in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, India, Australia and Africa. Canada has no current ability to produce either those vaccines or the ones from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. It is entirely reliant on foreign production at the moment.

More than 113,000 people in Canada have received two full doses of either the Moderna or BioNTech vaccine. Another 752,000 have received a single dose.

But the reduction in Pfizer shipments to Canada forced most provinces to slow the pace of injections. Europe, Mexico, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also have slowed their vaccination campaigns because of the supply limits.

Trudeau said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla assured him the full shipments will resume in mid-February, and that Canada will get its contracted four million doses by the end of March. He said he spoke to Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel Tuesday morning and was promised Moderna's shipments of two million doses by March 31 are also on track.

MPs were scheduled to have an emergency debate on Canada's vaccine program Tuesday night.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2021.
Local Branch President Ann Pierre said, we are extremely excited to host the first of two forums for the large field of candidates for Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The community is invited to post their questions for the candidates during the forum, which will be selected and answered after the prepared questions.



Additional forums for City Council candidates and the remaining field of mayoral candidates are scheduled weekly until all candidates are presented prior to early voting February 10 thru 25, 2021.

The individual participants of the first mayoral forum are: Monty Bruell, Christopher Dahl, Wade Hinton, Tim Kelly, Erskine Olgesby, Jr. and Kim White.



The webinar will stream live on the Chattanooga NAACP Facebook page, but you must log on to Zoom to place your question in the Q&A. You may join Zoom by computer, or any supported device and by telephone at 301-715-8592 or 312-626-6799. The Webinar ID for entry by computer of telephone is: 880 2512 6776no passcode needed.



Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nations oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. Visit us at www.naacp.org.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A West Lafayette community group is looking to join the conversation surrounding diversity and anti-racism in the local school corporation. WL CARE is hosting a virtual town hall on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

WL CARE is a grassroots group of West Lafayette Community School Corporation alumni advocating for change to the curriculum, administration, and the way BIPOC students are treated. They started to form over the summer as Black Lives Matter protests erupted in cities across the nation.

Ila Chaubey and Daniel Afolabi are leading this group. They are also both 2016 graduates of WLCSC.

"Something Daniel always says is that change starts at home," said Chaubey. "As we saw this movement happening across the United States, I think both of our thoughts were like how can we do this in our own cities?"

"With WL CARE, it's an avenue for us to translate some of these bigger movements to what it would look like in the school where we grew up," added Afolabi. "What would it mean for someone like me to go through school system again."

In June, 802 of people connected to the WLCSC signed on to a letter asking for the implementation of anti-racist education and policies. They said they sent it to leaders at WLCSC and the Indiana State Department of Education, but did not hear back.

So they put together an addendum. It includes a collection of stories of racism from generations of WLCSC students. They said they sent the addendum in August and again were met with silence.

"We didn't get a response for four straight months," said Chaubey. "That was pretty surprising to us because West Lafayette not only has a good reputation in Indiana but across the country."

They got involved with the WLCSC School Board race in November. The school corporation had 15 people running for the four seats up for election.

At its first meeting of the new year and with the four winners of the election sworn in, the board introduced the two people they chose to run the new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. This task force will be comprised of various community and school stakeholders to come up with recommendations for the school board to vote on.

Before the co-chairs went up to the microphone, School Board President Alan Karpick denounced a social media post from the previous weekend regarding the committee. He said, "Some of you may have seen some posts on social media, one specifically attacking one of our co-chairs over the weekend. Not only is the content of these posts incomplete, inaccurate, and misleading, but it creates unproductive distraction to what we believe is vitally important work addressing issues of race taken on by the leadership of this committee and our schools."

News 18 reached out to President Karpick to further clarify what post he was talking about but said he couldn't comment on the matter.

West Lafayette Intermediate School Principal Margaret Psarros and WLCSC Alumna Laura Falk are leading the group. Dr. Caroyln Johnson from Purdue will act as the group's facilitator. They said at the January school board meeting that they intended to have their task force members chosen and to have their first meeting before the end of January. News 18 reached out to Principal Psarros for an update but did not immediately hear back.

Chaubey and Afolabi said they were hopeful and optimistic about the committee when it was first announced. However, they find it concerning that the three leaders of the group were selected without community input. They said they have asked to meet with the co-chairs multiple times and haven't been taken up on the offer.

"I think there is this perception that we just want to criticize everything but we really just want to make the school a better place," said Chaubey. "All we want to do is talk about their vision for the board, their vision for the committee, what they believe diversity means, what they believe anti-racism means and we've been met with hard no's every time."

They both applied to be on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and were rejected.

They said Facebook and social media has helped them amplify their voices and become more cohesive. WL CARE has invited the community along with the school board members to attend the virtual town hall. They hope the board wil lat least come to just listen and observe the discussion.

"It will be an opportunity for parents, teachers, students, alumni to express whatever concerns they have or if there is something they really love about the schools, we're welcoming that as well," said Chaubey. "Literally anything on the topic of diversity and anti-racism."

The virtual town hall is happening via zoom. Click here to sign up. Click here to visit the event's Facebook page.

The farmers protesting against the three farm laws, clashed with police at several places in the national capital on Tuesday. The Delhi Police had earlier permitted the farmers to hold their tractor parade on selected routes on the Republic Day. The chaos erupted when the farmers broke through the police barricades in the capital. A protesting farmer died after his tractor overturned at ITO during the farmers tractor parade on Tuesday, police said.

What farmers want

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points since 26 November last year, demanding a repeal of three 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. They also demanded a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for their crops.

Farmer unions in Punjab and Haryana said the recent laws enacted at the Centre will dismantle the minimum support price (MSP) system. Over time big corporate houses will dictate terms and farmers will end up getting less for their crops, they argue. Farmers fear that with the virtual disbanding of the mandi system, they will not get an assured price for their crops and the arthiyas" commission agents who also pitch in with loans for them  will be out of business. Their demands: The key demand is the withdrawal of the three laws which deregulate the sale of their crops. The farmer unions could also settle for a legal assurance that the MSP system will continue, ideally through an amendment to the laws.

They also wanted the government to withdraw of the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020, fearing it will lead to an end to subsidised electricity. Farmers say rules against stubble burning should also not apply to them.

11 rounds of talks but no results

To break the impasse, the government which has so far held eleven rounds of talks with the farmers. In the last round of talks on Wednesday when it offered to suspend the laws for 1-1.5 years and form a joint committee to find solutions, in return for protesting farmers going back to their respective homes from Delhi borders.

Farmer leaders, however, said they would settle for nothing less than a complete repeal of the laws, enacted in September last year, which they find pro-corporate, and a legal guarantee for the procurement of crops at government-fixed MSP.

SC stays the implementation of new farm laws till further orders

On 11 January, the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of new farm laws till further orders and decided to set up a 4-member committee to resolve the impasse over them between the Centre and farmers' unions protesting at Delhi borders. 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.

Later, Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann had recused himself from the committee appointed by the apex court.

Three farm laws

The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 seeks to provide for the creation of an ecosystem where the farmers and traders enjoy the freedom of choice relating to sale and purchase of farmers' produce which facilitates remunerative prices through competitive alternative trading channels to promote efficient, transparent and barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade, said the government. It also seeks to commerce of farmers' produce outside physical premises of markets or deemed markets notified under various state agricultural produce market legislations; to provide a facilitative framework for electronic trading and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, the ministry said.

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 seeks to provide for a national framework on farming agreements that protects and empowers farmers to engage with agri-business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for farm services and sale of future farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative price framework in a fair and transparent manner and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, the ministry said.

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oil seeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities. This will remove fears of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in their business operations, the ministry added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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WASHINGTON - A prominent speaker at a "Stop the Steal" rally held by Trump supporters in Washington the day before the storming of the Capitol was taken into custody Monday on charges of impeding police during the riot.

Brandon Straka, 44, of New York was arrested in Nebraska on a felony charge of interfering with police during civil disorder, and illegal entry and disorderly conduct on restricted Capitol grounds.

The arrest came as federal prosecutors in court filings condemned what they called the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, which delayed the certification of Joe Biden's electoral victory, led to the deaths of four rioters and one police officer, and resulted in assaults on about 139 Capitol and District of Columbia police officers.

"Every person who was present without authority in the Capitol on January 6 contributed to the chaos of that day and the danger posed to law enforcement, the Vice President, Members of Congress, and the peaceful transfer of power," U.S. counterterrorism and public-corruption prosecutors wrote Sunday in documents for one arrestee who had been photographed with zip ties in his hand during the riot.

They added, "Make no mistake . . . the imprint on this country's history of a militia clad insurrectionist standing over an occupied Senate chamber is indelible."

Straka, a former New York City hairstylist and self-described former liberal, amassed more than 550,000 Twitter followers and became a Fox News contributor after posting a viral video in May 2018 describing why he left the Democratic Party.

The founder of the WalkAway Campaign, Straka has since said on social media that he saw "nobody committing any acts of violence" or vandalism on Jan. 6 and that Trump supporters were able to file into the Capitol.

An arrest warrant and affidavit filed Wednesday and made public Tuesday cited a witness and Facebook posts allegedly showing otherwise.

In one, the FBI affidavit said, Straka recorded himself in front of a mobbed entrance to the Capitol, urging a crowd to wrest away a riot shield from a police officer, shouting: "Take it away from him. . . . Take the shield! . . . Take it! Take it!"

At another point, Straka stood behind a crowd of people trying to push their way in, yelling, "Go! Go!" and saying, "I wanna try," the FBI said.

Charging papers say Straka was wearing the same coat as in a recording taken the previous day when he was introduced and spoke for about five minutes at a Jan. 5 rally of Trump backers at Freedom Plaza in Washington, at which he addressed attendees "as 'Patriots' and referenced the 'revolution' multiple times."

"Straka told the attendees to 'fight back' and ended by saying, 'We are sending a message to the Democrats, we are not going away, you've got a problem!' " the FBI said.

Information about an attorney for Straka was not immediately available.

Straka's case was docketed as previously charged defendants continued to make initial appearances and face detention hearings across the country.

In D.C., prosecutors said a Pennsylvania woman accused of stealing a laptop from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office has destroyed evidence and encouraged others to do the same.

Riley June Williams, 22, was released to home confinement with her mother in Harrisburg, Pa., after prosecutors did not request her further detention.

In a court hearing, Justice Department attorney Mona Sedky said, "We were already aware . . . that [Williams] was deleting her own online accounts and possibly switching devices." The prosecutor added, "What we had learned recently is that we also think she might be instructing other people to delete messages as well."

A public defender said he needed more time to review those allegations.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui expressed surprise that prosecutors had agreed to Williams's release, calling the allegations against her "extremely troubling."

Faruqui ordered Williams to stay away from computers and the Internet, and to undergo a mental health screening, out of "personal interest in the defendant's safety and well-being."

Williams surrendered to authorities on Jan. 18, a day after she was charged with unlawful entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. An FBI affidavit said she appeared to have filmed and shared a video of another person lifting an HP computer off a desk in the Capitol.

The affidavit links to images of all-caps, typo-riddled social media posts from a user named "Riley" who declares that they "STOLE . . . FROM NANCY POLESI."

"I TOOK HER GRAVEL HAMMWR TBING," one post reads, according to the affidavit.

"I DOMT CARE I TOOK NANCY POLESIS HARD DRIVES I DON'T CARE KILL ME," reads another message the affidavit cited.

A former boyfriend told federal agents that Williams planned to sell the laptop to a friend who could pass it to Russian intelligence, according to prosecutors. Through a public defender, she has said that the ex-boyfriend was abusive and that she changed her number to avoid him, not the authorities.

U.S. Capitol Police confirmed that an HP laptop was stolen from the speaker's office, the FBI said. Drew Hammill, deputy chief of staff for Pelosi, D-Calif., said Jan. 8 that a laptop "only used for presentations" had been taken from a conference room.

Williams was charged with aiding or abetting the theft of government property, but the FBI did not say she personally took the device, adding that its whereabouts were unknown.

In Maryland, Matthew Ryan Miller was taken into custody and charged with using and carrying a deadly weapon in the riot; he allegedly discharged a fire extinguisher at police who were guarding a packed Capitol entrance.

The FBI cited witness and photo identifications of a man they say is Miller, wearing a black cowboy hat, goggle-style sunglasses and a Washington Capitals jersey, and at times carrying a Maryland flag and the Gadsden flag, known for its "Don't tread on me" motto.

At a hearing Monday, a defense attorney argued that there was "no indication he used the fire extinguisher as a weapon," only that he "allegedly discharged it," and that the identification of Miller in a Getty Images photo might have been inaccurate.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Ann Vaillancourt said the government intends to seek an indictment for assault on a law enforcement officer, among other felonies.

A judge ordered Miller detained, saying his action endangered officers trying to protect the Capitol.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - Deveron Corp. (TSXV: FARM) ("Deveron" or the "Company"), a leading agriculture digital services and insights provider in North America, is proud to announce the launch of a fixed wing imagery pilot program for the 2021 season. The program is available in south western Ontario, an agriculture market of 8 million acres of farmland. The key focus of the pilot program is to provide growers with a cost effective means to make crop protection decisions and help increase yield. High resolution data can also be used to improve field scouting, tissue and soil sampling, and nitrogen management.

Deveron has already secured contracts to execute 50% of the acres planned for the pilot in collaboration with a leading Ontario agriculture retailer. Fixed wing aerial imagery offers a new cost effective option to our existing drone imagery product currently offered throughout the North American market. The program includes 3 flights throughout the grow season, analysis, and recommendation of where best to apply crop protection and a return-on-investment analysis.

"This pilot project is meant to allow agricultural producers to evaluate the value proposition offered by calibrated, high resolution imagery to their business models," said Aaron Breimer, Deveron's Data Insights Group Lead.

"We continue to see ourselves as a pioneer in digital agriculture. Our goal is to provide our customers with the best end-to-end solutions to increase yields and reduce costs," said David MacMillan, Deveron's President and CEO. "This is another example of how our data collection network can help improve the unit economics on the farm and another step towards using data in farming decisions."

About Deveron UAS: Deveron is an agriculture technology company that uses data and insights to help farmers and large agriculture enterprises increase yields, reduce costs and improve farm outcomes. The company employs a digital process that leverages data collected on farms across North America to drive unbiased interpretation of production decisions, ultimately recommending how to optimize input use. Our team of agronomists and data scientists build products that recommend ways to manage fertilizer, seed, fungicide and other farm inputs better. Additionally, we have a national network of data technicians that are deployed to collect various types of farm data, from soil to drone, that build a basis of our best in class data layers. Our focus is the US and Canada where 1 billion acres of farmland are actively farmed annually.

For more information and to join our community, please visit www.deveronuas.com/register or reach us on Twitter @DeveronUAS or @MyVeritas_HQ

David MacMillan

President & CEO Deveron Corp.

416-367-4571 ext. 221

dmacmillan@deveronuas.com

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of that phrase under Canadian securities laws. Without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various degrees of risk. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current views with respect to possible future events and conditions and, by their nature, are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific to the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements: changes in the world-wide price of agricultural commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in agriculture, the uncertainty of future profitability and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. Additional information regarding the material factors and assumptions that were applied in making these forward looking statements as well as the various risks and uncertainties we face are described in greater detail in the "Risk Factors" section of our annual and interim Management's Discussion and Analysis of our financial results and other continuous disclosure documents and financial statements we file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. The Company relies on litigation protection for forward looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72782
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Loyalist killer Michael Stone who tried to murder Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness in Stormont has been released on parole.

The convicted killer was being held in Maghaberry Prison until his release earlier today.

Stone was one of the most notorious terrorists of the Northern Ireland Troubles after he murdered three people in a gun and grenade attack during a funeral at Milltown cemetery in Belfast in 1988.

Michael Stone, pictured, was jailed for this attempt to murder Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness in Stormont in November 2006. He had earlier been released under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement having been convicted of murdering six people

Stone, pictured, was released from the Maze prison outside Belfast in July 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. He was handed 16 years in jail in December 2008 for the Stormont attack

He had also been convicted of the murders of milkman Patrick Brady in south Belfast in 1984, carpenter Kevin McPolin in Lisburn in 1985 and bread delivery driver Dermott Hackett who was hit 16 times with a submachine gun in 1987.

Stone was released under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, but was returned to prison in 2006 when he tried to get into the Parliament Buildings in Stormont armed with explosives and an axe.

He was convicted of planning to murder Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, though later claimed it was 'an act of performance art'.

According to the BBC, the Parole Commissioners made a decision to release the killer on Monday.

Stone, a former member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), killed three people in a gun and grenade attack at Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast following an IRA funeral.

A legal challenge had been launched by his victims' families in a bid to prevent him applying for early release from prison but was dismissed by the Court of Appeal last year.

Following Stone's release, Relatives for Justice issued a statement from the family of Dermot Hackett.

The family said they 'they still live with the heartache caused by the murder of their husband and father, son and brother and not a day goes past without them thinking of him'.

According to the statement: 'Whilst Michael Stone served a prison sentence for the murder many questions remain unanswered, particularly around his relationship with the state.

Stone had tried to reinvent himself as an artist following his release under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement

Stone, pictured, murdered three people during an IRA funeral in Milltown Cemetery in March 1988

'Michael Stone most definitely did not act alone, the role of the state and in particular RUC special branch and British Military Intelligence remain to be clarified.'

In November last year, Northern Ireland's highest court ruled that Stone could apply for early release from prison.

It said keeping the notorious paramilitary behind bars until at least 2024 would 'constitute an interference with the physical liberty of the prisoner and could only arise under clear authority of the law', and in its view this could not be implied.

The issue under consideration was whether he would stay in jail until at least 2024, or whether his minimum tariff expired in 2018, including the six years he was freed under licence.

The court concluded that the period that the prisoner spent lawfully on licence ought to be included in the relevant part of his sentence.

Stone had been serving a 30-year jail term.

One of his victims was 20-year-old Thomas McErlean.

His sister, Deborah McGuinness, had taken legal action in a bid to attempt her brother's killer from applying for early release.
TEMPE, Ariz., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Once again this year, the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University tops the charts among several key U.S. News & World Report rankings for online business programs. The peer-reviewed rankings, which just began ranking business disciplines last year, have ranked W. P. Carey in the top 10 in every list of the top online MBA and graduate business programs. For the second year running, the school has four major business disciplines in the top three: No. 1 in general management, No. 1 in marketing, No. 2 in business analytics, and No. 2 in finance.

Additionally, the school was named the No. 6 Online MBA in the country  up four spots from last year  No. 4 Online MBA for veterans, and No. 3 for online business graduate programs. W. P. Carey also tied for No. 1 in the first-time ranking of online undergraduate business programs.

This is the ninth year in a row the Online MBA has ranked in the top 10. The rankings are the output of several factors: Student engagement (30%), expert opinion (25%), faculty credentials and training (15%), services and technologies (15%), and student excellence (15%).

"We are grateful for this recognition in such a competitive field, in particular one that consults our peer schools and alumni," said Amy Ostrom, interim dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business and PetSmart Chair in Services Leadership. "W. P. Carey invested in online education early, and we are proud to offer valuable and flexible business degrees to an ever-growing group of students."

The rankings come at a key time for online degrees, as students search for respected programs amid the coronavirus pandemic. "The value of a W. P. Carey graduate business degree continues to rise," says Stacey Lippert, assistant dean of graduate programs at W. P. Carey. "Whether it's an MBA or a master's in business analytics or information systems management, we are constantly re-examining our degrees to create maximum value for our students  and that was especially true this past year."

The W. P. Carey School of Business ranks top 30 in U.S. News & World Report for 25 distinct undergraduate and graduate programs and fields of study, the most of any business school in the country. The Online MBA was also recently ranked No. 8 in the U.S. by The Princeton Review.

About the W. P. Carey School of Business

The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is one of the top-ranked business schools in the United States. The school is internationally regarded for its research productivity and its distinguished faculty members, including a Nobel Prize winner. Students come from more than 100 countries and W. P. Carey is represented by alumni in over 160 countries. Visit wpcarey.asu.edu.

For more information/media contact:

Shay Moser

W. P. Carey School of Business

[email protected], 480-965-3963

SOURCE W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University

Related Links

https://wpcarey.asu.edu



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Police have shut down multiple parties across the city, including one on a sandbar in Sydneys south where about 100 people were gathered.

At 3pm, police from Sutherland Shire Police Area command attended Lilli Pilli Point following reports of about 100 people gathering on the sandbar. The crowd dispersed as police arrived.

Several people were treated by paramedics for intoxication. There were no arrests made.

At 3pm, police attended a party on a sandbar at Lilli Pilli where about 100 people were gathered for a party. Credit:Nine News

Elsewhere, emergency services were called just after 4pm to a party at Whiting Beach near Bradleys Head in Mosman, where a teenager was pulled unconscious from the water. Bystanders performed CPR and the teenager regained consciousness.
It was a fine autumn afternoon in 1969, the schoolyard was full of whooping children enjoying the two oclock break.

I should have been with them, but I was still in the classroom, where yellow shafts of autumn sunshine beamed through the tall windows illuminating a galaxy of swirling dust particles.

I sat there trying to figure out why the Master had told me to stay behind. What had I done wrong? I was perplexed as I watched the tall, gaunt teacher walk down between the rows of desks carrying a big dictionary.

He perched himself on the upper section of the desk in front of mine and opened the dictionary on his lap. Now James, he said, you are good with words  always have a dictionary close at hand and, every day, learn a new word and its meaning.

While I cant say I followed his advice to the letter, his words and actions sank a deep well in me, a well I go back to again and again for reassurance and sustenance.

More than 50 years later, words still matter to me; stringing them together gives my life a sense of purpose and helps provide me and mine with food, heat and shelter.

Words make a difference, and have certainly made a difference to me. I am privileged to work with them, to experience their elegance, their power and their beauty.

In 2017 I had occasion to meet a group of Americans at a small tourist event I was involved in.

Afterwards I found myself at table with a couple who, as soon as the conversation turned to politics, informed me they were Trump supporters. We chatted about his election and how America was since he came to power.

When I asked them what they thought about some of the more unsavoury things he said about people, about certain countries and about various situations around the world one of them responded, Those are only words, just words, I wouldnt let them bother me  lets see what he does.

Actions might speak louder but words matter  and words make a difference. In fact words can transform reality.

During the UK referendum on the EU, one of the breakthrough moments for the Leave campaign came about when they hit on the winning slogan, lets take back control. In fact, lets take control was their working slogan but the insertion of the word back transformed it and, one could say, transformed British and European history.

Read More

Before I get too global, let me to turn to a place bordering my own locality, to north Kerry. I have great regard for the wordsmiths of this particular haven of Hiberno-English, where Bryan MacMahon, John B Keane, Brendan Kennelly and Con Houlihan caught much of its beauty and whisked it into a delight.

A number of years ago, in the course of a television documentary about Houlihan, Kennell recalled sending him a draft of his first collection of poems, seeking advice, a comment and maybe even a blessing.

He got a one-line response from the great Con telling him, Youre making the right mistakes.

It reminds me of a north Kerry musician I knew, a man who could turn his hand to any instrument. Among his myriad musical tools was a steel guitar imported from Memphis, Tennessee.

One of my friends asked him how long it would take someone to master it. The musician stared at the instrument, thought for a minute and said, After six months youd be awkward  awkwardness being an improvement on uselessness.

Read More

Another man I knew from that neck of the woods was a born storyteller. His normal conversation would weave itself into a series of interconnected stories delivered in the gorgeously cavernous vowels and cliff-edge consonants typical of the north Kerry vernacular.

Listening to him talk was like listening to a master chef describe every delicious morsel of a gourmet meal.

He had a weakness for tangents, but always returned to his main thread.

Interrupt himself

I hadnt seen the man for years, but on the phone one day to a mutual friend in Tralee, I asked about him.

Oh hes fine, my contact said, age is doing no harm to his vocal cords. Hes a great man of words. Ill tell you something else, hes the only man I know who can interrupt himself.

Words are powerful conveyors of levity, hilarity, beauty, truth and elegance. They can also be powerful agents of nastiness and destruction, driving men and women to the edge of foolishness and beyond.

Last Wednesday, standing in her yellow radiance in front of the imposing Capitol building in Washington, Amanda Gorman, a princess of poetry, spoke words of beauty, truth, elegance and power, sending waves of redemption cascading over the balustrades and down the steps that had lately witnessed so much hate. 
Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents on Tuesday gave their backing to a vaccination programme to which the World Health Organizations Covax programme has pledged $112 million.

Announcing the funding, an Afghan health official said the programme would cover the 20% of the population.

The Covax programme is a global scheme to vaccinate people in poor and middle-income countries against the coronavirus. It aims to deliver at least 2 billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021 to cover 20% of the most vulnerable people in 91 poor and middle-income countries.

Afghanistan's Deputy Health Minister Waheed Majroh told journalists it was going to take six months to get the vaccines but authorities were in discussions to get them earlier.

Afghanistan has registered 54,854 infections and 2,390 deaths  but experts say the actual numbers are much higher and are underreported due to low testing and limited access to medical facilities in the war-torn country.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

Any vaccination programme will take place amidst continuing fighting between Taliban and government forces and rising attacks on media and rights campaigners, but officials believe the insurgent group would not oppose the campaign because it would not go door-to-door.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters on Tuesday that the group would "support and facilitate" the vaccination drive conducted via health centres.

Aside from Covax, the country has also received a pledge of 5,00,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India, Dr Ghulam Dastagir Nazari, head of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation at Afghanistan's health ministry, told Reuters.

"The AstraZeneca brand which is manufactured in India will arrive soon in Afghanistan," Nazari said, adding that the government was only concerned about the WHO approval of the vaccine and that the pre-qualification process has already started.

India's foreign office did not immediately reply to Reuters' request for comment.

The World Bank and Asian Development Bank have also said they would finance vaccines for another 20% of Afghanistan by end 2022, deputy spokesperson of the health ministry Masouma Jafari told Reuters.
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SANTA FE  The 1st Judicial District attorney says that the case of a Santa Fe man charged for his role in an Indigenous Peoples Day rally that turned destructive is essentially over, due to a Santa Fe police officers failure to meet court-ordered deadlines.

Santa Fe Magistrate Donita Sena ruled Monday that the prosecution cant call witnesses in the case because an officer failed to provide a witness list on time. As a result, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said her office wont be prosecuting the case.

Thats because theres no case left, she said in an interview after the hearing.

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Carmack-Altwies said that no evidence can be presented in the case because there must be witnesses to lay the foundation for evidence before its presented at trial.

The District Attorneys Office had been offering technical assistance to the Police Department, she said, but it wouldnt have formally entered the case until it was ready for trial.

Sean Sunderland, 24, was charged with criminal trespass and resisting an officer for his alleged role in the Oct. 12 demonstration that resulted in the 152-year-old Soldiers Monument being torn down from the center of Santa Fes historic Plaza.

Sunderlands case had previously been dismissed, and then reinstated, after the Santa Fe Police Department prosecuting officer Jesse Campbell failed to show up for a motion hearing. It was later determined that Campbell wasnt notified of the hearing by the court.

Deputy Chief Paul Joye said Campbell thought he met the deadlines in the case. Joye said he hasnt talked to the DAs Office about where the case goes from here.

We respect the ruling, he said. Were disappointed, but understand the judges ruling.

Sunderlands defense attorney, Kitren Fischer, said Monday that prosecutors didnt follow the courts rules, so her client deserves to have the charges dropped.

The Court ruled as it always does when a party fails to adhere to court-ordered deadlines, Fischer said in an email. Mr. Sunderlands case was no different.

At Mondays hearing, Campbell said that he gave Fischer a list of all officers on duty and their reports and that he didnt know she wanted a formal witness list.

Judge Sena told Campbell that the rules for discovery are the same in Magistrate Court as in District Court, and she read them to him.

This does not say that the names contained within a report are sufficient for defense to know who those witnesses are named, Sena said.

Sean Sunderland charged with trespass, resisting arrest

Chile's Buin Zoo is celebrating the birth of two African wild donkey foals, providing hope that the species can avoid extinction.

Posted Monday, January 25, 2021 5:11 pm

Editors Note:The Chronicle is working to assist local businesses suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 virus spread and associated government orders to close or limit commerce. There will be a feature on a local business in each edition of The Chronicle and at chronline.com moving forward. To be considered, email reporter Eric Trent at etrent@chronline.com. Additionally, The Chronicle will continue to offer its coverage of the coronavirus and its effects across the community, state and nation free outside of our paywall at chronline.com.

John Paneskos decision to be a lawyer was an easy one. Its the career his dad took in Chehalis, so Panesko figured hed carry on in his fathers footsteps.

Panesko completed his undergraduate and law degree from the University of Washington, the latter in 1972. He was admitted to practice the year before he graduated, also one year before the Multistate Bar Examination was added to the bar exam.

There was a special program for law students who completed their second year to begin practicing early if they showed certain abilities, and I qualified, Panesko said.

He was accepted as an attorney in a large law firm in Seattle. He quickly learned they didnt recognize the smaller attorneys, and it was all based on how much money one could earn, rather than the level of service provided. The firms emphasis was on overcharging clients.

The emphasis on making money bothered me, Panesko said.

Instead of finding another law firm to join after graduating, Panesko instead joined the military during the Vietnam War, serving in the U.S. Navy for four years. Luckily, he never went to Vietnam. Many of his fellow enlistees never came back.

After being honorably discharged from the military, Panesko elected to join his dad back in Chehalis and become partners at his dads firm. The two would go on to work together for 18 years, until his dad retired following a 60-year career in law. Learning from his dad, who had gained a wealth of knowledge over the years, played an impactful role on Panesko.

I learned doing the right thing was more important than doing the profitable thing, Panesko said. Lawyers that lie, cheat and take advantage of others dont last very long. I never had the desire to do those things, but he pointed it out.

Panesko has stood the test of time. This year marks 50 years practicing law, a half-century, all in Chehalis. He wouldnt have wanted to spend his life anywhere else.

I liked the idea of a small-town practice where I get to know my clients and they get to know me, Panesko said.

Panesko limits his practice to estate planning and estates, which includes wills, trusts and powers of attorney. Hes also available to help families when a loved one dies.

He decided to focus on only this aspect of law after realizing so many families were being torn apart because they didnt have legal documents in place when a loved one passed away. It seemed like something he could do for the community.

The last thing you need at a time of crisis is a family feud, because no one knows whos in charge and no one knows what theyre supposed to do, Panesko said. Getting that set up ahead of time calms the water.

He finds joy when people visit his office to write their document, thinking its going to be a long, complicated process, and they realize how inexpensive it is and how easy he makes it. But the most rewarding part about the job, for him, is seeing the change in people from when they first come in all worried, compared to when they leave relieved.

The most frequent phone call he gets is from families when a loved one has to go into a nursing home and the documents work perfectly and everything goes smoothly  and they were glad they had the papers done ahead of time.

No one wants to talk about being disabled or dying; no one, Panesko said. But it is a necessary conversation that we all have to have at some point. I make it as easy as possible.

Panesko said the most important thing to get done while a person is young is having a power of attorney in place. Auto accidents, heart attacks and strokes can happen anytime to anyone, he said. If no one has authority to handle ones situation, it can make an already difficult situation even worse. Its something most people dont think about, but its very expensive to go to court to take care of a disabled person, he said.

I think everyone should have a will, but then every dentist thinks everyone should have perfect teeth, Panesko said. Its like an insurance policy. You buy it once, put it away and its there when you need it.

Panesko recently remodeled his office so he can see clients in complete safety. The rooms have separate air supplies so clients are kept safe. Also, if someone has passed away, he will gladly talk to the family about finding the least expensive and easiest path to solve the issue.

Paneskos office is located at 2000 S. Market Blvd. in Chehalis. He can be contacted at 360-748-0505.

More Information on John Panesko, Attorney

Owner: John Panesko

Location: 2000 S. Market Blvd., Chehalis

Hours: By appointment

Phone: 360-748-0505

Website: www.panesko.com



Reporter Eric Trent can be reached at etrent@chronline.com. Visit chronline.com/business for more coverage of local businesses.
ROME, JAN 26 - Premier Giuseppe Conte will hand his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella after a cabinet meeting early on Tuesday. He is expected to seek a mandate from the head of State to form a new executive with a broader coalition although it is uncertain where the crisis will lead. The government no longer had an absolute majority in the Senate after ex-premier Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva (IV) party triggered a crisis by withdrawing its support. Attempts to bring in so-called 'responsible' or 'constructor' lawmakers to support the government and make up for the loss of IV have been fruitless so far. The centre-right opposition is calling for early elections to be held. The three parties remaining in the government coalition, the 5-Star Movement (M5S), the centre-left Democratic party (PD) and the left-wing LeU group, have expressed staunch support for Conte. (ANSA).
Iran is calling on President Joe Biden to remove harsh sanctions levied by the previous administration that Irans leaders say are impeding their access to coronavirus vaccinations made abroad.

Since [Bidens] administration claims not to be anti-science like the previous one,  one expects it to free the transfer of Irans own foreign exchange resources to fight the coronavirus and for health and food, and lift banking sanctions quickly, government spokesman Ali Rabiei said at a televised news conference on Tuesday.

After unilaterally withdrawing from the nuclear deal in 2018, former President Donald Trump imposed crippling economic sanctions on Iran that had been eased under the pact negotiated between Tehran and world powers. The Treasury Department issued exemptions for the delivery of medicine, food and humanitarian supplies, but Iran says the sanctions have scared off foreign banks and companies involved in the distribution and production of vaccines.

Iran is still fighting the Middle Easts worst COVID-19 outbreak, with more than 1.37 million infected and over 57,000 dead from the virus, according to official figures. Despite the massive caseload, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned the import of vaccines made in the United States or United Kingdom earlier this month, saying he had no confidence in them.

Iranian officials say they are in talks to import vaccines from reliable countries and on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran plans to import and produce the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine. Iran has also secured doses through the World Health Organizations COVAX initiative, and according to Deputy Health Minister Qassem Janbabaei is considering buying doses from AstraZeneca.

Biden has pledged to lift some sanctions and rejoin the nuclear agreement if Iran returns to strict compliance under the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). But salvaging the 2015 agreement will take time, officials say.

Antony Blinken, Bidens nominee for secretary of state, said it was vitally important that the administration first consult with Congress, Israel and Gulf allies. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said during her confirmation hearing last week that "we are a long ways" from Iran meeting its commitments.

Tehran has steadily enriched its uranium stockpile beyond whats allowed under the multilateral deal. In another violation this month, Iran said it would resume production of uranium metal, a fuel used in nuclear reactors.

If the Biden administration doesnt lift sanctions, Iran has threatened to restrict UN-led inspections of its nuclear facilities. Beginning Feb. 19, Rabei said the government will end implementation of the JCPOAs Additional Protocol, which grants the UN International Atomic Energy Agency short-notice access to Iran's nuclear sites.
Cement price in DRC jumps to US$33

ICR Newsroom By 26 January 2021

n the last two months, the price of a bag of cement increased from US$23 to US$33 in Mbuji-Mayi, Kasai Oriental province, Democratic Republic of Congo.



Dominique Ilunga, provincial director of the Federation des Entreprises du Congo (FEC), explains: We have a supply problem at the moment. We believed that with the Ndomba route, supplies could be regular, but unfortunately, we were still stuck with the difficulties of water level and dredging and beaconing on this route so that fluctuations or movements could be much more frequent, but unfortunately when supplying via the SNCC, there are always interruptions. Given the demand on the ground today, we are witnessing a rise in prices on the market.



The supply is very insufficient and the demand very high. We hope that with the start of the marking work for the port of Ndomba, things can really normalise. But above all, we are counting on the SNCC, so that it can, in the meantime, multiply the frequencies so that we have a very large stock locally and there it will meet the demand, which is very important, he added.



In the last quarter Kasai Oriental has been able to receive cement shipments via the port of Ndomba. However, the port still needs dredging and marking work to be carried out to ensure safe seaworthiness.

Published under
BEIJING, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In December 2020, the International Olympic Committee officially added breakdancing as an official sport for Paris 2024 Games. China.org.cn documents the development of breakdancing in China.

This dance, which was originally a battle dance, originated in the Bronx neighborhood of New York in the 1970s, and its practitioners were mostly Latinos and African-Americans. Its later development included movements from Brazilian martial dance, capoeira, gymnastics and Chinese martial arts. Its practice requires a high degree of physical fitness, technique and artistic expression. In recent years, its popularity in China has been gradually increasing.

In 2019, China established its first national youth street dance team, which has accumulated the first and second places in multiple competitions, including breakdancing. Based on imitation, China now has its own style. They have incorporated traditional elements such as martial arts. This makes it more innovative. The advantage of the Chinese national team that will participate in the Olympic Games is its youth. The number of children practicing it in China is the largest in the world and is growing steadily.

Due to its short history, China still has a gap in its cultural scene and competitive level compared with the United States and Europe, but Chinese people have the will to learn and work hard, which added to the growing interest of different sectors in this dance. This will help the talents to grow in number and shorten distances with the high international level. The prospects for its development in China are broad and encouraging.

Contact: Zhang Qi

Tel.: 0086-17810287643

E-mail: 1326564755@qq.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sientechina/posts/1710804375758738

YouTube: https://youtu.be/QQtzgU91AxU

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1425743/China_org_cn_Logo.jpg
Image: Brian C. Stiller

The year 2020 was one of the bloodiest years yet for Christian believers. Every single day eight Christians are killed, 23 Christians are raped or sexually harassed, and 10 Christians are unjustly arrested or imprisoned because of their faith. During 2020, there were more than 9,000 attacks on Christian churches in 51 countries as reported by Open Doors. Intersociety (a non-profit organization in Nigeria) reported that in the last 12 months, 2,200 Christians have been killed in Nigeria, a country where half of the citizens are Christians.

And Christians are not the only victims of persecution. In western China, hundreds of thousands of Muslims are being held in gulag camps, and we have no idea how many have died.

Although religious persecution is part of the human condition and has been growing in numbers each year, in the midst of all this there are signs of hope. With little fanfare, a small group of people have been incrementally building up their presence at the United Nations offices in Geneva, the primary place in the world where human rights issues are faced head-on. Despite having a small staff and limited resources, this ministry is moving out from obscurity onto a more global platform. Where countries are violating religious liberties, this group carefully builds credibility by getting their facts straight and through persuasive argument.

And who is this group? Its the Global Advocacy Center of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA).

Gaining entry into the halls of international influence doesnt come easily and is not a task for the faint of heart. And actually, confronting or challenging offending countries is a monumental opportunity that requires thorough preparation and determination.

In 1997, the WEA was granted special consultative status by the United Nations (UN). This is very important because it establishes official standing, and opens doors to the UN hierarchy, allowing representatives of evangelicals to function at a higher level. This is one of the more remarkable breakthroughs and opportunities that Ive observed in international ministry.

In a visit to Geneva, I dropped in at the Global Advocacy Center. Our staff there includes Wissam Al-Saliby, a young Lebanese lawyer, Michael Mutzner, who also works for Switzerlands Evangelical Alliance and Albert Vengelaar, a volunteer from the Netherlands. We discussed the issues they were facing and then headed to the UN Human Rights headquarters, into its echoing hallways and the assembly hall. The Assembly was in session and so our staff invited me to read to the assembly a call for leaders to firmly speak up against hate speech and advocate for inclusive societies. (You can see me on video with WEA here).

When we hear of churches being shut down in Algeria, of Christians in India violated by the religious majority, or Christians in Nigeria killed on their farms, we are overwhelmed. We want to do something, but we typically conclude that such events are too far removed from the world we influence. Even so, together we can do something constructive.

We know that one powerful component of the gospel is fellowship, bonding believers in Christ. The same dynamic that we experience in the local church is also true worldwide. Gods eternal tug of fellowship pulls us together, refusing to let obstacles break us apart. As you read about Christians living in persecution, know that they rely on fellowship with us, even though they are distanced by culture, language and many miles.

At the UNs Geneva office, evangelicals have a seat, a fulcrum. Its not a source of power but of influence. It is exerted not by forcing but by persuading. Not through hyperbole, but through documented facts and accurate legal analysis. It is presencebeing on site with struggling Christians, knowing first names of children and their needs. Christians from many different worlds are collaborating to ease the burden of religious liberty violations and persecution.

The United Nations? Really? you might ask. I feel your lingering doubt. Some wonder as to its effectiveness, and some lament the times and places when it has failed to secure the peace. But there is no other place where officials from all countries of the world come together. Where else could evangelicals have a chance to pose hard questions to virtually every country on the planet? How can we walk away from an opportunity to speak at the UN on behalf of our persecuted brothers and sisters? Where else can we be salt and light in this way, if not at the influential table of nations, even though that table is inevitably shaped by a broken world and fallen humanity?

I met with a senior UN staff member from Ecuador. He pleaded with me to increase our influence! I know this isnt something we can do overnight. It is not a 6-month project. It takes good and smart people and a lot of time. But since the Evangelical movement has exploded from 90 million to 650 million people in the last 60 years, the UN wants to know who we are and what we think as we speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

There are remarkable agencies helping Christians and others who are persecuted and marginalized. They call on us to pray. Some provide economic assistance to the violated. This is so important too.

Our work in Geneva, however, is different, not unlike the role played by Nehemiah when he went to the king for help in rebuilding Jerusalem. This Global Advocacy Center looks into the eyes of governments and makes its pleas on behalf of Christians who are trampled in the dust of oppression. It is a truly prophetic voice for all people who are vulnerable and excludedincluding people of all faiths, because our mission is to defend all human beings as bearers of the imago Dei. Our heart goes out to anyone who is diminished and deprived of their right to believe as they choose.

Heres a real-life example of what the Global Advocacy Center does. Last June, our advocacy officers met with an ambassador from a majority-Muslim country and asked for the release of three Christians from prison. While we knew their names, and named them to the countrys ambassador, to protect them, we didnt go public, announcing our attempts to get them freed from prison. We knew in this case that public advocacy might very well result in the opposite of what we were asking for. We joined with others and within in few months, the brothers were sentenced and then released.

Evangelicals are new at this. Historically, weve been concerned with other issues. However, the Global Advocacy Center is now an essential hub in the global network of religious freedom advocacy groups. Filling the void of influence in Geneva, the WEA guides and activates the global network of those engaged in advocating for religious freedom, which include institutions, individuals, government representatives, and faith groups. The Global Advocacy Center is connected to national evangelical alliances, researching and documenting violations of human rights and feeding this information to our broader network of contacts.

Yes, you and I can make a difference. Im too old to work in Geneva, but with my pen and support, I can come alongside those under threat of persecution, and I can actually be with them in fellowship. Our staff in Geneva are the link. Nehemiah would like what theyre doing.

Brian C. Stiller is global ambassador of the World Evangelical Alliance, the largest network of Evangelicals worldwide. Prior to this appointment he served as president of Tyndale University (Toronto).

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SANTA FE, N.M.  Republican and Democratic lawmakers are pursuing legislation that would give local school boards more of a say on opening to in-person learning, a move aimed at bringing more students back into classrooms.

The bill would be a shift from the approach to in-person learning taken during the COVID-19 pandemic by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration.

The proposal comes as a new study suggests there is significant public support for allowing school boards to make the call. The survey  commissioned by the Adelante Now Foundation and conducted by Research & Polling Inc.  found that 52% of the 500-person sample thought local school boards should be the decision-maker for when to reopen public schools for in-person learning. Thirty percent said state government leaders should decide.

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I think what families and teachers and administrators want people to know is that they know their district better, Democratic Rep. Candie Sweetser, who is backing the bill, said in a phone interview Friday.

Among the 500 adults surveyed by Research & Polling, 313 were parents, grandparents and guardians.

Parents are concerned about their kids possibly contracting or spreading the virus, but a larger group is concerned about their kids falling behind academically, said Brian Sanderoff, president of Albuquerque-based Research & Polling Inc.

Of the parents, grandparents and guardians surveyed, 71% said they were concerned about their student falling behind academically without in-person learning. Similarly, 72% said they were concerned about their student being affected socially or emotionally without in-person learning or extracurricular activities.

Therefore, Im not surprised that two-thirds of New Mexico residents prefer for this semester for the schools to reopen for in-person learning, Sanderoff said.

The research showed 66% of the 500 adults who were surveyed would prefer in-person learning in the new semester  either with a mix of online (39%) or open completely (27%). Twenty-five percent preferred public schools to be closed to in-person schooling.

Schools shut down last March as the first cases of COVID-19 appeared. State officials created plans to allow more in-person learning, but infections spread so fast that most schools were ineligible to open, or chose not to. Nearly a year later, the vast majority of students havent set foot in a classroom.

The governors reopening plan was developed with input from health officials and a scientific modeling team at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Multiple metrics of COVID-19 cases, positivity rates and testing rates are tracked, and each county is categorized as part of a color-coded system, with red being the most at risk. Sparsely populated Harding County is the only one of 33 to be classified as green.

GOP House Minority Leader Jim Townsend said the plan is to introduce the bill this week.

The measure calls for giving local school boards the authority to determine when and for how many days each week a school can offer in-person learning during a public health emergency, according to a draft copy reviewed by the Associated Press.

The bill also allows teachers and students to opt out of in-person learning, and teach or learn remotely.

Of the 500 people surveyed by Research & Polling, 56% felt the public health order should be amended to allow some in-person learning before the fall and 29% did not.

Some 45% of parents, grandparents and guardians surveyed were concerned about students contracting COVID-19 by returning to in-person learning. And 32% were not concerned.

That research had a maximum margin of error of approximately 4.4%.

Republican Sen. David Gallegos hopes the exceptions protecting teacher and student choice in the bill will help draw more bipartisan support.

A lot of the time, its metro versus rural, and were trying to avoid that, he said.

If passed, the bill would likely be vetoed by Lujan Grisham.

State officials have already carved out some exceptions for in-person learning, allowing K-3 and special education students to attend class in small groups.

Earlier this week, Lujan Grisham and her deputies teased a loosening of the restrictions that could undercut support in the Legislature for a bill that would take away their authority.

Were very hopeful that we will be able to expand eligibility for in-person learning services very soon. We know that this is a critical issue, Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart told legislators Thursday.
As House Democrats on Monday delivered the article of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate for a trial, a poll reported that a majority of Americans supported what they are doing.

In the Monmouth University Poll, 56% of Americans supported Trumps impeachment on grounds that he incited the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol by his supporters, with 42% disagreeing, including 87% of Republicans.

By 52%-44%, Americans said the Senate should convict Trump, and by 57%-41% they said he should be barred from future office.

Before the protesters stormed the Capitol, forcing Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress to be evacuated while counting the certified electoral votes that would make Joe Biden the next president, Trump railed about a stolen election at rally and told his supporters to fight much harder and show strength.

The House impeached Trump on Jan. 13, in a 232-197 vote, with 10 Republicans crossing party lines to vote yes. All 10 New Jersey Democrats backed impeachment while both Republicans voted no.

When Trump was impeached the first time in December 2019, 53% approved and 46% disapproved.

There is somewhat more agreement that Trump did something wrong than there was with the first impeachment, said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. But there are still a good number of Republican stalwarts who continue to stand with the former president regardless.

The Senate on Tuesday will be sworn in as jurors, but the trial wont begin in earnest until Feb. 8. While Trump no longer is president, a conviction is necessary before the Senate, by majority vote, can decide whether to ban him from holding federal office again, which would prevent him from trying to reclaim the White House in 2024.

The poll of 809 U.S. adults was conducted Jan. 21-24 with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant.

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NEWS OF THE WORLD 

118 minutes, not yet rated

Tom Hanks rides the wild plains of Texas in this satisfying, if over-burdened, revisionist western. The novel is by Texas-based novelist Paulette Jiles, who specialises in stories in and around the US Civil War. The adaptation is by Luke Davies (Australian) and the director is Paul Greengrass (British), both a long way from home.

That might explain a certain tendency towards speechifying in an otherwise understated script. The film is partly a homage to John Ford  including a specific shot through a doorway that is meant to directly invoke his style  but Ford would have put the red pencil through some of this meaningful dialogue well before they got to shooting, or shootin. Greengrass has done some fine and influential films (Bloody Sunday, United 93, three Bourne movies and Captain Phillips, where he worked with Hanks), but he has a polemicists desire to send clear political messages. These can overwhelm a lesson he surely knows well: better to show than tell.

That said, the film wraps around you like a pair of worn leather gloves. We are in safe hands. Hanks has that power to ground a film  to stand solid and unmoving in the landscape and induce us to relax. He almost never picks a bad script; those that might go close, he improves with the gravity of virtue. He is the closest thing Hollywood has to the everlasting good man. Even Jimmy Stewart sometimes played the villain, but Hanks rarely goes there. He shares a tendency towards reform.

Representative image

One flight attendant needed medical attention for a crippling migraine brought on by confronting a passenger who refused to wear a mask.

The day after the siege on Capitol Hill, passengers on a shuttle bus with a Black flight attendant assailed her with racial slurs, according to a union for flight attendants.

Aviation safety officials have received dozens of confidential complaints in the past year from attendants trying to enforce mask safety rules. The reports, filed in the Aviation Safety Reporting System database, at times describe a chaotic, unhinged workplace where passengers regularly abuse airline employees.

For now, many mixed signals with the virus in California

I felt like if this man is bold enough to scream SHUT UP' at me in the cabin, there is no limits, a flight attendant said in one report.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

The coronavirus pandemic and political divisions of the past year have caused fear, economic pain, and social and family rifts around the country, but for airline workers, and flight attendants in particular, the unease and tension have often converged in a tiny cabin space.

The tension is at a level flight attendants have not seen before, said Paul Hartshorn Jr., a veteran attendant and a spokesperson for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants union.

I think were pretty well trained on how to handle a disruptive passenger, said Hartshorn, 46. What were not trained to do and what we shouldnt be dealing with is large groups of passengers inciting a riot with another group of passengers.

Its insane, he added.

A mob mentality on planes

Even as airlines have struggled to contend with the pandemic, attendants have increasingly faced problems from passengers attacking one another over politics.

Most prominently, before the Trump rally in Washington and the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, supporters of President Donald Trump were recorded on multiple flights to Washington heckling other passengers, including Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

On one packed American Airlines flight from Dallas to Washington on Jan. 5, Maranie R. Staab, a photojournalist flying to cover the rally, said that many of the passengers wearing red, white and blue clothing and hats bearing Trumps name, were quiet during the flight.

When the plane began descending, a passenger used a mini projector to flash an image of Trump 2020 inside the darkened cabin. Staab said a Black passenger made a comment that clearly angered several Trump supporters, who accused him of threatening them.

Stand up, boy, one man said, according to a video Staab posted on Twitter.

These are the guys we came to wipe out, said a passenger, cursing as he held a small American flag.

When they got off the flight, Staab said she saw a group surround the Black passenger, and at the baggage claim, a flight attendant approached Staab and asked for her contact information. Several passengers had told the flight attendant that she should have done something about the Black passenger and said they would file a complaint.

She seemed tough, but rattled, Staab said.

In the aftermath of the riot, airlines, flight attendants and authorities moved to prevent similar altercations. American Airlines crews were given access to private transportation during layovers in Washington-area airports. Delta barred six people from the airline after a group heckled Romney, according to a spokesperson.

United Airlines moved its crews from downtown Washington hotels, and American Airlines, which had stopped serving alcohol in the main cabin because of the pandemic, also banned alcohol in first class for flights out of Washington.

Some Democrats have called for Capitol Hill insurrectionists to be added to the federal no-fly list, a demand that worries civil libertarians. Manar Waheed, senior legislative and advocacy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, said that expanding the no-fly list would further entrench an error-prone and unconstitutional system that will continue to be used unfairly against people of color.

And this month, the Federal Aviation Administration said passengers who assault or interfere with airline workers could face prison time and a $35,000 fine.

Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said in a statement that the mob mentality the public witnessed on some flights will not happen again.

Months without a paycheck

Last October, about 100,000 airline workers were furloughed from their jobs. More than 45,000 workers lost not only their paychecks, but medical benefits, according to the Association of Flight Attendants.

Brittany Riley, 31, a union member who has worked for United Airlines for nine years, said that her seniority allowed her to keep those benefits.

But for months, she and her husband, Peter Golembiewski, who is also a flight attendant, took money out of their savings and retirement plan to pay for bills.

In November, Riley said she was hospitalized with severe abdominal pain. Doctors ran a series of tests that led to thousands of dollars in bills despite her health insurance.

Some of the bills are starting to come in, and our eyes are getting bigger and bigger, she said. I just dont know how much more we can handle.

The stimulus package passed by Congress in December provided $15 billion to airlines, allowing companies to recall furloughed flight attendants. But the funding did not cover the wages lost in October and November. And the package provided only enough funding to keep workers on the payroll through March. The uncertainty of what happens after that is agonizing, Riley said.

We need a more settled, permanent plan for our future, she said. If not, I dont know how a lot of us are going to make it.

People feel a bit more emboldened.

At least 1,000 flight attendants have been infected with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, according to the Association of Flight Attendants.

Airlines have strict mask policies but the Trump administration refused to order a mandate on interstate travel, putting the onus on flight attendants and other workers to enforce mask rules. In one case in September, a flight attendant complained that an airline captain did not wear a mask while greeting passengers.

We need someone to have a serious talk with the pilots about keeping us all safe and wear masks, the attendant stated in an aviation safety report.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order requiring masks on buses, planes and trains.

Mitra Amirzadeh, a flight attendant from Orlando, Florida, and a union member, said she put three people on a no-fly list for violating the airlines mask policy.

She said she has had to rouse cranky, dozing passengers whose mask slipped beneath their noses. Its either that, Amirzadeh said, or contend with passengers angry that she isnt doing enough to enforce the mandate.

Amirzadeh said she has also had to face accusations of racism.

During a flight this month a passenger lectured her for telling a Black passenger who was having difficulty with a middle seat that he could not be upgraded to the front unless he paid for it. Amirzadeh said she told the Black passenger, who was about 6-foot-3, that she would get him a row to himself in the back once everyone had boarded.

He was totally fine with that, she said. But Amirzadeh said that a white passenger sitting across the aisle called out, If he had been white you would have moved him up.

Later, when passengers were leaving, Amirzadeh said the woman told her, Youll be hearing from me soon.

People feel a bit more emboldened or empowered to voice their grievances, Amirzadeh said. Everyone wants to be heard.


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The social-democrat (PSD) senator of Neamt, Razvan Cuc, accused the Government on Tuesday, that it is taking Romania in a wrong direction and highlighted that until this time there is no state budget set, and the vaccination program is not working properly.

"The incompetence of the Government is putting Romania on the fritz! Only a few clear and simple things did the Citu cabinet have to do since being in power: the state budget, the vaccination program and a program for relaunching Romania's economy. All these being in the reach of the liberal prime minister, who came after a year of liberal governing, where he was Minister of Finance. The Government successfully missed all topics," the former PSD Transport Minister wrote on Facebook.

The social-democrat MP added that despite not having a state budget for the current year, the Government gave out ordinances to freeze public workers salaries.

Furthermore, senator Razvan Cuc highlighted that the vaccination against COVID-19 has syncope.

"Essential workers have appeared over the elderly, the chronically ill or teaching staff, and have great difficulties in registering for the vaccination program. Only 6.28% of the total of 3.6 million people over 65 managed to register for the second stage of vaccination, stage that prioritized them," Razvan Cuc also said.

He specified that Romania was one of the last countries of the European Union (EU) that granted help to Romanian companies during the pandemic.

"The Romanian Government granted the economy, in 2020, the lowest support of all the Central and Eastern European counties, approximately 4% of the GDP (Moody's rating report agency). And this help towards the companies is coming back against them: the Government is forcing companies to pay taxes based on the help received during the pandemic. Romania, with this Citu as Minister of Finance, has reached a 10% deficit of the GDP and loans of 35 billion Euro. Nobody knows where the borrowed money is," Razvan Cuc pointed out.

The former Minister of Transport warned that Romania risks losing 30,4 billion Euro, that is the European money for the National Relaunch and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

"The plan was made by the Orban Government and was rejected by the European Commission. I would like to remind you that this Citu was Minister of Finance in that Government, had decision-making power, was not some anonymous looky-loo! The Citu cabinet is rapidly headed towards the title of most incompetent Government in the last 30 years. Does anyone have any doubt that it is not?" Cuc concluded.
A left-wing group claiming to be Christians attack evangelical leader Franklin Graham for his open support of Donald Trump.

Breitbart reported that "Faithful America," so-called Christians but is actually a left-wing group, petitioned for Graham to lose his job after sharing his belief on social media that the 2020 election had been fraudulent.

The group referred to Graham's statement late last year where he agreed that President Trump was right that the 2020 election was rigged, Christianity Daily reported.

"The President has been maligned, falsely accused, and attacked on every front since before the election in 2016. When President Trump says that this election has been rigged or stolen, I tend to believe him. He has a track record of being right."

The group launched their petition on Jan. 15 asking for "fellow Christians" across the country to fire Graham or to make him resign from his position as president of Samaritan's Purse and leader of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

"Our faith in Jesus Christ demands that we do better than this. Your fellow Christians from across the country call on you to fire Franklin Graham, or to resign from the Board in individual protest," the petition read.

While the organization claims to be Christian, their attack on Graham and his ministry shows nothing of their so-called Christianity.

"With blasphemous preachers like Graham blessing Trump's Big Lie and pretending "antifa" was behind the attack, it's no wonder the failed coup featured crosses and "Jesus saves" banners and flags. Graham and the religious right must be held accountable for their deadly dishonesty," the group said.

Faithful America then added that Graham gets away with his conspiracy theories and hatred because of his late father and humanitarian work for Samaritan Purse when he is one of the people who undermine the country's democracy and incite "white-nationalist terrorism."

"As long as Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association stand by Franklin Graham, it must be said that these once-vaunted organizations have forgotten their original Christian missions, abandoned the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and are complicit in the spread of dishonest, discredited election conspiracy theories and the deadly, unpatriotic, white-nationalist terrorism at the U.S. Capitol incited by those lies."

In a statement on Tuesday, Paul Saber, who serves both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Samaritan Purse still shared their support of Graham by saying that Faithful America only fabricated a lie to say that the well-known evangelist incited the violence at the Capitol.

"The Boards of Directors for Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association have expressed that they fully support Franklin Graham and are more than satisfied with the job he has done and is doing in leading these ministries."

Saber added that Graham "did not encourage people to go to the Capitol on January 6" and that the evangelist was not in Washington, D.C. on that day.

It was not the first time that Faithful America targeted Christian organizations. In 2014, the organization targeted World Vision and Family Research Council. It's also worth noting that as of writing time, its webpage contains all sorts of petitions against Biblical values, not just Trump.

These include asking Amazon to remove a popular crowdfunding site that supports Christian groups, petitions to undo Trump's push for religious liberty, petitions to force Christians to avoid gathering in-person for Christmas last year, petitions to reject the Bible's stand on COVID-19, and petitions to force Trump's advisers to concede to Biden's fraudulent victory despite tons of evidence proving massive voter fraud across the country.
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The Rebel Princess, the first TV drama starring the A-list actress Zhang Ziyi, who shot to international fame through Ang Lee's Oscar-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has recently won much applause overseas.

Producers revealed the 68-episode costume drama was released to a string of popular streaming sites, ranging from Youtube to Facebook and VIKI, reaching audiences in North America and Asia with different versions dubbed with multiple languages.

Adapted from writer Mei Yuzhe's novel Di Wang Ye (Monarch Industry), the tale set in a fictional dynasty chronicles the life of Wang Xuan, a beautiful and capable woman. Growing up as the emperor's most cherished niece, the protagonist transforms from a carefree royal lady to a brave wife, who helps her husband -- an ambitious commander -- to suppress rebels and re-establish peace in the war-torn country.

Zhang portrays the lead role of Wang, while actor Zhou Yiwei plays the character's husband, and actor Tony Yang stars as the prince who becomes the protagonist's first romantic interest.

With a crew of up to 1,033 people and some 55,000 extras, the TV series was shot over 273 days in Beijing, Hebei province and Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

A seminar organized by the Communication University of China and China Television Art Exchange Association was held on Jan 23, drawing a dozen researchers and critics to discuss the popularity of the TV series, which so far has drawn around 3 billion "clicks" on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo.

Li Jingsheng, deputy head of the China Federation of Radio and Television Associations, says the TV series displays traditional virtues such as sacrificing one's personal life for the sake of the peace and stability of the nation.

Yang Chenghu, a professor of art and media research with Beijing Normal University, says the TV series has skillfully blended imagination and history, while showing the warmth of humanity.
Herreid Legion to remember 400 Campbell County area veterans Monday

The Herreid American Legion and the Sons of the American Legion work together to recognize veterans on Memorial Day.

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Rome: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has handed in his resignation to the head of state, President Sergio Mattarella, hoping he would be given an opportunity to put together a new coalition and rebuild his parliamentary majority.

The deepening political crisis is playing out against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 85,000 Italians  the second highest death toll in Europe after Britain and the sixth highest in the world.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has handed in his resignation. Credit:AP

Conte lost his absolute majority in the Senate last week when a junior partner, the Italia Viva party headed by former prime minister Matteo Renzi, quit in a row over the governments handling of the coronavirus crisis and economic recession.

Efforts to lure centrist and independent senators into the coalition to fill the hole left by Renzis MPs have met little success, leaving Conte no choice but to resign on Tuesday, Rome time, and open a formal government crisis that will give him more time to find a deal.
Jie Li, 38, was spared prison time by a court in her native China on Tuesday. She was given a suspended sentence for flying to China from the United States while showing symptoms of COVID-19 last March

A Massachusetts scientist has been spared jail time by a Beijing court after she flew from the United States to her native China last March while infected with COVID-19 and not telling the airline - while covering up her symptoms with medication.

Jie Li, a 38-year-old statistician who worked at the Boston-area biotechnology firm Biogen, was given a suspended one-year prison sentence by a court in Beijings Shunyi District, CNN has reported.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic last March, Jie Li, a mother-of-one who was living with her husband in Belmont, Massachusetts, reported feeling ill with fever, fatigue, and other signs of COVID-19.

According to Chinese authorities, Jie Li claimed she started experiencing chills on March 1 and visited a doctor in Massachusetts two days later.

She was given Roches Tamiflu, an influenza medication, and then sent home, according to Fierce Pharma.

In the days and weeks that followed, Jie Lie continued to feel sick. She underwent two chest scans - one on March 5 and the other on March 10.

Both showed no abnormalities, but another scan performed on March 11 returned with signs of lung infection.

Jie Li tested for the virus on March 11, but decided to return to China with her family before the test result returned.

Jie Li abruptly left the country with her husband, Yili Hong, and their young son on March 12. They had been living in Belmont, Massachusetts, a suburb west of Boston, where they owned a home (above)

Jie Li and her family flew from Boston to Los Angeles, and then boarded a Air China flight CA988 bound for Beijing on March 12.

In order to board the plane, Jie Li took febrifuge to lower her body temperature before boarding, and passed the body temperature checks, the district court verdict said.

After boarding, when the flight required passengers to declare fever and other uncomfortable symptoms, Jie Li did not declare and did not truthfully answer the crew's inquiries about physical condition, contact history, and accompanying personnel.

Before the aircraft landed, Jie Li, who was asymptomatic at the time she boarded, started to once again show signs of illness.

She then acknowledged to the flight crew that she was experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

After she and her family landed in Beijing on March 13, she was immediately rushed to a local hospital for treatment, where she was diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the court.

Jie Li, her family, and some 60 other people who were in close contact with them were placed into quarantine.

Chinese law enforcement officials launched an investigation and charged Jie Lie with the crime of obstructing the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

The suspended sentence is considered light given that she faced a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

Jie Li was employed by Biogen, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based multinational biomedical firm that specializes in treatments for neurological diseases. On February 26, Biogen held a leadership conference in Boston that was later determined to be a 'super spreader' event. Days afterward, dozens of employees tested positive for COVID-19

Jie Li was 37 years old at the time she was infected. An associate director for biostatistics, she worked on the Alzheimers drug team for the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology firm Biogen.

Biogen, the multinational firm that is considered one of the pioneers in researching treatments for Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases, was at the center of a viral outbreak in the early weeks of the pandemic.

On February 26, the company held a leadership conference at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf hotel, where some 175 Biogen executives from around the world gathered for an annual meeting.

Jie Li did not attend the conference, but her boss, with whom she was in frequent contact, was at the event, which was later determined to be a coronavirus 'super spreader.'

Within days, dozens of those who were at the conference reported feeling sick. At least 97 company executives were later confirmed to have been infected with coronavirus, according to The Boston Globe.

The family home in Belmont is listed under the name of Jie Li's husband, Yili Hong

Some of the earliest known cases in Tennessee, Indiana, and North Carolina were traced back to the Biogen conference in Boston.

Jie Li is a Chinese citizen from Chongqing, a megacity of some 30 million people. According to her LinkedIn page, she studied at the University of Science and Technology of China.

She obtained permanent residency in the United States where she pursued an academic career in the field of biostatistics.

In 2009, she earned a PhD in spatial statistics from the University of Iowa. She then went to work for the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly for a year-and-a-half followed by a six-month stint at Merck, where she was employed as a biometrician.

In the summer of 2011, she joined Virginia Tech University's Department of Statistics. That fall, she taught at the school's public health program.

In 2015, she joined Biogen, where she worked for three years before leaving - only to return to the company in February 2019.

Jie Li's family purchased their home in Belmont, Massachusetts, a suburb west of Boston, in 2015.

After Jie Li abruptly left the country, Biogen announced that she was no longer employed at the firm.
Burkina Faso: Missing priest found dead in jihadist hotspot

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The body of a priest who went missing in Burkina Faso was found dead in the western African countrys southwest forest, an area riddled with jihadist presence and activity.

Two days after Father Rodrigue Sanon disappeared in Burkina Fasos southwestern region, his body was discovered in a nearby forest, the bishop of the Diocese of Banfora announced in a statement shared by Vatican News.

It is with deep sorrow that I bring to everyones attention that the lifeless body of Fr. Rodrigue Sanon was found on Jan. 21, 2021, in the protected forest of Toumousseni, about 20 kilometers from Banfora, Bishop Lucas Kalfa Sanou said.

According to Catholic News Agency, Sanon, a priest from Notre Dame de Soubaganyedougou, disappeared Tuesday on his way to Banfora to meet the bishop. The priest never arrived, and his car was found abandoned.

Despite the circumstances surrounding the priest's murder, the bishop urged believers to stay the course and remain confident in the merciful love of God.

By the Mercy of God, may the soul of His servant Rodrigue Sanon rest in peace! the bishop said.

While the details surrounding the bishops murder and the assailants' identities remain unknown, for the last five years, Burkina Faso has been marked by religious violence at the hands of Islamist militant groups. These jihadist extremists include the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, and Ansarul Islam.

The violence has left over 1 million people displaced and nearly 1,100 dead since 2015, according to a 2019 report from the U.S. State Department.

Burkina Faso is ranked No. 32 on persecution watchdog Open Doors USAs World Watch List of 50 countries where Christians face the most persecution.

Open Doors estimates there are over 1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Burkina Faso, and many are Christians, as extremist attacks have driven believers from their homes and villages, with many being forced into refugee camps.

In June 2020, at least 58 people, including children, were killed in northern Burkina Faso in three separate attacks by armed Islamic militants who were targeting Christians.

In December 2019, at least 14 people were killed when gunmen stormed a Protestant church service in the town of Hantoukoura near the border with Niger. In April, gunmen killed a Protestant pastor and five other Christians who were leaving a worship service in Silgadji.

Last year, bishops in Burkina Faso issued a statement calling the increase in religious violence more worrying than ever and urged authorities to extend more support to marginalized communities.

The role of the Defense and Security Forces remains paramount, said the bishops, adding that security forces in the country must produce and guarantee a secure environment conducive to the conduct of the electoral process with the full participation of all citizens.

For the pastors in this part of Burkina Faso as elsewhere in the regions ... it is a great suffering to no longer be able to reach the faithful in some places, or to see them fleeing from terrorist attacks without any guarantee of security, they said.
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Kiara Hawkins, 19, (pictured) was just days away from her due date when she and four other people were gunned down Sunday morning at a home in Indianapolis. She died at a hospital, along with her unborn baby boy

The mother of a pregnant woman who was killed along with her unborn baby when a teen gunman allegedly went on a shooting spree in his family's home has shared her heartbreak as she prepares to bury her daughter and grandson.

Kiara Hawkins, 19, was just days away from her due date when she and a family of four were gunned down Sunday morning on Adams Street in northeast Indianapolis.

Hawkins' mother, Rhonique Hawkins, set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for funeral expenses, which featured a photo of the teen cradling her baby bump.

'She was my first. Everything she taught me made me the woman and mom I am today,' Rhonique told DailyMail.com on Tuesday. 'I love and miss her dearly.'

The other victims killed in the shooting were identified as mother Kezzie Childs, 42, father Raymond Childs Jr, 42, their 18-year-old son Elijah and 13-year-old daughter Rita.

A friend of the family told DailyMail.com that the father of Hawkins' baby lived at the house. The friend did not identify the father but said he was not the gunman.

A seventh victim, who was described as the 15-year-old son of Kezzie and Raymond but was not named, also suffered gunshot wounds. He was hospitalized in critical condition and is expected to survive.

It was that teen who had called 911 at around 4am Sunday after he was shot and fled down the street, according to a police report obtained by FOX59.

When he arrived at the hospital, the teen pointed officers toward his house and said: 'They killed my entire family.' He identified his older brother as the gunman, saying that he opened fire after their father yelled at him for leaving the house without permission.

The older brother, 17, was arrested on Monday roughly 25 miles away in Plainfield, FOX59 reported. His name has not been released due to his age.

The Marion County Prosecutor's Office has until Thursday to file charges against the suspect. He is expected to be charged for murder/intentional manslaughter with a handgun and attempted murder in adult court given the severity of the crimes.

Hawkins' mother, Rhonique Hawkins, set up a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral expenses, which featured the photo above of the teen cradling her baby bump

Elijah Childs, 18, (left) and Raymond Childs, 42, (right) were among the six victims shot dead at their Indianapolis home on Sunday. The 17-year-old suspect in the shooting is believed to be Raymond's son and Elijah's brother. A police report suggests the suspect launched his rampage after Raymond reprimanded him for leaving the house without permission

Kezzie Childs, 42, (left) and her 13-year-old daughter Rita (right) were also shot and killed, along with 19-year-old Kiara Hawkins and her unborn baby boy

The fatal shootings were discovered by IMPD officers responding to a 911 call made by another son of Raymond and Kezzie, who was shot and fled from the home. The son told investigators that his older brother, who has not been named, was the gunman

Describing the moments leading up to the shooting, the younger brother reportedly told detectives that his older sibling had been scolded by his father for leaving the house without permission.

Rhonique Hawkins, Kiara's mother, is pictured above

The father, Raymond, warned his older son that he would be punished later, the younger brother said, before chaos erupted.

The younger brother said he was downstairs with his parents when they heard gunfire upstairs. His sister shrieked: 'He shot them,' and more shots rang out.

He said his brother then 'came downstairs with a draco gun, a handgun that shoots rifle rounds, and started shooting', the police report states.

The younger brother ran out of the house as his sibling followed behind him and opened fire multiple times. It's believed those shots were the ones neighbors reported hearing.

Officers responding to the younger brother's 911 call arrived in the neighborhood and launched an investigation.

IMPD Assistant Chief Chris Bailey said even after the teen told officers what happened, they weren't sure what they would discover at the house.

'Because we had found that young man who has suffered some significant gunshot wounds, and he pointed us in the direction of that Adams Street address, which we had no idea what we would find when we walked in the door there, when the officers walked in the door there,' Bailey told FOX59.

'I can't imagine the horrific nature of what they had to see yesterday.'

Raymond, Kezzie, Elijah and Rita were all pronounced dead at the scene. Hawkins was still alive when officers found her. She was transported to a hospital, where both she and her unborn son died despite life-saving measures, police said.

The older brother, who had left the scene by the time police arrived, was tracked down in Plainfield on Monday.

A neighbor told FOX59 that she had tipped officers off to where they could find him.

The IMPD has refused to say whether they found any evidence linking the suspect to the murders when they took him into custody. Media reports indicated that a gun was found in the house.

The department also would not confirm details about the younger brother's statement, or even confirm that it happened.

'Our detectives and our violent crime unit follow the leads. They follow information that they gather as part of their investigation through a whole host of investigative techniques and methods,' Bailey said.

'We did receive information from the community, from neighbors, from people that were concerned about what happened.'

The younger brother who survived the shooting, who has not been named, reportedly told investigators that his older brother got angry when their father Raymond (pictured) warned him that he would be punished for leaving the house without permission

Mother Kezzie Childs (pictured) was downstairs in the home when the gunfire rang out

Elijah Childs, 18, (pictured) was killed in the shooting allegedly perpetrated by his brother

The suspect is currently being held at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center. He is expected to be charged in adult court later this week because juvenile courts do not have jurisdiction in murder cases involving defendants between 16 and 18 under Indiana state law, according to attorney Ralph Staples.

'The adult court has jurisdiction, so they will charge him directly there,' Staples, who is not affiliated with this case, told FOX59. 'Of course when you're 18 you're an adult, but that 16 to 18 range gives the prosecutor some latitude in terms of punishment, but not in terms of charging.'

Staples said the suspect's age means he will not face the death penalty, but he could get life without parole.

Announcing the arrest on Monday, IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said: 'Yesterday, we promised swift justice for this heinous act. Today, we delivered on that promised.

'While removing the alleged perpetrator of yesterday's mass murder from our neighborhoods does not bring back the lives senselessly lost, hopefully, it will bring us one step closer to healing as a community.

'I am grateful to all of the IMPD officers and criminal justice partners who have worked tirelessly for the last 30 plus hours to bring justice for these victims, their friends and families, and our entire community.'

Loved ones are seen consoling each other outside the Childs family home on Sunday

The family were found shot dead in their home in the 3500 block of Adam Street, Indianapolis

The Childs' home on Adams Street is shown above in an undated Google street view image

Loved ones and neighbors gathered on the street on Sunday to console each other and share their shock at what had unfolded in the quiet community.

'To take a whole family out like thatI just don't understand,' Vicki Pinkston, who lives across the street from the Childs' home, told WTHR.

'When I saw them take all the people out of there, I could not believe it. I just hope that they find who did this.'

Another neighbor, Rivon Allen-Bailey, said he heard four gunshots ring out early Sunday morning and ran to his window but didn't see anything.

Pinkston said she learned about the shooting when police knocked on her door at about 5am and asked if she heard anything, which she hadn't.

She broke down in tears when she was informed that five people and an unborn child had been killed just a few yards away.

'To take a whole family out like thatI just don't understand,' Vicki Pinkston, who lives across the street from the Childs' home, told WTHR (pictured)

Pinkston said she'd recently stopped by the home where the killings took place to drop off some baby items for Hawkins, whom she said was due next month.

'I had just given them some stuff from my great-grandson when he was born, but he is bigger now,' she said.

Pinkston described the family as 'so sweet' and recalled their cheery greetings.

'Oh lord, they say: "Hi, Miss, Vicki" all the time...' she told FOX59.

'Now I gotta look over there and not hear they say: "Hi Miss Vicki, how's your day going?"'

As she questioned how anyone would commit such an atrocity to such a kind family, Pinkston pointed her outrage at the person responsible.

'How you feel? How you feeling? How are you feeling about this?' she asked. 'It could've been yours; it could've been somebody in your family.'

Among those gathered at the scene on Sunday was District 9 City Councilman William Oliver, who lives about two minutes away from the 'act of mass murder'.

'The shame they brought to the household, to our community is an ultimate disgrace,' Oliver said of the perpetrator(s).

'If it was one person or five, I'm totally angry, hurt, and embarrassed.'

A GoFundMe campaign was set up to raise money for a memorial for the Childs family. It does not name Hawkins but identifies her baby as a 'grandson' of Kezzie and Raymond.

Neighbors and loved ones gathered at the scene to console each other on Sunday

In his first press conference on Sunday, Chief Taylor initially said police believed the shooting was a targeted attack carried out by an assailant or assailants. After the arrest he confirmed that the shooter acted alone.

'What we saw this morning was a different kind of evil,' Taylor said. 'What happened this morning, based on the evidence that's been gathered so far, was mass murder.'

Taylor said it was largest mass casualty shooting in the city in more than a decade, and urged the public to contact police and pass along any information they might have on the killings.

'What we saw this morning was a different kind of evil,' IMPD Chief Randal Taylor (pictured) said at a news conference Sunday

Mayor Joe Hogsett spoke alongside Taylor at Sunday's news conference, saying the person responsible had brought 'terror to our community.'

He said he had contacted officials with the FBI's Indianapolis field office, the local US Attorneys office and other law enforcement agencies for assistance in the shooting investigation.

'I want those responsible to know that the full might of local, state and federal law enforcement are coming for them as I speak,' Hogsett said.

After the suspect was arrested on Monday, Hogsett issued another statement thanking law enforcement for their efforts.

'Today's announcement is the first step toward justice for the senseless acts that cut short the lives of six of our neighbors in the early hours of Sunday morning,' the mayor said.

'While nothing can bring back the Childs family, I hope that the swift action of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department offers some comfort to all of those who have been left to grapple with this tragic loss.

'My thanks go to the men and women of IMPD whose thoughtful investigative work led to the arrest of the suspect, and my prayers are with the family, friends, and community impacted by this devastating act of violence.'

The shooting came weeks after Indianapolis recorded its most violent year on record, with 244 homicides.

City officials have attributed the violence in part to poverty which was exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
The first dogs! President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden are all moved into the White House  and so are their pups, Major and Champ.

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After Joe, 78, was sworn in as the 46th U.S. president on January 20, the first couple brought their dogs over to the residential and office building based in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, January 24. Photos showed Joe and Jill, 69, on the White House grounds with their two German shepherds.

Larry Marano/Shutterstock

The first family wanted to get settled before bringing the dogs down to Washington from Delaware, Michael LaRosa, a press secretary for the first lady, told CNN on Monday, January 25. Champ is enjoying his new dog bed by the fireplace, and Major loved running around on the South Lawn.

The Bidens have been dog parents to Champ since December 2008, mere weeks before Joe was inaugurated alongside former President Barack Obama. During Joes eight years working under Obama, Champ lived with the longtime couple at the vice-presidential mansion at the Naval Observatory.

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Joe and Jill adopted Major in March 2018 through the Delaware Humane Association. Majors arrival to the White House is historic, as he is the first shelter dog to move into the government building.

WHITE HOUSE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (2)

Ahead of Majors debut in the nations capital, the Delaware Humane Association hosted a virtual indoguration fundraiser celebrating the first shelter dog coming to live at the White House. The event raised $200,000.

It means everything to us because it shines a light on the work we do, Delaware Humane Associations executive director Patrick Carroll said during the event on January 17, per ABC affiliate WPVI-TV. It shows that shelters are a wonderful place to adopt.

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The White House last saw furry companions running about when Obama, 59, was president from 2009 to 2017. The Promised Land authors family had two Portuguese water dogs named Sunny and Bo.

During Donald Trumps four years in office, he and his family did not bring pets to live with them. This made him the first president in more than 100 years to not have animals around since William McKinley, who was in office from 1897 until his assassination in 1901.

I wouldnt mind having one, honestly, but I dont have any time, the former reality star, 74, said during a 2019 rally in El Paso, Texas. How would I look walking a dog on the White House lawn?

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed with Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Ayman Safadi the intensification of relations between the two countries, trade and food security.

The foreign ministers discussed these issues during a phone call on January 25, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported.

During the conversation, the parties stressed the importance of maintaining a regular political dialogue between the two countries and agreed to hold political consultations between the foreign ministries in the near future.

The interlocutors paid special attention to the development of trade, as well as the important role of Ukrainian exports in strengthening the food security of Jordan.

Dmytro Kuleba proposed to resume regular meetings of the Joint Ukrainian-Jordanian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in 2021.

Ayman Safadi supported Kuleba's proposal to send a delegation of Jordanian business to Ukraine to get acquainted with the opportunities provided by our state for mutually beneficial trade and investment.

A separate topic of conversation was the attraction of Jordanian students to study at Ukrainian universities.

The parties also discussed recent developments in the MENA region and further interaction between Ukraine and Jordan within the framework of international organizations.

The ministers exchanged invitations to pay mutual visits after the normalization of the epidemiological situation.

ish
Head of Psychology at the University of Ghana, Prof. Joseph Osafo says the COVID-19 vaccines won't be administered to sick persons but people who haven't contracted the disease.



With the outbreak of coronavirus in Ghana and the world at large, the good news is the introduction of vaccines.



Coronavirus, according to world statistics, has infected 99.3 million people and killed 2.13 million with 54.8 million people still recovering from the viral disease.



The United States leads on the world map of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections, recording 25.2 million and 419000 deaths.



Ghana has also recorded 61,489 confirmed cases, 57,597 Recoveries/Discharge and 367 deaths.



The country, according to the Ghana Health Service, has 3,525 active cases.



Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Prof. Joseph Osafo disclosed that the vaccines that are coming in will be given to persons who haven't contracted the disease to help them build antibodies to fight the virus should they come into contact with infected ones.



"The vaccine is not given to the sick person. People should understand it. The vaccines which are coming won't be given to the sick person, no! The vaccine is to protect the person who hasn't been infected by the virus," he stated.



With this in view, Prof. Osafo advised Ghanaians to protect themselves from contracting the disease because the virus is not meant for the sick persons.



"If you want to die, we don't want to die", he said adding "we need a curative agent for those who are made morbid and a vaccine. The vaccine is for you and I who don't have the disease to protect us against contracting it''.



Watch video below





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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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., talks with President Donald Trump during an event on California water accessibility, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, in Bakersfield, Calif. Evan Vucci/The Associated Press

Top Republicans have rapidly shifted from blaming Trump for the Capitol attack to bashing Democrats for impeaching him over it.

As the initial shock over the riot has faded, the tone from Republicans has changed dramatically.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy went from saying Trump "bears responsibility" to "everybody" has some responsibility.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In the immediate aftermath of the violent insurrection at the US Capitol, top Republicans who'd been steadfast allies of President Donald Trump ripped into him for inciting the deadly attack. But just a few weeks later, they're already singing a different tune as the Senate prepares for Trump's impeachment trial.

"The president bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack by mob rioters," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said on January 13 during the House debate over Trump's impeachment.

This reportedly infuriated Trump, even though McCarthy did not support impeaching him, and it didn't take long for the House GOP leader to change his tone and shift blame.

Read more: Joe Biden is hiring about 4,000 political staffers to work in his administration. Here's how 3 experts say you can boost your chances of getting one of those jobs.

Eight days after McCarthy said Trump "bears responsibility," he told reporters that Trump did not provoke the attack.

"I don't believe he provoked it if you listen to what he said at the rally," McCarthy said on January 21.

Later, an interview with Gray Television's Greta Van Susteren that aired Sunday, McCarthy said "everybody across this country has some responsibility" for the Capitol attack.

The day after the attack, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said: "When it comes to accountability the president needs to understand that his actions were the problem not the solution."

It took a little over a week for Graham to flip-flop. On January 17, the South Carolina Republican called on President Joe Biden to oppose Trump's impeachment.

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"If you do not stand up against the impeachment of President Trump after he leaves office, you are an incredibly weak figure in American history. President Trump is trying to heal the nation. Pursuing impeachment after he leaves the office will further divide the country," Graham said on Fox News.

On January 20, Graham told Fox News he did not "agree" with GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's assertion that Trump provoked the violence at the US Capitol and said "show me the clip where [Trump] did that."

Nikki Haley, who was Trump's first US ambassador to the UN, in comments at an RNC meeting earlier this month excoriated Trump over the Capitol siege, per Politico.

"President Trump has not always chosen the right words," Haley reportedly said. "He was wrong with his words in Charlottesville, and I told him so at the time. He was badly wrong with his words yesterday. And it wasn't just his words. His actions since Election Day will be judged harshly by history."

But fast-forward to Monday, and Haley appeared to be staunchly behind Trump and against impeachment.

"I don't think there is a basis for impeachment," Haley, who's thought to have ambitions of running for president in 2024, told Fox News' Laura Ingraham.

"They beat him up before he got into office. They are beating him up after he leaves office," Haley added, portraying Trump as a victim. "I mean, at some point, I mean, give the man a break. I mean, move on."

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As the shock of the Capitol attack fades, so has GOP condemnation of Trump

There was a strong push from congressional lawmakers to rapidly hold Trump accountable in the wake of the Capitol attack, including from some Republicans, and for the impeachment process to occur swiftly.

The article of impeachment has been delivered to the Senate, but Trump's trial has been delayed until February 9. With the trial pushed back, and the initial shock of the events of January 6 fading, a door has opened for Republicans to return to their previous, unwavering support of Trump.

Seventeen Senate Republicans would need to join all 50 Democrats in the upper chamber to convict Trump, which could be followed by a vote (requiring a simple majority) to disqualify the former president from holding office in the future. With no Republicans publicly supporting conviction so far, it seems more and more unlikely enough Republicans will join Democrats to convict him.

And instead of attempting to defend Trump's actions, many Republicans are going after the process and contending that it's unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial after a president has left office.

"I believe post-presidential impeachments are blatantly unconstitutional," Graham said in a recent tweet.

But there's a historical precedent for doing so, and legal experts have dismissed the notion it's unconstitutional.

"This argument is wrong as a matter of text, structure, historical practice and common sense," Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, wrote in a New York Times op-ed rejecting the GOP argument it's too late to hold an impeachment trial. "And Mr. Trump is the poster child for why, even after he leaves office, such accountability is not just constitutionally permissible but necessary."

"It's ultimately Congress's call - for former officers as much as current ones," Vladeck said.

Republicans who supported Trump's impeachment face backlash

An explosion caused by a police munition is seen while supporters of President Donald Trump gather in front of the US Capitol Building in Washington DC on January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Leah Millis

The speech Trump delivered on January 6, in which he urged his supporters to "fight like hell" and march on the Capitol, quite clearly provoked the riot that ensued. Trump's weekslong effort to overturn the election, and his baseless claims of mass voter fraud, had set the stage for the violence.

The president made a reference to "peacefully" demonstrating during his remarks that day, which a number of House Republicans zeroed in on in Trump's defense, but it was a fleeting moment in an otherwise provocative, lie-filled speech that induced what's been widely characterized as an attempted coup.

Ten Republicans voted to impeach Trump. It was the most bipartisan impeachment of a president in US history. They're already facing primary challenges over the move and heavy criticism from the GOP in their home states. Trump's allies in the House are pushing for GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the number three Republican in the lower chamber, to be ousted as House Republican Conference Chair over her vote to impeach.

Even after leaving the White House in disgrace after instigating a riot that threatened the safety of Congress, Trump's influence over the GOP seemingly remains a steady, potent force.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Shimla, Jan 26 : The 72nd Republic Day was celebrated across Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday with gaiety despite a sunny but chilly morning.

Governor Bandaru Dattatreya unfurled the national flag at the historic Ridge in the state capital where Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, his cabinet colleagues and government functionaries were among those present during the occasion.

In the snow-marooned Keylong, headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti, and Rekong Peo in Kinnaur district, people took part in the flag unfurling ceremonies and also witnessed the march past by the security personnel as well as cultural programmes staged by several children.

Cabinet Ministers Ram Lal Markanda and Sukh Ram Chaudhary presided over the functions in Keylong and Rekong Peo respectively.

In Shimla, the Governor took the salute at an impressive parade by contingents of the Police, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Home Guards, Army, NCC and ex-servicemen.

A cultural programme and tableaux highlighting development activities of various departments were part of the celebrations.

A skit based on the development and welfare schemes of the state performed by artistes of the Information and Public Relations and a skit by the cyber cell of the Police Department were the special attraction to the audience.

A drill performance by Naga Regiment was lauded by one and all.

Tableau of Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board was given the first prize.

The Governor also honoured Janak Raj, Medical Superintendent of Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla for his best performance in Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
Officer Rich Clawson ordered his dog Jaeger to attack a teen boy inside a Burger King

A Salt Lake City police officer who ordered a K-9 to bite a 14-year-old burglary suspect at a Burger King was found to have used 'excessive force' by a civilian oversight board.

The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case and other uses of dogs on criminal suspects and expects to release its findings - and possible criminal charges - in the next few weeks.

Body camera footage from officer Rich Clawson shows the K-9 handler order his dog Jaeger to 'hit' as the boy stood on the counter with his hands in the air.

Cops responding to a call of a burglary in progress around 1am on June 5 found the teen standing on a counter and allegedly attempting to start a fire inside the fast food restaurant, which was filled with fire extinguisher smoke.

'You in the building, it's the police department. Come out or I'm going to send in the dog. You will get bit,' Clawson yells at the suspect in the video.

Another officer notes that the teen is holding a pair of scissors but tells Clawson the suspect dropped them before Jaeger was ordered to attack.

The teen was pictured with his hands up, standing on a counter as the dog attacked

Officer Clawson told Jaeger to attack after another cop reported seeing the kid drop a pair of scissors

Clawson was seen on body camera footage holding the teen's head to the ground while ordering Jaeger to bite

Body camera footage shows Clawson rip the boy from the countertop and throw him to the ground while ordering the dog to bite him.

'Hit, hit, hit!' Clawson orders the dog, as the boy wails in pain.

Clawon then presses the boy's face into the floor as he pleads with cops, 'I'm 14 years old!'

'Stop fighting,' Clawson orders the boy as the dog's jaws clench around his leg.

'Please, please,' the boy begs with cops.

Clawson and the other officer who responded, Miles Southworth, told the Civilian Review Board that they felt ordering the dog to bite the teen was necessary, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Southworth, concerned that the suspect's actions would lead to a use of deadly force, argued that ordering the dog to bite the 'aggressive' teen was a 'really good option.'

However, the board said handlers are not trained to command a dog to bite a suspect who appears to be surrendering or to hold their head down to the ground while the dog bites.

In a portion of the footage not released to the public, the review board also noted that another officer praised Jaeger as a 'good boy' after he let go of the boy, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Clawson told the Civilian Review Board that ordering the dog to bite the teen was necessary

Salt Lake City has suspended its K9 program after backlash from the community

Cops are trained to not praise their dogs by saying 'good boy,' according to the review board, because it can be easily construed to mean the officer 'is happy with the fact that the K-9 got to bite a subject.'

The police department asked for the case to be reviewed by the Civilian Review Board, which posted its report online on Friday, according to the outlet.

The report has since been removed as the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office reviews the case for criminal charges, according to the outlet.

It was revealed in August that another officer had ordered his dog Tuco to bite a black man who was on his knees and complying with police orders on April 24.

The department suspended officer Nickolas Pearce pending an investigation, and has also suspended its use of K9 units.

Cops had scrambled to the home of Jeffery Ryans, 36, and Pearce set the dog on him after neighbors allegedly heard Ryans arguing with his wife and approached him as he smoked a cigarette in his backyard.

'Get on the ground or you're going to get bit!' an officer orders.

The suspect is seen kneeling and raising his hands in the air  but cops still order Tuco to attack.

Ryans' injuries were so severe that doctors feared his leg would have to be amputated and he filed his intent to sue the department on July 20.

Pearce faces assault charges.

District Attorney Sam Gill said it's 'definitely in the realm of possibility' that other Salt Lake officers could face criminal charges for their use of police dogs.

Gill's review of Salt Lake City's K-9 cases is almost complete, and the DA's office expects to release its findings in the next few weeks.

Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts for the full episode.

Unifying the country is one thing; unifying Congress is another. President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party have executive and legislative control, but their margin in the Senate is razor-thin, which allows Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a little more leverage than liberals would naturally prefer. But Biden and McConnell have a decadeslong relationship, both as fellow senators and as deal-makers (and -breakers) during the Obama administration; the two have professed respect for each other, and they were spotted praying together at church before the inauguration.* But none of this necessarily means that Biden can use McConnell for his own agenda. On Tuesdays episode of What Next, I spoke with Alex Thompsonwho covers the White House for Politico and recently wrote a big piece on the Biden-McConnell relationshipabout what we can expect from these two men as the president knuckles down for his first term. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Mary Harris: Both Biden and McConnell have evolved with their parties. They started out as moderates, but as the Democratic Party recently started moving left, Biden went that way, and as the Republican Party went right, McConnell went that way.

Alex Thompson: While they have different styles and political goals, the quality they share is they are ideologically flexible. They have a good pulse on where their party is and where their parties voters are. And as any astute politician does, you move to where your voters are, to where your people are. One of my favorite ad cycles is from 1984: McConnell is running for his first term, Biden is running for his third, and the latter is running ads in Delaware promising a constitutional balanced budget amendment and talking about how hes going to crack down on spending.

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A conservative principle.

Exactly. No Democrat in the Senate right now is supporting a balanced budget amendment. And Biden is proposing to spend nearly $2 trillion in his first 100 days. Hes changed his mind about certain thingsas has McConnell. McConnell used to be procampaign finance reform. Now hes against it. He used to court labor support in Kentucky. Now hes supporting a lot of anti-union judges. He used to court abortion rights groups. Now hes pushed through Amy Coney Barrett and reformed the entire Supreme Court in a way thats made it probably the most hostile judicial institution to abortion rights since Roe v. Wade. So they both changed.

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You focus on a couple of moments in particular that you think are revealing with regard to the McConnell-Biden relationship. I want to start with Robert Bork and the battle over his Supreme Court nomination in 1987you said this was a moment that kind of set the stage for what was to come. There was all this liberal opposition to Bork, and Biden, who was chairing the Judiciary Committee, had to manage this. So tell me the story of what he did here.

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Two things are going on with Biden that will actually probably sound familiar. The left wing of the party wants to make the Bork fight all about Roe v. Wade and the Civil Rights Act and segregation. Biden said that rhetoric was too hot if they wanted to defeat him. Bidens strategy was to focus on issues that were going to matter to moderate Republicans and moderate Democratsso instead of talking about abortion rights, he talks about contraception and married couples being able to buy birth control, which was in Griswold v. Connecticut, a decision Bork had cast doubt on. That will sound familiar to left-wing groups: Bidens entire political approach is I need to focus on the moderate Republicans in order to get to 50 plus one.

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In the decades before Bork, for the most part the way the Senate evaluated judges was based on: Are they competent? Are they sufficiently credentialed? Do they have any personal scandals? Ideology was deferred to the president. What happened with Bork is that they replace that old standard with an ideological onethat you were saying Bork was objectionable because of his ideology was new. Biden admits this in his memoir. In fact, he sort of boasts about it, saying he changed the Senate by articulating this new standard. Republicans who wanted Bork on the bench were furious, and no one was more furious than a young freshman senator named Mitch McConnell.

The second moment you focus in on happened in 2012. A series of tax cuts were about to expirethis was referred to as going over the fiscal cliff. This is when McConnell reached out to the White House himself to negotiate. Can you explain why this moment was so important, and what happened?

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So at the end of 2012, Obama won reelection, Democrats kept the Senate narrowly, and there was a series of deadlines. If they couldnt renegotiate by midnight on Dec. 31, wed go over the fiscal cliffwhich basically meant $700 billion in combined tax hikes and spending. When the economy is fragile, if you just raise taxes on everybody and also cut back on spending, its like a form of austerity.

So you have this incredibly tense standoff between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and McConnell, and neither was blinking. Then McConnells people began to realize Reid was willing to go over the cliff, to have all the tax hikes go into play and then start negotiating on which peoples taxes to cut. So, to reframe the debate as were going to cut taxes instead of preventing tax hikes because taxes were going to go up anyway. That was sort of his theory.

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Thats when McConnell calls Vice President Joe Biden and says, is there anyone over there who can make a deal? And Biden goes to Obama and is like, Mitch wants a deal, what do you think? Obama dispatched Biden to the Hillbasically McConnell cleverly went around Reid and got a willing partner in Joe Biden. Reid is furious, and Biden ends up cutting a deal with a modest tax hike. McConnell told his caucus, We got permanency for 99 percent of the Bush tax cuts.

If Biden himself felt ambivalent about the negotiation, he never let on publicly.

Not at all. Biden thinks of this deal as actually a huge victory, evidence that he can make Washington work. During the primary he framed it as listen, I got Mitch McConnell to agree to $600 billion in tax hikes, and I prevented the economy from a cataclysm. His thinking is: Was this perfect? Definitely not. But did I move the ball forward a little bit, and did I make things like a little bit more progressive? Yes.

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Youve got to think Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers nervous about this happening again to him. You saw a little microcosm of this Friday night with the impeachment rules, where Schumer was dragging his feet and objecting to McConnells schedule of waiting till February to start the Senate trial. Biden came out publicly and said, no, I think Mitchs schedule is good. Then Schumer had to swallow his tongue and go along with Mitchs schedule. Based on that history, youve got to think Schumer and Pelosi are worried about Joe Biden wanting to cut a deal and, in their minds, undermining them.

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Danilov has recalled that for Ukraine, the Russian Federation is an aggressor power.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov says Ukraine does not need Russian advice on the language issue.

"The Ukrainian language is the only state language, the status of which is enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine, and we do not need advice from Russia or any other country on this issue," Danilov wrote on Facebook.

Danilov reiterated Russia has been seen as an aggressor country for Ukraine after it occupied the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and unleashed war in parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions under the supervision and with the direct participation of Russian troops.

"A new history of mutual relations is possible only after Ukrainian territories are fully liberated, war criminals and traitors are extradited, while those guilty of plotting and waging military aggression against our country are punished; only after the last Russian soldier leaves the territory of Ukraine. We didn't invite you here," Danilov said.

Background

Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev in a commentary to the Russian Argumenty i Fakty publication claimed "linguistic discrimination" was being observed in Ukraine as the law on rendering consumer services in the Ukrainian language was enforced on January 16.

Read alsoRespect to each other and to the country: Minister tells of language law objectivesHe believes the Ukrainian government "consistently divides the unified people of Russia and Ukraine" and destroys "cultural and civilizational foundations of the state."

Language legislation: Latest

On January 16, 2021, the provisions of the law on the obligatory use of the Ukrainian language in the consumer services industry came into force.

Article 30 of the Law of Ukraine on ensuring the functioning of Ukrainian as the official language stipulates that all service providers, regardless of their form of ownership, shall serve consumers and provide information about goods and services in Ukrainian.

On April 25, 2019, the language bill, which suggests the gradual implementation of its provisions, was passed by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament.

Reporting by UNIAN
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Violence broke out in Delhi on Republic Day as thousands of farmers who organised the tractor rally marched into the national capital, breaking barricades and clashing with the police. The Delhi Police then used tear gas shells and lathi-charge to contain the situation.

Amid the scenes of chaos and clashes, a video depicted an exemplary show of humanity. Farmers made way for an ambulance that was snarled up in the traffic caused by the tractor rally in the national capital. The video emerged from Indraprastha Park on Outer Ring Road, east Delhi.

Twitter

Farmers make way for ambulance stuck in #tractorrally



(: Indraprastha Park on Outer Ring Road, east Delhi) pic.twitter.com/m127NXFia1  NDTV (@ndtv) January 26, 2021

Not the only incident

Another incident was reported from the national capital that shows humanity is above all. Protesting farmers today rescued a Delhi Police personnel by a section of protesters attempting to assault him at ITO in central Delhi.

#WATCH: Protesting farmers rescue Delhi Police personnel by a section of protesters attempting to assault him at ITO in central Delhi | Track today's latest news here: https://t.co/rONa25YGr8 pic.twitter.com/7w0AbAMyzy

#WATCH: Protesting farmers rescue Delhi Police personnel by a section of protesters attempting to assault him at ITO in central Delhi | Track today's latest news here: https://t.co/rONa25YGr8 pic.twitter.com/7w0AbAMyzy  Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) January 26, 2021

 Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) January 26, 2021 " target="_blank">A video of the same was tweeted by The Economic Times on Twitter.

On Tuesday, farmers protesting against agricultural reforms breached barricades and clashed with police in the capital, who fired tear gas to restrain them, shortly after a convoy of tractors trundled through the Delhi's outskirts.

The upheaval was primarily caused after the protesters who were "allowed to hold" the "Kisaan Parade" between 12 to 5 PM, started the march much before the allotted time and veered away from the agreed-upon routes.



AP

Earlier, the government had opposed the rally in the Supreme Court saying it would be a "national embarrassment" at a time when the country was celebrating Republic Day.

The farmers are protesting against three central laws that they say will deplete their income, take away their guaranteed minimum prices for crops and leave them open to exploitation by big corporations. Farmers protested in several other cities today in solidarity with their comrades in north India.
By Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter for MailOnline

An investigation into algorithms used by companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon has been launched today amid fears they are 'manipulating' lives and are used to 'artificially change perceptions' by cherry-picking what news internet users see.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will probe fears whether the software used by tech giants is corrupting lives and livelihoods by limiting choice, bumping up prices and skewing how they consume current affairs.

Algorithms wield enormous power over millions of Britons yet there is little or no accountability for tech firms over the results they produce or what they force consumers to see.

The CMA, Britain's guardian on antitrust and monopoly matters post-Brexit, will now examine concerns they are being used to influence shopping, travel, hotel and food choices, assess job applicants and even manipulate love lives through dating apps.

One of the issues they will look at will be the use of algorithms by Google and Facebook to decide what news is shown to people using their websites.

There are also concerns they are used to manipulate the UK's 14billion online advertising market, which is also dominated by Google.

These search results are often based on their previous browsing and links they have clicked on, rather than directing them to publishers offering the closest match to a search.

The same criticism has been aimed at YouTube and the videos it suggests users watch next.

The consumer group Which? has also raised concerns that algorithms used by Amazon to give products an Amazon Choice recommendation can skew shopping habits and potentially see people paying more for products.

The online giant also predicts what someone might buy based on previous purchases, their gender, whether they have children and what they watch on their Prime player.

Google dominates the UK search market across all platforms, especially in mobile, already faces an antitrust investigation by Britain's competitions watchdog. Recent stats from October show Google's dominance with some claiming algorithms help them

These so-called 'nudges' on websites 'can be manipulated to reduce choice or artificially change consumers perceptions' and even lead to 'personalised pricing', the CMA said.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is seeking evidence from academics and industry experts on the potential harms to competition and consumers caused by the deliberate or unintended misuse of algorithms.

It said: Much of peoples lives is spent online, be it consuming news, socialising, dating, ordering food, or arranging travel. Many of these online activities and the markets that underpin them could not exist without algorithms, often in the form of artificial intelligence, and these have enabled considerable gains in efficiency and effectiveness. However, they can negatively impact consumers in various ways.

Algorithms can be used to personalise services in ways that are difficult to detect, leading to search results that can be manipulated to reduce choice or artificially change consumers perceptions. Companies can also use algorithms to change the way they rank products on websites, giving a higher rating to their own products and excluding competitors.

The dangers of algorithms were laid bare last year when algorithms were dropped following a public outcry after they were used to decide teenagers GCSE and A-level results, which could have had dire consequences on their future.

At the time of the crisis, ministers such as the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, insisted that the algorithms were the best and fairest way to decide grades.

Director of Data Science at the CMA, Kate Brand, said: Algorithms play an important role online but, if not used responsibly, can potentially do a tremendous amount of harm to consumers and businesses. Which? has raised concerns that the Amazon algorithm can be manipulated by rogue sellers to win an Amazon Choice recommendation, so encouraging people to buy sub-standard products, wasting huge sums of money.

The Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, Rocio Concha, said: Algorithms can help consumers find suitable products and services as well as good deals, but can also be used to track and monitor behaviours in ways they are unaware of, leading to them being manipulated or misled - either accidentally or by design.

From pressure-selling tactics by online accommodation booking sites to unscrupulous sellers using fake reviews to game their way to a valuable Amazons Choice endorsement, too often algorithms can lead to consumers losing out.

The new CMA investigation came weeks after it announced Google's command of Britain's 14billion online advertising market will be probed amid claims it is using Chrome to abuse its position as the dominant power in searches and browsing.

The investigation will assess whether the possible removal of third-party cookies and other functionalities from Chrome could be anti-competitive and further hit UK businesses by decimating their online ad revenues.

The CMA's probe was announced days after it became Britain's guardian on antitrust and monopoly matters after the country fully left the EU and Brussels' influence on UK competition laws formally ended.

Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA, said: 'As the CMA found in its recent market study, Google's Privacy Sandbox proposals will potentially have a very significant impact on publishers like newspapers, and the digital advertising market.

Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the Competition and Markets Authority, has already said ministers needed to urgently set up a regulatory regime to counter big tech's monopoly on the search and digital ad markets or it would act alone

'But there are also privacy concerns to consider, which is why we will continue to work with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as we progress this investigation, while also engaging directly with Google and other market participants about our concerns.'

Marketers for an Open Web has repeatedly asked the CMA to block the tech giant's controversial 'Privacy Sandbox' project. The pressure group says that without Government intervention to protect media plurality in the UK their members could see revenues drop by 75 per cent because Google controls up to 98 per cent of UK search engine traffic on PCs, tablets and mobile phones.

The UK's competition watchdog will look into how the possible removal of third-party cookies and other functionalities from Chrome could distort competition.

Online publishers such as newspapers rely on third-party cookies to target advertising effectively and fund their content. But the use of these cookies comes with privacy concerns, as they allow consumers' behaviour to be tracked across the web.

Mr Coscelli said last year that ministers needed to urgently set up a regulatory regime to counter big tech's monopoly on the search and digital ad markets or it would act alone.

The cash hoovered up by Google using its advertising algorithms and its extraordinary market power has already put it in the CMA's crosshairs.

Google shook the online advertising world in 2020 as it announced it would phase out third party cookies.

These allowed businesses to use targeted advertising based on websites a customer had visited or ones they had clicked on to browse or buy.

Google insists the changes are primarily to protect privacy - critics say its purpose is to cement Googles control of online advertising markets, because it will deny rivals access to the user data needed to sell ads.

Web browsers such as Mozilla and Apple Incs Safari have already blocked third-party cookies.

There are concerns they are being used to influence shopping, travel, hotel and food choices, assess job applicants and even manipulate love lives through dating apps.

The consumer group Which? has raised concerns that algorithms used by Amazon to give products an Amazon Choice recommendation can skew shopping habits.

Meanwhile, Google has threatened to remove its search function in Australia and Facebook warned it would pull news content if a new law requiring the tech giants to compensate media organisations is passed.

The proposed law, introduced to the Australian Parliament in December, will force Facebook and Google to negotiate fees with news companies whose stories appear on their platforms.

The world-first code states that if a negotiation breaks down then an independent umpire will step in and decide the fee based on a 'final offer' method, which chooses one side's position as the resolution.

Google and Facebook are fighting the code, claiming it is 'unworkable' and poses an existential threat to their business models.

Australia's battle with Big Tech is being keenly watched by governments across the world, not least in London, Washington DC and Brussels, where concerns have been raised over the 'advertising duopoly' of Google and Facebook.

Australian regulators found that for every $100 spent on digital advertising, $53 goes to Google, $28 to Facebook and only $19 goes to others.

Google turns over $4.9billion in Australia, with $4.3billion of that from advertising - while many Australian publishers are struggling to make money. The company only paid $59million in Australian corporate tax last year.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

A winter storm will bring snow and low temperatures to northern and western New Mexico on Tuesday.

Snow will likely fall in the mountains of northern New Mexico, said Todd Shoemake, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque.

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Those areas could receive 2 to 5 inches from the storm.

The highest amounts we are expecting would be just east of Glenwood, down there in southwest New Mexico in Catron County, Shoemake said. We could see 10 inches, if not upwards of a foot, in that area.

The snow will likely affect travel along Interstate 40 near Gallup on Tuesday, as well as on highways in the northern part of the state.

Tuesday will be the coldest day of the week, with Taos, Angel Fire and Los Alamos remaining below freezing.

In Albuquerque, the forecast calls for a high temperature of 37 degrees Tuesday, with a low of 14. There is a 50% chance of precipitation. Snow showers are possible in the afternoon.

Wednesday will be more tranquil and dry, Shoemake said, with a chance of freezing fog in the morning.

Statewide temperatures will rise slightly later in the week, before another storm system moves into western New Mexico on Friday afternoon.

The cold front will bring high winds, cooler air and rain and snow that will spread east across the state on Saturday morning.

Albuquerque temperatures will hit a high of 49 degrees Saturday, with a 20% chance of precipitation.

Meteorologist Scott Overpeck said New Mexicos drought is in a holding pattern because of the recent snow and rain.

More than 80% of the state is experiencing extreme drought. Many regions are struggling to recover from last years dry summer and fall.

The problem is the eastern parts of the state are really still missing out on some of that precipitation, and thats really where we need it, Overpeck said.


A religious order which ran a home for 'fallen women' in Derry for many years say they 'deeply regret' how the women were treated.

The Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd tonight issued a lengthy statement following the publication today of a report into mother-and-baby homes and Magdalene Laundries in Northern Ireland.

Magdalene Laundries were initially Protestant but later mostly Catholic institutions that operated from the 18th to the late 20th centuries, to house 'fallen women'.

The report published today was compiled by Queen's University and Ulster University on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive.

The Executive said that a new independent investigation will now be carried out into the activities and impact of the homes.

First Minister Arlene Foster said the investigation would be 'victims-centred'.

"A statutory public inquiry may well be the outcome of that process but victims and survivors will be given the opportunity to influence that," she said.

The report examined eight mother and baby homes, a number of former workhouses, four Magdalene Laundries and sought personal testimony from women and children with 'lived experience' of the institutions.

The Magdalene Laundries examined included one which was run by the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd in the Waterside area of Derry from 1922 to 1992.

The report describes as a 'conservative estimate' that over 10,500 women and girls entered the homes between 1922 and 1990.

Living conditions and care for residents were recorded in little detail but personal testimonies revealed 'strenuous physical labour' was expected of the women in the homes.

In their statement tonight, a spokesperson for Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd said they welcomed the report.

This report reflects a time in our history when women did not receive the support they needed and deserved from family, society or the state. We provided services for women when no other option seemed to be available to them, the spokesperson said.

As Judge Hart confirmed in a previous report, no-one who came, or was brought to us in need of help, was ever turned away.

We ran three St. Marys Homes with adjacent Laundries, in Derry, Belfast and Newry.

The report describes these homes as a catch-all solution to a wide range of issues identified by the state, members of the Catholic Clergy and in some instances family member of the girls

The report also describes the lack of state funding for many of the girls as a key issue. Our sisters lived in these homes and worked alongside the women in the laundries, which were the main and necessary means of support.

The order's spokesperson said that many of these women were sent to St. Marys Homes by the state (31%) and the report states that they were free to leave subject to (completion of) probation or protection order.

The report also established that for St Marys Derry, 20% of women departed the home within a month of entry and a further 35% departed within a year.

In Belfast the report confirms that 75% of women departed the home within a year.

We ran two mother and baby homes, one in Newry another in Belfast.

Mostly young pregnant women came to us seeking assistance and confidentiality and mostly with the intention of placing their baby for adoption.

Residents in the mother and baby homes did not work in the laundries.

The spokesperson highlights that the new report refers to the complex nature of mother-and-baby homes.

The lack of family support made it very difficult for these women at such a critical time in their lives.

However, the report shows that 26% of babies left the homes with their mother.

The issue of adoption has been raised in the report, however, as the researchers did not have access to adoption files, which were never held by us, no firm conclusions were drawn on this matter.

The spokesperson said that Good Shepherd Sisters tried to provide appropriate care for these women.

Many former residents have appreciated the support they received while in our care and have kept in contact with our Sisters over the years.

We have also noted in the report the many and varied accounts of those who spent time with us.

This was not a good experience for everyone and we wish that we could have done more for the women in our care at such a critical time in their lives.

We deeply regret that we could not and did not always meet the multifaceted needs of these women.

We will need more time to review the contents of the report in detail and we will affording the independent investigation, announced this evening, our fullest co-operation, concluded the order's spokesperson.

Vials with a sticker reading "COVID-19/Coronavirus vaccine/Injection only" and a syringe are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken on Oct. 31, 2020. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic)

Moderna Develops New CCP Virus Vaccine for South African Variant

Moderna announced on Jan. 25 that it had developed a new CCP virus vaccine to combat a new South African variant of the virus, with plans to advance it into a phase one study.

Out of an abundance of caution and leveraging the flexibility of our mRNA platform, we are advancing an emerging variant booster candidate against the variant first identified in the Republic of South Africa into the clinic to determine if it will be more effective to boost titers [antibody levels] against this and potentially future variants, Modernas Chief Executive Officer Stephane Bancel said in a statement.

The company says that the development of the new vaccine was important in the fight against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes the disease COVID-19, especially as the virus evolves.

First detected in South Africa, the B.1.351 variant, along with another variant first identified in the United Kingdom, spreads faster and is more contagious, but theres still no concrete evidence suggesting that the new variants are deadlier.

However, scientists believe the South African variants mutations may reduce, but not obliterate the recognition of the virus by antibodies, which may then reduce vaccine efficacy, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Although Moderna has developed the new vaccine booster, the vaccine maker says that its current vaccine still offers protection against several emerging variants, including the South African and United Kingdom strains, according to internal data from a small laboratory study (pdf) between Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

The study, which hasnt been peer-reviewed, found that the efficacy of the vaccine had the same effect against the United Kingdom variant as the original CCP virus strain, while there was a six-fold reduction in antibody levels observed with the South African variant. But the reduction in neutralizing antibodies was still enough to provide protection.

Nurse practitioner Sarah Gonzalez gives a dose of the CCP virus Moderna vaccine at a mass vaccination site at Brooklyn Army Terminal in New York City on Jan. 10, 2021. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

The company will also be testing whether an additional booster dose beyond the existing two-dose series of its current vaccine will create more neutralizing antibodies against different CCP virus variants.

Mutations occur often with viruses, including with the CCP virus, which already has about 4,000 mutations in its spike protein alone, according to the WHO.

Mutations are only a concern when they cause the virus to be more infectious or deadly and are able to avoid the immune system, therapeutics, and vaccines.

Last week, California officials notified vaccine providers to halt administering one of Modernas vaccine batches due to possible allergic reactions.

But two days later on Jan. 20, the California Department of Public Health announced that providers may resume the administration of the vaccine, saying they found no scientific basis to continue the pause after examination of the evidence collected and discussions with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and Moderna.

In addition, about 149 people have died after getting a CCP virus vaccine in the United States, according to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.
The Florence Police Department on Friday arrested a man on charges related to the abuse of a child.

Stephen Purdy, 32, is charged with torture/willful abuse of a child under 18 years of age by a responsible person.

Police said investigators learned about the juvenile victim from the Department of Human Resources.

Purday was booked in the Lauderdale County Detention Center with a $2,500 bond.

He has since been released.
JACKSON, MI  The man allegedly shot a dozen times by a childhood friend in June begged and pleaded with a police officer not to let him die, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 26.

He kept saying, Help me. Help me. Dont let me die in the ambulance, said Jackson police Sgt. Peter Postma, one of the first people at the shooting scene.

Blake Curran, 28, was ultimately bound over to Jackson County Circuit Court on one felony charge each of open murder and second offense felony firearms in the case.

Curran is accused of shooting Darold Goodloe Jr. around 3 a.m., June 28, in the 300 block of E. Euclid Avenue. Goodloe was taken to Henry Ford Allegiance Health and was hospitalized until his death Aug. 13.

Three witnesses testified during a virtual preliminary examination before Jackson County District Judge Allison Bates on Tuesday morning. Curran attended the hearing via video conference from the Jackson County Jail. He wore a black face mask for most of the two and a half hour-long court proceedings.

Goodloe was shot 12 times and died from complications from the gunshot wounds, Wayne County Assistant Medical Examiner Dr. Omar Rayes testified.

It doesnt feel real: Family remembers Jackson man who died 10 weeks after being shot

Goodloe was sitting in the drivers seat of his GMC Yukon when Postma responded to the shooting scene, Postma testified. Goodloe told Postma that Curran shot him, the officer said. Goodloe also appears to say that in footage from Postmas body camera that was played during the preliminary examination.

Defense attorney Suzanna Kostovski did not want Postmas testimony about the statements from Goodloe included in the preliminary examination because it was hearsay, she said.

However, Bates allowed the testimony because it qualifies as a dying declaration as well as statements after a startling event, she said. The judge stated Goodloe can also be heard asking Am I going to die in the ambulance? on the body camera footage.

Hes been shot 12 times, Bates said. Hes struggling to breath. Clearly, he is still under the stress of this startling event or condition.

The night of the shooting, video footage shows Curran and Goodloe interacted outside The Foundry, 216 Francis St., a nightclub in downtown Jackson, Det. Thomas Tinklepaugh testified. Goodloe and Curran were childhood friends, Goodloes sister Shatae Boyd said previously.

Currans fingerprints were found on the outside doors of the passenger side of Goodloes SUV as well, Tinklepaugh testified. Fingerprints from two additional people were also found on the SUV.

Kostovski argued there is no direct or circumstantial evidence in the case beyond the statements she did not want admitted as hearsay. However, Bates found there was enough evidence for probable cause, so Currans case will continue in Jackson County Circuit Court. No upcoming court date is set.

Currans bond was set at $500,000 in September. He has not posted bond and is lodged at the Jackson County Jail, records show.

Curran had escaped from parole at the time of the shooting, per the Michigan Department of Corrections.

Curran pleaded guilty to manslaughter and using a firearm to commit a felony in May 2010. Then 17, Curran told Jackson Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson he knew a revolver was loaded with a single bullet when he played with the gun on Dec. 17, 2009, but did not know the round would fire when he pointed it at his friend Michael Devon Adams Jr. and pulled the trigger, fatally shooting the 19-year-old Adams.

Jackson teen is given seven years in prison for killing his friend in Russian roulette style shooting

Curran was sentenced in June 2010 to two years for using a gun in a felony, followed by 57 months to 15 years for manslaughter. He was paroled Oct. 24, 2019, per the Michigan Department of Corrections.

Read more from MLive:

Car failing to yield hits Jackson school bus, police say

$300K in grants available for redeveloping land in Jackson County

Consumers Energy providing $3M in energy bill relief for Michigan residents
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 16:46:34|Editor: huaxia

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HERAT, Afghanistan, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Two commuters were killed and 27 others injured as a passenger bus collided with a truck in Afghansitan's western Herat province on Tuesday, a local official said on the condition of anonymity.

The accident took place when a passenger bus, which was heading to Kandahar from the Herat province in the wee hours of Tuesday, collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction. As a result two passengers were killed on the spot and 27 others injured, said the official who declined to be named.

The spokesman for Herat public health department, Mohammad Refeq Shirzai told reporters that three women and a child were among the injured. Enditem
UK, Africa COVID-19 variants may be more deadly, officials warn

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Even as 195 cases of a variant of the coronavirus, which first emerged in Britain and is more lethal and contagious, have been found in 22 U.S. states, a separate variant from South Africa, though not identified in the United States yet, is causing more concerns among health officials, according to reports.

As of early Sunday, at least 72 cases of the U.K. variant had been detected in California; 50 in Florida; 22 in New York; six each in Colorado and Georgia; five in Minnesota; four each in Connecticut, Indiana and Maryland; three each in Michigan and Texas; two each in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Tennessee; and one each in Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming, a CDC map shows.

The actual number is likely to be higher, as the Washington Department of Health also announced Saturday that the U.K. variant, known as B.1.1.7, had been confirmed by DNA sequencing in two cases in Snohomish County, according to The Epoch Times, which added that the Oregon Health Authority has also confirmed two cases.

Some preliminary studies in the U.K. show the new variant may be between 30% to 40% deadlier than previous variants, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

We have been informed today that, in addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variantthe variant that was first identified in London and the southeastmay be associated with a higher degree of mortality, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a televised news conference Friday.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins said Saturday they are closely watching the U.K. variant. Federal authorities have warned it may become the dominant variant in the United States by as early as March, according to WSJ.

At the moment we are not alarmed about that, Collins said, according to Reuters. We are somewhat more concerned about a South African variant.

A study by BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. showed that their vaccine successfully neutralized the U.K. variant. On Monday, Moderna said its vaccine appears to work against the South African strain but may be less effective. It is currently working on a booster shot against the African variant.

"As we seek to defeat the COVID-19 virus, which has created a worldwide pandemic, we believe it is imperative to be proactive as the virus evolves. We are encouraged by these new data, which reinforce our confidence that the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine should be protective against these newly detected variants, Stephane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, said in a statement.

The South African variant has been found in 22 other countries, including Canada, China and Germany.

Data that is more conclusive on how vaccines perform against the new strains is awaited as human trials of COVID-19 vaccines are underway in South Africa and the U.K.

The United States has been hit the hardest by COVID-19, with nearly 25 million cases and 417,441 deaths by early Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.

Bancel, whose company's vaccine is one of two approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration, said recently he believes the virus could be around forever.

We are going to live with this virus, we think, forever, he said during a panel discussion at the annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference.
(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 25 - President Sergio Mattarella on Monday demanded a response from Egypt over the torture and murder of Giulio Regeni on the fifth anniversary of the Italian student's disappearance in Cairo.

The Cambridge University research student's brutalized body was found a week later.

Rome prosecutors have requested that four members of Egypt's security services face trial in relation to the case.

"Among many difficulties, the work of the Rome prosecutors' department has led to the conclusion of investigations that have identified a picture of grave responsibility that will soon be subject to a trial for the consequent punishment for the guilty parties," wrote Mattarella in a statement.

"We expect a full and adequate response from the Egyptian authorities, which have been relentlessly called on in this regard by the Italian diplomatic services".

Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told his his EU counterparts in Brussels later Monday that Regeni's "barbaric murder is still an open wound in Italy, but I am here today to talk with you because that very same wound is inevitably also European".

"Let it be clear, Italy deems Egypt a crucial interlocutor in the Mediterranean, and deems that our task in Europe is to start a frank, constructive and transparent dialogue with Cairo, but it cannot happen to the detriment of human rights".

A hearing before a preliminary hearings judge for the four Egyptian intelligence service members has been set for April 29 in Rome.

Egypt has rejected the charges against the four and made it clear it has no intention of handing them over.

General Tariq Sabir and three subordinates, Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim, Uhsam Helmi, and Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif, are accused of crimes that range from aggravated involvement in homicide to kidnapping and grevious bodily harm.

Rome prosecutors say that Regeni was tortured for days, resulting in "acute physical suffering" by being subjected to kicks, punches, beaten with sticks and bats and cut with sharp objects, and also being burned with red-hot objects and slammed into walls.

The suspects are set to be tried in absentia in Italy despite Rome prosecutors' efforts to get them to attend.

Egypt's prosecutor general, Hamada al Sawi, has said "there is insufficient evidence to prove the charges".

Witnesses have told the Rome prosecutors that Regeni was picked up by members of the Egyptian security services.

The witnesses, deemed reliable by the prosecutors, say the 28-year-old Cambridge doctoral researcher was abducted by agents of the Egyptian National Security Agency on January 25, 2016, the heavily policed fifth anniversary of the uprising that ousted former strongman Hosni Mubarak, and taken to at least two barracks in the subsequent hours.

The young man from Friuli was seen in a barracks near the Dokki metro stop in Cairo, the witnesses said, and later at another barracks where young foreigners are usually taken.

Regeni was found dead in a ditch on the Cairo-Alexandria highway on February 3, 2016, a week after disappearing.

He had been tortured so badly that his mother said she only recognised him by the tip of his nose.

At various times Egypt has advanced differing explanations for his death including a car accident, a gay lovers' tiff and abduction and murder by an alleged kidnapping gang that was wiped out after Regeni's documents were planted in their lair.

The student was researching Cairo street sellers unions for the British university, a politically sensitive subject.

The head of the street hawkers union had fingered Regeni as a possible spy.

Lack of cooperation on the case by Egypt led to Rome's temporarily withdrawing its ambassador from Cairo.

Rome recently drew condemnation from Regeni's parents by announcing the sale of two frigates to Egypt. (ANSA).


CANTON, Mass., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company, a national provider of insurance solutions for individuals and at the workplace, announced today the appointments of Joshua Police as Vice President - Market Strategies and Jennifer King, Director - Strategic Project Management Office (SPMO). Both are new positions at the company.

Joshua Police & Jennifer King will be critical drivers of growth aligned with Boston Mutual's long-term strategic plan. Tweet this Joshua Police has been appointed Vice President - Market Strategies at Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company, based out of the company's headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts. Jennifer King has been appointed Director - Strategic Project Management Office (SPMO) at Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company, based out of the company's headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts.

"Boston Mutual Life is pleased to appoint Josh and Jenn into their new roles at the company," said Paul A. Quaranto, Jr., Chairman, CEO and President at Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company. "Both Josh and Jenn will be critical drivers of growth aligned with our long-term strategic plan, and their roles will help position us well for success as we begin 2021."

Josh Police joined Boston Mutual Life in 2008 as Group Territory Manager. He then served as Director of Sales from 2010 to 2015 and was named Regional Sales Vice President, Workplace Solutions in 2015, overseeing sales and the external regional sales directors in the East region. Prior to joining Boston Mutual Life, he was Regional Vice President and Sales Team Leader at Sun Life Financial. Police holds a bachelor's degree in history from Bowdoin College, and a master's degree in business administration from Northeastern University.

In his role as Vice President Market Strategies, Police is responsible for external market assessments, including deep analysis and updates on the company's relevant markets, product offerings, and future growth opportunities.

Jenn King joins Boston Mutual Life with 20 years of experience, including a robust background in project and program management within the financial services industry. Most recently, King served as Finance & Risk Infrastructure & Business Solutions (FRIBS) Program Manager, Corporate Finance VP at State Street Bank, a large global, custody bank. She held several positions during her tenure at the company since she joined in 2007. Prior to State Street Bank, she worked at Investors Bank and Trust, where she began her career in 1996. King holds a bachelor's degree in business administration - finance from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

In her role, King will lead the SPMO team, helping to further mature the practices and processes for the newly introduced area, and will be instrumental in helping to drive further progress for the team from the East Coast.

Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company's home office has been based in Canton since 1974; the company started in Boston in 1891 and has since expanded its reach across the company. To learn more about organization, please visit https://www.bostonmutual.com/.

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

https://www.bostonmutual.com


Revenues were down 3% during the first half of last year, but Baladi said he anticipated sales to improve in the second half. In an interview with the Tribune last summer, Baladi said he was optimistic people would hit the bars again. The company has not reported its full-year 2020 financial performance.
Abby Christian writes grant applications for the city of Tupelo through a contract between the city and Three Rivers Planning & Development District. She said a well-written grant is a collaboration between the writer and the many dedicated city employees.
Roseburg, OR (97470)

Today

Mainly clear. Low 46F. N winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low 46F. N winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
DALLAS, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Berry Appleman & Leiden (BAL) LLP, the world's preeminent corporate immigration law firm, opens the doors to its new office in Santa Clara, Calif., on Jan. 25. The expansion into Silicon Valley is not only part of the firm's national growth strategy, it also solidifies BAL as the dominant immigration law firm in Northern California and the West Coast.

"We are certainly thrilled about this newest expansion, and looking forward to being closer to our clients," said BAL Partner Nassim Mahzoon, who will oversee Santa Clara operations. "Additionally, clients and staff will find the new space to be a unique environment for connection, collaboration and problem solving, allowing us to strategize on program tactics and management, and ensure that clients are well-positioned for complex, global business challenges."

In a rapidly changing global mobility landscape, impacted by COVID-19, geopolitical and cross-border issues, a holistic immigration strategy is a necessity in today's business and policy environment. By understanding the complexities of global mobility and talent management, and by focusing on the client experience, BAL is able to turn immigration into a business advantage rather than a bureaucratic impasse for its clients.

"We have deep roots and long-standing relationships with Silicon Valley, and we understand the objectives of its established business community," said BAL Partner Frieda Garcia. "BAL has always shared the tech industry's organizational values, drive toward innovation and spirit of entrepreneurship, and we are creating tools and solutions today, for tomorrow's immigration challenges."

Known for its robust service-delivery model, BAL has revolutionized the industry by leveraging and developing AI, machine learning and robotic process automation (RPA) in groundbreaking ways to create an exceptional client experience. BAL's market-leading proprietary Cobalt platform is the platinum standard in case management, security, and user experience, and BAL's newest multimedia Advisor portal is the industry's most comprehensive immigration knowledgebase for in-house professionals. The firm is consistently recognized for its tech innovation achievements by some of the most highly coveted awards in both legal and tech industries.

The Santa Clara office, located at 4555 Great America Parkway, is a campus-style space mirroring the culture, aesthetic and amenities familiar to Silicon Valley companies, as well as BAL's state of the art Center of Excellence in Dallas, Texas. The space inspires creativity and disrupts the traditional practice of law, appealing to our clients, their employees and the next generation of legal talent.

"We continue to empower the tech industry using 21st century tools to make their mobility and talent management programs more successful," said BAL Partner Carla Tarazi. "We serve our clients with skill, empathy and a mission to make a positive difference in people's lives."

About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP

BAL, the world's preeminent corporate immigration law firm is the Best Lawyers "Law Firm of the Year" in U.S. Immigration Law for 2019, the Most Diverse Law Firm in America (2020) and the National Law Journal's Best Law Firm for Women (2019 and 2020) and #1 in its class for the Best Law Firm for Female Attorneys on Law360's Glass Ceiling Report (2019 and 2020). BAL's Cobalt digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product. The firm is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable clients to be more successful. Established in 1980, the firm provides immigration expertise, top-notch information security and leading technology innovation. The firm entered into a strategic alliance with Deloitte UK to create the world's first global immigration service delivery model. BAL and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers, The Legal 500, and Who's Who Legal. See website for details: https://www.balglobal.com/.

SOURCE Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP
First Hanoi flower street to debut in February for Tet celebrations (Source: laodong.vn)

Hanoi - A flower street with the theme of Home Hanoi Xuan 2021 is set to be held for the first time between February 7 and 17 in Splendora urban area of Hoai Duc district in Hanoi in order to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year Festival, known locally as Tet.

The street will feature a traditional Tet space, including Dong Ho folk paintings, Bat Trang ceramic products, and calligraphic works, the Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

In addition, the area will also include traditional items such as Chuong villages Non La, a type of conical hat, and Chung cake, a festive delicacy consisting of a square sticky rice cake, in order to offer visitors an ideal check-in location.

Alongside various art performances, water puppetry show and folk games are also set to entertain visitors throughout Tet. A traditional market featuring flowers, ornamental trees, and food will also take place during the event.

As the first event of its kind, the street is being organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
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As a retired physician, I have seen birth, and I have seen death. The first is typically joyful, and the latter is invariably sad. But death need not be a gut-wrenching experience for an individual or his family.

A few years ago, my sons asked me to help them bring their dad home from the hospital to die. For nearly a year this good man had been struggling with pancreatic cancer. He fought to stay alive for much of that year, but now the end was near.

We brought him home, and with the help of hospice he spent his final days surrounded by people who cared deeply for him. He was heavily sedated much of the time in an effort to manage pain. Unfortunately he had become quite tolerant to the effects of opioids after months of treatment. The hospice nurses did what they could, but as the days passed, he spent his time either in pain or mentally absent.

A friend who had come to say goodbye reminded me that we consider euthanasia of animals who are sick and suffering and it was a pity that we couldnt extend this kindness to our fellow humans when they were dying. What made this more difficult was my ex-husbands stated plan to end his own life before he reached this point. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks, he became rapidly incapacitated and was unable to carry out this plan. He wanted it to be over, but medical assistance in dying was not a legal option in the state of New York where he lived and died.

And it is not legal in New Mexico, either.

Perhaps you believe that it is up to God to determine the exact moment of death. That is your choice. But that is not my choice. When God has determined that my end is fast-approaching and when I have received all that life offers, including the final lessons and the pain, I think I will be ready to move on.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

Medical assistance in dying legislation allows certain terminally ill patients to legally and voluntarily hasten their deaths with the assistance of medical professionals and drugs. One-fifth of the states in our country allow this as a result of legislative action, judicial ruling or ballot initiative. Seven in 10 Americans believe medical aid in dying is a right they should have, according to the www.deathwithdignity.org website.

In Oregon, one of the first states to pass legislation to legalize this option, it is not widely used. Many people request assistance but do not use the drugs. In 2019 only 188 followed through to end their lives in this way. However, many drew comfort in knowing that this was an option.

On Jan. 13, 2014, the New Mexico 2nd Judicial District ruled that physician-assisted dying is a right under the state Constitution, in the case Morris v. Brandenburg; however, this continued to be challenged, and 2 years later it was determined by the courts that the question should be determined by the state legislative and executive branches.

The day may come when you will opt for a death with dignity. Make sure this is a right you can pursue in our state by contacting your state legislators today. A change in policy doesnt happen unless we demand the change.
Workers leave the construction site of the YCI Methanol One complex being built in St. James Parish on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. Company officials say the first phase of the project will be operational later this year but the $1.85 billion facility needs permits to discharge its wastewater and stormwater runoff into the Mississippi River and the St. James Canal.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - Getchell Gold Corp. (CSE: GTCH) (OTCQB: GGLDF) ("Getchell" or the "Company"), a leading Nevada focused Gold and Copper exploration company, is pleased to announce that it will host its first online Investor Update of 2021 on January 29, 2pm EST/ 11AM PST.

President Mike Sieb will provide an update on Getchell Gold's flagship property at Fondaway Canyon, Nevada, and discuss plans for 2021. The 2021 plan will be guided by the results of the Q4 2020 drilling program. Fondaway Canyon features a significant historic gold resource and the 2020 drill program was designed to characterize and extend the mineralization. Both existing investors and potential new investors are invited to join the Getchell Gold team for a progress update.

"As we launch the start of what I expect to be a very busy year, I would like to introduce the Fondaway Canyon Gold Project to new potential investors, and to reiterate to existing investors the compelling attributes that clearly justify Fondaway as the major driver of our 2021 activity," states Mike Sieb, President of Getchell Gold Corp.

President Mike Sieb's presentation will include an online tour of the underground modelling, and a live Question and Answer session. All investors and media are welcome.

Investors can register for the presentation here: https://app.livestorm.co/getchell-gold/getchell-gold-fondaway-canyon-update?type=detailed

About Getchell Gold Corp.

The Company is a Nevada focused gold and copper exploration company trading on the CSE: GTCH and OTCQB: GGLDF. Getchell Gold is primarily directing its efforts on its most advanced stage asset, Fondaway Canyon, a past gold producer with a significant in-the-ground historic resource estimate. Complementing Getchell's asset portfolio is Dixie Comstock, a past gold producer with a historic resource and two earlier stage exploration projects, Star and Hot Springs Peak. Getchell has the option to acquire 100% of the Fondaway Canyon and Dixie Comstock properties, Churchill County, Nevada.

The Company reiterates that its near-term strategy to advance its assets is not impacted by the COVID-19 Corona virus. The Company continues to monitor the situation and is in compliance with all government guidelines.

For further information please visit the Company's website at www.getchellgold.com or contact the Company at info@getchellgold.com.

Mr. William Wagener, Chairman & CEO

Getchell Gold Corp.

+1 303 517 8764

info@getchellgold.com

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or dissemination in the United States.

Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the private placement and the completion thereof and the use of proceeds. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including: the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, use of proceeds from the financing, capital expenditures and other costs, and financing and additional capital requirements. Although management of Getchell have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72852
My daughters loved this book! It was appropriate for both of their age groups, which is 8 years  12 years  My oldest was able to understand how the story related to D-Day as she has learned about D-Day in her World History Class. I really appreciated the history that the author gives at the end of the book. It allowed me to remind my daughters that their Great Grandfather fought in WWII. Not only did he fight in the war he also received a Purple Heart.
ONEONTA, N.Y.  New York State Police are searching for a man suspected of stealing money from someone's jacket in the Oneonta Walmart on Jan. 11.

The suspect is accused of taking cash out of someones jacket pocket while it was on a chair outside of the fitting rooms. Police say it happened around 5:15 p.m.

According to surveillance footage, the suspect was wearing tan pants, an orange shirt, a black knit cap and a black face mask.

Police say the suspect left the parking lot in a large box truck with no identifiable markings on it.

Anyone with information should contact state police in Oneonta at 607-432-3211, and reference case No. 10021913.
'Seamless updates', first introduced back in 2016 and arrived on every Google Pixel phone, allows for firmware updates to be installed to a secondary partition while the phone remains in use. This eliminates downtime between firmware updates to a single reboot, after which the secondary partition becomes the main one and the update has already completed. This also acts as a failsafe in case an update goes wrong  the system can fall back on the previous partition.

Update notification on a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Google has backed off on this requirement since its no longer in the Android CDD (Compatibility Definition Document). The CDD acts as a guideline for Android OEMs and lists what Google requires from OEMs for their devices to be compatible with the newest version of Android.

Its presumed that the requirement was backed off by pressure from OEMs like Samsung, whos latest Galaxy S21 smartphones do not have the framework to support seamless updates. Android Police has confirmed that the new Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra does not support the feature. While Google had previously planned to require the feature, it is now mentioned in the CDD that OEMs SHOULD support a/b system updates. The a and b refer to the identical partitions that alternate between firmware updates.

Without seamless updates, an Android device will need to spend several minutes of downtime on a bootloader screen, without the ability to use any applications or make any phone calls, even of the emergency kind. Samsungs reasoning for delaying such a feature is unknown.

Source  Via
BJP's scare-mongering over 'Love Jihad' will never go far in pluralist Kerala: Shashi Tharoor

Naya Bharat, where we make virtue out of sympathy earned by failures: Tharoor's swipe at govt

'Cannot condone lawlessness': Tharoor says farmers' flag on Red Fort is 'unfortunate'

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 26: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday condemned violence at farmers protest and said that "On Republic Day, no flag but the sacred Tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort."

"I have supported the farmers' protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on Republic Day no flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort," Tharoor tweeted.

The protesting farmers clashed with police at several places in the national capital. They entered the iconic Red Fort and ITO in the heart of Delhi, with hundreds of them deviating from pre-decided routes, prompting security personnel to resort to lathicharge and tear gas.

Farmers enter ITO, vandalise bus, press on to Central Delhi | Oneindia News

One of the protesting farmers climbed up one of the poles at the Red Fort and put a Nishan Sahib flag atop it.
CROMWELL - The town has joined four neighboring communities in calling on Gov. Ned Lamont and the General Assembly to revisit legislation that reclassified 18-year-olds as juveniles.

Action by the legislature in 2012 raised the age of juveniles from 16 to 18.

Town officials allege the change in the system has caused confusion in policing and criminal justice systems and has emboldened criminal behavior and left residents vulnerable and afraid. The council specifically referenced a spate of car thefts and car break-ins and related thefts by youths, including groups of youths.

Mayor Enzo Faienza said the idea for the resolution came in discussions with Mayor Lisa J. Marotta from Rocky Hill and Mayor Michael L. Rell from Wethersfield.

We came up with the idea of doing a resolution from each town. We also reached out to Newington and Berlin mayors (Beth DelBuono and Mark Kaczynski respectively) also joined, he said. All five of the mayors are Republicans.

The goal is the hope the Governor and the Legislature will begin to look at making some changes. Car break-ins and thefts are skyrocketing, and many times they are being performed by minors. When they are caught, they are right back out (on the streets again), Faienza said in an email.

A spokesman for Lamonts office had not provided a comment by deadline.

The statement was signed on behalf of the council by Faienza and Town Manager Anthony J. Salvatore.

Before becoming the town manager, Salvatore was the towns police chief.

In an interview, Salvatore said, As someone who has supported juvenile justice reform, in the years since these changes were enacted, some of them have not worked out as we had hoped they would.

Therefore, they need to be revisited before there are any additional problems - or incidents, he said.

Concerns about the issue have previously been raised with lawmakers, the resolution says.

We have witnessed a pattern of criminal behavior across Connecticut, and in Cromwell, consisting of groups of young people, juveniles to late teens, entering our neighborhoods in groups, in search of unlocked vehicles, smashing car windows to gain access to locked vehicles, stealing valuables and where either the keys or a fob are located, stealing the vehicle.

The situation allegedly has escalated to the point of a report of shots fired at a resident attempting to intervene during the commission of one such crime, the statement says. It notes the towns proximity to Interstate 91 and Route and the prime access as a target for criminal activity.

The council urged Lamont and legislators - to recognize that matters pertaining to juvenile justice insufficiencies, escalating crime, and public safety have resulted in serious consequences to the citizens of Cromwell, the town itself, and its law enforcement.

The statement notes current policing standards prevent officers from, among other things, engaging in pursuit, and that subsequently, officers find themselves being baited by drivers of suspicious vehicles to engage in pursuit.

The four-page statement, which was adopted by the council by a vote of 6-1, calls on the officials to address these problems with meaningful, impactful juvenile justice reform that balances the need to protect our youth with the need to protect our residents.

In examples, the resolution says the change in age from 16 to 18: has resulted in confusion regarding police interrogation, secure holding, release options, and disclosing names in police reports and affidavits when a 16 or 17 year is both a juvenile and an adult at the same time, in the same case, as some offenses are to be charged as juvenile matters while others are to be charged as adult matters.

It says, among many other concerns, that a court order is now required to place any juvenile in juvenile detention center, regardless of the seriousness of the charge,: that all offenses, such as truancy, runaway, beyond control and indecent/immoral behavior, within the Families with Service Needs (FWSN) are no longer handled by the juvenile court and instead are now sent to their respective local Youth Service Bureau.

The issue have increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemics, town officials said.

The council says in the resolution it supports and strongly encourages a meeting with the governor to partner and identify solutions in the best interest of all stakeholders.

The Town Council is unwilling to wait until someone gets hurt, or a significant incident occurs to seek accountability for the problems with the juvenile justice system that are creating havoc in our town.
Saudi Aramco has retained its position as Middle Easts most valuable brand, despite recording a 20% brand value loss to $37.5 billion, while globally Apple reclaimed the position of worlds most valuable brand from Amazon.

ADNOC is second most valuable brand in region with a brand value of $10.8 billion, according to Brand Finance Global 500 2021 ranking.

Fastest network in world, Etisalat, is regions strongest brand with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 87.4 out of 100 and only brand in region with AAA brand strength rating. stc is the regions fastest growing brand with its brand value up 14%.

Five years since it last held top spot, Apple has been named worlds most valuable brand by the ranking as diversification strategy finally paid off (brand value of $263.4 billion).

Accounting for 14% of total brand value in the 2021 ranking, tech remains most valuable sector in the Brand Finance Global 500. E-commerce brands have thrived in the new normal, with Alibaba.com doubling in brand value, but chain retailers are cash in on home delivery too  Walmart climbs up to 6th rank.

WeChat overtook Ferrari to become worlds strongest brand with a top score of 95.4 out of 100 and AAA+ brand strength rating.

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented: As the UAE approaches its 50th anniversary in December, the nation continues to flourish and showcase its accomplishments in undertaking an impressive growth trajectory, under the visionary leadership of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The nations world-class brands are helping spearhead global transformation across their respective industries  from Adnocs innovation in sustainability, Etisalats accomplishment becoming the fastest network globally, DP Worlds position as a leader in logistics to Emirates flying the flag  quite literally  the world over.

"Recent events have truly demonstrated the nations position on the global stage, from its efforts in the face of the pandemic, including international aid to vaccine development, to the historic peace deal with Israel - the UAE is demonstrating that it is a force to be reckoned with. We have seen the transformation from desert to Mars  what will the next 50 years hold?

Oil & gas brands lead the way

Saudi Aramco retains its position as the regions most valuable brand in the Brand Finance Global 500 2021 report, despite recording a 20% brand value loss to US$37.5 billion. Owing to the sheer size and scale of the business, as well as its low costs of production, Saudi Aramco has been in a stronger position to negotiate the fallout from the pandemic than many of its counterparts, but still suffered a significant hit to profits.

While brand value has fallen, Aramcos brand strength has remained stable. Other intangibles such as relationships, particularly with the Saudi Arabian government, play a greater role in performance.

Haigh commented: Aramco is the hidden giant of the oil industry whose brand has finally emerged into the light of public attention. It has always been known as a b2b brand but has aspirations to become a well-known consumer brand. At present its scale is huge but its brand equity is at an early stage of development. We believe that over the next decade the brand will grow from strength to strength as it enters the world stage. - TradeArabia News Service
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.

Manitobas first rapid testing site had no shortage of available appointments for school staffers during its inaugural week of operations. Yet, same-day tests remain out of reach for teachers who want them in the provinces COVID-19 hotspot.

Manitobas first rapid testing site had no shortage of available appointments for school staffers during its inaugural week of operations. Yet, same-day tests remain out of reach for teachers who want them in the provinces COVID-19 hotspot.

Between Jan. 18-24, the province took 111 nasal swab samples  an average of 16 each day  at the rapid testing site at 1066 Nairn Ave. in Winnipeg.

The province set an initial goal of completing 20-40 tests daily, with an aim to ramp up to 160 per day in the coming months, when it unveiled details about the "Fast Pass" pilot project earlier this month.

The number of tests administered during the first week reflect the number of appointments that have been made, a provincial spokesperson said Monday, adding there have been no processing nor administrative issues at the site.

Ruth MacKenzie was among the educators who booked an appointment for Monday morning, after she woke up with a sore throat.

The educational assistant said she was offered numerous times when she called the booking line (1-855-268-4318) at 7:30 a.m. She picked a 10:30 a.m. slot so she could travel to Winnipeg.

MacKenzie said she was pleasantly surprised by how easy the appointment was to set up, and the test itself  which took under seven minutes, and that she was told to expect a result within hours.

"Its nice to know theres a place you can go and get tested and get back to work as soon as possible," she said. "I love my job. I enjoy it very much. Im very thankful that Im working."

The Monday experience was a stark contrast to her first COVID-19 test in the summertime. MacKenzie waited an hour and a half before she was able to get her nasal cavity swabbed, and two days to receive a result in early August.

For a positive result at the rapid site, it takes four to eight hours before the notice is posted online. Negative results take longer because they are to be verified at a lab.

The province retests the latter because, according to a provincial spokesperson, the Songbird Hyris bCUBE rapid test is new to Manitoba, and many rapid-test types have been shown to have a higher volume of false negatives.

The spokesperson said the turnaround for official negative results are "aligned" with those for the general testing stream; the current response time for a test processed at community sites, including the adjacent drive-thru site on Nairn Avenue, is one to two days.

The Fast Pass site was originally open only to school staff, including teachers, educational assistants, custodians, bus drivers and workers in school-based early learning and child care facilities in Winnipeg, Seven Oaks, River East Transcona, Seine River and Hanover divisions.

Over the weekend, the province broadened eligibility criteria to give all school employees in Manitoba access to quick turnaround tests, citing its ability to increase the number of daily appointments. Such an expansion was anticipated to take place in February.

The president of the Manitoba Teachers Society said Monday he is pleased the pilot has been expanded on behalf of teachers in the metro region and those who live nearby, but noted educators work all over the province.

There are concerns about test accessibility in rural and northern regions, said James Bedford, who represents 16,000 public school teachers.

The province has hinted Winkler and Brandon could be home to future rapid test facilities.

"We need to recognize that we cant ignore the northern part of the province," Bedford said.

To date, 27 students have graduated from Red River College with a micro-credential in how to administer rapid COVID-19 tests.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
The New York Times experienced online backlash over the weekend after hailing Joseph Biden, Jr's alleged liberal pro-abortion Catholicism.

"President Biden, perhaps the most religiously observant commander in chief in half a century, speaks of how his Catholic faith grounds his life and his policies," New York Times encapsulated Author Elizabeth Dias' article.

The article, published on Jan. 24, 2021 in New York Time's printed version as "Liberal Christianity Ascends Biden's Faith," came out online as "In Biden's Catholic Faith, An Ascendant Liberal Christianity."

True to it's online title, Dias painted a picture of Biden according to her own definition of what a Christian is--one who is merely "steeped in Christian rituals and practices" and "less focused on sexual politics" but "combating poverty, climate change, and racial inequality." She even went out to compare Biden with Pope Francis and tagged him as the sole American president who is "religiously observant" in the last fifty years, while quoting Bible verses out of context just to describe Biden as "emphatic" and "inclusive."

"There are myriad changes with the incoming Biden administration. One of the most significant: a president who has spent a lifetime steeped in Christian rituals and practices," Dias tweeted last Sunday containing a link to her New York Times article.

The tweet garnered predominant criticisms on her write-up that bashers described as having no historical basis on the lives of American presidents nor any regard to what Christianity or Catholicism really is, citing the remarks made by Pope Francis and the American Bishops on Biden's policies that push for "moral evils," such that her credibility was questioned.

"Did you miss the Catholic leaders who have called out Biden this week?? Do you know anything about Catholicism?? Or did you just throw shit at the wall until something stuck?? I'm just curious!!" Paige H. responded to Dias.

While David Leslie Barker retorted, "Unsettling at first glance. By the way, have your heard of a President by the name of Jimmy Carter?"

"This piece is so bizarre. W literally founded the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives and Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The core of his campaign was his Christian faith. His father was a lifelong Christian. You do this for a living?" Dr. Raj Taj Butterworth said.

"Notice the artful use of the word "perhaps"--which is code for--I haven't actually proven this and don't have much data to support but just gonna throw it out there anyway to start the ball rolling on creating the narratives that we want," reacted JBird.

The Blaze reported that Dias particularly highlighted Biden's "apparent stance on abortion," which actually doesn't "reconcile" with his Christianity as some social media users voiced out.

In contrast to New York Times reporting on the Catholic beliefs of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Dias sets aside Biden because of his Democratic stance. The New York Times raised Barrett's Catholic views as a hindrance to her efficient functioning as a Supreme Court Judge at a time her nomination to the post was announced by former President Donald Trump.

The Blaze cited a Twitter user who said, "@nytimes views Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's catholic beliefs bad but Biden's good? Difference? One is Conservative and one is a Liberal. Further pushing their credibility down the toilet."

"If pro-abortion Joe Biden is a devout Roman Catholic like the laughable, lying, #FakeNews @nytimes reports he is, all devout Roman Catholics must be leftists. Roman Catholics wake-up, the left is destroying you're [sic] beliefs & u!" FreeLunchUSA proclaimed.

In the New York Times article on Biden, Dias referred to Biden as " a president who has spent a lifetime steeped in Christian rituals and practices" and who has "rooted himself and the country in a Christian moral vision that makes room for a pluralistic society, unlike his predecessor who promised to make America a certain kind of Christian nation."

"With Mr. Biden, a different, more liberal Christianity is ascendant: less focused on sexual politics and more on combating poverty, climate change and racial inequality. His arrival comes after four years in which conservative Christianity has reigned in America's highest halls of power, embodied in white evangelicals laser-focused on ending abortion and guarding against what they saw as encroachments on their freedoms," she said.

Despite Dias' claims, however, Biden's policies, particularly those funding and pushing for abortion, and those that give the LGBT what they want regardless of its potential effects to religious liberty, however, betray what kind of "Christian" he really is.
Vancouver, British Columbia - January 26, 2021 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Media alert for Defense Metals Corp. (TSX-V:DEFN / OTCQB:DFMTF / FSE: 35D). The company was featured in the following article : "LYNAS RARE EARTHS, DEFENSE METALS, ARAFURA RESOURCES - RARE EARTHS: STILL IN TIME TO GET IN BEFORE THE BOOM!"

Full article and Original source https://news.financial/comments/lynas-rare-earths-defense-metals-arafura-resources-rare-earths-still-in-time-to-get-in-before-the-boom

Excerpt:

China has dominated the rare earths market for a long time. A supply shortage in the People's Republic and a substantial increase in demand can lead to a massive price increase of the commodity group at any time. These price increases are then often reflected in the share price of relevant players. Rare earth metals are in demand in a wide range of industries and to close the emerging supply gap the production of rare earth metals must be increased outside of China. We present three opportunity stocks that will benefit from industry trends and scarcity prices as producers or prospective producers.

DEFENSE METALS CORP - TEST WORK PLANNED (TSX-V: DEFN / OTCQB: DFMTF / FSE: 35D).

The Canadian exploration Company is focused on advancing the Wicheeda Rare Earth Project, which covers approximately 1,700 hectares in the state of British Columbia. The resource estimate includes 4.89 million tonnes of indicated light rare earth elements (LREO) at an average grade of 3.02% and an inferred resource of 12.1 million tonnes at an average LREO grade of 2.90%.

Recently, the Company announced that it would receive government funding in conjunction with the Saskatchewan Research Council to provide financial support for technological innovation. Specifically, the project is to conduct test work using an innovative X-ray method to improve the recovery of rare earth metals. The government will cover 70% of the costs.

Things are moving forward at Defense Metals. The Company is benefiting from rising rare earth prices and from further development of the project. With a current market capitalization of CAD 25 million, Defense Metals is still a bargain.

Full article and Original source: https://news.financial/comments/lynas-rare-earths-defense-metals-arafura-resources-rare-earths-still-in-time-to-get-in-before-the-boom

Author CARSTEN MAINITZ

CONFLICT OF INTEREST & RISK NOTE

In accordance with 34b WpHG we would like to point out that Apaton Finance GmbH as well as partners, authors or employees of Apaton Finance GmbH may hold long or short positions in the aforementioned companies and that there may therefore be a conflict of interest. Apaton Finance GmbH may have a paid contractual relationship with the company, which is reported on in the context of the Apaton Finance GmbH Internet offer as well as in the social media, on partner sites or in e-mail messages. Further details can be found in our Conflict of Interest & Risk Disclosure.

About Defense Metals Corp. https://defensemetals.com/

Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition of mineral deposits containing metals and elements commonly used in the electric power market, military, national security and the production of "GREEN" energy technologies, such as, high strength alloys and rare earth magnets. Defense Metals has an option to acquire 100% of the 1,708 hectare Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Property located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Defense Metals Corp. trades in Canada under the symbol "DEFN" on the TSX Venture Exchange, in the United States, under "DFMTF" on the OTCQB and in Germany on the Frankfurt Exchange under "35D".

For further information, please contact:

Todd Hanas, Bluesky Corporate Communications Ltd.

Vice President, Investor Relations

Tel: (778) 994 8072

Email: todd@blueskycorp.ca

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains "forwardlooking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements relating to finding partnerships, securing potential offtake agreements, and other business opportunities, the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, its project and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of rare earth elements, the ability to achieve its goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, adverse weather conditions, failure to maintain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, failure to maintain community acceptance (including First Nations), decrease in the price of rare earth elements, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate increase in costs, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forwardlooking statements or forwardlooking information, except as required by law.

Paid News -Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investment involves risk and possible loss of investment. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Contact each company directly regarding content and press release questions. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Disclosure: this news release featuring Defense Metals Corp. is a paid for service on Investorideas.com ($750) more disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com

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A new regional plan meant as a blueprint for Bay Area housing development over the next 30 years is sparking strong objections among San Francisco officials who say the proposal could lead to demolition of thousands of existing apartments and could drive out working-class families in traditionally Black neighborhoods like the Bayview district.

The new Plan Bay Area proposal emphasizes the values San Francisco planners have touted for years: building dense housing near transit and jobs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But Mayor London Breed and some members of the Board of Supervisors say that if San Francisco were to embrace the latest scheme, it would need to displace more than 30,000 residents, particularly in the southeast corner of the city, forcing residents out of districts that have already been decimated by a decade of rising rents and housing prices.

City officials said they were shocked by the latest version of the proposed Plan Bay Area 2050, a collaboration between the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments. The plan calls for San Francisco to produce 213,000 housing units over the 30-year period, a 53% increase over the previous draft of the proposal produced last spring, which called for 139,000 homes. MTC is expected to vote on the plan Wednesday.

Of the new housing development in San Francisco, roughly 70,000 of the units would be built on existing multifamily housing parcels, currently home to 30,000 residents, according to a letter signed by Breed and Supervisors Rafael Mandelman and Hillary Ronen.

Critics say the plan pits environmental goals against equity concerns, bunching dense new apartments around transit stations in a way that will cut greenhouse gas emissions while driving out working-class residents who currently live there.

We know what happens when demolition is part of the plan  its Black and brown families that get displaced, Ronen said. We have seen this show before.

While critics worry about the plan driving displacement reminiscent of 1960s redevelopment, which wiped out entire neighborhoods, the reality is that the city has extensive protections against evictions and demolitions, which are illegal unless the housing is replaced and the displaced families allowed to return at similar or lower rents. And neither regional agency, ABAG or the MTC, has any power over the citys zoning.

Still, the regional housing allocations are significant because state and federal funding for housing and transportation improvement are often tied to meeting such goals. So San Francisco could lose out on important money if it falls short of the ambitious goals. Because the revised plan hasnt yet been widely shared publicly, its too early to say how residents might feel about it.

Breed said that she is 100% behind more housing in San Francisco, but that the burden has to be shared throughout the city and region.

All cities need to commit to building housing if we are going to address our housing shortage in the Bay Area, especially those that are near job centers, she said.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle 2018

While San Francisco has not produced enough housing to meet demand, in turn squeezing out its working poor and middle class, city officials say they have done better than most of the Bay Area. San Francisco voters have passed a total of $1.1 billion in affordable housing bonds and have cut evictions in half over the last five years by strengthening renters protections. Between 2000 and 2020, the city doubled its annual average overall housing production and affordable housing production compared with 1990s levels.

Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin, the chairman of ABAGs board, argued that the plan does take equity into account and that San Francisco is not the only city that feels the plan asks too much of them  officials in San Jose, Oakland and Berkeley are also objecting. He said San Francisco and other cities with strong public transit are being asked to build more homes because of the need to be more focused on greenhouse gas reductions.

Arreguin said planners added an equity adjustment in October to help combat segregation. And the ABAG board agreed last week to also study an alternative plan that takes equity more into account. San Francisco officials are hoping MTC will do the same when it meets Wednesday.

He said that planners argued it made sense to place housing near existing transit  BART, Muni, Caltrain and others rather than plan housing for areas that might have future transit improvements.

Work started in 2015 on the plan, which must be completed this year to qualify for federal transportation and housing money, Arreguin said.

Matt Regan, who heads policy for the Bay Area Council and sits on ABAGs executive committee, defended the plan. He said the calculations were based on areas that San Francisco has targeted for growth, called priority development areas, which include central SoMa, downtown, the Transbay terminal area, eastern neighborhoods, the Hunters Point Shipyard, Visitacion Valley and other areas.

Regan said, Its somewhat disingenuous for the city to now turn around after the fact and criticize the plan because ABAG and MTC didnt identify where the city should allow density. San Francisco selected those areas.

Some of the places that are greenest to develop in also happen to be predominantly minority communities, he said. That is the challenge regional planners are grappling with. They are trying to serve two masters  equity and climate  and sometime those are in conflict.

San Francisco critics object to the fact that while the number of homes San Francisco needs to build skyrocketed between the draft and the final plan, some cities saw their housing allocation drop. Palo Alto was expected to build 10,058 under the prior proposal but only 6,086 under the new one.

It seems like the the thought was, Well, San Francisco already has a ton of transit, we can just put the housing there, said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who sits on the ABAG executive committee. It doesnt feel like a shared sacrifice. It feels like we are dumping additional housing on San Francisco at the 11th hour.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen
Overview:

Jihui Yuan (Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology) proposed a numerical bead model to predict the upward-to-downward reflection ratio of glass bead retro-reflective (RR) material purposed for urban heat island (UHI) mitigation and reducing energy consumption. It revealed that the retro-reflectivity of glass bead RR material gradually increases from morning to noon, at which time it begins to gradually decrease. These results will contribute to existing research on the absorption or reflection of solar radiation to improve urban thermal and lighting conditions, and to reduce building energy consumption.

Details:

Various measures for UHI mitigation and reduced building energy consumption have been widely implemented. Further, the solar reflectivity of the surrounding pavement and outer wall surfaces of a building are reported to be important factors that affect the air-conditioning load of the building, which is directly related to its energy use. Rooftops covered with diffuse highly reflective (DHR) materials (i.e., highly reflective paints) can reflect solar radiation to the sky if there are no high buildings in the vicinity. However, if there are high buildings nearby, much of the solar radiation will be reflected to neighboring buildings and roads, where it will be absorbed to exacerbate the UHI phenomenon. Thus, although DHR materials are widely applied to building facades, RR materials have been recommended as a replacement to mitigate the UHI phenomenon and reduce building energy consumption.

However, RR materials are still in the research and development phase and have not been used practically. Most research indicates that when the incident angles of sunlight become very large, the RR capacity is critically reduced, and the downward solar reflectivity, such as specular reflectivity, increases. In addition, the downward solar radiation from building facades not only negatively impacts pedestrians, but it also heats the urban environment through the heat absorbed by the ground surface; thus, downward solar radiation is regarded as a major contributor to the UHI phenomenon. Therefore, in consideration of how much a change in incident angle can affect the RR capacity and downward solar reflectivity of RR materials, a comprehensive prediction is needed.

Thus, Assistant Professor Jihui Yuan within the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Toyohashi University of Technology, in collaboration with researchers at Osaka City University, proposed a glass bead numerical model to predict the upward-to-downward reflection ratio of glass bead-type RR materials. The results of this study have been published online in advance in the Elsevier journal Urban Climate in March 2021.

As mentioned previously, to better understand the reflection principle of glass bead-type RR materials, a glass bead numerical model was developed and simulated. The simulation was performed to evaluate glass bead-type RR material sunlight reflection by analyzing the retro-reflectivity and upward-to-downward reflection ratio of glass beads.

Future Outlook:

Future work will focus on exploring methods to suppress the downward reflecting light and on attempting to develop the RR materials that can minimize it. Future work will also focus on the development of more accurate models for the evaluation of the RR properties of RR materials, and on performing actual optical measurements of RR materials.

If we can predict directional reflection characteristics of RR materials applied to building facades, such as the upward-to-downward reflection ratio, then we would be able to apply these RR materials to the exterior surfaces in different directions to optimize the absorption or reflection of solar radiation; this would ultimately improve urban thermal and lighting conditions, and reducing energy consumption.

###

Funding agency:

This work has received financial support from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (Grant number: JPMJTM20EE), and Education and Research Activation Foundation (Youth Studies) of Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan. The authors are grateful for their financial support.

Reference:

Jihui Yuan, Kazuo Emura and Craig Farnham (2021). Evaluation of retro-reflective properties and upward to downward reflection ratio of glass bead retro-reflective material using a numerical model. Urban Climate, Vol. 36, March 2021, 100774, DOI: 10.1016/j.uclim.2021.100774.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg says her country may fine-tune the vaccination of its oldest, sickest citizens as it tries to make sense of a recent spate of deaths.

Having weathered the pandemic better than most, Norway suddenly made international headlines this month after revealing that more than 30 people -- all over 70 and all already sick -- died not long after being vaccinated against covid-19. Solberg says the intense global interest in the news was "exaggerated" as she tries to ensure the development doesn't put people off inoculation.

"We don't believe there's any problem with the safety of the vaccines," Solberg said in an interview with Bloomberg Live that aired on Tuesday. "But we will maybe not give them to the most vulnerable of the elderly, because that might speed up a process where they were what we would say at the end of life phase anyway," so, "that probably is not what we will continue to do."

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, which has identified people over 65 as a group to be prioritized in the vaccine rollout, has urged doctors to inoculate the elderly and sick on a case-by-case basis.

"For very frail patients and terminally ill patients, a careful balancing of benefit versus disadvantage of vaccination is recommended," it said on Jan. 11, before Norway published data on post-inoculation deaths.

The Norwegian Medicines Agency said its reporting on adverse reactions caused unnecessary concern around the world, and will now only publish data on deaths that have been autopsied. The agency says its information on the side-effects of coronavirus vaccines will be included in international studies.

Other countries, including Germany, have also recorded deaths in people who recently were vaccinated. Finland reported three such fatalities on Tuesday, but none of the countries identified causal links.

The Norwegian Medicines Agency says there's no evidence so far that the elderly deaths reported were directly linked to the vaccine. "However, it cannot be ruled out that common vaccine side effects, such as fever and nausea, may have contributed to a serious course of underlying disease in frail patients," the agency said in a written response to questions.

Norway is now working with Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE -- the first producers to provide it with vaccines -- to examine its data in more detail. The country's medicines agency has told Pfizer it doesn't see grounds for alarm. The first Europe-wide safety report on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is due to be published at the end of January.

Meanwhile, Norway's government has underscored its confidence in the vaccine. "We are trying to work very hard to get the focus that this is not a problem," Solberg said. "It's who we have vaccinated, not the vaccine that has created this data."

Norway's medicines agency reported 292 suspected "adverse reactions" out of 71,971 people who had been vaccinated as of Jan. 21; of those, 104 had been reviewed by health authorities, with 30 reported deaths. The country had inoculated 1.4% of its population as of Friday, according to Bloomberg's coronavirus vaccine Tracker. That compares with 3.4% in neighboring Denmark, which is among the furthest advanced in Europe with its immunization program.

Norway plans to administer second vaccine doses without delay, Solberg said. That's in contrast to the approach in the U.K., where Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said there's high confidence the first dose provides "decent efficacy" against the virus.

Solberg spoke with Bloomberg Live before Norway moved to lock down the Oslo area in an effort to fight the spread of more contagious coronavirus mutations, deploying its strictest measures yet. The prime minister said she hopes Norway will finish vaccinating its most vulnerable citizens by March.
U.S. Rep. John Katko, who represents Auburn in Congress, praised the Biden administration's commitment to place Tubman's likeness on the $20 bill. He has been a longtime proponent of recognizing Tubman on paper currency. He first introduced legislation in 2015, his first year in Congress.

"This is a fitting and overdue tribute to a woman who escaped slavery and devoted her entire life to advancing freedom and equality for all people, regardless of their race or gender," Katko, R-Camillus, said. "In central New York, we are honored that Harriet Tubman settled in our community and take great pride in celebrating her incredible legacy."

Tubman, who was born into slavery in Maryland, escaped when she was an adult and helped free other enslaved people. Later in her life, she settled in Auburn. The property where she lived, which is on South Street in Auburn, is now part of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, which was formally established in the final days of the Obama administration in January 2017.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - See the impact of a massive winter storm impacting multiple states. Read the latest news about whats going on in Washington, check out coronavirus updates and see more stories trending online today.

Top stories

Massive winter storm eyes 1,500-mile stretch of US (Accuweather)

McConnell drops filibuster demand, clearing way for Democrats to take full Senate control (NBC News)

Jill Biden signals shell be more active as first lady (AP)

Terms for $1,400 stimulus checks could change, what to know (Fox Business)

Puerto Rico declares state of emergency over explosion of femicides, violence against women (The Hill)

Biden administration renews plan to put Harriet Tubman on $20 bill (AP)

Coronavirus news

Moderna says its working on Covid booster shot for variant in South Africa, says current vaccine provides some protection (CNBC)

Everyday activities are more dangerous now that new Covid-19 variants are circulating, expert says (CNN)

California Ends Strict Virus Restrictions as New Cases Fall (NY Times)

First known U.S. case of Brazilian COVID-19 variant confirmed in Minnesota (CBS)

Fauci: Double masking against mutant coronavirus just makes common sense (Today)

Gorilla Gets Monoclonal Antibody Therapy For COVID-19 (NPR)

Other trending headlines

Why Reddit made GameStop and BlackBerry stock suddenly jump (CNET)

Twitter bans MyPillow CEO (Politico)

Fans still mourn Kobe Bryants sudden death one year later (NBC)

Pizza Hut releases new Detroit-Style Pizza nationwide in four varieties (USA Today)

Oklahoma lawmaker proposes a bill that calls for creation of a Bigfoot hunting season (CNN)

Angry farmers storm Indias Red Fort in huge tractor rally (AP)
The Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Today

Partly cloudy skies. Gusty winds during the evening. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 45F. WNW winds at 25 to 40 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Gusty winds during the evening. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 45F. WNW winds at 25 to 40 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High around 65F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Treasury chief Janet Yellen. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Yellen was confirmed in the US Senate on Monday in an 84-15 vote.

The 74-year-old economist is the first woman to lead the Treasury Department.

She will play a critical role shepherding the Biden administration's rescue package through Congress.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Senate voted on Monday evening to confirm Janet Yellen as the nation's first woman to serve as treasury secretary.

She racked up significant bipartisan support in a 84-15 vote, and her confirmation process was a relatively smooth one because of her extensive economic credentials. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell voted to confirm her, and she drew unanimous support from a Senate panel on Friday.

Yellen, 74, is the first woman to head the Treasury Department. She is also the first person to have held three of the most important economic positions in American government: Treasury chief, head of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, as well as chair as the Federal Reserve.

"She's been confirmed four times already in the Senate," Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, incoming chair of the Senate Finance Committee, told Insider in a recent Capitol Hill interview. "She is really in the Senate confirmation hall of fame because she gets these huge majorities when people vote on her."

During her confirmation hearing with the Senate Finance Committee last week, Yellen urged Congress to "act big" on another federal rescue package, warning of a worse downturn in the economy without one.

She also said lawmakers should set aside concerns about the rising budget deficit because the cost of borrowing is low, a view shared by many experts.

"Economists don't always agree, but I think there is a consensus now: Without further action, we risk a longer, more painful recession now-and long-term scarring of the economy later," she told lawmakers.

She fielded a range of policy questions on the minimum wage, direct payments, and taxes. Yellen said the Biden administration doesn't intend to raise taxes for wealthy Americans or large businesses before the pandemic is over.

Story continues

In follow-up answers to senators, Yellen also indicated she would not attempt to revive the Federal Reserve's expired emergency lending programs. The Treasury and Fed jointly managed them last year, and the Trump administration ended them in a move that sparked fierce Democratic criticism.

Yellen will play a critical role shepherding Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion rescue package through Congress, a difficult task given it's already triggering strong Republican opposition.

The rescue package contains another wave of stimulus checks, federal unemployment benefits, vaccine distribution funds, and aid to state and local governments.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Quang Ba Flower Market in Hanoi capital, the largest of its kind in northern Vietnam, is busy these days as local people are going shopping in the lead up to the lunar New Year holiday.

Located just five km from the city centre, Quang Ba Flower Market is an ideal place for local people to purchase flowers, especially on special occasions like the lunar New Year holiday (Tet), which is less than three weeks away.

Coming to the market, visitors seem to get lost in a forest of peach flowers which are indispensable during the long Tet holiday for Vietnamese people, especially those living in the northern region.

A big branch of peach flowers is the favourite with most of local residents as it is offered at an affordable price.

Without forest peaches due to a government ban, the market remains bustling with crowds of people visiting and buying their favourite branch.

As far as I know forest peaches must be stamped for traceability. Some ask for such forest peaches, but these peaches are yet to arrive here, says Tuan, who sells flowers at the market.

Tuan says without forest peaches, the average price of a domesticated peach branch has increased by 20-30% this year. A small branch (in the photo) costs around VND80,000.

Hung, a local resident, says he does not care much about the price, because according to him a blossoming peace branch brings good luck in a new year.

I prefer a branch of forest peach to a domesticated one, because it has fewer flowers but the flowers are large which give a sense of serenity and comfort. This year I have to buy a domesticated one, though I am a bit sad and regretful, confides Hung.

For Hanoians, they prefer a branch at the beginning of the peach flower season, and they then switch to a tree during the Tet holiday.

Therefore a branch is preferable for them these days no matter how big it is.

The blossoming of peach flowers means spring is coming.

VOV

Hanoi flower street to debut for Tet celebrations A flower street with the theme of Home Hanoi Xuan 2021 is set to be held for the first time between February 7 and 17 in Splendora urban area of Hoai Duc district, Hanoi.
It can be a confusing, frustrating challenge for many Houstonians trying to register for the COVID-19 vaccine in Harris County.

But now there's a new plan to streamline the registration process. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced that "Ready Harris," a new "smart waitlist portal" will launch Tuesday afternoon to make sure that it's a fair process for all who strive to book a vaccination appointment.

GALVESTON VACCINES: Galveston weekend vaccination clinic expected after appointments fill up quickly on Monday

"First let me tell you a little bit about our values in Harris County when it comes to distributing the vaccine," Hidalgo said Monday in a press conference. "Let me put it bluntly. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine shouldnt be like the Hunger Games. It shouldnt be about who can hit refresh on a browser the fastest. It shouldnt be about who has special knowledge about when a registration link will open. "

Hidalgo said that all Harris County residents who are eligible can register on the waitlist, and then be contacted once the vaccine supply and appointment times become available. The process will no longer be implemented on a first-come, first-serve basis, a Harris County Health press release stated. Hidalgo underscored that the process needed to be equitable for working families.

In everything we do to fight COVID-19, we are pushing for not only efficiency but also fairness and equity, Hidalgo stated at the press conference.

Right now, only Phase 1A and Phase 1B are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations, which includes seniors 65 and older, health care professionals, and those individuals of 16 years of age or older with certain medical conditions. If you fall within these categories, your registration will be weighted for priority, and then will be randomized on the priority list.

Hidalgo stressed that those who did not have Internet access could still register for a vaccination. Harris County residents without Internet access can call the Ready Harris phone number (832-927-8787) once the portal is live on Tuesday afternoon in order to be placed on the waitlist.

The Harris County Health Department also plans to launch a COVID-19 vaccine data hub which will show availability of the vaccine and distribution, according to a press release. Harris County residents can be placed on a waitlist via the vaccine information link on ReadyHarris.org and https://vacstrac.hctx.net.
[January 26, 2021] U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union and Crane Credit Union Sign for Access Softek's Real-Time Fraud Control to Keep Members Safe

Access Softek, an omnichannel digital banking platform provider, announced that both U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union and Crane Credit Union have signed on for its Real-Time Fraud Control solution to enhance digital security for members and the institutions. Real-Time Fraud Control uses machine learning and a deep neural network to recognize "in-pattern" and "out-of-pattern" behavior in each user's digital banking activity. If fraud is suspected, the solution can trigger an extra verification step for the user. While the real account holders can pass this verification with ease, fraudsters will be forced to abandon the transaction or fail the verification. "The issue with most fraud detection solutions we considered was that they only spotted fraudulent activity once it was complete," said Marsha Majors, President and CEO of U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union. "The fact that we can save a lot of the time and trouble of recovering from a cyber-attack is not only a game-changer for us, but for our members, too." What sets the solution apart is its ability to prevent fraud before it happens. Most other products only alert account holders and institutions to fraudulent activity after it's already happened, leaing a mess to clean up after the fraudster is long gone. Financial institutions often must work to reimburse any funds that were stolen in the attack and account holders are left feeling violated and mistrustful. By stopping fraud before it happens, Real-Time Fraud Control saves financial institutions from the time, cost, and reputational damage that comes with a successful attack.



"It is crucial for us that we are protecting our members. They are interacting through digital channels more than ever before and we want to ensure that those channels are secure," said Kevin L. Sparks, President and CEO of Crane Credit Union. "After searching for a solution that could help us enhance security, we chose Access Softek's because theirs was the only one that works in real-time." "Our fraud control solution is just one solution that supports our mission of empowering both banks and credit unions to enhance security. Even the best and most innovative online and mobile banking solutions are nothing if users are not protected from fraud in those channels," said Chris Doner, founder and CEO of Access Softek. "By making a substantial investment in a machine learning team, we've created innovative products that revolutionize security and other important areas for financial institutions."

About U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union U.S. Eagle Federal Credit Union was founded in 1935, making it the oldest credit union in New Mexico. Since day one, U.S. Eagle has provided members with more options to earn, save, invest, and protect, so they can do what matters most: live better. For more information, please visit: useagle.org. About Crane Credit Union Crane Credit Union, headquartered in Odon, Indiana, was founded in 1955 on Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center. Crane serves the communities of Central and Southern Indiana, offering a full array of products and services. The credit union prides itself on member service, community involvement and strives to offer better rates on loans and deposits than competitors. Crane has 20 branch locations in 10 counties throughout Central and Southern Indiana and serves over 57,000 members. For more information, please visit Crane Credit Union online at www.cranecu.org. About Access Softek, Inc. Access Softek sets the standard for the omnichannel digital banking landscape, having developed the first downloadable apps for mobile banking. Since that time, Access Softek has extended its track record of innovation to online banking, biometric authentication, real-time fraud prevention, and automated investing integrated directly into a financial institution's digital banking platform, among many other innovative products. Since 2004, Access Softek has delivered industry firsts to over 400 bank and credit union clients from its Berkeley, California headquarters. Learn more at AccessSoftek.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005024/en/

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PM Says Australia Open to Discussions but Wont Concede to CCPs Demands

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that while Australia has always been open to discussing any of the Chinese regimes issues, he will not approach dialogues on the basis that the country will acquiesce to Beijings demands.

The remarks come after Opposition Labor Leader Anthony Albanese proposed that Morrison seek the help of former prime ministers John Howard and Kevin Rudd to reset the souring Australia-China relationship.

Chinese officials have previously claimed that the bilateral problems lie with Australia, and officials from its embassy in Canberra released a list of 14 grievances it had with Australia.

The communist regime indicated it wants these issues addressed before engaging in diplomatic dialogues with the Morrison government.

But Morrison said hes made it clear that discussions wont take place on the basis of pre-emptive concessions on Australias part. I dont think any Australian would want their Prime Minister to be conceding the points that theyve set out, Morrison said.

He said that Australias relationship with China was important, but pointed out that the relationship was important to China too.

But it is a relationship that will be pursued on the basis of Australias national interests, and without in any way compromising Australias sovereignty, the prime minister said.

Australias relationship with China has been at its lowest point in recent years after the Chinese regime launched an unofficial trade war on Australian exports.

This came with increasingly hostile diplomatic messaging directed at Australia after Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

Morrisons response comes as the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released data on Monday showing Australia had grown its trade surplus to a record high of $9 billion up from $7.4 billion in November, despite the Chinese regimes coercive economic efforts.

The ABS reported that exports from Australia to China grew 21 percent due to Chinas hunger for iron ore.

On Monday, Albanese said he had written to the prime minister urging him to consult with former Rudd and Howard, both he said had significant relationships with China.

Its very clear that when Australian jobs in industries as diverse as wine, education, the timber industry, coal and other exports are under threat because of what has occurred with the breakdown in the relationship and Chinas actions, Albanese said. You need to find a way through.

Albanese said that although the Chinese regime was at fault, a circuit breaker was needed to move forward.

But he noted it was important that it should be one that does not compromise Australias values.

The prime minister said that he had in fact consulted Howard and Rudd on the governments approach to China.


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SCHENECTADY  Despite the city of Schenectady taking a financial beating from the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Gary McCarthy pledged community improvement projects will continue  albeit slower than anticipated.

In his State of the City address on Monday, McCarthy promised no dazzling new projects or revelations, but rather outlined a vision to continue ongoing investments to shore up aging infrastructure, swiftly flipping city-owned property to first-time home buyers, and taking an aggressive approach to attacking blight by razing dilapidated buildings and outfitting code enforcement officers with better technology.

McCarthys address was a sharp departure from last year, when he touted plummeting crime rates and a sense of unbridled optimism as a result of the city's recently awarded $10 million state economic grant award.

He mentioned neither on Monday.

Like localities nationwide, crime surged in the city last year, and as New York state stares down a projected $15 billion budget deficit, the state has been tight-lipped on the timeline for the allocation of those funds designed to spark downtown investment.

Clocking in at a shorter 21 minutes, McCarthy acknowledged his comments were pared down and absent of the usual pomp and circumstance of past years, when department heads and officials packed City Hall. The speech was broadcast over Webex.

The city ended the year with a $8 million budget deficit, a number McCarthy narrowed by implementing a hiring freeze and slashing non-essential expenditures.

McCarthy remained optimistic that the Joseph R. Biden Administration would result in a relief package for state and local governments battered by the pandemic.

I remain hopeful that the federal government will provide assistance in the coming weeks, McCarthy said.

But McCarthy said he had accomplishments to list for 2020. Among them: Despite the pandemic, the city sold 71 homes last year, bringing in slightly under $1 million in revenue; launched the regions largest tele-health effort that allows the citys team of 115 paramedics to consult with patients remotely, and doled out $400,000 in federal grants to 39 small businesses, many of them minority and women-owned enterprises.

As localities nationwide embark on police reform, the city garnered praise from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for its efforts, which saw the city police department create a community panel to vet rookies to determine if theyd be a good fit in policing diverse neighborhoods.

Neighborhood improvement projects will continue despite being sidelined, McCarthy said, including upgrades to Orchard Park and streetscape improvements along Craig Street and other neighborhoods.

And with a focus on technology, McCarthy touted the installation of 10 electric vehicle charging stations on Liberty Street on Monday, as well as the ongoing deployment of the citys Wi-Fi network, a measure officials say is critical in bridging the technology gap in underserved neighborhoods, as well as investments in energy-efficient technology.

Construction is slated to begin this year on two major thoroughfares: The replacement of Kings Road Bridge connecting the city with Rotterdam, as well as repairs to the Cotton Factory Hollow Bridge linking the citys Hamilton Hill and Mont Pleasant neighborhoods.

And while largely focused on incremental progress, McCarthy did tease one major announcement:

The state has formally approved the merger of two nonprofits into a new entity, Better Community Neighborhoods Inc.; the mayor said the move will be transformational.

This group will give us the vision and the structure to help revitalize neighborhoods the way Metroplex has revitalized downtown, McCarthy said.

Work is also ongoing on the construction of 105,000 square feet of new housing units in the citys Hamilton Hill neighborhood, joining 965 new affordable units constructed in recent years.

And while the mayor didnt defend the citys much-maligned response to two major winter storms in 2019 and last December, which garnered sustained outrage from residents upset at sluggish snow removal efforts, he did offer a partial explanation. In 2008, the city had 60 staffers on the payroll to respond to winter storms, a number reduced to 29 this year due to what he described as improved efficiencies.

While the city has always used private contractors to augment efforts during heavy snowfall, the city plans to revisit those relationships this year.

Over the next several months, I look forward to working with the [City] Council to better define when and where we bring in contractors to refine operations, McCarthy said.

One measure that may improve the city's response is the potential re-emergence of Carl Olsen, the longtime head of the city's Office of General Services who resigned in 2014 to take a state post.

McCarthy told the Times Union earlier this month Olsen plans to retire from the state and is seeking employment with Carver Companies, the Altamont-based outfit the city uses for a number of contracting projects  including winter storm response.

"He's looking to work for Carver Construction, McCarthy said. "We're just looking to formalize that relationship.

Olsen couldnt immediately be reached for comment.
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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - William Smith announces that pursuant to the terms of a proposed agreement (the "Proposed Agreement") among William M. Smith ("Smith"), certain companies controlled by Smith (the "Smith Companies" and, together with Smith, the "Smith Group") and Cansortium, Inc. ("Cansortium"), the Smith Group has received 1,421,538 proportional voting shares of Cansortium (the "Acquired PV Shares") and, assuming that the Proposed Agreement is completed, the Smith Group will be entitled to keep the Acquired PV Shares, receive an additional 4,988,520 common shares of Cansortium (the "Additional Acquired Shares") and receive an Amended and Restated Promissory Note in the principal amount of $12,933,290.02 convertible into common shares of Cansortium at a conversion price of $0.60 per common share, subject to adjustment (the "Convertible Note"). The Acquired PV Shares were delivered to the Smith Group in December 2020.

Prior to receiving the Acquired PV Shares, the Smith Group held 13,412,622 common shares of Cansortium representing 6.75% of the outstanding common shares and no proportional voting shares, and 222,222 warrants to purchase additional common shares at an exercise price of $0.45 per share.

Upon completion of the Proposed Agreement and delivery to the Smith Group of the Additional Acquired Shares and Convertible Note, the Smith Group will hold 1,421,538 proportional voting shares, representing 66.81% of the outstanding proportional voting shares, and 18,401,142 common shares, representing 9.26% of the outstanding common shares. Each proportional voting share carries 10 votes per share and is also convertible into 10 common shares.

Upon conversion of the Convertible Note, conversion of the Acquired PV Shares and exercise of the Warrants, the Smith Group would hold 54,394,227 common shares of Cansortium, representing 27.36% of the outstanding common shares.

All percentages above are based on the number of issued and outstanding common and proportional voting shares as disclosed in the Cansortium's financial statements for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

Pursuant to the terms of the Proposed Agreement, which have been negotiated by the parties to, amongst other things, assist Cansortium in the restructuring of debt owed by Cansortium to members of the Smith Group, no additional cash consideration will be paid by the Smith Companies as the principal amount of the Convertible Note represent debt and other obligations previously owed by Cansortium to members of the Smith Group and the Acquired PV Shares and the Additional Acquired Shares will be transferred to the Smith Group in partial consideration for the Smith Group entering into the Agreement.

The Agreement also provides that the 14,215,380 common shares of Cansortium that the Acquired PV Shares are convertible into plus an additional 4,400,005 common shares held or to be held by the Smith Group shall be subject to a price "Floor" of $0.65 per share guaranteed by Cansortium and its subsidiaries. The Floor shall expire at 5:00 P.M. on May 31, 2023. If during that time period, members of the Smith Group elect to sell some or all of its common shares subject to the Floor, and the purchase price is less than $0.65 per share, then Cansortium (or its designee) shall have the first right to purchase all or any portion of the contemplated Common Shares to be sold for $0.65 per common share. Alternatively, Cansortium may elect to pay in cash to the seller on the date of such sale the difference between $0.65 and the actual sale price per common share. The price Floor shall be cancelled if the closing price of the common shares is $4.13 per common shares or more for twenty (20) consecutive trading days while maintaining a trading volume of at least three (3) million common shares each trading day of such period.

The Smith Group acquired the securities for investment purposes and may, depending on market and other conditions, increase or decrease its beneficial ownership, control or direction over securities of Cansortium through market transactions, private agreements, treasury issuances, exercise of warrants, or otherwise.

The Smith Group's address is 155 Middle Plantation Lane, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561. A copy of the Early Warning Report will appear under the profile of Cansortium on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Cansortium's head office is located at 82 NE 26th Street, Unit 110, Miami, Florida, 33137.

For further information or to obtain a copy of the Early Warning Report, please contact William Smith at billsmedia@gmail.com.

NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S. OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72856


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The MLC accused the Chief Minister of saying the government will bear the loss suffered by agriculture markets in the state, while favouring rice millers.  ANI

HYDERABAD: Senior Congress leader and MLC T. Jeevan Reddy has expressed worry about farm sector as well as farmers, stating that both central and state governments are being negligent about their welfare.

Addressing a press conference at the media point in Assembly premises here on Monday, he said farmers have lost minimum support price for their products under the new agricultural laws enacted by the Centre.

Jeevan Reddy pointed out that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had earlier opposed the recently enacted agricultural laws by the Central government. But after his Delhi visit, he has taken a U-turn and is now praising Prime Minister Narendra Modis policies.

The MLC accused the Chief Minister of saying the government will bear the loss suffered by agriculture markets in the state, while favouring rice millers. He demanded that the state government announce minimum support price for fine quality rice (sanna vadlu), as promised by Chief Minister, even before farmers cultivate fine quality paddy.

Jeevan Reddy charged the state government with weakening the horticulture sector, with 450 horticulture extension officers being sacked even though no salaries had been paid to them. He pointed out that Rs 2,000 crore funds from the Central government could not be received by the state government, as the latter did not agree to grant of Rs 500 crore to the department.

The MLC wanted BJP MP D. Arvind to bring pressure on the Central government for announcing minimum support price (MSP) for turmeric and setting up the Turmeric Board in Nizamabad. He announced that he will be sitting on one-day hunger strike in support of turmeric farmers seeking MSP and Turmeric Board.
(Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Germany backs EU vaccine curbs

Germany's health minister supported European Union proposals to introduce restrictions on COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday as tensions grew with AstraZeneca and Pfizer over sudden supply cuts just a month after the bloc started vaccinating citizens.

The EU has proposed setting up a register of vaccine exports, amid frustration over delivery delays of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot and other supply problems.

British quarantine

Britain will announce on Tuesday whether it will bring in mandatory quarantine in hotels for some or all arrivals, the country's coronavirus vaccination minister said as he warned the public not to book summer vacations.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he was looking at the option of introducing quarantine hotels for those coming to Britain to prevent the risk of "vaccine-busting" new coronavirus variants entering the country.

California eases lockdowns

California eased strict stay-at-home orders on Monday, allowing restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining and greater social mixing, as public health authorities reported slower infection rates and hospitalizations.

Meanwhile, New York Governor Mario Cuomo plans to relax a number of unspecified restrictions in the days ahead, as long as transmission rates remain low.

France's hospitalisations rise

The number of people hospitalised in France rose by more than 1,000 over the last two days and the number of patients in intensive care units exceeded 3,000 for the first time since early December.

A growing number of medical experts have called for a third lockdown while France rolls out the vaccine, but French media reported that President Emmanuel Macron was trying to avoid such a measure.

Spanish infections hit new high

Spain reported a record 93,822 new infections over the weekend, while the two-week average jumped to a new high of 885 cases per 100,000 people on Monday as regional authorities scrambled to ramp up restrictions.

Story continues

Grim milestone for Indonesia

Indonesia surpassed a million confirmed cases on Tuesday, a grim milestone for the Southeast Asian nation that has struggled since last March to get the epidemic under control.

The world's fourth-most-populous country has recorded 28,468 deaths from the disease.

New Zealand's borders to stay shut

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand's borders will remain closed for most of this year, but it will pursue travel arrangements with neighbouring Australia and other Pacific nations.

Medical authorities, meanwhile, may approve a COVID-19 vaccine as early as next week, Ardern said, as pressure mounts for a start to vaccinations after the country confirmed its first case of the virus in the community in months.

(Compiled by Linda Noakes)
Through the partnership, CSG's industry-leading technology and data aggregation tools will enhance Integrity's proprietary technology platform and provide our industry even more transparency on product data, market research and consumer trends at all stages of the insurance enrollment process. This insight offers agents, agencies, carriers and consumers the ability to make data-driven decisions when considering their insurance needs. In addition, CSG will continue to develop and enhance new and existing software as a service (SaaS) solutions to simplify and streamline quoting, enrollment and other fundamental processes.

"At Integrity, we are committed to innovating insurance in every way possible, which makes this investment in cutting-edge technology crucial to our mission," said Bryan W. Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity Marketing Group. "No one creates better quoting and enrollment tools and provides more relevant industry insight than CSG. We believe the right technology and data solutions can improve the entire health insurance process for agents, agencies, carriers and consumers. With the brilliant and dedicated team at CSG now part of the Integrity family, we'll continue to develop innovative solutions together that will fundamentally improve insurance."

Founded in 2007, CSG began as an actuarial consulting firm focusing on product development services. The founders soon recognized the immense value of the data it accumulated, including premium rates and agent support insights. CSG has leveraged that vast data trove in the development of its comprehensive data and SaaS suite, which contains a real-time quote activity tracker, e-application enrollment software and a comprehensive document library.

"We have proprietary information that helps consumers select the healthcare coverage they need. The data we provide drives impactful decisions for agents, agencies, carriers and consumers, and offers powerful insight into market demand and trends," explained Bryan Neary, Co-Founder and Principal of CSG. "By combining Integrity's knowledge, expertise, relationships and distribution network with our groundbreaking technology, we are creating a dramatic change in the way insurance is sold today. We envision solutions that give consumers better access to information and help them make more-informed healthcare decisions for their families. We've only scratched the surface of what we can accomplish together."

With a fine-tuned understanding of the insurance marketplace and a knack for building highly relevant and timely products, the CSG team transformed the insurance technology space. CSG's easy-to-use, online quoting and enrollment tool has revolutionized the industry. The company offers best-in-class digital solutions for Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, Final Expense, Senior Dental and Hospital Indemnity products.

"Years ago, we recognized the need to create software as a service (SaaS) tools that made agents' lives easier and we've been innovating to meet that need ever since," shared Doug Feekin, Co-Founder and Principal of CSG. "Technology is changing the process of selecting the right insurance coverage and agents need the most updated solutions for their customers. This partnership with Integrity gives us access to immense resources and data to increase that innovation, while scaling the adoption and utilization of our products. It has the power to shape the future of healthcare and we're eager to get started."

"The Integrity and CSG partnership will transform the insurance experience in ways that we previously could only dream of," acknowledged Steve Young, Chairman of the Board at Integrity. "CSG offers the most impactful all-in-one suite of support tools available to insurance agents, agencies, carriers and consumers in the senior market. Together, we are perfectly positioned to completely advance the insurance game  the industry will look back and remember this pivotal partnership."

Following this partnership, CSG will continue to serve their current clients with the same level of expertise they have grown to expect. These clients will benefit from the increase of support enabled by CSG's utilization of shared services available to all Integrity platform partners. Those services include accounting, IT, research and development, human resources, legal counsel, third-party administration and access to a full-service advertising and marketing agency.

Additionally, CSG employees will receive meaningful company ownership under the Integrity Employee Ownership Plan.

"Our employees are the reason we're here every day and we're thrilled to offer them the opportunity to share in this success through Integrity's Employee Ownership Plan," said Neary. "We value their contributions, dedication and expertise; in Integrity, we've found a partner who feels the same."

For additional information about CSG's partnership with Integrity, view a video and more at www.integritymarketing.com/csg.

About Integrity Marketing Group

Integrity Marketing Group, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the leading independent distributor of life and health insurance products focused on meeting Americans wherever they are  in person, over the phone and online. Integrity is innovating insurance by developing cutting-edge technology designed to simplify and streamline the healthcare experience for everyone. In addition, Integrity develops exclusive products with insurance carrier partners and markets these products through its distribution network that includes other large insurance agencies throughout the country. Integrity's almost 5,000 employees work with over 325,000 independent agents who service more than seven million clients annually. In 2021, Integrity expects to help insurance carriers place over $3.5 billion in new premium. For more information, visit www.integritymarketing.com .

About CSG Actuarial

CSG Actuarial, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is one of the fastest-growing insurance tech companies in the country, helping insurance agents, agencies and carriers keep up with the ever-changing senior insurance marketplace. CSG has developed innovative quoting, enrollment and market research software solutions used by top producing insurance agent, agencies and insurance companies throughout the country. In 2020, CSG processed almost 25 million insurance quotes and thousands of enrollments through its robust suite of software as a service (SaaS) products. For more information, visit www.csgactuarial.com.

SOURCE Integrity Marketing Group, LLC

Related Links

http://www.integritymarketing.com



Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday launched a jail tourism initiative in the state with an aim to help students and other citizens experience "vignettes from history". People will be able to understand the struggles of freedom fighters by visiting jails under the new initiative, Thackeray said in a statement.

The initiative was launched from the 150-year-old Yerawada prison in Pune, where several freedom fighters, including Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Tilak, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Sarojini Naidu and Subhas Chandra Bose, had been imprisoned under the British rule.

"CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray today launched a unique jail tourism initiative. This will help school and college students, history enthusiasts and citizens to experience vignettes from our history," the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) said in a tweet.

Addressing the initiative launch event virtually, the chief minister referred to his father, Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackerays days spent at the Yerawada prison. The CM said he used to meet his father in the prison. "He (Balasaheb Thackeray) used to send us letters," he said.

On the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar read out a letter sent from the prison by Balasaheb Thackeray to his wife Meenatai Thackeray.

The chief minister also talked about the imprisonment of Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar and various other freedom fighters and the plight they suffered inside jails. "It is a novel concept. People talk about visiting (hill stations) like Mahabaleshwar and Lonavala. They may say they have been to jail (after launch of the initiative)," the chief minister said in a lighter vein.

"But one need not commit a crime for going to jail. We have shown a new path of tourism. Jail Yatra," an official statement said quoting Uddhav Thackeray. The chief minister also said that inmates inside prisons are a "big manpower".

Efforts should also be made to show a right direction to those "who have lost their direction", he said. "We should make efforts to see those who are released from jail lead a respectful life," he said.

Meanwhile, the CM also inaugurated five new cyber police stations located in the south, central, east, west and north zones of Mumbai Police, another official statement said.

He likened criminal activities to the novel coronavirus and said the police of Mumbai and Maharashtra have "got a vaccine" to teach a lesson to those who engage in it.

"We are proud of it. Cyber crime is not visible to eyes. Our battle against such an invisible enemy has started more ably now (with the inauguration of cyber police stations)," the statement said quoting Uddhav Thackeray. Without mentioning any specific incident, the CM also asked police not to become "restless" if anyone defames them.

"Because you have exposed them, not only I as the chief minister, but the entire Maharashtra is proud of you. Hence, the government is standing behind you with all its strength," he said.

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Minister of State for Home Satej Patil were present on the occasion via video-conferencing,the statementsaid.

State Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray, Mumbai's Guardian Minister Aslam Shaikh and other leaders also attended the programme. Deshmukh last week said prisons in Thane, Nashik and Ratnagiri will also be part of the jail tourism initiative.
US Bankruptcy Court approved the plan, saying that without the settlement, Harvey Weinstein's accusers would get 'minimal, if any, recovery.'

A US Bankruptcy Court judge on Monday, 25 January, approved The Weinstein Co's liquidation plan, which sets aside $17 million for women who accused co-founder Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

Judge Mary Walrath approved the plan after a hearing in Delaware, saying that without the settlement, Weinstein's accusers would get "minimal, if any, recovery."

The $17 million fund will be divided among more than 50 claimants, with the most serious allegations resulting in payouts of $500,000 or more. The settlement was put to a vote of Weinstein's accusers, with 39 voting in favour and eight opposed, as reported by NBC.

The judge also overruled an objection from some accusers looking to pursue appeals outside of bankruptcy court. However, they will have the option to forgo most of their payout under the plan if they want to continue pursuing their claims.

Malrath noted that 83% of sexual misconduct claimants in the bankruptcy have expressed very loudly that they want closure through acceptance of this plan, that they do not seek to have to go through any further litigation in order to receive some recovery, some possible recompense ... although its clear that money will never give them that.

Ruby Liu, an attorney representing the objectors, argued Monday that the settlement fund is "meager" and that the deal deprives her clients of the opportunity to pursue Bob Weinstein and other directors in court, according to Variety.

The directors and officers, including Weinstein's brother, Bob, also received releases that absolve them of any potential liability for enabling Weinstein's conduct.

The Weinstein Co was set up as an independent film studio with the disgraced Hollywood mogul as one of its co-founders. The company collapsed in late 2017, following the disclosure of sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein.

(With inputs from agencies)
Durban, Jan 26 : Three-wicket hauls by Shabnim Ismail, Sune Luus and Ayabonga Khaka helped South Africa women complete a 32-run win over Pakistan in the third and final One-day International (ODI) and with it seal a 3-0 series whitewash at the Kingsmead here on Tuesday.

Fast bowler Ismail claimed three for 22, fellow seamer Khaka took three for 29 and captain Luus nabbed her 100th wicket for South Africa with her three wickets for 35.

Those strikes ensured the hosts defended 201 by restricting the tourists to 169, and in the process secured their biggest win of the three-match contest.

It was also South Africa women's sixth consecutive ODI win after they overcame New Zealand by the same margin when they toured that country last year.

Victory was not as comfortable as it could have been, however, after the home side again threw away a good start with the bat before being all out on the final ball of the innings.

After they lost the toss and were put in to bat for the third time in the series, star openers Laura Wolvaardt (58 off 72 balls, 9 fours) and Lizelle Lee (49) impressed with an opening stand of 79.

The solid start continued even after the departure of the latter as the home side progressed to 124 for one in the 28th over.

But they then threw away that solid foundation by losing their remaining nine wickets for just 77 as medium-pacer Diana Baig ran riot with four for 30.

Only Trisha Chetty among the middle and lower-order managed to hang around with her 34 proving key to lifting the South Africans beyond the 200-run mark.

From there, though, it was one-way traffic in favour of the home bowlers.

Ismail took out Nahida Khan (3) and Omaima Sohail (2) in the third and fifth overs respectively to leave Pakistan on 12 for two early on.

Captain Javeria Khan (33) and Kainat Imtiaz (16) rebuilt the innings, before both were removed by Luus's spin. Luus then went on to reach her century of wickets by getting rid of Nida Dar (14).

Another spell of consolidation between Sidra Nawaz (25) and Aliya Riaz (27) took the visitors to 112 for five, but the ruthless Ismail and Khaka ran through the lower order and tail to seal a comfortable win - Pakistan bowled out in 48 overs.

The two sides will now play a three-match T20 International Series starting on Friday.

Brief scores: South Africa women 201 all out in 50 overs (L Wolvaardt 58, Lizelle Lee 49, T Chetty 34, D Baig 4/30) beat Pakistan women: 169 all out in 48 overs (J Khan 33, S Luus 3/35, A Khaka 3/29, S Ismail 3/22) by 32 runs

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-25 19:36:26|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Monday called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and swift return to normalcy in Somalia, as fighting raged on between the Somali National Army (SNA) and the Jubaland regional state's forces.

The Kenyan foreign ministry, which expressed concern over the renewed fighting in the border town of Beled Hawo in the northern part of Gedo region, in southern Somalia, said it has sent a diplomatic note to the chairperson of the African Union Commission, calling for restraint.

"In the note, Kenya called for immediate cessation of the hostilities and a rapid return to normalcy, consistent with the AU's calls and inspirations of 'Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2020' efforts," the ministry said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

The town of Beled Hawo is a few kilometers from the Kenya-Somalia border.

The fighting, which has been going on intermittently over several months since the beginning of 2020, involved the SNA against regional forces from Somalia's Jubaland State.

Kenya said its main concern is that the renewed fighting causes large-scale displacement of civilians inside Somalia and drives large numbers of refugees and asylum-seekers into Kenya, worsening the already dire humanitarian situation in Somalia and in refugee camps in Kenya.

"Kenya is concerned that if the fighting continues unabated, the situation could further destabilize the region, complicate the security situation and reverse gains made in the fight against terrorism," the statement said.

The Somali government and Jubaland regional state have had a running dispute over the Gedo region, and Mogadishu has accused Kenya of backing the regional state. Enditem
The Dutch Ministry of Public Works and Waterways has awarded Heijmans a five-year contract for the maintenance of waterways in the central-eastern part of the Netherlands (Oost-Nederland). The performance contract covers the Boven-Rijn and Waal rivers and the Maas-Waal canal and represents a value of around  32 million for Heijmans.

Option to extend by three years

The contract became definitive on Monday, 25 January. In addition to the initial term of five years, the contract includes an option to extend the contract for an additional term of three years. From Q3 2021, Heijmans will carry out daily work on the above-mentioned waterways. This will include waterway maintenance (dredging), bank maintenance (breakwaters, longitudinal dams, extended banks, bank walls), the maintenance of pavements and moorings in overnight mooring facilities), and the inspection, monitoring and repair of damage and trouble-shooting.

Highest score for sustainability

When deciding on the tender, the Ministry of Public Works and Waterways looked beyond the costs of the contract to companies' potential contribution to the improvement of the asset management and on the sustainability front. On the basis of the Best Price-Quality Ratio, Heijmans emerged as the best in these areas. On the sustainability front, Heijmans scored the highest according to the so-called Environmental Costs Indicator. The Ministry uses this benchmark - which looks among other things at circularity - to reduce the total environmental impact of the execution of a project.

About Heijmans

Everyone wants clean air, to live in a nice neighbourhood, to work in a good workplace and to be able to travel safely from A to B. By making things better, more sustainable and smarter, Heijmans is creating that healthy living environment. Jan Heijmans started as a road builder in 1923. Today, Heijmans is a stock exchange-listed company that combines activities in property development, building & technology and infrastructure. In addition to this, we work safely and we add value to the places where we are active. This is how we build the spatial contours of tomorrow together with our clients: www.heijmans.nl/en/

For more information / not for publication:





Media

Jeroen van den Berk

Spokesman

+31 73 543 52 17

jberk@heijmans.nl

Analysts

Guido Peters

Investor Relations

+ 31 73 543 52 17

gpeters@heijmans.nl

Attachment
Italys prime minister Giuseppe Conte has announced he will hand in his resignation in a bid to form a stronger government.

Mr Conte, who survived two confidence votes in parliament last week, will offer to stand down during a meeting with the president Sergio Mattarella on Tuesday.

His government lost its majority earlier this month with the defection of coalition ally Matteo Renzi, the leader of the Italia Viva party, over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Contes office said on Monday night that he will inform his cabinet ministers of his intention to resign at 9am before heading to the presidential palace.

If his resignation is accepted, the president could either ask Mr Conte to try and form a new coalition or seek another leader to form the government. Alternatively Mr Mattarella could dissolve parliament, prompting a new general election.

The president has frequently stressed the need for the nation to have solid leadership as it struggles with the Covid-19 pandemic, which has had devastating effects on Italy's economy and caused more than 85,000 deaths.

Mr Conte, who has been prime minister since 2018, had previously headed a government as part of a centre-left coalition with the populist 5-Star Movement and the right-wing League party of Matteo Salvini.

That coalition collapsed in September when Mr Salvini withdrew his support and Mr Conte formed a new cabinet with the centre-left Democratic Party.

However Mr Conte, while close to 5-Star, does not head any party and so will not be part of the formal consultations between the president and party leaders.

It raises the prospect of former premier Silvio Berlusconi, head of the Forza Italia party, influencing the choice of a new leader.

Just hours before the announcement by Conte's office, Mr Berlusconi said he was trusting the "political wisdom" of Mr Mattarella to indicate the way out of the crisis.

"The high road is one only," Mr Berlusconi said in a statement, adding that the solution would either be a "new government that would represent substantial unity of the country in a moment of emergency" or a new election "to give back the (deciding) word to the Italian" voters.

Nicola Zingaretti, leader of the Democrats, called for a new Conte government that would be "clearly pro-Europe and backed by a wide parliamentary base that would guarantee credibility and stability to face the great challenges that Italy has before it."

Meanwhile Mr Salvini is hoping to gather support among the centre-right parties for elections. He said: "The Italians need hospitals, open and safe schools, and a year of tax peace to give back breath and hope to families and businesses," Salvini said. "This isn't the government that can escort Italy out of this disaster."

One of the major issues which divided the coalition government was how to spend 209bn (186bn) of EU Covid recovery funds. Mr Conte planned to let technocrats, not MPs, decide how the money is distributed, while Mr Renzi wanted them to be used in the digital economy and on green energy and accused the prime minsiter of squandering public money.

Mr Renzi has indicated he ould return to the coalition on the condition that Mr Conte accepts a string of demands, but the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement has made clear that it does want any reconciliation. reconciling with Renzi.

Industry minister Stefano Patuanelli, a 5-Star politician, said Mr Renzi was "a problem and cannot be part of the solution."

Additional reporting by agencies
MG Motor broke into the GCCs top ten of car manufacturers for the first time in 2020, during a year in which the British-born brands sales increased by a remarkable 72% across the region.

With total sales of 27,595 units, the companys achievements were all the more impressive considering the challenging market conditions caused by the global pandemic.

This success has been driven by the brands line-up of sedan and SUV models, and in particular its top two sellers, the MG5 compact sedan and MG ZS compact SUV.

The year saw MG launch operations in several new regional markets, including Jordan and Iraq, but it is in Saudi Arabia that customers have most evidently taken to the British brand. MG is now the 8th biggest-selling car brand in the kingdom, which reinforced its position as MGs biggest market in the Middle East, just three years after the brand was reintroduced to the country.

MG now enjoys a 4.2% market share in Saudi Arabia, with total sales up by 89% in 2020.

Core to MGs popularity has been the quality and breadth of its model line-up, which has been completely refreshed over recent years. The brands biggest sellers were its compact sedan models, the MG 5, which accounted for a third of all 2020 sales. The stylish MG6 sedan continued to prove popular, with year-on-year sales up by 15%.

MGs mid-size SUV models, consisting of the MG ZS, MG HS and MG RX5, totalled 39% of the total figure. Meanwhile the brands first seven-seater SUV, the RX8, shifted 12% contribution in its first full year of overall sales.

Tom Lee, Managing Director of MG Motors Middle East operations, commented: Even before the current pandemic, we had set ourselves an ambitious goal to break into the top 10 of manufacturers by the end of 2020, so we are delighted to have achieved this despite the challenges we have all faced. It clearly demonstrates the growing awareness, understanding and popularity of the brand among Middle East car buyers.

We are keen to continue to provide our customers with a fantastic range of high- quality cars, and we are focused on ensuring our customers get the highest service levels from the exceptional list of local partners we have, Lee continued. Currently we have 33 exclusive retail showrooms and 33 service centres across the region, and we are looking at expanding further in 2021. This has been supplemented by the introduction of our new e-commerce service to offer our customers the best possible virtual shopping experience.

The brand has not only experienced success in the Middle East and Levant countries, but equally around the world. In 2020 the brand increased its market share in its

birthplace, the United Kingdom, as well as the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, France, Australia, and South America, whilst increasing overseas production in North-East Asia.

In the face of market adjustments and the industrial transformation, and in keeping with its promise to deliver innovation and practicality in all of its cars, MG is set to introduce MG HS and MG 6 (PHEV) plug-in hybrid cars as well as intelligent connectivity and 5G in the MG HS PHEV.

Furthermore, MG will continue to enhance its services as it tends to its customers needs, while its 6 years / 200,000 km warranty on all models, combined with exceptional offers available to new and current customers, will ensure peace of mind in difficult times. -- Tradearabia News Service
The newly inducted Rafale fighter aircraft featured for the first time in India's Republic Day flypast as it carried out the 'Brahmastra' formation alone and was part of the 'Eklavya' formation with four other fighter jets.

The fighter jet conducted Eklavya formation by flying at a height of around 300 meter along with two Jagaur and two MIG-29 aircraft. The five jets resembled a V shape with Rafale leading the pack.

The 25,000 strong audience was able to see Rafale fighter jet again when it culminated the flypast by conducting the Brahmastra formation wherein it traversed at a low altitude for some distance, then pulled up vertically at 90 degrees and conducted rolls before stabilising at a higher altitude.

In a major boost to India's air power capability, five French-made multirole Rafale fighter jets were inducted into the IAF on September 10 last year.

A total of 38 IAF aircraft and four planes of the Indian Army participated in the flypast on Tuesday.

As is traditionally the case on Republic Day, flypast was divided into two blocks: the first was along with the parade and the second was after the parade.

In the first block, there were three formations. The first was the 'Nishan' formation comprising of four Mi17V5 aircraft that carried the national flag and logos of all three services.

It was followed by the 'Dhruv' formation by four helicopters of Army Aviation Corps.

The last was the 'Rudra' formation -- comprising a single Dakota aircraft flanked by two Mi17V5 helicopters -- which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the country's victory in the 1971 war.

Dakotas played a major role during that war. On December 16 last year, India launched year-long celebrations of its victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

The second block of the flypast consisted of nine formations.

These nine formations were 'Sudarshan', 'Rakshak', 'Bhim', 'Netra', 'Garuda', 'Eklavya', 'Trinetra', 'Vijay' and 'Brahmastra'.

Sudarshan formation had one Chinook and two Mi17V5 helicopters, Rakshak formation comprised one Mi-35 and four Apache helicopters, Bhim formation consisted of three C-130J aircraft and Netra formation comprised indigenously developed early warning and control aircraft Netra flanked by two Sukhoi-30 fighter jets.

Garuda formation had one C-17 Globemaster plane with two MIG-29 and two Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft. Trinetra formation comprised three Sukhoi-30 MKIs. Vijay formation showcased three advanced light helicopters.

The IAF showcased models of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile Dhruvastra on its tableaus during the Republic Day parade.

They also showcased scaled-down models of Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet and Rohini radar on the tableaus.

Indigenously developed next-generation anti-radiation missile Rudram and anti-tank guided missile Dhruvastra were displayed on the LCA and the LCH respectively, on the tableaus.

Sukhoi-30Mki was displayed with indigenously developed Astra and Brahmos missiles at the tableau. Indigenously developed Akash missile was displayed along with the Rohini radar.

The IAF's marching contingent at the parade consisted of four officers and 96 soldiers marching in a box formation of 12 rows and eight columns.

The marching contingent was led by Flight Lieutenant Tanik Sharma and three supernumerary officers -- Flight Lieutenant Manjeet Singh, Flight Lieutenant Apoorva Yadav and Flying Officer Kuttapa.

This event always presents a valuable opportunity to learn about what other Chicago companies have to offer, and were looking forward to networking virtually with local business leaders.

Stratosphere Networks will exhibit at The Exchange, an annual event hosted by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, on Feb. 24-25. This years gathering will be held virtually due to health and safety concerns related to the pandemic.

The Chambers yearly showcase usually attracts more than 600 attendees and 100 exhibiting businesses of all sizes and across all industries. Just like past in-person events, this years virtual summit will feature notable speakers and the chance to connect with other Chamber members and attendees.

Stratosphere Networks  which provides high-quality managed services and trusted advisor services to businesses in the Chicago area and beyond  also exhibited at The Exchange in 2018 and 2019.

Were thrilled to participate in The Exchange again this year, said Kevin Rubin, president and CIO of Stratosphere Networks. This event always presents a valuable opportunity to learn about what other Chicago companies have to offer, and were looking forward to networking virtually with local business leaders.

For more information about The Exchange, please visit the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerces website.

About Stratosphere Networks

Stratosphere Networks provides comprehensive managed services  including managed cybersecurity, managed IT and co-managed IT services  and trusted advisor services to businesses across all industries. Our team of IT experts strives to empower clients with exceptional service from our state-of-the-art Network Operations Center and Security Operations Center. The company has earned recognition as a leader in the realm of IT managed services, receiving accolades such as the Channel Partners 360 Business Value award, the MSPmentor 501, Crain's Best Places to Work in Chicago and more. Visit http://www.stratospherenetworks.com for more information.

For more information contact:

Lori Leonardo

847-440-8608

LoriL@stratospherenetworks.com


PESCARA, JAN 26 - Italian police on Tuesday impounded what they said was a "completely illegal" care home near Teramo in Abruzzo. Staff at the bogus home were classed as farm labourers, police said. A COVID-19 cluster recently broke out at the facility and 20 people were infected with the virus, including almost all the elderly residents and staff. Four people died. Far to the northwest at Sanremo, on the Ligurian Riviera, police inspected a care home where a COVID cluster that has registered 90 positives and 14 victims among guests, plus 18 positives among staff, since the start of the year. Various care-home probes are ongoing across Italy, especially in the northern Lombardy region which was hardest hit by the first wave of the virus in March and April last year. (ANSA).
Boris Johnson warned that people were already suffering from more frequent storms, wildfires, rising seas and increasing temperatures (PA)

Boris Johnson has called for 2021 to be the year the world fights back against the impacts of climate change that are already being felt across the globe.

The Prime Ministers comments came at a virtual event hosted by the Netherlands on adapting to climate change, as the UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres called for a breakthrough on adaptation and resilience to the crisis.

Mr Guterres said there needed to be a significant increase in finance for developing countries to adapt to the changing climate and for all budget spending and investment to take climate change risks into account.

 The climate crisis is a humanitarian crisis.



We need #ClimateAction now, to save lives and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change on the most vulnerable. #AdaptationSummit pic.twitter.com/r3t8Kbc5YC  UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) January 25, 2021

In his speech, Mr Johnson warned that people were already suffering from more frequent storms, wildfires, rising seas and increasing temperatures.

He likened the push to cut greenhouse gases to net zero  which will involve steep cuts to pollution and measures such as planting trees to offset remaining emissions  to a vaccine for climate change, but warned there was still a need to manage and treat the symptoms of the problem.

He pledged to make the need for a more resilient recovery from Covid-19 a priority of the UKs G7 presidency this year, and launched an adaptation action coalition to support efforts to help countries adapt to the impacts of rising temperatures.

And he said he supported Mr Guterres call for more international climate finance for adaptation.

Mr Johnson pointed to more powerful and frequent storms and cyclones in Bangladesh, raging wildfires in California and Australia and island communities submerged in the Pacific as evidence dramatic climate change was already happening.

And even if by some miracle of science we were able to flick a switch tonight and wake up tomorrow in a net zero world the damage already done is such that it would take time for the effects to slow, to stop and to go into reverse, he warned.

And that means we must adapt to our changing climate. And we must do so now.

If climate change were an infectious disease we would not only seek to deal with the underlying cause by developing a vaccine, in this case net zero, we would also find every way we could to treat and manage the symptoms.

So let 2021 be the year that we fight back not just against climate change, but the effects of climate change that are already being felt.

Today at the Climate #AdaptationSummit, we call for rich nations and institutions to deliver real #ClimateAdaptation finance for those who need it the most 



Read our recent report on #climate finance >> https://t.co/zHLaWHsFVA @CASsummit2021 #ClimateJustice #ClimateCrisis pic.twitter.com/SUTDWRtp3o  CARE International (@CAREGlobal) January 25, 2021

After the summit, aid agency Care International warned there were no signs of new, substantive action at the event.

Obed Koringo, Cares civil society advocacy coordinator (Kenya) said: As we recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19, adaptation finance has to be at the forefront of the climate conversation.

We look forward to seeing how the good energy and intention translates into real adaptation finance for frontline communities dealing with worsening climate impacts.

Oxfams senior policy adviser on climate change Tracy Carty said: We welcome the renewed commitment to adaptation from the Prime Minister and others.

The first task of this international coalition must be to scale up climate finance, without which low-income countries, already suffering due to climate change, will be unable to adapt to more extreme weather.

Only a fifth of all reported public climate finance to developing countries is currently spent on adaptation, so increasing that to half must be an urgent priority, as secretary general Antonio Guterres has called for.

Without financial support from wealthy nations, millions of vulnerable people that have contributed least to the climate crisis will be unable to cope with more powerful storms, droughts and floods.
A month after striking a US-mediated deal to normalize relations with Morocco, Israel on Tuesday reopened its liaison office in Rabat more than 20 years after shuttering it.

This is living proof of the changes in the region and the warm peace between us and countries in the region, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said.

David Govrin, who previously served as Israels ambassador to Egypt, is temporarily running the mission in the Moroccan capital until Israel formally appoints an ambassador.

Last month, Morocco joined Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan in moving to establish ties with the Jewish state. As part of the Trump administration-brokered Morocco deal, the United States recognized Rabats contested claim over the Western Sahara region.

The missions opening in Rabat follows the Israeli Cabinet vote Sunday to formally approve normalized ties with Morocco. The agreement, which still requires a green light from parliament, calls for full diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations and a restoration of contacts between Israeli and Moroccan counterparts.

Morocco and Israel established ties following the Oslo Accords, but the kingdom severed relations and the two countries shuttered their respective diplomatic missions after the second Palestinian intifada in 2000.

Because the Moroccan government owned the property that housed Israels liaison office in the 1990s, Israel was able to quickly reopen the facility after agreeing to restore relations with Morocco on Dec. 10, the Times of Israel reports.

The arrival of the heads of missions to Morocco and Dubai completes the first, important phase of opening new Israeli missions in the region as part of the Abraham Accords, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said.

In the UAE, Consul General Ilan Sztulman arrived Tuesday in Dubai for the opening of Israels consulate and days earlier, the Israeli envoy Eitan Naeh opened the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

Excited to be here [is] an understatement, Naeh tweeted.
A medical worker receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine, developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm), at Abu Khalifa Hospital in Ismailia, Egypt, on Jan. 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Sayed Hassan)

Egypt starts vaccinating the medical staff of public hospitals, armed forces and police with a Chinese vaccine, as clinical trials has proved it's safe and effective, Health Minister Hala Zayed said.

ISMAILIA, Egypt, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Egypt started on Sunday vaccinating medical staff with Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in the northeastern province of Ismailia, according to a vaccination program by the Egyptian Health Ministry.

"Today, I announce launching the national campaign of COVID-19 vaccination from Abu Khalifa Hospital, starting with the medical staff," Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed told a news conference at Abu Khalifa Emergency Hospital in Ismailia.

The minister explained that clinical trials have proved Sinopharm vaccine is safe and highly effective in COVID-19 prevention, especially "in prevention of COVID-19 infection with severe symptoms."

A medical worker prepares to receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Abu Khalifa Emergency Hospital in the northeastern province of Ismailia, Egypt, on Jan. 24, 2021. (Photo by Adel Eissa/Xinhua)

She added that Sinopharm vaccine has been registered at the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) and other vaccines from China, Britain and Russia will be registered within days.

Egypt received on Dec. 10, 2020 the first batch of Sinopharm vaccine, and the vaccine was officially licensed for emergency use later in the same month, after going through four tests conducted by the EDA.

The vaccination program starts with the medical staff of the hospitals of the Egyptian Health Ministry, the armed forces and the police.

Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed (L) speaks during a press conference at Abu Khalifa Hospital in Ismailia, Egypt, on Jan. 24, 2021. Egypt began vaccinating frontline medical workers against COVID-19 with the vaccines developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm). (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)

"Starting from tomorrow, the medical staff of all Egyptian public hospitals, and those of the armed forces and the police, will start receiving these vaccines," Zayed told reporters.

The priorities, according to the vaccination campaign, are given to medical staff dealing with COVID-19 patients, followed by those dealing with other patients, the elderly, those with chronic or immunity diseases, and the rest of the citizens.

Zayed noted that Egypt has already reserved more than 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from different providers.

The minister said that she has gone through the clinical trial of the vaccine, as a message of reassurance and encouragement to all citizens.

The first batch of Chinese anti-coronavirus vaccines arrives at the Cairo International Airport, Egypt, on Dec. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)

Among the first medics to receive Sinopharm vaccine in Egypt was Abdel-Moneim Selim, a trainee physician at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Abu Khalifa Emergency Hospital in Ismailia.

"I was asked 10 days ago if I agree to take the vaccine and I have already made up my mind to do it. It is a safe vaccine and it was tried by many people before us. I recommend everyone to take the vaccine whenever possible, whether a medic or not, and whether old or young," the ICU doctor told reporters.

For his part, Mohamed Ahmed Ali, professor of virology at Egypt's National Research Center, said that he was among the members of the Health Ministry's committee who recommended the purchase of Sinopharm vaccine.

"I guarantee the safety and efficacy of the Chinese vaccine. I believe Sinopharm vaccine is one the safest," the professor said.
OTTAWA - A new report on billions of dollars the federal government has sent to provinces to help safely reopen the economy suggests much of the money is sitting unused.

The Peace Tower is pictured on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, as lawmakers return to the House of Commons following the winter break. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - A new report on billions of dollars the federal government has sent to provinces to help safely reopen the economy suggests much of the money is sitting unused.

Today's report also suggests that federal efforts to stretch the financial impact of those dollars is falling short as many provinces have bucked cost-matching requests.

The analysis by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says six out of 10 provinces haven't spent all the money the federal government has sent their way, including for things like personal protective equipment.

Author David Macdonald says some of the money may yet be spent, but notes the longer it remains unspent, the less likely it ever will be spent.

Macdonald's analysis is based on a review of provincial and federal spending announcements, reconciling duplications, as well as provincial spending documents.

Federal and provincial governments are allocating hundreds of billions in direct spending and liquidity support to help workers, families, front-line workers and businesses make it through the pandemic.

The federal treasury has managed the lion's share of COVID-19 spending  accounting for about $8 in every $10 of aid, according to the federal Finance Department's math.

"They are the ones spending the money, they're the ones creating the funds and to a large degree setting the agenda of where they would like those funds to go," Macdonald said.

Included in the spending is $24 billion the federal Liberals sent to provinces in the fall under the "safe restart" agreement that was supposed to help make it safer for daycares, schools and businesses to reopen.

The report notes that money is sitting idle from a fund aimed at topping up the wages of workers deemed essential like those in long-term care facilities and grocery stores. Provincial governments were supposed to chip in for part of the top-up.

Macdonald says six out of 10 provinces haven't used the money available to them, with Alberta leaving the most on the table by far at almost $336 million.

He also says some return-to-class money hasn't been spent, particularly in Quebec.

Other provinces like Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick appear to have ignored a federal request to match funding to cash-strapped municipalities, Macdonald says.

There is no immediate explanation for why, but Macdonald says it was possible that the federal government decided to give smaller provinces a break on the cost-matching requirements to ease the strain on their own finances.

He notes that larger provinces did pony up matching dollars.

Combined, the underspending and lack of cost-matching raise questions for the government about its plan to spend between $70 billion and $100 billion over three years to prod an economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Macdonald says the stimulus bump from the planned spending could be diminished if provinces don't spend money sent to them, or don't match funding when asked.

That may require the Liberals to put tight rules on forthcoming spending, he says.

"If provinces aren't willing to go along, there may well be provinces that would be left out of, say, new federal spending on child care and new federal spending on long-term care if they're unwilling to go along with federal priorities or federal standards," he said.

"Otherwise, the provinces are clearly going to call the federal bluff."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2021.

Highlights Riccio, who joined Apple over two decades ago as vice president of product design, was named vice president of iPad hardware engineering in 2010.

It is not clear what projects will be assigned to Riccio but he will be a vice president of engineering going forward and will report to Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook.

Riccio will be replaced by company veteran John Ternus, who initially joined Apple as part of the Product Design team in 2001.

Apple hardware chief engineer Dan Riccio will step down to focus on other projects. It is not clear what projects will be assigned to Riccio but he will be a vice president of engineering going forward and will report to Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook. Riccio will be replaced by company veteran John Ternus, who will join the executive team as senior vice president of hardware engineering. Ternus initially joined Apple as part of the Product Design team in 2001, and in 2013 took on a role as vice president of Hardware Engineering, according to Mac Rumours. He has overseen the launch of products that include the first-generation AirPods, every iPad, and the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro.



"Every innovation Dan has helped Apple bring to life has made us a better and more innovative company, and we're thrilled that he'll continue to be part of the team," Apple's CEO, Tim Cook said in a statement. "John's deep expertise and wide breadth of experience make him a bold and visionary leader of our Hardware Engineering teams. I want to congratulate them both on these exciting new steps, and I'm looking forward to many more innovations they'll help bring to the world."

Riccio, who joined Apple over two decades ago as vice president of product design, was named vice president of iPad hardware engineering in 2010 and led the Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod engineering teams.

In a statement, Riccio said that working at Apple has been "the opportunity of a lifetime" and that it is now the right time for a change. "Working at Apple has been the opportunity of a lifetime, spent making the world's best products with the most talented people you could imagine," said Riccio. "After 23 years of leading our Product Design or Hardware Engineering teams culminating with our biggest and most ambitious product year ever, it's the right time for a change. Next up, I'm looking forward to doing what I love most -- focusing all my time and energy at Apple on creating something new and wonderful that I couldn't be more excited about."

Apple is planning to venture into a self-driving car and could launch it in the market in 2024, which could include its breakthrough battery technology, according to Reuters.
January 26, 2021 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The government of China has not been too kind to cryptocurrencies in recent years. The initial coin offerings (ICOs) were the first target to fall prey to China's crypto wrath back in September of 2017. Not long after the crackdown on ICOs, exchange platforms that traded cryptocurrencies or even provided facilitation to them, were next in line to be struck down under the ban with authorities ordering immediate closure.

Such drastic steps made the purchase of bitcoin in China close to impossible for investors. However, this act was not merely a blanket ban but rather, preparation for the things to follow.

While central banks and financial regulators around the world grapple with the meteoric rise of bitcoin over the last decade and their inability to control these digital currencies as they do the fiat currencies, China has its own plans for the digital future. It is working hard towards becoming the first country to implement its own Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DCEP) system.

By outlawing other entities with the country from issuing cryptocurrencies through means of the ICO ban and limiting the exchange of Bitcoin, the People's Bank Of China (PBOC) has been paving the way and setting up the stage for the success of its own digital yuan.

Bitcoin And The Digital Yuan.

Now even though the digital yuan is backed by the PBOC, there are still a number of ways in which it cannot compete with Bitcoin. In fact, some investors don't even consider the digital yuan to be a cryptocurrency.

The digital yuan, much like the traditional paper yuan, is not decentralized, which is the stand out quality of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin that has been one of the key drivers in their success. And so, the digital yuan will not leverage a public, blockchain, distributed ledger technology that allows the transactions to be validated without the need for third parties such as banks.

There are two dominant reasons why the PBOC is unwilling to run their digital currency on similar grounds and technology of Blockchain.

Firstly, the massive population of China has led to many experts doubting if any network will be able to handle the enormous volume of daily transactions. Secondly, the decentralization and transparency inherent in blockchain technology are unacceptable aspects to the Chinese government and financial regulators. Hence, the digital yuan is China's attempt to meet in the middle.

This digital currency will allow the PBOC to control bank lending much more closely and also direct funding where it deems appropriate. But one thing is certain: the centrally bank controlled digital yuan will never be able to truly compete with the value propositions of Bitcoin.

Moreover, unlike popular crypto coins such as Bitcoin, dealing in the digital yuan wont protect any presumption of pseudonymity, and on top of that, its value will be as stable as the physical current issued by the government; something the Bitcoin will always struggle achieving.

Future Prospects

China has conducted pilot tests for the digital yuan. Many of these trials have taken place in four cities, namely Suzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Xionggan via a lottery system. The reported results of these tests have been quite positive. But no announcement has yet been made in relation to the availability of the digital yuan and its payment network to all citizens.

The YuanPay Group is a platform that has been working closely with the Chinese government for the distribution of the country's first national digital currency. It is allegedly the only authorized company that currently offers the possibility of exchanging Euros or any other fiat currency into digital Yuans.

This digital currency is expected to follow the same path as Bitcoin did after its inception, back when a Bitcoin was only worth a few pennies. Today, it is worth thousands of dollars, giving hope to potential investors and supporters that one day the digital yuan could be in the same spot. If you're looking to jump on the digital yuan bandwagon, visit https://yuanpaygroup.org/

China is already becoming an increasingly cashless society, with many people making use of mobile wallets such as AliPay and WeChat Pay that have a large user base. Even street-food vendors in China prefer to use payment apps instead of using cash.

But because the citizens are so used to using such programs, it is unlikely that they will switch to a government overnight. However, at the same time, people may find the concept of digital yuan more interesting and be inclined towards using it especially since there will be no fees involved with the digital yuan.

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A university professor, charged with election fraud, has told a judge how results of a general election were falsified to give the All Progressives Congress (APC) an unfair advantage over its main rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Peter Ogban, a professor of soil science and a returning officer in the 2019 general elections in Akwa Ibom North-West District, is accused of manipulating the election results of two local government areas  Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo.

He is being prosecuted at a State High Court in Ikot Ekpene by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr Ogban was a lecturer in University of Uyo before he transferred his services to the University of Calabar.

Court session

During cross examination on Tuesday by the prosecuting counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor, Mr Ogban admitted he knew that figures on declared result sheets (forms EC8E1) are always taken from results collated at the constituency (form EC8D1).

The prosecuting counsel asked Mr Ogban to open exhibit 2 (form EC8D1) and tell the court what the score was for APC in Oruk Anam Local Government Area in the election.

Mr Ogban responded that it was 10,534 votes.

Prof, go to exhibit 3 (form EC8E1), the prosecuting counsel told Mr Ogban. What was the score you recorded for Oruk Anam in exhibit 3?

The Returning Officer read 15,534 and I recorded (it), he responded.

Clearly, as seen during cross examination, some 5,000 fake votes were added to the APCs score in Oruk Anam, in the election.

The professor also admitted he and the PDP agent signed the result sheet.

When asked by the prosecuting counsel if he extracted or compared from exhibit 2 before he filled exhibit 3, the professor told the court: I did not extract information from exhibit 2 before filling exhibit 3. I filled exhibit 3 from what was read out to me by the local government area returning officer.

ALSO READ: Professor accused of election fraud rejects new prosecution lawyer

On further cross examination, it was revealed that the PDP score in exhibit 2 was 25,123 but in exhibit 3 the figure was less by 5,000 votes, making it 20,123.

The prosecuting counsel looked straight at Mr Ogban and said to him, Prof, I put it to you that the results from Etim Ekpo and Oruk Anam were falsified by you!

No! The professor responded.

Cross-examination

Mr Ogban, during examination by his lawyer, Francis Ekanem, insisted he did not falsify the election results. I didnt do it. I would never have done it, he said.

The professor said what he did was just to collate the results as given to him by the local government area returning officers.

The case was adjourned to March 23 for judgement.

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Justice Augustine Odokwo gave the lawyers two weeks each to file their written addresses for adoption.

Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, was the APC candidate in the election. He was seeking a return to the Senate, after he defected from the PDP.

The PDP candidate, Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor in Akwa Ibom State, defeated Mr Akpabio in the election which was gripped by pockets of violence.

Another professor also faces trial for election fraud

Ignatius Uduk, a professor of Human Kinetics in the Department of Physical and Health Education, University of Uyo, has also been charged for election fraud in Akwa Ibom State.

He is accused of unlawful generation of election results in favour of PDP in Essien Udim State Constituency election in 2019 and lying under oath.

Mr Uduk was remanded in prison custody in December after the court issued a warrant of arrest on him.

This is the first time ever that INEC is prosecuting two professors for fraud.
Today Spotio, the leading field sales sales engagement platform, announced the launch of its new Autoplays functionality, designed to help sales reps automatically outline and plan their day. In addition to tracking all of the activity, field sales reps can now sequence their touch points across prospects and customers ensuring every account is prioritized and nothing falls through the cracks.

As a result, field sales teams can expect to see increased sales productivity and improved customer engagement.

The release of Autoplays completes our field sales engagement vision, said Founder and CEO, Trey Gibson. Sales teams that use Spotio will have a competitive advantage in the market. Not only will they have visibility and insights into sales activities like never before, field reps no longer have to deal with unnecessary administrative burden and clearly see where they should be spending their time.

Sales engagement software has exploded in recent years mainly due to its ability to help sales reps book more meetings and be more productive. However, the software providers in the sales engagement space have designed their platforms to be tailored to the inside sales workflow.

Spotio is the only sales engagement platform specifically designed for the unique workflows of field sales reps, making it the ideal solution for growth-minded field sales teams.

In a post-COVID world, field sales teams are shifting to new ways of bringing their products and services to market. The companies that embrace the new way of operating and helping their reps be successful will ultimately win. We are thrilled to become the field sales reps complete system of action so reps can spend more time selling, said Gibson.

Spotio will be offering their new Autoplays feature for demonstration and purchase immediately. To learn more about the latest launch, visit https://spotio.com/features/auto-plays/

About Spotio

Spotio is a sales engagement platform for field sales teams. Backed by Ballast Point Ventures, Spotio has accomplished rapid growth as a consecutive Inc. 5000 (2019, 2020) SaaS company with a mission to transform field sales teams to achieve more. Thousands of customers rely on Spotio to accelerate growth with their sales teams.

Spotio is a privately held company based in Dallas, Texas.
A federal judge Tuesday tightened the restrictions on a Harrisburg woman accused of stealing House Speaker Nancy Pelosis laptop during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol after agreeing she is too much of a cyber risk to be allowed free access to the internet.

As a new condition of allowing her to remain out of prison pending trial, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui ordered 22-year-old Riley June Williams to stay off the internet except for conversations with her lawyer.

And even in those instances Williams on-line use- and even her TV viewing - is to be monitored by her mother, with whom she is living as a condition of her pretrial release, Faruqui said following a 90-minute hearing that was conducted virtually in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

I think we have to have limitations on her internet access, the judge said.

He made that call at the urging of prosecutors, who said Williams might have deleted social media postings that contained evidence against her and had encouraged others to do so as well. Prosecutor Mona Sedky said the investigation of Williams case is ongoing and fairly fluid.

Im very uncomfortable discussing the facts of this case at this stage, Sedky said.

Faruqui said what he already knows about the case is very shocking and nothing like anything Ive seen so far in the other riot cases.

Prosecutors claim Williams actively participated in the riot and even directed others in the pro-Trump mob on where to go inside the Capitol. She also faces an accusation that she tried to arrange for Pelosis stolen computer to be sold to the Russian intelligence service.

At one point, Faruqui compared the very frightening scenario of the Williams case to the TV series The Americans, which featured deep-cover Soviet spies posing as a middle class American family.

Williams was released to the custody of her mother following a court hearing in Harrisburg last week. Sedky said during Tuesdays hearing that she would seek to have Williams confined to prison pending trial if her internet access wasnt either tightly restricted or cut off entirely.

She has a documented history of with the click of a button deleting her (online) accounts, the prosecutor said.

Federal Public Defender A.J. Kramer opposed a complete ban on internet access, saying that is not practical in a world that depends on the World Wide Web. Sedky countered that Williams wouldnt have any internet access if she was in prison.

Investigators already have seized all of Wiilliams electronic devices, Kramer said. She doesnt have a phone or a computer at this point, Kramer said. Williams, who is jobless, cant afford to buy a computer, he said.

Kramer insisted there is no evidence Williams has made any attempt, online or otherwise, to obstruct the investigation of her case since her arrest.

In opting to cap her internet access, Faruqui said he is trusting Williams and her mother to comply with the deal. The alternative is catastrophic, the judge said, since prison would be Williams destination for any violation.

The internet restrictions triggered the removal of a prior requirement that Williams seek a job since it is nearly impossible these days to find employment that doesnt include some kind of online function. Faruqui kept in place another demand that Williams seek a mental health evaluation.

He scheduled her next court hearing for March.
Ireland has gained a brand new Michelin star - for Dede in Baltimore in West Cork.

This is where Ahmet Dede, who previously held a star at the now-closed Mews, brings a Turkish sensibility to modern food based on the very best local produce.

"This means the world to me," said Dede, clearly emotional as he spoke to the host of the virtual awards ceremony for the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2021, Davina McCall, from Turkey.

No Irish restaurants lost their Michelin stars - even though Derry and Sally Anne Clarke of L'Ecrivain had asked Michelin not to include their restaurant in this year's guide as they have to vacate the building by the end of March.

Aniar in Galway, which was closed for the whole of 2020 bar a couple of days at the start of the year, kept its star - a relief for chef and restaurateur JP McMahon.

Michelin awarded three of its new Green stars - recognising a commitment to sustainable gastronomy - to three restaurants in the west of Ireland: Inis Meain Restaurant & Suites in the Aran Islands, Kai in Galway's West End, and Loam in Galway city.

Ireland also gained four new Bibs Gourmand, recognising good food at affordable prices. These are Goldie in Cork city, Table Forty One in Gorey, Spitalfields in Dublin city centre, and Volpe Nera in Blackrock, Co Dublin.

Several restaurants including Clanbrassil House and Circa in Dublin, and Two Cooks in Kildare, alongside others which have closed permanently, did not retain their Bibs. This does not necessarily mean a drop in standards, and may be down to pricing.

Ross Lewis of Chapter One, Dublin, for whom Ahmet Dede worked in the early days of his career, received the Chef Mentor award, an accolade welcomed by chefs in Ireland. Speaking from his home in Dublin, he thanked the guide for "a huge honour".

At House at the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, Ian Doyle, who took up the position only last spring, retained the star previously held by Martijn Kajuiter.

Digital

"The inspectors decided I hadn't messed things up too badly," Doyle said.

For the first time in its history, the Michelin Guide has gone digital and there will be no printed guide.

Some had questioned whether there was any point publishing a guide when pubs and restaurants have been closed for so many months.

"The answer is simple," said a Michelin spokesperson.

"We want to promote the industry as much as we possibly can. We want to celebrate the many amazing restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland and all the hugely talented chefs and restaurateurs."
Pro-life group warns ERA being used as 'stealth missile' to insert abortion rights into Constitution

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In its newly released report on The State of Abortion in the United States, a pro-life group has warned that Democrats and pro-abortion activists see the Equal Rights Amendment as a way to insert a right to abortion into the United States Constitution.

Released Friday, the National Right to Life Committee's report contains an entire section warning that the pro-abortion movement hopes to use the Equal Rights Amendment as a "constitutional stealth missile" to "air-drop into the U.S. Constitution a provision that they believe, and pro-lifers fear, could be used to entrench and expand a constitutional 'right' to abortion."

While the deadline to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment passed more than 40 years ago, pro-abortion activists are expected to insist that the amendment has already been ratified.

The NRLC report features quotes from abortion advocacy groups indicating a desire to use the ERA as a method to invalidate all restrictions on abortion.

According to a quote attributed to NARAL Pro-Choice America, "With its ratification, the ERA would reinforce the constitutional right to abortion by clarifying that the sexes have equal rights, which would require judges to strike down anti-abortion laws because they violate both the constitutional right to privacy and sexual equality."

The Equal Rights Amendment, which both chambers of Congress approved in 1972, was packaged as a necessary measure to ensure women's equality under the law, but the push for the constitutional amendment faced considerable backlash from conservatives.

"The ERA is a stealth missile with a legal warhead that could be used to attack any federal, state, or local law, that in any way limits abortion," warned Douglas D. Johnson, an NRLC senior policy adviser.

"Pro-abortion advocates failed under the constitutional amendment process provided in Article V of the Constitution  the ERA expired unratified over 40 years ago  so now they are attempting to achieve their goal by brazenly political means, hoping to cow the courts into ignoring the flimsiness of their constitutional claims," he added.

In accordance with Article V of the U.S. Constitution, Congress sent the proposed constitutional amendment to the states for ratification. Thirty-eight states had to ratify the ERA within seven years in order for it to take effect.

By the 1979 ratification deadline, 35 states had ratified the ERA, leaving it three short of the three-fourths majority required to take effect. However, three additional states ratified the measure in the past three years, giving it the required number of states for ratification, albeit they were more than 40 years too late. Although 38 states have voted to ratify the ERA at some point, five of those states revoked their ratifications after the fact.

According to the NRLC report, "the Biden-Harris administration is expected to assert that the ERA  submitted to the states by Congress in 1972 with a seven-year ratification deadline  has been ratified and is already part of the Constitution, or that Congress can make it so with a resolution passed by simple majority votes."

NRLC's concerns come as Democrats, who almost unanimously sympathize with the pro-abortion movement, control both chambers of Congress and the presidency for the first time in a decade.

"In an attempt to influence the courts, during 2021, the House of Representatives is likely to pass an unconstitutional resolution that, by simple majority vote, purports to remove the 1979 ratification deadline," the pro-life group warned.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives already passed such a measure last year, with the support of five Republicans, but it failed to become law because it was never brought up for a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate.

With Democrats in control of the Senate, a vote will likely take place in the upper chamber as well. The outcome of a Senate vote will likely depend on whether Democrats, who have a slim one-vote majority, are able to successfully abolish the legislative filibuster.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has spoken out against removing the filibuster, which requires most legislation to secure 60 votes to pass. Manchin's stated opposition to the filibuster has won him praise from the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List, which has launched a campaign thanking him for "standing strong for life" and encouraging West Virginians to make sure that he "stands strong for their values."

If the efforts to abolish the legislative filibuster are unsuccessful, all Democrats and 10 Republicans would have to support the resolution removing the ERA deadline in order for it to pass. Additionally, the report featured a quote from the Biden campaign's website, where he vowed to "proudly advocate for Congress to recognize that 3/4 of states have ratified the amendment and take action so our Constitution (includes ERA)."

Anticipating that a vote to remove the ratification deadline for the ERA will take place, NRLC has written a letter to lawmakers explaining that "a vote in favor of the 'deadline repeal' measure will be accurately characterized as a vote intended to add language to the U.S. Constitution that both NARAL Pro-Choice America and National Right to Life say would likely be employed to invalidate laws protecting unborn children."

NRLC has vowed to oppose any version of the ERA unless it includes an "abortion-neutralization" amendment clarifying that "Nothing in this article (the ERA) shall be construed to grant, secure, or deny any right relating to abortion or the funding thereof."

The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a revered figure in the pro-abortion and feminist movements, acknowledged that the push to paint the 1970s effort to ratify the ERA as settled was not guided in sound legal principles: "There's too much controversy about latecomers  Virginia, long after the deadline passed. Plus, a number of states have withdrawn their ratification. So, if you count a latecomer on the plus side, how can you disregard states that said, 'We've changed our minds?'"

Rather than relitigating the 1970s effort to pass the ERA, Ginsburg suggested that ERA supporters "start over." Previous attempts to reintroduce the ERA and restart the ratification process have failed to gain traction in Congress.

As the report explained, a lawsuit regarding the ERA is already before the federal judiciary. The attorneys general of Virginia, Illinois and Nevada, the three states that ratified the ERA decades after the deadline expired, are making the case that because Article V of the Constitution does not explicitly mention deadlines, the provision in the ERA requiring the amendment to be ratified within seven years violates the Constitution as do the recissions of ratifications that took place in five states.

In addition to discussing the ERA's implications for the pro-life movement, the State of Abortion report included statistics taken from the Centers for Disease Control finding that the number of abortions rose slightly from 2017 to 2018 as well as information about President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' records on the issue of abortion and a summary of state laws on abortion. The end of the document highlights the previous U.S. presidents' records on abortion policy and a list of relevant Supreme Court rulings on the issue.
TSUKUBA, Japan, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Technology for thermoelectric energy harvesting will play a central role in powering millions of sensors and devices for IoT applications especially for wearable electronics. This STAM review paper described the potential of state-of-the-art organic and inorganic thermoelectric materials to convert heat into electricity through the Seebeck effect for applications that include power mobile sensors powered by body heat.

A review article written by Takao Mori of NIMS and his colleagues published in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials in 2018 [1] gives a comprehensive overview of the "principles and advances in the development of thermoelectric materials suitable for energy harvesting power generation, ranging from organic and hybrid organic-inorganic to inorganic materials". The review article has been awarded the 2020 STAM Best Paper Award.

Research on thermoelectric materials by Takao Mori and colleagues

For the past 15 years Mori's research has focussed on thermoelectric materials, "which I think ideally is a very multidisciplinary field combining physics, chemistry, and materials science," says Mori.

Thermoelectric materials convert waste heat to electricity through the Seebeck effect, and Mori's goals are to develop high performance materials for energy saving and added-value power supply through conversion of waste heat, which is the topic of this STAM paper, that covers thermoelectric energy harvesting for powering IoT (Internet of Things) sensors and devices for 'Society 5.0'.

Notably, certain paradoxes must be resolved for high thermoelectric performance, such as developing materials that conduct electricity but block thermal transport, and exhibit large Seebeck coefficients like insulators but also high metal-like electrical conductivity. "Our goals are to discover and develop new principles to overcome these paradoxical material requirements," says Mori. "Recently we have developed novel principles, such as utilization of nanopores for highly effective selective scattering of phonons, utilizing magnetism. Here magnetic interactions and spin fluctuations significantly enhance thermoelectric properties of the materials. As a result, we have realized new high performance thermoelectric materials."

Areas covered in the award winning STAM paper by Mori and colleagues

For many years, the main goals of research on thermoelectric power generation have been mid to high temperature range waste heat conversion for application to cars. However, recent advances in IoT technology, such as flexible electronics for wearable sensors, has led some researchers to change their direction to focus on thermoelectric energy harvesting power generation for IoT sensors.

"Regarding the contents of this paper, our main activities at the time were on thermoelectric energy harvesting using inorganic thermoelectric materials that have an advantage in thermoelectric performance," explains Mori. "As a co-author, I invited Professor Xavier Crispin of Linkoping University, Sweden, to write the paper together with me, since he is one of the leading researchers in the world on flexible organic/polymer thermoelectric materials, and he discovered the recent large jump in the performance of such materials, which were considered quite low performance until then."

Mori also included several young authors from both groups, and "the NIMS group wrote the part on the developments of organic-inorganic hybrid and inorganic materials and devices."

He adds that he decided to also cover inorganic materials in this review so as to be useful and inspiring to researchers of all fields in thermoelectrics.

"Both our group members, Dr. Petsagkourakis, Dr. Tybrandt, Dr. Satoh, and Dr. Ohkubo, very actively contributed to the writing of the paper, and of course, Prof. Crispin and I decided the many individual topics/materials/devices to cover, and ultimately were responsible for the final writing of the review, and I serve as the corresponding author," Mori.

On receiving the 2020 STAM Journal's Best Paper Award, Mori said: "STAM is one of the world's major journals covering materials science and it is a great honor for all the authors of the paper to receive this award. It also made me very happy that the field I am in, thermoelectrics, has been recognized in this way."

Views about STAM

Mori says that STAM is particularly active in organizing focused issues on interesting topics in materials science. "The journal covers both hot topics, which should indeed be covered, but also traditionally important areas of research. The focused issues are important for promoting such topics where the inclusion of reviews and primary research articles are valuable resources for newcomers."

Reference

[1] Ioannis Petsagkourakis , Klas Tybrandt , Xavier Crispin , Isao Ohkubo , Norifusa Satoh and Takao Mori, Thermoelectric materials and applications for energy harvesting power generation, Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, 2018, 19, NO. 1, 836-862 https://doi.org/10.1080/14686996.2018.1530938

Further information about press release:

Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM) Headquarters Office, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)

Address: 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba 305-0047

EMAIL: stam-info@ml.nims.go.jp

About NIMS and STAM

NIMS and Empa have jointed efforts to develop a flagship journal that provides highly-quality information on recent developments in materials science within an open access platform. The collaboration will strengthen the position of STAM in Europe.

Image: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1426689/Thermoelectric_Energy.jpg
When Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell took the floor of the chamber and, in his smooth Kentucky tone, declared that President Trump provoked the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, it was a blunt assessment that a clean and lasting break from the ex-president is critical if the party hopes to remain credible and relevant.

With an eye on the 2022 midterms and an opportunity to regain control of the Congress, McConnell made it clear that a comeback by a party dominated by a twice-impeached alleged insurrectionist was doomed.

Coming off a major victory in which more than a dozen seats were gained, Republicans are within striking distance of a House majority. Thirty-four Senate seats will be contested  20 currently held by Republicans and 14 by Democrats  putting Senate control in play.

For McConnell, whod remained tight-lipped and circumspect while suffering through the worst excesses of the Trump Administration, his warning that only by breaking free from the cult of Trump could the party restore itself was welcome and overdue.

While McConnell supported the right of the Trump campaign to challenge the election outcomes in several states, he became increasingly uncomfortable at the presidents trafficking in conspiracy theories and his obsessive insistence that he had won a landslide victory which was stolen from him by shadowy outside forces intent on bringing socialism to the country.

He refused to support objections to the official certification of the election results, understanding it would embarrass his party. More than 50 legal challenges had been dismissed for lack of factual basis yet Trumps team of attorneys slogged on and their arguments grew increasingly bizarre.

It was the storming of the Capitol, the spilling of blood in its corridors and terrorizing members of Congress that was the last straw for McConnell and convinced him to break with Trump in the most public forum possible  the floor of the U.S. Senate.

McConnell said the American people had been lied to by its leaders, and that the president himself had provoked a crisis unlike any in modern history. He implied Trump is beyond rehabilitation, unfit to lead the party and by any political calculation would inflict irreparable damage on Republican candidates if he remained a significant and influential party figure.

McConnell managed to hide his dismay publicly as Trump presided over an erratic and chaotic White House, firing members of his staff, attacking and insulting Cabinet officers and  in the end  even turning on his own vice president.

McConnells direct accusation  Trump as provocateur of unbridled violence  signaled the Republican Party must move on, that it cannot afford to defend, dismiss or rationalize the ex-presidents actions.

When Trump left office, his public approval rating stood at 34%, slightly higher than that of Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974 to avoid impeachment and certain conviction for his role in the Watergate break-in.

Trump will maintain a grip on a segment of the party, but over the next four years that support will weaken and his committed base shrink. Hes not one apt to go quietly into that good night, so Trump will likely attempt to control the partys direction to validate his claim of a rigged election.

There has been speculation he will explore a 2024 candidacy (provided he isnt barred from office by an act of Congress), create a third party, launch a self-promotional media outlet and encourage his daughter Ivanka to seek a Senate seat in Florida. The unpredictable Trump could do any, all or none.

While McConnells warning may have produced a sigh of relief among many party leaders who desired Trumps departure but held their tongues, it is critical they now step up and join the Senator in wresting control of their party back.

Success of an elected leader relies in considerable measure on two qualities  fear and loyalty. Trump no longer inspires either.

Carl Golden is a senior contributing analyst with the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University in New Jersey. He can be reached at cgolden1937@gmail.
ISTANBUL  Six days after he went missing, a Turkish worker returned to his family Tuesday morning claiming he had been abducted and tortured by unidentified state agents in a forced disappearance.

Speaking with a bruise under his left eye, Gokhan Gunes, an electrician of Alevi descent with leftist political leanings, described the six days he was missing during a press conference at the Istanbul branch of Turkeys Human Rights Association Tuesday.

To make me submit, they gave me an electric shock, Gunes said. When I woke up again, my head was covered in a black bag.  I was taken into a building, given more electric shocks and beaten.

He added he was doused in cold water and held in a place called the grave by men who called themselves the invisibles. Gunes claimed his abductors were trying to recruit him as an informant on the Socialist Party of the Oppressed, a Marxist group allied with the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party.

Gunes aunt, Zubeyde Gunes, told Al-Monitor police had repeatedly approached him for informant work in the past. Turkeys Interior Ministry did not respond to requests for comment and no official statements have been released regarding Gunes accusations.

"The purpose of these attacks is because of the identity I have carried, Gunes told reporters Tuesday. There have been many attacks on people with socialist identities. It emerged as a policy in the 1990s. These practices will continue in the days to come.

Human rights defenders said Gunes apparent abduction resembled cases of forced disappearance tactics more commonly used by Turkish counterterrorism forces in the 1990s. Such practices subsided in the early 2000s, but rights advocates say dissidents are once again being targeted using similar methods after a 2016 coup attempt shook the country.

The Turkish government blames followers of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Turkish cleric, for orchestrating the coup attempt and continues to detain suspected sympathizers on a weekly basis. Amid the ongoing post-coup crackdown, hundreds of civil society members, public workers, journalists and opposition party supporters have also been taken into custody on terror-related charges.

The recent cases of suspected and confirmed forced disappearance are very concerning and signal a return to a particularly serious form of human rights violation  one that the United Nations describes as a crime against humanity, Milena Buyum, a Turkey campaigner for Amnesty International, told Al-Monitor.

Buyum added, Its resurgence in the last few years  is one of the most serious issues in Turkey, currently.

Gunes said he was apprehended on Jan. 20 by four men when he got off a bus on his way to work in the Istanbul district of Kayasehir. The scene was captured by a nearby security camera. Gunes said he was forced into a car in which he was transported for about 30 minutes before being placed in a second car.

An hour later, he was brought into a building where he said a loudspeaker played music 24 hours a day along with racist content. In the undisclosed location, Gunes alleged he was beaten and subjected to torture for six days.

Gunes family staged daily protests, at times with opposition party members, in front of Istanbuls Caglayan courthouse in an effort raise awareness and learn his whereabouts. The hashtag #GokhanGunesNerede (Where is Gokhan Gunes?) trended on social media.

As his case attracted increasing media attention, Gunes was dropped off blindfolded Tuesday morning in the Basaksehir district of Istanbul, from where he took a taxi to his family home.

Sezin Ucar, a lawyer representing Gunes, said a legal team would apply for his alleged abduction to be reviewed by Turkeys Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human rights.

Our initial step will be starting legal procedures to find the assailants, Ucar told Al-Monitor. In the meantime, we will continue collecting documents and images to find evidence leading to perpetrators.

Ucar added, Gokhan was found thanks to public pressure. This public pressure is now needed to find and prosecute the perpetrators.

Ucar said she had previously filed a complaint with the Istanbul prosecutors office, which she said has yet to open an investigation into Gunes case.

Gunes mother, Nazife Gunes, also spoke at the press event Tuesday. Holding back tears, she thanked those who helped raise awareness of her sons apparent abduction, including the Saturday Mothers, a group that began organizing silent protests in the 1990s demanding to know the whereabouts of missing relatives.

May other children not disappear, Nafize Gunes told reporters Tuesday.
Thetica Systems Powerful Simplicity Our unique approach enables clients to respond quickly and meaningfully to shifts and stresses in the economy, the market, and their bond portfolios.

Thetica Systems, an experienced provider of custom systems for structured finance pricing and analytics, reports high levels of client satisfaction during 2020. A recent survey showed 100% satisfaction with how the company assisted its clients to deal with the market effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clients made the heaviest use of Thetica Systems tools for trading and pricing bonds and responding to their own clients; they also gave high marks for financial value and collaboration on specialized features and custom reporting.

Senior Developer Shai Kessel summarized, Our clients had unusual demands throughout last year for trading and pricing data that was granular and specific to how they operate. Because we can rapidly add new filters, views, and custom calculations, we quickly automated and integrated whatever was needed to refine their pricing assumptions and ad hoc reporting. This flexibility proved its value repeatedly during a tremendously challenging time.

Thetica Systems enables full transparency into a variety of bond portfolios, providing a true alternative to the usual choice of either an inflexible shelf product or the pain of a new or legacy in-house system. Clients select the platform and interface that fit their needs to price, analyze, compare, and report on CLO, CMBS, RMBS and ABS portfolios. An extensive library of intellectual property enables rapid use of database modules, Excel interface, and building blocks for each bond type. Components are pre-integrated so clients rapidly gain access to their individually customized system.

Our tools enable clients to respond quickly and meaningfully to shifts and stresses in the economy, the market, and their bond portfolios. This versatility has always set us apart and we will be enhancing it with new functionalities and options in 2021, said CEO Ariel Yankilevich. We let users concentrate on their business strategy and we take care of the rest.

The company has extensive experience providing structured finance clients with custom systems that are independent of any particular model or business approach. Clients include investment banks, hedge funds, accounting firms, professional services providers, asset management, brokers, dealers, and others that invest in or monitor structured finance securities. Users range from traders and trading desks, project managers, research and product controllers to risk managers, regulatory reporting, and IT.

About Thetica Systems

An experienced Intex partner, Thetica Systems solves the buy-or-build dilemma for those who require a unique, customized, and flexible system to price, compare, analyze, and report on bonds. The company can implement any business logic, models, or client-licensed data from any source for CMBS, CLO, RMBS/CRT, and ABS portfolios. The word Thetica was created from the Greek letter theta, representing thought or reason, and etica, representing ethics. Thought, reason and ethics are essential elements of any successful business and commitment to this concept is embedded in the companys name. For more information visit the company website and LinkedIn page.
Violeta Ayalas virtual reality film Prison X, which will have a world premiere at Sundance Film Festival on the weekend, imaginatively suggests what its like being a drug mule cast into San Sebastian Prison in Bolivia.

Virtual reality film heading for Sundance: director Violeta Ayala with (from left) producer Dan Fallshaw, composer XNYWOLF (Andre Patzi) and 3D Illustrator Roly Elias at the United Notions studio in Sydneys Petersham. Credit:James Alcock

You don a golden mask, step inside and take a surreal journey among guards, prisoners, spirits and animals.

A mysterious woman flanked by two blue jaguars welcomes you to an infamous South American jail.

It was inspired by the three years that she and producer Daniel Fallshaw spent shooting the 2017 documentary Cocaine Prison in a jail packed with more than 1000 drug mules, petty thieves and their families before the pandemic.

Ayala, a Bolivian-Australian of Indigenous Quechuan heritage, wanted to offer viewers a different experience of a prison that has its own hardware store, chapel, restaurants, school, nursery and gym. Its a film that is immersive, interactive and fuelled by Andean myths.

You are the narrative: writer-director Violeta Ayala during production of Prison X. Credit:United Notions

When she discovered virtual reality, which involves watching through a headset using hand controllers, she found the perfect format.

While I adore documentary, because you can make so much poetry and it changes you every time you make a film as a person, I think storytelling has no limits, Ayala says.
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The most optimistic way to consider our current national predicament might be to look back at the calamity of the Great Depression, which led to the New Deal. Then, as now, a reactionary federal government struggled to handle a national emergency that exposed deep social and economic injustices permeating society. That story ended well. The disarray led to the election of FDR, who seized the opportunity to enact a transformative economic agenda including Social Security, labor protections, massive stimulus spending, and banking and monetary reform. We ended up with a radically more just society.

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We can now dare to hope for the same today. Against all odds, an ideologically reinvigorated Democratic Party has won the House, Senate, and presidency. Democrats have the opportunity to finally deliver long-overdue reforms to address structural economic inequality, provide every American with adequate health care, and take aggressive action to save our environment before it is too late.

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This will either force the court to lay off of progressive programs, or enable progressive policy aims to be achieved even if it intervenes.

But Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has left Democrats with one big problem: the courts. Even before the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, there was little chance that the conservative judiciary would let this dream come to pass. The New Deal itself was almost completely dashed by a Supreme Court in thrall to free-market ideology. Early on, the court used a libertarian spin on due process and an incredibly narrow view of the commerce clause and congressional power to strike down big parts of the New Deal. As late as 1937, its fate was in doubt, though ultimately the court relented to pressure from President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the public. With the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, there is no question that todays court will revive those same doctrinesthis time with some new twiststo eviscerate any ambitious Democratic agenda that is enacted.

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Progressives are not blind to the threat of a reactionary Supreme Court. Thats why discussions of court packing and other kinds of court reform were briefly front and center before the election. That momentum has stalled with the realization that 50 Senate seats just arent enough for the knockdown, drag-out fight that such a move would require. But theres another way to stop the court from totally derailing progressive economic reform that Democrats can use right now, one that no one is talking about.

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Democrats could deploy a new legislative tactic that has never been tried before: They can include clearly constitutional precautionary backup provisions in progressive legislation that would automatically take effect if the primary policies in the bill are invalidated. The backup provisions would usually involve extreme, but undeniably constitutional, policies designed to achieve the same original goals as the preferred policy. This will either force the court to lay off of progressive programs, or enable progressive policy aims to be achieved even if it intervenes.

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Consider a simple example to see how this would work: a wealth tax.

President Joe Biden has already proposed the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion government spending program to fight the COVID-induced economic depression. To get ahead of concerns about deficit spending, lets imagine that Democrats put in a 2 percent annual wealth tax, to be assessed on all fortunes above $100 million. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosis lawyers inform her that the conservative courts are skeptical of the taxs constitutionality. As a precaution, the speaker could insert an automatic backup provision into the wealth tax bill, which stipulates that if the wealth tax is invalidated by the courts, the stimulus program will instead be funded by dramatically increasing marginal income tax rates for high-income earners to 80 percent.

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Thus, you have two alternative policies contained in one bill. Most Democratsand economistsprobably prefer the wealth tax as a better, fairer policy. But big increases in marginal tax rates could achieve roughly the same goal, albeit less efficiently. And although conservatives might abhor this as a matter of policy, perhaps even more than the wealth tax, Congress can clearly set income taxes wherever it wants, legally speaking.

By using this tactic, Congress forces conservative judges to confront an unpalatable decision: intervene and strike down the wealth tax, ushering in a more disruptive but clearly constitutional alternative policy, or let the tax stand. Either way, Congress achieves its underlying goal of taxing the rich to pay for the stimulus.

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Take another immediate progressive priority: democracy reform. One of the most powerful proposals in H.R. 1, the Democratic election reform bill, is to reduce partisan gerrymandering by requiring states to use independent commissions for congressional redistricting. But there are very valid concerns that conservative judges will use a nebulous doctrine called the anti-commandeering doctrine to strike this down under the 10th Amendment. To hedge against this risk, Congress could add a backup to H.R. 1, requiring that if the first proposal is deemed unconstitutional, all states must adopt multimember congressional districts instead of the current single-member structure, and that those elections be conducted by a proportional representation voting system. This more radical backup would achieve the original goal of countering partisan gerrymandering, and there isnt a credible constitutional argument against it.

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The courts may not like the concept of backup legislation, but there is no precedent that makes it illegal. Congress is simply anticipating possible legal issues with its legislation and preemptively stating what it wants to happen if those issues are constitutionally significant.

As Barrett herself noted in her confirmation hearings, Congress already does this whenever it inserts severability provisions in laws, which state that if part of the law is invalidated, the rest of the law should stand. Congress has never tried far-reaching backup provisions, but in a couple of rare cases, it has used less aggressive versions of the same concept, and the court has accepted the validity of those backups without question.

In the 1980s, for example, Congress passed a budget provision that allowed the comptroller general to impose budget cuts if Congress failed to meet certain spending targets. Anticipating that this provision might be found unconstitutional, Congress included an automatic backup that created an alternative mechanism for Congress to quickly pass budget cuts instead. The Supreme Court indeed found the comptroller mechanism unconstitutional and allowed the backup to go into effect. The justices said that the backup provisions were fully operative as law and that their decision simply permits the fallback provisions to come into play. In 2007, the Supreme Court briefly discussed a backup provision in a case involving the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act, and no justice questioned the provisions validity.

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Congress could even take the more extreme step of using backup provisions unrelated to the main policy in a bill to coerce the court into letting the legislation stand. In the wealth tax example, say the backup provision instead repeals the Hyde Amendment, thereby allowing federal funding to be used to pay for abortions. While conservatives might claim that Democrats are basically blackmailing the courts to uphold the wealth tax, courts have consistently found no constitutional issues with Congress acting this way in other contexts. For example, the court has held that Congress can change underlying law relevant to a specific case while that case is being heard in order to explicitly dictate what the outcome of that case should be. And it has also found no issue with legislation where Congress or state legislatures have explicitly stated that if part of a law is found unconstitutional, the entire law must be struck down as well (contrary to the standard of allowing the rest of the law to stand).

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Backup provisions could be used to protect many of the other proposed progressive economic policies that are at risk of judicial invalidation. A Medicare for All bill, for example, could be backed up with a deeply subsidized version of a traditional public option, along with other changes to make private insurance less attractive. A cap and trade or carbon tax climate bill could be backed up with an aggressive command-and-control program with specific congressionally mandated caps on emissions for particular industries. Legislation creating wage boards or strengthening collective bargaining could be backed up with massive minimum wage increases and limits on corporate access to federal bankruptcy or liquidity protections. The entire idea basically boils down tolet us do this, or well achieve the same thing in a way that is likely even less desirable to you.

This is the time to act: Progressive policymakers and experts should flesh out this strategy, and its application to specific parts of the legislative agenda, now. That way, Congress can pass transformative legislation that will actually survive constitutional scrutiny from the stacked courts they have inherited from President Donald Trump. If not, Democrats may well squander this rare, precious chance to achieve the generational reform our country so desperately needs.
Despite a major shakeup, the San Antonio women survived another rose ceremony on "The Bachelor."

Monday night's episode of "The Bachelor" included lots of drama and uncertainty after the ABC dating show added five new women into an already large cast. The new contestants left many of the women feeling disrespected and uneasy right before the rose ceremony.

Matt James sent only one woman home from the new batch and kept the Alamo City contestants, Bri Springs, 24, and Jessenia Cruz, 27. Twenty women remain on James' journey to find love.

READ ALSO: San Antonio contestant thanks Bachelor Nation for kindness as her journey ends

During the episode, Springs secured her spot for next week after receiving the group date rose from James. Springs listed San Antonio as her hometown but is currently living in San Francisco, according to ABC.

Cruz was on the second group date in the episode that had the women box each other for James' love. In Cruz's match, she lost to Bachelor Nation's favorite, Katie Thurston.

However, we didn't get to see who got the second group date rose due to a rumor about one of the new contestants. Thurston told James about it, explaining that people are calling one of the new girls an escort and how that rumor could ruin her life.

In the sneak peek for next week, it showed James giving the women a-talkin' to about bullying before the rose ceremony, and of course, more drama.

"The Bachelor" airs at 7 p.m. Central on Mondays on ABC.

Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre
"This grant program is part of SourceAmerica's commitment to assist eligible nonprofit agencies and AbilityOne contract employees following a natural disaster," said Richard Belden, Interim President and CEO at SourceAmerica. Tweet this

Grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis. "This grant program is part of SourceAmerica's commitment to assist eligible nonprofit agencies and AbilityOne contract employees following a natural disaster," said Richard Belden, Interim President and CEO at SourceAmerica. "We hope that we never need to provide this type of assistance to any of the nonprofits in our network, but the reality is that natural disasters can and do occur. SourceAmerica stands ready to support the agencies and people they employ when our assistance is needed," he said.

More than 400 nonprofit agencies in the SourceAmerica network will be eligible to receive assistance in the event a natural disaster affects their operation. Each of these agencies provides employment opportunities to people with disabilities through the AbilityOne Program, one of the largest sources of employment for people with disabilities in the U.S. In fact, nearly 40,000 people with significant disabilities are employed nationwide through the AbilityOne Program across the SourceAmerica network.

Each grant request must be received no later than 90 days after a natural disaster event and state of emergency declaration concludes. SourceAmerica will provide funding up to $10,000 per grant for eligible agencies to provide day-to-day necessities including housing, transportation, and more.

With hurricane season from June through November, nonprofit agencies along the Gulf Coast, Eastern Seaboard, and in Hawaii are constantly on alert for the havoc a major storm can wreak during those months. These areas can be particularly susceptible to multiple hazards. If a nonprofit agency is affected in this manner, they can apply for more than one grant.

The yearly overall grant fund available to nonprofits is set at $1,000,000.

About SourceAmerica

SourceAmerica connects government and corporate customers to a national network of over 700 nonprofit agencies that hire a talented segment of the workforce  people with disabilities. Established in 1974, SourceAmerica is committed to increasing economic and social inclusion and advocating for a more accessible future of work for people with differing abilities. As a leading job creator within the disability community and distinguished as an AbilityOne authorized enterprise, SourceAmerica harnesses the momentum and boosts the capability of its network and customers. To learn more, visit SourceAmerica.org and follow the organization on Facebook (@SourceAmerica), Twitter (@SourceAmerica) and LinkedIn (@SourceAmerica).

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SOURCE SourceAmerica

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DENVER, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Balanced Health Botanicals (BHB), a family of hemp-derived CBD brands including their flagship brand CBDistillery, announced today the launch of their new Extra Strength CBN + CBD Sleep Tincture. As a response to overwhelming consumer feedback and the company's continued effort to increase CBN education, CBDistillery has improved and upgraded their original CBN + CBD formula, one of their top-selling products of 2020.

As the popularity for additional cannabinoids continues to grow, CBDistillery has consistently been ahead of the "trend" and has expanded their product line to now include CBD, CBG and CBN products. CBN primarily binds with the CB1 cannabinoid receptor of the endocannabinoid system, which is a receptor that can help enhance sleep.

"The wellness industry is ever-evolving and consumers are always looking for new top-of-the-line performance products," said Chase Terwilliger, CEO of Balanced Health Botanicals. "Our initial launch of CBN quickly sold out, so we listened to consumer feedback and data insights to provide additional products we know our customers will love and trust. We are proud to build on our history of bringing cutting-edge products with the release of our new and improved formulation of Extra Strength CBN + CBD Sleep Tincture."

This past year has been stressful for people around the world, which has undoubtedly affected their sleep routines. In fact, an internal survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of CBDistillery found that throughout the course of the tumultuous year, respondents estimated they lost 245 hours of sleep due to various stress points  approximately losing five hours of sleep a week. As we head into 2021, the launch of CBDistillery's new Extra Strength CBN + CBD Sleep Tincture is well-timed to help combat this survey data, and to help consumers on their journey to achieving a good night's sleep every night.

All CBDistillery products are third-party lab-tested to ensure the highest quality and consistency. CBDistillery products are also U.S. Hemp Authority-certified and formulated using non-GMO industrial hemp grown in the USA using natural farming practices.

For more information on BHB's CBDistillery product line and the brand's mission, please visit: www.balancedhealthbotanicals.com.

About Balanced Health Botanicals:

Balanced Health Botanicals (BHB) is a family of hemp-derived CBD brands that includes CBDistillery and BOTA. Flagship brand CBDistillery was founded in Denver in 2016 to pursue a rapidly growing and predominantly untapped market. It has since evolved into one of the largest and most cost-effective brands in the CBD market, sold in retailers nationwide. The all-new BOTA is a line of premium plant-powered skincare and supplements that combines powerful natural botanicals with hemp-derived CBD. BHB's mission is to provide the highest quality, U.S. grown, hemp-derived CBD products at fair prices and to be the premier CBD education resource. BHB has made significant investments in its infrastructure, supply chain capabilities, world-class manufacturing facilities, and product portfolio to solidify itself as the leader of the #CBDMOVEMENT.

SOURCE Balanced Health Botanicals

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* 170 political prisoners in Vietnam, most since 1996 - Amnesty

* Crackdown has intensified; longer, harsher jail terms - data

* Vietnamese military runs anti-dissident cyber unit Force 47

* 'Chilling effect' - U.N. human rights office

* Comes amid growing muscle for Vietnam in global trade

By James Pearson

HANOI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - As Vietnam's ruling Communist Party gears up for its most important meeting in years, its leadership has presided over an intensified crackdown on dissent, according to rights groups, activists and data collated by Reuters.

A record number of political prisoners, longer jail terms, and increased harassment of activists in recent years have contributed to the crackdown ahead of this week's Communist Party congress, a gathering to determine national leadership and policy that takes place once every five years.

The crackdown has left some international human rights groups and lawmakers questioning whether Vietnam has breached the spirit of trade agreements with Western countries - accords that have helped propel the country to a position of economic strength in Southeast Asia.

"I have been summoned by the police several times since December 9, 2020," said Nguyen Quang A, a veteran activist in Hanoi, declining to detail the circumstances saying he was subject to an ongoing investigation. He told Reuters Vietnam's security ministry had in recent weeks rounded up other government critics without saying why, citing his contacts with activists.

"They (the police) summon them and find reasons to convict them under those very fuzzy articles of criminal law. It completely violates the law but they use it very regularly," said Quang A. "I've told them they can't shut me up."

Vietnam's foreign ministry, which handles inquiries from foreign media, did not respond to Reuters' request for comment on activist detentions.

'ANTI-STATE'

Despite reforms and increasing openness to social change, the Communist Party of Vietnam, led by 76-year-old Nguyen Phu Trong, tolerates little criticism and controls domestic media tightly.

Story continues

Vietnam drew international condemnation this month when it sentenced three freelance journalists known for criticism of government to between 11 and 15 years in prison, finding them guilty of spreading anti-state propaganda.

The country's constitution says it protects "freedom of opinion and speech, freedom of the press, access to information, to assemble, form associations and hold demonstrations".

In reality, public criticism of the Party is not tolerated, and groups which promote democratisation are targeted by the authorities in a battle playing out online on platforms like Facebook, Vietnam's premier platform for both e-commerce and dissent.

A Reuters tally based on state media reports found 280 people were arrested for "anti-state" activities over the five years since the last Party congress: 260 were convicted, many being sentenced to more than 10 years in jail. In the five years leading up to the 2016 congress, there were 68 arrests and 58 convictions.

'FORCE 47'

Last year, Amnesty International said it had recorded the most "prisoners of conscience" in Vietnam since it began publishing figures in 1996 - 170, close to double the 97 recorded in 2018. Of the 170, some 70 were detained for online activism, Amnesty said.

In late 2017, Vietnam unveiled a 10,000-strong military cyber unit, Force 47, to counter what it said were "wrong" views on the internet. According to rights groups, the unit also recruits volunteers online to target dissidents and activists.

Reuters reviewed dozens of posts across multiple Facebook groups and pages from December and January that claimed links with Force 47. Many attacked prominent activists, including Nguyen Quang A, accused by one group of creating anti-state propaganda.

Some group moderators were dressed in military uniform in their profile photos while others ran pages for official local branches of Communist Party organisations.

Last November, Vietnam threatened to shut Facebook down if it didn't toughen rules on local political content on the platform.

Facebook's local servers had been taken offline by the government earlier last year until it agreed to significantly increase policing of "anti-state" posts by local users, a request with which Facebook previously said it complied.

A Facebook spokesman said the company faced "additional pressure" from Vietnam to restrict content last year.

'DRIVER'S SEAT'

For some, the crackdown has a connection with fluctuations in global trade ties with Vietnam.

"During the (former U.S. President Barack) Obama administration, pressure on rights connected with TPP (trade) negotiations helped the cause of human rights activists and political dissidents," said Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.

"The early visit of Prime Minister (Nguyen Xuan) Phuc in 2017 to the Trump White House saw human rights completely dropped from the agenda," he said.

Robertson said trade tensions with China have also left Vietnam "in the driver's seat" as U.S. and European Union companies look for alternative supply chains, helping the Vietnamese economy thrive.

"The EU had an important opportunity to make real changes through the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement," said Robertson, referring to a pact that has been a boon for Vietnam. Instead, he said, the EU "fell short, settling for vague promises ... instead of substantive changes."

EU officials didn't immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

After the jailing of the three journalists earlier this month, the U.N. human rights office said, "Coming just weeks ahead (of the Party congress), the convictions and long sentences are not only a blatant suppression of independent journalism but also a clear attempt to create a chilling effect among those willing to criticise the government."

The United States described the sentences as the "latest in a troubling and accelerating trend of arrests and convictions of Vietnamese citizens exercising rights enshrined in Vietnam's constitution". (Reporting by James Pearson; Additional reporting by Fanny Potkin in Singapore; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Superior Sensor Technology today announced the industry's first differential pressure sensors for industrial applications that support up to seven selectable pressure ranges in one device. Designed for a wide range of applications, the company's new ND Series sensors support pressure ranges as low as 62.5 Pa/0.25" H 2 O to as high as 345 mBar/5 psi with an accuracy within 0.05% and Total Error Band (TEB) of less than 0.15% FSS. This advanced capability coupled with the ND Series' digital filtering and 50/60Hz notch filter offers industrial equipment manufacturers a single sensor solution that supports all their differential pressure requirements, which will simplify product designs, accelerate time to market and reduce sensor inventory costs by up to a factor of seven.

Superior Sensor Technology

The ND Series builds upon the company's proprietary NimbleSense  architecture, which is an intelligent system-in-a-sensor that offers manufacturers for the first time a high-performance, programmable, flexible sensor solution. A key building block component in the NimbleSense architecture is the proprietary Multi-Range  technology and its ability to support multiple pressure ranges on one device with industry-leading accuracy on each selected range. This enables industrial manufacturers to introduce multiple product variants with different pressure requirements utilizing one ND Series sensor, resulting in significant resource, time and cost savings.

"Similar to what we have achieved with HVAC and medical applications, we are now setting a new performance standard for differential pressure sensors in the industrial product market," said Jim Finch, CEO and co-founder, Superior Sensor Technology. "Our NimbleSense architecture enables us to deliver sensors with a variety of innovative features and the broadest dynamic range capability in one device from very low to medium pressure ranges, ultimately providing our customers the most cost-effective, highest-performing, flexible design options for their next-generation products."

The ND Series is ideal for measuring dry air and non-aggressive gas pressure with very high accuracy and a stable zero point. Numerous industrial applications will benefit from the ND Series Sensors, including:

Manufacturing Applications: 3D printing, air quality testing, automated safety systems, chemical monitoring, leak testing, nuclear power monitoring, pneumatic system monitoring and water quality testing.

3D printing, air quality testing, automated safety systems, chemical monitoring, leak testing, nuclear power monitoring, pneumatic system monitoring and water quality testing. Research & Development Applications: Air pressure monitoring, calibration of devices, clean room access, data acquisition, environmental chambers, lab equipment, large format printers and particle counting.

Air pressure monitoring, calibration of devices, clean room access, data acquisition, environmental chambers, lab equipment, large format printers and particle counting. Commercial Applications: Auto smog testing, aviation instrumentation, cabin pressure monitoring, commercial space rockets, DHS air quality, hospital room monitoring, radon remediation and UAV/UAS Drones.

Superior Sensor Technology is offering five products with various pressure range capabilities in its initial ND Series product offering. The sensors and evaluation boards are available in production volumes and can be purchased through Digi-Key Electronics and Mouser Electronics. Unit pricing is based on shipment quantities.

Superior Sensor Technology:

Superior Sensor Technology was established with the objective to revolutionize the high-performance, cost-driven pressure sensor market by developing integrative, highly intelligent solutions for industrial, HVAC and medical applications. The company's technology is based on a breakthrough system-in-a-sensor, proprietary architecture called NimbleSense, which significantly improves overall sensor performance while adding exclusive application-specific system features. Superior Sensor Technology was founded in 2016 and is based in Santa Clara, California.

Website: SuperiorSensors.com

Public Relations Contact:

Catherine Batchelor

[email protected]

208-634-9472

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Seven Differential Pressures Sensors in One

SOURCE Superior Sensor Technology
Yesterday, two weeks after a still officially unexplained explosion in a gold mine at Qixia in Chinas coastal Shandong Province, 11 trapped workers were rescued, and the bodies of nine were found. The confirmed death toll is now 10, while the last of the trapped workers remains missing.

The disaster occurred in the early afternoon on January 10. An explosion occurred in a shaft, shattering all the shaft entrances. About an hour and a half later, a second explosion took place in the shaft, sending a strong shock wave. The second explosion severely damaged the equipment around the shaft entrance and added more rubble to the already blocked shaft passage.

A trapped miner is lifted from a gold mine in Qixia City, east China's Shandong Province, on Jan. 24, 2021.(Xinhua/Chen Hao)

Among the workers whose bodies were found, five of them were around 420 meters underground, and another four were located around 500 meters underground. At a press conference yesterday, the emergency task force in charge of the rescue work concluded that all nine attempted to climb out through the shaft after the first explosion, but were killed by the second blast.

The rescue operation took place amid widespread public concern in China and worldwide after it became known that the mining company, Shandong Wucailong Investment, did not report the disaster for more than 30 hours. The hashtag Qixia gold mine incident has been viewed many million of times on the social media site Weibo.

A week after the explosion, on January 17, the rescue team was able to establish contact with 11 workers trapped at 586.8 meters underground. Emergency supplies, including food and medicines, were delivered to them through a drilled passage. The workers had survived by drinking mud water every day. One worker among them was severely injured and was in a coma. He had lost all signs of life by January 20.

According to these 11 workers, another person was trapped at a place about 50 meters deeper. This is the worker who remains missing.

The rescue operation confronted huge obstacles. According to the task force, between 350 and 446 meters down the shaft, the passage was clogged by more than 70 tons of debris from the explosions. It was originally estimated that 15 days were needed to drill through this area. Drilling also had to be done extremely carefully to avoid flooding the regions where workers were trapped.

Fortunately, rescue teams found out that a lot of empty space existed in the material clogging the shaft, which reduced the difficulty of clearing the passage and the time needed to reach the trapped workers. On January 24, it only took about an hour to push forward 40 meters, and then virtually nothing needed to be cleared out of the way.

When the rescue team reached about 546 meters underground, only 40 meters above the 11 workers, they surprisingly found another worker trapped alone at this level. He had spent 14 days in solitude and without supplies since the explosion. According to a doctor at Qixia Peoples Hospital, this worker was extremely weak when he was rescued, with multiple ulcers and wounds on his hip and feet.

Later that day, the 11 workers who previously established contact with the rescue team were all elevated out of the mine. The one who was in a coma was confirmed dead. According to the same doctor, all the 10 rescued workers were conscious and could speak normally. Five workers, including the one trapped in solitude, remain in the ICU at Qixia Peoples Hospital, while the others were hospitalized in regular wards.

On the same day, January 25, the bodies of the other nine workers were found. The task force declared at a press conference that all search work in regions above the 11 rescued workers were complete, and they continued to dig deeper to search for the very last missing worker. He is thought to be trapped about 50 meters deeper, in very dangerous conditions.

Huge amounts of water have accumulated in the mine, and the water levels have been rising. The task force said it was unclear if the next 50 meters in the shaft is heavily clogged. So it was not possible to estimate how long it could take to reach the last worker.

Xinhua News, an official news agency of the Chinese state, hailed the rescue of 11 workers as a miracle of life. While it is welcome news to know some workers were rescued, this tragedy led to the deaths of at least nine workers who could possibly have been saved if rescue efforts had begun sooner.

At the same press conference, provincial officials offered a few empty promises to increase awareness of safe production. But similar statements have been repeated after every major mining accident that attracted large public attention. The officials further proclaimed they were doing what [they] can do save lives of workers. This is a hypocritical claim, made after the disaster has happened, because the health and life of workers are treated as dispensable when it comes to corporate profits.

Shandong Wucailong Investment is a subsidiary of Zhaojin Mining, Chinas fourth largest gold miner, which was listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange in December 2006. The countrys lucrative gold mining industry is the worlds biggest, and developments in technology have paved the way for deep mining, as was planned via the long shafts being constructed at the Qixia mine.

The resulting tragedy points to how the drive for increased output and profits inevitably leads to the compromising of safety, resulting in terrible accidents.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) apparatus has responded with its usual search for scapegoats. The Qixia party secretary and mayor have been sacked and several unit leaders blamed for the 30-hour reporting delay have been taken into custody, but the underlying driving forces of such mine deaths remain.

HARBOR SPRINGS, MI  Downtown Harbor Springs was put on lockdown Monday when police received a call from a man claiming he planted a bomb in the area.

The incident occurred at 2:36 p.m. on Jan. 25 when the individual told the Harbor Springs Police Department that he placed a bomb near the Christmas tree in the city. The suspect also claimed to be heavily armed.

Officers responded to the area and blocked off the entire downtown while they looked for the suspect, who appeared to be using a live stream video of the downtown area as part of his plot, police said.

Due to the time of the call, Harbor Springs Public Schools were contacted and advised to shelter in place and not release the students.

The Michigan State Police Bomb Squad was requested and arrived shortly thereafter with an armored vehicle. A physical search was also conducted with a bomb detection canine, a drone, and police officers, but no threat was found.

The students were released from school at 4:15 p.m. with the assistance of many police officers to assure their safety.

This incident is still under investigation by the Harbor Springs Police Department, the Michigan State Police, and the Emmet County Sheriffs Office, however, there is no imminent threat to the public, police said.

Anyone with questions or information is urged to call the Harbor Springs Police Department at 231-526-6211.
If youve been following the news, at least the celebrity news  which is the only news worth following for pure excitement and tragic irony  youve probably read at least 21 times about Hilaria, the wife of Alec Baldwin, who was accused of impersonating a Spanish person for 10 years.

I was a bit disappointed to see these allegations, which quickly escalated into the most momentous celebrity scandal of the past month  one that has been reported on by The New York Times, the New York Post, People and countless other news outlets.

Hilaria or Hillary, depending upon your or her preference, was taken to task by the social media tribunal and accused of running a decade-long grift about her Spanish heritage and accent. At one point on TV, she claimed not to remember the English word for cucumber.

For those of you who dont keep up with major developments in celebrity news, I will provide a brief recounting. Very brief. Here are the highlights as Ive been able to ascertain them, relying predominantly on my investigative journalistic skills and my penchant for fake and unfake news: Hilaria speaks with a Spanish accent and for years has claimed she was born in Mallorca, although shes actually a white girl, born Hillary Hayward-Thomas, who was raised in Boston with an internist and lawyer for parents.

The New York Times wrote the definitive Hilaria-Hillary story, which had all the drama and excitement of Moby Dick, and since the Times is indefatigable in its reporting, I suspect well see 12 more months of reporting about the Baldwin caper, or The Return of Moby Dick.

Personally, I dont care who or what she impersonates. Lets be honest, we all have our issues, and the more you crave celebrity status, the more issues you have. I came to that conclusion from reading too much celebrity news. I cant let a day go by without my medicinal dose of Miley Cyrus, Kim and Kanye, Johnny Depp, Drake and Kylie Jenner. Theyre Americas role models, political advisers and moral compass.

However, this scandal raises ethical questions Im struggling to unravel. For example, just because Ive had a lifelong love of the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, does that mean I can go around talking like Boris Badenov on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show?

The truth is I dont care where Hilaria is from. Im more concerned about my son-in-law, which is the real reason Im writing this column. (Now I have to whisper.)

My son-in-law occasionally uses a British accent, and Im not quite sure why since he should have a Spanish accent because he WAS born and raised in Mallorca, Spain. THIS IS NOT FAKE NEWS, although Im not sure its real news, either.

When he was growing up, they called him Pablo. However, he had an American father and a British mother, so can he be considered Spanish? Since hes half British, should he talk like Mick Jagger? Since hes half American, maybe he should talk like Yogi Berra? What should I say if he starts acting like Winston Churchill?

When I worked at the St. Petersburg Times (in Florida, not Russia), I occasionally spoke with a Southern drawl and words like yall and fixin to poured out of my mouth. Fortunately, my coworkers never asked me to take the litmus test and pronounce cucumber.

I decided to start my own investigation into my son-in-law Paul, er Pablo, or whatever alias hes using. Since no one in my family reads my column, I can tell you this with the assurance it wont get out.

Though my son-in-law is as honest as the day is long, I decided to give him the cucumber test. He passed. In fact, he could say cucumber in English. And Spanish (pepino) and Latin (cucumis). (OK, I confess that last part was fake news.)

At the end of the day, our guiding principle should be live and let let, regardless of what accent a person has ... or pretends to have. Even if they cant say cucumber.

Joe Pisani can be reached at joefpisani@yahoo.com.
GRAND HAVEN, MI  A plan to develop a long-vacant property in Grand Haven received a $4.75 million loan from the state of Michigan.

The Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) approved a Michigan Community Revitalization Program loan to support the Peerless Flats residential development at the former site of Stanco Metal Products.

Four residential buildings with 124 market-rate units will be built on 4.66 acres at 105 Fulton Ave. by Lansing-based development group River Caddis, LLC. Peerless Flats will also include a community amenity building with an outdoor pool, fire pits, a fitness center and a conference room.

The Stanco site has been vacant since the late 1980s, and the state funding awarded Tuesday will go toward cleaning the former industrial property. Peerless Flats will be within walking distance of Lake Michigan, Grand River and the farmers market.

It was necessary to plug the gap because of extensive contamination at the site, said River Caddis President Kevin McGraw.

Four existing buildings on the property will be demolished, and the development will also make public infrastructure improvements to sidewalks, parking and roads in the area.

River Caddis will be required to pay back the MEDC loan.

The project has been in the works for the past three years, McGraw said, and it received final approval from the Grand Haven Planning Commission on Jan. 12.

Construction is expected to begin in April.

Related: New market, small shops, homes part of proposal to redevelop Grand Haven riverfront

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) said the project will redevelop a long underutilized site in downtown Grand Haven and will bring new residents to the area. The state also expects it to boost economic activity in the area.

The estimated capital investment in Peerless Flats is $24.7 million.

City Manager Pat McGinnis said in a statement the project will trigger many other such developments around our downtown.

The Grand Haven Brownfield Redevelopment Authority also received approval from MSF Tuesday for a work plan that includes $1,378,865 in state tax capture, a news release said.

More on MLive:

Muskegon Heights chooses new chief to lead police department

Canadian pressure mounts on Michigan governor to back off Enbridge pipeline

How community colleges plan to grow Michigans healthcare workforce amid pandemic
"Oncue has booked over 80 moves for us in the last 30 days and helped us fill all seven of our moving trucks during Covid, said Teresa Mitchell-Horder of Olde World Movers, an Oncue customer based in Dallas. Oncue has been a huge contributor to my company becoming a multimillion-dollar business.

Oncue, the leading software and booking service for the moving industry, announced today that it has completed a $10 million Series A round of funding. U.S. venture capital firm Rethink Impact led the round, with additional investment from Crosslink Capital, Bowery Capital, Tien Tzuo, CEO of Zuora, and Dave Yarnold, former CEO of ServiceMax. Oncue plans to use the funding to scale nationwide and grow their engineering, product, sales, marketing, and customer success teams.

The COVID pandemic dramatically accelerated the already rapid growth rate of the moving industry in 2020, with no signs of slowing. Nearly 40 million Americans move each year, and since COVID, nearly half of all Americans report that they are considering moving," said Kate DeWald, Oncues CEO and co-founder. The number of remote employees is soaring, and more families and businesses are migrating outside of major cities to find affordable housing and operations, driving a record number of relocations throughout the last year. As a result, there has been a surge in new moving companies launching and existing companies expanding their fleets and opening additional branches. This is stretching many moving companies beyond their limits, as they try to juggle sales calls, lead conversion, logistics, operations, and customer support. Oncues software and booking service automates many of these manual processes, enabling movers to devote more time towards business growth and longevity.

"The $14 billion-plus moving and storage industry is enormous and scaling fast, continued DeWald yet, little technology innovation has been devoted to this sector over the last decade, leaving moving company owners searching for transformative solutions to meet the skyrocketing demand. We exist to address that need. Oncue provides the most comprehensive, tech-enabled, end-to-end solution for moving companies in the market, whether they are starting up or scaling, to efficiently provide the customer service experience that modern consumers expect.

"Oncue has booked over 80 moves for us in the last 30 days and helped us fill all seven of our moving trucks during Covid, said Teresa Mitchell-Horder of Olde World Movers, an Oncue customer based in Dallas, TX. Oncue has been a huge contributor to my company becoming a multimillion-dollar business.

Oncues game changing technology helps alleviate administrative burdens for local moving companies, which dramatically improves efficiency and helps these small businesses to grow 100% each year, if not more, said Heidi Patel, Managing Partner at Rethink Impact, the largest US- based impact venture capital fund investing in female leaders using tech to create positive impact. As Oncue expands to the more than 15,000 local moving companies in the U.S., it not only boosts the overall economy but also increases wealth-building opportunities for these predominantly immigrant- and/or minority-owned businesses and their employees.

This most recent round of funding builds on an exceptional year for Oncue, with customer numbers up three-fold over 2020, and a new partnership secured with Thumbtack, an online service for local professionals. This growth has been driven by frequent product releases including a contactless Bill of Lading that has enabled movers and their crews to operate safely during COVID-19. With a world-class U.S.-based sales team, and leading-edge software, moving company owners have seen exceptional results with increases in revenue of up to 400% year-over-year. Additionally, with this new investment, development has already started on innovative new product features including an Oncue Bot and AI tool, as well as financial and payment products.

About Oncue

Founded in 2017, Oncue was designed to help moving company owners spend less time on the phone answering sales calls, so they can free up valuable time to concentrate on business growth. With their innovative software platform and a professionally-trained sales team ready to answer and handle mover calls, Oncue delivers extraordinary results for moving company owners around the country. The company has offices in Oakland, Phoenix, and Toronto. To learn more about Oncue visit https://www.oncue.co/

About Rethink Impact

Rethink Impact is the largest US-based impact venture capital firm with a gender lens that invests in female leaders using technology to solve the worlds biggest problems. Rethink Impact believes that the next generation of extraordinary companies (in health, environmental sustainability, education, and economic empowerment) will find success through their relentless pursuit of mission, for the benefit of all communities. For more information visit http://rethinkimpact.com/
The Tanaiste said chldren with additional needs will be first to return followed by primary pupils and exam year students.

Schools will reopen on a phased basis in February and early March, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said last night.

A memo going to Cabinet today says consideration will be given to getting Leaving Cert students and children with special educational needs back to classes, but talks are on-going with the unions.

The staggered reopening would start with the return of children with special needs, followed by primary schools and exam years, Mr Varadkar said.

Read More

But he said it had to be done by agreement and would be subject to discussions with principals, unions and other representative groups.

We want to discuss this with principals, unions, parents and students groups. It does have to be done by agreement, but we are very keen to start with children with additional needs, they need their education and some of them are regressing now which is very worrying, he told RTEs Claire Byrne Live.

The Tanaiste said one of his big regrets from the first lockdown was that Ireland didnt do what other countries did and keep schools open for vulnerable children.

Mr Varadkar said that because the new Covid-19 variant is more transmissible we want to open schools not with one big bang but on a phased basis".

He would not put a figure on what the daily Covid case numbers would have to be to allow for schools to reopen, but said: We are reasonably confident now that by the middle of February we will be down to daily case rates that were there when schools were fully open.

Cases are halving every ten days or so, Mr Varadkar pointed out and said it was reasonable to assume cases could be near 400 per day in three weeks time.

The Tanaiste said that even with the new variant, government believes it is reasonable to open schools on a phased basis.

Mr Varadkar admitted that the government could not give parents certainty on a reopening date right now but that Level 5 restrictions were remaining in place to allow schools reopen on a phased basis.
[January 26, 2021] Iowans Prep for Virtual Celebration as Governor Reynolds Proclaims Jan. 24-Jan. 30 "Iowa School Choice Week"

DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For the ninth consecutive year, the last week of January has been officially recognized as Iowa School Choice Week by the state's governor. This year, Gov. Kim Reynolds proclaimed the Week, which seeks to celebrate and raise awareness about K-12 school choices. Around Iowa, parents, schools, and other organizers will be celebrating education with more than 300 virtual or socially distanced activities. These events may be as far-reaching as a statewide video contest or as simple as a family decorating placards about why they are grateful for school choice. Nationwide, traditional public schools, public magnet schools, public charter schools, private schools, online schools, and homeschoolers will be participating in School Choice Week. All the Week's events will take place virtually this year, and aim to spark conversations about how different learning environments challenge and inspire children, meeting families' unique needs. Gov. Reynolds is the 24th governor to issue a proclamation for Natioal School Choice Week 2021, with more expected to join in the next few days. Hundreds of city and county leaders have issued proclamations as well.



"We are inspired by Iowa families' celebration of school choice and grateful for Gov. Reynolds' recognition of the Week," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "We hope it is a time for community members to come together in support of every child in Iowa's educational opportunities." National School Choice Week shines a spotlight on effective K-12 education options for children. As a not-for-profit effort, the Week focuses equally on traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home education options. Every January, participants plan tens of thousands of events and activities  such as school fairs, open houses, and student showcases  to raise awareness about school choice across all 50 states. Year-round, National School Choice Week develops resources and guides to assist families searching for schools or learning environments for their children. The effort is nonpolitical and nonpartisan and does not advocate for legislation.

For more information, visit schoolchoiceweek.com/iowa . View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iowans-prep-for-virtual-celebration-as-governor-reynolds-proclaims-jan-24-jan-30-iowa-school-choice-week-301215535.html SOURCE National School Choice Week

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A ride that has long been criticized as racist and problematic is finally getting a much-needed update. Today, Disney announced that Jungle Cruise, a boat ride that depicts rivers around the world and what many have called colonialist caricatures of natives around them, will be getting an update to remove those problematic depictions.

As Imagineers, it is our responsibility to ensure experiences we create and stories we share reflect the voices and perspectives of the world around us, Carmen Smith, executive of development and inclusion strategies at Walt Disney Imagineering, said today on the Disney Parks Blog. With Jungle Cruise, were bringing to life more of what people love  the humor and wit of our incredible skippers, while making needed updates.

Primarily, those updates seem to be removing the natives from scenes where they are either portrayed as hostile savages or as subservient. Instead, more animals will be added to the ride, and a new character of a skipper whose journey goes awry, described Imagineer Kevin Lively, formerly a skipper on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland.

That skipper wont replace the live boat skippers who narrate the ride (and add their individual spin to the script), but will be a new part of the show. One of the new scenes shows his boat being overtaken by chimpanzees.

The exciting changes were making to one of Disneys most popular classic attractions, Jungle Cruise, reflect our commitment to creating unparalleled experiences that reflect, not only the best in storytelling, but also the values and rich diversity of our world, Iger tweeted today.

When Disney announced that it would be redoing Splash Mountain, taking away the Brer Rabbit theme and substituting in "The Princess and the Frog," the reactions were mixed. Many fans applauded the decision to add a ride themed on the first Disney movie to feature a Black princess. It was time, they felt, to remove the storyline based on the 1946 Disney movie Song of the South, a movie so racist and problematic that the company hasnt made it available on any platform since 1986, when it was re-released for a 40th anniversary theatrical run, and has never been made available for purchase. In March, Disney Chairman Bob Iger described the movie as not appropriate in todays world, even with a disclaimer.

But others were outraged over the loss of an iconic ride, which opened at Disneyland in 1989 and Walt Disney World in 1992, and said that the ride should be preserved because of nostalgia and tradition.

And still for some, changing Splash Mountain was a good first step, but that Disney had a long way to go in eliminating its problems of colonialism and racial inclusivity. The caricature accents of the Enchanted Tiki Rooms birds come to mind. The Indians, lead by Tiger Lily, in Peter Pans Enchanted Flight.

While some Disney fans have raised cries of dissent about the changes, citing cancel culture and the fact that Walt Disney oversaw the original ride, many have voiced support for the changes.

As silly and overly pun-filled as the Jungle Cruise may be, it has long been criticized as viewing adventure through an imperialist lens, Todd Martens wrote for the Los Angeles Times. While the ride is meant to be a collage of Asia, Africa and South America, human figures of the regions are presented as exotic, violent and dim-witted, humor that in the 1950s and 1960s was troublesome and today reeks of racism.

The original ride, the one that debuted on Disneylands opening day in 1955 and which Walt Disney personally oversaw, was different than todays version. That ride was called The Jungle Rivers of the World, and was more educational. The rides unsavory tribal depictions, largely inspired by images from Papua New Guinea, were added in the years after its opening, Martens said.

Disney, though, wants to make it clear that while they are plussing (their word for enhancing) the ride, they are not remaking it. The revisions will be more along the lines of female pirate Redds addition to Pirates of the Caribbean when they removed the scene where pirates were selling women into domestic slavery. This is not a re-envisioning of the entire attraction, Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Portfolio Executive Chris Beatty told official Disney fan site D23. Its the Jungle Cruise you know and love, with the skippers still leading the way, and at the same time, were addressing the negative depictions of natives. So thats one of the scenes were going to go in and change.

Imagineers also talked to Disneys Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World to make sure the new animal element was done in an authentic way for the chimpanzees, Beatty said. We want to have fun, but were not making fun of the animals.

As part of the announcement, Disney has said that it has no plans to alter Trader Sams Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel, or Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen, a restaurant in the Adventureland portion of Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom themed on the ride, which has a room said to be the former family library of Dr. Albert Falls, the namesake for the rides waterfall.

There are also no plans to include an animatronic of The Rock, starring in the new Disney Jungle Cruise movie, debuting on July 30, or to incorporate the movies storyline.

Does that mean that as Imagineers we wont put Easter eggs in there? Beatty said. Well definitely do that.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

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Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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

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NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning
BERLIN, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) Berlin welcomes the joint declaration of five major German corporations to combat antisemitism. Daimler, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Bank, Volkswagen, and Borussia Dortmund published a statement today endorsing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism. Germany's Friends of Yad Vashem joined in the statement, issued on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

"By adopting the IHRA Working Definition, these five well-known German companies are sending a clear signal. They are telling their employees worldwide, as well as their customers, that antisemitism has no place in their organizations," said Dr. Remko Leemhuis, Director of AJC Berlin. "We look to many more companies and organizations taking similar action. After all, combating antisemitism is not just the responsibility of political leaders and civil society, but also that of the private sector."

The working definition was adopted unanimously by the IHRA's 31 member states in 2016. It has been endorsed by 24 European countries, including Germany.

The IHRA definition is based on the 2005 European Monitoring Centre (EUMC) Working Definition. It offers a clear and comprehensive description of antisemitism in its various forms, including hatred and discrimination against Jews, Holocaust denial, and, of particular note, antisemitism as it relates to Israel.

For many years, AJC worked closely with the EUMC to develop the working definition, and has advocated for its adoption at the institutional, national, and popular levels.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org



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President Joe Biden cast doubt Monday on the ability of the Senate to convict former President Donald Trump just as House impeachment managers were transmitting a formal article to the chamber that will set in motion his historic trial.

Biden, who served for decades in the Senate and once chaired the Judiciary Committee, low-balled the chance of success for Democratic managers before they had even begun to make their case.

'The Senate has changed since I was there, but it hasn't changed that much,' he told a CNN reporter Monday evening, after a weekend where Senate Republicans appeared to be lining up against the impeachment trial.

But amid a series of vague statements on where he stood on impeachment, Biden also said the trial was a necessity.

'I think it has to happen,' he said, amid concerns it could imperil getting his cabinet confirmed and what he hopes will be a burst of legislative action.

He said there would be 'a worse effect if it didn't happen,' indicating Biden believes the trial is necessary for accountability.

His intervention is unlikely to be welcomed by Democrats - coming minutes after they walked across the Capitol Monday evening to hand-deliver an article of impeachment to the Senate charging Trump with 'incitement of insurrection' - formally beginning his second impeachment trial.

With solemn expressions on their faces, the House impeachment managers made the journey less than three weeks after a MAGA riot ransacked the Capitol during the electoral count after Trump told supporters to 'fight.'

In an event carried live on cable news, the managers left Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office at 7.01pm, crossed Statuary Hall and the Capitol Rotunda  some of the same spaces that were invaded by the mob less than three weeks ago.

Leading the charge: Jamie Raskin, the Democrats' lead impeachment manager, is first in line of the nine who will prosecute the case against Donald Trump

Article on its way: Clerk of the House Cheryl Johnson along with acting House Sergeant-at-Arms Tim Blodgett, lead the Democratic House impeachment managers as they walk through Statuary Hall on the way to the Senate

Here they go: The House impeachment managers make their way through Statuary Hall towards the Senate

Moment of history: The impeachment managers cross through Statuary Hall towards the Senate

Crime scene: Clerk of the House Cheryl Johnson along with House Sergeant-at-Arms Tim Blodgett lead the Democratic House impeachment managers as they walk through Statuary Hall. It is less than three weeks since MAGA rioters stormed into the Capitol

Overshadowing: Joe Biden suggested Donald Trump will be acquitted by the Senate because Democrats do not have the votes - speaking to CNN at exactly the time the article was delivered

Waiting to enter: Jamie Raskin stands waiting for the Senate to receive him and the other impeachment managers

They're here: The House impeachment managers file into the Senate to stand in front of Democratic senators

Ready: The House impeachment managers are announced as being present by Patrick Leahy, the Vermont senator who will preside over the trial

Ceremonial: Acting Senate Sergeant-at-arms Jennifer Hemingway reads the proclamation before the article of impeachment is read

Starting the case: Democrats' lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin, who will oversee the prosecution of Trump, reads the article

Presiding: Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the new president pro tempore of the Senate, on his way to the chamber to start his role presiding over the trial by hearing the article of impeachment

Witness to history: Patrick Leahy took a photograph of the journalists photographing him. The senator who will preside over the trial is also a keen photographer

Outside thousands of National Guard troops remained deployed around the Capitol which the MAGA mob had stormed on Wednesday January 6.

House Clerk Cheryl Johnson led the nine House managers to the Senate, where Trump's second impeachment trial will be held. Johnson and all of the managers wore dark masks for the walk.

It was history repeating itself - with a COVID twist: On January 15 2020, nine Democrats had walked the articles of impeachment for his first trial to the Senate. It ended in his acquittal.

As in Trump's first impeachment, cameras were allowed on the second floor of the Capitol to capture the occasion.

The formal transmittal of the articles does not establish the procedures for the trial such as whether witnesses will be allowed and how long it will go. That is still to be negotiated by senators.

The House members waited outside the south door of the Senate  steps away from where a group or rioters were detained during the riots.

In the chair when they arrived was Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who will preside over the trial. He is the president pro tempore of the Senate.

Cleaned up: On January 6, the MAGA mob stormed into the Capitol. The impeachment trial will try to remind senators how they felt in danger

Setting: The grand scene in Statuary Hall has now been repeated twice in the space of little more than a year - having only occurred twice before that, for presidents Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson

Parade: The walking of the article of a ritual established with the first impeachment trial, and first seen in the Capitol in June 1862 for the impeachment of West Humphreys, a federal judge

On their way: House Clerk Cheryl Johnson lleads the way as the nine managers pass the Ohio Clock and through the Ohio Clock corridor

Grand setting: The Rotunda of the Capitol under heavy security ahead of the walking of the article of impeachment

Darkening mood:

Key moment: House majority leader Chuck Schumer and minority leader Mitch McConnell have still to strike a power-sharing deal but have done a deal on the timing of the impeachment trial

View from above: The impeachment managers make their way through Statuary Hall

Man of the moment: Jamie Raskin (center) walks towards the Senate chamber

In the chair when they arrived was Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who will preside over the trial. He is the president pro tempore of the Senate.

'Here ye, here ye, here ye. All persons are commanded to keep silent on pain of imprisonment while the House of Representatives is exhibiting to the Senate of the United States an article of impeachment against Donald John Trump, former president of the United States,' said Johnson.

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland read the resolution aloud to the Senate the resolution appointing the managers to argue the case.

Raskin then read the impeachment article in its entirety that Trump 'is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors.'

Article I charges Trump with 'incitement of insurrection.' It cites the 14th Amendments prohibition on those engaging in insurrection or rebellion holding office, and charges Trump with failing to uphold his oath to faithfully execute the office.

It states that Trump engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors 'by inciting against the government of the United States' on the day of the electoral vote count.

He cited Trump's repeated claim that the election included 'widespread fraud' and that 'we won,' as well as Trump's call at a January 6 rally for his supporters to 'fight like hell.'

It then recalls 'violent, deadly, destructive and seditious acts' of the mob and says Trump endangered the security of the nation and interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and 'betrayed his trust as president.'

When he was done, Raskin asked for leave to withdraw from the Senate. Leahy said the Senate was now ready to proceed with the trial, and the managers left.

Thus ended Monday's formal action, with senators set to be sworn in Tuesday afternoon to form the court of impeachment.

There were numerous Democrats, and multiple empty chairs in the Senate when the action went down  in a chamber that is frequently mostly empty. Also there was Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Mitt Romney of Utah.

Romney was the only senator to vote to convict Trump of an article in January. Also present was new Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, who has called the post-presidency impeachment 'unconstitutional.'

The moves set up an impeachment trial to begin within weeks, with the Senate Republican conference already split  and GOP Sen. Rob Portman announcing his retirement Monday morning.

There is expected one marked change from Trump's first impeachment: Chief Justice John Roberts will not be in the chair for the trial.

The Constitution establishes that 'when the President of the United States is tried the Chief Justice shall preside.'

But it makes no specific mention of a former president. Roberts was reportedly anxious to avoid presiding over a second Trump impeachment: a role that would test his efforts to remain nonpartisan, while once again soaking up part of his workday.

At one point there had been speculation it would be Kamala Harris presiding, because of the vice president's constitutional position as Senate president.

It was not immediately clear how having a senior Democrat presiding might affect the tenor of the proceedings.

Most likely to preside: Patrick Leahy, the Vermont Democrat who is president pro-tempore is set to take charge

Supreme Court Justice John Roberts is not expected to preside over the historic second impeachment of Donald Trump, following reports he didn't want the duty

MEET LEAHY, THE SENATOR DICK CHENEY TOLD: 'GO F*** YOURSELF' 80-year-old Leahy, the Vermont Democratic senator since January 1975, is the longest-serving - although not oldest - member of the Senate. He is broadly seen as a liberal, having been a critic of the Iraq war, staking out strong advocacy for same-sex marriage and is a long-time critic of government surveillance powers. Well-liked by colleagues of both parties, he has a long track record of bipartisan bills but presiding over a divisive inauguration may test a reputation for bonhomie. But even that was tested in 2004, when the Senate class photo was presided over by then Vice President Dick Cheney. Needled by his criticism over Iraq he turned to Leahy and said: 'Go f*** yourself, Leahy.' Married since 1962 and a father of two, he is a devout Catholic who attends the same church which Joe Biden went to on Sunday, Holy Trinity in Georgetown. Advertisement

A Leahy spokesman said the two Senate leaders were negotiating 'all process issues' regarding the trial and that Leahy would defer to them.

Neither side volunteered why Harris was not chosen to preside, but she would have wanted to avoid entirely the spectacle of the Senate trial defining the start of her time as vice president.

And Democrats would have been hit by worse accusations of partisanship with Harris presiding than Leahy.

But the Republican caucus was also hit by drama Monday with Portman saying he would not run.

Portman has called the MAGA riot 'an attack on democracy itself' and said days afterward that Trump 'bears some responsibility' for what happened.

He is a two-term senator who was previously a House member and U.S. Trade Representative under the George W. Bush White House.

His retirement sets off a key open-seat Senate race in a hotly contested state, as Republicans sort through whether to continue to embrace or reject Trump amid the intra-party clash over impeachment.

Transmitting the impeachment article  an act undertaken by managers selected by Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a time she revealed to Senate on Friday  sets in motion procedures under the rules of the Senate for Trump's trial.

Only broad outlines of the time-frame are known, but it is now a certainty that the trial will go forward, with the trial itself set to begin in about two weeks.

The Senate is expected to receive the article around 7 pm tonight, after the managers physically bring a document charging Donald Trump with 'incitement of insurrection.'

On Tuesday, senators will be sworn in to hear the trial. The trial itself will begin on Feb. 9, under an agreement reached Friday between Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, although many details of how it will go have yet to be worked out.

It was still not clear who would preside over the trial and whether it will be Chief Justice John Roberts.

The trial will advance even as Senate Republicans have been expressing opposition to the impeachment  even after some of them denounced Trump in the immediate hours after a MAGA mob trashed the Capitol after attending a 'Stop the Steal' rally where Trump urged them to 'fight.'

Among the most emphatic is Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is up for reelection in Trump's new home state. 'I think the trial is stupid, I think it's counterproductive. The first chance I get to vote to end this trial, I'll do it.'

He also said it was 'arrogant' for the Senate to vote to bar Trump from holding future office  in a procedure laid out in the Constitution.

'I think that's an arrogant statement for anyone to make. Voters get to decide that. Who are we to tell voters who they can vote for in the future,' Rubio told 'Fox News Sunday.'

But Rubio also said Trump 'bears responsibility for some of what happened' when a mob of MAGA supporters ransacked the Capitol during the counting of the electoral votes of Joe Biden's election victory.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who opposed an effort to overturn the election during the Electoral Vote count January 6, says he doesn't think the Senate has the authority under the Constitution to convict an ex-president.

'The more I talk to other Republican senators, the more they're beginning to line up' in agreement, he said, of a conference that stood by Trump throughout his presidency.

'I think a lot of Americans are going to think it's strange that the Senate is spending its time trying to convict and remove from office a man who left office a week ago,' he said.

The GOP senators move toward Trump comes even amid a bombshell New York Times report that a top Justice Department official met with the president in his final weeks in office about an effort to announce a federal investigation into the Georgia election results  and a plan for Trump to fire the acting attorney general after he wouldn't go along with a probe into baseless allegations of election fraud. Trump reportedly backed down only after a team of top DOJ officials threatened to quit if he went ahead with the plan.

A group of legal scholars have pointed to past impeachments for lower offices even after the occupants had resigned or left office.

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who voted for an impeachment article against Trump in January, is among a handle of Republican senators most likely to vote to convict.

'I believe that what is being alleged and what we saw, which is incitement to insurrection, is an impeachable offense. If not, what is?' he said.

The two-week pause negotiated by leaders allows for both sides to draft legal briefs.
Admin gears up as Hisar farmers get set to protest today

Punjab MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu hoists black flag at his residence in support of protesting farmers

Protesting farmers enter Red Fort complex, hoist flag

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 26: Protesting farmers clashed with police at several places in the national capital and entered the iconic Red Fort and ITO in the heart of national capital, with hundreds of them deviating from pre-decided routes.

Farmers enter Red Fort, hoist a flag | Tractor rampage at ITO | Oneindia News

Some protesting farmers and ''Nihangs'' (traditional Sikh warriors) were seen entering the Red Fort and hoisting a flag from the staff from which prime minister unfurls the tricolour on Independence Day.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed at ITO, where hundreds of protesters could be seen chasing police personnel with sticks and ramming their tractors into the buses parked by police.

'Don't take law in your hands, maintain peace': Delhi police appeals to farmers

At the ITO, a bus was vandalised by angry farmers.

Police on Tuesday fired tear gas shells and lathicharged farmers when they clashed with the force in parts of city.

Police used tear gas on groups of farmers and resorted to baton charge as protestors broke past barricades with tractors at different border points and did not take the pre-decided routes for their march in the national capital.

The Delhi Police had given permission to farmers protesting the three farm laws to hold their tractor parade on selected routes only after the official Republic Day parade on the Rajpath concludes.

However chaos ensued as the farmers were were adamant on heading towards central Delhi.

In the morning, groups of protesting farmers camping at Singhu and Tikri border points of the national capital broke police barricades to force their way into the city.

The ITO resembled a war zone as restive crowds of farmers and uniformed security personnel could be seen in the area. Police fired tear gas shells at hundreds of farmers who wielded sticks and clubs and entered ITO, a few kilometres away from Parliament, in an effort to move towards Rajpath.

Police baton charged farmers at Chintamani Chowk in Shahdara when they broke barricades and smashed window panes of cars. A group of ''Nihangs'' (traditional Sikh warriors) clashed with security personnel near Akshardham Temple.

At Nangloi Chowk in west Delhi and at Mukarba Chowk farmers broke cemented barricades and police used tear gas to disperse them.

An official said police personnel used tear gas to disperse groups of farmers coming from the Singhu border point as they tried to hold a march on the Outer Ring Road much ahead of the allotted time.

Meanwhile, senior farmer Balbir Singh Rajewal said farmers were following the pre-decided route. No one from the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha went to the Outer Ring Road.

Farmers' Protest: Chanting 'jai jawan jai kisan' farmers pour into Delhi on tractors, horses, cranes

"We condemn violence against farmers, appeal to all to maintain peace," Rajewal told PTI.

The Delhi Police appealed to the protesting farmers to not take law in their hands and maintain peace as clashes between the force and protesting farmers broke out at a number of places in the national capital.

The police also asked the farmers to head back to their pre-decided routes for the tractor parade.

"We request to the protesting farmers to not take law in their hands and maintain peace," Additional PRO Anil Mittal said.

A member of the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 unions, leading the protest against the three central farm laws at several border points of Delhi, said those who broke the barricades at Tikri border points belonged to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.

He said the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha''s tractor parade will start as scheduled after police give farmers way. The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee on Monday announced that they would hold their march on Delhi''s busy Outer Ring Road on Republic Day.

The entry and exit gates of more than 10 metro stations in central and north Delhi were temporarily closed on Tuesday following clashes between police and protesting farmers in part of the national capital.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation took to Twitter to inform the public about the temporary closure of metro station gates.

"Entry/exit gates of Indraprastha metro station are closed. Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed," the DMRC tweeted.

Earlier in the day, chanting ''rang de basanti'' and ''jai jawan jai kisan'' numerous farmers rode tractors, motorbikes, horses and even cranes to cross the national capital''s borders into the city for their proposed parade against the three contentious farm laws.

Marred by violence: Did farmers digress on what was agreed upon

Locals stood on both sides of the roads at various locations showering flower petals on the farmers amid drum beats.

Standing atop vehicles decked up with flags, the protesters danced to the tune of patriotic songs such as ''Aisa desh hai mera'' and ''Sare jahan se achcha''.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.
FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. - Global warming or climate change. It doesn't matter what you call it. What matters is that right now it is having a direct and dramatic effect on marine environments across our planet.

"More immediately pressing than future climate change is the increasing frequency and severity of extreme 'underwater heatwaves' that we are already seeing around the world today," Lauren Nadler, Ph.D., who is an assistant professor in Nova Southeastern University's (NSU) Halmos College of Arts and Sciences . "This phenomenon is what we wanted to both simulate and understand."

Nadler is a co-author of a new study on this topic, which you can find published online at eLife Science Journal.

As a way to further document how increasing temperatures in our oceans are impacting marine life, Nadler and a team of researchers collected two common coral reef fishes - the five-lined cardinalfish and the redbelly yellowtail fusilier - from the northern Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Then, under controlled laboratory conditions, the team gradually increased temperatures by 3.0?C above the average summer temperatures for the area. But don't worry, they didn't boil the fish, rather, they increased the temps so they could measure realistically how each species responded to these warmer conditions over a five-week period.

The researchers point out that these underwater heatwaves can cause increases of up to 5?C above seasonal average temperatures over the course of just days and can last for several weeks. This rise in temperature can lead to rapid physiological changes in these reef fishes, which could have long-term effects on survival.

"We found that the fusilier rapidly responded to thermal stress, with nearly immediate changes detected in gill shape and structure and blood parameters, however, the cardinalfish exhibited a delayed response and was far less able to adjust to the elevated temperatures," said Jacob Johansen, Ph.D., a co-author of the study who is an assistant research professor at the University of Hawaii's Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology at Manoa.

"More importantly, we identified seven parameters across both species that may be useful as biomarkers for evaluating how fast and to what extent coral reef fishes can cope with increasing temperatures. Our findings greatly improve our current understanding of physiological responses to ongoing thermal threats and disturbances, including which species may be most at risk," said Johansen.

The research team emphasises that the study is timely, given the rapid decline of tropical coral reefs worldwide, including the repeated mass coral bleaching and mortality events on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016, 2017, and 2020 - all caused by summer heatwaves. Nadler indicated that climate change 'winners and losers' will ultimately be determined by the capacity to compensate for thermal stress in both the short term of days, weeks, and months, such as in response to heatwaves as we have demonstrated, and over the longer term of years, decades, and centuries.

"Our findings are immensely useful for scientists but also for managers, conservation planners, and policy makers charged with protecting important ecosystems, such as coral reefs, as well as communities who rely on coral reefs for food, culture, jobs, and their livelihoods," said Jodie Rummer, Ph.D., an associate professor at James Cook Universitys ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and a co-author of the study. "Collectively, we need to be able to predict which species are going to survive and which will be most vulnerable to climate change so we can take action, as the decisions we make today will determine what coral reefs look like tomorrow."

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): At NSU, students don't just get an education, they get the competitive edge they need for real careers, real contributions and real life. A dynamic, private research university, NSU is providing high-quality educational and research programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels. Established in 1964, the university includes 15 colleges, the 215,000-square-foot Center for Collaborative Research, the private JK-12 grade University School, the world-class NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, one of Florida's largest public libraries. NSU students learn at our campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, and online globally. With nearly 200,000 alumni across the globe, the reach of the NSU community is worldwide. Classified as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie's Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education's criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit http://www. nova. edu for more information.

About NSU's Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center: The college provides high-quality undergraduate and graduate education programs in a broad range of disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and the arts. Halmos College faculty, researchers, staff, and students pursue studies and investigations in all of these fields and in interdisciplinary projects. Excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement are at the forefront of the College's many initiatives. The Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center hosts cutting edge research in the marine sciences focusing on the biology, conservation, and physical aspects of the tropical and subtropical ocean environments. Please visit hcas.nova.edu for more information.
A great idea on paper doesnt always translate into a great idea in practice  and calendar farming is one of those ideas.

It has been a bone of contention between farmers and the Department of Agriculture for over a decade.

And as sure as the snowdrops emerge in January, farmers and their representatives will be up in arms over when they can  and when they cant  spread slurry.

This year was no different, with many farmers highlighting the ideal conditions in early January for slurry spreading, but the calendar saying no  another example of the civil servants up in Dublin setting ridiculous and unworkable rules, in farmers minds.

So with the position unchanged again this year, the slurry season opened for the majority of the country the week before last, which unfortunately coincided with the wettest week of the year to date.

Many farmers took the decision to hold off for a dry spell. But many didnt.

Read More

Many farmers believe that as soon as the spreading season opens and land is somewhat trafficable, they have carte blanche to spread.

Theyre wrong: the practice of getting it out before the rain falls is also against the regulations.

Regardless of the regulations, spreading slurry on waterlogged land should not happen. Its a complete waste of valuable nutrients that could be used to offset the purchase of chemical fertilisers later in the year.

It also poses a significant threat to water quality.

However, rather than scrapping calendar farming, the solution lies in the answer to the following question:

Why are so many farmers under so much pressure to get slurry spread?

If farmers and their representatives are to hold the line that the problem is not too many cows, then were going to have to put the spotlight on storage capacity.

There are many who believe slurry storage hasnt been given enough consideration on many expanding farms in recent years.

And there is no getting away from the fact that sinking or erecting tanks is a costly business.

However, the maintenance of good water quality is vital to the public relations battle being raged over the future of agriculture at present.

Agriculture practices that impact it negatively should not and will not have public support.

As it stands too many farmers are betting their future on a dry January.
SA can take on vaccine nationalism of rich countries

South Africa has the legal tools to challenge the vaccine nationalism of rich countries.

International and national legal frameworks could enable the government to ensure generic Covid-19 vaccines are manufactured locally and in other developing countries, particularly in Africa.

The latter point is important as South Africa, through its chairing of the African Union (AU) and its interventions at the United Nations, has emphasised a solidarity-based approach to the use of vaccines to combat Covid-19. This approach has been sought by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Vaccine nationalism as a barrier to defeating Covid-19, and non-solidarity

At the outset of the pandemic, the WHO, the UN and leaders of countries across the world called for solidarity and cooperation on measures to stem the spread of the virus. Yet, while committing to work with UN-led initiatives such as the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (Covax), ostensibly aimed at equitable and science-led global vaccine distribution, the richer countries undermined such collective processes by practising vaccine nationalism  signing agreements with pharmaceutical companies to supply their own populations in a manner that reduces equitable access for others, often leading to forms of vaccine apartheid between countries. As scientists started work on vaccines these countries bought up vast quantities. Hedging their bets as there was not yet enough evidence for which vaccines would be effective, they ordered most of the stocks of all the leading candidate vaccines, enough to vaccinate all their people a number of times. The result is that 14% of the worlds population bought out 53% of the available vaccines, excluding those produced by Russia and China  while, as indicated by Guterres, nine out of 10 people in poor countries are set to miss out on Covid-19 vaccines in 2021.

This situation has alarmed the UN secretary-general, who said recently vaccine nationalism is a barrier to defeating Covid-19, which can only be done through international cooperation. The WHO has also said that inoculating all the people in some countries while leaving the vast majority of the worlds population without access to the vaccines is not only morally reprehensible, but would do very little to stem the tide of the pandemic.

The health, social and economic challenges of the pandemic will continue unabated. Moreover, the differential pace at which the vaccine is rolled out may create conditions for increased political turmoil between regions and potentially inflame global tensions and instability.

The continued disruption of global supply chains means national economies would continue to suffer and the global economy would continue to stagnate. This would deepen inequalities within and between countries; the latter because some countries are able to access vaccines and treatments and so recover more rapidly than others; the former is due to the fact that the hardest-hit sectors have low wages and the most vulnerable of society have little or no resources to compensate for the cut in income.

The key to ending a pandemic is to inoculate a critical mass of people around the globe, more or less simultaneously in a manner that will effectively break the virus transmission chain. That is, unless the unstated impulse by the rich countries is to block out the rest of the globes population from their countries based on their lack of immunity.

Given the history of colonialism, slavery and genocides associated with the richer countries, such Darwinist instincts can, unfortunately, not be discounted. That the rich countries, which purport to champion global governance, acted contrary to and in a manner that undermined UN-led initiatives to create global governance bodies to allocate and distribute the vaccines based on science and ethics, underscores the sentiment in much of the global south that rich countries of the north instrumentalise the institutions of global governance in ways that are only beneficial to them.

The apparent ease with which vaccine nationalism was embraced by the rich countries has perhaps irrevocably damaged initiatives and institutions of global governance that foreground solidarity and global well-being.

Covax

The UN secretary-general and the director-general of the WHO have reiterated calls for more money to be made available for Covax, which sought to break the chain of viral transmissions by pool-buying viable vaccines as they became available and distribute them ethically. There would have been elements of redress with pooled funds from self-financing countries such as South Africa cross-subsidising countries that lack the resources.

The problem is that Covax has supply, governance, transparency and classification limitations. This might have contributed to rich countries not being committed to such an arrangement and instead concluding bilateral deals for most of the vaccine supplies to the extent that only about 20% (maximum) would be available to poorer countries through Covax. This translates to only about 3% of the population benefiting from the facility.

Thus, while South Africa should get what it can from Covax in its current form, it cannot depend on it to meet its vaccination targets for breaking the transmission chain. Rather than allowing big pharmaceutical companies to maximise profits and pressure the government to let go of its one country, one plan approach (which seeks to reduce skewed access to vaccines), the government should consider a strategy that puts maximum pressure on those companies using the multilateral system, in conjunction with international and domestic legal measures.

Decisive action towards an equitable vaccine strategy

An equitable vaccine strategy requires monitoring by states, because this pandemic is existential in nature for people and economies and cannot be left, primarily, to the private sector and especially pharmaceutical companies. Wresting control of vaccines from the private sector, particularly the intellectual property regimes of these companies, is critical to meeting global vaccination targets.

International level:

At international level, South Africa should continue, in partnership with India, to push and lobby for a general waiver to the WHOs Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement in relation to Covid-19 drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and other technologies.

South Africa and India seek to suspend rights related to copyrights, industrial designs, patents and undisclosed information (trade secrets) for the duration of the pandemic, until the majority of the worlds population has developed immunity, to enable World Trade Organisation (WTO) members to produce and export generics of the vaccines in a way that might meet national and global demand.

This request is being blocked by WTO members that have already ordered the vaccines (such as the US, the EU, the UK, Norway and Canada). They argue that the TRIPS flexibilities provide sufficient access to future vaccines for all people everywhere. In brief, the TRIPS provisions, as amended through the provisions of the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health (Articles 31, 31bis and Annex 1), allow WTO members that cannot afford the original medicine but have the capacity to produce generics for its domestic market through the issuing of compulsory licensing. They also allow members that lack the manufacturing capacity to import medicines from those that produce them cheaply.

Why then a waiver? While these measures can and should be exploited, without a general waiver countries would need to initiate individual action to obtain compulsory licences. These processes are cumbersome and time consuming  which the people and economies of these countries can ill afford (particularly given the slow rollout of vaccines to developing countries).

Some licences require negotiations with right holders, and uncertainties exist around who determines what an adequate remuneration is (required according to Article 31(h) of the TRIPS Agreement). Despite South Africa having provisions for compulsory licensing, in more than a century of patent legislation no compulsory licence has been granted for pharmaceutical-related products. Moreover, some compulsory licences are only for public, non-commercial use, while the process does not apply to trade secret know-how and cell lines needed to copy vaccines and biologic medicines.

Importantly, some members, such as the US and the UK, where companies are working on the development of a vaccine, have not ratified the TRIPS amendment that allows imports from countries that produce under a compulsory licence. Attempts to bypass patent rules on several Covid-19 related medical technologies have already faced implementation barriers.

Hence the importance of the South African and Indian initiative around a general waiver for the duration of the pandemic. Notably, the waiver would not, as regularly argued, prevent innovation considering that there are 210 vaccines in the (pre-)clinical phase, nor would it prevent pharmaceutical companies from recouping research and development costs.

According to Labonte and Baker, governments have entered into $24-billion worth of advance-purchase agreements, which are expected to generate a 60% to 80% profit margin, not to speak of the $2-billion in public funding. A waiver would not change the fact that developing countries health-system capacities are underfunded or limited, but would create an environment for a more rapid solution to sharing manufacturing capacities and technical production knowledge that newer health technologies require, and allow export to countries in need, irrespective of the origin of the vaccine.

In the absence of consensus, which the WHO prefers, the adoption of the waiver requires a three-quarter majority  the support of 123 members. More than 100 developing countries, numerous NGOs, several UN agencies, the WHO and broader civil society support the waiver already. Thus, South Africa should continue to lobby and set a deadline for the General Council to decide on the issue.

Failure by the TRIPS Council to adopt the waiver could trigger action by the South African government to produce and import the vaccines, using compulsory licences enabled by domestic legislation; potentially even invoking article 73 of the TRIPS Agreement (security exceptions). In contrast, a waiver could stipulate specific conditions that make allowance for some of the pharmaceutical companies interests.

National level:

South African patent law does provide for compulsory licensing and state use in an emergency. Section 4 of the Patents Act allows for government use of patents in cases of national emergency, subject to negotiations with patent owners, irrespective of the scale of the emergency.

Sections 55 and 56 provide for compulsory licences and, similarly, require a judicial process before the Commissioner of Patents. This involves time and costs associated with litigation.

Further, the Medicines and Related Substances Control Amendment Act and Section 57 of the Patents Act allow for parallel importation in general and would thus permit the import of generics produced under a compulsory licence in other countries, irrespective of South Africas manufacturing capabilities. This is inconsistent with the TRIPS provisions which only permit such export to least-developed countries and those without manufacturing capacity.

The Patents Amendment Bill, guided by the provisions of the governments Intellectual Property Rights Policy, would allow for compulsory licensing without judicial processes, invoking state use and negotiations with patent holders. These amendments would accelerate the process of issuing a compulsory licence and should be tabled in Parliament as soon as possible. The passing of these amendments would also signal to the pharmaceutical companies and the WTO negotiators that all South African stakeholders, including all political parties and not only the government, are serious about ensuring equitable access to life-saving medication to all its people and people in the region.

Other than the patents legislation that may allow the government to immediately implement measures to produce and import generics, arguably, sections 7, 11 and 27 of the Constitution contain a positive obligation to fulfil the right to life and the right to access healthcare. In relation to Covid-19, and considering vaccine nationalism, the most obvious necessary measure to fulfil this obligation is for the government to issue a compulsory licence or import vaccines, enabled by the patent laws.

Big pharmaceutical companies that may pressure the government to let go of its one country, one plan approach can be referred to the governments duty to consider international options when fulfilling its peoples rights (section 39(1)(b)).

The International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ratified by South Africa) provides that access to the right to health and therefore, medicine, should be realised without distinction on the grounds of race, colour, sex language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, disability or other status; and the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) (ratified by South Africa) provides for states to prohibit and eliminate racial discrimination in the enjoyment of public health and medical care.

The manner in which vaccine nationalism is shaping the rollout of vaccines arguably contravenes these international law provisions. Given the transboundary nature of the pandemic, it would not be far-fetched to argue for an extraterritorial state obligation to effect measures to remedy this.

Using existing legal tools to access vaccines

Experience in the global HIV/Aids struggle for affordable antiretrovirals suggests that when drug companies are threatened with state-use licensing or compulsory licences, they will consider voluntary licensing to avoid compulsory licences. The Netherlands recently threatened Roche over its technology in a testing kit. The drug company complied and shared the technology. To advance solidarity on the continent, these licences should rely on African and Global South manufacturers, where possible.

South Africa has the legal tools to challenge the exclusionary vaccine strategy of rich countries and pharmaceutical companies. It should use these measures nationally and mobilise bias around them in the international arena, to urgently get the rich countries and the pharmaceutical companies around the table to agree on a UN/WHO-led global Covid-19 vaccine strategy that is controlled by members.

The impact of this pandemic is the premier global emergency and has peace and security implications given its potential to degrade economies and undermine stability within states. The situation is too urgent and precarious to be left to the dictates of pharmaceutical companies and their drive for profits, and the narrow nationalist impulses of a few rich countries.

The national and global situation is such that patent rights should be secondary to patient rights. In this pandemic, all people in all parts of the world are patients, through the impact the pandemic has on health, lives and livelihoods. The vaccines should be first considered public health goods and then private goods, and their manufacture and distribution should be managed within that context. DM

Zane Dangor is Special Adviser to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and chairs the Institute for Economic Justice on a voluntary basis. He holds an LLM in International Law.

Franziska Sucker is Associate Professor, School of Law, University of the Witwatersrand. First State Exam in Law, Second State Exam in Law, LLM, PhD.

This article was first published in Daily Maverick.


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A 1950s toy robot and a bracelet which once belonged to Queen Victoria are among the stunning array of items owned by the late Countess Mountbatten of Burma that are expected to fetch up to 1.5million when they go on sale in March.

Born Patricia Mountbatten, the Countess was the eldest daughter of Prince Charles' beloved great-uncle and the last Viceroy of India, Louis Mountbatten, and his wife, Edwina.

In 1979 she survived a deadly IRA blast that killed her father, 14-year-old son, Nicholas, and her mother-in-law, Lady Brabourne.

The Countess - whose husband John Knatchbull died in 2005 - passed away in 2017 at the age of 93 and her funeral was attended by members of the royal family including the Queen and Prince Philip and Charles, who was her godson.

Now, more than 400 of her possessions, which have an estimated value of more than 1.5million, are set to be sold by auction house Sotheby's.

The sellers promise that 'collectors have the chance to see the story of the twentieth century unfold and acquire evocative vestiges of a glittering way of life.'

A 1950s toy robot and a bracelet which once belonged to Queen Victoria are among the stunning array of items owned by the late Countess Mountbatten that are expected to fetch up to 1.5million when they go on sale with auction house Sotheby's in March. The robot was given by Lord Mountbatten - the Countess's father - to his grandchildren. The battery-operated toy is estimated to fetch between 4,000 and 6,000

The bracelet which was owned by Queen Victoria is set with diamonds and made from enamelled gold. The portrait inside depicts a young Prince Albert, who Victoria was devoted to. She was devastated by his death at the age of 42 in 1861. It could sell for between 4,000 and 6,000

Born Patricia Mountbatten, the Countess was the eldest daughter of Prince Charles' beloved great-uncle and the last Viceroy of India, Louis Mountbatten, and his wife, Edwina. She passed away in 2017 at the age of 93. She is pictured above in 2004 with her dogs Sandy and Skye

The items come from Countess Mountbatten's 18th-Century family home, Newhouse, where she lived with her husband, a film producer.

The Countess's extraordinary life and heritage made her a darling of Britain's aristocracy.

Some of the objects on sale, which also include portraits, other items of jewellery and pieces of furniture, are family heirlooms while others are personal mementos or meaningful gifts.

A pair of jewelled gold and enamel elephants, which come from Jaipur, in India, are expected to fetch between 2,000 and 3,000.

The sale also offers a Faberge inkwell which the Countess gifted to her husband on 26 October 1966, the anniversary of their wedding twenty years before.

It bears a romantic inscription in Patricia's handwriting looking forward to '20 even more perfect years' and could fetch between 4,000 and 6,000.

A Faberge clock, which dates from between 1896 and 1903, is estimated to sell for between 15,000 and 25,000.

More than 400 of her possessions, which have an estimated value of more than 1.5million, are set to be sold by auction house Sotheby's. Pictured: The pig-shaped gold chain handbag has an estimated value of 3,000

A pair of jewelled gold and enamel elephants, which were a gift from Lord Mountbatten to his wife Edwina, are expected to fetch between 2,000 and 3,000. Lord Mountbatten had been appointed Britain's last Viceroy of India. The family grew close to both Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The bases of the elephants are Inscribed in Lord Mountbatten's handwriting: 'Edwina from Dickie' and '18 July 1946'

The sale also offers a Faberge inkwell which the Countess gifted to her husband on 26 October 1966, the anniversary of their wedding twenty years before. It bears a romantic inscription in Patricia's handwriting looking forward to '20 even more perfect years' and could fetch between 4,000 and 6,000

This jewel has been passed down through the Knatchbull family and commemorates the botanist Sir Joseph Banks. It is estimated to fetch between 40,000 and 60,000. A scientist, explorer and botanist, Sir Joseph joined Captain James Cook on his voyage to the Pacific as part of the Royal Society's expedition, collecting thousands of plant specimens previously unknown in Europe. The late 18th-Century brooch incorporates a cushion-shaped yellow diamond given to Joseph Banks by his sister Sarah around the time of his marriage in 1779. The reverse of the stone features a glazed locket with woven hair and their initials JSB. Originally gifted to Sir Joseph's wife Dorothea, it passed to her sister Mary, Lady Knatchbull and thence by descent, until finally to Lord Brabourne and its last wearer, the late Countess

A Faberge clock from St Petersburg, which dates from between 1896 and 1903, is estimated to sell for between 15,000 and 25,000. The Countess's father, Louis Mountbatten, was closely related to the Russian Royal family through both his mother and father. The last Tsarina was his aunt, with whom he spent many summers. This exquisite clock was used by the Countess in her bedroom

The Imperial Order of the Crown of India which was presented to Lady Mountbatten's mother-in-law, Doreen, Lady Brabourne, could fetch between 5,000 and 20,000. This was an award that could only be bestowed by the Monarch to a female recipient. The diamond, pearl and turquoise-set decoration would have been worn at State occasions by Doreen, Lady Brabourne, the Countess's mother-in-law. The only person who still wears this Order today, and the last to hold it, is Her Majesty the Queen

This portrait of the Countess when she was a girl, which was painted by Raymond Kannelba, could sell for between 500 and 700

Left: This portrait of 17th-Century writer Dorothy Coventry, who later became Lady Pakington, is expected to sell for between 10,000 and 15,000. Right: A portrait of Lady Doreen Browne, the mother of the Countess's husband John Knatchbull. It is expected to sell for between 3,000-5,000

An 'extraordinary' gold handbag which is shaped like a pig and is set with diamonds is a sign of the Mountbatten family's love of animals.

It comes complete with ears and trotters, as well as a gold chain, and has a sale price estimate of 3,000.

The bracelet which was owned by Queen Victoria is set with diamonds and made from enamelled gold. It is expected to sell for between 4,000 and 6,000.

The portrait inside depicts a young Prince Albert, who Victoria was devoted to. She was devastated by his death at the age of 42 in 1861.

The toy robot is very rare and is still in its original packaging. It was given by Lord Mountbatten to his grandchildren.

He is said to have delighted in anything modern and mechanical and constructed a large train set in the cellar at Newhouse.

The Countess was the patron of more than 100 charities during her life.

Museum-Quality Furniture: A rare Anglo-Indian inlaid bureau mounted on a mahogany stand supplied by Thomas Chippendale to Sir Edward Knatchbull in 1767. It is estimated to sell for between 40,000 and 60,000. Amongst the treasures in the sale is an object by Thomas Chippendale, England's greatest cabinetmaker. The incredibly rare stand was made by Chippendale for the sum of 4 to house a Knatchbull heirloom, an Indian inlaid miniature bureau  a celebration of the link between England and India

This French Marquetry cabinet, which dates from the reign of King Louis XVI, is made from Rosewood and is expected to sell for between 2,000 and 3,000

These sailors' cap tallies were collected by the Countess as a child, many given to her by her father. They come from ships that Lord Mountbatten was directly involved with. Those of the HMS Lion and Queen Elizabeth were worn by Mountbatten at the start of his career in the Navy as a teenager. There are others from vessels significant in his naval career, including HMS Wishart. They are expected to sell for between 1,200 and ,1800

Formerly hung in Patricia's Drawing Room, this portrait (left) of Jane Monins, who died in 1699, was painted in 1670 and commissioned by Janes husband Sir John Knatchbull, 2nd Baronet. A payment of 15 to the artist was made. A further painting in the sale (right) is by Thomas Hawker, who was one of Sir Peter Lely's chief studio assistants. This depicts Mary Harvey (1629-1705), the first British female composer to have had her works published. Her daughter Mary married Sir Thomas Knatchbull, 3rd Baronet

The items come from Countess Mountbatten's 18th-Century family home, Newhouse, where she lived with her husband, a film producer

She and her husband had eight children and, due to their individual backgrounds, their marriage brought together two incredible inheritances.

The Knatchbull family home, Mersham le Hatch, is nestled in the Kent countryside. Many of the objects held within it are part of the upcoming sale.

It was furnished by Thomas Chippendale in the 1770s. Several pieces of furniture, including a rare Anglo-Indian Chippendale bureau, has an estimated price tag of between 40,000 and 60,000.

The Countess's family said ahead of the sale on March 24: 'Our overriding desire when organising our mother's affairs is to honour her wishes and celebrate the memory of both our mother and our father.

'They had discussed these arrangements with us, and we are simply putting their plans into effect. We are of course keeping many things and importantly amongst these are objects which are of sentimental value and much loved.'

Harry Dalmeny, Sotheby's Chairman, UK & Ireland: 'Lady Mountbatten's residence, Newhouse was a private place for entertaining only the closest of family and friends, capturing all the magic of a stately home on an intimate scale.

'Through her belongings, many passed down from members of the extended family over the years, collectors have the chance to see the story of the twentieth century unfold and acquire evocative vestiges of a glittering way of life.'
A rare earth processing plant is proposed to be built in Hull, a port city in England, to supply the booming offshore wind industry, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Monday.

The Britain-listed exploration company Pensana Rare Earths has submitted a planning application for the 125-million-U.S.-dollar facility, which would be Europe's first rare earth processing plant and would create 100 direct jobs, said the newspaper.

The company would produce rare earth oxides, which are used to manufacture magnets that drive the motors of offshore wind turbines and electric vehicles, according to the newspaper.

The plant will process neodymium and praseodymium from a proposed mine in Angola, it added.

Paul Atherley, chairman of Pensana, was quoted as saying that the company chose Hull because of its port and world-class infrastructure. Hull is also close to the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, one of the world's largest.

The British government plans to increase the locally made content of turbines as part of its 10-point plan announced in November last year for the "green industrial revolution".

Unveiling the plan, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Nov. 18, 2020 that Britain will mobilize more than 12 billion pounds (about 16.4 billion dollars) of government investment, alongside three times that amount from the private sector by 2030, to build up "the green economy" backing up to 250,000 jobs.
A COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be held in Montgomery on Saturday for people 75 and older, healthcare workers, and first responders.

The clinic will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Montgomerys South/Central Police & Fire/Rescue Station, former site of the Montgomery Mall, at 3003 E. South Blvd.

Its a first-come, first-served clinic, with no appointments.

The City of Montgomery, Montgomery County and Montgomery Emergency Management Agency have partnered with the Alabama Department of Public Health to host the clinic.

People should bring a photo ID that includes date of birth. First responders and healthcare workers will need to provide their employee ID.

Entry to the site begins at 8 a.m. with vaccinations to begin at 9 a.m. The public will enter via the service road accessed from McGehee Road by Bishop-Parker Furniture or the traffic light at Strathmore Drive. Should an individual arrive on foot or through public transportation, there will be a walk-up option. Insurance is not required to receive a vaccine, but individuals should bring an insurance card if they have one.

For more information, please call Montgomery EMA at 334-625-4181 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Related: 1,839 new COVID-19 cases added in Alabama; state administered 100,000-plus vaccines last week

Alabamas online COVID-19 vaccine website launching in February
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 26 : The Kerala Police on Tuesday registered a case against Non-Resident Indian Ajinas, working as a physical trainer in Qatar, following a complaint by BJP state President K Surendran that he had posted abusive content against his daughter on a social media platform.

Surendran had posted a picture of him along with his daughter, after which Ajinas allegedly posted abuses in response. The accused hails from Meppayur in Vadakara area of Kozhikode.

Many users protested on the social media platforms over Ajinas' alleged action and flooded the web page of Qatar Home Ministry with complaints against him from across the state.

Local BJP workers even took out a protest march to the residence of Ajinas at Meppayur and spoke to his family on Monday night, warning them of dire consequences if they don't apologise on the alleged misdeed of Ajinas.

Sudhir Babu, BJP's Meppayur mandalam President, told IANS on phone: "Our party chief put a pciture of him along with his daughter and this person posted abuses on the social media wall of our leader. For insulting womanhood to this level, he must be taken to task. We took out a protest march to his residence yesterday." Meawhile, Ajinas appeared in a video and claimed that his social media account was hacked by someone who deliberately posted abuses in his name.

The BJP and RSS sympathisers however did not buy this argument and said that he was a habitual offender against Hindu women and RSS and BJP leaders.

MP Sumesh, Kannur district Cell convenor of the BJP, said: "Ajinas has been regularly insulting Hindu women through the social media and even insulted our Prime Minister in a social media post and hurled abuses against him." Sumesh said that the party demanded that police conduct a free and fair investigation and warned the state government and police of an agitation in case it failed to redress their grievances.
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[January 26, 2021] Macedonia Community Development Corporation Receives $150,000 From the Amgen Foundation to Support Business Accelerator Program

Macedonia Community Development Corporation (Macedonia CDC) today announced it has been awarded $150,000 from the Amgen Foundation to support its Watts Entrepreneur Business Accelerator (WEBA) program. The program provides technical assistance and access to capital to entrepreneurs and existing businesses in Watts and surrounding communities as well as businesses that hire Watts residents. Through WEBA, entrepreneurs gain skills and access to resources that are required to build sustainable businesses and communities. The program provides in-depth business counseling, classroom training, and peer-to-peer learning and covers areas such as business plan development, marketing, permits and licensing, web development and more. "Macedonia CDC is playing an important role in addressing economic inequality by focusing on providing the support that is required for entrepreneurs to thrive," said Eduardo Cetlin, President of the Amgen Foundation. "When people have access to these critical business resources, they become empowered to seize opportunities. I look forward to seeing the companies that this program will launch and grow." "The generous support of the Amgen Foundation allows us to continue meeting the needs of local entrepreneurs and equipping themto be successful," said Shane Scott, Macedonia CDC Chairman and CEO. "This is a great example of how our partnerships with public and private entities benefit Watts and directly advance historically marginalized communities."



Macedonia CDC launched the WEBA program in 2017. One-on-one technical assistance is available Monday through Friday. For more information about Macedonia CDC and its WEBA program, please visit https://macedoniacdc.org. About the Amgen Foundation

The Amgen Foundation seeks to advance excellence in science education to inspire the next generation of innovators and invest in strengthening communities where Amgen staff members live and work. To date, the Foundation has donated over $325 million to local, regional, and international nonprofit organizations that impact society in inspiring and innovative ways. The Amgen Foundation brings the excitement of discovery to the scientists of tomorrow through several signature programs, including Amgen Scholars and the Amgen Biotech Experience. For more information, please visit AmgenInspires.com. About Macedonia Community Development Corporation The Macedonia Community Development Corporation (Macedonia CDC) was founded in 2015 to transform Watts and greater South Los Angeles into vibrant, healthy communities of productive citizens. Through tailored programming and partnerships with public and private entities, Macedonia CDC inspires, supports and empowers the people of Watts. For more information, please visit https://macedoniacdc.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005112/en/

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Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

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Foreigners' building transactions in South Korea reached an all-time high in 2020, with deals soaring in the Seoul metropolitan area, data showed Tuesday.







Foreigners' transactions of housing and commercial buildings in Asia's fourth-largest economy came to 21,048 last year, up 18.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Real Estate Board.







It marked the first time that the number of foreign property transactions exceeded the 20,000 mark.







It was also the largest annual tally since January 2006, when the board started tracking related data.







Since passing the 10,000 level in 2014, foreign building transactions had been on the rise before falling 11 percent on-year in 2019.







Gyeonggi Province, surrounding the South Korean capital, reported the most transactions at 8,975, followed by Seoul with 4,775 and the western port city of Incheon with 2,842.







In particular, Seoul posted a 22.9 percent increase from the 3,886 transactions recorded a year earlier, according to the data. (Yonhap)



NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HIPPEAS Organic Chickpea Snacks has raised $50M from The Craftory Limited . The Craftory is a revolutionary investment house that is a notably counter-corporate and anti-traditional VC. The brand intends to use the funds to boost innovation, expand production, increase distribution, and amplify its positive impact. The financing consisted of direct investment and secondary purchases of shares from existing HIPPEAS shareholders, including CAVU Venture Partners.

HIPPEAS Organic Chickpea Snacks

HIPPEAS, known for its iconic yellow bag with a chickpea smile, debuted in Q2 of 2016 in the US and the UK, with a line of Organic Chickpea Puffs that quickly took over grocery aisles with unprecedented traction. In 2019, the brand launched HIPPEAS Organic Tortilla Chips, chickpea-based tortilla chips. Both lines are USDA Organic, certified gluten-free, vegan and totally delicious. To date, the brand has secured shelf-space at 50,000 stores such as Starbucks, Whole Foods, Target, CVS, Wegmans, Stop & Shop, Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, Thrive Market and on Amazon.com. HIPPEAS Tortilla Chips can be found at Whole Foods and on Amazon.com in the US.

HIPPEAS is on a mission to shake things up. HIPPEAS is calling all snackers to #GivePeasAChance while also doing good in the world. Chickpea plants naturally release nitrogen back into the soil, so they are good for the earth, just by being themselves. True to their mantra of Peas, Love & Giving Back, HIPPEAS is proud to support local Feeding America food banks across the country by donating food and aiding in disaster relief efforts.

"HIPPEAS has grown from a disruptive start-up to a true challenger brand in very competitive snack categories with innovative products, delicious flavors and nutritional offerings that consumers want  the brand has the potential to become a household name with its loyal millennial fanbase," said Livio Bisterzo, HIPPEAS Founder and CEO. "The pandemic has been very difficult for many brands; HIPPEAS has been fortunate to have seen strong growth and we are delighted to have partnered with The Craftory as we head into 2021," he continued.

Greg Buscher has come on as CFO. Greg is an entrepreneurial CFO with 25 years' C-suite leadership experience. His career leverages a strategic business perspective, operational orientation, and deep background in manufacturing and distribution to create enterprise value through top and bottom-line growth.

Cesar Melo has also joined HIPPEAS board of directors. Cesar holds vast global operating experience having held senior leadership roles at Colgate-Palmolive, was president at Mondelez and PepsiCO, as well as CEO of Foster Grant International. Cesar currently focuses on investing in and advising early-stage companies in the areas of better-food, better-planet, and better-technology.

Elio Leoni Sceti, Co-Founder & Chief Crafter at The Craftory, noted, "I am delighted to add HIPPEAS to the Craftory's great portfolio of cause driven brands. If ever a category has been left behind by the zeitgeist it's this one. The consumer agenda in snacking has fundamentally changed and HIPPEAS stands out as a clear leader. HIPPEAS offers zero compromise of flavour and texture, no need to change consumer habits nor expectations, while also being healthier and more sustainable than the more traditional alternatives  that's a great proposition and a proven recipe for success. We are happy to welcome Livio and the HIPPEAS team to the Craftory family. We look forward to amplifying this bold CPG challenger as they positively disrupt the status quo. Eat good, do good, what could be more Craftory than that?"

Jonathan Miller, Craft Partner at the Craftory commented, "HIPPEAS are that rarest of things  a healthier snack which actually tastes good. Really good. Too often, the healthy option which you know is better for you just leaves you feeling 'I'd rather not have anything'  but HIPPEAS snacks are delicious. And not only better for you  they're also better for the planet. We're excited to be partnering with the business, to help bring their better breed of snacks to more people, on more occasions, around the world."

About HIPPEAS

Green Park Snacks, Inc, creator of HIPPEAS is on a mission to shake things up. HIPPEAS is calling all snackers to #GivePeasAChance while also doing good in the world. HIPPEAS Organic Chickpea Snacks are USDA Certified Organic, certified gluten-free, Non-GMO, vegan and totally delicious! Chickpea plants naturally release nitrogen back into the soil, so they are good for the earth, just by being themselves. True to their mantra of Peas, Love & Giving Back, HIPPEAS is proud to support local Feeding America food banks across the country by donating food and aiding in disaster relief efforts. For more information, visit HIPPEAS.com and follow along on Instagram @hippeas_snacks.

There is a HIPPEAS for every craving and snacking occasion. HIPPEAS Organic Chickpea Puffs come in five flavors including: Vegan White Cheddar, Nacho Vibes, Bohemian Barbecue, Sriracha Sunshine and Himalayan Happiness. HIPPEAS Organic Chickpea Tortilla Chips come in three flavors including: Straight Up Sea Salt, Rockin' Ranch and Jalapeno Vegan Cheddar.

About The Craftory

We are Cause Capital: Based in London and San Francisco, The Craftory is a $375M global investment house focused exclusively on amplifying the world's boldest consumer brands. We offer permanent, early stage and growth capital to cause-driven CPG brands that positively impact the categories they serve, society, and the planet. The Craftory is a proud B-Corp. For more information, visit TheCraftory.io.

Media Contact:

Rachel Powell

516-314-7730

[email protected]

SOURCE HIPPEAS Organic Chickpea Snacks
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In collaboration with Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, MedAire, an International SOS company, has launched an advanced operational pilot for the digitalisation of pre-departure COVID-19 testing using the ICC AOKpass mobile app. Following the success of an initial pilot for Etihad launched in September 2020 as a world's first for the air travel industry, use of ICC AOKpass is now offered to Etihad passengers flying from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Abu Dhabi.

Using the ICC AOKpass app, travellers are able to verify their COVID-19 test results with the airline without breaching the privacy of their personal health data. Under current regulations, travellers arriving in Abu Dhabi are required to obtain a negative PCR test prior to departure, ensuring that 100% of passengers on board are COVID-19 free. They are also tested on arrival in Abu Dhabi, as part of the emirate's ongoing protection against the pandemic. Under the pilot, Etihad guests are able to securely store their PCR test results digitally on their mobile devices for later verification at the airport. The ICC AOKpass system completes this verification using a global, incorruptible blockchain-based network ensuring all test results are genuine, valid, and in line with government regulations.

Bill Dolny, CEO of MedAire, said, "Providing travellers with a fast and secure way to store and authenticate their test results is a key element in the return to travel, and in regaining the trust of passengers. MedAire, as world's leading provider of health and safety solutions for the aviation industry, has actively supported airports and airlines around the world in restarting travel safely and securely, relying on our vast provider network since the start of the COVID outbreak. Supporting Etihad Airways in pioneering this pilot is a major milestone to further the resumption of international traffic in a safe and COVID-19 free environment."

This deployment of a working implementation of ICC AOKpass by MedAire is one of several live pilots already operating on the ground globally. The ICC AOKpass solution is actively expanding deployment as part of a coordinated global response to the pandemic, utilising secure technological solutions to support a safer and more efficient return to cross-border travel.

Mohammad Al Bulooki, Etihad Aviation Group Chief Operating Officer, said: "As part of Etihad's Wellness initiative, the health and safety of the airline's guests is the top priority. By collaborating with MedAire, this pilot will explore enhanced operational efficiencies, improved customer experience and greater compliance with regulations that restrict the spread of COVID-19 to keep the world healthy. Additionally, it will provide greater assurance that everyone on board an Etihad aircraft has verifiably tested negative for COVID-19."

"Since the onset of the pandemic, Etihad believes that an enduring legacy of COVID-19 will be the need for passengers to present their medical status at the time of travel. The development of health passes are new to the airline industry, and Etihad has been working with a number of companies on digital applications for this purpose, to ensure that our guests have the greatest flexibility and the highest standards of wellness when they travel."

Dr Chester Drum MD PhD, Co-founder of ICC AOKpass, said: "The world needs a standardised technical infrastructure to protect health information while allowing passengers to demonstrate fitness to travel. With the global support of the ICC, International SOS and SGS we launched world's first live deployment of a COVID-19 health status verification solution for international air travel for Etihad. With significant progress since then, including the first use of a digital COVID-19 health record to cross an immigration checkpoint for travel from Japan to Singapore, our operational experience with real-world airline customers is unparalleled. Together with innovative partners such as Etihad, our operational deployments are now guiding a global product to restart cross-border travel."

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005881/en/

Contacts:

Suzanne Withers

T: 020 8762 8494

E: suzanne.withers@internationalsos.com
Two suspects in assault on law enforcement officers at illegal Moscow rally arrested

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

13:34 26/01/2021

MOSCOW, January 26 (RAPSI)  Two alleged participants of an unauthorized rally held in Moscow on January 23 were arrested as part of a case over assault on law enforcement officers, the Investigative Committees press service reports.

Charges will be brought against them soon, the statement reads.

According to investigators, on January 23, one of the arrested men taking part in the illegal walkout beat a police officer several times. Another man driving his car hit a police officer in central Moscow.




New Delhi, Jan 26 : The farmers movement that had been peaceful for the last two months turned violent on Republic Day on Tuesday after the protestors deviated from the designated route for the proposed tractor rally.

After a clash between the farmers and police at ITO where hundreds of protestors were seen chasing police personnel with sticks, ramming their tractors into the buses, they then reached Red Fort.

Hundreds of farmers on their tractors with flags while 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisaan ' echoed all around central Delhi, ultimately made their way to Red Fort after breaching all the barricades on the way.

The farmers swarmed the Red Fort and waved flags from the ramparts of the fort. They hoisted farmers' union flags as well as the Nishan Sahib flag. Some Nihangs waved their swords from the dome.

Later Police were seen removing the flag while trying to remove protesters from the monument, resorting to a lathi-charge. The adamant farmers attacked the police personnel. Soon after, hundreds of protestors were seen chasing the cops with sticks, rods which left several police personnel severely injured. The protestors were also seen pelting stones at the police personnel and destroyed public property as well.

The protesters were out of control for some time as they outnumbered the Delhi Police at the fort but later heavy deployment of the CRPF took place and situation was brought under control.

Soon after the unexpected scenes at the Red Fort the 'Samyukta Kisan Morcha' issued a statement distancing itself from the 'violent elements'. The farmers' union said, "We condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that have taken place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts." The farmers were supposed to remain in the areas adjoining the Delhi borders and not venture towards Central Delhi but they violated all the agreements and guidelines given to them.
Another disappointment: 4 pro-life reactions to Supreme Court blocking La. abortion clinic law

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On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June Medical Services v. Russo that a Louisiana state law holding abortion clinics to the same standards as surgical centers was unconstitutional.

Justice Stephen Breyer announced the judgment, being joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. Chief Justice John Roberts filed a concurring opinion.

The opinion was built off of an earlier 5-3 Supreme Court ruling known as Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt, which struck down a similar law in Texas.

In this case, we consider the constitutionality of a Louisiana statute, Act 620, that is almost word-for-word identical to Texas admitting-privileges law, wrote Breyer.

Those findings mirror those made in Whole Womans Health in every relevant respect and require the same result. We consequently hold that the Louisiana statute is unconstitutional.

Pro-choice groups celebrated the decision, with organizations like Planned Parenthood hailing it as a victory for womens health and abortion access.

Many patients seeking abortion in Louisiana can [breathe] a sigh of relief, stated Planned Parenthood on Twitter.

Your ability to access abortion shouldnt be determined by where you live, how much money you make, and the color of your skin  and well keep working to make that a reality for ALL people.

However, many pro-life activists and conservatives denounced the decision. Here are four pro-life reactions to the latest Supreme Court decision.

In the history of the hit series Vikings, there are five sons of Ragnar Lothbrok: Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig), Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith), Hvitserk (Marco Ils), Sigurd (David Lindstrom), and Ivar (Alex Hgh Andersen). Each of the sons has parts of their father in them, but one seems to have the constant drive and the fury, and thats Ivar.

Since season 4B of Vikings, fans have watched Ivar grow up and change from someone who proclaimed himself a god, to a person who was afraid to die in the end. His story comes full circle, and his end was a hard one for fans.

Alex Hgh Andersen, the actor who plays Ivar, recently spoke in an interview about his final day on set, and it was clearly emotional for him.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from Vikings]

Alex Hgh Andersen in Vikings | Jonathan Hession/A+E Networks/History

Ivars journey comes full circle

Ivar starts the series off feeling different from everyone else even in childhood. He felt like his father didnt want him, and it made him a very angry adolescent and adult. But when Ragnar returns, Ivar goes with him to Wessex to get revenge for the destroyed settlement there. However, its all part of Ragnars plan. Hes killed in England by King Aelle (Ivan Kaye), but Ivar is allowed to go free, and his brothers get revenge for their fathers death, which is what Ragnar was counting on.

But it isnt enough for Ivar. He eventually takes Kattegat from Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), ruling as a god and making the people worship him. But even then, it cant quench his desire for more, and his ambitions are endless. However, when Bjorn usurps Kattegat out from under him, Ivar leaves on the Silk Road where he eventually allies himself with Prince Oleg (Danila Kozlovsky) and the Rus Vikings

Although the invasion of Scandinavia at the hands of the Rus fails all thanks to Bjorn (who sacrifices himself in an elaborate plan when hes badly wounded), Ivar has changed for the better through his relationship with Prince Igor (Oran Glynn ODonovan), a boy Ivar comes to think of as a son, and the heir to Kyiv. Ivar helps Igor and his uncle, Prince Dir (Lenn Kudrjawizki), overthrow Oleg, who has been keeping Igor captive against his will to rule in his place. Despite his choice to leave Kyiv, Ivar is forever changed because of knowing Igor.

Ivar and his brother, Hvitserk, return to Kattegat where Ivar convinces King Harald Finehair (Peter Franzen) to go back to England. While fighting against King Alfred (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) in Wessex, Ivar dies in battle after telling an English soldier, Dont be afraid before he stabs Ivar, who hurts his leg and falls. In his brothers arms, Ivar cries and admits hes afraid, before dying.

Alex Hgh Andersen talks about his final day on set

Alex Hgh Andersen and Oran Glynn ODonovan in Vikings | Amazon Studios

RELATED: Vikings: The 1 Character Fans Think Looks Just Like Ragnar Lothbrok

The final episodes enclosed in season 6B of the series premiered on December 30 on Amazon Prime Video ahead of their drop on History. Alex recently spoke with ET, and he was asked about the final day of filming on set of the series. He was also asked if it was emotional, and Alex didnt hold back. He admits he was crying, and the final day was actually when he filmed Ivars death in the series.

Oh, I was bawling my eyes out throughout the entire day I thought, This is going to be a massive day, because my last day as well was the death scene, Alex explained. We did a lot of fighting and battles and stuff and all that, and then the very last scene of the day was the death scene.

After working on a series for so long, it makes sense that the final day working on set would be an important occasion. Alex admits he was anxious, but he received closure despite the tears shed. He was even given a cake, which is a sweet sentiment.

So, it was complete closure and it was a phenomenal, great, beautiful day, Alex continued. But I was also anxious to my fingertips. And Id come off of a couple of months where I wasnt really feeling that well. It had been some tough months leading up to that. So, it was just a full-blown closure for me. So, at 5 a.m., when they gave me a cake, I was crying straight away. I was like, Youre the kindest, nicest people in the world, and this is exactly what I needed. And now its going to be an OK day. And then you just get to work. And I appreciated every single minute of it.

Vikings may be officially over, but fans can still rewatch episodes to relive every moment. Thats what well be busy doing over the next few weeks.
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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden is set to announce a wide-ranging moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on U.S. lands, as his administration moves quickly to reverse Trump administration policies on energy and the environment and address climate change.

Two people with knowledge of Biden's plans outlined the proposed moratorium, which will be announced Wednesday. They asked not to be identified because the plan has not been made been public; some details remain in flux.

The move follows a 60-day suspension of new drilling permits for U.S. lands and waters announced last week and follows Biden's campaign pledge to halt new drilling on federal lands and end the leasing of publicly owned energy reserves as part of his plan to address climate change. The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate.

Environmental groups hailed the expected moratorium as the kind of bold, urgent action needed to slow climate change.

Construction on long disputed Keystone XL halted as Biden decides to revoke permit TORONTO (AP)  Construction on the long disputed Keystone XL oil pipeline halted Wednesday as incoming U.S. President Joe Biden decided to rev

"The fossil fuel industry has inflicted tremendous damage on the planet. The administration's review, if done correctly, will show that filthy fracking and drilling must end for good, everywhere,'' said Kieran Suckling, executive director at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group that has pushed for the drilling pause.

Oil industry groups slammed the move, saying Biden had already eliminated thousands of oil and gas jobs by killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office.

"This is just the start. It will get worse,'' said Brook Simmons, president of the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma. "Meanwhile, the laws of physics, chemistry and supply and demand remain in effect. Oil and natural gas prices are going up, and so will home heating bills, consumer prices and fuel costs.''

Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, which represents oil and gas drillers in Western states, said the expected executive order is intended to delay drilling on federal lands to the point where it is no longer viable.

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"The environmental left is leading the agenda at the White House when it comes to energy and environment issues,'' she said, noting that the moratorium would be felt most acutely in Western states such as Utah, Wyoming and Alaska, where Biden lost to former President Donald Trump.

Under Trump, federal agencies prioritized energy development and eased environmental rules to speed up drilling permits as part of the Republican's goal to boost fossil fuel production. Trump consistently downplayed the dangers of climate change, which Biden, a Democrat, has made a top priority.

On his first day in office last Wednesday, Biden signed a series of executive orders that underscored his different approach  rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, revoking approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada and telling agencies to immediately review dozens of Trump-era rules on science, the environment and public health.

A 60-day suspension order at the Interior Department did not limit existing oil and gas operations under valid leases, meaning activity would not come to a sudden halt on the millions of acres of lands in the West and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico where much drilling is concentrated. The moratorium also is unlikely to affect existing leases. Its effect could be further blunted by companies that stockpiled enough drilling permits in Trump's final months to allow them to keep pumping oil and gas for years.

Longer eviction ban, Biden executive orders draw sighs of short-term relief in New Orleans area Struggling tenants, parents and unemployed workers in the New Orleans area welcomed a spate of pandemic relief this week, including a new exte

The pause in drilling is limited to federal lands and does not affect drilling on private lands, which is largely regulated by states.

Oil and gas extracted from public lands and waters account for about a quarter of annual U.S. production. Extracting and burning those fuels generates the equivalent of almost 550 million tons (500 million metric tons) of greenhouse gases annually, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a 2018 study.

Under Trump, Interior officials approved almost 1,400 permits on federal lands, primarily in Wyoming and New Mexico, over a three-month period that included the election, according to an Associated Press analysis of government data. Those permits, which remain valid, will allow companies to continue drilling for years, potentially undercutting Biden's climate agenda.
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This challenge is a great opportunity to head into the new year with a sense of unity, a focus on personal well-being, and a shared enthusiasm for reading.

BH Companies (BH) has become the first corporation in the United States to launch a new version of the Beanstack mobile app focused specifically on advancing employee wellbeing and diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. The companys first reading challenge launched with the title New Year, New Beginnings. It challenges employees and their families to read daily, track their reading through the Beanstack app, and compete as teams.

As we move into 2021 (finally!), building company culture remains key for BH, said Joanna Zabriskie, President and CEO of BH. This challenge is a great opportunity to head into the new year with a sense of unity, a focus on personal well-being, and a shared enthusiasm for reading.

BHs employees are in 26 states and spread out over 300 properties and numerous regional and corporate offices. The Beanstack app gives them an opportunity to connect as co-workers, sharing what they are reading to help each other discover new books and how many minutes they have read to keep each other motivated. Studies show that reading just six minutes can reduce stress by 68% and improve overall health. Researchers have also found that those who read more are more understanding of others, and less likely to feel bias toward marginalized groups.

BHs primary objectives in launching Beanstack is to more consistently and intentionally build an inclusive company culture. Since my wife and I started Zoobean, one of our three core values has been inclusion, said Felix Lloyd, co-founder and CEO of the company behind the Beanstack app. So, this evolution of our service is in line with who we are and what we do best. And, as a Black man with biracial children, Im especially proud to begin helping other companies build their culture in this way.

Best in Class Fitbit for Reading

Beanstack for Employee Wellbeing is built on the same software that over 10,000 schools and libraries around the world use to encourage their communities to read more and read together. Tailored for work teams, this new product makes it easy for employees to track leisure reading, see what coworkers are reading, and compete for top spots on leaderboards. It also supports employees with kids who are distance learning as a result of the pandemic. The amount of time that kids spend reading by choice is the best predictor of how well they do in reading.

Zoobeans team of reading specialists has designed BHs New Year, New Beginnings reading challenge and upcoming challenges. A dedicated account manager manages implementation and support including providing materials to drive employee engagement and ongoing analytics to evaluate success throughout the year.

One of our guiding principles at BH is to first invest in our employees as they are the foundation of our success, says Zabriskie. Once we evaluated Beanstack, its low per employee per month cost and minimal implementation requirements made it the perfect employee benefit for us.

Challenge Your Company to Keep Reading

On January 4, BH employees began their reading journey together. But the opportunities for employee engagement and advances in DE&I continue throughout the entire year. March, which is national reading month, will bring a Read Diverse America challenge. Mark Cuban, who invested in Zoobean when the founders appeared on Shark Tank, will sponsor a challenge during the summer.

"We know that many companies are struggling with how to build a healthy, inclusive, and equitable culture during these challenging times, saidLloyd. And we also know that their doing so helps increase profitability and productivity. Its critically important to the success of those companies and to the wellbeing of all employees.

To learn more about Beanstack for Employee Wellbeing, visit https://www.beanstack.com/employees. Your company may participate in the national Read Diverse America challenge by requesting information at http://www.beanstack.com/read-diverse-challenge. The challenge runs from March 1st to March 22nd, but registration is open now.

ABOUT ZOOBEAN

Zoobean, Inc. provides a mobile app and other products that help people achieve reading goals by tracking reading and participating in reading challenges. The company's flagship product, Beanstack is licensed by over 10,000 public libraries, school districts, and corporations around the world. Zoobean's investors include Kapor Capital, Mark Cuban, RevUp Capital, the AT&T Aspire Accelerator, and Amazon's Alexa Fund. Its founders were previously Washington, DC's teacher of the year and Google's first head of K-12 education outreach.

ABOUT BH

Founded in 1993, BH Companies is a vertically integrated multifamily owner-operator with a proven track record of success in acquisitions, financing, renovations, and property operations. Powered by a performance-driven culture and tech-forward approach, BH has become one of the largest multifamily companies in the United States with more than 100,000 units under management. Recently named Best Workplace for Women, Best Workplaces for Diversity and Best Workplace for Millennials by Fortune Magazine, BH Companies is strengthened by more than 2,500 employees across the United States.
On the occasion of the 176th anniversary of the first arrival of Indian immigrant labourers to these shores, I intend to comment briefly, through a couple of letters to the press, on the current status of Indo-Trinidadians after their presence here for over a century and a half. They may be regarded as ethnic-focused, divisive and contentious, or may be deemed irrelevant and inconsequential in these times.
Thieves are breaking into blue U.S. Postal Service collection boxes across Philadelphia, stealing mail and checks, costing victims thousands of dollars, law enforcement officials say.

The thieves have been stealing checks, forging signatures, and amassing personal information from the mail to commit identity theft, according to interviews with victims, Philadelphia police, and postal sources. Of the more than a dozen victims The Inquirer has interviewed, the total funds stolen over the last three months amounts to at least $100,000. Multiple individuals had more than $15,000 stolen.

The speed and breadth at which the thieves are compromising the mail, and the lack of any physical damage to the structures, suggests they may have keys to the boxes, law enforcement and postal experts say.

The break-ins call into question the security of the iconic blue boxes, which residents use to mail everything from checks and confidential records to election ballots. (Officials said there is no evidence that any ballots were stolen or affected.)

The ongoing vulnerability points to a systemic failure by the Postal Service to oversee the keys that open up the boxes. Union leaders say short-staffed post offices are failing to consistently follow fundamental accountability protocols, and a recent audit report called the agencys oversight irresponsible.

If you look at each case individually, it doesnt seem like such a big crime or such a big deal, said Miriam Rocah, district attorney for New Yorks Westchester County, which saw a similar outbreak of mail theft and check fraud in 2018. But when you start putting them all together across a geographical region  you all of the sudden have something thats having a really widespread impact on communities, and the case itself becomes more serious.

 READ MORE: Still waiting for packages that were mailed in December? It could be a while.

The Postal Inspection Service, though acknowledging the recent theft, encouraged residents to be proactive with checking their bank accounts, and not deposit mail into the boxes after its been collected for the day.

Over the last several months, the Postal Inspection Service has received a number of complaints of mail theft from residents of several West Philadelphia neighborhoods, said George Clark, public information officer for the Postal Inspection Service, in a statement. Inspectors are currently developing leads from those complaints with the goal of identifying the individual or individuals who are apparently targeting the mail.

Clark initially declined to say how many theft complaints have been filed, and then said he did not have access to the data. In December, The Inquirer submitted a Freedom of Information Act request on theft complaints, but the agency has yet to fulfill it. An NBC News investigation found that the Postal Inspection Service also does not have a reliable system to track mail theft. Many Philly residents who reported theft to the Postal Inspection Service never heard back.

Who does this kind of thing?

Since November, the thieves have particularly targeted West Philadelphia mailboxes, on the hunt for checks. They often dip them in acetone to wash off the ink, then change the name and increase the amount, an investigator said. They go to banks or ATMs and withdraw cash, or deposit them into a burner account.

A Southwest Philadelphia detective, who asked not to be named, said more than 20 people  from City Line Avenue to the Schuylkill  have filed complaints about their checks being stolen and forged in the last two months. The common thread, he said, was that the victims had all put their check into a mailbox.

Three people were arrested, but only one person has been charged in connection with the check fraud, Philadelphia police said. Its unclear what the persons role was in the scheme, but the theft continued after her arrest. Previous investigations show its likely there are many different groups working across the area.

The Inquirer identified at least 10 people who said they had checks stolen from a mailbox at 46th and Larchwood Streets, in West Philadelphia. Bryant Simon, 59, had $6,900 stolen from two separate bank accounts. Al Filreis, 64, lost $10,686.

The thieves withdrew more than $15,000 from Michael Parisis account after they used the checks bank account information to create a fake drivers license and bank card in Parisis name.

Ian Abrams, 65, almost lost more than $15,000 after the thieves duplicated a check he dropped into the box at 51st Street and Chester Avenue. The bank stopped payment before it went through.

I know that its hard times out here for everybody. But who does this kind of thing? said Maryann Muhammad, 75, of Kingsessing, whose $25 charity donation became a $1,800 withdrawal.

In most cases, banks have quickly refunded customers lost money. But the thievery is upending lives and further fraying residents trust in an agency plagued by mail delays and cutbacks.

Plus, the ease with which criminals are able to fraudulently cash checks has called bank security measures into question. In some cases, thieves cash checks made out to someone else.

Michael Hallman dropped a $6,290 check for his new landlord into the mailbox at 21st and Walnut Streets on Nov. 2. Two days later, a person endorsing the check with a scribble, but changing nothing else, cashed it at a Santander Bank. Nearly three months later, Chase Bank has yet to reimburse Hallman, 43.

Its been an absolute nightmare, he said.

Banks across the city have had customers impacted by the theft, but most declined to provide information on their security procedures or investigations, citing security and privacy concerns.

 READ MORE: A few USPS plants are reinstalling mail sorting machines. But in Philly, more changes that could cause delays are happening. (from October)

The scheme

While rare, mail theft has been an issue since the creation of the USPS, and counties across the country have reported similar check fraud schemes.

Sometimes the thieves attach glue traps to the ends of string to fish letters out of the boxes small opening. Now, as the Postal Service has made the openings smaller, thieves have prioritized obtaining keys.

One key, formally called an arrow key, opens up every corner collection box and apartment mailbox for a zip code, postal workers said.

It is a master key thats good for a specific area or region. It has some universality to it, so youd see the attraction to thieves, said Philip Rubio, a history professor at North Carolina A&T State University, who worked as a letter carrier for 20 years.

Carriers must sign their keys out and in each day. The agencys use of universal collection box locks and keys dates back to the 1870s and has been surprisingly secure and successful over the years as long as there is a system of accountability, Rubio said.

But that system has deteriorated as short-staffed employees, to save time, dont always follow the protocol for tracking a key, said Nick Casselli, president of APWU Local 89.

Casselli said that in spring 2020, an employee at the Bustleton post office stole a key and gave it to her boyfriend, who began stealing from mailboxes. He said the postal inspectors caught her shortly after and she was fired.

I thought that was an isolated incident, he said.

The Postal Services Office of the Inspector General, which conducts internal audits and investigations, called the agencys oversight of arrow keys ineffective in an August report.

The number of arrow keys in circulation is unknown, and local units did not adequately report lost, stolen, or broken keys or maintain key inventories, the report said. Ineffective controls over arrow keys increases the risk that these items will be lost or stolen and not detected.

Some postal workers have taken advantage of the lack of oversight. In Westchester, N.Y., the mail theft investigation found that some carriers were selling arrow keys for upward of $1,000, said Stefanie DeNise, assistant district attorney of Westchester Countys Identity Theft Unit.

Once people have the keys, they make and sell copies. Thieves also target carriers and rob them of their keys, DeNise said.

In Westchester, once the Postal Inspection Service replaced the countys mailboxes in early 2019, we saw a complete stop in mail theft from the blue boxes, DeNise said.

DeNises office charged about 25 people in connection to the cases, she said.

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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.
Telegram's fate is hanging by a thread as former US Ambassador to Morocco sued Apple and demanding the company to remove the messaging app from the Apple App Store.

Lawsuit Against Apple

According to CNET, the lawsuit against the internet giant was submitted on January 17, 2021, and based on its contents, former ambassador Marc Ginsberg claims that Telegram is being used to coordinate extremism, anti-Semitism, violence, and racism.

Ginsberg is backed up by The Coalition for a Safer Web, who is the co-plaintiff in the lawsuit.

"Telegram is being used to intimidate, threaten and coerce members of the public," the complaint says.

Ginsberg also alleges that the messaging app, which is now growing more popular after the WhatsApp privacy policy fiasco, has caused him and others "economic losses and emotional distress" from being one of the groups targeted by Telegram's users, and it's all because the app remains free to download on Apple's App Store.

Read More: Google Drive Filled With Thousands of Explicit, Pirated Content From Cybercriminals and Pirates, Including Malware

Demanding Alphabet for Telegram Ban

Besides Apple, Ginsberg has also previously threatened legal action against Alphabet to ensure Telegram is removed from Google's service.

The former US Ambassador, who is Jewish and raised in Israel, says in the lawsuit that he had been a target of two assassination attempts due to his religious belief.

By Monday, January 25, 2021, Ginsberg followed through with his threat and sued Alphabet Inc. unit, asking the California court to remove the said app on Google Play Store for the same reasons of encouraging violence and racism, as per Bloomberg.

The plaintiff also claimed that Telegram has been used by its users to threaten and encourage racists violence, especially after the death of George Floyd that sparked BLM movement, as well as the inauguration of US President Joe Biden.

The former US Ambassador says he decided to pursue the legal action because Google did not take any actions against Telegram that is comparable with the actions they have taken against Parler.

Telegram Channel for 'Parler Refugees'

Furthermore, Ginsberg alleges that Parler users have migrated to the online messaging platform after the former has been suspended from Google, Apple, and Amazon Web Services due to its apparent role in the US Capitol riot earlier this month.

Apparently, there exists a Telegram channel for "Parler refugees" with some users urging their followers to drop whatever they are doing for the second round of protest in Washington in support of the former US President, as per the lawsuit.

In addition to inciting violence, the lawsuit also claims Telegram is being used as a platform to distribute illegal substances.

Google, Apple, and Telegram have not yet responded to Ginsberg's claims.

Nevertheless, Pavel Durov, Telegram's founder and CEO, said last week that the company is working double-time to remove any and all posts that call for violence after the Capitol riot.

Durov reassured the public that violence in the platform will not be tolerated.

Telegram has quite recently surpassed 500 million active users in the wake of the WhatsApp policy change and seen as an alternative to the messaging app, but with better security and privacy regulations.

Related Article: Telegram Bot Found Selling 500 Million Stolen Facebook Info for Just $20 Each

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by: Nhx Tingson

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- A verbal disagreement between two men in the parking lot of Jerry Lees grocery in Pascagoula last Friday night led to a shooting that left one man wounded.

Pascagoula police identified the two men Monday, saying that investigation had identified 79-year-old Murphy Jenkins as the shooter and 61-year-old Steve Barrow as the victim.

Police also emphasized that the shooting was not gang-related nor were illegal drugs involved.

Officers were dispatched to the grocery store just before 7 p.m. last Friday after receiving a report of a shooting. They found one male -- later identified as Barrow -- suffering from a gunshot wound to a leg. Barrow was transported to Singing River Hospital where he was where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

A second man -- Jenkins -- was taken into custody at the scene. The information released by the police department Monday said only that charges were pending.

RELIGION AND THE RISE OF CAPITALISM

By Benjamin M. Friedman

What does an esoteric concept like Calvinist soteriology have to do with the rise of modern economics? Does laissez-faire have its roots in the arcane Quinquarticular Controversy? Can one find the origins of the welfare state in postmillennialist eschatology?

Questions like these, according to the Harvard economist Benjamin M. Friedman, are essential to understanding his discipline today. This is anything but self-evident; economists, especially of the mathematical sort, are unlikely to be transfixed by the writings of St. Augustine. But once theological questions are rendered into secular language, their relevance, and thus the importance of Friedmans Religion and the Rise of Capitalism, becomes clear.

Soteriology refers to the question of salvation, and few thinkers made a greater contribution to it than John Calvin (1509-64), the founder of one of the stricter forms of Protestantism to emerge during the Reformation. Calvins theology is frequently summarized by the acronym TULIP. T reminds us that we are totally depraved. U stands for the fact that salvation is unconditional; God and God alone chooses the elect and we cannot influence his choice. Atonement, moreover, is limited; God saves only those so chosen. Gods grace, in addition, is irresistible; if he calls, we have no choice but to respond. Finally, the doctrine of the preservation of the saints reminds us that God is never whimsical; once he grants salvation, he grants it forever.

Calvins deterministic, and highly pessimistic, view of human nature, Friedman argues, was destined to give way before a science insisting on the centrality of markets could emerge. As it happens, Calvinism attracted numerous followers in Scotland, the same place in which Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations. Smith himself was indifferent toward religion and his close friend, the philosopher David Hume, was actively hostile. Nonetheless, it was the religious atmosphere in which they wrote, Friedman believes, that would shape their ideas, even if mostly as a foil: Inherently depraved people whose fates are predetermined by a Supreme Being need no invisible hand to coordinate their behavior, while the citizens of newly emerging market economies do.


SACRAMENTO, CALIF. - The California Office of Emergency Services said that surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have resulted in oxygen supply issues at hospitals throughout the state. The increase in demand is putting a huge stress on the overall oxygen supply chain  everything from cylinders to trucks needed to move it.

Agency Officials say that In hospitals, bulk oxygen systems are being strained by the number of patients using high flow supplemental oxygen, exceeding system capacity.

Also, facilities and home health care companies are experiencing challenges managing the supply of supplemental oxygen bottles and tanks. This is leading to a shortage of bottles/cylinders and impacting gas companies abilities to fill replacement orders.

Here's how you can help:

If you use bulk oxygen or nitrogen in your industry, do what you can to conserve. Its not just the molecules themselves but also the trucking capacity, the cylinders, the equipment.

There are thousands of at-home oxygen units with people who have since recovered but have not returned them yet. Everyone who no longer needs their at-home oxygen equipment is asked to return it as soon as possible. This equipment helps hospitals discharge patients who just need extra oxygen but dont necessarily need to be in the hospital.

The state is taking additional actions to address the supply problem, including:

Working with industry to expand capacity and keep hospital oxygen systems running

Staging two oxygen Response Teams in the Los Angeles Region

Increasing access to home oxygen

Leasing 4 mobile oxygen systems

Deploying 363 Oxygen Concentrators

Ensure facilities are aware of the issues associated with high flow oxygen usage within hospital facilities.

Support facilities with enhanced resources to ensure issues are addressed rapidly with scalable solutions.

Cal OES said the State will continue its all of government approach, including working closely with the private sector, to solve the most pressing issues facing our medical system from this unprecedented surge.
[January 26, 2021]

New MIT Sloan Management Review study finds many leaders lack essential skills to effectively lead digital transformation.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study released today by MIT Sloan Management Review and Cognizant reveals that many business leaders worldwide are out of touch with what it takes to lead effectively in the digital economy. Employees expect digital transformation to better reflect and respect their concerns, such as purpose and inclusion, just as well as ensuring superior business capabilities, better compensation, and greater flexibility. For example, 72% of survey respondents strongly agree it is very important they work for an organization with a purpose they believe in, but a mere 25% strongly agree that their organizations are as purpose-driven as their leaders believe them to be.

The report, "Leadership's Digital Transformation: Leading Purposefully in an Era of Context Collapse,"is based on a global survey of nearly 4,300 employees, from non-managers to CEOs, in more than 20 industries. The study features interviews with C-suite leaders, including Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson; Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) CEO Carlos Brito; Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian; former Best Buy chairman and CEO Hubert Joly; and Purdue University president Mitch Daniels.

"The study strongly suggests many leaders and organizations got digital transformation wrong," says report coauthor Michael Schrage of the MIT Sloan Initiative on the Digital Economy. "For quite a few respondents, top management's focus on greater agility and efficiency seemed disconnected from enterprise purpose and values. Leaders frequently came off as unaware of how their digital communications style undermined their credibility. Digital talent and digital networks have made leadership more transparent, and this study observes that transparency imposes new accountability and responsibility on top management."

The study reveals four key insights:

1. Organizations are not offering workers the sense of purpose they crave.

72% of respondents strongly agree it is very important to them to work for an organization with a purpose in which they believe. Still, only 49% strongly say that they believe in their organization's purpose. Even fewer (36%) strongly agree that they believe in their organization's ability to advance its purpose, and a mere 25% strongly agree that their organizations are as purpose-driven as their leaders believe them to be.

2. Organizations with a clear purpose outperform their peers when it comes to diversity and inclusion practices.

64% of respondents affirm that top management is prioritizing diversity and inclusion pactices. Respondents from highly purpose-driven organizations agree at a higher rate of 84%.







While 93% of respondents say being digitally savvy is essential to performing well, and 88% state that digitally savvy leaders matter to their organization's ability to succeed, only a fifth of respondents strongly agree their leaders have the right mindset to thrive in the digital economy.

4. Most companies fail to adequately address the erosion of work/home boundaries.

Only 36% of global survey respondents say they establish a hard line between when they are working and when they are not.

Only 28% of respondents agree their organization has policies about when and how to communicate outside traditional business hours, and fewer (24%) agree that their organization adheres to these policies if they do exist.

The authors identify context collapse  the pervasive social media phenomenon that collapses people's multiple identities into one  as a digital disruptor of legacy leadership practices. As boundaries dissolve between work and home, for example, how leaders digitally lead by example will determine their credibility, authenticity, and influence with their talent, the authors say.

"Our study showed that context collapse means leaders are now more accountable  and must be more transparent  than ever before," said report coauthor Benjamin Pring, director of Cognizant's Center for the Future of Work. "Leaders must recognize and respond to this new reality."

"Leadership's Digital Transformation" offers practical and actionable recommendations for successfully leading beyond digital transformation and outlines how leaders can: champion purpose to be a (re)organizing principle; lead by example; leverage context collapse; measure their leadership effectiveness; and analyze leadership networks to improve culture.

To read the full report, please visit MIT Sloan Management Review.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jennifer Grady Burgos

jgrady@mit.edu

617-324-2434

Mariana Gamez

Mariana.Gamez@cognizant.com

+44 78-801-378-71

About the Authors

Michael Schrage is a research fellow at the MIT Sloan School of Management's Initiative on the Digital Economy, where he does research and advisory work on how digital media transforms agency, human capital, and innovation.

Benjamin Pring is vice president, head of thought leadership, and cofounder of the Center for the Future of Work at Cognizant. He was a Bilderberg Meeting participant in 2018 and was named one of the world's top management thinkers by Thinkers50 in 2020.

David Kiron is the editorial director of MIT Sloan Management Review and leads the publication's Big Ideas program, a content platform examining macrotrends that are transforming the practice of management.

Desmond Dickerson is a manager in Cognizant's Center for the Future of Work. Leveraging his experience in digital transformation, he consults with clients on optimizing digital strategies that prioritize user experience and engagement.

About MIT Sloan Management Review

At MIT Sloan Management Review (MIT SMR), we share with our readers an excitement and curiosity about how the practice of management is transforming in the digital age. Our expert contributors help leaders explore the trends that are shaping how organizations operate, compete, and create value in a technology-fueled world. We deliver the kind of evidence-based analysis and practical insight that will inspire leaders to do great work.

About Cognizant

Cognizant is one of the world's leading professional services companies, transforming clients' business, operating, and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build, and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant is ranked 194 on the Fortune 500 and is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com or follow us @cognizant.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-mit-sloan-management-review-study-finds-many-leaders-lack-essential-skills-to-effectively-lead-digital-transformation-301214830.html

SOURCE MIT Sloan Management Review
Republic Day violence: Man who assaulted cop with spear among two arrested

Ahead of big tractor parade farmers break barricade at Singhu border

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: The protesting farmers broke a police barricade at the Singhu border.

Farmers break barricades, start tractor rally ahead of time | Oneindia News

This incident took place just hours before the tractor parade that the farmers would take out in protest against the farm laws.

Security is tight across Delhi in view of Republic Day and also the tractor parade.

Republic Day 2021: 25,00 farmers to hold tractor rally in Bengaluru

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting against the Centre's new agri laws at various Delhi border points, including Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur, since November 28 last year and on Republic Day, they will take out tractor parades that will pass through the national capital.

#WATCH Protesting farmers break police barricading at Delhi-Haryana Tikri border



Farmers are holding tractor rally today in protest against Centre's three Farm Laws#RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/3tI7uKSSRM  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

The police said that 1,000 constables, 500 head constables, 300 sub-inspectors, 50 inspectors, 12 circle officers, 400 traffic constables, 14 traffic sub-inspectors, five traffic inspectors, a company of the RAF, six companies of the PAC have been deployed in Ghaziabad district in view of the rally.

Intelligence units have also been pressed into service to keep extra vigil on anti-social elements who may join the rally to create nuisance, they said.
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By Ko Dong-hwan







The South Chungcheong Province Police Agency and the city's emergency rescue services said Tuesday they had found the body of a teenage girl in a rice paddy in the province's Gongju, Jan. 25.







They said the body was discovered following a report of a person lying in a rice paddy in the town's Ssangsin-dong area, at around 8:45 a.m.







Rescue workers arriving at the site found the girl's body  with no wounds or signs of injury  and some of her clothes lying next to her.







An investigation by police officers revealed she was a 19 year old high school graduate who had been preparing to attend university.







The agency sent the body to the National Forensic Service to ascertain the exact cause of death  an autopsy is scheduled for today. Gongju police, meanwhile, said they were searching for witnesses and checking surveillance cameras near the scene to uncover any clues leading to the girl's death.


Millions of Americans have received COVID-19 vaccines since the long-awaited inoculation campaign started Dec. 14 with the Pfizer-BioNTech version of the shots.

Now, with a vaccine from Moderna also being distributed, here are some answers to lingering questions about the vaccines.

Is there anything people should not do in the hours or days before and after getting shots?

There are several things people should keep in mind before they get vaccinated.

Dr. Philip Huang, Dallas Countys health director, has said its unclear how the coronavirus shots may interact with other vaccinations, so people should not receive another inoculation in the 30 days beforehand.

He also recommended that people who have COVID-19 or have recently been exposed to someone who is infected wait for before getting inoculated  90 days if the person is positive for COVID-19 or until the end of a self-quarantine period if theyve been exposed.

People with a history of documented COVID, its uncommon for them to get reinfected in the 90 days after infection, Huang said.

Patients should wait briefly after theyre vaccinated to ensure they dont experience side effects  15 minutes for most patients and 30 minutes for people with a history of severe allergy, Huang said

What happens if people only get one dose of the vaccine?

To ensure maximum immunity from COVID-19, its important for people to get the two-dose vaccines exactly as theyre intended, said Dr. Vivian Johnson, senior vice president of clinical support services at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Texas.

If you do not take that second dose, you will never really achieve the antibody level to help you be able to fight COVID-19, she said.

Could you get one dose of the Pfizer vaccine and one of the Moderna vaccine?

Again, experts say that people must receive the vaccines exactly as they were tested in clinical trials.

The data that we know where it works is when its the same product, Huang said. If someone mistakenly got another vaccine, we would not recommend they go back. We dont want that to happen. If mistakenly it does happen, its like you start over your regimen.

Health officials say theyre doing everything they can to prevent mix-ups from happening.

In the absence of any data, it would be wrong, said Dr. Charles Lerner, a San Antonio-based infectious disease specialist and a member of the Texas Medical Associations COVID-19 task force.

How safe is the vaccine?

This is an incredibly safe vaccine, said Dr. Joseph McCormick, a professor of epidemiology at UTHealth School of Public Health in Brownsville. Youre going to hear about a few (allergic) reactions  but otherwise, its very safe.

He said the vaccine is so safe the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended that pregnant or breastfeeding women may get it.

Normally, it might take a little longer for vaccines to be approved for use on those women, McCormick said.

People dont want to give, for example, the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to a woman who is pregnant, even today, he said. If its an inactivated vaccine, like meningitis or tetanus, no problem, but if its a live, attenuated virus, you dont want to go doing that.

But the COVID vaccine is not a virus-replicating vaccine, unlike other common inoculations.

He added that the risk of potential side effects from the vaccine is low.

If youre going to say I wont take the vaccine because theres maybe a one in a million chance that I might die from it, that doesnt make any sense, he said. Thats like walking across the expressway at night wearing dark clothes, and your biggest worry is getting hit by lightning. Its just nonsensical.

How do the vaccines work? Is it different from past vaccines?

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were made with something called mRNA, or messenger RNA, technology. Scientifically, its a groundbreaking accomplishment, Johnson said.

Traditional vaccines use actual, though significantly or completely weakened, viruses to trigger an immune response, she said. That response is the result of the body learning to fight the virus.

But with mRNA vaccines, the vaccine instead teaches the body how to create a protein. That protein then sets off the immune response that helps the body generate antibodies and immune cells.

Those antibodies and immune cells are the defense mechanism the body uses to attack the virus.

Many people have that fear ... Are (you) going to catch the disease itself from the vaccine? said Dr. Ashish Acharya, an infectious disease specialist at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Grapevine in Texas. Thats not even a possibility with this.

What percentage of the population needs to be vaccinated to lift COVID-19 restrictions?

Although the vaccines are promising, it will take months to reach the levels that will be needed to bring life back to normal.

The big message is, for heavens sake, while there is a light at the end of the tunnel, the tunnel is still long, McCormick said.

Huang has said estimates for that vaccination rate have been put at about 60% to 70%.

As with any vaccine, patients who receive it are not guaranteed immunity from the virus.

Because of this, patients who receive the vaccine should still wear masks and practice social distancing, both to protect themselves and others around them.

There have been cases of infection occurring in immunized people, Lerner said. There have been cases of second COVID infection ... you need to continue protective measures.

Do the new vaccines imply anything about previously unsolved health problems?

Some people have wondered whether new vaccine technology could offer hope of preventing other ailments such as the common cold.

We understand the common cold, McCormick said. But the problem is theres so many viruses that cause the common cold.

But that doesnt mean treatments for those viruses are out of reach, he said. For example, the knowledge scientists now have about creating mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 could be used to create vaccines for other coronaviruses, which could cause colds.

Huang said the development of the COVID-19 vaccines built on research that was underway on other coronaviruses, such as MERS.

That allowed this to be developed more quickly, Huang said.

(c)2021 The Dallas Morning News
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Matter, a leading strategic consulting firm focused on the life sciences industry, has launched a new Center of Excellence focused on central nervous system (CNS) therapies. The new initiative will focus on helping biopharmaceutical companies develop and implement commercial strategies in CNS markets.

Blue Matter has broad experience across a range of therapeutic areas. However, it offers concentrated expertise in selected areas that are more complex or that have special characteristics. For example, oncology and in rare diseases are special focus areas for the firm, with CNS being a new addition moving forward.

The Center of Excellence will be developing thought leadership resources as well as strategic tools and best practices related to CNS markets for life science manufacturers. Varun Renjen, M.D., an Associate Principal in Blue Matter's New York office, will lead those efforts.

"The CNS market is broad and diverse, with a high unmet need across a range of disease states," said Renjen. "It's also an area that's experiencing rapid development and resurgence. There is greater understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of numerous diseases. This is creating great potential for the development of novel therapeutics. As more attention and investment is directed toward CNS, biopharma companies will need increasingly specialized support when it comes to commercial strategy. We plan to have a suite of services for CNS companies as they bring new therapeutics to the market."

Blue Matter's work in CNS currently spans product and portfolio strategy for development-stage and marketed therapies globally.

About Blue Matter

Blue Matter (www.bluematterconsulting.com) is a strategic consulting firm serving the life sciences industry. From its offices in North America and Europe, Blue Matter serves pharmaceutical and biotech companies from around the globe. The firm helps clients maximize value at the product, portfolio and organization levels, with a focus on commercial strategy for complex therapies in the development and launch stages. It has broad therapeutic experience with a concentration in oncology and rare diseases.

SOURCE Blue Matter Consulting

Related Links

http://www.bluematterconsulting.com



Egypt reported 669 new coronavirus cases and 53 fatalities on Monday, a statement by the Egyptian health ministry said.

The countrys total infection tally reached 162,486, while the death toll hit 9,012 since the outbreak began domestically in mid-February.

The statement added that 504 patients have been discharged after recovering from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 127,001.

Egypt is currently waiting for new batches of coronavirus vaccines to expand the access of the inoculations to more categories. Vaccination of frontline healthcare workers has started since Sunday.

However, Egyptian officials asked the citizens to take all their precautionary measures even after receiving the vaccine to contain the spread of the pandemics second wave.

The country entered a second wave of the pandemic in last week of December, nearly five months after reported noticeable daily lower infection and death tolls.

Daily coronavirus infection tolls registered by the Egyptian health ministry have been on the decline since 9 January.

The decline comes following almost three weeks recording more than 1000 cases daily.

Short link:



Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
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Patong Mayor Chalermluck will run for re-election

PHUKET: Chalermluck Kebsup has confirmed to The Phuket News that she will run for re-election to serve a second term as Patong Mayor.

patongpolitics

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 26 January 2021, 12:34PM

Chalermluck Kebsup will run for re-election as Patong Mayor. Photo: PR Patong

The confirmation follows Pakrit Keesin, younger brother to influential Patong businessman Preechawut Prab Keesin, announcing on Sunday(Jan 24) that he will contest the seat of mayor in the upcoming municipal election in Patong to be held on Mar 28.

I will run for re-election in Patong, Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup told The Phuket News.

Mayor Chalermluck said she would announce her candidacy and her team when the Phuket office of the Election Commission of Thailand (PEC) officially announces that all incumbent mayors must cease their duties to allow for campaigning to be held in the run-up to the election.

I have to wait until the PEC announces that all mayors terms in office have concluded on Feb 1. That means the term as Patong Mayor has expired, Mayor Chelmluck explained.

Then I will register as a candidate for Patong Mayor along with 12 candidates who will be running for election as municipality councillors during the registration period from Feb 8-12, she added.

Mayor Chalermluck said that she would be leading the Patong Fa Mai (Patong New Sky) Party in the election.

I am preparing to present my policy with my team for this election. When the time comes, I will reveal the details of my policy to the people, and explain my accomplishments in past years, she said.

In 2014, Mayor Chalermluck was the first woman Mayor of Patong. She won the election on April 26 with more than half the votes cast, leaving previous incumbent mayor Pian Keesin with just 3,330 votes out of 8,500 cast.

Ms Chalermlucks election to the position of mayor was confirmed by the Election Commission of Thailand and she took office on May 21, 2014.

The next day, May 22, 2014, Royal Thai Army General Prayut Chan-o-cha led a coup to take control of the country.

In taking office more than six years ago, Mayor Chalermluck told The Phuket News, The first thing I am going to do is to prepare to solve the flood problem, followed by the garbage problem and then the mafia.

I want to create a situation where those who are doing everything legally do not have to pay influential people.
VERMILLION COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) -- Two counties in the Wabash Valley are leading the way for Hoosiers to reduce nutrient and soil loss in their communities.

The S.T.A.R program stands for - saving tomorrow's agriculture resources. It was developed in Champaign, Illinois, but has since made its way to Parke and Vermillion County in Indiana.

Carter Morgan, a farmer in Vermillion County is also a Soil Health Consultant for the Vermillion-Parke Soil Health Alliance. He said the S.T.A.R program helps producers apply conservation practices to their farms and also helps farmers promote themselves.

"Specifically with like a Kellogs or Frito Lay, or any of those, they're very interested in what [S.T.A.R] shows and what they can put on the shelf in the grocery store. They can put they're sourcing corn from farmers that are an average of three and a half stars, and then they have QR codes on the box. Then you can scan that and then maybe you can learn about the farmer of where it actually comes from," explained Morgan.

The long term goal for Parke and Vermillion County is to get more producers involved in the program.

Eric Shideler, the Conservation Director for Vermillion County Soil and Water Conservation District, said both counties want to do their part in lowering the amount of nutrients that run into the ocean.

"Parke and Vermillion share the Wabash River as a border which is a main outlet to the oceans as it follows down into the Ohio and the Mississippi. So, we just wanted to be able to do our part in keeping our soil in place so that we're not moving soil and or nutrients down into the Gulf of Mexico," said Shideler

Morgan says the star application process is quick and easy and is available here.

The deadline for the two counties is February 5th.


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What just happened? Apple this week announced that veteran hardware engineer Dan Riccio will be shifting gears to work on a new project within the company. Its anyones guess as to what Riccio will be working on but recent rumors could point us in the right direction.

Riccio joined Apple in 1998 following a stint at Compaq where he worked as a senior manager of mechanical engineering. At Apple, he served as vice president of product design until mid-2010 when he became VP of the iPad division. According to his LinkedIn bio, he has served as senior vice president of hardware engineering since August 2012.

The shuffle will see John Ternus fill Riccios role as the leader of the hardware engineering team. Ternus has been with Cupertino since 2001 and most recently served as a VP of hardware engineering.

Apple was mum on exactly what Riccio would be working on next, referencing his focus only as a new project. Riccio said he was looking forward to doing what he loves most, focusing all my time and energy at Apple on creating something new and wonderful that I couldnt be more excited about.

Recent rumors suggest Apple is heavily involved in augmented reality and might be revisiting its interest in the automotive industry.

Apple did say that Riccio will be reporting directly to Tim Cook.

Masthead credit Novikov Aleksey
Thomas Martin Davis, age 80, of Hixson, passed away peacefully at Generations Center of Spencer, Tennessee on Wednesday, January 20th, 2021.

Mr. Davis was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee to the late Ovis and Edna G. Davis. He was a longtime resident of Hixson, Tennessee, a Hixson High School graduate, and was named Mr. Hixson High in 1958. In 1970, he graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelors Degree in Business.

He was a member of the Tennessee National Guard prior to his enlistment to the U.S. Air Force. His active years of service included two years of foreign services at the Naha Air Force Base, Okinawa where he received the Airman of the month award of the 51st Organizational Maintenance Squadron. Airman Davis served as Crew Chief on a C-130 Hercules aircraft. Other tours of duty included the Philippines, Congo, and Da Nang during the onset of the Vietnam War.

He was a former employee with Lockheed, Marietta, Georgia, and K-Mart where he was a Construction Field Representative.

Mr. Davis often recalled his love for flying C-130s, military buddies, music, family and friends.

He was of the Baptist faith.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Robert Denton Davis, and his grandparents, Dessie and Ephraim Hixson, and Sally and Grady Godsey.

Mr. Davis is survived by his sister, Catherine Sue Stults; brother, O. Grady Davis; daughter, Marta (Ben) Davis; son, Jeff Davis; several grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

There will be no visitation.

Graveside services will be held at the Chattanooga National Cemetery on Monday, February 1, 2021 at 12:30 p.m.

The family expressed their sincere gratitude to the staff at Generations Center of Spencer.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Bledsoe County Veterans Park, P.O. Box 575, Pikeville, Tennessee 37367 in care of Tommy Nipper.

If you arent comfortable in attending the service you may join us live for the service at https://www.facebook.com/ chattanooganorthchapel/

We respectfully request that "social distancing", wearing masks at all times, and all CDC measures be followed at the cemetery.

Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, TN 37343. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com
That was in October 2020. Now, three months later, Villeneuve is one of a handful of young marine scientists preparing to undergo a year of policy training as a Knauss fellow, in a program administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

It was in the final year of his masters in environmental conservation at UMass Amherst that Villeneuve realized he wanted to be better trained to bridge the gap between science and management, which made the Knauss fellowship an ideal goal. The fellowship places recent graduate students involved in marine and Great Lakes research in one-year positions in the federal government to learn how science gets translated to policy at the national level. Many fellows are focused on scientific research in graduate school but want to understand the policy-making process behind much of our nations natural resource management, he said.

Villeneuve will be working with the head office of the National Marine Fisheries Service within NOAA. My fellowship year will be split generally between two focus areas: the coordination of Arctic research priorities and the development of a next-generation fisheries assessment program, he explained. I am particularly excited about understanding the needs of various groups in the Arctic, and at a national level in using science to help solve diverse resource management problems.

After graduating from Bowdoin with a biology major and French minor, Villeneuve worked in a variety of seasonal positions, ranging from wilderness surveying in the California Sierra Nevada and stream monitoring in the Caribbean to guiding backpacking trips in West Virginia and collecting data on scallop aquaculture in Maine.

My postgraduate research at UMass Amherst focused on better understanding how populations of a single species vary in their sensitivity to climate change, using an invasive marine snail as a study species. He was attracted, he said, by the opportunity to learn more about how the impact of human activity on the environment can affect an organisms vulnerability.

We are collectively facing enormous environmental challenges in the form of habitat loss, biodiversity loss, and climate change that ultimately threaten the livelihoods and resilience of human communities. While basic research is critical to understanding interactions within the environment, explained Villeneuve, the magnitude and speed of ecological decline in the Anthropocene [i.e., the human era] stirred me to better understand how science can improve decision-making.

Due to the pandemic, Villeneuve will be working remotely for the foreseeable future, although he remains hopeful that, if restrictions are eased, he will work at NOAAs Washington, DC-area headquarters, as well as visit some of the agencys science centers across the country. In particular, I would be thrilled to complement my Arctic portfolio by travelling to NOAAs Alaska offices, he said.

"The magnitude and speed of ecological decline in the Anthropocene stirred me to better understand how science can improve decision-making.

Looking beyond the internship, Villeneuve is considering either enrolling in a PhD program or exploring potential roles in state and federal government or NGOs like The Nature Conservancy. What I really love doing is being in the field doing science and solving problems, he said, so, wherever I end up after this fellowship, I hope to bring what I learn about the policy behind our nation's resource management and conservation initiatives. Returning to Maine would be wonderful, he added.

Reflecting on his Bowdoin education, Villeneuve credited the close relationship he developed with some of his professors as being a crucial factor in his academic achievements. Professors Dave Carlon and Sarah Kingston especially helped guide my path when I took part in the inaugural Marine Science Semester (BMSS) in 2015, an incredible experience that I fully believe helped open doors for internships, graduate school, and eventually this fellowship. From learning to code in R, writing research proposals, and communicating our research, much of the experiences gained through BMSS helped me navigate graduate school and professional experiences effectively. Finally, he added, the intensive writing component of many Bowdoin classes prepared me to write well and efficiently. Writing was by far the most useful skill I have gained at Bowdoin and is something I will be using every day as a Knauss fellow.
Nothing in American politics happens in a vacuum.

That includes the surprise retirement announcement by Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman on Monday.

Portman's retirement is rightly understood as simply the latest piece of evidence that being a so-called establishment Republican -- or, really -- anything but a die-hard Trump Republican -- is no fun at all.

"Congress is no place for a sensible Republican anymore," tweeted Brendan Buck, a former top aide to speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan, in the wake of the Portman news.

It's hard to argue against Buck's point. In October 2020, Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, who, like Portman, had developed a reputation in the Senate as a pragmatist, announced he wouldn't run again in 2022. North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, who is the very picture of country-club Republicanism, is also not running for another term next November.

And that series of retirement decisions follows several years of House Republicans walking away from Washington. As David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report, a handicapping tipsheet, noted way back in July 2020:

"Fact: when President Trump took office in January 2017, there were 241 Republicans in the House. Since then, 115 (48%) have either retired, resigned, been defeated or are retiring in 2020."

It's not hard to connect the dots. And just in case you can't, well, Portman did.

"I don't think any Senate office has been more successful in getting things done, but honestly, it has gotten harder and harder to break through the partisan gridlock and make progress on substantive policy, and that has contributed to my decision," he said in his retirement announcement.

Put yourself in Portman's shoes. He just spent four years under a Republican president with whom he disagreed on, well, a whole lot. And now, if he ran again, he would face the very real possibility of a Trump-backed primary challenge -- maybe from Rep. Jim Jordan -- that even if he won would have damaged him politically.

And for what? A party that is barely recognizable from the one Portman has served in for much of the past three decades.
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Sophisticated scammers are exploiting Britain's mass vaccination programme by sending out bogus emails and text messages purporting to be from the NHS offering a Covid jab.

Those targeted are told that they have been chosen, 'on the basis of family genetics and medical history' and are given the option to accept or decline the invitation.

But if they accept they are taken through to another page that asks for all their bank details to 'charge or rebate any charges linked to the vaccination programs'.

Events manager Juliana Benetton, 45, said: 'It looked unbelievably real. It arrived in my inbox late at night and I was really excited. I thought this is amazing, I am going to get the jab.

Juliana Benetton, 45, was told she had been chosen to receive an NHS coronavirus vaccine by scammers

Ms Benetton was taken to what appeared to be an NHS website and asked to confirm or reject whether she would like to take the coronavirus vaccination

'I did think it was strange because I am Brazilian with an Italian passport so I wondered why I should have been chosen.

'I thought it must be because my brother's family in Birmingham had all gone down with Covid a few weeks ago. I thought maybe that could explain it.

'I even rang my sister in Brazil and she told me I was so lucky. It was only when I clicked through that I realised it must be a scam because they were asking for all my bank details.

'The people who do this are disgusting. They are preying on vulnerable people with health problems and trying to steal their money.

'I know that some people will be taken it because it looks identical to something you might get from the NHS.'

The email arrived in Juliana's inbox showing as coming from noreply@nhsengland.gov.uk with the sub-heading 'Book an appointment using the NHS's e-referral service'.

The email, with NHS Test and Trace logo at the top, reads: 'This is a public health message from the NHS.

'As part of the government's co-ordinated response to Coronavirus, NHS is performing selections for coronavirus vaccination on the basis of family genetics and medical history.

'You have been selected to receive a coronavirus vaccination.'

It adds some classic NHS information about the vaccination being 'the best protection against coronavirus' and states: 'You are free to reject this invitation , your appointment will be issued to the next person in line in that case.'

Targets are then offered a choice to 'Accept' or 'Decline' and are then taking through to another page asking for their bank details.

Social media was full of warnings about the scammers.

The scammers told Ms Benetton that she had been selected to receive the vaccine on the basis of family genetics and medical history

If people accept they are taken through to another page that asks for all their bank details

The email arrived in Ms Benetton's inbox from noreply@nhsengland.gov.uk with the sub-heading 'Book an appointment using the NHS's e-referral service

Stephen Moss, an author, tweeted: 'WARNING!!! Just had an official looking NHS email with the heading 'The latest alert of covid-19 vaccine  ReferenceID 42744187 inviting me for a vaccination. Closer looks shows it to be a scam. BE VERY CAREFUL AND WARN YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.'

And retired English teacher Daphne Miles wrote: 'SOS My sister tells me that friends have received emails purporting to be from NHS, telling them they are eligible for a covid vaccination and ASKING FOR CARD DETAILS! Very nasty scam!'

Kirsty Smith, 33, who works for the NHS in Bedfordshire said: 'What these people are doing is exploiting people's fears for their own financial gain. It's outrageous.

'My friend's grandparents were targeted over the phone. They are both in their 70s, very anxious and looking forward to being offered the vaccine.

'When he got a phone call on their landline someone claiming to be from their local vaccination centre, he was just relieved and gave his bank details thinking it would secure their place. Now they have something else to worry about.'

The National Cybe Security Centre and Action Fraud have asked anyone who receives a scam email or text to report it.

In a tweet the NHS said: 'The COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge on the NHS. We will never ask for your bank account or card details, your pin or banking password, copies of personal documents to prove your identity such as your passport, driving licence bills or pay slips.'

A spokeswoman for Derbyshire police said: 'If you receive a text or email that asks your to click on a link for you to provide information such as your name, credit card or bank details, it's a scam.'
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A Kalamazoo methamphetamine dealer who pleaded guilty to two drug trafficking charges was sentenced Monday in federal court.

Jeremie Ennis, 31, was sentenced Monday, Jan. 25, by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker to serve 17 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Jonker also ordered Ennis to pay $2,000 in fines.

Related: Kalamazoo man who fought with officers pleads guilty to drug trafficking, weapons charges

Ennis, who fought with police and rammed two cop cars in the moments leading up to his Feb. 4, 2020 arrest in Kalamazoo, pleaded guilty Sept. 10 to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime.

Ennis had initially reached a plea agreement with the U.S. Government in April, but after some COVID-19-related court delays and a superseding indictment that followed in June, his plea was not finalized until September.

Ennis had originally been charged with 14 felonies in Kalamazoo County District Court stemming from the incident. But after the federal complaint was filed one week after his arrest, the Kalamazoo County Prosecutors Office filed a nolle prosequi, dismissing the charges against Ennis in District Court.

Thats an individual that weve been looking at for a while because of his involvement in violent crime and drugs, and we put our crime reduction team and our KVET team together on that to hunt him down and get him because we viewed him as a danger to the community, and he certainly was, Kalamazoo Public Safety Assistant Chief David Boysen told MLive last February.

At the time of his arrest, Ennis was a suspect in two open Kalamazoo Public Safety cases, Special Agent Cecil Queen wrote in Ennis federal complaint. One was a nonfatal shooting on Oct. 4, 2019, and the other was for an unarmed robbery on Jan. 26, 2020.

At the time of his apprehension, Ennis  who fought with four officers before being tased  had a loaded gun tucked inside his waistband, Queen said. A second loaded gun that turned out to be stolen was later found in his vehicle.

Along with ammunition, officers also recovered drug packaging materials, a scale and close to $4,000 in suspected drug proceeds, Queen said.

When asked by an investigating officer why he was carrying a gun, Ennis, according to the complaint, replied, I make a lot of drug sales riding around. I sell dope, man. You see thats why I had almost four (...) grand on me and ice [methamphetamine] and a gun, man. I do that to protect myself, brother.

Ennis criminal history, according to the federal complaint, includes seven felony convictions received between 2006 and 2018 for offenses that include controlled substance violations, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to do great bodily harm.

Also on MLive:

Kalamazoo man accused of killing sleeping 54-year-old during drive-by to stand trial

Wife of former Kalamazoo pastor arraigned on human trafficking, child sexual assault charges

Former Stamp Farms owner sentenced to prison, ordered to pay $23M in restitution
New Delhi: As the country celebrates its 72nd Republic Day on January 26, 2021, the entire nation is gripped in the patriotic fervour. Our Bollywood celebrities too extended their greetings and wishes to fans on social media. Several of them took to Twitter and wished a 'Happy Republic Day' to one and sundry.

Here's who said what on Republic Day:

T 3794 - 26th January .. Republic Day

Happiness peace prosperity and .. be safe .. be protected pic.twitter.com/EWRLN0OMXJ  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) January 25, 2021

So inspiring and also an apt day to celebrate the effort of all those who helped build the fundamental principles of India. Happy Republic Day.

(3/3)  PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) January 26, 2021

Id like to share an interesting piece of information I came across recently and today seems to be the perfect day to post what I learned. Did you know that there were 15 women in the first Constituent Assembly of India & that they helped draft the Constitution of India?

(2/3)  PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) January 26, 2021

Ive been researching and reading a lot about women in governance across the world and how their skills have impacted communities and countries. Its been enlightening, fascinating and so insightful to understand the importance of women in leadership.

(1/3) pic.twitter.com/2XNYIdOFja  PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) January 26, 2021

On 72nd Republic Day heres wishing and hoping that we all read and understand our constitution as much as we celebrate it. Will help us be more patriotic than what we actually are.

Jai Hind #HappyRepublicDay2021  taapsee pannu (@taapsee) January 26, 2021

On this Republic Day know your constitution and how you got freedom, lot of people did lot of PR and took credit also twisted our history but the deserving ones simply gave their lives they clearly couldnt do any PR...#HappyRepublicDay2021 pic.twitter.com/zcSyu4y9fd  Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) January 26, 2021

India declared itself a Sovereign, Democratic and Republic state with the adoption of the Constitution on January 26, 1950.

Interestingly, January 26 was selected as the Republic day because it was on this day in 1930 when the Declaration of Indian Independence (Purna Swaraj) was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress as opposed to the Dominion status offered by British Regime.

This year is going to be different as the celebration is organized amid the deadly novel coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, this time the Republic Day celebrations will be low key with a shorter parade. Keeping COVID-19 protocol in place, there will be no chief guest and fewer public participation.

Here's wishing the countrymen a very happy and proud Republic Day!
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
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??? Ante incremento de casos por la #COVID19, el Gobierno convoco a sesion extraordinaria de Consejo de Ministros, donde se acordo coordinar con cada gobierno regional y local las medidas a implementarse.



Mas detalles ??https://t.co/Zypx8Uk6Ob
Post-Brexit red tape is holding up manufacturing processes, stalling deliveries and cutting off UK customers from Munster businesses.

Brian Hanly of John Hanly & Co Woollen Mills in Tipperary described the situation as a disaster.

"We're only 20 days into it, but it hasn't been a great 20 days.

The Tipperary-based Wollen Mill imports most of its raw materials from Europe, but every item designed and weaved at the Mill in Nenagh has to be sent to Scotland for a specialist finishing process, before it is shipped back to be cut, labelled and packaged in Tipperary.

Hanly sends goods to Scotland twice a week, and, pre-Brexit, received goods from Scotland twice a week. This would normally take 24 to 36 hours, he explained.

Since the beginning of this year, just one delivery has reached Hanlys partner in Scotland, while one has arrived from Scotland.

Brian Hanly pictured at his Woollen Mills in Nenagh, Co Tipperary. Picture: Brian Arthur

Some of it is in Dublin, some of it is in the freight couriers depot in the UK, and everybody has been blamed. Customs are blaming the couriers who are blaming the suppliers.

Mr Hanly said workflow at the Mills has been completely disrupted: This is a bigger problem for me than Covid ever presented.

We've had to stop selling on our own website to the UK.

Mr Hanly isnt alone. A survey by Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI), three weeks into the new trading environment, has found that more than a third of businesses have stopped shipping goods through Great Britain.

Mr Hanly said they have stopped selling to UK customers through their own website as they currently dont have a freight company who can say for sure when it will be delivered.

Read More Businesses criticise Brexit paperwork and customs formalities

They talked about getting customers ready. I don't think the customs were ready.

Mr Hanly said the uncertainty is his biggest problem at present.

The delays you could cope with if you knew what's going to happen. If we don't know when the product we're making is going to get processed and be available on the shelves for us, then we can't tell our customers, you'll have it in a week or two weeks.

In this day and age, you're scrambling for any sales you can get, to have to turn around and tell customers I don't have it and I don't even know when I'll have it. I dont know what to tell them.

Like Mr Hanly, CEO of EI Electronics Mick Guinee said hes hearing the hold-ups are largely coming from the UK side.

There seems to have be a lot of ignorance on the UK side. I think Irish people were well au fait with the whole thing. The Brits maybe didn't acknowledge it until it came.

There also seems to be a shortage of customs clearance agents in the UK, he said.

Mr Guinee said the company has not experienced any delays on full consignments shipped.

EI Electronics Founder CEO, Mick Guinee.

On a daily basis, we're shipping a 40-foot container to the UK, and on those full consignments, we're not finding any delays. Pick up is here at three o'clock in the afternoon, and its delivered to our subsidiary at Oswestry at 10am the following morning, just as it was before.

Where we are seeing delays would be on pallet loads, where our pallets have to be consolidated with other companies to make up a full shipment.

We have all of our paperwork correct, but if it has to be consolidated with somebody else and the customs details aren't properly taken care of, then that's where the delays are happening.

These delays are currently around two weeks, Mr Guinee says, adding that similar delays are being seen in the small number of products they import from the UK.

That two weeks delay can potentially be a problem because if you're out of one little component, you might not be able to make the product.

Pre-Bexit, EI Electronics used the UK landbridge to ship to Europe.

We are shipping Rosslare to Dunkirk now, and that's working out very well. It's the very same lead time as we had beforehand, we ship out of here on a Tuesday evening and it's delivered in Germany or Holland on a Friday.

There's about a 20% extra cost involved for doing it that way but we felt that the security of our delivery was worth that.

The UK is our biggest market and we always said that it would remain our biggest market. If it had been a hard Brexit there would have been tariffs and we would have taken that on the chin.

If there's an extra cost in doing business with the UK, we'll take it because it is our biggest market and we can't afford to lose it.

Codex Beauty, which was established in 2018, may be the canary in the coal mine for how global businesses will deal with the UK in a post-Brexit world.

The bioscience-led beauty brand whose products are formulated at their manufacturing facility on Model Farm Road, Cork and then produced by Offaly-based skincare company Europharma Concepts, has made a deliberate strategy to stay away from the UK when choosing where to base its facilities.

We were purposely staying away from the UK because we knew the chaos that was going to come at some stage, Tracey Ryan, Master Formulator and Managing Director of Codex Beauty Europe explained.

There's some areas where we can't, there's some fantastic suppliers that we really love working with in the UK and we want to continue our relationships with these people but it's been made very difficult.

Ms Ryan said businesses can tend to automatically look to the UK as a base, but knowing Brexit was on the horizon they felt they should look at what was available in Ireland first, eventually settling on Crane Logistics in Cork as its main fulfilment centre for Europe.

Tracey Ryan Codex: 'We were purposely staying away from the UK.'

The Tipperary native said the brand also made a conscious effort to stay away from contract manufacturers in the UK. Where it didnt, it has seen some delays.

We've definitely seen an impact in purchasing materials from the UK. We stockpiled before Christmas to make sure any really important materials were in house in good quantities, but it's been a nightmare.

The suppliers themselves dont even know what's going on.

Our suppliers, where they have been communicating with us and trying to figure things out, we've said okay we'll continue to work with you, we'll be patient. But others, who can't give us any kind of an estimation on how things are going to work or how taxes are going to work.. we have started looking at alternative suppliers.


It took until he was around one-year-old for Lily Collison to first hear the term 'cerebral palsy' in relation to her third son, Tommy.

Lily had enjoyed a normal pregnancy and birth and she and husband Denis were looking forward to happy times ahead with their new baby boy and older sons, Patrick and John, then aged six and four.

However, just over one year later, Tommy was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegia - a form of Cerebral Palsy.

After a subsequent scan, a consultant cruelly remarked to Lily: "Significant brain damage, not much active brain go home and mind your other children."

"His words will be etched on my brain forever," says Lily.

Etched they may be, but Lily had no intention of doing any such thing, even though the family had known something was wrong with their baby boy, right from the start.

Immediately after he was born, little Tommy cried non-stop for three months, his legs were strong and stiff and he had trouble feeding.

But Lily was told that everything was fine, and accepted that.

Then suddenly the crying stopped and Tommy became a placid, serene, happy baby.

However, over the next few months, Lily noticed that he wasn't reaching normal developmental milestones such as sitting up without support and holding his bottle.

When doctors labelled him 'developmentally delayed' she arranged to see a paediatrician, who immediately diagnosed cerebral palsy (CP).

"When he said cerebral palsy, I didn't even know what it was," says Lily. "I'd heard of the condition, but had no idea what it actually meant, or how it affected a child.

"Even though you know that something's not right, being told that your child has serious, lifelong condition is a devastating moment for any parent.

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"It doesn't matter what the diagnosis is be it CP, autism, spina bifida, cystic fibrosis or any other condition.

"Your life changes in that moment - meanwhile outside, the world continues to spin. We still had three children that needed meals. Work and school had to go on.

"You go into a kind of grieving," she adds. "It's a lonely place because your friends continue in the world you left yesterday and suddenly you have less in common with them."

However, unlike the cruel words that were to follow from a subsequent doctor, the paediatrician told her: "If I want to know how this child will turn out, I look at the mother."

Although taken aback, Lily soon came to realise that he was right, and for Tommy - in his childhood years at least - how he 'turned out' and how well he would overcome any obstacles due to his disability, was pretty much down to his parents.

Lily recalls: "When Tommy then went for a brain scan and a doctor told me to, "Go home and mind your other children". I thought, 'Wow!' I'm holding this one-year-old who is a very alert, very engaging child. How can they say that?"

"My child was certainly very behind physically, but I couldn't reconcile those words with the bright little boy in my arms.

"I saw no difference cognitively between Tommy and his older brothers, so, I 'parked' his words somewhere in my mind and resolved to set about learning everything I could about CP and spastic diplegia and how I could best help him."

Unfortunately, 25 years ago there was precious little information available to parents about CP and its variants, such as spastic diplegia.

"It was frustrating - those were the days before the internet and social media," says Lily.

"When Tommy was five, our community physio, gave me a brilliant book written for orthopaedic surgeons about the condition.

"The author, Dr Gage, worked the Gillette Children's Speciality Healthcare hospital in Minnesota - a world-renowned centre of excellence for CP treatment.

"As the book was written by surgeons for surgeons, although I have a science background, I had to read it with a medical dictionary by my side," she laughs.

"I couldn't understand half of it, but I was able to read about spastic diplegia and in the book, Dr Gage wrote that the 'classic' diplegic child has normal intelligence - it was the first positive statement about intelligence and spastic diplegia that I had read or heard."

And so, Lily began a journey of researching information, medical treatment and physical therapies and anything that could help Tommy - a journey that 25 years later, has resulted in the amazing book - Spastic Diplegia Bilateral Cerebral Palsy - written for parents, CP sufferers and medical professionals alike.

"I was thinking of all the 'other Tommys' when I began writing the book," says Lily.

"There is still so little information out there about this specific form of CP that I wanted to put together everything I had learned, along with the medical information, into a one-stop resource that ordinary people (not just doctors) could understand.

"The book is primarily for families, to help them understand the condition and achieve the best outcome for their child. The aim of the book is also to help people with spastic diplegia achieve their full potential.

"While the book explains the condition and its treatment, it also contains our personal story and stories of other families.

"What I hope I've done is explain spastic diplegia over the lifespan of the person affected.

"It's a lifelong condition - there's no cure - but good management (by healthcare experts, families and the affected person) can make all the difference.

"This is the book I wished I'd been handed when I received Tommy's diagnosis."

In writing the book, Lily was assisted by the medical professionals who have treated Tommy over the years, and as such, the publication has been hailed as a must-read for families and doctors alike.

She is so passionate about the aim of the book that ALL proceeds will go to CP research.

Throughout his life, Tommy has undergone numerous treatments and surgeries - many operations were carried out at the Gillette hospital in America. The first when he was 10 years old, lasted six hours and involved 13 procedures - nine on his right leg and four on his left. His most recent surgery was at the beginning of 2020.

Tommy, now 26, remembers his mum's hunt for information when he was growing up.

"Everywhere we went, mum would scour the medical section of bookshops looking for anything on CP and spastic diplegia," he recalls.

"A lot of the tables and diagrams in the book started out as bits of paper stuck to the fridge or notebook pages on the kitchen table."

The results of Lily's determination to do the best and get the best and right treatment for her child is clearly evident when you look at Tommy's achievements.

Despite requiring speech therapy at an early age, when he was 13, Tommy won the Best Overall Communicator Award for best explanation/discussion of a project in conversation with judges at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition.

Recalls Lily: "Tommy's project was on Cerebral Palsy in Mainstream Education. This was the kid who had delayed speech and he had just won a prize for verbal communication. I was so proud."

After graduating from New York University with an honours degree in journalism, Tommy now lives and works as a teacher in San Francisco, where his big brothers Patrick and John (founders of online payments company, Stripe) also reside.

Tommy has written the epilogue to his mum's book in which he praises his parents and acknowledges the huge part their determination has played in helping him succeed in life.

In one paragraph he writes: 'You beat your disability by knowing where you want to be - be that on crutches, or walking independently - and then working your ass off to get there.

'You beat it by never settling for less than what you can achieve. You might have a disability, but don't let that disability have you.'

Spastic Diplegia Bilateral Cerebral Palsy, by Lily Collison, is available on Amazon and e-book platforms. All proceeds go to Cerebral Palsy research

WHAT IS SPASTIC DIPLEGIA?
President Joe Biden's nominee to head the US Commerce Department on Tuesday vowed to protect US telecommunications networks from Chinese companies, but she refused to commit to keeping telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies on a US economic blacklist. "I would use the full toolkit at my disposal to the fullest extent possible to protect Americans and our network from Chinese interference or any kind of back-door influence," Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo said in testimony before the US Senate Commerce Committee, naming Huawei and ZTE Corp . Congress in ...

HAMDEN  Officers broke up a fight involving dozens of teenagers at Funz Trampoline Park on Dixwell Avenue Saturday night and are investigating alleged pandemic safety violations, according to police.

Mayor Curt Leng said Monday he was disappointed to learn the trampoline park appeared to have violated sector rules.

Were at a time right now where its essential for everyone in the community, including the business community, to really do their part in helping us to combat this pandemic head-on, he said. Were not out of the woods yet by any means and really need to be more vigilant than ever while we make sure that the population gets vaccinated.

Leng later Monday via text said a $500 fine had been issued to the business for failure to follow State health and safety rules related to the pandemic.

Officers responded to the establishment around 9 p.m. Saturday for a fight in progress, finding 40 to 60 teenagers involved in a dispute outside of the business, Capt. Ronald Smith said in an email.

Many of the young people were involving in a physical altercation, he said.

Hamden Police requested mutual aid from the New Haven Police Department to quell the disturbance, Smith said. Officers estimated that there were an additional 150 patrons inside of the trampoline park. Officers reported that there did not appear to be social distancing. Furthermore, that a very few patrons were wearing masks.

Chief of Police John Sullivan had said earlier Monday that the fine, if there was one issued, would be for $500.

Police were taking the lead on the investigation, according to Sullivan.

A person who answered the phone at the business Monday and said he was the manager but would not give his name, said that COVID guidelines are followed there, including the requirement for wearing masks. He said the business also hires police officers to be on site for events.

Because the business does not have a food license, Sullivan said, he did not believe the Quinnipiack Valley Health District has jurisdiction over the matter. Smith said the department would inform the QVHD of the alleged COVID safety violations.

Leng complimented the Police Departments response to the incident.

QVHD Director Karen Wolujewicz said the department had been informed of the incident and directed further inquiries about infractions to police.

As of Monday afternoon, Sullivan was not aware of any arrests made or citations issued in connection with the event inside the trampoline park or the brawl outside. He did not know the cause of the fight, or whether those involved had attended the trampoline park event.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com

Ice fishing challenge promoted in Warren County



The Warren County Ice Fishing Challenge being held Feb. 1 through 28 has been modified from the ice fishing tournaments of years past.

Anglers can take to frozen waters in the Lake George area, including Brant Lake, Schroon Lake, Glen Lake and Garnet Lake, and share their ice fishing catch on Instagram or email the pictures to: WarrenCountyIceFishingChallenge@gmail.com.

The winter event is being sponsored by Warren County Tourism Department and Lake George Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For more information, including a map of public lake fishing access spots, go to https://www.visitlakegeorge.com.

Health care navigator appointments available

COPAKE  A health care navigator will be available to assist local residents with health care plans and decisions 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 8 at Roeliff Jansen Community Library, 9091 Route 22.

Navigators help individuals and families in Columbia and Greene counties with shopping for, comparing and enrolling in quality, affordable health insurance, including Medicaid, Child Health Plus and the Essential Plan through the New York State of Health Official Health Plan Marketplace. They can also help with applying for financial assistance to help pay for coverage.

Services are free. To make an appointment, call 518-822-9600.

Environmental forum focuses on Coeymans area



"Clearing the Air in Coeymans" will be the topic of a free community forum offered 7 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 9 via Zoom.

On Nov. 23, 2020 the Coeymans Town Board passed amendments to the towns Clean Air Law, paving the way for businesses to burn massive amounts of tires and waste, making it the only town in Albany County to be able to do so in spite of the county's Clean Air Law.

Issues to be discussed include:

 The Albany County Clean Air Law, amendments to the Coeymans Clean Air Law, and the permissive referendum

 Health threats of burning tires and waste for fuel vs. coal in cement kiln incinerators

 Why the DEC and EPA does not protect us, using the Norlite hazardous waste incinerator in Cohoes as an example

For more information, or to register, go to https://www.mediasanctuary.org/event/cleanair/

Wilton Wildlife Preserve offers nature programs



The following outdoor nature programs are scheduled at Feb. 15 to 19 by the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park:

 Scavenger hunt, 11 a.m. to noon, Feb. 15, Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry St., Saratoga Springs. Children 5 and older will learn to use their senses to explore the outdoors. Registration required. Call 518-584-7860, Ext. 3.

 Winter nature detectives, 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 15, Camp Saratoga North Trailhead. Children will learn the basics of animal tracking.

 History of snowshoes hike, 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 16. Learn how the funky looking shoes were they made and how they helped make New York what it is today.

 Winter tree identification, 1 to 2 p.m., Feb. 17. How do you know which tree is which? Learn ways to determine tree species at the preserve.

 Animal tracking, 1 to 2 p.m., Feb. 18. Learn about animal tracks following a snowfall.

 Camp Saratoga scavenger hunt, 1 to 2 p.m., Feb. 19. Children will learn to use their senses to explore the outdoors to complete a nature scavenger hunt.

Programs are designed for children ages 5 and older. Except for the Feb. 15 scavenger hunt, the programs are held at the Camp Saratoga North Trailhead.

Also, snowshoe and cross country skis will be available for rent 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the cabin in parking lot 1 on Scout Road for $10 a pair for adults, $5 for children/students.

Registration is required. Call 518-450-0321, email: info@wiltonpreserve.org or go to http://www.wiltonpreserve.org.
Police believe he was involved in a fatal shooting that occurred before 8 a.m. in the 2800 block of West 23rd Street, police said. A 34-year-old man died at Mount Sinai Medical Center after he was shot multiple times.

Oil edged lower as the worsening near-term coronavirus outlook raised concerns over the obstacles still facing crudes fledgling recovery.

Futures in New York fell less than 1% Tuesday after flipping between gains and losses earlier in the session. While much of the world awaits a wider distribution of the vaccine, oil prices have struggled to sustain their rally. In China, a coronavirus flare-up is threatening fuel demand during the Lunar New Year period, with the government encouraging millions not to travel.

Theres a lot of demand destruction-type events in the market, and its weighing on crude, said Bob Yawger, head of the futures division at Mizuho Securities. The market is giving the impression were running out of momentum here.

Oil has surged almost 50% since the end of October, but the rally has started to falter with obstacles still facing the recovery in global fuel demand. Vaccine coverage wont reach a point where it will stop the transmission of the virus in the foreseeable future, the World Health Organization said on Monday. Meanwhile, the U.K. exceeded 100,000 Covid deaths, serving as a stark reminder of the long road ahead before countries emerge from the pandemic.

The fundamental oil picture is firmer for mid-year, but its not really that tight compared to other years, said Rick Joswick, head of oil pricing analytics at S&P Global Platts. The risk that shale producers may eventually increase production also puts a cap on the back-end of the forward price curve.

Despite the day-to-day fluctuations in headline crude prices, the markets structure has been firming. Brents prompt timespread was 27 cents a barrel in backwardation on Tuesday, where near-dated contracts are more expensive than later-dated ones. The spread is at the strongest level since late February.

About 1.7 billion trips are expected across China over the Lunar New Year period, down 40% from 2019, although 15% higher than last year. The travel rush, which starts on Jan. 28 this year, runs for 40 days and is normally the biggest mass movement of people around the globe as hundred of millions of Chinese jump on planes, trains and automobiles to see their extended families.

In the U.S., analysts expect crude inventories to have risen last week, according to a Bloomberg survey. The industry-funded American Petroleum Institute will report its figures later Tuesday ahead of a U.S. government tally on Wednesday.
The Vietnam Peace Committee has recently released a message hailing the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on January 22.

Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga. (Illustrative image. - File photo)

As the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively ban the development, testing, production, manufacture, acquisition, possession, stockpiling, transferral, reception, use or threatening to use nuclear weapons  with a view to total elimination, the committee noted that it was an important milestone in the fight against nuclear weapons after it was adopted on July 7, 2017.

This victory is an achievement obtained not only thanks to 51 United Nations members who have ratified the Treaty, but also thanks to the efforts and contributions of all peace movements and peace-loving people in the world, it said.

However, the committee noted that the total nuclear disarmament remains a farfetched vision when the very countries in possession of nuclear weapons have not signed the treaty and many others are still researching, developing, producing, trading, or threatening to use nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

The Vietnam Peace Committee called on all governments to join, sign and adopt the Treaty; respect the Treaty as well as international laws and agreements in general, and stop the use of force or threaten the use of force in international relations.

All disputes and differences need to be addressed via peaceful solutions, it added.

The committee called on all peace movements, peoples organisations and peace lovers in the entire world to strengthen solidarity and cooperation to better fight against nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, to realise a world of peace, stability and sustainable development.

The committee said it was committed to working with other peace-loving forces in the world to make sure that tragedies which took place in Hiroshima and Nagasaki or in Vietnam and other countries will never repeat.

Hope for peace on Earth, the committee signed off the message.

Vietnam was the 10th country in the world to have ratified the Treaty, after Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, head of the Vietnam Permanent Mission to the United Nations, deposited with the UN Secretary General Vietnams instrument of ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on May 17, 2018.

Previously, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh signed the treaty on September 22, 2017, in the framework of the 72nd UN General Assemblys High-level Meeting, also one of the first countries to sign the Treaty. VNS
Increasing ocean temperature threatens Greenland's ice sheet

Irvine, Calif., Jan. 25, 2021 -- Scientists at the University of California, Irvine and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have for the first time quantified how warming coastal waters are impacting individual glaciers in Greenland's fjords. Their work is the subject of a study published recently in Science Advances.

Working under the auspices of the Oceans Melting Greenland mission for the past five years, the researchers used ships and aircraft to survey 226 glaciers in all sectors of one of Earth's largest islands. They found that 74 glaciers situated in deep, steep-walled valleys accounted for nearly half of Greenland's total ice loss between 1992 and 2017.

Such fjord-bound glaciers were discovered to be the most subject to undercutting, a process by which warm, salty water at the bottom of the canyons melts the ice from below, causing the masses to break apart more quickly than usual. In contrast, the team found that 51 glaciers positioned in shallower gullies experienced less undercutting and contributed only about 15 percent of the total ice loss.

"I was surprised by how lopsided it was. The biggest and deepest glaciers are undercut much faster than the smaller glaciers in shallow fjords," said lead author Michael Wood, a post-doctorate researcher at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, who began this research as a doctoral student at UCI. "In other words, the biggest glaciers are the most sensitive to the warming waters and those are the ones really driving Greenland's ice loss."

The study highlighted the dynamic whereby deeper fjords allow the intrusion of warmer ocean water than shallow ones, hastening the process of undercutting with some of Greenland's largest glaciers.

Greenland is home to one of Earth's only two ice sheets, the largest being Antarctica's. The ice in Greenland is more than two miles (three kilometers) thick in places. At the edges of the land mass, the vast glaciers extending from the ice sheet travel slowly down valleys like icy conveyor belts, which inch into the fjords and then melt or break off as icebergs. The ice is replenished by snowfall that is compressed over time into the ice pack.

If the ice sheet were in balance, the amount of snow accumulating on the top would roughly equal the ice lost from melt, evaporation and calving - chunks breaking free from anchored masses and floating off into the ocean.

But the ice sheet has been out of balance since the 1990s. Melt has accelerated and calving has increased, causing glaciers that extend into the sea to retreat back toward land. Together, these are resulting the ice sheet shrinkage.

According to the research team, the build-up of warm salty water at the bottom of fjords has been accelerated by increasing temperatures in the summer months, which heat the surfaces of glaciers, creating pools of meltwater. This liquid leaks through cracks in the ice to form subsurface freshwater rivers which flows into the sea where it interacts with salty water beneath fjords.

Glacier meltwater is free of salt, so it is lighter than seawater and rises to the surface as a plume, dragging up warm water and putting it in contact with the bottoms of glaciers. Fjord depth is a fairly immutable factor, but other factors such as seawater temperature and the amount of meltwater from glaciers surfaces are greatly impacted by climate warming. All three factors combine to cause accelerated deterioration of Greenland's ice sheet, the researchers said.

As the water temperature around Greenland's coastline is predicted to continue to increase in the future, these findings suggest that some climate models may underestimate glacial ice loss by at least a factor of two if they do not account for undercutting by a warm ocean.

The study also lends insight into why many of Greenland's glaciers never recovered after an abrupt ocean warming between 1998 and 2007, which caused an increase in ocean temperature by nearly 2 degrees Celsius. Although ocean warming paused between 2008 and 2017, the glaciers had already experienced such extreme undercutting in the previous decade that they continued to retreat at an accelerated rate.

"We have known for well over a decade that the warmer ocean plays a major role in the evolution of Greenland glaciers," said OMG deputy principal investigator Eric Rignot, also of JPL and UCI. "But for the first time, we have been able to quantify the undercutting effect and demonstrate its dominant impact on the glacier retreat over the past 20 years."

###

In addition to funding from NASA, this research received support from the National Science Foundation, the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research and the French National Research Agency.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www. uci. edu .

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Oh, Joe, no.

Joe Biden has been the President of the United States for less than a week, and hes already been thrust into controversy over one of his orders  breakfast, not executive.

President Biden made headlines Tuesday when his motorcade stopped at trendy Washington D.C. deli Call Your Mother for bagels. Biden reportedly ordered sesame bagels with cream cheese, a totally legitimate order  sesame came in No. 3 in NJ.coms 2021 bagel rankings. And everybody loves cream cheese.

The problem? The bagels were toasted.

What a GREAT Sunday surprise!  Thrilled to have an admin again who will love all that DC has to offer  starting with sesame bagels!! Come back anytime @JoeBiden https://t.co/v7yrBrG9hC  Call Your Mother Deli (@CYM_DC) January 24, 2021

Toasting bagels is a hot-button topic even in New Jersey, the bagel capital of the world. On one hand, toasting a bagel warms it up, crisps the surface and can elevate the experience  slightly melting the cream cheese, and reinvigorating a less-than-fresh bagel. If the bagel is even a few hours old, toasting it can be essential. And in a recent NJ.com Instagram poll, 66% of the more than 5,700 voters said they preferred their bagels toasted.

But make no mistake  a fresh bagel received straight from its source should never be toasted. If this is the doughy hill on which I die, so be it.

Toasting a bagel robs its natural beauty. Why would someone dare tarnish the elegant contrast between its crusty exterior and soft interior, forged by the boil-bake process? Moreover, the warmth that comes from getting a bagel fresh out of the oven renders toasting redundant. If its a quality bagel  and New Jersey bagels always are  you dont need it toasted.

Again, an old bagel is a different story. If I roll up to the newsroom on a Friday and those community bagels (now a thing of the past, thanks COVID) have been out for a couple hours, Im toasting mine. And if Im ordering from a bagel shop I dont know well, Ill ask at the counter how fresh the bagels are.

Lets also take into account that these are D.C. bagels were talking about. I know the region. I went to the University of Maryland, and I didnt find a single acceptable bagel in four years of searching. Bagels are questionable outside of New York and New Jersey, but below the Mason-Dixon line? Good luck.

Not to disparage Call Your Mother, but maybe Biden, in his advanced age, knows better than to trust a D.C. bagel to be perfectly fresh. Maybe he was hedging his bets, like any good politician.

It could be worse. He didnt put lox on a cinnamon raisin bagel like New York mayoral candidate Cynthia Nixon did in 2018. He doesnt eat steaks cooked well-done with ketchup, like a certain presidential predecessor.

Mr. President, I know you have a lot on your plate. But next time try to find a Jersey transplant to make your bagel. You wont have to toast it.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
The market continued to correct for the third consecutive session on January 25 even though it made a few attempts to recover in the afternoon trade. Weak global cues and the clash between India-China troops in Sikkim, too, added to the woes.

The S&P BSE Sensex fell 530.95 points or 1.09 percent to 48,347.59, while the Nifty50 corrected 133 points or 0.93 percent to close at 14,238.90 and formed a bearish candle on the daily charts.

"Decline in the index for the three consecutive sessions happened after the time span of four months. Hence, this pattern could be in-line with the reversal formation in the market at the highs. Hence, the last swing high of 14,753 of January 21st could be a reversal high for the near-term," Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities told Moneycontrol.

"The short term trend of Nifty continues to be weak, but the consistent decline of the last three sessions could be hinting at the possibility of reversal in the market. A sustainable move below 14,200 is expected to drag Nifty to 13,800 levels in the near term. Any upside towards 14,360-14,400 could be a sell on rise opportunity," he said.

The broader market also corrected in line with the frontliners. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was down 0.94 percent and Smallcap 100 index fell 1.18 percent.

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 14,141.3, followed by 14,043.7. If the index moves up, the key resistance levels to watch out for are 14,413.8 and 14,588.7.

Nifty Bank

The Nifty Bank outperformed the Nifty50, rising 31.15 points to close at 31,198.40 on January 25. The important pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 30,908.87, followed by 30,619.33. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 31,592.77 and 31,987.13.

Call option data

Maximum Call open interest of 58.55 lakh contracts was seen at 15,000 strike, which will act as a crucial resistance level in the January series.

This is followed by 14,500 strike, which holds 49.53 lakh contracts, and 14,600 strike, which has accumulated 40.47 lakh contracts.

Call writing was seen at 14,400 strike, which added 24.36 lakh contracts, followed by 14,500 strike which added 16.05 lakh contracts and 14,300 strike which added 10.81 lakh contracts.

Call unwinding was seen at 15,100 strike, which shed 7.74 lakh contracts, followed by 14,900 strike which shed 4.12 lakh contracts and 14,800 strike which shed 89,025 contracts.

Put option data

Maximum Put open interest of 32.01 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 26.87 lakh contracts, and 14,200 strike, which has accumulated 25.18 lakh contracts.

Put writing was seen at 14,200 strike, which added 6.32 lakh contracts, followed by 14,100 strike, which added 2.58 lakh contracts and 13,800 strike which added 2.38 lakh contracts.

Put unwinding was seen at 14,500 strike, which shed 6.6 lakh contracts, followed by 14,400 strike, which shed 5.9 lakh contracts and 14,600 strike which shed 3.21 lakh contracts.

Stocks with a high delivery percentage

A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in these stocks.

18 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.

44 stocks saw long unwinding

Based on the open interest future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which long unwinding was seen.

51 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

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Results on January 27

Axis Bank, Hindustan Unilever, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Marico, Emami, HG Infra Engineering, Hindustan Organic Chemicals, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company, India Cements, JK Paper, Jyothy Labs, Lakshmi Machine Works, Mahindra EPC Irrigation, Nippon Life India Asset Management, PNB Housing Finance, PSP Projects, Quess Corp, Tata Coffee, United Spirits and Welspun India are among 50 companies that are scheduled to release their quarterly numbers on January 27.

Stocks in the news

Larsen & Toubro: The company reported a consolidated profit of Rs 2,466.7 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 2,352 crore in Q3FY20 while revenue fell to Rs 35,596.4 crore from Rs 36,243 crore YoY.

RPG Life Sciences: The company reported sharply higher profit at Rs 12.87 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 7.9 crore in Q3FY20, revenue jumped to Rs 107.6 crore from Rs 94.4 crore YoY.

Astec LifeSciences: The company reported a profit of Rs 7 crore for Q3FY21 against Rs 12.1 crore reported in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. Revenue declined to Rs 116 crore from Rs 124.8 crore YoY.

Sharda Cropchem: The company reported a sharp increase in its consolidated profit at Rs 48.3 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 5.86 crore in Q3FY20; revenue rose to Rs 493.8 crore from Rs 382.4 crore YoY. The company appointed Ashok Kumar Vashisht as Chief Financial Officer.

Navin Fluorine International: The company reported a consolidated profit of Rs 58.9 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 45.4 crore in Q3FY20, while revenue jumped to Rs 309.09 crore from Rs 260.5 crore YoY.

ICICI Securities: The company has reported a profit of Rs 267 crore in Q3FY21 against Rs 137.2 crore in Q3FY20. Revenue jumped to Rs 620.11 crore from Rs 422.24 crore YoY.

Auto stocks in focus: The government has approved scrappage policy, which will come into effect from April 2022.

FII and DII data

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net sold shares worth Rs 765.3 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) net sold shares worth Rs 387.76 crore in the Indian equity market on January 25, as per provisional data available on the NSE.

Stocks under F&O ban on NSE

Three stocks - NALCO, PNB and SAIL - are under the F&O ban for January 27. 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.
Prosecuting lawyer, Wahab Shittu, said on Tuesday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will appeal against Mondays judgment of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja which discharged a judge, Mohammed Yunusa, of bribery charges instituted against him in 2016.

Mr Yunusa was a serving judge at the Enugu Division of the Federal High Court when he was, in July 2016, suspended by the National Judicial Council (NJC) pending President Muhammadu Buharis approval of the councils recommendation for his compulsory retirement.

In January 2018, EFCC arraigned him on three counts of taking bribe from a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rickey Tarfa, who is also being separately prosecuted by the commission on similar charges.

The anti-graft agency, in February 2020, scaled the charges up to nine counts and re-arraigned Mr Yunusa alongside Esther Agbor, a worker at Mr Tarfas law firm, who was accused of paying N1.5million to the judges bank account.

The commission, in the amended charges, accused the two defendants of attempted perversion of the course of justice, corruption by a public official, use of office or position for gratification to the tune of N2,250,000.

But the Special Offences Division of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, on Monday, discharged the judge of the charges on the grounds that the NJC had reinstated the judge.

The trial judge, Serifat Solebo, gave the discharge order in a ruling following an application by the counsel for the second defendant in the case, John Odubela, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Mr Odubela had informed the court that the NJC had issued Mr Yinusa a December 29, 2020 letter signed by the Deputy Chairman, Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, who is also a Justice of the Supreme Court, lifting the suspension slammed on the sanctioned judge over four years ago.

Overruling EFCCs objection, Ms Solebo discharged Mr Yunusa on Monday.

This was despite the allegation, which formed the basis for Mr Yunusas sanction by the NJC in July 2016 was unrelated to the bribery charges on which he was being prosecuted by the EFCC.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, EFCCs prosecuting counsel, Mr Shittu, expressed shock about the courts ruling and vowed to appeal against it.

The ruling handed down yesterday (Monday) by the court is very shocking with far-reaching implication.

We intend to appeal against the ruling. This is because we have tendered exhibits and called a number of witnesses before the development yesterday.

We were just about calling one or two other witnesses to close our case. I had called about eight or nine witnesses and we were to call just one or two more to close the case, when the development came.

Asked if NJC gave any reason for its decision to reverse Mr Yunusas suspension or compulsory retirement, Mr Shittu said, No, adding, What was stated in the letter was that NJC review committee sat to look at the case and the NJC recommended that the suspension be lifted, and that they were awaiting the confirmation of that recommendation by the President.

EFCC to file amended charges

He also said the prosecution will immediately file amend the charges to four counts solely against the remaining defendant.

The court struck out the name of the judge, so we will file an amendment to proceed with the second defendant.

We will file amended four counts against the second defendant.

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Yunusas journey to compulsory retirement

The NJC had, in a March 16, 2016 letter, issued a query to Mr Yunusa, demanding his response to a petition written against him by a civil society group, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), within 14 days.

The NJCs query with reference number NJC/F.3/FHC.49/1/421, was signed by then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of the NJC, Mahmud Mohammed.

CSNAC, in its petition dated December 21, 2015, accused the judge of arbitrarily granting injunctions restraining law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies from investigating and prosecuting suspects in violation of precedents laid down by appellate courts.

The group listed some of those cases in which the judge had issued such injunctions to include, FHC/L/CS/1471/2015 Mr. Simon John Adonmene & 3ors v Economic and Financial Crimes Commission filed on September 21, 2015; FHC/L/CS/487/14  FRN v. Michael Adenuga; FHC/L/CS/1342/15  Senator Stella Odua v. AG Federation, EFCC, ICPC and IGP.

Others according to the petitioner were, FHC/L/CS/1285/15  Jyde Adelakun & Anor v. Chairman EFCC & Anor; FHC/L/CS/1445/15  Dr. Martins Oluwafemi Thomas v. EFCC; FHC/L/CS/1269/15  Honourable Shamsudeen Abogu v. EFCC & Ors; and FHC/L/CS/1012/15  Hon. Teeth Dauzia Loya v. EFCC.

Mr Suraju stated in the petition that the restraining orders issued by Mr Yunusa in the cases, will undoubtedly serve as a leeway for unscrupulous and corrupt individuals, who will stop at nothing to truncate their arrest, investigation and prosecution by the appropriate law enforcement agencies, to render our criminal law ineffective, as well as allowing corruption fester in the society.

He added that Mr Yunusas granting of the orders was a gross abuse of his powers as a judicial officer.

NJCs sanction

The NJC, after investigating CSNACs petition, recommended Mr Yunusas compulsory retirement at its meeting held on July 15, 2016.

A statement by its Director, Information, Soji Oye, on July 17, 2016, stated that the NJC, at its meeting headed by then CJN, Mr Mohammed, noted that Mr Yunusas decisions restraining the law enforcement agencies from carrying out their constitutional duties contravened the judgment of the Court of Appeal in A.G Anambra State Vs. UBA which he quoted but did not apply in his rulings.

The NJC also noted that the decisions violated Section 46 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) by assuming jurisdiction on a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduas case in Lagos, when the applicants complaint of infringement of her right occurred in Abuja.

It added, Hon. Justice Mohammed Nasiru Yunusa was recommended for compulsory retirement pursuant to the Findings by the Council following the allegations contained in the petitions written against him by the Civil Society Network Against Corruption that His Lordship granted interim orders and perpetual Injunctions, restraining the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, Independent Corruption practices and Related Offence Commission and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from arresting, investigating and prosecuting some persons accused of corruption in the following seven cases.

The cases were those listed in CSNACs petition.

The NJC added that in the exercise of its disciplinary powers under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, it immediately placed Mr Yinusa on suspension from office pending the approval of the recommendation of the Council for their compulsory retirement by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.

But findings by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Mr Buhari never approved NJCs recommendation, even though, many other similar recommendations by the council were approved by the President afterwards.

It will be a record-breaking move if Mr Yunusa is reinstated to office after NJCs recommendation of his compulsory retirement.

Judge must have been misled

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, Mr Suraju, said the President and the leadership of the judiciary had unfortunately given credence to a measure of the suspicion, the allegation, that the President and the judiciary has failed to actually act on the indictments associated with people from the North.

This is rather unfortunate, he added.

The activist described Tuesdays ruling as an embarrassment to the nation, and a major indictment that it is too hard for anti-corruption activist to swallow.

Mr Suraju, who suspected that the trial judge must have been misled to give the ruling, urged the EFCC to appeal against it.

He also maintained that his petition, which led to NJCs recommendation of Mr Yunusa for compulsory retirement, was different from the bribery charges on which the EFCC was prosecuting him.

He said, EFCC will have no other option but to appeal the decision of that court. It is my assumption that the judge must have been informed, by the defence lawyer, Mr Odubela.

Mind you, the chambers of Mr Rickey Tarfa that was also at the centre of the inducement of the judge (Mr Yunusa) was where Mr Odubela operated and practised his profession as a lawyer.

With this that has just taken place, the President, the NJC and the judiciary have been totally embarrassed before the country and the international community.

Unfortunately, the NJCs recommendation for compulsory retirement of Justice Yunusa, was not about bribery and inducement involving the chambers of Mr Rickey Tarfa.

The basis for the recommendation of compulsory retirement of Mr Yunusa which was informed by the petition by the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) was the arbitrary granting of perpetual injunction to suspects of corruption and corrupt practices outside the power and jurisdiction of his court, even against the position and decision of appellate courts in similar cases.
Noah Berger / Special to The Chronicle

Officials in San Mateo County issued evacuation warnings Monday evening ahead of the heavy rains expected to pummel the burn scars of the regions most recent wildfires.

Coastal communities near Ano Nuevo and Butano state parks, including Loma Mar, Dearborn Park, Costanoa and Barranca Knolls are affected by the warnings, which are not mandatory. Residents were told to prepare to leave at a moments notice due to the potential for debris flow this week, officials said.
Farmer protest: Internet temporarily suspended in some parts of Delhi

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: In the wake of the violent protests the Ministry of Home Affairs has temporarily suspended the internet at Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri borders, Mukrama Chowk and Nangloi between 12.00 hours today until 23.59 hours, January 26.

The order was passed under the Public Emergency or Public Safety Rules, 2017. The MHA said that the order was passed in the interest of maintaining public safety and averting public emergency.

Earlier, a farmer part of the tractor rally died after a tractor overturned during the parade. The farmers claimed that he had been shot.

Farmer dies after tractor overturns during protest

The farmers protesting against the agriculture law enacted by the government took out a tractor rally today. However within a short span of time, the parade took a violent turn as the protesters broke the police barricades which led to the police firing tear gas shells.

Farmers enter ITO, vandalise bus, press on to Central Delhi | Oneindia News

Some farmers were seen pushing the barricades with their bare hands. It was reported that the protesters were not abiding by the regulations of the parade, which was set in place earlier to ensure that the same was carried out smoothly.

The early hours of the protests have been marred with reports of farmers clashing with the police. Reports also said that the police had to use water cannons and tear gas shells to disburse the farmers.
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Thousands of farmers in tractor convoys burst through police barricades Tuesday to take their protest against agriculture reform to the heart of India's capital, just as the nation marked Republic Day with a giant military parade

New Delhi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2021 ) :Thousands of farmers in tractor convoys burst through police barricades Tuesday to take their protest against agriculture reform to the heart of India's capital, just as the nation marked Republic Day with a giant military parade.

Police had earlier sealed most entrances to the city with containers and trucks, but had to use tear gas and batons as the farmers broke through.

Some protesters reached a major intersection three kilometres (1.8 miles) from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other government leaders watched tanks and troops parade past and fighter jets fly overhead.

Modi waved to crowds and was driven back to his residence before any personal confrontation with the farmers, the biggest challenge his Hindu nationalist government has faced in its six years in power.

Tens of thousands of farmers have camped on the outskirts of the capital since November, protesting against new laws which deregulate produce markets.

Union leaders say the laws will allow private Indian conglomerates to take over the agriculture industry -- the rockbed of the economy -- and replace a system of purchases by the government at guaranteed prices.

- Popular support - Authorities had agreed to let the farmers stage a tractor rally as long as they waited for the official Republic Day parade to finish.

But flag-waving protesters on at least four major arteries climbed over or just pushed aside the barricades and concrete blocks and pressed on into the city.

"We are going to show the government that we mean business," said protester Nareesh Singh as he revved up his tractor and drove into a cloud of tear gas.

Satnam Singh Pannu, head of one of the main farmer committees, said the protesters have enough supplies to keep their Delhi camps going for a year if necessary, and that there was "massive popular support" for the campaign.

On one road, people on rooftops and threw petals on the tractor convoys.

Elsewhere people cheered and applauded as the farmers went past waving Indian flags and blowing horns.

The Republic Day ceremonies went ahead despite security concerns.

Police manned barricades at intersections around the centre of the city while soldiers with machine guns patrolled on many metro trains.

The parade -- which featured Rafale jets newly bought from France -- was cut back this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, with the number of spectators on the Rajpath boulevard reduced from 125,000 to 25,000.

Modi sent out Twitter greetings for the national holiday without mentioning the farmers.

- Mass rally - The government says the reforms will boost rural incomes and say the farmers have been manipulated by opposition parties.

Ten rounds of talks between farm unions and ministers have failed to break the deadlock.

The farmers have demanded the government repeal the laws, but the administration has only offered to delay implementation for 18 months.

Smaller farmer demonstrations were held in Mumbai and Bangalore.

Farmers leaders said a new mass rally would be held on February 1 when the government announces its annual budget plans.

The occasion marks the day the constitution of India came into effect in 1950.
The COVID-19 pandemic created a military permanent change of station, or PCS, year like no other, bringing unprecedented challenges like lockdowns and travel restrictions, increased sanitation requirements, the burden of personal protective gear and an ever-present threat of coronavirus.

Yet U.S. Transportation Command and the moving companies that carried 321,000 household goods shipments for military families earned a 96% approval rating from their customers, said Rick Marsh, Defense Personal Property Program director at U.S. Transportation Command.

The figure reflects an increase from the 93.9% approval rating in 2019 and a leap forward from 2018, a notoriously disastrous year when more than 10% of military families reported loss or damage during their moves.

Read Next: DC Guard Chief Deeply Troubled After Nearly 200 Troops Test Positive for COVID-19

TRANSCOM has set a 95% performance approval threshold for itself in an effort to improve customer service.

"I'm really pleased ... but not willing to declare victory on the 2020 peak season because it seems like when things went wrong, they went really, really wrong," Marsh said.

Issues that popped up this year included problems with moving crews, short-staffing and miscommunication, he added.

"What I frankly won't tolerate are the ones where a customer or their family is treated with disrespect in their homes. What we can't tolerate is a customer reaching out to find information about their move and not getting an answer right away," Marsh said.

The 2020 PCS moving season was anything but normal: In March, then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper issued a stop-movement order, effectively halting nearly all moves for several months. From May 15 to June 12, just 15,302 shipments were made, compared with 86,843 during the same period in 2019 -- an 82% drop.

But shipments picked up throughout the summer as installations reopened under a phased approach, and by year's end, TRANSCOM had cleared any backlogs, conducting about 85% of the previous year's total PCS moves, according to Marsh.

"I think the services did a really good job figuring out how to operate in this environment. Industry did a really good job of figuring out how to operate this environment, and we were able to make up the volume later in the year," he said.

The lessons learned in 2020 have been reviewed and integrated into plans for 2021, which Marsh anticipates will be a "typical year" for military moves.

Still, with COVID-19 cases currently high in the U.S., TRANSCOM and the 900 moving companies it oversees will face challenges.

As of Jan. 18, just 37% of all U.S. military bases were open for unrestricted travel -- 85 of 231 installations. The number is a sharp decrease from early November, when 153 bases, or 66%, were cleared for travel and PCS moves.

To prepare for the 2021 PCS season, TRANSCOM has made a number of changes, including making permanent the health and safety measures adopted in 2020 -- a policy change that ensures that moving companies follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

TRANSCOM also plans to institute several measures to improve customer service, such as responding more quickly to claims and repairing damaged items or reimbursing for salvage more quickly.

The command also will require moving companies to respond to customers' concerns on Saturdays during peak season -- a service that Marsh said should be a "matter of business."

"If the moving company and the communication is going [in any direction], it should be going where moving crews are being proactive and updating families on the status of the shipment. Hopefully, [the Saturday service] is a non-issue," Marsh said.

TRANSCOM also plans to reinstitute a safeguard -- tamper-evident seals on crates -- that were required until December 2018 but were not mandated in 2019 or 2020.

"This is one of the things that families were wanting to see back in the program," Marsh said.

This PCS season was to be the first managed by a private company contracted to oversee the Defense Department's household goods shipments worldwide. But the contract, worth nearly $20 billion over a decade, has been delayed by a contentious bidding process that resulted in TRANSCOM issuing a new request for proposals from interested parties, which were due to the command in December.

The contract had been awarded to a New Jersey company, American Roll On Roll Off Carrier Group, or ARC, in April and was expected to go into effect by the 2021 moving season.

The contract was withdrawn amid a flurry of bid protests, including concerns by competitors over the company's relationship with its parent company and several subsidiaries fined for price-fixing, as well as issues with the methodology under which the contract was awarded.

The new contract is expected to be awarded in the coming weeks, but TRANSCOM will be responsible for overseeing household goods and vehicle shipments at least through 2021.

Critics, including trade associations that represent moving and storage companies, have raised concerns that the arrangement will degrade the quality of military moves and have likened the potential consequences to the scandal that erupted in 2018 over poor living conditions and abysmal customer service for families living in military housing managed by private corporations.

Advocates say it also will harm many small moving companies, which will be shut out of the opportunity to work for the DoD.

"The initiative adds a lot of unnecessary risk and upheaval to the relocating military customer and the moving industry," wrote officials with the International Association of Movers in a self-published editorial in 2019.

Marsh said he believes a household goods shipping program run by a private company and overseen by TRANSCOM will improve customer service. He explained that under the current system, 900 companies move military families on a shipment by shipment basis, as needed, without an overarching contract with the DoD.

The setup, Marsh says, doesn't allow companies to forecast their business for the year, nor do they have any "real spaces to invest in a relationship with our families."

A private corporation, Marsh said, would have the capacity to improve and streamline IT, conduct standardized background checks and "transform the customer experience."

Military families, he added, would still have a DoD contact to arrange their move and provide customer service when problems occur.

"Folks here are working to improve the process, and if you're an active-duty member who had a bad experience, we hear you and we agree with you. And we're doing everything we can to improve the process," Marsh said.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: Why You Should Complete the Customer Service Satisfaction Survey After Your Next PC

Leading Black-owned mens fragrance brand, Ovation for Men, announces content collaboration with award-winning film maker Bobby Huntley, II. The deal allows the fragrance brand to continue its eye-popping marketing campaigns that celebrate the style, creativity, and brilliance of African-American men. Bobby will write and direct a series of visual shorts aimed to tell authentic stories targeted to African-American fragrance consumers that have been neglected and untold by the major designer fragrance brands.

According to Shawn Crenshaw, Ovation for Mens Founder and CEO, Bobby is an emerging star in Hollywood. We are extremely excited to add his creativity and storytelling ability to our team and look forward to taking our marketing campaigns to an unprecedented level. Bobby added, Ovation for Men provides an opportunity to be creative in the consumer product space, which is a first for me. Just like my films, we are going to create visuals that tell great stories and authentically resonate.

Ovation for Mens brand slogan boasts, Every Man Deserves an Ovation. The fragrance is a superbly crafted blend of bergamot, cardamom, and amber with hints of leather, tobacco, vanilla and vetiver. Noting the brands celebratory brand message and craftsmanship, Mens Health Magazine listed Ovation for Men as one of the top summer fragrances of 2020.

In accessing his outlook for the brand in 2021, Mr. Crenshaw commented, Despite the apparent challenges of 2020, we were able to push through exclusively online and establish Ovation for Men as one of the leading independent fragrance brands in the market. Our partnership with Bobby Huntley will only build on our momentum and make 2021 a record setting year.

About Ovation for Men: Ovation for Men is the first fragrance brand designed to celebrate the style, creativity, and brilliance of African-American men. Based in Atlanta, Georgia and founded by Shawn Crenshaw, Fadelf Jackson, and Cecil Cross, the companys mission is to create an aspirational brand of high quality fragrances that authentically resonate with life-style driven African-American consumers. For more information go to ovationfragrance.com. Also on Instagram @ovationformen and @shawncrenshawinc.

About Bobby Huntley: Bobby Huntley II is a director, producer, writer and editor who began his journey as a filmmaker at the age of 10. His credits include CORONAMAN (2020), AUNTIE (2019), NANA ROXIES REVENGE (2018), LA VIE MAGNIFIQUE DE CHARLIE (2017), and LOUISIANA 1961 (2016). With each new release, his intense passion for the arts and creativity continue to capture audiences. He specializes in striking visuals, provocative characters, and period pieces, all produced with a wide range of budgets. Bobby is represented by The Burke Management Firm, LLC. For more information visit bobbyhuntleyfilms.com. Also on Instagram @bhuntleyfilms.

Media Contact: Shawn Crenshaw 404-513-2673, email shawn.crenshaw@gmail.com

# # #
TOKYO, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 26, 2021, the 39th annual peace proposal by Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist association, titled "Value Creation in a Time of Crisis" was released, marking the anniversary of the founding of the SGI.

Ikeda calls for further global cooperation to address the key issues of our time: the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and the need to rid the world of nuclear weapons. These issues are not constrained by national borders and cannot be solved by any one government or organization alone.

He comments, "Our shared efforts to respond to the pandemic can serve as a foundation for generating global awareness of the essential role of human solidarity in transforming crises."

Regarding the pandemic, he welcomes the COVAX facility that aims to ensure the global procurement and availability of COVID-19 vaccines. He proposes the holding of a high-level meeting at the UN to address COVID-19 and the convening of an online "beyond COVID-19" youth summit to discuss the kind of world young people want to see in the aftermath of this crisis.

Ikeda also highlights the economic devastation brought about by the pandemic, estimated to be threatening the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people, half the world's workforce, and emphasizes the need to promote global social protection initiatives. He calls on the OECD to play a leading role here and in a transition to a green economy, where resources saved on military expenditure can be allocated to expanding healthcare and social services.

Consistent with his decades of action toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, Ikeda welcomes the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which entered into force on January 22, 2021, as a "pivotal event ushering in a new era" that will spur a paradigm shift in approaches to security. He calls on Japan to participate in the first meeting of the States Parties to the TPNW, to begin to create the conditions in which future ratification can become possible.

He proposes that a forum for discussing the relationship between nuclear weapons and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) be held during the first meeting of States Parties to the TPNW.

At the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference scheduled for August 2021, Ikeda also urges discussion on the true meaning of security in the light of crises such as the climate emergency and the pandemic.

He calls for the final document of the Review Conference to include a pledge of non-use of nuclear weapons and the freezing of all nuclear weapon development until 2025.

A statement from Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada welcoming the entry into force of the TPNW issued on January 22 can be found at: https://www.sokaglobal.org/contact-us/media-room/statements/tpnw-entry-into-force.html. The SGI has also cosigned an interfaith statement together with more than 170 other religious groups. See: https://sgi-ouna.org/tpnw-eif-interfaith-statement

The Soka Gakkai is a global community-based Buddhist organization that promotes peace, culture and education based on respect for the dignity of life. The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is an international association of the Soka Gakkai and an NGO in consultative status with UN ECOSOC. Every year since 1983, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda has issued a peace proposal on January 26 to mark the SGI's founding.

Contact:

Yuki Kawanaka

International Office of Public Information

Soka Gakkai

Tel: +81-80-5957-4919

E-mail: kawanaka[at]soka.jp

https://www.sokaglobal.org/contact-us/media-room.html
SAGINAW, MI  A Saginaw man is facing eight felonies due to prosecutors alleging he repeatedly shot a woman.

Cortney C. Washington, 31, on Jan. 22 was arraigned in Saginaw County District Court on single counts of assault with intent to murdera life offensefelonious assault, felon in possession of a firearm, and felon in possession of ammunition, plus four counts of felony firearm.

The arraigning judge set Washingtons bond at $18,750 cash-surety. He remains in the Saginaw County Jail as of Jan. 26.

Police at about 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 20 responded to a reported shooting in the 1000 block of Hancock Street on Saginaws West Side. Police said a 27-year-old woman was shot several times in her leg.

Prosecutors added the shooting happened outside of a house Washington was living in on Hancock Street. Just before the shooting, Washingtons girlfriend had been arguing with the 27-year-old woman, prosecutors said.

Washington also pointed a gun at a 19-year-old woman who was present, prosecutors added.

Police arrested Washington shortly after the shooting. They found a handgun inside the residence, prosecutors said.

Washington was free on bond when the shooting happened, having been arraigned in early October on charges of first-degree home invasion, felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of felony firearm. His bond in that file had been set at $5,000 cash-surety or 10 percent.

In February 2013, a Saginaw County judge sentenced Washington to two concurrent terms of five to 10 years in prison on convictions of assault with intent to rob while armed and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. The Michigan Department of Corrections discharged Washington on May 31, 2019.

Washingtons next court date is pending.

Read more:

Morning shooting leaves Saginaw woman wounded, man in jail

Saginaws first female police officer celebrates 85th birthday: I would do it again

Four years after Bay City mans murder, one of his killers is about to learn his punishment

Biden says Trump impeachment has to happen although he admits it could affect his agenda (Samuel Corum/Getty Image)

President Joe Biden has reportedly indicated he does not believe Democrats in the US Senate will have enough votes to convict Donald Trump during the former presidents second impeachment trial.

In a brief interview with CNN in the halls of the West Wing, the new president said he thinks the trial has to happen despite his call for lawmakers to focus on providing immediate relief to Americans impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

I think it has to happen, Mr Biden said about the impeachment trial on Monday, suggesting there could be a worse effect if it didnt happen in the weeks ahead.

At least 17 Republican senators would have to join the 50 Democrats in the Senate for a conviction against Mr Trump.

Mr Biden added: The Senate has changed since I was there, but it hasnt changed that much."

The Senate was scheduled to begin the former presidents second impeachment trial on the week of 8 February, with thousands of National Guard troops remaining stationed at the US Capitol to protect lawmakers following the deadly riots earlier this month as Congress convened to certify the 2020 election.

Democratic senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont will preside over the trial, instead of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who presided over the former presidents first impeachment. Mr Trump will be represented by South Carolina lawyer Butch Bowers.

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The Constitution dictates that the chief justice presides over a trial involving a sitting president, but in other cases it is a senator that takes the position.

Mr Trump is still trying to complete his legal team and is struggling to find lawyers willing to represent him, according to CNN.

Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Mr Trump, said he spoke to him over the weekend and wouldnt think the ex-president would return to Washington DC from Florida for the trial.

Well, I think hed like to get it over with, said Mr Graham.

"We all want to put this awful chapter in our nations history behind us, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DNY) said on Friday while announcing the Senate impeachment trial schedule. But healing and unity will only come if there is truth and accountability. And that is what this trial will provide.

Story continues

Mr Biden has largely avoided weighing in on the upcoming impeachment trial  the first time in American history in which a president has been impeached twice, as well as after their tenure in the White House.

In a statement released earlier this month, Mr Biden noted the numerous crises the United States was facing, from heightened racial inequities and climate change to the worsening pandemic nationwide.

"This nation also remains in the grip of a deadly virus and a reeling economy," he said. "I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation."

The Senate trial has begun taking shape in recent days, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (DCA) saying Congress selected a team of nine House impeachment managers who were ready to begin to make their case against the former president, who is accused of fomenting the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, which left at least five dead, including United States Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.

The White House deferred to the Senate for requests about specific information on the upcoming trial during a Friday press briefing. Jen Psaki, Mr Bidens White House press secretary, said at the hearing the president believed Mr Trump should be convicted. But she also said he was focused on ensuring Congress passed legislative relief for Americans.

We dont think it can be delayed or it can wait, so theyre going to have to find a path forward, she said about the pandemic aid. Hes confident they can do that.

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The official promo of Prithviraj Sukumaran's upcoming film Jana Gana Mana has been released on the occasion of Repiblic Day. Sharing the video, the south star wrote, "'In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place - Mahatma Gandhi.' Happy Republic Day! #JanaGanaMana Promo!"

The promo shows an exchange at a police station between an officer and an incarcerated man, Prithviraj. The cop is seen threatening the man with dire consequences for apparently committing the crime of treason. But Prithviraj's character is confident that he will walk free.

When the police officer insists that truth always prevails, Prithviraj scoffs, "In a country that has mixed feelings about the killing of Mahatma Gandhi?" The promo's background music then fades into a Bengali-Malayalam song as we see shots of Prithviraj being beaten up.

Prithviraj fans will be glad to see some intense performance from the actor. Take a look at the promo here:

The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran and Suraj Venjaramoodu in the lead roles, and is directed by Dijo Jose Antony based on a script penned by Sharis Mohammed. The film is bankrolled by Prithvirajs wife Supriya Menon for their home production banner Prithviraj Productions.

While shooting for the film in October, the actor tested positive for Covid-19. He had to go under isolation from the same day. On October 27, the actor did the antigen test which came negative.
Parents too afraid to oppose critical race theory in schools, says activist

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Critical race theory has infiltrated Christian private schools and parents arent speaking up because theyre afraid, said one education activist.

Elana Yaron Fishbein started an organization called No Left Turn in Education to help parents take the lead in the education of their children and to show people who oppose critical race theory that they have allies. Among its slogans is education, not indoctrination. In only a few months since its beginning in August 2020, her Facebook group grew dramatically. Today, her group has chapters in 18 states.

Many parents say how can you be against it (CRT)? until you open it and see whats in it. Its the exact opposite [of what it says,] said Fishbein to The Christian Post.

Fishbeins own courage in fighting critical race theory comes from her Jewish faith background, she said.

Originally from Israel, she noted, Its Jews, more than any other group in the history of the world, who have suffered from racism and the consequences of racism. Am I going to sit down and watch what theyre doing, turning this country into a racist country? Blaming all the whites for being racist and privileged? As an Israeli, I know if I dont stand up and fight, well be gone.

She sounded the alarm that both public and private schools have begun teaching CRT as well as comprehensive sexual education, which instead of encouraging abstinence, focuses on normalizing sex outside of marriage and encourages confused kids to question whether they are male or female.

Critical race theory has varied definitions. Oxford Reference notes: CRT regards the privileged position occupied by mostly White, middle-class academics as a major obstacle to a comprehensive exposure of the racism that is seen to permeate the law, its rules, concepts, and institutions.

Conservative website Pulpit & Pen argues that CRT is dangerous in that it is fundamentally opposed to the American Civil Rights Movement, as it does not advocate for treating people equally but rather that the law may actually need to [be] biased in favor of minority identity groups to redistribute power. Race is the defining feature of human identity, Pulpit & Pen states, and every person is part of either an oppressor race that holds power, or an oppressed race that oppressors abuse.

Fishbein argued, They attach to critical race theory a lot of beautiful names, but they mean the opposite. Of course, we are anti-racist. Of course, we are for diversity. But they mean the opposite.

Churches and Christian schools are teaching children how to classify each other by race and see color instead of character, she said.

Its not only being taught in public schools but its very, very pervasive in Catholic schools, Episcopalian schools, charter schools, were getting a lot of references from most private schools, she maintained.

The majority of private schools are in bed with all this too. It is very common even in religious schools and in a lot of churches. A lot of synagogues have gone totally woke.

In Missouri, a student filed a lawsuit alleging that her Catholic school tried to force her to lie that she was racist. A Nevada charter school forced students to identify themselves as members of a race. A public school in California told children to rank themselves by privilege in the classroom. Some of the elements that defined privilege was whether someone was white and a Christian.

These incidents aren't isolated. According to The Heritage Foundation's Center for Education Policy Director Lindsey Burke, many of America's 14,000 public school boards are embracing CRT. One key driver of this educational change is The New York Times's 1619 Project, which promotes the ideology.

"More than 4,500 classrooms around the country have begun to incorporate the 1619 Project curricular materials into their content," she said.

Burke and her colleagues specifically asked school board members and families across the country about the 1619 Project and 50% of all parents and 70% of school board members said that they do not want schools to use the instructional materials rooted in the idea that slavery is the center of the national narrative. Likewise, 70% of parents and 74% of school board members believe that slavery is a tragedy that harmed the nation but freedom and prosperity represent who Americans are.

Their data showed that only 25% of parents and 17% of school board members believe that students should be taught that the founding ideals of liberty and equality were false when they were written and that U.S. history must thus be reframed.

Fishbein believes that critical race theory often goes unopposed because its opponents feel too afraid to fight it. She often meets people who dont tell even their close friends that they oppose the ideology.

One woman she met had a close friend who would host sleepovers with her children. For years, she felt too afraid to say she opposed CRT developments at the school their children attended. When she finally spoke up to her friend, her friend agreed with her and said that she also had felt too afraid to share her real beliefs.

When Fishbein first objected to CRT at her own school, parents werent willing to stand with her. Several people loudly condemned her, she said.

The lynching was public, but the support was private, she said. I was really concerned about the people being afraid to talk. People say they are 100% with me and they agree, but theyre afraid to talk. It blew my mind. How in this country with First Amendment rights people are afraid to talk?

Fishbein encouraged parents to run for school boards, form networks, and use resources on No Left Turn in Education's website to fight back against the teaching of CRT.

"The school board dictates the curriculum," she said. "Do you care about your kids, do you care about your family, do you care about your nation? You have to start getting involved."
Passion leads Shanghai man to create organization to fight desertification Liu Zhizhuo juggles life as a graduate student, the founder of an environmental organization and a volunteer in the fight against desertification. Liu, 23, studies environmental science at Shanghai Jiaotong University. He was honored as one of the "Most Beautiful Chinese College Students" of 2020 by the Ministry of Education. Only 10 students are given this honor nationwide. Since 2016, his sophomore year, Liu has been growing plants in Minqin county, which is surrounded by the Badain Jaran and Tengger deserts, in Gansu province. During the summer of 2016, after a 24-hour train journey and a six-hour drive, Liu and eight of his peers from the university finally arrived in Minqin2,360 kilometers from Shanghaifor the first time. Not familiar with the situation in Minqin, Liu, a native of Fuyang, Anhui province, and his companions slept on the floors of local residents' houses. They would soon develop a routine, waking up at 6 am and heading toward the Tengger Desert with grass squares, seeds of haloxylon ammodendron and the necessary tools. They would usually stay in the desert for several days. Their skin would burn under strong, ultraviolet rays, and sand blown by wind gusts would sting their eyes. Meals were a problem, and fresh vegetables were a treat. Every four days, one of the group members would go to nearby market in town to buy produce. Of course, they experienced some joy amid their initial hardships. They learned how to cook different potato dishes, a skill that became useful during their stay on the sands. And during their first night in the desert, they enjoyed stargazing. "Watching the stars that night will be a special memory for us," Liu said. Founding a nonprofit When local villagers first met the group, they thought the young men were just on a fun excursion to experience being in the desert for the first time in their lives. To their surprise, Liu has returned to Minqin every summer since 2016 with his team, which has grown each year. Liu understood that more power is needed to fight desertification, and that power is in numbers. He founded the charitable organization, Lyu Ge, meaning "green grids", hoping to populate the deserts with green plants. His group has drawn attention from other like-minded individuals. The organization now has 800 members from 30 universities nationwide. Liu's mission isn't just about desertification. "I realized poverty and desertification are twins here," he said. To help locals escape poverty, he and his team began to plant cistanche herba in Minqin under the guidance of his college professor. Cistanche herba, a type of parasitic flower, has high economic value. Fully grown, the plant can be sold as medicinal material. Also, haloxylon ammodendron makes a wind break in the desert. As a link between the local government and experts, Liu plays an important role in the expansion of the cistanche herba industry in Minqin. He looks to his professor to bring new planting technology to Minqin. With assistance and guidance from experts, locals are more willing to invest in it. So far, the cistanche herba industry in Minqin has covered an area of 7,000 square kilometers. "I remember one night in the summer of 2018, the host of the family we stayed at asked us to have a drink with them. She served us homemade wine and said to us, 'We didn't make much of it, please enjoy'. I knew from that moment, we were recognized by local people," Liu said. After nearly five years' of working in the deserts, Liu and his team have planted more than 3,000 trees. Being a volunteer teacher In the summer of 2019, upon earning his bachelor's degree in environmental science, Liu choose to be a volunteer teacher in Eryuan county, Dali, Yunnan province. "I wanted to do something meaningful, so I wouldn't regret not doing so in the future," Liu said. In Eryuan, he teaches mathematics and biology to hundreds of high school students. There, he met a student who wanted to drop out because of financial difficulties. "The student thought going to school was a waste of money because he wants to be a farmer and earn a living," Liu explained. Liu talked him out of it, convincing him of the importance of education. Liu has a role model, also a professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University, who has spent all his career working to promote environmental governance around Erhai, a lake in Yunnan. Safeguarding the country's blue waters and green mountains thus became Liu's dream. "As a student of environmental science, it has taken me a long time to master skills and knowledge and then put them into practice," he said. "It takes long time to bear fruit. I am deeply moved by the spirit of devotion my team has shown."
The American Heart Association, the leading global voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke, is making an unprecedented series of investments focused on enhancing its historic commitment to addressing the social determinants of health and the barriers to achieving health equity for all communities - urban, suburban and rural. The Association will raise and invest more than $230 million of its own funds over the next four years to support targeted initiatives and programs, while leading additional efforts to drive systemic public health change focused on removing barriers to equitable health for everyone, everywhere.

In order to ensure every person has the same opportunity for a full, healthy life, the barriers that worsen the economic, social and health inequities of vulnerable communities must be dismantled. It is the right thing to do, the just thing to do and the only way to improve overall health in this country. We look forward to working with like-minded organizations and supporters to be a relentless force for change that will result in longer, healthier lives for all." Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer, American Heart Association

Specifically, the American Heart Association has comprehensively committed to:

Investing $100 million in new scientific research programs and grants focused on evidence-based solutions to health inequities and structural racism. The Association also will expand diversity-research opportunities for underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in science and medicine through grant funding, STEM programs and its established historical black colleges and universities (HBCU) and EmPOWERED to Serve Scholars programs.

Investing in hyper local, community-led solutions to address health inequity and structural racism. Specifically, the organization will dedicate at least $100 million more to address targeted, community-level health equity barriers through its Social Impact Fund, the Bernard J. Tyson Social Impact Fund, as well as its community-based issues campaigns, including those of its Voices for Healthy Kids initiative. Earlier this month, the Association announced its latest gift - a $1 million gift to the Bernard J. Tyson Social Impact Fund from the Andrea W. and Kenneth C. Frazier Family Foundation. That contribution will be directed to local nonprofits and social entrepreneurs working to improve access to healthcare, food and housing, and economic empowerment in North Philadelphia. And, last month, Voices for Healthy Kids awarded $2.6 million in campaign grants to improve health equity.

Launching, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a $121 nationwide hypertension initiative to address a main source of poor cardiovascular health in Black, Hispanic and Indigenous communities, funded by the federal government. Under the partnership, the American Heart Association will team with HHS to support select Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funded health centers and associated communities. The collective aim is to elevate the quality of care delivered in these centers, provide evidence-based education to providers and clinicians and engage patients with training to effectively control hypertension. The Association will also leverage and expand its existing hypertension programs in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

Additionally, as part of this sweeping series of actions, the Association will elevate scientific discourse around health equity by publishing more science focused on disparities, anti-racism, health equity and community-based participation in its suite of peer-reviewed scientific journals, including Circulation and Stroke. The American Heart Association also will leverage its extensive hospital-based clinical registry programs and networks to capture data to advance scientific discovery and understanding of the negative effects of the social determinants of health and healthcare quality variances among racial and ethnic groups. The organization will further focus its continuing efforts in public policymaking to ensure access to health care in under-resourced communities of color and rural areas while fighting to reduce access to tobacco products and sugary beverages - products historically heavily marketed to communities of color.

Structural racism is a major cause of poor health and premature death from heart disease and stroke, according to a new American Heart Association Presidential Advisory, "Call to Action: Structural Racism as a Fundamental Driver of Health Disparities," published in November 2020 in the Association's flagship journal Circulation. The advisory reviews the historical context, current state and potential solutions to address structural racism in the U.S., and outlines steps the Association is taking to address the root causes of health care disparities.

"Our financial commitments build on the presidential advisory and add to our pledge to take immediate and ongoing action to accelerate social equity and improve health for everyone," said Mitchell S. V. Elkind, M.D., M.S., FAHA, FAAN, president of the American Heart Association, professor of neurology and epidemiology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and attending neurologist at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. "The American Heart Association looks forward to working with allies across the country on the national, state and local level to break down barriers impeding the health of rural communities and communities of color who have been historically and systematically marginalized."

"The American Heart Association is responding boldly to addressing health inequity as it is imperative to the overall health and well-being of the nation that this issue be addressed head on," said Bertram L. Scott, chairman of the Association's Board of Directors. "We are putting actions behind our words because barriers to equity in housing, education, healthcare and elsewhere are not only wrong - they impede the American Heart Association from achieving its goal of equitable cardiovascular health for all people."

As part of a new 2024 health equity impact goal, the Association is focusing its own operations more aggressively on addressing societal barriers because they contribute significantly to the disproportionate burden of cardiovascular risk factors (including high blood pressure, obesity and Type 2 diabetes) in Black, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic/Latino people compared with white people in the U.S. Additionally, rural populations have significantly higher rates of uncontrolled traditional cardiovascular risk factors compared with urban areas in part due to older average age, inadequate and unaffordable health care and other systemic barriers that contribute to worse health outcomes.

Several targeted initiatives are underway in advance of American Heart Month and Black History Month, including:

A discussion with leading corporate CEOs on major barriers to health equity including structural racism and racial inequity, and how to positively impact employee and community health was held earlier this month. A complete replay of the virtual roundtable, presented jointly on January 15th by the American Heart Association and Business Roundtable, can be viewed here. Visit the AHA CEO Roundtable for more information.

The Empowered to Serve Business Accelerator Finale. Join the American Heart Association as eight extraordinary social innovators present their business models - all designed to drive health equity, sustainability and community transformation. The candidates will highlight their work and impact to a panel of expert judges in the business, entrepreneurial and health sectors during the event on January 26 at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT/4 p.m. PT. Register to watch the live event where the top finalist will be awarded a $40,000 grant, the runner-up a $15,000 grant and the "fan favorite" a $5,000 grant.

While overall death rates from heart disease and stroke declined over the past two decades until a recent plateau, these gains were not equitably shared among all people. For example, Black Americans continue to experience the highest death rates due to heart disease and stroke. Black Americans experience a nearly 30% higher death rate from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a 45% higher death rate from stroke compared with non-Hispanic white Americans. Black and Hispanic/Latino patients experience significantly lower survival to hospital discharge than white patients even when controlling for socioeconomic status.

In regard to rural health, There is a three-year life expectancy gap between rural and urban populations. Rural areas see higher rates of tobacco use, physical inactivity and obesity, which have given rise to higher rates of diabetes and hypertension. In turn, rural communities have higher death rates from cardiovascular disease and stroke and higher maternal mortality rates due in part to cardiovascular deaths.

Rural areas have higher death rates for CVD and stroke than urban areas, and the gaps are widening. One study found that heart disease-attributable mortality declined 42% in urban areas between 1999 and 2009 but only 35% in rural areas.

In rural areas, people may face geographic and other transportation barriers to reaching emergency care expediently.
Farmers' Protest: Deep Sidhu was not there when protests turned violent, says lawyer

Samyukt Kisan Morcha calls off tractor parade by farmers, appeals participants to return to protest sites

India

oi-IANS English

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 26: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha called off the tractor parade by farmers on Tuesday and appealed to participants to immediately return to their respective protest sites.

The tractor parade, which began much ahead of the scheduled time, turned violent with farmers opposing the Centre's new agri laws and police clashing at several areas of the national capital.

Farmers continued to camp at several places in the national capital till late evening and there was no pre-decided time for concluding the parade.

Farmers' protest: 'They broke pre-decided conditions for parade, many policemen injured', says Delhi Police

"We have called off the farmers'' Republic Day parade with immediate effect and appealed to all participants to immediately return back to their respective protest sites. The movement will continue peacefully and further steps will be discussed and decided soon," the farmers'' union body said in a statement.

The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 farmer unions, is leading the protest against the three central farm laws at several border points of Delhi.

Earlier today, the Kisan Morcha disassociated itself from those who indulged in violence during the tractor parade, and alleged that some "antisocial elements" infiltrated their otherwise peaceful movement.

The union also condemned and regretted the "undesirable" and "unacceptable" events as the parade turned violent after several groups of farmers deviated from the pre-decided route for the march.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day on Tuesday.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 20:20 [IST]
British families planning an Easter staycation are facing soaring prices of rental cottages with some coming in at three times higher than a fortnight earlier.

Center Parcs, Haven and Butlins have all hiked their prices for Easter as they plan to reopen in March despite concerns that the national lockdown will still be in place.

But Britons desperate for some respite from the coronavirus crisis are looking closer to home as fears mount over the future of foreign holidays this summer.

At Center Parcs in Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire, a two-bed Woodland Lodge for seven nights from March 19 for 978, while from April 2 it is 2,498 - a rise of 1,520 or 155 per cent

It comes as passengers arriving in England from high-risk coronavirus hotspots look set to be made to quarantine in hotels to limit the spread of new variants.

The Prime Minister will discuss the proposals - designed to ensure people follow self-isolation rules - with senior ministers at the 'Covid Operations' committee today.

Holiday price hikes at Butlins, Center Parcs and Haven sites (These figures were found today for a family of four staying for a week) BUTLINS - BOGNOR REGIS Gold Apartment; 2-bed, sleeps four March 19 - 318

April 2 - 1,353

Difference: 1,035  325% July 12 - 1,048

July 26 - 1,701

Difference: 653  62% CENTER PARCS - WOBURN FOREST Woodland Lodge; 2-bed; sleeps four March 19 - 978

March 29 - 2,498

Difference: 1520  155% July 12 - 1,608

August 2 - 2,178

Difference: 570 - 35% HAVEN - RIVIERE SANDS Standard caravan; 2-bed, sleeps four March 19 - 186

April 2 - 502

Difference: 316  170% July 12 - 623

July 26 - 1,218

Difference: 595  96% Advertisement

Holiday operators regularly hike prices for Easter to make the most of high demand, but this year it seems extremely high compared to a few weeks before.

At Butlins Bognor Regis in Somerset for example, a Gold Apartment for four people is on offer for a week from March 19 for 318, but 1,353 from April 2 - an increase of 1,035 or 325 per cent.

The same room is available for a week from July 12 for 1,048 - rising to 1,701 from July 26, after the summer holidays start, an increase of 653 or 62 per cent.

Butlins is currently offering summer holidays for '270 per break'. At the same point last year, an archived version of its website shows it was offering summer summer holidays 'from 235 per break'. This means its minimum price is up 35 or 15 per cent at the same point this year.

Meanwhile at Center Parcs in Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire, a two-bed Woodland Lodge for seven nights from March 19 for 978, while from April 2 it is 2,498 - a rise of 1,520 or 155 per cent.

The same accommodation at the site for seven nights this summer is 1,608 from July 12 or 2,178 from July 26 - an increase of 570 or 35 per cent.

As for Haven, a standard caravan for seven nights at its Riviere Sands resort in Cornwall is on sale from March 19 for 186 or from April 2 for 502  a rise of 316 or 170 per cent.

Looking ahead to summer, the same property for the same time length is 623 from July 12 or 1,218 from July 26 - a difference of 595 or 96 per cent.

There are also fears prices could rise further if the VAT cut for hospitality and staycation accommodation from 20 to 5 per cent ends as planned on March 31.

As for Airbnb, a cottage in Portesham, Devon, is going for 737 for seven nights from March 20, but 889 from April 3 - a difference of 152 or 21 per cent.

A barn via the same website in Helston, Cornwall, is up for 973 for a week from March 20, or 1,068 from March 3 - a difference of 95 or 10 per cent.

Meanwhile a survey found most Britons have come to terms with not going abroad in the foreseeable future, with only 12 per cent planning to do so.

The figures haven't moved much from summer and autumn last year. They peaked in July when 17 per cent of people planned to go abroad.

The polling by YouGov found younger people are still more likely to say they're going on holiday abroad.

At Butlins Bognor Regis, a Gold Apartment for four people is on offer for a week from March 19 for 318, but 1,353 from April 2 - an increase of 1,035 or 325 per cent

Butlins is currently offering summer holidays for '270 per break' (left). At the same point last year, its website shows it was offering summer summer holidays 'from 235 per break' (right). This means its minimum price is up 35 or 15 per cent at the same point this year.

One in six 18-24-year-olds (16 per cent) said they had plans to do so, compared with 9 per cent of those aged 65 and older.

Even Boris Johnson's holiday cottage is fully booked until October! The property where Boris Johnson stayed last August during his summer staycation has only one week left to book until October  and that is next month, when lockdown is still likely. Old School House near Kinlochbervie in the Scottish Highlands is set in splendid isolation with beautiful views over the islands of Rona and Raasay. Old School House near Kinlochbervie in the Highlands, where Boris Johnson stayed It is available for 425 for a week from February 26, but then not again until October 15 when it will cost 635, and October 22 when it will be 939. It can cost around 1,500 a week to rent in the summer and the nearest neighbours are half a mile away. The cottage is off a single track coast road and is around six miles from the village of Applecross which has a pub. Advertisement

But the number of people hoping to enjoy a domestic trip in the next six months is lower now (29 per cent) compared with in July (45 per cent) last year.

A Haven spokesman told MailOnline today: 'Following the challenges that 2020 provided in terms of holidays, we have seen guests looking to take a break on the British coast when lockdown is lifted.

'We saw an uplift in bookings during the autumn and early winter of 2020 which saw sales 40 per cent ahead of where they would normally be for the time of year.

'As it stands, Haven parks will reopen to holidaymakers on Friday. March 12 and we have already sold a third of our available holidays for 2021 with May half term having sold over 50 per cent of available breaks.

'Whilst we have not yet experienced the pre pandemic sales of last January, we have seen a significant increase in bookings in the last week.

'We expect this trend to continue but also envisage that bookings will increase as lockdown measures are reduced. When this happened in 2020, we saw a 150 per cent increase in online bookings against the same period the previous year.'

And a Center Parcs spokesman said: 'We have seen a significant increase in bookings and interest in Center Parcs breaks recently.

'Our bookings for 2021, in particular from May onwards, are very strong and ahead of the same time last year. Whilst we expect demand for a UK break to remain high, it is clear that people want reassurance about the flexibility to cancel or change dates.

'Our Book with Confidence guarantee allows our guests to book their break now, safe in the knowledge that they will be able to change dates with no fee or receive a full no quibbles refund should they no longer be able to, or feel comfortable to, go ahead with their break when the time arrives.

At Haven, a standard caravan for seven nights at its Riviere Sands resort in Cornwall is on sale from March 19 for 186 or from April 2 for 502  a rise of 316 or 170 per cent

'We will only reopen once we are satisfied that we can safely do so and we continue to follow all government guidance in terms of providing a safe environment for people to enjoy a short break.'

She added that its five UK villages were closed until at least February 18, but this was not a confirmed reopening date.

It comes as passengers arriving in England from high-risk coronavirus hotspots look set to be made to quarantine in hotels to limit the spread of new variants.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi warned that the country needs to be 'very careful' as new strains emerge, and said an announcement on the quarantine plans would be made later.

Despite reports suggesting it could take up to three weeks to implement the policy - partly due to the logistical challenge of arranging accommodation for thousands of arrivals - the head of a major hotel chain said they could mobilise 'within 24 to 48 hours'.

A survey byYouGov found most Britons have come to terms with not going abroad in the foreseeable future, with only 12 per cent planning to do so

Various options for quarantining arrivals are said to be on the table, but Whitehall sources suggested that ministers may opt for a more limited system after aviation leaders warned that introducing tougher border rules would be 'catastrophic' for the industry.

In a joint statement, the Airport Operators Association and Airlines UK insisted the country already has 'some of the highest levels of restrictions in the world' and that introducing tougher rules would be 'catastrophic'.

Reports have suggested that arrivals in England would have to cover the price of quarantining in hotels for 10 days, potentially setting them back more than 1,000.

It is understood that the requirement to isolate in a hotel would apply to arrivals from most of southern Africa and South America, as well as Portugal.

However, Conservative former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said the proposals might need to go further than applying only to those arriving from countries where new variants of Covid-19 have been discovered.

On Sykes Cottages, a three-bedroom cottage just 50 metres from the beach is available in Angelsey, north Wales from Good Friday for a week over Easter for 1,095, compared to 507 for the week before.

A spokesperson for Butlins said: 'We have seen an increase in demand for bookings, particularly into May half term and the summer holidays, and we expect this trend to continue as more guests look to holiday in the UK.

'Our three resorts are closed until at least March 1, though this isnt a confirmed reopening date.

'We are monitoring government restrictions closely and will continue to update our guests if there are any changes to their break. It is clear to see holidaymakers want something to look forward to once the current restrictions are eased.

'With our best ever entertainment line-up plus our Butlins Promise, which includes no quibble refunds and no fee date changes, were looking forward to welcoming guests back to Butlins this year.'
The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.

Sir,

The decision by government to make the vaccine available first to politicians is a clear reflection of where their priorities lie. It is very easy for them to make life altering decisions without considering the plight of the poor.

The acting prime minister should have said that they, as the elite, would use our hard-earned taxes to provide themselves with the vaccine. This is sad and very painful.

Quite frankly, they should be ashamed of themselves. It means the nurses are telling the truth that they are not, together with the majority of the people in this country, a priority in as far as government is concerned.

Procured

This vaccine was procured at the price they paid for because it was for emaSwati, but clearly the sellers were duped.

Mgubho Ginindza

NOTE: In an article published in this publication yesterday, when queried what informed this decision, Director of Health Services Dr Vusi Magagula did not wish to divulge the reasons, stating that it was premature.

I will not divulge details on this because the National Vaccine Development Plan hasnt been passed by Cabinet, the director of health said.

Ed


[January 26, 2021] Black Voices for Black Justice Fund Announces Awards to 19 Black Activists Working to Advance Racial Justice

In the wake of white supremacists attempting to overthrow the federal government and Black Americans continuing to be disproportionately affected by the pandemic and economy, a new racial justice fund is doubling down on its support of Black activists who are leading the urgent movement to build a fair, equitable, and anti-racist America. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126006016/en/ Shemeka Frazier Sorrells (Photo: Business Wire) After receiving over 600 nominations, the Black Voices for Black Justice Fund today announced its second round of awardees, focusing on Black leaders in Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina and Washington, DC. Each will receive $20,000 to use however they believe will do the most good in building an anti-racist America. In announcing the newest awardees, former U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. said, "Amidst horrifying threats to our democracy, the devastating consequences of COVID-19, and our long overdue national reckoning with issues of racial justice, I am grateful that BVBJ is investing in visionary Black leaders working to protect voting rights, keep families in their homes, ensure access to healthy food, advance education equity, and build a more just future for our country." Nineteen new awardees join the 31 initial awardees selected during Round 1, all of whom are being recognized for their leadership in changing systems of oppression, violence and inequality. The new awardees include: Dr. Jeanine Abrams-McLean (Fair Count, Tucker, GA) serves as President of Fair Count, a nonpartisan nonprofit that has been working to ensure a fair and accurate count for the 2020 Census in Georgia and nationally. An evolutionary biologist by training, Dr. Abrams-McLean previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she applied her expertise in computational biology and population-based studies to help understand and control the spread of antibiotic resistance. In addition to her research in public health, she has extensive project and personnel management experience. As the daughter of United Methodist ministers, Abrams-McLean was raised to serve her community, and she co-founded and directed a mentorship program for African-American undergraduate students at UT-Austin.

serves as President of Fair Count, a nonpartisan nonprofit that has been working to ensure a fair and accurate count for the 2020 Census in Georgia and nationally. An evolutionary biologist by training, Dr. Abrams-McLean previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she applied her expertise in computational biology and population-based studies to help understand and control the spread of antibiotic resistance. In addition to her research in public health, she has extensive project and personnel management experience. As the daughter of United Methodist ministers, Abrams-McLean was raised to serve her community, and she co-founded and directed a mentorship program for African-American undergraduate students at UT-Austin. Tamieka Atkins (Atlanta, GA) of ProGeorgia, a state-based non-partisan voter engagement and advocacy organization, coordinates voter registration and civic engagement to create a more accessible, inclusive, and representative democracy. For this year's 2020 census survey, Atkins played a significant role in supporting census outreach. Prior to her role with ProGeorgia, Atkins was the Founding Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance-Atlanta Chapter, where she led domestic workers in advocating for respect, recognition, and inclusion in labor protections for all domestic workers.

of ProGeorgia, a state-based non-partisan voter engagement and advocacy organization, coordinates voter registration and civic engagement to create a more accessible, inclusive, and representative democracy. For this year's 2020 census survey, Atkins played a significant role in supporting census outreach. Prior to her role with ProGeorgia, Atkins was the Founding Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance-Atlanta Chapter, where she led domestic workers in advocating for respect, recognition, and inclusion in labor protections for all domestic workers. Fatuma Emmad (Denver, CO) is Co-founder, Executive Director and Head Farmer of Front Line Farming, a food and farmers' advocacy group focusing on food growing, education, sovereignty and justice. Born in Denver as the child of immigrants from Ethiopia and Yemen, her family returned to Ethiopia when she was nine years old. Traveling between Ethiopia and the United States had a profound impact on Emmad, particularly in the ways that food operated within these two worlds. She is certified in agro-ecology, but has found her greatest education through 10 years of farming, learning from her elders, and valuing traditional scientists. She is currently the Director of Urban Farms for Groundwork Denver where she oversees three acres of land across Denver.

is Co-founder, Executive Director and Head Farmer of Front Line Farming, a food and farmers' advocacy group focusing on food growing, education, sovereignty and justice. Born in Denver as the child of immigrants from Ethiopia and Yemen, her family returned to Ethiopia when she was nine years old. Traveling between Ethiopia and the United States had a profound impact on Emmad, particularly in the ways that food operated within these two worlds. She is certified in agro-ecology, but has found her greatest education through 10 years of farming, learning from her elders, and valuing traditional scientists. She is currently the Director of Urban Farms for Groundwork Denver where she oversees three acres of land across Denver. Shemeka Frazier Sorrell (Atlanta, GA) is a community activist who co-founded A Better Glynn, a social justice nonprofit in Georgia's Glynn County, where Ahmaud Arbery was brutally killed while jogging. Sorrell registered voters who ultimately helped oust the former District Attorney who had been widely criticized for her handling of the case. Sorrell previously helped establish Atlanta's first supportive housing program for homeless young adults. She also works to improve the foster care system as a consultant for Casey Famly Programs.

is a community activist who co-founded A Better Glynn, a social justice nonprofit in Georgia's Glynn County, where Ahmaud Arbery was brutally killed while jogging. Sorrell registered voters who ultimately helped oust the former District Attorney who had been widely criticized for her handling of the case. Sorrell previously helped establish Atlanta's first supportive housing program for homeless young adults. She also works to improve the foster care system as a consultant for Casey Famly Programs. (Yoal) Kidane Ghebremeskel (Aurora and Denver, CO) co-founded the nonprofit youth center Street Fraternity in 2013 and has been its Executive Director since 2014. The Street Fraternity's mission is to provide a place of brotherhood and personal growth for urban young men ages 14 - 25+ years of age who primarily live in the violent East Colfax Avenue neighborhood in Denver. Ghebremeskel is a member of the 2015 Denver Metro Chamber Foundation Leadership Denver Class and received the 2016 My Brother's Keeper Award, the 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Business Award, and the 2017 Mayor's Diversity and Inclusion Award.

co-founded the nonprofit youth center Street Fraternity in 2013 and has been its Executive Director since 2014. The Street Fraternity's mission is to provide a place of brotherhood and personal growth for urban young men ages 14 - 25+ years of age who primarily live in the violent East Colfax Avenue neighborhood in Denver. Ghebremeskel is a member of the 2015 Denver Metro Chamber Foundation Leadership Denver Class and received the 2016 My Brother's Keeper Award, the 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Business Award, and the 2017 Mayor's Diversity and Inclusion Award. Janiece Mackey (Denver, CO) has built a career of servant leadership on engaging youth of color in activism and civic engagement. As a Black academic, she created Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism (YAASPA), a nonprofit that builds the self-efficacy of youth to reclaim academic, civic and career spaces through race-conscious leadership and transformative organizing. YAASPA offers varying access points for youth to access civic education and engagement through classes, paid internships, youth councils, summer programming and more. Mackey earned her PhD in Higher Education with a Public Policy and Curriculum and Instruction emphasis at the University of Denver (News - Alert) .

has built a career of servant leadership on engaging youth of color in activism and civic engagement. As a Black academic, she created Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism (YAASPA), a nonprofit that builds the self-efficacy of youth to reclaim academic, civic and career spaces through race-conscious leadership and transformative organizing. YAASPA offers varying access points for youth to access civic education and engagement through classes, paid internships, youth councils, summer programming and more. Mackey earned her PhD in Higher Education with a Public Policy and Curriculum and Instruction emphasis at the University of Denver (News - Alert) . Lisa Rice (Washington, D.C.) leads the National Fair Housing Alliance's efforts to advance fair housing principles, to preserve and broaden fair housing protections, and to expand equal housing opportunities for millions of Americans. She played a major role in crafting sections of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and in establishing the Office of Fair Lending within the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She also helped to lead the investigation and resolution of precedent-setting fair housing cases which have resulted in the elimination of systemic discriminatory practices involving lending, insurance, rental and zoning matters.

leads the National Fair Housing Alliance's efforts to advance fair housing principles, to preserve and broaden fair housing protections, and to expand equal housing opportunities for millions of Americans. She played a major role in crafting sections of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and in establishing the Office of Fair Lending within the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She also helped to lead the investigation and resolution of precedent-setting fair housing cases which have resulted in the elimination of systemic discriminatory practices involving lending, insurance, rental and zoning matters. Dr. Chaniqua Simpson (Raleigh-Durham, NC) is a queer feminist sociologist, writer, caregiver, and educator based in Raleigh, NC. She received her PhD in sociology at NC State University, with expertise in how Black organizers make sense of their work within the historical and contemporary cultural and political contexts, including drawing attention to systems of power stemming from class, gender, and sexuality, and how they shape the lives, experiences, and organizing work of young Black activists. Simpson is an affordable housing advocate and is part of the Movement for Black Lives Electoral Justice League Fellowship, where she works with organizers to help build coalitions and support to push for affordable housing in Raleigh. As Program coordinator at the Women's Center at NC State, she works to incorporate sociology into campus community programming. She is co-chair of the political education committee of the Durham Chapter of Black Youth Project 100, a national membership-based organization of Black organizers and activists ages 18-35.

is a queer feminist sociologist, writer, caregiver, and educator based in Raleigh, NC. She received her PhD in sociology at NC State University, with expertise in how Black organizers make sense of their work within the historical and contemporary cultural and political contexts, including drawing attention to systems of power stemming from class, gender, and sexuality, and how they shape the lives, experiences, and organizing work of young Black activists. Simpson is an affordable housing advocate and is part of the Movement for Black Lives Electoral Justice League Fellowship, where she works with organizers to help build coalitions and support to push for affordable housing in Raleigh. As Program coordinator at the Women's Center at NC State, she works to incorporate sociology into campus community programming. She is co-chair of the political education committee of the Durham Chapter of Black Youth Project 100, a national membership-based organization of Black organizers and activists ages 18-35. Marlyn Tillman (Gwinnett County, GA) is a parent, community activist, and co-founder of Gwinnett SToPP, a parent-driven community-centered partnership that works to dismantle the school to prison pipeline in Gwinnett County. They support parent and student advocacy and activism. Tillman provides expertise on data research, information technology, and organization management. In addition to Gwinnett SToPP, she serves as the Federal Strategies Co-Chair for the national Dignity in Schools Campaign, the Education Civil Rights Alliance steering committee, the advisory committee of the Child Trends Healthy School Environments Initiative, and the Gwinnett County Public Schools curriculum review committee. She is a past recipient of the ACLU of Georgia's Georgia Civil Liberties Award for community activism and currently advocates at the local, state and national level to impact education policies as it pertains to the School to Prison Pipeline.



https://blackvoices.org/. "I'm thrilled that Black Voices for Black Justice recognizes, amplifies and advances the work of these inspiring everyday heroes in Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. In this moment of simultaneous crises for our country, their leadership is more critical than ever and so is our support," said Wes Moore, bestselling author, social entrepreneur and CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation and a co-chair of the fund.

In addition to Moore and Secretary King, BVBJ is led by the following national Black leaders: Tenicka Boyd , National Organizing Director and Deputy Political Director of the ACLU

, National Organizing Director and Deputy Political Director of the ACLU Kristen Clarke , president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law who was nominated by President-Elect Joe Biden to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division

, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law who was nominated by President-Elect Joe Biden to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Jean Desravines , CEO of New Leaders, a national nonprofit that works to ensure high academic achievement for children in poverty and students of color

, CEO of New Leaders, a national nonprofit that works to ensure high academic achievement for children in poverty and students of color Shavar D. Jeffries , president of Education Reform Now

, president of Education Reform Now Kerry Washington, actress and activist The BVBJ Fund is a pooled resource comprised of the following foundations and philanthropic leaders: Bridge Alliance Education Fund

Jim and Nancy Bildner

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

CityBridge Foundation

Susan and Matt Daimler

Delaware Community Foundation

Galaxy Gives

Greater Washington Community Foundation

The Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation (which supports the fund's special area focus in Brooklyn)

Kresge Foundation

The Moriah Fund

Rodel Foundation of Delaware

Two Anonymous Foundations For more information, visit www.blackvoices.org. About Black Voices for Black Justice Fund The Black Voices for Black Justice Fund is a racial justice fund, launched in 2020, that supports Black leaders and Black-led organizations on the front lines of shaping the urgent movement to build a fair, equitable, and anti-racist America. It amplifies and elevates ongoing efforts to address the national crisis surrounding racism, white supremacy, police brutality, and racial inequality. By linking emerging community and local leaders with established national leaders, the Fund also seeks to develop the next generation of Black leaders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126006016/en/

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A Tiktok that has gone viral has doctors warning people to not try this method as it can be extremely dangerous for a number of reasons.

With 3.5 million views Tiktok user Jerry Mal tried a method he saw in a movie where you put erection cream on your lips to make them bigger.

In the video Jerry attempted to put the cream on for five minutes however he only made three minutes because the tingling had turned into a bad burning sensation.

Despite the bad burning Jerrys lips did look bigger, however is it really worth the risk?
SUGARLOAF TWP.  Richard and Susan Larock watched houses dot the landscape near their farm over the years, and theyve been told numerous times their land would command a hefty price if it was sold for development.

On Jan. 21, they bucked the trend.

The Larocks enrolled their 63 acres in the Luzerne County Farmland Preservation Program, becoming the 34th farm to be preserved in the county since the programs inception in 2000.

For the Larock family, the reason behind their decision had nothing to do with money.

Its about heritage and having a place for our grandkids to appreciate, Susan said. People have told us this would be a great place to develop and we could make more money that way, but we dont want that.

The preservation program compensates farm owners for the purchase of the conservation easement to the property, limiting uses of the land to agriculture and related activities. Funding for the purchase of easements is provided by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program and Luzerne Countys Clean and Green Program.

Farms are ranked based on soil types, road frontage, development pressure in the area and proximity to other preserved properties.

Jennifer Lauri, agricultural program administrator for the Luzerne Conservation District, said the farm ranked particularly high in regards to soil types and local development pressure. It also helped that an adjoining property, the 106-acre Turnbach Farm, is also preserved under the program.

It creates a large section of preserved farmland, which is a beneficial part of the program, Lauri said.

The county is expected to finalize the preservation of another farm in Black Creek Twp. next month, she added.

The Larocks farm was purchased by Richards father, Russell, in 1955 and it adjoins the original family parcel originally farmed by his grandfather, Pasquale, decades prior. Back then, the Larock farm was home to cattle, chickens and pigs. Today, the family rents the land to another farmer who grows wheat, corn and hay, but Richard feels his ancestors would be happy to see the farm preserved.

I think theyd say good job. They would be proud of this, he said.

Susan said there were a lot of steps involved to preserve the farm, but she added the process wasnt that difficult and Lauri and the Luzerne County Department of Planning and Zoning were a great help.

The county preservation program received $518,000 in state funding in 2019, and $539,744 in 2020. Lauri, who also serves as the Farmland Preservation Program administrator for Luzerne County, said the average per acre price paid to farmers is $3,400. Applications for the 2021 round of funding are being accepted until Monday, and for anyone interested in preserving their farm Richard offered a bit of advice.

Do it. If all you want to see if farms rather than the land be lost for other uses, this is the way to achieve that, he said.

In addition to preserving their family heritage, Richard said there was another factor that motivated him to preserve the farm.

On the other side of our field their putting houses in the woods. I didnt want that to happen here, he said.

Neither did his son, Nick, who also lives on the familys farm.

The preservation of the farm brings peace of mind, he said.

Its going to be here forever. We never have to worry about it being swept up by someone who would use it for something else that isnt agricultural, Nick said.

TOM VENESKY is a freelance outdoors writer. Contact him at veneskyoutdoors.com.
We are in the business of educating workers and as a digital-first company, our blog is an important educational tool to help businesses maximize their investments in technology. - Justin Lake, CEO of Skyllful

Skyllful, a leading provider of a mobile digital adoption platform that helps workers on the front lines use mobile apps and devices more efficiently and effectively, today announced it has won a Gold 2021 AVA Digital Award for excellence in writing for its company blog.

Were very happy to receive this recognition by the AVA Digital Awards, said Justin Lake, CEO of Skyllful. We are in the business of educating workers and as a digital-first company, our blog is an important educational tool to help businesses maximize their investments in technology and ensure their workers are successfully adopting mobile applications and devices and continuously using them.

Skyllful is the first and only digital adoption platform built expressly for mobile workers. A comprehensive, SaaS-based platform, it helps workers in the field use mobile apps and devices more effectively in their delivery of essential products and services. Skyllfuls platform provides scenario-based, on-demand, on-device simulation training and delivers ongoing education and real-time support to help workers retain knowledge better while supporting new digital deployments and updates and onboarding of new hires.

Although more and more technology over the last two decades has been developed and deployed to workers, there has been very little to no modernization in how to make sure these workers are using technology effectively. When mobile workers dont use technology effectively, it can have real implications for a business, in terms of lost sales or uncompleted jobs, higher turnover, more downtime and more accidents.

A 2020 Emergence Capital/Centiment survey determined that there are 2.7 billion deskless workers globally; 75% of them spend most of their time on the job using technology. But more than 80% of HR and IT leaders say they struggle with worker adoption of new technology solutions, according to a 2020 PwC survey. Further, a 2019 Deloitte survey found that 40% of mobile workers said they were not using company-issued apps and devices because they were not comfortable with the technology and 70% said they felt they did not receive the right training in how to use their smartphone or tablet for work tasks.

Skyllfuls platform is designed for project managers, change management leaders and IT leaders. It provides them with the ability to see and measure mobile technology training in real-time by tracking and documenting usage and adoption rates by workers. Whether a company is deploying a new solution or trying to improve engagement with its existing apps, Skyllfuls platform is proven to increase productivity and deliver greater returns on investments in technology.

Skyllfuls 2021 AVA Digital Award is its second award of the year -- earlier, its flagship platform won a 2021 BIG Innovation Award, presented by Business Intelligence Group.

The annual AVA Digital Awards recognize outstanding achievement by creative professionals involved in the concept, direction, design, and production of media that is part of the evolution of digital communication. The awards program is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.

About Skyllful

Skyllful is a leading provider of a mobile digital adoption platform that helps workers on the front lines use enterprise mobile apps more efficiently and effectively in their delivery of essential products and services. With deep expertise in leading mobile technology and best practice field deployments as well as a leadership team with decades of experience working with large mobile workforces and applications, Skyllful provides on-device, on-demand training through scenario-based simulations. Whether a company is deploying a new mission-critical workforce app or seeking to improve its workforce engagement with existing apps, the Skyllful platform is easy to use, intuitively designed and proven to increase productivity and deliver greater returns on investment in technology. Skyllful is headquartered in Denver, Colo., and maintains a customer experience center in the greater Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas. For more information, visit https://www.skyllful.com and follow on Twitter @Skyllfulco.

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Member of Parliament of Armenia from the ruling My Step faction Vladimir Vardanyan has raised the issue of the Armenian prisoners of war detained by Azerbaijan, as well as criticized Azerbaijans racist policy in his remarks at the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

The lawmaker reminded that after the ceasefire the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has accepted several appeals on applying an interim measure, urging the Azerbaijani authorities to provide respective information about the Armenian prisoners of war. Till today the ECHR has not received anything. Till now Azerbaijan refuses to provide minimal information about the physical condition of the Armenian prisoners of war, he said.

Vladimir Vardanyan noted that that people are being held captive in Azerbaijan not because they have committed any crime, but because of being Armenian. Can you imagine that in the 21st century we can have a member of the Council of Europe which has a state policy of racist discrimination against Armenians? the lawmaker said.

He emphasized the importance of the implementation of the ECHR rulings, calling for uniting efforts on releasing the Armenian POWs.

I think that we cannot tolerate the existence of a racist state in the Council of Europe. And all states of the Council of Europe should respect the ECHR and its rulings, the Armenian MP said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

The SNP has accused Boris Johnson of showing 'total disrespect and disregard' to coronavirus travel restrictions ahead of the Prime Minister's expected trip to Scotland this week.

The Prime Minister will reportedly head north of the border in the coming days to stress the benefits of the Union and to urge Scots to reject separatism.

But Mr Johnson's political opponents including the SNP's minister for equalities in Holyrood Christina McKelvie and SNP MP Neil Gray have both questioned whether the PM's trip is within the spirit of lockdown rules.

Current curbs in Scotland dictate that people should not cross the border unless it is an essential journey. Travel for work is allowed 'but only where that cannot be done from your home'.

All eyes are now on SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to see whether she will publicly rebuke the PM for making the trip.

Boris Johnson, pictured at a vaccination centre in North London yesterday, is expected to visit Scotland later this week

But SNP MPs have questioned whether the PM's trip is in the spirit of Nicola Sturgeon's lockdown rules

What are the travel rules for Scotland? Nicola Sturgeon's lockdown rules prohibit travel between Scotland and all of the other parts of the UK. However, people are still allowed to cross the border if they have a 'reasonable excuse' or if it is for 'essential reasons'. One of the permitted excuses is travel for work but the guidance stresses that this should only take place 'where that cannot be done from your home'. Travel is also allowed for essential shopping but people should try to shop online as much as possible. Travel for healthcare and travel for childcare is also permitted. Advertisement

The situation is likely to prompt comparisons with last December when Ms Sturgeon appeared to take a swipe at Prince William and Kate Middleton over their whistle-stop tour to Scotland.

She said at the time that the Scottish government had reminded the Palace of the strict Covid restrictions north of the border ahead of the couple's morale boosting trip.

The PM's expected trip to Scotland comes after the SNP on Saturday released an 11-point 'roadmap' to holding an independence referendum.

The party has made clear a ballot could take place if May's Holyrood elections result in a pro-independence majority - even if Westminster refuses to grant permission for a re-run of the 2014 referendum.

There have now been 20 consecutive polls suggesting a majority of Scots could vote in favour of independence.

Mr Johnson yesterday refused to say if he would mount a legal challenge to a second Scottish independence referendum, if Ms Sturgeon does press ahead with another ballot without the agreement of UK ministers.

Citing the response to the coronavirus crisis, the PM said he believed that people 'can see everywhere in the UK the visible benefits of our wonderful union'.

The prospect of Mr Johnson going to Scotland this week has prompted SNP fury.

Christina McKelvie, Minister for Older People and Equalities in the Scottish Government, tweeted: 'Eh? Is he campaigning during the pandemic? Should he be travelling? Is this essential work?'

SNP MP Neil Gray echoed a similar sentiment as he said: 'Campaigning on the constitution during a pandemic you say? Total disrespect and disregard for "do not travel unless absolutely necessary"'

John Nicolson, another SNP MP, said: 'I thought only "essential" travel is allowed under the current lockdown.

'How does this visit (welcome as his vastly unpopular trips always are) meet the current #Covid_19 criteria? Or don't the rules apply to him?'

An SNP spokesman told The National newspaper: 'The Prime Minister is always welcome to visit Scotland. The law in Scotland requires all work that can be done at home, to be done at home and Scottish ministers are not engaging in visits in line with the current Stay at Home regulations and the requirement to stay local.

'So, it's clear the PM must think the Union is really in peril if he considers his visit to be so essential.'
Denton, TX (76205)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 62F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 62F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Huawei strongly denied media reports claiming the manufacturer was in discussion to sell its premium smartphone brands, a move in preparation to exit the smartphone making business which had been hindered by US trade sanctions.

In a statement, the Chinese vendor said: There is no merit to these rumours whatsoever. Huawei has no such plan. We remain fully committed to our smartphone business, and will continue to deliver world-leading products and experiences for consumers around the world.

The statement followed a Reuters article citing sources, who said Huawei began talks to sell its premium Mate and P-series ranges in September to a consortium led by the Shanghai government.

The Shanghai government said it was not aware of the situation and declined to comment further to Reuters.

Analyst company IDC stated the Mate and P-series ranges were worth $39.7 billion between Q3 2019 and Q3 2020.

Huawei saw huge growth over the years and became the second-largest smartphone manufacturer globally according to most analyst metrics. It was stifled by trade sanctions laid out by the US government in 2019, which prevented domestic companies from providing software and hardware to Huawei.

An example was Huawei smartphones no longer came preinstalled with Google Mobile Services, preventing users access to the Google Play Store, and by proxy, the app's library of apps. In response, the company launched programmes to gain app developer support for its Huawei Mobile Services.
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[January 26, 2021] Avant Reaches 1.5 Million Customers

CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Avant , a leading financial technology company that gives middle-income consumers access to the credit they deserve, announced today that it has surpassed the 1.5 million customer milestone. Its growing customer base speaks to Avant's focus on providing access to transparent, affordable personal loans and credit to consumers who have been underserved by traditional financial institutions. Customers have responded by awarding Avant a lifetime Customer Satisfaction of 94% and a lifetime Net Promoter Score of 76.



Since launching in 2012, the company has connected consumers with $6.5 billion in loans and 400,000 credit cards. Over the years, Avant has continued to streamline the online lending process through technological innovation. In 2017, Avant expanded its product portfolio beyond personal loans with the launch of the Avant Credit Card, which is seeing card issuance increase by 170% year-over-year.

"This is an exciting milestone for our company," said James Paris, CEO of Avant. "Our goal from day one has been to fill a critical market gap by improving access to affordable credit. We've been able to eliminate the barriers middle-income consumers typically face when applying for a loan or credit card and deliver a seamless and transparent process with a quick turnaround. We're excited for what's to come as we continue expanding our product portfolio." About Avant

Avant is dedicated to building premier digital banking solutions for the middle class through a combination of technology, analytics and superior customer service. Since 2012, Avant has connected over 1.5 million customers to $6.5 billion in loans and to 400,000 credit cards. A high growth financial technology company, Avant has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, TechCrunch, Fortune, Bloomberg, and has raised over $600 million of equity capital. Visit www.avant.com for more information. Media Contact:

Jenn Pratt

Keeton PR

404.655.2273 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/avant-reaches-1-5-million-customers-301214625.html SOURCE Avant

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A prospective COVID-19 vaccine touted as a made-in-Canada response has begun human clinical trials in Toronto, and the company says it's already preparing a followup that will target more infectious variants.

A prospective COVID-19 vaccine touted as a made-in-Canada response has begun human clinical trials in Toronto, and the company says it's already preparing a followup that will target more infectious variants.

Providence Therapeutics of Calgary says if all goes well, it could start manufacturing millions of doses of its first prospective vaccine by the end of the year, guaranteeing a Canadian stockpile that wouldn't be subject to global supply pressures or competition.

A healthy volunteer receives injection in this undated handout image provided by Providence Therapeutics. Human clinical trials have begun in Toronto for a proposed COVID-19 vaccine by a Canadian company. Providence Therapeutics of Calgary says 60 subjects will be monitored for 13 months, with the first results expected next month. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Providence Therapeutics*MANDATORY CREDIT*

That's if the formulation proves safe and effective, of course.

Among the challenges of developing a vaccine amid a raging pandemic is the uncertainty of how more infectious variants now emerging will complicate the COVID battle.

Even if successful, by the time Providence Therapeutics releases its vaccine hopeful, much of the country could be in the throes of a more infectious virus that does not respond to this formulation, said company CEO Brad Sorenson.

"We don't believe that this is going to be resolved by a single vaccine," said Sorenson, whose biotech also produces a personalized mRNA-based vaccine against cancer.

It's a challenge now facing Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which have each said its products appear to respond well to the variant initially identified in the United Kingdom, and to a lesser degree, the variant first detected in South Africa.

Moderna said earlier this week it plans to test two booster vaccines aimed at the variant associated with South Africa.

Sorenson said Providence is already internally testing a vaccine candidate that targets the variants, and he hoped to begin clinical trials by the end of the year.

"We believe that there's going to be a need to be in a position of readiness to be able to respond as these variants are coming up, and to be able to make sure that we have that capacity."

That doesn't mean Providence is changing production runs just yet.

Sorenson said the immediate focus is to establish the safety and efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine, dubbed PTX-COVID19-B and designed in the early days of the pandemic last March.

It uses messenger RNA technology and focuses on the spike protein located on the surface of a coronavirus that initiates infection, similar to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna products.

The trial involves 60 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 25 who will be monitored for 13 months, with the first results expected in February.

The subjects are divided into four groups of 15, three of which will get three different doses. The fourth group gets a placebo.

Sorenson said immediate pandemic efforts should be focused on the novel coronavirus currently devastating many parts of the country.

"It's a matter of capacity. Right now these variants are there, they're concerning, and we're keeping a close eye on it, but that's not predominantly what the needs of the population are," said Sorenson.

"Right now the needs of the population are still tied to the primary spike protein virus that's out there and is ravaging around the world."

Sorenson said his next vaccine candidate takes a broader approach by attempting to elicit a T-cell response, thereby creating a longer-term vaccine "and cover what we believe would be a lot more variants."

"We have to prove it out, but we believe that if we are successful that it will allow for a much more durable immunity and a much broader immunity."

The other goal is to prepare for large-scale manufacturing in Calgary, if all goes well with the trials and approval process.

Sorenson said doses for the Phase 1 trial are being made in Toronto, but the plan is to commercially manufacture the completed vaccine through a contract with the Calgary-based Northern RNA Inc.

That won't be up and running by the end of the year, Sorenson allowed, so the short-term plan is to send raw materials made in Canada to a plant in the United States that would make the commercial product.

Eventually, the whole process would be completed in Canada, he said.

"We're building the entire chain within Canada, so we're not going to run into a problem where this particular input into the vaccine is unavailable," he said.

Much of this also depends on financial support from the federal government, Sorenson added.

While the National Research Council of Canada has backed Phase 1 trials, Sorenson said he's awaiting word on further support. He'd also like Ottawa to back Providence's efforts to address the new COVID variants.

"They've already recognized the importance of mRNA technology. What they don't realize is the power of mRNA technology to be responsive to these challenges that are coming up," he said.

"Hopefully the politicians and the people that cut the cheques and write the policies that give direction to the bureaucrats will hear that and we'll start seeing a more concerted approach that looks at a fuller picture."

Pending regulatory approval, Sorenson said a larger, international Phase 2 trial may start in May with seniors, younger subjects and pregnant people, followed by an even broader Phase 3 trial.

The Providence project is just one of several Canadian efforts underway to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.

The biopharmaceutical company Medicago, based in Quebec City, began clinical trials on its plant-based candidate last July. If successful, the company has said manufacturing would take place in Durham, N.C., until it can complete a large-scale manufacturing facility set for Quebec City.

And last month, Health Canada gave the green light to the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan to launch its Phase 1 clinical vaccine trial.

Infectious disease expert Jason Kindrachuk, who works with VIDO but is not involved with its vaccine candidate, said a varied vaccine strategy will be key to controlling the pandemic.

"Vaccines are not necessarily a one-size-fits-all and maybe with this pandemic, people are getting a greater appreciation for some of the logistical hurdles of trying to transport vaccines. Cold chain storage is not something most people knew about or thought about prior to COVID and everybody in the community now I think has heard about it," said Kindrachuk, a visiting scientist from the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair.

"This is something that, in regards to vaccine development, we really have to put a lot of thought into as a research community because of the fact that we have to make vaccines that are accessible for the communities that are ultimately going to be treated with them."

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott acknowledged Tuesday that appetite was strong for a homegrown answer but noted Providence was still a considerable ways from offering a viable option.

"First it has to go through the appropriate approval process, go through Health Canada to make sure that it's going to be satisfactory and safe and efficacious," said Elliott.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2021.
(TNS)  Hundreds of current and former Haywood County Schools employees got letters this month informing them their private information could have been compromised in a cyberattack against the school system.A cybercriminal ring hacked the school's servers in August and attempted to blackmail the school system into paying a ransom in exchange for unlocking the network  including a threat that the hackers would post the data they obtained on the dark web if the school system didn't pay up.Anyone who potentially had their information compromised is being offered free financial and identity protective services and monitoring."If there was any potential the hackers got anything on that person, we sent them a letter," Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte said. "We thought it was better to notify unnecessarily than to not notify."The specialized firm hired to provide the monitoring service is being paid by the school system's cyberinsurance firm, which also paid to rebuild the school system's servers. The only cost to the school system was its $10,000 deductible.The school board decided not to pay the cyberransom under advisement from investigators, as doing so only emboldens hackers to go after others. Even if the school system had paid up, the security monitoring service would have still been necessary.The exact number of letters that went out has not been made public, but the list includes those who worked for the school system dating back to the early 2000s. Letters also went out to some families of students and substitutes who may have had their information compromised.Exactly what that information consisted of varies  with some of it being reasonably benign.For example, a list of substitutes' phone numbers and a list of personal cell phones of principals and department heads were among the data drop the cybercriminals posted on the dark web. The disciplinary records of some students were also caught up in the hack.Whether that information could ever be used for sinister purposes is questionable, however."Receiving a letter does not mean that you are or will be a victim of identity theft. Out of an abundance of caution, however, we are offering identity services to you," according to a list of FAQs put out by the security firm.One thing that wasn't stolen in the cyberattack is payroll or direct deposit information of employees, as that's handled through a third-party and not stored on the school system's servers."We are not aware of any bank account information that may have been compromised," Nolte said.Nolte said he was among those who had a letter show up in his mailbox.The letter provides instructions on how to sign up for the protective service, including the number for the call center of the firm hired to provide the service., Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The mortal remains of former President Jerry John Rawlings is lying in state at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).



The body the late former President, who rose to the rank of Flight Lieutenant and a pilot in the Ghana Air Force, was dressed in Ghana Air Force ceremonial uniform (light blue) with his badges and medals pinned to his breathless chest.



The coffee-brown coffin, which contains the remains of the former President, is placed on a catafalque, surrounded by white flowers, propped on a red carpet with a glass screen to aid public viewing.



A source at the Ministry of Information told the Ghana News Agency that as a former Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, his body will be guarded by four catafalque guards, which consist of colonels.



The Ghana Prison Services and the Ghana National Fire Service provided the background music for the filing past.



Seated on the right side of the foyer were Mrs Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, his widow and childhood sweetheart, their children, Colonel Joshua Agbotui (retired), the Head of the late former Presidents family and other family members.



Hundreds of mourners clad in black and wearing facemasks, due to the coronavirus pandemic, filed past the remains of the former President to pay their last respect to him.

Some the mourners were in attires embossed with his portraits.



Three cultural troupes, namely the Nananom Kete Cultural Troupe based in Accra, the Abirem Kete Cultural Troupe and the Eferitete Cultural Troupe, both from Kumasi performed the kete dance in honour of the departed hero.



The building of the AICC had two giant portraits of the late former President on it.



The national flags within the premises of the AICC were all flying at half-mast.



The four-day state funeral, which began on Sunday, January 24, would have the main funeral event taking place at the Black Star Square in Accra on Wednesday, January 27.



The former President passed away on Thursday, November 12, 2020, at age of 73.

Source: GNA









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When used with Rancher, the latest Longhorn release allows DevOps teams to manage persistent data volumes from core to cloud to edge

NUREMBERG, Germany, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SUSE, a global leader in true open source innovation and owner of the Rancher container management platform, today celebrates the release of Longhorn 1.1. Longhorn has been a Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) Sandbox project since October 2019. Since becoming generally available in June 2020, Longhorn adoption has increased by +235% to become a mainstay of the Kubernetes storage landscape. With this latest release, Rancher users can now leverage a Kubernetes-native storage solution in low-powered hardware at the edge.

Longhorn 1.1 allows DevOps teams to easily manage persistent data volumes in any Kubernetes environment while bringing an enterprise-grade but vendor neutral approach to cloud-native storage. With this latest update, Rancher users can build additional resilience into their edge environments with ARM64 support, new self-healing capabilities, and increased performance visibility provided by Longhorn 1.1.

Gartner predicts that by 2025, three-quarters of enterprise-generated data will be created and processed at the edge - outside a traditional centralized datacenter or cloud. That's a sharp increase from just 10 percent in 2018. With this growth in mind, Longhorn 1.1 allows developers to confidently build applications and store data in edge environments on resource-constrained devices.

What's New in Longhorn 1.1?

Longhorn is 100% open source, microservices-centric, and cloud-native storage for Kubernetes deployments. Longhorn 1.1 brings a host of new features and improvements for enterprise DevOps teams, including:

Robust Kubernetes-native storage at the Edge

Longhorn 1.1 extends Kubernetes-native storage capabilities to support edge deployments. It's designed to help teams store data reliably within even the most hostile and resource-constrained environments. It also comes with support for ARM64 - one of the most requested features from the community.

Driving efficient container performance



Improving efficiency is consistently top of mind for users in the K8s community. Likely to be a popular introduction, Longhorn now offers 'ReadWriteMany' support across containers, giving developers an efficient persistent storage solution that enables volumes to be read and written across multiple containers at any time. Unlike 'ReadWriteOnce' methodologies, Longhorn 1.1 allows teams to share volume storage between different paths on different nodes.

Enhanced Visibility and Operations Support

Longhorn 1.1 brings better insights and functionality within an organization's storage infrastructure. With new integrated support for Prometheus baked in, users now have real-time metrics of their storage health (monitoring, resource usage, tracking, etc.). With this support for Prometheus, users have a much more detailed view of cluster performance. Finally, with new support for CSI Snapshotter, users can create/restore backups via 'kubectl'.

Boosted Maintenance Functionality

Another new arrival with Longhorn 1.1 is enhanced node maintenance capabilities. Longhorn now supports Kubernetes drain operations to aid users with the safe performance of node maintenance. Longhorn 1.1 also features the ability to recognize the existing disks on a new node, which provides a better operational environment for Cloud Providers.

Increased Resilience

Top of the priority list for most companies is mitigating network issues. A new Data Locality feature has been introduced with Longhorn 1.1 to increase resilience in unstable network conditions (e.g., in edge scenarios). This new capability will keep a storage replica local to the workload itself, ensuring that, even if the node temporarily loses network connectivity, access to storage will never be lost.

Longhorn 1.1 is much simpler than other software-defined storage solutions aiming to deliver fast, reliable storage to most use cases without the bloat of legacy approaches.

Existing users of Rancher can easily install Longhorn directly from Rancher's app catalog. Longhorn is also free to download and use, and customers looking for support can purchase a premium support model with the same SLAs provided through SUSE Support Services. There are no licensing fees, and node-based subscription pricing keeps costs to a minimum.

Resources

Learn more about Persistent Storage, Built with CNCF Sandbox Project Longhorn here.

Get technical details about Longhorn 1.1 here.

Learn more about SUSE's Kubernetes Management Platform, Rancher, at rancher.com.

Interested in Rancher certifications? Visit Rancher Academy.

About SUSE

SUSE is a global leader in true open source innovation, collaborating with partners, communities and customers to deliver and support robust open source software solutions. SUSE's market leading Linux, Kubernetes, container and cloud offerings enable customers to innovate everywhere - from the data center, to the cloud, to the edge and beyond. SUSE puts the "open" back in open source, giving customers the agility to tackle innovation challenges today and the freedom to evolve their strategy and solutions tomorrow.

For more information, visit www.suse.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for the company, including statements containing the words "aims," "targets," "will," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," and similar expressions, may constitute forward-looking statements and should be read with caution. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including competitive landscape, development of customer deals, reliance upon customer relationships, management of growth and acquisitions, the possibility of undetected software issues, the risks of impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and economic downturns, pricing pressures and the viability of the Internet. In addition, any forward-looking statements included herein represent views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. The Company does not have any obligation to update its forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to change and should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date other than the date of this press release.

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NEW DELHI  Thousands of protesting farmers poured into New Delhi on Tuesday, using their tractors to pull apart barricades and challenging government forces who fired tear gas, blocked internet access and charged demonstrators with bamboo sticks to bring some order to a capital that felt under siege.

It was the most violent escalation in two months of generally peaceful protests that have tested the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in unprecedented ways, forcing it to offer concessions to aggrieved farmers on new market-friendly laws that were intended to overhaul the countrys agriculture sector. But the farmers have insisted on nothing short of repealing the laws that were pushed through Parliament in September, leaving them, they say, vulnerable to corporate greed.

The deadlock boiled over in what  for Mr. Modi at least  was an embarrassing showdown that came on a national holiday and in the midst of a pandemic and economic slowdown that have also challenged his leadership.

As Mr. Modi, in a red turban, saluted his officers and watched his countrys latest warplanes fly over a grand parade marking 72 years since Indias inception as a republic, protesters riding atop tens of thousands of tractors were dismantling barricades and rumbling toward the city center.
BOULDER, CO: In the midst of cascading crises from climate change to biodiversity loss and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Earth Leadership Program - the global successor to the renowned Leopold Leadership Program, now in partnership with Future Earth - has announced its 2021-22 North American cohort.

The Earth Leadership Program provides outstanding academic researchers with the skills, approaches, and theoretical frameworks for catalyzing change to address the world's most pressing sustainability challenges, emphasizing new forms of individual and collective leadership. The program enables scientists to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders and become agents of change within and beyond their universities.

This year's North America cohort is composed of 21 passionate academics working within a wide array of disciplines related to sustainability, from marine biology to atmospheric chemistry, governance, and economics. The fellows, who come from 11 U.S. states, Canada, and Mexico, are committed to pursuing transdisciplinary work that brings together scientific disciplines, government representatives, private sector voices, and civil society to build a more sustainable future for all.

The full list of fellows for the 2021 North American Cohort of the Earth Leadership Program is:

Arroyo-Quiroz, Ines

Centro Regional de Investigaciones Multidisciplinarias (CRIM), Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM)

Centro Regional de Investigaciones Multidisciplinarias (CRIM), Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) Natalie Ban

University of Victoria

University of Victoria Nandita Basu

University of Waterloo

University of Waterloo Cayelan Carey

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech Andres Clarens

University of Virginia

University of Virginia Sarah Evans

Michigan State University

Michigan State University Valerie Eviner

University of California, Davis

University of California, Davis Sathya Gopalakrishnan

The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University Rachelle Gould

University of Vermont

University of Vermont Stephanie Green

University of Alberta

University of Alberta Anne Randall Hughes

Northeastern University

Northeastern University Bonnie Keeler

University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota John Lin

University of Utah

University of Utah Damon Matthews

Concordia University

Concordia University Pamela McElwee

Rutgers University

Rutgers University Terry McGlynn

California State University, Dominguez Hills

California State University, Dominguez Hills Tuyeni Mwampamba

Institute for Ecosystems and Sustainability Research, UNAM Campus Morelia

Institute for Ecosystems and Sustainability Research, UNAM Campus Morelia Malin Pinsky

Rutgers University

Rutgers University Sara Soderstom

University of Michigan

University of Michigan Ashlynn Stillwell

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Rodrigo Vargas

University of Delaware

"This year's selection of fellows consists of leading environmental champions from a broad range of disciplines and institutions across North America," says Dr. Sharon Collinge, Executive Director of the Earth Leadership Program. "We look forward to working with each of them to accelerate and deepen the science that will promote equitable transitions to sustainability, both in their home countries and around the world."

The Earth Leadership Program's fellowship training model is built around a collaborative approach that values co-design with diverse stakeholders, and prepares participants to develop and execute transdisciplinary projects. As fellows, the cohort first comes together for a retreat training session that focuses on leadership skills, community-building, and personal reflection. The fellows then spend a year practicing and applying their new knowledge and skills. The following June, the fellows reconvene in a final session to integrate their learning from the practice year, learn new tools, and articulate to each other their refined visions for knowledge to impact.

"This year's cohort faces the novel challenges of an ongoing pandemic alongside a worsening climate crisis and unprecedented biodiversity loss," says Josh Tewksbury, Interim Executive Director of Future Earth, the Earth Leadership Program's hosting organization. "To restore our deteriorating relationship with nature, we'll need versatile sustainability leaders deeply embedded within the scientific community - and that's exactly what the Earth Leadership Program was designed to promote."

###

About the Earth Leadership Program

After 20 years of success in training over 200 sustainability leaders in North America, the Leopold Leadership Program re-launched as the Earth Leadership Program in March 2020. The new program is a partnership between Future Earth, the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the University of Colorado Boulder, and the new program aims to support regional networks of collaborative academic leaders around the world, as well as in North America, and to connect these networks under a common purpose.

The Earth Leadership Program remains committed to the fundamental principles that have made the Leopold Leadership Program so transformative: interdisciplinary learning, building future leaders empowered to collaborate and innovate, and strengthening the connections among scholars - past, present, and future - in the service of solution-focused, engaged sustainability research.

The Earth Leadership Program is led by Dr. Sharon Collinge, a 2004 Leopold Leadership Fellow and full professor in the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Colorado Boulder. Over the next year, the structure of the Earth Leadership Program will continue to evolve as it seeks to build greater connections among existing fellows, bring new fellows into the program, and build new programs around the world. For more information, visit earthleadership.org.
President Joe Biden is displayed on a screen while speaking after signing an executive order in the South Court Auditorium of the White House complex on Jan. 25, 2021.

President Joe Biden is displayed on a screen while speaking after signing an executive order in the South Court Auditorium of the White House complex on Jan. 25, 2021. Credit - Drew AngererGetty Images

This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIMEs politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday.

Its been a busy week in Washington. President Joe Biden yesterday reversed his predecessors ban on transgender individuals from serving in uniform, boosted a Buy American program for manufacturing and set a new, ambitious goal of 1.5 million vaccinations a day. The House of Representatives sent its second impeachment of former President Donald Trump to the Senate, which got started on its history-making path. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio announced that he is heading toward retirement and Janet Yellen is starting as the first female to lead the Treasury Department. Today, Biden is signing orders aimed squarely at racism. Oh, and Major and Champ moved into the White House with their humans over the weekend.

Perhaps lost in all that was a seismic development in Washingtons posture toward Moscow. The entire pivot took just 58 seconds, but reset four years of Trump-era ambivalence.

Biden, answering questions on Monday from reporters in a formal setting for the first time during his presidency, was asked directly about possible sanctions against Russia for the attempted poisoning and subsequent detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, or whether those were being delayed as his government tries to renew an expiring nuclear treaty with Russia called New START.

Biden, who spent years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as its top Democrats and was a leading voice on international affairs inside Barack Obamas White House, knew precisely what needed to be said. He expanded the scope of the question to include not just the treaty, but reports that the Russians put bounties on the heads of Americans in Afghanistan, a massive hacking operation known as SolarWinds, and the sweeping intelligence review he just ordered on what the U.S. knows about Russias ongoing troublemaking. The ongoing protests across Russia have raised public awareness of it all, and Biden stepped in to lump it all together for a domestic and international audience.

Story continues

I find that we can both operate in the mutual self-interest of our countries as a New START agreement, and make it clear to Russia that we are very concerned about their behavior, whether its Navalny, whether its the SolarWinds or whether its the reports of bounties on the heads of Americans in Afghanistan, Biden said. I will not hesitate to raise those issues with the Russians.

In less than a minute, Biden put the United States on new footing and Vladimir Putin on notice. So when Biden and Putin spoke today for the first time under the new U.S. administration, Putin knew what to expect. According to U.S. officials, Biden did exactly as he promised yesterday and pressed Putin without holding out grand hopes for a reset or even improved relations.

Bidens aides at the White House, State Department and throughout government had been offering a stiffened spine toward Russia. But as much as reporters in Washington respect new White House press secretary Jen Psaki and top State Department spokesman Ned Price, their words dont carry as much weight as the Presidents. After all, the Trump era often featured a split screen of foreign-policy hands being tough on Russia while the then-President seemed indifferent to Russias belligerence. It doesnt really matter what the apparatchiks say if the top boss has other plans.

Biden yesterday demonstrated none of Trumps deference to Putin, a relationship that puzzled Washington even before the 2016 election. Nor did he echo Obamas effort to reboot Washingtons relationship with Moscow, which started in 2009 with a botched reset stunt that had then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton handing her counterpart a plastic toy with the word peregruzka on it. The U.S. side thought it was Russian for reset but it actually said overload. The day left Foggy Bottom red-faced and Clinton with a deep distrust of the Russian openness.

More recently, Bidens stance wasnt George W. Bushs look into Putins soul, or Bill Clintons post-Cold War navigation of a totally new dynamic. In all reality, Biden probably retreated to something closer to Ronald Reagans position: compromise on treaties when it makes sense without forgetting that hes dealing with the vestiges of what Reagan famously called the Evil Empire.

Biden ran as a sensible candidate, a transitional figure for his party and his country. So far, he has pushed an agenda through executive orders that is far more progressive than Democratic skeptics expected and far more radical than Republicans believed he would dare. So its a curious comparison between Cold War Reagan and Post-Trump Biden, but it might be an accurate reminder that Presidents often can chase competing ideologies at home and abroad. (Just look at the second President Bushs education reform agenda and his response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11.)

Bidens foreign policy circle has its share of Russian hawks. His nominee to lead the CIA is a career diplomat who spent time as the U.S. Ambassador to Moscow. No one would mistake William Burns as a Russophile. Bidens nominee for Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is as clear-eyed as they come when it comes to Russias aggression, especially regarding the invasion of Ukraine and meddling in elections. Bidens pick for the State Departments No. 3 post, Victoria Nuland, is a veteran diplomat who served in administrations of both parties; she was a top adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney and an Obama Administrations point-person on pushing back on Russias invasion of Ukraine. Bidens National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan  a top hand during Clintons days at the State Department and one of Bidens top foreign policy hands as VP  has been working the phones looking to extend the treaty and knows these issues inside and out.

But its also not a single-note chorus surrounding Biden. Most notably, his nominee for the State Departments deputy secretary, Wendy Sherman, is an experienced and tough-as-nails negotiator who has sat across the table from Americas most bellicose foes and extracted diplomatic agreements with the likes of Iran and North Korea. Shes talked the U.S. out of some of the thorniest moments in recent diplomatic history. Where some around Biden are expected to urge hawkish stances, those like Sherman  who spent months on tough deals with nebulous details  are more prone to slow trust-building. The same is true of the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, who is heading up Bidens development agenda. She used to court diplomats personally, and counted her Russian counterpart as a friend.

For months, Biden has been signaling to all who would listen that this was where he was heading. The Monday declaration at the former War Department headquarters next to the White House made it official, though. Thats not to say Biden is going to be shouting tear down this wall any time soon. But hes also not relying on tchotchkes to solve one of the first major foreign policy tests of his presidency.

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Sweet success

Colombias first sugar cane fields were planted nearly 500 years ago on the wide, flat banks of the Cauca River, by the current-day city of Cali. Today the region is still sugar country, where cane grows densely under big skies and a hot sun without too much help. Most of it goes to giant mills where table sugar is centrifuged and crystallized. The rest is for panela.

Here many trapiches are industrialized, although the process is effectively the same as it was in the 16th century. Cane is cut by hand with machetes, and pressed into a muddy green juice that is filtered and boiled, with the fiber used for fuel. The thick syrup is poured into pans and frantically stirred as it cools into a fudge-like dough that is patted into form by a pesador, someone who intuits that each panela weighs what it is supposed to.

A good pesador is rare, said Ricardo Bueno, the head of production at the La Alsacia trapiche in Tulua, north of Cali. We havent been able to technologize this.

On a visit last fall, employees in lab coats and hairnets monitored Brix levels  the amount of dissolved solids in a liquid, here a proxy for sweetness  as the juice evaporated in steel tanks, infusing the air with the smell of caramel. The food scientists analyze samples of cane before giving approval to harvest, but they often must make adjustments to the juice, tweaking its pH with calcium hydroxide and monitoring variations in the ratios of sucrose, fructose and glucose, which bear on the panelas color.

All this is to ensure that the final product, destined for supermarket chains, always looks and tastes the same  and wont contain splinters or other unwelcome surprises that have been known to appear in more rustic versions of panela.

Large trapiches like La Alsacia send increasing amounts of panela abroad; some 9,000 tons of it were exported in 2019, most to the United States and Europe, according to Fedepanela. The round loaves are sold in Latin supermarkets, while more popular is a cone shape labeled piloncillo, which is beloved among Mexican-Americans in California.
NYSE | TSX: ACB

EDMONTON, AB, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Aurora Cannabis Inc. (the "Company" or "Aurora") (NYSE: ACB) (TSX: ACB), the Canadian company defining the future of cannabinoids worldwide, announced today the closing of its previously announced bought deal public offering (the "Offering") of units of the Company (the "Units") for total gross proceeds of US$137,940,000. The Company sold 13,200,000 Units at a price of US$10.45 per Unit, including 1,200,000 Units sold pursuant to the exercise in full of the underwriters' over-allotment option.

Each Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant of the Company (each full common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable to acquire one common share of the Company (a "Warrant Share") for a period of 36 months following the closing date of the Offering at an exercise price of US$12.60 per Warrant Share, subject to adjustment in certain events.

BMO Capital Markets and ATB Capital Markets acted as the bookrunners for the Offering.

The Company plans to use the net proceeds of the Offering for general corporate purposes, which may include opportunistically reducing debt. The Company believes that the Offering fits with its broader strategy to have a strong balance sheet while maintaining maximum flexibility to invest and build towards being a leader in global cannabinoids.

In connection with the Offering, the Company filed a prospectus supplement (the "Prospectus Supplement") to the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated October 28, 2020 (the "Base Shelf Prospectus") with the securities commissions or similar securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces of Canada, except Quebec, and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") as part of the Company's registration statement on Form F-10 (the "Registration Statement") under the U.S./Canada Multijurisdictional Disclosure System. The Prospectus Supplement, the Base Shelf Prospectus and the Registration Statement contain important detailed information about the Company and the Offering.

Copies of the Prospectus Supplement and the Base Shelf Prospectus are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and copies of the Prospectus Supplement and the Registration Statement are available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Copies of the Prospectus Supplement, the Base Shelf Prospectus and the Registration Statement may also be obtained from BMO Capital Markets by contacting BMO Capital Markets, Brampton Distribution Centre C/O The Data Group of Companies, 9195 Torbram Road, Brampton, Ontario, L6S 6H2 or by telephone at (905) 791-3151 Ext 431 or by email at [email protected] or from BMO Capital Markets Corp., Attn: Equity Syndicate Department, 3 Times Square, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10036 (Attn: Equity Syndicate), or by telephone at (800) 414-3627 or by email at [email protected]. Copies of such documents may also be obtained from ATB Capital Markets Inc., Attn: Gail O'Connor, 410-585 8th Ave SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 1G1, (403) 539-8629 or by email from [email protected].

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. This press release is for information purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Aurora

Aurora is a global leader in the cannabis industry serving both the medical and consumer markets. Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Aurora is a pioneer in global cannabis dedicated to helping people improve their lives. The Company's brand portfolio includes Aurora, Aurora Drift, San Rafael '71, Daily Special, AltaVie, MedReleaf, CanniMed, Whistler, and Reliva CBD. Providing customers with innovative, high-quality cannabis products, Aurora's brands continue to break through as industry leaders in the medical, performance, wellness and recreational markets wherever they are launched. For more information, please visit our website at www.auroramj.com.

Aurora's common shares trade on the TSX and NYSE under the symbol "ACB", and is a constituent of the S&P/TSX Composite Index.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes statements containing certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements made in this news release include statements regarding the expected use of proceeds of the Offering. These forward-looking statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward looking statements are based on the opinions, estimates and assumptions of management in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected developments at the date the statements are made, such as current and future market conditions, the ability to maintain SG&A costs in line with current expectations, the ability to achieve high margin revenues in the Canadian consumer market, the current and future regulatory environment and future approvals and permits. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances could cause actual events, results, level of activity, performance, prospects, opportunities or achievements to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks associated with: entering the U.S. market, the ability to realize the anticipated benefits associated with the acquisition of Reliva, achievement of Aurora's business transformation plan, general business and economic conditions, changes in laws and regulations, product demand, changes in prices of required commodities, competition, the effects of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and other risks, uncertainties and factors set out under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated September 24, 2020 (the "AIF") and filed with Canadian securities regulators available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and filed with and available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, any of which could cause the Company to change its use of proceeds from the Offering. The Company cautions that the list of risks, uncertainties and other factors described in the AIF is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect its results. Readers are urged to consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.

SOURCE Aurora Cannabis Inc.

Related Links

https://auroramj.com/


WASHINGTON (AP)  With a change of administrations, it looks like Central New York civil rights hero Harriet Tubman is once again headed to the front of the $20 bill.

Biden press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that the Treasury Department is taking steps to resume efforts to put the 19th century abolitionist leader on the $20 bill.

Obama administration Treasury Secretary Jack Lew had selected Tubman to replace Andrew Jackson, the nations seventh president, on the $20 bill.

But Tubmans fate had been in doubt since the 2016 presidential campaign based on critical comments by then-candidate Donald Trump, who branded the move pure political correctness.

Trump administration Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin did not move forward with the decision by the Obama administration. Instead, Mnuchin in 2019 announced a delay in redesigning the $20 bill in order to redesign the $10 and $50 bills first to improve security features to thwart counterfeiters.

The unveiling of the redesigned $20 bill featuring Tubman, famous for her efforts spiriting slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad, had been timed by the Obama administration to coincide with the 100th anniversary of passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.

Under the schedule Mnuchin announced in May 2019, the redesigned $20 bill would not have come out until 2028 with final designs for the bill not announced until 2026.

But Psaki told reporters during a briefing Monday that she and other officials were surprised to hear of the delays in putting Tubman on the $20 bill. With a change in administrations, she said the Treasury Department was taking steps to resume efforts to put Tubman on the $20 bill.

It is important that our .... money reflect the history and diversity of our country and Harriet Tubmans image gracing the new $20 note would certainly reflect that, Psaki said. We are exploring ways to speed up that effort.

Psaki said specifics on a new timeline for introducing a redesigned $20 with Tubman would be announced when finalized by the Treasury Department. Biden has selected Janet Yellen to be his Treasury secretary, the first woman to hold that position in the departments 232 years.

Tubman, who lived in Auburn, N.Y., escaped slavery during the 19th century and helped lead dozens of others to freedom through a network of safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War, she served as an armed scout and spy for the U.S. Army. The famed abolitionist is buried at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, near where her home was approved as a national park.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 09:02:36|Editor: huaxia

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Herdsmen take their sheep to graze at the summer pasture on the Barlik Mountain in Yumin County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 22, 2018. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

URUMQI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Stepping on a pier, Parhati Aihimaiti clutched a beam in one hand for support and repaired the barbed wire that fastens guardrails on the left side of a bridge.

He then walked over the bridge several times, inspecting it for any repair work he could do to make it more secure and stable.

Measuring 17 meters in length and about 1 meter in width, the bridge, crossing Qagantokay River, is in the Qagantokay Village of Yumin County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

As the initiator and one of the bridge builders, he is a former police officer with the Qagantokay border police station in charge of the Qagantokay Village management from 2009 to 2020.

"At that time, I visited 80 households of herdsmen every week and received 24-hour phone calls from them with various kinds of requests for help. For instance, asking whether I could assist them in finding their lost sheep and cattle, resolving grassland disputes, or rescuing vehicles in distress," the 38-year-old recalled.

When he first came to the village in 2009, little did he know that he would develop such close relationships with the herders living here, let alone build them a bridge.

In May 2016, he and his wife rambled about in the village during their lunch break. They came across the then-53-year-old villager Kulumhan Byimhan, holding her granddaughter and struggling to get to the passenger station to catch a bus.

If Kulumhan Byimhan could wade across the river on pebbles, her distance to the station would only be a few hundred meters. However, she could not walk through the river as she suffered from severe arthritis due to years of herding. She could only trek over mountains for about two hours with her granddaughter to get to her destination, with their clothes drenched in sweat.

"Why don't we try to build a bridge for them to facilitate their daily traveling?" Parhati Aihimaiti's wife said.

Sheep are seen at the summer pasture on the Barlik Mountain in Yumin County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 22, 2018. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

Building a bridge was no easy task for the couple, both financially and technically.

They had just saved more than 40,000 yuan (about 6,176 U.S. dollars) and planned to buy a car so that Parhati Aihimaiti's wife could take their son from the county 25 km away to the police station for reunions on weekends.

Also, as newbies in architecture, they had no idea how to build such a structure.

After a silent night, the couple decided to make the bridge their top priority and give it a go.

With a total budget of 12,000 yuan, Parhati Aihimaiti invited his friend Eilen as the chief engineer and several police officers as helpers. Eilen was then a village cadre and a master of welding and carpentry.

They finally broke ground on the bridge-building project in mid-May with materials including cement, iron, and wood demanded by Eilen and purchased by Parhati Aihimaiti's wife. They exerted every minute of their spare time to speed up the process.

For Parhati Aihimaiti, the time building the bridge swung between excitement and worries.

When Parhati Aihimaiti took 15 police officers and herdsmen to carry the 12-meter-long, one-tonne iron bridge to lay it on the river banks a month later, he found that the bridge was 5 meters short and could not reach the other side. They then lengthened the bridge by 5 meters and successfully laid it on the river banks.

Ten days later, a flood washed away the pier on one side of the bridge. After examining the scene, Parhati Aihimaiti found that the right bank pier stood on a soft-earthen dam. It was structurally unsound, and the distance between the bridge deck and the river surface was prone to flooding.

They racked their wits and later laid a 1.5-meter-deep foundation on the river banks, and then fixed the iron bridge firmly on the foundation by welding and cement pouring. It not only enhanced the pier's stability but also raised the distance between the bridge deck and the river surface.

More than two months of round-the-clock construction and fixing work followed. The bridge was finally ready for use in July 2016 and has benefited the villagers since then.

"The villagers see me not like their guest but as a family member. Every time I visit them, they always treat me with a cup of hot milk tea, doughnut-like Buarsak, and candy," said Parhati Aihimaiti.

In the past year, he was transferred to another border police station to work. But the bridge still lingers in his mind.

When Parhati Aihimaiti left, he could not help worrying about the bridge. What if the barbed wires on the guardrail got loose? What if the villagers slip when they walk down the steep and slippery soil slope beside the bridge during winter seasons?

"The village will help solve these problems and identify security risks," said Ye Xianhua, village secretary of Qagantokay, adding that the village will undertake the bridge maintenance and reinforcement work and pave stone stairs on the slope to facilitate the daily trips of the villagers.

"We will pass on the warmth brought by the bridge to the herdsmen," Ye said. 
I love Coca-Cola. I love coffee. I did not at all expect to like Coca-Cola with Coffee.

But what seems like a misguided marketing gimmick from the biggest soda company in the world is actually ... shockingly delicious.

The new java-flavored Coca-Cola made with Brazilian coffee buzzed its way onto shelves Monday, and was met with the requisite skepticism on social media (and from yours truly). A major soda flop a la New Coke or Crystal Pepsi seemed on the horizon.

Keep in mind, this isnt even the first time Coke has had a coffee-flavored soda. Coca-Cola BlaK launched in 2006 and failed tremendously. To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, Coke was so preoccupied with whether or not they could combine flavors, that they didnt stop to think if they should. Theyre combining caffeine, too  this drink has more than regular Coke, though still less than regular coffee.

But I can appreciate a flavored cola as much as anyone. A vanilla coke from Holstens in Bloomfield would be my last (non-alcoholic) beverage on earth, and I still yearn for Pepsi Holiday Spice  which was so subtly flavored with cinnamon and other spices that my friends insisted it wasnt flavored at all. So I hit the soda aisle at Walmart, which the internet promised would have the new Coke concoction, in earnest. I wasnt at all convinced, but curious nonetheless.

I started with the dark blend flavor, as opposed to vanilla or caramel. It looked like Coke, smelled like Coke  plus a subtle hint of coffee  and it tasted like, you guessed it, Coke. The notes of coffee were definitely present on the back end, and the sweetness of the cola blended well with the java flavor. The new products press release suggested it sips like a Coke and finishes like a coffee, which I think is giving it a tad too much credit. But I get the gist.

The caramel in the caramel coffee drink is so strong you dont really taste the coffee. It just tastes like slightly sweeter Coke, maybe a tad burnt. The vanilla coffee Coke, which I was most excited for, was more balanced. But the dark blend was my favorite, likely because it was less sweet than the other two.

I have no idea if coffee Coke will take off. The company seems to think this will be a hit with people who cant decide between having a coffee or a soda for their afternoon pick-me-up. I dont really see how theyre interchangeable, but who can argue with international success  it has been popular in other countries, the United States is the 50th market to get the product.

So this may not be the abject soda-bomination I expected. But Ill still stick to coffee.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
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Dutch police arrested at least 184 rioters after protests against a coronavirus curfew turned violent for a third night, police said Tuesday, in the worst unrest to hit the Netherlands in four decades

The Hague, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2021 ) :Dutch police arrested at least 184 rioters after protests against a coronavirus curfew turned violent for a third night, police said Tuesday, in the worst unrest to hit the Netherlands in four decades.

At least 10 police officers were injured in the latest clashes, which left a trail of looted shops and burned cars in cities including Rotterdam, Amsterdam and The Hague on Monday night.

While a majority of Dutch people have peacefully observed the country's first curfew since World War II, the riots have spread since the 9:00pm to 4:30am restriction came into effect on Saturday.

"We can confirm that at least 184 arrests were made," police spokesman Sherlo Esajas told AFP. Police added that more arrests could follow.

Dutch police chief Henk van Essen strongly condemned the rioters, saying "it has nothing to do any longer with the right to demonstrate.

" "I have respect for those colleagues who have a hard time the past few nights," Van Essen said on Twitter.

Police unions said it was the worst rioting in four decades, referring to clashes between law officials and squatters in the 1980s as they were evicted from illegally-occupied buildings.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Monday condemned the riots, saying they were "unacceptable" and that normal people regarded it "with horror."Clean-up operations started for a second day in many city centres across the country including in the port city of Rotterdam and Den Bosch to the south, where images showed shops being looted by mobs of rioters.

Police used water cannon against rioters in Rotterdam.



EUREKA, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Papa & Barkley, a leading cannabis wellness products company in California, today announced various promotions and additions to its executive team. Evelyn Wang has joined the company as its new Chief Executive Officer. Zeeshan Hyder has joined as Chief Financial Officer.

Adam Grossman, Papa & Barkley's Founder and Chief Executive Officer, will become Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, focusing on strategy, geographic expansion, and investor relations. Guy Rocourt, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer was promoted to President in September and will continue in this role, and as the company's Chief Product Officer, focusing on product development and innovation.

Ms. Wang comes to Papa & Barkley with over 15 years of senior management experience leading premier beauty brands at L'Oreal and The Estee Lauder Companies. Most-recently, she served as Chief Marketing Officer for Milani Cosmetics, a leading international color cosmetics brand. Her expertise building brands and running profitable business units, as well as her leadership of high functioning teams and command of operational levers, position her well to guide Papa & Barkley's next stage of growth. Ms. Wang has a deep personal commitment to plant-based medicine, wellness and sustainability, core values of Papa & Barkley.

"It has been a tremendous honor to serve as the CEO of Papa & Barkley since founding the company. I am incredibly proud of everything our team has accomplished together in just five years," said Grossman. "We have earned our position as the top wellness brand in Cannabis - our products truly change people's lives. The Board and I are confident that Evelyn is the right leader to build on our momentum and brand, adding depth to our stellar executive team. Zeeshan is a tremendous addition as well, bringing strong financial management experience and an extensive knowledge of the cannabis M&A landscape. This is an exciting time for Papa & Barkley."

ABOUT PAPA & BARKLEY

Papa & Barkley is a leading California cannabis wellness brand. It creates highly effective, natural products that unlock the healing potential of the cannabis plant. All of the company's products are made without chemicals, using solventless, whole plant infusion processes with sun-grown cannabis and hemp flowers cultivated in the United States and produced in its licensed, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.

Papa & Barkley was inspired by a son's mission to ease his father's debilitating back pain. Today the company is committed to caring for loved ones by producing safe, natural and efficacious Whole Plant Full Spectrum products. Papa & Barkley's clean, chemical-free products are offered in THC-rich, CBD-rich, and Hemp CBD formulas, to address a variety of needs.

Website: http://www.papaandbarkley.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papaandbarkley

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/papaandbarkley

MEDIA CONTACT

Sara Kern

[email protected]

SOURCE Papa & Barkley
There was fraud everywhere in the 2020 election and to not address this is to destroy the future of our children while stomping on the graves of those who died for this country.

(Natural News) (Article by Joe Hoft republished from TheGatewayPundit.com)

Weve pointed out literally a million invalid ballots which were included in the certified results in the 2020 election in three states alone:

The Democrats want to punish you for discussing this massive fraud and the Republicans want to say it didnt happen. What is wrong with this picture?

Now today, we have a copy of the letter from data analyst Bobby Piton to the Arizona legislature in December. Remember, Piton testified in front of the Arizona legislature about the blatant fraud in that state and bet his life on the results.

Today we can report on a letter Piton sent to the Arizona legislature in December. He pointed out that more that 50% of a sample of 1,000 voters in the 2020 election were not real people. The sample came from a list of 100,000 voters in the 2020 election in Arizona.

Pitton also notes that 200,000 Pennsylvania ballots were edited the day after the election. The letter from Bobby Piton to the Arizona legislature is below:

12112020 AZ Legislature Letter by Jim Hoft on Scribd

The Arizona legislature did pass a motion to forensically audit the votes in Maricopa County, the most populous county in the state which includes Phoenix. But now the Board of Supervisors are attempting to prevent a real audit from the likes of Jovan Hutton Pulitzer and instead have their choice of auditor perform the audit.

The efforts to prevent the people of Arizona from knowing the truth about the results of the 2020 election continue.

Please contact Arizonas Legislature and let them know you want Jovan Hutton Pulitzer to perform the forensic audit in Maricopa County of the ballots from the election. Americans and Arizonians deserve the truth.

Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.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.
Toyota Motor Thailand said it expected the overall Thai vehicle market to recover strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic, with overall sales forecast to rise by between 7% and 14% to 850,000900,000 units in 2021.

The country's leading vehicle manufacturer released its forecast just days after the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) announced a much gloomier outlook for this year  forecasting a more than 5% sales decline to 750,000 units after declining by more than 21% to 792,146 units in 2020.

Toyota Motor has set itself even more ambitious sales target for 2021 after posting a domestic sales drop of 26.5% to 244,316 units and an 18.7% decline in exports to 215,277 units in 2020.

The automaker is targeting sales to grow by between 15% and 23% to between 280,000 and 300,000 in Thailand this year, with its environment-friendly campaign set to play an important role in stimulating consumer purchases.

Toyota Motor Thailand president Noriaki Yamashita said battery-powered and hybrid vehicles will play an increasingly prominent part of its marketing campaigns and sales mix, as the automaker moves towards its goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 90% by 2050 compared with 2010 levels.

Yamashita added: "We expect a bright future will start from now on. We believe the situation will get better," despite the resurgence of the COVID-19 virus in recent weeks.
A dose of Moderna vaccine against Covid-19 is prepared at the vaccination centre in Phoenix Park, Dublin, as mass vaccination drive for GPs and practice nurses has begun in Ireland (Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland/PA)

Irelands target remains to vaccinate every adult in the country by September, despite disruptions to the supply chain, the Seanad has heard.

Junior Minister Anne Rabbitte, speaking on behalf of the Health Minister, said the Government has significant concerns that one vaccine producer, AstraZeneca, will be unable to meet its initial delivery commitments.

This has led to some adjustments to the Governments target of vaccinating 700,000 people by the end of March, Minister Rabbitte said.

Expand Close Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with responsibility for Disability Anne Rabbitte (Julien Behal/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with responsibility for Disability Anne Rabbitte (Julien Behal/PA)

The goal of vaccinating all adults by September remains the Governments target, but is contingent on steady flow of vaccines.

Minister Rabbitte said: The Minister for Health previously stated that he expected all adult residents to be vaccinated by September.

That remains our target.

However, as Minister Donnelly stressed, it is contingent on existing commitments on the approval, supply and delivery of vaccines.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is crucial to the Governments planned vaccine delivery schedule.

It is scheduled for approval by the European Medicines Agency on Friday, but the company recently announced it will initially supply considerably fewer doses than agreed with the EU.

The announcement has caused outrage in the EU, which pre-financed the production and delivery of the vaccine.

The new delivery schedule is not acceptable, European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has warned the company.

On Tuesday, Minister Rabbitte also criticised the company over the delays.

She said: Of significant concern is the recent indication that AstraZeneca will not be available to meet its initial delivery commitments.

It is estimated that deliveries in February will be at the low range of what was anticipated, and there will be further significant impact in March.

The Department of Health is monitoring this change of situation, and is continually engaging with the Commission and the company.

The Minister is very concerned that this supply issue was only communicated to the member states just a week before the scheduled authorisation was to be given for the vaccine.

The news from AstraZeneca, which has advised the EU of a reduction in vaccine supply in Feb and March, is a real setback. The numbers are still tentative and AstraZeneca is due to provide more exact figures at a meeting early next week. Will provide an update as soon as possible.  Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) January 23, 2021

Ms Rabbitte also warned that the arrival of the vaccines and the prospect of a return to normality gives rise to public expectation that cannot be met in the short term.

The EU had expected to receive 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the first quarter of the year.

It is now feared it will receive only half that amount.

Brussels has threatened to block exports of Covid-19 vaccines outside of the bloc as a result of the ongoing row.

As of Sunday, the HSE has administered 143,000 vaccine doses in Ireland.

Two doses delivered three or four weeks apart are required for the vaccines currently in use in Ireland, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

The HSE began administration of the second doses of the vaccine last week.
With a winter storm forecast to sweep through the state late Tuesday through early Wednesday, a light layer of snow is expected to blanket Massachusetts from west to east.

According to the National Weather Service, as much as 2 to 5 inches of snow should fall across the state, beginning Tuesday afternoon and ending as late as Wednesday morning.

Western and Central Massachusetts, where a winter weather advisory has been issued, is expected to see the highest snow totals, forecasters said.

Plan on slippery road conditions and reduced visibilities. The hazardous conditions will likely impact the Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning commutes, the weather service cautioned in its advisory Tuesday. Snowfall rates may briefly approach 1 inch per hour this afternoon.

Slow down and use caution while traveling, the agency added.

A pocket of 5 inches of snow is forecast in northern Berkshire County near North Adams. The rest of Western Massachusetts should see closer to 3 to 4 inches. Worcester County will see similar amounts, according to officials.

Roughly 2 inches of snow is expected across the eastern half of the state, though much of the Cape and Islands should see closer to an inch or less, forecasters noted.

Ahead of the winter storm, the weather service has published a slew of maps online - as it frequently does before a meteorological event - depicting various predictions, including forecasts about how much snow is expected to fall as well as when the precipitation should start and stop.

According to the maps, snow will start falling as early as 2 p.m. Tuesday in the southwestern tip of the state near Great Barrington. The precipitation will continue to move northeast, hitting much of the Pioneer Valley between 3 and 4 p.m., Worcester county by 4 to 5 p.m. and Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Plymouth, Bristol and Barnstable counties by 5 to 6 p.m.

Essex County, the tip of Cape Cod and other coastal areas will see snow the latest around 7 p.m., the maps showed.

In terms of precipitation end times, snow should stop falling across Berkshire County by as late as roughly 10 a.m. Wednesday. A significant portion of the state will see snowfall end between 7 and 9 a.m., with the precipitation letting up earlier in Eastern Massachusetts.

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BATON ROUGE  Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards and Shintech Louisiana LLC announced the company will invest $1.3 billion to expand its manufacturing and packaging facilities in Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes. Shintech is the worlds leading manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride resins, or PVC. The company will make a $1.25 billion investment to increase PVC manufacturing capacity and expand chlor-alkali and vinyl chloride monomer capacity at its manufacturing facility in Plaquemine, which was announced in 2018 and is expected to be completed this year. The company also is expanding its PVC packaging and warehouse operation in Addis.

In Plaquemine, Shintechs manufacturing expansion will create 30 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of $86,000, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 129 new indirect jobs, for a total of 159 new jobs for Iberville Parish and the Capital Region.

Shintech will retain 530 existing jobs at the Iberville and West Baton Rouge facilities where the company has operated since 1999. The company expects the expansion project to create up to 2,400 constructions jobs. Construction is expected to be completed toward the end of 2023.

Louisianas competitive business environment remains supportive of our major manufacturing sectors, Gov. Edwards said. Our skilled workforce and world-class infrastructure continue to set the stage for significant manufacturing expansions. As Shintech reaffirms its confidence in Louisianas economic strengths, we welcome the companys latest investment in Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes.

The company is expanding its facilities to keep pace with the demand for PVC, a versatile, durable product used in a variety of applications in the building and construction industries as well as health care, electronics, automobile and other sectors. Shintech is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan-based Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd.

Shintech continues to invest in and increase its manufacturing presence in the North American market, Vice President of Manufacturing Danny Cedotal said. We appreciate the companys confidence in our local manufacturing team. The jobs and infrastructure the company has built in Plaquemine and Addis continue to create much-needed economic development in our communities. We are grateful for the support of neighbors and our community, and we work every day to continue our commitment to live locally, hire locally and buy locally as the companys footprint grows.

LED began discussions with Shintech about the potential expansions in 2020. To secure the project, the State of Louisiana offered a competitive incentive package that includes the comprehensive solutions of LED FastStart  the nations No. 1 state workforce development program for the past 11 years. The state has offered Shintech a performance-based grant of up to $6.6 million for the construction, procurement and installation of infrastructure to support the expansion project. The grant is payable in four installments, contingent upon the company reaching investment and production benchmarks. The company also is expected to utilize Louisianas Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.

Shintech has invested more than $7 billion in its Louisiana operations in Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes.

Since 2005, Shintech Louisiana has had significant investments at its Iberville Parish site, Iberville Parish President J. Mitchell Ourso Jr. said. With favorable parish and state business climates, Shintech Louisiana continues to invest and expand its footprint in Iberville Parish. Iberville Parish congratulates Shintech Louisiana on its $1.25 billion Iberville Parish expansion project as well as its job creation and many community partnerships.

Shintechs expansion of its PVC packaging and warehouse operation in Addis is great news for West Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish President Riley L. Berthelot Jr. said. This is especially encouraging news in a time when some local industry here has had to downsize to remain profitable in todays economy.

We are pleased to hear about the announcement of Shintechs expansion projects in Louisiana, said President and CEO Brandy D. Christian of the Port of New Orleans. They have long been one of our top three exporters, a committed and vital component of our growing export business and an innovative partner in the shipment of the plastic resins which make us competitive in the global market. These expansion plans are great for our region, and we appreciate their continued longstanding commitment to Louisiana.

The fundamental importance of investments like these has never been more obvious, said President and CEO Adam Knapp of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. Not only is Shintech investing serious capital into our economy, supporting both full-time and contract construction jobs, but it is also domestically producing critical material utilized by sectors like health care, technology and construction. We celebrate Shintechs announcements and look forward to working with them on these and future projects in our regional parishes.

About Shintech Louisiana LLC

Shintechs operations in Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes consist of integrated manufacturing facilities that produce caustic soda and vinyl chloride monomer as well as PVC resin. Shintech values its strong working relationship with the West Baton Rouge Parish and Iberville Parish communities. The focus on community is embodied in the companys motto: Live Locally, Hire Locally, Buy Locally. Shintech Louisiana is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shintech Inc., a leading U.S. producer of PVC resins with headquarters in Houston and a manufacturing facility in Freeport, Texas. Shintech Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo-based Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd., the worlds largest producer of PVC, with plants in the U.S., Asia and Europe. For more information, visit ShintechInc.com.

About LED

Louisiana Economic Development is responsible for strengthening the states business environment and creating a more vibrant Louisiana economy. LED cultivates jobs and economic opportunity for the people of Louisiana, and promotes business opportunity for employers of all sizes. For more information, visit OpportunityLouisiana.com.
West Bengals ruling Trinamool Congress is now calling Suvendu Adhikarionce TMCs biggest amigoa dangerous desperado because of his defection to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in December 2020.

Good riddance, claimed TMC supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at a recent rally in Kolkata. Adhikari retorted that Banerjee should get a letter pad ready with the words former CM written on it.

It is an all-out war between the two, Bengals biggest fight for prestige.

In. front of TMCs huge propaganda machine, the five feet few inches Adhikari knows he has a herculean task to convince people in his constituencies. He knows people in Midnapur would routinely say Adhikari is Midnapur and Midnapur is Adhikari but this time it could be a tough battle because the engine backing him all along is now on a reverse gear.

Adhikari is like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the bell ringer who dreams of seeing life outside the bell tower. Like the fabled character, Adhikari has to let people judge for themselves who is good, and who is bad in this assembly election. It is a tough call.

Orange Is The New Blue

In an interview, Adhikari said he is not worried about the jibes from the TMC leader and a decade-plus life with the party he left behind. He said theres something to live for in the saffron brigade.

He told Moneycontrol in a telephonic interview that he was genuinely tired of feeling numb about the TMC politics in Bengal because he was totally sidelined during the last two years. He had even explored the possibility of starting a fresh political party but was advised against it by his confidants. And then I had this offer from the BJP, I haven't felt this excited in years.

Adhikari, whose family of three politician brothers work in cohesion like three musketeers and rule with a strong grip on Midnapur West and South districts and also in districts like Birbhum and Murshidabad, knows his terrain like childrens knowledge of marbles. Adhikari knows politics in Bengal is laced with menace and full of doom because the ruling TMC rarely allows the opposition a coherent platform. If you are an opposition candidate in Bengal, it is like looking through the wrong end of a telescope, it is even tough to field opposition candidates in an election in the state.

His friends say Adhikari is capable of withstanding the TMC backlash, especially because he has always been an insider, something which the BJP wants to explore in the forthcoming assembly polls. He is capable of seeking mass support, he has been at it for long but it will be a very vicious fight between him and Banerjee, says political analyst and corporate tracker Sandip Ghose.

Also Read: 'National Pride to Bengali Asmita; how parties appropriate Netaji's legacy as election draws near

Adhikari said he has thrown off the shackles of TMC and has tasted freedom with the BJP, the saffron brigade hoping Adhikari will swing the fortunes in the districts where he has had a hold for over a decade. I am meeting people every day by visiting their homes, offices and shops and telling them to stand with me and not fear the TMC hoodlums. Everyone knows me as a tireless worker.

New Political Winds

Adhikari knows a politician swapping ideological partners has public consequences. But he also believes that the Indian political system is now getting shaped around voting not for individuals but for party manifestos.

We havent even announced the manifesto but our manifesto will be our triumph card, a mechanism by which voters can be sure what they are getting from the party. Mamata Banerjee came to power in 2011 when her party was a part of the UPA. And then she dumped the coalition. Once she was a part of the BJP-led NDA. Then she left NDA also. Now she is in isolation, lacking ideas. She is in a state of panic.

In Kolkata, not a day passes without the TMC attacking Suvendu. He is on top of TMCs anti-BJP crusade, probably higher than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At a rally on January 24, 2020, Abhishek Banerjee, TMC MP and Mamata Banerjees nephew, said he had warned the CM about Suvendu way back in 2016 after the Narada Sting operation triggered breaking headlines.

I had told the CM that those who had spoilt the partys image must be sent to the barracks and turned into backbenchers in the party. Look at Suvendu, he is now showing his true colours. The Narada sting, conducted by journalist Mathew Samuel who once worked with Tehelka, had recorded a host of TMC politicians taking cash from Samuel.

Politicians who were seen in the sting camera footage include Subrata Mukherjee, Saugata Roy, Firhad Hakim, Madan Mitra, Prasun Banerjee, Aparupa Poddar, Suvendu Adhikari, and top cop SMH Mirza, the last named still in judicial custody. But the sting could not dent TMCs poll prospects, the party won 211 seats to retain power in the state for the second time.

Also Read: 10 factors that will impact West Bengal elections

Adhikari is unfazed. He said politics runs in his blood, in his family. His father Sisir Adhikari is a Lok Sabha MP from Contai, a sleepy town that many claim is the gateway to Bengals popular sea resort of Digha.

Sisir Adhikari, who was the chairman of Contai Municipality for over a quarter of a century, was groomed in politics by veterean Congress leader Atulya Ghosh. Once Suvendu joined BJP, Sisir Adhikari was removed as district chief, East Midnapore and Digha Sankarpur Development Authority. Suvendus brother Dibyendu is a Lok Sabha MP from Tamluk, a town known for its high betel leaf exports.

Another brother Soumendu wasuntil recently chairman of the board of administrators of the Contai Municipality in East Midnapur. His sudden removal from the coveted post came right after Suvendu joined BJP. It was rumoured that the move was pushed by the TMC top brass (read Mamata Banerjee).

The time has come in Bengal for Paribortoner Poriborton (which translates into a change of the change), said Adhikari.

For the record, Poriborton was the slogan that helped the TMC defeat the Left Front and end its three decade-plus rule.

She has destroyed the state in the name of development, her anti-Centre attitude is not helping West Bengal and her programmes have really not taken off. Worse, we are only hearing about Kolkata because other towns and cities in this state have not developed. Painting towns and cities with blue and yellow do not improve its economy. The big corporations are extremely wary of investing in India. Bengal is the only state that has officially admitted it has a Cut Money culture, said Adhikari.

Restless Millennials

Adhikari said Bengals restless millennials are leaving the state for better opportunities, the state is no longer a trailblazer. At a recent event to commemorate the birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose, someone told PM Narendra Modi that there were many intellectuals in the crowd. Everyone is an intellectual in Bengal, quipped Modi.

In an open letter addressed to the grassroots members of the Trinamool Congress, Adhikari said West Bengal is standing at a critical juncture as the people of the state are destined to make a choice in the 2021 Assembly elections that will impact them forever. An extremely deep rot and malaise" has set into the Trinamool Congress. Neither West Bengal nor the Trinamool Congress is anyone's fiefdom.

Adhikari knows he will have to defeat Banerjee from Nandigram, one of the two epicentres of TMCs anti-land acquisition movements in West Bengal, the other being Singur that helped TMC win the 2011 assembly elections. Banerjee has already announced that she will contest from Nandigram, a move many felt could impact Adhikaris prospects.

Also Read: Why state election is a tussle between Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj values

The Nandigram Factor

Nandigram had hit the headlines in 2007 when 14 villagers were killed in police firing. The villagers were protesting against the then Left Front governments proposed acquisition for a chemical hub of Indonesias Salim Group at Nandigram.

Interestingly, the Nandigram violence also gave birth to TMCs Maa, Mati, Manush (Mother, Motherland, People) slogan that was used by the party in its election campaigns.

Adhikaris supporters say Banerjees popularity is on the wane. She was a seven-time MP when she came to power in the state. She did not contest the 2011 assembly polls. In a by-poll later, she won the assembly seat by over 50,000 votes.

But in 2016, her victory margin was just 25,000 votes. Worse, she lost nearly 30 percent of her voter base. Her immediate rival, Deepa Dasmunshi, who polled 40,219 compared to Banerjees 65,520, gained almost 30 percent extra votes.

Five years ago, the results showed that Banerjees grip on her home turf was loosening. But a total lack of opposition helped her regain her invincible image. And now she has added Nandigram to her list of Kurukshetras.

Adhikari said he knows Banerjee is trying to seek back her image of a pro-farmer leader. And he knows he has a tough job on hand. He also knows Banerjee is trying hard to use the current farmer protests in India to hoist herself as an upright woman on the burning deck, almost like the Joan of Arc for farmers of Bengal. Banerjee has not lost an election in Bengal since 1989.

It is for Adhikari, the Nandigram legislator, to walk the extra mile. Adhikari is confident that his father and his brothers will help him push the saffron wave across East and West Midnapur, and other districts where Adhikari has a tremendous hold.

And there is violence which needs to be controlled. Political cognoscenti in Bengal say highly volatile Midnapur could see more clashes in the coming days, said Adhikari. A report by the National Crime Record Bureau (NRCB) released in September 2020 said TMC-ruled Bengal reported the maximum number of political murders in the country. The 2018 data for West Bengal, the NCRB said, has been repeated in its latest 2019 report because of unavailability of data from West Bengal in time for 2019.

Political analyst Biswanath Chakroborty says any high-profile candidate fighting elections in Bengal should be aware of political violence and its consequences in the state. Nandigram could see increased violence because it has suddenly got the CM as a candidate. It is like a showdown, a tough battle. Chakroborty said violence has often been used by the ruling party in Bengal during the campaigning period to dominate and control areas with active support from local administration and police.

Bring It On

Adhikari has committed himself to defeat Banerjee by at least 50,000 votes on his turf in Nandigram. I will keep my word, bhogoban aachen, dekchen (which translates as Gods are there to oversee my work). She cannot say she has done everything.

Adhikaris supporters are telling people that Banerjee hardly did anything significant for East Midnapore. Banerjee has talked about the oil and gas project in Ashoknagar in north 24 Parganas boosting fortunes of Haldia Refinery but the project is actually a baby of Indian Oil and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Adhikaris men have also told voters in Midnapore that Banerjees Tajpur Deep Seaport project is actually in limbo because the state does not have Rs 20,000 crore required for the same. They have also highlighted how Banerjees model of conflict politics was blocking grants from the Centre.

Obscure Nandigram with 70 percent Hindu and 30 percent Muslim population is now on the razors edge. The district could make the biggest news when Bengal goes to polls this summer. The fight between Didi and Dada, slowly but steadily, is assuming huge significance.
Elusive 19th century Alaskan fort located using radar tech

ITHACA, N.Y. - Researchers from Cornell University and the National Park Service have pinpointed and confirmed the location of the remnants of a wooden fort in Alaska - the Tlingit people's last physical bulwark against Russian colonization forces in 1804 - by using geophysical imaging techniques and ground-penetrating radar.

The fort was the last physical barrier to fall before Russia's six-decade occupation of Alaska, which ended when the United States purchased Alaska in 1867 for $7 million.

The Tlingit built what they called Shiskinoow - the "sapling fort" - on a peninsula in modern-day Sitka, Alaska, where the mouth of Kasda Heen (Indian River) meets Sitka Sound at the Sitka National Historical Park.

"The fort's definitive physical location had eluded investigators for a century," said co-author Thomas Urban, research scientist at Cornell. "Previous archaeological digs had found some suggestive clues, but they never really found conclusive evidence that tied these clues together."

To find Shiskinoow, Urban created a grid to see if the electromagnetic induction methods could spot the potential outline of the fort and then created a small grid for dragging the ground-penetrating radar. Urban's modern tools picked up the fort's unusual perimeter shape.

"We believe this survey has yielded the only convincing, multi-method evidence to date for the location of the sapling fort, which is a significant locus in New World colonial history and an important cultural symbol of Tlingit resistance to colonization," Urban said.

In 1799, Russia sent a small army to take over Alaska in order to develop the fur trade, but the Tlingit successfully expelled them in 1802. Expecting the Russians to return, the Tlingit built a wooden fort over two years - the trapezoidal-shaped Shiskinoow. The Tlingit armed it with guns, cannons and gunpowder obtained from British American traders.

When the Russians returned in 1804, the Tlingit held them off for five days, but suffered a setback when a gunpowder supply being carried to the fort from storage across Sitka Sound blew up in a canoe. The Tlingit clans escaped Shiskinoow by night across Shee (Baranov Island) to Chaatl ?aa Noow (Halibut Man Fort) and the Russians then established a trading post at what is now Sitka.

"A large-scale survey was necessary to convincingly rule out alternative locations for this historically and culturally significant structure," said co-author Brinnen Carter of the National Parks Service.

###

The research, "Geophysical Survey Locates an Elusive Tlingit Fort in Southeast Alaska," was published Jan. 25 in the journal Antiquity.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
When Mao Zedong, the main founder of the People's Republic of China, wrote in May 1965 about his ambition to "rise high to the sky and pick the Moon" in a poem during a visit to the Jinggang Mountain in south China's Jiangxi Province, the first rural revolutionary base established by the Communist Party of China in 1927, China had barely made any marks in space exploration. The country had to wait five more years before sending its first indigenous satellite to the space atop the Long March 1 rocket.

On November 24, 2020, the Long March 5, the country's largest carrier rocket, sent the Chang'e-5 lunar probe into the space. When the return capsule touched down on Earth in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 24 days later, it brought back 1,731 grams of lunar samples, the first space materials China ever brought back to Earth.

These are also the first lunar samples humans have brought back to Earth in more than four decades. The last sample from Moon, weighing 170 grams, was brought back by the Soviet Union's Luna 24 spacecraft in 1976.

To prevent total loss of these precious samples in disasters, they were divided for storage in different locations, and one of these locations is Shaoyang, Hunan Province in central China, the birthplace of Mao.

"This is a tribute to Mao; his wish has now become a reality," Wu Yanhua, deputy head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), said at a press briefing on the completion of the mission held on December 17, 2020.

Major milestone

The return of the capsule marked the successful conclusion of stage III of China's lunar exploration plan first approved in 2004. Based on the achievements of the previous two stages, which focused on orbiting around and landing on the Moon, respectively, the Chang'e-5 mission made major technological breakthroughs in the return to Earth.

The new challenges as compared to previous missions included collecting and packing the samples on the Moon, transferring them to the return vehicle, and launching an ascender on the moon to send them back to Earth.

To save payload and bring back more samples, an orbiter was left in the lunar orbit while the lunar lander-ascender assembly went down to the moon surface to take samples. This required ducting in the lunar orbit when the ascender returned with samples. It was challenging for these small machines to meet and dock with each other at such a distance from Earth.

"The systems had to be highly autonomous considering the limited control and support we could provide from Earth," said Hu Hao, chief designer of China's stage III lunar exploration program.

Another major challenge was the high speed of the return vehicle at its reentry into Earth's atmosphere, which was close to the second cosmic velocity, the speed needed to escape the gravitational field of Earth without further propulsion. The speed was much higher than that of all previous missions and required better heat resistance and control abilities.

The moon samples brought back by the mission are crucial for scientists to learn more about the Moon. The last time China's aerospace experts got their hands on a sample of the Moon was in 1987, when a gram of moon rock was given to China by the U.S. as a gift. It was part of the hundreds of kgs of lunar samples collected during the Apollo missions.

The samples are different from those brought by previous sample-taking missions by the U.S. or the Soviet Union. Chang'e-5 landed at a higher latitude on the Moon near Mons Rumker at the northeastern corner of Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms), which is the largest of the dark basaltic plains of the Moon that are visible to the naked eye. Scientists believe that some of the rocks in this region are much younger than all other lunar samples, and that research on samples from this area will add to current knowledge on the volcanic activities on the moon surface, which will help figure out the origin and evolution of the Moon.

To China's aerospace experts, the significance of the success of the mission lies more in its implications for further stages of the lunar exploration program. "Through the first three stages, we have gained the basic lunar exploration ability and a reserve of manpower, which has laid a solid foundation for our future operations," Hu said.

Deeper exploration

China's lunar exploration program comprises a series of missions, with the final goals of manned landing and building a base on the Moon. For the next stage, Stage IV, the goal is to build a prototype research station there, which will be made up of multiple probes in the lunar orbit and surface.

The Stage IV comprises four missions, with the first mission already completed when Chang'e-4 landed on the far side of the Moon in January 2019, the first time a manmade spacecraft landed on that side of the Moon. The missions yet to be launched are Chang'e-6 to 8.

Chang'e-6, set to be launched this year, will attempt to bring back samples from the south pole of the Moon. The area is of intense scientific interest with a large amount of water ice and one of the largest impact craters in the solar system, the South Pole-Aitken basin.

The Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 spacecraft will also land near the south pole to further analyze the region and test new technologies, including detecting and extracting materials that could be useful to future human explorers, such as water and hydrogen.

These missions are also laying the groundwork for other planetary explorations. The Tianwen-1 orbiter and rover are already on their way to Mars. They are expected to arrive in the planet's orbit and start orbiting this February, to be followed by a landing on the red planet in May. Other planned missions include a sample-gathering mission to Mars, a mission to sample an asteroid, as well as a mission to Jupiter.

A key requirement to conduct these missions is rockets. Chang'e-5 was launched by the Long March 5 rocket, which was designed with the mission in mind. For future missions, more powerful rockets are needed. Currently, the Long March 9 rocket, a heavy-lift vehicle for manned landing and deep space exploration, is being studied, which will have its first launch around 2030.

Another focus of China's space program is to build a low-Earth space station to gain more experience in human spaceflight. The plan is to conduct 11 launch missions, including four manned spacecraft, in two years. When it is built, it will be China's third and biggest space station where many experiments will be performed.

"When the station is built and the key technologies are verified, we will then investigate the feasibility of manned landing on the Moon," said Wu.
The Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Hprobe, a provider of turnkey semiconductor Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) for magnetic devices, today announced the establishment of a subsidiary company, Hprobe GmbH located in Cologne, Germany. The new subsidiary, which marks Hprobe's first expansion outside of France, will sell, promote, and provide technical support in Germany. Concurrent to this announcement, Hprobe GmbH received its first order from Fraunhofer IPMS (Institute for Photonic Microsystems, Dresden), a worldwide leader in research and development services for electronic and photonic systems.

Fraunhofer IPMS has ordered an IBEX Parametric Tester developed by Hprobe for its business unit Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT), carrying out applied research on 300mm wafers for IC manufacturers, suppliers, equipment manufacturers and R&D partners. The IBEX is mounted in a Precio XL, the latest 300mm fully automated wafer prober from leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL), dedicated to wafer level testing of magnetic devices and operating at high throughput.

Dr Maik Wagner-Reetz, Head of Spintronics activities at Fraunhofer IPMS, emphasizes the importance of this tester: "The acquisition of this automatic tester under magnetic field is complementary to our recent investments in manufacturing and testing equipment for MRAM. Combined with our flexible options for PVD, the Hprobe IBEX tester strengthens the performance of our spintronic developments thanks to its high-speed testing capabilities on 300mm wafers. With this dedicated production and test line, we will be able to significantly expand our future business for our customers in the field of MRAM developments and beyond."

Laurent Lebrun, CEO of Hprobe will lead the German office. Hprobe GmbH, which already has its first employee, will soon hire an application field engineer to work very closely with customers. "We are delighted to be opening the subsidiary Hprobe GmbH, which will enable us to further strengthen our presence in Germany," said Laurent Lebrun. "We will immediately build our business in this important region, providing expanded and enhanced services and support to our customers and prospects in the region. Our first contract with the Fraunhofer IPMS marks an important step in the development of our role in Germany's industry-leading microelectronics market."

Christian Ziach, Investment Manager at High-Tech Grunderfonds (HTGF), a public-private venture capital investment firm based in Germany that invested in the company over the last two years added, "We are happy to see Hprobe established in Germany, enabling it to be close to German customers and our extensive semiconductor industry ecosystem. We maintain close relations with Hprobe, German foundries and magnetic sensors manufacturers for the automotive industry."

Since its debuts, Hprobe has ramped its infrastructure to become a leader in testing of equipment for magnetic devices, including memory devices and magnetic sensors. The company has unique patented technologies of multidimensional magnetic field generators with excellent magnetic field sweep speed and high field intensity. The electrical probing can generate any pattern of 3D magnetic field. At its headquarters in France, Hprobe produces equipment that serves global markets, with sales in Belgium, Taiwan, the U.S., and China.

About Hprobe Founded in March 2017 and based in Grenoble (France), Hprobe is a spin-off company of SPINTEC (one of the leading spintronics research laboratories worldwide). The company designs, manufactures, and markets equipment for wafer-level testing of magnetic devices in the semiconductor industry, which serves consumer, communication, industrial and automotive customers.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005572/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Camille Dufour

International PR Consulting

camille.dufour@hprobe.com

Mobile: +33 (0) 6 79 49 51 43
This is just the first chapter in our journey to save and improve lives by making genomic information actionable. Mark Kiel, MD, PhD. Co-Founder, Genomenon

Genomenon, Inc., an AI-driven genomics company that connects the worlds genomic knowledge with patient DNA, announced that a seminal paper written by its team of scientists has been published in the Computational Genomics section of Frontiers in Genetics. Frontiers in Genetics is an open-access journal that publishes rigorously peer-reviewed research on genes and genomes relating to all domains of life.

The paper, entitled Mastermind: A Comprehensive Genomic Association Search Engine for Empirical Evidence Curation and Genetic Variant Interpretation, demonstrates how this widely used bioinformatic platform has automatically identified and annotated over 6.8 million unique genetic variants across the published genetic evidence, a more than 22-fold increase compared to the largest manually curated alternative. The paper shows how a computationally intelligent approach to building a search engine for genetic evidence has quickly surpassed two decades of manual effort in building static genetic databases.

The study shows how the Mastermind Genomic Search Engine benefits clinical diagnostic laboratories by significantly improving the sensitivity and reproducibility of clinical variant interpretation. Mastermind data is also used to produce comprehensive genomic landscapes of genetic variants, which drive pharmaceutical research.

Key results of the study include an examination of the sensitivity of Mastermind for variant interpretation. Compared to alternate methods in clinically-encountered genetic variants, Mastermind demonstrated a sensitivity of 98.4% compared to 4.4%, 45.6%, and 37.4% for alternatives PubMed, Google Scholar, and ClinVar respectively, and a specificity of 98.5% compared to 45.1%, 57.6%, and 68.8%, as well as an increase in content yield of 22.6-, 2.2-, and 2.6-fold.

Mastermind was shown to have significantly more data than the alternatives. When curated for clinical significance, Mastermind identified more than 4.9-fold more pathogenic genetic variants than ClinVar for representative genes and demonstrated a 4.0- to 43.9-fold increase in references for specific Copy Number Variations (CNVs) compared to PubMed, as well as 5.4-fold more fusion genes when compared with COSMICs curated database. Mastermind also produced an 8.0-fold increase in reference citations for fusion events.

Taken together, the results shown in the study demonstrate the utility and superiority of Mastermind in terms of both sensitivity and specificity of automated results for clinical diagnostic variant interpretation for multiple genetic variant types, and highlight the potential benefit in informing pharmaceutical research.

It is highly rewarding to have the work we have been doing for the past six years be validated in such an unequivocal way said Dr. Mark Kiel, co-founder and chief science officer of Genomenon. This is just the first chapter in our journey to save and improve lives by making genomic information actionable.

Free access to the publication is available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2020.577152/full

About Genomenon

Genomenon is an AI-driven genomics company that organizes the worlds genomic knowledge to connect patient DNA to scientific research in the diagnosis and development of treatments for patients with rare genetic diseases and cancer.

Genomenon was named Global Company of the Year in Clinical Genomics Interpretation by Frost & Sullivan.

For more information, visit Genomenon.com
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The new growing season is almost upon us and with the spring come thoughts of updating the farm tractor.

With the average horsepower of machines sold in 2020 lying in the 100-120hp bracket, the expense of replacement is obviously rising.

When considering a new machine there are many other factors to consider. These include the proximity and service record of the dealer, and the reputation of the brand as well as the personal preferences of the farmer.

Comparison between makes becomes ever more difficult with the growing sophistication of machines and the ever-widening number of options available.

Yet the basic calculation still boils down to the horsepower requirement and the cost of acquiring it.

To provide a starting point when seeking out the optimum choice, the cost per single unit of horse power in this case, may be considered. It is by no means a foolproof gauge, but it does give some indication of value for money.

Unfortunately, not all manufactures are happy to openly publish their prices. For those that do, the price (excluding VAT) of the most basic four-wheel drive model around the 110hp mark provides some chance of meaningful comparison, as shown in the models reviewed here.

Massey Ferguson

Model: Massey Ferguson 5711M

Power: 115hp

Gears: 12+12

RRP: 71,660

Euros per hp: 623

The bright red livery instantly makes the company recognisable as another great survivor of the giants from the heyday of tractor production. Since then, Massey Ferguson has placed itself towards the premium end of the market where it still thrives.

Belarus

Model: Belarus 1025.3

Power: 110hp

Gears: 16+8

RRP: 31,000

Euros per hp: 281.

A product of the Minsk Tractor Works, Belarus offer a very basic specification for a very basic price, although further options are available.

Kubota

Model: Kubota M5111

Power: 110

Gears: 36+36

RRP: 50,749

Euros per hp: 461

Kubota bring an excellent reputation from the construction industry to the agricultural market, yet they suffer a lack of dealers in Ireland despite the attractive price. An unfortunate situation but one they are working to improve on.

Landini

Model: Landini 5-120

Power: 113hp

Gears: 12+12

RRP: 57,335

Euros per hp: 507

The Italian manufacturer with a long pedigree was once considered a little cheap and cheerful over here. They have, though, worked on their quality under the latest ownership and shouldn't be casually dismissed.

McCormick

Model: McCormick X5.55

Power: 113hp

Gears: 12+12

RRP: 57,335

Euros per hp: 507

Unsurprisingly the 113hp McCormack is much the same tractor as its Landini stable mate. However, we can expect the McCormick brand to be associated more with AgriArgo's larger tractors in the future.

John Deere

Model: 5115M

Power: 115hp

Gears: 16+16

RRP: 60,485

Euros per hp: 526

A surprisingly low figure from a manufacturer with a reputation for expense. However, the M series are flagged as entry level, basic utility machines, so the frills are few and far between.

Case

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Model: Case Farmall A 115

Power: 113hp

Gears: 12+12

RRP: 60,791

Euros per hp: 538

Case offer a wide choice in this sector which encompass many specialist models for specific purposes. The Farmall A is the least expensive 'standard' model and carries the name which made the company's fortune.

New Holland

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Model: TD5.115

Power: 114hp

Gears: 12+12

RRP: 62,427

Euros per hp: 547

Despite being a brother to Case IH the parent company, Fiat Industrial, are happy to grant the two manufacturers a reasonable amount of brand autonomy. Of the two, New Holland does command a slight premium over its sibling.

Valtra

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Model: Valtra A114

Power: 110

Gears: 12+12

RRP: 68,832

Euros per hp: 625

Valmet were once considered something of an oddball but a change in name to Valtra, followed by a change in ownership to AGCO, has seen its stock rise in recent years. Now accepted as a main brand it sits with other top-end marques.

SAME

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Model: SAME Explorer 120 HD LS

Power: 116hp

Gears: 10+10

RRP: 76,680

Euros per hp: 661

To dispel any modern day myths that Italian tractors are cheap tractors SAME are up in the same league, cost wise, as its sister company Deutz Fahr. Yet they still enjoy a handful of dedicated dealers in Ireland.

Deutz Fahr

Model: Deutz Fahr 5120G LS

Power: 116hp

Gears: 40+40

RRP: 78,620

Euros per hp: 678

A major tractor brand that has never really gained ground in Ireland, yet they produce perfectly competent machines. Deutz engines are gaining popularity among many other farm machinery manufacturers.

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Model: Generation 3, 211 Vario

Power: 114hp

Gears: Constantly Variable Transmission.

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Never a bargain basement tractor, Fendt sell their machines on build quality, operating economy and the trademark constantly variable transmission. It is a formula that works well on the continent but has yet to gain wide acceptance here.
A man who attempted to carry out a knife attack in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was shot dead on Tuesday, the Israeli occupation army said.

An army statement said there had been an "attempted stabbing attack at Gitai Avisar Junction, south of Nablus" in which the assailant had been "neutralised."

The Palestinian health ministry said the alleged assailant was Palestinian, while an Israeli army spokesman told AFP he had been killed.

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Since the founding of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, member states have regularly agreed on global strategies to bring the increasingly rapid loss of biodiversity to a halt. In 2002, the heads of state adopted the so-called 2010 biodiversity targets. Eight years later, little progress had been made and 20 new, even more ambitious goals were set for the next ten years. Last year, it became clear that this target had been missed, too. The loss of biodiversity continues unabated.

This year, new targets are being negotiated again - this time for 2030. The decisions are to be made at the Conference of the Parties (COP15) in Kunming, China. To ensure that the mistakes from previous years will not be repeated, Chinese researchers led by Prof Haigen Xu from the Nanjing Institute for Environmental Research in cooperation with Prof Henrique Pereira (iDiv, MLU) have presented an analysis of the causes of this failure, focusing primarily on implementation in the individual member states.

Their conclusion: the commitments at UN level were all too seldom transposed into national law. Four of the 20 so-called Aichi Targets are not reflected in any of the implementation plans (NBSAPs) submitted by the governments, including the phasing out of environmentally harmful subsidies. The other targets were formulated strictly enough to meet the requirements of the CBD decisions in only 22 percent of the NBSAPs. In addition, the analysis revealed insufficient financial resources and major gaps in knowledge on how to record and effectively combat biodiversity loss. Implementation of the promised goals in member states was insufficiently monitored, as effective indicators and evaluation mechanisms were lacking in some cases.

"While the CBD has now presented a first post-2020 draft that contains many improvements compared to the last decade's Strategic Plan for Biodiversity," says ecologist and last author Pereira, "the main problems remain: governments are not required to present a clear roadmap on how they will achieve and monitor the targets adopted under the CBD in their own countries."

The authors suggest that the CBD targets should be formulated in such a way that they can be transposed into national law as a mandatory minimum requirement. Similar to the Paris Climate Agreement or the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the CBD targets should be legally binding. Financial resources to promote biodiversity should be significantly increased and new instruments such as payments for ecosystem services and biodiversity-related taxes should be introduced. In addition, interdisciplinary research on the status, trends and drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide should be strengthened and appropriately equipped in order to develop the necessary responses. Further, the CBD should establish a mechanism to verify the compliance of member states with their targets and, if necessary, hold them accountable.

Pereira and several other colleagues at iDiv are actively contributing to biodiversity-related policy processes at various levels, for example, within the framework of the United Nations in the World Biodiversity Council IPBES and the CBD, at EU level in the negotiations of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the EU Biodiversity Strategy, as well as in national, regional and local contexts. These activities are supported by the research centre's good network of collaborators from different disciplines around the world.

Pereira is pleased about this collaboration with his Chinese co-authors as important players in nature conservation from one of the world's most influential nations. "It's inspiring to co-author such an ambitious proposal with colleagues from the host nation of COP15, where the final decisions will be made."

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Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 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: 21.73 meters (71.2 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at 459.72 meters (Drill hole 20TK0278)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/72786_0e7355b894c6e86e_001full.jpg





HIGHLIGHTS

Drill hole 20TK0278 intersected 21.73 meters (71.2 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization, starting at 459.72 meters (see Figure 1). Assays remain pending.

This drill hole sets a new record at the Tamarack Nickel Project , as it represents the longest intersection of mixed massive sulphides at the Tamarack Nickel Project to date.

The drill hole was a 27 meter step out into an area with very limited information (as the area has previously not been explored).

"We are thrilled to report that we have set a new record at the Tamarack Nickel Project - an intercept of 21.73 meters (71.2 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization," said Brian Goldner, Head of Exploration. "Of note, this new drill hole is in an area that to date, has been largely underexplored. The hole will likely have the meaningful impact of extending our western high-grade Massive Sulphide Unit (MSU). This news continues to motivate the entire Talon team and going forward, we plan to continue to follow this new trend of high-grade nickel-copper mineralization towards the south, with the potential to find more nickel-copper mineralization."







Figure 2: Sample from drill hole 20TK0278 showing the loop textures with large pentlandite eyes

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/72786_0e7355b894c6e86e_002full.jpg

SUMMARY

Talon is currently in the midst of a drill program to both: (a) expand the Tamarack Nickel Project's resource area; and (b) bring the Tamarack Nickel Project's resource area into the indicated resource category, as part of the Company's ongoing work towards completing its feasibility studies. Drill hole 20TK0278 was focused on expanding the Tamarack Nickel Project's resource area on the western limb of the high-grade Massive Sulphide Unit ("MSU") (see Figures 3 and 4 for details).

The western limb of the MSU was targeted for drilling, as this area was thought to be open with the last historic drill hole (08TK0083) intersecting 9.15 meters (30 feet) of mineralization grading 7.79% Ni, 3.22% Cu, 0.15% Co, 0.78g/t Pd, 1.38 g/t Pt and 0.32 g/t Au (9.72% NiEq1 or 25.93% CuEq2).

To follow up on drill hole 08TK0083, Talon drilled hole 20TK0276, which resulted in an off-hole Borehole Electro-Magnetic ("BHEM") anomaly (see Figure 3 below).

Drill hole 20TK0278 was a 27 meter step out from drill hole 08TK0083, targeting the BHEM from drill hole 20TK0276, and intersected 21.7 meters (71.2 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at 459.72 meters (assays pending).

The western limb of the MSU continues to be open, and Talon plans to continue drilling towards the south with the goal of further extending the western limb of the MSU.





Figure 3: Plan view of a portion of the Tamarack Nickel Project's resource area showing the location of new drill hole 20TK0278 relative to historical drill holes

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/72786_0e7355b894c6e86e_003full.jpg

____________________

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







Figure 4. Long-section looking east through the middle portion of the Tamarack Nickel Project's resource area showing the location of new drill hole 20TK0278 relative to historical drill holes

To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/72786_0e7355b894c6e86e_004full.jpg

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 information on the QA/QC, analytical and testing procedures at the Tamarack 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.

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, 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 Project. The Tamarack 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 potential and results, and drilling plans; the likelihood that drill hole 20TK0278 will extend the western high-grade MSU; the potential to extend mineralization, including towards the south; the potential to expand the Tamarack Nickel Project's resource area; the potential to bring the Tamarack Nickel Project's resource area into the indicated resource category; and the completion of feasibility studies. 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 1: Collar locations of drill holes referred to in this press release

Tamarack Resource Area HOLEID Easting

(m) Northing

(m) Elevation (masl) Azm Dip End Depth (m) 20TK0278 490708.0 5168541.0 388.0 127.3 -77.2 535.8 20TK0276 490707.9 5168537.2 389.0 132.0 -78.6 534.5 08TK0083 490583.4 5168541.9 390.2 97.8 -67.0 705.0 12TK0158 490849.8 5168417.9 388.3 58.3 -89.2 594.7 14TK0213 490856.5 5168535.4 388.5 216.0 -84.9 618.0

Collar coordinates are UTM Zone 15N, NAD83.

Azimuths and dips are taken from survey record at collar unless otherwise noted

Table 2: Assays of drill holes referred to in this press release

Drill Hole From To Length Results # (m) (m) (m) Ni (%) Cu (%) Co (%) Pd (g/t) Pt (g/t) Au (g/t) NiEq (%) CuEq (%) 08TK0083 498.66 507.81 9.15 7.79 3.22 0.15 0.78 1.38 0.32 9.72 25.93 12TK0158 482.90 495.65 12.75 5.86 2.28 0.13 0.58 1.28 0.40 7.37 19.66 14TK0213 435.66 443.35 7.69 5.09 2.22 0.10 0.47 0.91 0.31 6.42 17.12 14TK0213 455.06 464.71 9.65 7.04 2.43 0.15 0.79 1.20 0.98 8.78 23.43

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: Quick logs of new drill holes referred to in this press release

HOLEID FROM (m) To (m) Length (m) Quick Log 20TK0278 0 27.43 OB 20TK0278 27.43 451.51 FGO/MZNO 20TK0278 451.51 459.72 SED 20TK0278 459.72 481.45 21.73 MMS/MSU 20TK0278 481.45 535.83 CGO 20TK0276 No significant mineralization

OB: Overburden

FGO/MZNO: Fine-Grained Orthocumulate Olivine / Mixed-Zone

SED: Meta-Sedimentary Rocks;

MMS/MSU: Mixed Massive Sulphides / Massive Sulphide Unit

CGO: Coarse-Grained Orthocumulate Olivine

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72786

Following strong criticisms about the secrecy in which Californias stay-at-home orders are decided, the state health department on Monday released previously hidden projections for ICU capacity throughout the state.

The release of the regional projections  the metric that decides when to lift the coronavirus stay-at-home orders  came on the same day that Gov. Gavin Newsom canceled those orders.

Counties now will use the states color-coded Blueprint for a Safer Economy reporting system, under which restrictions will no longer be tied strictly to the number of available intensive care beds in hospitals.

The stay-at-home order was first announced in early December, at the height of the holiday-timed coronavirus surge in California that threatened to overwhelm hospitals.

Under the order, if ICU availability in any of the five regions across the state was forecast to drop below 15%, they would fall under the strict order, which prohibits activities like outdoor dining and personal-care businesses like hair salons.

Data released Monday includes the four-week ICU capacity projections, per capita case rates and transmission rates. The new data does not make clear how state health officials are able to predict ICU capacity in four weeks.

ICU capacities in each of the five California regions  the Bay Area, Greater Sacramento, Northern California, the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California  are expected to rise above 15% in four weeks. The Bay Area is expected to be at 25% ICU capacity, while California as a whole is expected to be at 30.3%.

The Associated Press reported that the state previously didnt release the metrics because health officials said the data are complicated and might mislead the public.

Southern California is expected to see the biggest jump in available ICU beds over the next four weeks  going from no capacity to 33.3% available capacity. Northern California, meanwhile, is expected to drop from 47.9% to 18.9%. State officials did not explain the sharp drop or the increase.

Michael Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: michael.williams@sfchronicle.com
Lauren Wolfe lost her gig with the Times last week following a tweet in which she described herself as 'having chills' seeing Joe Biden's plane land before his inauguration

A New York Times freelance editor who was sacked last week following a tweet in which she described herself as 'having chills' seeing Joe Biden's plane land before his inauguration has claimed the paper took 'a shot at my reputation'.

Lauren Wolfe lost her gig with the Times, where she had started working last May, after a manager contacted her to say that the publication could not be associated with tweet, she told the Washington Post.

According to Wolfe, the tweet was 'the only reason they fired me', as she responded to the paper for claiming otherwise.

A statement from the Times had alleged that her dismissal was not on the basis of the tweet alone, but did not comment any further on the reasons for letting her go.

'There's a lot of inaccurate information circulating on Twitter,' the statement said.

'For privacy reasons we don't get into the details of personnel matters, but we can say that we didn't end someone's employment over a single tweet.

'Out of respect for the individuals involved we don't plan to comment further. (To clarify something that has been incorrectly reported, Ms. Wolfe was not a full-time employee, nor did she have a contract.)'

Right-wing commentators jumped on the tweet, accusing Wolfe of failing to remain impartial

She also tweeted that Trump was 'mortifying' and 'childish' for having refused to send Biden a military place to bring him to D.C. She later deleted that tweet after acknowledging that it was inaccurate, and Biden had made the choice not to take a military plane

Speaking to the Post, Wolfe said that it was hard to see the statement, which appeared to imply that her job performance had played a part in the dismissal when she had received praise from colleagues and was hoping to join the paper's 'live' team on a full-time basis.

She said that the stint on the team as part of the flexible editing desk was a 'dream job'.

'Every day, I was scared I was going to do something wrong,' Wolfe said of the statement.

'So, whatever they're implying, it's a shot at my reputation, which I worked very carefully to build.'

The controversy erupted on January 19 after Wolfe tweeted, 'Biden landing at Joint Base Andrews now. I have chills,' on the day before the inauguration.

Wolfe herself has defended her colleagues, saying her disappointment is directed only at those who made the statement from the New York Times, pictured above

She also tweeted that Trump was 'mortifying' and 'childish' for having refused to send Biden a military place to bring him to D.C.

She later deleted that tweet after acknowledging that it was inaccurate, and Biden had made the choice not to take a military plane.

The tweet drew the attention of right-wing commentators who criticized her for failing to remain impartial.

The New York Times has a social media policy for its journalism and editorial staff that requires them to remain impartial in their posting online.

'If our journalists are perceived as biased or if they engage in editorializing on social media, that can undercut the credibility of the entire newsroom,' its policy states.

'We've always made clear that newsroom employees should avoid posting anything on social media that damages our reputation for neutrality and fairness.'

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. 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, it was found that the paper had failed to corroborate the sensationalist claims made by Canadian Shehroze Chaudhry, 25, and that the podcast team was duped by his fake story of working as an ISIS executioner. 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. Advertisement

Wolfe told the Post that this is not the first time the Times had spoken to her about her social media posts.

The same manager had contacted her about a tweet in which she connected the refusal by some conservative men to wear masks to 'toxic masculinity'.

According to Vanity Fair, other staffers had expressed discomfort that some of Wolfe's tweets verged on political.

The manager said that her tweets were 'borderline', and that other Times staff were guilty of 'worse'.

After the tweet last week, Vanity Fair reports that Wolfe had resulted in the Times being in the headlines and she was told 'we can't have that'.

After news of her dismissal spread, many rushed to her defense, calling out the paper for making such a harsh decision, apparently over one tweet.

They accused its leaders of giving into pressure from conservatives.

'Tweet at the @nytimes and tell them to #rehireLauren,' wrote actress and activist Alyssa Milano.

However, Wolfe herself has defended her colleagues, saying her disappointment is directed only at those who made the statement.

'The people I'm mad at are the people who put out the statement,' Wolfe said.

'I respected tremendously the people I worked with. I respected them to the end of the earth and still do. They were the end-all, the be-all.'

She has followed this with similar statements on Twitter in which she has urged people not to end their Times subscriptions.

'Please don't cancel your subscriptions to @nytimes! It is an incredible paper filled with talented journalists. We need them and we need a thriving free press. Thank you!' she wrote on Monday.

She followed it with a second tweet again urging readers to remain with the paper.

'Hi all. I truly appreciate everyone's support, but I need to ask you a favor: PLEASE don't unsubscribe from @nytimes,' she wrote.

'I have loved this paper and its mission my whole life. Their journalism is some of the most important & best in the world, & they need to be read widely.'

'All I ever wanted to do was write. Not be written about,' she added Tuesday.

It comes after a string of scandals for the Times in the past year, including its admission that it was duped by a fake terrorist in the creation of its hit podcast Caliphate.

The Times acknowledged in December 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 it was in further hot water earlier this month after a group of 20 influential public radio stations condemned the 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.

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.

And it follows on from the scandal after New York Times' opinion editor, James Bennet, resigned after a controversial op-ed from Senator Tom Cotton in June.

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.
Opinion Article

26 January 2021

Relevant insights into the future role of VR as a practical teaching tool. A growing trend prior to COVID-19, Virtual Reality technology is now becoming a very possible means of reshaping the future of education.

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Pre-pandemic

In a previous article, I discussed the pedagogical opportunities created by the development of virtual reality (VR) resources. With the tech giants leading the charge and next gen's insatiable appetite for such technology, the future was already looking pretty bright for VR-driven educational solutions. Many arguments (e.g., more experience-based teaching, greater immersion available to more students, performance monitoring and adapting teaching in real-time to student behavior) led me to believe that VR could help shape the future of education.

In January 2020, the World Health Organization announced a startlingly Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). In response, governments around the world imposed lockdown measures, of varying stringency, then companies and schools closed their doors. In the end, education programs had to adapt - some more successful than other - to Covid-19 and our new reality. This has affected all - or nearly all - education programs.

The new health-related restrictions drastically changed the way we teach. Overnight, blended or Hyflex learning solutions went from the drawing board to the (virtual) classroom, as the sole viable option for institutions to maintain an adequate level of teaching quality amid the pandemic.

A way forward for practical courses

While these solutions had already proven effective for theory-based courses, it was far less clear if they would work for practical classes. It stands to reason that a corporate strategy or a marketing class could easily shift to an online forum but how were universities going to offer an operational teaching experience over the Internet? How could an instructor teach a student how to 'box corner' a tablecloth or resolve a technical problem without interacting with them face-to-face?

To rise to this new challenge, virtual reality quickly emerged as the most viable option. By enabling students to integrate a virtual world, the technology helps students to develop practical and interpersonal skills in situations that mimic reality or even different realities. VR tools allow students to enter actual work situations so they can practice what they've learned. Given the immersive aspect of VR amid an 'almost real' environment, the instructor (and in fact the students themselves) can evaluate their knowledge of the concepts as well as whether they've actually acquired that knowledge. VR's flexibility means that stressful, demanding and surprising situations can be simulated, which of course reflects a real-life working environment.

Unlimited adaptation

Herein lies the advantage of these new pedagogical tools: adaption. Scenarios can be changed limitlessly and the tool can be tailored to the individual needs of the student. A professor can't completely adapt the pace of the course for each and every student without leaving the others in the lurch; however, VR enables students to go back and repeat an activity until it's fully locked in without slowing the class down or embarrassing the student in front of fellow students. Lastly, the current immersion programs allow users to quickly forget that the situation is not actually real, as users' bearings can be adapted to plunge them into a physical context that it is completely unlike their real one.

A few schools, including the Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne, had bet on immersion and virtual reality before the pandemic. All courses had to adapt to the Covid-19 crisis. All of them? Almost. In fact, courses that had already incorporated VR tools proved to be much more resilient. Despite the pandemic, virtual reality tools remained accessible in the same way, making it possible to learn normally even if the context wasn't normal at all.

The virtual has never felt more real

Just yesterday, VR seemed like science fiction; today it has become part of reality. Travel has ground to a halt, Zoom and Teams have become crucial to the development of companies and organizations, and the virtual has never felt more real. Let's be clear however, education may have adapted to

Covid-related restrictions but the corporate world is still in desperate need of trained employees that can hit the ground running.

Of course, there are fewer internships out there for students, but the needs of the world of work have not dried up by any means. The challenge facing the academic realm is sizeable, and the strategic choices in terms of pedagogy will help or hinder colleges and universities rise to that challenge. Where there are challenges, however, there are opportunities for developing and implementing new methods that are more resilient and pedagogical.

Whether, or to what extent, virtual reality will be part of the future of education is an open question. Hopefully, social distancing rules will eventually be loosened, allowing more traditional ways of teaching to return. Yet it seems plausible that the acceleration of the development of digital resources for teaching purposes has already ushered in a sea change for education systems. Given this, VR could increasingly be integrated in the coming years and pave the way for new types of training programs. To do so, schools will need to be convinced of the real advantage of these tools, which will undoubtedly include lower costs and better results. Only by demonstrating this added value will they prove their effectiveness as a learning tool.
Republicans Push Yellen to Be Tough on CCP

Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Jan. 25 pushed Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen to be forceful when dealing with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and use economic tools to challenge and decouple from the regime.

The four senators sent a letter (pdf) to Yellen shortly after the Senate voted 84-15 to confirm her as President Joe Bidens treasury secretary.

As a key advisor to President Biden on national security issues that involve the most powerful and sophisticated tools of economic statecraft, it is critical that you demonstrate to Congress that your decisions will be informed by a clear-eyed view of the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to the United States, the letter states.

As a key advisor to President Biden on national security issues that involve the most powerful and sophisticated tools of economic statecraft, it is critical that you demonstrate to Congress that your decisions will be informed by a clear-eyed view of the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to the United States.

In her opening statement at the confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, Yellen did not mention China or the CCP. When Democrats and Republicans questioned her about the issue, Yellen called China our most important strategic competitor.

We need to take on Chinas abusive unfair and illegal practices, Yellen said. China is undercutting American companies by dumping products, erecting trade barriers and giving illegal subsidies to corporations. Its been stealing intellectual property and engaging in practices that give it an unfair technological advantage like forced technology transfers.

Sasse asked Yellen if she regards the Chinese Communist Party as an existential threat to the United States.

I regard China as our most important strategic competitor and feel its necessary to devise an administration-wide and multifaceted approach to address the threats that China causes and certainly we need to target illicit activities linked to theft of intellectual property and trade secrets, illegal efforts to acquire critical technologies and sensitive U.S. data and fentanyl traffic, among other things, Yellen said.

Sasse then asked Yellen if she agrees that CCP Chairman Xi Jinping and his regime are guilty of genocide in Xinjiang. On the day prior to the inauguration, the Trump administration accused the CCP of committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in Xinjiang.

I think its guilty of horrendous human rights abuses, Yellen said.

I think it is important for us to recognize what has been happening in Xinjiang as a genocide, Sasse said. Chairman Xis regime is evil and they are raping and torturing Uyghur women.
The CEO of MyPillow, Mike Lindell, has been banned from Twitter because of repeated violations of its civic integrity policy.

Lindell has continued to falsely claim that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election.

Last week Lindell had said that several major retailers including Kohls, Bed Bath & Beyond and Wayfair told him they would no longer carry his products.

According to the Associated Press, Twitters policy was implemented last September and is targeted at fighting disinformation.

Lindell also is facing potential legal action from Dominion Voting Systems for claiming that their voting machines played a role in alleged election fraud.

According to the Associated Press, Following the storming of the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, Twitter has banned over 70,000 accounts for sharing misinformation. Trump, who had urged on the mob, has also had his account permanently suspended.

READ MORE
"Wonder Woman 1984," starring Gal Gadot, is not likely to be confused with this season's other films about women. But some of the others might need clarifying. (Clay Enos / Warner Bros. Pictures / DC Comics)

This awards season is shaping up as a veritable Year of the Woman. But amid the beautiful bounty of films boasting women front-row center  on either side of the camera  could a few similarly titled movies be causing confusion for both viewers and awards voters?

Sure, with almost 80 years of branding behind its beloved titular character, Wonder Woman 1984  brought to us by writer-director-producer Patty Jenkins and producer-star Gal Gadot  is probably not being confused with other, smaller releases. But consider the confusion that Im Your Woman, Pieces of a Woman and Promising Young Woman could bring. These films could surely benefit from some demarcation and, always here to help, The Envelope breaks it down.

Marsha Stephanie Blake and Rachel Brosnahan in "I'm Your Woman" (Wilson Webb / Amazon Studios)

Im Your Woman

Most of the classic 1970s crime movies were still talking about today are about, written by and directed by white men, writer-director Julia Hart says via Zoom from the Los Angeles home she shares with husband, co-writer and producer Jordan Horowitz, and their two children. There are some Black characters and people of color in those films, but much like the women, theyre pushed out and not given much depth.

In crafting their hommage to the genre, Hart and Horowitz wanted to run in the opposite direction. So, in this Amazon Studios original, its the felonious fellow who drops out of sight, while his wife, Jean (Rachel Brosnahan), forges her way to freshly discovered strength and freedom  with illicitly acquired but treasured baby in tow. Oh, and her new chosen family is African American.

According to Horowitz, the streaming model is particularly welcoming to diverse subject matters and filmmakers. We can all probably agree that white men have been spoken to directly for the past hundred years, he says. Its the depth of content that can speak to marginalized groups that helps grow the subscriber base.

Women are finally being given the opportunity to tell the stories theyve been wanting to tell, echoes Hart of this embarrassingly belated moment, adding she believes the more movies with woman in the title, the merrier. It means those movies are probably about women, and more movies about women is always a good thing.

Story continues

Vanessa Kirby as Martha in a scene from "Pieces of a Woman." (Benjamin Loeb / Netflix)

Pieces of a Woman

A miscarriage endured by Hungarian filmmaking couple Kata Weber and Kornel Mundruczo was the springboard for their haunting fictional drama, in which Vanessa Kirbys Martha clashes with her mother and partner while gathering up the shards of her existence following the loss of a child.

In real life, the pair found themselves unable to speak to each other about their joint tragedy, so Weber took to her journal, penning fragments of dialogue between a mother and daughter, above which she scribbled a possible title. When Mundruczo glimpsed those stirring words, he urged his wife to expand the passage into a play the duo had been commissioned to create for a Polish theater company. She wrote. He directed. The kudos the show received convinced them to share the story with a wider audience via its cinematic adaptation.

Theres definitely something in the air, Weber says over a video call from Budapest, where she lives with Mundruczo and their young daughter. Shes speaking of the sharp focus on female stories this year, as well as of the intense need those suffering miscarriages have to break their silence. I got a letter from Buenos Aires in which a woman shared experiences that happened to her 43 years ago. She thanked me, telling me our movie helped her talk about it.

Thats exactly what we wanted to express through Martha, adds Mundruczo. If you can overcome your grief, you can become a stronger person.

Utter newcomers to awards season, the two are still pinching themselves, extremely thankful for the healing Netflixs global reach has afforded them and countless strangers. Its been an amazing, amazing journey, Mundruczo concludes, because it came from a very personal place.

Carey Mulligan in "Promising Young Woman." (Focus Features)

Promising Young Woman"

As is customary for actor-writer-director-producer Emerald Fennell, an entire script sprang from a single scene popping into her head: Splayed on a bed, a seemingly inebriated young woman is being undressed by her predatory one-night stand. She repeatedly slurs, What are you doing? before shooting up  stone-cold sober  and repeating the question, steel in her voice. Pitching her dark romantic comedy-revenge thriller confection to producer Margot Robbie with that one small seed, Fennell sold it on the spot. Carey Mulligan stars in the Focus Features release.

Although the multi-hyphenate is pleased that her voice  and those of her much-admired filmmaker sisters  is finally being heard, she cant help but mourn missed opportunities. These movies by women are brilliant by any standard, she says, calling from London, where she lives with her toddler and husband. Its not like these women  and Im really talking about other people rather than of myself, here  have suddenly just arrived. Its that nobodys worked hard enough to let them speak. Its the same for all manner of people. Whats so sad [about this historical lack of diversity] is just how much has been lost over, I mean, centuries, but certainly over decades of the movie business. How many masterpieces just didnt get made?

Fennell sees an exciting evolution in the fact that so many recent films actually have the feminine baked into their title. Im sure that, even a couple of years ago, putting the word woman in a title  unless it was, you know, The Woman at the Bottom of a Well  people wouldnt really have been that interested, she says, noting that she gets how puzzling the resemblance in titles may be. But at the same time, hopefully, it will encourage people to watch all of them.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Germany is considering almost completely halting flights into the country to slow the spread of more infectious strains of the coronavirus, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Tuesday.

"The danger from the numerous virus mutations forces us to consider drastic measures," Seehofer told the Bild newspaper.

"That includes significantly stricter border checks, especially at the borders of high-risk areas, but also reducing air travel to Germany to almost zero, as Israel is currently doing," he added.

The emergence of new virus variants in Britain and South Africa, deemed more infectious than the original strain, has fuelled concern at a time when many nations are struggling to rein in the pandemic.

A slower than expected rollout of vaccines had added to the worries.

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

Although Germany coped relatively well with the first coronavirus wave last spring, it has been hit hard by a second wave in recent months.

The country renewed restrictions in November, shutting down bars, restaurants, culture and leisure facilities. Measures were tightened further in December, with schools and non-essential shops also ordered to close.

The current shutdowns are set to last until mid-February at least.

Travellers arriving in Germany from countries where the new variants have been detected are currently required to provide a recent negative test upon arrival, which has led to long queues at the German-Czech border.

"The people in Germany who accept the tough restrictions expect us to protect them as best we can from an explosion in infection numbers," Seehofer told Bild.

Germany has recorded over two million COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic and more than 52,000 deaths.

Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here
RTHK reports hurt Hong Kong, says police group chief

The chairman of the Junior Police Officers' Association says RTHK should work with the government to disseminate positive information rather than 'hurting Hong Kong'. Photo: Reuters

Timmy Sung reports

The head of the territory's biggest police association on Tuesday lashed out at RTHK for what he said was misleading coverage of last weekend's lockdown in Jordan, accusing the public broadcaster of harming the territory.



Pro-Beijing figures had already criticised the station over a report which said a journalist caught up in the lockdown while staying at a hostel was not given a can opener or cooking implements in order to make use of a government food package.



Photos from residents in the area showed that at least some of the tins had ring pulls and didn't require a can opener.



On Tuesday, the chairman of the Junior Police Officers' Association, Lam Chi-wai, joined the criticism, saying RTHK has embarked on a political smearing campaign and has "hurt Hong Kong" by suggesting the government's arrangements had not been good enough.



"After all, it was the residents in the district that the government primarily had to take care of. Their homes should have can openers and cooking tools. The government's emergency support was sufficient and considerate. The reporter was making a fuss," Lam said.



In an open letter to members, he wrote that the police had also been subjected to unfair criticism during the social unrest in 2019, which he referred to as "black violence".



"It makes me recall during the 'black violence', individual media used similar sensational reporting to smear the police's operation," Lam said.



He said a publicly funded broadcaster should work with the government to disseminate positive and accurate anti-epidemic information, adding that "hurting Hong Kong" should never be the work or objective of such organisations.



Former chief executive CY Leung also weighed into the row, uploading on his Facebook page an upside down picture containing the Chinese and English names of RTHK, in an apparent bid to mock the broadcaster.



On Monday, RTHK issued a statement "severely condemning" what it said was a smear campaign against the station, insisting it only reports the facts.



Meanwhile, the official government Facebook page, Tamar Talk, confirmed that 20 percent of the canned foods distributed to residents in Jordan were without ring pulls and therefore required a tin opener.



In a statement, the Hong Kong Journalists Association says attacks on the public broadcaster are irresponsible and ignore the facts. It called on people to stop what it called "political smearing", saying any malicious attacks will hurt freedoms of the press and speech.
FEMAs plan would need to be approved by the White House budget office. After Mr. Bidens win, members of his transition team said they saw the new funding as a way for the incoming administration to make good on its promise to address climate change.

A spokesman for the White House, Vedant Patel, did not respond to requests for comment.

The proposal marks an effort by the Biden administration to address what experts call climate adaptation  an area of climate policy thats different from reducing greenhouse gas emissions and focuses on better protecting people, homes and communities from the consequences of a warming planet. Those include more frequent and severe storms, flooding and wildfires, as well as rising seas.

The United States has a mixed record on that front.

In many coastal states, home construction is increasing the fastest in the most flood-prone areas, including places that could soon be underwater. And despite strong public support for tougher building codes in high-risk areas, just one-third of local jurisdictions have adopted disaster-resistant provisions in their building codes.

Faced with rapidly escalating disaster costs, the Trump administration took some steps to make communities more resilient to the effects of climate change, even if it refrained from using that term. FEMA and other agencies increased their focus on getting people to move away from vulnerable areas, rather than always paying them to rebuild in place. And the agency urged Congress to create the BRIC program to help cities and states increase their preparedness before a disaster, rather than after.

But federal officials were also hamstrung by Mr. Trumps insistence that climate change was overblown.

In 2018, when FEMA issued its four-year strategic plan for dealing with disasters, the words climate change were nowhere to be found. Faced with year after year of record wildfires in California, Mr. Trump said the problem was too many leaves on the forest floor. Told that rising temperatures were exacerbating the problem, Mr. Trump responded: Itll start getting cooler. You just  you just watch.



Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held a high-level meeting to discuss the prevailing law and order situation caused due to the chaotic protests by farmers in Delhi. He has directed 15 paramilitary force companies to be deployed in the national capital. He has been apprised of violent acts and situations from various parts of the national capital. Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day on Tuesday. While farmer leaders, who have been spearheading the two-month protest at the national capitals border points to demand a repeal of the farm laws, disowned the protesters, one young man was seen hoisting a yellow triangular flag at the flagpole  the centrepiece of the countrys Independence Day celebrations.




The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has published an extensive report detailing the overcrowded and torturous conditions inside the countrys prison system. It is based on investigations conducted between April and September 2018 at 20 of the islands 23 prisonstwo years before COVID-19 began infecting prisoners.

The 850-page study was released in late December. A few weeks earlier on November 29, 11 inmates were shot dead and dozens of others injured at Mahara prison when guards and police brutally suppressed a protest at the facility.

Prison study by Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka

The prisoners were demanding protection from COVID-19, improved living conditions and the release of all bailed inmates. Those who ordered the shootings are scot-free. Sixty of the protesting inmates, however, have been charged with creating unrest.

While the HRCSL report has been compiled to appeal for prison reform, the study is a damning indictment of successive Sri Lankan governments. The HRCSL, however, is a toothless entity with no real power. None of its recommendations are binding on the government.

Sri Lankas prison capacity is supposed to be 11,762 but last month the country had almost triple that number, with over 33,470 people incarcerated.

The HRCSL observed that most of the prisoners are from the countrys poorest layers. Poverty was a factor that intersected across all age, ethnic and religious groups of prisoners, it stated. Prisoners often cited their lack of financial stability and poverty as reasons they initially became involved in criminal activities.

Male prisoners, most of whom are their familys primary income earner, told the HRCSL that their families faced multiple hardships.

Many inmates were in remand prison because they could not afford to pay for legal services. Others remained in the overcrowded jails because they were unable to raise bail or pay their fines.

The study revealed how social inequality is played out inside the jails. Prisoners of a higher social standing, however, are treated with respect and are even able to access special facilities and privileges not available to other inmates, the report said. They could get privileged accommodation, food and medical facilities. The rich would bribe prison officers and get what they want.

Relatives of Mahara prison victims demanding information about their family members from STF soldiers (Credit: Shehan Gunasekara)

Although not mentioned by the HRCSL, there are numerous reports about wealthy inmates and some jailed politicians even having air-conditioners and televisions in their rooms. The same individuals can secure admission to the prison hospital or to paying wards at major hospitals.

Angrily commenting on the hell-hole accommodation, one remand prisoner said: We need to change this place that smells like death, that smells like a graveyard. We must change this.

Cells are small and overcrowded, with inadequate ventilation, lighting and extreme temperatures and often amounted to inhumane living conditions, the report added. Many older prisons are in such a dilapidated state, with crumbling roofs and walls, that they pose a life-threatening real danger in the event of a natural disaster or calamity. Bed bugs, cockroaches and mosquitoes are rampant.

The facilities are so overcrowded, the reports noted, that many new remanded prisoners stand all night-long because they do not have space to sleep, or are forced to sleep near or inside the toilet. These conditions, the report added, are conducive to the spread of illnesses among prisoners.

The report noted that that food situation is dangerously substandard and unhealthy. One convicted prisoner said: They dont give us proper food here. The rice is not cooked properly and they cook rotten vegetables. They are trying to kill us by making us sick. They are treating us like this because we are prisoners but we have already been punished by the courts, and these officers are here for our protection.

I dont think even cats and dogs would eat the food they give us. Its like water; there is no taste in that food. Even if they gave a small quantity, if it was a bit tasty, we could eat it These people treat us like slaves.

Many inmates said they were afraid to complain because they feared being transferred to even worse facilities.

Sanitary conditions are inhumane with inadequate and inconsistent access to water and cleaning facilities. There are no flushing toilets, the report stated, and prisoners complained that they have to use their limited water supply to sluice away excrement after using the toilets.

Prisons in rural areas had no piped water supplies, with some facilities getting water directly from natural sources that would become muddy or contaminated, or taste briny or brackish.

Inmates are provided with buckets for usage of water. In some instances, they use the same bucket to collect water, food and for urinating.

An inmate at Welikada prison said: If we want to pass faecal matter at night, we do it into a shopping bag and tie it. Then, we keep it in a corner of the room. In the morning, we throw it into the toilet. We wash the urine bucket. We have to bear the bad smell overnight. In the early days, when I came here, there were eleven people in my room.

Prison hospitals lack a proper medical infrastructure, and specialised medical facilities have few nurses, thereby limiting the options for treatment. Doctors are only available at certain times of the day and generally not at night, which means multiple prisoners have succumbed to their illnesses, the report stated.

While there are lower numbers of female prisoners, they face many problems, including lack of access to sanitary napkins. Remanded women inmates rely on family members to bring these and other necessities. Convicted women and foreign nationals are only able to obtain these basic requirements by doing washing or other work inside the prison.

Women are allowed to keep their children under five inside prison. But as the report stated, these children do not receive the facilities they require for healthy growth and development, such as access to suitable and nutritious food, to preschool books.

Foreign nationals incarcerated in the prison system generally experience even worse conditions than their local counterparts because of language and cultural barriers. They have no access to basic provisions and toiletries, and are reliant on local inmates to obtain these and other necessities.

Many prisoners said they suffered racial and religious discrimination. The report noted that prisoners jailed under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) are usually called LTTE prisoners, a reference to the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

These inmates have no constitutional rights or legal entitlements guaranteed under international human rights laws. These prisoners, the report stated, suffer discrimination and feel they are at a continued risk of harassment or abuse by fellow prisoners, and even prisoners officers.

There are still almost 200 Tamil prisoners having been arrested as LTTE suspects. Only a few have been convicted. Others have been in remand for up to 20 years without ever having been served indictments.

Although the report does not mention it, police can legally use confessions, even obtained from torture, as evidence against prisoners. Their families have protested to demand release of these suspects, but in vain.

Some prison officers told the HRCSL they have called on the government for funds to improve the prison infrastructure but any amounts provided were completely inadequate.

Following last years Mahara prison protest, around 12,000 inmates on minor charges were released. President Gotabhaya Rajapakse, however, appointed a task force to recommend an expansion of the prison system, including larger numbers of high security cells.

The president also directed the Commissioner General of Prisons to recruit 500 former military personnel who had completed 12-years service to a special prison unit. Its task will be the protection of high-profile prisoners and to combat riots inside prisons. It will be linked to Sri Lankas intelligence service.
If Trump gets off, impeachment process is useless

To the Editor:

Even before the impeachment Trial of former President Donald Trump has begun, the verdict has already been predetermined by the majority of the Republican senators. Even as evidence is presented to the senators of the videos of Trump fueling the fires of the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol building, the audiotapes of Trump to the Republican governor of Georgia to find 11,780 votes to overturn the election, and the personal stories of mob attackers who thought it was their patriotic duty to take their government back because Trump told them to show force, not weakness. All of this will not matter in rendering a decision that will convict the ex-president. The vote will be short of the 67 needed to convict.

What is happening now is conservative voices are warning Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell against doing anything against Trump in the impeachment trial. Who are these voices? They are the ones who need Trumps base to stay in power. There are still seven to 10 who still voice the election was stolen. There are many others who will follow. They support the big lie. They know it it is a lie but do not want to rile the base that placed Trump in power. Add to this Fox News commentators Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson, who spew daily comments that impeachment will divide Republican office holders, infuriate the base and make future elections of Republicans more difficult. Rush Limbaugh, the conservative talk radio commentator, has seized this moment to tell Republican senators to kill off the anti-Trump movement.

The moment of truth and conscience will arrive and be very public. Will enough Republican senators follow their oath to the Constitution to uphold the laws of the country against all enemies both external and internal, or pledge their loyalty to a failed and defeated former President?

America is watching. The evidence is overwhelming. Americans have seen it with their own eyes and heard it with their own ears. If this evidence does not convict then the impeachment process is useless. Country comes first not party loyalty.

James Sgroi

Camillus

Anarchist protesters are the domestic terrorists

To the Editor:

Maybe, just maybe, people who dismissed rioters in Portland and Seattle as peaceful protesters will face reality. Now that these protesters are condemning Joe Biden and refusing to accept him as president, everyone will have to admit that these protesters are true anarchists and need to be condemned!

Remember Seattles Autonomous Zone? That represented true anarchy, and we should have known then what these people are: domestic terrorists.

Mitch Pezdek

Ilion

Oath-breakers shouldnt vote at impeachment trial

To the Editor:

How is it that the eight senators who effectively broke the sacred oath they took to defend the Constitution by contesting the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, which was their Constitutional duty, and further by declaring the results of the 2020 Presidential election at fraudulent in states they did not even represent, will now be allowed to adjudicate the guilt or innocence of the very individual whose lies they were complicit in spreading? Im no legal eagle, but isnt that tantamount to suborning perjury? If that is so, these senators should in no way be allowed to cast a vote in the upcoming impeachment trial. I really believe that each of these individuals should be expelled from the Congress. In lieu of that, however, should they, at the very least, be recused from casting a vote or even participating in the proceedings? Would that not also reduce the super majority required to convict this man by at least six votes?

John Horsington

Syracuse

Perpetual enemies of Trump seize their chance

To the Editor:

I find it astonishing that former President Donald Trump has been accused, tried, convicted and punished for alleged insurrection against the United States by the media (news and social), politicians (including Rep. John Katko, for whom I regrettably voted ) and the Silicon Valley tech giants. Is this the new America that has spawned by the one-party rule of government we are about to experience? We recently celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. who fought for the civil liberties of all Americans, yet the president is being deprived of all of his.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose political power is unchecked by anyone, which makes her the most dangerous person in government, managed to scrape up enough votes in the House (again including John Katko) to pass an impeachment resolution, and soon it will be Chuck Schumers job to scrape up enough Senate votes to convict him. I wonder if then Donald Trump will even be allowed to defend himself in that Democrat-run forum?

Jan. 6 was truly a day of infamy for our country when a bunch of renegade demonstrators stormed the Capitol to upset the workings of our government. But that does not justify the reactions we see by the perpetual enemies of Trump that do not conform with the rule of law and civility that are hallmarks of America. Two wrongs do not make a right.

Richard Abbott

Fulton

Write to us: How to submit letters and commentary to Syracuse.com

WASHINGTON - For weeks President Joe Biden has emphasized that his goal for rolling out the coronavirus vaccine was an easy-to-remember 1 million shots a day, or 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days. On Monday, he suggested a much faster clip, saying he could envision 1.5 million vaccinations per day.

"I think with the grace of God . . . we'll be able to get that to 1.5 million a day," Biden told reporters.

A million a day is his minimum goal, Biden said, but "I hope we'll be able to increase as we go along so we'll get to 1.5 million. That's my hope."

The recalibration reflects the reality that the country is already close to the million-a-day pace, using procedures put in place by the Trump administration. Over the past few days, Biden's nascent administration has faced criticism for setting an artificially low goal - though when it first made the pledge, circumstances were different and it seemed potentially hard to meet.

Overall, Biden on Monday projected a relatively optimistic timeline while acknowledging that the death toll from the pandemic could reach 660,000. By spring, he said, everyone who wants a vaccine should be able to get one.

"It's going to be a logistical challenge that exceeds anything we've ever tried in this country, but I think we can do that," he said. "I feel confident that by summer we're going to be well on our way to heading toward herd immunity. I feel good about where we're going, and I think we can get it done."

Curbing the virus, and improving distribution of the vaccine, was a cornerstone of Biden's presidential campaign, while President Donald Trump's mishandling of the pandemic was a major reason for his election loss. Democrats hammered the idea that Trump, who contracted the coronavirus, had not been able to keep himself safe, let alone other Americans.

Now, Biden's aides say his ability to deliver on the promise of containing the pandemic will be critical to his success and the only way to revive the struggling economy. Since taking office last week, Biden has sought to find a balance between promising that the virus can be vanquished and warning that dark days lie ahead.

Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford

His Monday comments came during the first formal question-and-answer session of his presidency with reporters. Because of pandemic restrictions few journalists, including one from The Washington Post, were allowed in the room with him. And rather than taking questions in the White House itself, the event took place in an auditorium in the adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Biden also sought to define what he means by urging "unity," a longtime slogan that has come under growing scrutiny since he's taken office. Republicans say it must include more concessions on Biden's part, while Democrats question the notion of unifying with those who they say attacked democracy.

The president sought to provide a somewhat nuanced definition, describing a need to "eliminate the vitriol" in political discourse and suggesting that unity means respectful debate, not total agreement.

"We're going to argue like hell - believe me, I know that," Biden said. "But I think we can do it in a way that benefits the American people."

For now, much of the political debate surrounds the pandemic and how best to address it and soften its economic consequences. Last week, as Biden was settling into the White House, critics said he was underpromising on his vaccination schedule, perhaps to make it easier to declare victory later.

Even with vaccine shortages and bottlenecks in delivery, the pace needed to meet the Biden's goal - 1 million doses administered per day - was achieved Friday and on four other days of the previous eight, according to Washington Post data. The accelerating speed of the program also arguably undercut assertions by some Biden advisers that they were left no plan at all by the Trump administration.

When reporters noted this disparity last week, Biden pushed back, noting that when he first announced the million-a-day goal some experts said it was unrealistic. "When I announced it, you all said it's not possible," Biden said. "Come on, give me a break, man. It's a good start."

Scientists are studying the virus's herd immunity threshold for humans - that is, the percentage of the population that needs to be immune for the spread of the virus to slow and eventually stop. Estimates range from about 40% to 80% of the population.

Biden noted that over the weekend he'd directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with some aspects of vaccine distribution in West Virginia. The new administration has promised to stand up 100 FEMA centers across the country where vaccinations will be available.

Separately, Biden said he will extend a ban on travelers from Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland and 26 other European countries that had been set to expire Tuesday under a proclamation signed by Trump shortly before he left office.

And he plans to impose new restrictions on those coming from countries where a new variant of the virus is spreading. He added travelers from South Africa to the list of those barred from entering the United States, a change set to take effect Saturday.

"With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants spreading, this isn't the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said during a news briefing Monday. She said the decision was part of the administration's "science-driven response" to the coronavirus.

The administration is also taking steps to require travelers to quarantine after their arrival in the United States and to be tested a second time. Details on how those measures will be implemented are expected in the coming days.

In an interview on "CBS This Morning," Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious-disease expert, said extending the ban and including South Africa "clearly will be helpful." He said it is prudent to restrict travel of non-U. S. citizens.

"We have concern about the mutation that's in South Africa," Fauci said. "It is clearly different and more ominous than the one in the U.K."

Biden brushed aside predictions that his proposed $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package would be torpedoed by Republican objections, saying it is too early in the process to tell whether the two sides can come together.

He said it will take several more weeks to determine whether Democrats will resort to a parliamentary process called reconciliation, which allows bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority instead of 60 votes.

"No one wants to give up on their position until there is no alternative," Biden said. "I think we're far from that point right now. The decision on reconciliation will depend on how this negotiation goes."

In his early days, the president has been seeking to convey two ideas that may be difficult to reconcile - that his administration is wholly focused on the pandemic and throwing every resource at it, and also that it will take a long time to defeat it.

"I'm going to shut down the virus, but I never said I'd do it in two months," Biden said Monday. "It took a long time to get here. It's going take a long time to beat it."

He noted that Monday deaths from covid-19, the illness that can be caused by the novel coronavirus, have ticked down in the past few days. Still, he said he believes the country will see as many as 660,000 deaths "before we begin to turn the corner in a major way."

"We will still be talking about this into the summer," Biden said. "We're still going to be dealing with this issue in the early fall."

As he frequently does, Biden also took the opportunity to remind Americans to wear masks. He has requested that masks be worn for his first 100 days in office and ordered that everyone on federal land and federally controlled property be required to wear them.

- - -

The Washington Post's Lori Aratani contributed to this report.
A group of illegal aliens is apprehended by Border Patrol after crossing from Mexico into Yuma, Ariz., on April 12, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Biden Promptly Dismantles Trumps Border Security Measures

WASHINGTONThe Biden administration has been swift to bring its immigration and border security pledges to fruition in the White House.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a Jan. 21 briefing, Immigration, we consider, is part of racial equitywhich is a broad issue, but thats how the president has spoken about that crisis over the past several months.

Psaki said President Joe Biden is focused on addressing four crises, including the pandemic, unemployment resulting from lockdowns, the climate, and racial equity.

On day one, the administration signed executive orders and issued memos to temporarily suspend deportations of illegal aliens, reverse former President Donald Trumps ban on travel from terror-prone countries, halt border wall construction, stop adding people to the Remain in Mexico program, preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and release a sweeping immigration package to Congress that includes amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants.

Bidens actions took place as a caravan of 9,000 Hondurans clashed with the Guatemalan army in a border province.

Remain in Mexico Stopped

The change that will likely have the biggest impact on border security and illegal crossings is Homeland Securitys order to stop adding illegal immigrants to the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP) program, also known as Remain in Mexico.

The MPP program makes asylum-seekers wait in Mexico while their asylum case is adjudicated.

The program has been touted as a breakthrough in stopping the phenomenon of catch-and-release, in which hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants claimed asylum upon entry into the United States. Before the Remain in Mexico program was implemented, those individuals, regardless of the merits of their asylum claim, would be quickly released into the United States with a court hearing often scheduled for years down the track, for which most failed to turn up.

The catch-and-release phenomenon was a major driver of the caravans and border crisis of 2019, when 1 million illegal immigrants entered the United States over the southern border.

Trump introduced MPP late in 2019, which was expanded across the southern border and now results in 90 percent of illegal border-crossers either being quickly deported, or being sent back to Mexico to await their asylum claim. The effect has been fewer illegal crossings and fewer meritless asylum claims.

Wall Construction Stopped

Biden signed an executive order hours after his inauguration that terminated the emergency declaration on the southern border and put an immediate halt on border wall construction.

It shall be the policy of my Administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall, the executive order states. I am also directing a careful review of all resources appropriated or redirected to construct a southern border wall.

Alejandro Mayorkas, Bidens pick to head the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said he hasnt looked at what hed do with the current border wall, including the possibility of removing portions of it.

I look forward to studying that question, understand the costs and benefits of doing so, he told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs during his confirmation hearing on Jan. 19.

Congress recently appropriated $1.4 billion for border wall construction in the 2021 National Defense Authorization package, which Mayorkas said he would examine to see what the opportunities are to discontinue any such obligation, if in fact, the law permits, and act accordingly.

Mayorkas served as head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services during President Barack Obamas first term and then deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security during his second term.

During the Trump administration, more than 450 miles of border fencing were constructed along the U.S.Mexico border, much of which has replaced old or ineffective barriers.

The National Border Patrol Council, which endorsed Trump for president, has said border fencing is essential to slow illegal crossings and keep agents safe.

The councils president, Brandon Judd, has said border agents are grateful for the new fencing, which comes with access roads, lighting, and technology.

Travel Ban Rescinded

Also on day one, Biden took executive action to revoke a travel ban that Trump had placed on several terror-prone countries that had consistently failed to provide terrorist, criminal, or identity information for their travelers.

Biden called the ban discriminatory against both Muslims and African nations and a stain on our national conscience.

The countries on the travel ban list were Eritrea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Burma (also known as Myanmar), Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela, and Yemen. Each nation had tailored restrictions. Countries such as Somalia, for example, have had no government for decades to issue basic documents such as birth certificates and driver licenses, making it impossible to vet travelers.

Under Trump, the DHS reviewed almost 200 countries between March and July 2017 to identify those that needed to provide more information with visa applications to satisfy U.S. authorities that the individual is not a security or public-safety threat.

One criterion was document integrityfor example, whether a country issued passports with an embedded chip or not, or whether the country could provide evidence that their citizens are who they say they are.

Other criteria include whether the country is a known or potential terrorist safe haven; whether its a participant in the Visa Waiver Program; and whether it regularly fails to receive its nationals who are subject to orders of removal from the United States.

The department then spent seven weeks working with countries to help them meet the criteria.

In September 2017, Trump issued a proclamation modifying his original order, which, after a legal battle, was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Bidens order requires the State Department to make a plan to review the visa applications that had been denied during the duration of the Trump administrations travel ban.

DACA and Amnesty

Another Jan. 20 executive order ordered the DHS to continue the DACA program, which Trump rescinded in September 2017, calling it executive overreach and asking Congress to grant a pathway to citizenship for recipients.

I have a love for these people, and hopefully now Congress will be able to help them and do it properly, Trump said at the time.

Congress has yet to provide a permanent solution, and the program has been the subject of court wrangling ever since.

DACA was introduced through an executive order by former President Barack Obama in 2012 as a temporary measure that gave recipients a renewable, two-year reprieve from deportation, as well as work authorization and access to social security.

Now, lets be clear, this is not amnesty, this is not immunity, this is not a path to citizenshipits not a permanent fix, Obama said at the time.

Since its inception, around 800,000 illegal immigrants have been enrolled in the program.

DACA recipients must have arrived in the country illegally before their 16th birthday and must have been under 31 when they applied for DACA status, among other criteria.

The average age of DACA recipients is over 25 and those at the maximum age are now 39. Eighty-one percent of the recipients are Mexican, but some come from countries as far flung as Pakistan and the Philippines.

Only a few randomly selected DACA recipients were vetted through background checks during the original intake, and by 2018, more than 2,100 recipients had since had their eligibility rescinded due to criminal convictions and gang activity, according to the DHS.

The Congressional Budget Office ran a cost estimate of a pathway to citizenship for a slightly expanded DACA cohort in response to the introduction of the DREAM Act in July 2017.

The bill was introduced to the Senate by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and the DREAM stands for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors.

The CBO estimated that 3.25 million illegal aliens met the basic eligibility criteria, but, based on DACA application rates, about 2 million would apply and be approved.

Using that calculation, the CBO estimated that the DREAM Act would have generated a net cost of $26 billion over the ensuing 10 years.

Most DACA recipients currently pay most taxes, but cannot receive most federal benefits. The DREAM Act would have generated about $1 billion in extra tax revenue, but recipients would have received about $27 billion in new benefits, such as Obamacare subsidies, child tax credits, Medicaid, and food stamps.

The CBO estimate excluded state and local government budget impacts.

Beyond the DACA population, Biden has promised an amnesty and pathway to citizenship to the illegal immigrants currently residing in the United Statesan estimated 11 million to 25 million people.

He also supports free health care for illegal immigrants. Biden said he will reverse Trumps public charge rule, which currently prohibits non-U.S. citizens and permanent residents from accessing food stamps and other welfare benefits. He also states he would give green cards to foreign students who obtain a doctoral degree in the United States.

In the event of an amnesty, studies predict at least six times the original number of eligible individuals would become citizens, based on chain migration, in which citizens can bring in family members.

The Center for Immigration Studies issued a report showing that each new legal Mexican immigrant, for example, sponsored 6.38 additional legal immigrants, based on the 1996 to 2000 cohort of immigrants.

Suspending Deportations

The DHS on Jan. 21 issued a memo to suspend deportations of illegal aliens for 100 days, with the exception of those who have either engaged in or are suspected of terrorism or espionage.

DHS Acting Secretary David Pekoske said that instead, the department will surge resources to the southern border as it is confronting the most serious global public health crisis in a century. Biden has tapped Pekoske as acting secretary until Mayorkas is confirmed by the Senate.

In light of those unique circumstances, the Department must surge resources to the border in order to ensure safe, legal, and orderly processing, to rebuild fair and effective asylum procedures that respect human rights and due process, to adopt appropriate public health guidelines and protocols, and to prioritize responding to threats to national security, public safety, and border security, Pekoske said.

The memo said the department cant respond to all immigration violations or remove all persons unlawfully in the United States, and it intends to prioritize terror threats, illegal immigrants who entered the United States from Nov. 1, 2020, and those who have been convicted of an aggravated felony who are deemed a public safety threat.

On Jan. 22, the state of Texas sued the Biden administration over the action.

In the suit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asks the federal court to declare Pekoskes memo unlawful and to block the defendants from executing the order.

On its first day in office, the Biden Administration cast aside congressionally enacted immigration laws and suspended the removal of illegal aliens whose removal is compelled by those very laws, the lawsuit states. In doing so, it ignored basic constitutional principles and violated its written pledge to work cooperatively with the State of Texas to address shared immigration enforcement concerns. This unlawful reversal will cause Texas immediate and irreparable harm if it is not enjoined.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency tasked with interior enforcement, as well as investigations into child sex trafficking and other crimes, has for years prioritized the removal of criminal aliens.

In fiscal 2020, ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted almost 186,000 removals of individuals, of whom 92 percent had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, according to ICEs end of year report.

ICE also conducted more than 103,000 interior arrestsjust under 30 percent fewer than in fiscal 2019, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Approximately 90 percent of those arrested had a criminal conviction or charge, according to the report. Those arrested included aliens with criminal charges or convictions for 1,837 homicide offenses, 37,247 assault offenses, and 10,302 sexual assault or sex offenses.

Other Actions

In a call with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Jan. 23, Biden said his plan included increasing resettlement capacity and lawful alternative immigration pathways, as well as improved processing at the border for asylum-seekers.

Biden on Jan. 20 signed an executive order to include illegal aliens in the census-based apportionment of federal funding and congressional representation.

The president also unveiled a sweeping immigration reform package for Congress, which includes a mass amnesty, the broadening of asylum criteria, an increase in refugee admissions, and more federal programs for immigrants.

It also promised a $4 billion, four-year interagency plan to address the underlying causes of migration in the region, including by increasing assistance to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report.
New Zealand's borders are likely to remain closed for most of the year depending on the progress in the vaccination campaign against the coronavirus, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday.

New Zealand closed its borders to foreigners and non-residents in the spring of 2020, when the global COVID-19 crisis kicked off.

"Given the risks that exist in the world, and the uncertainty with the introduction of vaccines, we can expect that this will affect our borders for most of the year," Ardern said at a briefing broadcast on her Facebook page.

The prime minister explained that the borders could be opened either when the vaccination curbed the virus' transmission among the population or when enough citizens were inoculated to allow safe entry.

Despite the closure of borders, New Zealand will keep special "tourist bubbles" with Australia and the countries of the Pacific region, she noted.

Ardern also said that the country's health authorities were expected to authorize the Pfizer/BioNTech candidate as the first vaccine in the national portfolio next week, with the first batches anticipated to be delivered in late March. Notably, the government secured 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine last October.

The country also signed agreements with the UK's AstraZeneca and the US' Novavax pharmaceutical companies to purchase 7.6 million and 10.72 million doses of their vaccines, respectively. New Zealand is also eligible for 5 million pre-ordered doses of the vaccine developed by Belgium's Janssen Pharmaceutica firm.

The government plans to start a mass vaccination campaign against the in the second half of 2021, with the priority given to border guards and those most exposed to the pandemic.

Notably, the country has recorded the first internal COVID-19 transmission in over two months several days ago.

To date, the health authorities have detected a total of 2,290 COVID-19 cases and 25 related fatalities.

(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.)
Zero New CCP Virus Cases in Queensland but Viral Fragments Detected in Sewage

Queensland reported zero new cases of the CCP virus on Australia Day, but the state government warned that viral fragments were detected in multiple parts of the state.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters that fragments of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, were detected at seven wastewater sites around Queensland, including in Townsville, Cairns, the Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay, and Yeppoon.

While this does not mean we have new cases of COVID-19 in these communities, we are treating these detections seriously, Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said on Jan. 26. I continue to urge anyone who feels unwell in these communities to get tested and isolate.

Palaszczuk, who is in Townsville for a state cabinet meeting, also took the opportunity to say she had a wonderful time celebrating Australia Day in the north Queensland city.

The state cabinet meeting will meet in Townsville on Jan. 27 when Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young is expected to brief them about the rollout of the vaccine.

Palaszczuk reiterated Prime Minister Scott Morrisons announcement that the rollout would most likely start at the end of next month.

She said Young would detail how the Pfizer vaccine would be distributed in Queensland once it arrived from overseas.

The Pfizer vaccine is the first vaccine to receive regulatory approval in Australia.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) granted provisional approval of the vaccine on Jan. 25, one year after Australia confirmed its first case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus.

The target of vaccinating four million people by late March has been pushed back to early April, with suppliers global commitments affecting the rollout speed.

The provisional approval is granted for two years. It is strictly conditional on Pfizer continuing to provide information to the TGA on the long term efficacy and safety of the vaccine from ongoing clinical trials and post-market assessments.

As an added safety check, the TGA will test every batch before it can be supplied in Australia.

ROME - Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte intends to offer his resignation on Tuesday, his office said Monday, a move seen as gamble that the embattled leader will get a fresh mandate from the president to try to forge a more viable coalition.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte speaks during his final address at the Senate prior to a confidence vote, in Rome, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte fights for his political life with an address aimed at shoring up support for his government, which has come under fire from former Premier Matteo Renzi's tiny but key Italia Viva (Italy Alive) party over plans to relaunch the pandemic-ravaged economy. (Roberto Monaldo/ Lapresse via AP)

ROME - Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte intends to offer his resignation on Tuesday, his office said Monday, a move seen as gamble that the embattled leader will get a fresh mandate from the president to try to forge a more viable coalition.

Conte survived two confidence votes in Parliament last week but crucially lost his absolute majority in the Senate with the defection of a centrist ally, ex-Premier Matteo Renzi. That hobbled his government's effectiveness in the middle of the pandemic, which has devastated Italy's long-stagnant economy.

Conte's office said Monday night that the premier will inform his Cabinet at a meeting Tuesday morning of his will to go to the Quirinale (presidential palace) to hand in his resignation."

Then Conte intends to head to the palace to meet with President Sergio Mattarella, who, as head of state, can accept the resignation, possibly asking the premier to then see if he can assemble a more solid coalition that can command a dependable majority in Parliament.

Mattarella has frequently stressed the need for the nation to have solid leadership as it struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic, with its devastating effects on Italy's long-stagnant economy.

After consultations with leaders of both government and opposition parties, the president could also decide to tap someone else deemed to have better chances of forming a more solid government. If no one can forge a more viable, dependable coalition, Mattarella has the option of dissolving Parliament, setting the stage for an election two years early.

Conte has led a long-bickering centre-left coalition for 16 months. Before that, for 15 months, he headed a government still with the populist 5-Star Movement, Parliament's largest party, but in coalition with the right-wing League party of Matteo Salvini.

That first government collapsed when Salvini yanked his support in a failed bid to win the premiership for himself.

Conte, while identified with the 5-Star Movement, doesn't head any party. So, in a departure from Italy's frequent political crisis, he won't be part of the formal consultations with Mattarella, who meets with party leaders coming in rapid succession to the palace for talks.

Key support for whatever government might come next could come from the centrist opposition party of former Premier Silvio Berlusconi. Just hours before the announcement by Conte's office, the media mogul said he was trusting the political wisdom of Mattarella to indicate the way out of the crisis.

The high road is one only, Berlusconi said in a statement. That solution would be a new government that would represent substantial unity of the country in a moment of emergency or it could be a new election to give back the (deciding) word to the Italian voters.

By the end of February, the Italian government must inform the European Union how it intends to spend some 200 billion euros ($250 billion) in recovery funds, focused on reforming the country's health and other institutional systems.

One of Renzi's issues with Conte was what he contended was too much decision-making power concentrated in the premier's hand on the funding programs.

Salvini said he had called a meeting of centre-right leaders, including far-right-leader Giorgia Meloni and Berlusconis fold to bolster the oppositions press for elections.

The Italians need hospitals, open and safe schools, and a year of tax peace to give back breath and hope to families and businesses, Salvini said. This isnt the government that can escort Italy out of this disaster.

The leader of a main coalition partner, the Democratic Party, pushed for a fresh mandate for Conte, who despite the euro-skepticism of the 5-Stars, has lately been professing staunch support for the European Union, in an apparent bid to woo centrist lawmakers now in the opposition.

The Democrats' leader, Nicola Zingaretti, rooted in a tweet for a new Conte government that would be clearly pro-Europe and backed by a wide parliamentary base that would guarantee credibility and stability to face the great challenges that Italy has before it.

But analysts saw Conte's support from his own coalition as fluid.

"A new coalition government, either under Conte or a different prime minister, remains the most likely outcome,'' said London-based Wolfango Piccoli, co- president of Teneo analyst group.

But, the bottom line is that Italy will continue to be governed by an executive that is not apt for the tough job ahead, just as it has been the case since the last election in 2018, Piccoli wrote in a statement.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 02:57:40|Editor: huaxia

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez participates in the virtual World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos Agenda meeting in Madrid, Spain, Jan. 25, 2021. (La Moncloa/Handout via Xinhua)

MADRID, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the World Economic Forum's first virtual annual meeting (also known as the Davos Forum) on Monday that he intends to improve young people's qualifications and job prospects in his country.

Sanchez participated via video conference in one of the forum's round table events.

He said the high level of youth unemployment in Spain was "unacceptable" and his government was working to address the problem with measures designed to improve qualifications and re-train young people, with a focus on promoting digital skills and helping young women.

He said his country's Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan,has earmarked some 2,500 million euros (around 3,040 million U.S. dollars) for digital training.

He said that in the context of the recovery plan, significant resources will also be dedicated to modernizing labor market policies to provide jobs for young people.

He said the pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and that women have become more vulnerable economically, but insisted that his government's economic response to the crisis has helped to protect families, workers and companies by introducing temporary employment regulation schemes.

Sanchez said these measures, along with the recovery plan, and European Union funds, would allow for investment to create jobs and transform Spain's economy by introducing reforms to increase productivity.

He also highlighted Spain's commitment to its economy, saying that by 2030, 74 percent of Spain's energy will be generated from renewable sources. He also confirmed an investment of 1,500 million euros to develop renewable hydrogen projects and the preparation of a law to combat climate change. (1 euro=1.21 U.S. dollars) Enditem
This year, due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium and around the globe, International Customs Day (ICD) was celebrated virtually by the World Customs Organization (WCO) Secretariat on 26 January 2021. Although representatives of the Customs community could not gather at WCO Headquarters in Brussels (Belgium) to mark the day, as they do every year, the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, delivered his message in a recorded video. WCO Members and stakeholders were also invited to participate in this initiative.

To start the day, Dr. Mikuriyas speech was shared on the WCO Website and social media platforms, together with well-wishes from the Secretariat, Members and Stakeholders. As the past year was a particularly challenging one for Customs in the light of the crisis caused by COVID-19, Dr. Mikuriyas address underlines the WCOs appreciation for the tremendous efforts by all Customs officers during the pandemic to safeguard the supply chain, often in spite of the potential risks to their own health.

Secretary General Mikuriya then proceeded to officially launch the WCOs theme for 2021, namely Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience for a sustainable supply chain, that Customs and its partners are invited to put into practice throughout the year and beyond. The theme provides much food for thought, including how collaboration can be enhanced to drive the Recovery process, how digital transformation can be embraced along with other advanced technologies to enable Renewal, and how people can be put at the centre of change for a Resilient and sustainable supply chain.

Dr. Mikuriya also participated in the Belgium Customs Administrations ICD celebrations, through a recorded message. Belgiums event saw the participation of Mr. Kristian Vanderwaeren, General Administrator of Customs and Excise, and included keynote speeches and acknowledgement of the achievements by the countrys Customs officers. Even though a parade could not be held this year, the iconic Manneken-Pis statue was still dressed in a Customs officers uniform to mark this ICD.
Manmohan ji is here, I'd read out his quote. Those taking a U-Turn (farm laws) will perhaps agree with him. "There are other rigidities because of marketing regime set up in 1930s which prevent our farmers from selling their produce where they get highest rate of return... It is our intention to remove all those handicaps which come in the way of India realising its vast potential at one large common market": PM Modi
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - Wilton Resources Inc. (TSXV: WIL) (the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement of units in the capital of the Corporation ("Units") at a purchase price of $0.35 per Unit (the "Offering Price") for aggregate gross proceeds of $350,000 (the "Offering"). The principal use of the proceeds of the Offering will be for general corporate purposes and as a reserve to pursue the acquisition of an international oil and gas property.

Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Corporation ("Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share for a period of 24 months following the closing date of the Offering at an exercise price of $0.40 (the "Exercise Price").

No commission, finder's fee or similar payment (whether in the form of cash, securities or an interest in assets) were paid by the Corporation in connection with the Offering.

The Common Shares and Warrants issued in connection with the Offering and the Common Shares underlying the Warrants are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus one day from the date of completion of the Offering, in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

In connection with closing of the Offering, 557,143 Units were issued to an Insider of the Corporation (as such term is defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange). The participation of the Insider in the Offering constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Corporation is relying upon exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 based on a determination that the fair market value of the Offering, insofar as it involves the related party, does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Corporation. The Corporation was not in a position to file a material change report more than 21 days in advance of the closing of the Offering, as the participation of the related party was not confirmed at that time.

The Offering was approved by the Corporation's board of directors by means of a unanimous resolution. In connection with the closing of the Offering, Mr. Glenn Smith subscribed for a total of 557,143 Units. As a result of his participation in the Offering, the percentage of the total outstanding Common Shares of the Corporation controlled by Mr. Smith, on an undiluted basis, increased by approximately 0.70%. Mr. Smith now has beneficial ownership of an aggregate of 8,639,857 Common Shares and 2,592,857 Warrants, representing approximately 14.36% of the Corporation's 60,163,832 issued and outstanding Common Shares on an undiluted basis and approximately 17.89% on a partially-diluted basis.

The TSX Venture Exchange provided final acceptance of the Offering on January 26, 2021.

For more information concerning the Corporation, please refer to the Corporation's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "intend", "may", "will", "expect", and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Corporation's current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information with respect to the principal uses of the proceeds of the Offering. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Corporation. The material facts and assumptions include the intended use of proceeds remaining in the best interests of the Corporation. The Corporation cautions the reader that the above list of risk factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Corporation is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Due to the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

For more information, please contact:

Wilton Resources Inc.

Richard Anderson

Chief Executive Officer and President

(403) 619-6609

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this release.

Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities Laws.

THE SECURITIES OFFERED HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES ABSENT REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS. THIS PRESS RELEASE SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72883





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A new online dashboard, created by NYU Professor Alexej Jerschow, brings together COVID-19 data from U.S. states and countries around the world to compare cases, deaths, vaccines, and testing in a visual, user-friendly format.

The tool also integrates a range of policies governments have implemented to limit the spread of COVID-19--including school closings, stay-at-home orders, and mask mandates--in an effort to compare policy responses with COVID-19 outcomes.

Jerschow, who is a professor of chemistry and typically works in the field of magnetic resonance imaging and battery research, was looking for a convenient way to compare COVID-19 data from different countries and states. While the data were available from different sources, there was not a single tool that allowed him to easily analyze how different geographic areas were faring and responding to the pandemic--so, he created one.

"I was curious, for example, whether one could draw parallels between specific U.S. states and other countries, and also how cases correlate with policy decisions," said Jerschow. "My hope is that this dashboard can fill the gap and become a resource to help people quickly gain an overview of how the COVID situation and policy decisions develop. It is going to be particularly interesting to look at what happens once the vaccinations ramp up further."

For instance, while the U.S. and Sweden have reported high numbers of COVID-19 cases and fatalities, the dashboard shows lower prevalence in countries like Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Norway. "It is clear from looking at the graphs that these countries have found a formula for success and government actions affected outcomes," said Jerschow.

.

Crises are not only reflected in cases or fatalities; looking at how many positive cases of COVID-19 are found per test can reveal whether countries and states are managing the crisis well logistically. Countries such as Austria and Mexico and states such as Idaho and Alabama recently experienced periods when more than half of their tests came back positive--bringing into question whether sufficient testing is being done more than six months into the pandemic, when testing capacity should have improved.

The dashboard may be useful to researchers, educators, journalists, and the general public seeking to study COVID-19, compare all 50 U.S. states, U.S. territories, and 192 countries, and easily visualize the data.

###

The dashboard combines data from a series of publicly available sources. Country-wide information is downloaded from Our World in Data, which sources its data from the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering dashboard. U.S. state and territory data are obtained from covidtracking.com. The Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) provides policy data.
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The woman told investigators that Lomeli told her he had to look inside her bra to ensure she wasnt hiding anything, had her hold her pants away from her waist for a check, and then said he would take her to a private room for further security screening, prosecutors said.
A significant snowstorm is moving through central and southern Iowa, making for difficult to near impossible travel conditions. The Iowa Department of Transportation is advising NO TRAVEL across much of southwestern Iowa, due to snow covered roads and continued heavy snowfall. If you are planning to travel across Iowa, plan on encountering snow and snow covered roads, mainly in the central and southern part of the state. You can always check the latest roads conditions at 511IA.ORG and on our website at https://www.kimt.com/news/traffic-reports/
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Seabird guano fertilizeralso known as 'white gold'could have been responsible for the highly productive agricultural systems of pre-Incan civilization in the otherwise arid climate of the Atacama Desert. These findings, reported in a paper published in Nature Plants, shed light on the development of the large population centers and society between AD 1000 and AD 1450 in what is now northern Chile.

Nestled in the driest desert in the word, robust agricultural systems supported pre-Incan civilizations for centuries. The pre-Hispanic archeological record of northern Chile has preserved large quantities of diverse crops that suggests a level of agricultural success that has defied explanation.

Francisca Santana-Sagredo and colleagues analyzed complete specimens of maize, chili pepper, gourd, beans, quinoa and wild local fruits from the Atacama Desert dated between 1000 BC and AD 1800. They found a substantial increase in nitrogen isotope values from around AD 1000. Maize was the most affected, with nitrogen isotope values as high as +30 parts per thousand. The authors also analyzed more than 800 published human isotope values from the same location and date range and found that human bone collagen followed a similar trend. It also showed a significant increase in carbon isotope values, which suggests an increase in the consumption of maize at the same time.

The authors attribute this shift to extremely high nitrogen isotope valuesthe highest in the world for archeological plantsto the use of seabird guano as crop fertilizer. They argue that the use of this fertilizer had strong implications for the intensification of agriculture and population growth, as well as for social complexity, which is typically unusual within such extreme environmental conditions.

Explore further Maize-centric diet may have contributed to ancient Maya collapse

More information: Francisca Santana-Sagredo et al. 'White gold' guano fertilizer drove agricultural intensification in the Atacama Desert from ad 1000, Nature Plants (2021). Journal information: Nature Plants Francisca Santana-Sagredo et al. 'White gold' guano fertilizer drove agricultural intensification in the Atacama Desert from ad 1000,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-00835-4
FOSHAN, China, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited ("Bright Scholar," the "Company," "we" or "our") (NYSE: BEDU), a global premier education service company, today announced its latest result of top university admission for 2021 graduating class.

As of January 25, approximately 62.66% of students in the 2021 graduating class of our international schools have received over 400 offers from global top 50 institutions with 6 conditional offers from University of Oxford, 6 from University of Cambridge, 2 unconditional offers from University of Chicago, 2 from Cornell University, 4 from New York University, and 1 from Northwestern University.

Ms. Wanmei Li, Chief Executive Officer of Domestic K-12, commented, "The remarkable performance reflects the strength of our brand, and a steadfast commitment to quality education." Ms. Li continued, "We expect many more students will receive offers from these elite institutions as the admission cycle continues."

About Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited

Bright Scholar is a global premier education service company, dedicated to providing quality international education to global students and equipping them with the critical academic foundation and skillsets necessary to succeed in the pursuit of higher education. Bright Scholar also complements its international offerings with Chinese government-mandated curriculum for students who wish to maintain the option of pursuing higher education in China. As of November 30, 2020, Bright Scholar operated 94 schools across twelve provinces in China and eight schools overseas, covering the breadth of K-12 academic needs of its students.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company's business plans and development, which can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law.

IR Contact:

GCM Strategic Communications

Email: [email protected]

Media Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +86-757-6683-2507

SOURCE Bright Scholar Education Holdings Ltd.
Through some recent engagements of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, the ever-smiling devout Muslim has added a new twist to the long-standing religious tolerance and coexistence in Ghana.



Throughout the 2020 Christmas period, the Vice President and his wife, Samira Bawumia, were seen moving from church to church sharing in the birth of Christ with Christians across the country.



Some critics of the Vice President, however, accused him of playing politics with religion and trying to gain acceptance in the church.



In a reaction to the criticism, a Deputy Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party, Yaw Preko has revealed how the Vice President by virtue of his history has always distinguished himself as a peaceful, tolerant and accommodating person who believed in harmonious co-existence of people even long before venturing into the limelight of politics.



Yaw Preko reveals that Mr Bawumia in 1999 when he had little or no attention on him, served as a Groomsman at the wedding of his longtime friend Professor Kenneth Agyeman Attafuah and had actually visited the Ridge Church several times to worship with the professor before.



When he accepted to be the best man of Prof Kenneth Agyeman Attafuah during the latter's wedding in church in 1999, nobody knew him. He had visited the Ridge Church a couple of times with Prof to worship. This was far before he emerged in the political limelight and public space. Yes, a devout Muslim, yet, a best man to a Christian friend in a church wedding. It wasnt a matter then and should not be a matter now. Such is the beauty of the mans character and upbringing: peaceful, tolerant and accommodating, he shared with a picture of the Vice President and Mr Attafuah at his wedding in 1999.



According to Yaw Preko, Dr Bawumia by his history cannot be said to be desperate in courting attention and acceptance.



Yes, the Muslim who was the best man to his friend in church decades ago, and no he was not desperate. He was not desperate even then, and certainly cannot be desperate now. Hes only a man who believes in harmonious co-existence of people regardless of their creed, ethnic background and calling. Hes a man who believes in the age-old saying that, whatever binds us together as a people, is most certainly stronger than what separates us and in our diversity, theres even a stronger bond, and a stronger sense of purpose, he added.



Read what Yaw Preko wrote below:



I have read a couple of articles trying portray Dr Bawumia as a desperate politician who is trying to gain acceptance in church.



Anyone who believes such an assertion obviously doesn't know Dr Bawumia. He is a devout Muslim who sees a Christian as his brother. Yes he is that open-minded.



When he accepted to be the Best man of Prof Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah during the latter's wedding in church in 1999, nobody knew him. He had visited the Ridge Church a couple of times with Prof to worship. This was far before he emerged in the political limelight and public space. Yes, a devoted Muslim, yet, a best man to a Christian friend in a church wedding. It wasnt a matter then and should not be a matter now. Such is the beauty of the mans character and upbringing: peaceful, tolerant and accommodating.



Yes the Muslim who was a best man to his friend in church decades ago, and no he was not desperate. He was not desperate even then, and certainly cannot be desperate now. Hes only a man who believes in harmonious co-existence of people regardless of their creed, ethnic background and calling. Hes a man who believes in the age-old saying, that, whatever binds us together as a people, is most certainly stronger than what separates us and in our diversity, theres even a stronger bond, and a stronger sense of purpose.

By all means, if you think there are things you deem unacceptable about him, please say. However, his love and respect for other religions have never been in doubt.



Don't destroy a good man because of politics. Rather, theres a lesson or two in the life of this great man, for all of us to learn.

Source: peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Numerous cicadas and their exoskeletons can be found at Antietam National Cemetery and the nearby battlefield.
"It is critical that we remain vigilant in 2021 as COVID-19 continues to decimate our Black community. As faith leaders, we are stepping up to provide critical testing and resources to help our communities fight back against the virus," said Rev. Sharpton, who was tested at yesterday's event to demonstrate the growing importance and ease of testing, even as vaccines begin to be available.

[High resolution images and b-roll from yesterday's event are available at https://newsroom.questdiagnostics.com/digital-assets]

Working in collaboration with implementation partner United Way of New York City and affiliated local agencies, the Action Plan is launching in five cities  New York, N.Y., Newark, N.J., Detroit, Mich., Atlanta, Ga. and Washington, D.C. In addition to holding testing events, the Action Plan is also placing a Black church public health navigator at each of the 50 inaugural churches across the country.

The Black church public health navigators are guiding community members through the testing process and serve as a resource for questions related to testing, vaccinations and more. They are also making sure that individuals receive the critical care that they need depending on individual circumstances, such as connecting them to the required social services or providing access to food or childcare.

Testing events kicked off yesterday at Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City while testing events for the launch of the Choose Healthy Life Action Plan in other cities will be taking place in February. A list of participating churches can be found at the end of this release.

"The Black community has been disproportionately devastated by COVID-19, and faith leaders are stepping up to bring much-needed testing and prevention education to our neighborhoods. The Black church is among the most trusted institutions in our communities and has historically risen to the occasion when our communities are in need. Through Choose Healthy Life, we are doing so once again to address the COVID-19 pandemic and health disparities in our communities," said Rev. Butts.

As the vaccine is slowly rolled out across the United States, there remains a need for robust COVID-19 testing in the Black community. Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, the Chair of the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force for the Biden-Harris administration, spoke at the recent CHL Black Clergy Conclave last week about the importance of continued testing.

"Too many Black Americans tragically get their first test for COVID-19 only when being admitted to the hospital, having missed the critical early window when some of the best treatments are most effective," said Dr. Nunez-Smith at the conclave. Testing is also key to fighting COVID-19 because of the alarming rate of asymptomatic spread. According to a recent study by CDC researchers, nearly 60% of COVID-19 cases stem from asymptomatic individuals. The program aims to expand to additional cities throughout the year and also to expand its scope to address broad racial health disparities.

Last week, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Choose Healthy Life hosted a Conclave of 100+ Black clergy, America's leading public health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Nunez-Smith, and nonprofit and corporate leaders, like United Way of New York City and Quest Diagnostics, for panels and Q&As on COVID-19 in the Black community. The Conclave also briefed leaders on the Choose Healthy Life Action Plan's sustainable, scalable and transferable approach to address health disparities in the Black community.

"United Way of New York City is proud to be working together with Choose Healthy Life, leveraging our expertise in convening and mobilizing the best of the nonprofit, corporate and public health sectors to provide needed COVID-19 testing to communities of color in five major cities across the United States," said Sheena Wright, President and CEO of United Way of New York City.

"Testing will continue to play an essential role in diagnosing COVID-19 and helping to prevent its continued spread," said Steve Rusckowski, Chief Executive Officer and President of Quest Diagnostics, founding sponsor of Choose Healthy Life. "Our work with our partners Choose Healthy Life and the United Way of New York City to help save lives and help stop the disproportionate devastation COVID-19 is wreaking on the Black community is both urgent and necessary. Quest is focused on taking action to address health inequities across our country."

The Action Plan is being led by the Choose Healthy Life National Black Clergy Health Leadership Council, which is co-chaired by Rev. Sharpton (National Action Network, New York, N.Y.) and Rev. Butts (Abyssinian Baptist Church, New York, N.Y.) and includes council members Rev. David Jefferson (Metropolitan Baptist Church, Newark, N.J.); Rev. Jacques DeGraff (Canaan Baptist Church of Christ, New York, N.Y.); Rev. Horace Sheffield (New Destiny Christian Fellowship, Detroit, Mich.); Rev. Frank Tucker (First Baptist Church, Washington D.C.); and U.S. Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock (Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga.). The Council has among its medical advisors Dr. Louis Sullivan, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; Dr. Tom Frieden, former CDC Director under President Obama and President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies; and former U.S. Congresswoman Dr. Donna Christensen.

The successful model behind the Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan was initially created and developed by Debra Fraser-Howze, founder of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, to successfully combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Black community.

"The Black church is the most influential institution in the Black community, and it is stepping up to help solve a public health crisis, as it has done before in the past. The Choose Healthy Life Action Plan enables the faith and scientific communities to unite and provide much-needed resources to the Black community," said Debra Fraser-Howze, founder of the Choose Healthy Life Black Clergy Action Plan and advisor to two U.S. Presidents on HIV and AIDS from 1998 to 2003.

Funding support for Choose Healthy Life has been made possible through grants from founding sponsors, Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the Quest Diagnostics Foundation and Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies.

Choose Healthy Life Churches by City:

New York City

Abyssinian Baptist Church (Harlem)

Canaan Baptist Church of Christ (Harlem)

Cornerstone Baptist Church (Bedford-Stuyvesant)

Faith @ Work Christian Church (Bronx)

First Central Baptist Church (Staten Island)

God's Battalion of Prayer (Queens)

Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York (Queens)

St. Paul Community Baptist Church (East New York, Brooklyn)

Thessalonia Worship Center (Bronx)

Walker Memorial Baptist Church (Bronx)

Newark

Metropolitan Baptist Church

Bethany Baptist Church

City Hope Ministries

Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church

Jehovah-Jireh Praise and Worship Church Center

Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church

Peace Temple Church of God in Christ

Pilgrim Baptist Church

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church

St. Marks Free Will Baptist Church

Washington, D.C.

First Baptist Church (Randolph)

Community of Hope AME Church

Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ

First Baptist Church of Highland Park

Kingdom Fellowship AME Church

Leadership Council for Healthy Communities (LCHC)

Michigan Park Christian Church

Mt. Lebanon Baptist

Mt. Sinai Baptist Church

The Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church

Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church

Detroit

New Destiny Christian Fellowship

Fellowship Chapel

Greater Grace Temple

Greater Pentecostal Temple

Greater St. Mark

Historic King Solomon

Perfecting Church

Saunders Memorial Allen Temple AME

Second Ebenezer Baptist Church

Third New Hope Baptist Church

Atlanta

Ebenezer Baptist Church

Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam

Christian Fellowship Baptist Church

Debre Bisrate Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

First Iconium Baptist Church

Impact Church

Midway Missionary Baptist Church

Mt. Olive Baptist Church

St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church

Zion Hill Baptist Church

To learn more about Choose Healthy Life, please click here .

SOURCE Choose Healthy Life
Nguyen Ky Phong has everything far from what most women in Vietnam think of when they picture the perfect husband.

A paraplegic, Phong is unable to walk and has no assets.

But that has not stopped his able-bodied wife from spending two happy decades with him, and likely many more.

Duong Thi Thu Lieu, or Thu as she often goes by, had never imagined that she and Phong  from Ho Chi Minh City and five years her junior  would one day walk down the aisle.

With no money and permanently paralyzed from the waist down, Phong had all but given up on finding true love until he met 55-year-old Thu.

Now, after two decades of marriage life, the couple say they are more in love than ever and expect to spend the rest of their lives together.

According to Thu, she and Phong knew each other for 12 years before the realized they were in love.

Phong had been one of Thus younger siblings friends before they met, often dropping by their home in Ngoc Dinh Commune, Dinh Quan District, southern Dong Nai Province to say hello.

I just thought of him like my younger brother. The thought of starting a relationship with him never crossed my mind, Thu said with a smile.

Over time, Phongs visits became more lengthy and frequent, occasionally lasting over a week.

During these visits, the pair began to get to know each other better until one day Thu asked Phong why he had not tried to start a family.

Phong answered that he believed no woman would ever willingly marry a handicapped man.

Thu felt bad, but decided there was nothing she could do.

Months later, Thu repeated the question, but this time Phong used the opportunity to confess his love for Thu.

Actually Ive long been in love with you, Phong said to her.

Seeing you having cared for your father [who suffers from complete paralysis] for years without a single complaint, I know youre the woman of my dreams.

His confession of love came as a surprise to Thu, leaving her at a loss for words.

Its not that Im looking down on you for being poor or physically challenged, Thu eventually answered.

Its just that youre five years younger than me.

"If you were older than me, Id say yes immediately.

That was when Phong decided he would do everything in his power to win her over.

I was just on top of the world when she finally said yes," Phong recounted.

"It took all my courage to propose.

She was too beautiful and out of reach for a disabled man like me.

Defying family opposition and ridicule from relatives and neighbors, the pair were declared man and wife in 2000.

I love him, so I decided to marry him, despite the hardships that might await us, Thu said, adding that she has never once regretted her decision to say yes though it did take several years for her to feel completely comfortable with judgment from strangers.

Despite my love for him, I was not wholly committed to being his wife until two years later, the woman said emotionally.

In 2001, the couple welcomed a completely healthy, beautiful baby daughter.

A dedicated wife, mother

Phong contracted polio at age three and has been paralyzed in both legs ever since.

At age 10, he had to rely on neighbors for help and was forced to fend for himself after his father walked out on him and his mother remarried.

Nguyen Ky Phong and his wife, Duong Thi Thu Lieu, or Thu, make a living by fixing electronic household appliances and weaving baskets at their home in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Dieu Qui / Tuoi Tre

As a teenager, he did odd jobs around Ho Chi Minh City before relocating to Dong Nai, where he started a family with his wife and earns his living fixing electronic appliances.

When their daughter turned two, the couple moved in with Thus mother in their current home, where Phong runs his small electronics repair shop, occasionally offering his services for free to the needy or elderly.

Most of the familys income comes from Thu, who does janitorial and delivery work to help make ends meet.

The intense love she has for her husband and daughter is what keeps her going through the familys hardships.

The family was dealt a devastating blow in 2015, when Phong suffered a stroke, leaving his wife struggling to provide for her family and take care of her husband at the same time.

At the time, Thu was forced to make a modest income by delivering 140 kilogram sacks of cashew nuts to local household businesses.

Three years later, Phong finally recovered from the stroke just as Thu was hospitalized for two months with Spondylosis, a type of arthritis spurred by wear and tear to the spine.

Helpless over being unable to help out, Phong refused to eat or comb his hair.

The two-month hospitalization was the only time I allowed myself to sit back and take rest, Thu shared.

Since I married him, Ive always tried hard to provide for my family.

As the years went by, Thus health faltered.

No longer able to do heavy lifting, she weaves baskets at home for VND2,000 (US$0.08) apiece.

Even with her husbands help, she manages to weave only 40 baskets, pocketing a mere VND80,000 ($3.5) each day.

My wife is so resourceful and loves her family dearly. She has taken on all the hard work to keep us fed and afloat since our lives got tangled, Phong said, looking tenderly at his wife of 20 years.

Though Phong fails to act as the breadwinner, his wife has never regretted her choice and given it her all so that they can get on with their lives despite poverty and disability.

In 2019, the couples daughter, Nguyen Ky Duyen, won a scholarship through 'Tiep Suc Den Truong' (Giving Strength to Students), an annual program run by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper to provide financial support for needy college students throughout the country.

Duyen is now in her second year as an English major at a Ho Chi Minh City-based private university.

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(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.
COLUMBIA  The coronavirus pandemic has taken less of a toll on Columbia merchants in the Vista and along Main Street than might have been feared, according to a veteran of the retail real estate scene.

Rox Pollard, director of retail services in South Carolina for Colliers International, assessed how COVID-19 has affected Columbia recently for other staff members at the commercial real estate company.

In his report, Pollard noted that the Vista did lose some larger hospitality businesses, including Carolina Ale House and World of Beer. With students away or staying in their apartments so long, that toll could have been worse, since they are so much of the downtown client base, Pollard said.

If hospitality business that have been limping along can make it to the warm weather months and the resurgence of outdoor dining, they should survive, Pollard expects.

Shopping centers that have a grocer as their anchor tenant have done better than most during the pandemic, as consumers have continued to make their grocery trips, he said.

Those that are looking for retail space seem most interested in grocery-anchored centers, he said, with more space being leased to services such as doctors offices and fitness centers than before.

In his presentation, Pollard noted the push to shift the focus of Five Points more toward boutique retail and away from being seen solely as a barhopping district. Pollard noted that the district is synonymous with the University of South Carolina and said a big shift into more brick-and-mortar retail could be tough to pull off.

I think it is a steep hill to climb, Pollard said.

Pollards assessment noted that overall nationwide retail trade in its broadest definition actually increased during 2020 by 2.2 percent.

Most of that growth was in a massive shift to online shopping including for curbside pickup. Online shopping became 20 percent of all retail activity in 2020, rising from 13 percent the year before.

Lexington grocery store turnover

Two former Bi-Lo grocery stores have opened under their new owners, with Piggly Wiggly returning last week to Lexington County at the former Bi-Lo location west of downtown on U.S. 378.

The purchase of the store was announced in December by C&S Wholesale, which also acquired a Pooler, Ga., Bi-Lo location to become a Piggly Wiggly. The deal gives Piggly Wiggly a store in a fast-growing part of Lexington County.

Another former Bi-Lo is slated to become a KJ's Market in Westside Plaza in West Columbia this month.

Philly to Columbia

The Philly Pretzel Factory eatery location in Rosewood Shopping Center on Rosewood Drive in Columbia has reopened and relaunched.

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The carryout place, which features Philadelphia-style pretzels plus pretzel dogs and other baked treats, held a reopening last weekend.

Locations in Rosewood and Irmo had shut down last fall after being in business for much of 2020. The Irmo location has not reopened, according to the chain's website.

Spa shifts downtown

The RevIVe Wellness Studio formerly housed above The Main Course bar and restaurant at 1624 Main St. has moved to a new location nearby.

The spa, which offers elective IV rehydration, facial treatment and massages, among other services, has relocated to 1619 Sumter St. The spa's Facebook page refers to this as its newest "temporary" location.

The spa is one of the businesses that the Middleton family has launched in the Main Street District.

Axes to fly in Irmo

The past year could make one eager to throw an axe at something.

If so, there's another opportunity coming. An axe throwing bar is set to open in February, nearly next door to the Brooklyn Express restaurant in Irmo.

Learn more about plans for the Chop House Axe Throwing Room of the Midlands from this Free Times coverage.

Auto repair plans

A Caliber Collision body shop would be built near the junction of Garners Ferry and Atlas Roads under plans filed with the Columbia Board of Zoning Appeals.

New construction near the Candlewood Suites hotel would be home to the body shop.

The proposal will be considered at the Feb. 4 virtual board meeting.

Make sure to get our weekly Columbia Business newsletter. Sign up here.

Have any Midlands business news to share in the column? Reach Mike Fitts at mfitts@postandcourier.com.
A MAN has admitted having a significant quantity of cannabis at his home on the southside of the city, writes David Hurley.

When arraigned at Limerick Circuit Court, Ger Crawford, aged 60, of Clarina Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston pleaded guilty to possession of more than 2kgs of cannabis for the purpose of sale or supply.

The drugs, which had a street value of around 50,000, were seized during a joint operation involving gardai and Revenue Commissioners on April 5, 2019.

After John OSullivan BL, prosecuting, confirmed that Mr Crawfords guilty plea was acceptable to the State, Anthony Sammon SC requested an adjournment of the case to facilitate the preparation of a number of reports.

He also asked the court to note his clients age and his previous good record.

Mr Sammon told the court his client suffers from a significant health issue and he asked that legal aid be extended to facilitate the preparation of a detailed medical report.

A probation report was also requested.

Judge Tom ODonnell granted the various applications and he adjourned the case to early March, for sentence.
Saudi Arabias oil giant, state-held Aramco, could think about selling more of its shares under the right market conditions, the governor of the Kingdoms Public Investment Fund (PIF) said on Tuesday.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, head of Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund, was discussing the funds new strategy for 2021 through 2025 during a news briefing, as carried by Reuters.

PIFs program 2021  2025 targets to raise the funds assets under management to US$1.07 trillion, and invest 21 percent of its assets in new and growth sectors.

If the Saudi fund reaches the US$1.07 trillion assets by 2025, it would be one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world. Currently, Norways Government Pension Fund Global, the so-called oil fund, is the biggest sovereign wealth fund in the world, with a total market value of US$1.22 trillion in 2020.

Saudi Arabias PIF had assets under management of around US$400 billion as of the end of 2020.

Selling more shares in Saudi Aramco could be a challenge for the Saudi fund and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, considering that the initial public offering (IPO) of the oil giant more than a year ago didnt go as initially planned, and was delayed several times.

The Saudis were initially aiming to list Aramco on the Saudi stock exchange, Tadawul, and on one major international market, with London, New York, Tokyo, and Hong Kong all rumored or reported to have been in the race.

But in the end, tepid investor demand and the possibility of exposing the Kingdom to lawsuitsespecially with a New York listingforced the rulers to downsize the Aramco IPO.

Saudi Aramco made its debut on the Saudi stock exchange in December 2019. Saudi Arabias state oil giant had priced its IPO at the top end of the range32 Saudi riyals ($8.53), which made the share listing the largest in history, surpassing the US$25-billion IPO of Alibaba on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Competition will increase throughout 2021, and as organizations look for highly skilled companies to act as faithful stewards of their increased online budget, the digital marketing experts and companies in Phoenix that stay on top of trends and optimistic about change should be very excited.

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 Phoenix.

SEOblog analysts determined the 15 best SEO companies in Phoenix based on dozens of key quantitative and qualitative factors. SEOblog industry experts examined each Phoenix 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.

Phoenix has several of the nations top SEO agencies that provide a very competitive digital marketing landscape.

Phoenix has been growing for decades. said Jayson Gibson, co-founder of Phoenix Online Media. It's not a drip, either. Individuals and companies have been moving to Arizona in mass.

Decades of growth allowed Phoenix to develop into a miniature Silicon Valley in many ways. GoDaddy, Infusionsoft, Apollo Education Group (revolutionized online college) and a plethora of smaller companies grew from skilled workers in the Phoenix area and produced a workforce of highly skilled professionals, too. Because of this, Phoenix has always been more competitive than similar markets, plus, we do have amazing SEO companies.

Competition will increase throughout 2021, and as organizations look for highly skilled companies to act as faithful stewards of their increased online budget, the digital marketing experts and companies in Phoenix that stay on top of trends and optimistic about change should be very excited, especially if they can attract business from companies accustomed to paying 20-40 percent more in larger metropolitan areas.

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 Phoenix in 2021:

Soderman Marketing SEO, BizIQ, Staylisted, VMS Data, Avintiv Media, Zion & Zion, SocialSEO, Colling Media, Panda Online Marketing, WIDSIX, Salterra Complete Web Services, Phoenix Online Media, Premier Web Development, Avenue 25 and Search Explosion.

Link: https://www.seoblog.com/best-seo-companies/Phoenix/

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.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Local thrill-seekers will soon be speeding to Six Flags Great Adventure to experience a brand new, record-setting rollercoaster, which had its final track piece placed on Monday.

The Jersey Devil Coaster -- set to debut in 2021 -- will be the worlds tallest, fastest and longest single-rail coaster, standing 13 stories tall, reaching speeds of 58 miles per hour and spanning over 3,000 feet of track, according the theme park, located in Jackson, N.J. Inspired by infamous New Jersey mythology, the cutting-edge coaster will feature five intense elements, including three dramatic inversions.

The topping off 130 feet in the sky marks the completion of track construction on the highly-anticipated scream machine, which doesnt yet have an opening date.

Iron workers from TCN & Co, the rides erection company based in Marlton, N.J., along with the rides manufacturer and Six Flags project supervisor, signed the final piece of orange steel before it ascended to its final resting place atop the extreme, 87-degree, vertical drop.

The Jersey Devil Coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure, in Jackson, N.J. (Courtesy/Six Flags)

Construction, maintenance and engineering teams will now focus on:

Installing the chain link lift mechanism that will hoist riders to the top of the 13-story hill.

Adding four devilishly-designed trains that feature an inline style, with riders sitting low and single file while straddling the smooth, I-beam track.

Building the ride station, including a moving platform, transfer track, maintenance area and queue.

Installing the ride controls.

Extensive ride testing.

Inspections and NJ state certification.

All phases will be completed before the first passengers board the ride later this year.

The coaster, set to debut in 2021, will be the worlds tallest, fastest and longest single-rail coaster, standing 13 stories tall, reaching speeds of 58 miles per hour and spanning over 3,000 feet of track, according to Six Flags. (Courtesy/Six Flags)

The coaster will include four sleek trains of 12 passengers each sitting low and inline style (one rider per row) with their legs straddling either side of the monorail track.

It features 3,000 feet of soaring, single-rail, I-beam track with a tension-building ascent up the towering 130-foot lift hill. Riders will fly at speeds up to 58 miles per hour, with intense elements like a steep 87-degree first drop and over-bank cutback, and three dramatic inversions, including a 180-degree stall, raven dive and zero-gravity roll.

Riders will fly at speeds up to 58 miles per hour, with intense elements like a steep 87-degree first drop and over-bank cutback, and three dramatic inversions, including a 180-degree stall, raven dive and zero-gravity roll. (Courtesy/Six Flags)

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Delhi finished its fifth serosurvey to assess the spread of coronavirus infection in the national capital. The result of the serosurvey discovered that at least 50-60 per cent of the city's population has developed antibodies against coronavirus. This means that they were at some point infected unwittingly with coronavirus and were cured later.

Delhi has a population of more than 2 crore and about half its population was infected at one point and developed antibodies as per the fifth round of serosurvey. The official count of infections is 6.34 lakh.

As a result, the 5th serosurvey has indicated that Delhi's population could be heading towards herd immunity. That's because herd immunity against coronavirus is formed when 50-60 per cent of the population found to have the presence of antibodies.

Herd immunity means that in any set of people in a community, large portions of people become immune to a virus after getting infected due to the antibodies developed. And, hence, such people become a protective layer between the infected person and unaffected people, thereby breaking the chain of viral transmission.

In the latest serosurvey, health officials took blood samples of 25,000 people from various districts across the city to analyse how the COVID-19 virus spread and its implications in the city's population. The fifth serosurvey was conducted from January 10 to January 23.

Previously, the Delhi government in association with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had conducted four rounds of serosurveys. The first happened between June 27 and July 10 in 2020 in which 21,387 samples were tested and found that around 23 per cent of the people surveyed had exposure to the novel coronavirus.

The exercise in August showed 29.1 per cent of people had antibodies. In the survey in September and October, the figures stood at 25.1 per cent and 25.5 per cent in October.

Delhi recorded 148 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, the lowest in nine months, even as the positivity rate stood at 0.31 per cent.

This is also the fourth time, the number of daily cases has stood below the 200-mark in January. So far, 10,813 have died due to COVID-19 in the capital.

Also read: PM Modi greets Indians on 72nd Republic Day

Also read: India bans TikTok permanently; app evaluates notice
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has launched the Hab Reeh interactive platform for self-assessment of photovoltaic solar-system designs, under the Shams Dubai initiative, which enables building owners to install photovoltaic systems and connect them to Dewas grid.

Hab-Reeh (an Emirati term that denotes speed, efficiency and positivity) helps consultants and contractors evaluate Shams Dubai project designs to ensure they are compatible with Dewas standards, before submission.

The interactive platform provides unlimited design options for the user in addition to a database of approved solar energy equipment that includes over 150 types from international manufacturers to help them choose the most suitable equipment and tools.

Dewa said it has started training engineers and technicians on using the platform within its training programme for engineers and technicians from contracting and consulting companies.

"This is part of the Dubai Paperless Strategy, launched by His Highness to stop using paper in all internal and external transactions and with customers by December 2021," remarked Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO.

"Launching the Hab Reeh platform is part of Dewas efforts to ensure that solar photovoltaic systems in buildings are designed and installed according to the highest quality and the best international standards, especially in light of the success Shams Dubai initiative has made," stated Al Tayer.

By the end of 2020, Dewa connected more than 6,600 solar systems to its grid, with a total capacity of about 260 megawatts (MW)," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Since the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first 100 days of a US presidency carry a certain mystique. The period is meant to provide a window into a new presidents political soul.

In nearly every respect, as weve seen already, Joe Bidens presidency will seek to be the opposite of Donald Trumps. Last weeks inauguration tried to soothe and restore confidence in American democracy. His first executive orders reversed Trumps trademark policies, including the immigration ban on Muslim countries, the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organisation, and the building of a wall along the Mexican border.

Then theres his cabinet. Having promised to govern with a team that looks like America, Biden is proposing a cabinet with more people of colour and women than any other before it.

Kamala Harris is not only the first female vice-president but also the first African American and south Asian woman elected to the position. Credit:AP

Assuming confirmations by the Senate, the majority of Bidens 25-strong cabinet will be non-white and just under half will be female. Itll be the most diverse US cabinet. Given the resurgence of white supremacy implicated with the Trump presidency, the make-up of the Biden cabinet feels like an institutional rebuke of the past four years.
services were suspended in three districts of Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal until 5 pm Wednesday, the state government said Tuesday evening, as violent protests by farmers rocked neighbouring Delhi.

Haryana's Home Secretary Rajeev Arora said the order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the districts.

The order comes into force immediately and will remain in effect till 5 pm of January 27, he said.

He said the order covers internet services (2G/ 3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS services (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and "all dongle services etc provided on mobile networks except voice calls in territorial jurisdiction of district Sonipat, Palwal and Jhajjar of State".

He asked all telecom service providers in including the Head of BSNL (Haryana jurisdiction) to ensure compliance.

"This order is being passed ex-parte in view of the emergent situationAny person found guilty of violation of this order will be liable for legal action under relevant provisions," as per the order.

The order was issued in view of the potential law and order situation on account of events which unfolded during the farmers' tractor parade in the capital.

The three Haryana districts lie adjoining the capital.

Farmers protesting against the Centre's new farm laws have been sitting in protest for two months at Delhi's various border points including Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal districts.

Earlier in the day, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs decided to temporarily suspend the internet in parts of Delhi like Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi and their adjoining areas for 12 hours from Tuesday noon.

(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 freedom is not practiced in society  in our structures and our institutions  the Constitutions promises will remain promises only.

The following essay appears in 'Our Freedoms', a new anthology of essays edited by Nilanjana Roy and published by Juggernaut Books. It has been reproduced here with due permission.

***

The Preamble to the Indian Constitution speaks of liberty: liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship. Scattered throughout the Constitutions fundamental rights chapter we find the rights to freedom, to freedom of religion and to personal liberty. And if a constitution outlines a vision for society  a blueprint of what society could be  then the society that the Indian Constitution imagines is a society founded on freedom.

There are those who find this objectionable. They argue that this overemphasis on freedom is the result of colonised thinking. Indian society, they say, has always been founded on different values: on the primacy of family and society, and on a chain of duties and responsibilities. The Constitution, they say, is a Western import upon a people fundamentally at odds with its prescriptions. We have all heard these sentiments  or elements of them  expressed everywhere, including in the pages of the New York Times by its India correspondent, and sometimes even by judges of the Supreme Court.

It is tempting on some occasions to agree with this point of view. Watching the gulf between the promises of the Constitution and the realities around us, it is easy to fall into the trap of believing that freedom is not something organic to the Indian soil, that it is something that has never really been valued by Indians, and to give in to the belief that those who advocate for freedom are a rootless, cosmopolitan fringe, out of touch with the realities of Indian social life.

This belief, however, has no basis in reality. It obscures a diverse and plural history, a history in which women and men framed, articulated and grappled with a vocabulary of freedom that was forged out of the many injustices and wrongs that plagued (and continue to plague) our society. These historical traditions go back many centuries, but here let us limit ourselves to our colonial history. As early as the 1810s, Raja Rammohan Roy argued eloquently for the freedom of speech and of the process, locating it within ideas of representative government. Such was Roys influence that, in faraway Spain, the 1812 Constitution of Cadiz  drafted by reformers  was dedicated to him (to the liberalism of the noble, wise, and virtuous Brahmo Ram Mohan Roy).

In his time, Roy was attacked for being a deracinated not-quite-Indian, an attack that is quite familiar to us today. But his words and his writings would echo throughout Indian colonial history. Indian nationalists used the language of freedom to express  and then critique  their subjection by the British regime. From the late 1890s, Indians drafted constitutional documents where freedom was given pride of place. As the liberation struggle took shape in the early 1920s,

Congress presidents CR Das and Motilal Nehru delivered presidential speeches setting out the importance of civil liberties to social life and to the public sphere. The freedom of speech and expression was defended by no less a figure than Gandhi (and who would accuse him of being a deracinated Indian?): Gandhi (famously) condemned the sedition law while on trial and (less famously) penned a stirring defence of the freedom of speech in the pages of Young India, making the now-familiar argument that short of inciting violence, the only remedy for speech was counter-speech.

What united these individuals across more than a century was the basic understanding that wherever there was concentrated power, the individual was under threat and at the risk of effacement. The Indian Constitution was born encoding that simple wisdom: that no matter how benign or well intentioned those who held the reins of power might be, and no matter how convinced they might be that their actions were for the benefit of Indians, freedom was too important  and too precious  to be left only in their hands.

But it would be a mistake to imagine that the vocabulary of freedom came into being only in the context of Indians struggle against an authoritarian state. It was always understood that the state was not the sole locus of power and oppression. The vocabulary of freedom, thus, was excavated and put to use in what we now call the private sphere. In the late 19th century, this was spearheaded by women such as Pandita Ramabai, Rukhmabai (who fought a long legal battle against being forced to live with a husband whom she had not consented to marry), Tarabai Shinde and others.

In letters, epistles, memoirs and other genres of writing, these women subjected the life of the family and the home to searing critique, in the language of equality and freedom. The constraints that family structures placed upon women, their loss of liberty and comparisons of their situation to that of slavery  all this and more was the subject of public debate, bringing the langue of freedom into a space that, for centuries, had been defended upon the very basis that it reflected the natural inequality and subjection that existed in the world.

It was this sustained movement that ensured that, at least in formal terms, the Constitution granted freedom on equal terms to women and men. Unlike in many other countries, where the right to vote began by being limited to property-owning white men, and was won by women only after many decades of struggle, the Indian Constitution granted universal adult franchise in one sweep. Not only that, an attempt to tag on specific limiting provisions in the Constitution was expressly rejected. For example, in the Constituent Assembly, an attempt was made to specify that certain forms of work may be inherently unsuitable on account of sex. The attempt failed comprehensively.

While women were making the argument for freedom in the private and public spheres, so was the movement against caste oppression. Many centuries ago, the poet Ravidas had dreamt of the ideal city of Begumpura, where all citizens had the freedom to walk where they may. In Begumpura, Ravidas imagined a city that was not broken up into ghettoes and enclaves, where everyone had equal freedom to go where they wished. Unsurprisingly, from the 1890s, the earliest petitions to the British authorities against caste oppression framed their case in the language of the freedom of movement, pointing out how access to common roads was barred to the Dalits. Two decades later, BR Ambedkars movement was defined by its call to equality and to freedom  freedom from the strictures and dominance of caste power. In his numerous testimonies to various commissions, for example, Ambedkar stressed upon the prevalence of social boycott in Indian society (a practice that exists to this day) and pointed out how the freedom of individuals  to walk on roads, to live where they may, to draw water from the village well, to engage in the economic and social life of the community  was perpetually hostage to the arbitrary power of that very community. Once again, the Constitution reflected that simple truth in its abolition of untouchability, of forced labour and of discrimination in access to shops, wells and places of public resort.

The idea of freedom, therefore, shaped some of the most important social movements during our colonial history, in the years and decades leading up to political independence, and to the framing of the Constitution. The Constitution, indeed, embodies the best of those traditions in the language that it uses. This idea of freedom, as we have seen, was not simply an abstract one. It was grounded within the reality of Indian social life  not just in the public sphere, but also in structures and institutions such as the family and community.

For this reason, in Indian political and social thought, the idea of freedom was always linked with that of equality and of fraternity. In his speech in the Constituent Assembly, Ambedkar explained that liberty, equality and fraternity constituted a trinity. None of them would be meaningful without the other two: liberty to ensure that the individual was not erased by concentrated power, equality to address the systemic and institutional barriers that had undermined the liberty of so many for so long and fraternity to ensure that liberty and equality existed not simply in the relationship between state and individual, but also percolated deep into society, into those spaces that had so long been defined by their absence.

At the end of the day, a constitution is, of course, a document  nothing more. It is neither self-enforcing nor self-executing. If freedom is not practised in society  in our structures and our institutions  the Constitutions promises will remain promises only. But even in such times, words matter: they matter because they reflect an alternative vision of society, and tell us that the reality need not be a permanent one. If an alternative can be imagined  with words  then it is an alternative that can be created. And also  as I have tried to show in this essay  these words anchor us to our past, to the traditions of freedom and equality that we are heir to. They tell us that we are not alone. They give us a treasure trove of resources to draw upon, and the knowledge that in far more difficult circumstances, Indians (like us) drew upon the language of freedom to shape a different world. And above all else, they tell us that  in the words of the Kenyan poet Christopher Okigbo  the quest for freedom has always been a thirsting for sunlight: that freedom is a destination that may be impossible to reach, but that the path must be walked nonetheless.


If there is a single day that marks the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, it would be Jan. 21, 2020, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that it had confirmed the first case of the novel coronavirus on American soil.



The following day, President Donald Trump, who was attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, brushed off the threat from the then-unnamed virus with the type of willful carelessness that defined his government's approach to the pandemic that would soon rear its ugly head. "It's one person coming in from China," he told CNBC. "We have it under control. It's going to be just fine."



Needless to say, it wasn't fine. Even then the virus was stealthily spreading throughout the country. Nor did the U.S. have the coronavirus under any sort of control. As turned out, Trump didn't even have a plan for how to get there, leaving it to the states to figure out what to do. Instead, he pinned his and the nation's fortunes on getting COVID-19 vaccines developed quickly, which the administration helped to make happen.



It was not a winning strategy. In the first year of the pandemic, the U.S. led the world in COVID-19 infection and death. "American carnage" indeed: More than 400,000 dead from the virus, countless jobs lost and futures derailed.



But there's hope that the second year of the pandemic will be less deadly and destructive. At long last, we have a president with an actual plan to tap the knowledge and resources of the nation for a comprehensive response the likes of which we could have used long ago.



On the anniversary of the nation's first confirmed case, President Joe Biden released a 200-page document outlining a host of steps he plans to take immediately as he seeks to fulfill his promise to guide the nation out of the pandemic and to vaccinate 100 million people in his first 100 days.



There is nothing new or revolutionary in the plan; just sensible, science-based policy. Experts had long advocated for many if not most of the measures, such as expanding and supporting rapid testing, using the Defense Production Act to force manufacturers to gin up more protective gear and other supplies, and mandating face coverings.



Biden also said Thursday that he would require that travelers flying into the U.S. have negative COVID-19 tests and to quarantine upon arrival. Negative test results aren't definitive proof of the absence of infection, but it's better than the total lack of information we have now about travelers' health. It's maddening to think how many people might have been saved from serious illness or death if even half the steps in this plan had been taken last year.



The first order of business, however, is getting a handle on why there isn't more vaccine being shipped to states. The U.S. invested many billions of dollars into developing and pre-purchasing doses even before they were proved to be effective. But supply has been unreliable, and now California and some other states are reporting shortages.



Just what is going on? One of the last acts of now-defunct Operation Warp Speed was to assure Americans this month that vaccine production was reliable. At the same time, the Warp Speed team lied about the existence of national stockpile of vaccines, which makes us wonder whether production of vaccines is truly proceeding apace.



Biden's COVID coordinator, Jeff Zients, laid the chaos at the feet of the last administration. "What we're inheriting from the Trump administration is so much worse than we could have imagined," he said Wednesday in a call with reporters. Given what we do know, that is not a surprise. But it will be up to Biden's team to fix that, and fast.





This editorial appeared at the Los Angeles Times and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency.






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The United States on Monday approved all transactions involving Yemen's Houthi movement for the next month as Washington reviews a Trump administration designation of the Iran-aligned group as a foreign terrorist organization.

The move appeared designed to allay fears of companies and banks involved in commercial trade to Yemen, which relies almost solely on imports. The Treasury Department in a Frequently Asked Question specifically stated that foreign banks will not be exposed to sanctions "if they knowingly conduct or facilitate a transaction" for the Houthis.

"It essentially wipes out the entire effect of the designation while giving the Biden administration a chance to make the decision on its own rather than getting stuck with Mike Pompeo's decision," said Brian O'Toole, a former Treasury official under the Obama Administration.

Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blacklisted the Houthis last Tuesday - a day before President Joe Biden took office - despite warnings from the United Nations and aid groups that it would push Yemen into a large-scale famine.

The Trump administration exempted aid groups, the United Nations, the Red Cross and the export of agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices from its designation, but UN officials and aid groups said the carve-outs were not enough and called for the decision to be revoked.

The US State Department said on Friday that it has initiated a review of the designation and is working as quickly as it can to conclude the process and make a determination.

The new Treasury Department license issued on Monday allows all transactions involving the Houthi group or any entity in which it owns 50% percent or more - though not its blacklisted leaders - until Feb. 26, 2021.

The United Nations describes Yemen as the world's biggest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of its people in need.

A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting the Houthis in a war widely seen as a proxy conflict between US ally Saudi Arabia and Iran.

UN officials are trying to revive peace talks to end the war as Yemen's suffering is also worsened by an economic collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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MindsDB "Machine learning engineers and data scientists can greatly improve the efficiency and consistency of their workflows to make predictive analytics more accessible." Kirk Borne - Global Speaker & AI influencer.

MindsDB, the open-source AI layer for existing databases, will co-host a webinar with top Big Data and AI influencer Kirk Borne on how to run machine learning inside a database. The webinar, held on February 16th at 4 PM GMT, will further the goal of simplifying machine learning by presenting an innovative technique for running ML directly in the database using AI-Tables.

Kirk Borne is the Principal Data Scientist for Booz Allen and a global speaker and influencer in Big Data, data science, and AI. He will speak on the topic of Democratizing Machine Learning for Business Value Creation from Data. This engaging discussion will present a new option for companies without the resources or data science expertise to deploy predictive analytics models. Instead, organizations can provide data analytics tools and techniques within existing business workflows and tools.

"Machine learning engineers and data scientists can greatly improve the efficiency and consistency of their workflows to make predictive analytics more accessible, said Borne. New, democratized machine learning tools now make all data sources, ML models, and predictive analytics to be queried from a common database and interface."

MindsDB is co-hosting the webinar with Borne to demonstrate how organizations can reduce the complexity of machine learning by bringing models directly to the data source. Using standard SQL queries and a new type of database table called AI-Tables, users can apply machine learning models straight in the database to automatically generate predictions as simple tables.

Kirk has spoken about the need to make predictive analytics more accessible for years, and were proud to partner with him to demonstrate how MindsDB meets this long-standing demand, said Jorge Torres, Co-Founder and CEO of MindsDB. This presentation is a great opportunity for us to introduce innovations to the industry, such as AI-Tables.

The MindsDB portion of the webinar, presented by Jorge Torrres, will cover AI-Tables, What Are They, and Why You Want Them. This detailed presentation will provide an introduction to how MindsDB brings machine learning into the database using AI-Tables. Learn how AI-Tables enable machine learning models to be built and deployed from inside the database without any additional tools or data science skills.

Explainable AI helps database users understand and interpret the results generated by machine learning models to evaluate model accuracy and identify potential data biases easily. As predictive analytics become more accessible, this level of explainability is critical to ensure regular users understand how insights were discovered and feel confident enough in the findings to use them to make more informed business decisions.

MindsDB and Kirk Borne are currently accepting registrations for the webinar on February 16th at 4 PM GMT. You can RSVP to join their discussion here.

About MindsDB

MindsDB helps anyone use the power of machine learning to ask predictive questions of their data and receive accurate answers from it. MindsDB was founded in 2017 by Adam Carrigan (COO) and Jorge Torres (CEO), is backed with over $5.2M in seed funding from the University of California, Berkeley SkyDeck fund, OpenOcean, and the co-founders of MySQL and MariaDB. MindsDB is also a graduate of Y Combinators recent Winter 2020 batch. See how MindsDB can help you by visiting http://www.mindsdb.com.
Violeta Ayalas virtual reality film Prison X, which will have a world premiere at Sundance Film Festival on the weekend, imaginatively suggests what its like being a drug mule cast into San Sebastian Prison in Bolivia.

Virtual reality film heading for Sundance: director Violeta Ayala with (from left) producer Dan Fallshaw, composer XNYWOLF (Andre Patzi) and 3D Illustrator Roly Elias at the United Notions studio in Sydneys Petersham. Credit:James Alcock

You don a golden mask, step inside and take a surreal journey among guards, prisoners, spirits and animals.

A mysterious woman flanked by two blue jaguars welcomes you to an infamous South American jail.

It was inspired by the three years that she and producer Daniel Fallshaw spent shooting the 2017 documentary Cocaine Prison in a jail packed with more than 1000 drug mules, petty thieves and their families before the pandemic.

Ayala, a Bolivian-Australian of Indigenous Quechuan heritage, wanted to offer viewers a different experience of a prison that has its own hardware store, chapel, restaurants, school, nursery and gym. Its a film that is immersive, interactive and fuelled by Andean myths.

You are the narrative: writer-director Violeta Ayala during production of Prison X. Credit:United Notions

When she discovered virtual reality, which involves watching through a headset using hand controllers, she found the perfect format.

While I adore documentary, because you can make so much poetry and it changes you every time you make a film as a person, I think storytelling has no limits, Ayala says.
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Business owners at all stages in their entrepreneurship journey have been tested in their fortitude and resilience as they adapt to scale thriving businesses in a post-COVID world. Many entrepreneurs will need to shift how they structure their business to maintain a steady profit and pipeline in our altering economy.

Complete Controller Founder and CEO Jennifer Brazer understood and surmounted these challenges while building one of the first fully cloud-based accounting services in the U.S. In her new book, From Cubicle to Cloud: How to Start and Scale a Virtual Professional Service Business, she brings to market the first and essential guide for anyone who wants to virtualize a professional service business. This book highlights Brazer's profound, personal experiences while building her disruptive business model and reinventing the client accounting services (CAS) industry. Whether your specialty is accounting, therapy, design, law, or any other field, Brazer shares practical strategies for developing and scaling a successful cloud-based business.

Sean Balkman, Small Business Market Manager VP at Bank of America, praises Jennifer's innovative book by saying, "The world is changing, the way we do business is changing, and this impacts our small business owners. Today, we are not meeting with clients face to face; we are meeting them online over video chatMost of these business owners would have never done business this way. Still, we were forced to overcome and adapt because business keeps going  Jennifer's take on how business owners can embrace the cloud couldn't have arrived at a better time. This book provides insight that will show our business owners how to take the necessary action to continue to move the business forward, in a different way."

Order your copy of From Cubicle to Cloud today available everywhere books are sold. Stay up to date on Brazer's endeavors by visiting jenniferbrazer.com or following on Instagram.

About

Complete Controller is a national cloud-based client accounting services firm, delivering bookkeeping services, audit ready records storage and performance reporting to small businesses, households, trusts and their CPAs. Founder and CEO, Jennifer Brazer, is a pioneer in the virtualization of professional services and published author. She is a vocal proponent of financial literacy, entrepreneurial empowerment, and cloud business strategies.

Press Contact

Jordan Johnson

866-443-8879 ext. 727

jordan.johnson@completecontroller.com

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Berlin, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2021 ) :Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday invited US President Joe Biden to visit Germany "as soon as the pandemic situation allows," her spokesman said, in their first phone call since the Democrat took office.

In what appeared to be a markedly warm call compared to her conversations with Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, Merkel and the new US leader also underlined the importance of working together in the fight against Covid-19.

"The chancellor and the American president agree that stronger international efforts were needed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic," said Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert in a statement.

On that note, she welcomed Biden's decision to reverse Trump's decision last July to pull the United States out of the World Health Organization -- even as the pandemic was raging.

A few months later in November, Trump also yanked the United States out of the Paris climate accord, claiming it "was designed to kill the American economy" rather than save the environment.

Also lauding Biden's decision to return to the Paris agreement, Merkel pledged "Germany's readiness to assume responsibility as it works with European and transatlantic partners in dealing with international tasks".

Merkel said Thursday during a press conference that there was far more common ground with Washington now that Biden has replaced Trump.

She had minced no words in criticising Trump, saying after the storming of the US Capitol by his supporters that the president shared blame for the unrest.

In 2016, she had greeted Trump's election victory with an extraordinary warning: that she would work with him on the condition that he respect democratic values.
Then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe is seen on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, on Dec. 12, 2020. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

Ratcliffe Bristles at Biden Administrations Strategic Patience on China

'The intelligence doesnt say we should have patience with respect to China, it says we should act with respect to China'

Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe on Monday took issue with a remark by the White House press secretary, who said that the Biden administrations approach to China would start out as one of strategic patience as it runs a series of interagency consultations and talks with allies before determining Americas posture going forward, with the former spy chief urging determined action on Beijings abuses, not foot-dragging.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said at a Jan. 25 press briefing that while the Biden administration recognizes the threats China poses to American security, prosperity, and values, and plans to hold Beijing accountable for its range of economic and trade abuses, she also stressed that the administration would start off with a patient round of consultations with domestic agencies and foreign allies before launching into action.

Were starting from an approach of patience as it relates to our relationship with China, Psaki said. So that means were going to have consultations with our allies, were going to have consultations with Democrats and Republicans, and were going to allow the interagency process to work its way through to review and assess how we should move forward with our relationship, she added, stressing also that President Joe Biden would take a multilateral approach to engaging with China.

Ratcliffe reacted to Psakis remarks at the briefing, telling Fox News in an interview that the available intelligence speaks in favor of the view that the Trump administrations tough-on-China policies should be continued without interruption.

I can just tell you that what Jen Psaki said is entirely inconsistent with what the intelligence shows, Ratcliffe said. The intelligence doesnt say we should have patience with respect to China, it says we should act with respect to China.

The policies that were based on that intelligence in the Trump administration should be followed, he said, adding, what Im hearing are signs that maybe we will back off and we want better relations with China, and the path of appeasement is the road to nowhere when it comes to China.

At Mondays presser, Psaki was asked about comments made in a speech by Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum that called for countries to reject the outdated Cold War mentality of confrontation with China and instead seek multilateral engagement, with Xi saying that nations must avoid meddling in other countries internal affairs and give priority to issues such as the pandemic recovery and climate change.

To build small circles or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten, or intimidate others; to willfully impose decoupling, supply disruption or sanctions; and to create isolation or estrangement will only push the world into division and even confrontation, Xi said, likely referring to the policy of reshoring supply chains and other economic decoupling moves, along with tariffs, that were a feature of the Trump administrations tough-on-China approach.

A reporter asked Psaki whether Xis statement would change the Biden administrations stance toward China on trade and technology.

No. I think our approach to China remains what it has been sincefor the last months, if not longer, Psaki replied.

Were in a serious competition with China. Strategic competition with China is a defining feature of the 21st century. China is engaged in conduct that it hurts American workers, blunts our technological edge, and threatens our alliances and our influence in international organizations, she continued.

What weve seen over the last few years is that China is growing more authoritarian at home and more assertive abroad. And Beijing is now challenging our security, prosperity, and values in significant ways that require a new U.S. approach, she added.

Psaki then said that we want to approach this with some strategic patience, and predicate further action on both internal reviews and consultations with allies.

Asked about former President Donald Trumps tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars on Chinese goods, and whether Biden would keep them, Psaki said the policy would be evaluated and no decision has been taken yet.

As is the case with other areas of our relationship with China, he will take a multilateral approach to engaging with China, and that includes evaluating the tariffs currently in place, Psaki said, adding that the president is committed to stopping Chinas economic abuses on many fronts, and the most effective way to do that is through working in concert with our allies and partners.

Psaki added that Bidens view is that we need to play a better defense, which must include holding China accountable for its unfair and illegal practices and making sure that American technologies arent facilitating Chinas military buildup, with the administration planning a comprehensive strategy to address these, and other China-related issues.
DUBLIN, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "US Software Defined Data Center Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Country Analysis by Component and Industry Vertical" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The market was valued at US$ 14.30 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 50.93 billion by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.4% from 2020 to 2027.



US is a technologically advanced country with the presence of a large number of IT and telecommunication companies. Moreover, the country houses some of the dominant IT companies that have set up their datacentre in the US. Northern Virginia, Santa Clara, Northern New Jersey, Chicago, and Dallas are some of the US's largest datacentre metro areas.



US companies are continuously focusing on adapting to new technologies and are continually investing in new technologies to improve their business process and improve productivity. The companies' focus on adopting software-defined data centers over legacy hardware data centers to improve the costs, scalability, efficiency, and availability.



Therefore, the presence of a large number of IT and Telecom giants and the growing focus of the companies towards improving their efficiency and reducing the operational costs are the significant factors that are expected to support the growth of the software defined data center market in the US.



Moreover, with the growing amount of data Federal Governments are capitalizing on modernizing their IT environments to meet their demands. The government agencies are focusing on improving the storage and management of data in response to government mandates. According to the survey released by Dell EMC in March 2017,100 federal IT managers participated. The survey revealed: about two-thirds of participants responded that their organizations already deployed software defined solutions.



However, 85% of the participants responded to progress in the use of software-defined data centers. Thus, government organizations' growing investments for technological advancements and the increasing adoption of software-defined solutions among government organizations are expected to positively influence the software defined data center market in the US.



US has the presence of some of the leading players in the software defined data center market such as VMware, Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, UnitedPrivateCloud, Cisco Systems, Inc., and Microsoft Corporation, among others.



These companies are rigorously working on offering cutting edge software defined data center solutions to its customers. The presence of the leading software-defined data center providers and the companies' continuous focus towards the adoption of new technologies to improve their efficiency is expected to support the growth of the software defined data center market in the US.



Impact of COVID-19 on Software Defined Data Center Market



The COVID-19 pandemic situation in the US has forced companies to implement work from home (WFH) process as a contingency for the continuity of the business; this drives the adoption of cloud infrastructure and integration of SDDC. As per CBRE's North American Data Center Trends Report 2020, the region's data center sector was strong in the first half of 2020 because hybrid IT infrastructure is being widely implemented by the organizations to develop remote working capabilities.



Furthermore, VMware (a data center virtualization provider) has taken conscious decision of encouraging work from home for the foreseeable future to contain the spread of COVID-19 in workplace settings. Thus, the implementation of SDDC is persistently becoming essential owing to increasing data volumes and growing multi-cloud strategies, thereby driving the software defined data center market growth in the country.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology



4. US Software Defined Data Center Market Landscape

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 PEST Analysis

4.3 Ecosystem Analysis

4.4 Expert Opinion



5. Software Defined Data Center Market - Key Market Dynamics

5.1 Market Drivers

5.1.1 Rising Big Data Generation

5.1.2 Growing implementation of SDDC specifically in BFSI sector in the US

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 Cyber-security issues

5.3 Market Opportunities

5.3.1 Installation of Advanced Colocation Centers

5.4 Future Trends

5.4.1 Data Center Automation

5.1 Impact Analysis Of Drivers and Restraints



6. Software Defined Data Center Market - US Analysis

6.1 Software Defined Data Center Market US Overview

6.2 US Software Defined Data Center Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (Us$ Billion)

6.3 Market Positioning - Key Players

6.4 Positioning Map



7. Software Defined Data Center Market Analysis - by Component

7.1 Overview

7.2 US Software Defined Data Center Market Breakdown, by Component, 2019 & 2027

7.3 Solution

7.3.1 Overview

7.3.2 Solution Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Billion)

7.3.2.1 Software-Defined Compute (SDC)

7.3.2.2 Software Defined Storage (SDS)

7.3.2.3 Software Defined Network (SDN)

7.4 Service

7.4.1 Overview

7.4.2 Service Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Billion)

7.4.2.1 Integration & Deployment Services

7.4.2.2 Consulting & Professional Services



8. Software Defined Data Center Market Analysis - by Industry Vertical

8.1 Overview

8.2 US Software Defined Data Center Market Breakdown, by Industry Vertical, 2019 & 2027

8.3 BFSI

8.4 IT & Telecom

8.5 Healthcare

8.6 Retail



9. Impact of COVID-19 on US Software Defined Data Center Market

9.1 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on US software Defined Data Center Market

9.1.1 US: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic



10. US Software Defined Data Center Market- Industry Landscape

10.1 Market Initiative

10.2 Merger and Acquisition

10.3 New Development



11. Company Profiles

VMware, Inc

Microsoft Corporation

Juniper Networks Inc.

Oracle Corporation

Cisco Systems, Inc

FUJITSU LIMITED

Citrix Systems, Inc

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (HPE)

UnitedPrivateCloud

Nutanix, Inc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cdrl0u

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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SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

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With the capital on Tuesday witnessing two big events-- celebrations and a farmers' tractor parade--the city has been brought under heavy security cover with deployment of thousands of security personnel in central Delhi and several border points.

The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 unions leading protests against the Centre's farm laws, said their tractor parade will not enter central Delhi and it will start only after the official parade on Rajpath concludes.

The unions said around two lakh tractors are expected to participate in their parade, which will move into the city from three border points--Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur (UP Gate).

According to the unions, there is no limit on vehicles.

Patrolling has been intensified at power substations in Delhi following a threat from the banned Sikhs for Justice outfit to disrupt the city's supply during the celebrations.

An official said around 6,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain vigil. Facial recognition systems have also been set up at vantage points for suspect identification, the official said.

The security personnel are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil over Rajpath, where President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with other dignitaries and thousands of people.

Checking and frisking at Rajghat will be done by personnel in PPE kits, with mask and face shield, keeping in line with COVID-19 protocols, the official said.

A five-layer security cover has been deployed in and around the city to maintain law and order, a senior police officer said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said more than 6,000 police personnel have been deployed at Rajpath for the Republic Day celebrations.

Following COVID protocols, only 25,000 people will be allowed to attend the ceremony at Rajpath as opposed to over one lakh spectators who usually attended the event every year, he said.

The parade will be shorter this year. Instead of marching up to the Red Fort, the parade will end at the stadium. Only tableaux will be allowed at the Red Fort, he said.

"We have 140 CCTV cameras on the Republic Day parade route and along the enclosures. We have identified and set up facial recognition systems at 30 spots on Rajpath from where the public would enter.

"This system is fed with a database of nearly over 50,000 people, including that of suspected terrorists, criminals and anti-social elements," said another senior police officer.

According to an advisory, no traffic will be allowed on Vijay Chowk from 6 pm on Monday till the parade is over. Rajpath is already out of bounds. No cross traffic on Rajpath intersections from 11 pm on Monday at Rafi Marg, Janpath, Man Singh Road till parade is over.

To maintain law and order during the farmers' tractor parade, thousands of security personnel have been already deployed at several border points.

Deependra Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence), claimed on Sunday that over 300 Twitter handles have been generated from Pakistan to disrupt the tractor parade.

The traffic going towards the NH-44 and the GT Karnal Road will be diverted from Singhu Shani Mandir, Ashok Farm/Janti Tall, Hamidpur, Sunderpur Majra, Zindopur Mukhmelpur, Kadipur, Kushak Colony, Mukarba Chowk and GTK Depot," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Meenu Chowdhary said.

The second batch of vehicles will start from the Tikri border and pass through Nangloi, Baprola Village and Najafgarh, excluding Phirni Road, Jharoda Border, Rohtak Bypass (Bahadurgarh) and Asoda Toll Plaza, Chowdhary said.

Police said the traffic will be diverted from different points. Traffic will not be allowed to enter on the Rohtak road from Kirari Mor and will be diverted towards Mangolpuri. It will also be diverted from Ghevra Mor towards Khanjawala, they said.

Tractors from the Ghazipur border will cover some portion of the NH-24 from where they will take a right turn to Road Number 56, ISBT Anand Vihar, Apsara Border, Hapur Road, Bhopura, IMS College, Lal Kuan and Ghazipur Border, police said.

Hundreds of women farmers are also expected to drive tractors.

Farmer leaders have appealed to those participating in the parade to carry enough ration for 24 hours and ensure that the rally remains peaceful.

"No one should carry any weapon or drink alcohol. Banners carrying inciting messages are not allowed," a farmer leader said.

Enacted in September last year, the three farm 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 minimum support price and do away with the 'mandi' system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

(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.)
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
Two filmmakers went on trial in Sweden on Monday for violating the sanctity of the wreck of the Estonia ferry, which sank in the Baltic Sea in 1994 killing 852 people in one of the 20th century's worst maritime disasters.

The team sent a remote-operated submersible to the ship while filming a documentary that revealed a massive hole in the ship's hull, helping to cast doubt on the findings of an official investigation into the sinking.

After deciding not to salvage the wreck, Sweden, Estonia and Finland agreed in 1995 to designate it a final resting place and make it illegal to disturb the site.

This is the first time the law will be applied.

The two Swedes -- the documentary's director and a deep sea analyst -- were on the ship when the vehicles were sent to the wreck in September 2019. They face fines or a prison sentence of up to two years.

However, their discoveries sparked calls for a new probe into the cause of the disaster and in December Sweden announced plans to amend the law to allow a re-examination of the wreck.

The original inquiry concluded that the disaster was caused by the bow door of the ship being wrenched open in heavy seas, allowing water to gush into the car deck, and the countries involved have been reluctant to re-examine the issue.

Experts however told the filmmakers that only a massive external force would be strong enough to cause the rupture, raising questions about what really happened that night.

Survivors and relatives of those killed have fought for over two decades for a fuller investigation, with some claiming -- even before the new hole was revealed -- that the opening of the bow visor would not have caused the vessel to sink as quickly as it did.

Some have speculated that the ferry may have collided with another vessel, either a military ship or a submarine, or that an explosion caused the sinking.

The ship, which was sailing from Tallinn to Stockholm, went down in just one hour in the early hours of September 28, 1994, leaving only 137 survivors.
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Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 48F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 48F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
Customers who want to bring a dog or cat on board as a pet will have to pay a fee, and the animal must be kept in a carrier that fits under an airplane seat.
Celebrities from showbiz took to social media to extended his greetings to the citizens of India as the country marked its 72nd Republic Day. On this day in 1950, the Constitution of India came into force.

Wishing peace and prosperity, megastar Amitabh Bachchan tweeted some pictures of himself early on Tuesday. Actor Sonu Sood, who became a national hero of sorts also wished and on 72nd Republic Day and encouraged them to change a life. Mohanlal too extended wishes on the day.

Pledge to change a life. Happy Republic Day , pic.twitter.com/tCWVatC2hq sonu sood (@SonuSood) January 26, 2021

T 3794 - 26th January .. Republic Day Happiness peace prosperity and .. be safe .. be protected pic.twitter.com/EWRLN0OMXJ Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) January 25, 2021

The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the National War Memorial near the India Gate later in the day, from where he will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath.

Thereafter, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Rajpath to witness the 90-minute-long Republic Day parade ceremony.

Following COVID protocols, only 25,000 people will be allowed to attend the ceremony at Rajpath as opposed to over one lakh spectators who usually attended the event every year, he said. The parade will be shorter this year.

Instead of marching up to the Red Fort, the parade will end at the national stadium.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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

Heres what some of them had to say:

I think its amazing. Im just super, super excited. Tears of joy. Just all the gooey feelings with her becoming vice president. Its funny because like a few years ago I was talking to people and I was like kind of joking, like, Agh. Im going to be the first brown president of the United States. It was funny because I didnt think that was possible until maybe in the next 20-30 years, and I didnt think any brown person would reach that level until I was old enough. And so the fact that its happened and shes done it and broken this amazing, ridiculous glass ceiling is awesome to see and just so, so exciting. Not expected and so much more to do and shes now paved the way. Like I know I can see myself in some incredibly glamorous position in this country because of her and the other women that have helped sort of pave this way. So just super exciting and its awesome.

Tanvi Ajmera, 32, originally from India (pictured at top)

It means having someone who knows, someone who gets it, someone who, hopefully, finally can put our stories at the center, our priorities at the center. Watching people like Sen. Harris get to where people like us havent gotten to before, it shows me that I can go even higher.

Radiance Campbell, 22

I see it as an opportunity for women, for women of color. Its an opportunity for us to not only see someone achieve something that we hope to see ourselves doing  able to directly help and make and enact change  but its also an opportunity for us to show those who came before us, for their whole hard work to also pay off.

Cydney Campbell, 22

That makes me feel like my children, well, and myself, but definitely my children, my two little girls, who come from a line of AKAs (Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority) such as Kamala Harris  it gives me hope and it gives them hope and an idol to look up to, to become whatever they want to become. It shows the strength and diligence, and hard work and consistency, and persistency and getting to where you want to be. So it means a lot to me as far as someone from Washington, D.C.

Denise Bailey, 35

It made me feel proud. Proud to watch the first woman to be sworn in as Vice President and proud that more barriers are being broken down. And just feeling overjoyed because she's an inspiration to all women and young girls. And I'm proud to support her as a Bison, a Howard University sister in the Bison community.

LaCrecia Williams, 44

I'm just overwhelmed with happiness and pride. You know at 87, first of all, I had an opportunity to meet with Dr. (Martin Luther) King back when he was fighting with the civil rights movement. And he would come into Washington, I'd get an opportunity to chat with him sometimes. And then to live long enough to see us elect an African American president in President (Barack) Obama and serve two terms. And now, to have a female woman of color elected as Vice President of the United States of America is a dream come true for me. The example that she sets for the young girls today is immeasurable. It's just absolutely immeasurable. Shes an amazing woman. I've read about her. I know her. She went to Howard University and she's done a great job in California. So we welcome her and we're proud of her and we're going to do all we can to support her as Vice President and our President (Joe Biden) as well. Like Jack Kennedy said, Don't ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. So if we all come together and work together and unite, we can make this a beautiful country.

Virginia Ali, 87, owner of Ben's Chili Bowl

What it means to me is that we are coming together. We as Black people are getting up the ladder. We are not unseen...

Amenna Scott, 36

Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID
New Delhi, Jan 26 : The tableau of Chhattisgarh, which was displayed during the parade at Rajpath on Tuesday, gave an enchanting glimpse of the state's traditional and folk musical instruments.

The spectators greeted the tableau with huge applause and were spellbound to see the huge moving model of a tribal male playing a drum while performing 'Gaur' dance in the rear part.

On both the edges of the tableau, dancers performed dance and played various rhythmic instruments. Other instruments displayed on the tableau were 'agalgoja', 'copdodka', 'maandar', 'dev nagada', 'daahak', 'nagada', 'dafadaa', 'sarangi' and bamboo.

President Ram Nath Kovind along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries waved as the tableau passed in front of the saluting base on the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day celebrations, said the statement from the state government.

The audiences were also mesmerized by beautiful depiction of a giant tribal girl adorned with traditional ornaments in the middle portion of the tableau playing "Dhankul" musical instrument, which is used on the occasion of special rituals like 'Teeja-jagaar' and 'Laxmi-jagaar' in Bastar. The musical instruments are made from objects used in day-to-day life such as the earthen pot, bow and bamboo cane.

The tableau summarised the broad horizon of Chhattisgarh's folk life and earmarked the musical instruments of tribal society. Tribal dancers accompanied the tableau, performing folk dance.

The middle portion depicted musical instruments 'Todi' and 'Tuhri', which are played on auspicious occasions by blowing air into it. Bastar's 'Gaur' dance is displayed on 'Todi', female dancers carrying a special instrument called 'Gunja', which is an iron rod with iron bead on top are also shown.

" " A Blackfoot chief regards the invasion of his hunting ground by the Canadian Pacific Railway, 1884. Ilustration from the magazine The Graphic/De Agostini/Getty Images

In the long, dark history of the United States government's mistreatment of Native Americans, most people are familiar with the Trail of Tears, in which approximately 15,000 Native American men, women and children died during forced relocation from their tribal homelands in the American Southeast to Indian Territory in modern-day Oklahoma.

But the theft of Native American tribal land didn't stop with the Indian Removal Act of 1830 that authorized the Trail of Tears. Over the next century, Congress passed a series of laws that systematically stripped tribes of their lands, selling them to white settlers and corporations.

The Dawes Act, while not a household name, was perhaps the single most devastating government policy of them all. Also known as the General Allotment Act of 1887, the Dawes Act resulted in the loss of 90 million acres (36 million hectares) of Native lands from 1887 to 1934  the equivalent of two-thirds of all tribal landholdings at the time.

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Solving the 'Indian Problem'

Nineteenth-century Americans, driven by Manifest Destiny and rapid industrialization, were hungry for more and more land upon which to farm, ranch, harvest timber, mine minerals and build railroads. Because of earlier relocation policies that resettled Native Americans in Western reservations, many large tracts of attractive Western land were in the hands of Indians by the 1880s.

Politicians and businessmen who saw tribal land ownership as an obstacle to American progress were constantly searching for a solution to the so-called "Indian Problem," and they found it in an unlikely source: progressive social reformers.

Mark Hirsch is a historian at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. He explains that many well-intentioned Americans were appalled at the desperate conditions on Western reservations, where hunting was forbidden and starvation was rampant. Backed by early anthropologists, these social reformers believed that private land ownership and cultural assimilation as farmers and ranchers were key to saving the Indians from their own "savage" status.

" " Sen. Henry Dawes, the author of the Dawes Act, once said that to be civilized meant to "wear civilized clothes ... cultivate the ground, live in houses, ride in Studebaker wagons, send children to school, drink whiskey [and] own property." Bettman/Getty Images

"These people really believed that they were doing a good thing for Native Americans," says Hirsch, "that they were true 'friends of the Indian.'"

As a result, two very different groups  land-hungry capitalists and social progressives  threw their support behind the General Allotment Act of 1887 (called the Dawes Act for Sen. Henry Dawes of Massachusetts, the bill's lead proponent in Congress). This law gave the U.S. president unprecedented power to break up tribal lands into small parcels or "allotments," some of which would be offered to Native American families as private farmland, and the rest sold to white settlers and business interests.

The idea was that the American Indian landowners would emulate the success of their new white neighbors and leave behind their tribal ways to become profitable farmers and ranchers themselves.

"Congress thought that the best way of curing the 'Indian problem' forever would be for Indian people to assimilate into white culture and society," says Stephen Pevar, senior staff counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union Racial Justice Program. "Congress came up with the General Allotment Act as the vehicle to accomplish that."

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How the Dawes Act Worked

Before the Dawes Act, Native American land (including reservations) was communally owned by the tribe and the fruits of labor were shared collectively by all tribal members. For most 19th-century Americans, that traditional Native way of life was antithetical to American ideals of personal responsibility and capitalism.

Teddy Rooseveltfavorably described the Dawes Act as "a mighty pulverizing engine to break up the tribal mass," adding that "the effort should be to steadily make the Indian work like any other man on his own ground."

Under the Dawes Act, tribal lands would be divided into allotments between 40 and 160 acres in size (16 and 65 hectares) and legally changed from community property to privately owned parcels of land. In some cases, Native American families were given the option of choosing their allotment, but in most cases it was assigned to them by officers of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Once all of the Native American families received their small allotments, there was plenty of tribal land left over. This "surplus land" the Dawes Act said, could be sold to non-Native settlers and corporations with the proceeds held in a government account to be used exclusively "for the education and civilization of the Indians."

That surplus land amounted to 60 million acres (24 million hectares)  nearly half of all existing tribal territory  that was immediately ceded to the U.S. government, according to the Indian Land Tenure Foundation.

In an insidious twist, the framers of the Dawes Act added a stipulation that Native Americans weren't "competent" to own their allotments outright. Instead, the deeds to the land would be held in a government trust for 25 years, after which they would be transferred to the Native individual. No such waiting period existed for white settlers and corporations.

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The Devastating Aftermath of the Dawes Act

Hirsch says that U.S. politicians largely saw the Dawes Act as "a win-win situation" in which Native Americans became "civilized landowners" and assimilated into the broader culture and economy with the help of friendly white neighbors.

"Plus, if you had enough white people moving into Indian territory, that area could become an American territory," says Hirsch. "If the population kept growing, you could apply for statehood, which is exactly what happened."

But while the Dawes Act was a clear "win" for white America, it was absolutely devastating for Native people.

First, says Pevar, "the majority of Indians didn't want to become farmers and ranchers. Plus, you needed money to buy equipment, cattle and seeds, money that they didn't have. Here they were with hundreds of acres of land that they couldn't even use."

In most cases, the parcels that were allotted to Native families sat vacant until the 25-year trust period was over and the land could be sold. But here again was another hidden stipulation. After the 25-year trust period expired, the land was suddenly subject to state and local property taxes, which most Native landowners couldn't pay. So, the land would be seized by the tax court and sold at auction.

"There were white people literally waiting in line for the land to go into forfeiture for failure to pay taxes," says Pevar. "They would bid on it and purchase it."

" " April 22, 1889: White settlers rushed to claim Cherokee land in the Oklahoma Territory, after the Dawes Act of 1887, which had robbed the Cherokee of their rights to the land. MPI/Getty Images

Later laws passed by Congress made it even easier to sell off Native American-owned allotments before the 25-year waiting period. The Burke Act of 1906 authorized the Secretary of the Interior to deem a Native landowner "competent" to receive the deed to his own land, at which point taxes were due. This often happened without the Native landowner's knowledge or consent, and before he knew it his land was in forfeiture and sold to the highest bidder.

An additional 27 million acres of Native land were lost through these additional laws and amendments to the Dawes Act, including the so-called "Dead Indian Act" of 1902 that allowed Native heirs to sell their family land before the 25-year trust period was up.

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The End of the Dawes Act

So much land was lost that even the federal government was concerned. In 1928, a damning report written by the Department of the Interior titled "The Problem of Indian Administration" described the state of abject poverty and disease in which most Native Americans were living. The authors of the report criticized the faulty logic that handing private land to Native families would automatically turn them into successful farmers.

"It almost seems as if the government assumed that some magic in individual ownership of property would in itself prove an educational civilizing factor," said the report, "but unfortunately this policy has for the most part operated in the opposite direction." The report noted that many of the Indians were living on lands that even "a trained and experienced white man could scarcely wrest a reasonable living."

Congress repealed the Dawes Act in 1934 as part of the larger Indian Reorganization Act, but the systematic theft of 90 million acres (36 million hectares) of Native lands was already accomplished.

"The Dawes Act is one of the most fundamental and important pieces of legislation that affected Native American people," says Hirsch. "Tragically, it was fundamental in mostly very negative ways."

Court cases related to allotment and American Indian land tenure are still going on.

Now That's Interesting The Dawes Rolls, lists of Native Americans given allotments among the "Five Civilized Tribes," has become a valuable genealogical tool for tracing Native ancestry.
Ziggi's Coffee Ranks on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 List Our growth over the past year and now our ranking on the Franchise 500 is a testament to the strength of our brand, the systems and processes that we have established and the amazing family of franchisees we have built.

Ziggis Coffee (http://www.ZiggisCoffee.com) recently ranked in Entrepreneur magazines Franchise 500, the worlds first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Placement in the Franchise 500 is a highly sought-after honor in the franchise industry making it one of the companys most competitive rankings ever. Recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees, the Franchise 500 ranks Ziggis Coffee as No. 225 for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power.

2020 was a challenging year for everyone, but it was also a year of unusual opportunity, says Jason Feifer, Entrepreneur editor-in-chief. Franchises were able to be nimble and innovative, serving the needs of franchisees and customers in ways that will resonate for many years to come. We believe that, when we eventually look back on this time, well see it as a moment when many brands defined themselves for the future.

In Entrepreneurs continuing effort to best understand and evaluate the ever-changing franchise marketplace, the companys 42-year-old ranking formula continues to evolve as well. The key factors that go into the evaluation include costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500 in ranking order.

Over the last year, Ziggis Coffee has continued to bring on new franchisees, open new locations, and break ground on future ones. By adapting to the situation without compromising its commitment to building the best franchise system and finding franchisees who are the perfect cultural fit, Ziggis Coffee was able to defy the odds and not only survive but thrive. The Colorado-based franchise, which is predominately centered around a drive-thru model, has continued its forward momentum and exceeded company milestones that have paved the way for increased growth.

It is an honor to be recognized for the first time by Entrepreneur Magazine on its Franchise 500 list, said Brandon Knudsen, Co-Founder and President of Ziggis Coffee. Our growth over the past year and now our ranking on the Franchise 500 is a testament to the strength of our brand, the systems and processes that we have established and the amazing family of franchisees we have built. It was our goal from early on, to continue to be the best part of your day, even during one of the most challenging times. To us, that meant finding new ways to support our franchise owners so they could continue to serve their communities, support their staff, and provide for their families.

Over its 42 years in existence, the Franchise 500 has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees.

To view Ziggis Coffee in the full ranking, visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. Results can also be seen in the January/February 2021 issue of Entrepreneur, available on newsstands January 26th.

About Ziggis Coffee

Ziggis Coffee, recently ranked among the top half of companies on the 2021 Entrepreneur Magazine Franchise 500, is a leading specialty coffee shop and drive-thru franchise dedicated to serving only the finest sustainably-sourced coffee, uniquely handcrafted drinks, and amazing, locally-made breakfast, lunch and snack options. Founded in 2004, the Colorado-based company is on a mission to elevate the standard of service within the coffee shop industry. From specializing in a variety of great-tasting coffee and food items to providing fast and friendly service, the Ziggis Coffee brand is focused on creating a positive experience that is faster, more authentic and convenient for the demand of consumers seeking higher-quality coffee and food options on the go. In addition to its distinctive menu and superior service, Ziggis Coffee is also committed to making a positive difference in the local communities it serves. With 29 locations nationwide and 54 additional units in development, Ziggis Coffee is positioned to quickly grow its presence in a variety of communities across the U.S.

To learn more about Ziggis Coffee and its franchising opportunities, visit http://www.ZiggisCoffee.com/franchise or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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More market surveillance checks were carried out in 2020 compared to previous years

Police in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau last week announced that it had completed an investigation into copyright infringement involving Saigon Vietnam Beer Group JSC. Le Dinh Trung, a former employee of Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (SABECO), can now be prosecuted for industrial property rights violations after producing goods and selling them to market without obtaining the certificate of registration for trademark protection by the competent authority.

The issue was first raised in June last year when it was found that over 4,700 cases of beer, nearly 117,000 cans (330 ml types) and over 3,000 beer cartons showing signs of infringement of SABECOs trademarked products. The value of the products was estimated to be more than VND1.4 billion ($61,000). According to calculations, for each barrel of beer brought to the market, the company was earning profit of about VND29,000 ($1.25).

During investigation, local authorities have also found thousands of Bia Saigon Vietnam boxes in the southern localities of Binh Phuoc, Soc Trang, and Can Tho as well as the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. The beer is distributed by Saigon Vietnam Beer Group, which is not a subsidiary of SABECO. Le Dinh Trung, its CEO, held several positions at SABECO in previous years, including assistant to the deputy CEO and head of its legal department.

Legal experts say letting smuggled, counterfeit, fake goods, or poor quality goods move around in the system not only causes loss of revenue for the state budget, but also deteriorates the investment environment and damages the countrys global reputation.

With tightened regulations and campaigns, related authorities have begun to track down many more violations. Previously in 2019, thousands of fake motor parts imitating the two leading motorcycle manufacturers of Honda and Yamaha were found by market management authorities of the northern province of Lang Son. And last year, Hanoi police launched legal proceedings against two people for allegedly selling fake monosodium glutamate (MSG).

According to the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance, in 2020 its plan to combat counterfeit goods and infringing intellectual property goods obtained better results than previous years. The number of checks reached over 2,868, with 2,833 violations, and the amount of administrative fines topped nearly VND24 billion ($1.1 million). The value of confiscated goods was said to be over VND26 billion ($1.18 million).

General director of the directorate, Tran Huu Linh, said last week at its summary report for 2020 that after reorganising the system of vertical management agencies, for the first time his authority carried out a comprehensive campaign in fighting against smuggling and counterfeit goods. The results created a great resonance as well as brought good lessons in the effective fight against both smuggling and commercial fraud.

Linh added that although the fight against counterfeiting and poor quality products has been drastically implemented, there are still many shortcomings. In particular, the prominent causes are due to problems of resources and enforcement mechanisms as well as coordination among related agencies.

Technology has been at the sectoral forefront in driving Indias growth and is likely to play a major role in achieving stability after the pandemic.

Addressing the recent CII Partnership Summit 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called for inputs and the wishlist for 2021 Union Budget. Highlighting that the Budget is in the unprecedented backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and that India has potential as an engine of global growth, she stated that India will be a signicant contributor to global economic revival.

While the government is likely to focus on significant public spending to incentivise each sector, support is particularly needed to those hit hardest by the pandemic and others that will fuel the economys recovery.

Technology has been at the sectoral forefront in driving Indias growth and is likely to play a major role in achieving stability after the pandemic. A few expectations from the sector are summarised below:

While the government brought in a sunset for commencing operations in a special economic zone (SEZ) to avail the tax holiday under Section 10AA of the Income-Tax Act, 1961 (the Act),a clarification is required for those taxpayers who continue to claim the tax incentive that employees working from home would not affect the tax holiday claim.

Presently, the option for a concessional tax rate of 15 percent is only provided to new domestic manufacturing companies and one wishes to see this become available to a wider range of taxpayers by including new non-corporate entities and new players in the services sector.

The pandemic has affected employment and it will be helpful if the additional deduction available for salary paid to new workforce under section 80JJAA of the Act is liberalised by increasing the threshold of Rs 25,000 for monthly emoluments to Rs 50,000 or more, particularly in view of the skilled nature of workforce in this sector.

Another ask is that the tax holiday for eligible startups be increased to five out of 10 years and that they should be exempted from minimum alternate tax (MAT) to truly benefit them.

Further, the present scheme of tax for stock options granted to their employees can result in cash flow difficulties and possible notional tax. Accordingly, the tax should be payable only upon transfer of the shares by the employee. This hardship is not faced by employees of eligible startups alone and hence the change should be brought in for employee stock options in general.

A relaxation is awaited for buyback tax to be removed in case of listed companies. Further, even for others, rationalisation is needed for the cost base used to compute the buyback tax in various situations.

Coming to New Age businesses, the industry hopes to see a further deferral of the significant economic presence in view of ongoing discussions at international levels.

Similarly, the requirement for e-commerce operators to deduct tax on payments to sellers/service providers needs to be reconsidered or the provisions at least rationalised. Various ambiguities such as the inclusion of handling/packing/delivery charges, indirect taxes and revenues that pertain to returned goods need to be cleared. In any case, the requirement should only apply beyond a threshold of Rs 40 lakhs per annum.

For non-residents, one of the major areas for clarifications is regarding the applicability of equalisation levy provisions to a broad spectrum of online transactions. The governments intention to march forward with the levy is indicated in its response to the US Trade Representatives objection, where the government has strongly defended the fairness of levy and asserted right to tax digital operations. However, the amendment was brought in last year without any prior public consultation and there are no documents available on the legislative intent.

Digital businesses are often very complex and resort to techno-commercial expertise in the absence of clarity from the government. Where the Indian Revenue takes a view contrary to that of a taxpayer between the applicability of the levy and Income Tax on a transaction, there may be an incremental cash outflow until finality is attained through litigation. At the very least, credit for one tax should be specifically permitted against the other.

One hopes that the various representations made to the government will yield clear responses on exactly which businesses are sought to be taxed, with penalties not levied in debatable cases. India Inc hopes the government will provide clarity and relaxations (if only temporary) to lessen hardship faced by taxpayers during these trying times.

The author is Tax Partner, EY. Khushroo Patel, Senior Tax Professional with EY also contributed to the article.
A Capitol-Offense

By now, the disgraceful attempted insurrection at the US Capital needs no introduction. The events of that day reverberated around the world and shook the most stout-hearted believer in Western democracy.

By the time this article is published, its likely that much more chaos, bloodshed, and futile-fury will have been unleashed across America.

Much has already been blamed on why these events took place. Each purported cause may have played some part, but its easy to see how religious-political fervour played its own role in this insurrection-infection. And the Jesus Saves banners which flew alongside the mob Capital rioters on that infamous day arent the only telling-indication why.

Identity-politics

Our own childhoods and the school-playground fight shows that all wars result from not getting what we want. The social and news-media furore surrounding the last four-year Trump presidency has been prime example. The resultant stigma of an absolutist for-or-against Trumpism has become larger than politics; now its a symbol of how we view each other.

And the problem isnt just Americas. Nations all around the world now associate our political affiliation as a mirror-image reflection of our character, lifestyle, intelligence, relational-capability, and overall personhood. Politics has almost become as inescapable as our nationality.

Seemingly frightened by this new reality, former US Secretary of State Colin Powell the former recently revealed that he no longer thinks of himself as a Republican or Democrat. Now he sees himself as just a citizen.

Its not difficult to see how Powell reached his decision; these days political values are either demonised or made sacred. Fox News and CNN are prime examples of this reality, with neither they or their audiences ever having much (if anything) bad to say about the opposite side of their almost hysterical for or against Trumpism. Subsequently, any association with a political party or figure makes one a demon or a saint in the eyes of others.

Earthly or Heavenly Kingdom?

Even Christians (myself included at times) have even gotten sucked down this angry-absolutist black hole. Now mans kingdom is associated with Jesus kingdom. Now mans ruler is Gods man, and his politics is Jesus rule and way. But nothing could be further from the truth, and not just because God never called his people to a life of religious-political faith.

When Jesus came to Earth, he didnt call his disciples to change the political landscape and governments of their world or to rail against injustice. Instead, he called them to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). What this looked like is seen in the book of Acts when the church was first established in the world.

From the time God came to work in and through the New Testament disciples at Pentecost, the early church went far and wide to share the gospel, look after those in need, and be a sorely-needed healing balm to a hurting and sick world.

Important things first

Its true that repentance from wickedness and faith towards God were keys to this calling, but only ever for the spiritual and moral personal life, not for a political crusade, and certainly never to live an insurrection-infection life. Christians were never called to come against others, but instead to love them, even their enemies and those who mistreat or vehemently disagree with them.

If ever there was a time for God to work through his apostles and disciples for politics, it would have been then. In their day the Jewish nation was being oppressed by the ruling Roman world, and initially the disciples thought Jesus had come to restore their fortunes.

In response, Jesus said it wasnt for them to know when God would deal with the governments of the world or restore their personal fortunes and the nationalism of their own country. Instead, they would receive power to spread the Good News of who Jesus was and the spiritual salvation he had won for the world. In essence Jesus was saying, Make that your focus while on Earth. Leave your national interest and the governments of the world to me when I return to rule, reign, and set everything aright on the earth.

Gospel-influence is Gods politics

Dont get me wrong. Common sense and Scripture also show that were to influence the world for good. And its not wrong to be outraged and grieved at the injustices in the world. But holy outrage in Jesus kingdom must manifest itself as fervent and self-sacrificial love; a love which also allows the world to choose the wrong way if it wants. Even Jesus didnt force mankind to follow the ways of His Spiritual kingdom while on Earth, and neither must we.

One day the kingdoms of the world will be the kingdoms of God, but not in the present age. If so, Jesus would already be ruling on a visible physical throne in a perfect nation. But Hes not doing that in America, Australia, or anywhere else on Earth, because His current kingdom here is spiritual. The current kingdom also isnt political, its gospel, and mirrors Jesus life, character and heart.

We live in days of near-hysterical political fervour which encourages Christians to take sides and rise up in ideological-insurrection; pinning our colours to an ultimately human and failing world. But just as politics created imperfect kingdom in Jesus day, so its doing in ours.

No enduring answers lie in earthly politics because were all imperfect humans. The only enduring answer lies in Gods perfection and Kingdom. And if we pin our colours to His spiritual mast in our day, well get to enjoy His physical perfect kingdom in His Day when he comes to rule and reign forever.

The UK's decision not to grant the European Union's ambassador in London full diplomatic status is an unfriendly step that may harm future bilateral relations, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2021) The UK's decision not to grant the European Union's ambassador in London full diplomatic status is an unfriendly step that may harm future bilateral relations, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday.

A total of 142 countries across the world have granted EU delegations the same status as diplomats representing sovereign nations, in line with the Vienna Convention. However, the United Kingdom late last week announced that the bloc's ambassador in London, Joao Vale de Almeida, would not be given the same privileges and immunity as diplomats representing nation states.

"For sure, the issue was raised and there is a clear view and unity among member states. It is not a friendly signal, the first one that the United Kingdom has sent to us immediately after leaving the European Union. If things have to continue like this, there are no good prospects," Borrell said at a press briefing following a meeting of the EU's foreign ministers.

The bloc's foreign policy chief urged the UK to alter its decision and grant the ambassador and the rest of the EU delegation full diplomatic rights.

"We expect the United Kingdom to treat the European Union delegations accordingly and without delay," he said.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has proposed treating the European Union as an international organization, rather than a sovereign entity.

The United Kingdom left the European Union on January 31, triggering an 11-month transition period that gave both London and Brussels time to conclude a range of agreements, including a wide-ranging free trade deal.

After months of negotiations, both parties reached a future partnership agreement on December 24, avoiding the prospect of a no-deal Brexit with just one week to spare.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says there is no escaping or cancelling Australias history and January 26 represents the day the land changed forever.

Mr Morrison used an address to an official Australia Day ceremony in Canberra on Tuesday to say it was a day to reflect on that journey and the price that has been paid for freedom.

Scott Morrison says it is Australian to be optimistic and look forward. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

As thousands attended rallies in capital cities, including at Parliament House in Canberra, calling for the date to be changed, Mr Morrison said Australians had risen above our brutal beginnings.

We have overcome, survived and thrived, he said. We have learned but yet we are still learning. And as the many peoples of the world joined our journey, we have become even stronger.
Remote underwater camera image of shorttail nurse shark in Mozambique. Credit: Wildlife Conservation Society

A team of marine scientists led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has confirmed that southern Africa's most threatened endemic sharkthe Critically Endangered shorttail nurse shark (Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum) - has been found to occur in Mozambique; a finding that represents a range extension of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles).

Publishing their findings in the journal Marine Biodiversity, the team said that the discovery was based on several records of the shark including underwater video surveys collected in 2019, recent photos of shore-based sport anglers' catches, and the identification of a specimen collected in 1967.

The diminutive shorttail nurse shark reaches lengths of approximately 75 centimeters (30 inches). Owing to its strong association with coral reefs, it is under particular threat from overexploitation by coastal fisheries and habitat degradation, and is suspected to have declined by more than 80 percent over the last 30 years.

The scientists say that the findings expand the species range southward from the coast of Tanzania by some 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) and 1,100 kilometers (683 miles) westward from Madagascar across the Mozambique Channel.

One of the records of the shark, from Mozambique's Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, suggests that the species benefits from some degree of protection within a large coastal marine protected area (MPA). The authors though warn that the species range within Mozambique may span a large proportion of the country's unprotected coral reef habitat.

Rare footage of shorttail nurse shark in Mozambique. Credit: WCS Mozambique

Said Rhett Bennett, WCS Shark and Ray Conservation Program Manager, Madagascar & Western Indian Ocean: "The shorttail nurse shark is under threat within much of its Mozambique range. There are no species recovery plans in place for the species and no specific regulations pertaining to its harvest, other than a listing on the Kenya threatened and protected species list."

The authors recommend that the species should be considered for legal protection in Mozambique and throughout its limited range. In addition, they say it should be better monitored, and subject to improved management measures to reduce targeted and incidental catch.

WCS works on shark conservation around the world. The majority of the global trade in both shark fins, and other products such as meat, remains unregulated, pushing many species toward extinction. In 2019, at CITES CoP18, WCS helped lead efforts to expand the protection of sharks from unsustainable trade.

The work was conducted in partnership with the Mozambique Instituto Nacional de Investigacao Pesqueira, and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity.

Aspects of this project were funded by the Shark Conservation Fund, a philanthropic collaborative pooling expertise and resources to meet the threats facing the world's sharks and rays. The Shark Conservation Fund is a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

More information: Rhett H. Bennett et al, Range extension of the Critically Endangered shorttail nurse shark Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum (Orectolobiformes: Ginglymostomatidae) to include Mozambique, with implications for management, Marine Biodiversity (2021). Rhett H. Bennett et al, Range extension of the Critically Endangered shorttail nurse shark Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum (Orectolobiformes: Ginglymostomatidae) to include Mozambique, with implications for management,(2021). DOI: 10.1007/s12526-020-01137-w
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE)(OTCQX:SKREF) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to present key findings from recently completed metallurgical testwork in support of the upcoming Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") for the Company's Eskay Creek Project ("Eskay Creek" or the "Project") located in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia. This latest campaign of testwork produced a modified plant flowsheet which resulted in improved results over the flowsheet included in the Eskay Creek Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA"). The PEA study report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on Preliminary Economic Assessment" was filed on SEDAR by Skeena on December 20, 2019 and can be found on the Company's website.

Highlights

An extensive metallurgical testing program was conducted on fresh core samples from the 21A, 21B, 21C, 21E and HW Zones as well as samples included in the previous PEA testwork

The process flowsheet now includes a desliming stage to improve flotation response for coarser material, resulting in the option of producing a higher gold concentrate grade and opportunities to reduce capital costs

The testwork results further de-risks the Eskay Creek metallurgy and improves confidence in the process plant design for the upcoming PFS

2019 PEA Testwork

As part of the 2019 PEA study, a metallurgical testwork program was conducted on samples from the 21A, 21C and 22 Zones. Flotation testwork demonstrated the ability to generate a saleable 25 g/t gold concentrate at a grind size of 60 m with regrinding of the rougher concentrate. For the expected range of mill feed grades over the mine life, plant recovery of gold was between 80% to 90%. Leach tests (including flotation concentrate leaching) showed lower overall gold recovery due to its fine-grained nature, as well as a portion of the gold being encapsulated in sulphide minerals.

PEA testwork showed some issues with high mass pull (% of feed to concentrate), slow flotation kinetics and poor settling characteristics due to the presence of muscovite and other soft minerals. This was noted in the technical report as needing further investigation.

2020 PFS Testwork

To improve upon the PEA testwork, Skeena completed additional PFS testwork in 2020. The samples used in the PEA test program as well as fresh core intervals from the 21A, 21B, 21C, 21E and HW Zones were evaluated by Base Metallurgical Laboratories Ltd. in Kamloops BC. Composite samples representing the first three years of plant feed were also prepared. An extensive flotation testing program was completed, resulting in a modified process flowsheet.

Mineralogical studies indicated a portion of the gold was associated with non-sulphide gangue and flotation performance was negatively influenced by the presence of soft minerals. The solution was to include a desliming stage where these soft minerals were isolated and floated separately. The result was improved flotation response for the coarse material. This mill-float-mill-float circuit ("MF2") is used in platinum processing for fine-grained precious metal recovery.

The modified flowsheet allows for separate flotation of the coarse and fine fractions, resulting in savings in regrind power requirements. A smaller flotation circuit is required due to the lower mass of material needing regrinding before cleaning to a final concentrate.

Improved Metallurgy

The MF2 flowsheet was tested on both the annual composites and variability samples to evaluate its suitability to process a range of Eskay Creek material. The result was the ability to generate a higher concentrate grade without significant loss in gold recovery - this is an improvement over the PEA flowsheet.

A 25 g/t gold concentrate is being targeted to maximise gold recovery although samples generated final concentrate grades in excess of 60 g/t Au. Concentrate silver grades are expected to be between 500 g/t and 900 g/t with arsenic and mercury penalties being incurred in the first three years of operation (when the higher gold grade feed is processed). From Year 4 onwards, arsenic in concentrate is expected to be below 0.5% and mercury below 300 ppm.

Skeena will release an updated Resource Estimate for Eskay Creek in the spring with the PFS study to follow later in 2021.

Shane Williams, Chief Operating Officer commented, "The results of the metallurgical test work to support the upcoming PFS study are very positive. We were particularly pleased that the results further optimize and enhance the flowsheet for Eskay Creek, allowing flexibility on concentrate grade as well as opportunities to reduce capital costs. We now have greater confidence in the process plant design as we progress with the PFS, which remains on track to be completed in mid-2021."

Technical Disclosure

All metallurgical testwork referenced in this press release has been completed by Base Metallurgical Laboratories Ltd., based in Kamloops BC, Canada. Data verification consisted of ensuring that the samples selected came from within the area where Mineral Reserves were estimated, and that the selected samples were representative of the ore to be mined. The Qualified Person ("QP") checked that the sampling protocol used was applicable for the planned testwork. In the QP's opinion, the testwork conducted was completed by a reputable metallurgical testing facility and used industry-standard methods. The QP has visited the testwork facility.

Qualified Persons

Adrian Dance, P.Eng of SRK Consulting, independent of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release.

About Skeena

Skeena Resources Limited is a Canadian mining exploration company focused on developing the past-producing Eskay Creek gold-silver mine located in Tahltan Territory in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company released a robust Preliminary Economic Assessment in late 2019 and is currently focused on infill and exploration drilling at Eskay Creek to advance the project to Prefeasibility. Skeena is also exploring the past-producing Snip gold mine.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited,

Walter Coles Jr.

President & CEO

Contact Information

Investor Inquiries: info@skeenaresources.com

Office Phone: +1 604 684 8725

Company Website: www.skeenaresources.com

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "targets", "estimates", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "could" or "would". Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Skeena Resources Limited

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625799/Skeena-Completes-Positive-Metallurgical-Testwork-Program-in-Support-of-Upcoming-PFS-for-Eskay-Creek


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Tallinn, Estonia , Jan. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

New bespoke content marketing and brand visibility campaign services have been launched by the team at HM Optimisation. They help Manhattan, NY clients to achieve their growth goals through increased Google rankings and lead generation.

More information can be found at: https://hmoptimisation.com

The newly launched services are intended to make it easier for companies across sectors to achieve their goals. The team helps businesses to increase visibility and attract their preferred customers through cutting-edge marketing solutions.

Clients can benefit from in-depth insight into their current campaigns. The team takes the time to analyze the online visibility of their clients, and presents the findings to them in a way that optimizes decision making.

Once this initial stage has been completed, the specialist team can create bespoke content marketing campaigns to generate the best results for clients. They publish articles monthly with a view to increasing Google ranking, brand awareness and audience engagement.

Benefits for clients include overnight expert status and instant authority in their niche. The team can establish clients as leaders in their field with cutting-edge content approaches that signify their expertise.

Tailored content services are designed to ensure better Google rankings for keywords in the clients niche. This will move them towards the 3-pack rankings and improve organic lead generation.

Data shows that most web traffic flows through the top three results on the first page of Google. Failing to hit these prominent positions means that businesses in any niche are likely to miss out on sales.

One of the most impactful decisions a business can make is to work with a marketing specialist. This is where HM Optimisation can help with individualized service.

Utilizing content marketing as part of a brand growth strategy is a reliable way of increasing online presence. HM Optimisation is experienced in all aspects of content marketing and knows how to drive interest in clients products and offers.

A spokesperson for the company states: I cover businesses like yours for a variety of reasons including how they have responded to the current crisis, the quality of their services, and publish hyper local ads in major publications to bring more clients.

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Contact Info:

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Website: https://hmoptimisation.com/




Boston will be moving into the first step of the third phase of the states reopening plan on Feb. 1, Mayor Marty Walsh announced on Tuesday.

In December, the city moved to a modified version of Phase 2, Step 2 of the reopening in an effort to combat the rise in COVID cases following Thanksgiving. Those restrictions  which limited indoor gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25, and forced a number of businesses closed  were extended earlier this year, and were set to expire on Wednesday.

Walsh again extended the regulations through the end of January.

Phase 3, Step 1 lets a host of businesses and venues reopen, including indoor fitness centers and health clubs, movie theaters, aquarium, museums, indoor recreational facilities, sightseeing companies, indoor historical spaces and sites, indoor event spaces, indoor and outdoor gaming arcades, among others.

The indoor gathering limit of 10 and the outdoor limit of 25 still applies to all businesses, Walsh said. The 25% capacity limit remains in place.

We will only move forward with the reopening if public health experts say its safe to do so, Walsh said.

Boston officials reported 316 new COVID cases on Monday, bringing the total number of cases citywide since the pandemic began to 51,506. There were five new COVID-related deaths on Monday, for a total of 1,133.

The percent positivity is currently 7.2%, which is down from 7.5% last week, Walsh said.

Were encouraged by seeing these numbers go down a bit, Walsh said, adding that COVID activity still remains elevated.

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ROME, JAN 26 - Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, the head of Italian bishops conference CEI, on Tuesday expressed concern about the country's current political crisis and called on politicians to put the public first. "The Church is not on one side or the other," Bassetti said. "We are watching the political developments, in a scenario that was already precarious because of the situation we are experiencing, with attention and concern. "We hope that the political class cooperates at the service of the citizens, men and women who work silently every day all over Italy, and that a solution that takes account of their difficulties is reached". (ANSA).
VANCOUVER - Public condemnation grew Tuesday of a Vancouver couple accused of flying to a remote Yukon community to get a COVID-19 vaccine, with British Columbia's solicitor general calling their alleged actions "despicable."

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth speaks to media about how non-medical cannabis will be regulated in the province during a news conference in the press gallery at the legislature in Victoria on Monday February 5, 2018. Farnworth says a Vancouver couple accused of flying to the Yukon to get the COVID-19 vaccine is one of the most "despicable" things he's heard in a long time. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

VANCOUVER - Public condemnation grew Tuesday of a Vancouver couple accused of flying to a remote Yukon community to get a COVID-19 vaccine, with British Columbia's solicitor general calling their alleged actions "despicable."

Mike Farnworth criticized former Great Canadian Gaming Corp. CEO Rodney Baker and his wife Ekaterina Baker, who have been issued tickets under the territory's Emergency Measures Act and face fines of up to $1,000, plus fees.

"Frankly, I think what we saw yesterday of individuals flying to Yukon was probably one of the most despicable things that I've seen in a long time. It shows a complete lack of any sort of ethical or moral compass," Farnworth said at a news conference on a separate matter.

"As we've also seen, they have paid a pretty high price, losing a $10-million-a-year job, as they should."

Tickets filed in a Whitehorse court show the 55-year-old man and his 32-year-old wife were each charged with one count of failing to self-isolate for 14 days and one count of failing to act in a manner consistent with their declarations upon arriving in Yukon.

The allegations against them have not been proven in court and the tickets indicate the couple can challenge them.

Ekaterina Baker did not immediately respond to calls and emails requesting comment. An attempt was made to speak to Rodney Baker through a request to Great Canadian Gaming, which accepted his resignation Sunday, after he couldn't be reached.

An information circular published by Great Canadian Gaming in March 2020 says Baker earned a total of about $6.7 million in compensation from the company in 2019.

The company owns and operates more than 20 casinos in B.C., Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Baker became president in 2010 and CEO the following year.

Spokesman Chuck Keeling said in a statement on Monday that the company does not comment on personnel matters, but it complies with guidelines from public health authorities in all jurisdictions.

"Our overriding focus as a company is doing everything we can to contribute to the containment of COVID-19," he said.

Ekaterina Baker is an actress who had small roles this year in "Chick Fight," starring Malin Akerman and Bella Thorne, and "Fatman," which starred Mel Gibson as a rowdy, unorthodox Santa Claus, according to her IMDB Pro page.

The biography on the page describes her as a European-born actress who is now based in Canada.

Calls and emails to the agent and manager listed on her page were not immediately returned.

Yukon Community Services Minister John Streicker said last week the couple allegedly chartered a plane to Beaver Creek, posed as visiting workers and received shots of a COVID-19 vaccine at a mobile clinic.

Streicker said he was outraged by their alleged actions and members of White River First Nation in Beaver Creek felt violated.

The community was prioritized to receive vaccine because of its remoteness, elderly population and limited access to health care, said White River Chief Angela Demit.

Kevin Rodrigues, a medical ethicist with the University Health Network at Toronto General Hospital, said using "financial muscle" to go elsewhere to be immunized undermines difficult decisions over who should be prioritized for a vaccine when supplies are limited.

"I think that for affected groups or for people who have been struggling and waiting it does feel like a slap in the face. And they went into a remote community and introduced the possibility of infection. It was done for quite a selfish reason."

The pandemic has exposed deep health inequities but the Bakers' alleged actions are a "much more egregious way of exposing this" and raise issues about fundamental injustice within society, he said.

"The reality is that those without means are at greater risk for poor health outcomes as we're trying to get on top of having an equitable health approach," Rodrigues said.

"You hear our government officials say it to the point where it sounds like a buzz word, that 'We're all in this together,' this idea of solidarity, and it doesn't feel like we are a nation that is in solidarity if some people are able to jump the queue and access (vaccines) ahead of others who are waiting and trying to do the right thing."

 With files from Camille Bains

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2021.
As vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic begin to be rolled-out around the world  albeit almost exclusively in rich countries for the moment  there is another piece of good news about a vaccine against another terrifying viral disease, Ebola.



An international stockpile of effective Ebola vaccines was launched on Jan. 11. It is to be managed by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision, under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO), with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) as a group member.

This is positive overall, and could save many lives; however, sometimes, as we know in the access to medicines movement, the devil is in the details. And some of the details in the recent announcement are not so great and should give us pause for thought before throwing our collective hats in the air.

So, let's start with the good part. The ICG is committed to shipping doses of the vaccine to countries in need within seven days of a request being submitted. And that's because the stockpile is primarily meant to vaccinate communities during outbreaks, and not to provide vaccines during inter-epidemic times. This commitment means the vaccines should arrive in time to contain a nascent outbreak.

However, there's already a caveat here, because the only vaccine in the stockpile right now is Ervebo (aka rVSV-EBOV), marketed by the German pharmaceutical company Merck. It certainly is a very efficacious vaccine, but it has a major drawback in that it requires an ultra-cold chain to stop it spoiling.

Just like the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, it has to be stored at a very low temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius, and then for no more than two weeks at 2-8 degrees Celsius when deployed. This is likely to present severe logistical challenges for implementers in the places where the vaccine needs to be rolled out  at least given where the outbreaks have taken place to date  in countries in West, Central and East Africa.

There is another licensed Ebola vaccine (Zabdeno/Mvabea, aka Ad26.ZEBOV/MVA-BN-Filo), marketed by the American multinational pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J&J), which is not included in this agreement.

This can be stored at conventional refrigerated temperatures (2-8 degrees Celsius) but it requires two doses to be given 56 days apart, and therefore is not optimal for use as a reactive vaccination during outbreaks, where speedy protection through full vaccination is absolutely essential to contain the spread of infection.

Now, for the more problematic aspects of this deal. The target size of the ICG/WHO stockpile is 500,000 doses, but it will actually take several years before this target is reached. It will start with just 6,890 doses in January 2021. That's all. We will just have to hope there's no serious Ebola outbreak in the coming months.

That, of course, raises the question as to why vaccine supply is running so far behind the ambition of the agreement? There are a couple of factors here. I suspect Merck is still struggling to ramp up production in its dedicated facility in Germany.

Shortages in the supply of the vaccine in 2019, while an outbreak was raging in Nord Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), led the WHO at that time to recommend the use of fractional doses.

A second factor is that there is another customer in the mix to satisfy, namely the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile. We don't know how the available doses have been divided up, but it would be helpful to understand what's happening here in more detail to shed light on potential supply shortfalls in regard to the ICG/WHO stockpile.

It's clear that the priority should be given to stockpiles destined for African countries, given that the risk of outbreak is much higher there than anywhere else.

In fairness, over the last few years, the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research Authority (BARDA) has donated doses to the DRC to control outbreaks. We can hope this collaborative spirit will continue to prevail if ever there weren't enough doses in the ICG/WHO stockpile to contain an ongoing outbreak in Africa.

Now, let's get to the finances. The stockpiled ICG/WHO vaccine doses are paid for by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi will distribute a total of $178 million for its Ebola vaccine program for the period of 2020-25. It's a welcome move, but Gavi donors may want to reflect on that sum, because the price agreed works out at a staggering $98.6 for a single dose!

Maybe there is an explanation for this, but my colleagues and I at MSF cannot find a clear justification for this high price Merck is charging. It is true that the number of doses produced annually will be fairly low, hence the admittedly limited economies of scale.

However, almost $100 for a single dose? That's a crazy price, particularly given the vast amount of public money that was invested in the development of this vaccine.

A bit of history is needed here: The development of Ervebo was heavily supported by funding from non-profit foundations and the public sector from the start. The vaccine was actually discovered and developed by research teams affiliated with, and therefore funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Additional funding of more than $119 million came from the U.S. government from 2008 to 2016. Finally, the pivotal randomized clinical trial demonstrating the clinical efficacy of the vaccine was primarily designed and implemented by the WHO and the government of Guinea in 2015 and 2016.

So, it's abundantly clear that only a (small) portion of the total development costs for this vaccine was shouldered by Merck. This makes it very hard indeed to see how the corporation can justify charging such an eyewatering price for the vaccine.

Donors to Gavi at least should take a much closer look at the finances, to learn lessons for the future if this deal cannot be improved upon.

Tracing the chequered story of the vaccine back further, we should remember how NewLink, a tiny U.S.-based company, first licensed the vaccine from the Canadian government in 2010 for just $200,000.

The company did absolutely nothing to advance the development of the vaccine and instead left it on the shelf, finally selling the license on to Merck for $50 million in 2014, while the West African Ebola outbreak was raging. This is profiteering at its worst. And the waste of human lives that resulted from this saga of neglect is devastating.

So, the recent announcement is a bit of a mixed bag. On the plus side, we at last have a good vaccine for Ebola in an international stockpile that can rapidly be deployed in times of need. On the downside, there might not be enough doses in 2021 to protect people, should a significant outbreak occur in Africa. And the agreement struck between Merck and Gavi is most definitely not a great example of price fairness and market shaping.

For a sustainable future, African countries need to be able to purchase a fairly priced and truly affordable vaccine for Ebola to protect against a repeat of the terrible loss of lives in the outbreak in West Africa in 2014-2016.

"Never again," we said. So, let's make sure that we learn from this episode, and redouble our efforts to ensure that people, not profits, come first in the development of new vaccines.

Julien Potet is MSF access campaign policy advisor, NTDs and vaccines.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 00:01:06|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Rising above the challenges brought by the COVID-19 epidemic and the global economic recession, China became the world's top destination for new foreign direct investment (FDI) last year, and it has introduced a series of policies to further improve its business environment.

The country bucked the global downward trend and recorded a 4-percent growth in inflows, overtaking the United States as the largest recipient in 2020, a recent report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development shows.

In breakdown, high-tech industries saw an increase of 11 percent, while cross-border mergers and acquisitions, mostly in information and communications technology, rose by 54 percent, according to the report.

It said a return to positive GDP growth and the Chinese government's targeted investment facilitation programs helped stabilize investment after the early lockdown.

China was likely the only major economy to post growth in 2020, with its GDP expanding 2.3 percent year on year and exceeding the 100-trillion-yuan (about 15.4 trillion U.S. dollars) threshold for the first time.

In a bid to promote multilateral trading, the country completed investment agreement negotiations with the European Union in December and signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world's biggest trade pact, in November.

As its economy maintains recovery momentum, the country aims to attract foreign investors this year by encouraging investment in more industries, shortening negative lists for foreign investment, and further expanding the free-trade network.

On Wednesday, a revised industry catalog that names more sectors encouraging foreign investment will come into effect. The new version has 127 more items on the list, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

To further open up its market, China unveiled new, shortened negative lists for foreign investment in late June last year, and the number of sectors that are off-limits to foreign investors has been slashed to 33 from 40 in 2019.

Meanwhile, China is willing to sign free-trade agreements and promote liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment with more partners, MOC spokesperson Gao Feng told a press briefing last week.

He said that the country would accelerate China-Japan-Republic of Korea free-trade agreement negotiations, push forward China-Gulf Cooperation Council, China-Norway and China-Israel free-trade agreement negotiations, and consider joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Gao said China would actively explore free-trade rules that conform with prevailing international rules and meet the country's reform and development demands.

The country will further raise the proportion of zero-tariff goods for trading, ease market access for services trade and investment, and actively participate in trade-rule negotiations in new areas such as the digital economy and environmental protection, according to Gao.

Foreign investors have remained resilient, optimistic and committed to the China market.

The British Chamber of Commerce in China said in a recent sentiment survey that there are high expectations for China's economic prospects among British companies.

The survey says that 82 percent of companies cite market potential as a reason to increase investment in 2021 and companies expect to expand their China offices by an average of 13 people.

China remains a priority market for the global investment plans of the majority of British companies, the survey shows, adding that very few companies have taken any steps to relocate their supply chains out of China. Enditem
PROJECT DESCRIPTION

I will be inviting guest speakers from diverse social science disciplines to come to my three SSC 200 sections, which are all taught back-to-back on M/W/F for an unconventional guest appearance in a "talk show" style. The encounters involve a short conversation between myself and the guest, a Q&A with students about the person's research, and then a dialogue activity where the students engage with the guest on a contemporary issue related to the guest's research.

WHAT ASPECTS OF THIS EL PROGRAM/ACTIVITY ARE TRANSITIONING ONLINE AND WHAT CHALLENGES/OPPORTUNITIES DOES THIS PRESENT FOR YOU AND YOUR COURSE?

In the past, I have incorporated a very similar activity by inviting UD-based social scientists to physically come into the classroom and participate in this kind of "talk show" encounter and it has worked well. It humanizes social scientists and I can ask questions tailored to SSC 200 learning goals, such as inviting them to talk about a time that they struggled to figure out the best methods for their project, or a time when their research results were misunderstood or "lost in translation." For my all-online SSC 200 this spring, I obviously need to reconstruct this as a virtual activity. This provides me with opportunities to invite social science researchers from anywhere in the world to meet with my students, which is exciting. Given the increased challenges of maintaining engagement over Zoom and the hurdle of inviting people outside the University committee, I'm revamping the format to ensure engagement. Since I am asking more of my speakers and inviting them from farther afield-- and since doing this guest appearance would involve a full morning commitment from each guest-- I am seeking funding to pay small honoraria for each speaker.
We are risking a 30-year mistake that would cost us $2.6 billion.

Governor Kay Ivey is just days away from signing contracts that will saddle taxpayers with a minimum $2.6 billion bill for leasing three new mega-prisons for 30 years. In the end, we will own equity in the prisons of exactly ZERO. The companies that held these lucrative leases will own the prisons, and we, the taxpayers, will have to start completely over and pay for the prisons a second time  pay 100% again.

We would shell out billions of dollars but own nothing in the end. We Alabamians cannot let this happen.

That is why I am calling for an independent management audit of Alabamas Department of Corrections. I invite my fellow state leaders to join me in this call for transparency.

Is that too much to ask when our state currently allocates a whopping 25% of our general fund budget to the prisons? Thats $624 million in 2020, folks! And you can bet your bottom dollar that percentage will keep rising.

Next week, ADOC will present their proposed budget to the legislature in the budget review committee meeting. I implore our elected officials to thoroughly interrogate the spending practices and promises of the money-eating ADOC.

Given that ADOC is so heavily funded and is about to be hit with an additional $88 million a year expense for 30 years, it seems prudent for legislators to have a chance to evaluate the underlying data that supposedly justifies the prison lease plan.

ADOC says they need new prisons rather than renovate the existing ones. They insist it will be cheaper to pay $88 million in annual rent payments for 30 yearstotaling $2.6 billionthan to fix and maintain the existing structures or to have the state build new prisons using bond funds.

ADOC claims that the consolidation cost savings associated with closing old prisons and opening new ones will cover the $88 million price tag. Their conclusion is based on a 100% confidential study done for nearly $20 million by for-profit companies Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood and Hoar Program Management.

If the claimed consolidation cost savings end up being overstated, ADOC will have to come crawling to the legislature licking their wounds when they inevitably need more taxpayer money. Even if ADOC does manage to scrape together the money within their current budget for the first few years, what happens when these private prison owners hike up the price after 10,000 inmates have been transferred in? The leases must be renegotiated every year. Alabama will have little choice but to pony up whatever amount the owners ask for. This is a 30-year mistake.

Beyond these likely problems, the failure of ADOC to do its basic job  keeping society, staff, and inmates safe  should have us all asking, What exactly is ADOC doing with that $624 million anyway? An independent management audit of ADOC finances would allow legislators and the public at large to look behind the curtain and expose any misuse of our tax dollars.

As it stands, the prison lease plan  one of the largest public expenditures in state history  will be pushed through with little opportunity for legislative or public scrutiny unless we halt it now.

Despite ADOC efforts to conduct the entire process in secrecy, anyone whos paying attention knows enough to see what a terribly wasteful and irreversible deal this is for Alabama.

Our elected legislators have never laid eyes on the ADOC plan, and they wont be given an opportunity to do so until Alabama is already locked in. The checks and balances by the legislative branch have been eliminated in the prison lease plan.

ADOC Commissioner Jeff Dunn promised they would release the proposed contracts for these prisons by the end of 2020. Here it is, almost the end of January 2021, and nothing. Is it because ADOC doesnt want to give the legislators any time to address their dealings in their upcoming session?

ADOC insists secrecy is needed to negotiate the best deal possible with the private developers who will build and own the three mega-prisons. The more likely explanation is that ADOC wants to push this lease deal through without answering anyone.

There are no good reasons why were jumping into bed with for-profit corporation CoreCivica company with a record of abuse and mismanagement. Just ask Kansas, Tennessee, and Idaho if they would ever sign up to work with CoreCivic again.

A brief dive into ADOC public records reveals wasteful, unaccountable spending for decades. Since 2012 ADOC has spent $32.5 million on outside law firms, despite having an internal legal team.

As for wage costs, ADOC pays over $30 million in overtime pay per yearmore than four times the next highest paying agency.

How easy it is for these government bureaucrats to spend our money!

Given that we are the only state prison system in the country currently facing a prison lawsuit by the Department of Justice, we must be doing something wrong.

Other states know better than to let their prisons run unchecked. Many conduct needed audits to catch problems before they balloon out of control.

Take Mississippi, a state that recently conducted a thorough audit of its prison system. Like in Alabama, Mississippis prisons were under investigation by the DOJ for alleged unconstitutional treatment of inmates. In response, their commissioner called for an independent management audit to root out wastefulness or corruption.

The resulting report detailed hundreds of thousands in wasteful expenses in the Mississippi DOC budget, including massage chairs, Himalayan salt lamps, and six TVs for the commissioners executive suite. When the findings were released, the prison system adopted all 18 recommendations within the report aimed at fixing the abuses.

Without the [audit], it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to uncover some of the misspending here, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White said. It is encouraging to see [the DOCs] proactive approach to fixing the problems.

So far, Mississippi has avoided a DOJ lawsuit.

Alabama has not been so blessed. In December 2020, the DOJ officially sued Alabama following findings of unsafe conditions, rampant violence, and excessive use of force on inmates. What ADOC conveniently ignores is that buildings will not address the failed ADOC leadership, from Commissioner Jeff Dunn on down.

Before suing, the DOJ tried to negotiate with Gov. Ivey, Dunn, and Attorney General Steve Marshall. That went nowhere. In fact, prison conditions have worsened since the DOJ released its initial investigative report in April 2019. Like moving into a new house to save a broken marriage, new buildings will do nothing to address the real problem: failed leadership.

We are inching closer and closer to the federal government taking over the Alabama prison system  a process that means the Feds call all the shots, but we foot the unlimited bill.

Perhaps the only way to avoid a statewide takeover is to convince the DOJ that Alabama is actually trying to address its prison problems like Mississippi did. And that starts with a transparent and honest conversation about resource allocation.

If the Alabama State Auditors office (my office) had the authority to order such an audit, it would have already been done. But a past legislature took away such authority from the Alabama State Auditors office. In Mississippi, the State Auditor does have authority for a management audit, and it is producing excellent results for the taxpaying public.

If Gov Ivey really wants to find an Alabama solution to this Alabama problem, she will encourage a management audit of ADOC.

Jim Zeigler has been the Alabama State Auditor since 2015.
By Bob Atkins

The first day I volunteered to give COVID-19 vaccinations at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, the line was out the door. Some people  at this stage, most getting vaccines were health care workers  waited an hour or more to get their shot.

They didnt mind the wait. Folks were overjoyed to get the long-awaited vaccine. Tears welled up in the eyes of a retired police officer who works now at a funeral home as he announced, One step closer to holding my grandkids! My wife and I have not gotten closer than six feet to them since March. Its been heartbreaking.

I was especially honored to vaccinate my 80-year-old mother, Elizabeth Atkins, a retired nurse. Oh, that didnt hurt, she said to me with a smile, youre getting pretty good at this. Understand that mom is the inspiration for my career  and the best nurse I know.

The atmosphere was upbeat; many vaccine recipients asked me and other nurses with a free moment to take a photo of them getting their shot. As happy a scene as this was, though, my thoughts kept turning to a much less fortunate group of people  those who, for one reason or another, will fall through the cracks, unable to navigate the online registration process or get to a vaccination center, in many cases unlikely even to know such places exist.

Public health leaders expect the pace of vaccine administration will speed up as more vaccine becomes available and more vaccine sites are established. We think most New Jerseyans will get their shots at mega-sites, hospitals or health care system-based sites like the one where I volunteer or retail outlets like CVS pharmacies and Shoprite supermarkets.

Less clear, however, is how we can make sure hard-to-reach people  older adults without transportation, those who are homeless, agricultural workers and those who are undocumented  will be vaccinated. These are people most likely to be in racial/ethnic and income groups hit hardest by the virus.

At New Jersey Health Initiatives, were working with state leaders to design a multi-faceted operation to reach those people through our years-long relationships with local health departments, and by relying on trusted community-based organizations, their partners, resident-leaders and medical personnel.

The preliminary plan is to recruit, train and equip teams of nurses that would include nursing instructors, nursing students and school nurses who can be deployed to vaccinate hard-to-reach people in their homes, homeless shelters, senior living centers and other community-located sites where they already receive services, get basic necessities or congregate. These teams would coordinate their efforts with and through community-based nonprofits and county health departments.

Policymakers, practitioners and epidemiologists agree that the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening and the only pathway to reach herd immunity and the resulting decline in deaths in a nation experiencing 9/11-magnitude losses every day is through mass vaccination. The key to this plan is that we would take the vaccine to those most hard-to-reach, rather than expect them to come to vaccine sites.

We envision:

A hub-and-spoke partnership with county vaccine clinics and mass vaccination sites at the center, managing storage and refrigeration of vaccines as well as data entry.

Two-person nursing teams would staff mobile vaccination operations and eight- to-10-person teams would staff microsites at such places as community centers, senior living apartment complexes, agricultural worker sites and food pantries.

Community-based nonprofits would lead outreach and develop information campaigns. These groups are especially important because theyve earned the trust that can help overcome the reluctance of many hard-to-reach people to submit to vaccinations. People who would never venture to a vaccination site might well agree to roll up their sleeves at home when the person who comes every week to deliver food vouches for the nurse at his or her side.

Were confident the philanthropic community will step up and provided the resources needed to fund this effort. And New Jersey can be a model for the nation. Were home to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation  the nations largest health-centered philanthropy, which funds NJHI  plus numerous pharmaceutical firms and major medical and nursing schools.

If I could wave a magic wand, Id stop everything else happening in New Jersey for four weeks and vaccinate everyone. Of course, putting all aspects of life on hold is impossible. But marshaling every resource to get this job done is not only possible but absolutely necessary.

This effort would be a massive, grassroots mobilization like a military draft in wartime, based on the proposition that this is a war  a war against a deadly virus and a war against time.

Bob Atkins is the director of New Jersey Health Initiatives and an associate professor of nursing and childhood studies at Rutgers University who began his career as a school nurse in Camden.

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The Hunterdon County Historical Society will host a free virtual program on African-American patriot Jacob Francis, who fought alongside Continental soldiers during the American Revolution.

Author and historian William Larry Kidder will discuss Franciss life on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. To reserve a space, visit the historical societys website at www.hunterdonhistory.org.

The program, titled The Revolutionary World of a Free Black Man: Jacob Francis, 1754-1836, is based upon Kidders research for his forthcoming book-length biography of Francis to be published by Knox Press. Franciss life reveals an important story of New Jersey and American history that is little known  how people who were neither enslaved nor white experienced the American Revolution and the early Republic period.

The story of Jacob Francis and his family helps us better understand our current diverse society, Kidder said.

The program will explore Franciss life during the time of slavery and its abolition in New Jersey. Early in life, Francis was indentured out until the age of 21. While this was not enslavement, it wasnt far from it. After a series of interesting circumstances, Francis ended his indenture in 1775 in Salem, Massachusetts, after living there between 1768 and 1775 during the build-up to the Revolution. In late 1775, he enlisted in a Massachusetts Continental army regiment and fought in the siege of Boston, the New York campaign and the Battle of Trenton.

He not only dealt with problems of race during the war but also experienced the physical and mental hardships common to all soldiers. After his enlistment expired, he served in the Hunterdon County militia for the remainder of the war.

After the war, he became a farmer and married an enslaved woman, who then became free, raising his family in Amwell Township and later Flemington. Struggling with discrimination and aware of their fathers commitment to fighting for the rights of all men, several of Franciss children became active in the abolition movement.

Kidder taught high school history for 40 years and has been a volunteer interpreter and historian for Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell for 30 years. He is a member of the Washington Crossing American Revolutionary War Round Table, the Association for Living History, Farm, and Agricultural Museums, and serves on the New Jersey Living History Advisory Council and the Crossroads of the American Revolution Advisory Council.

Kidders books on the American Revolution include: Ten Crucial Days: Washingtons Vision for Victory Unfolds, A People Harassed and Exhausted: The Story of a New Jersey Militia Regiment in the American Revolution, and Crossroads of the Revolution: Trenton 1774-1783.

The Hunterdon County Historical Society received an operating support re-grant from the Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission, with funds from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.

Submitted by the Hunterdon County Historical Society
(CNN)  Tyrannosaurs were fearsome predators in the dinosaur kingdom, but new research shows their hatchlings were about as big as a medium-sized dog.

Researchers studying the first-known fossils of tyrannosaur embryos suggest the dinosaurs were approximately three feet long when they hatched, according to a study from the University of Edinburgh, published Monday.

A team of paleontologists studied the fossilized remains of a tyrannosaurus embryo, namely a jaw bone and claw that were found in Canada and the US, respectively.

After producing 3D scans of the remains, researchers were able to predict that the dinosaurs would have hatched from eggs about 17 inches long.

Remains of tyrannosaurus eggs have never been found, but this finding could help paleontologists spot them in the future.

"Dinosaur babies are very rare," lead study author Greg Funston, a paleontologist at the University Edinburgh, told CNN, explaining that larger specimens are better represented in the fossil record because their bones were more durable.

"Most dinosaurs didn't nest in an area where their eggs could be easily buried," Funston added, making the preservation of this kind of find even rarer. "It's quite a big deal," he said.

The claw is from an Albertosaurus and the jaw bone from a Daspletosaurus, both of which would have grown to around 35 feet in length.

They were slightly smaller than their more famous cousin, Tyrannosaurus rex, which grew up to 40 feet in length, Funston said.

Researchers found the jaw bone, which is just over an inch long, had features distinctive to the tyrannosaur group, including a pronounced chin.

While tyrannosaurs are known to have undergone many changes over their lifetime, this shows the embryos already had certain physical traits before they hatched, Funston said.

The discovery could help settle debates over whether other specimens in the fossil record come from new species or younger specimens of known species, he added.

Tyrannosaurs lived more than 70 million years ago. Little is known about their early development as most specimens that have been studied are from older animals, Funston said, but researchers now know they were born with a full set of teeth and could hunt for themselves, albeit on smaller prey than adults.

"These were animals that were hatching and were probably fairly active relatively soon after they hatched," Funston said.

The study was published in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences.

Funston said he plans to try to produce scans of the remains at a higher resolution, to enable the study of tooth development, which could reveal how long the tyrannosaurs spent inside the eggs before hatching.

This story was first published on CNN.com Baby tyrannosaurs were about the same size as a dog, new research shows
SK Nexilis plant in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province / Courtesy of SK Nexilis



By Nam Hyun-woo



SK Nexilis will build its first overseas plant in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, with the aim of tripling its production capacity of copper foil for electric vehicle (EV) battery cells, the company said Tuesday.



During a board meeting, the SK Group unit decided to build a plant capable of producing 44,000 tons of copper foil for EV battery in a year. The plant will be built in Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, Sabah state, and its commercial operation will begin in 2023.



When the plant is completed, SK Nexilis' total battery copper foil production capacity will jump to stand at 100,000 tons per year.



The company said this will be running on renewable energy, in a bid to pre-emptively comply with global clients' growing demand for products with a smaller carbon footprint. SK Nexilis' parent company, SKC, and five other SK Group companies are participating in RE100, a global campaign urging companies to run on 100 percent renewable energy.



SK Nexilis said it chose Kota Kinabalu as the location for its first overseas base due to the region's stable and cheap power supply.



The company said Malaysia has the most stable power supply among Southeast Asian countries, as well as having low electricity cost and a high reliance on hydropower. The company added it selected Kota Kinabalu because of its infrastructure such as a port and international airport, and the city has abundant available land for further expansion of the plant.



SK Nexilis added that it is considering making additional investments in Malaysia, Europe and the U.S. to improve its readiness in the fast-growing global EV market. Through further investments, the company plans to expand its production capacity to five times that of the current level by 2025.





"At the Malaysian plant, we will build facilities that can fully materialize our technology of making the thinnest and widest battery copper foil," SK Nexilis CEO Kim Young-tae said. "By building the plant in Malaysia, we will improve cost competitiveness and enhance our commitment to RE100, so we can consolidate our status as the world's No. 1 supplier of battery copper foil."



SK Nexilis has four plants operating and building two more in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province. Those plants' operation rate is 100 percent, the company said. SK Nexilis was formerly KCF Technologies. It was acquired by SK Group's chemicals unit SKC in 2019 at 1.2 trillion won and renamed SK Nexilis in April last year.



As SK Nexilis choose Kota Kinabalu as the home to its Malaysian base, its feud against copper foil rival ILJIN Materials is anticipated to be addressed. The two sides have been locking horns over SK Nexilis' entrance into Malaysia, following local reports that SK Nexilis may build its plant close to ILJIN's Malaysian copper foil plant in Kuching, Sarawak state. Kuching is about 1,038 kilometers southwest of Kota Kinabalu.






The site of a fort inhabited by native Alaskans has been discovered more than 200 years after it was built to fend off Russian invaders.

Using ground-penetrating radar and other non-invasive techniques, researchers confirmed the location of the last holdout of the Tlingit people in modern-day Sitka, on Alaska's Baranof Island.

Known as Shiskinoow or 'Sapling fort,' the trapezoidal structure was about 240 feet long and 165 feet wide.

It was built after the Tlingit initially repelled the Russians in 1802, but was destroyed when the colonists returned two years later.

It's exact location has eluded efforts at discovery for more than 100 years.

Russian captain Yuri Lisyansky made detailed renderings of Shiskinoow, the last stronghold of the Tlingit people of southeast Alaska, before the structure was razed. Its exact location remained a mystery for more than 200 years but researchers have uncovered the fort's whereabouts using ground-penetrating radar

Russia initially sent a small contingent of troops to take possession of the area in 1799.

But even with aid from the Aleut and Alutiiq they were rebuffed by the Tlingit in 1802.

Fearing their return, the Tlingit constructed a wooden stronghold where the mouth of the Indian River meets Sitka Sound.

The natives armed Shiskinoow with guns, cannons and gunpowder they had obtained from British and American traders.

Electromagnetic induction (color) and ground-penetrating radar (inset in gray) both detected the Tlingit's 'sapling fort' as described by Russian invaders

A representation of the Tlingit's 1804 battle against Russian forces by painter Louis S. Glanzman

'It was constructed of wood so thick and strong the shot from my guns could not penetrate at the short distance of a cable's length [between 600 and 720 feet],' Russian captain Yuri Lisyansky wrote at the time, NBC News reported.

When the Russians returned in the fall of 1804, the Tlingit were able to hold them off for five days.

But their reserve gunpowder blew up on its way back to the fort, leaving the Tlingit defenseless and signaling the end of their resistance.

They abandoned Shiskinoow and the Russians razed it, turning the area into a trading post and occupied Alaska until 1867, when it was purchased by the US for $7 million.

The Tlingit built the 'sapling fort' on a peninsula where the mouth of the Indian River meets Sitka Sound. It held off the Russians until their reserve gunpowder was lost in an explosion

Archaeologists have looked for Shiskinoow since the early 20th century but contemporary descriptions offered only a general idea of its whereabouts.

Fortunately, Lisyansky made a detailed rendering of the fortress before it was destroyed, so researchers had an idea of what they were looking for, even if they didn't know exactly where.

'Previous archaeological digs had found some suggestive clues, but they never really found conclusive evidence that tied these clues together,' said Thomas Urban, a research scientist at Cornell University and lead author of a new report in the journal Antiquity.

Urban did have a good starting point, though: In the 1950s, researchers reported discovering wood from the fort's western wall in Sitka National Historical Park, Urban told Live Science.

Cannonballs were found in roughly the same area in the early 2000s.

Urban's team got a more precise fix on the fort's location by using electromagnetic induction, which scans underground areas by measuring electrical conductivity.

They analyzed 0.07 square miles, reportedly the largest archaeological geophysical survey ever conducted in Alaska.

An even smaller section of land was analyzed with ground-penetrating radar, which beams microwave pulses beneath the surface.

In the 1950s, wood from the fort's western wall was uncovered in Sitka National Historical Park. In the 2000s, cannonballs were discovered in the same vicinity

The two methods detected similar patterns that matched historical descriptions of the fort's general size and shape.

'We were able to both confirm a location and rule out other potential locations,' said co-author Brinnen Carter of the National Park Service..

He described their findings as 'firm documentary evidence.'

'When you bring remote sensing into it, you're hammering together multiple lines of evidence on identifying where the fort was located.'

Urban described Shiskinoow as 'a significant locus in New World colonial history and an important cultural symbol of Tlingit resistance to colonization.'

An indigenous people of North America's Pacific Northwest, the Tlingit have occupied southeastern Alaska's coastal region and the Alexander Archipelago. for thousands of years

Their first contact with Europeans was in 1741, when they encounter Russian explorers.

The Tlingit have a matrilineal kinship system, with children considered part of their mother's clan and property and hereditary titles passed through the maternal line.

Tlingit society is divided into two main sub-groups, the Raven and the Eagle, which are further broken down into clans and then lineages or house groups.

A particular house group's heraldic crests are displayed on totem poles, feast dishes, house posts, weavings, jewelry, and other art and artifacts.
Meet flu fighters Lee Itule-Klasen and Indira Arce from Pima County, Arizona. Lee is a program manager and Indira is a senior evaluation specialist for the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Healths (REACHs) Flu Awareness and Outreach Program at the Pima County Health Department (PCHD). Through REACH, Lee and Indira have been dedicating themselves to improving the health and lives of the different communities and populations in Pima County, specifically Native American and Latinx, by building relationships, providing health education and resources, and conducting outreach to increase access to flu vaccinations.

How has flu impacted you personally? Why do you fight flu?

LEE: My parents are no longer alive, and my mother passed away from lung cancer. She lived with chronic bronchitis and other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease issues related to tobacco use. Because of this, it is incredibly meaningful to me to address public health challenges associated with recreational use of tobacco and community respiratory conditions. We also have a large, growing older adult population in both Pima County and Arizona. There is an incredible need to continue to build partnerships and trust to ensure we are taking the steps needed to provide resources and care for community members of all ages in both rural and urban areas of Pima County. This has been more important now, more so than ever, because of the pandemic crisis.

INDIRA: While I am not directly personally tied to flu, I am deeply involved with issues that impact the Mexican American community, and public health is dear to my heart. I was born in Durango, Mexico and immigrated to the United States when I was 9 years old to Palmdale, California and just 10 years ago moved to Tucson, Arizona. I also work in the Mexican American Studies department at the University of Arizona. The 2010 census shows that 37 percent of Pima county identifies as Hispanic/Latinx, and its important that we recognize that this group is disproportionally affected by health issues, with one of them being the flu. How do you fight flu?

LEE: Our REACH team implements strategies to address a variety of components that make our programs successful. This includes quite a bit of community work, such as relationship building, convening of partners, and implementing mobile flu shot clinics throughout Pima County. We educate stakeholders by providing them with updates regarding local health priorities that are identified through the county health needs assessment and focus on how to systematically sustain the work being done at the local level. Our REACH team also provides outreach and resources related to flu awareness and COVID-19 health guidance through our robust Pima County Flu Awareness Media Campaign.

INDIRA: My primary goal is to prioritize cultural competency. I document how our programs are doing and perform evaluation designs to incorporate feedback to determine the best ways to reach our communities. I help PCHD implement media campaigns to promote people to get their flu shot and I provide a wider view to our targeted communities on how to protect themselves and their families from flu. What would you say to those in Pima County who are hesitant about getting a flu vaccine?

LEE: I would encourage people to take a moment to communicate how they are feeling regarding news and information related to the flu, the flu vaccine, and the COVID-19 response. We are living in very challenging times and it is truly important to find the space where we can communicate our feelings with people and providers we trust, ask questions respectfully, and listen to each other without judgement.

INDIRA: Similar to Lee, I want people to know what flu is, what the benefits are that the vaccine provides, and I want to build trust within our community.
Shabibah Nakirigya

Vote tallying is still ongoing at the Kololo tally centre.

Yesterday, Ugandans in 56 electoral areas went to the polls to elect their municipality and division mayors and councillors.

The exercise was marred with a lot of irregularities and in some places like Lugazi stuffed ballot papers were found.

In Entebbe, soldiers grabbed registers from electoral commission officials.

Our reporter Shabibah Nakirigya who is at the Kololo tally center says so far NUPs Paul Mugambe has been declared the mayor elect for Nakawa division.

He managed to poll 32,754 votes beating his closes contender NRMs Bruhan Byaruhanga who polled 2,061.

In Kampala central division NRM flag bearer Salim Uhuru has been declared as the new division mayor with 13,114 followed by NUP candidate Semugooma Hamdan and trailing in the third place is incumbent Sserunjogi Charles Musoke with 5318 votes.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 2021 Minority Leaders of Influence: Attorneys special edition, Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ) features alphabetically the 95 outstanding diverse attorneys in the Los Angeles region who were selected to this year's prestigious list.

LABJ's 2021 Minority Leaders of Influence List recognizes those attorneys who made significant contributions to the Los Angeles business and legal community at large. The attorneys on this list are particularly impactful on the legal scene, while serving as trusted advisors, along with maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards.

LABJ describes Willenken's Managing Partner Paul Loh as "an outlier, compared to lawyers of his generation, in that he has spent much of his impressive legal career truly trying cases. In fact, he has tried over 120 jury trials, court trials, and arbitrations. As a result of his substantial trial experience, leading companies turn to him for some of the most challenging cases on their dockets."

Partner Jason Wilson is described by LABJ as a "winning force in the courtroom with over 30 years of practice at the trial and appellate levels. He has extensive experience untangling his clients' knottiest legal problems and is equally skilled in creatively and effectively telling his clients' stories to trial courts, juries, and appellate panels."

To read LABJ's 2021 Minority Leaders of Influence: Attorneys edition, click here.

SOURCE Willenken LLP

Related Links

www.willenken.com


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 11:37:29|Editor: huaxia

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A medical worker stands near a mobile clinic as she arrives to check patients infected with COVID-19, in Gaza City, on Jan. 21, 2021. Seven mobile clinics have been established in the Gaza Strip to treat coronavirus cases and ease the burden on the Hamas-run Health Ministry.(Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

by Sanaa Kamal

GAZA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Seven mobile clinics have been established in the Gaza Strip to treat coronavirus cases and ease the burden on the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

Hussam al-Safady, a project coordinator at the non-government Caritas Foundation that set up the clinics, said that each mobile clinic has a doctor, a nurse and a driver, whose responsibilities are to visit patients' homes, follow up on their health conditions, and provide them with medicine and necessary equipment.

The Caritas Foundation, an international medical institution designed to deal with marginalized patients in critical times, has decided to establish mobile clinics in the coastal enclave to provide ordinary Palestinians with medical assistance they needed, since the Gaza health authority declared its first two cases of the virus in March 2020, according to al-Safady.

"At that time, we helped tens of thousands of patients to get their medicines and helped them avoid being infected with the novel virus," he said.

Despite the good intentions and the great work, the virus did not stop spreading. At the end of August 2020, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry imposed a series of preventive and precautionary measures to curb the spread of the pandemic.

The situation got worse, especially amid the lack of medical equipment in the Gaza Strip, said al-Safady.

"This is the reason why we suggested helping the Health Ministry by following up on the patients as well as those who required home quarantine," he added.

So far, the medical staff has dealt with about 20,000 cases, including patients and their contacts.

Raed Kuhail, a local internist from Gaza, joined the mobile clinics four months ago, as he saw that the health situation kept deteriorating.

The 36-year-old father of three told Xinhua that the rapid spread of the virus among people has "confused" the health system, forcing the clinics to impose home quarantine on the infected people who did not suffer from chronic diseases.

The internist said that he and his colleagues in other mobile clinics used to visit about 40 to 70 cases in all governorates in the Gaza Strip.

Hedaya Mohammed, a local nurse in her 30s, said that she was happy to take her place in a mobile clinic to help other people.

The coastal enclave has been suffering from limited health services, especially after the enclave was put under a tight Israeli blockade in 2007, when Hamas took control of the strip, she said.

"In Gaza, we do not have a modern health system, which may expose all of us to infection with the virus," the young nurse said while wearing her protective suit in front of a local house to follow up on an infection.

Samira al-Naaizy, a 52-year-old mother of eight from the Gaza city, was infected with the virus. She said that the mobile clinics helped her and other patients to get treatment in the comforts of their homes.

Ibrahim Nassar is another patient infected with the virus from the Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza Strip. He said that the medical staff treated him and four members of his family in the mobile clinics.

The 35-year-old father of two praised the mobile clinics' medical services, saying that "the crisis pushed all people to bear their roles toward each other to overcome the critical time." Enditem
There was always something a little odd about the exceedingly rare Brydes whales that live in the Gulf of Mexico.

For one thing, the endangered and rarely studied Brydes (pronounced "broodus") ranges across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, but the ones in the Gulf are homebodies, preferring to stay in the deep waters between Louisiana and Florida. They also behave differently. Instead of snagging fish near the surface like their far-flung cousins do, the Brydes whales of the Gulf appear to dine in deep water.

A new study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirms what many scientists had suspected  that the Gulfs Brydes whales arent Brydes at all. Theyre a unique species found only in the Gulf -- and theyre in deep, deep trouble.

Only about 33 of the whales are likely alive today, according to the most recent NOAA estimate, and they prefer the deep, dark waters of DeSoto Canyon, one of the busiest commercial areas of the Gulf, where cargo ships and oil drilling are a constant threat.

What this means is you have one of the rarest, most endangered whales in your backyard, said Michael Jasny, a marine mammal protection expert with the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council. Its a great gift, and its a great responsibility.

The whale, which scientists had been unofficially calling the "Gulf of Mexico whale," will now be known as Rices whale, a name that honors Dale Rice, the biologist who first recognized that a version of Brydes whales were in the Gulf nearly 60 years ago. Its scientific name is Balaenoptera ricei.

NOAA used genetic samples, skeletal remains, and years of sighting and beach stranding reports to determine the whales new, evolutionarily divergent lineage. The breakthrough, though, was a dead whale that washed up on a Florida beach in 2019, said Patricia Rosel, the NOAA geneticist who led the study, published this month in the journal Marine Mammal Science.

Theyre so rare that it was our first opportunity to see a complete and intact specimen, said Rosel, who works at NOAA's Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Lafayette. She admits the opportunity to study the 25-ton carcass was chance-in-a-lifetime exciting.

I was happy but also sad because wed lost a whale from such a small population, she said. But it allowed us to confirm its a different species. Thats such a great scientific step forward and could help with its conservation.

The Brydes whale was granted protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in April 2019. The ESA listing noted a distinct population of Brydes in the Gulf but characterized it as a subspecies. In its final report for ESA status, NOAA listed many threats to the animals survival: oil and gas exploration, oil spills and spill responses, vessel strikes, ocean trash, entanglement in fishing gear and increasing noise in the Gulf.

As Brydes, they were already considered one of the most endangered species in the world, Jasny said.

The Rices whale will retain its protected status under the ESA and will also receive protection under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NOAA officials said.

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If compared side-by-side, a Rices whale and Brydes whale would look almost identical. Both species can grow to 55 feet long and weigh up to 30 tons, making them part of what NOAA calls the great whales, a group that includes humpback and blue whales. Rice's and Bryde's are also both filter-feeding baleen whales that use a range of techniques to catch prey, including skimming the waters surface, lunging and the use of "bubble nets" to corral small fish, krill or other small animals.

Their DNA and their skulls, however, are quite different.

If you know what youre looking for, the differences are very obvious, Rosel said.

Their feeding behavior also sets them apart. While Brydes go after sardines and anchovies near the surface, Rices whales dive deep. For what, no one really knows.

Thats the million-dollar question, Rosel said. Ongoing research aims to solve a host of mysteries about the whale, including the basics, like what they eat, how they communicate, and which human activities pose the greatest risks to their population.

Oil spills are clearly a big one. BPs Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in 2010 killed about 17% of the population and likely caused widespread health problems, including the failure of about a quarter of all pregnancies, according to an assessment by NOAA and other federal and state agencies.

The spill had this significant (of an) effect even though it occurred outside the whales core habitat, Jasny said.

A looming problem is the recent easing of rules allowing deep-penetration seismic blasts to search for oil and gas deposits at the Gulfs bottom. Seismic airgun survey technology has revealed a bonanza of overlooked oil deposits, but its use can disorient, injure or kill various marine animals. The Gulfs small and struggling population of sperm whales will be harmed 13,000 times per year, and the Rices whales will be harassed more times than its entire remaining population of 33 individuals, a recent NOAA assessment of the new seismic survey rules found.

Their habitat in the Gulf -- its like a postage stamp size for a baleen whale, Jasny said. Thats a significant risk, but its also a significant opportunity to do something."

Slowing vessel traffic, halting seismic surveys or limiting oil drilling in that relatively small area could have a profound impact, he said.

This whale is part of what makes the Gulf unique, Jasny said. Hopefully naming this new species will help people recognize that there is a magnificent creature in the Gulf of Mexico, and its worth saving.
Washington:

The US Supreme on Monday partially reinstated President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban targeting citizens from six predominantly Muslim countries, before examining the case in full this autumn.



The travel ban - which was put on hold by lower rulings - will apply to those "who lack any bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States," until the hears the case in October, the justices ruled.

The decision is a win for the Republican leader, who has insisted the ban is necessary for national security, despite criticism that it singles out Muslims in violation of the US constitution.

Trump had suffered a series of stinging judicial setbacks over the measure, with two federal appeals courts maintaining injunctions on the ban.

Those courts had argued the president had overstepped his authority, and that his executive order discriminated against travelers based on their nationality.

"Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show," the three justices of the Ninth Circuit of Appeals said in a ruling earlier this month.

Also Read: Modi-Trump bilateral meet: Strategic issues likely to be discussed

"National security is not a 'talismanic incantation' that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power," they added.



The Supreme narrowed the scope of those injunctions, saying the government could enforce its measure against "foreign nationals unconnected to the United States" without causing injury to the parties who filed suit.



Conversely, those with a "close familial relationship" in the US are not affected.



The revised measure, announced in March, seeks to bar from US entry travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days, as well as suspend the entry of refugees for 120 days.



The original measure, issued by executive order in January, also included Iraq on the list of targeted countries and had imposed an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.

Nationals senator Matt Canavan has again called on the federal government to dig out some funding to build a coal power plant, but the Morrison governments new energy policies mean new coal power is dead, if not buried.

Nevertheless, support for a new coal plant remains an impossible test for Nationals leader Michael McCormack.

Nationals leader Michael McCormack has been put in a difficult spot by Matt Canavans renewed campaign for a new coal-fired power station. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Senator Canavan on Tuesday released a Nationals backbench policy for new coal power, which he said would lower electricity prices and grow manufacturing.

We believe the government should build a coal-fired power station because that remains Australias cheapest form of reliable power, he said.
Viewers were left in shock by the return of Marcella after the hit ITV crime drama returned to their screens this evening.

The first episode of the third series saw Anna Friel's detective Marcella Backland go undercover and take on the name Keira Devlin to infiltrate one of Belfast's most notorious gangs, the Maguire family.

At the end of the second series in 2018, viewers were left reeling after witnessing Marcella become scarred both mentally and physically as she investigated crimes involving serial killers, paedophiles and witchcraft.

But she was eventually recruited into an undercover police unit and tonight's episode showed just how far Marcella would go to help bring down the Maguire family - including snitching on her boyfriend for embezzling company money.

While he was shot in the head by the family, Keira, Marcellas alias, is left becoming closer to the criminals as she continues her affair with Finn (Aaron McCusker), one of two sons belonging to the cold-hearted matriarch Katherine (Amanda Burton).

One viewer said: 'This was her way in to the crime family then #marcella'.

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The first episode of the third series saw Anna Friel's detective Marcella Backland (pictured) go undercover and take on the name Keira Devlin to infiltrate one of Belfast's most notorious gangs, the Maguire family

Marcella was recruited into an undercover police unit and tonight's episode showed just how far Marcella would go to help bring down the Maguire family - including snitching on her boyfriend for embezzling company money (pictured together)

Viewers were left in shock when it was revealed Marcella snitched on her boyfriend for embezzling money from the family

Another added: '#Marcella this has taken a much darker turn'.

A third tweeted: 'Keep your friends close but your enemies closer !!'

At the start of the episode, having formed a relationship with Lawrence, the accountant for the Maguire's business, Marcella was deep behind enemy lines as her alias Keira Devlin.

She had a distinct new look - embracing blonde locks and sexier outfits - but the faint outline of the scar on her face is still visible.

While he was shot in the head by the family, Keira, Marcellas alias, is left becoming closer to the criminals as she continues her affair with Finn (Aaron McCusker), one of two sons belonging to the cold-hearted matriarch Katherine (Amanda Burton) (pictured centre)

At the start of the episode, having formed a relationship with Lawrence, the accountant for the Maguire's business, Marcella was deep behind enemy lines as her alias Keira Devlin (pictured)

Revealed: How the third series of Marcella is spookily prophetic The presence in the new series of Marcella of gangster Rory Maguire, whos obsessive about cleanliness and reluctant to leave his home, is chillingly prescient in these Covid times. Pictured: Finn, Katherine and Rory Maguire in Marcella But the tragic scenes that show a lorry at Belfast docks containing the bodies of ten dead trafficked workers draw on a news story that preceded the horrifying incident of 39 Vietnamese immigrants found dead in a truck in Essex in 2019. I wrote that part of the story two years ago, and in my mind was an event from 2015, previously explained series co-creator Hans Rosenfeldt. A group of immigrants was discovered dead inside a lorry in Austria. The link between the storyline in Marcella and the terrible discovery in Essex is entirely coincidental. Advertisement

To get closer to the family and prove her alliance, Marcella snitched on her lover and revealed he's been embezzling company money - despite him proposing to her.

After refusing to marry him, the close associate was assassinated with a single shot to the head following the discovery of his betrayal while the couple were at a dinner party at the family's home.

As far as the Maguires are concerned, Marcella's a former police officer drummed out of the force in Manchester after she was found to be corrupt whos now back in her native Northern Ireland.

Following Lawrence's death, she moved into the family home and continued her affair with Finn, while trying to win over Katherine.

The Maguire's stock-in-trade is extortion and intimidation, and they were responsible for the ten trafficked workers found dead in a sealed lorry at Belfast docks during the episode.

The family business is run by matriarch Katherine and her two sons; the OCD suffering Rory and the tempestuous Finn. They have deep pockets and control the local police.

Katherine's daughter, Stacey, is heavily pregnant and married to reckless and dangerous Bobby who works for the business but has a secret drug deal as a sideline.

Meanwhile, former Brookside star Anna, 44, has spent the past five years inhabiting Marcella, and yet she almost turned the role down.

The truth is I didnt think I could offer anything new or different to the world of TV detectives, she explained to the Daily Mail's Weekend Magazine.

But the director said, Lets start and youll see how you can do it and, gradually, I became more confident about making Marcella significantly different.

Key to the portrayal was emphasising her unpredictability, her fearlessness and the fact that shes so lonely and doesnt think shes good at anything apart from her job.

'But it was a close call. I often convince myself I cant do a job and I almost talked myself out of this one.

Anna may not be finished with the role that she so very nearly said no to. Although Marcella was originally written as a three-series trilogy, the shows Swedish co-creator Hans Rosenfeldt hints that there might be more.

This new series has a definite ending  audiences wont be left guessing, he says. But theres an opening there for it to continue. So maybe we will see Marcella again...

Marcella is on ITV, Tuesdays at 9pm.

The family business is run by matriarch Katherine and her two sons; the OCD suffering Rory and the tempestuous Finn (pictured)

Katherine's daughter, Stacey, is heavily pregnant and married to reckless and dangerous Bobby (pictured together) who works for the business but has a secret drug deal as a sideline
Farmers' protest intensifies as groups of farmers were seen indulging in vandalism of public property and targeting police personnel deployed for Republic Day security. In the visuals coming in, the protestors can be seen raising yellow flags at the Red fort.

Heavy security has been deployed all over the capital as the Kisan rally turns violent. From Red Fort to ITO, what was initially planned as a peaceful protest, has taken to the streets. In the visuals coming in, the protestors can be seen raising yellow flags at the Red fort. In view of security and traffic arrangements for Republic Day and the tractor rally, Delhi Police has issued revised traffic advisories.

Considering the chaos in the National Capital, Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered to suspend Internet services in some parts of Delhi-NCR. Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed, as per DMRC sources. Entry/exit gates of all stations on the green line, Lal Quila, Indraprastha, Delhi Gate and ITO metro stations have also been closed.

In the grab of tractor rally, the agitating protestors also went up the mast on the ramparts of the historic 17th-century monument and raised saffron flags. While the government had opposed the rally to be held on the same day as the countrys Republic Day, the Supreme Court had earlier upheld the farmers constitutional right to hold a peaceful protest.

Despite all our efforts, some orgs & individuals violated route & indulged in condemnable acts. Anti-social elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement. We've always held that peace is our biggest strength& any violation would hurt the movement: Samyukta Kisan Morcha  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

#FarmersProtests Watch protestors stop NewsX reporters at the Red Fort pic.twitter.com/lJwCPok059  NewsX (@NewsX) January 26, 2021

Internet services snapped in some parts of Delhi-NCR in view of the prevailing law and order situation. pic.twitter.com/5rcHwb27qY  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

#WATCH Protestors enter Red Fort in Delhi, wave flags from the ramparts of the fort pic.twitter.com/4dgvG1iHZo  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

Delhi: Following farmer-police clash at ITO, a group of farmers reach Red Fort pic.twitter.com/kZ7QYVBwyr  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

We thank farmers for the unprecedented participation in today's Farmers Republic Day Parade. We also condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that have taken place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts: Samyukta Kisan Morcha  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

The farmers union so far has rejected the governments proposal to defer the farm laws for 18 months and established that they will not settle for anything other than the repeal of the laws. Farmers from western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh are expected to join the tractor rally in the national capital. Meanwhile, farmers from Maharashtra have gathered in Mumbais Azad Maidan to register their protests and support the Punjab farmers.

DTC bus vandalised by protesting farmers at ITO in central Delhi pic.twitter.com/ABxOkzlyjH  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

#WATCH Farmers tractor rally in protest against the Centre's farm laws gets underway at Tikri border Tractor rally route: Tikri border-Nangloi-Baprola Village-Najafgarh-Jharoda border-Rohtak bypass-Asoda toll plaza#RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/yTr2gaHY7w  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

Delhi-UP Ghazipur border: Protesting farmers to hold tractor rally today Farmers at Ghazipur border to follow the route -Gazipur border-Apsra border-Hapur Road-IMS College-Lal Kuan-Gazipur border#RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/lA2biZa0qf  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021
Drivers can learn more about these coupons by visiting Arlington Toyotas website

Arlington Toyota is offering two different coupons for eligible drivers in the Palatine, IL area to use on their Toyota vehicles. Drivers are encouraged to take advantage of this deal as soon as possible, as these two deals only are available until Jan 31, 2021.

The first coupon available for drivers is a special offer on a brake inspection. Arlington Toyota is offering drivers a free brake inspection. If the vehicle is squealing, noisy, grinding, or just acting different, Arlington Toyota encourages drivers to bring their vehicles in to get checked out. This coupon is only valid for Toyota/Scion vehicles and can only be redeemed at Arlington Toyota. In order to use the coupon, it must be presented at the time of service.

The second coupon available for drivers to take advantage of is a brake installation offer. The cost per axle for new brakes is $239.95 which is discounted from their original pricing. Its worth noting that this coupon cannot be used for rear drum brakes. This coupon can only be used for Toyota/Scion vehicles and can only be redeemed at Arlington Toyota which is in Palatine, IL.

If drivers are interested in either of these two exclusive deals on brakes, they can head to Arlington Toyotas website at https://www.toyotaarlington.com/ to find more information. Drivers can either have the coupons printed off, sent to their cellular device or to a valid email address. These coupons can be found by going to the Service & Parts dropdown and then by clicking on Service Specials.
KNOCKLONG History Group is delighted - especially in these Covid times - to have published Honouring The Men and The Women: The War of Independence Volunteers in East and Mid Limerick.

It includes a list of volunteers who were in the War of Independence Battalions, the Cumann na mBan, the Flying Columns and the Brigade Command. The book is the brainchild of Tom Toomey, renowned Limerick historian and author of The War of Independence in Limerick 1912-1921.

The new tome is based on the Battalion Boards that have been displayed annually at the Knocklong History weekend, displayed in Limerick City Hall for Heritage week in 2018 and on loan to other communities for history seminars. Many people who have viewed the boards expressed that it would be great to be able to have a copy of the boards in book form.

In addition to the original Battalion Boards, the Knocklong History Group have added the Flying Columns (Active Service Units), the Brigade Command structures and the key activities of the Flying Columns. The publication of this book has been possible due to the generosity of patrons and funding from Creative Ireland: Made in Limerick.

This book acts as a roll call of honour to the men and women who risked their lives and sacrificed much in order to achieve Irish Independence.

The majority of the people named on the boards were members of their own local companies and served in a variety of ways in freeing our country from British rule. This publication endeavours to give as complete a record as possible of the members of The Battalions, The Brigade Command Structure, The Cumann na mBan and The Flying Columns. The group is aware that not every volunteer was in receipt of a military pension and that their service may have gone undocumented due to this. Some volunteers chose not to apply for a pension, some emigrated and some died early due to poor health.

The volunteers listed stretch from the Limerick borders of North Cork, South West Tipperary and deep into Mid Limerick. The Kilteely Battalion includes the companies of Knocklong, Herbertstown, Emly, Knockainey, Hospital, Garryspillane and Kilteely. The Caherconlish Battalion includes the companies of Caherconlish, Ballybricken, Fedamore, Ballyneety, Croom, and Killonan. The Kilmallock Battalion includes Martinstown, Bulgaden, Elton, Ballingaddy, Dromin, Bruree and Kilmallock. The Kilfinane Battalion includes the companies of Ardpatrick, Kilfinane, Glenroe, Knockanevin, Ballyorgan, Knockadea and Cush. The Galbally Battalion includes Galbally, Barna, Anglesborough, Ballylanders, and Kilbehenny. The Doon Battalion includes Doon, Cappawhite, Oola, Cullen, Templebraden and Pallasgreen. The Castleconnell Battalion includes the companies of Castleconnell, Ahane, Murroe, Cappamore, Annacotty and Abington. The Bruff Battalion includes the companies of Bruff, Athlacca, Manister-Meanus, Grange and Lough Gur.

Honouring The Men and The Women: The War of Independence Volunteers in East and Mid Limerick is on sale in Meades shop Knocklong, Creeds shop in Elton and OSullivans Centra in Hospital, priced at 20.

The book can be ordered by texting 087-9776047. See Knocklong Development Association Facebook page for more.
Some iconic Australian brands will soon be 100 per cent Australian owned and operated once more after years of overseas manufacturing.

Bega Cheese has bought out umbrella brand Lion Dairy and Drinks, which includes Dairy Farmers, Farmers Union, Yoplait, Big M and Daily Juice.

The acquisition means the brands will return to Australia after almost a decade of international ownership.

'Dairy Farmers and Farmers Union were founded before federation, some 120 years ago, and some dairy farming families that have supplied dairy farmers for that entire period of time,' Executive Chairman Barry Irvin told A Current Affair.

Bega's popularity has soared in recent years, now famous for more than just its cheese following expansion into the wider grocery business.

Bega Cheese has bought out umbrella brand Lion Dairy and Drinks, which includes Dairy Farmers, Farmers Union, Yoplait, Big M and Daily Juice (pictured, Executive Chairman Barry Irvin)

The brand is expected to earn a whopping $3billion revenue each year.

Australian businessman Dick Smith applauded the brand for returning foreign owned companies to Australia.

'It's absolutely fantastic to think that all these brands that were foreign-owned and bought by big American companies and European companies are now coming back to Australian hands,' he said.

'People talk about Australian made and that's good, but Australian made and owned is important because the profits stay here, the wealth stays here.'

Bega's meat processing businesses will expand from four factories to 15 following the acquisition.

Bega's meat processing businesses will expand from four factories to 15 following the acquisition

New factories will be built in North Queensland, Hobart, Perth and Adelaide.

Bega acquired Vegemite in 2017 from Mondelez in the United States, and also owns the nation's most successful peanut butter brand.

Arnotts, Bushells and Golden Circle are just three Australian brands recently purchased by foreign companies.

But Aussies are increasingly setting their sights on buying Australian owned and manufactured products regardless of the price tag.

'They'll always be a little more expensive because we pay decent wages here, we share the wealth better than most countries,' Mr Smith said.


(Natural News) China is amassing a fleet of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (combat drones) as the communist regime hopes to compete with the drone fleets of its adversaries such as the United States. This is according to a leaked secret document from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense.

The secret document was dated July 2017 and was obtained by alternative news outlet The Epoch Times. It laid out in detail the Chinese Communist Partys desire to dominate in what it called full dimensional warfare. This means being able to control the land, sea, air, space and even the electromagnetic spectrum where signals are sent to military equipment. The regime hopes to do all of this by amassing a fleet of advanced combat drones.

To accomplish this task, the document stated that the National Defense ministry is investing 130 million yuan (about $19.331 million in 2017 dollars) to create designs for one to two small, long-range combat drones and to build a factory that can produce at least a thousand of these drones per year. The document stated that the drone-making factory should begin production by the end of 2018.

Implementation of the program will arm our national defense with the latest combat power in future vertical warfare and make it capable to contend with U.S. military weapons, giving it marked military significance, the document said.

The National Defense ministry talked about how these combat drones will be a critical part in making sure a nation such as China can engage in modern-day combat. It cited how combat drones are low cost equipment that can fight in virtually every single dangerous environment in warfare. In future warfare, seizing more information resources while controlling and restricting other nations information will be a key component for competing with nations during peaceful periods, and an important combat strategy in times of war.

Army building up defenses against drone swarms

Fortunately, the United States is developing advanced defense systems to protect against what it calls threats that the Air Force cant stop.

The need for sophisticated structures that can intercept small combat drones became more relevant after the recent six-week war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in the Caucasus. The military of Azerbaijan was able to score a military victory thanks to the strategic deployment of combat drones.

While the armed forces were not part of that conflict, it served as a reminder of the fact that the countrys anti-air defenses are severely lacking, with many of them dating back to the Cold War. In fact, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Army got rid of many of its air defense systems, preferring to redirect resources elsewhere.

Furthermore, many of the countrys remaining anti-air armaments are designed for larger aircraft, like helicopters and airplanes, and may not be capable of dealing with potential drone swarms from belligerent nations such as Russia, China and Iran. (Related: Russia, China building powerful, exotic, new weapons capable of destroying American coastlines and entire cities by stealth.)

This problem is compounded by the fact that neither the Air Force nor the Army are willing to use sophisticated anti-air weaponry against small, inexpensive and hard-to-hit targets like combat drones. Army officials have warned that using a $3 million surface-to-air Patriot missile against a combat drone that costs several hundred dollars is not a good economic exchange ratio.

Our capabilities against adversary aircraft are, in general, very good, said Mark Cancian, a former Marine Corps colonel and a senior adviser for a think tank in Washington, D.C. The problem with drones is they tend to be very cheap. So theres no point in firing a $100,000 missile at a $1,000 drone. You really need something else.

Fortunately, the Department of Defense is working with the military to try and fast-track the development of counter-drone weapons and technologies. The Asymmetric Warfare Group, a unit within the Army, began developing counter-drone training, technology and tactics in response to the rise of the Islamic State, which used small drones to great effect.

Other weapons and technologies the Pentagon is developing include mobile drone detection radar systems, electronic warfare support systems like signal jammers and different defensive effector weapons like lasers, firearms and interceptor missiles.

For now, the Armys short-term solution is to field interim anti-air systems for immediate threats. A variant of the Stryker, an armored fighting vehicle, began being outfitted with interim maneuver-short-range air defense (IM-SHORAD) systems back in 2018.

The Armys Indirect Fire Protection Capability system, a mobile ground system capable of launching missiles, is also being equipped with more modern short-range missiles that can take down drones.

This is not a single technology or single set of technologies that will be fielded, said Cancian. Its going to be a series of technologies.

Learn more about the threats America might face in the event of a full-blown military conflict with another superpower like China by reading the latest articles at NationalSecurity.news.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

BusinessInsider.com

NationalInterest.org

DefenseNews.com

Members of the medical staff of Abu Khalifa Quarantine Hospital in Ismailia governorate were the first to get the Covid-19 vaccine in Egypt.

The vaccine is produced by the China National Pharmaceutical Group Sinopharm.

Hala Zayed, the minister of health and population, on Monday witnessed the vaccination of 87 doctors out of 200 in the hospital.

The following day, the Chinese vaccine was distributed to all the countrys public hospitals and those affiliated to the military and the police.

Doctors and medical staff dealing with Covid-19 patients will top the list of those getting the vaccine during the coming period and will be getting it for free, Zayed said during a press conference at Abu Khalifa Hospital. This will be followed by other patients, people with chronic or immune diseases and the elderly. The cost of the two-dose vaccine will be LE200 whereas those who cannot afford it will get it for free.

All those who receive financial aid from the Social Solidarity Ministry will take the vaccine free of charge. Others who cannot afford the vaccine and do not receive any financial aid from the government will have to register at their nearest public hospital to get it for free if they are proven eligible, said Zayed.

Our target is to vaccinate at least 20 per cent of the countrys 100 million citizens, she added. Youths less than 18 and pregnant women will not be vaccinated by the Sinopharm vaccine until after it is deemed safe by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The current 50,000 available doses of the vaccine will be sufficient for 25,000 people.

Meanwhile, the government has agreed to buy around 100 million doses of the vaccine by various producers that would be enough for 50 million people, Khaled Megahed, the spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Population, pointed out.

According to Zayed, the government has already secured 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, enough for 20 million people and a further 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The delivery timeline remains unclear because of high global demand, Zayed said.

Being vaccinated is not compulsory even for doctors and healthcare workers. Two weeks ago, the ministry distributed an application to those who are eligible for the vaccine to decide whether to take it or not, said Megahed. The vaccine is 100 per cent safe, as clinical trials have proven its effectiveness in producing antibodies. It is between 89 per cent and 99 per cent effective in protecting from infection, and provides 100 per cent protection against the diseases aggressive and critical symptoms, he added.

Megahed noted that Egypt received the first batch of the Sinopharm vaccine during the first week of December. During the same month, the vaccine, which has been registered at the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), was licensed for emergency use after undergoing four tests by the authority. More vaccines will be registered as soon as they reach the country, he added.

Soon, citizens can start registering on the ministrys website http://mohpegypt.com/ or at their nearest hospital to get the jab. People will be able to receive the vaccine via 27 centres nationwide.

As soon as citizens register, they will take their turn. But you cannot set a timeframe for when this will happen, and even the countries that have set a timeframe have not been able to fulfil it, not because they have a problem but because of the global production issue, Zayed said.

Egypt has reported more than 161,140 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 8,902 deaths. However, the actual numbers are thought to be far higher, in part due to limited testing.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 28 January, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

Short link:



Thousands of swimmers have been evacuated from Sydney's iconic Manly Beach and Main Beach at Surfers Paradise after separate shark sightings.

It's understood a hammerhead shark was spotted near the shore at Shelly Beach in Manly by the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter at 11.30am.

Swimmers were ordered out of the water as sirens blared at the popular tourist beach, while lifeguards encouraged people to move to the nearby harbour.

Pictured: Swimmers on the sand in Manly after a hammerhead shark was seen in the area

Swimmers were ordered out of the water as sirens blared at the popular tourist beach, while lifeguards encouraged people to move to the nearby harbour

Thousands of swimmers were forced to the shore after a shark sighting at Manly

'Beach is shut, thousands are packed on the sand like sardines,' one Manly local told Daily Mail Australia.

Hammerhead sharks are terrifying due to their 6m length, but they are not considered a great threat to humans.

Massive crowds of swimmers were also ordered out of the water twice at at Main Beach in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast on Tuesday after two sightings.

Lifeguards were seen blowing whistles and refusing to allow surfers into the water after at 10am, and again 45 minutes later after a two-metre bull shark swum into the area.

Swimmers were ordered out of the water as sirens blared at the popular tourist beach, while lifeguards encouraged people to move to the nearby Manly Harbour

Surfers Paradise, Queensland. Surfers Paradise Beach closed due to a shark sighting

Huge crowds were ordered out of the water at Main Beach on the Gold Coast after a shark sighting

The first shark was seen attacking a school of bait fish, but it remains unclear as to whether there were two different sharks.

Swimmers were allowed back in the water 15 minutes later, as lifesavers continue patrolling the area on jet skis.

Bull sharks are very aggressive and grow up to 3m long, but attacks are extremely rare.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have re-signed free agent second baseman Cesar Hernandez to a one-year deal with a club option for a second year. He was playing winter ball in Venezuela and the deal isnt expected to be announced for a couple of days because he has to take a physical which involves travel and undergoing safety protocols.

Hernandez signed a one-year deal worth $6.25 million before last season and he turned out to be the Indians most consistent two-way players. He slashed .283/.355/.408 and appeared in 58 of the Indians 60 games. He led the American League with 20 doubles.

Defensively, Hernandez won the first Gold Glove of his career last season. The news was first reported by Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base.

The terms of the deal are not known, but the Indians were able to sign Hernandez because of the estimated $32 million they saved by trading shortstop Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the Mets.

The addition of Hernandez, assuming he passes his physical, raises a question. What are the Indians going to do with Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez, the infielders they acquired from the Mets? Will Rosario play shortstop and Gimenez be the utility man or could it be the other way around?

Hernandez, 30, spent his first seven years in the big leagues with the Phillies. He was non-tendered after the 2019 season and signed with the Indians as a free agent. The return of Hernandez gives manager Terry Franconas lineup some flexibility because hes a switch-hitter. Francona loves switch-hitters and he lost two of them this winter in Lindor and Carlos Santana.

The return of Hernandez may also gives the Indians a leadoff hitter. Hernandez hit leadoff for much of last season because the Indians dropped Lindor to the No.3 spot to try and generate more offense. When Lindor struggled in the No.3 spot, they moved him back to leadoff and batted Hernandez second.

In the 60-game sprint, Hernandez batted leadoff in 43 games. He hit .257 (45-for-175) with 22 runs and a .333 on-base percentage in the leadoff spot.

A variety of Cleveland Indians face masks available online today. (Fanatics.com)

New Indians face masks for sale: Heres where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All MLB proceeds donated to charity.

Buy Indians gear: Fanatics, Nike, Amazon, Lids

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Spring training nearing, or is it? The week in baseball
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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - Waraba Gold Limited (CSE: WBGD) (the "Corporation") is pleased to release of the results of its' compilation and interpretation of the available historical data at its' Fokolore Gold project in western Mali (also known as the Maligonga East Gold Project)





Figure 1

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A National Instrument 43-101 technical report compiling the historical field work and drill results at Fokolore is underway, and an announcement will be made on this shortly. In addition, a field program has been initiated as part of a systematic exploration program that is expected to consist of airborne geophysics, along with geochemical sampling, geologic mapping and drilling.

HISTORICAL EXPLORATION WORK WITHIN THE PROJECT AREA

The Maligonga-East gold project consists of an exploration license covering a surface area of 100 km in the Kofi formation of the Dalema Basin, Western Mali - West Africa. Successive exploration works completed by BGRM, Ressources Robex Inc, Cluff Gold Plc and Fokolore Mining Sarl were professionally managed and procedures were consistent with generally accepted industry best practices. The exploration data from termite mounds, soils and rocks geochemistry sampling, geophysical survey, trenches and drilling are sufficiently reliable to confidently allow interpretation of the gold mineralization in the Maligonga-East property and planning of an extensive drilling program over existing gold deposits and in areas that have not been drill-tested.

Early termite mounds geochemistry survey and trenches from BRGM in 1992, geophysical survey and RC drilling south of the Mamadouya target zone completed by Robex between 2007 and 2008, infill termite mounds geochemistry sampling, geophysical survey and extensive RC drilling by Cluff in the Mamadouya zone in 2012 and geological and structural mapping and interpretations, Auger and RC drilling completed by Fokolore between 2015 and 2018 resulted in the identification of the Mamadouya gold deposit of the Maligonga-East property and numerous others anomalous zones of gold mineralization targets. Drilling programs completed by Cluff and Fokolore intercepted high grade gold mineralization over the Mamadouya deposit including:

MRC-18-001: 15 m @ 5.06 g/t from 69 meters Incl. 4.0m @ 15.40 g/t

MRC-18-007: 8.0m @ 8.99 g/t from 58 meters and 2.0m @ 5.04 g/t from 44 meters

MRC-18-043: 3.0m @ 20.97 g/t from 74 meters Incl. 2.0m @ 31.25 g/t

MRC-18-052: 3.0m @ 4.51 g/t from 29 meters

MRC0002: 3.0m @ 2,71 g/t from 32 meters

MRC0006: 3.0m @ 8,77 g/t from 86 meters

MRC0017: 4.0m @ 5,37 g/t from 90 meters

MRC0019: 2.0m @ 4,5 g/t from 7 meters

MRC0021: 2.0m @ 5,99 g/t from 18 meters

MRC0033: 2.0m @ 3,37 g/t from 20 meters

MRC0051: 13 m @ 2,66 g/t from 13 meters

MRC0052: 3.0m @ 4,31 g/t from 32 meters

MRC0073: 7.0m @ 6,06 g/t from 16 meters

MRC0079: 5.0m @ 3,11 g/t from 19 meters

MRC0079: 4.0m @ 3,58 g/t from 8 meters and 5m @ 3,11 g/t from 19 meters

MRC0080: 7.0m @ 4,51 g/t from 21 meters

MRC0097: 6.0m @ 16,4 g/t from 0 meters

Additional geological and structural interpretations by BRG-Consult in 2020 determined the geological and structural setting of the area and the style of the gold mineralization, established a conceptual geological and structural model for the gold mineralization and identified the Mamadouya brittle-ductile shear zone that has a strong spatial correlation with the gold mineralization. The NNE-striking and steeply ENE-dipping reverse-sinistral strike-slip shear zone system controls the gold mineralization of the Mamadouya gold deposit and is identical to structures that host the nearby Siribaya (Iamgold Corp.), Kabaya (Roscan), Soro and Seko (Oklo Resources) gold deposits.

Geological and structural interpretations by BRG-Consult demonstrated that the Mamadouya gold deposit is hosted in faulted and sheared contact between sedimentary successions of sandstone and siltstone of the Dalema Basin and suggested that the gold mineralization is structurally-controlled and occurs in deformed zones of large and highly hydrothermally altered, NNE-striking, ENE-steeply-dipping, structural corridors that contain a complex network of extensional dilation fracture systems. New high-grade gold mineralization (including 8m@8.99g/t and 15.0m@5.06g/t) in RC drilling by Fokolore in 2018 over the Mamadouya deposit show a possible northern extension of the deposit over 800 meters.





Figure 2



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GEOLOGY OF THE MAMADOUYA GOLD DEPOSIT OF THE MALIGONGA-EAST PROPERTY

The Maligonga-East permit is part to the Paleoproterozoic rocks of the Dalema Basin of the Kedougou-Kenieba Inlier, in the Birimian Super group of West Africa that hosts several multi-million-ounce gold deposits (examples include Tabakoto, Gounkoto, Fekola, Diakha and Siribaya, Kabaya, Sory and Seko gold deposits). Geological and structural relationships demonstrate that the Mamadouya gold deposit is a mesothermal shear-zone-controlled, intrusive related, orogenic-type gold mineralization, hosted in greenstone folded and faulted sedimentary successions. The deposit structural evolution and the gold mineralization style is identical to the nearby Siribaya (Iamgold Corp.), Kabaya (Roscan), Soro and Seko (Oklo Resources) gold deposits. The Maligonga-East property can therefore, be considered as very prospective terrane to host economic gold deposit, considering that aggressive additional exploration works including extensive drilling programs will continue to further define and delineate additional gold mineralization.

Based on BGR-Consult's site visit and preliminary review of available historical exploration information, BGR-Consult offers the following general comments and conclusions.

Historical exploration results on the Maligonga-East property indicate the presence of significant, near-surface gold mineralization with potential for economic gold discovery higher than previously expected. The Mamadouya gold deposit is the highest priority exploration target within the Maligonga-East concession. Additional drilling and geochemical analysis are required to evaluate the resource and the economic potential of the deposit.

The assessment of and conclusions made in this report on the exploration potential of the Maligonga-East property is based on the historical exploration results, particularly the gold results obtained from historical geochemistry sampling and the RC and Auger drilling programs from BGRM, Robex, Cluff and Fokolore.

BGR-Consult concludes that the type of and amount of historical exploration works completed by BGRM, Robex, Cluff and Fokolore and data generated by this work for the Maligonga-East property provides an adequate basis for the review and assessment of exploration potential provided in this technical report, and the recommendations made herein.

The Maligonga-East property is a relatively advanced exploration project and significant detailed works have led to the identification of the Mamadouya gold deposit with potential for containing an economic gold mineralization. BGR-Consult considers that the character and extend of the gold mineralization delineated is of sufficient merit to warrant additional exploration expenditures. BGR-Consult recommends an exploration work program that - if implemented - will advance the project to a resource and reserve estimations and a pre-feasibility study stage.

The technical contents of this announcement have been vetted by Serigne DIENG, Ph.D. AuSIMM (Membership Number 316918). Dr Dieng is a registered professional geoscientist and qualified person in accordance with the National Instrument 43-101 and JORC Standards, and has agreed to the release of the announcement.

For additional information, please contact:

WARABA GOLD LIMITED

Carl Esprey

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Telephone: +1 312 235 2605

Email: cesprey@warabagold.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the proposal to complete the associated transactions. Any such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "projects", "plans" and similar expressions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the assumption that the historical information regarding the Fokolore Gold project is accurate, the completion of the National Instrument 43-101 technical report and the potential of the Fokolore Gold project. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include failure to obtain the final approval of the CSE, or failure to complete the Purchase Agreement, among other factors. The Corporation assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by applicable law.

The CSE nor its market regulator does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72858

The current president of China, Xi Jinping, is threatened by the rapid rise of the Christian Community in China and may be coerced to "share" his power with it if it continues to grow bigger.

Dr. Ron Boyd-MacMillan, the director of Strategic Research at the Christian charity, Open Doors, claimed that the Prime Minister (Premier) of China is becoming extremely distressed by the growth of the Christian Church in their country with a current population of around 97 million people, according to the Express.

Xi Jinping is known to impose severe measures against faith for a long time now and has increased the number of surveillances during the Coronavirus outbreak. Despite his strict measures, Christianity still flourished in the country.

Dr. Boyd-MacMillan spoke to Express U.K. and claimed that the size of the Christian Church in China is rapidly growing and is bound to reach around 300 million people by the year 2030. With this amount of people, they will be able to challenge Xi's government.

"We think the evidence as to why the Chinese Church is so targeted, is that the leaders are scared of the size of the Church, and the growth of the Church.

"And if it grows, at the rate that it has done, since 1980 and that's about between seven and 8 percent a year, then you're looking at a group of people that will be 300 million strong, nearly by 2030.

"And, you know, the Chinese leadership, they really do long term planning, I mean, their economic plan goes to 2049, so this bothers them.

"Because I think if the Church continues to grow like that, then they'll have to share power." Dr. Boyd MacMillan said.

The Chinese Communist Party established a policy of "Chinafication" so that they can merge the church into China's cultural identity.

The Chinafication campaign has not only targeted Islam, Protestantism, and Christianity but also other religions with its diverse and varied strands of religious Daoism and indigenous Buddhism.

It is also believed that over a million Uighur Muslims have been sent to re-education camps in the state by Xi Jinping's governance.

The Communist Party was able to increase their surveillance campaign in the state with citizens handing over their personal information due to the COVID outbreak.

The Chinese government is also accused by the U.S. and U.K. for violating human rights. Separate reports from the U.S. and U.K. both say that China is engaging in genocide against Uighurs.

Dominic Raab, U.K. Foreign Secretary, expressed his concern over the new legislation of Hong Kong which was followed by China's issuance of a mass arrest for activists and politicians in Hong Kong.

"The mass arrest of politicians and activists in Hong Kong is a grievous attack on Hong Kong's rights and freedoms as protected under the joint declaration.

These arrests demonstrate that the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities deliberately misled the world about the true purpose of the national security law, which is being used to crush dissent and opposing political views.

The U.K. will not turn our backs on the people of Hong Kong and will continue to offer British nationals overseas citizens the right to live and work in the U.K.." Raab stated.
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After years of complaints by Nigerians about the worsening security situation amidst the overstay of Nigerias military chiefs in office, President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday relieved the officials of their positions.

Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said in a statement, Tuesday, that Mr Buhari accepted the immediate resignation of the Service Chiefs, and their retirement from service.

The four men  Gabriel Olonisakin, a general and Chief of Defence Staff; Tukur Buratai; a lieutenant general and chief of army staff; Abubakar Sadique, an air marshal and chief of air staff, and Ibok Ibas, a vice admiral and chief of naval staff  were supposed to have retired over two years ago based on their years of service.

But President Buhari kept them in office even as the security situation across the country worsened with bandits wreaking havoc in the North-west and North-central states, the Boko Haram carrying out attacks in the North-east and kidnapping becoming the norm in several states across Nigeria.

As the security situation got worse and more Nigerians called for the replacement of the service chiefs, Mr Buhari stuck to his guns, insisting they were doing their best and did not deserve to be replaced.

Even when he finally relieved them of their positions on Tuesday, the president praised the officials for their overwhelming achievements in our efforts at bringing enduring peace to our dear country.

Even NASS

President Buharis claim of overwhelming achievements by the outgone military chiefs not only contradicts the perception of many Nigerians but also contradicts the position of the National Assembly dominated by members of the presidents party, APC.

At least on three different occasions, the National Assembly called for the sack of the service chiefs based on the worsening security situation. On each occasion, the president ignored the lawmakers and retained the Olonisakin-led service chiefs who were appointed on July 13, 2015, after President Buhari assumed office.

NEW SERVICE CHIEFS

In his statement, Mr Adesina announced that the president appointed Leo Irabor, a major general, as the Chief of Defence Staff.

Mr Irabor formerly led Nigerias war against Boko Haram as the Theatre Commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole.

Ibrahim Attahiru, also a major general, was named the new Chief of Army Staff. Like Mr Irabor, Mr Attahiru had also led the war against Boko Haram.

The president also appointed A.Z. Gambo, a rear admiral, as Chief of Naval Staff and Isiaka Amao, an air vice marshal, as Chief of Air Staff.

The President congratulates the new Service Chiefs, and urges them to be loyal and dedicated in the discharge of their responsibilities, Mr Adesina said.
WASHINGTON  For months, as Democrats contemplated capturing control of the White House and the Senate and finally being in a position to push through their agenda, centrists like Sen. Jon Tester of Montana warned that they would not join the party in jettisoning the filibuster, the ultimate weapon of mass obstruction, to clear the way.

But now that President Joe Biden is in office and Democrats have taken hold of the Senate, even Tester, who sees the filibuster as a crucial mechanism to force the sort of bipartisan compromise that is sorely needed, says his determination to preserve it is not unconditional.

I feel pretty damn strongly, but I will also tell you this: I am here to get things done, Tester said in an interview. If all that happens is filibuster after filibuster, roadblock after roadblock, then my opinion may change.

Tester is at the center of a rapidly developing showdown over the fate of the filibuster, the signature feature of the Senate  a once rarely employed weapon now used routinely to stall action in the gridlocked institution  that holds heavy consequences for Bidens presidency.

Before the Senate can get down to business under new Democratic management, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the new minority leader, has forced a confrontation over the rule  which effectively imposes a 60-vote threshold to take any action  by refusing to cooperate in organizing the Senate unless Democrats promise not to gut it.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the new majority leader, has rebuffed the demand, which has infuriated Democrats who regard it as evidence that McConnell intends to obstruct Bidens proposals on pandemic relief, immigration, climate change, health care and more.

Mitch McConnell will not dictate to the Senate what we should do and how we should proceed, Schumer said Sunday. McConnell is no longer the majority leader.

The stalemate has created a bizarre situation in which most Senate committees are frozen under Republican control and new senators cannot be seated on the panels even though Democrats now command the Senate majority.

Beyond the immediate logistical effects, the feud reflects a challenging dynamic in the 50-50 Senate for Biden. By holding out against Democrats eager to take charge, McConnell is exercising what leverage he has. But he is also foreshadowing an eventual clash in the chamber that might otherwise have taken months to unfold over how aggressive Democrats should be in seeking to accomplish Bidens top priorities.

Democrats say they must retain at least the threat that they could one day end the filibuster, arguing that bowing to McConnells demand now would only embolden Republicans to deploy it constantly, without fear of retaliation.

Well, thats a nonstarter, because if we gave him that, then the filibuster would be on everything, every day, Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press."

At issue is a rule that is at the heart of the consensus-driven Senate, which effectively mandates that any legislation draw 60 votes to advance. But like everything else in the chamber, the rule itself is subject to change if senators agree. As the majority party, Democrats could move to eliminate the filibuster and force through a change to the rules on a simple majority vote  a move known as detonating the nuclear option  if all 50 of their members held together and Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tiebreaking vote.

As chances rose over the past year that Democrats could win control of the White House and Congress, speculation mounted over whether they would take such action should Republicans dig in against Biden. But no one anticipated that McConnell would bring the fight to a boil right from the start by entangling the filibuster in the basic work of setting up the Senate for the next two years through what is known as an organizing resolution, which requires Senate approval.

In calling for the Democratic commitment, McConnell noted that Democrats relied on the filibuster themselves when Donald Trump was president and Republicans held the Senate.

Democrats used it constantly, as they had every right to, he said on the floor last week. They were happy to insist on a 60-vote threshold for practically every measure or bill I took up.

Schumer has said little of his strategy going forward other than calling McConnells demand unacceptable. The new majority leader seems content for now to let Democrats and Biden, a former longtime senator who has been reluctant to overturn the filibuster, simmer over Republican tactics.

Schumer has offered to organize the Senate under the terms of an agreement from 2001  the last time the Senate was divided 50-50  and give Republicans equal representation on committees, a gesture some Democrats saw as generous.

Yet given the deadlock, some liberal activists are urging Schumer to respond aggressively and immediately blow up the filibuster to enact the organizing resolution over McConnells objections, handing Democrats the power they won in the election. They argue that since the measure does not become law, the move would leave the legislative filibuster intact and should win the support of even Democrats like Tester who want to preserve it.

You could see the Democrats rally around the idea of at least changing the rules to bar a filibuster of this procedural resolution so they can take their gavels and commence the work of the Senate, said Brian Fallon, a former aide to Schumer who is now a progressive judicial activist with the group Demand Justice. It would be a mini-nuclear option, of sorts.

Schumers allies say he still hopes to strike a deal with McConnell and is not at the crisis stage yet. Tester said he would urge Schumer and McConnell to sit down at the table and lock the door and get it squared away.

But if, in fact, Mitch is going put up roadblocks and filibuster the organizing resolution, then I think Schumer has to take it to the floor, Tester said.

Another Democrat who has taken a firm stance against eliminating the filibuster, Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, has not changed his position even though McConnells demand is preventing Manchin from taking the helm of a committee of his own. In a 50-50 Senate, his defection alone would prevent the elimination of the rule.

Im in the minority of the caucus on this, Im sure of that, Manchin told reporters. I think basically Chuck has the right to do whats hes doing. He has the right to use that leverage in whatever he wants to do. Im not worried about that at all. They will work it out. I just havent changed where Im at.

Schumer said McConnell is trying to go beyond the terms of the 2001 agreement with his filibuster demand, calling it extraneous. But McConnell so far appears to have the backing of other Republicans, including moderates who are empowered by the 60-vote requirement, who say it is essential to have Democrats pledge to not upend the filibuster.

Including some kind of detente on the filibuster is important, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who said it wasnt an issue in 2001 because no one at the time would have contemplated eliminating it. It was not even a subject that was even thought about, and so its a different environment.

As for Biden, the White House said his position in support of the filibuster has not changed, though he gave some mixed signals during the campaign. Schumer and Senate Democrats would be very unlikely to proceed with scrapping the practice without the endorsement of Biden, particularly since they would need Harris vote to do so.

Tester said the filibuster has a role to play since it can lead to legislation that can stand the test of time, rather than lock Congress in a cycle in which one party is always trying to undo partisan legislation passed by the other. But his patience isnt infinite.

I didnt come here to sit at my desk and wait for no votes to happen, he said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Fans enjoy Six60 at the biggest concert of its kind since lockdown took place in Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand (Photo: Fred Rood  www.eliteimage.tv)

In New Zealand they call them managed isolation centres. Its where you have to go for 14 days when you arrive in the small island nation in the Pacific Ocean. There are certain exemptions from the mandatory stays in the isolation centres but for the most part the rules apply to New Zealanders and foreigners alike.

Not only do you have to stay in a State-commandeered hotel for a fortnight you also have to pay $3,100 (1,836) for the experience  and that doesnt include the extra charges for bringing a partner or kids. During your stay you are tested for Covid-19 three times and only then released once all are clear.

Does it work? Well, it was big news in New Zealand the other day when one single Covid-19 case was detected in the community. It was the first since November. The previous month around 12,000 attended a concert where social distancing was not even a consideration.
Bouts of 'persistent pain' caused by sciatica forced Pope Francis to miss Sunday Mass and to suspend his other engagements.

The Vatican said on Saturday that 84-year-old Francis is making limited appearances due to sciatica, a nerve inflammation that affects the lower back and legs.

On Sunday, the pontiff delivered the Angelus prayer from the Apostolic Palace library rather than from his studio window overlooking St Paul's Square, where he usually blesses crowds of the faithful. He also skipped a scheduled Mass and evening prayer at St Paul's Basilica.

During the blessing, the pope delivered remarks about the Gospel and prayed for the plight of homeless people.

His annual start-of-the-year speech with the Holy See's diplomatic corps, set for Monday, was also postponed. After the ceremony, Francis would have been driven to a Rome basilica to pray with other Christian leaders, but the event went ahead without him.

Pope Francis delivers the Angelus prayer from the Apostolic Palace's library on Sunday. According to the Vatican's press office, the pope is limiting his engagements due to bouts of 'persistent pain' caused by sciatica

It is the second time in recent weeks that Francis has been hobbled by what the Vatican has said is sciatica pain, forcing him to skip events.

The same condition saw him miss two appearances for New Year's Day Mass in St Peter's Basilica.

The crippling condition is not the first to ail the pontiff in recent years.

In March, as the coronavirus pandemic gripped Italy, concerns were raised when the Vatican announce Pope Francis was suffering from a 'light cold'.

The Pope later tested negative for the virus, but his ailing health led to the cancellation of several public engagements. Francis restricted himself to appointments within the Domus Santa Marta Hotel, where has lived since his 2013 election.

He also missed an annual Lenten retreat in Ariccia, a town based around an hour's drive southeast of Rome, choosing instead to follow the procession at a distance.

Faithfuls keep their distance in St Peter's Square as Pope Francis delivered a live-streamed weekly Angelus prayer from the palace's library on 17 January. Sciatica caused the pope to miss two appearances at New Year's Day Mass at the start of this year

Shortly before Christmas, two Cardinal's within the pope's circle tested positive for the virus, raising worries the pope may have been infected.

Francis has been filmed and photographed without a face mask, speaking closely with his Cardinal's and advisors, at several public events, leading to concerns he could easily have contracted the disease.

During a visit to a Rome prison in 2018, the pontiff urged inmates to never allow their hopes be clouded like cataracts, revealing that he suffers from the degenerative eye condition.

At the age of 21, a life-threatening bout of pneumonia resulted in the removal of a part of his right lung. His recovery was a factor leading him to decide to join the Jesuits in 1958.
MOSCOW -- Russia has lifted a travel ban for Finland, Vietnam, India and Qatar that was imposed last year to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the Russian government said on Monday.

It said the citizens of these countries would be able to travel to Russia by plane.

Russians would also be allowed to fly to these countries.

Russia had initially introduced the travel restrictions on March 16, 2020 to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading.

The country registered fewer than 20,000 new COVID-19 daily cases for the first time since Nov. 11, its coronavirus crisis response centre said on Monday.
Its simple: no adult should be turned away from the voting booth on Election Day and same-day registration ensures that any eligible voter can vote. Weve spent 200 years expanding the franchise and over 100 years with declining participation in democracy at the same time. Voter participation helps transform voting from a privilege to the civil right that its meant to be, Smith said in the news release.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Federal prosecutors accused the owners of a Wickliffe demolition company of paying more than $1,500 in cash bribes to a Cleveland official to gain faster inspections and other help, according to documents unsealed Tuesday.

Authorities say Gwen and Joseph Tucceri III of R Demolition worked with Rufus Taylor, the former demolition bureau chief for the city, over the course of 18 months.

Prosecutors charged the Tucceris in U.S. District Court in Cleveland in a bill of information that accused them of 10 bribery-related allegations. In many cases, charges filed by information mean a defendant is cooperating with authorities and will admit to the charges.

The Tucceris join a group of contractors accused of bribing Taylor. One of them, Eric Witherspoon, was sentenced last fall to 15 months in prison and fined $5,000.

Taylor worked 30 years for the city. He pleaded guilty to bribery and extortion in September 2018 and will be sentenced in June. He faces about three years in prison for taking thousands of dollars in bribes from contractors for help with inspections.

The allegations against the Tucceris said their company handled demolition jobs for Cleveland and the Cuyahoga County Land Bank. They worked with Taylor from December 2016 to May 2018.

The charges say they paid Taylor bribes in exchange for faster service and favorable treatment regarding demolition inspections. With Taylors help, the business would get faster inspections, allowing it to move on to other jobs, the charges allege.

The charges say Gwen Tucceri gave Taylor $60 for an inspection of a demolition site on Colonial Avenue in Cleveland in February 2017. The Tucceris paid Taylor for work across the city over the span of several months.

At one point, Joseph Tucceri tossed $50 in the window of Taylors vehicle for his help, according to the charges. Gwen Tucceri later added $50 more to that amount, prosecutors said in the filing.

In June 2017, they paid Taylor $300 to get a favorable inspection of a demolished property on Holton Avenue on the citys East Side. In the following weeks, they paid Taylor $600 for his assistance, according to the charges.

Their attorneys could not be reached for comment. Attempts to reach the Tucceris were unsuccessful. They are expected to appear in court within the next few weeks.


Kanpur: On January 26 every year in Delhi, a grand parade would be held at Rajpath showcasing defence capabilities, diversity and rich cultural heritage. There are more than one beautiful tableaux that depict a story or a scene of history. The parade at Rajpath is not only the country but also the eyes of the whole world. Like every year, special preparations have been made this year also. However, this year's parade will be slightly different due to Covid-19.

The new Rafael fighter jet, which came to India, will participate in India's 72 Republic Day parade on January 26 for the first time. According to the Indian Air Force (IAF), the flypast will culminate with the flight of the Rafale aircraft in the parade to be held on Republic Day. The tableau of Ladakh will be showcased after the Republic Day celebrations for the first time in the Union territory. The tableau will be made to familiarize the country and the world with monasteries and stupas besides communal harmony, crafts, art culture, festivals of Ladakh. Special preparations have been made for this.

The spirit of Darbhanga in Bihar will be the first female fighter pilot of the country to join the parade of Republic Day 2021. The spirit will be part of the tableau of the Indian Air Force which will show a mock-up of light combat aircraft, Sukhoi-30 fighter plane and light combat helicopter. The Bangladesh Armed Forces, which fought with their Indian counterparts 50 years ago, will also participate in the Republic Day parade. This is the third time in India's history that any foreign military team has been invited to participate in the Republic Day parade. Earlier, the contestants from France and UAE have taken part.

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[January 26, 2021] Chicago-Area Beer Distributor Kicks Off 2021 by Going Solar

Residents of Lake County, Illinois, can drink a little greener in 2021 thanks to the solar installation that now powers Kloss Distributing in Gurnee. Kloss Distributing moves 4 million cases of beer, wine and soft drinks to 1,500 locations across Lake County each year - and with its new installation fully activated, all of the company's electricity is now generated by the solar panels that cover Kloss' warehouse roof. Kloss Distributing expects the solar installation to save the company $70,000 per year in electric costs. Kloss partnered with General Energy Corporation (GEC), to provide a turnkey solar solution that covered 100% of the company's electric needs. GEC designed and installed the 700 kw solar system, managed the connection to the electric grid, and trained Kloss staff on the operation of the system.



Kloss Distributing has been operating in northern Illinois since 1973. The Kloss family had for years been interested in installing solar to lower the business's energy costs, make operations more sustainable and set Kloss apart from the competition. And in 2020, the company decided the opportunity was too good to pass up. Advances in solar technology, combined with the availability of federal and state incentives, meant the Kloss solar array would pay for itself in roughly two years and generate $70,000 in energy savings every year thereafter. As President Mike Kloss put it, "It's a good business decision and great for the environment." GEC also helped Kloss apply for incentives through state and federal renewable energy programs to make sure the distributor maximized its return on investment. GEC has provided solar and energy efficiency solutions for commercial customers in Illinois and across the country since 1985. In the past year, GEC delivered turnkey solar solutions for several Illinois distribution, manufacturing and industrial businesses.

By generating its own clean solar electricity, Kloss Distributing will reduce CO2 pollution by 639 metric tons each year - the equivalent to taking 138 cars off the road. After 47 years in business, Kloss is continuing to invest in making operations more economic and more sustainable. The Kloss family is confident that switching to solar power will help their business continue to succeed for generations to come. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005115/en/

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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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Victor Glover, a NASA astronaut on the International Space Station said that sunrises from space remind him of a Bible verse from the book of Psalms.

Glover, who is one of seven men and women on the space stations Expedition 64, shared two pictures on Instagram. These images were of the sun beaming just above the earths horizon, Christian Headlines reports.

Took these photos today, I love sunrises and sunsets, Glover shared on Instagram, in addition to Twitter. Can you see the bands of color? They remind me of the scripture in Psalm 30, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. It seems darkest just before sunrise. I wish you all love and light. Goodnight from the @Space_Station.

Glover was highlighted in the news in November when he was part of a four-person crew that launched aboard a SpaceX rocket to the space station. He also made headlines when people learned what he carried with him in space  a Bible and communion cups. Glover led a Bible class in his congregation in Houston, TX.

This was only the second manned NASA/SpaceX mission in history. He is also the first black astronaut to live on the space station for an extensive period.

When asked about his worship time in space, Glover told the Christian Chronicle, I will probably continue in what weve been doing: virtual service, virtual giving, reading my Bible and praying.

Glover also said the NASA mission and its risks have helped put his life in perspective. He and his wife have four children together.

This time has really helped me to focus on what really is most important. What do I really have to be doing right now? And I realized how important it is that I really make sure that my family is not just prepared for this mission, but is prepared for life, Glover told the Christian Chronicle.

Thats what a parents job is  understanding the role of God in my life, and Gods authority and my submission to that, and the love and support and encouragement that can create in my life, Glover added.

An Leis side by side photo of himself with a 13-year period of time apart takes over Chinese media.

Just as the 10-year-challenge internet fad silently fades away, a side by side photo of a mans back with a 13-year period of time apart took over Chinese media recently.

An Lei, 38, is a member of the Law Enforcement Team from the Department of Traffic and Transportation in Dalian, northeast Chinas Liaoning Province. The photo on the left was taken in 2008 when An, wearing a jacket printed with an earthquake relief slogan, assisted in disaster-relief efforts in Wenchuan, southwest Chinas Sichuan Province, contrasting it with a picture of him in 2021 when he, wearing a protective suit with the slogan Go, Jinpu!, volunteered after the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in the Jinpu New District of Dalian.

Unlike most of others 10-year challenge, Ans one is not a glow up, but a grow up, because what remains unchanged is his spirit of contribution in times of crisis.

In 2008, after a magnitude-8.0 earthquake struck the Wenchuan area, 25-year-old An rushed to the frontline to join the disaster recovery and relief work. A photo of him carrying the insulation boards of emergency shelters was taken by someone.

Over a decade later in December, 2020, An was on the frontline again, serving as a volunteer in charge of transporting close contacts of COVID-19 cases in his hometown Dalian after new coronavirus clusters emerged there.

When An posted a throwback photo of himself from 2008 next to a snap from 2021 on his WeChat social media account, the then-and-now photos began to take off on Chinese media.

Winning nationwide applause for his dedicated service, An considers what he has done as nothing special. During the epidemic, Im just one of tens of thousands of volunteers here, he said, adding that as a member of the Communist Party of China, he felt proud to help others in the best way he could.

Having been working around the clock, An has been away from home for many days. His 9-year-old son called An after seeing his father on media, saying, I want to be someone just like you when I grow up, dad.
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The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered the final forfeiture of funds belonging to a former governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari, domiciled in Zenith and Polaris Banks.

While $56, 056.75 was lodged in Polaris Bank account, the sums of N12.9 million, N11.2 million, $301, 319.99; N217, 388.04 and $311, 872.15 were kept in different Zenith Bank accounts in the name of Mr Yari and his companies, the News Agency of Nigeria reported Tuesday.

The judge, Ijeoma Ojukwu, held that the former governor had not shown good cause why the order sought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) should not be granted.

Unclear Source of Wealth

Mr Yari served as governor of Zamfara between May 2011 and May 2019.

The ICPC had instituted a suit, praying the court for the former governor to show cause why the money under investigation should not be forfeited to the federal government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Mr Yari was the first respondent in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/916/2019, his two companies; Kayatawa Nigeria Ltd and B. T. Oil and Gas Nigeria Ltd were second and third respondents respectively.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo had, on August 16, 2019, granted the order for interim forfeiture of the assets in an exparte motion brought by the commissions lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha.

Justice Taiwo also ordered the ICPC to publish same in national dailies for any interested party to show cause while the money should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

The anti-graft agency had alleged that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.

It accused Mr Yari of illicitly taking the money from the states coffers while he was governor.

According to the commission, the victim of the alleged crime is the Zamfara government and by extension the Federal Government of Nigeria and innocent taxpayers which include judges of courts across Nigeria.

It alleged that the former governor used the two companies to launder money in the state account.

In his arguments, Mr Yari said there was no case of prima facie against him before the interim order of forfeiture was granted.

The former governor said the action negated the principle of fair hearing.

Mr Yari, who claimed he was rich before becoming the governor of the state, urged the court to dismiss the interim order earlier granted against him.

Ruling

Delivering the judgement, Ms Ojukwu queried how one of Mr Yaris companys bank accounts grew from zero to $301,319 at the end of his tenure.

She said Mr Yari could not present convincing evidence that the money under investigation was his.

The judge, who dismissed the allegation that the action was a political witch-hunt, held that the suit was not instituted by a political party but a Federal Government agency charged with the mandate to carry out such duties.

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She said that right to fair hearing did not necessarily mean oral hearing.

According to her, fair hearing can be in form of writing, and whether the party has been afforded the opportunity.

The judge, therefore, held that the right to fair hearing of the respondent (Mr Yari) was not breached by the commission.

She queried why N350 million was transferred to Mr Yari by the then permanent secretary on the eve of his leaving office.

Mrs Ojukwu also held that Mr Yari failed to disclose his directorship of the companies and could not state clearly how the inflows in the accounts legitimately emanated.

ALSO READ: APC Faction Condemns Activities of Yari Loyalists in Zamfara

Justice Ojukwu then ordered that the entire sum be forfeited to the Federal Government.

There is nothing wrong in having huge sum of monies in ones account but what the law requires is that such proceeds should emanate from legitimate sources or businesses.

The respondents who have been given opportunity to tell their story have failed to provide evidence for such legitimate income.

The respondents have not countered the case and facts presented by the applicant.

The respondents having failed to establish the legitimate source of the monies as stated in this case, this honorable court hereby makes an order of final forfeiture of the following :

An order of final forfeiture of the sum of 12, 912, 848.68 naira being proceeds of some unlawful activity stashed in Zenith Bank Plc in the name of Abdulazeez Abubakar Yari.

An order of final forfeiture of the sum of 57, 056.75 dollars, being proceeds of some unlawful activity stashed in Polaris Bank in the name of Abdulazeez Abubakar Yari.

An order of forfeiture of the sum of N11, 159, 674 .17, being proceeds stashed in Zenith Bank Plc in the name of Kayatawa Nigeria Limited.

An order of final forfeiture of the sum of 319, 000.91 dollars, being proceed of some unlawful activity stashed in Zenith Bank Plc in the name of Kayatawa Nigeria Limited.

An order of final forfeiture of the sum of N217, 000.04 being proceeds of some unlawful activity allegedly stashed in Zenith Bank Plc in the name of B.T Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited.

An order of final forfeiture of the sum of 311, 817.15 dollars, being proceeds of some unlawful activity stashed in Zenith Bank Plc in the name of BT. Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, the judge ruled. (NAN)
This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong!
Rating: 3.5 /5 Star Cast: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Nimisha Sajayan, Sidhartha Siva Director: Jeo Baby

In a scene in The Great Indian Kitchen, the character played by Suraj Venjaramoodu demands an apology from his wife (played by Nimisha Sajayan) for commenting on his table manners. When she says sorry, there is a smile of victory on his face. And that very scene will make us think, are we sensitive enough, or just pretending?

What's Yay: The highly relevant subject, simple yet deeply moving storytelling, excellent performances

What's Nay: The slow-paced narrative

Plot

A young woman (Nimisha Sajayan) is introduced to a well-settled man (Suraj Venjaramoodu) through an arranged match, and they get married. The new bride takes over the responsibilities of her new household when her loving yet submissive mother-in-law leaves for her daughter's place. How she copes up with the compassionless environment and finds her peace is the story of The Great Indian Kitchen.

Script & Direction

It seems like writer-director Jeo Baby has not made a feature film, but has placed his camera in a random Indian household. The Great Indian Kitchen is unarguably one of the most realistic films Malayalam film industry has ever produced. Here, the characters don't have names. The husband is "ettan", while the new wife is mostly called "molu".

The story of a lively, happy girl who gets transformed into a frustrated woman is not something new for Malayalam cinema (several popular films have discussed it, and successfully concluded the girl's attitude is problematic). But here, things are different.

Here, the two grown-up men of the household need to be taken care of by the women. The new bride is supposed to stay away from all basic necessities to respect her father-in-law's beliefs. And there is this relative who boasts about "helping" women in the kitchen by cooking a meal and makes things more complicated. Well, most of us are not new to any of these situations, right?

But what makes it all different in The Great Indian Kitchen is the way this film addresses these things. When the new bride asks her husband about his table manners, suggests him foreplay before having sex, or shares her views on the Sabarimala verdict, she is not given the face of a vamp. Instead, the director chooses to show us how the husband is deeply unimpressed with the fact that his wife knows "too much". And finally, when we see the new bride's mother refusing to acknowledge her issues, it is evident how deeply rooted the patriarchy is in our society.

And, here is a Malayalam film that has finally addressed the atrocities faced by menstruating women in all traditional households (which is still considered a taboo). The same person who cooks and feeds the family everyday suddenly becomes "impure" and "untouchable". Kudos to writer-director Jeo Baby for taking this big step.

But yes, there are things that don't work for all audiences in The Great Indian Kitchen. The supremely realistic narrative that doesn't offer anything entertaining, might not appeal to all viewers. Also, the slow-paced storytelling might test one's patience. But so is life for many people (even in our own houses), right?

Performances

Nimisha Sajayan, who plays the new bride, and Suraj Venjaramoodu, who plays the husband, are the heart and soul of this film. Both the actors outshine each other with their exceptionally natural yet heartfelt performances. It is such a delight to watch such seasoned actors in well-written roles. The rest of the star cast, including the actress who played the mother-in-law, T Suresh Babu (Achan), Rama Devi (aunt), Kabani (maid Usha), Sidhartha Siva (annoying cousin), are perfect in their respective roles.

Technical Aspects

Salu K Thomas, the director of photography deserves applause for the amazing visualization, that even makes us forget that we are watching a film. Sooraj S Kurup and Mathews Pulickan score high with the strong yet subtle music of the film.

Verdict

The Great Indian Kitchen is a sincere, realistic take on a common Indian household. This Jeo Baby film is a slap on the face of the deeply rooted patriarchy in our society. Don't miss it.

Also Read:

67th National Film Awards: 17 Malayalam Films Enter The Final Race!



Vellam Movie Review: Jayasurya's Performance Is The Soul Of This Deeply Moving Survival Drama

Unfortunately, something I predicted here just days ago has come to pass...much quicker than even I expected. A number of academics and publishing professionals have come together to demand that companies refuse to publish books by Trump administration officials. (At least the ones who still support him.)

Leftist thugs also recently successfully pressured Simon and Schuster into canceling the publication of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)'s book after he had the temerity to object to the certification of election results in a couple of key battleground states. (Hawley is now apparently going to have his book published by Regnery.)

More than 550 members of the publishing industry, including several professors, recently signed a letter averring that "our country is where it is in part because publishing has chased the money and notoriety of some pretty sketchy people." Ergo, they sniffed, "[a]s members of the writing and publishing community of the United States, we affirm that participation in the administration of Donald Trump must be considered a uniquely mitigating criterion for publishing houses when considering book deals."

If they were truly worried about "pretty sketchy people" being allowed to write books, they would bemoan the fact that Al Gore, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Kerry, Al Sharpton, and Michael Moore all wrote books the publishing industry gladly published. (As have several serial killers.) In any case, the First Amendment wouldn't mean much if "pretty sketchy people" were not allowed to speak or write.

The letter-writers continued: "Consequently, we believe: No participant in an administration that caged children, performed involuntary surgeries on captive women, and scoffed at science as millions were infected with a deadly virus should be enriched by the almost rote largesse of a big book deal. In that spirit, those who enabled, promulgated, and covered up crimes against the American people should not be enriched through the coffers of publishing." Talk about projection!

"Performed involuntary surgeries on captive women"? That sounds more like China, eggheads. But you don't care, as you wouldn't ban books by Chairman Mao or Xi Jinping, and most of your universities are rife with Chinese spies and infiltrators. "Caged children?" See also, Obama administration. "Scoffed at science?" Trump was right about hydroxychloroquine, UV light's ability to kill the coronavirus, and several other things science-related, while Dr. Fauci, the WHO, the CDC, and other assorted experts kept changing their message to fit a predetermined narrative...behavior that is utterly unscientific.

Tania James was one of those who signed the letter. n She is an associate professor at George Mason University and a novelist who has won awards from the New York Times, NPR, and the San Francisco Chronicle. (Imagine that.) I don't think these academic and publishing industry insiders should have been permitted to publish their letter. Furthermore, the New York Times has published demonstrably false and hurtful articles such as those on the "1619 Project"  articles that are nothing less than libelous against the United States and its founders...and which present a clear and present danger to the nation. Many other newspapers have as well.

I don't think these "monsters" should be allowed to enrich themselves through the coffers of publishing. Do you?

Image via Pixy.
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Dancing On Ice bosses are 'refusing to axe Rufus Hound' after historic tweets by the star using racist and homophobic slurs resurfaced, it has been claimed.

The Sun reports the comedian, 41, has been told he 'won't be kicked off the show' after old tweets from the star emerged in which he used the word 'r****d' in 2011, referred to Ed Sheeran as a 'gay lord' and tweeted racist slurs including the n-word in 2012.

A source claimed to the website that ITV was being hypocritical with Hound - following the axing of I'm A Celebrity star Jack Maynard back in 2017 after tweets emerged of him using racist and homophobic slurs.

Claim: Dancing On Ice bosses are 'refusing to axe Rufus Hound' after historic tweets emerged of using racist and homophobic terms, it has been claimed

A source told the website: 'Dancing On Ice have made their position clear and while Rufus's tweets have been quietly condemned, right now it's not being seen as an offence which would require his removal.

'It seems there is one rule for some, and one for another. After Jack was taken off I'm A Celebrity for the same kind of tweets, it was assumed that Rufus would be told he should step down.

'But it's been made clear to those working on the show that they're standing by him.'

A representative for Dancing On Ice declined to comment to Mailonline. A spokesman for Rufus Hound has also been contacted for comment.

Backlash: The Sun reports the comedian, 41, has been told he 'won't be kicked off the show' after old tweets from the star resurfaced in which he used offensive slurs (pictured on the show with partner Robin Johnstone)

Earlier this week it was reported Dancing on Ice bosses were facing calls to remove Hound from the show after he tweeted claims that Theresa May planned the Manchester Arena terror attack.

The comedian stirred outrage among MPs and bomb victims who want him axed from the show for retweeting the unsubstantiated claims - coincidentally Mr Hound is now isolating for ten days after coming into contact with coronavirus and will not be appearing on this week's show.

Mr Hound retweeted: 'Given the attacker was known to MI5, the timing seems fortunate for May that an attack 'slips through' as Labour are making progress.'

He then added his own comment, suggesting that May, the Prime Minister at the time of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombings, had planned the attack to help the Tories win the election, The Sun on Sunday reports.

Unearthed: Hound used shocking racist slurs in a tweet from 2012 which contained the n-word

Tweets: He also branded Ed Sheeran a 'gay lord' in a 2012 tweet and used the word 'r****d' in a 2011 tweet

The conspiracy theorist wrote: 'Apologies for mild tinhattedness, but I've been thinking the same. Esp. as she was Home Secretary for so long.'

He later tweeted that he was not suggesting it was true, but that he believed it could be possible, adding: 'I guess I'm not really alleging it as true, more that I don't believe our establishment is incapable of such evil. Especially during an election.'

MP Rob Halfon told The Sun on Sunday: 'This is horrific.'These trivial remarks are deeply offensive to victims of the Manchester attack.'

Whilst another Conservative MP Alec Shelbrooke told the publication that it was ITV's 'moral responsibility' to 'chuck out' contestants using the show as a political platform.

Report: Earlier this week it was reported Dancing on Ice bosses were facing calls to remove Hound from the show after he tweeted claims that Theresa May planned the Manchester Arena terror attack

Horror: A scene following the Manchester Arena attack at an Ariana Grande concert

Jade Clough, 33, from Stockport, who was hit by shrapnel at the Manchester attack carried out by Salman Abedi, told The Sun on Sunday that the claims were 'outrageous' and said the celebrity's actions could make people feel it was ok to share similar unsubstantiated claims.

ITV declined to comment on the matter, MailOnline has contacted Hound's representatives for comment.

Ahead of the report on his historic tweets on Sunday, Hound shared a link to tweets originally posted in September 2020, in which he responded to criticism of his posts.

The thread read: 'Hi there Occasionally for different reasons, people trawl through my timeline (I've been on this site for 11 years, so that's a fair bit of material) to find stuff that they can take offence at or inspire offence in others with.

Tweets: In a series of tweets made in 2017 Mr Hound shared his view that the government were not 'incapable of such evil'

'So, I just want to make something abundantly clear: When I was a stand-up and a younger man, the culture on here was much darker and edgier. I made jokes about race, sexuality, politics... everything.

'You may not like those jokes. You may find those jokes offensive or upsetting. And if you do, there's a very good chance that I hadn't thought about them or the subjects they covered enough.

'Hell, I put out a Comedy Central Special that was almost entirely about oral sex and when I watch it back (I have done this only once in the last 6 years) there's stuff I wish I hadn't said, or said differently or just flat out don't like.'

He continued: 'My point is this. For the last few years, I have largely absented myself from the pop mainstream. Stopped doing panel shows, only went on quizzes when I could win money for charities etc. Theatre's what I've been doing and that comes at enormous personal cost.

'Cost of time, money and relationships. But I LOVE it. As anyone who knew me from birth to 19 and they'll tell you. It's all I ever wanted to do. And now I get to do it. Or did, before... y'know....'

He branded his past tweets 'stupid and hurtful', writing: 'If anything I've said or tweeted in the past was stupid or hurtful, it's because I can be stupid and hurtful. I, sincerely, try to understand and do better. Ask anyone who knows me. I am not short of thinking. Paralysingly, sometimes.

'I'm not aware of anything specific coming my way, hand on heart. This isn't one of those moments where my publicist has phoned me and said they've found my prints on the body (I don't even have a publicist. Well, I did but they died in mysterious circumstances. And I wear gloves)

Response: Ahead of the report on his historic tweets on Sunday, Hound shared a link to tweets originally posted in September 2020, in which he responded to criticism of his posts

Regret: He branded his past tweets 'stupid and hurtful', writing: 'If anything I've said or tweeted in the past was stupid or hurtful, it's because I can be stupid and hurtful'

'... it's more that I just want to say people change. People grow. People improve. Whilst I still have endless improvements to make, undoubtedly, I'm trying.

'So, if a load of old s**t I came out with years ago offends you or upsets you, know that there's a very good chance it offends and upsets me too, which is why I stopped saying it.'

He continued: 'I believe in equality of opportunity, in love as a superpower, in women. I believe you should be free to do anything you like as long as it doesn't endanger the physical wellbeing of other people.

'I believe that who you are and who you choose to be should be met with kindness by the world. I believe no one person has any more intrinsic value than any other. I believe we should be working together to make the world a better place for all of humankind.

'I believe we can all be better if we choose to be and shouldn't be defined by our worst days. I believe that, when all is said and done, Salt and Vinegar Squares are the absolute best crisps.'

'And all I can ask you to think of me is this: Imperfect man, trying to be kind, sane and funny in an unkind, mad, bleak world. Thank you for coming to my [bloa]TED [sense of self regard] talk x.'

It comes after the former Celebrity Juice star caused a stir during week one's show by criticising the UK Government over free school meals.

Mr Hound took aim at the government's stance on free school meals and said his video game-inspired performance was the 'least mad thing that has happened in a long time.'

Missed a week: Sources say Mr Hound has tested negative for the coronavirus and is now isolating at home. Mr Hound pictured with Robin Johnstone

He said: 'I've spent most of this year not being emotionally stable because the world stopped making sense and this does not make more sense of it.

'We live in a world where the people we elect don't want to feed hungry children, this is the least mad thing that has happened to me in a long time.'

Ofcom has since received 341 complaints about the episode, with the majority made about Mr Hound. On Sunday the comedian has had to pull out of the show in accordance with government guidelines, which state that he now has to quarantine at home for 10 days.

Mr Hound was set to perform in a group routine on Sunday night and again the following week for his individual skate, but he will now be forced to miss both.

A spokesperson for ITV told MailOnline: 'This week Rufus Hound came into contact with someone outside of the show who tested positive for Covid 19.

This means, following government guidelines, he will isolate for ten days. We are hoping to welcome him back to the ice soon.'

'We continue to have a robust set of measures in place to operate safely within Covid-19 guidelines and to ensure the wellbeing of everyone connected with the production.'

Sources say he has tested negative for the coronavirus and is now isolating at home.

They added that while Rufus will have to isolate, his professional partner Robin Johnstone will not as she hasn't come into contact with anyone covid positive.

She will not appear on Sunday evening's show however.

It is currently unclear whether the skating duo will return to the show once his isolation period ends.
It marks the day in 1945 that the largest concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, was liberated by the Soviet Red Army. It is a day we honour the memories of the innocent who were murdered. This file photo, taken just after the liberation by the Soviet army in January, 1945, shows a group of children wearing Auschwitz concentration camp uniforms. Credit:AP When US General Dwight Eisenhower liberated the concentration camps and saw the death and destruction caused by Nazi forces, he said there would come a time when the people of the world would not believe what had occurred and would deny the Holocaust ever happened. We need to work together to prevent such historical revisionism from ever taking hold and better educate the community about the lessons of the past.

It was a message Paul Keating also conveyed back in 1994 when he opened a Children of the Holocaust exhibition at the Australian War Memorial. The Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In commencing his speech, then prime minister Keating declared that he was daunted by the requirement to speak. To be required to speak about the unspeakable. Loading At that time, Mr Keating said the exhibition was so important because it forces us to think, forces us to remember. It reminds us of how profoundly important it is to keep alive the memory and forever reaffirm the reality of the Holocaust. It reminds us that those people who keep it alive do so for all of us, not just for the Jewish people and the survivors and descendants of the others who were persecuted, but for all of us.

This is why federal, state and territory governments, regardless of their political persuasion, are joining forces in a bipartisan way to support the establishment and upgrading of Holocaust museums around the country, promoting tolerance and understanding while combating racism and anti-Semitism. Through literature, testimonies and other exhibits, every Australian, young and old, can and should have the opportunity to learn what happened. Holocaust education should be taught in Australian classrooms. Credit:Virginia Star Holocaust education should be taught in Australian classrooms so the children of today and tomorrow learn from the past and work towards a brighter, more tolerant and inclusive future. Both of us have had families who perished in the Holocaust.

The Frydenberg family lost great-grandparents and great-aunts but were also fortunate to have a great-aunt, Mary Frydenberg, survive. Every day she lived was a miracle, but it was with her own history and scars. And it was with her own number tattooed onto her arm from her time in Auschwitz. My wife Amies grandmother survived but lost both of her parents and nine siblings. My wifes grandfather lost his mother and eight siblings. The Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Credit:AP Gerda Cohen, the grandmother of Josh Burns, was four when she fled Hitlers Germany in October 1938. It was the week before Kristallnacht  the night of broken glass. She fled because even at just four years of age, she was deemed unequal and impure. While she was one of the truly lucky ones, her grandparents and extended family were not as fortunate. They were among the first to be sent to the Auschwitz death camp.

Our families stories are not unique but reflect the background of a generation who fled persecution arriving in Australia to seek a better life. We have seen the consequences of ignorance and hate. We have seen the crimes that began with dehumanising ones fellow countrymen. We share a pride in the many cultures, religions and identities that make up Australia. But this experience has instilled in us a deep commitment to multiculturalism and diversity.

We differ in our political membership but we share a pride in the many cultures, religions and identities that make up Australia. It is here in our great country that many survivors were welcomed and finally found peace. As John Howard said as prime minister in 2007: Australians will never forget the unmitigated evil which led to the murder of 6 million Jews and countless thousands of others in Nazi concentration camps. I am proud of the fact that Australia was to become home for many Holocaust survivors. Walking through Auschwitz, you are commonly left with the eerie feeling of emptiness and disbelief. That the so-called cultured people who produced Bach, Mozart and Weber could descend to such inhumanity themselves. It is still hard to believe that it all has happened.
Southwest Airlines has become the latest US airline to ban emotional support animals, following the footsteps of Delta, American, United and Alaska Airlines.

On Monday the airline announced it will only allow passengers to bring trained service dogs in the cabin and will no longer accept support animals starting March 1.

Customers may still travel with some animals as a part of the airlines existing pets program for a $95 charge each flight  however thats only open to dogs and cats and they must be kept in a carrier that fits under an airplane seat.

The move comes after the Department of Transportation revised their Air Carrier Access Act on December 2, which stopped classifying support animals as service animals.

On Monday Southwest Airlines announced it will ban emotional support animals on their flights starting March 1, 2021

Southwest announced it will only allow passengers to bring trained service dogs in the cabin and will no longer accept support animals. Customers may still travel with some animals as a part of the airlines existing pets program for a $95 charge each flight  however thats only open to dogs and cats and they must be kept in a carrier that fits under an airplane seat

The rules let airlines deny free boarding for so-called companion animals that aren't actually officially trained service animals, such as a guide dog for someone with visual impairment.

The department estimated the new rules would allow airlines to rake in up to $59.6million a year in pet fees.

The number of passengers flying with companion animals grew rapidly over the past few years with some claiming animals help them with anxiety and other issues.

Passengers only required a note from a health professional and a cottage industry sprang up to provide those notes.

Airlines have complained for years that passengers were exploiting a loophole in federal regulations to avoid paying pet fees, which in some cases resulted in serious injuries and bigger companion animals biting other passengers.

Over the past years passengers have gone viral for bringing exotic animals on board with them as support animals including peacocks, chickens, snakes, a squirrel and a pig.

The move has sparked outrage among customers who say support animals are 'absolutely vital' for many people. This Twitter user cast blame on passengers who exploited the support animal rule to travel with exotic animals

SERVICE ANIMALS VS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS The US Department of Transportation's Final Rule issued on December 2 defines a service animal as a dog of any breed or type that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. The policy calls for airlines to treat psychiatric service dogs the same as other service dogs and no longer allows airlines to require a letter from a licensed psychiatrist attesting to the traveler's need of the animal as a condition of transport. The Final Rule permits airlines to treat emotional support animals, including non-service dogs, cats, rabbits, turtles, birds and other creatures, as pets and no longer requires air carriers to accommodate them on board fliht. The policy does not prohibit the transport of emotional support animals. An airline may choose to transport them as pets for an additional fee. Advertisement

'We applaud the Department of Transportation's recent ruling that allows us to make these important changes to address numerous concerns raised by the public and airline employees regarding the transport of untrained animals in the cabins of aircraft,' Steve Goldberg, Senior Vice President, Operations and Hospitality, said in a press release.

'Southwest Airlines continues to support the ability of qualified individuals with a disability to bring trained service dogs for travel and remains committed to providing a positive and accessible travel experience for all of our customers with disabilities,' he added.

Under the new policy travelers now need to present a complete and accurate DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form at the gate or ticket counter the day they travel.

Customers who have existing reservations for travel with unaccepted animals after February 28, 2021 can contact Southwest for further help.

Alaska Airlines was the first major airline company in the United States to ban emotional support animals following the Department of Transportation revision and American, Delta and United Airlines followed shortly after.

However, the move has sparked outrage among some loyal Southwest customers.

'@SouthwestAir @Delta @AlaskaAir @AmericanAir @united are all losing my business because of their ban on emotional support animals. My disabled wife relies on the support her dog gives her. I guess we will just drive wherever we need to go from here on out. So disappointing,' one Twitter user said.

Pigs won't fly: Alaska Airlines announced that beginning on January 11, it will no longer allow any emotional support animals, such as this jet-setting pig

In early December, the US Department of Transportation said that it will no longer require airlines to make the same accommodations for emotional support animals as for service dogs

Frequent fliers: Airlines argued that passengers abused the situation to bring a menagerie of animals on board including cats and ducks

The DOT said it was rewriting the rules partly because passengers carrying unusual animals, such as this panda, on board 'eroded the public trust in legitimate service animals'

Among the most bizarre service animals in recent years has been Dexter the Peacock

'Ignorant & cruel decision by Southwest Airlines. This should be investigated under the Americans With Disabilities Act. In this era of decreased travel you'd think they would do things to encourage use of their services. Boycott Southwest! Use other airlines or rail,' another raged.

BIZARRE PETS PASSENGERS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO BRING ON PLANES - Emotional Support Pig In 2014, a woman was booted off a from Connecticut to Washington state because her large pet pig was being 'disruptive'. A fellow passenger told CNN the pig weighed between 70 and 80 pounds, and began dropping things in the aisle and squealing - Emotional Support Squirrel In October 2018, Cindy Torok was left livid after Frontier Airlines barred her pet squirrel, Daisy, from accompanying her on a flight from Orlando to Cleveland. Torok appeared on numerous TV programs blasting the company, claiming she had a letter from her doctor saying that the squirrel helped with her anxiety disorder - Emotional Support Hamster In 2018, Belen Aldecosea, 21, admitted to flushing her emotional support hamster down an airport toilet after Spirit Airlines stopped her from bringing the rodent with her on the plane Advertisement

'People who take advantage have ruined it for everyone else. As someone with PTSD, I can personally attest that support animals are absolutely vital for MANY people. Southwest Airlines joins other carriers in banning emotional-support animals,' one Twitter user said.

On January 8 United Airlines announced it will no longer let passengers book free travel for companion animals and only trained service dogs will be able to fly in the cabin while not in a carrier.

United will allow passengers to travel with cats and dogs in the cargo hold or in carriers that fit under a seat in the cabin for a pet fee that starts at $125 per flight.

Alaska Airlines, the Seattle-based air carrier, announced late December changes to its service animal policy, stating that beginning on January 11, the airline will no longer allow any emotional support animals on its flights.

'Alaska will only transport service dogs, which are specially trained to perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability,' the airline said in a press release.

Under the revised policy, Alaska will accept no more than two service dogs per guest in the cabin.

Other animals, including dogs not trained as service dogs, will only be able to fly in the cargo hold or a kennel that fits under a seat in the cabin.

American similarly said passengers with a service dog will need to complete a government form vouching for the dog's health, training and temperament.

Other animals, including dogs not trained as service dogs, will only be able to fly in the cargo hold or a kennel that fits under a seat in the cabin.

Either way, American will collect a pet fee ranging from $125 to several hundred dollars.

On January 7 Delta Airlines said emotional support animals will no longer be ticketed on any Delta flight starting January 11.

Under Deltas policy small dogs, cats and household birds can travel in the cabin for a one-way fee of $125 and they have to fit in a pet carrier under the passenger's seat.
NEW DELHI: Amid fresh skirmishes with the Chinese troops at Naku La in Sikkim, it has now come to light that the Narendra Modi government is mulling to impose a permanent ban on 59 Chinse Apps, including the highly popular Tik Tok.

According to a Reuters report, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued fresh notices to impose a permanent ban on popular video app TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps, months after the government imposed the restrictions in June last year.

When it first imposed the ban, the government gave the 59 apps a chance to explain their position on compliance with privacy and security requirements, Reuters said quoting Indian media reports.

The companies, which include ByteDance`s popular video-sharing app TikTok, Tencent Holdings` WeChat and Alibaba`s UC Browser, were also asked to respond to a list of questions.

"The government is not satisfied with the response/explanation given by these companies. Hence, the ban for these 59 apps is permanent now," said media reports.

According to it, the notices were issued last week. The Ministry's June order stated that the apps were "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order".

The order, which India referred to as a "digital strike", followed a skirmish with Chinese troops at a disputed Himalayan border site when 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

In September, India banned another 118 mobile apps, including Tencent`s popular videogame PUBG, as it stepped up the pressure on Chinese technology companies following the standoff at the border.

A TikTok representative was quoted as saying that the company was evaluating the notice and will respond to it as appropriate. "We are evaluating the notice and will respond to it as appropriate. TikTok was among the first companies to comply with the Government of India directive issued on June 29, 2020. We continually strive to comply with local laws and regulations and do our best to address any concerns the government may have. Ensuring the privacy and security of all our users remains to be our topmost priority," a Tik Tok official said, according to PTI.

Zee News tried reaching the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for a comment but they were unavailable outside regular working hours.

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Detectives investigating the report of an armed robbery of a cash in transit van at Great Victoria Street, in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday 26th January, have arrested four men and a woman. Pacemaker.

Detectives investigating the report of an armed robbery of a cash in transit van at Great Victoria Street, in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday 26th January, have arrested four men and a woman. Pacemaker.

Police at the scene of a crash on the Monagh bypass West Belfast. The incident happened around 11pm. Two men were arrested in connection with a cash-in-transit robbery. Picture Colm O'Reilly / Sunday Life

Two men have been charged with robbery after a cash-in-transit robbery in Belfast.

Four men and a woman were arrested after the armed robbery in Great Victoria Street on Tuesday.

Two men aged 40 and 44 have been charged with robbery and are due to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

A 52-year-old woman has been charged with possession of a class a drug and is to appear in court on February 22.

As is usual procedure all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.

Two other men, aged 40 and 41, were later released on police bail pending further investigation.

The robbery happened just before 9am on Tuesday.

Police said they received a report a cash in transit security officer had been assaulted by a male armed with a crow bar.

A cash box was taken and the male is then believed to have made off from the area in a dark-coloured car.

The security officer was not physically injured but was left badly shaken following the incident.

Two of the men and the woman were arrested at a property in the Monagh Road area and two were arrested following a collision on the Monagh Bypass.

Detective Inspector Keith Wilson appealed for anyone who witnessed the robbery or anyone who saw any suspicious persons or vehicles in the area of Great Victoria Street before or shortly after the robbery to contact detectives at Musgrave on the non-emergency number 101 quoting reference number 251 26/01/21. A report can also be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form at http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.

Expand Close Detectives investigating the report of an armed robbery of a cash in transit van at Great Victoria Street, in Belfast City Centre on Tuesday 26th January, have arrested four men and a woman. Pacemaker. / Facebook

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What used to be homes are now mangled piles of debris, with personal belongings strewn across lawns and streets.

That's the new reality near Birmingham, Alabama, after a 'large and extremely dangerous' tornado late Monday night annihilated parts of Jefferson County.

The storm killed at least one person and injured dozens more, officials said. The twister also ripped a hotel apart and tore off part of a church's roof.

About 30 people in Fultondale were injured, the city's fire chief said Tuesday.

'Seventeen patients were tak(en) to the ER, with various injuries and some critical,' Fire Chief Justin McKenzie said. At least 11 people were treated on the scene.

A young man, possibly a teen, was killed when he was trapped in the basement of his home, Fultondale Police Chief D.P. Smith said, according to AL.com.

Several of his family members were critically injured, Smith said.

The family had taken shelter in the basement, but apparently a tree fell on the house and caused the home to collapse.

'They were doing what they were supposed to be doing,' the police chief said, according to AL.com.

Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Walter Gonsoulin said a ninth-grade student at Fultondale High School was killed in the tornado. He was 14.

'Out of respect for the family, we don't want to release too much information at this particular time,' Gonsoulin said.

The superintendent said the storm caused significant damage to Fultondale High School, forcing it to close for the rest of the school year.

The tornado that struck Fultondale was an EF-3 with peak winds estimated at 150 mph, according to the National Weather Service. It was 500 yards across and traveled 9.5 miles.

Six people trapped in their homes were rescued Tuesday morning, McKenzie said.

Rescue teams are still sifting through a hotel that collapsed overnight after most primary structures were cleared out, the fire chief said.

The tornado spawned from a line of storms among two large systems that have put more than 100 million people under winter weather alerts.

Tornado warnings and watches have expired in parts of Alabama and Georgia. But the same storm system is now expected to dump snow in states farther north.

'All of a sudden, the windows blew out in my room'

Parts of the Hampton Inn in Fultondale were obliterated, video from CNN affiliate WVTM shows.

Hotel guest Richard Ring was watching TV when rumblings from the storm drowned out the program's sound, he told WVTM.

He went to the bathroom and crawled under the sink.

'All of a sudden, the windows blew out in my room,' Ring said. 'The lights went out. And the sirens shrieked. And it was just surreal.'

Guests staying at the hotel escaped and sought shelter in a nearby restaurant when another line of storms came through, WVTM reported.

About 9,000 people live in Fultondale, just north of Birmingham.

'We will have a long day ahead'

At 10:54 p.m. local time Monday, the National Weather Service Birmingham 'confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over Chalkville, or near Trussville, moving east at 50 mph.'

Early Tuesday morning, the NWS Birmingham tweeted it 'will inspect the damage to determine the strength of the tornado' that impacted the Fultondale area.

The city of Center Point, about 13 miles northeast of Birmingham, also saw 'quite a bit of damage' from the storm, Mayor Bobby Scott told CNN affiliate WBRC. About 16,000 people live there.

The back half of Hilldale Baptist Church's roof is missing, and the city's recreation center also suffered damage, Scott said.

'Looks like we will have a long day ahead,' Scott said. 'Hopefully we can get everything covered up.'

There was a bit of good news, the mayor said: 'We don't have any injuries to report right now, so we're definitely grateful for that.'

The Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency urged people to stay out of the area as first responders try to reach the most damaged sites.

'On top of road dangers such as power lines and debris ... traffic is clogging the roads,' the agency tweeted.

Eleven schools in the area will be closed for in-person and virtual learning Tuesday following the storm, the Jefferson County EMA tweeted.

Storm system expected to dump snow in other states

A tornado warning was issued Monday night for Jefferson County, Alabama, NWS Birmingham tweeted. The agency later issued tornado warnings and watches for several counties as the line of storms moved northeast through the state.

The storm system is now expected to dump significant snow from the Central Plains to the mid-Atlantic Coast through Tuesday night.

The deepest snow will pile up across Iowa. Some snow will be very heavy, with rates of up to 2 inches an hour, the Weather Prediction Center said.
BASF has signed a global, exclusive supply agreement with Caregen. With this expansion of BASFs portfolio, the company plans to launch four peptides with anti-aging and anti-pigmentation properties for atopic- and acne-prone skin.

Related: BASF Increases Prices for Select Polyetheramines in U.S., Canada

Caregens synthetic peptides will be complementary to the bioactive, cosmetic solutions and ingredients offered by BASFs personal care portfolio.

There is robust growth in the dermocosmetics sector globally and especially in Asia as more consumers desire targeted functionality from cosmetics, in line with the personalization trend, said Jeff Huh, head of marketing personal care solutions at BASF Asia Pacific. By using cosmetic products formulated with these peptides as active ingredients, consumers can have a choice of products with proven efficacy.

Peptides are widely used as biological actives in different markets, said David Herault, head of global product development bio-actives at BASF Care Chemicals. Selecting the most promising peptides from Caregens portfolio and adapting them to the standards of the cosmetic industry has been a great achievement of our team.

Building on Caregens functional peptides with technical and commercial competitiveness, and BASFs expertise in solutions and ingredients, which are offered to the global cosmetic market, this agreement has both companies set up for a long-term cooperation, said Chung Yong-Ji, Ph.D., CEO of Caregen. With the ongoing functional health, food and pharmaceutical product development, Caregen aims to soon become a leading peptide platform company, recognized by global customers.

For more information, contact BASF.
After 20 years of bartending, Joshua James decided it was time to take a year off drinking.

I was deep in the craft cocktail world, beer brewing, wine and happy hours, and just trying to drink every beer in Asheville, North Carolina, said James, who lived there most recently before moving to San Francisco. And I was like, Im taking a break.

He checked into Friendship House, a substance abuse recovery program for Native Americans in San Francisco (James is Tolowa). Two weeks in, COVID-19 hit  but he knew he was exactly where he needed to be. By the end of the program, hed discovered a newfound clarity.

I woke up every day with so much energy because I didn't have a hangover, and my brain started coming back, he said. And then I was just so driven.

Its been over a year now, but James is still not drinking. And that newfound drive he mentioned? It led him to a new passion: the non-alcoholic (NA) beverage community. He started reviewing different NA drinks on YouTube and Instagram, as @joshthenonalcoholic. But this passion took him even further: On Friday, James opened Ocean Beach Cafe, a San Francisco restaurant dedicated to building the largest non-alcoholic beverage selection in the world.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

He stumbled upon the chance to buy the cafe accidentally, from a business owner looking for an out in the midst of the unforgiving COVID economy.

I walked in here like four months ago, in late September. And the guy was like, do you want to buy the place? recalled James. And I was like, sure, how much? And he threw out a number and I was like, all right, let's talk.

James and the owner of Kawikas Beach Deli  the former business at 734 La Playa St.  connected after finding out they were both from Hawaii.

I didn't have the money for that, but I was like, Ive got so much energy and I would love to do it, he said.

With the help of a loan from crowdfunding platform Kiva, he managed to raise the money  and soon, the keys to the cafe were his.

Ocean Beach Cafe, its exterior decorated in the colors of the Native American Medicine Wheel, opened to the public last week. On a quiet residential corner just one block from Ocean Beach, curious neighbors peered into the new joint to discover James friendly face, beachy seafoam walls and a large blue surfboard mounted on the wall. Diners could choose from a healthy, vegetarian and vegan-friendly menu of coffee, breakfast burritos and kale salad, along with huli huli chicken and mac salad (nods to James connection to Hawaii)  and of course, a fridge full of non-alcoholic drinks.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

Now, when you hear the term non-alcoholic beverage, youre probably thinking of ODouls. But the truth is, low- and non-alcoholic products have come a long way in the past few years. The fridge at Ocean Beach Cafe is fully stocked with all sorts of non-alcoholic craft IPAs, sparkling wines, and bottled mocktails. And theyre not just for people in recovery.

First of all, with the whole spritz movement, people were drinking lower alcohol beverages and they were like, Oh, this actually really works for me because I can drink longer. And Im not getting messed up all the time, explained James. Sure, there's still people that want really strong drinks, but across the masses, there was this general trend for lower alcohol in the last four or five years.

U.S. booze sales have dropped over the past few years, especially among young adults, while the popularity of low-ABV drinks like hard seltzers has skyrocketed. And this growth in the low and no-alcohol beverage industry is only expected to continue.

Meanwhile, many bars and restaurants across San Francisco have begun adding mocktails to their menus, from Nari to Trick Dog (although selections are currently limited due to the pandemic), and at the beginning of last year, Bizzys Dry Bar opened: the first all-alcohol-free bar in Oakland (which appears to be closed permanently, according to Yelp and Google).

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

Drinking culture itself is shifting, said James. ... Now there's a new wave. It is going to be pretty darn cool to be a non-drinker. It went from non-alcoholic beer like O'Doul's to, oh my God, theres craft non-alcoholic bad-ass IPAs, and I can drink them at lunch! I can see these in the offices in downtown San Francisco and Silicon Valley, like next to the seltzers.

With Ocean Beach Cafe, James is hoping to educate people unfamiliar with the non-drinking community.

Millions of people don't know about it ... That's why I'm doing this, he said. And in the earlier stage, a lot of people won't necessarily get it, but we're going to have conversations like we're having right now with so many people in here, and that's doing something greater than myself and doing something that is an extension of the wellness industry.

In the next few months, James is planning to add mocktails to the menu. And as passionate as he is about the nonalcoholic beverage industry, he also wants to eventually offer a real beer and wine menu at the cafe, too. Above all, he wants Ocean Beach Cafe to be a laid-back community space that is welcoming to all.

I want people to have a healthy place to eat that's not too expensive, said James. It's definitely not pretentious, has really good vibes, and is super neighborhood-centric.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

Soon, he plans to start offering free beachside delivery, and also wants to bring art and music into the space with open mic nights, as well as by displaying artworks from rotating artists. During my visit, he busted out his beautiful ukulele, which his father carved, for a few quick songs. He plans to model a parklet for outdoor dining in the same wood-carved style as the ukulele.

A year and a month since quitting drinking, James cant believe where his journey has taken him  from checking into a rehab program to opening his very first cafe by the beach in San Francisco.

The serendipity has been so thick, so many big things just kept falling into place, like the people that I met and the items that I needed and the deals and the negotiations and the support, he said. It's just been like, there's no doubt I'm doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing. And I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.

Ocean Beach Cafe, located at 734 La Playa St. in San Francisco, is open every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (currently for takeout only).

SHES become a major Hollywood star, but Priyanka Chopra Jonas returns to her home country of India for this terrific and tense thriller.

Its on Netflix from this weekend.

The actress, one of the biggest Bollywood stars India has ever produced, is excellent here among an on-form cast in a twisty moral drama.

But Adarsh Gourav steals the show as a young servant with street smarts and huge ambition who will do anything to find his way out of his family poverty trap. Expect to see lots more of him.

The movies got the vibrancy of Slumdog Millionaire, the darkness and light of a Martin Scorsese crime thriller and the pithy dark humour of Parasite.

Read More

Director Ramon Bahrani has done a fine job of harnessing the storys dramatic heft, crafting it into a drama that feels large in scale and scope.

The ending, however, is a little overstuffed and tries to hard at emphasising a point already obvious to viewers.

Adapted from Indian author Aravind Adigas Man Booker Prize-winning novel, the story is a scathing, dark and sometimes wickedly funny account of the class system, told through the eyes of an Indian boy.

The film is set around 2007 before the global economic meltdown took hold, and told through flashback in the years afterwards.

We first meet our central character and narrator, Balram (Gourav), who is sitting in the back of the car he usually drives for his boss, the wealthy Ashtok (Rao) and his beautiful wife Pinky Madam (Chopra Jonas).

They seem to be having a great night, until a collective look of horror comes over their faces.

The movie then goes back to tell us how Balram comes from a lower class in Indias caste system.

Hes bright, but forced out of school to help scrape a living for his poor family including his formidable grandmother, who should surely be up for Best Supporting Granny come the Oscars.

Desperate to get out of the poverty trap, and savvy enough to go about it, he gets a job as a driver for a wealthy family who spend much of their time evading taxes.

Hes a popular if inferior worker of servitude, happy to bow and fawn, until a shocking realisation of how willing the family is to throw him under the bus.

The White Tiger, while it wobbles in the final half hour, is a morality fable and very clever satire on rich and poor, anchored by a fantastic central character.

The stars: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Rajkummar Rao, Adarsh Gourav.

The story: An impoverished Indian boy aims to inveigle his way to the top.
ROME  Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy resigned on Tuesday after weeks of political infighting, thrusting the country into renewed instability as the coronavirus pandemic ravages lives and livelihoods.

The latest political crisis caught many off guard as the country struggles to cope with the virus, which has already killed more than 85,000 in Italy. As in the rest of Europe, Italys immunization campaign has been held up by production delays for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. At the current pace, it would take almost five years to vaccinate the majority of Italians, according to the most recent data.

Mr. Contes is serving his second consecutive stint as prime minister  first as the head of an alliance of right-wing nationalists and populists, and then leading a coalition of populists and the center-left establishment that focused almost exclusively on the pandemic.

A change in government would likely shift attention back to issues that have been put on a back burner during the coronavirus crisis, including a more forceful crackdown on illegal immigration, which has slowed dramatically because of the virus.
Chrissy Dorio, 58, a divorced housing specialist for the elderly, searched all over Westchester for more than a year to find an affordable home where she and her college-age son could live.

In the fall of 2019, she moved into a $215,000, one-bedroom, one-bath 572-square-foot fixer-upper in Campwoods Grounds, a cooperative community of single-family homes in Ossining, about 32 miles from New York City. She soon discovered that she bought into more than just a house.

When she lost power during a thunderstorm last year, a neighbor ran an extension cord to her home to keep her refrigerator going. How many people would do something like that, she said, I love the people here.

Considered a horizontal co-op by brokers and homeowners, Campwoods Grounds is a former summer bungalow colony that has evolved into a year-round community that offers an affordable alternative to homes in the area that generally come with higher prices and bigger tax bills.
The controversy over the new portrait of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose unveiled at Rashtrapati Bhavan is borne out of the same petty-mindedness that either belittled or tried to omit his contribution in the freedom struggle. But the country is not going to be conned again. The whole nation now knows about Netajis contributions and his contributions are talked about by people openly.

Just three days ago, Netajis 125th birth anniversary was celebrated by the whole country as Parakram Diwas with much gusto. But a day before the Republic Day celebrations, some people tried to rake up a needless controversy. They included some politicians, intellectuals and journalists as well. Their claim was that the portrait President Ramnath Kovind unveiled on January 23 was not of Netaji but Bengali film star Prosenjit Chatterjee who played Subhas Chandra Bose in Gumnami, depicting the last days of the freedom fighter's life.

Gumnami was made in Bangla and released on October 2, 2019. It was a strange coincidence that the film was released on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who was the main reason behind Boses resignation from the post of the president of the Congress party before his term could be completed due to ideological differences. This also led to his exit from the Congress itself later. The film Gumnami was based on the report of the Mukherjee Commission which was formed on the order of the Supreme Court when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister of the country in 1999. But this commission submitted its report in 2005 which was rejected by the-then UPA government under Manmohan Singh in 2006. The reason was that the commission did not toe the official line that continued from the Nehru era which was based on the basic premise that Netaji died in a plane crash.

The controversy over the death of Netaji, which started on August 18, 1945, is not yet settled. It was said that on that day the plane which Netaji was travelling in crashed in Taiwan and he died in the tragedy. Four official investigations were carried out to unravel the mystery of his death but the row refuses to die down.

Under such circumstances, some people will find it easy to kick up a row over Netaji's portrait. However, the artist, who has painted the image based on an actual photograph, has given a befitting reply to the mischief-mongering intellectuals. The creator of the portrait, Paresh Maity, is well known in the world of art. Maity says he painted the portrait on the basis of a real photograph of Bose and not an image from the film Gumnami starring Prosenjit.

After Maity's statement, many who were seeing a resemblance with Prosenjit in the Netaji portrait have withdrawn their tweets and statements. If you look at it from another angle, this indicates the arrival of a new era. For long, efforts were made to belittle the contribution of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in India's freedom struggle. And the same people stoked this row over his portrait.

As far as Netaji is concerned, he was a man of many faces, a master of disguises. When he escaped from the country, despite the British administration in India keeping a close eye on him, during the Second World War in a bid to free India by defeating the English with the help of Germany and Japan, he did so by disguising himself very differently from his public image of a military leader.

In his book My Uncle Netaji, Subhas Chandra Boses nephew AN Bose says that on the intervening night of January 17 and 18 in 1941, when Netaji boarded the Delhi-Kalka Mail at Gomoh station, he was disguised as a Pathan. He was pretending to be the travelling inspector of the Empire of India Life Assurance Company. Netaji came to Peshawar from Delhi by Frontier Mail where he met the leader of his Forward Bloc party Mian Akbar Shah of the North West Frontier Province, and with him he planned to reach Kabul. His aim was to reach Russia from there and then head to Germany.

As per his plan, Netaji had left the house of his nephew in Barari in Dhanbad on the evening of January 17, 1941, and had caught the train at Gomoh station. This place is now known as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose station in the memory of that historic incident. Lalu Prasad Yadav is credited for the renaming of this station on Subhas Jayanti, January 23, 2009, when he was railway minister.

After leaving Gomoh station, Netaji never returned to Kolkata ever again. Not even to his house at 38/2, Elgin Road, which hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 23, 2021. The PM was there to pay floral tributes on Netaji's 125th birth anniversary. It was the Modi governments decision to celebrate the day as Parakram Diwas. Netaji played a very important role in the freedom struggle of the country: at times as the president of the Congress, at other times as the founder of the Forward Bloc, and on other occasions as the leader of the Indian National Army. It is the biggest example of valour by a single leader in the freedom struggle.

The British government, which was known for its robust administration and boasted of a huge network of spies, could not get the wind of Netaji leaving India. They came to know about his Great Escape only after ten days, when on January 27, 1941, Bose did not appear in court in connection with a case. There was a time when the sun did not set on the British empire, but it could never get its hands on Netaji ever again. Bose created a strong military challenge for the British empire when he reached the eastern border of India with a huge force of his Indian National Army, and for a brief period he established the rule of INA over the Andamans and certain other parts as Japan had entrusted the administration of these areas to him. But, despite that, there has been very little talk of the achievements of Subhas Chandra Bose compared to some other leaders.

It was not expected that Netaji would get his due in the reign of those who were the ideological heirs of Mahatma Gandhi. It was also not expected that historians who were nurtured by the Nehru-Gandhi family would be ready to accept that Netaji played any important role in the freedom struggle. It is another matter that the way the Indian National Army was formed under the leadership of Bose, and many Indians who were part of the British Indian army joined it, the British government could no longer trust that it could maintain its hold over India with military might. Whatever confidence it had left must have been shaken by the Naval Mutiny that happened in Bombay, inspired by Boses INA.

Whether India got its freedom because of the policy of non-violence and Satyagrah of Mahatma Gandhi or the armed struggle under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose will be decided in the coming decades when the country and society will be out of the shadow of one kind of ideology. This process is already underway and that is the reason why some people are fuming over the unveiling of the portrait of Netaji at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Though those who know history, know it well that Netaji and the legacy of his ideology has not been dented much by such controversies. After all, Netaji had challenged the ideology of Gandhi and had defeated the candidate of his camp, Pattabhi Sitaramayya, in the election that was held to choose the Congress president in January 1939. At that time, even Mahatma Gandhi had accepted that the defeat of Sitaramayya was his own defeat. But this did not stop Subhas Chandra Bose from registering his win. It needs to be remembered that in those days, a false myth had been created that not only the Congress but the whole country danced to the tune of Gandhi. After eight decades, this untruth has once again been defeated. Truth has won. Though this does not concern Netaji himself but his likeness.
Posted Monday, January 25, 2021 6:04 pm

Splashed with a new coat of colorful paint, the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds was bustling Sunday, not with livestock and kettle corn fans, but with caregivers, community volunteers and residents waiting in line for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Under a sign reading beef and dairy pavilion, drivers pulled through a large barn to get their dose. In a nearby building that normally showcases quilts, Providence caregivers pulled doses into syringes and shuffled them through the rain, where patients rolled their windows down and their sleeves up.

Providence has set up similar events in Thurston County, but nothing to this scale, according to Lisa Humphrey, director of quality, safety and human resources outsourcing. In total, 1,253 people were vaccinated at the all-day event. Lewis County Public Health Director J.P. Anderson said everything went better than planned, largely due to the man with the plan, Ed Mund, Lewis County public healths emergency preparedness coordinator

Mund had just a week to turn the fairgrounds into a health clinic. Sunday morning, briefing volunteers, county officials and caregivers, he relayed that basically, this is dress rehearsal and opening night simultaneously. So well be taking lots of notes.

Lewis County has trained for emergencies like this, but its all been theoretical, Anderson said. And on such short notice, it wouldnt have been possible without the communitys help.

This event could not have happened without our partners at United Way of Lewis County and Twin City Rotary, Anderson said.

Just two days prior, United Way of Lewis County Executive Director Debbie Campbell got Andersons call asking for help.

He said, can you guys hit the ground running and try to get volunteers for Sunday? Campbell said. And I said this Sunday?

On short notice, United Way pulled together about 35 volunteers, plus 15 from Twin Cities Rotary Club. Campbell recalled her organization aiding the countys recovery after the devastating 2007 flood, saying the push to get Lewis County vaccinated and end the pandemic has been their biggest emergency effort since.

And theyre in it for the long haul, Campbell said.

The community is so amazing when it comes to things like this. And our volunteers out here today said, I want to come back next (time), Campbell said. It was so good to watch people come through and be so happy, just laughs and smiles, so excited to get their shot.

Centralia College medical assistant students also provided assistance, with several of them actually administering the vaccine.

Were using it as a training and educational opportunity for them as well, Humphrey said. It takes a village. Literally.

Standing under the main barn Sunday afternoon, Alison Puckett, with Lewis County Public Health and Social Services, confirmed that most volunteers who had finished their shift asked when the next vaccination event was so they could return.

Thats great. Thats huge, because we will need their help, Puckett said.

Although Sundays volunteers were mainly folks who had worked with United Way before, the organization has already put out the call to community members for help in future vaccination events. Officials dont know when the next fairgrounds event will take place. It depends on when more doses roll into Lewis County from the state. But when that does happen, the fairgrounds has the capacity to expand from a two-lane operation to an eight-lane one.

Volunteers desire to return was partially fueled by the atmosphere on Sunday. Despite the rain and near-freezing temperatures, those involved described a feeling of hope as they helped stamp out a pandemic that has taken over 400,000 American lives and abruptly halted a normal way of life.

Puckett described drivers on their way out of the fairgrounds waving, giving a thumbs up and even blowing kisses.

I think just everybody is so darn happy to get people vaccinated so we can get our little piece of the world back together, Campbell said.

Chris Thomas, a Providence spokesman who spent 12 hours at the fairgrounds, said driving home he felt like he was on Cloud Nine.

Just incredible, just the comments of people who came through were just resoundingly heart-filling, he said. These 60 Providence caregivers, from ER doctors to clinical nurses to medical assistants  These people have been doing COVID testing and taking care of COVID patients for 11 months, and beyond that they said this is such a need and such a spreading of hope that they signed up to volunteer today, and thats just so heartwarming.

Thomas reported that of the 1,253 individuals vaccinated, only one had a negative reaction. After driving to the post-vaccination parking lot where patients waited 15 minutes to monitor symptoms, the individual got flushed, but declined fluids offered by on-site medical responders and went home. Thomas said the reaction was likely due to anxiety. Of the thousands of COVID-19 vaccines distributed by Providence Southwest Washington, Thomas said only two patients have had adverse reactions, both minor.

After a handful of no-shows, one 10-dose vial was open but not completely used up. To avoid any wasted doses, officials were able to call the Centralia Police Department and local fire districts to get the doses into the arms of first responders who still needed a vaccine.
Its (a little) less partisan

Mr. Trumps second impeachment is the most bipartisan in history: 10 members of his party voted in the House of Representatives against him, whereas none did in 2019. And unlike last time, several Republicans, including Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, have signaled their openness to convicting him.

As a result, the political ramifications of this impeachment are harder to predict. The Senates verdict will serve not an immediate operational function, but a lasting strategic and symbolic one, Jane Chong, a former law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, writes in The Atlantic. It is a message to would-be insurrectionists  and to populist politicians willing to resort to extreme measures to appeal to their base  about what lies within the bounds of political toleration in America, and what does not.

The content of that message could cut either way: A conviction might deter other attacks against Congress, Adam Serwer writes in The Atlantic, but an acquittal might invite them, paving the way for a president with autocratic ambitions and greater competence to execute a successful overthrow of the federal government, rather than the soft echo of post-Reconstruction violence the nation endured in early January.

At least 17 Republican senators would need to join all 48 Democrats and two independents to convict Mr. Trump. So far, 15 Republicans have said they are undecided, 28 have said they oppose a conviction, and seven have not made their positions clear.

Many are skeptical that Mr. McConnell is willing or even able to pressure enough of his caucus to defect from Mr. Trump. Any break from Trump will be painful and ugly, Paul Waldman writes in The Washington Post. If McConnell were to vote to convict and bring others with him, hed immediately be hit with a tsunami of rage from the right. Talk radio and Fox News would mobilize their audiences to pour down contempt upon a figure that they never much liked or trusted anyway. Enterprising Republican politicians would demand he be removed from leadership.

But The Times columnist Ross Douthat argues that Mr. McConnell may be tempted by the transient opportunity impeachment offers to curtail Mr. Trumps influence over the Republican Party. There is no guarantee that using it will work, but at a moment when every Republican scenario looks bad, it seems more likely to leave Trump weakened than just doing nothing and hoping that some kind of wasting disease will carry his political potency away, Mr. Douthat writes. There is a chance, at least, that a man who understands institutional power so well will see the opportunity before him, the chance to actually prevail over Trump and not just manage and contain him  and for all of our sakes, take it.
WE CAME, WE SAW, WE LEFT

A Family Gap Year

By Charles Wheelan

I go through phases: Sometimes I feel as if Im doing OK as a parent, other times I feel like a henchwoman in one long, slow sociocultural crime. When my 15-year-old son screams for help from his counterterrorism team while shooting his way around the world in Rainbow Six Siege, I consider turning myself in to the authorities.

In the fall of 2016, faced with related, albeit more charitable feelings about raising his teenagers, Charles Wheelan chose another tack, and the result is his new travel memoir, We Came, We Saw, We Left.

Team Wheelan comprises Wheelans wife, Leah, and their three teenage children: Katrina (18), Sophie (16) and CJ (13). Inspired by a backpacking trip he took with Leah in the late 80s, Wheelan rekindles a longtime wish to reprise this journey with kids in tow. He notes that experiences, rather than things, are what make us happy in the long run, because they become an ingrained part of our identity. Wheelan argues for the feasibility of such an adventure, which clearly requires a measure of entitlement, though not necessarily wealth. (What it really requires is a woman like Leah, a trained computer scientist turned educator who loves maps, spreadsheets and planning.)

Together, they plan a nine-month trip around the world, a time span that tellingly mimics the length of a human pregnancy. The Wheelans start in Colombia, eating their way through street food in Cartagena, then proceed to the Peruvian Amazon for a hilarious misadventure at an adventure lodge. From there, everywhere: New Zealand, India, Vietnam, Zanzibar. How do they get around? Buses, buses and more buses (and some planes). They all get carsick; most of them throw up. The stars of this show are undoubtedly the kids: precocious Katrina, on her way to Williams College, contrarian Sophie, who hands her parents a manifesto in the Quito airport declaring a speech and hunger strike, and quirky CJ, a raging extrovert who talks so much at school he is apparently placed facing a wall and talks to it.
Preliminary estimates show US President Joe Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package could boost US economic output by 5% over the next three years, the chief ecnomist of the International Monetary Fund said Monday. Gita Gopinath told a news conference the measures in the proposed package could add as much as 1.5% to US growth in 2021, when the IMF projects the US economy will expand by 5.1% after a 3.4% contraction in 2020.
Uber has laid off about 185 people, or 15 percent of the workforce, from Postmates, the delivery app startup that it acquired in December for $2.65 billion.

The layoffs last week, which were first reported by the New York Times, were confirmed by an Uber spokesperson speaking to DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

Postmates founder and CEO Bastian Lehman will also be departing the company after a period of consulting on the transition, though he was not among the layoffs, Uber confirmed.

Postmates and Uber's delivery service Uber Eats will maintain separate branding and apps, but their backend functions will be increasingly integrated, likely making many roles redundant.

Uber has laid off about 185 people, or 15 percent of the workforce, from Postmates. Above, a Postmates sign is seen outside a San Francisco restaurant last year

Some Postmates vice presidents and other executives will being leaving the company with multi-million exit packages, the Times reported.

'We are so grateful for the contributions of every Postmates team member,' an Uber spokesperson said in a statement.

'While we are thrilled to officially welcome many of them to Uber, we are sorry to say goodbye to others. We are so excited to continue to build on top of the incredible work this remarkable team has already accomplished,' the spokesperson said.

Uber closed its acquisition of Postmates on December 1, after federal regulators scrutinized the deal over antitrust concerns but ultimately approved it.

Postmates founder and CEO Bastian Lehman (above) will also be departing the company after a period of consulting on the transition, though he was not among the layoffs

Food delivery has been an important and booming business for Uber in the pandemic, even as its ride service slumped with many people sheltering at home.

Revenue at Uber's delivery unit, including Uber Eats, more than doubled in the third quarter to $1.45 billion, its highest ever, but the unit continues to lose money despite narrowing losses over the past quarters.

But the company faces significant competition from well-funded competitors, including DoorDash which went public in December, and startup Caviar.

Uber aims to become profitable by the end of the year, and has been cutting costs.

Last month, the company spun off its automated car and flying taxi divisions, which were both significant cost centers.
MP Oleksandr Dubinsky released a video statement to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky following a meeting of the Servant of the People faction, which discussed the U.S. sanctions against him and the possibility of leaving the faction.

"I ask you for a personal meeting, without intermediaries who tell you tall tales, and swindlers who work for stuffing money in their pockets, and not for the interests of Ukraine, in order to convey my arguments and prove once again that I am ready to fight exactly for you. That is what I am doing, and that is why there will be no leaving the party faction to which the people have delegated me," Dubinsky said in the video statement posted on the YouTube channel.

Dubinsky also said if the faction decides to expel hi
Farmers clashed with the police and are trying to enter the mail city. The farmers are now moving towards Red Fort. They have reportedly moved beyond Akshardham. The police have blocked the roads around Ashram. Security arrangements for Republic Day are likely to be over shortly and more forces would be deployed to manage the tractor rally.

Farmers at Singhu and Ghazipur borders clashed with the police. No reports of clashes at the tractor rally in Tikri border so far. Here's a lowdown of the latest development:

Two police vehicles were damaged in Singhu border at around 11 am when police tried to stop the farmers from deviating from the route previously agreed on. Farmers got on both carriageways at GT Karnal Road and moved towards the national capital.

Kasan Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti reached Mukarba Chowk from where they were supposed to go towards Kanjhawala but broke the barricades and are now moving towards the ring road.

Police started using tear gas to disperse the farmers at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar.

As per reports, protesting farmers on their tractors took wrong carriageways as well as violated police permission to take U-turn from the Ghazipur roundabout. They moved towards Akshardham from there on.

Senior police officers tried to hold talks with the farmers near the borders. Nearly 40,000 police and paramilitary personnel were posted near the three borders to stop farmers from entering Central and New Delhi areas.

Farmers reached near Pragati Maidan from the Ghazipur border. Groups of farmers reached Delhi's ring road from Singhu border.

Traffic is very heavy on GTK road, outer ring road, Badli road, KN Katzu Marg, Madhuban chowk, Kanjhawala road, Palla road, Narela & DSIDC Narela roads. Traffic is also very heavy on Wazirabad road, ISBT road, GT road, Pushta road, Vikas marg, NH-24, Road no. 57, Noida link road.

Also read: Tractor rally: Police uses tear gas on protesting farmers at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar
An Aerolineas Argentinas plane left Buenos Aires for Russia late Tuesday on a trip to pick up a third batch of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines after the flight was delayed from its originally scheduled departure Sunday.

"Today, at 9 pm, the third @Aerolineas_AR flight took off for Moscow to bring new doses of the Sputnik V vaccine to the country," airline president Pablo Ceriani tweeted.

Flight AR1062 is planned as a 40-hour operation in total, he said, calling it an "important logistical effort that requires coordination from different actors in both countries."

The flight was scheduled to depart on Sunday to bring back a third batch of the 19.4 million doses Moscow had committed to provide before the end of February.

So far, Argentina says it has received 600,000 shots of the vaccine that requires two doses.

Airline boss Ceriani tweeted on Monday that the flight would be rescheduled "as soon as we have a confirmation from all the parties involved in the supply chain."

The government gave no reason for the delay.

Aerolineas Argentinas has already sent two flights to Russia to bring doses of the vaccine which health officials started administering on December 29.

The country of 44 million inhabitants has recorded 1.8 million coronavirus infections and 47,000 deaths.

President Alberto Fernandez and Vice President Cristina Kirchner have both been vaccinated, and the next vaccination priority group is set to include seniors over age 60.

It is administering the second vaccine dose to health personnel in the initial stage of a national inoculation program.

The Fernandez administration says it has secured more than 51 million vaccine doses.

Including its deal with Russia's Gamaleya laboratory, Argentina has signed contracts for the delivery of the shot developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, is negotiating with drug maker Pfizer for access to its vaccine, and will also get doses under the UN's Covax distribution project.

Story continues

Sputnik V is still undergoing Phase 3 trails, the final testing round before a drug is approved.

Russia says the shot has been given to some 1.5 million people, and early trial results have shown it to be more than 90 percent effective.

Europe, too, is having trouble getting promised vaccine deliveries as drug makers struggle to keep up with demand.

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EAST ST. LOUIS  A Troy man was among seven alleged members of the Gangster Disciples gang charged Monday in a federal indictment accusing them of a years-long interstate conspiracy involving multiple murders, drug trafficking and other crimes, according to Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.

Anthony Dobbins, 53, of Troy, is an alleged national board member of the group and is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes, according to court officials.

The federal indictment against Dobbins and six others was unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

The long list of violent crimes alleged in this indictment  including two murders and multiple violent assaults  make plain the threat to our communities posed by criminal organizations like the Gangster Disciples, said Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Departments Criminal Division.

Weinhoeft said the charges target national and state leaders of one of the most notorious street gangs in America.

The lawlessness these gangs bring to our cities is terribly destructive and oftentimes difficult to prosecute, he said. The violence perpetrated by the Gangster Disciples in this district and nationwide has long been a particular focus of our top law enforcement agencies.

ATF Special Agent Fred Winston said his agency had no higher priority than investigating violent crime and ensuring that those who use firearms in furtherance of their criminal activities are held accountable.

According to the indictment, the Gangster Disciples is a violent street and prison gang founded in the 1960s that has engaged in large-scale drug trafficking and violence throughout the United States. The gang employs a structured hierarchy, with leadership positions such as national board members and state governors.

Each of the defendants is alleged to be a member or leader of the Gangster Disciples and to have conspired to conduct the gangs affairs through a pattern of racketeering. Others listed in the indictment were Frank Smith, 47, of Naperville; Warren Griffin, 51, of Lancaster, Kentucky; Sean Clemon, 50, of Cape Girardeau; Dominque Maxwell, 28, of Cape Girardeau; Perry Harris, 29, of Cape Girardeau; and Barry Boyce, 44, of Charleston, Missouri.

Among the crimes alleged in the indictment is the May 18, 2018, murder of Ernest Wilson, a rival board member, by Dobbins and Griffin in Chicago.

Other acts of violence alleged as part of the conspiracy include a nightclub stabbing in East St. Louis; a nonfatal shooting in Cape Girardeau,; and multiple unsuccessful murder plots. The indictment also alleges various acts of drug trafficking, including an ongoing scheme to smuggle the synthetic drug K2 into Missouri state prisons.

The case results from investigations by ATF, FBI, Federal Bureau of Prisons, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Missouri Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, Bridgeton Police Department, Cape Girardeau Police Department and Chicago Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Jeremy Franker and Conor Mulroe of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali M. Summers of the Southern District of Illinois, with substantial investigative support from the U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Northern District of Illinois.
BT will be in the dock today as a long-awaited trial over its 530million accounting scandal begins in Italy.

Prosecutors in Milan claim the telecom group's Italian unit and a network of staff sought to inflate revenues and conceal losses of 250million in a sophisticated fraud.

On trial alongside the company are 20 defendants, including two former executives.

Prosecutors in Milan claim BT's Italian unit and a network of staff sought to inflate revenues and conceal losses of 250m in a sophisticated fraud

All the accused deny charges of false accounting alleged to have been carried out in 2015 and 2016.

But the case presents another headache for BT chief executive Philip Jansen, who arrived years after the alleged incidents took place but now faces having to deal with any fallout from the trial.

A BT spokesman said the alleged fraud was 'historic' and confined to a small number of people in Italy.

He said: 'Whilst we remain confident in our defence, given the ongoing proceedings, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.' BT was warned of trouble at its Italian division by a whistleblower in 2016, when former chief executive Gavin Patterson was still in charge.

It disclosed problems to investors in October that year, writing off 145million from BT Italia's value due to 'inappropriate management behaviour'.

But following a forensic review by outside accountants at KPMG, BT was forced to announce an even bigger 530million writedown in January 2017.

It sent shares tumbling and wiped 8billion off the company's value on its worst-ever day on the stock market.

The KPMG review, which has never been published in full, found evidence of a 'serious breakdown of accounting processes and controls' at BT Italia and a 'loss of balance sheet integrity'.

It also raised questions about how thoroughly bosses in London had scrutinised the figures before the fraud was uncovered.

BT has always argued it was an 'injured party' in the scandal. But in 2019 a report by Italian police alleged that London-based executives repeatedly put pressure on managers at the foreign subsidiary to hit targets and encouraged 'aggressive, anomalous and knowingly wrong accounting practices'.

They alleged that a network of BT Italia staff inflated revenues, faked contract renewals and invoices and invented bogus supplier transactions in order to disguise the unit's true financial performance.

Of 23 originally accused, a former manager of BT Italy has already been jailed for a year in a fast-track trial, while the ex-chief executive, Gianluca Cimini, died last year.

Among the defendants are Richard Cameron, former chief financial officer of BT Global Services.

A lawyer for Cameron, who was based in London but left BT in 2017, has insisted he 'is in no doubt that he acted properly' and is confident he would be cleared.
Kris Eng, the Republican Party chair in Centre County, is ready to move on. Not from former President Donald Trump  but from Pennsylvanias Republican U.S. senator, Pat Toomey.

He should just leave, Eng said of Toomey, who called Trump a demagogue after the Capitol attack this month that left five people dead. I dont feel like he represents us. We know hes not going to run again. I dont think hes speaking on behalf of his constituents right now.

She said Republican voters are also disappointed in GOP leaders in the state legislature, two of whom live in her central Pennsylvania county, for not doing more to investigate Trumps claims of widespread voter fraud, which have been thoroughly debunked. GOP leaders asked Congress to delay certification of Bidens victory, and some urged lawmakers to reject the results altogether.

People were very upset they did not come out earlier to make a statement in support of the president, and that they made a point of not helping answer questions about fraud in Pennsylvania, Eng said.

In 2017, Democrats were out of power in Washington and had no clear leader. They were shocked by Trumps election and divided over what led to it. Just a day after Trumps inauguration, however, there were signs of the broad coalition that would ultimately help elect Joe Biden: hundreds of thousands of people protesting in Washington, and more around the country, as part of the Womens March.

Elected officials, party activists, and people who were never involved in politics before saw Trumps presidency as a national emergency and united around resisting him.

Four years later, at the dawn of Bidens presidency, the Republican Party is now facing a different sort of reckoning. Its leader left office refusing to concede defeat and inciting a deadly insurrection that disrupted the peaceful transfer of power. Rank-and-file GOP lawmakers have largely stood by Trump, but its harder to take cues from him now that social media platforms have banned or suspended him. And while Trump proved to be a unifying force for Democrats, Biden has never inspired the same level of passion among supporters or intense anger among detractors.

Interviews with Pennsylvania Republican activists and party officials suggest the GOP is loosely connected by fear of the progressive lefts cultural ascendance, deep mistrust in the news media, and a determination to tighten Pennsylvanias voting laws.

Its not going away, Eng said of demands for election law changes. People are watching to see.

 READ MORE: First it was fraud, then they just didnt like the rules: How Pa. Republicans justified trying to overturn an election

As a practical matter, the Senate impeachment trial set to begin next month will decide whether Trump can ever seek federal office again. But the process by which GOP voters will determine whether they want more Trump and his brand of politics will take years to play out. The first big test comes next year, when Pennsylvania holds elections for open seats in the U.S. Senate and governorship.

To understand the partys competing visions, consider two young Republicans from opposite sides of the state: U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, 37, from Southwestern Pennsylvania, and former U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello, 44, of Chester County.

Reschenthaler, a former Navy lawyer who is seen as a possible candidate for statewide office, voted this month with eight of Pennsylvanias nine Republican House members to throw out the election results. There is no evidence of widespread fraud in Pennsylvanias presidential election. Republicans argue the rules used to administer the election were unlawful, but courts, including Trump-appointed judges, have rejected that claim.

We need Republicans to stick together, Reschenthaler told the right-wing TV network Newsmax last week. The Republicans in the House, by and large, are holding the line. Were supporting President Trump, dare I say the once and future president. We need to hold the line more so than ever, and we need Republicans in the Senate to circle the wagons.

Costello, who served two terms in Congress before not seeking reelection in 2018, has sharply criticized Trumps conduct. Hes considering a Senate run next year.

Both due to the way Trump governed  which was requiring complete submissive allegiance  as well as the base of the party accepting a cult of personality, theres going to be those that wish to continue down that path, and theres going to be a more built-in resistance to how to be something other than that, Costello said in an interview.

I know theres a piece of the party thats ready to turn the page, he said. Thats a fact. If Republicans want to be a majority party, the people that get them to the majority are people that are ready to turn the page.

Costello isnt alone, but hes one of the few Pennsylvania Republicans with aspirations for statewide office publicly calling for the party to break with Trump. Other Republicans who have condemned Trumps conduct, like former Gov. Tom Ridge and Bucks County Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo, are elder statesmen.

When a new leader stands up and says we gotta move on from Trump, what do you mean by move on? asked Bob Howard, a Republican activist who lives in suburban Pittsburgh. Are you talking about a personality or are you talking about moving on from the policies and the things that he did?

Then theres Toomey, who announced in the fall that he would not seek reelection next year. After the Capitol insurrection, he said Trump had committed impeachable offenses and called on the president to resign.

That hasnt gone over well with some Republicans.

 READ MORE: Pat Toomey's retirement makes the 2022 elections in Pennsylvania a total free-for-all

Vince Matteo, chairman of the local party in Lycoming County in northern Pennsylvania, said many Republican activists believe Toomey betrayed Trump, going on CNN of all places calling on the president to resign without due process.

The county GOP passed a motion expressing our extreme dissatisfaction and concern that he would do that, Matteo said.

Toomey has long been one of the most conservative senators on fiscal issues. That a GOP stalwart like him could become persona non grata for so many Republicans shows how much Trump has transformed the party.

And making any post-Trump introspection more difficult for the GOP is the fact that, apart from Trumps loss, Republicans had a strong year, winning statewide elections for auditor general and treasurer and retaining majorities in the state legislature.

The state Republican Party is not as fractured as the GOP in Arizona or Georgia  two states with Republican governors who have fallen out of favor with party activists after they refused Trumps demands to block certification of Bidens victory.

 READ MORE: 2020 was an ugly year in Harrisburg. Dont expect 2021 to be much better.

In Pennsylvania, Republicans have largely directed their ire over the election at Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, the top elections official, and the majority-Democratic state Supreme Court.

But Republican leaders in the GOP-led legislature also face pressure to repeal or tighten a 2019 law that allowed any voter to vote by mail. After Trumps months-long effort to overturn the results, and his repeated false assertions that the election was stolen, some voters still dont trust the outcome.

There are so many people that somehow believe ... this election is going to be reversed, said Al Lindsay, the GOP chairman in Butler County, north of Pittsburgh. They still believe it. They believe so strongly that the election was not proper.

Lindsay said the local party is largely focused on dealing with election irregularities.

Were not talking about claiming fraud or that the election would have been different, he said. What we are suggesting is some of the things that occurred have caused many people to question the integrity of the process.

GOP lawmakers in Harrisburg have taken note. Last week a state House panel held the first of 14 hearings on the election, and the Senate is also expected to undertake a review.

Whatever divisions the party will have to resolve in the next few elections, Republicans say theyll unite against the policy agenda pushed by Democrats in Washington. The loyalty to Trump is not so much to his personality but the profound antagonism for the [Democratic] agenda, Lindsay said, adding that Republicans also have profound mistrust of the news media.

Eng, the Centre County GOP chair, attended the Jan. 6 rally in Washington but condemned the attack on the Capitol that day. She said she doesnt think the country will heed Bidens call for unity in his inaugural address.

We might be Americans, but are we fighting for the same America? she said. I dont know where that common ground is between globalists and people who want to keep our Constitution and believe that is a worthy document to uphold and to fight for.
[January 26, 2021] Integrity and CSG Actuarial Unite in Transformational Partnership to Provide Data and Software Solutions to Agents, Agencies, Carriers and Consumers

DALLAS, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrity Marketing Group, LLC ("Integrity"), the nation's largest independent distributor of life and health insurance products, today announced it has acquired CSG Actuarial ("CSG"), the industry's foremost quoting technology platform and data solution for the senior health and life insurance marketplace. This industry-transforming partnership unites two leading innovators under a shared vision to provide a better experience for the healthcare industry. As part of the acquisition, CSG Principals Bryan Neary and Doug Feekin will become Managing Partners in Integrity. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Through the partnership, CSG's industry-leading technology and data aggregation tools will enhance Integrity's proprietary technology platform and provide our industry even more transparency on product data, market research and consumer trends at all stages of the insurance enrollment process. This insight offers agents, agencies, carriers and consumers the ability to make data-driven decisions when considering their insurance needs. In addition, CSG will continue to develop and enhance new and existing software as a service (SaaS) solutions to simplify and streamline quoting, enrollment and other fundamental processes. "At Integrity, we are committed to innovating insurance in every way possible, which makes this investment in cutting-edge technology crucial to our mission," said Bryan W. Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity Marketing Group. "No one creates better quoting and enrollment tools and provides more relevant industry insight than CSG. We believe the right technology and data solutions can improve the entire health insurance process for agents, agencies, carriers and consumers. With the brilliant and dedicated team at CSG now part of the Integrity family, we'll continue to develop innovative solutions together that will fundamentally improve insurance." Founded in 2007, CSG began as an actuarial consulting firm focusing on product development services. The founders soon recognized the immense value of the data it accumulated, including premium rates and agent support insights. CSG has leveraged that vast data trove in the development of its comprehensive data and SaaS suite, which contains a real-time quote activity tracker, e-application enrollment software and a comprehensive document library. "We have proprietary information that helps consumers select the healthcare coverage they need. The data we provide drives impactful decisions for agents, agencies, carriers and consumers, and offers powerful insight into market demand and trends," explained Bryan Neary, Co-Founder and Principal of CSG. "By combining Integrity's knowledge, exertise, relationships and distribution network with our groundbreaking technology, we are creating a dramatic change in the way insurance is sold today. We envision solutions that give consumers better access to information and help them make more-informed healthcare decisions for their families. We've only scratched the surface of what we can accomplish together."



With a fine-tuned understanding of the insurance marketplace and a knack for building highly relevant and timely products, the CSG team transformed the insurance technology space. CSG's easy-to-use, online quoting and enrollment tool has revolutionized the industry. The company offers best-in-class digital solutions for Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, Final Expense, Senior Dental and Hospital Indemnity products. "Years ago, we recognized the need to create software as a service (SaaS) tools that made agents' lives easier and we've been innovating to meet that need ever since," shared Doug Feekin, Co-Founder and Principal of CSG. "Technology is changing the process of selecting the right insurance coverage and agents need the most updated solutions for their customers. This partnership with Integrity gives us access to immense resources and data to increase that innovation, while scaling the adoption and utilization of our products. It has the power to shape the future of healthcare and we're eager to get started."

"The Integrity and CSG partnership will transform the insurance experience in ways that we previously could only dream of," acknowledged Steve Young, Chairman of the Board at Integrity. "CSG offers the most impactful all-in-one suite of support tools available to insurance agents, agencies, carriers and consumers in the senior market. Together, we are perfectly positioned to completely advance the insurance game  the industry will look back and remember this pivotal partnership." Following this partnership, CSG will continue to serve their current clients with the same level of expertise they have grown to expect. These clients will benefit from the increase of support enabled by CSG's utilization of shared services available to all Integrity platform partners. Those services include accounting, IT, research and development, human resources, legal counsel, third-party administration and access to a full-service advertising and marketing agency. Additionally, CSG employees will receive meaningful company ownership under the Integrity Employee Ownership Plan. "Our employees are the reason we're here every day and we're thrilled to offer them the opportunity to share in this success through Integrity's Employee Ownership Plan," said Neary. "We value their contributions, dedication and expertise; in Integrity, we've found a partner who feels the same." For additional information about CSG's partnership with Integrity, view a video and more at www.integritymarketing.com/csg. About Integrity Marketing Group

Integrity Marketing Group, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the leading independent distributor of life and health insurance products focused on meeting Americans wherever they are  in person, over the phone and online. Integrity is innovating insurance by developing cutting-edge technology designed to simplify and streamline the healthcare experience for everyone. In addition, Integrity develops exclusive products with insurance carrier partners and markets these products through its distribution network that includes other large insurance agencies throughout the country. Integrity's almost 5,000 employees work with over 325,000 independent agents who service more than seven million clients annually. In 2021, Integrity expects to help insurance carriers place over $3.5 billion in new premium. For more information, visit www.integritymarketing.com . About CSG Actuarial

CSG Actuarial, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is one of the fastest-growing insurance tech companies in the country, helping insurance agents, agencies and carriers keep up with the ever-changing senior insurance marketplace. CSG has developed innovative quoting, enrollment and market research software solutions used by top producing insurance agent, agencies and insurance companies throughout the country. In 2020, CSG processed almost 25 million insurance quotes and thousands of enrollments through its robust suite of software as a service (SaaS) products. For more information, visit www.csgactuarial.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/integrity-and-csg-actuarial-unite-in-transformational-partnership-to-provide-data-and-software-solutions-to-agents-agencies-carriers-and-consumers-301215157.html SOURCE Integrity Marketing Group, LLC

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New Delhi:

Breaking the 20-year-old tradition, US President Donald Trump didnt host an Iftar party at the White House on the occasion on Eid al-Fitr on Sunday.



The tradition of celebrating Eid began in 1996 under President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton.



However, the White House greeted the world by issuing a statement on Saturday evening, Muslims in the United States joined those around the world during the holy month of Ramadan to focus on acts of faith and charity. Now, as they commemorate Eid with family and friends, they carry on the tradition of helping neighbours and breaking bread with people from all walks of life.



During this holiday, we are reminded of the importance of mercy, compassion, and goodwill. With Muslims around the world, the United States renews our commitment to honour these values. Eid Mubarak, the White House further added.



According to reports, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson rejected his departments office and global affairs proposal to hold a reception for the event.

ALSO READ | Eid-ul-Fitr 2017: Prayers offered at Eidgah Ground in Moradabad, greetings exchanged

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Reliever Adam Ottavino did the math and knew his $9 million salary made him a likely trade candidate for New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. But the Boston Red Sox? That caught Ottavino by surprise.

I feel like Im gonna end up a trivia question now probably one day, Ottavino told reporters Monday, per NESN. When Cashman told me Red Sox, that was not the name I expected. I knew I could be traded, but I definitely didnt expect that. So its kind of fun to be a part of something a little out of the ordinary.

Mondays deal was the first between the Red Sox and Yankees since since July 31, 2014 when New York acquired infielder Stephen Drew for infielder Kelly Johnson.

Ottavino is no stranger to Boston. He went to college at Northeastern, which is a short, 15-minute walk from Fenway Park.

Im very excited, Ottavino said, per MLB.com. I was a little surprised (Monday) when I got the news, but all things considered, Boston is always a place I wanted to play. I went to school there, feel really comfortable in Fenway and all that good stuff. Im really excited to bring what I bring. Hopefully I can do my thing out of the bullpen and help us win some ballgames.

Introducing Yankees Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers

Ottavino was 2-3 with a 5.89 ERA in 24 appearances with the Yankees in 2020. He was stellar for most of the 2019 season, his first in a three-year, $27 million deal, but had a rough September and terrible postseason.

With most of Ottavinos salary off the books, Cashman will be able to add one or two more significant pieces and stay under this years $210 million luxury-tax threshold.

Its believed the Yankees would like to re-sign free outfielder Brett Gardner and they made look to add more pitching despite signing two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber to a one-year, $11 million contract last week and trading for Jameson Taillon on Sunday.

(NJ Advance Medias Randy Miller contributed to this report.)

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Ahafo Ano North Constituency NPP has presented a Citation of appreciation to Director General of NADMO, Hon. Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh in honor of his contributions to the Constituency in the just ended 2020 elections.



The Presentation was done by the Member of Parliament, Hon. Adamu Sulemana Sanid in the company of the Constituency Chairman Mr. Owusu Asante and other constituency officers.



Hon. Eric Nana Agyemang Prempeh has been a former Presiding Member of the Ahafo Ano North District Assembly and later DCE for the same Assembly.



He later served as Ashanti Regional President for NALAG.



Hon. Agyemang-Prempeh at all times used his opportunity in offices to advance the interest of the New Patriotic Party and the general well-being of all Ghanaians.



In the just-ended election, as Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Taskforce on Registration, Hon. Agyemang-Prempeh ensured a smooth registration exercise leading to a successful election outcome.



In the Ahafo Ano North constituency, he contributed heavily as he has always done since 1996, it is in this regard that the Member of Parliament and Constituency executives have honored him.

Source: peacefmonline.com









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Focusing remembrance on Auschwitz inflates its role while overlooking other camps and operations. This risks replicating the Nazis view of it as a factory  a calm, efficient place of death. It also opens a door for people to simplify Auschwitz down to a logo, as one rioter did recently at the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The most extraordinary thing about Auschwitz is that almost half of its 1 million Jewish victims died in a 56-day frenzy in the summer of 1944. The crematoria became so overwhelmed that bodies had to be burned in open-air pits. The Nazis brutal pursuit of genocide after the war had turned against them shows how central anti-Semitism was to their ideology. (Which is easy to forget when our portrayals of them  from Call of Duty to Inglorious Basterds  tend to avoid their ideology, leaving them violent but strangely sanitized.)
The pandemic has been devastating for most small business owners. But for some, it also has brought out the compassion and generosity of their local communities and customers. That kind of generosity is what has helped Renatta Frazier stave off eviction for Great House BBQ, her restaurant in Springfield, Illinois.

She was able to pay off much of the back rent she owed thanks to donations from a GoFundMe campaign started by her friend and customer Dusty Rhodes. It has raised nearly $3,000 of its $5,000 goal since it was started on January 10. Plus, she received a separate large donation from someone who learned about Frazier's plight from that campaign.

While the restaurant is fairly new -- it opened in the fall of 2019 -- it has gained a following thanks to the quality of its Chicago-style barbeque and Southern side dishes based on recipes from Frazier's aunts, grandmother and great-grandmother.

He spent his stimulus money on 30,000 masks for the homeless and others in need

"Everyone I've taken or sent there has had a religious experience," Rhodes said, noting that a food writer friend was blown away by Frazier's fried mac-and-cheese balls. She's also witnessed firefighters lining up for dinner to go. "They know their meat," Rhodes said.

Some of the goodwill for Great House BBQ may also have been generated by the fact that Frazier decided to provide free hot lunches for children in the neighborhood when schools closed due to the pandemic.

While she still hasn't been able to hire back any of the seven staffers she had to let go when shutdown orders closed the restaurant for almost three months, she and three of her children -- who are partners in the business -- are keeping operations going for now.

But Frazier is very hopeful for the future, thanks to the growth in her customer base over the past year and the support she has received.

"I greatly trust and believe there is a God and a universe that is limitless... They work through wonderful, amazing, generous people," Frazier said.

Like many business owners, Sally Jo Ocasio saw her revenue drop sharply during the shutdown months in the spring. But business at her Ridgway, Colorado, vintage store, The Vault, rebounded somewhat over a busy summer.

She had been looking for a larger retail space and found one just across the street in an early 1900s picturesque building. She reopened in the new space in mid-December. But two days later, a fire consumed the building, destroying her store and all her inventory, Ocasio said.

When asked by a local paper if she would start a GoFundMe campaign, Ocasio said she didn't want to because the past year was such a hardship for so many people.

Erin Graham, an owner of a nearby office supply store who is also one of Ocasio's customers, decided she wanted to help. Without telling Ocasio, Graham and her husband started a GoFundMe campaign for The Vault. It has raised nearly $18,000 so far.

"It's overwhelming. ... It filled my heart with enormous gratitude," Ocasio said, noting that since Ridgway is such a small town she knows many of the donors.

She has a lot of expenses ahead -- including rent on her three-year lease, hiring a lawyer to help her figure out just what insurance will and won't cover, and the cost of rebuilding her business.

Ocasio doesn't want to use the money raised for her very near-term expenses, like hiring a lawyer. Instead, she said, she will put it toward an eventual reopening of The Vault.

"[I] will invest it in a fresh start at a new store."

Minho Kim knows the names of all the students who come to his deli, Sunny's (or, as it is more popularly known, Harry's), which is located near the K-12 Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights, New York.

A big menu favorite for them: Kim's bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches.

And those students are loyal customers, even after they graduate. (During CNN Business' phone conversation with Kim, whose customers call him "Joe," a Packer grad named Justin stopped in just to say hello.)

Their loyalty is apparent in the more than $20,000 raised for Kim after he reluctantly started a GoFundMe campaign to help with his back rent and other bills, which kept ballooning as his revenue fell by 70% due to the pandemic. He still is in arrears on his utility bills.

He also promoted the campaign on his Facebook and Instagram accounts. In just a few days, the money came pouring in from students past and present, as well as Packer faculty members.

"Ninety-five percent of the donations came from longtime customers ... Kids I've known since kindergarten," Kim said. "I was really, really surprised. It almost made me cry."

One student, Bella Pitman, even created art of Kim's deli for stickers she sold and she gave all the proceeds to Kim.

In mid-December, Steve Olsen, the owner of the West Bank Cafe near Manhattan's theater district, was two weeks away from shutting his doors.

But one of his many longtime customers, off-Broadway producer Tom D'Angora wouldn't hear of it.

D'Angora and his husband, Michael, teamed up with actor Tim Guinee and writer and performer Joe Iconis, and sprung into action.

Through a GoFundMe campaign, promotion on social media, and a star-studded live-streamed telethon on Christmas Day, their efforts raised $342,000.

Most of the funds came from small donations. "We're a community that's been out of work since March. You generously saw members of the theater community giving whatever they could. A bunch of people giving a little bit can really make a difference," D'Angora said.

Olsen is beyond touched. "The support is amazing. It's a miracle," he said.

But D'Angora isn't surprised. "Steve Olsen goes to every table and sits down with customers. He treats me as well as Al Pacino. No matter who you are, you're treated as family," he said.

And that family is huge since the restaurant -- which is an institution for the New York theater community and residents of midtown Manhattan -- has been around for 42 years.

When he first opened the West Bank Cafe in 1978, Olsen said, "I told my staff, 'They'll come for food, but they'll return for the hospitality if you treat them nice.'"

And, as their recent support has shown, they'll be there when the chips are down.

"He treated me like a star and VIP from Day One. He treated me as well 15 years ago as he did today after raising $300,000 for him," D'Angora said. "I told him, 'This is your George Bailey moment. No man is a failure who has friends.'"
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden announced Tuesday afternoon that he will increase the amount of coronavirus vaccine sent to states by 15 percent next week and his administration has placed additional orders for more doses with Pfizer and Moderna.

The U.S. has now ordered 600 million doses of the vaccine, or enough to fully vaccinate 300 million Americans, by the end of summer or early fall, Biden said in a speech. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses  weeks apart  for full efficacy.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients and other senior administration officials held a call with governors Tuesday afternoon to discuss the vaccine distribution process. Biden promised that states will now have a three-week, reliable forecast of how much vaccine they will receive and a receptive ear at the White House to coordinate distribution efforts.

Its great, great news. From a governors point of view, I say amen," Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on CNN. At least now we can do a schedule for three weeks  and start to run on an efficient basis.

As part of his mission to perform 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office, Biden has invoked a war-time law, the Defense Production Act, to order manufacturers to produce more gloves, masks, syringes and other supplies needed to administer the vaccine, he said.

Biden also announced that the federal government will cover the cost of governors using their National Guard troops to assist with vaccine distribution in their states.

Biden has also directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to set up federally run mass-vaccination centers around the country to assist with administering the shots. Locations for those centers have not been announced.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New York has received 2.4 million vaccine doses and administered about 60 percent of those. The data includes vaccines administered by some state regulated vaccine sites, including hospitals, federal entities that are also administering shots, and sites run by New York City.

Other states have been able to administer more of the vaccines doses they receive more quickly. For example, West Virginia is leading in this metric, having administered 76 percent of doses received. Connecticut has administered 66 percent of doses received.

Cuomo on Tuesday again blamed slow downs in the state's vaccine rollout on the amount of doses received by the state.

"New York has built a vast infrastructure of providers and pop-up sites to get shots in arms quickly and fairly on a massive scale," Cuomo said. "The only problem  we don't have nearly enough supply."

In New York City, tens of thousands of vaccine appointments have been cancelled because the city does not have enough doses, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

The state has vaccinated health care workers and nursing home residents, and now has opened vaccine appointments to 7 million people, including those 65 years and older.

Cuomo has said the big issue with vaccinations in New York is that federal guidelines from the CDC opened eligibility to so many people, and that governors and their staffs write vaccine eligibility criteria in their states using CDC recommendations. Still, his administration has not said why they did not decline to add those 65 and older  at the CDC's recommendation  when they knew supplies could not sustain the number of doses that would be needed.

Other governors have chosen to phase in vaccinations for individuals 65 and older by first giving shots to people 75 and older and then slowly expanding the pool.

After discussions with Operation Warp Speed officials, U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., said it's clear from federal data that New York is receiving doses and more supply is coming, but the state has a weak system to administer the shots. On a call with Biden administration officials Sunday, he asked them to "federalize" New York's vaccine distribution and use FEMA and the National Guard to shore up the state's shortcomings, he told the Times Union in an interview.

"On the distribution side, that expansion to 7.5 million people I think is the biggest problem that the state has made and irresponsibly made," said Reed. "I think it's done to hide the distribution problems that the state has had that it didn't do up front testing of the distribution system."

Reed said the state is also relying on antiquated software to run the vaccine system. He expressed concerns that New Yorkers who are eligible for a vaccine but cannot get an appointment  or have their appointments cancelled  will not choose to get the shot later, causing deaths.

The state has opened multiple mass vaccination sites and is administering vaccines at pharmacies and hospitals. Walgreens and CVS inoculated nursing home residents at their care facilities. Local doctors offices have been frustrated that they've ordered the vaccine and have not received it, despite huge demand from eligible patients.

In New York, 1.2 million have received their first dose, while nearly 190,000 have received two doses.

Over the past week, the U.S. has exceeded a pace of 1 million doses per day. The Biden administration has faced criticism that their 100 million shots in 100 days is not actually an ambitious goal given the current pace of vaccinations. Reed has challenged Biden to up the goal to 200 million shots in 100 days.
BOSTON and BEIJING, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eucure Biopharma, a subsidiary of Biocytogen, announced the first patient enrollment for a Phase I clinical trial in China to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary efficacy of its anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibody (YH001) in patients with solid tumors.

In May 2020, Eucure Biopharma initiated a first-in-human Phase I dose-escalation trial of YH001 in advanced solid tumors in Australia. One run-in cycle was used to explore the safety and tolerability of escalating doses of YH001 monotherapy, followed by four treatment cycles of YH001 in combination with fixed dose Toripalimab (an anti-PD-1 antibody). In the first four cohorts, no grade 3 or higher adverse events (AE) were observed, demonstrating a favorable safety profile.

The Phase I trial in China will assess the safety and preliminary efficacy of YH001 as a single agent in patients with advanced solid tumors. The leading principal investigator is Professor Cai-Cun Zhou, Director of the Department of Oncology at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital. The trial will be conducted concurrently with Professor Yongsheng Wang at West China Hospital and Professor Tongtong An at Peking University Cancer Hospital.

Dr. Yuelei Shen, CEO of Biocytogen and Eucure Biopharma, said that the first patient enrolled for YH001 treatment in China "will be another important milestone for Eucure Biopharma". "Eucure Biopharma's mission is to bring the latest global therapeutic concepts and new drugs to Chinese patients, with scientific innovation and patient welfare as our top priority. We hope to take this opportunity to strengthen our cooperation with domestic experts to smoothly advance the business of Biocytogen/Eucure Biopharma in China."

About YH001

YH001 is an anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) humanized monoclonal antibody that relieves CTLA-4-mediated immunosuppression and enhances the T-cell-mediated antitumor immune response. YH001 can trigger antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) to remove CTLA-4 expressing cells, especially regulatory T cells, to treat various tumors. YH001 has demonstrated excellent affinity, safety, and in vivo efficacy in Biocytogen's humanized mouse models.

About Eucure Biopharma

Eucure Biopharma is a biotechnology company with rich experience in new drug discovery and clinical development. Eucure focuses on the development of innovative antibody drugs with independent intellectual property rights. Leveraging cooperative development and strong clinical assets, Eucure Biopharma has built a strong preclinical and clinical pipeline for over ten targets. Currently, two products have received clinical trial approvals in the US and China. In Australia, three products have entered Phase I clinical stages. For more information, please visit http://www.eucure.com/en/ .

About Biocytogen

Biocytogen is a biotechnology company that offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and preclinical services, including in vivo/in vitro pharmacology, animal model generation, and therapeutic antibody discovery using its flagship RenMab model. Biocytogen collaborates with global partners to accelerate drug discovery and development. For more information, please visit www.biocytogen.com .

Media Contact:

Eucure Biopharma

Yuanyuan Li

[email protected]

Biocytogen

Jenna Frame

[email protected]

SOURCE Biocytogen

Related Links

http://www.biocytogen.com


Leon Black, the chief executive and chairman of Apollo Global Management, announced his plan on Monday to step down as chief executive this year. The move follows an inquiry by the firm that revealed that Mr. Black had paid $158 million to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a five-year period ending in 2017. He had also lent Mr. Epstein more than $30 million, only $10 million of which was paid back, the report found. Mr. Blacks payments effectively bankrolled the lifestyle of Mr. Epstein in the years after his 2008 guilty plea in Florida to a prostitution charge involving a teenage girl.
What sort of people should serve in the U.S. military?

There are straightforward answers to that question. Folks who wish to don the uniform of one of the branches because they care deeply about our nation and are willing to put their lives on the line in support of what we stand for. People with particular talents who believe that their skills can be best used in the Army, the Navy, the Air Force or the Marines. Those who feel theyd do well as a part of the military chain of command, no matter how low they may begin or how high they might rise.

The list goes on, but thats a decent start.

And who shouldnt be in our nations military?

Those who fail in any of those basic areas, obviously. But by and large, our nations military should be open to those who desire to serve -- regardless of race, creed, political affiliation, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. Our volunteer fighting forces should be as diverse as is our nation as a whole.

Which is why a ban on transgender troops never made even a bit of sense. Ask a simple question -- should transgender individuals be allowed to serve in our nations armed forces? -- and theres a simple answer: If they are qualified, of course they should. But the lack of good reason didnt keep President Donald Trumps administration from banning transgender people from serving. Thankfully, wisely, President Joe Biden has reversed that needless order, again opening the military to all who wish to, and are able to, serve.

The argument against allowing transgender soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines? Its the same old tired story -- It would disrupt unit cohesion.

That was once the argument against allowing African-Americans to serve beside white men, and later against allowing women to serve. And on and on and on.

Our nations military should welcome with open arms those who volunteer to serve. It should discriminate on the basis of desires and abilities, not on ones gender identity.

The ban never had a thing to do with the military, but was instead a sop for a certain right-wing constituency, the evangelical Christians who solidly stood behind Trump. But by barring from service some who were otherwise qualified, it weakened, not strengthened, the military.

Reversing the ban is absolutely the right move.

Related:
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday urged genuine farmers protesting against the new farm reform laws to vacate Delhi and return to the borders of the national capital after the tractor rally taken out by the agitators turned violent on Tuesday.

Describing the scenes witnessed in the city as shocking, Singh said the violence by some elements was unacceptable. It'll negate goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. Kisan leaders have disassociated themselves & suspended #TractorRally (sic), he tweeted.

Shocking scenes in Delhi. The violence by some elements is unacceptable. It'll negate goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. Kisan leaders have disassociated themselves & suspended #TractorRally. I urge all genuine farmers to vacate Delhi & return to borders. Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) January 26, 2021

The Chief Minister has also ordered a high alert in Punjab amid the tension and violence in Delhi, and directed DGP Dinkar Gupta to ensure that law and order in the state is not disturbed at any cost. Expressing grave concern over the situation, the Chief Minister said the violence was apparently triggered by some people who violated the rules laid down for the Tractor March through mutual agreement between the Delhi Police and the farmer unions.

The CMs appeal to genuine farmers mirrored the stance adopted by some farmer unions, who said some "antisocial elements" infiltrated their otherwise peaceful movement.

Farmers' union body Samyukta Kisan Morcha condemned and regretted the "undesirable" and "unacceptable" events as the parade turned violent after several groups of farmers deviated from the pre-decided route for the march.

Farmers protesting against the laws had entered central Delhi, and protested at Red Fort, ITO and Kashmere Gate, among other places. In a bid to stop them, the Delhi Police resorted to lathi-charging and used tear gas to dispel the miscreants.

Some protestors forced their way into the Red Fort to hoist a flag, and were later made to vacate the premises. Farmers had earlier deviated from the designated route for the tractor rally and moved towards ITO in central Delhi.

The protesters also breached police barricades, attacked personnel and vandalised a bus at ITO. Meanwhile, one protester was killed near ITO after the tractor he was driving turned turtle, police said. A cop has also been injured at Red Fort.
While many towns across Connecticut and the country as a whole are experiencing a significant loss of businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheshire seems to be in the middle of a small economic boom.

At least four new businesses  Cheshire Craft Brewing, Olive & Henry Fine Foods, ReRead Books & More, and Counter Weight Brewing Company  have either opened or received approval to open by the Planning and Zoning Commission within the last year.

Now, the Town is getting ready to possibly welcome four more establishments, all of which have expressed their interest in opening up shop in Cheshire.

This is really an amazing thing, said Jerry Sitko, economic development coordinator for Cheshire. Despite the pandemic, good things are happening in Cheshire and we couldnt be happier.

The businesses seeking to possibly open in town in the coming month include the popular coffee shop chain Starbucks; a new steakhouse restaurant, Bone In Prime; another craft brewery, Malpractice Brewery, which would make the third brewery planned for Cheshire; and a new restaurant called Anthonys. All are set to move to town in the near future, which Sitko believes will help to put Cheshire in the spotlight when it comes to Connecticut communities.

Ive been working with some of these guys for a while now and its great to see this come to a head, Sitko added. This is so exciting for us. Its about time for Cheshire to really stand out.

Some of the business owners are looking to come to Cheshire after experiencing success in other Connecticut towns, Sitko explained.

The (owner) of Bone In Prime (Fico and Alix Cecunjanin) has a successful business in Middletown (The Red Fox) and he wanted to try his hand here, Sitko added.

The Cecunjanin brothers also have a restaurant in Portland called Fox on the Green.

On Monday, Jan. 25, the PZC met to review some of the proposals for a few of the new businesses, focusing almost exclusively on Starbucks.

The discussion centered on the renderings presented for the new coffee shop, which show a square building with a drive-thru window option and adorned with the usual Starbucks logo and colors. Several commissioners expressed concern that the current design for the building might not fit in with Cheshires aesthetic.

I work in Shelton and they have a Starbucks over there that looks so good with the community and it fits in well with the other buildings, mentioned Commissioner Rob Brucato. I dont think that this plan looks right with Cheshire. We are Cheshire Village and we want to keep that look and feel to our businesses. We dont want to make the same mistake we did previously when we had all these contemporary-style buildings that didnt look right.

While some of Brucatos fellow commissioners echoed his concerns about the buildings design, others argued that the Planning and Zoning Commission doesnt have the power to force Starbucks to make significant design changes to their current proposal.

I think we should be careful and make sure we are not overstepping our jurisdictions here, said Commissioner John Kardaras. Im not sure we have the right to tell the applicant they have to change their design.

Chairman Earl Kurtz III disagreed with Kardaras, and requested the public hearing be kept open to allow for the representative of the applicant, attorney Anthony Fazzone, to go back to his client to try to come up with a compromise.

Has the public seen these photos?" asked Brucato. Because everyone Ive talked to says they dont like it. Id like to see what they have to say.

Brucato urged residents to contact the PZC and offer opinions on the renderings shown at the meeting.

The public hearing will remain open until the Feb. 10 PZC meeting.
Earin A-3 True Wireless Earbuds With the A-3, Earin combines sleek, Scandinavian design with innovative audio and wireless connectivity features, all wrapped into the smallest earbud on the market.

Earin  the groundbreaking technology company behind the Original True Wireless  has launched its third-generation of True Wireless earbuds, the A-3. Earin was the first company to introduce True Wireless in-ear headphones in 2015, creating a completely new category of audio products. The newest generation is available now on Earin.com and coming soon to Amazon in black and silver models for $199 USD.

With the A-3, Earin combines sleek, Scandinavian design with innovative audio and wireless connectivity features, all wrapped into the smallest earbud on the market. Users can expect the same superior audio quality that Earin has become known for, with custom speakers that provide a more crisp and clean sound with deeper base.

We are thrilled at the overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic reaction since we announced our newest generation of earbuds earlier this month, said Johan Lembre, CEO, Earin. We design products that we are excited about and want to use ourselves, and the A-3 is no different. We cant wait for people to experience the years of innovation and hard work by our engineering team.

Utilizing an open design, the A-3 sits comfortably in the outer ear, making them easy to wear throughout the day, as well as an attractive and discreet appearance with the removal of the stem found in typical wireless earbuds.

Other user-friendly features include the option for wireless and wired charging, an intuitive touch interface on the earbud to quickly answer calls or play music, and no designated right or left earbud making it easy to pull them out of the charging case and start using. The A-3 are also sweat, water and dust resistant.

Visit http://www.earin.com to learn more and purchase the A-3. Follow Earin on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT EARIN

Earin made history in 2015, becoming the first-ever company to launch True Wireless earphones. Backed by a loyal Kickstarter community, our M-1 earphones were met with critical acclaim from media and consumers alike. Earin continues to create audio products of extraordinary quality for people who love music and appreciate good sound. Located in Malmo, Sweden, our dedicated team of audio technicians, engineers and industrial designers are continually exploring new potential of sound and technology.

Earin the original true wireless, designed and engineered in Sweden.
DUBLIN, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Autonomous Navigation Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Solution, Application, Vehicle Type, and Platform" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

According to this latest market study the market was valued at US$ 427.8 million in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 796.0 million by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.1% from 2020 to 2027.



The rapid change in modern warfare has been urging the governments to allocate higher amounts to respective military forces. The higher military budget allocation enables the military forces to purchase robust indigenous technologies, such as autonomous navigation technology, and various other technologies from international manufacturers. The military vehicle modernization practices are peaking in the current scenario among most military forces to keep the personnel and vehicles mission-ready. To modernize vehicles, the defense ministries across the world are investing substantial amounts in newer technologies - such as autonomous drones, AGVs, and UUVs. This factor is boosting the growth of the military autonomous navigation market.



Favorable economic conditions in North America bolster the growth of the startup hub. For example, Flyability (the Swiss creator of the groundbreaking Elios 2 drone for indoor inspections) opened its first US office in Denver, Colorado, in January 2020 to continue its rapid expansion into the US markets and offer robust customer and partner support. Such factors contribute to fair competition for employment in the various companies in North America.



The emerging autonomous navigation market players are gaining industry recognition as they are capable of offering sealing solutions at competitive prices. Due to the slow rate of the emergence of new players, the impact of threat to new entrants in the market is low in the present scenario. However, with the projected increase in the number of new market entrants offering cost-effective products, this threat to new entrants would also reach moderate levels.



Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Autonomous Navigation Market



According to the latest report from World Health Organization (WHO), the US, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, the UK, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, Iran, and China are among the worst affected countries due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The outbreak was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The crisis is adversely affecting the industries worldwide. The global economy is witnessing the worst hit, and it is likely to continue in 2021 also.



The governments of countries are restricting the transportation of humans and goods owing to the continuous growth in the number of COVID-19 infected patients. The manufacturing and construction industries, warehouses, and coal-fired plants are experiencing a temporary shutdown in their activities. Therefore, the use of autonomous technologies in systems is interrupted. The procurement of new systems with autonomous technology was declined in the first quarter of 2020. In addition, the restrictions on supply chain activities are hindering the development cycle and testing of autonomous navigation.



The report segments the global Autonomous Navigation market as follows:



Autonomous Navigation Market - by Solution

Sensing System

Processing Unit

Software

Autonomous Navigation Market - by Application

Commercial

Defense

Autonomous Navigation Market - by Vehicle Type

AGVs

Mobile Robots

UUVs

Drones

Others

Autonomous Navigation Market - by Platform

Land

Marine

Space

Autonomous Navigation Market - by Application

Airframe

Engine

Landing Gear

Flight Control and Hydraulic Systems

Autonomous Navigation Market - by Geography

North America

US

Canada

Mexico

Europe

France

Germany

Italy

UK

Russia

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific (APAC)

(APAC) China

India

South Korea

Japan

Australia

Rest of APAC

Middle East and Africa (MEA)

and (MEA) Saudi Arabia

UAE

South Africa

Rest of MEA

South America (SAM)

(SAM) Brazil

Rest of SAM

Reasons to Buy:

Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the global autonomous navigation market

Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies

The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the global aircraft seals market, thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long-term strategies

Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets

Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it

Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to client products, segmentation, pricing and distribution

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction

1.1 Scope of the Study

1.2 Report Guidance

1.3 Market Segmentation

1.3.1 Global Autonomous navigation Market - By Solution

1.3.2 Global Autonomous navigation Market - By Application

1.3.3 Global Autonomous navigation Market - By Vehicle Type

1.3.4 Global Autonomous navigation Market - By Platform

1.3.5 Global Autonomous navigation Market - By Geography



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology

3.1 Coverage

3.2 Secondary Research

3.3 Primary Research



4. Autonomous Navigation Market Landscape

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.2.1 Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.2.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.2.3 Threat to New Entrants

4.2.4 Threat to Substitutes

4.2.5 Competitive Rivalry

4.3 Ecosystem Analysis

4.4 Expert Opinion



5. Autonomous Navigation Market - Key Market Dynamics

5.1 Market Drivers

5.1.1 Rising use of AGVs in Logistics Industry

5.1.2 Broad Array of Applications of Mobile Robots

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 Integration and installation time of technology

5.3 Market Opportunities

5.3.1 Integration of AI for Increasing Efficiency of Navigation

5.4 Future Trends

5.4.1 Advent of Autonomous Navigation Technology for Vessel Navigation and Unmanned Ship

5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints



6. Autonomous Navigation Market - Global Analysis

6.1 Global Autonomous Navigation Market Overview

6.2 Autonomous Navigation Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

6.3 Market Positioning - Five Key Players



7. Autonomous Navigation Market Analysis - By Solution

7.1 Overview

7.2 Autonomous Navigation Market, by Solution (2019 and 2027)

7.3 Sensing Systems

7.3.1 Overview

7.3.2 Sensing Systems: Autonomous Navigation Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

7.4 Processing Unit

7.4.1 Overview

7.4.2 Processing Unit: Autonomous Navigation Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

7.5 Software

7.5.1 Overview

7.5.2 Software: Autonomous Navigation Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)



8. Autonomous Navigation Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 - By Application

8.1 Overview

8.2 Global Autonomous Navigation Market Breakdown, By Application, 2019 & 2027

8.3 Commercial

8.3.1 Overview

8.3.2 Commercial Market Forecast and Analysis

8.4 Defense

8.4.1 Overview

8.4.2 Defense Market Forecast and Analysis



9. Autonomous Navigation Market Analysis - by Vehicle Type

9.1 Overview

9.2 Autonomous Navigation Market, by Vehicle Type, 2019 & 2027

9.3 AGVs

9.3.1 Overview

9.3.2 AGVs: Autonomous Navigation Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

9.4 Mobile Robots

9.4.1 Overview

9.4.2 Mobile Robots: Autonomous Navigation Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

9.5 UUVs

9.5.1 Overview

9.5.2 UUVs: Autonomous Navigation Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

9.6 Drones

9.6.1 Overview

9.6.2 Drones: Autonomous Navigation Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

9.7 Others

9.7.1 Overview

9.7.2 Others: Autonomous Navigation Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)



10. Autonomous Navigation Market Revenue and Forecast to 2027 - by Platform

10.1 Overview

10.2 Global Autonomous Navigation Market Breakdown, by Platform, 2019 & 2027

10.3 Land

10.3.1 Overview

10.3.2 Land Market Forecast and Analysis

10.4 Marine

10.4.1 Overview

10.4.2 Marine Market Forecast and Analysis

10.5 Space

10.5.1 Overview

10.5.2 Space Market Forecast and Analysis



11. Autonomous Navigation Market - Geographic Analysis

11.1 Overview

11.2 North America: Autonomous Navigation Market

11.3 Europe: Autonomous Navigation Market

11.4 APAC: Autonomous Navigation Market

11.5 MEA: Autonomous Navigation Market

11.6 SAM: Autonomous Navigation Market



12. Autonomous Navigation Market - COVID-19 Impact Analysis

12.1 Overview

12.2 North America

12.3 Europe

12.4 Asia-Pacific

12.5 Middle East and Africa

12.6 South America



13. Industry Landscape

13.1 Overview

13.2 Market Initiative

13.3 New Product Development

13.4 Merger and Acquisition



14. Company Profiles

14.1 BlueBotics SA

14.1.1 Key Facts

14.1.2 Business Description

14.1.3 Products and Services

14.1.4 Financial Overview

14.1.5 SWOT Analysis

14.1.6 Key Developments

14.2 YUJIN ROBOT Co., Ltd.

14.2.1 Key Facts

14.2.2 Business Description

14.2.3 Products and Services

14.2.4 Financial Overview

14.2.5 SWOT Analysis

14.2.6 Key Developments

14.3 KONGSBERG

14.3.1 Key Facts

14.3.2 Business Description

14.3.3 Products and Services

14.3.4 Financial Overview

14.3.5 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 Key Developments

14.4 Trimble Inc.

14.4.1 Key Facts

14.4.2 Business Description

14.4.3 Products and Services

14.4.4 Financial Overview

14.4.5 SWOT Analysis

14.4.6 Key Developments

14.5 Autonomous Solutions, Inc.

14.5.1 Key Facts

14.5.2 Business Description

14.5.3 Products and Services

14.5.4 Financial Overview

14.5.5 SWOT Analysis

14.5.6 Key Developments

14.6 Collins Aerospace, a Raytheon Technologies Corporation Company

14.6.1 Key Facts

14.6.2 Business Description

14.6.3 Products and Services

14.6.4 Financial Overview

14.6.5 SWOT Analysis

14.6.6 Key Developments

14.7 Kollmorgen

14.7.1 Key Facts

14.7.2 Business Description

14.7.3 Products and Services

14.7.4 Financial Overview

14.7.5 SWOT Analysis

14.7.6 Key Developments

14.8 Brain Corporation

14.8.1 Key Facts

14.8.2 Business Description

14.8.3 Products and Services

14.8.4 Financial Overview

14.8.5 SWOT Analysis

14.8.6 Key Developments

14.9 KINEXON

14.9.1 Key Facts

14.9.2 Business Description

14.9.3 Products and Services

14.9.4 Financial Overview

14.9.5 SWOT Analysis

14.9.6 Key Developments

14.10 FURUNO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.

14.10.1 Key Facts

14.10.2 Business Description

14.10.3 Products and Services

14.10.4 Financial Overview

14.10.5 SWOT Analysis

14.10.6 Key Developments



15. Appendix

15.1 About the Publisher

15.2 Word Index



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/zbyat9

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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Nicole Snooki Polizzi might have quit Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, but she hasnt quit reality TV entirely. The former MTV star is hosting a new HGTV design competition show called Beach Cabana Royale. The one-hour series launches on Discovery+ on Feb. 2.

MAWMA is coming back to tv, Polizzi tweeted. Beach Cabana Royale on discovery+. wohoooo cant wait to bring you more this year.

Snooki will host Beach Cabana Royale

MAWMA is coming back to tv Beach Cabana Royale on discovery+ wohoooo cant wait to bring you more this year  Nicole Polizzi (@snooki) January 26, 2021

Snooki is a beach expert, so she was a natural fit to host the Long Island-set Beach Cabana Royale. The new, 26-episode show features designers going head-to-head to transform tired cabanas into something spectacular. Designers Karla Graves, Wendell Hollard, and Delia Kenza will create custom, handcrafted pieces for each cabana, with Snooki checking in on their progress throughout the day.

Meanwhile, the families who own the cabanas will compete in a beach-themed challenge that could give them an edge in the final judging. Ultimately, Egypt Sherrod and Orlando Soria will evaluate each cabana when its finished and decide who is worthy of the Golden Oar.

Here at Atlantic Beach, New York, cabanas are a huge way of life, Polizzi said. Not only do they provide shade from the summer heat, theyre also a place for friends and family to gather, play games, enjoy meals together and even shower off after you get all that sand in your bathing suits.

Mike The Situation Sorrentino hopes Snooki will return to Jersey Shore

Nicole Snooki Polizzi | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/WireImage

RELATED: Jersey Shore: Family Vacation: Why Nicole Snooki Polizzis Roommates Think Shell Return To the Show Soon

Polizzi announced she was quitting Jersey Shore: Family Vacation in 2019. The mom of three said she wanted to spend more time with her family and was tired of all the drama. Her last episode aired in 2020. But Snookis longtime friends and castmates are hoping she might change her mind and decide to return to the show.

We are in group chat with Nicole. We talk to her all the time and sometimes we feel like were getting through to her, Mike The Situation Sorrentino recently told Us Weekly. Sometimes shell say in group chat that its happening, but actions speak louder than words. I guess we will see in the coming seasons! Jersey Shore is doing well, so Im sure that well have another season, but will she come back? I dont know!

Paul DJ Pauly D DelVecchio confirmed to Us Weekly that Polizzi keeps in regular contact with her former roommates.

She has, like, super FOMO. Shes in the loop on everything. So, to me, it feels like she didnt quit. Shes there, DelVecchio told the magazine. I just hope that she comes back, and I think she will. I dont know. Well see. I think she will.

Snooki told her fans she wasnt done with TV

Polizzis return to TV isnt a huge surprise. After announcing her Jersey Shore exit, she told fans she planned to be back on the small screen at some point.

Im not done with reality TV, Snooki said in a YouTube video in August where she also shared her favorite Jersey Shore moments. I still want to do other things. I actually have like five shows I am trying to get MTV to do. Either way, you are still going to see me, but just not on Jersey Shore because I cant handle that sh*t anymore. Its cray-cray.

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The President of the Chamber of Deputies, Ludovic Orban, the leader of PNL (National Liberal Party), on Tuesday stated that there will be no increase in taxes, fees in the 2021 budget, adding that there is no delay in making the budget, just some talks are "a little more complex" in the context of a coalition government.

"As far as I know, there is no increase in taxes and fees. We are currently building the budget, we are in no delay, basically the Government said that the draft will be ready at the beginning of the parliamentary session. It is a coalition government and the discussions on the budget law are always a bit more complex when it comes to a coalition government. I am confident, though, that the government will complete the draft state budget and state social insurance budget as soon as possible," said Orban, after participating in the meeting of the Standing Bureau of the National Council of Small and Medium Seized Private Enterprises in Romania.

According to Orban, "the budget construction is affected by objectives, targets related to the budget deficit, the need to provide resources for co-financing projects set to receive European funds, the provision of financial resources for all other types of programmes, including support programmes for business people."

He also said that they want an improvement in revenue collection, digitization of ANAF, invoices, combating tax evasion.

"Basically, it is a draft budget of a newly invested coalition government, it is a project that requires much more complex negotiations. (...) The budget will be based on the forecast made by the Forecast Commission. The estimated economic growth is approximately 4. I say that it is an estimate close to reality, based on the estimates from the European Commission and the estimates of some international financial institutions," added Orban.
Three weeks ago, Jim Lober became one of the lucky few to receive a first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Bayou City Event Center. Lober, a 69-year-old attorney, left the venue where thousands would wait in lines wrapping around the building with the beige card indicating hed received the vaccine on Jan. 8 and was due back in four weeks for the final shot.

At first, the Houston Health Department told him to call back the week before his second shot; but when he checked the citys website, he learned he should wait for the department to reach out to him for scheduling. Now, with one week left before Lober should receive the second dose of Moderna, he has no clue when or where to go.

Hes not the only one. As the first of Texas 1B group returns for their second doses, many worry that reported vaccine shortages and scheduling problems could hamper their chances of being fully immunized.

My wife said to be grateful to get the first vaccine, but the consequence of a busted second dose could be serious, Lober said.

Across the globe, people are cold calling and crashing websites in hopes of scoring a coveted COVID-19 vaccine appointment. Pfizer and Moderna, the two pharmaceutical giants behind the vaccines on the market, agreed to send 200 million doses to the U.S. by the end of March.

More Information By the numbers Doses ordered by the U.S. government: 400 million Second doses shipped to Texas as of Jan. 29: 988,725 Second doses shipped to Texas during the week ending Jan. 29: 216,350 See More Collapse

Whats in a second dose?

When a person gets the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, its about 52 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 symptoms, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. The mRNA in the vaccine shows the body what the virus looks like, preparing the immune system to attack any similar cells. The second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines bring effectiveness up to 95 percent and strengthens the immune systems response to COVID-19.

ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS: Need answers to COVID-19 questions? Ask them here

The second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be given after a minimum of a three-week period; the Moderna vaccine after a minimum of a four-week period.

People can wait up to six weeks after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to receive their second shot, according to updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are currently limited data on efficacy of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines administered beyond this window, the agency wrote. If the second dose is administered beyond these intervals, there is no need to restart the series.

Pfizer has manufactured all the second doses intended to pair with first doses already shipped to the U.S., said Eamonn Nolan, a company spokesperson.

We have provided the U.S. government with a specific schedule and we foresee no issues in delivering on the commitments we have made, Nolan said.

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration gave vaccine providers the OK to draw six doses out of every Pfizer vial, which can be difficult for some clinicians to do and requires a special syringe. Those extra doses will count toward Pfizers contract to supply the U.S. with 200 million doses by the summer.

Anna Nagurney, a professor who studies supply chains at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, said all the recent information on extra doses per vial and extending the time to get a second shot points toward potential vaccine supply shortages.

That to me is a signal theyre concerned they wont be able to meet demand, and demand is huge, Nagurney said.

Moderna did not respond to a request for comment.

Timing is key?

Representatives from the Houston Health Department, Memorial Hermann and Houston Methodist, the three largest COVID-19 vaccine providers in Houston, said that they will be administering second doses as scheduled.

Most vaccine providers are still trying to shoehorn patients into the three or four-week window for vaccines, rather than ask patients to wait.

Researchers in the U.S. understand the push to vaccinate more people with first doses and push back second doses, but don't agree with it, said Roberta Schwartz, executive vice president of Houston Methodist Hospital and overseer of the hospital systems COVID-19 response. "We believe that people should be vaccinated as close to on schedule as they can," she said.

The Houston Health Department has 28,000 people in its database who need to return for the final shot, while Memorial Hermann still has to administer 25,000 second doses. Houston Methodist will provide second doses for at least 25,000 people next week, with thousands more set to receive them in the weeks following.

Providers recommend patients stick with the same location for both shots; each provider receives vaccines based on how many first shots theyve administered. They also note that patients should not mix-and-match the type of vaccine they receive  those who received a first dose of Pfizer should not switch to Moderna, and vice-versa.

Scheduling conflicts

As the global COVID-19 infection rate eclipsed 100 million cases on Tuesday, people are losing confidence theyll be fully vaccinated if they havent set up a time for a second appointment.

Some who received their first COVID-19 vaccines at Kroger and the Houston Health Department said they havent gotten any communication on when to come back for the second dose.

Kingwood residents Virginia and Richard Murray got their first shots at a Kroger pharmacy in Galveston in early January after their daughter, a pharmacy technician at the store, booked their appointments. The Murrays, who are both over 75, havent heard back on when or where to book their second.

We dont want to jump the gun and be afraid, Virginia Murray said. But what if that two-week time frame comes and goes?

Kroger did not respond to a request for comment.

However, the reports of shortages that have plagued other hospitals nationwide wont affect second doses, vaccine providers said.

We've been hyper disciplined about ensuring that we have adequate supply for the second dose, said Dr. James McCarthy, chief physician executive at Memorial Hermann.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Harris County to create COVID-19 vaccine wait list to handle massive demand

In its first batch of vaccinations, Memorial Hermann did not immediately assign return appointments, but that has been fixed, McCarthy said. The health system says it has the capacity to provide second doses within the three- to four-week period.

As of Jan. 20, the Houston Health Department expects to vaccinate the 28,000 people due for a second dose within the same timeframe, said Scott Packard, a department spokesperson.

We would prefer to schedule the second with the first but initially are unable to do so because of the flux with supply timelines and locations, Packard said.

Department staff will call everyone about second doses, and are urging the public not to call unless its 48 hours before the due date.

Lober, who got his vaccine from the Houston Health Department, has resigned himself to wait for the citys call to schedule his next appointment. He cant help but worry he will be only partially immunized against COVID-19 if he doesnt get a second shot.

If things are a total bust, then youve wasted hundreds of thousands of peoples efforts, he said.

gwendolyn.wu@chron.com

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Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at the opening session of the 13th Party Congress in Hanoi, January 26, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.

Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong Tuesday praised the role model performance that Vietnam can build on to become a developed nation by mid-21st century.

Addressing the opening session of the 13th Party Congress in Hanoi, Party General Secretary and State President Trong praised the countrys achievements in overcoming the socioeconomic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Society as a whole had contributed to overcoming difficulties and recording impressive achievements, he said.

While the global economy suffered a recession in 2020 and recorded negative growth rate of almost 4 percent because of the pandemic, Vietnam's GDP grew 2.91 percent. While the growth was the lowest in a decade, Vietnam remained one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

In achieving its dual goals of ensuring economic growth and containing Covid-19 Vietnam has been more than once been praised as a role model by the international community, he noted.

Trong said that the nations efforts in dealing with the aftermath of a series of floods and landslides, which lasted throughout last October in central Vietnam, were also noteworthy. Life had been brought back to normal in quick time for the residents, he said.

"Results achieved during the term of the 12th Party congress are of particular importance as they contribute to reinforcing trust and confidence, creating a momentum for the entire society to continue to overcome difficulties and challenges, and take advantage of favorable opportunities to take the country into a new period of development."

The Party leader said that in the 35 years since Doi Moi, the economic renovation policy adopted in 1986 that opened Vietnams economy to the world, the nation has recorded historically significant achievements. It had developed more strongly and comprehensively compared to the years before the policys introduction.

For that, Trong set the target for the nation to make efforts "to become a developed country by mid-21st century."

"With all humility, we can now say that our country has never had such fortune, potential international position and prestige as it does today," Trong said. This fact should be included in the draft document for the congress to discuss, and if possible, become a conclusion for the 13th congress, he added.

The 13th Party Congress has attracted the highest participation so far, with 1,587 delegates representing 5.1 million Party members from around the country.

The nine-day premier political event in the country will select new leadership for the Party, State and National Assembly for the next five years, besides finalizing socio-economic development policies for 2021-25 and orientations until 2030 with a vision towards 2045.
Overseas investment by domestic companies fell by over 42 per cent to $1.45 billion in December 2020, according to data from the Reserve Bank of India.



In the year-ago period, companies in India had invested $2.51 billion in their foreign firms (joint ventures or wholly-owned units).



In November 2020, the total outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) was of $1.06 billion  which was down by 27 per cent from a month-ago period.Of the total investment by the Indian companies during the month under review, $775.41 million was in the form of equity infusion and $382.91 million was in the form of loan.Investment of $287.63 million was in the form of issuance of guarantee, according to the RBI data.





Among major investors, ONGC Videsh, the international arm of ONGC, invested a total of $131.85 million in joint ventures and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Myanmar, Russia, Vietnam, Colombia, and British Virgin Islands, among others.



Ahmedabad-based Intas Pharmaceuticals invested $75.22 million in a wholly-owned subsidiary in the UK, and Tata Consultancy Services invested $27.77 million in a wholly-owned unit in Ireland.



In the December quarter, according to the RBI report, the maximum outward from India was done to the US, Mauritius, Singapore, and the UK, respectively.


WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2021) Twitter said in a statement it has launched a new feature called "Birdwatch" to allow users to fix misleading information that the company had to continuously label as such.

"We also want to broaden the range of voices that are part of tackling this problem, and we believe a community-driven approach can help," Twitter Product Vice President Keith Coleman said in the statement on Monday. "That's why today we're introducing Birdwatch, a pilot in the US of a new community-driven approach to help address misleading information on Twitter."

Coleman said Birdwatch allows people to identify information in Tweets they believe is misleading and write notes that provide informative context.

"We believe this approach has the potential to respond quickly when misleading information spreads, adding context that people trust and find valuable. Eventually we aim to make notes visible directly on Tweets for the global Twitter audience, when there is consensus from a broad and diverse set of contributors," he said.

Coleman pointed out that users came to Twitter to stay informed and they seek credible information.

"We apply labels and add context to Tweets, but we don't want to limit efforts to circumstances where something breaks our rules or receives widespread public attention," he said.

Coleman explained the corrected notes left by users will only be visible on a separate Birdwatch site and pilot participants could rate the helpfulness of the notes.

"These notes are being intentionally kept separate from Twitter for now, while we build Birdwatch and gain confidence that it produces context people find helpful and appropriate. Additionally, notes will not have an effect on the way people see Tweets or our system recommendations," he said.

As Twitter continues to develop algorithms that power Birdwatch - such as reputation and consensus systems - it aims to publish that code publicly in the Birdwatch Guide, Coleman said.

"We hope this will enable experts, researchers, and the public to analyze or audit Birdwatch, identifying opportunities or flaws that can help us more quickly build an effective community-driven solution," he added.
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Opinion Article

26 January 2021

Trying a new, seemingly complicated pose in a yoga practice is often terrifying. Fear of falling on our face in crow pose or perhaps just falling in front of other people oftentimes holds us back from reaching new goals. An outside view of the pose from a well-informed teacher will oftentimes help us find that nuance that makes all the difference.

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As Hospitality Revenue Leaders, it is our responsibility to champion a strategic culture that is innovative and brave. Undertaking new initiatives and sticking your neck out requires bravery.

RE-STRATEGIZE YOUR REVENUE DEPARTMENT'S MEETINGS

Now that a new perspective to your strategies has been incorporated, it is time to take a truly objective look at how we utilize our time in ongoing strategy meetings. Re-imagining our core meeting agendas is a true act of bravery. Finding our industry in a down cycle is a wonderful time to foster innovation and try new initiatives.

A great place to spark creativity is in Strategy Meetings :

Look outside your internal teams, hire a consultant who has no pre-conceived notions of "how" things should be to assist in re-vitalization Scrap your old agenda Change meeting location (perhaps outside the property) Change meeting to a different time of day, maybe first thing in the morning Add 2 nd tier management staff and line level employees to the discussion. These employees have a wonderful perspective as they have day to day contact with our guests and know firsthand what the guest's requests are. This could be Front Desk and Reservation Agents, Housekeepers, Food and Beverage Servers, etc. Assign a rotating "Challenger" whose role is to question EVERYTHING. Just like the perspective a good teacher can invoke, this Challenger, will help us notice the obvious, often overlooked issues. Lose the fear. Be bold and try new ideas!



Bravery always comes back to risk and being brave does not mean that there is lack of nervousness for the unknown. I always encourage my yoga students to try. In both yoga and revenue management, the point is that you show up and give your all.

So what if you fall? What if the pose only lasts for a moment before you lose it? Trying and failing helps us see what does not work and helps us fine tune the next try.

These same principles apply in Revenue Optimization strategies and tactics and it means that we trust that bold actions will forage new paths and revenue growth.

~Namaste
Chinese Officials Remarks on COVID-19 Proves the Authorities Concealed the Initial Outbreak

Commentary

During a press conference held by Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Jan. 19, spokesperson Hua Chunying refused to acknowledge the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she may have inadvertently exposed the fact that high-level officials were concealing information about the first outbreak of the CCP virus in Wuhan city late last year. Huas statements hit directly at the CCPs lies about the outbreak and embarrassed Party leader Xi Jinping.

A reporter from NHK asked: In its second report released on January 18, the WHO-led Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response said that WHO has been underpowered to do its job. It also said that public health measures could have been applied more forcefully by local and national health authorities in China in January 2020. Whats your comment?

Hua tried to shift the blame on the medical and health system. As President Xi said earlier, in view of the weaknesses and deficiencies exposed by COVID-19, we need to improve the governance system for public health security and to respond more quickly to public health emergencies, she said.

However, Huas argument which cited Wu Zunyou, a chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), had the opposite effect. She claimed, He [Wu Zunyou] said that between December 31, 2019 and January 1, 2020, when only about 40 cases were found, China made the decision to close the Huanan seafood market in just a few hours.

This should have been the first official acknowledgement of the problem by the CCP. Hua said on Dec. 31, 2019, around 40 COVID-19 cases were confirmed, which proved the existence of human-to-human transmission. Instead of disclosing this information to the Chinese people in the mainland and the outside world, the CCP decided to conceal the facts and divert attention to the Huanan seafood market, using it as a scapegoat. However, subsequent cases repeatedly confirmed that the CCP virus outbreak had nothing to do with the seafood market.

The so-called weaknesses and deficiencies of the medical and health system are not the real problems. At that time, the hospital in Wuhan had already reported numerous cases of patients with pneumonia-like illness, and the CCPs National Health Commission also sent experts to investigate the situation. Why did it fail to declare a public health emergency response right then? The reason is the medical system does not have the right to make such a decision.

Furthermore, after Wuhan was locked down, former mayor Zhou Xianwang made a special appearance on CCTV, saying that he must be authorized by the central government to report the cases. This decision needs approval from the top tier of the CCP.

During a meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee on Jan. 7, Xi Jinping stated that he personally gave instructions to declare a public health emergency; and yet, state-run media reports on the meeting did not mention it at all.

The Chinese regime tried to silence doctors, such as Dr. Li Wenliang, who first exposed the CCP virus outbreak in Wuhan. Even the original virus sample data was destroyed. Now the WHO claims that it may never be able to find patient zero. The CCP is firmly against politicizing the issue of origin-tracing, Hua said in response to the NHK reporters question.

Hua also said, It took a little over three weeks from the detection of the outbreak to the lockdown of Wuhan, when there were only around 500 cases reported.

The CCP should have made an official announcement before the lockdown of Wuhan because the outbreak involved at least 500 cases. She still referred to the 500 cases as only. During this period, the CCP denied human-to-human transmission, and the Hubei Provincial Peoples Congress held meetings as usual, in which some people wore masks. It can be seen that they knew there was a major problem. However, more than 40,000 families were not prevented from attending the Chinese New Year banquet in the Baibuting community of Wuhan.

The CCPs senior leaders highly politicized a public health emergency and deliberately concealed the epidemic, which caused COVID-19 to get out of control and become a worldwide public health emergency.

The revelations in Huas denial not only failed to absolve Xi Jinping of any responsibility, but also embarrassed him. By repeatedly saying only to refer to the number of COVID-19 cases, Huas statements reveal the CCPs disregard for the victims. To prevent similar disasters from happening again, the Chinese people and the international community must realize that the CCP is like a political virus that endangers the world.

Zhong Yuan is a researcher focused on Chinas political system, the countrys democratization process, human rights situation, and Chinese citizens livelihood.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Ukraine cuts agri-exports to EU in 2020

China, the U.S. and Brazil surpass Ukraine in supplies of agricultural products to the EU.

Reporting by UNIAN

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New Delhi:

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday conveyed his greetings on the occasion of Eid in a video message and said he hope that the festival will help in bringing peace, understanding, brotherhood and happiness in Kashmir.



Kashmir has been witnessing unrest for nearly a year. Singh conveyed his Eid greetings to all Kashmiri brothers, sisters, youth, seniors and children from the bottom of his heart.



I am fully confident that this festival of goodness and humanity will help in bringing peace, understanding, brotherhood and happiness in Kashmir Valley and pave the way for a new dawn there, he said.



Kashmir Valley had witnessed long spell of violence after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016. Massive violence was again witnessed during the April 9 bypoll to the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.



Since April, militants have killed several security personnel while a deputy superintendent of police was lynched by a mob in Srinagar three days ago.

ALSO READ | GST will turn out to be game changer for India: Rajnath Singh



In a separate message, the home minister, extended his greetings and good wishes to the people of the whole country.



My greetings and good wishes to people on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. May this festival strengthens bonds of peace and amity in the society, he said in a tweet.



Singh also conveyed greetings to everyone on the occasion of Rath Yatra. May Lord Jagannath shower joy, peace and prosperity in everyones lives, he said in another tweet.

ALSO READ | Eid-ul-Fitr: Stone pelting, clashes reported even as Kashmiris throng to mosques, eidgahs to celebrate festival



(With inputs from PTI)

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  An attorney for Macs Public House is calling the New York City Sheriff a liar and says he should resign after what the Grant City bars owners and lawyers allege are unprofessional actions carried out by his officers in the Dec. 6 arrest of co-owner Daniel Presti.

The statements came days after a grand jury of Staten Island residents declined to indict Presti on felony counts of assault and reckless endangerment stemming from the incident in which he allegedly drove into a Sheriffs Office deputy while trying to flee an arrest for defying city and state coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.

Video surveillance showed the defendant being chased from behind, then ultimately accelerating into an officer who was clinging to the hood.

Presti and his attorneys shared a different story Monday.

What happened that night was I was chased down in the middle of the night on a dark street by people who did not identify themselves, he said. In no way would I ever intentionally harm anyone in law enforcement.

The Sheriffs Office maintained Monday that the officers did, in fact, identify themselves as police and ordered Presti to stop  both while Presti headed toward his vehicle and while the officer was clinging to the hood of the vehicle.

According to the criminal complaint filed by prosecutors, the defendant made two left turns onto Lincoln and North Railroad avenues with the deputy sheriff on the hood.

Lets be very clear, Mr. Presti is not the victim here, the injured deputy sheriff is, said New York City Sheriff Joseph Fucito on Monday. The multiple evidence videos submitted to the grand jury clearly showed deadly physical force was deployed against a uniformed deputy sheriff for carrying out his duty.

The incident was preceded by protests at the bar against city- and state-mandated regulations as part of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had deemed an effective way to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday criticized the grand jurys decision, saying he believed Presti should have been indicted on the felony assault charge.

A BIG LIE

Fonte  who was joined Monday by the bars two owners and other local political activists  called Fucito a liar in reference to him initially telling the Advance/SILive.com that the deputy had sustained two broken tibias.

Medical records were since turned over to the defense by prosecutors showing the officers didnt suffer any broken bones, Fonte said.

Fucito said Monday that the sergeants injuries were misdiagnosed by an emergency room physician, but the officer did sustain injuries from which hes still recovering.

Sergeant Matos is still out of work on medical leave from the injuries he sustained from Mr. Prestis vehicular assault, Fucito said. [Hes] the victim of a crime, an assault using deadly physical force, and his attacker calling for anyones resignation is genuinely absurd.

39 Staten Island rally against coronavirus restrictions at Macs Public House

CLAIMS OF A BIAS COURT SYSTEM

In a written statement issued Monday by Fucito, he said the grand jurys dismissal of a charge for allegedly assaulting an officer is unusual when compared with similar, past cases.

The evidence was of equal or greater caliber than other similar deadly assaults where criminal indictments were obtained, Fucito said.

Following Prestis arrest in December, court records showed the Richmond County District Attorneys Office consented Presti should be released on his own recognizance. The arraignment judge agreed, and Presti was in attendance at a press conference the next day outside the bar.

Public defenders with the citys Legal Aid Society took issue with the fact that no bail was issued, saying in a statement the move was another example of a disparate legal system that benefits white New Yorkers with means over Black and brown New Yorkers.

Legal Aid clients who face similar or even lesser charges are almost guaranteed to face extortionate bail and pretrial incarceration at Rikers Island or another city jail, especially when a member of law enforcement alleges bodily harm, they said.

The owners and their legal team were asked Monday about those assertions, echoed by dozens of Staten Island residents in recent weeks on social media and on SILive.com.

Keith McAlarney, Prestis business partner, said this specific issue is different, saying its not a Black and white issue, but an American issue.

Not in regard to this, he said. Thats being put out by you guys in the media.

10 Macs Public House press conference following grand jury decision

While the grand jury declined to indict on the assault charges, they did indict Presti on lesser charges related to his business remaining open against city and state regulations, including the unlicensed sale of alcohol.

District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said in a recent statement that he plans to pursue those charges.

I can assure Staten Islanders that we do intend to pursue those charges, and will seek to hold this defendant accountable under the law.

He went on to say: Acts of violence against these officers is not something we take lightly, and my thoughts and prayers continue to be with the deputy sheriff.

ARGUMENT TO STAY OPEN

In the hours prior to the arrest, undercover Sheriffs Office deputies who entered the establishment reported several patrons socializing indoors without masks.

Presti said on Monday that he wasnt ever worried about anyone contracting the virus, based in part on the cleaning protocols and temperature checks in place. Because were safe here and we know how to be safe, he said Monday.

McAlarney cited statements by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in December that restaurants and bars accounted for 1.43% of COVID-19 cases recorded between September through the end of November, according to contact tracing data.

A spokesman for Cuomos office replied Monday, citing a report in September from the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention stating that there was a higher risk of contracting the virus at bars. And the fact that that number is so low in New York can at least partially be attributed to the safety protocols mandated by the state government.

The spokesman also said that at the time Macs was ordered to stop its indoor dining, city health officials were reporting a higher death and infection rate on Staten Island compared to other New York City boroughs.

At the time of the protests outside Macs, the bars supporters argued that point, saying it didnt make sense that bars and restaurants within a few miles could remain open due to different levels of restrictions.

But were gonna shut you down, McAlarney said Monday, insinuating his bar was unfairly targeted by city and state officials.
Foreign poacher receives 4 years in prison for assault on Russian border guards

 flickr.com/ allochka22ru

12:04 26/01/2021

MOSCOW, January 26 (RAPSI)  A court in Nakhodka, a town in the Primorsky Krai, has passed a four-year prison sentence upon a foreign poacher for assault on Russian boundary officers in the Sea of Japan, the press service of the Prosecutor Generals Office reports.

The sailor has been found guilty of using force against a representative of authority.

In September 2019, boundary officers of the Federal Security Services (FSB) Primorsky Krai Directorate patrolling the Sea of Japan found a poaching foreignfishing vessel, reportedly under the North Korean flag. Eighteen foreign sailors actively resisted during the vehicle check that resulted in personal injuries of four officers out of eleven, including a gunshot wound of one of them, the Investigative Committee reported earlier.

In July 2020, the court convicted one more defendant and imprisoned him for fourt years as well.
Israeli Minister of Intelligence Eli Cohen became the first Israeli government minister ever to visit Sudan on Monday.

Driving the news: Cohen met in Khartoum with the head of Sudan's governing council, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, as well as Sudan's minister of defense and intelligence chief. The meeting comes three months after a U.S.-brokered normalization deal between Israel and Sudan.

During the visit, Cohen and the Sudanese officials discussed plans to cancel a 1958 boycott law which bans Sudanese nationals from traveling to Israel, trading with Israel, or engaging in any contacts with Israeli entities.

Flashback: Secret meetings between Sudanese and Israeli ministers took place in the 1950's and the 1980's, as well as last year, but never in Sudan itself.

Background: Under the U.S.-Sudan-Israel deal, the Trump administration removed Sudan from the state sponsors of terrorism list and provided a large aid package.

The Trump administration wanted to organize a trilateral signing ceremony in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, but COVID-19 restrictions and tensions on the Sudanese-Ethiopian border made that impossible.

Instead, then-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin traveled to Khartoum and signed the Abraham Accords declaration  the same declaration signed by the UAE and Bahrain as part of their deals with Israel  with the Sudanese minister of justice.

Whats next: The deputy commander of U.S. Africa Command will visit Khartoum on Tuesday and meet with Burhan and other senior official to discuss military and counterterrorism cooperation.
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Despite the negative impact of COVID-19 on the economy in 2020, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) registered more locally made products than in 2019.



In 2020, the Authority registered 14,690 products out of which 5,186 were locally produced as against 12,152 products registered in 2019 with only 2,717 made locally.



Mrs Delase A.A. Darko, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FDA, who made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, said, generally, the FDA registered more products in all categories last year than in 2019.



The products comprised medical devices, foods, drugs and nutraceuticals, cosmetics and household chemicals, herbal products and food supplements.



The number of registered medical devices like syringes, sanitary pads and diapers, and examination gloves increased largely from 349 in 2019 to 1,550 in 2020, she said.



In 2019, the FDA did not register any local medical devices but in 2020, 344 out of the 1,550 registered were made in Ghana. These were mostly nose masks as no locally-made nose masks were available before 2020, she said.



Mrs Darko said the pandemic had boosted the local manufacturing industry and the economy, with a lot of small businesses starting up last year.



She said before 2020, the Authority had registered only 19 hand sanitizers in Ghana but presently there were over 1,200 registered ones on the markets, all made locally.



We also registered some 10 locally made Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in 2019..Nothing was coming in from China because of the travel ban, so we innovated, we got the standards and they manufactured, the CEO said.



Mrs Darko said last year a lot of liquid soaps and herbal medicines were manufactured and although a number of food supplements were imported, more zinc and vitamin C supplements were produced locally.



In the food category, the Authority registered 6,946 products in 2019, out of which 1,513 were locally made, whilst in 2020 it registered 7,538 products out of which 2,456 were produced here.



Mr Darko said the registration of more local products at the start of the pandemic was an indication that, when put to the task, the local industries could be more effective.



The FDA, in its bid to help more indigenous industries to grow, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) earlier last year, which contributed to the certification of more products.



It also made history that year by giving approval and license to the first ever group of disabled persons from the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations to produce fruit juice.

Mrs Darko said the Ghanaian industry must be supported to be vibrant and compete with foreign products on the markets.



At the time when the foreign products were not coming in, the local industry realised that there was a place for them and that inspired them to come up with amazing products, she said.

Mrs Darko said in spite of the progress made, some local manufactures were unable to register their products due to laboratory analysis failure.



Some of the products did not also have the date marking for expiry, while others had no English labels and ingredients contained in the products.



Other challenges that disqualified the registration of products included inadequate documentation, lack of evidence to support therapeutic claims, lack of restricted part of drug master file in application and producers inability to justify control of impurities.

Source: GNA









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Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on Aircraft Lighting Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Aircraft Lighting Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and world Aircraft Lighting Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of international Aircraft Lighting Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the Aircraft Lighting Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.4% over the period of forecast.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints & Opportunity of the Market:

Aircraft lighting system provides lighting for both exterior & interior use of the aircraft. Lights on exterior used to provide illumination for operations like landing during night hours, inspection of the icing conditions, & safety from the mid-air collision. Interior lighting used to provide illumination for the instruments, cockpit, cabin, and other sections which are being occupied by the crewmembers & the passengers. Certain special types of lights, like indicator and warning lights, used to indicate the operational status of the equipment. According to the Airbus, the total number of aircraft which were being ordered from Airbus increased by an approximate percentage of 90.8%, during the tenure 2010 to 2017. According to the CAPA fleet database, both the Airbus & Boeing are anticipated to relish double-digit growth in terms of number of aircrafts delivered in the year 2018, with a total 857 & 848 for the Boeing & the Airbus. This growth factor is estimated to increase market demand for aircraft lighting market, for better navigation. With the surge in total number count of aircraft orders, the overall rise in demand for the LED cabin & compartment for the business jets is anticipated to bolster the markets growth. Producers are gradually adopting these particular type of LED products, as they used to reduce the maintenance cost by up to a 70 percent. Companies, like the Rockwell Collins, have also teamed up with Comlux, for the purpose of providing the interior lighting for the cabin solution for VIP aircraft, to influence the opportunity of growing aircraft travelers.

Request for Report Sample: https://datainsightspartner.com/request-for-sample?ref=20

Geographically, Aircraft Lighting Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and South America. North Americas very robust financial position allows it to invest profoundly in advanced solutions and technologies, thus offering regional organizations very competitive edge, in the aircraft lighting market. Asia Pacific is estimated to be fastest-growing market during forecast period. The market growth is mainly due to the increase in the passenger traffic for the air travel in the emerging nations like India & China & rise in the commercial aircraft manufacturer in this region. As per the Aviation Weeks MRO, India is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR with respect to aircraft fleet growth till the year 2027. In India the market demand for aftermarket industry is expected to be around USD 23 Billion. As per Indian government approximation, about 90% of the MRO for the Indian airlines is being outsourced to the other countries, due to the fact Indian airlines have currently set a goal to complete 90% of their MRO work to be done within India.

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the Aircraft Lighting Market has been segmented by the light type, aircraft type, by fit, by platform, by system & region. In terms of the light type, Aircraft Lighting Market has been segregated into interior light and exterior light. In terms of aircraft type the market has been segmented by three types those are commercial aviation, military and business aviation. In terms of fit the market has been segmented by OEM, aftermarket and MRO. By system the market has been segmented by Passenger Service Unit and Cockpit Control Unit. By platform it is been segmented by two categories those are fixed wing and rotary wing.

Based on the lights, aircraft lighting market has been segregated into interior & exterior. Interior segment is anticipated to grow at highest rate due to the growing aircraft orders for the commercial aircraft & increasing focus on the customer experience by the airlines. Based on the aircraft type, the market has been segregated into three categories commercial, military & general aviation. Commercial aviation section is projected to lead aircraft lighting market in 2019, & is estimated to continue to be market leader during forecast period.

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as Zodiac Aerospace ,United Technologies, Diehl Stiftung & Co. KG, Rockwell Collins, & Astronics among others. Major strategies that are being undertaken by the various companies which include things like new product development and contract.

Report Highlights:

In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, IGR-Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2017-2027. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players.

Get Request for Table of Contents: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/aircraft-lighting-market/20#content

Salient Features:

 This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Aircraft Lighting Marketg, size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2019  2027, taking into account 2017 as the base year

 It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market

 This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, launch of new products, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook

 Profiling of key market players in the world Aircraft Lighting Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview

 Leading market players covered this report comprise names such as Zodiac Aerospace ,United Technologies, Diehl Stiftung & Co. KG, Rockwell Collins, & Astronics among others.

 The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of products, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation

 The world market for Aircraft Lighting Market caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, product manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Aircraft Lighting Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

 Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports

 Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation

 Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion

Reasons to buy:

v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Aircraft Lighting Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Aircraft Lighting Market Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data

v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential

v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events

v Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects

Full View of Report Description: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/aircraft-lighting-market/20
The Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
(Newser)  President Biden's team is falling into place. The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Antony Blinken as Americas top diplomat, per the AP. As secretary of state, Blinken will be tasked with carrying out Bidens commitment to reverse the Trump administrations America First doctrine that weakened international alliances. Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nations 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo. The position is the most senior Cabinet position, with the secretary fourth in the line of presidential succession. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. He has pledged to be a leading force in the administrations bid to reframe the US relationship with the rest of the world.

story continues below

Blinken vowed at his confirmation hearing that the Biden administration would approach the world with both humility and confidence, saying, We have a great deal of work to do at home to enhance our standing abroad. Despite promising renewed American leadership and an emphasis on shoring up strained ties with allies in Europe and Asia, Blinken told lawmakers that he agreed with many of Trumps foreign policy initiatives. He backed the so-called Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states, as well as a tough stance on China over human rights and its assertiveness in the South China Sea. He did, however, signal that the Biden administration is interested in bringing Iran back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal from which Trump withdrew in 2018. (Also, Blinken is a rocker.)

(Read more Antony Blinken stories.)



Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 11:36:05|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China and New Zealand on Tuesday signed a protocol on upgrading their 12-year-old free trade agreement (FTA), which is expected to bring more benefits to the peoples of the two countries.

Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and his New Zealand counterpart signed the protocol via video link.

In 2008, China signed an FTA with New Zealand, the first FTA between China and a developed country.

On the basis of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China will further expand its opening-up in sectors including aviation, education, finance, elderly care, and passenger transport to New Zealand. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 17:09:32|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on May 10, 2018 shows the view of Auckland, New Zealand. Auckland, with a population of around 1.5 million, is a metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

On the basis of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China will further expand its opening-up in sectors including aviation, education, finance, elderly care, and passenger transport to New Zealand to boost the trade of services.

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China and New Zealand on Tuesday signed a protocol on upgrading their 12-year-old free trade agreement (FTA), which is expected to bring more benefits to the peoples of the two countries.

Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and his New Zealand counterpart signed the protocol via video link.

In 2008, China signed an FTA with New Zealand, the first FTA between China and a developed country. The two sides announced the conclusion of their three-year negotiations on the upgrade in November 2019.

On the basis of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China will further expand its opening-up in sectors including aviation, education, finance, elderly care, and passenger transport to New Zealand to boost the trade of services.

For the trade of goods, the upgraded FTA will see both countries open their markets for certain wood and paper products and optimize trade rules such as rules of origin, technical barriers to trade and customs facilitation, China's Ministry of Commerce said in an online statement.

New Zealand will lower its threshold for reviewing Chinese investment, allowing it to receive the same review treatment as members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The two sides have also pledged to strengthen cooperation in the fields of e-commerce, competition policy, government procurement, the environment and trade.

The signature of the protocol is a concrete action in China's practice of multilateralism and the construction of an open world economy, and marks an important step in implementing the FTA upgrade strategy, Wang said.

The two sides will promptly implement relevant domestic procedures so that the upgraded FTA can be operational as soon as possible, said the commerce ministry. 
SPRINGFIELD  Jim Heiple was one of the brightest people Ive ever met who said some of the politically dumbest things Ive ever heard.

The former Illinois Supreme Court Justice from Pekin died last week at age 87.

As I journalist, I always liked to talk to Heiple because he said whatever crossed his mind. He was brilliant but lacked the filter that most successful people in public life develop.

One time, the two of us were wandering through the Supreme Court building and he remarked that the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials should never have taken place. Why? Well, his contention was that the Nazi leaders didnt break the law.

Sure, the Holocaust was morally reprehensible but the Third Reich had no law prohibiting genocide. So, he contended the men hung at Nuremberg by the Allies were convicted of crimes that didnt exist at the time they were committed.

Its an interesting academic argument. But most politicians are savvy enough when they mention Nazis to follow it with something like, may they rot in hell forever.

Not Jim Heiple.

When my Dad considered the law, it was not based on what the outcome should be, only on what the proper application of the law was, his son, Jonathan, a Peoria lawyer told me Monday.

Heiple was a judge for 30 years on all three levels of the Illinois judiciary. He left the states top court 20 years ago. His opinions were razor sharp and his legal sparring partners occasionally bore scars.

And he had some self-inflicted scars of his own. He resigned as chief justice, but not from the court itself, when legislative committee looked into his behavior during police traffic stops.

He did things like not roll down his window when he got pulled over and drive away when the officer walked back to his police car, said Retired Justice Ben Miller, who served on the court with Heiple.

I remember visiting Heiple in the living quarters above the courtroom. As we stood before a dinner table, he explained that the jurists sat at the table in the order of their seniority.

When I was chief justice, I sat at the head of the table but I had to give that up, so now I have to sit over there, he said a bit wistfully as he pointed to an empty chair further down the table.

Heiple is best known for his decision in the Baby Richard and Baby Joe cases.

The child known as Baby Richard was removed in 1995 from the home of his adoptive parents and transferred to his biological parents. In the opinion written by Heiple, the high court ruled the boys biological father was entitled to custody because the boys mother had lied to him, telling him the child died at birth.

Following this decision, Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene launched a journalism crusade against Heiple, authoring more than 50 columns critical of his handling of the case. Chicago anchorman Walter Jacobson called him evil and dangerous, broadcast Heiples home phone number and asked viewers to call and say, We beg you, your honor Judge Heiple, please stop destroying the lives of children..

That was a particularly hard time for my father, Jonathan Heiple said. Our mother was dying and he was home caring for her.

Heiple told the Chicago Tribune he had no regrets about that opinion. We dont decide cases on the basis of feeling sorry for somebody. We decide cases on the basis of the law and the evidence.

In the Baby Joe case, a loving foster family, Craig and Karyl Findley, were rearing the 2-year-old who they hoped to adopt.

Instead, Heiple ordered the child returned to his previous family saying they shouldnt be denied the opportunity to rear the child because they werent picture perfect.

But Joes court-ordered parents divorced and his adoptive father was charged with beating his mother, and he allegedly exposed the boy to pornography. At age 8, Joe was charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault against his adoptive younger sister. The boy pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was placed in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services.

Craig Findley, a kind and decent man who Ive known for decades, told me Sunday, Heiple never understood that he should rule in the best interest of the child.

Appellate Justice William Holdridge was a close friend of Heiple, and described him as a brilliant renaissance man who loved to learn and hated school.

Jim viewed the law as a trade. He wasnt particularly impressed with someone who had a degree from Harvard or Yale. He was more impressed by what they knew and what they could do, he said. A lot of people graduate from law school and dont even know how to file a deed.

In 1956, Heiple was kicked out of Indiana Universitys law school after punching out a classmates two front teeth and fracturing his jaw. He later obtained a law degree at the University of Louisville.

Jim did not like bullies and he would stand up to them, Holdridge said.

Holdridge said of his friend, I used to say he missed the course in salesmanship. He just said whatever he was thinking.

Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse journalist and a freelance reporter. ScottReeder1965@gmail.com
'The present laws are designed for the upper caste, male farmers with large land holdings with access to irrigation. Reforms must factor in the concerns of marginalised farmers,' she says

The urban idea of the farmer has lent uniformity to the conception of the rural life and economy, owing to which the Indian farmer is imagined as a monolith. Two months after the Central government framed its farm laws that alter the mandi and MSP dynamics, farmers marched to Delhi in protest. On 4 January, after two months of protests, police clashes and some unsuccessful attempts at a truce, a neighbourhood of resistance has come up at the capital's Singhu border.

Kavitha Karuganti, founder and convenor of Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA), a pan-Indian alliance of over 400 organisations, is experiencing the protest from close quarters. One misconception she feels the need to clear is that farmers aren't anti-reform, but a central top-down reform doesnt do justice to economic and cultural diversity of agrarian life. Over the last decade, the process of adoption of macro-economic policies at the central level has been a subject of scrutiny albeit in limited bookish circles.

Agriculture is a state subject but when the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution, the Centre can introduce a farm law. The same method was followed in the passing of the UPA's Agriculture Produce Marketing Act, 2003, which mandated that purchases of certain agricultural commodities occur through government-regulated markets (mandis) with the payment of designated commissions and marketing fees. Over the years, the Act turned out to be counterproductive, as the lack of supportive institutional mechanisms and infrastructural facilities left farmers dependent on middlemen for critical services such as finance, information and sale of commodities.

Several states adopted key areas of reforms, most of the states in fact diluted its provisions. Most APMCs devised unsustainable ways of increasing revenue, some by expanding the schedule of commodities and some by adding profitable products that werent grown in the state. Hence, the need for a new law arose. But now, the larger question is, will a new national law falter the same way the first one did, by ignoring the economic and cultural variations within the agrarian economy?

In an interview, Kuruganti spoke about the scope of dialogue between the farmers and the Union government, the lines of diminishing diversities and homogenisation of cultures and conditions. Edited excerpts follow:

Do you think the talks will reach a logical conclusion sometime soon?

The only logical conclusion is that the government repeals the laws. There is lack of empirical evidence to show that without these laws, farmers wont benefit or that reform wont happen. Reforms have been taking place on ground without Central laws. (The Karnataka Agricultural Marketing Policy of 2013 was accompanied by a new legal framework through an amendment of the APMC Rules  a crucial institutional innovation in the form a Special Purpose Vehicle  the Rashtriya e-Market Services Private Limited (ReMS) that was established in 2014 as a joint venture between the Government of Karnataka and the NCDEX e-Markets Limited. This implementing agency worked autonomously, even while being organically linked to the state government and sought to combine the decision-making of the private sector with the state governments umbrella of accountability).

If both parties are adamant, how will a middle-ground be reached?

We have often heard that farmers are adamant. It should be remembered that the first meeting with ministers took place on 13 November last year and the farmer unions that met them, vacated railway tracks without receiving anything from the government in return. (Bharatiya Kisan Union president Balbir Singh Rajewal had then said that a decision on such an important matter cannot be taken in one just meeting and that Narendra Singh Tomar had listened to their issues). One point that needs to be made is that the talks will not break down. Even the last time, we waited for three hours for the government teams to come back to us and the farmers felt insulted after having come from miles away to converse with the government. The governments have noticed the protests after two months when the farmers landed up in Delhi.

Are the farmers against reforms? Arent agrarian reforms necessary in a changing socio-economic climate?

The government can project itself as a pro-reform government without Central legislation having to be ramped up. If they dip into Bharatiyata, then why import wholesale notions of reforms embedded in a macro-economic framework of liberation from the West? Reform should be ground-up, about economic viability, social equity and farmers household sustainability.

What solution do you imagine instead of the present ones?

The present laws are designed for the upper caste, male farmers with large land holdings with access to irrigation. Reforms must factor in the concerns of marginalised farmers who are invisible  whether Dalit farmers or women farmers. (Along with regional and demographic diversity is gender diversity. The mandis have a factor of proximity in them and offer women safety. Women wings of farmer unions in the protest have raised this issue). Even if I subscribe to your notion of growth, itll only come if you put purchasing power in the hands of rural India. Instead of blindly aping concepts from the West, indigenous diversity in this civilisation must be explored. (The experience of national policies are drastically different for farmers on the margins, in tribal areas untouched by modern technologies. While deep-water lands face periodic flooding, droughts go unreported in remote areas away from the media attention and political unions).

How has urban Indias reading of the protests been?

I want to repeat when Rakesh Tikait said to the media, while bringing a rural Indian idiom to the debate. He said we have patience and hope, we sow seeds and wait but we dont stop farming. In India, farmers wait out 10 droughts for a monsoon year and that hope and patience is part of a particular approach to rural life that is now getting reflected in these protests. If we are talking about Indian agriculture and markets being diverse, we shouldnt have a uniform paradigm. We dont need one nation, one market but one nation, one price.
Brood X is here

Numerous cicadas and their exoskeletons can be found at Antietam National Cemetery and the nearby battlefield.


AstraZeneca vaccine (Image: Reuters)

The European Union is pressuring the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to deliver more coronavirus vaccine doses to its 27 nations and to stick to its initial promises once the jab gets EU approval, especially since the bloc has already invested in enhancing production capacity.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held urgent talks Monday with company chief Pascal Soriot, and EU nations are also meeting with AstraZeneca to encourage the British-Swedish company to ramp up its vaccine production and meet its contractual targets.

Saudi Arabia to get AstraZeneca shots in about a week from India

The EU, with the economic and political clout of the biggest trading bloc in the world, is lagging badly behind countries like Israel and Britain in the rollout of vaccines for its most vulnerable population and health care workers. The bloc's leaders have faced strong criticism for moving so slowly.

The European Medicines Agency is scheduled to review the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on Friday and its approval is hotly anticipated. The AstraZeneca vaccine is already being used in Britain and has been approved for emergency use by half a dozen countries, including India, Pakistan, Argentina and Mexico.

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

AstraZeneca's announcement that it will deliver fewer vaccines to the EU early on has only increased pressure on the 27-nation bloc, especially since Pfizer-BioNTech, the first vaccine to get EU approval, failed last week to keep up its promised deliveries to the EU. Pfizer has temporarily reduced vaccine deliveries to the EU and Canada as it revamps its plant in Belgium to increase overall production. Italy has threatened to sue Pfizer for the delays.

The political pressure spurred the EU's executive Commission into action Monday, with von der Leyen's phone call to the AstraZeneca chief.

She made it clear that she expects AstraZeneca to deliver on the contractual arrangements foreseen in the advance purchasing agreement," said her spokesman Eric Mamer.

She reminded Mr. Soriot that the EU has invested significant amounts in the company up front precisely to ensure that production is ramped up even before the conditional market authorization is delivered by the European Medicines Agency."

Of course, production issues can appear with the complex vaccine, but we expect the company to find solutions and to exploit all possible flexibilities to deliver swiftly."

The delays will be make it harder to meet early targets in EU's goal of vaccinating 70% of its adult population by late summer.

EU Council President Charles Michel said the EU already pounded our fist on the table with Pfizer last week to ensure that the delays end by the end of this week.

The EU has signed six vaccine contracts for more than 2 billion doses, but only the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been approved for use so far.
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Alexandria, Va., Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With many states struggling to immunize senior citizens and other vulnerable populations against COVID-19, two leading pharmacy groups today called on the nations governors to enlist independent long-term care pharmacies that know their communities best and can swing into action quickly.

Independent long-term care pharmacists have the experience, specialized knowledge, and, most importantly, the relationships to bring the vaccine to the people who need it most, said Chad Worz, PharmD, BCGP, and Chief Executive of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, whose members specialize in long-term care. Many states are struggling to serve long-term care populations. We are urging governors to take advantage of the independent long-term care pharmacists who are ready to vaccinate and are already serving these populations for their medication needs.

Worz was joined by B. Douglas Hoey, CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association, which represents more than 21,000 independent pharmacies, including many who specialize in long-term care.

The states that are most effective right now are states that have engaged community pharmacies in their vaccine programs, said Hoey. We need to immunize tens of millions of seniors, and we need to do it quickly. Its too much to expect just two chain pharmacies to meet that challenge, no matter how big they are. Unlike the chains, many community pharmacists dont have a learning curve when it comes to serving these populations. Theyve been doing it for decades, and they should be doing it now in every state.

Worz and Hoey sent a joint letter today to the National Governors Association, urging its members to deploy their existing state network of long-term care pharmacies and pharmacists to successfully vaccinate their LTC population.

The federal government contracted with CVS and Walgreens to handle vaccine distribution in long-term care facilities. That effort has been bumpy according to numerous public reports. But there is an alternative, say Worz and Hoey, which is to use the new Federal Transfer Program and allocate vaccines to independent pharmacies.

By requesting a transfer, states will be able to deploy all existing local and LTC pharmacies that have signed up with the CDC, which is critical to ensuring vaccine access in rural, isolated, and smaller skilled nursing facilities (SNF), assisted living facilities (ALF), and congregate care environments, they say in their letter. Currently, the large national pharmacy chains (CVS, Walgreens) have vaccinated a critical mass of larger SNFs, but there are still thousands of federally governed SNFs and close to 37,800 state run ALFs that require inoculations. By states engaging in the LTC jurisdiction transfer process, states will be able to utilize the pharmacists already in these care environments to vaccinate residents and patients.

For obvious reasons, long-term care residents are among the first Americans eligible for the vaccine. Whether and when the rest of the country can be vaccinated depends on immunizing this population as quickly as possible.

This is critical to vulnerable populations, but its also critical for the economy, said Hoey. We cant get back to normal until most Americans are vaccinated.

For more information about ASCP, please visit www.ascp.com. For more information about NCPA, please visit www.ncpa.org.

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Three brave men had to rescue a male deer after it got its antlers stuck in a string of Christmas tree lights.

Footage shows the confused stag being tranquillised before the group dare to get close enough to free it from its trappings.

The video was captured in the town of Villetta Barrea, in the National Park of Abruzzo, Italy.

A confused stag had to be tranquillised after getting its antlers caught in Christmas tree lights in the town of Villetta Barrea in the National Park of Abruzzo, Italy

In the clip, taken by local Maria Spina, the adult deer is seen shaking his head as he tries to free himself from the string lights that got tangled around his antlers.

The string lights were the decorations on a Christmas tree in a square in the town centre.

Thankfully for the animal, a group of men, including vet Leonardo and park guard Massimo, were able to sedate him and free him from the strings.

Maria said: 'A male deer got itself trapped in the fir tree in Villetta Barrea's square right in the middle of the city.

Thankfully for the animal, a group of men, including vet Leonardo and park guard Massimo, were able to sedate him and free him from the strings

'The park guards immediately arrived and with the help of the doctor, Leonardo the park vet managed to put him to sleep.

'They were then able to free him, and made sure he was awake and well so that wolves couldnt easily chase him down.

'We watched over him as he walked off into the woods.'
(Newser)  Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler pepper-sprayed a man in the eyes as he was accosted near a restaurant for the second time in a month on Sunday, according to a police report. Wheeler had just finished having dinner with former Mayor Sam Adamswho is rumored to be joining Wheeler's administrationwhen an unmasked man confronted them outside a pub around 8pm, accusing Wheeler of dining without a mask, the report reads, per the Oregonian. Wheeler explained he'd dined in a tented section of the pub where face coverings weren't required but the man would not "back off," the mayor told police, per Oregon Public Broadcasting. "He had no face mask on and got within a foot or two of my face while he was videoing me," Wheeler added. "I became imminently concerned for my personal safety, as I had recently been physically accosted in a similar situation."

story continues below

Wheeler claimed a left-wing activist hit him while he dined at another Portland restaurant on Jan. 6, though he chose not to press charges, per the Oregonian. That incident came after protesters set fires inside Wheeler's condo building in August. The report released Monday said the man, who appeared to be in his 40s, "remained at close distance" as the mayor walked to his car. Wheeler warned he had pepper spray and would use it, then did so, spraying the man in the eyes, the report reads. "He seemed surprised" and "made a comment like 'I can't believe you just pepper sprayed me,'" Wheeler said, per KOIN. He added he gave the man a bottle of water so he could rinse his face. "The mayor is cooperating with the police investigation and encourages others involved to do the same," a rep says. OPB notes a person can be charged for "recklessly" discharging pepper spray against someone else. (Read more Portland, Oregon stories.)
On Sunday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was walking outside a craft brewery on the Oregon city's southwest side when a man walked up to him and shouted, "Thanks for ruining the city!"

Moments later, the Democratic mayor blasted the man in the eyes with pepper spray.

"Oh my God!" the man cried in an audio recording of the encounter published by the Willamette Week. "Wow... I can't see. The mayor has just thrown something at me."

The encounter between Wheeler and the unidentified man was recorded by former Portland mayor Sam Adams, who later told police that the man, who was unmasked, had accosted them on the street with a video camera.

Tim Becker, a spokesman for the mayor's office, told The Washington Post in an email Monday that Wheeler is cooperating with police "and encourages others involved to do the same." Adams declined to comment.

The incident comes after a turbulent year for Portland's mayor, who in July, was tear-gassed by federal agents while attending racial justice protests. He was later forced to move out of his condo in September after protesters broke windows and tossed a burning object inside the building. Earlier this month, Wheeler said a woman confronted him at another restaurant and later swatted him on the shoulder.

Over the past year, Wheeler has been highly criticized by protesters over his management of police amid last summer's protest crackdowns. At one point, some urged him to resign for what they saw was an insufficient response to calls for police reform.

He's also faced criticism for his early handling of the pandemic in the city. On Monday, the state's department of health reported 291 new coronavirus cases and three deaths in Multnomah County, the city's county seat.

Wheeler served as Oregon's treasurer from 2010 until 2016, when he was first elected mayor of Portland. He was reelected for a second term in November.

On Sunday night, at about 8 p.m., Wheeler was leaving McMenamins Hillsdale Brewery & Public House after dining with Adams when a maskless, middle-aged White man suddenly approached, the mayor later told the Oregon police department.

The man, who told Wheeler he had taken pictures of him at the pub, accused the mayor of disregarding covid-19 safety measures during his meeting with Adams, Wheeler wrote in an emailed statement to police.

"He accused me of sitting in a restaurant without a mask," Wheeler said. "... I informed him the current covid regulations allow people to take their mask off for the purpose of eating and drinking."

The man then followed him to his car while recording with his phone, Wheeler said, and refused to back away despite Wheeler's multiple requests. He was within two feet of the mayor's face, Wheeler told police.

That's when the mayor said he gave the man a final warning: "I informed him that I was carrying pepper spray and that I would use it if he did not back off," Wheeler told police. When the man didn't comply, Wheeler said, he pepper-sprayed him in the eyes. The man, who appeared surprised, according to Wheeler, finally backed off.

"You just pepper-sprayed me for no reason at all," the man says in the recording captured by Adams.

"Actually," Adams said in the recording, "I was here, and you were like a foot from him. He asked you to back away, and you didn't."

Wheeler later described the man to the police as White man in his 40s.

Wheeler told police he feared the maskless man could infect him with the coronavirus, adding that he was also concerned for his personal safety following the incident where a woman allegedly smacked him in a restaurant earlier this month.

Before leaving, Wheeler said, he threw the man a bottle of water so he could wash out his eyes.

- - -

The Washington Post's Hannah Knowles contributed to this report.
With the start of vaccine distribution offering a glimmer of hope that life soon may return to something approaching normal, the hard-hit hotel and travel industry is hoping for a cure for its ailing occupancy and employment numbers.

Since the pandemic began, the travel industry  one of the first industries hit and projected to be the last to recover  has seen an unprecedented decline in occupancy and revenue  nine times that of the decline immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Even as vaccines begin to be rolled out and other businesses begin to reopen, the hotel industry largely remains at a standstill, said Michael Jacobson, president and CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association.

A recently released report by the The American Hotel and Lodging Association expects the travel industry to take until 2024 to get back to pre-pandemic numbers.

These projections show that getting back to normal will be a slow process, as hotels were among the first businesses to close during the pandemic and will be among the last to open, Jacobson said.

Hotels will add 200,000 direct hotel-operations jobs in 2021 but will remain nearly 500,000 jobs below the industrys pre-pandemic employment level of 2.3 million employees. Half of U.S. hotel rooms are projected to remain empty. Business travel is expected to be down 85% through April compared to 2019 numbers, and then only begin ticking up slightly. Nearly half of consumers see vaccine distribution as key to travel. Enhanced cleaning and hygiene practices rank as guests No. 2 priority, behind price, when selecting a hotel.

Illinois mitigation efforts are restricting occupancy, which takes its toll on one of the industrys most profitable areas, conventions and business meetings.

Indiana is allowing meetings, Jacobson said. People are starting to relocate (meetings) to other states. Were losing business every day.

It would help if the state offered more information about reopening, even if time frames arent set in stone, Jacobson said.

Everything is going day-by-day, he said. The confusion its placing is mind-numbing.

He would like to see a longer-range plan with the understanding that there will be changes along the way, he said.

The industry is predicting that leisure travel will be the first to see an upward tick this year, followed by business travel and then convention services  but it cant happen all at once.

Hotel occupancy is only expected to average 52.5%, compared to 66% in 2019. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought hotel occupancy to a historic low of 24.5% in April and annual occupancy in the U.S. fell to roughly 44% for 2020.

Illinois is one of the top states for employment in the travel and hotel industry, with 60,643 people employed in 2019. That fell to 39,205 when the pandemic hit and is only supposed to hit 54,224 by 2022  still 10,167 less than 2019s numbers.

While I am confident in the industrys ability to recover, additional assistance will be needed from elected officials at all levels of government to help get people back to work and keep our doors open, Jacobson said.

He was surprised that hotel workers are not part of Phase 1B of the states vaccines roll out, he said.

We have been deemed essential since the beginning, Jacobson said, adding that hotels have been providing accommodations to other essential workers but also have housed COVID-19 patients who wanted to stay away from family while quarantining.

More financial support from the state also would help, he said.

Were one of the most impacted, he said. We have gotten some (assistance) but most (hotels) have not gotten pennies.

Still, once mitigation restrictions are lifted, Jacobson said, he expects employees lost in the past year to be re-hired within days.

They could be hired tomorrow, he said. The buildings are already there; its not as if we have to build anything.


Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 26 : Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan unfurled the national flag at the Central stadium on Republic Day here on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Secretary Biswas Mehta, Director General of Police Loknath Behra, Thiruvananthapuram District Collector Navjoth Khosa were also present.

Khan accepted the customary salute of the Kerala Police, NCC cadets, NSS cadets, Scouts and Guides.

The Governor in his address said the country should remember the freedom fighters whose sacrifices made the day possible. He said that utmost care needs to be taken so that the country continues to enjoy the freedom.

Khan also distributed the Police medals during the function.

In the remaining 13 districts, state ministers unfurled the national flag and accepted the guard of honour.
The only gripe I had is when we were shut down for the second time, to my understanding, everyone around us was open, Terousis said. We were getting more phone calls asking if we were open for inside as opposed to actual orders. They were going to Elmwood Park, Forest Park and other places. Typically January and February are the slowest months of the year in the restaurant business and thats definitely put an additional strain on the business. This isnt going to last forever, hopefully. Theres definitely better days ahead.

The vast majority of Canadians support stricter online regulation to force social media companies to quickly remove racist and hateful content from their platforms, according to recently released polling data.

The vast majority of Canadians support stricter online regulation to force social media companies to quickly remove racist and hateful content from their platforms, according to recently released polling data.

The Canadian Race Relations Foundation  a charitable organization and federal Crown corporation  released new research Monday showing 78 per cent of Canadians are concerned about the spread of hate speech online.

The polling, conducted by Abacus Data, surveyed 2,000 Canadians from Jan. 15-18, with a "margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size" of plus-or-minus 2.2. per cent "19 times out of 20."

The results were also weighted in accordance with census data, to match Canadas population in regard to age, gender, education background and region.

The survey found 74 per cent of Canadians are concerned about the rise of right-wing extremism, and 72 per cent are worried about growing political polarization. The results also showed broad support for government measures aimed at curbing the spread of online hate speech.

Eighty per cent of respondents said they would support requiring social media companies to remove racist and hateful content from their platforms within 24 hours of it being "identified by a trusted third-party organization."

In addition, 79 per cent of respondents supported the following two initiatives: strengthening laws to hold people responsible for what they say online; mandating social media companies to inform police of "serious hate speech."

Sixty per cent said they wanted the federal government to do more to prevent the spread of racism and hatred online; 23 per cent were unsure of how they felt about that prospect; 17 per cent were opposed.

Roughly four-fifths of respondents said social media companies should remove users from their platforms who share racist or hateful content.

"The incidence of experienced or witnessed online racism, sexism, incitements of violence or homophobic comments is widespread. Almost half of Canadians report either experiencing or seeing racist comments or content online," reads the report.

"Across every item, racialized Canadians are more likely to report experiencing or seeing (such) content online. For example, racialized Canadians are more than twice as likely to report experiencing racist behaviour online than non-racialized Canadians."

The report also noted Canadians ages 18 to 29 are more likely to report witnessing such online behaviour. Nearly half (49 per cent) of respondents said online hateful and racist content is a "big problem."

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network said in a written statement it was surprised to see such strong support for measures.

"We have been fighting on the front lines of this issue for a long time, and know just how important it is to act as soon as possible. We believed that a majority of Canadians agreed with us, but to learn that its an overwhelming majority is very welcome news," the CAHN said.

"The government has been asking for our recommendations on addressing online hate and, with the partnership of over 30 other organizations, we gave them a game plan We look forward to exploring the governments proposed measures."

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 03:32:20|Editor: huaxia

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A woman receives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a health center in Ankara, Turkey, on Jan. 26, 2021. Turkey reported on Tuesday 7,103 new COVID-19 cases, including 681 with symptoms, raising the total number in the country to 2,442,350. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)

CAIRO, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israel closed on Tuesday its international airport to all flights, except for several special cases, until Jan. 31 as an effort to stop the import of new COVID-19 strains, while the first batch of coronavirus vaccines developed by China's Sinopharm company will arrive in Morocco on Wednesday.

The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 7,889 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, bringing the total infections in the country to 613,286, while the death toll from the virus rose to 4,501, with 23 new fatalities added.

According to the Israeli health ministry, the number of people vaccinated against the COVID-19 in Israel has exceeded 2.72 million, or 29.2 percent of its total population, since the vaccination campaign began on Dec. 20, 2020.

Morocco reported 867 new COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths on Tuesday, raising the tally of infections to 467,493 and the death toll to 8,187 in the North African country.

Turkey reported on Tuesday 7,103 new COVID-19 cases, including 681 with symptoms, raising the total number in the country to 2,442,350, while Iran confirmed 6,420 more cases, taking the total nationwide infections to 1,385,706.

The death toll from the virus in Turkey, arguably the hardest hit country in the Middle East, rose by 134 to 25,344, while the total number of recoveries climbed to 2,322,511, according to the country's health ministry.

Turkey's leading business associations and unions on Tuesday called on the government to take urgent and necessary steps to ensure price stability to lure foreign investment in the post-pandemic era.

"Every economic recovery without price stability would be short of duration and narrow the investment horizons of our business people," said the chairmen of four organizations, including the Turkish Industry and Business Association, in a joint declaration.

In Iran, the pandemic has so far claimed the lives of 57,560 persons, up by 79 in the past 24 hours, said Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for the Iranian health ministry.

She said 590 of the new COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, while 4,038 remain in intensive care units.

Meanwhile, the Iranian government urged the new U.S. government to "quickly" lift sanctions on the Iranian banking sector to allow its access to its assets abroad to fight the COVID-19 epidemic, official news agency IRNA reported.

Iran is waiting to see Washington's official policy regarding the return to its commitments and "the lifting of its illegal sanctions, which is an inseparable part of those commitments," said the government spokesman Ali Rabiei at a virtual press briefing.

In Palestine, 660 new cases and 10 deaths were reported on Tuesday, raising the total number of infections in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem to 176,076 and the death toll to 1,977.

Iraq has so far confirmed 615,380 coronavirus cases in the country, with 804 new ones added on Tuesday.

It also reported 10 new deaths and 1,625 recovered cases in the country, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 13,010 and the total recoveries to 584,752.

Iraqi Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi told official Iraqi News Agency that the Ministry had taken the necessary measures to develop health infrastructure, which contributed to controlling the coronavirus pandemic.

"Iraq is still achieving good results in the decline of the spread of the pandemic, but the threat of the disease still exists in the world and the region, not only in the country," al-Tamimi said.

As the first among the Gulf countries to report COVID-19 cases, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday confirmed 3,601 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total cases in the country to 285,147.

It also reported 3,890 new recoveries and seven deaths, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 259,194 and the death toll to 805.

Lebanon on Tuesday registered the highest 73 daily deaths from COVID-19, raising the total death toll to 2,447, the Health Ministry said.

Meanwhile, the total coronavirus infections in the country increased by 3,505 to 285,754, the Ministry added.

Mohammad Haidar, advisor to the Lebanese Health Minister, said on Tuesday that the need for ventilators has increased tremendously in the past few days with 50 to 100 patients in need of oxygen on a daily basis.

Lebanon is expected to receive the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines by mid-Feb.

In Kuwait, 505 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths were reported on Tuesday, raising the tally of infections to 162,282 and the death toll to 957.

Algeria reported 243 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections in the North African country to 106,097.

In Qatar and Oman, the number of COVID-19 cases on Tuesday rose by 299 and 154 respectively to 149,595 and 133,407. Enditem
(SAVANNAH, Mo.) Plans are underway for one of the first mass vaccine sites in Missouri and the first in the states northwest region.

Savannah will be one of the 27 sites across the state distributing doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for Phase 1A and Phase 1B Tiers 1 and 2 qualifying state residents. The Region H Team will hold a drive-thru clinic Friday in the First Baptist parking lot.

Registration for the event is not open to the public at this time.

The team will be staffed with Missouri National Guard, the Andrew County Health Department, state emergency officials, and other area partners.

The goal is to administer as many vaccine doses as possible and the state has approved 1,950 Pfizer doses to be used at the clinic.

Gov. Mike Parson announced during a Dec. 20 briefing that he was activating the National Guard to assist the states vaccination efforts. He also said each of these mass vaccination clinics will have the capacity to administer about 2,500 doses per day. There will be one National Guard team set up in each of the nine Missouri Highway Patrol Troop districts. A team of guardsmen conducted a test-run last weekend in Poplar Bluff.
'Chris brings a fresh perspective to our vision and strategy'

GAMMA Communications plc, a technology-based provider of communication services, has appointed Chris Wade as chief marketing and product officer.

This follows the decision by Alan Mackie, former CMPO, to step down and retire from the company from December 31.

Mr Wade joins the senior leadership team at Gamma, which is based at Kings Road West, Newbury, and he reports to chief executive Andrew Taylor.

Mr Taylor said: We are delighted to appoint Chris to the role and to welcome him to the Gamma family. Having worked in a variety of product and marketing roles with a focus on software, Chris brings a fresh perspective to our vision and strategy.

We are looking forward to working alongside him to consolidate our position as a leading provider of UCaaS [unified communications as a service] in the UK and European markets.

Mr Wade joined Gamma in December 2020, working alongside Mr Mackie to ensure a smooth transition.

It is an honour to succeed Alan, who has had an extraordinary tenure with Gamma, Mr Wade said. I am proud to be joining the company during a period of such unprecedented change in digital adoption.

Gamma is a truly innovative company full of knowledgeable and talented people. Our strong reputation in the market perfectly positions us to help businesses embrace digital innovation through the adoption of UCaaS.

I will strive to continue building on the companys great foundations, while further fulfilling our ambitions in the UK and Europe.

Prior to Gamma, Mr Wade served as chief product officer at Aptitude Software. He held a number of leadership roles in strategy, product management and marketing in several different operating businesses within The Sage Group plc, one of the leading providers of business management solutions to SMEs globally.

Mr Wade holds a MPhys in physics from Jesus College, Oxford.


Minister Simon Harris is among those who said the new rules did not go far enough. Photo: Julien Behal Photography

Cabinet ministers raised concerns that proposed Covid-19 quarantine plans for overseas travellers do not go far enough.

During a more than four hour Cabinet meeting, ministers pushed for stricter rules on foreign travel over fears unidentified new strains of the virus may make their way into Ireland.

The Cabinet agreed to introduce mandatory quarantine for anyone travelling from South Africa and Brazil, and also for travellers from other countries who do not produce a negative Covid-19 test on arrival in Ireland.

They also agreed to introduce mandatory home quarantine for every other passenger arriving in the country.

Read More

However, Culture Minister Catherine Martin and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris both called for stronger regulations than the ones proposed by the Cabinet Committee on Covid-19.

Ms Martin, the Green Party deputy leader, told the meeting she did not believe the quarantine rules were strong enough to deal with the possibility of more variants of the virus emerging. She said a larger managed isolation regime was needed and suggested life would return to near normal by the summer if it was introduced.

Mr Harris also said the new rules did not go far enough and called for more clarity on how the proposed quarantine regulations will work in practice.

Chief Whip Jack Chambers and Education Minister Norma Foley also pushed for tighter restrictions on travellers who are to be legally ordered to quarantine in their home.

Mr Chambers insisted people should be told to remain in their homes for the two weeks rather than be instructed to restrict their movements. He said the messaging on quarantining at home should be strong to ensure compliance.

Mr Chambers call for stricter rules on mandatory quarantining at home was supported by Ms Foley.

Questions were also raised at the meeting about how mandatory quarantining at home could be policed.

Ministers also called for the list of essential workers to be narrowed to reduce the amount of people allowed to travel overseas.

Sources at the meeting said the quarantine proposals presented at the meeting needed a lot more work which Health Minister Stephen Donnelly committed to undertaking in cooperation with other departments.

Separately, Housing Minister Darragh OBrien raised concerns about the impact of the continued ban on non-essential construction.

He told the meeting for every week of the lockdown between 700 and 800 houses will not be built. He said the nine weeks of lockdown this year mean his housing targets will be off by between 6,500 and 7,000 new homes.

The minister made a submission to the Cabinet Committee on Covid-19 over the weekend seeking to have the ban lifted. However, it was decided to extend it to March 5.

The proposals on international travel agreed by the Cabinet included a commitment to increase the fixed penalty charge for breaches of the rules relating to international travel.

They also said they will increase Garda checks and enforcement activity relating to people travelling internationally who are in breach of Level 5 rules.

The existing regulations requiring pre-departure PCR tests will be extended to March 5.

Mandatory quarantine will be introduced for anyone arriving without a test or arriving from Brazil and South Africa.

They said quarantining for people arriving from outside the EU can be introduce through the signing of new regulations but said new legislation will be needed to quarantine all other passengers.

Restriction on travel from South Africa, Brazil and other south American countries, including the suspension of visa-free short-term visits, will be in place until March 5.
icovid is being rolled out across Europe and is on the OECD shortlist for AI initiatives against current and future pandemics

LEUVEN, Belgium, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Belgian initiative icovid, which supports radiologists in the assessment of CT images of the lungs of COVID-19 patients, has grown into a multicentre European project, co-funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme. icovid was set up in March by UZ Brussel, KU Leuven, icometrix and ETRO, an imec research group of VUB. Professor Jef Vandemeulebroucke of ETRO: "What started as a local project is now being rolled out in 800 hospitals in Europe and supported by excellent research centres all over Europe. With icolung, we can detect COVID-19 patients at an early stage and quantify the extent of lung lesions. Meanwhile, we are further improving the AI software to identify lung damage as COVID-19 even more quickly, and to determine the further care path of the patient faster and better through prognostic models."

The icovid project was launched in March 2020 as a Belgian pro bono initiative. icometrix, which specialises in AI solutions for medical images, partnered with UZ Brussel, KU Leuven, VUB and imec to investigate how to deploy lung scans in the COVID pandemic and what AI software would be needed to do so. The AI tool icolung was born. Prof Johan de Mey, VUB-UZ Brussel: "At the time, there was insufficient testing capacity to quickly test all patients. With icolung, we wanted to use lung scans as a triage tool. By using CT and with the help of the AI analyses, we were able to trace patients with suspicious lung lesions and have them tested as a priority. During the busiest periods, everyone who entered the UZ Brussel as a patient was scanned, also as a means of preventing COVID-19 outbreaks in the hospital."

icolung free for all hospitals in Europe

icolung was certified in April and is currently being used by over 75 hospitals worldwide and has analysed over 35,000 lung CT scans. The icovid project now builds on the development of icolung and is committed to scaling up, thanks to the commitment of renowned research institutes such as King's College London, Universitatsklinikum Heidelberg, University of Oxford, Maastricht University and the University and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Liege. The partners will also collaborate with The Medical Cloud Company to incorporate other clinical information into the models in addition to CT images. icovid receives funding for this from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Thanks to this financial support, icolung can be offered free of charge to hospitals across Europe. While vaccination will eventually normalise daily life, the virus will still circulate and other coronaviruses may emerge. In local outbreaks, it will be important to identify COVID-19 patients early.

Detection of Chronic COVID Syndrome

icovid will continue to respond to the rapidly evolving needs of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, it is estimated that about 2% of COVID-19 patients have symptoms lasting longer than three months, called Long COVID or Chronic COVID Syndrome (CCS). With the improved software, the consortium will also better predict the long-term effects of COVID-19, which are today still largely unknown. The ability to identify patients who may develop CCS opens up possibilities for hospitals to better adapt care and share the burden.

Dr Dirk Smeets, icovid project coordinator and CTO at icometrix, said: "This project allows us to further demonstrate that AI, and medical technology in general, can add value to clinical decisions and save costs. I strongly believe that icolung will benefit from the advice, clinical expertise, and critical evaluation of the renowned academic centres in our consortium."

Prof Dr Fergus Gleeson, chief medical officer for the National Consortium of Intelligent Medical Imaging, head of academic radiology at Oxford University and president of the European Society of Thoracic Imaging, said: "A wide adoption of AI-based software for the analysis of chest CT images, like icolung, will help the fight against a pandemic that, unfortunately, we will have to endure for quite some time. These large-scale research collaborations with a variety of expertise are critical to responding to the evolving needs during this pandemic."

About icometrix

icometrix (Leuven, Belgium; Boston, USA) strives for data-driven insights and personalised patient care, supported by artificial intelligence. icometrix offers a portfolio of AI solutions to assist healthcare with various challenges; icobrain extracts data from brain MRI and CT scans for the radiological reporting and clinical management of neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, brain trauma, epilepsy, stroke, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. icompanion, a digital platform and mobile app, helps people with MS and their care team to monitor clinical symptoms and treatments efficiently and objectively. icolung addresses the COVID-19 pandemic by measuring lung involvement on chest CT.

Today, icometrix is internationally active and integrated into more than 100 clinical practices. In addition, icometrix collaborates with healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies on the evaluation of drug research for neurological disorders.

https://icovid.ai

contact: Dirk Smeets

info@icovid.ai

Press kit: https://bit.ly/36aBR2P

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1426840/Banner.jpg
WASHINGTON  The acting chief of the United States Capitol Police apologized to members of Congress for her agencys failures during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, saying it was not prepared for the "terrorist attack," according to a copy of her prepared remarks to a key House panel obtained by USA TODAY.

I am here to offer my sincerest apologies on behalf of the Department, acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman told lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee, which oversees the agencys funding.

Video: Capitol Police officer draws rioters away from Senate floor

Her department should have been more prepared for the terrorist attack, she told lawmakers. The agency was aware that militia groups and white supremacists, some of whom would be armed, would be at the protests in Washington, she said, and her agency knew there was "a strong potential for violence and that Congress was the target."

"The agency prepared, but we did not do enough," she told lawmakers.

More: Capitol riot investigators focus on police officers, first responders in lawless fray

More: 'It was a horrible scene': Capitol Police have a $500M budget. Why were they unprepared at the Jan. 6 riot?

Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman, left, stands next to Monique Moore, right, in 2012 when they were promoted as the first two African-American women to rank of captain on the U.S. Capitol Police force.

Tuesdays closed-door briefing comes as lawmakers investigate the insurrection that left at least five people dead. The Capitol's top law enforcement officials  the Capitol Police chief and the House and Senate sergeants at arms  resigned days later. The House impeached President Donald Trump on Jan. 13 and charged him with inciting the riot, and the Senate is set to begin an impeachment trial the week of Feb. 8.

Authorities have begun identifying and arresting suspects who were involved in the riot. Many face charges related to weapons or violence in connection with the attack.

More: Texas man charged after storming US Capitol, making death threats against Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and police officer

The 1,200 Capitol Police personnel working at the building that day were no match for the tens of thousands of insurrectionists, Pittman said, many of whom were armed when they stormed the Capitol as Congress counted the Electoral College votes showing Joe Biden won the election.

Story continues

When rioters entered the building, they ransacked halls and offices as the scene was covered live on national television. Senators, House members and former Vice President Mike Pence were forced to take cover as the mob spread throughout the building.

Pittman outlined a litany of issues with the Capitol Police's response on Jan. 6, including the diversion of officers from the Capitol to investigate pipe bombs placed at the Republican and Democratic National Committees, the lack of equipment to handle the insurrectionists, an incomplete Capitol lockdown, and poor lines of communication.

Pittman also confirmed to lawmakers that the Capitol Police Board, a three-person panel overseeing the agency, had delayed former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sunds request for National Guard support for over an hour on Jan. 6. Sund promptly resigned after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for him to step down.

In the same briefing, acting House Sergeant at Arms Timothy Blodgett, the Houses top law enforcement officer, acknowledged similar failures on Jan. 6, describing a failure of preparation among law enforcement agencies and breakdowns in communication.

Reach Nicholas Wu on Twitter at @nicholaswu12.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Acting Capitol Police Chief apologizes for handling of Jan. 6 riot
New capital a confidence boost for Klook as the leading travel technology player in the region

Funds to accelerate the digital transformation of merchants with the development and roll-out of Klook-powered merchant Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions



HONG KONG, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Klook, a world-leading travel and leisure booking platform, today announced that it has raised US$200 million in additional funding. The Series E round was led by Aspex Management, an investment fund focused on Asia Pacific, in addition to other new investors. Sequoia Capital China, Softbank Vision Fund 1, Matrix Partners China, and Boyu Capital, who are existing investors, also participated in this round of funding.

During the past year, Klook quickly re-prioritized its core strategic strengths to tackle the impact of the pandemic on the business. The company focused on two main areas - digitizing the experiences booking sector, and launching new verticals such as staycations and car rental. Key markets where COVID-19 restrictions have eased such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan have witnessed increased spending on local experiences, with bookings reaching near pre-COVID levels as locals start exploring domestically.

"Despite a challenging 2020, we have shown our mettle, turning challenges into growth opportunities with agility and constant innovation. We've observed over the past year that consumers have a pent-up desire to explore and enjoy themselves, despite international travel being paused. Instead, they are turning inwards - exploring new and unique experiences right in their backyard," said Ethan Lin, CEO and Co-Founder at Klook. "This new capital further strengthens our leading position to take us from defense to offense, as domestic tourism becomes ubiquitous and international travel gradually returns."

"The travel industry has undoubtedly been hit hard by the pandemic, but Klook has shown resilience and adaptability despite the market headwinds. We believe the transition toward digital bookings will only accelerate post COVID-19, and that Klook's ability to reinvent itself as a one-stop-shop for experiences and services across the region puts it in prime position to capitalize on this trend," said Hermes Li, CIO and Founder of Aspex Management.

New capital to accelerate the development and digital transformation for merchants

Despite being in extended lockdowns, Klook has seen merchants in such markets who are eager to digitize their business. At the height of the pandemic, Klook onboarded 150% more activities compared to the same period in 2019. With this new capital, the company will accelerate the development and roll-out of its merchant SaaS solutions. Designed to bridge the gaps faced by merchants today, these tools will empower any merchant to build, manage, and scale their business with Klook.

Today, the company's merchant SaaS solutions power millions of bookings for more than 2,500 merchants worldwide. Doubling down on its SaaS solutions will enable even more merchants who have had a challenging year to transform and accelerate their business by easily creating an online storefront powered by Klook. This is supported by a backend engine that manages ticketing, distribution, inventory management, marketing, and more.

"We are setting out to reimagine the next digital leap for the experiences sector which has traditionally been fragmented with offline practices or legacy systems that do not truly address the realities of a post-COVID world. Since day one, Klook has been working closely with our merchants, both big and small, to identify common pain points that we can solve together. With this new funding, we have additional ammunition to accelerate our technology innovation, and truly transform and empower this space for future growth," added Eric Gnock Fah, COO and Co-Founder at Klook.



In the second half of 2020, Klook piloted a series of such tools.

Contact Tracing System: This free-to-use system was rolled out across partners' local attractions in the Philippines , allowing for quicker identification and follow-ups should the need arise.

This free-to-use system was rolled out across partners' local attractions in , allowing for quicker identification and follow-ups should the need arise. Attractions Plus: Made for attractions and major establishments, this module allows customers to seamlessly access all the content they need in just one app: from an in-park map and what to eat, to recommended itineraries.

Made for attractions and major establishments, this module allows customers to seamlessly access all the content they need in just one app: from an in-park map and what to eat, to recommended itineraries. Klook Live!: Interactive livestream mobile feature, users can experience merchants' offerings up-close through entertaining and interactive instant video content. Early results observed 4 times the average uplift in conversion rates.

The company has also forged stronger partnerships with tourism boards such as the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Japan National Tourism Organization, Korea Tourism Organization, Singapore Tourism Board, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand among others, to help diversify offerings and to grow demand domestically. In Singapore, Klook was appointed by the Singapore Tourism Board as an authorized booking partner for the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers (SRV), to boost domestic demand and reinvigorate the industry.

More information on Klook's Digital Solutions: https://www.klook.com/en-US/article/14632-digital-solutions

Press Assets: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SAzge1Axu2jBfZy4QGbNkEszGEzHm9eY

About Klook

Founded in 2014, Klook is a world-leading travel and leisure booking platform. Klook empowers users around the world to discover and book the best experiences and services anywhere, anytime. It provides a seamless way for users to explore popular attractions, tours, local transportation, food and beverage, and unique experiences at home or around the world on Klook's website and award-winning app (consecutive Best of Year awarded by Google Play and Apple App Store). Each day, users indulge in their wanderlust and spontaneity through over 100,000 offerings in more than 400 destinations.

Klook's services are available in 14 languages, supporting 41 currencies. Get inspired by Klook at www.klook.com , the company blog , or @Klook .

About Aspex Management

Aspex Management is an investment management firm focused on pan-Asian opportunities across both the public and private equity markets. The firm looks to invest in industries and partner with companies exposed to large addressable markets with long-term growth potential as well as those undergoing structural changes. Aspex invests capital on behalf of endowments, non-profit foundations, family offices and outsourced investment offices across the globe.

For media enquiries, please contact:



Klook Press

Phone: +65 9030-4228

[email protected]



SOURCE Klook

Related Links

http://www.klook.com


Tickets for Renfes low-cost Avlo high-speed train service have gone on sale this Tuesday with prices from only five euros.

The national train operator is offering the cut price tickets for the next three weeks - until 14 February - ahead of the launch on 23 June when Renfe will resume the delayed service that had to be suspended last year due to the pandemic.

The operator will sell the cheap tickets on their website to travel between June and December. Renfe has not specified if there will be a limit to the bargain fares, unlike the last time, when it offered 10,000 tickets at that price

A few weeks ago the arrival of the first private high-speed operator in Spain, Ouigo, was announced in Spain for 10 May.

The operator linked to the French public train company SNCF has already put its first tickets on sale from nine euros to travel between Madrid and Barcelona just one day after the current state of alarm is scheduled to end.

Both companies will charge for accessing Wi-Fi connection, extra bags, specific seats or the flexibility to cancel.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - World Copper Ltd. (TSXV: WCU), formerly Allante Resources Ltd. ("World Copper" or the "Company") announces that its common shares are set to begin trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") as of market open on January 26, 2021.

General Company and Industry Update

Much has happened at World Copper since our last corporate update news release dated October 8, 2020. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic notwithstanding, World Copper has been advancing on several fronts. In a news release dated January 18, 2021, the Company announced the closing of its previously announced "qualifying transaction" with 1188893 B.C. Ltd. (formerly World Copper Ltd.) and, as a condition to the completion of the transaction, the Company completed a name change from "Allante Resources Ltd." to "World Copper Ltd." effective January 12, 2021. Additionally, CEO & Director Henk van Alphen kicked-off 2021 with an interactive webinar on January 18th during which a general Company update was given to shareholders and interested parties (the webinar can be viewed here).

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, copper supplies have decreased from South America, the U.S. and Africa. The price of copper recently cleared USD$3.50 per pound as the world is experiencing increasing Chinese demand. This represents a 55% gain in the price of copper since the COVID-19 lows in March 2020. China consumes more than half of all global copper production and as it stands, LME inventories are now at 13-year lows. Additionally, disruptions to mine supply have caused copper mine production to fall by 1.5% and 8 of the 10 largest miners in the world have recorded increasingly lower output levels during the first six months of the year. World Copper believes the future for copper is bright, and as such continues to push forward with our goals as a company operating in the burgeoning copper sector.

Recently, Goldman Sachs has stated that the next base metals "Supercycle" is on the horizon1[1]. A Supercycle is a "decades-long, above-trend movements in a wide range of base material prices" that is usually derived from a structural change in demand. The signs for this new Supercycle boom are all around us, and include the economic impact of COVID-19, the green industrial revolution, the United States' return to the Paris Agreement and China committing to carbon neutrality by 2060. There is a synchronized global push for decarbonization that "has the potential to create a capex cycle on par with the emerging markets-driven cycle of the 2000s". Due to the ever-increasing demand for copper, the Company is positioning itself to be a part of the supply solution, aiding in the progression of the green revolution.

Escalones Porphyry Copper Project

The Escalones Porphyry Copper Project (the "Escalones Project") is located 35km east of El Teniente, one of the world's largest underground copper mines, and within the renowned Chilean porphyry copper belt that runs north-south in the central Andes Mountains.

The Escalones Project covers an area of 161km2, of which (i) 46 km2 are covered by 19 exploitation concessions that are the subject of an option agreement between Chilean subsidiary of World Copper, TriMetals Mining Chile SCM ("TMI Chile"), and a third-party vendor for a 100% interest in the concessions; and (ii) 115km2 are covered by 40 exploration concessions, owned by TMI Chile.

In June 2020, World Copper commissioned Hard Rock Consulting, LLC ("HRC") of Lakewood, Colorado to update a 2014 historical mineral resource estimate on the Escalones Project in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). The effective date of the updated mineral resource estimate is June 30, 2020.

The updated mineral resource estimate is reported using a 0.24% CuEq cutoff and reports the Escalones Project as having pit-constrained Indicated resources of approximately 185 million tonnes of 0.33% copper (0.37% CuEq) and Inferred resources of approximately 254 million tonnes of 0.39% copper (0.43% CuEq), based on nearly 25,000m of drill core from 53 holes. Significant gold and silver accompany the copper. The mineralization sits within a 4km2 area of hydrothermal alteration comprising quartz-sericite, potassic, and calc-silicate alteration assemblages. Coincident copper, gold and silver geochemical anomalies are associated with porphyry-style mineralization (disseminated and fracture-fill) in granitic intrusions and hornfelsed sandstone, with additional replacement-style "skarn" mineralization hosted in outer flanking calcareous sedimentary rocks.

The full report entitled "Mineral Resource Estimate for the Escalones Copper Project, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile" and dated September 17, 2020, with an effective date of June 30, 2020 (the "Escalones Technical Report") can be viewed on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability as there is no certainty that all or any part of the resources will be converted into reserves. Inferred resources are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. It is reasonably expected that the inferred resources could be upgraded to indicated resources with continued exploration.

Copper mineralization on the Escalones Project occurs as chalcopyrite, bornite, and covellite, which are partially to completely replaced within about 300m of the surface by secondary copper oxides, sulphates and carbonates. This replacement has led to higher grades at shallower depths, and, since the mineralization sits within a high-standing ridge, makes it more amenable to open pit mining.

One of the most exciting conclusions to come out of recent reviews of the data as applied to this revised resource estimate is the possibility for the development of a near-surface copper-oxide resource at Escalones. Approximately two-thirds of the estimated resource occurs in the oxidized enrichment zone above the sulphide mineralization. This material should be amenable to heap leach processing, which could result in lower operating costs as well as lower copper cutoff grades.

In addition, the Escalones deposit remains open laterally, with roughly 50% of the target untested. This conclusion is supported by geological and geophysical studies of the Escalones porphyry and associated mineralized skarn occurrences. While we expect to be able to increase the size of the deposit in terms of tonnage, we also believe the possibility to increase grade is high.

The Escalones "Cluster"

An important feature of Chilean copper deposits is that they often occur in clusters where more than one deposit occurs. Examples of deposit clusters in Chile are numerous and include the Escondida, Zaldivar and Escondida Norte cluster, the Chuquicamata, Radomiro Tomic, Mina Ministro Hales - MM and Mina Sur (Exotica) cluster farther north, and the Collahuasi District cluster, including Ujina, Rosario and the Quebrada Blanca deposits in the far north of the country. Today most of these mineral deposit clusters in Chile have likely been discovered and drill-tested.

The Escalones Project contains what may be one of the last remaining untested mineralized porphyry clusters in Chile. Three significant hydrothermal alteration zones, each measuring between 2,000m and 3,000m in diameter, lie 5-10km to the north of the main discovery, and were recce mapped and sampled by General Minerals Corporation ("GMC") in 1999. GMC discovered disseminated and fracture-controlled copper oxide and sulphide mineralization within the Rio Negro target, with continuous-chip samples of outcrop returning highly encouraging initial results including 1m of 8.3% Cu, 2m of 0.52% Cu and, 500m to the southeast, 3m of 1.93% Cu within a broader sample of 34m of 0.4% Cu.

No drilling has been carried out on these three new targets (including the Rio Negro target). A qualified person has not done sufficient work to independently verify these historical sampling results and World Copper does not consider them current or necessarily indicative of future results. The potential quantity and grade of such results is conceptual in nature, there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain that further exploration will result in such targets being delineated as mineral resources.

Escalones Proposed Work Program

The work program scheduled for the Escalones Project includes a preliminary 2,100m drill program in seven holes along existing roads. This will test the area south of the present drilling limit for an extension to the copper mineralization and define the oxide-sulphide boundary in this direction. Surface sampling and mapping will be a part of this program. Exploration will also be carried out over the three additional northern targets and will comprise rock sampling and mapping to adequately evaluate the potential of each of the large anomalous areas.

In order to follow up on the enriched copper-oxide and secondary mineralization potential, metallurgical studies are underway using core sample rejects for sequential copper leach and acid consumption analyses in order to further define acid-soluble mineralization at Escalones.

World Copper is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Chile before mobilizing work crews to the Escalones Project. Further updates will be forthcoming as we continue to move forward.

Cristal Project Update

No work has been carried out on the Cristal Project since the October 2020 corporate update. However, the original NI 43-101 technical report is in the process of being updated along with changes to the recommended work program and budget.

In the meantime, World Copper continues to search for opportunities in the copper space.

Qualified Person

John Drobe, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Drobe is not independent of the Company as he is a consultant of World Copper.

ABOUT WORLD COPPER LTD.

World Copper Ltd., headquartered in Vancouver, BC, is a Canadian resource company focused the exploration and development of its two primary copper porphyry projects, Cristal and Escalones, both located in Chile. World Copper has laid claim to 5 copper porphyry targets, including 1 with a historical resource estimate and significant soluble copper mineralization.

Cristal is in a prospective porphyry copper belt and with high potential for additional large porphyry discoveries, and the Escalones porphyry-skarn has a historical NI 43-101 resource with a tremendous upside exploration potential in its supergene and skarn extension targets.

The World Copper team has long been involved in the Chilean lithium space and as such has a unique skill in navigating the mining sector within the country.

Detailed information is available at the Company's website at www.worldcopperltd.com, and for general Company updates please follow us on our social media pages via Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn.

For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's website. To view the Company's Canadian regulatory filings, please visit SEDAR.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

WORLD COPPER LTD.

"Hendrik van Alphen"

Hendrik van Alphen

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Henk van Alphen or Michael Pound

Phone: 604-638-3665

E-mail: info@worldcopperltd.com

Neither TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements with respect to anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of World Copper are forward-looking statements. Although World Copper believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, World Copper has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation" market fundamentals will result in sustained copper demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of World Copper's Chilean projects in a timely manner, including the Escalones Project and the Cristal Project, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of World Copper's projects and its ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of World Copper to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development activities, actual results of exploration activities, including on the Escalones Project and the Cristal Project, the estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the fact that World Copper's interests in the Cristal Project and the Escalones exploitation concessions are options only and there is no guarantee that such interests, if earned, will be certain, the timing and amount of estimated future production, the costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, requirements for additional capital, future prices of copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, lack of investor interest in future financings, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on World Copper's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the inability of World Copper to obtain any necessary permits, consents, approvals or authorizations, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, and risks related to joint venture operations, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in World Copper's continuous disclosure documents. All of World Copper's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the Escalones Technical Report and the technical report on the Cristal Project, when filed.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. World Copper does not undertake any obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.

[1] Reuters 2021 (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-metals-supercycle-ahome-idUKKBN29A1QM?edition-redirect=uk), "Super-cycles of commodity prices since the mid-nineteenth century", United Nations DESA Working Paper, 2012.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72842
Farmers' protest: 'They broke pre-decided conditions for parade, 86 policemen injured', says Delhi Police

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Jan 26: The Delhi Police on Tuesday said protesting farmers violated the conditions pre-agreed for their tractor parade and indulge in violence and vandalism, leaving 86 of its personnel injured. In a statement, the police also claimed it did all due diligence in following the conditions for the rally, but the protesters began their march much ahead of the scheduled time and extensive damage to public property was caused during the violence by them.

"The time and the routes for the tractor rally were finalised after several rounds of meetings. But farmers drove tractors off the routes and before the fixed time, leading to vandalism in which many police personnel were injured," news agency ANI quoted Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava as saying.

''Public properties have also been damaged. I appeal to the protesting farmers not to indulge in violence, maintain peace and return through the designated routes,''Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava said.

The police statement came as the National Capital witnessed clashes between protesters and police during the tractor parade by farmers to press their demand of repealing the three new agri laws. "The protesters violated conditions fixed for the rally. The farmers began tractor rally before the scheduled time, they also resorted to violence and vandalism,"

Some groups of farmers started going back to their respective sit-in sites on Tuesday evening after hours of chaos during their tractor parade against the farm laws, but thousands of other protesters were still in several areas, including ITO, Nangloi and Mukarba Chowk, of the national capital.

''Hundreds of farmers were sitting at the ITO crossing and many, who entered the city from the Singhu border protest site, were moving towards Delhi's Outer Ring Road,'' he said.

. Hundreds of protesters could be seen chasing security personnel with sticks and ramming their tractors into the buses parked by police in the ITO area of the Capital.

Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal said. "We followed all conditions as promised and did our due diligence but the protest led to extensive damage to public property. Many policemen were also injured during the protest," Singhal said.
Spains central Health Ministry reported 93,822 new coronavirus infections on Monday, as well as adding 767 fatalities to the overall death toll. The figures, which account for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, represent new record highs  for the entire pandemic in the former case, and for this third wave of the crisis in the latter.

Presenting the figures on Monday evening, Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts (CCAES), warned that Spain must urgently relieve the pressure on the countrys hospitals and intensive care units (ICUs), which are in a critical situation.

The only good news that could be found from Simons presentation last night was that the country is likely to have reached the peak of this third wave on January 17, and since then the number of new cases is falling slowly  delays in notifications from the regional healthcare systems mean that there is a lag in the change in trend from being noted.

The more contagious B.1.1.7 coronavirus strain first identified in the United Kingdom could now account for 5% of diagnosed cases in Spain

Our ICUs cannot take much more of what they are having to deal with, said the governments chief epidemiologist. We will have to make an effort to ramp up the control measures. Twenty days have passed since the Christmas holidays [the Kings Day holiday was on January 6] and we have observed a very sharp rise since the end of the year. Transmission is not cut off immediately. We can interpret that after this peak the fall will be much slower.

Nine of the countrys regions, including all of those with the biggest population levels, exceed 30% occupation by Covid patients in their ICUs. Seven are above 40%, with Catalonia and Madrid nearing 50%, Castilla-La Mancha at 53%, Valencia at 61% and La Rioja at 64%.

In practice, this means that for some days now the most seriously ill patients are being treated in operating theaters and other areas that have been converted into ICUs within a health system that is overloaded and that is having to leave practically everything else to one side in order to deal with the pandemic.

We are suffering the highest occupation since the first wave, Simon warned, pointing out that while there have been improvements in treatment since last year, average stays in ICUs are 20 to 21 days, meaning that measures are needed to slow down the new admissions and give the units some respite.

The 14-day cumulative number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 inhabitants is now at 885 across Spain, and six regions are in excess of 1,000: Valencia, Castilla y Leon, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Murcia and La Rioja. Two of the countrys most-populated regions, Andalusia and Madrid, are above 900. This key data point is continuing to rise, given that it covers the last two weeks. As Simon pointed out last night, the slight decreases in new infections in recent days have little effect yet on the overall 14-day incidence given the sharp rises seen previously.

Our ICUs cannot take much more of what they are having to deal with Fernando Simon, director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts

As Simon explained, flattening the curve is only the first of the tough challenges that must be overcome before the third wave can be left behind. Now, hospitals will have to manage the ongoing rise in new admissions, which could last another two or three weeks, before they get any relief. The Health Ministry is also taking for granted that Covid deaths  which have been in excess of 200 a day, regardless of notification delays  will continue to rise, given that this is the last indicator that will reflect a change in trend.

Simon added last night that the more contagious B.1.1.7 coronavirus strain first identified in the United Kingdom late last year could now account for 5% of diagnosed cases, a rate that could be even higher in some areas. This is much higher than had been reported until now by the ministry, which has been insisting that the influence of the new variant on the current rise in cases is minimal.

As to whether a new home confinement like the one in place last spring is necessary once more, Simon pointed out that many regions are already applying a de facto [lockdown], given that in a lot of territories there are few options in terms of going out of the house apart from doing the shopping. On Monday, Galicia became the latest area of Spain to close down bars and restaurants.

The CCAES director also had a word of complaint on Monday night about the parties that have been seen via social media in recent days as well as the lack of compliance with the restrictions currently in force. We need to put in collective measures that can be controlled, he said. We are seeing a lot of examples whereby, if there is no external control, it appears that people are not complying, he continued. I consider this to be a great shame. He also pointed out that before long, all of the most vulnerable population in Spain will have received the Covid-19 vaccine.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Colorados congressional delegation asked President Biden today to suspend moving the U.S. Space Command headquarters from their state to Alabama pending review of a base selection process it called neither fair nor impartial.

Additionally, significant evidence exists ... that President Trumps political considerations influenced the final decision, the Colorado delegations letter said.

The Air Force earlier this month named Huntsvilles Redstone Arsenal its preferred location for the permanent command headquarters. It has since defended the process that ranked Alabama over five other competing states including Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Texas and Nebraska.

The command was placed in Colorado Springs when it was created and activated, but that was always decision pending the review leading to a permanent headquarters selection.

The Colorado delegations letter attacked the move to Alabama first as a threat to national security. Colorado is already home to the nations premier military and space coordination entities, the letter said, and it is critical to our superiority in space that they remain together.

The letter also cited what it called a risk of losing key personnel who did not want to move to Alabama, political influence in the decision, lack of transparency and a lack of sufficient data to justify the move.

The Air Force has defended its site selection process telling AL.com as late as Friday that, The Secretary of the Air Force thoughtfully considered all input, feedback, staff analysis, best military advice, changes in the strategic environment and what evaluation criteria is the most important.

Given the complexity and importance of this decision, the Air Force Press Desk said, she also received feedback from the National Command Authority, defense oversight committees, senior commanders and functional staff experts before making her decision on the preferred location.

After considering all of that, the Air Force said Secretary Barbara Barrett chose Huntsville.

The Colorado letter was signed by Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and congressional representatives Doug Lamborn, Joe Neguse, Diana DeGetter, Ed Perlmutter, Jason Crow and Ken Buck.
Tumkuru : , Jan 26 (IANS) Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister J.C. Madhuswamy, whose portfolios were rejigged a record four times in last five days, on Tuesday said that he was "truly upset" over his responsibilities being changed so frequently.

Which sane person can be happy if his ministry is changed four times in five days, he told reporters after unfurling the national flag to celebrate Republic Day here.

"I was hurt when Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa called me prior to January 21 and asked me to choose any one of the portfolios and according to that conversation, I chose to retain the Minor Irrigation Department in lieu of retaining the Law and Parliamentary Affairs. But what happened after that is in public domain," he said.

Madhuswamy said that he had been assigned a ministry or two but there has been no evaluation done yet. "My contention is very simple, why is my portfolio being changed without evaluating and giving valid reasons. From the day one (January 21) I felt that I should have been allowed to complete my work when some portfolio was allocated," he said.

Asked if he had planned to resign after unfurling the national flag as speculation held, the minister said that to be frank such a thought had passed through his mind but never expressed this thought in public or in private, even with his close friends.

He added that he was very angry on the day when his portfolio had changed without consulting him on January 22. "On January 21, the Chief Minister allocated me Medical Education and Kannada and Culture portfolios, but on January 22, Kannada and Culture was taken away from me... that is when I felt humiliated and had decided to quit ministry after January 26," he said.

Madhuswamy said that more than demanding a portfolio, he wanted to have a charge that is directly linked with people, especially farmers, therefore he demanded to be given the Minor Irrigation Department.

Runners: Get your summer program off on the right foot
Prof Philip Nolan said the rates of infection will fall slowly

The number of Covid-19 patients treated in intensive care units will remain very high for weeks to come, although admissions to hospital have now peaked, it has emerged.

People were warned that although the number of new daily cases is falling rapidly the country is in for the long haul as far as restrictions are concerned due to the huge amount of infection still circulating.

Professor Philip Nolan of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) said the number of patients with the virus in hospital will fall very slowly in the coming weeks.

He added there is concern about a high incidence of the virus among the over-75s.

Over three weeks up to 1,000 residents a week in long-term residential care have been catching the virus along with 500 staff in these facilities.

He was speaking as seven more deaths and 1,372 newly cases were reported.

The number of patients in intensive care rose by one to 219 and there is one-third more now in ICU treatment compared to the first wave.

There are 1,905 Covid-19 patients in hospital, down from around 2,000.

But daily admissions have fallen from as many as 140 to 74 yesterday.

Virus-related deaths have reached 688 this month, with an average of 52 deaths a day.

Deadly

There was a death toll of 175 in December and 164 in November.

Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said there was no evidence to link the higher deaths to preliminary data by UK scientists who believe the new, more infectious UK variant is more deadly.

Prof Nolan said: "We are seeing higher levels of infection acquired among health staff and among patients than at any point in the pandemic."

He cited the UK variant for contributing to the spread.

"We are seeing over 5pc of infection acquired among patients and 5pc among staff in healthcare settings," he added.

"That relates to the high level of virus entering those settings from the community."

Dr Glynn said there is still no evidence that the more infectious Brazilian strain of the virus is here.

Asked about funerals he said that in recent months there were a number of incidents where they led to significant large outbreaks.

On schools he said at this point it was not the time to instigate the mobility of one million people.

Commenting on whether people should take vitamin D supplements to increase their defences, he said it was important for people who are at home cocooning to maintain their levels of this vitamin.
There is no place for Sasikala, Dhinakaran in party: AIADMK

Never aimed for power: Jayalalithaa aide VK Sasikala quits politics ahead of Tamil Nadu polls

Why it is not yet time to write Sasikalas political obituary

Sasikala's exit will help to fulfil Jayalalithaa's dreams: CT Ravi

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Injustice: Sasikala's name 'deleted' from voters list, says her legal counsel

Sasikala is conscious, alert and well oriented: Bangaluru Hospital

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Bengaluru, Jan 26: Expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala, who is serving a jail term in Bengaluru in a corruption case, is conscious, alert and well oriented, theB angalore Medical College and Research Institute said in a statement.

''Sasikala is conscious, alert and well oriented, her pulse rate is 70/minute & blood pressure is 126/70 mmHg,'' Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute said.

In view of her critical condition, she was shifted to the ICU ward of Victoria Hospital.

Expelled AIADMK leader Sasikala to be released from prison on Jan 27, says nephew Dhinakaran

Now that the symptoms have reduced substantially and her condition has become normal, she has been taken out of the ICU.

However, the hospital authorities have been monitoring her.

Meanwhile, her sister-in-law J Ilavarasi, who too is serving a jail term in the corruption case and was found COVID-19 positive, was keeping well, the authorities said.

Farmers enter ITO, vandalise bus, press on to Central Delhi | Oneindia News

Sasikala was sentenced to four years imprisonment in February 2017 in the Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case.

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 16:37 [IST]
Border Wall Contractors Told to Stop Construction by Tuesday Night: Congressman

All Customs and Border Protection (CPB) construction on the U.S.-Mexico border wall will stop by the end of Tuesday, according to a Democratic congressman whose district is located along the border.

I received notification that in accordance with President [Joe] Bidens executive order, all CPB contractors have now been formally notified by CBP Procurement to pause construction activities on CBP self-executed projects, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) said in a statement. While CBP cannot speak on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense or U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), it is expected that DOD and USACE are undertaking parallel action on CBP-funded border wall projects that they are overseeing.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the CBP, for comment about the wall construction halt.

The Trump administration had obtained billions of dollars in funding to construct the wall. Over the last four years, amid legal and congressional battles, about 450 miles of the wall were built along the border.

The wall stoppage on Tuesday complies with Bidens executive orders that were issued last week. The order halted projects where money was shifted from military projects to the border.

This is a promising step in our work to halt construction of the ineffective and wasteful border wall and undo the damage that borderlands have experienced these past four years, Cueller continued in his statement. However, our work continues. I remain steadfast in my commitment to working with the new administration until every border wall contract is terminated and all construction crews leave our border communities.

After Bidens executive orders were issued, former Trump administration officials said that the border wall is necessary to reduce immigration numbers.

That includes former Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan, who said the Biden administration has made the United States less safe with the presidents executive blitz last week after taking office.

With the stroke of a pen, President Biden made this country less safe, Morgan told Breitbart News on Jan. 23. Its pure politics over public safety.

Look, I know what our team said to the transition team, Morgan said. I know the facts and data and analysis that was provided. I know what they told them and gave them that showed that the wall works.

Morgan added he believes the current administration did not speak to experts with the Border Patrol about the policies that should remain, including the wall.

One of former President Donald Trumps final trips was to the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Alamo, Texas.
The piece, which SAIF Corporation donated to the university in 2017, was installed northeast of the Art Building on March 29, 2021.

Here are some photos of Lee Kelly's sculpture after it was installed on the North Lawn.

Original story  published Jan. 26, 2021

Lee Kelly sculpture to grace Willamette University campus

Thanks to a donation by SAIF Corporation and the vision of Willamette University arts supporters, a 15-foot-tall sculpture by renowned artist Lee Kelly  often referred to as Oregons sculptor  is scheduled to be installed near the Art Building in late February.

This brings a major piece of outdoor sculpture to campus by one of Oregon's most important and distinguished sculptors, said John Olbrantz, Maribeth Collins director of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. It's among the first steps in creating an outdoor collection of Pacific Northwest sculpture on Willamette's campus, an idea that we've been talking about for years.

The untitled piece, which was fashioned from COR-TEN steel in 1974, occupied a prominent space on SAIFs Salem campus for more than four decades. But as SAIF prepared for a campus renovation project in 2016, it didnt include the sculpture in the new hardscape and landscape plan.

SAIF reached out to Jim Bauer  former vice president for planning, facilities and external affairs at Willamette  to see if the university would be interested in the sculpture. Bauer immediately contacted Olbrantz, who enthusiastically recommended the acquisition.

I said we needed to jump on it, Olbrantz recalled. It's an iconic example of Lee's sculpture, and we both agreed that it would be an excellent addition to the campus sculpture collection.

The Hallie Ford Museum of Art paid to have the sculpture removed from the SAIF campus in 2017. While it was in storage, a committee began exploring potential sites for the piece. The team included Shelby Radcliffe, vice president for advancement; Roger Hull, professor of art history emeritus; and Mark Mazurier, assistant director of projects.

The group considered several locations before settling on a spot just northeast of the Art Building.

Since the piece is of monumental scale with an opening at center, it occurred to us that it is a kind of gateway piece, a portal or doorway in abstract terms, Hull said. We wanted to place it near a walkway somewhere on the edge of campus. We decided that a large piece by a major Oregon sculptor would be appropriate near the Art Building, in a spot that also leads to and from the Hallie Ford Museum and can be seen by drivers traveling east on State Street.

Lee Kelly's untitled sculpture will be installed between the Art Building and State Street in February.

Kelly's sculptures are a fixture in cities throughout Oregon and Washington. One example stands in front of the Pacific Northwest College of Art, which will formally merge with Willamette University later this year.

There will be a nice congruence between that sculpture and the one on the Willamette campus, Hull said. It will provide an aesthetic link, you might say, between the linked institutions.
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In March last year, the UK government said it was hopeful the country could cap its coronavirus deaths at 20,000. It was a bleak target to set, but one the nation came to begrudgingly accept.

Ten months on, Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivered a somber public briefing Tuesday, in which he announced the country could now count more than 100,000 people as its Covid-19 dead, in what he called a 'grim statistic.'

Of the worst-affected nations, the UK has earned the dishonor of having the highest number of confirmed deaths in the world, proportionate to population.

A surge in case numbers that began in December has pushed hospitals to the brink. ICU workers say they have been forced to 'dilute' their care and describe mental health struggles under unprecedented pressure.

Schools are shut and have moved online, disrupting the lives of students and working parents alike. All but essential shops are closed. In England, socializing, even outdoors, is banned, except in pairs for exercise.

There are few differences from the spring, when Britons suffered a devastating first wave and were put under a draconian lockdown. They are now asking themselves how they got here. Yet again.

When asked that very thing, Johnson has repeatedly pointed to a new and more contagious variant of the virus, now infamously known around the world as the 'UK variant.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock too has claimed the country's response was working until the new variant hit.

But it's not that simple. Like in the first wave, the government has been slow to respond to rising case and death numbers with restrictions. It has failed to get an adequate contact-tracing and isolation system running. And it has, again, been slow on border controls, only closing 'travel corridors' with more than 60 countries or territories in mid-January amid record-breaking daily death tolls.

Experts say the government hasn't learned from its past mistakes and still lacks a coherent strategy.

Prof. Anne Johnson, president of the UK's Academy of Medical Sciences, said there was a clear correlation with the relaxation of restrictions before Christmas and the recent spike in infections.

'The new variant is important and more transmissible, but that's not the only cause of the third wave. Let's be clear,' she told CNN.

Boris Johnson had for weeks been telling the nation they could celebrate Christmas with friends and families, allowing a mixing of households if they just followed the rules during a November lockdown. He called the whole thing off at the 11th hour, at least in England's worst-hit counties.

But it was too late. The damage had been done well before the holidays began, and medical staff knew they would be in for a tough January.

'Inevitably, if you come out of lockdown on the 2nd of December, as we did, with people gagging to get to the shops and get out and about, and we've got three weeks before Christmas, that's going to be clearly a moment for seeing more transmission,' Prof. Anne Johnson said.

In the aftermath, the Prime Minister argued the government could not have foreseen the new, more transmissible variant. But the idea that viruses mutate, sometimes in the shape of more aggressive forms, is widely understood.

It was even flagged as a potential threat in a July report by the Academy of Medical Sciences, for which Prof. Anne Johnson was a lead author. The government had commissioned the report for the precise purpose of preparing for the difficult winter it knew was coming.

In July last year, the Prime Minister was forced to admit he had not read the report when asked in parliament. In January, six months later, he did not answer a question by the BBC's Andrew Marr in an interview on whether he had finally gotten around to reading it. His office did not answer a question from CNN on whether he had now read it.

It's an example of what the Prime Minister's critics say is his aversion to detail. The Johnson government has long emphasized learning to live with Covid-19, simply accepting a certain level of circulation in the community. Had he taken the winter report's warning seriously, however, he may have understood the additional threat of a new variant.

The report, along with several others from medical experts, also raised concerns about the country's test, trace and isolate system. Testing has improved dramatically, but tracing and isolating hasn't. Anecdotal evidence is growing that an app designed to aid the process is largely inactive.

The Department of Health told CNN that the app had been downloaded more than 21 million times and was still a key tool in helping break chains of transmission.

But compliance is a major issue. In an ongoing survey of people's behavior and feelings around Covid-19 in the UK by the University College London, 38% of respondents said they were not isolating after developing symptoms for the full recommended 10-day period. Some 13% said they were not isolating at all. And 75% of adults over the age of 60 who reported experiencing symptoms at least once said they had never bothered requesting a test.

The study's lead author, Dr Daisy Fancour, said in a statement the number of respondents not isolating was 'deeply concerning.'

The study also finds a correlation between isolation compliance and income level. This suggests that many people breaking rules on isolation are doing so because of financial pressures.

'The increased adherence to self-isolation rules among those with a higher household income suggests that many of those not isolating are breaking guidelines due to financial concerns, and more support needs to be put in place to allow people to self-isolate without fear of losing out financially,' Fancour said.

'Too little, too late'

After the hardship of the first wave, it's difficult to comprehend why the government hasn't adopted the models seen in countries that have been more successful in their responses, particularly in terms of border controls.

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel admitted to a group of Conservative Party supporters that the government should have closed borders in March, according to a video published by the pro-Conservative website Guido Fawkes. She claimed that she had supported the idea at the time.

The UK may have finally hardened its border, but it's easy to see how more cases could slip through the net. Most of the country now requires people crossing its borders to self-isolate for 10 days, but it has no robust mechanism to ensure people are complying.

In Canada, arrivals isolate at home, but police check in with them. Rule-breakers face up to six months in jail. Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore use electronic wristbands to ensure people stay home during quarantine periods. They are controversial from a privacy perspective, but they broadly work.

And in Australia, arrivals are forced to stay for two weeks in strict government-monitored 'quarantine hotels.' Arrivals have to pay for their own quarantine, charged at a rate of around $3,000 ($2,3000) for one adult in most states. It's a measure Johnson's government is only now considering.

The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, chastized Johnson in a scathing speech earlier this month, saying his indecision was costing lives.

'Every time there's a big decision to make, Boris Johnson gets there too late,' he said.

'The government says it's trying to balance the health crisis with the economic crisis. Yet we ended 2020 with one of the worst death tolls in Europe and the deepest recession of any major economy. That's not bad luck. That wasn't inevitable. It's the consequence of the PM's repeated delay and incompetence.'

Enforcing the kind of border controls seen in Australia wouldn't be hard -- when you take out Northern Ireland, the UK is essentially an island around the size of the state of Kansas. The export of the UK variant to 60 countries demonstrates how porous the UK's border has been.

Australia, a country of 25 million people, has reported just over 900 deaths. It has been able to keep the virus at bay with its quarantine hotels in conjunction with swift local lockdowns, granular data and transparency that has won the public's trust, according to a report by consulting firm McKinsey.

The country is now working on its economy's recovery as the UK struggles just to keep its own open.

When asked by a reporter whether he could have done more to prevent deaths, Johnson said he took full responsibility for his government's response but made no admissions of any missteps.

'We did everything that we could to minimize suffering and minimize loss of life in this country as a result of the pandemic, and I'm deeply sorry for every life lost.'

The threat of vaccine complacency

Johnson also sought on Tuesday to focus on the UK's success with its vaccine program. The UK was the first country to begin vaccinating people with a fully vetted and authorized Covid-19 shot, and to date it has given at least 6.8 million people the first of two doses.

The prospect of success here could offer Johnson the political get-out-of-jail card he sorely needs.

But for the vaccine rollout to be a success, Johnson's government will need to smooth out its distribution, which some medical service providers say has been haphazard to date, though it is early days.

'There are clearly issues around supply,' said Danny Mortimer, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents providers of the government-funded National Health Service. But he is not aware of whether the problem is one of supply or of distribution.

The Department of Health and Social Care declined to tell CNN how many vaccine doses the country had in stock, saying it was now part of the country's critical infrastructure, citing 'security reasons' for withholding details on supplies.

But it said that the country's 'vaccine supply and scheduled deliveries will fully support' the country's program, including the immunization of four key groups by February 15.

'The UK has already vaccinated more people than any other country in Europe, and we are mobilizing the government, NHS and our armed forces as part of a massive national effort to lead us out of this crisis,' it said.

Supply concerns are compounded by the pressure to administer a large number of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine fast. Rigid temperature requirements mean doses that are refrigerated need to be used in five days. With a box typically containing 1,000 doses, surgeries and vaccine centers have to administer 200 shots a day to ensure no doses in a box go to waste.

Mortimer said the vaccine program was 'truly impressive' in scale and had given worn-out NHS workers a huge boost in morale, but he emphasized the urgent need to improve distribution.

Like many health experts, he warns against the UK becoming too reliant on the vaccine as a silver bullet.

Improving other measures -- especially the test, trace and isolate system -- is crucial to bringing infection numbers down until there is a high level of immunity in the country, which may not be until the end of the year, Mortimer explained.

'We need to know that as the vaccine is rolled out, and as it takes time for the vaccine to gain efficacy, that those elements of tracing and isolating are robust, and are robust for the longer term. It's probably too early to say we have full confidence in that, but it's really important the government gets that right,' he said.

'The sad reality of this last 10 months is that NHS organizations have seen this virus do real harm to their communities. We can see this in a really depressing death toll, but we can also see it in the longer-term impact the virus having on people's health.'
Iran has approved Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday, in a win for Moscow as it aims to bolster its geopolitical clout.

Iran, which is fighting the Middle East's deadliest outbreak, has said it will only rely on vaccines made by Russia, India or China, while also working to produce a homemade jab.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

After talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Zarif confirmed Sputnik V had been approved on Monday, adding: "In the near future we hope we will be able to purchase it, as well as start joint production."

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei this month banned the use of vaccines made by the United States and Britain, calling the jabs "completely untrustworthy".

Iran had earlier said it would wait for the World Health Organization's approval of Russia's jab before buying it.

Russia registered the shot -- named after the Soviet-era satellite -- in August last year, before the start of large-scale clinical trials, leaving some experts wary.

Sputnik V's developers have since said the vaccine is more than 90 percent effective and several countries outside of Russia have begun administering it, including Argentina.

Russia last week filed for registration of Sputnik V in the European Union, while EU member Hungary broke ranks and purchased two million doses of the jab before the bloc had approved it.





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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Police have launched an appeal after the door of a small aircraft was found on a motorway.

Wiltshire Police's specialist operations department, which includes the roads policing unit, took to social media to appeal for the owner of the mysterious door to 'come forward' after it was discovered on the M4 near Swindon.

The metal door, which is white with a clear glass window and yellow and grey stripes, was found in lane one of the motorway on January 9.

Wiltshire Police have launched an appeal after a plane door (left and right) was found on the M4 near Swindon

The forces's specialist operations unit took to Twitter to ask the owner of the 'unusual debris' to 'come forward and collect it'

Taking to Twitter the force shared pictures of the 'unusual debris' and called on the owner to 'come forward and collect it'.

They wrote: 'Unusual debris! What appears to be a door from a light aircraft, removed from lane one of the the M4 near Swindon on Saturday 9th January.

'If the owner would like to come forward to collect it, please get in touch. #insecureload.'

Following the unusual appeal, social media users were left scratching their heads at the unexpected debris.

One user wrote: 'Too dusty and with minor damage to be from an airborne plane.

'Most probably fell down from a lorry on his way to a graveyard for scrapping. The hinges look perfect.'

The metal door, which is white with a clear glass window and yellow and grey stripes, was found in lane one on January 9. Pictured: The M4 near Swindon

Social media users were left scratching their heads at the unusual, with one claiming it most probably fell from a lorry

While another commented: 'Where's the rest of the plane?'

Another person added: 'Fairly open and shut case.'

Meanwhile one social media user wrote: 'Wonder where the pilot/passenger is?'
Johnson & Johnson could seek emergency use authorization for its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine within a couple of weeks, White House advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said.

The New Brunswick-based companys vaccine has been in a Phase 3 clinical trial, known as Ensemble.

I would think that no more than two weeks from now the data will be analyzed in the similar fashion, the way we analyzed it with the Moderna and the Pfizer candidate, Fauci said Friday on The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. That is an independent data and safety monitoring board (that) will look at the data, determine if its ready  They can go to the FDA and ask to see if they can get an emergency use authorization.

You know, I dont want to get ahead of them, but I have to tell you, I would be surprised if it was any more than two weeks from now that the data will be analyzed and decisions would be made.

The pharmaceutical giant then hopes to supply the U.S. with 100 million doses by April, Johnson & Johnson board member Dr. Mark McClellan told CNBC.

The company did not respond to a request for comment.

The one-dose vaccine could be a game-changer. The vaccines by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna require two doses. Johnson & Johnsons vaccine candidate, on the other hand, is a single-dose shot that doesnt require special freezers. Pfizers inoculation requires ultra-cold storage.

Vaccine demand continues to far outweigh supply in New Jersey and elsewhere. Officials eagerly await the approval of the Johnson & Johnson candidate, especially after Kenilworth-based Merck recently gave up on two potential coronavirus vaccines, according to The Associated Press. Hopes were dashed after poor results arose in early-stage studies. The company is shifting to two potential treatments for COVID-19.

Johnson & Johnson will need emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration before its vaccine can be distributed.

Thats really good news  because that would be  if it does get emergency use authorization  yet again another candidate that does have some differences, Fauci said. And thats good because it gives a wider range of flexibility.

New Jersey has administered 565,401 coronavirus vaccine doses, according to the states dashboard. More than 492,000 were first-dose shots and 72,700 were boosters. The state has received nearly 1 million doses from the federal government, according to a running tally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have plateaued, New Jersey has reported 598,660 confirmed cases since its first positive test March 4. The state has suffered nearly 21,000 deaths, including 1,869 in January, as the nation approaches another grim milestone: 500,000 deaths.

Developed by Johnson & Johnsons Belgian division, Janssen Pharmaceutica, the potential vaccine differs from the Pfizer and Moderna shots, which use mRNA technology.

Johnson & Johnson uses an adenovirus  a type of virus that causes the common cold  that has been made unable to replicate, said Dr. Mathai Mammen, global head for Janssen Research & Development at Johnson & Johnson, in a statement on the companys website.

The adenovirus carries a gene from the coronavirus into human cells, which then produce the coronavirus spike protein, but not the coronavirus itself. This spike protein is what primes the immune system to fight off a subsequent infection by the virus.

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Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com.
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Gary Wagner, Acadiana business economist with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Moody College of Business, gives a presentation during the Acadiana's Economic Vitals luncheon hosted by One Acadiana and sponsored by The Acadiana Advocate Thursday, May 30, 2019, at the Cecil J. Picard Center in Lafayette, La.
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London, Jan 26 : UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that the government is mulling measures to require arrivals into the country to quarantine in hotels amid concerns over new coronavirus variants from abroad.

"We have to realize there is at least the theoretical risk of a new variant that is a vaccine-busting variant coming in. We've got to be able to keep that under control," Johnson said at a vaccination site in north London on Monday.

"We want to make sure that we protect our population, protect this country against reinfection from abroad. That idea of looking at hotels is certainly one thing we're actively now working on.

"We need a solution that gives us the maximum possible protection against reinfection from abroad," he added.

According to a BBC report, the new measure to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days will apply to arrivals from most of Southern Africa and South America, as well as Portugal, since many flights from Brazil come via Lisbon.

Hotel quarantine is already in place in countries including New Zealand and Australia.

Most foreign nationals from high-risk countries already face UK travel bans, under which almost all people must test negative for Covid-19 up to 72 hours before travelling.

Even after this negative test, arrivals still have to quarantine for up to 10 days, although this can be done at home.

In his address on Monday, Johnson also said that the government will be "looking at the potential of relaxing some measures" before mid-February when the top four priority groups covering around 13 million people are expected to be vaccinated, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We're looking at the data as it comes in, we're looking at the rates of infection, as you know the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) groups one to four will be vaccinated by February 15," he said.

"Before then we'll be looking at the potential of relaxing some measures... But don't forget this country has made huge progress in reducing infection. I don't think people want to see another big surge in infection," he added.

His remarks come as England is currently under the third national lockdown since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country.

Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

As of Tuesday morning, the overall coronavirus caseload in the UK has increased to 3,680,101, while the death toll stood at 98,723.
(Natural News) The former aide of then-Senator Joe Biden has come forward to accuse the 46th president of being a sexual predator.

Tara Reade says it was especially painful to have to watch Biden be inaugurated knowing that the sniffer-in-chief has never been held accountable for allegedly kissing her by force and digitally penetrating her without her consent during an incident she said took place in 1993.

Biden denies Reades allegations, accusing her of changing her story considerably. Reade says she is telling the truth, though, and could not bear to watch Biden be coronated under military occupation knowing what kind of a person he truly is.

Coming forward about being sexually harassed and assaulted in 1993 when I was Joe Bidens staffer was excruciating on so many levels, Reade is quoted as saying. Biden used his power and resources with certain media to erase me and silence me.

Joining other #metoo victims who have been sexually assaulted, Reade says she stands in solidarity with all survivors coming against such power.

I will not be silenced, she further added during the interview.

Instead of talking about saving the countrys soul, [Biden] should be held accountable for his actions. The hard part is I believe in many policies that will move forward as I am a progressive independent, but it is unspeakably hard to watch the man who assaulted me go to the most powerful position in the land.

Joe Biden is a pervert who belongs behind bars

Much like Bill Clinton, a known rapist who visited Epstein Island, Biden is being completely let off the hook by his base, which appears to be almost exclusively the media, because he is a Democrat.

Unlike how the media treated President Donald Trump, who was falsely accused by numerous women of sexual assault as part of a ridiculous Believe Women! campaign, Bidens heinous behavior towards a woman who worked for him is being systematically swept under the rug as non-important.

This is what always happens whenever a Democrat is exposed as being a womanizer or a pedophile. Somehow women are not to be believed whenever they accuse a leftist of harming them.

The same is now true of Biden, who will more than likely receive no scrutiny as this story gets buried, predictably, by the media.

Today is yet again another difficult day for survivors of sexual violence, Reade tweeted, hoping to get her message out to people directly since the media is refusing to touch it.

While Im thankful Trump was defeated, the man who assaulted me as our president is still terribly painful. I will be sharing resources for survivors today for #Inauguration2021.

You can watch Tara Reades interview with Megyn Kelly below:

While she admittedly does not support Trump and considers herself to be politically towards the left, Reade can clearly see that the Democrat Party as a whole continues to be complicit with sexual misconduct.

Reade told Fox News that the media only touches sexual assault allegations when its a Republican or someone else.

Until sexual misconduct is seen as non-partisan, institutionalized rape culture will stay in place and powerful men will continue to be able to get away with crimes, she further stated. And not only get away with it but be rewarded with more power.

Reade previously came forward in 2019 alongside many other women who likewise accused Biden of inappropriately touching or groping them. The Biden regime continues to deny all claims that Dementia Joe did anything wrong.

More of the latest news about the sham Biden regime can be found at Faked.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheBlaze.com

NaturalNews.com

FoxNews.com
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A defense attorney for the Kirtland Air Force Base airman accused of negligent homicide and other crimes in the death of a pedestrian in March 2019 has asked that his charges be dismissed because his car was not inspected during the investigation and was later destroyed.

The trial by court martial for Airman Calvin Cooper began at Kirtland Air Force Base on Monday on charges of reckless driving, involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. Investigators say he was speeding in his Subaru Impreza when he used the median to pass another car at Louisiana and Ross SE. Angelica Baca, 39, was standing in the median and was killed instantly in the crash.

The proceedings Monday focused on preliminary matters. Opening arguments in the trial are expected to begin Tuesday or Wednesday. Cooper, who was 20 at the time of the crash, is expected to enter pleas to the charges on Tuesday morning.

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Defense attorney Capt. Victoria Clark argued that the charges should be dismissed because the Impreza was not inspected before it was destroyed in July.

Joseph Earl Manning, a crash reconstruction expert who was hired to help in the investigation, testified Monday that he never inspected the car but instead used the Albuquerque Police Department crash report and other methods to determine that Cooper was going 58 mph when he struck Baca.

The evidentiary value of a vehicle in a traffic accident cannot be understated, Clark said. Photos do not replace analyzing a physical car. The government is relying on photographs to calculate speed.

Clark asked that the charges be dismissed, or that the judge not allow prosecutors to rely on the accident report to present evidence on how fast Cooper was going at the time of the crash.

Prosecutor Capt. Matthew Lupo said that the Albuquerque Police Department took possession of the car after the incident and that the defense had access to it up until July.

The government did not destroy this car, Lupo said. It was the accused who took the car prior to its disposal.

Lt. Col. Rebecca Schmidt, the presiding judge, did not issue an immediate ruling on the motion.

The trial is being held in a courtroom at Kirtland. Media and other members of the public were allowed to watch the proceedings via closed-circuit TV in a nearby auditorium due to COVID-19 restrictions. The trial is expected to last seven to 10 days, and Cooper will be sentenced immediately if he is found guilty.
In reaction to the Republic Day farmer protest developments in Delhi, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for non-violence and for respecting peaceful protests.

"As we say (in) many of these cases, I think it's important to respect peaceful protests, freedom of assembly and non-violence," his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday in reply to a question about the Delhi violence during the protests.

Scores of people were injured when the tractor protest by farmers protesting the new farm laws turned violent, clashing with police.

The rioters stormed the Red Fort and damaged property at several places in the national capital.

Police reacted with teargas and lathi charges.
Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID
DETROIT - The National Institutes of Health is supporting a Wayne State University School of Medicine physician-researcher's work at preventing and treating cerebral palsy in the form of two new five-year R01 grants worth a collective $5.59 million.

The principal investigator on both projects is Sidhartha Tan, M.D., professor and co-division chief of Neonatology in the Department of Pediatrics.

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood, caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects a person's ability to control his or her muscles.

Dr. Tan obtained his first R01 last May for "Potent Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition for Prevention of Cerebral Palsy," which will provide $2,393,590 over the half-decade award period to test new, promising drugs aimed at a preventive cure for the condition.

"These are new drugs aimed at brain condition called neuronal nitric oxide synthase. New information about how these drugs act, how they affect brain cells and how effective they are in an animal model of cerebral palsy will be very valuable for future translation to clinical use in humans throughout the world," Dr. Tan said.

His second, a multiple principal investigator award launched Dec. 15, is "Probing Role of Tetrahydrobiopterin in Cerebral Palsy by Using Transgenic Rabbits." The grant will provide $3,197,644 in funding over five years to explore whether an essential enzyme co-factor is involved in brain injury before birth. The cellular and genetic basis of brain regional injury will be investigated using an animal model in which genes have been altered by genetic engineering methods, as well as advanced methods of magnetic resonance imaging.

Dr. Tan will work with Jie Xu, Ph.D., at the University of Michigan and Jeannette Vasquez Vivar, Ph.D., at the Medical College of Wisconsin, who are his co-investigators on the project.

"The studies will lead to a better understanding of how treatment with the same co-factor can reverse the movement disorders caused by insults to the fetal brain before birth," Dr. Tan added.

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The grants, from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, are R01NS114972 and R01NS117146.

About Wayne State University

Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit research.wayne.edu.
Questions still surround a Saturday morning fire that started in a Lebanon homes trash can and killed two mothers, authorities said.

Summer Boltz, 36, and Katisha Williams, 33, were found dead after a fire broke out around 6:10 a.m. Saturday at Boltzs home on the 300 block of North 11th Street, according to Lebanon City Police Chief Todd Breiner.

According to a GoFundMe page set up for Williams, she has two children, ages 4 and 6. Boltzs page said her children are 11, 7 and 3 years old. Breiner said the children were not home when the fire broke out.

Breiner could not say whether Boltzs home had smoke detectors. The cause of the fire is still under investigation as of Tuesday morning, but criminal activity isnt suspected.

Williams did not live at the 11th Street home, but Breiner said she and Boltz were friends.

The women also worked together at Quentin Tavern Restaurant, according to the businesss Facebook page.

In a previous statement to PennLive, general manager Lauren Borges said, This is a tragic time for all those who knew and loved them. The Quentin Tavern will always be grateful for the time Summer & Katie spent with us.

Quentin Tavern has arranged a gift card collection for the womens families. Lebanon Farmers Market is donations on behalf of Boltz, who was the daughter-in-law of one of the vendors. Donations can also be made through both GoFundMe pages.

Thank you all for your heartfelt condolences for our QT family and their families! Starting today and through the next... Posted by Quentin Tavern Restaurant on Sunday, January 24, 2021

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A man who disappeared 10 days ago and was the centre of a bushland search in Brisbanes west has been found dead.

The 43-year-olds body was found on Mount Coot-tha on Tuesday. Police are not treating the death as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

Police used quad bikes, motorbikes and drones in the search of Mount Coot-tha bushland on Monday. Credit:Nine News Queensland

Police and State Emergency Service personnel searched Mount Coot-tha in Brisbanes west on Monday and Tuesday for the man.

He was last seen at his home in Logan Reserve, south of Brisbane, on Saturday, January 16. He was reported missing on January 22.

Two people who wanted to see the new Hobby Lobby store at Laurel Mall were Lynn Castle and Karen Knodel.

Monday morning, Castle and Knodel were part of a line of about three dozen people waiting for the doors to open at 9 a.m., as Hobby Lobby held a grand opening for its 21st store in Pennsylvania.

Castle, who lives in Langhorne, Bucks County, also has a home in White Haven. She drove up especially for Mondays grand opening, accompanied by her friend, Knodel, from Willow Grove, Montgomery County.

There is a Hobby Lobby a good half-hour away from me in Willow Grove, Castle said. I like all kinds of crafts. We will spend a couple of hours just walking around, looking at everything.

Knodel is also familiar with Hobby Lobby.

My parents live in Texas, Knodel said. When I visit them, I go to Hobby Lobby, and the Willow Grove store is about 10 minutes from where she lives, she said.

Philip Shafer, the store manager, said the usual ribbon-cutting and related ceremonies were bypassed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Were trying to do as much as we can to stay safe, Shafer said.

The store had a soft opening Friday and Saturday that saw a large turnout, Shafer said.

We had strong sales, he said.

The new, 56,000-square-foot store, which opened in what was a portion of the former Kmart space, has more than 70,000 crafting and home decor products, including floral, fabric, needle art, custom framing, baskets, home accents, wearable art, jewelry making supplies, scrapbooking and paper crafting supplies.

What started out as a home-based picture-framing business in Oklahoma 50 years ago has grown into a national chain of 938 stores in 47 states that employ 43,000 people.

But Hobby Lobby never forgot its framing roots  employees do custom framing right in the store, Shafer said.

Theyre trained to put the framing all together. They go through all of the color schemes and mat samples. We have mats that you can cut right here in the store. They can cut all the glass in here, he said.

And employees will problem-solve with the customer, he said.

If they dont like the way it looks, then we are able to do that, unlike some of the other frame shops that send everything out, Shafer said.

Troy Moore, Hobby Lobbys district manager, said the Greater Hazleton market had been on the chains radar for some time.

We try to find areas that we can disperse around where we dont interfere with our other stores, Moore said. This is an area our real estate department has been looking at for awhile.

The closest stores to the Laurel Mall location, which employs 55 people, are in Dickson City, Lackawanna County, and Easton, Northampton County.

The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Moore said.

We are a Christian company, so we are closed on Sundays for worship and family, Moore said.

For more information about Hobby Lobby, weekly specials, coupon offers, store locations and online shopping, visit hobbylobby.com, download the mobile app or follow on Facebook at facebook.com/hobbylobby.
A state of emergency was declared for South Kalimantan, Borneo, as torrential rain triggered flooding and landslides, affecting 342,987 people and bringing the death toll to 21 as of last week. According to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), 54,950 houses were flooded, and over 70,000 were displaced.

Rescuers assist an elderly man to climb into their boat at a flooded village in Banjar, South Kalimantan on Borneo Island, Indonesia, in this Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021 photo. (AP Photo/Putra)

The floods inundated all but 1 of Kalimantans 13 districts, the worst affected being Balangan, Banjar, Barito Kuala, Central Hulu Sungai, and Tanah Laut with 209,884 hectares of agricultural land being destroyed, according to the Indonesian Farmers Union. Most of the land was active farmland, comprising rice fields, agriculture and fish farming ponds.

Floodwaters also disabled 21 bridges, including the main bridge in Mataraman District, Banjar Regency, hampering rescue efforts. Government officials have described them as the worst foods to hit the province in 50 years.

Initial estimates by the Agency for The Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) report total economic losses of 1.349 Rupiah ($US96.1 million), factoring in long term effects and remediation.

The events occurred in what has been a destructive start of natural disasters to the new year. The BNPB reported a total of 185 natural disasters which had hit Indonesia in the first three weeks of 2021.

Most are in the form of floods, hurricanes and landslides, BNPB representative Professor Wiku stated in a press conference this week.

While this is a smaller number than last year, 166 people have died so far in January 2021, as compared to 91 from January 2020.

Weather reports indicate that heavy rains are expected to continue in South Kalimantan until February, and Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned of an increase in multiple disaster risks up until March 2021.

President Joko Widodo travelled to the affected areas last week, inspecting damaged buildings, evacuation efforts and aid logistics. He stated that the floods were the unavoidable outcome of unusually high rainfall, causing the central Barito river to overflow.

His comments prompted rebukes from environmental scientists and advocates, who pointed to the devastating effects of deforestation from palm oil and mining operations. Such activities had led to a reduction in the storage capacity of the Barito River watershed, leading to more destructive flooding.

Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil in the world, which is used in many household products. In 2019, Indonesia produced an estimated 48.42 million metric tons of crude palm oil.

Despite efforts to boycott the commodity, the Indonesian government is proceeding with a plan to develop domestic fuel sourced entirely from its palm oil plantations. Currently the biodiesel blend (B30) sold at gas stations contains 30 percent palm oil. In order to better meet domestic fuel demand, the government estimates it will need to establish 15 million hectares of new plantations.

In an interview with Tempo magazine, Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) of South Kalimantan Director, Kisworo Dwi Cahyono, stated, If [the President] only blames the rain, it would have been better that he had not come here.

South Kalimantan stretches 3.7 million hectares that has 13 regencies and cities, but is burdened by 50 percent mining permits, 33 percent are palm oil fields, he stated, adding that such an ecological disaster had been repeatedly warned about by the areas branch office.

The government is yet again ill-prepared. The people are once again who must bear the consequences, said Kisworo.

Arie Rompas from the Indonesian section of Greenpeace echoed these concerns to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), stating that floods and landslides were among the chief natural disasters in recent years.

Its strongly related to the accumulated damage to forests that have an impact on climate change, he said.

The governments own research agency, BPPT, confirmed these assessments when it stated that a reduction in high density vegetation in upstream areas had compromised water storage functions, according to the Indonesian Nusa Daily.

In 2019, 324,000 hectares of primary forest was cleared, according to Global Forest Watch. Since 2001 this brings the total land cleared to 9.4 million hectares of primary forest.

In South Kalimantan, two thirds of the natural forest in its water catchment area has been cleared since 1991, according to government data cited by Mongabay, an environmental news website. Greenpeace has recorded a similar trend using satellite imagery which revealed that 304,000 hectares had been lost between 2001 and 2019.

As well as exacerbating the effects of flooding, the landscape has changed to one highly susceptible to landslides caused by erosion and fragile soil.

The government has doubled down on Widodos position, dismissing what it claims is misinformation and invalid data being pushed by other parties.

The environmental director at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Lana Saria, went so far as to say that mining activity in the region makes a positive contribution to the forests.

It in fact improves the capability of the watershed to become a water catchment area, she said.

Mining activity presents serious problems caused by acid mine drainage in which surface water reacts with rocks containing sulphur-bearing minerals, creating sulphuric acid. This can then leach away heavy metals from exposed rocks becoming highly toxic.

Calls for more stringent measures to protect the environment have fallen on deaf ears. Indonesia suffered its first recession in 20 years in the third quarter of 2020. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani estimated a GDP contraction of 1.72.2 per cent for 2020 earlier this year and projected a rebound of 4.55.5 per cent in 2021.

This rebound is contingent on the governments strategy to scrap legislation for mining companies and plantations that will pave the way for the acceleration of deforestation.

Last years pro-business omnibus law, rammed through parliament despite popular opposition, revises 26 articles and shreds another seven from the 2014 Plantation Law. Most critical is the relaxing of environmental permits for developers, who are now given slap-on-the-wrist sanctions if found to be without permits and a three-year grace period to obtain them.

Environmental impact assessments are not required unless the operation is deemed to be high risk, and those found neglecting the environment or lacking firefighting equipment will not lose their permits.
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SANTA FE  New Mexico has surpassed all other states in its reliance on Medicaid health care as the coronavirus wreaks economic havoc and shifts the way people receive health care, the states Medicaid director told a panel of lawmakers on Friday.

Residents have flocked to the federal- and state-subsidized health care program for people living in poverty or on the cusp, with 43% enrollment statewide as of November. States including Louisiana and Kentucky rely heavily on Medicaid to insure about one-third of their populations.

Nicole Comeaux, director of the state Medicaid Assistance Division, says enrollment has grown by about 1.5% a month since the outset of the pandemic.

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That has helped deliver a windfall of federal contributions to Medicaid spending in New Mexico. The federal government provides $4.76 for every dollar in state general funds spent on the program, up from $3.65 pre-pandemic.

That equation is providing the state with an additional $385 million, under the condition that it keep Medicaid patients enrolled even as they climb into jobs and out of poverty.

The recent expansion could be costly if bonus federal matching funds expire as scheduled in April. Comeaux said the state could see a $170 million shortfall for the coming fiscal year that starts July 1.

The Legislature convened last week to craft a spending plan for the coming fiscal year.

Only half of that population is going to fall off Medicaid insurance, she said. Our base budget doesnt account for those extra folks.

States have begun lobbying the administration of President Joe Biden for a more gradual reduction in the Medicaid match, Comeaux said.

Highlighting New Mexicos increasing reliance on Medicaid, Comeaux said that the program pays for three-quarters of births across the state.

In rural Torrance and Sierra counties, more the three-quarters of the population is insured through Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program, for families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to buy private insurance.
Lenskart, the largest eyewear retailer of India, has announced its foray into the Middle East market and plans to open its first retail store in Dubai soon.

The company has committed $50 million (around AED185 million) towards the expansion in the UAE market. The eyewear specialist has launched its operations in the UAE through online offerings at its website ae.lenskart.com with free delivery across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

The UAE is a very active market for premium fashion eyewear and colour contact lenses, and Lenskart will be launching its brands - John Jacobs and Aqualens - along with lenskart, which has already disrupted the markets in India and Singapore.

Within the year, the company plans to provide eyewear through its online and offline stores across the Middle East, similar to its current practice in Singapore and India. The move to venture into the Middle East, follows its success and popularity in Singapore where Lenskart is looking to do $30 million revenue in 2021 and achieving the No: 1 position. In the Middle East, Lenskart aims to do the same by building a $250 million business over the next 3-4 years.

Peyush Bansal, Co-Founder, LensKart, said, At Lenskart, we understand the UAE millennial buyers and believe that we have the most stylish and high-quality products that are supported by innovative technology and a strong supply chain to deliver a surprising customer experience. We envision to grow exponentially in the coming 3-4 years and build a robust consumer base for our brand in the Middle East. Our prime objective remains enthusiastic customer satisfaction.

The company keeps customer experience and technology at the forefront of its servicing. It provides a unique offering of AR (Augmented Reality) technology for virtual try-on. The indigenously-developed technology enables customers to try eyewear virtually and makes intelligent recommendations as per their facial analysis.

Lenskarts new production facility is under development in Delhi-NCR region of India with an investment of over $100 million and it is going to be the largest eyewear facility in the world with supply capacity of over 150,000 glasses per day.

Lenskart has 5,000 employees and an in house data and technology team of over 300 engineers. Amit Chaudhary and Ramneek Khurana who are the other co-founders dedicatedly oversee to all technology initiatives across the company. Lenskart shipped 7 million pairs of eyewear last year which is largest among all eyewear startups founded globally in the last decade. - TradeArabia News Service
Ministers must act now on schools plan

Before the pandemic, we thought we knew what education was for: maths, science and reading  the acquisition of knowledge. One year on, society is fully absorbing the central role schools play in our economic and social ecosystem.

For younger children, it is a playground for social interaction and emotional wellbeing. For disadvantaged students, a safe space to learn and get a hot meal. For our key workers, somewhere that enables them to go out and do their jobs.

For these reasons and more, we all want to see schools reopen as soon as practicable.

We acknowledge that the Government feels under siege, having erred in bringing schools back for one day after the Christmas holidays. But prime-ministerial embarrassment is not a good enough reason for inactivity.

Teachers, parents and most of all students need clarity. Not necessarily a date in stone, but a timetable they can work to and plan for. This is doable. We know that schools increase transmission. But they are also well-versed in bubbles, testing and operating in a Covid-secure manner.

The Government should consider all options, including a phased reintroduction of classes. It must ensure that those from socially deprived backgrounds  who are suffering the most from online learning  are admitted first, alongside the youngest learning the basics of reading and writing and older pupils supposed to be sitting their GCSEs and A-levels.

We understand the emotional tug of teacher vaccinations  we want those educating our children to feel safe. But the core issue is whether we can send our young people to mix in schools without sending transmission rates and hospitalisations back up again.

There have been times during this pandemic when the Government has had no option. This is not one of those moments. A sensible pathway exists  the Government must take those decisions now and without delay.

Help for aviation

Few industries  apart from those men you used to see in Trafalgar Square offering free hugs have been worse hit by the pandemic than aviation.

The Government has brought in ever tighter restrictions over the last few months, from mandatory self-isolation, to the abolishment of travel corridors, and yesterdays announcement of hotel quarantine. Foreign summer holidays too seem hopelessly optimistic.

Losses are piling up. International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways, announced a 1.16billion loss in its third quarter of 2020. Crawley, near Gatwick, has seen some of the largest job losses in the country.

Carriers in the US and Europe have received more direct financial support than their UK competitors, and the Government may wish to signal an extension on VAT relief now rather than wait for the Budget.

Yet climate change, not Covid-19, is the most serious long-term threat to the sector. Therefore any extra support for aviation should be linked to stricter environmental targets, which would truly future-proof the industry.

Dont dodge aid vote

The Governments decision to cut UK international development spending from its statutory 0.7 per cent of gross national income last year caused huge consternation.
For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here.

Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Measured against the towering marble columns of Salisbury Cathedral - an 800-year-old architectural wonder in Englands south - the 1000 elderly locals who have been asked to gather inside look alarmingly small and vulnerable. But after their visit they are, at least, a little more hopeful. In a rare fusion of church and clinic, the cathedral has been turned into a mass vaccination centre under Britains war-like effort to crush its disastrous coronavirus outbreak. This building has been here for eight centuries to give glory to God and serve Gods people, says the Dean of Salisbury, Nicholas Papadopulos. Right now, the best way we can serve Gods people is by getting jabs into their arms. Twelve vaccination booths have been set up in the cathedrals transept. Credit:Getty Images Of all the town halls, stadiums, conference centres and other venues commandeered for the rollout, Salisbury Cathedral is unique. Its two organists, David Halls and John Challenger, play soothing hymns for 12 hours a day as residents aged 70 years and older shuffle in and roll up their sleeves. You want to get the tone right, says Challenger, the cathedrals assistant director of music. Were aiming for music which is calming, recognisable and going to put people at ease. Many of the people here are vulnerable and havent left their home for a long time. This is an amazing thing to see and its an absolute privilege to be part of it.

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Salisbury Cathedral boasts the UKs tallest spire and best preserved original version of the Magna Carta but is perhaps best known for being dragged into the 2018 nerve agent attack against ex-Russian military officer-turned British spy Sergei Skripal. In a Monty Python-esque television interview, the two Russians accused of carrying out the attempted assassination - Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov - claimed they were only in Salisbury to admire the cathedrals splendid architecture. Patients receive doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Credit:AP A little over two years later, pews have been replaced by a demonstration of conveyor belt-like efficiency. The Chapel of Saint Michael the Archangel has been cleared out to make room for refrigerators and trestle tables where medicos carefully prepare the vials. The magnificent Gothic cloisters are the perfect space for people to queue before entering. And in the cavernous nave, people sit and wait for 15 minutes to be monitored for any serious adverse side effects. I just feel very relieved, says Lilian Jackson, 88, who with husband David, 90, was vaccinated over the weekend. We have been isolated for a year. We wont rush back to normal any time soon but it is nice to know we might be a little more protected. A vaccinator calls for the next patient inside the cathedrals transept. Credit:Getty Images Papadopulos first offered to turn over the cathedral back in December when regulators granted emergency approval for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.

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In the nine weeks since, 6.6 million people in the United Kingdom have been given their first dose - the third highest rate per capita in the world. Thats more than one in 9 of the adult population, or 79 per cent of all people aged over 80. The medical miracle couldnt come soon enough, though: Britains official death toll is expected to top 100,000 on Tuesday and the virus is still raging out of control. There is no shrink-wrapped, safe, clinically-tested way of being a human being, says Papadopulos. We are constantly exposed to danger and peril. Here, we proclaim a faith which is grounded in the experience of real life and in real life plagues happen, earthquakes happen and people do terrible things to one another. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video I have been praying that we might learn from this experience about what really matters. What really matters is each other - how we relate to each other, how we look after each other, and what unites us. After getting a call, letter or text from a GP advising they are eligible for the vaccine, people arrive at the cathedral with a form and are assigned one of 12 booths in the transept. They hand over the form and an administrative assistant assigned to each booth enters the patients details into a central database which also registers whether they will be given the Pfizer vaccine or another developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. The vaccinator talks about the jab, obtains various verbal consents and then puts the syringe in an arm.

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Ireland will remain in Level 5 lockdown until at least March 5, the Taoiseach has announced.

Micheal Martin made the announcement at Government Buildings today following a meeting of Cabinet.

The continuation of the Covid-19 public health measures will see non-essential retail, schools, pubs and construction sites remain closed for the time being as cases of the virus remain high across the community.

Schools, however, may open on a phased basis starting next month.

Cabinet has also agreed that all those coming from South Africa and Brazil, where Covid variants have been found, will face mandatory quarantine when entering the country for no less than five days.

The requirement for others to isolate for two weeks when coming into the country will no longer be advisory and will be punishable by fines or imprisonment.

Those arriving without a negative PCR test will be hit with a fine of up to 2,500 or six months in prison, as well as two weeks' mandatory hotel quarantine.

The Taoiseach said that the restrictions were being made in a bid to "crush the virus" and urged people to "stay home".

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He said that he did not believe that "pulling up the drawbridge" would succeed in suppressing the virus.

"The most important thing we can do is stay home and adhere to hand hygiene and distancing."

The Taoiseach said that extra gardai would be deployed at ports and airports.

He said that application of the quarantine for non-EU passengers could be done under current restrictions and would apply to anyone who enters the country via any port of entry on the island.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said that the decision to extend the lockdown had been made in part to allow the phased reopening of schools, as well as to allow the vaccine rollout ramp up.

He said that the travel measures will take time to allow hotels to be requisitioned, staff to be trained and negotiations to be had with the EU, UK and Northern Executive.

Mr Varadkar said that international travel will be a small percentage of cases for now, but would become an issue in March or April when cases are lower.

Leo Varadkar said that application of the quarantine for non-EU passengers could be done under current restrictions and would apply to anyone who enters the country via any port of entry on the island.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said that people were "making huge sacrifices" and wanted to see that these were mirrored in government policy.

Several ministers at Cabinet made clear they would like the restrictions regime to have gone further and have expressed concern about the length of time it will take to bring the quarantine system online.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, several Government sources said ministers Simon Harris, Catherine Martin and chief whip Jack Chambers made it clear they felt the proposed changes do not go far enough.

It is clear that primary legislation will be needed to give effect to plans to introduce a mandatory quarantine for up to 14 days for those travelling in from Brazil and South Africa.

The dissenting ministers reportedly made the point that the new variant strains of the virus are not simply limited to the countries they are named after so questioned the likely effectiveness of the measure.

There is also concern that Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has been charged with introducing the quarantine system at a time when he is already under pressure over the delays in the vaccine roll-out.

Another source said that as of now, no hotels have yet been taken over and combined with the need for legislation, the new quarantine system is several weeks away from coming on stream.

There was a sense, according to some in government, that the Cabinet is being dragged along by public opinion and we are making it up as we go along.

Taoiseach to announce Level 5 lockdown until March 5 and strict new travel rules

Update 3.30pm: Government Ministers are set to sign off on an extension of current Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions until March 5.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin confirmed the move this morning, ahead of todays Cabinet meeting.

New restrictions on travel are also expected to be introduced this afternoon.

The Taoiseach said this morning that it was likely that a significant number of people with Covid-19 would still be in Irish hospitals by the end of February, even with the strict lockdown measures extended.

He said: Thats the real, clear motivating factor in terms of the measures were going to take today, in terms of domestically continuing on the restrictions and seriously restricting travel as well.

"We are saying to people stay at home - that will yield the best results, in the most rapid time.

International Travel

The Cabinet is also set to introduce mandatory hotel quarantining for those who enter the country without a Covid-negative PCR test.

Visitors arriving from higher-risk countries like South Africa and Brazil, where newer rapidly-spreading Covid-19 variants have been identified, will also be subject to mandatory quarantining measures.

Covid-19 signs pictured this afternoon at Dublin Airport. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Passengers from other countries will also be legally required to restrict their movement. Movement restrictions had previously been advisory for travellers in this category.

Passengers without a negative PCR test result will also be open a 2,500 euro fine or up to six months in prison.

Domestic travel

Proposals that would see Garda checkpoints established outside the countrys airports in a bid to curb non-essential travel are also expected given the green light this afternoon.

There will also be the introduction of much stricter sanctions in terms of the five-kilometre rule to stop people flying, as well as increased fines for those travelling for non-essential purposes.

More garda checkpoints are also set to be rolled out in border areas to stop any unessential travel between Ireland and the North.

Opposition

Opposition parties have said the new measures will likely not go far enough in terms of halting the spread of Covid-19 here.

Sinn Fein's transport spokesperson, Darren O'Rourke, said the Government's quarantine proposals would fall "well short of what is now required" at present.
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Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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


On the 72nd Republic Day celebration, the Shaurya Chakra was awarded posthumously to Major Anuj Sood, who lost his life in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir in May 2020. Here's who the brave Major was.

Major (Late) Anuj Sood was born in Bangalore, Karnataka on 17 Dec 1989. He was a second generation army officer. He joined the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla in May 2008 and was commissioned from the Indian Military Academy Dehradun on June 9, 2012.

PIB.GOV

After commissioning, he joined 19th Battalion of Brigade of The Guards in Counter Insurgency (Operations) environment and performed regimental duties in appointments like Adjutant and Platoon Commander.



Eventually, the officer was posted to 21 Rashtriya Rifles (GUARDS) in an intense Counter Insurgency (Operations) environment on 04 March 2018. He was known to be highly motivated and inspired confidence in his command as a Company Commander. The officer handled the situation post the abrogation of Article 370 with immense maturity and steadfastness wherein he played a stellar role in keeping the volatile situation under control in his Area of Responsibility.

Also Read: Meet Flight Lieutenant Swati Rathore, The First Woman Ever To Lead Republic Day Parade Flypast

G.Moorthy

On May 2, 2020 Major (Late) Anuj Sood was leading the men of his Company during Operation chanjimula'. During the operation the officer laid the cordon at the suspected house with his Combat Action Team. Without thinking twice about putting his life on the line, he went into the house with the Commanding Officer and three other individuals to rescue civilians held hostage by the terrorists. In the firefight that ensued with terrorists, the gallant officer showcased utmost grid, valour and bravery and made the supreme sacrifice by laying down his life but not before harming the terrorists.

The officer was laid to rest at Panchkula with complete military honours. He is survived by Myra Aakriti Singh Sood, his wife. The country will proudly recall his ultimate immemorial sacrifice for centuries to come.

His sacrifice has been paid honour to by him being awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously.

Also Read: IAF's First Woman Pilot, Bhawana Kanth And Rafale Jets To Make A Debut This Republic Day



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New Jersey health officials on Tuesday reported another 4,117 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 133 additional deaths as the state surpassed 600,000 confirmed cases on the same day as hitting 600,000 vaccinations administered.

The states seven-day average for new confirmed COVID-19 positive tests is 4,416, down 13% from a week ago, and down 3% from a month ago, as numbers continue to show signs of the pandemics second wave starting to fall.

The 133 deaths confirmed Tuesday is the second-highest single-day total this month. The state has reported 2,002 deaths in January, the most deadly month since May.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced the latest numbers on social media after touring a vaccination site Tuesday morning in Hudson County

New Jerseys 71 hospitals reported a slight decrease in coronavirus patients as of Monday night with 3,251 being treated. Thats down 16% from a recent peak on Dec. 22.

The pandemic has killed at least 21,105 people in the state since the first COVID-19 death in March including 18,984 confirmed deaths and 2,121 considered probable fatalities from the virus.

New Jersey has now reported 602,660 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the nearly 11 months since its first positive test March 4. Another 69,067 cases from antibody tests have been reported, though those are considered probable and may overlap with the confirmed tests.

Deaths from the coronavirus in New Jersey surpassed what is typically recorded for heart disease and cancer, the two leading killers year after year. On Dec. 31, the states official coronavirus toll reached 19,042 confirmed and probable deaths in a pandemic that devastated during the spring, then exploded again in the fall and winter in a second wave.

That exceeded the usual annual deaths produced by cancer, which killed nearly 16,200 people a year from 2014 to 2019, according to Department of Health data. It also exceeded that of heart disease, which claimed more than 18,650 lives on average over those six years.

The statewide rate of transmission decreased to 0.92, from 0.94. Any number below 1 means the outbreak is declining.

The statewide positivity rate for tests on Thursday, the most recent day available, was 9.62% for 54,987 tests.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

VACCINATIONS

There have been 605,397 vaccine doses administered in New Jersey so far, according to the states dashboard. Of those, 523,008 were the first of two doses people will receive.

Thats out of nearly 1 million doses the state has received from the federal government, according to a running tally by the federal Centers for Disease Control.

All six of the states vaccine mega-sites have now opened, though Murphy said Monday that two  in Bergen and Gloucester counties  had to announce closures for at least a day because of the lack of available doses.

New Jersey has faced criticism for having a slower rollout than dozens of other states, according to data from the CDC.

Officials stress that the state is depending on the federal government for its supply and is receiving only 100,000 doses a week, though New Jersey has the capacity for 470,000 a week.

VACCINATIONS BY COUNTY:

ATLANTIC COUNTY - 18,230 doses administered

BERGEN COUNTY - 65,959 doses administered

BURLINGTON COUNTY - 30,116 doses administered

CAMDEN COUNTY - 35,464 doses administered

CAPE MAY COUNTY - 8,637 doses administered

CUMBERLAND COUNTY - 9,364 doses administered

ESSEX COUNTY - 47,279 doses administered

GLOUCESTER COUNTY - 21,187 doses administered

HUDSON COUNTY - 27,618 doses administered

HUNTERDON COUNTY - 9,033 doses administered

MERCER COUNTY - 15,072 doses administered

MIDDLESEX COUNTY - 44,839 doses administered

MONMOUTH COUNTY - 45,931 doses administered

MORRIS COUNTY - 44,361 doses administered

OCEAN COUNTY - 36,750 doses administered

PASSAIC COUNTY - 28,734 doses administered

SALEM COUNTY - 3,259 doses administered

SOMERSET COUNTY - 24,263 doses administered

SUSSEX COUNTY - 9,738 doses administered

UNION COUNTY - 29,562 doses administered

WARREN COUNTY - 6,092 doses administered

OUT OF STATE - 24,332 doses administered

UNKNOWN COUNTY -19,577 doses administered

COUNTY-BY-COUNTY NUMBERS

Atlantic County: 16,614 confirmed cases (178 new), 434 confirmed deaths (23 probable)

Bergen County: 58,206 confirmed cases (392 new), 2,182 confirmed deaths (268 probable)

Burlington County: 27,114 confirmed cases (126 new), 628 confirmed deaths (51 probable)

Camden County: 35,473 confirmed cases (178 new), 918 confirmed deaths (67 probable)

Cape May County: 3,105 confirmed cases (22 new), 140 confirmed deaths (20 probable)

Cumberland County: 10,420 confirmed cases (100 new), 274 confirmed deaths (13 probable)

Essex County: 57,750 confirmed cases (286 new), 2,257 confirmed deaths (260 probable)

Gloucester County: 18,511 confirmed cases (175 new), 463 confirmed deaths (22 probable)

Hudson County: 54,914 confirmed cases (339 new), 1,669 confirmed deaths (172 probable)

Hunterdon County: 5,147 confirmed cases (30 new), 92 confirmed deaths (54 probable)

Mercer County: 23,029 confirmed cases (139 new), 759 confirmed deaths (39 probable)

Middlesex County: 57,565 confirmed cases (428 new), 1,664 confirmed deaths (217 probable)

Monmouth County: 43,006 confirmed cases (379 new), 1,119 confirmed deaths (104 probable)

Morris County: 26,502 confirmed cases (305 new), 836 confirmed deaths (202 probable)

Ocean County: 42,967 confirmed cases (363 new), 1,532 confirmed deaths (90 probable)

Passaic County: 46,045 confirmed cases (198 new), 1,414 confirmed deaths (160 probable)

Salem County: 3,786 confirmed cases (39 new), 124 confirmed deaths (9 probable)

Somerset County: 15,810 confirmed cases (84 new), 638 confirmed deaths (93 probable)

Sussex County: 6,637 confirmed cases (63 new), 198 confirmed deaths (53 probable)

Union County: 43,581 confirmed cases (224 new), 1,461 confirmed deaths (189 probable)

Warren County: 5,257 confirmed cases (40 new), 182 confirmed deaths (15 probable)

HOSPITALIZATIONS

The 3,251 patients hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases across New Jerseys 71 hospitals as of Monday night were three fewer than the previous night.

That included 572 in critical or intensive care (26 fewer than the previous night), with 404 on ventilators (12 more).

There were also 236 COVID-19 patients discharged Monday, according to the states COVID-19 dashboard.

Murphy has said any hospitalizations over 5,000 patients would likely trigger new rounds of restrictions. But the number of people being hospitalized has mostly ticked down slowly in recent days after hitting a more than seven-month high of 3,873 people on Dec. 22.

SCHOOL CASES

At least 597 students and staff in 121 school districts in New Jersey have caught COVID-19 through in-school outbreaks, according to the latest update from state health officials.

Thats an increase of 10 districts and 40 cases from the previous weekly report. There are now confirmed in-school outbreaks in all 21 counties, though the state does not identify the individual school districts.

Those numbers do not include students or staff believed to have been infected outside school or cases that cant be confirmed as in-school outbreaks. Though the numbers keep rising every week, Murphy has said the school outbreak statistics remain below what state officials were expecting when schools reopened for in-person classes.

New Jersey defines school outbreaks as cases where contact tracers determined two or more students or school staff caught or transmitted COVID-19 in the classroom or during academic activities at school.

AGE BREAKDOWN

Broken down by age, those 30 to 49 years old make up the largest percentage of New Jersey residents who have caught the virus (31.2%), followed by those 50-64 (23.7%), 18-29 (19.3%), 65-79 (11.1%), 5-17 (7.5%), 80 and older (5.4%), and 0-4 (1.6%).

On average, the virus has been more deadly for older residents, especially those with preexisting conditions. Nearly half the states COVID-19 deaths have been among residents 80 and older (47%), followed by those 65-79 (33%), 50-64 (15.6%), 30-49 (4%), 18-29 (0.4%), 5-17 (0%), and 0-4 (0%).

At least 7,713 of the states COVID-19 deaths have been among residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. That number has been rising again at a steeper rate in recent months, with deaths at the states nursing homes nearly tripling in December.

There are currently active outbreaks at 435 facilities, resulting in 7,338 active cases among residents and 7,929 among staffers.

GLOBAL NUMBERS

As of Tuesday morning, there have been more than 99.9 million positive COVID-19 tests across the world, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. More than 2.14 million people have died from coronavirus-related complications.

The U.S. has reported the most cases, at more than 25.3 million, and the most deaths, at more than 422,000.

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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com.
CLEVELAND and MONTREAL, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CareSimpleTM, a Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) solution designed, developed and operated by Tactio Health Group, and The MetroHealth System, a nationally recognized public health care system located in Cleveland, Ohio, today announced that they have entered a strategic RPM integration partnership. Under the terms of the agreement, the CareSimple solution will empower the health system's Red Carpet Care Program, offered by the Population Health Innovation Institute, with patient-friendly RPM solutions. These tools will help improve health outcomes for Northeast Ohio's high-risk senior and chronically ill populations.

CareSimple is known as the solution that makes RPM simple enough for any patient. As an end-to-end virtual care offering that provides logistics, software, medical devices, and connectivity, the platform empowers payers and providers to scale monitoring beyond traditional home health applications to highly effective population health management programs made for patients of any age, condition and socioeconomic status. With CareSimple's seamless patient-to-cloud data transmission, smart alerts, effective engagement, and automatic documentation capabilities, MetroHealth nurses and care managers will be able to focus on interacting with patients, the key to a program's successful engagement rate. Through integration with Healthy Planet, the population health management module in MetroHealth's Epic electronic health record service, vitals are received in near real-time from the patients' cellular-enabled devices in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. This gives healthcare providers a holistic view of their patients' health to help prevent costly readmissions and improves patient care.

"The MetroHealth System is pleased to launch CareSimple's remote patient monitoring services to benefit not only our patients but also our clinical teams," said Michael Dalton, Vice President, Virtual Care Enterprise, The MetroHealth System. "For our healthcare providers, it was important to integrate an RPM solution that required no additional training in order to utilize the technology, as well as being easy to use for our patients while providing Epic compatibility. CareSimple was able to deliver on all of these important aspects, offering a seamless workflow integration through its web-based platform that delivers near real-time clinical alerts when patient data is out of normal ranges, and ultimately allows for timely care interventions."

The MetroHealth System Red Carpet Care program offers an extension of their care team and primarily focuses on chronically ill and at-risk senior patients. The initiative works in parallel with primary care to proactively and virtually manage chronic conditions in partnership with multiple ambulatory settings through individualized care plans. The healthcare organization has already achieved demonstrable successes with the Red Carpet Care program, with over 400 patients reducing emergency department visits by 17% and inpatient utilization decreasing by 13%.

"First and foremost, we have found at MetroHealth a team of dedicated professionals with deep values, long-term vision and a profound sense of purpose, which fast cemented a great collaborative relationship between our teams. We are proud that The MetroHealth System selected our CareSimple RPM solution and dedicated services to more effectively scale their population health program," explains Michel Nadeau, CEO and President, Tactio Health Group. "Through the easy-to-use and secure RPM solution, MetroHealth can now offer end-to-end virtual care that integrates into their Epic EHR and expand the use of RPM. Together, we look forward to transforming clinically integrated remote care delivery models."

ABOUT The MetroHealth System

The MetroHealth System, Cuyahoga County's public health system, is honoring its commitment to create a healthier community by building a new hospital on its main campus in Cleveland. The building and the 25 acres of green space around it are catalyzing the revitalization of MetroHealth's West Side neighborhood.

MetroHealth's staff of 8,000 provides care at MetroHealth's four hospitals, four emergency departments and more than 20 health centers and 40 additional sites throughout Cuyahoga County. In the past year, MetroHealth has served 300,000 patients at more than 1.4 million visits in its hospitals and health centers, 75% of whom are uninsured or covered by Medicare or Medicaid.

MetroHealth's Institute for H.O.P.E  was launched in 2019 with the purpose of identifying and addressing the social determinants of health (SDoH) and working to eliminate the barriers to care. In 2020 alone, MetroHealth performed more than 30,000 SDoH screenings, made thousands of referrals to community-based organizations, and connected over 1,000 community members to high speed internet.

As an academic medical center, MetroHealth is committed to teaching and research. Each active staff physician holds a faculty appointment at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. MetroHealth is a national leader in health care and research including a NIH-designated Center of Excellence in health disparities and community-based participatory research. Its main campus hospital houses a Cleveland Metropolitan School District high school of science and health.

For more information, visit www.metrohealth.org.

ABOUT CareSimple

CareSimple  is an easy-to-use, secure, and scalable way to offer Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) to at-risk patient populations. The company's RPM platform offers an end-to-end virtual care solution that integrates into electronic health records, providing hospitals, hospital systems, and physician groups with software, medical devices, connectivity, logistics and professional services required to improve their population health programs with scalable RPM. CareSimple's seamless patient-to-cloud-to-EHR data transmission, smart alerts, effective engagement, and automatic documentation capabilities enable nurses and care managers to focus on patient care, and give providers a holistic view of their patients' health to help prevent costly readmissions and improve care. CareSimple is powered by digital health pioneer Tactio Health Group.

For more information about CareSimple, go to http://www.caresimple.com

SOURCE CareSimple
New Delhi, Jan 26 : The oil and gas sector has emerged as one of the largest contributor to the overall profit or dividend pool, said Motilal Oswal Financial Services in a report.

According to MOFSL report 'Payouts', the oil and gas sector was the largest contributor to the overall profit pool of about 22 per cent, while technology was the largest payout contributor to the overall payout pool at 20 per cent over FY10-20.

The report provides a detailed analysis into one of the key alternatives to capital allocation - 'Payout to shareholders' - to understand its importance in shareholders' value creation.

"Over FY10-20, 186 companies under MOFSL universe have delivered an average payout ratio of 41 per cent with shareholder CAGR return of 8 per cent." "MOFSL analysed these companies to understand the impact of payouts ratios in creating shareholder value over the last decade." As per the top-six sectors that contributed high payout ratios are "Mining (75 per cent), Consumer (70 per cent), Technology (58 per cent), Utilities (50 per cent), Media (41 per cent) and Capital goods (40 per cent)".

"Divergence in profit pool and payout pool of companies is primarily due to varying level of capital intensity across different sectors." "MOFSL analysis suggest that Consumer and Technology sector have lowest capital intensity." Accordingly, the analysis of companies under the MOFSL universe over FY10-20 suggests that 'Consumer and Technology' sectors have generated an overall shareholder return of 19 per cent and 13 per cent CAGR.

"This is much higher than the overall shareholder return for the MOFSL universe at 8 per cent CAGR.

"Further, over FY16-20, more (including a few new) sectors are coming into the limelight - Capital Markets, Consumer, Diagnostics, Insurance, Internet, Mining and Utilities - and are showing signs of the 'Winning Troika'."
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  A major winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of the middle of the country while another system blanketed parts of the Southwest with snow, disrupting travel for a second consecutive day Tuesday and shuttering many schools.

There were closures of several coronavirus testing sites on Monday and Tuesday in Nebraska and Iowa, and both states saw 12 to 15 inches (30.5 to 38.1 centimeters) of snow in places. At least 4 inches (10 centimeters) of snow was expected through Tuesday across most of an area stretching from central Kansas northeast to Chicago and southern Michigan.

National Weather Service meteorologist Taylor Nicolaisen, who is based near Omaha, Nebraska, said up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) was reported in spots between York, Nebraska, and Des Moines, Iowa. He said its uncommon for the region to get more than a foot of snow from a single storm, and it has been decades since some cities saw this much snow.

A lot of people tend to misremember snow events  especially from when you were a kid. Everything felt like a foot of snow when you were a kid, Nicolaisen said. The snow drifts were literally higher than your head when you were a kid, but thats because you were 2 1/2 feet tall.

The storm made travel treacherous in places as wind-whipped snow piled up. Interstates were temporarily closed in western Nebraska and in Wisconsin near Milwaukee because of crashes Tuesday morning, and scores of flights were canceled at airports across the region. Officials urged drivers to stay off the roads.

In Wisconsin, the weather service predicted up to 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) of snow could fall in the Milwaukee area, with the highest totals along Lake Michigan.

Wind gusts of 15 mph (24 kph) to 25 mph (40 kph) were reported across southern Wisconsin, creating drifting snow, reduced visibilities and complicating snow removal efforts, said Andy Boxell, a meteorologist with the weather services office in Sullivan, Wisconsin.

Its not only snow but its pretty darn windy out there, so thats causing a lot blowing and drifting, he said.

In the Chicago area, between between 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) and 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) of snow had fallen by early Tuesday. Meteorologist Bett Borchardt forecast snowfall up to 8 inches (20.3 centimeters) or more in northern Illinois before the storm ends Tuesday evening.

The last comparable snowfall hit the area in November 2018, when 8.4 inches (21.3 centimeters) fell.

Many schools and businesses closed for a second day in a row Tuesday across the Midwest as crews worked to dig out after the storm.

In West Des Moines, Iowa, Chris Borsberry said he needed four-wheel drive to make it into the Fairfield Inn & Suites where he works, and it still took him twice as long as normal to get to the hotel. Once there, Borsberry said he had to shovel the sidewalk seven times because it kept getting covered until the snow finally quit falling.

I got excited about that because it meant I only had one more shovel pass to do, said Borsberry, 45.

In York, Nebraska, roughly 250 semitrailers waited out the storm at the Petro truck stop alongside Interstate 80. Manager Rachael Adamson said she could see knee-high drifts.

We havent had this much snow in quite a few years, Adamson said.

In the South, one person was dead and at least 30 others were injured after a tornado carved a path of destruction north of Birmingham, Alabama, on Monday night, leaving the area with crumpled buildings and downed trees.

In the Southwest, more than a foot of snow fell in the mountains of Southern California, Nevada and Arizona. Icy conditions in mountains north of Los Angeles shut Interstate 5 in Tejon Pass and State Route 58 in Tehachapi Pass.

A storm buried northern Arizona in snow while sending flurries to the outskirts of Las Vegas and Phoenix. Most of Nevada was bracing for another series of powerful winter storms that could bring several feet of snow to the mountains above Lake Tahoe by Thursday.

Preliminary snowfall reports from the latest storm included 14.2 inches (36 centimeters) at the Flagstaff airport and 16 inches (40.6 centimeters) at Payson between Sunday night and late Monday, the weather service said.

Another major storm was approaching the coast with the potential to bring 7 to 10 inches of rain to central California and dump several feet of snow across the Sierra Nevada mountains. That additional rain and snow could lead to flash floods and debris flows  which can carry massive boulders, trees and other objects  to areas north and south of San Francisco Bay. Evacuation orders were in effect for areas of fire-scarred Santa Cruz County and evacuation warnings were issued in San Mateo County.
Tokyo, Japan - Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a new tungsten-substituted vanadium oxide catalyst for breaking down harmful nitrogen oxides in industrial exhaust. Their new catalyst material works at lower temperatures and does not suffer major drops in performance when processing "wet" exhaust, resolving a major drawback in conventional vanadium oxide catalysts. They found that the unaggregated dispersal of atomic tungsten in the original crystal structure plays a key role in how it functions.

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is an essential technology for keeping air clean. Industrial exhaust is passed through catalytic units and reacted with a reductant to convert harmful nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and water. High levels of nitrogen oxides not only harm crops and vegetation, but can directly harm people, exacerbating asthma and other respiratory problems. This makes the wide, efficient deployment of SCR technology particularly important for society.

But conventional SCR catalysts have many issues that impact performance and efficiency. For vanadium oxide catalysts which use ammonia as the reductant, a big limiting factor is performance at different temperatures. Conventional vanadium oxide catalysts work best at 200 to 400 degrees Celsius. In a boiler system, this means units have to be placed close to the combustion chamber, making them more susceptible to damage from ash. In previous work, a team led by Professor Toru Murayama of Tokyo Metropolitan University created a new "bulk" vanadium oxide catalyst that works efficiently at 100 to 150 degrees Celsius. However, lower temperatures led to another issue - water vapor. At lower temperatures, industrial exhaust typically contains 10-20% water vapor by volume. Since vanadium oxide catalysts suffer from a severe drop in performance when the gas is "wet," further breakthroughs were required to make the most of this new catalytic material.

Now, the same team have solved this issue by creating a new, "tungsten-substituted" bulk vanadium oxide catalyst. By replacing some of the vanadium in the crystalline structure of the catalyst with tungsten, they discovered it was no longer susceptible to large drops in performance. At 150 degrees Celsius, while the team's previous bulk vanadium oxide catalyst suffered a conversion rate drop from 82 to 47% when the gas was wet, the new tungsten-substituted catalyst's performance only dropped from >99% conversion to 94%. This makes the material ideal for processing real industrial exhaust.

However, more tungsten did not necessarily mean better performance. The team found that the unaggregated atomic dispersion of the right amount of tungsten was vital. Both tungsten and vanadium need to work together: in wet conditions, the tungsten-substituted material made more sites available for the production of ammonium ions which could then react with nitrogen oxides near neighboring vanadium ions. The team hope their insights into the mechanism and the superior performance of their catalyst under realistic conditions will lead to new industrial SCR products and cleaner air in the not-too-distant future.

###

This work was supported by the Cooperative Research Program of the Hokkaido University Institute for Catalysis (20B1021), the Nanotechnology Platform Program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan and a KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid (20K15092) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
Olga Horak is 94 and a half.

She is specific about the half-year, because at her age, it matters, and all those years are a testament to her great achievement: survival.

Olga Horak, a 94-year-old Holocaust survivor. Credit:Steven Saphore

Mrs Horak is a Czechoslovakin-born Jewish Holocaust survivor, or as she puts it, a graduate of the Holocaust.

She was interned in five camps during World War II, including Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, from which she was liberated in 1945 at the age of 18. She lost her entire family in the camps, including her mother, most tragically, on the day of their liberation.

HAYES TOWNSHIP, MI  A man is facing several charges after allegedly threatening his wife with a pistol and a stun gun earlier this month.

Justin Robert Kohler, 33, of Gaylord, allegedly attempted to assault his wife with a stun gun and later pointed a pistol at her and threatened her shoot before she fled the Hayes Township home with four children, according to a news release from the Michigan State Police Gaylord Post.

Troopers from the MSP Gaylord Post responded just after midnight on Jan. 1 to a report of a man threatening a woman with a gun, police said. When troopers arrived, a vehicle was leaving the residence. Troopers stopped the vehicle, which was occupied by the victim and four children The woman told troopers that her husband had pointed a pistol at her and threatened to shoot her; earlier in the evening, he had attempted to assault her with a stun gun, which administers an electric shock.

Kohler came outside while the victim was speaking with troopers, police said. He spoke with troopers and then went inside with them. Troopers found a .40 caliber pistol and a stun gun in the bedroom where the alleged incidents took place. It was determined that Kohler had been drinking alcohol.

Kohler was placed under arrest and lodged at the Otsego County Jail, police said.

Kohler is charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of possession of a stun gun, one count of possession of firearms while under the influence and one count of domestic violence. He is scheduled for a preliminary exam on Jan. 28 in the Otsego County 87A District Court.

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Minister Coveney addresses UN Security Council at Debate on the Situation in the Middle East

Press release

The Minister for Foreign Affairs today spoke at a UN Security Council quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question.

Addressing Council on the Middle East Peace Process, the Minister recalled the words of Kofi Annan, who stated that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not just one regional conflict amongst many and that no other conflict carries such a powerful, symbolic and emotional charge, even for people far away.

The Minister went on to outline Irelands principled position on the conflict; reaffirming support for a resolution based on international law and agreed international parameters.



We are firmly committed to a negotiated two-state solution that ends the occupation that began in 1967; with Jerusalem as the capital of both States, on the basis of international law, including relevant UN Security Council resolutions

While the Minister welcomed recent developments in the region, including normalisation of relations among states in the region and the Palestinian commitment to holding Legislative, Presidential, and National Council elections this year, he expressed concern at increased Israeli settlement activity, stating:

Israel's decisions last week to advance plans for the approval and construction of over 3,000 new settlement units in the West Bank, and to progress the construction of new settlements in Givat Hamatos are contrary to international lawI urge Israel to reverse these decisions and to halt all settlement expansion, including in East Jerusalemcontinued settlement activity is not only illegal, but erodes trust between Palestinians and Israelis.

The Minister outlined Irelands opposition to the demolition or confiscation of Palestinian owned structures in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, stressing that:

Making already vulnerable Palestinians homeless in the midst of a global pandemic is simply unacceptable. We call on Israel to halt demolitions, which in 2020 was the highest since 2016, according to OCHA, and to allow for legal construction for Palestinian communities

The Minister went on to express Irelands support for UNWRA, urging the new US administration and states in the region to renew funding to the organisation. He also expressed solidarity with the Israeli and Palestinian communities in their fight against COVID-19, and called for the timely, effective, and unimpeded vaccination of all in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.

The Minister concluded by referring to the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen and Syria, calling for a redoubling of efforts towards conflict resolution to alleviate suffering, and by asking that the Security Council and the Middle East Quartet re-energise its engagement with the Middle East Peace Process.

ENDS

Press Office

26 January 2020

 Previous Item | Next Item 
Since the onset of the current pandemic about a year ago, I have referred to the disease causing the havoc as the Wuhan coronavirus. Doing so has two virtues. It identifies the culprit as a virus and it states where the virus originates. COVID does neither.

At first, the mainstream media seemed to be okay with Wuhan coronavirus. But then came the memo. To say Wuhan or China in connection with the virus was racist and xenophobic. Hence, the shift to COVID-19 and, soon thereafter, to COVID.

But now, as the virus mutates, the media has no qualms about saying British variant and, more recently, South African variant. Why not instead just say variant 1 and variant 2?

Ari Fleischer calls out the Washington Post on this:

Wait a minuteAfter months of being told it was racist to refer to COVID as a Chinese virus the WP refers to its new strains as British and South African variants. So you can use the name of the nation where it comes from, so long as that nation is not China. Got it.

The Posts line has been that calling this virus the China virus represents a dangerous attitude. The paper quoted an alleged expert  a lecturer in Asian American and Asian diaspora studies  who called it racist to say China virus.

But it is no more racist to say China virus than it is to say British variant. In both cases, the idea is to identify the origin of the virus, not to disparage a racial group.

One could argue that there is this difference  saying China virus might lead to violence against Chinese Americans. However, I doubt that any evidence supports a claim of linguistically induced violence. If the mainstream media is solicitous of Chinese Americans, it should come down against the discrimination inflicted on them by colleges and universities in admissions. The evidence of that discrimination is overwhelming.

My view is that the media probably backed away from China virus and Wuhan virus to cover for China, not to protect Chinese Americans from violence. The Red Chinese government objected to the words China virus and the American media kowtowed.

In addition, I believe the media was influenced by the fact that Donald Trump liked to say China virus. The media, following Joe Bidens lead, wanted to portray Trumps attitude towards the virus as xenophobic. Hence, its outcry against words associating the virus with its country (or region) of origin.

No such imperatives apply when it comes to labeling variants of the virus that come from other parts of the world. Thus, the media is fine with the kind of language that has always been used to describe diseases that originate outside the U.S., except during the Trump presidency when it came to China.
The biggest storm of the rainy season so far is forecast to wallop the San Francisco Bay Area Tuesday through Thursday, delivering a heavy dose of soaking rain and high winds that could wreak havoc throughout the region, flooding roadways, triggering debris flows in wildfire burn scars and knocking out power.

The system is considered an atmospheric river and these systems pull long plumes of water vapor in the atmosphere  250 to 375 miles wide on average  and are often referred to as rivers in the sky.

Here's what Bay Area residents need to know ahead of the storm:

When will the storm arrive in the Bay Area and be the most severe?

Rain will first develop over the North Bay Tuesday afternoon, slowing pushing southward throughout the central Bay Area and into Monterey County. The initial rainfall will be light to moderate, increasing intensity into the evening with the heaviest rainfall in the Bay Area expected at about midnight Tuesday.

Most of the heavy rain will be over in the Bay Area by 6 a.m. Wednesday, with light to moderate showers lingering into Thursday.

The storm is forecast to be the most severe along the Big Sur coast where it is also forecast to dump the most rain from Wednesday into Thursday.

How many inches of rain are forecast to fall?

Here are forecast totals for specific areas:

Cloverdale: 4-6 inches

Fairfield: 3-4 inches

Santa Rosa, Napa and San Rafael: 3-4 inches

San Fancisco and Half Moon Bay: 2-3 inches

San Jose, Livermore and Concord: 2-3 inches

Monterey: 2-3 inches

Big Sur: 6-8 inches

Here are totals for more general regions:

Lower elevation and urban locations across central Bay Area: 2-3 inches

Southwest-facing, low-lying locations such as the town of Santa Cruz: 4 inches

North Bay and interior hills and mountains of the South Bay and East Bay: 3-5 inches

Santa Cruz Mountains: 6-8 inches

Mountains of Monterey and San Benito counties: 7-10 inches.

Big Sur: isolated locations in southwest facing coastal slopes could see more than 10 inches

Will there be flooding?

A flash flood watch is in effect Tuesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon for large swaths of the Bay Area, stretching from the North Bay across the Santa Cruz Mountains and including the East Bay Hills.

Heavy rainfall may lead to debris flows and flash flooding in any recent wildfire burn scars such as the CZU Lightning Complex in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the SCU Lightning Complex stretching across the East Bay and South Bay.

Are there evacuations?

Yes, Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties issued evacuation warnings and orders ahead of the storm in areas that could be impacted by debris flows and mudslides.

Visit community.zonehaven.com to determine your zone and see whether it is under an evacuation warning or order.

Watch the Cal Fire CZU Twitter page for updates.

Will roads be closed?

Yes, some roads may close due to flooding. Check county social media sites and the Cal Trans website for information.

Some roads are closing ahead of the storm. For example, parts of State Route 1 in Big Sur will be closed with barricades and signs starting 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26 and is expected to remain closed until Thursday, Jan. 28. Get more info from the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services Twitter page.

Will it be windy?

The storm will also pack a dangerous punch in the way of southerly winds, according to the weather service. Southerly winds will increase through the day Tuesday and be strongest over the coastal waters, immediate coast, and higher peaks with 50-70 mph gusts possible. A high wind warning is in effect Tuesday evening through Wednesday. Other areas will also be windy with gusts 35-50 mph with a Wind Advisory in effect.

Will there be power outages?

Power outages are possible in areas hit with high winds and severe storm conditions. Visit the PG&E outage map to see if your residence is impacted by an outage and visit the PG&E Twitter page for outage updates.

How can I stay updated?

The National Weather Service Bay Area Twitter page is a great resource for weather updates.

Here are some social media accounts and websites to watch in individual counties.

Alameda County: Find emergency information and sign up for alerts here.

Contra Cost County: Sign up for emergency alerts here.

Marin County: Sign up for emergency alerts here.

Monterey County: Visit the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services Twitter page.

San Francisco: Visit the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management Twitter page and the SF Fire Department Twitter page and text your zip code to 888-777 to receive emergency alerts.

San Mateo County: Visit the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office's Twitter page, the Cal Fire CZU Twitter page.

Santa Clara County: Sign up for emergency alerts here.

Santa Cruz County: Visit the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office's Twitter page, the Cal Fire CZU Twitter page.

Sonoma County: Visit the Sonoma County Sheriff Twitter page and Sonoma County Emergency website and sign up for Nixle alerts.

Solano County: Find emergency information here.
By 2020, massive losses of large populations of corals have been observed throughout Florida and into the greater Caribbean basin. Taking into account the high mortality and the large number of susceptible species affected, this is likely the most lethal case of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) ever recorded in modern history.

However, for too long, the tremendous decline in coral reefs has wrongly been attributed to the local dredge project, which had been ongoing at the time of the initial reports. In a recent Perspectives paper, published in the open-access peer-reviewed journal Rethinking Ecology, William Precht, a carbonate sedimentologist by training and currently the Director of Marine and Coastal Programs for the independent environmental consulting firm Dial Cordy and Associates Inc., provides an overview about what went wrong and how Florida ended up in a situation, where the best that could be done is the rescue of genetic material from coral species already at risk of regional extinction.

In fact, the coral disease was first observed in September 2014 near Virginia Key, Florida, and is, unfortunately, still active throughout the Caribbean to this date.

Initially, the resource managers in Southeast Florida missed the short time window to respond to the emerging epidemic before it spreads. Once it began to reach into the greater Caribbean, many, including the mass media, were quick to blame the ongoing Port Miami Dredge Project for the coral reef losses, even though its activities, meant to widen or deepen existing ship channels, while minimising damage to coral reef resources, had already been under a thorough scrutiny by government agencies and intensive monitoring, conducted by trained scientific divers. Nevertheless, dredging has typically been assumed to be bad for corals. Furthermore, these events coincided with the State of Florida's prohibition for government employees to acknowledge global warming in their work.

In the meantime, SCTLD, a disease initiated by a regional thermal anomaly and coral bleaching event, was killing off the same suite of coral species in the same fashion throughout the region, well beyond the dredge site.

"Finally, when the agencies responded to the outbreak, their efforts were too little and much too late to make a meaningful difference. While eradication of the disease was never a possibility, early control measures may have slowed its spread, or allowed for the rescue of significant numbers of large colonies of iconic species. Because of the languid management response to this outbreak, we are now sadly faced with a situation where much of our management efforts are focused on the rescue of genetic material from coral species already at risk of regional extinction," explains Precht.

"Why was the response to the loss of our coral reefs to a coral disease epidemic such a massive failure? This includes our failure as scientists, regulators, resource managers, local media, and policy makers alike," he adds.

###

Original source:
Amsterdam: Dutch police detained more than 180 people in a third night of unrest in cities across the Netherlands, where roaming groups of rioters set fires, threw rocks and looted stores in violence triggered by a night curfew aimed at curbing the coronavirus.

The first curfew since World War Two followed a warning by the National Institute for Health (RIVM) over a new wave of infections due to the British variant of the virus, and was imposed on Saturday despite weeks of declines in new infections.

In this grab taken from a video, rioters throw stones at police, in Haarlem, Netherlands. Credit:Mizzle Media via AP

We have had riots in the past, but its rare to have this for several nights across the entire country, said National Police spokeswoman Suzanne van de Graaf. Its not only in known problem areas, but much more widespread.

Riot police with shields and batons were called out in more than 10 cities, many of which had issued emergency ordnance to provide officers with greater powers to conduct searches.

HONOLULU, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 13,709 Hawai'i households were assisted by the state's Rent Relief and Housing Assistance Program (RRHAP), Aloha United Way (AUW), and Catholic Charities Hawai'i (CCH) and additional partners. The program, managed by Hawai'i Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC), has been cited as a success story by local policy experts.

"Recent analysis by the Hawai'i Budget & Policy Center finds that this statewide program got out more housing assistance to help renters per capita than any other state effort across the country," said James Koshiba, founder of Hui Aloha, and a former Chair of the Hawai'i State House Subcommittee on COVID-19 & Housing. "To get $60 million out the door in just under three months plus expend funds for partners, systems, and administrative staffing is remarkable. The success of the program was due to heroic effort and sacrifices by AUW, CCH, and HHFDC."

In September, RRHAP was launched to provide much-needed financial assistance for renters/homeowners severely impacted by COVID-19. AUW has distributed nearly $21 million to applicants through partnerships with over a dozen non-profit agencies. Catholic Charities Hawai'i was able to distribute over $38 million.

The program received more than 18,300 applications in its first five weeks of operation and the program concluded on December 31, 2020.

$59,733,688 in housing assistance was approved for 13,709 households;

in housing assistance was approved for 13,709 households; 4,824 applications were denied due to ineligibility

$59,003,328 has been disbursed to 13,690 qualified households (as of January 13, 2021 ).

"Since the start of the pandemic earlier this year, many local families, including those from moderate-income households that never needed assistance before, found themselves struggling to make ends meet," said AUW President and CEO, John Fink. "With our 101 year history of service to our local community, AUW has been honored to be part of this effort during these unusual and challenging times."

Sixty-eight percent of households receiving RRHAP financial assistance were at 50% area median income (AMI) or lower. Fifteen percent of applicants reported no income.

About Aloha United Way

Founded in 1919, Aloha United Way brings resources, organizations, and businesses together to advance the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our community. A member of United Way Worldwide, AUW supports non-profits and communities on O'ahu.

SOURCE Aloha United Way

Related Links

https://www.auw.org/


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 20:41:13|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China will roll out measures to improve electric vehicle (EV) battery's performance amid low temperatures, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Tuesday.

The ministry will urge carmakers, battery producers and research institutes to seek technological breakthroughs, and speed up development and industrialization of all-weather car batteries, said Huang Libin, spokesperson for the ministry, at a press conference.

Efforts will also be made in standardizing related technologies, Huang said, adding that carmakers should provide better after-sales services.

These moves are in response to the recent complaints from some EV owners about battery capacity loss and shrinking driving ranges in cold weather.

Strong cold waves have swept across north China this winter, resulting in dramatic temperature drops. Enditem
We are now following the constitutional path in trying to kick out Nikol Pashinian, Vazgen Manukian told hundreds of opposition supporters in the southern town of Ararat. If the constitutional path proves fruitless we should organize an uprising.

This is a natural right of the people. It is enshrined in the U.S. declaration of independence which says that if the government fails to fulfill its obligations the people have a right to revolt, he said.

At stake is the future of our country and people. We will either get destroyed or move forward, added Manukian.

Speaking to journalists after the indoor meeting, Manukian explained that the uprising favored by him would involve nonviolent seizures of government buildings.

It was not clear if the comments reflected only his personal views or also those of the parties making up the alliance. Manukian was nominated by them late last year to serve as a prime minister in an interim government which they believe should be formed after Pashinians resignation.

The opposition alliance blames Pashinian for Armenias defeat in the war with Azerbaijan stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 10. It staged a series of demonstrations later in November and December in a bid to force him to resign. The protests did not attract large crowds.

The alliance coordinator, Ishkhan Saghatelian, told RFE/RLs Armenian Service on Monday that the opposition forces are now exploring a new tactic for their push for regime change.

Pashinian has rejected the opposition demands and offered to hold fresh parliamentary elections instead. The opposition says that such polls must take place only after his resignation.
NCIS stars Mark Harmon and Sean Murray are in their 18th season of playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Timothy McGee, respectively. With the exception of Ducky Mallard (David McCallum), they are the only remaining cast members from season 1.

But Harmon and Murrays working relationship actually goes back farther. According to Murray, Harmon was playing a drunken rodeo clown when they first met in the mid-1990s.

NCIS stars Sean Murray and Mark Harmon | Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images

Sean Murray says NCIS is successful because of Mark Harmon

Murray and Harmon have been part of NCIS for seventeen plus seasons and more than 400 episodes. It is officially one of the longest-running scripted dramas in TV history. And Murray credits Harmon for the shows success.

We wouldnt be here, 16 years later, if it wasnt for Harmon, Murray told Country Living in 2019. Harmon is a very special individual.

Murray thinks of Harmon as a mentor, and he described him as a real actor who goes for the realness of it, the truth of it. He added that every actor strives to do that, but Harmon is simply good at it.

Harmon has been the star and executive producer of NCIS since the pilot premiered in 2003. Murray started out as a recurring character in season 1. He quickly became a favorite with both fans and producers. By season 2, Murray was a full-time cast member.

The actor says that at this point hes played McGee for so long, hes gotten to the point where he can switch the character on and off.

Harmon and Murray met on the set of a short-lived 1990s TV series

When Murray was just 15 years old, he was working on a show called Harts of the West. The Western dramedy starred Beau Bridges and his father Lloyd. And it was set on a dude ranch in Nevada.

The series ran for just one season, from September 1993 to June 1994. And it was Murrays first TV series. The actor recalled an episode that was originally supposed to have Beaus brother Jeff Bridges as a guest star. But due to a scheduling conflict, The Big Lebowski star wasnt available. Murray says they needed someone else to come in and play a drunken rodeo clown.

RELATED: NCIS Star Sean Murray Reveals There Will Be an Evolution Between Gibbs and McGee Throughout Season 18

And they got Harmon to come and do the part instead which Ill never forget. Thats where I first met Harmon. And he made an impression on me even back then, Murray says.

Even though Harmon and Murray didnt get to spend a lot of time together on set, the St. Elsewhere alum still remembered him when they reconnected on NCIS after all those years.

Gibbs and McGee have some things to work through after the shocking NCIS season 18 opener

NCIS fans finally got answers to the shocking season 18 cold open that saw Gibbs shoot McGee twice. During episode five, it was revealed that Gibbs was trying to save McGees life. Despite Gibbs intentions, however, Murray says that those gunshots did a number on his character both mentally and physically.

The episode ended with questions about McGees mental health and his relationship with Gibbs. Murray promised that his character doesnt die. But, he still has a rough recovery ahead of him.

A lot of it is not necessarily just physical but emotional, Murray said. Just wrestling with and coming to terms with  even in the situation of it being done to save your life  the fact that somebody so close to you, thats like a father figure to you, more so than even your real father was, shoots you.

Murray promises that both McGee and Gibbs will struggle in the aftermath of the shooting.

We very realistically explore some of the emotions and thoughts of the aftermath of what that really would be in dealing with that, Murray noted. Just the shock of what it is and the reality of, how do we face this and move past this?

New episodes of NCIS air Tuesday nights on CBS.

Cleveratta Gordon-Waldroup was watching her 3-year-old girl walk toward the register at her favorite restaurant in Spring Jan. 9 when a dog snapped at her and held on tight.

He came out of nowhere and lunged and grabbed my baby by the face and he shook her, the mother testified at a video hearing Monday. A family friend told the court the little girl, Ronin, went limp like a rag doll.

The child needed 14 stitches for multiple lacerations and puncture wounds and will need plastic surgery in order to heal properly, said Gordon-Waldroup. Ronin wakes up multiple times in the night kicking and crying and yelling, Bad dog, her mother said.

It turned out Kingston, the Staffordshire bull terrier involved in the attack, was registered as a service dog. The dogs owner, Jennifer Romano, 46, yanked it back by the leash in seconds, witnesses said. She fled the restaurant, the Loose Caboose, and rushed to a vehicle, according to the childs father, James Waldroup. He testified that he ran out after her and told her she shouldnt leave and asked people around to shoot pictures of her license plate.

The father said Romano said to him as she fled, Its your daughters fault. Its your daughters fault.

Animal control officers ultimately tracked down the dog at Romanos home in Montgomery County, where the dogs owner voluntarily surrendered him, according to her attorney John Kovach.

The pit bulls fate is now in the balance as a Montgomery County judge weighs whether the dog should be euthanized. Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Judge Matt Beasley will likely rule this week on whether Kingston caused serious bodily injury, as defined by the Texas Health and Safety Code. If so, Beasley may order the dog to be killed.

The county contends the girls wounds were serious enough that the dog cannot be retrained. Attorney Ronald Chen called Lily Ferguson, 19, a former roommate and friend of Romanos, who told the court this wasnt the first time Kingston had bit someone in the face. In June, Ferguson said, He ripped my lip open and bit me under my left arm. Ferguson explained she never made a formal report about the dog bite, which she said she regretted. But she subsequently sued Romano over the injury.

Ferguson said Romano had several dogs in her home that Romano said were service dogs. Romanos defense lawyer pressed a witness from animal control who said a cursory search of records did not show any other dogs were registered.

The animal control official said there are many companies that allow owners to register pets as service animals, but that doesnt mean the companies are complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Montgomery County law enforcement has also investigated whether Romano should face criminal charges.

The restaurant could also face legal trouble, according to Maureen Farrell, an attorney for the girls family.

Businesses, especially public places like the restaurant where Ronin was attacked, have a duty to try to distinguish between legitimate service animals, and killers in fake service vests bought online by irresponsible owners, she said. It's important to strike a balance between preventing discrimination against people with disabilities who use service animals to provide valuable tasks, and public safety.

Romano has been sued several times over the conduct of another pit bull she said she was rehabilitating through her now-defunct business, Maggies House Rescue. That dog, Gus, attacked at least two women and was eventually put down in California following years of litigation. A Harris County judge found that Romano was negligent and misrepresented her qualifications as a dog trainer, ordering her to pay $1.3 million in damages in a personal injury lawsuit filed by one of the victims.

Kovach presented a letter from a board-certified doctor that says his client suffers from general anxiety disorder and that service animals help her with the condition. He will call witnesses on Tuesday to make his case that the dogs life should be spared in part because Romano relies on it for emotional support, and that more discretion should be allowed for incidents involving these types of animals.

gabrielle.banks@chron.com

anna.bauman@chron.com

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual end-of-year news conference, held online in a video conference mode, in Moscow, Russia Dec 17, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

By Gao Fei and Yu You

Moscow is ready to engage in dialogue with the US president Biden and his administration to resolve their divergences as long as the US so intends, said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian president, on January 24. Kremlins initiative to hold dialogues and resolve divergences with the White House and the fact that the two countries seem to cooperate more in strategic security than in the past four years have released positive signals. Whether US-Russia relations can reset successfully has attracted widespread global attention.

The conflicts and divergences between the US and Russia are complicated. At present, the international environment is constantly changing. Both Washington and Moscow have a tight schedule at home, and their increased cooperation in strategic security is more driven by their interests. Whether the bilateral ties can restart successfully still faces plenty of challenges.

First of all, there are structural conflicts between the US and Russia. Washington and Moscow have deeply divided over the global order. While Washington tries hard to maintain its global domination, Russia advocates a multi-polar world. As the worlds two strongest military powers, its almost inevitable for them to view each other as a major threat given the security dilemma behind their military strengths, no matter how eagerly they express their wish for peace. Under such circumstances, the political relationship between the two sides can hardly see adetente, their strategic security wrestling will continue, and their competitive status wont mitigate. The bilateral game between the US and Russia is evident on the Syrian issue, the Iranian nuclear issue, and the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Second, Russia is always labeled as a major threat by Americans. American diplomatic elites have consistently and firmly positioned Russia as the biggest threat to the US that, either geopolitically or ideologically, attempts to undermine Uncle Sams international status and erode the democracy and liberty that the country is based upon. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the US-led western countries have been squeezing Russias geostrategic space by expanding NATO eastward and launching color revolutions. After the Ukraine crisis, Washington took a slew of moves against Moscow, from economic sanctions to closing down consulates to expelling diplomats, creating constant collisions between them. Since 2016, American democrats have been accusing Russia of interfering in the US presidential election, and the Russiagate investigation has been quite a sensation. Given the background, its hard to determine whether the new Democratic administration would suddenly change its tune toward Russia.

Third, the US-Russia relation has been affected by European countries. Some eastern European countries are strongly against Russia due to historical reasons. The US often uses Russia as an excuse to sow discord between old Europe and new Europe to maintain its clout on the continent. In the past four years, the Trump administration has spurred the UK to leave the EU, imposed tariffs, and forced expanded defense expenses  moves that have seriously weakened US-European relations. After Biden takes office at the White House, he will attach great importance to the relationship with US European allies. He will mend the alliance, to which end playing up the Russian threat will be an important way to bridge the rift, although that means putting more obstacles in the way of mending the US-Russia relationship.

During the first 20 years of the new century, US-Russia relations have restarted several times amid rounds of ups and downs. In fact, Trump tried to improve the ties after taking office. Still, the two countries, instead of resetting their relations, have engaged in more intense competition in the military, diplomatic, security, and other sectors. Why is it hard to restart US-Russia relations? Its because their inherent, structural conflicts cannot be mediated in the short term. Besides, the US still clings to the outdated Cold War mentality and zero-sum game when dealing with inter-state relations, taking confrontations and counterbalancing as its mere prevailing rule, making it harder to improve bilateral ties.

Today, the institutional foundation for the US and Russia to maintain international security and stability is in limbo. Two of the three treaties they signed to keep the international arms control and disarmament system stable  the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM), the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START)  have practically lost effect, with the New START to expire in February this year. After the US officially quitted the Open Skies pact in November 2020, Russia also launched the internal procedures for leaving the agreement. Their malicious competition has seriously affected global strategic stability.

Although there are numerous difficulties to restarting US-Russia relations, the world still hopes for the stable development of their ties. The world today is going through profound changes unseen in a century. As global powers, a stable US-Russia relation is of great importance for world peace and development. The cooperation and dialogue between major powers are essential for international cooperation in response to challenges. Peaceful co-existence between nations is only possible when all countries uphold the principle of mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

(Professor Gao Fei is Vice President of China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU); Yu You is a scholar at the Renmin University of China.)

Disclaimer: This article is originally published on www.huanqiu.com and translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.

The past 18 months has been a peak time for news reporting: bushfires, COVID, NZ volcano, Black Lives Matter, US election -many involving extremist protestors.

Just trying to cover the news can be stressful for journalists and crew. Even Nine News boss Darren Wicks lawyer told a court his client had suffered anxiety over detention of 60 Minutes crew in Beirut, and dealing with the challenges of bushfires and COVID-19 coverage.

TV Tonight recently asked both Seven and Nine about monitoring mental health in the newsroom.

Seven Network Director of News and Public Affairs Craig McPherson said, Theres regular outlets for them to go. Were very mindful of that like, I guess, most businesses need to be, by having a telephone line, regular discussions with those really at the front end of it: the news directors, the Chief of Staff, EPs. Were all mindful of the extent of what they are covering.

Obviously with major extremes like a tsunami, or a bushfire, youre seeing a lot of instant destruction. Its the impact when you see something burned down, or you see lives taken by extremes of nature -as opposed to Coronavirus, which became a really heavy statistical story from day dot. COVID has a lot of human suffering in the human toll which we saw (accruing).

So there were differences in the immediate impact on the workforce.

Simon Hobbs, Director of Nine News Sydney said, Weve had the HR guys bring in mental health people when needed. Weve got an Employee Assistance Program which we provide to all of our staff so they can just make a phone call. But weve specifically brought in people to be able to help deal with that sort of stuff, to just give people a chance to talk to someone about it, when they need.

Dont underestimate the pressure, particularly when COVID was at its height. Our guys have got to go out on the streets when everybody else is staying at home. So while we were always safe about it, during that particular panic in the early days of COVID, people were worried about it, rightly so.

Its been an enormously long and stressful year for all our teams.

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[January 26, 2021] Balfour Beatty Communities Foundation Opens Annual Scholarship Program to Military, Multifamily Residents and Dependents

Balfour Beatty Communities Foundation's annual academic scholarship program is accepting applications for the 2021/2022 academic year. The program recognizes residents of Balfour Beatty Communities-owned and managed properties who are active in their local community, show academic promise, and demonstrate financial need. To be eligible for a Foundation scholarship, applicants must: Reside in a Balfour Beatty Communities-owned and managed military, student housing, or multifamily community

Hold a GPA of 3.0 or better

Participate in extra-curricular activities

Plan to attend an accredited college or trade school in the 2021/2022 academic school year In addition to completing the online application form, applicants are required to submit a 350-400 word essay that allows the selection committee to learn more about their personal background on one of the following topics: Discuss a special attribute or accomplishment that sets you apart.

What matters to you and why?

Describe a defining moment in your life and how it changed your vie of your past or future?

What are your expectations on how further education will make an impact on your future?



Since 2009, the Foundation has awarded more than 490 scholarships to assist deserving students and future community leaders in their pursuit of postsecondary education.

All applications and related materials must be received by March 18, 2021 (11:59 pm PT). To apply and for more information, visit www.bbcommunitiesfoundation.org/scholarships. About Balfour Beatty Communities Foundation Founded in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Balfour Beatty Communities Foundation seeks to give back to the communities and resident served across the Balfour Beatty Communities portfolio of properties. The Foundation helps deserving scholars residing in our communities pursue their dreams and ambitions through a generous scholarship program. From the development of memorials dedicated to our military heroes, to grants supporting the important work of military family-focused organizations and charities, the Foundation is also committed to serving those who serve. Learn more at BBCommunitiesFoundation.org. Balfour Beatty Communities Foundation is a Pennsylvania non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) classification from the Internal Revenue Service of the United States. Financial information can be obtained by contacting Sharon Marcone at One Country View Road, Malvern, PA 19355, (610) 355-8100, smarcone@bbcgrp.com. Additional information may be obtained directly by contacting the relevant state agency noted at http://www.bbcommunitiesfoundation.org/#!legal-disclosures/co6u. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126006014/en/

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The Anti-Corruption Court in Nairobi has granted an application by the Ethics and anti-Corruption Commission(EACC) to freeze assets associated with Muranga Governor Mwangi Wa Iria.

Justice James Wakiaga blocked the governor and two companies from dealing with properties worth millions in Nairobi and Nyeri counties believed to have been acquired using proceeds of corruption.

I am satisfied there are grounds to satisfy the court at this stage that the properties are proceeds of crime and corruption. I, therefore, grant orders prohibiting the respondents jointly or severally from transferring, disposing of or in any other way dealing with the properties herein, ruled Justice Wakiaga.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) told the court that Wa Iria influenced the award of Sh542,610,615 tender to Top Image Media Consultants Ltd which is allegedly owned by the governors relatives and associates.

It was alleged that Top Image Media Consultants Ltd, a company owned by Wa Irias associates/relatives had been irregularly awarded various media buying tenders in the county government of Muranga between the financial years 2014/2015 and 2016/2017 and received a sum of Sh542 million.

Preliminary investigations have further confirmed that indeed the 1st respondent [Wa Iria] held a direct and indirect interest in the contract awarded to the 2nd respondent [Top Image Media Consultants Ltd] as the 2nd respondent would subsequently transfer funds to the Ist respondent, EACC said in court papers.

Read: Governor Mwangi Wa Iria Declares He Will Run For Presidency In 2022

The court heard that the county first wired Sh302 million to the firms account in Family Bank. A second tranche of Sh201 million was wired to Jamii Bora Bank while Sh39 million was sent to Sidian Bank.

EACC believes that Top Image Media Consultants then wired the money to Wa Iria, which he used to buy two properties; in Umoja Innercore and 13 acres of land in Mweiga worth Sh8.8 million.

The commission discovered that Top Image Media Consultants Ltd would wire back the proceeds to Wa Iria through Value View Limited, a firm owned by Wa Irias wife Jane Waigwe Kimani and his brother in law Solomon Mutura Kimani.

The property in Umoja was reportedly bought for Sh7.5 million, while in the Mweiga deal, Wa Iria is alleged to have expressed interest in buying 40 acres at Sh670,000 an acre but the sellers took back 27 acres after Value View defaulted on payment.

Its these properties that anticorruption court Justice James Wakiaga barred Wa Iria and his associates from dealing with for six months to allow EACC to complete its investigations.
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Police in Middlesex County were looking for the driver of a pickup truck who tried to abduct a woman early Tuesday as she walked on a street in New Brunswick.

The incident occurred about midnight on Easton Avenue near Wycoff Street in New Brunswick, according to city police.

The woman told police a red, four-door pickup pulled up next to her and the driver pointed a handgun at her and demanded she get into his truck, according to a statement from police in New Brunswick.

The woman ran and the pickup fled on Easton Avenue toward Somerset Street, according to police.

The vehicle is a newer pickup, possibly a Honda Ridgeline, police said. The woman told police the driver was in his 30s or early 40s.

Anyone with information is asked to call police Detective Keith Walcott at 732-745-5217. Anyone who believes they have spotted the truck is asked to call 911 or the police department at 732-745-5200.

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.
An official with Frances presidency said today that Iran must return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement and end provocations if its leaders want the United States to rejoin the deal.

If they are serious about negotiations and if they want to obtain a re-engagement of all the stakeholders in the [nuclear deal], they firstly need to refrain from further provocations and secondly respect what they no longer respect; thats to say, their obligations under the deal, the official told Reuters and other news outlets on the condition of anonymity on Tuesday.

The statement on Frances position came hours after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Washington should first lift sanctions on Iran before Iran returns to compliance with the 2015 deal.

Lavrov told reporters that Russia and Iran share the same position on how a return to the agreement should be approached. The Russian minister made the statement after he met with Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Moscow.

Zarif is currently on a diplomatic tour of the region. He stopped in Azerbaijan on Monday and reportedly has plans to visit Turkey, as well as Georgia and Armenia.

The Trump administration walked out of the multinational 2015 agreement in 2018, saying it would only temporarily limit Irans access to a nuclear weapon. The deal also allowed Iran to develop its conventional ballistic missile program. The United States accused Tehran of shipping weapons to proxy militias in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, potentially threatening Washingtons regional partners.

The Trump administration enacted broad economic sanctions on Iran in an attempt to force its government to end its nuclear program and roll back its support for proxy militias in the region.

Iranian leaders have expressed willingness to rejoin the original deal, rejecting any pre-conditions of discussions with the United States over Irans regional influence campaign or its conventional ballistic missile program.

Zarif on Monday repeated his governments stance that Iran would return to compliance with the deal and continue to allow international inspectors at nuclear sites if the Biden administration first lifts sanctions. Iranian government spokesperson Ali Rabei upped the ante on Tuesday, saying Iran would restrict international inspections on Feb. 19 if US sanctions are not pulled back.

Iranian leaders appear to be staking their gambit on President Joe Bidens desire to break with his predecessor on policies both domestic and foreign, but it is not clear the White House will bite just yet.

If Iran comes back into compliance, we would too, Bidens choice for secretary of state, Tony Blinken, told the Senate last week.

President Biden spoke with Frances President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday. The two agreed to work together on shared foreign policy priorities, including regarding the Middle East, according to a White House readout of the call.
BRECKSVILLE, Ohio -- A Brecksville councilwoman and a member of the citys Planning Commission believe that former President Donald Trumps claim of massive voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election is true -- and their expression of that belief has fueled a political firestorm in the city.

Kim Veras and Dominic Sciria -- speaking as recording secretary and president, respectively, of the Cuyahoga Valley Republicans club -- voiced support for Trump in a Dec. 31 letter to U.S. Reps. David Joyce and Anthony Gonzalez and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, all of whom represent the Brecksville area in Congress.

Veras and Sciria -- although later disavowing the violence initiated by Trump supporters Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol -- urged Joyce, Gonzalez and Portman to object to Electoral College votes cast for Joe Biden from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Those of us who have repeatedly led grassroots campaigns and Election Day volunteer efforts know that the charges of massive voter fraud made by President Trump are credible, Veras, Sciria and other members of the Cuyahoga Valley Republicans Board of Trustees said in the Dec. 31 letter. It is remarkable that so many Republican leaders dont see it.

Sciria, in an email to cleveland.com on Monday (Jan. 25), seemed to distance himself from some of Trumps more dramatic claims -- including that votes were cast by dead people, ballots were processed secretly and illegally, ballots were improperly discarded and voting machines were rigged -- and focused on allegations that some states violated the U.S. Constitution by changing voting laws in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election.

Sciria said the law changes led to the counting of flawed ballots that wouldnt have been tallied in previous elections.

Like the 147 Republican members of Congress who objected to Electoral College votes and the 18 state attorneys general who filed a complaint with the U.S. Supreme Court, I believe that the unilateral changes that were made to weaken voter safeguards in states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were unconstitutional, Sciria said in the email to cleveland.com.

The Dec. 31 letter was brought to light and questioned by A Better Brecksville, a political group that ran a slate of four candidates in the November 2019 City Council elections. Only one of the candidates, Ann Koepke, was elected to council.

Rebecca Kapur, cofounder of A Better Brecksville, sent an email to Veras Jan. 11, five days after the violence at the Capitol building. Kapur wondered if Veras, based on the Dec. 31 letter, supported the attack on the Capitol.

I have no desire to believe that people in our local government support (in word or deed) the violent overthrow of the lawfully and democratically elected president, U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden, Kapur told Veras in the Jan. 11 email.

Another email to city officials, from Brecksville resident Patricia Demko, questioned whether Veras was qualified and fit to sit on council, based on her signing of the Dec. 31 letter.

The letter is rife with conspiratorial drivel and a marked departure of what was decided in a free and fair election, Demko told Veras in the email. This ill-informed thinking is concerning, but thats not what caused me the most chagrin. I was horrified that you, an elected Brecksville city councilperson, signed this.

Demko said Cuyahoga Valley Republicans statement that there was evidence of massive voter fraud in the November election was misguided.

Court after court and the former attorney general of the United States (William Barr) have refuted this claim, Demko said. There has been no credible evidence, while they have vowed to review any credible evidence presented. Any such evidence has yet to be presented.

Another emailer, whom the city was unable to identify in time for this article, said Veras should resign or that council should remove her from office.

At a Jan. 19 council meeting, Veras defended the letter and her signing of it.

The letter stands on its own, Veras said in a prepared statement. The letter represents how concerned citizens in a free and democratic society communicate and engage with their elected representatives. Those who agree with the views expressed are free to write their own letters.

However, all council members -- including Veras -- and Mayor Jerry Hruby said they opposed political violence and what happened at the Capitol Jan. 6.

I do not condone violence in any form, including what took place at the Capitol building and that which occurred in many cities across our nation for several months last summer, Veras said.

Those who engage in criminal acts should be arrested and prosecuted. In America, the rule of law must always prevail, she said.

As a member of City Council, my record shows that my commitment to serve our community has always been, and will continue to be, nonpartisan, in the tradition of Brecksville city government, Veras said.

Council voted 6-0 -- with Veras abstaining -- not to consider removing Veras from office, and declared the matter closed.

Electoral College controversy

The Dec. 31 letter from the Cuyahoga Valley Republicans to Joyce, Gonzalez and Portman expressed disappointment that prominent Congressional Republicans were planning to accept the Electoral College votes that would confirm Biden as winner of the presidential election.

Grassroots Republicans have long suspected that many in the GOP establishment consider themselves better and smarter than the voters who elect them, the letter said. Refusal to support a president (Trump) who garnered more support, has been more successful and is more popular than any Republican since Ronald Regan will confirm that their theory is correct.

The letter said conservatives would leave the Republican Party if Congressional Republicans didnt support Trump by objecting to electoral votes cast for Biden in certain states.

It is up to all of us as citizens to defend liberty, the letter said. We once again point out that we, in the Republican Party, are walking in the footsteps of men who signed the Declaration of Independence with the pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

The letter was posted on the Cuyahoga Valley Republicans Facebook page, where it caught the eye of A Better Brecksville members and those who follow that groups Facebook page. One was Brecksville resident Steve Schadler.

Im a registered Republican and proud conservative myself, Schadler said in an email to city officials. I hope you arent reluctant to disavow calls for political violence for fear of alienating fellow conservatives.

Just the opposite -- in my humble opinion, speaking for myself -- I want to see members of our party stand tall and disavow political violence coming from within our ranks, he said.

Defending Veras

At the Jan. 19 council meeting, Hruby defended Veras, calling her one of the better council members with whom he has worked over his several years as mayor.

Mrs. Veras did nothing wrong, Hruby said. Shes a Republican. She wrote, along with the other members of the Cuyahoga Valley Republicans -- which, by the way, is a Republican organization -- a letter to three elected officials. They are our representatives in Washington, D.C.

Hruby, a charter member of Cuyahoga Valley Republicans, said the Dec. 31 letter urged support for a Republican president, nothing more. There was no anticipation or support of the violence that would occur Jan. 6 at the Capitol.

Mrs. Veras, I apologize to you, Hruby said. Youre being treated in an unfair way. Someones trying to take away your rights to say who you support. And if you are being condemned because you support a certain person, this United States is in the wrong direction.

Hruby said he, too, condemned the violence that broke out at the Capitol Jan. 6. He read from a statement he recently included in a message to residents.

This city government strongly affirms ones right to gather under the First Amendment, but (not) to commit (violent) acts in the name of the freedoms of our Constitution, Hruby said.

Council President Michael Harwood said Veras had received several negative emails from residents wondering why she had not responded to their questions about the Dec. 31 letter. The residents said her silence spoke for itself.

However, Harwood said it was he and Law Director David Matty who advised Veras not to speak about the matter before Matty could determine whether Veras, as an elected official, had a First Amendment right to free speech like any other citizen.

Matty said that was important, because some residents in emails questioned Veras ability and qualifications to serve on council. Under the city charter, council can remove its own members for not performing their duties properly.

Matty said he concluded that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that legislators -- including Veras -- have the widest latitude to express their policy views under the First Amendment.

The cloak that you wear as a council member does not eliminate any First Amendment rights that you must have, Matty said.

Voter fraud?

Hruby and Brecksville council members, reached earlier this week by cleveland.com, didnt want to say whether they believed that massive voter fraud occurred during the 2020 presidential election.

Residents Ive spoken to are ready to put the 2020 election cycle behind them, and I couldnt agree more, Councilman Daryl Kingston said. Its time to heal and for our residents to unify around the many great infrastructure projects that are under way in town.

At the Jan. 19 council meeting, Councilwoman Laura Redinger said she, too, is a member of Cuyahoga Valley Republicans. She said she was saddened about suggestions on Facebook that Veras supported or encouraged violence.

I do not support violence of any kind, Redinger said. I also do not support the use of social media to create negative campaigns and attack peoples character.

Kingston and Councilman Dominic Caruso said they condemn all forms of violence. Kingston said Veras was a woman of strong character, and Caruso said she has a good heart.

Her choice to exercise free speech should be respected, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the view being expressed, said Caruso, a registered Republican but not a Cuyahoga Valley Republicans member.

Longtime Councilman Lou Carouse Jr. said he also was a charter member of Cuyahoga Valley Republicans.

I think what Cuyahoga Valley Republicans did was take a position that they had the right to take, Carouse said. Whether any of us in the organization agreed or disagreed wasnt the point.

Carouse said it goes without saying that he opposes violence. He vouched for Veras, adding that council should not consider removing her from office.

Kim, your integrity is second to none, Carouse said.

Koepke, one of the four council candidates endorsed by A Better Brecksville in 2019, said shes a registered Republican but not a Cuyahoga Valley Republicans member. She said she opposes political violence and advocates settling differences peacefully.

Koepke said she didnt know Veras outside of council, but didnt believe Veras would support violence of any kind.

Read more from the Sun Star Courier.
The newly-installed Biden administration is rapidly demonstrating that its stance toward China will be just as aggressive as that of the Trump administration.

In the economic sphere, Bidens nominee for treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, branded Beijing as our most strategic competitor at her confirmation hearing. Echoing Trump, she denounced its alleged abusive, unfair, and illegal practices, including theft of intellectual property and forced technology transfers, and declared we are prepared to use the full array of tools to address these practices.

An F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet is seen on the deck of the U.S. Navy USS Ronald Reagan in the South China Sea, 2018 (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The White House is also continuing the Trump administrations confrontational military actions, with the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group entering the South China Sea on Saturday. The strike group included a guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, and two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, the USS Russell and USS John Finn,

While the US military described the operation as routine, the only aspect that is routine is the increasing frequency of such exercises under the Obama and Trump administrations, including freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) inside the 12-nautical mile territorial limit around Chinese-occupied islets in the South China Sea. The FONOPs increased from two or three annually in the final years of the Obama administration to as many as 10 under Trump.

Strike group commander Rear Admiral Doug Verissimo declared: Its great to be in the South China Sea again, conducting routine operations, promoting freedom of the seas, and reassuring allies and partners. While it is not clear whether a warship will this time enter territorial waters claimed by China, the very presence of a US carrier strike group close to the Chinese mainland and sensitive naval bases on Hainan Island is provocative.

While the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group entered the South China Sea, the US State Department criticised the Chinese military for flying its aircraft through the southwestern air defence identification zone (ADIZ) declared by Taiwan. In a statement issued on Saturday, US spokesman Ned Price expressed concern at the pattern of Chinese attempts to intimidate its neighbors, including Taiwan and warned our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid. While a number of countries have established ADIZs, they are not part of territorial air spaces, have no standing in international law and are based on tacit agreement between countries. Indeed, when China declared its own ADIZ in the East China Sea in 2013, the US declared that it would not recognise the zone and deliberately flew warplanes through the area without making any identifications.

China claims Taiwan as a part of its territory and regards it as a renegade province. As such it has ignored the Taiwanese ADIZ and regularly flies military aircraft there. The only significantly different aspect of Saturdays operation was the number of aircraft, which included four fighter jets, eight bombers and one anti-submarine aircraft, making it the largest for several months. Taiwans military sent radio warnings, put defence missile systems on alert and dispatched patrol aircraft to monitor the Chinese planes.

The latest US condemnation, which has been featured in the US and international press, is designed to demonstrate that the Biden administration will continue Trumps closer support for, and contact with, Taiwan. The US continued to arm Taiwan and oppose any forcible Chinese takeover of the island when it established diplomatic relations with China in 1979. At the same time, however, Washington tacitly accepted the One China policy, acknowledging Beijing as the legitimate ruler of all China, including Taiwan.

From the outset, Trump publicly questioned the One China policy and increasingly ignored the diplomatic protocols established over three decades that narrowly limited official contact with Taiwan. In the final week of the Trump administration, its Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lifted all restrictions on meetings between US and Taiwanese officials, military and civilian, prompting an angry Chinese response.

In a clear indication that the new administration intends to do the same, Taiwans de facto ambassador to Washington, Bi-khim Hsiao, was invited to attend Bidens inauguration last week. This was the first time that a Taiwanese representative had been asked to attend since formal diplomatic relations between the US and Taiwan ended in 1979.

Taiwan is potentially the most dangerous flashpoint for conflict between the US and China. The US navy intervened in 1949 to protect the Kuomintang (KMT) forces that fled to the island from the revolutionary movement that put the Chinese Communist Party in power in Beijing. For decades, the US propped up the brutal KMT dictatorship in Taiwan and maintained the fiction that it was the legitimate government in exile of all China.

The shift in diplomatic relations in 1979, following the visit of President Nixon to China in 1972, was driven by US strategic interestsa de facto alliance against the Soviet Union. Over the past decade, first under the Obama administrations pivot to Asia and then under Trump, US imperialism has shifted to regard China as its chief rival and has made another strategic about-faceto prevent Beijing from threatening US global hegemony by all available means.

Bidens choice for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, emphasised during his confirmation hearings last week that there was no doubt that China posed the most significant challenge to the US of any nation. He agreed that Trump was right in taking a tougher approach to China, though perhaps differing with the former presidents tactics. He also declared that Washington would continue arms sales to Taiwan

Blinken said he was in favour of greater engagement with Taiwan and did not oppose Pompeos decision to lift all restrictions, saying only that his team would examine the protocols. In 2019, as deputy secretary of state in the Obama administration, Blinken met with Tsai Ing-wen who was then the presidential candidate for Taiwans Democratic Progressive Party. Tsai is now the Taiwanese president and favours greater independence for Taiwan from China.

In his hearings, Blinken also agreed with Pompeos provocative designation of Chinas treatment of the Muslim Uyghur minority as genocide. Pompeos commentsone of his last actions before leaving officewere deliberately aimed at inflaming US-China relations and are part of the escalating US propaganda campaign, hypocritically exploiting human rights as the justification for economic warfare and military build-up against China.

Just a week after his inauguration, Biden, who was part of the Obama administrations pivot to Asia targeting China, is already indicating that he will continue and escalate Trumps reckless and dangerous confrontation with Beijing.
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Ayla's Acres animal shelter and rescue is building anew and Flagler students are helping them do it

This spring, Aylas Acres is breaking ground on a facility located at SR 208. As part of a partnership with a Flagler College class, they will also debut new branding as well. While the no-kill animal rescue was in the process of preparing for the new addition these last two years, they realized it was the perfect time to rebrand, as their existing logo was created 10 years ago.

Final logo design by Sierra Van Natter

Assistant Professor Natalie Stephenson was also searching for an organization with which to partner for her CIE project, which stands for Community Integrative Education. Among Flagler College's class options, a student can opt to take a CIE-designated course. This type of course truly embodies the Flagler core values that we are all striving to emulate and put into practice: Citizenship with Integrity, Transformative Learning, Thoughtful Stewardship, and Respectful and Inclusive Community. It also indicates a high-impact practice where the students participate in an intensive project that involves a hands-on approach to learning.

From left to right, starting with the top: Natalie Stephenson, Fran Charlson, Cassidy Beller, Julie Ann Brunsky.

For Fall 2020s ART228 (CIE) Design Methodologies class, the students were able to act as an agency and engage with a real-world client, making for a transformative learning experience. The approach for meeting with the client looked a little different this year and took place via Zoom. By taking into consideration Aylas Acres needs for the rebranding, the students produced many options from which Aylas Acres was ultimately able to choose  designs for a new logo and tagline.

I came up with the tagline Aid. Adopt. Advocate. These three short words, when put together, illustrate the scope of the clients mission...all while keeping a strong sense of unified branding with the letter A, commented tagline creator Stephanie Adair.

Each student in the class had a process for internalizing and interpreting the needs of the client which they learned through various stages of meetings. The first round narrowed the designs down to four and finally down to the chosen logo and tagline. Aylas Acres reports that they plan to use the new designs on marketing materials such as new signage, printed collateral, letterhead and t-shirts.

The final design I feel incorporates all aspects and changes that the organization wanted to make to their logo. The creative concept was to take the idea of hippie, fun and a truckload of animals, and I then turned it into a VW styled van. I included the horse, chicken, dog and cat within the van as an inclusion of all animals. I think this concept really captures everything they wanted to have included, as well as being different from designs of other rescue centers, said Sierra Van Natter who designed the winning logo concept.

In the north and central Florida region, its reported that over 30,000 animals are euthanized each year due to shelter overcrowding. Aylas Acres has been serving the areas homeless, abused and abandoned animals for almost 10 years. As a top concern for the college-age group, the students were excited from the beginning to be teaming up with an organization whose mission is to help the animals without euthanizing. Some students were very aware of the tie-in to the Colleges core value of Thoughtful Stewardship.

Working with Aylas Acres No-Kill Animal Rescue to update their branding was a very rewarding experience. It was clear that the clients were passionate about the organization and its mission. This project was definitely a fun and valuable learning experience for me. I ended up creating a logo that I believe represents Aylas Acres well, and I am proud of that, said Bailey Shuler, whose design was one of the top two.

One of the runners-up logo designs by Bailey Shuler.

On working with the design students, Aylas Acres Executive Director Fran Charlson said, We enjoyed working with the Flagler students. It was wonderful to see all of the different ideas that students developed for us. Narrowing the options was difficult.

Ultimately the students benefit not just from the experience but also through the addition of new design concepts to their portfolios. Stephenson loves to teach this type of class for several other reasons, including that its a mutually beneficial experience where both parties are coming away with something tangible.

Our community partners educate students about their organizations mission and services, and receive pro-bono creative services. Then students gain valuable experience working with a client while also making a difference in the local community, she said.

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Vietnams Party chief and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Thursday sent their messages of congratulations to Joe Biden on being sworn in as the 46th president of the United States of America.

Party General Secretary Trong and PM Phuc expressed their belief that President Biden and his administration will achieve new succes, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement the same day.

President Biden took office on Wednesday in U.S. time, which is Thursday in Vietnam time, after defeating then-President Donald Trump with 306 electoral votes in the November election.

The 46th U.S. president and his administration will make new achievements for the prosperity and happiness of the American people and continue making positive contributions to peace, stability, cooperation, and development around the world, the statement read.

The Vietnamese leaders believed that the Vietnam-U.S. ties will keep thriving in an effective and sustainable fashion on the back of their bilateral relations having been built over the past 25 years.

Vice-State President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh also transmitted her message of congratulations to U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris the same day.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Britain and India are committed to an enhanced trade partnership as the first step towards a positive free trade agreement in future and plans are expected to be further formalised during the visit of Prime Minister to India in the coming months, the UK's Minister for South Asia has said.

Lord Tariq Ahmad, who is also Minister for the Commonwealth in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), said the strong relationship between the two countries has been further intensified with the vaccine collaboration to help fight the common enemy in the form of COVID-19.

"We have been undertaking steps to remove barriers to trade and the hope is that an Enhanced Trade Partnership will lead to a positive free trade agreement (FTA) with India in future, said Ahmad, in an interaction to mark India's 72nd Republic Day celebrations on Tuesday.

"The ultimate goal is an FTA and the first steps in that direction are expected to form part of the initiatives that will be unveiled when the Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) visits India later this year, he said.

The minister indicated that many practical steps in the shape of business-to-business relations, which fully utilise the under-leveraged Indian diaspora in the UK, are also in the works.

Alongside, a real professional partnership that takes on board the mobility of skilled professionals and students between the two countries will be at the heart of a further strengthened bilateral relationship for a post-Brexit Global Britain.

India, as the pharmacy of the world, is a key composite to both our countries' commitment to the equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines around the world, through the COVAX facility. This has been a key area of collaboration, including between AstraZeneca and the Serum Institute of India, said Ahmad, in reference to the vaccine collaboration.

The UK has committed 548 million pounds to the COVAX Advance ?Market Commitment ?(AMC), which aims to provide at least 1 billion doses of vaccines for high-risk populations in 80?low and lower middle-income countries and 12 eligible upper-middle income countries in 2021, including India.

The Serum Institute of India (SII) will be one of the main suppliers of COVAX AMC, besides providing a significant proportion of India's domestic supply. The current COVAX portfolio includes 170 million AstraZeneca doses and 200 million doses of AstraZeneca or Novavax from the SII, with an option of up to 900 million doses agreed.

The minister also offered his deepest condolences to the loss of life from the fire at the Pune-based institute's vaccine facility last week, as he paid tribute to the work being conducted in the field of vaccines as a result of the UK-India partnership, at a government-to-government as well as private sector level.

India is a strategic partner and we look forward to working closer together within the Commonwealth as we look towards Kigali (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda in June), he added.

According to latest FCDO data, UK-India bilateral trade increased by over 11 per cent to nearly 24 billion pounds and the UK was the largest European market for India's goods exports in the 2019-20 financial year.

(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.)
U.S. President Joe Biden has expressed concern over Moscow's crackdown on Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny and anti-government protesters.



Speaking two days after mass arrests of demonstrators across Russia against President Vladimir Putin and the jailing of Navalny, Biden said on January 25 he was "very concerned."

He said he had not yet decided how to respond to the Navalny situation but expressed hope that the United States and Russia could cooperate in areas where both see benefit.



He noted that the two countries will need to cooperate on nuclear arms control, with the clock ticking toward the expiration of New START, the last remaining arms-control pact between Washington and Moscow, on February 5.



Biden said he considered it possible to make it clear to Russia that the United States is "very concerned about their behavior," while both countries "operate in mutual self-interest" on the treaty.



Biden also referred to the huge breach of U.S. computer networks revealed last month, which has been blamed on Russian hackers, and reports last year that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.



"I have asked the agencies in question to do a thorough read for me on every one of those issues, to update me precisely where they are, and I will not hesitate to raise those issues with the Russians," he said, speaking to reporters at the White House.



The State Department condemned "harsh tactics" used to confront nationwide demonstrations on January 23 in support of Navalny.

New START limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 and deployed strategic delivery systems at 700.



The White House said last week that Biden intended to seek a five-year extension of the deal, a proposal welcomed by Russia, but Moscow also said it needed to see details.



"Russia stands for the preservation of the New START and for its extension," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on January 22. "We can only welcome the political will to extend the document, but everything will depend on the details of this proposal, which is yet to be studied."

Navalny's case was the subject at a meeting on January 25 of European Union foreign ministers. The bloc will wait to see if Russia releases Navalny before deciding to impose fresh sanctions.



Navalny was detained a week ago upon returning to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal poisoning by a military-grade nerve agent in August he accuses President Vladimir Putin of ordering. A court is expected to decide in early February whether to imprison Navalny for a suspended sentence in a case that is widely considered trumped up and politically motivated.



Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign-policy chief, said he would go to Moscow next week to urge Russia to free protesters and Navalny. EU leaders could discuss further action against Russia at a planned summit on March 25-26, he said.



Some EU foreign ministers are calling for tough action.



Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the 27-member bloc "needs to send a very clear and decisive message that this is not acceptable."

Russia has rebuffed the global outrage and a chorus of international calls calling for Navalny's release, doubling down on threats to quell any unrest.



Meanwhile, Navalny and his allies aren't backing down, seeking to build on momentum and international focus on the issue.



Leonid Volkov, a top ally of Navalny, praised the turnout in cities and towns across all of Russia's 11 time zones in bitterly cold temperatures as he called for fresh demonstrations on January 31.



"All cities of Russia. For freedom for Navalny. For freedom for everyone. For justice," he wrote on Twitter.



According to the independent political watchdog OVD-Info, more than 3,700 people were taken into custody during the nationwide protests on January 23, Russia's biggest anti-government demonstrations in years.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
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Robert Gohlman conceded it is very unusual and weird to engage in a sex act with a dog while a child is watching.

Yet, the Pennsylvania man also contended he shouldnt be serving a 1- to 3-year prison term for doing just that.

A state appeals court panel has disagreed.

In making that call, the Superior Court judges cited a Crawford County judges conclusion that Gohlman has something going on that needs to be addressed.

Robert Gohlman

Gohlman, 28, of Titusville, received his prison sentence in June 2019 after pleading guilty to a corruption of minors charge. Police said he had masturbated a dog in the presence of a child. He had no sentencing deal, Judge Jacqueline O. Shogan noted in the Superior Courts opinion.

On appeal, Gohlman claimed he was over-sentenced for his crime. Gohlman contends that although the act of masturbating a dog in the presence of a minor is very unusual and weird, it does not warrant a state sentence, Shogan wrote in summing up his argument.

In reaching the opposite conclusion, Shogan cited the findings of county President Judge John F. Spataro, who imposed the sentence, that Gohlman was on probation for another offense when he was arrested for the incident with the dog. Spataro called the charge involving the canine disturbing. He said it showed there is a need for rehabilitation of (Gohlmans) thought processes.

Its hard to understand how any right-thinking person would do a thing like this under any circumstance let alone in the presence of a juvenile, Spataro wrote.

None of the judges accepted Gohlmans excuse that his crime has nothing to do with a minorjust a dog when I was drunk. Weve all done stupid stuff when we are drunk I just happened to do a stupid drunken bet.

Court records show Gohlman has other convictions on charges of corruption of minors, making false reports to police, harassment and simple assault.
Leading global construction and energy law specialist Fenwick Elliott said it had emerged stronger than ever from a challenging 2020 and was expecting a 20 per cent revenue growth this year due to pursuing expansion opportunities across the Mena region into Qatar, pivoting to an online business model, and appointing integral new promotions.

Fenwick Elliott has a key presence in the region, having already serviced many Middle Eastern territories include the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman.

It is now planning to enter Qatar this year where it will provide the new market with access to a high level of construction, infrastructure, engineering, and energy law expertise from one of the most renowned firms globally in the sector, said a statement from the company.

After the Covid-19 pandemic drove the majority of business operations online in 2020, Fenwick Elliott harnessed the opportunity to update its business model and technical capabilities to become a leading firm for digital operations, and for the facilitation of digital hearings.

Embedding technology and online ways of working into its culture, Fenwick Elliotts team now encompasses a dedicated partner and personnel that are focused on the implementation of digital technologies and resources such as text analytics and technology providers.

This has allowed the specialist law firm to develop tailored solutions in respect of contract analysis, contract automation, matter analytics, and matter management that enhance its services and minimise costs to clients.

Simon Tolson, a senior partner with Fenwick Elliott, said: "The Middle Easts forward-thinking vision and rapid action of getting operations under control and re-open after 2020s lockdown and tight restrictions, as well as opening the borders with Qatar, has allowed us to harness a huge opportunity and expand our services in the Middle East in this first quarter, which we believe will allow us to grow the company significantly in 2021."

Patrick Stone, the newly appointed managing partner at Fenwick Elliott, UAE, said: "We see technology and law as an essential partnership for our business moving forward. 2020 brought an instant need for us to pivot the way the business was operating, which saw the majority of our meetings and hearings migrating to online, which in turn meant that we were able to continue servicing our clients whilst harnessing the growing technology services in the sector."

To support the companys planned expansion into Qatar and its continued growth in the Saudi Arabia with alliance partners Hammad & Al Mehdar, Fenwick Elliott has also already made numerous structural changes and promotions in 2021.

Stone, who joined the Dubai office as partner in 2019, will now be leading the law firms operations as Managing Partner for the UAE, operating out of Fenwick Elliotts international office in Dubai.

He replaces Ahmed Ibrahim, who is now moving on to become an independent arbitrator after his success in establishing Fenwick Elliotts Dubai office in 2015.-TradeArabia News Service
A Republican legislator from Waynesboro remains in a Nashville hospital a month and a half after going on a ventilator during a battle with COVID-19.

An office member said he could not comment on the current condition of 63-year-old David Byrd.

Rep. Byrd initially said on Facebook that he was "in need of a miracle."

Then he went on a ventilator on Dec. 10. He continued Facebook updates for several times, then those stopped.

A family member on Jan. 7 said he was unable to talk, very weak and unaware of other family members and friends also afflicted with the virus.
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An opinion writer who frequently contributed op-eds to the New York Times has admitted to being paid well by the Iranian mission to the United Nations but insists that this did not make him an agent of the Iranian government or influence his writing. Kaveh Afrasiabi is currently under arrest, accused of violating the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA). For its part, the New York Times, which still claims to publish "all the news that's fit to print," is dummying up, keeping its readers in the dark on the subject, and offering no comment.

Ira Stoll of The Algemeiner has the story:

"I received checks from the Mission's UN account and it never occurred to me that I was doing anything illegal," the New York Times opinion writer, Kaveh Afrasiabi, wrote in a statement to the Algemeiner. "My conscience is clear, and if the US government had an iota of sense of appreciation, they would thank me for all my tireless activities for the cause of detente, non-proliferation, human rights, inter-religious dialogue and understanding," Afrasiabi said in the statement to the Algemeiner. He called the government's claim that he was a secret Iranian agent "absurd" and "wild." "Whatever I did was perfectly legal and fully transparent," Afrasiabi said, saying that he had believed the Foreign Agents Registration Act "only applied to those engaging in lobbying efforts on behalf of a foreign government, which I never did." A New York Times spokesperson did not respond to a query about whether the newspaper, which according to a search on its website Monday morning had not yet covered the federal criminal complaint against Afrasiabi, plans to tell its readers about the situation. The spokesperson also did not respond to a question about whether the newspaper plans to publish an editor's note indicating that the opinion pieces came from someone who was getting paid by the Iranian government. Afrasiabi said the payments from the Iranian government  about $265,000 since 2007, plus health insurance coverage, federal prosecutors alleged  had not swayed his writing. "At no point in my professional career, I have been moved by anything other than my rather puritanical moral responsibility as an intellectual," he said.

Congratulations to Ira Stoll and The Algemeiner for uncovering this and pursuing both Afrasiabi and the Times for what should be regarded as a major scandal  one that is not receiving a tiny fraction of the attention it is due. This is first-class work that stands in contrast to the Times' treatment of the scandal.

In my opinion, a claim that more than a quarter-million dollars plus health insurance coverage does not influence one's opinions or make one a "agent" is absurd. What was the money paid for? Does Iran merely hand out money and health care coverage to random people expecting nothing in return?

The fact that NYT is not even letting its readers know that a frequent opinion writer on Iran was also receiving big bucks from the mullahs and is now under arrest is another huge scandal.

Afrasiabi claims that, if anything, he was lobbying the U.S., not Iran:

"The only lobbying I am guilty of pertains not to US but rather to the Iranian government, case in point I assisted as much as I could the family of FBI agent missing in Iran, Levinson  Another example is my efforts on behalf of the Washington Post reporter, Jason Rezaian and, before that, Wilson Center scholar Haleh Esfandiari, who suffered in Iran's jails, just as I have in US jails," he wrote. "Yet, another example of my lobbying the Iranian government pertains to author Salman Rushdie, Although never a fan of Rushdie's writings, I found it my moral duty to do whatever I could to get the fatwa, death sentence, lifted."

But how does this square with being paid by the mullahs, not the U.S. taxpayers or other American interests?

He does have a point, though:

He also questioned why, if his activity was illegal, the US government allowed it to go on for so long: "Ironically, the government complaint against me admits that they were aware of my relations since 2007, which raises the question of why allow an illegal activity to go on for 13 years, unless they knew that it was not illegal or 'secret.'"

It is true that FARA has been too rarely enforced, and that is a scandal of its own. It is part of a larger problem, that our open system of government is subject to being subverted by foreign interests. But FARA is not like the Logan Act (the basis the FBI used to persecute General Flynn). There have been prosecutions in the current era under FARA, and there ought to be a lot more.

The accused has the right of a legal presumption of innocence, but his and the New York Times' failure to disclose these payments  and the Times' cover-up of his arrest  is a journalistic and moral scandal of its own.

Photo credit: Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2.0 license.

Three Iraqis convicted of 'terrorism' were hanged on Monday, a security source said, days after a deadly double suicide attack in a crowded Baghdad marketplace killed over 30 people.

The reported hangings came after rights groups warned Iraq may authorise a spree of such executions in a show of strength following the bombings on Thursday, which were claimed by the Islamic State group.

'Three people convicted under Article 4 of the anti-terror law were executed on Monday at the Nasiriyah central prison,' the security source told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

On Sunday, an official from Iraq's presidency told AFP more than 340 execution orders "for terrorism or criminal acts" were ready to be carried out.

"We are continuing to sign off on more," that official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another official from Iraq's presidency said Monday that all the orders were signed after 2014, most of them under ex-president Fuad Massum and at a time when IS occupied a third of the country.

Thursday's attack, which killed at least 32 people, was a jolting reminder of the persistent threat posed by IS, despite the government declaring victory over the jihadists in late 2017.

A 2005 law carries the death penalty for anyone convicted of "terrorism," which can include membership of an extremist group even if they are not convicted of any specific acts.

Rights groups have warned that executions were being used for political reasons.

'Leaders resort to announcements of mass executions simply to signal to the public that they're taking (these issues) seriously,' said Belkis Wille, senior crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch.

'The death penalty is used as a political tool more than anything else," she told AFP on Sunday.

'Deeply troubling'

Since Baghdad officially declared victory over IS, Iraqi courts have sentenced hundreds to death for crimes perpetrated during the jihadists' 2014 seizure of swathes of the country and their brutal three-year hold over cities including Mosul.

Only a small proportion of the sentences have been carried out, as they must be approved by the president.

Barham Saleh, who has held the post since 2018, is known to be personally against capital punishment, and has resisted signing execution orders in the past.

Some Iraqis took to social media to demand tougher action from Saleh after Thursday's attack, accusing him of "not carrying out the sentences" and risking a prison break.

A protest is planned to take place on Tuesday in Nasiriyah, demanding that jihadists be executed in revenge for last week's double suicide attack in the capital.

Despite Saleh's moderating influence, Iraq in 2019 carried out the fourth highest number of executions among nations worldwide, after China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, according to Amnesty International.

Judicial sources told AFP at least 30 executions took place in 2020.

They include 21 men convicted of "terrorism" and executed at Nasiriyah prison in November.

The move sparked condemnations from the United Nations, which described the news as 'deeply troubling" and called on Iraq to halt any further planned executions.

Rights groups accuse Iraq's justice system of corruption, carrying out rushed trials on circumstantial evidence and failing to allow the accused a proper defence.

UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said late last year that given such gaps in Iraq's legal system, implementing capital punishment 'may amount to an arbitrary deprivation of life by the State.'

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RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- At Home Eldercare, L.L.C., a recognized leader in In-Home, Non-Medical Senior Care, recently announced their merge with Loyalty Brands, L.L.C, as they focus on nationwide growth in 2021.

At Home Eldercare is an emerging brand franchisor in the In-Home, Non-Medical Senior Care market. Today, nearly 50 million elderly Americans are being cared for at home by family members, who often need help, but cannot find reliable resources. Many others, particularly seniors, would prefer to stay at home as they become less able to care for themselves, but lack family close by with the time or ability to care for them. These numbers are expected to increase rapidly over the next twenty years as the Baby Boomer generation ages. Currently, the United States sees 10,000 people a day turning 65.

"We are thrilled to announce our partnership with John Hewitt and his team at Loyalty Brands," said Gavin Densmore, president of At Home Eldercare. "It really is the merging of the best of two worlds; At Home Eldercare has been an industry leader for more than 20 years, and John Hewitt and Loyalty Brands bring more than 30 years of franchising experience to the table. Together we expect to become the dominant player in the senior care market." Together, the two companies will move forward as At Home Eldercare Franchising L.L.C.

"I have a special place in my heart for the aging, having lost both my parents in the last few years," said John Hewitt, Loyalty Brands Founder and CEO. "You can see it in their eyes that they would like to have all the capabilities from when they were young. Making their lives easier and comfortable is the best thing we can do. We have been looking for a partner in this industry who was eager to franchise and are excited to have Gavin and his team on board."

At Home Eldercare is a franchisor of In-Home, Non-Medical Senior Care. To learn more, visit: https://www.athomeec.com/

About Loyalty Brands

Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Loyalty Brands is an umbrella franchise company founded in 2018 by serial entrepreneur John Hewitt. The Loyalty Brands consist of business brokerage, small business accounting, tax preparation and added services, networking, and bartering. The company maintains a community first outlook, meaning that involvement in local communities and giving back is a core value. The multi-brand concept involves businesses that are synergistic and compatible, so potential franchisees could possibly own one or more of the brands for additional customer acquisition and co-marketing opportunities. To learn more about Loyalty Brands, please visit https://loyaltybrands.com/

Copyright 2020 AT HOME ELDERCARE L.L.C.

AT HOME ELDERCARE is the trademark or registered trademark of AT HOME ELDERCARE L.L.C. in America. Other company, product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.



This press release contains forward-looking statements based on beliefs of AT HOME ELDERCARE's management. Any statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "should," "promise," and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to HELPING HANDS OF AMERICA are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views and assumptions of AT HOME ELDERCARE and all forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. AT HOME ELDERCARE undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Media Contact: Melissa Salyer, Loyalty Brands, 305-797-5574, [email protected]

SOURCE Loyalty Brands

Related Links

https://loyaltybrands.com/


The results of a provincial probe into one of Manitoba's deadliest personal-care home outbreaks remain unknown, even as the health department puts the private facility's licence under review.

The results of a provincial probe into one of Manitoba's deadliest personal-care home outbreaks remain unknown, even as the health department puts the private facility's licence under review.

Maples Personal Care Home in Winnipeg is one of three personal-care homes in Manitoba currently having its licence reviewed because it hasn't been able to keep up with provincial standards, a government spokesperson confirmed Monday. But the province has yet to disclose the findings of a review it commissioned last fall.

Lynn Stevenson, a former nurse and B.C. deputy health minister, was tasked with looking into the operations of the Revera Inc. personal care home after a "nightmare" situation unfolded at Maples in early November. An anonymous paramedic's social media post on Reddit described residents dying at the chronically understaffed facility, some being left hungry and dehydrated while others were "being literally left to rot." It prompted then-Health Minister Cameron Friesen to promise a review of the facility's operations.

More than a month after a preliminary report was completed following the review, the province says it will not be publicly released, but that changes have already been put in place for staffing, infection control and safe visits. The final report was expected this month.

"In her preliminary report, Dr. Stevenson noted that many changes had already been implemented as part of improvements made to the planning and response to current and potential COVID-19 outbreaks," a provincial spokesperson responded to the Free Press Monday, saying the paramedic rapid response team, community IV program and on-site clinical leads that the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority recently implemented addressed some of the review's findings. Health Incident Command teams are working with long-term care home leadership across the province to address other preliminary findings, the spokesperson wrote.

The findings will be important to families whose loved ones live, or have died, at Maples, but taking action to prevent future deaths should be a higher priority, said Joann Kubas, whose mother-in-law is a Maples care home resident.

"What is their action plan moving forward is kind of what we'd like to know. What safety measures are in place now that weren't in place before so that this should never happen again? That's what you want to see happen, right, is that nobody has to go through what we've just all been through  and some of us worse than others," Kubas said, expressing her sympathy to families who've lost relatives during the pandemic.

Kubas said her family was interviewed by health officials before Christmas about their experience with Maples, but wasn't informed the province had concerns about the facility's ability to operate under provincial standards for personal care homes.

Maples Personal Care Home in Winnipeg is one of three personal-care homes in Manitoba currently having its licence reviewed because it hasn't been able to keep up with provincial standards. (Daniel Crump / Winnipeg Free Press files)

The care home's licence was put under review Dec. 11, along with the licence for Parkview Place personal care home. Both Revera facilities have been among the hardest hit by COVID-19, and the pandemic has spotlighted under-staffing and issues with the quality of care. Nisichawayasihk Personal Care Home in Nelson House had its licence put under review Nov. 27. All three care homes have to submit regular status updates to the province that show they're meeting provincial standards. The licence reviews are rare in Manitoba, and none have been revoked in the past decade, according to a provincial spokesperson.

Maples and Parkview Place personal care homes are the only two long-term care facilities in the province that are currently prohibited from accepting new residents, even though their COVID-19 outbreaks have ended. In a statement, the WRHA said it requested a plan from both homes to make sure appropriate staffing levels and other processes are in place before more people move in.

Twenty other personal-care homes are currently not admitting new residents because of ongoing outbreaks.

There have been more than 2,000 COVID-19 cases in Manitoba's personal care homes, and as of Monday, 399 residents had died across the province.

Opposition leaders called on the province to release the report's findings into the Maples tragedy without delay.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Parkview Place (above) and Maples personal care homes are currently prohibited from accepting new residents. (John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Revera must be held accountable for its actions, Manitoba New Democrats said, and the provincial government needs to release an unredacted version of the report.

"Im sure that the report will be difficult. It will be difficult for the families to be reminded of this incident. It will be difficult for all of us as Manitobans hearing the terrible details. Im sure that there will be damning findings about the company in question, and very likely there will be troubling findings about this governments failure to protect seniors in that facility. But we have to have those answers so that we can learn the lessons that this incident has to offer," NDP Leader Wab Kinew said.

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said the province does not have to wait to receive a report to take action. He said it was unacceptable that officials at the care home lied about what was occurring there. (In November, Revera acknowledged it provided inaccurate details about staffing levels at Maples).

"Why are we tolerating it? We shouldnt be."

Lamont said that in the 1990s a Progressive Conservative government replaced the entire management of a personal care home after a single death at the facility.

In a statement, Revera said it is "working closely" with Manitoba Health and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority on the licence review process.

"We are committed to addressing any issues or concerns raised in our discussions as soon as possible," Revera spokesman Larry Roberts wrote in an email.

 with files from Danielle Da Silva, Larry Kusch and Michael Pereira

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
Some London hospitals are giving coronavirus vaccines to people without appointments so unused shots are not wasted.

NHS sources involved with the rollout in the capital told MailOnline there is so often a surplus of doses their current approach is 'if there's a free arm, we'll jab it'.

One hospital official said: 'At the moment we've got more vaccines than recipients.

'Chances are if you turn up on the day without an appointment we'll give you the jab anyway - there's no point in wasting a valuable resource.'

They said a frontline worker's healthy partner in their 20s even got inoculated because 'there was noone else available'.

Others arriving without an appointment have also allegedly been waved through without checking if they are in one of the priority groups due for vaccination.

The surplus in supplies stems in part from no-shows failing to turn up for their appointments, but also the large quantities of batches.

Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines have to be stored at ultra-low temperatures, and once they are defrosted cannot be re-frozen, meaning any unused surplus has to be binned.

NHS London said vaccine sites should be drawing up a back-up list of patients who can receive the jab at short notice to ensure doses are not wasted.

Boris Johnson watches a patient receiving a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine during a visit to Barnet FC's ground at The Hive, north London

Early figures show there were 220,000 vaccinations in the UK yesterday. The number will be updated later today by the Department of Health to include jabs in all settings

In other coronavirus developments:

The UK's death toll passed the grim milestone of 100,000 recorded since the start of the pandemic;

Boris Johnson is preparing to unveil draconian new border restrictions, with arrivals from coronavirus hotspots forced to quarantine in hotels at their own expense - and the prospect of the measures being extended to all travellers;

Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi revealed his uncle died from coronavirus before he received the vaccine;

The UK's jobless rate has crept up to 5 per cent - the highest level since 2016 - as employment slides;

Labour has condemned Gavin Williamson for sending a junior minister to face calls from MPs to reveal a plan for 'phased return' of schools before Easter;

European leaders are pushing to tighten Covid lockdown measures across the continent this week even after a weekend of violent anti-curfew riots in the Netherlands.

It is understood that, at the hospitals concerned, people arriving for vaccines are just asked for their name and date or birth and do not have to produce an appointment letter to be injected.

Matt Hancock last night warned the 'limiting factor' to the biggest vaccine drive in British history was supply.

'As we know, supply is tight,' the Health Secretary told a Downing Street briefing.

'We've had a very strong performance in this past week. And I'm confident that the NHS will deliver every shot that's made available to it.'

Doses of the Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines are currently being administered in the UK at a rate of 250 per minute.

Fears of a possible kink in the supply line were sparked today after the EU threatened to block exports of the Pfizer vaccine amid a row over the slow rollout across the bloc.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said this morning he was 'confident' the UK would be able to procure enough supplies to meet the Government's target of vaccinating 15million people in the top four priority groups by February 15.

Pharmacist Gurjit Dhadday administers a Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to pharmacist Josh Athwal at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley

He told BBC Breakfast: 'Supplies are tight, they continue to be, these are new manufacturing processes... It's lumpy and bumpy, it gets better and stabilises and improves going forward.'

Over-80s, care home residents, extremely vulnerable patients and frontline health workers are first in line to receive jabs.

Mr Hancock last night revealed that 79 per cent of all over-80s have now received their first dose.

But, with some vaccine hubs already moving on to the over-70s group, concerns have been raised of a postcode lottery for receiving jabs.

Last week 2.5million people were vaccinated, bringing the overall total to 6.8million and putting the Government on track to meet its target next month.

A spokesperson for the NHS in London said: 'The NHS is prioritising people most at-risk of Covid-19, in line with the guidance set by the JCVI, with the aim of offering everyone in these groups a vaccination by the middle of February.

'Local vaccination sites should also be managing their appointment lists to ensure all appointments are filled and so they have a back-up list of patients and staff, in the top four cohorts, who can receive the vaccine at short notice.'
President has been quickly thrown into a high-wire balancing act with as he seeks to toughen his administration's stance against while preserving room for diplomacy in a post-Donald Trump era.

The relationship is sure to be different than the one Putin enjoyed with Trump, who was enamored of the Russian leader and sought his approval, casting doubt on Russian interference in the 2016 elections and involvement in a massive hack last year.

Despite this conciliatory approach, his administration toed a tough line against Moscow, imposing sanctions on the country, Russian companies and business leaders for issues ranging from Ukraine to energy supplies and attacks on dissidents.

Unlike his immediate predecessors, Biden has not held out hope for a reset in relations with but has instead indicated he wants to manage differences with the former Cold War foe without necessarily resolving them or improving ties.

And, with a heavy domestic agenda and looming decisions needed on Iran and China, a direct confrontation with is not something he seeks.

When Biden first speaks with Putin, he's expected to call Putin out for the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny and the weekend crackdown on his supporters, raise charges that Russian security services were behind the recent massive cybersecurity breach, and press allegations that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan.

At the same time, Biden must be mindful of his own proposal to extend for five years the last remaining US-Russia arms control treaty that is due to expire in early February.

On Monday, Biden told reporters that he had not yet decided how to respond to the Navalny situation but expressed hope that the US and Russia could cooperate in areas where both see benefit.

I find that we can both operate in the mutual self-interest of our countries as a New START agreement and make it clear to Russia that we are very concerned about their behavior, whether it's Navalny, whether it's SolarWinds or reports of bounties on heads of Americans in Afghanistan, Biden said.

Biden has already ordered the intelligence community to launch reviews of each of those issues, according to the White House, which on Friday said the US proposal to extend New START would be accompanied by a reckoning on the other matters.

That approach has met with approval from some former US diplomats who have dealt with Russia and are looking forward to how Biden's team, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his nominee to be the No. 3 at the State Department, Victoria Nuland, delineate the contours of Russia policy.

Nuland, in particular, is reviled by Putin and his aides for her support of pro-Western politicians in Ukraine and held the Europe portfolio at the State Department in President Barack Obama's second term.

She and Sullivan are said to share opinions about how to deal with Moscow, taking a tough line on human rights and Russia's intentions in eastern and central Europe while keeping an open channel to the Kremlin on other matters.

But their starting position is complicated, they say, particularly given Putin's experience in dealing with Trump, who frequently undercut his own administration's hawkish stance on Russia by privately trying to cozy up to the Russian leader.

It's hard but it's doable, said Daniel Fried, a US ambassador to Poland and assistant secretary of state for European affairs in the George W Bush administration.

They're going to have to figure this out on the fly, but it's important to pursue New START without hesitation and push back on the Navalny arrest and other issues without guilt.

They need to do both and not let Putin tell them he won't accept New START unless they drop Navalny, SolarWinds or Afghanistan, said Fried, who is now with the Atlantic Council.

You have to push back and you can't let Putin set the terms.

Putin, however, may be cautious given his uncertain domestic standing in the aftermath of the pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 cities over the weekend.

Biden's team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on Navalny supporters over the weekend in which more than 3,700 people were arrested at the demonstrations across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow.

Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner and Putin's fiercest critic, was arrested January 17 as he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had spent nearly five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

Russian authorities deny the accusations.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki and State Department spokesman Ned Price have urged the immediate and unconditional release of Navalny, as well as those who were detained in the crackdown.

(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.)

Trading in the night is becoming popular among some traders at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle because it offers them an opportunity to evade tax and the payment of market tolls to city authorities.

Besides, the traders claim they trade at night to avoid harassment from city authorities since they have the liberty to spread their wares on the pavement and some parts of the street.



Traders, who revealed their unusual business hours to The Mirror, added that the night market was lucrative.



The Mirror observed that most of the traders covered their wares with waterproof material during the day to prevent direct exposure to sunlight and rainfall.



Circle at night

At night, this practice is visible around the Kwame Nkrumah Water Fountain, GCB Bank, the pedestrian shopping mall, the top of the shoulders of the interchange at Vienna City and some walkways within the Circle enclave.



There were unauthorised structures erected on the pavements and other places by the traders.



Human and vehicular traffic congestion characterised most of these trading points at night, creating chaos as customers and pedestrians meandered through to their destinations.



In addition, there was neither an observation of social distancing nor the wearing of face masks which are part of the COVID-19 protocols.



Activities were brisk at some parts of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle which are known markets for the swapping of phones and gambling.



Although city authorities occasionally decongest the area by taking the traders off the pavement, the traders return after the exercise.



Sleeping hub

The Kwame Nkrumah overpass has also become a trading and sleeping hub for a section of the public.



The 74.88-million-euro project, popularly known as Dubai, was constructed to ease human and vehicular traffic and to beautify the city.



The Mirrors rounds confirmed that commercial drivers and their mates, hawkers and the mentally ill use the spaces under the overpass as their resting and sleeping places.



Some of these squatters sleep close to the Overhead Powerlines (OHPLS), in blatant disregard for the danger associated with living close to transformers and OHPLS.



The space beneath the flyover serves as storage for some traders



Some of these people were also found lying on the floor just before the SSNIT Head Office at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.



A portion of the space beneath the flyover decorated with stones serves as storage for some hawkers.



The citys bye-laws do not allow pedestrians and traders to transact business in this area.



Culprits

Some traders told The Mirror that some of the squatters who slept under the overpass were long-journey drivers.



Some of them explained that though they knew it was not the right place to rest, they just did so for fresh air.



A phone seller on the Tip Toe Lane at Circle, Wofa Agyei, said the area had bus terminals which transported people and goods to countries such as Nigeria, Mali and other parts of West Africa, adding that it was normal for the drivers of such vehicles to rest at any part of the overpass while waiting for their vehicles to be loaded.



They sleep and when they need water, they would just shout out to a pure water seller and buy and this boosts the business of hawkers, he said.



A book seller who gave her name as Mavis wondered how some of the squatters managed to sit among the stones under the overpass since they appeared sharp.



Okada business

Motorbikes used for commercial transport, known as okada, thrive at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.



They remain a good option for those who want to quickly escape the traffic in Accra to various destinations.



The motorbikes were in queues as their operators called out to potential customers.



They vied for parking space and passengers with trotros and taxis.













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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Oil edged lower as the worsening near-term coronavirus outlook raised concerns over the obstacles still facing crudes fledgling recovery.

Futures in New York fell less than 1% Tuesday after flipping between gains and losses earlier in the session. While much of the world awaits a wider distribution of the vaccine, oil prices have struggled to sustain their rally. In China, a coronavirus flare-up is threatening fuel demand during the Lunar New Year period, with the government encouraging millions not to travel.

Theres a lot of demand destruction-type events in the market, and its weighing on crude, said Bob Yawger, head of the futures division at Mizuho Securities. The market is giving the impression were running out of momentum here.

Oil has surged almost 50% since the end of October, but the rally has started to falter with obstacles still facing the recovery in global fuel demand. Vaccine coverage wont reach a point where it will stop the transmission of the virus in the foreseeable future, the World Health Organization said on Monday. Meanwhile, the U.K. exceeded 100,000 Covid deaths, serving as a stark reminder of the long road ahead before countries emerge from the pandemic.

The fundamental oil picture is firmer for mid-year, but its not really that tight compared to other years, said Rick Joswick, head of oil pricing analytics at S&P Global Platts. The risk that shale producers may eventually increase production also puts a cap on the back-end of the forward price curve.

Despite the day-to-day fluctuations in headline crude prices, the markets structure has been firming. Brents prompt timespread was 27 cents a barrel in backwardation on Tuesday, where near-dated contracts are more expensive than later-dated ones. The spread is at the strongest level since late February.

About 1.7 billion trips are expected across China over the Lunar New Year period, down 40% from 2019, although 15% higher than last year. The travel rush, which starts on Jan. 28 this year, runs for 40 days and is normally the biggest mass movement of people around the globe as hundred of millions of Chinese jump on planes, trains and automobiles to see their extended families.

In the U.S., analysts expect crude inventories to have risen last week, according to a Bloomberg survey. The industry-funded American Petroleum Institute will report its figures later Tuesday ahead of a U.S. government tally on Wednesday.

I think everyone knows that these shutdowns have very real impacts, Novi said, asked to comment on the sudden shift into reopening. Were just grateful that the vintners can once again have the opportunity to share their wines with guests outside.

The lifting of the order has other effects. Napa County spokesperson Janet Upton said gatherings are once again allowed outdoors, up to three households. Retail stores can go from 20% capacity to 25% capacity.

Newsom in a Monday press conference said the signs are encouraging for California after battling through a COVID-19 surge. Projections show the Bay Area as of Feb. 21 should have a 25% ICU capacity and the state as a whole over 30%.

Were seeing a flattening of the curve, Newsom said. Everything that should be up is up, everything that should be down is down.

But both Newsom and Napa County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Relucio sounded a note of caution.
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Lauren Goodger has detailed the 'terrifying' moment she feared she may lose her unborn child after believing she'd been struck down with Covid-19 symptoms in the early stages of her pregnancy.

The former TOWIE star, 34, who discovered she was expecting 23-year-old Charles Drury's baby in September, was left panicked after realising she'd lost her sense of smell while eating a McDonald's meal.

And speaking in a new interview about her worries that she had contracted the deadly virus, Lauren exclaimed: 'I thought, "Oh no, Ive got Covid, what if I lose the baby?"'

Fears: Lauren Goodger has detailed the 'terrifying' moment she feared she may lose her unborn child after believing she'd been struck down with Covid-19 symptoms in the early stages of her pregnancy

The reality star, who has sadly suffered miscarriages in the past, opened up about enjoying the fast food meal back in October and becoming alarmed when she was unable to 'taste a thing'.

Lauren told how she had been previously being confined to her bed with flu-like symptoms for two weeks when she learned the baby news.

After slowly recovering, she felt well enough to join Charles on a food shopping trip, with the pair heading to a McDonalds drive-thru afterwards.

But after being unable to taste her meal, alarm bells began ringing and fears for her child immediately kicked in as she thought she had the virus.

She told The Sun: 'I thought, "Oh no, Ive got Covid, what if I lose the baby?" It was terrifying. I was worried about my baby, I was worried I was going to get worse again and die.

The beauty added that she later went home and bit into a lemon before gurgling mouthwash and was still unable to taste a thing, confirming her worst fears that she had coronavirus.

Speaking about her ensuing panic, Lauren added: 'It was such a worry. Even though Id recovered from the worst of it, when my sense of smell went. You see all this terrifying coverage of Covid in the news and I was panicking.'

Lauren explained that though she applied to be tested for coronavirus online, she wasn't offered a test as she didn't have a temperature.

Fears: speaking in a new interview about her worries that she had contracted the deadly virus, Lauren exclaimed: 'I thought, "Oh no, Ive got Covid, what if I lose the baby?"'

The star added that although she hasn't officially been tested for Covid-19, she's almost certain she had it as others she had been in contact with before restrictions kicked in had tested positive.

She added that she couldn't be '100% sure', but it would be 'strange' iof her illness turned out to be anything else.

Meanwhile, the star confessed that she fell pregnant as she and Charles were having 'a lot' of sex as there wasn't much to do amid the coronavirus lockdown.

With the nation advised to stay at home and with shops and leisure facilities closed, Lauren and her toyboy lover happily amused themselves between the sheets - which soon resulted in their baby news.

Panic: Speaking about her ensuing panic, Lauren added: 'It was such a worry. Even though Id recovered from the worst of it, when my sense of smell went. You see all this terrifying coverage of Covid in the news and I was panicking'

Convinced: The star added that although she hasn't officially been tested for Covid-19, she's almost certain she had it as others she had been in contact with before restrictions kicked in had tested positive

She said: 'We were having quite a lot of sex  what else is there to do right now? We didnt plan it but it feels as if it was just meant to happen. We had spoken about kids and family and getting married and we were on the same page, even though it was a surprise.'

Lauren revealed her happy baby news earlier this month, just three months after announcing their relationship.

And while the TV personality has been inundated with well wishes, she has been subject to abuse from trolls who accused her of faking her pregnancy, which she slammed as 'totally crazy'.

Fun times: 'We were having quite a lot of sex  what else is there to do right now? We didnt plan it but it feels as if it was just meant to happen'

Shock: While the TV personality has been inundated with well wishes, she has been subject to abuse from trolls who accused her of faking her pregnancy, which she slammed as 'totally crazy'

She added that the accusations were 'frustrating' and 'annoying', before demanding that the naysayers keep their opinion 'to themselves' and 'f**k off!'

She went on to say that she shouldn't have to explain herself adding that the constant backlash has left her with 'anxiety', sadly stating that these things will eventually 'break you down'.

Lauren confirmed she is three months pregnant in her new magazine column and will welcome the couple's first baby in July.

She admitted her new boyfriend was initially sceptical after she told him her pregnancy test had returned a positive result. Lauren said of her happy news: 'It's exciting and were really happy. It's difficult, but we've just got through it.'

Recalling the moment she discovered she was pregnant, Lauren explained: 'I was in bed not well with a cold and I was meant to come on that day and Im always quite regular.

Happy news: Lauren confirmed she is three months pregnant in her new magazine column and will welcome the couple's first baby in July

Big moment: Revealing she was just 'one or two weeks pregnant' at the time, Lauren captioned the photo: 'When I did my first pregnancy test at home and surprised Charlie'

'We went and bought a test from a bargain shop and I did it - I couldnt believe it! I rang him and he was like: "Youre lying, youre joking." He didnt believe the test! I did a digital one as well and he walked around with it in his bag for about three days.'

The happy news comes after Lauren moved Charles, whose former girlfriends include retired glamour model Katie Price, 42, into her Essex home in late October within weeks of meeting him.

A source told The Sun: 'Charles has moved into her Essex home and they're really loved up. She's head over heels for him - friends can't believe how fast she's fallen for him. Everyone's hoping she's finally found The One.'

Lauren also recently admitted she would be up for doing a Mummy Diaries-style reality show in the future to document her journey through motherhood.

Q&A: Lauren also recently admitted she would be up for doing a Mummy Diaries-style reality show in the future to document her journey through motherhood

Back on our screens? When one fan asked her 'Would you do a first time mum show like Sam/Billie and Ferne - Yours would be great x', she replied with a nodding gif, suggesting that this would definitely be something she would consider

Baby mama: Lauren, who revealed she is currently 14 weeks pregnant, was quizzed by one fan on how her bump is 'so big already'

When one fan asked her on Instagram 'would you do a first time mum show like Sam/Billie and Ferne - Yours would be great x', she replied with a nodding gif, suggesting that this would definitely be something she would consider.

Lauren was also quizzed by one fan on how her bump is 'so big already' in the Insta Q&A

The media star shared a picture of herself out and about, and replied: 'I do have a bump I did straight away it's hormones but it's not as big as some pics.'

Lauren also candidly admitted that she wasn't 'trying' to get pregnant, when a fan quizzed her on the topic and said she was hoping to conceive.

The ex-girlfriend of Mark Wright, responded: 'No we wasn't but we was very active haha so it happened straight away. But try not over think it just enjoy and relax and it will happen.(sic)'
(Natural News) The dominant Big Tech companies power to control the access and availability of information was unmasked during the Donald Trump presidency. The full extent and intent of that power has been further exposed in the 2020 election.

(Article by Rachel Bovard republished from TheFederalist.com)

From Facebook, to Google, to Twitter, it is now clear that these companies have every intention of using the unprecedented control they have amassed, not to facilitate a diversity of speech and viewpoints, but to shape national narratives in the direction they prefer. Userseven those who are electedwill comply, or be banned.

Twitter, in particular, has shed any pretense of being a platform interested in facilitating free expression. In 2011, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo characterized Twitter as the free speech wing of the free speech party. The sentiment was echoed a year later by Tony Wang, general manager at Twitter UK, who claimed the companys founding principles compelled it to remain neutral about the content its users posted.

Nearly a decade later, those sentiments have flipped. Twitter has spent the Trump years aggressing against the president, placing his tweets behind filters, blocking his press secretary, and censoring his Senate-confirmed advisors.

The platform aggressively ran interference for the Joe Biden campaign, refusing to allow a New York Post story detailing corruption in the Biden family from circulating on its platform. Users were prohibited for weeks from sharing the story, and their accounts were locked if they did.

Even the use of direct messagesTwitters supposedly private communication toolwas screened and filtered for wrong-think. That practice has continued outside of sharing the Hunter Biden story, casting doubt on Twitters claim that the company doesnt read your direct messages. It is clear that, at least in some capacity, they do.

More than One Way to Rig an Election

All of this was under the guise of preventing misinformation from spreading on Twitterthat, presumably, could inform voter behavior. This made it all the more bizarre when Twitters deeply weird CEO, Jack Dorsey, claimed while under oath to the Senate Commerce Committee that the platform has no ability to influence election outcomes.

Sen. Ted Cruz, who had asked Dorsey the question, appeared almost caught off-guard by the absurdity of the claim. Cruz responded with the obvious follow-up. If you cant influence election outcomes, he said, then why do you moderate political content at all?

But Twitter does moderate political content, and they very clearly do so in one direction. In the wake of the election, under the guise of moderating for misinformation and fomenting violence, the platform has banned the bombastic former Trump advisor Steve Bannon for stating that hed like to see Dr. Anthony Faucis head on a pike, while happily allowing comedian Kathy Griffin to re-post her notorious photo of a beheaded Trump.

Richard Baris, one of the few pollsters who was right about the 2020 election results, had his account blocked for tweeting his findings about voter fraud. And not just his account, but that of his business, his newsletter, and his wife. There was no reason given, he said in a post on Parler, where he had just opened an account.

Parler, which has grown in popularity among conservatives as a Twitter alternative, is predictably being labeled as a threat to democracy by CNN. Its not enough to kick conservatives off of Twitter. Narrative control is the goal. Any alternative, any other avenue of freer speech, must be shut down.

Twitter Doesnt Share the News, It Starts the News

Defenders of the social media platforms often do so in a vacuum. They defend Twitters content moderation as a private company expressing its First Amendment rights. Not only does this argument ignore that Twitter, like Facebook and Google, exercises its First Amendment rights in a privileged manner, it intentionally sidesteps the consequences Twitters actions have on Americans ability to consume news, think for themselves, and express their views away from Twitter.

Social media platforms are no longer merely independent actors, facilitating information sharing and viewpoints. Increasingly, they inform the news. Although it has a far smaller market share than Facebook and Google, Twitter has the most news-focused users and a much broader share of continuous, minute-by-minute engagement by news outlets, media elites, elected officials, and public policy intellectuals. Their engagement with the platform drives, and very much determines, news coverage.

Though Twitter may not be a huge overall source of traffic to news websites relative to Facebook and Google, it serves a unique place in the link economy, said a report by Nieman Labs in 2016. News really does start on Twitter.

Recall the absurd story in 2017 that Trump killed an entire pond of koi fish while on an official visit in Japan. Multiple news outlets breathlessly covered the story, speculating wildly about the fish and mocking Trump. That story, which was false, began with tweetsnot filed storiesfrom news outlets and reporters. The tweets then directed coverage on multiple outlets.

Tucker Carlson, who has the most-watched cable news show in the country, spent the summer covering the violent elements of the Black Lives Matter protests in ways that every other network refused to do. Much of the coverage he aired on his show came from videos posted to Twitter by reporters on the ground, outside of the mainstream networks.

Earlier this month, Axios reported that newsrooms are planning to invest more heavily in coverage of social media and internet trends as a way to observe political sentiment from a wider group of people.

Twitter does far less to facilitate the news than it does to make it. Thus its content moderation decisions have ramifications far beyond Twitter. They echo down the corridors of what makes news in America, and who is allowed to do it, and what ordinary Americans are allowed to say about it. This means Twitter plays an outsized role in creating, gatekeeping, and sustaining the national narrative.

Twitter and the Woke Mob

Twitters offline consequences extend beyond its manipulation of the news narrative, as Twitter is increasingly the woke mobs favorite venue of cancellation.

Late last week, a Twitter user with minimal followers complaint-tweeted at Target because it sold a book by Abigail Shrier questioning the wisdom of promoting irreversible transgender surgery and hormone therapy for children. Target subsequently banned the book, although it was later reinstated after public outcry.

The platforms role in the viral nature of cancel culture belies the notion that these are merely private platforms with no larger effects.

The Lincoln Project tweeted the images of two attorneys working for the Trump campaign, their emails, phone numbers, and photos alongside the phrase make them famous. Twitter allowed the tweet to circulate on its platform for hours before it was finally removed.

Twitter does not drive these cancellation decisions as a matter of policy, but the platforms role in the viral nature of cancel culture belies the notion that these are merely private platforms with no larger effects on free speech, free thought, and free behavior in America.

They also raise troubling questions about how that role will evolve. As the left continues to push for a social credit systemthat is, say or suggest wrongthink, get banned from polite societywhat role will social media play as the reporting Stasi arm of the woke mob?

Big Tech has grown from a handful of Silicon Valley startups to a handful of the most powerful companies in the world, exercising unprecedented control over minds, markets, behavior, and independent thought. They are changing how we live together.

How we choose to deal with them, politically, is less a binary question of regulation or government interference in business than it is, truly, a question of the social order; of who sets the terms of social engagement. Is it a free people, speaking through their rights and representative government, or a set of corporations weaponized by an illiberal woke agenda controlling our news narrative, information gathering, and social and cultural compliance?

Read more at: TheFederalist.com and BigTech.news.
This article is part of the Future Agenda, a series from Future Tense in which experts suggest specific, forward-looking actions the new Biden administration should implement. On Wednesday, Feb. 3, at noon Eastern, Future Tense will host an online event to discuss what science, technology, health, and energy priorities the Biden administration should pursue. For more information and to RSVP, visit the New America website.

Half of the federal IT workforce is either over the average federal retirement age of 61 or will be within the next 10 years, according to a recent federal report. Theres no shortage of young technical talent interested using cutting-edge skills like service design, user research, product management, data science and software development for public sector workyet only about 3 percent of federal IT workers are under 30. And just look to historical examples of the failed Healthcare.gov rollout in 2013 or the State Departments visa system failure in 2015 to show why data and tech skills are necessary for implementing any national policy or effort].

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As government seeks to fill the seats of the retiring IT workforce, we can recruit newly skilled workers who are not grounded in the IT skills of the past and more rooted in the tech skills of today such as service design and product management, and put them into federal careers with updated job titles and new career pathways that improve how government works. A Biden administration can reconstitute the technical workforce by updating the current IT job classifications that have been in place since 2001 and recruiting top technologists who can ensure our government workforce can deliver services in a digital age. In order to serve all Americans, this effort must include a focus on recruiting a diverse and representative new wave of workers with lived experiences interacting with public systems.

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Younger workers are maturing into professional careers at a time when public service is making a comeback. As government catches up and becomes more tech-literate, it can compete with the private sector by providing more meaningful career alternatives.

Meanwhile, universities are turning out graduates eager to use their UX, design and analytics skills, as well as their lived experiences, in service of a better future. The Public Interest Technology University Network, which we at Georgetown University participate in, invests in a new generation of tech-talented, service-minded workers. (New America and Arizona State University, partners with Slate in Future Tense, are also part of the Public Interest Technology University Network.)

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However, the federal government is still set up to hire in the tech landscape of 20 years agofor instance, by using outdated professional titles. That might seem like a minor issue, but in the federal government, it isnt. It significantly limits potential applicants ability to even find open roles they might be a fit for. When workers trained in product management or user-centered design, say, search USAJOBS.gov, they dont find positions that fit with their experiencebut they do see lots of opportunities in the private sector.

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Take data science, for example. In 2012, Harvard Business Review called data science the sexiest job of the 21st century. Yet it was only in 2019 that the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees federal job titling, issued a guidance memo allowing agencies to use the data scientist title in hiring. Just this month, U.S. Digital Service announced a new data scientist recruitment effort where multiple agencies can tap into a shared pool of applicants, but those folks will still be technically hired as program analysts. Neither of these pathways creates a dedicated data scientist job classification. Contrast that with LinkedIn, where a quick search turns up more than 20,000 open, mostly private sector, data scientist jobs.

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The same is true for software developersIT Specialist (software developer)who are also parentheticals rather than stand-alone professionals in the eyes of the U.S. government.(Compare this with nearly 60,000 software developer jobs on a LinkedIn search.) It may seem like a small thing, but it signals a lack of respect for technology careers and the effort it takes to earn these specialized titles and credentials.

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Some innovative teams in government, such as the U.S. Digital Service or 18F, have been hiring term-appointed technologists in roles they created such as innovation specialist or digital services expert, but those titles dont track with the private sector, either. Theyre also informal titles rather than formal occupations listed in the current federal job classification series administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. This is a good approach for the short term, but doesnt set employees up for careers in governmentthese are temporary jobs without promotion potential or the investment in training and support that comes with civil service roles.

The Partnership for Public Service and the Tech Talent Project have published two reports detailing the need for more technical talent at senior levels in government. Likewise, the nonprofit Coding it Forward has proposed a two-year Digital Corps program to bring in recent grads for temporary junior tech roles. To complement that push, the U.S. government needs job titles for all levels to reflect specific roles that have been well-established in the private sector for years.

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It isnt easy to establish new occupation series in government, nor should it be. We shouldnt create new infrastructure every time we come up with a creative new way to describe work. But we currently have well-established institutions supporting college majors and apprenticeship turning out trained workers by the thousands who have loads of opportunities in the private sector but no place in the public sectorthough we definitely need them. We are remiss not to recognize and value those roles. It can start with institutionalizing the titles these workers deserve in the federal government.

Additionally, the federal IT workforce is largely male and, according to a May 2020 report by the Federal Chief Information Officers Council, rates of women in federal IT roles are going down. At the same time, the report also showed that nearly half of millennial workers seek out diverse and inclusive workplaces and recommended the federal government prioritize attracting a more diverse IT workforce. Planning for the future tech workforce isnt limited to job titles and must also include a focus on representation.

In this moment, we have an opportunity to bring new tech talent into government to fill soon-to-be-vacant roles. More important, we can establish exciting career ladders in public service with the power to make change by designing the recruitment and retention strategies that will ensure a government ready to serve all Americans.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Samsung Electronics' office in Seoul / Yonhap



By Baek Byung-yeul



The escalating legal tussle between Samsung Electronics and Ericsson over patent infringements regarding network equipment technology is expected to be a long-running battle, as the Swedish telecom giant feels threatened by the Korean tech firm's fast-growing technological capability in the 5G market, according to a noted patent expert.



"Ericsson and Samsung were embroiled in a patent licensing dispute from late 2012 to early 2014. The agreement they struck then has now expired. This reminds me of the situation between Apple and Nokia, which also seem to have a need to go to court every time their agreement is up for renewal," Florian Mueller, who's best known for running the software patent blog FOSS Patents, told The Korea Times during a recent email interview.



The two companies have been in a legal tussle after they failed to agree on a new contract for an expired cross-licensing agreement.



In December, Ericsson filed a patent fee suit with a court in Texas demanding Samsung pay more royalties. The Swedish firm said Samsung hedged on its so-called FRAND commitments, which refers to a commitment from a patent holder to license the patent on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms and conditions.



In response, Samsung filed a lawsuit with a Chinese court in Wuhan last month to determine a global royalty rate for Ericsson's 4G and 5G patents. Ericsson then filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) seeking to ban imports of Samsung's cellular communications infrastructure systems; and as a counteraction, Samsung also lodged a complaint with the USITC in a bid to block imports of Ericsson's products.



Regarding why the two companies are embroiled in countersuits against each other, Mueller said, "several factors make the current situation a particularly difficult one to resolve."



He added, "Ericsson is a company in decline, thus increasingly reliant upon patent licensing revenues. But Samsung has been out-innovating Ericsson for a long time and particularly owns very valuable 5G patents."



Mueller added that Ericsson is known in the mobile industry for "aggressively seeking to be overcompensated for its own patents" and the Swedish company "may at the same time be underrating the value of Samsung's impressive portfolio."



Estimating how long the lawsuits them will drag on for, Mueller said the dispute "might last longer than the last one" because of the fact that "Samsung is becoming an ever more relevant player in the telecommunications infrastructure market."



"Huawei has been shut out of some key markets, but Samsung has open doors wherever it goes, making the Korean electronics giant a formidable challenge to Ericsson and Nokia. I don't doubt that they will settle sooner or later, but later appears more probable right now than sooner," he said.



After Huawei slowed its installation of 5G base stations after the U.S. broadened its sanctions on the Chinese company, Ericsson, Nokia, ZTE and Samsung are fiercely competing with each other to fill the market void.



According to data provided by U.S.-based market tracker Dell'Oro, Huawei had a 43.7 percent share in the global 5G network market in the second quarter of 2020, but the figure plunged to 32.8 percent in the third quarter. During the same period, Ericsson's share increased to 30.7 percent from 20.7 percent while Samsung's portion dropped to 6.4 percent from 7.5 percent.



With market leader Huawei struggling with sanctions imposed by the U.S., Samsung has been constantly working on improving its market share. The company has especially focused on the burgeoning 5G network market in North America.



On Jan. 22, the company said its 5G base stations received a Common Criteria (CC) certification in the U.S. and Canada  it also earned authorization from the U.S. National Information Assurance Partnership for its 5G network base stations this month.



Chong So-hyong, senior vice president and head of software development and networks business at Samsung, said winning the certifications was meaningful for Samsung, as providing reliable and secure products is essential to help safeguard network operators' 5G networks.



Given the company has earned a variety of security certifications, it is expected to expand its 5G network equipment business in North America. Last September, Samsung announced a deal with U.S. mobile carrier Verizon to provide 5G network equipment worth $6.7 billion.



Samsung has been expanding its foothold in the global network equipment market, supplying products to major countries such as Korea, Japan, Canada, the U.S. and New Zealand, which are heavily investing in the latest network technology.


WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden had his first call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House and Kremlin said. U.S. officials said Biden raised concerns about the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny while pressing the Russian president on his nations involvement in a massive cyberespionage campaign and bounties on American troops in Afghanistan.

On a positive note, the two presidents agreed to have their teams work urgently to complete an extension of New START, the last remaining U.S.-Russian arms control treaty, before it expires next month.

In the nearest days, the parties will complete the necessary procedures that will ensure further functioning of the pact, the Kremlin said in its readout of the call.

Biden has looked to establish a break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. But the new president also is looking to preserve room for diplomacy.

Unlike his immediate predecessors, Biden has not held out hope for a reset in relations with Russia but has instead indicated he wants to manage differences with the former Cold War foe without necessarily resolving them or improving ties. And, with a heavy domestic agenda and looming decisions needed on Iran and China, a direct confrontation with Russia is not something he seeks.

Moscow reached out last week to request the call, according to the U.S. officials, who were familiar with the call but not authorized to discuss it publicly. Biden agreed but wanted first to prepare with his staff and speak with European allies, including the leaders of Britain, France and Germany.

On Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression.

Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds breach and the reports that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan,. Biden said the United States is willing to defend itself and will take action, which could include further sanctions, to ensure that Moscow does not act with impunity, according to the administration officials.

The Kremlins readout did not address the most contentious issues between the countries, though it said the leaders also discussed other acute issues on the bilateral and international agenda. It described the talk as frank and businesslike  often a diplomatic way of referring to tense discussions. It also said Putin congratulated Biden on becoming president and noted that normalization of ties between Russia and the United States would serve the interests of both countries.

Among the issues it said were discussed were the coronavirus pandemic, the Iran nuclear agreement, Ukraine and issues related to trade and the economy.

The call came as Putin considers the aftermath of pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 Russian cities over the weekend. Bidens team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on the protests, in which more than 3,700 people were arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow. More protests are planned for the coming weekend.

Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner and Putins best-known critic, was arrested Jan. 17 as he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had spent nearly five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Biden has previously condemned the use of chemical weapons.

Russian authorities deny the accusations.

 READ MORE: More than 3,000 people arrested at Russian protests demanding Alexei Navalnys release

Trump seemed to seek Putins approval, frequently casting doubt on Russian interference in the 2016 elections, including when he stood next to Putin at their 2018 summit in Helsinki. He also downplayed Russias involvement in the hack of federal government agencies last year and the allegations that Russia offered the Taliban bounties.

Despite this conciliatory approach, Trumps administration toed a tough line against Moscow, imposing sanctions on the country, Russian companies and business leaders for issues ranging from Ukraine to energy supplies and attacks on dissidents.

Biden, in his call with Putin, broke sharply with Trump by declaring that he knew that Russia attempted to interfere with both the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Biden on Monday told reporters he hoped the U.S. and Russia could cooperate in areas where both see benefit.

I find that we can both operate in the mutual self-interest of our countries as a New START agreement and make it clear to Russia that we are very concerned about their behavior, whether its Navalny, whether its SolarWinds or reports of bounties on heads of Americans in Afghanistan, Biden said.

Bidens approach has met with approval from some former U.S. diplomats who have dealt with Russia and are looking forward to seeing how Bidens team, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his nominee to be the No. 3 at the State Department, Victoria Nuland, delineates the contours of Russia policy.

Nuland, who held the Europe portfolio at the State Department in President Barack Obamas second term, is reviled by Putin and his aides in particular for her support of pro-Western politicians in Ukraine. She and Sullivan are said to share opinions about how to deal with Moscow, taking a tough line on human rights and Russias intentions in eastern and central Europe while keeping an open channel to the Kremlin on other matters.

But their starting position is complicated, they say, particularly given Putins experience in dealing with Trump, who frequently undercut his own administrations hawkish stance on Russia by privately trying to cozy up to the Russian leader. Trump also was frequently ill-prepared for foreign leader calls, ignoring warnings from staff, limiting those who could listen on the calls and, especially after calls with Putin, telling very few aides what was discussed.

Its hard but its doable, said Daniel Fried, a U.S. ambassador to Poland and assistant secretary of state for European affairs in the George W. Bush administration. Theyre going to have to figure this out on the fly, but its important to pursue New START without hesitation and push back on the Navalny arrest and other issues without guilt.

They need to do both and not let Putin tell them he wont accept New START unless they drop Navalny, SolarWinds or Afghanistan, said Fried, who is now with the Atlantic Council. You have to push back and you cant let Putin set the terms.

Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
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PROTO Park will be the first industrial project of its kind in West Brookhollow. The sophisticated new design, expected to be completed by late fall 2021, aims to attract the most discerning, innovative light industrial and logistics users.

"We are excited to partner with M2G to build a creative, new standard for urban-industrial space in the coveted Dallas-Fort Worth market," said Thomas Beier, partner and portfolio manager, value funds at Pennybacker Capital. "We named the project PROTO Park because we want it to be a prototype of innovation, where tenants will not have to sacrifice form, function or design to meet their needs."

The nine-acre site is close to Uptown Dallas, Downtown Dallas and Dallas Love Field, an ideal location with easy access to the city's densely populated areas. Adjacent to Dallas's Design District, the site represents one of the most in-demand locations in the DFW industrial market, making the building a premier home for logistics, consumer distribution and e-commerce tenants.

"Together with Pennybacker Capital, we intend to redevelop this asset into a first-class industrial project, one that showcases the possibilities when thoughtful design is applied to logistics, distribution, showroom, and warehouse needs in a location where users truly want to be," said Jessica Miller Essl, co-founder and co-president of M2G Ventures.

PROTO Park will be transformed from a 1960s Chicago-style brick warehouse into a first-class modern industrial project. Redevelopment plans include new site upgrades and extensive exterior finishes both to the facade and building structures, new accent and site lighting, new paving, enhanced parking and loading areas, water-efficient landscaping, and prominent monument signage on Irving Boulevard. The tenant suite interiors will be in "white-boxed" condition with upgraded utility systems and modern building features highlighting the project's 20'  24' clear heights.

Method Architectures is the architect of record on PROTO Park.

To learn more about PROTO Park, visit www.protodallas.com.

ABOUT PENNYBACKER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

Pennybacker Capital Management is a leading real estate private equity investment manager with offices in Austin, Denver, New York, and Nashville. The firm pursues value, credit and income and growth strategies across all real estate asset classes.

Pennybacker has a proven 12+ year track record of investing in and/or operating more than $3.3 billion of real estate value throughout the United States. To date, the firm has sponsored six discretionary value-add real estate private equity funds, two real estate credit funds, and four income and growth separate accounts. For more information, please visit https://www.pennybackercap.com.

ABOUT M2G VENTURES

Guided by the company's purpose to inspire evolution through impact and innovation, M2G Ventures carefully invests in distinctive, mixed-use, and industrial development projects primarily located in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. The fast-growing company has become a leading voice in the industry through a bold strategy anchored by a dedication to innovation. In addition to its $220 million investment portfolio, the company specializes in strategic consulting for legacy projects, currently serving as the exclusive retail partner of the $200 million redevelopment of Mule Alley in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. The company's capstone is a social impact arm focused on changing the way we treat mental health. www.m2gventures.com.

Media Contact:

Marianne Ortiz

[email protected]

972-388-5524

SOURCE M2G Ventures

Related Links

http://www.m2gventures.com/



We look forward to working with these leading experts in their fields, and continuing our commitment to providing innovative products to optimize pregnancy care.

Nixxi, a womens health company with a mission to improve pregnancy outcomes, is pleased to welcome two healthcare leaders to its advisory board. Haywood Brown, MD, Maternal-Fetal Medicine subspecialist and past president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), and Dirk van den Boom, PhD, a seasoned biotech executive and Chair of the Board of Directors for the San Diego chapter of the March of Dimes, have joined Nixxis team in advisory roles. Together with the existing leadership team, their involvement will accelerate adoption of the Nixxi platform to empower healthcare providers with timely and actionable information to optimize pregnancy outcomes.

Dr. Brown serves as the Vice President for Institutional Equity at the University of South Florida and the Associate Dean in the Morsani College of Medicine at USF, where he is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He brings over three decades of clinical, academic, and leadership expertise to Nixxi, including having served as the 68th President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as well as Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University. Prior to his time at Duke University, Dr. Brown spent more than a decade at Indiana University School of Medicine and St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, IN. Throughout his career, Dr. Brown has focused on reducing disparities in womens health, particularly for underserved and at-risk populations. His roles include leading the NIH DC Initiative on Infant Mortality and the HSRA Perinatal and Patient Safety Collaboration.

Serving on Nixxis advisory board allows me to extend my commitment to the care of women at high risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, said Dr. Brown. Additionally, it is critical that we eliminate racial and economic disparities in maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, and Nixxis digital and blood tests for pregnancy wellness are well positioned to level the playing field and provide optimal care for all women.

Dirk van den Boom has extensive professional experience in developing and commercializing innovative technologies into the womens health space. He currently serves as the Chair of the March of Dimes San Diego Board of Directors and is the CEO of Juno Diagnostics, a genomics company revolutionizing prenatal care. Dr. van den Boom is the former CEO of Sequenom, Inc., where he played a significant role in the development and commercialization of the first cell-free DNA based noninvasive prenatal test (NIPT) in the United States. Since its introduction in 2011, cfDNA-based NIPT has rapidly changed prenatal care and has helped millions of families along their pregnancy journey.

I am honored to serve on Nixxis advisory board and join its efforts to reduce the rate of preterm birth, said Dr. van den Boom. As I have personally and professionally witnessed the effects of preterm birth and its impact to families and across the healthcare system, Im excited to work with the Nixxi team to efficiently and effectively identify pregnancies vulnerable to preterm birth early.

Drs. Brown and van den Boom bring decades of experience in the womens health space that will add valuable perspective for Nixxi, said Avi Patil, Founder and CEO of Nixxi. We look forward to working with these leading experts in their fields, and continuing our commitment to providing innovative products to optimize pregnancy care.

About Nixxi

Nixxi, based in Phoenix, AZ, is a womens health company with a mission to improve pregnancies and pregnancy outcomes. The company is led by a group of experienced, determined professionals with a variety of healthcare backgrounds.

Nixxis focus is to reduce pregnancy risk and enhance neonatal outcomes through early and cost-effective testing paired with actionable insights for providers and women. Nixxis products include PopNatal, the first digital screen for preterm birth and pregnancy wellness, and PopNatal Insights, a customized report for health care providers with curated evidence-based guidelines. Nixxi will soon release DocNatal, a blood test to pinpoint the highest risk pregnant women, those likely to deliver before 32 weeks gestation and give birth to babies requiring NICU stays.

For more information, please go to http://www.nixxihealth.com.

###

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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

You won't get a whole lot for your 905  just a lot of holes!

This yellow turtleneck jumper may resemble Dutch cheese but is part of Prada's Spring/Summer 2021 collection.

It has the Italian fashion house's name knitted on the neck and also comes in grey.

Any haute couture fans not put off by the hefty price or missing chunks of the viscose garment can find it online.

Prada's yellow turtleneck jumper may resemble Dutch cheese but the Italian fashion house is selling the item as part of its Spring/Summer 2021 collection for a whopping 905

Prada's website describes it as 'defined by a precious openwork motif with placed holes' which is the result of 'an ongoing creative conversation'.

Last week a designer balloon frock looking like a black bin bag was widely mocked.

Made by Nu, it was online for a sale price of 242.50, down from 485.

And a 675 Gucci yellow rubber tote bag was last year compared to a builder's bucket or laundry bag.

Prada's website describes the turtleneck as 'defined by a precious openwork motif with placed holes' which is the result of 'an ongoing creative conversation'
People living in Co Kildare are among the best at staying local to comply with Covid-19 restrictions, new data shows.

Gardai can fine you 100 if you stray outside the 5km limit of movement during Level 5.

New figures by the CSO show that almost two-thirds of Kildare residents have stayed within a 10km radius in the first two weeks of January.

The most compliant county is Dublin, possibly reflecting the bigger concentration of nearby shops and supermarkets and larger garda presence.

The Staying Local Indicator is based on the statistical analysis of mobile phone activity.

Source: CSO

Overall, an estimated 66.2% of the population stayed local (within 10k of home) during the week ending 15 January 2021 according to the Staying Local Indicator (SLI), a seven-day rolling average.

The SLI increased each day from an annual low on Christmas Eve (51.7%) 2020 to 07 January 2021 (68.6%) before appearing to stabilise at or around 15 January 2021 (66.2%).

Dublin continues to be the county with the highest percentage of the population staying local (78.8%) on week ending 15 January 2021, reflecting its urbanised nature with respect to other counties

With the exception of Mayo, which showed no week on week change, all counties saw modest SLI decreases from week ending 08 January 2021 to week ending 15 January 2021, ranging from 0.2 percentage points (Clare) to 2.3 percentage points (Monaghan), indicating some relaxation of mobility behaviour

This is the second in an insight series on mobility produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The Staying Local Indicator (SLI) provides daily estimated percentages of county populations that have stayed within 10km of home, averaged over the preceding seven days.

The CSO said the Staying Local Indicator is based on statistical analysis of anonymised, aggregated, mobile phone activity records.

Data from Three Ireland is collated from anonymised data sets at a macro scale, aggregated at Electoral Division and provided to the Department of Health.

The scope of the arrangement between Three Ireland and the Department of Health is limited to informing the Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic only.

This data feeds into wider selection of data used as part of the Covid-19 response. Only aggregated statistical data is provided to the Department of Health. No personal data is provided.

The CSO receives and manages this data on behalf of the Department of Health. Only aggregate data is provided by Three Ireland and at no time do either the Department of Health or the Central Statistics Office have access to personal data or individuals movements. The outputs from this analysis provide important insights for decision makers and the public in the midst of a global pandemic.
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Joe Bidens office also holds another interesting item  a moon rock. NASA has loaned a Moon rock for display in the Oval Office of the White House at the request of the Joe Biden administration. The Moonrock now sits in the Oval Office in symbolic recognition of earlier generations' ambitions and accomplishments, and support for America's current Moon to Mars exploration approach. The "Lunar Sample 76015,143" is from the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the US space agency said. pollo 17 astronaut Ronald Evans and moonwalkers Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan, the last humans to set foot on the Moon, chipped this sample from a large boulder at the base of the North Massif in the Taurus-Littrow Valley, 3km from the Lunar Module, according to the inscription on the display case. Photo: AP

Jessica Brandt, the widow of auto dealership magnate Ray Brandt, scored a big legal victory on Monday in her bid to maintain control of his massive estate, when a Jefferson Parish judge invalidated the last will and testament he signed weeks before his death in November 2019.

District Judge Lee Faulkner Jr. also nullified a previous will that Ray Brandt had prepared in 2015, for the same reason: A technical flaw in how it was notarized.

Faulkners ruling appears to settle on a 2010 will to decide control of Brandts estate, which his attorney has valued at more than $300 million.

In that will, Jessica Brandt is firmly ensconced as both trustee and co-executor of his estate.

Under the 2019 will that Faulkner nullified Monday, Brandt had named Archbishop Rummel High School Principal Marc Milano to oversee a trust that was to include his entire estate.

That appeared to mean that Milano, not Jessica Brandt, would control the dealerships and other assets.

Regardless of the outcome, Ray Brandt willed that when Jessica Brandt dies, the trust would be split between her two grandchildren. Ray Brandt legally adopted them as adults shortly before his death from pancreatic cancer at age 72.

Mrs. Brandt is obviously pleased with the courts decision, but she is most pleased with the prospect of her family beginning the healing process, said Jessica Brandts attorney, David Sherman, in a statement on Monday.

Faulkners decision came after several months of bitter legal brawling in a succession battle that has pitted Jessica Brandt against her two grandchildren.

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In court, Milano has accused Jessica Brandt of having siphoned money from her deceased husband's estate, and also of having claimed ownership interest in the auto dealerships against Ray Brandts wishes.

Jessica Brandt has denied those allegations, in a defamation suit she filed recently against Milano.

It was Todd Dempster, chief operating officer of Ray Brandt Auto Group, who challenged Brandts 2019 will. That stirred allegations that Dempster's challenge was a thinly veiled attempt by Jessica Brandt to steer clear of a no contest clause in the 2019 will.

As executrix, she asked Faulkner instead to determine for himself which of three wills was the valid one.

He obliged on Monday, deeming that both the 2019 will and a previous one from 2015 had a fatal flaw: Neither indicated that Ray Brandt had signed it in the notarys presence; or that Brandt, the witnesses and notary were all together at the time.

We strongly disagree with the courts ruling and maintain that it is contrary to established Louisiana law and jurisprudence," said Tim Madden, Milano's attorney. "We will be reviewing and pursuing all appropriate and available legal options.

Along with the auto group, assets that hang in the balance of the succession fight include Pascals Manale, the century-old Italian-Creole restaurant on Napoleon Avenue that Brandt bought days before he died.
India reported 9,102 fresh coronavirus cases in a day, the lowest in around eight months, as the infection tally reached 1,06,76,838, according to Union Health Ministry data on Tuesday.

During the same period, 117 fatalities were recorded, also the lowest in over eight months, taking the death toll to 1,53,587.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

India had reported a single-day rise of 8,909 cases on June 3 and 103 deaths on May 16.

According to the health ministry, 1,03,45,985 people have recuperated from the disease so far pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 96.90 per cent. The case fatality rate stood at 1.44 per cent.

There are 1,77,266 active cases of coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 1.66 per cent of the total cases reported so far. It was for the seventh consecutive day that the active caseload remaind below 2 lakh.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 19,30,62,694 samples have been tested for COVID-19 detection up to January 25 with 7,25,577 of them being tested on Monday.

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Maison Martell opening first travel retail boutique in Hainan, China

Maison Martell is set to open its first-ever travel boutique in China Duty Free Group's Haitang Bay Duty Free Shopping Centre.

Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail said it will open the boutique - which is located in the heart of Hainan and is the first Pernod Ricard-owned store on the island - in an official event on 28 January.

The boutique will incorporate a range of cutting-edge technologies to enhance shoppers' experiences, including a state-of-the-art digital facade and the Martell Perfect Door, the brand's latest merchandising unit that utilises touchless technology.

It will offer the full Martell product portfolio, including The Epic Voyage bottling and the 2021 Martell Cordon Bleu Chinese New Year limited edition, a travel retail exclusive.

Mohit Lal, CEO of Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail, said: "The opening of Maison Martell's new travel retail boutique represents a landmark occasion both for the house and for the channel.

"As we look towards a future of new beginnings driven by digital innovation, the store offers us the opportunity to reimagine Maison Martell's rich heritage by bringing our products to life through the power of technology, streamlining shopper experiences and allowing consumers to feel even more connected to the brand."

The opening event on 28 January will include a ribbon cutting, a toast and a digital Martell-inspired performance, with representatives from both China Duty Free Group and Pernod Richard Global Travel Retail expected to attend.

Maison Martell is also inviting customers to attend the event virtually - three lifestyle influencers with long-standing connections to the brand will be hosting livestreams on their Yizhibo channels, as will China Duty Free Group.

Zhao Feng, president of China Duty Free Group, said: "We are very pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with Pernod Ricard and we look forward to significantly developing the spirits market on Hainan Island together.

"With the booming success of this duty-free destination, combined with thriving consumer demand for Maison Martell products, and CDFG's expertise and experience in the Chinese duty free market, we anticipate many exciting developments ahead."

26 January 2021 - Bethany Whymark
Frank Goad Clement, at the age of 10, allegedly made the statement to his Dickson classmates that he would sometime lead the State of Tennessee.

Another version recently related by one of his three sons, former Congressman Bob Clement, was that at 16 years old, he told his friends that Im going to be governor of Tennessee.

At the young age of 32 in 1957 he fulfilled that boast by becoming the youngest governor in the state which earned him the title in some circles as the Boy Wonder Governor.

Clement would have to be the last of the great orators in politics in our state as the 30-second television commercials can send a political message to many more listeners than those who attend a courthouse speech in the hot sun.

Frank Goad Clement was born on June 2, 1920 in Room #5 in the Hotel Halbrook in Dickson, Tennessee.

Said hotel was built in 1913, and is one of the few remaining examples of a railroad hotel in a small Tennessee town. It functioned as a hotel for railroad workers and travelers until 1954.

His father, Robert Clement, a local attorney and politician, and his mother, Maybell Goad Clement, rented and operated the hotel.

One of the individuals who probably had the greatest impact on young Frank was his Aunt Dockie Weems who was a speech leader and taught the future governor many of his rhetorical skills.

It was those skills in the pre-television era that allowed him to develop into one of the most effective speakers in the country.

A combination of his exceptional speaking ability, passion for politics and his desire for helping people of all races, religions or creeds helped get him elected to Tennessees highest office in 1952.

Frank Clement's political and personal life has been portrayed by Dr. Lee S. Smiths biography of the Dickson native in Frank Clement, Lead Me On, published by the University of Tennessee Press in 1982.

The high point or low point of his oratory career depends upon who you speak to about his keynote speech at the Democratic Convention in 1956. He is best remembered for his repeated use of the phrase How long, Oh Lord how long? in criticism of the Eisenhower- Nixon administration but was not the success Clement had hoped for and probably eliminated any chance he might have had for being selected as the vice president running mate of Adlai Stevenson. Other sources say that the oft repeated phrase was How long, America O how long?

Supporters of Frank Clement point to his creation of the Department of Mental Health, free textbooks for students, an ambitious road building program, his stand as the first governor in the South to veto a segregation bill passed by the legislature and who sent in National Guard troops to protect the 12 black students chosen to integrate Clinton High School as the major accomplishments while in public office.

His various wins and losses in politics are well documented in the history of Tennessee.

In addition, the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville contain the gubernatorial papers of his first two terms as Governor in 1953-1959, a two-year term in 1954-1955 and the first four year term in 1956-1959.

The collection which can be viewed by the public is contained in 321 boxes of materials that consist of correspondence, subject files, extraditions and renditions, speeches, financial records, clippings, photographs, scrapbooks and press releases.

The Clement Railroad Museum housed in the Hotel Halbrook State Historic Site in Dickson, Tennessee opened on June 2, 2009 and it is owned by the State of Tennessee. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

On the first floor the Clement family rooms are furnished to represent the early 1920s when they occupied the managerial suite of rooms. The room in which Frank was born is furnished with several pieces of the Clements family furniture.

Occupying the second floor of the museum is the story of Franks personal and political career including the 1952, 1954 and 1962 gubernatorial elections.

Another interesting exhibit at the museum is a history of railroading in the area that includes many artifacts including original equipment and exhibits pertaining to the railroad and Clement family.

A permanent accurate display of model trains, landscaping and buildings created by the Dickson Model Railroad club is maintained by volunteer engineers and the facility recreates the history of railroading in the Dickson Railyard during the 1920s and 1930s.

Frank Clement died in an automobile accident on November 4, 1969 in Nashville at the age of 49. His political career was at a twilight at this time.

He accomplished much for the citizens of Tennessee during that period of time. His premature death foreclosed the question of whether he could resurrect his political career for a last hurrah.

A trip to the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum in Dickson gives the public a chance to observe further the life of the proverbial Boy Wonder and museum bearing his family name.

* * *

Jerry Summers



(If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com)
During a recent interview granted to Laos-based Vietnam News Agencys correspondents on the occasion of the CPVs 13th National Congress, Sounthone Sayachak spotlighted successes made by the Vietnamese Party, State and People in recent times, especially in maintaining political stability and economic growth, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and overcoming consequences of natural disasters.

Vietnam has also recorded outstanding achievements in Party building, making the CPV stronger and stronger, consolidating public trust in the Party and the Government, she noted.

Sounthone also pointed out Vietnams successes in ensuring security and defence, promoting socio-economic development and poverty reduction, as well as in foreign affairs and international integration, noting that in 2020, Vietnam excellently completed its role as the Chair of ASEAN and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term.

These achievements and contributions have enhanced Vietnams role and position in regional and international forums, she said.

Looking back at Vietnams history, the official stressed that all the success and progresses of the Vietnamese people and revolution are attributable to the leadership of the CPV.

She highlighted that the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos have constantly been consolidated and developed in all fields, bringing practical benefits for both countries.

She took the occasion to express gratitude to the Vietnamese Party, Government and people for their valuable and effective support to Laoss revolutionary cause in the past and its defence and construction at present.

She wished the CPV a successful Congress, expressing the hope that the Vietnamese Party will continuously lead the country to move forward, fulfilling the goal of building a strong country with prosperous people, and equitable, democratic and civilised society.
With over 96 million cases confirmed and over two million deaths over a period of about one year, COVID-19 has established itself as a truly global pandemic affecting all the countries in the world and several aspects of human life, including other core global health issues such as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

NTDs are a set of parasitic, bacterial and viral diseases that affect more than one billion people in the world. Among those diseases, five NTDs can be controlled through preventive chemotherapy (trachoma, river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, intestinal worms, and bilharzia). The Africa region bears 39% of the global burden of disease for these five diseases. In addition, across the region, it is estimated that 271 million school age children require preventive chemotherapy for intestinal worms (soil-transmitted helminths) in 2018 and 204 million for schistosomiasis. Controlling or eliminating these diseases has obvious health gains for the populations affected, as they create substantial illness and lifelong impairment. In addition, there are staggering potential economic gains from eliminating them. According to a new report, eliminating schistosomiasis and intestinal worms as a public health problem by 2030 could boost productivity by $5.1 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP) between 2021 and 2040, and increase wages by $1.2 billion in PPP.

In the spring of 2020, mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns for these five diseases were suspended, alongside disease-specific surveys aimed at assessing the impact of NTD programs, and morbidity care and surgeries for patients such as those suffering from trachomatous trichiasis (linked to trachoma infection) or hydrocele (linked to lymphatic filariasis infection).

According to the NTD Modelling Consortium (a consortium of infectious diseases epidemiologists and modelers), delayed treatments will delay countries ability to achieve their NTD control and elimination targets. This delay depends on the initial prevalence of the disease in each country, as well as transmission patterns for each parasite. For instance, in places where trachoma prevalence is high, they estimate that a 1-year delay in MDA may extend elimination timelines by 2 to 3 years.

Moreover, beyond the short-term impact on NTD services and its potential effects on health outcomes, experts have also noted that the pandemic would have long term impacts on funding for NTDs, governments prioritisation and service delivery.

Getting back on track

Despite the delay by COVID-19, efforts are being made to avoid setbacks as NTD activities are slowly restarting across countries, following guidance from the World Health Organization which has published guidelines on how to safely restart mass treatment, active case-findings and surveys in July 2020.

As the only private philanthropic initiative dedicated to ending the five most prevalent NTDs, the END Fund is actively engaged with all the governments it supports to ensure that safety is guaranteed for both individuals receiving treatment and care, and frontline workers. It is doing so by engaging in extensive assessments to ensure it is safe to restart activities. It is also funding personal protective equipment to frontline workers, among other measures. Stakeholders are also looking into how to deliver schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) treatments for kids through door-to-door activities rather than through schools while the latter are closed.

Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has also provided an opportunity to rethink how MDA programs are delivered with the goal of compensating for the impact of the current covid-19 crisis, but also to make sure the ambitious goals of the new WHO 2030 Roadmap, which sets targets for NTDs by 2030 can be achieved. Special attention is now being given to the integration of the distribution of NTD treatments with other campaign-based activities, such as nutrition programs or immunization campaigns. Activities are also ongoing gearing towards getting innovative ways to better deliver services, including the use of new technologies such as satellite imaging to ensure all populations in an area are reached.

Looking ahead and beyond COVID-19

Even though COVID-19 has been a major concern for stakeholders tracking progress in the control of NTDs, the pandemic is not the only factor that could affect NTD activities which are also predisposed to several other external events. Recent examples include the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe in 2019, which both postponed MDA activities in the countries. Nonetheless, as we approach the second annual World NTD Day, we celebrate all the strides made in ensuring that treatments are delivered to the most far-fetched communities even in these difficult situations.

Without mincing words, NTDs, despite the burden they represent, often fail to attract the attention from policymakers and implementers. Ensuring that they are high on the political agenda is key towards ensuring NTD programs can continue adequately. Appropriate financing is a second piece.

There is a real risk that, with the current COVID-19 crisis, NTD programs may receive even less attention than they already do. The END Fund is making sure that NTDs remain high on the health agenda of governments and at the international level. This is a priority for the END Fund and for the entire sector.

By: Dr. Claire Chaumont

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A COVID-19 patient has taken the government to court contesting recent burial restrictions as he claims they would violate his cultural beliefs in the event that he dies and is not buried at his rural home.

This comes after the ministry of Health on January 11 imposed restrictions on the movement of Covid-19 victims and directed that a body should be buried in the city where death would have occurred.

Darlington Marange, who is in isolation at his Harare home after testing positive for Covid-19, told the court that he comes from Mutare and his African traditional beliefs demand that he should be buried in his rural home in Marange.

He cited Health minister and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga and Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe as respondents.

He wants an order for the burial restrictions to be declared unconstitutional and enforcement of the press statement, which carried the said order, to be suspended. In the application filed before the High Cou rt by Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum on behalf of Marange, he submitted that his beliefs regard the send-off into the after world as a deeply important and sacred act which should follow certain cultural dictates.

In my family line, which is of royal blood, all male family members are supposed to be buried in Mount Makomwe in Marange where all my forefathers have been buried since time immemorial.

It is of critical importance to me that my body should be transported for burial to this mountain when I die, he said. Marange argued that Chiwengas directive was unconstitutional and should be regarded as nothing more than a press statement which had no force.

As far as I believe, press statements cannot so fickly take away constitutionally guaranteed rights. The press statement is unlawful for want of compliance with the law. The first respondent (Chiwenga) has no authority to deny that legal right through press statements as he has done and then ask the police to enforce it, argued Marange.

Marange said since January 11, when he tested positive for Covid-19, he has been battling symptoms which include acute chest pains and weak muscles which he fears may result in death.

If this directive persists, I stand to be buried contrary to my deeply sacrosanct cultural beliefs and practices. This violates the very fabric of my person and my constitutionally protected rights to freedom of conscience and human dignity. Daily News
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WEST SPRINGFIELD  The Big E expressed disappointment Monday that it wasnt selected as a location for a mass vaccination site in the war against COVID-19.

Gov. Charlie Baker announced Monday that this regions site will open Jan. 29 at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield.

The Big E had been talking with the state since late December about hosting a vaccination program and both sites  Eastfield Mall and the fairgrounds  have served as coronavirus testing sites.

Buildings were identified and sanitized, and a traffic plan perfected. We put forth our best effort and are disappointed with the decision, said Eugene J. Cassidy, president and CEO of the Eastern States Exposition in a statement. We truly believe that Eastern States Exposition is an ideal location, conveniently located with quick access to Interstates 90 and 91. Moreover, it is an address known to millions who annually make the September trek to the 17-day fair in West Springfield.

The Big E has personnel skilled in handling large crowds and moving traffic in a safe and expedient manner, he noted.

It is an area with good roads and traffic movement and a police force acquainted with the best methods for keeping Memorial Avenue traffic flowing, Cassidy said. It is a safe and user-friendly area that presents a convenient and easy-to-navigate road environment.

More than 1.5 million people visit the fair every year and crowds can top 170,000 a day on weekends.

The Big E learned of the states decision on Monday.

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(Photo : (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)) Grindr gets sued by Norwegian watchdog

Grindr, a famous dating app, is getting sued by Norway for $11.7 million for failing to get consent from its users before sharing their personal information with advertising companies. This is in breach of stringent privacy rules set by European Union.

Grindr Gets Sued

The Norwegian data privacy watchdog stated on January 26 that it notified Grindr LLC of its decision to sue them and issue a fine for $11.7 million or 100 million Norwegian krone, that is equal to 10% of the U.S company's global revenue.

The Data Protection Authority took action following a complaint that was issued by the Norwegian Consumer Council, alleging that personal data was shared without permission for marketing purposes, according to The New York Times.

Also Read: New Whatsapp Privacy Policy Forces Users to Share Data with Facebook

The council had detail in a report back in 2020 how Grindr and other dating apps leaked personal information to advertising technology partner companies to use for targeted advertising in ways that the council said violated the EU's strict GDPR privacy rules.

Norway is not a member of the EU but the country closely mirrors the EU's rules and regulations, especially when it comes to privacy.

The Norwegian watchdog came to the preliminary conclusion that Grindr shared user data with a number of third parties without legal basis. The data included GPS location, the user profile information and even the fact that users are on Grindr, which could reveal their sexual orientation and it may merit special protection.

Bjorn Erik Thon, the director general of the Norwegian watchdog said that the Norwegian Data Protection Authority considers that this is a serious case. He said that users were not able to exercise real and effective control over the sharing of their data.

The dating app, Grindr, did not respond immediately to an email request for a comment from the Associated Press. Bjoern Richard Johansen, the spokesman of Grindr in Norway, confirmed to broadcaster NRK that it had received a letter from regulators to notify it of the fine because of the privacy concerns.

Johansen told NRK that Grindr is looking forward to entering into a dialogue with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority. He said that the company had no further comment.

According to the issued case, Grindr has until February 15, 2021 to give feedback, which the watchdog will take into account for its final decision.

How Grindr Got User Personal Information

The Data Protection Authority stated that the way Grindr asked users for permission to use their information went against GDPR's requirements for valid consent.

Users were not given the change to opt out of sharing their personal data with third parties and they were also forced to accept the app's privacy policy in its entirety, adding that the users were not properly informed about the data sharing.

The watchdog is also still investigating five ad tech companies that got the data from Grindr, that includes the mobile app advertising platform of Twitter called MoPub, according to ABC News.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian Consumer Council accepted the fine. Finn Myrstad, the group's director of digital policy, said that they hope that this marks the starting point for numerous similar decisions against companies that engage in purchasing and selling personal data.

Related Article: Warning Love Seekers: Grindr, Tinder, and Other Dating Apps Sell Your Information Says Expert

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sieeka Khan

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Multichain Ventures Inc., a pioneer in blockchain, tokenized ecosystems and digital financial infrastructure, utilizing their proprietary patent pending commerce solutions, is pleased to announce that alongside another vendor, has secured a public sector contract with the State of Nevada to fulfill the requirements of Assembly Bill 466 . The Bill creates a Pilot Program and legal framework within which legal cannabis entities and supporting businesses can eliminate the necessity of transacting exclusively in cash, through the implementation of blockchain-based financial technology services.

Multichain Ventures, Inc.

Multichain Ventures was an early participant in roundtable discussions which ultimately culminated in the AB466 proposal, contributing feedback during two events over the course of 2018. Early discussions centered on a variety of potential alternative solutions to issues facing cannabis operators. Co-founders Michael Wagner, CFA and Gabriel Allred, PhD consulted directly with more than twenty five public officials on the fundamentals of tokenized ecosystems, and the inherent advantages of speed, functionality, and transparency of such systems.

FEDERAL OUTLOOK

Cannabis remains a Schedule I federally controlled substance by the DEA in the United States. As a result, federally regulated entities, such as banks and payment processors, are reluctant to provide services to marijuana businesses, despite some form of legal status across 35 states.

The Cannabis 2021 outlook for federal reform is staging for major strides due to the new U.S. Senate revamp. Recent Democratic victories in Georgia give the Democrats 50 seats along with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris holding the tiebreaking vote.

Recent cannabis public market activity increased, with investors feeling inclined to activate investment vehicles in response to Washington's projected approval of policies and legislation opening commerce to increase business across the nation.

Without a Republican-anchored Senate, cannabis reform efforts stand a chance in congress. But not without grit, perseverance and time. The U.S. economy and the coronavirus pandemic are at the forefront of our Nation's priorities. Historically, President-elect Joe Biden's marijuana agenda includes a moderate approach:

Legalizing medical marijuana federally

Rescheduling marijuana

Supporting states' rights

Cannabis banking reform would enable more marijuana enterprises to use not only traditional banking sources but to also tap into additional sources of capital for business operations and expansion. However, we see a long road ahead until dispensaries and other industry supply chain operators can transact safely with our Nation's biggest banks.

"Supply chain and financial managers struggle to implement strategic decisions, arrested by a regulatory environment characterized by commerce restrictions. Despite continuous obstacles the cannabis industry continues to see year over year growth driven by global demand. As we look forward into the cannabis economic mechanics we have the opportunity to build this industry with a best in class financial infrastructure benefiting the consumer experience, operator value chain and government regulatory mandates. " Pablo Quiroga, Chief Operating Officer, Multichain Ventures, Inc.

PILOT PROGRAM

The AB466 Pilot Program represents a first-of-its-kind solution to the rapidly growing cannabis sector, which continues to see expansion in state legalization. It is a major step in reinventing how cannabis operators conduct business. AB466 specifically calls for a tokenized, closed-loop financial ecosystem. Operators and supporting businesses will have the opportunity to optionally participate in the pilot. The system is designed such that cash deposits are converted to a fully collateralized stable token, which can then be freely transacted with other participants. Ecosystem parties are able to remove cash from the ecosystem through the redemption of stable tokens, and withdrawals to external facilities.

"The Pilot Program presents a tremendous opportunity for Multichain Ventures to demonstrate the enormous potential of blockchain and decentralized technology to solve problems facing the world today. Cannabis institutions have long faced stigma and have lacked access to financial infrastructure most businesses take for granted." Michael Wagner, CFA - Co-Founder and CEO, Multichain Ventures, Inc.

The Bill saw considerable support from both legislators and local law enforcement during the legislative process in 2019, during which it passed without opposition at both the committee level and on the floor of both houses. Crime related to cash held at dispensaries and cultivation facilities has been problematic for operators. With large volumes of cash transacted daily, and no banking facility to deposit, they are a considerable target for criminals.

"We are very excited to launch this innovative pilot program to provide the legal cannabis industry a safe and efficient way to engage in financial transactions. It is our hope that this pilot program will not only increase public safety in Nevada, but will also provide government entities with a streamlined process to collect tax revenue." Zach Conine, Nevada State Treasurer.

CUSTOM TAILORED TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION

Multichain Ventures developed a custom solution to satisfy the requirements of the Bill. Leveraging its established digital currency financial infrastructure (patent pending), and integrating the Solana Blockchain Protocol for smart contract deployment, they further developed a software suite dedicated to operators within the Nevada market. Functionality exists to view token balances, review invoices, conduct business-to-business transactions, and mint and redeem stable tokens. All processes are encapsulated in a robust compliance process that factors marijuana retail business (MRB) reporting requirements. Supply chain transparency and seed-to-sale tracking on blockchain will be implemented in the future. The platform is currently capable of integrating with METRC , a standardized government and regulatory reporting platform utilized in Nevada, and numerous other states.

The solution initially targets licensed cannabis operators, including dispensaries, cultivators, and production facilities. However, Multichain Ventures sees a great opportunity to expand into surrounding businesses, such as utility companies, landlords, payroll companies, ancillary service providers, and with the Nevada Department of Taxation for tax remittance. This ecosystem could further provide value to existing popular canna-tech companies, such as Distru and Akerna , as an enhancement to their platforms.

Operators should encounter little disruption to existing business procedures, as the onboarding process was designed from the ground up with the end user in mind. During the initial rollout, operators will continue accepting cash from the consumer as they do today. However, post-consumer transaction, the operator is presented with the ability to deposit reconciled cash with a federal bank facility provided as a resource within the Pilot. Cash becomes tokenized upon deposit, and can then be transacted electronically throughout the ecosystem. Upon completion of the lifecycle of the digital token, it will be redeemed for cash at a one-to-one value with dollars collateralizing the token.

Early feedback from the industry has been positive, with several operators interested in participating in the beta program. TapRoot Brands, a vertically integrated Nevada-based operator, sees the potential for such a system to resolve safety and security issues they face in cash handling and management.

"The strong growth that the cannabis industry has seen nationwide over the last year further reinforces the need for a solution to minimize or eliminate cash transactions and develop banking solutions ahead of federal legalization. Not only does the current cash-only system lead to public safety vulnerabilities for employees, dispensary customers and regulators, but it ties up valuable resources due to the time commitments of cash handling and documentation. TapRoot is excited to participate in the development of this pilot program, and assisting both the Multichain Ventures team and the Nevada State Department of Taxation implement a much needed solution for the industry." Shane Terry - TapRoot Brands, CEO



FORWARD LOOKING

While the immediate benefits of safe asset custody and electronic transactions are obvious, the long-term potential remains robust. Transactions globally are naturally trending towards electronic services, and digital currency itself is seeing increasing rates of adoption. The solution presented provides an optimal customer experience, convenience, safety, and security for both consumers and businesses alike. With near-instant settlement on transactions, and none of the fees typically associated with payments, the framework for global adoption of blockchain now exists.

Multichain Ventures continues expanding its service offerings within the financial technology suite. Portfolio management, exchange integrations, investment management, DeFi (decentralized finance) and yield generating opportunities are presently under development, in partnership with companies such as Brave New Coin . Multichain Ventures has positioned itself as the single source of financial infrastructure for businesses and consumers alike to access the rapidly expanding blockchain ecosystem.

ABOUT MULTICHAIN VENTURES

Multichain Ventures is a technology developer and FinTech services integrator focused on robust financial infrastructure that facilitates crypto-based commerce. Proprietary elements include: custody, compliance, KYC/AML, and payments, inclusive of price conversion and trade processing. To learn more, please visit https://multichain.ventures/

Twitter Telegram Medium Facebook YouTube Instagram Github Reddit Blockfolio

Contact:

Name: Pablo Quiroga

Phone: +1 (702) 763-1361

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Multichain Ventures, Inc.

Irelands milk output grew by 3.8pc in 2020 and the overall supply for the year is likely to exceed 8.3 billion litres, Colin Kelly of Ornua has forecast.

Strong growth is expected again in 2021 as Irish dairy farmers take advantage of the positive outlook on global markets, particularly through the first six months of the year.

Mr Kelly, who is head of strategy planning and risk management at Ornua, said market projections indicated that global demand for dairy produce will expand by between 1.5pc and 2pc this year, but that output growth could be limited to 1.0-1.5pc.

This is very good news for Irish dairy farmers. The increased market demand is primarily attributed to a shift in trader policy, with buyers looking to secure and carry more stock as a result of the supply disruptions associated with Covid-19. This new more cautious approach has resulted in the pre-Covid Just-in-Time supply strategy being replaced by a Just-in-Case approach, Mr Kelly explained. Milk production is forecast to expand in all the worlds main dairy regions, with output in Europe expected to grow by 0.8pc in 2021. The USs milk output is predicted to increase by 1.4-1.5pc, while New Zealands production is forecast to grow by 1.0-1.2pc. Chinese demand However, the increase in global milk supplies will be offset through the first half of the year by buoyant dairy demand, Mr Kelly predicted. Strong buying by the Chinese has been a feature of the market since Christmas, with Mr Kelly pointing out that the GDT had hit its highest level since May 2014. Looking to potential challenges in the year ahead, Mr Kelly said the continued weakening of the US dollar against the euro was a cause of concern. The Ornua official explained that US butter was currently 1,000/t cheaper than European product.

He said the Food Box programme  the American governments $6 billion Covid-19 aid measure  had provided a domestic market for increased US dairy production so far this year. And greater quantities of competitively-priced US dairy commodities could come onto the world market, should Washington end the Food Box initiative later this year. However, Mr Kelly said the threat from cheap US dairy commodities could be undermined somewhat by increased global corn prices. Meanwhile, ICMSA has rejected suggestions by Dairygold chief executive, Jim Woulfe, that Brexit difficulties will put an additional cost of 1c/l on the co-ops cheese business. ICMSA dairy chair, Gerald Quain, said it was premature to talk about building in a cost of 1c/l for meeting the new logistical and administration costs around selling into Britain. There will be teething problems associated with the new arrangements and we expect those to be worked through in conjunction with the UK authorities, Mr Quain said.
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Monday reported 82 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 69 locally transmitted and 13 arriving from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said Tuesday.

Of the locally transmitted cases, 53 were reported in Heilongjiang, seven in Jilin, five in Hebei, and two each in Beijing and Shanghai, the commission said in its daily report.

Three suspected cases arriving from outside the mainland were newly reported in Shanghai. One death related to the disease was reported in Jilin on Monday, said the commission.

By the end of Monday, the mainland had reported 4,624 imported COVID-19 cases in total. Among them, 4,332 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 292 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 89,197 by Monday, including 1,885 patients still receiving treatment, of whom 110 were in severe conditions.

A total of 82,676 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,636 had died of the disease, according to the commission.

There were four suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland on Monday, and 38,443 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Monday saw 57 asymptomatic cases newly reported on the mainland, of which 16 arrived from outside the mainland. On the same day, 35 asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases.

There were 956 asymptomatic cases still under medical observation, of which 283 arrived from outside the mainlan
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Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol has been placed under self-quarantine after coming in contact with a ministry employee who tested positive for COVID-19, his office said Tuesday.







Kwon received a virus test and was placed under self-isolation while awaiting the results, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.







The ministry said it will announce further details after his test results come out.







Earlier in the day, Kwon attended a Cabinet meeting held at the government complex in Sejong, about 120 kilometers south of Seoul, and discussed vaccine programs in another meeting at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in nearby Osong, North Chungcheong Province.







In the afternoon, he visited a hospital designated for COVID-19 treatment in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 01:41:52|Editor: huaxia

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A young man throws a stone during a protest in Tripoli, Lebanon, on Jan. 26, 2021. More than 35 people were injured on Tuesday due to clashes between protesters and security forces in the city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, al-Jadeed local TV channel reported. (Photo by Khaled/Xinhua)

BEIRUT, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- More than 35 people were injured on Tuesday due to clashes between protesters and security forces in the city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, al-Jadeed local TV channel reported.

Protesters took to the street to demonstrate against the Lebanese authorities' decision to impose total lockdown in the country in the absence of a social safety net capable of securing the basic needs of citizens.

They burned police cars near the headquarters of Tripoli government and threw stones at security forces who used rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators.

Tripoli, one of the poorest cities in Lebanon, has been witnessing for the past few days demonstrations as many citizens said that the total lockdown led to the economic deterioration and plunged them into poverty.

Poverty and unemployment rates have increased to unprecedented levels in Lebanon with the World Bank estimating poverty rate to surpass 50 percent in the country. Enditem
Fox News

After getting under Donald Trumps skin one last time over the weekend with a brutally honest interview in The New York Times (and accompanying episode of The Daily podcast) Dr. Anthony Fauci seemed genuinely ready to move on Monday when he appeared as a guest on Fox News revamped Americas Newsroom hour.

Towards the end of that appearance, co-anchor Dana Perino noted her frustration that about 24 of the 28-minute interview with The Daily focused not on the COVID-19 pandemic itself but rather on Faucis contentious relationship with Trump. I know that those questions are irresistible for reporters to ask, she said. But is there a law of diminishing returns to continue to answer the questions about that relationship if the crisis is as acute as you say?

Fauci readily agreed with her assessment, explaining that after that interview, he said to myself, weve really got to look forward and ahead and just put that behind us and that he is really not enthusiastic at all about re-examining what happened back then rather than looking forward to what we need to do now.

But that wasnt good enough for Bill Hemmer, who interrupted Fauci to complain about the tone of the top doctors highly critical remarks. It just seems like there's this aggressiveness toward the Trump administration, he said. I mean, youre the most respected man in America on this topic. Why do you even feel the obligation to answer these questions?

As Fauci tried to answer him, Hemmer added, And by the way, when you were at the White House, no one prevented you from talking, did they?

No, thats why I got in trouble, Fauci replied, repeating a line he delivered at his first Biden administration briefing last week. But then he called out Hemmer for doing exactly what he and his Fox co-anchor seemed to be criticizing other outlets for doing.

Were getting into rehashing it again, Fauci added. I think we should do what Dana just suggested, namely, put that behind us and take a look at the problems we have ahead.

Story continues

A bit chastened, Hemmer replied, At 9:37 on this Tuesday morning, January 26th, we will mark this moment, doctor. Im ready to move on with you as well.

Time Magazines Biden Day One Cover Breaks Fox News Anchors Brain

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NEW DELHI : In the wake of farmers' tractor rally turning violent, the Centre on Tuesday decided to deploy additional paramilitary troops in Delhi to restore peace and maintain law and order, officials said.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava among others.

Additional paramilitary troops will be brought in for deployment in sensitive places in Delhi, a home ministry official said.

The exact number of additional troops was not known immediately but officials suggested that it could be around 1,500 to 2,000 personnel (about 15 to 20 companies).

Around 4,500 paramilitary personnel were already deployed for law and order duties before the Republic Day.

Earlier in the day, the Home Ministry decided to temporarily suspend the internet in parts of Delhi like Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi and their adjoining areas for 12 hours from Tuesday noon.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 7 of the Indian Telegraph Act 1855 and in the interest of maintaining public safety and averting public emergency, it is necessary and expedient to order the temporary suspension of internet services in the areas ... in Delhi from 12:00 hours to 23:59 hours on January 26," an order issued by the MHA said.

Rapid Action Force personnel have also been repositioned in the national capital and vigil has been intensified in view of the evolving situation.

Earlier, the union home secretary briefed the home minister about the situation in Delhi where the farmers' tractor rally against the agri laws turned violent, the official said.

The home minister reviewed the situation after hundreds of protesting farmers on tractors barrelled through police barricades to enter central Delhi areas, including Red Fort and ITO.

The home secretary and the police commissioner also apprised Shah about the steps being taken by the police to maintain peace, another official said.

A few other officials were also present at the meeting.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole there on Republic Day.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

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James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

A 28-year-old Midland woman died early Sunday morning following a one-vehicle accident south of Midland.

The accident took place inside Midland County  3 miles outside the city  when a 2018 Toyota Camry was traveling east of County Road 140, according to Department of Public Safety troopers. Around 2:35 a.m., the driver of the Toyota disregarded a stop sign at the intersection of West County Road 140 and South County Road 1200. He then drove the Camry through the intersection, lost control of the vehicle and struck a dumpster and fence, according to the DPS report.
On Monday, Jan. 25, Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP) set up temporary COVID-19 test modules.



(TRAVPR.COM) MEXICO - January 26th, 2021 - The Mexican state of Guanajuato is strengthening sanitary and preventive measures in light of the new U. S. executive order to increase sanitary safety, due to COVID-19, in domestic and international travel signed on Jan. 21 by the U.S. President Joseph Biden.

Considering that the U.S. is the main source market for international tourists in Mexico, the Government of Guanajuato, through the Ministry of Tourism, carries out joint actions with the tourism sector, municipal governments and Guanajuato International Airport in order to provide travelers with a safe, efficient and high-quality service.

Section 2 of the U. S. executive order, under International Travel, states that, effective Tuesday, Jan. 26, the international traveler is required to submit a negative COVID-19 test prior to entry into the U.S. (performed up to 72 hours prior to travel).

Furthermore, travelers  shall comply with other guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) applicable to international travel, including recommended periods of self-quarantine or self-isolation, after entry into the country.

In response to current U.S. government requirements, SECTUR Guanajuato informs tourists that they can get their COVID-19 test at Guanajuato International Airport and travel safely to our neighbor country.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP) stated that on Monday, Jan. 25, temporary modules were installed, and the cost of the antigen test will be 450 pesos (approx. $22 U.S.) and the PCR test will be 1,450 pesos (approx. $72 U.S.). These two prices will be available only to passengers on international flights.

In addition to these tests, SECTUR has established communication with hoteliers in Guanajuato City, San Miguel de Allende and Leon, the states main tourist destinations, so that they also include COVID-19 testing in their services.

Committed to the health of national and international travelers, Guanajuato has maintained constant collaboration since the beginning of the pandemic with destinations and tourism companies in global protocols in order to continue being a safe destination, mitigate the contagion and provide confidence to visitors during their stay in Guanajuato.

Currently, around 3,000 companies in Guanajuato have adopted the Distintivo Guanajuato Sano, a certificate that was endorsed by the Safe Travels seal of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which considers the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC, and has the support of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Likewise, SECTUR, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Migrants and International Liaison carry out cross-cutting actions that serve as a link with embassies and consulates to meet the needs of international travelers and tourists.

The state of Guanajuato continues to be on guard with various sanitary protocols in as many areas as possible, prioritizing the health and safety of the people of Guanajuato and its tourists.

###
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 20:41:13|Editor: huaxia

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ISTANBUL -- Turkey's leading business associations and unions on Tuesday called on the government to urgently take necessary steps to ensure price stability to lure foreign investment in the post-pandemic era.

"Every economic recovery without price stability would be short of duration and narrow the investment horizons of our business people," said the chairmen of four organizations, including the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD), in a joint declaration.

- - - -

BEIRUT -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun asserted on Tuesday Lebanon's keenness to maintain friendly and cooperative ties with the United States.

"Lebanon is keen to maintain friendly ties with the U.S. within a framework of mutual understanding, respect and adherence to common values," a statement released by Lebanon's Presidency quoted Aoun as saying during his meeting with U.S. Ambassador in Beirut Dorothy Shea at Baabda Palace.

- - - -

ULAN BATOR -- Mongolia recorded 13 more locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing its national tally to 1,656, the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) said Tuesday.

"A total of 12,039 tests for COVID-19 were conducted across Mongolia yesterday and 13 of them were positive," said Amarjargal Ambaselmaa, head of the NCCD's Surveillance Department, at a daily press conference.

- - - -

THE HAGUE -- A third night of rioting hit multiple Dutch cities on Monday night against the COVID-19 lockdown measures and the introduction of a curfew. Police said at least 151 suspects were arrested.

Shops were looted and police officers attacked in Rotterdam-Zuid. Mayors and lawmakers responded with fury, reported the NL Times news portal. About 50 protesters were arrested and one police officer got injured.

"Shameless thieves, I cannot say otherwise... I hate to threaten with the use of tear gas, a far-reaching measure. I find that sad, because I have never had to do that in my entire career as mayor," said Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb, according to an online story by NL Times.

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HARARE -- The COVID-19-induced restrictions that have been imposed by countries around the world are constraining grain imports in Zimbabwe, the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe Chairman Tafadzwa Musarara said Tuesday.

"Primarily, this is affecting our grain importation. For instance, the Botswana government's tough restrictions have made it impossible to transit maize via Botswana. This has consequently resulted in congestion at Beitbridge and slowing down of grain imports," Musarara was quoted as saying by the Herald newspaper. Enditem
STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Artsakh authorities say theyve found four more bodies of the Artsakh War casualties.

The remains of 28-year-old Ashot Khachatryan, a reservist who was drafted during the war, were found in the Azeri positional section in the direction of Mataghis and handed over to Artsakh, the State Service of Emergency Situations of Artsakh spokesperson Hunan Tadevosyan told ARMENPRESS. The body was identified using the drivers license found in the pocket of the uniform.

The bodies of another three servicemen were found in Jrakan [Jabrayil], Tadevosyan said, adding that the identification is in process.

Since the search operations began after the war ended, the Artsakh authorities have retrieved 1287 bodies from the combat zones of the 2020 Artsakh War.

"Today, two teams will conduct search operations in the direction of Hadrut.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
The International Planned Parenthood Federation (South Asia) reacted to the recent Bombay High Court's "Skin-to-skin contact" ruling with grave concern on Monday. The IPPF said that the judgment is "deeply flawed" in its understanding of child sexual abuse and "fails to take into account the power hierarchy when an adult person abuses his/her authority over a child/minor".

The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has observed in a particular case that groping a child's breast without "skin-to-skin" contact is not the offence of "sexual assault" under India's child protection law - the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

"We are concerned about the judgement of the Indian court and believe it fails to take into account that child sexual abuse occurs when a person uses his/her power over a child or youth," the IPPF said in its statement.

ALSO READ | NCW to Challenge Bombay HC's Judgment on Groping Without 'Skin to Skin' Contact in SC

"IPPF works with survivors of violence and would like to remic that abuse is a criminal offence not because of "skin-to-skin" of physical contact but because it violates consent. A narrow interpretation of what constitutes sexual assault would harm years of work done by child rights and women's right groups in India," it added.

Further the IPPF stated that "any attempt to dilute the statutory regime of POCSO would be hugely detrimental to the child rights and a narrow interpretation of what constitutes sexual assault would harm years of work done by child rights and womens rights groups in the country," hoping that "egregious decision" would be overturned by the higher courts by keeping the rights of the children at the centre of any discourse on child sexual abuse.

The IPPF South Asia Regional Office (SARO) is one of the six regional networks of the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

Meanwhile, the apex child rights body in the country, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, asked the Maharashtra government on Monday to file an urgent appeal against a recent Bombay High Court judgment that said an act cannot be termed as sexual assault if there is no "skin-to-skin" contact.

In a letter to the Maharashtra chief secretary, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said the words "skin-to-skin with sexual intention without penetration" in the judgment also need to be reviewed and the state should take note of this as it seems to be derogatory to the minor victim in the case.

In the January 19 judgment, the Bombay High Court said groping a minor's breast without "skin-to-skin contact" cannot be termed sexual assault as defined under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Justice Pushpa Ganediwala of the Nagpur bench held that there must be "skin to skin contact with sexual intent" for an act to be considered sexual assault. It has drawn the ire of child rights bodies and activists across the country.

The NCPCR chief said it seems that the identity of the victim has been disclosed and the commission is of the view that the state should take note of this and initiate necessary steps. "Therefore, in view of the above and considering the seriousness of the issue, the commission being the monitoring body under section 44 of the POCSO Act, 2012 requests you to take necessary steps in the matter and file an urgent appeal against the aforesaid impugned judgment of the Hon'ble High Court.

"You are requested to provide details of the minor victim (maintaining strict confidentiality) so that the commission can provide help such as legal aid etc. in the best interest of the child," Kanoongo said.
A newly-approved Chinese law allows its coast guard to exercise all necessary measures to prevent any threat from foreign vessels.

But some Philippine Senators are concerned as Beijing and Manila's dispute over the South China Sea continues.

Tristan Nodalo reports.
2021-01-26

Maeci

The Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, US and the EU have issued a statement condemning the arrest and detention of Alexey Navalny.

We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, are united in condemning the politically motivated arrest and detention of Alexey Navalny.

We are also deeply concerned by the detention of thousands of peaceful protesters and journalists, and call upon Russia to adhere to its national and international obligations and release those detained arbitrarily for exercising their right of peaceful assembly on 23 January. The violent suppression by police forces of the right of individuals to express their opinion is unacceptable. These events confirm a continuous negative pattern of shrinking space for the opposition, civil society, human rights defenders and independent voices in Russia.

It is deplorable that Mr Navalny is being detained in relation to court decisions which the European Court of Human Rights determined in 2017 to be arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable. We the G7 Foreign Ministers call upon the Russian authorities for Mr Navalnys immediate and unconditional release. Russia is bound by its national and international obligations to respect and ensure human rights.

G7 Foreign Ministers recall their condemnation, in the strongest possible terms, of the poisoning of Mr Navalny in August 2020 with a chemical nerve-agent of the Novichok group, a substance developed by Russia.

We reiterate that any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable and contravenes international norms against the use of such weapons. We, the G7 Foreign Ministers, again urge the Russian authorities to investigate and credibly explain the use of a chemical weapon on its soil in the light of Russias obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

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

We will continue to monitor closely Russias response to international calls for the immediate release of Mr Navalny and any protesters and journalists who have been detained arbitrarily, as well as a criminal investigation into Mr Navalnys poisoning. We remain strongly committed to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and to our support for democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Russia, as well as to bolstering our support to Russian civil society.

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BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Omega Healthcare, a leading provider of outsourced revenue cycle management and other healthcare support services, has broadened its clinical services portfolio with new virtual nursing solutions that are delivered remotely by Omega's large team of off-site registered nurses. The new offerings, spanning select patient outreach, payor interaction and clinical documentation activities, can help hospitals and other providers reduce costs, increase patient interaction time and maximize reimbursements.

With these new solutions, Omega extends its 17+-year focus on healthcare outsourcing from supplying revenue cycle services such as coding, billing and collections to providing advanced clinical services that support the broader patient journey. Omega now offers:

Utilization Review Nurses for coordination of clinical review paperwork, including medical records review for benefit administration determination, documentation for transmission to insurance companies, and communication with physicians, patients and payors

for coordination of clinical review paperwork, including medical records review for benefit administration determination, documentation for transmission to insurance companies, and communication with physicians, patients and payors Clinical Appeal Nurses for evaluation of medical claim denials and preparation of professional, effective clinical appeals based on sound clinical judgment, industry guidelines, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual guidelines and other coverage determinations

for evaluation of medical claim denials and preparation of professional, effective clinical appeals based on sound clinical judgment, industry guidelines, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual guidelines and other coverage determinations Case Manager Nurses who provide remote care management services by collaborating with stateside clients to develop, implement and evaluate individualized patient care plans and serve as liaisons between patients, their families and healthcare providers

who provide remote care management services by collaborating with stateside clients to develop, implement and evaluate individualized patient care plans and serve as liaisons between patients, their families and healthcare providers Triage Nurses who answer patient inquiries, assess their medical needs, and recommend the proper level of care utilizing access to the client's messaging system, Electronic Health Records (EHR) and medical databases

Outsourcing these services to Omega's staff of registered nurses makes it possible to deploy stateside resources more efficiently, significantly reduce staff overhead, and increase net revenue by minimizing underbilling and associated revenue loss.

One client using the Triage Nurses service estimates that staff physicians are able to see three to five additional patients daily. In addition, nurses are assisting more patients in the office because they are no longer answering incoming patient calls or emails.

All Omega virtual nursing personnel are employed full-time by the company and registered in either the U.S. or Philippines. Every member of the team has been hired from a hospital or nursing school and has undergone stringent training at Omega's in-house training academy.

"Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, large hospital systems and physician groups were struggling to find the nursing resources they needed to serve their patients. The virus outbreak has increased that challenge exponentially," said Anurag Mehta, president and cofounder of Omega Healthcare. "Our virtual nursing services help fill the staffing gap economically, free stateside nurses and physicians to serve more patients in office or telehealth visits, and combine with our financial services to provide a more comprehensive services portfolio than any other provider in the healthcare outsourcing space."

About Omega Healthcare

Omega Healthcare helps payors, providers and pharmaceutical companies eliminate administrative burdens, accelerate cash flow, and reduce health management costs while enhancing patient care. The company streamlines medical billing, coding and collections processes and also provides virtual nursing services, including triage, care continuation, clinical documentation improvement and readmittance avoidance. Combining the largest medical coding staff in the world with proprietary technology, analytics and automation capabilities, Omega provides the most comprehensive outsourced solutions in the industry and is ranked among the top revenue cycle management business process services by industry analysts. The company was founded in 2003 and has more than 16,000 employees across India, the Philippines and the United States. For more information, visit www.OmegaHMS.com

SOURCE Omega Healthcare
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Among the most dangerous portions of the law, the resolution says, are the changes concerning the use of deadly force, the use of force for custody purposes, the imminent threat requirement as now defined, the prohibition on the review of camera footage to create accurate reports, the recognition of anonymous complaints, and the pretrial release provisions.
When the first flowers blossom on the to day (wild peach blossom) trees, Hmong people joyfully celebrate their traditional Lunar New Year festival on the first three days of the twelfth lunar month.

Every year in the eleventh and twelfth lunar months, mountains in Mu Cang Chai District, Yen Bai District, are fully coated with to day flowers. The wild flowers even bloom across high peaks in the communes of Che Chu Nha, La Pan Tan, and De Xu Phinh.

The blooming season of to day flowers not only adds an alluring look to the scenery of villages in Mu Cang Chai District but also contributes to attracting more visitors to the locality.

A road in Mu Cang Chai District colourfully decorated with to day flowers.

To day flowers have five petals in a bright pink colour.

A blooming to day flower tree boasts its charm in top of a mountain hill.

A Hmong familys feast to greet new spring. Local Hmong ethnic people consider to day flowers as a sign of spring.

Beautiful bright pink to day blossoms against blue sky.

Mountains in Che Chu Nha Commune brightened with blooming to day flowers.

Nguyen Huong (Nhan Dan)

Mu Cang Chai among worlds 50 most beautiful places Mu Cang Chai terrace fields in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai have been included into the list of the 50 most beautiful places in the world in 2020 by Big 7 Travel.
This article, ADT technician pleads guilty to spying on customer camera feeds for years, originally appeared on CNET.com.

Calling it a "disgusting betrayal of trust," US attorneys with the Northern District of Texas announced Thursday that an ADT home security technician has pleaded guilty to repeatedly hacking into customer video feeds for the purpose of spying on women.

The breaches of customer privacy affected 220 customer accounts, prosecutors say. The technician, 35-year-old Telesforo Aviles, admits to viewing those accounts 9,600 times over a period of four-and-a-half years. Now he faces up to five years in federal prison on computer fraud charges.

According to the plea, Aviles admitted to violating company policy by routinely adding his email address to ADT Pulse customer accounts, granting him real-time access to those customers' video feeds. In some instances, he acted without the customer's knowledge; in others, he told the customer he needed temporary access to test the system. Once in, Aviles admitted, he'd screen the video feeds for women he found attractive, then repeatedly view those feeds for sexual gratification, including watching women undress and watching couples have sex.

"This defendant, entrusted with safeguarding customers' homes, instead intruded on their most intimate moments," said Acting US Attorney Prerak Shah. "We are glad to hold him accountable for this disgusting betrayal of trust."

ADT said it discovered the breach last April, after a customer complained about an unauthorized email on an account. Upon investigation, ADT learned that Aviles had added his email to numerous accounts throughout the Dallas area for the purpose of improperly viewing customer feeds.

At that point, the unauthorized access was revoked, Aviles was fired and referred to law enforcement, and ADT notified customers of the breach.

"We apologize to the customers affected by the actions of this former employee and deeply regret this incident," the company wrote in a statement from April.

"Our customers trust ADT with their safety and protection," the statement reads. "We understand that this incident jeopardizes that trust and is entirely unacceptable. We will make extraordinary efforts to earn back that trust."

To that end, the company says it has implemented "technical and procedural solutions" to prevent this sort of abuse from happening again, and adds that it's enlisted third-party experts to assist in a full review of the company's privacy and security practices. The company committed to supporting law enforcement with "whatever they need to help bring justice to the victims of this former employee."

"We are grateful to the Dallas FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for holding Telesforo Aviles responsible for a federal crime," the company said in a statement released Friday.

ADT has been sued over the case and is seeking to resolve its legal liability through arbitration courts. An ADT spokesperson says that the company has identified and contacted all of Mr. Aviles' victims.

"We're using all the resources at our disposal to help ensure their safety, provide peace of mind and attempt to address all the concerns they may have," the company posted.
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Lucas Ayaba Cho Lucas Ayaba Cho

Cameroon government troops have since 2017 been fighting armed separatists in the countrys North West and South West Regions who want to create a breakaway country christened the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

Corporate demands by Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers led to protests in November 2016. The street demonstrations later morphed into ongoing running gun battles between state forces and armed separatist fighters in the predominantly English-speaking regions, leading to untold destruction of human lives, their habitats, and livelihoods.

Tit-for-tat killings, kidnappings, arbitrary arrests, arsons, maiming, and outright terror have become part of daily lives in some parts of the English-speaking regions.

In the early hours of Tuesday, January 26, 2021, Norway-based Cameroonian activist Lucas Ayaba Cho, leader of the Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) dispatched an audio message distancing himself from the war for freedom.

He regrets that criminals have turned a peoples war for freedom into a war of shame.

When I see a soldier [armed separatist fighter] die because of thuggery, stealing, I feel ashamed. Memory lost, memory wasted. I feel ashamed that brave men and women whove risen up to challenge Cameroon have become petit criminals trying to get food, going around harassing people, begging for food, Ayaba Cho said from the comfort of his home in Norway.

I do not only feel ashamed, I feel angry. Anger towards such persons more than I even have anger towards La Republique. It is a disgrace, he added.

The leader of the ADF armed group said while Mandela spent 27 years in jail without blinking and South Africans endured for more than half a century, separatists in Cameroons Anglophone regions have turned into petit criminals in four years.

His words: Separatists who have been fighting for four years now have turned themselves into petit criminals. Instead of being seen as heroes within our communities, instead of being seen as people who protect our civilians, they are being seen as tormentors. Not tormenting to get things done, tormenting to eat, to drink. How cheap some of you have become.

Ayaba says deceased fighters like General Ivo Mbah and others will be weeping in their graves seeing what the so-called struggle for freedom has become.

General Ivo should be frowning and mourning. All those great patriots, Fiango and the others should be looking at such persons with disdain. It is distasteful to see soldiers [armed separatist fighters] falling because they are harassing the population, Ayaba thundered.

The Norway-based separatist strongman questioned the intellectual capacity of the armed separatists who go as far as tormenting families that are burying their deaths.

Hear him: You people havent got brains or what? The other day, I said I have imposed a foreign direct tax on all foreign businesses. You people are going around tormenting mothers in the villages, even where they are burying their dead. What a sacrilege!

What a sacrilege to the customs and tradition that we hold dear. What has become of some of you? What has really become of some of you? Who are you? What are you fighting for? Stop giving us sleepless nights every day. Every day you go around picking up [kidnapping] people, transporting them, collecting money. Do you remember Charles Taylor? He was a warlord. He became president. Do you know where he is? In jail somewhere. Do you know Prince Johnson?

Let me tell you something, everyone, even patriots, nationalists who spend their time tormenting the population, those who encourage, propagate torture, systematic brutality, thuggery against our own civilian population, it is a matter of time. If your body does not lie on the streets, wasted, to be eaten by vultures, the ambazonia justice will look after you. No one will remember your bravery. They will only remember the torment that you instilled in the body politics of the ambazonia society.

You cannot turn a peoples war for freedom into a war of shame where every day I am being questioned by journalists about A, B, or C because of criminals and irresponsibility of commanders who work within these places. How is it possible that you have a soldier [ armed separatist fighter] within your camp that keeps giving your camp a bad name?

On a daily basis, we do not sleep, making sure we can provide. You people should be creative, ingenious. The Kurds who have been fighting for more than sixty years created restaurants, the Kebab to be able to generate money. You people are going around stealing, killing people, tormenting and harassing people. It is a disgrace. And not in our name, not in the name of the ambazonian people. It is in your name.

This is the first time Ayaba Cho is openly admitting to the atrocities being carried out by armed separatists in Cameroons North West and South West Regions.

Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations have blamed separatists for abusing the rights of civilians, championing kidnappings, maiming, school boycott, civil disobedience, slaying among others.

Human Rights groups have also blamed the government of Cameroon for the killing of civilians like was the case in Ngarbuh on February 14, 2020.

The government has however called on the armed fighters to drop their weapons and embrace peace.

People wait for a flight at an international terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, on Jan. 25, 2021. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Renewed Lockdown Measures Slow US Economic Momentum

WASHINGTONThe U.S. economys momentum has reversed in recent weeks as spikes in coronavirus cases have forced a series of renewed stay-at-home orders and business closures.

While states such as California, New York, and Michigan have begun to ease restrictions, economists are still pessimistic over the near-term outlook. It will be months before access to vaccines is widespread enough to help bring the pandemic under control and allow economic activity to rebound, according to forecasters.

The U.S. economy shed 140,000 jobs in December 2020, the first time since the labor market recovery began in May 2020. Unemployment claims remain elevated as restrictions on restaurants, bars, and other businesses pressure employers to slash jobs. Another 900,000 Americans filed for initial jobless claims last week.

The recent sharp rise in initial weekly jobless claims caused by renewed shelter-in-place mandates and business closures is thrusting the U.S. labor market recovery into reverse, Scott Anderson, chief economist at Bank of the West, said in a note to clients.

California played a big part in the labor market downturn last month, according to Anderson.

The Golden State recorded 52,200 job losses in December, accounting for 37 percent of the national total. The unemployment rate in California rose to 9.0 percentcompared to 6.7 percent nationwidedue to large job losses in the accommodation and foodservice industries.

The surge in virus cases and colder weather conditions are causing consumers to avoid shopping, eating out, and traveling. Retail sales were down 0.7 percent month-over-month in December, marking the third straight month of declines. Restaurant and bar sales saw a 4.5 percent drop from November, and sales were down more than 21 percent from the same period last year.

The U.S. economy is expected to see additional job losses in January as a result of the slowdown in economic activity. Analysts believe a fiscal policy response will continue to provide some support until the economic recovery gains steam.

Congress approved in December a $900 billion relief package, including a $600 direct payment to many Americans, three months of $300 weekly extra unemployment insurance, and a new round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for small businesses.

In his first week in office, President Joe Biden announced the American Rescue Plan, with a headline value of $1.9 trillion to kick start the next round of stimulus talks in Congress. The administrations new plan would send checks of $1,400 to individuals.

These protections can lead to some generous outcomes, Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust, said in his weekly economic commentary.

Married households with two children, earning up to $150,000, would qualify for a hefty payment of $5,600. The majority of last years economic impact payments were saved or used to pay down debt, and with commerce still restricted, this would likely foster another round of saving, he wrote.

Economists predict that a new round of stimulus, even if only partially enacted, would boost the economic growth forecasts for this year.

New Threat

While a bigger fiscal stimulus and faster vaccination brighten the outlook for this year in the United States, a new wave of pessimism is sweeping Europe due to concerns about the new variant of coronavirus and its potential damage to the economy.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned last week that the new variant might be associated with a higher level of mortality.

Element Capital, one of the worlds largest macro hedge funds, also cautioned that continental Europe could face a deep economic blow as the variant spreads beyond UK borders. The funds head of markets, Colin Teichholtz, told Financial Times that markets and policymakers should be prepared for a much worse economic outcome as the damage from the pandemic is still far from over.

The new virus has been detected in more than 30 countries, including the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this variant exhibits rapid growth and could become the predominant variant in the United States by March.

It isnt clear if the current vaccines will be less effective against the new variant.

Gita Gopinath, the IMFs chief economist, described the current environment as a race between a mutating virus and vaccinations.

And a lot depends on the outcome of this race. So, if we have better news on vaccinations, faster rollout, then things could improve much better, she said in a Jan. 26 statement.

She cautioned, however, if virus mutations retard vaccinations, that could have an effect on the world economy.

The U.S. equity markets are trading near record highs. Investors see the new variant of the virus as a known unknown, according to Nick Reece, senior analyst and portfolio manager at Merk Investments.

The new variant is likely not going to impact the market in the same way the initial onset of COVID did back in late February and March last year, Reece told The Epoch Times.

With regards to the potential economic impact, the response, both from a health policy standpoint and fiscal relief standpoint, are fairly well known and understood, he said.

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Report Description

A recent market intelligence report that is published by Data Insights Partner on the global Military Communication Technologies Market makes an offering of in-depth analysis of segments and sub-segments in the regional and international Military Communication Technologies Market. The research also emphasizes on the impact of restraints, drivers, and macro indicators on the regional and global Military Communication Technologies Market over the short as well as long period of time. A detailed presentation of forecast, trends, and dollar values of global Military Communication Technologies Market is offered. In accordance with the report, the global Military Communication Technologies Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of more than 5% over the period of forecast.

Market Insight, Drivers, Restraints& Opportunity of the Market:

Communication in military is the backbone of modern warfare and are key to any military campaign. This sector is expected to experience a tremendous change in coming years due to high investment in military expenditure by some major powers. Military Communication includes all the aspects of communication that is required to make a successful operation. The competency to fight in wide geographical region, rigid terrains & challenging environment communications holds an integral part.

Request for Report Sample: https://datainsightspartner.com/request-for-sample?ref=228

Products that include Military Communication are Alert measurement systems, Cryptography, Military radio systems, nuclear command control, Satellite systems etc. Among the radio system many kinds are being used a few are ACP-131, AN/ARC-164, AN/ARC-5, HWU transmitter, Hall crafters SX-28, SCR-197, SCR-203, and SCR-270 radar. Investment in communication will remain strong throughout the next decade with greater focus on deployment of new technology, new regulations also technological modification of existing network structures as well as development of new SATCOM technologies. Europe & US is the major market for Military Communication but the demand is more than twice in Asia and North America. The private sector plays a pivotal role in procurement of defense equipment across the World mainly for the supply of non-sensitive, non-urgent, non-core equipment.

The market of military communication is driven with the increase of weapon imports & demand for technology advances, as the efficiency gains with newer equipment using sophisticated technology with the deployment of new regulations & market solution. The global economic downturn has a serious implication for defense procurement with is being considered as the major constraints.

Segment Covered:

This market intelligence report on the global Military Communication Technologies Market encompasses market segments based on Communication Technologies, System end-user, and country.

In terms of Communication Technologies, the Market is segregated into:

Airborne Communication

Air-ground Communication

Under Communication

Ground-based Communication

Shipborne Communication

In terms of System, the global Military Communication Technologies market is categorized into:

Satcom System

Radio System

Security System

Others

In terms of application, the market is further categorized into:

Command Control

Routine Operations

Situational Awareness

Others

By end-user, the global Military Communication Technologies market is also classified into:

Land Forces

Air Forces

Naval Forces

By country/region, the global Military Communication Technologies Market has been divided into:

North America (the U.S., Canada)

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and other countries)

Europe (Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Russia, and other countries)

Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand and other countries)

Middle East and Africa (GCC, South Africa, Israel and Other countries)

Get Request for Table of Contents: https://datainsightspartner.com/report/military-communication-technologies-market/228#content

Profiling of Market Players:

This business intelligence report offers profiling of reputed companies that are operating in the market. Companies such as

Boeing

BAE systems

Raytheon

General Dynamics

General Electric

Honeywell

Saab

Lockheed Martin

Northrop Grumman

United Technologies

Other players have been profiled into detail so as to offer a glimpse of the market leaders. Moreover, parameters such as Advanced Driving Assistance Systems related investment & spending and developments by major players of the market are tracked in this global report.

Report Highlights:

In-depth analysis of the micro and macro indicators, market trends, and forecasts of demand is offered by this business intelligence report. Furthermore, the report offers a vivid picture of the factors that are steering and restraining the growth of this market across all geographical segments. In addition to that, Growth Matrix analysis is also provided in the report so as to share insight of the investment areas that new or existing market players can take into consideration. Various analytical tools such as DRO analysis, Porter's five forces analysis has been used in this report to present a clear picture of the market. The study focuses on the present market trends and provides market forecast from the year 2017-2027. Emerging trends that would shape the market demand in the years to come have been highlighted in this report. A competitive analysis in each of the geographical segments gives an insight into market share of the global players.

Salient Features:

 This study offers comprehensive yet detailed analysis of the Military Communication Technologies Market , size of the market (US$ Mn), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR (%)) for the period of forecast: 2019  2027, taking into account 2018 as the base year

 It explains upcoming revenue opportunities across various market segments and attractive matrix of investment proposition for the said market

 This market intelligence report also offers pivotal insights about various market opportunities, restraints, drivers, launch of new products, competitive market strategies of leading market players, emerging market trends, and regional outlook

 Profiling of key market players in the world Military Communication Technologies Market is done by taking into account various parameters such as company strategies, distribution strategies, product portfolio, financial performance, key developments, geographical presence, and company overview

 Leading market players covered this report comprise names such as GENERAL ELECTRIC, General

Dynamics and others

 The data of this report would allow management authorities and marketers of companies alike to take informed decision when it comes to launch of products, government initiatives, marketing tactics and expansion, and technical up gradation

 The world market for Military Communication Technologies caters to the needs of various stakeholders pertaining to this industry, namely suppliers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors for Military Communication Technologies Market. The research also caters to the rising needs of consulting and research firms, financial analysts, and new market entrants

 Research methodologies that have been adopted for the purpose of this study have been clearly elaborated so as to facilitate better understanding of the reports

 Reports have been made based on the guidelines as mandated by General Data Protection Regulation

 Ample number of examples and case studies have been taken into consideration before coming to a conclusion

Reasons to buy:

v Identify opportunities and plan strategies by having a strong understanding of the investment opportunities in the Military Communication Technologies Market

v Identification of key factors driving investment opportunities in the Military Communication Technologies Market

v Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data

v Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industrys growth potential

v Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events

v Identify key partners and business development avenues

v Respond to your competitors business structure, strategy and prospects

v Identify key strengths and weaknesses of important market participants

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The bad guy Trump is gone and his successor Joe Biden wants a grown-up relationship with the European Union based on real engagement and co-operation.

Ireland does enjoy some very privileged access to the White House of the most Irish US President since John Fitzgerald Kennedy. So, Dublin could be the US-EU bridge, Europes Washington door-opener, and suddenly at one bound we are the people who can help make everyone happy on both sides of the Atlantic.

Alas, if life were only that simple  even briefly and for once. The reality of EU-US relations is far deeper and more complex and lets try to see where Ireland fits  or maybe does not fit  amid all this in some kind of realpolitik context.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney was in Brussels yesterday for a rare face-to-face EU meeting which began looking at re-setting EU-US relations post Donald Trump. It offers us a chance to see how realistic are claims that Ireland can play a pivotal role in this difficult process.

Firstly, the sad reality is that Trumps disastrous legacy in transatlantic relations will take time to dispel from Europe long after he has left Washington. A major survey of people across the EU last week showed the majority of Europeans are happy with President Bidens election win.

But one in three said that after Trump, Americans can no longer be trusted. Only 27pc of EU citizens disagreed with that proposition.

It was a key finding of a survey of 15,000 people in 11 European countries, commissioned by the independent think-tank the European Council on Foreign Relations. The survey was conducted after the US election result was known last November and amid considerable global euphoria at the outcome.

In such cases we are always interested in what the specific Irish findings were. Well, heres a clue about where we might fit in the EU-US line-up: Ireland was not included. And the 11 nations surveyed were Britain, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Netherlands, Italy, Hungary, France, Spain, Denmark and Germany.

Read More

It brings us to point number one  not everyone in the EU sees Ireland as packing a major punch in Washington. Its impossible to imagine G7 economy nations like Germany, France and Italy publicly acknowledging they need the intervention of Ireland to make things happen for the EU stateside.

Yes, Ireland has provided two stellar EU ambassadors to Washington in former Taoiseach John Bruton and former EU Commission head David OSullivan.

But business is business and must not be confused with sentiment even if they do dye the rivers green for St Patricks Day.

Back with the big picture, the European surveys finding was mainly about a reasonable view among many citizens on this continent that the US political system is very badly strained. More than half of German survey respondents said Americans couldnt be trusted and more than one third of Britons said the same.

In France, the most popular answer was a Gallic shrug of dont know. Only in Hungary and Poland did a majority feel US politics decline was not terminal. Overall, across the 11 European countries, six out of 10 people felt the American political system is completely or somewhat broken.

Similarly six out of 10 Europeans felt China will become more powerful than the US within a decade. A majority felt Europe should keep well back from an impending US-China trade and diplomatic conflict.

None of this is to say Bidens election means we cannot recapture previous optimism on transatlantic co-operation. President Bidens early declarations that the US would rejoin the World Health Organisation in a time of Covid-19, while also resuming support for the Paris climate accord, discontinuing the Mexican anti-immigration wall, and ending the travel ban on many Muslim countries, are all very welcome and help set a much better tone.

And Bidens arrival should end a particularly difficult period in EU-US relations. Both sides are now ready to step up cooperation in a range of fields, something that has been argued for by the Commission and the EU High Representative for foreign affairs in their joint communication, A new EU-US agenda for global change.

But we must not forget that we have been here before. Barack Obamas election saw in 2009 a similar burst of optimism.

It brought a very ambitious attempt at a comprehensive EU-US agreement on trade, investment and regulatory co-operation called TTIP  the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. But such a major agreement proved elusive.

Hopefully, this time both sides will start smaller. And certainly, Ireland can work its passage. But this country will only get space if we push for it.
India is fast becoming a preferred destination for US-based Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) investors aiming to shift a part of their investments away from China even as they seek better returns against the backdrop of low interest rates back home.

Non-resident Indians (NRIs) based out of the US have traditionally been investing here because of their familiarity with the country. Enquiries from NRIs living in the US looking to invest in India are growing by almost 15-20% month-on-month," said Sitashwa Srivastava, CEO of Stockal, a fintech that enables global investing for Indians.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

However, US-based non-Indian investors dont have an option to directly invest here. That is why they are forced to go through the funds that are available in the local market," said Viram Shah, co-founder and CEO, Vested Finance, a global investing platform.

According to ETF Database, there are 12 India-focused ETFs listed in the US with assets under management (AUM) of $7.26 billion as of 26 January. The largest ETF is the iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) with an AUM of $5.13 billion. It was set up in 2012 and has grown its AUM by almost 1,000 times since then, indicating a strong interest in India investments, Shah said.

Around 16-20% of an international investors portfolio is diversified outside their country. Thats where the Indian story fits in. Some of them opt to do it by taking emerging market exposure as a whole versus investing in a specific country and in this they are looking at India ETFs," he said.

Institutional investors have also started focusing on India as a specific market in a big way. This is because of a combination of factors such as a weakening dollar, investors being hungry for returns, and rising commodity prices, according to experts.

For a global institutional investor, India earlier formed a part of the EM bucket. Over the last 2-3 years, especially 2020, investments started moving away from China. In terms of portfolio investing, India is winning now, as other markets are too small," said Vikas Gupta, founder, Omniscience Capital, a Sebi-registered investment adviser.

The increased focus is also reflected in the rising clout of Indian stocks in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. Indias weightage in the index increased to 9.25% at the end of December 2020 against 7.6% in April 2020. China continued to have the biggest weight at 39.09% followed by South Korea at 13.46% and Taiwan (12.75%).

According to a Morningstar report in November, India-focused offshore funds and ETFs had witnessed $1.8 billion outflows in the September quarter of 2020, logging the 10th consecutive quarter of withdrawal. However, experts say that the trend seemed to have reversed in November and December, and inflows will accelerate further with positive announcements on the reforms front in the forthcoming Union Budget.

The US-based investors are focused on the India growth story, which is structural in nature. It is based on demographics, financial inclusion and smartphone penetration. As there are worries that the US dollar may continue falling, investors are allocating more to EMs and India is receiving more than its fair share of that allocation," said Amit Anand, co-founder, NextFins, which in October 2020 had launched Nifty India Financials ETF (INDF), the first US-based ETF to focus exclusively on Indias financials sector. The fund as of now has an AUM of around $3 million. Without divulging any details, Anand said NextFins has four more funds in the pipeline.

Financials also hold the highest weightage in MSCI India Index at 27.05%, followed by information technology (17.33%) and energy (12.8%).

According to Srivastava, the other sector where global investors are bullish on is manufacturing because of the Indian governments increased focus.

Apart from stocks, US-based investors are also interested in dollar-denominated Indian bonds. The US fixed-income products and savings accounts might give negative returns in the future. There is a growing demand for fixed-income products available outside of the US, including dollar-denominated Indian bonds, which also takes away the currency risk," Srivastava said.

However, in terms of performance, the US may continue to enjoy an advantage over India due to pricey valuations of Indian stocks and expected devaluation in the rupee.

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London: Chinas President Xi Jinping has warned of possible confrontation if countries pursue a policy of economic decoupling from China.

Speaking to the World Economic Forum, ordinarily hosted in the Swiss ski resort of Davos but held virtually this year due to the pandemic, Xi said confrontation would lead the world to a dead-end.

Chinas president Xi Jinping, pictured last year. Credit:AP

To build small circles or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimidate others, to wilfully impose decoupling, supply disruption or sanctions and to create isolation or estrangement will only push the world into division and even confrontation, he said.

We have been shown time and again that to beggar thy neighbour, to go it alone and to slip into arrogant isolation will always fail.
Cayuga County saw a slight increase in domestic violence toward the end of 2020. But the relationship between that increase and the COVID-19 pandemic is a complex one.

The Auburn Police Department reported 1,413 domestic violence incidents last year, up from 1,242 in 2019 and 1,308 in 2018.

According to The Citizen archives, 1,413 is the most in the city since 2016, when there were 1,534. Chief Shawn Butler told The Citizen he believes that increase is due to the pandemic  and specifically the confinement of partners at a time when they're confronted by stressors ranging from economic instability to the virus itself.

In the rest of Cayuga County, meanwhile, domestic violence incidents slightly decreased. Sheriff Brian Schenck told The Citizen that his office responded to 534 incidents last year compared to 565 in 2019 and 501 in 2018. Schenck added that New York State Police incident numbers were relatively stable over the course of those three years.

Why did one department report an increase while the other reported a decrease? The answer may be the complex nature of the relationship between COVID-19 and domestic violence.
The high-profile real estate agent selling Jimmy and Tam's $4.2million home on The Block has admitted that he 'wouldn't be surprised' if host Scott Cam bought the luxurious property.

McGrath St Kilda principal Michael Townsend told The Herald Sun on Tuesday that he 'knows nothing' about the swirling rumours, but said it could be very possible because of Scott's close involvement in the show.

His comments come after New Idea claimed on Monday that the renovation show host had saved the day by secretly purchasing the Melbourne mansion for himself, after cyber security expert Emese Fajk failed to pay up.

What do YOU think? The Block mystery deepens as real estate agent tasked with selling Jimmy and Tam's $4.2million home says he 'wouldn't be surprised' if host Scott Cam quietly bought the property

'Scott's involved in the show, so there would be no need for a real estate agent to transact (the property). If he has bought it, it wouldn't surprise me,' Mr Townsend told the publication.

'But I don't know anything about it.'

However, Mr Townsend added that he has been walking buyers through the property via inspections as recently as 'last week.'

Interesting! McGrath St Kilda principal Michael Townsend told The Herald Sun on Tuesday that he 'knows nothing' about all the rumours, but said it could be possible because of Scott's close involvement in the show. Pictured is Jimmy and Tam's house

And on Tuesday, insiders dashed hopes that Cam purchased the stunning property.

Sources dismissed the magazine's claims as rubbish.

'There is absolutely no way Scott Cam bought the house,' one said.

Making headlines: However, on Tuesday, insiders dashed hopes that Scott Cam swooped in to buy Jimmy and Tam's home on The Block, after cyber security expert Emese Fajk failed to pay up. New Idea claimed on Monday that the renovation show host had saved the day by secretly purchasing the $4.2million mansion for himself

The Palm Springs-style property in Melbourne's affluent Brighton area remains on the market more than a month on, although it isn't publicly listed.

Mysterious cyber-security expert Emese Fajk - who claims to have worked with Apple and the United Nations - initially bought the home at auction for a show record of $4,256,000.

But just days before Christmas, both the 28-year-old's settlement and deposit payments failed to go through. That's despite Ms Fajk sending ANZ Bank screenshots to Nine producers as 'proof' of her purchase.

Scandal: Mysterious cyber-security expert Emese Fajk (pictured centre with Jimmy and Tam) bought the home at auction for a show record of $4,256,000. But just days before Christmas, both the 28-year-old's settlement and deposit payments failed to go through

Jimmy and Tam were left in the unenviable position of having to find a buyer for a prestige home right as the summer holiday period began, a slow period for the real estate market.

A Nine Network spokesman declined to address the false rumour Cam had came to the couple's rescue. 'Scott and Nine will not be commenting on this.'

The iconic tradesman - the face of the show for more than a decade - has form, having previously purchased property renovated by contestants.

The failed sale of Jimmy and Tam's home has devastated the Queensland couple who even watched the finale over celebratory drinks with Ms Fajk.

The renovators choked back tears as they told A Current Affair how they'd been left blindsided by the strange turn of events.

'Here we are now not knowing what's going to happen,' Jimmy said.

'It's something no one ever saw coming, no one ever expected, but it's something we now have to deal with.'

Blindsided: The failed sale of Jimmy and Tam's home has devastated the Queensland couple who even watched the finale over celebratory drinks with Ms Fajk. The renovators choked back tears as they told A Current Affair how they'd been left blindsided by the strange turn of events

Ms Fajk's contract is now void. Her funds never reached Nine's bank account.

She has blamed an unnamed conveyancer, claiming she was 'thrown under the bus'.

'I didn't get forms in time that I needed to sign,' she claimed.

'I had to find crucial information on my own, even though I paid someone else to make sure there are no hiccups.'

'It's something no one ever saw coming, no one ever expected, but it's something we now have to deal with,' Jimmy said

Ms Fajk has rejected claims she sent doctored screenshots of bank transfers to an ex-boyfriend in the past.

She did not directly respond to questions about separate allegations she sent fake screenshots to a former classmate.

'I'm more then happy to sit down with anyone who would be interested and refute any of the allegations and claims against me,' she said.

Ms Fajk narrowly outbid Melbourne IT entrepreneur Danny Wallis to win the property. But Mr Wallis, who bought three homes at this year's auctions, has kept mum about his thoughts since the purchase failed.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nine for comment, in relation to this story.
Former Bachelor star Jarrod Woodgate is currently enjoying a romantic getaway with girlfriend Sam Royce in the Northern Territory.

But on Tuesday, the 34-year-old showed the less-than-glamorous reality of hiking near Uluru in the middle of summer.

Taking to Instagram, Jarrod shared a video of his T-shirt covered in flies as he trekked near the ancient rock on Australia Day.

Instagram vs reality: The Bachelorette's Jarrod Woodgate, 34, (pictured) revealed what it's reality like to visit Uluru on Australia Day as he and girlfriend Sam Royce continued their Northern Territory getaway

'It's like I'm the fly whisperer,' Jarrod said, showing the insect swarming around him.

'They love me,' he grimaced.

The star then took a sip from his water and gave the thumbs up in a cheerfully sarcastic way.

'It's like I'm the fly whisperer': The star took a sip from his water and gave the thumbs up in a cheerfully sarcastic way

Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Jarrod's T-shirt was emblazoned with the logo 'Always was, always will be' - a message supported by those wanting to the date of Australia Day.

Jarrod and Sam have been enjoying a getaway in the Northern Territory for the past few days, and making sure to document their adventure by sharing awe-inspiring photos on Instagram.

On Monday, he uploaded a photo of the couple enjoying a sunset picnic in front of Uluru.

What a view! On Monday, he uploaded a photo of the couple enjoying a sunset picnic in front of Uluru

Earlier in the day, he shared a photo of the couple posing at the Field of Lights, which is an illuminated art instillation created by British artist Bruce Munro

'One of the most romantic nights of my life,' Jarrod wrote.

'What an amazing start to our Central Australia holiday- not sure how we'll top this!'

'One of the most romantic nights of my life': Earlier in the day, he shared a photo of the couple posing at the Field of Lights, which is an illuminated art instillation created by British artist Bruce Munro

Jarrod and Sam made it to the Northern Territory on Sunday.

'After many times driving through central with the army but not stopping, I am so excited to finally explore Central Australia,' Jarrod wrote on Instagram as they arrived at The Red Centre after a three-day drive.

'First stop is three nights at Voyages Sails in The Desert where we will be walking around the base of Uluru, seeing the Field of Light exhibition,' he wrote.

He continued: 'dining under Uluru with the Sounds of Silence sunset dinner, hiking Kata Tjuta, taking part in Aboriginal food and cultural classes.'

Romantic getaway: 'After many times driving through central with the army but not stopping, I am so excited to finally explore Central Australia,' Jarrod wrote after the couple arrived at The Red Centre

Jarrod Woodgate and Sam Royce went public with their relationship in March.

The vineyard manager was previously in a relationship with Keira Maguire.

The pair split with him claiming her Instagram use was a problem.

Barnaby Joyce has demanded bigger roles for National Party MPs in the federal Coalition ahead of the next election.

The former Nationals leader said the current arrangement between the National Party and the Liberal Party was a 'marriage of convenience' and needed to be revamped.

The Nationals have 16 MPs and four cabinet positions, while the Liberals have 61 MPs and 18 cabinet positions.

Barnaby Joyce (pictured in December) has demanded bigger roles for National Party MPs in the federal Coalition ahead of the next election

But Mr Joyce is unhappy that Liberal MPs hold most important roles such as Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Treasury.

The 53-year-old, who was replaced as Nationals leader by Michael McCormack in early 2018, said the Nationals need to be given bigger roles for the Coalition to succeed a the next election, which he predicted would be this year.

'I am kicking up the dust now because the coalition has devolved into a marriage of convenience that diminishes the electoral prospects of the whole coalition,' he wrote in The Australian on Wednesday.

'This needs to be corrected prior to an election, which I presume will be at the end of this year. A coalition has to be in fact and form to authentically live up to its name.'

The federal election is not due until May 2022, but Prime Minister Scott Morrison can call it sooner.

Mr McCormack rejected Mr Joyce's comments and said the Coalition was working well.

'It is actually marriage of strength, we work well together,' he told reporters on Wednesday morning.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison with wife Jenny and Australian of the Year award winners on Monday

'Liberals and Nationals are working together to build a better Australia. We are doing it on the back of a drought, on the back of a black summer of bush-fires which affected so many regions across Australia. We are doing it on the back of floods,' he said.

The Coalition traces its roots back to the 1922 election when the two parties - then known as the Nationalist Party and the Country Party - former an alliance.

The parties govern together because neither can beat the Labor Party on their own.

The Liberal Party leader is the Prime Minister while the National Party leader is the Deputy Prime Minister.

Currently the cabinet positions held by Nationals are infrastructure, transport and regional development; agriculture, drought and emergency management; resources, water and Northern Australia; and veterans affairs and defence personnel.
MEXICO CITY  A day after the news that Mexicos president had contracted Covid-19, frustration rippled through the line of Mexicans anxiously waiting Monday to refill tanks of oxygen for relatives who were suffering from the same illness and gasping for air at home.

For nearly a year, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had minimized the pandemic, claiming that religious amulets protected him, refusing to wear masks and even drinking from the same clay pot as supporters. It was only a matter of time until he got sick himself, some Mexicans said.

With the president now infected, what most aggrieved many Mexicans was not only that he had flouted basic safety precautions, but that he also may go back to playing down the threat that the surging pandemic poses after his own illness.

They noted that with top-notch medical care delivered at his living quarters, the president may well recover. But their loved ones, on the other hand, will struggle to get the most basic care, whether a bed at an overflowing hospital or just the supplies like oxygen that might help them survive at home.
Clashes were reported during farmers protests from several parts of Delhi as the police resorted to lathicharge and tear gassed farmers who deviated from the route of the tractor rally that had been chalked out for Republic Day. Violence was reported from ITO, Chintamani Chowk in Shadara and several other places, with Delhi metro shutting over 30 metro stations across the city in light of the incidents.

Farmers also entered the Red Fort and hoisted flags from the ramparts of the historic monument, before they were removed by the police. One protesting farmer died at ITO in Delhi after his tractor overturned, police was quoted as saying by PTI.

Also read: LIVE Updates  Protesters Barge Into Red Fort With Tractors, Wave Flags From Ramparts as Rally Turns Violent; Internet Suspended in Parts of NCR

 A group of farmers reached the Red Fort on Tuesday, hoisting flags from its ramparts. Videos showed farmers climbing the steps of the Red Fort, from where the installed they flags. The crowd swelled at the monument as some protesting farmers and 'Nihangs' (traditional Sikh warriors) were seen entering the Red Fort. PTI reported that they had been pushed back by the police form the ITO in Central Delhi and drove their tractors to Red Fort complex.

 A clash ensued at ITO from where the farmers with their tractors tried to push their way towards Lutyens Delhi. Here, the police lathicharged the farmers and used tear gas shells as they chased the police with sticks and rammed their tractors into the buses parked by police. A DTC bus was vandalised and barricades displaced. People were injured on both sides during the clashes.

Police uses tear gas to disperse protesting farmers who were attempting to break barricades at Ghazipur border during their 'tractor march' on Republic Day, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. (PTI Photo)[/caption]

 Police said that many of its personnel were injured in the clashes and public properties were also damaged. "The time and the routes for the tractor rally were finalised after several rounds of meetings. But farmers drove tractors off the routes and before the fixed time, leading to vandalism in which many police personnel were injured," news agency ANI quoted Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava as saying.

 Internet services were shut down at protests sites at Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur, Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi and adjoining areas from noon to 11:59 pm on Tuesday. The order, approved by the Union home secretary, said the suspension of services was necessary in the interest of maintaining public safety and averting a public emergency.

 Home Minister Amit Shah ordered the deployment of additional paramilitary troops to Delhi as violent protests continued till the evening. While some groups of farmers left towards Delhis borders to disassociate themselves from the violence, reports said there were still thousands in the capital. The decision to deploy additional troops was taken after a review meeting between Shah, the IB chief and Delhi police commissioner that lasted 1.5 hours.

ALSO READ | Punjab CM Urges All 'Genuine' Farmers to Vacate Delhi, Calls Scenes of Violence 'Shocking'

 Farmers unions distanced themselves for the violence that took place. Rakesh Tikait of the Bharatiya Kisan Union told ANI, "We know the people who are trying to create disturbance, they are identified. There are people from political parties who are trying to malign the agitation."

Farmers seen outside the Red Fort in a vehicle. (Image: News18)[/caption]

 The Samyukta Kisan Morcha said that despite best efforts, 'anti-social elements' marred the peaceful movement. It said, "Despite all our efforts, some organisations and individuals have violated the route and indulged in condemnable acts. Anti-social elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement. We have always held that peace is our biggest strength, and that any violation would hurt the movement."

 Shalini Singh, Joint CP Southwestern Range, said, "They were requested top follow route... but stone pelting was done... attempts made using tractor to run over police. Our policemen are injured. This is not peaceful protest. We appeal to them to maintain decorum of this festival."

 The entry and exit gates of at least 35 metro stations in central and north Delhi were temporarily closed in light of the clashed. Entry exit gates of ITO, Lal Quila, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, among others, in Central Delhi was closed. Read more here.
That concludes our coverage of the Invasion Day rally in Brisbane today, which police estimate involved about 5000 people.

Invasion Day Protesters march through Brisbane Credit:Matt Dennien

That puts it on a par with other rallies held around the country today, with thousands turning out to all the marches in the state and territory capitals.

The march from the CBD top Musgrave Park was entirely peaceful. Credit:Jocelyn Garcia

Police have confirmed no one involved in the rallies was arrested and there were no reports of bad behaviour by protesters.

There were a handful of reported disturbances all by people not involved in the protest, including at least one man wearing an Australia flag as a cape who was escorted away from the demonstration by police after getting into an argument with an indigenous woman.

Indigenous leaders used the rally to again call for the date of Australia Day to be changed out of respect to First Nations people who see it as a day of mourning.

Milling about in the shade after the march, Lucy Simmons and Tyler Bailey stopped to get a photo with their hand-painted sign.

Based in Brisbane, though with connections on her fathers side to Goori country in regional Victoria and a grandmother who was part of the stolen generation, Ms Bailey said the event was the largest since she started attending in 2013.

Luci Simmons and Tyler Bailey at Musgrave Park Credit:Matt Dennien

Its been a big year, but its good to be with community, Ms Bailey said. Its a day of mourning but [also] solidarity with mob and seeing so many people come out today  its so amazing.

Ben Franco after the rally. Credit:Matt Dennien

Having attended for the last six years himself, Ben Franco said he felt there was an appetite for change and some momentum in the wake of Black Lives Matter rallies earlier this year.

The younger generation are coming in force - theyre driving this, he said.
By Kim Jin-hyeon





There are various fruits, including imported ones, at every local convenience store. The tangerine is one of them and it is so cheap that everyone can easily buy and eat it. However, in the early 1970s, the fruit was so rare and expensive that I couldn't afford it.



My hometown was located on the southern coastal area of South Jeolla Province. Every winter, my neighbors visited the tangerine farmlands in Seogwipo on Jeju Island to work there. They came back home with a box of the fruit. Then one of them would give two or three to my family. The memory of its delicious taste reminds me of the past.



In those days, people said that farmers who had a few tangerine trees could educate their children through college. It meant that tangerines guaranteed a high income. In fact, the trees on Jeju Island have a long history, but their enhanced strains were imported from Japan in 1913. After 1955, cultivation areas for the trees increased a little, but from 1965 to 1970 they jumped almost thirty-fold.



One of those who helped increase production was Kang Kae-jung, a representative of the Korean Japanese people living in Osaka, Japan, in 1966. This man, thinking that advanced agricultural technology would lead his mother country to become rich, invited Korean farmers on two occasions to learn Japan's agricultural techniques.



Judging that the climate where tangerine trees grow in Japan was similar to that on Jeju Island, he helped a few farmers from Seogwipo learn to cultivate the trees and purchased them early ripening tangerine trees. In 1970, with his help the Korean Japanese in Osaka contributed 600,000 trees to citizens on Jeju Island and helped to increase the farmland for tangerines.



Moreover, in Japan after World War , for many years Kang carried out various activities as a representative of the Korean-Japanese people in Osaka. These activities included improving the Korean-Japanese legal position, arranging homecomings for poor workers to their mother country, and serving as a vanguard for the normalization of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan.



For a long time he also donated money to philanthropic causes to help with installing electrical equipment, buying vehicles and managing a scholarship foundation in his hometown, Suncheon, South Jeolla Province.



In the background of his contributions to South Korea were his painful memories and patriotic mind. Kang was born in Suncheon in 1914, but he was so poor that he worked as a servant in his childhood. Then, in 1943, he was sent to Hokkaido, Japan, to do forced labor during Japan's colonial era. He escaped from the labor camp because he could not endure the cruelty.



After the war, he stayed in Japan and made his fortune through his own efforts. A scholar who wrote Kang's life story said that the reason he could practice benevolence and dedicated activities was that he had experienced the grief of losing his country. In addition, though he grew up without a formal education, he had a righteous spirit from his ancestors.



Kae-jung had a merciful life by realizing past lives. For example, he guided citizens in Suncheon to a better life and helped improve human rights for the Korean-Japanese people. He used his power of execution to help solve Suncheon citizens' pending issues that especially touched their heart.



The man passed away from disease in 1983 at the age of 69. In 1999, Suncheon erected a statue of him in a park called Jukdobong to memorize him for the benevolent acts he practiced throughout his life.





The writer is an English teacher at Chung-mu High School in South Jeolla Province.










Real talk! Danielle Busby revealed whether she had cosmetic surgery after welcoming quintuplets in 2015.

The OutDaughtered star, 37, addressed the topic during an Instagram Live Q&A on Thursday, January 21, after one fan asked if shed ever gone under the knife.

Read article

This question I get a lot, Busby replied. No, I have not had a tummy tuck.

The mother of six, who shares 9-year-old Blayke Louise and 5-year-old quintuplets, Ava Lane, Olivia Marie, Hazel Grace, Riley Paige and Parker Kate, with husband Adam Busby, noted that she would not think any less of someone else wanting to get one.

She continued: I know the after body challenges our body faces after going through pregnancy, so if some other mom chose to have a tummy tuck, by all means  you do you.

Courtesy Danielle Busby/Instagram

Earlier this month, the reality star gave fans an update on her health journey after being rushed to the hospital for an invasive test amid a months-long battle with an unknown illness.

I went into my procedure on Monday pretty certain that I would be coming out with having to have a surgery, but my prayer was answered and NO surgery is needed, Danielle wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of herself in the doctors exam room. I am thanking YOU ALL for the extra prayers because I believe in the POWER of PRAYER and I am certain these prayers helped my outcome. Though this was a result I was praying for (no surgery), this doesnt mean this is the end to my current struggles.

Read article

The Louisiana native explained that she had more tests done at the time, but there is still no clear answer at the moment to whats going on.

She concluded: Please understand, I am in the window of uncertainty and I only feel comfortable sharing as much as this. I will continue to share as more things start to unfold. Thank you for the continued prayers.

Danielles post came days after her husband of 14 years asked for prayers following her hospitalization.

Adam, 38, asked his followers to try and refrain from speculation amid the couples current time of uncertainty, saying he hoped there would be a clear direction for the doctors after the latest test results came back.

Danielle previously spoke about her health issues, telling fans in an Instagram Story earlier this month that she had seen multiple doctors to try and help figure out what was happening. I was led to the care of a cardiologist and rheumatologist, who have both been amazing, she explained.

Read article

The couples call for support came two months after the TLC personalitys initial health scare in November 2020.

Crazy how fast your day can turn  if you would, please say a prayer for @dbusby, Adam wrote alongside a photo of his wife in the doctors office at the time, noting the pair were at the ER after Danielle had some alarming sensations in her arms and legs.

The reality TV couple tied the knot in 2006, after meeting in their hometown of Lake Charles, Louisiana. They have starred on TLCs OutDaughtered since May 2016.
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Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/26/2021 -- According to a new market research report "Cloud Services Brokerage Market by Service Type (Integration & Support, Migration & Customization, and Automation & Orchestration), Platform, Deployment Model, Organization Size, Vertical, and Region, - Global Forecast to 2025" published by MarketsandMarkets, the market size expected to grow from USD 5.9 billion in 2020 to USD 12.9 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.8% during the forecast period.



The flexibility and agility of cloud-based models would support the IT service needs of enterprises. The leading CSPs/hyper scalersMicrosoft, IBM, and AWSare expected to increase their CAPEX primarily for data center expansion to support the increasing workload for their internal and external stakeholders. The increasing volume of data generation in websites and mobile apps, rising focus on delivering customer-centric applications for driving customer satisfaction, and growing need to control and reduce Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditure (OPEX) are a few factors driving the growth of the emerging technologies. The emerging technologies, such as big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML), are gaining traction, which is ultimately leading to the growth of the CSB market globally.



Browse in-depth TOC on "Cloud Services Brokerage Market"

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The sudden shutdown of offices, schools, colleges, and physical retail stores has massively disrupted operations; this has led to an increase in the demand for digital workplace tools and services, such as Zoom, Slack, Blackboard, Lynda, Canvas, Google Classroom, AnyMeeting, and Moodle. AWS, Microsoft, and Google host and manage all applications in a public cloud environment. Increased spend on cloud services by select industries due to COVID-19. Industries such as IT and ITeS, telecom, online retail/commerce, media, and BFSI, are expected to increase spending on cloud-based services to sustain their business. Highly regulated and cash-rich industries, such as BFSI, are also expected to move selective workloads to public cloud environments.



The market is expected to be driven by the need of cloud migration and customization



Cloud migration services have gained popularity as enterprises across the globe continue to migrate workloads from on-premises infrastructure to cloud environments for better operational efficiency and cost savings. The demand for cloud services has surged in recent times due to COVID-19, and many enterprises across the regions have shifted enterprise workloads on cloud environment. Therefore, CSB vendors specializing in migration and customization services are in high demand. Cloud brokers offer customization services to the customers as per business needs, which provides better-bundled offerings facilitating higher returns on cloud investments.



Increased security capabilities and customized costing in private cloud-based services is driving the adoption of private cloud-based deployment



A private cloud is a computing model that offers a proprietary environment dedicated to a single business entity. A private cloud provides extended and virtualized computing resources. This deployment model enables a company to have better control over its data and reduce risks, such as data loss and issues related to regulatory compliance. The private cloud is used in banking and financial institutions, large enterprises, and government organizations, where only authorized users can access the system. The acceptance of private cloud deployments for enterprises with compliance concerns is due to its security and control benefits. Service providers offering hosted private cloud address significant essentials of compliance with regulations, such as HIPAA and PCI. Some of the popular private cloud providers are VMware, DXC, Dell EMC, Oracle, IBM, and Microsoft.



North America to dominate the global CSB market in 2020



North America has been continued to dominate the CSB market in terms of revenue and is expected to have the largest market size among regions in the CSB market as the organizations are shifting toward cloud-based solutions and services with the increasing adoption of digital business strategies. This trend is expected to continue during the forecast period. North America is a mature market due to the presence of various players offering CSB. Enterprises are increasing their budgets to accommodate CSB, which is favoring the growth of the CSB market in North America. The US and Canada are the top countries in North America, which contribute to the CSB market. The US, being a major economy, holds a significant market share due to the country's technological advancements and the inclination toward innovation and the adoption of new technologies. Organizations have invested substantially in advanced technologies to gain a competitive advantage and increase business productivity. The CSB market is expected to grow steadily as enterprises are adopting cloud-based solutions and services at various levels as a part of their strategy to sustain themselves in the market and achieve improved business functioning.



Speak to Analyst @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=771



The CSB market includes major vendors, such as Accenture (Ireland), IBM (US), VMware (US), Jamcracker (US), ActivePlatform (Belarus), Arrow Electronics (US), Cloudmore (Sweden), Wipro (India), DXC Technology (US), iPortalis (UK), Cognizant (US), InContinuum (Netherlands), Flexera (US), BitTitan (US), OpenText (Canada), CloudFX (Singapore), Proximitum (UK), Eshgro (Netherlands), NEC (Japan), AWS (US), CloudSME (Germany), Shivaami (India), NTT Data (US), Infosys (India), TCS (India), Pax8 (US), Oracle (US), Fujitsu (Japan), Microsoft (US), Capgemini (France), and Doublehorn (US) The major players have implemented various growth strategies to expand their global presence and increase their market shares. Key players such as Accenture, IBM, VMware, Jamcracker, and ActivePlatform have majorly adopted many growth strategies, such as new product launches, acquisitions, and partnerships, to expand their product portfolios and grow further in the CSB market.



About MarketsandMarkets

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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, and strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.



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by Melani Manel Perera

The journalist and activist disappeared on 24 January 2010. Suspicions have fallen on the state apparatus and the Rajapaksa brothers. In memory of him, his wife Sandaya Eknaligoda created a website to help search for missing persons. Determined, she will go on with no intention of backing down or interrupting my attempt.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Yesterday evening, a memorial service was held for Prageeth Eknaligoda, a journalist who was abducted in 2010 under mysterious circumstances and whose fate remains unknown.

One thing I want to say to the Rajapaksa (brothers): even if you kill a man named Prageeth Eknaligoda, the genes of that man, the creations of that man, the thoughts of that man, and what he built cannot be killed, said Sandaya Eknaligoda, the journalists wife. They will be taken forward by Prageeths children for the people who seek justice in this country, for the rule of law, and for building a better country.

Over the past 11 years, she has been fighting for justice in a murky case where suspicions have fallen on high-ranking government officials and the two brothers who have been in power in Sri Lanka. For a long time.

In the recent past, her quest for justice has fallen on deaf ears. Not only that, in her tireless fight for the truth together with her two children, who are now teenagers, she has had to face many challenges, threats and pressures, insults and tearful incidents.

This is an enormous burden that only a woman with courage and willpower could bear. Together with other brave mothers (of missing Tamils and Muslims), she set up a website dedicated to Sri Lankas missing.

On 24 January, the 11th anniversary of Prageeth Eknaligodas death was commemorated. His fate remains unknown.

The website is the best way devised by his wife to keep his memory alive; it contains news and documents about missing people and mysterious kidnappings. At the same time, it allows the families of the victims to renew their quest for justice and truth.

Last night's event, which was organised by the Eknaligoda Forum in collaboration with Sandhaya Eknalligoda, was held from 4 to 6 pm at the N. M. Perera Centre in Colombo, respecting COVID-19 pandemic regulations.

In addition to the people authorised to participate, many others were able to follow the speeches and the discussions via live streaming.

The search of Prageeth was not at all easy for me, Sandhaya told AsiaNews. On the one hand, I had to face the daily struggle of life alone, with two children to raise; on the other hand, in parallel, there was my struggle in search of Prageeth.

"In the past 11 years only my conscience knows how I managed to survive without money, without food, without anything to offer my children. I am here today because my family, my friends, and my allies have been close in all possible ways.

Sandaya says she is not seeking compassion or relief from pain; her only goal, as well as a reason for living, is to find out what happened to her husband, what Prageeth's true fate is.

There has been some progress in the search, but disappointment, frustration and despair are far greater. However, I will go on with no intention of backing down or interrupting my attempt.

Activists and leading human rights advocates, who were present at yesterday's event, back her struggle.

For former Sri Lanka High Commissioner for Human Rights Ramani Muttetuwegama, the journalists mysterious disappearance is an integral part of the state structure.

Disappearances can be done at the discretion of the state and can be stopped at any time they want. Such a situation exists in Sri Lanka, Muttetuwegama said.

Government discussions are growing stronger in favor of extending the state of emergency, declared to deal with the novel coronavirus, past the originally slated end date of Feb. 7.

Reasons include the limited decrease in the number of new virus infections in the targeted areas, so measures, such as refraining from leaving home, will need to be continued in the weeks to come.

An extension of about one month has been proposed.

The government has said the decision to lift the emergency will be made when six indicators of the status of the infection - including the number of new cases and the hospital bed occupancy rate - drop from the most serious level of Stage 4 down to Stage 3.

In Tokyo, for instance, the threshold is 500 new infections per day - the number of cases on Monday was 618. However, at a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives the same day, Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of economic revitalization and coronavirus measures, said that figure would be used as a guideline.

"It does not mean that we will immediately lift the emergency just because the number of infections falls below 500 per day."

He stressed his intention to carefully and comprehensively evaluate the indicators.

It is said it will take time to impact the turnover rate for hospital beds and the recovery time it takes for the treatment of patients, both comparatively longer than it takes for new infections to decrease. That has created a strong sense of caution within the government.

"It would be meaningless to lift the emergency if the situation with infections worsens again," a Cabinet Secretariat official said.

Some experts are of the opinion the government should not lift the emergency unless there is a prospect of lowering the level of the contagion to Stage 2.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga stressed at the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives that "this is an important phase that must be handled with a sense of urgency."

When the state of emergency was declared in April and May of last year, its duration was extended for 25 days for all prefectures. The government plans to have experts complete an assessment of the situation by the end of the week.

In line with the continued declaration, the government plans to maintain the nationwide temporary suspension of the Go To Travel program.

To avoid the spread of the contagion, the government will continue to call for thorough infection prevention measures and ask the public to refrain from unnecessary outings.
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - Gold79 Mines Ltd. (TSXV: AUU) ("Gold79" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its Jefferson Canyon Project located 7 km east from the Round Mountain Gold Mine in Nevada USA.

Chairman & CEO Gary R. Thompson stated, "Our work at Jefferson Canyon continues to highlight the significant potential of this asset. Our recently identified 4 square kilometre gold-in-soil anomaly (see press release, Jan. 12, 2021), along with compilation of historical data suggests that this is an advanced exploration project. Our review of the historical data suggests there are geological similarities to Round Mountain and that the small resource that may have already been identified is just the beginning. We look forward to aggressively drilling Jefferson Canyon later this year, in an effort to start proving up the multi-million-ounce gold exploration target we have identified."







Figure 1. Location Map of the Jefferson Canyon Project and Gold-in-Soil Anomaly

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5717/72777_e4fbf02d640dfa50_001full.jpg

As part of the Company's historical data compilation and review of the Jefferson Canyon project, an exploration target has been defined. It is estimated that the exploration target has the potential for 40 to 200 million tonnes at 0.5 to 1 g/t AuEq with gold and silver. The internal mineralization block model used to assist in providing an outline of the exploration target accounts for about one quarter of the gold-in-soil anomaly area identified in the recently completed soil survey. Large areas of the gold-in-soil anomaly are located to the east and northwest of the previously drilled areas and have not been drill tested.

Gold79 has generated an internal (non-compliant under CIM standards) block model of mineralization for the Jefferson Canyon project (Figure 2). The block model was calculated based on 118 historical holes totaling 18,106 metres. The Company does not currently have rock density measurements for Jefferson Canyon core. Rock density of 2.3 grams per cubic centimetre was used given that Jefferson Canyon shares many geological similarities with the neighboring Round Mountain deposit.







Figure 2. Internal block model for the Jefferson Canyon Project (non-43-101 compliant)

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5717/72777_e4fbf02d640dfa50_002full.jpg

The goal of the internal resource estimate was to have a better understanding of the widespread gold-silver mineralization at the property and identify mineralized domains suitable for future drilling and resource definition. The table below summarizes the Jefferson Canyon mineral resource estimate (internal, non-compliant) using various cut-offs.

Table 1. Preliminary Block Model Estimates (Non-NI-43-101 Compliant)





To view an enhanced version of Table 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5717/72777_gold79_table1.jpg

Disclaimer: Figure 2 and Table 1 provided above represent a preliminary internal mineral resource estimate for the Jefferson Canyon project that is only intended for informational purposes. The resource is non-compliant under CIM NI-43-101 reporting standards and the stated figures cannot be relied upon. Gold79 does not treat this as a current mineral resource estimate and there are no assurances that it could be achieved.

Gold equivalent grade (AuEq) was calculated from estimated gold and silver grades in the block model centroids using IDW2 (inverse distance weighting power 2), a recovery of 85% and average daily gold and silver prices over the last 12 months of US$1,759/oz and US$19.50/oz respectively.

The formula used for calculating AuEq is as follows: AuEq Revenue = ([IDW2 estimated Au g/t] * [85%recovery] / [g to oz] * [Au $/oz]) + ([IDW2 estimated Ag g/t] * [85%recovery] / [g to oz] * [Ag $/oz]).

Table 2. A summary of the parameters used for the internal block model is as follows:





To view an enhanced version of Table 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5717/72777_gold79_table2.jpg

The table below shows the drillhole highlights at Jefferson Canyon, with several holes ending in Au and Ag mineralization.

Table 3. Select Historical Drill Results from the Jefferson Canyon Project





To view an enhanced version of Table 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5717/72777_gold79_table3.jpg

Notes: (1) GJ drill holes were drilled by CR Exploration Company in 1984. JDD holes were drilled by AMI Partners in 1981 and the TJ holes were drilled by Tuma Corporation in 1969-1970; (2) Mineralized intervals are drilled lengths as true widths have not been determined at this time; and (3) Gold equivalent grade (AuEq) was calculated using the following formula with average daily gold and silver prices over the last 12 months of US $1,759/oz and US $19.50/oz respectively: AuEq = ((Au g/t * Au $) + (Ag g/t * Ag $)) / Au $ per gram.

Figure 3. Mineralization Block Model Over Gold-in-soils at Jefferson Canyon

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5717/72777_e4fbf02d640dfa50_006full.jpg

Next Steps

Gold79 is in the process of preparing its permit application to the US Forest Service for an extensive drilling campaign at the Jefferson Canyon project. Gold79's permitting design will allow holes over the entire soil anomaly as well as to confirm and validate historical drill results. Geophysical data is currently being reprocessed for QAQC and inversion modelling to further refine drill targets.

About the Jefferson Canyon Project

The Jefferson Canyon Project is located in south central Nevada and contains a large volcanic-hosted epithermal Au-Ag system which is the same age as the nearby Round Mountain deposit/mine. Round Mountain is a world-class low-sulfidation epithermal deposit that has produced 15Moz of gold to date with additional reserves and resources. Both Round Mountain and Jefferson Canyon are hosted in felsic ash-flow tuffs along the margins of calderas and both contain a strong northwest-trending structural control to mineralization. Mineralization at Jefferson occurs in veins, vein-stockwork, disseminated and stratiform replacement. Drill hole GJ81 at Jefferson Canyon returned 41.2m of 6.4 g/t Au and 402 g/t Ag (CR Exploration Company, 1985).

Robert Johansing, M.Sc. Econ. Geol., P. Geo., the Company's Vice President, Exploration is a qualified person ("QP") as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this press release. The QP has not completed sufficient work to verify the historical information on the property, particularly in regards to historical drill results. However, the QP believes that prior drilling and analytical results were completed to industry standard practices.

Sources: Round Mountain Mine Technical Report, Nye County, Nevada, USA. Prepared by: W. Hanson, P.Geo, Vice President, Technical Services, Kinross Gold Corporation, March 30, 2006; Mills et al, 1987, Alteration and Precious Metal Mineralization Associated with the Toquima Caldera Complex, Nye County Nevada; and, Margolis, 2017, Jefferson Canyon Project, Nye County, Nevada, USA.

About Gold79 Mines Ltd.

Gold79 Mines Ltd. (formerly Aura Resources Inc.) is a TSX Venture listed company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metal prospects in the Southwest USA. Gold79 holds 100% earn-in option and / or purchase agreements on three gold projects: the Jefferson Canyon Gold Project and the Tip Top Gold Project both located in Nevada, USA, and, the Gold Chain Project located in Arizona, USA. In addition, Gold79 holds two projects with minority interest being a 37.1% interest in the Greyhound Project, Nunavut, Canada under JV by Agnico Eagle Mines Limited and a 20% carried interest in the Taviche Project in Oaxaca, Mexico held by Minaurum Gold Inc. and now under option to Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

For further information regarding this press release contact: Gary Thompson, Executive Chairman, CEO by email at GT@gold79mines.com. Gold79's website is located at www.gold79mines.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This press release may contain forward looking statements that are made as of the date hereof and are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions which involve risks and uncertainties associated with our business including any future private placement financings, the uncertainty as to whether further exploration will result in the target(s) being delineated as a mineral resource, capital expenditures, operating costs, mineral resources, recovery rates, grades and prices, estimated goals, expansion and growth of the business and operations, plans and references to the Company's future successes with its business and the economic environment in which the business operates. All such statements are made pursuant to the 'safe harbour' provisions of, and are intended to be forward-looking statements under, applicable Canadian securities legislation. Any statements contained herein that are statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution readers of this news release not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements as a number of factors could cause actual results or conditions to differ materially from current expectations. Please refer to the risks set forth in the Company's most recent annual MD&A and the Company's continuous disclosure documents that can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Gold79 does not intend, and disclaims any obligation, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72777
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

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Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..

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Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.
State of Nebraska Chooses Lumen for Next Generation Emergency Call Center Operations

There are few call centers that have need of more reliability than emergency services dispatch centers. From emergency call operators to critical response technicians, these employees require a solution that is unfailingly reliable. These centers also have stricter rules when it comes to recording, location, security and accountability and reporting. Increasingly, they also need to be able to handle multimedia communications such as video, photos and text messages.

The State of Nebraska recently announced that it has chosen Lumen to help it transition to a next generation 911 platform using the company's emergency service network, IP-based software, applications and call routing services. Lumens NG (which stands for next generation) 911 solution is a high-performance platform designed for next-level, mission-critical public safety continuity.

Transitioning to Lumen's current NG911 platform will improve the delivery of emergency calls and enable Nebraska residents to contact 911 not only by making a voice call but also support sending text messages, pictures and videos, according to the state.

"Our state's new NG911 capabilities provided by Lumen will equip our first responders with more information that will help keep them, and all Nebraskans, safer," said Governor Pete Ricketts about the adoption of the Lumen solution, which will support the states planned transition to a next-generation emergency services model. In addition, Lumen is launching enhanced NG911 features and functionality that will provide real-time visibility into customers' emergency call management systems and enable a more robust, reliable and resilient emergency response.

The contract with State of Nebraska Public Service Commission establishes a statewide Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network (ESInet) that serves approximately 70 PSAPs, with the goal of having all seven PSAP regions connected to the ESInet by the end of 2022. The contract, which Lumen had won previously, has an initial term of five years with five one-year options.

"We know when someone calls 911, seconds count. We will be one of the few 911 network providers who can fully leverage those seconds and minutes in real time," said Sonia Ramsey, Lumen vice president for the state and local government and education market, in a statement. "When our NG911 features are implemented, we will provide enhanced routing, monitoring and visibility into our customers' emergency call systems," Ramsey said. "These enhanced capabilities will offer state and local governments and military bases yet another incentive to move to a NG911 call handling system managed by Lumen and provide better emergency services to local residents."

Edited by Maurice Nagle



Press Release

26 January 2021

London, UK - The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) says the introduction of new hotel quarantines by the UK government would force the complete collapse of Travel & Tourism as we know it.

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WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, fears the crippling impact of the new proposals being considered by the UK government would cause irreparable damage to a sector which contributes nearly 200 billion to the UK economy.

The concern follows nine months of devastating travel restrictions, which has left scores of businesses crushed, millions of jobs lost or put at risk, and confidence to travel at an all-time low.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: "The UK Travel & Tourism sector is in a fight for survival - it's that simple. With the sector in such a fragile state, the introduction of hotel quarantines by the UK government could force the complete collapse of Travel & Tourism."

"Travellers and holidaymakers would simply not book business or leisure trips knowing they would have to pay to isolate in a hotel, causing a drastic drop in revenues throughout the sector."

"From airlines to travel agents, travel management companies to holiday companies and beyond, the effect on UK travel businesses would be devastating, further delaying the economic recovery. Even the threat of such action is enough to cause consternation and serious alarm."

"WTTC believes the measures introduced by the government just last week - proof of a pre-departure COVID-19 test, followed by short quarantine and another test if necessary, could stop the virus in its tracks, and still allow the freedom to travel safely."

"A number of countries, such as Iceland, have successfully implemented a testing regime on arrival, which has curbed the spread, whilst ensuring borders remain open. So, it's crucial these measures are given some time to work."

"Despite the current gloom, we truly believe there is room for optimism and a brighter future ahead. Business travel, visiting families and holidays can return with a combination of an internationally recognised testing regime, vaccines and mandatory mask wearing."

"These simple but highly effective measures, if implemented properly, could aid the revival of a sector which will be essential to powering the UK and global economic recovery."

WTTC maintains despite months of forced quarantines post travel, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest they work.

Even the government's own figures show quarantines have not proved to be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Community transmission continues to pose a far greater peril than international travel.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), along with many other major organisations, have said quarantines are not an effective public health measure and only hinder travel.
Spains central government on Monday officially confirmed that the current health minister, Salvador Illa, will leave his role this week and that tomorrows Cabinet meeting will be his last. Illa, who has been in charge of the Health Ministry for just over a year, will be running as the candidate for the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) in the upcoming elections in the northeastern region, which are due to be held on February 14.

The decision is a controversial one, given that he will be leaving the government in the midst of the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Spain. Illa has, however, met his promise of remaining in the role until the start of the electoral campaign, which will officially begin on Thursday.

The most likely person to replace Illa is Carolina Darias, currently the territorial policy minister

His successor as health minister will assume the role on Wednesday. The most likely person to replace Illa is Carolina Darias, currently the territorial policy minister. Darias has also been in the spotlight during the ongoing health crisis and for weeks has been the government representative who speaks to the press after meetings of the Inter-Territorial Council of the National Health System (CISNS), which brings together the regional health departments and the central Health Ministry to coordinate the handling of the pandemic in Spain.

Government sources have suggested that Darias, in turn, will be replaced by Miquel Iceta, who is currently the head of the PSC and will be relieved by Illa. However, there has been no official confirmation of this. The handover is likely to be announced after Tuesdays Cabinet meeting, and the ministers will be sworn in the following day.

The same sources, however, have suggested that there will be no further reshuffling of the Cabinet. The Spanish government is a coalition of the Socialist Party (PSOE) along with junior partner Unidas Podemos. The latter party is not expected to take advantage of these changes to relieve any of its five ministers. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is also apparently unwilling to make changes in a Cabinet that has been in place for just over a year. That said, the majority of his ministers have been in their roles for longer, since Sanchez took power in the summer of 2018 after tabling a successful motion of no-confidence in the Congress of Deputies against then-Popular Party Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Many of Sanchezs ministers have been in their roles for more than two-and-a-half years and some have been involved in major controversies that have depleted their political capital.

Sanchezs decision to keep Illa in his Health Ministry role has come in for major criticism from the political opposition  his candidacy in the Catalan elections was announced on December 30. But from La Moncloa prime ministerial palace, sources stated that the planned calendar is being met, which involved Illas exit from the ministry before the election campaign began the following Friday.

Unusual campaign

Illa will be facing an unusual campaign, which could see the PSC win the most votes in Catalonia. This appeared a pipe dream just a few weeks ago but now looks possible according to the latest polls. Even if he should win, however, wresting power from the pro-independence parties may prove difficult if the PSC falls short of an absolute majority. The Catalan Republican Left (ERC), which currently governs in Catalonia in coalition with Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia), is unlikely to support the investiture of a socialist rather than a pro-Catalan independence candidate. Illas candidacy has already put relations between the ERC and the central government under strain. The coalition is governing with a minority in Congress and as such the government has relied on the support of the ERC both in terms of Sanchezs victory at the aforementioned motion of no confidence in 2018, the formation of the current government and the recent approval of a new budget.

English version by Simon Hunter.
In the fall 2017, journalist and arts administrator Howard Sherman noticed, like a lot of regular theatergoers, that productions of Thornton Wilder's Our Town were popping up all over. Deaf West presented an English-ASL staging at the Pasadena Playhouse. Miami New Drama debuted a trilingual version that translated the text into Spanish and Creole. The Olney Theatre Center in Maryland transferred a puppet-heavy version that originally had been done at Two River Theatre in New Jersey. And just months after a suicide bombing during an Ariana Grande concert, Manchester, England's Royal Exchange Theatre staged the play in a revival that, according to one review, claimed this then-79-year-old, all-American drama "for this city."

The following year, Sherman penned an article about what this decades-old work, which many people view as cornpone nostalgia about small-town life, has to offer the world in the Trump era. Considering how he had only recently come around to the play itself  after being particularly moved by both David Cromer's 2009 off-Broadway revival and a production he saw at Sing Sing Correctional Facility directed by Kate Powers  Sherman never expected this act would eventually lead to his writing a whole book about Our Town.

Another Day's Begun: Thornton Wilder's Our Town in the 21st Century is a compendium of newly created oral histories about some key productions from the past two decades: the 2002 Broadway revival with Paul Newman, David Cromer's revelatory off-Broadway staging with its scent of frying bacon, the Manchester, Deaf West, and Miami revivals; and other less-publicized stagings: the one at Sing Sing, where all the roles were played by incarcerated citizens, and another by Montgomery County Emergency Services, with a cast made up of staff members from this not-for-profit emergency mental health care facility.

The result is not just an intimate look at the theatermaking process, but an enlightening examination of a play that isn't what it appears to be. And Sherman told us all about it.

Howard Sherman

( Steve Marsel Studio)

This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

You could have written a general overview of the history of Our Town, but you instead chose to do a survey of various 21st-century productions using oral history as a form. How did you decide on that structure?

Initially, my thought was to do a biography of Our Town. I realized that a biography of Our Town would require endless research, which I wasn't sure I knew how to do, or necessarily wanted to do, and it evolved into thinking about what it means to live in Grover's Corners and what it is to be in this play. My editor sent me another oral history book that they'd done, and I thought it was in my wheelhouse because I've done so many interviews. I made the decision that I was not going to be present in the book; it was all about letting people tell their own story.

The idea of keeping it to the 21st century was basically to make sure the people I wanted to talk to were alive. It's not that there aren't major productions that were much earlier, but if a director had passed away, or an actor who played Emily or the Stage Manager, it would be very hard. It seemed to me that I always needed those three people in a chapter, and then I would fill in around them.

The 2002 Westport Country Playhouse production on Broadway with Paul Newman was the only exception [Newman having died in 2008]. The great discovery was that there were a few quotes from him, from an interview he had done that had never been seen. And it ended up becoming a tribute to Paul, and a tribute to Joanne Woodward, in many ways.

It was really interesting to read accounts from artists like Helen Hunt and Jane Kaczmarek, where they come to learn through doing the play that there's more to it dramatically than they once thought.

It's a lot more than Helen and Jane realizing it. That's one of the big things about Our Town. Unless you know it well, or have had an epiphany through seeing it, like I did, people seem to forget Act 3. All people remember are the scenes in Grover's Corners. They'll mention the soda shop scene. In some ways, it's easier to only remember the easy stuff in the play. So the reputation of Our Town is not really an earned reputation; it's from selective memory or just flat-out forgetting.

The play is incredibly, deceptively simple. You can watch it, and on one viewing, possibly even on five viewings, there are things you're not going to see. But when you have enough people who have been giving those characters and that text a close read, it's really interesting what they mine from it, because everyone mines incredibly different things from it. I have to say, there are some things I learned from reading Wilder's original handwritten first draft that are no longer part of it that teach me things about the play. On a dramaturgical level, it provides background on his thinking, even if it got eliminated or is tangentially expressed.

Deric Augustine and Sandra Mae Frank in a scene from Our Town, directed by Sheryl Kaller, at Pasadena Playhouse.

( Jenny Graham)

Like what?

I hate giving some of these away! As Another Day's Begun addresses, when Our Town was originally published, it wasn't the final version. It was the pre-rehearsal script, but Wilder went back in the '50s and reedited the play using the more accurate Samuel French acting edition as a starting place. In Act 1, when you have "audience members" asking questions of Mr. Webb, one of them is "Is there any love of culture or beauty in Grover's Corners?" And there's a list of things. Whistler's Mother, Handel's Largo, but in the 1938 trade edition, that list started with something that was removed, The Merchant of Venice.

That would mean that this small community would have known about anti-Semitism. And this play was written and premiered during the rise of the Nazis in Europe, by a man who spent a great deal of time in Europe writing the play and was surely aware of the political situation. That's really interesting to me, and it syncs up with a few other things in the play. There's a discussion of the "Polish family" and the Catholic Church in the other part of town. There's the mention of "Amerindian stock" in two or three families and them all being gone now when Professor Willard talks about the origins of Grover's Corners. I wish the Merchant of Venice reference was still there, because it reinforces the idea that there is a larger world, and Grover's Corners is not unaware of it.

Keith Randolph Smith in Our Town at Miami New Drama in 2017

(image via Miami New Drama)

In your estimation, what should an Our Town in 2021 look like?

I don't think Our Town should look like anything specific. I will tell you, and this is prompted in part by my conversations with David Cromer, that when I talk with high school classes, I start typically with the following question, and this is not a grammatical error: "When is the Stage Manager?" As David said, that was the central thing he had to address. You can always ask "who," you can always ask "what," you can always ask "why." But asking "when," everything else stems from your choice there.

To the credit of the Wilder family, this is not a play where they say that the Stage Manager has to be a man of a certain age in a tweed suit, and that decision also impacts the perception of the play. In the Manchester Royal Exchange production, you had a rather large man of Middle Eastern heritage play the Stage Manager in the wake of a bombing in the city. What Michel Hausmann did at Miami New Drama, in terms of finding a way to really speak to the community that he wanted to see the play, was important. There's a production now in Brisbane, Australia, and the Stage Manager is played by an indigenous man. What does that mean, in Australia, to have an indigenous actor play the Stage Manager in a work that many people say is an old fuddy-duddy play about New England?

The idea that Our Town must be done in petticoats is gone. That so much can be added to the play without complicating it, and that it still speaks to what Wilder was after, is pretty extraordinary.

Purchase Another Day's Begun here.
Police have been overwhelmed by the public response to a wanted notice issued for a female suspect who is named after one of Australia's most popular songs.

Khe Sanh Cox, 28, is wanted in South Australia for a number of serious offences and for breach of bail after she removed a home detention bracelet in January.

The unusual first name references the Aussie pub anthem Khe Sanh by rock band Cold Chisel - the title itself being a reference to the U.S. Marines base during the Vietnam War.

Police released a wanted poster for Khe Sanh Cox (pictured) who removed her detention bracelet and skipped bail

After issuing the online alert, South Australian Police received 18,000 responses referencing the song, and other Cold Chisel hits.

'She could be anywhere - from the ocean to the silver city,' one Khe Sanh reference said.

'Reckon she'll be on the last plane out of Sydney tonight,' added another.

Even state Labor MP Tom Koutsantonis joined in, telling his Facebook followers that 'car parks make her jumpy'.

SA Police got into the spirit and issued another tweet that referenced more Cold Chisel hits.

'She is no Choir Girl  we've already searched Bow River and the Star Hotel,' the tweet read.

Senior Constable Mick Abbott said the online responses were light-hearted but the notice served its purpose of bringing her to the attention of the public.

'We haven't actually located her yet, but it has been shared a number of times so I imagine she is well known now,' Snr Con. Abbott told ABC radio.

Khe Sanh was released in 1978 by Cold Chisel and was banned by radio for lines such as 'their legs were always open but their minds were always closed' and 'I'm going to hit some Hong Kong mattress all night long'.

Despite the radio ban, the song about a disillusoned Vietnam vet became a highly popular song - particularly in Cold Chisel's early base of Adelaide - and remains a staple of rock radio and pub cover bands around the nation.

South Australia police, who released the wanted poster on Monday, ask that if you have seen Ms Cox or have any information on her whereabouts to contact them immediately on 13 14 14.

Ms Cox from Surrey Downs in Adelaide is described as white, 157cm tall, with a heavy build, black hair and blue eyes.
The Davos Alzheimers Collaborative (DAC), a first-of-its-kind global effort to accelerate the discovery, testing and delivery of precision interventions for Alzheimers, has been launched.

Through public-private partnership, the DAC will help governments manage their response to this disease and reduce the burden for families worldwide.

Although Covid-19 will be the priority for health systems around the world this year, diseases like dementia are projected to increase from affecting 50 million families today to 150 million families and half a billion individuals by 2050.

DAC has established a comprehensive approach to collecting diverse population data, conducting clinical trials, and supporting health system preparedness across middle- and low-resource countries.

It aims to create a global innovation system to speed and scale up the global response, lower costs and bring new treatments to market.

Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, said: I am pleased that the World Economic Forum continues to be a catalyst for initiatives of public-private partnerships in the field of Health and Healthcare  first the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), then The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and now the Davos Alzheimer Collaborative (DAC). Alzheimers is a disease that has such an impact on the lives and livelihood of hundreds of millions of people. It deserves much more attention, but also coalitions to address the issue.

The world is confronting an emerging pandemic of Alzheimer's and other chronic diseases of aging that threatens to be more devastating, longer lasting and more costly than Covid-19, said George Vradenburg, Convener, Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimers Disease (CEOi) and the Davos Alzheimers Collaborative, and Chairman and Co-Founder of UsAgainstAlzheimers. DAC is premised on the proposition that individual governments, as well as intergovernmental organisations, the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, leading researchers, and patient advocates, must come together to drive progress forward.

Dementia is having a cruel impact on families, societies and nations around the world, said Margaret Chan, former Director General of the World Health Organisation and current Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Peoples Republic of China. It is time that national leaders take action to create a global mechanism - like CEPI and COVAX - to respond to this world-wide dementia pandemic. The Davos Alzheimers Collaborative is that global mechanism bringing together national governments, industry leaders, top scientists, leading NGOs and patient-led organisations, including, importantly, from low- and middle-income countries. The time to act is now.

We are pleased to work with the Davos Alzheimers Collaborative on this important effort, said Niranjan Bose, Managing Director of Health & Life Sciences at Gates Ventures. For those suffering with Alzheimers, there is currently no way to stop or slow the progression. Data sharing initiatives like this will be key to accelerating progress and ending the affliction associated with this terrible disease.

This public-private partnership answers the call to action that came from the World Economic Forums 2020 Annual Meeting in Davos and is one part of the progress made in 2020.

This new global initiative has prioritised three main areas. In partnership with the International HundredK+ Cohorts Consortium, DAC aims to build a global cohort with high-quality, detailed data on a well-characterised, diverse population. To date, this effort has engaged 30 cohorts representing 21 million patients worldwide.

Regarding clinical trials, DAC is striving to build a global clinical trial network with participants from Europe, Singapore, the Peoples Republic of China, Australia, Colombia, Japan and South Korea. Lastly, DAC aims to help facilitate the implementation of global commitments and strategies to ensure health system preparedness for Alzheimers.

DAC is following the models of GAVI and CEPI to bring progress to the most challenging global public health issues. DAC continues to gather support and financial commitments, and top thought leaders in science, finance and healthcare around the globe are providing guidance. -- Tradearabia News Service
Jacob Chansley, the QAnon adherent who wore a horned coyote-skin headdress to the Capitol riot, is one of the most recognizable faces of the Jan. 6 siege by supporters of former president Donald Trump. Chansley was photographed standing at the Senate dais Mike Pence had deserted moments earlier, and authorities say he left the former vice president a threatening note.

Chansley's notoriety has prompted his St. Louis attorney, Albert Watkins, to attempt an audacious legal feat: to redefine a far-right activist dressed in Viking garb as a peace-loving yoga enthusiast.

"This is a man whose hero is Mahatma Gandhi," Watkins said of Chansley, who is charged with violent entry, disorderly conduct and obstruction of an official proceeding, among other offenses. "Look at the fur and look at the horns and look at the tattoos surrounding the nipples of this bare-chested man. I doubt there's one person in North America who would say that's the man I want leading me in a charge to overthrow the government."

In the face of widespread video evidence that horrified the nation, Watkins is part of a growing corps of lawyers looking for ways to defend more than 135 people charged with everything from assault and trespassing, to stealing government property, and conspiring to subvert democracy. As part of that effort, lawyers are poring over reams of social media posts and news footage for any evidence that could be used to change the public perception of their clients or minimize their roles in the Capitol siege, which left five dead and injured more than 100 police officers.

Some are planning to blame Trump, the former president who was impeached on charges that he incited the riot, and invoke a legal concept known as the public authority defense -- the argument that the rioters were simply following orders from a government official. It's not clear that such a strategy will succeed in the courtroom.

For some accused rioters, one tack for the defense may be to show that they didn't have the intent to do harm or cause damage, which prosecutors must establish for a conviction to stand. Attorneys with clients facing lesser charges are looking to poke holes in what may be flimsier evidence.

And some lawyers have almost certainly begun thinking about how they can get the best plea deal for their clients, whether that involves cooperating with the government or admitting to a crime but not going to jail, legal experts said.

"There's no defense" for rioters who were caught on camera stealing furniture or smashing windows, said Jeffrey Bellin, an expert on criminal law at William & Mary Law School. "But the ones where there's just a picture of a person in the Capitol, those will be more challenging" for prosecutors to prove, Bellin said.

Rioters who have not been accused of violence are likely to point to the lax conduct of the police and argue that they didn't realize it was illegal to enter the Capitol, lawyers said.

"We see some individuals walking throughout the building who are not destroying any property and are doing nothing more than being in the Capitol," said Robert Jenkins, a lawyer in Virginia representing Joshua Pruitt, one of the first to be charged. "Regardless of what type of T-shirt they had on, or hat they had on, or even words they may have been saying in the building, none of that makes it a crime."

In almost every case that the U.S. has brought so far, the evidence that the accused rioters were inside the Capitol is virtually irrefutable because of the trail of videos and photos of the mob posted to social media. But defense lawyers are still parsing the reams of footage in search of evidence that might undermine the charges or prompt a more lenient sentence if their client is convicted. Such evidence could include a clip of a defendant cooperating with police officers or telling others to leave the building.

"We've done a comprehensive vetting of the video," Watkins said. "There is zero video footage that we have that displays any sort of violence or malfeasance of any nature on the part of our client. We have identified numerous instances and demonstrations of our client admonishing people to go home."

Trump appeared to send his supporters the opposite message during his speech at a rally before the riot, urging the crowd to "show strength" and "fight much harder." While most legal experts say that federal prosecutors would have a hard time charging the former president with incitement for those comments, his role in egging on the crowd could allow defense lawyers to argue that the rioters are not guilty because a government official gave them permission to act.

"If you want to lay blame for the sinking of the Titanic, all you have to do is look at the captain," said Joseph Low, who works as a criminal defense attorney in California. "Whether you agree with Trump or not, he was the president at the time. He was the commander in chief. They followed him."

Some legal experts question whether blaming Trump will result in acquittals. "That defense didn't work at Nuremberg, and it's not going to work here," said Florida criminal defense lawyer Joel Hirschhorn, referring to the post-World War II trials of Nazis, some of whom argued they were just following orders.

Still, in preliminary hearings and court filings, alleged rioters and their lawyers have begun framing the unrest at the Capitol as the result of Trump's violent rhetoric.

Robert Sanford, a retired firefighter who was charged with assaulting a group of police officers at the Capitol, told a friend that he joined the riot at "the president's instructions," according to legal records.

Some lawyers have suggested they may employ that same defense in court. At a bail hearing on Jan. 15, the defense attorney representing Richard Barnett, a 60-year-old from Arkansas who was photographed with his feet on a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, noted that "nobody who stepped up to the lectern that day, who got on the podium and provoked this event, has been called before the bar of justice."

The photographs of Barnett at the Capitol -- where he left an obscene note in Pelosi's office -- turned him into one of the poster boys of the insurrection. Barnett's lawyer, Anthony Siano, spent much of a recent bail hearing attempting to paint a different picture, calling witnesses who attested to Barnett's honesty and good character. A friend said Barnett had rescued his Pomeranian. A relative recalled that he had once driven her to the hospital after she had a gallbladder ailment.

"Mr. Barnett has a clean and safe home," Siano told a federal magistrate in Arkansas. "He has a stable home life. He answers calls for need and people in need in his community. He's needed by his family."

At the end of the five-hour hearing, the magistrate granted Barnett bail, allowing him to live at home under strict conditions. But the victory was short-lived. That evening, a federal judge in Washington blocked the ruling, sending Barnett to jail while his case proceeds.

Consumers face a possible 9pc increase in the price of bread, Food and Drink Ireland (FDI) has warned.

The fallout from Brexit will result in tariffs being applied to flour imports and lead to increased costs for the bakery sector, according to the lobby group, which is part of Ibec.

FDI director Paul Kelly said: "Under the Rules of Origin in the TCA [Trade and Cooperation Agreement], there is a requirement that the wheat used should be of UK or EU origin, with a maximum tolerance of 15pc for grain from other countries such as Canada or USA."

If the wheat used to make flour is more than 15pc of third country origin, the full tariff of 172 per tonne becomes payable.

Millers

Mr Kelly said this is "a significant problem" for the bakery industry, which buys flour from millers in Britain with a high proportion of third country wheat, mainly from Canada or the US.

If the full tariff of 172 per tonne were to be applied to flour imported from Britain, it would mean a 50pc increase in product costs, FDI warned.

Based on ERSI projections, which also looked at other non-tariff barriers, this would equate to a 9pc increase in bread for consumers.

The tariffs will have a "significant" impact on the competitiveness of Irish-based producers both on their domestic and export markets, FDI added.

It has called for an exemption for the bakery sector in order to avoid these tariffs.

It said at this point it is hard to know how many companies could be affected and any price increases would be a matter for individual businesses.

Michael McCambridge, of McCambridge Bread, said his business will not be affected as it uses a different type of flour, with a lower protein, to other bakeries. Also, the flour it uses is milled in Ireland.

David Hickey, of Daly Foods, sees a "big increase" coming in the price of flour, but said this is due to the "aggressive" rise in the price of wheat, which was happening before Brexit.

 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that China will continue supporting developing countries in their fights against COVID-19 and contribute to making vaccines public goods that are accessible and affordable to all.

Xi made the remarks in a telephone conversation with Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.

Though geographically far apart, China and Dominica are good friends enjoying mutual respect, equality and mutual benefits, Xi said.

In the past almost 17 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations, they have made substantial progress in bilateral ties, supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, and maintained sound cooperation in such fields as infrastructure construction, agriculture, health and education, which have deepened the bond of friendship between the people of the two sides, Xi noted.

China appreciates that Dominica has made developing relations with China a diplomatic priority, and is ready to continue providing help within its capacity for Dominica's social and economic development, Xi said.

The Chinese president expressed belief that with joint efforts, China-Dominica friendly cooperative relations will certainly develop better.

Xi stressed that in the face of the sudden coronavirus outbreak, China and Dominica have joined hands to fight the pandemic, demonstrating a profound friendship of mutual help.

China, he added, will continue strongly supporting Dominica in its fight against COVID-19, providing assistance and support for developing countries, and striving to make vaccines public goods that are accessible and affordable to people in all countries.

The Chinese president also said the two countries should firmly support the World Health Organization in playing its due role, and work together to promote the building of a global community of health for all.

For his part, Skerrit said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Dominica and China have always respected each other and treated each other as equals, setting a good example of relations between countries of different sizes.

The Chinese government is committed to putting the people first and solving the problem of unbalanced development, which provides valuable help for the economic and social development of Dominica and other developing countries, Skerrit said.

China has provided medical aid for Dominica and other countries in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and has promised to contribute to the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries, he added.

China has set an example for the world and is a true and trustworthy friend of Dominica, he said.

Dominica adheres to the one-China principle, supports China's peaceful reunification, firmly opposes any interference in China's internal affairs, and firmly stands with China on affairs concerning Hong Kong and Taiwan, he said.

Dominica appreciates China's leading role in the global response to climate change, and will actively participate in the joint construction of the Belt and Road to promote the continuous development of Dominica-China relations and the relations between Caribbean countries and China.
"Levenza joins Firmenich with a strong understanding of local market dynamics, drawing from her extensive international experience and deep knowledge of the Asian market," said Felix Frowein, Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Fragrances, Firmenich. "With a strong network encompassing leading manufacturing companies in Personal and Home Care, as well as local customers, we are confident in Levenza's leadership to spearhead our business in the region."

Toh replaces Rajan Arul, who is retiring from Firmenich after 33 years with the organization. Arul first joined Firmenich Singapore in 1988 and worked in Mumbai, Geneva and London during his career. He returned to Singapore in 2012, when he was appointed Vice President for Perfumery Asia, adding the role of General Manager of Firmenich Singapore to his scope in 2015. Arul relished coming full circle to where the journey started for him and has mentored numerous talents in the Firmenich regional headquarters. He also championed the pioneering recruitment and integration of visually impaired sensory panelists at Firmenich in Singapore.

"I would like to extend my gratitude to Rajan for the exemplary leadership he has shown throughout his career, playing an instrumental role in transforming the business and grooming talents within the region over the past decade. His legacy will remain a strong inspiration for both business and colleagues as we continue to push boundaries in a world of transformation," added Frowein.

Toh joins Firmenich from Global Amines Company, a joint venture between Clariant and Wilmar, where she held the position of General Manager APAC, leading sales, marketing, business development, technical, R&D and manufacturing. Prior to that, she worked at Clariant, BASF and Royal Dutch Shell in various commercial roles. Toh holds a BA with Honors in Chemical Engineering from the National University of Singapore and a dual Executive MBA from Tsinghua SEM and INSEAD. She is Singaporean and has lived in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Germany. She speaks English and Mandarin, as well as Malay and Cantonese. Toh will report to Frowein.

About Firmenich

Firmenich, the world's largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company, was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1895, and has been family-owned for 125 years. Firmenich is a leading business-to-business company specialized in the research, creation, manufacture and sale of perfumes, flavors and ingredients. Renowned for its world-class research and creativity, as well as its leadership in sustainability, Firmenich offers its customers superior innovation in formulation, a broad and high-quality palette of ingredients, and proprietary technologies including biotechnology, encapsulation, olfactory science and taste modulation. Firmenich had an annual turnover of 3.9 billion Swiss Francs at end June 2020. More information about Firmenich is available at www.firmenich.com

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When people think of Josh Brolin, they often think of him as having a big, giant purple head  AKA Thanos from the Avengers movies. However, he got his start in a movie that has only grown more popular as the years have gone on: The Goonies.

What makes the movie all the more notable for Brolin is that it was his film debut. He may be Thanos now, but he is only too happy to celebrate the much more benign role that launched his career.

What was The Goonies?

L to R: Corey Feldman, Sean Astin, Ke Huy Quan and Jeff Cohen reading a treasure map in a scene from the film Goonies, 1985. | Warner Brothers/Getty Images)

RELATED: The Goonies 35 Years Later: Which Former Child Actor Has the Highest Net Worth Today?

The Goonies, which came out in 1985, is broadly thought of as a Steven Spielberg movie, although he didnt direct most of it. He was a producer on the film and came up with the story, basing some of it on his own life. However, the screenplay was written by Chris Columbus, who had also written Gremlins and was cheeky enough to include a reference to that movie in the Goonies script.

The movie was an adventure yarn about a group of kids, some of whom are about to be thrown out of their homes when they stumble onto a treasure map they hope will lead them to a fortune so they dont have to move. Complicating matters is a criminal gang that also wants the loot. The Goonies are led by Mikey Walsh, played by Sean Astin. Brolin plays his older brother Brandon.

Ke Huy Quan, fresh off Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, plays the inventive Data, Corey Feldman is the Mouth, and Chunk, played by Jeff Cohen. Taken along for the ride are Andy Carmichael (Kerri Green) who is sweet on Brand, and Stephanie, Andys best friend played by Martha Plimpton.

As for the directing duties, those were mostly handled by Richard Donner, who at that point was most famous for directing the 1978 Superman  something The Goonies also references when Sloth wears a Superman shirt and the theme from that movie plays. According to Mental Floss, he did step in to direct the scene where the Goonies bang on the pipes and the wishing well scene.

The Goonies has grown in stature over the years

The Goonies made $63 million in theaters when it came out, and that equals about $120 million in todays money. That makes for a solid hit, but certainly not on the order of an Indiana Jones movie.

However, fondness for the movie has only grown through the years, with multiple cast reunions. They got together for a visual commentary on the DVD with Donner, and more recently, they reunited for a fundraiser by Josh Gad. Both those reunions included Brolin.

One of the revelations on that commentary track was that in the scene after Chunk breaks the water cooler, Astin refers to Brand by his actual name, Josh. According to People, in 2017 Brolin dressed up as Brand for an 80s-themed Halloween party.

80s themed birthday for my buddy @wsparris1 given by his lovely wife @bamkambam. I didnt know what to dress as (Henry Rollins? Boy George? A gremlin?) then my wife said, I got you covered,' the actor wrote on Instagram. The photo shows Brolin in all his teen jock glory, complete with sleeveless shirt, headband and exercise gear.

What else has Josh Brolin done?

Brolins career enjoyed a resurgence that began around 2007 with his role as Llewelyn Moss in the Oscar-winning Best Picture No Country for Old Men, directed by the Coen brothers. Brolin reunited with the Coens for True Grit, with his other notable roles including the young Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black 3, President George W. Bush in W and Dan White, the man who murdered the gay San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk. Brolins role in Milk also got him an Oscar nomination.

His time with Marvel includes not only Thanos but the villainous Cable as seen in Deadpool 2. Still, he reserves a special fondness for Brand, especially since it was his first gig.

On Conan OBriens show in 2012, Brolin said: I have 7-year-olds that are like, Oh my god, Sloth! I was the older brother, I understand, Im gnarly now, with the bead and all that.
Vladimir Putin compared the organisers of mass anti-Kremlin protests at the weekend to terrorists as he dismissed an investigation by Alexei Navalny, the jailed opposition leader, into his personal wealth.

The Russian president, who never says Mr Navalnys name in public, took the surprising step of directly addressing allegations he owns a billion-dollar residence on the Black Sea, described by the opposition leader as Putins Palace. He made the comments after demonstrations on Saturday in which tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against Mr Navalnys arrest on his return to Russia after months recovering from a poisoning and to express wider anger over corruption.

Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, is due to visit Moscow early next month to press the Kremlin on the opposition leaders arrest. The council considered it completely unacceptable and condemned mass detentions and police brutality over the weekend. We call on Russia for the release of Mr Navalny, said Mr Borrell.

Mr Borrell has insisted on sticking to his planned trip, which would be the first to Moscow by an EU foreign policy chief since 2017, despite opposition from several countries. During a call with university students yesterday, Mr Putin, referring to a claim by authorities that the opposition had lured minors into taking part in the rallies, said that young people should not be used for political ends.

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Thats what terrorists do. They put women and children in front of themselves, he said. Surveys of the protesters found the vast majority of those taking part were adults. Mr Putins comments on the protest, as well as his denial of the palace investigation, marks a shift in the Kremlins approach to Mr Navalny, which has long sought to downplay his significance.

Nothing that is listed there as my property belongs to me or my close relatives, and never did, Mr Putin said when asked by one of the students about the investigation.

Mr Navalnys video report on the property in southern Russia  which he says is the countrys largest private home  has been viewed more than 85 million times online.

The video was released shortly after Mr Navalnys arrest. Currently in pre-trial detention, he faces more than a decade behind bars on charges widely seen as politically motivated, after being poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent in an attack he has blamed on the Russian state.

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Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2021clean technology company, has been awarded a project with SPEnergy Networks(SPEN) to demonstrate how the introduction of local demand-side flexibility can help the Distribution System Operator (DSO) better manage their network.



The energy landscape is quickly changing as the number of customers seeking to connect distributed generation to the network is increasing. As a result, there is a strong need for smarter and cost-effective ways to manage the network. The use of smarter distribution network assets will render tremendous environmental benefits facilitating the adoption of low carbon technologies moving the United Kingdom one step closer to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

"Today's power grid is facing new demands and challenges. A reliable and resilient power grid is the cornerstone of a sustainable society. We are thrilled to lead a project with SPEN to help build and track a more resilient power grid," noted Hari Suthan, Chief of Strategic Growth & Sales, Opus One Solutions. "This project offers a one-of-a-kind solution that is imperative to move energy networks to an electric future to help the UK achieve its net zero goals."

"This project with Opus One is an exciting milestone in Project FUSIONas we trial innovative flexibility solutions that speeds up our response time and helps add value to our customers by accelerating connections and deferring costly reinforcements," said Michael Green, Senior Innovation Engineer at SP Energy Networks.

Opus One will develop and deploy a system that focuses on engaging customers to provide system flexibility through the Universal Smart Energy Frameworkthat focuses on transparency and standardization. By demonstrating how local flexibility markets can provide a fast and cost-effective tool this will assist the DSO to actively manage its network and deliver a better future for its customers. SPEN is aiming to make the transition from Distribution Network Operator (DNO) to DSO and project FUSION will be a key element in facilitating this transition.

The solution will be used as part of a market trial programme over the next three years and will first be tested in St. Andrews and East Fife to demonstrate how the introduction of a local demand-side flexibility market can help DSO better manage their network.

Opus One has established its European offices based in Glasgow, UK, and is actively expanding to better serve the UK and European Union.

About Opus One Solutions

Opus One Solutionsis a software engineering and solutions company with the vision of a digitalized, decentralized, and decarbonized planet. Its intelligent energy networking platform, GridOS, optimizes complex power flows so that it can deliver real-time energy management and integrated planning to distribution utilities and other managers of distributed energy assets. GridOS is modular, scalable, and integrates seamlessly with existing data systems to unlock greater potential for distributed energy resources, including renewable generation, energy storage, and responsive demand. GridOS also facilitates the management of microgrids - from homes to businesses to communities - for unparalleled grid resiliency and value to the electricity customer.

About Scottish Power Electricity Networks

As a distribution and transmission network operator SP Energy Networks (SPEN) keeps electricity flowing to over 6m customers across 3.5m homes and businesses throughout Central & Southern Scotland and Merseyside, Cheshire, North & Mid-Wales and North Shropshire. We do this through our network of over 110,000km of power cables and 30,000 substations across our licence areas and we are investing approximately 7 billion into the electricity network to create a better future, quicker for our customers and communities.

Media Contact

Simona Hiutin, MBA

Title: Marketing Manager

Opus One Solutions

Email: shiutin@opusonesolutions.com

________________________________

 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-becomes-first-major-economy-to-pass-net-zero-emissions-law
Semongkong Airport, Semongkong, Lesotho [ SOK / FXSM ]

If you are planning to travel to Semongkong or any other city in Lesotho, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Semongkong Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Semongkong Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Lesotho. Semongkong Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Semongkong Airport Info:

Semongkong Airport IATA Code: SOK Semongkong Airport ICAO Code: FXSM Latitude : -29.8386 Longitude : 28.06 City : Semongkong Country : Lesotho World Area Code : 536 Airport Type : Small Timezone : Africa/Maseru Semongkong Airport Timezone : GMT +02:00 hours Current time and date at Semongkong Airport is 03:18:50 AM (SAST) on Saturday, May 29, 2021

Looking for information on Semongkong Airport, Semongkong, Lesotho? Know about Semongkong Airport in detail. Find out the location of Semongkong Airport on Lesotho map and also find out airports near to Semongkong. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Semongkong Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Semongkong Airport, airlines operating to Semongkong Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Lesotho. Scroll down to know more about Semongkong Airport or Semongkong Airport, Lesotho.

Semongkong Airport Map - Location of Semongkong Airport Load Map Lesotho - General Information Country Formal Name Kingdom of Lesotho Country Code LS Capital Maseru Currency Loti (LSL)

 1 LSL = 0.073 USD

 1 USD = 13.775 LSL

 1 LSL = 0.06 EUR

 1 EUR = 16.795 LSL

 More LSL convertion rates Tel Code +266 Top Level Domain .ls

This page provides all the information you need to know about Semongkong Airport, Lesotho. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Lesotho or traveling to Semongkong Airport. Details about Semongkong Airport given here include Semongkong Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

Coordinates of Semongkong Airport - Latitude and Longitude (Lat and Long) of Semongkong Airport

Location of Semongkong Airport - City Name, Country, Country Codes etc...

Semongkong Airport Time Zone and Current time at Semongkong Airport

Address and contact details of Semongkong Airport along with website address of the airport

Clickable Location Map of Semongkong Airport on Google Map.

General information about Lesotho where Semongkong Airport is located in the city of Semongkong. General information include capital of Lesotho, currency and conversion rate of Lesotho currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc...

SOK - Semongkong Airport IATA Code and FXSM - Semongkong Airport ICAO code

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OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has begun a $20 million upgrade to the Ft. Bayou bridge in Ocean Springs, with traffic already reduced to one lane each way and a full shutdown still to come.

The project will rehabilitate and upgrade the bridge, with work including replacing the streel deck on the drawbridge. Also planned are upgrades to the bridges motor, generator, gears and axels, as well as a repainting of the bridge.

MDOT awarded the bridge project contract to C.E.C., Inc., of Lafayette, La.

Traditional detour signs and construction signs, along with barriers, will remain in place until work on the deck is completed. Crews began arriving for initial work about a week ago. Sunday, traffic was reconfigured to reduce each direction to one lane only.

Still to come: A complete closure of the bridge in either March or April to allow for work on the bridge shafts -- work that is expected to last up to 45 days. Motorists traveling south into Ocean Springs will be forced to utilize either Highway 57 or Interstate 110 in Harrison County.

Original plans for a bridge spanning Fort Bayou began in 1891, but those were ultimately abandoned. Finally, in 1901, Jackson County supervisors awarded a contract for a bridge to be built at a cost of $9,460. The first bridge opened in December 1901 and was a toll bridge, with toll ranging from 1 cent to 15 cents.

The second Fort Bayou bridge was erected in 1929 at a cost of $17,982, opening to traffic in October 1929.

The third -- and current bridge -- was authorized by the board of supervisors and constructed in 1985 at a total cost of $11.2 million, with federal, state and local funds utilized for the project. It opened in July 1985.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control lifted its no-sail order for the industry on Oct. 30, but it is also warning people to avoid all cruise travel due to the risk of infection. The CDC allows for a phased restart if the industry meets testing and safety requirements for crew.
The newest residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have arrived: the Biden familys two German shepherds, Champ and Major.

The dogs officially joined President Biden and Jill Biden, the first lady, in the White House on Sunday, said Michael LaRosa, a spokesman for Dr. Biden.

Champ is enjoying his new dog bed by the fireplace, and Major loved running around on the South Lawn, Mr. LaRosa said in a statement.
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Posted Monday, January 25, 2021 7:59 am

In his latest press conference regarding Washington states ongoing efforts to fight COVID-19 Jan. 21, Gov. Jay Inslee noted it was the one-year anniversary of the first confirmed case of the disease announced in the state.

The governor remarked that Washington was hit by COVID-19 the first and the hardest of those in the U.S.

However Washington responded based on science, based on a commitment to the preservation of lives, and we have had considerable success in that regard, he said.

The press conference covered both the recently-started 2021 state legislative session, as well as an update on Washingtons work to vaccinate its population to the disease. Inslee said that Washington ranked 13th in the nation in terms of vaccinations administered, with more than 360,000 doses administered that have been reported.

Washington State Assistant Health Secretary for Prevention and Community Health Michele Roberts said that there were likely more than the amount of doses reported to the state as had been administered. Washington State Secretary of Health Umair Shah said the state had made significant progress in administering the 696,000 doses the state has received since Jan. 16, though he did not make a guarantee that the state would be able to administer all doses before the end of the week.

But vaccination efforts are growing, according to the governor. Inslee said the average daily vaccination doses in the state had exceeded 16,000 in the past week, adding in the past 25 hours there had been some 25,000 doses administered.

In terms of vaccination strategy, Inslee pointed to recent announcements on three new lanes, if you might think of it, on the freeway of vaccine distribution. The state has a goal of 45,000 doses of vaccines delivered daily in Washington, and has also established four mass-vaccination sites, as well as engaged the pharmacy industry as a distribution network.

Inslee said there were four mass vaccination sites planned, which he said were hoped to be opened up by the week following the press conference. He said the sites would be staffed significantly by the Washington National Guard, both in a logistical capacity and for actual vaccine administration.

Inslee added that business partnerships constituted a fourth lane of the states vaccination efforts. Inslee said the morning of the press conference he met with representatives of Costco, from whom he learned the business was bringing 20 vaccination sites online. He added that Safeway had administered 500 doses of the vaccine during its first day involved.

Inslee noted that Amazon announced opening up a pop-up clinic in Seattle Jan. 24, with a goal of 2,000 vaccinations in one event. Jay Carney, Amazon senior vice president of global corporate affairs and former director of communications for now-President Joe Biden, said his company had sent a letter to the newly-elected president pledging any assistance (Amazon) could provide toward meeting Bidens goal of 100 million vaccinations in the first 100 days of his presidency, through information technology and logistics capabilities.

Specifically for Washington, Carney said Amazon would be committing one of its own executives to the states vaccine command center. He added the company was committing to vaccinating its own 20,000 essential workers in the state.

Amazons pop-up site would be put on in partnership with Virginia Mason Medical Center. The medical centers chairman and CEO Gary Kaplan noted that both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines required two doses. He said those attending the clinic would be scheduled for their second dose at the time they receive their first.

Kaplan added that no one taking part in the pop-up clinic would be charged for the vaccine, regardless of insurance status.

Vaccinations are administered through a phased-in approach in Washington state, with healthcare workers and those in long-term care facilities among the first to receive a dose. Roberts said there were about 2,400 long-term care facilities that had signed up with the national vaccination program administered through CVS and Walgreens, with about 139,000 doses set aside for the program.

Roberts said CVS and Walgreens have told the state that by Jan. 24 all of the 2,400 enrolled facilities will have had their first visits for administration. She said it was unclear how many of those doses had been administered, as the companies providing the program report directly to the federal government.

Inslee noted that the federal government had assumed control of distribution of vaccines to long-term care facilities through a contract with CVS and Walgreens. Shah said that the lack of simultaneous reporting to both federal and state agencies on vaccinations through the program has been a real problem, adding he hoped the problem would be alleviated under the new Biden administration.

Though Inslee noted the state has lost nearly 4,000 lives due to COVID-19, he pointed to the relative success the state has had in lowering COVID-19 activity as something to look at as the state enters a second year of handling the disease. He referenced a New York Times article earlier in the week that concluded if the rest of the nation took the measures Washington state did, the U.S. could have reduced total COVID-19 deaths by 220,000 nationwide.

We need confidence in the next several months, which will be difficult months, Inslee remarked. Our recovery from the pandemic is progressing, but we have a long ways to go.
She's known as something of a style icon.

And Sienna Miller managed to nail an off-duty fashion look when she walked her dog in London on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old wore a padded cropped jacket and 80s ripped stonewash jeans as she sipped on a coffee in Westbourne Grove,

She wore her favourite 650 Gucci wool ankle boots, which she has been spotted in lots of times before, no doubt getting her money's worth.

Sienna had a Bodyism bag in her hand - it's a holistic wellness brand, which, 'creates the very best weight loss and wellness solutions for people all over the world.'

Keeping out the cold, Sienna wore a pink beanie hat and went make-up free for the outing, showing off her natural beauty.

It's been rumoured that Sienna is moving back from the US to the UK for good, after splitting from her fiance, publishing boss Lucas Zwirner, four months ago.

She first jetted back to England to be comforted by her sister Savannah following the split and spent Christmas in the Cotswolds with her family.

A source close to the mother of one, who moved to the U.S. in 2016. said: With the pandemic and the political climate in the U.S., being near to family has never felt so important.'

Back in December, Sienna revealed she can't remember the six weeks following her split from ex-fiance Jude Law in 2006, after his cheating scandal.

The actress spoke with The Daily Beast about the breakdown of her relationship to the actor, 47, whose affair with his children's nanny Daisy Wright came to public knowledge in 2005.

She claimed the scandal was 'really hard', and admitted: 'Theres a whole six weeks of that experience that I dont remember. I have no recollection of it.'

Looking back on how she was performing on stage in As You Like It, Sienna explained: 'That was one of the most challenging moments I hope I'll ever have to experience.

'Because with that level of public heartbreak, to have to get out of a bed let alone stand in front of 800 people every night, it's just the last thing you want to do. I was in so much shock over it all.'

Split: The actress split from her third fiance Lucas Zwirner (pictured together in May 2019) - it has been claimed it was Sienna's decision to call it a day
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 25)  Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard ships are capable of storing and transporting COVID-19 vaccines to different parts of the country, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana revealed on Monday.

Lorenzana told President Rodrigo Duterte there are four Philippine Navy ships that have freezers with a temperature ranging from minus 15 to minus 18 degrees Celsius. He added the combined total capacity of the four Navy ships is five tons.

"We can use these to transport vaccines from Manila to islands in Visayas and some parts of Luzon," Lorenzana said.

The Defense chief also said the Philippine Coast Guard has nine ships, with freezers that each have a temperature of minus 20 to minus 25 degrees Celsius. He noted the combined capacity of these freezers is at 526 cubic feet.

Lorenzana added military personnel will lead the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in most parts of the country, especially in provinces. He said they accepted the offer of non-government business group Go Negosyo to train soldiers in administering vaccines to Filipinos.
Burma Govt Vows Action After Myanmar Villagers Demand Fertilizer Factorys Closure Over Pollution

Local residents of two villages in Yangon Regions Twante Township demand the closure of a fertilizer factory in December 2020. / Photo supplied

YANGONThe chief minister of Yangon Region on Tuesday promised villagers that he would assign two ministers to inspect a fertilizer factory whose closure has been demanded by local residents who say it exposes them to chemical pollutants.

Residents of two villages in Yangons Twante Township have raised a stink about foul odors from the fertilizer and insecticide factory and want to see it closed.

While meeting villagers at the entrance gate of the Yangon regional government office on Tuesday morning, Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein promised them he would inspect the factory and conditions in the village on Thursday after his inspection teams led by two ministers conducted investigations on Wednesday, said Kan Pat Yoe Village resident Ko Kyaw Zaya.

We are demanding the closure of the factory said Ko Kyaw Zaya.

About 3,000 residents of the two villages have suffered from the foul smell and fear that some farms and the villages pond have been damaged by chemical dust from the factory, according to the villagers.

Since 2019, Myanmar Shwe Nagar Agriculture Group Co. Ltd has run the fertilizer production operation in its factory located on the bank of Twante Canal near Kan Pat Yoe and Htan Ta Pin villages in Twante Township.

The company is producing fertilizers and insecticides for agricultural use in Myanmar.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) has rented 27.77 acres of land to the company for the storage of fertilizers and materials used in the agriculture sector until August 2022.

But the company has been using the site not only for storage but also for fertilizer production, breaching the land-rental contract with the MOTC.

Also, the factory has failed to submit an Environmental Compliance Certificate issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation proving that its business does not impact surrounding areas, the Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems (DWRIR) under the MOTC said in an order issued on Jan. 15.

The DWRIR has ordered the company to stop its factorys operations after finding that the residents nearby have been affected by the foul smell of chemical dust. Betel farms and the pond used for drinking water were also damaged by chemical dust from the factory.

Local residents from Kan Pat Yoe village told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the factory continued its operations for days after Jan. 15 despite the ban.

Officials of Myanmar Shwe Nagar Agriculture Company couldnt be reached for comment on Monday.

Ko Kyaw Zaya, a resident of Kan Pat Yoe Village, said that the elderly and people with underlying health conditions have been suffering from health issues due to the foul smell of chemical dust from the factory since 2019.

In December 2020, township health officials also urged the villagers to stop using water from the villages pond because the color of the water in the pond had changed and lotus leaves in the pond had been damaged, he added.

Currently some villagers depend on donors for drinking water while others depend on their own well for the water.

We want the factory to be closed permanently because the company continued to run their operation stealthily amid the ban. They dont take care about authorities on the township level, said Ko Kyaw Zaya, a resident of Kan Pat Yoe Village.

He added: We want our regional government to handle this issue effectively because it can have an impact on the health of future generations.

After finding that the factory is running illegally and the company is breaching the rules of its contract, Dr. Kyaw Zin Oo, the townships lawmaker in the Yangon parliament, directly reported the matter to the chief minister of Yangon Region on Dec. 31.

But no action has yet been taken, according to Ko Ye Win Htut, secretary of the Peoples Party (Yangon) who is helping the villagers.

We want our government to invite only those investments which come with responsibility and accountability. If not, our local residents will suffer side-effects from those investments which do not respect our laws, said Ko Ye Win Htut.

Lawmaker Dr. Kyaw Zin Oo told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the factory should face action by the government for failing to comply with the governments rules.

U Aung Myo Khiaing, director of the Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of Rivers (Yangon), told The Irrawaddy on Monday that they will take action against the factory if it continues failing to follow instructions.

However, he didnt say what kinds of steps would be taken.

In response to the villagers accusations, factory manager Ko Naing Lin told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the facility had completely stopped producing fertilizer on Jan. 15, though it was still being used as a storage facility.

To keep the factorys operations going, Ko Naing Lin said the company would try to meet all requirements and instructions of the government and try not to have any impact on the environment and villagers.

We will try to follow the laws. We will try to be a factory that can contribute to the environment, Ko Naing Lin said.

You may also like these stories:

Hundreds More Myanmar Migrant Workers Test Positive for COVID-19 in Thailand

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Relations between the United States and Iran are in a period of opportunity following the inauguration of President Joe Biden, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East said during his first swing into the region under the new administration, Defence One writes in the article War Avoided, Biden Transition Brings Opportunity for New Iran Relations, Top General Says.

U.S. Central Commands Gen. Frank McKenzie confirmed that there were heightened threat streams from Iran during the months leading up to Bidens election and inauguration, but said that the United States was able to maintain what he has long termed a contested deterrence during what has become increasingly clear was an unnerving and unpredictable moment.

Our goal was to deter a war, McKenzie told reporters traveling with him to the region. Not only did Iran not strike any U.S. targets directly, as some security and military analysts had worried it might do in the waning days of former President Donald Trumps tenure, but Iran was also largely able to manage its proxy actors in Iraq and elsewhere in the region, McKenzie said. Not all of those groups operate under direct command and control from Tehran.

Largely they have been able to tell them this is not the time to provoke a war, he said. Not all of that is probably the result of the military component. Im sure theres a political calculation in Iran to get to a new administration and see if things change. Now, McKenzie said, You have a new administration thats going to revisit U.S. policy.

McKenzie enters the region in a moment of transition for U.S. foreign policy, in particular toward Iran. Biden has vowed to redevelop some form of the so-called Iran nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration, which Trump exited in 2018. Biden also is signaling a change in relations with Saudi Arabia, including ending support for the Saudi-led conflict in Yemen and releasing results of a U.S. investigation into the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The new administration is also reviewing the U.S. deal with the Taliban that called for all American troops to withdraw from Afghanistan this year if the Taliban meet certain conditions. Trump left Biden a sharply-reduced force of 2,500 troops.

McKenzie said that he has not yet received new orders related to the war in Afghanistan, where he noted that NATO and other nations have more troops on the ground than the United States. Its possible that Biden may choose to stick with that force posture, at least for now.

I think you would expect the new team to come in and do their due diligence, McKenzie said. I had an opportunity to talk to the transition team before the inauguration. They had a lot of very good questions, a lot of requests for information.

Meanwhile, the United States continues to grapple with an unsettled political landscape at home and the coronavirus pandemic that, among other things, has complicated international travel for officials like McKenzie.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who was confirmed by the Senate and sworn into office on Friday, is focused on COVID, McKenzie said  suggesting that, at least for now, American policy in the Middle East wont see any immediate major shifts. Austins carefully crafted first day on the job included briefings on the Pentagons COVID response, and operational briefings on China and the Middle East, according to his public schedule. McKenzie insisted that the timing of his trip wasnt tied to the inauguration of the new president  the pandemic has curtailed his usual travel, he said  and that part of his mission is to project that everything is steady.

Some initiatives from the Trump administration will live on. The Abraham Accords, which normalized trade and diplomatic relations between Israel and a number of Gulf nations, is a good thing McKenzie said  and one that concerns[s] Iran.

The trip is also McKenzies first to the region since the Trump administrations decision to move Israel into the set of countries for which CENTCOM is responsible. McKenzie praised the move as net a good thing, but cautioned it wont change overnight. The restructuring received some criticism mainly because Trump ordered it in the waning days of his administration, but as a policy matter, military and security analysts have long suggested Israel would be a more natural fit in CENTCOMs orbit. The move is also a reflection of the success of the Abraham Accords, which removed a key hurdle: Israel had been in the sphere of U.S. European Command because its hostile relations with Arab nations had made it difficult for the United States to do business with both at the same time. The shift formalizes the relationship between U.S. Central Command and Israel, McKenzie said, but will have little impact on day-to-day operations and more on the ease of facilitating arms sales.

McKenzie also acknowledged concerns about domestic extremism within military ranks, as news reports have revealed that as many as one in five of those arrested in the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol were current or former service members. I think you never divorce the military from society, so the problems that are in society are in the military, McKenzie said. I dont know that its worse [in the military]... Im not sure Id say that. I do say we have the same problem as the rest of American society.

A Keystone XL worker who was laid off after Joe Biden cancelled the $9billion oil pipeline on his first day in office has warned the president that his decision 'is going to hurt a lot of people, a lot of families, a lot of communities'.

Neal Crabtree, a welding foreman from Arkansas, told Fox News he was told to pack up his things within two days of Biden's order, saying he was 'nervous' and 'worried' about the future.

While Biden's chosen transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg says the White House is 'eager' for Keystone workers to continue in 'good-paying union jobs... even if they might be different ones', Crabtree said it was 'not that easy' to start over.

'This is not the time to be making political statements... we need to be finding ways to put more Americans back to work, not the other way around,' he said.

'I'm in the process of trying to live the American dream right now. I'm building a house - and the bank may own it before I ever get a change to live in it.'

Executive order: President Biden revoked the federal permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office, fulfilling a campaign pledge

Neal Crabtree, a welding foreman from Arkansas, said he was told to pack up his things within two days of Biden's order

Crabtree said there were people in his industry who 'haven't worked in months, and in some cases years' with construction work severely affected by the pandemic.

'To have a project of this magnitude cancelled, it's going to hurt a lot of people, a lot of families, a lot of communities,' he said.

'I was working in Nebraska building a pump station, but as soon as the new administration came in, on day one, they decided they want to put 11,000 people out of work.'

While only 1,000 current jobs are being eliminated as a result of Biden's move, the company had said it planned to employ more than 11,000 Americans in 2021.

After Biden fulfilled a campaign pledge by signing the order last Wednesday, workers were told on Thursday afternoon that the project would go no further, Crabtree said.

'We took a couple of days packing our stuff up and we actually got laid off Friday, and I'll be taking my unemployed self back to Arkansas,' he said.

Fox played a clip of Buttigieg saying during his confirmation hearing that Biden's climate change plans would 'create more good-paying union jobs'.

Republican senator Ted Cruz asked Buttigieg: 'So, for those workers, the answer is somebody else will get a job?'.

Buttigieg replied: 'The answer is that we are very eager to see those workers continue to be employed in good-paying union jobs, even if they might be different ones'.

Responding to the clip, Crabtree said: 'It's not that easy, you know what I mean? I don't consider this a job, I consider it a career.

'You spend a lifetime fine-tuning your skills and advancing yourself, and you go start another job, you're starting at the bottom and trying to work your way up.

'We're not talking about men and women that are just out of high school just starting out in life, we're talking about people that have mortgage payments, kids to feed.

'I doubt these politicians would like it someone told them to go start over and find a different job.'

Piping which was due to be used for Keystone XL - blocked by Barack Obama in 2015, approved by Donald Trump in 2017 and now blocked again by Biden- sits in a storage yard in Oklahoma

Biden's nominee for transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg (pictured), told a Senate hearing that the new administration wanted Keystone workers to continue in good union jobs

Crabtree said he did not understand how the pipeline industry had become the 'villain', saying it was safer than transporting oil by other means.

Biden had promised to revoke the federal permit for the pipeline, which was granted by Donald Trump in 2017 after previously being denied by Barack Obama in 2015.

His decision was also met with disappointment in Canada, where construction of the $9billion pipeline was already well underway.

Alberta-based TC Energy Corp said the move to cancel the pipeline first approved by Canadian regulators in 2010 would mean thousands of lost jobs.

While Ottawa has always supported the project, including current Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, it has long been opposed by environmentalists.

'While we welcome the president's commitment to fight climate change, we are disappointed but acknowledge the President's decision to fulfill his election campaign promise on Keystone XL,' Trudeau said last week.

The 1,210-mile pipeline was to transport up to 830,000 barrels per day from Alberta to Nebraska and then through an existing system to refineries in Texas.

Work to increase the capacity of two other Canadian export pipelines, the government-owned Trans Mountain and Enbridge's Line 3, is proceeding with fewer remaining hurdles.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Beezy Inc., the leading digital workplace solution built for Microsoft 365, has successfully been deployed in Microsoft's GCC High Cloud environment, marking another innovation milestone for the company. Microsoft's GCC High environment was created to meet the strict requirements of federal agencies, the Department of Defence (DoD) and US federal contractors who need to adhere to the most stringent cybersecurity and compliance regulations.

Now, organizations operating on the GCC High cloud, or the DoD cloud, can replace their outdated and cumbersome corporate intranets with Beezy for a more modern, intuitive, engaging and collaborative digital workplace. Beezy is the all-in-one intelligent workplace that combines a human-centred user experience, designed to simplify communication and collaboration, with the power of Artificial Intelligence to automate processes and streamline workflows  and it's fully optimized for mobile.

"High security doesn't have to equate to a poor user experience anymore," said Jordi Plana, founder and CEO of Beezy. "We've always known the importance of an engaging user experience when it comes to communicating and sharing knowledge inside large and complex organizations. We're excited to bring our digital workplace solution to organizations operating on the high security cloud  and we're proud to be able to implement it quickly and efficiently," he added.

One of the key advantages Beezy offers for customers operating in high security environments is all content and data created inside Beezy resides 100% in the customer's infrastructure. It means the customer's data remains secure.

"In addition to user experience, our attention to security and scalability is a key part of our success in replacing the legacy intranets of some of the largest and most complex organizations in the world, including companies in the Fortune 100 and government institutions," said Plana. "Our Customer Success team is ready to welcome organizations that are required to operate on GCC High and the DoD cloud to create new opportunities for a more productive and engaged workforce inside these highly secure organizations."

To learn more about Beezy or to request a demo, visit: www.beezy.net

About Beezy Inc.

Beezy Inc. is the digital workplace built for Microsoft 365. By extending the Microsoft productivity stack, we empower users to communicate, share, and collaborate better, whether it's on-prem, in the cloud, or in hybrid environments. Leading global organizations, including Finning, ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Monster rely on the proven functionality of Beezy  the intelligent and modern digital workplace that's built for the people who use it.

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Today is the 72nd Republic Day of India. Every year, this day is celebrated across the country to commemorate the date Constitution of India came into effect. Educational institutions, offices and establishments around the country unfurl the Tricolour to mark this day. But the most spectacular revelry is hosted at the Rajpath in New Delhi. The event sees states bringing themed tableau, march-past by personnel from all wings of defence and security forces, exhibition of latest military technology, cultural performance by students and much more. This year, the Rafale jets are expected to be the centre of attraction during the Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath. The event is usually attended by the President, Prime Ministers, foreign dignitaries and other VIPs of the country. This year, in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the celebrations are likely to be less cheery, though.

If you want to wish your near and dear ones on the occasion of 72nd Republic Day, here are some messages you can share on various platforms.

Republic Day wishes, messages

May this Republic Day lend each and every heart great spirits and love for the country.

Let's celebrate 72 years of our Constitution coming into effect. Happy Republic Day 2021!

May the pride of the Tricolour add more colors to your life. Happy Republic Day.

A very Happy Republic Day 2021 to every Indian across the globe.

A nation can be built strong only when all the citizens stand united and contribute towards it. Happy Republic Day 2021!

Republic Day 2021 WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram status to share with your loved ones

As we celebrate the 72nd Republic Day, let's promise to protect our nation and its flag. Happy Republic Day 2021!

Let us not forget the rich heritage of our country and feel proud to be a part of this nation. Happy Republic Day 2021!

Let us all join hands to show the whole world that this nation is the best nation under the sun. Happy Republic Day!

On this day, let's recall the true heroes of India who sacrificed their lives to give us freedom. Happy Republic Day 2021!

Let the Tricolour go high and reach the heights to represent a strong nation on this day. Happy Republic Day 2021!

Republic Day 2021 quotes

The Constitution is not a mere lawyer's document, it is a vehicle of Life, and its spirit is always the spirit of the age. - BR Ambedkar

A thoughtful mind, when it sees a nation's flag, sees not the flag, but the nation itself. -Henry Ward Beecher

Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it. -George Bernard Shaw

Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labour in freedom. -Albert Einstein

Republic Day 2021 Images

Also read: Old notes of Rs 100, Rs 10, Rs 5 denominations to stay in circulation: RBI
New Zealand is likely to keep its border closed to the world through most of 2021 amid uncertainty over the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

We can expect our borders to be impacted for much of this year, Ardern told a news conference Tuesday in Wellington. We will continue to pursue travel bubbles with Australia and the Pacific, but the rest of the world simply poses too great a risk to our health and our economy to take a risk at this stage.

New Zealands success in combating the virus has allowed it to lift restrictions and get its economy moving again much sooner than initially expected, but the closed border is decimating its tourism industry. While the government today announced it expects to give regulatory approval for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine next week, Ardern said mass immunization will not begin until midyear and she was taking a conservative approach to letting foreigners into the country again.

For travel to restart we need one of two things, she said. We either need the confidence that being vaccinated means you dont pass Covid-19 on to others -- and we dont know that yet -- or we need enough of our population to be vaccinated and protected that people can safely re-enter New Zealand. Both possibilities will take some time.

Ardern sounded pessimistic on the possibility of a safe travel zone with Australia any time soon. While talks would continue, it does look increasingly difficult at a country-by-country level, she said, adding we havent ruled out the possibility of state-by-state.

Australia started allowing quarantine-free travel for New Zealanders last year but suspended that this week when New Zealand reported one case of Covid-19 in the community. Ardern expressed disappointment at Australias decision. The case involving a woman who tested positive after leaving managed isolation is well under control, she said.

If we are to enter into a Trans-Tasman bubble, we will need to be able to give people confidence that we wont see closures at the borders that happen with very short notice over incidents that we believe can be well managed domestically, she said.

New Zealand aims to begin immunizing workers at its managed isolation facilities this quarter, but Ardern was unable to say when the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will arrive in the country. The vaccine is expected to get to New Zealand around the same time as it gets to Australia, which is slated for mid-to-late February, she said.

New Zealand will have its house in order so we will be ready to receive, but ultimately we will be in the hands of pharmaceutical companies delivery timelines, Ardern said.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. A stable operational situation with no incidents has been maintained along the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact of the Armenian state border overnight January 25-26, the Defense Ministry of Armenia told Armenpress.

According to the information provided by the Armenian National Security Service, no border incidents were registered in Vorotan-Davit Bek section of the Goris-Kapan inter-state road which is under the responsibility of the NSS border troops.

The Armed Forces of Armenia and the NSS border troops confidently control the border situation along the entire length of the border zone and fulfill their tasks.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- There is no doubt that humanity will prevail over the virus and emerge even stronger from this disaster, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday while addressing the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda.

"The pandemic is far from over. The recent resurgence in COVID cases reminds us that we must carry on the fight," Xi said.

"Yet we remain convinced that winter cannot stop the arrival of spring and darkness can never shroud the light of dawn," he said.


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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 09:11:34|Editor: huaxia

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ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's Ministry of Health on Monday reported 365 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the national tally to 134,132.

The death toll from COVID-19 in the country reached 2,071 as of Monday evening, after five new deaths were reported, the ministry said.

It added that 783 more recoveries were registered during the past 24 hours, taking the country's total recoveries to 120,199.

The country has so far conducted 1,924,136 COVID-19 tests, including 4,473 tests during the past 24 hours, according to the ministry.

Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, is one of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 in Africa, after South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt.

The Ethiopian government has been urging the public to implement COVID-19 precautionary measures so as to contain the spread of the virus. Enditem
LIMASSOL, Cyprus, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 2020 will go down in history as one of the worst years for aviation industry ever. The year ended with an estimated $118.5 billion in losses for the industry and countless bankruptcies of companies that were not ready for a disaster of this magnitude. And while we all look at 2021 with hope, the consequences of 2020 will be felt for years to come. So what can we expect from the aviation industry in 2021?

COVID-19 crisis was not the first one the aviation industry had to face over the years. From the oil crisis in the 1970s, to 9/11 terror attack, to world recession. And after each of these global crises, the aviation industry recovered successfully, proving its strength and ability to innovate in the face of adversity. These major crises in aviation had a number of common outcomes that allow us to predict what will happen next in aviation industry after we manage the pandemic.

When COVID-19 hit, the number of passengers' flights plummeted - people were unable or unwilling to fligh, even though it is proven that there is less of a change to catch a virus while travelling by air than while visiting a mall. Regardless, the decrease was staggering. On the other hand, the demand for cargo flights saw a rapid growth and cargo airlines were able to earn additional profits. Cargo aviation will continue to thrive in 2021 and beyond.

Now, every day, thousands of people are vaccinated from COVID-19 virus. Quick vaccine development and smooth supply will slowly open countries' walls and allow the aviation industry to get back to business. It is expected that the industry will begin its revival in Q2 and the numbers of passengers will steadily grow during the second half of the year. Unfortunately, according to IATA (the International Air Transport Association), 2021 will still be difficult for airlines, as the expected average load factor for European airlines will be about 65%, meaning that airlines won't even break even as to do so they have to run on average at 70%. IATA also predicts that the industry losses will reach $38.7 billion in 2021 and that the global passenger traffic will not return to pre-COVID-19 levels until 2022.

In 2020, many aviation companies ran into financial difficulties - some found themselves on the verge of bankruptcy, others have massively cut costs, and some have turned to investors to survive. As a result, there might be an increase in mergers and acquisitions and of small businesses will be joining large corporations in 2021. This year opens great prospects for business development through acquisitions and mergers. Additionally, due to the losses of the global airline industry, access to public financial market becomes difficult and much more expensive.

Issues with finances and reduced options in aircraft financing force airlines to reconsider their strategies. In 2016-2019 many growing airlines were able to profit by selling lease back new aircraft thanks to high capital in the market and favourable conditions by manufacturers. But now it becomes very difficult to sale lease back new aircraft. So it's no wonder that many airlines choose to postpone the deliveries of new aircraft orders. Following that, aircraft production companies, Boeing and Airbus, are forced to decrease their production volumes. In the short-term this change might have an impact in lost jobs and revenue, but when the market recovers, the impact to the industry will be huge. Due to the reduction of the production of new aircraft, the industry will face a lack of aircraft capacity to serve the demand. As it takes around two years to rebuild the supply and production chain, ACMI market will have an opportunity to fill the demand.

Another consequence of the financial difficulties of companies is the increased supply of labour. Following many bankruptcies and cuts, a large number of different aviation professionals will enter the job market in 2021. Many of them will turn to specialised aviation job portals, so strong, stable and reliable companies will have the opportunity to hire high-quality specialists at attractive prices.

Probably the most positive outcome of the year will be massive advances in technology. 2021 will be a year of modern solutions for the aviation industry. In order to optimise processes, better manage costs, companies will invest in modern technologies, IT solutions that will save time, manpower and money in the long run. From smart solutions aiding day-to-day operations, to advanced self-service and biometrics in airports, to artificial intelligence and machine learning.

It seems that a couple of upcoming years will not yet be easy for aviation, but they're winding up to be interesting and exciting.

For media inquiries:

Vilma Vaitiekunaite

+370 686-163-36

vilma.vaitiekunaite@aviasg.com

About Gediminas Ziemelis:

Gediminas Ziemelis is a founder and chairman of "Avia Solutions Group" - one of the largest aerospace servicing companies presented in more than 67 countries. In 2016, G. Ziemelis received a prestigious European Business Award in recognition for his visionary business management and development skills. The same year, under his leadership, Avia Solutions Group was named a national public champion in the category of Entrepreneurship, earning a spot in the top 110 of European businesses. Twice, in 2012 and in 2014, Ziemelis was acknowledged as one of the top 40 most talented young leaders in the global aerospace industry by the leading USA aerospace magazine "Aviation Week". 2014 - 2017 Gediminas Ziemelis personally supported and consulted Chinese Banks (including ICBCL, CMBL, and Skycop) with regard to financing aircraft sale-leaseback transactions in the CIS region. His total value of transactions - more than $ 2 B. 2006 - 2013 Gediminas executed successful IPOs of 4 companies at OMX and WSE and raised public capital worth more than $ 100 M.

More info: www.gediminasziemelis.com

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The global economy is expected to bounce back during 2021 but will still be below pre-pandemic levels for many years to come, according to the update reports on the global economy that were issued by several global financial institutions, including the World Bank (WB).

Ahram Online communicated with the World Bank office in Washington DC to discuss the results of its recent World Economic Prospects 2021 Report, released on 5 January, in order to understand how COVID-19 is expected to affect the global economy in 2021, with a special focus on the Egyptian economy.

Ahram Online sent its questions to the WB office, which emailed us with the answers.

----------

In terms of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions economy, the WB told Ahram Online that the regions growth is projected to recover, reaching 2.1 percent in 2021 and 3.1 percent in 2022.

It added that these growth rates are significantly below the average of the past two decades.

The WB attributed such a subdued performance to oil production cuts, which were implemented to help stabilise oil prices in oil-exporting economies; ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks and pandemic-related uncertainties; political risk in some economies; and the possibility of lasting scars on the drivers of long-term growth such as productivity, education, and investment.

It added that despite recent positive news regarding vaccine developments, the pandemic will continue to have adverse health and economic effects in the near term, which requires ongoing efforts by both governments and citizens to control the spread of the virus, minimise delays in vaccine procurement and distribution, and take steps to protect vulnerable populations.

If downside risks related to the pandemics evolution were to materialise, the region could see no economic growth in 2021, the WB warned.

Regarding the its projections for oil prices over the medium and long term in light of recent developments, the WB told Ahram Online that oil prices have rebounded from their trough in 2020 as a result of ongoing production restraint among OPEC and its non-OPEC partners (OPEC+).

It added that while oil demand is expected to stabilise over the next couple of years, the strength of the recovery will depend on the distribution and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Oil prices are expected to average $44 per barrel in 2021 and $50 in 2022. Jet fuel oil consumption, in particular, is expected to remain soft for some time as travel continues to be subdued, it projected.

Over the long term, oil prices are expected to rise gradually from current levels, reaching around $60 per barrel by 2026, which reflects an expectation that sufficient production spare capacity is available to meet the projected recovery in demand, according to the WBs estimations.

It added that the forecast in this regard depends on the resilience of the US shale industry and whether OPEC+ can continue to restrict oil supplies if demand disappoints.

Concerning the its predictions on key economic sectors, including tourism, exports and trade exchange in the region, and in Egypt in particular, the WB said that the pandemic is likely to continue to weigh on the regional economies that rely on tourism, exports, and other sectors requiring face-to-face interactions.

It also noted that the ultimate growth outcome is highly dependent on the future evolution of COVID-19 and vaccine efforts.

For Egypt, the WB pointed out that tourism, which is a significant part of the countrys economy and an important source of foreign exchange, has taken a hit with tourist arrivals currently at one-fifth of the levels seen in 2020.

Renewed lockdowns and outbreaks in some of the worlds major economies continue to dim this picture. Tourism revenue is likely to remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels due to depressed demand, as potential tourists remain wary of social interactions and international travel continues to face restrictions, said the WB.

In terms of exports in the region, the WB revealed that they contracted by almost 10 percent in 2020, but are expected to regain 2019 levels only after 2022.

In Egypt, the volume of goods and service exports shrank by about one-fifth in FY2019/2020 and is expected to remain weak going forward, according to the WB.

On the elevated external and internal debt issue amid the pandemic and the uncertainty it imposed, the WB said that the COVID-19 recession, and associated fiscal policy response, have triggered a surge in debt levels in emerging market and developing economies, adding that even before the pandemic, a rapid debt buildup in these economies had already raised concerns about debt sustainability.

The pandemic has made this wave of debt even more dangerous by exacerbating debt-related risks. In the MENA, gross government debt to GDP ratio rose by double-digit rates in more than half of the regions economies in 2020 in response to the pandemic. The level of government debt is elevated in several economies, particularly Lebanon  which defaulted on its debt in 2020  Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, and Tunisia, it illustrated.

They added that the fiscal response that exacerbated debt burdens was necessary to address the health and economic fallout and prevent further loss of life and incomes.

Going forward, however, policy makers in the region should balance the need to respond to the ongoing economic repercussions from the crisis and avoid premature fiscal tightening that may undermine the recovery, while not fomenting the next crisis, according the WB.

In this regard, the WB proposed several measures that can be taken to manage the risks from rising debt levels.

First, debt spending needs to be focused, to the extent possible, on financing growth-enhancing investments that raise living standards. Second, improving debt management, through measures such as extending the maturity of existing debt and understanding contingent liabilities, can help to prevent a liquidity crisis from becoming a solvency crisis.

Third, countries should improve debt transparency, which may help to lower borrowing costs, empower its citizens, and improve the efficiency of debt spending. Finally, debt-specific measures should be complemented with improving governance and institutional capacity and other reforms that empower the private sector, it explained.

The international community also has a role to play in assisting countries, especially low-income economies, with managing the risks associated with high debt burdens and ensuring they have the resources needed to address the pandemics health and economic consequences, according to the WB.

In this regard, they expounded that the WB and the International Monetary Fund have undertaken emergency funding that has assisted more than a hundred economies, while the debt service suspension initiative has provided $5 billion in relief, including to Djibouti and Yemen.

These should be only the first steps in finding long-term solutions to debt sustainability and if a crisis hits its resolution, it affirmed.

In a response to an Ahram Online question about how the WB sees the African Continental Free Trade Area agreements (AfCFTA) impact on the economic performance of Africa, with a focus on Egypt, it said that it holds significant promise in facilitating the flow of goods and finance across the continent and helping to increase employment and incomes.

It added that it has the potential to lift tens of millions of Africans out of poverty, raise the volume of exports by about one-third, and help close the gender wage gap.

For Egypt, it said that the country will see significant benefits from the agreement given its relatively high initial barriers to trade and limited share of exports going to the rest of the continent.

The gains from AfCFTA are a function of both its successful implementation over time, its scope, and its signatory countries ability to improve complementary factors. These factors include the quality and availability of infrastructure, the reorientation of transport systems to intra-continental trade, the reduction of non-tariff barriers, the implementation of reforms to diversify exports and move them up the value chain, and the improvement of governance, institutional capacity, and political stability, it illustrated.

Ahram Online also asked the WB about the expected impacts of the signed reconciliation deal between GCC countries, Qatar, and Egypt on the economic performance of the region.

In this regard, the WB said that broader integration through trade and investment can be an important source of growth for the region, and any efforts to improve regional cooperation to facilitate regional solutions for regional problems are meaningful.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 22:50:13|Editor: huaxia

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ISLAMABAD, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China and Pakistan on Tuesday launched an online platform to collect and display information and achievements of agricultural and industrial cooperation between the two countries, aiming at enhancing bilateral cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the two sectors.

The China-Pakistan Agricultural and Industrial Cooperation Information Platform is expected to organize business forums, business delegations and other activities to promote exchanges and cooperation in the field of agriculture and industry, and advance business-to-business cooperation between the two countries.

During an online launching ceremony, Chairman of the CPEC Authority in Pakistan Asim Saleem Bajwa said that the agro-industrial cooperation between Pakistan and China under CPEC will play a vital role in expanding and multiplying bilateral economic relations.

Agriculture is the mainstay of Pakistan's economy which contributes some 18 percent of the country's GDP, employs a very large number of people, and is highly essential for the country's food security and export potential, Bajwa said.

"Pakistan fully realizes its agricultural potential, and the incumbent government has been making fundamental reforms in agricultural sector," the chairman said, adding that the Chinese experience, which is massively acknowledged worldwide, will be very helpful in adding value to Pakistan's agriculture and contribute to the prosperity of the people.

Talking about the industrial cooperation, he said that multiple preferred special economic zones under CPEC are being set up in all the provinces to give impetus to industrialization in the country.

On the occasion, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong welcomed the establishment of the platform, saying it will enhance in-depth exchanges and cooperation between scientific research institutions, associations, organizations and industrial and agricultural enterprises of the two countries.

"We stand ready to join hands with the Pakistani government and people to enhance our all-weather strategic partnership and achieve high quality development," Nong said. Enditem
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Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020
A Dorchester man, who was once facing 21 counts of armed assault with intent to murder, agreed to plead guilty to lesser counts related to the protests in Boston in June of 2020 that turned violent, authorities said on Monday.

The charges against John Boampong stem from events on June 1, 2020, when peaceful protests erupted into violence and authorities said the 37-year-old fired 11 shots at officers.

Boampong agreed to plead guilty to one count each of interfering with a law enforcement officer during the commission of a civil disorder, receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment for a felony offense, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, the U.S. Attorneys office said on Monday.

Boampong was one of 53 people arrested after protests against police brutality erupted into violence that sent dozens to the hospital and caused major damage to businesses and public spaces

According to the terms of the plea agreement, Boampong will be sentenced to a term of 42 to 63 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

Weve seen protests time and again over the past year. While protesting is a constitutionally protected right, endangering the lives of law enforcement and the public is a crime, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said in a statement. Whether that takes place in the streets of Boston or our nations capital, you can be assured that federal law enforcement will investigate those who engage in violence and destruction and hold them to account.

Authorities say on June 1, 2020, Boampong was driving at around 3 a.m. in front of a store that had been vandalized and looted near the intersection of Arlington and Boylston Streets. Officers instructed Boampong and his passengers to leave the area, but they failed to leave, authorities said.

Boampong, eventually reversed the car but was told to stop, as officers and another vehicle were in the way, the U.S. attorneys office said. Boampong continued driving in reverse, then drove away.

He returned to the area shortly after, parked on Providence Street, and fired a gun at least 11 times toward officers, including a deputized federal officer, authorities said. While officers took cover behind cars and other objects, bullets broke through the windows of two apartments in a nearby building, authorities said.

The peaceful protests of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black and brown people were, unfortunately, marred by the dangerous and criminal acts of a small number of individuals, Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement. John Boampong was one of those individuals who put the lives of protesters and police in danger. Violence will not be tolerated in our communities. Im grateful to have the partnership of the U.S. Attorneys Office in efforts to hold individuals accountable for acts of violence while ensuring the ability of protesters to assert their First Amendment rights and speak out against injustice.

When officers eventually stopped Boampongs car, authorities say they saw a Sig Sauer P230 9mm firearm on the floor of the front passenger-side floor mat, and a black holster underneath the drivers seat. Boampongs fingerprints were on the gun, authorities said.

Boampong at the time was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because he faced pending state charges carrying potential sentences exceeding one year, authorities said.

John Boampong incited panic downtown after he fired 11 rounds in the direction of police officers and civilians, with a firearm he was not allowed to carry. His appalling actions put everyone - including officers who were there to ensure public safety - in danger, Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, said in a statement. This case should serve as a reminder that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will bring all of our investigative resources to bear on those who choose to instigate violence under the guise of peaceful protests.

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"There's more structure than SAGE had. No one's missed any functionality of SAGE."

Salesforce Connection: A Top Priority

Co-operatives UK represents thousands of co-operative businesses. From high street retailers to community owned pubs, co-operatives are everywhere and worth 38 billion to the UK economy.

With over 800 members, Co-operatives UK manages a significant amount of data. They needed an accounting platform that seamlessly integrates with Salesforce . As a native accounting solution on Salesforce, Accounting Seed was the clear choice.

"The training for the staff team was successful [...] People who are on Salesforce could be on Accounting Seed within hours," said Shepherd.

Co-operatives UK Gains True Efficiency

The decision of SAGE to discontinue Sage Financials from December 2021 could have been a major problem. With a 15% increase in financial reporting efficiency, the move to Accounting Seed proved the best decision. "Choosing Accounting Seed was the right choice for Co-operatives UK and we look forward to increasing our efficiency and expertise even more," said Shepherd.

The transition to Accounting Seed was complete very quickly and without major issues. The initial scoping process was handled by VP of EMEA Sales, Shane Deacon .

"Shane Deacon has been brilliant. He's done above and beyond. And we don't see that everywhere," said Shepherd.

Click here to read Co-operatives full story with details on cloud-based accounting, reporting functionality, and better management of Making Tax Digital (MTD).

About Accounting Seed

Headquartered in Columbia, Md., Accounting Seed was founded in 2008 by Tony Zorc, a CPA and former CFO who believes in a better way to do accounting. The platform's innovative, flexible, and robust architecture allows customers to manage their financial data, their way. Powered by the Salesforce platform, Accounting Seed's secure and trusted technology enables a 360-degree view of a customer's business, putting the time back in their hands. For more information, visit accountingseed.com.

SOURCE Accounting Seed

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India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons and missiles and the first squadron of the aircraft will be deployed at Ambala air force station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF. The Indo-Pak border is around 220 km from there. The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal. The Rafale is a modern fighter jet known for its agility, speed, weapon holding capacity and attack capability. The Dassault Rafale has a delta wing design and is capable of g-forces as high as 11g (in case of emergency). The Rafale is available in both single and dual seating cabin (India ordered 28 single and 8 dual seater Rafale). (File Photo)
RTHK: Europe to lift flight ban on 737 Max this weekend

Europe is set to lift a 22-month flight ban on the Boeing 737 Max this week after reviewing submissions by industry experts and whistle-blowers, angering relatives of some of the 346 crash victims, who say the move is premature.

A green light from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is a key step towards resolving an almost two-year safety crisis after crashes of the best-selling jet in Indonesia and Ethiopia which were linked to flawed cockpit software.

The United States lifted its own ban in November, followed by Brazil and Canada. China, which was first to ban the plane after the second crash in March 2019 and which represents a quarter of Max sales, has not said when it will act.

After giving provisional approval in November, EASA sifted through input from 38 commentators and "received directly a number of whistle-blower reports that we thoroughly analysed and took into account," Executive Director Patrick Ky said on Monday.

That, he said, did not expose any fresh technical problems.

But a France-based victims' group, Solidarity and Justice, called the move "premature, inappropriate and even dangerous".

Analysts and airline chiefs say EASA, which represents 31 mainly EU nations, has emerged stronger from the crisis, which eroded US leadership of aviation safety.

Its US counterpart, the Federal Aviation Administration, has been faulted for lax oversight of Boeing in approving the Max, which featured little-documented software capable of ordering repeated dives based on just one vulnerable sensor.

Among its conditions for clearing the jet, EASA insisted on doing its own independent review of all critical systems well beyond the MCAS software, irking Boeing and some US officials.

It also said the causes of the accidents must be understood, design changes must be implemented and pilots properly trained.

"We believe those four conditions are now met," Ky said.

But one lasting impact will be on a decade-old trend towards interdependence which had seen regulators rely on each other's safety judgements, amid pressure to be more efficient.

Under a 2011 agreement, EASA and the FAA agreed to base their evaluation of aeroplanes designed in each other's territory on the tests and compliance decisions carried out by the other agency "to the maximum extent practicable".

"Of course given those tragedies we have stopped this trend and we will increase our level of involvement," Ky said, referring to EASA approval of future US designs.

Analysts have said increased checks could slow certification of Boeing's upcoming 777X, while the FAA could retaliate by stepping up oversight of France-based Airbus. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

Williamstown Employees Resign After Complaint; Board Member Leaving

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Two employees of the town resigned Monday in the wake of a complaint about employee conduct.

And one member of the five-person Select Board will be leaving his post a year ahead of schedule.

Those were the surprises to emerge from a meeting that mostly focused on the town's efforts to investigate accusations of wrongdoing in its police department and develop a plan to replace its recently retired chief.

Select Board Chair Jane Patton announced the employees' departure at the start of the meeting.

Patton later said the town is just at the start of investigating the latest complaint and she was not at liberty to provide any details, including the department where the accusation arose.

But in her initial announcement, she did refer to "another town department," implying that the new complaint is outside the Williamstown Police Department, which has been under the microscope townwide since August's announcement of a federal discrimination lawsuit brought by a sergeant in the department.

"We are in the midst of an investigation, and when it is appropriate to provide more information, we will do so," Patton said during brief remarks at the top of the two-hour meeting. "We are not taking public comment on this issue at this time."

Nevertheless, a reporter for a radio station who attended the virtual meeting did seek and receive recognition from the floor and asked Patton for more details.

"This is extraordinarily new news," Patton said in explaining her inability to provide details. "We are literally hours into this, the investigation phase. I am not ready at this time to identify the department because we are trying to be mindful of everyone involved.

"We wanted to give as much information and transparency as we could, understanding that might generate additional questions. I'm confident that in the reasonably near term, we'll be able to be more forthcoming."

Select Board member Jeffrey Thomas anticipated that his unexpected announcement would also generate some questions.

"I will finish my service after the next town election," Thomas said as an aside while casting the last roll call vote on a motion to adjourn the meeting.

In a followup email to iBerkshires.com, Thomas addressed what questions he thought the decision might raise.

He stressed that the growing demands of his "day job," as the chief executive officer of North Adams nonprofit Lever Inc., and the increased time needed to devote to Select Board work drove his decision.

"My professional responsibilities have grown substantially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic," Thomas wrote. "Last year Lever, the organization that I lead, helped dozens of Massachusetts companies bring to market products and technology to keep people safe from the virus, including face masks, protective barriers, next generation air purification systems and more. Our work will expand further in 2021 to support economic recovery from the pandemic in the Berkshires and throughout the state. We've always worked hard to support innovators who are BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and from other underrepresented groups. This year we are redoubling our focus on diversity and inclusion, most notably in our Berkshire Interns program. My day job is as exciting as any job I've ever had.

"At the same time, the obligations of service on the Williamstown Select Board have also grown. Increasingly I am challenged to fulfill this important responsibility. This past year has been particularly demanding because of the pandemic and the controversy at the WPD. We're now on solid ground in both areas, so it's a good time for me to step away."

Thomas said he was announcing the decision now so that the remaining year left on his three-year appointment can be filled by a vote in May's town election. That would mean there will be two spots on the Select Board on the ballot up for grabs : his one-year seat and the seat currently held by Anne O'Connor. Candidate papers for all positions on the May ballot will be available this Friday.

Thomas said he expected some in the community might ask if he is resigning because of the Williamstown Police Department controversy.

"No," Thomas wrote. "In fact I have tremendous confidence in the work of Town staff, including the Police Department. Having served on the Select Board, I have had a direct view of their solid, day-to-day work. I'm confident that the steps being taken by the WPD, the Town Manager, and the Select Board will ensure that the WPD operates without bias.

"I think some in the community have been unfairly critical. Those folks don't seem to understand the impact of their harsh words on morale. If it keeps up, I fear we are going to lose some very talented staff, some of whom have served our community for many years."

Thomas in his email also expressed his support for Town Manager Jason Hoch, who he said has been "unfairly lambasted for problems that pre-existed when he took the job as town manager."
Syracuse, N.Y . -- The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for a single county in Upstate New York today.

The dubious honor goes to Oneida County, where forecasters say todays storm will linger just long enough to produce at least 8 inches of snow in 12 hours, the threshold for a warning to be issued.

It looks like theres going to be a heavy band set up over that area, the way the low pressure systems is moving through the region, said Jake Chalupsky, a meteorologist with the weather service in Binghamton. That area is likely to see the heaviest rates of snow -- up to 1 inch per hour -- and the longest duration of snowfall, he said.

Its unusual to have a warning for a single county.

Ive never seen just one county under a warning like this, tweeted Jill Reale, a meteorologist for WKTV in Utica, the seat of Oneida County.

The warning is in effect until 7 a.m. Wednesday, although the heaviest snowfall is expected between 1 and 6 p.m. today.

Oneida Countys lonely status is also partly a quirk of how the weather service divides territory among its forecast offices. Oneida County is the farthest east that the Binghamton office issues forecasts; neighboring Herkimer County starts the western edge of forecast area for the Albany office. So far, Albany hasnt issued a warning for Herkimer County, although Reale said thats possible.

Its not unusual for the northern half of Oneida County to be included in a warning while the southern half isnt. Thats because the northern edges of the county lies atop Tug Hill, which gets hammered from lake effect snow. The weather services generally issues separate forecasts for the northern and southern parts of the county when theres lake effect snow.

Todays snow isnt lake effect, though; its a widespread snowfall coming from a larger system moving in from the south.

Snow is likely across all of Upstate New York today, from an inch or so in Western New York to the 8 inches in Oneida County. Winter weather advisories -- less than 8 inches in 12 hours -- are in effect for most of the region.

READ MORE

School closings in CNY: There are early dismissals due to the approaching storm

Winter storm alerts issued in Upstate NY for messy mix of ice and snow

Snow this week will nudge CNY closer to normal -- but theres a long way to go

25 Things That Make Syracuse Great: Snow
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Kyle Rittenhouse and his mother, Wendy, speak with Kenosha police at the Antioch Police Department in the hours after he shot three people, two of them fatally, during chaotic protests in Wisconsin in late August. Rittenhouse, now 18, is charged with murder and several other counts. His lawyers have argued he fired in self-defense. (Antioch Police Department)
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Inspector General of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Michael Horowitz announced on Monday that he will probe if any of the department's current or former employees sought to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2021) Inspector General of the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Michael Horowitz announced on Monday that he will probe if any of the department's current or former employees sought to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

"The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is initiating an investigation into whether any former or current DOJ official engaged in an improper attempt to have DOJ seek to alter the outcome of the 2020 Presidential Election," Horowitz said in a statement.

The probe was announced after US media alleged that former President Donald Trump tried to invalidate his rival Joe Biden's win by pushing the Justice Department to appeal at the US Supreme Court.

Officials, however, refused to file the lawsuit, media reported.

"The investigation will encompass all relevant allegations that may arise that are within the scope of the OIG's jurisdiction," the statement said.

Horowitz noted that he has jurisdiction to investigate allegations concerning the conduct of former and current Justice Department's employees and the investigation does not extend to other government officials.
BEIT YANAI, Israel, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ElectReon (TASE: ELWS), developing and implementing Wireless Electric Road Systems that wirelessly charges commercial and passenger electric vehicles while driving, has completed the deployment of 1.65 km of a dynamic wireless charging system on a public road in Gotland, Sweden, which is the largest deployment of its kind in the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2S2qzGkcis&feature=youtu.be

The charging coils before covered with asphalt The truck being charged while driving with above and underground managements units on both sides

The fully electric long-haul truck was charged by the road while driving at various speeds of up to 60 km/h on a 200-meter electric road segment, with an average transfer rate of 70 kW from the road to the receivers and into the truck's battery. The system reached stable operation with consistent results, and testing confirmed that snow and ice do not affect the wireless charging capabilities. The Company proved the robustness of its proprietary cloud-based software by remotely operating, monitoring, and testing the system from the Company's headquarters in Israel.

In the coming months, following the successful testing on the 200-meter section and given additional approvals from relevant agencies, the Company expects to start operation of the entire road and simultaneously charge an electric bus on the same electric road. The wireless charging system will be further calibrated to enable the increase of power and a local truck operator will regularly operate the truck in order to conduct further tests.

The wireless charging of the electric truck on a public road is a significant milestone in the commercialization of the wireless electric road technology developed by ElectReon. This is also a significant milestone towards meeting the preliminary requirements for applying for the large-scale pilot of the construction of a wireless Electric Road planned by the Swedish Road Administration (Trafikverket) of approximately 30 kilometers designed for dynamic charging of electric trucks while driving.

In Tel Aviv, the Company completed the deployment of 700 meters of dynamic charging segments on a road in Ramat Aviv and a wireless charging station at the Tel-Aviv University train station bus terminal. This represents a significant achievement as the Company deployed the segments in a short time frame, minimizing interruption to the public and illustrating the suitability of its technology for commercial-scale deployment in public roads. The Company is currently waiting for the electric grid connection, expected in the coming weeks, in order to begin road-charging the electric bus, while conducting further tests.

Oren Ezer, CEO of ElectReon Wireless:

"Charging a long-haul truck while driving on an electric road that is open to the public is an exceptional technological achievement coming after years of intense development. The achievement brings us closer to our goal of revolutionizing the field of electric vehicle charging and we thank the strong support from Trafikverket that enabled this to take place in Sweden. Soon we expect to test our urban application when an electric bus will start testing in our pilot project in Tel Aviv."

Truck driver Emelie Gardell from the truck operator Gotlands bilfrakt:

"I was very surprised at how peaceful and quiet it was to drive the electric truck while it was driving and charging from the road. It did not interfere with my driving experience at all and I am happy to know we are reducing transport emissions and proud to drive the future."

About ElectReon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2S2qzGkcis&feature=youtu.be

ElectReon, a global leader in Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer technology for charging all types of Electric Vehicles (EVs). The company accelerates the world's transition to electric transportation by leveraging existing road infrastructure with its proprietary wireless charging technology to eliminate range anxiety, lower total costs of EV ownership and reduce battery capacity - making it one of the most environmentally sustainable, scalable and compelling charging solutions available today.

For cities and fleet operators, ElectReon offers a shared, invisible "Charging as a Service" platform enabling cost effective electrification of public, commercial and autonomous fleets with minimal batteries and smooth and continuous operation.

Investor Relations Contact

GK Investor Relations

Ehud Helft

+1 646 201 9246

[email protected]

Company Contact

ElectReon Marketing and Sales Officer

Charlie Levine

+972 585818433

[email protected]

SOURCE ElectReon
Aruna made it clear that another project will be launched from Jurala when the BJP comes to power.  ANI

HYDERABAD: BJP national vice-president D.K. Aruna said it was unfair for the state government to set another deadline for the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Aruna said that the government had not spent even 10 per cent of the Rs 60,000 crore project cost. She said that changing the design of the project was causing severe injustice to farmers. She alleged that the Chief Minister was lying while mentioning that the project would be completed within a year.

She alleged that all projects undertaken in Mahabubnagar were pending, leaving the local farmers in anguish.

Aruna alleged that the Chief Minister was only interested in commissions in construction of the underground pump house. Aruna demanded the government to lift water from the Jurala project and sought to know how 12 lakh acres can get sufficient water with a single TMC. Aruna made it clear that another project will be launched from Jurala when the BJP comes to power.

Residents of a rural community in South Bexar County say bullets from a nearby shooting range are whizzing into surrounding neighborhoods.

Now, the owners of the 281 Country Club, a recreational complex off U.S. 281 West, are closing the range to visitors while they raise additional backstops and await National Rifle Association accreditation. The range will remain open to the club's 20 owners for shooting.

Jorge Trevino, one of the owners, said the measures are not required by law. The owners hope that limiting shooting for a couple weeks will "get the neighbors off our backs," he said.

READ MORE: South Bexar County neighborhood says theyre in danger as gun range operates nearby

Multiple county agencies visited the club following reports of stray bullets, including one man shot in his backyard. Neighbors say bullets from the range are not being contained by the existing backstops.

Billy Calzada /Billy Calzada

A mobile home sits south of the club; the Col. Miguel Menchaca Early Childhood Center is just north of the property.

Trevino compared the situation to the pursuit of Al Capone, the notorious Chicago gangster eventually sentenced to prison for failing to file tax returns.

"They would have just called the FBI, the CIA, the county clerk, and the whatever  they're just trying to get anybody to shut us down for whatever reason," Trevino said. "It's kind of like how they got Al Capone. They didn't get him for the drugs, they got him for not paying his taxes."

"We're not Al Capone. It's one of those things that they can't get us for the shooting, so they're trying to get us for something else."

The Bexar County Fire Marshal noted the club must apply for building permits for two mobile homes on the property that the owners plan to rent on Airbnb. Environmental Services told the owners to cover large tires with dirt to prevent standing water from drawing mosquitoes.

Billy Calzada, Staff / Billy Calzada

Neither office said anything about the shooting range, Trevino said.

A spokesperson for Rebeca Clay-Flores, county commissioner for the area, said her office was aware of the situation and working with the Precinct 1 Constables Office to better understand the matter.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  An official from the Philippine Genome Center said Tuesday the Philippines could have its own COVID-19 variant  similar to the unique variants first found in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil  if the coronavirus infections in the country continue to rise.

"We know that the possibility of a local variant is there," PGC Executive Director Cynthia Saloma told CNN Philippines.

The genome center conducts genome sequencing using samples from COVID-19 patients to detect if they have the new COVID-19 variant. It has detected at least 17 cases of the UK variant in the country since Jan. 13. Health officials confirmed local transmission in Bontoc, Mt. Province after 12 residents were found with the variant.

RELATED: 34 contacts of UK variant cases in Bontoc positive for COVID-19

Saloma stressed that the emergence of a local variant can be prevented if the country can bring down its new coronavirus infections.

"That's why it's important to lower the cases because the more hosts there are, the higher the possibility of the virus mutating in the host. So without a host, the virus cannot mutate," she said.

Scientists have found evidence that the new variants first detected in different parts of the world are more transmissible. Experts said the UK variant, also called B.1.1.7, spreads up to 70% quicker than other variants. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that while data is not conclusive, "there is some evidence that the new variant may be associated with a higher degree of mortality."

The countrys COVID-19 case tally reached 514,996 on Monday, after 1,581 more people nationwide contracted the disease. The death toll also struck 10,292.
Chaos and mayhem took over Red Fort on Republic Day as a group of farmers took over the fort. They also hoisted their flag at the ramparts. The farmers reached there following a clash with police forces at ITO and several other areas.

In visuals that have since gone viral, protesters can be seen taken over the Red Fort. A protester climbed a pole that had no flag and hoisted their flag.





Delhi: One of the protestors puts flags atop a dome at Red Fort pic.twitter.com/brGXnpkFiP  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

"Most unfortunate. I have supported the farmers' protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on Republic Day no flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort," said Shashi Tharoor.

They farmers reportedly deviated from the pre-decided route and reached the Red Fort after clashing with police officials at ITO intersection and several other locations. A Delhi Police official was injured during the clashes at ITO. The officer has now been moved to a hospital. A protester has also died during the violence. The deceased was reportedly shot to death.

#WATCH: Security personnel resort to lathicharge to push back the protesting farmers, in Nangloi area of Delhi. Tear gas shells also used.#FarmLawspic.twitter.com/3gNjRvMq61  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

Police personnel had to use tear gas and lathi charge on protesting farmers who arrived at Delhi's Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar from the Singhu border. Protesters also tried pushing away the police barricading on Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Pandav Nagar. The police have blocked all the routes towards Ashram and security measures have been beefed up to manage the ongoing fracas.

Several metro stations such as Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Tikri border, Tikri kalan, Mundka Industrial area, Mundka, Vishwavidyalaya, Model Town, Civil Lines, Azadpur, Indraprastha and ITO are also temporarily closed due to the ongoing clashes between the farmers and the police.

Meanwhile, traffic snarls have been reported from GTK Road, outer Ring Road, Badli Road, KN Katzu Marg, Madhuban Chowk, Kanjhawala road, Palla road, Narela and DSIDC Narela roads. Heavy traffic congestion has also been reported from Wazirabad road, ISBT road, GT road, Pushta road, Vikas Marg, NH-24, Road no.57, Noida Link Road.

Also read: In pics: Farmers' tractor parade on Republic Day 2021 turns violent

Also read: Farmers tractor rally LIVE: Internet suspended at Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri borders
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Lifelong Staten Islander, Alex Carr, has joined the Board of Directors of the Pride Center of Staten Island, according to Carol Bullock, Executive Director of the Pride Center.

I am so happy to welcome Alex Carr to the board of the Pride Center of Staten Island, said Bullock. Hes an amazing human and will help our Island become more inclusive and empowered.

Alex has already been involved in events with the Center and brings knowledge, and incredible passion to help the community on Staten Island. On behalf of the Center, we are honored to have him join.

Recognizing a passion for animals and nature at a very young age, Carr began his career at the Staten Island Zoo as a volunteer at age 15.

Even though he decided to continue his education at John Jay College in Manhattan, his desire to serve his community and deep commitment to the zoo, led him back home.

Twenty-six years later, he proudly continues his service as a valued employee and union shop steward at Americas biggest little zoo.

The Staten Island pride center creates a safe zone for the LGBTQ community, said Carr, who is married to Elvis Duran, of Z-100s Elvis Duran and the Morning Show. Its great to have a place where theres no judgment and everyone is loved and treated equally.

With a long-standing history of active interest in Staten Island politics and civic support, Carr is never far away from charitable contributions at home and abroad. From supporting LGBTQ organizations in NYC to studying and promoting wildlife conservation while on safari in Africa, he is always searching for new ways to make a positive impact.

In January 2020, Carr and Duran hosted a Meatballs and Mixology fundraiser, which raised over $62K for the Florina Cancer Center at Staten Island University Hospital. Of the money raised, $50,000 was donated by Carr and Duran.

In June 2019, Carr and Duran were honored by the Pride Center at the Stone House restaurant in Clove Lakes Park, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots; $70,000 was raised for Pride Center of Staten Island, including more than $37,000 donated by Duran and Carr.

The Stonewall riots were a series of violent confrontations in 1969 between police and gay rights activists outside the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan. The riots are considered the start of the LGBTQ rights movement in the United States.

While at home, however, the philanthropic couple are loving life with their miniature schnauzers, Max and Ollie.

l am overwhelmed with gratitude to have been selected to serve on the Staten Island Pride Center board, Carr added. Its an honor to work closely with the LGBTQ community and our allies as we plan our future here on the Island.

Elvis Duran and Alex Carr, with their dog, Max, in their Santa Fe home in Sept. 2019. (Philip Siciliano Photography)

ABOUT THE PRIDE CENTER OF STATEN ISLAND

The mission of the Pride Center of Staten Island is to enhance and sustain the well-being of the LGBTQ and allied communities by providing programs and services that cultivate community; advocate for LGBTQ interests; educate and empower; and provide social support.

The Pride Centers work is driven by the needs, wants, and interests of the LGBTQ community. While social stigma has isolated and silenced LGBTQ people, the Pride Center of Staten Island believes that together, a better future for all Staten Islanders can be created.

To learn more about the Pride Center of Staten Island, please click here.
NOBODYS NORMAL

How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness

By Roy Richard Grinker

After treating several thousand troubled American pilots during World War II, the psychiatrist Roy Richard Grinker made a profound observation: that under such horrific stress, a hair divides the normal from the neurotic.

The doctor had witnessed how war could turn a man into a quivering child, unable to put words to his experiences. And he had seen how treatment  a combination of talk therapy and sodium pentothal, or truth serum  could spur recovery. His reports from the front lines, according to a 1944 article in this newspaper, finally exploded as a myth the notion of mental illness as a scourge of the weak.

But that myth never went away, as powerfully chronicled in a new book by the psychiatrists grandson, an anthropologist also named Roy Richard Grinker. A rich history woven with insights from four generations of the Grinker familys research, Nobodys Normal shows how a societys needs and prejudices shape how it deals with mental illness, from the regrettable asylums and lobotomies of past centuries to the recent corporate trend of recruiting employees with autism. Grinker makes an edgier point, too: that cultural circumstances  whether in combat or on a college campus  can influence how someone expresses psychological pain.
Community vaccinations will begin as planned next month despite disruptions to the delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Health Minister said.

Stephen Donnelly said on Monday that Ireland will receive a delivery within the expected range of doses for February, although at the lower end of that range.

Non-healthcare workers over the age of 70 will begin in the middle of February as planned, he said.

Expand Close Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said community vaccinations will begin as planned next month (Julien Behal/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said community vaccinations will begin as planned next month (Julien Behal/PA)

However, vaccine delivery in March is anticipated to be more severely impacted and considerably lower that what was initially stated by the company.

It came as the European Commission demanded an explanation from AstraZeneca over the disruption to its vaccine delivery.

Mr Donnelly said: Today we have confirmed that the community vaccination programme will begin in February, subject to regulatory approval of AstraZeneca.

Despite anticipated disruption to deliveries, which was announced on Friday January 22, Ireland will receive a delivery of AstraZeneca vaccine within the expected range for February, although at the lower end of that range.

Delivery in March is likely to be more impacted and considerably lower than what was originally stated by the company.

We continue to prioritise those most vulnerable to Covid-19 in our society against the backdrop of limited supply of vaccines.

Well done to our vaccinating teams who completed 143,000 vaccinations to Sunday (Jan 24). This is a great result and tribute to all involved @paulreiddublin @CcoHse @HSELive @roinnslainte @muirtheimhne Will be issuing brief statement later on AstraZeneca and our plan for February  Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) January 25, 2021

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As of Sunday, the HSE has administered 143,000 vaccine doses.

Two doses delivered three or four weeks apart are required for the vaccines currently in use in Ireland, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, which have secured European Medicines Agency approval.

Under the Vaccine Allocation Strategy, people aged 70 and older will be vaccinated in the following order: 85 and older, 80-84, 75-79 and then 70-74. These will be administered through GPs in their surgeries.

The HSE is preparing a public information campaign that will provide all necessary details in advance to the public, to ensure that everyone knows when, where and how to access their vaccine, Mr Donnelly said.

He added: In the meantime, completing vaccinations for those most vulnerable to Covid-19 infection remains the priority.

Every possible nursing home resident has already received one dose and some have received second doses.

Healthcare workers are also a priority. Second doses will be administered over the coming weeks to 77,000 healthcare workers.

We will continue to roll out first and second doses to our remaining frontline healthcare workers during February.

On Monday, the European Commission issued a strongly worded statement demanding answers from pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca over the delays to its delivery schedule.

The EU wants to know exactly which doses have been produced where by @AstraZeneca so far, and if, or to whom, they have been delivered.



The answers of the company during the Steering Board discussion have not been satisfactory so far. A second meeting is scheduled for tonight.  Stella Kyriakides (@SKyriakidesEU) January 25, 2021

Health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said: The EU wants to know exactly which doses have been produced whereby AstraZeneca so far, and if, or to whom, they have been delivered.

It suggests a suspicion on the EU side that vaccines produced by AstraZeneca that were destined for Europe have been sent elsewhere.

AstraZeneca have blamed the delays on problems with the European supply chain.

Ms Kyriakides said: We want clarity on transactions and full transparency concerning the export of vaccines from the EU.

She said said answers provided by AstraZeneca during a virtual meeting of member state health officials and the European Commission on Monday were not satisfactory."
Tens of thousands of protesting farmers have driven long lines of tractors into Indias capital, breaking through police barricades, defying tear gas and storming the historic Red Fort as the nation celebrated Republic Day.

They waved farm union flags from the ramparts of the fort, where prime ministers annually hoist the national flag to mark the countrys independence.

Thousands more farmers marched on foot or rode on horseback while shouting slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At some places, they were showered with flower petals by residents.

Leaders of the farmers said more than 10,000 tractors joined the protest.

Protesting farmers march to the capital in India (Altaf Qadri)

For nearly two months, farmers have camped at the edge of the capital, blockading roads connecting it with the countrys north in a rebellion that has rattled the government. They are demanding the withdrawal of new laws which they say will commercialise agriculture and devastate farmers earnings.

We want to show Modi our strength, said Satpal Singh, a farmer who drove into the capital on a tractor along with his family of five. We will not surrender.

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons at numerous places to push back the row upon row of tractors, which shoved aside concrete and steel barricades. Authorities blocked roads with large trucks and buses in an attempt to stop the farmers from reaching the centre of the capital.

We will do as we want to. You cannot force your laws on the poor, said Manjeet Singh, a protesting farmer.

The government insists that the agriculture reform laws passed in September will benefit farmers and boost production through private investment.

The protests overshadowed the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi (Manish Swarup/AP)

Farmers tried to march into New Delhi in November but were stopped by police. Since then, unfazed by the winter cold, they have hunkered down at the edge of the city and threatened to besiege it if the farm laws are not repealed.

The government has offered to amend the laws and suspend their implementation for 18 months. But farmers insist they will settle for nothing less than a complete repeal. They plan to march on foot to Parliament on Febraury 1, when the countrys new budget will be presented.

The tractor rally overshadowed the Republic Day celebrations, which were scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A thin crowd assembled along ceremonial Rajpath boulevard in New Delhi to watch a parade displaying the countrys military power and cultural diversity. People wore masks and adhered to social distancing as police and military battalions marched along the route displaying their latest equipment.

Republic Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the countrys constitution on January 26 1950.
Refugees: Powercoders computer academy comes to Milan Inclusion project in partnership with City of Milan and UNHCR

(ANSAmed) - ROME, JANUARY 26 - Powercoders, the computer programming academy for refugees that since 2017 has been offering intensive courses and opportunities for placement in IT companies, has come to Milan.



The project, presented Monday morning in a virtual conference, aims to promote inclusion and job placement for the most talented refugees, contributing to digital innovation in the country in which it operates.



Powercoders is a "successful path that started in Switzerland and consolidated itself in Italy as well in Turin involving more than 200 students", said a statement by organisers.



Among the participants in Powercoders Italia, 60% found an internship after the course and 80% successfully entered the work world.



The project was cited by UN Refugee Agency UNHCR as a good example of social and work training and inclusion, awarding the "Welcome: Working for Refugee Integration" logo to Reale Mutua insurance company.



The second course will kick off in February in Milan with a class of 20 refugees.



Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year's programme will take place remotely with the use of the Accenture Italian Foundation's digital platform "ideatre60".



Through the courses on the platform and the experience of teachers and professionals, participants will acquire technical skills through studying the main web programming languages, together with soft skills and social and communicative abilities.



Powercoders Italia has the support of the Reale Foundation in partnership with Accenture Italian Foundation and Lenovo, in collaboration with UNHCR, Le Wagon, and the City of Milan.



"The Powercoders project allows refugees to express their talent responding at the same time to the demands of a sector in strong growth," said Chiara Cardoletti, UNHCR representative for Italy, the Holy See, and San Marino.



"Opportunities such as this, created with the extraordinary support of Reale Foundation and Italian Accenture Foundation, are examples of integration strategies that promote refugees as resources for businesses and the common good," she said.



Milan Labour Policies Councillor Cristina Tajani said the city administration is "happy to support the Powercoders project".



"We are convinced that the integration of many young refugees comes not only through shared languages and common values, but above all through the sharing of knowledge and skills," Tajani said.(ANSAmed). (ANSA).






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I was thrilled to see Morocco last month become the fourth Arab nation in the past several months to announce that it would establish full diplomatic relations with Israel. Its yet another step towards peace in the string of groundbreaking developments that began last summer with the historic Abraham Accords.

Even this past week, Morocco and Israel just signed an agreement allowing for direct flights to operate between the two nations.

Before these recent developments, Morocco had already begun to blaze a trail for harmony among Muslims and Jews. They hold a reputation for tolerance and diversity that can serve as a model for other nations around the world that truly want peace for all their citizens.

Of course, for Israel to normalize relations with any of its neighbors is good news, but Morocco has personal significance for me. In 2017, I had the most amazing experience when I traveled to Morocco to help deliver aid to the small but vibrant Moroccan Jewish community. The lessons I learned there on brotherhood, perseverance, and peace remain an inspiration and guiding light to this day.

Though I have learned about the Jewish communities that once existed in Arab countries, I hadnt fully understood the depth of the history until I walked in their footsteps. As I was given a tour through the streets of Casablanca and Marrakesh, I was reminded that though Morocco today is a Muslim country, it had been a thriving center of Jewish life prior to World War II, and has a rich Jewish history going back to ancient times  predating the Muslim presence in the region.

Morocco has proven to be quite tolerant toward Jews, particularly in comparison to most of Israels neighbors. During World War II, it was Morocco that boldly refused to target Jews for inevitable death, but regarded them as equal to any other Moroccan. The tolerance and respect for Jewish people was driven home to me by a Muslim bellboy at one of the hotels where I stayed. This is your home, he said to me, while pointing to a picture on the wall of the Atlas Mountains. Your people were here before mine.

I could see the kindness and openness of my young friend reflected on a larger scale throughout my travels in the country. In fact, kindness followed me wherever I went. When I roamed the market, vendors excitedly shouted out Shalom to me as I walked by. I visited a 500-year-old synagogue that once served the hundreds of thousands of Jews who lived in the country before World War II, until they fled due to the chaos and uncertainty of war and the formation of the State of Israel, and saw how the locals respect this holy place. I laid my hands on the gravestones in an ancient Jewish cemetery and was deeply moved by how lovingly they were preserved. I saw firsthand that most Moroccans have a genuine respect for the Jewish people, as well as Jewish history  history that most Muslim countries destroyed long ago.

The truth is that The Fellowship has been serving Moroccos small yet inspirational Jewish community for years, though due to political sensitivities we havent been able to discuss it publicly. Weve supported aliyah (immigration to Israel) for Jews wishing to live in the Holy Land. Weve provided food vouchers and special holiday food to Jews in need for Jewish holidays like Passover and Rosh Hashanah. And even as we have delivered aid to the Jewish community in Morocco, we have also tried to repay their friendly neighbors by distributing food boxes out of the local synagogue to Muslims in need during their holidays as well. It is all part of our mission of helping and bridge building  but sometimes, in sensitive areas of the world, our work must remain secret, for the safety of all.

One night during my trip to Morocco, I attended an event marking the month of Ramadan, which is holy to Muslims. This might not seem remarkable, but indeed it was one of the most remarkable experiences of my life. This iftar meal (the breaking of the Ramadan fast) was held at a Marrakesh synagogue, and was sponsored by the local Jewish community. Many Jews were in attendance, along with senior Muslim advisors to the King. As I watched the Jews and Muslims gather in a spirit of tolerance, faith, and genuine respect for one another, I wished the entire world was witnessing this remarkable gesture of peace and goodwill. The biblical verse How good and pleasant it is when Gods people live together in unity (Psalm 133:1) was taking place before my eyes.

Im glad to see that this congenial spirit has now been made official by the opening of formal relations between Israel and Morocco. My prayer today is that these examples permeate the hearts of leaders in every nation on earth, and that in place of hostility and bitterness, friendship and mutual understanding will always prevail.


Farmers swarm Red Fort In unexpected developments, hundreds of protesting farmers swarmed the historic Red Fort on Tuesday as their 'Kisan Gantantra Parade' turned violent at several places in the national capital. A large group of farmers riding tractors and motorcycles thronged the Red Fort carrying the tricolours and farmer union flags in their hands. A few youths even climbed up the flagpole on the 17th century landmark and put up a saffron-coloured pennant. Visuals from the spot showed farmers swarming the Red Fort even as hundreds of others played a cat-and-mouse game with Delhi Police personnel near the ITO intersection in central Delhi, which witnessed chaos as security personnel were clearly outnumbered by the protesters. Other video clips showed farmers chasing away policemen on foot as well with tractors, and trying to remove a DTC bus parked across the ITO road stretch by pushing it out of way with a tractor. The police fired tear-gas shells and lathi-charged the protesters on multiple occasions as farmers remained adamant to move towards the Red Fort. Later, Rapid Action Force was also deployed at the ITO intersection. The farmers, after confrontation with police that lasted for around 40 minutes, moved towards Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, which houses the offices of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Delhi Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).




WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

The city of Philadelphia has ended its partnership with Philly Fighting COVID, which runs the citys largest mass vaccination site.

The city strongly recommends that any Philadelphia resident interested in receiving the vaccine register with the citys portal.

Those who received the first of the two-shot vaccine through Philly Fighting COVID will be contacted by the city to set up another vaccine appointment on schedule.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health on Monday abruptly ended its partnership with Philly Fighting COVID, a group overseeing the citys largest coronavirus vaccination site, after it said the organization failed to disclose that the personal information residents entered into the groups preregistration portal could be sold.

A Health Department spokesperson said the city was unaware that Philly Fighting COVID recently established a for-profit arm, called Vax Populi. It was also unaware that the website  where the city once instructed Philadelphians to preregister for the coronavirus vaccine  updated its privacy policy last week to outline the ways registrants personal information could be used.

Philly Fighting COVID launched its vaccine preregistration website in the beginning of January, encouraging people to Pre-Commit to Getting Vaccinated. Once on the site, users were asked to fill out a form with their date of birth, cell phone number, occupation, race, ethnicity, number of people in their household, and medical conditions that may increase the severity of the virus. The site said it would contact them once they were eligible for a vaccine.

The City has not been notified of any of these data having been sold. But for PFC to have made these changes without discussion with the City is extremely troubling, James Garrow, the Health Departments spokesperson, said in a statement to the Inquirer. As a result of these concerns, along with PFCs unexpected stoppage of testing operations, the Health Department has decided to stop providing vaccine to PFC.

The end of the partnership came after The Inquirer asked questions about Vax Populi, its privacy policy, and scrutiny from WHYY about the organizations closing of testing sites.

Andrei Doroshin, Philly Fighting COVIDs CEO, said the wording of the privacy policy was a mistake, and alleged the city knew about the organizations for-profit change. He insisted the group never intended to sell anyones data.

I will undergo an audit to show I never shared the data. I will do whatever I have to do, Doroshin said in an interview Monday night. Were just a bunch of, like, college kids trying to help out and were getting kneecapped right now.

Doroshin, a Drexel University graduate student who started Philly Fighting COVID by using 3D printers to create face shields before expanding into testing, said the website did not have its own privacy policy. Once reporters started asking questions about the policy, Doroshin said they added one.

We were scrambling, he said. I think it was a mistake in that we didnt have specifically the verbiage that we wouldnt sell the data, even though we never had the intention to begin with to sell the data.

The organization created a privacy policy tab on its website Monday night and updated the policy to include that the company will not sell data to any parties.

Garrow said Monday that Doroshin only told one health official the organization was making a for-profit change a month after the company filed paperwork with the state establishing itself as a business.

Garrow said the group maintained it was a nonprofit on its site this month, even after establishing the for-profit arm, speaks to how they were not notifying people of this change.

The city strongly recommends that any Philadelphia resident interested in receiving the vaccine register with the citys portal.

The department is aware who was vaccinated through Philly Fighting COVIDs site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and will be in touch to set up their second vaccine appointment, according to their original schedules, Garrow said.

The Health Department will fill that gap, Garrow said.

Website confusion

With Mayor Jim Kenney and other city officials attended the opening of the Philly Fighting COVID mass vaccination site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Jan. 8, and city logos plastered throughout the venue, many Philadelphians thought the site was a city-run endeavor.

Doroshin had even landed a spot on the citys Vaccine Advisory Committee, as one of the 40 people tasked with advising the city on an equitable vaccine distribution. (Garrow said Doroshin will be removed from the committee.)

It all felt very city-sponsored, said Michael Whitney, 36, who received his first shot of the Moderna vaccine at the Convention Center last week. He added that the organizations sign-up and vaccination process were very efficient and felt very well-organized.

But the Convention Center site and preregistration website were just a partnership with the city, and not run by the city.

The Philadelphia City Council seal was also originally included on the Philly Fighting COVID website. However, the group was never authorized to use the seal, said City Council President Darrell L. Clarkes spokesperson Joe Grace. It was removed last week at their request, Grace said.

Philly Fighting COVIDs website privacy policy, which was not publicly available until last Friday, shows the page is owned by Vax Populi, a privately held corporation established in December by Doroshin. That connection was not clear to the general public when city officials encouraged all Philadelphians to pre-commit to a vaccine through the organization.

Vax Populi, according to the sites original privacy policy, is able to share or transfer personal information in connection with any merger or sale of the company. It is also permitted to disclose this personal data with other service providers, affiliates, and businesses.

The Health Department was unaware of this company, nor its relationship to Philly Fighting COVID, Garrow said. The organization, he said, is not receiving any vaccine at this point.

However, Doroshin said the organization identified itself as Vax Populi when it submitted a proposal to the city last week to officially run vaccination clinics for the city. In the month leading up to the proposal, Doroshin said he spoke with city officials about becoming for profit and was assured the switch was fine. So far, Doroshin said, the group has given the first dose of the vaccine to nearly 7,000 people.

Vax Populi, Inc., a newly-formed LLC., (formerly Philly Fighting COVID) is pleased to present the following proposal for the construction and operation of COVID-19 vaccination clinics within the City of Philadelphia, the proposal reviewed by The Inquirer said.

The city posted a request for proposals for vaccine providers at the end of December and Garrow confirmed the organization submitted an application. But, Garrow said, officials havent reviewed applications yet because they have not secured funding.

While the health department has said it will fill the gap left by the end of this partnership, the change will likely disrupt an already chaotic vaccine roll out process, and further fray residents trust in the system.

Experts said people have different expectations regarding privacy when using a sign-up on a site that seems to be run by the government as opposed to a private corporation. Although the information residents provided while registering seems similar to data collected by any other app we use, Scott Burris, Temple University law professor and the director of the Center for Public Health Law Research said he understands why people may have felt deceived when reading the original privacy policy.

It is clearly taking advantage of peoples huge desire to get the vaccine and fear of COVID, Burris said of the original policy. When you represent yourself as a public body or somehow affiliated with a public agency, but in fact youre a private organization, that is problematic just in terms of honesty.

Inquirer staff writer Juliana Feliciano Reyes contributed to this article.

The damage caused to the livelihood of Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen by Indian bottom trawlers needs to be carefully examined by the Government of India, especially the ruling dispensation in Tamil Nadu.

by Prof. V. Suryanarayan

Let me start by explaining the symbiotic relationship between fishermen and the sea. To fishermen, maritime boundaries are man-made creations. Throughout the centuries they have been fishing in all areas, where there is plenty of fish. It is a universal phenomenon. The restrictions imposed by the State on cross border movements of the fisherfolk have led to strains in bilateral relations, loss of human lives and destruction of fishing crafts.

The root cause of the present tension in Palk Bay is the conflict of interests. On the one side are the Governments of India and Sri Lanka, who in furtherance of good neighborly relations, concluded the maritime boundary agreements of 1974 and 1976. These agreements ceded the island of Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka and also gave away the traditional fishing rights enjoyed by the Indian fishermen to fish in and around Kachchatheevu. On the other side are the Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen, who will not easily give up their means of livelihood. With the declaration of ceasefire by the Tigers and Colombo in 2002, and more so, after the end of the Fourth Eelam War in 2009, a new dimension was added to the conflict. The Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen, who resumed fishing after several years, found the presence of Indian trawlers in their waters to be the major threat to their livelihood. It would be imprudent to create a Berlin Wall in the Palk Strait, for the simple reason that the links between the two peoples cannot be severed. They are like Siamese twins, what afflicts one will affect the other.

A misconception in Sri Lanka must be highlighted. The senior officials in the Government maintain that Indian fishermen are the major offenders. They ignore the fact that Sri Lankan fishermen also trespass into other countrys waters. A Sri Lankan diplomat based in the Maldives told me that his main job was to get Sri Lankan fishermen released from prison after paying the fine to the Maldivian Government. Basil Rajapaksa, a few years ago, admitted in an interview to the Asian Tribune that Sri Lankan fishermen are equally guilty of the same crime.

Crossing the international maritime boundary and fishing in another countrys waters are considered civilian economic offenses. Article 145 of the UN Law of the Sea stipulates Measures will be taken to ensure effective protection of human life. Article 75 mentions that a coastal state can take measures including boarding, inspection, arrest and judicial proceedings to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations. Shooting and killing of fishermen, who cross the international maritime boundaries, violate the UN Law of the Sea and is against all cannon of natural justice and militates against friendly neighborly relations. It must also be pointed out that when fishermen from Pakistan and Sri Lanka enter Indian waters they are detained and tried according to the law of the land. There had been no occasion when the Indian Coast Guard had resorted to shooting and killing of intruding fishermen.

According to the statistics published by the Government of Tamil Nadu, some years ago, since the conclusion of the maritime boundary agreements, over 100 fishermen from Tamil Nadu have been killed, 326 fishermen seriously injured and 35 fishing vessels destroyed, and fish worth crores of rupees dumped into the sea. After the end of the Fourth Eelam War, there had been no deaths due to shooting, but the detention of erring fishermen and trawlers were taking place. What happened recently in Sri Lanka, which led to the death of 4 Tamil Nadu fishermen, has the potential of enraging the fishing community in Tamil Nadu and creating further tensions in bilateral relations.

The background to the incident is shrouded in mystery. According to the spokesperson of the Alliance for the Release of Innocent Fishermen (ARIF), the Sri Lankan navy had beaten the four fishermen to death. According to Arulanandan of ARIF The pictures of the bodies of fishermen bear many injuries and deep cuts. Blood clots and stains could be seen. There would not be blood clots if they were drowned, as alleged by Sri Lankan Navy. The four fishermen, A Messiah, 30; V Nagaraj, 52; N Samson Darwin, 28, and Senthil Kumar, 32  all hailed from Ramanathapuram district. They set sail on January 18 along with 200 mechanized trawlers. While all other trawlers returned the trawler containing four fishermen was missing. Indian fishermen have demanded that post mortem must be video graphed and bodies handed over to relatives.

According to Ramanathapuram fishermen, the incident took place very near Kachchatheevu. it must be highlighted that this is the standard answer given by fishermen. In the course of my fieldwork among fishermen in the Ramanathapuram district, I have met several injured fishermen and relatives of those killed by the Sri Lankan Navy. They invariably replied the incident took place near Kachchatheevu. The fact is that our fishermen go very deep into Sri Lankan waters. According to Colombo Telegraph, the trawler was apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy near Neduntheeevu and sunk. There were three naval aircrafts present in the area. The bodies were recovered by the Sri Lankan Navy on 20th January.

The situation in the Northern Province is deteriorating day by day. The Memorial in the Jaffna University was razed to the ground by the University authorities on the instructions of the Government, much against Indian opposition. According to informed sources, the Government of Sri Lanka has also decided to grant a power project in one of the islands to China over several objections. The question naturally arises would Sri Lanka hold the St. Anthonys festival in Kachchatheevu in March? The implications of Chinas entry into the Northern Province need to be closely watched by Sri Lanka watchers in India.

The damage caused to the livelihood of Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen by Indian bottom trawlers needs to be carefully examined by the Government of India, especially the ruling dispensation in Tamil Nadu. A solution could be found only if Tamil Nadu persuades New Delhi to withdraw all trawlers from the Palk Bay. I have pointed out elsewhere that the crisis provides an opportunity for Indian diplomacy. The trust deficit, which characterizes Sri Lankan attitude on the fishermen issue, could be removed only if New Delhi pursues a policy of asymmetrical reciprocity and tries to convert the contested territory into a common heritage.

Dr. V. Suryanarayan is Founding Director and Senior Professor (Retd.), Centre for South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of Madras. His email id: suryageeth@gmail.com
MASON CITY, Iowa  A guilty plea is entered in a case of Mason City gunfire.

Norance Adolf Reyerson, 58 of Mason City, has pleaded guilty to intimidation with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm as a felon. His sentencing is set for March 15.

Reyerson was arrested after Mason City police said he had a confrontation with another person on November 7, 2020, in the 400 block of East State Street. Reyerson reportedly pushed the victim to try and enter an apartment. After the door was closed, the victim reported hearing a loud bang and police say they found a bullet hole in the structure.


Courtesy of Ivy Park

On Sunday, Beyonce teased on Instagram the next release for her athleisure line, Ivy Park. The Houston mega star's clothing brand dropped a teaser video for the upcoming launch, called Icy Park.

In this tease of the new release, a video on the @WeAreIvyPark Instagram shows celebrities sporting the Ivy Park brand, including Gucci Mane and Hailey Bieber. The caption on the video reads, "ICYPARK Coming Soon. #adidasxIVYPARK #IVYPARK"
What do the corona virus vaccine and Ampere-based notebooks have in common? In both cases we might have to wait several months until they become available to the general public. Should the current shortages in desktop GPU supply (which also affect AMD) continue it might be very hard to get your hands on a current notebook in the foreseeable future.

All things considered we are struggling to provide you with an assessment of Nvidias mobile Ampere generation. On the one hand Nvidia deserves praise for how powerful thin and compact notebooks have become. Both, the Schenker XMG Neo 17 (RTX 3070 Laptop) as well as the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC (RTX 3080 Laptop) are about as fast as their much thicker and heavier RTX 2080-based counterparts, such as for example the MSI GT76. In addition, we found it surprising how well these GPUs performed considering the drastic TDP cuts down to in some cases a fourth of their desktop counterparts. Yet against all odds performance did not plummet.
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SAN FRANCISCO, California  Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow and an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, now shares something in common with the former president: Hes been permanently banned from Twitter.

Like Trump, Lindell is being banned because he continues to spread false claims of fraud in regard to the 2020 presidential election, Reuters reports. Twitter confirmed the ban Monday and says it is permanent.

The Associated Press reports Twitter has banned more 70,000 accounts for sharing misinformation since the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters on Jan. 6.

Lindell has continued to assert that the election was stolen from Trump even though there is no evidence of widespread fraud. Days before Trump left office, Lindell visited Trump in the White House and was carrying notes that seemed to suggest that Trump consider declaring martial law in order to remain in power.

His outspoken views have led to his products being removed from stores such as Bed, Bath & Beyond and Kohls. Lindell also might be sued Dominion Voting Systems for claiming that their voting machines played a role in alleged election fraud. Dominion is suing Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani for $1.3 billion, as well as as lawyer Sidney Powell.

Lindell is considering running for governor in Minnesota, Politico reports.
A mummy blogger with a radiant complexion has revealed she applies her own breast milk to her face as part of her skincare regime.

Si-Si Shoffman, 30, who is from Glasgow but now lives in London, has gained over 14,000 followers on Instagram thanks to her parenting and beauty tips.

The Skin & Aesthetics Trainer gave birth to her son Clayton Jagger Shoffman, nicknamed CJ, last summer and revealed she has been using breast milk on her face in the months since.

She claims it is 'liquid gold' and packed with benefits including 'magical anti-inflammatory' properties'.

Si-Si Shoffman, 30, who lives in London, has gone viral on Instagram after urging her followers to use colostrum in their skincare regime. Pictured: Si Si with her husband Jason and their son Clayton Jagger Shoffman

Si-Si (pictured) shared a video revealing she applies the breast milk to her face using a syringe, before finishing the routine with a moisturizer

In a lengthy caption on the post, Si Si said the benefits of using 'liquid gold' on the face includes anti-ageing and fighting any problematic bacteria

In a video Si Si, demonstrates how she uses a syringe to apply the milk on her face after cleansing and then adds a moisturizer.

Si-Si said she uses colostrum, which is the milk produced in the first few days after giving birth, but breastmilk in general has been shown to have positive properties.

The 30-year-old said it is anti-inflammatory, fights problematic bacteria, helps hormonal imbalances and aids skin regeneration.

Si-Si said: 'After applying my colostrum Ive gone in with some @fuarainskincare moisturiser... which contains some potent magical ingredients extracted from Scottish water...

Si Si said she uses a cleanser before applying the breast milk and admitted the hack may seem 'crazy'. Pictured: Si Si and baby CJ

'So basically tonight Matthew: I am my very own self made magical Scottish unicorn.. Get your liquid gold on ladies!'

Speaking to Femail, Si Si explained that she keeps the colostrum ready to use by storing it in a sterile 1ml syringe and in the freezer.

'Basically the day you go to use it - you take out the freezer. It takes less than one hour to defrost and then you use half the syringe, refrigerate and use half the syringe the following evening,' she added.

A stream of responses to the post praised Si Si for sharing the benefits of breast milk for skin and gushed they're excited to try the hack for themselves.

One person wrote: 'This is so cool! Your skin is glowing'

Another joked: 'Contemplating having a baby just for the perfect skin'

'You look fabulous! Beautiful skin,' a third added.

Another said: 'Whoa that's quire interesting, I didn't know about that! Will keep in mind for when the time comes'
NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernstein Liebhard, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Penumbra, Inc. ("Penumbra" or the "Company") (NYSE: PEN) from August 3, 2020 through December 15, 2020 (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit filed in the United States District for the Northern District of California alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you purchased Penumbra securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Penumbra Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Matthew E. Guarnero toll free at (877) 779-1414 or [email protected].

The complaint alleges that during the Class Period defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: (1) that the Jet 7 Xtra Flex had known design defects that made it unsafe for its normal use; (2) that Penumbra did not adequately address the risk of the Jet 7 Xtra Flex causing serious injury and deaths, which had in fact already occurred; (3) that the Jet 7 Xtra Flex was likely to be recalled due to its safety issues; and (4) as a result, Penumbra's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On December 8, 2020, Quintessential Capital Management ("QCM") published a report questioning the validity and independence of the scientific research supporting the Jet 7 Xtra Flex's safety, and accused the Company of using a fake author to publish studies regarding the purported safety and efficacy of its products.

In response, Penumbra's stock price fell by 9%, $224.02 per share on December 7, 2020, to $204.70 per share on December 8, 2020, a decline of $19.95 per share.

On December 15, 2020, after the markets closed, the Company issued a press release announcing that it was issuing an "urgent" recall of the Jet 7 Xtra Flex because the catheter "may become susceptible to distal tip damage during use" which could lead to injury or death. On a conference call held the same day, the Company's CEO acknowledged that the product's design "ma[de] the catheter susceptible to failure in certain scenarios" and that the Company's "steps to ensure the safe use of the product...were not able to fully address the risks."

In response, Penumbra's stock price fell by 7%, from $188.82 per share on December 15, 2020 to $174.98 per share on December 16, 2020, a decline of $13.84 per share.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than March 16, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.

If you purchased Penumbra securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/penumbrainc-pen-shareholder-class-action-lawsuit-fraud-stock-345/apply/ or contact Matthew E. Guarnero toll free at (877) 779-1414 or [email protected].

Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years.

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2021 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

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The Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Jan. 14, 2021, should have been filled with the joyful celebrations of 10 years of democracy following the 2011 popular Jasmine Revolution that ousted President Zine Abedine Ben Ali. Instead, politicians currently in power who benefited from the revolution face the same anger and unrest from the children of that very revolution.

Winter is Tunisias traditional season of discontent. As 2021 began, the country was in an ugly mood. The Tunisian economy had shrunk by 9% in 2020, some industries such as tourism have been all but destroyed, while people have had to endure strict enforcement of curfews under the COVID-19 restrictions, rising food costs and unemployment.

In what was seen as a peremptory move to prevent demonstrations, Tunisias Health Minister Fouzi Mehdi announced a four-day lockdown on the pretext of COVID-19 sanitary restrictions starting Jan. 14, effectively canceling the 10th anniversary celebrations of Tunisias popular revolution.

Determined to demonstrate on Jan. 14, the wounded martyrs of the revolution were not fazed by the lockdown. The families of activists who lost their lives at the hands of the police during the 2011 revolution have been campaigning for the publication of an official and definitive list of revolutionary martyrs and for their deaths to be acknowledged by the state. However, when they arrived at the central avenue of Habib Bourguiba, they were forced back by police.

The lockdown left youths in the poor neighborhoods in Tunis discontent. Youths from marginalized neighborhoods such as Ettadhamen and Kabaria set tires on fire in the streets and went to war against the police. Night after night, youths have been setting the streets alight, looting supermarkets and fighting with the police. The police replied with beatings, tear gas and mass arrests.

Romdhane Ben Amor of the Tunisian Forum for Social and Economic Rights told Al-Monitor there are no exact figures even on the Ministry of Interior website, but the estimation is that there have been around 1,300 to 1,400 arrests of which some 30% to 35% are minors. He said, There are the testimonies from the young people who have been freed that they have been detained alongside adults and [experienced] aggressions and threats from guards.

Protests since then have split between daytime protests by self-identified political activists, who are mostly middle class and demand a fundamental systemic change. Among them are new movements of young people inspired by the Antifa movements theyve seen on the news. Tech-savvy, they call themselves The Wrong Generation and are developing new ways to be heard peacefully, yet still  like the ultra-violent nighttime youth in deprived neighborhoods  The Wrong Generation is being chased by police and their allies and arrested and detained for days in appalling conditions.

Nighttime protestor and activist Oussema Dhari, from the marginalized suburb of Raoued in Tunis, told Al-Monitor, People from the ordinary hoods and the Ultras have a real hatred of the police; we are angry and we want our revenge, and we dont want anything in return. He said they prefer to protest in their neighborhoods because its their safe zone, where they have an advantage over the police. He says the lockdowns have had a detrimental effect on society. Our daily rhythm has been ruptured, even sitting in a cafe is impossible now. I dont feel like a citizen now.

A 17-year-old skateboarder from Denden suburb in Tunis told Al-Monitor, The 15- to 19-year-olds are stigmatized by the way we dress. When we walk in the streets the police always hassle us, saying Who are you? Where are you going?'" He said skaters, in particular, suffer: They (the police) broke my first board and they tried to knock people off their skateboards.

Political reactions have been mixed. President Kais Saied tried to calm the nation by appealing to the people not to go out at night or damage property. But members of the government have chosen to provoke fear in the public's mind, with Defense Minister Brahim Bartagi warning of terrorist elements among the night protestors and Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi vowing to deploy security forces in the neighborhoods.

However, in the post-Ben Ali era, violence committed by the police is quite clear. Videos circulating on social media and by liberal news channels show the police firing huge amounts of tear gas in neighborhoods, fogging out whole streets and even firing cans into family homes.

Nawres Douzi of the Tunisian League of Human Rights, which has publicly denounced the levels of violence, told Al-Monitor there had been 1,300 arrests in the capital alone.

Not all of the protesters were arrested during the actual protests. Latifa Madani, a 53-year-old mother, told Al-Monitor a friend of her sons came to their house in the old quarter of Bab Khadra to escape the police during a night protest. She said police kicked in her front door and ran into the living room to take her son and his friend. I tried to protect my child, but they pointed a gun at me and took my son Raed (18 years of age)." She said her son had been at home and the police also tried to take her other boy, 16-year-old Khalil, who has severe autism. She has not seen her son since his arrest.

Human rights lawyer Yassine Azarara told Al-Monitor that on Jan. 20, six minors received jail sentences of two years each in the court of Bizerte. Walid Araoui, founder of the Association for Equitable Judicial Process, told Al-Monitor they were concerned about the rapidity of the legal process. We have seen those accused go from being arrested to charged by the public prosecutor to being convicted in the space of one hour. In a press conference on Jan. 21, a coalition of leading civil society members launched a campaign to have all charges against the young protesters dropped.

Jan. 23 saw a demonstration that protestors described as being the march "postponed from Jan. 14." Habib Bourguiba Ave. was saturated with riot police in Arquus armored vans that had been freshly delivered from France as part of a new 60-vehicle fleet of armored riot trucks and a refurbished water cannon.

Protestors chanted Degage! (French for "Get out") and [Rachid] Ghannouchi, you broke the law! and demanded real sovereignty for the Tunisian people. Activist Jawaher Channa, 33, who was injured during the revolution, told Al-Monitor she believed the government is nervous and afraid.

Older activists who had opposed Ben Ali and the Jasmine Revolution generation marched alongside young people, most of who barely remember the revolution and grew up in the democratic second republic. Amel, a 20-year-old interior design student, said, Im just an ordinary person. Im not politically cultured. But I felt the responsibility for the future of my 14-year-old brother to be here.

Ofram Sfara, a 23-year-old journalism student, told Al-Monitor, We want the system to be changed for the same reasons as the first revolution. We used to be afraid to even say the presidents name, but now the freedom of speech we won is under threat.

Firas Bejaoui, a fellow journalism student, said, We want them to defund the police; they spend and spend on security when they should be spending money on students. We want to burn down the fascist police state.

Zouhaiya, 23, who is studying electronics, said, There are many people suffering; they cant afford to buy anything. We cannot live like this anymore. They kidnap people from their homes. We say stop lying to us. Stop the bulls**t. We know everything; we know all about the corruption. We are tired of them treating us like we are donkeys.

As demonstrations continue, the main focus is to get justice for the minors arrested and to see meaningful change in the state and the policing. Jan. 26 will see both the parliament vote on the prime ministers proposed Cabinet reshuffle and a popular march from the neighborhood of Hay Ettadhamen, where much of the rioting has taken place, to the House of Representatives in Bardo, Tunis.
They have been as loved-up as ever in recent sightings.

And Helena Bonham Carter, 54, proved herself to be inseparable from her boyfriend Rye Dag Holmboe, 32, as they headed out on a stroll in London on Tuesday.

The actress, who previously revealed her romance with the writer is 'a bit of unexpected magic in [her] life', wrapped up against the chill as she walked alongside her partner in sheer relaxation mode amid the chill in the capital.

Out and about: Helena Bonham Carter, 54, proved herself to be inseparable from her boyfriend Rye Dag Holmboe, 32, as they headed out on a stroll in London on Tuesday

Helena kept things cosy as she walked down the street, adding a typically kooky touch to proceedings with her beanie which featured a pink pom pom.

After meeting the writer at a wedding over two years ago, Helena gushed in late 2019 that their romance has been 'a bit of unexpected magic in my life'.

Helena shares son Billy, 17, and 13-year-old daughter Nell with her ex Tim Burton, 62.

The Cinderella star had a famously unconventional 13-year relationship with director Tim, which ended in 2014.

Sweet: The actress, who previously revealed her romance with the writer is 'a bit of unexpected magic in [her] life', wrapped up against the chill as she walked alongside her partner in sheer relaxation mode amid the chill in the capital

Out and about: Helena kept things cosy as she walked down the street, adding a typically kooky touch to proceedings with her beanie which featured a pink pom pom

On finally moving on from Tim, the Enid star  who previously dated Irish actor Kenneth Branagh between 1994 and 1999  admitted she grew tired of 'grieving' their relationship, and now leads a 'happy' life with her new boyfriend.

Speaking to Harper's Bazaar UK, the thespian shared: 'You break up, you grieve, you get bored of grieving. And then you finally move on.

'I'm very happy with someone else. It's been a bit of unexpected magic in my life.'

Her love: Speaking to Harper's Bazaar UK , the thespian shared: 'You break up, you grieve, you get bored of grieving. And then you finally move on'

On the professional front, Helena won rave reviews for her role as Princess Margaret on seasons three and four of The Crown.

Helena recently told how she believes the Netflix series has a 'moral responsibility' to remind viewers they are not watching a documentary.

She told The Crown: The Official Podcast: 'It is dramatised. I do feel very strongly because I think we have a moral responsibility to say hang on guys, it's not a drama doc, we're making a drama. They are different entities.'
https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Holocaust-Survivors-Falafel-is-Tribute-to-His-Survival.html

Every Jan. 18th, the anniversary of his darkest day, David Dugo Leitner eats a falafel as a tribute to his mothers love and that hell never go hungry again.

David Dugo Leitner was born in 1930, in the town of Nyiregyhaza, some 200 kilometers from Budapest in Hungary, the second oldest of four children. In March 1944, amid the Nazis frenzied Jewish persecution, he and his family were deported to a ghetto a few weeks after Passover, and then three weeks later to Auschwitz. They arrived on the holiday of Shavuot.

I was 14 years old when I arrived, he told Aish.com. I was with 30 children from my Talmud Torah (school class), my mother and sisters were separated and taken away and I never saw them again. Dugo, his brother and father passed the first selection. His father was sent to forced labor eventually perishing at the Buchenwald concentration camp, while he and his brother endured over eight months in the camp.

David Dugo Leitner

On January 18 1945 as Soviet forces approached the Auschwitz concentration camp complex, the SS forced Dugo and 60,000 other prisoners to march westwards in the freezing conditions. Thousands had been killed in the camps in the days before, and during the marches, SS guards shot anyone who fell behind or could not continue. Around 15,000 prisoners perished on the way.

It was freezing cold, wearing a thin shirt and a pair of pants with one leg three quarter length, while the other reached my knees. I couldnt open my eyes, I was almost a block of ice. We walked for three days without stopping. People were falling all around me and the march just continued.

Amid the agony and the hunger, his thoughts turned to the memory of his mothers home cooking.

You couldnt sleep, Dugo explained, since falling asleep would have meant death. At one point, I did fall asleep and I dreamt about my home and I cried like I had never cried before.

He dreamed of bilkelah, small sweet bread buns his mother used to make for him each day for his lunch at school, and also of her promise that the family would one day move to the Land of Israel.

My mother always told me about the Land of Israel and how good it was there, and that one day soon we would go to live there.

She used to say that in the Land of Israel bilkelah grew on trees. David, if youre ever hungry you can just pick a bilkelah from the tree. In my dream I asked my mother, Please mother, give me just one bilkelah now, and her voice returned to me in the dream. Dovid, I cant give you now. Only when you get to Israel, when you reach Jerusalem.

The dream gave him strength and kept him alive. He reached the Mauthausen camp on January 30 and was liberated, one of only a group of 324 prisoners, with many escaping or dying on the way. Dugos brother also survived the war.

Here its called falafel

Dugo and his brother moved to Israel in 1949. When I arrived, the first thing I wanted to do was go to Jerusalem. Looking around the city, he chanced upon the Mahane Yehuda market and froze as he passed a falafel stand. The food reminded him of the bilkelah his mother would make him.

I saw them frying these reddish brown balls in oil, and memories of my mother and the death march came back to me. Dovid, I cant give you now, only when you get to Israel, when you reach Jerusalem. Remember what I told you about bilkelah, here its called falafel.

As he ate the falafel, every mouthful reminded him of the miracle of his survival. When he finished, he ordered another portion.

Ever since, every January 18th, the anniversary of the darkest day of his life, Dugo eats a double portion of falafel, as a tribute that he will never go hungry again. It became his personal tribute to his survival, while holding tightly to the memory of his mothers love.



A father and son eat falafel in solidarity with Dugo. The sign reads, #OperationDugo Am Yisrael Chai

#Operation Dugo

Every year, as Leitner left his home to eat this double portion of falafel, his family understood it was a very personal time for him. One of his two daughters Zehava Kor said. All those years, dad always went alone to have falafel to mark the day. We knew January 18 meant a lot to him and he needed to be alone and get in touch with himself.

Once Dugo's great-grandchildren asked to join him and word of his tradition became more known. Testimony House, a small Holocaust education institution in Nir Galim  a moshav near Ashdod which David and Sarah Leitner had helped to establish posted about his falafel custom on social media in 2016, and more followers joined. In 2019, President Reuven Rivlin invited Leitner to his official residence to have falafel with him.



Dugo and his family with President Reuven Rivlin last year.

This year, even amid the pandemic thousands of people joined Dugo in his annual tradition. Social media was flooded with pictures of people all over the world eating falafel in solidarity with him. The Israeli Embassy gave out hundreds of falafel portions on the streets of Warsaw.

Its amazing that so many people have joined me in my tradition, Dugo says. If my mother would have known I made it to Israel, she would have said, Baruch Hashem, (Thank God) you survived, I succeeded in protecting you! I wish you peace.

With thanks to Jroots for their help with this article.
PLEASANTON, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As government leaders and major organizations such as the National Retail Federation and other US businesses encourage Americans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, incentives solutions leader Blackhawk Network conducted research1 to understand which incentives could prove most effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that more than 12 million Americans (approximately 3.7% of the total U.S. population2) have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. According to Blackhawk's research, approximately 40% of respondents are either unsure about getting the vaccine or do not plan to get itbut certain incentives could boost vaccination rates.

"We have been receiving an influx of questions from our clients and partners about the role incentives play in encouraging Americans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. To better understand how incentives could impact COVID-19 immunization adoption and provide informed insights to our partners, we conducted research that found monetary incentiveseven modest onescould be an effective option," said Jeff Haughton, SVP, Incentives, Corporate Development & Strategy of Blackhawk Network, a global branded payments provider. "Incentives are powerful tools for driving desired behaviors, and the key for government agencies and businesses looking to increase vaccination rates and support public health will be ensuring they are offering incentives their target audiences find most valuable and attractive."

The "COVID-19 Vaccine Incentives" study was comprised of two surveys asking Americans about whether incentives from the government or their employer would motivate them to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Topline findings include:

Money talks . When asked their preferred incentive for getting the COVID-19 vaccine, money was the top choice among respondents. More than two thirds said they would accept a monetary incentive ranging from as little as $10 to as much as $1,000 or moreone third of the total respondents would complete the vaccination process for a $100 incentive or less. The remaining third of respondents said money would not influence their willingness to get the vaccine. Paid time off was a distant second choice.

. When asked their preferred incentive for getting the COVID-19 vaccine, money was the top choice among respondents. More than two thirds said they would accept a monetary incentive ranging from as little as to as much as or moreone third of the total respondents would complete the vaccination process for a incentive or less. The remaining third of respondents said money would not influence their willingness to get the vaccine. Paid time off was a distant second choice. Monetary incentives are welcome in different forms. While most respondents would prefer to receive their incentives via a direct deposit to their bank account, about 25% would prefer to receive a prepaid or gift card in digital or physical form. About 10% of respondents would prefer to receive digital delivery via PayPal, Zelle or Venmo.

While most respondents would prefer to receive their incentives via a direct deposit to their bank account, about 25% would prefer to receive a prepaid or gift card in digital or physical form. About 10% of respondents would prefer to receive digital delivery via PayPal, Zelle or Venmo. Incentives drive vaccination rates among families. Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine after being encouraged by the government or an employer would not only drive people to vaccinate themselves but would also encourage half of respondents to urge their family members to also get vaccinated.

"Last year's events significantly impacted many Americans' financial security, so it's no surprise that monetary incentives can be effective in motivating people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine," added Talbott Roche, CEO and president of Blackhawk Network. "It also makes sense that one quarter of respondents would prefer their incentive on a prepaid or gift card. A significant number of Americans are unbanked or underbanked and as the U.S. economy increasingly relies on digital transactions post-COVID, payment cards can help connect those who otherwise struggle to access the digital economy. Just in the last few months, we've seen forms of branded payments like gift cards used by nonprofits to distribute relief, the government for stimulus payments, employers increasing rewards and recognition and retailers embracing contactless payments. It's no stretch that vaccine incentives are next on the list. By providing Americans with funds they can spend via multiple channels, businesses and the government are encouraging them to spend with local, regional and national merchantspumping money back into our economy while simultaneously driving behavior."

Blackhawk Network is one of the top issuers of gift and prepaid cards with more than $25 billion distributed annually cross the globe. Visit www.blackhawknetwork.com for a full selection of prepaid and gift card options.

About Blackhawk Network

Blackhawk Network delivers branded payment solutions through the prepaid products, technologies and network that connect brands and people. We collaborate with our partners to innovate, translating market trends in branded payments to increase reach, loyalty and revenue. Serving 28 countries, we reliably execute security-minded solutions worldwide. Join us as we shape the future of global branded payments. Learn more at blackhawknetwork.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ashley Jackson

The Fletcher Group

719.332.3495

[email protected]

____________

1 The "COVID-19 Vaccine Incentives" report is based on the combined findings of two internet-based surveys conducted by Survey Monkey on behalf of Blackhawk Network January 1517, 2021. The sample size for the government incentives study included 1,005 U.S. respondents ages 18+ and the sample size for the employer incentives study included 1,105 U.S. respondents ages 18+.

2 "U.S. and World Population Clock" is a real-time population tracker managed by the U.S. Census Bureau. As of January 19, 2021, the tracker reported the U.S. population to be more than 330 million people.

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The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has opposed an increase in the equity share holding provided for host oil communities in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), saying the proposed 2.5 per cent share for them was fair.

Mr Sylva spoke on Tuesday barely 24 hours after the host communities, under the aegis of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), rejected that provision of the bill and demanded a higher percentage.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how HOSTCOM, at the public hearing on PIB at the Senate, rejected the proposed 2.5 per cent and demanded that 10 per cent equity share holding be allocated to the host communities.

This paper also reported how some oil producing companies raised concerns on the bill and made recommendations as well.

The two-day hearing began on Monday and ended on Tuesday.

Oil marketers and other players in the industry were present at the forum to make submissions on the legislation.

HOSTCON National President, Benjamin Tamaranebi, had argued that the communities deserved 10 percent after 60 years of marginalisation and bearing the brunt of the negative impacts of exploration and exploitation.

But in a chat with journalists, Mr Sylva said the percentage proposed was fair.

The minister, who is also a member of the host communities, said as far as the executive was concerned, the proposed percentage was fair to the host communities, to the country and to the companies.

The 2.5 per cent that was proposed in the bill is fair. I speak advisably as a member of the Host Community myself, he said.

If you have to look at it properly, you will see that 10 per cent of profit is different from 10 per cent of the Operating Cost (OPEX).

Before now, you had the provision of 10 per cent of profit and profit means that if I dont declare it, you dont have anything. I can decide to say 100 per cent of profit and not declare any profit, so you dont get anything.

But in this case, it is 2.5 per cent of the OPEX. So, at the end of the year, you look at your operating cost and take 2.5 per cent of that cost to the budget of the next year.

The House of Representatives is expected to commence hearing on the bill on Wednesday.

Contract manufacturer Dixon Technologies India Ltd Monday said its subsidiary Padget Electronics has signed an agreement to manufacture Nokia smartphones at its plant in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

The company has entered a manufacturing partnership with HMD India, which holds the rights to Nokias brand name in smartphones, Dixon Technologies said in a regulatory filing.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

They have established a strong and trusted foothold globally, thanks to their advanced technology. We are sure that with their vision and stringent industry-leading processes, combined with our expertise in manufacturing, we will be able to bring a range of Nokia smartphones to customers," said Atul Lall, vice-chairman and managing director of Dixon Technologies.

In December, Dixon had announced an agreement with Lenovo-owned Motorola to make smartphones in India.

India is strategically important for us, not just as a market, but also as a sourcing and manufacturing destination, and were glad to be able to play a role in realizing the vision of Make in India and Self-reliant India. One hundred percent of Nokia phones sold in India are made in India and in this endeavour, we are glad to partner with Dixon Technologies Indias wholly owned subsidiaryPadget Electronicsas one of our smartphone manufacturing partners for India," said Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, vice president, HMD Global.

Investors in HMD Global include Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer Foxconn, which also manufactures Nokia-branded feature phones in India. Google and Qualcomm too invested in HMD Global in August last year.

Lall told Mint in August that thecompany is in talks with large global players" for servicing both domestic and global markets. The company has plans to manufacture 70-80 million smartphones per year in India in the next few years, Lall told Mint. Padget Electronics is among five domestic manufacturers who have been approved to receive the benefits of Indias new production-linked incentive scheme. The scheme offers smartphone makers cash incentives of 4-6% for making phones in India. The others are Micromax, UTL Neolyncs, Optiemus Electronics and Lava.

Industry experts say that homegrown companies like Padget are expected to benefit heavily from the PLI scheme.

The government had said it expects local and international companies who had applied for the scheme to produce 11.5 trillion worth of goods in the next five years.

About half of this was expected to be exported. Experts say that while companies like Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron will likely ramp up production for Apple, homegrown companies stand to gain a lot too.

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File photo of the Indian American founder of The Khan Academy, Sal Khan, participating in a discussion at the New York Times 2013 DealBook Conference in New York at the New York Times Building on Nov. 12, 2013 in New York City. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for The New York Times)
Statement delivered by Ambassador Byrne Nason at UNSC Briefing on Implementation of Res. 2532 (2020)

Statement

Thank you very much Mr. President and thank you for convening the debate, an important one today, and I want to say a special thank you to each of our excellent briefers this morning.

Mr. President, when the Council finally adopted resolution 2532 in July last year, the world had already endured six months, six long months of COVID-19. In many countries, it seemed then, as if the end might be in sight. However, in this crisis, for which the world had failed to prepare, the worst was yet to come. Lets be clear, for many the darkest days are now.

In the COVID-19 pandemic, as with climate change, we may all be in the same storm; however, many of us are in different boats. The effects of the pandemic have been, and will continue to be, much more severe on those already living in countries in conflict, living in countries on the edge or countries at risk of conflict.

Mr. President, while the WHO is rightly leading the global response, we are convinced that this Council cannot ignore the threat to peace and security posed by the pandemic. COVID-19 has increased poverty, disrupted education and worsened food insecurity. It has weakened economies and eroded trust in public institutions. We all know that these factors can lead to, or exacerbate, conflict.

As we see it, there are three key areas where the international community can, and should act.

First, we can act now to prevent conflicts resulting from the interaction of this crisis, this health crisis, with pre-existing fragilities.

This means fully implementing resolution 2532. As we have seen in Libya, a cessation of violence creates space for dialogue. It also frees up essential resources to combat the pandemic, including for health systems that will be essential to combatting the virus and vaccination programmes. Ireland continues to fully support the Secretary-Generals call for a global ceasefire. We urge all parties to conflict to heed that.

Within this Council, we must listen to  and act on  the analysis on COVID-19 provided in the Secretary Generals regular reporting. To prevent crises, we need to be engaged in preventative diplomacy, looking at where COVID-19 is exacerbating tensions that could potentially lead to the outbreak of conflict. This Councils voice matters. That means calling out discrimination, including in access to health services. We must be united against disinformation, against hate speech and against stigmatisation, which sometimes targets health workers or UN personnel.

In post-conflict contexts, we simply have to safeguard the really hard won peacebuilding gains. The Peacebuilding Commissions own reorientation of its work since March, focusing on the impact of the pandemic on countries on its agenda, is a welcome example of a very pragmatic implementation of the resolution. Ensuring equitable access to quality, safe and effective vaccines will be an important pillar for global recovery and for stabilisation in fragile contexts.

Second, we must carefully consider the impact of COVID-19 on UN Peacekeeping operations. UN Peacekeeping missions have admirably adjusted to the new challenges posed by the pandemic, including through re-allocation of resources, some delayed rotations and remote working arrangements. We commend the UN for enabling peacekeeping missions to continue their work, not least in the protection of vulnerable communities.

As an experienced troop contributor, we know that community engagement is a vital aspect of peacekeeping. The pandemic has created new challenges for peacekeepers in reaching and protecting those vulnerable populations. We believe that we must ensure that peacekeepers are fully supported and fully resourced in the implementation of their mandates. We also need to be watchful for disproportionate measures at local levels that impede peacekeepers access, and we need to be alert to the risk of misinformation. We welcome the measures that the UN has put in place to help protect both peacekeepers and the communities they work with.

Our peacekeepers are front line workers, just as healthcare and humanitarian actors are. This should be taken into account as we plan vaccine roll out. We appreciate last weeks discussion on vaccination of UN peacekeepers against COVID- and the implementation of transitional rotation measures and welcome the suggestion for the Group of Friends of TCCs/PCCs to further discuss these issues.

Third, Mr. President, in conflict situations, if humanitarian access was already a significant challenge, this has been exacerbated by the pandemic. While countries necessarily introduced movement restrictions to combat COVID-19, these should not hamper the ability of humanitarian or health workers to reach those in greatest need. Those affected by conflict before the pandemic  IDPs, refugees and migrant workers  have been hardest hit during the pandemic. We also know that there has been a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable women and girls, and are concerned with the increase in gender-based violence. The Secretary General, and Mark Lowcock this morning, have called on us to be alert; we need to match our vigilance with follow through.

Mr President,

We are living in unprecedented times, dealing with unprecedented challenges that test all of us, every day. But that doesnt mean that we become observers. This Council has a duty and responsibility in these times to step up. Where conflict continues, preventing the spread of a pandemic, mitigating its impact and protecting civilians is more difficult than ever. Vaccinating those most vulnerable is an enormous responsibility for the international community, but clearly one on which we must deliver. Dr Mike Ryan of the WHO has regularly reminded us, no one is safe until all of us are safe. Mr President, no one should be left behind.

Thank you.

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Ethiopia is acting unilaterally and intransigently in the GERD dispute, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told parliament on Tuesday, adding that Egypt would not allow any harm to its water rights.

In a speech to the House on the accomplishments and goals of the country's foreign policy, Shoukry told MPs that Egypt insists on a binding legal agreement between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, as the way to resolve the years-long dispute.

He also explained to the House that Egypt's foreign policy aims at the resolution of all conflicts in the region through peaceful means.

The foreign minister stressed that Egypt rejects methods of conspiracy and interference in other nations domestic affairs.

Shoukry added that the country's foreign policy is based on cooperation, coordination, diversification and achieving balance.

The foreign ministry has been working to implement the states vision in defending the country's interests, preserving national security, facing terrorism and achieving sustainable development, Shoukry said.

The Palestinian cause remains a top priority for Egypt, Shoukry stressed.

Egyptian diplomacy and the GERD dispute

Egyptian diplomacy seeks to reach a just and balanced agreement in the GERD dispute that allows Ethiopia to achieve its developmental goals and, at the same time, protects Egyptian and Sudanese rights, the minister said.

Shoukry affirmed that Egypt views negotiations, including those under the African Union (AU) supervision, as a tool to reach a fair agreement that would preserve Egypts water rights.

Egypt managed to bring the GERD file to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Shoukry said, referring to an open session held on 30 June last year to discuss the political and technical implications of the GERD, as per an Egyptian request.

Shoukry said referring the issue to the UNSC came in light of the Egyptian diplomacys keenness to resort to international support.

He added that the Security Council held the session as it was aware of the issues serious implications on regional security and stability.

During the UNSC session, Egypt explained that Nile is a matter of life for the Egyptian people and that Cairo would not tolerate any harm to its water interests or resources, Shoukry said.

Multiple rounds of negotiations between the three countries to reach a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam have ended in various deadlocks, as Addis Ababa remained non-commital to reaching such a deal.

Last year, Ethiopia completed the first filling of the GERD and plans to execute the second filling of the dam next July "under all circumstances."

Egypt and Sudan believe a binding agreement is necessary to protect their water rights and secure their interests.

In a speech to the House last week, Egypts Minister of Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Ati blamed the failure of negotiations, under the supervision of the African Union, on Ethiopias intransigence.

Meanwhile, Sudanese Information Minister Faisal Saleh voiced on Saturday Sudans concerns over Ethiopias intention to embark on the second filling without a binding deal, saying Sudan does not accept the imposition of a fait accompli."

Egyptian-US relations

The foreign minister told MPs that Egyptian-US relations are based on firm cooperation pillars.

"Egypts relations with the US are not limited to a certain political party in the US," Shoukry said.

He affirmed Egypts wish to enhance cooperation with the US in various fields, including confronting all forms of terrorism.

Shoukry explained to MPs that the US ranks third on the list of nations investing in Egypt at EGP 22 billion. He added that Egypt also comes on top of the list of African countries receiving US investments.

Trade exchange between the two countries has increased by 76 percent between 2016 and 2019, Shoukry stated, voicing Egypt's aspiration to foster stronger economic, commercial, and military ties with the US.

Relations with Russia

Shoukry praised productive relations with Russia, which are reflected in exchanged visits between the presidents of both countries as well as various ministerial visits.

The foreign minister described strong cooperation between Egypt and Russia in various fields, including collaboration to construct the country's first-ever nuclear power plant in El-Dabaa.

Shoukry also said negotiations between the two countries to establish the Egyptian-Russian industrial zone have reached an advanced stage.

Resolving the crisis in Libya

The Egyptian state has exerted intensive efforts to resolve the crisis in Libya based on the Cairo Declaration, Shoukry told the House.

In June, 2020, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced the Cairo Declaration to encourage warring parties in Libya to reach a ceasefire and adhere to participation in UN-sponsored talks to resolve the crisis.

Shoukry said the declaration was an explicit call on all parties to adhere to a political solution to the crisis and abandon military escalation.

"The Cairo declaration represented a turning point on the path of resolving the crisis," he said.

Cairo has intensified in recent months communication and meetings with all concerned regional and international parties to build on Egypt's efforts to resolve the crisis, Shoukry said.

He added that Egypt also talked to many parties to the conflict in Libya to encourage the path of negotiations as the way to encourage a comprehensive settlement in the country and put an end to destructive foreign intervention.

Fighting terrorism

Shoukry said Egypt is cooperating with countries around the world in the face of extremist thought and terrorism.

Egypt is also cooperating with the United Nations Security Council on efforts to uproot terrorism, drying up sources of terrorist funding, and eliminating the phenomenon of foreign fighters.

Shoukry said his ministry is also coordinating with international partners to provide them with updates about the terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood group, stressing that they have been placed on terror lists in some countries.

Ministers at the House

The prime minister and a number of ministers have already reviewed accomplishments in the government's Egypt Kicks Off programme before the House.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati, Agriculture Minister El-Sayed El-Quseir, Manpower Minister Mohamed Saafan and Emigration Minister Nabila Makram have all delivered speeches and fielded questions from MPs in the parliament.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Hanafy El-Gebaly hailed the governments program, affirming the need to continue cooperation between the government and the House.

Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Manar is also set to appear before the House today to discuss his ministry's accomplishments and future plans.

On Wednesday, Minister of Culture Inas Abdel-Dayem and Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad are scheduled to deliver speeches on their ministry's accomplishments before the House.

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A lawyer and Belarusian citizen who works for jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) says he was handcuffed and forced into a car with a sack over his head before being taken on a 10-hour drive to the border by plainclothes police and handed over to Belarusian authorities.

Uladzlen Los said in a video statement posted on YouTube on January 25 that Russian police told him he was barred from entering Russia for five years.

Los added that the Belarusian police did not arrest him and allowed him to leave the country for a "safe" place in an undisclosed location.

On January 21, Moscow police detained Los and handed him a note, saying that he had to leave Russia before January 25.

A day later, on the eve of mass demonstrations across Russia demanding Navalny's release, Los was sentenced to three days in jail on a charge of disobeying a police order.

Several of Navalny's associates were detained the same day and sentenced to several days in jail or fined as the authorities looked to curb the scale of the expected demonstrations.

However, tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets across the country on January 23 in the largest protests in years as they called for the release of Navalny.

The Kremlin critic was arrested on January 17 as he returned from Germany, where he was recovering from a poisoning attack with a military-grade nerve agent.

Navalny has said the poisoning was an assassination attempt by the state to silence him. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the incident.
The controversial Mystic Krewe of Nyx held its annual Carnival masquerade ball in a Biloxi, Mississippi, casino hotel on Saturday night. The Nyx Carnival ball took place as parades and large gatherings have been canceled in New Orleans in order to quell the coronavirus contagion. Photos of the Nyx festivities that ping-ponged on social media revealed that at times the guests were without masks.

In response, a New Orleans City Hall spokesperson called on participants to quarantine for at least 10 days and consider getting tested, so as not to jeopardize the City's recent improvement in metrics after a devastating holiday surge."

This kind of irresponsible behavior and callous disregard for the work our people have done to stop the spread is unacceptable, the City Hall spokeperson stated. That it happened elsewhere is irrelevant, since it involves New Orleans residents and a local Carnival organization.

In an interview on Monday afternoon, krewe spokesman attorney Doug Sunseri described the event as a little get-together of 40 to 50 people.

I dont think that ball is a proper characterization for it, Sunseri said, though photographs of the event program were titled Nyx Myx Masquerade Ball. The group has gathered out of town for its social events before, he said.

Sunseri said krewe captain Julie Lea had instructed attendees to adhere to standard protocols and COVID restrictions.

A representative of the IP Hotel and Casino confirmed that the event took place and said that it had been conducted with coronavirus precautions in effect.

Since early June, the Mystic Krewe of Nyx and captain Julie Lea have been at the center of a Carnival controversy. In the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Lea issued a social media post that featured a photo of a black child caressing the face of a white child under the slogan #ALLLIVESMATTER Our Souls Are the Same Color.

The post provoked outrage among krewe members who felt it insensitively dismissed the Black Lives Matter movement. Though Lea apologized, claiming ignorance of the implications of her use of the term All Lives Matter, she did not publicly ally the krewe with the Black Lives Matter movement. Nyx sisters, as members are known, staged a protest calling for Lea to resign, but Lea refused.

+4 27 Nyx float lieutenants quit after captain refuses to step down over 'All Lives Matter' post Escalating a controversy roiling New Orleans largest parading krewe, more than two dozen float lieutenants quit the Mystic Krewe of Nyx Monda

At the time, Nyx was arguably the largest and one of the most diverse parading organizations. But a mass exodus of officers and members left its future in doubt, with several former members suing the organization for the return of their dues.
After several weeks of very strong upward movement, bullock prices dipped last week, with average prices on the ringside table for the 400-599kg steer down by 5-11c/kg, while the 600kg+ bullock was 16c/kg lower on average.

This still leaves the current overall mart average price of your 400kg+ bullock, at 2.02-2.08/kg which is 8-11c/kg stronger than Christmas week.

But the question is why, after such a strong start to the year, have prices dropped by between 40-100/hd?

As always there are as many potential answers as there are people to give them.

One factor, however, that seems to have had an effect is that numbers rose in many places.

With more numbers comes more choice for buyers and the prospect for them to squeeze prices.

Michael Harty of Central Auctions in North Tipperary told me he was very surprised that after four special sales in two weeks, his usual sale last week still saw 600 cattle on offer.

Normally after a show and sale wed expect our next sale to be back in numbers and possibly well back. That didnt happen last week he said.

In Kilkenny, numbers grew from 500 two weeks ago to 780 last week while at Balla Mart 700 head were offered last week, up 275 on the previous week.

Patsy Smith of Dowra Mart had commented to me previously that with mart numbers small It was hard to judge the true level of demand.

Last weeks price reductions therefore could be taken as an inevitable market adjustment due to those increased numbers.

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Online sales

Online sales platforms have afforded buyers more information than would have been quickly available 12 months ago.

Back then buyers were generally restricted to accessing the sale they were actually attending.

Now, sitting at home or in their jeeps or cars with laptops or phones they can see what the trade is like in any number of locations.

As the week progressed and you began to realise sales were bigger, would you not be tempted to sit and wait to see where prices opened before getting involved?

All that said, and despite some sales yards reporting small numbers of stock left unsold, it appears that interest from northern operators cranked up again last week.

Indeed one auctioneer told me he noted that a number of cattlemen were logged onto his system from England.

Maybe it was raining and they were bored, but they chose to log in and watch the trade here, which is more than a little interesting.

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In the Know  around the marts

New Ross

Bigger numbers and a stronger trade saw farmer, feedlot and northern buyers push continental store bullocks into 565-960/hd over the /kg. Hereford and Angus stores made from 390-645/hd over their weight.

Angus and Hereford store heifers sold from 385-540/hd over the /kg.

Beef bullocks sold from 700-1,120/hd over the /kg with beef heifers making from 640-1,000/hd over the weight.

Beef cows sold from 550-1,000 over their weight with continental feeders making from 345-540/hd over the /kg.

Friesian feeders sold from 160-330/hd over their weight.

Enniscorthy

It was a similar story here with bigger numbers and a stronger trade.

Beef bullocks from 650-900/hd over the /kg with forward stores making from 590-820/hd over their weight with lighter stores averaging from 440-630/hd over the /kg.

Among the heifers, forward stores sold from 570-730/hd over the /kg with lighter stores making from 370-680/hd over the weight. Continental cull cows sold from 500-720/hd over the weight, with Friesian types making 1.13-1.63/kg

Roscrea

A fine show of cull cows saw Friesians sell from 1.20-1.50kg with 630640kg Charolais and Limousins making 2/kg.

Angus bullock and heifer averaged from 2.00-2.20/kg with Herefords strengthening to 2/kg in places.

There was significant interest from northern online buyers in forward top end quality stock.

Kilkenny

There were 780 cattle on offer here with George Chandler reporting a very steady trade, with the cull cow market very strong.

Continental cull cows sold from 1.40-2.21/kg with Friesian types making from 1.05-1.85/kg.

Among the 600kg+ bullocks, prices averaged from 1.70-2.35/kg with the 500-600kg bullock averaging from 1.75-2.40/kg.

Lighter bullocks sold from 1.60-2.67/kg.

Both beef and forward heifers made from 1.80-2.35/kg with store heifers making from 1.70-2.55/kg.

Dowra

Bad weather limited numbers here last week, but strong online demand from both sides of the border helped to keep prices very firm.

A 280kg Charolais made 3.14/kg with two at 275kg averaging 2.95/kg.

Moving up the weights, a selection of Charolais and Limousins from 305-390kgs sold from 2.60-2.82/kg.

Among the better 400-500kg heifers, prices ranged from 2.30-2.60/kg. Cull cows were strong with continental store types making from 1.55-1.91/kg while heavy beef cows sold up to 2.22/kg.

Balla

There were 700 cattle on offer with 300-400kg bullocks averaging 2.37/kg, up 20c/kg on the previous weeks average. The 400-500kg bullocks averaged 2.35/kg, with heavier lots making 2.24/kg.

On the heifer side, those under 400kgs averaged 2.58/kg with those from 400-500kgs averaging 2.29kg with heavier lots averaging 2.21/kg.

Ennis

A big sale saw 527 head on offer, with the standout performers being a selection of excellent cull cows that saw the tops average from 2.15-2.44/kg online.

On the bullock side there was a noticeable increase in heavy stock with samples including 2.42/kg for a 735kg Limousin, with another Limousin at 740kg making 2.23/kg, and a third at 685kg making 2.51/kg.

The heavy heifers also saw serious action with an 890kg Belgian Blue hitting 2.77/kg with various selections of Charolais and Limousins from 557-795/kgs averaging from 2.21-2.49/kg.
Moscow and Tehran called for the rescue of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal Tuesday, as the two countries' foreign ministers held their first talks since US President Joe Biden took office.

His election has raised hopes the landmark 2015 deal might be salvaged after the accord was largely left in tatters when the previous White House adminstration exited the agreement in 2018.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said ahead of the talks in Moscow that "one of the most pressing topics is the task of rescuing the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA)".

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif thanked Moscow for its efforts to repair the JCPOA after the US exit and for Russia's "constructive and principled" position on the deal.

Zarif called for continued unity between Moscow and Tehran "in order to save the JCPOA from the risks and fears that arose after the United States left this plan."

The JCPOA was agreed in 2015 between Iran, the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.

It offered sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Tehran's nuclear ambitions and guarantees it would not seek an atomic bomb. Iran maintains it has only pursued a civilian nuclear energy program.

The agreement largely fell apart after former US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew and ordered officials to reimpose tough penalties against Tehran as part of his administration's "maximum pressure" policy.

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Chart: Australian Governments Are Paying Foreigners to Buy a House or Apartment "It sounds strange to pay foreigners to buy houses and apartments, but this is a triple win for Australia."

Australia will pay foreigners as well as locals to buy a home, but buyers have to act quickly. The incentives expire in March and July of 2021, according to information released today by leading Asian real estate technology group Juwai IQI.

Juwai IQI Group Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Georg Chmiel said: "The governments calculation is this: you give us millions of dollars to support our economy and real estate market, and we will give you back some of the taxes we would otherwise have charged you.

"It sounds strange to pay foreigners to buy houses and apartments, but this is a triple win for Australia. These incentives will reduce the housing shortage, stimulate the economy with construction jobs, and protect the housing market from a sharp fall. All of that will help the Australian economy get back to growth.

"These incentives are tremendously attractive for anyone considering investing in Australia. Why pay more later when you can obtain substantial savings if you buy before these schemes expire.

"If you buy a new house or apartment in Victoria by mid-2021, you could save nearly up to AU$27,500. Victoria is waiving some of the taxes that normally apply when you purchase a property. For AU$1 million new house or apartment, that will work out to savings of AU$27,500. In the case of an existing home or a piece of vacant land, a million-dollar purchase will give you savings of $13,750.

PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Lily Chong, the Perth-based IQI Country Head for Australia, said:

"Because of the pandemic, most foreign buyers don't know about these incentives. When we explain it to them, their eyes pop open. Buyers are rushing for us to get their deals done before the deadline expires.

"These incentives will shift buyers interest from other parts of the country to Western Australia and also, to a lesser extent, to Melbourne. Buyers in Queensland are now looking at Perth because of the incentives. Buyers who aren't tied down to a specific location will go wherever they can to get the best deal. Right now, that's Perth.

"Some buyers are already planning ahead for when travel restrictions ease. We're getting a lot of interest from overseas buyers for the Airbnb ready apartments that we are currently selling. They are pre-approved for short term leasing, start from AU$303,000 and can deliver yields of 8%.

"The most appealing incentives are in Western Australia, including in the capital city of Perth.

"If you buy an off the plan apartment in Perth, you could get as much as AU$50,000 in on Stamp Duty rebate. This is tax free money that you can take right off the top of your transaction costs.

Australian citizens who fulfil some other requirements and purchase an off the plan apartment, house and land package, or under construction townhouse in Perth this year are also eligible for a further AU$25,000 federal government incentive. This incentive will decrease to AU$15,000 if you purchase an eligible property starting January next year.

"If you purchase a house & land package or under construction townhouse in Perth this year, you could get AU$20,000 from the government of Western Australia.

The same buyer can earn multiple incentives if they meet the criteria. One buyer can obtain a stamp duty rebate from the Western Australia government of up to AU$50,000 and another AU$25,000 rebate from the federal government on the same purchase. Or the same applicant can claim a combination of incentive on multiple property purchases."


MONTREAL, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Caprion-HistoGeneX, a leading global provider of specialized precision medicine laboratory services to the biopharmaceutical industry, is pleased to announce its new corporate name, CellCarta, and brand identity.

The new name for the Montreal-headquartered company stems from the 2019 combination of contract research organization Caprion Biosciences, which specializes in immunology and proteomics services, and HistoGeneX, a provider of histopathology and genomics services based in Antwerp. Recently, CellCarta further expanded its scientific capabilities and geographic presence through the acquisitions of Nova Scotia-based Clinical Logistics Inc. and California-based Mosaic Laboratories LLC. As a result, CellCarta is well positioned to serve the global clinical trial requirements of its pharmaceutical and bio-tech clients with state-of-the-art facilities in the United States, Canada, Europe and China. CellCarta is backed by Arsenal Capital Partners.

The name CellCarta is inspired by the Magna Carta, a symbol of individual liberty, and is meant to evoke the company's mission of mapping the content and function of human cells to enable and accelerate the evolution of personalized precision medicine.

"Our mission is to be the global partner of choice for biopharmaceutical companies seeking precision medicine solutions to help ensure a healthier future for us all," said Martin LeBlanc, CEO of CellCarta. "By uniting our diverse teams of scientists across the world under a common brand identity, we aim to articulate a single message aligned with our shared set of fundamental values focused on scientific excellence, a collaborative mindset and a commitment to deliver high quality results to our partners. It also further reinforces our commitment to provide our clients with a broad and integrated set of services under a single organization."

The new brand identity was developed in conjunction with BrandBourg, a Canadian consultancy firm specializing in brand strategy and brand identity.

CellCarta's visual identity is intended to be reminiscent of a map or puzzle representing the distinctions between human cells. It is further meant to convey a brand personality that is innovative, trustworthy and embodies scientific leadership.

"We wanted to create a brand that is unique in the market, relevant to our clients and inspiring to our employees around the world," said Nick Wright, President and COO of CellCarta. "CellCarta embodies everything we do, which is about mapping differences between cells and ultimately between individuals, so that our partners can develop better and more targeted therapies."

David Spaight, Executive Chairman of CellCarta and an Arsenal Operating Partner, added, "By uniting under a single brand identity, CellCarta is sending a signal that its rapid expansion through acquisitions and organic growth has resulted in a market-leading enterprise that is greater than the sum of its parts. The ongoing success of CellCarta exemplifies Arsenal's 'Strategic Company Building' approach that focuses on expanding a company's solution offering, elevating its market position, and compounding its growth."

The following video further describes CellCarta's new brand identity: www.cellcarta.com

About CellCarta

CellCarta 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, CellCarta supports the entire drug development cycle, from discovery to late-stage clinical trials. The company operates globally with with over 700 employees in its nine facilities located in Canada, USA, Belgium, Australia, and China. For more information: www.cellcarta.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 healthcare companies focus on improving critical healthcare processes and scientific requirements leading to improved outcomes for patients. 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

Media Contact: CellCarta, Guylaine Galipeau, Global Marketing Director, CellCarta, ggalipeau@caprion.com; Media Contact for Arsenal Capital Partners, Prosek Partners, Kristen Duarte, kduarte@prosek.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1426440/Caprion_Biosciences_Precision_Medicine_Leader_Caprion_HistoGeneX.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1426437/Caprion_Biosciences_Precision_Medicine_Leader_Caprion_HistoGeneX.jpg
BOSTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Recorded Future, the world's largest provider of intelligence for enterprise security, today announced outstanding, continued growth in 2020, fueled by the critical need for intelligence to strengthen the security posture of organizations. Despite challenging economic circumstances, the company increased global revenue by 50 percent; acquired more than 350 new clients; and doubled its user base.

In addition to its best sales year in company history, Recorded Future increased the breadth of data collection within its security intelligence platform by 56 percent; launched a portfolio of use-case focused intelligence solutions; and published groundbreaking research on nation state cyber campaigns.

"The acceleration of digital transformation, combined with skyrocketing adversarial activity, made 2020 a tumultuous year and created a greater sense of urgency for threat visibility across the enterprise. Our intelligence is more vital today than ever before, empowering security teams to preempt and disrupt adversaries, mitigate risk, and avoid business disruption. Despite the increasing chaos and uncertainty, our team provided elite support to our global client base with the world's best intelligence -- through our platform and our amazing people -- and as a result achieved our strongest financial year in the history of our company." Dr. Christopher Ahlberg, CEO and Co-Founder, Recorded Future

Record Growth

In 2020, Recorded Future achieved annual recurring revenue (ARR) of more than $140M, 50 percent year-over-year (YOY) growth, making the company the largest provider of security intelligence and the de facto standard for organizations around the world. It added 350 new clients, bringing the total to more than 900 organizations and 7,000 users in 50 countries.

Recorded Future introduced use-case focused modules that deliver contextualized intelligence across a wide range of business areas, including: SecOps Intelligence, Threat Intelligence, Brand Intelligence, Vulnerability Intelligence, Third-Party Intelligence, and Geopolitical Intelligence. With more than 150 technology integrations, the Recorded Future Security Intelligence Platform enables collaboration across security functions while providing a single authoritative source for all intelligence needs. Recorded Future plans to introduce additional modules in 2021.

Request a demo of Recorded Future at: https://www.recordedfuture.com/demo/

Industry-Leading Cybersecurity Research

In 2020 alone, Recorded Future's Insikt Group curated over 8,000 proprietary analyst notes and published groundbreaking research, including nation state analysis with insights into North Korean senior leadership's internet activity, and cyber campaigns by RedDelta, a Chinese-state sponsored threat activity group, against the Vatican. The Recorded Future platform now maintains over 20,000 threat analyst-curated research notes to offer contextualized intelligence to security teams.

Intelligence-Led News Coverage

The company's media engine continued to grow with the addition of The Record by Recorded Future, a news site spearheaded by former Wall Street Journal cybersecurity journalist Adam Janofsky, to report on the people, threats, and policies driving the cybersecurity world. Recorded Future's industry-leading podcast Inside Security Intelligence also closed out the year with over 1.1M unique downloads to-date.

Awards

Recorded Future and its solutions received numerous awards and recognitions in 2020, including: Boston Globe Top Places to Work; Deloitte Technology Fast 500; CyberSecurity Breakthrough Award; SC Awards Europe 2020; 2020 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards; and the 2020 Cyber Defense Magazine's InfoSec Awards.

About Recorded Future

Recorded Future is the world's largest provider of intelligence for enterprise security. By combining persistent and pervasive automated data collection and analytics with human analysis, Recorded Future delivers intelligence that is timely, accurate, and actionable. In a world of ever-increasing chaos and uncertainty, Recorded Future empowers organizations with the visibility they need to identify and detect threats faster; take proactive action to disrupt adversaries; and protect their people, systems, and assets, so business can be conducted with confidence. Recorded Future is trusted by hundreds of businesses and government organizations around the world. Learn more at www.recordedfuture.com and follow us on Twitter at @RecordedFuture.

SOURCE Recorded Future

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Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
One of Donald Trumps first acts on moving into the White House in January 2017 was to hang a portrait of Andrew Jackson, the former U.S. president and known racist, in the Oval Office.

When Joe Biden moved into the Oval Office on Jan. 20, even before signing his first 17 executive orders and directives, he had the Jackson portrait removed and replaced with a portrait of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. He also installed sculptures of Cesar Chavez, Rosa Parks and the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

The bust of labor union organizer Chavez, by artist Paul A. Suarez, sits on a small table behind the Resolute desk, looking down on photos of Bidens family. The bust of civil rights activist Parks is by Detroit-based artist Artis Lane, whose 2009 bust of Sojourner Truth is also featured in the nearby U.S. Capitol. The bust of King, by Charles Henry Alston, was the first image of an African American ever displayed in the White House, when it was initially placed there in 1990.

Bidens choices of these symbols are not arbitrary. On his first day in office, Biden proposed legislation to allow migrant farmworkers access to green cards for legal work status. Paul Chavez, son of the late labor leader, told CNN, It represents the hopes and aspirations of an entire community that has been demonized and belittled, and we hope this is the beginning of a new day, a new dawn in which the contributions of all Americans can be cherished and valued.

Biden has often quoted King, and did so again on his personal Twitter feed on Jan. 18, saying the late civil rights leaders words remind us that darkness cannot drive out darkness and hate cannot drive out hate.

As a U.S. senator, Biden was a co-sponsor of the 2005 resolution to allow Rosa Parks to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol after her October death (the first woman ever to be so honored), and in January 2006 he co-sponsored the bill to issue a commemorative postage stamp in her honor.

Just this past December, in an off-the-record internet conversation, Biden reportedly told a group of supporters, Sixty-five years after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, the definition of civil rights should be expanded to include the rights of women, Hispanics, Asians, Muslims, immigrants, the elderly, the LGBTQ community, the mentally ill, the physically impaired, and others.

Biden wanted to walk into an Oval that looked like America and started to show the landscape of who he is going to be as president, deputy director of Oval Office operations Ashley Williams told The Washington Post.

The portrait of Franklin, deemed to represent Bidens interest in following the guidance of science (although it is worth noting that Franklin also founded the U.S. Postal Service, which Trump attacked), and a bust of Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady and architect of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, also send a message about the new presidents priorities.

Elsewhere in the room, facing the desk, a portrait of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is hung  perhaps to remind the rooms new occupant of the history of a Democratic president who came into office at a time of both economic and social crisis and united a nation with government-sponsored programs that rebuilt a society.

Joe Biden has quickly managed to install the right symbols. Now he will need the courage, perseverance and support that it will take to transform a wounded and bitterly divided nation.

___

(Norman Stockwell is publisher of The Progressive, This column was produced for the Progressive Media Project and distributed by Tribune News Service.)

2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Philadelphia has obtained $100 million to build a big ticket pollution facility to help curtail the practice of dumping raw sewage and stormwater into streams during heavy rains.

The state awarded the Philadelphia Water Department a $100 million low-interest loan to build a preliminary treatment facility to increase capacity at the Northeast Water Pollution Control Plant. The water department on Monday called the treatment plant at Richmond and Wheatsheaf Streets in Port Richmond a big-ticket, sustainable infrastructure project unlike any the city has attempted since a wave of federally funded wastewater treatment projects in the 1980s.

The new plant will screen and remove inorganic materials  trash, sand and grit that wash down storm inlets  and allow the Northeast plant to increase its wet-weather treatment capacity by nearly by one half, rising from 435 million gallons to 650 million gallons per day.

The money for the project comes from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authoritys PENNVEST program, which funds sewer, stormwater and drinking water projects across the state. The Philadelphia loan accounted for more than half of the $178 million in statewide PENNVEST infrastructure awards that Gov. Tom Wolf announced last week.

Philadelphia, like many older cities, is required to reduce untreated discharges from its older combined sewer systems, which carry rainwater as well as raw sewage. During some storms, the volume of wastewater is too great for water pollution control plants to treat, and the excess is dumped into streams.

Under a consent order with the federal government, the city in 2011 adopted a 25-year Green City, Clean Waters initiative to reduce discharges to comply with Clean Water Act obligations. The plan calls for the elimination of about eight billion gallons of sewer overflow annually by 2036.

Philadelphias multi-decade plan to reduce combined sewer overflows just got a huge boost, Philadelphia Water Department Commissioner Randy E. Hayman said in a statement. We are thrilled to move forward with this vital piece of our effort. This fiscally responsible investment gives us much more muscle and capacity, drastically reducing water pollution that impacts our rivers and streams.

The project was designed by Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP, a Baltimore engineering firm. Its plans for the building include a green roof and two-stage odor-control system to meet Clean Air Act requirements.

The 18,000-square-foot building will house two six-foot magnetic flow meters, and six mechanically cleaned bar screens and associated screening conveyance, and collection systems. The designs call for six 26-foot diameter hydraulically induced vortex grit tanks, according to State Sen. John Sabatina Jr., a Philadelphia Democrat whose Northeast Philadelphia district includes the plant just south of the Betsy Ross Bridge.

In addition to the many jobs this funding creates, theres tremendous health benefits for our community, Sabatina said in a statement.

The project is expected to take four years to complete and is scheduled to begin operations in late 2025.

The project is funded from Clean Water State Revolving Funds, a federal program that has provided $45 billion to states for infrastructure loan funds. As loans are repaid, the states recycle the funds into new loans. The state programs have provided $138 billion to communities through 2019, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In Pennsylvania, the money is administered by PENNVEST.

In addition to the $100 million loan, PENNVEST last week provided a $6.7 million loan to the Philadelphia Water Department to help pay for green stormwater upgrades in the Lawncrest neighborhood, with construction dates to be announced.

The agency also awarded $10 million to the Stormwater Authority of the City of Chester to address localized flooding in the Veterans Park area of the city of Chester by installing about 1,600 feet of pipe, inlets, porous panels, and a stormwater control basin.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 21:08:26|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) project in China has received in excess of 150 orders, according to Boeing China on Tuesday.

The 737-800BCF project recently received 12 new orders, showing strong demand for converted freighters in the express delivery and e-commerce market, said Boeing China.

In 2016, Boeing launched the 737-800BCF project exclusively in China, where there is a surging e-commerce industry and a massive market.

To date, Boeing and its partners have established production lines for the project in three Chinese cities: Shanghai, Jinan and Guangzhou.

The 737-800BCF freighters are suited to the transport of express cargo on domestic or short-haul routes, with a payload of up to 23.9 tonnes and a range of 3,750 km.

According to Boeing's Commercial Market Outlook released in 2020, the global civil fleet will need 2,820 freighters, including 1,220 standard body converted freighters, to meet market demand.

China remains the world's second-largest civil aviation market, with continuous growth in total turnover, passenger traffic and cargo volume. Enditem
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Thirty years from now, what will historians consider the most consequential event of January 2021  the storming of the U.S. Capitol by an insurrectionist mob, or Aleksei Navalnys heroic return to Moscow, followed by his immediate arrest?

In a broad sense, the two events are about the same thing: the future of freedom. In one version of the future, the assault on the Capitol marks the point at which the forces of illiberalism, mob violence and disinformation, much of it stoked and financed by the Russian government, reached critical mass in the West. In another version, the assault will be remembered as a historical anomaly when compared with the recovery of freedom in places where it once seemed lost  not just Russia but also China, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.

How can Joe Biden move history toward the second version? By pursuing a foreign policy that puts dissidents first.

A common view of dissidents is that they are a humanitarian problem, but one that gets in the way of more important issues. Hillary Clinton gave voice to this view when, on her way to Beijing as secretary of state in 2009, she insisted that human rights questions cant interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis. This isnt cynicism, but rather a version of the utilitarian idea that doing the greatest good for the greatest number always takes precedence over the immediate interests of a handful of people.
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A US judge has approved a revised Weinstein Co bankruptcy plan that provides about 35 million dollars (25 million) for creditors, with roughly half that amount going to women who have accused disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

The judge in Delaware approved the plan after a hearing on Monday, overruling objections by lawyers representing producer Alexandra Canosa and actresses Wedil David and Dominique Huett, who have accused Weinstein of sexual assault, and a former Weinstein Co employee who claims she was subjected to a hostile work environment.

The settlement amount is 11.5 million dollars (8.3 million) less than under a previous plan, which was scrapped after a federal judge in New York refused to approve a proposed 19 million dollars (13 million) settlement between Weinstein and some of his accusers.

The settlement in that purported class-action lawsuit was a key component of the initial bankruptcy plan.

Expand Close Harvey Weinstein arriving at a courthouse in Manhattan in February last year (John Minchillo/AP) / Facebook

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Roughly half of the approved settlement, about 17 million dollars (12 million), is allocated for a single sexual misconduct claims fund, down from about 25.7 million dollars (18.7 million) allocated for three separate categories of sexual misconduct claims under the previous plan.

Another 8.4 million dollars (6.1 million) will go to a liquidation trust for resolving non-sexual misconduct claims, and 9.7 million dollars (7 million) will be used to reimburse defence costs for former company officials other than Weinstein. The plan also releases those officials from liability for tort claims related to Weinsteins conduct.

Holders of sexual misconduct claims will receive 100% of the liquidated value of their claims if they agree to release Weinstein from all legal claims.

A claimant who elects not to release Weinstein but to retain the option to sue him in another court would receive 25% of the value of her bankruptcy claim.

According to court records, 55 sexual misconduct claims were filed in the bankruptcy case, with 39 holders of such claims voting in favour of the plan and eight voting against it. Among holders of general unsecured claims, 81  or 96%  voted for the plan.

The sexual misconduct claims will be evaluated on a points system allowing a maximum 100 points. That includes up to 60 points for physical sexual misconduct claims, a maximum 30 points for claims of non-physical sexual misconduct, and up to 10 points for claims of emotional distress and economic harm.

A claims examiner will have the authority to adjust point totals up or down based on factors such as age, corroborating evidence, prior or pending litigation, and applicable statutes of limitation.

Lawyers for the women objecting to the plan described it in a court filing last month as unfair and coercive.

The point award system pits women against women competing for a limited recovery from the pathetically meagre sexual misconduct claims fund, they wrote.

There is nothing fair about a plan that requires a rape victim to release her rapist in order to receive a full reward from the sexual misconduct fund. There is nothing fair in re-victimizing her financially by reducing her award by 75% if she does not agree to release her rapist.

Weinstein is serving a 23-year prison sentence after being convicted by a New York jury for the rape and sexual assault of two women.

He has also been charged in California with rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual battery by restraint and sexual penetration by use of force. Those allegations involve five women and stem from events in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills from 2004 to 2013.
Anti-social elements infiltrated our peaceful protest: Farmers' group

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Jan 26: Protesting farmers' unions have alleged that some "anti-social" elements infiltrated their "peaceful" protest on Republic Day.

"We thank farmers for the unprecedented participation in today's Farmers Republic Day Parade. We also condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that have taken place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts,"said Samyukta Kisan Morcha in a statement.

Farmers attack police at Red Fort, try to reclaim monument again

"Despite all our efforts, some organisations and individuals violated route and indulged in condemnable acts. Anti-social elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement. We've always held that peace is our biggest strength and any violation would hurt the movement," it added.

Farmers enter Red Fort, hoist a flag | Tractor rampage at ITO | Oneindia News

The long struggle for more than 6 months now, and more than 60 days of protest at Delhi borders also seemed to have led to this situation.

"We dissociate ourselves from all such elements that have violated our discipline. We appeal strongly to everyone to stick to the route and norms of the Parade, and not indulge in any violent action or anything that taints national symbols and dignity. We appeal to everyone to desist from any such acts, the statement furthr said.

"SKM has been trying to get a full picture of all the events with regard to the several Kisan Parades that were planned today and will share a fuller statement soon. Our information is that apart from some regrettable violations, the parades are underway peacefully as per plan," it concluded.

Groups of protesting farmers on Tuesday entered Red Fort after breaching police barricades, attacking personnel and even vandalising a bus at ITO.
Coronavirus transmission in San Antonio finally began to stabilize Monday, but officials cautioned that its still too early to say whether the winter surge has peaked.

Many of our indicators have either stabilized or improved for the first time in weeks, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said at the daily coronavirus briefing.

The positivity rate, which measures the proportion of people who test positive for the virus, dropped for the third straight week, to 15 percent. The case rate also decreased significantly in the past seven days, from 103.4 reported infections for every 100,000 residents, to 80.2.

The seven-day average for new cases stands at 1,722, down from more than 2,000 last week.

On ExpressNews.com: Hospitals full. Thousands infected with coronavirus each week. San Antonio pays the price for failing to flatten the curve.

However, officials said hospitalizations and new cases remain high, indicating that the crisis is not yet over.

Were going to have to monitor the data over several weeks, said Rita Espinoza, chief of epidemiology for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. A lot of the indicators have gone down, but we still have a long way to go.

Officials reported 2,082 new cases Monday, a total that included cases from Sunday due to reporting lags from laboratories. Since the start of the pandemic, at least 162,108 residents of Bexar County have been infected with the virus.

There were also 13 more resident deaths from COVID-19 in the past two weeks, pushing the official death toll to 1,980. The deaths include three people who died at home and three nursing home residents, two of whom died at facilities.

Coronavirus patients continue to strain the local health care system, accounting for more than 35 percent of all hospital patients. Hospitalizations from the pandemic have stopped their dramatic climb. For the past several days, they have hovered around 1,400 patients, after reaching a record high of 1,520 on Jan. 18.

On Monday, 1,402 COVID patients were receiving treatment across the city, an increase of 21 patients from the previous day. Of those hospitalized, 117 had been admitted in the past day, while 409 were critically ill and 263 were breathing with the support of a ventilator.

On ExpressNews.com: As San Antonios COVID-19 hospitalizations soar, hospitals stretch beyond their normal capacities

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff noted at the briefing that even after the summer surge reached its peak, it took several months for hospitalizations to return to manageable levels.

Its still going to be a lot facing us over the next two or three weeks, he said.

Wolff said the vaccine clinic being run by University Health at the Wonderland of the Americas Mall will return to prioritizing those at higher risk of COVID-19 complications because of age or underlying conditions, after inoculating workers from local school districts last week. The clinic will begin administering the second dose of vaccines to some residents starting next week, he added.

Nirenberg said he was encouraged by steps taken by the Biden administration to increase the supply of vaccine to the general public, adding that scheduling appointments further out would be easier once shipments became more predictable.

lcaruba@express-news.net
Axiom Space company published the names of the first private crew that will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Crew Dragon ship, which was developed by Elon Musk's company

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2021) Axiom Space company published the Names of the first private crew that will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Crew Dragon ship, which was developed by Elon Musk's company.

Michael Lopez-Alegria, formerly a NASA astronaut, will be the mission commander. Larry Connor, an entrepreneur and investor, will be the pilot.

Two specialists on the mission will be Canadian investor Mark Pathy and Israeli investor Eytan Stibbe.

The mission will use SpaceX-operated Crew Dragon to go to the ISS, where they are expected to stay for about eight days.

Tom Cruise had been rumored to be on the mission, but his name is not listed on Axiom's website.

A trip to space and back and a stay at the ISS will cost each of the passengers some $55 million.
ROME  The Italian prime minister resigned on Tuesday and triggered the collapse of the government.

This sort of thing happens all the time in Italy. But the return to a familiar state of political instability has never happened in the midst of a pandemic that has seared the country so deeply.

After offering a terrible preview to the West of the misery wrought by the coronavirus, Italy is again an unfortunate vanguard. It is testing whether a country, even one well accustomed to governments that perennially dissolve and reform, can manage vaccine rollouts, national curfews, business restrictions and enormous economic bailouts during a full-blown political crisis.

Italy is a great mess but also a great country, said Agostino Miozzo, the coordinator of the powerful scientific committee that largely recommended the lockdowns and emergency restrictions adopted by the outgoing prime minister, Giuseppe Conte. Its a country used to governing in emergencies and living in emergencies.
WASHINGTON : The US-India Business Council (USIBC) on Tuesday recommended a slew of big ideas to the new Biden Administration to strengthen the India-US partnership, including reconstituting the existing US-India Trade and Commercial dialogue and creating a new digital partnership under the headship of Vice President Kamala Harris .

The USIBC, on the occasion of Indias 72nd Republic Day, also recommended to the Biden Administration to restructure the US-India Strategic Energy Dialogue to include Climate and Sustainable Growth and create a US-India Scholars Endowment to support higher education exchanges.

The ideas also include reimagining and reconstitute existing US-India Trade and Commercial Dialogues into a single US-India Strategic Trade Dialogue, creating a new US-India Global Digital Partnership to be headed by Vice President Harris and restructuring the US-India Health Dialogue to expand the mandate and include private sector participation, according to the USIBC.

The recommendations reflect USIBCs long standing view that the natural partnership between the two nations can be leveraged to strengthen both countries economic recoveries and create a foundation for economic growth and job creation in the years ahead, it said.

USIBC president Nisha Desai Biswal said: As leaders around the globe reconsider their approach to global trade and investment, both the US and India can and should do more to achieve the shared goal of $500 billion in two-way trade".

USIBC said it stands ready to support the Biden administration on work to develop the economic policies that will transform the two economies and create millions of high-quality jobs at home and abroad.

The US and India share a common set of values, robust democratic systems, and cultures of entrepreneurship, as well as long standing people-to-people ties that make the two countries natural partners, it said.

India-US commercial relationship has seen fast-paced growth over the past decade, with bilateral goods and services trade growing 12.6% in 2019 to reach $146.1 billion. Still, the relationship holds significant untapped potential.

Business-friendly policies can unlock upwards of $150 billion in new trade over the next four years, as resolution of regulatory issues for both US and Indian companies opens the door for more expansive growth, the USIBC said.

In its submission, the USIBC recommended that the new USISTD be co-chaired by the US Secretary of Commerce, the US Secretary of State, and the US Trade Representative, who would invite the Government of India to name similar counterparts.

The USISTD should focus on reducing trade impediments to strengthen the strategic relationship and support a goal of $500 billion in two-way trade by 2024.

For the USISTD to succeed, both governments must build a comprehensive wish list" of core issues of importance to industry, it said.

The USIBC has also recommended the two sides set up an expert group consisting of senior officials, industry representatives and academic thought leaders to build a document for discussion under the USISTD.

The USIBC, in collaboration with an India-based counterpart, can partner with the US and Indian governments to launch this expert group, it said.

Proposing the creation of a US-India Global Digital Partnership (USIGDP) to facilitate discussions between critical stakeholders across government and industry, USIBC said that following the model of the National Space Council, the USIGDP should be headed by Vice President Harris, who would delegate critical elements of the discussion to relevant departments or agencies.

Through discussion with the Government of India, appropriate counterpart(s) within the Prime Ministers Office could be identified, it said.

The US and India are leaders in the digital economy, which powers a vast share of global innovation, trade and investment, and STEM job creation.

A successful Indian-American diaspora including many in the tech sectorprovides US and Indian industry with access to capital, technology, and a high-quality pool of technical talent.

The Biden administration should invest in partnerships that position the US and India to lead the next generation of technology development," USIBC said.

Observing that the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped global health discussions and priorities, USIBC recommended restructuring and re-energising the US-India Health Dialogue to create a forum that can tackle important policy issues in a post-pandemic era.

To create a sustainable and resilient recovery, the US-India Health Dialogue should promote economic, trade, health, and social collaboration between the two governments and private sector institutions from both countries, it said.

Noting that the US-India Strategic Energy Dialogue is a dynamic platform for discussion, but in recent years has moved away from climate goals, USIBC said that with the appointment of US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, it is an opportune time to reintroduce climate into the existing dialogue.

This discussion could be co-chaired by Special Presidential Envoy Kerry and the US Secretary of Energy and would leverage expertise from government, industry, US National Laboratories, and research institutions.

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The City of Huntsville has been given a $6 million grant to help those struggling to pay their rent or utility bills due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We will take the $6 million and work with some of our partners," Scott Erwin, the community manager of Huntsville, said.

The plan is to allocate that money to those behind on their rent and utilities.

On Friday, Madison County Commissioner, Violet Edwards, announced that Madison County has secured a $5.2 million grant to provide emergency funds for those struggling financially with rent and utility costs.

According to Erwin, the grant secured by Madison County is separate from the funds the City of Huntsville received. Huntsville City Council will meet on Thursday to accept the grant.

Both Edwards and Erwin said plans for the allocation of the grant money are still in the works. After Thursday, the team can work together with their local partners to get the grant money into the hands of people who need it.

Edwards said this is a first for the county, so they're looking to find the best way to distribute the funds.

People can only apply once for the grant, but it can aid in either utility or rent bills.

Edwards said she knows there's a burden put on Madison County residents during this time.

"This is going to be a tremendous help to the community," Edwards said. "There are people who were doing fine before COVID, their bills were paid and they were surviving, and then COVID hit...and they are scared."

Erwin said although these two separate grants are pinpointed to Madison County residents, the Alabama Housing Finance Authority will have partners with smaller municipalities across the state.

Edwards said the public will be made aware of when they can sign up for the aid. The grant money has to be used by Sept. 2021.

Stay with WAAY 31 for updates on this story as they become available.

Advocates for farmworkers, teachers, grocery store clerks and other essential workers are worried they will have to wait until this summer to be vaccinated against the coronavirus as California considers giving priority to older residents.

State officials said the move makes sense given older people have a much higher rate of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. But with California struggling to get and give the vaccine, it could take until June to vaccinate all Californians 65 and older, the Sacramento Bee reported Sunday.

That could mean teachers and school workers will probably not be vaccinated until this summer, said Debra Schade, a school board member at the Solana Beach School District in San Diego County and a director at the California School Boards Association.

It will be a heavy lifting to get those districts open  without risk mitigation that the vaccine would provide, she said.

Some local governments have already started vaccinating essential workers and Fresno County said it will begin offering vaccines on Monday to about 3,000 farmworkers. But Noe Paramo, an advocate at the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, said without clear guidance from the state to prioritize vaccinating farmworkers, counties could decide to leave them fall by the wayside.

Three-quarters of those who died from COVID-19 in California were 65 or older, according to data recently presented to a state vaccine advisory committee.

By vaccinating older adults first, the state could push down the number of those hospitalized, which could benefit the community as a whole, California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Tomas J. Aragon said at the meeting.

The rates of new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations are dropping across California, but health officials warn those trends are tempered by very high death rates.

The state reported 429 deaths on Sunday, two days after reaching a one-day record of 764, according to the Department of Public Health. Californias death toll since the start of the pandemic rose to 36,790, while total cases reached over 3.1 million.

Meanwhile, the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 was 17,810 statewide, a drop of 17% in two weeks.

The positivity rate for people being tested has dropped by 10% statewide in the last week, which means fewer people will end up in hospitals.

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

Topics California

[January 26, 2021] Potomac Fund Management Adds ETF Strategist Main Management to Union UMA Platform; Maintains Focus on Serving Underserved Financial Advisors

Potomac Fund Management, Inc. ("Potomac"), a boutique investment strategist, is pleased to announce that it has added Main Management to a short list of approved third-party strategists available to advisors using the Union UMA platform. Maintaining a distinct focus on serving independent financial advisors who typically receive little to no support from much larger platforms, Potomac found synergy with the Main Management approach - namely a commitment to bespoke customer service. "To echo the famous words of Gang Starr, at Potomac we're going to 'take it personal,'" said Manish Khatta, President and CIO, Potomac. "The unvarnished truth is that if you are a sub-$100M AUM advisor in this industry you can't buy good customer service. Main shares our view tha all advisors regardless of asset levels deserve a helping hand - a real human being who picks up the phone and works with them to get it right."



"We're all about providing simple, effective solutions for advisors," said Kim Arthur, CEO, Main Management. "This is a people business at the end of the day, and we never forget that. We believe advisors are yearning for personalized, customized support when it comes to managing assets. Potomac feels the same way - this is an alignment of two firms with a shared ethos." Potomac has maintained a laser-like focus on serving financial advisors tired of being belittled or ignored by larger firms. Few RIAs start with a billion in assets under management. Most were sub-$100M themselves once upon a time, and yet these days anything below that threshold doesn't seem to count. Who decided?

Khatta concludes: "When researching investment strategists, we don't just want to talk to wholesalers; we want to talk to the money managers. We want to dig into the process and avoid the fluff because process drives results." Potomac recently crossed $300M in assets under management and advisement. They are well positioned to staff up and ensure the number #1 priority will ALWAYS be personalized customer service to underserved financial advisors. About Potomac Fund Management Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Potomac Fund Management ("Potomac") is a boutique investment strategist for financial advisors. With strategies available on numerous platforms including Envestnet, SMArtX, and the Union UMA platform, Potomac supports advisors with the resources best suited for their individual businesses. Each avenue is built on Potomac's core belief that financial success is about more than hitting a number twenty years into the future; it is about feeling confident as you get there. About Main Management A pioneer in managing all-ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) portfolios, Main Management, LLC aims to deliver core solutions that outperform a stated benchmark in a tax aware manner so clients get to keep more of their investment returns. As a boutique firm based in San Francisco, we are committed to delivering liquid, transparent, and cost-effective investment solutions to family offices, high net worth individuals and institutional investors. By combining the investment insights of experienced industry professionals with smart implementation vehicles, Main Management offers a unique approach that translates into distinct advantages for our clients. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005438/en/

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TV journalist Dawit Kebede Araya was shot dead in his car on 20 January near his home in the conflict-hit region of Tigray located in northern Ethiopia. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges the government to conduct an independent investigation and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.

Kebede, who worked for Tigray Television, the regional state media broadcaster, was killed at 8p.m. in an area known as Adi Hausi, located in Mekelle, Tigrays capital city. He was killed along with his friend and private businessman Bereket Berhe.

The journalist had previously been detained on unknown charges by Ethiopian security forces on 17 January and released later that day. Kebede's colleagues and relatives have claimed that local security forces were involved in the murder, according to testimonies published by local and international media.

Kebede worked for Tigray TV before Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered military operations in the region in early November 2020, triggering a regional conflict that left thousands dead. It remains unclear if Kebede was still working for Tigray TV at the time of his death.

Despite the Ethiopian government's claim the conflict is over and life is returning to normal in Tigray, local residents have accused soldiers patrolling the streets of acting violently.

IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: The IFJ is appalled by the cold-blood murder of our colleague and offers its deepest condolences to his family and friends. The Ethiopian government must now demonstrate it stands against impunity for crimes against journalists by ensuring all those involved in Kebede's killing face justice".
European governments are split over whether to introduce vaccine passports with the tourist-dependent southern member states of the bloc touting them as a possible way to reopen international borders and encourage a resumption of travel.

Greece's Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has been at the head of a pack of national leaders urging the European Commission to start preparing a framework for vaccine certificates. Last week he urged the EC to shape "a common understanding on how a vaccination certificate should be structured so as to be accepted in all Member States."

Proof of vaccination could help countries open up faster, say Europe's airlines, hoteliers and the continents hard-struck travel agencies.

Last week, Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, called for countries to adopt digital vaccination passports, which he said would get the world traveling again. "Vaccines must be part of a wider, coordinated approach that includes certificates and passes for safe cross-border travel," he told a global tourism gathering in Madrid.

But EU privacy activists are sounding the alarm and epidemiologists warn travelers bearing a document verifying they have been inoculated may still get infected and be able to spread the virus.

The issue of vaccination certificates was discussed last Thursday by EU leaders, but there was reluctance to commit to any plans. EU officials say there are a number of critical questions that need answering first, including whether vaccinated people can still spread the virus. There are also worries about variants diminishing the effectiveness of the current vaccines.

Also, there are disagreements over what rules should apply to travelers who received vaccines not approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Because of insufficient supplies of the Johnson/Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which have been approved by the EMA, a frustrated Hungary is purchasing supplies of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. "For an agreement on the standards, other summits will be needed," a senior EU official said.

Another official told the EU Observer newspaper: "We can agree in principle that we should work on common standards, and interoperability. We want to avoid things being blocked because vaccines are not recognized in one particular country."

Maros Sefcovic, a European Commission vice president, has said vaccination could become a condition for travel, like current requirements in many countries for a negative test. "There will be different options how we handle travel," he said last week. He said: "the possibility of the electronic vaccination certificate could be added."

A cut in prisoner numbers, less cell sharing, video calls and in-cell phone provision during Covid-19 and other positive change at jails in Portlaoise and other parts of Ireland could be undone by a bulge in court cases, according to a body that advocates for prison reform.

This was the view of the executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), Fiona Ni Chinneide, who was speaking at the launch of a new report that examines progress in Irelands penal system.

The report entitled Progress in the Penal System: Assessing progress during a pandemic (2020) is the fourth annual review of standards in Irish prisons conducted by IPRT.

At the outset of the pandemic, there were more than 4,200 prisoners in custody in Ireland. However, within one month of the pandemic being declared, the Irish Prison Service and the Department of Justice took action to reduce the prison population by 10% to 3,807. A reduced prison population saw a near-end to prisoners sleeping on mattresses on floors and a move towards single-cell occupancy. Single-cell occupancy is a key measure in supporting mens and women's dignity in prisons," Ms Chinneide said.

The Covid response demonstrates that the majority of closed prisons across the State were overcrowded and unsafe in the first instance. It also suggests that prison was not a necessary sanction for all of those imprisoned before the pandemic hit.

The IPRT report also welcomed the Covid-induced introduction of video calls and in-cell phone provision to enable prisoners engage with their families. However, it has warned that wider positive changes introduced in response to the pandemic risk being dismantled.

These positive developments are already at risk of reversal as an oversubscribed courts system prepares to clear a backlog of cases. Furthermore, in recent years the number of those held on remand in our prisons is rising at a concerning level," Ms Chinneide said.

"Imprisonment is not the only sentence option in the criminal justice system. It should not act as shelter for people charged with low level offences. It should not be a waiting room for those who need treatment in our Central Mental Hospital. Covid has offered us a brownfield site for a more humane penal system. There should be no reversal of that.

IPRT noted that, as prison numbers increased, so did the risk of Covid outbreaks, putting more staff and prisoners at risk.

A key finding of the report was that little progress was made in addressing mental health in prison.

One of the biggest failures of the State in terms of caring for the most vulnerable is the continued practice of incarcerating people with severe mental illness in prison because of a lack of access to community hospitals or space in the Central Mental Hospital. In any given month through the first half of 2020, there were anything from 21-33 very unwell people incarcerated," Ms Chinneide said.

If we are to learn anything from Irelands history of inappropriate institutionalisation of our citizens, incarceration as an alternative to healthcare must end. The solution is one that requires leadership at all levels in the State, but operationally the Department of Health must work hand-in-hand with the Department of Justice to end this practice.

Minding the physical health of the prison population and staff was prioritised during Covid, but disease containment is only one side of public health care. Health indicators and outcomes from the prison population, in general, are low. Mental health and the provision of mental health supports in the prison system is paramount at all times, but especially now as the isolation of the pandemic becomes aggravated for those in prison. The lack of in-person contact between children and their parents in prison since last March is particularly hard.

The IPRT report identified that a very significant proportion of those imprisoned for one year or less were women.

Short sentencing is particularly prevalent across the female prison population, with up to a third of those in prison in 2019 and 2020 serving sentences of 12 months or less. During the Covid crisis, we have learned that more than half of the female population in the Dochas Centre were cocooning in the early stages of the pandemic because they were suffering underlying health conditions.

Questions must be asked about the types of offences for which women are committed to prison for, and what are the risks imprisonment exposes for the health and welfare of these women? Ireland needs to learn from progressive penal polices such as the gender-specific womens supported bail service in Scotland. This programme helps keep women out of prison through addressing issues that contribute to offending behaviour such as addiction, mental health, housing and homelessness.

In addition to positive impacts of Covid on prison numbers and prison communications, the IPRT said that the investment earmarked for the Prison Inspectorate, coupled with policy and legislative changes, provided for new conditions in which to progress reform of Irelands prison system into one which respects human rights and dignity, and follows international best practice.

Established in 1994, the IPRT claims to be Ireland's leading non-governmental organisation campaigning for rights in the penal system and the progressive reform of Irish penal policy.
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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Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday demanded fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccine in economically backward countries by suggesting a five-point agenda to tackle the pandemic and debt burden. Khan urged for 'creating a viable framework for an equitable and affordable supply of COVID vaccines to developing countries' while addressing the fourth session of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

READ | Pakistan Army Tells Imran Khan's Rivals It'll Offer 'chai-paani' If They March On Its HQ

The Pakistan Prime Minister called for an affordable supply of coronavirus vaccines to developing countries.

"COVID-19 vaccines are now being administered in developed countries but it seems like it will take much longer for the vaccines to fully cover the Global South. Sustainable development will remain elusive as long as the pandemic persists," the Pakistan Prime Minister stated.

Imran Khan noted that the developing countries were 'trapped between recovering from the pandemic and meeting their debt servicing obligations', and urged for 'additional debt relief by suspending debt repayments for the most stressed countries until the end of the pandemic.

READ | Pakistan Vs South Africa 1st Test Live Stream, Pitch Report, Weather Forecast, Preview

'Continuous efforts are needed'

He also said Pakistan made an effort at ensuring that we save people from dying from the virus, and at the same time preventing them from dying from hunger and the strategy has worked well so far, but continuous efforts are needed to fully overcome the second wave of the virus.

"The world today is grappling with a series of interlinked and unprecedented public health and economic crises. While the coronavirus does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, the most vulnerable people and countries have suffered the most," he said.

READ | 'Pakistan A Country, Not A Phone That You'll Reboot It': Imran Khan Slammed Over Blackout

Meanwhile, the Pakistan federal government has considered mortgaging the gigantic Fatima Jinnah Park in the F9 sector in Islamabad for procuring a loan of 500 billion PKR, as per Pakistan media reports. The park named after Mohammad Ali Jinnah's daughter is sprawled across 759 acres of land in the F-9 sector in Pakistan's capital. As per local media reports, the proposal of mortgaging the Fatima Jinnah park has been included in the agenda of the cabinet meeting scheduled to be held on Tuesday.

READ | Pakistan's 759-acre Fatima Jinnah Park To Be Mortgaged By Imran Govt For 500 Bn PKR Loan

(With PTI Inputs)

Cancer June 22-July 22 You may force a situation or outcome by instigating some kind of confrontation, most likely regarding joint resources or the future of your partnership. Although it may seem like a bad development it will have productive repercussions and transform your life in a positive way. Take the plunge and dont settle for less than you deserve. Leo July 23-August 22

Blessed with great leadership skills you are very comfortable and confident taking the helm. Today though youll be more than happy on your role of team player. Share your ideas but lend your support and listen to others. If someone looks as though they want a shot at the captains chair help them on their ascent. Virgo August 23-September 22 Youre not shy but nor are you big on making the first move. Today though, with Venus visiting your sector of passion, attached Virgos will enjoy being playful and initiating romance. Singles, cash in on your charisma and dazzle potential suitors. Taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone will pay off, especially professionally. Libra

September 23-October 22 As the people pleaser of the zodiac you usually put the needs of others before your own but today its all about looking after number one! Focus on your own desires for a change and do what you want, when you want - you deserve it! A digital detox will also do you the world of good. Scorpio October 23  November 22 Old habits die hard. Today the stars may challenge you with destructive behaviour patterns that you thought were dead and buried. Dont let them rear their ugly head and resist the urge to lapse. Its very important that you also get to the source of what triggers these impulses so that you know how best to handle them in future.

Sagittarius November 23-December 20 Saggies are infamous for not having any filters and blurting out what others only dare to think. Today though your words could inadvertently be potential weapons. Unfortunately for you, you dont have a rewind button or time machine at your disposal, so its wise to choose your sentences carefully because the result will be irreversible. Capricorn December 21-January 19

Feisty star action, namely red-hot Mars, in your sector of passion is giving your love life a volatile, yet sexy and productive edge. Resist the urge to pick fights with your partner and you can work through niggling problems and make great progress. With your creativity at its peak jot down your golden ideas and pitch away! Aquarius January 20-February 18 Youre on a mission to improve your personal and professional standards, as well as appearance, love life and finances. This may sound like a tall order but with the dynamic Sun, clever Mercury, abundant Jupiter and disciplined Saturn all in your sign youll be able to accomplish absolutely anything you set your tenacious and brilliant mind to! Pisces
TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FenixOro Gold Corp (CSE:FENX, OTCQB:FDVXF, Frankfurt:8FD) is pleased to provide an update on its Phase 1 diamond drilling program at its Abriaqui project in Antioquia State, Colombia.



Holes P005-P008 have now been completed. Drilling has continued to progress smoothly, and core recovery continues to be excellent. Assay return slowed over the Christmas break and the Company expects to begin receiving results from the lab shortly, continuing for the next several weeks.

FenixOro CEO John Carlesso stated: The month of January was extremely productive and we anticipate a busy upcoming several weeks receiving and analyzing assay results from Holes 5,6,7 and 8. As we build on the preliminary results received to date, we expect that these new results will provide greater confirmation of the surface extent, depth continuity, and grade of the veins in this initial drill area, which represents less than one-third of the known mineralization of the property package. Our team remains very encouraged with how the program is progressing.

Phase 1 drilling began in early October of 2020 and has been focused on the most accessible part of the property which has over 40 mapped veins developed in northwest and east-west trending corridors 600-1200 meters long and 300-400 meters wide (Figure 1). Press releases dated November 24 and December 17, 2020 presented results from the first four holes which included numerous high grade vein intersections, principally on the northwest trending family of veins, as well as thicker intervals of lower grade gold mineralization on the east-west trend (incl. 7.75m @ 1.53 g/t in hole P004). Intercepts up to 71 g/t gold extended the known vertical range of high grade gold at Abriaqui to over 1000 meters in outcrop and drill holes. The mineralization remains open at depth. Vein mineralization is well developed in all rock types, including the diorite stock and hornfels in sediments up to 400 meters outward from the intrusive contact.

Hole P005 tested the depth extension of the main northwest trend 400 meters northwest of P001. P006, P007, and P008 tested the northern end of the vein system. P008 was drilled at a steeper angle to get underneath unanticipated historical mine workings on four near surface veins which were encountered in the upper parts of P005 and P006. Numerous visually mineralized quartz-carbonate-sulfide veins and breccia zones were intersected in these holes similar to those seen in P001 that assayed high-grade gold.

Figure 1. Phase 1 Drill Holes Completed through January, 2021:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6b783dc6-befb-496e-bbcd-2ed0ff7602ae

Technical Information

Stuart Moller, Vice President Exploration and Director of the Company and a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101 (P.Geo, British Colombia), has prepared or supervised the preparation of the technical information contained in this press release. Mr. Moller has more than 40 years of experience in exploration for precious and other metals including ten in Colombia and is a Fellow of the Society of Exploration Geologists.

Drill core sampling is done in accordance with industry standards. The HQ and NQ diameter core is sawed, and half core samples are submitted to the laboratory. The other half core along with laboratory coarse reject material and sample pulps are stored in secure facilities on site and/or in the sample prep lab. Following strict chain of custody protocols, the samples are driven to the ISO 17025:2017 certified ALS Laboratory sample preparation facility in Medellin and ALS ships the prepared pulps to their assay laboratory in Lima, Peru. Blanks, duplicates, and certified reference standards totaling 15% of the total samples are inserted into the sample stream. To date, no material quality control issues have been detected. Gold is analyzed using 50 gram fire assays and the additional elements are analyzed by ICP with appropriate follow-up for over- limits.

Reported grade intervals are calculated using uncut gold values at a minimum grade cutoff of two grams per tonne gold. The two gram level was chosen as being reasonable for reporting purposes but it has no necessary relation to potential future resource/reserve calculations. The current database is too small to calculate statistically valid levels for cutting of high grade. Maximum sample length is one meter and the length of sub-cutoff grade core contained within a given interval is restricted to one sample length. Reported sample and interval widths are based on lengths of individual samples in core and do not necessarily represent true widths of mineralization. True widths will generally be less than the quoted interval lengths.

The currently reported results may not represent full results for a given drill hole as some additional sampling may be required. All material drill results will be publicly reported in due course.

About FenixOro Gold Corp.

FenixOro Gold Corp is a Canadian company focused on acquiring gold projects with world class exploration potential in the most prolific gold producing regions of Colombia. FenixOros flagship property, the Abriaqui project, is located 15 km west of Continental Golds Buritica project in Antioquia State at the northern end of the Mid-Cauca gold belt, a geological trend which has seen multiple large gold discoveries in the past 10 years including Buritica and Anglo Golds Nuevo Chaquiro and La Colosa. As documented in NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Abriaqui project Antioquia State, Colombia (December 5, 2019), the geological characteristics of Abriaqui and Buritica are very similar. The report also documents the high gold grade at Abriaqui with samples taken from 20 of the veins assaying greater than 20 g/t gold. A Phase 1 drilling program has begun at Abriaqui following the completion of surface and underground geological mapping and sampling, as well as a preliminary magnetometry survey.

FenixOros VP of Exploration, Stuart Moller, led the discovery team at Buritica for Continental Gold in 2007-2011. At the time of its latest report, the Buritica Mine contains measured plus indicated resources of 5.32 million ounces of gold (16.02 Mt grading 10.32 g/t) plus a 6.02 million ounce inferred resource (21.87 Mt grading 8.56 g/t) for a total of 11.34 million ounces of gold resources. Buritica began formal production in November 2020 and has expected annual average production of 250,000 ounces at an all-in sustaining cost of approximately US$600 per ounce. Resources, cost and production data are taken from Continental Golds NI 43-101 Buritica Mineral Resource 2019-01, Antioquia, Colombia, 18 March, 2019). Continental Gold was recently the subject of a takeover by Zijin Mining in an all-cash transaction valued at C$1.4 billion.

FenixOro Gold Corp

350 Bay St. Suite 700

Toronto, ON

Telephone: 1-833-ORO-GOLD

Email: info@FenixOro.com

Website: www.FenixOro.com

Technical Information

The comparison between Abriaqui and the nearby Buritica project is meant only to indicate the similarities between the two in terms of geological setting. FenixOro does not imply that exploration results and/or economic characteristics of a potential future mine at Abriaqui will be similar to those seen at Buritica. The sampling done at Abriaqui is in the form of rock chip and channel samples on surface and in shallow underground workings on vein exposures. The samples were prepared and analyzed at ALS laboratories in Medellin and Lima respectively. Samples were taken, prepared, shipped and analyzed following, industry standard QA/QC protocols and were submitted with certified reference standards.

Stuart A Moller, P. Geol. (British Colombia) Vice President of Exploration of FenixOro and a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained within this press release. Mr, Moller is a geologist with over 40 years of experience in world-wide mineral exploration including 10 years in Colombia.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of FenixOro's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will", "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 include, but are not limited to information concerning the Abriaqui. Although FenixOro believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. In particular, there is no guarantee that Abriaqui will produce viable quantities of minerals, that the Company will pursue Abriaqui or that any mineral deposits will be found.. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this press release, and FenixOro does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.




Setting the tone for the meeting, the key themes of the first day of the World Economic Forum Davos Agenda 2021 proved to be trust, solidarity, respect, transparency and collaboration.

Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, set out his priorities for an inclusive and sustainable recovery from the pandemic. In a wide-ranging address, he asserted that vaccines  peoples vaccines  should be regarded as a public good, pressed developed nations to offer their poorer counterparts debt relief because no country should be forced to choose between basic services and serving debt, and called for increased fairness in the world of work.

He made a call for a truly global coalition for carbon neutrality and suggested the need for adaptation, renewed confidence and a need to drastically change policy. He pressed business to operate in line with the Paris Agreement, called on asset managers to decarbonise their portfolios and asked all businesses to align with the UN Global Compact. In addition, Guterres announced the need for a new social contract, one between governments, peoples, civil society, businesses and more, integrating employment, sustainable development, social protection, and based on equal rights and opportunities for all.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, making the first special address of the event, called for both greater global efforts in the fight against an unprecedented public health crisis and a renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation.

Collaboration was the overriding message that came from Anthony Fauci, Director at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and other participants discussing how to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and future such outbreaks. Fauci reflected on how divisiveness had hobbled the US approach to the disease, saying: When public health issues become politically charged  like wearing a mask or not becomes a political statement  you cant imagine how destructive that is to any unified public health message.

He called on China to provide the World Health Organization (WHO) with information about the origin of Covid-19, arguing that without it, scientists and doctors faced a big black box. He also registered the USs renewed support for the WHO and said that with reform, it will become the multilateral organization that deals with disease preparedness. His overall message, however, was one of the need for greater global health security, transparency, collaboration and solidarity, without which he announced it becomes extremely problematic to address an outbreak.

In other sessions during the day, President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde said economic recovery in 2021 will progress in two phases. In the first, there will be a high level of uncertainty as vaccines are produced and rolled out, and lockdown measures may become more stringent because of the emerging Covid-19 variants. She described it as crossing the bridge to recovery, but the journey is delayed, not derailed.

The second phase is where the economy is reopening, something that will bring its own challenges and positive developments. As part of the recovery, Lagarde underlined the need to bring more women to the table to help the recovery, saying: Progress can be made and women can do the job just as well as men.

Also considering a two-pronged approach was Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, Finance and the Recovery of France, who argued that while pursuing a policy of fiscal support during the pandemic, nations should also consider the future. We have to think about the kind of economy we want to build; we want to build a sustainable economy and reduce the inequalities, he said. Le Maire also called on states to learn lessons from each other during the crisis. As he pointed out, for the first time in its history, the member states of the Eurozone have all taken the same measures.

Peter Altmaier, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany, said there needs to be greater reliance on open markets and multilateralism. In the post-Covid-19 recovery, he sees opportunities for synergies, such as greater investment in clean energy solutions to help tackle climate change.

Speaking about his new book, Stakeholder Capitalism, Schwab said the pandemic has shown that companies that commit to stakeholder capitalism perform much better than others because they invest in the long-term viability of the company. He called for a much wider definition of capital, one that includes human, social and natural capital because all those aspects of capital combine to create wealth and prosperity.

Underlining the days theme  Designing cohesive, sustainable and resilient economic systems  the meeting saw the launch of the Partnering for Racial Justice in Business initiative, which sees a coalition of almost 50 organizations committed to improving racial and ethnic justice in the workplace. The Forum released a report revealing that upskilling has the potential to boost GDP by $6.5 trillion by 2030. Also covered during the day were topics ranging from gender parity and restoring economic growth to addressing mental health in the workplace, building crisis-resistant healthcare systems and creating a new social contract. - TradeArabia News Service
A writer who interviewed serial killer Charles Sobhraj while he was behind bars has recalled how he spoke of his prison experience as if he were 'enjoying a rustic holiday.'

BBC's eight-part series The Serpent revisits the crimes of serial killer Charles Sobhraj, played by French actor Tahar Rahim, who preyed on young backpackers along South-East Asia's hippie trail and gained the nickname The Serpent because of his skills at deception and evasion.

It details his killing spree in 1975, and how his accomplice Marie-Andree Leclerc, played by Jenna Coleman, stood by him despite full knowledge of his crimes and promiscuity.

Speaking to The Telegraph about his first-person account of interviewing the serial killer in prison, Tom Vater explained: 'Consistently upbeat, he sold me his prison experience as if he were enjoying a rustic holiday.

'They hold a hundred people in each barrack here. More than two thousand inmates in all. Prison life in Nepal is as archaic as the court system.'

Sobraj, pictured with Leclerc in 1986, was known as The Serpent because of his skills at deception and evasion, he drugged and killed at least a dozen Westerners on the Hippie Trail in Asia in the 1970s

Jenna Coleman has revealed her discomfort at playing the partner of bikini killer Charles Sobhraj, who had 'no empathy' as he carried out his horrific crime spree. Pictured, Coleman and Tahar Rahim as Marie-Andree Leclerc and Sobraj

He added: 'Luckily, I have privileges  a room to myself and a TV. Through my lawyer, I check my email every day.'

Charles Sobhraj picked off his victims in the heady world of 1970s Thailand, India and Nepal - drugging, poisoning and dumping their bodies with casual ease.

He is known to have killed at least 12 people, but the true tally is believed to be at least double that number.

Tom told how he first encountered the gem stone smuggler in December 2003, when he was shackled and taken into the cell by two guards.

At the time, Sobraj was accused of having killed two backpackers on Freak Street, south of the citys historic Durbar Square, where holiday-goers gathered in the 1970s.

'He offered a bright smile,' recalled Tom. 'Sobhraj, entirely unruffled, launched into a convoluted monologue, crammed with erudition, describing himself as a victim of dark forces conspiring to take his freedom.'

Charles Sobhraj, top, is pictured above being led to prison in Delhi in 1977

The writer went on to say that the serial killer, then 58, was awaiting trial and concerned about saying anything that could incriminate him - but asked to see Tom again once he had spoken with his lawyer.

By the time Tom saw Sobhraj for a second time, the serial killer had still refused to admit a single murder - but had long been a name that everyone had heard of.

'The man in front of me thrived on his myth, proclaiming innocence and hinting at terror in the same breath,' recalled the writer.

'He appeared to juggle several identities at once and clearly enjoyed himself...his persistently engaging demeanor coupled with the false modesty of a veteran of the Asian highways must have dazzled youngsters on the Seventies hippie trail.

'But on a cold December day in 2003, two days before Christmas, his ingratiating self-aggrandizement was as disturbing as his outrage.'

He went on to claim how Sobhraj told him that while he was in the news, he didn't receive any visits from the police at his hotel, nor was he questioned.

However, three days before he was set to leave Nepal, he brazenly recalled being arrested while eating dinner at the casino - yet boasted about still not being charged due to lack of evidence.

Ellie Bamber and Billy Howle as Angela and Herman Knippenberg are pictured in the hit BBC series The Serpent

Following his interaction with the serial killer, Tom compared several of Sobhraj's characteristics to successful politicians - including his communication skills and 'boundless energy to sell his brand.'

A Nepali court sentenced the notorious criminal to life imprisonment in connection with the killing of an American backpacker in 1975.

Sobhraj, who is now aged 76 and serving his sentence in Nepal, had already spent 20 years in prison for a string of crimes, including murder and robbery.

'I am shocked,' said Sobhraj as he walked out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

'I have been found guilty without witnesses and evidence. Not a single witness was called,' said Sobhraj. 'We are going to appeal.'

His fame rose once again inside prison and he has since married 24-year-old Nihita Biswas, the daughter of his Nepali lawyer famous for his appearance on Indias equivalent to Big Brother.

Marie-Andree Leclerc was accused of complicity in the murders, namely those of Jean-Luc Salomon and Avoni Jacob.

In 1980, she and Sobhraj were convicted of the murder of Avoni Jacob, though she has always denied involvement in the killings and was later released on the condition she remained in India. She returned to Canada to die of cancer in 1984.
Scotland could bring in its own quarantine for international arrivals if Boris Johnson's quarantine hotel scheme is not tough enough, a senior SNP minister warned today.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the Scots government backed the idea of locking travellers in a hotel for up to 10 days, but any plan unveiled by Westminster politicians would only be the minimum of what could be introduced north of the border.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament this afternoon he concede that such a plan could be 'problematic' in future if unrestricted travel between England and Scotland resumes, with arrivals able to sidestep Scots rules by flying to English and Welsh airports.

It came as ministers in Westminster were hammering out the details of plans for travellers arriving in the UK, amid warnings that locking them up at their own expense would bankrupt the UK's travel industry and ruin the summer plans of millions of Britons.

Mr Swinney told MSPs at Holyrood: 'Border controls will work best on a four nation basis. Otherwise for example if Scotland establishes a supervised quarantine regime and England does not, that could be problematic if unrestricted travel between Scotland and England resumes.

'The Scottish government believes that a comprehensive system of supervised quarantine is required, so I can confirm that the Scottish government will initially go as far as any UK government announcement enhancing quarantine arrangement, including through the use of hotels.

'However if these UK restrictions are at a minimal level we will look at other controls we can announce, including additional supervised quarantine measures that can further protect us from importation of the virus. We will set them out next week.'

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said any plan unveiled by Westminster politicians would only be the minimum of what could be introduced north of the border

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament this afternoon he concede that such a plan could be 'problematic' in future if unrestricted travel between England and Scotland resumes, with arrivals able to sidestep Scots rules by flying to English and Welsh airports

Boris Johnson is due to hold a meeting to discuss UK-wide travel quarantine measures this evening

British holidaymakers have cancelled their 2021 summer breaks abroad and European beaches are empty today ahead of an expected decision tonight to introduce an Australian-style system that would see them locked up on their return.

Mr Johnson is expected to sign off on plans this evening to divert travellers entering the UK from high-risk Covid countries into hotels to stop new mutant strains of coronavirus like the ones from Brazil and South Africa entering the UK. But a decision on whether to expand the plan to those coming from other countries would be delayed.

The PM wants to force travellers entering the UK into quarantine hotels for 10 days where guests will change the sheets, empty the bins and be fed airline-style food three times a day while paying 1,500 for the privilege.

But there are grave concerns that the scheme will have no fixed end date - causing havoc for businesses - and may take weeks to set up.

A deserted Levante beach in Benidorm today as the Government urged Britons not to book summer holidays in yet another blow for struggling airlines and holiday companies

The beautiful Playa de Amadores in Grand Canaria was also similarly quiet this morning

Amid fury from the industry and consumers, a government source told MailOnline the decisions on the plan will 'go down to the wire', adding: 'The meeting will be where the decision is taken. It's not just rubber stamping.'

They also cautioned that some of those coming in might not be able to pay for their own hotel stay, and there might need to be means-tested support.

'There's a problem with Brits with not a lot of money ... you can see it coming like a slow motion steamroller.'

Boris Johnson is due to hold a Downing Street press conference tonight at 6pm ahead of the meeting of the Covid-O committee that will make the decision.

It came as Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said it was 'too early' to book a summer holiday abroad - but some anxious Britons took to social media to admit the warning came too late, with some having bought flights for as early as the half-term holidays in mid-February.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel company The PC Agency, said: 'This is destroying confidence among holidaymakers. People are not booking summer holidays because they don't believe there is an end game which will see these blanket measures removed.

'This is a sure-fire way of destroying Britain's aviation and travel industries. The Government needs to signal that they will withdraw the hotel quarantine rules by the end of March and return to a system of quarantining arrivals from high-risk areas only.'
Over the weekend, protests against Covid-19 lockdowns rocked the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain, just as several European governments began the new year by stepping up restrictions on movement amid concerns over more contagious variants of the coronavirus.

The Netherlands

On Saturday, Netherlands began its first nighttime curfew of the pandemic, said to be the countrys first since World War II. Bars and restaurants have remained closed since October, and schools and non-essential shops closed in December.

AP

Under the curfew rules, which are scheduled to continue till at least February 9, no one is allowed to leave home between 9 PM to 4:30 AM, with violators risking a fine of 95 euros.



Protesters set afire COVID testing centre in Urk

Saturday evening, protesters set afire a Covid-19 testing centre in the northern fishing town of Urk, and many hurled stones and fireworks at the police. Danish health minister Hugo de Jonge described the incident as going beyond all limits, and local municipal officials called it not only unacceptable but also a slap in the face, especially for the local health authority staff who do all they can at the test center to help people from Urk.



Some more protests against the far right AFD in Germany - but the Conservatives remain in an alliance with them at the Council of Europe. pic.twitter.com/yl5LY0tR72  Open Britain Thame #FBPE (@OpenBritThame) January 21, 2021

The next day, demonstrators gathered in the southern city of Eindhoven in defiance of the curfew, resulting in clashes with police. Some agitators smashed windows, threw fireworks, set ablaze cars and robbed supermarkets, and the police resorted to using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protests.

The capital Amsterdam also witnessed protests, this Sunday being the second in a row. Here, protesters took part in a banned demonstration at the central Museum Square, and video images showed a police water cannon spraying people grouped against a wall of the Van Gogh Museum, an Associated Press report said.



Reuters

Dutch police fined around 3,600 people

Dutch police said that they fined 3,600 people across the country and arrested 25 on Saturday night. The protests are also believed to have been spurred by the recently exposed child subsidies scandal that has led to the collapse of the Dutch government. A DW report said with elections slated in March, the political debate is heating up and there is more restlessness and people are disappointed that things are taking very long, that the coronavirus is not going away and that the Netherlands is doing very badly with vaccines.



AP

Denmark

On Saturday, protests against Denmarks lockdown restrictions turned violent, and an effigy of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was set on fire. Five people were arrested, according to The Local Denmark.

Over 1000 gathered in capital Copenhagen to take part in the protest organised by a group calling itself Men in Black. Freedom for Denmark and we have had enough were some of the slogans chanted.

AFP

The life-size doll representing Frederiksen, which was burnt, hung a sign from the neck saying She must and should be killed, inviting condemnation from across the political spectrum. Copenhagen Police said on Sunday that it was investigating the incident and could make further arrests.

Spain

Protests rocked capital Madrid on Saturday as 1,300 gathered at the city centre, leading police to fine 216 people with penalties of up to 700 euros, El Pais reported. Among the slogans raised were we want to breathe, and Illa, Illa, Illa, masks away, referring to the Spanish health minister Salvador Illa, and banners read they arent letting us work, plandemic and Covid 1984.

Reuters

The march, which was organised by a group called Conscious and Free Humans Collective, took place even as cases in the Madrid region have tripled in the last 30 days, with hospitals receiving more than twice the number of patients and ICUs working at 129% of their capacity, the El Pais report said.


In Costa Rica, youve got a real variety of lifestyles you can choose from, all on a modest budget. From Pacific coast beach towns to cooler highland escapesthis country has a lot to offer American and Canadian retirees.

Costa Rica tops International Livings Annual Global Retirement Index this year for good reason. Close to the States, it offers great weather, beautiful beaches, and world-class healthcare. It doesnt hurt that many retired couples report they live well on $2,000 a monththat includes all their costs.

Established and welcoming expat communities exist all across the country, which makes fitting in relatively easy. While its helpful to speak Spanish, expats report that in many spots its possible to get by largely in English.

Costa Rica ticks a lot of boxes for the prospective expat who, worried about retirement in the States, is looking for lower-cost, higher-quality options abroad, says Jennifer Stevens, Executive Editor, International Living. In Costa Rica, youve got a real variety of lifestyles you can choose from, all on a modest budget. From Pacific coast beach towns to cooler highland escapesthis country has a lot to offer American and Canadian retirees.

Prospective expats seem to be taking notice. At our International Living website, weve seen a 178% increase in traffic to our Costa Rica content over the last month.

Transplants from North America and farther afield live all over Costa Rica today, but International Living has identified the top five havens there for expats and retirees:

1. Central Valley

Its hard to beat the Central Valley for beauty, friendliness, and good-value living. Nestled among forests, mountains, and farms are villages where expats have been living side-by-side with Costa Ricans for many decades.

Like the name would suggest, the Central Valley is central. San Jose, the countrys capital, and its suburbs are within an hour-and-a-half at most from just about anywhere in the Valley. Thats where expats go to find the best shopping in the country, including North American-style malls and warehouse shopping clubs.

A lot of expats choose to live in one of San Joses suburbs, such as Santa Ana or Escazu, says Kathleen Evans, IL Costa Rica Correspondent. This way, they can enjoy suburban living close to the city and its amenities, but also enjoy life a little bit outside the city with its spectacular mountain views.

The Central Valley is dotted with communities where expats have settled. Throughout the Valley there are historic towns that attract retirees seeking to upgrade their lifestyle while the trim their budget. Popular towns are Atenas, Grecia, Cartago, and San Ramon.

The Central Valley is also where our main international airport is," says Evans.

So, if you do like to travel around and explore new things, you are right in the middle of the action. Theyre the reasons why about 70% of the population of the country choose to live in the Central Valley.

2. Arenal

Home to both Costa Ricas largest volcano, Volcan Arenal, and its largest freshwater lake, this area is perfect for anybody after a laidback retirement in a rural setting, surrounded by natural beauty. The area, nestled between the provinces of Alajuela and Guanacaste, is suited for lovers of the great outdoors or those looking for a small-town vibe.

Youre not going to find large scale development like you will in some of the other communities around the country, says Evans. The expats who live there, enjoy that area because theyre completely one with nature.

The most popular expat town on the lake is called Nuevo Arenal. This is where people go for the staples of daily life: pharmacy, medical clinic, bank, gas station, grocery stores, restaurantsperfect for everyday shopping and errands. Expats can also be found on the opposite shore, in towns like La Fortuna, which is closer to the volcano.

Thanks to the lake and surrounding mountains, residents enjoy hiking, natural hot springs, mountain biking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, world-class windsurfing, and paddle boarding.

The lake area is about an equal distance from both of the main airports, says Kathleen. So, its nice to have that choice if you want to fly in one and out the other. And as far as the weather, its absolutely beautiful. Youll have no need for heat or air conditioning here.

3. The Gold Coast

Many expats looking for a warm climate, a healthy lifestyle, and proximity to the beach that wont cost a fortune have chosen Costa Ricas Gold Coast in the north.

Home to more than 65 of Costa Ricas nearly 300 beachessome remote and some the centerpiece of buzzing beach communitiesGuanacaste draws expats and international tourists from all corners of the world. Not only do the beaches check the boxes of beautiful, safe, and clean, but they each offer something of a different character.

Among the most popular beach communities for expats in the area are Playa del Coco, Playa Hermosa, Conchal, Tamarindo, and Nosara. These communities offer conveniences for daily living, business opportunities and infrastructure, and a natural hub for fun things to do. The coast is also dotted with plenty of up-and-coming towns as well.

Every beach has its own personality, says Evans. If you like a touristy town with lots of restaurants and different food choices and things to do, you might want to look at places like Playa del Coco and Tamarindo. But there are also lots of little sweet, quiet communities, and the only way to discover them is to get in your car and drive along the coast.

The cost of living is variable in Guanacaste depending on your lifestyle. Most expats in the region say they can live well on around $2,000 per month. Many find ways to live for less, and likewise, some spend much more.

4. Central Pacific Coast

The Central Pacific Coast stretches from Puntarenas to Manuel Antonio. The most popular expat places here would be Playa Herradura, where there is a large upscale development called Los Suenos, Playa Jaco, Esterillos, and down the coast to Quepos and Manuel Antonio.

The Central Pacific coast is the most established in the country, says Evans.

These are the beaches that are closest to the capital in San Josewithin an hour or twowhich means easy access to healthcare, shopping, and an international airport.

The Central Coast is a little more topical and more lush than dryer Guanacaste to the north. On this Central Coast, theres a bit more of a rainy season, but the tradeoff is that everything is greener.

Manuel Antonio is the site of the countrys most popular national park. At 4,000 acres, its a relatively small refuge and one of the smallest national parks. But the rainforest is home to capuchin monkeys, three-toed sloths, coatis, and much more. Within the park boundaries, sit some of Costa Ricas most beautiful beaches. There are four protected coves where white sand meets clear blue water, with jungle-clad hills rising dramatically from the shoreline.

The Central Pacific Coast is also home to the countrys largest LGBTQ+ community. So, if youre looking for an alternative lifestyle, it is very gay-friendly there, says Evans.

5. The Southern Zone

About three to four hours from San Jose and the Central Valley, the Southern Zone offers a totally different landscape, lifestyle, and climate. Its an unspoiled seaside wilderness with a laidback beach lifestyle and a warm, coastal climate.

The Southern Zone stretches all the way to Panama, but most expats are concentrated in and around three main townsPlaya Dominical, Playa Uvita, and Ojochal.

Dominical, a small surf village, is the gateway to the region. Uvita is the commercial hub, with banks, hardware stores, and pharmacies. Ojochal is the jungle village famed for its gourmet restaurants, which are run by an international cast of expat foodies. Expats here relish the mix of natural beauty and off-the-beaten-path life, yet with modern conveniences at hand.

Completion of the coastal highway in 2010 significantly cut drive time to the Southern Zone and opened up this area to expats, but development is small-scale, and the region is still unspoiled.

Evans says, the real estate there tends to be a little bit less expensive than some of the other larger beach communities to the north because it is a little bit less developed.

The full report on Costa Ricas top five expat havensincluding a video from our IL Costa Rica Correspondent and a closer look at the Caribbean side of Costa Ricacan be found here: Best Places to Live in Costa Rica: Five Top Expat Havens.

International Livings complete 2021 Annual Global Retirement Index, including more information on Costa Rica and the other nine countries that made it in to the top 10as well as the individual rankings in all 10 categories for all 25 countries includedcan be found at: The World's Best Places to Retire in 2021.

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About International Living

Since 1979, InternationalLiving.com has been the leading authority for anyone looking for global retirement or relocation opportunities. Through its monthly magazine and related e-letters, extensive website, podcasts, online bookstore, and events held around the world, InternationalLiving.com provides information and services to help its readers live better, travel farther, have more fun, save more money, and find better business opportunities when they expand their world beyond their own shores. InternationalLiving.com has contributors traveling the globe, investigating the best opportunities for travel, retirement, real estate, and investment.
The Christian movement called PULSE said that more than 100,000 people surrendered their lives to Christ amid the pandemic.

Nick Hall, an evangelist and founder of PULSE, the millennial-led evangelism movement, said that there are about 100,000 people that surrendered their lives to Christ in 2020 amid the pandemic. He said that the rise is because of the continuous increase in hunger for Christ around the world manifesting through multiple outlets.

In an interview with the Prayer Link via CBS News, Hall highlighted that the figures involved young people. He explained that due to the current political atmosphere, the youth of today tend to draw closer to God, Christian Headlines reported.

He explained how the figure dramatically increased in spite of the COVID-19 lockdown. Hall added that through multiple outlets such as social media and mainstream media, more people expressed their hunger to know Christ more.

"These are digital events, outreach events, Zoom all over the world and through television. I just think there's never been a hunger like this," the PULSE founder explained.

He elaborated that they had over 150 million people hear the Gospel from March to May in 2020 alone. Through their various digital events over 100,000 people went forward to respond to Jesus in public.

The evangelist added that what he witnessed among the young people reaching out to one another through various platforms is proof that this generation really desires to come together around the need to share Jesus Christ and the Gospel.

"There's all sorts of opinions about all sorts of things, all sorts of ideas and yet there is one thing that changes everything, and so I am seeing people praying, fasting, and really believing that, man, no matter what happens, we know that God is in control and we need to trust Him now more than ever," Hall explained.

As he shares his excitement on the increase of people reaching out to God during these trying times, he reminded Christians of the power that the church has when the body is united. According to him, believers can "unite to lift up a voice for justice and for the hurting and vulnerable."

Hall later warned Christians to be watchful of their focus and be on guard of their passion as the world faces various alarming issues. He reminded the believers not to let the current issues such as politics and elections divert or overshadow their passion for Jesus.

The evangelist called out on churches to allow their voices to be heard on the current issues. He urged them to speak out about the issues of racial discrimination and injustice.

He said that the body of Christ cannot afford to be silent now in addressing the current issues. "This is the time for the light of Christ to rise up," The PULSE founder said.

Hall ended his statement by saying that he is praying for a revival in 2021. He prays for the church to repent and get back to God so that the Lord could set everyone on fire and burn for the scripture.

"I believe that now is the time for the world to see a clear declaration of the Gospel and that Jesus is the one they're looking for," he said, according to CH.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte quit today after his coalition allies withdrew their support over his handling of coronavirus.

The 56-year-old leader of the populist 5-Star Movement handed in his resignation at the presidential palace in Rome following a cabinet meeting this morning.

But Conte is hoping to gain President Sergio Mattarella's support to form a new coalition government that can steer the country through the pandemic and economic crisis.

Conte's coalition collapsed earlier this month after a junior liberal party led by former PM Matteo Renzi yanked its support.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte gestures as he speaks in the Senate after former PM Matteo Renzi withdrew his support for the coalition last week

Italian premier Giuseppe Conte (unseen) arrives in a car at Quirinale Palace to offer his resignation to President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella in Rome

Italian PM Giuseppe Conte is seen in a car as he enters the Quirinale Palace ahead of a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella

Conte won confidence votes in parliament last week, but fell short of an absolute majority in the Senate, forcing him to take the gamble of resignation.

Mattarella, Italy's largely ceremonial head of state, can ask Conte to try to form a broader coalition government, appoint a largely technical government to steer the country through the pandemic or dissolve parliament and call an election two years early.

Former PM and leader of the Viva party Matteo Renzi at the Senate last week

The current coalition of the 5-Star Movement, Democratic Party and smaller Leu party are all hoping for a third Conte government.

Conte's first government starting in 2018 was a 5-Star alliance with the right-wing League party led by Matteo Salvini that lasted 15 months. His second, with the Democrats, lasted 16 months.

Salvini and center-right opposition parties are clamoring for an early election, hoping to capitalize on polls prior to the government crisis that showed high approval ratings for the League and the right-wing Brothers of Italy party led by Giorgia Meloni.

Salvini has blasted the 'palace games and buying and selling of senators' of recent days as Conte has tried to find new coalition allies, claiming that Conte is incapable of leading Italy through the crisis.

'Let's use these weeks to give the word back to the people and we'll have five years of a serious and legitimate parliament and government not chosen in palaces but chosen by Italians,' Salvini said Monday.

Democratic leader Nicola Zingaretti says an early election is the last thing the country needs.

He tweeted Monday: 'With Conte for a new clearly European-centric government supported by an ample parliamentary base that will guarantee credibility and stability to confront the challenges Italy has ahead.'
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.
Graves Pair Arrested on Drug Charges

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PILOT OAK - A Graves County pair faces drug charges after deputies searched a home Monday afternoon.Deputies went to a home in the 7900 block of KY Highway 129 at around 12:30 p.m. to investigate reported illegal drug activity. A search of the home reportedly revealed two sets of electronic scales, marijuana, methamphetamine smoking devices, and more than an ounce of crystal methamphetamine. Several doses of ecstasy were also found.Deputies arrested 42-year-old Stephanie Fulcher and 44-year-old James Turberville. Fulcher is charged with meth trafficking, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and possession of ecstasy. Turberville faces charges of possession of meth, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.Both suspects were taken to the Graves County Jail.
The video also points out that the Galaxy S21 Ultra lacks detachable screen connector cable that makes it more difficult for front screen replacement. Additionally, the battery comes with a strong adhesive that may pose risk at battery damage while repairing the phone. The YouTube channel has given the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra a repairability score of six out of 10. Its price in India starts at Rs 1,05,999 for the base 256GB model while the while the 512GB storage option costs Rs 1,16,999.
London: An unseemly dispute between Europe and the pharmaceutical companies manufacturing two key coronavirus vaccines threatens to slow shipments of the lifesaving jab to Australia should the row worsen.

In the first major example of long-feared vaccine nationalism, the European Union has slapped export controls on vaccines produced within its territory because Pfizer and AstraZeneca can no longer meet their pre-agreed supply volumes and timelines with the bloc.

While Australia plans to produce the AstraZeneca jab at a Melbourne factory owned by biopharmaceutical firm CSL, the 10 million doses it has agreed to buy from Pfizer will be manufactured in Belgium.

The Pfizer jab is the only one granted approval for use in Australia to date and is due to roll out from late next month.
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A computer image created by Nexu Science Communication together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus linked to the Wuhan outbreak, shared with Reuters on Feb. 18, 2020. (NEXU Science Communication/via Reuters)

UK to Help Other Countries Identify New CCP Virus Variants

The UK government said on Tuesday it will offer its genomics expertise to identify new variants of the CCP virus to countries that do not have the resources to do so.

Im delighted to announce our New Variant Assessment Platformusing the UKs massive genomic testing capacity to help countries around the world identify new variants, Britains Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Twitter.

We must protect people and detect new variants wherever they arise, he wrote.

The New Variant Assessment Platform, led by Public Health England (PHE), will offer Britains capacity to analyse new virus strains to other countries who are in need of such expertise.

The UK has carried out more than half of all SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences submitted to the global database, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

It was this capability that enabled scientists from Public Health England (PHE) to identify the new variant in southeast England, which has been found to have a higher transmissibility than the old variant.

Hancock said on Monday that the UK variant is spreading 3070 percent faster than the original variant.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday the UK variant may be associated with a higher level of mortality, but Hancock said on Sunday that scientists are not yet certain how much more deadly it is.

The other major variants of concern identified so far were discovered in South Africa and Brazil, which are also thought to be more transmissible than the old variant.

Hancock said on Sunday that Britain had detected 77 cases of the South African variant and nine cases of a Brazilian variant.

The new variants of coronavirus have demonstrated this once again so we must work to promote health security right across the world, Hancock said on Tuesday.

Our New Variant Assessment Platform will help us better understand this virus and how it spreads and will also boost global capacity to understand coronavirus so were all better prepared for whatever lies ahead.

Last Monday, the UK further tightened travel restrictions by closing all its travel corridors with other countries. Johnson said this was intended to protect the country against the risk of as yet unidentified new strains coming from overseas which might turn out to be resistant to vaccines.

The measure means all passengers must have a recent negative CCP virus test and transfer immediately into isolation upon arrival. The isolation period lasts for ten days, unless the passenger tests negative after five days.

Jack Philips and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 18:36:24|Editor: huaxia

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Relatives of an injured child carry him at a local hospital in Qala-e-Naw city, capital of Badghis province, Afghanistan, Jan. 26, 2021. At least nine civilians were injured as 10 missiles slammed into Qala-e-Naw city the capital of Afghanistan's western Badghis province on Tuesday, a member of provincial council Mohammad Nasir Nazari said. (Str/Xinhua)

QALA-E-NAW, Afghanistan, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least nine civilians were injured as 10 missiles slammed into Qala-e-Naw city the capital of Afghanistan's western Badghis province on Tuesday, a member of provincial council Mohammad Nasir Nazari said.

Nazari also accused the Taliban militants of firing the missiles, asserting the militants fired missiles on residential area on Tuesday afternoon, injuring nine civilians.

Police have also confirmed the incident but didn't provide details.

In the meantime, head of health department in the restive province, Abdul Latif Rostae confirmed that nine injured civilians including a child had been taken to hospital.

Taliban militants who are active in parts of Badghis province with Qala-e-Naw as its capital 555 km northwest of Kabul have yet to make comment. Enditem
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
She has jetted to Mexico with her daughter Madison and cousin Frankie Essex for a 'work trip'.

And Chloe Sims pulled out her best model poses as she slipped into a plunging glittery minidress for a slew of Instagram snaps on Monday.

The reality star, 38, flaunted her bronzed figure as she did a impromptu photoshoot by the sea.

All eyes on her: Chloe Sims pulled out her best model poses as she slipped into a plunging glittery minidress for a slew of Instagram snaps while on her Mexico 'work trip' on Monday

The low-scoop minidress highlighted Chloe's surgically-enhanced assets and long legs.

She complemented the look with brown cowboy boots and gold hoop earrings.

Sweeping her hair up into a high bun, Chloe captioned the shot: 'MEET ME WHERE THE SKY TOUCHES THE SEA..'

Busty display: The reality star, 38, flaunted her bronzed figure as she did a impromptu photoshoot by the sea

Since she landed in Tulum, the reality star has posted an array of scantily clad snaps to social media from her trip.

Chloe has also given her Instagram followers a look at the comfy room she is staying in, as well as the breathtaking view of the beach she will wake to every morning.

The TOWIE star revealed she had travelled to Mexico on a 'work related trip' amid Britain's coronavirus lockdown.

Racy display: Since she landed in Tulum, the reality star has posted an array of scantily clad snaps to social media from her trip

Chloe took to Instagram and shared a series of bikini photos of herself after landing in celebrity hot spot Tulum.

After several reality stars have received criticism for travelling to Dubai for 'work' trips recently, Chloe insisted an opportunity presented itself in Mexico that she 'could not turn down'.

She wrote: 'I HAVE ARRIVED IN MEXICO.. SO I WANTED TO GET AHEAD OF ANY NEGATIVE STORIES TO MAKE IT CLEAR, THIS IS FIRST & FOREMOST A WORK RELATED TRIP.

This view! Chloe has also given her Instagram followers a look at the comfy room she is staying in, as well as the breathtaking view of the beach she will wake to every morning

'SOME OPPORTUNITIES HAVE PRESENTED THEMSELVES, THAT I FELT I COULD NOT TURN DOWN & SO AFTER FULLY CONSIDERING THE LATEST GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES. I DECIDED TO TRAVEL.'

Chloe added she would be quarantining at her home in Essex as soon as she returns from the trip.

She said: 'OBVIOUSLY I WILL BE QUARANTINING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS UPON MY RETURN.'

Working hard: The TOWIE star revealed she had travelled to Mexico on a 'work related trip' amid Britain's coronavirus lockdown

Tulum is popular with stars including Drew Barrymore and Kristin Cavallari with Love Island's Eyal Booker and girlfriend Delilah Belle Hamlin also recently visiting the city.

Dozens of influencers who found fame on reality shows such as Geordie Shore and Love Island have spent the previous weeks soaking up the sun in Dubai while Brits back at home are in a nationwide lockdown.

Many have travelled abroad under the ruse that their trips are 'for work,' sparking backlash from fans who have been holed up in lockdown amid the pandemic.

Among those who have shared glimpses of their trips to Instagram are Love Island's Laura Anderson, Francesca Allen, Arabella Chi and twins Jess and Eve Gale.

Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry is also in Dubai for 'work' while TOWIE's Yazmin Oukhellou and her beau James Lock have also been there for some time on 'business'.

Many stars have insisted their trips are for 'work' as the government currently asks UK residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
(TNS) - A deadly tornado ripped through Alabama overnight Monday, leaving debris in its path.At least one person is dead and 28 others injured in connection with the tornado in Fultondale, a suburb north of Birmingham, WBRC and other news outlets reported.Hours after the storm, photos and video reveal the extent of the damage. Footage from WBMA reporter Stoney Sharp shows a car flipped onto a tree next to a field of disheveled furniture.When Sam Moerbe raced with his dad to the part of Fultondale where they once lived, he found the roofs damaged on most houses, AL.com reported."It looks like a bomb went off," he said, according to the news outlet.At least one car was buried under debris, while others were missing windows, according to photos from WVTM reporter Magdala Louissaint.Richard Ring, a visitor from Tennessee, told the TV station he's "thankful to be alive" after the roof tore off the hotel where he was staying."All of the sudden, the windows blew out in my room," Ring said, according to WVTM. "And the lights went out and the siren shrieked. It was just surreal."The tornado struck after forecasters warned of the potential for severe weather overnight Monday. The National Weather Service said in a preliminary report that there was "major structural damage" and wrote on Twitter that it planned to survey the Fultondale area.By Tuesday morning, the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency urged people to steer clear of Fultondale."On top of road dangers such as power lines and debris...traffic is clogging the roads," officials wrote in a Twitter post. "Once again, PLEASE stay out of the area."Fultondale Mayor Larry Holcomb said crews on Tuesday morning were looking for people who may have been trapped, and photos showed trees being cleared away from the hardest hit area, according to AL.com and its reporter Connor Sheets.___(c)2021 The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)Visit The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) at www.newsobserver.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The son of a man stabbed to death during a fight between feuding neighbors in South Jersey has been indicted for his alleged role in the incident.

William T. Durham Sr., 51, of Vineland, died following the May 4 brawl with Zachary T. Latham, 18, who was charged with aggravated manslaughter.

Durhams two sons and his wife were also charged with assault and the first person to be indicted in the entire case was William T. Durham Jr., 22.

A Cumberland County grand jury indicted him last week on charges of third-degree aggravated assault and fourth-degree criminal trespass.

Following Lathams weekend arrest in Florida in an unrelated incident and recent social media activity that allegedly violates the terms of his pre-trial release in the New Jersey case, prosecutors are seeking his return to jail.

Latham and the Durhams had been feuding for months, with representatives for the Durhams saying Latham was harassing the family and posting videos of them on social media platform TikTok.

The dispute boiled over on May 4, when Durham Sr., a state corrections officer, and his two sons came to Durhams home to confront him.

While they were unarmed, Latham came out of his home with a stun gun and knives. The three Durhams battled Latham and two of his friends as Lathams wife recorded the confrontation with her phone.

William T. Durham Sr., a correctional officer at South Woods State Prison, was stabbed to death in a fight with a neighbor.

Latham, who claimed he acted in self-defense, stabbed Durham Sr. multiple times and the man died at a hospital. Latham suffered a concussion.

Durham Jr. is accused of assaulting Latham and trespassing on his property. His younger brother, Gage, is charged with the same offenses, while their mother, Catherine, is charged with fourth-degree criminal trespass and simple assault for allegedly punching Lathams wife.

Lathams case was referred to a grand jury. The status of the cases against the other Durhams was unclear Tuesday.

Latham, who was released from jail pre-trial, was arrested in Florida over the weekend after he allegedly waved a pellet gun at another motorist and attempted to ram the victims vehicle.

Hes charged with two counts of aggravated assault in that case.

Florida jail records indicate he was released from custody Monday afternoon after posting a $20,000 bond.

His release from a New Jersey jail weeks after the May killing sparked outrage from Durham family supporters, who argued that Latham should have remained behind bars and that he should face a murder charge. In addition to aggravated manslaughter, he is charged with two counts of aggravated assault and multiple weapons offenses.

Following his release, which was challenged by prosecutors, Latham wrote about the case on social media and the Durhams home address was shared in the comments section of one of Lathams TikTok posts. A friend of the Durhams said Latham had also taunted him online.

In response to a gag order motion from prosecutors, a judge issued an order in September that Latham stop commenting publicly about the case.

That apparently didnt work. Prosecutors filed a motion last week seeking to revoke Lathams release, alleging that he created a new TikTok account late last year and posted several videos and comments about the case. Prosecutors notified Lathams public defender, who told the defendant to remove the posts. While those videos were removed, prosecutors learned last week that Latham again commented on a post made by another user regarding the case, according to the filing.

Following the weekend arrest in Florida, prosecutors in New Jersey filed new documents Monday bolstering last weeks motion with details about these latest alleged violations of his release order.

The motion to revoke Lathams release will be heard this Friday in New Jersey Superior Court.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
Egypt condemns in the strongest terms an attempt to target the Saudi capital with a missile and affirms its support to the Kingdom in facing all forms of terrorism, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced on Saturday intercepting an air projectile launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen toward Riyadh.

Egypt reiterates its support to and stands by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the measures it takes to defend its territories and preserve its security, stability and the safety of its citizens, the ministrys statement read.

The ministry also affirmed Egypts support to the Saudis tireless efforts in the face of all forms of terrorism and its supporters.

Egypt also reiterates its strong condemnation of such terrorist aggressions that target Saudi Arabia, the statement added.

Saudi Arabia has announced intercepting hundreds of drones and missiles launched by the Houthis over the past few years since the Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015 to support the internationally-recognized government.

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Humble ISD increases number of meals for children in need during pandemic

Humble ISD, along with many other districts throughout the United States, had been serving discounted and free meals to students that qualified until the coronavirus hit the United States.

The number of students in need has since drastically increased due to the pandemic, and now, almost 6,500 breakfasts and 17,000 lunches are being served by Humble ISD Child Nutrition services daily.

Brian Achilles, Humble ISD director of Child Nutrition, has been the director for a little over four months after serving in other districts in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado and Nevada. Achilles is a Kingwood alumnus, having attended Deerwood Elementary, Riverwood Middle and Kingwood High School.

As a graduate of Humble ISD, I am excited to be back in a district that gave me the foundation I needed to excel at Cornell University, Achilles said. The Child Nutrition team has worked tirelessly since the onset of the pandemic in March to try and provide as many meals as possible to our students and the community. They are normally the first ones through the doors in the morning and dont stop moving until every last person is served.

Every person enrolled in Humble ISD is eligible to be served face to face, and every person in the community aged 1-18 is eligible for the free meals program through curbside pickup. No matter the schooling situation, virtual or in person, there is a way for students to receive their free meal.

The meals are funded by the USDA, which provides funding to the TDA who then provides the funds to Humble ISD based on how many free breakfasts and

free lunches are provided each month. All meals given out must meet the guidelines set by the USDA and TDA; that is, they must include a meat or meat alternate, grains, fruit, vegetable and milk.

Face-to-face learners typically go through lunch lines in the cafeteria, picking out what theyd like for their meal. Virtual students must go through the curbside pickup, receiving two breakfasts and two lunches on Mondays and three of each on Wednesdays.

The idea of a free meals program is not a new one.

The National School Lunch Act was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946 after an investigation found that the poor health of men rejected for the World War II draft was associated with poor nutrition in their childhood, Achilles said. This act still holds many of the same fundamentals that you see in todays program. The goal was to provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free meals to children each school day. As far as the decision around COVID-19 to allow free meals to every student and child 18 years of age and younger, it was made by the USDA and supported by the TDA.

The USDA oversees the program nationally, but the TDA oversees it from the state level. For Humble ISD, the Child Nutrition Department makes sure that the program follows all local, state and federal regulations.

Districts throughout the United States have similar programs, especially those which are completely virtual. Meals are being distributed in several ways. Theres the traditional cafeteria, the curbside pickup, grab-and-go carts, and at Lakeland Elementary and North Belt Elementary, the administration has started Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) where meals are delivered to classes each morning and students eat at their desks.

Curbside meals are available at Foster Elementary, Park Lakes Elementary, Ridge Creek Elementary, Timberwood Middle School, Atascocita High School, Humble High School and Kingwood Park High School. As of now, the FDA has authorized free meals to continue through June 30.

I would like to see free meals for all students continue even after that point as it is important that all children have access to a meal, but we will have to wait to see what Congress and the USDA decide to do, Achilles said. I am excited to work with this team and to implement a variety of new programs (food trucks, coffee shops, etc.) and new menu items (sushi, made-to-order stations, etc.) so that the students of Humble ISD have the best possible food and experience.
The pandemic has exposed failings in Irelands prison service, including overrun capacity and a lack of access to technology for prisoners, a report has found.

Covid-19 measures were introduced in Irish prisons last year to prevent the spread of the virus, including a reduction in prisoner numbers and cell-sharing.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) said that addressing the overcrowding in prisons in a short period of time was an extraordinary achievement.

There were sometimes two prisoners sleeping on beds and one on the floor. Fiona Ni Chinneide

Before the outbreak of the pandemic, 75 prisoners were sleeping on mattresses on the floor because of a lack of space.

A report carried out by the IPRT found that coronavirus measures improved some standards within prisons.

The report  Progress in the Penal System: Assessing progress during a pandemic  is the fourth annual review of standards in Irish prisons.

It found that the Covid response revealed that the majority of closed prisons across the State were overcrowded and unsafe.

Trying to capture penal reform in 2020 has been like trying to catch a fast-flowing river with your hands - but @IPRT team has done it! I've never met a more hard-working bunch of people. Thank you! @MartynMichelle @PamDrumgoole @lorrainetwhitty @mmjjoyce @LynFallon #PIPS2020 pic.twitter.com/gFokXHeUOq  FAona NA ChinnAide (@fianna71) January 25, 2021

At the outset of Covid-19, there were more than 4,200 prisoners in custody in Ireland.

Following the outbreak of the pandemic, the Irish Prison Service and the Department of Justice reduced the prison population by 10% to 3,807.

Executive director of the IPRT, Fiona Ni Chinneide, said the physical improvements in the prison system are at risk of being reversed.

We definitely dont want to see a return to that when the courts return and deal with the backlog in cases, she told PA news agency.

There were sometimes two prisoners sleeping on beds and one on the floor.

We dont want to see a return to the high number of people who are committed to prison for very short sentences.

Over three quarters of sentence committals in 2019 were for sentences of 12 months or less.

This is the clearest demonstration of the over-reliance on prison as a response.

She said an increasing number of prisoners families have contacted the charity about concerns for their loved ones in prison, particularly around isolation, mental health and welfare issues.

(Prisoners) are confident they are protected against Covid-19 but the lack of in-person visits have been very difficult for families, particularly children, Ms Ni Chinneide added.

Covid-19 has exposed all the issues across the penal system, including running over-capacity and the lack of access to technology.

Video calls were introduced but we would like to see every prisoner have a tablet so they can continue on with their remote education.

The vast majority of people who were released were serving sentences of 12 months or less, and the fact they could be released into the community does beg the question: why were they in prison in the first place and not serving community service orders?

She also said that a reduced prison population saw a near-end to prisoners sleeping on mattresses on floors and a move towards single-cell occupancy.

Single-cell occupancy is a key measure in supporting mens and womens dignity in prisons, Ms Ni Chinneide added.

The Covid response demonstrates that the majority of closed prisons across the State were overcrowded and unsafe in the first instance. It also suggests that prison was not a necessary sanction for all of those imprisoned before the pandemic hit.

The IPRT report also welcomed the introduction of video calls and in-cell phone provisions to enable prisoners to speak to their families.

Expand Close A general view of Cloverhill court and prison (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook

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Ms Ni Chinneide said the changes are at risk of being reversed as the courts prepare to clear the backlog of cases.

Furthermore, in recent years, the number of those held on remand in our prisons is rising at a concerning level. Imprisonment is not the only sentence option in the criminal justice system, Ms Ni Chinneide added.

It should not act as shelter for people charged with low level offences. It should not be a waiting room for those who need treatment in our Central Mental Hospital.

Covid has offered us a brown-field site for a more humane penal system. There should be no reversal of that.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 16:39:30|Editor: huaxia

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MANILA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines reported on Tuesday 1,173 new confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 516,166.

The death toll climbed to 10,386 after 94 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. It added 18 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 475,423.

The Philippines, which has about 110 million population, has tested over 7.1 million people since the disease emerged in January last year.

A total of 78 health care workers have succumbed to the disease as of January 24, data from the DOH showed. It said a total of 14,286 medical workers, mostly nurses, and physicians, contracted the virus.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed concern over the detection of the more contagious coronavirus strain in the Philippines.

Citing dangers posed by the mutated variant first found in Britain, Duterte reimposed the stay-at-home rule for 10 to 14-year-olds in the entire country "until everybody is safe because of the vaccine."

"Just to be sure, and in our desire to protect our people, I was forced to reimpose 10 to 14-year-old," he said on Monday night after meeting the inter-agency coronavirus task force in Davao City, his hometown in the southern Philippines.

Duterte was compelled to issue an order after the DOH confirmed local transmission of the mutated strain in the northern Philippines. The Philippines now has 17 cases of the new variant, 13 detected in the Cordillera Administrative Region.

"This is a precaution because there was or is a strain discovered in the Cordillera that is very similar to the strain in the United Kingdom," Duterte said, expressing fear the new strain "strikes the young children."

The task force recommended last week to allow minors aged 10 and up in public places starting February 1 to spur more economic activity amid the prolonged pandemic.

Duterte also voiced concern over the "still rising" COVID-19 cases in his country.

"I hope it would not reach millions because then we would be in serious trouble. We would be no better than the other countries whose rise is exponential," Duterte said.

The DOH lauded Duterte's order on age restrictions, saying it will give the agency "time for at least two cycles of genome sequencing with adequate representation from all regions to determine the extent of the transmission of the variant of concern."

The DOH confirmed on Monday night local transmission of the mutated variant in the northern Philippine region.

"To date, all identified cases with the UK variant can be epidemiologically linked to cases coming directly from outside the country (importation) or from specific cases or exposures that can still be identified (local transmission)," the DOH said.

However, the agency added that it has "found no strong evidence of community transmission."

Aside from the variant found in Britain, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH is also monitoring other coronavirus variants found in South Africa, Malaysia, and "other countries as well". Enditem
By J.B. Handley There is a very, very hungry lie, and the lie needs more food. Dr. Paul Offit is this lie's public chef, but it also gets fed by the Centers for Disease Control, American Academy of Pediatrics, and many other parties who have a vested interest in protecting our current vaccine program. The problem with a lie as big as this one is that it never knows when it has had enough to eat, and it always needs more food. It's a simple lie, really. And, it's being told with more and more frequency lately, which is really no surprise. Lies like this tend to get fatter and fatter and hungrier and hungrier before they explode, and many, many people need this lie to be true. Like many lies, this one has evolved. The lie-tellers used to tell half-truths, but they seem to have abandoned the half-truths and just gone for the big, big lie. That's how hungry a lie tends to get. Don't feed me half-truths, the lie screams, feed me lies! Like other very big lies, this one retains a lot of credibility with people who have a lot of credibility. And, we have seen this movie before, whether it's Colin Powell blessing the presence of WMDs in Iraq or the SEC blessing the trading prowess of Bernie Madoff. We know how the movie ends. Stephen Greenspan, a psychologist and expert on gullibility, explains this recurrent experience of smart people falling for big, hungry lies as due to "the tendency of humans to model their actionsespecially when dealing with matters they don't fully understandon the behavior of other humans."



So, some humans purportedly in the position to understand something say the lie, and repeat it over and over again and pretty soon a bunch of people who don't really understand it start saying the same thing.

What's the big lie? Trust me; I really want to tell you, I've just struggled with which lie-teller to quote first. These days, there are so many people telling the lie I hardly know where to start.



I thought long and hard about which lie-teller should get us going, and I've settled on Dr. David Tayloe. As the President-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics, he's supposed to have our kids' back. Of course, he doesn't. And he's certainly not above telling the lie.



I also picked David Tayloe because he said on Larry King Live that, in all his decades of being a pediatrician, he'd never reported an adverse event from a vaccine. Given how long he's practiced, and how many kids he's shot-up, it's a near impossibility that no child had an adverse event to a vaccine from his practice, so that makes Dr. David Tayloe somewhat or fully full of shit. So, he gets the nod.



I've dragged this out so long, I almost don't want to drop it on you now, but here goes, here's Dr. David Tayloe, President-elect of the AAP, telling the big, big, very hungry lie:



"Vaccines do not cause autism and we're not afraid of the truth."



Dr. Tayloe may not be afraid of the truth, but he's certainly afraid to speak it.



Lest you think I'm picking on Dr. Tayloe, which I certainly am, just know that he is well-supported by other humans who don't really understand the issue telling the same lie he's telling because they heard other people say it. Consider these luminaries of the hungry lie:



Dr. Paul Offit: "It's been asked and answered: Vaccines don't cause autism."



Amanda Peet, spokesperson for Sanofi Pasteur and Every Child By Two: "Fourteen studies have been conducted (both here in the US and abroad), and these tests are reproducible; no matter where they are administered, or who is funding them, the conclusion is the same: there is no association between autism and vaccines."



Dr. Nancy Minshew, director of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Excellence in Autism: "The weight of evidence is so great that I don't think that there is any room for debate. I think the issue is done. I'm doing this for all the families out there who don't have a child with autism, who have to deal with the issue of 'Do I get a vaccination or do I risk my child's life' because they don't understand what the science is saying."



Dr. Michael Katz, senior vice president for Research and Global Programs for the March of Dimes: "The implication that vaccinations cause autism is irresponsible and counter productive."



Dr. Renee Jenkins, current President of the AAP: "A television show that perpetuates the myth that vaccines cause autism is the height of reckless irresponsibility on the part of ABC."



Dr. Nancy Snyderman, medical correspondent for NBC: "Sixteen separate studies have shown no causal association [between vaccines and autism]."



The American Medical Association: "Scientific data overwhelmingly show that there is no connection between vaccines and autism."



Whew. I'm tired just typing all those quotes. If that's not a sign that there is "consensus" on an issueI don't know what is.

What do we make of so many official people saying, and at times shouting, the same thing? The late Michael Crichton, himself an M.D., addressed this notion of a bunch of pedigreed people shouting the same lie, with a level of eloquence I could never summon:

"I want to pause here and talk about this notion of consensus, and the rise of what has been called consensus science. I regard consensus science as an extremely pernicious development that ought to be stopped cold in its tracks. Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you're being had."



Birth of the Lie: 2004



We all know the year. We all know the organization. We all know the document. No document on earth has ever been more widely quoted, misquoted, represented, and misrepresented to prove, once and for all, that vaccines do not cause autism. Because this document is so damn important, and because we know exactly when the document was released, we can be very clear about exactly when this very hungry lie was born:

May 17, 2004.



Before I continue, I need to tell you something, and I really, really need you to listen. I'm going to quote a cliche, one that has been used many times, and is used so often that sometimes we may forget to reflect on its meaning, so please, take a moment and really think about this: The devil is in the details. Always.



With that cliche now bouncing around in your head, let's look at the birth date of this very hungry lie when the Institute of Medicine released a document with the very official sounding name Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism. (HERE)



There it is. There's the very first lie. And, oddly enough, it's the title of the entire document. Stick with me on this, and remember the cliche I just mentioned to you. The title of the document is "Vaccines and Autism." To the average person, this would presume that the document explores the concept of whether or not vaccines cause autism.



But, it doesn't. And, the study itself is far more honest than its own title. The study itself actually tells you what the IOM looked at and here it is, the IOM summary of what they actually looked at in the study they released on May 17, 2004:



"In this report, the committee examines the hypothesis of whether the MMR vaccine and the use of vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal can cause autism."



Wait a minute. The world thinks the IOM considered whether or not vaccines can cause autism. There are 11 separately licensed vaccines given to children (I'm counting DTaP and MMR as one each, even though they are triple shots), many given multiple times. The IOM looked at only one of these vaccines, the MMR, and an ingredient found in many others, Thimerosal.



But, the hungry lie started that day, two months before my own son was diagnosed with autism. It started with a very odd and very contradictory piece of journalism by a writer from Reuters who seems to be more confused by the issue than most. This writer, Maggie Fox, reported on the IOM's document soon after its release, and her headline is clear enough:



VACCINE DOES NOT CAUSE AUTISM, PANEL SAYS

That's as clear and concise a version of the lie as you will ever see, although the use of the word "vaccine" rather than "vaccines" is odd. Within her own story, Ms. Fox goes on to explain what the IOM study actually did do, which contradicts her own headline:



"Neither the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine nor a mercury-based preservative used in some childhood shots cause autism, a U.S. health panel has found."



Hmm, that's weird. Even weirder is the quote she pulled out of Marie McCormick, the chairperson of the very IOM committee that issued the report that started the lie:



"The weight of that evidence is pretty substantial," said Dr Marie McCormick, an expert in child and mother health at the Harvard School of Public Health who chaired the panel. "The overwhelming evidence from several well-designed studies indicates that childhood vaccines are not associated with autism," she added.

Childhood vaccines are not associated with autism? That's quite a statement; particularly given the panel only contemplated two things: the MMR vaccine and an ingredient (mercury) in some vaccines. It's not just quite a statement; it's an unbelievably bold misrepresentation, which is a nice word for a lie.



I have noticed this trend a lot lately, where health authorities in positions of influence seem to bounce back and forth between representing honestly what research has actually been done and making sweeping statement of false reassurance. Consider the curious case of Dr. Paul Offit, a henchman for Merck and vaccine patent-holder. In an article in the New England Journal of Medicine several years ago, Dr. Offit spelled out the research fairly clearly:



"Fourteen epidemiological studies have shown that the risk of autism is the same whether children received the MMR vaccine or not, and five have shown that thimerosal-containing vaccines also do not cause autism."



Today, why bother with the details? It's much easier for Offit to say, "It's been asked and answered: Vaccines don't cause autism" and be done with it.



I wish I was done at this point, partly because all these details really wear me out, but the story actually gets a lot worse.

Devilish Details



I'm now going to make a point, and this is without a doubt the most important point I'm making today, so I hope you can once again take just a little bit closer of a listen. As we all know, the IOM looked at many different studies regarding both Thimerosal and the MMR vaccine.



But, there is a point, and it's a point many of us think we know, but it's a point rarely discussed and a point so important that I think someday when they are piecing together how in the world the autism epidemic ever happened and how in the world such a big hungry lie was ever told for so long, I think this is the point they will make, so I'm going to make it first:



There isn't a single study contemplated by the IOM, or cited by any medical authority whether CDC, AAP, WHO, IOM, or ECBT, that compares anything EXCEPT vaccinated children.



How can that be? How can the IOM's document that tells the world that vaccines do not cause autism be resting on a foundation of studies that only ever looked at vaccinated children?



We need some analogies here:



That would be like looking at people who smoke one pack a day versus two packs a day and seeing no difference in lung cancer rates and saying cigarettes don't cause lung cancer.



That would be like looking at people who eat chocolate chip cookies with chocolate chips and chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips and seeing no difference in obesity rates and saying cookies don't contribute to obesity.



That would be like looking at people who smoke low-tar cigarettes and people who smoke normal cigarettes and seeing no difference in lung cancer rates and saying cigarettes don't cause lung cancer



Do I need to continue? When I explained this trick to my 9 year-old, he got it, so I hope you do, too. If you can look at these studies and say that vaccines do not cause autism, well, I think you make Foghorn Leghorn look like Chickenhawk.



Let's go back to Reuters for a second, because the article is terribly important, being the media's first brush with the lie and all. Let's look at what else Ms. Fox said back in 2004:



"The panel, which included experts in paediatrics, family medicine, statistics and epidemiology, had reported in 2001 that there was no proven link between vaccines and autism but said there was not quite enough evidence to be definitive. Since then, they have reviewed five large epidemiological studies done in the U.S., the U.K., Denmark, and Sweden that found Children who were vaccinated with thimerosal-containing vaccines were no more likely to have autism than children who received thimerosal-free vaccines."



Five large studies done? OK. And, these studies were the ones that turned the tide, right? That's certainly what this writer appears to have learned from the IOM. Just for fun, let's actually look at the "new" studies that were contemplated by the IOM. Not all five of them, but just for fun I'll pick two of the studies Ms. Fox is talking about, the one from the US and the one from the UK, published in 2003 and 2004, respectively.



Before we look at these two studies, I need to make another point: the majority of studies that authorities point to as proof that vaccines do not cause autism have been published in a journal called Pediatrics. As Pediatrics will tell you, they are the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. As we know, the AAP is a trade union for pediatricians with two unfortunate truths:



- The AAP derives a majority of their outside contributions (estimated at more than $25 million per year) from pharmaceutical companies who make vaccines



- The very people the AAP represents, pediatricians, derive the majority of their annual revenues from the administration of vaccines to children



Do you think that's a coincidence?



CDC Study, the one that just won't go away



The first of the two studies I'll look at, the one that most people cite as the definitive work that vaccines do not cause autism, was published in Pediatrics in November 2003 and was written by the CDC by a lead researcher named Thomas Verstraeten. It's called Safety of Thimerosal Containing Vaccines: A Two-Phased Study of Computerized Health Maintenance Organization Databases.



To say that much has been written about this study is like saying much has been written about Britney's love life  it's always an understatement. So, I'm just going to make two points about this study, two points that will show you how big this lie has really become:



1. The study's authors, after analyzing the only data ever run on American children (data that was later lost by the CDC), concluded that they couldn't prove anything either way. Their study was simply inconclusive. Not positive, not negative. Just neutral. After the press and vaccine talking heads tried to turn the study into the first evidence of the very big lie, the study's lead author, that same guy Verstraeten, wrote a desperate letter to Pediatrics because he was distraught at how his study--the one he was the lead author for--was being misused:



"Surprisingly, however, the study is being interpreted now as negative [where 'negative' implies no association was shown between Thimerosal and autism] by many...The article does not state that we found evidence against an association, as a negative study would. It does state, on the contrary, that additional study is recommended, which is the conclusion to which a neutral study must come...A neutral study carries a very distinct message: the investigators could neither confirm nor exclude an association, and therefore more study is required."



It's hard to imagine a second point actually worse than the point I just made, the point that one of the most famous studies routinely held up to support the position that "vaccines don't cause autism" actually reached no decision at all. 0./But, it does get worse.



2. Like every study the IOM considered in reaching their conclusion, and like every study ever cited by anyone defending the vaccine program, this study only looked at children who had been vaccinated. If that wasn't bad enough, the authors actually went a step further. Because there were so few children available who had received vaccines without Thimerosal, they actually compared children who had received MORE Thimerosal with children who received LESS Thimerosal to try and reach a conclusion. In point of fact, this "large-scale" study, as it's so often portrayed by the media, evaluated a total of exactly 223 children with autism, all of whom had been vaccinated, and over 80% of whom had received vaccines with 87 or more micrograms of mercury.



Man, I'm really tired of talking about these details. If you think it's hard reading this lengthy piece, try writing it. In fact, it's the painful nature of these pesky details that makes the lie so easy to feed and perpetuate. Who really reads this shit? No one, I think. In fact, I have a little secret to tell you: I have actually read every single study the IOM based their conclusions on and every study the other side claims supports their case. I have them all sitting right next to me here in a tidy little folder. I may be the only human being on earth (except perhaps Bernadine Healy) who has actually done this.



How am I so sure? I'm not, really. I just know it took me several hours and several hundred dollars to even get all the studies together in one place. You see, many of the actual studies are not freely available online for the average journalist to find, you have to buy them from the websites of the journals. Testing this hypothesis a step further, I asked a journalism friend of mine to ask Every Child By Two if they had copies of all the studies they cite on their website that prove vaccines don't cause autism. Surely they had copies and had read them allsurely?



Here's what he heard back:



Unfortunately we do not have copies of all of the studies available. I would suggest that if you check the main library at [your school]. They often get these journals even though your school doesn't have a medical or nursing program and you can copy what you need. Some may also be available online.



Rich

Rich Greenaway

Director of Operations and Special Projects

Every Child By Two



Nope, even ECBT doesn't have the studies; they just speak authoritatively about the conclusions of studies they've never actually read



The "British" Study  Am I on Neptune?



Ok, I'll admit it -- up until a week ago, I'd never read the large-scale epidemiological study from the UK that clearly shows vaccines don't cause autism as was clearly stated in the Reuters article and clearly part of the IOM's very clear conclusion. I feel terrible, but I just never took the time to read it.



When I finally read it, cover to cover, all 7 pages of this published study, I only had one conclusion: Am I living on fucking Neptune?



You see, if you think the CDC study I just told you about is a shaky foundation for building a hungry lie, then the British study is the foundation of a thousand year old clay shack in the Sichuan Province during a 9.0 earthquake.



Like all studies, the UK study has a very official sounding name, and one I will repeat so I can be as clear as possible:



Thimerosal Exposure in Infants and Developmental Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study in the United Kingdom Does Not Support a Causal Association



Wow, that's an earful. Oddly, like few other studies I have seen, the title includes the conclusion of the study, albeit a deceitful representation of the actual conclusion.



This UK study is such junk, it's really hard to write about. I imagine a journalist trying to read this study for the first time, and probably struggling with what the hell was actually done, sort of like a monthly statement from Bernie Madoff, and falling back to just reading the title again and hoping for the best. Yet, after reading the study enough times, I was able to actually figure out what had been done, and I'll start by quoting you from the authors' own summary of what they did, from the Methods section of the study on page 577 of Pediatrics in September 2004:



"The study has been monitoring >14 000 Children who are from the geographic area formerly known as Avon, United Kingdom, and were delivered in 19911992. The age at which doses of thimerosal-containing vaccines were administered was recorded, and measures of mercury exposure by 3, 4, and 6 months of age were calculated and compared with a number of measures of Childhood cognitive and behavioral development covering the period from 6 to 91 months of age."



OK, I know. You have no idea what that means, I certainly didn't. So, I will use the kind of English most of us can understand so you can see how amazingly unbelievable this study really is:



- 100% of the children in this study were vaccinated



- 100% of the children in this study were vaccinated with the thimerosal-containing DTP vaccine



- If you were a child who hadn't completed the full series of thimerosal-containing DTP shots, which in Britain is 3 doses, you weren't even in the study



- The only variable considered, and I'm going to put ONLY in all-caps so you really hear me, the ONLY variable considered was the TIMING of the 3 doses of thimerosal-containing DTP vaccines given to kids



- And, when I say timing, what I mean is they compared kids who had gotten these shots by 3 months, 4 months, and 6 months



That's it.



The timing of thimerosal-containing shots was explored. The authors are actually honest about this in their own conclusion to the study:



"This study, based on a large United Kingdombased prospective cohort, shows no evidence of any harmful effect of an accelerated immunization schedule with thimerosal-containing vaccines."



There it is, clear as day: an accelerated schedule of TCVs. TIMING is the only variable this study considered.



One side point, for those of you who noticed. The IOM study came out in May 2004. This study was published in Pediatrics in September 2004, four months later. What gives? What gives is that the AAP did an excellent job of getting a crap study in front of their friends at the IOM to give them more ammunition to birth the hungry lie.



A "Dose" of Reality



It's hard to write this piece, because it makes me lose even greater faith in our health authorities. I think about a guy like Dr. David Tayloe and I just want to know what's actually true:



- Is he the gullible guy who just believes what others say and repeats it?



- Is he so stupid that he's read all the science and believes it proves that vaccines don't cause autism?



- Does he know the science doesn't remotely say that, but thinks it's better to say so anyway and protect the vaccine program?



I don't know, but any of those reasons pretty much suck.



I mention above about giving a dose of reality, so I'm going to. But first, a question:



What is the purpose of science, and more specifically, of medical research?



I think the purpose of science and medical research is the betterment of the human race. To help us live longer, healthier, happier lies. To answer all the tough questions about what's good for us and what's bad for us. The customer of medical research is mankind.



If mankind is the customer here, I would make another argument. Mankind's most important members are babies and children. Agree? And, nothing is more painful for mankind or more detrimental to mankind's life, liberty, and happiness than a sick child. Ask any family.



So, here's some reality for you:



Terry has a daughter named Hannah. Through eighteen months, Hannah's pediatrician notes she is meeting all developmental milestones  a normal developing child. At nineteen months, Hannah gets taken to the pediatrician, presumably by her Mom, and she gets five shots in one visit: DTaP, Hib, MMR, Varivax, and IPV. A five shot visit? In the U.S., this happens thousands of times a day.



Suddenly, things for Hannah change. I'll let the now-famous court document tell the story from here:



"According to her mother's affidavit, Hannah developed a fever of 102.3 degrees two days after her immunizations and was lethargic, irritable, and cried for long periods of time. She exhibited intermittent, high-pitched screaming and a decreased response to stimuli. Terry spoke with the pediatrician, who told her that Hannah was having a normal reaction to her immunizations. According to Hannah's mother, this behavior continued over the next ten days, and Hannah also began to arch her back when she cried.



On July 31, 2000, Hannah presented to the Pediatric Center with a 101-102 degree temperature, a diminished appetite, and small red dots on her chest. The nurse practitioner recorded that Hannah was extremely irritable and inconsolable. She was diagnosed with a post-varicella vaccination rash.



Two months later, on September 26, 2000, Hannah returned to the Pediatric Center with a temperature of 102 degrees, diarrhea, nasal discharge, a reduced appetite, and pulling at her left ear. Two days later, on September 28, 2000, Hannah was again seen at the Pediatric Center because her diarrhea continued, she was congested, and her mother reported that Hannah was crying during urination. On November 1, 2000, Hannah received bilateral PE tubes. On November 13, 2000, a physician at ENT Associates noted that Hannah was "obviously hearing better" and her audiogram was normal. On November 27, 2000, Hannah was seen at the Pediatric Center with complaints of diarrhea, vomiting, diminished energy, fever, and a rash on her cheek. At a follow-up visit, on December 14, 2000, the doctor noted that Hannah had a possible speech delay.



Hannah was evaluated at the Howard County Infants and Toddlers Program, on November 17, 2000, and November 28, 2000, due to concerns about her language development. The assessment team observed deficits in Hannah's communication and social development. Hannah's mother reported that Hannah had become less responsive to verbal direction in the previous four months and had lost some language skills.



On December 21, 2000, Hannah returned to ENT Associates because of an obstruction in her right ear and fussiness. Dr. Grace Matesic identified a middle ear effusion and recorded that Hannah was having some balance issues and not progressing with her speech. On December 27, 2000, Hannah visited ENT Associates, where Dr. Grace Matesic observed that Hannah's left PE tube was obstructed with crust. The tube was replaced on January 17, 2001.



Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, a pediatric neurologist, evaluated Hannah at the Kennedy Krieger Children's Hospital Neurology Clinic ("Krieger Institute"), on February 8, 2001. Dr. Zimmerman reported that after Hannah's immunizations of July 19, 2000, an "encephalopathy progressed to persistent loss of previously acquired language, eye contact, and relatedness." He noted a disruption in Hannah's sleep patterns, persistent screaming and arching, the development of pica to foreign objects, and loose stools. Dr. Zimmerman observed that Hannah watched the fluorescent lights repeatedly during the examination and would not make eye contact. He diagnosed Hannah with "regressive encephalopathy with features consistent with an autistic spectrum disorder, following normal development." Dr. Zimmerman ordered genetic testing, a magnetic resonance imaging test ("MRI"), and an electroencephalogram ("EEG").



Did you read that whole excerpt? Did you really read it? If you did, and if you are human, it rips your heart out. If you are the parent of a child with autism as I am, it more than rips your heart out, it causes you to die all over again. And, as we both know, Hannah's story is far from unique. In the autism world, it's the norm. I'd hazard to guess that Hannah's story is shared by several hundred thousand families in the US alone.



How does the experience above benefit mankind?



Can science help us out of this mess?



The Failure of Science and the Big Lie



As we all know, Hannah's Mom is a nurse and her Dad is a neurologist. I've never met the Polings nor have I ever talked to them. But, I know that Jon, Hannah's dad, was very much part of the mainstream medical establishment before seeing what happened to his daughter, as he himself has said.



I have no doubt that as Dr. Poling was watching these events unfold with his daughter that he was looking for answers through science and from the people and journals he trusted. And, I have little doubt that he found nothing.



Let me ask you a simple question, and I particularly want to ask it of the liars like David Tayloe, Paul Offit, Nancy Snyderman, and others who falsely reassure parents every day that everything is OK when everything is not OK. Please, a simple question:



Can you show me the science that would convince the Polings that it wasn't the vaccines?



Please. Show me. She got five vaccines in one day. She was never the same. Show me the science where you can proudly stand up and say, "Vaccines do not cause autism, I'm sorry about what happened to your daughter but it wasn't the vaccines, please read this." Is it the British study, the one that made me think I was on Neptune? Or, is it that one from CDC, the one where they were unable to determine anything? Which one should the Polings look at so they can move off of vaccines as a likely culprit to their daughter's regressive autism?



The lie needs to end. Those who have been telling the lie need to be called out. They need to be removed. Every day, another parent is falsely reassured because they listen to someone they think they can trust who is feeding the hungry lie.



It makes me so damn mad to write this piece, perhaps that's why it's so long, but really, I don't even know how to end it. The more I look at the details, the madder I get. Since I can't trust myself to end this piece in a thoughtful way, I will bring in Dr. Bernadine Healy, the former Director of the National Institutes of Health, herself an M.D. from Harvard and someone who directed the nation's largest organization dedicated to medical research.



Dr. Healy fits into this story because it was Hannah Poling's case that caused her to take a closer look at the controversy. Unlike many of the feeders of the lie, I have no doubt that Dr. Healy actually has read the science that many of her colleagues claim shows vaccines don't cause autism, and Dr. Healy didn't like what she learned at all. So, I'm going to finish with a quote from her, but not until I get one final request in here:



If you are reading this, and you can do something about all these liars who falsely reassure parents every day, please do. Thank you.



Here's Bernadine Healy, talking to CBS Evening News:



"We have to take another look at that hypothesis, not deny it. I think we have the tools today that we didn't have 10 years ago, 20 yrs ago, to try and tease that out and find out if there is a susceptible groupA susceptible group does not mean that vaccines are not good. What a susceptible group will tell us is that maybe there is a group of individual who shouldn't have a particular vaccine or shouldn't have vaccines on the same scheduleI don't believe that if we identify the susceptibility group, if we identify a particular risk factor for vaccines or if we found out that maybe they should be spread out a little longer, I do not believe that the public would lose faith in vaccines



I think that the government or certain public officials in the government have been too quick to dismiss the concerns of these families without studying the population that got sickI haven't seen major studies that focus on 300 kids who got autistic symptoms within a period of a few weeks of a vaccineI think public health officials have been too quick to dismiss the hypothesis as irrational without sufficient studies of causationI think they have been too quick to dismiss studies in the animal laboratory either in mice, in primates, that do show some concerns with regard to certain vaccines and also to the mercury preservative in vaccinesThe reason why they didn't want to look for those susceptibility groups was because they were afraid that if they found them, however big or small they were, that that would scare the publicI don't think you should ever turn your back on any scientific hypothesis because you're afraid of what it might show



Populations do not test causality, they test associations. You have to go into the laboratory and you have to do designed research studies in animalsThe fact that there is concern that you don't want to know that susceptible group is a real disappointment to me. You can save those childrenThe more you delve into it, if you look at the basic science, if you look at the research that's been done on animals.



If you also look at some of these individual cases and if you look at the evidence that there is no link what I come away with is the question has not been answered."

J.B. Handley is co-founder of Generation Rescue and a contributor to Age of Autism.



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DALLAS, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tegan Digital celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. Since its launch in 2011, the Dallas-based digital agency has created digital experiences for clients across the globe, from startups to Fortune 100 companies.

"Our team is beyond thrilled to reach this huge milestone," says Aaron Mizell, founder and principal. "We love what we do, and the privilege to serve in this space for ten years is not lost on us."

Tegan Digital came to life in the summer of 2011. After Mizell left a national marketing role on the client side of the business, he returned to a longtime dream of starting his own agency. A two-week hiking trip to Machu Picchu gave the clarity and motivation he needed to move forward. Since then, the company has dramatically grown its influence in the digital sphere. The past decade's clients have included AT&T, Lennox and the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.

Tegan's work has been widely-recognized for excellence in design, marketing and communication. In 2020 alone, the group took home awards at Davey, Hermes, DotComm, Marcom and AVA Digital Awards for outstanding digital projects.

"Tegan has been a tremendous partner since day one. They are sharp, nimble and efficient; all of which has allowed us to sprint four-minute miles together and accomplish our shared goals," says Brad Alesi, Chief Marketing Officer of Safe Harbor Marinas.

In just the last year, Tegan has forged deep relationships with several new clients including Safe Harbor Marinas, The Birthday Party Project, The Legacy Senior Communities and Temple Emanu-El. Projects include website redesigns, rebranding, iOS and Android apps, direct mail, social media and much more.

"We are almost entirely referral based. We treat our clients like family, so they tend to stick around for years," says John Herrington, VP Client Services. "We're proud to say we've performed in such a competitive industry for a decade now. And we're just getting started."

About Tegan Digital

Tegan Digital is an award-winning digital strategy, design and development agency based in Dallas, Texas. Tegan builds digital experiences that matter with partners ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies. For more information, visit www.tegan.io .

Contact:

John Herrington

VP Client Services

214-938-1611

[email protected]

SOURCE Tegan Digital
With the chaos during farmers' tractor rally erupting in the capital and the incident of flags being hoisted at the Red Fort, political parties struggled to come out with a proper response. They, however, distanced themselves from "violence" in the agitation.

While Opposition parties put the onus for violence during the tractor rally on government, many of them seemed concerned over the group of farmers entering the Red Fort.

Read | Farmers broke pre-decided conditions for tractor parade, many personnel injured: Delhi Police

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "violence is no solution to any problem" even as he reiterated his demand that the Centre should withdraw all the three contentious farm laws.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also joined him in condoning violence.

Swaraj Party leader Yogendra Yadav, who has been consistent in his support to farmer agitation, regretted the breach of peace. "I don't know what actually happened. But what happened is absolutely shameful and condemnable. This does not represent the current movement," Yadav said.

In a statement, the ruling party of Delhi AAP, too, said that the violence had "certainly weakened the movement" but it blamed the central government for this.

NCP boss Sharad Pawar said farmers from Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh held the protest in a disciplined manner but the "government didn't take them seriously," and blamed the government for the chaos.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee also blamed the 'Centre's insensitive attitude and indifference towards farmers' for the violence during the rally. Senior TMC leader Sougata Roy said violence cannot solve any problem.

For latest updates on farmers' protest, click here

Left leaders, too condemned the violence, but squarely blamed the government for letting the situation deteriorate. "The situation has been brought to this pass by the Modi government. Farmers have been protesting peacefully in the cold for more than 60 days, not allowed to come into Delhi and more than 100 kisans are dead," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted even as he categorically said, "violence in no form is an answer and is unacceptable."

As the outrage grew over the Lal Quila episode, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait alleged those trying to create disturbance are "people from political parties who are trying to malign the agitation".

The saffron flag hoisted by protesters was religious in naturethe 'Nishan Sahib', a symbol of Sikh religion seen at all Gurdwara complexes.

There is a clear understanding among the Opposition parties that the Lal Quila 'siege' will give the BJP and the Modi government ammunition enough to put other parties into a tight spot if they continue to support the agitation.

The episode has taken sheen out of the peaceful protest and could change the public opinion against the protesting farmers.

Also Read | One farmer dies during tractor rally at Delhi's ITO; protestors drape body in tricolour

As the protest rally threw the normal life haywire in the city after clashes and lathi-charges broke out in many places between a section of the protesters, and police personnel, criticism mounted on the manner of the agitations.

Earlier in the day, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said one has the freedom to agitate, but not to spread anarchy. Sharing a video grab of the hoisting of a flag by a group of protesting farmers at the Red fort, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said it was "painful". "Those whom we were calling annadata for so many days finally proved to be terrorists. Please do not defame annadatas but at the same time call the terrorists as terrorists."
Accused paedophile Malka Leifer is set to face a Melbourne court within the next week after her extradition from Israel.

Ms Leifer could arrive in Melbourne as early as Tuesday night after boarding a plane in Israel on Monday, following last months ruling by the Supreme Court of Israel that the 52-year-old return to Melbourne to face prosecution. Australian authorities were on Tuesday tight-lipped about when she would arrive in Melbourne.

Malka Leifer (right) appears in a Jerusalem court in February 2018. Credit:AP

The former principal of the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick is accused of sexually abusing three of her then students between 2001 and 2008. Ms Leifer has long maintained she is innocent.

She fled to Israel in 2008 when the allegations were first aired, and the December decision of the Supreme Court of Israel to dismiss Ms Leifers appeal against extradition ended a six-year legal fight to have her return to face court in Melbourne.
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[January 26, 2021] Branch Launches Employer Payments Platform for Businesses to Accelerate Payments

Branch today announced the launch of its Employer Payments Platform (EPP) to help businesses accelerate payments. Branch created the platform to provide an integrated solution for businesses seeking faster, more reliable ways to move money to employees instantly. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005995/en/ Branch's Employer Payments Platform (EPP) provides businesses faster, more reliable ways to move money to employees instantly. (Graphic: Business Wire) Traditional payment methods are slow and costly for both businesses and employees. The Branch EPP provides employers and technology partners a faster, free solution to deliver on-demand payments and empower their employees with tools including digital payouts of tips, wages, and other disbursements, earned wage access, fee-free banking, and paycard alternative. Branch allows businesses to automate processes, reduce payroll costs, remove logistical burdens and cash flow concerns, and support employees with free financial services. "Employers and technology partners alike see the need to innovate payments but building a full-out offering requires extensive technology, time, and support," said Branch CEO Atif Siddiqi. "We launched the Employer Payments Platform to eliminate barriers to entry and provide a solution that allows businesses to get set up easily and uickly derive value."



The EPP's open APIs enable both real-time data transfer and an integrated experience within an employer or technology partner's platform. Leading HR, payroll, and IT platform Rippling is the most recent partner to adopt the solution, embedding the Branch EPP into its platform to offer its customers an integrated paycard alternative along with the ability to provide faster onboarding, payments, and fee-free banking to employees. The integration delivers a continuous user experience so that customers can manage and operate these tools all within the Rippling portal. "No one should have to deal with cash or physical paychecks in a pandemic," said Matt Macinnis, COO of Rippling. "We're thrilled to be partnering with Branch to give hourly workers safe, easy access to the wages they've earned. Now customers can automatically enroll and bank their employees in Rippling."

As on-demand payments become an essential component of payroll processes, Branch has made it simple for employers to integrate the comprehensive platform directly into their technology stack or adopt through their current HR, POS, and payroll solutions thanks to Branch's network of partners including Rippling, UKG, Servant Systems, ProPoint Solutions' SuperSalon, and RASI. Branch's award-winning suite of tools is constantly evolving, enhancing a partner's platform offerings. SOC 2 compliant, Branch has built an easy, secure way to reduce payroll costs, automate processes, and support both W2 and 1099 employees. The Branch Employment Payments Platform is available immediately through select partners and general sign-up. To sign-up for the platform or for more information, visit https://www.branchapp.com/introducing-epp/. About Branch Branch is the only Employer Payments Platform (EPP) that helps businesses accelerate payments to empower working Americans. Businesses turn to Branch for a more cost-effective, faster way to pay employees and reduce the costs of paper checks and paycards. Employees that sign up with Branch can receive a zero-fee bank account, free instant access to earned wages, and auto-budgeting tools to help them manage their cash flow between paychecks. Branch has partnered with some of the nation's leading payroll and workforce technologies to support employers in retail, restaurant, logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare. To learn more about Branch, visit https://www.branchapp.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005995/en/

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Last year, police departments began using military-grade chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) detection patrol boats on America's waterways.

As WorkBoat revealed , the Los Angeles Port Police began using MetalCraft Marine's new $1.5 million CBRN detection patrol boat.

"MetalCraft Marine has delivered a 43' patrol boat to the Los Angeles Port Police. The vessel is a new breed of CBRN detection patrol boats. The $1.5 million Boat 42 was christened in February."

The LA Port police use powerful real-time CBRN detection units to secretly monitor innocent boaters from 3 miles away.

"The boat has two very powerful CBRN detection units that are the highest-level state of the art detection systems available and are military grade. The RAD system was supplied by Radiation Plus. The RS-700 has a gamma and neutron detection system. The unit has an integrated controller and data acquisition system. The heart of the RS-700 is the proprietary advanced digital spectrometer (ADS) module."

"The RAPIDplus chemical detector by Bruker is the second piece of this powerful CBRN patrol boat. It can automatically detect, identify and monitor all known chemical warfare agents and important toxic industrial chemicals at long distances of 3.1 miles."

MetalCraft's selling point, is to turn police boats into real-time surveillance boats.

"The software provides the user with enhanced visual surveillance and analytical displays overlaid on video with an extended substance library and increased detection capability."

MetalCraft's "High Speed Interceptor 4344 Patrol Boat" is a 'state of the art military grade police boat' equipped with an array of chemical and biological sensors.

"The boat has two very powerful CBRN detection units that are the highest level state of the art detection systems available and are military grade."

Police vehicles can sometimes be equipped with cellphone surveillance devices like a Stingray, which if installed on police boats would turn them into military grade surveillance platforms.

How invasive are police and Coast Guard surveillance boats?

Most Americans would be surprised to learn that for the past 17 years, the Coast Guard has warned the public that "there is no expectation of privacy for boaters."

"As a broadcast system (where communications are intended to be received by the public), there is no expectation of privacy with regard to any information transmitted on AIS." (To find out more click here.)

The Coast Guard's "National Automatic Identification System" (NAIS) has effectively destroyed boaters privacy.

MetalCraft 's latest boat the "7M Interceptor Unmanned or Watcher" will take police boat surveillance to a whole new level.

As NNY 360 explains, the prototype 7M Interceptor was built for the U.S. Coast Guard.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - If Canada was able to navigate Donald Trump's four years of bilateral bluster, it can surely find safe harbour from the protectionist measures of his Democratic successor, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested Tuesday.

Conservative MP Tracy Gray rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. The Opposition Conservatives are urging the federal government to push back on President Joe Biden's protectionist Buy American plan.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - If Canada was able to navigate Donald Trump's four years of bilateral bluster, it can surely find safe harbour from the protectionist measures of his Democratic successor, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested Tuesday.

Joe Biden's White House has more in common with Canadians than Trump ever did, Trudeau said when asked if he expects stronger headwinds from the latest version of Buy American than the Conservatives fought through a decade ago.

That's when then-president Barack Obama, desperate to jump-start the U.S. economy following the global economic crisis of 2008, imposed domestic procurement rules similar to those Biden enacted Monday.

Biden's version reflects important differences, including more rigid enforcement rules, more stringent oversight and  perhaps most importantly  a U.S. electorate steeped in four long years of divisive and nationalist rhetoric.

Trudeau's answer suggests the federal Liberals hope to extract every ounce of political cover from that rhetoric that they can, even though Trump is no longer in office.

"Over the past four years, we faced an American administration that was both unpredictable and extremely protectionist, and we were able every step of the way to stand up for Canadian interests," Trudeau said.

He counted off a list of wins, including the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, an eventual end to Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs and last year's agreement to keep trade and commerce moving across the otherwise-closed Canada-U.S. border.

"We were there to be able to advocate for Canada's interests, and I can tell you we will continue to be effective in advocating for Canada's interests with this new administration," Trudeau said.

"President Biden has a lot of similar priorities to this government's, to Canadians' ... and these are things that we're going to be able to work on closely with our nearest ally and closest friend."

The political goal behind Biden's iteration of Buy American, a cornerstone of his successful election campaign, was to win over the same protectionist blue-collar workers who helped elect Donald Trump in 2016.

But on Monday, Biden didn't sound like someone who's backing down now that he's in the White House.

Waivers, the exceptions that allow Canadian contractors, manufacturers and suppliers access to a lucrative and often essential source of business, will be granted only under "very limited circumstances," Biden said.

A new "Made in America" office attached to the White House will review waiver applications and grant them only "when there's an overwhelming national security, humanitarian or emergency need here in America," he said.

"This hasn't happened before. It will happen now."

It took Canada more than a year to negotiate an escape from the rules Obama imposed in 2009, with Biden as his vice-president. Whether that experience makes those talks easier or more difficult this time around remains to be seen.

"We've got some work ahead of us in Canada to make sure we get exemptions from some of these things," said Dennis Darby, CEO of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.

Canada is in a constant state of having to remind American officials of the integral role it plays not only in its own economic health, but that of the U.S. as well, Darby said.

"Is it a concern? Yes, and this is no time for us to take our foot off the gas."

In Ontario, where the provincial government embarked on a strategy last year of forging closer economic ties and "strategic investment" agreements with regional and state leaders in the U.S., anxiety was running high Tuesday.

"If Ontario were a country, we would be the United States' third-largest trading partner," said Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli.

"Buy American policies disrupt existing Ontario-U.S. cross-border supply chains and erode the deep and long-standing relationships we have built over the years."

If nothing else, the lesson from another round of Buy American hand-wringing ought to be the importance of diversifying Canada's export markets, said Jenifer Bartman, a business adviser and consultant based in Winnipeg.

"From a Canadian perspective, this situation is a reminder that, although the U.S. is our largest trading partner and agreements are in place, it is beneficial for Canadian businesses to diversify their customer base into other countries," Bartman said.

"It takes time for companies to understand the intricacies of foreign markets and to build customer relationships, and both time and qualified support are needed in order to achieve this."

Conservative MP Tracy Gray, the party's international trade critic, pressed the government Tuesday during question period on how it plans to secure a waiver, which the governing Conservatives did in 2010.

"We understand that both countries benefit from the integrated, secure and resilient supply chains between our two countries," said International Trade Minister Mary Ng.

"Canada is the No. 1 customer for more than 32 states. We look forward to working with the American administration for the interests of Canadian workers and Canadian businesses here in Canada, indeed on both sides of the border."

The latest Buy American strategy is the second potential blow to Canada's economic fortunes to land in less than a week.

On his first day in the White House, Biden rescinded the presidential permit for Keystone XL, a controversial cross-border link between the Alberta oilsands and refineries and ports on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Trudeau and Biden have long talked about using the push into "green" jobs to fuel their economic recoveries  a notion taking new urgency in the aftermath of Keystone XL.

That theme came up again Tuesday when the prime minister spoke with John Kerry, the president's newly named special envoy on climate change  a call that included a pointed reminder of the economic ties between Canada and the U.S.

"The prime minister noted the important energy security relationship between the two countries and the importance of the integrated auto, power and supply chain markets between the two nations," according to a readout of the call from the Prime Minister's Office.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2021.
[January 26, 2021] Executive Search Business - Vantedge Search Launched

HILLSBOROUGH, N.J., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Founders Rajesh Khanna and Sandeep Mitra, today announced the launch of Vantedge Search. The New Jersey based company specializes in Executive Search and Talent Advisory for firms across industries. Belinda Burson has been appointed as Managing Director to spearhead global operations. "As businesses realign themselves in the post-pandemic world, executive search and talent acquisition sectors are undergoing transformation to meet changing demands. We are adapting to the new normal, as our clients continue seeking top-notch talent. This bodes well for us since our globally distributed team at Vantedge is adept at spotting leadership talent equipped with the right combination of domain and soft skills in today's digital world," said Rajesh Khanna, co-founder Vantedge Search. Supported by a team of founders with over 50 years of combined experience, Vantedge Search prioritizes relationships over databases. The company is focused on providing cost- effective talent acquisition operatins and a holistic offering including talent mapping, compensation benchmarks, employer branding, pipelining, and competitive intelligence.



Commenting on the launch, Belinda Burson shared her views, "I am excited to lead the Vantedge Search team. I have always been passionate about talent acquisition and believe that headhunting is an art that can add significant value to any organization regardless of size or industry. It's exciting to be part of a disruptor to the executive search industry. After five years in corporate talent acquisition, it is even more clear what our clients need from us.I look forward to expanding the scope and reach of the organization and upholding the values and vision that the Founders have for Vantedge Search." Belinda Burson previously held the role of Global Head of Executive and Digital Talent Acquisition at global business solutions provider - Sutherland. Her prior experience also includes multiple leadership roles including Managing Director of Braxton Cooper Inc., Vice President of Solomon Case & Co, and Director of Magellan International LP.

Moreover, with more than 25 years of experience to their credit, Rajesh and Sandeep are entrepreneurs who also co-founded VBeyond Corporation  a leading staffing and lateral hiring firm. Their expertise extends across industries including Healthcare, Technology, Digital, Consumer markets, Industrial, Telecom, and Retail. About Vantedge Search A division of VBeyond Corp, Vantedge Search is co-founded by industry practitioners with a combined experience of more than 50 years and committed to finding talent with the right proficiency, pedigree, and passion for their clients. Based in Hillsborough, New Jersey, Vantedge Search has specialized Search Consultants, Research Analysts, and Sourcing Experts spread across US, Canada, UK, and India. For more information, please visit our website or follow us LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates. For media queries, please contact:

Belinda Burson

908-854-0425

289888@email4pr.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/executive-search-business--vantedge-search-launched-301215155.html SOURCE Vantedge Search

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Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 51F. SSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 51F. SSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph.
Widespread Concern in New Mexico as Biden Halts New Oil, Gas Leases

President Joe Bidens 60-day moratorium on new oil or natural gas leases and drilling permits on federal land is prompting widespread anxiety in New Mexicoone of the nations top energy producersas a broad coalition argues it forces the entire country to be more reliant on foreign energy, while also impeding environmental progress.

New Mexico business leaders, Republican figureheads, the oil industry, and workers in the state were quick to voice their opposition to the executive order, saying it would destroy the states economy. Some told The Epoch Times the move would force workers to relocate to states such as Texas, while others worried the freeze would become permanent.

Half of New Mexicos oil and gas production is on federal land and amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties each year.

Its going to force us to buy more oil from nations that support terrorism, Steve Pearce, chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party, told The Epoch Times. And its going to hurt New Mexicos economy, which has already been devastated by the governors response to COVID.

Under Bidens actions, roughly 50,000 jobs could be lost in the state, with potential losses of $3.5 billion, as most of the states core production comes from federal lands, said Pearce, who warned America would face tremendous shortages.

Oil and gas provide about 40 percent of the revenue for the states budget, Pearce said. A report released in September 2020 by the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (NMOGA) said that the states oil and natural gas industry supported 134,000 in-state jobs and added $16.6 billion to New Mexicos economy in 2018.

To highlight the immediate impact, the Republican chairman mentioned a text he received from a welder a few days ago. This welder, who was working on three or four rigs, had his contract canceled right after Biden signed his executive order and as the welder was heading to his workplace. The welders bosses told him they were moving their rigs to Texas, which has little federally owned land and has more private land than any other U.S. state.

The people in New Mexico are very nervous about whats happening, not just for their own jobs but for the entire state, according to Mayor Dale Janway, who since 2010 has served as the mayor of Carlsbad, a city in southwestern New Mexico with a population of more than 49,000. He also criticized the Biden administration for promoting unity, while not actually speaking or listening to those affected by his executive order.

How will New Mexico pay for its schools and roads? We keep hearing talk about wanting to work together, but wed like to play a role in these discussions, Janway told The Epoch Times.

This should be a time for rebuilding, he said. Our greatest concern is that this 60-day freeze will become a long-term freeze.  And for what? Oil companies will just move resources to Texas and keep drilling.

A large part of the states budget is also funded by drilling on federal land, said Janway, who described how the state is already facing numerous challenges, as are most places across the country. Jobs in New Mexico have already fallen due to the lockdowns and a number of workers became unemployed after a dip in oil prices earlier this year.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Biden administration for comment but didnt receive an immediate response.

Oil storage tanks are pictured near Maljamar, in Lea County, New Mexico, on April 23, 2020. (PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images)

The United States became energy independent in 2019 for the first time since 1957, according to the Institute for Energy Research. Total U.S. energy production increased by 5.7 percent in 2019, the institute said, while U.S. energy demand fell by 0.9 percent.

Bidens actions to freeze oil was laid out on his campaign website as part of one of his key promises of combating climate change. According to his website, under his Clean Energy plan, Biden said he would ban new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters and also called for modifying royalties to account for climate costs.

You can imagine with half of our production coming from federal lands that companies are just going to be moving out of the state, said Pearce. The oil in New Mexico has done a lot to make us energy self-sufficient.

This was a very political decision to pay off supporters, he added. Its one that reeks of bad judgment and bad economic policy. Forty cents out of every dollar comes from oil and gas.

Industry groups said the order effectively brings all regulatory activity to a halt, from routine requests that arise during the normal course of business to requests for rights of way for new pipelines designed to gather more natural gas as part of efforts to reduce venting and flaringpractices that Democrats have targeted in their climate change agenda.

The issue has been divisive for Democrats in New Mexico, where the oil and gas industry has been vilified over pollution concerns, despite its role as the states top economic driver.

Trickle-Down Effect

Carla J. Sonntag, president and founder of the New Mexico Business Coalition (NMBC), said the oil and gas industry represents about 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state and is also the primary funder of education in New Mexico. Sonntag said her team communicates with some of the oil and gas operators in the state, who she said are certainly unhappy about Bidens move. She warned about the effects on more than just the oil industry.

Even general businesses are very upsetthey understand the impact on the states budget, she told The Epoch Times.

More importantly, if they are an industry that is related to oil and gas, if theyre a support industry providing services or supplies, theyre very concerned about how their business will continue, she said.

The NBMC represents hundreds of New Mexico businesses and thousands of individuals who want to limit government dependence and expand the private sector. Sonntag noted that due to the large portion of land in New Mexico being federally owned, its reliant on federal leasing and opportunities to develop oil and gas. If they lose that ability in New Mexico, oil and gas companies will seek opportunities in other states.

If the support businesses arent able to operate in New Mexico, they will also look to leave the state, Sonntag said. She also said Bidens freeze on oil wont have the positive impact on the climate he says it will.

A semi-truck carrying oil passes by a quarry in Eddy County, New Mexico, on April 23, 2020. (PAUL RATJE/AFP via Getty Images)

Were going to become more reliant on foreign energy, which puts us at risk, she added. But its also a bad move on the environmental progress that weve made because many of these foreign countries have lower environmental standards than the United States.

All around it is bad for the countryand its horrible for New Mexico, she said.

But not everyone is against Bidens moratorium and the administrations broader stance on climate change. It has drawn praise from environmentalists, who have been seeking to rein in development across the Western world.

Any step toward fixing the broken federal oil and gas leasing program is a step in the right direction, Mark Allison, director of the environmental group New Mexico Wild, told The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, another move by the Biden administration is sparking a similar furor among critics, namely the presidents decision to cancel the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Terry Cunha, a spokesperson for TC Energy Corp., told The Epoch Times via email that as a result of the presidential permit being revoked for Keystone XL, 1,000 unionized jobs will be lost in the coming weeks. The Epoch Times asked for more specific details about the job cuts but didnt immediately receive a response.

Cunha, however, told Bloomberg that the 1,000 figure comprises workers constructing on both sides of the border, referring to Canada and the United States. Its unclear how many of those jobs are American.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Last March, I was driving with my e-bike attached to the bicycle rack. A vehicle pulled across in front of me, forcing me to brake. The driver behind ran into my car, causing extensive damage.

I reported the accident to my insurer, Aviva.

The other driver admitted liability. Aviva advised that the claim for the damage to the e-bike and rack should be sent to solicitors Irwin Mitchell, which handled its third-party claims.

I am still awaiting payment. The delays have been blamed on the pandemic. All that is required is a settlement of 514.99 for a new rack, and 2,950 for the e-bike.

G. B., Budleigh Salterton, Devon.

Backpedalling: A reader was left waiting nine months for insurer Aviva to replace his electric bike that was destroyed in a car crash

Tony Hazell replies: You hoped your undisputed claim would be settled quickly. But the only thing some insurance companies do swiftly is put up premiums.

Aviva and Irwin Mitchell say they were working on your behalf behind the scenes. Axa was the insurer for the other driver, and Irwin Mitchell says it only coughed up when threatened with litigation.

An Aviva spokesman apologises for the delay and tells me: There was a delay with the other insurer making the payment, despite having admitted liability for the accident at an early stage.

'However, the payment has now been made by the other insurer to our customer following the prospect of legal proceedings.

An Irwin Mitchell spokesman apologises, saying: The other insurer did not respond to repeated chases for payment over several months.

Axa tells a different story. It apologises but says it was hampered due to delays in receiving documentation it requested. This included clarification of the size of the claim, which it says was not supplied until July 21, and images of the damage, which it says it never received.

An Axa spokesman says: We responded swiftly to all correspondence, but there were delays in providing the information we needed to verify the claim. Weve paid in order to close the claim.

You gave me a copy of the email you sent to Irwin Mitchell on March 31 with images of the damage. Aviva has added a 50 to your payment as a gesture of goodwill, and Irwin Mitchell made an ex gratia 100 payment.

How can I track down an old building society account?

My wife found an old Cheltenham & Gloucester passbook showing a balance of 4,107. We visited the linked address in Solihull, where there is now a TSB branch, and were told C&G had been taken over by Lloyds in 1995.

In 2013, the branches were rebranded TSB. The staff sent us to the nearest Lloyds branch.

Lloyds said the account no longer existed and sent us back to TSB where staff told us to visit mylostaccount.org.uk. This site could not find our account.

J. D., Solihull, W. Mids.

Lloyds has, at my behest, looked again. Your account was closed and 4,310.91 was transferred to Alliance & Leicester on June 6, 2008.

Alliance & Leicester was taken over by Santander later that year. You tell me you are happy to take it from here.

We love hearing from our loyal readers, so ask that during this challenging time you write to us by email where possible, as we will not pick up letters sent to our postal address as regularly as usual. You can write to: asktony@ dailymail.co.uk or, if you prefer, Ask Tony, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT - please include your daytime phone number, postal address and a separate note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Tony Hazell. We regret we cannot reply to individual letters. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail for answers given.

A former heroin user who came close to dying several times because of his habit is now lecturing in two universities.

Brian Pennie has gained a degree in psychology, will next year become a doctor of neuroscience, is currently lecturing in that subject in Dublin's Trinity college and in University College Dublin, and is also a TED talker.

Brian (41), who grew up in a troubled housing estate in Ladyswell, Mulhuddart, north Dublin, blames a traumatic experience when he was a baby for his turn to drugs.

"I came into the world with a condition known as intestinal malrotation. In layman's terms what it actually means is that my intestines were twisted," he reveals in TG4 documentary series Finne.

"I was born in 1978 and it was only in 1985, which is crazy to believe, that the medical practice realised that infants need a general anaesthetic, that infants experience pain like normal human beings."

From experimenting with sniffing petrol as a young teenager, Brian turned to cannabis and then later when he was aged 17 to heroin. He blames his experience as a baby for traumatising him so much he needed an escape.

"I believe as an infant I was treated like an organism, I needed an anaesthetic, I wasn't given an anaesthetic," he claims. "I found that anaesthetic at 17 years of age."

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He recalls Ladyswell as being very violent.

Guns

"Ladyswell was a very troubled area, it was probably known as the roughest area in Dublin," he says. "There were robbed cars every single night. There was so much violence. I seen people get stabbed, I seen guns down the years. I seen everything growing up in Ladyswell, it was a crazy place."

After getting a buzz from taking ecstasy tablets and cannabis, he then decided to try heroin.

"My first experience of doing heroin was just the most powerful experience in my life," he reflects. "I fell in love for the first time. It was like a soft, warm blanket was wrapped around me.

"The way I describe it is like nirvana on earth. It was making my anxiety just melt away."

Brian began dealing in cocaine to earn more money to feed his habit, even getting his sister to drive him around estates across Dublin as he was incapable of getting behind the wheel of a car himself.

His family was stunned to hear rumours in their area that he was a 'junkie', as he seemed to be living a decent life, working in a graphic design company.

But his habit got worse.

He lost his job because of his habit and the final straw for his family was when cars belonging to Brian and his mother were torched outside their home by criminals who had it in for him.

Brian ended up in a detox clinic in Co Wexford. After several months there he left and then turned to education.

"I had this desire to learn, you could tell I had switched addiction," he says.

"I had this drive to learn, this intense curiosity to learn about psychology, to learn about spirituality, to learn about why I suffered. Why I didn't suffer any more and how I could share it with other people."

Finne, TG4, Wednesday, 9.30pm.




European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on the United States to help rein in the power of social media firms, creating a global rule book "based on our values."







"The business model of online platforms has an impact, not only on free and fair competition, but also on our democracies, our security and on the quality of our information," von der Leyen said Tuesday.







Internet companies must take responsibility for how they spread, promote and remove content, she said, using her address at the World Economic Forum to appeal to Washington.







For example, Twitter's decision to shut down former US president Donald Trump's account during the storming of the Capitol should not have been decided by company rules alone, she stressed.







Some 2,000 political and business leaders are taking part in the event to debate the challenges of the year ahead.







It is being held online because of the Covid-19 pandemic, instead of the usual gathering at the Swiss mountain resort of Davos. (DPA)






Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 01:04:00|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that he stands ready to make a joint announcement with his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, on an official launch of the China-South Korea Year of Cultural Exchanges.

Xi made the remarks in a telephone conversation with Moon. During their conversation, Moon wished Xi and the Chinese people a happy New Year, and Xi extended the same wishes to Moon and the South Korean people.

Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and transformations rarely seen in a century have become interwoven with one another, and the international and regional situation has undergone profound changes, Xi noted.

China and South Korea have stuck together through thick and thin, and have joined hands to promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, which have yielded fruitful results, Xi said, adding that both countries have especially put forward effective institutional arrangements and set an example of cooperation in fighting the pandemic, which fully demonstrates the high level of the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership.

The two sides should continue to make good use of the cooperation mechanism of joint prevention and control as well as "fast lanes," so as to facilitate the epidemic prevention and control and economic development of the two countries, and to help boost regional and global anti-pandemic cooperation, Xi said.

The year of 2022 will mark the 30th anniversary of China-South Korea diplomatic relations, which will embrace new opportunities for deeper development, Xi said.

Xi also said he hopes both countries make good use of the platform of the committee for future development of China-South Korea relations, review the achievements of bilateral ties over the past 30 years, plan for future development, enhance friendship between the two peoples, and lift the China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to a new level.

China and South Korea are important cooperative partners, Xi stressed, adding that the two-way trade last year managed to grow amid broad downward pressures, demonstrating the complementarity and great potential in bilateral cooperation.

Xi said he hopes that the two sides can earnestly implement the consensus reached on speeding up the alignment of development strategies of the two countries and deepening bilateral cooperation in key areas, so as to continuously expand mutually beneficial cooperation and promote high-quality integrated cooperation.

He said that the two sides should accelerate the completion of the second-phase negotiations on the free trade agreement between the two countries, so as to put into effect the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership at an early date and speed up the construction of the China-Japan-South Korea free trade area.

China stands ready to strengthen coordination with South Korea on international affairs, and to jointly contribute to safeguarding multilateralism and free trade, Xi added.

For his part, Moon expressed his heartfelt congratulations as the Communist Party of China is going to mark its 100th anniversary this year, saying that under the strong leadership of President Xi, China has been successful in the fight against the epidemic and has become the world's only major economy that has achieved positive economic growth.

He also said that with China's international status and influence rising day by day, the country is taking important steps towards achieving the second centenary goal, and he is very pleased to announce with Xi the launch of the South Korea-China Year of Cultural Exchanges as the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries approaches.

South Korea and China have strengthened their friendship and mutual trust through joint efforts to fight the epidemic, Moon said, adding that South Korea is willing to have close exchanges with China, deepen friendship between the two people, and continue to promote cooperation in various fields such as anti-epidemic, economy and trade, culture and education.

He also said that South Korea appreciates China's leadership in dealing with climate change and is willing to maintain communication and coordination with China on issues such as climate change and sustainable development. Enditem
Mr. Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the OECD, delivered remarks to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Czech Republic OECD membership, in an event entitled 25 years for a Better Future, on 8 December 2020.

The Czech authorities also produced a brochure for the occasion.

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Oh, youre one of those kinds of Christians!

Maybe you've heard this kind of snarky and condescending comment before. Or, perhaps you have never heard it. But, if you have had this said to you, how did you react? Perhaps you quickly retreated from its implied conclusion, conjuring up excuses to ensure your accuser that you most certainly arenot one of those kinds of Christians. Or, perhaps you came back with a sharp rebuke instead, immediately embracing the charge, saying, Why, yes, I most certainly am one of those, adding perhaps for good measure, and what are you going to do about it? Either way, whether excusing or embracing, you walk away knowing deep down you are a real Christian, regardless of how you reacted or what was said.

But, there is a real difference about how one expresses his faith in Christ, one not entirely bound up in personal psychology, but which is rooted in historical developments and theological commitments. For several hundred years in the West, a distinction has been made between twokinds of Christians. There are Christians who seem quite hyper about their faith in Gods personal agency and immediate action in the world, and those who see God rather at somewhat of a remove from the everyday of human affairs. The former kind earned themselves a name in the late 18th century among men of a more deistic persuasion. The deists called this first group, Enthusiasts. They were Christians who believed that God, the God of the Bible, was active, indeed very active, in the everyday affairs of man. This activity included everything from miracles and prophetic visions, to direct, divine control over all social activity and political processes. These Enthusiasts truly did see God everywhere, and in seeing Him everywhere were always expecting Him to show up in dramatic fashion.

The other kind of Christian, the one preferred by the enlightened deist, was less enthusiastic, and less confident, about the direct intervention of the Divine in the affairs of men. This kind of Christian was more disposed toward the law-like structures that God had woven into both nature and society, and the natural outworking of those original laws. This had the appearance, perhaps, of being a more rational form of biblical faith; one more in line with the high tradition of the church, and the work of its great philosophical theologians who carefully studied and articulated the rational grounds for belief in God.

The first kind of Christian sought miracles and made bold claims about what the God of history had done in the Bible and would do again in their day and age. The second kind found it less pressing to think of such divine incursions. More important was to stay focused on what man had to do to align himself with the natural order of things, and contemplate carefully his own role in light of Gods transcendent, yet inscrutable, providence over history. Our best bet, according to these more hands-off Christians, was not to put too much stock in metaphysical events like miracles or to bypass normal epistemic standards via words of prophecy, but rather to study hard, be reasonable, and just try to act Christ-like. God might, in principle, still be able to act in history, but we shouldnt hold our breath.

For these rationalist Christians, however, Christian enthusiasts who became too confident in the direct action of God in human affairs were often seen as a dangerous lot. As philosopher Charles Taylor explains, enthusiast Christians, in the eyes of the hands-off believers, could become very clamorous in society, making self-assured claims to divine inspiration that they could rarely back-up with hard facts and reasoned proofs. Their enthusiasm indeed often became aggressive and could lead to an upsetting of the status quo, the established order.[1] As such deists and hands-off Christians who saw God working more indirectly in human affairs, developed a very distasteful attitude toward such subversive Christian elements; the enthusiasts became a menace[2] to society and needed to be restrained. After all, this kind of religiosity not only stretched intellectual respectability, but could lead to real trouble. Moreover, such enthusiasm could make Christianity appear unpalatable and just downright odd to those who had been enlightened through the advances of science and the philosophy of the day. Superstition and fanaticism were other labels 18th century deists invented to label these particularly religious Christians.[3]

The hands-off Christians did seem to have a point. After all, too much reliance on Gods direct interaction in the world, too much expectation to see miracles, and an overconfidence in prophetic words really have lead not only to Christians appearing odd in the culture (something that perhaps shouldnt really matter), but also to the more serious problem of having to recover when those expected miracles do not happen, those prophetic words fail to manifest, and Gods direct intervention remains obscure. Many have lost faith over the failure of such things to take shape. Not to mention the potential for manipulation in some or all of these areas by those who are in the churches but not of the Church.

Some of this problem of enthusiasm of many ordinary Christians was exposed recently in the aftermath of the November 3rd presidential elections. Many prophecies were made, dreams were had, and visions unveiled about the next four years of presidential leadership. Toward the end of Donald Trumps sojourn in the White House there were odd looking events like Jericho Marches, and ultimately aggressive outbursts, like those of January 6th, that sought to upset the established order (sort of). In light of these things, many hands-off Christians were able to sit back with some degree of smug confidence and say to themselves, or post to their Facebook friends, see, I told you so. The spiritual and social distance between these enthusiast and non-enthusiast camps has grown wider, indeed much wider, in just the last few weeks of our American history.

However, there is a corollary to this problem of enthusiasm. It is the problem of lack of enthusiasm, or apathy. Hands-off Christians are not exempt from warranted criticism by their enthusiast counterparts. Those who think they can safely stay above the fray by never committing to a God who truly acts in history, may be in a greater danger than the enthusiast who finds herself disappointed or confused when God appears not to act. The slip from belief in a God who acts almost exclusively through secondary causes into either an impersonal Deism, or a graceless humanism, is not a long fall, although the impact is hard. Those who persistently take the safe and well-worn path of Christian rationalism may soon find themselves doubting in the actual God of the Bible; a God who is neither otiosus nor absconditus, but active and alive in history  a real wonder worker.

As the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once pointed out, in a time and place when Christian enthusiasm was at an all-time low, And this is one of the most crucial definitions for the whole of Christianity; that the opposite of sin is not virtue but faith.[4] To avoid enthusiasm in the personal activity of God may appear prudent (one of the classical virtues), but if taken too far may result in faithlessness. The enlightened Christian who is tempted to sit back and judge the Evangelical enthusiast of today, even the misguided ones, may want to carefully consider his own situation. He may want to ask himself whether his lack of enthusiasm is in keeping with a genuine biblical faith, or whether it is the very opposite of it. This might also shed light on why he shies away from the accusation of being one of those kinds of Christians.

[1] see Charles Taylor, A Secular Age, 274-275.

[2] ibid., 274.

[3] Taylor, 239.

[4] Soren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, 111.

At 2pm tomorrow, Irish time, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists are holding a virtual press conference from Washington.

That would rarely raise an eye brow on this side of the Atlantic, but this press briefing is more interesting than you might expect  because its about the so-called Doomsday Clock.

The time on this iconic device, used to indicate just how close humanity is to destruction, was changed last year to the rather bleak 100 seconds to midnight  the closest to midnight the Doomsday Clock has been in its 75 years of existence.

The scientists are expected to announce that we have inched even closer to the dreaded midnight and, frankly, it will be interesting to see just how close they believe we are to some catastrophic change.

The reasons for the decision to revise the clock are many  arms proliferation, climate change etc  but the driving forced behind their expected announcement is simple. Its all because of Covid and how Western governments have handled, or failed to handle, a pandemic which seems to be getting worse, not better.

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Lets be honest, most of us thought we would be out of the woods by this stage. Or at the very least, wed be able to see some clear path to lead us away from what is now nearly a year of disruption, death and despondency.

But as we have learned in the first few weeks of 2021, a year which is already shaping up to be pretty rotten, just when we think that we have a handle on the virus and have taken one step forward, we end up taking two steps backwards.

At this point, most of us are confused, angry and fatigued by the whole thing. What seemed to be a manageable bother in March, which would hopefully be gone by the summer, has now become the defining element of our lives  everything we do has been touched by Covid  and Covid has, to cite an old Richard Burton horror movie, the Medusa Touch.

That hasnt been helped by a series of missteps and ill communication from the Government.

So the news that the Cabinet is finally getting its act together and is expected to make an announcement today that visitors will have to quarantine for a period of between 5 to 14 days, is a welcome one.

For the last few months we have witnessed numerous cabinet ministers extolling the virtues of the Australian and New Zealand approach towards incoming travellers. Yet they seemed reluctant to actually do anything along the scale of those two countries, which cracked down hard on anyone who breached their strict quarantine protocols.

Now we at least have a situation where were not simply taking things on trust  far too many people were able to land in Ireland, sign a form saying ah sure, Im grand and then go off about their business.

That has changed now  visitors will have to pay to stay in a so-called quarantine hotel and they wont be allowed to leave until they have been conclusively tested negative.

Anyone who is found to have breached the new rules faces a potential fine of up to 2,500 and six months in jail and, if nothing else, that might concentrate the minds of those who have swanned in and out of the country for the last 10 months.

But is it too little too late?

Why didnt we introduce such measures at a much earlier stage, particularly during the summer when it looked as if we were actually getting on top of Covid? As of Sunday, there were 1,378 new cases of Covid with a further 23 deaths. Alarmingly, the median age of those who presented with symptoms was a sprightly 39 years old.

More than half of those who were hospitalised were under the age of 45 so it doesnt take an expert to see that the virus is now infecting much younger people than it originally did.

Throw in the fact that we now seem to see a new strain of the virus evolving every week  to the point that the magic bullet of the vaccines are no longer expected to be able to deal with all the mutations  and it has become disturbingly clear that were still a long way from waking up from this particular nightmare.

There have been lots of lockdown sceptics giving their tuppence worth since March. I should know, because I was one of them.

But as the weight of scientific evidence began to pile up, and the facts began to become clear, it soon became obvious that the only way to rid ourselves of this hideous curse was to shut down most operations.

It always seemed patently absurd that people were being forced by gardai to stay within 5km of their house when visitors could arrive at ports and airports without any practical screening being carried out.

In fact, one of the great sources of frustrations for many Irish people was the fact that they had willingly ceded their own civil liberties in the name of the greater good, while people were arriving from around the world on business with nary a check to impede them.

But why stop there? If were going to take this issue seriously, and if were belatedly taking a page from the Aussie playbook, surely it is also time to look at closing the border for all but the most essential travel?

According to Eamon Ryan, this would be impossible due to the political sensibilities of the situation.

Thats utter hogwash. Either this Government is prepared to lead, and to lead in a courageous manner, or it is not fit for purpose.

The idea that political sensibilities should be allowed to contribute to our growing death rate isnt just absurd, its positively obscene.

We have two choices  keep up with on/off lockdown merry-go-round for the next year or more, or we can take drastic steps now which, while undeniably unpalatable, will still be the lesser of two evils.

There are no good options on the table, but it is time for this administration to take the lead, make the unpopular decisions and stop worrying about their own poll ratings.
STRATFORD  Schools Superintendent Janet Robinson will present her budget proposal for next year at a workshop scheduled for Thursday night.

But as the school boards monthly meeting wrapped up Monday, one member noted that a review of the school districts past financial practices still hasnt wrapped up.

Is there an update on the audit? Janice Cupee asked district officials. And do you think the board will have any information before we go through the final part of our budget process? Will we have anything pertaining to that, any information as were going through and making these decisions?

Pamela Mangini, the school districts chief operating officer, said she had no answer for her.

I dont know when you will get the information, she told Cupee.

The audit in question is separate from the routine annual audits towns are required to file with the state.

Mayor Laura Hoydick announced in June that the town hired an accounting firm to review the school districts past three fiscal years because of rapid turnover among Manginis predecessors.

The review, the mayor said at the time, will include a deep dive of the budgets and transfers for the past three years, special education expenses, grants, policies and procedures at the school districts business offices.

The notion that there should be more oversight of the school districts spending is a recurring theme, especially in election years. At a 2019 candidate forum, Cupee and everyone else running for the school board at the time pledged their support for a complete audit of 100 percent of all the board of educations spending and expenses.

Mangini told Cupee Monday that the process is ongoing.

They started off asking us (for) a lot of information, weve all been interviewed internally within the board of ed, or many of us, she said. And then it was quiet for a little while. And then within the last week or two, theyve started to ask for additional info.

I know theyre making progress on it, Mangini said.

In addition to the audit, the school district is still waiting for approval from the Town Council to keep leftover money, if any, from last year. The creation of an education reserve fund is in the works for non-recurring expenses such as capital, technology and/or unanticipated special education expenditure funding needs.

Mangini told a meeting of the towns Board of Education Liaison Committee last week that putting together next years spending plan has been tough.

While we havent exactly finalized all our numbers yet, we did start off with close to a 7 percent increase, and that was basically requests from the schools for new initiatives as well as our contractual obligations, she said. Those alone are over 5 percent. We are working really hard to have a more fiscally responsible presentation to the board but it has been a struggle.

Last year, Robinson initially proposed a $120.6 million budget that represented a request for a $6 million, 5.24 percent increase in funding.

The school board requested $118.6 million. Mayor Laura Hoydick proposed $117.8 million. The Town Council ultimately approved a $117.5 million.

Laura Dancho, who represents the 10th District on the Town Council, asked school officials to keep recent surpluses and the creation of the reserve fund in mind while putting together spending plans.

Lets not end up (doing) what we ended up doing last year, she said. Try to keep it reasonable and come to us with a respectable, usable budget request.

I can assure you thats what were working toward, Mangini said.

Robinson is scheduled to present her budget request for next year to the Board of Education Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be streamed on the school districts Youtube page, officials said.
Australian entrepreneur Domm Hollands first big attempt at building a startup ended in failure. His second - sparked by a failure to remember a Coles online shopping password -is going much better.

Fast, the online checkout platform Holland helped found in 2019 on Wednesday announced it secured $US102 million ($131 million) in fresh capital in a funding round led by payments unicorn Stripe and also backed by Addition, Index Ventures, Susa Ventures and Sugar Capital.

Holland said his wifes grandmothers struggles to order her shopping from Coles highlighted the fundamental identity problem which Fast is trying to solve.

Domm Holland is the founder and chief executive of Fast

Why do we have a different password for every website and why do we have to fill in the same information on every form in the world?, he said. As soon as I sort of came across this problem I was just obsessed with it ...it was a no brainer that it should change.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 07:04:48|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Army is planning to allow long ponytails, buzz cuts, earrings, lipstick and nail polish for women in uniform, in a push to be more inclusive, U.S. media reported on Tuesday, quoting Pentagon officials.

The major changes to U.S. Army's hair and grooming policy are expected to be dictated between Feb. 25 and 26, according to a report of The Hill.

"This is one way we are working to improve the lives of our soldiers, our force, by putting people first, understanding their concerns, taking action when necessary and maintaining their razor-sharp edge of readiness," Lt. Gen. Gary Brito, deputy chief of staff for Army Personnel, told reporters.

Many of the hair alterations are meant to prevent a type of hair loss known as alopecia, as the previous regulations, which required a tight bun, could cause hair loss or "other medical conditions of the scalp," especially among women of color, said the report.

The new rules for allowing buzz cuts also provides ease of motion for women in combat arms training courses and helps them relay cultural preferences and gender identity.

Female soldiers will also be allowed to wear gold, silver and diamond earrings with their Army Combat Uniform, a move that "has never been authorized before,"and "is extremely groundbreaking for the U.S. Army," Sgt. Maj. Brian Sanders, the Army uniform policy branch sergeant major, told reporters.

Another change will authorize "professional" lipstick and nail polish, meaning no loud colors, said the report.

Female soldiers in the U.S. Army will also be only allowed to wear a long ponytail during physical fitness training, tactical training and situations where they are required to wear a helmet, as they can tuck it into the back of their Army uniform.

The U.S. Navy in 2018 said sailors could wear ponytails and styled buns while in uniform, and the U.S. Air Force announced last week women in the service would be able to wear their hair longer beginning in February, according to the report. Enditem
Republic Day like no other: Here's how the events unfolded

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Jan 26:The 72nd Republic Day was celebrated across states and Union Territories on Tuesday under the shadow of COVID-19 and farmers' protests against new agri laws.

Tens of thousands of farmers broke barriers to storm the national capital on Tuesday, their tractor parade to highlight their demands dissolving into unprecedented scenes of anarchy as they fought with police, overturned vehicles and delivered a national insult - hoisting a religious flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort, a privilege reserved for India's tricolour.

From Rajpath to Red Fort, the day unfolded in scenes of contrasts. One that Indians have seen for seven decades and the other that seared itself into collective memory with its imagery of protesters demanding a repeal of the three farm laws storming the Mughal era monument, the centrepiece of India's Independence Day celebrations.

Clashes broke out in multiple places, leading to violence in well-known landmarks of Delhi and its suburbs, amid waves of violence that ebbed and flowed through the day. While there were no exact estimates of how many farmers were hurt, Delhi Police officials said 86 of their men were injured through the day. Of these, 41 were injured at the Red Fort.

A protester died after his tractor overturned near ITO, one of the major flashpoints of trouble. In a statement, the police said protesting farmers violated the conditions agreed on for their tractor parade

"The farmers began tractor rally before scheduled time, they also resorted to violence and vandalism," Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal said.

"We followed all conditions as promised and did our due diligence but the protest led to extensive damage to public property," he said.

The statement capped a Republic Day like no other. Farmers, atop tractors, on motorcycles and some on horses, broke barricades to enter the city at least two hours before they were supposed to start the tractor march at noon sanctioned by authorities. Steel and concrete barriers were broken and trailer trucks overturned as pitched battles broke out in several parts of the city.

As tension spiralled, a home ministry official said additional paramilitary troops will be deployed. The exact number of additional troops was not known immediately but officials suggested it could be around 1,500 to 2,000 personnel (about 15 to 20 companies).

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Hoping to curb the violence, the ministry also decided to temporarily suspend internet services in parts of Delhi, including Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri and their adjoining areas, for 12 hours from Tuesday noon.

Eclipsing the traditional show of military might at Rajpath, the farmers' tractor parade that was supposed to be peaceful led to chaos on the streets and never-before scenes - the most perhaps being the sight of protesters clambering up the flagpole at the Red Fort to hoist the 'Nishaan Sahib', the Sikh religious flag. Farmer leaders, who have been spearheading the protest at the national capital's border points to demand a repeal of the farm laws, dissociated themselves from the protests that had taken such an unseemly turn and left in tatters their two-month peaceful movement.

Farmers' Protest: We hoisted 'Nishan Sahib' at Red Fort, didn't remove Tricolour, claims actor Deep Sidhu

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 farmer unions, formally called off the tractor parade and appealed to farmers to return to their respective protest sites.

The Morcha also alleged that some "antisocial elements" had infiltrated their otherwise peaceful movement. In a statement, it also condemned and regretted the "undesirable" and "unacceptable" events as the parade turned violent after several groups of farmers deviated from the pre-decided route for the march. "We have always held that peace is our biggest strength, and that any violation would hurt the movement ...," it said. Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav echoed the anguish, saying he felt "ashamed".

"Being a part of the protest, I feel ashamed of the way things proceeded and I take responsibility of it," he told a TV channel.

As the day ended, sporadic incidents of violence continued and restless crowds roamed the streets in many places. Some groups of farmers slowly began the journey back to their respective sit-in sites at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, but hundreds lingered on.

At the Red Fort, from the ramparts of which the prime minister addresses the nation on Independence Day, thousands of farmer barged into the complex after they were pushed back from ITO. The protesters, many of them young, vocal and aggressive, were removed from the premises and some returned towards the evening. A car was vandalised.

For a while in the day, all roads it seemed headed to the Red Fort. Videos from the spot showed angry crowds, armed with sticks and clubs, chasing the hopelessly outnumbered police personnel. As they ran from the crowds, some policemen fell off the high fort walls. All you could hear are shouts and the sound of sticks hitting each other. Not far away, some uniformed men broke through the barriers in perhaps a desperate attempt to get away.

If police used teargas shells to disperse the restive crowds in some places, hundreds of farmers in ITO were seen chasing them with sticks and ramming their tractors into parked buses.

ITO resembled a war zone with a car being vandalised by angry protesters and shells, bricks and stones littering the wide streets. The tension was mirrored elsewhere in the city too. Police baton charged farmers at Chintamani Chowk in Shahdara when they broke barricades and smashed window panes of cars. A group of ''Nihangs'' (traditional Sikh warriors) clashed with security personnel near Akshardham Temple. And at Nangloi Chowk in west Delhi and at Mukarba Chowk farmers broke cemented barricades and police used tear gas to disperse them. The day began on a celebratory note with farmers chanting "rang de basanti" and "jai jawan jai kisan" crossing the national border on tractors, motorbikes, horses and even cranes for their proposed parade.

Locals stood on both sides of the roads at various locations showering flower petals on the farmers amid drum beats. Standing atop vehicles decked up with flags, protesters could be seen dancing to the tune of patriotic songs such as "Aisa desh hai mera" and "Sare jahan se achcha". The mood changed soon after.

Delhi Police appealed to protesting farmers to not take law into their hands and maintain peace as the violence broke out.. The police also asked the farmers to head back to their pre-decided routes for the tractor parade. Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Prahlad Patel condemned the actions of a section of farmers who entered the Red Fort as part of their tractor rally and said it violated the symbol of dignity of India''s democracy.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said violence is not the solution to any problem. "If anyone gets hurt, the damage will be done to our country. Take back the anti-agricultural laws in national interest," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Taking up cudgels on behalf of the farmers, the CPI(M) lashed out at the Centre over the treatment meted out to protesting farmers and said tear gassing and lathicharging them is "unacceptable".

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 23:30 [IST]
Calhoun County Sheriffs Office

 Dakota L. Kallal, 24, of White Hall was booked into the Greene County Jail at 2:12 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant accusing him of violating probation.

 Stone C, Fox, 32, of Hamburg was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10:18 p.m. Saturday on a possession of methamphetamine charge.

 Phillip R. Stauffer, 24, of Hamburg was booked into the Greene County Jail at 9:39 p.m. Saturday on a possession of methamphetamine charge and on a Greene County warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court.

 Jennifer K. Hughes, 37, of Kampsville was booked into the Greene County Jail at 9:14 p.m. Saturday on a possession of methamphetamine charge.

Greene County Sheriffs Office

 Thomas C. Edwards, 36, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10 p.m. Jan. 12 on a possession of drug paraphernalia charge.

 Jack L. Green, 31, of Carrollton was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10 p.m. Jan. 12 on a possession of drug paraphernalia charge.

Carrollton Police

 Jimmy W. Davidson, 40, of Carrollton was booked into the Greene County Jail at 3:11 p.m. Jan. 13 on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

 Kevin L. Murrow, 38, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10:21 a.m. Jan. 8 on a charge of attempting to foil or defeat a screening test.

Roodhouse Police

 Nathaniel M. Thornton, 29, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10:01 a.m. Jan. 13 on a possession of methamphetamine charge.

 Daniel J. Davidson, 39, of Roodhouse was booked into the Greene County Jail at 9:23 a.m. Jan. 10 on a charge of retail theft with prior offenses.

Illinois State Police

 Jackie D. Howard, 42, of Clinton was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:51 a.m. Jan. 11 on a warrant accusing him of escape or failure to return from furlough.

Compiled by David C.L. Bauer
LINDENHURST, NY  A Long Island Rail Road assistant conductor from Lindenhurst was recently suspended after he was filmed on the steps of the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot.

Steven Rosati is being investigated for his possible participation in the riot, officials said. He's also being investigated for his far-right social media postings.

Rosati was suspended without pay last week. He has not been charged with any crimes. His union would not comment on his case.

Rosati posts under the moniker "Unfiltered Conservative" on TikTok and hosts podcasts. He sold right-wing clothing on a website called Clash Brothers United with a fellow LIRR employee, according to the New York Daily News.



Rosati's TikTok videos often center around conspiracy theories regarding Bill Gates, vaccines, the coronavirus and mask policies. On his Jan. 5 "Unfiltered Conservative" podcast, he made predictions about the events of the next day.

"They are going to be blindsided tomorrow," he said. "This could be going to a revote with the military getting involved. That's on the table. I want everyone to be ready for tomorrow."

He speculated millions of people going to the Capitol could force military action and intimidate politicians.

"They are gonna be terrified," he said. "What happens if Nancy Pelosi steals the election? You think she's gonna walk to her car that night?"

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair Pat Foye criticized Rosati during a recent news conference.

"What he's said on social media is outrageous, despicable and the sign he's a jackass," Foye said.



LIRR President Philip Eng told Newsday Rosati is being investigated for possible violations of the organization's code of conduct.

This article originally appeared on the Lindenhurst Patch
Priyanka Chopra who is currently busy promoting her film, The White Tiger, has appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The actress spoke about her upcoming projects and revealed what she discovered about her husband Nick Jonas during the lockdown.

Priyanka candidly shared, "My husband is a lot neater than I am. Because I dont want to be the messy one in the house, I have started keeping my shoes back, making the bed in the morning, and he loves eating on the dining table, he cant eat on the couch which I love doing. I have learnt that at times we have to pivot towards each other. He prefers a dining table for dinner. He is very formal that way. He is super fancy."

Priyanka also revealed that she tried to learn the piano but couldn't go through with it. She said, "I did for a good two days, and then I was like I cant. I wasnt coordinated to do it. It was too hard." Ellen then learns that it was Nick who was the teacher after Priyanka told her, "He was the one who was trying to teach me and then gave up as I gave up."

The host also quizzed her about her favourite Jonas brother to follow on TikTok. Priyanka immediately named her younger brother-in-law Frankie Jonas and said, "he's everyone's favourite to follow on TikTok."

For the unversed, Priyanka also appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert a few days ago, where she was asked how she felt when Kamala Harris became the first female vice president of the United States.

Priyanka said, "It was such an emotional moment for a lot of my friends and family but coming from a country like India which has seen several women in governance, whether it is President, Prime Minister...You know, welcome to the club, America. That's what I'll say. High time, I hope this isn't the first (last). I hope there are many, many because this is what governance should look like. Leadership looks amazing especially when it is diverse and reflective of what the world really looks like."

ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra Recalls Facing Racist Bullying In High School; Says 'My Confidence Was Stripped'

ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra Clarifies Her Joke About Having Enough Kids With Nick Jonas To Make A Cricket Team
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman announced Monday morning that he would not run for a third term. He is the third Republican senator, along with North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, from a vaguely swingy state to retire and set up an open Senate seat in 2022.

For Democrats upon hearing this news, two thoughts come to mind in precisely this order: Open seat opportunity! and then, shortly thereafter, Oh, God, Jim Jordan.

Senate Republicans will lose one of their most effective and least showy members with Portmans retirement. A former six-term congressman, U.S. trade representative, and Office of Management and Budget director, Portman played a central role in trade policy and passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017. Hes not a moderate by any means, but he does hail from the partys diminishing nonconspiratorial wing.

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Can the same be said of his would-be Republican replacement?

With the exception of Sen. Sherrod Brown, whos been grandfathered in from Ohios pure swing-state days and has been blessed to run in the strongly pro-Democratic 2006, 2012, and 2018 cycles, Democrats have seen the once definitive toss-up state slip away from them. Donald Trump won Ohio twice, comfortably, and a Democrat hasnt won a gubernatorial race there since 2006.

Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time.

Democrats shouldnt accept, and have some reason to believe they can avoid, the traditional midterm wipeout that follows on winning the presidency. But if the midterm backlash against the governing party does arise, a Democrat winning a statewide race in Ohio will be a tall order.

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And so the Republican field could be substantial. Within hours of Portmans announcement, two Ohio members, Reps. Mike Turner and Steve Stivers, said they were looking into a Senate run. Theres a seemingly unlimited stock of indistinguishable white men in the Ohio House delegation, present and former, who could join. On the state level, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Attorney General Dave Yost, or Lt. Gov. Jon Husted could run. Former State Treasurer (and defeated Senate candidate) Josh Mandel could give it another go, as could former Rep. (and defeated Senate candidate) Jim Renacci. J.D. Vance, the Hillbilly Elegy author and venture capitalist whom the GOP has tried to recruit in the past, could run.

Its Jordan, however, who could make the most impact. Hes a national name and one of the presidents most unwavering loyalists, and he could consolidate the Trump wing of the partys support if the former president chose to endorse him. His candidacy would present a Trump-like conundrum for Democrats: As a leading member of the conspiratorial wing of the party, he could be the most beatable candidate for Democrats in a general election. Most beatable is not the same as beatable, though. And if he won the general election, hed be an absolute nightmare in the United States Senate, which, unlike the House, empowers each individual member with a full array of tedious parliamentary tools. Jordan will have to balance the prospect of a Senate run with his growing power in the House: If Republicans took back the House in 2022, he would chair the Judiciary Committee and wield subpoena power against the Biden administration.

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Who, meanwhile, is on the Democratic bench? Youve got Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, whom Democrats have been grooming for higher office, Rep. Tim Ryan, and  um  would LeBron James be interested in taking a $100-million-plus pay cut while hes still at the top of his game to take a junior slot on the Small Business Committee? Whaley, whos not running for mayoral reelection, will have to make her choice. Ryan has a history of long shot bids for president and speaker of the House, but not for any office, like governor or senator, that would require him to forgo filing House reelection paperwork and risk losing his plum slot on the Appropriations Committee.

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In his retirement statement on Monday, Portman said that it has gotten harder and harder to break through the partisan gridlock and make progress on substantive policy, and that has contributed to my decision. His decision to eject himself from the horror show he describes has a strong chance of accelerating future horrors. Portman was first elected to the Senate in 2010, two years after Barack Obama won Ohio the first time and two years before Obama won it again. He will leave the Senate six years after Trump won Ohio the first time and two years after he won it again. Its a different state now, and a great many Ohio Republicans will want a replacement who makes todays partisan Senate, implacably divided about how it will even start doing its business, look like the golden age of bipartisan compromise.
The founders of Apollo Global Management, one of the worlds biggest private equity firms, engaged in a brief power struggle this weekend over control of the firm, a rift that opened up after an inquiry revealed that one founder  Apollos chief executive and chairman, Leon Black  had paid $US150 million ($195 million) to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

On Monday, Mr Black announced his plan to step down as chief executive of the company this year.

I have advised the Apollo board that I will retire as CEO on or before my 70th birthday in July and remain as chairman, he said in a statement.

Leon Black has announced he is stepping down as chief executive of Apollo Global Management. Credit:Bloomberg

The review  ordered by the firms board in October after The New York Times detailed at least $US75 million in payments  found that Mr Black had paid Epstein significantly more, according to two people familiar with the inquiry, who requested anonymity because the report was not public.
The 2020 pistachio harvest wrapped up just a few months ago with the industrys largest crop in history totaling 1,050,228,756 pounds. Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, the nations second largest pistachio grower and processor, also celebrated a record-breaking season.

Setton Pistachio, which is based in Californias Central Valley, has been preparing for this milestone crop for several years by implementing a synchronized approach to each aspect of growing, producing, and packing bulk and retail packaged pistachios. Through cutting-edge automation, Setton Pistachio continues to efficiently serve customers without sacrificing the superior quality of their products.

Our team has done an amazing job coordinating our expansion and keeping us at the forefront of our industry, said Lee Cohen, General Manager.

The increased pistachio availability, coupled with state-of-the-art facility upgrades, has given Setton Pistachio the ability to enhance retail partners current snack nut programs, regardless of the size.

The large pistachio crop allows us to expand our innovative selection of premium quality products and offer retailers additional opportunities for sales, said Joseph Setton, VP of Domestic Sales. As a private label leader, we can facilitate new and larger scale projects to fit our customers needs.

Positive store-brand sentiment has been growing steadily among consumers. The Setton sales team has responded by curating robust private label programs to be merchandised alongside Setton Farms brand value-add items. With this dual strategy, retailers can meet and even exceed shopper demand while boosting nut category sales.

Due to their numerous health benefits, phenomenal taste, and endless versatility, demand for pistachios will only increase. Setton Pistachio encourages retailers to take advantage of this record-breaking crop by reaching out to their nationwide sales team. With the highest quality pistachios, unique value-add items not available anywhere else, and eye catching displays, building a successful pistachio program is easier than ever.

About Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc.

Since 1986, the Setton family has taken a hands-on approach to growing and processing pistachios in the Central Valley of California. As the second largest pistachio processor in the United States, Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. sustainably produces pistachios that make their way to more than 60 foreign markets. Using proprietary techniques, the Setton Farms brand offers the highest quality pistachios with a fresh-from-the-orchard taste.

In addition to producing Americas Best Tasting Pistachios, the Setton Farms brand has created a wide array of value add items such as Dry Roasted Seasoned Pistachio Kernels, Pistachio Chewy Bites, and Premium Nut Blends. Most recently, they added three varieties to their dark chocolate line: Dark Chocolate Pistachios + Cranberries, Dark Chocolate Almonds, and Dark Chocolate Nut Blend.

Setton Farms pistachio products are sold in stores nationwide, including Menards, Kroger, Wegmans, Lunds & Byerlys, Woodmans, Shoprite, Winco, Lidl, Bed Bath & Beyond, Albertson/Shaws, At Home, and online at Amazon.com.

For more information on Setton Farms, visit http://www.settonfarms.com or follow on social media: Instagram @setton_farms, Facebook @settonfarmspistachiochewybites, and Twitter @settonfarms


Courtesy photo /Texas DPS

A vehicle pursuit in Zapata County led to the recovery of a stolen vehicle, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The case unfolded when a trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a 2001 GMC pickup at about 4 p.m. Jan. 17 on U.S. 83 in Zapata County.
A Delhi court has extended by three days the custodial interrogation of two officials -- a deputy superintendent of police and an inspector -- along with an advocate, all three arrested in connection with an alleged scam within the agency.

The arrested one of its deputy superintendents of police, R K Rishi, and Inspector, Kapil Dhankad, along with advocate Manohar Malik, on January 19 in connection with an alleged ring run by them within the agency to help companies accused of siphoning off bank loan funds worth Rs 4,300 crore.

Special JudgeSantosh Snehi Mann extended the custody of the accused persons on Monday, after they were produced before the court on expiry of their five day custody granted to the agency earlier.

In the facts and circumstances of the case, considering the gravity of offence, nature of allegations, type of documents seized and volume of the incriminating material, I am of the opinion that there is no other way to elucidate the larger conspiracy and the truth as to whattranspired between the accused persons, but through custodial interrogation," the court said.

Therefore, accused Rajiv Kumar Rishi, Kapil Dhanked and Manohar Malik are remanded to police custody for 3 days, the judge said, noting that theinvestigation was still at the nascent stage.

The CBI plea seeking five more days' custody was opposed by advocate Hemant Shah, appearing for one of the accused, saying the court has already granted sufficient custody of the accused persons.

Prior to their arrest, the accused had already joined the investigation and their houses were searched, advocate Rahul Upadhyay, also appearing for some of the accused, said.

According to the CBI, the accused were in the red onto a criminal conspiracy and compromised the integrity of investigation of certain CBI cases on extraneous pecuniary considerations.

The agency told the court that it required to further interrogate the accused persons in its custody to identify and recover illegal gratification and its end use.

The CBI further said it required to confront the accused persons and suspects, to find out the reason behind having the details of CBI cases in the possession of Rishi.

The accused have been booked by the agency along with others for various offences punishable under Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Act for allegedly "compromising the integrity of investigation of certain cases on extraneous pecuniary considerations".

(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.)




Haiti - News : Zapping...





North-East : Soon electricity 24/24

The General Directorate informs the population of the North-East that 4 new generators and a substation are installed at Fort-Liberte in order to strengthen the electricity production to serve the Department of the North-East. Currently, the Chivry plant has an available power of 1.25 MW. 2 additional groups arrived last night. After the installation of the 4 groups, the plant will have a capacity of 8.5 MW which will supply Fort Liberte, Ferrier and Ouanaminthe 24 hours a day.



J-C Moise announces non-stop demonstrations

Monday January 25, Jean Charles Moise leader of the radical opposition of the "Pitit Desalin" Party declared that he refused to participate in the formation of a possible transitional government and announced a series of non-stop mobilizations in the 10 departments. from January 31 in order to force President Moise to leave the National Palace on February 7, 2021...



25 new solar-powered irrigation pumps

A contract was signed between the Ministry of the Environment and Speedtech (Taiwan) for the installation of 25 additional solar-powered irrigation pumps in the country. "Together, we will overcome food insecurity by strengthening the means of agricultural production," said Patrix Severe, Minister of Agriculture.



Cap-Haitien : Operation "Okap Pwop"

The Town Hall of Cap-Haitien launched, on the morning of Monday, January 25, 2021, the operation "Okap Pwop". The primary objective of this operation is to clean up various areas of the city, including the historic city center and the municipal sections. The operation will last five days and involves citizens from different localities and workers from the Road Service.



Insecurity : Command Meeting

The Commander-in-Chief of the National Police Mr Leon Charles, chaired a command meeting, this Monday, January 25, 2021, one of the key objectives of which was to discuss with the police officials of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, on strengthening the operational capacity of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) in the fight against insecurity in Haiti, in particular kidnapping.



PNH : Breakdown of new vehicles

Saturday January 23, Leon Charles, the Commander-in-Chief of the Haitian National Police (PNH) met with the high command around the modalities relating to the distribution of new vehicles https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32825-haiti-politic-jovenel-moise-hands-over-the-keys-of-a-fleet-of-vehicles-to-the-pnh.html intended to strengthen the operational capacity of the institution.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















The Uruguay forward has been a crucial part of United's resurgence this season which sees them top the Premier league table.

London: Edinson Cavani may turn 34 next month but his work rate in matches and the humility he shows in training is an example to his team-mates, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Tuesday.

The Uruguay forward has been a crucial part of United's resurgence this season which sees them top the Premier league table.

Manchester City can overtake their city rivals later on Tuesday if they beat struggling West Brom  United next play on Wednesday when they host bottom club Sheffield United.

"When a striker of that age runs almost 12 kilometres (seven miles in a game), chases down the keeper, back-tackles midfielders, is a threat in the box, shows humility to come in every day to do his best, his experience and attitude has given every one of us a lesson," the Norwegian said.

Solskjaer said Marcus Rashford would be fit to play against the Blades having "tweaked" his knee in Sunday's FA Cup win over Liverpool.

However, unlike Chelsea who fired Frank Lampard on Monday after just 18 months in charge, the United board have kept faith with their former player.

He said he had been surprised by Lampard's sacking but was keen to emphasise he and the United board had always had a long term vision for what he was doing.

"I've said it many a time, we looked at the squad, looked at the situation we were in and we put a longer-term plan in place," said Solskjaer, who has less than 18 months remaining on his contract.

"We knew there would be some patchy periods and that we would have to stay strong mentally but the leadership they have shown has been very strong and steady.

"I'm very grateful for the communication that has been open and honest all of the time."

There is growing anticipation amongst pundits and fans of United winning their first league title since Alex Ferguson's final season in 2013.

"We are not getting carried away. We have to get more consistency into our performances," the 47-year-old said.

"The two teams at the top of the league for the last three seasons have been amazing (Man City and Liverpool).

"In any other season you would have won the league with 20 points less than they have won it with. This is the start of something but we want to keep improving."
China said on Tuesday it will conduct military exercises in the South China Sea this week, just days after Beijing bristled at a U.S. aircraft carrier group's entry into the disputed waters.

A notice issued by the country's Maritime Safety Administration prohibited entry into a portion of waters in the Gulf of Tonkin to the west of the Leizhou peninsula in southwestern China from Jan. 27 to Jan. 30, but it did not offer details on when the drills would take place or at what scale.

A U.S. carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt entered the South China Sea on Saturday to promote "freedom of the seas," the U.S. military said, days after Joe Biden began his term as president.

The contested waters have become another flashpoint in the increasingly testy bilateral relationship between Beijing and Washington. The U.S. military has steadily increased its activities there in recent years as China asserts its territorial claims in the area in conflict with neighbouring countries including Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan.

China on Monday complained that the United States frequently sends aircraft and vessels into the South China Sea, through which trillion dollars in trade flow every year, to "flex its muscles" and said such actions are not conducive to peace and stability in the region.
California Man Charged After Allegedly Stealing Documents from McConnells Desk During Capitol Riot

A California man faces federal charges in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including for allegedly stealing documents from then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells (R-Ky.) desk.

Tommy Allan, of Rocklin, has been charged with unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds, violent entry, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and damage or threat to federal property, according to an affidavit filed on Jan. 21 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (pdf).

The FBI began probing Allan after a tipster submitted information that included several posts Allan allegedly shared on social media showing rioters breaking windows at the Capitol, as well as a disturbing post that said the next step of the Insurrection was to get rid of [Chief] Justice [John] Roberts, the affidavit states.

FBI special agent Jeremy Linton, the affiant, wrote in the document that footage from within the Senate Chamber showed Allan taking a document from a desk, folding it in half lengthwise, and placing it in his back left pocket.

In a separate video posted on Facebook, Allan was seen standing outside the Capitol building holding multiple documents in his hand, the affidavit alleges. While displaying the documents, Allan said it was a letter from Trump and was signed by Trump, Linton wrote in the affidavit.

I observed what appeared to be President Trumps signature at the bottom of the document, he wrote, adding that Allen said in the video that he had taken the documents he was holding from McConnells desk.

Asked by someone why he took the documents, Allan said in the video it was because he was a taxpayer, Linton wrote.

Allen was captured on video carrying a United States flag out of the Senate chamber, the affidavit notes.

The flag in ALLANs possession appeared to have a gold fringe around the outer edges of the flag, a gold colored eagle affixed to the top of the pole, and a distinctive gold cord tied to the flag pole, Linton wrote, adding the flag resembled one that had been standing near the main desk in the Senate chamber.

Sometime after Allen allegedly left the chamber with the flag, uniformed law enforcement officers entered the chamber through the same doorway Allen exited through, and in their possession was a United States flag closely resembling the flag Allan was seen carrying earlier, Linton noted.

In one of the videos cited in the affidavit, Allen said, they took my flag, and they took it from me right before I left.

More than a hundred people have already been arrested in connection with the unrest on Jan. 6, when protesters stormed the Capitol to interrupt the joint session of Congress while lawmakers were certifying electoral votes for President Joe Biden.

The storming has been widely condemned by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Taika Waititi and Chris Hemsworth receive a blessing as production on Thor: Love and Thunder begins. (Instagram)

Chris Hemsworth and Taika Waititi have taken part in a traditional Welcome to Country ceremony on Australia Day as production on Thor: Love and Thunder begins Down Under.

Hemsworth, 37, shared photos of the event on his Instagram account calling the blessing a beautiful start to our shoot today. The new comic book film is being filmed at Fox Studios in Sydney, which recently played host to Marvel Studios Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The Welcome to Country ritual is a formal ceremony, usually performed by a recognised elder, that takes place at many Australian events. Its used to recognise the cultural significance of the surrounding area to the local Aboriginal clan that are seen as the Traditional Owners of the land.

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Hemsworth, returning as Thor for his fourth solo film, shared that the ceremony was from the Gamay dancers of the Gadigal and Bidiagal Nation with performance and karakia by Maori dancers from Te Aranganui.

Read more: All the new Marvel movies announced by Disney

Thor: Love and Thunder will released in UK and US cinemas on May 6, 2022. Hemsworth will star with a script from Taika Waititi, alongside Thor: The Dark Worlds Natalie Portman, and Thor: Ragnaroks Tessa Thompson.

Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth in Avengers: Endgame (Marvel)

Batman star Christian Bale will join the MCU for the film as the villain Gorr the God Butcher.

A host of Guardians of the Galaxy stars will also appear in the film including Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, with the film picking up Thors story from Avengers: Endgame which ended with the God of Thunder joining the Guardians on their adventures.

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As recent photos shared by Hemsworth online prove, Thor appears to have got himself back into godlike shape for Love and Thunder.

Watch: Hulk Hogan responds to biopic news
A new study of more than 300,000 Vietnam-era U.S. veterans has found that those who were exposed to Agent Orange are nearly twice as likely to develop dementia as those who were not.

The new finding, published Monday in JAMA Neurology, is among the most substantial to date linking cognitive decline with chemicals used for defoliation during the Vietnam War.

For the study, researchers at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System examined the medical records of thousands of veterans and found a two-fold risk of dementia for those whose medical records indicated evidence of exposure.

Read Next: Lawmaker Calls for Hearing on Why National Guard Troops Were Ordered Out of the Capitol

According to Deborah Barnes, a researcher with the University of California San Francisco and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the study authors found that, over the course of time, 5% of veterans with a documented exposure to Agent Orange were diagnosed with dementia compared with 2.5% of vets with no known exposure.

"Even though the absolute rates ... are low, these veterans were still relatively young, so if the risk holds, we would expect that to increase as they age," Barnes said in an interview with JAMA Neurology.

The research also discovered that the exposed vets were diagnosed an average of 15 months earlier than non-exposed veterans -- a finding that can have a huge impact on former personnel, their families and society as a whole, Barnes said.

"Studies have found if we could delay the onset of dementia by a year or 15 months, it would have a huge impact on the population prevalence over time," she explained.

For the study, the researchers reviewed the medical records of Vietnam veterans who received care through the Veterans Health Administration from Oct. 1, 2001, to Sept. 30, 2015. They excluded anyone already diagnosed with dementia and those whose Agent Orange exposure was unclear.

They found that even after adjusting for other factors and conditions that can play a role in the development of dementia -- psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, medical conditions like diabetes and Parkinson's, or demographic variables -- the two-fold risk remained.

"We did observe that veterans who had a history of Agent Orange exposure were more likely to have PTSD in their medical records or traumatic brain injury, so they did have other conditions that could increase their risk of dementia, so we adjusted statistically and ... yes, there [still] is an association," Barnes said.

Throughout the Vietnam War, U.S. forces sprayed more than 19 million gallons of defoliant, including 11 million of Agent Orange, to clear the jungle and destroy crops. From 1962 to 1971, at least 2.6 million U.S. service members were stationed in Vietnam and other places where the herbicides were sprayed or stored.

Thousands of veterans have been diagnosed with varying types of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease and peripheral neuropathy as a result of exposure to the herbicides, according to the VA.

The research didn't explain why exposure may be linked with the development of dementia, but one of the main ingredients of the defoliants -- dioxin -- is known to be stored in fat tissue where it "sticks around for a long time," Barnes said.

"It's possible that Agent Orange stayed in the fat tissue and is slowly being released and causing toxic effects on the brain. But we also know that Agent Orange increases the risk of other disorders that themselves are risk factors for dementia, so it's unclear if it's a direct effect of the dioxin, an indirect effect or possibly a combination," she added.

The researchers said that their study has some limitations, including concerns over the accuracy of Agent Orange exposure documentation in medical records or misclassification of a dementia diagnosis.

Also, the study did not include veterans who receive care outside VA or contain any baseline cognitive scores, which could have revealed whether any of the veterans had undiagnosed dementia at the start.

The researchers suggested that additional studies be conducted to determine the relationship between Agent Orange exposure and dementia and added that they hoped it would encourage physicians to screen their patients for the condition as they age.

Dementia is on the rise in the aging veterans community, with a 20% increase expected among VA patients over the next decade, according to the department.

Barnes said she also would like to see more research on the positive steps patients can take to offset increased risk -- physical activity, healthy lifestyle choices, treating their mental health diagnoses and more.

''We can't change our past. ... What you can control is what you are doing now and what you do in the future. My hope is that, even if these veterans have this risk factor, engaging in a healthier lifestyle may help them offset that risk," she said.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: Defense Bill Would Add 3 New Diseases to Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions List

Tuesdays violence also puncture the narrative that the farmers movement was peaceful, and in one stroke it laid bare the sinister plot. The anarchists were trying their best to provoke the state so that the state responds with force and the resultant casualties provide precious political oxygen to the movement.

Protesters unfurled and hoisted Kesari on Red Fort from whose ramparts the prime minister of India delivers the Independence Day address. Sloganeering protesters entered the national monument and hoisted a Sikh religious flag from the staff from which the prime minister unfurls the Tricolour on 15 August, reported The Hindu.

These scenes played out on TV screens before a horrified nation that had turned on the sets early to watch the 72nd Republic Day celebrations. No sooner did the parade at Rajpath come to an end, reports started pouring in of protesters deviating from the pre-planned route for the tractor rally, breaking through the barriers and flooding on to the arterial roads of New Delhi. What unravelled over the next few hours will remain forever etched on to the collective psyche of an outraged nation.

The protesters ran their tractors through the barricades, demolished every hurdle on their way and unleashed chaos, disruption and mayhem on the city streets in an orgy of wanton violence as farmer union leaders went missing. The police were outnumbered, beaten back, lathicharged, and even stone pelted. Some particularly disturbing visuals showed a few trying to run their tractors over cops running for their lives.

Bhindranwale posters were spotted as the mob totally went out of control, brandishing swords, vandalizing buses, damaging public property and smashing riot vehicles. Even journalists, covering the developments, were not spared.

Just spoke with my friend Manish @manishindiatv who was reporting from Red Fort. He is not in a good shape. Protestors beat him with sticks/ weapons and he fainted after repeated blows -- and had to be rushed to a hospital. His cameraman received blows on the head . #journalism  Bhuvan Bagga  (@Bhuvanbagga) January 26, 2021

With their violence, vandalism and rioting, the protesters have stripped themselves of all legitimacy. The farmer unions know it, and therefore they have released a hasty statement, denouncing the violence and trying to dissociate themselves from it  blaming everything on antisocial elements who had apparently infiltrated their ranks.

This is little more than a desperate attempt to save face. The union leaders can well understand that Tuesdays wanton violence will have political consequences. Public mood, the lifeblood of any civil protest, is now totally against them and the sacrilegious scenes on national capital on Republic Day, a day laden with symbolism and national unity, have ensured that their movement has lost every last bit of the goodwill that was left.

What happened on Tuesday was no longer a farmers protest. This was a well-planned, full-fledged riot on the streets to Delhi, an attack against the State, seeking to overturn through violence a piece of legislation that has been passed by the Parliament  the seat of Indias representative democracy  by a democratically elected government. This attack, therefore, was against the Constitution, against democracy and against the will of the people.

Tuesdays violence also puncture the 'manicured' narrative that the farmers movement was peaceful, and in one stroke it laid bare the sinister plot. The anarchists were trying their best to provoke the state so that the state responds with force and the resultant casualties provide precious political oxygen to the movement.

The Delhi police on Tuesday foiled this sinister ploy by exercising maximum restraint and even taking body blows, allowing the violent protesters to fully expose themselves. Since the farmers protest was all about moral legitimacy of the poor farmer against the might of the state, the rampaging farmers themselves took away the one thing that kept the protests going  moral legitimacy.

By debasing a national monument, dishonoring the Tricolour, and spreading anarchy on streets, they have fatally damaged their movement. The union leaders and Opposition fanning the protests should now rein in their agents of chaos, failing which the state should take hard action. The time for mollycoddling is over.


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The Central African Republic is facing severe food shortages after a rebel group took control of the highway from Cameroon over which flows nearly the entire food supply to the capital, Bangui.

The state of play: The rebels support former President Francois Bozize, who was ousted in a coup in 2013 and barred from running in the Dec. 27 presidential elections because he faced charges for murder and other crimes.

By the time that election was won by the incumbent, Faustin-Archange Touadera, the rebels had already launched their campaign to oust him.

Theyve now taken control of several cities and attempted to take Bangui, which is defended by a combination of UN peacekeepers, reinforcements from Rwanda and Russian mercenaries.

The UN estimates that more than 100,000 people have been displaced by the fighting, 84,000 of them to neighboring countries.

On the ground: Basic goods like fruit, vegetables, oil and sugar are getting harder to find, and prices are rising. Another month of this and the city will actually run out of food, Moussa Abdoulaye writes for the Continent from Bangui.

It is hard to predict what will happen next. The government does not have the firepower to win this war militarily. It will have to negotiate. And the rebels have made their position clear: they want to scrap the results of the election, be part of a transitional government, initiate a national dialogue and create a new constitution leading to new elections.

The big picture: The Central African Republic is one of the world's poorest countries, and the government's authority barely stretches beyond the capital city. Hopes of greater stability after a 2019 deal between the government and rebel groups have now been dashed.
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[January 25, 2021] Barrett-Jackson to Sell First-Production Ford Roush Mustang

Barrett-Jackson, The World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions, will sell the first-production 2010 Ford (News - Alert) Roush Mustang Barrett-Jackson Edition (preview) with 100 percent of the hammer price benefitting the Michael Phelps Foundation. The first of only 25 built as part of a collaboration between Sherwin-Williams, Roush and Barrett-Jackson, the Mustang will be sold during the March 2021 Scottsdale Auction at WestWorld of Scottsdale, March 20-27, 2021. The special edition Mustang was donated by Chris Connor, retired Chairman and CEO of The Sherwin-Williams Company. To date, Barrett-Jackson has helped raise more than $127 million for more than 130 local and national charitable organizations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210125005922/en/ Barrett-Jackson will sell the first-production 2010 Ford Roush Mustang Barrett-Jackson Edition with 100 percent of the hammer price benefitting the Michael Phelps Foundation. (Photo: Business Wire) "We were honored to host Olympian Michael Phelps at Barrett-Jackson in the past, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming him and his wife Nicole to our March event for the auction of the very first Barrett-Jackson Edition Roush Mustang ever built," said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. "Their commitment to promoting healthy, active lives through their important work with the Michael Phelps Foundation is admirable, and we are glad we can help their efforts through this sale." The 2010 For Roush Mustang Barrett-Jackson Edition (preview) is the result of a limited-edition build program with Sherwin-Williams, Roush and Barrett-Jackson. The first of only 25 produced, the Mustang is powered by a 540-horsepower R2300 Roush supercharged V8 engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The limited-edition pony car is painted in Planet Color's Red Hot Chili Pepper paint with Snow White graphics. The interior features leather seats with embroidered Barrett-Jackson logo, four-piece performance pedal, illuminated Roush sill plates and 001 nameplate.



"Michael Phelps inspired us all during the course of his decorated swimming career," said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. "Translating his passion for swimming into helping youth and adults alike live more active lifestyles is just as inspiring. It will be exciting to see this incredible Barrett-Jackson edition Roush Mustang cross the block knowing that 100 percent of the hammer price will benefit his foundation and possibly inspire a new generation of Olympic swimmers." Established in 2008, the Michael Phelps Foundation (MPF) offers access to the same curriculum and principles that helped propel the best swimmer in the world. Along with a coalition of strategic partners, MPF has provided learn-to-swim, healthy living, and goal-setting curriculum to more than 100,000 people around the world through the Boys and Girls Club of America and Special Olympics International.

Click here to consign a collector vehicle for the Barrett-Jackson March 2021 Auction, or click here to become a registered bidder. To purchase tickets to the event (available online only), click here. Join Barrett-Jackson's online conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube #BarrettJackson Commitment to Guest Health and Safety Barrett-Jackson is committed to the health and safety of all its guests, sponsors, vendors, partners and media during its in-person events. The company is closely following local, state and federal health and safety protocols. To help maintain physical distancing guidelines recommended for live events, the auction arena during Barrett-Jackson's 2021 Scottsdale Auction will be limited to bidders, consignors and their guests. Tickets to the event can be purchased by the general public online in advance only. Media credentials will also be limited to comply with physical distancing requirements. Enhanced live online and phone bidding options will be available for registered bidders. About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson, The World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions, is the leader in collector car and automotive lifestyle events, which include authentic automobilia auctions and the sale of private collections. The company produces live auction across the country, as well as Online Only auctions throughout the year. With broadcast partners FYI and HISTORY, Barrett-Jackson will feature live television coverage in 2021, as well as all the cars, all the time via the live stream on Barrett-Jackson.com. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com, or call 480-421-6694. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210125005922/en/

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On 72nd Republic Day, Chennai-based Zoho Corps founder Sridhar Vembu has been awarded Indias fourth-highest civilian honour Padma Shri, as per government notification. It is being awarded to him under Trade and Industry field.

The 54-year old entrepreneur took to Twitter to show his gratitude and said, It is a huge honor and I feel humbled. He dedicated the award to his employees.

A graduate of IIT Madras and Princeton University, Vembu was born in a small city in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. He founded AdventNet Inc. in 1996 along with a couple of brothers and later the company was renamed Zoho Corp. in 2009 with its headquarters in Chennai. He had also set up Zoho Schools of Learning.

He recently moved back to Indiaspecifically to Tenkasi, a remote village in Tamil Nadu. In an interview with Friday Magazine recently, he said, "I like to work with as little stress as possible. Many people suffer [from health conditions] because they work under a lot of pressure and stress; its something I want to avoid  both for myself and my employees.

Zoho, a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform boasts of 60 million users worldwide and 50 integrated online applications that support multiple business operations such as sales and marketing, finance, email and collaboration, information technology and help desk, human resources, and custom solutions like app creator and analytics. Its clientele includes Levis, Amazon, Philips, Whirlpool, Ola, Xiaomi, among others.

Zoho recently launched a messaging application called Arattai, which translates to chat in Tamil. This has come in the news after there were debates on WhatsApp compromising privacy. The company claims to be profitable since its inception in 1996.
2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS.

We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover.

We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come.

Heres whats happening Tuesday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:

THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY

 An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. are canceling appointments because of vaccine shortages in a rollout so rife with confusion that even the new CDC director admitted over the weekend that she doesnt know exactly how many shots are in the pipeline. States are waiting to find out their latest weekly allocation of vaccines. For days now, governors and top health officials have been complaining about inadequate supplies and the need for earlier and more reliable estimates of how much is on the way so that they can plan accordingly.

 New results extend hopes for drugs that supply antibodies to fight COVID-19, suggesting they can help keep patients out of the hospital and possibly prevent illness in some uninfected people. Eli Lilly said its drug reduced the risk of hospitalizations or death by 70% in newly diagnosed, nonhospitalized patients. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said partial results on its drug suggest it helps prevent infection in housemates of people with COVID-19. Some of the antibodies are already being used to treat certain patients and the drugmakers say they will seek to expand that authorization to allow prevention approaches as well.

 Californias health department released to the public previously secret projections for future hospital intensive care unit capacity in the state, the key metric for lifting a stay-at-home order. However, state officials did not explain how regional per capita virus cases and transmission rates that also were released might influence how much ICU space will be available in four weeks. Last week, state health officials told The Associated Press they were keeping all the data secret because it is complicated and might mislead the public. Coronavirus experts and open government advocates criticized the move, saying the public has the right to know whats behind decisions affecting their lives.

Story continues

THE NUMBERS: According to data through Jan. 25 from Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average for daily new cases in the U.S. did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 249,234.9 on Jan. 11 to 170,720 on Jan. 25.

DEATH TOLL: According to data through Jan. 25 from Johns Hopkins, the seven-day rolling average for daily new deaths in the U.S. did not increase in the past two weeks, going from 3,242.4 on Jan. 11 to 3,160.9 on Jan. 25.

QUOTABLE: I think we were on track to have a good  or a better, at least  spring and summer, and Im worried that the variants might be throwing us a curveball.  Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Rivers, on concerns that the more contagious variants of the virus could lead to a deadly resurgence this year.

ICYMI: Officials say a new Brazilian variant of the coronavirus has made its first known appearance in the United States in a person who recently traveled from Brazil to Minnesota. State health officials said Monday that the Brazil P.1 variant was found in a specimen from a Minnesota resident who had recently been to Brazil. The patient lives in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and became ill during the first week of January. Viruses are constantly mutating, and new variants often emerge. Health officials are also worried about variants that were first reported in the U.K. and South Africa.

ON THE HORIZON: Oregon teachers are eligible for COVID-19 shots before senior citizens after Democratic Gov. Kate Brown decided to prioritize reopening schools. The decision has outraged older people and underscores the moral dilemma state and local officials across the U.S. are facing as they decide whos first in line for the vaccine. Ethicists say America hasnt faced such a stark moral calculus in generations. Everyone from the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions to communities of color and front-line workers are clamoring for the vaccine. And each group has a compelling argument for why it should get priority.

___

Find APs full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

[January 26, 2021] Thingsfactory launches three new products

Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things

MONTREAL, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montreal-based Thingsfactory took advantage of the 2021 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) to unveil the innovations it will be marketing in the coming months. In 2020, the start-up company, which specializes in the development of products using the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), made a name for itself with the TF-350 and TF-400, telethermographs (intelligent fever detectors) that enable non-contact facial temperature measurement. Continuing in this vein, Thingsfactory began the year by expanding its family of intelligent fever detectors with the TF-400C, a new industrial model in a fully integrated camera format. Specially designed for use in factories and public spaces, the TF-400C works with either Power over Ethernet (POE) or traditional 12VDC power supplies. It can be connected to the corporate network or using the LTE modem and meets the highest security standards to ensure full data confidentiality. Simple to use and accurate, the TF-400C captures the temperature at the hottest point on the face, with an accuracy of a tenth of a degree, and sends immediate real-time alerts. With unparalleled speed, it takes more than 9 images per second with no face limitations and measures the temperature despite masks, glasses, hats and scarves. In addition, it has the ability to simultaneously capture the temperature of all moving people in an area of 4 m x 4 m. A telethermograph adapted to animals

Within the next few weeks Thingsfactory will also begin pilot projects with several agricultural organizations to develop an animal-friendly telethermograph. Specifically, Thingsfactory wants to expand the TF-400's measurement detection register to include five (5) new behavioral variables (moving, eating, walking, rubbing, climbing) which, when combined and analyzed by the artificial inteligence algorithms it has developed, will make it possible to directly detect subjects possibly suffering from an infection, whether zoonotic or intra/inter species, which will make it possible to act more quickly to care for the animal and limit the impact on animal or dairy production enterprises.



Intelligent building management

Thingsfactory has also expanded its research into a new niche market - intelligent building risk management. To enable building managers to reduce management and maintenance costs, while increasing the security and surveillance of their buildings, Thingsfactory has developed the TF-1000, an intelligent "building automation" technology focused on insurance risks that will revolutionize the management of modern buildings. This innovation is the ultimate in prevention, detection and asset protection. This centralized building controller using artificial intelligence has the ability to detect anomalies in real time, analyze them and ultimately, take actions to minimize financial, human or operational losses.

Contactless screen

In response to the VIDOC-19 crisis, Thingsfactory designed the TF-150, a 27-inch contactless intelligent display for sites where health measures require a health questionnaire to be completed. The screen is customizable and can be used in both the workplace and public areas. This screen, developed in agile mode by Thingsfactory's design team, allows fingers to be used in virtual mode to interact with the screen. This new visual gesture detection technology replaces touchscreens, keyboard and mice for greater protection against infection. The TF-150 is currently being demonstrated in Thingsfactory's Montreal offices. Quotes

"Thingsfactory has seen major advances in research and development over the past year. We are proud to unveil today the results of this work, which has made it possible to create products that not only showcase Quebec's genius in IoT and AI, but that will also have a real impact in reducing material, financial and human losses. 

-Pierre Gauvin, CEO and Founder, Thingsfactory About Thingsfactory

Founded in 2017, Thingsfactory is a Montreal-based company that specializes in the development of products using the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Thingsfactory is constantly innovating to develop and market products that help prevent material, financial and human losses. thingsfactory.com For information: In Canada, please contact

Opti-Com Solutions (Authorized Distributor)

Phone (888)-883-6137

Email quote@opti-com.ca In the United States, please contact

Steve Copley (Direct Sales)

Phone (440) 732-5547?

Email steve.copley@thingsfactory.com



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The Nigeria Customs Service says it is awaiting directives from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning before implementing a new law that mandates a reduction in tariffs on imported vehicles.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, disclosed this at the commemoration of the 2021 International Customs Day with a theme Customs bolstering recovery, renewal and resilience for sustainable supply chain.

President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Finance Bill on December 31, 2020, which stipulates a downward review of Excise Duty rates on tractors and motor vehicles for transportation.

The president has signed the bill now; we are now waiting for the Minister of Finance to formally send to us directing for implementation. If that is done today, by tomorrow, we will inform all our commands to fully begin to implement the Act, he said

The only thing that is holding it now is that we have not received the formal conveyance of that Act and we are a law-abiding organisation. Once we receive the directive to commence implementation, we will immediately begin that. I hope and pray it will come this week or next week.

We are the proponent of the tariff on vehicles, it was engineered by us and pushed forward by us. I have seen publications where I have been criticised that I use my position to push for this.

They do not realise that it is in the overall interest of Nigerians and we thank God and thank the president as well as members of National Assembly for accepting the proposal. Today it has become a law, Mr Ali said.

The customs boss commended the officers and men for their commitment and determination in boosting revenue generation for the country, adding that their resilience in the face of life-threatening risks kept the supply chain active.

According to him, in the year 2020, the service generated N1.5 trillion revenues as against the N1.3 trillion target set by the government as well as seized 4,304 assorted items valued at N28.2 billion. (NAN)
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Funeral services for a Westover reservist who died of natural causes while on a regularly-scheduled training mission in Hawaii will be held on Friday and Saturday.

Master Sgt. Scott Blais, 47, of East Longmeadow, died Jan. 17 while at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickham. He was a flight engineer for the 337th Airlift Squadron at the time of his death. Blais first joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991 and served as an aircraft mechanic and then a recruiter until he was honorably discharged in 2003. He joined the Air Force Reserve a year later, said Lt. Col. Timothy Robinson, commander of the 337th Airlift Squadron.

A Westover Air Reserve Honor Guard will perform planeside honors when Blais remains arrive at Bradley International Airport on Thursday morning, he said.

Funeral services will follow with a walk-through visitation from 3  7 p.m. on Friday at the Forastiere Smith Funeral Home, 220 North Main St., East Longmeadow. A funeral mass will be at 10 a.m., Saturday at St. Michaels Parish, 128 Maple St., East Longmeadow.
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LAS CRUCES  When Las Cruces photographer Wayne Suggs saw a double-rainbow develop against the picturesque backdrop of the rugged Organ Mountains, his camera was already set up, but he was forced to think on the fly.

For three years, he had been trying to capture the hedgehog cacti behind his house in full bloom, in just the right light. But, on April 22  Earth Day  the skies opened up, it began raining in the desert, and something magical happened.

The photograph was taken about 200 yards behind Suggs house.

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Ive been trying to capture them, all in bloom, for about three years  and with quality light, he said. For three years, he was never able to get the right shot  the shot he wanted.

Id go out there in the evening, and it just wouldnt happen, Suggs said. Literally, for three years.

But on April 22, all of the right elements came into play. Suggs said he was set up for a horizontal shot but, as the rain began to fall, he was able to adjust and create a vertical shot that he was really excited about. Horizontally, he couldnt capture the rainbows that had begun to develop.

Because I did that, Ive got this huge, mega-pixel file, he said. And I can blow that picture up, just ginormous, and have sold it. And Ive worked really hard to get there. It wasnt as I pictured it was going to be, but was way better than I thought it would be.

He kept shooting until he was sure he had captured the image he wanted, he said. Uncharacteristically, he rushed inside afterward to see if hed gotten the photo hed hoped for.

I was so excited, Suggs said.

Suggs has been a photographer since he was 14 years old, he said, but he knew there was something special about the moment he had just captured.

That photo was among two by Suggs that were recently selected by the International Landscape Photographer of the Year contest judges as the 101 Best Photographs of 2020. The annual contest drew more than 3,800 entries this year from around the world. The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers alike.

Suggs, although he says hes not a big awards guy, said it feels great to bring attention to southern New Mexico.

They put out a book of the winning images every year, he said. And when you receive the book  with the images of our Organ Mountains, alongside the Dolomites of Italy, or Norway, or Patagonia, these world-renowned photography destinations  and its been in the book two years in a row  you realize how lucky we are to have this in our backyard.

In addition to the photo of the Organ Mountains, Suggs photo of The Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness in northern New Mexicos San Juan County was also recognized.

Again, Im not a big awards guy, said Suggs, who has won his fair share of awards. To me, photography is art, and its very subjective. Its wonderful, and I appreciate it. But I entered this year, and two of my images won. Its quite an honor.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Clan feuds, violent extremism, illegal drugs and weapons are the three main roadblocks to Bangsamoros transition into a peaceful region, a group monitoring subnational conflicts in the country said on Monday.

In its 2020 Bangsamoro Conflict Report, International Alert Philippines said a total of 2,655 violent conflict incidents occurred in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi in 2019. These five provinces comprise the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Clan feuds, fueled by personal and political grudges and land conflict, involved former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). In 2019, thirteen clan feuds involved MILF-affiliated factions and caused the displacement of thousands.

The irony is that previous combatants who ought to be retired from decommissioning and normalization processes are instead training their weapons against each other, against indigenous peoples, and against other claimants of land surrounding their previous camps, said Nikki de la Rosa, country director of International Alert Philippines.

Although Bangsamoro experienced a decline in violent conflicts, the group also noted a drastic shift in performing acts of violent extremism in the region.

International Alert senior peace and conflict adviser Francisco Lara Jr. said a mix of female, Filipino, and foreign extremists perpetrated suicide bombings in the region, particularly in Sulu, in 2019. The report also included the two successive suicide attacks in Jolo last August, which resulted into 75 injuries and 14 fatalities.

Lara added ISIS-affiliated armed groups are continuously recruiting and regrouping in Lanao del Sur. Financial incentives are also being offered to lure new members to the BIFF.

The suicide attacks reveal how the influence of ISIS has remained potent and that the attacks in August 2020 are not expected to be the last. There is a potential for suicide bombings to be reproduced in other parts of Mindanao, especially as security is tightened in Sulu, said Lara.

The International Alert Philippines, which developed Conflict Report in monitoring subnational conflicts, also reported a 14% increase in illegal drug-related incidents in Bangsamoro in 2019. The increase covers all provinces except Basilan.

The report added the national governments campaign against the illegal drug trade revealed new hotspots such as in the town of Buluan in Maguindanao province, where incidents doubled.

The use of handguns, the most common type of weapon in Bangsamoro region, also increased by 6% between 2018 and 2019, the report revealed. Handguns were used in illegal drug incidents, clan feuding, robberies, and during the 2019 elections. Violent extremists such as Abu Sayyaf and the BIFF used handguns to carry out assassinations.

The rise in gun-related violence will certainly make it more difficult to convince former combatants to lay down their guns and render themselves vulnerable to personal attacks, Lara said.

The group called for the crafting of a land adhering to a strong, evidence-based and participatory and publicly accessible process such as having a mechanism to settle land and property disputes, to prevent the escalation of violence in the region.

The organization recommended a better orchestrated approach in preventing violent extremism with a combination of capacity building in the deradicalization of the youth, implementation of restorative justice programs, more social media campaigns to prevent recruitment into extremist groups, and intensified intelligence gathering and security operations.

One would expect that violence will less likely happen under the watch of the BTA (Bangsamoro Transition Authority) and BARMM, but peace takes a while to grow, and peace agreements hardly lead to a post-conflict future at once or at all, explained Dela Rosa.

The BARMM celebrated its founding anniversary last week, a year after the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) that created the autonomous regional government through a two-part plebiscite. Celebrations were done amidst a call by the MILF-led BTA for Congress to amend the BOL and allow a three-year extension of the transition process.
EDWARDSVILLE  Bob Marcus with The Gori Law Firm has been named an Illinois Leading Lawyer in 2021.

Selection is based on the results from Law Bulletin Medias annual surveys mailed to practicing lawyers in the state. Marcus is one of several attorneys at The Gori Law Firm to receive this honor.
A Californian father, 53, and daughter, 20, have died after being electrocuted when he tried to move a downed power line outside their home and she tried to save him.

Ferdinand Tejada and Janine Reyn Tejada were killed in the early hours of Monday in Panorama City, Los Angeles, where a rainstorm had downed live wires at the 14700 block of Tupper Street.

The devastated wife and mother of the victims called 911 around 2:45 a.m. after seeing her husband and daughter suffering electric shocks.

Authorities told her to stay back and not touch the wires.

Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived to find the bodies of the dad and daughter in their backyard and the lines still live.

Ferdinand Tejada (left) and Janine Reyn Tejada (right) were killed in the early hours of Monday in Panorama City, Los Angeles, where a rainstorm had downed live wires at the 14700 block of Tupper Street

The Californian father, 53, and daughter, 20, died after being electrocuted when he tried to move a downed power line outside their home. Pictured footage of the scene

Smartphone footage (pictured) captured by a neighbor shows an orange flow from a fire coming from the yard of the home, while firefighters kept their distance

The tragic incident unfolded when Ferdinand heard an explosion outside the family home and smelled smoke, the victims' wife and mother Mrs. Tejada told NBC Los Angeles.

The 53-year-old went outside to investigate what had happened and accidentally touched the wire, which gave him an electric shock, she said.

Their daughter then went to try to save him but came into contact with water which sent the electric current through her as well.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman David Ortiz said: 'She came in contact with the water and the water served as a conductor.'

Mrs. Tejada said she also felt a shock from the electric current but managed to get away to safety and dialed 911.

The LAFD told DailyMail.com the 911 dispatcher prevented a 'triple fatality' by talking to her and stopping her from trying to help her husband and daughter.

Emergency crews arrived on the scene but had to wait for the Department of Water and Power to turn off the power supply before approaching the victims as they could see the area was still energized.

'Our firefighters waited for the Department of Fire and Water to come cut power because he was beyond medical assistance as was his daughter,' said Ortiz.

The coroner's office later confirmed the identities of the victims.

Aerial photos of the aftermath shot by KTLA show the grass in the backyard scorched

Ferdinand Tejada and Janine Reyn Tejada were killed in the early hours of Monday in Panorama City, Los Angeles, where a rainstorm had downed live wires at the 14700 block of Tupper Street (above the home)

A neighbor told Local21 he heard the noise from the electric shocks and all the power went out before he heard a commotion outside.

'You just hear 'brrrrrr', then suddenly the lights went off. I thought it's just, it's just a normal outage. Then about five minutes, I heard shouting,' said Mike Gallego.

Another neighbor told NBC Los Angeles she heard a 'bang' and then 'somebody scream'.

She said she looked outside but saw nothing and went back to sleep.

Smartphone footage captured by another neighbor shows an orange flow from a fire coming from the yard of the home, while firefighters kept their distance.

Crews repair the downed wires Monday after the tragic incident that left two dead

Caution tape on the wires Monday hours after the father and daughter died

Aerial photos of the aftermath shot by KTLA show the grass in the backyard scorched.

It was raining at the time of the incident but officials have not linked the weather to the two family members' deaths.

It is not clear what caused the power lines to come down with neighbors saying the rain and wind was not that strong that night.

'The two tragic deaths are a sobering reminder that live electrical wires can and will often result in death,' LADWP officials said in a statement.

Crews were seen repairing a power pole Monday hours after the tragic accident.

An investigation headed up by the LAPD into the victims' deaths is ongoing.
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Washington:

President Donald Trump will host PM Narendra Modi at the White House on Monday for their first meeting as they look to strike a personal rapport and discuss a range of strategic issues of common interest, including trade and counter-terrorism.



Modi and Trump would spend several hours together in various settings including one-on-one and delegation-level meetings, a reception and a working dinner.



Look forward to welcoming Indias PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!, Trump had posted on Sunday on his official (@POTUS) Twitter handle.



Modi, in his reply to Trump, thanked him for the warm personal welcome and said he was greatly looking forward to the meeting and discussions. The working dinner that Trump is hosting for Modi is the first of its kind under the current US administration.

ALSO READ | Trump needs to renew commitment to Indo-US ties during Modi visit: Former Obama aide



During the meeting, the President and the Prime Minister will discuss ongoing cooperation, including counter-terrorism, defence partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, global cooperation, burden-sharing, trade, law enforcement, and energy, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer had said.



Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna said the first face-to-face meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump will give them an opportunity to look at the entire gamut of Indo-US engagement and to exchange views on issues of global interest.



Prime Minister Modi, in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, said that the logic of the Indo-US strategic ties is incontrovertible and the two countries have an overriding interest in securing the world from terrorism, radical ideologies and non-traditional security threats.



In an uncertain global economic landscape, India and the US stand as mutually reinforcing engines of growth and innovation, he said. He recalled his visit to Washington last June and his address to a joint session of the US Congress, where he said that the relationship between India and America had overcome the hesitations of history.



A year later, I return to the US confident in the growing convergence between our two nations, he said. This confidence stems from the strength of our shared values and the stability of our systems. Our people and institutions have steadfastly viewed democratic change as an instrument for renewal and resurgence, he said.



Modi said the confidence in each others political values and a strong belief in each others prosperity has led to greater engagements between the two countries.



The logic of our strategic relationship is incontrovertible, Modi said while noting that defence was an area of mutually beneficial cooperation.



On the eve of Modis US visit, the Trump administration had dismissed reports that it has been ignoring India, saying President Trump realises that the country has been a force for good in the world and ties with it were important.



I think that it would be wrong to say that this administration has been ignoring or not focused on India, a senior administration official had said.



I think that the US really appreciates India, and I think that President Trump realises that India has been a force for good in the world and that its a relationship thats important. And I think that will come through in the visit on Monday, the official said.



Yes, this will be the first opportunity for them to sit down and have a conversation, but I think that this is still fairly early on in the administration, the official said.



On whether the contentious H-1B visa issue would come up for discussion during the meeting, a senior administration official said it was unlikely to be raised from the US side but if raised by the Indian side, the Americans were ready for it.

ALSO READ: Amnesty asks PM Narendra Modi to raise human rights violations issue to President Donald Trump

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An Italian doctor accused of murdering two patients on a coronavirus ward at the height of the pandemic 'to free up beds' has been arrested.

Carlo Mosca, 47, administered lethal doses of anaesthetics to 61-year-old Natale Bassi and 80-year-old Angelo Paletti at the hospital in Lombardy in March, prosecutors claim.

WhatsApp messages between nurses revealed that they suspected 'crazy' Mosca of killing patients 'to free up the beds' in the A&E ward which he was in charge of.

Another three deaths are now being probed by police after they claim Mosca altered the medical records of his alleged victims to cover his tracks.

Mosca was arrested and is now under house arrest at his home in Mantua. He denies the charges against him, calling the allegations 'baseless.'

Carlo Mosca, 47, was working as the head of A&E at the hospital in Montichiari, Lombardy, when the two patients were allegedly killed between March 20 and 23

The doctor administered Succinylcholine and Propofol, both of which were used on the ward to anaesthetise covid patients so that they could be intubated, legal documents say.

Prosecutors say the patients in question were never intubated and that Mosca had no reason to use anaesthesia.

An anonymous complaint was made at the end of April and prosecutors have obtained WhatsApp messages which they say reveal how Mosca tried to have nurses collude with him.

When he found out he was under investigation he asked nurses to 'agree on a convenient version of the story' while 'instigating them to declare falsehoods,' according to legal documents.

In text messages to each other, the nurses said: 'Did he ask you to administer the drugs without intubating them?', 'I'm not killing patients just because he wants to free up the beds', and 'This is crazy.'

The prosecution claims he asked his colleagues to leave the room when he administered the drugs.

'This has never happened to me before,' one nurse said.

Bassi, a diabetic who suffered from heart disease, died on March 20. Two days later Paletti died.

The hospital in Lombardy where Mosca worked as the head of A&E

Between, November 2019 and April 2020 there was a 70 per cent increase in orders of Succinylcholine and Propofol.

The hospital only intubated five patients during that period.

As well as murder, Mosca is charged with falsifying the health records of the alleged victims.

The doctor 'has edited the clinical data to make the patient appear terminal and therefore not arouse suspicion,' the court papers say.

Mosca, who has been suspended from his duties, says the case against him is made up of 'baseless allegations.'

He says he never administered the anaesthetics and he would never take life, rather save it.
ANN ARBOR, MI -- The Williams-Sonoma store inside Briarwood Mall is closed.

An MLive journalist on Monday, Jan. 25 confirmed that the home and kitchenware retailer has an empty storefront with covered-up doors and windows. The store is no longer listed on Briarwood Malls directory.

Williams-Sonomas corporate spokesperson Elise Wang did not respond to multiple messages seeking details on the closure. The store was running sales in December through January.

A sales supervisor for the store previously told MLive that the company was closing the Briarwood location because a lease deal with the mall owner could not be reached.

Other nearby Williams-Sonoma locations include stores in Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, Somerset Collection in Troy and The Village of Rochester Hills.

H&M to close store in Ann Arbors Briarwood Mall

Ann Arbor YMCA to kick off 6-week reset health challenge

Ann Arbor to redeploy Healthy Streets initiative in spring
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ANCHORAGE (AP)  The developer of the Pebble Mine in Alaska has filed an appeal with the Army Corps of Engineers that asks the agency to reconsider the developer's application to build a gold mine upstream from Bristol Bay.

The Army Corps of Engineers rejected Pebble Limited Partnership's application in November on the grounds that the mine would not comply with the Clean Water Act. The proposed mine was to be built on state land, but dredging and filling in federal waters and wetlands requires a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska Public Media reported.





. . .
(TNS)  Make no doubt about it, the COVID-19 pandemic has created plenty of knots for Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to work through.Behind closed doors, there's chatter about mitigation strategies and vaccine distribution, talks with its unions about protecting workers and riders, and conversations with lawmakers on its dire financial challenges. As the sixth-largest transit agency in the country faces the future, another big question comes to mind:What happens to a commuter rail network without any commuters?With ridership down about 85 percent from pre-pandemic levels, SEPTA Regional Rail is essentially running empty trains, and it's clear that many of its suburban riders won't return to five-day-a-week schedules given the appeal of white-collar telework. To sustain and grow Regional Rail ridership, transportation experts say, it should try to appeal to those it hasn't in the past because of pricey fares and less frequent service. That was true before COVID-19 but may be more necessary now than ever, with the identity of Regional Rail turned on its head.The way forward is to blur the line between Regional Rail and SEPTA's buses, trolleys, and subways, said Megan Smirti Ryerson, associate dean for research at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design. The two groups may be managed by the same authority, but have been seen as separate for decades."Now is the time to prioritize the needs of people of color, essential workers, and particularly our communities that have been significantly, economically hurt by the pandemic," Ryerson said. "Transit is an opportunity to lift people up, to give them access to opportunities that they didn't have before."More frequent trains, flat fares, and convenient connections between Regional Rail and city transit are among the ideas that the experts say could get SEPTA to a more equitable system.But the recommendations aren't that simple to adopt, said Scott Sauer, assistant general manager of operations."There certainly has to be an evolution of Regional Rail and how we use it," he said. "But again, I can't stress enough how significant a capital investment that would be."The authority is losing about $1 million a day as riders avoid public transportation. In response to financial losses from COVID-19, SEPTA has temporarily closed 14 ticket offices across five Regional Rail Lines. Service on the Chestnut Hill West and Cynwyd Lines remain suspended from COVID-19 schedule changes in the spring.SEPTA took a step in integrating its network last year when it introduced a free transfer for SEPTA Key Travel Wallet users. The feature allows riders to swiftly move between buses, trolleys, and subways, but doesn't apply to Regional Rail. A rail commuter pulling into William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, for instance, will have to pay again to get to the nearby Market- Frankford Line."Regional Rail should be a part of the network," Ryerson said. "So why is there this almost regressive and completely separate fare structure for Regional Rail compared to the buses and the trains?"Pending board approval, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission will dive into equity concerns through a study examining how Regional Rail can "be used more broadly" and not just for "a traditional suburb to Center City trip," said DVRPC Executive Director Barry Seymour. Work is poised to begin in July and would identify a handful of potential changes to get there, such as fare restructuring, or station openings and closures.Transit advocates have the same concerns in mind, with 5th Square, an urbanist political action committee, urging SEPTA to accept weekly and monthly TransPasses, used on buses, trolleys, subways and Norristown High Speed Line, on Zone One Regional Rail.Zone One covers travel within Center City and includes neighborhoods like Germantown and Angora. A Zone One weekly TrailPass costs $28.25, and a monthly TrailPass costs $105. A weekly TransPass costs $25.50 and a monthly TransPass costs $96.The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority recently offered reduced fare to select commuter rail riders in an effort to relieve crowding on buses amid the pandemic. In Chicago, officials implemented a similar pilot program on two of its commuter rail lines in part to help make transfers more "seamless," reported a news station there."We know that there's still a market there that SEPTA could capture if they were able to change policy in just little ways," said Ben She, of 5th Square.At this time, SEPTA has no plans to implement such a measure or to apply the free transfer on Regional Rail, Sauer said."Honestly, I think that we're open to almost any idea to be considered," he said. "At this juncture, we're trying to be very thoughtful and consider all of our options. Nothing that anyone puts forward is just summarily dismissed."Regional Rail is pricier because it's labor heavy, said Vukan R. Vuchic, professor emeritus of transportation engineering and city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania. Crews, consisting of at least one engineer and one conductor, are needed for the time-consuming tasks of checking fares and manning trapdoors that allow riders to board at low platform stations, preventing it from running more quickly.Those are two problems SEPTA will need to tackle before it can attract riders outside the Center City commuter crowds, said Vuchic, who has penned several reports on SEPTA Regional Rail.Regional Rail ridership "will certainly recover somewhat as [the coronavirus] goes over," Vuchic said. "But it's a big difference  are you just trying to get closer to what used to be, or are you going to make great efforts and use this to review the entire system with a goal of getting more riders?"Just as it's important to reimagine Regional Rail from its daily commuter role, it's important to reimagine who's making decisions behind the scenes, said Mimi Sheller, professor of sociology at Drexel University and director of its Center for Mobilities Research and Policy.The future of Regional Rail is dependent upon becoming more equitable but also on the democratization of transportation planning."To be frank, the history behind the separation of our Regional Rail system from the rest of the public transit system is one that is grounded in racism," Sheller said. "It's grounded in Philadelphia's history of transportation inequity and segregation, and we really need to work to overcome that."
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 20:32:34|Editor: huaxia

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HARARE, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19-induced restrictions that have been imposed by countries around the world are constraining grain imports in Zimbabwe, the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe Chairman Tafadzwa Musarara said Tuesday.

Many countries around the globe have imposed various restrictions to curb the spread of the pandemic, some of which include national lockdowns, travel restrictions and border closures.

"Primarily, this is affecting our grain importation. For instance, the Botswana government's tough restrictions have made it impossible to transit maize via Botswana. This has consequently resulted in congestion at Beitbridge and slowing down of grain imports," Musarara was quoted as saying by the Herald newspaper.

He said a 6 pm to 6 am curfew in Zimbabwe had also slowed down the movement of grain deliveries countrywide.

Due to successive droughts in recent years, Zimbabwe has been forced to import maize and wheat to plug the deficit.

However, Musarara said with the imminent bumper maize crop expected this year, the country is anticipated to stop maize imports once harvesting starts around April.

Zimbabwe requires 1.8 million tonnes of maize for both human and livestock consumption annually and is this year expecting to harvest 2.8 million tonnes, up from 1.1 million tonnes produced last year. Enditem
Brussels, Jan 26 : Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, stated on Monday that AstraZeneca's new schedule in which the company's supply of Covid-19 vaccine would fall short of expectation was unacceptable to the European Union (EU).

"Last Friday, the company AstraZeneca surprisingly informed the Commission and the European Union Member States that it intends to supply considerably fewer doses in the coming weeks than agreed and announced," she said in a video statement.

"This new schedule is not acceptable to the European Union," she stressed.

The commissioner wrote a letter to the company over the weekend following the announcement on Friday that it would reduce the initial supply, the Xinhua news agency reported.

AstraZeneca's latest announcement added to the concern over delay in vaccines supply in the EU caused by a similar warning by Pfizer due to production updates.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen insisted, during her phone call with AstraZeneca Chief Executive Pascal Soriot on Monday morning that the company had to deliver on its contractual arrangements.

"She reminded Mr Soriot that the EU has invested significant amounts in the company upfront precisely to ensure production is ramped up even before the conditional market authorisation is delivered by the European Medicines Agency (EMA)," commission spokesman Eric Mamer told a daily briefing.

European Council President Charles Michel told a Europe 1 television programme on Sunday that the bloc intended to ensure that the contracts signed by the pharmaceutical industry are respected and legal actions at the EU's disposal could be used.

Also on Monday, Kyriakides announced that the commission proposed to the 27 member states that an export transparency mechanism would be put in place as soon as possible.

"The European Union has supported the rapid development and production of several vaccines against Covid-19 with a total of 2.7 billion euro... in the future, all companies producing vaccines against Covid-19 in the EU will have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries," she said.

Assuring that humanitarian deliveries would not be affected, the commissioner underlined that the EU "will take any action required to protect its citizens and rights." Kyriakides confirmed that AstraZeneca's vaccine could possibly be given a conditional marketing recommendation by the European Medicines Agency by the end of this week.

The EU has granted conditional marketing authorisation for two vaccines, one developed by BioNTech and Pfizer, the other by Moderna. Von der Leyen has said her commission has secured a total of 760 million doses of the two vaccines, enough to vaccinate 380 million people, or 80 per cent of the EU population.

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

Meanwhile, 237 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 64 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the US, according to information released by the World Health Organization on January 22.
Today

Partly cloudy skies. Gusty winds during the evening. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 45F. WNW winds at 25 to 40 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Gusty winds during the evening. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 45F. WNW winds at 25 to 40 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High around 65F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
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Nearly two years after Lindsie Chrisley accused her father, Todd Chrisley, of attempted extortion, the estranged duo are still on the outs.

Read article

We dont have any correspondence with her, Julie Chrisley exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, January 25, while promoting her partnership with Nutrisystem. I wish her well, and, you know, thats it.

Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock; Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Lindsies falling out with Todd, 51, and her stepbrother Chase Chrisley made headlines in August 2019 after she claimed in a police report that they were going to release [a] sex tape involving her. The Chrisley Knows Best patriarch subsequently accused Lindsie, 31, of having affairs with The Bachelorette alums Robby Hayes and Josh Murray during her marriage to Will Campbell.

Todd and Chase, 24, denied any wrongdoing at the time, while Lindsies attorney said that Lindsie has been a constant target of lies, harassment and threats from her family. In the midst of the drama, the real estate tycoon accused his eldest child of leaking information about his finances to an investigator, which he said led to his and Julies tax evasion case. (The couple were cleared of Georgia state-level charges in October 2019 but still face federal charges. They have pleaded not guilty.)

Read article

Lindsie said on Teen Mom 2 star Kailyn Lowrys Coffee Convos podcast in October 2019 that she was not going to talk about her family publicly anymore. She did, however, make a rare comment about her dad the following April after he tested positive for COVID-19 and ended up in the hospital.

After slamming the disgusting social media trolls who celebrated Todds diagnosis, Lindsie said in an exclusive statement to Us, I dont want anything bad to happen to my father. Her attorney, meanwhile, told Us at the time, Lindsie was very saddened to hear that her father was diagnosed with COVID. She does not feel happy he has the virus.

Read article

Despite the Chrisley familys ups and downs, Todd and Julie, 48, have managed to stay positive as they look toward the future. (The spouses of nearly 25 years are the parents of Chase, Savannah Chrisley and Grayson Chrisley, while Todd shares Lindsie and Kyle Chrisley with his ex-wife, Teresa Terry.)

Broadimage/Shutterstock

The fact that were still friends, that we still like to be together, that we still like to do things together, I do believe thats the key, Julie told Us on Monday of the secret behind her successful marriage. Take that time  whether you really need to or not  to just recharge, regroup and just kind of focus on that.

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
The outlook for sheep farmers this year remains positive despite prices in the factories and the marts easing back slightly over the past week.

Seamus McMenamin of Bord Bia maintained that prices in 2021 will be helped by a combination of lower sheep output across the EU, reduced imports from New Zealand, and the difficulties faced by British farmers in getting product into France and other European markets.

Last week prices in the marts fell by 4-8/hd amid suggestions that agreement had been reached between the British and French governments to ameliorate the barriers to trade which have arisen post-Brexit.

Factory quotes have also been pulled by 20c/kg in recent days, with most export plants working off a base of 5.80-6.00/kg, but paying up to 6.20-6.30/kg.

Mr McMenamin said tight supplies in Ireland and the EU, combined with Britains effective exclusion from the French market, should underpin prices this year.

In 2020 the total kill in sheep factories came to 2.9 million. However, Mr McMenamin pointed out that the 53-week kill last year, and a drop in the carry-over of hoggets by around 90,000 head, was being reflected in tighter supplies at the moment.

This has been exacerbated by a significant drop in imports from Northern Ireland, which fell by close to 20,000 head to 308,000 in 2020.

Mr McMenamin predicted that supplies would remain fairly tight this year, despite a larger lamb flock being forecast this spring and summer.

He said EU numbers are forecast to fall by 1pc this year, on top of a 3pc reduction in 2020. In addition, imports are predicted to drop by 3pc in 2021, following on from a 4pc fall last year.

The reduced level of imports is a function of increased demand for meat in China over the last three years as a result of the African Swine Flu (ASF) outbreak which resulted in 45pc of the countrys sow herd being culled.

China is now taking around half of New Zealands total sheep-meat exports, and this trade is forecast to hold fairly steady in 2021, despite an expectation that Chinese pork production will recover to 80pc of pre-ASF levels.
Updating its for three South Asian countries, the US has urged its citizens to reconsider their travel to and and not to visit Afghanistan.

The state department issued separate travel advisories for the three countries on Monday.

Reconsider travel to due to COVID-19, terrorism and sectarian violence, it said. It also asked its citizens not to travel to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces due to terrorism and kidnapping.

The advisory also warned Americans against travelling to "the immediate vicinity of the Line of Control due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict".

Do not travel to the India- border. Militant groups are known to operate in the area. India and Pakistan maintain a strong military presence on both sides of the border. Indian and Pakistani military forces periodically exchange gunfire and artillery fire across the Line of Control (LoC), it said.

Urging its citizens to reconsider travel to due to COVID-19, the state department asked them to "exercise increased caution" in the country due to crime, terrorism and kidnapping.

"Travel is dangerous to Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban hill tracts districts (collectively known as the Chittagong Hill Tracts) due to occasional communal violence and other security risks," it said in an advisory.

In another advisory, the state department asked Americans not to travel to Afghanistan due to COVID-19, crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and armed conflict.

"Travel to all areas of Afghanistan is unsafe because of critical levels of kidnappings, hostage taking, suicide bombings, widespread military combat operations, landmines and terrorist and insurgent attacks, including attacks using vehicle-borne, magnetic, or other improvised explosive devices (IEDs), suicide vests and grenades," it said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As thousands of farmers began marching towards Delhi borders to participate in the tractor rally on Republic Day, many agricultural organisations took to the streets to hold similar parades at state and district headquarters across the country.

ANI

Karnataka

Thousands of farmers from various parts of Karnataka reached Bengaluru by tractors and other vehicles as part of the Jana Ganarajyotsava Parade. The farmers are currently driving the tractor rally towards Freedom Park in Central Bengaluru. The tractor rally entered into the city from Mysuru road, Tumkur road and Devanahalli into the city by afternoon.

 Arun Dev (@ArunDev1) January 26, 2021

The farmers, led by Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Samyukta Horata, an umbrella organisation of farmers and trade unions and Communist parties will converge at Freedom Park. The rally is being held in solidarity with the farmers protesting against the farm laws in New Delhi.

ANI

Notably, the Bengaluru police permitted only 10 tractors to be part of the rally which is on the way towards Freedom Park. Earlier, Bengaluru Police Commissioner had said that no farmer organisation had come forward to take permission for the tractor parade in the city.





Bengaluru police commissioner Kamal Pant on Monday evening said, "If farmers come in cars, buses and jeeps, there is no problem. Whatever permissions we have been giving for rallies will be given. There is no permission to do any tractor rally inside the city".

So far, the rally by farmers across Karnataka has been peaceful. Farmers entered into the city by Tumakuru road, Mysuru road, Devanahalli and Hebbal road. All these rallies will converge at Freedom Park in Central Bengaluru on Tuesday evening.

 Amarpreet Singh (@amarpreet_ka) January 26, 2021





Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, farmers and labour unions took part in the Republic Day tractor rally in various districts across the state. Tractors, bullock carts and two-wheelers or whatever vehicle we get, we will carry out a parade, AIKSCC state coordinator K Balakrishanan had said on Monday.

 Smitha T K (@smitha_tk) January 26, 2021





Farmers and workers from several labour unions of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies, including the Left parties, participated in tractor rallies across various districts in Tamil Nadu. The state police had a different approach in different districts and varying degrees of what was allowed for the rally. While the rallies ended peacefully by afternoon in a few districts, there was a tussle between police and farmers in the delta districts.

Ctsy: CPIM

In Thanjavur and Nagapattinam districts, there was heavy police deployment, and a scuffle broke out between the police and the farmers who started the rally with bullock carts, tractors, jeeps and two-wheelers. In Thanjavur, the farmers removed barricades and ropes to continue their rally and ended it by afternoon.







Hundreds of tractors participated in Nagapattinam district and were stopped. In Cuddalore, no tractor was allowed to enter the city, while in Virudhunagar, one tractor was allowed and hundreds of farmers joined on their two-wheelers. Police said that the rallies went on peacefully in these two places.



Maharashtra

More than 50,000 farmers from various regions of Maharashtra marched towards the Raj Bhavan and submitted its charter of demands to Governor Bhagat Singh Kosyari on January 25, Monday.

 Zeba Warsi (@Zebaism) January 24, 2021





To support the ongoing protest in Delhi against farm laws, vehicle rallies are being carried out in several states. In Maharashtra, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) had started its march for Mumbai. From Nashik alone, 20,000 farmers had joined the march and we are expecting 50,000 farmers will reach in Mumbai on January 25 from other parts of the state. Then, we will march towards Raj Bhavan and hand over a charter of demands to the governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, said Ashok Dhawale, president of AIKS had said on Sunday.



 Maharashtra Congress (@INCMaharashtra) January 24, 2021





Uttar Pradesh

From villages in western Uttar Pradesh, thousands of tractors had already left for Delhi on January 25, farm leaders said, even as the state police tried to persuade them not to participate in the rally.

ANI

We have evolved a formula of 1 village, 1 tractor, 11 persons from a village to support the movement, Bharatiya Kisan Union youth wing state president Digamber Singh said. Chaudhary Diwakar Singh, national vice president of BKU (Bhanu), added they have aimed for 5,00,000 tractors to participate in parade. At some places, police issued prohibitory orders to prevent any violence on Republic Day.

 Malik Ali Raza (@AnchorMalik1) January 26, 2021

Inspector general of police of Meerut range Praveen Kumar, who has been camping in Ghaziabad since the beginning of the agitation, met farmer leaders and denied that police were preventing them from reaching Delhi. The statement came after media reports said farmers were being denied the purchase of diesel at some places in Uttar Pradesh; police said there were no such orders in place.

 Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) January 26, 2021

Hundreds of members of the Gulabi Gang , a women empowerment organisation based in the states Bundelkhand region also took out a march in support of the farmer protests.

PTI

Uttarakhand

Close to 1,500 tractors with farmers from Uttarakhand reached Delhi for the protest parade today. Many reached Haridwar and Uddam Singh Nagar districts. Farmer leader Vikas Chaudhary said from all the blocks of Haridwar district, farmers on tractors gathered at Narsain on Monday and then left for Delhi in groups.


(@FahadShabbir)

Greek police on Tuesday announced a ban on large gatherings for a week for public health reasons, ahead of expected protests on a number of issues

Athens, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2021 ) :Greek police on Tuesday announced a ban on large gatherings for a week for public health reasons, ahead of expected protests on a number of issues.

"All public gatherings of over 100 people (are restricted) until February 1," the police said in a statement.

Student groups have been demonstrating for weeks against plans to introduce a special police force to guard universities.

Another protest on the issue is to be held on Thursday.

A protest has also been called Friday in support of the jailed top assassin of far-left extremist group November 17, Dimitris Koufontinas, who went on hunger strike earlier this month to demand a prison transfer.

Anarchist groups are also scheduled to protest at the Athens city hall Monday against an urban redevelopment plan.

The police said large protests posed a "danger of further boosting the spread of the coronavirus." In a follow-up statement, the police denied the ban was linked to the planned protests.

Greece remains under a national lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, with movement restricted between regions and people required to give a valid reason for leaving their homes.

The ban was eased on January 18 to allow retail outlets to operate, and secondary schools are to reopen on Monday.

More than 5,600 deaths in Greece have been attributed to coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. Over 280 people are in intensive care.
SoftBank Corp, Japan's third-largest telco, said on Tuesday Chief Technology Officer Junichi Miyakawa would become its chief executive officer, effective April 1. The change at the top of one of SoftBank Group Corp's largest assets comes after two years of deliberation, with the telco emphasising the need to pass on the strengths of its current management system to future generations. The rotation is likely to lead to speculation over SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Sons own succession plans. The 63-year-old billionaire abandoned a previous plan to hand over the ...
Farmers attack police at Red Fort, try to reclaim monument again

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: The farmers have tried to storm the Red Fort once again after the police managed to clear them. While the tractors were cleared, the farmers on foot are still inside.

Farmers enter Red Fort, hoist a flag | Tractor rampage at ITO | Oneindia News

The farmers turned violent at the Red Fort. While some police ran from the Red Fort others were thrashed. Vehicles too were vandalised. In some areas, the clashes turned worse as the protesters tried to pelt stones at the police. Some of the farmers were seen driving the tractors towards the police in a bid to intimidate them.

Farmers protest: Normal service resumed on grey line, says Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

Meanwhile, Yogendra Yadav appealed to the farmers to not pay heed to the rumours. He also urged protesters to return to their designated routes. "I appeal on behalf of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha to all farmers not to pay attention to rumours, also appeal to them to return to their designated routes. Please don't do any thing that tarnishes the farmers' movement," he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs temporarily suspended the internet at Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri borders, Mukrama Chowk and Nangloi between 12.00 hours today until 23.59 hours, January 26.

The order was passed under the Public Emergency or Public Safety Rules, 2017. The MHA said that the order was passed in the interest of maintaining public safety and averting public emergency.

Earlier, a farmer part of the tractor rally died after a tractor overturned during the parade. The farmers claimed that he had been shot.

The farmers protesting against the agriculture law enacted by the government took out a tractor rally today. However within a short span of time, the parade took a violent turn as the protesters broke the police barricades which led to the police firing tear gas shells.
Independent analyst research firm recognizes Intelex for transformative connected EHSQ ecosystem approach and core EHS and Quality Management application strengths

TORONTO, CANADA, Jan. 26, 2021,?a leading global provider of SaaS-based Environmental, Health, Safety and Quality (EHSQ) management software, today announced it has been classified a Leader by independent analyst firm, Verdantix, in its 2021 Green Quadrant for EHS Software for a fourth consecutive time.

Since first participating in the Green Quadrant EHS Software Report in 2015, Intelex has consistently maintained a strong foothold in the Leaders quadrant. In the 2021 benchmark report, Verdantix recognizes Intelex for its differentiation in expanding from EHSQ software to deliver connected digital ecosystem solutions, highlighting the company's "transformative approach to centralize asset, equipment, and workforce information for real-time data analysis and safety culture improvement". The report further advises that Intelex should be shortlisted by enterprise and mid-market organizations seeking a robust and reliable EHSQ software platform solution, as well as those organizations looking to strengthen IoT integrations and real-time risk analytics.

"Our analysis finds that the EHS software market has undergone significant transformation due to acquisition-led growth with more than 40 transactions taking place in the last two years." stated Yaowen Ma, Principal Analyst, Verdantix. "As a result, EHS software buyers face a significantly altered and expansive landscape of options from vendors with a larger geographic footprint and stronger product offerings."

Organizations around the world are going through a time of unprecedented need for worker safety and real-time risk management. EHS professionals are departing from a reactive workplace incident reporting approach to a preventative one. Pandemic response, business continuity, increased worker health and safety complexities, and operational efficiency priorities are driving the demand for a connected, holistic view of real-time risk. As evidenced in the Verdantix Global Corporate Survey 2020: EHS Budgets, Priorities & Tech Preferences, 44% of global EHS leaders report that digitization is a high priority for their organizations, and an additional 36% report that COVID-19 has accelerated digitization efforts. This EHS evolution requires a broad ecosystem of turnkey integrations that assesses data with an advanced analytics engine to deliver real-time risk and prescriptive insights.

"EHS professionals and the businesses they support are facing a perfect storm of challenges that are forcing EHS programs to evolve faster than ever before," said Justin McElhattan, president of Intelex. "We are honoured by Verdantix's continued recognition of Intelex's ability to help customers reimagine what's possible through the connected, digital interplay of EHSQ technology and ecosystems."

The 2021 EHS software benchmark recognizes Intelex for its strengths in key EHS competencies such as safety, incident management, audits, inspection management, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and sustainability reporting, as well as document control and management of change capabilities. These strengths are well aligned to serve the highest long-term priorities for global EHS leaders, as well as the majority of the ten highest ranking areas of investment in 2021, as reported in the Verdantix global EHS leaders survey.

To reserve a complimentary copy of the report, visit the Intelex website.

Additional Resources:?

Complimentary Green Quadrant for EHS Software Report

Verdantix Report:? Intelex Taps? Into ? Fortive to Help EHS Clients Navigate the Emerging IoT Landscape ?

Insight Report:? IIoT and the Continuing Evolution of Safety Management Systems ?

# # #?

About Intelex Technologies,?ULC??

Intelex Technologies, ULC is a global leader in environmental, health, safety and quality (EHSQ) management software. Since 1992, Intelex employees across the globe have been committed to innovating and enabling organizations to send their employees home safely every day, leaving behind a more sustainable world to the generations that follow, and manage quality so that only the safest and highest quality products make it to market. Intelex's scalable, web-based platform and applications have helped clients across all industries improve business performance, mitigate organization-wide risk, and ensure sustained compliance with internationally accepted standards (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and OSHAS 18001) and regulatory requirements. Almost 1,400 customers in 195 countries trust Intelex to power their EHSQ initiatives. Headquartered in Toronto with regional offices and employees around the world, Intelex became an Industrial Scientific company in 2019. For more information about Intelex,?visit?www.intelex.com.?

Attachment
ROCHESTER, Minn. - With the pandemic, we all may be drinking a beer from home instead of at a local brewery or restaurant.

To add to challenges businesses are facing, breweries are seeing an aluminum can shortage in the 12 and 16 ounce size.

The need for cans continues to grow, especially with the rise in popularity of alcoholic seltzers and flavored sparkling water.

Many drinks are switching from plastic to cans to help the environment.

The 12 and 16 ounce aluminum can shortage does not impact breweries in Minnesota.

Breweries cannot sell beer in those two can sizes, according to Minnesota state law.

They can only sell beer in growlers and 750 milliliter cans.

The co-founder of Forager Brewery says, typically, there are only about two shipments of the 750 milliliter cans and this year it may only be one.

"Fortunately, we've been able to have enough for our off sale currently, but I'm not sure when the next run of those is. Now we have a couple pallets left, but after that, it's kind of one of those situations of hopefully we have a vessel size that we are legally allowed to see in," says Austin Jevne.

Jevne says the brewery is hoping the ability to be open at 50% capacity will ease the stress caused by lack of cans.

Forager Brewery is open and orders are still availalbe for a 750 milliliter can to go.
      

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CHICOPEE  Elms College will hold its fourth annual Black Experience Summit in celebration of Black History Month on Friday, Feb. 26.

The event, which runs from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., is hosted by the Elms College Presidents Office and the Office of Diversity and Engagement.

Due to COVID-19 protocols, this event will be held virtually via Zoom. The free event, sponsored by the college in Chicopee, is open to the public. Online priority registration will continue through February 19.

Visit elms.edu/summit to register and Zoom contact information will be sent to all attendees prior to the summit.

The Black Experience Summit will bring national experts in student affairs leadership and social justice advocates to Elms College for an important dialogue on the educational, cultural, economic, spiritual, and social justice aspects of the Black experience, said Antoinette Bonnie Candia-Bailey, vice president of student affairs and chief diversity officer at Elms College.

Highlights of the event will be the keynote speech by Gretchen Givens Generett, interim dean and professor in the School of Education at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa., and a panel discussion regarding the Intersectionality of Blackness in Higher Education.

Concluding the summit will be a Call to Action, through which participants will actively engage in discussing how they can all contribute to a better tomorrow.

The theme to this years Black Experience Summit is Underscoring Resilience: A Call to Action and we welcome everyone interested in furthering their understanding of the trials, triumphs, and ongoing challenges of African-Americans to attend, said Harry E. Dumay, president of Elms College.

Panelists for a discussion on the Intersectionality of Blackness in Higher Education include Kellie Dixon, director of student affairs assessment and staff development at North Carolina A&T State University; Brent Lewis, associate vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at James Madison University; and Chazz Robinson.

The Call to Action panelists are Bailey, as well as Keyshawn Dodds, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club Family Center in Springfield; and Sister Melinda Adrienne Pellerin, whose achievements and work as an inner-city educator were highlighted in a speech by the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on the Senate floor in 2006 when she was named the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year.

Pellerin is a pastoral minister at Holy Name Parish in Springfield, and a chaplain at the Western Massachusetts Regional Womens Correctional Center in Chicopee.
Sunrise host Sam Armytage has addressed speculation her co-anchor David 'Kochie' Koch was almost replaced by Basil Zempilas a few years ago.

The journalist, 44, confirmed on The Kyle and Jackie O Show there had been a tentative 'succession plan' in place, but it never materialised.

'There were rumours that Basil was going to take over Kochie's spot, is that true?' radio host Kyle Sandilands asked.

Next in line? Sunrise host Sam Armytage (right) has addressed speculation her co-anchor David 'Kochie' Koch was almost replaced by Basil Zempilas (left) a few years ago

'Well, no,' Sam replied. 'I think years ago they brought Basil in to see what a succession plan might look like.'

She added: 'But then he went back to Perth and now he's the Mayor of Perth!'

Last week, Basil revealed he was quietly convinced for a time that he was next in line to take over from Kochie as Sunrise co-anchor.

Close, but no cigar: Sam (left, with David Koch) confirmed on The Kyle and Jackie O Show there had been a tentative 'succession plan' in place, but it never materialised

But his hopes were dashed when Channel Seven bosses made it clear they were sticking with Kochie, who signed a new two-year deal in July.

Basil, 49, who quit Weekend Sunrise in 2019 for family reasons, assumed the network had big plans for him because of the travel required for his job.

For two years, he commuted from Perth to Sydney every weekend to host the show.

Successor: Last week, former Weekend Sunrise host Basil Zempilas (right, with Monique Wright) revealed he was quietly convinced for a time that he was next in line to take over from Kochie as Sunrise co-anchor

'Look, I suppose if you're living in Perth and they ring you up out of the blue and say, "Can you fly to Sydney every weekend and host Weekend Sunrise and we'll see how it goes"  I guess there was a sense of expectation that if they didn't have a role for me, they wouldn't be flying a bloke from Perth every weekend,' he said on Triple M.

But it seems no plans were forthcoming, as Kochie signed a two-year contract extension in 2018, which was renewed in July 2020.

Basil said he 'wasn't annoyed' at Kochie, but he did think Seven had dangled a carrot when there was no job opportunity available.

Not going anywhere: Sadly, Basil's hopes were dashed when network bosses made it clear they were sticking with Kochie (pictured), who signed a new two-year deal in July

'Did I think maybe there was an opportunity there and maybe was that the direction I was heading? Yeah, I probably did,' he said.

Fortunately, Basil has other duties keeping him busy: he hosts 92.9 Triple M's breakfast show in addition to being the Lord Mayor of Perth.

While Kochie did renew his deal with Seven six months ago, it's believed he didn't get a pay rise because of the Covid-19 recession.

He's said to be earning $800,000 a year to host breakfast show Sunrise.
Herreid Legion to remember 400 Campbell County area veterans Monday

The Herreid American Legion and the Sons of the American Legion work together to recognize veterans on Memorial Day.
JERUSALEM  Israel, which leads the world in vaccinating its population against the coronavirus, has produced some encouraging news: Early results show a significant drop in infection after just one shot of a two-dose vaccine, and better than expected results after both doses.

Public health experts caution that the data, based on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, is preliminary and has not been subjected to clinical trials. Even so, Dr. Anat Ekka Zohar, vice president of Maccabi Health Services, one of the Israeli health maintenance organizations that released the data, called it very encouraging.

In the first early report, Clalit, Israels largest health fund, compared 200,000 people aged 60 or over who received a first dose of the vaccine to a matched group of 200,000 who had not been vaccinated yet. It said that 14 to 18 days after their shots, the partially vaccinated patients were 33 percent less likely to be infected.

At about the same time, Maccabis research arm said it had found an even larger drop in infections after just one dose: a decrease of about 60 percent, 13 to 21 days after the first shot, in the first 430,000 people to receive it.
Covid-19 has infected six more people in Longford, reported on the day that the national death toll passed 3,000.

Also read: Longford Circuit Court sitting scheduled for tomorrow to be pushed back due to positive Covid-19 case

There were 90 more deaths notified to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre this Tuesday, January 26.

89* of the deaths occurred this month. The median age of those who died is 83 years and the age range is 48-99 years. There has now been a total of 3,066** COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.

Longford's 14-day incidence rate is unchanged from yesterday and is 384.1 per 100,000 population with 157 new cases in the county over the past 14 days.

Also read: Level 5 lockdown extension agreed by Government with stricter rules on travel

However, the county now has the fourth lowest incidence rate in the country, with Kerry, Roscommon and Leitrim having a lower rate.

The five day moving average to January 25 is 12 cases per day in Longford.

EXPLAINER: What are the Covid-19 restrictions for people travelling to Ireland?

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Longford since the pandemic began is 1,279 (1,273 as at Sunday, January 24 plus the 6 announced today by NPHET).

National

As of midnight, Monday 25th January, the HPSC has been notified of 928 more confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 189,851 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

Shockingly, there have already been more new cases this January in Ireland than in the whole of 2020, highlighted by Dr Tony Holohan, the HSE's Chief Medical Officer.

Also read: Gardai issue 14 fines to 'boy racers' in Longford who flouted Covid-19 regulations at the weekend

Today we are reporting a further 90 deaths, bringing our cumulative total of lives lost to COVID-19 to more than 3,000 in Ireland. This highly infectious disease is having a severe impact on the most vulnerable in our society and we must continue the good work we are doing to suppress it.

The decline in daily incidence of COVID-19 has begun, however the volume of disease in our communities remains very high. To date we have reported 96,000 cases in January 2021, which has already passed the total of 93,500 cases reported in 2020. Indeed, public health doctors in the Midlands reported a total of 4,000 cases in the first 8 months of 2020 and another 4,000 cases in the first four weeks of 2021.

Through our enhanced public health surveillance programme, we have identified 6 additional cases linked to the Southern African variant of concern. All cases are being followed up by public health teams in line with the latest ECDC guidance published on the 21st January.

The downturn in incidence has been achieved through the determination of people across the country to stay at home, to work from home and to avoid meeting and socialising with others. It is imperative that everyone continues to strictly adhere to the public health advice to protect ourselves and our loved ones from this highly-infectious disease.

The national 14 day incidence has fallen further to 721.1 per 100,000 population but there have been 34,336 new cases in the past two weeks. The seven-day incidence is 273.8 nationally while the five day national average for new case numbers has dropped by about 400 today to 1,591.

As of 2pm today, 1,750 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 216 are in ICU. there were 65 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.



The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.
"We are thrilled to have Gurmeet on our Board, and we believe his digital expertise will bolster our path to increased accessibility and convenience for our guests," said Jim Holthouser, CEO of Focus Brands. "Our digital growth will be critical as we expand our global footprint, and Gurmeet will be an incredible thought partner and leader as we navigate the digital road ahead for our brands."

As a digital transformation expert, Singh has established and led various key transformation functions across digital products management, technology, user experience, data science and digital marketing. He currently serves as group chief digital officer for conglomerate Al-Futtaim Group, where he leads technology, digital, data and AI, innovation and group marketing. He previously served as a senior advisor for Boston Consulting Group and in various leadership roles for 7-Eleven, including EVP, chief digital, information and marketing officer and member of the executive committee. Additional credentials include Capital One, Intuit and FedEx.

Singh holds a Ph.D. from Rice University in engineering and bachelor's in engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He is the recipient of several accolades including 2019 Retail Tech Innovator award, 2019 Stevie International Business award (Vienna) for Innovator of the Year, and Restaurant Business Magazine 2019 Tech Accelerator award. CSP Magazine recognized Singh as 'The Digital Gardner' on their 'Power 20 Change Makers 2018' list. He was also recognized by Constellation in the elite list of Top 150 global executives driving business transformation through digital. Singh is also a sought-after speaker on digital business transformation.

About Focus Brands

Atlanta-based Focus Brands is a leading developer of global multi-channel foodservice brands. FOCUS Brands, through its affiliate brands, is the franchisor and operator of more than 6,000 restaurants, cafes, ice cream shoppes, and bakeries in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and over 50 foreign countries under the brand names Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, Moe's Southwest Grill, McAlister's Deli, and Schlotzsky's, as well as Seattle's Best Coffee on certain military bases and in certain international markets. Please visit www.focusbrands.com to learn more.

Contact:

Angie Champsaur

Director of Corporate Communications, FOCUS Brands

[email protected]

SOURCE FOCUS Brands

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A private company has revealed what it says will be the first commercial crew to fly to the International Space Station.

Axiom Space will launch the mission that it hopes will be the first ever time a private flight has headed into low-Earth orbit.

The team are each paying $55 million for their ticket, according to the Washington Post.

They will fly there no earlier than January 2022 on SpaceXs Crew Dragon spacecraft, it said. When they arrive, they will spend around eight days working on research and philanthropic projects, Axiom Space said.

The flight will be the precursor to full private astronaut missions which Axiom Space hopes to offer to those rich enough to buy tickets in the future. It hopes to offer up to two flights a year to the International Space Station, it said.

As well as offering flights to the ISS, Axiom Space will gradually build its own space station, too. Last year, Nasa said it had chosen the company to start building a private hotel for the International Space Station, and those parts will be attached as early as 2024; when the ISS is retired, they will be detached to make what Axiom Space says will be the world's first free-flying, privately developed, internationally available space station.

The first mission, named Axiom Mission 1 or Ax-1, will be led by Michael Lopez-Alegria. He has served as both a Nasa astronaut  flying to space four times in his career  as well as a vice president of Axiom Space.

The remaining three members of the team are private investors. They will be made up of American Larry Connor, who will be the first private mission pilot ever to go to space; Canadian Mark Pathy; and Israeli Eytan Stibbe, who will be the countrys second astronaut.

They will train together  along with backup commander Peggy Whitson, who flew with Nasa, and backup pilot John Shoffner  through a training programme developed by Axiom.
LONDON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Finastra, one of the world's largest fintechs, announced a partnership with HCL Technologies, a leading global technology company, to provide treasury management technology in the cloud to smaller banks across Northern Europe, North America, India and the Philippines. The partnership brings to market a new Digital Treasury as a Service offering, which enables banks to manage their treasury operations more efficiently and effectively.

"Market dynamics, increased regulation and competitive pressure to scale mean that the treasury market is ripe for transformation," said Denise Parker, SVP, Partners and Ecosystem at Finastra. "Our strategic partnership with HCL lets us use our combined market reach, agility and scale, to help banks transform and grow their operations in a sustainable and cost-effective way. Banks using the solution can realize significant efficiency gains, manage risk more effectively, react more quickly to market demands and take advantage of future growth opportunities."

Powered by Finastra's Fusion OPICS treasury software and hosted on Microsoft Azure, HCL's Digital Treasury as a Service is ideal for banks with a more focused target market. Fusion OPICS, used by over a hundred banks worldwide, provides cost-effective support for global treasury trading operations, compliance and risk management and enables banks to transform and automate core treasury operations. HCL's Digital Treasury as a Service will encapsulate its contemporary digital and cloud transformation services such as FENIX 2.0, CyberSecurity Fusion Center and ElasticOps for an evergreen, scalable and one-stop-shop treasury solution.

Historically, many banks have been reliant on manual processes for treasury management, which can be error prone and impede growth and agility. With Digital Treasury as a Service, banks will be able to tap into affordable technology that optimizes treasury operations and produces cost savings.

"As banks across the globe accelerate their cloud first strategy, the ability to adopt a secure and accessible Digital Treasury as a Service offering will be essential," said Rahul Singh, President of Financial Services at HCL Technologies. "The combination of HCL's next-generation cloud native services and Finastra's leading treasury software will deliver a seamless customer experience. Our Digital Treasury as a Service will also ensure that banks are future-proofed, improve their risk management and continue to enjoy the latest digital capabilities, as both the treasury application and the cloud technology that underpins it continue to evolve. HCL is proud to partner with Finastra and help banks to continue to grow."

For further information please contact:

CAROLINE DUFF

Global Head of PR

T +44 (0)7917 613586

E [email protected]

finastra.com

About Finastra

Finastra is building an open platform that accelerates collaboration and innovation in financial services, creating better experiences for people, businesses and communities. Supported by the broadest and deepest portfolio of financial services software, Finastra delivers this vitally important technology to financial institutions of all sizes across the globe, including 90 of the world's top 100 banks. Our open architecture approach brings together a number of partners and innovators. Together we are leading the way in which applications are written, deployed and consumed in financial services to evolve with the changing needs of customers. Learn more at finastra.com

About HCL Technologies

HCL Technologies (HCL) empowers global enterprises with technology for the next decade, today. HCL's Mode 1-2-3 strategy, based on its deep-domain industry expertise, client-centricity and entrepreneurial culture of Ideapreneurship, enables businesses to transform into next-gen enterprises.

HCL offers its services and products through three business units: IT and Business Services (ITBS), Engineering and R&D Services (ERS) and Products & Platforms (P&P). ITBS enables global enterprises to transform their businesses through offerings in the areas of applications, infrastructure, digital process operations and next generation digital transformation solutions. ERS offers engineering services and solutions in all aspects of product development and platform engineering. P&P provides modernized software products to global clients for their technology and industry specific requirements. Through its cutting-edge co-innovation labs, global delivery capabilities and broad global network, HCL delivers holistic services in various industry verticals, categorized as Financial Services, Manufacturing, Technology and Services, Telecom and Media, Retail and CPG, Life Sciences and Healthcare, and Public Services.

As a leading global technology company, HCL takes pride in its diversity, social responsibility, sustainability, and education initiatives. For the 12 months ended December 31, 2020 HCL had consolidated revenue of US$ 10.02 billion. Its 159,682 Ideapreneurs operate out of 50 countries.

For more information, visit www.hcltech.com

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SOURCE Finastra

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MetService is keeping a close eye on the numbers this week as temperatures tell the story.

Hot weather along the eastern seaboard is the talk of Tuesday, with parts of Canterbury forecast to climb to 36 degrees.

The forecast in Tauranga is expected to reach 31 degrees today, and 27 degrees tomorrow.

MetService meteorologist Tahlia Crabtree says the heat is due to the fohn effect.

Hot, gusty northwesterlies may approach gale at times during Tuesday and Wednesday across Canterbury, Otago, and Southland, where Strong Wind Watches are in place.

The hottest temperatures shift to Gisborne/Hawkes Bay on Wednesday.

Farther north Kerikeri is forecast a three day run of 30 degrees which is resemblent of this time last year when the mercury pushed 30+ six days running.

Humid conditions across the country dramatically flip from Thursday, plummeting temperatures back to mid-teens.

Christchurch may see as much as a 20 degree drop between Tuesday and Friday.

The northwesterlies are the precursor to a cold, southwest change," Tahlia says.

Most regions will briefly see some wet weather on Thursday or Friday as cold temperatures are ushered in for the end of the week.

Although the change will bring cool relief after a run of sticky nights, the single digit minimums might be enough for an extra blanket.

Lucky for the most, the weekend is shaping up for a settled, albeit cooler, end to January.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Suzanne Cunningham, a veterinary cardiologist and associate professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, loves boxer dogs, but they've been breaking her heart since she was a child.

As a breed, boxers are prone to a type of heart disease called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), which humans can get, too. It's a disease of little junctions between heart muscle cells called desmosomes. The desmosomes weaken, and the heart cells pull apart, leaving scar tissue. The disease can go undetected in people and dogs without symptoms, leading to abnormal heart rhythms, enlargement of the heart, and even death.

"This disease is so frustrating because sometimes the first clinical sign is sudden death," said veterinarian Luis Dos Santos, a cardiology resident who works with Cunningham. "The pet owner may not even know their dog had cardiac disease that was potentially lethal."

Cunningham was nine years old when she lost her first boxer suddenly to heart disease. She lost another beloved boxer, Tyler, to ARVC a few years ago. The desire to prevent such a loss from happening to others has inspired her to research ARVC.

"Tyler was the most amazing animal I've ever known. I know what people go through, and it just tears you apart," said Cunningham. "Anything that we can do to improve detection or treatment of the disease is really what we're after."

The standard screening for ARVC in boxers involves a combination of family history, data collected by a wearable 24-hour heart monitor, and an ultrasound of the heart called an echocardiogram. Most of the time, ARVC isn't detected until a boxer is 5 or 6 years old, which is after many dogs have already been bred. Screening with the standard methods may not reveal a problem until after the dog has been bred and passed on the disease to more dogs.

In 2018, a study published on ARVC in human patients offered a clue to further Cunningham's boxer research. Nearly all the ARVC patients in the study had a type of antibody called anti-DSG2, which patients without ARVC did not have. The study's senior author, Robert Hamilton, a pediatric cardiologist specializing in ARVC in Ontario, Canada, shared the results with Cunningham for consideration in her boxer research.

"In addition to Hamilton's initial study of human patients, they also looked at a small population of boxer dogs with the disease. They found that nearly all those dogs had this antibody, and the normal dogs they looked at did not," said Cunningham. "But that was a preliminary, observational study in boxers. Given the high incidence of ARVC in the breed, there's a lot of testing that goes into showing that a dog is 'normal' and does not have ARVC."

Wanting to dive deeper, Cunningham and Dos Santos launched a clinical trial with funding from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) to identify the potential biomarker in boxers, which, if successful, could possibly allow boxers to be screened earlier in lifewhich could help reduce the prevalence of the disease in the breed and allow for improved monitoring and treatment for individual pets.

The study by Cunningham and Dos Santos looks at a larger number of boxerstwenty dogs with ARVC and twenty normal dogsand they conduct all the necessary tests to make sure the dogs do not have evidence of ARVC, including the heart monitor, echocardiogram, and blood work. "Although the testing only shows whether there is evidence of the disease at that time, we enrolled dogs of the age where you would expect ARVC to start to rear its head, if they were going to have it. Our affected dogs have very concrete evidence of ARVC," Cunningham said.

Boxers that have ARVC are treated with medication, including drugs that treat abnormal heart rhythms. Many boxers will respond well to medical management, said Cunningham, but the condition can be more difficult to control in some pets, which may need multiple medications.

A Big Dog, and a Lasting Gift

One of those dogs was a boxer named Ajax. Ajax's owner, Kim Pallotta of Weston, Massachusetts, first brought Ajax to Cummings Veterinary Medical Center years ago because he was having trouble with his knees. But the surgeon who examined him heard an irregular heartbeat and called Cunningham over to take a look.

"Ajax was one of the largest, most majestic boxers I've seennot overweight, just big," said Cunningham. "He was walking around with ventricular tachycardiafrequent, premature heart beats at a very fast rhythm. It could have been life-threatening at any time, and he was totally asymptomatic for it."

Ajax also had an enlarged heart and needed lots of medical adjustments over the years after his diagnosis. Despite everyone's best efforts, Ajax still passed away suddenly in 2018.

"He broke my heart," said Pallotta. "But Dr. Cunningham held my hand through all of it, which was really wonderful. What struck me is that somebody who works with animals and deals with sad situations every day could still have so much compassion."

Pallotta wanted to do something to honor Ajax and help other boxer owners, so she established a fund in Ajax's memory. ARVC and other heart disease medications and treatments can be expensive, she noted, and some of the funds could be used to help owners who otherwise could not afford care.

"I felt like I was really lucky to stumble on somebody that was doing actual research, and they gave me those last few years with him. Ajax had a lot of fans, and this will help his memory live on," she said.

The funding also enabled Cunningham and Dos Santos to further their research and purchase new diagnostic software that enables them to use ultrasound to get a 3-D view of a dog's heart.

"We can gather different views from the heart in one single beat, then we can reconstruct the heart using a specific software," said Dos Santos. "With this, we have better views and measurements of cardiac size and function, and specifically the right ventricle, which is usually where the disease affects boxers."

"It's been rewarding in several different ways," Dos Santos said. From a diagnostic perspective, the imaging technology will further the cardiologists' understanding of how the right ventricle works in normal boxers and in those with ARVC. From a teaching perspective, he said, "students have access to an image that they would never see anywhere else."

Explore further Researchers find that the genetic underpinnings of a skin disorder at birth indicate future heart problems
However, Iraq angrily rejected the US allegation, blaming the US bombing last Tuesday of two Iraqi tankers for the disaster. According to some estimates, the amount of oil that has already flooded into the Gulf from various sources - storage tanks, tankers and a pipeline from an onshore oilfield - is 20 times greater than that which spilt from the Exxon Valdez when it ran aground off the Alaskan coast in March 1989. Analysts say the slick is well on the way to being the world's worst, exceeding Mexico's nine-month offshore well spill, capped in March 1980 after pouring out between 3.3 million and 10.2 million barrels. In London, the British Environment Secretary, Mr Michael Heseltine, said the slick was "easily the largest ever spilt and it is still being added to". A Saudi official said the spill may have reached eight million barrels and was growing.

Reuters quoted military sources in London as saying that the allies had proof that the Iraqis were deliberately pumping oil into the sea from Kuwait. US military spokesmen said Iraq may be flooding the Gulf with oil in an attempt to head off an anticipated allied amphibious assault against Kuwait. US Marines have been conducting exercises in preparation for an attack on Kuwait from the sea. The Iraqis may also be trying to sabotage allied ships in the Gulf. Oil-clogged waterways can disrupt cooling systems and water-treatment plants on warships. The US has sent environmental experts to advise the Saudis on how to clear up the oil. But US military officials said the slick would not impede any allied action to drive Iraq out of Kuwait. Loading
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed the charges of examination malpractices allegedly perpetrated in favour of Ademola Adeleke, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last governorship election in Osun State.

Mr Adeleke, who lost the September 22, 2018 election to the incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, was originally arraigned along with four other defendants on October 31, 2018.

But the trial judge, Inyang Ekwo, later struck Mr Adelekes name from the seven charges following a request by the prosecuting lawyer, Simon Lough, on May 29, 2020.

Delivering a ruling on the no-case submission filed by the rest of the four defendants on Tuesday, Mr Ekwo held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against them.

He ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the ingredients of the charges, adding that it woefully failed to discharge the burden of proof required in the case by not calling relevant witnesses.

The judge ruled, No witness was called from the National Examination Council (NECO) to testify throughout the trial.

To worsen the situation, no eyewitness was called from the school where the alleged malpractices were perpetrated.

The judge further held that there was no iota of evidence of conspiracy supplied to the court by the police to establish that the four defendants conspired to commit the alleged malpractices.

He added, In all the evidence of the five witnesses was so discredited during cross-examination and so manifestly unreliable to warrant the defendants to be called upon to enter their defence in the charges against them.

In conclusion, since the testimony of the prosecution is insufficient to warrant the defendants to open defence, I have no difficulty in upholding their no-case submission and discharge and acquit them from the charges.

The suit is hereby dismissed.

Charges

The police had, in 2018, arraigned Mr Adeleke along with Sikiru Adeleke (who is said to be the senators relative), Aregbesola Mufutau (the school principal), Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo (a school registrar) and Dare Samuel Olutope (a teacher) on a four count charge bordering on examination fraud.

The charges were later amended and scaled up to seven counts.

The school officials were also accused of fraudulently registering Mr Adeleke and Mr Sikiru Adeleke, as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, in Ojo-Aro in Osun State, for the National Examination Councils June/July 2017 Senior School Certificate Examination in February 2017.

They were also accused of impersonating as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School when you fraudulently registered as internal students of the school in the June/July, 2017 NECO, and having registered, conspired with unknown persons now at large to write the examination for them.

The prosecution also alleged that Messrs Ademola and Sikiru Adeleke were not only fraudulently registered but were also awarded them seven credits, one pass and five credits respectively, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 10(a) and punishable under section 3 of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap E15 LFN 2004.

The prosecution said the offences were said to be contrary to and punishable under the various provisions of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap E15 LFN 2004.

Adelekes name removed from charges

On May 29, 2020, the prosecution applied to the court to strike off the name of Mr Adeleke from the charges.

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Mr Lough said his decision to have Adelekes name removed from the charges was because of his continued absence from court.

Mr Adeleke stopped attending court after the courts ruling of May 6, 2019 permitting him to travel to the United States of America on health grounds.

He was ordered to return to the country by June 7, 2019, but never appeared in court again.

The court granted the request to remove Mr Adelekes name from the charges and the police subsequently re-arraigned the remaining four defendants on seven counts.

The police later closed their case after calling five witnesses.

The defendants then filed a no-case submission which was upheld by the court in its ruling on Tuesday.

(NAN)
Googles Threat Analysis Group has identified an ongoing campaign thats been targeting security researchers working on vulnerabilities over the past few months. The team says a government-backed entity based in North Korea is behind the attacks, which typically use social engineering to engage the victims. In a post detailing the campaign, TAGs Adam Weidemann explained that the bad actors would go to great lengths to gain the victims trust, mostly by posing as researchers themselves.

Theyd build their own research blogs and fill them with analysis of vulnerabilities that had been publicly disclosed to make themselves look legitimate. The bad actors also maintained Twitter accounts to post videos of their claimed exploits and to reach as many people as possible. In at least one instance, Google found one of the Twitter accounts defending a video the bad actors posted on YouTube containing an exploit that turned out to be fake.

Googles TAG team said the attackers contacted their intended victims, asking to collaborate on vulnerability research. Aside from Twitter, they also used LinkedIn, Telegram, Discord, Keybase and email to reach out to their targets, sending them a Microsoft Visual Studio Project with malware to gain entry to their systems. In some cases, victims computers were compromised after visiting a bad actors blog after following a link on Twitter. Both methods led to the installation of a backdoor on the victims computers that connected them to an attacker-controlled command and control server.

These actors have used multiple platforms to communicate with potential targets, including Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, Discord, Keybase and email. We are providing a list of known accounts and IOCs in the blog post.  Shane Huntley (@ShaneHuntley) January 26, 2021

The victims systems were compromised while running fully patched and up-to-date Windows 10 and Chrome browsers. Googles TAG Team has only seen the attackers targeting Windows systems, thus far, but it still cant confirm the mechanism of compromise and is encouraging researchers to submit Chrome vulnerabilities to its bug bounty program. The team has also listed all the actor-controlled websites and accounts it has identified as part of the campaign.

Olga Horak is 94 and a half.

She is specific about the half-year, because at her age, it matters, and all those years are a testament to her great achievement: survival.

Olga Horak, a 94-year-old Holocaust survivor. Credit:Steven Saphore

Mrs Horak is a Czechoslovakin-born Jewish Holocaust survivor, or as she puts it, a graduate of the Holocaust.

She was interned in five camps during World War II, including Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, from which she was liberated in 1945 at the age of 18. She lost her entire family in the camps, including her mother, most tragically, on the day of their liberation.

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LONDON  More than 100,000 people have died in the United Kingdom after contracting the coronavirus, a year into Europes deadliest outbreak, figures from the government showed Tuesday.

Britain is the fifth country in the world to record 100,000 virus-related deaths, after the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico, and by far the smallest. The U.S. has recorded more than 400,000 COVID-19 deaths, the worlds highest total, but its population of about 330 million is about five times Britains.

The U.K. toll is more than twice as many people as were killed by German bombs in Britain in the 1940-41 Blitz, and 30,000 more than the total number of British civilians killed during the six years of World War II.

The first confirmed British victim of the virus was Peter Attwood, an 84-year-old retiree who died on Jan. 30, 2020  though the cause was not recorded as COVID-19 until months later.

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................................................................

A year on, hundreds of thousands of Britons are grieving the loss of loved ones, and demanding an accounting for the terrible toll.

In part, Britain has suffered because of longstanding factors such as high levels of conditions including obesity and heart disease, a large gap between rich and poor and Londons status as a global crossroads.

But decisions during the pandemic also played a part. Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Conservative government is accused by many scientists of waiting too long to impose a lockdown in March as infections were rising exponentially. Leading epidemiologists say acting a week sooner might have cut the death toll in half.

As in other European countries, cases fell in the summer, then took off again. A more transmissible variant identified in southeast England helped push infections to new highs, and brought a new lockdown, even as a nationwide vaccination campaign began.

Johnson  who spent a week in the hospital with the virus in April  has promised that a public inquiry will examine Britains handling of the pandemic, though he has not said when it will start.

Of course we will learn lessons in due course and of course there will be a time to reflect and to prepare for the next pandemic, Johnson said last week.

The official count records people who died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus. The real toll, as in other places, is likely higher, in part due to a lack of testing early in the pandemic.

___

Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.

COVID-19 cases, deaths in US increase with higher income inequality

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- U.S. counties with higher income inequality faced higher rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths in the first 200 days of the pandemic, according to a new study. Counties with higher proportions of Black or Hispanic residents also had higher rates, the study found, reinforcing earlier research showing the disparate effects of the virus on those communities.

The findings, published last week by JAMA Network Open, were based on county-level data for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Data sources included the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USAFacts and the U.S. Census Bureau.

The lead author of the study, Tim Liao, head of the sociology department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, initiated the study last summer after noticing that economic inequality - a focus of his research for more than 15 years - was getting little attention as a potential factor in how the virus was being experienced.

"We needed actual data to really fully understand the social dimensions of the pandemic," he said. "We knew all along that racial inequality was important, but most of the time people were missing the more complete picture, which includes economic inequality."

Fernando De Maio, a DePaul University sociology professor and the director of research and data use at the American Medical Association's Center for Health Equity, was a co-author of the study.

The researchers' analysis included 3,141 of 3,142 counties in the U.S. with available data, with the remaining county excluded due to incomplete information. The 200 days for which they collected data spanned Jan. 22, 2020, when the first U.S. case was confirmed, to Aug. 8.

Controlling for other variables, the researchers found that a 1.0% increase in a county's Black population corresponded to an average 1.9% increase in infections and a 2.6% increase in mortality due to COVID-19. A 1.0% increase in a county's Hispanic population corresponded to an average 2.4% increase in incidence and a 1.9% increase in mortality.

A 1.0% rise in a county's income inequality, as determined by a research measure called the Gini index, corresponded to an average 2.0% rise in COVID-19 incidence and a 3.0% rise in mortality. The researchers noted that the average Gini index in U.S. counties was 44.5 and ranged from 25.7 to 66.5, based on a 100-point scale.

Among other study results, the researchers found that the rate of virus infection was lower by an average of 32% in counties that were part of states covered by the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, though they found no association with mortality rates.

The findings suggested, according to the researchers, that "High levels of income inequality harm population health ... irrespective of racial/ethnic composition."

No matter how they analyzed the data, Liao said, "two things emerged. One is the racial and ethnic dimension, the other is the income inequality dimension. They're always there, always strong."

"Many studies have concluded that COVID-19 has revealed the fault lines of inequality in the United States," the researchers wrote. "This study expands that picture by illustrating how county-level income inequality matters, in itself and through its interaction with racial/ethnic composition, to systematically disadvantage Black and Hispanic communities."

They suggested that income inequality, a measure not typically included in county-level public health surveillance, may need to be considered in identifying the places most affected by the virus.

###

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Reflecting an increase in optimism about the short-term economic outlook, the Conference Board released a report on Tuesday unexpectedly showing an improvement in U.S. consumer confidence in the month of January.



The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index climbed to 89.3 in January from a downwardly revised 87.1 in December.



The increase surprised economists, who had expected the index to edge down to 88.5 from the 88.6 originally reported for the previous month.



The unexpected rebound by the headline index came as the expectations index jumped to 92.5 in January from 87.0 in December.



The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months increased to 33.7 percent from 29.5 percent, while those expecting business conditions to worsen fell to 18.1 percent from 22.0 percent.



The outlook for the job market also improved, with consumers expecting more jobs in the months ahead rising to 31.3 percent from 28.0 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs dipped to 21.4 percent from 22.2 percent.



Meanwhile, the report said the present situation index slid to 84.4 in January from 87.2 in December, suggesting consumers' appraisal of current conditions weakened further during the month.



The percentage of consumers claiming business conditions are 'good' inched up to 15.8 percent from 15.4 percent, but those claiming business conditions are 'bad' also rose to 42.8 percent from 39.7 percent.



Consumers' assessment of the labor market was also less favorable, with the percentage of consumers saying jobs are 'plentiful' edging down to 20.6 percent from 21.0 percent and those claiming jobs are 'hard to get' rising to 23.8 percent from 22.9 percent.



'Consumers' appraisal of present-day conditions weakened further in January, with COVID-19 still the major suppressor,' said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at the Conference Board.



She added, 'Consumers' expectations for the economy and jobs, however, advanced further, suggesting that consumers foresee conditions improving in the not-too-distant future.'



On Friday, the University of Michigan is scheduled to release its revised reading on consumer sentiment in the month of January.



Economists expect the consumer sentiment index for January to be unrevised from the preliminary reading of 79.2, which was down from 80.7 in December.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Two years ago, Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd was feeling stuck.

Since arriving of Westworth United Church in 2013, the minister had made a number of changes to its mission statement, governance structure, and also added some new programs. But what was next?

Thriving Churches: Urban and Rural Success, published by United Church Press.

For inspiration, MacKenzie Shepherd decided to use a sabbatical to go on a cross-country trip to visit thriving United Churches to find out what made them successful.

The result is her new book, Thriving Churches: Urban and Rural Success, published by United Church Press.

What did she find?

Its not technology that makes churches thrive; some used screens to project lyrics for singing, but others didnt.

It isnt music; some had "upbeat music," but others used choirs.

Theology wasnt key, either. Some were theologically liberal, while others were more conservative.

What they all had in common was "not what they did, but who they were."

All possessed "spiritual attributes," such as being visionary, joyful, communal, accountable, open-hearted, risk-taking, discerning, contemplative, mission-focused, generous and prophetic.

"These are attributes quite easily found in the Epistles and the book of Acts about the early church," she said.

She found they also practiced radical hospitality, offered inspirational worship, provided spiritual formation, support and meaningful ministry opportunities for members, and had vibrant children and youth programs.

Almost all also had small groups for discussion or Bible studies and provided ways for members to grow spiritually. They also had strong outreach programs and community partnerships.

None of the churches were perfect, she added.

"They werent devoid of conflicts and challenges, but what stood out was how they dealt with them. They werent afraid to have difficult conversations."

MacKenzie Shepherd will present her findings at a webinar Wednesday called "Thriving churches during COVID and beyond."

During the three-session webinar, which she will present with Tammy Allan, who serves the Olds-Sundre pastoral charge in Alberta, participants will explore the common attributes and practices of thriving churches, and discuss how they can incorporate them into their own congregations.

When she started her research, MacKenzie Shepherd at first wondered if there were many thriving United Churches.

"Good news," she said. "There are. There were many more thriving United Churches than I could visit. It pokes holes in the common myth that all United Churches are dying."

Altogether, she visited 10 churches from Atlantic Canada to B.C., including Charleswood United Church in Winnipeg.

She came away impressed by how they are "constantly discerning and adapting to changing needs" and providing opportunities for everyone in their congregations to be involved in various ministries.

They were also flexible and adaptable, which helped them deal successfully with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This included moving worship services online.

For MacKenzie Shepherd, the overall takeaway for churches that want to emulate thriving congregations is "dont regret the past, respond to the present and dont fear the future."

"Thriving churches during COVID and beyond" starts 7 p.m. Wednesday and continues Feb. 3 and 10. The cost is $29.99 for the series, with a $5 discount for paying online, and a group rate for three or more from the same church.

Visit westworth.ca for more information and to register.

faith@freepress.mb.ca
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 51F. SSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 51F. SSW winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph.



Charlottes most popular millennial politician dad, Democratic state senator Jeff Jackson, will announce a bid for U.S. Senate this morning, kicking off a 2022 race for Richard Burrs seat that could include Lara Trump on the Republican side.

Why it matters: After a 2020 Senate race that was one of the most expensive on record, North Carolina again figures to be a pricey fight for the balance of power in the midterms.

A potential matchup between a member of the Trump family and Jackson  a media-savvy attorney and National Guardsman who in every campaign makes a point to say that his opponents are good people  certainly wont diminish that intrigue.

Jackson, a father of three, told his wife Marisa that if he were to win the primary, they could expect $100 million in negative ads, just tearing me down in the general.

As they watched the riots at the Capitol on Jan. 6, Marisa told him, You have to run.

Context: Many people remember the 2020 Senate race mainly for Democrat Cal Cunninghams cringey texts and affair, which he was forced to apologize for. Cunningham was a veteran who also hinged his campaign on his character.

There are going to be easy comparisons to make, Jackson said. But as the campaign goes on, within 60-90 days theyll see that this is a completely different campaign and Im a completely different person.

State Sen. Erica Smith, who got 35% against Cunningham in the 2020 Democratic primary, is running again in 2022.

In a Jan. 21 interview with Real Americas Voice, Lara Trump said of a Senate run: Its possible.  We cant stay away for long. Were all again in this fight for the rest of our lives in some form.

Former Gov. Pat McCrory is also considering a run in the Republican primary.

Fun fact: Jackson has about 200,000 followers across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, not bad for a local politician whose district only sees about 110,000 votes cast. His following took off one icy day in February 2015, when he was alone in the state capitol tweeting about all the bills he was passing with unanimous support. Of course he was the only one voting.

This is going to be like, Night at the Museum except at the end well have a stronger middle class, he tweeted.

Find more stories like this one in the forthcoming Axios Charlotte newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard.

The United States under new President Joe Biden needs to adopt a more realistic attitude towards the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement to help break the political and economic impasse in Lebanon, a French presidential official said on Tuesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron has been spearheading international efforts to rescue Lebanon, once a French protectorate, from its deepest crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war.

He has travelled twice to Lebanon since a huge explosion at the Beirut port in August devastated swathes of the capital, but no progress has been made to form a credible interim government.

While former U.S. president Donald Trump's administration backed Macron's initiative, it opposed efforts to include the heavily armed Hezbollah that wields enormous power in Lebanon and which Washington brands a terrorist group.

"There is urgency in Lebanon and we think that there are priorities that we (France and the United States) can pursue together," the French official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity, saying Macron's first priority was putting together a viable Lebanese government.

"We don't expect a change in American attitude towards Hezbollah, but more American realism on what is possible or not given the circumstances in Lebanon," he said, without elaborating on what Paris wanted Washington to do.

It remains unclear how Biden's administration might tackle Lebanon. The 2015 U.S. Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act (HIFPA), which aimed to sever the groups global funding networks, was imposed during President Barack Obama's administration, in which Biden was vice president.

The French presidency official said there were no immediate plans to reschedule a trip by Macron to Lebanon after he put off a visit in December when he contracted COVID-19.

Short link:


Ugandan presidential candidate and singer Bobi Wine addresses a news conference at his house in Magere neighbourhood of Kampala, Uganda, on Jan. 15, 2021. (Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters)

Ugandan Court Orders Opposition Leaders Freedom, Troops Still Block His Home

KAMPALAA Ugandan court ordered security forces on Monday to free opposition leader and pop star Bobi Wine, whose house arrest since a presidential election has drawn international pressure on President Yoweri Musevenis government.

Hours later, his large compound in a leafy northern suburb of the capital Kampala remained blockaded.

The military and police are still surrounding our home and indeed, they are still locking our gates and are not allowing anybody to move out, or anybody to come in, he told Reuters in a video message.

Former guerrilla leader Museveni, 76, has long been a Western ally, receiving copious aid and sending troops to trouble spots including Somalia to fight Islamist extremists.

But foreign governments have become increasingly frustrated at his reluctance to cede power and crackdowns on opponents.

Wine, 38, has been besieged at home since voting in the Jan. 14 election where he rode a wave of youth disillusionment to challenge Musevenis 34-year rule.

The incumbent was declared winner with 59 percent of votes versus 35 percent for Wine, who had for years denounced corruption and nepotism in his songs. The opposition rejected the result, alleging fraud which the government denies.

Foreign Pressure

Ugandas military was aware of the ruling by High Court judge Michael Elubu and would comply, said military spokeswoman Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso, without specifying when.

Pressure has been mounting on the government, including from the United States and rights group Amnesty International which called Wines incarceration arbitrary and politically motivated.

Joel Ssenyonyi, spokesman for Wines National Unity Platform (NUP), said lawyers would serve the court order to security agencies. Their continued presence there is illegal, he said.

Last week, U.S. ambassador Natalie E. Brown tried to visit Wine, drawing an accusation of meddling and subversion from the Ugandan government.

Wine is a hero to many young Ugandans who view former guerrilla leader Museveni as an out-of-touch autocrat repressing dissenters and failing to create jobs.

The Ugandan government continues to use state security in a partisan manner to harass and intimidate its citizens, press, and political opposition, tweeted U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Sunday. Mr. Musevenis tactics towards those who advocate for an inclusive democracy is dangerous and must be addressed by the global community.

Museveni casts Wine as an upstart backed by foreign powers and says only his administration can guarantee political stability and economic progress. There was no immediate government comment on the court ruling about Wine.

By Nairobi Newsroom
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 19:36:53|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have fostered innovation in the protection and utilization of livestock and poultry breeds during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), supporting the country's high-quality development of the animal husbandry industry, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) said Tuesday.

China's meat production reached 76.39 million tonnes and egg production reached 34.68 million tonnes in 2020, both ranking first in the world, said Qin Yuchang, director of the Institute of Animal Science under the CAAS, at a press conference.

China has promoted independent innovation to ensure its livestock and poultry breeding resources, with the self-sufficiency ratio of key livestock and poultry breeds exceeding 75 percent, Qin noted.

The country has set up 199 national-level breeding farms, conservation areas and gene banks for livestock and poultry genetic resources. It has cultivated more than 100 new livestock and poultry breeds and has also established a commercial breeding system.

The CAAS has set up a service platform for preserving and sharing livestock and poultry germplasm resources, including information on 777 livestock and poultry breeds.

More than 300 local livestock and poultry breeds have been preserved in the form of frozen semen, embryos and somatic cells, greatly improving the diversity of livestock and poultry germplasm resources in China.

The CAAS has made significant progress in genome analysis, functional gene cloning and key breeding technologies for major livestock and poultry such as pigs, beef cattle, goats, chickens, ducks and horses, providing a theoretical basis and technical support for genetic improvement and breeding. A number of functional genes with great breeding value have also been discovered.

Beef cattle breeding efforts have allowed China to reduce dependence on imports. A new variety of yak has been developed to improve production and help herders on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau shake off poverty.

Meanwhile, the CAAS has vowed to accelerate the building of a national germplasm resource pool for livestock and poultry during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). It aims to build the pool with the largest livestock and poultry germplasm resources, the most complete varieties, and the highest level of intelligence globally.

Efforts will be made to develop ultra-low temperature preservation and restoration technologies and explore gene resources for high-quality, resource-efficient and disease-resistant varieties.

A livestock and poultry biotechnology innovation platform will also be established, focusing on key technologies including cell engineering and whole genome selection technique.

The CAAS has also pledged to collaborate with enterprises, set up innovation bases and promote the application of breeding technologies, aiming to create a series of livestock and poultry breeds with international competitiveness. Enditem
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
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Moderna announced on Monday that its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine provides strong immunity against two worrisome new coronavirus variants, but the company is developing an additional booster shot just in case a South African strain causes that immunity to fade unexpectedly.

The Cambridge, Mass-based biotech firm said the move was out of an abundance of caution ... against this and potentially future variants.

The news comes just days after Pfizer-BioNTech released data showing its vaccine protects against a more contagious variant that emerged in Britain and is now showing up in many countries, including the U.S.

Experts say this latest chapter in the pandemic heightens the dire urgency of global vaccination campaigns  as if the world needed any more incentive to rush the shots into arms.

Scott E. Hensley, a University of Pennsylvania microbiologist who is researching the coronavirus, explained that the only way to prevent the emergence of mutant strains is to stop the rampant spread of the coronavirus through vaccination.

 READ MORE: An illustrated guide to how the COVID-19 vaccines work

If we could use the vaccines to reduce the level of virus being transmitted, then we wouldnt have to worry so much about new variants, he said. What Im afraid of is that people will hear about this and say, The vaccines are losing effectiveness so Im not going to get vaccinated. 

All viruses constantly mutate as they replicate within infected cells. Most mutations are inconsequential or even detrimental to the microbe, but a year into the pandemic, the coronavirus has found a few that give it a survival advantage.

 READ MORE: Mutations 101: What causes coronavirus mutations and why the vaccines are still good

The British variant is more transmissible than the original virus that emerged a year ago in Wuhan, China, because it is more efficient at breaking into human airway cells. Data are beginning to suggest the British version is also more harmful.

The South African strain and a similar one that emerged independently in Brazil are potentially more threatening. Not only do they attach to airway cells efficiently, but they also block the action of certain disease-fighting antibodies that are activated by the new vaccines.

Its a one-two punch, Hensley said. Its more transmissible, and more difficult to fight.

Further complicating the fight, Hensley said, is the fact that people who get infected and recover naturally mount a relatively weak antibody defense compared to the ultrahigh levels of antibodies activated by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. In Brazil, many people who were infected with the original COVID-19 virus were not immune to reinfection with the new strain.

This suggests that the only way to extinguish the pandemic is to protect a high percentage of the population through vaccination, not through natural immunity.

Moderna conducted lab tests using blood samples from eight people and two monkeys who received both doses of the companys vaccine. Although the immunization triggered high, protective levels of antibodies against the British and South African variants, the response to the South African variant was significantly weaker.

These lower [antibody] titers may suggest a potential risk of earlier waning of immunity to the South African strain, the Moderna news release said.

Modernas inoculation and one made by Pfizer-BioNTech received authorization for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month. Since then, states have been frantically, and somewhat chaotically, rolling out the immunizations while the companies try to ramp up production to meet demand.

Both Moderna and Pfizer used mRNA technology, a novel genetic approach to activating the immune system. The technology enables fast development and production of vaccine candidates; Modernas now-authorized version took just 42 days to devise.

A new version could be made hopefully a little faster this time, but not much, Modernas chief medical officer Tal Zaks told the New York Times.

Whether a booster shot is actually necessary is under study. Antibodies are just one arm of the immune system. The authorized vaccines also generate T cells and B cells, which remember an invader and guard against reinfection.
A mother whose baby died when a van mounted the pavement and crashed into his pram said the child was 'five years in the making' in a heartfelt post.

Rachael Thorold, 36, was pushing her son Louis in his pram along a pavement beside the A10 in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, last Friday when a Mazda 2 collided with a Renault Master van, which then hit Ms Thorold and her son's pram.

Just weeks ago Mrs Thorold, a council local plan manager, shared a picture of her son as a newborn. Alongside the Instagram post she wrote: 'Five years in the making'.

Ms Thorold remains in a critical but stable condition at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, police said today.

Police today released a photo of Ms Thorold holding her smiling son, taken just hours before the collision, which happened a 12-minute walk from the family's 610,000 home.

Rachael Thorold, 36, was pushing her five-month-old son Louis in his pram along a pavement beside the A10 in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire when they were hit by a van. This photo of Ms Thorold holding her smiling son was taken just hours before the collision

In a heart wrenching statement today, Louis's father Chris Thorold, the finance director of Marshall Aerospace, said: 'Louis you were only with us for a short time, but you made us the happiest people in the world. I cannot describe how heartbroken we are that you are gone.

'You are such a happy little boy and your joyful smile and laughter will never leave us.

'Your ma-ma is fighting to stay with us and we are praying that she will make it through. You will always be in our hearts and do not worry, I am taking care of all your animals.'

Ms Thorold is currently on maternity leave from her role as a planning policy manager for Elmbridge Borough Council, which has its main offices in Esher, Surrey.

The driver of the van and the driver of the Mazda suffered slight injuries and remained at the scene after the tragedy at 3.50pm last Friday.

Today it emerged that Rachael, a former local plan manager for a local authority, is married to husband Chris Thorold - finance director for Marshall Aerospace, based in Cambridge.

The pair married in 2015 and gave birth to little baby Louis last year. Mr Thorold said in a statement released through police: 'We will love you always our little Louis.

'You were only with us for a short time, but you made us the happiest people in the world. I cannot describe how heartbroken we are that you are gone.

'You are such a happy little boy and your joyful smile and laughter will never leave us.

A grey Mazda 2 was in collision with a white Renault Master van, and the van hit Ms Thorold and her son's pram

'Your ma-ma is fighting to stay with us and we are praying that she will make it through.

'You will always be in our hearts and do not worry, I am taking care of all your animals.

'We love you so much and we know you will now be safe with granny, grandad and great grandpa in heaven. Take care my little Lou, sweet dreams.'

Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone who may have dashcam footage of the collision or the moments leading up to it.

Detective Sergeant Mark Dollard, from the road policing unit, said: 'This is an extremely tragic and sad incident and our deepest condolences go out to the family of Louis, who are being supported by a specially trained officer.

'A thorough investigation will now be conducted by my team and I am seeking help from the public.

'While it is too early to say how the collision happened, I want to remind all road users of their responsibilities to drive with care.'

Anyone with information should call 101 or visit www.cambs.police.uk/report quoting incident 278 of January 22.

[January 26, 2021] European Venture Capital Dealmaking and Fundraising Activity Achieved New Annual Records in 2020

SEATTLE, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PitchBook, the premier data provider for the private and public equity markets, today released its 2020 Annual European Venture Report, which found venture capital (VC) deal value remained aloft and set a new annual record despite COVID-19 and the subsequent macroeconomic damage. Pandemic-induced opportunities and existing VC companies within technology and healthcare were well positioned to grow at the same time the deluge of capital deposited into larger rounds continued a decade-long trend. Capital from the US flowed freely into Europe and deal value with corporate VC (CVC) participation set a new annual record. After a lethargic start, exit value gathered momentum as the year progressed with one of the strongest quarterly showings ever in Q4. The pandemic created favourable market conditions for VC-backed companies seeking an exit in sectors such as biotech and pharma. European VC fundraising also achieved a record high in 2020 as LPs and GPs across the continent shrugged off long-term concerns posed by COVID-19. Fundraising processes have successfully adapted to remote tools, while larger VC vehicles have attracted burgeoning heaps of capital from existing and nontraditional investors to target pandemic-proof and pandemic-induced opportunities. Restrictions on travel, recessions and battered sectors have not stifled commitments from LPs, as GPs have been supplied with record levels of capital to put to work heading into 2021. To download the full report and underlying data, click here. "Few predicted the insatiable appetite to commit to and invest in VC in 2020. While other asset classes crumbled amid widespread volatility, Europe's maturing VC ecosystem  and venture as an investment strategy  showed remarkable resilience with dealmaking, fundraising and CVC participation reaching record highs," said Nalin Patel, PitchBook EMEA Private Capital Analyst. "We believe capital will continue to pour into pandemic-driven areas as recoveries commence and the allure of a return to normality will drive capital into resurgent pre-pandemic trends, both of which will combine to hold overall VC activity aloft in 2021." Investment Activity VC deal value reached a new annual record of 42.8 billion across 9,341 deals, representing a 14.8% year-over-year increase in value from the previous record set in 2019.

Deals sized over 25 million represented a record 61.8%, or 26.5 billion, of capital invested in 2020. CureVac's 560.0 million late-stage round in Q3 was the largest deal of the year. Klarna, Deliveroo, N26, Revolut, and Northvolt all closed deals over 500 million as well, whereas just two companies raised such a sum in 2019.

Investors deployed 14.5 billion into the software sector across 2,123 deals, marking a marginal 7.9% year-over-year increase and more substantial 22.3% year-over-year decrease, respectively. The sector remains the most popular investment strategy, representing a third of total European VC deal value in 2020, but investment into biotech & pharma startups jumped 41.1% year-over-year to 5.4 billion as COVID-19 held attention globally.

All regions apart from Central & Eastern Europe beat their respective deal value figures from 2019. The UK & Ireland remained the highest deal value provider with a record 14.3 billion in 2020, providing a third of the total in Europe despite Brexit.

beat their respective deal value figures from 2019. The UK & remained the highest deal value provider with a record 14.3 billion in 2020, providing a third of the total in despite Brexit. CVC participation accrued 19.4 billion in value through 2020, easily surpassing the previous record of 15.6 billion set in 2019. CVCs participated in many of 2020's largest rounds, including Deliveroo's 527.6 million round and Hopin's 106.2 million round.



Exit Activity Despite market volatility, total European VC exit value rose 13.9% year-over-year to 18.6 billion across 697 deals. The European exit market gained momentum after a lethargic Q1, closing on 7.6 billion in value in Q4.

Biotech & pharma companies capitalized on increased interest in the sector, securing 6.7 billion in venture exit value in 2020, or 35.9% of Europe's total. Notable exits in the sector include the IPOs of CureVac and ADC Therapeutics, both totalling over 200 million, and the acquisition of Themis Bioscience, which sold for 1.1 billion.

total. Notable exits in the sector include the IPOs of CureVac and ADC Therapeutics, both totalling over 200 million, and the acquisition of Themis Bioscience, which sold for 1.1 billion. As was the case in 2019, the DACH region (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland) generated the most liquidity of any European ecosystem, closing on 4.6 billion in 2020, or 24.7% of the continent's total. The region's expertise in developing highly valued biotech & pharma companies bolstered exit figures.

VC-backed IPOs grew slightly to 50 in 2020 from 46 in 2019, suggesting that some startups were bullish and willing to list even amid such a turbulent year. The resurgence of public equities and lack of listings in the second and third quarters created pent-up demand for IPOs, and healthcare startups such as Compass Pathways, Freeline and Nanox decided it was the perfect time to exit. Fundraising Activity

European VC funds raised a record 19.6 billion in 2020, representing a 35.2% year-over-year increase as LPs and GPs across shrugged off long-term apprehension posed by COVID-19. The quantity of closed VC funds ticked up to 172, reversing a two-year decline.

VC funds over 100 million represented 82.0% of the total capital raised in Europe in 2020, just below the peak of 83.8% set in 2019, and we expect they will continue gaining share in 2021. Fund sizes have climbed during the last decade, buoying overall capital raised year to year.

in 2020, just below the peak of 83.8% set in 2019, and we expect they will continue gaining share in 2021. Fund sizes have climbed during the last decade, buoying overall capital raised year to year. The UK & Ireland raised the most capital for venture funds with 5.1 billion, narrowly topping the DACH region, which raised 5.0 billion in 2020. Israel -based VC funds have now raised over 1.0 billion in each of the last five years, with a record 2.7 billion raised in 2020, and we believe GPs based in this region have the capital resources to develop their ecosystem even further and compete globally for commitments. Additional coverage in this report includes: Introduction

Overview

Corporate VC

Spotlight: 2021 Outlook

Exits

Fundraising For more information about PitchBook, click here. About PitchBook

PitchBook is a financial data and software company that provides transparency into the capital markets to help professionals discover and execute opportunities with confidence and efficiency. PitchBook collects and analyzes detailed data on the entire venture capital, private equity and M&A landscapeincluding public and private companies, investors, funds, investments, exits and people. The company's data and analysis are available through the PitchBook Platform, industry news and in-depth reports. Founded in 2007, PitchBook has offices in Seattle, San Francisco, New York and London and serves more than 45,000 professionals around the world. In 2016, Morningstar acquired PitchBook, which now operates as an independent subsidiary. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/european-venture-capital-dealmaking-and-fundraising-activity-achieved-new-annual-records-in-2020-301214648.html SOURCE PitchBook

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Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
A UK company whose employee was arrested this week using a drone to observe a horse race at Punchestown now says it is considering its legal options - including possible High Court action 'seeking protection for its employees'.

The UK-based media company, Foxfly Ltd, say they use drones to observe races at tracks across the UK and Ireland.

The footage provides the company with a one- to two-second advantage over live broadcasts by traditional broadcasters - giving the company what it describes as a 'slight advantage' over broadcast viewers during 'in-race' betting.

On Monday, one of the company's employees, James Denton, was arrested after gardai responded to a complaint of drones flying near Punchestown Racecourse in Kildare.

Expand Close James Denton has been charged with breaching Covid restrictions while using a drone. / Facebook

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Whatsapp James Denton has been charged with breaching Covid restrictions while using a drone.

Mr Denton, is currently on bail and has to remain in Ireland for two weeks, pending the hearing of his case on February 2 when he will face two charges of being in breach of travel restrictions and failing to comply with a garda's direction on January 18, 2021. Both charges are under temporary Covid-19 restrictions of the Health Act.

Foxfly, which has already lodged a complaint with GSOC over the seizure of 25,000 worth of drone equipment by Kildare gardai last March, says it believes it is not breaking any law.

Operators

Company owner Mick McCool told the Sunday World that all of Foxfly's drone operators are fully licensed, that they comply with all relevant regulations covering the use of drones by observing the races in non-built up areas located up to a mile away

He said that the company's media status should mean their employees are exempt from the Covid-19 regulations currently in effect here.

"What we are doing primarily is catering for professional gamblers," Mr McCool told the Sunday World. "We have 15 people working for us from a town in middle England.

Expand Close Owner of Foxfly, Mick McCool says all his drone operator are fully licensed / Facebook

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Whatsapp Owner of Foxfly, Mick McCool says all his drone operator are fully licensed

"I've been going to the race-course in Naas for the bones of 12 years and what I would normally do is stand on the side with a pair of binoculars or a video camera and watch the race, and using algorithmic software and an automatic betting interface, we would bet onto the Betfair exchange.

"That's what we do for a living.

"So this is in-race betting.

"We have already fought a case in England over the same thing that is now happening to us in Ireland.

"It cost us over stg250,000 but we won the case.

"We don't want to turn the public against us, so as a matter of course we consult lawful procedure in any country we are operating in.

"And whenever we go to check anything we go to sites like the Citizens' Advice Centre and it says in there that Level-5 restrictions are in place now in Ireland until January 31.

"Stay at home except for work or education or other essential reasons.

"It says work from home unless your work is an essential service that cannot be done from home.

"Well, James can't make money staying at home so he's got to go out to work."

Restrictions

Mr McCool also said the company believes its employees may be exempt from the restrictions on the basis the company is registered with the UK company register as a media company and its drone operators are producing digital content.

Under Section 31a, which allows for the temporary restrictions currently in force, an exemption is provided for the production of digital or other electronic content and the broadcast or publication of this to the public or a portion of the public.

During the accused James Denton's court appearance on Tuesday, Gda Michael Gohrey, of Naas Garda Station, said he was called to Punchestown Upper at 1.50pm on Monday after receiving reports of two males flying drones over a private race meeting nearby.

The two men, he said, were sitting in a Ford Transit van which had a sticker reading 'drones in operation'.

Gda Gohrey said Mr Denton informed him that he travels to different race meetings around the country to record the races online using drones.

"Upon further checks through Pulse, I found that Mr Denton had been in contact with gardai numerous times since March 2020 in various different districts," Gda Gohrey told the court.

The garda said the other man left the area but that the accused allegedly failed to do so when requested to by gardai.

Presiding Judge Desmond Zaidan enquired if the location where Mr Denton was arrested is more than 5km from the hotel he was residing at.

Sgt Jim Kelly stated that, whether it was within the 5km or not, gardai maintain he was not providing an essential service or exercising while outside his place of residence and that this was in contravention of the Health Act.

A solicitor was assigned to Mr Denton, who said his client would question the motivation for this prosecution and that there was a bigger picture objecting to the type of work he does.

The court heard Mr Denton, who has shares in a company, is tested regularly in the UK before travelling to Ireland with the tests showing that he is "Covid free".

Counsel said that he was going about his work and not engaging with large groups of people, and that the prosecution was "motivated by other interests".

There was no Garda objection to bail on the grounds that Mr Denton was willing to abide by certain conditions.

Racecourses

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board this week said it remains committed to combatting the use of unauthorised drones at racecourses and will continue to work alongside the gardai following an incident at Punchestown on Monday that resulted in Mr Denton being arrested.

An IHRB spokesperson told the Racing Post: "All drone sightings are reported to gardai; they are usually operated from off site and there are often times we cannot identify where the drone is operated from.

"The use of drones over sporting events without a licence is not permitted under legislation and the IHRB and the racecourses will continue to work with the gardai and other relevant bodies to try and deal with this issue."

Punchestown chief executive, Conor O'Neill believes the issue of drones filming fixtures at Irish tracks has been going on for a number of years and that the country's legislation for policing such matters has not been able to keep up with drone technology.

"Unfortunately, it's an issue that's widespread across the country at every racecourse effectively and it's been going on for quite a time," he told local radio station KFM.

"Due to current legislation, the gardai haven't got the law on their side in order to be able to take the necessary action. The Covid-19 restrictions are the only law that they can prosecute them on. In fairness to [Superintendent] Oliver Henry and his team at Naas Garda Station, they've been proactive on this."
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Foundation Farms, Corp., ("Foundation Farms") a subsidiary of GME Innotainment, Inc. ("GMEV") today announced that the Company has obtained a lease agreement to lease out 2,000 square feet of a 15,000 square foot warehouse located in Red Deer, Alberta, in order to build out its first indoor vertical farm. Once completed, the vertical farm will occupy approximately 2000 square feet of the facility. Plans for the use of the building also include the manufacture and assembly of future vertical farm units. It will also provide regional product sales and distribution headquarters for the company's products. Further details will be forthcoming shortly but management expects the vertical farm to go into production before the second half of 2021.

Ed Kroeker, CEO of Foundation Farms stated, "We have an ambitious growth plan that includes the deployment of numerous vertical farms throughout North America. We also are assembling plans for additional innovative agriculture ventures that continue the theme of sustainability and local sourcing of food products for today's consumers. The ability to establish our E-ROOTS vertical farm alongside our new manufacturing and assembly plant provides the opportunity to leapfrog our growth."

Yves R. Michel, GMEV CEO commented: "While the current socio-economic situation throughout North America and indeed most of the world has devastated many business sectors, the demand for sustainable and localized food production has never been greater than it is today and the trend is exponentially upward. I am excited to see our partnerFoundation Farmsmaking the decisions to capitalize on the opportunities presented."

Yves R. Michel

Chief Executive Officer and Director

208 East 51st St., Suite 170

New York, NY 10022

Source: GME Innotainment, Inc. ("GMEV")

https://sustainableresourcescorp.com/

Released January 26, 2021

OTCPink: GMEV

This press release may include certain statements that are forward-looking in nature and that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on GME Innotainment, Inc., current expectations and projections regarding future events, which are based on currently available information. The forward-looking statements in this press release may also include statements relating to GME Innotainment, Inc.'s anticipated new developments, business prospects, financial performance, strategies and similar matters. GME Innotainment, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update any of its forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

SOURCE GMEV (GME Innotainment Inc.)

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An Abeokuta High Court, on Tuesday, sentenced two ex-convicts to death by hanging for conspiracy and armed robbery.

At their trial, Lekan Akinola, 40, and Dare Sowunmi, 27, had pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery levelled against them.

However, delivering her judgment, Ayokunle Rotimi-Balogun, the judge, said the court was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the ex-convicts were guilty as charged.

Mrs Rotimi-Balogun held that all evidence presented by the prosecution was admissible and the punishment for the offence of armed robbery was death.

She consequently convicted the two men of the offences and sentenced them to death by hanging.

Having found that you are guilty as charged you shall be hung by your neck until you are dead, May God have mercy on you, Mrs Rotimi Balogun said.

Earlier, the Senior State Prosecution Counsel, Oluwabunmi Akinola, had told the court that the convicts committed the offences on Jan. 27, 2019, at 1:55a.m., at No. 32, Legislative Quarters, Ibara in Abeokuta.

Ms Akinola said the convicts ,while armed with dangerous weapons like gun and cutlass, entered into the apartment of one Derin Adebiyi and robbed him of his money and other valuables.

She further explained that the convicts robbed the complainant of N2.5million, six wristwatches, five gold necklaces, three phones, a solar charger and one Toyota Camry key, valued not stated.

The prosecution counsel also informed the court that the two defendants were ex-convicts and were both released from prison in 2018 during a jail delivery.

Ms Akinola told the court that Mr Lekan was arrested at Sango Ota while on his way home after the robbery operation and in his possession was N600,000 and some of the stolen items.

She said the arrest and recovery of the stolen items on him led to the arrest of his accomplice, Mr Sowunmi.

The prosecution counsel said that the offences contravened Section 21(b) and 16(1)( a) of the Robbery and Firearms (special provisions) Act, Cap Rll, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

(NAN)
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The Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said that filmmakers might need to get a permit while filming in the state to avoid the incessant harassment by street urchins popularly known as area boys.

Mr Sanwo-Olu said this during an interview on Politics Today on Channels TV.

He spoke against the backdrop of a recent outcry by a Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham, who lamented the continuous harassment she and her colleagues encounter while filming at different locations in the state.

If you are going to film somewhere, there are rules that will guide you. Maybe you might need just a little permit or you just need to tell the owner of the property that these are the things you are doing. I think that way, you will have easier access to be able to do your thing easily, he said.

The governor also suggested that filmmakers seek proper permission from private property owners before proceeding to shoot at their facility.

But part of the problem we have in Lagos is that everyone thinks that everything is open to everyone. Nobody has a monopoly of anything, he added

Like Abraham, her colleague, Omoni Oboli, recently complained bitterly about the activities of area boys who storm film sets to disrupt shoots and demand various sums of money as settlement.

Popular Instagram comedian, Zics Aloma, also decried the worrisome trend in a recent interview with Premium Times. The funnyman said a major challenge he faces while shooting his comedy skits is finding an ideal location that is free with no area boy around.

According to him, not only do they disrupt his shoots, they also demand outrageous sums from creatives like himself who are struggling to create quality content and earn a decent living.

Those Omo Onile can quote a whooping N100,000 or N150,000. Then if you are an excellent negotiator, you can beat it down to N10,000. If you dont pay those people, they wont let you shoot. They are always many sometimes and they would not let you shoot. Those are the challenges you face in Lagos especially, Zicsaloma said.

The governor also addressed the issue of the suspension of nightclubs and bars in the state as part of efforts to check the spread of COVID-19.
3 1 of 3 Wallingford Police / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Wallingford Police / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





WALLINGFORD  A town man faces drug and motor vehicle charges after officers found marijuana and a gun in his vehicle during a traffic stop Monday night, according to police.

Around 6:15 p.m. Monday, a patrol officers pulled over a driver on South Colony Road and noticed what police described as several indicators of criminal activity.
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Lockdown now demands that millions of parents have to juggle work and their children's schooling from home.

Yet despite this, a third of families do not have the computers they need. The Daily Mail is campaigning to ensure all Britain's pupils are equipped with a laptop or tablet - so no child is prevented from learning in lockdown.

But it's not just a lack of hardware causing difficulties.

As this newspaper reveals today, almost one million children do not have access to broadband at home, which they need to do lessons.

Digital divide: A third of families do not have the computers they need to ensure the children can continue their education during lockdown

Many instead rely on their mobile phones to access the internet. But this can be very costly, particularly for those with pay-as-you-go contracts.

Research by the Mail shows that even on the cheapest deals, a family with four children could easily rack up a mobile data bill of 80 a month.

In a bid to help those struggling, many major providers have launched a string of discounts and are providing free access to educational websites.

But with each firm offering something different - and some nothing at all - families face navigating a maze to get the help they need.

Consumer experts say much more needs to be done to close the digital divide, and are calling for firms to give out devices known as dongles, which create a wi-fi signal.

In the meantime, here's Money Mail's ultimate guide to getting up to speed with the internet savings your family could make in lockdown...

Free data

Under the Government's Get Help With Technology scheme, mobile giants have teamed up with ministers to dish out free data to children with access to a mobile phone.

Their phone can then be used as a hotspot, which allows other devices, such as laptops, to connect to the internet.

To be eligible children must be in Years 3 to 11 and learning from home as a result of lockdown restrictions.

They must also have no broadband at home, with their parents unable to afford additional data for their mobile devices. Those who qualify must then ask a school, trust or local authority to apply to the scheme on their behalf.

Schools do not need to provide proof that children are eligible - decisions will be based on their understanding of who needs support.

However, spaces are limited and the amount of free data up for grabs varies depending on your provider.

O2 is offering 40GB (GB stands for gigabyte, a measurement of data usage) a month to families struggling with connectivity, while Virgin Mobile customers can get 20GB a month. Others, such as Three, are offering unlimited data as part of the scheme.

Some providers have their own rules about who is eligible, too. O2 customers must have been with the network for at least six months, while Vodafone customers must have a Big Value bundle costing 10 or more.

The Department for Education is also giving schools, trusts and local authorities 4G wireless routers, which provides the same type of connection as your smartphone, which can be lent to disadvantaged children.

For more details see gov.uk/guidance/get-help-with-technology-for-remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

Mums are paying the price of being teacher By Miles Dilworth Homeschooling has become a full-time job for single mother Hilary Shanahan. Every Monday morning, her daughter's school sends through a timetable for the week, which includes five hours of work a day. But because she is on furlough, Hilary, 41, can ensure Milly, nine, isn't left to struggle through her worksheets alone. Not everyone has been afforded that small mercy, however. A survey by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) shows 71 per cent of working mothers have had furlough requests turned down after all schools were forced to close on January 5. It follows a poll by campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, which revealed around one in five mothers of primary school children have either been pushed out of their job or quit since Christmas. Mothers say they have been told they can't take a couple of hours off as holiday to support their children. Others have been told to take unpaid leave instead. Heavy workload: Hilary Shanahan (pictured with Milly, nine, and Rory, 10) has been on and off work since the start of the pandemic Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, says: 'We are witnessing a tsunami of mothers exiting the labour force, and this will impact families with young children and our economy. It is a debt we will be paying for decades to come.' The job retention scheme allows bosses to furlough parents who can't work due to a lack of childcare. But more employers are refusing to furlough staff during this lockdown compared to spring. Hilary, a sales administrator from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, has been on and off work since the start of the pandemic and says her current break has been a lifeline. Her son Rory, ten, is still going to school as he has special educational needs, but Hilary says she couldn't cope with the demands of homeschooling her daughter Milly if she was still working full-time. She says Milly's school has increased her workload since the previous lockdown. 'I don't know how successful it would be if the child was left alone,' she adds. 'I don't feel her education is suffering as much with me on hand. If I wasn't on furlough I don't think she could do it.' In July, Money Mail revealed working parents were forfeiting 250million in earnings every week as school and nursery closures forced them to cut down on work to look after their children. But experts warn this lockdown is taking a harder toll as parents are squeezed between schools, who have been told to ramp up work, and employers. Hilary says the 20 per cent reduction in her income has been offset by a fall in costs such as sending her children to clubs. But she admits she is 'worried' that her food bill has gone up by a quarter, and expects her heating costs to double. A quarter of mothers are using annual leave to manage their childcare, according to the TUC. It says nearly one in five mothers reduced their working hours and 7 per cent are taking unpaid leave. One mother, who is looking after a one-year-old and a five-year-old daughter, was 'flatly informed' by her employer that it didn't participate in the furlough scheme. The mother, who did not want to be named, says her eldest child struggles with schoolwork and needs constant support. Her partner's job is seasonal and she says she is 'effectively a single mother at this time of year', but she was refused furlough and told to take unpaid leave. She adds: 'I have managed to do my work, but at the expense of doing any schoolwork. My daughter is being neglected.' The TUC is calling on ministers to introduce a temporary right to furlough for groups who cannot work because of Covid restrictions. It says employers should explore other options first, such as additional paid leave, but that working parents should have the right to take it. Becky O'Connor, head of pensions and savings at Interactive Investor, says: 'It's awful that parents are feeling forced to take a financial hit to cope with homeschooling. There could be lasting consequences for their finances and career prospects.'

Online lessons

O2, Three, Vodafone, EE, BT Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Sky Mobile and Plusnet Mobile have promised to 'zero rate' online education site Oak National Academy for children in England until the end of the academic year.

This means they will be able to access the site, which offers nearly 10,000 free lessons from Early Years Foundation Stage to Year 11, without it eating into their mobile data allowance.

BT

Families can also access the BBC Bitesize study support website via BT Mobile, Plusnet Mobile and EE without needing data.

As part of its Lockdown Learning support scheme, BT is working with the Department for Education to offer unlimited mobile data to children in England with no internet access.

This should be available from the end of January until July. EE and BT Mobile customers must apply through their child's school. For more information visit get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk.

It has also given out Wi-Fi vouchers to schools and charity partners to distribute to families who are not online.

These will allow children to connect to one of BT's five million Wi-Fi hotspots across the UK, although BT estimates just 20 per cent to 30 per cent of homes are in range.

Low-income families can also apply for BT's Basic tariff which costs 10.07 a month for broadband and a phone line.

It is available to those on specific means-tested benefits, such as Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Pension Credit.

BT removed all of its broadband caps in March last year so that customers can have unlimited internet at home.

Its cheapest fibre deal costs 26.99 a month but you must sign up for 24 months and also pay a 19.99 upfront fee.

The average download speed is 36Mbps (megabits per second). You need at least 3Mbps to stream a standard Netflix show or 16Mpbs to download a standard film in around six minutes.

Data help would be a 'godsend' Geraldine Phoenix-Jones, 41, said any help with broadband or getting access to mobile data would be a 'Godsend' for her and daughter Katelyn. She, and husband Christopher, 39, are both unemployed and on benefits. They live with Katelyn, 16, and son Logan, four, in the West Midlands. The couple have been unable to afford the 36 a month they were quoted for home Wi-Fi and don't have any laptops. Geraldine Phoenix-Jones (pictured with son Logan) is unable to afford the 36 a month she was quoted for home wi-fi and doesn't have any laptops Katelyn initially tried to do her schoolwork on her mobile phone. But even if they were to get a laptop, accessing the internet would be as big a problem. Geraldine says: 'I would put 10 on her phone but that only lasted two weeks sometimes when she was going on the internet. We are on benefits so couldn't afford to keep doing that. Times are hard enough at the moment. 'Help with broadband or mobile data would be brilliant. We aren't the only ones in this situation. 'We don't have Wi-Fi at home and no devices, except for my old Nokia phone and my daughter has an old smartphone. This year has been hard. 'We've had to ask for help from the food bank, which was embarrassing enough. Katelyn was given a laptop in the first lockdown by the school, but it was taken off her as it didn't have the software on it to enable her to do the virtual lessons. They said they would get another one, but she is still waiting. 'I rang the school to say she couldn't do the work and as she has a statement for special needs she has been told she can go into school now with the key worker children, but I'd rather she was at home. 'If we had a laptop and internet access she could log on, see her teacher online and do her lessons right now.'

EE

EE's cheapest pay-as-you-go monthly pack costs 10 a month for 4GB data, 100 minutes and unlimited texts. Or you can pay 1 a week for 10MB data, 100 minutes and 200 texts. Its Sim-only 12-month plan is 13 a month and includes 250MB data, unlimited minutes and texts.

02

Families struggling with connectivity can get 40GB free data a month as part of the Department for Education's initiative.

Customers can also access 34 sites without needing data. These include Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk), Money Advice Service (moneyadviceservice.org.uk) and Stepchange (stepchange.org) for financial support; the Samaritans (samaritans.org) and Mind (mind.org.uk) for emotional and mental health help; and educational resource Hungry Little Minds (hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk).

O2 is still calling on businesses to ask employees to donate old smartphones, as part of its Community Calling initiative it launched last month with charity Hubbub.

The aim is to send out 10,000 devices to the UK's most vulnerable and disconnected people with unlimited minutes and texts, plus 6GB of data a month for a year.

The network says it is already seeing the campaign benefit children who need technology for home schooling. For more information see hubbub.org.uk/communitycalling.

O2's cheapest contract starts at 13 a month for 3GB data plus an Oppo A15 handset over 36 months.

On pay as you go, for a minimum top-up of 15 you get 15GB data. Nokia 3.4, Oppo A15 and Oppo A5 2020 handsets are currently available for 99. Sim-only customers can get 6GB for 10, or 12GB for 12.

Shell energy

All plans have unlimited data as standard and customers who are struggling can request payment holidays of up to 90 days or opt for partial payments. Shell says it is helping communities in Coventry, where its head office is based, by donating laptops to a local school.

Shell's most basic broadband costs 21.99 a month for 18 months but you will only get average speeds of 11Mbps.

Its Superfast Fibre costs 27.99 a month for the same term, while its Superfast Fibre Plus is 29.99 a month.

Expect average download speeds of 35Mbps and 63Mbps respectively. Both fibre deals currently offer customers a one-off credit covering three months of the cost.

Net gains with a better deal When searching for the best deal, the first thing you need to do is pop your postcode into a comparison site such as Cable.co.uk, Broadband Choices or Uswitch to find out which deals are available in your area. Bear in mind the contract length, download speeds, data limits as well as additional fees for installation, equipment and postage to send the router. A standard broadband speed is around 11Mbps - which should be enough for browsing the internet and sending emails. But Jonathan Leggett, tech expert from Broadband Choices, says families of three or four people working online simultaneously may need between 30 and 60 Mpbs. If there are five or more of you working or learning at the same time, you may want to consider faster fibre with average speeds of 65 to 100 Mbps. Examples are BT Fibre 2, Plusnet Unlimited Fibre Extra or TalkTalk Fibre 65. Watch out for introductory deals. Some firms may offer cheaper prices for three to six months before it rises, trapping you for up to a year or more. Check if the deal offers a guaranteed fixed price. If it doesn't, the cost could go up within the agreed minimum contract period. If your current broadband service runs on the Openreach phone network, such as BT, EE, Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone, and you are switching to another provider that also uses this network, the new firm will arrange the transfer for you. Each provider should send you a letter to confirm the details and include an estimate of timings. For cable providers - such as Virgin - customers must cancel their existing deal and contact their new provider themselves. The switch should be swift - although it may be longer if you are switching to or from a cable network - and you will rarely be left without internet. If you are, it should not be for more than a few hours. Some firms, including BT, Virgin Media, Sky and TalkTalk, have signed up to a scheme that promises automatic compensation if you suffer service delays. If a provider fails to start a new service on the agreed date you get 5 for every day it is late. However, you may not get this compensation if the reason for the delay is because of coronavirus restrictions. You can also complain to either the Ombudsman Services: Communications or Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme, depending on which your provider is signed up to. For example, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, BT and Plusnet are members of Ombudsman Services. If you are coming to the end of your contract and do not want to switch, try haggling with your provider. Benchmark the prices of rivals and mention any issues you've had with service or connection during the term. Ask for a better deal or whether it can match the prices of others. If you have a reason for not being able to afford the package, mention this, or ask if you can remove services, such as TV channels, you do not use.

Sky

Sky is offering 100GB free mobile data to children as part of the Government scheme. It has also removed broadband download limits.

Its Essential package costs 25 a month for 18 months plus a 19.95 set-up fee. Average download speeds are 11Mbps.

Its Superfast deal is also the same price fixed for 18 months with speeds of 56Mbps but the offer ends today. Its usual price is 32 a month plus the set-up fee.

Talktalk

Broadband packages have always been unlimited and TalkTalk says it is 'having conversations' with the Government to help children who are 'digitally excluded'.

Its cheapest deal is fixed for 18 months and costs 22 a month, plus 4.95 postage for the router. Download speeds average at 38Mbps.

TalkTalk is already working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the North West to provide online access to digitally-excluded jobseekers.

It offers an uncapped, fixed-line service to a whole household for an initial six-month period at cost, with DWP covering the ongoing rental cost and referring eligible customers.

TalkTalk wants to adapt this programme to support schoolchildren too, and is working with the Government and local authorities.

Three

The mobile provider is offering free unlimited mobile data to children with no internet access, as part of the Government's Get Help With Technology scheme.

Pay-as-you-go deals start at 72.99 for a Nokia 1.3 handset, plus a 10 top-up. They include 6GB data, unlimited calls and texts.

A 24-month contract, including a Huawei Y6p or Xiaomi Redmi 9AT, costs 19 upfront and then 10 a month for unlimited calls, text and 1GB of data.

Speeding up connections Test your internet speed using an online checker such as broadbandchoices.co.uk/tools/speed-test or broadband.co.uk/broadband-speed-test/. Make sure your Wi-Fi is protected by a password to stop strangers accessing it - the more people online, the slower the speed. Move your router away from walls, fairy lights, computer speakers, microwaves and doors. Consider updating to a newer model. Update your computer browser and shut down any web pages you are not using. The Advertising Standards Authority sets rules about how companies advertise broadband speeds. They must show the average speed that at least 50 per cent of customers receive at the network's busiest time (8-10pm). Providers should also give a minimum guaranteed speed. If problems persist, speak to your provider.

Virgin

Virgin Mobile is working with the Department for Education to provide free data to children and access to Oak National Academy.

Vulnerable customers on Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go packages can request an extra 500 minutes, 500 text messages and 1GB extra data for free every month.

If a child is using a pay-as-you-go sim, which has been registered to an account holder who has been classed as vulnerable - for example, because of their age, financial situation or a disability - then they would be able to access the package.

Those considered vulnerable on monthly contracts can get unlimited minutes and 10GB of additional data each month. Both offers are available until the end of March.

Virgin's lowest-price sim-only plan is 6 for 3GB per month on a 12-month contract - including unlimited calls and texts.

Virgin Media's Essential broadband is available for customers who receive Universal Credit and costs 15 per month for 15Mbps speed with no fixed-term contract length.

Its cheapest broadband deal for non-vulnerable customers is an 18-month contract at 26.99 a month for fibre, which means average download speeds of 108Mbps - almost ten times faster than standard broadband.

However, Virgin is only available to 53 per cent of households. You must live in areas connected to its street network.

Vodafone

More than 9,000 schools have been given 350,000 sim cards, that include 30GB of data, to distribute to their most disadvantaged children.

Vodafone has also recently joined the Government's Get Help With Technology programme to increase data allowances for children in need and will give unlimited data to customers who join the scheme.

In addition, the company is also offering free and discounted access to four leading online education platforms - Azoomee (azoomee.com), MarcoPolo World School (marcopololearning.com), SchoolOnline.co.uk (schoolonline.co.uk) and New Skills Academy (new skillsacademy.co.uk) - via its VeryMe loyalty programme.

The mobile provider is also asking the public to donate unwanted smartphones and tablets as part of its Great British Tech Appeal.

It will cover postage and packing, add six months free unlimited data connectivity and send out the devices to disadvantaged families, via charity Barnardo's. To donate visit: vodafone.co.uk/techappeal.

Its Voxi brand, which is aimed at under-25s, offers 12GB data for 10 a month, plus unlimited texts and minutes. The contract is flexible and you can leave at any time.

Vodafone pay-as-you-go customers can get a bundle which includes 3GB of data, 250 minutes and unlimited texts for 10 a month.

For 15 the data increases to 6GB. The cheapest contract is 6 a month but you must sign up for a year. This includes 4GB a month data, unlimited minutes and texts.

For unlimited data its 24-month contract costs 22 a month. All packages can be used as hotspots so you can use the data on your computer or laptop.

Alternatively, Vodafone has data-only packages which start at 10 for 2GB to be used over 90 days.

Zen Internet

Customers with home broadband packages have been given unlimited data since March.

The firm is also working with a local charity to refurbish and donate laptops and desktop computers to children. This week it is asking its staff to bring in old laptops for the cause.

Zen's cheapest deal is a 12-month broadband deal for 28 a month, plus a 19.99 set-up fee.

Average download speed is 10Mbps but this is only available to those in remote communities who cannot access fibre.

Its Superfast package, which offers unlimited fibre and average speeds of 35Mbps, costs 29.99 a month plus the activation fee.

a.murray@dailymail.co.uk

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has backed off his demand that Democrats preserve the procedural tool known as the filibuster, easing a standoff with new majority leader Chuck Schumer.

McConnell had initially refused to agree to a plan for organizing the chamber without a promise from the Democrats to protect the filibuster - a key stalling tactic that requires a 60 vote threshold in order to advance most bills - which had been rejected by Schumer.

But as the pair continue to negotiate a power-sharing agreement, McConnell said late Monday he had essentially accomplished his goal after two Democrats said they would not agree to changing the rules.

Without the support of all Democratic senators, a rule change would fail.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (pictured) has backed off his demand that the new Democratic Senate majority preserve the filibuster, easing a standoff with the new Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

McConnell had initially refused to agree to a plan for organizing the chamber without a promise from the Democrats to protect the procedural tool - a requirement Chuck Schumer (pictured) rejected

'With these assurances, I look forward to moving ahead with a power-sharing agreement modeled on that precedent,' McConnell said in a statement. He did not name the Democrats, but West Virginia's Joe Manchin and Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema had expressed reservations with doing away with the tool.

Schumer's office said the Republican leader had no choice but to set aside his demands.

'We're glad Sen. McConnell threw in the towel and gave up on his ridiculous demand,' said Justin Goodman, a spokesman for the Democratic leader. 'We look forward to organizing the Senate under Democratic control and start getting big, bold things done for the American people.'

The filibuster could be used by Republicans as a way to obstruct President Biden's agenda.

The standoff between the two leaders all but ground the Senate to a halt in the early days of the new Democratic majority as the two sides could not organize the chamber's routine operations for committee assignments and resources (file photo)

The standoff between the two leaders all but ground the Senate to a halt in the early days of the new Democratic majority as the two sides could not organize the chamber's routine operations for committee assignments and resources. The stalemate threatened President Joe Biden's ability to deliver on his legislative agenda.

Usually a routine matter, the organizing resolution for the chamber became a power play by McConnell once Democrats swept to control after the Jan. 5 special election in Georgia.

Even though McConnell did away with the 60-vote threshold to confirm President Donald Trump's three nominees to the Supreme Court, he wanted to prevent Democrats from doing the same with Biden's legislative agenda.

Democrats were under pressure from liberal advocates to do away with the filibuster so they could more easily pass Biden's legislative priorities without the need for Republican votes. The Democrats hold the slimmest of majorities in the chamber, 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris able to cast the tie-breaking vote.

Schumer had not said he would end the process, but McConnell was taking no chances. McConnell made the demand to keep the filibuster before agreeing to any other organizing terms for the Senate. Schumer's refusal to do so put the chamber at a standstill.

DRDO develops critical near isothermal forging technology for aero-engines 28 May 2021 | 6:36 PM New Delhi, May 28 (UNI) Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday said that it has established the near isothermal forging technology to produce all the five stages of high-pressure compressors (HPC) discs out of difficult-to-deform titanium alloy using its unique 2000 MT isothermal forge press for aero-engines. see more..

Jaishankar discusses Covid relief, trade and economy ahead of talks with Austin and Blinken Friday 28 May 2021 | 5:11 PM New Delhi, May 28 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed India-US healthcare partnership to address the Covid challenge, and two-way trade, technolgy and business collaboration ahead of his talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Llyod Austin on Friday. see more..

Indian Navy conducts skill development training for maintenance of Oxygen plants 28 May 2021 | 4:15 PM New Delhi, May 28 (UNI) With an aim to run the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Oxygen plants efficiently, the Visakhapatnam Naval Dockyard, under the Eastern Naval Command commenced a Skill Development Training Program on Maintenance of PSA Oxygen Plants based on discussions between the Indian Navy and Niti Ayog. see more..

Construction work, reopening of factories will be allowed from May 31: Kejriwal 28 May 2021 | 4:07 PM New Delhi, May 28 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced that the ongoing COVID-19-induced lockdown will be relaxed for construction work and operation of factories from May 31 onwards keeping the livelihood of daily wagers in the mind as the situation in the National Capital is coming under control. see more..
Two men alleged to have published photos on Twitter of two teenage boys convicted of the murder of a teenage girl have taken a High Court challenge in a bid to prevent them being sent forward for trial to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Kyle Rooney (25), Rathvale Park, Ayrfield, Dublin, and Jamie Shannon (25), Bremor, Castlegate, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, are taking proceedings against the DPP.

The men are challenging a District Court judges refusal last December to accept jurisdiction for summary disposal of the charges in that court and instead adjourn the matter for service of a Book of Evidence.

Both applicants are alleged, contrary to the right of accused and convicted minors to anonymity under the Children Act 2001, to have published photos on their Twitter accounts on or about June 19, 2019 of two boys convicted of the murder of a teenage girl.

Section 51 of the 2001 Act creates a hybrid offence which can be prosecuted summarily in the District Court where the maximum penalty is 12-months imprisonment and/or a fine not exceeding the euro equivalent of 1,500.

When the mens cases were among 10 similar cases which came before the District Court on October 28 2020, the sitting judge, Judge Brian OShea, was informed the DPP had directed summary disposal of the charges.

After the prosecution summarised the nature of the alleged offences, Judge OShea accepted summary jurisdiction in respect of all 10 cases and adjourned them to December 2, 2020.

When the cases returned before the District Court that day, the presiding judge, Judge John Hughes sought and heard an outline of the alleged facts in each case.

He decided the alleged offences were not minor and not fit for summary trial in the District Court. The proceedings have since been adjourned to March 2021 for the DPP to indicate consent to the defendants being sent forward for trial to the Circuit Court where jail terms of up to three years and/or a fine of up to the euro equivalent of 10,000 can be imposed.

On Monday, Conor Devally SC, for Mr Rooney and Mr Shannon, secured leave from Mr Justice Garrett Simons to bring judicial review proceedings aimed at overturning the December 2 order.

It is alleged the refusal of summary jurisdiction concerning both prosecutions, in circumstances where the District Court earlier accepted jurisdiction, was fundamentally unfair, in excess of jurisdiction, breached fair procedures and natural justice, and was not in accordance with law.

Counsel argued, while a change of position by a District Court judge concerning jurisdiction is permitted, District Judge Hughes decision was made in excess of jurisdiction because no new information indicating a greater level of seriousness or moral culpability which was different to the information before Judge OShea had been provided.

The grounds of challenge also include claims District Judge Hughes erred in failing to deal with each prosecution on its own merits and adopting what counsel alleged was a blanket policy in not distinguishing between any of the cases before him in terms of the specific alleged facts, level of severity and/or moral culpability.

In affidavits, Tony Collier, of Ferrys Solicitors, the solicitor for both applicants, said he objected in the District Court on December 2 to Judge Hughes having revisited the issue of jurisdiction.

Mr Collier said he wrote to the DPP on December 8 requesting confirmation by December 11 the prosecutions would be discontinued, failing which he would otherwise take it the matter was proceeding on indictment and judicial review would be pursued.

As matters stand, his clients cases remain adjourned to February 17 for service of a book of evidence on foot of which both applicants face return for trial on indictment to the Circuit Criminal Court, he said.

Mr Justice Simons said he was satisfied the applicants had made an arguable case for judicial review. He also granted a stay on the District Court order pending the outcome of the judicial review.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : India's military might, cultural diversity, social and economic progress were displayed during the 72nd Republic Day celebrations at the majestic Rajpath in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Representing India's strides in indigenous defence technologies, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) contingent this year consisted of two tableaux depicting among others Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Take off from INS Vikramaditya.

Indian Army displayed main battle Tank T-90 Bhishma, infantry combat vehicle Ballway Machine Pikate (BMP-II) -- Sarath, Mobile Autonomous Launcher of the Brahmos Missile system, Pinaka Multi Launcher Rocket System and Samvijay Electronic Warfare System and others.

The other marching contingents of the Army included the Jat Regiment, the Garhwal Regiment, the Mahar Regiment, the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Regiment, the Bengal Sappers and the Territorial Army.

Indian Navy in addition to tableau murals depicted Pakistan Army surrendering, a Petya class ship and Operation X undertaken by divers of Indian Navy and Mukti Bahini and some other ships which took part in the 1971 India-Pakistan War. The Naval contingent comprised 96 sailors and four officers led by Lieutenant Commander Lalit Kumar as Contingent Commander. It was followed by the Naval Tableau titled 'Swarnim Vijay Varsh'.

The Indian Air Force showcased Mi-17 V5, Chinook and Apache helicopters and newly inducted fighter aircraft.

The Air Force contingent, comprising 96 airmen and four officers, was led by Flight Lieutenant Tanik Sharma. It was followed by the Air Force Tableau titled 'Indian Air Force: Touch the Sky with Glory'.

The Air Force tableau showcased scaled down models of Light Combat Aircraft, Light Combat Helicopter, Su-30 MK-I aircraft and Rohini radar against a sky-blue background. The smartly attired officers in their flying overalls stood alongside the models.

Thirty-two tableau -- 17 from states and union territories, nine from various ministries, departments and paramilitary forces and six from the defence ministry, depicting the nation's rich cultural heritage, economic progress and defence prowess rolled down the Rajpath.

School children performed folk arts and crafts displaying skills and dexterity handed down from generations; Bajasal, one of the most beautiful folk dances of Kalahandi, Odisha; Fit India Movement, Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The 122-member proud contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces comprising soldiers of the Bangladesh Army, sailors of the Bangladesh Navy and Air Warriors of the Bangladesh Air Force lead the contingent march on the Rajpath.

The Bangladesh contingent carried the legacy of legendary Muktijoddhas of Bangladesh, who fought against oppression and mass atrocities and liberated Bangladesh in 1971.

The grand event culminated with Rafale aircraft flying at a speed of 900 kilometre per hour carrying out a 'Vertical Charlie'.
North Korea's acting ambassador to Kuwait defected to South Korea with his wife and child in 2019.

Ryu Hyun-woo, as he now calls himself, is the son-in-law of Jon Il-chun, who once managed the North Korean ruling family's secret coffers through the Workers Party division known as Room 39.

Ryu joined the Foreign Ministry after studying Arabic at Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies and was sent to embassy in Kuwait, which also covers Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the U.A.E.

He became acting ambassador when Kuwait expelled the ambassador, So Chang-sik, after the UN Security Council adopted sanctions against North Korea in September 2017 aiming to reduce illegal activities by its diplomatic corps.

Ryu reportedly defected in September 2019 but his defection was kept secret until now to protect him. That was two months after Jo Song-gil, the charge d'affaires at the North Korean Embassy in Italy.

International sanctions targeting North Korea's money-spinning activities abroad dealt a harsh blow to the regime, which leaned even more heavily on its remaining diplomatic corps to bring in valuta by any means possible.

Construction sites in Kuwait had been a lucrative destination for North Korean slave laborers before the UNSC demanded their repatriation.

Ryu reportedly decided to defect because he was worried about repercussions after embassy staff lost portraits of regime founder Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il while cleaning the embassy. "Ryu contemplated suicide but instead drove his car to the South Korean Embassy for the sake of his daughter who was in middle school," a diplomatic source said.

Since arriving here, he has been advising the National Intelligence Service and attending graduate school. His wife has a master's degree in economics from Kim Il-sung University and worked for a think tank in Pyongyang.
Restaurants that rose to face the challenges during lockdown by delivering their extravagant dishes to customers' doorsteps have been rewarded with the ultimate accolades by Michelin judges.

Two female chefs were the standout winners of the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland, which were announced via an online ceremony hosted by Davina McCall on Monday night.

Clare Smyth, who catered for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, saw her Notting Hill restaurant Core going from two to three stars.

It is another accolade for the Northern Irish chef, who previously received the World's Best Female Chef award and was the first and only female chef to run a restaurant with three Michelin stars in the UK, at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.

And Helene Darroze was also recognised among the 'creme de la creme of the world of gastronomy' with a third star for The Connaught in Mayfair, central London.

London, which only gained four new one-star restaurants last year, dominated the guide this year, taking thirteen of the 20 new stars given out.

Clare Smyth saw her Notting Hill restaurant Core go from two to three stars in this year's Michelin Guide

Left, Helene Darroze was also recognised with a third star for The Connaught in Mayfair, central London. Tommy Banks, who runs the Black Swan in Oldstead, North Yorkshire, and Roots in York, also won a star

Tom Aikens was also awarded one Michelin star for Muse, a 25 cover converted Georgian townhouse in Belgravia - which opened last January, just two months before the country was plunged into lockdown

What do the stars mean? ONE STAR High quality cooking, worth a stop TWO STARS Excellent cooking, worth a detour THREE STARS Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey BIB GOURMAND A Bib Gourmand is awarded to restaurants deemed to be both good quality and good value by Michelin's team of inspectors, with those listed having a menu that serves three courses for 28 or under Advertisement

Clare Smyth, who is originally from Northern Ireland, was widely touted to get the third star last year but missed out, with only Instagram-friendly sketch in Mayfair wining the award.

Judges hailed Smyth - whose dishes include Isle of Mull scallop tartare with sea vegetable consomme and Highland Wagyu beef and Porthilly oysters - as 'one of Great Britain's most gifted chefs'.

The judges added: 'It's not just the food that makes a restaurant and, at Core, Clare Smyth really focuses on the whole experience.

'From the moment you arrive, Clare's superb service team put you at ease with their warm welcome and natural pride.'

Her Core at Home menu costs 175 per person, with a minimum two-person order and features her signatures dishes such as Caviar Gougere and Colchester crab tart, and Rhug Estate fallow deer with celeriac and black Perigord truffle.

Smyth has previously spoken out about sexism in the industry, saying it was 'strange' that there were still separate awards for male and female chefs.

Meanwhile French chef Helene Darroze met the pandemic head-on when she launched a luxurious five-course New Year's Eve takeaway menu which cost 295 for two, with a caviar starter for an extra 85.

Seven courses cost 465, making it perhaps the most expensive takeaway in the country.

Her restaurant, The Connaught, had only just reopened at the start of 2020 following a refurbishment, before it was forced to pull down the shutters.

Darroze, was visibly shocked when getting her award, swearing in French: 'Putain.... I don't what to say...'

Judges praised her dishes, which include Westcombe ricotta, Ardi Gasna, voatsiperifery pepper and onion consomme.

Tom Aikens was also awarded one Michelin star for Muse, a 25 cover, converted Georgian townhouse in Belgravia - which opened last January, just two months before the country was plunged into lockdown.

During the pandemic he launched Musette, a 98 at-home rotating menu, seasonal 'extra special meals' and pre-cooked 'sumptuous sharers'.

The menu includes roasted cod with shiitake mushroom broth, cauliflower puree and ricotta gnocchi, 24-hour braised short rib beef with onion tatin and salt-baked beets, with dark chocolate mousse to finish.

Tom Brown, 33, head chef and owner of fish restaurant Cornerstone in Hackney Wick, also received his first Michelin star

Clare Smyth, who is originally from Northern Ireland, was widely touted to get the third star last year but missed out, with only Instagram-friendly sketch in Mayfair wining the award

Helene Darroze's eponymous restaurant at The Connaught in Mayfair was awarded a third Michelin star

Core by Clare Smyth (right), in Notting Hill, west London and Helene Darroze's (left) eponymous restaurant at The Connaught in Mayfair, were both awarded the top gong, taking the capital's total number of three-starred restaurants to five.

Michelin Guide 2021: Which restaurants were awarded prestigious stars this year THREE STARS Helene Darroze at the Connaught, London

Core by Clare Smyth, London TWO STARS A Wong, London

Da Terra, London (promoted from one star)

Restaurant Story, London ONE STAR Osip, Bruton, Somerset Sola, Soho, London Muse, Belgravia, London Latymer, Bagshot, Surrey Casa Fofo, London Pea Porridge, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk Cail Bruich, Glasgow Roots, York Cornerstone, Hackney, London Davies & Brook, London Outlaw's New Road, Port Isaac, Cornwall Hide & Fox, Kent Behind, London Benares, London Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall Dede, Baltimore Restaurant Hjem, Northumberland GREEN STARS The Black Swan at Oldstead, York Angela's, Margate Inis Meain, Aran Islands Inver, Strachur Kai, Galway Oxo Tower Brasserie, Southwark Henry Robertson at Pale Hall, Llandderfel Petersham Nurseries Cafe, Richmond The Dining Room at Whatley Manor, Malmesbury The Small Holding, Kilndown Where the Light Gets In, Stockport Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire The Ethicurean, Wrington Hypha, Chester Tredwells, Strand and Covent Garden, London L'Enclume, Cartmel, Cumbria Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham River Cottage Kitchen, Axminster Silo, Hackney, London Loam, Galway New Yard, Helston Coombeshead Farm, Lewannick Daylesford Organic Farm, Stow-on-the-Wold BIB GOURMANDS Goldie in Cork The Stag & Hounds in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire; The Square in Porthleven, Cornwall Table Forty One in Gorey, Co. Wexford Spitalfields pub in Dublin Noto in Edinburgh The Royal in St-Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex The Kentish Hare in Bidborough, Kent Volpe Nera in Dublin Peckham Cellars, Legare in Southwark, Fallow and Mo Diner in Mayfair, Paradise in Soho, Volta do Mar in Covent Garden Flor in Borough Market Advertisement

Aikens, who has appeared on BBC2's The Great British Menu in 2014, was the youngest British chef awarded two Michelin stars at the age of 26.

Speaking after his win, he said: 'What an unimaginable and challenging year we have all had, but every cloud has a silver lining, thank you Michelin!

'Despite the current circumstances, we sincerely hope and believe that we will all be able to get back to doing what we love soon, as our journey has only just begun and we have a lot more in store for you all.'

Elsewhere, there were some 17 newly starred restaurants in this year's guide including Andy Benyon's eatery Behind, in London Fields - which has only traded for 20 days since it opened last October.

Tom Brown, 33, head chef and owner of fish restaurant Cornerstone in Hackney Wick, also received his first Michelin star.

He has done live Instagram classes through lockdown, teaching people how to make the most of their kitchen during quarantine.

Brown took to Instagram to show off a tattoo to mark the occasion.

'The proudest moment of my career so far, but I genuinely cant take the credit for this... its all down to my incredible staff who give so much and work so hard every day, thank you so much,' he wrote.

Tommy Banks, who runs the Black Swan in Oldstead, North Yorkshire, was awarded one Michelin star for Roots in York.

During lockdown he launched a simple 'make-away' that contains two three-course meals, largely using produce grown by The Black Swan and local farmers.

Dishes are ready-to-eat or only require heating up and the menu includes Black Swan tomatoes and Amalthea goats' cheese tart, chilled courgette soup, chicken and lovage gratin and slow-cooked pork, financier cake.

Meanwhile, Glasgow got it's first star in 17 years as French-Scottish restaurant Cail Bruich was included in the book.

The restaurant, which is run by Lorna McNee, serves the likes of hand-rolled pasta, wild mushroom, madeira, pecorino and olive oil sponge cake - but its menu changes seasonally and uses local ingredients.

London also has three new two-Michelin-starred restaurant and seven new one-star diners.

All the three star restaurants from 2020 maintained their place on the list, and there were no big name loses. Mayfair's Araki which lost all three stars last year did not gain a place in the red book.

Those that lost their stars included Japanese restaurant Umu in London, which was demoted from two stars to one.

Jason Atherton's Social Eating House and Henrik Riston's Aquavit, both in London, lost their one star, while five Michelin-starred restaurants closed in 2020 so weren't including in the book: - The Ledbury, The Greenhouse, Roganic, Alyn Williams at the Westbury, Texture, and The Square.

In London, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Sketch (The Lecture Room & Library), and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay kept their three stars.

Outside of London, there are two three-starred restaurants in the UK and Ireland; The Fat Duck by Heston Blumenthal and the Waterside Inn, both in Bray, Berkshire.

A Wong, also in London, became the first Chinese restaurant in the UK to get two stars, joining Da Terra and Restaurant Story amid the winners of a prestigious second star.

Speaking on winning his award, chef Andrew Wong said: 'We try to represent China as a whole, all it's regions, and its three thousands years of gastronomic history'.

Gordon Ramsay-alumnus Tom Aikens' restaurant in Belgravia, Muse, also gained a star, in a pre-recorded zoom video, he said, 'Wow, that's amazing, I'm so happy.'

For the first time, the red book - which is only being published digitally this year - also released 'Green Stars' for restaurants showing outstanding commitment to sustainability.

'Launching a brand new distinction dedicated to sustainable gastronomy shows that our recognition of restaurants goes beyond the search for the best cooking. It enables us to also turn the spotlight on those with a great sense of responsibility towards the environment', said Gwendal Poullennec said.

Whether these restaurants are champions of local produce, pioneers in the fight against food waste or leaders in vegetable growing, they are selected on the basis of research, fieldwork and investigation carried out by the inspectors.

A Wong, also in London, became the first Chinese restaurant in the UK to get two stars, joining Da Terra and Restaurant Story amid the winners of a prestigious second star

Glasgow got it's first star in 17 years as French-Scottish restaurant Cail Bruich was included in the book

Restaurant Story, in Southwark, south London, gained it's second Michelin star in 2020

Jason Atherton's Social Eating House and Henrik Riston's Aquavit (pictured), both in London, lost their one star, while five Michelin-starred restaurants closed in 2020 so weren't including in the book: - The Ledbury, The Greenhouse, Roganic, Alyn Williams at the Westbury, Texture, and The Square.

Meanwhile, Tom Brown, of Cornerstone in Hackney also picked up his first star, and took to Instagram to show off a tattoo to mark the occasion. 'The proudest moment of my career so far, but I genuinely cant take the credit for this... its all down to my incredible staff who give so much and work so hard every day, thank you so much,' he wrote.

For the first time, the red book - which is only being published digitally this year - also released 'Green Stars' for restaurants showing outstanding commitment to sustainability, which included the OXO Tower

By awarding Michelin Green Stars, the Michelin Guide wants to highlight the best and most innovative practices in order to inspire not only the industry, but also all the readers and users of the Michelin Guide.

The ceremony usually takes place in October, but was pushed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and was hosted virtually by Davina McCall in London and Gwendal Poullennec, in Paris.

Michelin said it began work on the guide in August 2019 - while restaurants were still open, meaning many were able to be inspected before restaurants closed in lockdown.

Awards also included the Service Award, which went to Noble Holywood in County Down, the Sommelier Award went to Karina Canevet of Maison Bleue in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk and The Young Chef Award recognised Kray Treadwell of 670 Grams in Birmingham.

The Mentor Chef Award went to Ross Lewis of Chapter One in Dublin.

Speaking at the launch, Gwendal Poullennec said: 'This has been a hugely challenging period for the hospitality industry and our thoughts remain with all those who have suffered from the pandemic and by the restrictions that have been put in place.'

He continued: 'We were heartened by the number of chefs who called us during the year to ensure we were still going ahead with the Guide and our yearly awards.

'The Michelin Guide is about so much more than recognising those at the top of their profession; it is about promoting the hospitality industry as a whole and we want to shine a light on the hard work, tenacity and commitment of chefs and restaurant teams.'

By postponing publication for a few months and by making the Guide digital only, the inspectors were able to work on this edition for over 16 months, which meant the lockdowns could be easily absorbed into the working period.

They have used the same methodology and looked for the same standards as they do in any year.

There are also 16 new Bib Gourmand, our award for restaurants offering good food at competitive prices. These range from Peckham Cellars and Fallow in London to Noto in Edinburgh, Spitalfields in Dublin and Volpe Nera in Blackrock.
Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim prepares to speak during a press conference in Mexico City, on Jan 19, 2010. Carlos Slim is now the world's richest man, according to Forbes magazine's latest list of billionaires. (Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images)

Mexican Billionaire Carlos Slim Has COVID-19

MEXICO CITYThe son of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim announced Monday that his father has COVID-19 and is responding to treatment.

Carlos Slim Domit wrote in his Twitter account that his 80-year-old father started having minor symptoms a week ago, and has gone to one of the countrys foremost hospitals for care.

The son said the National Nutrition Institute had given his father tests, monitoring, and timely treatment. With Mexico Citys hospitals at 89 percent capacity, many city residents have had a very difficult time finding a hospital with room for a sick relative.

He is very well and has had a very favorable development, Slim Domit wrote.

The elder Slim was once listed as the worlds richest man, though he and his family now stand at number 12 on the Forbes Richest list, with an estimated fortune of around $52 billion.

The announcement came one day after President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced he had tested positive for coronavirus. It was unlikely the two cases were related; Slim does not frequently see the president.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Winter months can be hard on Minnesota's deer population.

Deep snow, frigid temperatures, and a lack of accessible food contribute to this.

Every year, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources uses a variety of factors, called a severity index, to determine just how harsh the winter was on the white tail deer population.

The DNR says it felt the severity index was set too high, so they lowered the threshold.

Here's an overview of how it works.

A severe winter is categorized as 120 or more points on the severity index.

A point is accumulated each day when there is more than 15 inches of snow on the ground.

Another factor taken into account is below zero temperatures.

Every day the temperature dips below zero, one point is added to the severity index.

Severe winters used to be 180 points and above.

Now the threshold is 120.

Based on what we had seen in the past, that the thresholds for severe winter were maybe set too high and that we were seeing increased mortality events, even at lower severity indexes," says Brandon Schad, the Rochester Area Wildlife Supervisor.

He says this winter has been a pretty mild winter, but he says that could always change these next few months.
Ian Paisley has accused the Irish Government of being "all mouth and no trousers" because it has not shared travel locator documents with Northern Ireland.

The North Antrim MP insisted it was not plausible for the Republic to blame GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) constraints, adding the Irish Government needs to do more.

Under current north-south cooperation in handling the Covid pandemic, travellers arriving in Dublin are to provide details of where people are staying to Northern Ireland authorities.

This means anyone flying into Dublin from around the world has been able to travel to Northern Ireland unchecked since the start of the pandemic.

However, it has emerged that passengers arriving in the Republic without proof of a negative Covid-19 test will be held in quarantine for up to two weeks under plans agreed by the Irish Cabinet Committee on Covid-19. Although Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has insisted the plans would "not be fully effective", and it would need to be in place for a year.

Ian Paisley told the Claire Byrne Show on Monday evening that the Irish Government was not backing up its rhetoric with action.

"People talk about an all-island Covid strategy...and even set up all-Ireland units , but when they don't even share travel locator forms between the two jurisdictions on this island, I think quite frankly those things are all mouth and no trousers."

His comments came after north-south covid co-operation was strained after Taoiseach Micheal Martin had said that his "understanding" that the authorities here were not testing for the new variant of Covid-19.

That claim was described as misleading by the Department of Health and First Minister on Monday said Mr Martin had since accepted Northern Ireland was testing for the new variant.

Mr Paisley added: "You can can easily pay lip service to those things... It's about GDPR. Really? That's the excuse it's all been about. I think the Irish Government has the responsibility to say that if really cares about it citizens, and really cares about on this island we are all safe, then share the locator forms.

"Stop messing about, stop making it an excuse".

Mr Paisley also insisted that the Executive has been asking for the forms since last March, and when asked if it was time for both governments "to take advantage of the fact we are an island", he stressed it was "too simplistic" an approach.

Using New Zealand, which is made up of two islands, "as an example", he said: "You can actually have a British Isles approach. we can actually share our experiences and use our power together as two nations.

"And that would be a far better way of approaching this... We are not going to close ourselves off from our nation's capital, or the other part of our country.

"That's just not going to happen... and I do believe we can control things around the border. And that surely would be in everybody's interest."

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The DUP MP's comments come after Tanaiste Leo Varadkar stressed he would be against closing the border completely as a way of tackling covid.

Mr Varadkar told the programme: "We not one state on this island, but we are one country. People who live their on both sides of the border - cross-border workers, families."

He dismissed any suggestion of quarantine measure or mass testing being introduced for people travelling back and forth over the border."

"What I would like to see of course is an all-island approach. That's not possible because of the politics in the north between Sinn Fein and the DUP and so on."

He explained that if the Republic opted for strict quarantine measures for visitors, it would not work because of the border, given visitors coming to Northern Ireland from elsewhere. He also emphasised that such a measure to work effectively, it would need to be in place for a "year", putting Christmas with families and summer holidays "off the agenda".

He added that an "two-island approach" with the UK was very attractive, but stressed travel between Great Britain and the Republic wouldn't be allowed until cases were "very low".
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 02:03:17|Editor: huaxia

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DAMASCUS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Pro-government fighters found a mass grave with nine bodies in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour on Tuesday, a war monitor reported.

The nine bodies belong to Islamic State (IS) militants who were killed during battles with the Syrian government forces years ago, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In October 2020, a Syrian tribe uncovered a mass grave with the bodies of 26 people killed by the IS militants in Deir al-Zour in 2014.

The IS has lost key areas across Syria but is still now present in the desert region stretching from the countryside of Deir al-Zour to the central province of Homs. Enditem
Russian Prime Minister orders allocation of $120 mln for benefits to aid workers

 government.ru

17:21 26/01/2021

MOSCOW, January 26 (RAPSI) - Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin has signed an order to allocate over 9 billion rubles ($120 million) for payments toward social workers involved in the work will people infected with coronavirus and other at-risk persons.

The aid workers must receive the money in the first half of 2021.

The benefits will be paid to those who take care of the COVID-19 infected persons and patients of nursing homes and other socially oriented organizations. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin ordered to support social workers.
A new report issued by the UK-based charity Oxfam International ahead of this week's virtual World Economic Forum, which is usually held annually in Davos, Switzerland, underlines the effect of government policies enacted in response to the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic. The report shows that deliberate policies enacted by capitalist governments around the world have resulted in a further concentration of wealth within the financial oligarchy, while exacerbating already historic levels of global wealth inequality.

A homeless man is given assistance by a homeless outreach worker in the 207th Street station for the A train, Thursday, April 30, 2020, in the Manhattan borough of New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Testifying to the interconnected character of the global capitalist system, the report notes that for the first time since 1870, the oldest tax records available to Oxfam, per capita incomes are expected to decline in all regions." It continues: "This means it is likely that COVID-19 will drive up inequality in virtually every country on earth simultaneously. This will be the first time that this has happened since records of inequality began, over a century ago.

Annual reports from Oxfam have for years highlighted the ever-worsening inequality endemic to the capitalist system. In the latest report, the authors write: The total number of billionaires nearly doubled in the ten years after the financial crisis of 2008, and between 2017-2018 a new billionaire was created every two days. Meanwhile, Oxfam estimates that globally 56 percent of the population lives on between $2 and $10 a day.

While more than three billionaires were being minted every week before the pandemic emerged, Oxfam notes that billions of people were already living on the edge... they did not have any resources or support to weather the economic and social storm it created. Over three billion people did not have access to health care, three-quarters of workers had no access to social protection like unemployment benefits or sick leave, and in low- and lower-middle income countries over half of workers were in working poverty.

The report notes that while millions of workers the world over have lost their jobs, wealth and loved ones over the last year, billionaires' collective wealth increased by a stupefying $3.9 trillion between March 18 and December 31, 2020. The 10 richest pandemic profiteers, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazons Jeff Bezos, Zhong Shanshan, founder of beverage company Nongfu Spring, and Microsofts Bill Gates, have seen their wealth increase by over $540 billion over the same period.

The $540 billion hoarded by just 10 people, Oxfam writes, is more than enough to prevent anyone on Earth from falling into poverty because of the virus and to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine for all.

Collectively, the worlds billionaires, less than 2,300 people, control approximately $11.95 trillion in wealth, which Oxfam notes is the equivalent to what G20 governments (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union) have spent collectively in response to the pandemic.

While billionaires wealth and lives have been protected throughout the pandemic, COVID-19 infection and mortality rates, Oxfam notes, have a clear social gradient." It explains: "COVID-19 mortality in the most deprived 10 percent areas in England is twice that of the least deprived 10 percent. Similar trends have been reported in France, Brazil, Nepal, Spain and India.

While governments the world over have spent relatively little on measures to contain and eradicate the coronavirus, which has so far killed more than 2.1 million people worldwide430,000 of these deaths in the US alonethey have opened their coffers to provide the financial oligarchy with trillions of dollars in bailouts. At the same time that have demanded that workers risk their lives in disease-ridden workplaces and schools in order to continue the extraction of surplus labor value.

The clearest example of this was the quickness with which the worlds top billionaires recovered their wealth after the pandemic sent stocks plummeting in March 2020. Oxfam noted that it took the worlds top 1,000 billionaires nine months to recover their wealth, while it may take the world's poor, which Oxfam estimates to have increased between 200 and 500 million globally throughout the pandemic, over a decade to return to pre-crisis levels.

The resulting growth of inequality and further concentration of wealth for a select few are the result of deliberate policy choices implemented by capitalist governments around the world, placing profits before lives.

This was seen in the US with the rapid and near unanimous passage of the multi-trillion-dollar CARES Act at the end of March 2020. The bill did not allocate billions to workers and their families to allow them to stay home while resources were used to train and hire thousands of doctors and nurses to care for the sick, implement a nationwide testing and contact tracing program, or build new hospitals.

Instead, the bipartisan measure provided a pittance to jobless workers, essentially blackmailing workers to go back on the job, while providing Wall Street with unlimited funds through quantitative easing policies via the Federal Reserve. This class policy safeguarded and increased the wealth of the ruling class, whose fortunes are predicated on the never-ending rise of the stock market.

While the CARES Act provided a one-time $1,200 check for adults and short-term enhanced unemployment benefits, the expiration of these benefits has since led to an increase in poverty in the US, according to new research by the University of Chicagos Harris School of Public Policy and the University of Notre Dame.

The authors of the study note that while poverty declined in the first few months of the pandemic, from 10.8 percent in January 2020 down to 9.3 percent in June, by the end of July, which saw the expiration of the $600 unemployment payments enacted in the CARES Act, poverty began to increase in the following months, ending December 2020 at 11.8 percent. The increase of 2.5 percentage points from July translates to some 8.1 million people, nearly equivalent to the population of Switzerland.

Anywhere between 200 and 500 million people around the world have been pushed into poverty this year, and roughly 3 billion people prior to the pandemic survived on less than $5.50 a day, or about $2,000 a year. The Oxfam report cites analysis by the World Bank that estimates that as of October 7, 2020, the pandemic had pushed between 88 and 115 million people into extreme poverty, that is, surviving on less than $1.90 a day, or about $694 a year.

The widening inequality was reflected, Oxfam notes, in the fact that the top 25 US corporations earned 11 percent more profits in 2020 compared with the previous year, while small businesses in the US looked likely to lose over 85 percent of their profits in the second quarter of the year.

Ever rising corporate profits and the increasing wealth of billionaires is due to deliberate policy decisions. Oxfam writes that between 1985 and 2019, the global average statutory corporate tax rate fell from 49 percent to 23 percent, and since 1980 the top rate of personal income tax in the US has almost halved, from 70 percent to 37 percent. On top of losses due to lower tax rates, the Tax Justice Network estimates that countries are losing a total of over $427 billion in tax each year to international corporate tax abuse and private tax evasion, costing countries altogether the equivalent of nearly 34 million nurses annual salaries every year--or one nurses annual salary every second.

While the concentration of wealth is most starkly expressed in the US, the same processes are taking place throughout the world. Oxfam notes that between March and August 2020, billionaires in the Middle East and North Africa increased their wealth by 20 percent, almost five times the value of the United Nations COVID-19 humanitarian appeal for the region. Likewise, in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the combined wealth of billionaires increased by 17 percent between March and July 2020... more than five times the amount needed to prevent 12.4 million people from falling into extreme poverty in the LAC region for a year.

The latest Oxfam report is a damning indictment of the capitalist system, but like previous reports issued by the charity, it fails to correctly identify the problem and therefore offers reactionary solutions for dealing with the historic crisis. Adopting the identity politics language of the postmodernists, the authors point to patriarchy, structural racism and ingrained... white supremacy as the root causes of injustice and poverty.

Ignoring their own findings, which clearly show that global inequality is not a question of race or gender but the capitalist economic system, the authors advocate for world governments to move beyond measuring the Gross Domestic Product of a country as a measure of economic success and well-being, and instead adopt new indicators centered around wellbeing, sustainable development, inequality, and the environment. The authors positively cite the capitalist government of New Zealand as an example.

The fact is that despite nearly a decade of such reports and recommendations from Oxfam, the situation has only worsened. With the pandemic, which the World Socialist Web Site has identified as a trigger event in world history, similar to the outbreak of World War I, the solution will not be found in appealing to the current ruling elites for change. Just as soldiers in the war were sent to the trenches to die for each warring nation's bourgeoisie over 100 years ago, teachers are being funneled back into deadly classrooms in order to watch children so parents can risk infection by going to work in order to keep the profits flowing upward.

And while President Joe Biden and the Democratic party utilize the same language Oxfam employs, pledging to combat white supremacy and patriarchy, the fact is that both accept capitalism as unquestionable and eternal. Their solutions are nothing but hot air meant to dissipate growing social anger towards the existing system and chloroform the international working class from carrying out its historic tasks.

The only path to eliminating inequality and creating an economy and world that provide from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs is for the working class to take political power in every country. Workers and young people making the decision to form Rank-and-File Safety Committees across the US and internationally and become members of the Socialist Equality Party is the first step in making this necessity a reality.
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The full bench for resolving legal matters with the High Court of Cassation and Justice (Supreme Court, ed. n.) decided that it is a crime for a person to open and use an account on a social network in the name of another person, where information, photos and video images are posted without the latter's consent.

The supreme court was notified by the Brasov Court of Appeal in order to issue a preliminary ruling to resolve a legal issue, in a case in which a man was sentenced in the first instance to 3 years and 8 months in prison for blackmail, computer forgery and violation of privacy, after opening a fake account on a social network and on an adult site in the name of his former girlfriend, where he posted photos and videos compromising with the latter.

According to the indictment, in December 2018, the man threatened his former girlfriend that, if she did not resume her relationship with him, he would release on the internet several photos that showed her naked and videos in which the two were having intercourse.

The man later created a profile with the woman's name on an adult site, where he posted photos of her naked and a video in which the two had sexual intercourse, as well as a fake Facebook profile with the name of the wronged party, from where he sent photos of the naked woman to a third party.

At the trial of the appeal, the judges of the Brasov Court of Appeal decided to refer the matter to the High Court of Cassation and Justice with a ruling on a matter of law: "If the deed of opening and using an account on a social network open to the public (network that does not require evidence which shows the use of the real name by the account holder), providing as username the name of another person and entering real data targeting that person (information, photos, videos, etc.) achieves the typical conditions of the crime of forgery, provided for by Article 325 of the Criminal Code, with reference to the requirements that the action of entering computer data be performed without right and, respectively, to result in information not conforming to the truth".

The Brasov Court of Appeal motivated the referral by the fact that in similar cases regarding the commission of a computer fraud offence by creating false accounts on social networks, the courts gave contrary decisions, from conviction to acquittal or change of legal classification.

The supreme court ruled in this case that it is indeed a crime to open and use an account on a social network on behalf of another person, without the latter's consent.
NJ Transit launched its redesign of 38 bus routes that radiate from Newark to destinations as far away as Somerville, Hackensack and Parsippany, starting with an online survey and the beginning of meetings with community members.

For those who dont have access to computers or the internet, NJ Transit will directly reach out to community and faith-based groups in the greater Newark area with the support of the city to better understand their members needs, said Jim Smith, an agency spokesman.

NJ Transit also plans to work with educational institutions, businesses and community leaders to help identify needs for the bus network and the best way to connect with their constituents, he said.

A draft of the service recommendations are anticipated in late spring 2021, Smith said.

The start of the redesign answers a call by transit advocates for a clean sheet of paper makeover of bus routes that carried 156,000 people before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

NewBus Newark is a new initiative to redesign the 38 bus routes that radiate from the the greater Newark area like a spider web.

The first steps started Monday with an online rider survey about where passengers go, destinations they ride to, and a website about the project at njtransit.com/newbus. Later this week, representatives will meet with regional stakeholders to start the process of designing a new local bus network that will serve the community best.

The redesign begins to answer what transit advocates asked for in 2019, a clean sheet of paper bus network redesign. In Sept. 2019, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign and Regional Plan Association released a plan that called for making over bus routes as one of several recommendations.

That plan, A New Ride for New Jersey, said some routes havent seen major change since NJ Transit was started in 1979. It suggested NJ Transit should better use data and metrics to redesign them. Copies of the bus report were sent to NJ Transit, Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders.

NJ Transits announcement is a big step toward modernizing the states public transit system, said Kevin Garcia, Tri-State New Jersey bus program coordinator. Bus riders have been suffering for years with outdated bus routes that do not match todays commuter needs, unreliable service, and a disjointed network that is not fully integrated with other modes of transit.

On July 15, NJ Transit hired Transportation Management & Design, Inc. of Carlsbad, California, for $580,706 to conduct the bus system redesign. TMDs website also cited the need for redesign of a system that has remained relatively static for decades, despite revitalization in downtown Newark and significant changes and growth in the surrounding cities.

NJ Transit officials said changing ridership patterns caused by the coronavirus pandemic made this a good time to reexamine the bus system. During the early pandemic, NJ Transit changed schedules and equipment to meet the commuting demands of essential workers who were relying on buses, especially in Newark.

The NewBus Newark initiative includes a detailed performance analysis of the 38 local bus routes, assessment of the current transit market and using these findings alongside community input to design a new intrastate bus network for the Newark region.

This is just the beginning. NJ Transits 2030, 10-Year Strategic Plan specifically identifies redesigning the bus network to better align service with demand and improve service quality, Smith said.

This supports the plans goal to power a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all communities, he said. This initiative is anticipated to be the initial phase of future bus network redesign.

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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.
The first COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. require two doses a few weeks apart.

People should get some degree of protection within two weeks of the first shot, with the second shot bringing about the vaccines full protection. For the vaccine by Pfizer and Germanys BioNTech, the second shot is supposed to be after three weeks. For Moderna, its four weeks.

But how closely those guidelines should be followed has been a point of difference for the United States and the United Kingdom, which has been rolling out the Pfizer vaccine and one by Astrazeneca that requires two doses given four weeks apart.

To get more first shots into people and give them at least some degree of protection, the UK says its OK to delay the boosters for as long as 12 weeks. But that strategy has been nixed in the U.S., where regulators say theres no science backing the approach.

A major concern is that its unknown how long the partial protection from one dose can last. There is no data to demonstrate that protection after the first dose is sustained after 21 days, Pfizer said.

U.S. regulators agreed, saying too few people in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine studies missed their scheduled boosters to have enough data to show the strategy might work.

The timing of the shots doesnt have to be exact in the U.S., though; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the second shots can be given up to four days earlier or later.
King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh. (PC-AFP)

At least one loud explosion shook Riyadh on Tuesday, AFP correspondents reported, three days after the kingdom intercepted a projectile over the Saudi capital.

There was no immediate reaction from authorities in Saudi Arabia, which has come under repeated missile or drone attack from Huthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen since 2015.

An explosion rattled windows across the Saudi capital at around 1:00 pm (1000 GMT), AFP correspondents and residents said. Some residents reported hearing two blasts on social media.

Saudi Arabia reopens borders closed due to COVID-19

On Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government against the Huthis, said it had intercepted and destroyed a "hostile air target" heading towards Riyadh, state television reported.

The brief statement did not identify the source of the target and the Huthis said they were not involved.

Riyadh's King Khaled International Airport said there were a number of flight delays following Saturday's incident.

Saudi Arabia has led a military intervention against the Huthis since 2015 and has repeatedly been targeted with cross-border attacks.

It is rare, however, for drones or missiles launched by the Huthis to reach the kingdom's capital -- about 700 kilometres (435 miles) from the border.

The incident comes only days after Joe Biden was sworn in as US president, replacing Donald Trump.

On Monday, the new administration froze sanctions on dealings with the Huthis for one month as it reviews a terror blacklisting imposed under Trump that aid groups warn will aggravate a humanitarian crisis.

Relief groups say they have no alternative but to deal with the rebels, who control much of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.
Ashley Egelhoff, assistant winemaker at Honig Vineyard and Winery in Rutherford and a member of the Wine Institutes environmental committee, said the rules released last week had been improved from an initial draft  which Egelhoff called daunting  that shed originally seen around spring of 2019.

In a lot of ways, the final draft was better than the original, and there were a lot of improvements that were made, she said. But the new regulations will still be highly costly to eligible wineries, according to Egelhoff, who said the cost of complying with the order for the average Napa Valley winery would include a one-time enrollment fee plus the continual cost of an engineering consultant to assess wastewater systems and then draw and test samples over time.

California winemakers generate $71 billion for the state economy. In Sonoma County, where the wine grape crop is valued at $778 million, the economic impact of the industry is estimated at $12.4 billion, accounting for one out of every four jobs, according to Sonoma County Vintners.

State water regulators have provided a three-year window for permitting and another five years for wineries to come into compliance with the order, something industry officials praised.
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SHANGHAI, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Asieris Pharmaceuticals announced today that the company has entered into a license agreement with Photocure ASA (Photocure, PHO: OSE) to exclusively register and commercialize Hexvix in Mainland China and Taiwan. Hexvix is a drug that preferentially accumulates in bladder cancer cells, making them glow bright pink during Blue Light Cystoscopy (BLC). It is expected to meet a strong unmet need in the diagnosis and resection of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) in Mainland China and Taiwan.

Hexvix is indicated for the cystoscopic detection of bladder cancer, including papillary tumors and carcinoma in situ (CIS). When used with BLC, the fluorescence from tumor tissue appears bright pink, whereas the background normal tissue appears dark blue. It has been approved in the US and many countries throughout Europe, but is not yet available in Mainland China and Taiwan. The use of Hexvix with BLC is recommended in the global expert consensus guidelines for the management of NMIBC.

"Expanding our business geographically is a strategic priority at Photocure, and we are very pleased to partner with Asieris to commercialize Hexvix in both Mainland China and Taiwan," said Dan Schneider, President and CEO of Photocure. "This marks our second strategic agreement with Asieris, a well-run and well-capitalized company that is executing ahead of plan on the clinical development of Cevira, which we licensed to them in July 2019. Asieris solely focuses on the development and commercialization of innovative products in the field of genitourinary diseases, and we look forward to collaborating with them to bring the important benefits of Hexvix to patients suffering from bladder cancer in Mainland China and Taiwan."

"Photocure is a global leader in bladder cancer management, and we are very excited to add a second product from Photocure to our pipeline. We want to make this breakthrough technology available to physicians and patients in China as soon as possible," said Kevin Pan Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Asieris. "Hexvix adds a great deal of synergy to Asieris' strategic focus on genitourinary cancers and other diseases. Together with our drug candidates for NMIBC treatment in the clinical development, Asieris is building up a combination of potentially the most advanced technologies in order to provide the best care for NMIBC patients in China."

About Photocure ASA

Photocure: The Bladder Cancer Company delivers transformative solutions to improve the lives of bladder cancer patients. Our unique technology, which makes cancer cells glow bright pink, has led to better health outcomes for patients worldwide. Photocure is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE: PHO). For more information, please visit us at www.photocure.com, www.hexvix.com or www.cysview.com

About Asieris

Asieris strives to become a leading pharmaceutical company focusing on genitourinary tumors and related diseases. Asieris adheres to a growth strategy driven by in-house research and development, supplemented by in-licensing, to rapidly establish a leadership position in the field of focus. Asieris currently has multiple products under late-stage clinical development and owns proprietary platforms for the discovery of new antitumor and antimicrobial drugs. Asieris has offices and operations in Shanghai, Beijing, and Taizhou City of Jiangsu Province in Mainland China, Philadelphia in the US, and London in UK. For more information, please visit us at www.asieris.com.

About Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC)

According to Globocan (2018), bladder cancer is the tenth most common type of cancer worldwide, with an estimated 549,000 new cases and 200,000 deaths every year. Among them, 75%  85% is non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Currently, the common diagnosis and treatment of NMIBC are white light cystoscopy followed by Trans-Urethral Resection of Bladder Tumors (TURBT). Because of high tumor recurrence after TURBT, intravesical chemo- or immuno-therapies are required after the procedure.

SOURCE Asieris
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - Cairo Resources Inc. (TSXV: QAI.H) ("Cairo"), a capital pool company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding letter agreement (the "Letter Agreement") dated January 26, 2021 with Bangles Gold Pty Ltd. ("Bangles") in respect of a proposed business combination (the "Proposed Transaction"). It is anticipated that the Proposed Transaction will constitute the "Qualifying Transaction" of Cairo in accordance with Policy 2.4 - Capital Pool Companies of the Exchange.

About Bangles

Bangles is a private company existing under the laws of Australia and is based in Floreat, Western Australia, and, immediately prior to closing of the Proposed Transaction, will have 1,500,000 common shares (the "Bangles Shares") outstanding, and no outstanding securities exchangeable or convertible into Bangles Shares.

Bangles is the holder of a 100% legal and beneficial interest in three (3) exploration licence applications ("ELA's") located in New South Wales ("NSW"), Australia. ELA 6056, ELA 6058 and ELA 6059 cover an area of ~680 km2 over sections of the mineralised Koonenberry Fault and associated secondary faults and splays located in the north west of NSW, Australia. Geoscientists from the Geological Survey of NSW ("GSNSW") have concluded that "mineralisation styles and structural development in the Koonenberry Orogenic Belt are remarkably similar to the Victorian Goldfields in the Western Lachlan Orogen" (Greenfield and Reid, 2006). In their detailed assessment and comparison, they highlighted similarities in the style of mineralisation, mineral associations, metal associations, hydrothermal alteration, structural setting, timing of metamorphism and the age of mineralisation, association with I-type magmatism, and the character of the sedimentary host rocks. Mineralisation in the Koonenberry region is classified as orogenic gold and is typical of turbidite-hosted/slate-belt gold provinces (Greenfield and Reid, 2006). The region hosts the historic Albert Goldfield, which was discovered in the late 1800s and was centred on several gold mining centres located through out the district.

The Koonenberry region is an emerging gold district, with significant interest being shown by listed and unlisted explorers of late. This includes Australian Stock Exchange listed Manhattan Corporation Ltd. and Red Mountain Mining Ltd..

Bangles is in the process of completing the flying and post processing of an aero-magnetic survey covering all of the ELA's which will be used to identify and prioritize initial gold targets for a phase 1 exploration program to include scout drilling.

Jason Bontempo and Nick Rowley, the controlling shareholders of Bangles, reside in Australia.

A press release with further information in respect of Bangles, including significant financial information, will follow in accordance with the policies of the Exchange.

Summary of the Proposed Transaction

The Letter Agreement contemplates that Cairo and Bangles will negotiate and enter into a definitive agreement in respect of the Proposed Transaction (the "Definitive Agreement"), pursuant to which it is anticipated that Cairo will acquire all of the issued and outstanding Bangles Shares, and the shareholders of Bangles will receive Cairo Shares in exchange for their Bangles Shares. The Proposed Transaction will be structured as a share exchange or other structure based on the advice of the parties' respective advisors and taking into account various securities, tax, operating and other considerations.

Prior to the closing of the Proposed Transaction, Cairo will have 5,256,473 Cairo Shares issued and outstanding. It is intended that an aggregate of 5,000,000 Cairo Shares and C$112,500 will be issued and paid pro rata to the shareholders of Bangles in exchange for 100% of the Bangles Shares. It is anticipated that the resulting entity (the "Resulting Issuer") will continue the business of Bangles under a name to be mutually agreed to by the parties (the "Name Change").

A finder's fee of 386,161 Cairo Shares will be payable by Cairo to an arm's length third party in connection with the closing of the Proposed Transaction (the "Finder's Fees").

Certain common shares of the Resulting Issuer to be issued pursuant to the Proposed Transaction are expected to be subject to restrictions on resale or escrow under the policies of the Exchange, including the securities to be issued to "Principals" (as defined under Exchange policies), which will subject to the escrow requirements of the Exchange.

The completion of the Proposed Transaction remains subject to a number of terms and conditions, including, among other things: the negotiation and execution of the Definitive Agreement; no material adverse changes occurring in respect of either Cairo or Bangles; the Name Change shall have been implemented; completion of the Concurrent Financing described below; Bangles shall have obtained a technical report in connection with the Proposed Transaction prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects; the parties obtaining all necessary consents, orders and regulatory and shareholder approvals, including the conditional approval of the Exchange; completion of a thorough business, legal and financial review by each party of the other party; and other standard conditions of closing for a transaction in the nature of the Proposed Transaction.

Upon completion of the Proposed Transaction, it is anticipated that the Resulting Issuer will be listed as a Tier 2 Mining Issuer on the Exchange, with Bangles as its primary operating subsidiary.

Upon execution of the Definitive Agreement, and subject to the approval of the Exchange, Cairo will advance secured loans of up to C$250,000 to Bangles, which will be repayable to Cairo on demand in the event that the Definitive Agreement is terminated. The loan will be used by Bangles for working capital purposes.

Concurrent Financing

In connection with the Proposed Transaction, the parties will arrange a concurrent financing of units of Cairo ("Units") for gross proceeds of C$2,100,000 or such lesser or greater amount agreed to by the parties, at a price of C$0.28 per Unit (the "Concurrent Financing"). Each Unit will consist of one Cairo Share and one-half of a share purchase warrant of Cairo ("Warrants"), with each whole Warrant exercisable for a period of eighteen (18) months at a price of C$0.40 per Cairo Share. The Concurrent Financing may be structured as a subscription receipt offering. Other than in connection with the Concurrent Financing, neither party will issue any shares or rights exchangeable or exercisable into shares of such party prior to closing of the Proposed Transaction.

The proceeds of the Concurrent Financing will be used to fund a proposed phase 1 exploration program on the ELA's and for general working capital.

A further news release will be issued confirming the final terms of the Concurrent Financing once determined.

Summary of Proposed Directors and Officers of the Resulting Issuer

In conjunction with and upon closing of the Transaction, the board of directors and management of the Resulting Issuer is expected to include Ian Harris (CEO), Matthew Roma (CFO), Shawn Khunkhun (independent director), Jason Bontempo (independent director), Darren Devine (independent director) and such other directors and officers as may be agreed to by the parties.

The following is a brief description of the directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer who have been identified as of the date hereof:

Ian Harris - CEO

Mr. Harris is a mining engineer and executive with over 20 years' experience in leading worldwide mining projects. He has mining and management experience in over 20 countries, with a wide range of mining methods, commodities, project phases and sizes, successful advancing project in some of the most challenging environments. Mr. Harris was CEO of AMAK Mining Company (first private operating mining company in Saudi Arabia), and also served as Senior VP and Country Manager of Corriente Resources Inc. in Ecuador and was directly involved in the operations and negotiations that led to the sale of Corriente for C$690 million to CRCC-Tongguan Investment (Canada) Co. Ltd.

Matthew Roma - CFO

Mr. Roma is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Oro X Mining Corp. Mr. Roma is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with over 10 years of financial management experience. Prior to joining Oro X, Mr. Roma was the Director of Finance for Core Gold Inc. until the sale of Core Gold to an Australian mining Company. Mr. Roma articled at Deloitte LLP where he specialized in assurance and advisory services for publicly listed mining companies based both in Canada and the United States.

Shawn Khunkhun - Independent Director

Mr. Khunkhun has over 15 years of experience in the capital markets, mineral exploration and development sector. He is currently, CEO and Director of Dolly Varden Silver Corp (TSXV:DV). Mr. Khunkhun has an extensive network of high net worth retail and institutional investors, analysts, brokers and private equity groups. He has facilitated over C$1B in equity raised for resources companies over the past 17 years as a CEO, director, advisor or consultant.

Jason Bontempo - Independent Director

Mr. Bontempo has 22 years' experience in public company management, corporate advisory, investment banking and public company accounting, since qualifying as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young. Mr Bontempo has worked primarily serving on the board and the executive management of minerals and resources public companies focusing on advancing, financing and developing mineral resource assets and business development. Mr. Bontempo also provides corporate advice services for the financing of resource companies across multiple capital markets and resource asset acquisitions and divestments.

Darren Devine - Independent Director

Mr. Devine is the principal of CDM Capital Partners a leading Vancouver based corporate finance advisory services to private and public companies. In this role, Mr. Devine acts as founder, board member and management advisor with respect to direct and indirect listings on Canadian and international stock exchanges, public and private financings, corporate governance, and the structuring of mergers, acquisitions and dispositions.

Mr. Devine is currently an active member of the TSX Venture Exchange's Advisory Committee, advising the stock exchange on policy decisions in relation to listing requirements for public and going public transaction.

Mr. Devine is qualified as a barrister and solicitor in British Columbia and in England & Wales and prior to founding CDM Capital Partners, practiced exclusively in the areas of corporate finance and securities law in Vancouver, Canada and London, England.

Additional information on the board and management of the Resulting Issuer will be provided once identified. No insiders of the Resulting Issuer are expected other than the board and management.

Sponsorship of a Qualifying Transaction

Sponsorship of a qualifying transaction is required by the Exchange unless exempt in accordance with Exchange policies. Cairo is currently reviewing the requirements for sponsorship and may apply for an exemption from the sponsorship requirements pursuant to the policies of the Exchange, however, there is no assurance that an exemption is available or that Cairo will ultimately obtain an exemption if one is available. Cairo intends to include any additional information regarding sponsorship in a subsequent press release.

Other Information relating to the Proposed Transaction

The Proposed Transaction will not constitute a "Non-Arm's Length Qualifying Transaction" (as such term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) for Cairo. Accordingly, the Proposed Transaction will not require the approval of the shareholders of Cairo.

The Proposed Transaction will require the approval of the shareholders of Bangles. Bangles intends to hold a shareholder meeting to seek all necessary approvals, the details of which will be disclosed once available.

In accordance with the policies of the Exchange, the Cairo Shares are currently halted from trading and will remain so until such time as the Exchange determines, which, depending on the policies of the Exchange, may not occur until completion of the Proposed Transaction.

Additional information concerning the Proposed Transaction, Cairo, Bangles and the Resulting Issuer will be provided once determined in a subsequent news release and in the Filing Statement to be filed by Cairo in connection with the Proposed Transaction and which will be available in due course under Cairo's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

About Cairo Resources Inc.

Cairo is designated as a Capital Pool Company under Exchange Policy 2.4. Cairo has not commenced commercial operations and has no assets other than cash. Cairo's objective is to identify and evaluate businesses or assets with a view to completing a Qualifying Transaction. Any proposed Qualifying Transaction must be approved by the Exchange and, in the case of a Non-Arm's Length Qualifying Transaction, must also receive majority approval of the minority shareholders. Until the completion of a Qualifying Transaction, Cairo will not carry on any business other than the identification and evaluation of businesses or assets with a view to completing a proposed Qualifying Transaction.

For further information regarding Cairo and the Proposed Transaction, please contact Darryl Cardey, President and Chief Executive Officer, at (604) 638-8063.

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.

Completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and if applicable pursuant to Exchange Requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Proposed Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Proposed Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Proposed Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Proposed Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the Proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

All information contained in this news release with respect to Cairo and Bangles was supplied by the parties, respectively, for inclusion herein, and Cairo and its respective directors and officers have relied on Bangles for any information concerning such party.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward looking statements, including statements relating to the completion of the Proposed Transaction, the proposed business of the Resulting Issuer, the completion of the Concurrent Financing, completion of a NI 43-101 technical report prior to the Proposed Transaction, the proposed directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer, the completion of the Name Change, Exchange sponsorship requirements and intended application for exemption therefrom, shareholder, director and regulatory approvals, and future press releases and disclosure. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance of each of Cairo and Bangles may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward looking statements. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although each of Cairo and Bangles believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, they can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, each of Cairo and Bangles disclaims any intention and assume no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for release publication, distribution or dissemination directly, or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72872
As President Joe Bidens team and congressional leaders begin to haggle over the next COVID-19 relief package, its possible fewer Americans can bank on stimulus checks heading their way in the coming months.

Biden said on Monday that hes open to negotiating the income caps for direct payments of $1,400 that hes proposed as part of a $1.9 trillion aid bill. The openness to lower the thresholds  and in turn deliver checks to fewer Americans  comes after more than a dozen moderate and conservative lawmakers have insisted on a cheaper overall package and suggested offering stimulus checks to a more targeted group than in previous rounds, Politico reported.

During a call Sunday with White House officials, Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine, for instance, expressed concerns that the latest round of checks, as proposed, would go to some Americans who arent truly strapped for cash.

Full details on Bidens plan have not been made public, but in stimulus deals approved last year that included $1,200 and $600 checks, individuals earning up to $75,000 received the full amount. The payments decreased at a rate of $5 per $100 of additional income, with a cutoff at $99,000. Married couples earning up to $150,000 also received the full amount, which decreased until a cap at $174,000.

Biden told reporters Monday that hes willing to reshape the new proposal if necessary, as his administration and many lawmakers are pressing to approve direct payments and funds for vaccines and state and local aid as quickly as possible.

Theres legitimate reason for people to say, Do you have the lines drawn the exact right way? Should it go to anybody making over X-number of dollars or why? Im open to negotiate those things, Biden said.

While hes open to lowering the income caps, the president is still pushing for an expanded definition of eligible dependents, hoping to make payments available for college-age students and disabled adults claimed as dependents. Previous stimulus checks were only issued for dependents 17 and younger.

According to Forbes, the Biden plan may also call for a cap of $1,400 checks for dependents, as opposed to the $500 and $600 issued for dependents in the first two rounds of coronavirus aid.

In addition to stimulus checks and billions for vaccine distribution, Bidens proposal calls for $350 billion in state and local aid, $170 billion for schools, $35 billion to help local governments boost small businesses, and increased supplemental unemployment insurance from $300 to $400.

Bidens bill will likely go before House members for a vote the first week in February, before President Donald Trumps unprecedented second impeachment trial begins. The bill also includes a host of measures aimed at assisting Americans hit hard by the pandemic, including extensions of moratoriums on foreclosures and evictions and added protections for workers. Bidens plan also calls for a federal minimum wage of $15.

But several lawmakers say the costly plan is unlikely to garner bipartisan support in the Senate, forcing some Democrats and Republicans to suggest alternate plans including a smaller bill focused on stimulus checks and funds for vaccines.

Democrats will need at least 10 Republicans to pass a comprehensive package unless they force the presidents plan or a similar one through budget reconciliation  a move tying the COVID-19 bill to the budget process, which could fast-track it without Republican support.

A reconciliation bill only requires a simple majority in the Senate, and with the chamber now at 50-50 between both parties, Vice President Kamala Harris could cast the deciding vote in the case of a tie.

Progressives like Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts are still pushing for recurring payments of $2,000 for the duration of the pandemic. The Democratic lawmakers argue that the U.S. has too often been willing to go deep into deficit through military spending and tax breaks for the wealthy, but not in support of the middle class and working families.

I want recurring $2,000 checks for all until this pandemic is over and for 3 months after.  Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) January 22, 2021

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Hebah Fisher, Co-Founder and CEO of Kerning Cultures Network, discusses trends in media consumption in the Middle East, the power of sound and storytelling, and why young people in the region are turning to podcasts instead of radio. Also: Andrews take on why the Biden Administration is well-placed to help the break the deadlock in the Nile Dam talks.
WASHINGTON - Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, announced Monday that he will not seek reelection to a third term in 2022, ensuring a fierce and costly campaign for the open seat in a state Democrats are eager to wrest out of Republican control.

Portman, 65, cited his frustration with "partisan gridlock" as the impetus for his retirement. The decision comes two weeks before the Senate chamber is due to be convulsed by a second impeachment trial for former president Donald Trump.

"We live in an increasingly polarized country where members of both parties are being pushed further to the right and further to the left, and that means too few people who are actively looking to find common ground," Portman said in a statement announcing his retirement. "This is not a new phenomenon, of course, but a problem that has gotten worse over the past few decades."

"This is a tough time to be in public service," he added.

The surprise announcement by Portman, who first came to Congress as a House member in 1993 and later served as President George W. Bush's budget director, follows the similar decision by Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican from neighboring Pennsylvania, to decline to seek a third term in 2022.

Portman's decision set off a flurry of public consideration on both sides of the aisle.

Rep. Tim Ryan, who is the best-known among potential Democratic candidates, tweeted that he was "looking seriously" at running and included a donation link. He made a brief and unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

The prohibitive favorite on the Republican side, if he chooses to run, is Rep. Jim Jordan, a Trump devotee who is well-liked by the GOP base and is a known commodity for his near-daily appearances on Fox News. Jordan had no immediate comment on whether he would consider running.

Jordan, whose support of Trump was so fierce and provocative that he received the Medal of Freedom in the waning days of the administration, would be a departure from the more mild-mannered Portman.

Elected to the Senate in the 2010 tea party wave, Portman is a staunch fiscal conservative, but his genial demeanor has long made him appear more moderate compared with some of his fiery GOP colleagues. Even as he distanced himself from Trump's more incendiary rhetoric, he was a dependable vote for Trump during the former president's single term.

For Democrats, the vacancy will serve as an opportunity to bolster their razor-thin majority in the 2022 midterm election. And for Republicans, the election could be an early test of whether the party's now-dominant Trumpian wing can defeat the establishment Republicans who represented the state before the former president's candidacy.

With its aging, mostly White population, Ohio has trended more conservative in recent years and has become a steeper climb for Democrats who in the 1980s and 1990s fared well in the state.

Ohio had long been a bellwether in presidential elections, siding with every presidential winner after 1960 until last year, when Trump defeated Biden by 8 points while Biden won the popular vote nationally.

Republicans also have won the past three statewide races for governor. The sole successful statewide Democrat in recent years has been the state's senior senator, Sherrod Brown, a liberal who in 2018 won his third term.

Jeff Rusnak, a Democratic consultant in the state, called Portman's exit "a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Ohio."

"I think it's a new day in Ohio, I think it's wide open and it's game-changing in a lot of ways and there's a huge opportunity here for someone to emerge," he said of Democrats' chances.

But Corry Bliss, who ran Portman's successful reelection campaign in 2016, laughed off the opposing party's odds of taking the seat.

"The Ohio Democratic Party is dead, they're inept, incompetent, they cannot and do not win races," Bliss said.

As Portman lamented divisions in the Senate, former Ohio Democratic Party chairman David Pepper called him out for not doing more during his time in the Senate to fight back against the vitriol.

"Those who could have made it a better environment, like Senator Portman, spent 10 years cowering and allowing it to become what it is now," Pepper tweeted. But he also warned that Democrats "will need a strong candidate to keep the far right from winning this."

Portman's withdrawal means two perennial swing-state targets, Ohio and Pennsylvania, will have high-profile Senate races in 2022. Wisconsin also may host a nationally watched race as Democrats angle to unseat incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican.

In Pennsylvania, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democrat, has kicked off a formidable exploratory Senate campaign, raising more than $1 million in two weeks.

Without the risk of a primary challenge, Portman and Toomey face less pressure as they consider a possible vote to convict Trump in the Senate impeachment trial next month. Toomey has signaled a willingness to hold Trump accountable for his role in inciting the violent mob that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, but Portman has expressed concern that doing so would deepen the nation's polarization.
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Lets start with a challenge  Im trying to swim round Africa. Well actually, its a tiny Greek island in the shape of Africa, called Merope.

Im swimming across the 100-yard channel between Merope and the little town of Kardamyli in the Mani area of the underrated Peloponnese peninsula.

The sea ahead is sunlit turquoise. Behind me, in the shadows cast by the cypress trees, its royal blue.

The Daily Mail's Harry Mount recalls swimming across the 100-yard channel between Merope and the little town of Kardamyli (above)

Last night, when I had a dip after the half-hour drive from Kalamata Airport, the water was deep purple  wine-dark, as Homer, who mentions Kardamyli in the Iliad, called the Mediterranean.

Im working up an appetite for lunch at Elies Restaurant, a five-minute drive along the coast.

Its simple cafe tables and rush chairs lie under olive trees and a building made of limestone flecked with gold and copper, from the Taygetos Mountains above Kardamyli.

I have a Mythos beer, calamari and a choriatiki  a Greek salad. After a doze on the beach, I stroll through empty Old Kardamyli  a preserved medieval village of fortified tower houses.

Then its time to tackle the winding path up into the Taygetos foothills. Beside me is the plunging Vyros Gorge, a thunderous river in winter, but today its bone-white stones rise from the riverbed.

After an hour I reach the tiny Byzantine church of Agios Nikolaos in Chora, where Elizabeth Chatwin, widow of the travel writer Bruce Chatwin (1940-89), buried his ashes under an olive tree. I identify an old, gnarled olive tree and declare it to myself as the right spot.

Old Kardamyli is a preserved medieval village of fortified tower houses leading to the Taygetos foothills

Retreating down the hill, I have a 6pm appointment at the Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor Centre, the enchanting house designed by Patrick Leigh Fermor (1915-2011), the British travel writer and war hero.

On the terrace, his old housekeeper, Elpida, produces fresh moussaka as I look down on Merope.

Leigh Fermor swam round it every day in his 80s. It took him an hour. I didnt get all the way today  Ill try again tomorrow.

Depression among pupils is at 'frightening' levels, paediatrcians have warned, as they urge the Government to reopen schools or risk a 'calamitous,' impact on children's mental health.

Ten of the UK's top exerts in child health say anxiety, self harma nd suicidal thoughts have reached frightening levels among children.

Schools have been shut across the country since the start of England's third national lockdown after 10 months of disruption brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is expected to confirm this week that the Government has abandoned plans for a full-return to classrooms after the February half-term.

Instead a phased return could begin closer to Easter.

But concerns are growing over pupils' mental health, with paediatricians writing in a letter in The Times today that lockdown could have a 'calamitous impact on a generation of young people'.

Paediatricians have warned anxiety, depression and self-harm among children are at 'frightening levels,' as the struggle to cope with school closures and a lack of mental health support

The letter, signed by the likes of Professor Claire Hogg, Dr Ian Balfour Lynn and Professor Sejal Saglani, adds: 'As in the first lockdown, we are witnessing an acute and rapid increase in mental health and safeguarding cases affecting children and parents alike.

'Anxiety, depression and self-harm are all at frightening levels. Parents are showing signs of psychological stress and even breakdown as a result of the pressures of trying to home-school their children and sustain their jobs and businesses.'

Schools in Las Vegas have decided to reopen after 18 students took their own lives during the months schools have been closed during lockdown.

The youngest student to die was nine-years-old.

Gavin Williamson, pictured on Monday, is said to favour a phased return to schools which could begin before Easter

Back in the UK, the initial focus on a return to classrooms is likely to be on the youngest primary pupils who are hardest to teach remotely, and on older children in exam years.

Options to allow a return to school in areas where the virus has declined most sharply could also be considered, although a national restart is favoured.

A source said Mr Williamson was pushing for a full return of all schools at the 'earliest opportunity', but added: 'If there is a chance to get some classes back then obviously we would take it.'

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, suggested a phased reopening was likely.

'Everybody is currently talking about the need to fully reopen schools as soon as possible, but what we actually need is a proper plan for doing so,' he said.

'The obvious solution is to widen opening in a careful and phased manner, perhaps through the use of rotas or prioritising certain year groups first of all, checking the impact on coronavirus rates as we go, and building gradually to full opening.'

Ofsted warned that many children are struggling to stay focused on their studies, with home learning 'a poor replacement for normal classroom practice'. It said disruption is likely to continue for some time, even when schools return.

Chief inspector Amanda Spielman said: 'While remote education will help to mitigate the learning lost when children are out of the classroom, it's clear that pupils' motivation and engagement remains an issue.

'This, along with the pressure remote learning places on teachers and parents, is proving a real barrier to children's learning and development.'

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, or click here for details.
The corporation leading the charge to redevelop Winnipeg former Kapyong barracks site has been named a front runner in Indigenous economics by the Indigenomics Institute.

The corporation leading the charge to redevelop Winnipeg former Kapyong barracks site has been named a front runner in Indigenous economics by the Indigenomics Institute.

The Treaty One Development Corporation was recently placed among the Institutes "10 to watch." The list is aimed at identifying Indigenous business that demonstrate "excellence, innovation, leadership and a commitment to action towards the growth of the Indigenous economy."

Treaty One is reimagining the southwest city 160-acre barracks site as a centre for Indigenous economic growth.

Corporation chief executive officer Whelan Sutherland said in a release Monday he is inspired by seeing the seven Treaty 1 First Nations work collaboratively with one another, the Kapyong-area community, and the City of Winnipeg.

"This collaboration is intended to create a $1-billion, multi-use project that seamlessly integrates with neighbouring communities while laying the ground work for what will be the boldest, most dynamic indigenous economic zone in Canada," said Sutherland.

Treaty One Development was initiated to redevelop the barracks under a partnership between Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Long Plain, Peguis, Roseau River Anishinabe, Sagkeeng, Sandy Bay, and Swan Lake First Nations.

In accepting the Institutes recognition, Treaty One chief operating officer Tim Daniels thanked Indigenomics for creating a national Indigenous economic agenda, adding the corporations goal is "to drive partnerships, investment and long-term growth to sustain our communities for generations to come."

According to the release, the Indigenous economy in Canada is expected to grow in value to $100 billion, from $32 billion, over the next five years.
Japan will hold a coronavirus vaccination simulation in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Wednesday, the minister in charge of vaccination efforts said.

Taro Kono, who also serves as administrative reform minister, revealed the plan as Japan prepares to begin novel coronavirus vaccinations by late February, after checking the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

We will assess how long it will take (to vaccinate) and how big the system needs to be. Then we will inform municipalities of the results, Kono said during a House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting.

Calling vaccination a key measure against the coronavirus, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said at the same meeting he wants to swiftly bring vaccines to the people, vowing to provide accurate information about the effects.

Japan is set to receive 310 million vaccine doses from two U.S. pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc., and Britains AstraZeneca PLC. The total will be enough for 157 million people.
The pregnant wife of a former Michigan pastor has been accused of sexually assaulting multiple teenage boys as her husband watched in exchange for cash.

Jazmonique Strickland, 27, turned herself in to the authorities on Monday and was charged with eight felony counts of child sexual assault and abuse, and human trafficking of a minor for commercial sexual activity.

The woman is married to Stricjavvar 'Strick' Strickland, 38, the former executive senior pastor at Second Baptist Church of Kalamazoo.

Jazmonique Strickland, 27 (left), has been charged with eight felony counts of child sexual assault and abuse, and human trafficking of a minor. Her husband, former Michigan pastor Stricjavvar 'Strick' Strickland, 38, is charged with 11 felony counts

The pair (pictured) are accused of sexually assaulting at least four teenagers, some of whom were allegedly paid cash to have sex with the wife while the husband watched

Strick Strickland was charged with 11 felony counts last August, including four counts of third-degree sexual assault, three counts of child sexually abusive activity and four counts of human trafficking of a minor for commercial sexual activity.

Prosecutors alleged that the couple, who have five children together, with a sixth on the way, recruited at least four boys between the ages 15-17 for sex from Phoenix High School, where Jazmonique worked as a secretary, and from her husband's church.

The allegations first came to light in 2018, when two of the alleged victims and a parent came forward to the authorities, leading to a raid on the Strickland family's home.

According to court documents cited by Mlive.com, the Stricklands paid the teens to have sex with the wife while her husband watched. The incidents were said to have taken place between August 2015 and August 2018.

An alleged victim told detectives that he was introduced to Jazmonique during the 2017-2018 school year and on one occasion was offered $50 in exchange for his naked selfies.

On another occasion, the boy claimed Strickland asked him to have sex with his wife at the couple's home in front of him and paid him $100.

The pastor also has been accused of paying two boys $100 each so he could watch his wife perform oral sex on them.

Until July 2030, Strick had served as the senior pastor at Second Baptist Church of Kalamazoo

Prosecutors said between 2015-2018, Strick recruited teens from his church for sex. He previously served as the president of the local chapter of the NAACP

The married dad allegedly sexually assaulted one of the teens and then gave him money after the victim told him to stop, according to the filings.

Another teen told detectives he was 16 years old in 2015 when the pastor paid him cash in exchange for his naked photos. When the child turned 17, Strickland allegedly coerced him into allowing him to perform a sex act on the teen, and in return offered him the use of his car.

In 2019, yet another alleged victim came forward, telling police that when he was 15 years old in 2015, the pastor paid him $200 to have sex with his wife in the couple's basement, which he claimed was not an isolated incident.

Strick Strickland has denied the claims and expressed confidence in the outcome of the case, telling WWMT: 'We look forward to our day in court. We will prevail.'

The pastor, who previously served as the president of the local chapter of the NAACP, was removed from his post at the church in July and turned himself in to the authorities in early September, a day after the Michigan State Police declared him a fugitive.

He was released on a $500,000 personal recognizance bond, allowing him to leave jail without having to pay any money on the promise that he will show up to court.

Jazmonique is accused of recruiting boys from the high school where she worked as a secretary for sex. She has five children with Strick, with a sixth on the way

Strickland was permitted to return to his home in Mississippi, where he has been working on a horse farm to support his large family, including children from a previous relationship.

The 38-year-old father-of-eight is scheduled to go on trial on April 26. If convicted as charged, he could face decades in prison.

Jazmonique is due back in Kalamazoo County District Court for a probable cause conference on February 3. Like her husband, she was issued a $500,000 personal recognizance bond and allowed to travel back to Mississippi.
Israel and Morocco have signed an agreement to launch direct flights between the two countries, almost a month after normalising their ties, officials said here.

Under the deal signed on Thursday, direct passenger flight operation would begin, Xinhua news agency quoted a a statement issued by the Israeli Transportation Ministry.

Flights from Israel will be land in all of Morocco's international airports, the Ministry said. No limitation has been put on the number of flights and air carriers that could operate the new route.

The deal also calls for up to 10 weekly cargo flights. Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev hailed the deal as "a historic breakthrough" in Israel-Morocco ties.

The deal would "boost the Israeli aviation industry which will enjoy the expected high demand for flights on this route", she said in the statement.

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The normalization agreement between the two nations signed on December 22, 2020 is the third normalization deal the Jewish state inked with an Arab country last year.

The other two countries are the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Morocco had severed relations with Israel in 2000 after the second Palestinian uprising. Sudan also has agreed to normalize its relations with Israel.
Representative image (PC-AFP)

UPS has reached an agreement to sell the Virginia-based UPS Freight to Canadian trucking giant TFI International for $800 million.

Both companies announced their agreement in a statement Monday, saying the deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021 pending regulatory approvals.

Approximately 90% of the acquired business will operate under a new name TForce Freight, which will continue to serve UPS less-than-truckload operations, according to Montreal-based TFI. The company says the remaining assets will join TFI's truckload business segment.

Budget 2021 expectations | Transporters' profitability hinges on reduction in excise duty on diesel

UPS Freight, which generated an estimated $3 billion in revenue last year, is one of the largest less-than-truckload carriers in the U.S. Those operators typically use trucks for bulk shipments.

TFI CEO Alain Bdard called the agreement a highly strategic transaction that will make the company one of the largest North American less-than-truckload carriers.

Bdard had said during a conference call with investors on Monday that UPS' freight unit was like a loss leader for UPS," and promised to change the business approach, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Meanwhile, UPS Chief Executive Officer Carol Tom said the agreement will allow UPS to be even more laser-focused on the core parts of our business that drive the greatest value for our customers.

The companies also will enter into an agreement that will allow the trucks to continue to use UPS domestic package network to fulfill shipments for a period of five years.

All of UPS Freights 14,500 workers will become employees of TFI when the deal is finalized, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. About 80% of them are full-time workers.

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President Joe Biden signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 25, 2021. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Racial Equity, Equality, and the Bureaucrats Charter

Commentary

Reading one of the first new presidential executive orderstitled Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Governmentwas for me a depressing experience.

Even the term racial equity sent shivers up my spine; its reminiscent of the terms Jewish science and bourgeois morality, as used by the Nazis and the Bolsheviks, respectively.

The order begins with the words, Equal opportunity is the bedrock of American democracy. This at best is a half-truth depending very much on the meaning attached to the concept of equality of opportunity.

If it means that no individual is to be denied freedom under the law because of his social origins, all well and good. Not many people nowadays could be found to deny the desirability of this principle, though it was in fact denied within living memory.

But if by equality of opportunity is meant equality of outcome between distinguishable groups of human beings, no more dictatorial or totalitarian principle could well be enunciated: for the fact is that different groups have, in aggregate, different ambitions, aims, traditions, and capacities.

To ensure equality of outcome of groups (measured, say, by household income) would require endless and very intrusive government interference with the lives of all citizens; it would also be incompatible with the social and cultural diversity that the very same sentence goes on to claim to be one of the Americas greatest strengths.

Such diversity is by itself incompatible with equality of outcome, but not with a legal equality of opportunity in the first sense.

I dont claim any originality for these observations. On the contrary, they are obvious and have been made many times, but its precisely the necessity to repeat them that is depressing, for it indicates that policy is likely to be made on the basis of slogans rather than on real thought, which confronts the complexities of life.

I have space only to pick out a few of the defects of the order. There is, for example, the repeated implication that inequality is by itself evidence of inequity: the two words are used as if they meant the same thing.

Of course, inequality of outcome could be a result of inequity: but on the other hand, there could be no greater injustice than equality of outcome, if by justice its meant that people get what they deserve.

In short, the order is a symptom of what Thomas Sowell called the search for cosmic justice, the demand that existence be made fair in every respect, a search that, if taken seriously, can lead only to a totalitarian hell.

The term people of color appears in the order, as if all people who arent of European descent have something in common transcending all other differences between them. This is revealing, for the only thing they can possibly have in common is that they are oppressed by those people of European descent from whom they are distinguished.

This isnt only obvious nonsense, but is a deeply racialized view of the world. Indians and Chinese, among others, have prospered mightily in America, and on average are probably richer than their supposed oppressors. They are overrepresented in prestigious science faculties.

If racial equity were taken to mean equality of outcome between groups, the Indians and Chinese would stand to lose rather than to gain: as, of course, would the Jews. One could therefore make out a case that the order was anti-Semitic in effect, if not in intent.

Its perfectly obvious that the effect, if not the intent, of the order is to build an electoral clientele, for the victims of the supposed inequities of American society whose condition is allegedly to be improved by it are the majority of the population.

By the time you have added the women to the male homosexuals (the lesbians having already been accounted among the women), the male blacks, Asians, Latinos, native peoples, dwellers in poor rural areas, and handicapped in one way or another, including no doubt by their own character, you have considerably more than half the population: and provided you can get them to vote for you, who so generously sympathize with their plight as the underserved, and offer them advantages in recompense, you can maintain yourself, or your party, in power forever.

This is certain, because the utterly fair world in which everyone is born equally handsome and equally clever, and in which uniformity of outcome will therefore result, is impossible of achievement. Unfairness is the goose that lays the golden political egg.

Of course, it isnt impossible for a small minority in a society to oppress a large majority, and perhaps this has been the fate of most of mankind throughout most of its recorded history.

But is this really true of America today? Besides, it has to be remembered that justice and equity, while very important, are not all-important.

A society in which no one had any opportunity at all would be equal and perhaps even equitable: but no one would want to live in such a society. An average military dictatorship would be far preferable.

The order is also a bureaucrats charter (the bureaucrats being another large electoral clientele). The very language in which its written is the purest bureaucratese: The role of the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) is to coordinate the formulation and implementation of my Administrations domestic policy objectives.

Coordinate your formulation! Formulate your coordination! Implement your coordination of your formulation! Coordinate your implementation of your formulation! Implement your formulation of your coordination!

I foresee many urgent meetings over breakfast, many hundreds of pages of documents, much scurrying to and fro, despite which riots will occur.

The person who wrote the following paragraph of the order has obviously been granted far too much opportunity: The Director of the O[ffice] of M[anagement] and B[udget] shall, in coordination with the head of agencies, study strategies, consistent with applicable law, for allocating Federal resources in a manner than increases investment in underserved communities, as well as individuals from those communities.

Note how expenditure is here conterminous with investment. Most alarming, however, are the words as well as individuals from those communities: for on any possible interpretation of such terrible syntax, they imply powers of political patronage.

The rule of the philosopher-king will end, and very quickly, in the rule of the pettifogging bureaucrat king.

Theodore Dalrymple is a retired doctor. He is contributing editor of the City Journal of New York and the author of 30 books, including Life at the Bottom. His latest book is Embargo and Other Stories.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has condemned so-called vaccine nationalism by the world's wealthiest countries.



Addressing the World Economic Forum online, he said some governments had ordered far more coronavirus vaccines than they needed.



Without naming any country, he appealed to them to release surplus stocks so that others could benefit.



Last week, the World Health Organization said unequal access risked becoming a catastrophic moral failure.



South Africa - which is the worst-hit country on the continent - is yet to receive any vaccines.



It hopes to receive its first million doses of the AstraZeneca jab from India later this month.

Source: BBC









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President Xi warned of a new Cold war and urged the world to come together to fight the coronavirus pandemic in a speech at the World Economic Forum.

"To build a small clique or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimidate others ... will only push the world into division," the Chinese president said in a 25-minute video speech.

READ: Trump's Impeachment Trial Defense to be Lead by South Carolina Lawyer Butch Bowers

New Cold War May End up Harming the Interest of Every Nation

President Xi called for improving the G-20 as the "main global economic governance forum." The community, consisting of 20 of the world's leading developing and wealthy nations, should "engage in closer coordination of macro-economic policy," added the President of China.

The words of the cold war seemed to threaten U.S. President Joe Biden's efforts to revitalize global alliances to counter China's growing power. Biden, busy addressing several urgent domestic crises, did not participate in Davos and tasked Washington with representing U.S. climate envoy John Kerry.

"In a swipe at movements launched by the previous U.S. administration under Donald Trump targeting China, President Xi said the confrontation "would always end up harming the interests of every nation and sacrificing the welfare of people.

In an approximately 25-minute speech, President Xi, making his first appearance at the forum since his robust defense of free trade and globalization in Davos's speech in 2017, promoted multilateralism as the way out of current challenges.

President Xi also called for improving global governance through multilateral institutions, eliminating barriers to international trade, investment, and technology transfers, and developed countries to be more represented on the world stage.

He emphasized the importance of reinforcing macroeconomic policies to tackle the global economic downturn caused by the pandemic.

ALSO READ: Trump Offers Washington DC Hotel To National Guards Kicked Out of the US Capitol

China's Economic Growth

Davos has long been welcomed by China's leaders as a platform to highlight economic reforms while sidestepping tough political questions. As China tried to draw international investors in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, former Premier Li Peng visited in 1992.

Xi's willingness to put political differences aside is not going to be an easy sell. Biden said China's Xinjiang policies were "unconscionable" on the campaign trail and even called President Xi a "thug." In 2019, the European Union even officially labeled China as a "systemic rival," although in the final days of 2020, it went on to sign an investment agreement with the Asian country.

Beijing's ambitious climate promises to reduce carbon emissions by 65% by 2030. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 was also reaffirmed by the Chinese leader, both relevant commitments as China emits a quarter of the world's greenhouse gases.

However, the Chinese government has been accused of mishandling the initial coronavirus outbreak and covering up details, despite managing the pandemic within its borders and kickstarting the economy.

Reinforced by confidence in his country's pandemic management, President Xi made aggressive climate commitments and vowed to uphold multilateralism as US-China relations reached their worst stage under the Trump administration in decades.

Nevertheless, the president spoke from a position of strength: China was the only major economy to record growth last year amid the pandemic, and analysts are predicting a rise of 8.3% this year, compared to 4.1% in the U.S.

READ MORE: Lucky Michigan Person Wins $1 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot, 2nd-Largest Total in History

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moderna confirmed on Tuesday it is on track to deliver the U.S. 100 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine by March and 200 million doses by June after President Biden promised that any American who wanted a shot would have it in the spring.

This supply will be enough to immunize 100 million people - about one-third of the country's population - with the two-shot regimen.

The vaccine produced by Moderna is currently only one of two, the other being Pfizer, approved in the U.S.

However, only about 24 million Americans - 7.1 percent of the population - have been vaccinated so far as the rollout program has struggled to pick up steam.

In addition, the White House also admitted that it has no idea how many COVID vaccines there are in the country waiting to be used.

This has been exacerbated by the fact the U.S. is still waiting for the Food and Drug Administration to approve vaccines made by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca with the University of Oxford.

Johnson & Johnson has said it expects to apply for emergency use authorization in February while AstraZeneca may not apply until April.

Moderna Inc said it is on track to deliver the U.S. 100 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine by March and 200 million doses by June as President Joe Biden pledged that the U.S. will soon start administering 1.5 million shots per day. Pictured: Biden (center), joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, at a press conference on January 25

However, only about 23 million Americans - six percent of the population - has been vaccinated with about 1.25 million shots per day

Moderna has committed to supplying the U.S. with the same amount of vaccines - 200 million - that Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech SE have.

However, under the deal with Pfizer, the federal government has the option to purchase an additional 400 million doses, enough for 200 million people.

Johnson & Johnson has committed to deliver 100 million doses by June, which CFO Joe Wolk said on Tuesday the company is 'confident' it will be able to do, though the company's vaccine is yet to be approved by the FDA.

In addition, the U.S. is expected to receive 300 million doses of the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and licensed to AstraZeneca, but not until fall 2021. The FDA has not yet approved this shot.

The announcement of Moderna's commitment appears to be on track with Biden raising the threshold for vaccinations in the U.S.

In a press conference on Monday, Biden said it won't be long before the U.S. will soon be able to vaccinate 1.5 million people per day.

That's about 500,000 more vaccinations than his administration's original target of one million per day in his first 100 days in office, which had already been surpassed on inauguration day.

'I'm quite confident that we will be in a position within the next three weeks or so to be vaccinating people at the range of one million a day or in excess of that,' he said.

'I think with the grace of God, the goodwill of the neighbor and the creek not rising, as the old saying goes, I think we may be able to get that to 1.5 million a day, rather than one million a day.'

The increase in vaccinations does not mean any American who wants a shot will be able to get one sooner.

Biden has said he believes this will occur in spring 2021, which is a similar goal issued by the Trump administration.

The U.S. has only given six percent of its population their first COVID-19 vaccine and 0.9 percent both shots

The firm says it has so far supplied the federal government with 30.4 million doses to date and hopes to produce one billion by the end of the year. Pictured: Vials of Moderna's vaccine

However, it comes as the White House admitted that on Monday has no idea how many COVID vaccines there are in the country.

At a daily briefing on Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked if administration had a ball park figure of how many doses are in the U.S. that have not yet been given out.

'Weve been here for five days to evaluate the supply so that we can release the maximum amount while also ensuring that everyone can get the second dose on the FDA recommended schedule,' She replied.

As of Tuesday, the U.S. has only given six percent of its population their first COVID-19 vaccine and 0.9 percent both shots, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Bloomberg.

The woefully slow roll-out has been labored with problems since the start with states left to handle their own distribution amid staff shortages, and while other countries storm ahead in dishing it out.

But with more than 328 million in the U.S. - including an unknown number who may not sign up to get it even when it becomes available - there are a number of issues that need to be addressed,

One problem is that states say they are running out of doses, while the CDC's data suggest they still have millions.

Another is that in, certain states, some residents can get access to to the jab before others.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania, for example, are allowing smokers of any age to get the vaccine without having to show any proof that they actually smoke.

Another problem is that people are not showing up for appointments which puts the supply of dose at risk.

The vaccines have a short window to be used in. Once defrosted and opened, they have to go in someone's arm within six hours.

Anecdotes have started emerging of young, healthy people being randomly offered extra doses in pharmacies like CVS because the person who was meant to receive it didn't show up.

There are also stories of people in the eligible categories being unable to nail down an appointment for their first dose.
Shippers can complain, but pricing power  at least for now  has shifted away from shippers due to carrier consolidation and growing capacity discipline seen most dramatically in the swift spring withdrawals following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. That puts pressure on shipper to engage more with carrier not less.
Over the course of Inauguration Day, Brendan Smialowski photographed the security forces stationed around Washington, the arrival of national leaders and the moment Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States.

He also took a photo of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont sitting cross-legged on a folding chair, bundled in a heavy coat and knit mittens, appearing unamused.

Mr. Smialowski, a staff photographer for Agence France-Presse, has been covering Washington since 2003. He has captured historical moments and traveled with presidents and other senior officials. He has won accolades from Pictures of the Year International, World Press Photo and other professional photography organizations. But his photo of Mr. Sanders received one of the higher forms of recognition available on the internet: It was memed.

The image of Mr. Sanders spread like wildfire across the internet, as social media users found new locations for him and his mittens. He sat on a bench with Forrest Gump, rode public transportation in New York City and Chicago, was a guest at the Last Supper and perched atop a metal beam alongside 11 Depression-era ironworkers. He even made it to the moon.
NYPD officers stand guard in front on Trump Tower on 5th Avenue the night before the presidential elections in New York on Nov. 2, 2020. (Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images)

Texas Man Accused of Plotting ISIS Attack on Trump Tower Admits to Conspiracy

A Texas man who allegedly plotted terrorist attacks in New York City, including on the White House and Trump Tower in Manhattan, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to provide material support to the ISIS terrorist group and possessing child porn, federal officials said.

Jaylyn Christopher Molina, 22, of Cost in Gonzales County, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and one count of receiving child pornography, the Department of Justice said in a release.

Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Farrer, Molina admitted that since May 2019, he conspired with South Carolina resident Kristopher Sean Matthews, 34, who had the alias Ali Jibreel, and other ISIS terrorist supporters to provide services to the terrorist group.

The 22-year-old admitted to administering an encrypted, members-only chat group for people who support the ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham/Syria. Molina collected, generated, and disseminated pro-ISIS propaganda, attempted to recruit individuals to join ISIS, and disseminated bomb-making instructions, officials said.

According to court records, Molina and Matthews discussed traveling to Syria to fight alongside the terrorist group, and plotted to carry out attacks at Trump Tower in New York City, the White House, the New York Stock Exchange, the headquarters of federal law enforcement agencies, and other places.

We need to stick together, we need to defeat them, we need to take a lot of casualties, Molina allegedly said as the two men discussed plans to kill in a terrorist attack. Matthews said it would be better to attack government buildings instead of areas like malls where innocent children are, according to the officials.

At one point, Molina wrote: You are my enemy [America] and never will I wear your flag  but I will raise the black flag of Allah, as reported by News4, citing charging documents in September last year.

The two also described gaining some kind of notoriety if they pulled off the attack. It would make them rock star status baby, Matthews said. This could be Netflix worthy.

Federal authorities also found 18 images depicting child pornography on Molinas phone after the device was seized during a search warrant on Sept. 18, 2020.

Molina faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in federal prison on the child pornography charge. He remains in federal custody pending sentencing, officials said.

Separately in November last year, Matthews pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge to provide material support to ISIS, and his sentencing is scheduled for March 4.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
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A variety of homegrown firms have highlighted their contribution to the country's growth through 72nd Republic Day campaigns this year, building on PM Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' call and riding on the sentiment towards supporting local brands.

Parle Products, the makers of Parle - G biscuits, released an integrated campaign titled 'Swadeshi' that talks about the Made in India, made by India concept and celebrates the country's heterogeneity while invoking a sense of solidarity. The campaign has been conceptualised by advertising agency Rediffusion.

Also Read | How India has become an unequal republic

This film is a humble tribute from Parle Products, recognising the importance of its loyal customers and their strong association with the brand. We have always considered ourselves to be the Son of the soil and with each passing day, Parle Products is evolving and adapting, just like our country," said Mayank Shah, senior category head, Parle Products.

Through #GodrejForIndia campaign, created by Creativeland Asia, Godrej Group is celebrating the transformation of India, and group's emotional connect with the country. The group, among many other contributions, talks about its refrigerated distribution of the preventive shield of covid vaccines across the country in the campaign.

Our campaign #GodrejForIndia attempts to capture our journey, beliefs, values and our efforts to provide many diverse solutions of national interest and importance," said Tanya Dubash, executive director and chief brand officer, Godrej Group.

Consumer durables firm Voltas Limited launched CelebratingASelfReliantFuture campaign a tribute to young entrepreneurs who are paving the way to create a self-reliant nation. The company claimed that it has trained 21,556 students across 26 centres under Voltas various skill development programmes.

This Republic Day, let's take a pause, and look into this new wave of young entrepreneurs, who have fought against all challenges, to establish their ideas into fruitful, self-reliant businesses, in the backdrop of the pandemic," said Deba Ghoshal, vice-president and head of marketing, Voltas.

Meanwhile, e-commerce platform Amazon India chose to celebrate Karigari (craftmanship) by Indian craftsmen across various regions in 'Handcrafted with love' campaign, created by Ogilvy India. Launched in 2016, Karigar platform has benefitted over 10 lakhs sellers and today over 60,000 products, including over 270 unique arts and crafts from over 20 states are showcased on the Karigar storefront.

Handcrafted, With Love campaign is an ode to the undying spirit and exquisite skills of Karigars, artisans and weavers, many of whom are helping keep various art forms alive," said Pranav Bhasin, director - MSME & selling partner experience at Amazon India.

A section of brands is also seen instilling confidence in customers such as Ambuja Cement's campaign School. It shows an aged school peon who believes in keeping the tradition of celebrating Republic Day alive. He is supported by a young teacher, who helps him celebrate the function with students virtually.

"We want to remind the citizens of India about the unshakeable, unbroken and strong spirit of the resurgent nation, through this film," said Ashish Prasad, CMO, Ambuja Cement & ACC.

United Colors of Benetton's film #UnitedByCause, made by Taproot Dentsu, spreads the message of religious harmony and indomitable spirit of Indians in fighting the pandemic. It shows a pair of hands extended in prayer. The first gesture being that of Muslim community, and later of Hindu, followed by the message to continue to do what we have been doing with hope and stand united.

Sundeep Chugh, chief executive, Benetton India Pvt. Ltd, said We are all fighting the same cause, for a better and a brighter future... We hope the message reaches the masses and soon we all rise and prosper again."

Noting that India is just about emerging from a covid-battered life, Harish Bijoor, brand strategy expert and founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. said that the business and marketing environment will want to celebrate the spirit of resilience.

Brands and companies want to build up the consumption mood in the country. This is an effort at that. A return to the way we bought, the quantum we bought and the spirit with which we bought needs such positive campaigns," he added.

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ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Roseburg Public Schools announced Monday that sixth through 12th grades will be heading back to class next week for in-person hybrid learning.

This announcement comes on the same day elementary students made their own return to the classroom to parents' excitement. They are under full in-person instruction.

District officials said the decision to bring secondary students back to in-person learning on Feb. 1 is due to the COVID-19 positivity rate falling in Douglas County. However, students will be under a hybrid-learning structure.

The latest data from the Oregon Health Authority shows Douglas County's positivity rate lowered to 4.4%. Douglas County saw 196 cases per 100,000 people over a week's time.

The state's metrics advise reopening for hybrid learning once cases fall below 200 per 100,000 and the positivity rate falls below 10%.
One of just a few homes designed by the man behind some of the worlds most iconic midcentury modern designs is back on the market on Long Island.

Known as Villa Riele, the home on Watch Way in Lloyd Harbor, NY, is on the market for $12.7 million. It was offered for auction last summer, but a winning bidder never emerged.

The architect Edward Durell Stone designed the home, and it was finished in 1967.

Stones work includes the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan, Radio City Music Hall, and the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India.

His buildings won several prestigious awards and are distinctive for their ornamentation, which often include arches, a prominent feature of this home.

Noting the distinctive arches and the towering glass windows, the listing agent, John Pierre Morales, says, "Those features alone make it one of Long Island's unique and most prestigious properties. I haven't seen another piece of architecture like this, ever."

Exterior of home in Lloyd Harbor, NY Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Exterior Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Land Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Exterior Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Staircase Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Staircase and pool Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Pool Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Staircase and pool Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Living area and pool Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Inside the mansion, there are several massive mahogany staircases, many arches, and an indoor pool right in the middle of the home.

The pool isn't enormous, but does offer an interesting respite for guests. Think of it as an aquatic conversation pit.

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Watch: Frank Lloyd Wright Home Is a Rare Find in Indiana

___

It's about 6 feet deep, heated, and has benches that circle the whole inside of the pool, so it was really just a place to cool off and sit down and have a few cocktails on the bench. Most of the times, people were in their regular clothes, which is interesting, Morales explains.

Thanks to a unique filtration system, Morales says the home doesn't suffer from the typical smell of a pool.

Living area and pool Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Living space Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

The formal dining room is right off the pool area, and a living room is nearby.

Living space Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Living space Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

The four-bedroom, five-bathroom house is located on 33 acres of land with majestic trees on Long Islands Gold Coast. The compound on the Sound is divided into four lots with a quarter-mile of waterfront.

Land Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Aerial view Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

The purchase price offers an intriguing opportunity for a buyer who doesn't mind a couple of neighbors.

There are three other lots besides the home and the beach house that are subdivided and ready for someone to come in and build onready to go for a developer, Morales explains.

In addition to the main house, there's a one-bedroom beach house that basically sits on the sand. Having a structure that close to the water isnt allowed anymore, but this house is grandfathered into township regulations.

I look at just the beach house alone and figure it's worth a couple million dollars, just the way it is, Morales says. You're in complete solace and peace when you're in this place. There's no one near you. Youre in your own world.

Beach house Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Beach house Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Beach house Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Beach house Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

The compound was once part of the original Colgate estate, and the current owner is the socialite Gabriele Lagerwall, aka Baroness W. Langer von Langendorff.

She's the second wife and widow of the late Baron Walter Langer von Langendorff of Austria, the man who created White Shoulders perfume.

Morales says the butler who has been with the baroness for 25 years recalls the diplomats and the royalty who sat in the pool and had cocktails.

Exterior Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

The house has always been a weekend home for the owner to escape to when she wanted to entertain and get away from her hotel penthouse at the Pierre, on New Yorks Fifth Avenue.

There are unique furnishings, which could be negotiated into the purchase price. A new owner wouldnt need to worry about damage to the colorful decor.

I went to the basement, and there's backup yards and yards of the exact fabric. [If] she's having company and someone spills or stains something, she can re-upholster again, Morales says.

Bedroom Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Bedroom Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Bathroom Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Elevator Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Bedroom Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Bathroom Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

The house is in two wings, with two bedrooms on the main floor. The main suites are upstairs, served by an elevator.

The setting is private, perfect for anyone who would like to get away and to turn this property into a revenue-generating opportunity, Morales says.

The perfect buyer is a developer, someone that can actually realize that this is the last of its kind on the East Coast. It's basically a nature preserve on the Gold Coast of Long Island, with a quarter-mile of sound-front.

If the walls of the house could talk, Morales says, they would have stories to tell.

You totally feel like you are in a bygone era, and you just know that diplomats, royalty, and whoever was somebody at one point was in that home.

Waterfront Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Exterior Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Aerial view Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

Exterior Dynamic Media Solutions/ Frank Urso

The post 'Last of Its Kind': $12.7M Midcentury Masterpiece on Long Island appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
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China to conduct military drills in South China Sea

A Maritime Safety Administration notice did not offer details on when exactly the drills will take place or at what scale. Image: Shutterstock

China said on Tuesday that it will conduct military exercises in the South China Sea this week, just days after Beijing bristled at a US aircraft carrier group's entry into the disputed waters.



A notice issued by the country's Maritime Safety Administration prohibited entry into a portion of waters in the Gulf of Tonkin to the west of the Leizhou peninsula in southwestern China from January 27 to January 30, but it did not offer details on when the drills would take place or at what scale.



A US carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt entered the South China Sea on Saturday to promote "freedom of the seas," the US military said, days after Joe Biden began his term as president.



The contested waters have become another flashpoint in the increasingly testy bilateral relationship between Beijing and Washington. The US military has steadily increased its activities there in recent years as the mainland asserts its territorial claims in the area in conflict with Taiwan and neighbouring countries including Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei.



The announcement of the drills in the Gulf of Tonkin, just east of Vietnam, came as the Southeast Asian country opened a key Communist Party congress in Hanoi.



China on Monday complained that the United States frequently sends aircraft and vessels into the South China Sea, through which trillion dollars in trade flow every year, to "flex its muscles" and said such actions are not conducive to peace and stability in the region. (Reuters)
Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - GOLO Mobile Inc., doing business as Usewalter (TSXV: WLTR) ("Usewalter" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has secured an initial entry into the U.S. marketplace with an agreement for Usewalter's innovative smart building technology. This agreement, executed with Property Management by Design, LLC, a premier real estate management company based in Birmingham, Michigan, enables Usewalter to launch its game-changing, SaaS-based solution to over 1,200 new units in 30 different buildings across Michigan.

Gaining entry into the U.S. market represents a significant and strategic accomplishment in the Company's continued evolution and provides strong support for Usewalter to further build its presence and profile in high-density urban environments across North America. Coined as 'the app that no one can live without to manage the home and workplace', usewalter is a one-stop solution for efficient and cost-effective building management across communication, commerce and delivery, and Internet of Things (IoT) management. Usewalter's app represents the first SaaS solution to integrate seamlessly with existing building applications provided by other prop-tech software providers while offering meaningful benefits for both property managers and their residents.

"We are thrilled to have been chosen by Property Management by Design for the delivery of our cutting-edge smart building solution to their building portfolio in Michigan," said Peter Mazoff, President and CEO of Usewalter. "Making our first foray into the U.S. while well-funded from our recent financing positions the Company to rapidly expand and scale to meet anticipated market demand. We are pleased to be the provider of choice for Property Management by Design while bringing the number of doors currently being serviced to over 30,000."

Sheri Kay, the President of Property Management by Design, LLC, commented, 'With 40 years in the Community Management Industry, we are very excited to be teaming up with Usewalter's innovative solution both for our property management company and our team but also for the residents of the communities we service.'

About Property Management by Design, LLC

Property Management by Design, LLC is a long-standing and well-regarded property management company based in Michigan.

About Usewalter

Usewalter, Inc. (TSXV: WLTR) is a smart building technology SaaS solution for property managers and residents in high-density urban environments, delivered through its usewalter app. Designed as 'the one app no one can live without', usewalter enables efficient and cost-effective management of a building across the key areas of communication, commerce and delivery and IoT management within multi-residential and commercial properties. Usewalter is positioned to leverage its first-mover advantage to access new Canadian and U.S. markets, secure additional partners and further build revenue momentum. The Company currently has no debt and significant insider ownership with affiliates of Blackstone Group L.P. and the funds comprising CVC Capital Partners VI. Learn more at www.usewalter.com.

For Further Information:

Peter Mazoff, Chief Executive Officer

(514) 670-1228

ir@usewalter.com

or

Cindy Gray, Investor Relations

(403) 231-4372

info@5qir.com

Forward Looking Information

When used in this news release, the words "will", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements and information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements and information in this news release include, without limitation: the Company's ability to execute its aggressive growth strategy to rapidly increase doors, expand geographically and enhance revenue; success being recognized as the app that no one can live without to manage their home and workplace; and growth of the multi-residential real estate sector.

With respect to the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: the Company's ability to achieve, sustain or increase profitability, and fund its operations with existing capital and/or raise additional capital to fund operations; expenditures by the Company, merchants and customers in the Company's network; continuing demand for the Company's services and the pricing of such services; the ability of the Company to market its services successfully to existing and new merchants and customers; the economy generally; competition in the mobile delivery, smart building technology and multi-residential real estate industries; stability of the general regulatory environment in which the Company operates; and the absence of significant disruptions to the Company's operations such as may result from harsh weather, natural disaster, accident or other calamitous event.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: the Company may require additional financing from time to time in order to continue its operations and financing may not be available when needed or on terms and conditions acceptable to the Company; there is no certainty that the Company will be able to realize the expected benefits or synergies of the Company's rebrand; and the other risk factors that are set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Information Circular dated July 23, 2020, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The Company cautions that the foregoing lists of assumptions and risks are not exhaustive. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing assumptions and risks and other uncertainties and potential events. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required pursuant to applicable laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) is responsible for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72799
Thousands of travellers had their Christmas plans disrupted by flight cancellations over summer because of a shortage of credentialled ground staff, a problem the industry warns could result in months of cancellations and delays, even after borders reopen.

Ground handling staff require security and safety clearances that need to be regularly renewed, but after months stood down during the pandemic many have seen their certifications lapse, while thousands more have left the industry altogether.

The ground handling industry is warning it faces a shortfall of thousands of workers when borders reopen. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Industry figures seen by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age indicate about 13,000 passengers were affected by delays and cancellations in the lead up to Christmas caused by a shortage of ground staff, whose roles range from checking-in passengers to cleaning, and loading and moving planes around airports.

The Australian Aviation Ground Handlers Industry Alliance, which represents about 90 per cent of the sector, says it costs up to $18,000 to train and certify each worker and warned its members do not have the cashflow to rapidly train the more than 10,000 staff the sector would need to return to capacity.
Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has announced a further 13m funding to Co-Ownership to provide assistance to first-time buyers struggling to raise a deposit to purchase their own home.

It was revealed yesterday that the average deposit first-time buyers need to find to purchase a home in Northern Ireland has risen to almost 30,000 in 2020, up 17% from 2019.

Co-Ownership is seeing an increase in applications as many people who would have availed of a mortgage pre Covid-19 no longer can, mainly as a result of the mortgage lenders requiring the higher deposits and tightening their lending criteria.

Read More

The 13m is in addition to the 145m four-year funding announced by former Minister Caral Ni Chuilin in November 2020. Ms Hargey said: "I understand that recent moves by lenders to tighten lending criteria has left many more people in the position where they can no longer achieve their aspirations of owning their own home.

"In the circumstances I believe there is a compelling case for an urgent short-term intervention to support first-time buyers adversely impacted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"This allocation of 13m will be channelled through Co-Ownership and will facilitate the purchase of an additional 422 homes to meet their increased demand and support even more people to realise their dreams of home ownership."

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. The Staff of the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh published a report on vandalism against the Armenian cultural heritage in the occupied territories of the Republic of Artsakh and the threat of destruction of Armenian monuments, the Ombudsmans Office told Armenpress.

As a result of military aggression against the Republic of Artsakh, at least 1456 overwhelmingly Armenian historical and cultural prominent immovable monuments, including 161 monasteries and churches, 591 khachkars (cross-stones), the ancient sites of Tigranakert, Azokh, Nor Karmiravan, Mirik, Keren, fortresses and castles, sanctuaries and other monuments remained under the control of Azerbaijan. 8 state museums also came under the control of Azerbaijan with 19 311 exhibits, as well as private museums of Armenian Carpet and Armenian dram of Shushi.

The report presents a number of cases of destruction and acts of vandalism against the Armenian cultural heritage during the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression and after the ceasefire, including deliberate targeting and vandalism against St. Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral and St. Hovhannes Mkrtich (Kanach Zham) Church of Shushi.

The report also refers to Azerbaijans policy of deliberately spreading disinformation on Armenian cultural heritage and albanizing the Armenian cultural monuments which is also a threat of extinction of the Armenian cultural heritage in the territory of Artsakh.

The analysis of the identified cases and the context of Armeniaphobia shows that the destruction and distortion of the Armenian cultural heritage are systematic and widespread. The actions and statements of the Azerbaijani state bodies and public figures show that this is a specific state policy based on the criminal policy of inciting hatred against the Armenian nation.

Given the many precedents and the real threats of deliberate destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories under the control of Azerbaijan by the Azerbaijani authorities, the Staff of the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh considers it urgent for the relevant international organizations and especially UNESCO to take effective and immediate steps to preserve the Armenian cultural heritage in the territory of Artsakh.

The English content of the report can be found at the following link, the Armenian and Russian versions will be published later.
Disney will bring several animated classics to life, which should get everyone excited.

Over the years, Disney has been giving fans more gifts by recreating some animated series and turning them into live-action adaptations. Luckily for fans, it doesn't look like it's stopping any time soon.

With that said, here are five of the best Disney classics that will get a live-action treatment soon:

Cruella

The favorite Disney villain is back with a new film.

Starring Emma Stone, the ever-popular villain Cruella de Vil will come back to life in the Craig Gillespie-directed flick.

During Disney's 2019 D23 Expo, Stone revealed that the live-action remake will be a "1970s, set in London, and punk rock" movie.

Meanwhile, the movie faced postponements like other films. After canceling its December 23 release, Disney moved it for a 2021 launch.

Currently, multiple reports suggest that the film will arrive on May 28, 2021.

Little Mermaid

The voice of Ariel will be heard again through Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken's efforts.

Menken and Miranda reportedly collaborated to create the songs for the new movie. Disney lyricist Howard Ashman also contributed by creating the new songs.

In July 2019, Disney picked Halle Bailey to play the lead role.

Producer Rob Marshall said in a statement, "After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance - plus a glorious singing voice - all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role."

"The Lion King" Prequel

After the success of "The Lion King" remake, Disney confirmed that it will receive a direct follow-up to explore Mufasa's origin.

During the 2020 investors day presentation, the company confirmed that Barry Jenkins will direct the animated sequel titled "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride."

"We are in development on an inspired prequel of sorts that revisits these iconic characters," Walt Disney Studios president, Sean Bailey, said.

Pinocchio

Tom Hanks will join one of the most notable Disney classics as the puppet's creator and father.

As early as 2015, the creation of the film was already underway. But in 2018, director Paul King left the project. Robert Zemeckis replaced him.

Peter Pan & Wendy

The upcoming Disney movies will also include the new spin for the "Peter Pan" flick.

In 2016, director David Lowry said that he plans to recreate it using his own spin.

The director will work with Jude Law, who will play the role of Captain Hook. Yara Shahidi and Jim Gaffigan will also star in the film.

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
Canadian crude oil exports transported by rail soared by 87 percent on the month in November as producers had little else to do given the now chronic shortage of pipeline capacity in the country.

The daily average of Canadian crude shipped by rail stood at 173,000 bpd, CBC reported, which was lower than the average for November 2019 but considerably higher than the October average, which stood at 92,800 bpd.

The increase was the result of higher oil production in Alberta despite the pandemic. Total Canadian oil imports in November hit 3.74 million bpd, up by close to 5 percent from October.

Meanwhile, the newly elected U.S. president has got off to a strong start with his climate agenda, killing the Keystone XL pipeline project on the first day of his presidency. Keystone XL was one of just two pipeline projects that could relieve the pressure on local oil producers, so it was no wonder the Albertan Premier, Jason Kenney, lashed out at President Joe Biden, calling the Keystone XL executive order a gut punch.

This is a gut punch to the Alberta and Canadian economies, Jason Kenney told a news conference last week. Its an insult.

Canceling Keystone XL, he said, would kill jobs on both sides of the border, weaken the critically important Canada-U.S. relationship, and undermine U.S. national security by making the United States more dependent on OPEC oil imports in the future.

As president-elect Bidens green jobs plan acknowledges, Americans will consume millions of barrels of oil per day for years to come. It is in perfect keeping with his plan that the United States energy needs should be met by a country that takes the challenges of climate change seriously, the Alberta Premier added.

Indeed many observers have commented that the death of Keystone XL will not reduce U.S. demand for heavy crude. Refiners would just have to ship it in by rail, which is both costlier and riskier than pipeline transportation.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Security forces responded with tear gas after Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol. Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images

Several off-duty police officers were identified at the US Capitol riot on January 6.

Three police experts told Insider they weren't surprised to see that.

Law-enforcement agents have long had ties to far-right groups, they said, which the riot only exposed.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

At a time when faith in American law enforcement was already at a record low, trust in the police was further shaken by the arrests of several off-duty police officers suspected of involvement in the deadly US Capitol riot on January 6.

At least 31 officers in 12 states are being investigated over the chaos in Washington, DC, according to the Associated Press. Some of them also face criminal charges in connection to the riot.

They include Jacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson, two off-duty police officers from Rocky Mount, Virginia, who were arrested after they took a selfie inside the Capitol and alluded to participating in the breach on social media. Tam Pham, an 18-year veteran of the Houston Police Department, resigned after being charged in the riot.

The identification of police officers at the attack on the government has led some to question whether the police can be trusted with their core duty: to enforce the law.

Following the riot, Insider spoke with three experts on policing. They said they weren't surprised to learn that off-duty officers were involved in the storming of the Capitol.

They said the police always had ties to far-right groups, with the Capitol riot merely exposing them.

They also said Americans had a right to be concerned about some officers becoming radicalized but added steps could be taken to ensure that extremists don't continue to infiltrate police departments.

A Trump supporter with a "Blue Lives Matter" flag at the Capitol on January 6. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty

Tarnishing police reputation

All three experts noted that police officers have the same First Amendment rights to free speech as everyone else but said any officers who joined the mob storming the Capitol had crossed a line.

Story continues

Thomas Nolan, a police officer turned sociology professor, told Insider it was an "aberration" that some off-duty officers joined the violence, facing off with fellow officers tasked with protecting the Capitol.

Among the five people who died in the riot was Brian Sicknick, a Capitol Police officer who was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher.

"I was surprised that they were participating in the rioting and that they weren't reluctant to cause injury and to confront fellow officers," Nolan said.

The off-duty Virginia police officers Jacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson were arrested after taking this selfie during the Capitol riot. US Attorneys Office, District of Columbia

Dennis Kenney, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the arrest of police officers at the riot did serious damage to "the police brand and the idea of police being neutral, even-handed enforcers of the law."

"When they clearly portray themselves to have a position - particularly a radical position - understandably the public has doubts about them," Kenney told Insider. "That becomes problematic because the social contract that allows the police to do their job breaks down."

Ties to right-wing movements

Elliott Currie, a criminology professor at the University of California at Irvine, said "it's always surprising when you see people who were supposed to be defending the Constitution .... violating that in this very stark way."

He said, however, that "we have a long history of that kind of behavior both by police and former police" - a point both Kenney and Nolan agreed on.

"This is nothing new," Nolan said. "Law-enforcement officers have a history of being associated with right-wing extremists, white supremacists, and right-wing militia groups. That goes back decades."

"In fact, in the early history of policing in the United States, there were strong associations with organizations like the Ku Klux Klan."

Men belonging to the Oath Keepers, a far-right group made up of current and former service members, police officers, and first responders, at the Trump rally on January 6. Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

'Impunity' in the Trump era

While police associations with far-right groups may not be new, Kenney and Currie suggested that former President Donald Trump's embracing of these groups may have lifted the lid.

Currie said he thought "the Trump era has probably" fueled police politicization, because Trump's apparent support for far-right movements gave officers with these political ideologies a sense of "impunity."

"I think we sometimes underestimate just how much it matters that people in the highest levels of authority are basically telling you it's OK, it's OK to do stuff you thought you weren't supposed to do," Currie said.

Kenney said the fact that these officers were feeling "comfortable becoming more public" with their ideologies could even be seen as a good thing.

"It's something that police agencies and the military have promised to aggressively confront now, which is a positive thing," Kenney said.

Read more: Trump tested the Constitution and shredded traditions. Biden and the Democrats have big plans of their own about what to do next.

Before President Joe Biden's inauguration, the FBI took the extra step of conducting a review of the 25,000 National Guard troops who were deployed to protect the Capitol for the event.

Ultimately, 12 National Guardsmen were pulled from working the event, with at least two having suspected connections to far-right armed groups, according to the Associated Press.

Nolan said that the FBI probably didn't have "the capability" or "the inclination" to conduct a review of the nation's hundreds of thousands of police officers but that it's possible to step up background checks on people applying to be officers to make sure they don't have ties to concerning groups.

"There have been public proclamations on the part of police administrators that there will be no place for officers who participate in riotous insurrections in the ranks of police officers," Nolan said. "So I think we're going to see some of these guys get fired for going down to DC and participating in that riot."

"I'm somewhat heartened by the exposure that's being brought to this issue and the willingness of police administrators - chiefs and police commissioners - to weed these officers out from their ranks because they don't belong in policing," he added.

Why police tend to be conservative

There are signs the politicization of the police is a bigger issue than a couple of dozen off-duty police officers taking part in a pro-Trump riot.

Currie said there's evidence that police politicization "increased and intensified in the Trump era," pointing to police unions endorsing Trump, given that political endorsements by police unions were somewhat rare until recently.

Nolan said that in his experience, "the majority of police officers are politically conservative."

Currie agreed, saying part of this had to do with the people who apply to be police officers already being "pretty conservative people."

What officers experience on the job also tends to push them further to the right, Nolan said.

Despite consistently falling violent-crime numbers in the US, Nolan said that officers believe they are dealing with an "onslaught of violent crime" and that it leads them to believe they are playing a crucial role as "the thin blue line between order and anarchy."

For this reason, they would naturally tend to side with people who echo these beliefs, as opposed to people who call for more checks on police power and authority.

Trump supporters clashed with security forces at the Capitol on January 6. Brent Stirton/Getty Images

'Don't we pay you to enforce the laws?'

Currie said one of the things he found "very troubling" was the recent trend of some sheriffs' saying they're "not going to enforce certain laws if they don't like those laws."

A recent example of this was when Sheriff Richard Giardino of Fulton County, New York - a Republican - said he would not enforce the governor's order to limit Thanksgiving gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more: I was in DC for the inauguration. The overwhelming security state felt disturbingly similar to the worst parts of the post-9/11 response.

"Deciding that you're not going to enforce regulations around COVID-19 because you don't believe government should be doing that ... well, one could reasonably say: 'How do you as a sheriff decide you're not going to do that? Don't we pay you to enforce the laws?'" Currie said.

The Capitol riot also shows the consequences of police politicization in a more "subtle" way, Currie said, in the way that the rioters were treated by the Capitol Police compared with the Black Lives Matter protesters over the summer.

"Many commentators have pointed out that ... if a crowd of BLM supporters had descended upon the Capitol building, it would have been a very different response, and I think that's correct," he said.

"The fact that you didn't see that when it was a mostly white crowd is very revealing about the sort of fundamental political worldview that many police have."

"It's a vision of who's dangerous and who's not in our society," he said. "In this case, that's very much divided along racial lines."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Polish Foreign Minister says Borrell should visit Kyiv before his visit to Moscow

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said that EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell before his visit to Moscow, should visit Kyiv.

"I also noted that it would probably be good to visit Kyiv first, given the situation with our eastern partners, half of which have suffered a loss of territorial integrity due to Russian policy," Rau said in a video statement released by Polish Radio on Monday.

In addition, according to him, it would also be worth first to discuss the situation with new U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in order to "make the position of Josep Borrell stronger."

As reported, Borrell said on Monday that in the first week of February he would arrive in Russia for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
(Alliance News) - Katoro Gold PLC and Power Metal Resources PLC on Tuesday said a first drilling programme at the Haneti nickel and platinum group metals project has concluded.

In addition, Power Metal said it has struck a deal which could see it take sole ownership of four gold assets in Canada.

Katoro holds a 65% interest in the Haneti project in Tanzania, with Power Metal owning the remaining 35%.

Rotary air blast drilling was completed at the Mihanza Hill and Mwaka Hill sections of the project, the duo explained.

Power Metal Chief Executive Officer Paul Johnson said the "successful completion" represents a promising step forward for the Haneti asset.

Four rock samples have been sent to assay laboratory SGS Tanzania, the companies added.

Katoro Gold Chair Louis Coetzee said: "We are very pleased with the successful completion of the first drill programme at Haneti, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing exploration programme at the project. We have a very clear exploration strategy for Haneti and, subject to the outcome of results from the maiden drill programme, are ready to proceed with the next phase."

Also on Tuesday, Power Metal said it has signed an option agreement to buy four separate gold exploration assets at the Hemlo and Schreiber areas in Canada.

"The four option properties are located within 100 kilometres west or southwest of the company's new Hemlo North gold project)," Power Metal explained.

The properties include the McKellar, Enable, Magical and Coco East assets.

Power Metal noted a non-refundable CAD10,000, about GBP5,741, option fee will be payable. It may part with CAD260,000 should it acquire all the assets, with half that consideration payable in Power Metal shares.

Power Metal shares were down 2.9% at 2.70 pence each in London on Tuesday afternoon. Katoro Gold was up 8.4% at 2.38p.

By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
DENVER (AP)  The Vatican has cleared a retired U.S. bishop of multiple allegations he sexually abused minors and teenagers, rejecting lay experts' determination that a half-dozen claims were credible and instead slapping him on the wrist for what it called flagrant" imprudent behavior.

The Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith exonerated retired Cheyenne, Wyoming Bishop Joseph Hart of seven accusations of abuse and determined that five others couldnt be proven with moral certitude. Two other cases involving boys who were 16 and 17 couldnt be prosecuted because the Catholic Church didnt consider them minors at the time of the alleged abuse, the diocese reported Monday. A 13th allegation wasnt addressed in the decree.

Hart, 89, had long maintained his innocence and denied all allegations of misconduct. His attorney, Thomas Jubin, said multiple allegations against Hart were specious, with some based on second- and third-hand information, and with some accusers emphasizing that Hart didn't physically touch them.

Despite this, Bishop Hart asks me to convey that he continues to pray for all involved in this case so that they may find peace and healing. He now asks, and I ask, too, that he may now be afforded peace in the twilight of this life as he prepares to meet his God in the next, Jubin said in a statement.

The Vatican decision clearly disappointed Harts successor, Bishop Steven Biegler, who stressed that the Vaticans findings didnt mean Hart was innocent, just that the Holy See determined that the high burden of proof hadnt been met.

Today, I want the survivors to know that I support and believe you Biegler said in a statement. I understand that this announcement will not bring closure to the survivors, their family members, Bishop Hart and all those affected.

It also disappointed Darrel Hunter, who said he and his two brothers were abused by Hart after he was assigned to worked at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Kansas City near their home in the 1950s. Hunter, 73, of Prairie Village, Kan., said he did not expect the Vatican to punish Hart but he was concerned about how it treated those who came forward to say they had been abused.

Story continues

He said he did not understand how Vatican officials could discount their allegations, particularly because many alleged victims live hundreds of miles apart and did not have any connection besides Hart. He said he had not heard of any victims being interviewed as part of the Vaticans investigation, which made the moral certitude conclusion like a slap in the face to victims.

Its like they said Were not going to talk to you but were pretty sure what youre saying didnt happen, said Hunter.

In Cheyenne, Biegler has previously stood by the findings of his review board, which determined a half-dozen claims were credible. And his diocesan statement noted the qualifications of its members: law enforcement; school administration; a doctor of psychology; a pediatrician; a psychotherapist, who treats sexually abused children; and a judge, who was a criminal prosecutor for 13 years involving crimes against children, primarily child sexual abuse.

On the other hand, the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, or CDF, relies on the judgment of priests and bishop canon lawyers, and ultimately the pope. The Vatican for decades has been criticized by victims groups for giving bishops a pass when they have been accused of sexual abuse themselves or of covering it up.

A few exceptions have been made in recent years, most famously in the case of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked after the CDF determined he had abused minors as well as adults, including during confession  essentially the same allegations against Hart.

As a result, the sentence showed the arbitrary nature of Vaticans canonical sex abuse deliberations and judgments, which aren't public. Harts previous diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph reached court settlements years ago with at least 10 victims. But Wyoming criminal prosecutors also decided last year not to proceed with charging Hart.

Anne Barrett Doyle, of the online resource BishopAccountability.org, said the Vatican ruling was heartbreaking and disgraceful" and showed that church law is biased in favor of priests and bishops.

Defenders of canon law might point to the punishment of ex-cardinal McCarrick as evidence that the system works. But for every McCarrick, there are five Harts: bishops who retain their titles and pensions in the face of multiple allegations," she said in an email, adding that the ruling calls into question Pope Francis' vow to hold bishops accountable.

In its decree, the CDF rebuked Hart for his flagrant lack of prudence as a priest and bishop for being alone with minors in his private residence and on various trips which could have been potential occasions endangering the obligation to observe continence and that would give rise to scandal among the faithful,' the diocese said.

Hart was also rebuked for failing to observe previous Vatican restrictions prohibiting him from having contact with minors and seminarians and from participating in public engagements, the diocese said, adding that those restrictions remain in place.

Jubin, Hart's lawyer, criticized Biegler for what he said was grandstanding and trying to disregard due process by trying to convict Hart in the court of public opinion.

The Associated Press has learned that the CDF had tasked the investigation into Hart to Indianapolis Bishop Charles Thompson, who made headlines in 2019 when he ordered two Catholic high schools to fire teachers in same-sex marriages. After one Jesuit school refused, the Vatican temporarily suspended Thompson's order rescinding the school's Catholic recognition.

The CDF under its current leadership seems to follow recommendations from local bishops who investigate sex crimes, while it used to take a more proactive role in sanctioning and defrocking accused clerics.

Hart was a priest in Kansas City, Missouri, for 21 years before moving to Wyoming, where he served as auxiliary and then full bishop from 1976 until his retirement in 2001. The first known allegations against Hart dated to the early 1960s and were made in the late 1980s. At least six men came forward in the past few years to say Hart abused them in Wyoming.

___

Winfield reported from Rome. Associated Press writer Margaret Stafford in Liberty, Mo. also contributed to this report.

Editors Note: This story has been updated with comments from the governors office.

Pressure mounted Tuesday for the head of the prison system to step down while law enforcement investigates alleged beatings at the states only womens prison.

Five more New Jersey lawmakers on Tuesday demanded Corrections Commissioner Marcus Hicks be placed on leave the day after an NJ.com story revealed that dozens of staff at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton were suspended after women inmates said they were attacked by officers earlier this month. Two other lawmakers said the same late Monday.

We are outraged by the allegations of physical assault perpetrated by correctional personnel, state Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, D-Middlesex, and three colleagues wrote to Gov. Phil Murphy.

A total of 30 people have been suspended at the prison, according to William Sullivan, president of NJ PBA Local 105, the states largest corrections union.

That includes 20 officers, 9 supervisors and Associate Administrator Sean St. Paul, who was in charge on Jan. 11, when prisoners said officers severely beat at least three women.

Messages left with St. Paul were not returned.

A new administrator, Patricia McGill, was appointed Monday, according to an internal memo obtained by NJ Advance Media.

The Hunterdon County Prosecutors Office and the state attorney generals office have confirmed they are looking into the allegations.

No one who took part in these attacks, or stood by and watched them occur, has any place working in our correctional system, state Sen. Sandra Cunningham, D-Hudson, said in a statement. We have seen far too many instances, especially at this facility, of corrections officers abusing inmates for no reason at all.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez said in a statement that These are serious allegations that should be immediately investigated by the appropriate state authorities, although he did not call for the commissioner to leave.

A Murphy spokesman called the accusations extremely disturbing but said the governor stood by the commissioner.

Governor Murphy is committed to getting to the bottom of what happened here and he supports Commissioner Hickss ongoing initiatives to promote greater inmate safety, increased transparency, and to hold the facilitys staff to the highest standard of professionalism, Jerrel Harvey wrote in an email.

In no uncertain terms, the Governor believes that those who mistreat individuals in state custody must be held fully accountable.

A total of seven state lawmakers have now asked Murphy to suspend the corrections commissioner, including Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg.

Murphys office also responded to Weinberg Monday evening.

We understand this is an issue of paramount concern to you and hope to update you with more information as it becomes available to us, Murphys legislative affairs director, Paulina Banasiak, wrote in an email obtained by NJ Advance Media.

In the message, Banasiak also shared an earlier statement from the corrections department promising that if wrongdoing is found, the Department shall address it in an expeditious and appropriate manner.

The womens prison was already under fire since a U.S. Department of Justice report found that officers repeatedly sexually abused prisoners, and lawmakers said the alleged beatings were the last straw.

Lopezs letter also asked the governor to suspend the corrections ombudsman, the man in charge of an independent prison watchdog. Advocates have previously raised concerns that the ombudsmans office was not equipped to effectively police prisons.

The ombudsman, Dan DiBenedetti, did not respond to a request for comment on the letter, but he previously said he and his staff were passing along information they received about the reported beatings to prosecutors.

Other lawmakers who have called for the commissioner to step down are Democratic Assemblywomen Pamela Lampitt, D-Camden, Eliana Pinter Marin, D-Essex and Valerie Vainieri Huttle, D-Bergen. State Sen. Mike Testa, R-Cumberland, called for the commissioner to resign last year over his handling of the pandemic.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN.

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President Joe Biden appeared to boost his goal for coronavirus vaccinations in his first 100 days in office, suggesting the nation could soon be injecting 1.5 million shots on an average per day.

Biden signaled on Monday his increasing bullishness on the pace of vaccinations after signing an executive order to boost government purchases from U.S. manufacturers. It was among a flurry of moves by Biden during his first full week to show hes taking swift action to heal an ailing economy as talks with Congress over a $1.9 trillion stimulus package showed few signs of progress.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

Biden reiterated that he believes the country is in a precarious spot and and that relief is urgently needed, even as he dismissed the possibility of embracing a scaled-down bill to secure passage faster. Among the features of the stimulus plan are a national vaccination program, aid to reopen schools, direct payments of $1,400 to individuals and financial relief for state and local governments.

Time is of the essence," Biden said. I am reluctant to cherry-pick and take out one or two items here."

Bidens new vaccination target comes after he and his aides faced criticism for the 100 million goal in his first 100 days in office. The U.S. has exceeded a pace of 1 million doses per day over the last week.

I think we may be able to get that to ... 1.5 million a day, rather than 1 million a day," Biden said, but we have to meet that goal of a million a day."

Biden added that he expects widespread availability of the vaccines for Americans by spring, with the U.S. well on our way to herd immunity" necessary to end the pandemic by summer. Even so, he warned the nation was going to be in this for a while, and could see between 600,000 and 660,000 deaths before we begin to turn the corner in a major way."

As of Sunday, the federal government had distributed 41.4 million vaccine doses to states and other jurisdictions. Of that, 21.8 million doses had been administered, or about 53%. About 3.2 million people had received their full two-dose vaccination, a little less than 1% of the population. Thats according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Already, more than 420,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus.

Bidens team held a call Sunday to outline the stimulus plan with at least a dozen senators, while the president also privately talked with lawmakers.

Theres an urgency to moving it forward, and he certainly believes there has to be progress in the next couple of weeks," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. She warned that action needed to be taken before the U.S. reaches an unemployment cliff" in March, when long-term unemployment benefits expire for millions of Americans.

But Republicans on Capitol Hill were not joining in the push for immediate action.

One key Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said after Sundays call that it seems premature to be considering a package of this size and scope." Collins described the additional funding for vaccinations as useful while cautioning that any economic aid should be more targeted.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Monday that any further action should be smart and targeted, not just an imprecise deluge of borrowed money that would direct huge sums toward those who dont need it."

Biden sought to downplay the rhetoric from GOP lawmakers, saying, I have been doing legislative negotiations for a large part of my life. I know how the system works."

This is just the process beginning," he added. No one wants to give up on their position until theres no other alternative."

Mondays order will likely take 45 days or longer to make its way through the federal bureaucracy, during which time wrangling with Congress could produce a new aid package. That would be a follow-up to the roughly $4 trillion previously approved to tackle the economic and medical fallout from the coronavirus.

The order was aimed at increasing factory jobs, which have slumped by 540,000 since the pandemic began last year.

America cant sit on the sidelines in the race for the future," Biden said before signing the order in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Were ready, despite all were facing."

Bidens order would modify the rules for the Buy American program, making it harder for contractors to qualify for a waiver and sell foreign-made goods to federal agencies. It also changes rules so that more of a manufactured goods components must originate from U.S. factories. America-made goods would also be protected by an increase in the governments threshold and price preferences, the difference in price over which the government can buy a foreign product.

Its an order that channels Bidens own blue-collar persona and his promise to use the governments market power to support its industrial base, an initiative that former President Donald Trump also attempted with executive actions and import taxes.

Thanks to past presidents granting a trade-pact waiver to Buy American, today billions in U.S. tax dollars leak offshore every year because the goods and companies from 60 other countries are treated like they are American for government procurement purposes," said Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizens Global Trade Watch and a critic of past trade agreements.

While Trump also issued a series of executive actions and tariffs with the goal of boosting manufacturing, he didnt attempt to rewrite the guidance for what constitutes a U.S.-made component or tighten the process for granting exemptions to buy foreign goods, a key difference from Bidens agenda, Bidens administration said.

The order also has elements that apply to the separate Buy America program that applies to highways and bridges. It aims to open up government procurement contracts to new companies by scouting potential contractors. The order would create a public website for companies that received waivers to sell foreign goods to the government, so that U.S. manufacturers can have more information and be in a more competitive position.

Past presidents have promised to revitalize manufacturing as a source of job growth and achieved mixed results. The government helped save the automotive sector after the 2008 financial crisis, but the number of factory jobs has been steadily shrinking over the course of four decades.

The number of U.S. manufacturing jobs peaked in 1979 at 19.5 million and now totals 12.3 million, according to the Labor Department.

___

Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.

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E-book gettyimagesbank



By Park Ji-won



More e-book companies are diversifying their business portfolios to come up with original content amid the intensifying battle between online content providers.



Ridibooks, or Ridi, one of the largest e-book companies in Korea, founded a mobile game affiliate 2DC, Jan. 11 as part of its efforts to offer content in various fields such as e-books, web novels, web comics, animation and games.



The affiliate is aiming to launch a series of mobile games based on the intellectual properties of Ridi, which has more than 230,000 titles. 2DC is planning to launch a mobile game targeting female users in the first half of the year.



Ridi started with an e-book business in 2008, but it expanded through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in recent years. In August 2019, it merged with Laftel Group, an animation streaming service provider while buying out Aces Media, a web novel-focused publisher in February last year.



The company said in a statement that this was part of its efforts to expand its intellectual property businesses to build a cultural economic chain in related fields such as animation, comics, games and novels.



In August last year, it released a web comic "Under the Oak Tree" based on the web novel of the same title, while releasing an animation series "Super Secret," based on a web comic released on Naver.



"Bookclub millie," a book subscription service provider offering 100,000 titles, also started a drama business last year. It held a script contest with Gozknock ENT and selected a thriller titled "Happy Battle" to be dramatized. The piece depicts a homicide incident in a luxurious residential area in the posh Gangnam District.



The move came amid the intensifying battle between online content companies to secure more original series following the rising demand for content amid the spread of COVID-19.



Naver, Korea's leading online platform giant, announced Wednesday that it had bought 100 percent of the shares of Wattpad, a Canada-based web novel company with more than 90 million monthly users who spend an aggregate 23 billion minutes using the service every month. The move was part of the company diversifying its intellectual property businesses and its business in North America.



"Over the last few years, online-based content such as web comics and web novels, started to work closely. Many web novels, which weren't recognized as source material for original content in the past, were made into web comics. Once a web comic based on a web novel becomes popular, it becomes a drama," a person familiar with the web comics business said.



"Also, fans of web comics also read the original web novels and watch the dramas, meaning that a positive reaction is somewhat guaranteed. Also the web comics have a lower language barrier to readers and a larger market, so it is easier for the content providers to attract more fans. Using one creation in various genres creates a virtuous cycle for the original piece. It is very important for content providers to secure more original content."


Classes in the Wilkes County Schools will start on Aug. 23 and end on May 25 in 2021-22 as a result of a calendar approved by the Wilkes Board of Education on Feb. 1.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

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ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

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"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

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Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

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China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

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Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

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6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

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Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

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His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

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Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

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ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

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JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - In his second State of the State Address, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves put a spotlight on Mississippians resiliency and their ability to overcome hardships they faced in 2020 and continue to face in 2021.

Mississippians faced tornadoes, hurricanes last year and continue to battle the coronavirus.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves delivered his State of the State Address on Jan. 26, 2021. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves delivered his State of the State Address on Jan. 26, 2021.

As we saw on Easter Sunday, this is a state of people who wont let a tornado leave the ground before arriving with chainsaws to clear their neighbors land. As we saw after [Hurricane] Zeta, it is a state of people who wont let the waves of a hurricane rush back to the sea before ensuring their neighbor has food and warmth. We are a state of people who step up, time and again, and have exceeded all expectations this year.

Weve been cautious, never panicked, he said of the pandemic. Weve been safe, but not stubborn. Life cannot be lived in perpetual idleness and isolation. We realized that, and weve adapted our plans throughout the year--responding swiftly when the spread was most severe and opening up whenever it is possible.

In his address, the governor said despite the pandemic, the states economy grew year-over-year.

We were the third-best state in the country for job recovery. We had more tourism spending return than any other state in the country--we were number one!

He credits Mississippians' desire to work.

Reeves looked to the future and said Mississippi cannot stay content with its current position.

I dont want to compete with the Mississippi of the last fifty years. I dont want to compete with Mississippi of the last decade. I dont want to compete with Mississippi of last year. I want to compete with the best--Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas. Because I know we can compete, and I know we can win.

To move Mississippis economy and workforce forward, Reeves said Mississippi must think big and needs a bold move.

This is the time for an action that will turn heads all across the country and get money and people flowing in. And I believe that move is the elimination of the income tax. It is a reward for our hard workers, and an incentive for others to invest here, to grow here, and to live here.

Mississippi lawmakers are currently in the process of giving teachers a pay raise. Reeves said hell be eager to sign any raise that lawmakers send him.

Our teachers have earned it. Its the right way to invest.

Currently, Mississippi, like much of America, is trying to deliver as many vaccines to Mississippians as possible and available.

"Last weekend, we celebrated 100,000 vaccines delivered. That took us about six weeks. Weve done another 100,000 vaccinations since then, and as we speak we are likely delivering our 200,000th vaccine! Thats because we refused to accept a slow pace--we went from the worst state in the country at the beginning of the process to operating at peak capacity."

The governor said vaccinations are his number one priority.

"I promise that we will smash every roadblock. We will get this done as safely and quickly as we possibly can, and allow people to protect themselves from the virus. It is my most immediate priority, and I assure you it has my full attention."

Lastly, Reeves said his personal goal is to "cultivate more empathy."

"Well always have spirited debate and disagreement. You can fight for what you believe in, while honoring the man or woman on the other side. Above all we have to understand that every Mississippian--every American--is on the same team. We all want to be treated with grace. And were all made in the image of a perfect God. So, my goal is to act like it."

Open this link to read his full speech.

Open this link to watch his full speech.
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EL CENTRO, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The JWB Family Law Firm, with offices in San Diego and Temecula, has expanded to include a satellite office in the border town of El Centro, CA. Located just a few miles north of Mexicali, El Centro is the easternmost border town between the United States and Mexico. It's also the largest city and county seat of the Imperial Valley. Major employers in the area include local, state and federal agencies and agricultural businesses.

JWB Family Law founder/owner/proprietor Jane Wesley Brooks, CFLS, has Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Rated status, indicating her top-notch work in the legal areas of divorce, asset division, child visitation and custody, spousal support, and more. Her firm is well-respected throughout Southern California. El Centro is the largest city in the Imperial Valley, and is surrounded by thousands of acres of farmland that has transformed the desert into one of the most productive farming regions in California. Among other crops, it is known for its extensive carrot fields.

Despite an annual rainfall total of under 3 inches, much of the desert landscape surrounding El Centro has been transformed into verdant farmland, thanks to water supplied by the Colorado River. Seasonal migrant workers flow across the Mexican border between November and March to harvest the crops, returning to their homes in Mexico for the off-season.

The year-round population stands at approximately 50,000, with an estimated 77% of the residents listed as part of a family. At approximately 9%, the divorce rate in El Centro is in line with the national average and affirms the need for a respected law firm that specializes in divorce, property division, child and spousal support and more. The city is the newest location for a branch of esteemed JWB Family Law.

Jane Wesley Brooks, CFLS, owner and proprietor of JWB Family Law, has earned the prestigious designation of Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Rated lawyer. Attorneys who've been awarded the AV Preeminent rating have been judged by their peers as possessing the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills and ethical standards.

Ms. Brooks and her colleagues strive to make the divorce process as smooth as possible for their clients, focusing on settling matters out of court whenever possible. They are now available to assist the citizens of El Centro with all their family law matters.

Contact

JWB Family Law

(760) 460-4608

[email protected]

https://jwbfamilylaw.com

SOURCE JWB Family Law
Governors of the six South-west states and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) have agreed to ban night and underage grazing in the region.

The development is aimed at checking the insecurity rocking the six South-west states.

According to the communique sent to journalists at the end of their meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Monday, night grazing should be banned henceforth, underage herding is inimical to security and hence (should) be banned and occupation of State Forest Reserves illegally is condemned.

Ultimatum

The meeting held following the ultimatum given by the Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, that herders should vacate all forest reserves in the state within seven days.

It also held following an incident in Oyo State where a local warlord, Sunday Adeyemo, known as Sunday Igboho, led residents to evict members of a Fulani community in Igangan over allegations that they harbour criminals.

The meeting was attended by members of the Nigerian Governors Forum which include Mr Akeredolu, Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa State and Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State.

In order to end the insecurity in the six states, it was agreed a herders/farmers peace committee would be put in place.

Meeting

In his opening remarks, Mr Fayemi argued that Mr Akeredolus comment was misconstrued by the media, particularly, the social media.

Many members of MACBAN were born in the South-west. So Akeredolu cannot ask the Fulani to vacate Ondo State. The areas concerned are the forest reserves and it is about registration and also to work in line with the law. Who we are after are the criminals, not Fulani herdsmen, criminals are criminals, irrespective of their ethnic group, he said.

Explaining his position clearly, Mr Akeredolu said at the meeting that he did not ask anyone in the state to leave but rather called for adequate security mechanism.

It is not that I asked anybody to leave Ondo State and what we all agreed was that we should have a register so as to be able to identify strangers in the forest. These crimes must be nipped in the bud. We must protect everybody in Ondo State. We wont play to the gallery, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Makinde, in a tweet on Monday evening, also shared the resolution of the meeting and the plan for his state.

Collectively, we resolved to ban open grazing in all parts of the South-west. In Oyo State, we already have a law against open grazing which will continue to be implemented by our security agencies. I restated that we will not permit criminality as a response to criminal actions. Instead we will continue to support our security agencies to do their duties. Also, we will work with our people to face our common enemies  the criminals; kidnappers, armed robbers and bandits.

More so, Mr Oyetola said in a similar tweet said I held that we must take a common and workable position thatll rein in criminals and ensure peace in our nation. I also maintained that constant interaction with herders, artisanal miners and other strangers at the community and government levels will help mitigate violence in our respective states and region.

In Osun, weve in place a committee on peaceful coexistence between Fulani/Bororo and crop farmers, and with the help of the committee, weve been able to resolve several cases amicably. We all have a duty to promote and ensure a united and stronger Nigeria.

MACBANs position

Also, the National Chairman of the MACBAN, Muhammadu Kiruwa, agreed that his association is willing to work with the government and the security agencies in fighting criminality.

We are directing members of our State Executives to work with constituted security outfits. The security outfits must be designed to work with all stakeholders as this will engender inclusiveness and peace also they must within the ambit of the law.

We are open to working with the forum in designing what we think can work in solving these problems. We condemn all sorts of criminality, extrajudicial killings and the impunity that is associated with it.

ADVERTISEMENT
The drug company Moderna, which makes one of two coronavirus vaccines available in the United States, said Monday it expects its vaccine to work against the worrisome variant that originated in South Africa  but as a precaution is developing a booster vaccine that could make it even more protective.

A small study conducted by the company showed that the vaccine induced an immune response six times lower against the South African variant, known as B.1.351, compared to earlier variants, but that even this lower level of immune response, or neutralizing antibodies, is likely enough to protect against COVID-19. Still, the company said it is testing a booster vaccine to see if it can provide more immunity.

The company is testing two booster options. One possibility is that a third shot of its vaccine would provide more immunity than the current two-dose regimen. And it is starting to study a new, slightly adjusted vaccine tailored to the variant; this would also be a third shot to be taken after two shots of the main vaccine.

We believe it is imperative to be proactive as the virus evolves, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said Monday in a statement. Out of an abundance of caution and leveraging the flexibility of our mRNA platform, we are advancing an emerging variant booster candidate against the variant first identified in the Republic of South Africa into the clinic to determine if it will be more effective.

The South African variant, which has not been detected in the U.S., will probably not become the predominant circulating strain here, so its unlikely that an adjusted vaccine would have to be widely used in the U.S., said UCSF infectious disease physician Dr. Monica Gandhi.

Still, the companys announcement came as a reassuring sign that vaccine manufacturers can tweak vaccines quickly to adapt to new variants of the virus, Gandhi said. The two coronavirus vaccines available in the U.S., by Moderna and Pfizer, are both made with messenger RNA, or mRNA, technology.

It injects modified, synthesized genetic material that instructs the human body to produce the spike protein of the coronavirus on its own, which then prompts an immune defense. This enables vaccine manufacturers to quickly account for mutations in the virus by essentially plugging in a slightly adjusted genetic sequence into the vaccine.

Because the drug companies already completed large clinical trials for safety to get the vaccines authorized by the FDA, they may not have to spend several more months going through those trials again whenever they adjust their vaccines.

It shows that theyre nimble and ready to change when required, Gandhi said. It feels like theyre doing it as an insurance policy to show they can do it, to reassure the public. But for this particular variant, it doesnt look like its going to be needed.

The South African variant has generated more concern about resisting vaccines because it has more mutations along the spike protein than other strains  10, compared to eight in the variant identified in the United Kingdom, known as the B117 variant. Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines appear to be effective against the U.K. variant.

Just as with annual flu vaccines that are adjusted to account for variants, its possible that with the coronavirus, new variants will emerge over time that will require slightly different vaccines, said Bali Pulendran, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford.

I think (the company developing the booster) is welcome news, and I think its a good thing this is happening, he said. This is nothing exceptional. Companies do make flu vaccine every year that is meant to be specific to the new flu variants that emerge from year to year. So its possible in the future one might see additional variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (which causes COVID-19) that emerge. Its possible that every now and then in the future, we may have to make a slightly different vaccine so it can more optimally respond to new variants that may emerge.

Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: Cat_Ho
A major food workers union praised President Joe Biden for withdrawing a rule that would have permanently allowed U.S. poultry producers to kill more chickens per minute. Industry trade groups said the speeds were safe.

Donald Trumps administration in its waning days had pushed to install the rule, which would have upped potential chicken-slaughter rates to 175 birds per minute from 140. Just three days after Trump lost his re-election bid in November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture submitted its proposal to speed chicken lines by 25%.

Critics have said elevated line speeds, which were already in place in some plants that were given waivers to do so, increased already high rates of injuries for meat plant workers and also potential Covid-19 infection rates. Social distancing would require fewer workers on each line, which means it takes longer to process the animals.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union supported the move by Biden while the trade groups National Chicken Council and North American Meat Institute said plants operating at faster speeds were safe and effective.

This policy change is a critical step to putting worker safety ahead of industry profits as these plants continue to face elevated risks while Covid-19 cases surge nationwide, the UFCW, which represents 1.3 million workers in food plants, grocery stores and other front line industries, said in a statement Monday.

The National Chicken Council said not allowing the elevated line speeds would be ignoring science.

The modernized system has been studied, debated, and reviewed in depth for 25 years to assure its effectiveness in further modernizing chicken inspection while improving food safety and protecting workers, Ashley Peterson, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs of the NCC, said in a statement. While the poultry industry has been safely increasing line speeds over the past 25 years, our injury and illness rate has fallen 86% and is now at an all-time low.

The meat institute said that its customary for a new administration to withdraw proposed rules so they can be reviewed.

In this case, FSIS will have plenty of data from decades of experience that show establishments can operate at lines speeds of up to 175 birds per minute while maintaining exceptional food and worker safety standards, Sarah Little, a spokeswoman for NAMI, said in a statement.

With assistance from Mike Dorning.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.
(CNN)  President Joe Biden on Monday reinstated the COVID-19 travel restrictions on non-US citizens who have been in Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom and much of Europe.

Biden also extended the restrictions to travelers who have recently been to South Africa.

The step, which was first reported by Reuters, came just one week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in his final days in office lifting the restrictions on travelers from these countries effective January 26.

"The entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of noncitizens who were physically present within the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom (excluding overseas territories outside of Europe), the Republic of Ireland, and the Federative Republic of Brazil during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States, is hereby suspended," the proclamation read in part.

The proclamation is in effect for people who do not fall under a number of exceptions spelled out in the order.

The Biden transition team had vowed the new administration would not lift the restrictions. "With the pandemic worsening, and more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel," then-incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Twitter.

"On the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26. In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel in order to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19."

The decision to reinstate the travel restrictions  and expand restrictions in the case of South Africa  marks the latest effort by the Biden administration to break from Trump's discursive approach to the pandemic as cases continue to climb nationwide.

Biden said on his first full day in office on Thursday his strategy would be "based on science, not politics" as he signed a slate of coronavirus-related executive actions, including ramping up vaccination supplies and requiring international travelers to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to traveling to the US.

Many of the countries that would have been impacted by Trump's order have their own recent requirements for American travelers looking to enter their borders.

US travelers must have a negative COVID-19 test from within 72 hours prior to travel into the United Kingdom or Ireland, and in conjunction with proof of a completed Declaration of Traveler's Health to enter Brazil. American travelers generally cannot enter countries such as Spain, Germany, France, Italy and Sweden without meeting specific requirements.

This story has been updated to include additional information.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Biden reinstates Covid-19-related travel restrictions lifted by Trump."
Sundays presidential election in Portugal saw a victory for right-wing incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and a surge in votes for the fascistic Chega (Enough) party.

The election took place as coronavirus deaths continue to explode in Portugal. Deaths have more than doubled since the beginning of the year to a record of 275 on Sunday, bringing the total toll to 10,194 in this country of just 10.2 million people.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (Wikimedia Commons/Agencia Lusa)

Fear of the virus and the absence of postal or electronic voting were partially responsible for the record low turnout of 39.5 percent. However, turnout has steadily declined over decadesfrom 84.4 percent, after the toppling of Antonio Salazars fascist dictatorship in the 1974 Carnation Revolution, to 51.3 percent in 2016as disaffection mounted with the political establishment. The 2019 parliamentary elections saw just 48.6 percent of voters take part.

This year, de Sousa, the candidate of the conservative Social-Democratic Party (PSD), won a second term with 60.7 percent of the vote. He received unofficial support from social-democratic Socialist Party (PS) Prime Minister Antonio Costa and other PS leaders. PS official Carlos Cesar congratulated Rebelo de Sousa on his re-election, saying it was good news for the PS, as it allows close institutional cooperation between the government and the president to continue.

The primary preoccupation of the PS and its pseudo-left allies was to stifle the mounting anger at social inequality and the pandemic in the working class and block a turn to the left. The PS, working desperately to bolster the right-winger de Sousa, did not field its own candidate. Ana Gomes, a Maoist-turned-PS member of the European Parliament who stood as an independent, won just 13 percent.

The other parties allied to the PS polled badly. The Stalinist Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) candidate, Joao Ferreira, received 4.3 percent, and Marisa Matias of the pseudo-left Left Bloc (BE) collapsed to 4 percentdown from 10.1 percent in 2016. Both parties have for years worked in a de-facto coalition with the PS.

Chega, a party set up in 2019, polled 11.9 percent. This marked a large increase in its support: in October 2019, when its leader Andre Ventura was the first fascistic candidate since the 1974 revolution to win election, it won 1.3 percent. This month, Marine le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party in France, was guest of honour on Venturas campaign trail.

On election night, Ventura declared the election historic, adding that he had crushed the extreme left in Portugal, by which he meant the PCP and the BE. He claimed that Chega had managed to break through the usual blockade in Portugal to create an overwhelming anti-system force.

Like other fascist demagogues, Ventura viciously blames socialism, the corrupt political establishment and the most oppressed sections of society for the economic and social crisis. He attacks Roma gypsies and workers forced to rely on welfare, declaring that socialism and corruption are killing our nation. He wants to scrap the post-dictatorship Constitution, which calls on paper for a socialist society and the abolition of imperialism, colonialism and all other forms of aggression.

Fascist sentiment is rising in the ruling class. After Ventura met last year with Portuguese businessmen to discuss his law-and-order, pro-business program, Joao Maria Bravo, owner of the Sodarca group, a major defence contractor to the Portuguese Armed Forces, told reporters: Since 1974, the country has sunk, and this is already the most expensive government ever. Andre is the only one who puts his finger on the wound and talks about what we want to hear. He makes honest proposals, intends to put the country in order, fight impunity and make the economy flourish.

He added, As you can imagine, I have excellent contacts in the police and military forces, and I guarantee that he has a lot of support. There are no more declared supporters in these areas at the moment because they cannot manifest themselves.

The rise of a fascist candidate in Portugal, only weeks after former US President Donald Trump attempted a fascist coup on the Capitol in Washington, is a warning to workers internationally. The response of the bourgeoisie to growing working class anger at murderous herd immunity policies on COVID-19 and toxic levels of social inequality is to turn towards fascism. Parties like Chega in Portugal and Vox in Spainin countries where fascist regimes fell only in the 1970s and are still well within living memoryare rising amid an insoluble, international crisis of capitalism.

The forces principally responsible for the rise of Chega are the anti-worker, pseudo-left parties that Ventura falsely called the extreme left.

In 2015, the BE along with the PCP and Green Party (PEV) supported Costas new pro-austerity, pro-European Union (EU) minority PS government. It rescued the PS, which had been discredited for imposing austerity while in power from 2005 to 2011 and faced the prospect of disintegrating like its sister PASOK party in Greece.

The BE enthusiastically gave Costa its support merely on the condition that he give up some of his programmes more neo-liberal policies. All its pre-election rhetoric about repudiating Portugals debt and breaking with the European Union was jettisoned. The pact with the PS became the route through which BEs petty-bourgeois base was thoroughly integrated into the machinery of EU austerity. This created a social disaster for the working class.

After years of a BE-backed PS government, Portugal is among the most socially unequal countries in the EU. One in five workers in Portugal are on the minimum monthly wage of 635 ($700), the lowest in western Europe. Portugals monthly median wage is less than 900 per month, compared to more than 2,000 for the whole EU. At the same time, the super-rich have gotten richer. According to Statista.com, By 2022 it is estimated the number of individuals in Portugal with a net worth of over five million US dollars will reach 5,650, an expected increase of nearly 1,100 from 2017.

Last year, amid the disaster caused by the pandemic, the BE admitted that the PS governments it had supported pursued a strategy of transferring resources to the private sector. Now, Portugals public health system is on the verge of collapse as hospitals run out of intensive care beds. We are already treating patients beyond our installed capacity...and we are not the only hospital where this is happening, said Daniel Ferro, director of Lisbons biggest hospital, Santa Maria.

When workers mobilized against the PS government, the pseudo-left were violently hostile. When Portuguese workers struck and yellow vest protests spread in Portugal following those in France, BE leader Francisco Louca denounced them as fascists: This is a far-right operation. They are using social media to whip up aggressive politicization in far-right terms. In 2019, BE and the Portuguese unions isolated a nationwide trucking strike as the PS government called out the army to force the truckers back to work.

The rise of Chega as the capitalist class in Europe and internationally pursues a murderous, fascistic herd immunity policy is the most serious warning. The task of building a politically independent movement in the working class, fighting against herd immunity policies and for socialism based on a Marxist-internationalist critique of the pseudo-left groups, is urgent. This means fighting to build a Portuguese section of the International Committee of the Fourth International.
WEST HARTFORD, CT  While U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths have been trending downward over the past week, hospitals across the country still report straining to meet the demands of the ongoing pandemic.

At the national level, during the week ending Jan. 25, deaths were running at an average of just under 3,100 a day  down from a peak of more than 3,350 in the weeks prior, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. New cases were averaging about 170,000 a day after hitting almost 250,000 earlier this month.

Meanwhile, state health officials in Connecticut reported to the federal government that 81 percent of all inpatient beds in hospitals across the state were still occupied as of Jan. 23. Around 16 percent of beds statewide were filled by COVID-19 patients, they reported.

Another set of federal data released this week shows how close hospitals in Hartford County are to reaching capacity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publishes this capacity data on a weekly basis for tens of thousands of hospitals nationwide, including the portion of inpatient beds occupied by adults confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19.

The latest hospital-specific numbers, included below, are current through Thursday, Jan. 21.

Health experts have said that the share of each hospitals total beds devoted to coronavirus is key to understanding the strain on its resources. A share greater than 10 percent is said to be a cause of concern. When that share exceeds 20 percent, a hospital is said to be under extreme stress, and as the share approaches 50 percent the stress is said to be immense.

Here are the latest figures for hospitals in Hartford County.

Editors note: This list was automatically generated using data compiled by the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. The local hospitals included in the list are limited to those included in the government data. Please report any errors or other feedback to content@patch.com.

Story continues

BRISTOL HOSPITAL

41 BREWSTER RD, BRISTOL

Total beds (7-day average): 134

All adult inpatient beds: 134

Inpatient beds occupied: 87.4

Percent of inpatient beds used: 65.22%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 13.9

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 13.7

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 10.37%

HARTFORD HOSPITAL

80 SEYMOUR STREET, HARTFORD

Total beds (7-day average): 853.9

All adult inpatient beds: 853.9

Inpatient beds occupied: 748.6

Percent of inpatient beds used: 87.67%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 141.6

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 123.6

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 16.58%

HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL CARE

2150 CORBIN AVE, NEW BRITAIN

Total beds (7-day average): 237

All adult inpatient beds: 195

Inpatient beds occupied: 184.4

Percent of inpatient beds used: 94.56%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): N/A

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): N/A

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: N/A

HOSPITAL OF CENTRAL CONNECTICUT, THE

100 GRAND STREET, NEW BRITAIN

Total beds (7-day average): 289

All adult inpatient beds: 289

Inpatient beds occupied: 234.4

Percent of inpatient beds used: 81.11%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 52.6

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 41.6

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 18.20%

JOHN DEMPSEY HOSPITAL

263 FARMINGTON AVE, FARMINGTON

Total beds (7-day average): 234

All adult inpatient beds: 223

Inpatient beds occupied: 130.1

Percent of inpatient beds used: 58.34%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 45

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 31.7

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 20.18%

MANCHESTER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

71 HAYNES ST, MANCHESTER

Total beds (7-day average): 211

All adult inpatient beds: 205

Inpatient beds occupied: 140.7

Percent of inpatient beds used: 68.63%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 39.4

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 39.4

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 19.22%

ST FRANCIS HOSPITAL & MEDICAL CENTER

114 WOODLAND STREET, HARTFORD

Total beds (7-day average): 504

All adult inpatient beds: 463

Inpatient beds occupied: 309.4

Percent of inpatient beds used: 66.83%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 78.6

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 72.9

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 16.98%

This article originally appeared on the West Hartford Patch
[January 26, 2021] Algolia Acquires MorphL, Launches AI-Powered Predictive Experiences and Personalization

Algolia acquires Google DNI-funded MorphL, an AI/ML platform



MorphLs AI/ML platform to fuel Algolias new AI offerings

Algolias headless, API-first building block approach eliminates barriers to AI implementation, helping businesses drive conversion and personalization

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Algolia , the leading Search-as-a-Service company, today announced that it has acquired MorphL, a Google Digital News Initiative -funded startup, to help power Algolias new AI offering. This new suite of API-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) models enables developers, data scientists, and marketers to predict users intent, personalize online experiences, and create highly-targeted offers. To feed the desire for users expectations for instant gratification, companies are depending more and more on modern technologies such as AI. However, applying AI to every point in a users journey can be complex. Historically, developers, data scientists, and marketers options have been limited to a reliance on either opaque proprietary or open source offerings, or to build their own models from scratch  which could take several weeks or months. Bernadette Nixon, Chief Executive Officer, Algolia, said: I am thrilled to welcome MorphL to the Algolia family. Its an exciting time  brands are looking to create meaningful connections with people, and that requires understanding intent in the moment, personalized navigation, search, and recommendations or offers. Sounds easy enough, but ask most Chief Digital Officers or heads of eCommerce and its not. Algolias AI offering simplifies the ability to understand users intent so that it is possible to personalize experiences and offers  even rom "first visit and first search. Nixon further noted that this will enable companies to move beyond content-based experiences to predictive, intent-based experiences. Importantly, it will enable online retailers to monetize new products, new visitors, and infrequent visitors like they have never been able to do before.



This acquisition extends Algolias leading intelligent search APIs, with recommendations and user behavior models all along the customer journey, so companies can deliver powerful, intent-based experiences and iterate quickly in response to market trends and user propensity profiles. Algolias AI suite is highly flexible due to its API-first approach, the complete availability of its underlying data, and the ease with which developers and marketers can build upon its AI and ML models. It also allows them to leverage their market knowledge to manage and tune the entire experience.

Ciprian Borodescu, Chief Executive Officer, MorphL, added: Many companies are trying to make it easier to use AI, but few are making it as simple as MorphL. Indeed, our mission has always been to democratize AI and to empower developers and marketers, who wish to enhance their digital offerings with a simple plug and play building block interface for building their intent-based, omnichannel sites and applications. Algolia AI is the product of significant internal innovation and the acquisition of MorphL, an AI tech start-up awarded with a Google Digital News Initiative grant and selected to the Techstars Montreal AI Accelerator. Learn more about the Algolia AI offering here: https://www.algolia.com/products/ai-studio Helpful Links Blog: https://blog.algolia.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/algolia

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/algolia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/algolia/

Careers: https://www.algolia.com/careers

About Algolia

Algolia is the Search-as-a-Service platform that enables companies of all sizes to deliver fast and relevant digital experiences that drive real results. With Algolia, consumers are able to find and discover what they want easily across web, mobile and voice. Algolia allows developers and business teams to build and optimize delightful Search and Discovery experiences that increase online engagement, conversion rates and revenue. More than 9,500 companies including Under Armour, Lacoste, Birchbox, Stripe, Slack, Medium, and Zendesk rely on Algolia to manage over 95 billion search queries a month. Algolia is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Paris, London, Tokyo, New York and Atlanta. To learn more, visit www.algolia.com . Contact:

Shannon Campbell

Offleash for Algolia

algolia@offleashpr.com



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SACRAMENTO  Gov. Gavin Newsoms abrupt move Monday to lift Californias stay-home order evoked growing criticism from state legislators who said they worry his seesaw decisions on coronavirus health directives seem arbitrary.

Without warning many legislators, Newsom ended the order, effective immediately. He said the move was justified by projections showing intensive care unit capacity improving in coming weeks.

Some Democrats publicly fumed over the move. They said they were struggling to explain the change to constituents, especially those from regions where bed capacity in hospital intensive care units remained at 0%, such as Southern California and the Central Valley.

If you think state legislators were blindsided by, and confused about, the shifting & confusing public health directives, youd be correct, tweeted Assembly Member Laura Friedman, D-Glendale (Los Angeles County).

Republicans called the move a politically motivated attempt to counter the campaign to recall Newsom, an effort driven in large part by frustrations over months-long pandemic restrictions.

Newsom brushed off that criticism Monday, calling the GOPs allegations complete, utter nonsense. He said he was more concerned about allowing some businesses to reopen quickly than keeping legislators in the loop.

The question is do we delay making a significant announcement that can help small businesses of all stripes? Newsom asked during a news conference in Sacramento County. I hope folks that are concerned that they werent given heads-up are also pleased at the direction the states now moving.

The governor said ICU-capacity projections from his administration  numbers that some critics say they dont trust  show bed capacity will rebound across the state over the next four weeks, as the postholiday surge in cases recedes.

Still, some legislators said they dont understand Newsoms rationale. State Sen. Steve Glazer said he worries the move is premature and could lead to another surge before California can improve its sluggish vaccine distribution and contact tracing efforts.

Glazer, D-Orinda, said he worries the states constant back-and-forth on health directives undermines residents willingness to follow health rules and avoid social gatherings.

If the public doesnt have confidence in how the decisions are being made, it erodes any directive on individual behavior, he said. Part of the reason that the soon-to-be-expired health order wasnt as effective as it could have been was because people stopped listening.

Newsom issued the stay-home order Dec. 3 for counties with less than 15% ICU-bed availability, saying he was pulling the emergency brake on a third surge of the pandemic.

The move came after months of counties toggling back and forth on the states color-coded reopening plan. In November, the state had moved nearly every county to its most restrictive, purple tier as cases began to snowball.

Now, Newsom has canceled the stay-home order as infection rates begin to fall. However, the number of new cases remains high, with more than 27,000 new infections reported Sunday.

The latest action allows most counties to reopen some businesses with limited capacity, such as outdoor dining at restaurants or hair and nail salons. The state reverted to its color-tiered reopening system, with businesses falling in the purple tier.

Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido (San Diego County), said she was glad Newsom eased the order even just a little bit. But she said the nature of the decision showed the process is flawed.

I am greatly concerned over the lack of transparency hes using to make these decisions. He says hes guided by data, but he is not sharing the data with anyone, she said. How can people plan their lives with this level of uncertainty?

As of Monday afternoon, Newsoms administration had not released the models it used to project the improving ICU-availability rates it cited, though his staff said they would begin doing so.

Despite simmering frustrations in Sacramento, Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College, doubted many Californians will look at Newsoms decision to lift the order so critically.

I think what they care about is, can I get a haircut? Can I go to a restaurant outside with my friends? she said. I find it hard to believe that this is really going to hurt Newsom at all.

Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner

AL AIN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Jan, 2021) Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology, today explored United Arab Emirates Universitys (UAEU) innovation and research and development programmes on a tour of the institutions departments and facilities.

Accompanied by Dr. Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Minister of State and UAEU Chancellor, Al Amiri was introduced to the various projects the University has launched - initiatives that aim to promote innovation and advanced technologies that can be used to support the UAEs industrial sector.

Al Amiris visit lays the foundation for a new phase of cooperation between the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and its strategic partners. The relationship has been established to achieve the goals of the National Advanced Technology Agenda to promote national industrial innovation and ensure the commercial viability of innovation-based products.

Al Amiri stated, "In line with the UAE Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), we are always working to improve the outputs of the education sector, particularly in the advanced technology and science disciplines, as well as to promote applied research into bioengineering, nanotechnology at national universities and specialised centres.

"The ministry has set a strategic vision to advance key industrial sectors and establish systems that drive industrial development. This serves the vision of the leadership and propels the country towards a global leadership position in industry, enhancing its competitiveness. We will shortly be announcing policies, plans and programmes to boost national production by optimising the use of advanced technology," she added.

The minister was introduced to the latest developments in District 4.0  the largest project launched by an academic institution in the region and one that aims to establish a sustainable research infrastructure and integrate the FIR into academic curricula.

The tour also covered key facilities across the campus, including the laboratories of the Faculty of Engineering, which support students and researchers in various fields.

The tour continued at the Science and Innovation Park, where Al Amiri was briefed about the training and support programmes provided to young innovators and entrepreneurs.

Next on the itinerary was the National Centre for Space Science and Technology, where she reviewed how the centre plays an important role in creating advanced technology that can be transferred to other vital sectors, such as food security, the circular economy and health. Following the visit, she was briefed about the College of Medicine and Health Sciences approach to encouraging multidisciplinary research projects.

Dr. Nusseibeh said, "The university works in line with the UAEs centennial vision and its preparations for the next 50 years. The university is always open to building strategic partnerships with international scientific and academic institutions to direct investments towards its scientific research centres and pioneering projects."

"The university is a research-based institution, and our commitment to our mission and vision positions us as the University of the Future. Launching global projects such as District 4.0, the National Centre for Space Science and Technology, the Science and Innovation Park, and several research centres, has allowed us to invent new ways to educate, impart knowledge and encourage innovation, which benefits both our students and our strategic partners," he added.

Al Amiri was accompanied by several officials from the university during her visit, including Prof. Ghaleb Ali Al Hadrami Al Breiki, Acting Vice Chancellor; Prof. Mohammed Hassan Ali Mohammed, Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, Deans, department directors and faculty members.
VIENNA, Va., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC, North America's leading, full-service business brokerage firm with more than 160 offices in the United States and Canada, recently announced the opening of a Virginia office with its newest location in Fairfax, Virginia. The Fairfax office offers a full range of business brokerage services for all local business owners seeking to buy, sell or value a business.

ELIZABETH KORONDY launched the Murphy Business office to provide one of the state's most comprehensive business brokerage services. The Murphy Business Sales of Fairfax office supports small to medium-sized businesses with the sale of their businesses, commercial real estate, valuations and mergers and acquisitions.

Overall, nothing makes Elizabeth happier than being a valuable resource for others to reach their business buying and/or selling objectives. She has a true passion for her career, values integrity, and trust, and demonstrates her devotion by providing professional, qualified, and tactful services that cultivate favorable end results. This, in conjunction with her professional background, as a business owner herself, and her expertise in negotiations, reporting, contracts, and return on investment, can all solidify your confidence in Elizabeth, as the franchise owner of Murphy Business in Fairfax, Virginia.

"There's a definite need for business brokerage services here in Fairfax County and throughout the state," said Elizabeth. "Murphy's high standards and demonstrated excellence in business transactions is impressive. The Murphy culture is the primary reason I decided to join the team. The Fairfax office is well positioned to provide the business community with first-in-class, personalized services backed by resources through the Murphy Business Network nation-wide."

To learn more about the Fairfax Murphy Business office and its unique collection of business brokerage services, contact Elizabeth directly by emailing [email protected] or visit https://murphybusiness.com/fairfax/.

About Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC

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Police used tear gas to disperse farmers who marched to the capital during India's Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi. (Image: AP)

A farmer has died in Delhi after the tractor he was driving overturned at ITO. The protesters, however, alleged that the police had fired at him while he was chasing them.

A video, shared by news agencies, showed a group of farmers chasing the policemen at ITO using their tractors. Shortly after the clip emerged, the death of one of the farmers driving the tractors was reported.

Follow live updates of farmers' protest in Delhi

Chaos erupted in the national capital as the protesting farmers deviated from the route which they were assigned by the Delhi Police for the tractor march.

Dramatic visuals were seen at the Singhu border - separating Delhi from Haryana - where thousands of farmers swelled since early in the morning and breached the barriers to enter into the capital.



#WATCH Violence continues at ITO in central Delhi, tractors being driven by protestors deliberately try to run over police personnel pic.twitter.com/xKIrqANFP4

 ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

In central Delhi's ITO, a clash erupted between police personnel and protesting farmers. The cops resorted to lathi charge and use of tear gas shells in parts of the city.At around afternoon, nearly 20 tractors reached the Red Fort. Dozens of farmers entered the iconic structure, where they waived flags from the rampart of the Mughal fort - the site where the prime minister unfurls the tricolour on the Independence Day.

The tractor rally of farmers coincides with the 72nd Republic Day celebrations. The rally was aimed at pressuring the government to repeal the three farm reform laws - which has led to the nationwide agrarian stir.

The Centre had opposed the tractor rally in its affidavit before the Supreme Court, pointing out that such a demonstration could be an "embarrassment to the nation" on Republic Day.
U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, often a lightning rod for so many, caught another bolt this weekend when he appeared as a central character in a series of New York Times reports about an 11th-hour effort by former President Donald Trump to weaponize the federal Department of Justice in his bid to invalidate President Joseph Biden Jr.s election win.

A number of Perrys political foes - all Democrats - have called in the several days since for Perrys resignation from Congress.

And the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has promised its own inquiry into the matter, in which Perry is alleged to have introduced Trump to a senior attorney at Justice who, according to the Times, was more open than the departments top leaders to pressing the presidents thus far unfounded claims that Bidens win was a product of fraud.

Rep. Perrys efforts to politicize the DOJ were a disgraceful continuation of efforts to undermine our elections and perpetuate the lies which fueled the mob attack on our Capitol. His support for overturning the 2020 election should disqualify him from serving in public office. https://t.co/gMNpQ2yafA  Mary Gay Scanlon (@marygayscanlon) January 25, 2021

But beyond the immediate public notoriety, its too early to know what long-term consequences are for Perry for being a participant in one of scores of Trumps fantastic efforts to override results of an election in which more than 150 million Americans had just participated  an election that many officials maintain was the most accurate accounting of the peoples voice yet.

Perry himself released a statement about the controversy Monday, in which he defended his conversations with former President Trump and Clark, who was the acting head of the departments civil division this fall, as appropriate discussions about the integrity of the election:

Throughout the past four years, I worked with Assistant Attorney General Clark on various legislative matters. When President Trump asked if I would make an introduction, I obliged, Perry said.

My conversations with the President or the Assistant Attorney General, as they have been with all with whom Ive engaged following the election, were a reiteration of the many concerns about the integrity of our elections, and that those allegations should at least be investigated to ease the minds of the voters that they had, indeed, participated in a free and fair election.

Clark, likewise, has told The Times that all conversations he had were legally appropriate.

Lots of questions remain.

The Congressman has thus far declined requests from PennLive and other outlets for direct interviews on the subject, telling a PennLive reporter who sought him out Sunday he will answer constituents who have questions about the issue, but Im not answering you. Perry went on to argue that he is consistently misrepresented by the press before shutting down the conversation.

Some of the public outrage at Perry seems to be conflated with his very public efforts to object to final certification of Pennsylvanias presidential election results on the House floor, televised live on CSPAN and other news outlets on the night after the Capitol was retaken from pro-Trump rioters on Jan. 6.

In interviews in the weeks since the Nov. 3 election, Perry repeatedly expressed frustration at the so-called blue shift that turned initial leads for Trump from in-person voting in Pennsylvania into a Biden win as mail-in ballots were counted over the subsequent days.

He has also - like many Republican colleagues - made arguments about election officials permitting local parties in some heavily-Democratic counties to cure mail-in ballots that might otherwise have been invalidated. The practice was permitted in a late guidance by Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, but not widely adopted statewide.

These and other issues have been raised in a series of court challenges by the Trump campaign and its allies, and to date none have passed muster in court.

Perry told PennLive earlier this month that, having had the chance to air his objections on the House floor, he is prepared to accept that Joe Biden would be sworn in as president. But through the fall, according to the Times reporting, the midstate lawmaker was one of a gradually shrinking poll of people who seemed to want to stay on Trumps side.

According to the Times reporting, when Clark took the proposed Georgia letter he, Perry and Trump had discussed to Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen in late December, Rosen refused to send it. That kicked off a further discussion about Trump replacing Rosen with Clark for the waning days of his administration. Its not clear from the newspapers stories if Perry was involved in that discussion.

The one sure consequence that Perry is facing from the Clark-Trump controversy is the current public outrage. Several elected officials across the state have called for his immediate resignation, and others, including Gov. Tom Wolf, a Perry constituent, have said that the entire situation should be thoroughly investigated and Perry held accountable.

Rep. Perry's attempt to compromise our justice system is a disgrace.



For months, he's spread lies and placed his political ambitions above the will of voters and the democracy he swore to protect.



Pennsylvanians deserve better from their leaders. He must be held accountable. https://t.co/pPM10v2FOp  Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) January 25, 2021

Its hard to see that pressure going away in the short term, as a second impeachment trial of Trump on charges of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol looms. But its also way too early to tell where it could lead.

Internally, the U.S. Constitution reserves to the House of Representatives broad power to discipline its own members for various types of misconduct, including unethical behavior. Its captured in this clause in Article 1: Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.

Those cases, which in modern times flow out of investigations by the House Ethics Committee, can result in a range of punishments from expulsion - very rare, and requiring a two-thirds majority - to formal reprimands, fines or a change in committee assignments. The latter punishments can be passed by majority vote.

Ethics Committee reviews are confidential, but sometimes can be sparked by referrals from other inquiries, such as that just launched by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In addition to the Senate Judiciary review, the DOJs Office of Inspector General announced Monday that it will investigate whether any former or current department officials engaged in an improper attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz said Monday that the investigation will investigate allegations concerning the conduct of former and current Justice Department officials but will not extend to other government officials.

Criminal charges, according to a lawyer familiar with federal criminal practice who spoke with PennLive, seem an unlikely fit at least based on the known facts so far.

Thats in part because the proposed Georgia letter was never sent, said the lawyer, who asked not to be identified because hes not familiar with the specifics of the case. It is very important that the scheme was never executed. Talking about potential criminal activity and even agreeing to it is not a crime without some sort of overt act. At the end of the day here, that is the key. It did not happen.

The final consequence for Perry could come at the polls.

The Congressmen has won tight re-election races in a competitive district in both 2020 and 2018, when the state House districts were reset by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court following a gerrymandering case.

If Perry chooses to seek re-election to a sixth term, he would stand before voters in 2022. All U.S. House districts will be reconfigured before that cycle, and if, as is currently projected, Pennsylvania loses one of its 18 seats, Perrys district would grow, likely adding a few more highly-Republican precincts.

Its still likely to be a competitive enough district and Perry is so closely aligned to Trump now, that Democrats will very likely have a number of strong candidates assessing the viability of a run.

In a GOP primary, meanwhile, one Penn State analyst said Monday, Perry probably hasnt done anything to hurt his brand.

I cant imagine this being a primary issue from another Republican, Daniel Mallinson, a professor of public policy and administration at Penn State Harrisburg said during an appearance on WITFs Smart Talk. Theres still a lot of support for President Trump in the rural parts of the district.

A likely tornado caused damage north of the city of Birmingham late Monday.

At 2AM, a broken line of strong storms continues to move eastward, and will pose a threat of damaging winds and tornadoes to locations to the east (to the right) of the line. For locations behind the line (Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Gadsden), the threat is over for you. #Alwx #BMXwx pic.twitter.com/MhHJ1iImtw  NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) January 26, 2021

And the possibility of severe weather isnt quite over for Alabama. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a new tornado watch for part of the state that will be in effect until 6 a.m. (see map at the top of this post).

There have been destructive storms already.

Damage has been reported east of Interstate 65 in northern Jefferson County, according to reports to the National Weather Service in Birmingham. Reports are also coming in of damage in the Fultondale area north of Birmingham as well as Center Point.

According to Jefferson County EMA, there is storm damage on the ground stretching from Fultondale to Center Point. No reports yet of injuries but of heavy damage. Debris signature on the radar indicated tornado and they are coordinating with first responders  carol robinson (@RobinsonCarol) January 26, 2021

NOW: We are monitoring ground reports and @EMAJeffCoAL after a tornado impacted the Fultondale area of Jefferson Co. a short time ago. Significant damage has been reported. We will inspect the damage to determine the strength of the tornado.  NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) January 26, 2021

The same storm also prompted a tornado warning for parts of Calhoun, Cleburne and Cherokee counties, but that warning has been canceled as of 12:30 a.m. and so far no damage has been reported from that area.

Then theres the tornado watch. The new watch will be in effect until 6 a.m. and covers parts of central and northeast Alabama. It replaces an earlier watch that was set to expire at 1 a.m.

The counties in the new watch are: Bibb, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Etowah, Hale, Jefferson, Marengo, Perry, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega and Tuscaloosa.

The National Weather Service urged Alabamians to have a way to receive weather warnings overnight:

It's been a little while since we've had some severe weather. With severe weather possible tonight, it's important that you have multiple ways to receive warnings. Dust off/test your weather radio and weather alert apps before bed tonight & make sure phone alerts aren't silenced. pic.twitter.com/088oVJjOKi  NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) January 25, 2021

The Storm Prediction Center continues to highlight a risk for severe weather tonight in Alabama. This is the update as of just before 7 p.m.:

The Storm Prediction Center has upgraded and expanded the slight risk area for severe weather for north and central Alabama. A slight risk means scattered severe storms will be possible.

The areas in yellow have a slight risk, which is Level 2 out of 5 and means scattered severe storms will be possible. The slight risk area has been expanded eastward and southward in the latest update.

Parts of central and southwest Alabama have a marginal risk, which means isolated severe storms will be possible.

Damage in your area? Send videos or photos to news@al.com
On January 18, the European Commission started a review of existing anti-dumping measure s applied to hot-rolled coil produced by Russian steelmaker Severstal.









Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe , at 711.25 ($865.61) per tonne on Friday, down by 4.75 per tonne week on week, but up by 46.25 per tonne month on month.The calculation of Fridays index was based on achievable prices heard at 700-720 per tonne ex-works.In Southern Europe, in the meantime, prices have increased week on week, but were likely to stabilize at the current level in the short term, market sources said.Fastmarkets weekly price assessment for steel HRC, domestic, exw Southern Europe , was 700-715 per tonne ex-works on January 20, up by 15-40 per tonne week on week from 660-700 per tonne.The assessment was based on deals and achievable prices heard in the market.Market sources believed that domestic prices would either stabilize at current levels or fall a little further in the next couple of weeks, because steelmakers currently have good order books and feel no pressure to give substantial discounts.As a result, market activity in the region has been low, with buyers taking a cautious approach to new deals because of risks related to price declines and mills limiting trade due to their strong order books.Northern European mills have been reported to be offering either end-second-quarter-rolling HRC or to be completely sold out for second-quarter production. Italian steelmakers, in the meantime, have been offering and trading April-May rolling coil, according to market sources.Sentiment turned negative in the EU coil market following a change in the trend in the international finished steel and raw materials markets, sources said.Fastmarkets steel hot-rolled coil index export, fob main port China , was $640.59 per tonne on January 22, down by $7.20 per tonne week on week and by $62.37 per tonne month on month.Import offers have been fairly stable, although suppliers were also said to be keen to give discounts on firm bids. Nonetheless, offers on overseas coil remained high when compared with domestic prices.The latest offers of HRC from India were heard at 690-700 per tonne cfr Antwerp.And Turkish mills have been offering HRC at $775 per tonne cfr, with the price excluding preliminary anti-dumping duties.One source said that a Turkish mill sold HRC to Southern Europe at $800 per tonne fob, including the anti-dumping duties.The European Commission set preliminary anti-dumping duties at 4.8-7.6% on HRC from Turkey earlier this month.Offers of HRC from India and Japan have been heard at 680-685 per tonne cfr Italian ports, down by about 5-10 per tonne week on week.
Runners: Get your summer program off on the right foot

In the wake of the violence in the capital, the US Embassy here advised American government personnel to avoid areas where clashes have been reported between and police, and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large groups, protests or demonstrations.

A tractor march protesting the three new agri laws descended into anarchy as tens of thousands of protesters clashed with police in multiple places, leading to chaos in well-known landmarks of Delhi and suburbs. One person was killed and several were injured in the clashes.

Putting out an advisory, the US Embassy said, "Media outlets are reporting clashes between New Delhi Police and protesting throughout areas of Delhi including the northern border of Delhi, areas along the Republic Day parade route, and downtown areas near the India Gate."



" personnel have been advised to avoid these areas, stay at home, and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large groups, protests, or demonstrations," the advisory said.

The advisory in its 'action to take' segment said that avoid the northern Delhi border, the Republic Day parade route, and downtown areas near the India Gate.

"Avoid crowds. Avoid demonstrations. Monitor local media for updates. Be aware of your surroundings. Review your personal security plans. Heed instructions from law enforcement officials,"it read.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BAY CITY, MI  A suspect in the recent drive-thru holdup of a Bay County bank has been arrested in Pennsylvania.

Bay County Sheriff Troy R. Cunningham said that on the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 23, a Pennsylvania State Police trooper pulled over a Grand Am for a traffic violation as it drove through Allegheny County. Shortly after the stop, the civilian driver told the trooper he had robbed a bank in Bay City, Cunningham said.

The trooper found cash in the car linking it to a robbery that occurred the prior afternoon at Fifth Third Bank, 3870 State Street Road in Bangor Township, Cunningham said.

No guns were found in the car, the sheriff added.

The driver, a 34-year-old Bay County man, was arrested. Records show has criminal convictions in Bay and Manistee counties of larceny in a building, larceny less than $200, and delivering or manufacturing marijuana. Sentenced to 32 months to four years in prison in February 2018, the Michigan Department of Corrections discharged him on June 20, 2020.

Cunninghams investigators are in the process of acquiring more information from their Pennsylvania counterparts. They hope to have the suspect extradited to Michigan in the near future, Cunningham said.

The mans name is being withheld pending his arraignment in court. Cunningham said its not known why he was in Pennsylvania.

The robbery in question occurred about 4:11 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22. An older model blue Grand Am with a green hood drove up to the banks drive-thru windows and passed a note demanding money through a pneumatic tube.

The teller surrendered an undisclosed amount of cash to the robber, the sheriff said. The robber then drove away from the scene.

Read more:

Bank robbed through drive-thru window, Bay County sheriff says

Saginaw woman accused of sexual misconduct with teen at foster-care and treatment facility

Fire sparked by space heater claims Thumb womans life on her 60th birthday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2021) Moscow calls for full restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iranian nuclear deal, and opposes linking the issue with regional security in the Gulf, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"I want to emphasize that there is a temptation of some countries to link progress in regional security with the restoration of the JCPOA. We are not one of those countries. On the contrary, we are convinced that the JCPOA must be resumed in full without any preconditions," Lavrov said at a joint press conference after a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

At the same time, the Russian diplomat said that Moscow stands ready to join any initiatives aimed at pursuing peace, stability and security in the Persian Gulf region.

Then-US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the multilateral accord in 2018, reinstating sanctions on Tehran as part of a maximum pressure campaign. His successor, Joe Biden, has expressed readiness to rejoin the deal should Tehran return to full compliance. At the same time, US officials said that the White House would consult with Israel and Arab countries before making any decisions about reentering the JCPOA deal.

According to Lavrov, Russia, together with Iran, China and European countries, is doing "everything possible" to find solutions so that all JCPOA parties would start fulfilling their obligations in full after Biden expressed willingness to re-enter the nuclear deal.
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Software and analytics trailblazer to lead the company's vision as an innovative force advancing the energy industry

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Enverus, the leading energy SaaS company, has announced that Manuj Nikhanj will become its new president, where he will be responsible for executing the company's vision as a leader and innovator in the energy sector. Jeff Hughes will remain CEO of Enverus.

"The most important thing we can do as a company is to continue to innovate and be intentional about how we accelerate value to all of our customers and partners," said Jeff Hughes, CEO of Enverus. "In nearly a year since joining Enverus, Manuj has brought his visionary mindset and deep understanding of our clients and their challenges to our combined Energy Analytics (EA) business. We're not the same company we were five years ago or even a year ago and with Manuj as the president propelling us forward, we'll further cement our place as the leading energy SaaS company."

"I am humbled and excited to be stepping into the role of president alongside Jeff's continued leadership as CEO," Nikhanj said. "In the last year, the energy sector experienced a whirlwind of uncontrollable challenges and the Enverus team has stepped up to provide the technology and insights to support our diverse customer base. I am fortunate to lead an organization that is integral to the world's largest industry. Not everyone gets the opportunity to be a part of a flexible, creative and energetic company at a transformational time like this."

Nikhanj's career in energy began in 2001 at Ross Smith Energy Group where he started as an analyst and shortly thereafter became a partner and vice president. Manuj helped set the vision and forged the buildout of the company's intelligence business to become the leading provider of energy content and insights for institutional and corporate customers. In 2011, Ross Smith sold to ITG, a Wall Street brokerage house where Manuj was the co-head of Energy Research.

In November of 2015, with the backing of one of the world's leading global private equity firms, Ross Smith carved back out as a standalone business and re-branded RS Energy Group (RSEG), where Manuj was president and co-CEO. RSEG aggressively invested in and built out its research, software development, product and data science capabilities. The company built an enterprise-grade analytics platform for the energy sector that transformed traditional workflows and disparate systems. Enverus acquired RSEG in February of 2020.

He obtained his Bachelor of Commerce degree, with distinction, from the University of Calgary and is a CFA and FRM charter holder.

About Enverus

Enverus is the leading energy SaaS company delivering highly-technical insights and predictive/prescriptive analytics that empower customers to make decisions that increase profit. Enverus' innovative technologies drive production and investment strategies, enable best practices for energy and commodity trading and risk management, and reduce costs through automated processes across critical business functions. Enverus is a strategic partner to more than 6,000 customers in 50 countries. Enverus is a portfolio company of Genstar Capital. Learn more at Enverus.com.

SOURCE Enverus

Related Links

https://www.enverus.com


Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - World leaders attending a virtual high-level session of the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021 have unanimously called for the acceleration of climate adaptation efforts to save communities from its harm
[January 26, 2021] Former Intel Chairman Andy D. Bryant Joins NovaSignal's Board of Advisors

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NovaSignal Corp., a medical technology and data company specializing in assessing cerebral blood flow, announced today that Andy D. Bryant, is joining the NovaSignal Board of Advisors, effective January 26, 2021. Mr. Bryant most recently served as Chairman of Intel Corporation.

For nearly two decades Andy led the financial growth and strategic direction of Intel, first as Chief Financial Officer and then Chairman of the Board. The contribution of Andys business and strategic acumen transformed the company. His insight will be invaluable to NovaSignal as we accelerate our growth, said Diane Bryant, Chairman and CEO of NovaSignal. We look forward to learning from Andy as an advisor to our leadership team. Mr. Bryant joined Intel in 1981 and held a variety of executive positions during his tenure at the company, including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. He served as Chairman of the Board from 2012 to January 2020. During his career at Intel, Mr. Bryant helped guide the company to become the worlds largest semiconductor company and a preeminent manufacturer of microprocessors for personal computers and servers. The rapid adoption of technologyin the healthcare industry demonstrates the ability to improve outcomes across all aspects of medical management. NovaSignals integration of AI and robotics into traditional ultrasound technology is destined to change the way brain health is managed, said Mr. Bryant. I look forward to the opportunity to lend my experience to the NovaSignal Board of Advisors and help guide the company to industry leadership.



Prior to joining Intel, Mr. Bryant held positions in finance at Ford Motor Company and Chrysler Corporation. Mr. Bryant is the Lead Independent Director of Columbia Sportswear Company where he also chairs the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors of Synopsys, Inc. and McKesson Corporation. Mr. Bryant earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Missouri and an M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance from the University of Kansas. Disclaimer: Andy Bryant is not related to Diane Bryant.

About NovaSignal Founded in 2013, NovaSignal Corp. is a medical technology company whose mission is to save lives by unlocking the hidden power of blood flow data. The companys FDA-cleared NovaGuide Intelligent Ultrasound combines non-invasive ultrasound, robotics, and artificial intelligence to assess real-time cerebral blood flow. Using cloud computing and data analytics, NovaSignal supports physicians in their clinical decision making of diseases identified through cerebral blood flow. This includes strokes, intra-cardiac shunts, and intra-pulmonary shunts (as recently demonstrated with COVID-19-positive patients). To learn more, visit novasignal.com. Media Contacts:

Lerie Kane, VP, Corporate Marketing, NovaSignal Corp. lerie@novasignal.com

Theresa Masnik, SHIFT Communications tmasnik@shiftcomm.com



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Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana law regulating abortion clinics

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The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a Louisiana state law requiring abortion providers to be held to similar standards as ambulatory surgical centers.

In a decision released Monday, the high court ruled in the case of June Medical Services v. Russo that abortion providers do not need to be held to stricter standards.

Justice Stephen Breyer announced the judgment of the court and was joined in his opinion by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. Chief Justice John Roberts filed a concurring opinion.

In his opinion, Breyer noted that the Louisiana law was largely identical to a Texas state law that had been declared unconstitutional in an earlier Supreme Court decision, known as Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt.

In this case, we consider the constitutionality of a Louisiana statute, Act 620, that is almost word-for-word identical to Texas admitting-privileges law, wrote Breyer.

Those findings mirror those made in Whole Womans Health in every relevant respect and require the same result. We consequently hold that the Louisiana statute is unconstitutional.

Justices Clarence Thomas authored one of the dissents to the court decision, saying that the majority was enjoining a perfectly legitimate state law and doing so without jurisdiction.

The Constitution does not constrain the States ability to regulate or even prohibit abortion. This Court created the right to abortion based on an amorphous, unwritten right to privacy, which it grounded in the legal fiction of substantive due process, wrote Thomas.

As the origins of this jurisprudence readily demonstrate, the putative right to abortion is a creation that should be undone.

In 2014, Louisiana passed the Unsafe Abortion Protection Act, requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of where they perform the procedure.

The law was blocked from taking effect and a similar law passed in Texas was struck down by the Supreme Court in a 5-3 decision in 2016 known as Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt.

Last October, the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal in the case and in March, oral arguments in the case were heard, with both sides holding demonstrations outside the court.

Many considered the case noteworthy since it was the first abortion-related case brought before the Supreme Court since the confirmations of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

Everyone is very interested to see how they rule, said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, to The Christian Post back in March.

We are very close to achieving our phase one goal of reversing Roe, sending the decision back to the states where we will then fight state by state to make abortion illegal as well as unthinkable.
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Authorities say two women were found dead after a fire in a central Pennsylvania row home over the weekend that caused an estimated more than $250,000 in damage to all three homes.

Fire crews were dispatched shortly after 6 a.m. Saturday to the Lebanon city address, and the city fire department said two female occupants were deceased.

The fire commissioner told WPMT-TV that one victim was in her 20s and the other in her 30s. Officials said the fire started in the kitchen trash can of the middle row house before spreading to two other houses.

The American Red Cross Greater Pennsylvania Region said it was providing aid to four adults.

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

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A federal appellate court on Friday affirmed the conviction of an Indiana man who set fire to seven homes in a rural mobile home park over a nine-year period and collected more than $600,000 in insurance money.

A panel of the 7th Circuit of Appeals rejected arguments that a magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court had improperly admitted into evidence accusations that Michael Thomas had set six other fires that were not part of the insurance fraud scheme.

We conclude the district court properly decided that six of the fires were part of Thomass scheme and not other acts at all, the 7th Circuit opinion says. The district court also properly admitted evidence of another fire that, although too far removed in time to be part of the scheme, was evidence of Thomass modus operandi.

Thomas lived with his wife, Jennifer, in the Borns Trailer Park, a community of fewer than 100 mobile homes that occupies one square mile just outside of North Judson, Indiana. The couples home on Julia Drive was destroyed by a fire in September 2004.

Thomas has purchased insurance on the home less than three weeks earlier and had even bought a second policy covering the same property that took effect the day of the fire. The carrier sent the Thomases a check for $75,000. Prosecutors say Thomas later confided to a friend that he had asked a family member to set the blaze.

In November 2010, Thomas pressured his reluctant wife to buy insurance for a new mobile home and a garage on South 275 West that he and Jennifer owned with others, and also a policy to cover a separate home on South A Street owned by Jennifer and her mother. Ten days after the insurance policy was in place, Thomas and an associate set fire to both mobile homes. They also burned down two abandoned mobile homes in the Borns community as a diversion, the court opinion says. The Thomas insurer paid $50,000 on the claim.

In December 2012, Thomas purchased a policy for another mobile home on South 275 West. The trailer was destroyed in a fire about a year later, just before the policy expired. The insurer paid $60,000.

In February 2013, Thomas renewed an insurance policy that covered the new mobile home that he and his wife owned on Julia Drive  on the same lot where the first fire had been set. By this time, he and Jennifer had separated.

Thomas told his wife in April 2013 you better get out what you want thats important to you. He asked a friend to move a motorcycle that he had stored in the home. Hours later, a fire erupted. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and checked to ensure there were no smoldering hot spots, but the fire reignited after they left.

Thomas instructed his wife to go online and max out the number of items they could claim. Eventually, their insurer paid $426,227.31.

But this time, the fire attracted the attention of fraud investigators. In April 2018, a grand jury for the U.S. District Court in South Bend, Ind. issued an indictment charging Thomas with four counts of mail fraud.

A jury convicted Thomas. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison and ordered to pay $541,749.58 in restitution.

Federal prosecutors said that Thomas had cleverly hid his tracks. He enlisted a friend and his wife and children to concoct alibis and disguise the cause of the fires that were set.

He attempted to deceive the fire department, fire investigators and insurance companies by making it appear that the fires were the result of electrical failure, the U.S. Attorneys office said in a sentencing memorandum. He successfully avoided detection for years, allowing him to continue taking insurance proceeds.

On appeal, Thomas contended that because the mail fraud scheme he was charged with was based only on the April 2013 fire, the magistrate judge had erred by admitting into evidence testimony about the other six fires. The admission of that evidence had unfairly prejudiced the jury against him.

The appellate panel said Thomas defined the scheme too narrowly. The district court had correctly concluded that of of the other fires were part of the scheme to defraud. While the 2004 fire was not included in charging papers, evidence about that blaze was appropriate because it shows how Thomas operated, the court opinion says.

Bureau of Prisons records show that Thomas, 43, is incarcerated at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institution. He is scheduled to be released on Feb. 11, 2026.

About the photo: The Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institution is shown.
Covid-19 Live Updates: First Case of Brazil-Based Virus Variant Found in U.S. California has lifted stay-at-home orders in much of the state. Moderna said its vaccine was effective against new variants but may be less protective against the variant that emerged in South Africa.

The first confirmed U.S. case of a variant discovered in Brazil is found in Minnesota. The Brazil P.1 variant is thought to be more contagious but it is unclear if it causes more severe illness. Credit... Jim Mone/Associated Press A case of a more contagious coronavirus variant first found in Brazil has been confirmed in Minnesota, the states department of health said in a statement on Monday. It is the first confirmed case of the variant in the United States. The case was identified in a Minnesota resident who had recently traveled to Brazil, the department said, which could suggest that the variant may not yet be widely circulating. It was only a matter of time before the variant was detected in the United States, said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, a Covid adviser to President Biden. With the world travel that you have, and the degree of transmissibility efficiency, its not surprising, he said. The variant, known as B.1.1.28.1 or P.1, shares many mutations with one first identified in South Africa. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines still protect from the variant circulating in South Africa, the companies have said, but they are slightly less effective. They are expected to perform similarly against the variant identified in Brazil. The variant identified in Britain is more transmissible, but just as susceptible to vaccines as the original form of the virus. But the variants in Brazil and South Africa have additional mutations that may help elude the vaccines. The amount of concern that I have between the U.K. variant, and the South African/Brazilian is much, much different, Dr. Fauci said. The variant identified in Britain has been confirmed in 22 states, and the variant found in South Africa has not yet been confirmed in the United States. The P.1 variant is also thought to be more contagious but it is unclear if it causes more severe illness. The Minnesota Department of Health identified it through its variant surveillance program, which collects 50 random samples from laboratories in the state each week. Minnesota has one of the lowest daily caseloads relative to its population in the country, following a surge in the fall. The person with the confirmed case is a resident of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, the department said. The patient became ill during the first week of January and the specimen was collected Jan. 9, it said. Investigators from the health department had spoken with the person after the test was positive for the coronavirus, and the person had traveled to Brazil before becoming ill. The person was told to isolate and have household members quarantine. Health officials are conducting additional interviews with the person to learn more about the illness, travel and close contacts. The United States is flying blind, scientists have warned, as the country navigates the spread of the new variants without a large-scale, nationwide system for checking virus genomes for new mutations. Instead, the work of discovering the variants has fallen to a patchwork of academic, state and commercial laboratories. Scientists say that a national surveillance program would be able to determine just how widespread the new variant is and help contain emerging hot spots, extending the crucial window of time in which vulnerable people across the country could get vaccinated. The daily U.S. coronavirus caseload and number of hospitalized patients have fallen recent days, but the introduction of the variants into the country threatens to undermine that progress. The weekly average of new cases per day in the United States was down 33 percent on Sunday since two weeks prior, as states like California start to get a hold on their outbreaks. California officials on Monday announced that they were lifting severe coronavirus restrictions on large portions of the state, allowing outdoor dining and personal care businesses to resume limited operations. But the virus has for weeks been raging in Arizona, as well as South Carolina and Rhode Island. New York now has the fifth-worst outbreak in the country, though daily deaths from the virus are far from the levels seen there in the spring. President Bidens press secretary said on Monday that he would extend the Trump administrations ban on travel by noncitizens into the United States from Brazil, along with similar restrictions on Britain and 27 other European countries, where other variants have been identified. It also added South Africa to the list. Concern over the variants spread led to discussions in Europe of restricting nonessential travel. Proposing the new restrictions, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, tweeted that the new variants had led us to take difficult but necessary decisions. In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to announce an extension and tightening of lockdown rules in England this week amid growing concern. Experts point to Britain as a model for what the U.S. could do to monitor the variants. British researchers sequence the genome  that is, the complete genetic material in a coronavirus  from up to 10 percent of new positive samples. Even if the U.S. sequenced just 1 percent of genomes from across the country, or about 2,000 new samples a day, that would shine a bright light on the new variant, as well as other variants that may emerge. Bryan Pietsch and

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Biden, upping vaccine goal, aims to administer 1.5 million doses per day. Federal health officials and corporate executives said last week that it would be impossible to increase the immediate supply of vaccines before April because there is a lack of manufacturing capacity in the United States. Credit... Alex Welsh for The New York Times President Biden, under pressure from an anxious public to speed up the pace of Covid-19 vaccinations, said Monday that he is now aiming for the United States to administer 1.5 million doses a day  a goal that the nation already appears on track to meet. The president made his comments just hours after he banned travel by noncitizens into the United States from South Africa because of concern about a coronavirus variant spreading in that country, and moved to extend similar bans imposed by his predecessor on travel from Brazil, Britain and 27 European countries. Those bans had been set to expire on Tuesday. Mr. Biden has vowed to get 100 million Covid-19 shots in the arms of the American people by his 100th day in office. Because two doses are required, and some Americans have already been vaccinated, his promise would cover about 67 million Americans. To realize it, the United States would have to administer one million shots a day. The pace of vaccinations is already picking up, and the United States already seems to be vaccinating well over a million people per day, according to a New York Times analysis of data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The current average is about 1.2 million over the past six days. With frustration rising across the country over vaccine supply shortages and canceled appointments, Mr. Biden has drawn criticism for not setting his sights higher. Last week, he expressed exasperation  Cmon, man!  at a reporter who suggested his 100 million shot promise was not ambitious enough. On Monday, he appeared to revise it. I think that with the grace of God and good will of a neighbor and creek not rising, we may get it to 1.5 million a day rather than one million a day, the president said. But we have to meet that goal of one million a day. Mr. Bidens comments came as the United States has recorded 25 million coronavirus cases  a staggering tally that the nation reached Saturday afternoon, according to a New York Times database. That works out to about one in every 13 people in the country, or about 7.6 percent of the population  a number that experts say is almost surely lower than the true number of infections. The move comes as officials in the new Biden administration are trying to get their hands around a fast-changing pandemic, with public health officials racing to vaccinate the public  and to expand the supply of vaccine  as more contagious variants of the coronavirus spread. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the governments leading infectious disease specialist, said at the White House last week that were following very carefully the variant of the virus in South Africa because it appears to be more highly contagious. The variant first discovered in South Africa has not yet reached the United States, but it has been reported in more than two dozen countries. The first U.S. case of the variant found in Brazil was confirmed in Minnesota, health officials there said on Monday. The variant, known as B.1.1.28.1 or P.1, shares many mutations with the one first identified in South Africa. On Monday, Moderna said its vaccine was effective against new variants of the coronavirus that have emerged in Britain and South Africa. But the immune response is slightly weaker against the variant discovered in South Africa, and so the company is developing a new form of the vaccine that could be used as a booster shot against it. And Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offered a blunt assessment of the vaccination campaign on Sunday, predicting that supply would not increase until late March. Federal health officials and corporate executives agree that it will be impossible to increase the immediate supply of vaccines before April because of a lack of manufacturing capacity. A third vaccine maker, Johnson & Johnson, is expected to report the results of its clinical trial soon; if approved, that vaccine would also help shore up production.

Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech reconsider their battle plans after a variant proves more challenging. A dose of the Moderna vaccine being filled into a syringe in Mountain View, Calif., on Friday. Credit... Jim Wilson/The New York Times As the coronavirus assumes contagious new forms around the world, two drug makers reported on Monday that their vaccines, while still effective, offer less protection against one variant. That new information is causing the drug makers to begin revising plans to turn back an evolving pathogen that has killed more than two million people. The news from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech underscored a realization by scientists that the virus is changing more quickly than once thought, and may well continue to develop in ways that help it elude the vaccines being deployed worldwide. The announcements arrived even as President Biden is banning travel to the United States from South Africa, in hopes of stanching the spread of one variant. And Merck, a leading drug company, on Monday abandoned two experimental coronavirus vaccines altogether, saying they did not produce a strong enough immune response against the original version of the virus. Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech both said their vaccines were effective against new variants of the coronavirus discovered in Britain and South Africa. But they are slightly less protective against the variant in South Africa, which may be more adept at dodging antibodies in the bloodstream. The vaccines are the only ones authorized for emergency use in the United States. As a precaution, Moderna has begun developing a new form of its vaccine that could be used as a booster shot against the variant in South Africa. Were doing it today to be ahead of the curve, should we need to, Dr. Tal Zaks, Modernas chief medical officer, said in an interview. I think of it as an insurance policy. Moderna said it also planned to begin testing whether giving patients a third shot of its original vaccine as a booster could help fend off newly emerging forms of the virus. Dr. Ugur Sahin, the chief executive of BioNTech, said in an interview on Monday that his company was talking to regulators around the world about what types of clinical trials and safety reviews would be required to authorize a new version of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that would be better able to head off the variant in South Africa. Studies showing decreased levels of antibodies against a new variant do not mean a vaccine is proportionately less effective, Dr. Sahin said. BioNTech could develop an adjusted vaccine against the variants in about six weeks, he said. The Food and Drug Administration has not commented on what its policy will be for authorizing vaccines that have been updated to work better against new variants. But some scientists said that the adjusted vaccines should not have to go through the same level of scrutiny, including extensive clinical trials, that the original versions did. The influenza vaccine is updated each year to account for new strains without an extensive approval process. The whole point of this is a rapid response to an emerging situation, said John Moore, a virologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. Dr. Sahin said a similar booster shot eventually might be necessary to stop Covid-19. The vaccines reduced efficacy may also mean that more people would need to get the shots before the population achieves herd immunity. Scientists had predicted that the coronavirus would evolve and might acquire new mutations that would thwart vaccines, but few researchers expected it to happen so soon. Part of the problem is the sheer ubiquity of the pathogen.

Merck abandons two vaccines in clinical trials. Merck was slower than other companies to get into the Covid-19 vaccine race. Credit... Tom Mihalek/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images Merck announced on Monday that it was abandoning a pair of Covid-19 vaccines in clinical trials. The news came as a disappointment at a time when the United States and other countries are struggling to accelerate their sluggish vaccination campaigns and new coronavirus variants threaten to bring surges over the next few months. The two projects are the second and third vaccines to be abandoned in clinical trials. The University of Queensland in Australia abandoned its own effort in December. Sanofi and other vaccine makers have paused some projects after getting disappointing initial results but are now regrouping to move forward. Merck was slower than other companies to get into the Covid-19 vaccine race. In June, it acquired the Austrian firm Themis Bioscience to develop a vaccine originally designed at Institut Pasteur, based on a weakened measles virus. Researchers began a Phase 1 trial in August. In a second effort, Merck partnered with IAVI, a nonprofit scientific organization that develops vaccines and treatments, on another vaccine. For that one, they used the same design that they successfully employed to make a vaccine for Ebola. Merck and IAVI were awarded $38 million for their vaccine research, but neither of Mercks projects earned the lavish support that Operation Warp Speed showered on other efforts from companies such as Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. In its announcement, Merck said that both vaccines looked safe in early clinical trials. But neither produced a strong response from the immune system. They decided that it was not worth going forward with large-scale trials that would demonstrate whether the vaccines protected people from Covid-19. We are grateful to our collaborators who worked with us on these vaccine candidates and to the volunteers in the trials, Dr. Dean Y. Li, the president of Merck Research Laboratories, said in a statement. Merck will instead focus its Covid-19 efforts on an experimental antiviral drug known as molnupiravir, in partnership with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. Originally designed for influenza, it has shown promising effects in studies on animals and in early clinical trials. The trial is set to finish by May, although preliminary results could come out as early as March. IAVI said it would continue searching for Covid-19 vaccines. Our scientists will continue to evaluate other candidates to see if other routes of administration or changes to the construct could lead to improved immune response, said Karie Youngdahl, senior director and head of global communications at IAVI.

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The White House is extending travel bans on Brazil and much of Europe, and adding South Africa, because of the virus. A health care worker tending to a patient at a temporary ward set up during the coronavirus outbreak at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, last week. Credit... Pool photo by Phill Magakoe President Biden will ban travel by noncitizens into the United States from South Africa because of concern about a coronavirus variant spreading in that country, and will extend similar bans imposed by his predecessor on travel from Brazil, 27 European countries and Britain, his press secretary said on Monday. The move comes as officials in the new Biden administration are trying to get their hands around a fast-changing pandemic, with public health officials racing to vaccinate the public  and to expand the supply of vaccine  as more contagious variants of the coronavirus spread. Mr. Bidens travel ban is a presidential proclamation, not an executive order; typically, proclamations govern the acts of individuals, while executive orders are directives to federal agencies. It will go into effect Saturday and apply to non-U.S. citizens who have spent time in South Africa in the last 14 days. The new policy, which was earlier reported by Reuters, will not affect U.S. citizens or permanent residents, officials said. On his last full day in office, President Donald Trump tried to eliminate the Covid-19-related ban on travel from Brazil, Britain and much of Europe, saying it was no longer necessary. Jen Psaki, now the White House press secretary, said at the time that ending the ban was the wrong thing to do; on Monday, she announced during her regular briefing that it would remain intact. With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants spreading, this isnt the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel, she said. Ms. Psaki also said the Biden administration intended to hold regular public health briefings three times a week, beginning on Wednesday. She said Mr. Biden would be briefed regularly on the pandemic, adding, I suspect far more regularly than the past president. The first confirmed case of the Brazilian variant in the United States has been identified in Minnesota, the states health department said on Monday. It was found in a Minnesota resident who had recently traveled to Brazil. The variant now spreading in South Africa has not yet reached the United States, but it has been reported in more than two dozen countries. In addition to the travel bans, Mr. Biden issued an executive order last week requiring that all international travelers present negative coronavirus tests before leaving for the United States. The move extended a requirement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was issued by the Trump administration but set to expire on Tuesday. A White House official said Sunday that the C.D.C. would not issue waivers from that policy as some airlines had requested. Michael D. Shear and

N.Y.C. will delay opening some mass vaccination sites as supply remains low, the mayor says. A mass coronavirus vaccination site had been set to open this week at Citi Field in Queens. Credit... Ryan Christopher Jones for The New York Times Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City announced on Monday that the openings of planned mass coronavirus vaccination sites at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field would be postponed because of the low supply of doses available. We want to get those to be full-blown, 24-hour operations, Mr. de Blasio said at a news conference, but we dont have the vaccine. The site at Citi Field had been set to open this week, while plans for the one in the Bronx were still being developed. Another site at the Empire Outlets on Staten Island was initially scheduled to open last week, but will also be postponed, the mayor said. The city had a total of 19,032 first doses in inventory on Monday morning, Mr. de Blasio said, and expected to receive just under 108,000 doses this week. But he continued to warn that figure was not nearly enough to keep up with the pace at which New Yorkers were being inoculated: If the supply was greater, the mayor said, New York City would be on pace to administer roughly 500,000 doses per week. Instead, he said many inoculation appointments would continue to be canceled or rescheduled as they were last week. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said the Biden administration was reviewing state and local officials capacity to administer vaccines as it considered how to bolster the vaccination effort. She noted that mass vaccination sites, like football fields, could be quite efficient. Infrastructure is pivotal, she said. Its not just about the science. Some public health experts have worried that the limited supply could undermine goals of state and city officials to prioritize communities hard hit by the virus  Black and Latino people and low-income New Yorkers  in the vaccine rollout. The state has not released demographic information on the distribution, but Mr. de Blasio said on Monday that data would come this week, adding that its part of making sure that we act to address the disparities that have pervaded the Covid experience. The crunch in supply came as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said that a statewide spike in cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks, fueled by holiday gatherings, appeared to be ebbing. While 46 ZIP codes in New York City have seven-day average positive test rates of over 10 percent, according to city data on Monday, and other areas like Long Island are still struggling with higher hospitalization rates, Mr. Cuomo said there was a downward trend in cases statewide. He said on Monday there were 8,730 hospitalizations in New York, down from more than 9,000 more than a week ago. Mr. Cuomo said the state was considering easing restrictions in specific areas that had previously seen high rates of positive test results. He said that elective surgeries in Erie County, for example, could start again, as worries about hospital capacity have decreased. We are seeing that spike come down, he said. Now we can start making adjustments. He said other restrictions could be eased on Wednesday, though he said the changes would probably not include the resumption of indoor dining in New York City, which he barred in December. Mr. Cuomo also acknowledged, however, that the supply of vaccinations was far lower than the demand and the states capacity to administer doses. He warned vaccine distributors not to schedule appointments for more vaccinations than the state had allotted. Its a national supply issue; its not a New York issue, he said. Its a problem across the globe. Every country is trying to get more vaccine. Mr. de Blasio also sent a letter to President Biden last week requesting more doses, along with the flexibility to use second doses to increase the pace of vaccinations. He did not discuss any specific progress made on Monday, but appeared hopeful that an update could come soon. What is so clear now is the commitment of the Biden administration, Mr. de Blasio said, to finding every conceivable way to get us more vaccine quickly. We are waiting in the course of this week for more detailed information. Mr. Cuomo said on Monday that he thought that second doses should not be used as first doses, and he reassured people who had received their first dose that a second dose would be available to them. That appointment will be fulfilled, he said. Troy Closson and

The E.U. escalates a fight with AstraZeneca over botched vaccine deliveries. The European health commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, speaking at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels on Monday. Credit... Pool photo by John Thys The European Union escalated a war of words with AstraZeneca on Monday over the companys sudden announcement on Friday that it would have to drastically cut the number of vaccine doses delivered to the bloc and its 27 members. The European health commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, said a call with the companys leadership on Monday had not yielded sufficient answers as to why the company was breaking its contractual obligation and said another call would be held on Monday evening. A spokesperson for AstraZeneca, said: Our C.E.O. Pascal Soriot was pleased to speak with the Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier today. He stressed the importance of working in partnership and how AstraZeneca is doing everything it can to bring its vaccine to millions of Europeans as soon as possible. The AstraZeneca debacle delivers a serious blow to the blocs sluggish vaccination rollout, and comes days after Pfizer notified E.U. members and several other countries that it would slow down deliveries until mid-February as it upgraded its Belgium factory to increase production. The twin disappointments have left several E.U. countries hamstrung, and have thwarted the blocs collective effort to vaccinate 70 percent of its population by this summer, as Britain and the United States are making better progress with their inoculation programs. The European Union has pre-financed the development of the vaccine and its production, and wants to see the return, Ms. Kyriakides said, implying that the E.U. was concerned the company had sold the vaccines the bloc had funded to other countries. The European Union wants to know exactly which doses have been produced, where by AstraZeneca so far, and if, or to whom, they have been delivered, she added. Ms. Kyriakides also said that the European Commission, the executive branch of the E.U., was proposing its members approve a system in which pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca that produce vaccines in plants in E.U. territory would need to register any intention to export part of that production outside the bloc.

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The E.U. recommends restricting nonessential travel as virus variants boost the case for stricter rules. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:06 - 0:00 transcript E.U. Recommends Travel Restrictions to Curb Virus Cases The European Commission proposed on Monday to restrict nonessential travel to slow the spread of the new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus. The new, more transmissible variants of the virus have surfaced. There is currently a very high number of new infections across many member states, and there is an urgent need to reduce the risk of travel-related infections to lessen the burden on overstretched health care systems. First, the commission proposes that all non-essential travel to and from high-risk areas, is strongly discouraged. In this context, we also invite member states to ensure consistency between the measures they take regarding cross-border travel and travel within their territories. We are suggesting stricter measures for dark-red areas because we must recognize the high level of cases. It is why member states should require individuals coming from these areas to do a test prior to arrival and quarantine after arrival if needed. The European Commission proposed on Monday to restrict nonessential travel to slow the spread of the new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus. Credit Credit... Yoan Valat/EPA, via Shutterstock The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, recommended on Monday restricting nonessential travel in a bid to curb the spread of new more contagious variants of the coronavirus. At the same time, the commissions proposal aims to prevent blanket border closures, which would obstruct trade and the movement of cross-border workers. Traveling without restrictions would still be possible for family, work and health reasons, which are deemed essential. The situation in Europe with the new variants have led us to take difficult but necessary decisions, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the commission, wrote on Twitter. We need to keep safe and discourage nonessential travel. Also on Monday, Moderna announced that while its vaccine is effective against new variants, it appears to be less protective against the one that emerged in South Africa, raising further concern. President Bidens press secretary said Monday that he would ban travel by noncitizens into the United States from South Africa because of concern about a coronavirus variant spreading in that country, and will extend similar bans imposed by his predecessor on travel from Brazil, 27 European countries and the United Kingdom. In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to announce an extension and tightening of lockdown rules in England this week amid growing concern. In the E.U. plan, countries and regions where the 14-day infection rate is more than 500 per 100,000 inhabitants would qualify as dark red, or high-risk zones, and moving between them should be limited to essential reasons, the commission said. At the same time, those coming in from outside the bloc, even for essential reasons, would have to undergo testing and quarantines. The first recommendation is: dont travel, said Ylva Johansson, the blocs commissioner for home affairs. The commissions proposal is nonbinding and needs to be endorsed by national governments, who will discuss it Monday afternoon. It comes after last weeks meeting of the leaders of 27 European Union nations, who agreed in principle to selectively restrict nonessential travel, but did not decide on the details. There is currently a very high number of new infections across many member states, said Didier Reynders, the blocs commissioner for justice. There is an urgent need to reduce the risk of travel-related infections, to lessen the burden on overstretched health care systems. Freedom of movement is the cornerstone of the bloc, but travel restrictions remain the province of national governments and vary from country to country, creating a chaotic patchwork of measures. Belgium, for example, has announced a ban on nonessential travel coming into force this Wednesday, with fines for those who dont comply.

More students are applying to elite universities after test scores became optional. Yale University in New Haven, Conn. Credit... Jessica Hill for The New York Times Students flooded the nations most competitive colleges with a record number of applications to be part of the Class of 2025  so many, in fact, that all eight Ivy League universities have agreed to delay their decision date by about a week, until April 6, so admissions officers will have time to review them all. Harvard said more than 57,000 students had applied by the January deadline, an increase of about 42 percent over last year, according to The Crimson, the student newspaper. Rachael Dane, a spokeswoman for Harvard, said the decision date was being postponed to give full and fair review to everyone who applied. The surge was attributed in large part to the decision by Ivy League schools  along with nearly 1,700 other colleges and universities nationwide  to make it optional for students to submit SAT and ACT scores with their applications for fall 2021 admissions. Standardized dates had to be canceled last year for thousands of students because of the pandemic, making it hard for many to even get a test score. Experts said students who in the past might not have dared to apply to elite schools, assuming they would be automatically screened out by their performance on the tests, are now applying. Theyre saying, let me put my name in the hat, said Hafeez Lakhani, a college consultant. Over all, the volume of college applications submitted by January deadlines was 10 percent higher than last year, amounting to almost 5.6 million applications through Jan. 18, the Common Application, which is used by most American colleges, reported Monday. The increase was driven largely by an increase in applications to the most selective universities, which rose 17 percent, and to the largest universities, which rose 16 percent, the Common App reported. Based on my long career in college admissions, I know that students often dont apply to certain selective schools because they think a test score might keep them out, said Jenny Rickard, the president and chief executive of the Common App. She added: Hopefully those colleges will use it as an opportunity to increase equity and expand the diversity of their incoming classes.

The Chicago school district and teachers union are deadlocked on returning to classes. Meghan Hayes, a teacher at John Hay Community Academy, teaching her class outside the school board presidents home earlier this month. Credit... Pat Nabong/Chicago Sun-Times, via Associated Press With roughly 70,000 kindergarten through eighth grade students scheduled to return to public school classrooms in Chicago next week, the district and the teachers union remain locked in a battle over the reopening plan, with the union saying that a majority of its members voted to authorize a strike if the district seeks to force teachers back into buildings. All staff working in kindergarten through eighth grade classrooms were originally supposed to report to buildings on Monday to prepare for students return next week. But late last week, the union asked its members to vote on a resolution calling on them to refuse to report in-person and to authorize a strike if the district locked them out of its electronic systems. Over the weekend, the two sides jockeyed for leverage. The district sent a message to families and staff saying that it had agreed to a request from the union to postpone the date for staff to return to Wednesday. Shortly after, the union sent its own message denying that there had been any agreement and saying that its members had voted to continue working remotely indefinitely. The district said that the union was making several requests that it disagreed with, including delaying reopening until all staff members had been able to receive at least one dose of the vaccine or until the citywide positivity rate fell below 3 percent. Over the last week, the citywide positivity rate has been 7.2 percent. The district has said it will begin vaccinating teachers in mid-February and that it hopes to vaccinate all employees in the coming months. According to the district, the union was also requesting weekly surveillance testing of staff as well as regular testing of students in parts of the city with high positivity rates. Currently, the district is planning to test up to a quarter of staff each week and is not planning to do surveillance testing of students. Prekindergarten students and some special education students returned to school buildings on Jan. 11, in the first wave of the districts reopening. The district said on Friday that roughly 60 percent of the 5,352 students who were expected to attend in person actually did in the first week. Overall about a third of families in the district who have been given the option to have their students return in person have signed up to do so. Chicago is not the only district where opposition from teachers unions is threatening reopening plans: Over the weekend, plans to reopen schools in Montclair, New Jersey, were postponed indefinitely after the superintendent said he did not have enough teachers to properly staff the schools. The decision capped a tense week in a community known for its liberal politics: Elementary teachers, citing coronavirus safety concerns, boycotted in-school prep sessions in defiance of the superintendent, and a heated board of education meeting on Wednesday lasted until nearly midnight. The decision to return to in-person learning is made more complex in New Jersey, where coronavirus infections have been surging and teachers are not among the first groups prioritized for vaccines  a policy that the statewide teachers union, a close ally of Gov. Philip D. Murphy, has refrained from strenuously criticizing. Yet over the last week, some union leaders and superintendents have cited the policy to justify efforts to keep schools closed. Kate Taylor and

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Google to lend its facilities for use as vaccine clinics. The company announced a series of measures to help accelerate vaccination efforts. Credit... Jeff Chiu/Associated Press Google said it will make company buildings, parking lots and open spaces available to serve as temporary vaccination clinics in partnership with health care providers and public health officials. In a blog post on Monday, Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Googles parent company, Alphabet, said the company will start by opening sites in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, with plans to expand to other sites nationwide. The move is part of a series of measures to help accelerate vaccination efforts. Google also said it plans to contribute $100 million in ad credits to health organizations to educate people about the vaccine and $50 million for groups working on fair access to the vaccine. It will also include more information in search results and maps to help people find vaccination locations with details about who is eligible and whether appointments are necessary. Google said it will provide local distribution information in search results in the coming week so people can determine whether they are eligible to receive a vaccine.

The Flaming Lips performed to people in literal bubbles. But is it safer? The Flaming Lips have used plastic bubbles at concerts to protect against the transmission of the coronavirus, but some experts were unsure about the effectiveness of those measures. Credit... Scott Booker There are Covid-19 bubbles  small clusters of friends or family who agree to socialize exclusively with each other during the pandemic  and then there are the kinds of bubbles the Flaming Lips used at recent concerts. Band members and concertgoers alike rocked out and bounced while encased in large individual plastic bubbles amid bright swirling lights in trippy scenes at concerts on Friday and Saturday in Oklahoma City. The band has taken the elaborate precautions at its live performances to protect against the transmission of the coronavirus, but some health experts were unsure about the effectiveness of those measures. Id need to see how the air exchange was occurring between the outside and the inside of the bubbles to be able to say if it were safe over all or reduced risk of transmission, said Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, the director of global health at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y. The Flaming Lips, an indie rock band founded in the early 1980s, who are known for their exuberant live shows and recording experiments, performed a similar concert in October. They also performed their song Race for the Prize in June using the spheres on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The concerts on Friday and Saturday were originally scheduled for December, but the band postponed them because of rising Covid-19 cases in the Oklahoma City metro area. Its a very restricted, weird event, the bands frontman, Wayne Coyne, told Rolling Stone last month. But the weirdness is so we can enjoy a concert before putting our families and everybody at risk.

California may have lost as much as $30 billion to unemployment insurance fraud. A woman in Oakland, Calif., holds mail that was received at her home addressed to people who presumably tried to defraud the California Employment Development Department. Credit... Jim Wilson/The New York Times As much as $30 billion of the unemployment claims paid last year in California during the pandemic may have gone to swindlers, state officials said Monday, reporting that at least one-tenth of benefits were fraudulently collected by organized crime rings, prison inmates and identity thieves. The breathtaking losses are far more than initially estimated in November, when a task force of district attorneys made the situation public in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling it the most significant fraud on taxpayer funds in California history. Focused mostly on the pandemic unemployment insurance program initiated in spring, when layoffs soared early in the pandemic, the frauds were confirmed to have siphoned off at least 9.7 percent of the record $114 billion in benefits paid out between March 2020 and the middle of this month, said Julie Su, Californias labor secretary. Another 17 percent of payments remain under investigation, even as existing and new screening measures have blocked some $60 billion in bogus claims. By comparison, in 2019, fraud accounted for about 6 percent of Californias total unemployment insurance payments. Most of the fraud occurred in the federally funded pandemic assistance program, which expedited benefits for independent contractors, gig workers, self-employed people and others who did not qualify for traditional unemployment insurance, according to state officials. Because of the hasty rollout of the program, they said, benefits were less secure. But Anne Marie Schubert, the Sacramento County district attorney leading the prosecutors task force, said the systems security also has suffered from the lack of a way to cross-index, say, its roster of jail inmates with unemployment claimants. While I appreciate the great strides we are now taking, she said, the fact is that California had no cross-match system, despite 35 other states having one. Its bad enough that California state prison and jail inmates ripped off the state, but even out-of-state inmates were able to target California because the system failed to stop this. A spokeswoman for the governors office said cross-checking is now possible for prison inmates. But Ms. Su said, There is no sugarcoating the reality. California did not have enough security measures in place. The scandal has thrown the states unemployment program into turmoil, forcing the state to suspend benefits in December for some 1.4 million Californians while investigators confirmed the identities of the claimants. State lawmakers have lashed out at the Employment Development Department, which oversees claims, as constituents have complained about backlogged benefits. News accounts since November have reported one outrage after another, with death row inmates, year-old toddlers, a rapper and someone impersonating Senator Dianne Feinstein, among others, fraudulently collecting unemployment checks. Blake Hall, the chief executive of ID.me, a security firm hired to do fraud prevention for the Employment Development Department, said California is just one of the largest and earliest states to address pandemic aid frauds, which have eviscerated benefits programs across the nation. North Dakota, for example, has about 500,000 workers and yet received 400,000 claims for unemployment benefits during the pandemic, he said. Mr. Hall said most of the fraud in the state appears to have been run by crime syndicates in Nigeria, Russia and Hong Kong. But much of it was also communicated on the dark web, he said, where fraudsters posted open-source playbooks with detailed instructions on how to game the states system with identity theft. E.D.D. was clearly underprepared for the type and magnitude of criminal attacks and the sheer quantity of claims, Rita Saenz, the departments new director, said in a statement. We are focused on making the changes necessary to provide benefits to eligible Californians as quickly as possible and stopping fraud before it enters the system. Mr. Hall commended California for moving quickly. There will be many states that will be far worse off, he said.

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Ukraine reopens schools and restaurants after a week of strict lockdown. Outside a cafe in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday, the first day after lockdown restrictions were lifted. Credit... Gleb Garanich/Reuters Ukraine reopened schools, restaurants and movie theaters on Monday after testing showed the coronavirus was spreading less rapidly after just one week of a strict lockdown. The health minister, Maksym Stepanov, pointed to the improving statistics as a clear indication that a strict lockdown, even if brief, can tamp down numbers. The rate of new infections declined about a third after the first seven days of closures, he said. The cumulative number of infections nationwide last week was just over 30,000, nearly 14,000 less than the week before, Mr. Stepanov said. The statistics are relatively optimistic and point to an improvement in the situation, he said, local media reported. Mr. Stepanov also pointed to a decline in hospitalizations, which typically trail infections by several weeks, suggesting that the downward trend had begun before the lockdowns and that New Year celebrations had not shifted the dynamic. President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly imposed lockdowns last spring before easing them over the summer. The country retained a system that can close businesses in cities or regions with flare-ups. Though the government lifted some restrictions on Monday, not all businesses can open. Nightclubs and sports stadiums remain closed. Schools are not allowed convene large gatherings of students, such as for performances or schoolwide meetings. Ukraine, which aspires to join the European Union but is not in the bloc, has struggled to find vaccines and may not be able to inoculate its population until well into the year, forcing it to rely on quarantines, lockdowns and other restrictions until then.

Dutch prime minister condemns lockdown riots as criminal violence. Protesters clashed with the police during a demonstration against coronavirus restrictions in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, on Sunday. Credit... Rob Engelaar/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands said on Monday that anyone involved in riots over the weekend protesting the countrys coronavirus measures had engaged in criminal violence and warned that perpetrators would be treated accordingly. Hundreds of people were detained during unrest in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and at least eight other cities after the start of a 9 p.m. curfew on Saturday, the police said. Officers used tear gas, attack dogs and water cannons to disperse crowds in the southern city of Eindhoven, where shops were looted and cars set on fire. In Urk, a staunchly protestant fishing village young people burned down a Covid test facility. The riots repeated for a third night on Monday evening in the Dutch cities of Rotterdam and Geleen, Reuters reported. This has nothing to do with protest or fighting for freedom, Mr. Rutte, told reporters on Monday. This is criminal violence, and we will treat it as such. His caretaker government implemented harsh new lockdown measures last week, vetted by Parliament, to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Flights to Britain, South Africa and most of South America were halted on Saturday. It also implemented a nationwide curfew, the first since World War II. The mayor of Eindhoven, John Jorritsma, was visibly upset when he spoke to reporters about the violence in the city. He called the rioters scum of the earth and said he feared the Netherlands, normally one of the quietest countries in the European Union, was on a path of civil war. A spokesman for the Dutch police union said the group feared that the illegal protests and riots were just the start of the curfew-related unrest. I hope it was a one-off, but Im afraid it was a harbinger for the coming days and weeks, the spokesman, Koen Simmers, said, according to the public broadcaster NOS. We havent seen so much violence in 40 years, he added. The protesters also gathered last week in Amsterdam after calls on social media to resist the lockdown rules and the governments policies overall. Mr. Rutte is one of the longest-serving European leaders. Elections in the Netherlands are scheduled for March. Protests also erupted over the weekend in Denmark. Five people were arrested on Saturday during an anti-lockdown demonstration in Copenhagen, local news outlets reported. Around 1,000 protesters gathered to demonstrate against what they said were limitations of their freedoms, after a call for protest by a Facebook group. Protesters tied an effigy of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to a pole and burned it, Danish channel TV2 reported. A sign was hung around the effigys neck saying, She must and should be killed.

Arizonans seeking vaccination are mistakenly calling an 8-year-old girl in Missouri. A parking lot of the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., which has been turned into a mass vaccination site. Credit... Juan Arredondo for The New York Times An 8-year-old girl in Missouri is getting an earful from frustrated Arizonans who are trying to get inoculated against Covid-19 and mistakenly calling her instead. Sophia Garcia of Sullivan, Mo., who used to live in Arizona, has been receiving dozens of calls from people in the state on her hand-me-down phone, whose Phoenix number is just one digit different from the Arizona health departments vaccine help line. Every five minutes my phone keeps ringing, she told Phoenixs CBS affiliate, KPHO/KTVK. Callers have been complaining about scheduling difficulties and asking how to book an appointment, her family said. In response, Sophia has recorded a voice mail message directing callers to the appropriate number. Her story offers a glimpse of the struggles and at times desperation of people seeking vaccination in Arizona and elsewhere. People across the United States have complained of their second dose appointments being canceled after vaccination sites ran out of supplies. And there are concerns that President Bidens goal of 100 million shots in 100 days may not be ambitious enough. Arizona, which has the worst infection rate in the country, is speeding up vaccinations after a slow start, with the Department of Health Services announcing on Sunday that more than 400,000 doses had been administered. Over 61,000 people have received both doses, the health department said. A New York Times tracker monitoring the vaccine rollout in each state places Arizona in the top 20 for doses administered. After earlier glitches and staff shortages, the state attributes the turnaround partly to round-the-clock use of the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix, as a site for inoculations in the past few weeks. The success of our State Farm Stadium vaccination site has made it clear that Arizona can efficiently and effectively administer vaccine to large numbers, Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said in a statement. Another vaccination site at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium is set to open next week. State officials said the federal government had denied a request for an additional 300,000 doses each week. Now the federal government has to step up its game and provide additional vaccine to support Arizonas proven momentum, Dr. Christ said. In the meantime, Arizonans who inadvertently call Sophia in Missouri will get this firm but encouraging message: Hopefully, if you try carefully, you could get the right number.

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Chinese autonomous driving technology firm UISEE said it raised over CNY1bn (US$155m) in its latest fundraising round, according to local reports.

China's National Manufacturing Transformation and Upgrade Fund, a CNY50bn (US$7.7bn) state-owned fund put in place to promote the country's manufacturing industry, also participated in the fundraising round. This was the first time the fund had invested directly in a self-driving technology company.

UISEE, established in 2016, is seen as a technology leader with key "advantages in core autonomous driving software and hardware".

Its Level-4 technology has been applied in multiple scenarios including airports, buses and robo-taxis in recent years.

The company is now focused on developing a safe and reliable autonomous driving platform that supports "full scene, truly unmanned and all-weather" scenarios.

UISEE has been working with leading Chinese industrial and logistics companies such as Changan Minsheng Logistics, FAW Logistics, BASF and Dongfeng Motor, and its revenue rose 150% last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year the company agreed to collaborate with local vehicle manufacturing JV SAIC-GM-Wuling to build unmanned logistics routes in China. So far, they have applied for licences for more than 20 routes using 100 fully-unmanned transport vehicles.
Anonymous Malaysia is back from its slumber! Security experts said that the government should take this seriously since it could lead to new sensitive data leaks. The famous malicious actors were inactive for more than six years.

According to The Star's latest report, the alleged Anonymous Malaysia hacking group claimed that it will initiate malicious attacks against the Malaysian government soon.

The hackers said added that their sudden appearance should be a wake-up call.

"They don't actively seek ways to grow their abilities, they're not curious about new horizons and they're unwilling to recognize and learn from their past mistakes," said Anonymous Malaysia via World of Buzz's latest report.

Anonymous Malaysia's message

The hacking group said that the government's security system hasn't improved. They added its vulnerability could lead to a massive data leak, which could allow unwanted cybercriminals to sell the information.

Kevin Reed, the chief information security officer at Acronis, explained that although the famous hacking group is unlikely to wage all-out Internet warfare, the cyber attackers could still make some online attacks.

"The most likely attacks from Anonymous, in this case, are a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack or leaking data accessed through a vulnerability in the network," said the security experts via The Star.

Hello, Malaysian.

This is a wake-up call for the government of Malaysia.

It's have been a long time that we are silent.

Be prepared.

We are legion, We do not Forgive, We do not Forget, Expect US!#OpsWakeUp21https://t.co/QfhQfZ7pSQ  Anonymous Malaysia (@anonymalaysia) January 25, 2021

Also Read: Goldmine for Cybercriminals and Pirates: Google Drive Filled WIth Explicit, Pirated Content Such as Downloadable Malware

Reed's security firm is a company that specializes in backup, security solutions, and disaster recovery. On the other hand, the security expert said that he still doesn't believe that the government websites need to make drastic changes in their security systems.

All they need to do is to make sure that there are a proper network and data flow monitoring.

What the government websites should do

Security researchers explained that government websites should also review critical or confidential data sources to ensure that sensitive information is properly encrypted and secured. Reed added that the Malaysian government should the Anonymous Malaysia's warning seriously.

Government agencies should also make extra efforts to prevent further opportunities for hackers to breach their security systems. These measures are currently important since the country previously suffered from multiple data leaks.

For more news updates about Anonymous Malaysia and other emerging hacking groups, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: UK's Data Watchdog Announced to Continue Investigating AdTech Sector for Security Violation

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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Wuhan is hosting a waxwork exhibition to celebrate the Chinese city's 'successful' response to coronavirus on the first anniversary of its 76-day lockdown.

Figures in full PPE suits adorned with the hammer and sickle, army medics wearing face masks and wax fumigation teams fill the halls of the city's local museum.

The Communist shrine is the latest in a propaganda blitz by the Chinese who are seeking to deflect from the ongoing World Health Organisation probe into the origins of Covid.

Beijing has been pumping out pictures of normality in Wuhan, youngsters dancing in nightclubs, the infamous disease-spawning wet market doing a roaring trade and streets bustling with activity.

WHO investigators arrived in the city on January 14 and are expected to begin field work later this week following the end of a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Seeking to deflect from that, Beijing has spread fake news about the safety of the Pfizer vaccine and has filled the airwaves with claims that Covid originated at an American bio-warfare laboratory.

Figures at the exhibit wear full PPE, one of the subjects wears the hammer and sickle on his chest, the symbol of Communist solidarity with the worker

Wax works of army medics at the exhibit reminiscent of the troops deployed at the height to the crisis as the world looked on in horror

An exhibit to honour the fumigation teams who walked through the city spraying their smoke to kill dangerous parasites in Wuhan's wet market

2020: In this February 15, 2020 file photo, a worker wearing a protective suit transfers patients in the back of a van at a hospital newly designated to treat COVID-19 patients in Wuhan

2020: This January 30, 2020, file photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, shows construction workers at the site of the Leishenshan temporary field hospital being built in Wuhan

2020: - In this January 23, 2020 file photo, a militia member uses a digital thermometer to take a driver's temperature at a checkpoint at a highway toll gate in Wuhan

It comes after an intelligence dump from Washington this month which said workers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology fell ill with 'symptoms consistent with COVID-19' in the fall of 2019.

The Trump administration pressed the WHO to fully investigate the laboratory, saying that the Chinese had withheld vital information about the virus since the first outbreak.

The WHO was heavily criticised at the start of the outbreak for parroting Chinese nonsense about the disease, including that it was not deadly to humans. Covid has killed more than 2 million people globally.

The rest of the world is still in the throes of the virus, while Wuhan and the rest of China enjoys relative normality.

Adding insult to injury, China was the only major world economy to grow last year as others were hammered by the effects of a virus that the country unleashed.

But as news emerged last week that China's vaccine wasn't effective as first though, the Beijing propaganda machine went on the offensive against Pfizer.

In the latest volley, state media called for an investigation into the deaths of 23 elderly people in Norway after they received the Pfizer vaccine.

An anchor at CGTN, the English-language station of state broadcaster CCTV, and the Global Times newspaper accused Western media of ignoring the news.

Health experts say deaths unrelated to the vaccine are possible during mass vaccination campaigns, and a WHO panel has concluded that the vaccine did not play a 'contributory role' in the Norway deaths.

The state media coverage followed a report by researchers in Brazil who found the effectiveness of a Chinese vaccine lower than previously announced.

Researchers initially said Sinovac's vaccine is 78% effective, but the scientists revised that to 50.4% after including mildly symptomatic cases.

After the Brazil news, researchers at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a government-supported think tank, reported seeing an increase in Chinese media disinformation about vaccines.

Dozens of online articles on popular health and science blogs and elsewhere have explored questions about the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine at length, drawing on an op-ed published this month in the British Medical Journal that raised questions about its clinical trial data.

Chinese scientists and officials have been eager to find 'evidence' the virus started overseas and have blamed a total of nine countries for being the true source - despite experts rubbishing those theories

China's GDP grew by 2.3 per cent in 2020, making it the only major economy likely to record economic growth in the year of the pandemic. German officials announced a 5.0 per cent recession last week, while OECD projections are shown for other major economies

While China enjoys its Covid recovery and trumpets its success, a growing body of evidence suggests it covered up the early spread of the disease - allowing it to balloon into a pandemic while robbing other nations of the ability to properly respond

'It's very embarrassing' for the government, Fang said in an email. As a result, China is trying to raise doubts about the Pfizer vaccine to save face and promote its vaccines, he said.

Senior Chinese government officials have not been shy in voicing concerns about the mRNA vaccines developed by Western drug companies.

They use a newer technology than the more traditional approach of the Chinese vaccines currently in use.

In December, the director of the Chinese Centers for Disease Control, Gao Fu, said he can't rule out negative side effects from the mRNA vaccines. Noting this is the first time they are being given to healthy people, he said, 'there are safety concerns.'

The arrival of the WHO mission has brought back persistent criticism that China allowed the virus to spread globally by reacting too slowly in the beginning, even reprimanding doctors who tried to warn the public.

China has always denied allegations of a cover-up, reacting angrily to calls for an international investigation into the origins of the virus.

Numerous reports have detailed how China withheld key details about the virus in its early stages, including from the WHO which has praised China publicly.

A young doctor, Li Wenliang, was reprimanded by police after trying to raise the alarm about the disease - and later died of it.

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.

After scattered outbreaks in South Korea, Iran and Japan among others, the virus barrelled into Europe and North America with full force in March and April.

But Italy, France, and Brazil have all found traces of the virus from before the WHO's China office was officially alerted about the outbreak on December 31, 2019.

While masks are obligatory at the door, DJs and partygoers take them off to chat with friends, dance, or smoke

A woman wearing a protective face mask chooses meat at a wet market in a residential area in Wuhan on January 22

Pictured: People visit a nightclub on January 21 ahead of the one year anniversary of Wuhan's first lockdown. Meanwhile, China is rolling out a state-backed film praising Wuhan ahead of the anniversary of the 76-day lockdown in the central city

As the rest of the world continues to grapple with lockdowns and soaring infections, young people in the city, once the epicentre of the novel coronavirus, are enjoying their hard-earned freedom

Many young Wuhan residents are just happy to find themselves out on the town after last year's gruelling quarantine, imposed to battle what was then a mysterious new virus, that rapidly spread through the city resulting in a brutal lockdown

The Communist Party sees the WHO investigation as a political risk because it focuses attention on China's response, said Jacob Wallis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

The party wants to 'distract domestic and international audiences by pre-emptively distorting the narrative on where responsibility lies for the emergence of COVID-19,' Wallis said.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying got the ball rolling last week by calling for the WHO investigation of the U.S. military lab. The site had been mentioned previously by CGTN and other state-controlled outlets.

'If America respects the truth, then please open up Ft. Detrick and make public more information about the 200 or more bio-labs outside of the U.S., and please allow the WHO expert group to go to the U.S. to investigate the origins,' Hua said.

Her comments, publicized by state media, became one of the most popular topics on Sina Weibo.

Beijing revelled in its economic success last week, attributing its 'hard-won' economic gains to the 'strong leadership and scientific decision-making' of the Communist party leadership 'with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core'.

China's president Xi Jinping addresses the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) in Beijing, capital of China on January 22

China's 2.3 per cent growth last year was better than experts had predicted, while every other OECD country is expected to publish figures showing an economic decline in 2020.

The projected recessions include GDP drops of 3.7 per cent in the US, 7.5 per cent in the eurozone and 11.2 per cent in the UK.

China's figures show a marked slowdown from the 6.0 per cent growth in 2019, which was already the lowest in decades amid trade tensions and weak domestic demand.

The full-year growth of 2.3 per cent was the Chinese economy's worst performance since a 1.6 per cent contraction in 1976, the year that Mao Zedong died.

By contrast, the world economy was projected by the OECD to shrink by 4.2 per cent in 2020, with larger slumps in Britain, Italy, France and India among others.
Malayalam cinema has long been respected by serious cinephiles, and the past 10 years are historic in this regard.

The film that will in all probability end up as the best Indian film of 2021 has already been released  no surprise here: it comes from the Malayalam industry aka Mollywood. Writer-director Jeo Babys The Great Indian Kitchen starring Nimisha Sajayan and Suraj Venjaramoodu is a realistic entertainer, simple yet astoundingly complex, and is currently going viral online despite virtually zero marketing.

Even during the COVID-time drought of 2020, the film most discussed across India was from Mollywood: the Fahadh Faasil-starrer C U Soon.

Malayalam cinema has long been respected by serious cinephiles, and the past 10 years are historic in this regard. As the first month of a new decade draws to a close, here is a look back at 7 important developments of 2011 to 2020 that serve as markers of this significant period for Malayalam cinema and as heralds of the future.

The New New Wave

In the 1990-2010 period, Mollywood was ruled by male superstars and their larger-than-life films. Parallelly, Malayalam arthouse cinema continued to earn respect on the festival and awards circuit. 2011 brought with it a different kind of Malayalam film mirroring the New Wave of the 1980s that had bridged the gap between commercial and arthouse fare. The new New Wave experiments with formats, themes and casting, creates stars but is not reliant on them, usually tells stories of Everyperson, is serious yet designed for mass appeal, entertaining but determinedly sensible, its universality coming from its rootedness in Malayali society and culture.

Directors such as Aashiq Abu, Alphonse Puthren, Amal Neerad, Anjali Menon, Anwar Rasheed, Dileesh Pothan, Sameer Thahir and Lijo Jose Pellissery emerged in this decade, collaborating with rising stars like Dulquer Salmaan, Fahadh Faasil, Nivin Pauly and Parvathy Thiruvothu who have all become phenomena in their own right. Newer stars, among them Nimisha Sajayan, Anna Ben and Shane Nigam, are now on the ascendent, with their eyes firmly trained on this middle-of-the-road trend.

The New New Wave  described as New-Gen cinema in Kerala  is formula free and has yielded massive box-office triumphs. Malayalis in India and abroad embraced it early on. The pro-Hindi/Bollywood bias in the exhibition sector and the so-called national media has for decades limited the reach of Indian cinemas other than Hindi, but gradually, despite these hurdles, this avatar of Malayalam cinema has caught the imagination of audiences nationwide. And now, the advent of streaming platforms has cemented Mollywoods numero uno position in national public opinion.

Fahadh Faasil 2.0

Fahadh Faasil is the right guy in the right place at the right time. After an impactless debut in 2002, an education abroad and seven years away from the industry appear to have equipped him with a sharp instinct for good scripts and a resolve to take risks.

The Fahadh who returned from the US has starred in a string of slice-of-life films that may have been deemed off-mainstream at the time but have since redefined what counts as mainstream in Mollywood. Many have been directed by first-timers but have earned a cult following, money and awards. By the mid-2010s, he had begun attracting national attention with the likes of Natholi Oru Cheriya Meenalla (Anchovy Is Not A Small Fish, 2013), Maheshinte Prathikaaram (Maheshs Revenge, 2015) and Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (The Exhibits and the Eyewitness, 2017).

Fahadh has acquired a reputation for often giving up being a films hero in favour of a supporting role that appeals to him and lending an X Factor to that role. His confident choices ultimately led to India-wide accolades for C U Soon (2020) that marked a new frontier for Indian cinema at large with its exploration of the desktop genre tailored to fit the constraints imposed on filmmakers by the COVID19 lockdown.

Fahadh 2.0 is at the forefront of the Malayalam New New Wave and has gradually grown to be considered one of Indias finest actors by pan-India cinephiles too.

The Rise of Parvathy

Her next film, Varthamanam, has already irked Censors with its political content, adding another chapter to Parvathy Thiruvothus life in a fish bowl in recent years.

The New New Wave has been lauded for creating strong women characters but this praise holds water only in a comparison with the two preceding decades during which women were sidelined. The 2011-2020 phase is an improvement on Mollywoods immediate past, but the sad truth is that even Malayalam New-Gen cinema is dominated by men. Parvathy is that rare contemporary woman actor who has turned that tide. Over 15 years, this gifted young artiste has become a brand in her own right in a male-centric Mollywood in which women stars tend to have short careers, producers tend to consider them interchangeable, few women are directors, producers or writers, and women-centred scripts like The Great Indian Kitchen or Parvathys Uyare are still not common.

In an interview published on Firstpost in 2017, Parvathy told me that while shes glad women actors tend to have an all-India presence by acting in multiple industries (she herself has done Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films in addition to Malayalam) she is also worried that there isnt a certain  iritham, oru orapa, to grow roots in a space and stay there to create more. Because somehow the replaceable idea is also attached to female actors, the idea that you are dispensable, people are not banking on you...

Slowly but surely though, Parvathy has been chipping away at the patriarchal resistance to strong women in Mollywood  with her film choices and her public stances. When she got rape threats for criticising the misogyny in the Mammootty-starrer Kasaba (2016), she did not back down. She is part of a pioneering womens rights movement in Mollywood as a founder member of the Women In Cinema Collective (more on that later in the article). Her frank comments about the misogyny in the Telugu blockbuster Arjun Reddy (and its Hindi remake Kabir Singh) in the presence of its star, Vijay Deverakonda, during a joint video interview in 2019 earned her respect across India. And Take Off (2017) and Uyare (2019) have established her as a box-office presence in her own right. A Parvathy film is a thing now and Parvathy herself is becoming synonymous with fearlessness. In an industry that still usually sees the world through a male gaze, that is a huge achievement.

The Return of Manju Warrier

If there had been no Manju Warrier, could there have been a Parvathy? Each generation of women builds on the battles of women who faced the world before them, and for any young woman entering Mollywood right now aspiring to be another Parvathy, the path has been made just that much easier because Warrier exists.

In a highly conservative society that largely views women actors as short-term travellers who will inevitably fizzle out or retire after marriage, Warrier established herself as a superstar in the 1990s, right in the middle of the Mohanlal-Mammootty era that otherwise succeeded in marginalising women characters and actors.

Then she quit films after marrying fellow star Dileep.

Then the unexpected happened: she returned to the big screen 15 years later to a heroines welcome from Mollywood and fans.

That a woman stars comeback after marriage and divorce became an event in Kerala is in itself momentous. Like Fahadh Faasil 2.0, Manju Warrier 2.0 most likely happened because she was the right woman making the right choice in the right place at the right time. Sections of the Malayali audience who do not have a patriarchal bent of mind yet have not so far been served anything like How Old Are You (2014) warmly embraced her as the protagonist of that heroine-led New-Gen film befitting her pre-hiatus star stature, a return that defied the convention of relegating women like her to playing the wife or mother of a male character played by a major male star.

Warriers filmography since then has been a mixed bag on the commercial front. It is a measure of how challenging Mollywood is for women that she has intermittently taken up inconsequential supporting roles in male-star-led films like Villain and Lucifer. However, the very fact that she has notched up hits like Udaharanam Sujatha (Example: Sujatha, 2017) and is being sought out for scripts written with her in mind is a measure of the gigantic change  albeit a baby step  that she represents.

The formation of the Women In Cinema Collective

In February 2017, eight months before the MeToo movement broke out in Hollywood and about a year before it arrived in Bollywood, women of Mollywood (among them Manju Warrier and Parvathy) joined hands to form the Women In Cinema Collective (WCC) to counter patriarchy in their industry  an official announcement came in May that year. The trigger for WCCs formation was the abduction and rape of a prominent woman star of Mollywood, a crime condemned by all quarters until the industry was split down the middle when police investigations alleged that the prime conspirator was Dileep who is, at present, one of Mollywoods biggest superstars.

Since then, WCC has become a contentious presence in Mollywood with Dileeps financial clout and connections ensuring that a sizeable section of the industry has fallen silent or become hesitant to support their larger cause or even the survivor in this particular case  some have gone so far as to publicly malign the survivor.

Bruised and scarred but unrelenting, WCC has emerged in these four years as an advocacy group demanding systemic change in Mollywood, going so far as to file a PIL in the Kerala High Court to ensure compliance with The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, by various film bodies. The organisation has inspired women to join hands in other southern Indian film industries. Just weeks back, WCC wrapped up a several-months-long campaign against online abuse that was joined by some of their male allies too.

Indias deeply patriarchal film industries are never happy with women who refuse to be cowed down. For proof, look no further than Bollywood where the MeToo movement lasted for a few months while comparatively less influential figures like Nana Patekar and Alok Nath were accused of sexual crimes, but fizzled out the moment a truly powerful entity  Rajkumar Hirani, one of the most successful producer-directors in Bollywood history  was named. Meanwhile, WCC, which has taken on the most powerful man in Mollywood from its inception, is still standing.

The national stage for Lijo Jose Pellissery

In an interview to journalist Maneesh Narayanan on the digital news platform, The Cue, Fahadh said last year: Since 2010 there has been at least one Malayalam film per year that the rest of India has sought out. In at least three of those years, the film in question has been directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery.

For a decade now, Pellissery has kept audiences in Kerala enthralled with films that managed to be both supremely cerebral and supremely wacko. In 2017 though, the rest of India sat up and took notice. Angamaly Diaries  an adrenaline-packed account of gang wars in the pork business in Angamaly town  not only earned public commendations from Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Nivin Pauly and other prominent Mollywood personalities, it drew applause from Kollywoods Karthik Subbaraj, and in Bollywood, Anurag Kashyap became its most enthusiastic and persistent ambassador. Pellisserys hilariously insightful funeral film, Ee.Ma.Yau., followed in 2018. A nationwide fan club now keenly awaits each Pellissery release.

His Jallikattu is Indias official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2021 (nominations will be announced shortly). And Pellisserians already have their sights set on the auteurs upcoming horror fantasy Churuli.

The north-focused Delhi and Mumbai mainstream news media and northern theatres have for decades marginalised cinemas in all Indian languages apart from Hindi, but the arrival of the social media and streaming platforms has served to educate pan-India audiences about films beyond Bollywood while making access easier for those who were already seekers. Pellissery has been one of the prime contributors to and beneficiaries of that trend, and his feats have served to further push New Malayalam Cinema at large on to the national radar.

Pellisserians are language-agnostic cinema lovers who are drawn to his off-kilter narratives examining universal themes and chronicling Malayali society with delightful detail and irreverence. And today, Pellissery is one of Indias most widely acclaimed and influential contemporary directors.

Kumbalangi Nights

The story of a dysfunctional family of four brothers, the women who impact their lives and their clash with patriarchy lay at the heart of Kumbalangi Nights (2019). The film was set in a village near Kochi, and its local lingo, cultural specificities and globally relatable concerns caught the imagination of viewers across state borders.

In 2015-17, the producers of the two Baahubali films (Telugu) spent an ample portion of their multi-crore budget on marketing the franchise across India, and found an eager audience for their special-effects extravaganzas that now stand among the highest grossing Indian films of all time. Since then, the national media has been selectively covering tentpole projects from southern India. Without this coverage, without the SFX of the Bahubali films and without the conventional commercial appeal of Rajinikanths cinema, the smaller and more intimately framed Kumbalangi Nights ran non-stop for 7 weeks each in Chennai and Bangalore, 6 weeks in Mumbai and Hyderabad, and 5 weeks in the National Capital Region.

This success was a culmination of decades in which a once-niche film-viewing crowd among non-Malayalam speakers have been seeking out Malayalam films at festivals, on DVDs and, as the exhibition sector began opening up, at mainstream theatres too. In an article published on Firstpost in 2019, Kumbalangi Nights director Madhu C. Narayanan acknowledged the debt of gratitude that filmmakers like him owe Kerala audiences who have nurtured experimentation by the film industry. The fact that there is a ready audience for quality cinema in Kerala gives us the confidence to explore more such unusual subjects, he said. This experimentation has, in turn, won the interest of viewers outside Kerala.

There have been many turning points for Malayalam cinema in the past decade, and Kumbalangi Nights is the one that once and for all pushed Mollywood to the place where it is now, a film industry about which the veteran Malayalam literary stalwart NS Madhavan tweeted this weekend: Are Malayalam films the new Iranian? Seeing the number of reviews of The Great Indian Kitchen by non-Malayalis and their dips into the past, I am lulled to feel so.

*

Also read on Firstpost 

How Mohanlal, Mammootty and the national media failed the pioneering women of Mollywood

The Kumbalangi Nights Phenomenon: One small step for Mollywood, a giant leap for Indian cinema
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- There is growing evidence that more young vapers want to quitand that social media can help them do it. New data reveal that 60% of the young e-cigarette users surveyed want to quit within the year. Of those who want to quit vaping, having a support system on social media (43.6%), following along with a group of social influencers who were quitting (41.7%) and watching an influencer quit vaping themselves (40.8%) would help them do so. More than half (51.2%) agree that texting would also help them stop vaping.

IMAGE: TRUTH IMAGE: TRUTH IMAGE: TRUTH

To meet young people where they are, truththe proven-effective and nationally recognized youth smoking, vaping and nicotine prevention campaign from Truth Initiative is using social media platforms to help young people achieve their quit goals. truth launched its latest campaign, Quit Together, which, for the first time, pulls back the curtains to show what quitting e-cigarettes really looks like for young people. The campaign builds on insights about what young people say they need to help them quit.

As part of the campaign, truth partners with TikTok influencers and current e-cigarette users Victoria Annunziato (aka King Victober), Tosha and Jerry Purpdrank who are inviting young peopleincluding their combined 11.3 million followersto join them and "quit together." In addition, Christian DelGrosso, a top influencer and non-vaping friend of Jerry's is lending his support as part of the campaign. He shared, "Quitting nicotine is very hard and no one should have to do it alone. For anyone trying to quit, having their friends stand alongside them can be an important part of their success. By supporting Jerry on his journey, I'm also supporting any young person who is taking a step to quit."

The campaign is spotlighting the influencers' quitting journeys using This is Quitting , a first-of-its-kind, free and anonymous, text message, quit vaping program from truth for youth and young adults. Together, these influencers will join the more than 245,000 young people who are have enrolled in the program to quit. The content is also being shared across truth's online and digital platforms and searchable across social media platforms using #QuitTogether and #ThisisQuitting.

Quit Together's influencers began posting their videos to TikTok on January 8th, announcing their intentions to quit vaping e-cigarettes. Over the course of six weeks, they'll continue posting updates about their quitting experiences, sharing advice and support from This is Quitting, giving their followers encouragement to quit, and sharing in milestones together along the way. They'll also speak directly to the health effects of e-cigarettes, including their impact on anxiety and lung health, and the importance of having support from friends and family while quitting.

"Like many others, I started using e-cigarettes when I was young. I had no idea what nicotine was or how addictive it could be," said Victoria Annunziato. "I want to use my platform and work with truth to start a conversation about my own experience using e-cigarettes and now quitting, so others can avoid the traps that got me hooked, or quit with me if they are already vaping. I'm hopeful that my journey will inspire others and spread awareness."

In addition, truth will feature the quit journey of several young people using This Is Quitting to stop vaping. Their stories will be documented on social media and in a YouTube series called "Quitters," which will launch in early February. To enroll in This is Quitting, teens and young adults can text "DITCHVAPE" to 88709.

"I first started vaping during parties at college," said Tosha. "It quickly went from asking my friends for a hit of their e-cigarettes to going out and buying my own. Now, here I am two years later, addicted to nicotine and I just want to stop. I'm ready to feel healthier and do other things, that's why I'm joining truth and using This is Quitting to quit e-cigarettes. With the support of my friends, family and This is Quitting, I know I can leave vaping behind and hope others will join me."

The campaign comes at a time when e-cigarette use remains pervasive and at epidemic levels among young people.1 A new Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF) published December 15 in JAMA Pediatrics shows that 22% of 10th and 12th graders report using e-cigarettes in the last 30 days.2 These data mirror those from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), which found that nearly one in five high school students (19.6%) use e-cigarettes, with nearly forty percent of them (38.9%) doing so on 20 or more of the past 30 days.3

The dangers of nicotine use are even more worrisome during COVID-19. Stanford University School of Medicine found young people who reported ever using e-cigarettes were up to five times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 compared to their non-vaping peers. Dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes are nearly seven times more likely to test positive for the disease.4 And young people are recognizing the dangers and becoming more health conscious amid the pandemic. Truth Initiative survey data show that nearly half of 15- to 24-year-olds responded that the pandemic has prompted them to look for information about quitting (48%) or talk to someone about quitting (45%).

For more information about truth, please visit, thetruth.com. For more information on This is Quitting, please visit truthinitiative.org/thisisquitting.

About truth

truth is the longest-running and most successful national tobacco prevention campaign for youth and young adults. The campaign delivers the facts about tobacco use and the marketing tactics of the tobacco industry so that young people can make informed choices and influence others to do the same. We are credited with preventing millions of young people from becoming smokers and are equally committed to achieving the same results in ending the youth e-cigarette epidemic, including by helping young people quit with our first-of-its-kind quit vaping program for teens and young adults This is Quitting. truth is part of Truth Initiative, a national public health organization dedicated to achieving a culture where young people reject smoking, vaping, and nicotine. Learn more about truth and the organization behind it at thetruth.com and truthinitiative.org.

About Truth Initiative

Truth Initiative is a national public health organization that is inspiring lives free from smoking, vaping and nicotine and building a culture where all young people reject tobacco. In 2020, we celebrated 20 years of saving lives and preventing millions of youth from smoking. Our impact has helped drive the teen smoking rate down from 23% in 2000 to an all-time low of 3.7% in 2019. The truth about tobacco and the tobacco industry are at the heart of our proven-effective and nationally recognized truth public education campaign. truth has also recently taken on the youth epidemics of vaping and opioids. Our rigorous scientific research and policy studies, community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco and innovation in tobacco dependence treatment, are also helping to end one of the most critical public health battles of our time. Based in Washington D.C., our organization, formerly known as the American Legacy Foundation, was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more, visit truthinitiative.org.

1 Truth Initiative (June 8, 2020). Majority of young vapers worry about COVID-19 risk and want to quit. https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/quitting-smoking-vaping/majority-young-vapers-worry-about-covid-19-risk-and-want 2 Richard Miech, PhD; Adam Leventhal, PhD; Lloyd Johnston, PhD; et al (December 15, 2020). Trends in Use and Perceptions of Nicotine Vaping Among US Youth From 2017 to 2020. Trends in Use and Perceptions of Nicotine Vaping Among US Youth From 2017 to 2020. JAMA Pediatrics. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2774132 3 Teresa W. Wang, PhD; Linda J. Neff, PhD; Eunice Park-Lee, PhD; et al (September 18, 2020). E-cigarette Use Among Middle and High School Students  United States, 2020. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6937e1.htm?s_cid=mm6937e1_w 4 Gaiha, S. M., Cheng, J., & Halpern-Felsher, B. (2020). Association Between Youth Smoking, Electronic Cigarette Use, and Coronavirus Disease 2019. Journal of Adolescent Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.07.002

SOURCE Truth Initiative

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https://truthinitiative.org


Parents of Boy, 12, Who Died of Rare Cancer Say, Time Spent Together Is More Valuable

When a 12-year-old boy battling cancer died before fulfilling his ambition of getting his Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results, his parents decided to share their message of spending quality time with children.

William and Winnie Lees late son, Raphael, had Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare genetic condition that predisposed him to various types of cancer. Raphael wanted to sit for his PSLE at Alexandra Primary School, Singapore, before surgery on Nov. 12, 2020.

Tragically, he passed away from complications after the procedure, and before he could collect his exam results.

William, 47, and his wife, Winnie, 45, from Singapore, collected their sons results on his behalf. Raphael had scored A grades in math and science and B grades in English and his native language exam.

Math and science were his favorite subjects in school, and he enjoyed challenging himself with mind-boggling math problems in his free time, Winnie told The Straits Times.

Raphaels lifelong cancer battle began at 8 months old.

In 2008, Raphael had developed a rare soft-tissue cancer, called rhabdomyosarcoma, which was eradicated through chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery.

After a brief remission, the condition resurfaced in 2016, reported The Straits Times. Raphael was then confirmed to have bone cancer or osteosarcoma and had a forearm amputated; he was in Primary 2 that year.

But resilient Raphael adapted.

In 2019, doctors discovered a tumor in Raphaels right collarbone. Surgery removed the tumor, but cancer had already spread to his lungs.

Winnie said Raphael seemed to know he was going to die. He wanted his body donated to scientific research.

Brave Raphaels fighting spirit touched so many that KK Womens and Childrens Hospital even awarded him their 2020 Inspirational Patient and Caregiver Award.

Yet nearing surgery, Raphael was almost too weak to walk to his classroom on the seventh floor at school, reported Today Online. His teachers offered him a chaperone, but young Raphael declined, not wanting to burden others.

Raphael asked his mom to take him to school early instead, giving him time to walk at his own pace.

He was telling me not to trouble the teachers because they already have their own responsibilities, Winnie told Today Online.

Raphael is remembered as an active, attentive child. He loved online gaming, Lego, and robotics; his last gift to his parents was a Lego model of their family. He hoped, one day, to build himself a robotic arm.

Recalling the time before his surgery on Nov. 12, 2020, Winnie said: Just as he was being sedated to begin the operation, he was telling me, Mommy, I dont want to lie down  I want you to hug me.

So that was how he went into deep sleep, and that was the last time we saw him, alert and awake, she told The Straits Times.

Despite their deep loss, the Lees find comfort in knowing their son departed peacefully; biopsy results received after his passing revealed that his cancer had metastasized.

Thousands of mourners attended the livestream of Raphaels funeral. A family friend from the Church of St. Bernadette, 50-year-old Amy Tong, said that her son, also 12, just wants to pretend that [Raphael] recovered and God rewarded him with a stay in Heaven.

Offering their advice to other parents, the Lees told Today Online, Do spare a thought for [your childs] social and emotional needs. Be generous and sincere with your compliments, as these are adrenaline that will push them forward.

Do not show your fear in front of your child, they said, for he or she is clinging onto you for support.

Academic results may be important for better prospects in career development, the couple said. [But] what is more valuable is the time spent together with your children, especially in their growing-up years.

[D]eep down inside us, he has already passed his test of life with distinction and flying colors. We are simply proud of him.

Louise Bevan contributed to this report.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter here: https://www.theepochtimes.com/newsletter
A plan has been developed to create 500 mobile vaccination teams and 4,000 vaccination points.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says that there will be enough coronavirus vaccines for everyone who wants to get vaccinated in Ukraine in 2021.

He announced this on ICTV.

"There will be enough vaccines for everyone this year. Today we have contracted over 30 million vaccines  those that have been signed and are to be signed. Therefore, all vaccination stages in Ukraine will take place in accordance with a clear national plan. Entire infrastructure has been prepared," he said.

He said that a plan had already been developed to create 500 mobile vaccination teams and 4,000 vaccination points.

Read alsoZelensky announces delivery of first million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Ukraine

COVID-19 vaccine for Ukraine

In February-March 2021, Ukraine expects the delivery of a vaccine against COVID-19.

The first batch of a vaccine via the COVAX Facility will include 8 million doses, which will be enough to vaccinate 4 million people (two shots per person required). First to get vaccinated will be healthcare workers, the elderly, and seriously ill patients.

On December 24, 2020, Health Minister Stepanov said that his ministry was working out a plan to increase the COVAX vaccine quota from 8 million to 16 million doses.

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

Reporting by UNIAN
Medical grand bazaar, an innovative medical tour offered by medical staffs assisting Chinas Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region from Zhejiang province, is winning the hearts of many in Aksu prefecture in mid-western Xinjiang.

Lou Pengcheng, expert of pediatric intensive care medicine assisting Xijiang Uygur autonomous region from east Chinas Zhejiang province is checking a patient at Aksu First Peoples Hospital. (Photo by Zhejiang News)

Visiting bazaars, a type of enclosed market place or street usually seen in Xinjiang where goods and services are exchanged, is a routine for many local residents. Thats why the assisting medical workers from Zhejiang are making their services into a grand bazaar, not only by the name, but also the meticulous services. The medical grand bazaar offers a series of medical services, including checkups, examinations, health consulting, pharmacy, psychological counseling and acupuncture, creating an experience just like bazaar-visiting.

Turhan Rozi, 75, is a woman from Aksu who always suffered hypertension, diabetes and cholecystitis. With her husband passing away and children working out-of-town, seeing a doctor was like a mission impossible for her.

It was the medical grand bazaar that alleviated her problems. After learning her information, Zhejiang medical experts of internal medicine, surgical medicine, ophthalmology, ultrasonography and radiology worked in collaboration and formulated detailed treatment plans.

It was really not easy for me to go to major hospitals. Im so touched that you guys came to me and offered free treatment. Thank you so much, the senior told the medical staff.

Medical workers aiding Xijiang Uygur autonomous region from east Chinas Zhejiang province check health conditions for villagers in Awat county, Aksu prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, June 18, 2020. (Photo by Zhejiang News)

Xinjiang is a broad region where residents living in remote and border areas are still facing insufficient medical resources despite the stationing medical experts in Aksu. Therefore, Zhejiang province specifically allocated a fund to the medical grand bazaar, supporting it to buy a touring bus equipped with advanced medical devices, which allows the medical staff high mobility.

The high-quality medical services provided by the medical grand bazaar have practically solved the issues faced by residents in border areas, for instance, the lack of medical resources, high medical expense, and poverty led by illness. Besides, the bazaar also makes subsequent visits to patients with mobility difficulties, so that they can enjoy medical services without even stepping out of their homes.

Launching free treatment and health screening activities in remote and border areas, the medical grand bazaar is able to identify the groups that cannot receive timely medical services and thus help them in a targeted manner through funds and poverty alleviation programs.

Lithiasis, oral diseases, and eye diseases are of high incidence in Aksu. To solve the problem, Zhejiang constantly sent medical workers to the prefecture with a series treatment plans that suited the residents in the region. In addition, a large batch of local medical personnel were trained, so as to bring high-quality medical services to more residents.

The medical grand bazaar has made 766 tours to rural areas, mountains, pasturing areas, border regions, military camps, and schools, serving over 15,000 people and giving out 140,000 yuan ($21,613) worth of free drugs.

The walls of hospitals contained our assistance. We must go out to peoples homes and spread our love to every corner of Xinjiang, said Tu Jianfeng, head of the medical grand bazaar.
An abandoned dog found wandering the streets of Mexico's most dangerous state with a nearly hacked off leg has found a new home - with a family in Canada.

According to the Guanajuato Animal Heart Foundation's Facebook page, Rocky moved in to his new home last week after almost a year of rehab following an amputation of his right front leg.

The non-profit foundation said Rocky was rescued January 14, 2020, after he was spotted hobbling around the town of El Eden with the lower part of his right leg dangling.

A family in Canada poses with Rocky, a dog that was adopted from a non-profit animal foundation in Guanajuato, Mexico, last week. The pooch was abandoned and rescued January 14, 2020, after he was spotted wandering with a nearly hacked off front right leg. He had his leg amputated and underwent a lengthy recuperation process before he was discharged

A Canadian girl poses for a photo last week with Rocky, who was adopted from the Guanajuato Animal Heart Foundation in Guanajuato, Mexico

Rocky spent six months receiving care after his right front leg had to be amputated in Mexico

A representative for the Guanajuato Animal Heart Foundation told Mexican online portal La Silla Rota that it was not sure if the dog had been attacked with a machete due to the magnitude of his injury.

Rocky was treated by two veterinarian clinics and spent six months under the care of the Canine Cat Clinic in the capital city of Guanajuato before he was reunited with his new caretakers at the shelter.

Rocky, a Mexican dog who was rescued from the streets of Mexico's most dangerous state, Guanajuato, in 2020, after workers from the non-profit Guanajuato Animal Heart Foundation saw him walking around with a right front leg that was nearly hacked off

Guanajuato Animal Heart Foundation announced January 21 that Rocky had arrived in Canada. 'We are very happy to show you his new life and the beautiful family that received him'

The Guanajuato Animal Heart Foundation said it started receiving donations after it found itself unable to cover the cost of his medical care, after some well-wishers failed to step forward after claiming that they would help out with the expenses when they first learned of Rocky's unfortunate condition.

The non-profit foundation last week shared via Facebook a series of photos of him and his new family in the western Canadian province of British Columbia.

'Rocko has arrived in Canada and we are very happy to show you his new life and the beautiful family that received him,' the Guanajuato Animal Heart Foundation wrote.
Top 3 GCP Configurations To Watch For

The cost of a security breach can have severe financial and reputation impact on your organization. But you can avoid mistakes like these by configuring your Google Cloud Platform (GCP) resources in a way that minimizes your security risks.

Tap into this blog, Top 3 GCP Configurations to Watch For, to learn from cloud breaches at major companies like Pfizer.
The Worcester Branch NAACP has announced Fred Taylor as the organizations new president.

In a statement, Taylor promised his commitment to the Branchs continued efforts to address systemic racism in the Worcester Police Department, to remove police officers from the Worcester Public Schools and increase Black political representative in the city.

I understand this will not be easy, Taylor wrote in his incoming statement. I am humbled by the support expressed by many people in the community. Our unity is so important in this time when a light has been shined on the injustices Black people face in this country.

Along with continued work on the criminal justice reform front, Taylor called for better representation of the Black community in the Worcester Public Schools.

A good start would be to change the current election system regarding the School Committee, Taylor wrote. This would increase the chances of fair representation on the School Committee.

Last week, the Worcester branch members elected Taylor and the following officers: Edward G. Robinson, first vice president; Nelly Medina, second vice president; Rev. Doreen Oughton, secretary; Ron Nneji, treasurer; Frances Graveson, assistant secretary; Bob Michel, member-at-large; and Rich Mackoul, member-at-large.

Earlier this month, the branch called months of inaction on the front of addressing systemic racism in the city a slap in the face.

Responding to the insurrection, the branch called the events an act of terror, and said what unfolded is a reminder of two Americas, the privileged and disadvantaged.

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Streaming and Pay TV dramas include The Queens Gambit, Ted Lasso and Bridgerton are amongst 2020s Programs of the Year named by the American Film Institute.

They are:

Better Call Saul

Bridgerton

The Crown

The Good Lord Bird

Lovecraft Country

The Mandalorian

Mrs. America

The Queens Gambit

Ted Lasso

Unorthodox

AFI Special Award:

Hamilton

This years AFI Awards will be held stateside in a virtual presentation on Feb. 26.

For 20 years, AFI Awards has been a moment to gather artists in one room with a singular goal  to create community over competition, said Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO, in a statement. This year we cannot gather but will instead celebrate each honoree by creating exclusive content to be shared with a global audience through AFI Movie Club, shining a proper light on excellence.

Source: TV Line

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Boston can reject Christian flag at City Hall, 1st Circuit rules

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The city of Boston, Massachusetts, can stop a citizen from flying a Christian flag over City Hall, the First Circuit ruled on Friday. The petitioners say they will go to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that censoring a private flag because it contains a cross amounts to violation of the First Amendment.

Boston is entitled to select the views that it wants to express, U.S. Circuit Judge Bruce Selya, a Reagan appointee, wrote for a three-judge panel, according to Courthouse News.

The refusal to fly the flag, the judge added, simply cannot be construed to suggest the disparagement of the plaintiffs religion.

The conservative law firm Liberty Counsel pointed out, Never has Boston censored any flag until the Christian flag, which is white with a blue square in the upper corner and a red cross. The flag contains no writing.

Two of the three 83-foot-tall flagpoles outside City Hall always fly the U.S. flag and the state flag. While the third usually flies the city flag, citizens can petition to temporarily raise another flag. Between 2005 and 2017, Boston approved all of the 284 requests it received to fly other flags.

The law firm, which is representing Boston resident Hal Shurtleff and his Christian civic organization Camp Constitution, said, Under oath, the city official testified the flag would have been approved if the application did not refer to it as a Christian flag. The word Christian on the application alone triggered the censorship.

The official said he had never heard of a Christian flag until Camp Constitutions application, Liberty Counsel added.

The flag was to be part of a ceremony to honor the Constitution and recognize the Christian Founders on Sept. 17, 2017, in observance of Constitution Day.

The court said the City Halls display of three flags flying in close proximity communicates the symbolic unity of the three flags.

It therefore strains credulity to believe that an observer would partition such a coordinated three-flag display  into a series of separate yet simultaneous messages (two that the government endorses and another as to which the government disclaims any relation), the court continued.

Although the plaintiffs might perhaps make the case that a lone Christian flag, nowhere near City Hall, would be seen as devoid of any connection to a government entity, a City Hall display that places such a flag next to the flag of the United States and the flag of the commonwealth of Massachusetts communicates a far different message.

Liberty Counsel founder and Chairman Mat Staver said the refusal was discrimination.

The citys discrimination against Camp Constitutions Christian viewpoint is both obvious and unconstitutional, Staver said. There is a crucial difference between government endorsement of religion and private speech, which government is bound to respect. Censoring religious viewpoints in a public forum where secular viewpoints are permitted is unconstitutional. We look forward to the next step in our journey to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Some of Jimmie Lemaries friends from around New Orleans visited him at Liuzzas by the Track weekly to swap stories over the gumbo.

Others from around the country made annual visits during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, catching up over go-cup bloody Marys and perhaps snapping a photo with him before plunging into the fest.

That was just how broad a community of friends he cultivated through his life.

Lemarie died Sunday, Jan. 24, at Touro Infirmary, his wife Patt Lemarie confirmed. The cause of death was congestive heart failure. He was 72.

For more then two decades, he ran a restaurant that is the picture of the classic backstreet joint, and also one that helped reinvigorate the type.

Liuzzas by the Track got its name from its proximity to the Fair Grounds Race Course (this Liuzzas is not related to Liuzzas Restaurant & Bar on Bienville Street). It earned its following by serving a fresh take on old school New Orleans flavors in a casual tavern setting where someone from any walk of New Orleans life might stroll through the door next.

Lemarie thrived on the interactions built over his bar and under his roof, his wife said.

The restaurant meant everything to him, its what he did, he liked going to work, he loved the people there, Patt Lemarie said.

Liuzzas by the Track remains open for business; Patt Lemarie said Monday the family is discussing plans for its future.

Lemarie was a New Orleans native who grew up in Lakeview in a large family with nine siblings. He studied business at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette  then known as University of Southwestern Louisiana  and later built a career in sales as a manufacturers representative, working in consumer electronics.

It was his longtime friend Billy Gruber, the late local chef, who got him into the restaurant business in 1997 after getting an intriguing real estate tip, Lemarie recalled in an earlier interview with the Times-Picayune.

"Dr. John's ex-wife told Billy that this neighborhood place was for sale," Lemarie said in that interview.

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Situated at the corner of North Lopez and Ponce de Leon streets in Faubourg St. John, the business had started in the 1930s as a grocery, then evolved into a restaurant and changed hands several times. It was a bar when Lemarie and Gruber took over, its kitchen no longer in use.

They wanted to turn Liuzzas by the Track into a restaurant again, and they wanted to raise the bar for casual local dishes with Gruber's distinctive preparations and scratch cooking.

Garlic oyster po-boys and breathtaking beef po-boys with horseradish, BBQ shrimp poured into hollowed loaves and gumbo with a rusty-red roux and seafood added just before service all became signatures.

The cooking drew praise from restaurant critics and travel writers and soon put Liuzzas by the Track on the map for visitors.

Each year during Jazz Fest, the bar becomes an ad hoc welcome center, dishing out drinks to thousands of festivalgoers on their way to the nearby Fair Grounds.

Jazz Fest was Lemarie's favorite time of the year, his wife said, because he got to see so many people. He was usually stationed at the restaurant during the busy festival time, though when his favorite performer Bruce Springsteen was on stage hed find a way to sneak out and catch the set.

Behind the scenes, Lemarie always ran the business side of things. Tommy Mandina, a fellow restaurateur who knew him well, said his personality was reflected everywhere in the operation.

He was consistent, he had a good product and he hired good folks, you have to hire people who fit your joint, and he found people who fit his joint, said Mandina, whose family runs Mandinas Restaurant on Canal Street.

Mandina got to know Lemarie's gregarious side in their romps around New Orleans restaurants and bars. He came to appreciate his friend's quiet generosity and kindness, too. He called Lemarie a character of characters.

New Orleans will miss this guy, he was part of the fabric of the city, Mandina said.

Funeral arrangements are pending.
Saudi Arabia's finance minister said on Tuesday his country is talking to vaccine producers to provide vaccines to low-income countries such as Yemen and countries in Africa.

"We are negotiating with a lot of the vaccination companies to provide more vaccination particularly to low income countries," he said during a virtual World Economic Forum in Davos.

He said Yemen for example and some of the African nations would not be able to get enough vaccines through the COVAX facility - the global pooled procurement mechanism for COVID-19 vaccines.

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Transgender star Elliot Page has filed for divorce from their wife Emma Portner, less than two months after the Umbrella Academy actor publicly came out as trans and non-binary, and received a public show of support from their spouse.

Elliot, 33, has filed legal documentation with a court in Manhattan seeking to dissolve their three-year marriage to the 26-year-old professional dancer, who 'proudly' supported her partner's decision to come out as transgender back in December.

In a statement made to DailyMail.com, Elliot and Emma revealed that they actually 'separated last summer', before the actor came out as transgender, and have now decided to make the split official.

'After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce following our separation last summer,' the statement said. 'We have the utmost respect for each other and remain close friends.'

Split? Transgender Umbrella Academy star Elliot Page has filed for divorce from their wife Emma Portner, two months after coming out as non-binary and trans

Moving on: Elliot (pictured in their most recent Instagram post), 33, tied the knot with Emma in a secret ceremony at the start of 2018, six months after their relationship was made public

Before releasing a statement, Emma and Elliot removed all images of one another from their respective Instagram accounts in what appeared to be a very clear message about the future of their marriage.

Elliot and Emma are still following one another on the social media app however.

Broadway Dance Center trainer Emma has only just returned to Instagram after temporarily deleting her account in the wake of Elliot's coming out. Shortly before disappearing form the app, she made a public plea for 'patience and privacy', and noted that her own 'gender identity, pronouns, and sexuality' are 'private and not up for debate'.

Elliot last addressed the public in a statement shared on their Instagram account on December 20, when the actor thanked their fans for their support over their decision to come out.

'From the bottom of my heart, thank you,' Elliot wrote, while sharing an image of themselves posing in a black hoodie and wire-framed glasses.

'Your love and support has been the greatest gift. Stay safe. Be there for each other.'

In control: 26-year-old Emma made a plea for privacy in the wake of Elliot's announcement, and soon after, she deleted her Instagram account, although it has since been reactivated

Deleted: A source told DailyMail.com that Emma chose to delete her Instagram account after becoming overwhelmed with the influx of comments about Elliot's coming out

Emma has shared a handful of posts on her account since reactivating it early in the new year, however she has not addressed her relationship with Elliot, instead sharing two dance videos, and two tongue-in-cheek selfies that see her posing with a potato.

Despite removing images of Elliot from her Instagram, Emma still has a copy of the actor's coming out statement posted on her account, along with the statement of support and pride she shared at the time it was released.

In the post, she wrote: 'I am so proud of @elliotpage. Trans, queer and non-binary people are a gift to this world.

'I also ask for patience & privacy [and] that you join me in the fervent support of trans life every single day. Elliots existence is a gift in and of itself. Shine on sweet E. Love you so much.'

She also commented on Elliot's Instagram post, writing: 'Love you so much elliot.'

A source told DailyMail.com that Emma chose to delete her Instagram account in the days after Elliot came out, after becoming overwhelmed with the influx of hateful comments targeted at the Juno actor in the wake of their statement.

Evolution in public: Elliot publicly came out as gay in 2014, and reports first surfaced that the star was dating Emma in 2017, six months before they wed

Emotional: Reports that the couple are divorcing come less than two months after Emma offered public words of support for her spouse, writing, 'Shine on sweet E. Love you so much'

Clarification: She later made clear on Instagram that her own 'gender identity, pronouns, and sexuality are private and not up for debate'

Elliot and Emma have been together since 2017, and they wed in a secret ceremony in early 2018.

They kept their nuptials very much under wraps, with Elliot sharing the surprise news with their fans in an Instagram post shared on January 3 of that year.

'Cant believe I get to call this extraordinary woman my wife. @emmaportner,' the actor wrote at the time, while sharing images of the duo posing together - as well as a photo of their wedding rings.

Emma shared the same pictures on her own account, while writing: 'I get to call this incredible woman MY WIFE! I LOVE YOU!'

Throughout their relationship, the couple kept their romance closely guarded, appearing together at a handful of events, and sharing a few photos together on social media - although those have now been deleted.

In one of their more candid moments, Elliot and Emma posted together for a topless photo that the Juno star posted in celebration of Pride Month 2019.

Distance: Elliot and Emma (pictured in 2017) have not been seen together in public since early in 2020

Under wraps: The couple has been fairly private throughout their relationship, but shared this revealing romantic shot on social media in celebration of Pride Month 2019

Prior to their relationship, Juno star Elliot dated artist Samantha Thomas for 18 months; it was reported that they had split just a few months before Elliot tied the knot with Emma.

Elliot came out publicly as gay in 2014 in an emotional speech at the Human Rights Campaign's Time to Thrive conference for LGTBQ youth.

In the speech, the actor shared that they hoped the news would help others struggling with their sexuality, saying: 'I'm here today because I am gay. And because maybe I can make a difference.'

Three years later, in November 2017, Elliot accused X-Men director Brett Ratner of outing them as gay on set, when the actor was just 18.

The Juno actor made the allegations in a lengthy Facebook post, in which they also revealed that they had been fondled by a director and sexually assaulted by a crew member when they were 16.

According to Elliot, Ratner outed them during a cast and crew meet-and-greet for X-Men: The Last Stand, where he urged a woman to have sex with the actor.

'He looked at a woman standing next to me, ten years my senior, pointed to me and said: "You should f*** her to make her realize she's gay,"' Elliot claimed.

Coming out: Elliot took to Twitter on December 1 to publicly share the news that they are transgender and non-binary

Changes: Elliot also updated their social media accounts, changing the usernames, and adding a new profile picture to Twitter and Instagram

Looking ahead: The actor is preparing to begin filming for the third season of Netflix hit The Umbrella Academy, and insiders have revealed he will continue to play female violinist Vanya

Breakthrough: Elliot first found fame for starring as a pregnant teenager in the hit 2007 movie Juno, for which they earned an Oscar nomination

'I was a young adult who had not yet come out to myself. I knew I was gay, but did not know, so to speak. I felt violated when this happened.'

They continued: 'He "outed" me with no regard for my well-being, an act we all recognize as homophobic.

'...This public, aggressive outing left me with long standing feelings of shame, one of the most destructive results of homophobia.'

Although Elliot shot to global fame when they starred as the titular character in hit indie flick Juno in 2007, they have since gone on to achieve huge success on the big and small screens, most recently as one of the main stars of Netflix series Umbrella Academy.

The actor is due to begin filming the third series of the show in Canada in February, after producers confirmed that they would continue playing the role of female violinist Vanya Hargreaves.

In the second season of the show, Vanya fell in love with a woman, and Elliot praised the decision to explore the character's queerness in an interview with Pride, saying: '...Getting to play her falling in love for the first time and the beauty of that and the joy of that and then hoping to be mindful and sensitive in terms of how to represent the other aspects and mostly, I'm just happy that a storyline like this is in a show that has the reach that it does.'
Bigg Boss 14 recently saw the elimination of actor-politician Sonali Phogat. Recently, the evicted contestant took a dig at Rubina Dilaik hinting that the latter can do 'fareb' to win the show and is at a habit of creating a false narrative against Rahul Vaidya by labelling him as a chauvinist. Apart from that, Sonali also accused Rubina to not take her loss well in one of the 'Lock Down' tasks which were held inside the house recently.

Sonali Phogat revealed in an interview to Bollywood Life that Rubina Dilaik has created a false narrative that Rahul Vaidya is a chauvinist and constantly targets her. She further said that it is in fact the Choti Bahu actor who targets Rahul. Sonali also went on to say that Rubina has showcased herself as this 'sanskari' contestant who follows all the rules of the house which she is not.

Furthermore, Sonali Phogat said that Rubina Dilaik did not take her loss well in the LockDown task. Sonali revealed that the Shakti actor created some drama so that Rahul's team does not emerge as the winner. The politician also accused Rubina of turning a blind eye to Nikki Tamboli's misbehaviour.

Lastly, Sonali Phogat went on to accuse Rubina Dilaik to be an arrogant person. She stated that Rubina considers herself superior to some people inside the house and never talks to them. The politician hinted that Rubina is a 'Farebi' and can do 'Fareb' to win the show.

Also Read: Bigg Boss 14: Sonali Phogat To Go Out On A Date With Aly Goni; Latter Promises Her The Same

Also Read: Bigg Boss 14: Sonali Phogat Has A Breakdown, Pleads Bigg Boss To Send Her Home
(TNS) - When national pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens weren't vaccinating residents and staff of long-term care facilities in Florida fast enough, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a $24 million contract with the subsidiary of the Miami engineering and emergency management firm CDR Maguire to staff up and get the job done.But the favored vendor had no experience working in long-term care facilities, and the result has been a rush to vaccinate that has been rife with miscommunication and frustration, and even fraught with misinformation that discouraged some people from getting vaccinated, officials from long-term care facilities said."Communication has been very haphazard, and chaotic," said Lindsey Starnes, vice president of Petra Care Consultant, which is helping a chain of assisted living facilities in Florida and the Southeast handle vaccine distribution. "When a team of nine shows up unannounced at a dementia care building and says 'It's time to get vaccinated,' it throws staff and residents into a chaotic spin that will require them days to recover from."Compounding the confusion was a questionnaire used by CDR to screen residents and staff at Rosecastle of Zephyrhills Assisted Living & Memory Care on Sunday, she said. It incorrectly suggested that the vaccine could trigger allergies in people allergic to eggs, and three staff members refused to take the vaccine as a result. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, has said that eggs are not used in either the Pfizer vaccine or the Moderna vaccine and people with egg allergies will not be affected.CDR Health, the subsidiary of CDR Maguire that was formed in April 2020 to capitalize on state demand for personal protective equipment and healthcare services, signed the no-bid contract with the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Jan. 7 to "vaccinate assisted living facilities that are not scheduled for their initial vaccine clinic with CVS or Walgreens on or before January 23."They hired 1,000 workers, deployed 190 teams, administered the first shots on Jan. 11, and had vaccinated 28,000 by the end of the day Monday. They are expected to expand the second contract soon to vaccinate people in independent living and adult day care centers, said Tina Vidal-Duart, co-owner of CDR Maguire with her husband, Carlos Duart."This has not been a perfect process, but my goal is to always use every concern or complaint to make it better for everybody," Vidal-Duart said Tuesday. "Our goal is to vaccinate as many people as we can."Lots of contracts since April 2020Since April, CDR Maguire has been a favorite vendor for DeSantis and Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz, who has handled the bulk of the state's contracts worth billions in state and federal money since the onset of the pandemic.Represented by lobbyists Nick Iarossi and Jonathon Kilman, both of whom are close to DeSantis, the company was first given contracts to find scarce resources for personal protective equipment. Next, it received a sole-source contract to establish field hospitals when the state thought the first surge of the coronavirus would exceed the number of beds in South Florida hospitals. And in September, CDR Maguire became the sole-source contractor to take over the COVID testing sites operated by the state.A Herald/ Times analysis of information posted on the state's contract website, shows the state has signed at least $246 million in purchase orders with CDR Maguire since the onset of the pandemic. The company has also expanded its business into five other states."There's a lot of companies that have either been born out of COVID or expanded out of COVID," Vidal-Duart said. "We have been working in emergency management for over a decade" and were able to "expand quickly to provide help for all these other things."After the governor spent weeks saying Florida residents 65 and older should be first in line to get the vaccine, the association representing more than 650 assisted living facilities and adult family care homes began sounding the alarm that their residents were being put behind nursing homes and the state's general 65-and-older population. That's when the state called CDR Maguire.Vidal-Duart said when they got the call to help with vaccines they were told "we know you guys can pivot and move very quickly and you've always performed for us.""The initial plan is as follows," the purchase order reads. "Project management, logistics, and staff augmentation support to vaccinate approximately 148,000 assisted living facility ("ALF") patients and healthcare workers at 3,110 ALF's as well as selected long-term care facilities and approximately 700 adult day are facilities across the State of Florida over a ten (10) week period, providing both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine."A lack of coordination, communicationBut while the effort was intended to accelerate the vaccine rollout in Florida, it created more confusion."There has been some frustration that some facilities had appointments by either CVS or Walgreens that were canceled or replaced by CDR Health, and CDR is not as communicative as Walgreens and CVS had been," said Rick Oppenheim, spokesman for the Florida Assisted Living Facility Association, which represents 650 ALFs in the state."We have heard reports of them showing up at the doorstep but without scheduling in advance. It makes it hard for some staff to get vaccinated if they happen to work a different shift."Vidal-Duart, who has had experience working with hospitals but not long-term care facilities, said her company was given a list of facilities to vaccinate from the Agency for Health Care Administration and sometimes the lists were wrong. They would show up at a facility and be told that staff and residents had already received their first doses through CVS or Walgreens so, hoping not to waste any time, the teams would pivot to another facility and arrive unannounced."I would agree that the communication could have been better, and I wish we would have been afforded the luxury of time that CVS and Walgreens had so that we could have given these facilities more than 24 hours' notice," she said. "They say in emergency management you can do things faster, cheaper or accurate but you can't do all of them."The mistakes were "based on doing it quick," she said. "I think the process for the second and third clinics will go a lot smoother because we will have a clear list of who to visit."Starnes, who works with Rosecastle Management, which has four homes in Florida, doesn't blame CDR Health, which she estimates has had to conduct 2,000 vaccine clinics in three weeks."They are overwhelmed, and no one has been communicating with the community, or front-line staff to prepare them for these changes," she said.The major concern, she said, is the loss of trust that is occurring among healthcare workers, especially those at long-term care facilities in a state with more ALFs than any other state but Arizona.She said state officials have said that less than 30% of staff at assisted living facilities have been willing to get vaccinated. To address vaccine hesitancy among the staff at the Rosecastle chain, management has been working since November to increase confidence so that staff members would be willing to get vaccinated, Starnes said."But when someone comes in to administer the vaccine, and contradicts what our staff has been telling them, we'll never gain the trust of those staff members again," she said.Starnes said CDR questions included: "Have you had an allergic reaction to iodine? Have you had an allergic reaction to eggs? Have you been running a fever?" she said. "But the questions are inaccurate. They are flu questions and not COVID vaccine questions, which are starkly different."Vidal-Duart said the questions are included on its electronic questionnaire "based on CDC and DOH [ Department of Health] guidance to ensure patients with allergies are put into correct observation levels after receiving the vaccine in the event they have a history of allergies in general."The CDC, however, notes that even for the flu vaccine "people with egg allergies no longer need to be observed for an allergic reaction for 30 minutes after receiving a flu vaccine."The state asked for help in a hurryStarnes, however, does blame the state for what she calls "this pool of chaos.""The reaction was 'we'll just change distributors,' but they didn't give them anything to fix it with. They just handed them to list of facilities they wanted to vaccinate and said 'good luck,' " she said.Rosecastle had been working with CVS since November, and they provided all of the documentation they needed from consent forms to educational materials and scheduled vaccines "without complication," she said."CVS and Walgreens were given the contracts [by the federal government] because both have long-term care facility pharmacies and intimate knowledge of how these facilities work," Starnes said. "CVS might have been slightly slower, but it was efficient and clear."For its part, CVS reported this week that it has completed vaccination of 73,000 patients at 484 skilled nursing facilities that partnered with them in Florida. It said that on Jan. 11, the same day CDR Maguire started vaccinating patients at assisted living facilities, CVS also began administering the vaccine in 1,583 assisted living facilities in Florida, and has now administered about 42,000 vaccines in that time.Both CVS and CDR Maguire say the first doses will be completed at all their ALFs by the end of the week.Starnes said state officials could avoid future stress on staff and residents in these vulnerable communities if AHCA, DOH and the Division of Emergency Management provided more transparency and better communication."There needs to be an established list of who is making the decisions about vaccines and when, who is telling CDR which buildings to come to and what guidance to give to communities," she said.Mary Ellen Klas can be reached at meklas@miamiherald.com and @MaryEllenKlas___(c)2021 Miami HeraldVisit Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 21:02:45|Editor: huaxia

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KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Malaysian government signed a deal on Tuesday to procure 12 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac.

The vaccines would be supplied through Malaysia's leading pharmaceutical company Pharmaniaga following the signing of an agreement between the company and Malaysia's Health Ministry, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The 12 million doses will cover six million people or 18.75 percent of Malaysia's total population, as part of its immunization program, said the statement.

Sinovac's vaccines are expected to be supplied to Malaysia in stages from April after obtaining approval from Malaysia's National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) and Drug Control Authority (DCA), it added.

Earlier this month, Pharmaniaga signed a partnership with Sinovac for the supply of the latter's COVID-19 vaccines to Malaysia, involving a fill and finish process of the vaccines by Pharmaniaga.

Pharmaniaga group managing director Zulkarnain Md Eusope said in a statement on Tuesday that the company is very pleased with Sinovac's preliminary results from the phase 3 clinical trial results in several countries.

"... we are very confident that CoronaVac is safe, efficacious and of high quality for the use of Malaysians," he said.

The Pharmaniaga official added that the storage and distribution condition of this vaccine is between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, which is a common vaccine temperature catered by Pharmaniaga's existing facilities as well as storage facilities at government hospitals and clinics. Enditem
A National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) prosecutor requested, on Tuesday, at the Bucharest Court of Appeals, the conviction of Elena Udrea to 12 years in prison for committing the crimes of instigating bribery and money laundering in the file of the financing of the electoral campaign for the 2009 presidential elections.

The prosecutor also demanded 15 years in prison for Ioana Basescu, Traian Basescu's daughter, accused of instigating embezzlement and instigating money laundering.

On Tuesday, at the last trial term, the DNA representative requested that Elena Udrea and Ioana Basescu be sentenced to maximum sentences for the deeds committed, claiming that the crimes they are accused of are serious.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 15:08:41|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Tuesday confirmed two new imported COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the kingdom to 460, said a Ministry of Health (MoH) statement.

The new cases were detected on a 24-year-old Indonesian man coming from Indonesia and a 23-year-old Cambodian woman returning from neighboring Thailand, the statement said, adding that both arrived in Cambodia on Jan. 12.

The Indonesian man was positive for the virus in his second test, while the Cambodian woman was found the virus in her third test, the statement said.

They are currently undergoing treatment at designated COVID-19 hospitals.

The Southeast Asian nation has so far registered a total of 460 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with zero deaths and 412 recoveries, according to the statement. Enditem
Expressing anguish over the violence in the capital during the farmers' tractor parade on Tuesday, the said there is no place for such incidents in a democracy, even as it urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "shun arrogance" and repeal the three farm laws.

Putting the onus of Tuesday's events on the government and questioning it for not accepting the farmers demands, chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it was not right on the government's part to create a facade of talks and yet, neither conceding to their demands nor proposing any solution.

"The party believes that the 61-day-old face-off between the people and the system is not good for India's democracy. The message is clear that the country's people are anguished with the government. In such a situation, the Modi government will also have to shun arrogance and head the pleas of farmers," the AICC general secretary said in a statement.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to shed his arrogance and tread the path of 'Rajdharma'. This is the true message of the 72nd Republic Day. Without any further delay, all three anti-farming black laws will have to be withdrawn. This is also the call of 62 crore 'annadatas' of the country," he said.

The Congress leader also hailed the farm unions for dissociating from the day's violent incidents and hoped that they would follow the path of peace and non-violence to achieve their goal.

"Today, the Congress party and the entire country is pained by the violence and unruly incidents in Delhi. There is no place for such incidents in a democracy," he added.

"The agitators must keep their goal in mind. Non-violence and peace have remained the biggest strength of this farmer agitation. We sincerely hope that this farmer-labourer alliance will pledge to remain committed to a peaceful and non-violent struggle for the repeal of the three three anti-agriculture black laws," Surjewala said.

He also criticised the government for holding 10 rounds of talks and yet not resolving the deadlock.

"Is it right for the prime minister to not give a healing touch despite the death of 175 farmers? Is the Modi government's policy of tiring out the farmers good for the country," Surjewala asked.

A tractor parade by the farmer unions meant to highlight their demands dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the capital during the day as hordes of rampaging protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and delivered a insult -- hoisting a religious flag from the rampart of Red Fort, a privilege reserved for India's tricolour.

Tens of thousands of protesters clashed with police in multiple places, leading to chaos in well-known landmarks of Delhi and suburbs, amid waves of violence that ebbed and flowed through the day, leaving the farmers' two-month peaceful movement in tatters. One person was killed and several were injured in the clashes.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  A Senate body on Tuesday passed a bill that would allow the deferment of higher monthly contributions to the Social Security System, deeming it a priority measure amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises said it will consolidate three bills that either outrightly orders a postponement in charging the 13% contribution rate among employed members, or allows the Philippine president to make the decision.

The measures are slated to be taken up at the plenary this afternoon, according to the office of panel chairman Senator Richard Gordon. He added that he's inclined to leave the decision to the President, similar to the bill passed by two House committees last week.

"Given the current employment situation of the country as a result of the COVID-pandemic, theres a need to ensure that workers and companies are able to fully recover," bill author Sen. Joel Villanueva said during the committee hearing, adding that millions of Filipinos have lost their jobs.

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines also supported the deferment, saying the higher contributions would be an added burden to businesses, particularly small- and medium-sized firms. Business owners shoulder a portion of their workers' monthly contributions.

The SSS insisted that the higher premiums translate to "relatively small" additional salary deductions, ranging from 15 to 100 for the employed, and 30 to 200 for self-employed and voluntary members, as well as overseas Filipino workers.

If the deferment is approved, employed SSS members will have the same deductions from last year, not the higher 13% rate scheduled for 2021.

SSS President Aurora Ignacio said while the relief is short term, permanent damage could be done to the pension fund.

"Currently, the long-term solvency of SSS is already threatened with trillions of unfunded liability," she told lawmakers. "In simple terms, there is insufficient fund to enable us to support payments for the next generation of pensioners."

Ignacio said the SSS has no funds to support an estimated 9.46 trillion worth of member benefits and pension payments in the next 30-40 years if the scheduled rate increase is postponed.

The SSS has enough funds until the year 2054. Without additional contributions, the agency said last week that it will not be able to collect 15 billion.

"If we have the choice, our original position is not to defer. The shorter the deferment, it would be better if (it's just) three months," the SSS chief added, noting that Filipinos without work will not be forced to contribute until they get new jobs.

Gordon's bill allows the President to suspend the implementation of contribution hikes by up to six months, which can be extended for another six months if there's a state of national emergency or calamity.

SSS monthly premiums will increase yearly until 2025, according to Republic Act No. 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018.

RELATED: Dominguez bucks move to postpone hike in PhilHealth, SSS contributions
Farmers took out the scheduled tractor rally across Delhi today but it turned violent. In this rally, they covered around 100 kilometres of the national capital. The rally starting from Ghazipur now reached ITO in Delhi, where they clashed with the police. The police used tear gas and the farmers pelted stones. The farmers were trying to reach Red Fort. Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee's Satnam Singh Pannu had earlier said, "We've to move towards Ring Road but police is stopping us. We've given them 45 minutes to speak to their seniors. We're carrying out a peaceful parade. The route they are asking us to follow wasn't agreed upon."

The agitating farmers broke barricades at Ghazipur, Apsara, Tikri and Singhu borders earlier in the day in a bid to enter the national capital.

Here's all you need to know about the ongoing farmers' protests
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Hadi Khouri, owner of Central Florida Bonding, stated, Many of our first-time offenders are young adults who are also college students. Some of the students are from Rollins College, the University of Central Florida, Seminole State College and Valencia Community College. A first-time arrest can be pretty nerve wracking especially if the defendant is from out of state. In most cases parents dont know what to do or who to call when their child is arrested for the first time. Our Orlando bail bondsmen will walk families through the process and answer any questions.

Central Florida Bondings blog educates readers on Floridas zero-tolerance law. This law specifically pertains to drivers under the age of 21. Many who are arrested for the first time on a DUI or DWI charge are often not aware of this law. Floridas zero-tolerance law states that drivers under the age of 21 with a blood alcohol level of .02 or higher will lose their Florida drivers license for 6 months.

In this blog, parents are encouraged to hire an attorney who specializes in juvenile defense and has experience in DUI arrests. An experienced attorney may look further into the case and review the detection process the arresting officer used along with looking at probable cause. An attorney with DUI and juvenile experience may also look to see if the defendant qualifies for a hardship license. This will help in the case of a suspended license charge.

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Sara Ali Khan was in Delhi not long ago to shoot for her upcoming film Atrangi Re. The actress seemed to have clicked some photos with the film's director Aanand L Rai during her Delhi stint, which came in handy on Republic Day.

The actress has posted photos showing her posing with the director on Raisina Hill, in front of the President's House. She is in her signature white chikankari kurta, paired with a bright pink Banarasi dupatta. We don't know if the look was for a scene of her film, but it sure fit perfectly with the republic Day mood.

Sharing the photos with Aanand L Rai on Instagram, Sara conveyed her wishes for Republic Day in Hindi. Take a look:

Several other celebrities took to social media to extend greetings as the country marked its 72nd Republic Day. Wishing peace and prosperity, megastar Amitabh Bachchan tweeted some pictures of himself early on Tuesday. Actor Sonu Sood, who became a national hero of sorts also wished and on 72nd Republic Day and encouraged them to change a life. Mohanlal too extended wishes on the day.

Read: Republic Day 2021: Amitabh Bachchan to Sonu Sood, Bollywood Celebs Wish for Peace and Prosperity

Sara and her co-stars Dhanush and Akshay Kumar had been shooting Atrangi Re in Delhi last year. They had shared photos of shooting in Agra, in front of the Taj Mahal.

Read: Sara Ali Khan and Dhanush Finish Atrangi Re Shoot, Akshay Kumar Missing at Wrap-up Party
Imperial College London has shelved plans for a large scale trial of its coronavirus vaccine candidate.

Scientists at the university say they will instead focus on making booster jabs to supplement existing vaccines and provide immunity against new variants.

They said although early results of their own jab were 'promising', the fact Oxford, Pfizer and Moderna beat them to the punch meant it was no longer worth pursuing.

Imperial said it will use its brand new saRNA technology to help make current vaccines better at targeting antibody-resistant strains, including the ones that first emerged in Brazil and South Africa that are causing international alarm.

SaRNA - or 'self-amplifying RNA' - are tiny pieces of genetic material that deliver instructions to human cells, in this case training them how to fight Covid-19.

The British Government has pumped millions into developing the technology, and had secured early access to doses if trials had proven successful.

The candidate vaccine was tested on over 400 volunteers in phase I and II clinical trials, but results from these studies are yet to be published.

Professor Robin Shattock, the lead scientist behind the Imperial vaccine, said: 'Although our first generation Covid-19 vaccine candidate is showing promise in early clinical development, the broader situation has changed with the rapid roll out of approved vaccines.

Professor Robin Shattock (left), the lead researcher behind Imperial College London's Covid vaccine

Scientists at the university say they will instead focus on making booster jabs to supplement existing vaccines and provide immunity against new variants

'It is not the right time to start a new efficacy trial for a further vaccine in the UK, with the emphasis rightly placed on mass vaccination in response to the rapid spread of the new variant.

We want our technology to have the greatest impact. That means developing self-amplifying RNA technology to adapt to new variants, to boost other vaccines and to be deployed against future pandemic threats.'

Independent scientists praised the team for pivoting their efforts to focus on the worrying new variants which have shown to be somewhat resistant to current jabs.

Dr Doug Brown, chief executive of the British Society for Immunology, added: 'The situation with the pandemic continues to evolve and along with the rollout of the first Covid-19 vaccines, we have also unfortunately seen the emergence of the new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

'Our scientists have achieved a huge amount through their study of the virus to date and its crucial that they continue to keep an eye on the future by developing the scientific knowledge and capacity to enable us to keep ahead of this pandemic.

'News that the team at Imperial College London have decided to pivot their vaccine development work to focus on longer term threats posed by the SARS-CoV-2 virus such as new variants and developing more powerful booster vaccines should be welcome.

'By increasing the UKs capacity and knowledge in RNA vaccine research we will build our resilience both against COVID-19 and for dealing with future pandemics further down the line.'

Moderna and Pfizer - the two American firms which developed two of the breakthrough vaccines - have already announced they are developing booster shots to target the Brazilian and South African variants.

Lab tests done by both firms showed each of their vaccines are significantly less potent against the South African variant.

The companies said their vaccines produced a high enough level of antibodies to kill the mutant strain but, no vaccine is perfect and there's always a risk someone who is immunised can still catch Covid. The latest development increases the chances of this happening.

So far 77 cases of the South African variant have been spotted in the UK, although this number is likely to be far higher because Public Health England only analyses one in 10 random positive swabs.

No cases of the Brazil variant have been spotted yet in Britain, but that doesn't mean it isn't here. Both strains share the E484K mutation which is thought to be an escape mutation which can 'hide' from antibody responses.

However, in a huge boost to Britain's vaccination programme, laboratory tests have found the Kent variant which is currently the dominant Covid strain in the UK has no impact on the current crop of jabs.
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New venture seeking to develop exclusive pipeline of low cost, high yield solar photovoltaic energy projects

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd. (AIM: ECO)(TSX-V: EOG), the oil and gas exploration company with licences in proven oil province in Guyana and the highly prospective basins in Namibia, is pleased to announce that it has formed a new company ("Eco Atlantic Renewables") with Nepcoe Capital Partners Ltd. ("Nepcoe"), a renewable energy developer and investment company, to source, acquire and develop an exclusive pipeline of potential high yield solar projects. Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd. ("Eco Atlantic") owns 70% of Eco Atlantic Renewables and the remaining 30% is owned by Nepcoe.

Highlights

Eco Atlantic Renewables has been formed to source, acquire, and develop exclusive renewable energy projects and to create value through low cost, high yield, solar power development.

Investment into renewables, alongside its principal oil and gas exploration business, will see Eco Atlantic becoming a diversified, growth oriented energy company.

Eco Atlantic Renewables has been established to capture opportunities in the shifting energy market and subsequent attractive economics driving global solar photovoltaic ("PV") energy demand growth.

Eco Atlantic is providing a shareholder loan of up to US$6m (the "Loan") for its 70% stake in Eco Atlantic Renewables. It is anticipated that the Loan will be repaid in full upon a monetisation of the solar PV assets, from future third party investment into Eco Atlantic Renewables or from future project cash flows. Eco will maintain its majority interest following repayment of the Loan.

Through the joint venture with Nepcoe, Eco Atlantic Renewables has secured exclusivity to a potential pipeline of more than 2 Gigawatts ("2 GW") of prospective PV projects, mainly in Southern Europe's high solar hours' sunbelt.

First acquisition of a fully licensed and permitted ready-to-build project for an aggregate consideration of c.1.1m paid by Eco Atlantic Renewables using funds available from the loan completed on 25 January 2021. The acquired 10.57 MW Kozani project in Greece has a secured feed in tariff and management estimates an internal rate of return ("IRR"), once built, of c.9% unlevered and c.13% levered.

Subject, inter alia , to the availability of follow on project finance, Eco Atlantic Renewables is targeting the development and construction of c.100 MW of operating grid connected projects, in addition to securing the rights for an additional c.800 MW currently in development, in its first full year of operation

, to the availability of follow on project finance, Eco Atlantic Renewables is targeting the development and construction of c.100 MW of operating grid connected projects, in addition to securing the rights for an additional c.800 MW currently in development, in its first full year of operation Eco Atlantic Renewables will have Executive Board oversight by Eco Atlantic and is planned to be independent in terms of operating management, governance, and future equity and customary project debt finance funding needs.

As part of the wider financing strategy for Eco Atlantic Renewables, Eco Atlantic will assess the potential for its shareholders to participate directly in the growth of Eco Atlantic Renewables.

Eco Atlantic will maintain its focus on oil and gas exploration as it continues to see considerable upside in its prospective hydrocarbon assets, offshore Guyana and Namibia, and is committed to explore and deliver value from these exploration assets as soon as possible, and once the Orinduik Block Offshore Guyana partners (Tullow Oil and Total) finalise drilling targets selection in Q2 2021.

Gil Holzman, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eco Atlantic, commented:

"We are not a management team that likes to sit and wait for outcomes. Following several months of extensive strategic work and identification of multiple projects by the management team and Board of Directors, this exciting opportunity has crystalised. Our decision to form this new majority held renewable energy company was partly driven by a lack of oil and gas acquisition opportunities that are as good and as prospective as the ones we already hold.

While we remain focused and fully committed to achieving near term exploration success in Guyana and Namibia, we are fully aware of the global energy transition that is firmly underway. The creation of Eco Atlantic Renewables is a clear demonstration that Eco Atlantic is responding to the changing marketplace. We have structured the new venture in such a way that our oil and gas assets in Guyana and Namibia remain the core of our business, we have retained adequate near term financing and both of our regions continue to demonstrate significant potential for our shareholders.

The creation of Eco Atlantic Renewables is very exciting, and the recent shift in energy market dynamics presents compelling, near term opportunities and the potential to grow yet another ground-breaking independent energy company. Eco Atlantic's skill set is diverse, and we are leveraging our capacities, knowledge and experience of integrated project management, land and lease management, offtake agreement negotiations, and contractual negotiations and financial structuring within the public and private financial sector.

Combined with our highly prospective exploration acreage and our discoveries in Guyana, Eco Atlantic has added a highly relevant and attractive asset to its portfolio."

Strategy

Eco Atlantic is seeking to create additional shareholder value by applying its experience in integrated projects, direct negotiating with governments, and being agile within the renewable energy sector, while continuing to drive forward its core oil and gas assets in Guyana and Namibia.

Pursuant to the Eco Atlantic Renewables joint venture shareholders agreement, Eco will have the right to nominate a majority of the Eco Atlantic Renewables board.

The opportunities already identified within Eco Atlantic Renewables have significant potential, and Eco Atlantic Renewables will be targeting a circa 12% - 18% IRR for each project. Each project is expected to be held within a separate Special Purpose Vehicle ("SPV") to facilitate SPV level funding arrangements and potential asset level dealings as well as separate agreements with state utilities.

Eco Atlantic Renewables is focused on identifying, securing, and developing projects in the solar PV sector. Eco Atlantic Renewables's immediate objective is to deliver value to investors through a portfolio of international solar PV projects. A number of the opportunities in its pipeline, including the recently acquired Kozani project in Greece, are fully contracted, permitted, and build ready, and in first stages towards financial closing whereas others are in various development and permitting stages. The focus will be on projects featuring a combination of one or all being able to benefit from Europe's best solar irradiation and those strategically located in markets with advantageous land prices in prime locations and with premium offtake prices. Benefiting partly from regulated revenues and long-term fixed power purchase agreements, these asset classes constitute attractive investment opportunities with additional sustainability features.

In line with Eco Atlantic Renewables' strategy to acquire development and ready-to-build solar PV projects in Europe, and to construct and develop such projects to produce a portfolio of up to 2GW of solar power, the ready-to-build and advanced development stages projects that have already been identified in our pipeline include the following:

Greece - 10.57MW (wholly owned having been acquired on 25 January 2021),

Spain - 31.25MW (in advanced stages of exclusive negotiations),

Canary Islands - 100MW (exclusive option),

Italy - 800 MW (exclusivity secured).

The ready to build projects have in place a secured grid connection, environmental permits, building permits and lease or purchase agreements on the land. Projects are subject to full financing in the form of equity and customary project finance.

The Kozani project in Greece is estimated to cost c.US$10m (including the aforementioned acquisition price) to construct and to commence electricity production. As the project has a feed in tariff by the Greek Grid Operator it is expected to be funded largely from project debt financing with the balance expected to be provided by Eco Atlantic Renewables through the project SPV.

Further funding required by Eco Atlantic Renewables is expected to be sourced through Eco Atlantic Renewables, independently of Eco Atlantic.

Structure of the new venture and Loan

Eco Atlantic has agreed to provide a secured loan of up to US$6m to Eco Atlantic Renewables, as a result of which it now holds a 70% shareholding in Eco Atlantic Renewables, , with Nepcoe holding the remaining 30%. The Loan bears 2% annual interest, which will accrue and is expected to be payable from the proceeds of either a public or private financing, through operating cash flow, or a project monetisation event. In time, it is intended that Eco Atlantic Renewables will be a standalone business from Eco Atlantic. The Board of Eco Atlantic will assess the ability for shareholders to participate directly in the financing of Eco Atlantic Renewables when it seeks to raise the necessary funds for capturing more project opportunities and / or the construction of the projects within its pipeline, for which a number of options are being actively considered.

Management team of Eco Atlantic Renewables

The management team of Eco Atlantic Renewables will be comprised of experienced renewable energy specialists and engineers within Nepcoe and the experienced integrated project management members of Eco Atlantic's executive team and board. In addition, as operations commence, and the pipeline continues to build, specific project managers will be appointed at project and /or country level.

European Solar Market

The European solar PV market is experiencing a period of high growth, with an increasing speed of development. Numerous European Governments are promoting the development of solar power, as it is often cheaper to generate than other power sources, and they are increasingly taking it into consideration when developing their climate strategies.

Eco Atlantic Renewables has a pipeline of low cost, high yield solar PV projects in Europe, with the potential to generate returns for investors. Management estimate that the first development identified in Greece will deliver an IRR of approximately 9% (unlevered) and 13% (levered). Eco Atlantic Renewables believes there is considerable room to expand, given it has access to an exclusive pipeline of more than 2 Gigawatts in southern Europe.

About Nepcoe

Nepcoe Capital Partners Ltd. is a UK based renewables investment business focused on creating a platform for access to renewable energy opportunities able to provide and generate predictable cash flows in combination with positive environmental and social impact. The management team of Nepcoe is closely engaged with project developers in order to efficiently build a network of strategic projects and suppliers, to minimise project capital requirement and maximise performance and profitability.

Oil and gas assets in Guyana and Namibia

Eco Atlantic continues to see considerable upside in its hydrocarbon assets in the Orinduik Block in the proven Guyana Basin and its newly reissued licenses in Namibia and is looking to develop and deliver value from these projects as soon as possible.

Eco remains fully funded for its share of its planned two exploration wells on the Orinduik Block and, with its partners Tullow Oil and Total, it is assessing all opportunities available to drill such exploration wells into the light oil cretaceous targets as soon as practical. The Company is fully aligned with its block partners on careful target selection based on the 3D currently being reprocessed for the next drilling campaign and Eco expects to be able to update the market on its next drilling plans in due course and most probably towards the end of Q2 2021 when the drilling targets selection process is anticipated to be finalised.

In Namibia, Eco continues to benefit from a strategically significant acreage position in-country and is progressing its various work programmes on its newly awarded four blocks offshore Namibia. The Company has witnessed considerable interest from multiple IOCs. The Company continues to monitor upcoming drilling activity in the region, which should potentially see up to five exploration wells drilled on behalf of ExxonMobil, Total, Maurel & Prom, Shell and ReconAfrica (currently drilling) in the next 12 months.

For more information, please visit www.ecooilandgas.com or contact the following:

Eco Atlantic Oil and Gas c/o Celicourt +44 (0) 20 8434 2754 Gil Holzman, CEO Colin Kinley, COO Alice Carroll, Head of Marketing and IR +44(0)781 729 5070 | +1 (416) 318 8272 Strand Hanson Limited (Financial & Nominated Adviser) +44 (0) 20 7409 3494 James Harris Rory Murphy James Bellman Berenberg (Broker) +44 (0) 20 3207 7800 Matthew Armitt Emily Morris Detlir Elezi Celicourt (PR) +44 (0) 20 8434 2754 Mark Antelme Jimmy Lea Hannam & Partners (Research Advisor) Neil Passmore +44 (0) 20 7905 8500

Notes to editors:

About Eco Atlantic:

Eco Atlantic is a TSX-V and AIM quoted Oil & Gas exploration and production Company with interests in Guyana and Namibia, where significant oil discoveries have been made.

The Group aims to deliver material value for its stakeholders through oil exploration, appraisal and development activities in stable emerging markets, in partnership with major oil companies, including Tullow, Total and Azinam.

In Guyana, Eco Guyana holds a 15% Working Interest alongside Total (25%) and Operator Tullow Oil (60%) in the 1,800 km2 Orinduik Block in the shallow water of the prospective Suriname-Guyana basin. The Orinduik Block is adjacent and updip to ExxonMobil Operated Stabroek Block, on which eighteen discoveries have been announced and over 9 Billion BOE of oil equivalent recoverable resources are estimated. First oil production commenced in December 2019 from the deep-water Liza Field, less than three years from FID.

Jethro-1 was the first major oil discovery on Orinduik Block. The Jethro-1 encountered 180.5 feet (55 meters) of net high-quality oil pay in excellent Lower Tertiary sandstone reservoirs which further proves recoverable oil resources. Joe-1 is the second discovery on the Orinduik Block and comprises high quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir with a high porosity of Upper Tertiary age. The Joe-1 well encountered 52 feet (16 meters) of continuous thick sandstone which further proves the presence of recoverable oil resources.

In Namibia, the Company holds interests in four offshore petroleum licenses totalling approximately 28,593km2 with over 2.362bboe of prospective P50 resources in the Walvis Basin. These four licenses, Cooper, Guy, Sharon and Tamar are being developed alongside partners Azinam and NAMCOR. Eco has been granted a drilling permit on its Cooper Block (Operator).

Eco Atlantic is a 70% shareholder in Eco Atlantic Renewables, alongside Nepcoe Capital Partners Ltd., a renewable energy developer and investment company, that own the remaining 30%. The aim of Eco Atlantic Renewables is to deliver material returns for investors by sourcing, acquiring and developing an exclusive pipeline of potential high yield solar photovoltaic projects in Southern Europe's high solar hours' sunbelt.

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: Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625928/Eco-Atlantic-Oil-and-Gas-Ltd-Announces-Launch-of-Eco-Atlantic-Renewables
Scotlands Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) has now opened for applications, albeit on a limited basis and without detail on what funding will be available.

The restricted round has opened for new applications until 30 June 2021, and farmers are being encouraged to consider applying.

The scheme provides high-levels of support to farmers, crofters and those who undertake environmental land management.

The new funding round will focus on designated sites, organics, management supporting farmland waders, corn buntings and corncrakes, slurry stores and improving public access.

It follows a concerted effort by Scottish farming industry bodies to ensure continuity of the scheme.

NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick said that while the projects to be supported were known, the level of support for the scheme going forward remained unclear.

AECS is a Pillar Two Rural Development Scheme, traditionally co-financed by both Europe and Scottish government.

It is critical that funding for AECS continues and until such time as a new rural policy for Scotland is developed and implemented," Mr McCornick said.

"AECS currently requires in the region of 40 million per year  a relatively small investment that yields a big return in Scotlands interest.

Failure to support AECS in the next few years may result in existing contracts ending year on year from 2022 onwards and a very large area of land falling out of environmental management."

He said any decisions on the future of agri-environment schemes from 2021 and beyond must now be a priority.

"Farmers advisors need certainty and time to prepare and plan for applications with confidence so that they can deliver on high quality food production whilst meeting the challenges of biodiversity and climate change head on.

We will be looking for a clear commitment on AECS from the Scottish gGovernment in this weeks budget announcement, he added.

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Flying in formation and dropping their mighty payloads together, the bombs from a B-52 attack fall so thickly that they look from a distance like a rain shower.

With some 70,000 pounds of ordnance  up to 108 bombs in each plane  tumbling out of each B-52s huge belly and from under its 185 ft wings, a carpet-bombing run by a Boeing Stratofortress leaves little in its wake.

It pulverised cities in Vietnam in the 1960s, obliterated Iraqs defences before Operation Desert Storm three decades later and scared the wits out of generations of Soviet leaders.

As the ultimate expression of American military brute strength, the eight-engine behemoth has been a terrifying weapon in war and an even more menacing deterrent in peace, for decades loitering meaningfully on the edge of Soviet airspace with a payload of nuclear missiles ready to be unloaded on Moscow in the event of a Kremlin first strike.

Its no surprise that the makers of the Peter Sellers Cold War satire Dr Strangelove had the pilot of a rogue B-52 finally drop out of the hatch over Russia riding a four-megaton atomic bomb as he screams Yeehah!. The Stratofortress, which first flew in 1952, is one of the single most devastating weapons in military history.

Flying in formation and dropping their mighty payloads together, the bombs from a B-52 attack fall so thickly that they look from a distance like a rain shower

Now, astonishingly the plane that logic might suggest should have been long ago consigned to an aviation museum  the last one rolled off the assembly line in October 1962  has been given a new lease of life by the Pentagon in what some predict will be a new Cold War against the twin threats of China and Russia.

In an age of seek-and-destroy drones, laser-armed satellites and bio-engineered troops, the creaky-old warhorse  whose cockpit still boasts a sea of strictly analogue instrument dials  is to be assured a key role in U.S. global defence policy.

The plane that in one case has been flown by three generations of pilots from the same family looks set to run to a fourth.

A 76-strong fleet will fly until at least 2050, albeit with the aircrafts insides excavated for a major overhaul. The already formidable firepower will be boosted with more precision-guided missiles and possibly superfast hypersonic missiles that could travel 1,000 miles.

Rolls-Royce is among companies competing to provide new fuel-saving engines that will spare the U.S. air force having to keep ferreting out parts for existing ones that are no longer manufactured.

The B-52 is versatile  able to fire long-range missiles and launch satellite-guided mines and bombs  and is the only current U.S. bomber that can be equipped with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles.

With some 70,000 pounds of ordnance  up to 108 bombs in each plane  tumbling out of each B-52s huge belly and from under its 185 ft wings, a carpet-bombing run by a Boeing Stratofortress leaves little in its wake. Stock picture

The planes, dubbed the best bargain in military history, originally cost just $6 million each (4.4 million). But the ungainly B-52  nicknamed BUFF for Big, Ugly, Fat Fella  is no looker.

The U.S. first revealed it wanted a long-range strategic bomber that didnt need to rely on the air bases of other countries just after the end of World War II. However, when the Soviet Union blockaded the Western sectors of Berlin in 1948, the necessity for such a plane to counter the Russian threat took on new urgency.

The Boeing team produced a jet-propelled plane with a top speed of 513 mph (later upgraded to 595mph) and a range of 7,000 miles (later extended to 8,000).

It swiftly became a key asset of the U.S. Strategic Air Command (SAC), flying long-range, high-altitude missions ready for a nuclear counterstrike against the Soviets. B-52s were kept in the air and nuclear-armed around the clock and waiting to head to Russia in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Cold War aerial arsenal was monstrous. At maximum strength, SAC had 3,000 nuclear weapons in the air on 15-minute alert, and 182 intercontinental ballistic missiles on B-52s. Its creator, General Curtis LeMay, urged the President to use nuclear superiority to bomb the Soviets back to the Stone Age. However, the bomber had its baptism of fire in the Vietnam War.

The planes, dubbed the best bargain in military history, originally cost just $6 million each (4.4 million). But the ungainly B-52  nicknamed BUFF for Big, Ugly, Fat Fella  is no looker. Stock picture

The U.S. used massive bombing raids on cities including Hanoi to try to force the North Vietnamese to the negotiating table, although Soviet surface-to-air missiles ensured many crews never came back. It later emerged that the population had been so demoralised by the relentless B-52 pounding that their leaders almost threw in the towel.

Cambodia was even more savagely bombed. Between March 1969 and May 1970, B-52 bombers flew 3,875 missions against targets there. Each plane was able to spread its payload over a target box a mile wide and a third of a mile long, destroying everything. Later, in Operation Desert Storm to oust Iraq from Kuwait in 1991, seven B-52s took off from Louisiana in the U.S. to attack Iraqi targets 35 flying hours away, at the time the most distant bombing run in history. B-52s dropped bombs and propaganda leaflets over Taliban-controlled Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror attacks of 2001. They also played a major role in the Iraq War that began in 2003.

Today, the U.S. focuses its B-52 attentions chiefly on the Pacific Rim region, home of an aggressive China and an unpredictable North Korea, with planes flying out of the island of Guam. Now, the Big Ugly Fat Fella looks set to continue being the big bully in the global playground for decades to come.
BANGALORE, India, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tata Elxsi and Syntiant Corp., a deep learning chip technology company, today announced a collaboration to help manufacturers design and develop low-power always-on voice applications across multiple product categories, such as smart home devices and consumer electronics, as well as industrial and automotive use cases.

The agreement between Tata Elxsi and Syntiant aims to provide end-to-end solutions and services for customers using Syntiant's deep learning Neural Decision Processors to enable low-power AI optimization in edge devices easily. The companies can deliver a turnkey solution that brings low latency, highly accurate inference to near- and far-field voice applications, including speaker identification, keyword spotting, multiple wake words, event detection, and local commands recognition.

Speaking about this partnershipNitin Pai, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Tata Elxsi, said, "Tata Elxsi with its Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence addresses the growing needs of intelligent systems. We work on various AI and machine learning areas. The problem statement varies from use-case where AI can enhance everyday life quality through intelligent smart appliances to enable predictive analysis, anomaly detection in a factory environment, and advanced autonomous driving. By intersecting design thinking with advanced technologies, we help our clients bring innovative AI-enabled edge devices to the global market using Syntiant AI processors."

"Syntiant is in the business of deep learning and semiconductor design to advance machine learning capabilities in edge devices. Our neural decision processors provide superior performance at a fraction of the power of any DSP on the market today. We're collaborating with Tata Elxsi to combine our resources and make it easy for customers to embed AI in almost any smart device, from wearables to TV and key fob remotes to set-top boxes and beyond, with minimal or no drain on battery power consumption, " said Mallik Moturi, Vice President of product and business development at Syntiant

The Syntiant NDP120 is the company's latest generation of special-purpose chips for audio and sensor processing, which can run multiple applications simultaneously at under 1mW, including echo-cancellation, beamforming, and noise suppressions, multi-modal sensor fusion, infrared detection, and multi-axis acceleration, among others.

Tata Elxsi and Syntiant will host a free webinar on Wednesday, January 27 at 4 p.m. GMT/8 a.m. PST titled, "Lowest Power TinyML Solutions for Edge Devices in Voice, Audio and Sensor Apps."

Executives from both companies will explore new TinyML solutions for smart devices through DNN-enabled AI processors, along with interesting case studies across smart homes and other consumer applications.

Those who are interested to attend the webinar can click here to register.

About Syntiant

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Syntiant Corp. is moving artificial intelligence and machine learning from the cloud to edge devices. Syntiant's advanced chip solutions merge deep learning with semiconductor design to produce ultra-low-power, high performance, deep neural network processors for always-on applications in battery-powered devices, such as smartphones, smart speakers, earbuds, hearing aids, and laptops. The company is backed by several of the world's leading strategic and financial investors, including Intel Capital, Microsoft's M12, Applied Ventures, Robert Bosch Venture Capital, the Amazon Alexa Fund, and Atlantic Bridge Capital. Syntiant continues to be recognized as an industry leader, being named to Gartner's April 2020 Cool Vendors in AI Semiconductors; Fast Company's prestigious list of the World's Most Innovative Companies for 2020; as well as a CES 2021 Innovation Awards Honoree and CES 2020 Best of Innovation Awards Honoree. More information on the company can be found by visiting www.syntiant.com or by following Syntiant on Twitter @Syntiantcorp.

About Tata Elxsi (www.tataelxsi.com)

Tata Elxsi is amongst the world's leading providers of design and technology services across industries, including Automotive, Broadcast, Communications, Smart Home, Healthcare, and Transportation.

Tata Elxsi helps customers reimagine their products and services through design thinking and the application of digital technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things), Cloud, Mobility, Virtual Reality, and Artificial Intelligence.

Our multi-domain expertise amassed over decades enables our AI services to empower customers to drive innovation for next-gen products and integrate with other advanced technologies such as IoT and Intelligent Automation, to solve pivotal challenges in the AI transformation journey.

Media Contacts:

Tata Elxsi

Hari Balan

Corporate Communication

+91-80-2297-9123

Email: media@tataelxsi.com

Syntiant Corp.

George Medici

PondelWilkinson Inc.

+1-310-279-5968

Email: gmedici@pondel.com
Forecasters had warned that most of the 5 to 8 inches expected in the Chicago area from a storm system that blanketed much of the Midwest would fall before 3 a.m. Tuesday, but many areas only saw a few inches. The total snowfall varied by north and south locations across the metro area, Castro said.
A protesting farmer died after his tractor overturned at Central Delhi's ITO during the farmers' tractor parade on Tuesday, police said.

They said the details about the deceased are yet to be gathered.

The man died as his tractor overturned at ITO where many farmers participating in the parade had reached from the Ghazipur border after taking a detour of the pre-agreed route for the march, a senior police officer said.

Police said the man was driving the tractor and he came under the vehicle as it overturned.

The farmers draped the body in the tricolour and kept it at the ITO crossing, not allowing the police to send it for post-mortem.

The farmers also lashed out at the mediapersons covering the incident.

Protesting farmers clashed with police at several places in the capital and entered the iconic Red Fort and ITO in the heart of the city on Tuesday after hundreds of them deviated from pre-decided routes, prompting security personnel to resort to lathicharge and tear gas.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed at ITO, where hundreds of protesters could be seen chasing police personnel with sticks and ramming their tractors into the buses parked by police.
Following the kidnapping of eight children from an orphanage on Saturday, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja calls on the Nigerian government to ensure the protection of Nigerians.

By Vatican News staff writer

In another unfortunate instance of the rising state of insecurity in Nigeria, at least eight children were abducted from an orphanage in Naharati, Abaji Area Council in Abuja on Saturday.

News reports say that at around 1:00 local time, a group of heavily armed men suspected to be Islamic extremist militants, stormed Rachels Orphanage Home located in the federal capital territory, heading directly towards the childrens dormitories. In addition to the children, the unidentified men reportedly also took away some employees of the orphanage.

In an interview with Gabriella Ceraso of Vatican News, Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Abuja, expressed his sorrow for the kidnapping and called for improved protection of Nigerian lives and property.

Worrying trend of insecurity

Archbishop Kaigama lamented the degeneration of the situation of security in the country. Particularly concerning to him is that the unfortunate incident took place in Abuja, the federal capital territory.

One would have imagined that being around the federal capital territory one would be safer, he said. But we can see that even the children are not safe.

Increased kidnappings

In recent times, the phenomenon of kidnapping has become more commonplace. In some instances, those kidnapped included government officials and even some members of the clergy and religious.

My priest was released some weeks ago, Archbishop Kaigama said. Other priests were not that lucky, they were kidnapped and killed.

The kidnapping plague in Nigeria has been linked to jihadist armed groups and affiliates of organized crime, acting either with the aim of destabilizing the country or for financial benefit. On some occasions, the victims are kidnapped for ransom running into several thousand euros. However, in some others, they were killed or seriously injured.

Local Nigerian newspapers report that the gunmen who abducted the children from the orphanage have demanded a ransom to release their victims.

Appeal to the government

Addressing the Nigerian authorities, the Archbishop urged them to take steps to better ensure the protection of citizens as their lives and property are also important.

When people are kidnapped, they feel alone. There is very little I see that the authorities are doing to remedy the situation. So, we continue to urge them that they should do their best.

We are helpless, we know as a religious people we trust in God and in His mercy, His compassion and protection, but our leaders have to do their duty. I am afraid not much is being done, said Archbishop Kaigama.

The Archbishop went on to pray that the criminal acts will stop very soon and that people would be able to go about their daily businesses freely, without fear of molestation.
A Drug Enforcement Administration report found that Mexican drug cartels have taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic with an increased drive to push methamphetamine and fentanyl into the streets of New York.

According to Fiscal Year 2020 findings, the DEA's New York field office saw a 214% increase in methamphetamine and 59% spike in fentanyl seized, in comparison to 2019.

Operations led by the DEA across the state netted 767 kilos [1,690 pounds] of meth in 2020, an estimated value of $9,280,700, compared to the previous year when the agency removed 244 kilos off the streets.

Last year, agents discovered 404 kilos [890 pounds] of fentanyl worth $22,220,000 after seizing 254 kilos in 2019.

During a DEA operation in the Bronx on January 5, agents seized thousands of heroin and fentanyl glassines and cash. The federal agency found that Mexican cartel have taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing its deliveries of methamphetamine and fentanyl to New York

Pictured is a sample of heroin and fentanyl confiscated during a May, 8, 2020, DEA drug raid in New York. A Fiscal Year 2020 report from the DEA shows that agency's New York field office saw a 214% increase in methamphetamine and 59% spike in fentanyl seized

A stash of heroin, cocaine, fentanyl and guns seized by Drug Enforcement Administration agents in New York on December 15, 2020

'When drug traffickers introduced fentanyl to the illicit drug market, they created a monster,' said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan. 'Fentanyl has been a public health nuisance for several years and has taken too many lives too often. We have seen fentanyl mixed with heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and even marijuana.'

Donovan said the DEA's New York division learned firsthand how the COVID-19 epidemic impacted the way Mexican cartels produced, packaged, shipped and distributed and laundered money.

A pill press machine seized along with heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine pills by the DEA during a June 19, 2020, operation in Highbridge, a neighborhood in the Bronx

Kilos of fentanyl confiscated during a January 5 DEA operation in the Bronx

In the process, the criminal organization adapted and used courier services to transport smaller and frequent amounts of drugs like fentanyl to drug dealing networks associated with them in New York and throughout the northeast corridor.

'Mexican cartels took advantage of their ability to process fentanyl into pill forms for easier transport, concealment, and ultimate user popularity. Their trafficking foundation facilitated methamphetamine loads to New York,' the DEA said. 'New York has not been a major methamphetamine market in the past, but the increase in seizures indicates the Mexican cartels continue to push it into the Northeast.'

DEA investigators in New York discovered that the drug traffickers concealed methamphetamine in packages such as baby wipe containers to hide it when shipping via parcel delivery.

The agency regularly came across shipments mixed with produce delivered on tractor trailers departing from cities based along the southwest border and placed in hidden compartments inside vehicles.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, methamphetamine seizures on the southwest border increased 27% from Fiscal year 2019 to 2020.

Overall, the DEA New York Division confiscated at least $170 million in drug proceeds and assets, and more than $603 million worth of drugs.

Meth pills seized from a pill processing mill in the Bronx on June 19, 2020

The increase in the seizures of fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout New York City sparked a concern for the Centers of Disease Control [CDC] Health Alert Network.

Donovan said the more than 60 per cent all drug overdose deaths in the five boroughs involve fentanyl, which like methamphetamine, is produced in so-called 'super labs' built by Mexican cartels which are often located in rural towns.

'Last month, the CDC Health Alert Network issued an advisory warning that drug overdose deaths significantly increased across the United States, especially deaths involving psychostimulants [methamphetamine] and synthetic opioids [fentanyl],' Donovan said.

'There were an estimated 81,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States from May 2019 to May 2020 justifying a need to alert New Yorkers that drug overdose deaths lurk behind the public health crisis caused by COVID-19.'
Spotify has begun testing an audiobook offering and has released a limited collection of narrative recordings on its streaming platform.

This initial selection of audiobooks comprises nine novels which are in the public domain, as well as a series named Sitting with the Classics on Spotify.

This series features lectures on each book by Harvard professor Glenda Carpio that focus on the history and themes of each novel.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Spotifys new lineup of audiobooks will be available for free around the world, but will be promoted to English-speaking markets such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany.

Spotifys lineup of audiobook versions of classic novels available in South Africa now includes the following titles:

Great Expectations  Charles Dickens

 Charles Dickens Frankenstein  Mary Shelley

 Mary Shelley Cane  Jean Toomer

 Jean Toomer Jane Eyre  Charlotte Bronte

 Charlotte Bronte Passing  Nella Larsen

 Nella Larsen Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave  Frederick Douglass

 Frederick Douglass The Awakening  Kate Chopin

 Kate Chopin Persuasion  Jane Austen

 Jane Austen Red Badge of Courage  Stephen Crane

This is not the first time Spotify has commissioned and officially launched audiobooks on its platform.

Last year, the company launched a version of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone which was read by a star-studded cast of narrators, including Harry Potter film star Daniel Radcliffe.

This is, however, the first time it has launched a wider selection of novels, indicating that it aims to offer additional content of this variety going forward.

Push into audio content

The launch of classic audiobooks on Spotify is part of the companys move into other types of audio products aside from music streaming.

The audio streaming platform has signed a number of prominent figures for exclusive podcast deals in recent years.

These include agreements with Michelle Obama, Kim Kardashian-West, and Joe Rogan, which are designed to attract more users to the platform.

Spotify is also reportedly considering a separate premium podcast subscription, which would include exclusive extra content and remove advertisements entirely from podcasts.

The company has polled users regarding the idea, asking them how much they would be willing to pay for this type of service.

Spotify has not announced any concrete plans regarding the launch of other types of subscription plans, however, and it has not yet elaborated on whether it will expand its audiobook lineup with more novels that are not in the public domain.
China passed a law that requires its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels directly, a step that could make the disputed waters around China more choppy.

China to Require Its Coast Guard to Fire on Foreign Vessels

In the East China Sea, China has maritime sovereignty disputes with Japan and in the South China Sea with many Southeast Asian nations. It sent its coast guard to scare off other countries' fishing boats, often contributing to those vessels' sinking.

The Chinese coast guard is the region's most potent force of its kind and is now involved in the vicinity of the East China Sea's uninhabited islands. Occupied by Japan but claimed by Beijing and the South China Sea, it was practically claimed in its entirety by China.

These operations also brought the coast guard into frequent contact with Japanese air and sea forces, its principal ally, the United States, and the other South China Sea claimants, including Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Both water bodies are considered possible flashpoints. The passage of the law could warn that China is planning to increase stakes over what it considers its core national interests.

If the country wishes to displace the US as the dominant military force in East Asia, controlling them is a strategic necessity. Simultaneously, the resources they hold, including fish stocks and oil and natural gas undersea reserves, may be crucial to sustaining China's continued economic growth.

According to state media sources, China's highest legislative body, the National People's Congress standing committee, passed the Coast Guard Legislation on Friday.

According to the previously published bill's draft language, the coastguard is empowered to use "all necessary means" to deter or avoid attacks from foreign vessels.

The bill defines the conditions in firing vessels in which various weapons will be used, whether hand-held, transported, or airborne. The bill requires coast guard personnel to demolish the structures constructed on Chinese-claimed reefs of other countries and board and inspect foreign vessels in China's waters.

The bill also empowers the coastguard to establish 'if required' temporary exclusion zones to avoid other vessels and staff's entry.

ALSO READ: Trump Offers Washington DC Hotel To National Guards Kicked Out of the US Capitol

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, reacting to questions, said the legislation was in line with international standards.

The first article of the bill states that the legislation is required to safeguard China's sovereignty, stability, and maritime rights. This legislation comes seven years after many civilian maritime law enforcement agencies were integrated into a coast guard bureau by China.

It became the military force's proper branch after the bureau came under the People's Armed Police command in 2018.

China's recent move could also further complicate its relations with the United States, which maintains strategic alliances with a range of countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia, competing with Beijing maritime claims.

Christian Le Miere, diplomacy in maritime analyst and the founder of the Archipel group based in London and The Hague, said in a social media post that the new law "strikes at the core" of the US policy freedom of navigation in the Sea of South China.

China's coast guard is already doing all of the heavy lifting in maritime coercion in the near seas, and so it's worth examining the new legislation just passed on this issue."

China's nine-dash line assertion, which claims ownership of most of the South China Sea, has been annulled by the International Court in The Hague.

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held an emergency meeting at his residence over the violence that rocked parts of the national capital during the farmers' Republic Day parade.

According to sources, the Home Secretary, Director Intelligence Bureau and senior officers of Delhi Police were present at the meeting called to take stock of the security arrangements in Delhi.

More central troopers would be deployed in Delhi to meet any exigencies, sources said.

Sources said that apart from additional forces, stand by security personnel have been arranged to control any untoward incident.

The Home Ministry swung into action after a group of farmers swarmed into the historic Red Fort, while incidents of violence were reported from the ITO area.

Taking serious note of the chain of incidents, Shah called an emergency meeting where deliberations were underway to strengthen the security apparatus.

According to intelligence inputs, some 'organised groups' are behind the violence.

The officials are trying to zero in upon the individuals responsible for triggering the violence and provoking the farmers during the tractor parade, especially those behind hoisting a pennant at Red Fort.

Besides, the security arrangements in the border areas of Delhi are also being reviewed.

As the farmers' protest turned violent, Internet services in some of the locations in the city were stopped following the government's instruction.

The instruction came at the request of Delhi Police that looked helpless in controlling the aggressive farmers who unexpectedly rammed police barricades and moved towards Red Fort soon after the Republic Day parade concluded.

The telecom operators like Jio, Airtel and Idea alerted their customers through messages about the disrupted Internet services.

"As per the government instructions, Internet services have been stopped in your areas till further notice," said a message received from Jio in a particular area where Internet services were barred.

The Home Ministry in an order also suspended Internet services at Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi, along with their adjoining areas, till 11.59 p.m. for maintaining 'public safety'.
(Newser)  The Netherlands put a coronavirus curfew into effect on Saturday, and police have had their hands full with rioters for three consecutive nights now, reports the Guardian. Nearly 200 were arrested in cities large and small Monday night, though authorities say the demonstrations have become more about young people causing mayhem than disagreements over COVID safety protocols. "What motivated these people has nothing to do with protesting," says Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, per NPR. "It's criminal violence and we will treat it as such." A Dutch criminologist says the original protests have been "hijacked" by people "knowingly and intentionally" looking to stoke violence, per the Guardian. Authorities say demonstrators are using social apps to organize in advance.

story continues below

"Does it feel good to wake up with a bag full of stolen stuff next to you?" Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb asked rioters on social media, per the AP. And to their parents, he asked, "Did you miss your son yesterday? Did you ask yourself where he was?" Police say they'll use photos and videos posted online to hunt down those responsible for looting and violence. While the rate of new infections in the Netherlands has been on a slight decline of late, authorities put the new restrictions in place in part to guard against new mutations spreading quickly around the world, reports the AP. The country of more than 17 million people has recorded more than 13,650 COVID deaths so far. (Read more Netherlands stories.)
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.
An Amazon delivery driver on Monday discovered a five-month-old baby along a street after he was abandoned by a man who stole his mother's car in Texas.

Amazon driver Juan Carlos Flores is being hailed a hero after he spotted the baby in a carrier on the side of the road in the 400 block of New Haven Drive in Houston.

'When I saw that baby, I wanted to cry,' Flores, who was in the area making a delivery at the time, told ABC 13.

Flores said he went to the nearest neighbor to ask if the baby had been left outside mistakenly.

Amazon driver Juan Carlos Flores is being hailed a hero after he spotted the baby in a carrier on the side of the road in the 400 block of New Haven Drive in Houston

'When I saw that baby, I wanted to cry,' Flores, who was in the area making a delivery at the time. The baby was left on the side of the road in a neighborhood in Houston on Monday

The homeowner told the news station that he immediately took the car seat indoors and called police.

'How could someone have a heart to leave the child on the side of the road?' Flores told ABC.

Flores returned to his delivery route when he saw police searching for the baby in the neighborhood.

He then led officers back to the home where the neighbor was caring for the child.

Officers went to the home and reunited the infant with the mother.

According to Houston police, home surveillance video captured a man leaving the baby along the street after stealing a car.

Flores said he went to the nearest neighbor to ask if the baby had been left outside mistakenly. The homeowner said he immediately took the car seat indoors and called police. Flores is seen walking over to the baby after spotting him

The suspect is seen getting into the vehicle and driving off with it on Monday

The mother told police that her baby was in the car when the vehicle was stolen in the 300 block of Sunnyside.

Police said the mother had tried to track an iPhone that was in the vehicle with hopes of finding her child.

Surveillance footage from a neighbor's home showed at least six cars passed by the baby in the span of 22 minutes before Flores came along.

'It showed the baby getting dropped off, and the baby was there for about 20 minutes, and there were about six vehicles that drove by, and nobody saw,' Mirna Garcia said.

'It was also trash day that day, so we wouldn't have realized something was there on the corner.'

Authorities said they are still searching for the suspect and the stolen vehicle.

The Houston Police Department is asking the public to call (713) 884-3131 if they have any information that would help identify the driver.
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United States (26-Jan-2021) In our daily life, the internet has become unavoidable. Appropriate use of the internet makes the life of an individual easy, simple and fast. You can search for many things with the help of the internet for example- banks, government office, post office, asda stores, shops nearby you and many other things. Moreover, you can digitally transfer the payment. Many people waste their time searching about the opening and closing of business organizations. In the busy life, Open4U is an online platform which provides you the complete information about the working hour of the UK organizations. On its site, it gives you information about the opening and closing of shopping malls, post office, travel agencies, cafes, grocery stores, and many others. Not only does Open4U provide information about the opening hour and working hour but also their phone number, address, and other relevant information. With the help of this, you can save valuable time. For more details visit our website i.e. Open4U.



The public department or corporation responsible for postal services is known as the post office. The post office is the mode of communication between the states as well as countries. With the help of the post office, you can send letters, money orders, postcards, and many more. In metropolitan cities, people find it difficult to search for a post office. On Open4u you can easily find post near me and you get options according to your location. This can also save your time, you just have to select the option post office near me opening times.



A supermarket means a large retail market that sells food and other household goods. All type of food is available in the supermarket like- groceries, seafood, meat, dairy products, bakery, and many more things. In supermarket, prices are generally lower as compare to other shops. One of the biggest supermarket chains is asda. It is founded in 1949 in England. Besides its core supermarket, this company offers other services like- financial services and a mobile phone provider. Mostly asda superstores have petrol filling stations, dining, cafes, and refreshment facility. With the help of the Open4u site, you can search asda near me. Besides this, you also got information by writing asda near me opening times.



A store where all the requirement of an individual is fulfilled like- grocery, books, clothes, and other common need. A tesco is a multinational grocery store of the British empire. This store sells the goods at reasonable prices. It also issues cards to its regular customer like- Clubcard and loyalty card. If you want to visit this grocery store, then you can search tesco near me on the Open4U platform. You get all the details like- tesco near me opening times, tesco near me address, tesco near closing times and so on. To make your life easy and time-saving you just visit our website Open4U. If needed, interested individuals can click here or visit our official website to know more about tesco.



If necessary, interested people can click here or the official website for full insight Tesco Near Me. You can also contact us by providing the information below.



Website-: https://open4u.co.uk/branches/tesco-superstore.html
Oh my goodness! I knew I was winning something, but I had just hoped it might be enough to pay someone to clean up the leaves in my backyard.

As it has for 13 years in a row, Neighborhood Credit Union surprised one of its members Tuesday with a $49,999 grand prize to kick off the new year, as a reward for good savings habits in her Prize Savings Account.

Neighborhood Credit Union created the Prize Savings Account in 2007 as an innovative approach to help reverse what was the lowest savings rate in U.S. history. The idea was to encourage more members to save money by offering prizes and rewards throughout the year, so members could experience immediate and tangible incentives and discover how good savings habits can reap unexpected rewards. The giveaways culminate with the grand prize drawing every New Years Day.

In a sign of the times, this years surprise was delivered virtually instead of face to face. The winner, Yvonne, was initially skeptical when she joined the online presentation.

Are you kidding? she exclaimed when told she had just won nearly $50,000. Oh my goodness! I knew I was winning something, but I had just hoped it might be enough to pay someone to clean up the leaves in my backyard. God is good.

Yvonne, who lives near Fort Worth, joined Neighborhood Credit Union with her family in 1992. Over the years, she said she has relied on her credit union to help her in a variety of ways, noting that one of Neighborhood Credit Unions team members had recently advised her about what to do with her Individual Retirement Account, given the pandemic. You all have been really good anytime I need help, she said. Professional, but also like family.

When asked about her approach to saving money, Yvonne said her parents had taught her to save.

I have never lived beyond my means, she said. I put a little back from every paycheck and find ways to be frugal, like driving a nice used car or shopping at garage sales. I guess thats the secret. Start young and save a little bit at a time. The years will go by really fast!

Yvonne said the pandemic has kept her at home and away from her grown children, who live out of state, so once it becomes safe to travel again, she will use some of her winnings to go to spend time with them in person. The remainder likely will stay in her Prize Savings Account.

Except $100 to pay the yard guys, of course.

How the Prize Savings Account Works: Neighborhood Credit Union members receive one drawing entry for every $25 monthly average balance in their Prize Savings Accounts. The greater the savings, the more chances a member has of winning. Members are eligible for monthly and quarterly drawings, culminating with the annual grand prize, drawn each January 1 based on the average monthly balance in the savings account at close of business December 31.

About Neighborhood Credit Union: The first credit union in Dallas (chartered April 18, 1930), Neighborhood Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial organization that serves Texans from all walks of life. With locations across North Texas, Neighborhood Credit Union has a membership of 56,500 and continues to welcome new members daily across the state of Texas. For more information, call (214) 748-9393 or visit http://www.myncu.com
One line you didnt hear in Joe Bidens big-hearted inaugural address was one of his favorite bits of Irish verse  a yearning for the rarest of convergences, when hope and history rhyme, by the Irish Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney.

Throughout the monumental tragedies of his life  the loss of a wife and baby daughter in an auto accident, the death of a son to brain cancer and his time in the cellar of political despair after two unsuccessful presidential campaigns  Biden has returned to the healing power of Irish poetry.

Last Tuesday, as he gave a tearful goodbye to Delaware by quoting James Joyce, Biden said his colleagues in the Senate used to kid him for always citing Irish poets. They thought I did it because Im Irish, he said. I did it because theyre the best poets in the world.

He may have to revise that assessment after listening to the uncommonly wise Amanda Gorman, who followed in the footsteps of Robert Frost and Maya Angelou at the inaugural podium. Her poem, The Hill We Climb, was medicine for a sick nation.

But Biden should not put on the posterity shelf the young poets stirring lines  For there is always light/ if only were brave enough to see it/ if only were brave enough to be it  or Heaneys call for the near impossible. Why not reverse the political aphorism, and govern in poetry after campaigning in prose?

As he took the oath in front of a Capitol that only days before was under the siege of a mob of the misinformed, in a country deadened by a pandemic, the oldest man ever elected president should remember that in the home of his ancestors, poetry is the language of politics.

Biden is known for his empathy, his lingering at the rope line to hear one last story of a life taken too early, his tendency to tear up when recalling a loved one whos died. But he also has something that leaders from Nelson Mandela to Abraham Lincoln had  a belief in the power of why not? Thats the province of poets, not policy wonks.

Heaney was thinking of Mandela, newly released from prison as apartheid crumbled in South Africa, and the centuries-old hatreds clinging to Northern Ireland, when he wrote The Cure at Troy, and the stanza oft-quoted by Biden:

History says, dont hope

On this side of the grave.

But then, once in a lifetime

The longed-for tidal wave

Of justice can rise up,

And hope and history rhyme.

Biden is aiming big, with a $1.9 trillion rescue package. He plans $1,400 checks for most Americans, subsidies for child care and aid for renters facing eviction. He has submitted a plan to offer 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States a path to citizenship.

The new president wants to raise taxes on corporations, strengthen labor unions, expand Obamacare with a public option, stall the existential threat of climate change and spend $2 trillion on energy and infrastructure. On Day 1, he rejoined the community of nations whove agreed to the Paris climate accord.

He envisions a Rooseveltian campaign to get 100 million COVID vaccine shots into the arms of Americans in his first 100 days. There will be ramped-up testing, contact tracing and mobilization of at least 100,000 people to conquer the virus.

Its a full plate, with long odds. For starters, how does a president who sees the essential goodness in everyone deal with a party whose base doesnt even believe in the legitimacy of his presidency? How does he bring the conspiracy theorists back to planet Earth, and cool the tribal passions that fueled the insurrection on Jan. 6?

If Biden and Congress succeed at the big ideas, and not just the reversal of wrongful executive orders or unpopular legislation, he will be fondly remembered, even if he serves only one term. Whats more, he may even able to bring enough fresh air into our toxic political atmosphere to realign things.

If he fails, well, Im sorry to remind you that most Irish poetry is rooted in despair, in a country whose currency for centuries was misery. Still, in Ireland, poets have moved the masses to uprisings and greatness  most notably, the Easter 1916 rebellion that eventually helped lead to a free Ireland.

Thus, on Wednesday, the first message from the Irish president Michael D. Higgins to Biden contained a quotation from the poet John ODonohue  Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning.

In his struggle to overcome his stutter, Biden famously recited the poems of William Butler Yeats in front of a mirror. He has used Heaneys aspirational lines again and again  in a viral campaign video, and his acceptance speech last summer at the Democratic National Convention, and at a 2013 meeting on the U.S.-Korea relationship in Seoul.

There were flashes of words that could stand as poetry in Bidens inaugural address. He lamented the lies told for power and for profit, and said, Politics doesnt have to be a raging fire. The most memorable line was a simple one, that we must end this uncivil war that pits Americans against one another.

If hes lucky, a commodity oversubscribed to the Irish, Biden will catch a longed-for tidal wave that could usher in an age when poetry is not without power.

TIMOTHY EGAN is a columnist for The New York Times.

Karen Kenyon Karen is a certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist and a Member of the Million Dollar Guild as well as the recipient of the Royal LePage Chairman's Club Award, Top 1% in Canada and Top 10 in British Columbia.

Haute Residence is pleased to welcome Karen Kenyon to the exclusive Haute Residence Network as its representative in the Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, luxury real estate market.

Karen Kenyon was born and raised in the United Kingdom and Italy and moved to South Africa in 1976, where she spent 14 years. She moved with her husband and family to Canada in 1991 and became a Canadian citizen in 1996. Since then, she has lived in three of Canada's provinces; Newfoundland, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Like many people, after traveling the world, she found her permanent home on spectacular Vancouver Island.

Her Education: She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Diploma in Accounting. She is a fully licensed Real Estate Representative and a Certified Home Stager and Interior Re-designer. Karen is a certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist and a Member of the Million Dollar Guild as well as the recipient of the Royal LePage Chairman's Club Award, Top 1% in Canada and Top 10 in British Columbia. She has worked in Advertising, Accounting, Sales and Marketing as well as several volunteer Fundraising positions. Having bought, sold and invested in Real Estate on three different continents, and as a top producer since she started her Real Estate career, Karen is well qualified to help her clients with all their real estate needs. Buying a home or an investment property is one of the biggest decisions we make and she believes that every Real Estate decision should be an educated and well-considered one. Whether one is moving House, Province, or Country, Karen will provide detailed market information and guide them through the process. She looks to help people find their 'Dream Home'.

Visit Karen Kenyon's Haute Residence profile: https://www.hauteresidence.com/member/karen-kenyon/

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SPRINGFIELD  Officials shared some good news in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, saying new cases of COVID-19 among Springfield residents declined during the past week, as did hospitalizations.

The statistics were announced during the weekly coronavirus update at City Hall, and just prior to the announcement that a mass vaccination site will open at the Eastfield Mall on Jan. 29.

There were 952 new cases of COVID-19 in Springfield from Jan. 17-23, as compared to 1,043 new cases the prior week, city officials said. A week earlier, the city reached its highest single-week total, at 1,177 cases.

So we are encouraged that for the last two weeks the city is moving in a good direction as far as cases are concerned, said Helen R. Caulton-Harris, the citys commissioner of health and human services. Obviously we are looking forward to that number being lower but we are moving in a positive direction in terms of cases at this point.

Springfields numbers track a nationwide decline in new COVID-19 cases and deaths.

Deaths are running at an average of just under 3,100 a day, down from more than 3,350 less than two weeks ago, the Associated Press reported. New cases are averaging about 170,000 a day after peaking at almost 250,000 on Jan. 11. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has fallen to about 110,000 from a high of 132,000 on Jan. 7.

The governments top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said the improvement in numbers around the country appears to reflect a natural peaking and then plateauing after a holiday surge, rather than the arrival of the vaccine in mid-December.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday announced three new mass vaccination sites planned in the state, including at the Eastfield Mall on Boston Road in Springfield.

City and hospital officials are urging state and federal officials to accelerate vaccine distribution, including shipments to Springfield. City vaccination sites have used up about 1,400 doses, mostly on first responders and other priority groups.

Since the pandemic began last March, there have been 14,688 Springfield residents known to have been infected with COVID-19, Caulton-Harris said.

There were no new COVID-19-related deaths of Springfield residents in the past week. The citys death toll remains at 179 since the start of the pandemic.

Springfields medical centers on Monday reported slight reductions in the rate of new hospitalizations.

Both Baystate Health and Mercy Medical Center said they have more than enough beds for intensive care patients, in contrast to some areas of the country where hospitals are running out of intensive care space and supplies.

There were a total of 143 patients with COVID-19 at Baystate Health hospitals as of Monday. Thirteen of the patients were in intensive care.

Baystate has 62 beds for intensive care  for COVID and non-COVID patients  with flexibility among those beds and beyond if needed, officials said. The 13 COVID-19 patients are in a dedicated 30-bed unit.

On Jan. 19, Baystate Health reported 150 patients with COVID-19, including 13 in intensive care.

At Mercy Medical Center there were 33 patients with COVID-19 as of Monday, as compared to 37 patients Jan. 19. There were four COVID-19 patients in intensive care Monday as compared to two patients a week ago.

Mercy has 16 licensed intensive care beds, with 11 occupied, including the four COVID-19 patients.

Among Springfield city departments, the Fire Department had 11 employees out with COVID-19 and another 30 awaiting test results, Fire Commissioner Bernard Calvi said.

Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood said she had 14 officers out with COVID-19, including three recruits in academy training. That compares with numbers of officers out with COVID-19 in the high 20s in recent weeks, she said.

There were two officers out of work while awaiting tests.
Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) on the opening of its 13th National Congress.

Since the 12th congress, the CPV Central Committee headed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has attached importance to strengthening party building and made a series of achievements in leading the Vietnamese people to advance its cause of socialist construction and innovation, said the message.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CPV Central Committee has played a strong leading role, effectively prevented and controlled the pandemic, maintained economic growth and improved people's lives, demonstrating the advantages of the socialist system, about which the CPC Central Committee feels a sincere pleasure, said the message.

The 13th National Congress of the CPV is an important convention concerning the development of various undertakings of the party and the country. It is also a major political event for both the party and the Vietnamese people, the message added.

The congress, the message said, bears significance as it will set the national development goals as well as the implementation strategies at a time when the party and the country celebrate their respective centenaries, and kick off Vietnam's new march towards the modernization of the socialist country.

It said the CPC and the Chinese government attach great importance to the relations between the two parties and between the two countries, and are willing to work together with Vietnam, under the guidance of the principles of "long-term stability, future orientation, good-neighborly friendship and all-round cooperation" as well as the spirit of "good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners," to inherit and carry forward the traditional friendship created and carefully nurtured by the older generation of leaders of both nations.

The CPC and the Chinese government also stand ready to work with Vietnam to well implement the significant consensuses reached by the top leaders of both parties and the two countries, and promote the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to continuously achieve new developments, so as to better benefit both countries and their people, and make new contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity, it said.


It was sometime in the 1990s, at a conference, when I met a film director with whom I became friendly, especially when he told me he had been a fighter in the Warsaw Ghetto.

In his vigorous 70s, Moshe Mizrahi detailed for me some of the experiences he had undergone fighting the Nazis during the all-out valiant battle in the Ghetto uprising.

Mizrahi later invited me to his home in the "five towns." He introduced me to his maid, a woman with a discernible Polish or Hungarian accent. She had been, she revealed without any sign of reluctance or regret, a qualified doctor in Europe during the war. The director, whose name took some effort to recall, told me his conscientious housekeeper preferred working as a domestic in the United States to working in post-war Europe as a physician, with all the privations, widespread poverty, and rancor. Plus low wages, absence of benefits, shortages.

Walking me around his home, Mizrahi remarked in an aside that she made more money, and had more comfort, as a domestic in the U.S. than as a physician in post-WWII Europe.

Among other recollections, the director told me that after the war, he, and others who had survived the life-and-death fight against the Nazi juggernaut, roamed at will through towns and outlying areas of war-torn former Nazi strongholds. He told me in undramatized terms that he had entered homes at will, taking whatever he saw that he wanted, with quiescent and obviously terrified inhabitants not muttering a peep when he came through, he plainly furious on whatever revenge he could wrest from the burghers.

They all, he said, plaintively claimed, "We had nothing to do with it! We had nothing to do with killing the Jews. We were just living here, quietly, when the Nazis did whatever they did." They willingly gave whatever was taken by the still-breathing Jews who came into their homes.

Director Moshe elaborated without inflection: "If they had protested, we would have knifed and killed them without remorse." The people in Germany, Poland, Austria who were subject to these lost, homeless but resilient vestiges of the millions who had been rounded up, enslaved in camps, incinerated, tortured, and experimented upon for the length of WWII were all too aware that the roving Jews had whatever weapons they could scrounge from dead soldiers and others, and the director repeated that he would have killed any resisters without regret.

Because, at this point, Mizrahi knew I wrote film reviews, he screened for me his film, War and Love (1985), one that featured a young Kyra Sedgwick, whom I identified to him as a definite "future star." I was struck by the honesty and sophistication of her performance, which seemed above the others in the cast. It turned out that my assessment of her acting prowess was correct. She has appeared in dozens of films since and featured as Brenda Lee Johnson in the long-run TV series The Closer (20052012).

I lost contact with the Director Mizrahi but have never forgotten his powerful recollections of how the fearsome anti-Jewish haters were swiftly reduced to timid acquiescents in the face of their undeniable, blatant guilt.

In the moment, they were splattered with the blood of innocent Jews, Roma, other "undesirables," though later, this guilt was moderated by the gall of cowardly denial characterizing the professions of so many war criminals.

Image via Libreshot.
Oil prices rose early on Tuesday amid signs that the physical supply of crude will tighten over the first quarter and counter concerns about slow vaccine rollouts and Chinese lockdowns.

As of 10:14 a.m. ET on Tuesday, WTI Crude prices were trading up 0.23 percent at $52.90, and Brent Crude was up 0.30 percent at $56.13.

Oil prices largely shrugged reports of an explosion in Riyadh, the capital of the worlds top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia. The cause for the blast, which occurred around 1 p.m. local time, or 10 a.m. GMT, was not immediately known.

Lower oil exports from Russia and Iraq next month, as well as the Saudi extra cut of 1 million bpd for February and March is giving market participants hope that the physical market is tightening at a time when the immediate prospects for global oil demand are not bullish.

According to Bloomberg, the seaborne crude oil exports of Russias flagship Urals grade are set to decline by nearly 20 percent next month compared to this month.

Moreover, Iraq, OPECs second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia, has pledged to pump less oil this month and next to make up for excess production last year.

For both January and February, Iraq plans average daily output of 3.6 million barrels, Ali Nizar, the deputy chief of SOMO, the oil marketing company of Baghdad, told Bloomberg in an interview. This would compare with 3.85 million bpd for December.

Iraqs crude oil exports will also fall, to some 3 million bpd from 3.3 million bpd for December, as long as the Kurdistan Regional Government agrees to cut its oil output as well, Nizar said.

A flare-up in virus cases in China is threatening fuel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year period while the market also fret a potential delay of the US stimulus package, Saxo Bank said early on Tuesday.

The physical market meanwhile continues to tighten supported by lower February shipments from Iraq and Russia on top of the planned cuts from Saudi Arabia. As a result, the front month Brent spread is signaling the tightest market conditions in a year, Saxo Banks strategy team noted.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Another San Antonio business, Roadmap Brewing Co. has temporarily closed their doors due to an employee testing positive for COVID-19.

Roadmap Brewing Co., which also brings food trucks to their location announced the news on their Facebook page Monday, writing they don't know when they will reopen because the health of their staff and guests are most important.

"Our number one priority is safety - which is why we will be TEMPORARILY CLOSED until further notice. In the name of full transparency - We had a team member notify us that they were not feeling well. We told them to stay home and get a COVID test immediately. Unfortunately, the results came back positive. As a result, we feel it is best to ensure that every person of our small team gets tested as well. No other team members have symptoms and many have not been in direct contact with this individual - but this is not a game we want to play. The health and safety of our guests and staff is worth much more than any number of taproom sales we'll ever make. Stay tuned for information on when we will be re-opening. Thank you for your patience and understanding that we can't give a hard date as to when this will be. All we know is it won't be until we are certain we can do it safely. Thank you again for your continued support!"

RELATED: San Antonio Filipino restaurant temporarily closes

Roadmap Brewing Co. is located downtown where they allow customers to bring their own food from Uber Eats and is dog friendly, according to its website.

READ MORE: Here's why some S.A. hangouts are opening as early as 7 a.m.

The brewery joins Sari-Sari Filipino Restaurant, Market and Bakery in closing as a precaution after an employee tested positive last week. The restaurant and bakery will be closed for two weeks.
The White House has condemned the riots in Portland and Seattle that took place following Joe Biden's inauguration after the president remained silent on the issue.

'President Biden condemned protests and violence on the far right and far left before he was president,' asked a Fox News journalist on Monday, 'Why haven't we heard anything directly from him about about the riots in Portland and the Pacific Northwest since he was inaugurated?'

'President Biden condemns violence and any violence in the strongest possible terms,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki responded during the press briefing on Monday.

'Peaceful protests are a cornerstone of our democracy but smashing windows is not protesting and neither is looting, and actions like these are totally unacceptable,' she continued.

'Actions like these are totally unacceptable and anyone who committed a crime should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.'

White House press secretary Jen Psaki denounced the post-election riots in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington

Federal police deployed tear gas in an attempt to disperse protesters who threw rocks and eggs at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, Oregon, late last Wednesday night, according to authorities

A group of protesters shield themselves from chemical irritants fired by police during protests in Portland, Oregon last Wednesday

Psaki said that Biden 'condemns violence' and supports 'peaceful protests'.

More than a dozen people were arrested across the two cities after demonstrators who were angry with Biden targeted government buildings along with the Oregon Democratic Party building in Portland.

In Portland, 150 people marched on the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Oregon followed by a second march to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building.

The protesters dressed in black spray painted buildings and broke windows marching under a banner that read: 'We don't want Biden -- we want revenge for police murders, imperialist wars, and fascist massacres.'

Federal police were forced to deploy tear gas in an attempt to disperse protesters who threw rocks and eggs at the ICE building.

Psaki said President Biden 'condemns violence in the strongest possible terms'

Police officers respond to protesters rallying against the new Biden-Harris administration and to call upon them to abolish ICE in Portland, Oregon last Wednesday night

Antifa members dressed in black are seen smashing windows of the Democratic Party of Oregon headquarters in Portland ;ast WEdnesday

In Seattle around 100 people marched leading to broken windows at the federal courthouse. Officers arrested three people.

While some right-wing extremist groups had vowed to disrupt Biden's inauguration following the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, only scattered protests and violence emerged last Wednesday.

The ICE building has been the site of several violent clashes between demonstrators and federal police over the past year, particularly after the May 25 police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The clashes late on Wednesday escalated to the point where authorities needed to block off streets leading to the building.

Video posted to social media show flash bangs exploding as federal authorities attempted to quell the unrest.

The demonstrators have long demanded that ICE, the agency that has drawn the ire of pro-immigrant advocates for its aggressive enforcement of immigration laws, be abolished.

Protesters were fired with tear gas during a rally outside the ICE building in Portland, Oregon after Biden's inauguration

Federal authorities use tear gas and flash bangs in an attempt to disperse rioters outside the ICE building in Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday

Out of the 15 people apprehended, seven had already been arrested during earlier Antifa riots.

The rest of the group of 200 people quickly vanished into nearby neighborhood streets.

Black Lives Matter-Antifa had already announced they were to host a January 20th riot and it saw 150 Antifa dressed in black march through the city streets.

The group stopped traffic as they headed to the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Oregon carrying a large banner stating: 'WE DON'T WANT BIDENWE WANT REVENGE!' in response to 'police murders' and 'imperialist wars.'

Using hammers and batons, the mob smashed the windows to offices before dragging dumpsters onto the street setting fire to them.

Police armed with riot gear fired tear gas into the crowds of protesters in Portland, Wednesday

During the arrests, Portland Police confiscated knives, batons, a crowbar, pepper spray and homemade firebombs.

The demonstrators have long demanded that ICE, the agency that has drawn the ire of pro-immigrant advocates for its aggressive enforcement of immigration laws, be abolished.

Protests struck Portland and Seattle just hours after US President Joe Biden's inauguration, police said Thursday, with Democratic Party and federal immigration offices vandalized and reports of tear gas and stun grenades used.

More than 200 Antifa protesters reportedly descended on Tacoma, Washington, where they busted the windows of buildings and set fires in the streets on Sunday, just a day after wreaking havoc in Portland

Protesters watch the barricade burn after setting it on fire

Protesters march through downtown Tacoma during the protest on Sunday in Tacoma, Washington

On Sunday night, more than 200 Antifa protesters descended on Tacoma, Washington, where they busted the windows of buildings and set fires in the streets on Sunday, just a day after wreaking havoc in Portland.

Video footage and images showed broken glass scattered on the sidewalk outside of businesses and graffiti sprayed on the side of buildings.

Protesters started at least two fires in the area using a barricade for one and an American flag for the other. Dozens of Tacoma police officers were seen lined up on bikes as protesters approached them.

Late Sunday night, Tacoma police declared an 'unlawful assembly' as crowds continued to march through the streets protesting the department after an officer was see running over a man on Saturday.

The Pacific Northwest region emerged as a hotbed of demonstrations last year, but any hopes that the end of Donald Trump's term in office would quickly halt violent unrest tied to far-left groups were dashed Wednesday.
WASHINGTON - The House on Monday formally delivered an article of impeachment charging former president Donald Trump with inciting the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, and Democrats prepared to use his own words as evidence against him in his Senate trial next month.

With solemn looks on their mask-covered faces, the nine House impeachment managers walked over to the Senate shortly after 7 p.m. Monday to deliver the article against Trump, setting in motion his second Senate impeachment trial.

While no final decisions on trial strategy have been made, House managers are concentrating on building their case around Trump personally - what he said in the run-up to the Jan. 6 attack and at a rally that day, and how his words were interpreted in the White House and outside it, according to people familiar with the deliberations.

The impeachment managers and their advisers have been meeting daily, scouring hundreds of hours of evidence - including footage scraped from the conservative Parler and other social media sites - to build an elaborate timeline that is being constantly updated, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the internal discussions.

One idea under consideration: to produce a video that highlights how the rioters reacted to Trump's remarks that day and that shows footage of the violent mob inside the building.

At the same time, allies of Trump are growing bullish that as more time passes since the fatal siege, the momentum in favor of convicting the former president and permanently barring him from public office is fading.

"There are only a handful of Republicans and shrinking who will vote against him," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has been advising Trump on the upcoming proceedings.

3 1 of 3 Washington Post photo by Salwan Georges Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Washington Post photo by Salwan Georges Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Trump's coming Senate trial, which is not set to begin in earnest until Feb. 9, has ensured that the remnants of the Trump presidency are hanging over the first days of President Joe Biden's tenure, complicating his immediate agenda on Capitol Hill such as confirmation of his Cabinet and passage of a massive pandemic relief package.

Biden and his aides have assiduously avoided getting involved in the political morass of impeachment surrounding his predecessor, though the trial is likely to consume all of the oxygen in Washington once opening arguments begin next month.

Senators will be sworn in as jurors on Tuesday, when Trump will receive the official summons. But the official trial proceedings will be delayed until the week of Feb. 8 under a delayed timeline first proposed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and later approved by Biden.

Several Republican senators, including McConnell, have made it clear that they would consider voting to convict Trump. But it is improbable that at least 17 GOP senators would favor doing so.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said Monday that Democrats, in pursuing impeachment against Trump, were being "sore winners" and that there were not enough Republicans who would vote to convict him.

"Why are we doing this?" he added.

Three Republicans were on the Senate floor Monday evening when the House managers arrived to deliver the article of impeachment: McConnell, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas.

"President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government," Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead impeachment manager, said on the Senate floor, reading the article. "He threatened the integrity of the Democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power and imperiled a coequal branch of government."

Senior GOP officials said they expected at least one Senate Republican to move to dismiss the charge against Trump quickly, though such a vote would serve primarily as an early litmus test of how receptive GOP senators would be to arguments that Trump fomented the riot at the Capitol and that he should be permanently barred from public office because of it.

The party remains split over how fiercely to back Trump during the impeachment, with Republican Party committee members debating whether to pass a resolution on the former president's behalf over a long email thread throughout the weekend. A number of them have been pushing for a formal resolution of support of the former president.

The debate over whether to back the president and the resolution ended when Henry Barbour, a GOP committee member from Mississippi, asked that the conversation be taken offline, according to people familiar with the emails.

The next two weeks will give the president's lawyers, led by South Carolina attorney Butch Bowers, and the nine House impeachment managers time to prepare briefs and their legal arguments.

House Democrats have pulled together an extensive outline of the case and the constitutional arguments intended to rebut arguments from some Republicans that a former president cannot be impeached, according to the people familiar with the discussions.

One item of particular interest to impeachment managers is a 10-minute video released Monday by Just Security, an online forum hosted by the Reiss Center on Law and Security at New York University's law school, which shows how Trump's words were heard and interpreted by those who ransacked the Capitol, according to people familiar with the managers' trial preparations.

The House managers say visuals are central in prosecuting the case against Trump because the evidence is in plain sight and will remind senators of what they experienced that day, when the rioters got perilously close to lawmakers and then-Vice President Mike Pence.

Democrats are collecting clips of the siege and probably will work with an outside firm that will weave together the images as evidence to be presented to senators, according to the people with knowledge of the plan.

Any rules regarding whether videos can be submitted during the impeachment trial probably will be handled in an agreement between Senate Democrats and Republicans, setting up the parameters of the proceedings. If not, senators can later vote whether to admit video evidence and witnesses.

The House managers are operating under the expectation that there will be an opportunity for video presentations, the people said.

They are also deliberating the issue of presenting witnesses, including those who were caught up in the Capitol attack and those who may have interacted with Trump during the Jan. 6 riot and the days leading to it. House Democrats have informally discussed with their Senate counterparts their desire to call witnesses during the trial, though - as with the video evidence - nothing has been finalized.

The prospect that footage of Trump could be used as evidence against him is a marked contrast to his first impeachment trial, when Democrats called a parade of witnesses to testify before a House committee - then featured clips of their public testimony in the Senate.

In that trial, the case they sought to make that Trump abused his power and obstructed Congress in pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Biden and his family hinged on testimony about actions that occurred largely behind the scenes.

But this time, much of the evidence is in the public sphere, and Democrats say the senators themselves are effectively witnesses, having lived through the violent siege at the Capitol.

Raskin, an expert in constitutional law and the lead impeachment manager, will also make the Democrats' case to senators that it is constitutional to impeach a president even if he is no longer in office, according to a person briefed on the strategy.

Democrats and some Republicans, such as Romney, have said a former president can be impeached. Other GOP senators who were infuriated by Trump's conduct but nonetheless are not compelled to convict a president who is no longer in office have suggested the move may not be constitutional.

"It makes no sense whatsoever that a president or any official could commit a heinous crime against our country and then defeat Congress's impeachment powers by simply resigning so as to avoid accountability and a vote to disqualify them from future office," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

John Bolton, the former Trump national security adviser who emerged as a vocal critic of Trump, savagely criticized the idea of a Senate impeachment trial Monday in a piece in the National Review, saying the exercise was ultimately impractical and would benefit Trump, not those who wish to see him banished from the national political stage.

"Like Impeachment 1.0, the 2021 edition is badly conceived, poorly executed, and likely to produce precisely what the first round did: results 180 degrees contrary to the objectives that impeachment supporters say they want," Bolton wrote in the conservative publication.

Now ensconced at his private club in South Florida, the former president is continuing to cobble together his legal and public relations team, which will differ significantly from the formal White House apparatus that surrounded him in his first impeachment trial last year. Trump is expected to stay in Florida during the trial, according to an adviser.

Jason Miller, who has served as a Trump senior adviser in both his presidential bids, is handling much of the communications work for impeachment, and the former president has asked a coterie of House Freedom Caucus members to flood the airwaves to defend him.

Trump's team is planning to circulate additional polling in the coming days, paid for by his PAC, to warn Republican senators of the political consequences of voting to convict him.

Graham said he has reassured Trump that he would not be convicted and that it was a simple case.

"He's thinking about the trial and decompressing," Graham said. "I think he appreciates having some of the extra time he didn't have in the past."

Bowers, a longtime South Carolina GOP lawyer whom Graham connected with Trump, did not respond to requests for comment.

Graham and others said the president was likely to expand his legal team, but many of his longtime attorneys, including Jay Sekulow, Pat Cipollone and Rudy Giuliani, are either uninterested or not involved.

Sekulow, Cipollone and Giuliani did not respond to requests for comment.

In another difference from last year's trial, Chief Justice John Roberts is not expected to preside in next month's proceedings and in his place will be Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore and the most senior Democrat in the chamber, according to an official familiar with the matter.

The Constitution calls for the chief justice of the United States to president over an impeachment trial for a sitting president of the United States. Otherwise, senators preside over proceedings for any official who is not in the White House, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Leahy's role, first reported by CNN, began sparking some pushback from some of Trump's conservative allies who argued that not having the chief justice preside delegitimizes the trial, though he does not appear to be constitutionally required to do so because Trump is not the current president.

"If Chief Justice Roberts can't be bothered to come over for the so-called impeachment, makes you wonder if this exercise is constitutional at all," tweeted Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

A Supreme Court spokeswoman said Roberts had no comment on whether he declined entreaties to preside over Trump's second impeachment trial. Leahy defended his ability to be impartial in his presiding duties, which are largely ceremonial anyway.

"I'm not presenting the evidence. I am making sure that procedures are followed," Leahy told reporters on Monday. "I don't think there's any senator who - over the 40-plus years I've been here - that would say that I am anything but impartial in voting on procedure."

- - -

The Washington Post's Robert Barnes contributed to this report.
Mike has reported on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's wildlife, wildlands and the agencies that manage them since 2012. A native Minnesotan, he arrived in the West to study environmental journalism at the University of Colorado.
RTHK: Russia and US agree to extend nuclear treaty

Russia and the United States have struck a deal to extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, a move that preserves the last major pact of its kind between the world's two biggest nuclear powers.

The treaty, which was due to expire next month, limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers that Russia and the United States can deploy.

The Kremlin declared the breakthrough, which was widely anticipated, in a statement announcing that President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden had spoken for the first time since Biden took office last week.

Moscow and Washington had failed to agree an extension under former US president Donald Trump, whose administration had wanted to attach conditions to a renewal that Moscow rejected.

The Kremlin said the two leaders had "expressed satisfaction" that diplomatic notes between the two countries had been exchanged earlier on Tuesday confirming the agreement would be extended.

It said that the necessary procedures required for the pact to come into force before it expires on February 5 would be completed in the coming days.

"The extension is in the interest of both countries, as well as the whole world," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had told reporters on a conference call earlier on Tuesday.

Signed in 2010, the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is widely regarded as a cornerstone of global arms control.

The White House said last week that Biden would seek a five-year extension to New START, something the US disarmament ambassador said would be just the beginning of efforts to engage Moscow. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 12:37:16|Editor: huaxia

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People enjoy the view of Lujiazui at the Bund in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Chen Fei)

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China and New Zealand on Tuesday signed a protocol on upgrading their 12-year-old free trade agreement (FTA), which is expected to bring more benefits to the peoples of the two countries.

Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and his New Zealand counterpart signed the protocol via video link.

In 2008, China signed an FTA with New Zealand, the first FTA between China and a developed country.

On the basis of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China will further expand its opening-up in sectors including aviation, education, finance, elderly care, and passenger transport to New Zealand. 
Updating its travel advisory for three South Asian countries, the US has urged its citizens to reconsider their travel to Pakistan and Bangladesh and not to visit Afghanistan. The state department issued separate travel advisories for the three countries on Monday. Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to COVID-19, terrorism and sectarian violence, it said. It also asked its citizens not to travel to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces due to terrorism and kidnapping.

The advisory also warned Americans against travelling to "the immediate vicinity of the Line of Control due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict". Do not travel to the India-Pakistan border. Militant groups are known to operate in the area. India and Pakistan maintain a strong military presence on both sides of the border. Indian and Pakistani military forces periodically exchange gunfire and artillery fire across the Line of Control (LoC), it said. Urging its citizens to reconsider travel to Bangladesh due to COVID-19, the state department asked them to "exercise increased caution" in the country due to crime, terrorism and kidnapping.

"Travel is dangerous to Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban hill tracts districts (collectively known as the Chittagong Hill Tracts) due to occasional communal violence and other security risks," it said in an advisory.

In another advisory, the state department asked Americans not to travel to Afghanistan due to COVID-19, crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and armed conflict. "Travel to all areas of Afghanistan is unsafe because of critical levels of kidnappings, hostage taking, suicide bombings, widespread military combat operations, landmines and terrorist and insurgent attacks, including attacks using vehicle-borne, magnetic, or other improvised explosive devices (IEDs), suicide vests and grenades," it said.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 10:07:02|Editor: huaxia

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ACCRA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- A long-established medical association in Ghana on Monday here urged the government to place restrictions on a list of social activities amid the COVID-19 case spike.

"The government should as a matter of urgency restrict social activities such as parties, church services, funerals, clubs, and other social gatherings of such nature," said the Ghana Medical Association, which was inaugurated in 1958 and has over 3,000 members now, in a statement.

"The non-adherence to the COVID-19 preventive measures has the potential to further escalate the spread of the disease," it said, adding that COVID-19 is still a major health threat to the country and has the potential to further weaken the fragile health system.

It appealed to suppliers and vendors of personal protective equipment not to take advantage of the increasing demand amid the COVID-19 surge and drive up prices as that would be inimical to the anti-virus fight.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ghana have exceeded 60,000 and active ones topped 3,000. Facing the case spike, the government has deployed security personnel to carry out random checks to ensure the public adherence to safety protocols. Enditem
On Monday, Moderna said its vaccine is effective against new variants that have emerged in Britain and South Africa. But the immune response is slightly weaker against the variant discovered in South Africa, so the company is developing a new form of the vaccine that could be used as a booster shot against that virus.

And Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new C.D.C. director, offered a blunt assessment of the vaccination campaign on Sunday, predicting that supply would not increase until late March.

Federal health officials and corporate executives agree that it will be impossible to increase the immediate supply of vaccines before April because of lack of manufacturing capacity. A third vaccine maker, Johnson & Johnson, is expected to report the results of its clinical trial soon. If approved, that vaccine would also help shore up production eventually, though the company has manufacturing issues of its own.

I cant tell you how much vaccine we have, and if I cant tell it to you then I cant tell it to the governors and I cant tell it to the state health officials, Dr. Walensky told Fox News Sunday.

Mr. Bidens travel ban is a presidential proclamation, not an executive order. Typically, proclamations govern the acts of individuals, while executive orders are directives to federal agencies. It will go into effect on Saturday and apply to non-U.S. citizens who have spent time in South Africa in the past 14 days. The new policy, which was reported earlier by Reuters, will not affect U.S. citizens or permanent residents, officials said.

The airline industry had no immediate comment on the new travel bans. But airline officials point to studies by the World Health Organization showing that the impact of travel bans on curbing the spread of infectious disease is limited. President Donald J. Trump came under intense criticism after he banned travel from China, and the ban proved porous as tens of thousands of people still came into the United States from that country.

I think of travel bans as helpful but hardly foolproof, said Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. Mr. Trumps China travel ban probably slowed things down, and thats reasonable, he said. But travel bans need to be coupled with other policies to be useful, he said.

Fundraising for AIDS Foundation Houston We can only make history if we learn from our past and focus on ending the AIDS epidemic.

By the time of Ken Hornes death in 1981, an unknown virus had spread its way through the male gay community and unprotected sex had become a risky reality. A myth had emerged that the HIV disease only infected gay men; and the world watched in fear as the 1980s emerged as the biggest public health scare in history.

One year later, scientists were still trying to pinpoint the cause. New reports indicated HIV had originated in Haiti, and it continued to spread like wildfires in Europe and Uganda. People were dying from AIDS, wasting away, and no one knew how to stop it. A haunting photograph was published in LIFE magazine in 1990 of a sick young man, David Kirby, that shook the core of its readers. His thin body had been tormented by AIDS, his eyes were staring off into an oblivion and his family held tightly to his skeletal hands. We were no closer to answers, vaccines or cures. In 2016 the World Health Organization (WHO), publicly stated that AIDS had claimed 35 million lives.

Fast forward to 2021. Today we are still combating that very epidemic. Organizations like AIDS Foundation Houston, Inc. (AFH) are leading the way in the fight to educate, prevent HIV and provide access to care and treatments. Antiretroviral therapy gives people living with HIV hope since they can live healthy lives  as long as they take their medications every day. PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is an HIV prevention prescription for people who dont have HIV that helps reduce their risk of getting HIV if exposed to the virus. PrEP offers up to 99 percent reduced risk for HIV infection. And now, patients successfully being treated for HIV are also extremely unlikely to transmit the virus to others. When people maintain an undetectable viral load (the amount of HIV in the bloodstream), the virus cannot be sexually transmitted. Advocates and researchers call this U=U, meaning when HIV is undetectable, it is not transmittable.

On a mission to help eliminate the stigma behind HIV/AIDS and STDs, AIDS Foundation Houston encourages everyone to get tested and know their status. A staggering six out of ten (63.0%) adult residents living in Houston/Harris County alone have never been tested for HIV.

We are focused on preventative programs, such as Mistr, that offer free online access to PrEP, said Derrick Brown, Chief Development Officer at AIDS Foundation Houston, Inc.

And we launched a Lets Make History HIV/STD testing campaign this year to highlight free testing, PrEP programs and linkage to care for our community.

AIDS Foundation Houston provides free HIV/STD testing at their office, currently by appointment only by calling (832) AFH-PrEP. Testing and treatments, like PrEP, have shown significant progress in the fight to end the HIV epidemic. Celebrities Todrick Hall (RuPauls Drag Race) and Shangela (Lovecraft Country, HBO) appeared on the virtual World AIDS Day event on December 1, 2020 to help raise awareness about HIV, remember the community members and loved ones we have lost to AIDS, and hope for a better future by ending the epidemic. Houston ranks 11th in the nation for new HIV transmissions, meaning the AIDS Foundation Houston still has a lot of work to do and encourages the community to play safe.

We can only make history if we learn from our past and focus on ending the AIDS epidemic in our future, said Brown. We can accomplish the end of HIV in Houston and across the nation by 2030 if we work together.

###

About AIDS Foundation Houston (AFH)

Founded in 1982, AIDS Foundation Houston, Inc. (AFH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and the first AIDS Service Organization in Texas. It remains a national leader in HIV/STD programming with the goal of creating a community where HIV is stigma-free and rare, and people have equitable access to care. AFH works towards the mission of ending the HIV epidemic in the Houston area and provides services that include prevention education, HIV/STI testing, outreach in Texas prisons, PrEP care, supportive housing, food assistance, a summer camp for children, and supportive services to persons affected by HIV/AIDS.

Free HIV/STD Testing

HIV testing is free of charge and available on-site by appointment only from 10am-5pm Monday  Thursday. Please call 832-436-3798 or 832-AFH-PrEP to make an appointment or to request information about HIV/STI testing or PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). #GetTested and know your status.

Nurse Eleanor Pinkerton administers a coronavirus vaccine to one of the health and social care staff at the NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital in Glasgow (PA)

More than 6.5 million people have now received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, but misinformation about the jab continues to spread.

With jabs being administered at a rate of 250 a minute, imams, influencers and medics have been debunking some of the most harmful content being shared.

 MYTH: Vaccines are mandatory

FACT: A video being circulated on social media claims that because Covid regulations are law there will be mandatory vaccines, house arrest until people are vaccinated and children forced to be vaccinated.

This is not true. Parliament did vote on new Covid-19 regulations on January 6  which introduced a new national lockdown and restricted reasons why people could leave their homes  but it did not make vaccines mandatory.

Children cannot be forcibly vaccinated without parental consent.

Expand Close Vaccines will not be mandatory (PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Vaccines will not be mandatory (PA)

 MYTH: The vaccine is not halal/contains pork products

FACT: Claims that the vaccine contains gelatin have caused concern in religious communities. However, vaccine manufacturers have said the vaccine does not contain any animal ingredients and no animal-derived cells were used.

The British Islamic Medical Association has recommended at-risk individuals within the Muslim community get vaccinated, and the Mosque and Imams National Advisory Board is running a campaign to encourage Muslim communities to get vaccinated.

KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT COVID & VACCINES



 With so much info & *mis*information being spread, how do you know what to believe?



a BIMA has put together infographics concisely answering common myths



 Shareable

ai regularly updated

 referenced.



i https://t.co/nlx2eJ58s3 pic.twitter.com/wtTEaPKy2K  British Islamic Medical Association (@BritishIMA) January 14, 2021

Imam Qari Asim told the PA news agency: Misinformation can result in someone losing their life and it is one of the core principles of Islam that protection of life is extremely important.

My message to Muslim communities is that it is our ethical obligation, moral duty, to take the vaccine whenever the opportunity arises.

 MYTH: Vaccines make you infertile

FACT: Professor Lucy Chappell, a consultant obstetrician specialising in women with medical problems in pregnancy, says it is understandable that there have been questions about the new vaccines but said that fearful claims, which can be found online, have never been substantiated.

She told PA: I can see absolutely no basis for concerns about any of the Covid-19 vaccines that are licensed in the UK and fertility.

 MYTH: The vaccine contains parts of aborted foetus

FACT: A Facebook user falsely claimed that the vaccine uses MRC-5 cell lines which were originally developed from research deriving lung tissue of a 14-week-old aborted Caucasian male foetus.

AstraZeneca has confirmed its vaccine was not developed using MRC-5 cell lines but does use a different cell strain taken from a female foetus aborted in the 1970s. The cells are used to propagate the virus for the vaccine but these cells do not make it into the final jab.

Expand Close Safety standards for the vaccine have not changed (PA) PA / Facebook

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MRC-5 cells are also not the same cells from an aborted foetus. They are cell lines that have been grown in a laboratory from a primary cell culture originally taken from a foetus.

 MYTH: The speed with which the vaccine was created means its not clear if it is safe

FACT: It is true that most vaccines usually take several years to be developed. However, as deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam explained, this is usually because they are produced by companies which make an investment decision about whether to move on at each stage.

He said the shackles had come off in terms of investing in the new vaccine, and that governments, such as the UK, had invested hundreds of millions of pounds to try and speed it (vaccine development) up.

The standards for safety and effectiveness have not, however, changed due to the speed of production and testing  and it is still subject to independent regulation.

 MYTH: Didnt the regulators cut corners to test the vaccine quickly?

FACT: No. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has been conducting rolling reviews of data from vaccine trials. This means rather than waiting until the end of the clinical trial to assess the data, experts have been assessing it instead on a rolling basis during the trial, which has helped speed up the approval process.

Dr June Raine, head of regulator the MHRA, said after news of Pfizers approval: That doesnt mean that any corners have been cut, none at all.

 MYTH: You need your NHS number when registering for a jab

FACT: Posts shared on Facebook have claimed people not having their NHS number to hand is causing the biggest bottleneck when administering the vaccine. This is not true. If you do not know your number you can still register for the vaccine.

The NHS website says: You do not need your NHS number to use NHS services, including booking appointments.

Some people have reported receiving fraudulent text messages or phone calls in relation to the Covid-19 vaccine. You will never be asked to pay for a vaccine and any contact asking for your bank details in relation to a vaccination appointment is a scam.

 MYTH: You do not need the vaccine if you have had the virus

FACT: You still need the vaccine even if you have had Covid-19. Reinfection is still possible if you have had it once, and experts do not know how long someone is immune from getting sick again once recovering from Covid. Due to the severe health risks associated with the virus, you should still take the vaccine if offered it.

 MYTH: You can catch Covid-19 from the vaccine

FACT: The vaccine does not contain any part of the Covid virus (dead or alive) but comprises mRNA, which gives instructions to your cells on how to make a spike protein. Therefore you cannot catch Covid-19 from the vaccine, but it is possible to catch coronavirus and not realise you have symptoms until after your vaccination appointment.

 MYTH: Vaccines alter your DNA

FACT: The vaccines do not alter your DNA. They comprise mRNA that gives the body instructions on how to make proteins on the surface of the virus. This does not alter your DNA but teaches your body an immune response to Covid-19 in case you are exposed.

 MYTH: Dr Elisa Granato, one of the first participants in the vaccine trial, has died

FACT: Dr Granato was one of the first participants in human trials of the AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccine, and has not died.

The false claims of her death prompted her to tweet that she was very much alive and having a cup of tea.

News of my untimely death are apparently making the rounds again, this time on Irish @Facebook. If you are active on FB & based in Ireland feel free to share this up to date debunking article. Thanks! https://t.co/sm6j8ydz7i  Elisa Granato (@Prokaryota) August 15, 2020

 MYTH: Bill Gates is using the vaccine to secretly microchip the world

FACT: Mr Gates is regularly the subject of conspiracy theories due to his charitys work in vaccine development.

However, there is no evidence that the Microsoft founder, or anyone else, is trying to implant microchips in anyone through vaccines. Mr Gates has also repeatedly denied these claims.

This conspiracy theory may have originated from a December study published by a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The study was funded, in part, by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

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The team had developed an approach to encode medical history on a patient by including a small amount of dye with a vaccine.

But it never experimented on humans and did not include any hardware technology, such as microchips.


Bridget Anne Kelly, a key figure in the Bridgegate scandal whose conviction was overturned, is ready to get back into politics.

Kelly, the former aide to Gov. Chris Christie, is running for Bergen County clerk, she announced Monday.

The woman behind the time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee email, Kelly saw her conviction overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.

There is a big difference between Bridget Kelly the person and the Bridget Kelly that has been defined by others and the media, she declared on her campaign website.

The U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned the convictions of Kelly and co-defendant Bill Baroni in a stunning end to the Bridgegate saga that began with the surprise closing of the local traffic lanes to the George Washington Bridge.

Kelly was accused of conspiring with Baroni, then-deputy executive director of the Port Authority, and former Republican operative David Wildstein to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee with an epic traffic jam in his borough because he refused to back Christies re-election.

Kelly and Baroni were found guilty in November 2016 of fraud and conspiracy after Wildstein, the admitted architect of the political payback scheme, cooperated with federal prosecutors at their high-profile trial.

Kelly and Baroni maintained they did nothing criminal. Their attorneys said the lane closures were nothing more than bareknuckle New Jersey politics.

The Supreme Court tossed both convictions after agreeing that prosecutors misinterpreted the federal bribery statute in the case.

On her website, Kelly says she was scapegoated by colleagues who damaged her reputation and allowed her to be indicted, tried, and convicted.

The campaign website adds that she seeks to rid our system of corruption and hyper-partisanship. Always a public servant at heart, Bridget will never tire in her efforts to make our community a better place for future generations.

In a statement, incumbent Bergen County Clerk John Hogan said while he wishes Kelly well as she tries to get her life back together ... the people here in Bergen County who had to deal with the Bridgegate scandal up close are never going to forgive her her role in punishing them to further Chris Christies vindictive agenda.

Hogan, a Democrat, is seeking a third term.

NJ Advance Media Reporter Kelly Heyboer contributed to this report.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com.
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The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Cross River State has said no corps member tested positive to COVID-19 in the state.

According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the NYSC was reacting to the claim by the Commissioner for Health in the state, Betta Edu, that 13 corps members tested positive while in the orientation camp in the state.

Cross River State on Sunday recorded 20 cases of COVID-19 infection, the highest so far in the state.

We had people who came in for the NYSC, about 13 of them were positive cases. So, these are people who moved into our state from other states.

The other ones are people who are residents in the state, Mrs Edu told PREMIUM TIMES, Monday.

Mrs Edu, a medical doctor, heads the COVID-19 task force in the state.

The NYSC has, however, said the claim by the health commissioner was false.

Management wishes to assert that at present, no registered 2020 Batch B Stream II corps member in Cross River is COVID-19 positive, Enuma Peter, a spokesperson for the NYSC in the state, said Tuesday in a statement.

It is worthy to note that all prospective corps members for the ongoing programme underwent COVID-19 test conducted by the National Centre for Disease Control, which is a condition for admission into any of the 37 camps in the country.

Prospective corps members who test positive are duly referred to NCDC for treatment and management. This has been the practice and NYSC in Cross River has adhered strictly to this standard.

The statement said the health commissioner did not request or receive any brief from the NYSC on the ongoing test of corps members at the orientation camp in Obubra Local Government.

At no time did any registered corps member tested positive as everyone was tested before admittance into the camp.

As such, the Commissioner may not be aware that only prospective corps members that test negative to COVID-19 are allowed into the camp and qualified to be registered as corps members.the NAN report highlighted.

There has been a surge in COVID-19 infections across Nigeria, leaving the federal and state governments scrambling on how to check the spread.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country was 112,996 as of January 25, according to data from the centre for disease control.
In a video visit recently with elderly friends in Washington, we learned that all people over 75 in that state are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and that our friends will receive it within days. California eligibility is anyone over 65. Here in Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority director, Patrick Allen, have decreed that teachers, young and old, will be vaccinated before vulnerable elderly. The lethal cost of this preference is easy to estimate: Multiply the daily number of elderly deaths  often 10 to 20  by at least 15 days when the elderly are able to begin receiving the vaccine. If elderly were prioritized to receive vaccine starting today, not Feb. 8, some of these real lives, future names in The Oregonian/OregonLive obituaries, would be saved. No young teacher would be jeopardized. Readers may wonder at the reasons for this outlier decision, but I note that the Oregon Education Association is a frequent political donor, and schools have remained closed here far longer than elsewhere.

Geoffrey W. McCarthy, Portland
A man accused of shooting and killing his mother in Sacramento was arrested and booked in a strong-arm robbery case weeks earlier in San Francisco, but the district attorney did not charge him.

Records show that instead of charging Ali Mustafa Hudson, 42, for allegedly stealing a phone from a passenger on a Muni bus on Dec. 20, District Attorney Chesa Boudin had him transported to Solano County, where Hudson had a $5,000 misdemeanor warrant for drug possession and driving without a valid drivers license.

Officials in Solano County were not immediately able to confirm the date Hudson was released, but under COVID-19 emergency orders, counties generally do not hold people on misdemeanor warrants.

On Jan. 19, Sacramento sheriffs deputies responded to reports of a domestic dispute at an apartment complex on the 5400 block of Auburn Boulevard. They said Hudson shot and killed Ramona Hayes, a woman described by several law enforcement officials as his mother.

Deputies spotted Hudson on a balcony and he began shooting at the deputies, who fired back and wounded him, authorities said. On Friday, Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert charged Hudson with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of felony attempted murder of sheriff deputies, and one count of felony false imprisonment. The complaint filed by prosecutor Rod Norgaard alleges one strike for an attempted armed robbery in 1996.

Had Boudin charged Hudson for the robbery in San Francisco, it is unclear whether that action would have kept him behind bars.

Boudin expressed condolences to the victims family in a statement released through a spokeswoman. He added that the December robbery was not provable or chargeable.

In that incident, two people sleeping on a bus argued over a phone that one of them had dropped, Boudin said. The complaining witness said that Mr. Hudson slapped his phone out of his hand, which the bus driver did not see. Mr. Hudson approached responding police on his own, told them the phone was his, and turned it over to them.

According to the arrest report by Officer Amanda Tweedy, the robbery victim had dozed off in the back of a bus in the Bayview District but woke up to find his phone on the floor. A man, later identified as Hudson, claimed the phone was his and slapped it out of the victims hand when the victim tried to pick it up, the report said. Hudson then began rummaging through the victims bags and throwing his possessions, saying What else is mine? according to the report.

A second officer spotted Hudson on Middle Point Road, where the robbery suspect stepped in the street, flagged the officer down, and began recounting how his phone fell from his belongings. He did not remember the phone number. While Hudson was talking, the officer noticed four phones in Hudsons hands. The victim later identified Hudson, and officers arrested and booked him on suspicion of robbery.

Some law enforcement officials criticized Boudins decision not to charge Hudson. Career prosecutor Nancy Tung, who ran unsuccessfully against Boudin in 2019, said the district attorney had not only failed to protect a crime victim in San Francisco, but also released someone violent to another jurisdiction.

Tung worked for previous San Francisco district attorneys Kamala Harris and George Gascon, and said that under those administrations, this is not a decision that would have been made.

Tony Montoya, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, called Boudin a repeat offender when it comes to releasing criminals with violent rap sheets. Boudin is under fire for his handling of Troy McAlister, the parolee who was arrested several times, but not charged, in the months before he struck and killed two women pedestrians while driving a stolen car on New Years Eve.

Court documents show that Hudson, too, had a criminal history before the robbery arrest in December. In 2018, he was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence in Sacramento for injuring his ex-wife and causing a traumatic condition.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
JUNCTION CITY, Ore. -- A man accused of beating his domestic partner and her service animal was arrested in Vancouver, Washington, police say.

Chief Bob Morris said Juan Mejia, 23, was returned to Oregon today and booked into the Lane County Jail.

Mejia was reportedly caught after Morris tracked his truck to a repair shop across the state line. Officers staked out the garage until Mejia returned to pick up his vehicle.

The victim told police that Mejia punched her between 50 and 100 times over a period of weeks. This includes blows to the abdomen, she said, even though she was pregnant.

Mejia is also accused of hitting the victim's service dog, causing pain and suffering to the animal.

Junction City police booked Mejia on charges of felony assault, misdemeanor assault, animal abuse, interfering with a report, coercion, and rape. However the Lane County District Attorney's office charged Mejia with only the assault charges.
Three leading institutions in the UAE have joined the World Logistics Passport (WLP), a major initiative established to increase trading opportunities between developing markets.

The WLP is helping to reimagine how goods and services move around the world, increase resilience in global supply chains and remove the barriers that prevent developing economies from trading as freely as they might. The new entrants are Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and flydubai.

Unlocking these benefits allows nations and regions to gain access to new markets, diversify trade in existing products towards new markets, and increase market shares in key export products in developing economies. The WLP aims to tap into over 20 markets, representing 54% of Global GDP. By 2023, the WLP is projected to have about 2% impact on global trade, a statement said.

Colombia, Senegal and Kazakhstan have formally joined the initiative. Brazil, Uruguay and South Africa have also registered as partners.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World, said: South-south trade has substantial potential for generating more growth as developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America move to bolster their trade volumes with each other. DP World is proud to be part of Dubais initiative to remove impediments to South-South trade and increase prosperity, building on the citys position as a global logistics hub. We welcome ECI, DMCC and flydubai to the WLP team, mobilising infrastructure and expertise to make trade quicker, easier and more cost-effective.

Massimo Falcioni, CEO of ECI, said: We commend the huge efforts of DP World to facilitate trade operations between developing markets regionally and globally. ECI is extremely proud to be part of the WLP team as it reflects our commitment to extend utmost support to UAE-based businesses through this innovative loyalty programme that will help them obtain maximum possible benefits from their trading operations. This collaboration further mirrors our mandate to boost the competitiveness of UAE exporters and protect their receivables when operating in international markets.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC said: DMCC is proud to enhance the ease of doing business and create more trade opportunities between different markets and for its 18,000 members by joining the World Logistics Passport. The transformation of logistics, supply chains and distribution channels through projects such as this one without a doubt add immeasurable value to world trade and unlock a host of opportunities. Such initiatives also allow us to continue to attract, facilitate and drive trade flows through Dubai and maintain the Emirates position as a leading trade hub.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer, flydubai: flydubai has always been committed to facilitating trade and connectivity through Dubais aviation hub, and by joining the World Logistics Passport, we have taken this a step further. We are delighted to support the Dubai Silk Road initiative and we look forward to providing cargo solutions across the flydubai network and beyond through our partnership with Emirates SkyCargo.

The WLP was launched at the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, and bringing together Dubai Customs, DP World, Emirates and Dnata. Over 65 benefits will be available to members and partners, ranging from increased trade revenue for businesses, increased fee generation for state trade authorities, tax revenues, connection of customs departments, to global knowledge sharing networks. A pilot project, operational since July 2019, has already increased trade between members by more than 10 percent. -TradeArabia News Service
How can we extol sanity from insanity? We need lucidity, clarity, and reason but this is a world gone mad and our brains are taxed.



We need relief after the heavy and weary year of 2020, but the clouds are gathering, thicker than ever and here we go again.



Is 2020 really gone, or is it reluctant to leave this murky, dark, unintelligible world?



There is much fear and fluster, disturbance and distress, doubt and disquietude, a hodge-podge of uneasiness in this new year already, haunted by the tall shadow of the cursed 2020. It seems incapable of chasing away those Delphic dawdling, hemming and hawing of its predecessor.



We should simply start over again, despite the past weeks  may we heartily wish you all a very Happy New Year, starting in February  perhaps hoping it will be different.



Our fear is that difference may be to the worst. No, we are not bearers of doom and gloom, just trying to face the future head on.



Coping with a severe winter, we are assaulted with yet another spike of that pesky virus that is taking even more lives, infecting more victims, without control.



How about the much-flouted vaccine? Yes indeed, the vaccine will end our sea of troubles. Quite the contrary. Things seem more obscure, foggy, smoggy and befuddling. We are waddling in a sea of ink, unable to swim, float or sink.



We recall the old nonsense childrens nursery rhymes, such as this one: If all the world were paper/ If all the seas were ink/ If all the trees were bread and cheese/ What would we have to drink? What indeed?



Plunged in an inky sea is not easy. Allegorically, it has been alluded to in the holy books as a time of sadness, isolation and trouble.



Trouble it is when scientists are still pondering about the effectiveness, the doses, the availability and the timing between the vaccine shots. How does that make you feel? It is little wonder that there are negatives in terms of trust in the process.



Since there are not enough doses, the elderly were designated as first in line. A sane decision, but when Norway announces that over two dozen of its seniors have died as a result of the vaccine, you are horror-stricken. These people were actually killed by the very treatment that was to save the world.



Other deaths have been reported in other countries but the news was hushed up by the various pharmaceutical companies producing them. The tragedy has been dismissed by authorities that these fatalities would have occurred anyway, sooner or later. How glib, how heartless, how inhuman. Is that what we have been reduced to?



Every hour of every day of every life is precious, what if it is your life? How about those who love you? They hang on to your every breath.



The reality is that if all the laboratories work on producing vaccines, the estimate is about two billion by 2022. So far the world has five billion adult inhabitants and this virus is relentless  multiplying, mutating jumping from human to human, wherever they are found.



This almost calls for a new nursery rhyme, a parody on death and destruction, such as the one referring to the Great Plague of 1666 and they all fall down. Who do you think will suffer the most? The needy nations, the struggling poor, who will never see the vaccine.



Every country has been affected and infected. In Southeast Asia, 1.2 million have been infected, and 30 million are unemployed.



The recession is catching up with the new year. A dry capital market has reduced investment. Tourism is sluggish. Those who do have jobs are not likely to spend money, causing a wider economic collapse.



Only one winner in these inky seas: big business, big tech, big pharmaceuticals and big powers.



Come on, 2021. Do something to push this immovable black cloud from our skies. Give us hope.



Well, there is a new president in the largest democracy in the world, with a whole new outlook, that should bring clarity, hope and optimism.



Yes and no. The message was unity, but when 25 executive orders cancelling previous administrations successes are issued on his first day in power, that sounds reckless, creating more division.



Once a self-sufficient oil-producing country, production methods are now scratched and oil prices will rise.



We need good news. Seventeen million non-legal residents will eventually receive amnesty, adding to the rising number of unemployment. That is good news, for them not for the long lists of legal applicants waiting in line for their turn.



There is more good news. Armies of refugees trying to enter the US illegally will find it much easier: less restrictions, detentions, etc. They will be welcome and live off the legal tax-payers of the country.



Sliding slowly into a less democratic regimen, we quote from the famous book of British economist Frederick Hayek The Road to Serfdom (1944): Abandonment of individualism eventually leads to a loss of freedom, particularly freedom of speech. Socialism is a hypocritical system because of its professed humanitarian goals. Progressivism, authoritarianism, and socialism all have the same roots.



More questions than the new year can answer. Most important of all is the vaccine. London Bridge is falling down, destroyed at the hands of Olaf II of Norway.



Time for a new pleasing rhyme. Tomorrow is another day.







To fear the worst oft cures the worse.



William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

*A version of this article appears in print in the 28 January, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar led the flag-raising ceremony, then celebrated a Eucharistic service of thanksgiving. The prelate stressed God's blessing and protection in this time of crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He reminded the faithful of the importance of caring for the environment.

Mumbai (AsiaNews)  Odisha Catholic Church celebrated Indias Republic Day with migrant tribal communities, who are among societys most neglected groups.

This morning, Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar (pictured) marked the 72nd anniversary of the birth of the modern Indian state together with migrant tribal families in Jankipada, Vasai East, where only Chotanagpur tribal migrants or Adivasi originally from Odisha, Chattisgarh, and Jharkhand, live.

At 7.30 am, the prelate led the flag-raising ceremony, then celebrated the Eucharist together with migrant tribal families in Vasai.

In his homily, Mgr Barwa said that We are alive because we are blessed. God is with us; he has preserved us. Let us continue and preserve our Christian identity through our works and our relations.

Asked by AsiaNews, the archbishop said that the experience was fantastic, beautiful; it was truly moving because it was shared with my people, with over 200 families celebrating, joyful and enthusiastic who spent weeks preparing.

The pandemic and the suffering caused by the lockdown have not diminished their joy. Everyone celebrated Thanksgiving, asking for both protection from COVID, and thanking God for Indias Republic Day and our constitution as a secular state.

Addressing the faithful, Archbishop Barwa encouraged them to focus on shaping the faith path and raising children because it is important to have motivation, competitive minds and critical thinking.

People must care for the environment. Although they live far from their Chotanagpur plateau, I encouraged them to share their rich tribal culture and wisdom with others and contribute to the environment and ecology of the regions where they now live.

Indian Republic Day celebrations were organised by the Pahunch Foundation, which is active in Jankipada and Shanti Pada (Vasai) with tribal migrants and Adivasi from Chattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand. (NC)
Mumbai, Jan 26 : Amrita Puri's debut Bollywood role in the 2010 release Aisha got her noticed, and although she has been applauded for her performances in films like Kai Po Che! and Judgementall Hai Kya since then, she has largely remains underrated.

Amrita has once again garnered positive reviews and audience applause for her role in the new web series, Jeet Ki Zid. Taking a pragmatic line, the actress says it is tough to find a balance between quality and quantity in the Hindi film industry.

"I think it is tough to maintain visibility with quality work. Quantity wise, it is possible. If we look at the kind of work that is out there, even on OTT platforms, most of the stories are male-centric, where the part of a female character is not quite unique and well written. So to find a space where you get to play a character that satisfies an actor like me is limited. I think that space needs to be expanded, so that actors like me, who try to find the balance of quality and quantity, can become visible. Having said that, I see the scene is changing and that is why I bagged a role like Jaya in 'Jeet Ki Zid'," Amrita told IANS.

In the web series 'Jeet Ki Zid', she plays Jaya Singh, wife of Indian Army Special Forces officer Deependra Singh Sengar (played by Amit Sadh). Her character revolves around how she motivates Deep to overcome physical and emotional challenges and bounce-back in life once he comes back wheelchair-bound from the Kargil War.

Asked about her criteria of choosing a project, Amrita replied: "For me, it is about the opportunity to perform as an actor (that matters). So, it is not like I am visible in an entire film as an arm candy, doing nothing. Rather I would go for one episode in a big web series, like the one I did in 'Made In Heaven' or even in 'Four More Shorts Please!'. I did not play a lead in these shows but I found the characters interesting and impactful." The Zee 5 show Jeet Ki Zid, directed by Vishal Mangalorkar, also features Sushant Singh, Ali Goni, Mrinal Kulkarni, and Gagan Randhawa.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / Pelangio Exploration Inc. (TSXV:PX)(OTC PINK:PGXPF) ("Pelangio" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it will continue to exercise its option on its Dome West property in Timmins, Ontario, by making a cash payment of $75,000 and issuing 100,000 common shares of the Company to Francois Desrosiers and to 6398651 Canada Inc., the optionees, in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

Highlights of the Dome West Property

10 claims, located 800 meters ("m") west of Newmont's Dome Mine and 450 meters northwest of the former Paymaster Mine (see figure 1);

Gold mineralization was intersected proximal to the Dome West Property in historical underground drilling from the Paymaster Mine 1000-foot level: Paymaster drill hole PM10155, with an azimuth of 20 degrees and an inclination of -12 degrees collared at the 1000-foot level of the Paymaster Mine, intersected 1.74 oz/ton gold over 6.5 ft from 75 to 81.5 feet down hole. This intersection is approximately 82m southeast of the southeast corner of the Dome West Property. (Reference: Copy of Original Paymaster Drill Log PM10155 & Assessment File Level Plan File T-125) A second horizontal drill hole, PM10156, at azimuth 20 degrees from the same collar location as hole PM10155 at the 1000-foot level of the Paymaster Mine, returned 0.63 oz/ton gold over 6 feet , from 941 to 947 feet down hole. This intercept is located approximately 176 meters east of the property boundary. (Reference: Copy of Original Paymaster Drill Log PM10156 & Assessment File Level Plan File T-125) The initial gold intercept in Paymaster hole PM10155 is interpreted to be associated with the same porphyritic intrusive intersected in Pelangio's drill hole DW1901. (Reference: Ontario Resident Geologist Assessment File T125 and OGS Report 58; Ferguson, S.1968);

Initial drilling by Pelangio in 2019 intersected 3.21 g/t gold over 1.25m (including 4.754 g/t Au over 0.75m) in DW1901 ( see Pelangio press release June 13, 2019 ). The hole also confirmed the presence of prospective Tisdale Group stratigraphy, variolitic flows, and porphyritic intrusives known to be associated with gold deposits at the adjoining Dome and Paymaster Mines and represented the first known recorded gold intercept on the Dome West property.

The hole also confirmed the presence of prospective Tisdale Group stratigraphy, variolitic flows, and porphyritic intrusives known to be associated with gold deposits at the adjoining Dome and Paymaster Mines and represented the first known recorded gold intercept on the Dome West property. The prospective stratigraphy stretches for 400 meters across the property and remains virtually untested. Note, the reader is cautioned that mineralization on adjoining lands is not necessarily representative of mineralization on the subject property.

Future Plans

The Company has proposed a 700 meter drill program. Drill holes will target potential new gold veins associated with the porphyritic intrusive intersected during Pelangio's first drill program. Planned exploration and advancement of the Dome West project was curtailed in early 2020 due to certain COVID-19 access restrictions by surface rights holders. Pelangio is working in concert with surface rights holders to monitor the COVID-19 situation in Timmins; and a return to work will be initiated when it is deemed safe to do so by both parties. As a result of this unforeseen delay in work progress, Pelangio has exercised the "force majeure" clause in the option agreement in order to extend the time required for the work commitments to be made on the property, as per the terms of the option agreement.

Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEO commented, "This highly prospective gold project has excellent potential within our Canadian portfolio, with its strategic location adjacent to the second largest gold producer in Timmins. As such, we are pleased to continue to exercise our option agreement and look forward to future exploration efforts on the property once the pandemic situation improves and it is safe to continue to access the property."

Figure 1: Location of the Dome West property in reference to the Dome Mine and other strategically located mine properties



Qualified Person

Mr. Kevin Filo, P.Geo. (Ontario), is a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Filo approved the technical data disclosed in this release.

About Pelangio

Pelangio acquires and explores world-class gold belt land packages Ghana, West Africa and Canada. In Ghana, the Company is exploring its two 100% owned camp-sized properties: the 100 km2 Manfo property, the site of seven near-surface gold discoveries, and the 284 km2 Obuasi property, located 4 km on strike and adjacent to AngloGold Ashanti's prolific high-grade Obuasi Mine, as well as the newly optioned Dankran property located adjacent to its Obuasi property. In Canada, the Company is currently focused in Ontario on its Grenfell property, located 10 km from Kirkland Lake, at its Dome West property, situated some 800 meters from the Dome Mine in Timmins and is advancing its Hailstone property in Saskatchewan. See www.pelangio.com for further detail.

For additional information, please visit our website, or contact:

Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEO

Tel: 905-336-3828

Toll-free: 1-877-746-1632

Email: info@pelangio.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements or information appear in a number of places and can be identified by the use of words 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 statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information include statements regarding the Company's ability to complete the planned work programs, the Company's strategy of acquiring large land packages in areas of sizeable gold mineralization, the Company's plans to follow-up on previous work, and the Company's exploration plans. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, we have made numerous assumptions, including assumptions about the state of the equity markets. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to 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 statement or information. Such risks include the changes in equity markets, share price volatility, volatility of global and local economic climate, gold price volatility, political developments in Ghana, and Canada, increases in costs, exchange rate fluctuations, speculative nature of gold exploration, including the risk that favourable exploration results may not be obtained, delays due to COVID-19 safety protocols, and other risks involved in the gold exploration industry. See the Company's annual and quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statement and information. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward- looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. All forward-looking statements and information herein are qualified by this cautionary statement.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Pelangio Exploration Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/626033/Pelangio-Continues-With-Option-at-Dome-West-Property--Timmins-Ontario
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The charges accusing Ghislaine Maxwell of grooming Jeffery Epsteins victims for sexual abuse in the mid-1990s are so thin on details that they must be dismissed, her attorneys argued in new court papers.

Lawyers for the British socialite said prosecutors carefully crafted her indictment to be so vague that she couldnt properly prepare a defense.

Ms. Maxwell is innocent and should not have to guess about what evidence the Government claims warrants her continual incarceration but stubbornly refuses to identify or disclose, Maxwells attorney Jeffrey Pagliuca wrote in papers filed Monday night.

Maxwells defense team said they still dont know exactly when and where she is alleged to have enticed Epsteins underage victims.

Because there are no dates provided, other than a three-year period beginning (perhaps) 27 years in the past, Ms. Maxwell cannot properly investigate where she and other witnesses were when the alleged crime supposedly occurred, Pagliuca wrote.

He asks Manhattan Federal Judge Alison Nathan to toss four of the six counts against Maxwell for lack of specificity.

Maxwell, Epsteins former girlfriend, has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center on the Brooklyn waterfront since her arrest at a New Hampshire estate in July. Prosecutors said she played a critical role in Epsteins underage sex trafficking scheme by befriending girls and normalizing abuse.

Epstein hanged himself in August 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.

In separate court papers, Maxwell argued she should face a separate trial on charges she lied under oath in 2016. Shes accused of making false statements in connection with a civil suit brought by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre.

The plaintiff in the defamation action, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, made wild and false accusations that she had been sexually trafficked by Epstein and Ms. Maxwell to dozens of famous politicians, professors, foreign leaders, and others, Pagliuca wrote.

Additional legal challenges to Maxwells indictment were filed under seal. Her trial is scheduled for July.
Yazmin Oukhellou has revealed she underwent her 'traumatic' brazilian bum lift after being subjected to cruel comments online about her body.

The TOWIE star, 26, flew to Turkey to have the procedure done and admitted she didn't do as much research as she should have had before going under the knife.

Telling new! magazine how she now feels better about herself in a swimsuit, Yazmin shared a sizzling bikini snap to Instagram on Tuesday as she continues her Dubai 'work trip' with boyfriend James Lock.

Under the knife: Yazmin Oukhellou has revealed she underwent her 'traumatic' brazilian bum lift after being subjected to cruel comments online about her body

Yazmin said of her surgery: 'It's quite traumatic. I really don't want people thinking I'm promoting it to young girls... It's not something I'm encouraging people to go out and get, but it's made me feel a lot better in a swimsuit.'

The reality star, who previously had a breast augmentation and a nose job, told how she doesn't think she would have had the bum lift if she wasn't in the public eye.

She said: 'If I wasn't in this industry, I don't know if I'd have got it done. It is hard. I make out the comments don't bother me, but they do.

'Sometimes if I would wear certain things I'd get comments like, "is she having a baby?" and, "someone's put on the pounds!" When I first started TOWIE, the abuse I was getting for my nose was awful. So I got a nose job!'

Results: The TOWIE star flew to Turkey to have the procedure done and admitted she didn't do as much research as she should have had before going under the knife

Yazmin added that James told her she did not need to go under the knife but can see how it has improved her confidence.

The star kept her plans to get the procedure quiet, only telling her mother she was having surgery after it was already booked so she couldn't talk her out of it.

Yazmin, who said she suffers from low self-esteem, has realised she needs to fix herself 'within', rather than having more surgeries.

The brunette added that she feels a lot of pressure to look good while in the limelight, saying there is a lot of competition in the industry.

Honest: The reality star, who previously had a breast augmentation and a nose job, told how she doesn't think she would have had the bum lift if she wasn't in the public eye

Yazmin also admitted she would love to be the UK's Kim Kardashian but insisted she won't get a bum 'as big as hers'.

The TV star said she doesn't have any concerns about the aftermath of the surgery except for that her skin will stretch when she becomes pregnant in the future.

Yazmin added that she and James want to start trying for a baby in the next few years and already have names picked out, both beginning with L.

Yazmin also hit back at critics of influencers travelling to Dubai amid the coronavirus pandemic, insisting she is there for work.

She said: 'It's quite traumatic. I really don't want people thinking I'm promoting it to young girls... go out and get, but it's made me feel a lot better in a swimsuit'

Since arriving in Dubai, the beauty has shared several sizzling updates as she made the most of her downtime by the pool.

Their Dubai holiday comes amid an increasing amount of fury over many influencers and reality stars 'bending rules' to jet abroad, which has only been heightened after Boris Johnson announced the nation would enter a third lockdown.

Yazmin had previously faced criticism from fans when she had jetted out to the city with James for 'business purposes'.

She later hit back at the backlash, explaining that she is launching a new business in Dubai in the future.

Wow! During her business trip to Dubai, the TOWIE star has been sharing regular sizzling poolside snaps to Instagram

'Just so you know, me and James have come to Dubai because I am launching something very exciting here in the New Year.

'I've had to come now to get everything set up and we will be keeping you posted,' she said in a video shared to her Instagram story.

'So we are here for work purposes, for business. Obviously we'll make the most of it while we're here as well. But we are here for business purposes.'

Several Love Island stars have also been forced to hit back at angry fans after they were criticised for jetting off on holiday during the global pandemic.

Smitten: Yazmin added that her boyfriend James Lock told her she did not need to go under the knife but can see how it has improved her confidence

It was recently revealed new rules will require international travellers to come back negative after a PCR test before arriving in England.

From 4am on January 15, passengers arriving by boat, train or plane - including UK nationals - 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 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.
[January 26, 2021] Leading Colleges and Universities Across the U.S. Select the Piazza Q&A Platform for Enhanced Virtual Learning Experiences

Piazza, the premier social learning platform, today announced tremendous growth metrics, which underscore the value of its service amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Piazza course enrollments increased by more than four times in 2020 than that of the previous year, and time a student spends on the platform jumped to an average of 4.5 hours a day. Post views on the Piazza platform exceeded 1.2 billion in 2020. Thirty thousand new classes have been added to the platform since the pandemic hit in March of 2020. The company introduced a slew of new features over the past several months to increase engagement, helping both instructors and students get the most out of their classes. As Piazza has focused on scaling to meet the steep increase in demand, it has also furthered its platform innovation and added new features requested by instructors. Piazza recently entered into several new paid enterprise agreements with the nation's top colleges, universities, and research institutions, including Georgia Tech University, University of Michigan, the University of Virginia, and multiple Ivy League schools. "COVID-19 fundamentally changed the nature and expectations associated with teaching and learning," said Piazza Founder and CEO Pooja Sankar. "The pressure has been on universities and instructors to demonstrate value to students who may not be able to learn in the traditional setting due to the pandemic. This is where Piazza has been able to step up. We've worked relentlessly to create optimal learning experiences, responding to requests and needs through product development so that instructors and students can get the most out of ther classes, no matter the environment."



Piazza has helped professors streamline conversations to address the most pressing questions that students have. Recent additions to the popular platform include Live Q&A, Duplicate Post Detection, enhanced participation analytics, as well as discipline-specific advances like improved discussion experiences for humanities and added support for Chemistry notation. Broadening Accessibility for Students and Expanding Admin Controls

As Piazza furthers its relationships with universities, it has also committed to scaling its platform to meet the increasingly nuanced demands and needs of its university customers. In the year ahead, the company is working to roll out critical enhancements focused on accessibility for those students with specific needs who require, particularly in a remote environment, added support when on-campus resources are not available to them. Also, Piazza will provide expanded admin controls that simplify enrollment management, roster synchronization, and the ability to capture usage metrics, with SAML/SSO and adhering to LTI 1.3 specification. Piazza has been used by more than 5 million students and over 100,000 professors from 2,000 schools in 90 countries worldwide, and instruction has expanded from STEM to all disciplines. For details on purchasing a license and to see a list of universities that have purchased a license, visit our license page. To learn more about Piazza's platform visit: www.piazza.com. About Piazza Piazza Q&A is the premier social learning platform today, helping more than 5 million students learn beyond the traditional classroom in more than 2,000 universities spanning 90 countries. Students from all disciplines use Piazza to work together collaboratively despite differences in learning levels, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, and instructors address their questions as they arise. While Piazza Q&A enables inclusive learning, the Piazza Network opens up career opportunities. Students in the Piazza community can opt-in to join the Network, where they can connect with potential employers as well as interact with other students in their network for career advice. Universities work with Piazza to license the Piazza Q&A platform across departments or institution wide. To learn more about all that Piazza offers, please visit www.piazza.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005439/en/

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Level Five lockdown measures will continue until at least early March, under proposals to go before Cabinet on Tuesday.

A Cabinet sub-committee met on Monday night to consider a range of new measures to combat the pandemic, including extending lockdown until March 5th  in line with Northern Ireland.

Mandatory quarantine of 14-days will be enforced for international travellers who arrive in the country without a negative PCR test taken in the previous 72-hours.

Passengers from Brazil and South Africa, where new variants of Covid-19 have emerged, will also be subject to quarantine, according to Government sources.

A full meeting of the Cabinet is to take place on Tuesday where the proposals are expected to be signed off on.

It comes as the Deputy Chief Medical Officer warned the full reopening of schools is unlikely to happen in the coming weeks as transmission of Covid-19 in the community remains too high.

The daily case tallies have dropped significantly in recent weeks due to lockdown measures, with 1,372 cases reported on Monday, compared to a high of 8,248 cases on January 8.

But while case numbers are dropping and the numbers of people in hospitals and intensive care units is beginning to plateau, it's still too early to consider reopening schools, Dr Ronan Glynn said.

Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team



The Health Protection Surveillance Centre @hpscireland has today been notified of 7 additional deaths related to COVID-19.



All of these deaths occurred in January.  Department of Health (@roinnslainte) January 25, 2021

Read More

He told a briefing on Monday evening: Its a very significant improvement over the past couple of weeks and where we were.

But were still at a level of disease that is way, way higher than where we want to be, or need to be in general terms.

All I can say is that, from our perspective, right now is not the time to see mobility of over a million people that would be associated with the full reopening of education.

In the first instance we need to be assured that the improvements that weve seen in the disease numbers, in the trajectory, is continuing. And that we dont now plateau at where we are. We need to see a continued improvement.

He added: I cant see it happening in the next fortnight for sure.

A Cabinet sub-committee is meeting on Monday evening to discuss current restrictions  including the implementation of stricter quarantine rules for international travellers.

Any measure that reduces passengers coming into this country for non-essential purposes we welcome, Dr Glynn said.

Despite all of the hard work that we're doing, it is going to take a long time for numbers in hospital to reduce. Dr Ronan Glynn

Dr Glynn said there are positive signs, with the number of hospital admissions per day decreasing for the last two weeks.

He said: It peaked at around 140 admissions per day, on average, its below 100 over the last seven days, and we saw 74 admissions or confirmations today. The number in ICU plateauing at over 200.

However, he said the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) expects those numbers to remain very high for weeks to come.

He said: Despite all of the hard work that were doing, it is going to take a long time for numbers in hospital to reduce.

We do expect to see numbers in hospital at or above 1000, even out to the end of February.

In terms of numbers of people in critical care, we expect to see that start to reduce over the coming week. But again, likely to remain above 100, well out to the end of February.

Im saying that so that people prepare for that or not disheartened by the fact that it is going to take a long time to bring the burden on our healthcare system back down to reasonable levels.

Face coverings can help to reduce the spread of #coronavirus. They should:

cover the nose & go under the chin

fit snugly against the side of the faceaa

be secured with ties or ear loopsaa

include at least 2 layers of fabricaa

allow for unrestricted breathing pic.twitter.com/LPFpjJGNsx  HSE Ireland (@HSELive) January 25, 2021

Dr Glynn said the number of close contacts reported by confirmed cases has dropped and is remaining low.

He said: That indicator, the number of close contacts per case has been below 2.5 since the beginning of January.

People are maintaining that effort and the numbers of contacts remains low.

Thats a little bit different from what we saw in October, where numbers of contacts came down to a low level and then immediately began to drift back up.

Here the context came down to a low level, and are remaining low. And thats something that we need to feed back to people.

We can clearly see the efforts that theyre making to stay apart, to prevent transmission of the virus.

There were seven additional deaths linked to Covid-19 on Monday, and an additional 1,372 cases.

The number of people in intensive care units has increased by one, to 219, according to the latest figures.
A spokesman for the German health ministry joined AstraZeneca in dismissing reports by two German newspapers that the British drugmaker's Covid-19 vaccine was less effective in the elderly.

Jens Spahn said he expected European authorities to approve the third vaccine against Covid-19 on Friday.

Late on Monday, Handelsblatt and Bild each reported that the vaccine had an efficacy of less than 10pc in those over 65 and that the German government was bracing for the European healthcare regulator to only clear it for those below that age.

AstraZeneca described the reports as "completely incorrect".

Read More

When asked about the prospect of an approval only for younger adults, Spahn's spokesman said this was up to EU regulators and that AstraZeneca trials had a lower rate of elderly participants than competing vaccine developers.

Separately, the health minister supported European Union proposals to introduce restrictions on Covid-19 vaccines on Tuesday as tensions grew with AstraZeneca and Pfizer over sudden supply cuts just a month after the bloc started vaccinating citizens.

The EU has proposed setting up a register of vaccine exports, amid frustration over delays in deliveries of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 shot and other supply problems.

"I can understand that there are production problems but then it must affect everyone in the same way," Health Minister Jens Spahn told ZDF television.

"This is not about Europe first but about Europe's fair share," he said, adding it therefore made sense to have export limits on vaccines.

VACCINE DELAYS

AstraZeneca told the 27-country EU on Friday it could not meet supply targets for its vaccine up to the end of March - a further blow to the bloc's pandemic efforts after Pfizer announced a temporary slowdown in supplies in January.

AstraZeneca said on Monday its Chief Executive had told the EU it was doing everything it can to bring the vaccine to millions of Europeans as soon as possible.

An EU official has told Reuters AstraZeneca had received an upfront payment of 336 million euros when the EU sealed a deal with the company in August for at least 300 million doses and an option for another 100 million. The deal was the first signed by the bloc to secure Covid-19 shots.

That was after the United States in May secured 300 million doses for up to $1.2 billion, and Britain, also in May, secured 100 million doses for 84 million pounds ($114 million).

Britain's vaccine deployment minister Nadhim Zahawi said that although supplies were tight, he was confident Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna would meet their commitments.

"Any new manufacturing process is going to have challenges, it's lumpy and bumpy, (then) it gets better, it stabilises and improves going forward," he told BBC TV on Tuesday.
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(Alliance News) - Ireland's target remains to vaccinate every adult in the country by September, despite disruptions to the supply chain, the upper house of the country's legislature, has heard.

Junior Minister Anne Rabbitte, speaking on behalf of the Health Minister, said the Irish government has "significant concerns" that one vaccine producer, AstraZeneca PLC, will be unable to meet its initial delivery commitments.

This has led to some "adjustments" to the government's target of vaccinating 700,000 people by the end of March, Rabbitte said.

The goal of vaccinating all adults by September remains the target, but it is contingent on steady flow of vaccines.

Rabbitte said: "The minister for health previously stated that he expected all adult residents to be vaccinated by September.

"That remains our target.

"However, as Minister Donnelly stressed, it is contingent on existing commitments on the approval, supply and delivery of vaccines."

The AstraZeneca vaccine is crucial to the government's planned vaccine delivery schedule.

It is scheduled for approval by the European Medicines Agency on Friday, but the company recently announced it will initially supply considerably fewer doses than agreed with the EU.

The announcement has caused outrage in the EU, which pre-financed the production and delivery of the vaccine.

The new delivery schedule is "not acceptable", European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has warned the company.

On Tuesday, Rabbitte also criticised the company over the delays.

She said: "Of significant concern is the recent indication that AstraZeneca will not be available to meet its initial delivery commitments.

"It is estimated that deliveries in February will be at the low range of what was anticipated, and there will be further significant impact in March.

"The Department of Health is monitoring this change of situation, and is continually engaging with the commission and the company.

"The minister is very concerned that this supply issue was only communicated to the member states just a week before the scheduled authorisation was to be given for the vaccine."

Rabbitte also warned that the arrival of the vaccines and the prospect of a return to normality "gives rise to public expectation that cannot be met in the short term".

The EU had expected to receive 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the first quarter of the year.

It is now feared it will receive only half that amount.

Brussels has threatened to block exports of Covid-19 vaccines outside of the bloc as a result of the ongoing row.

As of Sunday, the HSE has administered 143,000 vaccine doses in Ireland.

Two doses delivered three or four weeks apart are required for the vaccines currently in use in Ireland, Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc.

The HSE began administration of the second doses of the vaccine last week.

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Barilla and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) will receive the premiere 2021 Catalyst Award on March 17-18, 2021, for initiatives that have accelerated progress for women and elevated inclusion within their organizations.

The theme for the Catalyst Awards virtual event is "Progress Won't PauseEquity Can't Wait." It signals the continued and steadfast efforts of organizations committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion at this heralded global convening of corporate leaders.

More than 5,000 attendees are expected at the virtual event, including the Catalyst Board of Directors and Catalyst CEO Champions For Change. Executives from top global corporations, professional firms, governments, NGOs, and educational institutions will convene at the 2021 Catalyst Awards, chaired by Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture.

The organizational initiatives receiving this year's Catalyst Awards are:

Barilla: An Italian Family-Owned Company's Journey to Global InclusionBarilla is being honored for its turnaround to become a model of inclusion for their LGBTQ+ employees and all underrepresented groups working for the family-owned company.

From 2013 to 2020, women's representation increased in Barilla's direct reports to the CEO from 8% to 28%. From 2014 to 2020, women's representation also increased in the direct reports to the Global Leadership Team from 23% to 36%; direct reports to senior leaders from 40% to 47%; and all women in leadership positions globally increased from 33% to 38%.

Barilla achieved gender pay equality in 2020 globally for all employees. It was also one of the first companies in Italy to achieve many inclusion milestones, such as formalizing flexible working around the world and becoming the first Italian company to support the United Nations Standards of Conduct for Business Against LGBTQ+ Discrimination in the Workplace.

RBC: Speak Up for InclusionRBC's global culture change initiative, Speak Up For Inclusion, began with a refresh of the bank's five-year Diversity & Inclusion Blueprint, which outlines RBC's overall strategic diversity and inclusion priorities, driven by RBC's Diversity and Inclusion Center of Expertise (D&I CoE) and supported by senior leaders on the bank's Diversity Leadership Council, chaired by RBC's President and Chief Executive Officer, Dave McKay.

Women's representation on RBC's board of directors increased from 31% in 2015 to 38% in 2019and as of the end of RBC's fiscal year 2020, it was at 47%. From 2015 to 2019, the representation of women executives in Canada rose from 38% to 46%. And its leadership development programs such as Women in Leadership and Ignite help advance the careers of high-potential women and people of colour.

RBC's 41 Employee Resources Groups (ERGs)with over 27,000 members globallyadvise RBC's D&I strategy and play a major role in grassroots workplace inclusion efforts. The Speak Up for Inclusion video series encourages everyone in the business community to call out discrimination and give space to the voices and experiences of people from underrepresented groups in the workplace.

"We applaud Barilla and RBC for these initiatives that have proactively cultivated inclusive cultures for women and everyone within their organizations," said Lorraine Hariton, President and CEO, Catalyst. "Their singular commitment to increasing the representation of women in their leadership ranksand holding themselves accountable to develop and empower talent in the face of challengesdemonstrates that progress won't pause."

The 2021 Catalyst Awards, Catalyst's signature fundraiser, will feature programming throughout the month of March, including keynote presentations, various sessions and activities, extensive networking, a partner and exhibitor lounge, and a diverse resource library.

The virtual event will feature working sessions and a "Progress Won't Pause Hall" highlighting Catalyst's focus areas:

Gender Partnerships

Advancing Women

Lead for Equity and Inclusion

Future of Work

Target Corporation is the virtual event's presenting sponsor.

Learn more about registration for the 2021 Catalyst Awards virtual event. For specific questions, please contact [email protected].

Join the 2021 Catalyst Awards conversation by following Catalyst on Facebook.com/CatalystInc, Instagram.com/CatalystInc, and Twitter.com/CatalystInc, using the hashtags #ProgressWontPause and #CatalystAwards2021.

About Catalyst

Catalyst is a global nonprofit working with some of the world's most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with pioneering research, practical tools, and proven solutions to accelerate and advance women into leadershipbecause progress for women is progress for everyone.

Media Contacts:

Naomi R. Patton

Vice President, Global Communications

Catalyst

[email protected]

Stephanie Wolf

US Communications Consultant

Catalyst

[email protected]

SOURCE Catalyst

Related Links

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Student Leaves Small African Country to Find Open Arms and Unexpected Success at WSU

January 25, 2021

OGDEN, Utah  With $100 in his pocket and just enough English to enroll, one student went from leaving a poor country in Africa to pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree at Weber State University.

With a big smile and bigger heart, Rodrigue Kissou, is an international student from one of the world's poorest countries, Burkina Faso. This landlocked country situated in the heart of west Africa is slightly larger than Utah, but with six times the population and less than 10% of Utah's median annual income.

With geography, poverty, political instability and history stacked against him, Kissou had one thing on his side: an educated father who was determined to see his son succeed.

Seven years, six part-time jobs, three associates degrees, one bachelor of science degree, multiple awards, four high-level internships, and thousands of hours of studying later, Kissou will fulfill his and his fathers dreams of receiving an MBA from Weber State in April 2021.

Kissous journey began with few options possible because of his father's limited finances. In January 2014, he enrolled at Snow College in central Utah and left Africa's heat for Utah's freezing winters.

This first journey was no easy task. In 2014, a coup overthrew the government of Burkina Faso and brought the economy to a halt. The support from Kissou's father came to a halt as well.

Facing deportation due to mounting tuition and no way to increase work, Kissou was awarded the first Inspirational Student of the Year scholarship at Snow College.

After three years at Snow College working as a custodian, at a second job in the registrar's office, and a third job helping an elderly couple do yard work on weekends, Kissou graduated with three associate's degrees: business, science and art.

When Kissou met the WSU international admissions team, he recalled: The admission officers described Weber with small class sizes, tuition waivers for those who live on campus, and excellent faculty and staff members. From that day, I decided that I would go to Weber for the rest of my undergraduate and graduate school, even though I had not yet been admitted.

While taking 16-17 credit hours a semester at WSU, Kissou delivered papers for The Signpost until his car broke, worked as a cook at the Wildcat Village apartments, and was finally a resident assistant.

While completing his undergraduate degree in international economics at WSU, Kissou was also recognized for his hard work and drive with two scholarships: one from the Department of Economics and one from the John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics. He was selected from hundreds of recipients to speak at the annual Goddard Scholarship banquet.

On his MBA application, Kissou wrote, At Weber, I found myself. I found a family and I never felt alone. At Weber, my confidence grew and instilled in me a belief that I will succeed in Weber's MBA program.

Kissous drive, combined with caring faculty and staff, provided him an opportunity he never imagined. Brett Merrell, career services director at the Goddard School, guided Kissou to master the interview, use his story to sell his resume, land two internships, and finally, to be accepted into the MBA program.

Rodrigue is an incredible example of what it takes to win, Merrell said. He has overcome geographic, cultural, financial and language challenges that most of us would give up on. As he faces these obstacles, he is always positive, upbeat and never gives up.

In the face of adversity, growing up in an impoverished country and navigating higher education abroad, Kissou has set the standard high for pressing on and succeeding. In April 2021, he will be hooded with an MBA and return home to Burkina Faso.

I also want to start a foundation where I can help children who do not have a chance in life to get an education, to finally get an education, have a place they can call home, get a job and succeed in their lives, Kissou said.

Weber State University's MBA program has an exceptional track record of preparing working professionals and full-time students for leadership and decision-making roles in various organizational settings both locally and worldwide.

The WSU MBA program is ranked the No. 1 MBA program in Utah for Return on Tuition Investment (ROI), allowing students like Kissou to enter, succeed and move on to make a difference, wherever in the world it may be.

Kissou speaks of his journey in this short video.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.

For photos, visit the following links.

wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Colleges-and-Departments/Business-and-Economics-John-B-/Rodrigue-Kissou

wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2021-Photos/January-2021/i-cSZpf8F/A

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The devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being tallied, both in terms of lives and livelihoods lost. In addition to the millions of dead, the millions more whove been infected (including some who face long-term physical damage), theres the psychological and emotional harm of extended isolation and the millions who face financial ruin. In the midst of all of that, we are now learning of another, less obvious, but just as deadly fallout from the pandemic.

Each January, Open Doors, an organization committed to serving persecuted Christians worldwide, releases their World Watch List. The list documents the 50 countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christian, highlights global trends in religious persecution and provides unique insights into the global persecuted church.

In many ways, the 2021 report resembles those of previous years. North Korea is still at the top of the list, followed by Afghanistan. As in previous years, the list is dominated by either communist governments or overwhelmingly Islamic countries. Christian persecution in these countries may take the form of discrimination, restrictions on religious practice, imprisonment, violence, or killings. The persecution may come at the hands of the state or at the hands of private actors with the state looking the other way.

However, the 2021 World Watch List does differ from those in previous years in a very important way. The COVID-19 pandemic has, and I quote, exposed the ugliness of Christian persecution in a new way.

For example, in India, COVID-19 food relief has been used by some radical Hindu government officials to pressure Indian Christians to renounce their faith. In some regions of India, Christians are last in line to receive aid, including food. As a result, some Christians there are being forced to travel long distances in order to receive help. Some are forced to hide their Christian identity. Similar reports are emerging from other countries around the world, including Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam, Malaysia, Yemen, and Sudan.

In some parts of Pakistan, the combination of COVID-19 and anti-Christian discrimination have wiped out Christian-owned businesses. Christians already struggling to make ends meet have found their Muslim neighbors using the coronavirus as a pretext to shut them down altogether. In the Kaduna State of Nigeria, Christians who were already facing genocidal violence at the hands of Islamists and Fulani herdsmen are, according to Open Doors, receiving only one-sixth of the rations allocated to Muslim families.

In addition to the health and economic pressures, authoritarian governments around the world have used COVID-19 to consolidate power and further restrict religious activities they deem to be a threat to their authority. In China, a series of strange and anonymous messages on social media blamed Christian religious activities for a rise in COVID-19 in Hebei province. It was fake news, but it still put Christians in the crosshairs of local authorities looking for an excuse to crack down on their activities.

Chinas legendary surveillance capability was used to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Already well on the way to implementing a tyrannical social credit system to monitor the loyalty and compliance of its citizens, during COVID, China has used surveillance to further scrutinize Christians and other religious minorities. Similarly, India, which has been steadily moving up the World Watch List in recent years, had already created whats been called the most sophisticated ID program in the world, AADHAAR. Nearly 40 percent of the worlds population live in these two countries, countries that are already hostile to Christians and are actively perfecting ways to surveil their populations. To call it ominous would be an understatement.

Open Doors is right to warn us how COVID opportunism and the potential danger of creeping surveillance threatens religious freedom. Please, pray for persecuted Christians around the world. If you come to BreakPoint.org, I will link you to Open Doors 2021 World Watch List. It will help you pray in a more informed manner. And please, share it widely, especially with your pastor and elected officials.

Originally published at Break Point
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  President Rodrigo Duterte has allowed the resumption of limited in-person classes in medical and allied health programs in higher education institutions in areas under the general community quarantine and modified GCQ areas.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the confirmation in his briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday.

"Ito po ay sa mga med schools and iyong mga medical allied programs sa mga higher education institutions sa MGCQ and para sa higher education institutions in GCQ areas with base hospitals that cater to COVID-19 patients," Roque said.

[Translation: This is for med schools and medical allied programs of higher education institutions under MGCQ and HEIs in GCQ areas with base hospitals that cater to COVID-19 patients.]

"Pag di natin ipagpatuloy yan, dadating ang panahon wala tayong graduates (If this does not push through, there will come a time that we won't have graduates). And with a pandemic, we need all the doctors we can have," Roque added.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases previously allowed the University of the Philippines to resume the face-to-face medical internship program at the Philippine General Hospital as early as October as an exemption under the community quarantine guidelines.

The IATF also earlier allowed face-to-face trainings and assessments of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and other technical vocational institutions in MGCQ and GCQ areas.

READ: Limited face-to-face trainings for TESDA, tech-voc schools now allowed in GCQ areas
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  A House lawmaker has proposed that athletes vying for slots in the SEA Games and 2021 Olympics be prioritized for coronavirus vaccines by considering them as frontliners.

1-PACMAN Party-list Rep. Michael Romero on Tuesday filed House Resolution No. 1507 asking that some athletes be prioritized so they could participate in qualifying events this year.

"It is imperative that our national athletes should be classified as frontliners, in order to prioritize their vaccination against COVID-19 at the soonest possible time, to ensure they will be allowed to participate in the qualifying stages," the resolution stated.

The Department of Health has yet to issue a comment on the matter.

Romero added that a national athlete's main focus is to bring honor and glory to the country.

Health care workers, indigent senior citizens, remaining senior citizens, and the indigent population are the priority groups in the government's vaccination program.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said based on current negotiations, the government expects to be able to purchase at least 148 million doses from around seven vaccine manufacturers. If this goes as planned, around 50 to 70 million Filipinos could be given shots by the end of 2021, he added. The government targets to immunize at least 60 to 65 percent of the population in a bid to achieve "herd immunity."
The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce is launching a new high-tech networking program that puts people together with common objectives for a series of controlled get-togethers.

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce is launching a new high-tech networking program that puts people together with common objectives for a series of controlled get-togethers.

The program, called Business Crews, is being done in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, which has been running the program since 2017.

Using specialized algorithms, the program will put together the same group of 15 to 20 people who have similar business concerns, challenges and objectives for four, two-hour sessions that are hosted by professional facilitators.

Chamber president Loren Remillard said the early response has been enthusiastic.

"We have always heard from our members, even before the pandemic, that there is a need to develop meaningful relationships with other business people," he said. "We have lost that. You can connect with people over Zoom but it is really difficult to replace meaningful relationships."

With the first session scheduled to start March 15, they will initially be conducted virtually but it will revert to in-person meetings when that is allowed.

The meetings are designed to forge new relationships by conversations over shared business interests.

"Winnipeg is a word-of-mouth town," Remillard said. "Relationships matter. This will set participants up for success in their business relationships."

He stressed that the Business Crews is not a "leads club" but having said that the Montreal experience  about 1,000 people have participated in the program over the past three years  has reported that three out of four participants were able to find new business often with connections from the other participants own networks.

The secret to the success is the matchmaking functionality of the algorithm designed to engender lasting relationships forged in a safe environment.

Remillard hopes there will be enough applicants so that everyone will be matched with the right cohort but it will be able to go ahead even if there is only enough for one group.

There is a cost to the program  $224 for chamber members, $305 for others  perhaps adding a little more incentive to actually be present. Participants are required to attend all four two-hour sessions.

Remillard said the fees will cover costs and are not designed as a revenue generator for the chamber.

Among other things, Remillard is excited about launching a program that suggests some kind of normal functioning business environment.

"We are still very focused on working with our members to advance the cause of reopening safely and working with government on financial supports," he said.

But Business Crews is also a reminder that things are going to get back to normal at some time.

"Business people have a great need to connect and rebuild networks that have been lost or diminished because of the year weve had, not being able to engage in a meaningful way."

Remillard said the chamber has done some focus groups and he said there is definitely a demand.

"It is fundamental to what a chamber does  create platforms for business people to connect and build relationships," he said.

The track record shows that Business Crews works just as well for the expert networker who can work any room, to the introvert who might find a large room full of unfamiliar faces intimidating.

And while it has proven popular and successful in Montreal, Remillard does not believe there will be any danger of it cannibalizing participants from other chamber events. In fact, when things open up again, the chamber may try to host even more events than usual because of the pent-up demand.

"Someone joked to me recently that if we held an event to open a letter it would be well attended as long as there was other business people there," he said.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
A top historian today hit back at Leicester University's plans to drop literary giant Geoffrey Chaucer in favour of replacement modules focused on race and gender.

Plans emerged last week to shelve Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, as well as other works including old English epic poem Beowulf, in favour of a 'decolonised' curriculum.

The University quickly faced a barrage of criticism and a spokesman insisted the authors were not being dropped for being 'too white'.

On Tuesday, prominent academic Professor Robert Tombs, who wrote a bestselling book about the history of the English, told MailOnline that the plans were 'crazy'.

He said that his own education was 'narrow' and he only recently discovered the likes of Chaucer and Beowulf, both of which 'opened new worlds'.

The professor added it would be a 'tragedy' if the works were now 'denied' to students and said the point of literature 'is to help to imagine worlds we cannot otherwise reach' rather than 'to tell us about what is already familiar'.

A top historian today hit back at Leicester University's plans to drop literary giant Geoffrey Chaucer, as well as epic poem Beowolf, in favour of replacement modules focused on race and gender

The plans emerged last week after Leicester University management circulated an email to staff notifying them of changes to courses to focus on 'race, ethnicity, sexuality and diversity'.

The email, which was obtained by the Telegraph, said: 'The aim of our proposals (is) to offer a suite of undergraduate degrees that provide modules which students expect of an English degree.'

The new roster of modules were to be 'excitingly innovative' and would cover: 'A chronological literary history, a selection of modules on race, ethnicity, sexuality and diversity, a decolonised curriculum, and new employability modules.'

The changes would affect anything written prior to 1500  not limited to Chaucer and Beowulf.

Also under threat would be 14th-Century romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Thomas Malory's Mort D'Arthur, which tells the legend of King Arthur.

Prominent academic Professor Robert Tombs, who wrote a bestselling book about the history of the English, told MailOnline that the plans were 'crazy'

The changes could even see works including John Milton's Paradise Lost and poems by John Donne scrapped.

Hitting back at the plans, Professor Tombs told MailOnline: 'I realize now that my own education was sadly narrow: both at school and at university very much focused on modern subjects - certainly nothing before Shakespeare.

'Only very recently did I discover Homer, Chaucer and Beowulf, and every one opened new worlds.

'What a tragedy if these are being denied to students now, and how crazy if this narrowing down is being done in the name of 'diversity' or 'decolonization'.

'The value of literature is to help is to imagine worlds we cannot otherwise reach, not to tell us about what is already familiar.'

Whilst Leicester bosses will keep modules covering William Shakespeare's classic works, many of the academics who teach the under-threat courses could now lose their jobs.

The University of Leicester has denied the changes are because they are 'too white'

According to The Telegraph, up to 60 jobs are now under threat.

Vice Chancellor Nishan Canagarajah said it was part of a the long-term strategy to 'compete on a global level', adding: 'To facilitate this, we may need to cease activity in a limited number of areas.'

Chaucer, the Father of English Literature Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1342 - 1400) ranks alongside William Shakespeare as one the most important poets of the English language. His masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, is considered one of the first works written in modern English, marking a shift from the Old English which preceded the Middle Ages. For this reason he is described as 'the first finder of our language.' The Canterbury Tales was hugely popular in Medieval England because it was one of the few works which was written in English rather than French - the language of the ruling classes. Chaucer's poem follows a group of pilgrims on their way from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at the cathedral. The pilgrims, including Chaucer himself, have a story-telling contest on their way to Canterbury and their 24 stories form the basis of the narrative. The enduring popularity of the work is testament to its humour, characters and vivid descriptions of various social groups from knights to cooks. Pilgrims tell tales of varying tones, some are pious and witty, others are vulgar and bawdy. Chaucer originally planned to write more than a hundred tales but only completed 24. In surviving copies the stories appear in various orders with the Hengwrt manuscript, held in the National Library of Wales, considered to be the most accurate. Chaucer was born in London, his father was a wine maker as per family tradition. In addition to his literature, Chaucer contributed to society as a courtier, diplomat and civil servant and was the trusted aide of three successive kings: Edward III, Richard II and Henry IV. In 1994, literary critic Harold Bloom placed Chaucer among the greatest Western writers of all time. Such is the respect for the writer, he was first person to be buried in Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner. Advertisement

Other academics also hit back at the proposals.

Dr Christine Rauer, a lecturer at the University of St Andrews, told MailOnline: 'It's hard to see why race, ethnicity, sexuality and diversity can't be taught alongside Chaucer and Beowulf.

'Bring in the new topics while also keeping the medieval!

'Curriculum planners should think big  their students will later compete with people who studied elsewhere and who have a much wider range.

'You will feel left out, if you only know half the story.'

Asked whether the texts might be too difficult, Dr Rauer said: 'Medieval literature can seem hard at the beginning, but most good things in life are like that.

'Self-confidence comes from overcoming difficulty, and the unexpected.'

Historian Ian Mortimer also criticised the plans.

Writing in the Daily Mail, he said: 'I find these proposals not only depressing but profoundly wrong  as well as incredibly short-sighted and counter-productive.'

Last week, the university insisted to MailOnline the suggestions to change came after feedback from students and that nothing had been set in stone.

A spokesperson said: 'Students at the University of Leicester will continue to study some of the best-loved authors in the English language, from Shakespeare, Austen and Dickens to Keats, Shelley and Byron, to Woolf, Toni Morrison and Colston Whitehead.

'There is absolutely no truth to the suggestion that certain modules are being eliminated for being "too white."

'We want to offer courses that match our students' own interests and enthusiasms, as reflected in their own choices and the feedback we have been hearing.

'Leicester continues to be a research-intensive, comprehensive university that offers a broad range of subjects.

'We will be engaging closely with staff and students to hear their ideas and suggestions in response to the proposals.'

A decade ago, Leicester came 17th in the Guardian University Guide's national league tables. It was also top university for 'student satisfaction' outside Oxbridge.

However, the university has since slipped to number 77 out of the UK's 121 universities, according to the Guardian's most recent league table.

It's latest annual report showed that student numbers dropped to 18,338 in the 2018/19 academic year.

Its intake dipped from 3,668 to 2,855.

Last year, the university attracted ridicule for re-branding International Women's Day as 'International Womxn's Day'. They said the move was to make it more friendly to the transgender community.

'We use the term womxn as a more inclusive spelling of woman that includes any person who identifies as womxn,' read its newsletter.

There is an ill-thought-out campaign by Leicesters 250,000-a-year vice-chancellor Professor Nishan Canagarajah to decolonise the curriculum
Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

A Midland man was arrested Friday in Washington, D.C., for illegally carrying a gun and ammunition while reportedly asking for information about the Oval Office.

Santiago V. Macias was allegedly carrying a pistol, two loaded magazines and 79 rounds of ammunition near the Ellipse, a park south of the White House fence, according to a report by NBC Washington.
Ruby Williams, left, was called a 'stroppy teenager of colour' by barrister Jon Holbrook, right. (Kate Williams/Cornerstone Barristers)

A barrister has been criticised after he called a girl who won a racial discrimination case against her school a stroppy teenager of colour.

Jon Holbrooks comment on Twitter about Ruby Williams, who was repeatedly sent home from school because of her afro hair, has drawn anger from the legal community.

Responding to a tweet from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) containing a video of her story, Holbrook posted last week: The Equality Act undermines school discipline by empowering the stroppy teenager of colour.

Last February, Ruby received 8,500 in an out-of-court settlement after her family took legal action against The Urswick School in Hackney, east London.

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The EHRC had claimed she had been discriminated against on the basis of her race. She was sent home while studying for her GCSEs and the school used a Year 7 photo of her with straight hair for her Year 11 yearbook.

She said the school claimed her hair was too big, that it distracted other pupils and blocked views of the whiteboard in class. She said she had felt humiliated by the experience.

Ruby, now 19, is studying management with marketing at the University of Manchester.

Her mother Kate told Yahoo News UK: As a family, we thank this man for choosing Ruby's case to criticise.

Even the most racist person in the world couldn't defend how she was treated.

Watch: Teenager awarded payout over afro hair discrimination

He has raised awareness for the campaign to end afro hair discrimination in UK schools. As a teacher, I now call on my profession to become as outraged about this as the legal profession has.

Holbrook was condemned by several members of his own profession.

Barrister Alexandra Wilson tweeted: Im embarrassed to be in the same profession as someone like this.

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The Secret Barrister tweeted Holbrook, saying: Your chambers has asked you to take this tweet down. Scores of your fellow professionals have asked you to take this tweet down. It remains up.

Story continues

The only inference I can draw is that you stand by its content. You are a disgrace to the Bar.

Labour MP David Lammy said: What a pathetic response from a barrister. No-one should be discriminated against because of their race, or because their hair is different. You shame the Bar and undermine your profession.

Ruby Williams won an out-of-court settlement after her school repeatedly sent her home because of her hair. (Kate Williams)

But Holbrook told Yahoo News UK on Tuesday: My tweet drew attention to a serious political issue, namely the way that children of colour have been able to undermine school uniform policies by requiring them to be adapted to accommodate cultural difference.

The charge of racism is often used today to silence any criticism of multiculturalism.

The attempt to cancel me, that is being led by the left on Twitter, shows how difficult it is to have a reasoned debate on issues connected with race.

There are many activists who want to silence those who criticise laws that encourage cultural difference. When people are silenced, this is not good for democracy.

Barrister Jon Holbrook has refused to delete his tweet despite calls to do so from members of the legal profession. (Cornerstone Barristers)

Holbrooks chambers, Cornerstone Barristers, said they had asked him to delete his tweet.

We want to make it very clear that Cornerstone Barristers repudiates the contents of the tweet and all that it insinuates, it said.

The contents of the tweet do not in any way reflect the views of Cornerstone Barristers.

The individual has been asked to delete the tweet immediately and permanently and we are undertaking an urgent internal investigation into the matter.

The Bar Standards Board said it does not comment as to whether or not it has received any information about potential misconduct by a barrister regardless of how any information comes to our attention.

Watch: 'It does not make sense' - School tells teen to cut dreads
Microsoft with its Win32 Metadata project is looking to make Windows APIs more accessible to more languages, by producing metadata for the APIs. Languages such as Rust, C#, and C++ are early beneficiaries of this project.

The Win32 Metadata project, with repos on GitHub, aims to provide a complete description of the WinAPI, allowing it to be projected to any language in an automated way, thus improving correctness and minimizing maintenance overload. The output of the project is an ECMA 335-compliant Windows metadata file published to Nuget.org. Accurately describing all of the Windows APIs will take time, however, so plans also call for developing tools to assist with the project.

One such project is C#/Win32, which parses metadata and generates P/Invoke wrappers required to call APIs. An early example of what can be done with dynamic projections of Win32 APIs, C#/Win32 offers IntelliSense capabilities as well as strong types for parameters. Similarly, Rust for Windows is a Rust language projection that lets Rust developers call any Windows API using code generated on the fly via metadata. APIs can be called as if they were just another Rust module. Also in development is a Modern C++ projection. A roadmap for the Win32 Metadata project has C#, C++, and Rust projects being published in 2022, after a preview this year.

Microsoft will work with the community to support other languages based on demand. The project has published a set of principles and goals including maximum API coverage. Microsoft said that while Win32 APIs are readily accessible to C and C++, other languages such as C# and Rust need wrappers or bindings to access them. Developers have been forced to handcraft these wrappers or bindings, a process that is both error-prone and scattershot.

While there have been projects such as Pinvoke for .NET and winapi-rs for Rust that offer more strongly typed and idiomatic representations of these bindings and wrappers, broad and sustained API coverage has been costly and difficult. With the Win32 Metadata project, Microsoft hopes to provide broad and sustainable API coverage across languages.
National Lottery Community Fund virtual session to help local organisations through pandemic

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 26th, 2021

The National Lottery Community Fund is to hold a virtual support session for community groups and charities in Wrexham this week.

The fund, which has been expanded, aims to support people and communities through COVID-19.

Across North Wales, The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded 2,821,488 to applications received since 16 March 2020; 384,740 of this was awarded to projects in Wrexham.

Of the 128 successful applications from across North Wales, 103 were COVID-19 related projects, and in Wrexham, 24 of the 28 successful applications were COVID-19 related.





On Thursday 28 January National Lottery Community Fund will host a virtual session to provide more information on how community groups can apply for funding.

The organisation is particularly keen to speak to community groups who have never applied for a National Lottery grant before.

Ruth Bates, interim Wales director for The National Lottery Community Fund, said: Our role as a funder of community-led activity has never been so important.

We are here to support community groups and charities to access National Lottery funding.

We are particularly focused on supporting groups adapt, recover and thrive.

Our local funding teams are all working remotely and ready to talk to you about your ideas to support communities through and beyond these unprecedented times.

We want to fund projects that matter to people and communities, and we know that the most successful project are the ones that have been developed by the people who will benefit from them.

We also understand that these are challenging times for third sector organisations, and we are therefore pro-actively supporting groups through offering organisational development support.

Funding, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, is available to support organisations to adapt, recover and thrive through the National Lottery Awards for All and People and Places programmes.

People and Places awards up to 500,000 for communities to work together to make positive impacts on the things that matter to them.

The National Lottery Community Fund will fund organisational development as part of the project and a StrengthChecker has been developed to help customers identify their communitys strengths to build on.

Since April 2020, The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded over 20 million to charities and communities across Wales who are changing lives and offering hope to many of those affected by the pandemic. National Lottery players raise 30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK.

If you are interested in attending this virtual session at 10am on 28 January 2021, please email nigel.davies@avow.org to book your place. Go to the website for more information on the funding programmes: tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/wales
Vaccine manufacturer Merck has abandoned development of two coronavirus vaccines, saying that after extensive research it was concluded that the shots offered less protection than just contracting the virus itself and developing antibodies.

The company announced that the shots V590 and V591 were well tolerated by test patients, however they generated an inferior immune system response in comparison with natural infection.

The company stated that instead it will focus on research into therapeutic drugs labeled as MK-7110 and MK-4482.

The drugs aim to protect patients from the damage of an overactive immune response to the virus.

Interim results from a Phase 3 study showed a greater than 50 percent reduction in the risk of death or respiratory failure in patients hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19, the companys statement noted of the MK-7110 drug.

Merck is to receive around $356 million from the US government to fast-track production of the potential treatments under Operation Warp Speed.

Chief Marketing Officer Michael Nally recently told Bloomberg that Merck is aiming to produce some 20 million courses of the MK-4482 drug, an oral antiviral which patients will take twice a day for five days.

Meanwhile, in related news, German scientists have claimed that the UK Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is less than 8% effective in over 65s, prompting the vaccine developers to hit back, rubbishing the claims.

The German media published the claims, alleging it had been confirmed by multiple unnamed senior German government sources.

UK government ministers have suggested that the claim could be related to the ongoing dispute over delivery of the vaccine between the European Union and AstraZeneca.

The EU, which is yet to approve the vaccine, has threatened to block exports of shots to Britain, in a move that has been branded spiteful by British government sources.

In an effort to make sure its member states get their fair share of vaccines, the EU has also threatened to block the delivery of Pfizer vaccines to the UK, demanding that drug companies provide detailed information on when they plan to export Covid jabs to countries outside the bloc.
The International Executive Board of Skal will prioritize and focus on supporting collective passion for Skal and tourism by furthering global partnerships, developing relationships, increasing awareness and influence through tourism industry events to increase Skal membership value.

"As I begin my term as Skal International World President, we still face the daunting task of keeping member engagement and interest high while the Tourism Industry slowly recovers from the devastating outcome of COVID and resulting lockdowns and travel restrictions. The Executive Board is committed to supporting that recovery in every way possible and promoting Skal membership values when the importance of community support is so necessary.' said Bill Rheaume, World President, Skal International. "Now, with vaccines available, there is finally some light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Our industry must be ready to support the travel companies, airlines, and hoteliers as they fight to survive this unexpected downturn," he added.

In 2021 Skal international will continue to work closely with UNWTO as Daniela Otero, CEO of Skal International, is an affiliate board member. The organization will also continue close collaboration with other partner associations such as WTTC, PATA, IIPT, The Code, ECPAT, ICTP, and Sustainable Travel Association.

"Governments, organizations, businesses, and ultimately all of us will need to invest the next few months in more training focused on recovery. Working together and collaborating has been, and will continue to be, vital," said Daniela Otero, CEO of Skal International.

During 2020, Skal International, like every other association worldwide, conducted its meetings in various online platforms as virtual meetings or, in some cases, using the hybrid format. In 2021, this will continue to be the norm for the first 4-6 months. 'Our goal in 2021 will be to maximize the visibility of Skal International globally while maintaining an effective and progressive communication internally. We will establish and drive a multi-channel communications strategy, develop a brand voice, and maintain brand integrity across all platforms. We plan on using multiple social and digital media platforms to maximize our presence within the Travel and Tourism Industry' said Burcin Turkkan, Senior VP responsible for PR/ Communications and Digital Media.

As the first International association adopting the Digital Transformation as of 2018, Skal International has technologically advanced platforms to allow its members to do business virtually using these platforms. "As we are at the second phase of the Digital Transformation, we are working on introducing more advanced technologies and innovative platforms to our global membership' said Fiona Nicholl, Vice President of Skal International.

Skal International is planning on meeting in October 2021 with its global membership at the Annual Skal International World Congress in Quebec City, Canada. This event could be one of the first global travel and tourism industry meetings after the pandemic. The Congress has an extensive program including B2B events, workshops, guest speakers, welcoming members and non-members from the global travel and tourism Industry.

Skal International is the world's largest global network of Tourism Professionals promoting Tourism, Business, and Friendship worldwide since 1934. Its members are Directors and Executives of the Tourism sector who relate to each other to address common interest issues, improving a business network, and promoting destinations. For more information about Skal International and membership, please visit skal.org.

Press Release Contact: Burcin Turkkan, Senior Vice President Skal International [email protected]

SOURCE Skal International

Related Links

https://www.skal.org/


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An Iranian commander has said that the Islamic Republic has the ability to sink US warships. The comments indicate a continuation of hostile rhetoric toward the United States now that Joe Biden is president.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Gen. Rahim Noei-Aghdam said the military has the capability to destroy US Navy ships that are close to Iranian territory.

If once the US presence in the international waters near Iran was considered as a threat to the country, today thanks to our deterrent power and surface-to-surface, surface-to-air, surface-to-coast, coast-to-coast, coast-to-sea and sea-to-sea missiles, we have the ability to destroy American ships, said Noei-Aghdam, according to the state-run Mehr News Agency.

Comments like this from Noei-Aghdam, who commands the IRGCs Hazrat Zeinab Military Base, are common among Iranian military leaders. The Iranian military also regularly conducts military drills in the Persian Gulf, including some that are designed to simulate a war with the United States. Last week, on former President Donald Trumps last day in office, the Iranian army conducted a ground forces exercise in the Gulf of Oman.

The generals remarks are significant because of their timing. US President Joe Biden, who took office last week, has repeatedly said he wants to engage Iran diplomatically and re-enter the Iran nuclear deal. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has also voiced a willingness to re-enter the agreement, which removed sanctions on Tehran in exchange for compliance with its nuclear program. The Iranian military is still saying it has the ability to fight the United States in a war, despite these diplomatic overtures, however.

Ned Nwoko, a Nigerian lawyer turned politician, has taken to social media to celebrate Laila Charani, his Moroccan wife, ahead of her 30th...

Ned Nwoko, a Nigerian lawyer turned politician, has taken to social media to celebrate Laila Charani, his Moroccan wife, ahead of her 30th birthday.





The 60-year-old businessman took to his Instagram page on Monday to share a loved-up photo of the pair alongside a terse post.

In the post, Nwoko said it has been a blissful ride over the last ten years with the Morrocan while also hailing her maturity.

Laila will be 30 years in a few days time. It feels like yesterday. It has been ten beautiful years. Amazing how she has matured over the years, he wrote.





The billionaire, who is also married to Regina Daniels, a Nollywood actress, has continued to make the headlines in recent times over rumoured attempts to marry another wife.

In December, Nwoko had revealed his love for polygamy and desire to have many children, adding that Daniels was aware of the fact that he could marry another wife.

I come from a very polygamous environment. I love children so I want more children. She (Regina Daniels) knows this, he had said.





My other wives know it. So we will see what happens. There are women everywhere. Thats why you have a lot of them loitering around Zone 4, 5, 6 as sex workers. Its not because they love the job but that the economy didnt favour them.

These are the repercussions of the polygamy that the westerners brought to our country. Before the advent of Christianity, the Igbo tradition allowed for many wives and children.

That determined the size of wealth you have in those days. An average northerner marries two, three, four.

Theyre helping the women and society. The fallacy of it all is that religion doesnt allow it in the south. Yet the average southern man has up to 10 girlfriends. The irony is so stark.
Gardai can ask people travelling to the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland to return home, according to the leader of Irelands Green Party.

Eamon Ryan, who is the Irish Minister for the Environment, made the revelation during Tuesdays announcement of new Covid-19 regulations in the Republic.

He added that the objective was to reduce the volume of traffic.

Mr Ryan was speaking alongside Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar as it was announced that Irelands Level 5 restrictions will continue until March 5.

Read More

Ireland has been placed under Level 5 restrictions since December 31, which is the highest level under the Irish Governments medium-term Covid plan.

Mr Martin did admit that the border cannot be sealed due to communities moving between the border but a strong policy of suppression of the virus may work instead.

The Taoiseach explained that the lockdown restrictions were having a positive impact, forcing case numbers down.

However, Mr Martin said that the country cannot give the virus or its variants any space.

"Therefore, the government has decided to to extend all of the current Level Five restrictions until March 5, with a view to crushing the numbers of those contracting the disease, and in turn the numbers needing hospitalisation and intensive care," he said.

The new measures include mandatory quarantine at a designated facility for people who arrive in Ireland without a negative PCR test taken in the past 72 hours.

Visa-free short term travel from South Africa and South America is suspended until at least March 5, the Taoiseach added.

"In other cases, people will be required to quarantine at home," Mr Martin said.

He added: "These regulations will apply to anyone who travels into Ireland, from an airport or port on the island, including ports and airports in Northern Ireland.

Ireland's current Level 5 restrictions will apply in line with Northern Ireland.

It comes as the number of patients in hospital with Covid-19 remains high, with more than double the number compared with the first wave last year.

According to the Taoiseach, officials representing the Stormont Executive and those in the south have discussed data sharing in terms of the passengers coming into Ireland.

Mr Martin said during the press conference that it has been a challenge as there are political sensitivities around it.

North-south Covid co-operation was strained after Mr Martin had said that it was his understanding that the authorities here were not testing for the new variant of Covid-19.

That claim was described as misleading by the Department of Health and First Minister Arlene Foster said on Monday that Mr Martin had since accepted Northern Ireland was testing for the new variant.

Speaking on the Claire Byrne Show on Tuesday, Mr Varadkar stressed he would be against closing the border completely to tackle Covid-19.

Mr Varadkar told the programme: We are not one state on this island, but we are one country. People who live their on both sides of the border - cross-border workers, families.
If you can afford it, never settle for calling a new sticker on your bike custom work. Actor and self-described Star Wars fanatic Rahul Kohli can afford it, and the reward for him is a brand new custom Super73-RX e-bike.
A total 1,587 delegates representing more than 5 million Party members nationwide are attending the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), which officially kicked off in Hanoi on January 26.

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) officially kicked off in Hanoi on January 26.

Of the delegates, 191 are members of the 12thtenure Party Central Committee, 1,381 were elected at Party congresses of provinces, centrally-run cities and centrally-run Party organisations, and 15 are from overseas Party organisations, who were assigned by the Politburo.

There are 1,365 male delegates, or 86.01 percent, and 222 females, or 13.99 percent. The number of ethnic minority delegates stands at 175, or 11.03 percent.

Three delegates are heroes of the peoples armed forces, 13 are eminent teachers, and 15 have been honoured as peoples doctors and eminent doctors.

Former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, along with former Politburo members and former Presidents Tran Duc Luong, Nguyen Minh Triet, and Truong Tan Sang, were invited to the congress.

Other guests include former Politburo member and former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and former Politburo members and former National Assembly Chairpersons Nguyen Van An and Nguyen Sinh Hung.

Also among guests are former Politburo members, former Secretaries of the Party Central Committee, former Presidents of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, former Vice State Presidents, former Vice National Assembly Chairpersons, former Deputy Prime Ministers, former members of the Party Central Committee from the third to seventh tenures, and members of the 12th-tenure Party Central Committees Inspection Commission.

The congress also sees the participation of representatives of Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, scholars, writers and artists, and outstanding religious dignitaries, as well as representatives of young Vietnamese.

Foreign ambassadors, charge d'affaires, and chief representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organisations in Vietnam are also present.

Politburo member and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, on behalf of the Presidium, presided over the opening session.

Politburo member and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on behalf of the Presidium, delivered the opening speech.

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong presented a report from the 12th-tenure Party Central Committee on documents submitted to the 13th National Party Congress.

Nguyen Thanh Hai, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, head of Thai Nguyen provinces delegation of deputies to the 14th National Assembly, and member of the Secretarial delegation of the congress, read a list of 215 political parties and international organisations and friends who had sent messages of congratulations to the congress as of January 22.

Ngan, on behalf of the Presidium and the entire congress, thanked the well-wishers for their friendship, cooperation, and valuable support to the Vietnamese Party and people.

The CPV will continue with its consistent foreign policy of enhancing friendship and collaboration with other countries, political parties, and international organisations and friends, contributing to peace, national independence, democracy, and social progress in the world, she affirmed.

Tran Quoc Vuong, Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat, presented a report reviewing the leadership of the 12th-tenure Party Central Committee.

In the afternoon of January 26, delegates discussed documents of the congress in groups./. VNA

13th National Party Congress: Stepping up renewal process, rapid and sustainable national development The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) officially opened in Hanoi this morning (January 26), with the participation of 1,587 delegates representing more than 5.1 million Party members nationwide.
Today

Partly cloudy skies. Gusty winds during the evening. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 45F. WNW winds at 25 to 40 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Gusty winds during the evening. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 45F. WNW winds at 25 to 40 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High around 65F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
A pork processing site in Scotland has been forced to temporarily close for two weeks after a Covid-19 outbreak was discovered among its workforce.

There has so far been 19 confirmed cases at the Quality Pork Processors' factory in Angus according to NHS Tayside.

The Brechin-based site processes around 6,000 pigs per week for UK and international markets.

It closed over the weekend but was officially announced by the QPP Board on Monday (25 January).

A statement by the pork processor said it was now working with Scottish government and farmers to 'help manage the situation'.

"The decision has been made as a result of the impact of Covid-19 on our workforce and the high level of absenteeism at the site which has made maintaining safe operations extremely difficult.

"All employees are now being treated as close contacts of a number of team members who have received positive test results during the past week," the statement said.

"All affected colleagues are being fully supported to self-isolate in line with government guidelines, and we are working closely with public health authorities, Scottish government and farmers to help manage the situation."

Andy McGowan, of Scottish Pig Producers, said the co-operative was working with farmers to source additional accommodation for the pigs, and to ensure animal welfare standards were not compromised.

"The Brechin facility is key for the longer sustainability of the Scottish pig industry and to ensure livestock does not have to travel long distances," he added.

"We will work with the QPP Board in planning for the reopening of the facility as soon as possible to limit the impact on animal welfare for our farmers."

It comes after dairy giant Muller also confirmed an outbreak of coronavirus at its Somerset milk plant.

The company said 47 of its workers had tested positive for Covid at its Bridgwater factory, and one worker had died.

Around a third of its workforce are now self-isolating and production has since been reduced.

The government said on Monday that food and farming businesses with over 50 employees can now receive rapid asymptomatic workplace testing.

The lateral flow device (LFD) Covid-19 test kits will be available until 31 March 2021, Defra explained.
The icovid project was launched in March 2020 as a Belgian pro bono initiative. ico metrix , which specialises in AI solutions for medical images, partnered with UZ Brussel, KU Leuven, VUB and imec to investigate how to deploy lung scans in the COVID pandemic and what AI software would be needed to do so. The AI tool ico lung was born. Prof Johan de Mey, VUB-UZ Brussel: "At the time, there was insufficient testing capacity to quickly test all patients. With ico lung , we wanted to use lung scans as a triage tool. By using CT and with the help of the AI analyses, we were able to trace patients with suspicious lung lesions and have them tested as a priority. During the busiest periods, everyone who entered the UZ Brussel as a patient was scanned, also as a means of preventing COVID-19 outbreaks in the hospital."

icolung free for all hospitals in Europe

icolung was certified in April and is currently being used by over 75 hospitals worldwide and has analysed over 35,000 lung CT scans. The icovid project now builds on the development of icolung and is committed to scaling up, thanks to the commitment of renowned research institutes such as King's College London, Universitatsklinikum Heidelberg, University of Oxford, Maastricht University and the University and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Liege. The partners will also collaborate with The Medical Cloud Company to incorporate other clinical information into the models in addition to CT images. icovid receives funding for this from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Thanks to this financial support, icolung can be offered free of charge to hospitals across Europe. While vaccination will eventually normalise daily life, the virus will still circulate and other coronaviruses may emerge. In local outbreaks, it will be important to identify COVID-19 patients early.

Detection of Chronic COVID Syndrome

icovid will continue to respond to the rapidly evolving needs of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, it is estimated that about 2% of COVID-19 patients have symptoms lasting longer than three months, called Long COVID or Chronic COVID Syndrome (CCS). With the improved software, the consortium will also better predict the long-term effects of COVID-19, which are today still largely unknown. The ability to identify patients who may develop CCS opens up possibilities for hospitals to better adapt care and share the burden.

Dr Dirk Smeets, icovid project coordinator and CTO at icometrix, said: "This project allows us to further demonstrate that AI, and medical technology in general, can add value to clinical decisions and save costs. I strongly believe that icolung will benefit from the advice, clinical expertise, and critical evaluation of the renowned academic centres in our consortium."

Prof Dr Fergus Gleeson, chief medical officer for the National Consortium of Intelligent Medical Imaging, head of academic radiology at Oxford University and president of the European Society of Thoracic Imaging, said: "A wide adoption of AI-based software for the analysis of chest CT images, like icolung, will help the fight against a pandemic that, unfortunately, we will have to endure for quite some time. These large-scale research collaborations with a variety of expertise are critical to responding to the evolving needs during this pandemic."

About icometrix

icometrix (Leuven, Belgium; Boston, USA) strives for data-driven insights and personalised patient care, supported by artificial intelligence. icometrix offers a portfolio of AI solutions to assist healthcare with various challenges; icobrain extracts data from brain MRI and CT scans for the radiological reporting and clinical management of neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, brain trauma, epilepsy, stroke, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. icompanion, a digital platform and mobile app, helps people with MS and their care team to monitor clinical symptoms and treatments efficiently and objectively. icolung addresses the COVID-19 pandemic by measuring lung involvement on chest CT.

Today, icometrix is internationally active and integrated into more than 100 clinical practices. In addition, icometrix collaborates with healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies on the evaluation of drug research for neurological disorders.

https://icovid.ai

contact: Dirk Smeets

[email protected]

Press kit: https://bit.ly/36aBR2P

SOURCE icometrix

Related Links

https://icovid.ai/


Economy Ministry, traders cap corn exports in MY 2020/21

The sides agreed to revise the volume of corn allowed for exports, if necessary.

Reporting by UNIAN

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 00:24:28|Editor: huaxia

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NICOSIA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The team of scientists advising the government of Cyprus on the coronavirus pandemic has suggested a staggered relaxation of the lockdown measures as of the beginning of February, officials said here on Monday.

The team briefed President Nicos Anastasiades on the coronavirus situation and suggested a gradual relaxation of the restrictions following a three-week lockdown, during which all businesses except essential services had to remain closed and movement was restricted.

CyBC state radio quoted unnamed officials as saying that the scientists suggested the reopening of retail shops, barber shops and hair and beauty parlors on Feb. 1.

Restaurants and other hospitality venues may remain closed until March, when the country is expected to start an extensive vaccination campaign against coronavirus.

Restrictions on movement and a night-time curfew will also remain in force until mid-February, with people entitled to go out twice a day after notifying the authorities in text messages and receiving a permission.

The Council of Ministers is scheduled to decide on the proposed changes on Wednesday, according to CyBC radio.

The hospitality sector was restricted to delivery services in some districts of the eastern Mediterranean island in October and the measure was extended to the whole of the country two weeks ago, when the authorities imposed a lockdown, as deaths and new COVID-19 infections surged to record numbers.

Members of the team of scientists said the number of new coronavirus cases has dropped to manageable numbers, but the country's hospitals have still trouble treating the large number of COVID-19 patients. Enditem
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Comptroller Scott Stringer announced on Monday that two of the cities pension funds will divest completely from any securities related to fossil fuel companies.

The city expects its total divestment to be around $4 billionlikely one of the largest divestments in the world.

The purpose of the divestment is to address the significant financial and environmental risks that these fossil fuel holdings post to the funds and to our planet.

Investing in fossil fuels isnt just bad for the planet, its a bad investment, de Blasio shared in a press release. Our first-in-the-nation divestment is literally putting money where our mouth is when it comes to climate change. Divestment is a bold investment in our children and grandchildren, and our planet. I applaud the trustees, advocates and experts for their hard work, and I look forward to seeing more cities around the world join this call for change, de Blasio said.

Oil company stocks had a tough year in 2020, as the sector largely gave way to tech stocks, which fared better throughout much of the pandemic months.

The two funds divesting from fossil fuels include the New York City Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) and New York City Teachers Retirement System (TRS), which voted today to approve the divestments. New York City Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) is planning to vote imminently, according to the press release.

The divestment is expected to be complete within five years, and the names of the company will be released after the sale of the targeted securities.

The city committed back in 2018 to completely divesting its major public pension funds from fossil fuel reserve companies.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Claudia Conway is rallying to her mothers defense after she was accused of accidentally posting a topless photo of the teen on Twitter Monday.

Kellyanne Conway, the former counselor to former President Donald Trump who lives in Alpine, allegedly shared the image of her 16-year-old daughter after finding it on Claudias phone.

Claudia, whose rocky relationship with her mother has played out on TikTok, addressed the incident in videos on the social network Tuesday, saying that she believed her mothers Twitter account was hacked, and that she would be taking some time away from social media to work on their relationship.

She asked her followers to stop calling authorities.

Social media is a really dark place and instead of shining light on the situation, hate and violence were incited, and that was never ever my intention, nor my moms, Claudia said in one TikTok video.

Claudia Conway responding to TikTok followers Monday about a topless photo of her they said they saw on her mother's Twitter account.@claudiamconway/TikTok

Claudia appeared distraught Monday night after allegedly learning of the photo after TikTok users mentioned it in comments on her videos.

Are you not going to address your mom posting naked pictures of you, one person asked.

What, Claudia replied.

Yes her mom posted her Twitter story today a picture of Claudia without a shirt on, another said.

Claudia asked if people were joking or talking about a real photo. Shortly after, she made a now-deleted video in which she confirmed the authenticity of a nude photo that had been circulating on Twitter after allegedly appearing on her mothers feed via a Twitter fleet, or a temporary tweet.

@claudiamconway please stop sending hate to my family. please. i am putting an end to all of this. im okay. we are okay.  original sound - claudia conway

Claudia said that the photo had been taken months ago. Initially, she explained that her mother often takes custody of her phone. She assumed that her mother likely took a picture of the photo on one of those occasions, later posting it by accident ... or somebody hacked her.

So Kellyanne, Claudia continued Monday, youre going to f---ing jail.

The image in question has since been removed from Kellyannes account, which has 3.3 million followers.

#JusticeforClaudiaConway became a top Twitter trend Monday night.

A police officer appeared to respond to the Conway home in Alpine Monday, as seen in another of Claudias videos.

In a copy of a live video posted on YouTube that picked up a conversation between the police officer, Kellyanne and Claudia in their home, Kellyanne said the family had encounters with Child Protective Services in Washington, D.C. and DYFS  currently known as the Division of Child Protection and Permanency  in New Jersey.

Caution: tweets contain profanity.

Claudia confirmed that the photo posted on her moms Twitter story is real and that she did not send it to anyone. Please report the photo if it gets reposted. Claudia is underage #JusticeForClaudiaConway #justiceforclaudia pic.twitter.com/hayj8PIdqi  Kaylyn (@kaylynxxo) January 26, 2021

The New York Post reported that police also responded to their home Tuesday.

Kellyanne, 54, an Atco native, shares the house with her family, including Claudia and her husband, George Conway, 57, Claudias father.

Alpine Police did not provide further information, telling the Post that records relating to minors are not made public.

Claudia has become a popular figure on TikTok, sharing her opposition to Trump in the run-up to the 2020 election. While her Republican father is noted for his own opposition to Trump through anti-Trump political action committee The Lincoln Project  consistently panning the man his wife worked so closely with for years  Claudia has provided something of an inside look at the administration during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In August, Kellyanne said she was leaving the White House to spend time with her family after Claudia made allegations of abuse.

Just over a month later, the teen was hailed as a trailblazer of sorts for breaking news that her mother had tested positive for COVID-19. Kellyanne had attended the September Rose Garden ceremony at the White House, a superspreader event where Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. After the event, where masks were scarce, both Trump and former Gov. Chris Christie tested positive for the virus (Christie had also spent several days helping Trump prepare for the presidential debate without wearing a mask).

Claudia said she noticed her mother coughing after Trump tested positive. Claudia said she also tested positive.

Our daughter Claudia asked me to tweet this statement for her. https://t.co/ilH7IFqERB  George Conway (@gtconway3d) January 26, 2021

Later, Claudia was criticized for having a 16th birthday party during the pandemic at their Alpine home after a video of the celebration was posted on social media. She said more people had shown up than originally planned, some uninvited. In one of Claudias videos, Kellyanne could be heard saying that she thought those criticizing the party were jealous of Claudia.

Last week, people expressed concern for Claudia after she shared a compilation of video clips and recordings in which Kellyanne seemed to be screaming and using profanity and insults when talking to her daughter.

Youre never gonna record another f---ing thing in your life, Kellyanne can be heard saying in one video. Its going for a forensic analysis.

In previous posts and videos, Claudia has talked about trying to seek emancipation from her parents and has mentioned Child Protective Services coming to her home. She has also said that she felt scared and unsure of what would happen next.

@claudiamconway this is all from me. i shouldnt have made this all public. im sorry.  original sound - claudia conway

But on Tuesday, in the wake of the alleged photo incident, Claudia defended her mother to her 1.6 million TikTok followers.

Hi guys, I just wanted to come on here and address this situation, she said. This isnt forced, this is coming completely from me, Claudia. I have faith and I know that my mother would never put something like that on the internet as well as me, we would never do that.

My mom and I, we fight like mothers and daughters but we also love like mothers and daughters, and I do love her, she continued. I will be taking a break from social media because we are really tired of being headlines, and we fight like mothers and daughters, but being in the public eye exacerbates that greatly and it adds a lot of stress to both of our lives and I dont want that.

I dont want any drama, Claudia said. I dont want any hate. So I will be leaving social media for a bit to work on my relationship with my mom and my family.

George Conway shared the TikTok video on Twitter.

Our daughter Claudia asked me to tweet this statement for her, he said.

As a censored version of what people purported to be the topless photo circulated on social media Monday, some implored authorities to investigate the matter at Claudias home. In further comments, Claudia asked people not to target Kellyanne.

Please do not incite hate or violence on my family, she said. Please, no threats. No calls to authorities. I love my mom and she loves me.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter.
A former North Carolina congressman and state Republican Party leader who lied to FBI agents about a bribery scandal received a pardon from outgoing President Donald Trump in his final hours in office.

Federal authorities said ex-Rep. Robin Hayes participated in a scheme while GOP state chairman in which a wealthy insurance company magnate attempted to bribe the state insurance commissioner with $1.5 million in campaign funds in exchange for removing a top department regulator. The company executive, Greg E. Lindberg, was convicted last year and is serving prison time. Lindberg had quickly become a major political donor in state politics.

Hayes, now 75, accepted a plea deal in fall 2019 on one count and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. He was sentenced last August to one year of probation and monetary penalties. Trump announced right before leaving office last Wednesday that he had either granted pardons or commuted the sentences of more than 140 people, a list that included Hayes.

The commissioner, Republican Mike Causey, wasnt accused of wrongdoing, alerted authorities and recorded conversations for them. Hayes, Lindberg and two other associates were indicted.

U.S. attorneys said Hayes lied in 2018 to FBI agents even after being presented evidence that his statements were untrue. Agents played a recording of Hayes, Lindberg, Gray and Causey agreeing that the state GOP would contribute $250,000 to Causeys campaign, according to a legal memo. Prosecutors recommended no prison time for Hayes, however, citing his admission to the crime and cooperation.

In a statement, Hayes said he was grateful to Trump for considering his case and thankful for the constant prayer blessed upon me by friends and supporters over the past few years. He said he looked forward with enthusiasm towards new life adventures with his children and grandchildren.

The White House pardon statement said Sen. Thom Tillis and several other members of the North Carolina congressional delegation strongly support clemency for Mr. Hayes who represented the 8th Congressional District from 1999 through 2008.

Hayes, who also was a state legislator and 1996 gubernatorial candidate, has had a long and distinguished career in public service and has taken full responsibility and demonstrated sincere contrition for his momentary lapse in judgment, Tillis spokesman Daniel Keylin wrote in an email. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte, which prosecuted Hayes, Lindberg and Gray, declined to comment Wednesday.

Last March, jurors convicted Lindberg, who founded Eli Global LLC, and company consultant John Gray of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud as well as bribery. The third person who went to trial was acquitted. Lindberg is now serving a prison sentence of more than seven years. Gray is expected at prison by March 1 to serve a 2 1/2-year sentence.

Trump also pardoned Patrick Lee Swisher, the founder of Charlotte-based toilet sanitizing company Swisher Hygiene. Swisher pleaded guilty in 2002 to tax fraud and making false statements and was released from prison in 2004. The pardon was supported by NASCAR race team owner Rick Hendrick, U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, a Republican from North Carolina, and others, the White House said.

The pardon announcement noted that Swisher started another business after his prison release that employs over 1,000 people, is involved in a nonprofit that provides college scholarships and has mentored former felons.

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

Topics North Carolina
HSBC has been accused of 'aiding and abetting one of the biggest crackdowns on democracy in the world' over its treatment of customers in Hong Kong.

Appearing before MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee, bosses were quizzed about why bank accounts of pro-democracy protesters in the former British colony were frozen.

The grilling followed months of criticism of HSBC after its top executive in Asia signed a petition backing a draconian national security law imposed on Hong Kong by China.

Troubles: HSBC boss Noel Quinn says he has personally witnessed the turmoil that has rocked Hong Kong

The law has led to arrests and the imprisonment of pro-democracy protesters, fuelling fears over Beijing's influence in the territory.

Several activists in Hong Kong, including legislator Ted Hui, who fled to Britain last month, have had their bank accounts frozen by HSBC.

Taking aim at chief executive Noel Quinn and chief compliance officer Colin Bell at yesterday's hearing, Conservative MP Bob Seely said: 'You're making ethical judgements in Hong Kong, you're just making the wrong ethical judgements.'

Labour MP Chris Bryant added: 'You're effectively aiding and abetting one of the biggest crackdowns on democracy in the world.'

Founded in Hong Kong but with headquarters in Britain, HSBC has historically tried to remain politically neutral.

But Western governments have accused it of 'kowtowing' to China's Communist regime.

Quinn said that he could not comment on individual cases, but that if the Hong Kong police ordered a bank account to be closed, HSBC must comply.

He told MPs: 'I'm not in the position as a banker to be able to judge the motives or the validity of that legal instruction from a law enforcement authority.

'I can't do that in the UK, and I can't do it in any other market. I cannot cherry-pick which law to follow or which legal instruction to follow from a police authority.'

HSBC faces questions over whether it has become too close to Beijing and can remain a British-based bank spanning East and West.

Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested last year that it may be 'more closely aligned to the Chinese government than Her Majesty's'.

And then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo  chief foreign affairs adviser to Donald Trump accused it of a 'show of fealty' in the face of 'bullying' by Beijing.

Quinn said he was committed to doing the best for Hong Kong. He told MPs: 'We are troubled about the challenges Hong Kong has faced over the past two to three years. I've witnessed them myself, having lived there.

'We have, as an institution, been part of its evolution and I am nowhere near the point at which the challenges it faces would give me any hint or consideration of walking away from Hong Kong.'

Following the hearing, Seely said: 'No one is demanding HSBC walk away. We understand complexity, and we know the difficulties they face, but to avoid any conversation about values or ethical dilemmas was very poor.

'HSBC is happy to virtue signal in the West, yet desperate to avoid ethical debate in Hong Kong.

'None of Mr Quinn's answers have given me any confidence that HSBC has adequately engaged with this issue.'
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasised on the need for an economy that fights inequality as the means to move out of the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking at the virtual Davos Agenda Summit on Tuesday, Macron urged companies to play an active role in reducing inequality within society.

Talking to WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab virtually, Macron said, "We will get out of this pandemic only with an economy that fights inequality."

In the beginning of his address, Macron said that the coronavirus pandemic has transformed societies, while stressing on the importance of saving lives during a global health crisis.

ALSO READ: WEF 2021: Jinping calls for global cooperation, says strong should not bully the weak

"The economy of tomorrow needs to think of innovation and humanity and has to build competitiveness alongside climate considerations," the French President added.

Macron noted that while capitalism has improved the lives of many people, it has also resulted in stark inequalities in the present society.

"Let's not forget that the target should always be to build the good life with all its advantages and with the will of respecting the other," he said.

Talking about the environmental challenges of the present, Macron said that more needs to be done to live up to the commitments made in The Paris Agreement to protect our planet.

ALSO READ: WEF 2021: India faced COVID-19 disruption 'very bravely', says Smriti Irani

"A lot more needs to be done to live up to the commitments made to protect our planet," he said.

On advance technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing, Macron stated that these developments will completely change industries and capacity to solve problems including the climate crisis. But at the same time, he warned, technology can have a negative impact on societies and democracy.

"What is happening around us can change things deeply. Having that said, it means that we cannot build anything in the post-COVID world without reaping the benefits and learning the lessons from what we have experienced," he said.

He said societies are vulnerable and nature is reminding everyone of that fact.

"We are vulnerable to pandemics, climactic events, and so on. And so the economy of tomorrow needs to be strengthened by these lessons," Macron told the Summit.

ALSO READ: Job crisis, climate change, infectious diseases biggest global risks in next decade: WEF
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GrayStreet Partners is selling a big chunk of the land where it has said it plans to develop a massive mixed-use community.

The San Antonio firm has been buying land near the Pearl since 2014, including properties previously owned by the San Antonio Independent School District, Bexar Appraisal District records indicate.

Last fall, a GrayStreet executive said the firm was working with Houston-based Midway on turning about 20 acres across Broadway into a 1.6-million-square-foot community with multifamily housing, retail and hospitality space, offices and outdoor plazas.

This is a total transformation of the area, GrayStreet director of development Peter French told the citys Midtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone board in September.

The $560.8 million development, dubbed Broadway East, would be completed in phases through 2030. Work on an apartment complex thats part of the first phase is expected to start next month.

GrayStreet recently put 14.7 acres of the site up for sale, including parcels stretching from Broadway past North Hackberry Street and between Casa Blanca and Carson streets. JLL Capital Markets is representing the firm and began marketing the property in mid-December; offers are due Feb. 4.

We are seeking a developer or investor that recognizes the significance of this opportunity and has the financial resources and vision to capitalize on the full potential of the development site, Davis Adams, managing director at JLL, said in a statement.

Related: More details about plans for $560 million mixed-use development near Pearl

GrayStreets French declined to comment for this article. Midway signed a letter of intent with the firm last year to develop the community.

We have invested a great deal of time and resources figuring out this unique property and are currently engaged in an extensive master planning effort, a representative from Midway said. We remain interested in the property.

The first phase of Broadway East includes apartments built by Encore Enterprises Inc., which developed the Encore SoFlo complex downtown.

The Dallas firm bought roughly 4.1 acres between Carson, Austin, Grayson and North Alamo streets, and expects to start construction on a five-story, 386-unit complex in February, said spokeswoman Amy Dunaway. Encore acquired most of the land from GrayStreet.

The developments first stage also includes infrastructure upgrades, French told the TIRZ board last fall.

The firms are seeking $8.9 million for those improvements, and a total of $20.5 million in reimbursement funds and a Chapter 380 economic development agreement. The TIRZ reimburses developers for public improvements. The reimbursements are paid from property tax revenue.

Theres been a significant amount of disinvestment in this area over the preceding decades, so we have literally crumbling sidewalks when they exist, French said. It has to be improved top to bottom.

The firm predicted tax revenue  including property, sales and hotel occupancy taxes  from 2020 through 2030 will total $163 million.

French also told the TIRZ board that rent increases on a percentage of apartments at Broadway East would be capped based on the Consumer Price Index. He said some smaller units in the $1,200 to $1,400 range would be built, and that the developers would set up a fund to support affordable housing and community activities.

Across from the cluster of Broadway East properties it is selling, GrayStreet plans to develop a 20-story building with a W Hotel and offices.

The 195-room hotel is in the final planning stage, according to a report by data firm STR, which tracks the hospitality industry. Projects in that phase are confirmed and under contract, and hotel construction is expected to begin in the next 12 months, STR spokeswoman Haley Luther said.

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Less than 2 miles down Broadway, renovations to the former San Antonio Light newspaper building are ongoing. The firm bought the building from Hearst Corp. in 2016 and is turning it into office space for tenants, including the San Antonio Express-News.

Further south, GrayStreet bought the dilapidated former Lone Star Brewery complex last year with plans to eventually turn the roughly 32-acre site into a mixed-use development. It is also working on that project with Midway.

GrayStreet recently sold the historic Vogue building downtown, which was among nine properties on Houston Street it acquired in 2015 in one of the biggest deals in years in San Antonios urban core.

madison.iszler@express-news.net

Covid: quarantine in hotel for those entering Tunisia New rules in effect starting February 1

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, 26 GEN - Tunisia is tightening measures for those who enter national territory, on consideration of the worsening epidemiological situation in the country, said the Tunisian health ministry.



In addition to suspending flights from the UK, Brazil, and South Africa, the health ministry said in a statement that starting February 1 all those entering the country will be required to quarantine for seven days at their own expense in a partner hotel, presenting special reservation vouchers at the time of arrival in Tunisia.



After seven days it will be possible, also at one's own expense, to take a RT-PCR test, and if negative, to leave quarantine.



This measure is added to the requirement to present a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 hours prior to departure. Exceptional authorisations will be given by a special quarantine commission within the health ministry.



Tunisia has thus far registered 198,636 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 6,287 deaths.



Authorities are concerned about the critical situation of the health system, with 2,148 patients hospitalised, of whom 421 in intensive care and 141 on assisted breathing.(ANSAmed).




Appointment

26 January 2021

Sage Hospitality Group is pleased to announce that it has promoted Ed Blair to the position of Area General Manager overseeing The Crawford Hotel, Denver Union Station, The Oxford Hotel and The Oxford Club, Spa & Salon.

With more than 25 years of hospitality experience, Blair most recently served as the General Manager - or "Rebel Leader" - at Denver's The Curtis - a Doubletree by Hilton. He previously served as the General Manager at Sage's Embassy Suites Denver Downtown, where he was honored with the "Sage Passion Award" for 2017. He also spent almost a decade as the General Manager of The Oxford, where he was named "Leader of the Year" in 2012. Under his direction, The Oxford was honored as Sage's "Hotel of the Year" for 2011, based on its strong financials, market share, guest, employee and audit metrics.

A graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder, Blair also previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Mile High United Way. He is a founding member of Denver's Road to Work Business Advisory Council, which provides training and employment opportunities for people suffering from poverty and those with disabilities. He is also involved with the Downtown Denver Partnership, previously serving as chairman of the non-profit's Business Improvement District board and on the 14th Street General Improvement District board.
Republicans are searching for a post-Trump identity now that they are out of power in Washington, but one policy position will certainly carry on, and likely take on a renewed emphasis: opposition to federal funding of abortion.

Almost the entirety of the GOP House caucus, led by Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Banks (pictured), have pledged to oppose any legislation that repeals the Hyde Amendment, the decades-old policy that prohibits federal programs such as Medicaid from paying for abortions.

It is perhaps the clearest line that party members -- 200 in total -- have drawn on policy since Joe Biden became president.

In a letter to both House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Schumer, obtained by RealClearPolitics, the minority party made its position known: We pledge to vote against any government funding bill that eliminates or weakens the Hyde Amendment or other current-law, pro-life appropriations provisions.

The sentiment is not new. But the need for the proclamation is, conservatives say.

A Clinton-era provision, the Hyde Amendment was included in appropriations bills through the presidencies of both Republicans and Democrats. In fact, there was a time when it was relatively uncontroversial. And for a time, Biden also opposed spending taxpayer dollars on abortion. I will continue to abide by the same principle that has guided me throughout my 21 years in the Senate: those of us who are opposed to abortion should not be compelled to pay for them, he wrote in 1994. As you may know, I have consistently  on no fewer than 50 occasions  voted against federal funding of abortions.

But times have changed and so has Biden.

After reaffirming his support for the amendment one week, he reversed it the next. Circumstances have changed, he said during a June 2019 speech in Atlanta. Weve seen state after state including Georgia passing extreme laws, the former vice president added. Its clear that these folks are going to stop at nothing to get rid of Roe.

Biden has brought his updated view with him to the White House at a time when Democrats control both chambers of Congress. And his party expects to see changes. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the Democrat who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said as much in December.

This is the last year, DeLauro promised. The time has come in this current moment to reckon with the norm, with the status quo regarding Hyde.

When asked where the president stands on repealing the amendment he once supported, White House press secretary Jen Psaki would only point to Bidens personal faith. I will just take the opportunity to remind all of you that he is a devout Catholic and somebody who attends church regularly, she told a reporter from a Catholic news agency. I dont have anything more for you on that. The Catholic Church views abortion as immoral and impermissible.

House Republicans are not waiting for a more precise answer from the new president, and while he stresses the need for unity, they are making clear that this is an area where they will not compromise. According to a senior GOP aide, This is a line in the sand that conservatives of all stripes agree we cannot cross.

Banks, who helped author the letter, said in a statement that millions of Americans do not want their hard-earned money used to pay for abortions. He added, My colleagues and I demand congressional leaders protect the ban on taxpayer-funded abortions and save the Hyde Amendment.


[January 26, 2021] Myomo Forms Joint Venture to Manufacture and Sell the Company's Products in China

Myomo, Inc. (NYSE American: MYO) ("Myomo" or the "Company"), a wearable medical robotics company that offers increased functionality for those suffering from neurological disorders and upper limb paralysis, announces the signing of a definitive agreement (the "JV Agreement") with Beijing Ryzur Medical Investment Co., Ltd. ("Ryzur Medical") to form a joint venture (the "JV") to manufacture and sell the Company's current and future products in greater China, including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Majority ownership in the JV, to be named Jiangxi Myomo Medical Assistive Appliance Co., Ltd., will be held by Ryzur Medical, a successful and growing medical device manufacturer based in Beijing, and Chinaleaf Capital Management Co., Ltd., a private fund based in Shanghai that invests in growth opportunities in new technologies. Myomo will own a minimum 19.9% stake in the JV. Ryzur Medical and its partners have committed to invest a minimum of $8.0 million and up to $20 million in the JV over five years, and when established, the JV intends to enter into a 10-year agreement (the "License Agreement") to license Myomo's intellectual property and purchase MyoPro Control System units, a core component containing the product's firmware and software, from the Company. Under the License Agreement, Myomo would be entitled to receive an upfront license fee of $2.5 million, and the JV would enter into an escalating purchase commitment for a minimum of $10.75 million in MyoPro Control System Units during the next 10 years, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals necessary to permit sales of the product in the greater China territory. Payment of the license fee and transfer of technology requires the completion of certain milestones by the parties to the JV, which are expected to be completed before the end of 2021. The JV will work together with Ryzur Medical and Myomo to develop enhanced technologies and new devices based on the current Myomo technology for the Chinese market. With a population of approximately 1.4 billion, China represents the largest market for MyoPro's powered arm braces. There are an estimated 14 million people in China with chronic arm paralysis due to stroke, spinal cord injuries and other neurological causes, and with approximately 2.5 million strokes in China each year, hundreds of thousands of people will be left permanently disabled. Many of these are candidates for the Company's powered arm braces. "With this joint venture we can begin addressing the large unmet need in China, which cannot be done effectively without a local partner. Myomo is now positioned to provide our devices in the world's three largest markets, namely the U.S., Europe and China," said Paul R. Gudonis, Chairman and CEO of Myomo. "We are very fortunate to partner with such an established medical device and rehabilitation services company and investor to bring our life-changing technology to these patients and improve their healthcare outcomes and quality of life. This joint venture is another step toward our ultimate goal of becoming the worldwide standard of care for upper extremity paralysis." "Myomo offers a unique and proven technology that is much-needed in China, and fits very well with our existing offering of medical products and services," said David Ren, General Managerof Ryzur Medical. "Ryzur intends to use its sales and distribution channels to help the joint venture to bring the MyoPro product line to patients and hospitals across China. We look forward to offering the benefits of Myomo's products to Chinese patients as quickly as possible."



About Beijing Ryzur Medical Investment Co., Ltd. Ryzur Medical is one of the leading medical solutions providers in the PRC for rehabilitation and general medical services with focus on providing comprehensive medical services and equipment. At present, Ryzur Medical is divided into two business units: high-end rehabilitation medical technology and equipment supply and professional medical services. In terms of medical services, Ryzur Medical currently directly manages five hospitals and provides rehabilitation medical technical services and medical services. Ryzur Medical also provides more than 200 models of rehabilitation medical equipment in seven product lines, including orthopedic rehabilitation, neurological rehabilitation, rehabilitation assessment and physical therapy. Ryzur Medical owns the advanced Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression System (SDS) technology in spinal treatment therapy. Ryzur Medical has strict requirements on production process and quality. All medical equipment undergoes strict standard procedure testing and performance monitoring before it leaves the factory. Ryzur Medical pursues zero-defect quality and zero-complaint service. For more information, please visit www.ryzur.com.cn.

About Chinaleaf Capital Management Co., Ltd. Founded in 2015, Chinaleaf Capital is a professional investment institution focusing on the industries of healthcare and intelligent manufacturing. Currently we are managing 9 private equity funds, with approximately RMB 3.5 billion under management. In the medical healthcare industry, we mainly invest in domestic and overseas innovative medical equipment projects such as medical rehabilitation, medical cosmetology and medical diagnosis, as well as biopharmaceutical projects. We work closely with our portfolio companies to support their needs by providing capital and active support in partnerships, strategies, collaborations, regulatory guidance and local market access. Please visit www.chinaleafcapital.com. About Myomo Myomo, Inc. is a wearable medical robotics company that offers expanded mobility for those suffering from neurological disorders and upper limb paralysis. Myomo develops and markets the MyoPro product line. MyoPro is a powered upper limb orthosis designed to support the arm and restore function to the weakened or paralyzed arms of patients suffering from CVA stroke, brachial plexus injury, traumatic brain or spinal cord injury, ALS or other neuromuscular disease or injury. It is currently the only marketed device that, sensing a patient's own EMG signals through non-invasive sensors on the arm, can restore an individual's ability to perform activities of daily living, including feeding themselves, carrying objects and doing household tasks. Many are able to return to work, live independently and reduce their cost of care. Myomo is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with sales and clinical professionals across the U.S. and representatives internationally. For more information, please visit www.myomo.com. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the Company's future business expectations which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our collaboration with Ryzur Medical, plans for offering our MyoPro product in China and the intended benefits from such collaboration. These forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual results due to a variety of factors. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward looking statements for many reasons, including, without limitation, risks related to regulatory approval and market acceptance of our products in greater China and beyond, our ability to maintain our collaboration with Ryzur Medical and to achieve its intended benefits, our ability and that of our collaborators to maintain compliance with applicable law in the conduct of our respective businesses, changes in the regulatory landscape relating to conduct business in foreign jurisdictions, including greater China, our ability to secure and maintain reimbursement for our products, our ability to obtain additional funding to sustain and grow our business, and the other risk factors contained in our filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. More information about factors that potentially could affect Myomo's business and financial results is included in Myomo's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005110/en/

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BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- China always opposes external forces interfering in domestic affairs of sovereign countries, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Zhao Lijian made the remarks when asked to comment on the U.S. Embassy in Moscow's moves related to rallies in Russia.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow posted the time and routes on its website of the demonstrations organized in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny prior to the rallies.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has criticized the move, saying that the U.S. Embassy has disregarded diplomatic rules and regulations and interfered in Russia's domestic affairs.
CHESHIRE  The already competitive field serving coffee lovers in town could get more a bit more crowded as Starbucks is looking to join those brewing up lattes and flat whites.

The plan calls for a 2,000-square-foot Starbucks with a drive-through at 944 S. Main St.

The new Starbucks would be built on the site of the former Dragon Buffet, a Chinese restaurant that went out of business several years ago and was demolished last year.

The site had attracted some redevelopment interest in 2018 when Chase Bank officials came before the Planning and Zoning Commissions hoping to open a branch there, but that never came to fruition.

However, some PZC members said some elements of the proposal to date are not their cup of tea.

PZC member Robert Brucato complained the design of the proposed Starbucks doesnt fit in this part of Cheshire.

Its not that nice village look, Brucato said. You want to come here, you need to fit in. I dont want to see the Queen Street (in Southington) type of look.

Some Cheshire residents and officials have in the past cited the aesthetics of Route 10 in Southington north of the towns center.

As a result of the concerns, a vote on the application, which had been expected to be taken at the close of this weeks hearing, was postponed. The public hearing was kept open and will resume in two weeks.

In the interim, attorney Anthony Fazzone will go back to the project developer, Cheshire-based Nosal Properties, and Starbucks officials to determine whether a compromise can be reached.

Fazzone, however, countered Brucatos comments about building aesthetics.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; its certainly an improvement over what was there, Fazzone said. It (the proposed Starbucks design) is certainly not a village look, but its consistent with the look in the area. Dealing with a national chain, they jealously guard their designs.

Southington is one of several surrounding towns that already have Starbucks locations, although some of those locations dont have a drive-through. Starbucks locations in Wallingford and Meriden each have a drive-through while the companys shops in North Haven, Southington and Hamden do not.

Brucato and fellow PZC member Casey Downes also expressed concern about the new Starbucks adding to traffic during morning and afternoon commuting times on Route 10, which also doubles as South Main Street in that part of town. Downes said she regularly visits the Rite Aid pharmacy adjacent to where the Starbucks is being proposed.

Its very difficult to take a left there if youre going south, she said.

David Sullivan, a traffic engineer for the applicant, said the Starbucks will generate a couple of hundred trips in the morning and half that in the afternoon. But Brucato remains concerned.

Ive seen cars stack up at the Dunkin Donuts that is practically across the street, he said Its difficult to get into the Big Y at that location. Im worried that will happen here (at the proposed Starbucks location) and traffic will overflow onto Route 10.

Sullivan said Dunkin locations typically generate twice as much traffic as Starbucks stores.

In a letter to commission members that was read into the record, former PZC member Marty Cobern urged his former colleagues to reject the application.

Cheshire is fortunate to already have several coffee shops, Cobern said in his letter. During this current crisis, these Cheshire businesses should expect our support.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
Gov. Charlie Baker will deliver his 2021 State of the Commonwealth address Tuesday evening.

Baker will speak to Massachusetts residents from his office at the State House in remarks shared via livestream at 7 p.m. on Mass.Gov.

This years address will look different, but I look forward to sharing some thoughts about the resilient people and communities of Massachusetts, Baker said in a tweet.

Following a year engulfed by the pandemic, much of the address is expected to focus on the efforts made by residents to stop the spread and care for those impacted by COVID-19.

To date, nearly a half a million Massachusetts residents have tested positive for the virus and the lives of more than 13,800 in the Bay State have been claimed by COVID-related illness.

Bakers address will also touch on recent legislation passed, including the landmark police accountability law.

NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating TC PipeLines, LP ("TCP" or the "Company") (TCP) relating to its proposed acquisition by TC Energy Corporation ("TRP"). and its affiliated companies. Under the terms of the agreement, TCP unitholders will receive 0.70 shares of TRP for each unit they hold.

The investigation focuses on whether TC PipeLines, LP and its Board of Directors violated securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by 1) failing to conduct a fair process, 2) whether the transaction is properly valued and 3) whether all material information has been disclosed.

Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/tc-pipelines-lp. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

About Monteverde & Associates PC

We are a national class action securities litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders from corporate wrongdoing. We were listed in the Top 50 in the 2018 and 2019 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. Our lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions. Mr. Monteverde is recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2013, 2017-2019, an award given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in a particular field. He has also been selected by Martindale-Hubbell as a 2017-2019 Top Rated Lawyer. Our firm's recent successes include changing the law in a significant victory that lowered the standard of liability under Section 14(e) of the Exchange Act in the Ninth Circuit. Thereafter, our firm successfully preserved this victory by obtaining dismissal of a writ of certiorari as improvidently granted at the United States Supreme Court. Emulex Corp. v. Varjabedian, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019). Also, in 2019 we recovered or secured six cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases.

If you own common stock in TC PipeLines, LP and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

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Because Indian Prairie is so large, Safeguard was concerned it might be overwhelmed by the number of tests it would have to process given they are also doing testing in Naperville School District 203, Wheaton School District 200 and several others in the Chicago area, Talley said.
(Newser)  President Biden has spoken to Vladimir Putin on other occasionsbut a phone call Tuesday was their first talk president to president. The White House says Biden raised concerns with the Russian leader about issues including the poisoning and arrest of Alexei Navalny, the massive SolarWinds hacking campaign, Russia's "ongoing aggression" with Ukraine, attempts to interfere in the 2020 election, and alleged Russian bounties on US troops in Afghanistan, Politico reports. "His intention was also to make clear that the United States will act firmly in defense of our national interests in response to malign actions by Russia," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki, per CNN. Sources say the Kremlin requested the call last week.

story continues below

A statement from the Kremlin painted a different picture of the call, saying that "issues of the bilateral and international agenda were discussed," including cooperation on the pandemic, the Washington Post reports. "The conversation between the leaders of Russia and the United States was of a businesslike and frank nature," the statement said, which the AP notes is often a "diplomatic way of referring to tense discussions." But there was at least one area of agreement: Washington and Moscow say Biden and Putin agreed to work to extend the New Start treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the US and Russia, before it expires on Feb. 5. (Read more Vladimir Putin stories.)
Earning Money from Home: Tips for Students

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(Photo : Earning Money from Home: Tips for Students)

The pandemic brought money-related anxiety much closer to many people. If you're a university student, you might've gotten laid off from your part-time job in the service industry. School started again, and now you have to consider how you'll pay the bills.

Luckily, online classes that most institutions are practicing nowadays are fertile ground for pursuing a career on the Internet. After all, it's much safer, more flexible, and even more stable in today's world.

There's a variety of online jobs you can take up to make ends meet. Let's review some of the best available options.

Creative Careers

If you're a creative person, you might be able to capitalize on your talent.

Blogging

Running a blog lets you pursue any of your interests, from school-related subjects to niche hobbies. Plus, it's easy to start and doesn't require an initial investment.

You'll need patience and finances for it (it'll take a while for you to start making money), though. Still, it could be the ideal way to put yourself out there while working on your terms.

Freelance Writing

If you love writing but need money to start pouring in as soon as possible, you could do it as a freelancer. You'd write for various clients, from blogs to magazines, contracting your content to them.

Although you wouldn't be writing for yourself, it's a great way to express your ideas and create content while getting a regular paycheck. Moreover, it could be fun too -- whether you're writing a travel guide to an obscure town, or listing the best places in town to eat hot chicken wings.

Knowledge-Based Careers

No matter which career you pursue, you'll need some level of skill to do it well. However, in some cases, you'd be selling your expertise.

Online Tutoring

If you have expert knowledge in an academic field, join a website such as Course Hero. You'd answer course-specific questions of high schoolers and college students. It's an excellent side-hustle for earning a bit on the side.

Teaching English Online

Many companies worldwide welcome native-speakers with open hands to teach the language to children and adults. Most don't even require a teaching degree or experience, revolving around communication in more informal settings.

Proofreading

Grammar buffs could become proofreaders, using the attention to writing detail to fix other people's errors. You could join a company that deals with such services or look for individual tasks as your schedule allows.

Purchases and Sales

If you can make a small initial investment, you could earn money by selling things. Two attractive careers distinguish themselves here.

Flipping Items

Sometimes, you'll sell something that you don't need anymore and make a profit without much effort. However, nobody has an infinite stock of such objects, so flipping items is an exciting career choice.

It's a simple concept of purchasing items in bulk or at lower prices. Then, you'd resell them separately or for a higher price.

Buying and Selling Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency Is the next big thing in trading. So, if you know your way around digital assets, Bitcoin could be your gold mine.

However, as the Canadian Tax Amnesty reminds us, this line of work grows. So, consider the Bitcoin taxes you have to pay to avoid getting in trouble.

Assistance Careers

If you're good at management, it's possible to do it for others for a paycheck.

Virtual Assistant Jobs

As more people transition to online careers, the demand for virtual assistants keeps growing.

The position now encompasses everything from social media management to scheduling appointments. It all comes down to who you work for and your strong sides.

Customer Support

Customer support requires management and people skills, but it's not too challenging. Plus, depending on the company that hires you, it could even become a career opportunity in the future.

The Bottom Line

The remote work trend seems like it'll continue growing, so why not take advantage of it?

Some of these recommendations are more hobby-based, and some provide a full-time income from home. It's up to you to consider your needs and find what suits you best.

See Now: Facebook will use AI to detect users with suicidal thoughts and prevent suicide

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As the House prepares to bring the impeachment charge against Donald Trump to the Senate for trial, a growing number of Republican senators say they are opposed to the proceeding, dimming the chances that former president will be convicted on the charge that he incited a siege of the US Capitol.

House Democrats will carry the sole impeachment charge of incitement of insurrection across the Capitol late Monday evening, a rare and ceremonial walk to the Senate by the prosecutors who will argue their case. They are hoping that strong Republican denunciations of Trump after the January 6 riot will translate into a conviction and a separate vote to bar Trump from holding office again.

But instead, GOP passions appear to have cooled since the insurrection. Now that Trumps presidency is over, Republican senators who will serve as jurors in the trial are rallying to his legal defense, as they did during his first impeachment trial last year.

"I think the trial is stupid, I think its counterproductive," said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. He said that the first chance I get to vote to end this trial, Ill do it because he believes it would be bad for the country and further inflame partisan divisions.

Trump is the first former president to face impeachment trial, and it will test his grip on the Republican Party as well as the legacy of his tenure, which came to a close as a mob of loyal supporters heeded his rally cry by storming the Capitol and trying to overturn Joe Bidens election. The proceedings will also force Democrats, who have a full sweep of party control of the White House and Congress, to balance their promise to hold the former president accountable while also rushing to deliver on Bidens priorities.

Arguments in the Senate trial will begin the week of February 8. Leaders in both parties agreed to the short delay to give Trumps team and House prosecutors time to prepare and the Senate the chance to confirm some of Bidens Cabinet nominees. Democrats say the extra days will allow for more evidence to come out about the rioting by Trump supporters, while Republicans hope to craft a unified defense for Trump.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday that he hopes that evolving clarity on the details of what happened Jan. 6 will make it clearer to my colleagues and the American people that we need some accountability.

Coons questioned how his colleagues who were in the Capitol that day could see the insurrection as anything other than a stunning violation of tradition of peaceful transfers of power.

It is a critical moment in American history and we have to look at it and look at it hard, Coons said.

An early vote to dismiss the trial probably would not succeed, given that Democrats now control the Senate. Still, the mounting Republican opposition indicates that many GOP senators would eventually vote to acquit Trump. Democrats would need the support of 17 Republicans a high bar to convict him.

When the House impeached Trump on Jan. 13, exactly one week after the siege, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark, said he didn't believe the Senate had the constitutional authority to convict Trump after he had left office. On Sunday, Cotton said the more I talk to other Republican senators, the more they're beginning to line up behind that argument.

I think a lot of Americans are going to think its strange that the Senate is spending its time trying to convict and remove from office a man who left office a week ago, Cotton said.

Democrats reject that argument, pointing to a 1876 impeachment of a secretary of war who had already resigned and to opinions by many legal scholars. Democrats also say that a reckoning of the first invasion of the Capitol since the War of 1812, perpetrated by rioters egged on by a president who told them to fight like hell against election results that were being counted at the time, is necessary so the country can move forward and ensure such a siege never happens again.

A few GOP senators have agreed with Democrats, though not close to the number that will be needed to convict Trump.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said he believes there is a preponderance of opinion that an impeachment trial is appropriate after someone leaves office.

I believe that what is being alleged and what we saw, which is incitement to insurrection, is an impeachable offense, Romney said. If not, what is?

But Romney, the lone Republican to vote to convict Trump when the Senate acquitted the then-president in last years trial, appears to be an outlier.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, said he believes a trial is a moot point after a presidents term is over, and I think its one that they would have a very difficult time in trying to get done within the Senate.

On Friday, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close Trump ally who has been helping him build a legal team, urged the Senate to reject the idea of a post-presidency trial potentially with a vote to dismiss the charge and suggested Republicans will scrutinize whether Trumps words on January 6 were legally incitement.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who said last week that Trump provoked his supporters before the riot, has not said how he will vote or argued any legal strategies. The Kentucky senator has told his GOP colleagues that it will be a vote of conscience.

One of House Speaker Nancy Pelosis nine impeachment managers said Trumps encouragement of his loyalists before the riot was an extraordinarily heinous presidential crime."

Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pennsylvania., said I mean, think back. It was just two-and-a-half weeks ago that the president assembled a mob on the Ellipse of the White House. He incited them with his words. And then he lit the match.

Trumps supporters invaded the Capitol and interrupted the electoral count as he falsely claimed there was massive fraud in the election and that it was stolen by Biden. Trumps claims were roundly rejected in the courts, including by judges appointed by Trump, and by state election officials.

Karnataka Agriculture Minister BC Patil said on Tuesday that those who stormed the Red Fort in the national capital on Republic Day were not farmers, but terrorists.

After unfurling the Tricolour at the 72nd Republic Day function in Koppal district headquarters, Patil said that those who stormed the Red Fort cannot be termed as farmers by any stretch of imagination. "They can only be described as terrorists backed by the Congress and Pakistan," he said.

"It did not look like a farmers' stir. It was an act by terrorists. Terrorists, Khalistanis and Congress workers are behind this. People who hate PM Modi attempted to destabilise the government but failed and are frustrated. They have been involved in this kind of acts," Patil further said.

Later, the Congress filed a police complaint against him for his remarks. Party workers lodged the complaint at High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru for calling the agitating farmers terrorists.

Patil is not new to controversies. In December 2020, he kicked off a row while participating in an event where he said that farmers who commit suicide are cowards.

Last week while participating in another event, he reiterated his statement and said that farmers with weak mind end their lives. On both occasions, farmer leaders had sought a public apology from Patil for making such statements.

According to Patil, the Indian tricolour and the Red Fort have special and constitutional sanctity and any insult to them, especially on Republic Day, is an utter disgrace in the country's democratic history. "It is highly condemnable and those guilty must be brought to book," he asserted.

Justifying his accusations, Patil, who served as a police officer before trying his hand at Kannada films and then joining politics, claimed that India's farmers' culture doesn't allow taking law into their hands or attacking the police.

He also said that the country's army too is in danger as Pakistan based terrorists in the guise of farmers have infiltrated into the country with the help of the Congress.

"Now even our army is in danger. If the Congress and the anti-social elements continue to support such terrorists, they may attack vital installations in the country," he said.

In response to a question, Patil said that unable to bear the good governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress has become desperate, and as a result of this, the party is supporting the protesters and instigating terrorists ever since the farmers' stir begun.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 19:42:56|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun asserted on Tuesday Lebanon's keenness to maintain friendly and cooperative ties with the United States.

"Lebanon is keen to maintain friendly ties with the U.S. within a framework of mutual understanding, respect and adherence to common values," a statement released by Lebanon's Presidency quoted Aoun as saying during his meeting with U.S. Ambassador in Beirut Dorothy Shea at Baabda Palace.

The two officials discussed recent developments and the future of Lebanese-U.S. relations, after the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the U.S.. Enditem

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The UK could miss out on millions of doses of the coronavirus vaccine if the European Union suspends deliveries to countries outside the bloc amid a row over Europe's own supplies.

Britain is expecting to receive approximately 9million more jabs over the next three weeks from Oxford/AstraZeneca's factories in Wrexham and Oxford and Pfizer/BioNTech's production centre in Puurs, Belgium.

But a row has erupted over AstraZeneca scaling back its planned deliveries to Europe, with the EU now threatening to tighten rules on doses being shipped out of the continent and into countries such as the UK.

If European leaders decide to blockade vaccine exports across the channel, the American drugs company Pfizer could be left unable to ship supplies bound for the UK. This would mean some of the 3.5million doses reportedly set to arrive by mid-February could get stuck inside the EU.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night warned that vaccine supplies in Britain are 'tight' and it's possible that disruptions to deliveries could leave the UK unable to meet its target of immunising 15million of the most vulnerable people by mid-February. This includes the over-70s, vulnerable, NHS staff and care home residents.

AstraZeneca's boss pledged earlier this year that the company would start supplying the UK with 2million doses per week from the third week of January  this week  suggesting it could provide 6m, and Pfizer has also agreed to send 3.5million jabs over the same period of time, The Telegraph reported.

These supplies alone would be just enough to cover all of the 8.6million people outstanding in the top vaccine priority groups, but if deliveries are stopped or fall short, the target could be in jeopardy.

It is not clear how many doses are already sitting in Britain's warehouses, with ministers refusing to reveal numbers because of security concerns. And it is also unclear whether supplies needed to produce and distribute the vaccines, such as glass vials, would be affected by any export restrictions. Earlier this month the Department for Business said there was 'no shortage' of these in the UK and 'there are clear supply chains in place'.

The vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said today moved to reassure the country and said the EU's threat to block supplies of the Pfizer vaccine would not affect the UK's stocks, adding he was 'confident' they would arrive on time and the company would deliver on its supply promise.

The UK has already vaccinated more than one in nine people in the UK  far more than in any other country in Europe  reaching 6.6million of the most vulnerable since the programme started in December.

Europe's vaccine roll-out was already among the slowest in the world, but has been hit by further problems as France's Pasteur Institute mothballed its jab on Monday and AstraZeneca cut supplies to the bloc by 60 per cent due to 'supply issues'

Asked whether deliveries of the Pfizer jab could be delayed, Mr Zahawi said he was 'confident' they would be arrive on time.

'Pfizer have made sure that they have always delivered for us, they will continue to do so,' he told Sky News.

GERMANY ADMITS CLAIM OXFORD VACCINE DOESN'T WORK IN ELDERLY IS A LIE The German health ministry says the claim that the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine doesn't work in elderly people was untrue and there is 'no data' to support it Scientists slammed the spurious claim overnight after it was published by German newspaper Handelsblatt, which said government sources had warned the jab only appeared to be eight per cent effective but didn't publish any data to prove it. Oxford University rubbished the report, saying there was 'no basis' for the allegation, and that their data has already been 'released transparently'. AstraZeneca, manufacturing the jab on behalf of Oxford, said it was 'completely incorrect'. And scientists added they had 'no idea' where the figure has come from, adding that it was not proved by research on the vaccine. Germany has now confirmed there is no data to suggest the effectiveness of the vaccine is that low and that the European Medicines Agency will decide whether to approve the jab on Friday. It is not clear where the eight per cent figure emerged, with a political correspondent at the German paper saying senior sources in the government had given it to him without scientific data. Politico suggests that the study in which the results were published  where eight per cent of people were in the 56 to 69 age group  may have been misread, but this has not been confirmed. Advertisement

'They have made a very important announcement on the equitable supply of the whole world, including the European Union, and Im sure they will deliver for the European Union, the United Kingdom and for the rest of the world.

'We have got 367million vaccines that we have ordered from seven different suppliers, so Im confident we will meet our target and continue to vaccinate the whole of the adult population by the autumn.'

He also sought to dampen fears the UK would not meet its target if doses were held up at the border, saying the programme remained 'on track'.

The minister later told the BBC that supplies were 'tight', and 'lumpy and bumpy', but stressed deliveries would come through.

But he declined to spell out that he had received guarantees of the number of doses the UK would receive from Pfizer.

Conservative MPs have warned that any delay to vaccine supplies from the EU could 'poison relations for a generation'.

AstraZeneca is expected to start delivering 2million doses a week by the end of the third week in January, its president Tom Keith-Roach told Parliament's Science and Technology committee on January 13. If the target has been met, it means the UK will receive six million doses over the next three weeks.

The drugs company had already supplied 1.1million doses by January 1, and initially aimed to hit 2million by January 10.

Pfizer will be delivering a further 3.5million doses by mid-February, reports the Telegraph.

Ministers have refused to reveal how many doses are already sitting in warehouses across the country ready to be sent out to the most vulnerable.

But they have repeatedly warned that supply remains the 'limiting factor' in the race to rollout the jabs.

Once delivered, they are transferred to warehouses before being distributed to vaccination centres.

The Pfizer jabs have to be defrosted from -75C (-104F), but those made by AstraZeneca can be kept at the same temperature as a household fridge.

It is not yet clear whether Europe would be able to impose any restrictions on the import of supplies used to make and distribute the jabs.

Although the raw vaccine product is made in the UK by AstraZeneca at its own factories, it must still be packaged in special glass vials that are in high demand around the world. It is not clear whether the company relies on products from Europe to complete its manufacturing, nor whether these could be affected by new trade rules.

Earlier this month the Government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said in a statement: 'There is no shortage of vials for the UK. We have been monitoring the requirements across the supply chain from supplier through to patient for some time.

'There are clear supply chain plans in place for both the supply and onward deployment of all vaccine candidates. This includes materials, manufacturing, transport, storage and distribution.'

The latest vaccination figures for Britain show that 6.6million people have received their first dose so far.

Almost half a million received a jab on record-breaking Saturday, suggesting ministers may have millions of doses already stockpiled to turbo-charge the largest vaccination drive in the country's history.

It comes amid a bitter feud between the European Union and AstraZeneca over vaccine deliveries, with the company saying it won't be able to provide the quantities it promised in earlier orders on the original timescale.

Concerns over vaccine supply on the continent have prompted the European Union to tell pharmaceutical companies they can only export to Britain with explicit permission from the bloc. Pictured: Jenny Holland, 86, from Mansfield receives her injection of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine at a former Wickes store in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire

Early figures show there were 220,000 vaccinations in the UK yesterday. The number will be updated later today by the Department of Health to include jabs in all settings

Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi insisted today the UK's vaccination drive will not be derailed

In response, the trade bloc - which has not even approved their vaccine - has threatened to halt exports of Covid-19 shots, which could include millions of Pfizer doses bound for Britain.

EU health chiefs have ordered drug companies to tell them when they are exporting to countries outside the union - meaning American giant Pfizer will need to let Eurocrats know when it tries to send doses to the UK.

The jab has already been approved in the UK, as well as Argentina, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico and Morocco, while Canadian officials have asked for more data before approving the vaccine.

Facing criticism of a slow rollout in the EU, the European Commission last night threatened to impose controls on vaccines.

European health commissioner Stella Kyriakides accused AstraZeneca of failing to give a valid explanation for failing to deliver doses to the bloc.

Warning that the EU 'will take any action required to protect its citizens and rights', she said in a broadcast address that an 'export transparency mechanism' will be installed 'as soon as possible'.

'In the future, all companies producing vaccines against Covid-19 in the EU will have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries,' she said.

The Oxford jab is cheaper and easier to store than the rival Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine - which is also being used in Germany.

The Oxford vaccine can be stored, transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions. This is unlike the Pfizer vaccine, which needs to be kept at minus 70C.

But the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine came under fire last year when initial tests showed the vaccine was 62 per cent effective when two full doses were given at least a month apart.

This was less than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which were both shown to be 95 per cent effective.

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The trade union, SIPTU , has called yet again on the Government to act immediately on the recommendations of the Oireachtas committee on the meat industry which has a number of operations in Kildare

Following reports of two more significant Covid-19 clusters in Cork and Wexford, with more than 100 workers testing positive for the virus, SIPTU Manufacturing Division Organiser, Greg Ennis, has called on the Government to act immediately on the recommendations of the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 for the Meat Industry.

He also questioned the accuracy of the numbers of infections among its workers which have been disclosed by the industry over the last ten months.The Government has failed to act on the recommendations from the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 for the Meat Industry. The key recommendations called for mandatory sick pay in the meat processing sector and other low paid jobs, the granting of work permits to be conditional on sick pay provision, installation of Covid-19 compliance officers in the workplace and the routine testing of meat plant workers with results delivered within twenty-four hours.

Mr Ennis said:The Tanaistes commitment to put sick pay on a statutory footing by the end of this year is too little and very late. We need legislative measures to be taken now on sick pay provision. It rings hollow with these employees, their families and the wider community to be described as essential workers by the same senior politicians who have failed to act on Oireachtas recommendations made last October. We are calling again for the creation of a farm to fork taskforce to address the failings that have come to light in the low paid meat and food production sectors during the pandemic.

On October 9 of last year, the same trade union made a similar call after the recommendations of the Oireachtas Special Committee on the Covid-19 Response in relation to the meat industry, which were released that day.

But it was critical of the proposed timeline of up to six months for implementation of these most important recommendations,

Kildare has a number of meat plans, including Kildare Chilling, OBriens Fine Foods and Irish Dog Foods.

Siptu said that meat processing is a highly profitable industry, with some companies recording billions of euros in turnover each year.

On November 25 last it emerged that workers in Kildare were among those who have been interviewed for a critical report on the working conditions of migrant workers in the meat industry which were described as disgraceful.

The report, Working to the Bone, the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) said there is a systemic culture of discrimination and dangerous working conditions across the meat sector in Ireland, with many employers putting profit before the health and safety of workers.

Meat Industry Ireland, which represents companies in the sector, strongly rejected the claims.
Messaging app Signal, which saw a rise in users following the recent controversy about WhatsApps privacy policy, is reportedly unprepared for the ways in which it could be abused.

In the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, Signal employees are said to have raised concerns that the company is not building enforcement mechanisms to identify and remove malicious individuals, but those concerns have gone unheeded, according to The Verge.

The world needs products like Signal  but they also need Signal to be thoughtful, Gregg Bernstein, a former user researcher who left the non-profit this month, told The Verge.

Its not only that Signal doesnt have these policies in place. But theyve been resistant to even considering what a policy might look like.

Potential dangers include far-right movements such as the Proud Boys joining Signal and coordinate on the platform, or published a link to join a groupchat on another social media site.

Recommended WhatsApp sees downloads drop as millions turn to Telegram and Signal

The response [from CEO Moxie Marlinspike] was: if and when people start abusing Signal or doing things that we think are terrible, well say something, said Mr Bernstein, who was reportedly in the video call were such a potential was discussed.

But until something is a reality, Moxies position is hes not going to deal with it.

The issue roots in the fact Signals encryption means employees cannot see the content on their network, and as such the app does not need a content policy beyond the law  something which almost all apps include.

We think a lot on the product side about what it is that were building, how its used, and the kind of behaviors that were trying to incentivise, Mr Marlinspike reportedly said.

The overriding theme there is that we dont want to be a media company. Were not algorithmically amplifying content. We dont have access to the content. And even within the app, there are not a lot of opportunities for amplification.

Other features that have been demanded by users before Signals resurgence, such as letting users sign up based on unique usernames, could also prove concerning as they could be used to impersonate others.

The Verge reports that the company does not plan to address this concern, despite the engineering work nearing completion.

Mr Marlinspike says that Signal should not become the victim of a false neutrality between good and bad users; although nefarious groups may join the app, other marginalised groups depend on its encrypted messaging.

Mr Bernstein said that such a response was a copout and claimed that Signal could make small changes that would stop it becoming a tool for tragic events without jeopardising its integrity.

Such issues come as US and UK governments have repeatedly condemned encryption services- arguing the government needs backdoors into private services for public safety.

Signal did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent before publication.
Will President Biden Make Good on His Campaign Promise To Cancel Student Loans?

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In March 2020, President-Elect Biden tweeted out that with the next pandemic relief proposal under his administration at least $10,000 of debt from student loan borrowers should be forgiven.

Recent 2020 statistics show that student loan debt is reaching $1.6 trillion from 45 million borrowers.

The Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer have both called on President Biden to cancel up to $50,000 in student debt per borrower. Many progressives and student loan borrowers are eager to know whether Biden will follow through with his campaign promises to cancel student loan debts.

What Is Joe Biden's Stance on Student Loan Debt Cancellation?

President Biden has yet to publicly endorse the cancellation of student loan debt. In a press conference, Biden has expressed support for $10,000 in student loan forgiveness but noticeably did not mention using an executive order to do so.

Biden has shown support for student debt cancellation in his campaign for president but has not made any promises of executive actions towards debt forgiveness. Here is an idea that has been floated by Biden:

Biden has also proposed an income-based repayment plan that allows individuals that make less than $25,000 a year to not make payments or accrue interest on their loans.

All other student loan borrowers will repay 5% of their income, compared to the 10-15% that is currently required.

There is a lot of public support over the idea of canceling student loan debt from Democrats, which may have an impact on his actions. Moving forward the Senate is controlled by Republicans which would make any Democratic initiatives harder to pass through Congress.

Although student loan payments have been frozen temporarily and that pause has been extended by President Trump, it is hard to say what will happen next for student loans. There has been some acknowledgment of the burden of student loans between both political parties, but is it enough to outright cancel student debts? Putting payments on pause is vastly different than canceling debt altogether.

Some argue that congressional support isn't needed to forgive student loans if the president uses an executive order.

Does President Biden Have the Power To Cancel Student Debt?

Per the Higher Education Act of 1965, the Education Secretary has the power to compromise, waive, or release student debt. Lawmakers and legal scholars argue that this language allows the president to use an executive order to discharge student debts.

The president can direct the Education Department to act but it is not under the president's direct control. This action would most likely face legal challenges and some backlash from opposing parties.

Those that disagree with the legality of canceling student debts argue that the Higher Education Act can modify debts but it does not give the authority for a president to flat out cancel all student loan debts.

Many legal scholars believe that only Congress has the power to cancel student debts, not an executive order from the president. Whether the executive order is legal or not there will be years of litigation before a clear outcome is reached.

What Is Biden Going To Do Next with Student Loans?

President-Elect Biden will likely extend the student loan payment pause and interest waiver if President Trump doesn't do so already. The Biden administration's top priorities are COVID-19, economic recovery, racial equity, and climate change.

Senator Elizabeth Warren argues that forgiving student loans would be the biggest stimulus we could add to the economy. Forgiving student loans can also address racial equity because people of color are disproportionately impacted by student loan debt.

Ultimately Biden needs cooperation from Congress for multiple initiatives and agendas, not just student loan forgiveness. If he pushes to pass student loan forgiveness too soon it might be too controversial and he could lose the support of the Republican majority in Congress.

President Biden is more likely to wait for Congress to pass the loan forgiveness proposals, and then if Congress still blocks them he would consider using an executive order.

Why Is Biden Pushing To Cancel Student Loans?

Canceling student loans is the first step of Biden's larger strategy to make higher education more affordable. He plans to work towards tuition-free college and student loan forgiveness programs to make higher education less financially burdensome.

Canceling student loans would also be a largely popular move for young people who are going into college and those who have recently graduated. Securing young voters is always a plus in politics and campaigning for future elections. With so many things going wrong in 2020, Biden could secure a win for himself and Americans by canceling student loan debt in 2021.

Although he supports student loan cancellation, will he go forward with executive action? It is hard to predict whether Biden will go through with executive action or not but with increasing support and demand for student loan forgiveness it becomes more and more of a possibility.

See Now: Facebook will use AI to detect users with suicidal thoughts and prevent suicide

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White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice said Biden sees addressing equity issues as also good for the nations bottom line. She cited a Citigroup study from last year that U.S. gross domestic product lost $16 trillion over the last 20 years as a result of discriminatory practices in a range of areas, including in education and access to business loans. The same study finds the U.S. economy would be boosted by $5 trillion over the next five years if it addressed issues of discrimination in areas such as education and access to business loans.
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A Polish butcher has claimed he 'only wanted to help,' 21-year-old Libby Squire as she was a 'drunk, hypothermic lost girl,' and denied raping and killing the student, a court has heard today.

Pawel Relowicz, 26, told Sheffield Crown Court that he had consensual sex with Libby Squire on the evening she disappeared, but said she was not 'a target' for him to have 'easy sex'.

Yesterday Relowicz told the court Libby was so drunk she could barely stand, but was adamant he did not physically force her into his car, while accepting that he had to put her seatbelt on for her.

Polish-born Relowicz denies raping and murdering 21-year-old Ms Squire in Hull, East Yorkshire, on February 1, 2019.

Libby Squire's body was found in the Humber estuary in March 2019. It is alleged that Pawel Relowicz, 26, raped and murdered the University of Hull philosophy student, before dumping her body in a river

Speaking through an interpreter, Relowicz, of Raglan Street, Hull, has told the court that he was 'looking for a woman to have easy sex' on the night of January 31, but said he just wanted to help Ms Squire, who he found drunk and distressed in the street after being refused entry to a nightclub.

In cross-examination on Tuesday, Richard Wright QC, prosecuting, asked the defendant: 'And though you told us yesterday that you were looking for easy sex, this drunk, hypothermic, lost girl was not the easy sex you were looking for?'

Relowicz, who worked as a butcher at Karro Foods, in Malton, North Yorkshire, replied: 'She wanted my help and I only wanted to help her.'

Mr Wright said: 'From the very moment you saw her, she became a target for the easy sex you told the jury you were looking for that night, didn't she?'

The defendant answered: 'She was not a target for me.'

Polish-born butcher Relowicz, a married father-of-two, told a court he was trying to help Miss Squire, 21, who he found drunk and distressed in the street after being refused entry to a nightclub

Relowicz has told the jury that he offered University of Hull philosophy student Ms Squire a lift home, but stopped the car near Oak Road playing fields when he thought she was going to be sick.

The married father-of-two said she asked for a hug and they ended up kissing before having sex on the ground near his car.

The defendant said she tried to kiss him again but he turned away and she scratched his face.

He told the court that he then drove away and saw her behind his car shouting at him not to leave her.

Mr Wright asked Relowicz why he did not tell this to the police when he was arrested five days after Ms Squire, who is originally from High Wycombe, in Buckinghamshire, disappeared.

He said: 'It was not a deliberate decision. I had two children and a wife and I didn't want her to find out I had cheated on her.

'I didn't do anything to Libby. I didn't kill her, I didn't rape her and I left her where I said I left her.'

Relowicz denies throwing Miss Squire's body in the river, instead claiming that he left her by Oak Road playing fields shortly after they shared a kiss

CCTV footage shows Libby Squire on her way to the Welly Nightclub, which she was later turned away from

The jury had previously heard that the suspect had broken into homes and stolen sex toys and women's underwear.

The prosecution has told the jury that Relowicz picked up Ms Squire while he was 'prowling around the student area' looking for an opportunity to commit a sexual offence against a vulnerable young woman.

The court has heard that he drove her to Oak Road playing fields, where he raped and murdered her before putting into the River Hull.

Her body was recovered about seven weeks later in the Humber estuary.

Yesterday Oliver Saxby, defending, told the court about Relowicz' previous offences.

Mr Saxby told the jury: 'To say he has a problem barely scratches the surface.

'How he has behaved, what he has done - it is utterly disgusting.'

But he said there was no evidence that Relowicz had killed Libby.

Sheffield Crown Court has been told he picked up Ms Squire, who was drunk and distressed after she had been turned away from a nightclub, while he was 'prowling around the student area' looking for an opportunity to commit a sexual offence against a vulnerable young woman.

Mr Saxby said: 'Let me spell it out: He has violated homes, he has violated the intimate possessions of student girls, he has violated intimate moments and he has expressed his enjoyment at all of this by masturbating at the time, and elsewhere - including in public places.

'It is, I repeat, disgusting.

Yesterday a jury was told that after the police arrested the Relowicz, they found sex toys and women's underwear that he had stolen after breaking into students' homes

'What he did I don't doubt will have been extremely frightening.

'And you will hate him for it. That's the reality, being frank. Why wouldn't you?'

Mr Saxby said the defendant found it difficult to accept he had a problem and had lied to his wife, and to himself.

'Why? Because his behaviour is so gross; and, perhaps, we would say, because - in the context of this case - he feared that if he admitted it, it would count against him,' Mr Saxby said.

The trial continues.
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Chairman of the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce (AHK Romania) Dragos Anastasiu, member of the Coalition for the Development of Romania, said on Tuesday that at a meeting the same day with Prime Minister Florin Citu he requested the allocation of funds needed to implement aid measures for companies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming that payments are delayed.

"We also had a discussion about the aid measures and the main thing we want is for them to get implemented faster, to have measure 2, measure 3, a HORECA measure, a measure for those who are customers at shopping malls. There are some problems with implementation and budgeting and I asked for those amounts to be allocated because generally the companies are up to their neck underwater, so a rather strong government intervention is needed in the sense of implementation. And we also had a discussion related to flexible work, which got a good emergency ordinance last year, but the law adopted in Parliament made it valid for only three days and we want to return to the provisions of that Ordinance because we need more flexibility than we have under the current law," said Anastasiu after the meeting of the Prime Minister Florin Citu with officials of the Coalition for the Development of Romania.

Dragos Rosca, chairman of the Romanian Business Leaders said in his turn that he called for the continuation of the accompanying measures that are currently in place."Romania has a very low unemployment at EU level; it is unemployment that stands at 5pct of the workforce, and during the pandemic it did not increase much; it was covered by the support measures from the government at that time, as far as furloughing is concerned, as well as accompanying measures for temporary working time. Those sectors that had been affected, such as HORECA, were supported to a significant extent by these accompanying measures. We did not ask for more, just for for the current measures to continue," said Rosca.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 18:45:00|Editor: huaxia

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GENEVA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's new Davos speech was pivotal to boosting multilateral cooperation, leaders of international organizations, business executives and economists have said, stressing China's role as a growth engine in supporting global economic recovery.

Addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF) Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda on Monday, Xi called on the world to abandon ideological prejudice and jointly follow a path of peaceful coexistence, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

"Difference in itself is no cause for alarm. What does ring the alarm is arrogance, prejudice and hatred," Xi said.

No global problem can be solved by any one country alone, and there must be global action, global response and global cooperation, Xi stressed.

"The speech of President Xi Jinping was historic. Four years after he made a famous speech in Davos, in 2017, where he emphasized the need for the world to embrace multilateralism, he came back to this proposal and notion of multilateralism at a very crucial time in the history of humankind," said WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab.

"After four years of confrontation, we have now the opportunity to reset the pace of global cooperation and to enter into an age of cooperation," Schwab said in a video message sent to Xinhua.

International Labor Organization Director-General Guy Ryder said he is pleased that the emphasis of Xi's speech was on international cooperation.

"We need much more international cooperation so that everybody can apply the necessary policies. Multilateralism, international cooperation in vaccine policy but also in employment and financial policy needs to be on top of the policy agenda as we start this new year," he told Xinhua in an interview.

Adriano Lucatelli, co-founder and managing director of Zurich-based Descartes Finance, said he expects China to continue to push for multilateralism to find global solutions for a post-COVID world.

"I wish China to take a leading role in fostering global cooperation as President Xi already explained at his 2017 speech at the WEF in Davos," Lucatelli said.

In his speech, Xi also called for jointly promoting strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of the world economy.

Xi's remarks have demonstrated "China's firm determination to continue facilitating opening up and economic globalization," Qualcomm China Chairman Frank Meng told Xinhua in a written interview.

Rudolf Minsch, chief economist at Swiss national business federation Economiesuisse, said while the COVID-19 crisis has led to more protectionism in many countries, "China has an important role in convincing other countries to abandon trade barriers, setting a good example."

"The me-first-strategy is dangerous for the future of global trade and would hurt all countries in the long run," he stressed.

"China will act as a growth locomotive for the world economy," Minsch said, adding that the Chinese economy "will support the recovery in other markets" in 2021.

China's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 2.3 percent year on year in 2020, data from the country's National Bureau of Statistics showed last week, making it likely the only major economy to grow last year.

Francois Savary, chief investment officer at the Geneva-based investment management and consulting company Prime Partners, said that China's contribution to the global recovery will be significant, especially in the first half of this year.

"The prospects are good and 2021 should be marked by strong growth in China. However, there should be a normalization in the growth rate overtime, converging towards 5.5 percent in a two to three year framework," he said.

"Economically, China is going from strength to strength. With its growing influence comes greater international responsibility, an important step in this direction could be helping vaccination efforts in developing countries to help bolster their social and economic recoveries," said Patrick Odier, chairman of the board of directors at Bank Lombard Odier.

Xi said on Monday in a telephone conversation with Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit that China will continue supporting developing countries in their fights against COVID-19 and contribute to making vaccines public goods that are accessible and affordable to all.

China has joined the COVAX initiative led by the World Health Organization aimed at ensuring equitable global access to vaccines.

"The pandemic is far from over," Xi said in his latest speech to Davos, adding that "there is no doubt that humanity will prevail over the virus and emerge even stronger from this disaster."

"China will continue to share its experience with other countries, do its best to assist countries and regions that are less prepared for the pandemic, and work for greater accessibility and affordability of COVID vaccines in developing countries," Xi said. Enditem
Certain anchor proteins inhibit a key metabolic driver that plays an important role in cancer and developmental brain disorders. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University of Innsbruck, together with a Europe-wide research network, discovered this molecular mechanism, which could open up new opportunities for personalized therapies for cancer and neuronal diseases. They published their results in the journal Cell.

The signaling protein MTOR (Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin) is a sensor for nutrients such as amino acids and sugars. When sufficient nutrients are available, MTOR boosts metabolism and ensures that sufficient energy and cellular building blocks are available. Since MTOR is a central switch for metabolism, errors in its activation lead to serious diseases. Cancers and developmental disorders of the nervous system leading to behavioral disorders and epilepsy can be the result if MTOR is malfunctioning.

Therefore, the cell controls MTOR activity very precisely with the help of so-called suppressors. These are molecules that inhibit a protein and help to regulate its activity. The-TSC complex is such a suppressor for MTOR. It is named after the disease that causes its absence - tuberous sclerosis (TSC). The TSC complex is located together with MTOR at small structures in the cell, the so-called lysosomes, where it keeps MTOR in check. If the TSC complex - for example due to changes in one of its components - no longer remains at the lysosome, this can lead to excessive MTOR activity with severe health consequences.

Protein with an anchor function

The teams led by Christiane Opitz at DKFZ and Kathrin Thedieck at the University of Innsbruck therefore investigated how the TSC complex binds to lysosomes. They discovered that the G3BP proteins (Ras GTPase-activating protein-binding protein) are located together with the TSC complex on lysosomes. "There, the G3BP proteins form an anchor that ensures that the TSC complex can bind to the lysosomes," explains Mirja Tamara Prentzell of DKFZ, first author of the publication. This anchor function plays a crucial role in breast cancer cells. If the amount of G3BP proteins is reduced in cell cultures, this not only leads to increased MTOR activity, but also increases cell migration.

Drugs that inhibit MTOR prevent this spread, the researchers were able to show in cell cultures. In breast cancer patients, low levels of G3BP correlate with a poorer prognosis. "Markers like the G3BP proteins could be helpful to personalize therapies based on inhibition of MTOR," explains Kathrin Thedieck, professor of biochemistry at the University of Innsbruck. The good thing is that drugs that inhibit MTOR are already approved as cancer drugs and could be tested specifically in further studies.

G3BP proteins also inhibit MTOR in the brain. In zebrafish, an important animal model, the researchers observed disturbances in brain development when G3BP is absent. This leads to neuronal hyperactivity similar to epilepsy in humans. These neuronal discharges could be suppressed by drugs that inhibit MTOR.

We therefore hope that patients with rare hereditary neurological diseases in which dysfunctions of the G3BP proteins play a role could benefit from drugs against MTOR." Christiane Opitz, DKFZ

In the future, the scientists plan to investigate this together with their Europe-wide research network.
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The death has occurred of Noel Breen

Of Bay Estate, Dundalk, Louth and Adare

Peacefully in the wonderful care of Blackrock Abbey Nursing Home. On January 26, 2021. Retired member of An Garda Siochana. Noel beloved husband of Margaret, dear father of Kathryn, Michael, John, Patrick, Paul and Roisin, granddad of Aoife, Eoin, Booky, Frankie and Jamie and brother of Kathleen, Madge, Paul, Lily, Marie, Nuala and Collette. Predeceased by his brothers John and Mehaul. Noel will be sadly missed by his wife, sons, daughters, grandchildren, son-in-law Brendan, daughters-in-law Siobhan, Nang, and Miriam, brother, sisters, nephews, nieces, relatives and many friends.

May he rest in peace.

House strictly private.

Due to government guidelines Noels funeral Mass and burial will take place privately on Friday at 11am in St Josephs Redemptorist Church. His family understand and appreciate that people would like to offer their condolences. All enquiries to McGeoughs Funerals 0429334283.

The death has occurred of Maureen Griffin (nee Marsh)

Late of Ballykeeffe Estate, Dooradoyle

Maureen died peacefully, in the excellent care of the staff in St. Michaels Nursing Home, Caherconlish.

Beloved wife of the late Donal and dearest mother of Majella (Fagan), Norrie (McNamara), the late Patricia (Patsy), Barry and Don. Sadly missed by her children, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, her 15 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

Rest in peace.

Adhering to current guidelines, a private funeral will take place for family only.

Messages of sympathy may be expressed through the death notices section of www.griffinfunerals.com or by post to Griffins Funeral Home.

The death has occurred of Maurice (Moss) Hannigan

Of Galbally and Kilmeedy

Died on January 19, 2021, peacefully at St Anthony's Nursing Home, Pallasgreen. Deeply regretted by his loving daughters Rebecca and Stacey, brother Tom, grandchildren, relatives and friends.

May he rest in peace

In accordance with government guidelines a private family funeral mass will take place in Castlemahon Church this Friday, January 29, at 12noon. Burial afterwards in Shanavougha Cemetery, Granagh. For those who would like to pay their respects the funeral cortege will pass his residence after Mass on the way to the cemetery. Mass cards and letters of sympathy can be sent to Riedys Undertakers.

The death has occurred of Eamonn McNamara

Of Hilltop, St. Patrick`s Road

Formerly of Hyde Road, Prospect and late of McMahon's Timberyard and Fitzpak.

Eamonn, died (peacefully) at University Hospital, Limerick. Deeply regretted by his wife Christine, sons Eamonn, William and Patrick, daughter Nora Jane, grandchildren, sisters Phyllis, Peggy and Eileen, brothers Patrick, Tom, Frank and Christy, daughters-in-law Karen, Kate and Christine, other relatives and friends.

May he rest in peace

A private requiem Mass, for family only, will take place in St. Johns Cathedral, on Thursday, January 28 at 11am and will be streamed live.

Funeral afterwards to St. Nicholas' Cemetery, Adare.

Eamonn's Funeral cortege will travel through Garryowen and proceed past the family home in Hilltop, St. Patrick's Road, after Mass, to enable friends and neighbours to pay their respects.

In compliance with the current HSE guidelines, the funeral will be limited to 10 people. Please ensure social distancing and public health advice is adhered to.

Cards and letters of sympathy can be sent to Cross' Funeral Directors, Lower Gerald Griffin Street, Limerick.

The death has occurred of Margaret (Peggy) Moran (nee Riordan)

Of Raleighstown, Grange

Peggy, died (peacefully) in her 97th year, in the loving care of the staff of St. Michael's Nursing Home, Caherconlish. Beloved wife of the late James Moran. Much loved mother of Joe and Sheila Moloney. Sadly missed by her adoring grandchildren and great-grandchildren, son-in-law Max, daughter-in-law Theresa, nephews, nieces, extended family and friends.

May she rest in peace

A private requiem Mass, for family only, will take place in the Sacred Heart Church, Herbertstown, on Wednesday, January 27 at 11.30am.

Funeral afterwards to Hospital cemetery.

In compliance with the current HSE guidelines, the funeral will be limited to 10 people. Please ensure social distancing and public health advice is adhered to.

Cards and letters of sympathy can be sent to Cross' Funeral Directors, Ballyneety, Co. Limerick.

The death has occurred of Ted (Tadhg) Murphy

Of Stoneybatter, Dublin and Limerick City

Captain Ted (Tadgh) Murphy, pilot at Aer Lingus for 38 years out of a 43 year flying career. Passed away peacefully on the January 24, 2021 after a short illness bravely fought at The Mater Private Hospital. Son of the late Tadgh and Josephine Murphy. Beloved partner to Roisin Wall, father to Kate and Genni Murphy and ex-husband to Tess Reynolds. He will be greatly missed by his partner, daughters, former wife, sisters, brothers, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law Sheyla and Mike, Paul and Geraldine, Helen and Morteza (USA), Derry and Mags, grandchildren Ellen and Pia, nephews Ronan, Ross and Rory, and Roisins family Deirdre and the late Henry Wall, Edmond and Sharon, Billy, Fionnuala and Liam, Grainne and Dara, extended family, Aer Lingus colleagues, wonderful neighbours and friends.

A private family funeral will take place at 10.30am on Friday morning at the Unitarian Church, St. Stephens Green West. Burial afterwards at Woodbrook Natural Burial Grounds, Killane, Co. Wexford. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Irish Cancer Society.

Native Irish wild flowers will be planted on Teds grave. If anyone would like to donate seeds or bulbs (no daffodils) they can be sent to family members who will arrange a planting ceremony later in the year.

The death has occurred of Teresa O'Mahony (nee Guerin)

Of Lissamote, Ballykeeffe Estate, Dooradoyle

On January 26, 2021, peacefully at Limerick University Hospital. Beloved wife of the late John. Dearly loved mother of Audrey, Terri, Eleanor and Roger. Sadly missed by her sons-in-law Noel and Paudie and Terris partner Padraig, daughter-in-law Linda, grandchildren Orla, Clodagh, Dearbhla, Joy, Laura, Roseanne, Valerie, John, Frank, Elizabeth, Kerri, John, Tara and Ellen, great-grandchildren, sister-in-law Nanette, brother-in-law Tom (OMahony) and his wife Phyl, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

May she rest in peace.

A private requiem Mass for family will be held in St. Pauls Church, Dooradoyle this Friday, January 29 at 12 noon followed by burial in Castlemungret Cemetery.

In the interests of public health, attendance at Requiem Mass will be restricted to accord with government guidelines and in line with social distancing protocols. Mass Cards and messages of sympathy can be sent to Thompsons, Thomas Street, Limerick.

The death has occurred of Patrick O'Malley

Of Cois na Coille, Murroe

London, and SPS Shannon. On January 25, 2021 in the loving care of St. Michael's Nursing Home Caherconlish.. Predeceased by his parents Tom and Nan O'Malley, Tubber, Murroe. Much loved brother of Margaret (Moran), London, Brid (Foster), Mary (Leo), and Patsy (Coyle), Brothers Michael, Thomas, and Richard (Dickie), brothers-in-law Michael, Billy, and Michael, sisters-in-law Lillian, Angela, and Margaret, nieces, nephews, extended family, relatives and friends.

Rest in peace

Arrival at the Holy Rosary Church, Murroe on Friday, January 29, for Requiem Mass at 11.30am which can be viewed on http://funeralslive.ie/patrick-o-malley/. Burial afterwards in Clonkeen graveyard. Family flowers only. Mass cards and letters of sympathy to Meehan Funeral Directors, Newport, Co. Tipperary. Messages of condolence can be left via the link below. Please adhere to government guidelines regarding social distance and number of people.

The death has occurred of Noreen O'Shaughnessy

Of Kilteery, Loughill

Formerly Boston, USA, On January 267, 2021 suddenly and peacefully at home. Noreen will be sadly missed by her sister Mary-Ann (Dalton), nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Rest in peace

Due to government restrictions and HSE guidelines, a private family funeral will take place with Requiem Mass in The Church of the Assumption, Loughill on Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 12noon. Burial afterwards in Kilfergus Cemetery, Glin.

The death has occurred of Thomas (Tommy) Sparling

Of Rushdale Drive, Clareview

Late of Control Room, ESB, Ardnacrusha. On January 25, 2021, peacefully in the wonderful care of Corbally House Nursing Home. Beloved husband of Angie. Dearly loved father of Jenny and the late Karen. Grandad to the late Hugh. Sadly missed by his son-in-law Art, grandchildren Meadhbh, Donal and Hollie, sister Teresa (Culligan) brother Richard and his partner Anne, nephews, nieces, extended family and friends. A special word of thanks to Dr. David Boylan and Anne-Marie for their kindness to Tommys.

May he rest in peace.

Tommys funeral cortege will leave his family home at 10.30am this Friday, January 29, for a private requiem Mass for family in Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Ennis Road at 11.00am followed by private cremation.

Family flowers only please. In the interests of public health, attendance at Requiem Mass will be restricted to accord with government guidelines and in line with social distancing protocols. Mass Cards and messages of sympathy can be sent to Thompsons, Thomas Street, Limerick.

The death has occurred of Emer Williams (nee Hurley)

Of Kilmallock and Caherdavin

Of 3 Sycamore Drive, Kilmallock and formerly Sheelin Road, Caherdavin. On January 25, 2021. Peacefully at her home. Very deeply regretted by her loving husband John and cherished daughter Laura, her devoted parents Peig and Cormac (Hurley). Beloved sister Muirne, brothers-in-law Michael, Peter, Arwel and Shane, sisters-in-law Diane and Trisha, nieces Aoibhinn and Meadhbh, nephews Conor and Cian, extended family, kind neighbours and a large circle of friends.

May her gentle soul rest in peace

Due to the current government best practice guidelines, Emer's funeral which will be confined to family and close friends only, please, will arrive Thursday January 28 for 2pm requiem Mass at St Peter and Paul's Church, Kilmallock with burial afterwards in Tankardstown cemetery.

Emer's Funeral will be live streamed on www.kilmallockparish.ie

Cards and letters of sympathy can be posted to Daffy's Funeral Directors, Kilmallock. Emer's family would like to thank you for your co-operation and understanding during this difficult time.

The death has occurred of Gerry Coffey

Of Knockaunbawn, Lisnagry,

On January 25, 2021, suddenly, in the University Hospital, Limerick. Sadly missed by his loving sister Peggy (Gleeson), brothers Mike and Donal, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and a wide circle of friends.

Rest in peace

Arriving at the church of the Most Holy Redeemer, Newport, on Thursday, January 28, for requiem Mass at 11.30am, which can be viewed on www.twitch.tv search for NewportBirdhillandToor, with burial afterwards in Ballymackeogh Cemetery. Please adhere to government guidelines regarding social distance and number of people.

The death has occurred of Anne O'Reilly

Of Lower Road, Grange, Kilmallock

Formerly of The Mullins, Bruff, January 24, 2021, peacefully, at St Micheal's nursing home, Caherconlish. Predeceased by her brother Patrick and her son Kieran. Sadly missed by her sons Maurice, Brendan and Declan, daughters Marian and Michelle, husband Jim, brother Tom, grandchildren Ellen, Kate, Grace, Cameron, Morgan, Aine, Lilian, Sadie and Maebh, extended family and friends.

May she rest in peace

Arriving to Ss. Peter and Paul's Church, Bruff, for Requiem Mass at 11am on Thursday, January 28. In compliance with HSE guidelines, the Mass is for family only. The Mass will be live streamed Here. Please ensure that social distancing and public health advise is adhered to.

Condolences can be expressed below in the condolences book, mass cards can be sent to Butler's Funeral Home, Crawford St., Bruff, Co. Limerick.

The death has occurred of Percy Roche

Of Carrigatoher, Nenagh, Tipperary, Kilmallock and Thomastown, Kilkenny

On January 25, 2021, peacefully at home, Percy. Very deeply regretted by his loving wife Mary, daughter Katherine (Grace), sons John & Rory, son-in-law Sean, his adored grandchildren Eva and Conor, sister Kathleen (Dunphy), sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, cousins, nieces, nephews,relatives, kind neighbours and his many friends.

May his gentle soul rest in peace

Due to the current government best practice guidelines, Percy's funeral, which will be confined to family and close friends only, will arrive Wednesday, January 27, for 12noon requiem Mass at Our Lady of The Assumption Church, Martinstown with burial afterwards to Kilbreedy cemetery, Martinstown.

Percy's funeral will be live streamed via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMCcbFFaG5g&feature=youtu.be.

Cards and letters of sympathy can be posted to Daffy's Funeral Directors, Kilmallock.

Percy's family would like to thank you for your co-operation and understanding during this difficult time.

Police responded around noon to the 2900 block of Worcester Lane after an initial report of a suspicious-looking car, Aurora police spokesman Paris Lewbel said. As police were on their way, additional calls came in to report that people in two vehicles were shooting at each other, police said.

A mother fighting to prove that her daughter was a domestic violence victim has revealed the vile threats her abusive partner made just four weeks before they were both found dead.

Katie Wilding, from Torbay, Devon, and her former boyfriend Mitchell Richardson, 33, were found lying side-by-side surrounded by equipment used to administer illegal drugs on November 14 in 2016, with speculation at the time suggesting that the deaths could have been a 'Romeo and Juliet' accident or suicide.

But four weeks prior, Katie had been listed as 'high risk' by the Torbay domestic violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) and was receiving support from the area's domestic abuse team.

Richardson had pleaded guilty to assaulting her after being arrested twice and was, at the time of their deaths, on bail and prohibited from contacting her.

Katie Wilding, pictured, from Torbay, Devon, and her former boyfriend Mitchell Richardson, 33, were found lying side-by-side surrounded by equipment used to administer illegal drugs on November 14 in 2016, with speculation at the time suggesting that the deaths could have been a 'Romeo and Juliet' accident or suicide

Katie's mother Julie Aunger fought tirelessly to have her daughter's case reviewed, and last month expressed her relief that an independent Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) had finally been granted. A DHR reviews the death of anyone over 16 which could have resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by a person to whom they were related to, or in a relationship with.

Today Labour MP Jess Phillips issued a statement calling for a national count of the women who die suddenly, or in unexplained circumstances, and are known to be victims of domestic abuse.

In a new podcast series, Hidden Homicides, in which journalist Louise Tickle investigates systemic police failings surrounding women's deaths, mother-of-four Julie alleges that Richardson threatened to 'rape and kill' her weeks before her youngest daughter died as a way of scaring her into submission.

Speaking about the 'worst' threat Richardson made, Julie claims: 'He asked Katie to ask me for 300. And he said to Katie, this is a week later, he said to Katie: "What Im going to do is, Im going to kill you. Im going to go and find your mum. Im going to rape her. And whilst Im raping her, Im going to tell her what Ive done to you. And then Im going to go away with that 300 Im going to buy enough drugs to kill myself. And wont it be funny that its your mums money that killed us all?"... I think he knew I was Katie's vulnerable point.'

Katie, then 19, met Richardson, then 31, a few weeks after she returned from travelling in Australia. She was working at a hairdressers when he introduced himself, telling her he'd been 'watching her'. He moved into Katie's flat after three weeks, claiming he'd been evicted.

In a new podcast series, Hidden Homicides, in which journalist Louise Tickle investigates systemic police failings surrounding women's deaths, mother-of-four Julie alleges that Richardson threatened to 'rape and kill' her weeks before her youngest daughter died as a way of scaring her into submission

Katie was signed off from work with anxiety and depression, and Julie claims Richardson forbid her from seeing her friends - but did allow her to visit her mother

The concerned mother told how she had misgivings about Richardson from the start, claiming he 'tried too hard' and was 'obviously playing a role'. She added that he had a police tag on his foot for 'violence'.

Warning signs of domestic abuse In CBS Reality's Uncovering Intimate Partner Abuse Dr Jane Monckton-Smith reveals the early warning signs that a relationship will become abusive. The forensic criminologist says that abusive relationships will start like a normal one, but always get very intense quickly. She explained: 'Perhaps they would declare love very, very quickly. This can be interpreted as love and perhaps it is but sometimes people will try to move in with you very, very quickly. If somebody's looking to live with you within weeks I would see that as a red flag.' Sometimes abuse can begin when there is a big life change for the couple, such as if the woman gets pregnant. She explained: 'Sometimes if there's a pregnancy suddenly the attention isn't on the abuser enough and they feel their needs are not being met so that can definitely be a trigger.' Dr Monckton-Smith also said that subtle control tactics like asking you to stop seeing friends or wanting to spend every moment with you can be a sign of abuse. Advertisement

Julie said she became aware Richardson was abusing her daughter within the first two months of their relationship, after a friend phoned her telling her he'd caused a scene at the hairdressers.

'He had his finger in her face, he was shouting and very abusive to her,' Julie claims. 'And it got to the point that two men on the barber's side got up to say, get out, you know, leave her alone. He spat in her face. And Katie was crying and he threw a set of keys at her, which caught her face, and left.

'And Katie was so embarrassed and absolutely devastated, but immediately started to say it was her fault because shed got up, shed had all of the milk and there was no milk for his coffee. And apparently thats what had caused it. But she couldnt see that in no way was that any excuse for that kind of behaviour. And that set the alarm bells off.'

Katie was signed off from work with anxiety and depression, and Julie claims Richardson forbid her from seeing her friends - but did allow her to visit her mother.

Julie admitted she felt obliged to be 'civil' to Richardson as a result, adding: 'It was the most difficult thing, knowing that he was hurting her... but I felt if we werent civil or if we put him down too often, wed lose her completely. Which now sounds very difficult because we have lost her completely.'

Julie said things really began to deteriorate between the pair after 18 months, at which point Katie turned to her family more regularly when Richardson was 'drunk or on drugs'.

She claimed Katie was forced to FaceTime him all night to prove where she was and was only allowed to leave if she was dressed in her pyjamas.

A month before her death, in October 2016, Julie said Katie told her she wanted to leave Richardson and find a flat of her own.

She claimed Richardson had drunk most of a bottle of Jack Daniels and took 20 valium tablets in front of her before beating her up.

A month before her death, in October 2016, Julie said Katie told her she wanted to leave Richardson and find a flat of her own

'The neighbours called the police, underneath, and said that, yes, they heard him hitting before, but this time they were frightened for her life,' Julie recalled.

This was the first time the police were called and made aware that Richardson was a potential danger to Katie.

What is a Domestic Homicide Review? A Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) is a multi-agency review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by a person to whom they were related or with whom they were, or had been, in an intimate personal relationship, or a member of the same household as themselves. Since 13 April 2011 there has been a statutory requirement for local areas to conduct a DHR following a domestic homicide that meets the criteria. The results of reviews are made public. Source: Gov.uk Advertisement

They discovered a tracker on Katie's phone, installed by Richardson. Richardson had pleaded guilty to assaulting her and was, at the time of their deaths, on bail and prohibited from contacting her.

At the joint inquest, the coroner heard about their 'toxic' relationship and was told they died of drug overdoses.

She recorded short narrative verdicts that they had each ingested a fatal 'speed-ball' combination of morphine and cocaine, but acknowledged that the circumstances of how they took the drugs - and what their intentions were - were unclear.

In December 2019, Julie was chosen by Baroness Hale, the first female president of the Supreme Court, to appear on Radio 4's Today programme to discuss the tragedy after she guest edited the show.

Julie told the programme: 'Katie was isolated from her family and friends; he controlled her money and took away her car keys and her phone; he threatened to kill and hurt her - but she was completely ignored.

'He told me four weeks before she died that he was going to kill her. She died in the very method and manner that he told me she would die.'

As part of a campaign to highlight coercive control and domestic violence cases in Devon, Julie shared her daughter's story, saying: 'We are doing this to help save other Katies.

Richardson had pleaded guilty to assaulting Katie after being arrested twice and was, at the time of their deaths, on bail and prohibited from contacting her

Julie shared a childhood photo of Katie last month saying: 'After three refusals, two years of fighting we have been told that Katie fits the criteria for a DHR!'

'The only reason we have ever fought for this review is to help the agencies learn lessons from her death.'

Last month Julie tweeted: 'On the fourth anniversary of Katie's funeral we have amazing news! After three refusals, two years of fighting we have been told that Katie fits the criteria for a DHR! Home Office agree.'

For more information about the Hidden Homicides podcast, visit https://www.tortoisemedia.com/file/hidden-homicides/

For help or advice, contact the charity Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse - www.aafda.org.uk.
Discrimination cost black farmers at least $250B in property, law scholar says Habitat for Humanity joins to tackle 'huge gap' in homeownership

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Property law scholar Thomas W. Mitchell, who was a 2020 recipient of a MacArthur "genius" fellowship for his work looking at how black and other disadvantaged Americans have been deprived of their real estate wealth, says black farmers alone have lost millions of acres of land and at least $250 billion in wealth over the last century due to historic discrimination.

Mitchell shared the data during a virtual session hosted by Habitat for Humanity Friday to mark the 35th anniversary of the federal observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, reflecting on Kings vision of the Beloved Community  a community that includes diversity and allows for tension undergirded by love and leads to transformation.

One of the things that we need to acknowledge is the scope of historic discrimination and its fallout. So for example, when were dealing with black farmers and the land that they have lost in the last 100 years, which you know, were talking its at a scale of 15, 16, millions of acres of land, Im part of a research team thats looking at the economic consequences of that loss and our conservative estimate of just the value of that property itself is $250 billion, said the Texas A & M University School of Law professor.

Our research team  is now trying to build a more robust estimate taking into account things like, when you own property, you can use that property as collateral to finance your childrens higher education and those outcomes you can expect intergenerationally from that, he said, noting that the losses for black farmers are likely to increase to several hundred billion dollars.

A key area of Mitchells research focuses on heirs property, which is a subset of tenancy-in-common property, which tends to be created in the absence of a will or estate plan and results in undivided ownership. This means each of the legally defined heirs own a fractional interest in the property, rather than a specific piece or portion of the property. After several generations, ownership of land and other property, including single-family homes, may be fragmented among many heirs, any one of whom can sell their fractional ownership or seek to force a sale of the land, with or without the agreement of all owners.

His work showed how property laws have worked against black families in both the rural and urban contexts.

Law and policy has a huge role. In addition to the kind of extralegal means that were used in terms of violence and lynching and physical intimidation, theres a whole set of laws that have contributed to either preventing African Americans and other disadvantaged families of color from becoming property owners in the first instance but then for those kind of rarified few who have achieved that status, that has then led to them losing property or property rights that they had developed, he said.

He argued that while the coronavirus has exposed a number of racial inequalities in areas such as health and housing, another area of disparity that continues to dispossess black families of wealth is estate planning.

One of the racial wealth gaps, which is probably not very well known, is a massive racial will-making or estate planning gap in this country, he said.

He explained that while approximately 62% of white Americans make a will but about only 22% of African Americans do. And while the most educated across racial lines tended to do a better job of estate planning, the most educated African Americans still make wills at a lower rate than the least educated white Americans.

He also argued that while the high watermark for black homeownership in the U.S. was nearly 50% in 2004, that rate is now lower than the 41% that existed in 1968 when the federal Fair Housing Act became law.

Before the pandemic, we had lost so much ground, we were below the homeownership rate at the time the federal Fair Housing Act had been enacted into law. Its kind of shocking kind of realization, Mitchell said.

If legislators and other housing stakeholders are going to fix this enduring problem, he said, the remedy, its got to be to the level of the problem, not things like a token or symbolism.

You need people in policymaking positions that reflect the diversity of the country so that you have African Americans and Latinos and others who are in important policy positions to develop and direct and to help the policy team overall raise their awareness of problems they might not be familiar with, he said.

Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, said during the virtual session that we have to acknowledge that housing was absolutely a part of the problem.

In the last century, housing policy [is] maybe the most tangible example of systemic racism, where so many black families and other families were denied access to housing through practices such as redlining and we saw that created a huge gap in homeownership, which created then a huge wealth gap, which came with that. We believe we can do better than that as a nation and we see that housing certainly isnt the only piece but it can be a critical foundation in a way that Habitat can be a part of the solution, he said.

Pointing out Habitat for Humanitys foundation as a faith-based organization, Reckford said: We have a theological imperative  to put Gods love into action in a very tangible way to love our neighbors as ourselves and insist on reconciliation and relationship and justice.

He explained how the organization began some 80 years ago out of an interracial farm just outside of Americus, Georgia.

Some 80 years ago, there was an interracial farm, far ahead of its time where black and white farmers lived together, ate together, were paid equally and tried to create a community that was going to be a demonstration plot for the Kingdom of God of how communities should work. It was often at that time, as you can imagine, not welcome, he said.

We believe for our mission we have a business imperative. Our mission is to build homes, communities and hope but a key part of that has always been about breaking down barriers between people and building relationships. And in our image of our beloved community, it really will take everyone. And we know that housing is complicated and its going to take the public sector, the private sector and the social sector coming together. And weve got a lot of ideas of what has worked and what we believe can work, Reckford continued.

We are in the midst of our first U.S. advocacy campaign called Cost of Home, which is really to bring attention to the huge affordability gap for so many families and particularly families of color. And so we have a number of initiatives we are excited about to try to reduce that gap to increase access to homeownership, particularly for black families, and to increase homeownership more broadly as well as to broaden the supply thats affordable for low- and moderate-income families. We believe that everyone benefits and the right model for any healthy community is to have a community where everyone can afford to live there and where people across income bands and certainly across race and other divisions can come together and live in the same community and build the kind of community we all want to be a part of.
An employee verifies details before conducting a Covid-19 test at their 'drive thru' facility located at St Annes Hospital on January 22, 2021 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Photo: Bloomberg

(Bloomberg)  Zimbabwe received offers for coronavirus vaccines from China and Russia, a senior Health Ministry official said, two days after President Emmerson Mnangagwa pledged to tackle a surge in infections.

Portia Manangazira, director of epidemiology and disease control in the Health Ministry, told lawmakers in an online presentation Monday that China and Russia may offer vaccines at a cost of between $2.50 and $7 per person. Two meetings between Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga and Chinese authorities were held last week to discuss arrangements, she said.

Treasury has promised to provide funds to procure the shots, acting Health Secretary Robert Mudyirandima said during the presentation. On Tuesday, Mnangagwa is expected to hold a high-level meeting with business leaders that have offered to pay for the vaccines for Zimbabweans, he said.

Zimbabwes outbreak is threatening to overwhelm hospitals and two cabinet ministers died last week after contracting the virus. The government on Monday dismissed reports that other senior ruling party members have fallen ill as well. The country had 31,320 confirmed infections as of Jan. 24, but testing isnt widely available and the number of people that are affected by the outbreak is believed to be significantly higher.

Contact editor Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com)

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Following a report late last week that Samsung Electronics Co. is considering building a chip manufacturing facility in the U.S., Fort Bend County Judge KP George wasted little time in letting the companys CEO that the county is situated to host its facility.

George sent a letter to Ki Nam Kim to let him know that Fort Bend County is ready to get to work.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Sugar Land health authority addresses COVID-19 concerns in Fort Bend County

Samsung is reportedly considering building an up-to $17 billion chip-making facility in Texas, Arizona or New York. It has been reported that Samsung is currently looking at two locations in the Austin area.

As the top elected official of Fort Bend County, the nations most diverse and fastest growing community, I formally invite you to establish your chip making plant to Fort Bend County in the Lone Star State, George said in his letter. Americans are starting to return to work, and Fort Bend County is leading the way, safely. Im glad that you have already identified Texas as the destination for this important factory.

On HoustonChronicle.com: New business may come thanks to rezoning in Sugar Land

George touted the education levels of Fort Bend County residents as a reason why Samsung should consider the move to the area.

Fort Bend County has one of the highest per capita higher education graduation rates in the United States, with 46.1 percent of residents possessing a graduate degree or higher, George stated. In Fort Bend County, a survey by the New American Economy found immigrants represent 29.1 percent of the overall population; a whopping 46.3 percent of STEM workers are foreign-born. Texas is also well-known as a business-friendly climate  with no corporate income tax and no personal income tax  along with a highly skilled workforce, easy access to global markets, robust infrastructure and predictable regulations.

With other national tech companies moving to the region, George pointed out this area in prime for a business like Samsung.

Additionally, this region in Texas would make an ideal hub for all of your operations  as we are now becoming an attractive destination for important technology companies from Amazon, Dell, Tesla, HP, SpaceX, and many more, he said. Indeed, Houston and NASA are synonymous in the minds of many Americans, home to the Johnson Space Center that put a man on the Moon for the first time in history half a century ago.

George closed his letter with an open invitation for a visit.

In Fort Bend, you will find a dedicated workforce, pro-business elected officials and a community that uses science, safety and statistics. We stand at the ready to welcome you, he said. I invite you to visit Fort Bend County and see for yourself why our community is the best place for your new operations.

My team and I await your call. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.

This is not the first time George has sent a letter to a company CEO asking them to consider moving to Fort Bend County.

In September 2020 he sent a letter to TikTok CEO Vanessa Pappas and in May 2020 he sent a letter to Elon Musk when he announced he might move his operations to Texas.

rkent@hcnonline.com
Germany has embarked on a push to find out how prevalent the more contagious Covid-19 strains are among those infected, relying on a new test that promises quicker results than genome sequencing.

About two-dozen laboratories in Europes biggest economy will re-test thousands of confirmed coronavirus samples this week to scour for the variants that have caused surging infections in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil.

Theyre using some 100,000 specially designed PCR tests donated by TIB Molbiol Syntheselabor GmbH, a Berlin-based biotech firm that last year was among the first worldwide to develop kits to detect the coronavirus. The companys new test, which is also based on the polymerase chain reaction diagnostic method, has been tweaked to identify certain mutations on the viruss spike protein and can produce results within a couple hours, rather than the couple of days it takes for sequencing.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

The goal is to identify these cases and possibly isolate them more strictly," said Olfert Landt, TIBs managing director, who has developed tests for ailments ranging from swine flu to SARS. Its meant to give an accurate state of the nation."

Europe has emerged as a global hot spot for the virus, with the EU urging member states to do more to track dangerous mutations with genome sequencing.

Hospital Outbreak

German authorities last week ratcheted up rules for wearing face masks, becoming the first major European country to require medical-grade protection in shops and on public transit in the hopes of controlling faster-spreading strains. They also quarantined a Berlin hospital after at least 20 staff and patients tested positive for the U.K. variant. Chancellor Angela Merkels chief of staff, Helge Braun, on Sunday warned that faster-spreading mutations will inevitably get the upper hand" in the country.

Why the Mutated Coronavirus Variants Are So Worrisome: QuickTake

Germany still lacks more comprehensive data on the prevalence of the new variants in the country, checking only individual probes by paying laboratories roughly 200 euros ($243) per sequencing. TIBs updated PCR test, developed in late December, costs roughly 3 euros, Landt said. The company has sold about 250,000 of the tests to dozens of labs in countries from Switzerland to Sweden.

Landt said hes already bracing for the next mutation of the virus. If that happens, his company can come up with a new PCR test to detect that within 24 hours, he said.

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StandOutWithHONOR Global Creative Program winners earn four-week internship at leading creative agency Grey in the UK and Germany

Grey in the UK and HONOR MagicBook customers receive 50% discount across Affinity's suite of professional and creative apps

LONDON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global technology brand HONOR today announced the final winners of its StandOutWithHONOR global creative program, which was designed to encourage people to unleash their creativity and upskill during this difficult time. HONOR has also partnered with creative software provider Affinity to provide HONOR MagicBook customers an exclusive 50% discount across Affinity's suite of professional and creative apps including Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Czech Republic.

The Affinity partnership forms part of the HONOR Academy StandOutWithHONOR global creative program, to help students take their job-hunting skills and CVs to the next level. Through the program, people were invited to take part in a series of challenges to showcase their creativity for the chance to earn a four-week paid internship at leading creative agency Grey in the UK and Germany. After submitting several creative designs using the MagicBook Pro and Affinity Apps and impressing in an interview, Katie Richardson from South West London was announced as the winning candidate who will take up the coveted internship position in the London office, whilst Jose Mendes from Portugal will be joining Grey's German office. Speaking about the experience, Katie said:

"Creativity and design have always been a big part of my life, so the Stand Out with HONOR global creative program was the perfect platform to support my career ambitions. As many students can relate, 2020 has been a difficult year with limited opportunities to build up a strong creative portfolio or network, so I'm thrilled I've earnt the opportunity to work with some of the best in the business to help propel my career forward. I can't wait to see what 2021 will bring for the creative industry."

HONOR MagicBook Series: Designed to Unleash Your Creativity

The HONOR MagicBook Pro is pre-installed with Microsoft Windows 10 and is powered by AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, providing you with all the power needed to create and breeze through heavy duty tasks, whether it's photo editing or 3D rendering, thanks to its advanced processor. There's no compromise to battery life-the HONOR MagicBook Pro gets up to 11 hours of productivity on a single charge.

The stunning 16.1-inch FullView display makes it perfect for viewing photos, movies and browsing the web as well as for applying for new roles. With a smaller footprint, measuring at just 369 x 234 x 16.9 mm, its compact and lightweight design makes the HONOR MagicBook Pro perfect for today's flexible workforce and students, allowing users to work on the go, wherever they may be.

For something even more compact, the HONOR MagicBook 14 and 15 enhance the computing experience with a stunning minimalist design and a FullView display, all packed into in a slim and lightweight body.

The HONOR MagicBook Pro (16+512GB) is available now from 849.99, whilst you can pick up the HONOR MagicBook 14 (8+256GB) and HONOR MagicBook 15 (8+256GB) from 549.99 - kitted out with all the pro tools and power you need, without the hefty price tag.

The newly launched HONOR MagicBook Pro powered by 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10210U processor started pre-sale for 949.99 on HIHONOR United Kingdom from 21st January and will arrive in other markets in Q1 2021.

To claim your 50% Affinity discount, follow these simple steps:

Purchase a HONOR MagicBook Pro from hihonor.com

Add a picture of your HONOR MagicBook or your order confirmation of an HONOR MagicBook in the comments (with a watermark/something to prove it's a unique photo/screenshot) on HONOR Community.

HONOR will send you the QR code via the HONOR community.

Scan the QR Code, enter the website and proceed to purchase

Valid until 31.01.2021*

Available to redeem in the UK, France , Germany , Italy , Spain , France and Czech Republic

Existing MagicBook owners or those looking to win 50% off Affinity Software can head over to the HONOR Community in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Czech Republic to find out more.

About HONOR

Established in 2013, HONOR is a leading global provider of smart devices. We are committed to becoming a global iconic tech brand and enabling a smart life across all scenarios and all channels, for all people. With a strategic focus on innovation, quality and service, HONOR is dedicated to developing technology that empowers people around the globe to go beyond through its R&D capabilities and forward-looking technology, as well as creating a new intelligent world for everyone with its portfolio of innovative products.

For more information, please visit HONOR online at www.hihonor.com

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https://twitter.com/Honorglobal

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OREGON -- When it comes to getting a COVID-19 vaccine, its not solely what group youre in that matters.

There are several other factors that help determine how many doses a county receives: demographics, refrigerator/freezer space and the size of the particular area.

We were handed the vaccine, and they said here's what you can do with that vaccine, Lane County Public Health spokesman Jason Davis said.

The county is expecting 1,700 doses this week to vaccinate educators.

RELATED: LANE COUNTY SET TO RECEIVE 1,700 VACCINE DOSES FOR SCHOOL STAFF



In Lane County, more than 19,000 people have received their first dose. But in Marion County, home to Salem, that number jumps to 27,000.

While educators in Lane County wont start getting shots until Wednesday or Thursday, in Salem thats been happening since last Tuesday.

Nearly 7,000 educators in the Salem-Keizer district were eligible, and theyve been cranking out shots.

When you look at what Salem is doing, they chose to do a mass vaccination for the first doses they received, Davis said. They received about 1,000 doses. We didn't need to do a mass vaccination with the first doses we received because we only received a handful.

Davis said thats when OHA gave Salem thousands of additional doses, but it all comes down to prime and boost doses.

So while it may look like some counties are getting more this week than others, really it's going back to a week or two weeks ago when that was really the case -- and now they're having to follow up on those boost doses, Davis said.

But the concern is still there, as Lane County has a high population of those over the age of 65 who still need to receive a shot.

RELATED: GOV. BROWN DEFENDS PRIORITIZING EDUCATORS OVER 65+ FOR VACCINES

This comes as the vaccination of educators has not even begun yet.

There is a strategy to it, but it doesn't mean it's not frustrating for Lane County people, Davis said. It doesn't mean that we don't have at-risk populations here in Lane County. Trust me, we are certainly letting our partners in the state know that frustration.

Jonathan Modie is the Lead Communications Officer with the Oregon Health Authority.

CDC advises OHA on weekly allocations available to Oregon, based on a pro-rata system including numbers of population in need by risk category, Modie said. For Oregon, that is approximately 1.28%. OHA is currently using a push-model where agency teams enter orders for enrolled providers."

Modie said that OHA places orders with CDC to ship to providers based on the populations they can serve and the available refrigeration/freezer capacity.

Its important to note that no vaccine comes through OHA, Modie said. It all is shipped from the manufacturer directly to the providers in Oregon. Providers can track their shipments through the Oregon ALERT IIS (Immunization Information System).

Lane County Public Health officials said they will be maximizing what they do have in a strategic way.

Part of what we'll be doing is making sure that the school districts who have health personnel in place are vaccinated and ready to go so they can help out other school districts who don't have health personnel, Davis said. We will be holding back doses for private schools, charter schools and early learning because we want to phase them in as the rest of the larger school districts are also phased.

RELATED: LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS GET READY TO VACCINATE STAFF



Health officials said they have progress on a week-by-week basis.

If you are a person who may not be covered in that population of 1A, please do two things," Davis said. "One is look at all the information available about what is in those populations so when we say 1A you understand what we're talking about. Then stay up to date. This is changing very rapidly. What was yesterday's news might be completely new today."
Brave commentators or run-of-the-mill voters who challenge Joe Biden with a politically awkward question may find themselves answered with a familiar refrain, cmon man. That sarcastic nip hides the mental fog often evident in his expression and is used as a safeword for his spokespeople to put an end to further inquiry. It is often followed by a quick retreat, a tug by a concerned spouse, or some other preplanned exit strategy.

Bidens remarks can be imprudent if unscripted and he offers only a marginally better performance squinting in front of a teleprompter. It bodes ill for America that this shortcoming is not commonly found among the rivals he must now face as praetorian of the free world. Many of those big and small tyrants hail from cutthroat regimes such as China, Russia, and Cuba, where respect and credibility on a world stage hinges on hardball diplomacy and exploiting the weakness in ones opponents.

Just a few days into the Biden presidency and the media are already chipping away at the granite on Mt. Rushmore. They may have to stretch the yardstick for statuary fitness if they expect strokes of presidential greatness from number 46. Close your eyes and imagine Biden delivering Lincolns address at the Gettysburg Cemetery, handling the Cuban missile crisis, or manipulating Gorbachev to advantage at Reykjavik. Or, for that matter, building domestic prosperity, brokering a tricky Middle East peace deal, stopping China in its tracks, and bringing the brutal regimes in North Korea and Iran to heel.

Bidens real power brokers are just downwind of the Oval Office. They entreat Congress, write speeches, pile on executive orders, and promulgate domestic and foreign policy. Biden, for his part, is the face and signature on an agenda far more radical than he would have tolerated in more temperate social climes gone by.

Bidens reluctance to withstand challenge is a consequence of his kid-glove treatment prior to the election. It adds to the bewilderment of how such a candidate, mediocre among a Democrat primary field of twenty-seven, who lay low during an entire presidential campaign, sometimes acted out as the godfather of a crime family, bumbled his words and got into racial dustups, could ascend above one of the most popular and accomplished presidents in American history.

Antifa and other street insurgents rioting in Democrat city strongholds have quickly abandoned the man whose election they abetted by quietly withdrawing from the battlefield a few weeks before the election. Now back in all their gothic splendor, with Biden as the new archenemy, the figurehead of a Democrat party that has not met their Marxist expectations and robbed Bolshevik Bernie of his last opportunity to wreak havoc on democracy.

Antifas volte-face is a latter-day et tu, Brute lesson for Biden. Up front in his inaugural address, Biden enlivened his plea for national unity by grim reference to the mob violence and threat to democracy during the January 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol. Noticeably absent from the speech was any condemnation for the disunity and destruction wrought by a hundred-night pogrom of firebombing, looting, and death at the hands of a group who will now inflict on Biden many ignominies for giving a free pass to their crimes.

When it comes to China, Donald Trump, as the titular leader of a Republican party largely in absentia for four years, played hardball in direct opposition to the financial interests of Beltway Democrats, social-media moguls, and corporate boardrooms. In response, liberal media and Wall Street, already succored by the Peoples Republic, conspired like a tree full of honking pandas to diminish and defeat him. In earnest, they continue a cause celebre to punish conservativism by marginalizing, discrediting, and de-platforming its followers.

Notable among Bidens Inauguration Day attacks against America First was his recoup with the World Health Organization (WHO). The United States now finds itself squarely inside the China propaganda machine and under the thumb of WHOs chief executive, Tedros Adhanom, an Ethiopian Marxist and allegiant Sino-surrogate who formulates global health policy without a medical degree. The bitter pill for U.S. taxpayers to swallow is the half-billion dollar membership renewal fee, roughly $2,000 for every American life lost to COVID.

Anthony Fauci, Americas chic virologist and WHO apologist, now appears willing to side with Democrat politics over science in exchange for a few minutes of airtime. His pro forma support of Tedros leadership stands in ignorance of actual evidence that the WHO explicitly toed Beijings COVID timeline, doling out misinformation on the contagion as it spread globally. It shows the chutzpah by which Fauci is willing to put the Trump administration and his own credibility in the rear-view mirror while bending to the current political winds.

Blaming China for the onset of COVID will now fade as fast as a Chinese naval squadron can island hop in the South China Sea. With the help of the WHO, Beijing succeeded in unleashing the virus upon the world and sowed global economic chaos while escaping worldwide criticism for its consequences. With GNP growth up five percent in the last quarter and the world still bottled up, China continues to practice aggressive imperialism in Europe, Africa, and Asia through the control and influence of countries indebted to its Belt and Road Initiative. Meanwhile, America remains a pharmaceutically-challenged country beholden to the China Communist Party for its drug supply, laptops, cellphones, and the cheap labor production of almost everything else. From Chinas perspective, the lives of more than two million of the worlds citizens cut short by COVID is a paltry price to pay for the global economic and military supremacy of a country who imposed Maos cultural revolution at the expense of more than 45 million Chinese lives. Who will stand in their way, a Biden administration more likely to surrender the noose to the hangman.

Its like good ol times in the State Department, kowtowing to dictators and posturing to shoot at everybody else, as the globalism and warmongering of the Obama years finds a new home in the Biden foreign policy. Career policy wonk and onetime songwriter Tony Blinken, who has never actually fought in the wars he supported, assumes the Secretary of state seat as Trump suffragists continue to flee Foggy Bottom.

John Kerry, himself no stranger to shady backroom dealings with foreign despots, returns to government as Bidens climate envoy. Pete Buttigieg, who, as mayor, needed Dominos Pizza to help him fix potholed roads in South Bend, Indiana, and couldnt control crime for its 100,000 residents, now aims to head the 55,000-strong Department of Transportation with little more experience to show for it than a drivers license and good riddance from his former constituents.

The nominee for Secretary of Health is not a medical practitioner, but Xavier Becerra did spend most of his tenure as California attorney general suing Donald Trump over healthcare matters and immigration issues. Biden has also nominated Rachel Levine, an actual doctor and former Pennsylvania health commissioner as his deputy. It would appear from the media hysteria that her transgender status was paramount in her selection and sufficient to overcome her actions as commissioner to erase Pennsylvania senior citizens from the voting rolls by sending hospitalized COVID patients back to their nursing homes. Levine can be credited with saving at least one life, as the fate she cast upon more than three thousand elderly convalescents who perished raised fears for her own mother, who was promptly relocated to a hotel.

The Biden team has cobbled together a gallery of Obama retreads and a handful of other prominent figures not especially well-suited to their cabinet-level destinations. In Bidens own words, some nominations and appointments are highlighted by focus upon sexual orientation or race.

We should be getting used to these offbeat qualifications and standards by now. If not, Cmon man. You aint American.

Image: SEIU Walk a Day in My Shoes 2008
A CHINESE mining company, Afrochine Smelting has been embroiled in a COVID-19 testing scandal after it allegedly assigned unqualified personnel to carry out tests for the respiratory virus on its 600 workers.

Workers at the Ngezi-based mining company told NewsDay that the administration manager, Angui Zhang Zong, gave an order to have the tests carried out at the company premises.

They said workers from the safety, health, environment and quality (SHEQ) department, mainly students on attachment, were compelled to administer the tests despite lacking the professional know-how.

An audio recording in NewsDays possession revealed that during the companys COVID-19 response plan meeting, Zhong ordered that the tests for the virus should be done at the company.

We will test the people here, and then we quarantine the affected people. The rest of the response plan, we will look at it when we have cases, Zhong is heard saying.

However, workers said they were surprised when a group of Chinese workers at the company drove to Harare on January 15, to have COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction tests administered on them. It is then alleged that five of the Chinese workers tested positive.

On January 18, the administration manager held a meeting with personnel in the SHEQ office, and ordered them to carry out COVID-19 tests on the 600 workers which were to commence the following day, one of the workers said.

The wife of the administration manager, Mrs Xian Zhang, who is head of stores department, placed some COVID-19 IgM/IgG rapid test kits on the table and gave a demonstration.

The results of the demonstration came out negative. However, it is not known whether this Mrs Xian Zhang has a medical qualification, nor has been trained for COVID-19 treatment and management.

According to Statutory Instrument 102 of 2020, which enforced the original COVID-19 lockdown period, employers must use the rapid results diagnostic test or any other test approved by the Minister of Health and Child Care.

However, the exercise should be coordinated by the Health ministry.

What surprises us is that on January 20, the SHEQ director Pardon Kufakunesu gave a direct order to Petros Kumbwizha (computer science intern) and Thabeth Matoda (environmental technology intern) to conduct the testing, said another worker.

When the exercise commenced, the testing team did not know their COVID-19 status until late in the afternoon. It was then discovered that one of the testing team members had tested positive for the virus and had to be replaced, although he had tested 150 workers.

Some of those who were testing had no personal protective equipment. As for students on attachment, they were mostly the ones at risk as they were exposed to blood. They were doing it for the first team.

Chinese-run mining companies operating in Zimbabwe have been accused of rampant abuse of their workers.

Last year, two workers at Chinese Rum Mine in Gweru were shot and wounded by their Chinese boss after they complained about outstanding wages.

Contacted for comment, Gilbert Kwaramba, the Afrochine Smelting human resources manager referred NewsDay to Kufakunesu, who despite seeing the questions on his WhatsApp platform did not respond. Newsday
The emergence of the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), led to a global pandemic in 2020. The RNA virus mutated over time, and multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 are now circulating globally. So far, several thousands of people have been reportedly infected with the B.1.1.7 variant globally. One of the most significant mutations in this variant is the N501Y gene coding for the spike S protein, which helps the virus attach to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors on the host cell surface.

The COVID-19 Genomics UK consortium, which performs random sequencing of positive COVID-19 samples in the UK, was the first to identify the B.1.1.7 lineage. This new variant is said to have first emerged in September 2020 in the UK. Over 3,000 cases of the new variant have been reported in the UK as of December 26, 2020. This new mutant has been reported to have a higher transmission rate than the original virus and has become one of the main circulating variants in many parts of the UK.

The new variant has since spread to many other countries globally, including Canada and the United States. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recommendations, residents in the affected areas should restrict movement and all kinds of travel, including international travel. The UK and several countries have imposed travel restrictions to limit the spread of the new variant.

Assessing travel-related anxiety in healthcare workers associated with new SARS-CoV-2 variants

Recently a team of researchers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States assessed travel-related anxiety in healthcare workers (HCWs) considering the emergence of new variants caused by SARS-CoV-2 mutations. The study is published on the preprint server, medRxiv*.

As part of the study, an online, cross-sectional questionnaire was sent to HCWs between December 21, 2020, and January 7, 2021. The knowledge and awareness of HCWs about the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 lineage, their associated travel-related anxiety, and the generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) score were the outcome variables assessed.

HCWs sources of information about the B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 mutant variant

Most HCWs were aware of the emergence of the new variant and that it is more infectious

Out of the 1,058 HCWs who completed the online survey, 66.5% were female, and 59.0% were nurses. 9.0% of these HCWs indicated that they had previously contracted COVID-19 themselves. Most of the HCWs (97.3%) were aware of the emergence of the new B.1.1.7 variant and 73.8% of the HCWs were aware that the B.1.1.7 lineage is more infectious. However, 78.0% of HCWs thought the new variant causes more severe disease, and only 50.0% of the HCWs knew that currently available COVID-19 vaccines effectively prevent it.

Around 66.7% of HCWs had not registered to receive the current COVID-19 vaccine. The most common information source about the new variant for HCWs was social media platforms (67%), and this subgroup was considerably more worried about traveling.

Nurses were more worried about travel than physicians (P=0.001) and those who had not traveled in the past three months and those who had not registered for or received the COVID-19 vaccine were also more worried (P = 0.037 and P < 0.001, respectively).

Utilization of official social media platforms and targeted vaccine campaigns may help reduce travel-related anxiety among HCWs

To summarize, based on the findings, most HCWs were aware of the emergence of the new SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 and had substantial travel-related anxiety. Increased worry was found among HCWs whose primary source of information was social media, those who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine, and those with greater GAD-7 scores.

The authors believe that the utilization of official social media platforms may improve the dissemination of accurate information among HCWs about the evolving mutations and new variants of SARS-CoV-2. According to the authors, more targeted vaccine campaigns will assure HCWs about the efficacy of the current COVID-19 vaccines toward new variants of SARS-CoV-2.

HCWs should abstain from international travel for leisure to decrease the risk of introducing new variants to their health care facilities when they return.

*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.


A man walks into a bar. Seriously. He orders a nightcap to finish the evening, but the barman refuses, pointing to the clock. Its after 11pm, when serving alcohol would be illegal. This is 1900, I should add. The scene is Fall River, south of Boston, where this barroom stalemate will soon erupt into a courtroom drama, thanks to a certain semicolon in Massachusetts law. To quote the statute: That no sale of spirituous or intoxicating liquor shall be made between the hours of 11 at night and 6 in the morning; nor during the Lords day, except  

A man walks into a bar......... Credit:Robert Peet

See the problem? Wheel "except" into the regulation, and lawyers will query whether such discretionary hours might carry through an adjacent semicolon, enjoying the exceptions as much as those in the succeeding clause. In 1900, the debate turned ugly. Lengthy too, as purists and jurists examined the squiggle for six years.

The drama is one charming episode in historian Cecelia Watsons Semicolon (4th Estate, 2019), a grammatic whisk through the marks history and sticking points, its range and subtlety, meeting the haters and masters along the way.

Kurt Vonnegut, rooted in the former camp, perceived the semicolon as a jumped-up comma, a shorthand admission that youd been to college. By contrast, noir icon Raymond Chandler knew the impact of restraint. The Big Sleep has only two semicolons, both packing as much heat as hero Philip Marlowe.

Around 15,000 farmers had arrived in the Maharashtra capital for the rally on Monday, which was attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress Balasaheb Thorat

Mumbai: Thousands of cultivators, who had arrived from parts of Maharashtra to protest against the Centre's farm laws, left for their homes on Tuesday after an elderly woman agitator hoisted the national flag at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai.

To mark the Republic Day, the flag hoisting was held at the ground in south Mumbai at around 9.30 am following which the protesters headed towards their native places, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said.

The farmers held a rally at the Azad Maidan on Monday to express solidarity with peasants agitating near Delhi borders against the Centre's three new farm laws.

NCP president Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat, Peasants and Workers Party leader Jayant Patil and various farmers' representatives had attended the rally on Monday.

Around 15,000 farmers had arrived in the state capital for the rally, the Maharashtra unit of the AIKS earlier said.

"The flag hoisting ceremony was held at the Azad Maidan on Tuesday morning. After that, farmers headed towards their homes. The movement is in line with what we had decided earlier," AIKS president Ashok Dhawale told PTI.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a pro-farmer body, had given a nationwide call for a struggle from 23 to 26 January, including rallies to Raj Bhavans (Governor Houses) in states.

Accordingly, the protesters in Mumbai took out a march towards the Raj Bhavan after the public meeting at Azad Maidan on Monday.

However, police stopped the protesters mid-way.

A delegation of farmers was to meet and submit a memorandum to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

But, after they learnt that the governor was in Goa on Monday, the farmers' leaders accused Koshyari of not meeting them despite giving an appointment himself.

The leaders charged Koshyari with "running away" to Goa and "insulting" farmers by not being in the Raj Bhavan to accept their memorandum, copies of which they later tore to condemn the governor's action.

The Raj Bhavan on Monday dismissed the claims and said Koshyari, who is also the governor of Goa, left for the neighbouring coastal state to address its Assembly, the five- day session of which began on Monday.

The Raj Bhavan also said representatives of the Samyukta Shetkari Morcha were informed in advance that the governor would not be able to meet the delegation on Monday as he would be in Goa to address its Assembly.
The difficulties experienced by many consumers in getting refunds from holiday companies through the pandemic have been widely covered in the press.

Yet the problems that schools and community groups (such as Scouts and Guides) have encountered have hardly been covered at all.

Angela got in touch to say that she had two trips booked with Kingswood Camps for her Guide groups and that the company was not giving her a full refund, as required by law.

It wanted to keep the deposits for both trips and offer a credit against a future trip.

Angela got in touch to say that she had two trips booked with Kingswood Camps for her Guide groups and that the company was not giving her a full refund, as required by law. It wanted to keep the deposits for both trips and offer a credit against a future trip.

For the first trip Angela booked a Rainbow Group (age 5 to 6) to have a one night stay at Dukeshouse Wood in Northumberland, part of the Kingswood Group. She paid in full for 8 adults and 25 children, a total cost of 960.

The cheque was cashed on 20 April 2020, several weeks after lockdown came into force.

She let them cash the cheque (which she had sent in March before lockdown) after making a telephone call on 20 March to confirm that everything could be transferred to a different date at no extra cost, if necessary.

Non-refundable deposit?

Despite the full amount being paid in full, Kingswood stated that it would keep 720 as a non-refundable deposit.

It would refund the difference (240 as cash) only if she signed the cancellation form.

This form agreed that Kingswood would give Angela 20 discount per child against a stay costing 54 in 2021. So, she would still have to pay 34 per child.

The total cost of the same stay to be taken before April 2021 would be 1,620 and Kingswood was offering a discount of 600.

The full refund she would receive would be 240 plus the discount amounts, equalling 840.

So, in effect, she was actually losing 120 (plus the cost of the difference between the 2020 and 2021 prices) if she were to take this offer.

This holiday had to be taken before April 2021. Girlguiding has advised against all trips until at least May 2021.

For the second trip she paid for one group to have a two-night stay in Dukeswood Northumberland, part of the Kingswood Group.

This was for 57 children and 11 adults for 10 July 2020.

The booking was made on 24 November 2019 and the total cost was 5877.60. A cheque for a deposit of 1,488 was cashed on 16 December and the booking was confirmed on 5 December.

Consumer Fightback: How to get help with your problem Helen Dewdney, The Complaining Cow, writes This is Money's Consumer Fight Back column. Helen can help with your consumer complaints. She will explain how you can gain refunds, repairs, replacements or improved service with advice on how to complain and get results. If you have a problem you need help solving, please email experts@thisismoney.co.uk with Consumer Fightback in the subject line, include a short paragraph about your issue - if we need more details we will get in touch. Helen Dewdney, right, runs The Complaining Cow site and has written a best-selling book - she is here to help This is Money readers If it is chosen, we will forward your email and process any information you provide to us in accordance with our privacy policy and Helen will contact you with advice on what to write and you can then get the appropriate solution and redress for yourself. If the company fails to act, she will then ask them why and what they plan to do. Helen is the author of best-seller How to Complain: The Essential Consumer Guide to Getting Refunds, Redress and Results! and runs The Complaining Cow blog. Find Helen on: Facebook Twitter: @complainingcow Youtube: Helen Dewdney

After numerous emails, Kingswood offered only 20 per person off a booking for 2021, with no refund.

The total Kingswood was offering for this 2021 trip was 1,040 against a trip costing 6770.40. In effect it was offering 0 credit against a 1,488 deposit already paid.

The email sent to all Kingswood customers from the company's CEO, Alex Williamson dated 24 June 2020, stated that:

'We will either provide a discount balance to the account of every customer financially compromised, equivalent to their lost 2020 first deposit.

'This per person discount balance, to be set against 2021 brochure prices, will  for all customers from May onwards  provide an option equivalent to a full refund.

'Or

'For March and April customers able to bring the same cohort of guests, we are committed to a roll forward of your entire balance to a trip taken on similar dates next year.

'Again, this provides a scenario where no money need be lost.

'If you are unable to bring the same cohort then we will apply the discount balance explained above.'

However, this was not the case, as the group was losing out financially, as described above.

Amanda asked for advice from Girlguiding but on 9 July Girlguiding told Amanda in an email that 'I understand that is not your preference however taking the current financial climate into consideration, the loss of deposit at 24 pp is actually quite a good outcome for all those concerned.'

The call for help

At that point Amanda approached me for help.

Whilst I was helping Angela with her cases I was also communicating with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) about school trips and whether they should have the same cover as any other consumer.

It was immensely difficult to get clarity. Eventually the CMA updated its guidance with a 'Statement on coronavirus (COVID-19), consumer contracts, cancellation and refunds'.

This states:' rights to a refund will usually apply even where the business says part of the payment is a non-refundable deposit or advance payment.

This is because the contract will have been frustrated and terms which allow a business to provide no service but keep a consumer's money (including deposits or advance payments) are likely to be unfair, and therefore unenforceable under Part 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015.'

What does the law say?

I helped Angela write her emails to Kingswood explaining that she was legally entitled to a full refund under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, as the service had not been delivered.

For the avoidance of doubt we mentioned and linked to the guidance too.

The CMA wants consumers to Report a business behaving unfairly during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak so we threatened to do this and take the company through the Small Claims Court if a full refund was not forthcoming.

In response to the email regarding the first trip Kingswood offered a full postponement of the stay to a date in September 2020 (having already been advised that this was not possible) or two possible dates in May 2021.

Whilst Angela would then not be financially out of pocket, and in effect slightly better off because she would be getting the 2021 trip for 2020 prices, she would not have the cash to refund the parents as it would be a different cohort next year.

In addition there are of course worries about companies going into administration and so there was the risk of losing all the money. Angela wrote back demanding the full refund to which she was legally entitled.

What guidance did Girlguiding give?

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A spokesperson for Girlguiding said:

'We are aware that a number of cancelled trips were booked through Kingswood.

Whilst Girlguiding doesn't have a nationwide partnership with Kingswood, we have been supporting our members with advice where possible and continue to monitor the UK Government guidance website and the Association of British Insurer's website for further guidance.

It is our understanding that in some cases Kingswood have offered members with cancelled bookings the opportunity to postpone trips.

Girlguiding does not support or condone any company that does not act within the law.

This is not something that has been raised as a concern by those members that have been in touch with us directly regarding bookings with Kingswood.'

However, Amanda has been in contact with Girlguiding and indeed Kingswood was refusing full refunds. I hope this article helps Girlguiding in revising their advice.

Time to go to the Small Claims Court

Angela submitted a claim for the full refund through the Small Claims Court and awaited a response from Kingswood.

Bizarrely, the company asked for more time for a response and then said that it had given Angela 300. The response was rejected by Angela and the claim carried on.

Mediation was offered. It is always a good idea to accept this (it is free), as it could go against you in court if you don't. Kingswood offered 400 on top of the earlier 300, for a total of 700.

Angela went back with 660 and the court fee which was met with 500 and no more offers. Angela said 500 and the court fee, to which Kingswood agreed.

Personally, I would have loved to have seen this go all the way to the end as I think Angela would have won and it would have set a precedent to help other consumers.

However, we are advised by the mediator that the backlog for court hearings is about a year now, which is a long time to wait, especially as a lot of families are involved and she took the 160 loss to be shared across all the families.

The gain was considerably more.

It is quite ridiculous that a company such as Kingswood let it get this far. It ended up paying the full refund minus 160 but paid 70 court fees.

In essence it has kept 90.

Was it really worth all this time and effort and damage to Kingswood's public relations?

Round Two

We did similar for Trip 2.

For this one, Angela contacted Kingswood and told them that she would consider not going to court for the return of the 1,488.

Kingswood offered 50 per ceny and Angel settled for 80 per cent, 1,190.40

When I emailed the CEO of Kingswood Learning and Leisure Limited to ask if the company was refunding groups for trips that did not/would not be taking place, he passed my email to a PR Crisis Management company.

I was told that I was wrong to assert that consumer law applied because schools and groups were considered businesses.

The company also said that the groups had the option to claim on travel insurance. However, most insurance companies would not pay out because Kingswood is legally liable for the refund.

It stated that Kingswood was ensuring that no customer would be left out of pocket.

This ranges from a full refund through to rescheduling or credit to the full value of the booking.

However, as we can see from Angela's trips, this was not the case.

The company also said that the groups had the option to claim on travel insurance.

However, most insurance companies would not pay out because Kingswood is legally liable for the refund.

I explained that the parents are consumers and their contracts were formed on their behalf by the Scout/Guide groups acting as their agent. So, the contract is between the parents and the holiday firm, not the Scouts/Guide groups and the firm.

Incidentally, the same would also apply to schools which he mentioned in his email.

The legal concept of Agent and Principal applies in this instance. It means the relevant consumer law does apply and gives rights to those parents.

Legal advice

Gary Rycroft, solicitor at Joseph A. Jones & Co, agreed with me and said, 'This is a situation where it does help to de-construct the legal relationships involved in order to understand the rights and responsibilities that the various parties have with and to each other.

'The Terms & Conditions for Kingswood which I have seen on their website do not make it clear who the Party entering into the Contract with them is.

'They have told Helen that the contractual relationship is 'business to business' by which they mean Kingswood with the Guide Group and not Kingswood with the parents/guardians, in which case the Consumer Protection legislation intended to protect individual consumers would not apply.

'However, I agree that there is an argument to say that the Law of Agency is relevant in which case Kingswood would be the Principal who have entered into a Contract through their Agent (the Guide Group) with the Consumers (the parents/guardians of the Guides), in which case there would be a direct line of responsibility by Kingswood to the individual consumers.

'However, whatever the analysis and arguments on that front, the fundamental point remains that the contract to provide the holiday was not performed.

Where possible consumers should try to reach a mutually agreeable solution which might, for example, be postponing an event or taking a discount for a future booking.

'That was not the fault of Kingswood, the Guides or the parents/guardians. It arose because of an event which was unforeseen when the booking was made, namely Covid-19, which caused the commercial purpose of the contract (to stay overnight and have fun) impossible to go ahead.

'This is classic territory for what is known as the doctrine of 'frustration of contract' and in that case whether the parties to the contract be business to business or business to consumer, the law says the parties should be restored to their original position, which means a full refund should be paid out by Kingswood'

Incidentally, deposits have to be a small percentage of the overall cost ' set low enough that it merely reflects the ordinary expenses necessarily entailed for the trader' so this high percentage of 25 per cent is also potentially an unfair contract term under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in any case.

Conclusion

Whilst the majority of us understand the incredible difficulty that businesses are under during the pandemic, it is not for consumers to shoulder the burden, especially when they too are under financial pressure.

Where possible I would urge consumers to reach a mutually agreeable solution which might, for example, be postponing an event or taking a discount for a future booking.

Where this isn't possible companies must abide by consumer law.

If they do not do so then they must be reported to the CMA, which may then take enforcement action, as it has already done against a number of companies in 2020.
Over the past day, January 25, the Russian invaders violated the ceasefire in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area in Donbas seven times.

In the area of responsibility of the operational and tactical group North, the armed formations of the Russian Federation opened fire from 120mm mortars, anti-tank missile system, tripod-mounted man-portable antitank guns and heavy machine guns near Pivdenne (40km north-east of Donetsk); grenade machine guns, hand-held antitank grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms  outside Khutir Vilnyi, the press center of the JFO Headquarters informs.

One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the shelling.

In the area of responsibility of the operational and tactical group "East", the occupiers used grenade machine guns, heavy machine guns and small arms near Taramchuk (29km south-west of Donetsk); small arms  in the area of Pavlopil (25km north-west of Mariupol); small arms and under-barrel grenade launcher  outside Vodiane in the Sea of Azov area.

Ukrainian defenders opened fire in response to the enemy attacks.

The OSCE representatives were informed about the ceasefire violations through the Ukrainian side of the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC).

Today, January 26, no ceasefire violations have been recorded in the JFO area.

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A report issued by the Catholic Church in Brazil highlights a significant increase of torture in the county's prisons during the COVID-19 outbreak.

By Lisa Zengarini

Amidst growing cases of COVID-19 infection and Covid-related deaths, Brazilian prisons have also recorded a significant increase of torture and inhumane treatments incidents, a recent Church report says.

According to the Report The Pandemic of Torture in Prison, which was published on January 22, between March 15 and October 31st the Prison Ministry Office of the Bishops Conference of Brazil (CNBB) received 90 complaints of ill-treatments all over the Country, against 53 in the same period of the previous year. Commenting the increase, Lucas Goncalves, Coordinator of the national Prison Ministry, says the report confirms that torture is not a matter of the past, but something that is well present in prisoners daily life in Brazil. Violence includes physical abuse, as well as humiliating treatments and deprivations, like denying yard time to prisoners. Moreover, the report points out that inmates are denied access to health treatment, food and personal hygiene items: nearly 75% per cent of the claims concern violations of the basic right to healthcare.

Most claims, however, are ignored by judiciary authorities, who are inclined to believe they are false. Often the State even refuses to enquire the cases: only 8 claims out of the 90 reported by the Prison Ministry were followed by an investigation.

Impact of pandemic on prison inmates

The Church report emphasizes the dramatic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the over-populated Brazilian prisons, also criticizing President Jair Bolsonaro for continuously underplaying the Coronavirus crisis. With over 800.000 inmates, men and women, Brazil is the third Country in the world, after China and the United States, with the highest prison population, making prisoners particularly exposed to the infection, which has recorded an increase by 800 per cent between May and June last year. In the same period the death-toll in Brazilian prisons increased by 100 per cent

According to the national Prison Ministry, the pandemic has highlighted the cruelty of Brazilian prison system, as well as its discriminatory nature against certain ethnical communities. The report aims at bringing to light this dark reality, while advocating for a change and for alternatives to jail incarceration.
A veteran federal Liberal MP says the Morrison government must embrace the vision of the Uluru statement in its entirety if the nation is to reconcile its past with Indigenous Australians.

Victorian backbencher Russell Broadbent is urging his own party to reconsider its opposition towards adopting the 2017 Statement from the Heart in full, saying that recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the nations constitution is the only path towards healing.

Victorian backbencher Russell Broadbent, an outspoken critic of the Coalitions refugee policies, said the call for truth and justice can no longer be ignored and there was deep listening to be done. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The Coalition has faced criticism for ruling out enshrining an Indigenous Voice to government in the constitution, despite it being called for in the 2017 Statement from the Heart endorsed at a four-day First Nations National Constitutional Convention held at Uluru.

Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt has argued changing the constitution is a fraught process, with only eight out of 44 referendums in Australias history proving successful. He instead wants to legislate one of several proposed Voice models before the next election.
Twitter has launched another move against misinformation and fake news in its social media platform, but now, it involves the community's participation by creating a forum called "Birdwatch" to observe content that circulates. The system now determines a real phone number and email address to qualify as a fact-checker for Twitter, before one joins the forum.

The popular short word social media network, Twitter, has been plagued with misinformation that has spread all over its platform over the past years and the company has been working to fight against it to avoid conflict. With this, the company is now opening its arms and asks for help from its community of users to become heads of the new forum in the platform.

Enforcing discipline and appropriate content in social media has been hard, despite the presence of moderators and different content bots that upholds the rule, value, and community standards of Twitter. The effort of different social media companies against misinformation and fake news is heightened after 2020's series of maligning knowledge that circulated.

Read Also: 'Destiny 2' Harbinger Activity Guide: How to Start the Mission and Find Hawkmoon Location!

Twitter Launches 'Birdwatch' Forum Against Misinformation

Twitter announced and released the new feature last Monday, January 25, in hopes of combatting and fighting misinformation, disinformation, and other types of misleading data in the platform. Here, it would not be a targeted attempt at shutting down misinformation, per se, rather a forum to discuss what is harmful from not.

 Today were introducing @Birdwatch, a community-driven approach to addressing misleading information. And we want your help. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/aYJILZ7iKB  Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) January 25, 2021

The new forum would help Twitter evolve as a platform, involving its actual and daily users the ability to help the deciding party what to remove, thus empowering the platform of its content moderation. If courts have a "grand jury" system, Twitter has Birdwatch for their platform.

Twitter's Birdwatch is like a 'Town Hall' Meeting

Being humans, people would still debate, argue, and give the benefit of the doubt to a certain tweet that may have been perceived as fake news, but has a different context to it. The different users would present the gathered evidence and content from the website, deliberate it, and deem it as misleading in a detailed report to the social media.

Twitter would then use the data forwarded from its trusted "Birdwatchers" and use its moderators to enforce rules, regulations, and community standards if the topic has violated any of those. Twitter's Birdwatch resembles the "town hall" meeting where members of a certain community will convene to settle a problem or determine its cause.

Twitter Birdwatch Forum: How to Sign-up and Join as 'Birdwatcher'

Twitter is now holding a "first come, first served" basis on the Birdwatch forum by signing-up to an external website. Here, users would need to provide personal information and eligibility standards such as phone and email verification with a trusted US-based phone carrier.

Users who would sign-up also need to have no violations of Twitter's Rules and Regulations.

Related Article: TikTok Glitching Fix: How to Stop it From Freezing

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Written by Isaiah Alonzo

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The Ablekuma West Womens Network has expressed satisfaction with the re-appointment of Ursula Owusu-Ekuful as Minister of Communications by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



The Network indicated that considering her exceptional performance in the first term of the government, her reappointment as the first female Minister of Communications leading the digital revolution of the country is not surprising.



It indicated that the widespread commendations and the general acceptance of her nomination by industry players and the international community are testimony to her excellent performance.



Convener of the Ablekuma West Womens Network, Emelia Agyemfra, in a statement copied to the Ghanaian Publisher, applauded the President for the confidence he has reposed in their Member of Parliament.



Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, she said, has discharged her mandate with such precision as to attract the applause of the telecommunication industry players who have voiced their recognition of her achievement.



It was on the back of her modest efforts in developing policy initiatives and leadership in Public Service that she was recognized and rewarded with the Outstanding Women in Public Sector Award and the Outstanding Contribution to Public Sector Digitization Award at the 2nd African Public Sector Conference and Awards in 2019.



Hon. Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful was also recognized at the very reputable International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Awards, 2019 in Budapest, Hungary for her exceptional commitment and participation as a valuable partner of the ITU, she said.



The Minister cum MP, Emelia said, was also awarded by the distinguished FIDA for her roles in leadership and protection of human rights at the 2019 FIDA Regional Congress held in Abuja.



According to her, Ursula Owusus competence, capacity and capability to execute the daunting task of the combined Ministry of Communications and Digitalization is not in doubt.



She outlined some of the achievements of the venerable Minister that include engineering the establishment of Ghanas National Cyber Security Center to coordinate the cyber activities of both government and private institutions and the implementation of the National Cybersecurity policy and strategy.



She also supervised the successful and historic merger of Airtel and Tigo which drew applause from most industry players and also launched the National Digital Property Addressing System (NDPAS), which is Ghanas foremost approach to property identification among many other achievements.



She said, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has also been commended for fronting the remarkable transformation of Agencies under her Ministry including the Accra Digital Center.



An empty structure left behind by the erstwhile NDC government is now fully equipped and has allocated 100% of its space with about 85% occupancy currently.



She indicated that through the Ministers efforts some 100 young men and women have received skills training in cosmetology and hairdressing while an additional 100 are undergoing training in the design of fascinators.



An additional 300 young people have also received training in digital marketing and call center operations while some others have received lessons in driving among other things.



Her MPs affordable loan scheme has serviced over 6,000 small and medium enterprises in the Ablekuma West Municipality and her work and pay taxi programme continues to offer a cost-effective opportunity to young people to own vehicles, she added.



Emelia Agyemfra pledged the Networks unflinching support to the Communications Minister-designate and to all progressive and result-oriented women who have been designated by the President for various position.



Ursula Owusu, she said, is a trailblazer in the Ghanaian contemporary political space and urged her to be bold, confident, assertive and decisive as she is known.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/GHANA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, Vietnamese Charge d'Affaires to the UN, has urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to remain united and demonstrate its leadership in building a more comprehensive and robust strategy to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Body temperature checks on pupils at a school in Colombia, Sri Lanka, on January 25, 2021 (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Addressing the UN Security Councils online meeting on January 25 to review the implementation of Resolution 2532 on COVID-19, Anh called on countries to strengthen their commitment to international cooperation, promote multilateralism, support the UNs central role, and build a resilient and stable global health system towards effectively controlling the pandemic.

He emphasised the importance of prioritising the promotion of economic development and the enhancement of livelihoods for people, providing finance for development and ensuring fair and equal access to vaccines.

Reports at the meeting said that the pandemic continues to severely impact all countries, worsening inequality and discrimination, with women and young people being most affected, and hindering peace processes and elections.

The number of people in need of humanitarian aid globally is estimated to increase 40 percent, and countries suffering the worst economic declines in the last nine decades are also the poorest and most vulnerable.

Participants called on all parties involved in armed conflicts to fully implement Resolution 2532 and the UN Secretary-Generals call for a ceasefire, provide humanitarian assistance and facilitate humanitarian access for people from countries with conflict, and increase the support and protect the safety and health of peacekeeping forces.

They stressed that the COVID-19 vaccine should be a public goods, affirming the need to address economic impact of the pandemic to prevent them from developing into political problems and threatening international peace and security.

The Vietnamese diplomat proposed to set up a monitoring mechanism for the implementation of the ceasefire, and promote the mediation role of special representatives of the UN Secretary General and regional organisations in resolving conflicts./. VNA
Voters and area residents can learn more about Chattanoogas mayoral candidates through a series of virtual candidate forums, a non-profit coalition announced Tuesday.Partnering organizations include the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the United Way of Greater Chattanooga. WTCI and WUTC are presenting media partners.The forums will air Sunday, Feb.7 from 2-5 p.m. ET on WTCI and will focus on three main topics: the local economy, cradle-to-career education and civic infrastructure. The forums will be taped prior to broadcast and will be held virtually. To ensure sufficient time for a rich and informative discussion, the field will be split by a random drawing into three groups.Its the goal of the Chambers public policy work to be a proactive advocate on behalf of business and growth in our region, said Christy Gillenwater, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. This collaboration will allow our members to see and hear from our mayoral candidates on issues important to the business community and the community as a whole.Viewers and listeners should expect candid discussions about the communitys challenges and opportunities and the varying visions and ideas each candidate brings. The focus will remain on substantive issues and solutions.Chattanooga is fortunate to have a vibrant and diverse field of dedicated community leaders willing to lead our city forward, said Bob Culkeen, president & CEO of WTCI  PBS. Broadcasting the Mayoral Forums and creating partnerships with agencies of service to provide a community platform of information is important workRay Bassett, WUTCs Scenic Roots host, will moderate. Candidates will also take questions submitted by a range of supporting partners and community leaders, including the Chattanooga Interagency Council on Homelessness, Chattanooga 2.0, ArtsBuild, the League of Women Voters and others.We look forward to hearing the candidates thoughts on these inter-connected issues and are thrilled to include so many voices from various sectors, said Lesley Scearce, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Chattanooga. We know solving community challenges requires creative leadership from nonprofits, business, neighborhoods and government.All candidates who were duly qualified by the Hamilton County Election Commission were invited to participate in the forums. After broadcast, the forums will be posted online. For more information on the Mayoral Candidate Forums, visit WTCI on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WTCIPBS. Chattanoogas municipal elections take place Tuesday, March 2.
Hope has come to US politics. For those who are eager for a new way of doing politics, it was heartening to see Kamala Harris sworn in  after all, it was women leaders worldwide who responded most successfully to the Covid-19 pandemic and its repercussions. Under one of the decrees signed by President Biden on his first day in office, the United States rejoined the World Health Organization. The varied list of bold actions taken on day one ran the gamut from halting construction of the border wall to imposing a 100-day mask and physical-distancing mandate on federal property. Other decrees related to international and humanitarian policies, such as the return to the Paris Climate Agreement and the defense of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that has protected so-called Dreamers from deportation. Sadly, Biden and Harriss bold list leaves no clue about whether or not they will take steps to regulate the spreading of lies and disinformation on social media.

Big tech attunes its ethics to profit and not necessarily to democratic values or the common good

It is not our intention to reinforce the chorus of criticism during these days of hope. We saw a display of courage on day one, along with pledges to soon undo other outrages committed by former president Trump, including the atrocious Global Gag Rule, an imperialist policy that violates the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls in the Global South. However, people living on the southern side of the US empire now face Trumps legacy, foreshadowed in his farewell address by his reference to a movement that is only just beginning. We know what movement he is talking about. The recent attack of the Capitol showed us how far his boldness and virulence can go, unleashing a contagion of hatred and resentment among males, while exalting the values of whiteness, Evangelical fanaticism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, militarism, and xenophobia.

While US politics may hold out hope that a return to reasonable governance will control the Trump movement, the same cannot be said about Latin American countries, where his bedfellows enjoy entrenched power. There is no better example than Brazils Jair Bolsonaro, a leader who has followed in Trumps footsteps, sowing hatred and using social media to spread disinformation, in this case, seasoned with the flavors of the Global South, like military authoritarianism and strongman politics. The movement mustered by Trump needs social media to survive and thrive. But the rest of the world has been relegated to the backyard, while we wait for Biden-Harris to courageously regulate social media rather than merely applaud the tech giants when they take it upon themselves to define the public interest and restrict the publication and circulation of disinformation posted by political leaders.

Trump was banned from Twitter after the January 6 insurrection, a gag order that followed a 12-hour temporary suspension for inciting the mob. Similar actions were taken by other platforms, like Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitch, and more than 70,000 Twitter accounts that were spreading the QAnon conspiracy theory vanished, along with Trump. The public began debating who should decide what is acceptable or not in public digital spaces. The liberal values of freedom of expression made themselves felt on both sides of the controversy as major players on the international stage, like German Chancellor Angela Merkel, voiced reservations about private enterprises power to regulate political participation. Merkel did not question Trumps inappropriate content or the extent to which social media is responsible for inflaming political hatred. Instead, she questioned who should have the power to regulate political speech in a democracy: 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.

Democratic leaders worldwide need to work together to define fair means for regulating hatred on social media

Data on the international regulation of social media are sparse. A 2019 survey showed that just over 40 countries had taken some action to address misinformation, through the creation of task forces or digital and media literacy campaigns and projects. The European Union has opted for consensus building and voluntary enforcement of codes of conduct and policies to counter online disinformation. Unfortunately, self-regulation by the very companies who profit from the circulation of this information does not seem to be enough. And even when hateful leaders incite disorder, social media platforms are selective about enforcing codes of conduct. Countries like Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Brazil have seen episodes much like Trumps recent incitement of violence, and yet silence has never been imposed in those places to protect public interest. Activists argue that it is the power of any given market that determines when and if platforms apply their civilizing rules; in other words, big tech attunes its ethics to profit and not necessarily to democratic values or the common good.

In his inaugural address, President Biden said democracy is fragile. As Latinas, we know this fragility can pave the way for long-lasting authoritarian regimes, because democracy doesnt always prevail where we come from. We are the morrow of the Trumpian movement now raging across social media in the middle of a pandemic. Among its acts of courage, the Biden-Harris administration needs to acknowledge that capitalism never regulates itself, particularly when it is a matter of shaping transparent, democratic political space on social platforms. Democratic leaders worldwide need to work together to define fair means for regulating hatred on social media and preventing public space on these platforms from undermining the fragile democracies of the Global South.

Debora Diniz is a Brazilian anthropologist and researcher at Brown University.

Giselle Carino is an Argentinian political scientist and IPPF/WHR director.

She's a favourite on this year's season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, but Jess Eva has worked hard to get to where she is.

In a sneak peek from Tuesday's episode of the hit reality show, obtained by news.com.au, the 36-year-old radio host opened up about her modest upbringing.

Talking to co-star Robert 'Dipper' DiPierdomenico, Jess revealed she'd had no electricity at home until she was 18.

Humble beginnings: She's a favourite on this year's season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, but Jess Eva has worked hard to get to where she is

She also said she never went on a school camp or attended her Year 12 formal, because her family couldn't afford it.

Jess admitted that while most people find her upbringing 'a bit unusual', she still 'had a great time'.

But she confessed that her family's financial struggles provided her with the motivation she needed to pursue a successful media career.

From rags to riches: In a sneak peek from Tuesday's episode of the hit reality show, obtained by news.com.au, the 36-year-old radio host opened up about her modest upbringing

'I never wanted to be stuck for money,' she admitted.

'I saw how stressed it made Mum, I saw how stressed it made Dad. [I know] that if I can have a crack at stuff, then I can help my mum, I can help my brother.'

After pursuing a career in radio, Jess moved to the Maldives to host a show, before returning to Australia after suffering a monkey bite in India.

Blonde ambition: She confessed that her family's financial struggles provided her with the motivation she needed to pursue a successful media career

She then landed a job at a radio station in Cairns, which is where she met her husband, Norm Hogan, who she's been with for 10 years.

The couple appeared on The Block in 2018, and Jess now appears as a co-host on Triple M's Moonman In the Morning breakfast show.

Speaking about her rise to success, Jess became emotional, and needed to be comforted by Dipper, 62.

Coupled up: Jess landed a job at a radio station in Cairns, which is where she met her husband, Norm Hogan (right), who she's been with for 10 years. Pictured together on The Block

'[The Block] was the moment that our lives changed It's amazing how if one person believes in you, it starts this ripple effect,' she said on I'm A Celebrity.

'I'd been working in radio for years, just begging for someone to believe in me... Someone believed in us, then it just started this ripple effect of Block then Triple M in Sydney.'

She added: 'You just get so proud when your son brings home a letter and says I'm gonna go on this camp and I'm going to need 40 bucks And that's not even a question. It's really nice to be able to go, 'Sure son, here you go.''
Tunisia's parliament began a heated session Tuesday to approve a major cabinet reshuffle, after the president criticised the line-up and as tensions in the country run high.

Tunisia has seen a wave of night-time clashes this month, with security forces carrying out mass arrests as the novel coronavirus and lockdown measures exacerbate the North African country's economic and political crises.

The session comes a day after protesters clashed with police in the town of Sbeitla, in Tunisia's marginalised centre, after a young man hit by a tear gas canister during clashes last week died in hospital.

Lawmakers criticised a heavy police deployment around the parliament building after calls for a rally there.

"A vote of confidence under police siege," one said. "All that's missing is to vote under the threat of the baton."

Activists have held daytime protests against police repression, corruption and poverty, 10 years after the revolution that overthrew autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Twenty-eight civil society groups, had called for a demonstration Tuesday against police repression, in front of parliament.

Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi announced the sweeping reshuffle, which affects 11 ministries including the interior, justice and health portfolios, in mid-January.

In a new sign of growing tensions between the two men, President Kais Saied criticised the absence of women in the new line-up and said he had not been consulted.

Without naming names, Saied also said Monday that one of the proposed ministers was "involved in a corruption case" and that three others were suspected of having conflicts of interest.

The reshuffle came after the sacking of the interior minister earlier in January, and of former environment minister Mustapha Aroui, who was arrested in December in a scandal involving waste shipped from Italy.

Mechichi has said his aim is "greater efficiency in the work of the government".

Short link:


Cole Middle School student Mia Daley is organizing a virtual 5k to encourage others to "choose love." The Choose Love Movement, founded by Scarlett Lewis after her son Jesse was tragically killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, has worked with schools across the world to foster social and emotional learning.
"We are honored to not only be profiled as a top vendor in the Frost & Sullivan 2020 Contact Center Software Buyers Guide as a leading contact center vendor for the second year in a row, but also in the Frost & Sullivan European Radar report which selects only the most innovative of vendors," said Michael McCloskey, Chief Executive Officer at Bright Pattern. "Bright Pattern's recent success in the EMEA with customers in industries such as automotive, travel, retail, hi-tech, and BPOs have helped fuel our growth, and we are only starting to develop our footprint in Europe."

Strengths on Growth Axis (excerpts from the report):

Bright Pattern has experienced impressive sales performance, above market average.

Bright Pattern is one of the highest R&D-spending companies in terms of budget composition (%).

Bright Pattern has developed cutting-edge AI capabilities and is one of the first cloud-agnostic platforms in the market.

Bright Pattern's technology-based approach has powered its growth to become one of the most trusted emerging vendors in Europe .

. It offers a complete omnichannel solution, which includes a variety of digital channels.

Open to all key technologies (e.g., CRM, WFO, AI) so that customers can select from best-of-breed solutions. Bright Pattern is available on multiple public cloud options (AWS, Azure, Oracle, Rackspace).

Strengths on Innovation Axis (excerpts from the report):

Bright Pattern has adopted a mobile-first strategy and integrated mobile messaging with apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook into its platform.

The platform is differentiated by the ease of use and quick set up time. With a go-live set-up period of 1.6 months (on average), Bright Pattern's speed of implementation is nearly half the average onboarding time for the CCaaS industry.

Frost and Sullivan also provided customer recommendations, in which Bright Pattern was recommended as the best fit for companies looking for an omnichannel contact center solution, contact center artificial intelligence, and omnichannel communications for IT Service Management.

Omnichannel: "Companies looking at emerging channels such as messengers, or mobile capabilities such as chat, video chat, or document sharing within their app into their customer care organizations would do well to look at Bright Pattern."

"Companies looking at emerging channels such as messengers, or mobile capabilities such as chat, video chat, or document sharing within their app into their customer care organizations would do well to look at Bright Pattern." Artificial Intelligence: "For companies that are looking to infuse AI into customer contact, Bright Pattern's Bright AI provides a plethora of choices as to how to do so, [including] integration with RPA vendors, intelligent bots, and messaging applications. In fact, the various technologies can easily be combined (e.g., creating a messaging application that provides instant access to a chatbot for assistance)."

"For companies that are looking to infuse AI into customer contact, Bright Pattern's Bright AI provides a plethora of choices as to how to do so, [including] integration with RPA vendors, intelligent bots, and messaging applications. In fact, the various technologies can easily be combined (e.g., creating a messaging application that provides instant access to a chatbot for assistance)." ITSM and Service Management Enrichment: "For companies that want to extend investments in legacy service management platforms yet enrich service management through AI and automation, Bright Pattern for Service Management would be a good fit and provide solid ROI."

Bright Pattern is the simplest, most powerful AI-powered omnichannel contact center with the highest ROI and fastest time to deploy in the industry (half the industry average). Bright Pattern ranked #1 for Interoperability, #1 for Platform Functionality, and #1 for Hosting Reliability and Scalability in the Omdia Buyer's Guide . Bright Pattern outranked Five9, NICE inContact, Avaya, Aspect, and 8x8 as a leading provider in the 2020 G2 Crowd Report, and was a leader in the 2020 Call Center Software FrontRunners Quadrant with customer ratings higher than Five9, Genesys PureCloud, NICE inContact, RingCentral, and Talkdesk. Additionally, Bright Pattern was recognized by Frost & Sullivan for its omnichannel, AI, and ITSM capabilities, and by Gartner as a leader in the Call Center FrontRunners Quadrant .

Download your free copy of the Frost & Sullivan 2020 Contact Center Software Buyers Guide

Download your free copy of the Frost & Sullivan 2020 Europe Radar Report

Additional Information

About Bright Pattern

Bright Pattern provides the simplest and most powerful AI-powered omnichannel contact center software for innovative midsize and enterprise companies. With the purpose of making customer service brighter, easier, and faster than ever before, Bright Pattern offers the only true omnichannel cloud platform with embedded AI that can be deployed quickly and nimbly by business userswithout costly professional services. Bright Pattern allows companies to offer an effortless and personal customer experience across channels like voice, text, chat, email, video, messengers, and bots. Bright Pattern also allows companies to measure and act on every interaction on every channel with embedded AI omnichannel quality management . The company was founded by a team of industry veterans who pioneered the leading contact center solutions and are now delivering an architecture for the future with an advanced cloud-first approach . Bright Pattern's cloud contact center solution is used globally in over 26 countries and 12 languages.

SOURCE Bright Pattern

Related Links

http://www.brightpattern.com


if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
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Barely two weeks after a fire razed several shops at Ijesha market in Lagos, another fire incident had occurred in Lagos markets.

In two separate incidents, Alade Market in Shomolu and Agboju market were engulfed with fire on Monday and Tuesday.

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said a total of 94 shops were affected in the Alade market for the outbreak that occurred on Tuesday.

Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Director-General of LASEMA, said the fire outbreak was due to a voltage surge when power supply was restored.

The agency responded to distress calls on the above at 1.05 a.m. and upon arrival at the above commenced fire suppression activities. Investigation revealed that the fire was likely from a voltage surge when power supply was restored.

The agency firefighters alongside the Lagos State and Federal Fire Services worked to complete a thorough damping down exercise, Mr Oke-Osanyintolu said.

Fire razed markets Fire razed markets Fire razed markets

PREMIUM TIMES reported how 62 traders and 28 households were affected in the fire incident that occurred at Ijesha market, with the fire destroying several shops and adjoining residential buildings.

Similarly, Ibrahim Farinloye, the acting coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-west corridor, said on Tuesday that 80 lock-up shops and 16 attachment shops were razed in a fire outbreak at Agboju Market.

From yesterday till now, 3 different fire incidents were recorded. LTO and its stakeholders have attended to 3 different (incidents), 2 massive market and 1 multiple residential building fire incidents.

The Agboju Market fire occurred yesterday at about 2:30 a.m. About 80 lock up and 16 attachment shops were destroyed

Today, Alade Market, Shomolu started at about 3:45 a.m, this caused total destruction of 75 shops while attachment shops are 46, he said.

The official added that another fire outbreak which occurred at Omididun, off Ricca Street, Lagos Island, caused the destruction of three flats, one-room self-contained and a shop.

Commenting on the incident, Mr Oke-Osanyintolu attributed the fire to voltage surge which occurred when power was restored in the area.

He said the fire has been put out and damping down process ongoing.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

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Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

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His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

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Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

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ANCA calls on US Congress to block financing of Azerbaijani Armed Forces

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NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning
[January 26, 2021] Amunix Announces the Appointment of Healthcare Investment Banking Veteran Zeeshan Merchant as Chief Financial Officer and Trisha Millican to the Board of Directors

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amunix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amunix), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing prodrugs to bring the promise of potent immune-activating biotherapeutics to patients with solid tumor cancers, today announced the appointment of Zeeshan Merchant as Chief Financial Officer and Trisha Millican to the Board of Directors.

Mr. Merchant joins Amunix with over 15 years of experience in biotechnology as an investment banker and investor. He joins from Morgan Stanley, where he served as an Executive Director in the healthcare investment banking group, advising biotechnology companies on financings and strategic matters. Ms. Millican, who will head the audit committee, brings over 20 years of experience in the life science industry, including experience with debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, licensing transactions, co-development and promotional arrangements, and commercial product launches. We are excited to welcome Zeeshan and Trisha, both leaders in the financial services and healthcare industry, to Amunix, said Angie You, CEO of Amunix. Their expertise and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to grow Amunix and transition into a clinical stage company. We are excited about the potential of our lead development candidate, AMX-818, a protease-activated T cell engager prodrug targeting HER2+ solid tumors, to significantly benefit patients. ABOUT ZEESHAN MERCHANT Zeeshan Merchant has over 15 years of experience in biotechnology as an investment banker and investor. Prior to joining Amunix, Mr. Merchant worked as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley, serving as an Executive Director in the firms healthcare investment banking group. In this role, Mr. Merchant advised U.S. and Asia based biotechnology companies on financings and strategic matters, and successfullyexecuted over 50 transactions, including $20 billion in financing and $25 billion in mergers and acquisitions. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Mr. Merchant worked as Senior Analyst at Ayer Capital, a healthcare dedicated investment fund. In this role, Mr. Merchant identified and analyzed biotechnology and healthcare investments globally. Prior to Ayer Capital, Mr. Merchant worked as a private equity Associate at TA Associates, a leading, global growth private equity firm. Mr. Merchant received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.



ABOUT TRISHA MILLICAN Trisha Millican has 20 years of leadership experience in the life science industry encompassing debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, licensing transactions, co-development and promotional arrangements, and commercial product launches. She is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Metacrine. Prior to Metacrine, Ms. Millican was the Senior Vice President of Finance at Seragon, a private biotechnology company focused on developing Selective Estrogen Receptor Degraders (SERDs) targeting hormone dependent cancers, which was acquired by Genentech. Prior to Seragon, she served as Vice President of Finance at Aragon, a discovery-stage small molecule company focused on therapeutics for the treatment of hormone-resistant cancers, which was acquired by Johnson and Johnson. Prior to Aragon, Ms. Millican worked in various senior financial management roles at Zogenix, a pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing innovative central nervous system therapies for people living with serious and life- threatening rare central nervous system disorders and medical conditions. Ms. Millican spent five years with the public accounting firm Deloitte LLP. She holds a B.S. in Accountancy from the University of San Diego and is a certified public accountant in the state of California.

About Amunix Pharmaceuticals Amunix Pharmaceuticals, based in South San Francisco, CA, is focused on developing prodrugs to bring the promise of potent immune-activating biotherapeutics to patients with solid tumor cancers. The company is leveraging its proprietary T cell engager (XPAT) and cytokine (XPAC) platforms to advance a pipeline of novel masked prodrugs that are preferentially activated in the tumor microenvironment. Both platforms utilize Amunixs proprietary masking technology that has been clinically validated to extend drug half-life with limited immunogenicity. Amunix is advancing its lead development candidate, AMX-818, an XPAT T cell engager targeting HER2+ solid tumors, toward the clinic (currently in IND-enabling studies), and has several earlier programs underway. Amunix is also working on their first protease-activated masked cytokine program, IL12-XPAC, which is in discovery. For additional information about the company, please visit www.amunix.com . Contacts Company Contact:

Jen Herbach

Director, Corporate Development

BD@amunix.com



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LONDON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aggreko, the world leader in the temporary energy market, announces its ambition to be net zero by 2050 or sooner, aligning with the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 Celsius. Aggreko also commits to offering cleaner technologies and fuels to support its customers through their energy transition - using flexible and competitive energy solutions to meet their environmental sustainability targets.

By 2030, Aggreko will:

Reduce the amount of fossil diesel fuel used in customer solutions by at least 50% by offering customers cleaner technologies and fuels that guarantee the same or better level of reliability and competitiveness

Reduce local air quality emissions of their solutions also by 50% (all emissions from diesel, gas and other fuels)

Achieve net zero across all its own business operations

By 2050 or sooner:

Aggreko will be a net zero business, across all the services it provides

Aggreko has already made significant progress, providing cleaner solutions for customers around the world, such as turning landfill, bio and flare gas into power or by investing in battery storage, solar, and more efficient and near zero local emissions generators.

To achieve its 2030 & 2050 targets, Aggreko will accelerate investment in lower-carbon technologies, including solar power and battery storage, and will continue to shift its global generator fleet towards more gas and greener drop-in liquid fuels. Aggreko will also invest in other clean energy alternatives such as e-fuels, hydrogen-ready engines and fuel cells.

Chris Weston, CEO, commented: "The energy transition is fundamentally changing the way power is generated and delivered. Our customers' needs are evolving - they require cleaner solutions but without compromising reliability, modularity or cost efficiency. We've already begun transforming our fleet and solutions to meet changing customer needs and to achieve our objective to become a net zero company."

"Our customers are looking to reduce their carbon and air quality emissions and we are the perfect partner to support them in their journey. With our expertise in hybrid solutions and efficient thermal generation, we are already supporting them across the world through the energy transition."

"Our industry-leading net zero commitments are ambitious but achievable and put us on the path to reduce both our own environmental footprint and that of our customers as we look ahead to a greener future."
Specialist gardai are attempting to identify international crime gangs who are carrying out organised scams in a bid to steal peoples identities  so that they can fraudulently claim Covid-19 PUP and other benefits from the State.

Gardai have appealed for the public to be wary of Covid scams, including fraudulent demands for information based on the vaccine roll-out or Covid tests.

An Garda Siochana, the HSE and the Department of Health would like to advise members of the public to be aware of potential scams relating to the Covid-19 vaccine, a Garda spokesman said.

In recent days, An Garda Siochana is aware of members of the public having received fraudulent text messages and calls regarding Covid vaccination.

The text messages have made requests for people to confirm private and sensitive information such as PPS number, date of birth and address.

Other people have received phone calls requesting they make an appointment for a Covid-19 vaccine jab at a random hospital. In most cases, the person receiving the call will say they are not in a position to travel to the hospital.

This allows the caller to extract further personal details. Some individuals might confirm that they live alone or reveal their home address. The caller will then offer to come to their residence to administer a vaccine.

The HSE will never text or call individuals requesting personal information and they will never request payment for a Covid test or vaccine.

One source said that once the fraudster has obtained a victims PPS number, date of birth and address, it is easier for them to attempt to scam money from the State.

The victim may not know for many months that their details are being used to obtain the money, the source added.

Officers from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) are investigating a spate of this type of crime.

Read More

Meanwhile, a separate scam by organised crime gangs is so organised and prevalent that it may even be State sponsored some senior gardai believe.

One Irish bank has lost almost half a million euro so far this month because of smishing attacks on its customers.

Smishing, based on the words SMS (text messaging) and and phishing, is a scam where fraudsters send text messages to random mobile phones.

In one incident last week, a man based in Cork had 16,000 cleared out of his bank account while another customer was scammed for 4,000 in another part of the country.

Gardai said that there was a 132pc increase in smishing reported to gardai in the first three weeks of this year compared to last year.

This will rise considerably more once more and more people realise that they were the victims of a fraud, a Garda spokesperson said.

The AIB have been particularly badly hit with this type of fraud and gardai have appealed to the public to be vigilant.

The fraudsters are sending a text to a person purporting to be from AIB and advising the person to click a review or block a fraudulent transaction or advise the person that they have been locked out of their account, a Garda spokesperson said.

The text will encourage the person to click on a link and asked to input codes from their Card Reader or divulge their One Time Passcode (OTP). This information is sufficient for the fraudster to access the persons account and transfer money out.

Gardai say that this type of crime is facilitated by money mules  people who allow their bank accounts to be used by criminals.

Convicted money mules can face up to 14 years in jail if convicted of money laundering offences.
A 20-year-old man accused of intimidating a federal contract employee with a paintball gun and making threatening remarks outside the Mark O. Hatfield United State Courthouse in late August was sentenced Monday to time served and placed on one year of probation.

Dakota Kurtis Means pleaded guilty in October to one count of assault on a federal officer. Prosecutors said he threatened an unidentified contractor who was heading to work at the courthouse in downtown, a frequent target of demonstrators over the summer.

Means, a married father of one with another child on the way, served 60 days in custody.

Hes one of the first people facing federal protest-related charges to be sentenced.

Others facing nonviolent federal charges may have their cases dismissed if they complete a certain number of hours of community service, according to offers made to some of the defendants lawyers.

Means told U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman that what he did was a stupid mistake.

I regret my decision that day, Means said. I take full responsibility for what I have done. ... I know its not going to happen again.

Early on Aug. 24, he followed behind a contractor who was crossing the street and entering the federal courthouse property. Means yelled obscenities at the worker while holding a black paintball gun.

Means also told the worker that it was a paintball gun now but said it is going to be an AR, leading the worker to believe Means was referring to an assault rifle, according to prosecutors.

The worker, concerned for his safety, walked faster, kept checking behind him and reported the encounter to a deputy marshal once inside the courthouse, prosecutors said.

Means was carrying a paintball gun that he had found a few days earlier in the aftermath of a Proud Boys rally at Portlands downtown waterfront, according to his defense lawyer, Mark Ahlemeyer.

Mr. Means was not looking to commit a crime that day, Ahlemeyer, an assistant federal public defender, told the court. He made a horrible decision at that moment that he greatly regrets, but he did not come to that location to commit a crime.

Means was in downtown Portland to participate in the racial justice protests, his lawyer said. On that August morning, Means had been with a group of friends outside the Starbucks across the street from the federal courthouse and started walking north to meet another friend when the encounter occurred, his lawyer said.

Means appeared via video for the sentencing hearing, hours after completing an overnight shift at a 7-Eleven, where he now works full time, his lawyer said.

He lives with his wife and has a second child expected in March. Hes also getting a mental health assessment and treatment he should have had a while ago, Ahlemeyer said.

Hes on the right path here, Ahlemeyer told the court.

The defense lawyer also acknowledged that Means had at one point used poor judgment and violated requirements at the Northwest Reentry Center, where he had been held in the case, by not wearing a mask at all times.

As of late September, 91 people faced federal charges stemming from last years demonstrations to decry police violence and racial injustice that often devolved into clashes with local, state or federal officers. Of those, 37 people are accused of assault on a federal officer and 17 are accused of civil disorder. Others charged face allegations of arson , attempted arson, damaging federal property, failure to obey orders and unlawful use of a drone.

-- Maxine Bernstein

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

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian
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ROME  The Vatican has cleared a retired U.S. bishop of multiple allegations he sexually abused minors and teenagers, rejecting lay experts determination that a half-dozen claims were credible and instead slapping him on the wrist for what it called flagrant imprudent behavior.

The Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith exonerated retired Cheyenne, Wyoming, Bishop Joseph Hart of seven accusations abuse and determined that five others couldnt be proven with moral certitude. Two other cases involving boys who were 16 and 17 couldnt be prosecuted because the Catholic Church didnt consider them minors at the time of the alleged abuse, the diocese reported Monday. A 13th allegation wasnt addressed in the decree.

Hart, 89, had long maintained his innocence and denied all allegations of misconduct. His attorney, Thomas Jubin, was in a court hearing early Tuesday and was not immediately available to comment on the decision.

The Vatican decision clearly disappointed Harts successor, Bishop Steven Biegler, who stressed that the Vaticans findings didnt mean Hart was innocent, just that the Holy See determined that the high burden of proof hadnt been met.

Biegler has previously stood by the findings of his review board, which determined a half-dozen claims were credible. And a diocesan statement noted the qualifications of its members: law enforcement; school administration; a doctor of psychology; a pediatrician; a psychotherapist, who treats sexually abused children; and a judge, who was a criminal prosecutor for 13 years involving crimes against children, primarily child sexual abuse.

On the other hand, the Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, or CDF, relies on the judgment of priests and bishop canon lawyers, and ultimately the pope. The Vatican for decades has been criticized by victims groups for giving bishops a pass when they have been accused of sexual abuse themselves or of covering it up.

A few exceptions have been made in recent years, most famously in the case of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked after the CDF determined he had abused minors as well as adults, including during confession  essentially the same allegations against Hart.

As a result, the sentence showed the arbitrary nature of Vaticans canonical sex abuse deliberations and judgments, which arent public. Harts previous diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph reached court settlements years ago with at least 10 victims. But Wyoming criminal prosecutors also decided last year not to proceed with charging Hart.

 READ MORE: Pope says women can read Scripture at Mass, but still cant be priests

Anne Barrett Doyle, of the online resource BishopAccountability.org, said the Vatican ruling was heartbreaking and disgraceful and showed that church law is biased in favor of priests and bishops.

Defenders of canon law might point to the punishment of ex-cardinal McCarrick as evidence that the system works. But for every McCarrick, there are five Harts: bishops who retain their titles and pensions in the face of multiple allegations, she said in an email, adding that the ruling calls into question Pope Francis vow to hold bishops accountable.

In its decree, the CDF rebuked Hart for his flagrant lack of prudence as a priest and bishop for being alone with minors in his private residence and on various trips which could have been potential occasions endangering the obligation to observe continence and that would give rise to scandal among the faithful, the diocese said.

Hart was also rebuked for failing to observe previous Vatican restrictions prohibiting him from having contact with minors and seminarians and from participating in public engagements, the diocese said, adding that those restrictions remain in place.

Today, I want the survivors to know that I support and believe you Biegler said in a statement. I understand that this announcement will not bring closure to the survivors, their family members, Bishop Hart and all those affected.

Hart was a priest in Kansas City, Missouri, for 21 years before moving to Wyoming, where he served as auxiliary and then full bishop from 1976 until his retirement in 2001. The first known allegations against Hart dated to the early 1960s and were made in the late 1980s. At least six men came forward in the past few years to say Hart abused them in Wyoming.

AP reporter Colleen Slevin contributed to this report from Denver.
AMSTERDAM, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Elsevier, a global leader in research publishing and information analytics and the Royal Danish Library have agreed on a four-year contract to support continued reading and open access (OA) publishing for Danish researchers. This is the first time the Danish consortium led by the Royal Danish Library has signed an open access transformative agreement with any publisher and this agreement complements Elsevier's transformative agreements across many European countries.

Elsevier will support the Danish researcher community's ambitions by enabling Danish researchers to publish open access across a broad range of Elsevier journals, therefore making their latest research freely available at the point of publication. Elsevier is determined to find the right solutions for our customers and meet customers' diverse OA requirements across different academic institutions worldwide. We do so while critically ensuring published research remains trusted and of a high quality. This agreement will support over 30 Danish institutions, including the eight leading universities, helping them share their latest research globally. The new agreement program will take effect from January 2021 through to the end of 2024.

We continue to test and learn from the OA agreements that are already being put into practice with institutions and governments worldwide. This enables us to work with our partners to continually improve our open access offerings, such as building new workflows and submission processes to provide greater visibility, transparency and a best-in-class publishing experience for authors.

Kira Stine Hansen, Deputy Director, Royal Danish Library and Head of Copenhagen University Library said: "On behalf of Danish universities and research performing organizations we are pleased with this read and publish deal continuing the support of the national strategy of free, open and equal access to scientific results for the benefit of society. Cost neutral Immediate Open Access has been and will continue to be a very important parameter in the coming negotiations with global academic publishers."

Gino Ussi, Executive Vice President, Elsevier said: "It's a real honour to be the first publisher to agree on a transformative contract to support Danish researchers. The Elsevier team is looking forward to supporting Denmark's world-class researchers to access and publish credible, high quality, trusted research. The importance of helping researchers advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society has never been more critical, and we are committed to playing our part in making Danish research output available to all."

The agreement is the latest in a series of transformative agreements Elsevier has reached with customers across Europe, the US, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

In 2020 Elsevier published nearly 100,000 gold or pay-to-publish OA articles compared to 50,000 in 2019, making us one of the largest open access publishers in the world. Nearly all of Elsevier's 2,600 journals now enable OA publishing, including 500 fully OA journals.

Elsevier enables researchers to stay up to date with the latest science, technology, and health findings from around the world via ScienceDirect, Elsevier's leading platform of peer-reviewed scholarly literature. Overall, ScienceDirect gives researchers access to 16 million articles from over 2,600 journals published by Elsevier and our society partners.

Playing our part in widening free access beyond OA

Where the need is greatest and we can make the biggest difference in a sustainable way, Elsevier makes research completely free to access. In addition, all our reading and discovery platforms have extensive free-to-read options. Some examples of this commitment include:

Authors who publish with our journals are immediately able to share their peer reviewed, accepted manuscript on non-commercial personal homepages or blogs, within their institution, and with collaborators.

We offer free access to relevant research for health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic

Patients and caregivers are provided with papers related to medicine and healthcare upon request to help them better understand the latest research on their conditions.

We ensure everyone can access a collection of the work from each year's Nobel Prize winners.

We have also completely opened the archives for 140 journals, including Cell Press research journals after 12 months.

Through Research4Life, institutions in 120 low- and middle-income countries receive affordable access to nearly 100,400 peer reviewed resources. As founding member, Elsevier provides over a quarter of that content, as well as access to the abstract and citation database Scopus and trainings for librarians.

We automatically apply waivers or discounts to articles in fully gold OA journals for which all authors are based in a low-income country.

About Elsevier

As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making for customers across the global research and health ecosystems.

In everything we publish, we uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity. We bring that same rigor to our information analytics solutions for researchers, health professionals, institutions and funders.

Elsevier employs 8,100 people worldwide. We have supported the work of our research and health partners for more than 140 years. Growing from our roots in publishing, we offer knowledge and valuable analytics that help our users make breakthroughs and drive societal progress. Digital solutions such as ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath support strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and health education. Researchers and healthcare professionals rely on our 2,500+ digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell; our 40,000 eBook titles; and our iconic reference works, such as Gray's Anatomy. With the Elsevier Foundation and our external Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board, we work in partnership with diverse stakeholders to advance inclusion and diversity in science, research and healthcare in developing countries and around the world.

Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com

Media contact

Andrew Davis

Elsevier Communications, UK

+44 7393 242 466

[email protected]

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/754760/Elsevier_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Elsevier
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American businesses in Mexico face a challenging future ahead if the amendment proposal to reform the current outsourcing scheme in the country is passed, according to Hiroshi Takahashi, Editorial Director of El Sol de Mexico and an expert in Mexico-US economic relations.

In an essay published this week in El Sol de Mexico, Mexico City's leading newspaper, Takahashi states that the outsourcing scheme reform will jeopardise Mexico's special relationship with the United States and put in danger more than seven million jobs.

El Sol de Mexico the Organizacion Editorial Mexicana, a chain that publishes over 30 newspapers and several million copies a day. Takahashi serves as its editor since August 2017.

The analyst, who has written for media outlets such as Forbes, El Heraldo de Mexico, Diario 24 Horas and La Silla Rota, mentions that the reform will violate the labour clauses of the United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement, add legal uncertainty and reduce Mexico's position in the region.

"The approval of the outsourcing law will make it so difficult for large U.S. companies to operate in our country that it will surely cost us jobs and have repercussions for our relationship with the new Biden administration", Takahashi wrote in his essay.

According to Takahashi, among the companies affected by the law reform are Amazon, American Express, Coca-Cola, Costco, DHL, Pepsico, Exxon, FedEx, Ford, General Electric, General Motors, Philips, Chrysler, Honeywell, and Intel.

In his analysis, the reform's approval will pose significant obstacles to the American plan for economic recovery, in a global context where China continues to gain ground. A considerable part of the U.S. recovery will depend on its investment in Mexico.

Passage of the law reform will increase their costs and make it unfeasible for them to have their factories operating here, experts write.

In Mexico, the formally employed population affiliated to the Social Security system (IMSS) is more or less 23 million people, according to official sources.

More than 30 million people work informally, in conditions that in many cases are below the poverty level and that does not allow for the advancement of workers, companies or the country.

According to official data, Mexico sells 50 billion pesos worth of vehicles to the United States each year, 30 billion pesos worth of auto parts, 29.7 billion pesos worth of technological machinery, and 29.7 billion pesos worth of machinery.

The outsourcing scheme allows workers to meet certain labor conditions in today's post COVID-19 market.

"If the Mexican congress passes the outsourcing law reform, we will be sending a wrong foreign policy signal to Washington", he describes.

The United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement states that Members will make changes to labour legislation in Mexico that might affect companies' operation from its member states.

SOURCE Hiroshi Takahashi
A maximum award of 15,000 has been awarded to a member of the Traveller Community against a hotel for discrimination in what is being described as a significant case for the Traveller Community and businesses.

The Workplace Relations Commission has found in favour of a Traveller woman in an anonymised case in which she claimed that she was discriminated against by a hotel where she was considering having her wedding reception.

The hotel, which provided no defence or did not attend a hearing, was shown not to be responsive to the womans initial email enquiries regarding a booking for her wedding until such time as it was established that she was a Traveller, at this point the hotel adopted a dismissive attitude towards the woman and ceased engaging with her enquiries, preventing her from making a booking.

The woman attended a wedding fair in the hotel with her two sisters in July 2019 but claimed that she was stared at and was not given a tour of the hotel similar to what other people received.

The adjudication officer said that the woman provided her name and fiance's name to the hotel in advance and contended that her surname readily identifies her as a member of the Traveller Community. The officer agreed that she had been dealt with "in a rushed and abrupt manner".

It was claimed that the hotel employee who met the women and corresponded with the bride to be previously told her on leaving the fair that there were not many dates available but committed to getting back to her.

The adjudicator found, in the ruling published on January 24, that a lack of subsequent response to the hotel to follow up emails and other correspondence represented disengagement.

"Having carefully reviewed and considered all of the evidence adduced, I find there to be no other plausible or logical explanation for this disengagement other than the fact that the complainant was a member of the Traveller Community. Consequently, I find that the complainant has established, not just a prima facie case of discrimination, but a strong and valid claim that she was discriminated against on the grounds of her membership of the Traveller Community," the Adjudicator found.

"Given the dismissive nature of the respondents disengagement with the complainant, following the provision of information which would have identified her as a member of the Traveller Community and the subsequent failure to appropriately engage with the investigation of the complaint by the WRC, I am satisfied that the level of the compensation awarded in the within case must be reflective of these factors and must be such that it dissuades the respondent from repeating such discrimination in the future," said the ruling.

"Having carefully considered all of the evidence adduced and based on the considerations/findings as detailed above, I find that the complainant was discriminated against, contrary to Sections 3(1) and 3(2)(i) of the Equal Status Act 2000, by the Respondent on the grounds of her membership of the Traveller Community. Consequently, I award the complainant the sum of 15,000 in compensation for the effects of the discrimination involved," concluded the adjudication.

The Free Legal Aid Advice Centres (FLAC) represented the woman. It said the ruling sends a clear message to both the Traveller and the business communities.

A FLAC statement said the woman who received the award said of the result: It is a very satisfying feeling, that we as Irish Travellers do matter, and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity as is a human right afforded to all citizens of Ireland.

Speaking about the outcome, Christopher McCann, Solicitor with FLACs dedicated Traveller Legal Service said: We are very pleased with the outcome. Our client was subjected to humiliating treatment by the hotel in question. This decision demonstrates that those engaging in commercial life stand to be penalized if they deny their goods or services to Travellers.

Eilis Barry is FLAC CEO.

"What we at FLAC witness through our dedicated Traveller Legal Service is that many Travellers experience great difficulties when it comes to booking venues to celebrate the important events of their lives like weddings, holy communions and funerals. The decision by the WRC today shows that this kind of practice, which essentially amounts to a kind of social apartheid, will not be tolerated," she said.

FLAC says it is an Irish human rights organisation, which exists to promote equal access to justice.

It says it offers basic legal information through its telephone information line (1890 350 250). Free legal advice is available from volunteer lawyers through a countrywide network of advice clinics (these clinics are currently conducted over the phone)  more at www.flac.ie/help/.

FLAC adds that it provides legal advice directly to members of both the Roma Community and The Irish Traveller Community via specialist legal clinics. FLAC also campaigns on a range of issues including consumer credit, personal debt, and fairness in social welfare law, public interest law and civil legal aid.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Soon after his inauguration, U.S. President Biden signed a number of executive orders and bills to bring the United States back to a position of world leadership. The two U.S. congressmen who championed the "Prohibition on slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption" legislation in 2018 shared their expectations with the World Dog Alliance for the Biden administration to initiate the International Agreement to Prohibit the Eating of Dogs and Cats.

World Dog Alliance

U.S Congressman Alcee Hastings, a leading figure in the "Prohibition on slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption" legislation, has proposed many bills and resolutions condemning the consumption of dog and cat meat. In September 2019, Genlin, the founder of the World Dog Alliance, presented the Golden Dog Award to Congressman Hastings in recognition of his contribution to animal welfare.

Congressman Hastings spoke highly of the World Dog Alliance's efforts in China and Japan. He was particularly encouraged by the Chinese city of Shenzhen passing legislation to ban the consumption of dogs and cats: "Shenzhen becoming the first Chinese city to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade is an important step in the right direction, especially since Shenzhen has historically been a city to pilot reforms that are later implemented by all of China. As I have done throughout my career, I urge China and all countries with similar practices to initiate a ban on the dog and cat meat trade."

U.S Congressman Rodney Davis, another recipient of the Golden Dog Award, is a known dog lover and an advocate for banning the consumption of dog and cat meat. He believes it was a crucial first step when 34 Japanese congressmen jointly signed a letter urging Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide to initiate the International Agreement to Prohibit the Eating of Dogs and Cat, and said: "I am glad to see other global leaders engaging more on this issue and working toward ending the human consumption of dog and cat meat."

"I hope that this International Agreement is prioritized by the Biden Administration and am optimistic that this can be a topic of negotiations in future trade agreements as we seek to enhance trade relations with other countries," said Congressman Davis.

In February 2020, Congressman Hastings and Davis along with 30 other congressmen from both the Democratic and Republican Parties jointly signed a letter to former President Trump calling on him to support the International Agreement to Prohibit the Eating of Dogs and Cats advocated by the World Dog Alliance. The letter received a handwritten reply by Sonny Perdue, the former United States Secretary of Agriculture, which expressed the government's full support to promote the signing of the International Agreement by the United States, China, and Japan.

"It is critical that other countries work together to raise awareness of this issue and garner public support around ending the consumption of dog and cat meat."

 U.S. Congressman Rodney Davis

"The World Dog Alliance has my full support in their efforts to urge governments in the U.S., China, and Japan to sign onto the International Agreement and I join them in these efforts."

 U.S. Congressman Alcee Hastings

Genlin has faith in the Biden Administration, "President Biden has promised to bring the United States back to the Paris Agreement; he has also stated that he would restore the tradition of the White House's 'first pet', which demonstrates his care for animals, the environment, and international cooperation. I hope he will introduce the International Agreement to Prohibit the Eating of Dogs and Cats when discussing the Paris Agreement with leaders of other countries, so the world can work together to improve animal and environmental protection."

Related Images

international-agreement.png

International Agreement

SOURCE World Dog Alliance
WTF?! Do you play a lot of PC games? Would you like to be paid around $41,000 to indulge in your hobby/pastime/obsession for a year? That enticing prospect appears to be on offer from a UK system builder, which is seeking a gamer to run its "Overpowered User Experience" department.

As reported by PC Gamer, OPSYS is a recently founded PC system builder from Stockport in the UK. It's looking for someone to play games on its computers, offering 30,000 (around $41,000) for the 12-month-long position.

"Instead of paying some ad guy 30k to promote the most overpowered computers in the world, we're giving you 30k to play games on them," explains the company.

The ad's wording gives you an idea of what OPSYS is looking for: "Game-Addicts only. OPSYS's Overpowered User Experience (OUX) Engineer can't spend the whole day looking up wtf gamers are talking about. You have to know. So, immediately have thoughts on the meta, the memes, and the best way to minmax your way to an easy win, you're right for this job."

It's also stipulated that there should be no trolls or clans, and it appears that disliking your parents could be an asset.

Whether this is a real competition or a publicity stunt is debatable. OPSYS has minimal, albeit positive, feedback, and the application process involves posting a 60-second video on social media explaining why you deserve the position and using a company hashtag on Twitter or Instagram.

What the job entails beyond playing games is unclear, though it sounds like promoting the firm will be a requirement. The full-time position is performed remotely, and there's no mention of it being open to UK residents only. Applications close on April 9, with the final interview taking place on April 12.
London, Jan 26 : The Norwegian Data Protection Authority on Tuesday fined US-based Grindr, the world's largest social networking app for gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, with $11.7 million for illegally sharing use information with advertisers.

According to The New York Times, Grindr will be fined 100 million Norwegian kroner, or about $11.7 million, by the Norwegian atchdon under the European data protection laws.

"We continually enhance our privacy practices in consideration of evolving privacy laws and regulations, and look forward to entering into a productive dialogue with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority," Bill Shafton, Grindr's VP of business and legal affairs, said in a statement to The Verge.

The Norwegian Consumer Council filed three complaints against Grindr last year for sharing personal information, including users' locations and information about the device they were using, with advertisers.

"The information could potentially indicate someone's sexual orientation without their consent," the report said.

Grindr was caught exposing users' HIV statuses to two other companies in April 2018.

The platform has time till February 15 to comment on the ruling by the Norwegian Data Protection Authority.

Grindr was sold by its Chinese owners to investor group San Vicente Acquisition in March last year.
GrayStreet Partners is selling a big chunk of the land where it has said it plans to develop a massive mixed-use community.

The San Antonio firm has been buying land near the Pearl since 2014, including properties previously owned by the San Antonio Independent School District, Bexar Appraisal District records indicate.

Last fall, a GrayStreet executive said the firm was working with Houston-based Midway on turning about 20 acres across Broadway into a 1.6-million-square-foot community with multifamily housing, retail and hospitality space, offices and outdoor plazas.

This is a total transformation of the area, GrayStreet director of development Peter French told the citys Midtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone board in September.

The $560.8 million development, dubbed Broadway East, would be completed in phases through 2030. Work on an apartment complex thats part of the first phase is expected to start next month.

GrayStreet recently put 14.7 acres of the site up for sale, including parcels stretching from Broadway past North Hackberry Street and between Casa Blanca and Carson streets. JLL Capital Markets is representing the firm and began marketing the property in mid-December; offers are due Feb. 4.

We are seeking a developer or investor that recognizes the significance of this opportunity and has the financial resources and vision to capitalize on the full potential of the development site, Davis Adams, managing director at JLL, said in a statement.

Related: More details about plans for $560 million mixed-use development near Pearl

GrayStreets French declined to comment for this article. Midway signed a letter of intent with the firm last year to develop the community.

We have invested a great deal of time and resources figuring out this unique property and are currently engaged in an extensive master planning effort, a representative from Midway said. We remain interested in the property.

The first phase of Broadway East includes apartments built by Encore Enterprises Inc., which developed the Encore SoFlo complex downtown.

The Dallas firm bought roughly 4.1 acres between Carson, Austin, Grayson and North Alamo streets, and expects to start construction on a five-story, 386-unit complex in February, said spokeswoman Amy Dunaway. Encore acquired most of the land from GrayStreet.

The developments first stage also includes infrastructure upgrades, French told the TIRZ board last fall.

The firms are seeking $8.9 million for those improvements, and a total of $20.5 million in reimbursement funds and a Chapter 380 economic development agreement. The TIRZ reimburses developers for public improvements. The reimbursements are paid from property tax revenue.

Theres been a significant amount of disinvestment in this area over the preceding decades, so we have literally crumbling sidewalks when they exist, French said. It has to be improved top to bottom.

The firm predicted tax revenue  including property, sales and hotel occupancy taxes  from 2020 through 2030 will total $163 million.

French also told the TIRZ board that rent increases on a percentage of apartments at Broadway East would be capped based on the Consumer Price Index. He said some smaller units in the $1,200 to $1,400 range would be built, and that the developers would set up a fund to support affordable housing and community activities.

Across from the cluster of Broadway East properties it is selling, GrayStreet plans to develop a 20-story building with a W Hotel and offices.

The 195-room hotel is in the final planning stage, according to a report by data firm STR, which tracks the hospitality industry. Projects in that phase are confirmed and under contract, and hotel construction is expected to begin in the next 12 months, STR spokeswoman Haley Luther said.

SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox

Less than 2 miles down Broadway, renovations to the former San Antonio Light newspaper building are ongoing. The firm bought the building from Hearst Corp. in 2016 and is turning it into office space for tenants, including the San Antonio Express-News.

Further south, GrayStreet bought the dilapidated former Lone Star Brewery complex last year with plans to eventually turn the roughly 32-acre site into a mixed-use development. It is also working on that project with Midway.

GrayStreet recently sold the historic Vogue building downtown, which was among nine properties on Houston Street it acquired in 2015 in one of the biggest deals in years in San Antonios urban core.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

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Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
Register to hear Musa Kalenga on leapfrogging tech in Africa at #BizTrends2021
It's not hard to imagine extra-terrestrial creatures living amongst us mere mortals thanks to sci-fi being such a popular genre. It would seem anything is possible especially in the world of television, which can bring the unimaginable to life. In another South African first, the latest Chicken Licken Hotwings film, the theme of outer space brings intrigue for the audience as it reveals just how far even an alien will go to satisfy its craving. Because, when the craving's got you, it's got you!

Credits:

Integrated brand and communications group Joe Public United has once again succeeded in hitting the mark with a film that impresses with its off-the-wall narrative and world-class cinematography. Working with South African director Terence Neale, who is a master of his craft and has worked on global brands that range from Beats by Dre to ASOS to Adidas, the team has managed to pull off a full-scale production using sci-fi, rarely seen in similar markets in this country. This is also Neales first SA production in almost four years.Viewers are introduced to an adorable little alien, ZeZorc, who arrives in the middle of the night. The family find it raiding their kitchen causing much chaos as it thrashes through the fridge possibly looking for something to eat. Sharing a likeness with blockbuster movie, E.T., the alien quickly integrates with the family and is much loved by all its members. In every scene, the cuddly alien appears to ooze kindness using his superpowers for good that make the family love and trust it even more, they even allow it to sleep with them. The only thing they cant seem to satisfy is ZeZorcs hunger. That is until the Chicken Licken delivery guy appears at the front door and the father carries the takeaway of Hotwings inside. Immediately noticing the logo on the packets, we quickly discover the real reason why ZeZorc is here...Xolisa Dyeshana, Chief Creative Officer Joe Public United Johannesburg says, As a brand, Chicken Licken is strategic in their campaign approach, as partners we know what works for their audience which makes them a pleasure to work with. This sci-fi concept further highlights their reputation for being out-of-this-world good. So good that their products exceed even the constructs of life as we know it and that they are for everyone and everything, human or not.Watch it here:Chicken LickenChantal Sombonos van TonderPepe MaraisJoe PublicXolisa DyeshanaClaudi PotterGareth O'CallaghanCameron FraserAmber MackeurtanAsbo Ofori-AmanfoDi ColeRomance FilmsTerence NealeRozanne Rocha-GrayAdam BentelWilliam BoyesGabrielle de GersignyJulian Redpath / Left Post ProductionChocolate Tribe / Rob van den BragtChocolate Tribe / Jean du PlessisChocolate TribeCraig SimonettiPressure Cooker Studio / James MatthesSterling Sound / Lorens Persson

CBS announced on Monday that it had suspended two senior executives after they allegedly created a hostile work environment, and one was accused of using racist and sexist language at work.

Peter Dunn, the 61-year-old president of CBS Television, and David Friend, senior vice president, news, were both 'placed on administrative leave', the network said.

CBS said the pair were suspended 'pending the results of a third-party investigation into issues that include those raised in a recent Los Angeles Times report.'

On Sunday the LA Times catalogued a litany of complaints about Dunn and his close associate Friend.

Peter Dunn (left) and David Friend were placed on leave Monday following the LA Times report

Dunn, the paper reported, 'maintains a tight grip on the stations and has final say over which local anchors and reporters appear on CBS.'

He has since 2009 run the chain of 28 CBS-owned TV stations, with a staff of 2,800 people and an estimated $1.6 billion a year in revenue.

Despite a shakeup at other branches of CBS in the light of the 2018 accusations of sexual harassment and abuse against Les Moonves, chair and CEO from 2003, Dunn's division remained a hotbed of complaint, the paper said.

They reported that female employees at CBS local stations alleged that Dunn and Friend 'cultivated a hostile work environment that included bullying female managers and blocking efforts to hire and retain black journalists.'

The television station in Philadelphia was seen as particularly problematic, despite the best efforts of Brien Kennedy, who since April 2015 attempted to improve the environment.

Kennedy was fired by Dunn in July 2019.

In Philadelphia, Dunn repeatedly used the word 'jive' to describe the work of anchor Ukee Washington, and used phrases that described the journalist as 'dancing' on air.

Ukee Washington was repeatedly mocked by Dunn for his 'jive' and his 'dancing'

Washington was singled out for criticism from Dunn, which Kennedy felt was unfair.

Dunn asked the head of the newsroom, Margaret Cronan, whether one of the anchors under consideration was 'too gay for Philadelphia.'

Cronan said she was startled but responded: 'Philadelphia can handle it.'

The team trialed in 2015 Brooke Thomas, a TV news anchor from Oklahoma who was then working in Dallas.

The new morning show launched in April 2016, but Dunn and Friend were unimpressed - despite rave reviews from the rest of the newsroom.

Dunn rang Cronan immediately after the show to complain about Thomas.

'It was just immediate screaming on the phone, not constructive criticism - just venom and profanity,' Cronan said.

'He screamed: 'Tell her to shut the [expletive] up,' in reference to Thomas. 'I was flabbergasted.

'I've never witnessed that type of behavior in the workplace.'

Brooke Thomas was singled out for criticism many felt was unwarranted

Friend followed up with an email, also reviewed by The Times: 'Can you please tell her to stop shouting, stop talking in a fake Southern accent and stop sucking the air out of the show,' Friend wrote.

In October 2016, Dunn and Friend ousted Thomas.

Cronan left the company the following summer.

'Corporate HR was well aware of the behavior and did nothing to stop it,' Cronan, now 56, said

'I no longer could tolerate a culture in which I was expected to defend corporate decisions that I found offensive.'

Dunn refused to comment on the allegations in the LA Times.

Friend said: 'I believe that I  and our stations  have a strong track record of hiring, supporting and placing women and BIPOC journalists in important roles as anchors, reporters and news directors.

'These comments I may have made about our employees or prospective hires were only based on performance or qualifications  not about anyone's race or gender.'

The National Association of Black Journalists on Monday said some of its officers had met with CBS executives on Sunday evening including CBS CEO George Cheeks and Marva Smalls, the company's executive vice president and global head of inclusion, to discuss what the organization called 'a massive problem among CBS owned-and-operated stations.'

'We aren't satisfied with lip service. We don't want promises that things will change,' said Roland S. Martin, NABJ's vice president of digital, in a statement.

'We are heartened by our discussion with George and Marva that there will be real, substantial and substantive changes at CBS to ensure that it is a welcoming place for Black and other journalists of color to work, rise and succeed.'

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
A Grant man faces multiple charges after the Marshall County Sheriffs Office said DNA linked him to a crime.

Cole Dewight Duncan was arrested after the sheriffs office said the Alabama Department of Forensic Science in Huntsville reported on Jan. 22 that his DNA was found in blood from a June 29, 2020, crime scene.

The sheriffs office said deputies responded on June 29 to an alarm call on Columbus City Road near Grant. They found a broken garage window, with blood visible on glass and the floor. The homeowner said items had been taken from the scene.

That blood was collected and sent to the forensics department.

Duncan is charged with burglary and theft of property. Bond was set at $13,000.
The head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has publicly reminded the new President Biden that policies hes pledged to in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage, gender would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity.

Of course this was too much for Chicagos Cardinal Blase Cupich, who angrily complained that the USCCB dared to issue this ill-considered statement on the day of President Bidens inauguration. The cardinal has been a mouthpiece for the Democratic Party, and no doubt thinks that attention on Bidens lapsed moral positions should be off limits no matter what day it is. On the excuse that the statement hadnt first been vetted in committee (where it would certainly have been quashed), the Cupich holds the conference guilty of "internal institutional failures." But his real objection to releasing the statement was "that there is seemingly no precedent for doing so, the statement, critical of President Biden, came as a surprise to many bishops, who received it just hours before it was released. '

If the USCCBs statement is both unprecedented and critical, it might be because Biden is only the second Catholic elected president, and his Catholic predecessor, even giving full demerits for JFKs midnight skinny-dipping with Fiddle and Faddle, was not making frequent, public, and cranky assurances to voters that, once elected, he intended to pursue the most hostile anti-Catholic agenda in American history. Just as Biden dared black voters not to support him at the risk of their racial identity, Biden dared Catholic voters not to elect him despite his obvious qualifications of personal religiosity and chumminess with the Pope. At the same time his campaign was protecting Biden from chancing specifics about his policy positions, there was a steady stream of video shots of Biden wryly crossing himself, and irreligious news outlets publishing smarmy profiles taking reverent note of the ever-present rosary in Bidens pocket and his weekly attendance at Mass. At the first White House briefing on the evening of the inauguration, press secretary Jen Psaki batted away a legitimate question about Bidens promise to restore federal funding for abortion with, I will take the opportunity to remind all of you that he is a devout Catholic.

But thats the point: has anyone taken the opportunity to remind Joe Biden about being a devout Catholic? Archbishop Gomezs statement may have been his attempt to do that.

The archbishops full statement, in fact, is still the mildest of reminders, watered down as it is with lots of inoffensive blarney. For instance, it begins with a suitably polite assurance of prayers for wisdom and courage for the new president, and an avowal that the Church remains nonpartisan. Then follows an unfounded reference to Mr. Bidens piety, irksome to observant Catholics because its the impiety of Bidens dedication to things, like enshrining child murder in law, that made an unprecedented statement necessary. Archbishop Gomezs declaration concerning Bidens promised agenda on abortion and gender is commendably unequivocal in itself, but should have been backed up with a demand, respectful but resolute, that obedience to the faith requires him to abandon those policies.

And why not make the demand? Its not unusual that interested institutions make demands on officeholders, especially when they entail fundamental principles. Black Lives Matter, whose standing is premised on nothing but thoroughly disproven lies, was making demands on Biden as soon as the election was over. On the other hand, Catholics (like Joe Biden) profess to believe that what the Church teaches was revealed by God Himself. Why wouldnt the Church demand Bidens public adherence to the faith hes spent a lifetime publicly exploiting?

In the end theres no use hoping for dialogue with the likes of Catholics like Biden and the arch-hypocrite, Nancy Pelosi. Theyre past dialogue. For years Pelosis contempt for Catholic teaching on abortion has earned her personal warnings by the shepherds of the Church, including her own archbishop and the Pope himself. Her response was insolence: She knows more about having babies than the pope, and pro-life Catholics are dumb and selling out democracy. Bidens arrogation of the celestial station of healer of the nations soul is borderline sacrilege. Only a person whose own soul is in shambles could, without a particle of self-awareness, gush over the nuns who taught him his religion as a child, those lovely women, and at the same time vow to wage unconditional war on the Little Sisters of the Poor.

The mildness of Archbishop Gomezs statement may be explained by the reluctance of todays bishops to sound dogmatic. The archbishop may not have noticed how the Left has just recently learned how to proclaim their own most cherished and most destructive positions -- on climate change, on transgenderism, on white supremacy -- as unquestionable, absolute truths, after eons denying that absolute truths even exist. The dogmatic approach empowers them to enforce acceptance of the received truths by punishing heretics who refuse to profess them and declaring anathema any belief that contradicts them.

Except the Left is dogmatic and wrong, while the Church is dogmatic and right. And nothing less than the truth -- stated unequivocally, dogmatically -- will be strong enough to purify an atmosphere so toxic with lies as the one Biden and Pelosi have been inhaling and exhaling most of their lives. Its too late for dialogue. More important, for Biden and Pelosi, who are both visibly declining on the outside and the inside, it could soon be too late for repentance. For the sake of their souls, they deserve better from the Church than wishes for dialogue. We all do.

T.R. Clancy looks at the world from Dearborn, Michigan. You can email him at trclancy@yahoo.com.

Image: Przemek P
Hiplife artiste SkrewFaze is asking his colleague musicians to adapt to changes if they want to be relevant in the music industry.



"Most of my colleague musicians are still stuck in their old ways of doing music 20 years ago, forgetting that things have changed and they need to adapt.



That is the reason most of us are still struggling to be heard. Now the young ones like KiDi, Medikal, Kuami Eugene, King Promise, Strongman, Sarkodie, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy are the musicians Ghanaians are listening to and if we want to stay relevant, we better tap into their knowledge, he told Graphic Showbiz.



According to SkrewFaze, real name Jehoshaphat Kwabena Eshun, the older musicians should not try and compete with the young ones while they were still stuck in their old ways.



I will not mind tapping into ideas of the young ones if I have to. There is nothing to be ashamed of featuring Kuami Eugene, KiDi or King Promise on my song. Some of my colleagues feel too big to come down to the level of these young ones, forgetting that they are no longer relevant.



If a legend like Kojo Antwi is proud to work with the likes of Stonebwoy and King Promise, who am I to say that I am too big to feature the young ones on my song? he asked.



He explained that only a few talented musicians such as Kojo Antwi, Amakye Dede, Daddy Lumba among others were able to stay relevant.



Read also: Dont put pressure on popular musicians for collaborations Fameye



Asked what he had been up to, SkrewFaze said he had ventured into business. I sell cars and I run a boutique. I can say I am very comfortable where I am now and I would advise other artistes to do same.



"They need to get other jobs to stay comfortable so that they are not found wanting when they are no longer relevant, he said.



SkrewFaze, who is planning to release an album titled Better Days, has been signed to Blackkulcha Music in the UK and has dropped a new single titled New Town, featuring Luta and Ras Kuuku.



Some of his other songs are Bue Bue, Gbalagaza and Aki Na Porpor.











Source: Graphic Showbiz









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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)

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Albany County's average daily number of new coronavirus cases continued to drop but three more residents died of the disease overnight.

County Executive Dan McCoy said at least one resident had died from the disease everyday for the past 11 days. The newest victims include a woman in her 70s and two men, one in his 80s and one in his 90s. The county's death toll is 299.

The county also saw 150 new coronavirus cases, dropping the five-day average to 199.6 from 225.4, McCoy said. Of the new cases, 107 did not have a clear source of contact, 35 had contact with a positive case, seven are healthcare workers and one reported out of state travel.

Read more

7:46 a.m.: Bethlehem cracks down on remote students using math apps to cheat

Bethlehem Central School District is cracking down on the use of problem-solving apps that help students cheat on math tests.

In a letter to parents, Bethlehem mathematics supervisor William Clairmont noted that "academic dishonesty in all subject areas has increased dramatically in the past few weeks."

In math classes, some students have been taking advantage of the remote situation by using apps, with names like PhotoMath and Mathway, that allow them to take a picture of a math problem to see the solution, Clairmont said.

Read more

Monday: January on track to be deadliest since pandemic began

Capital Region coronavirus deaths have passed the 800-mark, as area counties confirmed another 16 deaths due to the virus on Monday.

Schenectady County officials confirmed 10 resident deaths on Monday, and said some of the deaths reported stretched as far back as Jan. 15. The victims included four women and six men, and ranged in age from their 60s to upwards of 100.

Elsewhere in the region, Rensselaer and Greene counties reported two deaths each Monday, and Albany and Columbia counties reported one death each. Albany County said their latest victim was a man in his 60s.

Their deaths come during one of the deadliest periods of the pandemic to date.

Read more

Monday: 70 percent of health care workers in New York get vaccinated

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday announced that the vaccination rate among the state's health care workers has surpassed 70 percent, reaching a milestone set for communities to obtain herd immunity.

Last week, the vaccination rate among health care workers hovered at 63 percent, Cuomo said, but continuing vaccination efforts at hospitals across New York brought that rate up to 72 percent Monday. Diving deeper into the statistics, however, shows wide disparities in vaccination rates among hospitals within a given region.

Read more

Monday: New York education officials seek federal waiver to cancel state tests

State education officials will submit a request for permission from the federal government to forgo state testing this spring in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Two draft federal waiver requests related to state assessment and accountability requirements are now available for public comment, State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa and Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young Jr. announced Monday, Jan. 25.

The board had already canceled January Regents exams and had said a decision on state tests would be coming soon.

Read more

Monday: Albany County confirms another coronavirus death as hospitalizations climb

Albany County's death toll from coronavirus is nearing 300 as hospitalizations among county residents remain near record highs, officials confirmed Monday.

County Executive Dan McCoy said a man in his 60s is the county's latest COVID-19 victim, bringing the number of residents known to have died from the disease to 296  the highest in the region.

While new daily cases of the virus have generally been on the decline since mid-January, hospitalizations continue to climb. Another 15 county residents were hospitalized with COVID-19 overnight, McCoy said, and a total of 173 county residents were hospitalized with the virus as of Monday  just 13 shy of the record seen Jan. 19.

Read more
Runners: Get your summer program off on the right foot

Officers of the Metropolitan Police patrol in Victoria Park, east London, on April 11, 2020. (Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

UK Cops Fined for Haircut at Police Station in Breach of CCP Virus Rules

A group of 31 police officers have been fined for breaching CCP virus rules by having their hair cut while on duty at their police station.

Each of these officers is facing a 200 ($275) fixed penalty notice (FPN) for breaching COVID-19 regulations while on duty, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement released on Tuesday.

On Jan. 17, the officers had their hair cut by a professional barber while at Bethnal Green police station in East London.

The New Scotland Yard logo is displayed on a revolving sign outside the Curtis Green Building, the new home of the Metropolitan Police in London on Feb. 22, 2017. (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Two officers are under investigation for misconduct for organising the activity, the Met said.

Detective Chief Superintendent Marcus Barnett, the local policing commander, said the incident was deeply disappointing.

It is deeply disappointing and frustrating that my officers have fallen short of the expectation to uphold COVID-19 regulations, he said.

Although officers donated money to charity as part of the haircut, this does not excuse them from what was a very poor decision. I expect a lot more of them.

Barnett said the public expect the police to be role models in following CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus regulations.

I hope this action proves that police are not immune to enforcement of the rules, and we are prepared as an organisation to take action if we see officers have behaved irresponsibly, he said.

This is not the first time London police have found themselves on the wrong side of the rules.

The Metropolitan Police said last Wednesday that nine of its officers had been fined after they were caught dining in a local cafe.

The officers were investigated after photos of them in the cafe emerged online and caught media attention earlier this month.

The UK has been under varying levels of CCP virus restrictions since the pandemic began last spring.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the whole of England under the third national lockdown to curb the spread of a new variant first detected in southeast England, which he said had a higher transmissibility than the old variant.

Police forces, including the Metropolitan Police in London, have said they are taking a stricter approach to enforcing the lockdown rules.

Martin Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chief Council, said on Jan. 13 that he would make no apology for the almost 45,000 fixed penalty notices that had been issued against rule-breakers.

Simon Veazey and Lily Zhou contributed to this report.


An investigation is underway after a male was seriously injured in a Monday-night shooting in western Birmingham.

Sgt. Rod Mauldin said West Precinct officers responded shortly before 8:30 p.m. to the 1200 block of 40th Street in Ensley. That location is near the Mystik service station and store.

The officers were dispatched after Shot Spotter indicated gunfire in the area. Additionally, Mauldin said, 911 received a call of a person down.

The victim was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. No suspects are in custody.


LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Today's Daily Dose brings you news about Merck discontinuing its work on COVID-19 vaccines, Moderna advancing its vaccine research to defeat the emerging strains of SARS-CoV-2 virus and AstraZeneca rubbishing German media reports related to AZD1222 vaccine.



Read on.



1. AstraZeneca Slams Media Reports over Efficacy of COVID-19 Jab



AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) has reportedly refuted German media reports that said the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine, AZD1222, in people over 65 years is very low and termed them to be 'completely incorrect'.



Germany's business and financial daily The Handelsblatt has reported that AstraZenaeca's COVID-19 vaccine, developed in partnership with the Oxford University, has an efficacy rate of just 8% in seniors and that it is unlikely to be authorized for use in that age group.



Another German newspaper Bild has claimed that the efficacy of the jab is less than 10%.



Last November, the medical journal Lancet had reported that the vaccine was better tolerated in older adults than in younger adults and has similar immunogenicity across all age groups after a boost dose. The vaccine is said to be 70.4% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 occurring more than 14 days after receiving two doses of the vaccine.



The vaccine is approved for emergency use in the UK, India, Pakistan, Argentina, Mexico, and Thailand. The vaccine is under review by the European Medicines Agency and an opinion on the vaccine by the committee for human medicines (CHMP) is expected on Jan.29, 2021. AstraZeneca may not file for emergency use approval of its vaccine in the U.S. until spring, according to reports.



AZN closed Monday's trading at $54.01, up 1.43%.



2. Merck Pulls the Plug on COVID-19 Vaccines



Merck (MRK) has decided to pull the plug on its COVID-19 vaccine candidates, V590 and V591, following inferior immune responses that were observed in phase I studies compared to those reported for other COVID-19 vaccines.



The company added that it will focus on its COVID-19 research strategy and production capabilities on advancing two therapeutic candidates, MK-4482 and MK-7110.



MK-7110 (formerly CD24Fc) is found to have a greater than 50 percent reduction in the risk of death or respiratory failure in patients hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19, according to interim results from a phase III study. Full results from this study are expected in the first quarter of 2021.



MK-4482, also known as Molnupiravir, is being developed in collaboration with Ridgeback Bio. Molnupiravir is currently being evaluated in Phase 2/3 clinical trials in both the hospital and out-patient settings. The initial efficacy data of the trial is expected this quarter.



MRK closed Monday's trading at $81.15, up 0.21%.



3. Moderna Committed To Defeat New Variants of SARS-CoV-2



Moderna Inc. (MRNA), on Monday, announced that in invitro studies, its COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA-1273, is showing activity against emerging strains of SARS-CoV-2, including B.1.1.7 and B.1.351, first identified in the UK and Republic of South Africa, respectively.



While the study showed no significant impact on neutralizing titers against the B.1.1.7 UK variant relative to prior variants, there was a six-fold reduction in neutralizing titers with the South African B.1.351 variant relative to prior variants. The lower titers may suggest a potential risk of earlier waning of immunity to the new B.1.351 strains, noted the company.



The company is planning to test an additional booster dose of mRNA-1273 to study the ability to further increase neutralizing titers against emerging strains beyond the existing primary vaccination series. An emerging variant booster candidate, mRNA-1273.351, is also being developed against the South African variant.



The mRNA-1273.351 is being advanced into preclinical studies and a Phase 1 study in the U.S. to evaluate the immunological benefit of boosting with strain-specific spike proteins.



Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA-1273, was approved for emergency use in the U.S. on December 18, 2020, and in the EU on January 6, 2021.



MRNA closed Monday's trading at $147.00, up 12.20%.



4. Stocks That Gained/Lost the Most



Atossa Therapeutics Inc. (ATOS) closed Monday's trading at $2.98, up 59.36%.



Accelerate Diagnostics Inc. (AXDX) closed at $12.96, up 47.61%.



Vaxart Inc. (VXRT) closed at $10.05, up 40.76%.



Gritstone Oncology Inc. (GRTS) closed at $23.86, down 11.99%.



Inhibrx Inc. (INBX) closed at $32.46, down 10.87%.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

MODERNA-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
A teenager petitions to save babies in America after being abandoned as an infant in China.

Live Action reported that Isabella Lamkin, a teenager now living in Louisville, Kentucky wants to save babies in her state with the help of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. She was abandoned herself when she was just a baby.

For Lamkin, the baby boxes and the organization behind it is important to her seeing that it is a way for babies "to have a chance at life."

"This organization is important to me, because I want these little babies that may be abused, neglected, or just left somewhere to die to be able to have a chance, to have a family that can love them, the way my family loves me. To have a chance at life, to explore the world and maybe they can even find something that they are compassionate about when they grow up," she wrote in her Change.org petition.

Under the Safe Haven Baby laws, also known as the "Baby Moses" laws, a newborn baby can be safely and legally handed over to first responders if their birth mother or parents cannot care for them.

With this law, mothers can protect their babies from undue harm in the event that they cannot care for their newborns for any reason. According to Lamkin, the law allows parents to "give up children that they cannot care for without fear."

Just like Lamkin, the founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Monica Kelsey, was also abandoned when she was just a baby.

Lamkin's petition is a step towards her vision of bringing the baby boxes to Kentucky where she is now living with her adopted parents. The teenager wants to build awareness by making people, especially mothers who feel alone and have no choice but to abandon their babies at birth.

In an interview with LEX18, Lamkin shared that she wants to ask the state's permission to help people understand the program.

"We also want the permission from the State of Kentucky to do this. We don't want to be the red-headed stepchild in another state that's coming into your state just because; we want people to understand the program."

Kelsey added that while the Safe Haven Baby Boxes can be an option for women, they also have the choice not to use it if they want to especially for parents who prefer greater anonymity.

"They can continue to use the Safe Haven law as it is now," she adds.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes are considered a safe and secure way to leave babies in before they can be received by first responders since the boxes are clean, monitored, temperature controlled and even have motion sensors.

As explained, a silent alarm is triggered when a parent opens the door of a baby box that is usually placed in places like hospitals, police stations or fire stations. Once the motion sensors are triggered, a silent alarm is sent out and a call goes to 911. Once the first responders arrive to where the Safe Haven Baby Boxes are located, the baby is brought to the nearest hospital for further examination and is kept safe.

As of now, 1,460 people and counting have signed the petition to pass the legislation to bring Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Kentucky.
Market House Theatre Blood Drive Today

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - Paducah's Market House Theatre in downtown Paducah is hosting its second "Play Your Part" blood drive today from 1 - 6 pm.The theatre had a fantastic turnout at their first event in July. The goal is to collect even more this time.To schedule your appointment to give blood at the Play Your Part Blood Drive, click the link below.On the Net:
Government aims to legislate to enable first election for directly mayor to take place before end of this year. First mayoral term will last until 2029.

Minister Burke publishes Implementation Advisory Group report.

The Government has today approved the drafting of legislation for the new role of a directly elected mayor for Limerick City and County with executive functions (responsibilities). The Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke, today confirmed that the legislation required to enable the first election for a directly elected mayor will be advanced as quickly as possible, with the aim of an election taking place before the end of 2021. As the role is due to come into existence in the middle of the local government electoral cycle the first mayoral term will run until the local elections of 2029.

In line with the IAGs recommendations, the Government has decided that the directly elected mayor will have many of the executive functions currently held by the local authoritys Chief Executive. These areas include: housing and building; road transport and safety; strategic development and environmental services. Minister Burke laid the IAGs report (available shortly here) before the Houses of the Oireachtas today.

The Government today also sanctioned Government Departments to explore the potential transfer of additional functions to a directly elected mayor for Limerick once the role has been created.

The proposed legislation will be consistent with the IAGs recommended governance structures. These will include:

The directly elected mayor being empowered to develop a Programme for Local Government in Limerick, a programme setting out the mayors vision and ambitions for Limerick, for approval by the elected council.

The mayor being responsible for drafting the local authoritys annual budget, for approval by the elected council.

The Chief Executive (to be re-named a Director General) retaining responsibility for functions such as managing and accounting for the councils finances.

The elected council retaining its reserved functions.

Speaking after the Governments decision to approve legislative drafting, Minister Burke said: Todays decision marks the next step towards the people of Limerick having a directly elected mayor with significant powers. Having a directly elected mayor will enable the people of Limerick to have a greater say over how services and infrastructure are delivered and how Limerick develops. The new role will be a starting point, a basis on which more powers will be decentralised to Limerick over time, possibly including greater financial autonomy.

I want to again thank the implementation advisory group, chaired by Tim OConnor, for its work in producing the report. The Government has accepted the recommendations on how the council should be structured. Some of the report recommendations would have far-reaching consequences and require further consideration.

Minister Burke and the Government aims to publish legislation in the second quarter of this year. This legislation, if enacted, would enable the Programme for Government commitment to an election for a directly elected mayor in Limerick in 2021 to be met.

Note to editors

Implementation Advisory Group Report: A copy of the Implementation Advisory Group's report, and more information on the envisaged role will be available shortly here. On 24 May 2019, the people of Limerick voted in favour of a proposal for the establishment of an office of directly elected mayor with executive functions. The Programme for Government commits to passing legislation to allow the first directly elected mayor for Limerick to be elected in 2021.

A copy of the Implementation Advisory Group's report, and more information on the envisaged role will be available shortly here. On 24 May 2019, the people of Limerick voted in favour of a proposal for the establishment of an office of directly elected mayor with executive functions. The Programme for Government commits to passing legislation to allow the first directly elected mayor for Limerick to be elected in 2021. Mayor executive functions: The directly elected mayor will have responsibility for most of the executive functions currently carried out by the Chief Executive, including, at a strategic and policy level, in the areas of: housing and building road transport and safety water services strategic management environmental services recreation and amenity agriculture, education, health and welfare miscellaneous services

The directly elected mayor will have responsibility for most of the executive functions currently carried out by the Chief Executive, including, at a strategic and policy level, in the areas of: Programme for Local Government in Limerick: The directly elected mayor will be responsible for the local authoritys revenue and capital budgets. He or she will have the ability to develop a Programme for Local Government in Limerick, a programme setting out the mayors vision and ambitions for Limerick City and County, and present it to the elected council for approval. The programme will also set out the directly elected mayors objectives for their term in office.

The directly elected mayor will be responsible for the local authoritys revenue and capital budgets. He or she will have the ability to develop a Programme for Local Government in Limerick, a programme setting out the mayors vision and ambitions for Limerick City and County, and present it to the elected council for approval. The programme will also set out the directly elected mayors objectives for their term in office. Annual budget: It is proposed that the directly elected mayor would be responsible for drafting the local authority's annual budget and present it to the elected council for adoption. The annual budget will still have to be adopted by a simple majority of the elected council.

It is proposed that the directly elected mayor would be responsible for drafting the local authority's annual budget and present it to the elected council for adoption. The annual budget will still have to be adopted by a simple majority of the elected council. Other duties of a directly elected mayor: The directly elected mayor will be responsible for most of the duties currently vested in the Cathaoirleach outside of the council chamber. He or she will be an ex officio member of the council and will be able to vote in relation to all matters except where the vote relates to the council's oversight role in respect of the directly elected mayor.

The directly elected mayor will be responsible for most of the duties currently vested in the Cathaoirleach outside of the council chamber. He or she will be an ex officio member of the council and will be able to vote in relation to all matters except where the vote relates to the council's oversight role in respect of the directly elected mayor. Future responsibilities of the elected council : The elected councils reserved functions will not change. These include adopting the councils annual budget; adopting council policies; altering the Local Property Tax rate; and making a City and County Development Plan.

: The elected councils reserved functions will not change. These include adopting the councils annual budget; adopting council policies; altering the Local Property Tax rate; and making a City and County Development Plan. Future powers: In parallel with the drafting of this legislation Government departments will continue consulting on the potential assignment of additional powers and functions to a directly elected mayor.

In parallel with the drafting of this legislation Government departments will continue consulting on the potential assignment of additional powers and functions to a directly elected mayor. Future responsibilities of Chief Executive: The role of the Chief Executive will change and will differ significantly from that of Chief Executives in other local authorities. Recognising its vital role in the new local authoritys architecture, and the likely enhancement of the role, the IAG proposes that the current position of Chief Executive in Limerick will be re-titled Director General and its conditions upgraded. The Chief Executive will retain responsibility for specified functions, including: managing and accounting for the council's finances; HR and local authority staffing matters; administration of individual schemes and allocation of individual grants; legal proceedings and enforcement matters relating to individual schemes or grants.

The role of the Chief Executive will change and will differ significantly from that of Chief Executives in other local authorities. Recognising its vital role in the new local authoritys architecture, and the likely enhancement of the role, the IAG proposes that the current position of Chief Executive in Limerick will be re-titled Director General and its conditions upgraded. The Chief Executive will retain responsibility for specified functions, including: Legislation: The legislation that will now be drafted will provide for: a directly elected mayor with executive functions for Limerick City and County an electoral code to facilitate the holding of mayoral elections in Limerick City and County provisions to allow for the holding of plebiscites in other jurisdictions in 2024 as outlined in the Programme for Government. (Plebiscites will be facilitated if there is a positive resolution from the relevant council or by a petition from a minimum of 20% of the registered electors.)

The legislation that will now be drafted will provide for: Implementation Advisory Group: The IAG was established in December 2019 to advise the Minister on how to shape the role of a directly elected mayor for Limerick. The Group was chaired by Mr Tim OConnor and was representative of the main stakeholders in Limerick. It consulted widely with the business community, academic institutions, public service providers, and community and political representatives in Limerick. It also commissioned a public consultation exercise, undertaken by the University of Limerick, which sought to start a conversation on the potential of a Directly Elected Mayor for Limerick. The consultation was unique in that, due to the pandemic, it was a fully interactive, real-time consultation carried out on a wholly digital platform.

FAQs - Legislation for a Directly Elected Mayor with Executive Functions for Limerick City and County Council
Classes in the Wilkes County Schools will start on Aug. 23 and end on May 25 in 2021-22 as a result of a calendar approved by the Wilkes Board of Education on Feb. 1.
Related Israeli head of mission arrives in Morocco

An Israeli delegation headed by the country's intelligence minister quietly visited Sudan and met with the African nation's leaders, officials from both countries said Tuesday.

The visit Monday was the first by an Israeli minister to Sudan less than three weeks after Khartoum inked an agreement to normalize ties with Israel.

Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen, head of the Israeli delegation, met with Sudanese Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of the ruling sovereign council, Defense Minister Yassin Ibrahim and other military and government officials.

Sudan became the third Arab state to normalize ties with Israel during the Trump administration last year as part of a U.S.-brokered deal known as the ``Abraham Accords.''

Sudanese officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the visit with media, said the Israeli delegation discussed ``steps'' to move forward on the ties between the two nations. They did not elaborate.

Cohen's office confirmed the visit, saying it was the first official visit by an Israeli minister to Sudan.

Arye Shalicar, an Israeli government official who was among the delegation, said the atmosphere was ``very friendly'' and the two sides discussed water, aviation, transportation, health and technology cooperation, as well as security and strategic affairs.

``It demonstrates their will to advance peace with us, to normalize relations,'' he said.

Sudan is now ruled by a joint military and civilian government that seeks better ties with Washington and the West following a popular uprising that led to the ouster of longtime autcomract Omar Al-Bashir in April 2019.

The ``Abraham Accords'' are named after the biblical patriarch revered by Muslims and Jews. Khartoum signed the deal on Jan. 6 during a visit to the country by then-U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Ahead of the announcement by former President Donald Trump last October, a senior U.S.-Israeli delegation visited Sudan to put final touches on the normalization deal.

The Trump administration also announced diplomatic pacts last year between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain _ the first since Jordan recognized Israel in the 1990s and Egypt in the 1970s. Morocco also established diplomatic ties with Israel.

The Israeli delegation's visit came as Ambassador Andrew Young, the U.S. Africa Command's deputy commander for civil-military engagement, arrived in Khartoum on Monday for a several-day visit to discuss U.S.-Sudanese ties, Sudan's state-run SUNA news agency reported.

Washington late last year removed Sudan from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. De-listing Sudan was an incentive to have Khartoum normalize ties with Israel.

The removal came after Sudan paid $335 million in compensations to U.S. victims of terrorist attacks. Those include the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania by the al-Qaida network while its leader, Osama bin Laden, was living in Sudan.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

Short link:


The Ministry of Home Affairs informed that recognising the outstanding contribution towards serving the nation, an official of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service. NIA Head Constable Vinod Kumar KS has been awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

Six NIA officials awarded Police Medals on the occasion of Republic Day 2021 pic.twitter.com/qKLDGHRMc1  NIA India (@NIA_India) January 25, 2021

READ | 'Congress Did Nothing For Assam,' Says Amit Shah; Cites Historic Bodo Agreement By PM

According to the release, 5 more National Investigation Agency officials have been awarded the Police Medal for meritorious service. Sonia Narang, the then DIG of NIA, presently Additional Director, ED; Rajesh TV, DySP, NIA Hyderabad; Tapan Kumar Ghosh, Assistant, NIA, Kolkata; PK Uthaman, Assistant Sub-Inspector, NIA, Delhi; and Mahesh Kumar Yadav, Head Constable, NIA, Lucknow have been awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service.

Republic Day 2021

Listing out further details, the Ministry informed that the Bangladesh contingent will carry the legacy of legendary Muktijoddas of Bangladesh, who fought against oppression and mass atrocities and liberated Bangladesh in 1971. "India is currently celebrating the SawrnimVijay Varsh- Golden Jubilee year-commemorating the country's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh," it added.

The Indian Army will showcase the main battle tank T-90 Bhishma, infantry combat vehicle BMP-II-Sarath, mobile autonomous launcher of the Brahmos missile system, multi-launcher rocket system Pinaka, electronic warfare system Samvijay among others during the parade.

READ | NIA Visits 'Terror Tunnel' In Kathua; Suspects Crossing Of Pathankot Airbase Attackers

The Ministry noted that the Indian Navy's tableau at the Republic Day parade this year will showcase models of Indian naval ship (INS) Vikrant and naval operations that were conducted during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will showcase models of light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas and indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile Dhruvastra on its tableaus during the parade, the ministry noted. They also showcased scaled-down models of the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet and Rohini radar on the tableaus. A total of 38 IAF aircraft, include Rafale, and four planes of the Indian Army will participate in the flypast on Tuesday.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will have two tableaus at this year's parade, one showcasing light combat aircraft Tejas' successful take off from aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in 2020, and another displaying full complement of the anti-tank guided missile systems, the Defence Ministry said. The Republic Day parade ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial.

PM Modi will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. Thereafter, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Rajpath to witness the parade. As per tradition, the national flag will be unfurled followed by the national anthem with a booming 21-gun salute and the parade will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute, the ministry added.

READ | NIA Files Supplementary Chargesheet Against 2 ISIS Terrorists In Kerala Court

17 tableaux from various states and union territories, namely, Gujarat, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Tripura, West Bengal, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi and Ladakh will be showcased during the parade, depicting the geographical and rich cultural diversity of the country, it said.

The Defence Ministry stated these tableaux will show the vision for Ladakh to be carbon neutral, the sun temple at Modhera in Mehsana District of Gujarat, tea-tribes of Assam, shore temple and other monuments of Pallava Dynasty in Tamil Nadu, Bhakti Movement and saints of Maharashtra, etc.

READ | Amit Shah Urges Assamese To Give BJP Five More Years, Promises To Make Flood-free Assam
New Delhi:

The Delhi High Court has refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to an unaided private school to admit two children under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category after taking note of their certificates to this effect.

A vacation bench of Justices Manmohan and Yogesh Khanna said it cannot issue such a direction on a plea of a third person but may entertain a petition of their parents.

The court said it had decided similar cases in past in which large number of parents procured fake EWS certificates to obtain admissions in nursery for their wards.

It said that though its order had gone against the errant parents for procuring fake certificates to get admission, it, however, had persuaded the Directorate of Education (DoE) of Delhi Government to allow the admitted kids to pursue their studies as they were not at fault.

With great difficulty, we had persuaded the department (DoE) not to cancel their (children with fake EWS certificate) admissions, the bench said.

The courts observation came during the hearing of a plea by a young woman seeking a direction to a private unaided school to admit the two kids in nursery on the basis of EWS certificate.

She also told the high court that the parents had sought help of the area MPs and MLAs in this regard, but to no avail.

The bench said that if the parents can approach MPs and MLAs, why cant they come to the court.

Let the parents approach this court, we will certainly look into it, the bench said, adding that the petitioner has no locus to argue the matter.

Delhi has close to 1.25 lakh nursery seats up for grabs for around 1.5 lakh applicants. Every school is required to reserve 25 per cent seat for students from the EWS category.

Also read: Venkaiah Naidu seeks inclusion of 'Emergency' chapter in schools

Also read: Madras HC issues notice to CBSE on detention of class IX students of KV school



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Chloe Ferry has revealed that men who look like Joey Essex are just her type.

The Geordie Shore star, 25, told how she likes guys with 'blue eyes' and 'lots of hair' and cited the former TOWIE hunk, 30, as someone she would like.

Speaking to Sophie Hermann on Monday's episode of Celebs Go Dating, Chloe detailed what sort of man she is looking to meet on the series.

Looking for love: Chloe Ferry has revealed that men who look like Joey Essex are just her type

Chloe said: 'Have you heard of a boy called Joey Essex?

Made In Chelsea star Sophie appeared unsure and replied: 'Is he from Essex?'

Chloe said: 'Yeah, I think so. I love that sort of look, blue eyes, a lot of hair. I dont like dead muscley, like Hulk Hogan, I dont like that. I dont like dead skinny, I used to like dead skinny.'

Sophie said: 'I used to like boys [who look like] they are just about to die.'

Crush: The Geordie Shore star, 25, told how she likes guys with 'blue eyes' and 'lots of hair' and cited the former TOWIE hunk, 30, as someone she would like

Chloe laughed and said: 'Like a skeleton?'

'Yeah, like very British rock and roll,' Sophie answered.

Chloe and Sophie are among the stars looking for love with single 'civilians' by moving into a lavish 30 million mansion on the reality series.

Other stars on the current series include Curtis Pritchard and Wayne Lineker, as well as Strictly Come Dancing star Karim Zeroual.

Chat: Speaking to Sophie Hermann on Monday's episode of Celebs Go Dating, Chloe detailed what sort of man she is looking to meet on the series

Ahead of filming stars and members of the public were asked to self-isolate before forming a coronavirus secure bubble, meaning dates could take place without the need for social distancing.

Chloe is marking her second stint on the E4 reality show, and recently revealed she wants to have 10 children with a 'multi-millionaire'.

Although she dated girls during her first appearance on the show, this time the star said she is now after a man, who she hopes will give her multiple children.

Chloe revealed that she is 'less nervous' this time around, and she is going into dating 'with an open mind', with hopes to find 'the one'.

Chloe said: 'I love that sort of look, blue eyes, a lot of hair. I dont like dead muscley, like Hulk Hogan, I dont like that'

Speaking about her ideal man, she told The Sun: 'It would be nice to have a multi-millionaire, don't get me wrong. It would be nice. That would be great, actually. But I just want someone who's successful in their own right and motivated.'

Chloe spoke of her desires to have a large family of 10 kids, while living on a farm.

She added: 'My 10 year plan is I want to have 10 kids. I want to have loads of kids. I want the biggest family, I want to live on a farm with chickens and stuff like that, I want an ostrich!

'I know that sounds like a big family but that's what I want. My family's everything to me.'

Celebs Go Dating airs Monday at 9pm on E4.
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Company operating Tatras ski resort to dismiss 260 employees

The decision comes after the company streamlined the structures it completed in the spring of 2020.

One of the biggest employers in tourism in central Europe has announced a mass layoff. The sector has been heavily hit by the pandemic in Slovakia.

Tatry Mountain Resorts (TMR) will dismiss a total of 260 employees.

Forced to a halt, ski resorts are now fighting to survive Read more

The decision comes after the company streamlined the structures it completed in the spring of 2020.

In a situation when our businesses are closed and some even for several months, we cannot continue sitting, waiting and hoping, said Igor Rattaj of TMR.

785 people stay

He went on to criticise the anti-pandemic measures which cost money that will not be given back.

The mass dismissal will impact 180 employees of mountain resorts, water parks and management. Another 80 employees will not have their contracts prolonged.

TMR employed almost 3,500 people in four countries. After the announced mass dismissal in Slovakia takes place, 1,100 employees will continue working for TMR, 785 of them in Slovak businesses.

26. Jan 2021 at 11:35 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Demand for school enrollments in Kildare could be a ticking time bomb, a county councillor has told a public meeting which heard of major concerns over school places in the county.

Cllr Angela Feeney was speaking on a request by a number of councillors for information on school capacity at Kildare County Councils plenary meeting on January 25.

Cllr Feeney said 27% of the population of north Kildare was under 18 and school places needed to be built for all the new and planned housing.

Councillors Feeney Tim Durkan, Darragh Fitzpatrick, Padraig McEvoy, Naoise O Cearuil, Paul Ward, Brendan Weld, and Brendan Wyse asked that the council, in liaison with the Department of Education and Skills, inform members as to the current and projected capacity of schools in the county particularly in those areas experiencing continuous population growth.

Cllr Anne Connolly said there was an emergency in relation to second level places in south Kildare, particularly in Kildare town, Newbridge and Kilcullen.

Cllr Suzanne Doyle questioned if the Department of Education was up to speed on projections.

Commending arguments by Deputy Catherine Murphy many years ago about having infrastructure to go with housing she said: You dont build houses without water pipes.

Cllr Padraig McEvoy said Tusla were concerned over school places for children and Kildare was looking at over supply of housing with large Strategic Housing Developments.

Cllr Fiona McLoughlin Healy said the Department of Education has been lagging behind in figures.

Cllr Noel Heavey said you could hear terror in the voice of parents when they are told there is no place for them in school in September. It is a terrible indictment on the political system.

Cllr Joe Neville said they needed to build sustainable communities.

Cllr Kevin Duffy said there has been a 20 year wait for a new school for St Pauls in Monasterevin. The Department has not been able to grapple with this issue.

Cllr Duffy said there are rural areas/schools with not enough children.

Cllr Ciara Galvin said the Department was not considering pre-school in its calculations and wondered why?

Cllr Nuala Killeen said that some developers are arguing that not as many creche and school places are needed because more people are living in apartments.

Cllr Peter Hamilton strongly supported other speakers.

Director of Services Planning, Strategic Development and Public Realm, Eoghan Ryan said he endorsed a lot of concerns expressed by councillors and that in relation to the three Celbridge schools, there was a lot happening behind the scenes.

In a written report to members on their question, Mr Ryan wrote: Statistics in relation to the current enrolment figures for schools throughout County Kildare are available for viewing on the Department of Education and Sciences website. In relation to the projected capacity of schools in the county, the Forward Planning Department of Kildare County Council liaises with the Department of Education and Science on an ongoing basis via the Local Area Plan and Development Plan making process in order to ensure that adequate lands are zoned in appropriate locations to cater for future educational demands, which may include extensions to existing educational facilities or the provision of new educational sites.

The members are advised that the Department of Education in a letter to the Director of Planning in Kildare on January 15, 2021, advised that they are about to embark on a process nationwide, at both primary and post-primary level, to identify where the pressure for new school buildings or expansions will arise in the coming years. As part of this exercise, the Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to analyse the relevant demographic data. The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and the Department's own databases of school enrolments. With this information, the Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post primary level to determine where additional school provision is expected to be needed.

A key piece of the analysis is the anticipation of school place requirements that are expected to materialise as a result of residential development that has been granted planning permission or is at pre-planning stage.

Mr Ryan concluded: Kildare County Council has been requested to nominate a point of contact to liaise directly with the Department of Education in order to progress the demographic exercise for 2021 and are happy to update members as this analysis progresses later in the year.
The ideas mirror many recommendations introduced last October in a House judiciary report led by Representative David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat. But her bill wont include provisions to unwind past mergers and other structural reforms, as his report had recommended.

Her bill, as well as other laws proposed to limit the power of the tech companies, will face steep opposition. In 2020, tech companies again spent more than other industries in Washington. Facebook, with lawsuits from federal and state enforcement officials, spent almost $20 million on lobbying, up 18 percent from the previous year. Amazon spent about $18 million in lobbying, up about 11 percent from the prior year.

Internet start-ups are also wary of regulations that could stymie their exit strategies to merge with larger companies as well as changes to rules that could hold them liable for the content they host. And agriculture, pharmaceutical and other industries will also probably balk at changes in antitrust laws.

But Democrats are also facing pressure from the left. Progressive groups, and some liberal lawmakers, want to dismantle the biggest companies. In a sign of the battles to come, those groups have raised concerns in recent weeks about some potential nominees for top antitrust agency roles who they say wont be aggressive enough against the industry.

Wed hope to see the antitrust subcommittee in the Senate collaborate with the House subcommittee to enact the full suite of recommendations in the digital markets report into law, said Sarah Miller, executive director of the American Economic Liberties Project, a left-leaning nonprofit advocacy group focused on fighting corporate power. We wont be shy about pushing for bolder approaches when the need arises.

Ms. Klobuchar says fresh outrage over the role of social media in the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 has united lawmakers in their animus toward digital platforms, but for different reasons. Democrats are angry that Facebook, Twitter and YouTube allowed President Donald J. Trump and far-right groups to spread disinformation about the election that led to the riot. Republicans are motivated by the decisions of the platforms to bar Mr. Trump and his far-right supporters.

Representative Ken Buck, Republican of Colorado and a senior member of the House antitrust subcommittee, said he would work with Democrats on legislation, more hearings and investigations of the tech sector.
(Newser)  The Jungle Cruise, a Disneyland staple since 1955, has regularly undergone tweaks. It's now in for a broader rethinking, the Walt Disney Co. announced Monday. The goals are to make the ride more inclusive and racially sensitive, the Los Angeles Times reports. That will be achieved partly by eliminating "negative depictions of native people," per the Orange County Register. Dark-skinned characters portrayed as hostile savages, sometimes cannibals, or as subservient will be taken out of scenes, and more animals and new characters will be added. Disneyland announced last summer that it's making changes for similar reasons to Splash Mountain. That attraction was inspired by the 1946 film Song of the South, which is loaded with racial stereotypes and presents the antebellum South sympathetically. Disney no longer makes that film available, per SFGate.

story continues below

A blog post on the site of a theme park design company, the Thinkwell Group, described certain Jungle Cruise scenes as "horrifyingly racist" last year. Many of those scenes were installed after the opening of the attraction, which was overseen by Walt Disney himself. A war party carrying spears was added in 1957, for example. Originally called the Jungle Rivers of the World, the attraction emphasized education. The changes won't be wholesale, an executive told a fan site. "This is not a reenvisioning of the entire attraction," he said, per the Register. The company also said it isn't touching other parts of the park, such as Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel. But the Jungle Cruise will be changed. "As Imagineers, it is our responsibility to ensure experiences we create and stories we share reflect the voices and perspectives of the world around us," another executive said. (Read more Disneyland stories.)
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PHOENIX  Arizona health officials are reporting 5,321 new COVID-19 cases and one death.

The latest numbers given Monday increase the states totals to 727,895 cases and 12,239 known deaths since the pandemic began.

The number of cases and hospitalizations in Arizona are declining despite the state having the nations worst infection rate.

The number of people hospitalized statewide for confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 fell to 4,229 on Sunday, the fewest since Dec. 26.

The number of ICU beds used by COVID-19 patients dipped slightly to 1,027.

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Still, COVID-19 is on track to eclipse heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death in the state.

One person in every 141 Arizona residents was diagnosed with the coronavirus over the past week.

Meanwhile, the state is ramping up its vaccination program by opening additional sites but, like other states, has had difficulty get enough doses to meet demand.

Counties outside of Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, have expressed concern about getting short-changed.
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News that France had fallen further behind in the race to develop Covid-19 vaccines caused dismay on Tuesday, reigniting a debate about the country's standing in the world and its scientific prowess.

France has a celebrated history of medical breakthroughs, including from Louis Pasteur, a pioneer in microbiology and the inventor of vaccines against rabies and anthrax.

With the world-renowned research centre that bears his name in Paris, the Pasteur Institute, as well as leading pharma group Sanofi, the country looked well placed to produce its own jab to protect against coronavirus.

But the Pasteur Institute announced Monday that it was abandoning research on its most promising prospect, while Sanofi has said its candidate for inoculation will not be ready before the end of 2021 at best.

"It's a sign of the decline of the country and this decline is unacceptable," Francois Bayrou, a close political ally of pro-business President Emmanuel Macron, said Tuesday.

Bayrou, head of the centrist MoDem party and named by Macron last year as commissioner for long-term government planning, said the problem was a brain-drain from France to the United States.

Speaking on France Inter radio, he said it was "not acceptable that our best researchers, the most brilliant of our researchers, are sucked up by the American system".

France's leading pharma group Sanofi has said its candidate vaccine will not be ready before the end of 2021 at best /  AFP/File

He referred to Stephane Bancel, a Frenchman who heads US-based biotech firm Moderna, whose vaccine was the second to be approved for use in the United States and Europe.

Experts say the US government has invested more in vaccine research in the previous decades, while innovative companies are also drawn to the country because raising funds from private investors is easier and quicker.

Long-time Socialist minister and ex-presidential candidate Segolene Royal blamed "liberal ideology" for reductions in public funding for vaccine research, while Communist Party head Fabien Roussel called the setbacks a "humiliation".

- Nostalgia and rivalry -

The failure of French Covid vaccine research so far touches on several sensitive issues for the country.

The political class and many voters have long worried about France's relative decline in power and influence -- the ominous "declassement" -- in an increasingly globalised world.

This tendency is seen by many analysts as part of the explanation for strong support for the far-right party of Marine Le Pen, whose rhetoric is tinged with nostalgia for the supposed glory days of the last century.

Since World War II, French governments have always had a strong industrial policy which has seen the promotion and protection of national champions amid particular rivalry with "les anglo-saxons" in Britain and America.

Sanofi, the only remaining major French pharma group, has come in for fierce public criticism, particularly in May last year when CEO Paul Hudson -- a British citizen -- said the United States would get any vaccine it produced before the rest of the world.

The group followed up this public relations disaster at home by announcing 1,700 job cuts a month later, including 1,000 in France.

Amid the self-criticism and introspection, some experts and politicians have called on France to avoid taking the vaccine setbacks too hard.

Chance plays a major role in cutting-edge research, evident in the work of the most celebrated past French researchers from Pasteur to Nobel Prize-winning chemist Marie Curie.

Nathalie Coutinet, an economics of medicine researcher at the Sorbonne University in Paris, said many different approaches were being taken by scientists worldwide in the Covid fight.

The Pasteur Institute bet on adapting a measles vaccine to fight Covid, while Sanofi tried to tweak one of its flu jabs.

The most successful approach among Western researchers turned out to be "messenger RNA," which was harnessed by German biotech group BioNTech as well as Moderna, whose jabs have been approved.

"If everyone had opted for RNS Messenger and it hadn't worked, we would have said it was stupid," Coutinet told AFP.
Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong delivers the Political Report of the 12th Party Central Committee and documents submitted to the 13th National Party Congress (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) officially opened at 8 am on January 26 at the National Convention Centre in the capital city of Hanoi.

The 13th National Party Congress has the theme Strengthening the building and rectification of the Party and the political system into purity and strength; rousing the will and determination for national development and promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc in combination with the power of the era; continuing to comprehensively and synchronously accelerate the cause of reform; constructing and firmly safeguarding the Fatherland and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment; and striving to turn Vietnam into a developed, socialist-oriented nation by the middle of the 21st century.



The Congresss Presidium included members of the 12th-tenure Politburo: Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong; Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan; Permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong; Permanent National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong; Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh; Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Party Central Committees Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh; Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Party Central Committees Commission for Information and Education Vo Van Thuong; Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairwoman of the Party Central Committees Commission for Mass Mobilisation Truong Thi Mai; Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Party Central Committees Economic Commission Nguyen Van Binh; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh; Minister of National Defence Ngo Xuan Lich; Minister of Public Security To Lam; Secretary of the Hanoi Municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue; Head of the delegation of National Assembly deputies of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Thien Nhan; and permanent deputy head of the unit in charge of documents for the 13th National Party Congress Hoang Trung Hai. Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man is also a member of the Congresss Presidium.



Attending the opening ceremony were leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front, revolutionary veterans, heroic Vietnamese mothers, intellectuals, artists, religious dignitaries and representatives of young generations.



Foreign ambassadors, Charge d Affaires and chief representatives of international organisations in Hanoi along with 1,587 delegates representing over 5.1 million Party members nationwide were also present at the opening ceremony.

Delegates conduct the flag saluting ritual (Photo: VNA)

A large number of reporters from domestic and foreign press agencies covered the event.

With the motto Solidarity - Democracy - Discipline - Creativeness - Development, the 13th National Party Congress will review not only the implementation of the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress but also 35 years of implementing the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, 30 years of implementing the 1991 Political Platform, 10 years of implementing the amended Political Platform (supplemented and developed in 2011) and the National Socio-economic Development Strategy 2011-2020; setting out socio-economic development orientations and tasks for 2021-2025 (the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification); and determining goals and orientations to 2030 (the 100th founding anniversary of the Party) and a vision for national development to 2045 (the 100th founding anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam).



On January 25, delegates to the 13th National Party Congress paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum, and offered incense and laid wreath at the Monument to Heroes and Fallen Soldiers in Hanoi.



Later on the day, the delegates attended a preparatory meeting and reached high consensus on the congresss working regulations, agenda and election rules.

One country, one rule is the biggest lie of the millennium in the Sri Lanka context. Is Sri Lanka a Buddhist country, if even the five basic precepts of Buddhism are contravened at massive scale?

by Helasingha Bandara

This question would undoubtedly draw an overwhelming Yes in Sri Lanka, despite the countrys centuries-old multi-religious character because the majority of Sri Lankans belong to the Buddhist faith. Amongst various definitions of the term Buddhist, my attention was drawn to what Buddadasa Vithanachchi expressed in a recent YouTube interview that most Sri Lankans are birth certificate Buddhists.

Externally the country emanates Buddhist aura everywhere you go. Including the ancient Buddhist ruins, the country is adorned with small to large scale Buddha statues, stupas, temples and the like in every nook and corner. Yellow-robed monks are an enchanting sight all along the length and the breadth of the country. Adding to this, meditation and other religious centres to practice Buddhism are mushrooming. White thread, a symbol of Buddhist blessings is displayed on the wrists of many Sri Lankans, particularly politicians. The higher you climb the political or the economic ladder the larger the number of threads tied around your wrist. The intriguing question is whether you become a true Buddhist just because you are born to a Buddhist family, or living in a Buddhist country? Buddha himself has said that no one by birth becomes a Brahmin or an untouchable. Najajja vasalo hothi. To a curious mind, Buddhists are only those who follow the path that the Buddha preached. The test to verify the fact is not complicated, if it can be started with the simplest but most important five precepts of Buddhism. For the purpose of sustaining a climax, I would change the order of the five precepts from what the Buddhists have memorized. Lets start with the last.

Alcohol

Buddha preached that not only the consumption of alcohol but manufacturing, purchasing or selling alcohol are against the Buddhist way of life. His Lordship must have meant all forms of narcotics although some of the drugs that are abused today were absent 2500 years ago. Starting from D.S Senanayaka, many who took over the politics of this country from the British, belong to the families that had become wealthier through alcohol trade. Could they be expected not to promote the consumption and production of alcohol? This trend has continued unabated until today. Politicians, or the rulers of this country own the most number of alcohol manufacturing and selling facilities. Most drug barons are politicians or those who receive blessings from politicians.

Per capita alcohol consumption in Sri Lanka in 2013 was 2.56 litres (https://academic.oup.com/alcalc/article/52/5/550/3978084). This has to be multiplied by approximately 10 Million to get the volume of alcohol drunk by Sri Lankans during the year 2013. It is a whopping 64 Lakhs of gallons of alcohol. In other words, 1,42200 of 45-gallon barrels of alcohol had been consumed by the inhabitants who boast that they are Buddhists and they and their country have been selected to be the custodians of Buddhism.

Illicit sexual behaviour

Historically Sri Lankans, at least the Sinhalese were known to practice both polygamy and polyandry. Remnants of such traditions continued until 1940s when landowners used to believe that they had right to abuse the wives of their labourers. Indeed, being powerless, such labourers had to turn a blind eye to the unwarranted activities of the landlord.

Extra-marital relationships exploded during the war. On the one hand soldiers, to quench the thirst generated by isolation and loneliness had to seek the company of prostitutes whilst the lonely wives at home sought extra-marital sexual relationships with the men who stayed behind in the villages. With the communication revolution, the situation has deteriorated from bad to worse having the phone and the scooter taken the centre stage of the sex game in the Buddhist country. The majority of those who seek to eat forbidden fruits call themselves Buddhists, politicians and those who wield power being at the top of the spectrum.

Stealing

J. R. Jayawardana introduced thieving to the politicians and the bureaucrats, setting the precedent by exchanging a 50-acre fertile coconut land to an infertile and neglected plot of coconut in the Chilaw area. In todays Sri Lanka, almost everyone is a thief of some sort and they steal something from someone all the time. From the office peon to the top politician bottom up or top down, thievery is the norm. Ranil Wikramasingha was seen as a party to a scandalous bond scam, Mahinda Rajapaksha was said to have stolen Tsunami money that came as aid to the poor tsunami affected, Chandrika was of the fame of Waters Edge land dispute. Those are some of the top-level daylight robberies that can be highlighted to tarnish the false claim that Sri Lanka is full of Buddhists. Adinna Dana is hardly observed in Sri Lanka.

Murder

In a recent YouTube interview a former military police photographer revealed that Rohana Wijeweera was murdered following President Premadasas orders. It was common knowledge that Premadasa ordered his killer squads to murder more than 60 000 youth, most of whom paid the supreme price for just being political opponents. In comparison a small minority of die-hard JVPers were killed. The beastly and gruesome manner in which many thousands were killed, burnt alive by the roadside, beheaded and body parts displayed in public places could not be the acts of the followers of the Buddha. The cruelty that the armed forces, the police, and the civil defence personnel (gam batto/goni billo) has shown was nothing short of the crimes that Hitler committed against humanity. Premawathie Manamperis senseless and shameful murder is just one of thousands of such crimes committed by the so-called Buddhists. Those murders were carried out by heartless beasts on the orders of one famous Buddhist politician whose son never parts with the malwattiya now. Another was the ugly-faced and bad-teethed Rohana Wijeweera who gave orders to kill many innocent people. Among them the most striking was the order to destroy Vijaya Kumaranathungas beautiful face, an order that could only be given by a psychopathic and murderously jealous ugly man who was burning in his own insecurity. The next was the killing of the most versatile lyricist of the modern Sri Lanka, Premakeerthi de Alwis of Maa ekkala amnapawa wee dabara fame. Murder and mayhem should not be in our blood if we are a nation fashioned by the Buddhas teaching.

Lying

I kept this precept to the last on purpose. Robert Knox wrote, I have not known anyone cleverer than the Sinhalese for lying and setting traps, such was our legacy. Lying is symptomatic of degenerated Sri Lanka society. From the labourer to the politician, all believe that they can lie their way through. The best examples can be found from the political field. Every party at the election time concoct an amazing dish of lies to win the election. From day one of their rule, they simply ignore the lies that they dished out to people. Those who lied and grabbed power before, then start pointing the finger at the current set, simply overlooking that they did the same thing when they held power. It is important to view in brief the manner of lying of the current regime before the conclusion of this article. The regime is accused of lying in most areas of rule. One example is the sale of the east Jetty of the Colombo harbour. Instead of explaining the process and the reasons for the prospective sale, the relevant Minister goes on joking that the deal still involves the ownership of 51% for us not knowing that even those who are educated to 8th grade would know the difference of the ownership between us and India is just 2%. His Math may be poor but others isnt. In the parliament, most ruling party members, instead of developing arguments backed by factual information, shout out lies.

By now most people have begun to doubt the light in which Gotabaya was portrayed as a disciplined leader and a clever strategist who would cleanse the country of corruption and other malpractices. There was fear amongst people of a possible militarisation with an ultimate goal of a military coup. Instead of dispelling such fears, the regime continues with unabated militarisation of the civil administration.

Let us highlight the one country, one rule theory of Gotabaya. The one law should mean equal treatment of all ethnic groups, all religions, all languages, the poor and the rich. It is amusing that both the Rajapakshas, and Premadasa embark on pilgrimages around the temples in Sri Lanka, not necessarily influenced by devotion but by the hunger for power. No doubt that the Buddhist temple is subjected to a different set of rules from the Christian church or the Muslim mosque. The Sinhalese enjoy a different set of rules to that of other ethnicities. Most importantly the poor of all ethnic groups live in a different plane of this country to where those few privileged people dwell. With any public service provision or any distribution of wealth or opportunity, there goes two sets of rules, one for the powerless and another for the powerful. One country, one rule is the biggest lie of the millennium in the Sri Lanka context. Is Sri Lanka a Buddhist country, if even the five basic precepts of Buddhism are contravened at massive scale?
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony List, speaks at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, in New York City on June 21, 2016. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images/File)

National Pro-Life Group Runs Ad Campaign Praising Sen. Joe Manchin

A national pro-life group Monday launched a six-figure advertising campaign praising a key moderate Democratic senator for opposing the removal of the legislative filibuster in the Senate.

The Susan B. Anthony (SBA) List said that the organization is spending $200,000 on radio and digital ads thanking Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) for opposing the removal of the Senate filibuster rule, which allows the minority party to have a say in which legislation gets enacted.

Removing the filibuster in the Senate would pave the way for Congressional Democrats to pass an extreme pro-abortion agenda, such as expanding the size of the Supreme Court and forcing taxpayer-funded abortion-on-demand, the group said in a statement.

The current Senate is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote. The progressives in the Democratic Party have called on eliminating the 60-vote filibuster currently needed to enact legislation, but Manchin has said he does not support the change.

The pro-abortion extremists now controlling Washington want to eliminate the legislative filibuster so they can force taxpayer-funded abortions and expand the size of the Supreme court, filling it with pro-abortion justices, Marjorie Dannenfelser, SBA List president, said in a statement.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) speaks during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 16, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

In addition, the Biden administration recently announced that it will codify the pro-choice law Roe v. Wade.

Senator Joe Manchin, who represents the overwhelmingly pro-life state of West Virginia, has been the voice of reason in his party, urging the preservation of the filibuster. We thank him for his leadership and are mobilizing in West Virginia to ensure his constituents can thank him and encourage him to stand strong for their values, the statement continued.

The SBAs recent ad campaign is a departure from the groups 2018 criticism of the West Virginia senator during his reelection campaign when they said Manchin did not share the conservative values of his constituents.

In the 30-second radio ad, the SBA List tells West Virginians to call and thank the senator for this moderate position to protect the filibuster.

Thankfully, Senator Joe Manchin is standing strong for life, and protecting the Senate filibuster from the abortion extremists, says a narrator. Call Senator Manchin today, tell him to keep protecting life and our West Virginia values.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Kannada Superstar Kiccha Sudeep has signed as the new brand ambassador of men fragrance brand Denver. The actor will soon feature in a new TVC, released by the brand.

Through this association, the brand aims to explore and leverage the opportunities for fragrance brands in Karnataka and other southern market.

On the association, Sudeep said:"Since its inception, Denver has strived to be a niche player in a competitive market. It has been making consistent efforts to be unique, especially when it comes to relating and connecting with its young target audience. I am happy to be the face of a leading brand like this, and excited to be a part of its growth trajectory. I look forward to a successful and long-standing synergy with Denver and hope to catapult this brand to new heights going forward." Saurabh Gupta, Director (Marketing & Sales) -- Denver, said:"We have been fortunate enough to create deep inroads within Hindi-speaking and Telugu markets by associating with leading stars like Shahrukh Khan and Mahesh Babu as our brand ambassadors. This time also, we were on the lookout for an equally loved celebrity from Karnataka to further enhance our footprint within the region." He added:"We are delighted to announce that Kichcha Sudeepa, one of the most well-known superstars within the Sandalwood film industry, is now on board with Denver as its new brand ambassador. As an icon and an idol for the region's youth, he stands out as the perfect fit for the brand. We are confident that this association will enable us to reach out to and capture a much larger audience, thus significantly accelerating our growth in Karnataka." (Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in)
Stephen Bear fled his home after finding a death threat posted through the front door on Sunday.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, the former Celebrity Big Brother star, 31, ran to his car and vowed to contact the police after finding a message that said 'die you c**t' had been stuck through the letterbox.

Stephen was arrested at Heathrow Airport last week after being accused of recording himself having sex with ex Georgia Harrison without her knowledge and sharing the explicit content online, but is yet to be charged.

Scary: Stephen Bear fled his home after finding a death threat posted through the front door on Sunday following his revenge-porn arrest earlier this month

In the video, titled Life Of Bear episode 6, Stephen was discussing the damage that had been done to his door when someone had previously tried to break in, when he found the note on the front mat.

The message, which was made from letters cut out of newspapers and magazine, simply said: 'Die you c**t.'

Stephen told his camera man to run back to the car, saying: 'Let's go, quick, quick. Get in the car. Some f*****g nutter. That's a death threat.'

Worrying: The Celebrity Big Brother star ran to his car and vowed to contact the police after finding a message that said 'die you c**t' had been stuck through the letterbox

The star revealed it wasn't the first such message he'd received after finding a similar message stuck to the windscreen of the car in a previous video.

Police apprehended Bear after he returned from Dubai for allegedly using his home CCTV system to film himself having sex with ex Georgia without her knowledge and sharing the explicit content online.

Essex police have since announced a formal charge is yet to be made while the investigation continues, with the TV personality remaining on bail until February 10.

Petrified: Stephen told his camera man to run back to the car, saying: 'Let's go, quick, quick. Get in the car. Some f*****g nutter. That's a death threat'

In statement to MailOnline on Wednesday, a spokesperson confirmed: 'A 31-year-old man from Loughton, who was arrested on suspicion of disclosing private sexual images or film without consent with intent to cause distress, voyeurism, harassment and obstructing a police officer, has been released on bail until 10 February.'

Georgia believes Stephen showed the recording to at least 'two friends' and claims the footage was being widely shared on WhatsApp.

She also alleges he shared screenshots of the video to followers on his OnlyFans account, but Bear has denied it was her in the video.

The closure of Dubai's travel corridor means those arriving from the UAE are required to quarantine for 10-days upon their arrival in the UK, although the coronavirus test and release option halves the isolation period to just five days.

Concerns: The star revealed it wasn't the first such message he'd received after finding a similar message stuck to the windscreen of the car in a previous video

While Bear may well have chosen to be tested following his return, the TV personality appeared to show a complete disregard for current guidelines by venturing out to buy takeaway coffee shortly after his release.

He was accompanied by on-off lover Tia McAlister, 18, who is 13-years his junior, as he left his Essex home for refreshments.

He defended his actions in a video, saying: 'I'm sure you are allowed to go out for an hour a day or to get some food.

'What am I meant to do? Starve? If I stayed in and starved, people would call me thick and say why didn't he go out and get some food.'

Guidelines state people can get food if there is no one else who can get it for them.

While talking to his father, who was joining him in the car on the way to the police station, when he was looking for his face mask, Bear told him to hurry up and 'f*** the mask.'

In custody: Police apprehended Bear following his return to Heathrow for allegedly using his home CCTV system to film himself having sex with ex Georgia Harrison without her knowledge

Elsewhere in a video, Stephen claimed he had lost his friends, discussed feeling suicidal and vowed to clear his name, after showing a clip of himself touching his manhood.

The reality star said on the 18 minute video, called Life Of Bear, episode 2: 'Since things have been said about me, a lot of people have changed.

'I had no one. The only people who stuck by me are my family and one of my other mates who is over in Spain

Distress: Georgia believes Stephen (pictured) showed the recording to at least 'two friends' and claims the footage was being widely shared on WhatsApp

'Apart from that, people who I thought were mates are clearly not. No one has really messaged asking if I'm OK. It's quite a lonely road.

'It's funny because when I go out or I am round people, I always think, I am the nice guy, the funny guy, you wanna be round me. I buy everything.

'I treat them, I am nice to them. I always thought they would be like, "Ah Bear's a nice guy. He's cool. But I'm the one getting slagged off and it's quite sad actually if you really think about it.

'When s*** hits the fan, there is no one really. apart my family.'
Diana Vondra

The meme of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and his viral hand-knit mittens continues to make splashes across the Internet. You can now find the meme crocheted on a bollard, vertical posts used to control traffic and mark boundaries, at Port Aransas beach.

Diana Vondra, an organizer of the Yarn Bombing & Bollard Buddies in Port A, said it took four days to crochet Sanders. On Tuesday, she added the piece to her more than 200 yarn bomb collection currently spread across bollards at the beach.

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.
A prominent Chinese-American pastor and church planter was forced to return to the United States after Hong Kong authorities denied his visa.

In a video message to friends, former megachurch pastor and author Francis Chan revealed the news on Jan. 5, ChinaAid reported.

"Last week, after Hong Kong officials rejected our visas, we (sons-in-law Justin and Peter and I) had to leave the country. We are now back in the U.S. and appealing the decision, however. We want to be in Hong Kong and hopefully, we can return there," the pastor said.

"Before we had to leave Hong Kong, Justin, Peter, and I had seen the Lord plant three churches (house gatherings) with approximately 15-20 people attending each. We had each been leading one church in each of our homes, but then, suddenly we learned that we had to leave the country," he continued.

Chan is concerned if the new church leaders and members can continuously meet in the house churches he had planted in the region. The young workers whom they have worked with and were left to lead the churches said that they are not yet ready.

But the pastor reminded them about New Testament's Apostle Paul who would go to a city, share the gospel for a few weeks and then leave. He also emphasized that the early church during Paul's time did not have resources and Bibles but were able to establish a powerful church by the help and power of the Holy Spirit.

He questioned the church members' feeling of unpreparedness given that some of them have already been Christians for years, equipped with Bibles and have been discipled. He further asked them if they do not have enough faith or information.

Chan strengthened them and told the house church members that he has faith in them.

"I have peace in my heart because I know that the Holy Spirit will be working. Although I believe God is having me go back to the U.S., I think this a great season for you to be pushed and stretched. And so, I'm going to go with the power of the Spirit. We've got this. I've got more sources for equipping than the early church did. I have so many resources online, so much knowledge available. I have the Scriptures right before me, a huge advantage."

The pastor said that he is not sure if the Hong Kong government would allow him to return given that the region is currently under the powerful grip of the Chinese Communist Party.

Chan moved to Hong Kong in February 2020 with his family to plant churches, the Christian Post reported. He said that one of the challenges he had encountered with Hong Kong Christians is the idea of "loving one another." He revealed that the region is so "westernized" and that their family dynamics are "distant" and "weird."

"It's either just a hardcore helicopter parenting that only deals with grades, or it's just totally uninvolved and 'let my servant do this, you know, take care of my kids.' They're good at accomplishing ... but relationships [are] such a foreign thought," he said.

Chan had earlier said that he was struck over Hong Kong people's "climate of fear," the news added.

"I've noticed being in Hong Kong, obviously surrounded by Chinese people, unlike what I was in the U.S., there's a lot of fear, even with those who call themselves Christians. They're really afraid to die. And you need to understand there is seriously something wrong in your life if you don't want to die," the pastor said during the Chinese Mission Convention.

"People are holding on to their lives, so afraid of death. It's like we don't really believe in His promises of something better. That's why Paul says, 'Of course I'd rather depart and be with Him, but there are things I have to do on the earth.' That's the only reason why he would still want to be on the earth...

Chan cited the example of Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:21-24, noting that because the apostle was so in love with Jesus Christ that he only wanted to be with the Lord. But he said that this statement like Paul's is "rarely" heard from the Hong Kong people.

"Do you think this way? Do you speak this way?" the pastor asked.

According to The Christian Post's article published in May 2020, Chan was a former megachurch pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in California. He decided to step down in 2010 upon feeling that he became a person he believed God hated, as he flourished into a "celebrity" pastor. He also revealed his "frustrations with the megachurch model."
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Kolkata-based women's rights activist Pranadhika Devburman who is a survivor of child sexual abuse and violence, found herself triggered last week when she read about a Bombay High Court verdict regarding a case of groping of a minor girl.

The 12-year-old girl had reportedly been groped by a 39-year-old man in December 2016. After four years, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court headed by Justice Pushpa Ganediwala found that the accused did grope the child but it did not constitute as sexual assault punishable with POCSO but instead constituted the offence of outraging a woman's modesty under IPC section 354. The reason? The girl reportedly had her top on and since there was no "skin to skin contact", the groping could not be ruled as an assault.

"I was shocked to read the verdict. The way it casually referred to the minor's breasts, the callous definition of assault - as a survivor of sexual violence, I feel the verdict does not empower the survivor at all but rather her abuser," Pranadhika says, calling the verdict "trigerring".

Justice Pushpa Ganediwala of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, in a judgment passed on January 19, held that there must be "skin to skin contact with sexual intent" for an act to be considered sexual assault. She said in her verdict that mere groping will not fall under the definition of sexual assault.

"Imagine explaining to a young girl in India that if a man forcibly touches her under her clothes it's assault but if he does so over her top or pants, it's not," Pranadhika says. The founder of One Million Against Child Abuse - a campaign that helps children including survivors of sexual abuse with mental health counseling and physical support, Pranaadhika also runs an online petition asking for judiciary sensitization and protection for rape survivors and witnesses and wonders the impact such a judgment would have on the mental health of survivors.

What is sexual assault?

The Bombay HC verdict has come as a shock not only to survivors but also to child safety and protection experts who feel that the move sets a "dangerous" precedent for defining sexual assault in court.

"It is absurd to say that sexual assault does not take place with clothes on. Think of all the women who get molested in public places," Bharti Ali, executive director of HAQ Centre for Child Rights, tells News18. "This kind of of a definition of what constitutes as groping is nor only unfair but also damaging to how all future cases of groping shall be treated in courts."

"POCSO's Section 8 mentions physical contact but the provision in the law does not describe what physical contact is. In that sense, this interpretation of the law is dangerous as it implies that sexual assault can only take place without clothes on," child safety lawyer Anant Asthana tells News18.

The High Court judgement modified the order of a sessions court, which had sentenced the 39-year-old accused to three years of imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.

The judge instead held that the incident constituted the offence of outraging a woman's modesty under IPC section 354, which entails a minimum sentence of imprisonment for one year. (Sexual assault under the POCSO Act entails minimum imprisonment of three years).

This, the lawyer points out, is the other side of the coin. Asthana feels that the reduced sentence reflects desperation on the part of the judge to highlight the need to take a second look at the way we punish sexual abusers. It is not a judgment in favour of the victim but one against harsh punitive actions for sexual crimes.

"Since 2018, laws against sexual crimes bordered on harsher punishment, with minimum mandatory punishment such as the one under POCSO not allowing judges to practice their discretion case to case," Asthana says. "While the judgment is dangerous in its interpretation of sexual assault, it is a telling sign of the problem courts are facing with laws mandating minimum punishment for sexual crimes with a 'one-size-fits-all' approach". The advocate adds in that sense, the judgment was welcome as it went against the trend to teeth sexual harassment laws with harsher punishments with an aim to reduce crime - a notion is often accused of being ineffectual in containing violence against women.

Be that as it may, the lawyer felt that coming up with new definitions to justify lesser punishment was not welcome if came at the cost of children's safety.

"I definitely hope the state challenges the judgment, that is the only way to get justice for the victim," Asthana says, adding, "children cannot pay the price for reforming laws".

Good touch or bad touch?

While the verdict might be welcome for calling for, experts across spectrums agree the judgment, if not reversed, may end up having an adverse impact on child sexual safety.

Speaking to News18, Child Protection Head at Save the Children, Prabhat Kumar says that the judgment will further hamper the agency of children to report sexual crimes. "In the field, we have seen how difficult it is for minors to come up and report sexual crimes, even to their families. Such interpretations of the law further increase the fear and anxiety faced by children over what constitutes a good touch or bad touch,"

The verdict further complicates the case for women in reporting cases of molestation to law enforcement as it increases the chances of victim-shaming. "In many cases that we have noted, local law enforcement refuses to lodge complaints by women who in turn face abuse from police officers in the form of questions regarding unnecessary details such as the length of their clothes," Kumar says, adding that the "skin to skin" interpretation of groping puts the one onus on women - even minors - in proving if their top was on when the accused touched their breast.

Ali, from HAQ, further explains that when it came to children, being subjected to degrading questions - whether they had their top on or off, whether they were touched over over the pants or not - could have a drastic impact on mental health.

Even as experts hope for the state of Maharashtra to appeal against the Nagpur bench's verdict, the case has brought to light the need for a deeper understanding of what constitutes as a sexual offense, not from the perspective of the harshness of punishment it needs to incur but by way of correcting the injustice caused to the victim and providing safe spaces survivors of abuse when it comes to reporting sexual crimes.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) said it will challenge in the Supreme Court the Bombay High Court judgment. This judgment will not only have a cascading effect on various provisions involving the safety and security of women in general but also subject all women to ridicule, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma said.

Update:

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Bombay High Court's controversial order acquitting an accused, which had stated 'skin-to-skin' contact necessary to be classified as sexual assault under the POCSO Act. Attorney General KK Venugopal said the order would set a dangerous precedent.
As a mix of institutional formality and universal emotional succour, the Republic Day parade offers an opportunity to deconstruct the body language of Indias leaders.

If diplomacy is all about tokenisms and language, then diplomacy-watching for amateurs is certainly all about studying body language. Much has been made of US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis meetings in India, when the former was in India as chief guest for Indias Republic Day. Modis effusive hug to Obama after receiving him at the airport was seen as a new turn in the IndiaUS relationship, and their comfortable camaraderie was also read as a harkening of a new nuclear deal, even before the deal was actually discussed.

What then were the signals to be read at this years Republic Day, Indias enduring symbol of military might? Any parade  and particularly Indias Republic Day parade  is a peculiar thing. It is meant to uphold a certain stiffness and protocol: soldiers marching in perfect synchronous array hardly seem to call for anything but the onlookers discipline of rapt attention, respect and, perhaps, formality. But the parade is also meant to be a living, colourful and expressive means to nurture national pride. This pride, or patriotism, is arguably different from  or more than  restrictive formality.
MONTREAL, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Holt , a leading Global Fintech Program, has awarded a financial grant to Agryo, an AI-driven blockchain based risk intelligence platform, with support from Scale AI Acceleration program that helps Canadian accelerators and incubators fund startups to enhance their AI-based product and service offerings, assist on AI go-to-market strategies, thus driving productivity and boosting competitiveness.

Agryo was selected in Holt's 2020 global investment and growth acceleration program.

Agryo Global Risk Provider for Agriculture Holt Accelerator Canada Impact

Agryo , a global Agri-fintech, is an AI-driven blockchain based risk intelligence platform that financial institution lenders can leverage to effectively evaluate credit-risk for any crop field and process credit and insurance contracts, thus providing farmers with operational credit and insurance and better access to additional financial products such as green bonds, hedge and futures contracts for crop production.

"Agryo's data-driven approach via its AI-engine was key for selection to our portfolio. We are pleased to receive Scale AI funding to assist with Agryo's expansion in the Canadian market to assist the financial services industry in serving the Canadian agriculture supply chain," said Jan Arp, Managing Partner at Holt.

As part of the Scale AI's financial grant, Holt was able to onboard Rojin Nair as an Executive-in-Residence to assist Agryo on its growth trajectory. Rojin has extensive experience in technology leadership and product innovation. "I believe Agryo brings a unique and innovative solution to the Agriculture lending space that will connect farmers with financial institutions and agribusinesses. Scale AI's grant will help implement the solution in Canada as well as grow the platform to a global scale," said Rojin Nair, EIR, HOLT.

"Scale AI's mission is to enhance productivity across industries in Canada through the integration of AI in supply chains and to support the emergence of a Canadian AI ecosystem. We are pleased to support Holt and their portfolio company, Agryo, that has great potential to help the Canadian agriculture sector by combining artificial intelligence, data science, remote sensing, and blockchain technologies", said Julien Billot, CEO at Scale AI.

By combining field and crop data with 500+ variables such as moisture, soil, weather, yield, etc., our technology platform provides better lending decision capabilities to financial institutions, enabling them to continuously monitor the risk on a near real-time basis, by leveraging the remote sensing data-based analytics," said Isaque Eberhardt, CEO of Agryo.

About Holt

Holt is a global venture capital fund with a growth acceleration program investing in early-stage fintech businesses. Holt leverages its data-driven AI platform and the 400+ global advisor network to accelerate growth for its portfolio companies.

About Agryo

Agryo is a global risk intelligence provider, enabling financial institutions to assess and manage financial risks at crop field level for underwriting agriculture loans and insurance globally; Founded in 2019, Agryo has offices in Montreal, Calgary, South America and the US.

Media Contact

Elisabeth Laett, Holt Managing partner

514 581 3037

[email protected]

SOURCE Holt Accelerator Inc
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.

When Jo Anne Zito was initially arrested for at-home cultivation nearly 10 years ago, her kids were taken away from her. Though her charge was later downgraded to low-level possession thanks to a grand jury, shed already gotten a taste of how severely those who grow cannabis at home are criminalized.

Only after completing a pricey drug rehabilitation program was she legally eligible to receive custody, on top of serving three years of probation. Her husband, now deceased, was also charged and sentenced to drug court.

Three-and-a-half years into his sentence, he died while fulfilling the intense requirements of the program, Zito, board member at the Coalition for Medical MarijuanaNew Jersey (MMNJ), told the state Senate in December during her public testimony in favor of at-home cannabis cultivation.

Under the proposed legislation on Gov. Phil Murphys desk, at-home cultivation (or home-grow) still remains severely criminalized.

I dont want to be in the business, I just want to grow and be left alone. Legalize me, she said during testimony.

As lawmakers finalize the details of New Jerseys cannabis legalization and decriminalization policies, at-home cultivation hasnt been considered to be included in the coming reform measures by state lawmakers.

Though the recent clean-up bill (S3550) loosens penalties for anyone carrying less than six ounces of cannabis, it also forbids anyone to create, distribute, or possess or have under his control with intent to distribute, a counterfeit controlled dangerous substance.

Despite how much work has already been put into legislative sessions, there are still plenty of gaps in the legislation. Ryan Magee, cannabis attorney at Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti, attributes this to how much time and support is available to adequately address the topic.

Managing the program from seed to sale as we say is the most conservative way for a state to go about doing that, so homegrow in general is a pretty complex variable I think that lawmakers now believe they dont have the time  and frankly, the vote  to adequately address at the moment, he said.

However, there was once support for at-home cultivation in the legislature, Zito emphasized during an interview for this story. Over a decade ago, lawmakers previously discussed at-home cultivation while drafting the states medical marijuana program. Though it wasnt included in the final draft of the Compassionate Use for Medical Marijuana Act signed by Gov. Jon Corzine, there was once a grow-at-home provision permitting registered patients to grow six plants at home without penalty.

Additionally, state Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, previously supported the pardon of John Jay Wilson, a multiple sclerosis patient who grew his own cannabis. Though he only served five months of his five-year sentence, he was mandated to the Intensive Supervision Program, New Jerseys drug court program Zitos husband was also legally required to complete.

They voted for it then, why would they have a problem with it now? Zito said.

Back in 2009, opponents compared the states proposed measure to Californias Proposition 215, which permits medical patients to grow at home. Since California was the first ever in the United States to implement a state-regulated medical marijuana program, they faced tremendous criticism from all over the country. Admittedly, the Golden State was the first test run of how such a program would operate legally.

Bill sponsors responded to this criticism by shifting decision-making power to the Department of Health, which limited the amount of usable marijuana a patient can have to one ounce per month. However, the Assembly health committee soon scrapped the provision permitting at-home cultivation entirely from the bill.

We want seeds and clones to buy like in other legalized states, Zito told lawmakers.

At-home cultivation isnt as radical an idea as New Jersey lawmakers make it seem. Currently, 17 states, in addition to Washington DC, allow at-home cultivation for adults 21 and over.

Some states impose more restrictions on which of-age residents can grow at home. Although Nevada and Arizona of-age residents can grow recreationally, they must live at least 25 miles away from a dispensary. Additionally, Missouri law only allows medical marijuana patients to grow at home, who must pay a $100 fee.

Others have more progressive measures. Alaska permits anyone 21 years or older to cultivate six plants. Additionally, Massachusetts allows cultivation of up to a dozen plants if there two of-age residents in the household. Yet even these measures have clear rules, like banning public consumption and allowing employers to make their own policies.

If at-home cultivation continues to be ignored in this round of legalization measures, Magee said reform could happen in the future. I certainly wouldnt discount the possibility of amendments eventually being made to the law moving forward to account for, he added. Ultimately, [lawmakers are] going to need the votes to do that and I think the general population of New Jersey will have to be on board with that.

As lawmakers configure their constituents support for what they want in legalization measures, recent data shows New Jersey residents know what they dont want. According to a 2018 Rutgers University poll, 60% New Jersey voters disagree with a ban thatd forbid residents from growing their own cannabis at home.

This story first appeared in NJ Cannabis Insider.

For more information about NJ Cannabis Insider, you may reach us via email here.

Chad Wheeler, offensive tackle for the Seahawks, was arrested on charges of assault and domestic violence. (Photo by Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Chad Wheeler, backup offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks, was arrested early Saturday morning on charges of domestic violence and assault, according to the Seattle Times.

Wheeler, 27, was arrested after local police in Kent, Wash. responded to a 911 call from his girlfriend, the alleged victim. The police report reviewed by the Seattle Times said that officers heard screaming from inside the apartment when they arrived. They forced their way into the apartment and headed to the bathroom, where the screaming was continuing.

The police found Wheeler standing beside the victim. According to the report, Wheeler was initially uncooperative when officers attempted to arrest him.

Wheeler is accused of throwing the woman on the bed and strangling her until she lost consciousness. When she awoke, Wheeler allegedly said Wow youre alive? She then ran to the bathroom and locked herself in, where she called 911. Wheeler then allegedly picked the lock to the bathroom door and forced his way in, which is where the responding officers found him.

The police report said that the fight began when Wheeler asked the victim to bow to him and she refused. It also said that Wheeler has not been taking his prescribed medication for bipolar disorder. Wheeler is listed as 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds on the report, and the victim is listed as victim is 5-9 and 145 pounds. She went to the hospital to receive treatment for arm pain and other injuries.

The Seahawks released a brief statement regarding the charges against Wheeler: We are aware of the situation and still gathering information.

Wheeler played five games for the Seahawks during the 2020 season and is a restricted free agent. The Seattle Times reported that Wheeler was still being held in King County Jail on Monday night. Bail has been set at $400,000.

More from Yahoo Sports:
Watchdogs and political analysts are calling on the leader of Cambodias banned main opposition party to push for a faster trial in an effort to solve political deadlock so the country can move on, the analysts told RFA.

Cambodias Supreme Court dissolved the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in November 2017, two months after the arrest of party leader and co-founder Kem Sokha for his role in an alleged scheme to topple Prime Minister Hun Sen with the help of the U.S. government.

His trial began on Jan. 15, 2020 but was suspended in March on the pretext of the coronavirus pandemic, and Hun Sen has hinted that it may not resume for years, and may not conclude until 2024, long after the next election cycle.

Though no longer under de-facto house arrest, Kem Sokha remains under judicial supervision pending the outcome of his trial, and must refrain from engaging in political activities within Cambodia, though he recently met with the ambassador from the European Union. Political analysts say that he should return to political life anyway.

As a politician, he should do political activities when he has a chance, political science expert Ek Sobvannara told RFAs Khmer Service.

Normally when a political opponent is being pressured by another and he does not fight to stand up, the pressure only intensifies. But if he stands up against the pressure, the public and the international community will see this and demand his freedom. But if he does nothing, nobody will pay attention to him, he said.

Ek Sobvannara said that Kem Sokha should push for an early renewal of his trial and should continue in political life and diplomatic engagement, as those are rights allowed by Cambodias constitution.

Political analyst Seng Sary told RFA that Kem Sokha is in a lose-lose situation, however. He could be allowed by Hun Sen to participate in upcoming elections in 2022 and 2023 without the CNRPs acting president Sam Rainsy, who remains in self-exile after attempts to return to Cambodia in late 2019 failed. A return to political life in this manner would, however, effectively split the opposition into two smaller parties.

This means that if Kem Sokha decided to break away from Sam Rainsy, politically he would die. If he sticks with Sam Rainsy, he will have a small percentage of a possibility to return to politics, Seng Sary said.

Hun Sen has already declared that Kem Sokhas case could be solved by 2024. Therefore, Kem Sokha is in a situation where if he goes into the water he will be attacked by a crocodile, and he will be attacked by a tiger if he stays on land.

Kem Sokhas daughter Kem Monovithya, recently tweeted that her father would lead an opposition party separate from the CNRP in future elections, an idea that was dismissed by Sam Rainsy in an RFA interview last week.

The potential for infighting in the CNRP is very real according to Men Nath, president of the Norway-based Cambodian Border Watchdog Council. Men Nath told RFA that the CNRP would be better served by reconciling differences among its party members before trying to engage with Hun Sen for national reconciliation.

Kem Sokha shouldnt be pushing himself to live within the red lines they drew for him. Every word they speak is about him following the law, Men Nath said.

What law are they talking about when the court only regurgitates theories laid out by Hun Sen? They should start a campaign demanding the return of political rights and freedom to everyone, he said, urging that engagement with Hun Sen be framed not as a negotiation, but merely as a dialogue to put national interests first.



Meach Sovannara, a CNRP officer close to Kem Sokha, told RFA that Kem Sokha will continue to engage with the international community so that the CNRP would be able to join in the 2022 election, and that there is therefore no need to play into Hun Sens hands.

This week and next week, Kem Sohka will meet with many ambassadors from powerful nations. We see this as a way to solve our political problems peacefully, Meach Sovannara said.

From what I see, I dont want the head of a political party to write a letter to ask for negotiations or to beg for a pardon. That would not be transparent in the view of the people, who are the masters of the votes, he said.

On Monday, the EUs Ambassador Carmen Moreno met with Kem Sokha at his residence in Phnom Penh, with Kem Sokha writing afterward in a Facebook post that the Ambassador lauded his recent travels around Cambodia in which he met with Cambodian citizens. The Ambassador also applauded his determination to remain nonviolent and commitment to human rights and democracy as he strives to put Cambodian interests first.

While Kem Sokha is out on bail awaiting his trial, his political activities are restricted, and he has largely involved himself in humanitarian work. But the opposition chief has said that even such activities are viewed with suspicion by the CPP.

Violence against CNRP members

Local human rights groups have meanwhile expressed their concerns about continuing physical assaults by unidentified suspects against opposition activists and their relatives.

As of January 25, nearly 30 CNRP activists, their relatives and advocates have reported being beaten by anonymous individuals, resulting in serious injuries.

Among them were cases of violence committed by Phnom Penh authorities and security forces. Some of the victims were chased by perpetrators and beaten repeatedly with hard tools such as stones and iron rods.

Victims often recalled that the perpetrators were not ordinary citizens because they were skillful in launching assaults.

Authorities often claim that they are investigating the cases but have yet to show any results.

Rights groups have urged the authorities to earnestly investigate each case and bring the perpetrators to justice, but police say they have been unable to identify suspects because there is a lack of evidence and the alleged victims often do not cooperate.

Soeung Senkaruna, spokesman for the local rights group ADHOC, told RFA that the government often makes the claim that Cambodia is governed by the rule of law, with a functioning judiciary system and law enforcement, but that this appears to be untrue, as suspects are never found when they attack CNRP personnel.

This failure to bring attackers to justice is embarrassing for the country, which is under the watchful eye of the international community., he said.

People who have a tendency to be dissatisfied with the government are hurting. I am worried that these people may lose faith in the government, thereby pushing our society into anarchy, Soeng Senkaruna said.

The perpetrators have never been brought to justice, and I think this could lead to stronger outrage and protests.

Am Am Ath, Deputy Director at local NGO LICADHO, said that the international human rights community is united with local rights organizations in their concern over the attacks.

I think in all these cases, if the authorities want to avoid international criticism, they should take strong legal action to find the perpetrators and have them prosecuted according to the law, he said.

This would first ensure the safety and security of the general public. Second it would ensure justice for both society and the victims. Third, this would be important in eliminating the criticism against the government that it discriminates based on political affiliation, Am Sam Ath said.

So far, there has been only one caseCambodias central Kampong Chhnang provincewhere authorities have arrested and detained suspects in the assaults.

Chhay Kim Khoeun, the deputy commissioner-general and spokesman for the General Commissariat of the National Police, denied knowledge that the case total was so high.

Alleged victims in some cases had not filed complaints with the authorities, he said, and urged the public not to rush into judgment about the violence being politically motivated prior to authorities releasing their findings.

In some cases, we received complaints, but in others we have no evidence, Chhay Kim Khoeun said.

There are neither leads nor eyewitnesses to confirm [accounts] as a basis for our investigation. I cannot accept the allegation that these attacks are politically motivated because we have not yet found the attackers and confirmed their motives, he said.

He criticized rights leaders for sitting in offices and unilaterally deciding without evidence that the attacks were politically motivated.

Tes Saroeun, a CNRP activist who is also an assault victim, told RFA he was not interested in the deputy commissioner-generals explanation and said that the politically motivated attacks would not be successful in stopping their activism.

This kind of violence is trying to be like how we discipline children in our families. If we resort to violence, our kids will be afraid for a moment, but they will start to hate us more and more, Tes Saroeun said.

Only through national reconciliation for people of all walks of life to live together in peace can the country say its leader is wise and the country is based on the rule of law, he said.

As Hun Sens crackdown on the CNRP enters its fourth year, HRW used its World Report 2021 to catalog abuses in the past year, including repeatedly using violence against peaceful protesters as well as arresting human rights defenders, journalists, opposition party members, and ordinary citizens for peacefully expressing their opinions.

Amid the pandemic, the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) used its 125-to-0 margin in the National Assembly to adopt new laws that further threaten civil and political rights, the report said. HRW said that more than 60 political prisoners were jailed in Cambodia at the time of writing

The group also called out Hun Sens government for imposing draconian laws during the pandemic that further curtail the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association; attacking human rights defenders; arresting and harassing members of the opposition party; curtailing the freedom of the media; and failing to provide an adequate standard of living for its citizens in 2020.

The World Justice Project ranked Cambodia 127th of 128 countries listed in its 2020 Rule of Law Index, ahead of only Venezuela.

Reported by RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum and Keo Sovannarith. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
EU foreign ministers have agreed to a 'wait-and-see' approach towards Turkey, although some member states are more skeptical about Ankara's recent proposals, Kathimerini reported.

According to diplomatic sources, Mondays meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels was briefed by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and German FM Heiko Maas on the content of their recent talks with Turkeys Mevlut Cavusoglu, with both noting Ankaras apparent desire to turn over a new leaf with Brussels.

According to the same sources, the EU's overall position on the recent statements and actions of Ankara appears to be positive, although the FMs noted that Turkey needs to continue its initiatives to de-escalate tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea.

Greece, in its turn, insisted on the need to make significant progress on issues of particular concern to Athens, such as Turkey's violations of the law of the sea and its allusion to casus belli. The recent change in Ankara's position is linked to the threat of EU sanctions, the deterioration of the Turkish economy, and the election of Joe Biden as the US President.

Borrell said that the EU should explore a "new era" in bilateral relations with Ankara in close cooperation with the new American administration.

Borrell later confirmed to the press that the EU will continue its "positive agenda" with Turkey, but will also continue to work on the technical aspects of new sanctions against the illegal exploration of hydrocarbons in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus. The list is not ready, but it has not been put aside, he said.

I am happy to say that today the irritants that poisoned life during the last summer and autumn have stopped and we have agreed [with Cavusoglu] that both parts will keep this momentum and use it positively in order to try reach agreements, Borrell added. He also expressed hope that talks on Cyprus reunification can restart by the end of February.

He also expressed hope that talks on the reunification of Cyprus can resume by the end of February.

Maas, in turn, reiterated Berlin's skepticism on sanctions against Turkey, saying that Ankara has taken a positive step by renewing research contacts with Athens, which should not be impeded by the threat of sanctions.
A 22-year-old Pennsylvania woman faces several federal charges after allegedly being involved in stealing government property, particularly House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's laptop during the January 6 Capitol riot.

PA woman involved in the Capitol riot stole government property





Riley June Williams, 22, is facing federal charges, including involvement in the Capitol Building riot, theft of government property, attempting to cover tracks online, and obstructing a government proceeding. During a court hearing on Monday, a Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutor said the government is aware that Williams has reportedly "deleting her accounts online and changing devices." Besides, they have been given tips she was instructing other people to delete their messages, too.

It remains unclear what evidence the Pennsylvania woman is allegedly trying or encouraging others to destroy. On January 18, Williams was arrested, facing two misdemeanor charges linked with her acts at the Capitol and two felonies, which could put her to prison for up to 20 years, according to Fox News.

However, Riley was released to the care of her mother for a pending trial. The government urged federal Magistrate judge Zia Faruqui to order Williams to be confined to her home and prevent her from accessing the internet.

Read also: West Virginia Delegate Faces Federal Charges for Being Involved in the Capitol Riot

Meanwhile, a public defender who represents the Pennsylvania woman told the court Williams does not have access to a computer or a smartphone. Prosecutors say William's ex-boyfriend identified her in the Capitol riot's video footage, which was removed by YouTube due to the platform's community guidelines violation.

Williams was spotted wearing a green t-shirt and brown trench coat with a black-and-white striped bag over her shoulders through screenshots. The PA woman can be heard on the video yelling, "upstairs, upstairs, upstairs," seeing directing other intruders to go up a staircase in the Capitol Building, as per the prosecutors.

Justice Department concerned Williams might destroy evidence

The Justice Department expressed its concern that Williams, who is charged with stealing Nancy Pelosi's laptop, might destroy evidence. Lawyers believe that Williams changed her phone number and deleted her social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Telegram, and Parler.

This woman, Riley June Williams, was identified by ITV as the green shirt woman that directed the crowd to Pelosis office. pic.twitter.com/X1lhQRZzx0  Scooter Pierce (@KarenBenShapiro) January 18, 2021

@Twitter

Williams' hearing will continue until Tuesday, CBS Local reported. The Harrisburg resident is accused of obstruction, trespassing, theft, and as well as violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. The FBI said Williams had a caller that she intended to send Pelosi's laptop to a friend in Russia who plans to sell it to their intelligence service. However, the plan fell through, and she decided to either have or destroy the device. Judge frees woman accused of helping to steal Pelosi's laptop.

Read also: 150 National Guard Members, 38 Capitol Police Officers Test Positive for COVID-19 Since US Capitol Riot

A video allegedly spotted Williams coming in and out of Pelosi's office

A Virginia-based FBI agent claims Williams was recorded on camera in the Capitol going into and coming out of Nancy Pelosi's office. A cell phone video more likely shot by Williams shows a hand lifting an HP laptop from a table, and the caption read, "they got the laptop," the agent's affidavit added.

According to NBC Philadelphia, Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, said the laptop was used for presentations from the conference room. The location of the laptop has not been disclosed in court documents and was not discussed.

Read also: Trump Offers Washington DC Hotel To National Guards Kicked Out of the US Capitol

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Hyderabad: Corona virus vaccination program has begun across the country from January 16. More than 1.5 million vaccines have been vaccinated so far. Meanwhile, a female health worker who had taken vaccineinTelangana died. On January 19, the woman took the vaccine. The District AEFI (Immunity after the adverse impact) committee is investigating the matter and will send its report to the state AEFI committee. This information was given by the Director of Public Health of Telangana.

Vithal, a corona vaccine at kuntala government hospital in Nirmal district of Telangana, died of a heart attack. Vitthal took the corona vaccine at 11 am on January 19. He worked as a driver in a government hospital. Giving information on Vithal's death, Nirmal Medical Officer said that this corona vaccine was not related to death.

In the corona virus vaccination program across the country, the first health workers are being vaccinated based on priority. The Health Ministry said on Saturday that seven more states will introduce the indigenously developed 'covaxin' vaccine from next week. In fact, drugs controller general of India (DCGI) approved the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine 'Covishield' earlier this month and the indigenously developed 'Covaxin' by The Bharat Biotech, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India for limited emergency use in the country. The way to a large-scale vaccination campaign has been paved.

Next week, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and West Bengal - seven other states - are currently using the 'Covisin' vaccine, Additional Secretary of the Union Health Ministry Manohar Agni told a press conference. Use this vaccine from. After vaccination or vaccine related deaths have reported no adverse effect.

Telangana: Triple IT Hyderabad has created a special app called 'Crop Darpan'

2 Telangana employees died in a road accident in Gujarat

Corona vaccine 99 per cent safe: Telangana Health Minister
Madrid local police have increased checks on roads after the restrictions to prevent new variants of the COVID-19 virus were announced by the authorities in Spain's capital region. According to the Associated Press, Madrid police on Monday stopped people on the outskirts of the city to inquire about the purpose of their visit and have also deployed drones to note the numbers of the vehicles. This comes days after local authorities in Madrid announced lockdown, joining other regions of the country amid rising COVID-19 cases.

Read: Spain's Virus Surge Hits Mental Health Of Front-line Workers

Madrid authorities have also asked restaurants and bars to close early as part of their new lockdown measures. According to reports, restaurants have been asked to close at 9 pm and also to limit the sitting capacity on tables from six to four persons. Madrid has moved forward the nighttime curfew from 11 pm to 10 pm. The restrictions have been introduced to block the spread of the new UK variant of the COVID-19 virus, which scientists believe is more contagious.

Read: Spain To Probe Whether Military Top Brass Jumped Jab Queue Dodging Vaccine Protocols

Other regions in Spain to have introduced tough measures include Valencia, which has restricted the gathering of people from different households to a maximum of two persons. Meanwhile, the central government is resisting calls to introduce a full-fledged lockdown across the country despite a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Read: Spain's Surge Gives COVID-19 Hospital Second Chance

COVID-19 situation in Spain

Spain is one of the worst affected countries by the COVID-9 pandemic as the country has reported more than 2.5 million cases so far, of which 56,208 people have lost their lives. Spain reported its highest single rise in new cases as more than 42,000 people tested positive on January 22. According to reports, every one in five hospital beds in Spain is occupied by COVID-19 patients. The country has begun the vaccination drive and so far 1.24 million people have been inoculated against the virus.

Read: Spain Begins Administering 2nd Dose Of Coronavirus Vaccine

(Image Credit: AP)


Interim Scranton Police Chief Leonard Namiotka pulled up the sleeve of his white undershirt as the medical assistant readied the syringe.

The pressures on, the chief said.

Next to him, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright joked, You already did it, you didnt even know.

Dawn Dunleavy plunged the needle containing Namiotkas second dose of Modernas vaccine against COVID-19 into his arm, one of 60 shots given to city police and firefighters Tuesday morning at Scranton Primary Health Care Center.

These are the people on the front lines, the people that come into contact, as part of their jobs, with people who may be infected, Cartwright, D-8, Moosic, said. Its so important to get them vaccinated.

Namiotka said that nearly 100 of the citys approximately 140 police officers have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. He and others began receiving their second and final shot this week.

In the similarly sized fire department, more than 100 firefighters have had their first dose and nearly 30 have received both shots, Fire Chief John Judge said.

However, not all police and firefighters wanted the vaccine. Last week, about 40 officers declined, citing concerns about side effects and the approval process for public use, Namiotka said. In the fire department, less than 15 firefighters declined the vaccine but most of those are reconsidering, Judge said.

Were hoping to reduce that number to zero, Namiotka said, adding that city officials have stressed to employees the importance of getting vaccinated. Wed like to get as many officers as possible.

Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti said that her office sent a memo to all city employees Monday with information about the vaccines safety. She also noted that some city police officers are also in the military and could get the vaccine that way, though she said that would not explain all of the declinations.

I think its our job not to say please do this but to provide information as well, Cognetti said.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are considered safe. Pain and swelling in the arm where dose was administered are some of the most typical side effects, along with fever, chills, fatigue and body aches, but it mostly lasts just a day or two, according to heath officials.

Joseph H. Hollander, chief executive of the Wyoming Avenue health care center, said reluctance about getting vaccine is a disappointment.

Weve unfortunately also had some staff that didnt want to get the vaccine and I think honestly it wasnt a surprise although it is a disappointment, Hollander said. We would like to see everybody get it; we feel very strongly that they should get it. And you know my way of leading the charge was I was the first in the building to receive the vaccine.

Firefighter Jim Sable, the union president, said the union supports its members getting vaccinated. Sable, who is going for his second dose Thursday, recalled deceased firefighter Stephen Sunday and said he only wished the shots were available weeks earlier.

Sunday, 28, died Dec. 29 from complications caused by COVID-19.

Its a good thing if it saves just one life, Sable said.

Scranton Primary Health Care Center began vaccinating police and firefighters with permission from the state Department of Health to do so in phase 1A, Hollander said. Previously, the state limited initial vaccinations to health care workers and residents and staff of nursing homes but has allowed police and firefighters who respond to medical emergencies to get their shots as well.

We have been fortunate we have not seen a shortage, Hollander said. Whatever we have requested, we have received in terms of allocations. But weve been reasonable in what weve requested, based on what we can do on a regular basis, while still treating our normal patient load, and also continuing to do COVID-19 testing.

As of Monday in Lackawanna County, 14,947 people had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to health department data, while 1,795 were fully covered with two shots.

At the health center Tuesday, Cartwright lauded efforts by President Joe Bidens administration to ramp up the rate Americans are vaccinated. He cited Bidens invoking of the Defense Production Act to hasten distribution, the launch of a federal pharmacy program to make doses available in local pharmacies next month, more money for testing and vaccine distribution and reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to states to set up vaccination sites.

Biden on Monday said the nation could soon be vaccinating on average 1.5 million Americans per day. Cartwright said he believes 200 million Americans could be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the summer.

To me, its a matter of focus, and getting the word out that these vaccinations are safe, Cartwright said. There are going to be delays and people have to remain patient, but the plan is to vaccinate everybody.
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Children of all ages can completely bypass age verification measures to sign-up to the world's most popular social media apps including Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, Skype and Discord by simply lying about their age, researchers at Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software have discovered.

And even potential age verification solutions identified by the research team can be easily sidestepped by children, according to the team's most recent study: Digital Age of Consent and Age Verification: Can They Protect Children?

Lead researcher Lero's Dr Liliana Pasquale, assistant professor at University College Dublin's School of Computer Science, said children could easily bypass the mechanisms adopted by apps to verify their age.

"This results in children being exposed to privacy and safety threats such as cyberbullying, online grooming, or exposure to content that may be inappropriate for their age," she added.

The study which examined Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, HouseParty, Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger, Skype, Discord apps scrutinised age verification procedures in April 2019 and repeated it in April 2020 - it found all ten apps permitted users, regardless of age, to set up accounts if they first gave their age as 16.

Dr Pasquale said the widespread use of age of 13 as the minimum age for accessing social media services derives from the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), effective in the USA since 2000. Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires children below the age of digital consent (13-16) to have verifiable parental consent for the processing of their data.

EU member states are also free to set a different digital age of consent, between 13 and 16 years, leading to a range of age limits across Europe. For example, Ireland, France, Germany and The Netherlands have opted for 16, while Italy and Spain have set the age at 14; while the UK, Denmark, and Sweden have set the age at 13.

"Our study found that while some apps disabled registration if users input ages below 13, but if the age 16 is provided as input initially then none of the apps require a proof of age. Providing mechanisms that deter a user from installing an app on a device on which they have previously declared themselves to be underage is currently one of the most sensible solutions not to incentivise users to lie about their age," Dr Pasquale said.

The team looked at existing age recognition techniques using biometrics such as speech recognition and fingerprint characteristics as possible solutions to implement more robust age verification mechanisms. However, these were also found to have limitations with speech recognition, for example, easily bypassed by playing voice recordings.

Dr Pasquale said their study found existing data protection regulations to be ineffective.

"In reality, the application of substantial financial penalties was the main trigger for app providers to implement more effective age verification mechanisms. Based on our study and on our survey of biometrics-based age recognition techniques, we propose a number of recommendations to app providers and developers," she said.

Recommendations:

Clarify the minimum age and treatment of data: Existing apps should ensure that a clear, concise and age-appropriate summary of the relevant parts of the app's ToU (terms of use) is displayed to users who sign-up and declare their age to be under 18.

Enable the most restrictive privacy settings: Apps should apply the most restrictive privacy settings by default for any user that declares themselves to be under the age of 18. For example, photos, posts and messages should only be shared with "friends", location data should not be collected at all. It should also not be possible to override privacy settings without explicit parental consent.

Encourage users not to lie about their age: Despite the presence of a minimum age requirement, many underage users continue to use social and communication apps. Users must be incentivised to be honest about their age, with minimal data collected. Providing mechanisms that deter a user from installing an app on a device on which they have previously declared themselves to be underage is currently the most sensible solution and the hardest to circumvent.

Implement Robust Age Verification Mechanisms: Where a minimum age requirement is in place, it should be backed up by appropriate age verification mechanisms. Using age recognition techniques based on biometrics factors, such as facial features, may not be sufficient considering that these can be circumvented. Age verification should be an ongoing process that does not terminate after sign-up, to assess whether a user lied about his/her age at the moment of sign-up, to counteract evasion measures.

###

This study was commissioned by Cyber-SafeIreland, an Irish not-for-profit organisation that aims to empower children, parents and teachers to navigate the online world in a safe and responsible manner.

This work was partially supported by Science Foundation Ireland grant 15/SIRG/3501, EU H2020 CyberSec4Europe project grant 830929, and the ERC Advanced Grant no. 291652 (ASAP).

Source: The Apps studied were downloaded from the Irish Google App Store

Publication: The peer-reviewed paper was published in IEEE Software on 15 December 2020.

Citation: L. Pasquale, P. Zippo, C. Curley, B. O'Neill and M. Mongiello, "Digital Age of Consent and Age Verification: Can They Protect Children?," in IEEE Software, doi: 10.1109/MS.2020.3044872.

About Lero:

Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, brings together expert software teams from universities and institutes of technology across Ireland in a co-ordinated centre of research excellence with a strong industry focus. Lero's research spans a wide range of application domains from driverless cars to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, esports, fintech, govtech, smart communities, agtech and healthtech.

Hosted by the University of Limerick, Lero's academic partners include Dublin City University, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland Galway, University College Cork, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Waterford Institute of Technology, Limerick Institute of Technology and Munster Technological University.

As the world's second-largest software exporter, Ireland is recognised internationally as a leading location for companies in the software sector and Lero is a key pillar in the sector. Fifteen out of the top 20 global technology firms have strategic operations in Ireland. Since its foundation in 2005, Lero has become one of the best-known, and most highly regarded, software research centres in the world.
Three relatives responsible for what Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers are referring to as a historic elk poaching case were arraigned today in the Otsego County 87A District Court.

Christian White, 29, of Gaylord, and Harry White, 70, and Ronald White, 56, both of West Branch, pleaded not guilty to a total of eight wildlife crimes after admitting to poaching three cow elk in Pigeon River Country in December 2019. Christian White was arraigned on four charges: hunting deer without a license, taking an over-limit of elk, failing to make a reasonable effort to retrieve the elk and taking elk in the wrong hunting unit.

Harry White was arraigned on three charges: taking an over-limit of elk, failing to make a reasonable effort to retrieve elk and taking elk in the wrong hunting unit.

Ronald White faces one charge: taking an over-limit of elk. Conservation officers began investigating the three relatives more than a year ago after receiving anonymous tips that eventually connected and confirmed the suspects at the location where the three elk were found lying together  50 yards north of Hardwood Lake Road near Bobcat Trail, east of Vanderbilt. This case can be summed up with one word  diligence, said Sgt. Mark DePew, who supervised the case. Without our officers' professional commitment to pursuit of the facts, these suspects would have gotten away with one of the worst elk poaching incidents I have ever seen. By utilizing teamwork, technology and good old-fashioned police work, this case could not have come to a better conclusion. During the investigation, the Whites confessed to conservation officers that they poached the three elk. If found guilty, the Whites will serve a mandatory 30 days in jail, with a maximum stay of 180 days. The misdemeanor charges include a 15-year revocation of hunting privileges and reimbursement up to $5,000 per elk in addition to other costs. The Whites and their hired attorney are scheduled for a jury status conference Feb. 11. This was the third elk poaching case within a 30-day period in late 2019. Conservation officers are actively investigating the two preceding elk poaching crimes  the first was a bull elk killed in November 2019, then a second elk killed one week later. Anyone who witnesses or suspects a natural resource violation should immediately call or text the Report All Poaching hotline line at 800-292-7800. Information can be left anonymously; monetary rewards may be offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of violators.
LONDON  Britain on Tuesday surpassed 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus, a tragic milestone that laid bare the missteps in Prime Minister Boris Johnsons handling of the pandemic, as well as the tough choices he now faces in trying to keep lethal new variants of the virus out of the country.

Britains death toll has long been the worst in Europe, but a fast-spreading variant of the virus has propelled the countrys daily fatality rates to levels not seen since the peak of the pandemics first wave in April, despite a national lockdown. Per capita, Britains death rate has been the worst in the world over the last week.

Its hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic, a solemn Mr. Johnson said of the death toll, which hit 100,162. Youd exhaust the thesaurus of misery. Its an appalling and tragic loss of life.
In less than a week, the Narendra Modi government will present perhaps its most important budget as the Indian economy recovers from an unprecedented global pandemic. Like the rest of the world, Covid-19 flatlined the economy, with the first quarter witnessing the steepest contraction in independent Indias history. For the full year 2020-21, GDP is likely to witness the first contraction in four decades.

Meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's team that will navigate often competing, multiple demands from various sectors, citizens, and stakeholders to provide a probable balm in these Covid times.

Also read: Budget 2021: Why Infra Sector Needs Special Focus to Boost Recovery Post Pandemic

Ajay Bhushan Pandey

By convention, the senior-most of the five secretaries in the Ministry of Finance is designated as finance secretary. Revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey currently holds that designation. A 1984 batch officer from the Maharashtra cadre, Pandey has also served as the CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India and is widely seen as one of the most powerful bureaucrats in the central government.

As head of the Revenue Department, Bhushans main role will be to set realistic tax targets, even as the economy begins its slow climb to pre-pandemic levels of 2019-20. In that year as well, there was a net tax revenue shortfall of Rs 1.45 lakh crore. The direct and indirect tax departments have stepped up efforts to widen the net this year and go after evaders and defaulters, and corporate tax and GST have shown encouraging signs in the past few months. However, this year is expected to be a washout. Pandey, who retires in end-February, will have to set targets in a way that the next year isnt so.

Also read: Unchanged Corporate Tax, Benefits on CSR: What Corporate India Can Expect from Union Budget 2021

TV Somanathan

A PhD in economics, expenditure secretary Somanathan is a 1987-batch officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre. He has worked in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) from April 2015 to August 2017, and is known to have the ears of Modi. Most of the suggestions from the PMO on the budget are likely routed through Somanathan and economic affairs secretary Tarun Bajaj.

Somanathan is a popular bureaucrat among colleagues, but his role isnt. As expenditure secretary, he has enforced expenditure cuts in a number of departments, except the ones directly involved in battling the Covid-19 pandemic, even as his department has had to find the money for the stimulus announcements made by Sitharaman. The upcoming budget will definitively be the biggest on record, especially in terms of capital expenditure, and it will be Somanathans job to figure out where will the money be spent.

Tarun Bajaj

The economic affairs secretary is another PMO alumni having worked there for five years before moving to North Block in April 2020, a month into the lockdown. He was instrumental in helping shape the three Aatmanirbhar Bharat sets of relief measures.

The Budget Division, which puts together all inputs and prepares the budget, reports to him and it is likely that Bajaj will draft Sitharamans budget speech (his predecessor Atanu Chakraborty drafted the 2020-21 speech, while most of Arun Jaitleys speeches were drafted by former CEA Arvind Subramanian). Bajaj is a 1988-batch officer from the Haryana cadre.

Tuhin Kanta Pandey

After repeated failed attempts, including because of Covid-19 this year, the Centre hopes that its ambitious privatisation plan will finally get off the mark in 2021-22. The responsibility of carrying out these deals and ensuring their fruition falls upon Tuhin Pandey, the secretary of Department of Investment and Public Asset Management. Pandey is a 1987-batch officer from the Punjab cadre.

For 2020-21, DIPAM was given its highest target of Rs 2.1 lakh crore. Because of the prevailing global economic conditions, it may just achieve a fraction of that. Things look much better for next year, when Pandeys priorities will be the privatisation of Bharat Petroleum, Concor, Shipping Corp and Air India, as well as the expected blockbuster initial public offering of LIC Ltd.

Debashish Panda

A media-shy bureaucrat from the 1987-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre, Panda heads the Department of Financial Services. All the financial sector-related announcements expected in the budget are his responsibility, including any further plans of recapitalisation.

The banks have weathered the pandemic better than many other sectors. However, there are concerns that loss of economic activity and jobs could lead to further defaults, and that, coupled with any waiver of interest that might occur, will affect their balance sheets. Additionally, the already precarious NBFCs may be impacted further. Panda will have to work closely with the RBI to ensure the stability of the financial system.

Krishnamurthy Subramanian

The chief economic advisor is a protege of Raghuram Rajan. An alumnus of IIT, IIM as well as University of Chicago Booth School of Business, his inputs and advice will be crucial in the budget making process. Before taking up his current role, he was a professor at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

His bigger role, however, will be in drafting the Economic Survey 2020-21, which can be seen as a precursor to the budget. The surveys views on the impact of Covid-19 on the Indian economy, on jobs, activity, various sectors, small businesses, households, education, and healthcare will be much awaited, as he has access to more government data than independent agencies do.
The geopolitically game-changing Goreh-Jask pipeline project saw a major advance last week with the commencement last week of offshore pipe-laying operations. The implementation of this operation markets the first stage of the offshore development of the Jask Oil Terminal and, according to the Pars Oil and Gas Company, this offshore section of the early-production phase of the project will be completed with the construction of two 36-inch offshore pipelines running for around 12 kilometres and a single buoy mooring with ancillary equipment. Overall, the company added, the early-production phase of the Jask Oil Terminal Development Project is 70 per cent complete, allowing the project to come online by late March.

After the completion of this first phase of offshore pipeline laying, the Goreh-Jask pipeline will begin full pumping tests aimed at ascertaining its capacity to transfer 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) of light, heavy, and ultra-heavy crude oil through the 1,100 km-long, 46 inch diameter pipeline that runs from the Goreh oil terminal in the north-west Bushehr Province to Mobarak Mount in the western Jask region along the Sea of Oman. This will involve the construction and deployment of 83 42-inch valves relating to the gate, control and emergency shut-off functions in the pipeline project, six smaller pipelines, five pump houses, three stations for receiving and sending pipeline pigs, 10 power stations, 400 kilometres of transmission lines, three single point moorings, subsea pipelines, and a stilling basin.

The initial focus of the oil-transfer chain across the Goreh-Jask pipeline will be the huge oil fields cluster in the West Karoun region, which are the current focus of plans between Iran and China to boost short-term oil production as part of the two countries 25-year plan. The starting point of the transmission route in this first phase is the West Karoun pumping station, the middle point is the Omidieh pumping station, and the end stage is the Bahregan and Jask terminals. After the initial testing of the first phase infrastructure has been completed, with 350,000 bpd transferred, the figure will be increased to a daily delivery capacity 460,000 bpd of heavy crude oil and 254,000 bpd of light crude oil to export terminals. Phase 2 will involve the transfer more than one million barrels of crude oil to export terminals. These amounts are realistic, as the West Karoun oil fields cluster alone comprises North and South Azadegan, North and South Yaran, and Yadavaran  plus some lesser fields  which together contain at least 67 billion barrels of oil in place. Related: The Surprising Rise And Fall Of A Shale Superstar

The oil will then be stored once it has arrived in Jask in one of the 20 storage tanks each capable of storing 500,000 barrels of oil, in the first phase (totalling 10 million barrels) for later loading on to very large crude carriers (VLCCs) headed from the Gulf of Oman and into the Arabian Sea and then on to the Indian Ocean. The second phase will see an expansion to an overall storage capacity of 30 million barrels. These VLCCs will be accommodated in shipping facilities costing around US$200 million in the first phase, although the plans are to expand capacity to allow for further regular shipping of various oil-adjunct and petrochemical products in particular demand in Asia. As an adjunct to this, three single-point moorings (SPM), and other infrastructure features for the import and export of crude oil and other products are under construction. An SPM loading system with a capacity of 7,000 square metres per hour of loading capacity is also being installed in Assaluyeh, southern Iran, according to Hossein Azimi, director of the Pars Oil and Gas Company that oversees developments at Irans supergiant non-associated natural gas field, South Pars. This would augment gas condensate loading capacity of the field and will further allow for the handling of liquid cargo, such as petroleum products, for tanker ships.

Over and above the technical details involved in the Goreh-Jask pipeline project, the key point is that the pipeline will allow Iran another method by which it can export huge amounts of oil without being prey to U.S. sanctions and it will also allow Iran to do this whilst at the same time causing chaos for a third of the rest of the worlds oil shipments through blockading the Strait of Hormuz, should it wish to do so again. The logistical model Iran has at present is not sustainable in the current circumstances, with around 90 per cent of all of its oil for export currently loaded at Kharg Island  with most of the remaining loads going through terminals on Lavan and Sirri - making it an obvious and easy target for the U.S. and its proxies to cripple Irans oil sector and therefore its economy, a senior oil and gas industry source who works closely with Irans Petroleum Ministry told OilPrice.com. Conversely, Iran wants to be able to use the threat  or reality  of closing the Strait of Hormuz for political reasons without also completing destroying its own oil exports revenue stream, he said.

Even before U.S. sanctions were re-imposed in May 2018, the Kharg terminal was not ideal for use by tankers as the narrowness of the Strait of Hormuz means that they have to travel extremely slowly through it, meaning that the transit cost increases, there are delays in revenue streams, and they are easy targets for even simple attacks. Additionally positive for Iran is that having a huge oil storage capacity available just a short direct sea journey away from Pakistan and then on into China is likely to result in the final go-ahead for the construction of the Iran-Pakistan oil and gas pipeline, and then put further pressure on the developing India-UAE-U.S. relationship as India may well think that resuscitating the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline is preferable to the current plans with the UAE. It also means that Iran can send oil supplies  and anything else it wants in the tankers  to the Houthi faction in Yemen to keep a constant threat to the Saudi southern flank and also to militia groupings in Somalia and Kenya.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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A report released by leading human resource service provider 51job.com show that 66.7 percent of the working people will choose to spend the upcoming Spring Festival in places they work to minimize peoples movement and prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Chinanews.com reported.

Photo taken on Jan. 14, 2021 shows light decorations for the upcoming Spring Festival in Qujiang New Area in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The Spring Festival falls on Feb. 12 this year. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

Of the respondents, 16.8 percent said they want to return home or are still thinking about returning home, and 37.2 percent, mostly of whom are people working in the internet, service and manufacturing industries, said they want to stay on duty.

25.6 percent of the respondents said their employers will give higher salaries to people who are willing to stay on duty during the holidays. To retain employees, some companies will release consumption coupons, provide house rental subsidies, or give their employees a paid leave to visit their families and relatives after the holidays.

The 2021 Spring Festival travel season, which will begin on Jan. 28, is a period that lasts around 40 days. Official data indicates that train bookings for the Spring Festival travel peak declined by 60 percent, with the total number of passengers only reaching 296 million.

Over 20 cities and provinces across China are encouraging workers to stay where they currently live and work instead of returning to their hometowns for the Spring Festival, including Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, and Hebei, Henan and Guangdong provinces.
Mr. Williams said that a large global team supports our partners in a variety of verticals, doing similar sorts of outreach across Instagram, but did not disclose how many people work on this team, or how many similar meetings are held during any given period of time. Ms. Reichenbach was told she got the meeting because this team noticed some of her successful Reels. Very popular Instagrammers, Mr. Williams said, might have high-touch relationships with company representatives.

This isnt a secret, Mr. Williams said. This is the same type of thing that we talk about to our broad open presentations at influencer events such as VidCon. In bits and pieces, for different audiences, the information in Ms. Reichenbachs post had been shared and intuited before.

Mr. Williams took issue, however, with some of the responses.

In particular, he pushed back against the idea that Instagram was punishing users who didnt engage with its newest feature. Theres no penalty for not using Reels, he said. Broadly speaking, this is an Instagram best practices sort of thing. A representative later added: Other content is not being downranked in service of content on Reels.

Like most social platforms, Instagrams app has never been shy about its priorities. In the beginning, social platforms tend to be blunt about what matters, minting new currencies with likes or shares, comments or reposts, followers or reach. As social platforms mature, becoming both more crowded and more important in some users lives, growth can become more difficult to sustain. Competition is greater. User preferences change. The platforms themselves change as they please, leaving longtime users scrambling to find their footing again.

Currently, Reels are front and center. And like the Snapchat-inspired Stories, this new feature conscripts users into a battle more Instagrams than their own. (This time against TikTok.)

There is also a hint of deja vu in Instagrams broadening outreach. In the mid-2010s, Instagrams parent company Facebook was scheduling similar meetings with low-tier partners, offering advice about how to get ahead at a time when success on the platform was seen by many brands and publishers as valuable and necessary.

From the EditorFriday Reflections Protection Racketeer The Friday Reflection by James M. Kushiner Tweet



January 22nd, 2021

Triumph of the Innocents by William Holman Hunt

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

J

oe Scheidler died on Monday, January 18, 2021, Martin Luther King Day. He was 93. I joined him outside of a nearby abortion clinic in mid-December, where a few dozen Christians sang Christmas carols in front of a small Nativity creche. He spoke afterwards, briefly, encouraging us in our faith and witness to Christ and to pray for the unborn and their mothers.

After Roe V. Wade, Scheidler felt moved to quit his job in PR and to work to protect the lives of the unborn. He was "known as the 'Godfather of Pro-Life Activism'," according to a press release from the Pro-Life Action League, which he founded in 1980.

Perhaps "godfather" confused some people. For his pro-life work, Scheidler was sued by the National Organization of Women under federal laws targeting organized crime, including the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (1970). The suit was filed in 1986; after appeals, remands, new trials, appeals and three trips to the Supreme Court, in 2006 the Supreme Court, in an 8-0 decision, found in favor of Scheidler and the Pro-Life Action Network20 years later.

The irony of using laws designed for organized crime against a non-violent pro-life activist was not lost on Joe, who entitled his 2016 memoir Racketeer for Life: Fighting the Culture of Death from the Sidewalk to the Supreme Court.

I saw Joe regularly for many years in his offices, as a member of a committee to plan the annual Speak Out Illinois conference and other pro-life efforts. Joe, always approachable and friendly, usually sat quietly, writing in his notebook. I never saw him angry or exhibit bitterness. He focused on the child and the plight of the mother and what we could do help her and save a life.

In his younger days, Joe had "served as a teacher at Mundelein College, during which time he chaperoned a group of students on a pilgrimage to march with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Selma to Montgomery in 1965."

On the day of his death, Martin Luther King was being honored, and the outgoing President of the United States issued a proclamation declaring today, January 22, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. The proclamation (still posted) declares,

Whether born or unborn, young or old, healthy or sick, every person is made in the holy image of God... On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, we celebrate the wonder of human existence and renew our resolve to build a culture of life where every person of every age is protected, valued, and cherished.

This month, we mark nearly 50 years since the...Roe v. Wade decision. This constitutionally flawed ruling overturned State laws that banned abortion, and has resulted in the loss of more than 50 million innocent lives.

January 22, 1973, is the date of Roe v. Wade. The Catholic Church in the United States marks January 22 every year as a "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children." And the new President is the first Roman Catholic to hold the office since John F. Kennedy.

Noting this well, Jose H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles, president of the United States Council of Catholic Bishops, sent a long statement "on the Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., as 46th President of the United States of America," which assured prayers for wisdom, courage, as well as stating that the nation's Catholic bishops are "not partisan players" in politics, but "pastors responsible for the souls of millions," trying "to guide consciences" including on matters of human sexuality and the family. So:

For the nation's bishops, the continued injustice of abortion remains the "preeminent priority." Preeminent does not mean "only."... But as Pope Francis teaches, we cannot stay silent when nearly a million unborn lives are being cast aside in our country year after year through abortion.

Gomez, expressing the hope that Biden would not expand abortion and would dialogue with the bishops on this matter, was criticized by a fellow bishop for his letter. So it goes.

Like Gomez, Joe Scheidler chose not to remain silent, but speak for the myriad unborn children targeted for death. All Christians should offer "prayer for the legal protection of unborn children," today and every day. And it's not a crime to organize it. Yet.

Yours for Christ, Creed & Culture,



James M. Kushiner

Executive Director, The Fellowship of St. James

James M. Kushiner is Executive Editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity, and Executive Director of The Fellowship of St. James.




A search is underway at the north Alabama home of 70-year-old Lonnie Coffman who was arrested following the breach at the U.S. Capitol.

FBI agents, Morgan County sheriffs deputies and other lawmen are at Coffmans Falkville home on Bell Springs Court. The Morgan County Sheriffs Office tweeted that the agency is assisting the FBI at the home. The scene is secure,' the sheriffs office stated. Use caution on Old Hwy 31 at Bell Springs Ct.

Paul Daymond, spokesman for the FBI in Birmingham, said they have been at the home much of the morning. He said he could not disclose the nature of the search, calling it a law enforcement action. A number of law enforcement agencies are on the scene, including ATFs explosives specialists.

Authorities were also at the home two weeks ago, where they spoke with a woman who was at Coffmans residence.

Authorities on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, returned to the Falkville home of Lonnie Coffman as part of the ongoing investigation into the Jan. 6 D.C. riots. (Ashley Remkus)

Coffman, a retired veteran with no prior criminal convictions, is being held without bond until his trial. He was arrested by federal authorities just hours after the riot at the U.S. Capitol. Since then, he has been indicted on 17 charges following the seizure of nearly a dozen Molotov cocktail explosive devices from his pickup truck, as well as a number of guns, ammo and concerning handwritten notes.

The feds had asked that he be held without bond because of his concerning history and characteristics that raise a grave risk that he would endanger the community should he be released from custody.

Among the handwritten notes was a letter in which he named U.S. Rep. Andre Carson of Indiana, who labeled a Muslim, and also named a judge with words bad guy beside the judges name. Another note read, We The People Are the Rightful Masters of Both The Congress and The courts, Not To Overthrow The Constitution But to Overthrow The Men Who Pervert The Constitution, and attributed the words to Abraham Lincoln.

Coffmans truck was parked just a few blocks from the Capitol. Authorities noted he had apparently been living in the truck in the D.C. area for a week prior to the breach. Surveillance footage showed he parked the truck near the Republican National Club, a few blocks from the Democratic National Committee Headquarters, both targeted for reports of explosive devices, about 9:20 a.m. that Wednesday.

17 Lonnie Coffman U.S. Capitol Riots and Arrest

Investigators spotted a gun in Coffmans truck and later carried out a search of the vehicle. He was detained later in the day when he returned to his vehicle.

Other items found in Coffmans truck and used as exhibits as to why he should remain in federal custody pending trial include a loaded 9 mm handgun, a loaded rifle, several large-capacity ammunition feeding devices loaded with more than 10 rounds of rifle ammunition, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a crossbow with bolts, several machetes, camouflage smoke devices, a stun gun, and the 11 mason jars filled with flammable liquid, which authorities said was the equivalent to homemade napalm.

According to NBC News, Coffman previously worked for Nicholson File Co., a manufacturer of machine-made files, circular saw blades, power tool accessories and handsaws. He filed a workmans compensation claim in 2002 stating that he had carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands that required surgery. He also had a hernia after straining himself on back-to-back days in July 2002.

Coffman in 2011 joined a web forum called Patriots for America, which describes itself on its homepage as focused on sacrifice to protect and defend the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. In 2013, Coffman posted a series of messages in the forum that expressed his frustration with the state of American politics, his distaste of politicians like President Barack Obama and U.S. Sen. John McCain, and called for violent resistance. [t]he time for a peaceful resolution of the crisis America faces has past (sic), he wrote in one posting.
Moderna announced Monday that its studies have shown the company's COVID-19 vaccine remains effective against emerging variants of the virus first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

The Massachusetts-based company, which makes one of the two vaccines currently authorized for emergency use by the FDA, said in a statement that the two variants were tested against sera from individuals who had been inoculated with the vaccine. The research was conducted in collaboration with the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Parents have been urged not to post photos of their children leaving for their first day of school on social media to keep them safe from paedophiles.

Exploitation experts said Australian families were leaving themselves open to child grooming by making public their kids' names and where they go to school.

The Australian Federal Police said parents should use the most advanced privacy settings possible if they are going to post their back-to-school photos online.

Abusers have been known to send parents messages like 'my child goes to the same school and is the same class' in a bid to get close to their family.

The Australian Federal Police has urged parents not to post photos of their children leaving for their first day of school on social media (file image)

The urgent warning comes as police uncovered child abusers stashing photos of children in their school uniform.

'Some offenders go to great lengths in order to gain access to children,' AFP Commander of the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation and Child Protection Operations Hilda Sirec said.

'It is more important than ever to ensure parents, carers and our young people are educated about online safety.'

Parents can shield their children from predators by blurring photos which show logos or crests and taking steps to ensure they don't give away the name of the school.

Abusers can also find a child's date of birth from scrolling through their parents' Facebook profiles, Australian Computing Academy academic director James Curran told The Daily Telegraph.

The social media giant conceded last week its end-to-end encryption plans would make life easier for child sex abusers.

Abusers have been known to send parents who post back-to-school photos of their kids messages like 'my child goes to the same school and is the same class' (file image)

End-to-end encryption would mean only the sender and recipient of a message on the Messenger app could read or modify what has been sent in a conversation.

In a 2019 blog post, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said there was a balance to be found between privacy from end-to-end encryption and protecting people.

'On balance, I believe working towards implementing end-to-end encryption for all private communications is the right thing to do,' he wrote.
Cleveratta Gordon-Waldroup was watching her 3-year-old girl walk toward the register at her favorite restaurant in Spring Jan. 9 when a dog snapped at her and held on tight.

He came out of nowhere and lunged and grabbed my baby by the face and he shook her, the mother testified at a video hearing Monday. A family friend told the court the little girl, Ronin, went limp like a rag doll.

The child needed 14 stitches for multiple lacerations and puncture wounds and will need plastic surgery in order to heal properly, said Gordon-Waldroup. Ronin wakes up multiple times in the night kicking and crying and yelling, Bad dog, her mother said.

It turned out Kingston, the Staffordshire bull terrier involved in the attack, was registered as a service dog. The dogs owner, Jennifer Romano, 46, yanked it back by the leash in seconds, witnesses said. She fled the restaurant, the Loose Caboose, and rushed to a vehicle, according to the childs father, James Waldroup. He testified that he ran out after her and told her she shouldnt leave and asked people around to shoot pictures of her license plate.

The father said Romano said to him as she fled, Its your daughters fault. Its your daughters fault.

Animal control officers ultimately tracked down the dog at Romanos home in Montgomery County, where the dogs owner voluntarily surrendered him, according to her attorney John Kovach.

The pit bulls fate is now in the balance as a Montgomery County judge weighs whether the dog should be euthanized. Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Judge Matt Beasley will likely rule this week on whether Kingston caused serious bodily injury, as defined by the Texas Health and Safety Code. If so, Beasley may order the dog to be killed.

The county contends the girls wounds were serious enough that the dog cannot be retrained. Attorney Ronald Chen called Lily Ferguson, 19, a former roommate and friend of Romanos, who told the court this wasnt the first time Kingston had bit someone in the face. In June, Ferguson said, He ripped my lip open and bit me under my left arm. Ferguson explained she never made a formal report about the dog bite, which she said she regretted. But she subsequently sued Romano over the injury.

Ferguson said Romano had several dogs in her home that Romano said were service dogs. Romanos defense lawyer pressed a witness from animal control who said a cursory search of records did not show any other dogs were registered.

The animal control official said there are many companies that allow owners to register pets as service animals, but that doesnt mean the companies are complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Montgomery County law enforcement has also investigated whether Romano should face criminal charges.

The restaurant could also face legal trouble, according to Maureen Farrell, an attorney for the girls family.

Businesses, especially public places like the restaurant where Ronin was attacked, have a duty to try to distinguish between legitimate service animals, and killers in fake service vests bought online by irresponsible owners, she said. It's important to strike a balance between preventing discrimination against people with disabilities who use service animals to provide valuable tasks, and public safety.

Romano has been sued several times over the conduct of another pit bull she said she was rehabilitating through her now-defunct business, Maggies House Rescue. That dog, Gus, attacked at least two women and was eventually put down in California following years of litigation. A Harris County judge found that Romano was negligent and misrepresented her qualifications as a dog trainer, ordering her to pay $1.3 million in damages in a personal injury lawsuit filed by one of the victims.

Kovach presented a letter from a board-certified doctor that says his client suffers from general anxiety disorder and that service animals help her with the condition. He will call witnesses on Tuesday to make his case that the dogs life should be spared in part because Romano relies on it for emotional support, and that more discretion should be allowed for incidents involving these types of animals.

gabrielle.banks@chron.com

anna.bauman@chron.com
The Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Apple Self Storage announces the acquisition of a new self storage facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario near Intercity.

Apple Self Storage Thunder Bay - Intercity is a previously existing self storage facility servicing the storage needs of Thunder Bay residents and located at 646 Hewitson St. Thunder Bay, ON.

This Apple Self Storage location offers ground-floor drive-up self storage space with a wide selection of unit sizes and individually alarmed units. The location is ideal for Boat, Vehicle and RV storage.

Our office offers moving supplies including boxes, locks, and furniture covers for sale, and friendly staff to assist with all storage needs.

Apple Self Storages David Allan expresses: Apple Self Storage deeply respects the business that the Provenzano family has built over the years in Nor-Shore Self Storage. As a family business ourselves, we know and understand what it means to be there, as a family, for our customers. The Provenzano family did that and we are excited to carry that tradition forward. We look forward to growing in the north and becoming a bigger part of the community here.



The Apple Self Storage Thunder Bay facility is open for business and ready to help with any storage needs. Customers can reserve their own secure space by visiting http://www.applestorage.com calling 807-623-9527. Lockdown restrictions are in place for the safety of staff and customers. Members of the public will not be permitted into the office, but staff are available by phone and email.

MORE ABOUT APPLE SELF STORAGE

Known for having the best managed self storage facilities in Canada, Apple Self Storage strives to deliver a genuine and authentically great experience across every one of its 34 facilities. The family-owned company has established close bonds with the communities in which it operates through regular pursuit of opportunities to assist organizations that enrich them. It has done so since their very first facility opened in 1975. Apple Self Storage is actively looking to expand their third party management platform as well as expanding through acquisitions and new developments.

For more information about Storage Units, please visit http://www.applestorage.com
SpaceX has successfully sent a record-breaking 143 satellites soaring into space as part of its commercial satellite "rideshare" service.

One of the most ambitious missions for SpaceX, its Falcon 9 rocket launched into orbit Sunday morning (Jan. 24) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, according to Amy Thompson with Space.com.

SPACEX HISTORIC UNDOCKING: SpaceX Cargo Dragon makes historic first undocking

"The flight allowed SpaceX to flex its ridesharing muscles in a carefully choreographed orbital ballet as its flagship rocket ferried its largest number of payloads yet," Thompson wrote.

The mission called Transporter-1 carried a troupe of satellites including 10 of SpaceX's Starlink broadband units.

The flat-paneled Starlink satellites will serve to provide coverage to customers in Alaska and other polar regions, Thompson wrote. "A first for its broadband fleet."

In addition, Transporter-1 also carried over 130 satellites for paying customers such as Planet, "which operates a constellation of Earth-imaging satellites, according to Jackie Wattles with CNN Business.

In 2019, SpaceX announced it would offer rideshares on its Falcon 9 rockets throughout the year for the price of $1 million per launch, Thompson said.

Cosmic rideshares aren't new, as SpaceX has sent payload missions for various companies since SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced the company's StarLink initiative in 2015. In 2018, a rocket dubbed SSO-A sent 64 satellites into low-Earth orbit, Thompson noted.

While this is exciting news for SpaceX, experts fear the large number of satellites being sent into Earth's orbit could cause interference for existing research being conducted.

Adam Mann with Space.com shared a statement from The International Astronomical Union voicing their concerns with the satellite missions.

"Satellite constellations can pose a significant or debilitating threat to important existing and future astronomical infrastructures, and we urge their designers and deployers as well as policy-makers to work with the astronomical community in a concerted effort to analyse and understand the impact of satellite constellations."

These criticisms have been met with promises of good faith and cooperation by SpaceX officials.

"SpaceX is absolutely committed to finding a way forward so our Starlink project doesn't impede the value of the research you all are undertaking," said Patricia Cooper, vice president of SpaceX's satellite government affairs division.
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SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kingdee International Software Group Company Limited ("Kingdee" or the "Group"; stock code: 00268.HK) received the IDC 2020 SaaS ERP Customer Satisfaction Award based on the results of IDC's SaaSPath global survey (IDC #US46933620), and was the one and only Chinese SaaS vendor recognized by this Award.

The Customer Satisfaction Award Program (the CSAT Awards) seeks to recognize leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendors in each application market with the highest customer satisfaction scores based on IDC's SaaSPath survey. SaaSPath is a global survey of approximately 2,000 organizations across all geographic regions and company sizes, where customers are asked to rate their vendors on more than 30 different customer satisfaction metrics.

Robert Xu, Chairman and CEO of Kingdee Group said, "It is our honor to be granted the IDC Customer Satisfaction Award, and truly grateful to our customers for their recognition and positive comments on Kingdee. It will be a beginning for us to uphold the philosophy of 'Customer Orientation, Dedication as foundation and Long-term professionalism', as to achieve customer direction connection and succeed with leading technology, best-in-class product and service, as well as innovation in enterprise management."

SaaSPath is IDC Global's first SaaS-specific industry survey, providing customer-side guidance for vendors on the SaaS buyers' thinking and decision process. Coverage includes application adoption, deployment models, budget plans and replacement cycle timing, drivers and inhibitors, packaging and pricing options, and in-depth vendor reviews, ratings, spend, and advocacy scores for most leading vendors in each of the 15 functional application markets.

The SaaSPath survey is conducted across all company sizes around the world, including roughly 55% IT leaders and 45% line of business leaders, and its survey targets cover enterprises senior management. All respondents go through an extensive screening process to ensure they are familiar with the technologies they are being asked about, are current users, and have influence in their company's technology buying decisions. Further, all customer satisfaction metrics and ratings are collected solely from current customers of the vendors being rated, to ensure scoring reflects up-to-date customer sentiment based on proper vendor familiarity and knowledge.

About Kingdee

Kingdee International Software Group Company Limited ("Kingdee International" or "Kingdee") was established in 1993. It is listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 0268.HK) and headquartered in Shenzhen, the PRC. Adhering to the core values of "Acting in all Conscience, with Integrity and Righteousness", the Company is committed to helping businesses achieve their growth targets and let the sun shine on every company through dedicated services. It strives to provide them with the most trusted enterprise service platform.

Through persistent efforts to explore China's Cloud enterprise service market, Kingdee has retained the largest share in the enterprise application software sector for fast-growing enterprises for 16 consecutive years according to IDC, and has grasped the biggest share in the enterprise-grade SaaS Cloud services industry in China for the second years, held the largest market share in SaaS ERM (Cloud ERP) and Financial Cloud for four consecutive years. Kingdee is currently the only SaaS cloud service provider of Chinese enterprises selected into Gartner's market guide.

SOURCE Kingdee
China Insider: China Jails Residents Who Reject Mandatory Testing

Recently, officials in Jilin Province announced the emergence of a CCP virus superspreader in the province who had infected 102 people. Residents of Luyuan District in Changchun, the capital city of Jilin, told NTD that the epidemic is so serious that taking only one nucleic acid test cannot ensure accuracy. If residents try to avoid taking a nucleic acid test, they will be sent to a detention center.
Thousands have gathered in solidarity with Indigenous Australians calling for a rethink of Australia Day and justice reform in Brisbanes CBD, in one of the largest shows of support in recent years.

Stinging sun and a global pandemic did little to deter an estimated 5000 people descending on the city on Tuesday morning, with speeches continuing into the afternoon.

Eventually leaving the park, the protest snaked through the CBD and across the Victoria Bridge, stopping along the way for dance circles and being cheered along by others. Credit:Jocelyn Garcia

As the crowd filtered through the city, they were greeted by volunteers with QR code check-ins and boxes of face masks. On arrival, others handed out water while protesters sought shade under trees and tents.

But many did not even make it into Queens Park before speeches began. Instead, they spilled across George and Elizabeth streets  closed off by police owing to the significant turnout.

New Delhi, Jan 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday sported a special red 'Pagdi' (turban) gifted by the royal family of Jamnagar, on the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day.

Continuing his tradition of wearing ethnic turbans on Republic Day, the Prime Minister was seen wearing the traditional headgear while leading the nation in paying tributes to fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial at the India Gate and during his presence at the parade.

The red turban with yellow dots, was the first such turban that was gifted to the Prime Minister by the royal family of Jamnagar in Gujarat.

Last year, Modi had donned a saffron-coloured 'Bandhej' headgear. In 2014, the Prime Minister had chosen a Jodhpuri 'Bandhej pagdi' which was bright red with a green trail for his first Independence Day speech.

Besides, the Prime Minister wore his traditional kurta, pajama, jacket and shawl with the red turban gifted by the royal family.

In a tweet both in English and Hindi on early Tuesday, the Prime Minister wished people Happy Republic Day with 'Jai Hind' slogan, and later visited the National War Memorial to pay solemn tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath.

Thereafter, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries headed to the saluting dais at Rajpath to witness the 90-minute Republic Day parade ceremony which started as usual at 9.43 a.m. with the Presidential Guard escorting President Ram Nath Kovind from Rashtrapati Bhavan to the saluting dais.
(260121) New delhi: Cops injured in clash with protesting farmers at Delhi's ITO; police resort to lathicharge. (Photo:Bidesh Manna) Image Source: IANS News

(260121) New delhi: Cops injured in clash with protesting farmers at Delhi's ITO; police resort to lathicharge. (Photo:Bidesh Manna) Image Source: IANS News

(260121) New delhi: Cops injured in clash with protesting farmers at Delhi's ITO; police resort to lathicharge. (Photo:Bidesh Manna) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Jan 26 : A total of 20 people, comprising both policemen and farmers, are being treated at the Lok Nayak Hospital following clashes near the ITO crossing in central Delhi on Tuesday as some farmers deviated from the route of their tractor rally and drove into the city, officials said.

The Delhi government-run hospital's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ritu Saxena, told IANS that eight policemen and 12 farmers are currently receiving treatment and a few of them have sustained serious injuries.

"Some have fractured their legs, hands and also suffered blows on their heads. We are treating them in an emergency ward," she said.

"However, no one is in critical condition," she added.

Saxena said that they will be discharged soon as all of them are in stable health condition.

Dramatic scenes were witnessed on Tuesday after the agitating farmers clashed with the Delhi Police near ITO, with the police firing the tear gas shells and carrying out baton charges to disperse them.

The farmers, who started their 'Kisan Gantantra parade' much ahead of their scheduled timing entered the national capital defying the agreement of the scheduled time of tractor rally and creating multiple fronts at Karnal Bypass, Mukarba Chowk, Transport Nagar, Akshardham, Gazipur and Tikri border and some farmers armed with swords were also seen clashing with the police.

As soon as the farmers reached the ITO intersection and tried to move towards the Red Fort, many of the farmers clashed with the police personnel and attacked them with sticks and iron rods. The farmers also damaged several vehicles with their tractors.
Fulton Man Arrested after Mayfield Pursuit

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MAYFIELD - State Police arrested a Fulton man Monday afternoon after a high-speed pursuit on I-69.According to the Kentucky State Police, a trooper attempted to pull over a vehicle on I-69 at around 2:30 p.m. for speeding. The driver, 27-year-old David Harrison of Fulton failed to stop and a pursuit began.The pursuit continued into the city of Mayfield where Harrison struck a curb, disabling his vehicle. He then fled from the vehicle and was taken into custody.Harrison was arrested and booked into the Graves County Jail on charges of reckless driving, two counts of first-degree fleeing and evading, first-degree wanton endangerment, driving without a license, and two other outstanding warrants.
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha is among three Vietnamese representatives at the APF executive board's annual meeting (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  The Vietnamese sub-committee, as the Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophone (APF) for the 2019-2021 tenure, attended the APF executive board's annual meeting, which convened virtually on January 25.



About 40 delegates, including three from Vietnam, joined the meeting, during which they heard a report by the APF Secretary General on the APFs operation and response to COVID-19 and discussed orientations and action programmes for 2021 as well as multilateral inter-parliament cooperation projects.



The board agreed to continue implementing the APF strategic framework for 2019-2022, focusing on four priority issues under the action program of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF). The issues cover the fight against terrorism and extreme violence; inclusive development and growth; development of public policies on French language education and teaching in the multilingual Francophone community; and implementation of the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).



The meeting was among activities within the APFs ongoing 46th annual session, which is scheduled for January 19  29.



At the upcoming plenary meeting of the annual session, which highlights a theme of Francophone parliaments responding to impact of the COVID-19 crisis, Vietnam will deliver a speech on its 2020 success of pursuing a dual goal for pandemic control and economic growth. Vietnam will also propose a number of recommendations for the APF to improve its performances amid the pandemic.
Ulrich Perrey/afp/TNS

A UCSF-led science team may have found another breakthrough drug treatment to fight COVID-19, as first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. Studies have shown that small concentrations of Aplidin, a drug created using an extraction from a marine creature called Aplidium albicans, killed the virus in both infected human lung cells and analogous cells from monkeys.

The study, which has been published in the journal Science, shows that the sea squirt found off the coast of Ibiza could be "almost 30 times more potent than Remdesivir," the Chronicle reported. While not yet approved to treat patients with COVID-19, if proven effective this treatment would be a welcome addition to the still small amount of antiviral drugs available to treat the disease.
Shirley Ballas has revealed she's feeling more confident than ever after turning 60 last year.

The Strictly Come Dancing judge had her breast implants taken out in 2019 and has had said it was a turning point in her life as she's learned to embrace her body.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the former pro dancer admitted she doesn't let criticism from online trolls bother her.

Happy: Shirley Ballas has revealed she's feeling more confident than ever after turning 60 last year, declaring: 'I have decided to embrace every wrinkle, and stop worrying'

After being told by one social media critic that her chest looked 'like a Seville orange that has been eaten by a thousand slugs' during an episode of Strictly last year, Shirley said she laughed it off but admitted 'and then I look at my chest, and I see the wrinkles starting to come and the age starting to show'

She declared though that 'I have decided to embrace every wrinkle, and stop worrying about having a little tummy because, at 60, as hard as I try, I can't have a flat stomach. Instead, I like to think of it as the place where I built my baby boy.'

Shirley is mum to professonal dancer Mark Ballas, 34.

As well as the wrinkles, the Strictly star is also embracing being completely natural after having her breast implants, which she had done during her second marriage two decades ago, removed in 2019.

Looking fab: The Strictly judge said she had decided to 'stop worrying about having a little tummy because, at 60, as hard as I try, I can't have a flat stomach'

'At 60, I am happy to go au naturel even if my boobies are falling below my kneecaps. Whatever shape or size you are, you are beautiful. And I don't want any foreign things in my body,' she explained.

Last week Shirley admitted to 'struggling with loneliness for a long long time' and explained how lockdown 'is not such a great place' for her to be.

Appearing on Friday's Good Morning Britain, the Strictly judge spoke from her home about the show's One Million Minutes campaign to end loneliness - which has racked up over 83 million minutes this year.

Shirley - who has been a strong supporter of the campaign - told Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway: 'I isolated for a majority [of the pandemic] on my own.

Love: The dancer has found with actor boyfriend Danny Taylor, 48, in recent years

Struggles: Last week Shirley admitted to 'struggling with loneliness for a long long time' and explained how lockdown 'is not such a great place' for her to be

'I had my boyfriend here a little bit but my son, I haven't seen him for a year and a half, I didn't see my mother, like everybody else in the country.

'And I am not very good at being on my own because I am normally up and about and going and doing. The first part of the lockdown felt like a little bit of a holiday but then when it sets in and you suddenly find yourself quite alone, it's not such a great place to be.

'A time for reflection, I just decided to look at myself, get up, dress up, don't complain, help somebody else. So that is what I have been trying to do through my charity work and through this pledging of the minutes.'

Shirley went on to reveal that this isn't the first time in her life she has battled loneliness, explaining: 'You can go about your daily life, you can be in a marriage like I was and it is still a lonely place to be, it is something I have struggled with for a long long time so I can really resonate with different people out there who struggle with it.'

Tough: Appearing on Friday's Good Morning Britain, Shirley spoke from her home about the show's One Million Minutes campaign to end loneliness

She revealed she has volunteered and spoken to people on the phone who are suffering from loneliness.

She also asserted that her role judging on Strictly Come Dancing last year helped with her loneliness, saying: 'I am the type of person where if I keep busy... I am normally going from 6AM in the morning until the evening and then suddenly in lockdown, you are looking for things to do because I am a rule follower.

'I don't like to break the rules. Of course I was absolutely extremely grateful that the BBC got Strictly on. I felt like I had won the lottery, so to speak ,and I will never take another job for granted for sure.

'I never thought that my own industry, that all the dancing studios would close... I was grateful for the people in the country that they were able to have Strictly, I was grateful to have it, but then after it all stops and it all goes quiet again, you have to stay busy.

'I am a list maker and you must stay active in your mind. If you go to that lonely place, it can be quite daunting.'
Emma Roberts isn't wasting any precious time in introducing her baby boy to one of the acclaimed American writers.

On Monday, the self-professed avid reader gave her 15.6 million Instagram fans and followers another peak at her one-month-old son Rhodes, whom she shares with partner and actor Garrett Hedlund.

And for his second introduction to the virtual world, Roberts had him snuggled next to a copy of the latest book by Joan Didion, who's best known over the last 15 years for her classic book about grief and mourning -- The Year of Magical Thinking (2005).

Paying it forward: Emma Roberts gave her 15.6 million Instagram followers another peak at her one-month-old son Rhodes, while referencing acclaimed American writer Joan Didion

Dressed in fashionable pajamas, Roberts looked to be laying back in bed with Rhodes relaxed on her chest dressed in cute tiny pjs and a beanie cap.

The actress has a look of blissful contentment on her face as she holds onto to Didion's new book --Let Me Tell You What I Mean -- a new collection of old essays.

'Rhodes meet Joan,' the actress wrote in the caption, in a nod of utmost respect to the writer, along with the address for @belletrist, which is a book recommendation and review site co-founded by Roberts.

Welcome to the world: The American Horror Story star gave her fans a first glimpse at Rhodes in a post on January 12; Rhodes was born on December 27, 2020

Didion's -- South and West: From a Notebook -- served as the inaugural pick for Belletrist.

In an interview with Vogue, Roberts revealed she was first introduced to the author when a friend had her read -- Play It As It Lays. She said she felt an immediate connection to her style of writing and communicating.

'I started reading it and couldn't stop. I finished it in a day and was so blown away by her writing, and that feeling of discovering a voice that speaks to you,' the niece of screen legend Julia Roberts said.

'I just devoured everything she wrote. I can read her short stories a hundred times.'

Iconic: Roberts has confessed to have a strong connection to the writing of Joan Didion; Didion is best known to many people for her book -- The Year Of Magical Thinking (2015), an account of the year following the death of her husband John Gregory Dunne (1932-2003)

Book nerd: The first-time mother has also been sharing the various books she's reading on Instagram, which has gotten a positive and engaging response; she's pictured with her partner Garrett Hedlund in late August 2020, four months before giving birth

The first-time mother has also been sharing the various books she's reading on Instagram, which has gotten a positive and engaging response.

'You don't have to be the best reader or read the most you just need that sense of curiosity and to want to be introduced to new stories that you might not have read otherwise,' Roberts explained.

'It's a joy in my life when I give people Joan Didion books because I get excited for them.'

Roberts and Hedlund have been an item since march 2019, and welcomed their first child on December 27, 2020.

'Thank you 2020 for getting one thing right. Our bright light Rhodes Robert Hedlund,' Roberts shared in the caption of the first image of their newborn son pot on January 12..
An NRL star has been ruthlessly mocked over a spelling error on his Instagram after announcing his engagement to his partner, who is pregnant with their third child.

Canberra Raiders star Jack Wighton shared the happy news in a post on Monday, alongside pictures from the beachside proposal at Batemans Bay.

The 27-year-old, who won the Dally M Medal in 2020, welcomed partner Monisha Lew Fatt as his soon-to-be wife, with the hashtags 'forever and always' and 'she said yes'.

But eagle-eyed Instagram users noticed Wighton had misspelled 'fiancee' - instead using the word 'finance' to mark the pair's commitment to each other.

Canberra Raiders star Jack Wighton (right) announced he is engaged to his partner Monisha, who is pregnant with their third child

Wighton shared the happy news in an Instagram post on Monday, alongside pictures from the beachside proposal at Batemans Bay (pictured)

The NSW Blues player was called out for the mishap by Instagram page Celeb Spellcheck, who often mock the spelling errors of celebrities and influencers.

'Congratulations on your loan approval,' they wrote with a screenshot of Wighton's Instagram post.

Instagram users kept the joke going in the comments section.

'I wonder if the baby will be named Cash?' one person wrote.

'Westpac or ANZ,' another comment read.

A third said: 'Interest free?'

Wighton misspelled 'fiancee' - instead using the word 'finance' to mark the pair's commitment to each other. The NSW Blues player was called out for the mishap by Instagram page Celeb Spellcheck (pictured)

The couple are pictured together ahead of the Dally M Awards at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on October 2, 2019

Wighton edited his Instagram caption about seven hours after posting.

The couple are already parents to daughters Ariah and Aaliyah.

Monisha also announced their engagement on her own Instagram.

She wrote: "Yes, yes... A thousand times YES."

"My husband-to-be and having our baby No.3."

Monisha (pictured) also announced their engagement on her own Instagram. She wrote: "Yes, yes... A thousand times YES"
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Monday the local transmission of the more infectious United Kingdom (UK) COVID-19 variant in Bontoc, Mountain Province.

The Department of Health confirms local transmission in Bontoc of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 as identified through genomic sequencing. To date, all identified cases with the UK variant can be epidemiologically linked to cases coming directly from outside the country (importation) or from specific cases or exposures that can still be identified (local transmission), the DOH said in a statement.

The Health Department also emphasized there is still no strong evidence of community transmission of the UK COVID-19 variant in Bontoc in accordance with World Health Organization standards such as having large number of cases, case clusters in multiple areas, and inability to link cases to known sources of infection.

The DOH also revised its statement on Monday on the index case or possible infection source of the UK COVID-19 variant in Bontoc, saying the male patient tested positive for COVID-19 but negative for the new variant. His wife tested negative for COVID-19.

The man arrived in the country from UK on Dec. 13 and reached Bontoc the next day. He attended a Christmas celebration and a ritual on the 26th, then started having abdominal pains  a COVID-19 symptom  on Dec. 29.

Around 46 contacts of the man, who mingled with relatives and neighbors and attended the traditional ritual, tested positive for COVID-19. Of the 46 infected persons, 12 of them tested positive with the UK variant.

The DOH further disclosed that among the 12 patients who tested positive of UK COVID-19 variant, seven of them are men and three are children aged 5, 6, and 10.

The Health Department added 11 out of the 12 UK COVID-19 variant positive cases came from Barangay Samoki, where the Christmas celebration and traditional ritual activities happened.

The DOH said the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit and Bontoc local authorities are conducting a backward tracing on how the 12 residents contracted the UK COVID-19 variant.

There is ongoing contact tracing of contacts up to the 3 generation for these B.1.1.7 variant cases. Samples from contacts not tested or negative on first test are being collected for PCR testing and sequencing, for eligible samples, the DOH said.

The country has recorded at least 17 cases of the variant. The first case announced on Jan. 13 was a Filipino who traveled to Dubai. As of Monday, the country now has a total of 514,996 confirmed COVID-19 cases along with 10,292 deaths and 475,422 recoveries.
Facebook, Google, and Twitter logos are seen in this combination photograph. (Reuters)

Australia Risks Confrontation With Biden Administration Over Big Tech: Expert

Silicon Valley is hoping a Biden administration will push back an impending wave of global regulation aimed at curbing the power of the tech giants, with Australia likely to be in the crosshairs, according to one expert.

Big Tech went big for Biden in 2020 and is now an important constituency of what might be called the right (or at least the less left) wing of the Democratic Party, Salvatore Babones, associate professor at the University of Sydney and an expert in the Asian political economy said in a newly released report (pdf).

The U.S. government tends to support major American corporations abroad no matter who is in power, but the influence of Big Tech can only rise during a Biden presidency, he said.

So far, Australia is not particularly on their radar screen, as the U.S. focuses on big markets like the European Union and India. But although Australia may be farther down the to-do list, it should not expect to be ignored, he added.

Since President Joe Bidens ascendency to the presidential office, a flurry of former Big Tech executives have found positions in the new presidents transition team, much to the chagrin of progressive groups.

The logos of Big Tech companies Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, in file photos. (Reuters)

For example, two staff members from Rebellion Defense, a start-up entity backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt will form part of Bidens transition team. Several Facebook and Amazon executives are already onboard.

The Epoch Times reached out to the White House for comment to these issues but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Big Tech, notably Twitter, Google, Facebook, and Amazon played a major role influencing discourse surrounding the U.S. presidential election.

Earlier this month, Twitter banned incumbent U.S. President Donald Trumps social media account permanently, drawing widespread criticism. While, Twitter-rival Parler was de-platformed by Apple, Google, and Amazon.

In December, Google-owned YouTube began removing content alleging voter fraud issues during the election, prompting South Australian Senator Alex Antic to remark: Conservative voices cannot and should not be sidelined.

Babones went on to add that the Australian governments increasing moves to rein in the market power of Google and Facebook locally will be the most serious potential diplomatic flashpoint of 2021 between the allies.

The very people who helped put them (the Biden administration) in office, will be calling in favours, and among those favours will be to put pressure on Australia to end its war on Big Tech, he told The Epoch Times.

The logos of mobile apps Facebook and Google on a smartphone in Sydney, Australia on Dec. 9, 2020 (The Epoch Times)

Dr. Rob Nicholls, associate professor at the University of New South Wales and an expert in competition law, believes the influx of former Silicon Valley executives into the administration is a factional play to balance out the far left influence.

Both Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have called for the breakup of the Big Tech companies. The appointments (of tech executives) reflect a defensive posture in respect of the left of the Democratic Party, Nicholls told The Epoch Times.

It seems likely the Biden administration will follow the consumer focus of California in respect of privacy and consumer rights. The number of tech appointments is likely to temper that shift, he said.

But he noted that this was a domestic, rather than international relations issue.

Related Coverage The Reason Biden Is Already Failing as President

Currently, the Australian government is concluding an 18-month process into the News Media Bargaining Code rollout, which will regulate how Facebook and Google pay media companies for displaying their content.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher address media during a press conference in the Blue Room at Parliament House on December 08, 2020 in Canberra, Australia. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

For years, the tech giants have generated large amounts of web traffic and engagement from displaying news content at no cost. In turn, they monetised the traffic by selling advertising.

In 2019, Google generated AU$4.3 billion of its total $4.8 billion Australian revenue from selling advertising services.

However, Google and Facebook have remained defiant in the face of the new laws with Google running a months-long public campaign criticising the Media Code.

Last week, the company went a step further. It said it was prepared to remove Google Search entirely from the country, prompting a sharp rebuke from Australian parliamentarians and government ministers.

Independent Senator Rex Patrick likened the tech giants response to the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) ongoing economic coercion against Australian trade in response to calls for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Sunday said Google and Facebook were erratic in their objections to the bill.

It seems the digital giants keep changing the goalposts. Originally, they were against what we were putting forward on algorithms, then they were against what we were putting forward on a final arbitration model. Now, it seems they are against paying for any clicks on search, he told reporters.

We are now in a position to implement a world-leading code, a code that is fair, a code that takes into account mutual value exchange, that is of benefit to the digital giants as well as the benefit to the traditional media businesses, he said.
A recording of this virtual event can be viewed above.

Guinea worm eradication is a story of tenacity and dedication. Since former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter began championing this neglected disease, The Carter Center and its partners have reduced worldwide cases by 99.99% and, today, Guinea worm is poised to be the second human disease to be eradicated after smallpox.

Its also a story of partnership. In 1990, the UAEs late founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, made a personal donation to the Carter Centers Guinea Worm Eradication Program, initiating a long-standing commitment by Abu Dhabis ruling family to disease eradication. The decades-long partnership continues today under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

For 30 years the UAE-Carter Center partnership has made measurable impact to improve lives and has expanded to eliminate additional neglected tropical disease (NTD) that affect the worlds poorest and most vulnerable communities.



Hear reflections on the power of partnership and the critical role it plays in accelerating progress to beat NTDs.

NOTE: This special event is part of a series leading up to the public launch of the new WHO 2030 NTD Road Map and the second annual World NTD Day.

Featuring

PanelistYousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the U.S.

PanelistJason Carter, Carter Center Board Chair

PanelistPaige Alexander, CEO of The Carter Center

The Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has estimated the damage and loss suffered in the early Tuesday morning fire at his residence at Soka, Ibadan, at N50million.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the fire incident, suspected to have been caused by arsonists, Mr Adeyemo described the perpetrators as cowards.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Adeyemo was recently in the news for giving an eviction notice to Fulani herdsmen in Igangan, Ibarapa North LGA of Oyo State.

The notice followed allegations of killings, rapes and kidnappings levelled against the Fulani herdsmen in the community.

Mr Adeyemo said the house attacked by the hoodlums was his old residence, adding that the perpetrators did not have the guts to attack where he lives.

When the fire started, they called me and by the time I got there, the arsonist had fled.

They are cowards. Why cant they come to where I live. You would have seen evidence because they wont escape, he said.

On the speculation that he has been tipped to be the Commander of Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) codenamed Amotekun, Mr Adeyemo said he was not interested in such.

I dont seek such relevance. What I am saying is that the Fulani herders that are terrorising my people should leave the area.

We want peace and that is all. I dont need any political appointment or money from anybody. We only want peace in our area, he said.

Some residents ,who requested not to be named told NAN, that the hoodlums came in a Toyota bus and Micra car around 3 a.m. on Tuesday.

They told NAN that the hoodlums shot sporadically into the air to scare away residents before setting the house on fire.

(NAN)
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

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"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

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We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

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Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

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Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

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France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
Hyundai is finally bringing its set of performance-oriented N-Line brand to India sometime in the next few months.

Similar to Fords RS and Volkswagens GTI, the N performance cars signify Hyundais take on their normal street cars pumped up for more fun and better performance.

To kick off Hyundais N journey in India, the Korean carmaker is likely to bring in the i20 N Line first sometime in mid-2021. The N brand as already done very well in international markets and Hyundai wants to replicate the same success here as well.

The i20 N Line will, like its international counterparts, get a 120 PS, 1-litre turbo-petrol engine along with better suspension and sportier exhaust. It will also get the exteriors to match its sporty nature including.

The N Line, however, isn't the top of Hyundai's cars. Full-blown N cars get much more powerful engines, stiffer suspension, better brakes, basically everything that would make a car worthy of competing in rallies.

For example, the i20 N comes with a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol capable of 204 PS and 270 Nm. This, too, Hyundai may bring to India, but at a much later date and probably under the 2,500 unit limit for completely built units.

But while the i20 N Line shouldn't command too much of a premium over the standard i20, expect the i20 N to be priced somewhere near the Rs 25-30 lakh mark. Goes without saying, the i20 N will be mainly targetted at the enthusiasts.
It says something about the fluid nature of truth in public life these days that few believe Scott Morrison when he says he wont call an election this year. Should he announce an election, say, six months from now itll be met with a shrug because, well, what did you expect? Thats politics.

Similarly, you have to work pretty hard to convince yourself that Bill Shorten means it when he declares that Labor can win under the leadership of Anthony Albanese, who is doing a good solid job and that hes not interested in replacing his long-time nemesis.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Within the historic social drama that comes with living through a once-in-100-years pandemic, our national politics are small. Some of that is down to the need to just get through uncertain times, dealing with challenges as they come.

But its also because of the leaders we have. Those who argue that there is too much attention paid to leaders and leadership manoeuvrings should take a good hard look at the Morrison government and the Albanese opposition. Both are near-complete manifestations of their leaders. Neither appears guided by a big animating policy idea or philosophical credo. Both are constrained and compromised by their partys recent past. If theyre guided by a coherent, expansive plan for what Australia should look like 10 or 15 years from now, its been kept well-hidden.
On Monday, Jan. 18, Reddit K-Pop released their "Top 100 Albums of 2020." Out of all of the albums that were released this year, only a few made it to the list. If you want to know which ones made it to the top rankings, then keep on reading!

According to Reddit K-Pop, the number one album is Dreamcatcher's "Dystopia: The Tree of Language," which snagged 398 votes. The album was released on Feb. 18, 2020, and is the girl group's first full-length album. The album's title track is "Scream."

The album marked Dreamcatcher's first time promoting as six-members, as Chinese member Handong was back in China competing in the survival show "Youth With You 2." The album is the first part of their "Dystopia" series.



The second-best album that was mentioned on the list is TWICE's "Eyes Wide Open," which bagged 330 votes. The album was released on Oct. 26, 2020, and is TWICE's second full-length album. The album's title track is "I CAN'T STOP ME." The album was released on the week of the girl group's fifth anniversary. "Eyes Wide Open" marks TWICE's first time tackling a retro concept. The studio album peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Charts and on Billboard's World Albums Chart.



The third-best album on the list is Stay Kids' "GO LIVE," which scored 278 points. It is Stray Kids' first full-length album and was released on June 17, 2020, with the title track "God's Menu."

Stray Kids released a repackaged version of the album titled "IN LIFE" on Sept. 14, 2020. "GO LIVE" is Stray Kids' best-selling album, debuting at the top of the weekly Gaon Album Chart and at number five on the monthly chart.



According to Reddit K-Pop's rankings, the fourth-best album is IZ*ONE's "BLOOM*IZ," which snagged 220 points. "BLOOM*IZ" was released on Feb. 17, 2020, and is the "Produce 48" girl group's first full-length album. The album's title track is "FIESTA." At the time of its release, "BLOOM*IZ" broke the record of the highest number of pre-orders and the record for the most albums sold on the first day among girl groups.



From 5-30, the ranking goes *NOTE: Some ranks are tied*:

5. Taemin - "Never Gonna Dance Again (Extended Ver.)" (214 points)

5. DAY6 - "The Book of Us: Demon" (214 points)

7. GFRIEND - "Walpurgis Night" (194 points)

8. LOONA - "[12:00]" (180 points)

9. BLACKPINK - "THE ALBUM" (177 points)

9. NCT 127 - "Neo Zone: The Final Round" (177 points)

11. BTS - "Map of the Soul: 7" (157 points)

12. WJSN - "Neverland" (155 points)

14. Yukika - "Soul Lady" (153 points)

15. NCT - "Resonance Pt.1/Pt.2" (140 points)

15. Red Velvet - IRENE & SEULGI - "Monster" (139 points)

16. SuperM - "Super One" (124 points)

17. BoA - "Better" (116 points)

18. GFRIEND - "Labyrint" (116 points)

19. EVERGLOW - "-77.82X-78.29" (109 points)

20. ITZY - "IT'z ME" (104 points)

20. Baek Yerin - "tellusaboutyourself" (104 points)

22. GWSN - "The Keys" (101 points)

23. Taeyeon - "What Do I Call You" (93 points)

24. Baekhyun - "Delight" (91 points)

25. BTS - "BE" (90 points)

26. TXT - "The Dream Chapter: Eternity" (88 points)

27. Rocket Punch - "Red Punch" (87 points)

28. YooA - "Bon voyage" (85 points)

29. Dreamcatcher - "Dystopia: Lose Myself" (83 points)

30. GFRIEND - "Song of the Sirens" (76 points)

30. TXT - "Minisode 1: Blue Hour" (76 points)

Did your favorite album make it to the list?

For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this.

Written by Alexa Lewis
The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.
President Joe Biden said on Monday that he is willing to adjust the income thresholds for his proposed $1,400 stimulus check.

Adjusting the thresholds was one of the key demands among moderate senators when it comes to Biden's stimulus check plan.

In adjusting the stimulus check threshold, high-earning Americans who are less affected by the economic impact of COVID-19 would not qualify for the payment, noted Newsweek.

Biden recognized that some people are doubtful about the current scheme of stimulus check thresholds, and he was "open to negotiate those things," reported Business Insider.

"There's legitimate reason for people to say, 'Do you have the lines drawn the exact right way?'," the president said in a press event.

Since the first round of the stimulus check were also sent to high-earning Americans, economists criticized the threshold for which it was measured.

Biden Defends Hefty Stimulus Bill Over Targeted Plan

Biden said that for stimulus payments, "time is of the essence," and he would rather have a large stimulus bill instead of having to "cherry-pick" proposals.

For him, each item in the bill supports one another and integral in extending help to struggling Americans.

Read also: Texas AG Ken Paxton Sues Biden Administration Over 100-Day Deportation Pause

Apart from stimulus checks, Biden's $1.9 million proposal will also include $400 in unemployment benefits, a rise in the national minimum wage, and paid leave expansion, among others.

The proposal didn't sit well with several congressional Republicans, even those supportive of the stimulus checks. However, Biden said he included more stimulus checks in his proposal because of the support it garnered from Democrats and some Republicans last year.

It is worth noting that former President Donald Trump demanded an increase in the value of stimulus check during a December push for the bill.

Business Insider noted that Biden's comments appear to indicate that he is willing to change some aspects of his COVID-19 relief package to get support from the GOP.

"The decision to use reconciliation will depend upon how these negotiations go," he said.

He didn't provide any assurances regarding passing the bill but said negotiations on it could take place "in a couple of weeks." He didn't provide a lot of specific information about the third wave of stimulus checks.

More People Could Qualify for $1,400 Stimulus Check Than First Round

A CNET article said that any amount higher than $600 would likely be given to more people compared to the first stimulus check, as more get qualified to receive it.

It explained that people who make below a certain amount are paid in full, but the payment gets lower the more a person earns.

It also predicted that a larger third check could mean more people will get a partial check, in addition to the overall larger payment size. These calculations don't include qualified children.

Related story: Biden Signs New Executive Orders on Food Stamps, Stimulus Checks, and Federal Minimum Wage

Congress enacted a $900 billion relief plan last month to renew these kinds of federal assistance measures.

So far, about 11.4 million Americans have received benefits from the programs, which will expire on Mar. 14. But Congress needs to step in with an extension by Feb. 14 to prevent another lapse.
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Working class people in medieval Cambridge lived hard lives that meant they were far more likely to suffer serious physical injury that the upper echelons of society, a new study reveals.

It found nearly half (44 per cent) of people on the lowest rung of the social ladder from the 10th to 14th centuries suffered some form of broken bone by the time they died.

For people buried at a friary or by a hospital  individuals who were of higher social standing or suffering from illness  this figure drops to 32 and 27 per cent, respectively.

Fractures were more common overall in men (40 per cent) than women (26 per cent).

Life expectancy in Britain during the medieval period was far shorter than today due to brutal jobs, rife disease and a lack of sanitation. At birth, the average life expectancy was 31 years old, it is today almost 80.

Working class people in medieval Cambridge lived hard lives that often resulted in serious physical injury, a new study reveals. Pictured, a working class person buried at the friary in Cambridge around 900 years ago

Member s of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit at work on the excavation of the Hospital of St. John the Evangelist in 2010. People buried here led sheltered lives and were either diseased, old or mentally ill, scientists believe

University of Cambridge researchers studied the remains of 314 people buried at various locations around the city. Eighty-four came from the parish cemetery of All Saints by the Castle (1), 75 from the Augustinian Friary (3) and 155 the cemetery of the Hospital of St John the Evangelist (2)

University of Cambridge researchers studied the remains of 314 people buried at three locations around the city.

Eighty-four came from the parish cemetery of All Saints by the Castle, 75 from the Augustinian Friary and 155 the cemetery of the Hospital of St John the Evangelist.

The parish graveyard was for the ordinary people, the hospital buried people who were disabled or infirm and therefore lived very sheltered lives, and the friary cemetery was where society's elite who provided money to the institution were interred alongside clergymen.

The hospital was home to 'inmates' who likely were unable to work due to either disease, mental illness or age.

Skeletal remains of every individual was analysed carefully and the researchers noted any signs of 'skeletal trauma', a proxy for hardship of life, they say.

X-ray images were used to determine what sort of injury or event would have caused each individual injury.

'By comparing the skeletal trauma of remains buried in various locations within a town like Cambridge, we can gauge the hazards of daily life experienced by different spheres of medieval society,' said Dr Jenna Dittmar, study lead author from the University of Cambridge.

'We can see that ordinary working folk had a higher risk of injury compared to the friars and their benefactors or the more sheltered hospital inmates,' she said.

'These were people who spent their days working long hours doing heavy manual labour.

'In town, people worked in trades and crafts such as stonemasonry and blacksmithing, or as general labourers.

'Outside town, many spent dawn to dusk doing bone-crushing work in the fields or tending livestock.'

Pictured, remains of numerous individuals unearthed on the former site of the Hospital of St. John the Evangelist, taken during the 2010 excavation

Pictured, an individual buried at the Augustinian friary in Cambridge taken during excavations in 2016.

The worst fractures reported in the study were seen on a friar who had both his femurs, the thigh, bone broken in two (pictured). This injury is often seen by doctors today when a pedestrian is struck by a motor vehicle in a hit and run, but automobiles would not be invited until several centuries after the victim received his injuries, which may have been fatal

However, while it was the poorest who were most likely to get injured, medieval England was a treacherous place for all with innumerable hazards.

A consequence of this perilous existence was that even the affluent and powerful sometimes suffered horrific injuries.

The worst fractures reported in the study, in fact, were seen on a friar who had both his femurs, the thigh bone, broken in two.

Medieval Europeans all STOPPED burying their dead with grave goods around 1,300 years ago While Early Medieval Europe is often viewed as a time of cultural stagnation, a new study claims that this may not be the case after all. Researchers have revealed that new ideas spread rapidly through early Medieval Europe, creating a surprisingly unified culture. In particular, the team found that the practice of burying the dead without grave goods spread through Western Europe faster than previously believed. The findings suggest that Europe has been 'global' for over a millennium. In the study, researchers from the University of Cambridge examined how burial practices in Western Europe changed from the 6th to the 8th century AD. In the 6th century, almost all burials included regionally-specific grave goods. Grave goods were objects placed with the dead at the time of burial and left with the body in the grave. The objects tended to be personal possessions of the deceased, deposited for use in afterlife. However, by the 8th century, this practice had all but disappeared. Dr Emma Brownlee, who led the study, said: 'Almost everyone from the eighth century onwards is buried very simply in a plain grave, with no accompanying objects, and this is a change that has been observed right across western Europe.' Advertisement

This injury is often seen by doctors today when a pedestrian is struck by a motor vehicle in a hit and run, but automobiles would not be invented until several centuries after the victim received his injuries, which may have been fatal.

'The friar had complete fractures halfway up both his femurs,' said Dr Dittmar.

'Whatever caused both bones to break in this way must have been traumatic, and was possibly the cause of death.'

'Our best guess is a cart accident. Perhaps a horse got spooked and he was struck by the wagon.'

Dr Dittmar told MailOnline that he would have lived and died at some point between the years 1349 and 1426, based on evidence from radiocarbon dating.

Another friar had fractures on the lower arms consistent with defensive injuries, as well as damage to the skull, indicating a fierce melee which may have resulted in the person's death.

One lower-class woman who was buried in the parish grounds bore the telltale scars of a life plagued by physical domestic violence.

'She had a lot of fractures, all of them healed well before her death. Several of her ribs had been broken as well as multiple vertebrae, her jaw and her foot,' said Dr Dittmar.

'It would be very uncommon for all these injuries to occur as the result of a fall, for example. Today, the vast majority of broken jaws seen in women are caused by intimate partner violence.'

The parish church likely was in use until 1365 when populations dwindled following the Black Death plague and it merged with another nearby village.

The hospital and friary were active until the early 16th century when the hospital was dissolved and became St John's College and King Henry VIII brought about the end of the fiary after he pillaged the nation's monasteries of their income to fortify the Crown's coffers.

'Those buried in All Saints were among the poorest in town, and clearly more exposed to incidental injury,' said Dr Dittmar.

'At the time, the graveyard was in the hinterland where urban met rural. Men may have worked in the fields with heavy ploughs pulled by horses or oxen, or lugged stone blocks and wooden beams in the town.

'Many of the women in All Saints probably undertook hard physical labours such as tending livestock and helping with harvest alongside their domestic duties.

'We can see this inequality recorded on the bones of medieval Cambridge residents. However, severe trauma was prevalent across the social spectrum. Life was toughest at the bottom  but life was tough all over.'

CPS Energy officials Monday said the utility will consider closing the Spruce coal plant ahead of schedule  and then opted to withhold from the public details of what such a move would cost ratepayers.

CPS has long faced criticism for operating the J.K. Spruce coal plant, which emitted over 7 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2019  the sixth-highest amount of emissions among more than 300 power plants in Texas, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The utility, however, has resisted calls to close the plant, citing its debt of more than $1 billion still owed on the facility.

Over the last decade, utilities have retired hundreds of coal plants across the country as theyve shifted to natural gas, solar and wind for electricity.

On ExpressNews.com: CPS Energy says hefty debt means coal plant has to stay open  for now

Previously, CPS officials said that although Spruce 2, the newer of two units, was completed in 2010, the coal plant was commissioned in 2005, before U.S. fracking drove natural gas prices down and renewable energy technology had matured.

Community organizers behind a failed Recall CPS petition drive have for years called on the city-owned utility to release data detailing what closing the plant earlier than planned would cost ratepayers.

On Monday, CPS trustees received a lengthy document about the utilitys new resource plan, or the strategy determining which fuels mix  involving coal, gas and renewables  CPS uses to generate power. But Trustee Ed Kelley said he opposed releasing the document to the public, arguing it contained confidential information about the utility.

The resource plan appears to me to have a tremendous amount of detailed information on this company that pretty much, from what I can tell, is our playbook, Kelley said. I dont think we should be sharing that level of information with our competitors or with anybody else.

Kelley said the board needs time to study the report, adding that CPS should redact the document or require reviewers to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg, also a member of the utilitys five-member board, said the information in the resource plan is public and that he opposed withholding the document.

The community has been looking forward to this, Nirenberg said of the resource plan. As I read it and pick it up, its quite clearly stamped public information.

Still, the board opted to withhold the document, which contains details about the potential financial impact of closing of the Spruce coal plant earlier than planned.

While details of the utilitys plan for the coal plant were scant Monday, CPS Chief Operating Officer Cris Eugster described multiple possible outcomes. One would be replacing the two-unit coal plant with renewable electricity and battery storage.

On ExpressNews.com: Facing legal challenge and lacking signatures, Recall CPS petition campaign comes to an end

However, the utility is more likely to retire the older Spruce 1 unit before 2030 and replace it with a blend of energy sources, such as renewables, battery storage and natural gas. The Spruce 2 unit would remain in operation.

The Spruce 2, however, could be converted to a gas-fired plant. The switch would reduce the plants carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent. The conversion would cost the utility about $40 million, Eugster said.

We have a lot of flexibility in what we do with that plant and further reducing the emissions, Eugster said.

CPS officials said they havent firmly committed to closing the coal plant. Instead, they are exploring options and gauging public feedback, CEO Paula Gold-Williams said.

The utility will hold the first of a series of virtual town halls Feb. 4 to discuss potentially closing the plant.

diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net
The PBOC withdrew around $12 billion of liquidity from its banking system.

This is not a substantial amount but follows tightening measures in late 2020 trying to rein in soaring property prices.

Ma Jun, an adviser to the central bank, warned of asset bubbles in a speech on Tuesday.

Markets remain bullish on Tuesday ahead of several key events, including the FOMC meeting on Wednesday and a possible Senate agreement on Bidens $1.29trn fiscal rescue package. Europe is leading the rally in a rare show of relative strength, perhaps spurred on by the resignation of Italian PM Giuseppe Conte which looks like a tactical move and could lead to his reappointment by the president. The Euro is mostly flat against other G10 currencies so there is little panic or concern of a political crisis, a view supported by the Dax and Italian stock indices which are up 1.9% and 1.15% respectively.

Asian indices were less bullish in Tuesdays trading and Chinese stocks pulled back sharply after a significant rally in recent months. This came after a surprisingly hawkish message from the bank and one of its advisers. Could China be leading the way in shifting away from ultra-dovish policies?

PBOC Tightens (slightly)

Tuesdays move by the PBOC to remove liquidity from the system goes against the flow and while the Yuan barely moved from its set reference rate of 6.48, other markets did respond with some volatility. Chinese stocks fell between 1.5% and 2% took the shine off the recent rally while the overnight repurchase rate spiked 28 basis points to 2.77%, the highest since October 2019.

...financial markets were roiled Tuesday after the central bank withdrew cash from the banking system ... The PBOC drained about $12 billion of liquidity, an unusual move so close to the Lunar New Year holiday in February, reported Bloomberg.

In a seemingly unconnected event, Ma Jun, an adviser to the central bank, spoke at a wealth management forum and warned about asset bubbles in the stock and property markets if monetary policy remained unchanged. "Whether this situation will intensify in the future depends on whether monetary policy is appropriately changed this year, he said. Bubbles would lead to greater economic and financial risks in the medium- and long-term," he added.

This strays from the official PBOC communication and earlier this week Governor Yi struck a calming tone.

We will ensure that policy is consistent and stable and will not exit from supporting policy prematurely, he said. The bank are focused on maximizing employment and they link this to another priority, a pick-up in consumer spending. A stable labour market should guarantee very good consumption according to Yi and he added that our saving rate is starting to decline a little bit every year...That is a good indication that more growth is coming from consumption.

Contrary to Yis supportive speech, the PBOC has already tightened financial conditions to curtail the emerging bubble in property prices. They limited the amount banks can lend to the property sector at the end of 2020. Restrictions on short-term liquidity also led to a spike in interbank borrowing costs. For now, the measures look targeted and relatively small, but Tuesdays liquidity drain does beg the question if this is the start of a shift in policy.

USD/CNY has weakened considerably since the 2020 top, mostly due to a weak dollar. This has taken the pressure off the PBOC and any future US accusations against the bank for manipulating the currency lower will look strange given the 10% appreciation against the USD. A strong Yuan will allow the PBOC to continue or even ramp up liquidity measures should they be required without any criticism from other central banks. Yet it is the domestic risk of asset bubbles that will likely prevent any more easing and Tuesdays actions suggest the bank could well move in the opposite direction.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump / Reuters



House Democrats delivered the impeachment case against Donald Trump to the Senate late Monday for the start of his historic trial, but Republican senators were easing off their criticism of the former president and shunning calls to convict him over the deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.



It's an early sign of Trump's enduring sway over the party.



The nine House prosecutors carried the sole impeachment charge of ''incitement of insurrection'' across the Capitol, making a solemn and ceremonial march to the Senate along the same halls the rioters ransacked just weeks ago. But Republican denunciations of Trump have cooled since the Jan. 6 riot. Instead Republicans are presenting a tangle of legal arguments against the legitimacy of the trial and questions whether Trump's repeated demands to overturn Joe Biden's election really amounted to incitement.



What seemed for some Democrats like an open-shut case that played out for the world on live television, as Trump encouraged a rally mob to ''fight like hell'' for his presidency, is running into a Republican Party that feels very differently. Not only are there legal concerns, but senators are wary of crossing the former president and his legions of followers who are their voters. Security remains tight at the Capitol.



Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said if Congress starts holding impeachment trials of former officials, what's next: ''Could we go back and try President Obama?''



Besides, he suggested, Trump has already been held to account. ''One way in our system you get punished is losing an election.''



Arguments in the Senate trial will begin the week of Feb. 8, and the case against Trump, the first former president to face impeachment trial, will test a political party still sorting itself out for the post-Trump era. Republican senators are balancing the demands of deep-pocketed donors who are distancing themselves from Trump and voters who demand loyalty to him. One Republican, Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, announced Monday he would not seek reelection in 2022 citing the polarized political atmosphere.



For Democrats the tone, tenor and length of the upcoming trial, so early in Biden's presidency, poses its own challenge, forcing them to strike a balance between their vow to hold Trump accountable and their eagerness to deliver on the new administration's priorities following their sweep of control of the House, Senate and White House.



Biden himself told CNN late Monday that the impeachment trial ''has to happen.'' While acknowledging the effect it could have on his agenda, he said there would be ''a worse effect if it didn't happen.''



Biden said he didn't think enough Republican senators would vote for impeachment to convict, though he also said the outcome might well have been different if Trump had six months left in his term.



In a Monday evening scene reminiscent of just a year ago _ Trump is now the first president twice impeached _ the lead prosecutor from the House, this time Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, stood before the Senate to read the House resolution charging ''high crimes and misdemeanors.''



Earlier, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said failing to conduct the trial would amount to a ''get-out-jail-free card'' for other officials accused of wrongdoing on their way out the door.



Republicans appear more eager to argue over trial process than the substance of the impeachment case against Trump, he said, perhaps to avoid casting judgment on the former president's ''role in fomenting the despicable attack'' on the Capitol.



He said there's only one question ''senators of both parties will have to answer before God and their own conscience: Is former President Trump guilty of inciting an insurrection against the United States?''



On Monday, it was learned that Chief Justice John Roberts is not expected to preside at the trial, as he did during Trump's first impeachment, potentially affecting the gravitas of the proceedings. The shift is said to be in keeping with protocol because Trump is no longer in office.



Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro-tempore, is set to preside.



Leaders in both parties agreed to a short delay in the proceedings that serves their political and practical interests, even as National Guard troops remain at the Capitol amid security threats on lawmakers ahead of the trial.



The start date gives Trump's new legal team time to prepare its case, while also providing more than a month's distance from the passions of the bloody riot. For the Democratic-led Senate, the intervening weeks provide prime time to confirm some of Biden's key Cabinet nominees.



Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., questioned how his colleagues who were in the Capitol that day could see the insurrection as anything other than a ''stunning violation'' of the nation's history of peaceful transfers of power.



''It is a critical moment in American history,'' Coons said Sunday in an interview.



An early vote to dismiss the trial probably would not succeed, given that Democrats now control the Senate. The House approved the charge against Trump on Jan. 13 with 10 Republicans joining the Democrats.



Still, the mounting Republican opposition to the proceedings indicates that many GOP senators will eventually vote to acquit Trump. Democrats would need the support of 17 Republicans _ a high bar _ to convict him.



One by one, Republican senators are explaining their objections to the unprecedented trial and scoffing at the idea of trying to convict Trump now that he's no longer in office.



Rand Paul of Kentucky said that without the chief justice presiding the proceedings are a ''sham.'' Joni Ernst of Iowa said that while Trump ''exhibited poor leadership,'' it's those who assaulted the Capitol who ''bear the responsibility.'' New Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said Trump is one of the reasons he is in the Senate, so ''I'm proud to do everything I can for him.''



Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is among those who say the Senate does not have the constitutional authority to convict a former president.



Democrats reject that argument, pointing to an 1876 impeachment of a secretary of war who had already resigned and to opinions by many legal scholars. Democrats also say that a reckoning of the first invasion of the Capitol since the War of 1812, perpetrated by rioters egged on by a president as Electoral College votes were being tallied, is necessary to ensure such a siege never happens again.



A few GOP senators have agreed with Democrats, though not close to the number that will be needed to convict Trump.



Mitt Romney of Utah said he believes ''what is being alleged and what we saw, which is incitement to insurrection, is an impeachable offense. ... If not, what is?'' Romney was the only Republican senator to vote for conviction when the Senate acquitted Trump in his first impeachment trial. (AP)




CrediBook, a startup that helps Indonesian retail wholesalers digitize the financial side of their operations, has raised $1.5 million in pre-Series A funding led by Wavemaker Partners, with participation from Alpha JWC Ventures and Insignia Ventures Partners. The capital will be used for product launches and expansion into more Indonesian cities.

Founded in February 2020, CrediBook is part of a wave of startups focused on digitizing small- to medium-sized businesses in Indonesia. SMEs contribute more than 60% of the countrys gross domestic product, but many still use traditional bookkeeping systems like paper ledgers. Digitizing them makes it easier for them to use services like online invoicing and payments, and keep financial records to apply for working capital loans.

Some other startups serving Indonesian SMEs include BukuKas and BukuWarung, two digital bookkeeping apps for small B2C businesses like neighborhood stores and restaurants (both have also recently raised funding). Moka and Jurnal, meanwhile, are used by larger companies. CrediBook is carving out a niche for itself by serving small-to-medium sized B2B businesses in the retail sector, including wholesalers.

Co-founder and chief executive officer Gabriel Frans told TechCrunch that the company is moving toward a profitable business model and currently has more than 500,000 customers, who use the app for bookkeeping, tracking orders from retailers and digital payments. CrediBook also works with financial services provider PayFazz, one of its seed investors, to provide financing to SMEs.

Frans said CrediBook plans to add more features, including online invoicing, to create an end-to-end platform like Tel Aviv and New York-based B2B payment startups Melio, which announced a round of funding this week that brought its valuation to $1.3 billion. "We are digitizing not only the bookkeeping, but also the invoicing and payment processing," Frans said.

Story continues

Most of CrediBook's customers are currently concentrated in the cities of Jabodetabek and Bandung, and part of its funding will be used for building its user base in more areas. Frans said many of the startups customers relied on paper ledgers before signing up for CrediBook, so part of the process of convincing them to go online includes demonstrating how having more visibility into their finances can grow their businesses.

"We are very close to our users because this is a very localized market," said Frans, who previously worked at O2O platform Kudo (now called GrabKios after its acquisition by Grab in 2017) and bookings platform Traveloka. "I was already familiar with the industry based on my previous experience, and if they try our app and experience the benefit of how it will make their day-to-day problems less, they will love it."
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With farmers' protest disrupting normal lives in several parts of the national capital Delhi, the Indian Railways on January 26 announced that it would offer a full refund to passengers who were unable to board trains departing from all stations of Delhi area up to 9 pm on Tuesday.

The Indian Railways clearly mentioned that the scheme is applicable to all passengers who were unable to reach their respective boarding stations and catch the trains amid the tractor rally by farmers.

Farmer dies as tractor overturns, protesters accuse Delhi Police of firing at him

"Passengers who are not able to reach stations & catch trains in Delhi area stations due to Kisan agitation are requested to apply for full refund of all trains departing from all stations of Delhi area up to 2100 hrs today through TDR & e-TDR for e-tickets," news agency ANI quoted Northern Railway CPRO as saying.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Metro Railway Corporation informed people about the temporary closure of gates at some of its stations citing the tractor rally by farmers.

"Entry/exit gates of Indraprastha metro station are closed. Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed," the DMRC tweeted.

Meanwhile, reports surfaced that a farmer died in Delhi after the tractor he was driving overturned at ITO. The protesters, however, alleged that the police had fired at him while he was chasing them.

Seven more people have died due to COVID-19 in Webb County, according to the City of Laredo.

On Monday the city reported the deaths of a man in his early 50s, a woman in her early 80s, a woman in her early 50s, another woman in her early 50s, a woman in her late 60s, a woman in her late 90s and a woman in her early 70s.

This brings Laredos death toll up to 609; 100 of these deaths were reported in January alone. Of the total, 73% represent patients age 65 and older, noted Laredo Health Authority Dr. Victor Trevino.

There are 1,991 active cases of the virus in Laredo as 248 new cases were reported Monday. Of the more than 18,000 tests administered in Webb County in the last week, 16.8% have come back positive.

And of the 38,452 positive cases that have been recorded in Webb County over the course of the pandemic, nearly 30%, 11,463, were reported just in January.

Even as 245 COVID-19 patients remain hospitalized in Laredo, and 77 in intensive care, Trevino said the hospitals are no longer in overflow.

There are several tents set up outside both Laredo Medical Center and Doctors Hospital ready to treat non-acute COVID-19 patients. But as of noon Monday, none had any patients, according to Emergency Management Coordinator and Fire Chief Guillermo Heard.

Trevino and six other local doctors who make up his medical advisory board are now recommending that Laredoans limit travel outside their home as much as possible, especially people over age 65. And if they do leave the house, they should wear an N95 mask or double up on cloth masks, Trevino said.

N95 masks filter out 95% of the virus, but other masks are not as effective, he said. Of cloth mask options, cotton is best, the health authority said.

Although the more contagious variant of COVID-19 has not been confirmed in Laredo, Trevino has noted that new infections are becoming more rapid.

And as the state continues to allocate only 1,200 vaccines to the Laredo Health Department each week, the citys focus has turned again to prevention, Heard said. Through an antibody infusion center established by the state two weeks ago, 280 local patients have been treated, Heard said.

These are 280 Laredoans who will be able to recover at home and avoid being hospitalized, he said.

This week and the week prior the City of Laredo has requested 10,000 doses of the vaccine through the Department of State Health Services, but has received only 1,200 for the past three weeks.

The citys vaccine appointment system, which opens every Monday at 8 a.m., filled up in less than five minutes this week.

Some patients were scheduled for appointments in April. These will be honored at that time, City Manager Robert Eads said.

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com
He's best known for his dramatic split from Cartier Surjan on season two of Love Island in 2019.

And now it appears Adam Farrugia has moved on with a gorgeous blonde university student, Renee Ashley.

In a post on Instagram on Tuesday, the 28-year-old model and plumber shared two pictures alongside the Melbourne-based beauty.

In your arms: On Tuesday, former Love Island Australia star Adam Farrugia made his relationship with new girlfriend Renee Ashley Instagram official [both pictured]

'Yesterday was fun, flying back home today... not so fun,' he captioned the post.

In one picture, Renee sat on the bonnet of a four-wheel drive, while she wrapped her arms around her new beau.

They were all smiles in a second image, which showed them seated on a beach towel, as Adam closely held onto Renee's waist.

Beach babes: In a post on Instagram on Tuesday, the 28-year-old model and plumber shared two pictures alongside the Melbourne-based beauty

Missing you: Renee also shared a beachside photograph, simply captioning it: 'Miss you already'

Renee also shared a beachside photograph, simply captioning it: 'Miss you already.'

The two also shared a sweet video of Adam kissing Renee on the forehead as she bid him farewell before a flight back to Sunshine state.

Earlier this month, the new flames prompted romance rumours after sharing a series of cosy Instagram Stories posts alongside one another.

Cute: Earlier this month, the new flames prompted romance rumours after sharing a series of cosy Instagram Stories posts alongside one another

Fun: Clearly relaxed, Renee appeared to be wearing a clay beauty mask and pulling faces alongside Adam, who was propped up against a pillow

In one photo, simply captioned, 'Miss u', the former reality star's arm appears to be affectionately wrapped around Renee's neck.

According to their Instagram pages, Adam is still living in Queensland, while Renee is based in Melbourne.

Daily Mail has reached out to Adam and Renee for comment.
Aerial photo taken on July 14, 2020 shows the container terminal of Jingtang Port District under Tangshan Port in Tangshan City, north China's Hebei Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

China and New Zealand on Tuesday signed a protocol on upgrading their 12-year-old free trade agreement (FTA), which is expected to bring more benefits to the peoples of the two countries.

Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and his New Zealand counterpart signed the protocol via video link.

In 2008, China signed an FTA with New Zealand, the first FTA between China and a developed country. The two sides announced the conclusion of their three-year negotiations on the upgrade in November 2019.

On the basis of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China will further expand its opening-up in sectors including aviation, education, finance, elderly care, and passenger transport to New Zealand to boost the trade of services.

For the trade of goods, the upgraded FTA will see both countries open their markets for certain wood and paper products and optimize trade rules such as rules of origin, technical barriers to trade and customs facilitation, China's Ministry of Commerce said in an online statement.

New Zealand will lower its threshold for reviewing Chinese investment, allowing it to receive the same review treatment as members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The two sides have also pledged to strengthen cooperation in the fields of e-commerce, competition policy, government procurement, the environment and trade.

The signature of the protocol is a concrete action in China's practice of multilateralism and the construction of an open world economy, and marks an important step in implementing the FTA upgrade strategy, Wang said.

The two sides will promptly implement relevant domestic procedures so that the upgraded FTA can be operational as soon as possible, said the commerce ministry.
Britain's biggest banks have been accused of hiding the true cost of sending money overseas and breaching the 'spirit' of new laws designed to bring transparency to international payments.

An investigation by This is Money and the currency conversion service Transferwise has found those wishing to send money to European countries are being hit with foreign exchange mark-up charges of close to 4 per cent, despite the payments supposedly being 'free'.

Some banks were described as having 'buried' the true cost of their payments 'inside sneaky exchange rate mark-ups' and 'hiding' them in tooltips.

European banks were required to be more transparent when it came to providing the cost of sending money overseas. However some UK ones have been accused of burying their charges

Under European payment regulations which came into force at the end of 2019 and still apply after Brexit, banks are no longer allowed to charge more for overseas payments than domestic ones to countries which are members of the Single Euro Payments Area.

This includes the 27 EU member states, plus the UK, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Instead, Britain's major banks offer customers an inferior foreign exchange rate to the 'real' one to compensate, which eat into the amount the recipient receives by close to 40 when sending 1,000, depending on the exchange rate.

While banks are allowed to charge these mark-ups on bank transfers, under transparency regulations which came into effect last April they must provide customers with 'the estimated total amount of the credit transfer in the currency of the payer's account, including any transaction fee and any currency conversion charges' 'in a clear, neutral and comprehensible manner.'

The banks which responded to This is Money insisted they complied with all the requirements of CBPR2, the transparency regulations in question, and offered customers the necessary information to see the cost of sending money overseas.

However, This is Money and Transferwise's findings on the back of a 'mystery shopping' exercise carried out in August and September 2020, suggested they were not necessarily keeping to the spirit of the law.

These findings remained accurate as of January 2021.

How much are Britain's biggest banks charging for 'free' international payments? Bank Amount received when sending 1,000 as  Cost compared to 'real' exchange rate on the day % mark-up Barclays 1,062.60 27.40 2.5% HSBC 1,052.34 38 3.89% Lloyds 1,055.70 39.28 4% Nationwide Building Society 1,081.80 24.70 2.23% NatWest 1,149.7 31 2.7% Santander 1,099.75 34.76 3.18% Source: This is Money/Transferwise - calculations done in August and September 2020 meaning exchange rates were not the same for each

Instead, banks including NatWest, HSBC, Nationwide Building Society and Santander reference an 'indicative' exchange rate or their own exchange rate without necessarily explaining this rate includes a mark-up which eats into how much a customer would receive.

In the case of these four banks, the mark-up ate into the amount sent by between 31 and 51 on the days we looked at their charges.

HSBC appeared to charge the highest mark-up of any of the four, with customers receiving a rate of 1.052 to 1 on a day when the 'real' exchange rate was 1.09, for a mark-up of 3.89 per cent.

Banks including NatWest tell customers they will not be charged fees for sending money overseas to European countries, but fail to disclose they are given an inferior rate

Barclays and Lloyds meanwhile do display their percentage mark-ups provided customers hover over a question mark tooltip.

On a recent screenshot shown to This is Money by Barclays, the tooltip explains their exchange rate 'is made up of a Barclays reference rate and a margin of 2.75 per cent.'

However, both also offer inferior to exchange rates to what customers can get elsewhere as a result of these mark-ups, with Lloyds charging a mark-up of 4 per cent on the day of our investigation, equating to a cost of 39.28 for a transfer of 1,000 compared to the 'real' exchange rate.

We have long warned consumers to avoid Britain's biggest banks when sending money overseas.

Other banks including Barclays were accused of 'hiding' their mark-ups behind interactive tooltips, something the bank denied

'In general, the best approach is to not do international transfers via your bank account', Rob Hallums, founder of the financial website Experts for Expats told This is Money last year.

Transferwise's Flora Coleman said of the findings: 'CBPR2 was introduced to bring more transparency to international payments, but while banks and other providers may be adhering to the letter of the law, their roll out is certainly not in the spirit of it.

'Our investigation has shown that people are still not being shown the true cost of their payments, instead having these buried inside sneaky exchange rate mark-ups. They're hiding these in tooltips, and some are still claiming "no fees", which is simply not true.

'This law was supposed to make it cheaper for customers to send money abroad, and easier for them to compare prices between banks. But as it's currently applied, it's leaving businesses and consumers out of pocket whenever they send money abroad.'

What did the banks say?

This is Money contacted the four banks which did not appear to display the exchange rate mark-up they charged customers or showed them the rate they offered in comparison to the 'real' exchange rate.

Nationwide said in a statement: 'Our members can make euro payments to an EU country using a SEPA Credit Transfer. We don't charge a transaction fee for making a SEPA payment.

'We would assure you that we do meet the requirements of the Cross-Border Payments Regulations and our currency conversion charges are transparent.

'The requirement in the regulations which applies to credit transfers states that we must "inform the payer prior to the initiation of the payment transaction, in a clear, neutral and comprehensible manner of the estimated charge for the currency conversion services applicable to the credit transfer".

'We provide members with the estimated currency conversion charge as part of the payment request process within our internet bank.

'We calculate the estimated charge by comparing the Nationwide exchange rate at that time to the current ECB euro reference exchange rate. This meets the requirements of the Regulations.'

Santander said it provided customers with the exchange rate the bank used that day and stated all international transfer fees within its term and conditions, while it said those after real-time mid-market exchange rates should use its new money transfer service PagoFX.

In a statement it said: 'We comply with all CBPR2 laws and regulations.'

HSBC and NatWest did not respond by the time of publication.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.
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Will Faraday and Geely Team Up in a Possible Replication of Baidu and Foxconn Manufacturing Partnerships?

Ding Yi / Jan 26, 2021 07:02 PM / Business & Tech

Faraday Future, an electric vehicle startup founded by fugitive Chinese tech entrepreneur Jia Yueting, may try and copy Tesla and build some of its cars in China. It has plans to pick local automaker Geely as a contract manufacturer in an attempt to start mass-producing its first model as quickly as possible.

California-headquartered Faraday is in negotiations with Geely for the feasibility of the Chinese company being able to provide contract manufacturing services for a factory it plans to set up in a first-tier Chinese city, Reuters reported on Monday, citing sources.

The plant will have a production capacity of 100,000 vehicles a year, the sources said.

A Faraday representative said that the company could not yet comment on the report when contacted by Caixin.

Since its founding in 2014, Faraday has been unable to raise enough money to mass-produce the FF91, its first electric car model. The company has previously said that it would kick off mass production of the FF91 about nine months after closing a new round of funding.

Earlier this month, Geely, which owns Volvo and a 9.7% stake in Daimler, made headlines across global media thanks to its respective agreements with Baidu and Foxconn with regards to electric vehicle manufacturing.

Contact reporter Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com)

Related: Foxconn, Geely Plan Venture to Make Cars for Other Automakers
A high court in Uganda has ordered security forces to end the de facto house arrest of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, calling it unlawful and a violation of his rights.

Ugandas high court on Monday ruled the security presence at the home of National Unity Platform party leader Bobi Wine since January 14 was unlawful.

Deputy Court Registrar Jameson Karemani read the ruling, which said the detention of Wine and his family was a violation of their rights.

It has been established that his right to personal liberty has been infringed. Having found, as I do that the restrictions imposed on the applicant are unlawful, it is hereby ordered that they are lifted. Consequently, an order for restoration of the personal liberty of the applicant is hereby issued, said Karemani.

Ugandas state prosecutors had argued that the movement of Wines wife Barbara Itungo was not restricted, which the court found untrue.

The state also argued the security forces were at Wines home for his own protection, a claim that Wines supporters dismissed as a cynical ploy.

The court ruled that if there is a case against Wine, he should be produced before the court.

Wines lawyers led by George Musisi applauded the ruling and said they hoped that the state would comply.

We are glad that court has emphasized the constitutional freedoms by saying that the restrictions on personal freedom are so important that if you are to restrain someones freedom, especially if youre saying that you have grave allegations against them like they are alleging, they should be taken to court and charged," he said.

Army spokesperson Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso said security forces would respect the courts decision but indicated they might not withdraw immediately.

That is something we will all have to wait for and that will depend on how the security chiefs determine to do the withdrawal process. To really call upon the other side, that really you need to keep law. We really need to do less of those things that seemingly cause insecurity. The provocations, the chaos that sometimes cause unnecessary anxiety, she said.

Ugandan security forces surrounded Wines home as voters went to the polls January 14 to elect a president.

After Wine declared the election a fraud and himself the president-elect, security forces moved in on his house and prevented anyone from leaving or visiting  including family.

Wines brother Fred Sentamu said they were looking forward to his release.

My brother Robert Kyagulanyi didnt commit any crime in standing for presidency of the country. Whoever stands against president [Museveni] becomes a criminal. This means theres no democracy at all in our country. He has suffered, psychologically. Physically, hes growing thin, he said.

Ugandas electoral commission said 76-year-old President Yoweri Museveni was elected to a sixth term with 58 percent of the vote, which Wine maintains was engineered by fraud.

Ugandas Electoral Commission said it was investigating videos circulating on social media showing people allegedly ticking ballots and stuffing ballot boxes.

The U.S. State Department declined to congratulate Museveni and said it remain concerned by reports of election irregularities and politically motivated arrests.

Museveni called the election Ugandas fairest ever vote.

Pilgard reported his department started vaccinations at the end of December at both hospitals. Of the 54 total workers in the department, which includes firefighter/paramedics, he said 27 have completed both rounds of vaccinations, five received the first dose and an additional four were waiting to receive the vaccination based on availability and scheduling.
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Doctors are urging beauty fans not to apply erection creams to their mouths after one TikToker said that it can make lips look bigger.

In December, TikTok user Jerry Mal shared a viral video in which he slathered an erectile dysfunction cream all over his lips in an effort to plump his pout  and was pleasantly surprised to see lusher lips once he wiped it off.

But several doctors have since warned that this may not be safe, especially since the cream can be accidentally ingested.

Testing it out: TikTok user Jerry Mal shared a video of himself slathering his lips with erection cream in an effort to make his lips plumper

Results: He was impressed with the results, saying his lips were definitely bigger (pictured left before, right after)

In the original video, which has over 3.5 million views, Jerry said he was inspired to experiment with the erection cream after seeing it on TV.

'Basically, I saw a movie where a girl put erection cream all over her lips and it made them really big, so I wanted to try it. I forgot what the movie was called, but here we go,' he said.

Commenters have since identified the film as A Nice Girl Like You starring Lucy Hale.

Trying it out, Jerry opened his mouth and applied an unnamed French erection cream liberally to his lips.

'It kind of tingles. It doesn't feel terrible, but we'll see,' he said.

After five minutes, the cream was still on and Jerry was happy to see that his lips already looked bigger, putting his face up to the camera to show them off.

He intended to wait an additional five minutes, but after three more he decided to wipe the cream off because it was 'burning really bad.'

Inspo: Jerry was inspired by the film A Nice Girl Like You starring Lucy Hale

How it works: Most topical erectile dysfunction medications are vasodilators, which widen the blood vessels and increase blood flow

Cosmetics: Lip-plumping glosses work the same way, using irritants like capsaicin to increase blood flow  but they're formulated for use on the mouth

Impressed: He clearly liked the method and has used it again since his original video

After cleaning off his lips, Jerry showed off his noticeably-plumper pout.

'I kinda like it, I'm not gonna lie,' he said.

Scientifically, it makes sense that an erection cream would make lips plumper. Most topical erectile dysfunction medications are vasodilators, which widen the blood vessels and increase blood flow. More blood in the lips  or penis  makes them grow.

In fact, most lip-plumping glosses work the same way, using irritants like capsaicin to increase blood flow.

But those lip plumpers are especially formulated to be used on the mouth.

Soon after Jerry's video went viral, a TikTok dermatologist who goes by Derm Doctor shared a warning that it's not the best method for bigger lips.

'I don't know exactly which cream is being used in the video, but all erection creams work by using vasodilation, which increases blood flow to a given area,' he explained.

Don't do it, girl! TikTok dermatologist Derm Doctor warned that it's not safe if it's ingested

'Increased blood flow will lead to swelling of the area. It takes about 15 minutes to work and it lasts for about an hour. So, all the benefits of plumping will be completely temporary.

'Also, these creams were not made to be ingested or consumed by mouth and this probably not safe if it's ingested. It does work, but I would not recommend it,' he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ross Perry, GP and Medical Director of Cosmedics, shared an even firmer warning.

'Putting erection cream on your lips in a bid for a fuller pout is utterly ridiculous and can be extremely dangerous for a number of reasons,' he told Metro.

'Individuals trying this could suffer an allergic reaction such as stinging, soreness, blisters and uncomfortable swelling.

'Other side effects from the absorption of the cream as it goes into the body can create headaches, blood pressure problems, and even possible heart problems,' he said.
Romania is "fully prepared" to enter the Schengen area, Prime Minister Florin Citu told his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte.

"Yesterday we had a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte. We analyzed the promising prospects of cooperation between Romania and the Netherlands, focusing on strengthening economic relations and boosting political dialogue. Our legitimate accession to the Schengen area was one of the key points reached in the discussion with Prime Minister Rutte, to whom we conveyed that Romania is, without a doubt, fully prepared to enter the Schengen area," Citu wrote on Facebook.

According to the Prime Minister, the talks also focused on the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of the vaccination process.


Mauritius began a nationwide Covid-19 vaccination campaign on Tuesday, with medical staff at ENT hospital, the main treatment centre, being the first to be immunized.



Three teams of health workers have also been deployed at Victoria Hospital in the town of Quatre Bornes.



Those vaccinated will get a second dose of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine in about 20 days.



Mauritius received 100,000 doses of vaccine from India on Friday.



A batch of 240,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine is expected to arrive in the country by 15 February, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) representative, Laurent Musango.



The Pfizer/BioNtech vaccines were obtained through Covax - a global initiative led by the WHO to make sure vaccines are shared fairly among all nations, rich and poor.

Source: BBC









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State officials Monday continued to express frustration with the pace of vaccinations in long-term care, noting that hundreds of thousands of doses of New Jerseys limited vaccine supply have been reserved for the two pharmacies doing vaccinations, but only a fraction of them have been used.

Meanwhile, the states vaccination clinics are hamstrung by a lack of doses, even having to cancel appointments, all while eligible New Jersey residents are trying to schedule appointments to get the shots.

Under the partnership organized by the federal government, CVS and Walgreens are responsible for vaccinating staff and vulnerable residents of New Jerseys roughly 1,654 long-term care facilities, with priority given to its 373 nursing homes. The state was required to reserve many of its earliest doses before the program could even launch Dec. 28.

Gov. Phil Murphy and Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli have said CVS is outpacing Walgreens at the mammoth task, and Murphy said he is continuing to push Walgreens to get more aggressive and faster in their distribution.

State officials put the total doses administered at 76,697, but the two pharmacies reported giving out over 100,000 shots. The reason for the discrepancy between the two counts is unclear.

CVS reported Monday that it has given first doses out at all but eight of the 1,090 nursing homes and other residential and assisted living facilities it is contracted with in the state. Nursing homes were given first priority under the program, and CVS said it has given out second doses at 44% of the nursing homes its working with. The chains total shots distributed in New Jersey facilities is 76,314, according to CVS.

Walgreens had previously promised to finish vaccinations at nursing homes by Monday, but Murphy said at a press briefing that the companys CEO now said he hoped it would be done by Jan. 31. Walgreens website shows it has completed first-dose clinics at the 93 nursing homes it is contracted with. The company did not return requests for comment.

Looking at non-nursing senior facilities  ranging from assisted living to subsidized senior housing  Walgreens has held 93 clinics out of the 333 locations its contracted with. In total it has administered 23,884 doses, according to the company.

Perischilli said that the federal government has reserved 450,000 doses earmarked for New Jerseys long-term care facilities, or first and second doses for 225,000 people.

Murphy said the biggest thing slowing the process down is staffing because the pharmacies need so many qualified workers to hold vaccination clinics at so many facilities.

Charles Bianco gets a thumbs up from Governor Phil Murphy after he was vaccinated at the Roosevelt Care Center in Old Bridge, N.J. December, 28, 2020. Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for

While state officials have been placing the blame on the pharmacies, government red tape in December delayed the start of the program by at least one week. State officials missed a deadline to join the federal program, something they said was due to trying to include group homes and other facilities in addition to nursing homes.

Plus, rules from the CDC required states to put aside 50% of needed doses a week before it could even launch the program, Persichilli said at the time.

Murphy said Friday that the pharmacies have scheduled and put aside doses for vaccination clinics at over 90% of the states long-term care facilities, but the clinics could happen well into February.

Theyre not getting wasted. Theyre not going unused, he said of the doses. But they need to put more urgency and more manpower into this.

Several nursing home CEOs and leaders in the long-term care industry told NJ Advance Media that while the rollout was slow at first, its picked up speed and is working better now. Given the logistical challenges of getting vaccinations to 145,000 people across 1,654 facilities, it was never going to be easy, they said.

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

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.

Chandigarh: Terming as unacceptable the violence perpetrated by certain elements during today's tractor march in the national capital, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh urged all genuine farmers to immediately vacate Delhi and return to the borders, where they had been protesting peacefully since the past two months.



The Chief Minister also ordered a high alert in Punjab amid the tension and violence in Delhi, and directed DGP Dinkar Gupta to ensure that law and order in the state is not disturbed at any cost.

Expressing grave concern over the situation, the Chief Minister said the violence was apparently triggered by some people who violated the rules laid down for the tractor march through mutual agreement between the Delhi Police and the farmer unions.

It was unfortunate that these elements disturbed the peaceful agitation of the farmers, he said, condemning the incidents that took place at the historic Red Fort and some other key points of the national capital.

Pointing out that the major leaders had already and categorically dissociated themselves from the violence, the Chief Minister said the agitating farmers should immediately vacate the national capital and get back to their camps at the borders, and continue to engage with the Centre to resolve the crisis over the farm laws.

"Shocking scenes in Delhi. The violence by some elements is unacceptable. It'll negate goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. Kisan leaders have disassociated themselves and suspended Tractor Rally. I urge all genuine farmers to vacate Delhi and return to borders," the Chief Minister said in a tweet.

The Chief Minister called upon the farmers to continue to exercise the remarkable restraint with which they had conducted their peaceful protests for the past two months at the Delhi borders, and in Punjab prior to that.

Pointing out that peace had been the hallmark of their agitation, and the reason for the support they had received from across India and the world, he stressed the need for law and order to be maintained at all costs during the democratic protests by the farmers, an official release said.
(Newser)  The fire that killed Zappos founder Tony Hsieh in November may not have been accidentally set, investigators in Connecticut say, though they have given its cause as undetermined. Fire investigators say security video captured the 46-year-old peering out the door of a pool storage shed; smoke could be seen behind him, and the sound of a deadbolt engaging was heard after he shut the door, the New York Times reports. Firefighters broke down the door and took Hsieh to the hospital; he died nine days after the Nov. 18 fire. Investigators say they were unable to pinpoint the cause of the fire because there were numerous possibilities: Candles and discarded cigarettes were found inside the shed, along with a portable propane heater that Hsieh had partially taken apart. Investigators also found liquor bottles, a marijuana pipe, and nitrous oxide chargers.

story continues below

Friends say Hsieh had fallen into a spiral of extreme behavior in the months before the blaze and developed a fascination with fire and candles. On the night of the fire, he had been staying at the home of girlfriend Rachael Brown and was meant to leave for Hawaii early in the morning; friends say he intended to go to rehab there, the Wall Street Journal reports. After arguing with Brown, he went to sleep in the pool shed and asked brother Andy Hsieh and an employee to check on him every five minutes. According to a fire department's report, when Andy Hsieh told his brother at 3:20am that it was time to leave for the airport, Tony Hsieh told him to come back in five minutes. Within a minute, a carbon monoxide alarm and "a noise consistent with the relief valve on a propane tank" could be heard, the report states. "It is possible that carelessness or even an intentional act" could have started the fire, the report states. (Read more Tony Hsieh stories.)
Another San Antonio business, Roadmap Brewing Co. has temporarily closed their doors due to an employee testing positive for COVID-19.

Roadmap Brewing Co., which also brings food trucks to their location announced the news on their Facebook page Monday, writing they don't know when they will reopen because the health of their staff and guests are most important.

"Our number one priority is safety - which is why we will be TEMPORARILY CLOSED until further notice. In the name of full transparency - We had a team member notify us that they were not feeling well. We told them to stay home and get a COVID test immediately. Unfortunately, the results came back positive. As a result, we feel it is best to ensure that every person of our small team gets tested as well. No other team members have symptoms and many have not been in direct contact with this individual - but this is not a game we want to play. The health and safety of our guests and staff is worth much more than any number of taproom sales we'll ever make. Stay tuned for information on when we will be re-opening. Thank you for your patience and understanding that we can't give a hard date as to when this will be. All we know is it won't be until we are certain we can do it safely. Thank you again for your continued support!"

RELATED: San Antonio Filipino restaurant temporarily closes

Roadmap Brewing Co. is located downtown where they allow customers to bring their own food from Uber Eats and is dog friendly, according to its website.

READ MORE: Here's why some S.A. hangouts are opening as early as 7 a.m.

The brewery joins Sari-Sari Filipino Restaurant, Market and Bakery in closing as a precaution after an employee tested positive last week. The restaurant and bakery will be closed for two weeks.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) has settled a case against the Government on behalf of Mairia Cahill.

The former SDLP councillor brought the legal challenge after she was forced to pull out of Northern Irelands local elections in 2019 over fears for her safety.

Ms Cahill said there was a court order in place to protect her from violence and that the law breached the rights of victims of domestic abuse.

Nevertheless, I am glad that nobody else will now be put in the position that I was, again Mairia Cahill

She said: I wish to thank the NIHRC and the people who supported me in taking this case, which has  no doubt  influenced the British Government to change the law so that nobody again will have their safety put at risk by having to publish their home address.

Personally, it is frustrating that this settlement did not come much sooner in the process, which would have saved time, effort and public money.

Nevertheless, I am glad that nobody else will now be put in the position that I was, again.

Ms Cahill, who was co-opted on to Lisburn and Castlereagh Council as a councillor, was supported by the NIHRC in her case.

It was unacceptable to expect anyone to jeopardise their safety to run for public office Les Allamby

Responsibility for election law in Northern Ireland falls to the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and the law has now been changed.

Candidates can now indicate if they do not wish their home address to be disclosed.

NIHRC chief commissioner Les Allamby said: The previous election law put, for example, victims of domestic violence at risk by forcing them to publish their address.

It was unacceptable to expect anyone to jeopardise their safety to run for public office.

The commission welcomes the decision to change the law, settle this case and pay compensation, given that Mairia lost the opportunity to stand as a candidate in local elections.

We would like to thank Mairia for allowing us to support her to take the case and for her courage.

She has paved the way to protect the human rights of anyone who may have faced similar circumstances in the future.

A NIO spokesperson said: Following the May 2019 elections the Government ensured the law was changed as quickly as possible to ensure that candidates may now stand at local elections without their address being published.
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The Dutch government vowed not to back down on its coronavirus curfew in the face of three nights of rioting by 'scum', ministers said.

Police took to the streets of Dutch towns and cities in force on Tuesday night to try to prevent violent rioting that shook the country for three nights after a nationwide curfew was introduced to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Officers in Rotterdam said they arrested 17 people for minor offences before the nightly curfew took effect at 9pm.

Local broadcaster Rijnmond reported riot police were deployed in the south and west of the city, but police did not immediately report any major disturbances.

In Amsterdam, riot police were dispatched to a commercial street where a large group of youths had gathered and set off fireworks, but there were no violent confrontations.

'You don't capitulate to people who smash shop windows,' Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra told ANP national news agency. 'Scum does this,' not genuine protesters, he added.

Officers in Rotterdam (pictured) said they arrested 17 people for minor offences before the nightly curfew took effect at 9pm

Local broadcaster Rijnmond reported riot police were deployed in the south and west of the city, but police did not immediately report any major disturbances

A person being detained on Beijerlandselaan in Rotterdam, where young people were rioting the day before and caused destruction

Police officers take security measurements as people staged a protest against coronavirus restrictions and curfew imposed by Dutch government in Rotterdam

Police officers detain a man as people stage a protest against coronavirus restrictions and curfew imposed by Dutch government in Rotterdam

The rioting, which started with the torching of a coronavirus testing centre in a fishing village on Saturday night, is the worst to hit the Netherlands in years.

The rioting was initially triggered by anger over a tough lockdown that has been in force since mid-December, but calls for rioting swirling on social media and mainly spread among young people increasingly fuelled the unrest.

Schools have been closed in the country since the Christmas holidays.

Police said Tuesday afternoon video images showed many rioters were young teenagers and many of the people they arrested were picked up close to their homes.

'I join others in appealing to parents to keep their children at home. Certainly after 2100, stay indoors,' said North Holland regional Police Chief Anja Schouten.

The violence has stretched the police and led at times to the deployment of military police.

On Monday night, rioters pelted police with rocks, fireworks and Molotov cocktails and looted shops in at least two cities, Rotterdam and Den Bosch.

A total of 184 people were arrested in Monday night's unrest. Police ticketed more than 1,700 for breaching the 9pm to 4.30am curfew, which carries a fine of 95 euros ($115).

The rioting, which started with the torching of a coronavirus testing centre in a fishing village on Saturday night, is the worst to hit the Netherlands in years. Pictured: Rotterdam on Tuesday

It was initially triggered by anger over a tough lockdown that has been in force since mid-December, but calls for rioting swirling on social media and mainly spread among young people increasingly fuelled the unrest. Pictured: Rotterdam on Tuesday

A man is detained on on Beijerlandselaan in Rotterdam, where young people were rioting the day before and caused destruction in a demonstration against the curfew

Police officers detain a demonstrator protesting against restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease in Rotterdam on Tuesday

Police said Tuesday afternoon video images showed many rioters were young teenagers and many of the people they arrested were picked up close to their homes

Officers around the country also detained dozens suspected of inciting rioting through social media.

Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said earlier Tuesday that riots would quickly be brought before the courts and face possible prison terms if convicted.

'They won't get away with it,' he told reporters in The Hague.

'If you rob people who are struggling, with the help of the government, to keep their head above water, it's totally scandalous,' Grapperhaus told reporters. He stressed the curfew is necessary in the fight against the coronavirus.

Populist right-wing opposition lawmaker Geert Wilders called for the army to be used to quell rioting, something the government has so far ruled out.

Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb posted a video message on Twitter, asking rioters: 'Does it feel good to wake up with a bag full of stolen stuff next to you?'

Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said earlier Tuesday that riots would quickly be brought before the courts and face possible prison terms if convicted. Pictured: Rotterdam on Tuesday

Populist right-wing opposition lawmaker Geert Wilders called for the army to be used to quell rioting, something the government has so far ruled out. Pictured: Rotterdam on Tuesday

Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb posted a video message on Twitter, asking rioters: 'Does it feel good to wake up with a bag full of stolen stuff next to you?' Pictured: Amsterdam on Tuesday

Residents took to the streets Tuesday to help with the cleanup, and the city's mayor said he would investigate authorities' response to the rioting. Pictured: Den Bosch on Tuesday

Police talk to people on a street in the Grote Marktstraat in The Hague, on Tuesday, a day after police clashed with groups of demonstrators protesting against the introduction of a coronavirus curfew over the weekend

He also appealed to parents of the young rioters, asking: 'Did you miss your son yesterday? Did you ask yourself where he was?'

The municipality in Den Bosch designated large parts of the city as risk areas for Tuesday night, fearing a repeat of the violence.

Residents took to the streets Tuesday to help with the cleanup, and the city's mayor said he would investigate authorities' response to the rioting.

'This criminal violence must stop,' Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted.

'The riots have nothing to do with protesting or struggling for freedom,' he added. 'We must win the battle against the virus together, because that's the only way of getting back our freedom.'

The rate of new infections in Netherlands has been decreasing in recent weeks, but the country's public health institute warned Tuesday the new variant of the virus first detected in Britain is gaining ground and like was responsible for more than one third of infections over the last week.

The country has registered more than 13,650 confirmed Covid-19 deaths.



Owners of Cafe Van Bommel close the windows and doors in the run-up to the evening due to expected anti-lockdown protest and riots in Maastricht on Tuesday
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Manitoba is bringing back the 14-day self-isolation requirement for anyone leaving the province  including to western Canada  in response to the presence of COVID-19 variants in other provinces.

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Manitoba is bringing back the 14-day self-isolation requirement for anyone leaving the province  including to western Canada  in response to the presence of COVID-19 variants in other provinces.

Premier Brian Pallister said Tuesday morning the move is out of "an abundance of caution" in order to stop variants of the virus from being imported into Manitoba.

"The variant is not just in eastern Canada it is in Western Canada as well," he said.

"We do not want these variants, whether its the British, the South African version or another, in Manitoba Now is not the time for non-essential travel, we all need to do our part to keep each other safe."

The new public health order takes effect on Jan. 29.

The change reverses a move the provincial government made in June to allow travellers from western Canada and west of Terrace Bay, Ont., to enter the province without isolation.

See Wednesdays newspaper for more information.

 The Brandon Sun
As additional variants of Covid-19 make their way around the globe, Dr Anthony Fauci has suggested that wearing two masks may increase protection against the virus.

The White House adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases addressed possible additional protection from wearing a second mask during an appearance on Today, where he was asked about the effectiveness of layering masks.

You know, it likely does [increase protection]. Because this is a physical covering to prevent droplets and virus from getting in, Dr Fauci said.

So, if you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective, and thats the reason why you see people either double-masking or doing a version of an N95.

During President Bidens inauguration, for example, attendees including Amanda Gorman and Pete Buttigieg were seen wearing layered masks, with the poet showing off what appeared to be a disposable white mask beneath her sparkly red mask, while the former presidential candidate also wore a surgical mask under a cloth mask.

This is what you need to know about double-masking, and whether you should wear two masks.

How much protection do masks offer?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommends that people wear masks that have two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric, face masks can block up to 70 per cent of coronavirus particles.

The CDC recommends that individuals wear masks, which protect yourself as well as others, when you are in public settings and when you are around people who dont live in your household.

The health agency also urges people to wear masks in addition to social distancing, but especially when social distancing is not possible.

Does the CDC recommend double-masking?

Currently, the CDC does not have any guidance or recommendations in regards to double-masking.

However, the CDC does note that how well a mask protects you depends on factors such as type of fabric, the number of layers of fabric, and how well the mask fits, with the agency explaining that it is currently studying these factors.

The CDC also states that the most effective masks have two or more layers and are made of tightly woven fabrics, such as cotton and cotton blends.

Do other experts agree with Dr Fauci?

As of now, preliminary studies have suggested that wearing two masks could be useful in better preventing the spread of Covid-19, especially if the masks are made of flimsy material that may not offer adequate protection on their own.

"If you have a face mask thats thin, flimsy, falling apart, frayed, or if you put it up to a light and you see light coming through it, it might be helpful to wear another one on top of it, Dr Abisola Olulade, MD, a family medicine physician told Refinery29.

Dr Scott Segal, MD and chair of anesthesiology at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, agreed, telling Health: Wearing two masks might be a reasonable idea if the filtration capability of the masks isn't very strong.

However, double-masking may also make it harder to breathe, which could ultimately lead to individuals pulling down their masks and defeating the purpose entirely.

"It's a double-edged sword," Dr Leonard Krilov, MD, chief of Pediatric Infectious Disease at NYU Langone HospitalLong Island told the outlet. "An extra barrier may sound like a good idea, but that extra layer may make it more difficult to breathe, making it more likely that you pull on the mask to breathe better and not keep it adequately in place."

Do you have to wear two masks?

While double-masking may offer additional protection against coronavirus, guidelines in the US do not currently require individuals to wear two masks or double-mask.

Overall, a properly worn face mask with at least two layers should provide adequate protection, according to the CDC, which also advises against wearing surgical masks and respirators that are meant for healthcare workers, as these should be reserved for medical workers.

ATLANTA (AP)  Georgia taxpayers are spending nearly $200,000 a year in salary and benefits for an insurance commissioner whos been suspended for nearly two years.

When Insurance Commissioner John King presented his budget to lawmakers last week, it included $194,899 for one-time funds for one filled executive position. King said thats what the state is spending for salary and benefits for Jim Beck, who was indicted in May 2019, just a few months after taking office, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The same amount was included in last years midyear budget to pay Beck, the newspaper reported.

Beck is accused of bilking his former employer out of $2 million. Gov. Brian Kemp suspended Beck from office a few days after his indictment. Beck, whose trial is scheduled for later this year, has vowed a vigorous defense.

I am, in fact, innocent of these charges, Beck wrote to Kemp after his indictment. In these circumstances, it would be inappropriate for me to resign as commissioner of insurance.

Because he remains suspended, the state is paying both him and King, who was selected by Kemp to replace Beck.

Beck, whos a Republican and a former leader of the Georgia Christian Coalition, held jobs in several state agencies, including the Department of Insurance, before winning election to the top position at that agency in November 2018. He took office in January 2019.

Then-U.S. Attorney Byung J. BJay Pak announced Becks indictment in May 2019, saying Beck stole money to pay personal bills and taxes and to fund his 2018 campaign. Prosecutors said Beck lied to associates to have them form businesses and bill his then-employer for work that was never done, instead routing the money to himself. He also inflated his business expenses to reduce his net business outcome, allowing him to avoid income taxes on the embezzled funds, prosecutors allege.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Ayodhya, Jan 26 : The Ayodhya Mosque Trust --Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation, set up to build a mosque at Ayodhya on the land mandated by the Supreme Court after the apex court gave the Babri land for the Ram Mandir, has decided to put the name of Mughal emperor Babar in the past baggage and dedicate its mosque project to the 1857 freedom fighter of Ayodhya -- Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah.

Even after more than one and a half centuries of the 1857 War of Independence, this great revolutionary who kept Ayodhya and other parts of Awadh region free from the British for more than a year and was an icon of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood in his lifetime has not got his due regard.

After he was martyred by British agents and his head was severed from his body, the British buried his body and head at two unknown places, to prevent the people from turning his grave into a mausoleum. The British were of the opinion that even the dead Maulvi was as dangerous for British Raj as he was during his lifetime.

Historian Roshan Taqi said, "while going through the books written on Mutiny by British writers, this fact reveals how much the English were scared of the dead Maulvi. It's very unfortunate that British authors have written a lot about Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah but we have no course on him in colleges and schools." The only memory of Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah in Ayodhya is the Masjid Sarai in Faizabad city which was his headquarters, he added.

Ahmadullah Shah, born in 1787, more famously known as the Maulvi of Faizabad, was one of the leading figures in the war of 1857. In the Awadh region, Ahmadullah Shah was known as the 'Lighthouse of Rebellion'. Hailing from a noble warrior family of Awadh in Faizabad, he grew up to be a political leader committed to armed revolutionary insurrection against British rule in India.

During the freedom struggle, the Maulvi made Faizabad the centre and launched revolts in the entire Awadh region. He made the local mosque Masjid Sarai located in Chowk area of Faizabad his headquarters. As he liberated Faizabad and the larger part of Awadh region, he used the premises of this mosque to hold meetings with rebel leaders.

Shah kept Faizabad free from British rule for almost one year, until his death at the hands of British agents on June 5, 1858.

According to researcher and historian Ram Shankar Tripathi, "While being a practicing Muslim, he was also the epitome of religious unity and Ganga-Jamuna culture of Faizabad. In the revolt of 1857, royals like Nana Sahib of Kanpur, Kunwar Singh of Arrah fought alongside Maulavi Ahmadullah Shah. Maulavi's 22nd Infantry Regiment was commanded by Subedar Ghamandi Singh and Subedar Umrao Singh in the famous Battle of Chinhat." Tripathi says, "Maulvi wanted Raja Jagannath Singh of Pawayan, a zamindar in Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, to join the anti-colonial war. On June 5, 1858, with prior appointment, he went to meet Raja Jagannath Singh in his fortress-like house. On arriving at the gate, he was greeted with a volley of gunshots from Jagannath Singh's brother and retainers. The Maulvi breathed his last on the spot." "The martyr's head was severed and carried in a piece of cloth with blood still oozing from it to the district magistrate, Shahjahanpur, by the zamindar. The district magistrate was at lunch with his friends. But the depraved feudal lord rushed in and presented the severed head of the hero on the dining table of the district magistrate. With a reward of Rs 50,000, he returned home." According to another historian Roshan Taqui, "Maulvi use to bring out revolutionary pamphlets mobilising the masses to do 'Jihad' against the British. Maulvi was arrested by the British in January 1857 and was held captive in Faizabad, but three months before the revolt broke out in Lucknow on June 3, he escaped and launched a war against the British in Awadh region including Faizabad, Lucknow and Shahjahanpur." "During the revolt, the revolutionaries appointed him as chief of 22nd Infantry Regiment that fought the famous battle of Chinhat in Ismailganj of Lucknow on June 30, 1857, against British forces led by Henry Lawrence. The Britishers were badly defeated in this battle," informed Roshan Taqui.

British officers like George Bruce Malleson and Thomas Seaton have made mention about the courage, valour, personal and organisational capabilities of Ahmadullah Shah. Malleson has repeatedly mentioned Ahmadullah in the History of Indian Mutiny, a book written in six volumes covering the revolt of 1857.

Athar Hussain, Secretary of the Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation, said "the Trust is thinking very seriously over the proposal of dedicating our Ayodhya Mosque Project to the great freedom fighter Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah, we have got suggestions regarding the same from different platforms, it is a good suggestion, we will officially announce it after deliberation."
Primedia Outdoor, the premier provider of digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising solutions in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria, recently added a new roadside LED to its growing digital portfolio across Africa. With the launch of this new LED in Rundu, Namibia - Primedia Outdoor provides supreme quality and brand exposure on 329 digital billboards across Africa in environments and locations where audiences are highly receptive to advertising.

The eye-catching and impactful 3 x 6 metres of high-definition LED screen is perfectly positioned on the main road, Eugene Kakakuru in the centre of the town Rundu  the second largest town in Namibia after the capital Windhoek, with 81,500 inhabitants. This captivating digital billboard is located within close proximity of Rundu Shopping Mall and Rundu Taxi Rank and is key in reaching consumers traveling in and out of the bustling city centre.We are very excited to introduce our latest LED and increasing our digital footprint in Namibia, said Eduard Mouton, regional managing director of Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. We continue to focus on expanding our DOOH offering and deliver effective brand exposure opportunities to advertisers in the rest of Africa.The addition of this new premium LED billboard joins Primedia Outdoors existing network of six superior quality roadside digital screens in Namibia and affirms Primedia Outdoor as the leaders in providing high quality DOOH assets across Africa to advertisers looking for superiority for their brands.Primedia Outdoor is the premier provider of out of home media solutions within Sub Saharan Africa. A Level 1 BBEEE contributor, Primedia Outdoor is currently the largest wholly South-African-owned outdoor advertising media specialist offering national outdoor exposure throughout South Africa and high reach in key markets in rest of Africa. Primedia Outdoor offers flexible coverage of the entire LSM/SEM spectrum, targeting cosmopolitan consumers in major urban areas through to those living in rural communities.Primedia Outdoor delivers exposure across a mix of media opportunities and audience environments, including high-end digital signs, airport advertising, freeway and suburban spectaculars and street furniture, as well as static advertising and digital screens in malls. Since 2018, the Primedia Unlimited Malls business unit has been integrated into the Primedia Outdoor stable. With the integration, Primedia Outdoors total media offering makes major retail and brand platforms accessible to advertisers, offering media solutions that integrate shopper connections during the path to purchase journey.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  The Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office touted the college and high school track stats of one of its deputies  a former sprinter and hurdler  after he chased down a man last week during an arrest in Northeast Albuquerque.

Its unclear if it was the deputys speed or his words  Ill shoot you  in the released on-body camera video that made Jose Mercado surrender.

The 26-year-old was booked on charges of receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle, resisting, evading or obstructing an officer and possession of a controlled substance.

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BCSO spokesman Joseph Montiel said the arresting officer, deputy Mustafa Mudada, was a state champion hurdler who ran 200 meters in 22 seconds during his time at the University of New Mexico.

The Jan. 19 arrest also marked the first ever release of on-body camera footage by BCSO after Sheriff Manuel Gonzalez resisted years of requests by local leaders to outfit his deputies with the equipment. A law requiring on-body cameras passed by the Legislature ended that stalemate and, last week, BCSO unveiled the new cameras now worn by all deputies.

Jennifer Barela, Albuquerque district defender at the Law Offices of the Public Defender, said they cannot yet comment on Mercados case but commended BCSO on the availability of lapel footage.

Weve strongly encouraged BCSO to get on board with this best practice, so we are glad the department is finally in compliance with the law, she said in a statement. Lapel camera footage gives this community the transparency and accountability we all have been demanding.

In the video, you see Mustafa sprinting after Mercado, hurdling over at least two fences, through multiple properties and toward an open field as he repeatedly yells stop running. Eventually, Mustafa says stop running right now. Ill shoot you and he draws his firearm as Mercado puts his hands up and gets on the ground.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court:

Mustafa responded around 2:45 p.m. to the 9300 block of Edith NE, near Alameda, after a woman reported finding her truck, which had been stolen earlier that day. When the deputy showed up, Mercado ran from the truck and Mustafa gave chase.

During the chase, Mercado began reaching into his pockets and Mustafa drew his gun before Mercado gave up and put his hands in the air.

Mustafa found two grams of methamphetamine in Mercados pocket. Mercado said he had borrowed the truck from a friend and ran because he had a warrant out for his arrest.

(Mercados) story did not make much sense as he appeared to struggle with the names of his friends,  Mustafa wrote in the complaint.

Mustafa also found two guns in the truck but Mercado denied knowing anything about them. The woman told deputies she had gone home earlier that day to find her house broken into and her truck missing.
Transportation Security Administration officers stopped 17 guns from coming through airport security checkpoints at New Jersey-New York airports in 2020  11 of them at Newark Liberty airport.

Those numbers represent a decrease from the 27 guns caught in 2019 at the regions three major airports. The reduction parallels a dramatic drop in air travel in 2020, due to the coronavirus. All the firearms were discovered by TSA officers during routine screening of carry-on bags at security checkpoints, officials said.

TSA officers found the most guns at Newark Liberty Airport at 11, followed by three guns at LaGuardia and two at John F. Kennedy Airport. The 11 guns caught at Newark tied the number caught in 2019 in spite of the fact that fewer passengers traveled due to the pandemic.

But those numbers paled when compared to Philadelphia International Airport, where TSA agents found 26 guns, six more than the 20 found in 2019. Officers found 3 guns in Lehigh Valley International Airport, 2 more than 2019.

Officers also detected two guns at Atlantic City Airport and 1 at Trenton Airport checkpoints last year, said Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokeswoman.

A high of 14 guns were detected by TSA officers at Newark Airport in 2018. During the past three years, more guns were caught at Newark Airport than LaGuardia or JFK, TSA statistics said.

Local numbers were a drop in the security bin when compared to other airports in the nation that saw triple digit gun detections at TSA checkpoints. Top in the nation was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where 220 guns were nabbed by the TSA, followed by Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport with 176 guns last year. Those airports were in the top spots for 2019.

The metro areas numbers reflect a drop in national number of guns detected at checkpoints between 2019 and 2020. Last year, officers found 3,257 guns, compared to 4,432 in 2019.

TSA officials advised travelers to familiarize themselves with local gun laws before traveling. Fliers also should ensure they have the proper gun permits for the states that they are traveling to and from.

Airlines may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition so travelers should also contact the airline regarding firearm and ammunition carriage policies prior to arriving at the airport. Even if a traveler has a concealed weapon permit, firearms are not permitted to be carried onto an airplane.

Generally firearms can transported inside checked baggage stored in the belly of the aircraft so that nobody has access to them during the flight. TSA has specific guidelines hove guns and ammo should be packed in checked luggage and has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its web site.

Airline officials should be notified about the gun when they check that bag, TSA officials said.

Individuals who bring weapons to a checkpoint face federal civil penalties of up to $13,669. A typical first offense for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is $4,100, TSA officials said.

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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.
The Jerry John Rawlings Foundation, on behalf of the Rawlings family through the Ministry of Information has stated that no media house or any recording or picture taking gadget will be allowed into the lobby of the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) where the mortal remains of the late former President Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings has been laid-in-state.



A statement issued by the Foundation through the Ministry of Information said the official production unit of the Jerry John Rawlings Foundation will provide live HDMI or SDI feed output for all proceedings.



It added that Media houses that wish to have access to the live feed or photographs are requested to pick their feed from the Media Village that has been set up at the AICC for that purpose.



Ghana mourns



Ghanaians will from Monday, January 25 to Tuesday, January 26, pay their last respects to the late former President who died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on November 12, 2019, after a short illness.



Todays filing past is reserved for heads of the security agencies, leaders of political parties and the public.



Tomorrow, the filing past will start with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, former Heads of State, as well as heads of constitutional bodies.



On the same Tuesday, Members of Parliament, led by the Speaker, Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin; former Speakers of Parliament, the Chief Justice, justices of the Supreme Court, former Chief Justices, former chairmen and members of the Council of State, former ministers of state, among others, will file past the body.



Members of the Diplomatic Corps and organised groups will also pay their respects on Tuesday.



DEVTRACO THE PELICAN

The remains of former President Rawlings will be entombed at the Military Cemetery at the Burma Camp in Accra after a state funeral on Wednesday, January 27.





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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As the nation celebrates 72nd Republic Day on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended greetings and said that India plays an important constructive role in addressing pressing issues on the regional and global agenda. In a congratulatory message to President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Narendra Modi, Putin said that the successes achieved by India in various spheres are recognised. He added that Russia also values the relations of the privilege strategic partnership between New Delhi and Moscow.

Putin said, Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the national holiday - Republic Day. The successes achieved by your country in the economic, social, scientific, technical and other spheres are generally recognized. India plays an important constructive role in addressing pressing issues on the regional and global agenda.

We value the relations of the privileged strategic partnership that exist between our states. I am confident that the further build-up of the entire range of constructive Russian-Indian ties meets the interests of our friendly peoples and is in line with strengthening international stability and security. I wish you good health and success, and prosperity to all Indian citizens," he added.

READ: Capt Preeti: Only Woman Commander At Republic Day Parade From Army Leads Contingent

World leaders extend greetings

Apart from Putin, several other global leaders also extended their wishes to India on the auspicious occasion. Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated PM Modi and the people of India, Bhutans Lotay Tshering, on the other hand, conveyed prayers of people of Bhutan for Indias lasting peace and prosperity. Reiterating PM Modi's stance on Australia and India being solid partners, Australian PM Scott Morrison remarked that the two countries functioned on similar ideals of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

READ: Karisma Kapoor Wishes Fans On Republic Day With A Family Picture

President of Republic of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih also congratulated PM Modi and President Kovind and called Indias constitution remarkable. UK PM Boris Johnson, who was set to be the chief guest at Indias annual Republic Day parade, also extended greeting and said that UK and India are working side by side to free humanity from the coronavirus pandemic. Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli expressed his best wishes for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the people of India and further admired nations spectacular progress in various fields of science, technology, medicine & economic development.

Meanwhile, as per tradition, the national flag was unfurled in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind, PM Modi, and other dignitaries, followed by the national anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. During the Republic Day parade, the might of the Indian Airforce was in full display. India showed its military might with Rafale fighter jets taking part in the flypast for the first time and the armed forces showcasing T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system, and Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets.

(With inputs from ANI)

READ: Israeli PM Netanyahu Greets 'great Friend' Narenedra Modi On 72nd Republic Day

READ: Republic Day 2021: BSF's Camel Contingent Lights Up Rajpath In Delhi


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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 20:08:59|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in Asia-Pacific countries as Thailand saw the biggest spike in new cases on Tuesday while Malaysia reported 3,585 new cases.

India's COVID-19 tally rose to 10,676,838 as 9,102 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, according to the latest data from the health ministry.

This is the first day in several months when the number of new cases registered in a day fell below the 10,000-mark.

According to the official data, the death toll mounted to 153,587 as 117 COVID-19 patients died since Monday morning.

There are still 177,266 active cases in the country, while 10,345,985 people have been discharged so far from hospitals after medical treatment. Last week, Wednesday was the first day in nearly seven months when the number of the active COVID-19 cases in the country fell below the 200,000-mark.

Malaysia reported 3,585 new COVID-19 infections, the Health Ministry said, bringing the national total to 190,434.

Eleven more deaths have been reported, pushing the death toll to 700.

Another 4,076 patients have been released after recovery, bringing the total cured and discharged to 149,160 or 78.3 percent of all cases.

The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines reported 1,173 new confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 516,166.

The death toll climbed to 10,386 after 94 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. It added 18 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 475,423.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed concern over the detection of the more contagious coronavirus strain in the Philippines.

Citing dangers posed by the mutated variant first found in Britain, Duterte reimposed the stay-at-home rule for 10 to 14-year-olds in the entire country "until everybody is safe because of the vaccine."

Thailand confirmed a record daily tally of 959 cases of coronavirus infection, mostly via active testing in Samut Sakhon province, according to the Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

Of the new cases, 937 were domestic ones and 22 others were imported cases, CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin said at a daily briefing.

Most of the cases in the province were found through active testing conducted with Myanmar migrants and Thai nationals, the spokesman added.

South Korea reported 354 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Monday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 75,875.

The daily caseload was down from 437 on the previous day. It stayed below 500 for nine straight days, after peaking at 1,240 on Dec. 25.

Eleven more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 1,371. The total fatality rate stood at 1.81 percent. Enditem

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- International Isotopes Inc. (OTCQB: INIS) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the following developments.

International Isotopes recently signed a distribution agreement with a large American healthcare services company for its I-131 drug product for the treatment of disease of the thyroid and thyroid cancer. INIS expects to start distributing product to this company later in the first quarter and this should help to further expand sales of this important product in the U.S..

The Company was recently notified by the Department of Energy that it has been indemnified under the Price Anderson Act for a release of Cesium that occurred in May of 2019. The Company's field services unit, which has since been discontinued as the Company has focused on growing its healthcare related business segments, was removing an expended Cesium source from a blood irradiator unit, when the source was breached. Further, the Washington Department of Health and Nuclear Regulatory Commission investigations into the event have been closed.

Due to recent volatility in its share price, the Company's Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan, authorizing the Company to repurchase up to $500,000 of its common shares in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions over the next 12 months. Repurchases may also be made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which would permit shares to be repurchased when the Company might otherwise be precluded from doing so under insider trading laws. The timing, volume and nature of stock repurchases, if any, will be at the Company's sole discretion and will be dependent on market conditions, applicable securities laws, and other factors. The stock repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

About International Isotopes Inc.

International Isotopes Inc. supplies sodium iodide I-131 as an FDA approved generic drug product and manufactures a full range of nuclear medicine calibration and reference standards. The Company also provides cobalt-60 products for medical and industrial applications.

International Isotopes Inc. Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release are "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, including statements with respect to the Company's future growth expectations for the various business segments. Information contained in such forward-looking statements is based on current expectations and is subject to change. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements of International Isotopes Inc. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements of the Company expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Other factors, which could materially affect such forward-looking statements, can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Investors, potential investors, and other readers, are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are only made as of the date of this press release and International Isotopes, Inc. and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

David Drewitz

Creative Options Communications

Investor and Public Relations

[email protected]

www.creativeoptionsmarketing.com

Phone: 972-814-5723

SOURCE International Isotopes Inc.

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Russian authorities on Tuesday said mass production of its second coronavirus vaccine would begin next month and that a third homemade jab is currently in registration.

Russia launched an inoculation campaign earlier this month, making its first homegrown vaccine, Sputnik V, available to all citizens 18 and older.

Sputnik V was registered in August months ahead of Western competitors and a second Covid vaccine, EpiVacCorona, swiftly followed in October.

"Next month we will move on to a large-scale release of the EpiVacCorona vaccine," Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told a cabinet meeting Tuesday.

"It has already started to become available to the public," he added, noting the government has allocated two billion rubles ($26.5 million) to produce the jab.

EpiVacCorona was developed by Vektor, a top-secret laboratory in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk that stockpiles viruses ranging from Ebola to smallpox.

Its coronavirus vaccine triggers an immune response using synthetic virus proteins, while Sputnik V uses adapted strains of the adenovirus, a virus that causes the common cold.

Russia's health regulator Rospotrebnadzor this month said early stage trials had shown EpiVacCorona to be 100 percent effective.

Russia has said that it will be able to inoculate 60 percent of the population this year, though rollout of Sputnik V has been slower than planned.

Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told the cabinet his ministry was in the process of registering a third homemade coronavirus vaccine.

He added that the jab would be made available to the public 'within a month'.

Total infections stood at more than 3.7 million on Tuesday, making Russia's caseload the fourth-highest in the world.

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Steve Baker, Managing Director and Country Manager for Utilis UK When I saw that Utilis was looking to set up in the UK I knew that I wanted to be part of the journey," said Steve Baker, Managing Director and Country Manager for Utilis UK

After five years of strong performance in the United Kingdom water and transportation infrastructure markets, Utilis has opened an office in London and tapped Steve Baker, an executive with vast industry knowledge to lead operations. Steve has over 25 years experience working for water companies, consultants, and contractors, most recently for AECOM as the Operations Director for the Water, Ports and Power business.

Infrastructure operators in the UK are some of the most technologically advanced in the world, quickly adopting the Utilis satellite-based leak detection solution five years ago to find underground undetected leaks as part of their water loss reduction efforts. Recent interest in satellite-based SAR analytics technology to proactively inspect and monitor geotechnical hazards through below surface soil moisture mapping is bringing new customers into the fold. The new UK office will position Utilis closer to customers and business partners, thereby improving response time and enabling better service be provided to existing and new customers.

When I saw that Utilis was looking to set up in the UK I knew that I wanted to be part of the journey, taking my career full circle, back to making a difference on the ground but with a 21st century toolkit," said Steve Baker, Managing Director and Country Manager for Utilis UK.

Although 2020 was a challenging year, Utilis has managed to expand worldwide, increase the number of customers, and achieve impressive financial results. Steves experience, skills and personality will contribute significantly to fulfill the companys plans for the UK, said Elly Perets, Utilis CEO.

ABOUT UTILIS

Utilis provides data driven solutions for water utilities, government agencies, and the greater infrastructure industry. They use synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from satellites and turn it into large scale decision support tools. The proprietary algorithms and highly educated staff of scientists and engineers are the key to the companys mission, to advance planet Earths resource resilience through SAR analytics. Successfully commercializing their first product, leak detection in 2016, Utilis projects have resulted in saving more than 23,000 megalitres (5000 million gallons) of potable water and 12,000 MWH of energy per year, in support of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Headquartered in Israel, with offices in the United States and United Kingdom, Utilis currently provides innovative data solutions in multiple verticals around the globe. For more information on Utilis and to learn more about their technology visit https://utiliscorp.com/

Maharashtra faced a financial blow during the COVID-19 crisis, but the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government took different measures to come out of the situation, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari said on Tuesday.

Addressing a programme in Marathi at the Shivaji Park here to mark the 72nd Republic Day, Koshyari said Maharashtra remained at the forefront of attracting investments and employment generation even during the adverse situation of COVID-19 crisis.

He hailed the government machinery for working "day and night" hand-in-hand with the state's health apparatus, and said that is why people welcomed the New Year with "a positive beginning and lots of hope".

The governor also urged people to exhibit the "same courage" shown during the COVID-19 crisis and remain alert about health by adopting a new lifestyle with self-discipline.

"Though we faced calamities like COVID-19, hailstorm, cyclone Nisarg, untimely rains and bird flu, we are marching ahead in all sectors. During the COVID-19 crisis, the state received a financial blow, but my government took different measures to come out of this situation," he said.

"We are combating all these calamities with might and determination, and I am confident that we will keep the tradition of development of Maharashtra by converting calamity into opportunity," he said.

Koshyari noted that the number COVID-19 patients has come down, but said people need to remain vigilant.

The governor stressed on giving utmost priority to maintaining social distance, use of masks and washing hands regularly.

He said the government implemented its 'My Family My Responsibility' campaign successfully by creating awareness among citizens.

The state government has given benefit of Rs 20,000 crore to 30 lakh registered farmers under its Mahatma Jyotirao Phule farmers' loan waiver scheme during the period of one year, he said.

The government has launched a campaign of 'whatever is sold would be cultivated' for farmers and under the initiative, projects of developing district-wise and crop-wise 1,345 value chains are being implemented, he said.

"I am also happy to mention that the state government has purchased cotton to the extent which is a record in the last 10 years. For the first time, this year, my government purchased un-milled food-grains during the Rabi season," the governor said.

During the COVID-19 crisis, the government reduced the price of Shiv Bhojan' meal to just Rs 5. There are over 900 Shiv Bhojan centres made functional in the state and more than 2.5 crore needy people have benefitted from the scheme, Koshyari said.

He said Maharashtra remained at the forefront of attracting investment and employment generation even during the adverse situation of COVID-19 crisis.

The state attracted investments worth Rs 2 lakh crore by inking memorandum of understanding (MoU) with various leading companies and through foreign direct investment under the 'Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0' initiative, he said.

"Employment generation for 2,53,880 people will be there through this investment and it is a big achievement of my government, he said.The governor also said that the government provided a financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to more than 10 lakh construction and Mathadi workers during the lockdown period. Shelter homes and meals were provided to labourers who had to migrate due to the lockdown and workers from other states, he said.

On the issue of women's safety, Koshyari said the government has prepared a Shakti bill, and added that it is creating the first separate women's battalion in the State Reserved Police Force. He said work on the coastal road, that will connect Mumbai island city to western suburbs, is going on in a "speedy" manner.

"The Metro services in cities of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur will soon become functional so that it will help reduce the pressure on local train service," he said.

The 'Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Prosperity' highway corridor, joining various districts of Maharashtra, will also become functional soon, the governor said. "The stretch between Nagpur and Shirdi on this corridor will be opened for traffic soon," he added.

The governor said the government's decision of reducing stamp duty for house purchase has helped revive the construction sector and in addition helped bring the state economy to normalcy.

"During the period of four months between September and December last year, property registration has increased by 48 per cent while revenue has increased by Rs 367 crore, compared to previous year of 2019 for the same period," he said. The government has made changes in the 7/12 extract for the first time after eight decades, Koshyari said. "Twelve changes like water mark, unique code will result in curbing the irregularities in land matters," he added. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray unfurled the tricolour at his official residence 'Varsha' here.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Lead, South Dakota, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dakota Territory Resource Corp (OTCQB: DTRC) ("Dakota Territory" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that the Company has substantially increased its land holdings in the Homestake District of the Black Hills of South Dakota through the staking of 158 unpatented lode mining claims covering approximately 2,740 acres. The acquisition has been based on continuing analysis of the Companys historic data sets coupled with new insights derived from the Companys district-scale airborne geophysical survey flown during the summer of 2020.

Dakota Territorys most recent work has increased the acreage of three of the Companys existing project areas. At the west side of the Homestake District, the Tinton property has been extended to the north and northwest adding approximately 1,966 acres to the original claim block. In the central region of the District, the West Corridor property has been extended west to Cleopatra Creek covering approximately 275 additional acres between Richmond Hill and Wharf gold mines, and the Blind Gold Property has been expanded west adding approximately 499 acres immediately north of the Richmond Hill Mine.

The Companys land acquisition represents a sizeable addition to the Company's property portfolio in the Black Hills. Dakota Territory now controls approximately 18,182 acres of brownfields mineral property in one of Americas great gold districts. Dakota Territory is committed to strategically expanding its land package in the Black Hills as industry interest builds for gold exploration in the safe, low-cost jurisdictions of the United States with a history of large-scale gold production.

About Dakota Territory Resource Corp

Dakota Territory is a Nevada Corporation with its offices located at Lead, South Dakota. Dakota Territory maintains 100% ownership of eight gold properties covering approximately 18,182 acres of the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, including the Blind Gold, City Creek, West Corridor, Homestake Paleoplacer, Ragged Top, Tinton, Maitland and Poorman Anticline Properties. Dakota Territory is uniquely positioned to leverage Managements extensive exploration and mining experience in the District with Homestake Mining Company. For more information on Dakota Territory, please visit the Company's website at http://DakotaTRC.com .

Investor Relations

Investor Relations Contact: For more information, please contact Dakota Territory Resource Corp (605) 717-2540

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January 26th, 2021 - Malaga, Spain -- The 2021 Skal International Executive Board has met for the first time on a virtual meeting to kick start 2021 with a new set of goals.

MALAGA, Spain, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Members of the Skal International Executive Board for 2021 are Bill Rheaume, World President from Skal Canada; Burcin Turkkan, Senior Vice President from Skal USA; Fiona Nicholl, Vice President from Skal Australia; Juan Ignacio Steta Gandara, Director from Skal Mexico; Marja Eela-Kaskinen, Director from Skal Finland; Denise Scrafton, ISC President from Skal Australia and Daniela Otero, CEO from Skal Spain.

The International Executive Board of Skal will prioritize and focus on supporting collective passion for Skal and tourism by furthering global partnerships, developing relationships, increasing awareness and influence through tourism industry events to increase Skal membership value.

"As I begin my term as Skal International World President, we still face the daunting task of keeping member engagement and interest high while the Tourism Industry slowly recovers from the devastating outcome of COVID and resulting lockdowns and travel restrictions. The Executive Board is committed to supporting that recovery in every way possible and promoting Skal membership values when the importance of community support is so necessary.' said Bill Rheaume, World President, Skal International. "Now, with vaccines available, there is finally some light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Our industry must be ready to support the travel companies, airlines, and hoteliers as they fight to survive this unexpected downturn," he added.

In 2021 Skal international will continue to work closely with UNWTO as Daniela Otero, CEO of Skal International, is an affiliate board member. The organization will also continue close collaboration with other partner associations such as WTTC, PATA, IIPT, The Code, ECPAT, ICTP, and Sustainable Travel Association.

"Governments, organizations, businesses, and ultimately all of us will need to invest the next few months in more training focused on recovery. Working together and collaborating has been, and will continue to be, vital," said Daniela Otero, CEO of Skal International.

During 2020, Skal International, like every other association worldwide, conducted its meetings in various online platforms as virtual meetings or, in some cases, using the hybrid format. In 2021, this will continue to be the norm for the first 4-6 months. 'Our goal in 2021 will be to maximize the visibility of Skal International globally while maintaining an effective and progressive communication internally. We will establish and drive a multi-channel communications strategy, develop a brand voice, and maintain brand integrity across all platforms. We plan on using multiple social and digital media platforms to maximize our presence within the Travel and Tourism Industry' said Burcin Turkkan, Senior VP responsible for PR/ Communications and Digital Media.

As the first International association adopting the Digital Transformation as of 2018, Skal International has technologically advanced platforms to allow its members to do business virtually using these platforms. "As we are at the second phase of the Digital Transformation, we are working on introducing more advanced technologies and innovative platforms to our global membership' said Fiona Nicholl, Vice President of Skal International.

Skal International is planning on meeting in October 2021 with its global membership at the Annual Skal International World Congress in Quebec City, Canada. This event could be one of the first global travel and tourism industry meetings after the pandemic. The Congress has an extensive program including B2B events, workshops, guest speakers, welcoming members and non-members from the global travel and tourism Industry.

Skal International is the world's largest global network of Tourism Professionals promoting Tourism, Business, and Friendship worldwide since 1934. Its members are Directors and Executives of the Tourism sector who relate to each other to address common interest issues, improving a business network, and promoting destinations. For more information about Skal International and membership, please visit skal.org.

Press Release Contact: Burcin Turkkan, Senior Vice President Skal Internationalburcin.turkkan@skal.org
Dr. Michelle Thompson knows a lot about self-care. A family medicine physician in Vienna, Ohio, she specializes in lifestyle and integrative care, using both conventional and alternative therapies to help her patients heal. She also teaches medical personnel how to prevent and treat burnout.

But despite what she recommends to others, taking care of her own emotional well-being hasnt been easy during the pandemic.

When the pandemic hit in March, Dr. Thompson, 46, who is also chair of medicine for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Horizon regional health service, was seeing about 25 patients a day in her office, whom she had to convert to seeing via telemedicine overnight, she said.

In April, she joined an eight-week online mind-body skills program run by Dr. James S. Gordon, founder and executive director of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, which since its founding in 1991 has trained nearly a thousand health care professionals in various self-care measures that they can use in their practices. Dr. Gordon, a psychiatrist, started the skills group earlier this year to help doctors and other health care workers cope with the extra demands and psychological suffering the pandemic has brought. The program included weekly Zoom calls with others on the front lines, along with meditative exercises like drawing pictures, visualizations and guided imagery.
The kind of direct governmental regulations for news platforms should be less focused on regulating journalists conduct, and more about protecting their speech

In the first part of this analysis, the general regulatory landscape governing news media platforms had been laid out. In this part, an effort will be made to try and identify the fault lines in the approach by the government and what a model for digital media platforms would look like.

Entrenching power through foreign investment laws

As with most industries, there were significant restrictions on foreign investment in newspapers before the liberalisation in 1991. However, even after the liberalisation reforms, and the subsequent opening of markets in the late 1990s, no such investment was allowed in the newspaper industry. This changed to some degree in 2002, where 26 percent FDI was allowed in the newspaper industry.

A parliamentary committee and the newspaper industry opposed these reforms very fiercely. These were variously opposed on the ground that newspapers influence political beliefs, social mores and cultural impulses, therefore intelligence agencies from foreign governments could mislead the people. They claimed that the newspapers were more influential than TV broadcasting and therefore, the opening up of foreign investment could be allowed with them. However, like FDI norms were set up retrospectively for digital news platforms, in 2003 FDI in broadcast news was reduced to 23 percent. This was later increased to 49 percent, but as has been documented elsewhere, all these steps have only led to more and more consolidation in the Indian news market.

It has been noted earlier that there are a large number of prominent digital media platforms that actually have origins in the digital sphere. Only several of them are off-shoots of newspapers or TV media platforms such as The Hindu, NDTV, The Indian Express etc. When the Government passed the FDI norms for digital platforms in 2019, an organisation known as Digital News Publishers Association supported the move, on the ground that this would create a level-playing field in the Indian news industry. What is noteworthy however, is that all of the members of this Association are legacy media businesses. This move was opposed across the board by digital-only platforms such as The Ken, The Wire, Medianama etc.

At the same time, one of the most important concerns that has been raised consistently since the setting up of the First Press Commission in 1955, to reports by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of Indias consultation in 2013, and several more (see here, here and here), is that of the increasing monopolisation and consolidation of news businesses. This issue has hardly received any sincere government effort. There has been very little, if any, regulation on media cross-ownership. At the same time, the government has been enthusiastic about taking steps to deal with the menace that newer news businesses cause. The newest FDI regulations in a bid to bring regulation on digital news platforms is merely a symptom of this.

This considered silence as Vidobh Parathasarathi and Simran Agarwal call it, masks the politics that drives this dichotomy of government regulation. They say that this is not so much the evidence of sloppy regulation, but more the evidence of the government taking steps that threaten the ruling dispensation and harm the commercial interests of the established players. All of these regulatory moves, from the introduction of the Draft Press Registration Bill, to the FDI norms dating back to almost all regulations on the media have almost always led to reduction of diversity in news businesses. This in turn has reduced the choices in content that the audience had access to. This frame would explain the lack of any steps to strengthen the Press Commission of India, or say take action against clearly outrightly bigoted speech that comes from the broadcast media, the starkest example being that of Sudarshan TV.

Developing regulation for better media

Making efforts to open up foreign investment progressively in the broadcast and newspaper industry could also boost the competition in the area. This would provide impetus to media businesses to provide more nuanced news and better coverage of issues. The clearest evidence for this comes from the range of opinions and the depth which digital news platforms have been able to provide. At the same time, taking strong steps to restrict cross-media consolidation horizontally and vertically are the need of the hour.

Further, steps can be taken to develop a regulatory model for news platforms regardless of medium. The kind of direct governmental regulations for news platforms should be less focused on regulating journalists conduct, and more about protecting their speech such as giving them legal protection for conducting sting operations, against trolling etc. These kinds of measures would be beneficial for journalists across the board.

With regards to conduct, providing any regulatory power to the State on framing and enforcing ethical guidelines could have serious repercussions. To that end, strengthening and increasing the scope of a self-regulatory body like the Press Council, to include both broadcast media and digital media, can be a huge step forward. The Press Council, despite its limitations, has historically been an independent and representative body because of the wide-range of interests that are represented in it. It is however, important to ensure that media houses also take the body more seriously. Amendments should be made in the Press Council Act to make it mandatory for the media platforms to give prominent coverage to the Press Councils press releases and decisions. Simply informing the public about their activities could have a significant effect on the publics perception and also increase awareness about ethics violations by the media houses.

Another major concern with news platforms, and this is true across the world, is that of revenues. With the duopoly of Facebook-Google taking up the vast quantity of ad-revenue, there is a serious need to rethink the way in which regulations are framed around news platforms. One major example of a government taking proactive steps to protect their news business is that of Australia where the government is pushing for a law that requires Google and Facebook to share royalties with news publishers. The reason for this is that Google and Facebook benefit massively from the presence of news content from these publishers. At the same time, they also are one of the main reasons for the publishers dwindling ad revenues.

Without active revenues, a large number of smaller media houses have already shut down, and the Australian government recognising the need for a strong media to democracy wants to ensure that they are finally supported. Although recently Google did threaten to shut its search operations it is unlikely that the Australian government is going to be the last of the countries to take steps to hold Big Tech accountable monetarily or otherwise for the damage that it has caused across the globe.

While the trend of dwindling ad revenues has still not affected India in full-force, it is only a matter of time before it does. Indian regulators and digital media houses must be prepared actively battling for clearer steps being taken in this arena.

The author is a 5th year student at NALSAR, Hyderabad

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
A 20-year-old man received juvenile sentences on Monday for raping and attempting to rape four teenage girls, in a case that has reignited debate over the age of criminal liability in Japan.

The man had told a court in the Shiga Prefecture that he wanted to rape a lot of women while Id still be considered a minor. And thats what he did.

The man was found guilty of rape and attempted rape involving four girls aged between 15 and 16. He asked the victims to help fix his bicycle before luring them down a quiet street, the Otsu District Court of Nagahama City was told.

He was under 20 years of age at the time of the crimes and was tried as a minor under Japans Juvenile Law. The court sentenced him to five-and-a-half years in prison, which is just a few months more than the minimum sentence of five years for adult offenders of rape in the country. The Juvenile Law also prohibits anyone from disclosing the rapists name.

The case has reignited debate over the minimum age to try someone as an adult in Japan. Under the Japanese Juvenile Law, most 18- and 19-year-olds are tried as minors unless a judge deems the crime too severe, such as murder. No such exception was made for the serial rapist.

The disturbing case comes as Japan has decided to lower the national age of adulthood from 20 to 18 in April 2022, but without changing the age of criminal responsibility.

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The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Antony Blinken as America's top diplomat, tasked with carrying out President Joe Biden's commitment to reverse the Trump administration's 'America First' doctrine that weakened international alliances.

Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation's 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo.

The position is the most senior Cabinet position, with the secretary fourth in the line of presidential succession.

Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration.

He has pledged to be a leading force in the administration's bid to reframe the U.S. relationship with the rest of the world after four years in which President Donald Trump questioned longtime alliances.

He is expected to start work on Wednesday after being sworn in, according to State Department officials.

'American leadership still matters,' Blinken told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at his Jan. 19 confirmation hearing.

In the line: As Secretary of State Antony Blinken is the most senior Senate-confirmed member of the line of succession

Outside swearing in: Janet Yellen was administered at the White House by Kamala Harris - in open air as a precaution against COVID

'The reality is, the world simply does not organize itself. When we're not engaged, when we're not leading, then one of two things is likely to happen. Either some other country tries to take our place, but not in a way that's likely to advance our interests and values, or maybe just as bad, no one does and then you have chaos.'

Blinken vowed that the Biden administration would approach the world with both humility and confidence, saying 'we have a great deal of work to do at home to enhance our standing abroad.'

Despite promising renewed American leadership and an emphasis on shoring up strained ties with allies in Europe and Asia, Blinken told lawmakers that he agreed with many of Trump's foreign policy initiatives.

He backed the so-called Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states, and a tough stance on China over human rights and its assertiveness in the South China Sea.

He did, however, signal that the Biden administration is interested in bringing Iran back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal from which Trump withdrew in 2018.

Trump's secretaries of state nominees met with significant opposition from Democrats. Trump's first nominee for the job, former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, was approved by a 56 to 43 vote and served only 13 months before Trump fired him in tweet. His successor, Pompeo, was confirmed in a 57-42 vote.

Opposition to Blinken centered on Iran policy and concerns among conservatives that he will abandon Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign against Iran.

President-elect Joe Biden's Cabinet and Cabinet-level picks. (AP Graphic)

Blinken inherits a deeply demoralized and depleted career workforce at the State Department. Neither Tillerson nor Pompeo offered strong resistance to the Trump administration's attempts to gut the agency, which were thwarted only by congressional intervention.

Although the department escaped proposed cuts of more than 30% of its budget for three consecutive years, it has seen a significant number of departures from its senior and rising mid-level ranks.

Many diplomats opted to retire or leave the foreign service given limited prospects for advancement under an administration that they believed didn't value their expertise.

A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School and a longtime Democratic foreign policy presence, Blinken has aligned himself with numerous former senior national security officials who have called for a major reinvestment in American diplomacy and renewed emphasis on global engagement.

Blinken served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration before becoming staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chair of the panel. In the early years of the Obama administration, Blinken returned to the NSC and was then-Vice President Biden's national security adviser before he moved to the State Department to serve as deputy to Secretary of State John Kerry, who is now serving as special envoy for climate change.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
CAIRO  A delegation from the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, headed by Lt. Gen. Shamseldin al-Kabashi and Director of the General Intelligence Service Jamal Abdul Majeed, visited Cairo Jan. 14, where they met with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to discuss the latest developments on the border conflict with Ethiopia and the military operations led by the Sudanese army to liberate the territories from the armed Ethiopian militias.

The visit came as part of Sudans regional moves that are expected to include other visits to Arab countries, namely the Gulf, such as Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, to request diplomatic and legal support, according to a Jan. 14 statement by Sudanese Foreign Minister Omar Qamar al-Din.

However, on Jan. 25, tensions escalated on the Sudanese-Ethiopian border when violent clashes with heavy weapons and artillery broke out in the Jabal Abu al-Toyour border area.

In December 2020, the Sudanese army deployed its soldiers on the border in al-Fashqa region to liberate Sudanese lands from groups affiliated with the Ethiopian militias that have been benefiting from the cultivation of hundreds of acres of fertile land since 1995.

A diplomatic source familiar with Egyptian-Sudanese ties told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Egypt has been carefully observing the tension on the Sudanese borders since the beginning of the skirmishes because it is concerned with protecting peace and security in the African region, especially in the neighboring countries.

He said, Cairo has taken no recent action to support any of the conflicting parties, but Egypt welcomes Sudan's request for support and assistance in its legal position to regain and liberate its lands.

The source noted, Egypt adopts policies that support peaceful solutions through dialogue and negotiation to restore peace and resolve all outstanding issues.

He explained, Restoring calm between Khartoum and Addis Ababa would be in Cairos interest  unlike what Ethiopia has been promoting in the media by throwing accusations against Egypt.

Cairo has made no official comment on the border conflict between Khartoum and Addis Ababa since the beginning of the crisis, except in an strongly worded statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Dec. 31, 2020, in response to statements by Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman Dina Mufti. The latter had touched on the Egyptian internal affairs by criticizing the human rights situation in Egypt. Cairo considered the statement a blatant transgression, accusing Ethiopia of pursuing continuous hostile practices against its regional surroundings, referring to the Ethiopian attacks on Sudanese territory.

Egypt and Sudan are both committed to the Treaty of Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation, under the umbrella of the Arab League, which stipulates in Article 2, The Contracting States consider any [act of] armed aggression made against any one or more of them or their armed forces, to be directed against them all. Therefore, in accordance with the right of self-defense, individually and collectively, they undertake to go without delay to the aid of the State or States against which such an act of aggression is made, and immediately to take, individually and collectively, all steps available, including the use of armed force, to repel the aggression and restore security and peace.

Maj. Gen. Khaled Okasha, a security expert and head of the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor, Egypt is well aware of the sensitivity of the tripartite relationship between it and Sudan and Ethiopia, and interfering in this conflict will worsen the situation without resolving it.

He noted, Sudan is able to recover its lands through all legal, diplomatic and military means, and it does not need Egypt's support. Egypt realizes that these are all recurring conflicts and are not of a level that threatens Egyptian national security.

However, Okasha added, The escalating tension between Sudan and Ethiopia over the lands in al-Fashqa region revealed the true positions of Ethiopia, which has long claimed to be a sister country of Sudan that protects its interests in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam [GERD] issue.

In an unprecedented military cooperation between Egypt and Sudan, units from Egypt's air force and Saiqa (Thunderbolt) commando forces carried out joint air maneuvers with Sudan, dubbed Nile Eagles-1, on Nov. 19, 2020. The maneuvers included a number of offensive and defensive sorties on targets, while the Saiqa forces carried out drills on combat search and rescue work.

Okasha stressed, The Egyptian military maneuvers with Sudan are not an exceptional situation, but rather a restoration of normal relations between the two countries, which had been tense throughout the period of Islamic rule in Sudan.

In a Jan. 25 interview with Al-Arabiya channel, Sudanese Minister of Defense Lt. Gen. Yassin Ibrahim Yassin linked the border dispute with Ethiopia to the GERD negotiations, noting that the common factor in both cases is the Ethiopian delay.

Speaking about the possibilities of Egyptian intervention to mediate between Sudan and Ethiopia to solve the border crisis, Mona Omar, a former assistant to the Egyptian foreign minister, told Al-Monitor, I rule out such a possibility, especially with Ethiopia's intransigent positions with Egypt in the GERD negotiations and its lack of respect for the historical charters and agreements that define mechanisms for dealing with the Nile water.

She said, At the present time Egypt can offer to support Sudan by raising the [border] issue in international forums and providing legal support.

Omar noted, Egypts policy does not consist of working in secret or fueling conflict between two countries, especially since Cairo is well aware that should the Sudanese-Ethiopian tension no longer be limited to mere clashes, it would have negative effects and repercussions on security in the region.

She added, Despite the internal calls to resort to a military solution against Ethiopia in the GERD issue  which is a matter of life and death for Egypt  the Egyptian administration committed itself to peaceful dialogue and negotiation as a way to solve the crisis.

Since the outbreak of the confrontations with Ethiopia on the eastern border of Sudan, Khartoum has taken more hard-line stances on the GERD issue, completely rejecting the Ethiopian positions during the negotiations rounds sponsored by the African Union (AU).

Sudanese government spokesman and Minister of Information Faisal Saleh said in a press statement Jan. 23, Sudan will not accept the imposition of a fait accompli in the GERD [issue], and we have the means to respond to Ethiopia. AU mediation [in the GERD issue] in its old form is no longer useful.

Egypt's moves to support Sudan in its border conflict with Ethiopia come as part of a new era of cooperation and coordination between Cairo and Khartoum to stop any threats affecting the common interests and national security of the two countries, especially in the Nile water file.
Chau Van Minh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, talks about the expectations of science and technology for the country's development.

Chau Van Minh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.

Can you evaluate the implementation of the Resolution of the 12th Congress of the Party in science and technology?

Regarding guidelines and directions, the 11th Party Congress issued Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW, dated October 31, 2012, 'On scientific development and technology for industrialisation and modernisation in the context of a socialist-oriented market economy and international integration'. The resolution affirms the development and application of science and technology is the top national policy and is one of the most important motivations for socio-economic development and national defence.

By the 12th congress, our Party continued to affirm the role and position of science and technology for the country's development. Science and technology are really the top national policy, the most important driving force for the development of modern production, industrialisation and modernisation.

Proper awareness of the Party's leadership and direction, the Government's drastic and timely implementation, science and technology have contributed to rapid and sustainable economic, social and environmental development. Economic growth has been maintained at a relatively high level. In 2011 - 2015, the average GDP growth rate reached 5.9 per cent, in 2016 - 2019 it was 6.8 per cent. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth rate is estimated at a lower number.

The quality of growth has improved, labour productivity has been significantly raised. Economic growth gradually depends less on resource exploitation and more on the application of science, technology and innovation, and an innovative and perfect growth model.

The economic structure of industries has changed positively, the proportion of processing, manufacturing and application of high-tech industries has increased. Many production models applying high technology have been established, like high-tech agriculture, clean and organic agriculture. The quality of a wide range of products has come to meet safety requirements according to international standards. Environmental issues have been solved on the basis of science and international law. Quality of growth is improving day by day. The industry's global competitiveness increased from 58 in 2009 to 42 in 2019. Viet Nam's global business environment ranking position has improved significantly.

Human resource development is promoted, especially high-quality human resources, and more closely linked with market demand. National scientific and technological potential has been strengthened. Some fields of natural sciences have reached regional and international advanced level. Our country is capable of successfully designing and manufacturing a lot of technology and equipment to international standards. The system of key laboratories and specialised laboratories continues to be paid attention to. Research infrastructure in some key fields such as biotechnology, petrochemical, materials, automation, nautical, computing technology and medicine has been strengthened.

International co-operation in science and technology has seen many positive changes. The protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights have been strengthened, while the number of intellectual property and industrial property titles has increased rapidly. The national standard system is increasingly approaching international standards. A database of technologies and experts has been formed. The innovative start-up ecosystem is quite well developed. Vietnam's innovation index in 2019 is at the top of the low-middle-income group.

What are the highlights for science and technology in the draft documents of the 13th congress? What are your expectations and beliefs in the country's development after the congress?

Highlights for the field of science and technology in the Draft Political Report of the Party Central Committee at the congress outlines the orientations and long-term fundamental solutions. It is the development of the science and technology system that is an important component of the social system.

The development of our country in the next five years will embrace the profound effects of the fourth Industrial Revolution, a thriving digital economy, and global competition right in Vietnam. Natural resources are increasingly becoming more limited, the ecological environment is at risk of pollution, intellectual property disputes are becoming harsher, and innovation is the foundation for competition on each product. Demand for personal consumption and demand for better living conditions have increased.

This requires science and technology to participate in the development of the country, to participate in creating a science and technology ecosystem in all structures, pillars and development subjects. According to the horizontal structure, all economic sectors, economic entities and structural constituents of society must consider science and technology, innovation a driving force to create development momentum for organisations and individuals.

I realise that the 13th National Party Congress is of particular importance to the development of the country not only for the five-year term from 2021-2025 but also for the further future of the country.

The congress is a major event where many important contents will be discussed, where the entire Party, the entire people and the entire political system, will review and evaluate what has been implemented in the last five-year term. From this theoretical and practical basis, the congress will focus on analysing, taking into account international and domestic relations, accumulated experiences, cultural values and national solidarity to propose solutions, orientations, and select qualified and qualified cadres to implement the Party's platform and issue resolutions of the congress.

After the congress, Party branches from central to local levels, as well as all Party members and cadres, will have to immediately implement the Resolution of the 13th Congress. Each Party member, each branch, field, and locality will have to develop an innovative way to implement the Resolution, build a detailed, feasible action plan for rapid and sustainable economic and social development, in order to contribute to the development of the country. VNS
The future development is slated for Moreno Valley, where Vendaval hopes to build residential units and 30,000-sq.-ft. of retail facilities. I believe in a community that gives back. I believe in veterans that give back. I believe in giving everyone an opportunity to a successful future.

The need for affordable housing is at a crisis level, especially for veterans as they transition from warriors to workers. But a self-sustaining, mixed-use development created by veteran-support company Vendaval has plans to build apartments, create purpose, and establish a vibrant community for veterans, independent-living seniors and anybody who needs a roof over their heads.

Nick Saifan, a 24-year-Navy/Army veteran and Chairman of Vendaval, knows the challenges veterans face as they seek affordable housing, veteran services, and employment. His planned development shows how the private sector can step in where government falls off. I believe in a community that gives back, Saifan said. I believe in veterans that give back. I believe in giving everyone an opportunity to a successful future.

That future development is slated for Moreno Valley, where Vendaval hopes to build residential units and 30,000-square-feet of retail facilities. The development will be a Mecca for veterans and seniors, who will find jobs, homes, facilities, training, mentoring and a sense of place all in one location.

Feedback from the Moreno Valley officials favors the plan, as do countless veterans who reside in this section of Riverside County, CA. The development will not only ease affordable housing needs in the community, but will also provide hundreds of construction, retail and restaurant jobs at a time of rising unemployment.

In addition to establishing on-site job training and self-advancement opportunities for veterans, the proposed development will include similar benefits for independent-living seniors, single-parents, and teens in need of guidance.

Programs and Services to be Offered



Veteran Programs, including counseling and mentoring,

Job-Placement Assistance,

Transportation to Medical Appointments,

Transportation to the Air Force bases PX market

Youth Programs,

GED Training,

After School Education and Child Care,

Internships,

On the job training,

Housing Assistance,

And many more

The development will be self-sustaining, and programs will be free. Revenues from the apartment rentals and retail shops will more than cover the cost of giving residents, independent seniors, and military veterans a vast range of life improvement opportunities. That includes rental assistance by the Department of Urban and Housing Development (HUD) and other programs. Saifan expects a percentage of the rent to be covered by assistance, but our goal is to reach 100% coverage, he said.

The demand for a project like this is obvious. Affordable housing is scarce in California. Moreno Valley, where the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment runs north of $1,600 a month, is no exception. By some estimates, California needs nearly 1.5 million additional affordable housing units.(1) The government cant fill that void.

The need for housing is especially critical for veterans who face many serious obstacles when they return home. The issues range from the trauma of war to the isolation and frustration veterans can feel when they seek a so-called normal life of work and home. Saifan, who has strong ties with the VA, as well as connections to a wide array of social service and educational professionals, sees the Moreno Valley community concept as a one-stop-shop for veterans. I see holes in the VA system, especially with housing, he said.

The Moreno Valley location is ideal for this development because it is just 25 miles from the nearest VA hospital. The location is home to many veterans and is only five miles from the March Air Reserve Base. The project should be attractive to Moreno Valley officials who have expressed the need to build thousands affordable housing units in the community.

In the end, the Vendaval proposal is about community good and doing right by those who gave all they had in service to the nation. Veterans lived their lives in the service of others, and it is only just that we provide them with the most assistance possible, Saifan said. We are here to make things possible for veterans and help them live a more fulfilling life.

About Vendaval Corporation

Nick Saifan served in the U.S. military for 24 years, including time stationed in Riverside County, CA. He experienced firsthand the difficulties of transitioning from military life to civilian life and, as a co-founder of a community-based nonprofit, he watched the difficulty in getting donations increasing year by year. Today, hes putting his business savvy where his heart is. He sees a community that, like many, has struggled to evolve with a changing employment picture in the region. Today Vendaval Corporation visualizes a sustainable business structure creating the opportunity for helping those in need with successful community-based programs. The differentiator in the communities he visualizes is self-sufficient affordable housing in a mixed-use development that offers on-site programs for veterans, youth, education, childcare, on-the-job training, and job placement. These programs begin even before ground is broken. Rounding out the community are retail outlets such as bakeries/coffee shops, dry cleaning shops, a paid-membership fitness center, and financial institution. For more information visit http://www.vendavalcorp.com/

1. Bollag, Sophia; With Renters Struggling, California Still Needs 1.4 Million More Affordable Units, Report Finds; Last updated March 2019; Sacbee.com; sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article228200679.html
Public school students in Elizabeth will not return to classrooms until April 12, the K-12 district announced Monday.

It was the latest setback for in-person instruction in Elizabeth, one of the states largest school districts, where students have been learning from home since last March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While the states seven-day average for new confirmed COVID-19 positive tests had declined by 15 % as of Monday, Schools Superintendent Olga Hugelmeyer told parents that the positivity rate in northern New Jersey remains too high to justify returning to classrooms.

Safety and the well-being of our learning community, first and foremost, will guide our way back to our schools and back to in-person teaching and learning, Hugelmeyer wrote in a letter.

The district had been planning a return to classrooms on Feb. 5.

Elizabeth is among several prominent school districts that have been unable to resume in-person instruction due to the pandemic.

School officials in Trenton announced two weekends ago that students would remain on an all-remote learning schedule until May 3.

Newark and Jersey City have extended virtual instruction until April 12 and April 21, respectively.

Paterson has scheduled a March 1 return date, though Superintendent Eileen Shafer told NJ Advance Media two week ago that a decision on proceeding will not be finalized until mid-February.

Prior to the pandemic, a school year in New Jersey consisted of 180 days of in-person instruction but waivers have been granted due to the ongoing state of emergency.

Elizabeth had planned to begin the 2020-21 school year in September with a hybrid schedule combining classroom instruction with learning from home, but switched to all-remote learning after at least 375 Elizabeth teachers requested to work from home for health reasons.

Many teachers, though, continued to teach via a livestream from their classrooms, while some special education students were permitted into the buildings because the services they received could not be replicated via remote instruction.

As of November, the district had temporarily closed 23 different schools a total of 27 times since September due to coronavirus cases, according to statistics compiled by the Elizabeth Education Association, the local teachers union.

Hugelmeyer, in her letter, referenced optimism that students would return to classrooms before the end of the school year in June.

While our return to normal is still foreseen to be a gradual and measured process, we remain hopeful to reopen our doors to our learning community again in April, Hugelmeyer wrote.

Elizabeth enrolls approximately 28,300 students.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
When it comes to tackling injustice, many Christians have an impulse to push harder and faster. Eager to hit the accelerator, they dont always pause to consider whether their zeal is prudent or proportionate.

This is one thing to commend about the measured approach taken by Thaddeus K. Williams in Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christian Should Ask About Social Justice. Williams, a theology professor at Biola University, seeks to lay a Christian foundation for programs of social justice while critiquing the excesses and extrabiblical emphases of secular social justice. He encourages us not to slam on the brakes but to slow down and engage in critical self-reflection before diving headfirst into the latest cause. Justice advocates often put up their defense shields when confronted with arguments like these. But Williams invites us to come and reason together, laying down our tribal and ideological weapons.

As Williams affirms at the outset, Social justice is not optional for the Christian. The question is, which type of social justice? Williams distinguishes between what he calls Social Justice A (biblical social justice) and Social Justice B (unbiblical social justice), and the book proposes 12 questions aimed at helping believers discern between the two rivals. For instance, does our vision of social justice take seriously the godhood of God? Does it acknowledge the image of God in all people? Does it encourage love, peace, and patience or suspicion, division, and rage?

Williams affirms the reality of racism and systemic injustice, pointing to well-documented disparities in housing and the criminal justice system as examples. But ...

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Farmers Protests Live updates: In a video posted on Facebook, actor Deep Sidhu said protesters hould not be given any communal colour or dubbed as fundamentalists or hardliners. To symbolically register our protest against the new farm legislations, we put up ''Nishan Sahib'' and a farmer flag and also raised a slogan of Kisan Mazdoor Ekta, he said

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Thousands of farmers knocked down police barricades and entered Delhi on foot Tuesday morning amid huge police presence ahead of a tractor rally. Tear gas shells were fired by policemen to stop the protesters in some parts of the city.

Protestors at Karnal bypass break police barricading to enter Delhi as farmers tractor rally is underway in the National Capital against Centre's farm laws.

According to officials, security personnel tried to convince the farmers that they have been given permission to hold their tractor parade in Delhi after the Republic Day parade at the Rajpath concludes.

Protesting farmers were baton-charged and tear gas shells were fired by policemen as chaos unfolded near borders of the National Capital.

The entry and exit gates of Indraprastha metro station and all stations on the Green Line have been the shut, said the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Tuesday.

An official said that police personnel used tear gas on groups of farmers coming from the Singhu border point to disperse them after they tried to hold their march on Outer Ring Road.

At Delhi's Mukarba Chowk, security personnel used tear gas on groups of farmers as they tried to break barricades and cemented barriers with tractors.

A clash broke out between police and protesting farmers after the latter reached ITO in the National Capital and tried to move towards Delhi. The protesters were seen chasing police personnel with sticks. The police force also resorted to lathicharge and fired teargas shells to disperse the crowd.

According to media reports, some police personnel were thrashed by the protesting farmers in the ITO area of the National Capital. The protesters had also vandalised a DTC bus earlier. Meanwhile, the protesters have reached outside the Red Fort.

According to some media reports, a tractor overturned at Minto Road in New Delhi leading to the death of the driver on Tuesday during the farmers' protest rally against Centre's farm laws.

Farmers have entered the Red Fort and their tractors are present outside. While few cops are sitting on chairs, others are trying to bring down certain flags which the protestors have hoisted.

Underlining that violence is not the solution to any problem, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday appealed to the Centre to repeal the three farm laws

"Most unfortunate. I have supported the farmers' protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on Republic Day no flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort," said Tharoor.

Several politicians on Tuesday condemned the action by protesters as they reached the Red Fort, entered its complex and hoisted yellow flags. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor responded sharply to the incident and said "cannot condone lawlessness".

Activist Kavita Krishnan said that several residents of Delhi formed a human chain on Tuesday, flanking the farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day to distribute food and water to the protesters.

The Connaught Place in central Delhi will remain closed Tuesday in view of the ongoing tractor march by farmers, which turned violent at some places in the city, PTI quoted the New Delhi Traders Association as saying.

Speaking on allegations that protests have gone out of the hands of farmer leaders, Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union, said: "We know the people who are trying to create disturbance, they are identified. There are people from political parties who are trying to malign the agitation."

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has decided to close off entry and exit points of all stations on the Grey Line. Earlier in the day, the Delhi Gate metro station was also shut down, along with all the stops on the Green Line.

The internet services have been snapped in some parts of Delhi-NCR in view of the prevailing law and order situation, an order from the MHA said. The areas where internet is suspended include Singhu Border, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi.

Protesting farmer dies at Delhi's ITO after his tractor overturns, police officials told PTI. The ITO resembled a war zone as restive crowds of farmers and uniformed security personnel could be seen in the area. Police fired tear gas shells at hundreds of farmers who wielded sticks and clubs and entered ITO, a few kilometres away from Parliament, in an effort to move towards Rajpath.

Holding the central government responsible for the violent clashes between protesting farmers and Delhi Police on Tuesday, DMK chief MK Stalin said that the Centre's attitude is the reason that the farmers protests dragged on for so long and turned violent today. He also appealed to the two sides to look for a peaceful resolution.

"Despite all our efforts, some organisations and individuals violated route and indulged in condemnable acts. Anti-social elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement. We've always held that peace is our biggest strength and any violation would hurt the movement," News18 quoted an SKM spokesperson as saying.

Distancing themselves from the violence during the farmers' march, Sanyukta Kisan Morcha has said that despite their efforts, some organisations and individuals violated route and indulged in condemnable acts.

Entry and exit gates of all stations on the grey line were also closed besides the Delhi Gate and ITO metro stations. Earlier in the day, the DMRC announced temporary closure of the entry and exit gates of more than 10 metro stations in central and north Delhi following clashes between police and protesting farmers at a number of places in the national capital.

The entry and exit gates of at least 20 metro stations were closed as chaos escalated due to the farmers' protest turning violent on Tuesday. Railway trains were also stopped as a precautionary measure for over two hours at the Tilak Bridge railway station after the protestors reached ITO in Central Delhi and clashed with police.

We condemn violence that was seen in Delhi. It is regrettable that the Centre allowed the situation to deteriorate to such an extent. Movement has been peaceful for last 2 months. Farmer leaders have said those who indulged in violence were 'external elements', the Aam Aadmi party said in a statement.

Normal service has resumed on grey line. Entry/exit has been permitted through one gate in the following stations  Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines.

A group of farmers who had started there march from Tikri, and had clashed with police in Nangloi area have finally reached the Red Fort, The Indian Express reported. Earlier in the day, the police had forcefully removed another group of protesters from the historic site after violence broke out.

The Delhi Police had told PTI earlier in the day that the tractor of a farmer had overturned in the chaos near ITO on Tuesday, killing him on the spot. The deceased has now been identified as Ranveet Singh from Bilaspur in Punjab. According toThe Hindu, he was the only son of his parents and had returned to India from Australia around two years ago. He was survived by his wife and parents.

"We have finally gained entry into Delhi after four months -- two in Punjab and two at the Delhi border. The mood is clear, we have come here to stay. There's no point in going back to where we started," Amarjeet Singh, 62, a protesting farmer, said.

Farmers were seen moving back in batches to Tikri and Ghazipur border protest sites on Tuesday evening.

Some groups of farmers started going back to their respective sit-in sites on Tuesday evening after hours of chaos during their tractor parade against the farm laws, but thousands of other protesters were still in several areas, including ITO, Nangloi and Mukarba Chowk, of the national capital. Hundreds of farmers were sitting at the ITO crossing and many, who entered the city from the Singhu border protest site, were moving towards Delhi's Outer Ring Road.

With police and farmers involved in clashes at many places, some parts of the city were cut off with Traffic Police regulating movement of vehicles in view of presence of farmers at places such as ITO, Red Fort, Nangloi, Anand Vihar, Mukarba Chowk and Akshardham.

The traffic on the city roads, though thin due to the Republic Day holiday, was thrown completely out of gear with hordes of protesting farmers deviating from the pre-designed rally routes and driving their tractors towards Delhi from Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and other border points.

Traffic went haywire on national capital roads on Tuesday as the tractor parade taken out by farmers spilled into many parts of the city and reached Central Delhi's ITO and Red Fort areas despite police raising barricades and checkpoints at multiple places.

The Hindu quoted senior government officials to report that the number of paramilitary forces deployed in Delhi will b increased. The newspaper said that the decision was taken at a high-level meeting held at Home Minister Amit Shah's residence. The meeting was reportedly attended by Home Secretary Ajay Bhall, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava and Intelligence Bureau officials.

News reports have said that the police in both Punjab and Haryana -- the states where the farmers' agitation is arguably rooted at -- have declared high alerts following the violence in Delhi today. First, the Haryana DGP announced that the state police has been asked to remain on high alert amid reports of clashes between farmers and cops in neighbouring Delhi. Now Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has also ordered a high alert in the state amid the tension and violence in Delhi and directed Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta to ensure that law and order in the state is not disturbed at any cost.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has called off Kisan Republic Day Parade with immediate effect and has appealed to all participants to immediately return to their respective protest sites. SKM announced the movement will continue peacefully and further steps will be discussed and decided soon.

"Media outlets are reporting clashes between New Delhi Police and protesting farmers throughout areas of Delhi incuding the northern border of Delhi, areas along the Republic Day parade route, and downtown areas near the India Gate. US government personnel have been advised to avoid these areas, stay at home, and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large groups, protests, or demonstrations," the US embassy in India advised American citizens and officials currently in India.

Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav said he felt "ashamed" of the way the farmers' tractor parade turned out on Tuesday, and took responsibility for it. "Being a part of the protest," he said, "I feel ashamed of the way things proceeded and I take responsibility of it."

The tractor march meant to highlight farmers' demands devolved into anarchy on the streets of the National Capital as hordes of rampaging protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and delivered a national insult -- hoisting a religious flag from the rampart of Red Fort, a privilege reserved for India's Tricolour.

A Palwal police official said some farmers drove their tractors dangerously on the Agra-Mathura-Delhi Highway, endangering the lives of police personnel on duty, which prompted the police action. Some farmers were injured in the incident. Palwal SP Gahlawat told PTI

The Palwal police chief and another officer had a narrow escape Tuesday as some protesting farmers allegedly drove their tractors dangerously and tried to break barricades to force their way into Delhi through a non-designated route at Palwal-Faridabad border, police said.

Traffic movement has resumed per normal standards at Shastri Park to ISBT, Mukarba Chowk to Singhu Border, Loni Border, Chintamani Chowk, Barapullah and DND, the Delhi Traffic Police said. Roads leading to NH-24, NH9 towards Ghaziabad, Peeragarhi Chowk, and Punjabi Bagh Chowk have also been unclogged.

Mobile internet services have been suspended in three Haryana districts of Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal until 5 pm Wednesday, the state government said Tuesday evening, as violent protests by farmers rocked neighbouring Delhi. Haryana's Home Secretary Rajeev Arora said the order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the districts. The order comes into force immediately and will remain in effect till 5 pm of 27 January, he said.

It requested that a Special Investigation Committee be formed on this entire matter to conduct a rigorous inquiry against the anti-social elements involved in this unconstitutional activity and to punish the accused

A Mumbai-based law student Tuesday wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde urging him to take suo motu cognisance of the violence that took place at the Red Fort during the farmers' tractor march on Republic Day. The letter, written by Mumbai University student Ashish Rai, claimed that the tractor march event has been terrorized by some anti-social elements".

"There is no protesting farmer at ITO crossing and the situation is under control," an official said.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the Tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day. A protesting farmer died at Delhi's ITO after his tractor overturned. The farmers draped the body in the tricolour and kept it at the ITO crossing, not allowing the police to send it for post-mortem. Police also had to use lathicharge and teargas shells to control unruly protesters at multiple locations in the city.

After hours of chaos during their tractor parade in Delhi against the Centre's new agri laws on Tuesday, thousands of protesting farmers including those at the Red Fort and Mukarba Chowk, started returning to their sit-in sites at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders.

Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal said. "We followed all conditions as promised and did our due diligence but the protest led to extensive damage to public property. Many policemen were also injured during the protest," Singhal said.

The police statement came as the National Capital witnessed clashes between protesters and police during the tractor parade by farmers to press their demand of repealing the three new agri laws. "The protesters violated conditions fixed for the rally. The farmers began tractor rally before the scheduled time, they also resorted to violence and vandalism,"

The Delhi Police on Tuesday said protesting farmers violated the conditions pre-agreed for their tractor parade and indulge in violence and vandalism, leaving 86 of its personnel injured. In a statement, the police also claimed it did all due diligence in following the conditions for the rally, but the protesters began their march much ahead of the scheduled time and extensive damage to public property was caused during the violence by them.

The flag represents the country's unity in diversity, he said while pointing towards the ''Nishan Sahib'', a symbol of Sikh religion seen at all Gurdwara complexes. He stated that the National Flag was not removed from the flagpole at the Red Fort and that nobody raised a question over the country's unity and integrity.

In a video posted on Facebook, he said that they should not be given any communal colour or dubbed as fundamentalists or hardliners. To symbolically register our protest against the new farm legislations, we put up ''Nishan Sahib'' and a farmer flag and also raised a slogan of Kisan Mazdoor Ekta, said Sidhu.

Amid massive outrage over protesters hoisting a religious flag at the Red Fort during the tractor rally on Republic Day, actor Deep Sidhu, who was among those present during the incident, on Tuesday sought to defend their action, saying it was a symbolic protest and they did not remove the National Flag.

"The entire Haryana cabinet, through its special meeting held today, humbly appeals to all farmers of this agitation to return to their homes. The strong need of the hour this time is that together we defeat the designs of the anti-social elements," Khattar said.

"But the events which unfolded today make it clear that this agitation is now not under the control of these farmer leaders. And the command of this agitation is now in the hands of such anarchic elements whose ideology is different from the farmers'' interests," he said. The chief minister issued a statement asking the farmer community to ponder over where their agitation was headed.

The Haryana cabinet held a special meeting on Tuesday evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister M L Khattar in the wake of the events that unfolded in the National Capital during the tractor parade and appealed to all protesting farmers to return to their homes. Khattar said farmer unions had assured a peaceful tractor rally in the National Capital.

Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav said he felt "ashamed" of the way the farmers' tractor parade turned out on Tuesday, and took responsibility for it. "Being a part of the protest," he said, "I feel ashamed of the way things proceeded and I take responsibility of it."

The tractor march meant to highlight farmers' demands devolved into anarchy on the streets of the National Capital as hordes of rampaging protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and delivered a national insult -- hoisting a religious flag from the rampart of Red Fort, a privilege reserved for India's Tricolour.

A Palwal police official said some farmers drove their tractors dangerously on the Agra-Mathura-Delhi Highway, endangering the lives of police personnel on duty, which prompted the police action. Some farmers were injured in the incident. Palwal SP Gahlawat told PTI

The Palwal police chief and another officer had a narrow escape Tuesday as some protesting farmers allegedly drove their tractors dangerously and tried to break barricades to force their way into Delhi through a non-designated route at Palwal-Faridabad border, police said.

He also tweeted a video in which a protestor is purportedly seen throwing away a national flag handed to him from the crowd as he climbs a pole to hoist a different flag. Firstpost could not independently verify the veracity of the visual clip in Patra's tweet, which has been attributed to PTC News

"Those we had been calling annadata (food providers) for so many days have turned out to be extremists. Don't defame annadata, call an extremist an extremist only," Patra tweeted as a section of protesting farmers broke the agreement with Delhi Police and indulged in hooliganism.

As a tractor parade by farmers protesting against three contentious farm laws turned violent, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said those who were seen as 'annadata' (food providers) for so many days have turned out to be extremists.

Traffic movement has resumed per normal standards at Shastri Park to ISBT, Mukarba Chowk to Singhu Border, Loni Border, Chintamani Chowk, Barapullah and DND, the Delhi Traffic Police said. Roads leading to NH-24, NH9 towards Ghaziabad, Peeragarhi Chowk, and Punjabi Bagh Chowk have also been unclogged.

Mobile internet services have been suspended in three Haryana districts of Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal until 5 pm Wednesday, the state government said Tuesday evening, as violent protests by farmers rocked neighbouring Delhi. Haryana's Home Secretary Rajeev Arora said the order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the districts. The order comes into force immediately and will remain in effect till 5 pm of 27 January, he said.

It requested that a Special Investigation Committee be formed on this entire matter to conduct a rigorous inquiry against the anti-social elements involved in this unconstitutional activity and to punish the accused

A Mumbai-based law student Tuesday wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde urging him to take suo motu cognisance of the violence that took place at the Red Fort during the farmers' tractor march on Republic Day. The letter, written by Mumbai University student Ashish Rai, claimed that the tractor march event has been terrorized by some anti-social elements".

"There is no protesting farmer at ITO crossing and the situation is under control," an official said.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the Tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day. A protesting farmer died at Delhi's ITO after his tractor overturned. The farmers draped the body in the tricolour and kept it at the ITO crossing, not allowing the police to send it for post-mortem. Police also had to use lathicharge and teargas shells to control unruly protesters at multiple locations in the city.

After hours of chaos during their tractor parade in Delhi against the Centre's new agri laws on Tuesday, thousands of protesting farmers including those at the Red Fort and Mukarba Chowk, started returning to their sit-in sites at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders.

Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal said. "We followed all conditions as promised and did our due diligence but the protest led to extensive damage to public property. Many policemen were also injured during the protest," Singhal said.

The police statement came as the National Capital witnessed clashes between protesters and police during the tractor parade by farmers to press their demand of repealing the three new agri laws. "The protesters violated conditions fixed for the rally. The farmers began tractor rally before the scheduled time, they also resorted to violence and vandalism,"

The Delhi Police on Tuesday said protesting farmers violated the conditions pre-agreed for their tractor parade and indulge in violence and vandalism, leaving 86 of its personnel injured. In a statement, the police also claimed it did all due diligence in following the conditions for the rally, but the protesters began their march much ahead of the scheduled time and extensive damage to public property was caused during the violence by them.

The flag represents the country's unity in diversity, he said while pointing towards the ''Nishan Sahib'', a symbol of Sikh religion seen at all Gurdwara complexes. He stated that the National Flag was not removed from the flagpole at the Red Fort and that nobody raised a question over the country's unity and integrity.

In a video posted on Facebook, he said that they should not be given any communal colour or dubbed as fundamentalists or hardliners. To symbolically register our protest against the new farm legislations, we put up ''Nishan Sahib'' and a farmer flag and also raised a slogan of Kisan Mazdoor Ekta, said Sidhu.

Amid massive outrage over protesters hoisting a religious flag at the Red Fort during the tractor rally on Republic Day, actor Deep Sidhu, who was among those present during the incident, on Tuesday sought to defend their action, saying it was a symbolic protest and they did not remove the National Flag.

"The entire Haryana cabinet, through its special meeting held today, humbly appeals to all farmers of this agitation to return to their homes. The strong need of the hour this time is that together we defeat the designs of the anti-social elements," Khattar said.

"But the events which unfolded today make it clear that this agitation is now not under the control of these farmer leaders. And the command of this agitation is now in the hands of such anarchic elements whose ideology is different from the farmers'' interests," he said. The chief minister issued a statement asking the farmer community to ponder over where their agitation was headed.

The Haryana cabinet held a special meeting on Tuesday evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister M L Khattar in the wake of the events that unfolded in the National Capital during the tractor parade and appealed to all protesting farmers to return to their homes. Khattar said farmer unions had assured a peaceful tractor rally in the National Capital.

Farmer Tractor Rally LATEST Updates: In a video posted on Facebook, he said that they should not be given any communal colour or dubbed as fundamentalists or hardliners. To symbolically register our protest against the new farm legislations, we put up ''Nishan Sahib'' and a farmer flag and also raised a slogan of Kisan Mazdoor Ekta, said Sidhu.

The Delhi Police on Tuesday said protesting farmers violated the conditions pre-agreed for their tractor parade and indulge in violence and vandalism, leaving 86 of its personnel injured.

The order was issued in view of the potential law and order situation on account of events which unfolded during the farmers' tractor parade in the national capital

The letter, written by Mumbai University student Ashish Rai, claimed that the tractor march event has been "terrorized by some anti-social elements". It requested that a Special Investigation Committee be formed on this entire matter to conduct a rigorous inquiry against the anti-social elements involved in this unconstitutional activity



Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav said he felt "ashamed" of the way the farmers' tractor parade turned out on Tuesday, and took responsibility for it. "Being a part of the protest," he said, "I feel ashamed of the way things proceeded and I take responsibility of it."



News reports have said that the police in both Punjab and Haryana -- the states where the farmers' agitation is arguably rooted at -- have declared high alerts following the violence in Delhi today

Prominent opposition leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar and MK Stalin today held the Centre responsible for pushing the situation this far, and adopting a regrettable attitude towards farmers

The Delhi Police had told PTI earlier in the day that the tractor of a farmer had overturned in the chaos near ITO on Tuesday, killing him on the spot. The deceased has now been identified as Ranveet Singh from Bilaspur in Punjab

A group of farmers who had started there march from Tikri, and had clashed with police in Nangloi area have finally reached the Red Fort. Earlier in the day, the police had forcefully removed another group of protesters from the historic site after violence broke out.

The Delhi metro rail Corporation has said that normal service has resumed on grey line. Entry and exit has been permitted through one gate at several stations

The Delhi Police resorted to baton charge and firing of tear gas shells on farmers at Nangloi Chowk in West Delhi as they tried to deviate from the pre-agreed route to enter the national capital during their protest.

Distancing themselves from the violence during the farmers' march, Sanyukta Kisan Morcha has said that despite their efforts, some organisations and individuals violated route and indulged in condemnable acts

The internet services have been snapped in some parts of Delhi-NCR in view of the prevailing law and order situation, an order from the MHA said. The areas where internet is suspended include Singhu Border, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi.

Residents of Punjab and Delhi took out rallies on Tuesday in support of those protesting the farm laws. Several people in the National Capital Region formed human chains and distributed food and water to the protesters.

Farmers have entered the Red Fort and their tractors are present outside. While few cops are sitting on chairs, others are trying to bring down certain flags which the protestors have hoisted.

According to media reports, some police personnel were beaten by the protesting farmers in the ITO area of the National Capital. The protesters had also vandalised a DTC bus earlier.

Violence continued at ITO in central Delhi with protesters being seen chasing police personnel with sticks. The cops resorted to lathicharge and fired teargas shells to disperse the crowd.

In view of the farmers tractor march in Delhi, some of the stations along the green line that have been shut are - Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma, Tikri Border, Tikri Kalan, Ghevra, Mundka Industrial Area, Mundka, Rajdhani Park, Nangloi Railway Station and Nangloi.

At Delhi's Mukarba Chowk, security personnel used tear gas on groups of farmers as they tried to break barricades and cemented barriers with tractors.

Groups of farmers camping at Singhu and Tikri border points of the National Capital broke through police barricades Tuesday morning as they attempted to enter the city to carry out a tractor rally.

The Delhi Police resorted to lathicharge and tear gas at the Singhu border after protesting farmers breached barricades set up to thwart them from entering the National Capital.

The police had given farmers permission to enter the city after the official Republic Day parade at Rajpath.

Groups of protesting farmers camping at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points of the national capital broke police barricades on Tuesday morning to force their way into the city, much ahead of the time they were granted permission by Delhi Police for their tractor parade.

Tractors bearing flags could be seen, along with men and women dancing on dhols, and locals on both sides of the road showering petals on cavalcades, as security personnel tried to convince farmers to stick to the decided plan of holding the tractor parade after the conclusion of the Republic Day parade at the Rajpath.

Farmers also marched on foot in large numbers holding flags of different farmer unions and raising slogans. Some were seen riding motorcycles and horses. People also perched atop their tractors and raised slogans and sang revolutionary songs.

Locals were also seen distributing food and water bottles to the protesting farmers who were part of the march.

A senior police officer who was at the spot said that a group of farmers entered the national capital after breaking the barricades.

"As per agreement, they were supposed to start their parade at the time specified but they forcefully entered Delhi and are currently peacefully sitting at Mukarba Chowk. They are supposed to head towards Bawana side as per the route but they are adamant that they want to go towards Outer Ring Road.

"The situation is peaceful and we are trying to convince them to go towards the designated route at the specified time, he said.

On Sunday, Delhi Police had allowed the tractor rally after the annual Republic Day parade. The protesters were told they can't disrupt the celebrations at Rajpath even as the farmers insisted their parade will be "peaceful".

"But some groups of farmers did not relent and started moving towards the Outer Ring Road breaking police barricades," an official said.

A member of the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 unions, leading the protest against the three central farm laws at several border points of Delhi, said those who broke the barricades belonged to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.

He said the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha's tractor parade will start as scheduled after police give farmers way. The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee on Monday announced that they would hold their march on Delhi's busy Outer Ring Road on Republic Day.

The protesting unions have also announced a foot march to Parliament on February 1, when the annual Budget is being presented, to press for their demands, including a repeal of the three new agriculture laws.

Heavy security has been deployed in view of the 'Kisan Gantantra Parade' that will move into Delhi from the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points.

Patrolling has been intensified at power substations in Delhi following a threat from the banned Sikhs for Justice outfit to disrupt the city's supply during the Republic Day celebrations.

An official said around 6,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain vigil. Facial recognition systems have also been set up at vantage points for suspect identification, the official said.

The security personnel are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil over Rajpath, where President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with other dignitaries and thousands of people.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been campaing at several Delhi border points since 28 November, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.
AMSTERDAM, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Elsevier, a global leader in research publishing and information analytics and the Royal Danish Library have agreed on a four-year contract to support continued reading and open access (OA) publishing for Danish researchers. This is the first time the Danish consortium led by the Royal Danish Library has signed an open access transformative agreement with any publisher and this agreement complements Elsevier's transformative agreements across many European countries.

Elsevier will support the Danish researcher community's ambitions by enabling Danish researchers to publish open access across a broad range of Elsevier journals, therefore making their latest research freely available at the point of publication. Elsevier is determined to find the right solutions for our customers and meet customers' diverse OA requirements across different academic institutions worldwide. We do so while critically ensuring published research remains trusted and of a high quality. This agreement will support over 30 Danish institutions, including the eight leading universities, helping them share their latest research globally. The new agreement program will take effect from January 2021 through to the end of 2024.

We continue to test and learn from the OA agreements that are already being put into practice with institutions and governments worldwide. This enables us to work with our partners to continually improve our open access offerings, such as building new workflows and submission processes to provide greater visibility, transparency and a best-in-class publishing experience for authors.

Kira Stine Hansen, Deputy Director, Royal Danish Library and Head of Copenhagen University Library said: "On behalf of Danish universities and research performing organizations we are pleased with this read and publish deal continuing the support of the national strategy of free, open and equal access to scientific results for the benefit of society. Cost neutral Immediate Open Access has been and will continue to be a very important parameter in the coming negotiations with global academic publishers."

Gino Ussi, Executive Vice President, Elsevier said: "It's a real honour to be the first publisher to agree on a transformative contract to support Danish researchers. The Elsevier team is looking forward to supporting Denmark's world-class researchers to access and publish credible, high quality, trusted research. The importance of helping researchers advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society has never been more critical, and we are committed to playing our part in making Danish research output available to all."

The agreement is the latest in a series of transformative agreements Elsevier has reached with customers across Europe, the US, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

In 2020 Elsevier published nearly 100,000 gold or pay-to-publish OA articles compared to 50,000 in 2019, making us one of the largest open access publishers in the world. Nearly all of Elsevier's 2,600 journals now enable OA publishing, including 500 fully OA journals.

Elsevier enables researchers to stay up to date with the latest science, technology, and health findings from around the world via ScienceDirect, Elsevier's leading platform of peer-reviewed scholarly literature. Overall, ScienceDirect gives researchers access to 16 million articles from over 2,600 journals published by Elsevier and our society partners.

Playing our part in widening free access beyond OA

Where the need is greatest and we can make the biggest difference in a sustainable way, Elsevier makes research completely free to access. In addition, all our reading and discovery platforms have extensive free-to-read options. Some examples of this commitment include:

Authors who publish with our journals are immediately able to share their peer reviewed, accepted manuscript on non-commercial personal homepages or blogs, within their institution, and with collaborators.

We offer free access to relevant research for health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic

Patients and caregivers are provided with papers related to medicine and healthcare upon request to help them better understand the latest research on their conditions.

We ensure everyone can access a collection of the work from each year's Nobel Prize winners.

We have also completely opened the archives for 140 journals, including Cell Press research journals after 12 months.

Through Research4Life, institutions in 120 low- and middle-income countries receive affordable access to nearly 100,400 peer reviewed resources. As founding member, Elsevier provides over a quarter of that content, as well as access to the abstract and citation database Scopus and trainings for librarians.

We automatically apply waivers or discounts to articles in fully gold OA journals for which all authors are based in a low-income country.

About Elsevier

As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making for customers across the global research and health ecosystems.

In everything we publish, we uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity. We bring that same rigor to our information analytics solutions for researchers, health professionals, institutions and funders.

Elsevier employs 8,100 people worldwide. We have supported the work of our research and health partners for more than 140 years. Growing from our roots in publishing, we offer knowledge and valuable analytics that help our users make breakthroughs and drive societal progress. Digital solutions such as ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath support strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and health education. Researchers and healthcare professionals rely on our 2,500+ digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell; our 40,000 eBook titles; and our iconic reference works, such as Gray's Anatomy. With the Elsevier Foundation and our external Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board, we work in partnership with diverse stakeholders to advance inclusion and diversity in science, research and healthcare in developing countries and around the world.

Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com

Media contact

Andrew Davis

Elsevier Communications, UK

+44 7393 242 466

andrew.davis@elsevier.com

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The patter of paws is being heard in the White House again following the arrival of US President Joe Bidens dogs Champ and Major.

The two German shepherds are the first pets to live at the executive mansion since the Obama administration.

Major burst onto the national scene late last year after Mr Biden, then president-elect, broke his right foot while playing with the dog at their home in Wilmington, Delaware.

The Bidens adopted Major in 2018 from the Delaware Humane Association, and Champ joined the family after the 2008 presidential election that made Joe Biden vice president.

Letas put dogs back in the White House. pic.twitter.com/7pBihksfXT  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 1, 2020

The dogs moved into the White House on Sunday, following Mr Bidens inauguration last week.

Michael LaRosa, spokesperson for first lady Jill Biden, said: The first family wanted to get settled before bringing the dogs down to Washington from Delaware.

Champ is enjoying his new dog bed by the fireplace and Major loved running around on the South Lawn.

The dogs were heard barking outside near the Oval Office on Monday as Mr Biden signed an executive order lifting the previous administrations ban on transgender people serving in the military.

Last week, the Delaware Humane Association cosponsored an indoguration virtual fundraiser to celebrate Majors journey from shelter pup to first dog with more than 200,000 dollars (146,000).

Major is the first shelter dog to ever live in the White House and barking proof that every dog can live the American dream, the association said.

Started at the shelter, now we here! Congrats to First Dog and DHA alumnus Major Biden!  Posted by Delaware Humane Association on Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Jennifer Pickens, author of a book about pets at the White House, said: Pets have played an important role in the White House throughout the decades, not only by providing companionship to the presidents and their families, but also by humanising and softening their political images.

Champ and Major follow in a long line of presidential pets, with Theodore Roosevelt having Skip, who is described by the White House Historical Association as a short-legged Black and Tan mongrel terrier brought home from a Colorado bear hunt.

Warren G. Harding had Laddie Boy, who sat in on meetings and had his own Cabinet chair and Franklin Delano Roosevelt had his beloved terrier Fala.

When he declared victory in the 2008 presidential race, Barack Obama told his daughters: You have earned the new puppy thats coming with us to the White House.

Several months later, Bo joined the family, a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy.


If anyone knows about the needs of military members and veterans, it's the senior enlisted people at the top. When Daniel Dailey served as sergeant major of the Army, the branch's top enlisted soldier, his focus was on preparing his troops for life after the service.

One of the ways he did that was by pushing the Army's tuition assistance policy toward certification in skilled trades, which helps translate the skills soldiers learn in the service for civilian jobs. But getting the job is just one aspect of transitioning to civilian life.

Now retired from the service, Dailey is the military adviser for Veterans United Home Loans, which has a series of programs to take care of its military-connected employees. They are offered up to 80 hours of paid time off for deployments, while reservists receive differential pay for up to five years up to during service. They also get time off for Veterans Day and Military Appreciation Days. The company even sends them care packages while deployed.

While working for Veterans United is a good gig for veterans and reservists alike, getting a job in the civilian market can be tough. Veterans can face unique challenges in their job search.

"In my opinion, the biggest problem is the stigma associated with PTSD," Dailey said. "Most people are unfamiliar with the causes and symptoms of post-traumatic stress and are unaware that PTSD is a treatable disorder. Studies have shown that employers feel that accommodating employees with PTSD requires more effort."

Dailey said the stress of not having work can only exacerbate the effects of PTSD. He's right. Researchers have found a correlation between worsening symptoms of post-traumatic stress. In fact, unemployment is the biggest predictor of the condition's severity.

"The Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, along with other governmental and non-governmental agencies as well as nonprofit organizations, have come together to find answers and solutions to the tough issues associated with post-traumatic stress," Dailey said. "These organizations should be commended for the work they have accomplished, but like many issues, I believe there is still more work yet to be done."

SMA Daniel A. Dailey visited with Soldiers in Iraq and Syria who support the Combined Joint Task Force- Operation Inherent Resolve. (U.S. Army/Sgt. Edward Bates)

For Dailey, one of the best possible ways to improve veteran unemployment rates would be a campaign focused on educating employers on how they can accommodate those with PTSD in the workplace.

To that end, more than 90% of Veterans United employees donate 1% of their salary to the Veterans United Foundation, which supports the Headstrong Project to help military members and veterans in the area of mental health and PTSD treatment.

"When COVID hit, the gap in mental health services was ever-widening for veterans," Dailey said. "It was important to us that veterans could receive critical tele-mental health services and uninterrupted care during the pandemic."

Before the economic fallout from the pandemic was fully realized, the unemployment rate for veterans sat at 3.1%. As of December 2020, it was 5.4%. That's a troubling number for a population whose suicide rate is correlated to its unemployment rate.

"Many factors contribute to the effectiveness of the program: a network of work-class clinicians, uninterrupted and timely care, and a hybrid tailored treatment model," Dailey said. "Work should continue across all fronts on how to better understand the causes and effects of post-traumatic stress. This work will undoubtedly lead to better methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment in the future."

-- 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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Multinational Retailer Consolidates Its Fulfillment Operations -- Sets New Logistics Benchmark for the Middle East Market

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dematic announces the completion of a new automated distribution center for the Landmark Group in Dubai, UAE, allowing the multinational retailer to consolidate the logistics activities for part of its five existing manual distribution sites.

"The automation solution designed by Dematic allows our supply chain network to now operate with enhanced efficiency, productivity and transparency. With this investment, we are advancing technological progress and taking a pioneering position in our region," said Mihin Shah, Chief Supply Chain officer of Landmark Group. The new distribution center is located in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), close to DP WORLD Jebel Ali Port, one of the largest container ports in the world. From this location, the Landmark Group stores and distributes garments, furniture, toys, small goods and more to nearly 1,400 of its retail stores and thereafter directly to end consumers.

"Landmark presented us with an opportunity to go beyond consolidating their fulfillment operations to becoming a partner in transforming their business," said Hasan Dandashly, Dematic President and CEO. "They have experienced remarkable growth in a short amount of time to become one of the largest retailers in the Middle East, Africa, and India, supplying over 2,300 businesses in 24 countries. We take pride in being the kind of resource that Landmark would trust to streamline their operations both to meet current demand and prepare for future success."

A distinctive feature of the 265,000 sqm site is a pallet warehouse (43 meters high) with a silo design and up to 36,000 storage locations for receiving goods. Inventory not immediately needed for distribution are palletized, then stored and retrieved double-deep via four 41 meter stacker cranes (Model SR-U1500/1) with two telescopic forks. The climate-regulated high-bay warehouse stores temperature sensitive items and is equipped with a fire prevention system with an oxygen-reduced environment so even highly flammable goods can be stored.

The Dematic Multishuttle system handles faster moving goods with a patented Inter-Aisle Transfer feature that makes maximum use of space with aisle-spanning exchanges and double-deep storage. With several lifts per aisle and conductor rail-controlled shuttles for high performance acceleration and speed, one shuttle can serve between 700 and 800 storage locations. As a result, up to 15,000 totes per hour can be transported to the picking stations, making it the largest and fastest Dematic has ever installed. "With this distribution center, we have set a logistics benchmark for the entire Middle East," Shah said.

The facility also offers enormous capacities for hanging textiles: The Dematic GOH system can accommodate up to 2 million garments and can achieve high throughput rates of up to 250,000 items per day.

The overall solution has more than 200 workstations with specific applications, including value added services such as customizing goods for specific retailers by adding tags, branding or promotional offers. An 11-kilometer Dematic conveyor system for containers and pallets and a Dematic sortation system completes the operation.

Dematic iQ software ensures smooth and optimal material flow to meet delivery commitments Landmark makes to their retailers. The software operates as a Warehouse Management System (WMS) for stock management and includes a Warehouse Control System (WCS) and a Material Flow Controller (MFC). Goods are dynamically repositioned in four automated warehouse sections and the temperature-controlled manual warehouse, based on current and forecasted demand.

The Dematic iQ software also efficiently handles hanging and flat goods within a single system to meet customer requirements and desired sequencing. At the same time, the software ensures that the right product is at the right place at all times by balancing the workload among the subsystems. "Automation offers scalability and speed while at the same time improving work safety," Shah said. As a result of the consolidated and automated operation, Landmark's B2B and B2C customers can now depend on even better service.

For more information about Dematic, visit dematic.com, check out the Dematic Connections blog, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Dematic

Dematic is an intralogistics innovator that designs, builds and supports intelligent, automated solutions for manufacturing, warehouse and distribution environments for customers that are powering the future of commerce. With engineering centers, manufacturing facilities and service centers located in more than 25 countries, the Dematic global network of 10,000 employees has helped achieve more than 6,000 worldwide customer installations for some of the world's leading brands. Headquartered in Atlanta, Dematic is a member of KION Group, one of the global leaders in industrial trucks and supply chain solutions, and a leading provider of warehouse automation.

About Landmark Group

Founded in 1973 in Bahrain, the Landmark Group has successfully grown into one of the largest and most successful retail organizations in the Middle East and India. An international, diversified retail and hospitality conglomerate that encourages entrepreneurship to consistently deliver exceptional value, the Group operates over 2,100 outlets encompassing over 30 million square feet across the Middle East, North Africa, India and South East Asia.

Landmark Group has a strong workforce of over 55,000 employees and provides a value-driven product range for the family through its retail concepts: Centrepoint, Babyshop, Splash, SHOEMART, Lifestyle, Max, Shoexpress, Home Centre, Home Box, Emax and UAE's first food discounter, VIVA. In addition to the brands developed in-house, the Group also holds the franchise rights for some of the world's leading fashion and footwear brands in the countries where it operates.

The Group brands ensure the delivery of a seamless shopping experience to customers through a keen focus on their e-commerce and omni-channel capabilities.

The Group has also diversified in the leisure, food and hospitality with Landmark Leisure, Citymax Hotels, Fitness First and Foodmark, the restaurant division, which operates the Group's own and franchise food outlets.

As a high-volume retailer, Landmark Group operates the MENA region's largest privately-owned logistics and distribution hub. The company has now advanced to offer 3PL Logistics services with the launch its fully-automated Mega Distribution Centre at JAFZA, Dubai under the brand name of Omega Logistics.

Disclaimer:

This release and the information contained herein are for information purposes only and do not constitute a prospectus or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Future results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, e.g., changes in business, economic and competitive conditions (including with respect to further developments in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic), regulatory reforms, results of technical studies, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings and the availability of financing. We do not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.

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Congress

House Dems call on AG nominee to protect immigration judges' union

Reps Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), the chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), chair of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, are asking nominee for Attorney General Merrick Garland to "take all necessary actions" to protect the ability of immigration judges to unionize.

A decision made by the Federal Labor Relations Authority in November 2020 made immigration judges ineligible for union representation, effectively invalidating the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ).

The Regional Director of the D.C. region of the FLRA's General Counsel Office is putting that FLRA ruling into place now, the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Garland dated Jan. 22.

The 2020 FLRA decision found that immigration judges do influence agency policy with their decisions, and that they were therefore management officials, a type of employee not privy to union representation under the Federal Labor-Management Relations Statute.

That decision overturned an earlier ruling by a regional FLRA director and also invalidated an earlier decision from 2000 that found immigration judges were able to unionize.

Democratic-appointee Ernest DuBester, who President Joe Biden has since selected to chair the FLRA, dissented against the ruling of the Republican-appointed majority, writing that it was "the antithesis of reasoned decision making."

The Department of Justice had originally filed a petition to decertify NAIJ in 2019.

"This was an act of retaliation against the union for its criticism of quotas and time limits that DOJ managers imposed on immigration judges - which the union warned were undermining the decisional independence of immigration judges and the due process rights of immigrants," Maloney and Connolly wrote.

The request comes days after the new Biden-Harris administration reversed several aspects of Trump workforce policy, including several 2018 executive orders that limited use of official time and changed the process of creating collective bargaining agreements.

About the Author Natalie Alms is a staff writer at FCW covering the federal workforce. She is a recent graduate of Wake Forest University and has written for the Salisbury (N.C.) Post. Connect with Natalie on Twitter at @AlmsNatalie.



Biden has spoken about his support for unions and intentions to strengthen union protections, promising on the campaign trail to be the "strongest labor president you've ever had."

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation has "enough" money for the year, with the liquidation of the controversial 15 billion fund nearing completion, its president said Tuesday.

In a media briefing in Malacanang on Tuesday, PhilHealth President and CEO Dante Gierran downplayed claims that the said fund was missing in the first place.

"Sa totoo lang po, hindi nawawala, nandyan lang. On record po, ang utos ng Senado tsaka ng lower House, sabi i-liquidate. Sa ngayon po, 92% na ang liquidated. Kakaunti na lang po," he said.

[Translation: In fact, it's not missing, it's just there. On record, the Senate and the lower House previously instructed us to liquidate it. Now, 92% of the fund is liquidated. We're almost done.]

Gierran then stressed that he would not have allowed the people's money to be stolen, what with his track record as former director of the National Bureau of Investigation.

He also assured that PhilHealth has enough money to continue its operations despite the pandemic, as contributions of members continue to pour in.

"Kung PhilHealth lang po, we have money. As a matter of fact, sige-sige naman po ang ating collections. May collections naman tayo," he added.

[Translation: With PhilHealth, we have money. As a matter of face, our collections are ongoing. We still have collections.]

Gierran said that the agency has a reserve fund of 132 billion, should they face difficulties with collecting contributions this year.

He added that they continue to process the agency's 300 million remaining debt to the Philippine Red Cross, along with other delayed claims to healthcare providers.

"Ang natira na lang something like 300 million. Our history of payment is klaro. Sige-sige lang ang bayad natin basta lang matapos ang validation ng test," he said, adding that 100 million was paid in advanced by Philhealth to Red Cross during the time of Morales.

[Our remaining debt is something P300 million. Our history of payment is clear. Our payment continues a long as validation of the tests are finished]

The state health insurer previously drew flak after one of its former officers claimed in August 2020 that "mafia members" within the agency stole some 15 billion through various fraudulent schemes.

READ: Whistleblower claims 15 billion stolen by PhilHealth execs in fraud schemes

The controversy prompted government authorities to file criminal and administrative charges against then PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales and other executives for alleged corruption.
Faten was twice pulled out of university by the regime and subjected to horrific methods of torture, which continue to haunt her memories reports Zaman Al-Wasl.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented 72 methods of torture practiced in Assads security and military detention centers, both official and secret.

Faten, a former Syrian detainee revealed that, during 62 days of detention, she was subjected to 17 of these brutal methods.

At the beginning of the revolution in 2011, Faten was a law student from Aleppo. In 2014, she was arrested twice by the regimes security services, and was kept for long periods of time.

Although she wanted to participate in the student and popular peaceful movement, her father advised her against it, for fear of retribution by the regime. And yet, Faten was arrested twice in 2014 in a very humiliating manner, being dragged by the hair in front of students and under a barrage of insults.

She was imprisoned for three days in a single square meter cell in the Aleppo Political Security branch, where she was subjected to the most horrific forms of torture without being charged with anything specific. She was suspended from the ceiling, beaten with long silicone bars, electrocuted, and had cigarette butts extinguished all over her body. On her last day in the single cell, the guards placed the body of an old woman, who had died recently from torture, in with her.

Faten added that she was then transferred to the State Security Branch, where she spent 28 days living in atrocious circumstances.

She was placed in a 3-meter square cell with 38 detained women and underage girls, and because of the lack of ventilation, condensation formed on the ceiling and fell back on them, causing a number of skin and respiratory issues.

Faten was interrogated twice or three times daily, and during every interrogation session, she was tortured until she lost consciousness. Facing threats of rape and of bringing in her parents, they extracted false confessions from her.

Faten notes that she was accused of, financing terrorism, securing weapons, delivering them to terrorists, belonging to the Levant Front, and inciting university students to overthrow the government.

After coming back home, Faten had a nervous breakdown, becoming terrified of closed and dark places. Her mother spent a week removing the cloth that got stuck to her body due to torture and dampness.

Months later, she went back to complete her studies at the university, only to discover that security personnel on campus outnumbered the students. The State Security Branch summoned her for investigation every week for seven hours.

After leaving university for a second time, a security patrol raided her house and took her to the Military Security prisons where she was once again tortured in horrific ways; being beaten and burned, having her nails pulled out, witnessing underage girls being raped. She was released a month later carrying with her all the haunting and traumatic memories of her time in the unmerciful hands of the regimes security.

Her family had to collect 1,200 dollars to move her to the liberated areas in northwestern Aleppo, to attempt a chance at a new life there. However, to this day, Faten is still living within that nightmare with every moment of recollection.

Faten is one of many university students who were and still continue to be detained and tortured in Assads prisons. According to her, the regime continues to target and eliminate student because they represent one of the largest and most significant social forces that played a prominent role in the popular movement and that is still determined to improve the countrys conditions.

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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Delhi Police used tear gas on farmers who had arrived at Delhi's Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar from the Singhu border with their tractor rally, ANI reported on January 26.



#WATCH Police use tear gas on farmers who have arrived at Delhi's Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar from Singhu border#Delhi pic.twitter.com/fPriKAGvf9

 ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

Police used tear gas shells after isolated incidents of scuffle between protestors and police took place at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar and protestors took over a police vehicle, the agency said.

Farmers earlier alleged that police were stopping them and asking them to take a route not previously agreed on. Satnam Singh Pannu, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee at Singhu Border told ANI: "We've to move towards Ring Road but police is stopping us. We've given them 45 mins to speak to their seniors. We're carrying out a peaceful parade. The route they are asking us to follow wasn't agreed upon."

To this SS Yadav, Joint Commissioner of Police at Singhu Border said: "They have cooperated with us and we are cooperating with them. It is our request that they continue to follow the route they are currently on."

Other media organisations also reported police action against the tractor rally. "Tear gas, lathi-charge by cops as protesting farmers break barricades at Delhi borders, begin #KisanTractorRally," reported NDTV.



Tear gas, lathi-charge by cops as protesting farmers break barricades at Delhi borders, begin #KisanTractorRally (Video from Akshardham, Delhi) pic.twitter.com/tq1c4WuHiN  NDTV (@ndtv) January 26, 2021



Follow our live blog for full coverage of the Farmers' Protest

Meanwhile, Abhijeet Dipke, social media team lead for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) (as per his LinkedIn Profile) shared videos and photos of the police action on Twitter and called out Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "breaking farmers' trust."



Modi's police welcoming farmers in Delhi.

Modi cannot be trusted. Shame on you @narendramodi#HistoricTractorMarch pic.twitter.com/JPkY8AK7EE  Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) January 26, 2021

In one tweet he wrote: "Modi's police welcoming farmers in Delhi. Modi cannot be trusted. Shame on you @narendramodi #HistoricTractorMarch" (sic)

Protestors also pushed through police barricading on Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Pandav Nagar and at Karnal bypass. Tikri Border saw a huge crowd of farmers gather as they carried out a tractor parade on the occasion of Republic Day to register protest against three farm laws introduced by the Centre.
TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: ELO; OTCQX: ELRRF FSE: P2QM) (Eloro, or the Company) is pleased to announce additional results from its diamond drilling program at its optioned Iska Iska Silver-Polymetallic Project (Iska Iska) in the Potosi Department, southern Bolivia. To date, through its Bolivian subsidiary, Minera Tupiza S.R.L. (Minera Tupiza), Eloro has completed 20 holes totalling 5,573m metres from both underground (12) and surface drill holes (8). Results from the first five underground holes were reported on November 18, 2020. This release reports results for 10 additional holes. Due to the polymetallic nature of the deposit, silver equivalent (Ag eq) values have been included for comparative purposes. Tables 1 and 2 list significant assay results. Figure 1 is a plan map detailing the locations of the drill holes, Figure 2 is a geological cross section of the Santa Barbara Breccia Pipe and Table 3 provides drill hole collar coordinates for all holes completed to date.



Santa Barbara Breccia Pipe

On November 24, 2020 Eloro announced the discovery of the Santa Barbara Breccia Pipe (SBBP). Drill Hole DHK-14, drilled at -10 degrees to the southwest of Huayra Kasa workings from Drill Bay #3, intersected almost 180m of silicified and mineralized breccia in this pipe, but due to drill limitations only penetrated approximately 50% of its full width. To date, six (6) additional holes have since been completed to test the SBBP, three (3) more from underground and three (3) from surface drilled radially from the centre of the pipe. As of this news release, results have been received for the first three (3) underground holes, including the original discovery hole, which are presented in Table 1. The relative % of total metal equivalency is also given for each element.

Highlights are as follows:

129.60 g Ag eq/t over 257.5m (29.53g Ag/t, 0.078g Au/t, 1.45%Zn, 0.59%Pb, 0.080%Cu, 0.056%Sn, 0.0022%In, 0.0064%Bi and 0.0083%Cd 1 ) from 0.0m to 257.5m in hole DHK-15, the deepest of the three holes reported within the SBBP;

(29.53g Ag/t, 0.078g Au/t, 1.45%Zn, 0.59%Pb, 0.080%Cu, 0.056%Sn, 0.0022%In, 0.0064%Bi and 0.0083%Cd ) from 0.0m to 257.5m in hole DHK-15, the deepest of the three holes reported within the SBBP; 79.00 g Ag eq/t over 121.33m (21.77g Ag/t, 0.034g Au/t, 0.35%Zn, 0.23%Pb, 0.18%Cu, 0.056%Sn, 0.0011%In, 0.004%Bi and 0.0055%Cd) from 0.0m to 121.33m in Hole DHK-14 within the SBBP;

(21.77g Ag/t, 0.034g Au/t, 0.35%Zn, 0.23%Pb, 0.18%Cu, 0.056%Sn, 0.0011%In, 0.004%Bi and 0.0055%Cd) from 0.0m to 121.33m in Hole DHK-14 within the SBBP; 74.16 g Ag eq/t over 40.88m (33.43g Ag/t, 0.032g Au/t, 0.04%Zn, 0.33%Pb, 0.13%Cu, 0.045%Sn, 0.0010%In and 0.0012%Bi) from 30.40m to 71.28m in Hole DHK-13 which is within the approximately 100m wide mineralized envelope that surrounds the breccia pipe (Figure 1).



__________________________

1 Ag=Silver, Au=Gold, Zn=Zinc, Pb=Lead, Cu=Copper, Sn=Tin, In=Indium, Bi=Bismuth and Cd=Cadmium

While assay results are pending, the first three (3) inclined radial surface holes testing deeper parts of SBBP intersected significant mineralized breccia as follows (Figures 1 and 2):

Hole DSB-01 drilled at -45 degrees to the south intersected 195m of mineralized breccia in the oxide zone, followed by 63m of sandstone and dacite before intersecting 83m of mineralized breccia in the Central Breccia Pipe (CBP);

in the oxide zone, followed by 63m of sandstone and dacite before intersecting 83m of mineralized breccia in the Central Breccia Pipe (CBP); Hole DSB-02 drilled at -60 o south intersected 216m of mineralized breccia in SBBP followed by a sequence of mineralized sandstone and dacite before intersecting the CBP at 300m which also proved to be mineralized. In the CBP, this hole intersected a continuous sequence of mineralized breccia with porphyritic fragments for 332m to the end of the hole at 632m where it was stopped due to drilling issues. The last 10 metres in this hole contained a 5m long intersection of massive sulphides, therefore the system is considered open at depth;

south intersected in SBBP followed by a sequence of mineralized sandstone and dacite before intersecting the CBP at 300m which also proved to be mineralized. In the CBP, this hole intersected a continuous sequence of to the end of the hole at 632m where it was stopped due to drilling issues. The last 10 metres in this hole contained a 5m long intersection of massive sulphides, therefore the system is considered open at depth; Drill Hole DSB-03 drilled at -60o East from the same setup intersected 430m of mineralized breccia in SSBP including 50m of massive sulphide from 302m to 352m. This hole intersected a further 85m of dacite to 515m in the mineralized envelope around SBBP.



Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., Chief Technical Advisor for Eloro commented: The scale of the new breccia pipes discovered and the wide range of metals at Iska Iska is phenomenal. Drilling has confirmed a 400m wide diameter of the Santa Barbara Breccia Pipe with a further 100m mineralized envelope around the pipe for a total effective mineralized diameter of 600m as shown in Figure 2. The adjacent Central Breccia Pipe to the south is even bigger with a surface dimension of 400m by 700m; hole DHK-02 intersected mineralized breccia in the CBP to a depth of 475m below surface where it is completely open. It appears likely that the Santa Barbara and Central Breccia Pipes may merge at depth. The widespread tin mineralization suggests that we are getting closer to the magnetic source. Deeper holes are planned in both the SBBP and CBP to further confirm the full extent of the pipes and to test for mineralization at depth.

Dr. Quinton Hennigh, P.Geo, Senior Technical Advisor for Eloro said: Hole DHK-15, the deepest hole in SBBP with assays back, gives us our first picture of the true potential of the Iska Iska system. A whole suit of metals including Ag, Zn, Pb, Cu, Sn, In, Bi and Cd are present, exactly the sort of assemblage one would like to see in a prolific 'Potosi-type' deposit. In fact, the way this picture is unfolding, it appears we have an entirely preserved mineralizing system of this type with lots of room to host a major deposit. An early indication of large size comes from hole DSB-02 which tells us that both the large SBBP and even larger CBP appear to be strongly mineralized. In short, we have been able to confirm in a few short months of drilling that Iska Iska has the right metal-assemblage, strong Ag-polymetallic grades and very large size.

Dr. Osvaldo Arce, P.Geo., General Manager of Minera Tupiza and an expert on the geology of Bolivia commented: The mineralization at Iska Iska defines a massive epithermal-porphyry-system hosted mainly in large magmatic-hydrothermal breccia pipes, along with Tertiary dacitic domes and Ordovician quartz sandstone sequences, being a new geological environment for polymetallic deposition in the southern Bolivian Andes. Regionally, in terms of metal contents Iska Iska is comparable with neighboring world-class polymetallic systems including Cerro Rico de Potosi, San Vicente, Chorolque and Tatasi, all of which have similar geological environments, with the notable exception of the large and remarkable mineralized breccia pipes at Iska Iska.

Table 1: Significant Drill Results, Santa Barbara Breccia Pipe

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8254aea2-9fb8-4b9f-8f5c-e3ea1a665d93

Note: True width of the mineralization is not known at the present time, but based on the current understanding of the relationship between drill orientation/inclination and the mineralization within the breccia pipes and the host rocks such as sandstones and dacites, is estimated that true width ranges between 70% and 90% of the down hole interval length but this will be confirmed by further drilling.

Metal prices and conversion factors used for calculation of g Ageq/t (grams Ag per grams other metal) are as follows:

Ag $25.48/oz 1.00000000 Au $1855.2/oz 72.8100471 Cu $3.61/lb 0.009713933 Zn $1.213/lb 0.003263989 Pb $0.911/lb 0.002451355 Bi $5.80/lb 0.015606874 Sn $10.25/lb 0.027581113 Cd $2.50/lb 0.006727101 In $305/kg 0.37227237

Huayra Kasa Breccia Pipe and Mine Area



An additional two underground holes DHK-06 and DHK-07 drilled due west at -10 and -45 degrees, respectively, were completed from Drill Bay #1 to test under the Huayra Kasa workings. Hole DHK-06 intersected 78.51 g Ag eq/t over 41.40m from 160.0 to the end of the hole at 201.40m; this intersection is the outer edge of the mineralized envelope around the SBBP. Hole DHK-07 intersected 127.64 g Ag eq/t over 8.15m from 30.87m to 39.02m. This intersection which contained 1.42 g Au/t is likely the downdip extension of the Au-Bi zone identified in the eastern workings (see press release November 18, 2020).

A surface drill rig was brought in to facilitate further testing of the Huayra Kasa Breccia Pipe (HKBP) just east of the Huayra Kasa mine workings (Figure 1), the discovery of which was reported in the press release of November 18, 2020. A total of five (5) surface drill holes were completed to further test the HKBP and surrounding area including at depth.

Highlights are as follows:

50.87 g Ag eq/t over 47.50m from 57.89m to 103.59m in Hole DHK-08. This intersection is on the west side contact zone of the HKBP;

from 57.89m to 103.59m in Hole DHK-08. This intersection is on the west side contact zone of the HKBP; 44.99 g Ag eq/t over 63.75m from 239.25m to 303.00m in Hole DHK-09 drilled due east from the HKBP. This intersection is within a dacitic dome approximately 170m east of the HKBP;

from 239.25m to 303.00m in Hole DHK-09 drilled due east from the HKBP. This intersection is within a dacitic dome approximately 170m east of the HKBP; Several high intersections were obtained in Hole DHK-11 drilled from the centre of HKBP to the south. Results included 476.68 g Ag/t over 1.81m including 5.60 g Au/t from 60.85m to 62.66m and 572.55 g Ageq/t over 5.57m including 6.90 g Au/t from 83.60m to 89.17m. These intersections likely represent the southern extension of the high-grade gold zone in the eastern part of the underground workings;

from 60.85m to 62.66m and from 83.60m to 89.17m. These intersections likely represent the southern extension of the high-grade gold zone in the eastern part of the underground workings; Hole DHK-12 drilled down the centre of the pipe to a depth of 385m returned a number of intersections from 2.97m to 17.57m with grades ranging from 32 g Ageq/t to 88 g Ageq/t.

Dr. Osvaldo Arce, P.Geo. commented: The HKBP is located immediately east of the underground workings developed by Empresa Minera Villegas. It occurs along the contact between a Miocene dacitic dome which has intruded Ordovician sandstones. It was discovered in the initial drilling on the property (see press release dated November 18, 2020). The pipe has been outlined by eight (8) diamond drill holes confirming that it is oval-shaped with a west-east dimension of 150m, north-south dimension of 200m and a southeasterly plunge. HKBP is considered to be phreatic in origin and was formed at shallow levels in the volcanic environment, therefore occurring in the upper levels of the hydrothermal system, where the physical conditions lead to hydraulic fracturing and hydrothermal brecciation. Mineralization is predominantly Zn-Pb-Ag and rock clasts and matrices are sericitized in the central part of the breccia and argillized on the periphery."

Table 2: Significant drill results Huayra Kasa Breccia Pipe and Mine area

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2420bc89-f1cf-444f-b64f-15ae1ea6fce2

Table 2 (cont)

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e8d85e86-2175-4396-9882-2181b9285b5a

Note: True width of the mineralization is not known at the present time, but based on the current understanding of the relationship between drill orientation/inclination and the mineralization within the underground workings and the breccia pipe as well as host rocks such as sandstones and dacites, is estimated that true width ranges between 70% and 90% of the down hole interval length but this will be confirmed by further drilling.

Metal prices and conversion factors used for calculation of g Ageq/t (grams Ag per grams other metal) are as follows:

Ag $25.48/oz 1.00000000 Au $1855.2/oz 72.8100471 Cu $3.61/lb 0.009713933 Zn $1.213/lb 0.003263989 Pb $0.911/lb 0.002451355 Bi $5.80/lb 0.015606874 Sn $10.25/lb 0.027581113 Cd $2.50/lb 0.006727101 In $305/kg 0.37227237

Table 3: Summary of Diamond Drilling at Iska from press release of November 18, 2020 to January 25, 2021

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/580d5457-1f8e-44b1-bfbf-4c97d20d7aa5

Qualified Person

Dr. Osvaldo Arce, P. Geo., General Manager of Minera Tupiza, and a Qualified Person in the context of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101), has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release. Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., Chief Technical Advisor for Eloro, and who has more than 45 years of worldwide mining exploration experience including extensive work in South America, provides technical oversight to the program in consultation with Dr. Quinton Hennigh, P.Geo., Senior Technical Advisor to Eloro and Independent Technical Advisor, Mr. Charley Murahwi P. Geo., FAusIMM of Micon International Limited. Drill samples are prepared in SGS BOLIVIA SAs preparation facility in Oruro, Bolivia with pulps sent to the main SGS laboratory in Lima, Peru for analysis by fire assay for gold and silver as well as 31 element ICP. Eloro employs an industry standard QA/QC program with standards, blanks and duplicates inserted into each batch of samples analyzed.

About Iska Iska

Iska Iska silver polymetallic project is a road accessible, royalty-free property, wholly-controlled by the Title Holder, Empresa Minera Villegas S.R.L. and is located 48 km north of Tupiza city, in the Sud Chichas Province of the Department of Potosi. The property can be classified as a silver polymetallic (Ag, Zn, Pb, Au, Cu, Bi, Sn, In) and porphyry-epithermal complex. This is an important mineral deposit type in the prolific South Mineral Belt of Bolivia.

Silver polymetallic mineralization at Iska Iska occurs within a Miocene possibly collapsed/resurgent caldera that consists of granodioritic stocks and five (5) dacitic domes which are each about 500m in diameter. These rocks intrude/extrude an intensely deformed sequence of Ordovician shales, siltstones, and sandstones, which are partially covered by Miocene pyroclastic rocks. The silver polymetallic mineralization occurs mainly as veins, vein swarms, veinlets, stockworks, disseminations and in breccias associated with intense hydrothermal alteration. The Iska Iska dome complex has several major phases of igneous breccias, quartz porphyries, dikes and dacitic syn-kinematic flows.

On November 18, 2020 Eloro announced the discovery of a significant breccia pipe with extensive silver polymetallic mineralization just east of the Huayra Kasa underground workings and a high-grade gold-bismuth zone in the underground workings. Diamond drilling intersected a number of extensive mineralized intersections within the major breccia pipe including 54.48 g Ag/t, 1.45% Zinc (Zn) and 1.60% Lead (Pb) over 16.39m (140.91 g Ag eq/t) within a broader interval of 122.74m grading 14.29 g Ag/t, 0.81% Zn and 0.41% Pb (53.67 g Ag/t eq) in Hole DHK-04 (see press release November 18, 2020).

The high-grade gold-bismuth zone outlined in channel samples in the underground working averaged 7.1 g Au/t and 0.2% Bi (8.29 g Au eq/t) over 3.04m width for strike length of 47m. Hole DHK-05 on the strike extension of the high-grade Au-Bi zone intersected 6.51g Au/t, 0.07% Bi and 31.96 g Ag/t (7.68 g Au eq/t) over 11.85m grading including 29.56 g Au/t,0.26% Bi/t and 63.69 g Ag/t (31.94 g Au eq/t) over 2.31m in this high-grade zone.



Silver-polymetallic mineralization within the Iska Iska system occurs over a potential strike length of more than 2.5km along major ring structures in the caldera complex. A synchrotron study of the underground channel samples (see press release dated June 25, 2020) concluded that the mineral cluster analysis identified four mineralogical domains that cover the entire sampling area suggesting they are related and represent a single, large mineralizing system. Furthermore, the mineralogy of the domains is consistent with minerals identified in hand specimen and are likely related to a telescoped porphyry/epithermal style of mineralization.

About Eloro Resources Ltd.

Eloro is an exploration and mine development company with a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in Bolivia, Peru and Quebec. Eloro has an option to acquire a 99% interest in the highly prospective Iska Iska Property, which can be classified as a polymetallic epithermal-porphyry complex, a significant mineral deposit type in the Potosi Department, in southern Bolivia. Eloro commissioned a NI 43-101 Technical Report on Iska Iska, which was completed by Micon International Limited and is available on Eloros website and under its filings on SEDAR. Iska Iska is a road-accessible, royalty-free property. Eloro also owns an 82% interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru some 50 km south of Barricks Lagunas Norte Gold Mine and Pan American Silvers La Arena Gold Mine. La Victoria consists of eight mining concessions and eight mining claims encompassing approximately 89 square kilometres. La Victoria has good infrastructure with access to road, water and electricity and is located at an altitude that ranges from 3,150 m to 4,400 m above sea level.

For further information please contact either Thomas G. Larsen, Chairman and CEO or Jorge Estepa, Vice-President at (416) 868-9168.

Information in this news release may contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Companys plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

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.

Figure 1: Geological Plan Map of Santa Barbara and Huayra Kasa areas, Iska Iska

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5985899e-6354-4dca-8294-5111fbfc2e39

Figure 2: Preliminary Geological Cross Section Santa Barbara and Central Breccia Pipes, Iska Iska

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/147f1543-a83a-4ee2-a266-b9a2d2af25d7




A COVID-19 model that predicts nearly 569,000 people will die by May 1 doesn't include the new highly contagious variants that are more likely to infect people during 'every day activities'.

Infections, hospitalizations and deaths have declined in recent days. But on Sunday, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington shared a new forecast predicting a third wave of the coronavirus later this year if people don't get the vaccine.

And while the model does show a significant decrease in cases and deaths beginning in March and April, it doesn't account for the new variants of the coronavirus that have been found in the US.

A COVID-19 model (pictured) predicts that nearly 569,000 people will die by May 1 despite the decrease in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths

And while the model (pictured) does show a significant decrease in cases and deaths beginning in March and April, it doesn't account for the new variants of the coronavirus that have been found in the US

IHME director Dr Christopher Murray told CNN: 'These numbers dont yet account for the new variants. We will be putting out models at the end of the week that will, and that will change the picture.

'But the decline that we expect to see is coming because we're at the peak of seasonality,' Murray said.

Murray predicts that the vaccine 'will prevent a lot of death'.

'But it's pretty likely we believe that there will be a third wave of transmission in the winter of 2021,' Murray said, adding that that prediction is based on whether or not people get the vaccine.

Meanwhile, Dr Leana Wen, an emergency physician, told the network on Monday that people are more likely to catch COVID-19 while grocery shopping and doing other every day activities now that there are more variants in the US.

'We've seen what happens in other countries that have actually had coronavirus under relatively good control, then these variants took over and they had explosive spread of the virus, and then overwhelmed hospitals,' she said.

Wen continued: 'If we thought that going to the grocery store before was relatively safe, there's actually a higher likelihood of contracting coronavirus through those everyday activities.'

The revelations come as Brazil's 'super-covid' variant was discovered in the US.

Meanwhile, Dr Leana Wen, an emergency physician, told the network on Monday that people are more likely to catch COVID-19 while grocery shopping (pictured in New York City) and doing other every day activities now that there are more variants in the US

WHAT ARE THE 'SUPER-COVID' VARIANTS SPREADING AROUND THE WORLD? UK'S 'KENT' VARIANT - B.1.1.7 UK health officials announced in December that a 'variant of concern' had emerged in the county of Kent. The variant is known to scientists as B.1.1.7, a name derived from the location of its most significant mutations. B117 appears to be more infectious than older 'wild-type' coronavirus variants. Most estimates put it at about 70% more infectious, but some studies suggest it could be twice as infectious, while more moderate projections say its transmissibility is only about 56% higher. B117 quickly became dominant in the UK, and now accounts for at least 90% of cases in the European country. It has been detected in more than 70 countries, including the US, where the CDC estimates the variant makes up at least 44% of cases. While its mutations seemed to quite clearly make the variant more infectious, it didn't seem to change the odds of severe COVID-19 or death. UK health officials say it may be 30 to 40% more deadly, based on how many people infected with it die. The mortality rate for people hospitalized with B.1.1.7. in the UK appears no different from that of older variants. After reviewing the UK's data, Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, said it may indeed be deadlier. However, he and UK officials still say other variants are more concerning because they may make vaccines less effective - which doesn't seem to be the case with the UK variant. SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT - B.1.351 A new variant was announced in South Africa on December 18. It shares a mutation with the UK variant - in a location on its genome known as 501Y - but also has several other mutations. The South African variant is estimated to be about 50 percent more contagious and is already dominant there. It has spread to at least 20 countries, including the US, but the CDC estimates the variant makes up just 0.7% of cases. In January, President Joe Biden invoked a travel ban on people coming from South Africa in an effort to stop importation of the new variant. Dr Fauci says that the South African variant is the most concerning one because it might render vaccines less effective due to mutations that help it 'hide' from antibodies developed after vaccination or a previous bout of COVID-19. BRAZIL'S VARIANT - P,1 The variant first caught international attention when four travelers arriving to Tokyo from Manaus, Brazil, tested positive on January 2. The variant has the same spike protein mutation as the highly transmissible versions found in Kent and South Africa  named N501Y  which makes the spike better able to bind to receptors inside the body. Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon, has been devastated by COVID-19. Hospitals are running out of oxygen and Brazilian officials have said it is in a state of crisis. The new variant accounts for nearly half of all cases there and is thought to be more contagious and possibly make vaccines less effective. It has spread to at least 15 countries, including the U.S., where it has become the second-most dominant variant, accounting for between 1% and 2% of all cases. Advertisement

Health officials in Minnesota said a resident who recently returned from hard-hit Brazil was diagnosed with the strain in the Twin Cities.

The variant - known as P1 - is likely around 50 per cent more infectious.

President Joe Biden reinstated travel bans blocking people travelers from entering the US from several countries with dangerous variants, including the UK and Brazil. The president recently added South Africa to the list.

But the order came too late. The Twin Cities resident tested positive for COVID-19 on January 9 and was already ill by then.

Brazil's variant is particularly worrisome because its mutations may render vaccines less effective.

Just hours earlier on Monday, Dr Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner and board member of Pfizer said he believed the Brazilian variant was already in the US.

Direct flights between Brazil and the US have long been suspended but itineraries arriving in the US via layovers in others countries have still been available according to quick Google flight searches.

More than 25 million infections have been reported in the US since the pandemic hit the country last year

The new variant accounts for nearly half of all cases in the Amazons, and hospitals in the largest city in the region, Manaus, are so overwhelmed with patients the city is in the midst of an oxygen shortage.

The South African variant is also estimated to be about 50 per cent more infectious.

And the spike protein mutation it and the Brazilian variant share may make them both more resistant to vaccines.

In fact, Moderna also announced Monday that while it's vaccine still works well enough to be protective against the South African variant, lab tests suggest the antibodies triggered by the shot may be 60 per cent less potent against the virus in vitro (in a cell culture, not a live animal or person).

It's possible the Brazilian variant could have a similar impact on the effectiveness of the shot - but it hasn't been tested directly in the lab, in animals or in humans.

Meanwhile, the UK variant of the virus has been making its way across several US states.

Over the weekend, Washington state reported its first cases of the B.1.1.7 COVID variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom.

The variant has now been found in at least 22 states, with the country reporting a total of almost 200 cases, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad has met with Indias ambassador to Syria and thanked India for their continued support and friendship writes Al-Watan.

On Sunday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faisal Mikdad received the Indian Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic, Hifzur Rahman. The meeting touched on the solid, friendly relations between the two countries.

Mikdad expressed Syrias appreciation for the Indian governments support for Syria in its war against terrorism through its political support for Syria on the international scene. There was also talk about Indias willingness to provide a batch of coronavirus vaccines.

The ambassador pointed to the depth of friendship between India and Syria and stressed the Indian governments keenness to continue joint work in order to deepen and strengthen Syrian-Indian relations.

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.
Handout photo of Taoiseach Micheal Martin during Post-Cabinet Press Briefing at Government Buildings, Dublin, after he announced that Dublin will move to risk level three of the Governments blueprint plan to deal with Covid-19.

Level Five lockdown measures will continue until at least early March, under proposals to go before Cabinet on Tuesday.

A Cabinet sub-committee met on Monday night to consider a range of new measures to combat the pandemic, including extending lockdown until March 5th  in line with Northern Ireland.

Mandatory quarantine of 14-days will be enforced for international travellers who arrive in the country without a negative PCR test taken in the previous 72-hours.

Passengers from Brazil and South Africa, where new variants of Covid-19 have emerged, will also be subject to quarantine, according to Government sources.

A full meeting of the Cabinet is to take place on Tuesday where the proposals are expected to be signed off on.

It comes as the Deputy Chief Medical Officer warned the full reopening of schools is unlikely to happen in the coming weeks as transmission of Covid-19 in the community remains too high.

The daily case tallies have dropped significantly in recent weeks due to lockdown measures, with 1,372 cases reported on Monday, compared to a high of 8,248 cases on January 8.

But while case numbers are dropping and the numbers of people in hospitals and intensive care units is beginning to plateau, it still to early to consider reopening schools, Dr Ronan Glynn said.

Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team



The Health Protection Surveillance Centre @hpscireland has today been notified of 7 additional deaths related to COVID-19.



All of these deaths occurred in January.  Department of Health (@roinnslainte) January 25, 2021

He told a briefing on Monday evening: Its a very significant improvement over the past couple of weeks and where we were.

But were still at a level of disease that is way, way higher than where we want to be, or need to be in general terms.

All I can say is that, from our perspective, right now is not the time to see mobility of over a million people that would be associated with the full reopening of education.

In the first instance we need to be assured that the improvements that weve seen in the disease numbers, in the trajectory, is continuing. And that we dont now plateau at where we are. We need to see a continued improvement.

He added: I cant see it happening in the next fortnight for sure.

A Cabinet sub-committee is meeting on Monday evening to discuss current restrictions  including the implementation of stricter quarantine rules for international travellers.

Any measure that reduces passengers coming into this country for non-essential purposes we welcome, Dr Glynn said.

Despite all of the hard work that we're doing, it is going to take a long time for numbers in hospital to reduce. Dr Ronan Glynn

Dr Glynn said there are positive signs, with the number of hospital admissions per day decreasing for the last two weeks.

He said: It peaked at around 140 admissions per day, on average, its below 100 over the last seven days, and we saw 74 admissions or confirmations today. The number in ICU plateauing at over 200.

However, he said the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) expects those numbers to remain very high for weeks to come.

He said: Despite all of the hard work that were doing, it is going to take a long time for numbers in hospital to reduce.

We do expect to see numbers in hospital at or above 1000, even out to the end of February.

In terms of numbers of people in critical care, we expect to see that start to reduce over the coming week. But again, likely to remain above 100, well out to the end of February.

Im saying that so that people prepare for that or not disheartened by the fact that it is going to take a long time to bring the burden on our healthcare system back down to reasonable levels.

Face coverings can help to reduce the spread of #coronavirus. They should:

cover the nose & go under the chin

fit snugly against the side of the faceaa

be secured with ties or ear loopsaa

include at least 2 layers of fabricaa

allow for unrestricted breathing pic.twitter.com/LPFpjJGNsx  HSE Ireland (@HSELive) January 25, 2021

Dr Glynn said the number of close contacts reported by confirmed cases has dropped and is remaining low.

He said: That indicator, the number of close contacts per case has been below 2.5 since the beginning of January.

People are maintaining that effort and the numbers of contacts remains low.

Thats a little bit different from what we saw in October, where numbers of contacts came down to a low level and then immediately began to drift back up.

Here the context came down to a low level, and are remaining low. And thats something that we need to feed back to people.

We can clearly see the efforts that theyre making to stay apart, to prevent transmission of the virus.

There were seven additional deaths linked to Covid-19 on Monday, and an additional 1,372 cases.

The number of people in intensive care units has increased by one, to 219, according to the latest figures.
It is fair to say that Loeb, who was raised with a philosophical bent on a farm in Israel, the son of refugees from the Holocaust and war-torn Europe, is one of the more imaginative and articulate scientists around. He writes frequently for Scientific American and fires off papers on a wide range of subjects  from cosmology to black holes to the desirability of inspecting exoplanet atmospheres for signs of industrial pollution or even nuclear war. He is chair of the Black Hole Initiative at Harvard and, more to the point, chair of the scientific advisory committee for Breakthrough Starshot, a grandly ambitious scheme to send tiny probes to Alpha Centauri, propelled to one-fifth the speed of light by lasers shining on lightsails.

The Starshot scheme, bankrolled by the Israeli-Russian internet billionaire and philanthropist Yuri Milner, had been announced only a year and a half before Oumuamua was discovered. It was natural for Loeb to think that great minds across the universe might have thought alike. It sounds crazy but there is a larger point he has to make, one well worth making and reading.

Central to his argument is what he calls the Oumuamua wager, a takeoff on Pascals famous wager, that the upside of believing in God far outweighs the downside. Likewise, believing that Oumuamua could have been an alien spacecraft can only make us more alert and receptive to thinking outside the box. As Louis Pasteur said, Chance favors the prepared mind.

If we dare to wager that Oumuamua was a piece of advanced extraterrestrial technology, we stand only to gain, Loeb writes. Whether it prompts us to methodically search the universe for signs of life or to undertake more ambitious projects, placing an optimistic bet could have a transformative effect on our civilization. Imagine, for example, lightsails equipped with copies of human DNA placed around a star that would one day explode, sending them riding on a flash of light across the galaxy. It would take millions of years to set up, but what is a million years in the 10-billion-year life of the Milky Way?

He goes on, When I think of this familiar technology in that way, a lightsail tumbling in sunlight resembles nothing so much as the wings of a dandelion seed sent off by the wind to fertilize virgin soil.

Modern academic science, he complains, has overvalued topics such as multiple dimensions and multiple universes, for which there is no evidence, and undervalued the search for life out there, not just in the form of extraterrestrial radio signals but in the form of chemical biosignatures, or even technological artifacts  such as, Loeb believes, Oumuamua. We could try harder, he writes. The discovery of alien life would be the greatest discovery in the history of science.

As he writes toward the end of this half memoir, half soaring monologue: But the moment we know that we are not alone, that we are almost certainly not the most advanced civilization ever to have existed in the cosmos, we will realize that weve spent more funds developing the means to destroy all life on the planet than it would have cost to preserve it.
With reports of this variant already in many states in the U.S., we anticipated its spread here in Illinois, Ezike said. Early studies have found that this variant spreads more easily than what we have seen with the current prevailing variant. We are following closely to see if there is evidence that infections by this variant cause more severe disease or death.
(Newser)  Balky internet service prevented users on the East Coast from loading the software they use to learn and work on Tuesday morning. Google, Zoom, YouTube, and Slack were among the services affected, the Washington Post reports. The source of the problem was unclear, but clues pointed to Verizon, which said a fiber had been cut in Brooklyn; the company said its technicians were working on fixing it, per Engadget. A Verizon spokesperson later said the outages were not caused by the fiber problem. Verizon Fios internet customers reported they were having trouble, but other internet service providers were acting up, as well. Amazon Web Services reported it was "investigating connectivity issues with an internet provider, mainly affecting the East Coast of the United States, outside of the AWS Network."

story continues below

The outages were mostly in an area from DC to Boston, per Axios. A network monitoring company said the outage began at 11:25am, with recovery starting at 12:37pm. Verizon's traffic fell 12%, per ABC. Comcast Xfinity service apparently was struck as well, and Facebook, Gmail, and Twitter have been affected. Pokemon Go also was a casualty, per WRAL. Slack said the problem wasn't on its end. A Massachusetts middle school was able to tweet: "Widespread internet outages in the area impacting remote learning today. Stay patient and do best you can." (Severed fiber lines were a problem for Comcast before.)
Educators unions in Massachusetts say that changes to the states COVID-19 vaccine priority announced by Gov. Charlie Baker slow down the return to safe, in-person learning and make members, students and families feel like pawns in a chess game.

Baker on Monday announced that seniors aged 65 and older would be moved up in the states priority-based COVID vaccine rollout. Phase 2 of the rollout begins on Feb. 1, with people 75 and older slated to be the first priority group. Residents older than 65, along with residents of all ages with two or more comorbid health conditions, will be able to get shots after the first group.

Other people included in Phase 2, including K-12 employees, will get the shot later in the timeline.

Union leaders believe the change in the plan will delay the inoculation of educators by several weeks.

The governor keeps pushing schools to reopen for in-person learning more quickly, regardless of the risks to staff and students, yet he has just made it much harder to do that safely, said Beth Kontos, president of AFT Massachusetts.

Baker defended the states decision to roll out the vaccine to more targeted groups than other states, saying the state wanted to focus early on on some hard to reach populations and vulnerable populations ... we believed we needed to make sure we got to first.

The governor and education officials have said they want districts to prioritize in-person learning even when communities have a high transmission rate of the virus.

If you are required to work with students in person  which thousands of educators have been doing for months now  you should be vaccinated as soon as possible for the sake of your colleagues, students, and the family members those children could infect, as well as the larger community, Jessica Tang, president of the Boston Teachers Union, said. To increase the number of students back in schools, we need to prioritize vaccinating educators.

State education officials say claims from the leaders of the unions are false and misleading.

Teachers are scheduled to receive a vaccine in Phase Two  the first group of workers in the state to be prioritized for the vaccine after healthcare workers and first responders. The Administration is calling on these union leaders to be honest partners in the effort to educate children in classrooms. Instead, these leaders attack good faith efforts to go back to school despite overwhelming evidence that it is safe to do so, and the Administration was dismayed to learn these same union leaders also oppose going back to the classroom until vaccines for children are developed, said Colleen Quinn, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Education. There is no legitimate evidence from any public health or medical body to back up the union leaders claims, and their tactics will only exacerbate the emotional and educational harm students are experiencing as a result of being out of the classroom.

Union leaders said they want the state to move higher education faculty and staff and municipal librarians higher on the vaccine priority list. Those workers are currently in Phase 3.

There are 32 states that have prioritized higher education employees along with pre-K through grade 12 staff, according to the union leaders.

It is an outrage that once again the people impacted by this decision have to find out about it at a press conference at the same time as everyone else, with no advance notice, Merrie Najimy, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, said. Our members, our students, and their families feel like pawns in a chess game  a game whose rules keep changing.

Some districts have started setting up their own vaccination plans, union leaders noted.

Its like the Hunger Games, said Najimy. They are forcing communities to compete with one another for a scarce resource rather than establishing a fair system with clear rules. The Baker administration must do a better job of balancing the needs of people at risk because of age and other factors with recognizing that people working with students need to be vaccinated. We had not opposed the original prioritization list because it had a rational basis and promised to deliver vaccines to educators in February. Now, those hopes may be dashed.

State education officials expect to have more information on vaccine rollout for K-12 employees from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Department of Public Health by the end of the week.

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A harsh alarm sounded at midnight in the cold winter somewhere in northwest China. Service members assigned to an air defense battalion of the PLA Army (PLAA) rushed to their combat positions. Battalion commander Zhao Xinghai stared at the watch in his hand, while the time for level-upgrading was shortened by another 30 seconds.

This is a combat-readiness drill of the PLAA air defense troops. However, it was an air force base under the PLA Western Theater Command that gave the order to upgrade the combat readiness level.

Starting from July, several air defense battalions under an army air defense brigade have taken turns to join in the command system of an air force base under the PLA Western Theater Command for alert duty.

"It seems to be a small step of sharing air intelligence, but actually is a giant leap of system integration," said the commanding officer of the air force base. From unifying standards for equipment accession, to integrating understanding and forming a joint force, no step is easy.

The air force base had organized its troops from ground defense, radar and communications to visit the army air defense brigade for three times in order to unify information interfaces and develop relevant standards.

The combined training breeds a win-win situation. The army air defense battalion has become a new highlight in the air force base's early warning system. Radars used by the army are more accurate in detecting relevant targets, which has thus filled in the blind spots of the air force's early warning radar system. At the same time, accessing the air force base's early warning system enables the army air defense battalion to detect a larger range so as to provide strong support for early detection and early strike.

"It feels like real combat!" said Li Ze, an army radar technician, who is thrilled that he can fight against more opponents. In the past, Li seldom had opportunities for joint training with the aviation troops in a year. Now, he and his troops have already carried out five air-to-ground force-on-force training within six months. As a result, they have explored multiple sets of tactics suitable for their equipment's performance characteristics.

The mode of warfare is constantly innovating and changing. Systematic training and joint operations is an important and practical subject for China to make breakthroughs in building a world-class military in an all-round way.


A judge confirmed on Monday that there would be a liquidation plan that gives $17 million in funds for Harvey Weinstein's victims of sexual misconduct.

The plan also provides $9.7 million to the former officers and directors of the Weinstein Co., which allows them to pay a portion of their legal bills over the last several years.

According to an NBC News report, the directors and officers also received releases that absolve them of any possible liability for enabling Weinstein's conduct.

These directors and officers were Weinstein's brother, Bob, James Dolan, Tarak Ben Ammar, and Lance Maerov.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Mary Walrath approved the plan after a hearing in Delaware, saying that without the settlement, Weinstein's victims would get "minimal, if any, recovery."

Related story: Harvey Weinstein: A Timeline of One of Hollywood's Biggest Scandals

$17 Million Payout to Harvey Weinstein's Victims

The payout will be divided among the more than 50 claimants, with the most serious claims, which could cause payouts of $500,000 or more. Weinstein's victims put to a vote the settlement with 39 voting in favor and eight opposed.

A lawyer representing those who objected to the payout, Ruby Liu, said Monday that the settlement fund is meager.

The deal also deprives her clients of the chance to pursue Bob Weinstein and the other directors in court. Liu said that there are more than monetary considerations that her clients want.

"They are seeking a finding from a jury that holds all responsible parties accountable. That's not just Harvey Weinstein," Liu said in a Variety report.

Paul Zumbro, the attorney representing the Weinstein Co. estate, argued that the deal was the best one for the victims. He added that the insurance companies would not have been willing to pay out if the directors and officers were not due to release.

Meanwhile, an earlier version of the settlement amounting to $24.3 million would have been given to the victims, including women who claimed they were abused in the Miramax era predated in 2005.

However, Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected the deal. Hellerstein said that the class-action suit that included the Miramax-era victims was not viable.

According to The New Daily report, the settlement was revised to exclude Miramax, Disney, and their insurers.

Many attorneys agreed to the plan, saying that it is better to give most of the claimants' closure rather than forcing them to endure years of legal procedures without a certain outcome.

Debra Grassgreen, an attorney for the Unsecured Creditors' Committee, said this is the "best we're going to do."

Harvey Weinstein Sexual Harassment Allegations

Actresses Rose McGowan and Ashley Judd were among the first women who came forward with the accusations. Claims against Harry Weinstein include forcing women to massage him and watch him naked, with a promise to help advance their careers in return for sexual favors.

In 2017, Harry Weinstein issued an apology acknowledging that he has caused a lot of pain to the victims. Allegations stated that he harassed female employees for around three decades.

In 2018, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts or BAFTA formally terminated Weinstein's membership as actress Uma Thurman details long-hinted allegations against Weinstein.

The New York Times reported that she was pushed by Harry Weinstein and tried to expose himself at his hotel room in London during the 1990s. However, Weinstein's spokeswoman said that the claims were untrue, according to a BBC report.

Related story: Pros & Cons of Weinstein Co. Dumping 'Grace of Monaco'




The Senate voted to proceed with an impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump, but don't expect Texas senators to vote to convict him.

Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz voted against proceeding with the trial and have not given any indication they would support Democrats in convicting Trump.

CORNYN DEFENDS CRUZ: Sen. John Cornyn defends Sen. Ted Cruz against ethics investigation request from Democratic senators

The former president is charged with inciting insurrection in a speech, telling supporters to "fight like hell" shortly before a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, resulting in five deaths and a delay in the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

The Senate voted 55-45 to reject a motion to dismiss Trump's impeachment trial Tuesday. Republicans largely voted to dismiss the charges, including Cornyn and Cruz.

While neither senator from Texas has explicitly stated how they will vote in the impeachment trial, they have not indicted they are willing to convict Trump.

Before the Senate vote to proceed with the trial, Cornyn pondered how holding an impeachment trial even though Trump has left office could prompt impeachment trials for other former presidents.

Could we go back and try President Obama?" Cornyn said.

Cornyn also argued that Trump has already faced consequences, saying, One way in our system you get punished is losing an election.

In an interview with KHOU, Cornyn called impeaching Trump "vindictive" but said he would "reserve judgment" until he hears the case against the former president.

Cruz, a vocal supporter of Trump during his term as president, has called the impeachment trial vindictive and punitive.

"Joe Biden last week at his inauguration speech gave this impassioned plea for unity, and congressional Democrats, their first response is, 'Great, let's spend the first month of the Biden administration impeaching Donald Trump," Cruz said on The Hugh Hewitt Show. "They just hate Trump, and for them, their partisan hatred for Trump is a higher priority than actually working for the people of this country."

"I think it's a case of misplaced priorities," Cruz added.

The junior senator from Texas has also faced widespread calls to resign, with critics saying Cruz encouraged the mob by widely sharing he would vote against certifying the results until an "emergency audit" was performed to investigate baseless claims of election fraud touted by Trump.

Only five Republican senators voted not to dismiss Trump's impeachment trial: Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Ben Sasse (R-NE) and Pat Toomey (R-PA).

Trump was impeached on Jan. 13 and is the only president to be impeached twice. Impeachment proceedings will begin the week of Feb. 8.
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Move over, Mother Nature.

These amazing images show just how beautiful the man-made world can be.

They are the stunning winning and shortlisted shots in the Art of Building photography contest, now in its 11th year, which is run by the British Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) to celebrate creativity in the construction industry. The competition's judges sifted through 3,500 entries from photographers in more than 100 countries that were submitted in 2020 to draw up a 15-strong shortlist. Then an overall winner was picked.

Scooping the judges' top prize and 1,500 is James Retief, a London-based architectural photographer, who snapped an incredible shot of Big Ben, entitled 'The Value of Time', during the tower's restoration - its largest and most complex to date. The public was also allowed to vote for a winner. Taking home the public choice award, and 1,500, is Borna Mirahmadian from Australia. His amazing photo shows light streaming through a stained-glass window at the 17th-century Karim Khan Citadel in Shiraz, Iran.

Other jaw-dropping images to make the shortlist include a mesmerising shot of a snow-covered theatre in China, a dramatic picture of Europe's tallest building - the Lakhta Center in St Petersburg - and a beautiful snap of floating houses on a lake in Myanmar.

Caroline Gumble, chief executive of the CIOB and a judge in the competition, said: 'We all experience an emotional response to a building, whether that is your own home, the place you work or the buildings that describe a moment in time or even an entire society. Our winners this year have successfully explored the beauty that exists in heritage buildings and their continued meaning to us all. We thank everyone who entered the competition and everyone who voted. Congratulations to our winners, you have inspired us.' Scroll down to see the two winning images and the other 13 that have been shortlisted...

The winner of the judges' choice award in the Art of Building photography competition is James Retief with this incredible image of London's Elizabeth Tower, known throughout the world as Big Ben (which is technically the bell in the clock tower). The London-based architectural photographer said: 'With the ongoing renovations to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, this iconic monument has been shrouded in a layer of scaffolding. I found beauty in the filigree matrix of scaffolding poles, stairs and netting that temporarily obscures the monument, abstracting it into a low-fidelity approximation of the overly familiar form'

Borna Mirahmadian, from Australia, scooped the photography competition's public choice award for this beautiful shot showing sunlight streaming through a stained glass window at the 17th-century Karim Khan Citadel in Shiraz, Iran

This fascinating image, snapped by photographer Bob Chiu, shows the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Sichuan, China. He called the photo 'The Land of Buddha'

Chinese photographer Jinjing Lyu is behind this mesmerising shot of a snow-covered Harbin Grand Theatre in China's Heilongjiang Province, taken on the last day of 2019. The image is titled 'Snake Under The Moonlight'

A dramatic image showing the Lakhta Center - Europe's tallest building at 1,516ft (462m) - under construction in St Petersburg, Russia. The shortlisted photo was taken by Russian photographer Kirill Kolosova, who said: 'Not even the weather can stop the tallest skyscraper in Europe from being built'

This jaw-dropping image of traditional houses built on Inle Lake in Myanmar was shot by Aung Chan Thar. The photographer said: 'I have been to Inle Lake many times. It is inhabited by the Shan people, one of the Burmese ethnic groups. They build floating houses on Inle Lake as they search for their livelihoods'

A fascinating image of construction workers next to the De Colonel building - a business centre that at 55m (180ft) is one of the tallest buildings in the Dutch city of Maastricht. It was snapped by Belgian photographer Philippe van Gelooven

This vibrant image shows the Jamkaran Mosque, close to the Iranian city of Qom. It was snapped by photographer Hadi Dehghanpour

A colourful image of the Guggenheim Museum in the Spanish city of Bilbao taken by Javier Arcenillas. His photo was highly commended by the judges. He said: 'During the summer of Covid-19, the lack of tourism in the city has transformed the way people understand the building itself'

On the left, a beautiful church sits sandwiched between skyscrapers in Moscow in an amazing snap by Russian photographer Anna Kaunis. On the right is a stunning image by American snapper Daniel Jenney, which shows the sunset reflecting off a building on Manhattan's Lower West Side. He said: 'Modern, minimalist architecture can really be a great canvas to let light play and change throughout the day. This structure, located on New Yorks Lower West Side, reflects the sunset behind the city and provides a great hard and sharp contrast to the pastel sky'

Dubai-based photographer Shyjith Onden Cheriyath snapped this eye-popping picture of the city's Museum of Future. The photographer added: 'The Museum of Future is the latest addition to Dubais architecture wonders. It is a museum that not only houses innovation and design but is innovative and creative itself'

This hypnotic image by Joebel Garcisto, called 'City In The Desert', shows Al Ain City in Abu Dhabi. The photographer said: 'This housing project is built at the bottom of the mountain and is surrounded by the warm colour of the desert'

American photographer Robert Debski snapped this unusual image at the Casa da Musica concert hall in the Portuguese city of Porto. He said: 'Casa da Musica in Porto provides the photographer with many striking viewpoints. However, fortunate timing not only brought movement to this image but also a level of intrigue as one tries to reconcile the perspective'
By Eduardo Simoes

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The issues holding up vaccine supply exports from China to Brazil are due to technical, rather than political obstacles, China's ambassador said on Tuesday, as delays to Brazil's vaccine rollout began to grow.

Some have speculated that China, which for years has been the butt of attacks by Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, may have stalled approving the exports as some form of political vengeance. Brazil is waiting for ingredients from China needed to produce two vaccines locally - one from China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd and another from AstraZeneca Plc .

But speaking at a press conference in Sao Paulo, Yang Wanming sought to scotch those rumors.

"Regarding authorization for the export of vaccine supplies, I believe that we all know very well that this is a technical issue and not a political one," Yang Wanming said, without giving more details.

"Vaccines are a weapon to contain the pandemic and guarantee the health of the people and not a political instrument. China attaches great importance to cooperation in the development of the vaccine and we would like to consolidate cooperation."

Yang Wanming said China is committed to helping Brazil after a vaccine developed by Sinovac was late-stage tested in Sao Paulo state. The Sinovac shot is currently Brazil's main hope of slowing the world's second deadliest coronavirus outbreak.

The active ingredient needed to produce 100 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine, which will be made at the federally funded Fiocruz Institute, has yet to leave China, adding to delays to Bolsonaro's widely criticized vaccine rollout.

"The company continues to work to release the lots of (active ingredient) for the vaccine as soon as possible," AstraZeneca said in a statement.

Brazilian biomedical center Butantan expects supplies for around 8.5 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine to arrive by Feb. 3, its director said on Tuesday.

Butantan Director Dimas Covas said he hoped the initial shipment, enough to fill and finish some 8.5 million doses, would be followed by a similar load delivered shortly after. He also said Butantan planned to have a factory fully producing the Chinese vaccine by early next year.

(Reporting by Jamie McGeever; Editing by Richard Chang)
Japans Kubota Pharmaceutical Holdings claims to have developed smart glasses that, if worn just an hour per day, can allegedly cure myopia.

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common ophthalmological condition in which you can see objects near to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry. To compensate for this blur, you have the option of wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, or the more invasive refractive surgery. But a Japanese company claims to have come up with a new non-invasive way of dealing with myopia  a pair of smart glasses that project an image from the lens of the unit onto the wearers retina to correct the refractive error that causes nearsightedness. Apparently, wearing the device 60 to 90 minutes a day corrects myopia.

Photo: Kubota Pharmaceutical Holdings

Founded by Dr. Ryo Kubota, Kubota Pharmaceutical Holdings is still testing the device, known as Kubota Glasses, and trying to determine how long the effect lasts after the user wears the device, and how much the awkward-looking goggles have to be worn for the correction to be permanent.

So how does the technology developed by Kubota work, exactly. Well, according to a company press release from December of last year, the special glasses rely on micro-LEDS to project virtual images on the peripheral visual field to actively stimulate the retina. Apparently, it can do that without interfering with the wearers daily activities.

This product, which uses multifocal contact lens technology, passively stimulates the entire peripheral retina with light myopically defocused by the non-central power of the contact lens, the press release states. Kubota Glasses technology leverages nanotechnology in its electronic glasses-based device and seeks to reduce the progression of myopia by actively stimulating the retina for shorter periods while maintaining high-quality central vision and not affecting daily activities.

Photo: Kubota Pharmaceutical Holdings

Kubota Pharmaceutical began clinical trials in the summer of last year, and is currently conducting clinical tests on about 25 people in the U.S. to assess the effectiveness of its smart glasses. The company plans to begin selling the device in Asia in the second half of 2021, but has plans to enter other markets in the future, and is also working on a contact lens-type device that corrects myopia, for people who cant stand glasses.

We intend to sell it first in Asia, which has a high ratio of nearsighted people, Ryo Kubota told Nikkei.
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Alphabet, Googles parent company, announced late last week that it would shut down Loon, a project that used helium balloons to beam internet access to remote areas from the stratosphere. Founded in 2011, Loon was one of the most hyped endeavors of X, Alphabets incubator for lofty moonshot technologies. But shaky financespaired with a growing expectation within Alphabet that these moonshots actually figure out a way to make moneyultimately sank the venture. While weve found a number of willing partners along the way, wrote Loons chief executive Alastair Westgarth in a blog post announcing the closure. We havent found a way to get the costs low enough to build a long-term, sustainable business. Or, in deflating-balloon terms: pfffffffft.

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Loon has boasted several high-profile successes over the past few years. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, which demolished Puerto Ricos infrastructure in 2017, Loon worked with AT&T and T-Mobile to deliver basic internet service to 100,000 people in the territory. It was also able to conduct trials with its balloons in countries like Brazil, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Just this past July, Loon launched its first commercial service for 4G LTE in Kenya, using about 35 balloons to cover a 50,000-square-kilometer area that included the capital city of Nairobi after striking a deal with the telecom provider Telkom Kenya. Given the inroads it was making, nonprofit organizations working to make internet access universal had big hopes for Loon. Robert Anderson, CEO of the nonprofit Telecom4Good, met with a Loon engineer in Senegal a few years ago and thought that the concept of delivering internet from the stratosphere would be helpful for reaching areas where it would be exorbitantly expensive to lay fiber-optic cables. Lets say youre in the mountains or the eastern part of Kenya in a very rural area; how do you get internet to them? Anderson told me. You can take a balloon and give them internet in that area or even in refugee settlements that are between certain countries  in those places, to give individuals internet would be huge. Loons balloons essentially functioned as floating cell towers that could provide mobile internet to LTE-enabled smartphones on the ground.

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But all along, Loons path to profitability was uncertain. The Information reported in November that after becoming an independent Alphabet subsidiary in 2018, Loon had spent all the money itd received from an external investor in 2019 and had been partly relying on Alphabet to keep it afloat since August. Loon had actively been seeking a second funding round before it pulled the plug. While for years Google was known for throwing fortunes at high-flying, dubiously monetizable projects like the Makani energy kites and the Foghorn sea water fuel, the company has reportedly become more abstemious under chief financial officer Ruth Porat. In Loons case, Alphabets allergy to the color red might be understandable: The project was burning an estimated $100 million per year.

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Loons struggle to become financially sustainable was largely due to the higher-than-expected expenses required to operate the balloons, combined with the fact that customers in remote areas often can only afford internet service at a lower price. Each balloon cost tens of thousands of dollars and had to be replaced every five months. High costs are a constant challenge for nonprofit organizations and companies looking to expand internet access for remote populations; the considerable amount of investment often required to get infrastructure up and running in remote areas puts a strain on providers and customers. Were always very keen and open and eager to see new technologies coming into the space, especially if they can address the issue of affordability. Thats a big crisis for us, said Onica Makwakwa, the Africa coordinator for the Alliance for Affordable Internet. Makwakwa noted that regulating internet access like a utilityand adjusting profitability expectations accordinglywould help initiatives like Loon to find better footing in the continent. You need to increase the number of people who are using the internet for it to eventually get to that point of affordability, she said. Im hoping that we move to a point where we begin to regulate access to the internet in quite the same way as we regulate electricity and water, so that we operate with the belief that everyone has to have access.

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Regulatory hurdles were also an issue for Loon. In Indonesia, rumors that the balloons contained cameras held up approval as authorities were spurred to inspect them for covert devices. Sri Lankan authorities ran into difficulties providing a radio frequency for Loon, as the United Nations was reportedly opposed to allowing the company to use the same frequency as the countrys public broadcasters. Jane Coffin, senior vice president at the Internet Society, noted, Some people are risk-averse as far as trying out new things. Theres an old mindset about phones and how connectivity should work. The coronavirus pandemic has made it even more difficult for companies to interface with regulators. If youre trying to do business, usually by going to some of the big international conferences you get all of the ministers and regulators in one place. Its easier to get a sign off from folks and get their attention, said Coffin.

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In some areas where Loon tried to provide coverage, many people reportedly didnt even have devices with which to connect to the internet. The 4G phones that Loon requires for internet connection are often too expensive for populations that dont get service in the first place. Nongovernmental organizations have long struggled to make phones, computers, and other devices affordable for remote populations. Makwakwa notes that import duties are a major obstacle to affordability. Beyond simply lowering those duties, she calls for manufacturers to move some of their assembly operations to Africa. One, it eliminates the whole issue of duty taxes. Two, it creates jobs in a continent where half the population is young people, she said.

But there still may be hope for technology that can beam internet to remote areas from the sky. Some have speculated that Loons demise was in part due to the momentum behind Starlink, SpaceXs own effort to launch thousands of satellites that would provide internet to areas that would otherwise be hard to reach. The company just launched 10 more Starlink satellites into space on Sunday.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
First people to enter the Americas likely did so with their dogs

The first people to settle in the Americas likely brought their own canine companions with them, according to new research which sheds more light on the origin of dogs.

An international team of researchers led by archaeologist Dr Angela Perri, of Durham University, UK, looked at the archaeological and genetic records of ancient people and dogs.

They found that the first people to cross into the Americas before 15,000 years ago, who were of northeast Asian descent, were accompanied by their dogs.

The researchers say this discovery suggests that dog domestication likely took place in Siberia before 23,000 years ago. People and their dogs then eventually travelled both west into the rest of Eurasia, and east into the Americas.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).

The Americas were one of the last regions in the world to be settled by people. By this same time, dogs had been domesticated from their wolf ancestors and were likely playing a variety of roles within human societies.

Research lead author Dr Angela Perri, in the Department of Archaeology at Durham University, said: "When and where have long been questions in dog domestication research, but here we also explored the how and why, which have often been overlooked.

"Dog domestication occurring in Siberia answers many of the questions we've always had about the origins of the human-dog relationship.

"By putting together the puzzle pieces of archaeology, genetics and time we see a much clearer picture where dogs are being domesticated in Siberia, then disperse from there into the Americas and around the world."

Geneticist and co-author Laurent Frantz (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich) said: "The only thing we knew for sure is that dog domestication did not take place in the Americas.

"From the genetic signatures of ancient dogs, we now know that they must have been present somewhere in Siberia before people migrated to the Americas."

Co-author Professor Greger Larson, Oxford University, said: "Researchers have previously suggested that dogs were domesticated across Eurasia from Europe to China, and many places in between.

"The combined evidence from ancient humans and dogs is helping to refine our understanding of the deep history of dogs, and now points toward Siberia and Northeast Asia as a likely region where dog domestication was initiated."

During the Last Glacial Maximum (from ~23,000-19,000 years ago) Beringia (the land and maritime area between Canada and Russia), and most of Siberia, was extremely cold, dry, and largely unglaciated.

The harsh climatic conditions leading up to, and during this period may have served to bring human and wolf populations into close proximity given their attraction to the same prey.

This increasing interaction, through mutual scavenging of kills from wolves drawn to human campsites, may have began a relationship between the species that eventually led to dog domestication, and a vital role in the populating of the Americas.

As co-author and archaeologist David Meltzer of Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX) notes, "We have long known that the first Americans must have possessed well-honed hunting skills, the geological know-how to find stone and other necessary materials and been ready for new challenges.

"The dogs that accompanied them as they entered this completely new world may have been as much a part of their cultural repertoire as the stone tools they carried."

Since their domestication from wolves, dogs have played a wide variety of roles in human societies, many of which are tied to the history of cultures worldwide.

Future archaeological and genetic research will reveal how the emerging mutual relationship between people and dogs led to their successful dispersal across the globe.

###

The Durham University research was funded by a COFUND/Marie Curie scholarship.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The messaging app Telegram has long been an engine of resistance and an annoyance for tyrants. Authoritarian leaders in Russia and Iran have tried to ban it. When protests broke out recently in Belarus and Hong Kong, Telegram was the glue that held democracy movements together in the face of violent onslaughts by powerful security services.

These days, though, Telegram is quickly becoming an online refuge for a different kind of resistance.

Far-right conspiracy theorists, racists and violent insurrectionists have been flocking to Telegram in recent weeks after being banished from the big American social media platforms following the storming of the Capitol building in Washington by a mob supporting President Donald J. Trump, who himself was cut off from Facebook and Twitter.

Twenty-five million new users flooded Telegram in the days after Twitter and Facebook, reacting to the Jan. 6 mayhem at the Capitol, purged users they deemed responsible for having incited violence or spread disinformation. The companys founder, Pavel Durov, described it as the largest digital migration in human history.


Brooke Kinsella introduced her baby daughter to the Loose Women panel during Tuesday's episode, three months after giving birth.

During the interview, the former EastEnders actress, 37, who shares her first child with husband of three years Simon Boardley, insisted Elsie resembles her late brother Ben as she discussed carrying on his legacy.

The activist has been campaigning against knife crime after her younger sibling was stabbed to death aged 16 in June 2008 on a night out with friends.

First-time mother: Brooke Kinsella introduced her baby daughter to the Loose Women panel during Tuesday's episode, three months after giving birth

The soap star was joined by hosts Janet Street-Porter, Gloria Hunniford, Ruth Langsford and Linda Robson as she detailed her experience of being a first-time mother.

The author shared: 'I was known as Mary Poppins in my friend group, but I was the last to have a child.'

Brooke reflected on receiving a sign from Ben when she first discovered she was pregnant, and admitted her heart 'broke all over again' when she reflected on his tragic passing after becoming a parent.

The former Vital Signs star explained: 'As soon as I bought the Clearblue packet, I saw the word BEN. It was him making his presence known.

Tragic: The former EastEnders actress, 37, has been campaigning against knife crime after her brother Ben (pictured)was stabbed to death aged 16 in June 2008 on a night out with friends

Family first: The activist shares her first child with husband of three years Simon Boardley (pictured)

'I was known as Mary Poppins in my friend group': The soap star detailed her experience of being a first-time mother

'Losing a sibling... who was one of my best friends... was hard. The thought of losing a child is utterly horrendous. Now I know what there is to lose, it broke my heart all over again.'

The thespian also claimed her little girl favours her deceased uncle as she added: 'My mum sent me a picture of Ben the other day and they are twins.

'It gave me Goosebumps. He was laid back and happy and touch wood, Elsie has been like that. It sounds ridiculous as she's only four months.'

The media personality went on to touch on the impact of Ben Kinsella Trust, a foundation she created to raise awareness about tackling knife crime.

''As soon as I bought the Clearblue packet, I saw the word BEN': The former Vital Signs star reflected on receiving a sign from Ben when she first discovered she was pregnant

Now I know what there is to lose': The media personality admitted her heart 'broke all over again' when she reflected on his tragic passing after becoming a parent

Brooke stated: 'My family started the foundation around the table. We wanted a legacy for him and also wanted it to not happen to anyone else. I'd love there to be a day where we don't need to foundation, but it continues to happen.

'All we want to do is to get Ben's story out to many people as possible. We've got these online lesson plans which are doing really well. Despite people losing jobs, we're still getting loads of donations.

The TV star - who welcomed her child three weeks early in October - opened an anti-knife crime exhibition in Nottingham last June.
The gap between the rich and the poor only grew larger with COVID-19

The 1,000 richest people on the planet recouped their COVID-19 losses in just nine months, but it could take more than a decade for the worlds poorest to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic, revealed a new Oxfam report released yesterday (January 25, 2021). "The Inequality Virus" was published on the opening day of the World Economic Forums Davos Dialogues.

The report shows that COVID-19 has the potential to increase economic inequality in almost every country at once, the first time this has happened since records began over a century ago. Rising inequality means it could take at least 14 times longer for the number of people living in poverty to return to pre-pandemic levels than it took for the fortunes of the top 1,000, mostly white male billionaires, to bounce back.

A new global survey of 295 economists from 79 countries, commissioned by Oxfam, reveals that 87 per cent of respondents, including Jeffrey Sachs, Jayati Ghosh, and Gabriel Zucman, expect an "increase" or a "major increase" in income inequality in their country as a result of the pandemic. The report reveals how the pandemic is deepening long-standing economic, racial, and gender divides.

The recession is over for the richest

The world's 10 richest men have seen their combined wealth increase by half a trillion dollars since the pandemic began  more than enough to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine for everyone and to ensure no one is pushed into poverty by the pandemic. At the same time, the pandemic has ushered in the worst job crisis in over 90 years, with hundreds of millions of people now underemployed or out of work.

Women are the hardest hit, yet again

Globally, women are overrepresented in the low-paid precarious professions that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. If women were represented at the same rate as men in these sectors, 112 million women would no longer be at high risk of losing their incomes or jobs. Women also make up roughly 70 per cent of the global health and social care workforce  essential but often poorly paid jobs that put them at greater risk from COVID-19.

Inequality is costing lives

Afro-descendants in Brazil are 40 per cent more likely to die of COVID-19 than white people while nearly 22,000 black and Hispanic people in the US would still be alive if they experienced the same COVID-19 mortality rates as their white counterparts. Infection and mortality rates are higher in poorer areas of countries such as France, India, and Spain while England's poorest regions experience mortality rates double that of the richest areas.

Fairer economies are key to rapid economic recovery

A temporary tax on excess profits made by the 32 global corporations that have gained the most during the pandemic could have raised $104 billion in 2020. This is enough to provide unemployment benefits for all workers and financial support for all children and elderly people in low- and middle-income countries.

Gabriela Bucher, executive director of Oxfam International, said: "We stand to witness the greatest rise in inequality since records began. The deep divide between the rich and poor is proving as deadly as the virus.

Rigged economies are funnelling wealth to a rich elite who are riding out the pandemic in luxury, while those on the frontline of the pandemic  shop assistants, healthcare workers, and market vendors  are struggling to pay the bills and put food on the table.

Women and marginalised racial and ethnic groups are bearing the brunt of this crisis," she added. "They are more likely to be pushed into poverty, more likely to go hungry, and more likely to be excluded from healthcare.

Billionaires' fortunes rebounded as stock markets recovered despite a continued recession in the economy. Their total wealth hit $11.95 trillion in December 2020, equivalent to G20 governments total COVID-19 recovery spending. The road to recovery will be much longer for people who were already struggling pre-COVID-19. When the virus struck over half of the workers in poor countries were living in poverty, and three-quarters of workers globally had no access to social protections like sick pay or unemployment benefits.

Extreme inequality is not inevitable but a policy choice. Governments around the world must seize this opportunity to build more equal, more inclusive economies that end poverty and protect the planet, added Bucher.

The fight against inequality must be at the heart of economic rescue and recovery efforts. Governments must ensure everyone has access to a COVID-19 vaccine and financial support if they lose their job. They must invest in public services and low carbon sectors to create millions of new jobs and ensure everyone has access to a decent education, health, and social care, and they must ensure the richest individuals and corporations contribute their fair share of tax to pay for it," she said . These measures must not be band-aid solutions for desperate times but a new normal in economies that work for the benefit of all people.
Russia will lift a travel ban for Finland, Vietnam, India and Qatar, with flights to these countries set to resume on January 27, according to the Russian Government.

Russians wear mask to prevent COVID-19 in Moscow

"For citizens of four more countries - Finland, Vietnam, India and Qatar - the restrictions on entering Russia, which were introduced over the coronavirus spread, will be lifted," the Russian News Agency TASS cited a statement from the Russian cabinets press service as reporting.

The citizens of these nations and those who have a residence permit there will be allowed to fly to Russia. "In their turn, Russians will be also able to fly to any of these countries," the statement said.

On January 16, the Russian anti-coronavirus crisis center announced a decision to resume international flights with the above mentioned states on a mutual basis.

Flights will be carried out to Vietnam (Moscow-Hanoi), India (Moscow - New Delhi), Finland (Moscow-Helsinki and St. Petersburg-Helsinki) twice a week and to Qatar (Moscow-Doha) three times a week.

Russia initially introduced the travel restrictions in March last year to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic./.VNA

Vietnam among most searched places for visiting once travel ban lifted Travelers start to make a list of destinations they want to escape to when Covid-19 is under control.

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Panaji, Jan 26 (UNI) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday accused opposition MLAs of indulging in 'inappropriate' and 'unparliamentary' actions towards Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in the state assembly on January 25, 2021.

In a tweet, the Chief Minister said,'On the first day of the Assembly session, we saw inappropriate & unparliamentary actions of the opposition benches towards the Hon. Governor Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari ji. The opposition should introspect &uphold the democratic values, & also work in the interest of the people.'

However, reacting to the Chief Minister's statement Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat said government must listen to emotions, sentiments and aspirations of the people.
Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

A new mandate in a Biden executive order requires all airline passengers to wear masks in flight and in airports  something that the Trump Administrations Transportation Dept. had consistently refused to do.

Airlines have had their own mask requirements in place for several months and have banned hundreds of passengers from future travel for their refusal to comply, but airline employees  especially flight attendants  have long been pressuring the government to act, arguing that a ederal rule carries more weight.
Vaccine registration requests are rolling in to west-central Illinois counties as the state moves into Phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccination plan, even as individual health departments continue vaccinating health care workers in Phase 1A.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has moved the state into Phase 1B of the vaccination distribution  for those 65 or older, along with non-health care essential workers such as first responders, educators, food and agriculture workers, manufacturing workers, corrections workers and inmates, postal workers, public transit workers, grocery store workers and staff at shelters and day cares.

We are giving out vaccinations as fast as the vaccines become available, said Dale Bainter, Morgan County Health Department administrator.

The department, which administered 426 shots last week, has held two clinics to begin registration and administration for Phase 1B. More than 500 people from Phase 1A and Phase 1B are registered to be vaccinated this week.

So far, just more than 1.1 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed throughout Illinois, with an additional 550,050 doses going to the Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. The state health department has reported a total of 692,763 vaccines administered in Illinois, including 110,403 at long-term care facilities.

Morgan County is prioritizing the remaining people who are qualified to receive the vaccine under Phase 1A and those 75 and older. Once a majority of that population has received the vaccine, the health department will move on to the other groups included in Phase 1B, Bainter said.

According to the state health department, Illinois has 1.3 million people who qualify as frontline essential workers and 1.9 million adults age 65 or over  totaling 3.2 million eligible people in Phase 1B.

This phase has thousands of people, Bainter said. Well get these done as fast as we can get the vaccine.

Scott County is working on distributing the necessary second doses of the vaccine to those in Phase 1A while also moving into Phase 1B.

So far, we are seeing numbers that are about average to what is being seen across the state, said Steve Shireman, administrator for Scott County Health Department. I hope people will see others getting them and well start seeing more requests and well be able to move forward.

Scott holds drive-through clinics, and people can register by contacting Scott County Health Department.

In Greene County, administrator Molly Peters said theyve had a good response to Phase 1B with a large number of people requesting the vaccination.

We are starting with individuals 80 and older and working our way down to 65, then well address the other groups, Peters said.

Greene County is registering people online through its website.

Peters said the county is working on the second round of shots for many of its Phase 1A recipients, as well as getting first doses to the rest of the group.

The county was able to administer more than 1,000 vaccines in the past two weeks because of the large response, though Peters said the county is prepared to give out more doses if more vaccine were available.

As long as we are seeing the allocations from the state, we are ready to give the shots, Peters said. Well continue to plan clinics, but it depends on how much vaccine we receive.

.

Total cases in west-central Illinois counties as of Monday, according to individual county health departments, were:

Brown County

619 total, 529 recovered, seven deaths

Cass County

1,803 total, 1,730 recovered, 31 deaths

10 new cases and one additional death.

Greene County

1,263 total, 1,193 recovered, 42 deaths

Seven new cases and one additional death.

Jersey County

2,294 total, 2,159 recovered, 43 deaths

52 new cases and one additional death.

Macoupin County

4,163 total, 2,871 recovered, 97 deaths

52 new cases.

Morgan County

3,391 total, 3,221 released from restrictions, 94 deaths

21 new cases.

Pike County

1,574 total, 1,472 recovered, 45 deaths

Seven new cases and three additional deaths, those of a man in his 60s, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 90s.

Sangamon County

14,956 total, 205 deaths

189 new cases and four additional deaths, those of a man in his 70s, a man in his 80s, a woman in her 80s and a woman in her 100s.

Schuyler County

621 total, 575 recovered, 16 deaths

Scott County

386 total, 354 recovered, one death

Statewide, 2,944 new cases of coronavirus disease and 49 deaths were reported Monday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

There have been 1,104,763 cases and 18,798 deaths in Illinois.
The president of the Baton Rouge Union of Police is serving a disciplinary suspension this week after the chief took issue with repeated scheduling conflicts he encountered when trying to meet with union leadership about a new promotion system for BRPD officers.

After repeatedly pushing back the meeting, union leadership filed a grievance complaining that Chief Murphy Paul had failed to notify them about the changes in a timely manner, according to a letter from the chief. The resulting discipline case marks the latest rift in an ongoing standoff between Paul and the BRPD union board, two forces that have frequently butted heads over matters large and small.

Union President Brandon Blust was suspended for seven days starting Friday: five days for being untruthful and two for conduct unbecoming an officer, according to a disciplinary letter from Paul. Blust has appealed his sentence before the municipal civil service board, which reviews discipline for Baton Rouge police and firefighters.

The board, which has amassed a backlog of discipline appeal cases in part because the pandemic interfered with its meetings last year, scheduled Blust's hearing for July. However, Blust and Paul could come to some alternative agreement in the meantime, which would allow both parties to avoid the public spectacle of an appeal hearing.

BRPD reorganization, pay increase reignite battles between police chief and union leaders After years of public sparring and infighting, conflicts between the Baton Rouge police chief and leadership of the BRPD union are unfolding o

In a November interview with internal affairs investigators, Blust denied being untruthful. He said he had legitimate reasons for rescheduling the meetings and wanted the majority of union board members to attend, according to the letter. He had told the chief via email that he needed to reschedule because some union board members were off and had family commitments, because they were too busy and grieving following the April fatal shooting of a BRPD officer, and because of other unspecified conflicts, according to the letter.

The meeting finally did happen on May 20, which was after the new promotion system had been implemented.

The investigation into Blust was launched the following month after union leadership filed a grievance claiming the union "was not notified in a timely fashion of the new procedures for promotions."

Union leaders had lobbied unsuccessfully against the proposed changes, which the Louisiana Legislature approved in 2019. The new system gives the chief more discretion in deciding which officers to tap to leadership positions, allowing him to consider factors other than years of service when deciding whom to promote. State lawmakers had to weigh in on the change because civil service rules for Louisiana police officers are written into the constitution.

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Legislature approves changes to Baton Rouge police promotion process Changes are in store for the Baton Rouge Police Departments promotion system after state lawmakers approved an overhaul thatll give the chie

The meeting between Paul and union board members was meant to "go over the final interview/assessment procedure with the board," Paul wrote in an April email to union leaders. "We value your input and participation in this process." Paul also requested the selection of a union representative to help evaluate candidates for promotion.

According to the letter, Blust told investigators he was "not attempting to avoid having the meetings prior to the promotional process being implemented."

Paul was unconvinced, which led him to issue the suspension. A violation of the truthfulness policy is a serious infraction that can result in an officer being placed on the District Attorney's list of cops whose credibility has been questioned, a mark on their record that could require disclosure in court.

The disciplinary letter denoting Blust's suspension is dated Dec. 15  the same day Paul announced his decision to fire Siya Creel, the union vice president and second in command. Creel was terminated for giving an unauthorized media interview with a former Baton Rouge television reporter. The interview was about a billboard campaign the union launched during the summer to bemoan the Baton Rouge homicide rate, an indirect jab at the police chief and mayor.

The latest round of billboards proclaim support for Creel, who had already sued the department claiming his free speech rights were violated when BRPD leaders opened an internal investigation into the interview incident. He later filed a request for injunction, asking a judge to order that he remain employed and retain his health insurance benefits amid ongoing cancer treatments.

BRPD chief says firing of union vice president was not 'motivated by personal vendettas' A public showdown between the Baton Rouge police chief and BRPD union vice president has flared up again, this time over whether the officer, 

However, Paul responded that Creel had never received medical coverage through the department. The case, which was initially filed in state court, has since been removed to federal court. In recent filings, attorneys for BRPD argue the matter belongs before the civil service board, not in any court of law.

The next hearing is scheduled for March.
[January 25, 2021] AYP Group Announces Rebranding Initiatives, Affirms Commitment to Clients

SINGAPORE, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AYP Group, a leading provider of HR Tech and Services has announced the launch of its rebranding initiative. The extensive rebranding effort has been in the works since 2020 and includes a change in company logo, colours, mission, and overall image. It is set to take over all AYP Group's platforms, including both their official website and social media. Rebranding efforts are aimed at accelerating corporate growth and renewing the brand's identity. For the full multimedia release, click here: https://www.prnasia.com/mnr/AYP_Group_202101.shtml Keeping in line with AYP Group's goals and their desire to be thought leaders in the HR Tech and Services industry, AYP Group has touted the tagline "Leading the Future of Work". With this, they hope to be trailblazers in the current workforce, going above and beyond just following trends, instead hoping to set them as well. "It has not been an easy year for many, in the last year, YP Group has successfully scaled its service offerings across the region and worked with many customers on their HR digital transformation journey," said Jacob Lieu, co-founder of AYP Group. "The Future of Work is evolving, and we want to guide our clients through this."



Having been in the industry for 10 years, the leaders of AYP Group have decided that the time to refresh the brand image has come. The initiative took extensive research and discussions throughout the previous year. AYP Group aims to bring guidance and stability to their clients, growing alongside them as the workforce evolves. "It's a major milestone for the company and I am confident that this new brand image will accurately portray our abilities," said Jolin Nguyen, General Manager, AYP. As founder of AYP Group, Annie Yap has witnessed the key changes that have taken place in the HR industry and feels the importance to grow and adapt to these changes. "Our new identity is innovative, modern, and professional - words we would use to describe not only our image but also the solutions we provide to companies and our clients who are looking to expand overseas."

About AYP Group: AYP Group is a HR Tech and Services company. With some 10 years of experience working with over 100,000 clients across Southeast Asia, AYP Group consists of three main technologies and services. Professional Employer Organisation (PEO), Payroll Outsourcing Management (POM) and a Human Resource Management System (HRMS) known as JuzTalent. Having won Gold for Best in HR Tech under the Human Resource Information System in 2019 and Bronze for Best Payroll Outsourcing Partner under the 2020 Vendors of the Year awards, AYP Group has been dedicated to adding efficiency to their clients' day-to-day HR functions. Specialising in a multitude of HR Services, they strive to add security and efficiency to both the clients' HR tasks and their day-to-day operations. Media Contact Information: Ruth Chan, Content Writer

ruth.chan@ayp-group.com

+65-9186-1850 SOURCE AYP Group

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At least one loud explosion shook Riyadh on Tuesday three days after the kingdom intercepted a projectile over the Saudi capital.

There was no immediate reaction from authorities in Saudi Arabia, which has come under repeated missile or drone attack from Huthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen since 2015.

An explosion rattled windows across the Saudi capital at around 1pm (10am GMT), AFP correspondents and residents said. Some residents reported hearing two blasts on social media.

Unverified footage circulating on social media purports to show the explosion in the sky above Riyadh on Tuesday

On Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government against the Huthis, said it had intercepted and destroyed a 'hostile air target' heading towards Riyadh, state television reported.

The brief statement did not identify the source of the target and the Huthis said they were not involved.

Riyadh's King Khaled International Airport said there were a number of flight delays following Saturday's incident.

Saudi Arabia has led a military intervention against the Huthis since 2015 and has repeatedly been targeted with cross-border attacks.

Flight radar shows planes being diverted to other airports after the blast on Tuesday

An explosion rattled windows across the Saudi capital at around 1pm (file image)

It is rare, however, for drones or missiles launched by the Huthis to reach the kingdom's capital - about 700 kilometres (435 miles) from the border.

The incident comes only days after Joe Biden was sworn in as US president, replacing Donald Trump.

On Monday, the new administration froze sanctions on dealings with the Huthis for one month as it reviews a terror blacklisting imposed under Trump that aid groups warn will aggravate a humanitarian crisis.

Relief groups say they have no alternative but to deal with the rebels, who control much of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.
Lorraine Kelly has revealed her joy at her father John receiving the call to get the coronavirus vaccine.

The TV presenter, 61, admitted she was 'so relieved' he would be getting the jab as she spoke to Dr Hilary Jones on Tuesday's episode of her ITV chat show.

She said: 'It's really good news that the vaccine continues to get rolled out. My dad got his call, he's getting it tomorrow.

Thrilled: Lorraine Kelly has revealed her joy at her father John receiving the call to get the coronavirus vaccine

'I am so relieved that he's going to get it as he is very high-risk. Phew, so that's starting to happen.'

Dr Hilary revealed his mother has also had the vaccine, saying: 'Absolutely, my 95-year-old mother had it herself last week. So 6.6million vaccinations have now been carried out so 80% of the over 80s in this country.

'It's really good. I know for a fact that the centres distributing the vaccines are so efficient.

'Everyone I know, all my patients that have gone to these sites saying, "It's so well organised, the marshalls are polite, they're efficient, it's on time, I wasn't kept waiting around.

The TV presenter, 61, admitted she was 'so relieved' he would be getting the jab as she spoke to Dr Hilary Jones on Tuesday's episode of her ITV chat show (pictured with her father in 2002)

'I waited my 15 minutes and then left, the doctors are so careful with explaining everything to me." '

In June, Lorraine told how her 79-year-old father was admitted to hospital with a non-coronavirus related condition.

Due to lockdown restrictions, the broadcaster was unable to travel from her home in Buckinghamshire to Scotland to visit him.

On Father's Day, she shared a throwback photo of him taken when he was 18 and she was a baby.

Family: Dr Hilary Jones revealed his mother has also had the vaccine, saying: 'Absolutely, my 95-year-old mother had it herself last week'

She wrote: 'Happy Father's Day to my dad,' she wrote. 'Just 18 years old in this photo. Grafted all his days and now in being looked after in Hairmres hospital. Thanks to all staff there for taking care of him.'

'Hopefully he will be out soon and back home. Haven't seen him and my mum since his birthday in early March. Like so many families forced apart by COVID-19. Xxxx.'

During an appearance on Good Morning Britain, she paid tribute to the NHS staff who were taking care of him during his hospital stay.

She said: 'I would just like to say my own thanks to all the staff at Hairmyres Hospital, especially in Ward 13 where they are looking after my dad.

'Thank you for your patience and all of your hard work and everything you do. It's much, much appreciated.'
Today

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Thunder possible. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%.

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Thunder possible. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy in the morning. Increasing clouds with periods of showers later in the day. High 76F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
As Amazon continues hiring for warehouse and delivery work in Connecticut  where it has become among the states largest corporate employers  the company has again hopscotched the state for the best-paying corporate jobs in favor of Massachusetts.

Amazon announced Tuesday morning plans to hire 3,000 to staff a new building in Bostons burgeoning Seaport district, where General Electric moved its headquarters more than four years ago. The positions will support work for Amazon Web Services, the new Amazon Pharmacy, Alexa and other artificial intelligence work.

The Boston expansion will push the internet giants Massachusetts workforce to more than 20,000, with the company employing 8,500 people in Connecticut at last report at fulfillment centers in North Haven, Windsor, Wallingford and several smaller dispatch warehouses in Stratford, Danbury, Orange. and Cromwell among other locales.

Amazon has been on a historic hiring push as the COVID-19 pandemic prompts more people to order online, rather than put their health at risk while venturing to retail stores.

We welcomed 250,000 permanent full-time and part-time employees just in [the third quarter] and have already added about 100,000 more in [October], said Brian Olsavsky, chief financial officer of Amazon, speaking on a conference call last fall. This has been a big year.

Spokespeople for Gov. Ned Lamont did not immediately say whether Connecticut has continued discussions with Amazon about landing corporate jobs. The company presently has about 50 openings in the state, including several information technology development jobs in Milford with salaries listed in excess of $120,000.

Three years ago, Connecticut was unsuccessful in a long-shot bid to land the East Coast headquarters Amazon created alongside its historic corporate office in Seattle. The company ultimately chose Virginia after scotching an initial plan to create a dual headquarters there and in New York City.

Amazons board has multiple directors with Connecticut ties, most prominently former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, the Greenwich resident who oversaw the drafting of Lamonts Reopening Connecticut guidelines last year. Also on the board: former Hewlett-Packard and Apple executive Jon Rubinstein, who had a short stint as co-CEO of the Westport-based hedge fund Bridgewater Associates; and Thomas Ryder, who led Readers Digest while commuting from New Canaan.

In a press release, Amazons head scientist indicated the company chose Boston for its latest expansion in part due to its access to engineers with expertise in software and artificial intelligence, as well as broader corporate roles covering finance and personnel.

The company already has 3,700 people working at what it calls its Boston Tech Hub, with a new building under construction in the Seaport that will house 2,000. The company did not respond immediately to a query Tuesday on whether it has any plans to add office space in suburban areas on the East Coast as a result of the COVID-19 pandemics impact on worker attitudes toward commuting.

Includes prior reporting by Cassandra Day, Paul Schott and Luther Turmelle.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
Courtesy, Deco Pizzeria

Deco Pizzeria is picking up the pieces from a Sunday morning break in resulting in thousands of dollars in damages.

Owner Jacob Valenzuela told MySA.com the Medical Center location at 2022 Babcock Road was burglarized around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The patio door and office were damaged in the break in. He estimates damages to be nearly $10,000. An undisclosed amount of money was also taken from the restaurant, he said.
New Delhi:

The arguably the darkest chapter of Independent Indias history  Emergency  was declared on this day 42 years ago. Implemented by Indira Gandhi to crush rising dissenters across the nation, the emergency resulted in a total suspension of human rights, scores of political arrests and forced sterilisation, while the Central Government delayed elections and ruled with an iron fist.



The reasons panned from a student moment led by Jayprakash Narayan against corruption and tyranny of Indira Gandhi government to Allahabad High Courts decision against previous general elections. Simultaneous Naxalbadi movement gave further impetus to social unrest against the government at Centre.



Invoking Article 352 of the Indian Constitution, Indira Gandhi launched a massive crackdown on political opposition. The government placed thousands of protestors and strike leaders under preventive detention. The move ricocheted in the long run as it gave birth to an army of new activists, many of whom are the nations ruler now.



Activists in Emergency, leaders in 21st century



BJP

Arun Jaitley: A Delhi BJP youth wing leader then, Jaitley was arrested for taking out a protest against Emergency and as we know, 42 years on, he is the second most powerful man in India by virtue of holding key portfolios of Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs in the Union Government.

Ravi Shankar Prasad: A 21-year-old student leader of JP movement from Bihar, Shankar is now Union Minister of Law. "JP was the glue who brought all of them together," said Ravi Shankar Prasad in an old interview on Emergency.

Narendra Modi: A young RSS cadre at the time, Narendra Modi had to go underground and disguise as a Sikh to evade arrest after the organisation was banned during the crackdown. Modi continued the work of parcharak under disguise. But it was only after 26 years that his talent was recognised and he was appointed Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001, after which there was no looking back for the current Prime Minister of India.



Sushma Swaraj: An ABVP activist from Punjab University at the time, Swaraj answered the call of JP movement and gave free legal advice to those detained by Police for anti-Emergency activities. Since then, she has held several state and Central portfolios, ultimately becoming one of the peoples most favourite External Affairs Ministers till date.





Bihar



Nitish Kumar: Current Bihar Chief Minister now and a young student from Bihar then, Nitish was amongst the first to join politics full-time during the movement.



Lalu Prasad Yadav: A core part of the JP movement, Lalu Prasad Yadav went on to change the face of Bihar by uplifting neglected lower caste majority of the state during 15 years of his de facto rule as chief minister. Although culpability in fodder scam disqualified him from fighting elections, his clout is strong enough to form an alliance government in Bihar with Nitish Kumars JDU even now.



Sushil Modi: The BJP face in Bihar, and CM for a short stint, Modi was also a part of the JP movement along with other Nitish and Lalu and was arrested during the emergency.



Left



Prakash Karat: Then the chief of the CPI(M)'s student wing, 27-year-old Left-wing leader started protests from Delhi's famous Jawaharlal Nehru University. After the movement, Karat rose in the CPI(M) and later held the post of General Secretary from 2005 to 2015.



Sitaram Yechury: Along with Karat, Yechury led the protests from University to streets, evaded arrests by going underground. But was eventually captured when he surfaced to take his ailing father from hospital to home. Yechury is now General Secretary of CPI(M) and a Member of Parliaments Upper House.



Tamil Nadu



MK Stalin: In Tamil Nadu, the M Karunanidhi government was dissolved and the leaders of the DMK were incarcerated. In particular, Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin was arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act. Stalin became DMKs acting chief after party patriarch Karunanidhi became too ill to lead recently. He currently spearheads the Opposition against AIADMK in the state.



Congress



Congress leaders who dissented the Emergency declaration and amendment to the constitution such as Mohan Dharia and Chandra Shekhar resigned their government and party positions and were arrested and placed under detention.



On the other side, the Youth Congress was fielded to counter the Opposition's onslaught of the young. Leaders like Kamal Nath and Ambika Soni, then in their 20s, were part of a team handpicked by Sanjay Gandhi, the younger son of Indira Gandhi. They would later be senior ministers in Congress governments.



Stalwarts of Emergency



The movement which gave birth to the leaders of the day was led by statesman like Jayaprakash Narayan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, Satyendra Narayan Sinha, Raj Narain, Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, Jivatram Kripalani, Satyendra Narayan Sinha and even dowagers of Jaipur and MP Gayatri Devi and Vijayaraje Scindia. Despite their huge following, these leaders were amongst the first ones to be detained.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
While liberals and opponents of toxic content praised the companies actions, they were criticized by conservatives, First Amendment scholars and the American Civil Liberties Union for showing that private entities could decide who gets to stay online and who doesnt.

Even if you agree with the specific decisions, I do not for a second trust the people who are making the decisions to make universally good decisions, said Jeremy Kauffman, the founder of LBRY, which provides a decentralized service for streaming videos.

That has prompted a scramble for other options. Dozens of start-ups now offer alternatives to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Amazons web hosting services, all on top of decentralized networks and shared ledgers. Many have gained millions of new users over the past few weeks, according to the data company SimilarWeb.

This is the biggest wave Ive ever seen, said Emmi Bevensee, a data scientist and the author of The Decentralized Web of Hate, a publication about the move of right-wing groups to decentralized technology. This has been discussed in niche communities, but now we are having a conversation with the broader world about how these emerging technologies may impact the world at quite large scales.

Bitcoin first emerged in 2009. Its creator, a shadowy figure known as Satoshi Nakamoto, has said its central idea was to allow anyone to open a digital bank account and hold the money in a way that no government could prevent or regulate.

For several years, Bitcoin gained little traction beyond a small coterie of online admirers and people who wanted to pay for illegal drugs online. But as its price rose over time, more people in Silicon Valley took notice of the unusual technical qualities underlying the cryptocurrency. Some promised that the technology could be used to redesign everything from produce tracking to online games.
Our technology-focused approach to private equity resonates with our clients, who see value in being able to simultaneously manage multiple databases and feeds, calculate valuations, make data-driven decisions, and employ augmented and artificial intelligence applications...

Specialty financial administrator NES Financial | JTC announced today that it has contracted to provide its purpose-built Private Equity Fund Administration Solution to Participant Capitals Legacy Fund, LP. Participant Capital is the private equity arm of Royal Palm Companies, a leading Florida-based real estate and development firm established in the 1970s whose portfolio has generated over 6,000 units across mixed-use developments, multi-family, residences, and hospitality assets, totaling over $3.5 billion in managed and completed projects.

Participant Capital Legacy Fund, LP, invests in Legacy Hotel + Residences, which is a mixed-use tower development in the heart of South Floridas Miami Worldcenter. The project differentiates itself by its flagship features, such as ergonomic room designs, an international business lounge, a 7-story rooftop atrium, a state-of-the-art wellness center, and a medical center.

The Legacy Hotel and Residences is our new addition to the massive Miami Worldcenter project, adding hospitality, micro residences and a health and wellness center in the heart of downtown Miami, said Daniel Kodsi, CEO of Participant Capital. NES Financial | JTC is a recognized industry leader and has been doing fund administration on the EB-5 side of the project. They have the experience and solution to manage our funds size and needs.

NES Financial | JTC also stood out, says Kodsi, for its ability to direct PE commission payments to the managing broker dealer on the same day of closing. Its small efficiencies like this, he said, that free up our bandwidth and allow us to focus on raising capital.

NES Financial | JTCs Private Equity Fund Administration Solution utilizes a uniquely scalable technology platform that features built-in data security, automated reporting, and enhanced transparency. Designed to help funds of any size successfully raise and manage capital by reducing operational risk, improving compliance capabilities, and providing superior value to fund investors, the solution is the ideal choice for funds seeking to improve marketability by leveraging operational excellence.

Our technology-focused approach to private equity resonates with our clients, who see value in being able to simultaneously manage multiple databases and feeds, calculate valuations, make data-driven decisions, and employ augmented and artificial intelligence applications, but who would rather not develop those technical competencies in house, said Reid Thomas, Chief Revenue Officer for NES Financial | JTC.

For additional information about the Private Equity Fund Administration Solution Suite, please visit the NES Financial | JTC website or contact an NES Financial | JTC representative at 1-800-339-1031.

About NES Financial | JTC

NES Financial | JTC is the US division of JTC Group, a multi-jurisdictional provider of fund, corporate and private client services. Listed on the London Stock Exchange and included in the FTSE 250 Index, the company administers more than $130 billion in assets and employs more than 900 people in 23 offices worldwide. NES Financial | JTC is a leader in specialty financial administration, serving markets characterized by high administrative complexity, elevated transaction security needs and challenging compliance requirements. The companys technology-driven solutions streamline best practices in these markets by simplifying specialized financial transactions, reducing back-office overhead, curtailing fraud and abuse, and offering security, transparency and regulatory compliance during each step of an investments life cycle.

For more information, visit nesfinancial.com.

About Participant Capital

Founded in 2011, Participant Capital Advisors, LLC, is a Florida-registered investment advisor that was formed to disrupt traditional investor diversification choices by providing direct access to premium real estate projects from the ground up, right alongside the developertraditionally an opportunity only available to large private equity, institutional funds, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

Participant Capital Advisors, LLC, offers a diversified portfolio and manages funds on multiple platforms. This investment strategy allows for flexibility to adapt as demand shifts and helps safeguard exposure across different market cycles and conditions, providing higher risk-adjusted returns for investors.

With its proven operating capabilities and visionary management, Participant Capital Advisors, LLC, offers real estate investment vehicles with broader opportunities. An investor should consider his or her investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Please refer to Participant Capital Advisors, LLCs ADV Part 2 for additional information and risks at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/304859.

For more information, please visit participantcapital.com.
Note to readers: While we accept the reality of the coronavirus, it is important to be optimistic. We must believe that there will be a day when the disease will no longer be the all-destroying scourge it is today. And when that day comes, we will be able to enjoy life, maybe with a few adjustments, the way we did before COVID-19. To that end, we are starting If Covid Vanished ..., a series of interviews with corporate heads and achievers, where we ask them where theyd like to travel or eat, whod they like to meet, and so on, if the world became Corona-mukt. Follow the series here.

The pandemic has tested the sanity of even mental health professionals. Counsellors and founders in the space are waiting for the old normal as much as their patients and clients.

Take the case of Richa Singh, the Bengaluru-based co-founder and CEO of online counselling platform YourDOST.com. Singh has not seen much of her parents, who live in Bhopal, for almost a year. Its the first thing shed do if the world became free of the virus.

Excerpts from an interaction.

If COVID ends tomorrow or becomes easily manageable, which city would you like to travel first and why?

I would travel to Bhopal to my parents without missing a heartbeat. I haven't met them properly in almost a year and I miss them so much.

Which restaurant would you go to first and why?

Meghana Biryani, Koramangala, Bengaluru. They have the best biryani in the world, and it tastes best when eaten at the restaurant. But the restaurant is always super crowded so I would like to go there once it's safe to venture out among crowds.

Which famous stranger would you like to invite home and talk to?

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson of Biocon. An evening with her would be an honour. There are so many things I want to talk to her about.

What public performance/occasion would you like to attend?

I would attend a Satsang by Gurudev (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) at the Art of Living Centre in Bengaluru. It's peaceful and there's so much positive energy at the centre.

Which new skill would you like to learn?

I want to learn how to fly an aircraft. I also want to learn how to play an instrument.

The first song that comes to mind when you think of a Covid- free world.

Yahan Ke Hum Sikander from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.

Which bad habit will you work on eliminating in a world that is open again?

Lack of cleanliness in this world. I want to work towards getting rid of it and achieve a cleaner country and a cleaner planet.

What will you do with your masks?

Nothing. I do not wish to create anything out of them. I'm going to throw them away and not look back at them. Hopefully, it'll be the last time I see them.

What would your motto be for life after the pandemic?

Appreciate the smaller blessings more.
Posted Monday, January 25, 2021 8:21 am

The planned mass COVID-19 vaccination site for the Clark County Fairgrounds opened Tuesday, Jan. 26, according to Clark County Public Health.

The site, which will administer vaccines on an appointment-only schedule, will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, according to an update from the health department Sunday, Jan. 24. Appointments can be made through mhealthcheckin.com/covidappt.

Currently Clark County is accepting appointments for individuals who fall into Washington states Phase 1a and 1b Tier 1 criteria. According to the appointment website, that includes healthcare personnel, long-term care facility residents, emergency medical personnel, individuals over the age of 65 and individuals over the age of 50 who live in multi-generational households.

Public Health stated that the state health department expected to be able to vaccinate up to 600 individuals at the fairgrounds site daily, with that number rising as supplies increase. The site is separate from Public Healths own vaccination referral program, and the department recommends those who are eligible to be vaccinated and are awaiting a referral from Public Health to also seek an appointment at the fairgrounds vaccination site.

Those who have submitted requests with Public Health will remain on our list, and well continue to work with local health care facilities to get those individuals connected with vaccine as quickly as possible, Clark County health officer and Public Health director Alan Melnick stated in an update last week, However, some people may be able to be vaccinated sooner at the fairgrounds site.

Clark County began accepting vaccination requests from individuals in the Phase 1b Tier 1 last week. Public Health will continue to accept vaccination requests from eligible individuals in the currently-accepted phases at clark.wa.gov/public-health/covid-19-vaccine.

Given the large volume of requests and limited vaccine supply, it may take several weeks before people are contacted by a facility to schedule a vaccination appointment, Public Health noted. As of Jan. 20 there had been 15,000 doses of the vaccine administered in Clark County, based on data from the Washington State Department of Health.

Federal vaccination support comes to Clark County

Clark County, along with Cowlitz and Skamania counties, will have federal help in their combined vaccination efforts as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a Type 1 incident management team as aid last week.

Clark County Public Health announced Jan. 20 that the application the three counties had made was approved. The team, one of 16 across the nation, comprises federal, state and local representatives who have experience responding to complex incidents, and arrived in Clark County the day prior to the announcement.

The three counties will work closely with the team to establish multiple community vaccination sites in the region, which will include mobile sites that can allow for vaccination at high-risk workplaces. Other community partners, such as health care providers and schools, will be involved in the process as well, Public Health reported.

We are thrilled to have Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 3 in Southwest Washington, Melnick said in Public Healths announcement. Through a coordinated effort between the incident management team, the three counties and community partners, we will be able to more quickly and efficiently get people in Southwest Washington vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Society of Jesus in Spain has decided to pay financial compensation to victims who were sexually abused by members of its order. It is an unprecedented move within the Spanish Catholic Church, which until now has refused to investigate past cases of abuse or pay compensation to victims. The only exception was a deal struck last month by the Marist Brothers in Catalonia, who agreed to pay 400,000 to the families of 25 victims who were abused at Marist schools.

The decision by the Jesuits  the name for members of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order formed in 1540 by Ignatius of Loyola  could bring to light years of abuse in cases that have been buried until now  as happened in the United States and other countries. Indeed, several dioceses in the US went bankrupt and were forced to sell their buildings and other properties after paying compensation to abuse victims. When the Boy Scouts of America announced last year that they would compensate victims of abuse, they received 92,000 reports of abuse in just 10 months.

The trauma of abuse cannot be repaired by money, it is for life. Once we have lost our childhood and innocence, we cannot get them back Angel Plaza, first victim to receive compensation from the Jesuits

The Jesuits, who currently manage 68 schools and educational centers in Spain, are the first and the only order of the Spanish Catholic Church to open a comprehensive internal inquiry on sex abuse allegations. After two years of investigation, the Jesuits presented their report last Thursday, admitting that 81 children and 37 adults had been victims of abuse since 1927.

The Jesuits asked for forgiveness from the victims and launched a plan, called the Safe Environment System, to ensure such abuse never happens again. But they are prepared to go further. We are working on establishing a reparation system, which we hope to have ready soon, to offer financial compensation, explains a spokesperson from the order. There are people whose cases have expired [the statute of limitations has passed] and cannot go to civil court, and in this situation, we look at every case to see how to do this [provide reparations], using a wide range of options in accordance with the compensation of the civil justice system.

The Jesuits have already provided economic aid  a term they prefer to compensation  to seven abuse victims. In 2002, as revealed by an EL PAIS investigation, the order paid 72,000 to Angel Plaza, who was abused in the 1980s in Salamanca. This is the only case in which the victim set the amount of compensation. According to Plaza, he calculated two million pesetas (12,020) for the cost of therapy and 10 million pesetas (60,000) in damages.

According to the Jesuits, the other six cases did not receive a direct transfer of money, but were covered for their therapy expenses. The order admits that it is still finalizing its formula for reparations and deciding how it will manage requests for compensation, given that many cases are likely to have happened a long time ago, making them difficult to verify. The Jesuits also want to help victims who cannot or do not want to file a legal claim, calling on these individuals to write to proteccion@jesuitas.es.

Angel Plaza, who was the first victim to receive compensation from the Jesuits, says that money cannot make up for the suffering of victims. The trauma of abuse cannot be repaired by money, it is for life. Once we have lost our childhood and innocence, we cannot get them back. The ability to have a normal life for a person who has suffered sexual abuse as a child depends on many factors, their environment, their resilience but we have to accept that it will never be the same life that we would have had if we werent abused, he says. It is easy to understand this when people have accidents that leave them with physical disabilities, but it is more difficult to understand when the damage is to a persons personality and psyche. The damage is not the same for everyone because it depends on many circumstances, meaning the compensation should not necessarily be the same.

The compensation, more than a certain amount of money, must include other elements that help with the victims social, work and emotional integration Juan Cuatrecases, the father of a victim who was abused at an Opus Dei school

With respect to the Jesuits internal inquiry, Plaza says a lot of years have passed since 1927 to think that no one knew anything in the order and calls on the order to truly look at their conscience to understand how such abuse was permitted. Of course, not all Jesuits are pedophiles, of course, there are some real saints, but the hour of reckoning is here, let them calmly name their predators and see how many saints remain.

Juan Cuatrecases, the father of a victim who was abused at an Opus Dei school in Spains Basque Country, says the decision is a big step forward in the fight against pedophilia in the Catholic Church. He hopes other religious institutions, like Opus Dei and the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), will also break the silence on sexual abuse. The CEE, unlike the Church in Ireland, France and Germany, has refused to carry out an internal investigation into abuse allegations, reveal what happened or provide compensation to the victims. Nor has any other religious order, aside from the Jesuits, agreed to such a move.

With respect to compensation, Cuatrecases says: A 20-year-old victim is not the same as an 80-year-old one. The first victim has their life ahead of them and will need constant support. From there, their situation will need to be constantly monitored. The compensation, more than a certain amount of money, must include other elements that help with the victims social, work and emotional integration.

According to the internal inquiry, 1% of all Jesuits who entered the order since 1927 in Spain committed abuse  a figure victims associations say is ridiculous. The report is based on a review of archives, including cases that were uncovered at the time, and on the testimony of victims and witnesses who appeared before the congregation. The Jesuits investigation has highlighted how little data there is about abuse in the Spanish Catholic Church. A count by EL PAIS, based on existing rulings and archived cases, identified 123 cases since 1986, with nearly 400 victims. Most of these cases have come to light in the last two years, when EL PAIS began investigating the sex abuse allegations in October 2018.

Past compensation cases

In 2007, the Spanish Supreme Court held the archbishopric of Madrid liable in the case of a pedophile priest in the Madrid neighborhood of Aluche and ordered it to pay 30,000 to the victim. With respect to the 70 dioceses in Spain, only Cartagena announced in May 2020 that it would pay compensation to victims of abuse whose cases had passed the statute of limitations. In this instance, the amount of compensation would not be set by the diocese, but rather established in an agreement with the victim. The bishop of Bilbao, Mario Iceta, has said that it is courageous of the Spanish Catholic Church to compensate victims from its own funds, but it is not a view shared by all. In France, for instance, bishops agreed to pay fixed compensation to victims, but called on worshippers to help cover the cost with donations.

In February 2020, the Marist Brothers of Catalonia created an independent commission with the Mans Petites Foundation, which was founded by the father of an abuse victim. The commission studied each case and agreed to pay 400,000 to 25 former students who were abused by members of the order in Marist schools in Catalonia. Some of the cases dated back to 1960 and had passed the statute of limitations. A total of 18 teachers and monitors at Marist schools had been accused of committing abuse since the 1960s, according to an investigation by Spanish newspaper El Periodico, but only one  physical education teacher Joaquin Benitez  was sent to prison: last year he was sentenced to 21 years.

Experts say that dioceses have the duty to inform victims that they have the right to ask for financial compensation before the ecclesiastical process begins. But most victims interviewed by EL PAIS say they were never told this was a possibility.

English version by Melissa Kitson.
After an independent review revealed larger-than-expected payments to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that it nevertheless deemed justified, chief executive of Appolo Global Management Inc., Leon Black planned to step down as company's CEO.

Leon Black Plans to Step Down

According to the Wall Street Journal, on the obtained copy of the report done by law firm Dechert LLP after reviewing the information for a month, they have found no evidence that prompted Leon Black to plan to step down as he was not involved in the criminal activities of the late Epstein, who was indicted in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges which involve underage girls.

Based on the report of Dechert, the law firm found the fees that the billionaire had paid Epstein were for legitimate advice on trust and estate-tax planning which proved to be of significant value to the Apollo CEO and his family.

Black had paid the late Epstein a total of $148 million, and an additional $10 million donation to the charity of Epstein, numbers that are far more than was previously expected.

In a letter that the CEO wrote to the company's fund investors, Leon Black plans to step down as Apollo's CEO and will be passing it to co-founder Marc Rowan on or before his 70th birthday on July 31 while he will be retaining his chairmanship.

Based on the letter, as Black plans to step down, he also detailed other governance changes.

He is recommending to the board of directors, that there is a need for the appointment of more independent directors and also the elimination of the dual-class share structure of Apollo.

Leon Black also pledged to donate $200 million out of the money from his family to women's initiatives.

Read Also: IRS Announced Delay in Tax Filing Season, But Here's How You Can Get Refunds ASAP

The moves ended an uproarious period for Black, who in October asked a committee of independent directors of Apollo to launch the review of his relationship with Epstein, who killed himself in his jail cell in Manhattan in 2019.

The request of Black was an effort to lessen concerns regarding public pension funds and other institutions that invest with Apollo, as some of them have mentioned that they would pause their further investments with the firm after a report of New York Times came out that Black had paid Epstein at least $50 million.

The New York Times report also stated that Black believed and the majority of the witnesses agreed, that Epstein provided advice that conferred more than $1 billion and as much as $2 billion in tax savings or even more.

The report also supports the contention of Black that he paid Epstein a fee that he believed was roughly equivalent to 5% of the value that late financier generated on an after-tax basis.

It also described the deteriorating relationship between the two men starting in 2016 after a dispute in fee.

The last payment made by Black to Epstein was made in April of 2017.

Moreover, the report also emphasized that there is no question that Epstein performed substantive work for Black and that the Apollo CEO genuinely believed that Epstein was extremely smart and capable as he had saved him a substantial amount of money, Fox Business reported.

Related Article: Capitol Riot's "Zip Tie Guy's" Release Blocked by Federal Judge

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The maker of Bernie Sanders hand-knitted mittens, Jennifer Ellis has been flooded with requests from people for the product after it went viral from Inauguration day. The school teacher announced on Twitter that even Sanders couldnt stop himself from appreciating the mittens as it helped him in raising money for the charity.

Ellis has never met Sanders but she is enjoying the fact that her hand-knitted mittens have shot her to fame after the Vermont senator wearing those became viral.

Bernie Sanders called me earlier today to tell me that the mitten frenzy has already raised an enormous amount of money for Vermont charities. I am not authorized to disclose the amount yet- but its BIG and its amazing! Thank you!! Generosity brings joy, Ellis wrote on Twitter.

Ellis had also auctioned several pairs of mittens made by her among which one pair was auctioned for her daughters college fund and she has further donated some pairs to charities.

Sanders' outfit, especially the mittens, has grabbed eyeballs everywhere. It is made out of repurposed sweaters and lined with fleece made of recycled plastic bottles. The 79-year-old senator has been the talk of the town after he was spotted at Harris-Biden Inauguration Day and is now a popular meme.

The Vermont senator was photographed sitting bundled up in a lone chair on the stands in chilly Washington weather, watching the ceremony.
New Delhi: Today is a very important day for India. The army's valour will be seen on the special occasion of Republic Day. On the one hand, the army is showing its strength and on the other hand, the farmer is fighting for its rights. The farmers have been fully prepared on the borders of Delhi with tractors in Delhi. Yesterday, the Delhi police allowed the farmers to enter 5000 tractors in Delhi. It would show their valour with the Indian Army and Bangladesh Army in Delhi.

On the other hand, farmers will parade with the tractors. Delhi has been transformed into a non-discriminatory fort. Farmers' organizations said about 2 lakh tractors will join the parade. But the permission is given only for 5000 tractors. Even before the time was given for the farmers' parade, the farmers have entered Delhi and broke the border barkending. The Kisan Republic Parade will enter Delhi from Singhu, Tikari and Ghazipur border, in view of which stringent security arrangements have been made.

Farmers unions said on Monday that farmers have been agitating for more than two months against three new central agricultural laws. The tractor parade will now be launched after the official Republic Day parade ends at Rajpath in Delhi. The leader of the Revolutionary Farmers Union, Philosophy, said that now the government will realise our strength and the agitation is not only Haryana or Punjab, but it is a movement of the entire country.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  A Washington, D.C., judge on Tuesday issued an emergency order preventing the release from custody of a Georgia woman involved in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Lisa Eisenhart is accused of breaking into the Capitol with her son, Eric Munchel of Nashville, Tennessee, who was photographed carrying flexible plastic handcuffs in the Senate chamber.

Both were arrested and are being held in Nashville. In separate hearings, a federal magistrate judge in Nashville had ordered them released to home confinement. Prosecutors opposed the release, and at their request, the judge stayed his order until it could be reviewed by the District of Columbia court.

U.S. District Chief Judge Beryl Howell, of the District of Columbia, blocked Eisenhart's release pending a hearing and ordered her transported to D.C. for further proceedings Tuesday. The judge had issued the same order for Munchel on Sunday.

In both cases, prosecutors have argued the defendants should remain jailed pending trial because they are a danger to the community and a flight risk.

The nature and circumstances of the offense involve fear, intimidation, and violence  directed at law enforcement, elected public officials, and the entire country," prosecutors wrote in their request for an emergency stay of Eisenharts release. The defendant can make no serious claim that she went to the Capitol on January 6 intending to engage in peaceful protest or civil disobedience.

Prosecutors say the two wore tactical and bulletproof vests in the Capitol and Munchel carried a stun gun. Munchel also recorded their storming of the Capitol, and prosecutors say that video shows the pair stashed weapons in a bag before entering the building. A search of Munchels home turned up assault rifles, a sniper rifle with a tripod, shotguns, pistols, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a drum-style magazine.

Both Munchel and Eisenhart are charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds, conspiracy and civil disorder. They could each face up to 20 years if convicted.

California lifted a stay-at-home order and a nightly curfew Monday, paving the way for counties across the state to loosen restrictions. While San Francisco announced it will reopen several business sectors, the city will continue to limit nonessential businesses from operating or anyone from gathering with members outside of their household between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

S.F. gave restaurants the green light to resume outdoor dining 8 a.m. Thursday, but they will need to close by 10 p.m.

The California Public Health Department allows local health officials to be more restrictive than the state, and in a press conference Monday, S.F. Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax explained why he decided to retain the curfew.

"What were doing right now is working to gradually reopen the city," explained Colfax. "Were taking the initial steps when the rate of the virus is still relatively high. We want to see that number go down before we release that 10 to 5 order. We dont want to reverse again. Lets prevent a fourth surge as much as possible."

The "limited stay at home order" was first introduced by the state in early December, asking people to stay home and not be around people from outside their households from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Yes, that means no backyard drinks with friends after 10 p.m.

Under the limited stay at home order, you can go outside on your own or with people you live with to walk your dog or exercise. You can leave your home to go to an essential business, for example to pick up food for the week at a grocery store or medication at a pharmacy, or to see a doctor at a hospital. You can also go to work if you have an essential job, such as health care worker, transit employee or grocery cashier.

Breed said Monday the city is moving forward with some limited reopenings beginning 8 a.m. Thursday, including outdoor dining with tables of no more than two households, up to six people, and spaced a minimum of 6 feet apart; indoor or outdoor personal services, except those that require a mask to be removed; outdoor zoos and museums; and small outdoor gatherings.

S.F. is also allowing hotels to resume operations for tourism use, but the city will maintain its mandatory local travel quarantine. "San Francisco will continue requiring travelers from outside of the Bay Area to quarantine for 10 days, aligning with the state requirement necessitating that hotels only accept and honor reservations made by travelers from outside the Bay Area that are for 10 days or more," according to a statement from the city.

The stay-at-home order was lifted in three regions Monday: Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. The Sacramento region exited the order Jan. 12 and the Northern California region never fell under the order.

All counties now fall under the color-coded tier system used prior to the institution of the stay-at-home order, and Gov. Gavin Newsom shared a new map Monday in his weekly press conference showing all nine Bay Area counties in the purple tier.
In a first of its kind, a drinking water plant has been opened near Wagholi in Maharashtra which is run entirely by people from the transgender community from Pune. Considered as a step in the right direction to provide financial independence to transgenders, the plant was set up under Kineer Services a few weeks ago, along the Pune-Ahmednagar Road. Kineer Services is an initiative by Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, a prominent transgender activist. Four transgender women have been recruited to run the plant  Mamta, Ranitai Patel, Shakti and Prerna  with assured monthly salary.

Speaking to a tabloid, 33-year-old Mamta shared that the job has changed her life for all the good reasons. Till August, she had to accompany other transgenders in begging at shops and earned little by dancing at wedding functions. She was subjected to 'humiliations' and this is 'the first time' that she is 'experiencing what respect means'.

Mamta is involved in the process of packaging the water at the plant as well as visiting multinational companies where they supply the water. She shared that she was disowned by her parents for being a transgender, but after joining the plant, she is getting a lot of respect from security guards to the top officials.

The 37-year-old Ranitai is a commerce graduate who was unemployed for years before taking up job here. She shared that she had worked in the marketing field for a while, but the company where she used to work was taken up by another, after which she was shunned and jobless for two years. She has the responsibility of her 88-year-old mother. Kineer Services approached Ranitai through a common contact for a job. It was a double whammy  not only an opportunity to earn but also providing me dignity that I had missed in life for so many years, she added.

The plant was producing 200 cans of water daily in the beginning, which was supplied to multinational companies situated on Pune-Ahmednagar Road. Kineer Servies told Pune Mirror that they would increase the production once more transgenders join their team.

In conversation with Mirror, Manish Jain, coordinator for Kineer Services, said that the plant is the first of its kind to be entirely run by transgenders. They have started similar plants in National Capital Region. He added that they would like to give dignified jobs to transgender community and is glad to hire four of them from Pune to work in the plant.

He further said that there is still a lot of awareness that needs to be created in the society. He stated that there is reluctance from both sides. While the rest of the society needs to be aware of transgenders, the latter needs to be ready to accept new roles. He aims to reduce the gap by generating more jobs for the neglected community and is looking forward to recruit more.

Be a part of the Harpic  News18 Mission Paani campaign, take the Pledge to Save Water and catch all updates to the Waterthon here.
Mercy College will honor five exemplary alumni for their accomplishments at the annual Alumni Achievement Awards Event on Thursday, February 4 at 6 p.m. The event will be held virtually this year.

The event celebrates these alumnis contributions to the community and their dedication to strengthening Mercys programs and will raise support for the Alumni Legacy Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund which was created by the Mercy College Alumni Advisory Council to support the children, stepchildren and/or legal dependents of Mercy College alumni  is the only fund specifically designated to provide educational support to second-generation Mercy students.

Mercy Colleges 2021 alumni achievement honorees are Camele Clarke-Barrett 06, MBA 09; Sheila A. Enriquez 96; Mary Fox-Alter 78; Dr. Rosa Gonzalez 69; and Christopher McNerney 98.

Camele Clarke-Barrett 06, MBA 09  who earned both her bachelors degree in finance and her MBA from Mercy College  is the global financial lead for IBMs digital business portfolio. She is currently a candidate for professional certification as a Certified Management Accountant from the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). Passionate about helping to empower and channel access to underserved populations, Clarke-Barrett serves on the advisory board of the Lois Bronz Childrens Center in White Plains, New York. She also volunteers as a Girl Scouts troop leader and as the childrens ministry coordinator for her local church.

Sheila A. Enriquez 96  who earned her bachelors degree in accounting from Mercy College  is managing partner and CEO of Briggs & Veselka Co., the fourth largest independent certified public accountant (CPA) firm in the Southwest and the largest independent firm in Houston. As a CPA and an attorney with over 23 years of experience, she offers a powerful blend of financial expertise and legal perspective to her clients. In her first year as CEO, she helped achieve a 29% growth rate and led the integration of six acquisitions, expanding the firms Texas presence. Enriquez recently completed a term as an at-large member on the governing council of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and will rejoin the council as a Texas representative in May 2021. She is also a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Society of CPAs (TXCPA), where she is the current chairman-elect nominee and a past president of the Houston chapter. The Houston Business Journal named her 2020 Most Admired CEO Honoree, and the Greater Houston Womens Chamber of Commerce named her 2020 Breakthrough Woman. Her husband Jose 96 is also a Mercy alumnus.

Mary Fox-Alter 78  who earned her bachelors degree in history and secondary education from Mercy College and her professional diploma in school administration from the College of New Rochelle  is the superintendent of Pleasantville Union Free School District in Pleasantville, New York. She has worked in the district for 31 years in a variety of roles including teacher, staff developer, chief information officer, director of instructional services and now superintendent. In addition, she is a regional and state-level leader who recently completed a second term on the executive committee of the New York State Council of School Superintendents. She also serves on the Mercy College Deans Advisory Board. Fox-Alter has been recognized with several awards, including the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents Distinguished Service Award and the Westchester County Distinguished Female Leader Award.

Dr. Rosa Gonzalez 69  who earned her bachelors degree in biology from Mercy College  is an obstetrician and gynecologist in private practice in North Bergen, New Jersey. Her family fled Cuba when she was a teenager, so she faced the many language barriers of American medical school entrance exams after graduating from Mercy College. After a brief stretch in a pathology job at Mount Sinai Hospital, she moved to Spain where she studied at the University of Zaragoza. She returned to the U.S. to begin her first internship at Montefiore Hospital, later completing her residency at Bronx Municipal Hospital. In 1979, she became a clinical instructor at Albert Einstein College, leaving only to pursue her mission of serving the community as a physician. She maintains a long-standing membership in the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology.

Christopher McNerney 98 is the chief of police for the Town of Greenburgh Police Department in Greenburgh, New York. Over the past 25 years, he has worked in every division of the department, including patrol, the street crime unit, detective division, staff services division and special investigations (internal affairs). In 2013, he was sworn in as the chief of police and began instituting many new initiatives, most notably the first full patrol implementation of police body-worn cameras in Westchester County. After retiring in 2019 to work as the chief criminal investigator in the Westchester County District Attorneys Office, McNerney returned to the Town of Greenburgh Police Department as chief of police in 2020. A licensed attorney in New York and Connecticut, he has also worked as an adjunct professor of criminology at Mercy College. He currently serves as president of the Westchester County Chiefs of Police Association and is active in the New York State Chiefs Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Westchester County Task Force for Police Reform.

Mercy College is fortunate to honor such an outstanding group of alumni. Supporters can register to attend the free virtual Alumni Achievement Award Event and support the Alumni Legacy Support Fund here: https://alumni.mercy.edu/aa/2021.

About Mercy College

Mercy College is the dynamic, diverse New York City area college whose students are on a personal mission: to get the most out of life by getting the most out of their education. Founded in 1950, Mercy is a coeducational and nonsectarian college that offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs within five schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences. With campuses in Dobbs Ferry, Bronx, Manhattan and Yorktown Heights, the vibrancy of the College culture is sustained by a diverse student body from around the region.
Myanmar's powerful military on Tuesday raised the spectre of staging a coup as it ramped up demands for an investigation into alleged voter fraud during last year's election, swept by Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling party

Naypyidaw (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2021 ) :Myanmar's powerful military on Tuesday raised the spectre of staging a coup as it ramped up demands for an investigation into alleged voter fraud during last year's election, swept by Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling party.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) won November's poll in a landslide, but has been much criticised by rights groups for its disenfranchisement of voters in conflict-wracked regions.

The military-aligned opposition disputed the results, while the army has for weeks alleged widespread voter irregularities, claiming to have found 8.6 million cases of fraud.

Military spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun on Tuesday renewed calls for the country's embattled election commission to provide final voter lists for cross-checking -- a demand that so far has not been met.

"Not resolving this in line with the law means this is a political crisis," he told reporters in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw.

Zaw Min Tun added that military chief Min Aung Hlaing -- arguably Myanmar's most powerful individual -- has already pointed out "dishonesty and unfairness" during the election.

When pressed on the possibility of a coup, the spokesman refused to be drawn, but did not rule it out.

"We do not say the Tatmadaw will take power. We do not say it will not as well," said the spokesman, using the Burmese name for the military.

"What we can say is we will follow current existing laws, including the constitution." The polls in November were the second openly contested elections since Myanmar emerged in 2011 after nearly 50 years of junta rule.

But the military still holds an outsized role in the country's politics, retaining control over key ministries thanks to a junta-scripted constitution which dictates an uneasy power-sharing agreement with de facto leader Suu Kyi.

She has not publicly responded to allegations of voter fraud but NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt said Tuesday a coup was not allowed under the current constitution.

"We will move forward peacefully according to the law," he told AFP.
Shortly before President Joe Bidens inauguration last week, part of a group of about 9,000 people, mostly from Honduras, clashed violently with security forces in Guatemala, with thousands of would-be migrants pushed back across the border. As with other caravans, those that made it through faced even harsher treatment by Mexican officials.

The dissolution of the years first caravan was probably welcome news to the Biden administration, who no doubt saw little benefit in a fresh crisis at the southern border. But as conditions in Honduras and elsewhere worsen, other caravans will follow. The incident provides a reminder of the delicate balance Biden must strike as he seeks to end the policy of blanket exclusion pursued under President Donald Trump without sending a message throughout Central America that the doors to the United States are wide open.

To truly reform immigration, Biden will have to do more than provide a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million people who are in the U.S. illegally, as he proposed last week. He must also contend with what pushes and pulls immigrants to come, as well as with those who are stuck at our doorstep.

Biden, working with Congress, can do so by steps in two related areas. First, he must reopen courts designed to evaluate asylum requests, a system that was all but shuttered under President Donald Trump. Second, the administration must improve conditions that push migrants out of their homes and develop regional cooperation that goes beyond keeping immigrants from reaching the U.S. border.

Treat asylum-seekers fairly

The new administration must restore the asylum process to bring it in line with U.S. and international law. Those laws provide an opportunity for those arriving at our border to request asylum  and while most requests are denied, failing to permit them to even make their case is inhumane, especially given the violence and other dangers so many are seeking to escape.

The Trump administrations Migrant Protection Protocols have trapped asylum-seekers in Mexico while awaiting their day in court. There are more than 20,000 cases pending in MPP courts along the border, the vast majority of them in Texas. Many have been stuck in limbo for months, often in unsanitary and dangerous conditions.

Fortunately, the administration suspended the MPP program last week, a welcome start.

Much more is required, Ariel Ruiz, policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, told the editorial board.

The Biden administration has inherited this broken system at the U.S.-Mexico border and must now proceed carefully, Ruiz said. On the one hand you want to restart the U.S. asylum process, while on the other hand send a clear message that the borders are not open to future migrant caravans.

Thats why the second step  improving conditions in Central America  is so critical for Bidens success.

Strengthen homelands

The Trump administration strong-armed countries such as Mexico and Honduras into getting tough on migrants traveling north through their lands to the United States. But a far better policy would be to help keep Central Americans from leaving home in the first place and to work with partners in the region to create a larger regional arrangement to protect Central Americans fleeing poverty and violence.

Direct aid to Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala must be part of any long-term effort to address the root causes of migration and President Biden has wisely proposed an initial $4 billion in assistance. That money, though, must come with safeguards against the same corruption that has helped persuade migrants to flee.

Promising $4 billion in aid by itself isnt the answer, said Lisa Haugaard, co-director of the Latin America Working Group, in a statement. Promise instead that the United States will stand, not with corrupt or authoritarian officials in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, but with the citizens working for change.

Donald Trumps focus on enforcement and deterrence promised a simple solution for a complex problem, and only succeeded in causing a humanitarian crisis at the border and delaying an inevitable reckoning that the Biden administration must confront head on.

A multilayered international approach is even more ambitious and difficult to achieve than Bidens domestic immigration agenda, but it is the only way forward if we hope to limit the intermittent waves of migrants coming to the U.S. while at the same time holding to our values and respect for human rights.
Campus News

UB to offer Indigenous health disparities course

By DAVID J. HILL

Studying these medical inequities from their (Native) perspective ... will not only help provide insights into understanding health equity but provide critical information to improve the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people. 

As UB seeks to expand its commitment to Indigenous studies, a new course being offered this spring in the School of Public Health and Health Professions aims to teach students about the health disparities Indigenous populations face.

The Indigenous health disparities course will be taught by Dean S. Seneca, who grew up in Buffalo and whose family origins are founded in Western New York with the Seneca Nation of Indians. A nationally recognized expert in health sciences and a global advocate for the underserved, Seneca, who has masters degrees in public health and city and regional planning, is CEO and founder of Seneca Scientific Solutions+. The company, based in Cattaraugus, N.Y., aims to create healthier and safer communities through evidence-based practices.

The course is intended to support future public health leaders as they strive to become experts in promoting well-being throughout the world.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has made it clear that health officials need to be better prepared to handle such global pandemics, says Seneca, who designed the course curriculum and will hold an adjunct position in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior. Part of that preparedness is understanding that, on a global level, Indigenous people experience lower life expectancy, lower quality of life and a higher prevalence of many chronic and infectious diseases in comparison to other populations.

Seneca has more than 20 years of experience in the field of infectious disease outbreaks, including anthrax, H1N1, Ebola, Zika and now COVID-19. He previously served as a senior health scientist in the Partnership Support Unit within the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Using an evidence-based approach, I will draw on my 20-plus years of work with the CDC, and my experience in the field of infectious disease outbreaks, to provide students with an overview of the many health issues impacting Indigenous populations today and into the future, Seneca says.

The course will also explore the social determinants of health, intergenerational trauma, health equity, and racism and health.

Students will examine the real histories of Indigenous peoples, their cultural norms and adaptations, their traditional healing practices, and the impacts of colonization on them through the advancement of westernization, all of which are key public health issues, according to Seneca.

Studying these medical inequities from their (Native) perspective  the social reasons why they occur and within the context of the current health crises of the COVID-19 pandemic  will not only help provide insights into understanding health equity but provide critical information to improve the health and well-being of Indigenous people, he explains.

We are building the tool kits to improve the ways in which public health professionals manage such crises  and ultimately save lives.

Seneca received his bachelors degree from UB and both masters degrees from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Adding the course to the schools curriculum is a nod to the very land upon which UB sits, notes Heather Orom, associate dean for equity, diversity and inclusion in the School of Public Health and Health Professions.

Offering coursework on Indigenous health is a necessary addition to the UB public health curriculum, Orom says. UB is built on Seneca land, and this is an overdue step toward deepening our connection with our local community, as well as graduating better-informed and skilled public health professionals.

Registration for the course is currently open.
WESTPORT, Conn., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Maplewood Senior Living is pleased to announce that five of its communities across Connecticut, Massachusetts and Ohio were selected as 2021 Best of Assisted Living Award Winners by SeniorAdvisor.com, a large ratings and reviews site for senior care and services in North America. All three of Maplewood's Ohio communities  Maplewood at Chardon, Maplewood at Cuyahoga and Maplewood at Twinsburg  as well as one community in Connecticut, Maplewood at Newtown, and one in Massachusetts, Maplewood at Weston, are among these.

The SeniorAdvisor.com Best of Senior Living 2021 Awards recognizes senior living and home care providers who receive consistently high ratings and positive reviews from residents, families, and visitors. This exclusive designation is awarded to less than three percent of providers nationwide.

"Providing residents and their families with an unmatched care and service experience that far exceeds expectations is of utmost importance to the team at Maplewood," said Gregory D. Smith, president and CEO of Maplewood Senior Living and Inspir. "Following a year of unprecedented change, we are proud of our team's ability to adapt operations and feel especially humbled to be honored with five Best of Assisted Living 2021 award-winning communities. We appreciate everyone who shared positive feedback about their personal experiences and look forward to continuing our commitment to delivering an unparalleled service culture for our seniors and their families."

The 2021 Best of Senior Living awards mark Maplewood's fourth consecutive year of inclusion for at least two communities in the annual ranking and the highest number of communities recognized in a single year for the senior living provider. Accordingly, Maplewood also earned "Customer Engagement" recognition, which is awarded to companies with more than four winning communities.

SeniorAdvisor.com is in its 8th year of hosting the Best of Senior Living Awards. SeniorAdvisor.com's Best of 2021 Award winners represent the best of the best of in-home care, assisted living, and other senior living providers, based on the online reviews written by seniors and their families. This exclusive designation honors the top 2-3% of senior care providers across the United States. To qualify for inclusion in the Best of 2021 Awards, care providers must have maintained an average overall rating of at least 4.5 stars while receiving six new reviews on SeniorAdvisor.com during the award period, October 19, 2019 to October 31, 2020.

Based in Westport, Connecticut, Maplewood Senior Living owns and operates 16 senior living communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. Maplewood's new, luxury senior living brand, Inspir, will soon debut its flagship residence, Inspir Carnegie Hill on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The new brand was launched to offer a luxurious option for seniors looking to join a residential community in major metropolitan areas and will offer a variety of care options including Assisted Living, Memory Care and Enhanced Care.

About Maplewood Senior Living

Maplewood Senior Living is known for its upscale senior living residences, offering a broad range of premier services, amenities and care to its residents. Maplewood Senior Living, based in Westport, CT, owns and operates 16 senior living communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. There is an Upper East Side location in Manhattan, NY within the company's newest brand, Inspir. This new, senior living brand was launched to offer a luxurious option for seniors looking to join a residential community in major metropolitan areas. For more information, please call 203-557-4777 or visit www.maplewoodseniorliving.com

About Inspir Carnegie Hill

Inspir is a new, luxury senior living brand offering a different approach to living for discerning seniors in urban markets. Inspir is the convergence of luxury accommodations, exceptional hospitality, cutting-edge technology, whole-person wellness, and world-class care. The brand is debuting its flagship senior living residence, Inspir Carnegie Hill, at 1802 Second Avenue at 93rd Street, in the heart of New York City's Upper East Side, scheduled to open early 2021. Inspir Carnegie Hill boasts a masterfully designed building with state-of-the-art technology and private residences customized to fit the needs of an aging population. The community will offer assisted living, memory care and enhanced care options. For more information, please call (646) 978-9040 or visit Inspir seniorliving.com.

*Inspir Carnegie Hill is pending approval from the State of New York, Department of Health, for the following licenses: Adult Home, Enriched Housing and Assisted Living Residence, with Enhanced and Special Needs Assisted Living Residence certifications.

SOURCE Maplewood Senior Living
Chaos and ruckus was reported from various parts of the border areas of Delhi on Tuesday as the protesting farmers entered the national capital defying the agreement of the scheduled time of tractor rally and creating multiple fronts at Karnal Bypass, Mukarba Chowk, Transport Nagar, Akshardham, Gazipur and Tikri border. Thousands of farmers marched into the national capital on foot and riding tractors, even as the paramilitary forces and Delhi Police personnel kept a wary eye on the evolving situation.The police had to resort to tear gas shell firing and mild lathi-charge to contain the tractor rally and the protesters who have defied the agreement with authorities and police of three states -- Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Several policemen and protesters were also injured in the tractor rally that turned violent on Tuesday. Visuals of men riding horses were seen at the Karnal Bypass as visuals of protesters breaking barricades at Singhu, Gazipur and Mukarba Chowk emanated.
Colleges and school districts in the Capital Region are stepping up efforts to stop plagiarism and cheating - which educators say have escalated since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Bethlehem school officials, in a recent note home to parents, warned that "academic dishonesty in all subject areas has increased dramatically in the past few weeks."

In math class, students take advantage of the virtual environment and use problem-solving apps with names like PhotoMath and Mathway, according to Bethlehem mathematics supervisor William Clairmont.

"This type of cheating is easy for our teachers to spot," he wrote in the memo to families. "Using these apps is a violation of the districts Code of Conduct and more importantly, will be detrimental to a students success in the future."

Poll: How strong is the urge to cheat during remote learning?

Billed as tutoring apps, the programs allow students to snap a photo of a math problem and see the solution instantly. Since students are required to "show their work," some of the more sophisticated programs ask students how they would like the problem solved.

But the apps use distinctive language, which can make cheating easy to identify, according to one Capital Region middle school teacher.

"Many students will submit answers that are identical to one another and are verbatim copies of the output from Photomath," said the teacher, who asked not to be identified because he wasn't authorized to speak on behalf of the school.

At Bethlehem, school officials are offering personal tutoring services to help struggling students, but say cheating won't be tolerated.

"We want you to be aware of the seriousness of this issue but first and foremost, hope to provide support and resources for your child if they are having a difficult time with the blended learning environment or with learning the material exclusively from home," the letter continues.

Schools throughout the Capital Region shut down in March to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While in-person learning has largely resumed for children in younger grades  unless they request the remote option  most middle and high school students are either fully remote or on hybrid schedules of in-person and virtual instruction.

Related: Tracking school-reported coronavirus cases in the Capital Region

But there is no fool-proof way to prevent virtual students from talking to friends or using apps to cheat on homework and tests, educators say.

To spot cheating at Shenendehowa Central Schools in Clifton Park, instructors use digital platforms so they can watch remote students solve problems in real-time, school officials said.

"The most important part of this conversation is the need for students to understand the content as it becomes the foundation for future math classes," Shenendehowa Deputy Superintendent Elizabeth Wood said.

Cheating has also become more pervasive on the college level, including at the University at Albany, where faculty try to design exams with minimal opportunities for cheating.

Professors are aware of myriad web programs designed to make college easier. One of the most popular sites is Chegg.com, which offers a range of tutoring services, textbook rentals, and a message board for students to compare notes. The site's database of exam questions and answers has been linked to cheating scandals at colleges across the country.

UAlbany recently started offering faculty proctoring software that can be used to monitor students' computer screens or web cameras and restrict browser activity during exams. The university also works with Chegg to remove test questions from its site "as quickly as possible."

"We were already headed in this direction before last March, but the pandemic and an increase in the number of allegations of academic integrity violations from faculty accelerated that timeline," university spokesman Jordan Carleo-Evangelist said.

At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, faculty members are developing new ways to quiz students.

Shayla Sawyer, an associate professor in RPI's Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, incorporates a concept she calls exam rework into her grading.

Sawyer gives a student the opportunity to design a new problem similar to one they missed on an exam and then explain their solving process as they rework the problem via video or audio recording. According to Sawyer, this method helps her evaluate students' comprehension on two fronts  design and analysis.

Focusing the evaluation on the correct process over correct answers not only reinforces ethical engineering practices in their future careers, but gives students some positive reinforcement that understanding how and why a procedure is used is valuable, Sawyer said.
Crisis Communications firm Red Banyan Hires Veteran Journalist Sallie James as Senior Content Strategist Our industry-leading clients benefit immensely from the unique perspective that we provide, and that is due in part to our ability to recruit and retain talented former journalists. Sallie James is an excellent writer and communicator who will be a great addition.

Red Banyan, a crisis communications firm that handles complex, high-stakes communications issues, has hired veteran journalist Sallie James as Senior Content Strategist. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Sallie will oversee a wide range of content creation and copywriting, assist clients with achieving earned media, and utilize her journalistic expertise to craft, edit and secure publication for a wide range of written materials.

Im thrilled to be joining one of the leading crisis PR agencies in the U.S. and confident my reporting skills and background will help to further enhance the firms reach and reputation, Sallie said. I love sharing peoples stories and am looking forward to being part of a team known for professionalism and dedication to achieving results.

Red Banyan Founder and CEO Evan Nierman stated: Our industry-leading clients benefit immensely from the unique perspective that we provide, and that is due in part to our ability to recruit and retain talented former journalists. Sallie James is an excellent writer and communicator who will be a great addition. She has the skills and work ethic that our clients demand and deserve.

Originally from Chicago, Sallie received her bachelors degree in journalism from Indiana University. Upon graduation, she worked for two years as a newspaper reporter in Central Indiana, then moved to South Florida, one of the most competitive news markets in the country. Sallie subsequently spent more than 20 years combined covering crime, breaking news and city government at the Palm Beach Post and the Sun Sentinel.

After leaving daily journalism, Sallie worked for years in corporate communications and marketing, with stints at a law firm, a major automotive company and a large non-profit organization. She also freelanced as a stringer for C-SPAN and has written for a variety of community newspapers.

Sallie is an avid community volunteer who currently serves as a Guardian ad Litem for the 17th Circuit and is the proud mother of college-age twins.

Over the past decade, Red Banyan has established itself as one of the leading crisis PR agencies in the United States. With offices in South Florida, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Los Angeles, Red Banyan provides crisis management, litigation support, media relations and other strategic communications services to national and international clients.

About Red Banyan

Red Banyan is a specialized communications firm and crisis management firm focused on solving complex, highly sensitive and mission-critical communications challenges. Specializing in crisis communications, corporate public relations, government relations, and legal PR, Red Banyan provides an integrated approach to communications rooted in strategy. Learn more at http://www.redbanyan.com, become a fan on the Red Banyan Facebook page and follow the firm on Twitter and LinkedIn.
A long-running storyline over the past year has been AT&Ts attempts to find a buyer for DirecTV, which they purchased for $49 billion back in 2015. In May, we discussed reports on how AT&T shareholders were putting the company under pressure to sell the DirecTV unit, and in August, we analyzed reports that they might sell the whole unit for only $20 billion. Well, it now appears that theyre close to a sale, but for a minority stake rather than a controlling interest. Heres more on that from Krystal Hu and Joshua Franklin of Reuters, in a piece first posted Friday:

Private equity firm TPG has entered into exclusive talks to acquire a minority stake in AT&T Incs satellite TV division, DirecTV, in a deal that would allow the U.S. wireless carrier to trim its net debt of close to $150 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. The exact price TPG is willing to pay could not be learned, but sources said the deal could value DirecTV at more than $15 billion. Were the negotiations to conclude successfully, a deal could be announced in the coming weeks, added the sources, who requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. The advanced talks with TPG are the culmination of an auction that AT&T ran for DirecTV for several months. The deal would crystallize a financial hit for AT&T, which valued DirecTV at about $67 billion including debt when it agreed to acquire it in 2014.

So, yes, thats an unfortunate downturn from what DTV was valued at when AT&T bought it. But the cable and satellite landscape has changed significantly since then. And the sale of a minority stake rather than a controlling stake might actually work out for AT&T in the long term if theres some rebound for DirecTV. And thats not necessarily out of the question; its worth mentioning that their main satellite competitor, Dish, has become embroiled in so many carriage disputes that theyre hardly a reliable option, and that their CEO has called a merger with DTV inevitable, so there are some potential gains for DTV if that happens.

In the meantime, though, this feels like something that could work out for both parties. The sale of a minority stake in DTV gives AT&T some cash, which they can use to service their significant debt (which has grown dramatically in recent years from purchasing DTV and then Time Warner), and investors reacted favorably to this report, boosting AT&T shares by close to one percent Friday. But also, selling only a minority stake means that the DTV purchase might not wind up being quite as disastrous for AT&T in the long term.

If DTVs valuation does rebound, AT&T will still be in a position to benefit from that if theyre not selling majority control. Meanwhile, TPG takes on some risk of a further DTV value cratering. However, they also gain some potential upside if the DTV situation improves, and theyre taking on less risk from buying a minority share than they would be from taking control of the company. No control does mean that theyre hoping AT&T makes good decisions about DTV rather than making those decisions themselves, though.

Its important to note that this isnt a done deal yet, and that exclusive talks have frequently not led to an actual transaction. But these reported talks do seem to carry some benefits for both sides. Well see if they come to fruition.

[Reuters]
On a summer day last year, 7-year-old Zamar Jones was playing on the porch of his West Philadelphia home when shots rang out on the block and a bullet struck him in the head.

The shooting was captured by a neighbors surveillance camera  and played in court Monday in the preliminary hearing for two men charged with killing him.

After watching footage of the gunfight that led to the childs death, a judge ordered the alleged shooter, Michael Banks, to face trial for murder.

The exchange of gunfire on the 200 block of North Simpson Street began, prosecutors say, when a man in a pickup truck fired at Banks and missed. Banks fired a volley of shots at the fleeing truck and instead hit the boy, whose home was several houses down on the other side of the street.

Banks then retrieved what may have been a firearm magazine, and began firing again, according to Homicide Detective Thorsten Lucke.

An accomplice, Damar B. Jones also fired at the pickup with the same 9 mm gun Banks used, Assistant District Attorney Zachary Wynkoop said.

The trucks driver, identified by authorities as Christopher Linder, 27, was not hit. Banks, 30, and Jones, 28, who is not related to the boy, were charged with murder in the childs death. Linder, who also was charged, was not in court Monday.

Municipal Court Judge James DeLeon held Banks for trial on all charges in the boys death, including murder and gun offenses, but dismissed those charges against Jones, finding that the boy was shot by Banks.

I cant put the little boys death on Jones, the judge said.

DeLeon held both men for trial on attempted murder, conspiracy and related charges for shooting at Linder, who faces a separate preliminary hearing next month.

Jones attorney, Doug Dolfman, who argued that Jones should not be held on murder charges, asked for bail to be set at $100,000 after those charges were dismissed. The judge set bail at $2 million.

Wynkoop contended that Banks and Jones were already in a conspiracy when Banks first fired shots down the street at the pickup truck, hitting the little boy.

He said afterward that his office is planning to refile the murder charges against Jones in the killing of the boy. He said that it is unclear why Linder first fired at Banks. None of the three men lived on that block, he said.

Banks remains jailed without bail. His attorney, Marni Snyder, argued unsuccessfully that he should not be charged with first-degree murder.

Zamar Jones parents and grandmother attended Mondays hearing, but declined to comment afterward. The boy died two days after he was shot.
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Meghalaya to set up two pre-fabricated Corona Centres 28 May 2021 | 5:07 PM Shillong, May 28 (UNI) The Meghalaya government will set up two new pre-fabricated Corona Care

Centres with 100 bed each in Shillong and Tura to arrest the shortage of beds for COVID-19 patients, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said. see more..

Tata Digital logs into Big Basket acquires majority stake in Supermarket Grocery Supplies Private Limited 28 May 2021 | 4:01 PM Kolkata, May 28 (UNI) Tata Digital Limited, 10pc subsidiary of Tata Sons Private Limited has acquired a majority stake in Supermarket Grocery Supplies Private Limited (BigBasket)  Indias largest e-commerce player in the Food & Grocery segment. see more..

HDFC Bank To Set Up Medical Infrastructure For Covid-19 Relief 28 May 2021 | 3:40 PM Kolkata, May 28 (UNI) HDFC Bank, under Parivartan, announced today a slew of measures to set up and enhance medical infrastructure across the country to assist the fight against the pandemic. see more..

OEU Manufactured by CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur may be used for High-Altitude Defence Purpose: Prof (Dr) Harish Hirani 28 May 2021 | 3:34 PM Kolkata, May 28 (UNI) The Director of CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur Professor (Dr) Harish Hirani has emphasised upon the fact that the oxygen therapy if utilised in a synchronised manner may help considerably in reducing the oxygen consumption. see more..
Republic Day 2021: CM Mamata Banerjee dedicates parade in Kolkata to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

Kolkata, Jan 26: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday dedicated the Republic Day parade in Kolkata to freedom movement icon Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Wishing the citizens a very happy Republic Day, Mamata Banerjee posted a tweet saying everyone must strive to "protect, preserve and follow all the ideals of the Constitution."

Taking to Twitter, Mamata Banerjee said, "Justice, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. We must forever strive to protect, preserve and follow all the ideals of the Constitution. Warm greetings to every Indian on Republic Day! Today's parade in Kolkata has been dedicated to Deshnayak Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose."

Republic Day 2021: In a first Bangladesh contingent joins parade

In the run-up to the West Bengal assembly polls, which are likely to take place in April-May, Bose, a freedom fighter and a prominent Bengali icon, has emerged as a major figure.

Recently, the central government declared and celebrated January 23, Bose's birth anniversary, as "Parakram Diwas". Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose BJP is in power at the Centre, and is the main opposition party in West Bengal, paid a visit to Kolkata on January 23 to commemorate Bose's birth anniversary.

Republic Day 2021: The special turban PM Modi sported is a gift from Jamnagar royal family

At an event held at Victoria Memorial, Banerjee was "heckled" allegedly by BJP supporters who raised "Jai Shri Ram" slogans towards her. The chief minister, who was sharing the dais with the Prime Minister, refused to speak at the event, taking offense to religious slogans being raised at a government function. This led to a war of words between the BJP and the Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Farmers enter ITO, vandalise bus, press on to Central Delhi | Oneindia News

Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) has been in power in West Bengal since 2011 and the leader is looking for a third straight term as the chief minister. The BJP, buoyed by its performance in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, is aiming at forming its maiden government in the eastern state. There have been a series of confrontations between workers of the two parties.

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 10:34 [IST]
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Showing off his skills! Kim Kardashian and Kanye Wests 5-year-old son, Saint, is on his way to becoming bilingual.

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My baby speaks Japanese, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, 40, captioned a Monday, January 25, Instagram Story video of her eldest son counting while eating an ice cream sandwich. Is that what you learned in your Japanese class?

Courtesy of Kim Kardashian/Instagram

Saints little sister, Chicago, 3, could be seen enjoying a sweet treat of her own beside him. As for North, 7, Kardashian and Wests eldest daughter said from behind the camera: I can go to 1,000.

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The KKW Beauty creator also shares son Psalm, 20 months, with the rapper, 43. The pair took North and Saint to Japan in August 2019 for a family vacation.

Night at the museum in Japan, the makeup mogul captioned an Instagram slideshow of photos from TeamLabs Borderlesss Digital Art Museum at the time.

She and the Grammy winner tied the knot in May 2014 in Italy but are now actively negotiating the terms of a divorce, a source exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month.

She will continue to focus on her business empire, the insider said of the reality star. Kim has been in individual counseling and is at peace with where her life is headed.

A massive December 2020 fight was a breaking point for the pair, another source told Us, explaining, Kim is done dealing with Kanyes unpredictable behavior, she has tried to get him into treatment for his mental health and all attempts have been unsuccessful. No one can tell Kanye what to do other than Kanye.

Read article

The insider added, They went into the latter part of 2020 with the very best of intentions and wanted to find a way to get along when they spent time together. It reached the point where bickering turned to nasty blowups and confrontations, and since neither of them wanted the kids exposed to that type of hostility, they [stayed] apart.

The Runaway rapper spent most of 2020 living in Wyoming, while Kardashian remained in Los Angeles with their little ones.

North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm dont know anything about the problems their parents are having, the source told Us. Their kids are very used to their dad living in another state.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : The health of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad who was admitted to AIIMS after a lung infection, is gradually improving, Dr Rakesh Yadav, who is supervising the team looking after him, told IANS.

"His condition has improved slightly from the day he was admitted," Yadav added.

The doctor informed that Lalu had developed pulmonary edema, a condition when excess fluid gets collected in the lungs. "Fluid retention occurred in his lungs which led to pneumonia infection," he said.

However, the overall condition of the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief is said to be stable now. "He is able to talk and sit for a while. While still being kept in the Intensive Care Unit, he is not on ventilator or oxygen support," Yadav said.

No outsiders are allowed to meet him at present. "The coronavirus infection is still in effect and we have prohibited visitors to meet him," the doctor added.

The former minister is kept in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) of the hospital under the supervision of Rakesh Yadav, a noted cardiologist of the hospital who has treated Lalu earlier as well.

A CICU ward is specially meant for patients suffering a heart attack, unstable angina, cardiac dysrhythmia and (in practice) various other cardiac conditions that require continuous monitoring and treatment.

The 72-year-old Lalu Prasad was admitted in AIIMS on Saturday. He was brought to Delhi by an air ambulance after his health deteriorated while undergoing treatment at Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) Hospital in Ranchi where he was admitted earlier. His wife Rabri Devi and sons Tej Pratap and Tejashwi Yadav accompanied him to the hospital.

An eight-member team of RIMS had referred him to AIIMS for treatment. RIMS Director Dr Kameshwar Prasad had told IANS that Lalu Prasad had contracted pneumonia and had trouble breathing.

The former union minister has been in jail since December 2017 after being convicted in a fodder scam. He has served most of his jail sentence in Jharkhand at the RIMS hospital.
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For the estimated six million people in Britain who have a needle phobia, its the news many have been anxiously waiting for.

This month, scientists in the UK will begin testing a vaccine against Covid-19 that can be squirted up the nose rather than injected into muscle, as is the case with most of the vaccines currently in trials, and the three recently approved for use in the UK.

It sounds like the perfect alternative to the discomfort and fear many experience with a jab.

For the estimated six million people in Britain who have a needle phobia, its the news many have been anxiously waiting for

But can spraying a Covid-19 vaccine into the nose really deliver the same potent boost to the bodys immune system that has been demonstrated with some injectable forms?

The nasal spray trial will involve 48 healthy volunteers who will be quarantined in separate rooms for up to two weeks at FluCamp, a private clinic in London, while their response to the vaccine is monitored.

This is because, unlike the injectable vaccines, the COVI-VAC nasal spray contains a genetically modified form of the Covid-19 virus itself. Its whats called a live attenuated vaccine  the traces of the virus that it contains are still infectious but considerably weaker than the real thing, so are very unlikely to cause any illness.

This type of vaccine is nothing new. Every year, around three million children in the UK are immunised against flu using a live attenuated vaccine  also a nasal spray.

The MMR jab against measles, mumps and rubella is a live attenuated vaccine, too.

Scientists believe live Covid-19 vaccines could be more effective than many jabs in trials which instead target one specific protein  the spike protein  found on the surface of the Covid-19 virus.

When injected into the arm, vaccines marshal the immune systems response by stimulating cells in our bone marrow to produce antibodies

These vaccines use genetic fragments of this protein to prime the immune system to produce antibodies, which look for the protein in the blood and destroy it.

The Government has ordered millions of doses of the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, which both work this way.

But antibodies are just one of the immune systems numerous weapons. Live attenuated vaccines  whether in a nasal spray or an injection  work by deploying all of the infection-fighting troops, including more sophisticated T cells and B cells that can hunt down viral invaders.

Its like calling up an entire army against the enemy rather than one platoon. The rationale behind live attenuated vaccines like this one is that the patient experiences an infection that does not cause any symptoms, says Professor Andrew Easton, a virologist at the University of Warwick.

That triggers the full range of reactions from the immune system, just as you would get with a genuine viral infection. It gives you a broader immune response, which could potentially give longer-lasting immunity.

Giving the vaccine via the nose could increase its effectiveness. When injected into the arm, vaccines marshal the immune systems response by stimulating cells in our bone marrow to produce antibodies.

Nasal vaccines do this, but also prime cells in the mucosa  the sticky membranes lining the respiratory tract  to be on the look-out for the virus, increasing the chances of destroying it before it reaches the lungs.

Nasal sprays deliver the vaccine straight into the respiratory tract, says Professor Easton. Thats where its most needed because thats mostly where the Covid-19 virus replicates.

However, the nasal route is only an advantage when vaccinating against respiratory infections. Additionally, with an injection, you know how much of the vaccine has been delivered, whereas with a nasal spray its harder to be sure.

And for all the excitement over a Covid-19 nasal vaccine, there is one major problem.

The flu vaccine nasal spray is not approved for use in children or adults whose immune systems are weakened by chronic illness; children under two, whose immune systems are not developed enough; and those over the age of 65. The latter is the key risk group for Covid infection.

Professor Easton warns that the same is likely to be true with the Covid-19 nasal spray, which is being developed by New York-based firm Codagenix.

This potentially rules out its use for millions of Britons most at risk of severe illness or death from the virus.

You have to remember you are administering a live virus and that the bodys immune system wanes as we age, says Professor Easton.

Scientists believe live Covid-19 vaccines could be more effective than many jabs in trials which instead target one specific protein  the spike protein  found on the surface of the Covid-19 virus

It can be too risky to give the elderly or very young a vaccine that could cause a full-blown infection; even though the risk is very small, its still there.

Live attenuated vaccines also carry the risk of reversion  where a virus that has been genetically modified to make it weaker gradually mutates to become highly infectious once more. In the case of the flu nasal spray vaccine, scientists spent years perfecting the formula to minimise the risk of this happening.

So, will needle-phobics be allowed to request the new nasal vaccine? In exceptional circumstances, for example, patients with learning difficulties who might become seriously distressed about needles.

Public Health England does allow those terrified of injections to request the nasal flu vaccine, so there may be hope ahead.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 00:57:33|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The African Union on Tuesday called on Somalia and Kenya to embrace dialogue to ease tensions along the common border that resulted in the death of 11 people and several injuries on Monday.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission also called on the two neighboring countries to cease hostilities and engage in dialogue in line with the East Africa bloc, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) process to resolve their differences.

"I'm following the tensions on the Kenya-Somalia border with concern, and urge the two neighbors to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue in conformity with the IGAD-led process," Mahamat said in a tweet.

The AU Commission chairman said peace on the Kenya-Somalia border is vital to regional stability.

Mahamat's remarks came after the Somali government said 11 people were killed and several others injured following fierce fighting in the town of Beled Hawo between Somali forces and militants of the federal territory of Jubbaland.

The government also said its forces arrested nearly 100 fighters who are loyal to fugitive Abdirashid Janan, the security minister in Jubbaland.

Both sides however have claimed victory but independent sources in the town said fierce fighting continued during the day, sparking displacement in the town.

The Horn of Africa nation has accused neighboring Kenya of backing the militia who launched the attack on Sunday night.

However, Kenya has repeatedly denied the accusations and instead sent a Diplomatic Note to the chairperson of the African Union Commission, calling for cessation of hostilities in neighboring Somalia. Enditem
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The World Economic Forum (WEF) listed through its participants the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed on all economies since 2020 and going forward, proposing number of actions and policies that can be adopted to handle the pandemics severe impacts.

The WEFs second day witnessed special speeches addressed by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the Federal Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel.

On his side, President Macron urged companies to play an active role in fighting inequalities within society and also take responsibility for mitigating the impact on climate change.

He added that his country has lost over 73,000 lives to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than Spain, Italy, and Germany.

More than 1 million people have been vaccinated in France but, unlike many of its European neighbours, the country is currently not in a national lockdown, said the president.

He added that the economy of tomorrow needs to think of innovation and humanity and has to build competitiveness alongside climate considerations, stressing that capitalism has resulted in stark inequalities.

In her speech, Merkel asserted the importance of multilateralism to deal with the severe challenges imposed by the ongoing crisis, saying that this is the hour of multilateralism, adding that there is an imperative need to address the weaknesses the pandemic has caused to the global economy and overcome them.

If we want to have multilateral agreements, common standards have to be put down regarding conditions of work and the environment. We have to be very fast at finding new answers to digitalisation. We need to address global monopolies, but going it alone won't suffice to address them, said Merkel.

Merkel also called for greater transparency, adding that it's a very good message that the US, under the newly elected President Joe Biden, wants to be involved in the work of the World Health Organisation.

Egypts Minister of International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, represented Egypt in the event.

In her speech, Al-Mashat said that 34 projects in Egypt, worth $3.3 billion, are being executed to achieve the targets of gender equality, with the top targeted sectors including Health at 20 percent funding; Education at 14 percent; and Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises at 15 percent.

She added that the ministrys current portfolio of projects that exclusively target the fifth goal of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) include 13 projects amounting to $82 million, along with the other projects in the portfolio that achieve the same goal as a collateral effect to their development.

In 2020, the ministry also secured additional financing dedicated to SDG 5, with a total of $7 million through bilateral cooperation with Spain and Canada, said the minister.

During the event, Al-Mashat noted that the pandemic has demonstrated that no institution or individual alone can address the economic, environmental, social, and technological challenges the world is currently facing.

During the event, John J. Haley, chief executive officer at Willis Towers Watson, said that COVID-19 has made resilience a top priority for CEOs and their management team.

In the past, it was just a cost, increasingly its going to be looked at as an asset. We're going to have to build a flexible and agile organisation that can respond to these things, and climate change is chief among these large-scale risks, according to Haley.

Mario Greco, chief executive officer of Zurich Insurance Group, listed the challenges the insurance business focuses on in a bid to create solutions that deal with the climate issue, the future of work, and cybersecurity.

COVID-19 has shown we cannot outsource solutions to governments, but neither can the private sector solve this alone, as it does not have the resources or capacity to do so. The model of working together should be used in the future, Greco expounded.

Under the theme A Crucial Year to Rebuild Trust, the Davos Agenda, a virtual event running from January 25 to 29, convened 1,500 global leaders to shape principles, policies, and partnerships in this new context.

The event is hosting leaders from 430 cities across the world to bring innovative and bold solutions to stem the pandemic and drive a robust recovery over the next couple of years.

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Head of the State Information Service (SIS) Diaa Rashwan said on Monday the agency monitors via its nine offices worldwide everything raised about human rights in Egypt by foreign media outlets and all 1,500 foreign correspondents in the country.

Rashwan made the remarks during a meeting of the House of Representatives Human Rights Committee to debate the SISs role in confronting claims of international organizations and foreign media about human rights in Egypt.

During the meeting, chaired by MP Tareq Radwan, the SIS head noted that there have been positive and negative points over the past four years.

The total of what has been accomplished in Egypt is ignored externally, which, he said, is considered a negative matter as well.

The criticism leveled against Egypts construction phase in such a transitional period that follows two revolutions entails a huge injustice, Rashwan said, noting that the foreign media depends on individual sources, and listens to those who always complain without receiving an Egyptian response.

In this regard, the SIS head underscored the importance of giving an Egyptian response, emphasizing that most of the time lack of rapid action on any allegations turns them into facts.

Rashwan cited the Human Rights Watchs report on alleged cases of torture in Egypts prisons, adding that the prosecutor general launched a relevant investigation and demanded that the organization presents the evidence it has.

The result was that no evidence has been presented, and therefore the investigation was closed, he said.

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The Washington Post's executive editor Marty Baron, who led the newspaper to multiple awards amid a transition to the digital era, announced his retirement on Tuesday.

Baron, 66, presided over a vast expansion of the Post newsroom and several investigations of former president Donald Trump as the paper adapted to the ownership of billionaire Jeff Bezos, who bought the daily in 2013.

"Under Marty's eight years of newsroom leadership, The Washington Post has experienced a dramatic resurgence and has soared to new journalistic heights," publisher Fred Ryan said in a statement.

"As executive editor, he has significantly expanded our coverage areas, inspired great reporting, managed an awesome digital transformation and grown the number of readers and subscribers to unprecedented levels."

Baron's final day will be February 28. No replacement was announced.

Ryan noted that the newsroom under Baron grew from 580 journalists when he arrived to more than 1,000 this year.

"His leadership of the Post newsroom has earned global respect and has been recognized in many ways, including 10 Pulitzer Prizes," Ryan said.

Baron arrived at the Post in December 2012 from the Boston Globe, where his team led an investigation into sex abuse by Catholic clergy that was dramatized in the 2015 Oscar-winning film "Spotlight."

"From the moment I arrived at the Post, I have sought to make an enduring contribution while giving back to a profession that has meant so much to me and that serves to safeguard democracy," Baron wrote in a memo to staff.

The Pulitzers won by the Post in recent years included a 2019 award for an report on the impact of climate change and a 2017 investigation of Trump's misleading claims on his charitable contributions.

Bezos offered praise for Baron, writing on Instagram: "Our success these past several years would not and simply could not have happened without you. You leave behind a newsroom that is bigger and stronger and more thoughtful than ever."

rl/sst
In this Jan. 21, 2021, file photo, a man who came to get a COVID-19 vaccine holds his paperwork as he talks to a New York City health department worker outside a closed vaccine hub in the Brooklyn borough of New York. An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. are canceling appointments because of vaccine shortages in a rollout so rife with confusion and unexplained bottlenecks. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. are canceling appointments because of vaccine shortages in a rollout so rife with confusion that even the new CDC director admitted she doesn't know exactly how many shots are in the pipeline.

States were expected to find out their latest weekly allocation of vaccines on Tuesday amid complaints from governors and top health officials about inadequate supplies and the need for earlier and more reliable estimates of how much is on the way so that they can plan accordingly.

President Joe Biden suggested Monday that he hopes the country can soon ramp up to 1.5 million shots dispensed per day. His administration has also promised more openness and said it will hold news briefings three times a week about the outbreak that has killed over 420,000 Americans.

But for now, the setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by frustration, miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Biden's brand-new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was herself flummoxed over the weekend in trying to describe current supplies.

"I can't tell you how much vaccine we have," she told "Fox News Sunday," describing the problem as a challenge left by the outgoing Trump administration. "And if I can't tell it to you, then I can't tell it to the governors, and I can't tell it to the state health officials. If they don't know how much vaccine they're getting, not just this week, but next week and the week after, they can't plan."

In this Jan. 21, 2021, file photo, people who had appointments to get COVID-19 vaccinations talk to New York City health care workers outside a closed vaccine hub in the Brooklyn borough of New York after they were told to come back in a week due to a shortage of vaccines. An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. are canceling appointments because of vaccine shortages in a rollout so rife with confusion and unexplained bottlenecks. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state can't meet growing demand from residents partly because an increase in vaccine promised by the government hasn't happened.

"We are at the mercy of what the federal government sends us, and right now we are able to go through it quicker than what we are receiving," he said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki responded by saying that Florida has administered only about half of the vaccines it has been given.

As of Tuesday morning, the CDC reported that just over half of the 41 million doses distributed to states have been put in people's arms.

The reason more haven't been dispensed isn't entirely clear. Some state officials have complained of a lag between when they report their numbers to the government and when the figures are posted on the CDC website.

In this Jan. 21, 2021, file photo, a cyclist passes a closed vaccination center at the George Westinghouse High School in New York. An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. are canceling appointments because of vaccine shortages in a rollout so rife with confusion and unexplained bottlenecks. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

In this Jan. 24, 2021, file photo, Dr. John Corman, the chief clinical officer for Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, holds a sign that reads "Need Vaccine" to signal workers to bring him more doses of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 as he works at a one-day vaccination clinic set up in an Amazon.com facility in Seattle. An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. are canceling appointments because of vaccine shortages in a rollout so rife with confusion and unexplained bottlenecks. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

In this Jan. 24, 2021, file photo, people work near refrigerators used to store the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19, as patients who have received the shot sit in an observation area during a one-day vaccination clinic set up in an Amazon.com facility in Seattle and operated by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. are canceling appointments because of vaccine shortages in a rollout so rife with confusion and unexplained bottlenecks. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this Jan. 13, 2021, file photo, Muriel Mandell, 99, leaves a New York State COVID-19 vaccination site at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center after receiving her first dose in New York. An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. are canceling appointments because of vaccine shortages in a rollout so rife with confusion and unexplained bottlenecks. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

In this Jan. 23, 2021, file photo, registered Nurse Shyun Lin, left, administers Alda Maxis, 70, the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a pop-up vaccination site in the William Reid Apartments in the Brooklyn borough of New York. An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. are canceling appointments because of vaccine shortages in a rollout so rife with confusion and unexplained bottlenecks. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool, File)

In this Jan. 15, 2021, file photo, Dr. Yomaris Pena, Internal Medicine Physician with Somos Community Care at a COVID-19 extracts the last bit of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine out of a vial so as not to waste it at a vaccination site at the Corsi Houses in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York. An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. are canceling appointments because of vaccine shortages in a rollout so rife with confusion and unexplained bottlenecks. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

And while some vaccination sites have canceled appointments for first-dose shots, many are believed to be holding large quantities of vaccine in reserve to make sure people who have already gotten their first shot receive the required second one on schedule, three to four weeks later.

Inova Health System, the largest health provider in Virginia's Washington, D.C., suburbs, said it is canceling all first-dose appointments at its mass vaccination clinics beginning Thursday because of inadequate supplies. Those who have already received a first dose will have their appointments for a second dose honored, it said. Inova has administered more than 70,000 shots.

In North Carolina, Greensboro-based Cone Health announced it is canceling first-dose appointments for 10,000 people and moving them to a waiting list because of supply problems. Also, UNC Health said Monday that the 10,000 doses it will receive this week are less than half of what it expected.

North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen said Monday that "challenges and shortages" will persist as long as the state is "getting such a small amount of vaccine."

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.
Construction of the CR929, a wide-body commercial jet being developed by Russia and China, is expected to start this year, while the C919, a narrow-body aircraft, will be ready for deliveries, according to officials from Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, which is making both the planes.



Speaking on the sidelines of the annual session of Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Yang Zhigang, chief technology officer for R&D at COMAC, said the company will soon freeze the aircraft design, which means no further changes would be made afterward, including the actual shape, size, structural materials, systems and key system suppliers.

"If it is possible, we would like to have two or more enterprises as suppliers for the core systems, purely as an insurance mechanism. It is also the international norm," Yang, who is also a member of the standing committee of the CPPCC Shanghai Municipal Committee, told ThePaper.cn in an interview.

The CR929 is jointly developed by COMAC and Russia's United Aircraft Corp. Targeting initially for the aviation markets in both countries, it is also capable of meeting regional and worldwide civil aviation demand. The first standard version of the aircraft, or the CR929-600, would be able to fly 12,000 kilometers with 280 passengers onboard, according to COMAC.

The C919, the nation's first homegrown narrow-body passenger plane, is currently undergoing intensive flying tests, and the first aircraft is scheduled for delivery to its customer within the year, said Yang.

China Eastern Airlines will be the first among global carriers to take delivery of the homemade single-aisle passenger aircraft C919, according to Zhai Zhigang, general manager of OTT Airlines, China Eastern Airlines' subsidiary for operating homegrown aircraft.

For the moment, the C919 prototypes are undergoing airworthiness tests at multiple locations, so that they can meet all the necessary requirements, said Zhai.

On Saturday, the C919 successfully completed flight tests in Hulunbuir in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region in extreme weather of-35 C, according to Xinhua Finance, an independent financial information and financial data provider.

The twin-engine, single-aisle C919, which is comparable to the updated Airbus 320 and Boeing's new generation 737 planes, made its maiden flight on May 5, 2017. To date, COMAC has received 815 orders from 28 Chinese and overseas companies.

Quite a few test flights are needed for a commercial aircraft to get the necessary airworthiness certificates and it needs to continuously improve the safety, reliability and economy parameters, said Lin Zhijie, an aviation industry analyst and columnist at one of China's biggest civil aviation websites carnoc.com.

In addition to the aircraft model C919 and the CR929, nearly 50 of the ARJ21 model, a regional plane developed and manufactured by COMAC, are in operation. More ARJ21s are expected to be delivered this year, said Yang.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says most pregnant women should not get a COVID-19 vaccine at this stage due to insufficient data and a low number of cases in Australia.

The country recorded its ninth consecutive day with no community transmission on Tuesday, as globally the number of COVID-19 cases approaches 100 million.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says there is insufficient evidence to recommend the routine use of COVID vaccines in pregnant women. Credit:AP

RANZCOG President Dr Vijay Roach said because of the limited spread of the virus in Australia, coupled with a general caution around advice to pregnant women about what medicines they can take, it seems reasonable to wait for more data.

I think the underlying principal is caution when it comes to pregnant women and unborn babies, he said.
The final seconds of the much-awaited Godzilla Vs Kong trailer saw King Kong wielding a weapon that is proportionate to his stature as he charges towards Godzilla even braving its Atomic Breath during their fight in the city of Tokyo. The sequence in question is said to be a part of one of the three-fight scenes featuring the two alpha beasts in the film. That very same scene confirmed what the fans of the MonsterVerse had been speculating for and been prophesizing long. The speculation and prophecy in question had to do with Kong's use of his famous battle-axe against his sea-dwelling counterpart. This article is going to attempt to trace the origins of the various components of the battle-axe and how it probably came about to be.

Also Read: Before 'Godzilla Vs. Kong' Trailer, Makers Share Brand New Footages; WATCH

What is Kong's Battle Axe made of?

As one can see in the still below, the long end of Kong's Battle Axe that is being used against The King Of The Monsters is made up of bone, while the origins of sharp spikes that have been bolted on one end of it is up for a debate. Given that Kong has been portrayed as a maker and user of tools in the past, in order to mimic the humans from the caveman times, the fact that he made the axe himself is an entirely conceivable notion. Additionally, as far as the bone end of the axe is concerned, the hint to the same was given by one of the human characters in the Godzilla vs Kong trailer itself. One character, during the course of the trailer, can be seen sharing with her team-mates that the modern-day Godzilla and Kong are the last surviving members of an inter-monster species battle that ensued several millennia ago. Since a battle leads to piling of corpses and time leads to fossilization, it is entirely possible that the femur bone that can be seen in Kong's hands came from one of the monsters who lost the battle that the character spoke about all those years ago.

Also Read: 'Godzilla Vs Kong' Release Date Moves Up To March For Theatres And HBO Max

Also Read: 'Godzilla Vs Kong' Cast, Plot, Release Date And More Details For Fans

As far as the sharp edge of the battle-axe is concerned, a report on ScreenRant suggested that it came from one Godzilla himself and the sharp structure is one of the dorsal plates on the back, which, as per the very same report, Kong presumably tore off during one of their previous brawls. Historically, in the films, the only way Godzilla has been beaten is through a weapon, hence it appears as if the provision of the battle-axe to the King of the Skull Island is an attempt at levelling the playing field on the part of the makers for Kong. The final moments of the Godzilla vs Kong trailer also displayed a property of the battle axe; It can repel Godzillas Atomic Breath, the last victim of which was the three-headed extra terrestrial Kaiju monster, King Ghidorah, who is said to be at least three times the size of Kong from Godzilla vs Kong. In fact, in the presence of the axe, Godzillas Atomic Breath gets directed to it, and, as a result, Kong goes unscathed. That moment, as per many fans of the franchise, is proof that the sharp component of the axe and Godzilla himself have certain similarities, suggesting that it came from the atomic-powered beast itself. The battle-axe is also hailed as a testament to Kong's dexterity in the department of tool manufacturing and use.

A still from Godzilla vs Kong:

Source: YouTube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

About Godzilla vs Kong trailer:

The long-awaited trailer of Godzilla vs Kong, the Adam Winguard film that was in the production phase for over two years, has finally been released by the makers. The trailer sees a menacing Godzilla wreaking havoc in cities around the world, the citizens of which have their hoped pinned onto the Skull Island Dweller, Kong who has the responsibility of stopping the mayhem once and for all by taking out the sea-dwelling Kaiju monster for good. In order to do so, the makers, in addition to giving Kong the battle-axe, have also increased his height and made him look like a seasoned brawler.

The trailer:

Also Read: 'Godzilla Vs Kong' Teaser Release Is Making Fans Wonder Who Will Win In The MonsterVerse

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.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Despite reporting elevated levels of stress and anxiety through the COVID-19 pandemic, remarkably, Australians have maintained a relatively stable sense of wellbeing.

The 2020 survey of 2,000 Australians, conducted during the first national lock-down between 27 April and 19 May 2020, revealed an average personal wellbeing score of 76.45 (out of 100), which is within the normal range.

Report author, Associate Professor Delyse Hutchinson from Deakin University's Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, in the School of Psychology, said that "the findings speak to the resilience of the Australian community in the face of major stress and our adaptive capability as a society."

Measured using nationally representative data, these results remain consistent with findings over the 20-year history of the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index, indicating that Australians have retained a strong sense of life satisfaction, despite the many challenges faced during the first national lock-downs.

Individual subjective wellbeing is closely associated with three key elementsfinancial security, strong relationships with others, and a sense of purpose in lifedubbed the 'Golden Triangle of Wellbeing'.

Wellbeing is also influenced by people's connectedness to their communities, good health and sense of personal safety and security about the future. Participants in the latest survey on COVID-19 reported high scores across each of these elements of wellbeing.

The research shows the vast majority of Australians reported feeling grateful for the things they have in life, with nearly all survey participants (96%) reporting having greater empathy for others and almost as many (96%) more gratitude for the things they have in life.

"Despite it being such a challenging year on so many fronts, most Australians have also been able to find some meaningful positives to draw on", Associate Professor Hutchinson said.

One in three of the participants surveyed reported income-loss due to COVID-19 yet this did not appear to compromise quality family time. Improved work life balance and living more simply were also examples of the positives people reported during lock-down.

Associate Professor Hutchinson suggested that, "greater levels of gratitude and appreciation for the things we have in life might, in part, might be behind this remarkable picture of resilience in the Australian population as a whole. There is growing evidence from research around the world to suggest that values such as these can bolster our emotional resilience, enhancing our inner ability to combat stress."

"Whilst many Australians have reported positives, it also remains a challenging time for many in the community who are more vulnerable due to pre-existing factors (potentially compounded by the pandemic), or as a result of challenges that have arisen as a direct result of the pandemic", she said.

"The groups we identified with poorer emotional health and wellbeing include: adults with pre-existing low income, people who are unemployed and those who experienced significant income loss as a direct result of the pandemic, in addition to adults with poorer mental health."

"We also found high levels of stress and more home life difficulties in dual and single parents with dependent children at home, and adults under 35 years studying full-time."

Associate Professor Hutchinson said that "it is critically important that we continue to focus support on those who are most vulnerable in our population, who may be impacted by multiple stressors during the pandemic."

As part of this task, Deakin University, in conjunction with Australian Unity, will continue to track the wellbeing of Australians over 2021-2023, monitoring any longer-term impacts on the community in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australian Unity's CEO of Wealth & Capital Markets, Esther Kerr-Smith said "it was positive to seeduring such a difficult period people draw on inner resources including gratitude and empathy to support their own wellbeing and those of others but acknowledged that some parts of the community found this more challenging."

"The pandemic has highlighted economic and social inequality across the globe and we know that those most socially and economically disadvantaged have an increased chance of contracting COVID-19 because of factors including: living in overcrowded accommodation, employment in occupations that don't provide working from home options and unstable work and income conditions exacerbated by the response to the pandemic."

"For the two decades Australian Unity has supported the Wellbeing Index we have consistently seen that financial wellbeing or economic empowerment is just as important as health, as a determinant of someone's personal wellbeing score." she said.

"As policy makers and the general public look to support our communities and one another through and out of the pandemic, the findings from the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index can play an important role in guiding resources to our vulnerable so they aren't left further behind as a result of COVID-19", Ms. Kerr-Smith said.

Explore further COVID misery burns through billions in life satisfaction


Its the tail end of the silly season before the nation goes back to work and its a total furnace out there. But inside federal Labor the thermostat is approaching Siberia.

Good mates: Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten. Credit:John Shakespeare

Labors former (but still very ambitious) opposition leader Bill Shorten delivered a stump speech over the weekend taking aim at the party and leader Anthony Albaneses tiny policy agenda. He might as well have said tiny penis for all the drama it has caused. Shorten took pains to point out he supported Albo, but the whole thing was manna from heaven for political hacks working a weekend shift in January.

And then a curious thing happened. For reasons unknown, Shortens speech failed to materialise from Labors usually very reliable press machine.

For those outside the bubble, Labors press machine - run entirely from inside Albos office - is unfailingly reliable in circulating a transcript every time one of its MPs addresses a crowd, always shortly after delivery. And yet, Shortens weekend speech remains MIA 36 hours on.
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NORFOLK, Va., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbor Group International, LLC ("HGI"), a privately-owned international real estate investment and management firm, and its affiliates, today announced the completion of a $245 million equity raise for HGI's multifamily whole loan platform, which began originating and closing loans in 2020. Through the platform, HGI provides senior mortgage bridge financing on multifamily assets throughout the United States. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board ("CPP Investments"), through a wholly owned subsidiary of CPPIB Credit Investments Inc. ("CPPIB Credit"), committed $110 million of equity capital as the lead investor for the initiative.

HGI expects to close in excess of $300 million in multifamily senior loans by the end of January. As the platform continues to grow, HGI anticipates reaching an aggregate of $450 million to $500 million in loans by the end of the first quarter of 2021.

"At the start of the pandemic in 2020, liquidity constraints on other sources of debt capital created a window of opportunity to enter the bridge lending market," said Richard Litton, President of HGI. "With a growing need from borrowers for reliable and committed lenders, and given HGI's 35-year history as an operator and investor in the multifamily sector, the establishment of a senior loan origination business is a logical evolution for HGI. We are thrilled to have CPP Investments' support as our lead investor as we grow our platform as well as our relationship and partnership with CPP Investments."

In addition to its owned real estate portfolio, HGI has been sourcing and managing debt investments for more than a decade. The firm has made preferred equity investments and mezzanine loans on multifamily properties across the U.S. and is one of the largest buyers of Freddie Mac multifamily subordinated debt positions, or "B-pieces". In 2019, HGI secured a $180 million investment commitment from CPPIB Credit to support Freddie Mac's Supplemental Loan, or KJ, program.

"As a well-known owner and operator with a strong understanding of the U.S. multifamily market, HGI has the ability to approach lending transactions with a comprehensive perspective that gives them a unique advantage," said Geoffrey Souter, Managing Director, Head of Real Assets Credit, CPP Investments. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with HGI to address a growing market need."

The lending program will target value-add and new construction assets nationwide.

About Harbor Group International

Harbor Group International, LLC, including its affiliates, is a private real estate and real estate related investment and management firm which controls a portfolio of worldwide assets valued at $12.6 billion. HGI is headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia with offices in New York, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Tel Aviv. The company's real estate holdings include 4.1 million square feet of commercial properties and 46,000 apartment units. For additional information, please visit www.harborgroupint.com .

About Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) is a professional investment management organization that manages the Fund in the best interest of the more than 20 million contributors and beneficiaries of the Canada Pension Plan. In order to build diversified portfolios of assets, investments are made around the world in public equities, private equities, real estate, infrastructure and fixed income. Headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, New York City, San Francisco, Sao Paulo and Sydney, CPP Investments is governed and managed independently of the Canada Pension Plan and at arm's length from governments. At September 30, 2020, the Fund totaled C$456.7 billion. For more information, please visit or follow us on LinkedIn , Facebook or Twitter .

Media Contact:

Morgan McGinnis

(323) 500-0929

[email protected]

SOURCE Harbor Group International, LLC
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Hong Kong: Scan incident probed

The Hospital Authority today reported that a confirmed COVID-19 patient received a CT scan examination at the Caritas Medical Centre without a ventilation system installed as planned.

The authority's Chief Manager (Quality & Standards) Dr Lau Ka-hin told a press briefing that the replacement work for the air handling unit began on January 23 in a CT scan examination suite at the hospital.

Two portable air purifier units with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters were planned to be installed to aid temporary air ventilation.

On the afternoon of January 25, staff noted that the air purifiers had not been installed as planned.

A confirmed COVID-19 patient had received a CT scan examination in the suite at around 1am on January 24.

This patient required high flow oxygen with a filtered mask and her duration of stay was around five minutes.

An investigation revealed that a total of 71 patients received an examination in the same location after the confirmed patient.

All of these patients had been wearing surgical masks and generally stayed in the room for a few minutes for the procedure.

Staff who conducted patient examinations as well as disinfection had worn personal protection equipment properly.

No staff member nor patient was identified as a close contact.

One staff member and 10 patients were identified as other contacts and are required to receive a COVID-19 test and medical surveillance.

The hospital will also contact all inpatients involved as well as staff members who worked in the area for tests.

Discharged patients will be referred to the Centre for Health Protection for follow-up.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Billionaire investor Leon Black, who was accused of paying Jeffrey Epstein $75million for 'professional services' said Thursday that he's stepping down as CEO of Apollo Global Management after an internal investigation found that he paid the financier $148million in advisory fees.

The company announced Monday that Black had informed the board of directors that 'he will retire as CEO effective on or before July 31, 2021 consistent with best-in-class governance practices'. Black will be succeeded by Marc Rowan.

According to a separate announcement from the company, Apollo said it found no evidence that Black was guilty of any wrongdoings in his past relationship with Epstein, a convicted sex offender who hanged himself in jail in 2019.

'The findings of the report are consistent with statements made by Mr Black and Apollo regarding the prior relationship,' the company said.

The probe, which was conducted by law firm Dechert, 'found no evidence that Mr Black was involved in any way with Mr Epsteins criminal activities at any time'.

However, the investigation did find that Black paid Epstein $148million in advisory fees and donated $10million to Epsteins charity, though it was previously reported that Black transferred between $50million and $75million to Epstein for 'professional services'.

Billionaire investor Leon Black who was accused of paying Jeffrey Epstein $75million for 'professional services' has stepped down from his position as the chief executive officer of Apollo Global Management after an internal investigation

According to a separate announcement from the company, Apollo said it found no evidence that Black was guilty of any wrongdoings in his past relationship with Epstein (pictured), a convicted sex offender who hanged himself in jail in 2019

The findings were revealed Thursday just months after Black requested the company's Conflicts Committee to 'retain outside counsel to conduct an independent and thorough review'.

The committee retained Dechert, which found that 'Apollo never retained Epstein for any services and Epstein never invested in any Apollo-managed funds'.

In addition to that finding, Dechert said that 'Epstein regularly advised Mr Black on trust and estate planning, tax issues, philanthropic endeavors, and the operation of his Family Office' and that 'all fees paid to Mr Epstein by Mr Black or his Family Office were for bona fide tax, estate planning and other related services, and the amounts were intended to be proportional to the value provided by Mr Epstein'.

Last year, Black denied allegations that Epstein blackmailed him for millions of dollars over the last decade, saying such claims were 'categorically untrue'.

Several investors in Apollo's funds expressed concerns as much of the payments to Epstein came after his 2008 conviction for procuring an underage girl for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute.

'Let me be clear, there has never been an allegation by anyone that I engaged in any wrongdoing, because I did not,' said Black.

'Any suggestion of blackmail, or any other connection to Epstein's reprehensible conduct, is categorically untrue.'

Financial documents showed that Black gave $10million to one of Epstein's foundations in 2015 alone.

A payment of $22.5million in 2017 was transferred from BV70 LLC, a company that reportedly owned Black's yacht, to Plan D, a company that managed Epstein's Gulfstream jet, the Times reported.

In 2014, Epstein reportedly received millions of dollars in fees from Narrows Holdings, a company Black had used to buy a large chunk of his billion-dollar art collection, according to the newspaper.

Black said he first met Epstein two decades ago, when the latter was advising prominent clients, including several heads of state, Nobel laureates, and even a US treasury secretary.

The 69-year-old private equity veteran said he was not aware of Epstein's criminal conduct until media reports surfaced in late 2006 of US and Florida investigations into Epstein.

Black said that in 2012, three years after Epstein got out of jail following his prostitution conviction, he retained Epstein for 'personal estate planning, tax structuring and philanthropic advice' because of 'misplaced comfort' in the 'distinguished reputations' of the individuals in high society that Epstein continued to associate with.

'This was a terrible mistake. Had I known any of the facts about Epstein's sickening and repulsive conduct, which I learned in late 2018, more than a year after I stopped working with them I never would have had anything to do with him,' Black said last year.

Pictured (left to right): Jeffrey Epstein, Pepe Fanjul and Leon Black attend Sony Pictures Classics Presents CAPOTE hosted by Dominick Dunne at Sony Screening Room on September 28, 2005 in New York City

Epstein and Black are said to have known each other since at least 1996 and they are reported to have regularly met up for lunches and dinners. Leon Black and Debra Black pictured in November 2017 in New York City

Epstein was awaiting trial at the Metropolitan Correctional Center jail in New York City when he committed suicide by hanging inside his jail cell in August 2019.

He was held on sex trafficking charges of minors in Florida and New York from 2002 to 2005. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintained his innocence until the end.

His alleged 'madam,' Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently detained in a Brooklyn prison cell awaiting trial for six federal crimes, including enticement of minors and sex trafficking.

Recently, Maxwell's family launched a campaign to get her out of jail, claiming she's lost considerable weight and her human rights were violated.

The figures Black reportedly transferred help shed some light on how Epstein died with a net worth estimated at $634million despite his imprisonment. But it is not clear exactly what role Epstein played to receive such large sums of money; he had no formal legal or tax training.

In January, US Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George sued the estate, seeking claims on behalf of victims he raped and trafficked on a private Caribbean island.

Black has said he intends to cooperate with the US Virgin Islands inquiry and any other investigation.

As news of Black's financial transactions with Epstein emerged, Apollo took an immediate hit, forcing Black to send a letter to investors in which he confirmed paying Epstein 'millions of dollars annually for his work'.

He also confirmed a family picnic in 2012 with the disgraced financier on his private island residence in the US Virgin Islands, dubbed Pedophile Island.

As concerns over the pair's involvement grew, Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System halted investments with the $414billion private equity group.

Epstein and Black are said to have known each other since at least 1996 and they are reported to have regularly met up for lunches and dinners.

Under a 2008 non-prosecution agreement, Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida of solicitation of prostitution involving a minor and another similar prostitution charge.

That allowed him to avoid federal prosecution and a possible life sentence, instead serving 13 months in a work-release program. He was required to make payments to victims and register as a sex offender.

In 2018, Black and Epstein were said to have cut ties over 'a fee dispute'. In 2019, following Epstein's arrest for sex trafficking, Black, who is the chairman of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), said he had a 'limited relationship' with the disgraced financier.

Epstein was known for hobnobbing with the rich, famous and influential, including presidents and a prince.

He owned a private island in the Caribbean, homes in Paris and New York City, a New Mexico ranch, and a fleet of high-price cars. His friends had once included Britain's Prince Andrew, former President Bill Clinton and former president Donald Trump.

Millions of people in the U.K., the U.S., Canada and the European Union have already taken the vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer.

Hong Kong regulators approved the emergency use Monday of a Covid-19 vaccine co-produced by Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co. Ltd. and German vaccine-maker BioNTech SE. The first batch of around 1 million doses is expected to arrive in late February.

The vaccines, co-developed by BioNTech and American drugmaker Pfizer Inc., have already completed manufacturing and are undergoing safety and quality tests. Fosun, a partner with BioNTech, is responsible for cold-chain management, storage and distribution.

Millions of people in the U.K., the U.S., Canada and the European Union have already taken the vaccine. The BioNTech vaccine becomes the first Western coronavirus vaccine to be rolled out to the public in Hong Kong.

The mRNA vaccine requires two doses to provide maximum protection, with a recommended interval of 21 days between doses. The shots showed 95% effectiveness against the coronavirus based on clinical trials overseas and had a solid safety profile in some jurisdictions, with experts saying it is also likely to prevent virus transmission. Younger age groups recorded more effectiveness than older age groups.

Sophia Chen, Hong Kongs Secretary for Food and Health, said Jan. 13 that the government would set up special community vaccination centers in 18 districts to provide free vaccination to the public to ensure procedures meet requirements.

Other non-mRNA vaccines are expected to be offered through private hospitals and clinics. Hong Kong authorities recommend that high-risk groups such as health-care workers including nurses and the elderly be first in line to receive the vaccine.

The Covid-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee appointed by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region recommended the use of BioNTech vaccines as efficacy outweighs its risks, although there have been some side effects, including seven vaccination-related deaths in Germany.

Read more

Cover Story: The Daunting Challenge of Immunizing the World

Norway reported 33 deaths in people older than 75 years after they were vaccinated. The World Health Organization of the United Nations said there was no evidence that the deaths among older people were related to the vaccine. Liu Zexing, head of the Vaccine Advisory Committee, said Hong Kong will collect more information from Fosun and Norway health regulators.

Common side effects of the vaccines include swelling or pain in the arm where the injection is administered, headache, tiredness and fever, the Food and Health Bureau said Monday. The Hong Kong authority also plans to establish a compensation fund for people who suffer serious complications from vaccines and to offer financial assistance for people who need it.

Fosun, whose shares are listed on the Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges, is BioNTechs partner in Greater China including in the special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau. One of the challenges facing Fosun is maintaining the super-cold temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius needed throughout the supply chain to safeguard the fragile strands of genetic material that make up the vaccine.

Hong Kong with 7.5 million people has so far struck deals to purchase 22.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines, with 7.5 million doses each coming from three suppliers: Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech; Fosun/BioNTech; and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca.

Hong Kong has reported 10,086 cases of Covid-19 and 169 deaths as of Jan. 25.

Contact reporter Denise Jia (huijuanjia@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com).

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A 17-year-old male has been charged with murder after two pedestrians were killed in Brisbanes bayside while walking their dog.

Kate Leadbetter, 31, and Matty Field, 37, both Alexandra Hills locals, were hit and died at the scene. Ms Leadbetter was pregnant, police have confirmed.

The teenager, in a Toyota LandCruiser allegedly stolen from a Cleveland home, is accused of driving through a red light at the intersection of Vienna and Finucane roads, Alexandra Hills, before 5.30pm on Tuesday and crashing into a truck.

The car rolled and hit the couple, who were crossing the road at the time with their dog.
UW College of Health Sciences Moves Toward Consistent Interprofessional Education Experience for Students

A committee of educators from the University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences and Wyoming Center on Aging (WyCOA) is preparing to develop a consistent, interprofessional education experience for students from all divisions and schools throughout the college.

Interprofessional education involves students and educators from two or more professions in health and social care learning together during all or part of their professional training. The goal is to cultivate collaborative practice for providing client- or patient-centered health care.

To advance the committees initiatives, several members recently attended the T3 Interprofessional Team Development Program. The T3 program is an immersive leadership training program in designing and implementing effective interprofessional education projects.

Attendees were Lauren Biehle, a clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice in the School of Pharmacy; Catherine Carrico, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Psychology and WyCOA; Billie Chapman, a field education director in the Division of Social Work; Canyon Hardesty, an associate lecturer in the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND); and Katelyn Kotlarek, an assistant professor in the Division of Communication Disorders.

Carrico says interprofessional training provides invaluable time to collaborate with College of Health Sciences colleagues while receiving guidance and mentoring from an experienced interprofessional team of faculty.

This opportunity is sure to advance interprofessional education at UW, she says.

The College of Health Sciences is the second-largest college on the UW campus and includes the divisions of Communication Disorders, Kinesiology and Health Promotion, and Social Work, as well as the schools of Pharmacy and Nursing and the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) Medical Education Program. WIND also provides a minor in disability studies.

David Jones, the dean of the College of Health Sciences, values interprofessional education for its service to Wyoming and beyond.

The T3 conference offered the opportunity to learn best practices from experts and focus on the design of interprofessional education initiatives for the College of Health Sciences, Biehle says.

Our intention is to design a consistent and integrated experience for all of our College of Heath Sciences graduates, she says. We outlined short-term and long-term goals to facilitate development of our students into collaboration-ready practitioners.

Specific goals of the College of Health Sciences interprofessional education committee are in line with college and university leadership.

It is important that our vision advances the universitys four pillars priorities, which include becoming more interdisciplinary and aim to bring value back to the state of Wyoming, Kotlarek says. Our interprofessional education initiatives will help provide state-of-the-art training to the future health care professionals of Wyoming.

These pillars, as outlined by UW President Ed Seidel, include UW being not only more interdisciplinary, but also more digital, entrepreneurial and inclusive.
LIBERATION stalwart, and the only surviving member of Zanu PFs Dare reChimurenga (the partys 1970s war council), Rugare Gumbo, has lashed out at the former liberation movement for continuing to play down the key roles of some late freedom fighters.

Yesterday, Gumbo  one of the founding members of the ruling party  added that it was wrong that the former liberation movement continued to mimic the contentious way in which national heroes were selected during the era of the late former president Robert Mugabe.

This comes after Zanu PF did not accord national hero status to the late struggle veteran Mukudzei Mudzi, who was, instead, given a State-assisted funeral despite his illustrious liberation credentials.

The miffed Gumbo said that the snubbing of Mudzi showed that Zanu PF allegedly continued to disrespect people who were close to the late Zanu supremo, Herbert Chitepo  who died in controversial circumstances during the liberation struggle.

I take the opportunity of mourning Mukudzei Mudzi to point out the distorted history of the liberation of Zimbabwe, that neither the masses who sacrificed, nor their fighters benefitted from.

The Mugabe regime manipulated the party to serve the interests of a small group of people centred on personal greed and political careerism. Thus, todays character of Zanu does not reflect the true leadership of the Chitepo legacy that is Dare, High Command, General Staff, Rank and File  but is a reflection of Mugabe, Gumbo said.

Its basis remains personal greed and self-centredness. What is disturbing to some of us is the hypocrisy, discriminatory and selective manner with which war veterans, and in particular the remnants of Chitepos leadership, are treated and are never awarded national heroes status.

I suppose history is written for the winners, the angry Gumbo said further. The respected former Cabinet minister in Mugabes previous administrations, said there were many former freedom fighters who deserved to have been interred at the Heroes Acre, but were snubbed.

He said Mudzi had joined a long list of those who had been snubbed  including Henry Hamadziripi (a member of Dare reChimurenga), Noel Mukono (another member of Dare reChimurenga), Mathias Gurira (chief protocol officer and member of Dare reChimurenga), Claeytos Chigohwe (national security and intelligence), and Joseph Chimurenga (a member of the High Command and field commander).

Others were Wilfred Dzinashe Machingura Mhanda (High Command and Zanla commissar), Saul Sadza-Magaya (High Command and administration), James Nyikadzino (High Command, security and intelligence), Baya-Chihota (commander of Military Headquarters in Mozambique) and Chimedza (High Commander).

This list is by no means exhaustive of the leadership and rank and file of comrades who gave all to the liberation of Zimbabwe, but experienced denial of recognition and support from the party and the regime. All the above comrades survived into independent Zimbabwe, with the exception of Sadza, Baya and Chimedza who died just before independence.

But the common thread about all of them is that they were neither recognised nor supported by the Mugabe regime. The families of those that died just before independence were never supported. As a matter of fact, those who survived were refused a livelihood up to their death, Gumbo further said.

He added that Mudzi was a key member of the Chitepo team that laid the foundation of Zanla, and was also in the leadership of Zanus external wing, as executive secretary from 1971 to 1976 in Zambia. It is now recognised in retrospect that the British imperial power has always been unforgiving to all true stalwarts of the revolution and naturally, we believe that the imperial power set in motion forces that would eliminate the true leadership of the struggle and replace them with acceptable personalities.

We honestly do not know whether the frictions that we experienced in Zambia and Mozambique were effected against Chitepo and the remnants of his leadership by Mugabe wittingly or unwittingly, that saw the brief detentions of the whole Dare in Zambia, Gumbo charged further.

Announcing that Mudzi had been given a state-assisted funeral, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Mudzi was among the top leadership of the time under the chairmanship of Herbert Chitepo. However, during the course of the struggle, we had our own conflicts in the struggle in Mozambique, I think in the late 1970s. We had them suspended because they were involved in some acts of non-compliance with the revolutionary ethos of Zanla.

Then we suspended him. It was Rugare Gumbo, it was Hamadziripi, it was Chrispen Mandizvidza. Initially they were six. The group included Richard Hove and Kumbirai Kangai. When we had our trial, Hove and Kangai were discharged and these (the remainder) were convicted. So, we put them aside and we went ahead with our revolution, Mnangagwa said, hinting on why Mudzi had been overlooked for national hero status.

The issue of who deserves to be accorded national hero status has always been a highly-divisive topic, with Mugabes snub of the late freedom fighter and musician, Dickson Cde Chinx Chingaira, still fresh in the minds of many Zimbabweans, for example.

When Chinx succumbed to cancer in June 2017, Mugabe rejected an appeal by his family and war veterans to accord him national hero status, sparking an outpouring of anger among Zimbabweans. The leadership of the War Veterans ministry, which was sent to deliver the message to the Chingaira family had a difficult time explaining to an emotionally-charged audience why Chinx could not be interred at the National Heroes Acre for his immense contribution to the war of liberation.

In the end, it was resolved that the then War Veterans minister, Tshinga Dube, his permanent secretary Walter Tapfumaneyi and Dickson Dzora, the director for administration in Zanu PF, were to lodge an appeal to Mugabe on behalf of the Chingaira family and war veterans who had gathered at the late musicians home for his funeral.

Dube confirmed to the Daily News then that emotions had indeed run high among Cde Chingairas friends and relatives when he told them that he had been conferred with the liberation war hero status.

They (his relatives and war veterans) were not hostile to us when we arrived, but when the news came, you can imagine how they felt. It was not very friendly. They had expected that he would be conferred with national hero status. It was not well received, Dube told the Daily News then.

Chingairas snub led to the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) secretary-general Victor Matemadanda  now Zanu PFs national political commissar and deputy Defence minister  to lead calls for the process of granting national hero status revised.

Many other eminent liberation stalwarts such as founding Zanu leader, Ndabaningi Sithole, and ZAPU luminaries like Lookout Masuku, Alfred Nikita Mangena and Welshman Mabhena were also denied national hero status. Daily News
Conn. assisted suicide bill endangers vulnerable communities, advocates warn

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An assisted suicide bill being considered in Connecticut faces opposition from disability rights activists over what they contend is a lack of safeguards against the abuse of vulnerable populations, such as the elderly or the disabled.

The legislature in the Nutmeg State is considering a bill that would allow physicians to provide lethal prescriptions to terminally sick adult patients who want to end their lives.

"No amount of safeguards can counter the social stigma of needing help with intimate care, of having to rely on others for support, of seeing your caregivers are tired, and wondering whether the world would be better off without you," said Cathy Ludlum, who leads Second Thoughts Connecticut, in an interview last week with The Hartford Courant.

"One has to wonder why youre pushing it through during COVID-19 when constituents have less access to legislators and public hearings."

Second Thoughts Connecticut is a group of disability rights advocates in the state who oppose legalizing assisted suicide.

Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, a Democrat who co-chairs the state legislatures public health committee, told the Hartford Courant that the assisted suicide bill will be one of the priority bills of the public health committee in 2021.

According to the newspaper, similar bills introduced in years past would have required patients wanting to receive lethal prescriptions to submit two written requests to an attending physician at least 15 days apart with two other people witnessing each request.

After the requests are filed, a consulting physician would be assigned to examine the patient and confirm the initial physicians diagnosis. The consulting physician would also need to confirm if the patient is competent enough to make the decision and that it is being done so voluntarily.

The state legislature has previously considered similar measures in recent years but none passed out of committee. A bill proposed in 2019 received hundreds of public comments from individuals and advocate groups.

Under the previous legislation, if doctors determine the patient to be suffering from an impaired judgment, they must refer that patient to counseling. Previous bills would have also deemed fraudulent acts associated with the death of a patient as murder.

Steinberg said that the new bill will have a couple tweaks here and there but nothing of real consequence reflecting some of the learning weve had from experience of other states.

Many who back the right-to-die legislation are not aware of "all the difficulties that arise with implementation," Ludlum said.

Lisa Blumberg, a Hartford-area attorney, said the proposal is not a patients rights bill but one that grants doctors "immunity for prescribing lethal drugs to certain patients who ask for them if minimal criteria are met."

The supposed safeguards only apply to the prescribing of drugs rather than the use of the drugs, she said. We dont know if a patient is competent when he takes them. We dont know if he is having bad day. We dont know anything. We cannot afford to just have faith.

In an op-ed published Wednesday by The CT Mirror, Blumberg argued that the language surrounding the bill is laden with deceptive euphemisms and misguided assumptions about why people opt for assisted suicide.

While the legislation speaks of "aid in dying" and implies that it may increase access to hospice and palliative care, in truth, it only enables doctors to give patients a way out, she contends.

Commenting on the notion that suffering people choose to end their lives because of pain, she explained that relevant figures from Oregon reveal that the main reasons people choose to die are because of "psychosocial factors such as perceived lessening of autonomy, or feeling they are a burden."

"People with disabilities have shown these issues can be addressed by appropriate social supports if the community has the will," she wrote, adding that doctors "cannot say conclusively when a person will die, especially when the measure is months. Moreover, what is terminal illness is capable of interpretation."

"There are many reasons why assisted suicide bills have failed to pass five times in progressive Connecticut, Blumberg continued. Bringing up the bill again now should be a non-starter."

Steinberg has rebutted claims made by opponents of the legislation that it would open the door for patients to be coerced by caregivers or relatives.

I dont think the disability community has done a particularly good job of either reading the actual language of the bill nor having evaluated the actual experience of states that have passed such legislation, where Ive yet to see any real significant pattern of abuse, of coercion, Steinberg was quoted as saying.

Physician-assisted suicide is currently legal in California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Montana, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state.
- RIKEN's precision model algorithms designed to predict COVID-19 outcomes using THL's patient data and BCP's BC|INSIGHT

- RIKEN is Japan's largest comprehensive research institution encompassing a network of world class research centres and institutes across Japan

ZURICH and BOSTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BC Platforms, a global leader in clinical and genomic data management, analytics and access, announces that it has joined forces with Japan's RIKEN research institution and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare ('THL'), in an international research effort to support development of a precision prediction model to identify those most at risk from COVID-19. RIKEN and THL play significant roles in Japan and Finland, respectively, in the fight against COVID-19, improving society's resilience to the coronavirus pandemic.

RIKEN has developed precise disease stratification algorithms using information geometry and artificial intelligence which is applicable to determine which people are at risk of mortality and aggravation from COVID-19. THL leads a nationwide research project, COVIDprog, which collects samples and data from patients with positive COVID test results to support the identification of individual characteristics, including underlying genetic causes, which affect outcomes. BC-Platforms is providing its BC|INSIGHT platform to enable the curation, integration and analysis of THL's clinical data of 300 to 1,000 Finnish COVIDprog research subjects using RIKEN's algorithms. This is to identify a 'COVID-19 prediction procedure' that can estimate symptoms and outcomes of COVID-19 based on health records of infected patients obtained before SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Dr Kazuhiro Sakurada, Group Director at RIKEN, said, "SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibits inter-individual clinical variability, ranging from asymptomatic virus carriers to individuals with severe disease that rapidly progress to respiratory failure. There are known and unknown factors that influence the symptoms and outcomes of COVID-19. In addition, heterogeneity in susceptibility to infection and severity of symptoms may be present among vaccinated individuals. At RIKEN we are developing a personalized phenotypic prediction model which is applicable to identify those at high risk, potentially saving life by providing care to those groups."

Professor Markus Perola, leader of the COVIDprog research at THL, said, "We are collaborating with RIKEN and BC Platforms to research a 'COVID-19 prediction procedure', making use of the rich patient data in our COVIDprog, coupled with RIKEN's AI modelling skills and BC Platforms' secure data management capabilities. Our hope is, together, we will gain insights into exactly who is at risk from COVID-19, and why, at a molecular/genetic level, so society can better allocate resources to those who most need them to survive the pandemic."

Tero Silvola, CEO of BC Platforms, said, "Systematic data sharing in a safe and secure manner is crucial in our fight against COVID-19. We are delighted to collaborate with RIKEN and THL on their novel data-led approach to protecting people in the pandemic. We will use our BC|INSIGHT platform as a data-backbone, to provide the Japanese and Finnish researchers with the high-quality data they need to determine predictive procedures to support shielding and treatment of people during this, and future, pandemics. We are looking forward to working with RIKEN to make this AI prediction platform available to other healthcare systems in order to help them to fight the COVID-19 pandemic."

Susceptibility and resistance to SARS-CoV-2 depends on multiple factors, including the central role played by innate and acquired immunity, which are in turn influenced by previous vaccinations, such as BCG, and infections from other corona viruses. The gut microbiota also helps shape the immune system, which can be damaged by inappropriate use of antibiotics. Why some people rapidly progress to respiratory failure in COVID-19 is poorly understood, with multiple associations observed between outcomes and hypertension, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Several genes have been identified from research on other coronaviruses, including ACE2 and TMPRSS2, which are directly involved in viral infection. This international collaboration aims to unpick these phenotypic and genetic associations to provide a better understanding of specifically why and how COVID-19 leads to mortality in some patients.

About BC Platforms

BC Platforms is a global leader in providing a powerful data and technology platform for personalized medicine and drug development, accelerating the translation of insights into clinical practice. Our technology drives the infinite loop between personalized care and research discoveries, leveraging latest science, deep technical expertise, strategic partnerships, and harmonized, diverse data collections. Our high performing platforms enable high throughput genomic data production, flexible data integration, secure data management, efficient analysis and interpretation of molecular and clinical information.

BC Platforms has developed the Global Data Partner Network BCRQUEST.com, which provides access and analytics on genomic and clinical cohort data for drug developers.

Founded in 1997 from an MIT Whitehead project spinoff, the Company has a strong scientific heritage underpinned by over 20 years of working in close collaboration with a network of leading researchers, developers, manufacturers and vendors. BC Platforms has global operations with its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, research and development in Espoo, Finland, and sales and marketing in Boston, USA, London, UK and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.bcplatforms.com or follow us on Linkedin BC Platforms.

About RIKEN

RIKEN is Japan's largest research institute for basic and applied research. Over 2500 papers by RIKEN researchers are published every year in leading scientific and technology journals covering a broad spectrum of disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and medical science. RIKEN's research environment and strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and globalization has earned a worldwide reputation for scientific excellence.

Website: www.riken.jp/en/

Facebook: Riken

Twitter: @riken_en

About THL

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) studies, monitors, and develops measures to promote the well-being and health of the population in Finland. THL gathers and produces information based on research and register data. THL also provides expertise and solutions to support decision-making.

THL serves various parties: the government, municipal and provincial decision-makers, actors in the social welfare and health sector, organisations, the research community, and the public. THL helps its customers and partners to secure quality of life for Finns in a fair but dynamic welfare society.

THL is an independent expert agency working under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. See https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en

Contact information:

BC Platforms:

Tero Silvola

BC Platforms AG

tero.silvola@bcplatforms.com

Katja Stout

Scius Communications

katja@sciuscommunications.com

RIKEN:

Kazuhiro Sakurada, Ph.D.

Medical Sciences Innovation Hub Program

Kazuhiro.sakurada@riken.jp

Jens Wilkinson

RIKEN Global Communications

pr@riken.jp

http://www.riken.jp/en/

Email: pr@riken.jp

THL:

Markus Perola, MD, Ph.D.

THL, Public Health Research

Markus.perola@thl.fi
We are so excited to be ranked #103 on the Franchise 500, says Tim Arpin, Vice President of Franchise Sales. This year has been one of adaptability. We are beyond grateful for our leadership team as well as our amazing franchisees. We wouldnt have been able to succeed without them!

Scooters Coffee recently ranked in Entrepreneur magazines Franchise 500. This quickly-growing franchise has been steadily increasing its ranking over the last three years going from #460 in 2019 to #225 in 2020 to #103 in 2021. Recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees, the Franchise 500 ranks Scooters Coffee as #103 for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power. Placement in the Franchise 500 is a highly sought-after honor in the franchise industry making it one of the companys most competitive rankings ever.

We are so excited to be ranked #103 on the Franchise 500, says Tim Arpin, Vice President of Franchise Sales. This year has been one of adaptability, so we are beyond grateful for our leadership team as well as our amazing franchisees. We wouldnt have been able to succeed to this level without them!

2020 was a challenging year for everyone, but it was also a year of unusual opportunity, says Jason Feifer, Entrepreneur editor-in-chief. Franchises were able to be nimble and innovative, serving the needs of franchisees and customers in ways that will resonate for many years to come. We believe that, when we eventually look back on this time, well see it as a moment when many brands defined themselves for the future.

In Entrepreneurs continuing effort to best understand and evaluate the ever-changing franchise marketplace, the companys 42-year-old ranking formula continues to evolve as well. The key factors that go into the evaluation include costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500 in ranking order.

Over its 42 years in existence, the Franchise 500 has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees. The brands position on the ranking is a testament to its strength as a franchise opportunity.

To view Scooters Coffee in the full ranking, visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. Results can also be seen in the January/February 2021 issue of Entrepreneur, available on newsstands January 26th.

About Scooters Coffee

Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Nebraska, Scooters Coffee roasts only the finest coffee beans in the world at its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. In more than two decades of business, Scooters Coffees success is simple: stay committed to the original business principles and company core values. The Scooters Coffee Brand Promise, often recited to franchisees, customers and employees is: Amazing People, Amazing Drinks Amazingly Fast!  It represents the companys business origins from 1998 and reflects a steady commitment to providing an unforgettable experience to loyal and new customers.

With over 300 stores operating across 18 states and commitments to open stores in 24 states, Scooters Coffee is at the dawn of a strategic growth phase in the Midwest and nationwide. The U.S. coffee market is an estimated $48 billion a year recession-resistant industry, and Scooters Coffee is striving to become the #1 drive-thru coffee franchise in the nation. Visit ownascooters.com to learn more about the benefits of owning a franchise with a well-established and fast-growing brand.

For more information, visit https://www.scooterscoffee.com/, facebook.com/scooterscoffee, ownascooters.com, or call 877-494-7004.

About Entrepreneur Magazine

Entrepreneur Magazine is a national business publication based in Irvine, California. For nearly 40 years, Entrepreneur has been the definitive guide to all the diverse challenges of business ownership.

Published 12 times a year, the magazine is available by subscription and on newsstands in the United States and Canada, both in print and now a mobile app.
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Miguel Cardona speaks during an event announcing his nomination at The Queen in Wilmington, Del., on Dec. 23, 2020. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

Bidens Education Secretary Nominee Vows to Prioritize Free Community College, Debt Cancellation

Miguel Cardona, President Joe Bidens nominee to the Education Department, said he will prioritize cancelling student loan debt and offer tuition-free community college education once he is confirmed by the Senate.

Cardona, who was named Connecticuts K-12 school chief last August, would be facing a number of issues on his first day as Education secretary, mainly fulfilling Bidens campaign promises on higher education, which include making public colleges and universities tuition-free for all families with incomes below $125,000, and a broad cancellation of student loan debt.

While I do have a pre-K-12 backgroundand thats an area of passion for meI recognize as a first-generation college student myself the importance of higher education and the importance of making it accessible, Cardona said Monday during a 30-minute interview with Connecticut Public Radio.

When asked if he supports Bidens plan to make tuition at community colleges free, Cardona said he is 100 percent in favor of the proposal, and that he expects community colleges to become a more important pathway to higher education.

We have to blur the lines between our pre-K-12 system and our higher education system, and make them more seamless, Cardona said. From the perspective of the consumer of education, it has to be clearer, it has to be an easier reach. Community colleges play that role.

We really have to make it more accessible, not only for our pre-K-12 system connection but also there are a lot of adults in our communities who would welcome an opportunity to engage in higher learning through community colleges, or they think about career advancement and all they need is that first step into the community college, he added.

Cardona also expressed support for Bidens proposal to wipe out $10,000 in student debt for all borrowers.

I would work with our senators and our Congress folks to support a plan that provides some relief for our students in higher education, he said, adding that they would make sure the relief targets students that are most in-need.

Cardonas remarks come weeks after former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, during her final days in office, urged against proposals to forgive student loan debt and make college free for some students.

In her farewell letter, DeVos notes that two-thirds of Americans dont have student loans. She argued that its fundamentally unfair to require two-third of Americans who didnt go to college or who dont have student loans to subsidize the one-third who did.

Across-the-board forgiveness of college debts is not only unfair to most Americans, it is also the most regressive of policy proposalsrewarding the wealthiest sector of our labor force at the expense of the poorest, DeVos wrote. And its even more unfair to those who have held up their end of the bargain and paid back their student loans themselves to subsidize those who dont save, plan, and pay.
Whenever the city of San Francisco allows it, and to whatever extent, Oracle Park will be back open for business.

Giants President Larry Baer told The Chronicle on Monday that the team has a significant seven-figure budget to prepare the stadium for fans to safely attend games.

Were going to have to embrace a fluid approach, Baer said. Maximum flexibility. A month before our first home game could look very different from a week before our first home game in terms of getting better or getting worse. ... We are in the hands of the virus, really. Things are going in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go.

In a letter to Giants fans, Baer said he sees a pathway for the ballpark to reopen, and he detailed some efforts the team is making to do so, which include recently obtaining Global Biorisk Advisory Council accreditation for its sanitation practices, expanding testing for employees and an app-based health screening for anyone entering the ballpark.

The team will require face coverings and distancing in all areas and will determine how to stage fans to enter and exit safely. Seating will conform with social distancing, which will require some ticket holders to change seats, and plans for food service might include options such as delivery via the MLB app.

We still think we can preserve the fan experience, Baer said.

Limited capacity might even limit available dates for season-ticket holders, who are likely to get first priority for choosing dates.

The Giants are scheduled to open the regular season at Seattle on April ,1 and their home opener is set for April 9 against the Rockies. Could the team have fans in the stands by then?

That will be totally up to local health officials. I want to make it clear that we arent lobbying for anything, Baer said. Were deferring to the health experts. We know 2021 to some extent will be a transition year, but we think we can do it well.

Susan Slusser covers the Giants for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: sslusser@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susanslusser
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
As the agitating farmers' tractor rally entered the national capital amid India's 72nd Republic Day celebrations, clashes broke out between protestors and police personnel at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar and then in other locations. The farmers who since the beginning of the protest had been claiming to launch a peaceful protest, on Tuesday resorted to violence and even took over a police water cannon vehicle as well. In an attempt to control the situation, the Delhi Police used tear gas to disperse the farmers gathered at the location, even as the farmers proceeded to destroy barricades and other impediments in their path and violated the pre-designated route.

READ | Republic Day 2021 LIVE Updates: Iconic Parade Sees Vaccine Prowess Honoured In Tableau

Protesting farmers resort to violence

Besides reports of violence at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, the protestors at Karnal bypass and Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Pandav Nagar broke police barricading to enter Delhi. At Delhi's Mukarba Chowk, the farmers leading the tractor rally were seen on top of the police vehicle and removing police barricading as they refused to follow the decided route.

In view of farmer unions' tractor rally, the security had been tightened in the national capital with police barricades mounted at various important places in the city including ITO, Yamuna Bridge and other locations. Special Commissioner of Police (CP), Intelligence in Delhi Police, Dependra Pathak had said on Sunday, "The tractor rally will enter Delhi from Tikri, Singhu, and Ghazipur borders and return to its originating points. From Singhu, it will pass through Kanjhawala, Bawana, Auchandi border, KMP Expressway, and then return to Singhu."

READ | Army Chopper Crash Lands In J&K's Kathua District; One Pilot Dead, Another Critical

The farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

READ | Republic Day 2021: Six NIA Officials Receive Police Medal For Their Distinguished Service

The 11th round of talks between farmers and the government was held on Friday. The talks of farmer unions and the government have seemingly broken down after the former insisted on their demand for the repeal of three new farm laws and the latter asked them to reconsider its offer to put these laws on hold for about 18 months. Earlier on Monday, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the agitation against the farm laws which has been going on for almost 2 months will end soon.

READ | Tractor Rally: Protesting Farmers Break Police Barricades At Tikri Border To Enter Delhi
26th January 2021

Runtime 11:21

Hello and welcome to the latest London South East CEO interview: today we are joined by Arthur Millholland, President and CEO of COPL, Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited (LSE:COPL), which is listed in Canada and London.

* COPL recently agreed to purchase two producing oil assets in Wyoming USA.

* COPL raised 9 Million pounds in December

* COPL has now signed a Term Sheet for $65 Million dollars to finance the acquisition of 57% of Atomic Oil & Gas.

COPL have arranged and financed the Atomic Oil deal very quickly so I started by asking Arthur if this had given sufficient time for due diligence.

"We started looking at this opportunity at the end of August. It was certainly opportunistic on our part, and truthfully if the oil price hadn't dropped at the beginning of last year this asset wouldn't have been for sale. We know the asset quite well and all the due diligence has been done." said Arthur.

The deal has been structured so that initial revenues are sufficient to cover the cost of debt. " The key thing to understand is that the primary field, Barrons Flat in Powder River Basin, Wyoming has been 'missable flooded'. This means they are pumping (a mix of) natural gas and propane into it to enhance the ease of recovery and increase production. By this time next year production should be three times, maybe more than it is today. The terms of the loan reflect that."

Atomic is the operator and all the facilities are brand new. "There are no legacy issues around old wells and abandonment and reclamation issues. Its a very environmentally friendly, there is zero gas flaring because gas is reinjected into the reservoir, and there is no methane emissions from the facility. Its windy in the basin, all the equipment is run off electricity and powered by a wind farm next door."

"We inherit the team in three weeks time, and a lot of what they were doing was capital constrained and our technical team in Calgary can do an awful lot to assist them. We will also increase the gas injection to three times the amount, up to its intended rate to accelerate the increased rate of production, which also means no new drilling there at Barrons Flats for at least a year." he explained. "Meanwhile, next year we plan for more drilling wells and more injection wells."
Last year it was announced that Hamilton star Daveed Diggs was cast to play Sebastian the crab in Disney's live-action version of The Little Mermaid.

In a recent interview with Collider, the 39-year-old performer described the role as 'tricky,' confessing, 'I worked harder on Sebastian probably than I have for any role in my life.'

Speaking about the pressure of mastering the voice when he is not of Caribbean descent, he said that some aspects of the role 'stressed [him] out.'

Tough role: Hamilton star Daveed Diggs, 39, calls his Little Mermaid character Sebastian in the live-action film the hardest of his career: 'I worked harder on Sebastian probably than I have for any role in my life'; pictured 2020

Sebastian: The Snowpiercer star said that the role has demanded a lot of research on his part as he strives to be as vocally accurate as possible while portraying the Jamaican crab

The Snowpiercer star said he often takes on roles that he does not think he's the best fit for, which is 'true of Sebastian' - the Jamaican-accented guardian of Ariel.

'I tend to say yes to things when I feel like I can do it, but I'm actually not sure I'm the smart choice or the person naturally who should be doing it.'

Born in Oakland, he opened up about the obligation he feels to make sure his character voice sounds authentic, which has caused mounting pressure.

'I want somebody who is from Trinidad or from Jamaica, depending on where we landed with the role, to be able to see themselves in this, in some way. Even though maybe my voice doesn't sound exactly right, I wanted to feel like somebody connected to it.'

Field work: Diggs confessed that he spent time in Trinidad and Jamaica for research as he shared with Collider 'I did more research for that role, than I have for any part, ever, and I'm literally a crab'; pictured 2019

Diggs spoke about the importance of the character's representation in mainstream American culture, as he referenced 'many friends' who resonated with Sebastian's heritage.

'I had so many friends growing up for whom Sebastian was the first time they had seen themselves represented in mainstream American culture. As flawed as that is, that's still important. So, that role stressed me out quite a bit, but also is incredibly fun.'

Making sure he felt wholly prepared when the cameras began to role, he said 'I did more research for that role, than I have for any part, ever, and I'm literally a crab.'

'Doing that kind of work and trying to immerse myself. I've spent a lot of time in Trinidad and I went to Jamaica to research, and I did a lot of voice work with Chris Walker and with the late Tony Hall, to try to get the voice right.'

Re-imagined: The live-action reboot additionally stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Javier Bardem as King Triton and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula

Sebastian was originally voiced by Samuel E. Wright - who was born in South Carolina - in the 1989 animated classic, with Diggs now taking the reins as he joins a star-studded cast.

Grown-ish star Halle Bailey will star as Ariel, with Javier Bardem as King Triton, Melissa McCarthy as sea-villain Ursula, and Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay playing mermaid pals Scuttle and Flounder.

'The amount of lifting I'm doing in that is nothing compared to Halle [Bailey], or any of the like incredible performers who are really carrying that. I just sing a couple of cool songs and call it a day,' Daveed humbly said.

'You get to hear a new song before it comes out and it's amazing, and then you hear the performance of it by an actor you might not expect to be able to do that and that's also amazing,' he shared while teasing the many surprises in store for viewers.

Production on the film was delayed on account of the pandemic, as McCarthy said in a December People interview, 'Hopefully, if everything is ... safe, we go back to shooting in January in London. Which is very exciting.'
Australia Day in Perth will look a little different this year, with the City of Perths fireworks display cancelled for only the second time in 35 years due to COVID-19 concerns.

Regional fireworks shows, however, are scheduled to go ahead, and the Swan River will be lit up during an evening lights display at Elizabeth Quay.

The lights and water show will tell the story of traditional land owners at 7.45pm and 9pm.

A small, private fireworks display on the South Perth foreshore, just west of the Mends Street Jetty, is expected to launch at 8pm.
CLEVELAND, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jack Meadows has joined McDonald Hopkins LLC as an associate in the Business Department of the firm's Cleveland office. Meadows will focus on commercial finance.

After graduating law school in 2019, Meadows served as a corporate associate at a large law firm in Columbus. Meadows prepared and negotiated a variety of agreements, including leases, purchase and sale agreements, credit and security agreements and non-disclosure agreements. Additionally, he advised businesses in all aspects of the Paycheck Protection Program, including eligibility, covered costs and forgiveness.

Meadows also wrote articles for the legal research service Westlaw. He co-authored an article that won "Best Legal Analysis" from the LexBlog Excellence Awards.

While working towards his J.D., Meadows was a contracts associate in the Technology Commercialization Office at Ohio State. He concentrated on preparing and negotiating non-disclosure agreements on behalf of University employees such as medical practitioners, engineers and scientists.

In 2019, Meadows earned his J.D. from The Ohio State University College of Law, graduating cum laude. While in law school, he served as staff editor and managing editor of the Ohio State Law Journal. In 2019, Meadows received an Outstanding Managing Editor Award.

Meadows completed a B.S. in business administration with a specialization in finance and a minor in English in 2016 from The Ohio State University, where he graduated cum laude.

Meadows can be reached at 216.430.2053 and [email protected] .

About McDonald Hopkins

Founded in 1930, McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with locations in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and West Palm Beach. With more than 50 service and industry teams, the firm has the expertise and knowledge to meet the growing number of legal and business challenges our clients face. For more information about McDonald Hopkins, visit mcdonaldhopkins.com .

SOURCE McDonald Hopkins

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http://www.mcdonaldhopkins.com


David Steinberger is stepping down as CEO of Arcadia Publishing and will be succeeded in the role by Brittain Phillips, currently director of business development.

Steinberger, former CEO of Perseus Books Group, was part of a group that acquired Arcadia in 2018. Other owners are former Penguin CEO and current Snap chairman Michael Lynton and business executive Lili Lynton. Steinberger remains an Arcadia investor, and will join the company board.

Arcadia specializes in publishing regional and hyperlocal books. Since it was acquired by the Lynton group, Arcadia has made a series of acquisitions including the purchase of Pelican Publishing, River Road Press, and the Wildsam book line. It also launched a childrens book imprint. The company currently has a backlist of 17,000 titles.

Steinberger told PW Arcadia will continue to focus on building its presence in the regional book market. It has been working very well, he said of the local publishing strategy. December was the best month in Arcadias history, with sales up 27% over last December.

David has been critical to Arcadias development, and we are grateful that we will now have his guidance as a board member as we continue to develop our local and regional vision, said Lynton. Having set Arcadia on an outstanding growth path, David is ready to step away from day-to-day leadership of the business, and turn the reins over to Brittain.

Phillips joined Arcadia in 2014 after more than a decade with the History Press, where he oversaw sales and marketing before serving as chief operating officer. David launched us on a program of growth that has taken Arcadia beyond its traditional roots, and were excited to build on that vision, Phillips said in a statement.
The most challenging set of policy issues that confront the Biden administration, and the one of most consequence to Australia, is how the US deals with China.

The Trump administrations scattergun approach, with its trade wars and blizzard of sanctions, failed. It damaged the US, undermined its traditional alliances and weakened the US-led multilateral institutions that could have helped contain an increasingly assertive and belligerent China.

Nevertheless, while Trumps policies might have been incoherent and their objectives confused, they highlighted Chinas emerging threat to US supremacy and gave a sharper edge to discussions about the nature of its centrist economic model and the tactics it has employed, and is employing, to erode Americas economic, geopolitical and military strengths.

US President Donald Trump with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019. The Trump administrations scattergun approach to China, with its trade wars and blizzard of sanctions, failed. Credit:AP

There will be no return to Americas past approach to China, built on a very western view that globalisation and economic liberalism would generate inexorable pressures for political freedoms and the eventual transformation of China into something more closely resembling the other major economies and societies in Asia. The advent of the Xi Jinping era ended that prospect.
LEVALLOIS-PERRET (dpa-AFX) - Alstom (AOMFF.PK, ALS.L) announced the acquisition of B&C Transit, Inc., a transit engineering design and construction firm specializing in the passenger rail sector. Following completion, which is expected in the first quarter of 2021, B&C Transit will become a wholly owned unit of Alstom. 'B&C Transit's expertise in signalling and communications engineering and design is the perfect complement to Alstom's advanced technology solutions. Customers will benefit from additional resource capacity and an extensive footprint across North America that will further enable localized development, delivery and support,' said Jerome Wallut, Senior Vice President for Alstom North America. 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.
Skin cancer rates have rocketed in the past few decades, rising five-fold in men, a study shows.

Incidence rates for the disease  the fifth most common cancer in the UK  are also up 250 per cent for women.

The research, by Brighton and Sussex Medical School, analysed data on more than 265,000 people diagnosed with skin cancer in England over the 37-year period between 1981 and 2018.

The number of average annual number of skin cancer cases between 1981 and 1985 was 2,446, compared with 13,915 per year between 2016 and 2018

The average number of cases increased around 470 per cent from 2,446 per year in 1981 to 1985, to 13,915 per year between 2016 and 2018.

Rates of the disease in men overtook women around six years ago.

There have been enormous increases in rates of skin cancer of the torso and arms since the 1980s.

Researchers say lifestyle changes such as sunbathing, holidaying in places with strong sunlight, budget holiday industries and the use of sunbeds are some of the factors which could explain the increase.

It is estimated that about 86 per cent of all skin cancers in the UK are attributable to excessive exposure to sunlight.

Professor Anjum Memon, lead author of the study published in The Lancet Regional Health  Europe, said: We observed that the steepest increase was in males  more than two-fold that of females  and at old ages.

'The steeper increase in males is consistent with their relatively greater sun exposure and poor sun-protective behaviour.

The study also found that rates of skin cancer among people under 35 have stabilised over the last 20 years, suggesting that public health campaigns targeted at young people have been successful.
Xinjiang Genocide Means US Firms Cant Continue to Deceive Themselves About China: US Commissioner

The Trump administrations determination that the Chinese regime is committing genocide against Muslim minorities should cause American companies to rethink their business in the country, said Commissioner Gary Bauer of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

The declaration made by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo indicates that what the Chinese communists are doing is trying to eliminate a whole peoplein this case, Chinese Uyghur Muslims, to literally wipe them off the face of the earth, Bauer said in a recent interview on The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders program.

In explaining his decision, made on the last full day of the Trump administration, Pompeo cited Beijings expansive repressive practices targeting ethnic Muslim minorities in the far-western Xinjiang region, including detaining more than one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in concentration camps, and its campaigns of forced sterilization, forced labor, and mass surveillance.

Bauer said this designation makes it very hard for any decent person, any real organization in the world that wants respect, any country in the world that claims to stand for human dignityit makes it very hard for them to look the other way.

The commissioner said he hoped the move in particular sends a signal to those in the United States who continue to deceive themselves about doing business with China.

They continue to believe that you can do business with China and it can be to your benefit, that doing business with China may end up changing China, Bauer said, but weve seen time and time again, doing business with China changes us. For instance, Disney last year drew heat for filming parts of the live-action remake of Mulan in Xinjiang.

Bauer also pointed to American universities who continue to partner with the regime.

I think what they end up doing is ultimately losing any credibility those universities have, as being places that respect human rights and human dignity, he said.

Last year, the Department of Education found that universities received almost $1.5 billion in contracts and gifts from China from 2014 to 2020.

Beijing has built a massive domestic surveillance apparatus to control and repress religious believers across the whole country, Bauer said. Through artificial intelligence-enhanced surveillance, the regime is able to monitor citizens for activities banned by the regime, such as attending a church, and then deprive that person of services or economic opportunities.

Not only you may not get a promotion you deserve, or you may not get the job you applied for, [but] your children may not get into the university, Bauer said.

So this is a level of persecution of religious believers that other tyrants around the world can only dream of having.

The Chinese communist regime is also exporting this model around the world to create an authoritarian bloca group of countries that depend on Chinese technology, finance, and military supportthat could rival Western democracies, he said.

The regime, Bauer said, could set itself as an example to other dictators of how you can have economic growth, you might be able to improve the lot of your peoplebringing them into the modern world, but you can do it while still denying them the basic human rights and human dignity that every human being deserves.

The commissioner expressed hope the Joe Biden administration would continue former President Donald Trumps tough-on-China approach, adding that the task would be a long-term one spanning many administrations to come.

The China problem is a hole that weve gotten ourselves in over the last 30 or 40 years. And its going to take several decades to get out of it, he said.
Shocking details have emerged in the brutal murder of two daughters, who were stabbed and bludgeoned to death by their parents on Sunday in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district. The couple believed that their daughters could be brought back from the dead within hours.

When the police barged into the residence of N Purushottam Naidu and his wife Padmaja, they found the naked bodies of Sayidivya (22) and Alekhya (27) in a pool of blood. Their heads were bludgeoned with a blunt weapon and they were cracked open, Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravi Mohana Chary told The News Minute.

While a deep injury was found on Alekyas forehead, Sai Divyas body was drenched in blood in her bedroom, the police said.

The incident came to light on Sunday night when neighbours contacted the police after hearing torturous noises, loud screams and chants coming from Purushottams house.

The police reached the spot around 8pm on Sunday to find Sayidivya stabbed to death with a trishool (trident) and Alekhya was clubbed with dumbbells.

Meanwhile, Purushotham was found sitting in the living room on the couch. He looked like he was in a state of trance, DSP Chary said. Padmaja was sitting on the bed, looking at the wall. She did not seem to be aware of our presence, he revealed.

The heads of the daughters were cracked open.

The couple were followers of Mehar Baba, Sai Baba and Rajaneesh or Osho. They regularly used to visit Shirdi. They seem to be very spiritual. At the crime scene, we found a picture of Mehar Baba and the recent posts of Alekya on social media confirmed her spiritual inclination, Madanapalli Inspector M Srinivas told TNM.

While Padmaja is the correspondent and Principal of a corporate school in Chittoor, Purushotham is an associate professor from the Chemistry department in Government Degree College in Madanapalli. Their elder daughter Alekya was a student of the Indian Institute of Forest Management and Sai Divya was a BBA graduate pursuing a career in music.

As per the neighbours and colleagues, Purushothams family were deeply superstitious. The couple were highly accomplished academically.

The police said that when Padmaja was interrogated regarded the murders, she allegedly yelled at them for disrupting the ritual for resurrecting her dead daughters.

She said that we brought demons into the house when we opened the doors. She asked us to leave and come back the next day and witness the miracle that was about to happen in the house, where her daughters would come back to life, the DSP said.

"She said that there was evil inside her younger daughters head. So, she broke it open. It is hard to describe what we saw. It was difficult for us to understand," he said.

The couple had told the police they received signals from heaven and that theirs was a house of miracles. They told us that a miracle was about to happen which we had been spoiled by us entering the house. They told us that the morning after the magic that would occur would be spoken about by the whole world, the DSP said.

The family remained isolated ever since the pandemic set in. The domestic workers too were not allowed inside the house, he added.

The family had moved into their newly built house in the village of Sivanagar in August last year.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 23:57:20|Editor: huaxia

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SHANGHAI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Multinational chemical company LyondellBasell signed a joint-venture agreement with China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec), China's largest oil refiner, on Tuesday.

The two parties will set up a 50-50 joint venture company to expand the production of propylene oxide (PO) and styrene monomer (SM) in China.

The joint venture company will build a plant in the city of Ningbo, in east China's Zhejiang Province, by the end of this year, with an annual output of 275,000 tonnes of propylene oxide and 600,000 tonnes of styrene monomer.

The demand for propylene oxide and styrene monomer in China will increase against the backdrop of China's sustained economic growth, according to Torkel Rhenman, executive vice-president of LyondellBasell.

With expanding investment in China, LyondellBasell has five wholly-owned factories in the cities of Suzhou, Changshu, Dongguan, Guangzhou and Dalian. Enditem

President Joe Biden will escalate appeals for Congress to back his top priority, $1.9 trillion in pandemic relief, seeking to overcome Republican opposition to the plan as he enters his first full week in office.

Biden's top economic adviser, Brian Deese, spent more than an hour on Sunday discussing the proposal with a bipartisan group of lawmakers. Some asked the White House to further justify what would be the second-largest emergency spending measure in U.S. history and expressed interest in a much narrower bill focused on accelerating coronavirus vaccine distribution, according to Senator Angus King of Maine and people familiar with the matter.

Deese and other officials provided details and context in response to the senators' questions, according to an administration official. Senior White House aides plan to keep talking with lawmakers in both parties this week to hear their concerns but also press for urgent action, the official said.

As the president's team began its work with key lawmakers, Biden is moving forward with another round of executive actions, following on a series of orders signed soon after he took office. On Monday, he will sign an order directing federal agencies to buy more American-made products and is expected to take other actions on criminal justice, climate, health care and immigration.

The new orders will add to roughly two dozen actions Biden has signed since Inauguration Day in an effort to address the coronavirus pandemic, reverse former President Donald Trump's agenda and point the nation in a new direction.

While girding for what may be prolonged negotiations with Republicans, Biden received welcome news with the Senate's decision to delay the start of Trump's second impeachment trial. The president had urged lawmakers to spend more time filling Cabinet posts and working on his agenda. The Senate this week is expected to take up the nomination of Janet Yellen to lead the Treasury Department, which would fill a key vacancy at a critical moment for the economy.

But agreement has been hard to come by in the 50-50 Senate, where Democratic and Republican leaders have yet to reach a power-sharing deal -- much less come to terms on the White House's stimulus proposal.

Taken together, the developments show the honeymoon period of Biden's presidency could be coming to a close mere days after he took office. The challenges raise questions about whether Biden can keep his pledge to unify the country while pushing forward with an ambitious policy agenda that addresses thorny issues. Biden's aides have expressed optimism.

"By and large, we've seen a lot of progress on this front," White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

The coming days will also test Biden's personal relationships with members of Congress, which his team said would help him get big things done in a divided Washington. For now, his lieutenants are taking the lead in trying to build some support for his stimulus and immigration bills.

Deese on Sunday spoke to a bipartisan group of 16 senators, including moderate Republican Senators Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, all of whom have expressed reservations about the price tag for Biden's virus relief proposal.

Before the call, Romney described the $1.9 trillion cost "shocking," considering a $900 billion stimulus Congress passed in late December. Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," Romney called for targeted relief measures focused on ending the pandemic rather than another major stimulus package.

King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, said the White House should provide hard figures to show why such a large package is needed on the heels of December's stimulus law.

"Part of what we're asking for is more data -- where did you get the number?" said King, who participated in Deese's call.

A Democrat on the call, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, said that lawmakers need more information on how the last stimulus was used.

"I think that case can be better made when we get more transparency and better numbers about how the last $900 billion - much of which has started to go out - but I think the administration needs to be very transparent about how those dollars have been delivered," Warner said in an interview on NPR.

Facing pressure from liberals for quick action, the White House has brushed aside the idea of cutting off bipartisan talks by using a maneuver called "budget reconciliation," which would conceivably allow much of the legislation to pass through the Senate with only Democratic votes. Under normal rules, major legislation often needs 60 votes to pass the Senate, meaning Democrats would need at least 10 Republicans to advance Biden's relief plan.

Yet Biden's team has also resisted making changes favored by Republicans, such as reducing the package's size, breaking it into smaller pieces or removing controversial items like a minimum wage increase.

"We were going to move fast and we're going to move bipartisan," Klain said. "I don't think bipartisanship and speed are enemies of one another. The need is urgent. Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, are dying. Kids' schools that take care of both Democratic and Republican kids are closed. People are on unemployment. People are in food lines. That's not a party issue."

In the meantime, the president plans to spend part of each day next week signing executive actions. Monday's order will start the process of strengthening requirements for federal agencies to buy U.S.-made goods and services, according to administration officials. It will also tighten standards for how much of a product needs to be manufactured in the U.S. in order to be considered American-made.

Another batch of orders are expected to be aimed at racial justice. Among them are directives to create a federal commission on police reform, limit the transfer of military equipment to police and wind down the use of private prisons.

Biden also plans to sign actions that elevate climate change as a national security and regulatory priority and convene a summit of world leaders on April 22 to discuss the issue.

The president is also expected to rescind a controversial rule blocking U.S. funding for foreign groups that provide abortions, known as the Mexico City policy, and sign an order bolstering Medicaid and Obamacare.

On immigration, Biden plans to sign actions that restore the U.S. asylum and refugee systems that largely ground to a halt under Trump. He's expected to direct a review of a Trump-era rule that tightened criteria for refusing entry to potential immigrants on the grounds they would become dependent on government assistance. Biden also plans to form a task force to reunite migrant children with guardians separated from them under Trump's border policies.
Kerrville, TX (78028)

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There is no risk to deliveries of the Pfizer vaccine, a minister is insisting, despite the EU threat to impose controls over a separate row with UK-based AstraZeneca.

Nadhim Zahawi sought to play down growing fears of vaccine nationalism  saying he was confident that tens of millions of doses of Pfizer jabs ordered from Belgium will arrive.

Brussels announced plans for export controls after AstraZeneca  which was due to deliver 80 million doses to the EU by the end of March  suddenly said it was cutting supplies to as low as 30 million.

But, asked whether the EU could prevent Pfizer vials leaving its borders, Mr Zahawi, the vaccines minister, said: No, I'm confident that the Pfizer vaccine will be delivered.

Follow live: Latest UK Covid news

Pfizer have made sure that they have always delivered for us, they will continue to do so, he told Sky News.

We have got 367 million vaccines that we have ordered from seven different suppliers, so I'm confident we will meet our target and continue to vaccinate the whole of the adult population by the autumn.

However, Brussels row with AstraZeneca could make supplies bumpier, if it follows through on the threat of new controls amid public anger at the pace of immunisation programmes in the EU.

Companies would have to provide early notification of exports of all jabs manufactured in the bloc in an attempt to prevent shortfalls.

Pfizer has already warned of potential disruption to supplies to the UK. Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, admitted supplies were tight  although the UK has refused to release any distribution figures.

On Monday, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, rang the UK pharmaceutical giants chief executive, Pascal Soriot, to say AstraZeneca must deliver on the contractual arrangement.

She reminded Mr Soriot that the EU has invested significant amounts in the company upfront, precisely to ensure production is ramped up, a Commission spokesperson said.

More than 10 per cent of Britons have been given a jab, while the EU has vaccinated only 2 per cent of its population. Brussels suspects that Britain secured better contracts.

Ahead of the UK reaching the grim total of 100,000 people dying within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, Mr Zahawi said he would not speculate on the reasons for such a disastrous record.

He also said it was too early for people to think about foreign summer holidays, telling BBC Breakfast: I think the right thing to do now is to continue with our vaccination drive.

He confirmed that a decision on quarantining travellers  including returning Britons  at hotels will be discussed by a Cabinet committee this evening, although a decision may not be announced on Tuesday.

As we vaccinate more of the adult population, if there are new variants like the South African or the Brazilian variants, we need to be very careful, he said.
The National Economic Strategy of Ukraine until 2030 provides support for small and medium-sized businesses, including expanding access to finance and simplifying the regulatory environment.

Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine Ihor Petrashko said this during the second meeting of the public discussion of the draft National Economic Strategy of Ukraine until 2030, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Among the key vectors of the National Economic Strategy until 2030 are the development of a business support ecosystem, expanding access to finance and simplifying the regulatory environment. These three blocks influence the development of every entrepreneur," Petrashko said.

He noted that the challenges of the global and national recession associated with the coronavirus crisis will worsen the prospects for business development, which, in turn, requires compensation mechanisms from the state.

"We are talking about simplifying the conditions for doing business, as well as the introduction of various support programs," the minister said.

He reminded that the government had taken a number of measures, namely: the introduction of a moratorium on business inspections, deregulation of the conditions for doing business, and digitalization of processes.

The minister also noted that the state program "Affordable Loans at 5-7-9%" will continue to expand to become more affordable for small and medium-sized businesses.

The National Economic Strategy of Ukraine until 2030 is being developed by a working group of the Cabinet of Ministers on the platform of the Center for Economic Recovery. Discussions on the draft National Economic Strategy of Ukraine until 2030 began on January 22 and will last until February 10.

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Princess Diana's dresser Dame Zandra Rhodes has recalled the royal worried about her outfits 'falling open' and being photographed at the 'wrong angle.'

The fashion designer, 80, from Kent, who is famous for her shock of pink hair, dressed Princess Diana as well as a host of stars from Shirley Bassey to Nicole Richie.

Speaking to The Observer, Dame Zandra said 'very, very shy' Princess Diana was a dream to work with.

She offered a glimpse into the pressure the princess found herself under, recalling: ''I made her white wrap dress, and she said she needed to know that it wouldn't fall open and show her legs if she got out of a car, "Because, you can be sure that when I get out of that car, there'll be people waiting at just the wrong angle to get me."'

The 80-year-old also said she has ambitions to work with the Duchess of Cambridge, 38.

Princess Diana's dresser Dame Zandra Rhodes, 80, from Kent, has said being diagnosed with cancer during lockdown made her 'pull her life together'

Since opening her first shop in London in 1967 Zandra has become renowned for her imaginative use of colour and vivid prints.

During the interview, the designer said her lockdown cancer diagnosis had led her to 'pull her life together.'

The designer said she immediately wanted to 'get my will in order with a power of attorney that included a do-not-resuscitate order.'

She revealed she was 'lying on a lilac mat' in her penthouse when she realised her 'stomach felt full' despite not having eaten a meal.

Meanwhile the 80-year-old said Princess Diana had been 'very, very shy' and called her a dream to work with (chatting at an event in 1997)

Princess Diana often wore different pieces by the 80-year-old designer (pictured, in a white wrap dress attending a charity gala in 1987)

Doctors later diagnosed the 'fullness' as a tumour in the bile duct with treatment involving weeks of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which is she still on.

She said the diagnosis had prompted her to get her affairs in order, including recording everything she has ever made in a sketchbook she dubbed 'the bible.'

What is bile duct cancer? Bile duct cancer, also called cholangiocarcinoma, is a cancer that's found anywhere in the bile ducts. The bile ducts are small tubes that connect different organs. They are part of the digestive system. How serious bile duct cancer is depends on where it is in the bile ducts, how big it is, if it has spread and your general health. Bile duct cancer may not have any symptoms, or they can be hard to spot. Symptoms of bile duct cancer can include: your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow (jaundice), you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual

loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to

feeling generally unwell

feeling tired or having no energy

a high temperature, or you feel hot or shivery Advertisement

The 80-year-old has also cataloged 15,000 of her pieces in 100 silver chests, waiting to be distributed to museums around the world, or sold off to raise money for her foundation, which she set up last year to secure her legacy.

Dame Zandra previously revealed she never goes out out without a full face of make-up - and even keeps on when she goes to bed at night.

She told Susannah Constantine in an episode of My Wardrobe Malfunction: 'I never ever go out without make-up. I sleep with my make up on, I wash it in the morning, and then I make myself up again in the morning.'

Speaking about her current look, she added: 'At the moment, I just have demure brown eyebrows,' while lifting up her fringe.

'I don't have eyebrows because in the 1960s I plucked them all out.

'I first of all had little glitter dots, then when it was punk I had long and short eyebrows. I've done lines all round my eyes, eyelashes.

'It's been a bit too long like this but I have to think it out or wait until I do another wonderful picture with someone and then I'll rework it.'

With salons shut across the UK, Zandra has also been maintaining her bright pink hair herself while on lockdown.

She said: 'I dye it myself. It's bleached and then I dye it myself and, when it looks like I've got too much grey, I touch it up, because I haven't got a hairdresser to do that bit.

'She would have a heart attack because it really does need a neat trim. She has a heart attack when she sees how I've trimmed my fringe.

'I have a stash of Pinkissimo dye and I think I use cyclamen and Pinkissimo mixed together.

'I sleep in a very ugly plastic hat and pull it off in the morning. If the grey shows, I dab it on and hope it looks all right.'

The designer is famous for dressing Princess Diana and a host of stars from Shirley Bassey to Nicole Richie (pictured, with the Queen in 1998)
Afghan government negotiators are accusing the Taliban of stalling peace talks in Qatar as frustration builds in Kabul over continued militant attacks.

Negotiators from the two sides have made halting progress since direct talks began in the Qatari capital, Doha, in September against the backdrop of rising violence and calls for a cease-fire.

"Peace and ending the violence are our people and government's top priority," tweeted Afghan government negotiator Nader Nadery on January 26.

However, he claimed the Taliban has not joined formal meetings in Doha for nine days and is "not willing to engage in talks to end the conflict and save lives.

The Taliban called the suggestion that it was delaying talks false and said the two sides are in touch with each other.

"No negotiations can be continuous and happening on a daily basis, since there may also be need for internal meetings," said the spokesman for the Taliban's Doha office, Mohammad Naeem, according to AFP.

The on-and-off talks in Qatar come as President Joe Bidens new administration in the United States says it is reviewing an agreement reached with the Taliban last year to determine if the militant group is meeting its commitments, including reaching a cease-fire and engaging in meaningful negotiations with the Afghan government.

Under a U.S.-Taliban deal reached last February, all foreign forces are to leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for security guarantees from the militant group, including severing ties with Al-Qaeda.

The Afghan government said it welcomed the Biden administrations review of the U.S.-Taliban agreement.

With reporting by AFP


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Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh (seen in 2015) was surrounded by lit candles, a propane heater, Whip-It nitrous oxide chargers, whip cream dispenser, a marijuana pipe, and bottles of alcohol when a fire ripped through a locked shed on November 18. He died days later in hospital due to complications from smoke inhalation

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh was surrounded by lit candles, a propane heater, Whip-It nitrous oxide chargers, a whipped cream dispenser, a marijuana pipe, and bottles of alcohol when a fire ripped through a locked shed where he slept on November 18.

The latest findings in the two-month investigation were revealed on the same day that police body cam footage shows firefighters evacuate Hsieh from the scene of the blaze and rush him to a local hospital.

Fire crews responded to the scene after the blaze tore through a locked shed in which Hsieh slept in the early morning hours of November 18.

The New London, Connecticut fire marshal said that the cause of the fire which tore through the shed at his girlfriend's home was inconclusive, though his report left open several possibilities.

Investigators believe the fire was caused either by a portable propane heater; discarded cigarettes and marijuana; 'misuse of candles'; or 'carelessness or even an intentional act by Hsieh could have started this fire.'

Hsieh, 46, died from complications of smoke inhalation, the state chief medical examiner's ruled.

Hsieh was staying at the home of a friend, Rachael Brown, and had gotten into an argument with her the night of the fire about the cleanliness of the house, another friend told investigators.

It was not clear if the November 18 blaze was an accident or intentional, New London Fire Marshal Vernon Skau said in the report.

Hsieh may have carelessly discarded smoking materials or misused candles while using a propane heater in a storage shed attached to a riverfront home, but it was possible he intentionally set it, the report said.

There was also evidence that Hsieh was intoxicated or impaired at the time, though investigators are unsure how or if that impacted the blaze.

Hsieh was known to have developed an addiction to nitrous oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas.

Nitrous oxide can be inhaled from balloons or from small canisters known as 'whippets', using a whipped cream dispenser.

Friends said that before the fire, Hsieh was about to get on a plane to fly to Hawaii, where he planned on entering rehab for treatment of drug addiction.

Investigators from the New London, Connecticut Fire Department released images on Tuesday showing the shed that caught fire on November 18

A report by the fire marshal found that Hsieh had lit candles, a propane heater, Whip-It nitrous oxide chargers, whip cream dispenser, a marijuana pipe, and bottles of alcohol with him at the time of the blaze

The shed (on the right) is attached to the waterfront home of Rachel Brown, Hsieh's girlfriend

Hsieh, Brown, and six others were staying at the home on 500 Pequot Avenue on the night of November 17 and were getting ready to fly to Maui the next morning.

Just before midnight, an argument erupted between Hsieh and Brown in which she is heard asking him to leave.

Hsiehs brother, Andrew, and an employee, Brett Gorman, tried to mediate between the two.

Moments later, Hsieh went to sleep in the pool shed, according to KTNV-TV.

Gorman told investigators that Hsieh brought a portable propane heater into the shed in order to stay warm, but that the others objected.

Gorman then went to check on Hsieh at around 1:30am, according to witnesses.

Hsieh is seen being wheeled out on a gurney after firefighters managed to bust down the door of the shed on the morning of the blaze

Fire crews were called to the home on 500 Pequot Avenue in New London after friends and family were unable to open the door of the shed where Hsieh was sleeping

Investigators believe that Hsieh was either intoxicated or impaired at the time the fire broke out on November 18

Firefighters who responded to the scene rush Hsieh to the hospital after the fire in the early morning hours of November 18. The images above were taken by police body cam

A firefighter is seen above after he was called to the home of Hsieh's girlfriend in New London, Connecticut in the early morning hours of November 18

Other friends also checked in on Hsieh, though witness statements and surveillance footage showed that he would at times reply to knocks on the door with a knock back.

One witness told investigators that they had observed Hsieh start a smaller fire that night when the flame of a candle that he had lit made contact with a blanket.

That fire was quickly extinguished, according to the fire department.

Hsieh's friends were heard on surveillance footage warning him about the candles that he had lit and the potential for danger.

Shortly before the fire, witnesses told investigators, Hsieh had lit a small plastic bag on fire to keep warm inside the shed.

The temperature that night was about 34 degrees.

A friend said, 'you're going to smoke yourself out' and 'that's poison,' and Hsieh responded, 'It's poisonous but I used it to light a fire,' according to the report.

The fire marshal said that it was possible but unlikely that the blaze was caused by a portable propane heater or improperly discarded smoking material.

The New London fire marshal's report contains this illustration which shows the location of Hsieh's body relative to where the blaze originated

Fire investigators released a timeline of the events leading up to the blaze that ripped through Hsieh's shed

What is a whippet? Whippet is the name for the small metal canisters which can be filled with nitrous oxide - otherwise known as laughing gas - and inhaled using a dispenser such as a whipped cream dispenser. Nitrous oxide is also sometimes inhaled from balloons. It gives users an intense high that lasts anywhere from 20 seconds to a minute. Its usage is most common with young adults and college students, and is often used in conjunction with other drugs to accelerate the high. Alarming side-effects include strokes, hallucinations, seizures, blackouts, incontinence, heart stress on the heart, chronic depression and even  in cases of prolonged use  depleted bone marrow. Advertisement

The shed was locked with a keypad deadbolt when firefighters arrived.

At around 3:20am, Andrew knocked on the door of the shed to let Tony know it was time to leave for the airport, according to the fire marshal.

Tony then asked Andrew to come back in five minutes. A minute later, a carbon monoxide alarm could be heard going off, and then 'a noise consistent with the relief valve on a propane tank,' the report said.

'The smoke emanating from the shed escalates dramatically at this point,' according to fire officials.

Andrew returned to the shed with another friend and the two tried to kick down the door, which had been locked. Firefighters quickly arrived on the scene, broke down the door, and rushed Tony to the hospital.

According to the police report, Tony was placed on a ventilator and was suffering from swelling of the brain from the fire's hot gasses and the soot.

He was later flown to the Connecticut Burn Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he died nine days later.

Friends of Hsieh told DailyMail.com days after the blaze that they were worried about his drug addiction, which included frequent use of nitrous oxide whippets and alcohol, was spiraling out of control and likely contributed to his death.

They said they were worried that his addiction to laughing gas nitrous oxide and his love of candles put his life in danger.

'In recent months the nitrous oxide had become as important to Tony as his alcohol,' one close colleague said.

'And Grey Goose vodka was his best friend.'

Although nitrous oxide is not flammable it does accelerate the burning of combustible material that is already alight, according to PubChem.

Hsieh was pulled unconscious from the burning shed attached to girlfriend Rachel Brown's waterfront home in New London, Connecticut, shortly after 3:30 am on November 18.

He died of complications from smoke inhalation nine days later.

A dispatch tape obtained by DailyMail.com revealed that he was 'barricaded' inside the shed.

'The male is barricaded inside and not answering the door,' the dispatcher says.

'Everyone else is outside the house. They are trying to get him to open up.'

Firefighters had to force their way in to drag him out, but they were too late to save his life.

The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has already ruled his death accidental and that he died of complications of smoke inhalation.

Hsieh had recently retired from Zappos after 20 years leading the online shoe retailer.

He was a Harvard University graduate who joined the company - then called ShoeSite.com - in 1999.

Zappos was sold to Amazon for $1.2billion in 2009, but Hsieh had remained with the company until his retirement.

Hsieh, Brown, and six others were staying at the home on 500 Pequot Avenue on the night of November 17 and were getting ready to fly to Maui the next morning. Just before midnight, an argument erupted between Hsieh and Brown in which she is heard asking him to leave. Brown and Hsieh are pictured in Las Vegas in December 2017

Hsieh, 46, was pulled unconscious from a burning shed (pictured) attached to a waterfront home in New London, Connecticut, shortly after 3.30am on November 18. He died in hospital nine days later

A dispatch tape obtained by DailyMail.com revealed that he was 'barricaded' inside the shed. 'The male is barricaded inside and not answering the door,' the dispatcher says. Everyone else is outside the house. They are trying to get him to open up'
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

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Challenger Brands, A Brandweek Event These regional conversations with brand founders and incumbent brand marketing executives from around the globe will supplement an event already jam-packed with perspectives from the minds behind the worlds most exciting and innovative companies.

Adweek, the industry leader in coverage of the advertising and brand marketing ecosystem, today announced an ambitious expansion of its third annual Challenger Brands summit, a Brandweek event. As the worlds largest event for game-changing brands, as well as those establishment brands who answer the challenge, it will feature live, virtual programming from five continents, giving a global audience the opportunity to gain insights and learn best practices from the worlds most visionary marketing mavens.

Challenger Brands will take place over four days, Feb. 2225, 2021, with speakers from the United States plus regional programming each day:



Monday, 2/22  Asia Pacific

Tuesday, 2/23  Latin America, India and South Asia

Wednesday, 2/24  Middle East and Africa

Thursday, 2/25  Europe

These regional conversations with brand founders and incumbent brand marketing executives from around the globe will supplement an event already jam-packed with perspectives from the minds behind the worlds most exciting and innovative companies. Joining the more than 100 brand speakers at Challenger Brands will be marquee marketers and entrepreneurs including billionaire investor Marc Cuban; Jennifer Garner, co-founder and chief brand officer, Once Upon a Farm; and Nicole Richie, founder and creative director, House of Harlow 1960.

VIP attendees to Challenger Brands will also be able to participate in a variety of premium access activities and interactive experiences that include Taste of Brandweek sampling sessions, leadership training programs, community meetups, Masterclasses and specially curated one-to-one meetings. Through these unique programs the Adweek team has evolved a virtual event into a stage for continuous conversation and connections.

Adweek CEO Jeffrey Litvack sees Challenger Brands Worldwide as a launch pad for future international expansions.

Branching out to further include international perspectives is the next logical step in the evolution of Adweek, said Litvack. As Adweeks worldwide audience continues to grow, weve seen the positive impact of providing a platform for more diverse voices from around the globe.

The transformation of one of Adweeks most prestigious events into a worldwide summit is the latest example of the companys increased investment in serving the global marketing community. The recent acquisition of Social Media Week has already increased Adweeks reach, adding international summits across six continents with nearly 100,000 attendees annually.

Another example of Adweeks international expansion is its increased editorial investment in the coverage of international marketing news and trends. The editorial team covering the European market will include Stephen Lepitak in Glasgow (formerly of The Drum), who joins Adweek in the spring, media editor Lucinda Southern in London (formerly of Digiday) and contributing editor Sara Spary. David Griner has been selected to lead the company's international expansion in a newly created position as Adweeks international editor.

Adweek has always reached a large global audience, and we took this opportunity to reach out to them with daily content focused on their markets and communities, said Adweek Chief Brand Officer Danny Wright. Throughout 2021 well be expanding our programs to ensure more international voices on our stages and more opportunities for global marketers to interact at our events.

About Adweek

Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem. First published in 1979, Adweek's award-winning coverage reaches an engaged audience of more than six million professionals across platforms including print, digital, events, podcasts, newsletters, social media and mobile apps. As a touchstone of the advertising and marketing community, Adweek is an unparalleled resource for leaders across multiple industries who rely on its content to help them do their job better.
ROCKLEDGE, Fla., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Health First Health Plans has announced it has signed an administrative services agreement with a subsidiary of Oscar Health. Under the agreement, Oscar will provide Health First Health Plans' Medicare Advantage and Individual customers with access to Oscar's member engagement platform and other provider and broker services built on its full-stack technology platform. The Health First Health Plans division will be responsible for care management, network performance management, physician credentialing and other services.

"Our agreement with Oscar will give our members access to the same high-quality medical care they know and trust, plus a new technology platform that will make using the healthcare system even easier for them," said Steve Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Health First. "We are thrilled that our members will now have the ability to use the Oscar technology, including 24/7 virtual urgent care and personalized Care Teams. By ensuring they have access to these convenient, no additional cost features, we can offer our members even more affordable care through our health plans."

"This agreement with Health First Health Plans furthers Oscar's commitment to the Central Florida region and the communities we serve in the area," said Mario Schlosser, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer. "Our hope is that Oscar's technology platform will help the Health First Health Plans members get the most out of the plan they have come to know and love by making great care cost less."

Most services provided under the agreement will be available to eligible Health First Health Plan members beginning January 1, 2022.

About Health First:

Founded in 1995, Health First is Brevard County's not-for-profit, community healthcare system. The fully integrated delivery network (IDN) includes health insurance plans, hospitals, a multi-specialty medical group, and outpatient and wellness services. As a locally owned, not-for-profit organization, Health First is committed to investing in our community. Since 2012, Health First provided more than $1 billion in community support. To learn more about Health First and how we're giving back to our community, please visit HFgivesback.org.

SOURCE Health First
Runners: Get your summer program off on the right foot

Victoria has reached 21 consecutive days without a new locally acquired COVID-19 case, but two new cases have emerged in hotel quarantine.

There were 13,612 tests carried out in Victoria on Tuesday, despite the public holiday.

Victoria has 31 active cases in hotel quarantine and the last active case of locally acquired COVID-19, acquired during the Black Rock outbreak, has dropped off health authorities list of current infections.

The new cases, which are not linked to the Australian Open, are a woman in her 20s and a boy aged under 10, both returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
In an opinion released Tuesday, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that Tennessees Health Care Liability Act requires defendants to provide plaintiffs with written notice when plaintiffs sue the wrong defendant but does not provide a penalty or a remedy when defendants fail to comply with the statute.

In the case before the Court, Mrs. Clarissa Bidwell died at Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority (Erlanger). Consistent with the HCLA, her husband, Mr. James Bidwell, sent pre-suit notice of his intent to file a health care liability action on behalf of his wifes estate to Dr. Timothy Strait and Dr. Jeffrey Colburn (the physician defendants) and the entities he believed were their employers. Mr. Bidwell did not send pre-suit notice to Erlanger, their actual employer.

The physician defendants received the pre-suit notice but did not notify Mr. Bidwell within 30 days after receiving it that Erlanger, not the named entities, was their employer.

When Mr. Bidwell timely filed his complaint, he did not name Erlanger as a defendant. Instead, he named the entities to which he sent pre-suit notice and which he believed were the physician defendants employers. Dr. Straits answer to the complaint asserted that Erlanger was his employer, and Dr. Colburns answer denied that the entities Mr. Bidwell named were his employers. Dr. Colburn failed to identify Erlanger as his employer. Each doctor also denied the allegations made against him.

Drs. Strait and Colburn then moved for summary judgment, arguing that no judgment could be rendered against them because their employer, Erlanger, a governmental entity, had not been named as a defendant, as required by the Governmental Tort Liability Act.

Mr. Bidwell responded by filing motions to amend his complaint to add Erlanger. Mr. Bidwell asked the trial court to allow him to amend his complaint because the physician defendants had failed to comply with a provision of the HCLA enacted in 2015 which states that a person, entity, or health care provider that receives pre-suit notice of a potential claim for health care liability shall, based upon any reasonable knowledge and information available, provide written notice to the potential claimant of any other person, entity, or health care provider who may be a properly named defendant within 30 days of receiving pre-suit notice.

Mr. Bidwell also relied on another law that gives plaintiffs 90 days to file an amended complaint and cause process to issue to a nonparty if a defendant raises comparative fault against the nonparty in an answer. Mr. Bidwell argued that the physician defendants had raised Erlangers comparative fault in their answers.

The trial court denied Mr. Bidwells motions to amend and granted Dr. Straits and Dr. Colburns motions for summary judgment. The Court of Appeals reversed, and the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.

A majority of the Supreme Court affirmed in part, and reversed in part, the Court of Appeals and reinstated the trial courts orders granting summary judgment for the physician defendants. The majority held that, while the plain language of the HCLA requires Dr. Strait and Dr. Colburn to provide Mr. Bidwell with written notice of Erlanger within 30 days of receiving pre-suit notice, the statute does not provide a remedy or penalty for their noncompliance. The majority further ruled that the physician defendants noncompliance was not, alone, enough to constitute extraordinary cause.

The majority agreed with Mr. Bidwell that statements in Dr. Straits and Dr. Colburns answers were sufficient to raise comparative fault and to trigger a different Tennessee law affording Mr. Bidwell 90 days to file an amended complaint naming Erlanger and to cause process to issue to Erlanger. The majority pointed out, however, that Mr. Bidwell had failed to file an amended complaint or to cause process to issue within the 90-day period. Rather, Mr. Bidwell filed only motions to amend his complaint. The majority concluded that, because Mr. Bidwell failed to complete the process of filing an amended complaint naming Erlanger and causing process to issue to Erlanger, the trial court properly granted summary judgment to the physician defendants, employees of Erlanger, a governmental entity.

Justice Holly Kirby concurred with the majoritys decision but wrote separately to emphasize that, while the physician defendants failure to give notice of Erlanger in this case was not sufficient to constitute extraordinary cause, failure to comply with the HCLAs notice requirement may constitute extraordinary cause in future cases, as those receiving pre-suit notice now have guidance from the Court directing them to provide such notice.

In a separate opinion, concurring in part and dissenting in part, Justice Sharon G. Lee agreed with the majoritys decision that the physician defendants were entitled to summary judgment. However, Justice Lee disagreed with the majority that the answers filed by Dr. Strait and Dr. Colburn sufficiently alleged comparative fault. Thus, Justice Lee concluded that the physician defendants answers did not trigger the law giving Mr. Bidwell 90 days to amend his complaint. Justice Lee also emphasized that, while the General Assembly has not provided a remedy for a defendants failure to give notice of an entity that may be a properly named defendant, and while a defendants failure to give this notice alone does not amount to extraordinary cause, defendants should not feel free to ignore a statute when it helps them win a case.

To read the Supreme Courts majority opinion in Bidwell ex rel. Bidwell et al. v. Strait et al., authored by Justice Cornelia A. Clark, as well as the separate concurring opinion authored by Justice Holly Kirby, and separate concurring in part and dissenting in part opinion authored by Justice Sharon G. Lee, go to the opinions section of TNCourts.gov.




Washington: The Biden administration is ramping up the distribution of coronavirus vaccines, announcing a new plan to deliver enough doses to protect 300 million Americans  nearly the entire US population  by the end of the northern hemisphere summer.

President Joe Biden announced a surge in vaccine deliveries to states on Wednesday (AEDT) along with the news that the federal government would purchase an extra 100 million doses each of the approved coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer/BioNtech and Moderna.

Vials of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination super site in Chula Vista, California. Credit:Bloomberg

This is enough vaccine to vaccinate 300 million Americans by end of summer, early fall, Biden said, meaning most Americans would be vaccinated by around the end of August.

Biden described the push to increase supply as a wartime effort.
ATLANTA, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tailored specifically for mortgage originations, the enhanced Mortgage Complete products from Equifax (NYSE: EFX) help deliver improved speed, quality and customer satisfaction for US mortgage lenders. Offered as a set of key verifications and services, including, among other items, digital delivery of verification of income, reverifications of income or employment and IRS Tax Transcript Fulfillment critical to the mortgage origination process in a single order, Mortgage Complete helps support reduced costs, improved cycle time and pull-through for mortgage bankers and brokers.

Mortgage Complete includes, among other solutions, verifications provided by The Work Number  database, which help streamline the delivery of critical verifications, putting efficiency into the process and helping improve the speed of loan acceptance and underwriting. With verifications and re-verifications automated, loan officers can spend less time requesting, confirming and assembling information required by underwriters and help move a loan more quickly through to closing.

"Lenders and loan officers trying to keep up with both mortgage volume and the pandemic have become more agile and accepting of new technologies," said Joel Rickman, SVP of Verification Services at Equifax. "Mortgage Complete is an innovative delivery of the data they need, when they need it and in a format that helps eliminate some of the complexities of a document-heavy process that can create such a big drag on efficiency."

Both home buyers and loan officers can have a better experience when lenders use solutions like Mortgage Complete. It can be tedious for loan applicants to request, find and deliver necessary documents like pay stubs and tax forms and difficult for financial institutions to securely keep track of those documents once received, especially if they come in different formats: mail, email, fax, or photos. Considering that many hard copy documents may be needed at least twice, if not multiple times during mortgage loan production, it becomes clear how costly it may become for lenders to remain paper-based.

"Mortgage originations have historically been a paper-heavy process," said Craig Crabtree, SVP and General Manager for Mortgage & Housing at Equifax. "The industry continues to make great progress in the digital transformation, and a key aspect of that is automating verifications, which creates efficiencies across the board and ultimately enables a more seamless experience for the buyer."

With more than 51 million active records added since 2016, growth in The Work Number database allows lenders with permissible purpose to quickly and securely tap into more than 111 million active records from more than 1 million employer contributors, including those from thousands of small- to medium-sized businesses and independent contractors (1099s). With the use of Mortgage Complete, credentialled lenders can request verifications of income, reverifications, and IRS Tax Transcript Fulfillment in a single order.

More information about Mortgage Complete, and for co-borrowers Mortgage Compete Duo, can be found here .

ABOUT EQUIFAX INC.

At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employees, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by more than 11,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 25 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.com

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Credit: UWA

Koalas are one of Australia's most beloved marsupials. How can DNA help bring them back from the brink of extinction?

The koala is the latest species to have its DNA digitized and uploaded to the cloud. Its genome joins the quokka as the newest member of the open source online DNA Zoo database.

"They are one of the things which make Australia Australia. They're very, very important from a tourism economy point of viewbut they're actually listed as vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List," says Parwinder Kaur, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Science at UWA and Director of DNA Zoo Australia.

A sequenced genome isn't a magic bullet, and it's not going to let us bring the species back from extinction if we lose it. But it's a valuable tool in the conservation toolkit.

Left without a log to stand on

The koala has evolved some pretty unique traits to survive in its environment.

"They happen to be the last representative marsupial from the family called Phascolarctidae," says Parwinder. "There are 20 fossil mammals which are gone, and this is the last one from that family."

The koala is so unique, says Parwinder, that its closest living relative is the wombat.

"The first thing I want to do is align it to the wombat genome and see at the genetic level what has actually happened to separate the two species," she says.

That unique evolutionary pathway, while fascinating, has also made it a challenge to care for.

"Koalas evolved anatomically, , a shifting of the palate towards the front of the skull with larger molars and premolars, to accommodate climate change when the Australian continent began drying out," Parwinder says.

"That led to the decline of rainforests and the spread of open Eucalyptus woodlands."

If that one food source is threatened, either by deforestation or by bushfire, the koala has nowhere else to go. Even where pockets of suitable trees are left, they may not be able to support a large enough population of koalas to maintain genetic diversity.

"First and foremost, we really need to do a genetic diversity analysis of the populations which we've got," Parwinder says. "The populations may look very different but you might see that they are actually, at a genetic level, pretty much inbred."

Disease unease

Inbreeding is a bad enough problem on its own, but it also makes the other challenges the koala's facing much trickier to address. A species' genetic diversity is its toolkit for adapting to new situations. When that toolkit gets smaller, so do the koala's chances of survival.

You might have heard, for instance, that koalas are struggling with a bit of a chlamydia problem.

"In some populations, 100% of koalas have the disease," says Parwinder.

There might be koalas out there with immune genes that help the koala adapt to chlamydia the same way it once adapted to eating eucalyptus. But without a map of the koala's genes, finding that adaptationand making sure those koalas get included in breeding programswill be a struggle.

"It's a holistic, grounded scientific way of doing it rather than just, you know, shooting in the dark," she says.

Koala-ty data

This isn't the first time the koala's genome has been sequenced, Parwinder says. Earlier releases have come from The Koala Genome Project, led by Rebecca Johnson from the Australian Museum. What makes the DNA Zoo genome unique is how it's structuredand how it was made.

"Those genomes have got about 1900 pieces instead of bringing those pieces together into 8 chromosomes, which is what we've done."

That makes the genome easier to work withthink of a thousand-piece puzzle compared with an 8-piece one.

"We've already seen that with the genomes which we are releasing. The conservation bodies write to us about how it has made the computational workflow for population analysis less complex and more time and cost efficient."

As for how it's made? Where past genome projects have meant decades of work and planning, this one happened in a few weeks thanks to a chance meeting.

"I just happened to get a sample from the zoo I was visiting in November," she says. "I happened to meet Red, the ranger who's the owner of that zoo as well, and asked him if he'd got any samples to donate in his freezer collections."

"So I helped him clean his freezer  and the rest, literally, it was done in less than a month."

Explore further Understanding long-term trends of stressors on koala populations

This article first appeared on Particle, a science news website based at Scitech, Perth, Australia. Read the original article.
MAPUTO, Mozambique (January 26, 2021) - A team of marine scientists led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has confirmed that southern Africa's most threatened endemic shark - the Critically Endangered shorttail nurse shark (Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum) - has been found to occur in Mozambique; a finding that represents a range extension of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles).

Publishing their findings in the journal Marine Biodiversity, the team said that the discovery was based on several records of the shark including underwater video surveys collected in 2019, recent photos of shore-based sport anglers' catches, and the identification of a specimen collected in 1967.

The diminutive shorttail nurse shark reaches lengths of approximately 75 centimeters (30 inches). Owing to its strong association with coral reefs, it is under particular threat from overexploitation by coastal fisheries and habitat degradation, and is suspected to have declined by more than 80 percent over the last 30 years.

The scientists say that the findings expand the species range southward from the coast of Tanzania by some 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) and 1,100 kilometers (683 miles) westward from Madagascar across the Mozambique Channel.

One of the records of the shark, from Mozambique's Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, suggests that the species benefits from some degree of protection within a large coastal marine protected area (MPA). The authors though warn that the species range within Mozambique may span a large proportion of the country's unprotected coral reef habitat.

Said Rhett Bennett, WCS Shark and Ray Conservation Program Manager, Madagascar & Western Indian Ocean: "The shorttail nurse shark is under threat within much of its Mozambique range. There are no species recovery plans in place for the species and no specific regulations pertaining to its harvest, other than a listing on the Kenya threatened and protected species list."

The authors recommend that the species should be considered for legal protection in Mozambique and throughout its limited range. In addition, they say it should be better monitored, and subject to improved management measures to reduce targeted and incidental catch.

WCS works on shark conservation around the world. The majority of the global trade in both shark fins, and other products such as meat, remains unregulated, pushing many species toward extinction. In 2019, at CITES CoP18, WCS helped lead efforts to expand the protection of sharks from unsustainable trade.

The work was conducted in partnership with the Mozambique Instituto Nacional de Investigacao Pesqueira, and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity.

Aspects of this project were funded by the Shark Conservation Fund, a philanthropic collaborative pooling expertise and resources to meet the threats facing the world's sharks and rays. The Shark Conservation Fund is a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

###

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world's oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.
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Gregory Sierra, a character actor who navigated easily between comedy and drama but was best known for his supporting roles on the sitcoms Sanford and Son and Barney Miller, died on Jan. 4 at his home in Laguna Woods, Calif. He was 83.

His wife, Helene Sierra, said the cause was stomach and liver cancer.

Lanky and balding, Mr. Sierra started out in Hollywood in the late 1960s and early 70s taking modest parts  including on the sitcom The Flying Nun and the secret agent series Mission Impossible, as well in as the 1970 film sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

With his Puerto Rican background, Mr. Sierra was often cast in ethnic roles, including Latinos, Italians and Native Americans.

In 1972, during its second season, he joined the cast of Sanford and Son, one of Norman Lears many groundbreaking sitcoms, in the recurring role of Julio Fuentes, a junk dealer who lived next door to Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx), who also had a junkyard with his son, Lamont (Demond Wilson), in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. He stayed until 1975.

Hong Kong Locals Slam Lockdown as Political Show to Please Beijing

A neighborhood in Hong Kongs Kowloon Peninsula, a busy urban area, reopened the early morning of Jan. 25 after nearly 48 hours in lockdown over the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

Local authorities said the lockdown and mandatory testing measures were aimed at achieving the goal of zero CCP virus cases in the Jordan neighborhood of Yau Tsim Mong District, which had seen a spike in positive cases. From Jan. 1 to 20, 162 confirmed cases were found in 56 buildings in the neighborhood, according to a Jan. 23 Hong Kong government announcement.

Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market is the area locals fear of the next lockdown. (Source: Hong Kong government, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Google Maps)

Community leaders and residents criticized the lockdown process as copying the mainland approach in a political task to please Beijing. They added it was a waste of resources.

Authorities evoked the Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons Regulation (Cap 599J) for the lockdown. The citys chief executive Carrie Lam said at a press briefing on Jan. 23, The government will use this restriction with mandatory testing order when necessary.

After the mass testing of 7,000 people in the restricted area, 13 returned positive, Hong Kongs Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan said on Jan. 24. The positive test rate was 0.2 percent.

Pedestrians walked on a street in Kowloons Jordan district in Hong Kong on Jan. 20, 2021. (ANTHONY WALLACE/ Getty Images)

Medical workers walked on Temple Street in the lockdown area in Jordan, Kowloon, Hong Kong, on Jan. 24, 2021. (Adrian Yu/Epoch Times)

Around 8 a.m. on Jan. 25, a resident told The Epoch Times that had he left his apartment to look for food. He said that he didnt store any food due to the sudden lockdown. He filled out a form for food deliveries as required by the authorities but nothing was delivered. He only obtained a cup of instant noodles, a can of food, and a mask.

A woman shopping at a local bakery store also said, We were on our own! She said he hadnt seen anyone distributing food to residents in the restricted area.

This Jordan resident filled out the form required by the authorities but didnt get any food that was supposed to be distributed. He was hungry on the morning of Jan. 25 and was looking for food. (The Epoch Times)

This Jordan resident (right) said, We were on our own on Jan. 25, referring to the lack of food supplies during the lockdown. (The Epoch Times)

Immediate Losses

Chinese New Year is usually the peak season to sell fruits. Mr. Lam, owner of the King of Golden Fruits shop at the market, told The Epoch Times that he would have appreciated more notice in advance of the lockdown. Now, without enough time for people to get supplies, his fruits are spoiling before they can reach consumers.

The business losses could easily reach HK$100 million (US$12.9 million), Lam said of the lockdown.

Fruit business losses in the lead up to Chinese New Year could easily reach US$12.9 million if the government doesnt give advanced notice, says owner of King of Golden Fruits. (The Epoch Times)

At about 10 a.m. on Jan. 23, the first day of the lockdown, most businesses were closed with notices announcing a temporary suspension of business for up to 14 days.

Pro-democracy community leaders called for a press conference on Jan. 23 to hear concerns from local businesses and residents.

Owan Li, a Yau Tsim Mong district councilor, described the Jordan shutdown as something similar to what was seen in Wuhan a year ago.

The Jordan neighborhood at the center of Hong Kong has suddenly become a pandemic resistance neighborhood with a goal of zero cases,' he said, adding that the Hong Kong government was eager to accomplish a political task to please Beijing, so it copied a mainland approach.

According to Li, many local businesses said they did not receive any formal communication from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department about the lockdown. These small businesses want to know when they came resume trading, he said, while warning the Hong Kong government that many Hongkongers have a very tough life now.

Kenny Lam, chairman of the Yau Tsim Mong District Council, criticized Hong Kong authorities for their use of over 3,000 police officers and testing staff for the lockdown. It was a waste of resources and caused a lot of disturbance to the residents daily lives, he told reporters.

Most of the residents in the district are grassroots citizens who suffer immediate losses once they have to stop working due to the lockdown, Andy Yu, vice chairman of the District Council, said at the press conference. He said that residents havent been delivered food in a timely manner, and the provision given were insufficient. Many businesses are also worried about the decay of their inventory and havent receive any assistance from the authorities, he added.
MENLO PARK, Calif. and NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) today welcomed two additions to the firm's technology investing team: Ann Bordetsky, former COO, business development executive and angel investor who has led operations and business development for visionary technology companies such as Uber and Twitter, joins NEA as a Partner based in the firm's Menlo Park office; and Sheila Lirio Marcelo, founder and former CEO and Chairwoman of Care.com, the world's largest online destination for finding and managing family care, joins as a Venture Partner based in the firm's New York office.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sheila and Ann to our team, both proven innovators, leaders and company builders of the highest caliber with deep operational and market expertise in their sectors of focus," said Tony Florence, General Partner and Head of Technology Investing at NEA. "I've known Sheila since NEA first invested in Care.com over a decade ago, based on a shared conviction that technological innovation can address real-world social problems and a great deal of confidence in her ability to transform that potential into a very successful business. Sheila's entrepreneurial mindset, executional strength, and tremendous energy will be an incredible asset to companies in our portfolio."

Under Marcelo's leadership, Care.com became the world's largest marketplace for care, serving more than 35 million people across 20 countries and growing more than 100% year-over-year from its founding in 2006 until the company went public in 2014. In addition to her role at NEA, where she will focus on consumer technology and commerce, Marcelo also serves as a co-founder and director of LandIt. She has been honored with numerous accolades including being named among the "Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs" by Fortune and was the youngest recipient of the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award in 2014. Marcelo holds a bachelor's degree from Mount Holyoke College, which also conferred upon her an honorary Doctorate of Human Letters in 2015, and earned both her JD and MBA with honors from Harvard University.

Bordetsky has helped to build some of Silicon Valley's most iconic technology companies in a variety of business, strategy and operating leadership roles and has been a leading force in catalyzing diversity in tech as an operator, angel investor and advisor to January Ventures. In her new role at NEA, she will pursue investing opportunities at the intersection of consumer and enterprise technologies with particular focus on the future of work, wellness and commerce.

"Ann is a dynamic and driven leader who has been a powerful force in the growth and success of industry-leading companies, from forging the first go-to-market strategies to accelerating growth as a publicly traded company," said Rick Yang, General Partner and Head of Consumer Investing at NEA. "Her vision to transform industries, commitment to making positive change in the world, and abiding respect for entrepreneurs are deeply aligned with NEA's culture and approach to company building and I'm thrilled to welcome her to the team."

Bordetsky served as Chief Operating Officer of Rival Inc, a modern enterprise platform for live event commerce acquired by Live Nation / Ticketmaster in 2020. She was previously Director of Business Development & Strategic Initiatives at Uber; Head of Commerce & Consumer Product Business Development at Twitter; and held business development roles at pioneering early-stage marketplace and mobility companies, Wheelz and Better Place. Earlier in her career she held leadership roles in D.C. in government engagement and federal policy at one of the nation's top environmental think tanks. Bordetsky holds an MBA from Stanford University and a bachelor's degree in environmental science, policy and management from the University of California, Berkeley.

About NEA

New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) is a global venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors and geographies. With nearly $24 billion in cumulative committed capital since the firm's founding in 1977, NEA invests in technology and healthcare companies at all stages in a company's lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. The firm's long track record of successful investing includes more than 230 portfolio company IPOs and more than 390 mergers and acquisitions. www.nea.com.

SOURCE New Enterprise Associates, Inc.

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Only one-third of Members of Parliament (MPs) will be required to be in the Chamber of Parliament to take part in proceedings as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic among members and staff of the Legislature.



The remaining two-thirds will stay in their offices to observe proceedings via video technology and only have to make it to the Chamber when it is necessary to contribute to deliberations on the floor.



The measure is to allow for the strict observance of the COVID-19 safety and prevention protocols, especially social distancing, as the current sitting arrangement does not allow adequate spacing among the MPs.



Staying in offices



The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, who announced this on the floor of Parliament, last Friday, said, because of the spread of COVID-19, we will take some measures to curb the spread of the disease.



"Be in your offices and observe proceedings; as and when necessary, you will appear to contribute, but we are not going to allow this kind of sitting again, he said.



Since assuming the position of Speaker of Parliament, Mr Bagbin has, on two occasions, announced various steps Parliament is initiating to stop the spread of the virus.



Last week, he encouraged members of the House to undergo voluntary COVID-19 screening to know their status.



He told the House that he had personally done the test, with a negative outcome.



Fumigation of Chamber



Shedding light on the COVID-19 measures, Mr Bagbin said Parliament was also making the necessary arrangements, so that from next week the House would make use of the tent that was used for the swearing-in of the President.



That, he said, would allow for the fumigation of the Chamber, as well as make way for the installation of other gadgets that would make the environment better for the work of members.



At least this will make it more difficult for the virus to survive or be transmitted from one person to another. So during the weekend there will be a lot of work, not only on the floor of the House but also the precincts of Parliament, including your offices, so please work with the Parliamentary Service to get these things done, he implored the MPs.



E-Parliament system



Earlier, during proceedings, the MP for Ho West, Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, had enquired from the Leader of Government Business, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, about the status of plans to implement e-Parliament, which was agreed on during the seventh Parliament.



He said he had noticed that the current MPs, 40 per cent of whom were new members, had been given new laptops, for which reason Parliament must take them through e-solution and the usage of laptops to allow some of them to be in their offices and still participate in deliberations on the Floor.



The suggestion, he said, made it possible to reduce the number of MPs in the House and subsequently curb the spread of the COVID-19.



Efforts ongoing



Responding to the concern, the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, gave an assurance that the Parliamentary Service Board, which was chaired by the former Speaker, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, was about to take a major decision on improving bandwidth and Internet presence within the precincts of Parliament.









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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NATO members expected  SVR

Russia has marked out a large grouping of troops on the occupied Crimea peninsula and is creating conditions for the deployment of nuclear weapons there, which will be used to increase pressure on the international community, according to the 2021 White Book newsletter of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), released on its website.

"Russia has created a powerful inter-service grouping of troops in Crimea, which covers ground, air and naval components and numbers about 32,500 people. The Russian side creates conditions for the deployment of nuclear weapons, their individual components and carriers in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, carries out work to restore nuclear infrastructure, which poses a threat to Ukraine's national security [...] Military aircraft and missile ships are deployed in the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, which can carry charges with a nuclear warhead," according to the Assessment of external threats to Ukraine's national security section.

The plans of Russia for the development and use of tactical nuclear weapons, including from the territory of the occupied Crimea, "allow the Kremlin to increase the degree of pressure on the international community," which threatens the security and national interests of Ukraine and its strategic partners.

At the same time, the service calls the implementation of the scenario of systemic destabilization of the internal situation in Ukraine as a key threat from Russia, in particular, by easing international support for Ukraine, creating a threatening military background, economic, including energy pressure. "At the strategic level, the goals of the Russian Federation in relation to Ukraine will remain unchanged and envisage [...] the prevention of the European and Euro-Atlantic advancement of our state," the service said in the document.

The Foreign Intelligence Service also expects that the EU's policy in the coming years will tend to "strategic autonomy," that is minimal dependence on other players, and Ukraine's main European allies will focus their efforts on solving internal problems. At the same time, the adjacent European states will adhere to a relatively friendly policy towards Ukraine and support its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

"The main source of threats to European security and the national security of Ukraine is and will remain in the coming years the course chosen by the Russian leadership to consolidate Russia's status as a global player and recognize the so-called' Russian interests.' It is very likely that the Kremlin will continue its tactics of 'increasing the stakes' in the military-political confrontation, manipulating the problems of European security, as well as fueling the processes of disintegration of Europe. At the same time, serious military demarches against the new NATO members are not expected from the Russian Federation, but incidents in the air, sea and cyberspace will continue to take place, which will keep the threat of escalation of the Russia-NATO conflict as a result of unintentional clashes," the service said.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 22:31:21|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Somalia National Army (SNA) on Tuesday killed seven al-Shabab militants during an operation conducted in north of Baidoa town, the administrative capital of the South West State in Somalia.

Amin Mohamed Darur, South West State Police Commander in Baidoa told reporters that SNA and Southwest State forces carried out the operation against al-Shabab fighters after receiving tip-off from local residents.

"SNA and the South West State forces killed seven al-Shabab terrorists and injured several others in an area about 35 kilometers north of Baidoa town in Bay region this morning. The operation was very successful," said Darur.

The military commander did not clarify whether there were casualties on joint Somali forces which fought al-Shabab.

The al-Shabab militants on their part have not commented on the latest military onslaught but claimed to have attacked African Union and Somali army bases in Bay and Bakool region in the South West State. Enditem
Republic Day 2021: Six from Odisha to receive prestigious Padma awards today

India

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New Delhi, Jan 26: As many as six personalities from Odisha is all set to receive Padma awards for their notable contributions towards the welfare of society. Sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo is also one among the the six to receive the award for his contribution to the field of art.

Five others from the state to receive the Padma Shri include Shanti Devi (social work), Purnamasi Jani (art), Rajat Kumar Kar (literature and education), Nanda Prusty (literature and education) and Dr Krishna Mohan Pathi (medicine).

Republic Day to tractor parade: Delhi braces for traffic chaos today

"I dedicate this award to the people of Odisha. I had never expected that I would receive the award at the age of 83. I am thankful to the Centre and the state government," said sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo.

Meanwhile, patrolling has been intensified at power substations in Delhi following a threat from the banned Sikhs for Justice outfit to disrupt the city's supply during the Republic Day celebrations.

Google celebrates India's republic Day with 'Unity' Doodle; Meet this Mumbai-based artist

An official said around 6,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain vigil. Facial recognition systems have also been set up at vantage points for suspect identification, the official said. The security personnel are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil over Rajpath, where President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with other dignitaries and thousands of people.

Checking and frisking at Rajghat will be done by personnel in PPE kits, with mask and face shield, keeping in line with COVID-19 protocols, the official said. A five-layer security cover has been deployed in and around the city to maintain law and order, a senior police officer said.

Fact Check: Is RBI banning Rs 100 notes in india?

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said more than 6,000 police personnel have been deployed at Rajpath for the Republic Day celebrations. Following COVID protocols, only 25,000 people will be allowed to attend the ceremony at Rajpath as opposed to over one lakh spectators who usually attended the event every year, he said. The parade will be shorter this year.

Farmers enter ITO, vandalise bus, press on to Central Delhi | Oneindia News

Instead of marching up to the Red Fort, the parade will end at the national stadium. Only tableaux will be allowed at the Red Fort, he said. "We have 140 CCTV cameras on the Republic Day parade route and along the enclosures. We have identified and set up facial recognition systems at 30 spots on Rajpath from where the public would enter.
MANILA -- The Philippines has confirmed domestic transmission of the new, highly contagious British variant of the coronavirus, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to abandon a plan to allow some minors to go outside their homes.

Right now, we have local transmission where this individual or these cases with the variant have already infected their community, their family, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told news channel ANC on Tuesday.

The world is scrambling to contain the spread of the B.1.1.7 variant, despite travel bans, new lockdowns and a tightening quarantine measures in dozens of countries, amid concerns it could not only be more transmissible, but deadlier.

The Philippine health ministry said the B.1.1.7 variant had spread among 12 people in Bontoc, a mountainous northern province, with 17 such cases in the country.

Its first case of the British variant was found in a Filipino who had travelled from the United Arab Emirates.

Citing the British variant, Duterte said he had scrapped a plan to allow children ages 10 to 14 in low-risk areas to go outside the home starting Feb. 1.

Mothers and their children wearing masks for protection against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) wait for free vitamins and medicine at a local health center in Manila, Philippines, January 26, 2021. Photo: Reuters

The Philippines, which has imposed some of the worlds toughest coronavirus restrictions, including internal travel bans, has since March last year officially prohibited minors from leaving the home.

I am afraid because this new strain strikes the young children, Duterte said late Monday. They can glue their attention on TV the whole day.

The government had hoped easing restrictions on children might boost economic activity, after a year when growth is expected to have contracted 8.5%-9.5%.

With nearly 515,000 coronavirus cases and more than 10,200 deaths, the Philippines is among the worst affected countries in Asia.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed four executive actions pertaining to racial equity, including phasing out the use of private prisons at the federal level.

"We have never fully lived up to the founding principles of this nation, to state the obvious, that all people are created equal and have a right to be treated equally throughout their lives," Biden said just before signing the actions. "And it's time to act now, not only because its the right thing to do. Because if we do, we'll all be better off."

Biden signed an order directing the attorney general to not renew contracts the Department of Justice has with privately-operated criminal detention facilities.

MORE: Biden set to sign 'Made in America' executive order

"This is the first step to stop corporations from profiting off of incarcerated -- incarceration that is less humane and less safe, as the studies show. And it is just the beginning, in my view, to my administration's plan to address systemic problems in our criminal justice system," Biden said.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden arrives to speak on racial equity with Vice President Kamala Harris before signing executive orders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, Jan. 26, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Though Biden cited in his remarks the nationwide protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd in May, his orders do not tackle police accountability or reform. Nor does the order to close private prisons under DOJ's purview have any effect on private detention facilities run by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On the campaign trail, Biden vowed to end federal government use of all private facilities for any detention, including ICE facilities.

The Obama administration took a similar action in 2016 in its final months in office to move towards the end of federal contract prisons, but the Trump administration quickly reversed the move.

MORE: Justice Department Announces Effort to End Use of Private Prisons

"Yes, we need criminal justice reform but that isnt nearly enough. We need to open the promise of America to every American. And that means we need to make the issue of racial equity not just an issue for any one department of government, it has to be the business of the whole of government," Biden said Tuesday.

Story continues

Biden also signed a memorandum to address a rise in discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders over the past year.

Former President Donald Trump often referred to the novel coronavirus with a term that stigmatized Asian Americans, and an official said that the administration intended to examine if the government was exacerbating that discrimination with "offensive and dangerous" language.

"The aim here is to acknowledge that and to try to redress it," a senior administration official said in a briefing on the orders.

MORE: Biden lifts Pentagon's ban on transgender people serving in military

In addition, Biden signed two other actions aimed at strengthening access to housing and tribal sovereignty.

One was a memorandum directing the Department of Housing and Urban Development to reinstate an Obama-era anti-housing discrimination rule that Trump had rolled back, and to more broadly examine whether a fair housing law was being fully implemented.

The second action "reinvigorates the commitment of all federal agencies to engage in regular, robust, and meaningful consultation with Tribal governments," the administration said.

Biden phases out federal use of private prisons as part of racial equity actions originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
She said: 'Children were raped or victims of incest then were victimised again'

rlene Foster pledged the voices of survivors would be heard 'loudly and clearly'

Victims of rape and incest were put into homes for unmarried mothers and their children in Northern Ireland and then victimised again, a report has revealed.

More than 10,500 women entered mother and baby homes over a 68-year period from 1922. The youngest was aged 12.

Those who experienced the institutions have levelled accusations of abuse, cruelty and inappropriate physical labour such as scrubbing floors, even in the final stages of pregnancy, under an ethos of shame, and being described as fallen women.

A 'victim-centred' independent investigation was ordered by Stormont ministers and Arlene Foster pledged the voices of survivors would be heard 'loudly and clearly'.

The research report into operation of the homes examined eight mother and baby homes, a number of former workhouses and four Magdalene laundries, the leader of Northern Ireland's devolved administration said.

The former Marianvale mother and baby home in Newry. Victims of rape and incest were put into the homes and then victimised again, a report has revealed

Mrs Foster added: 'Children were raped or victims of incest then they were victimised again by being put into these homes.

'It was not their fault that they were raped or the victims of incest yet they were the ones who suffered and it appears to me that those who perpetrated the crime went scot-free.'

Around a third of those admitted were aged under 19 and most were from 20-29.

The facilities were described as an austere environment where women were punished by being made to stand while eating meals, and kneeling and reciting misdemeanours. Names were taken away and new names assigned.

Some women died in the laundries after spending the majority of their lives doing unpaid, strenuous labour.

Mrs Foster said: 'It is with huge regret that we acknowledge the pain of those experiences and the hurt caused to women and girls who did nothing more than be pregnant outside of marriage, some of them criminally against their will.

'None of us should be proud of how our society shunned women in these circumstance and of their experiences while resident in these institutions.'

The First Minister said today marked the start of a process to allow the long-silenced voices of women and their children to be heard.

'For too long they have carried a burden of shame and secrecy.

'Too often their treatment from those who were in positions of power and trust caused them real harm and a lifetime of trauma.'

Around 4 per cent of babies were either stillborn or died shortly after birth across the entire period.

The research report does not reach firm conclusions about rates of infant mortality in mother and baby homes, the DUP leader added.

A woman who wishes only to be known by Adele pictured at Palace Demesne in Co Armagh after telling the story of her experience at the Marianvale mother and baby home in Newry

A file photo of the memorial to 222 children from the Bethany Mother and Child Home at Mount Jerome Cemetery at Harold's Cross in Dublin

An estimated 32 per cent of infants were sent to baby homes following separation from their birth mother.

Other babies were 'boarded out' - fostered in today's terms. Others (around a quarter of babies) were placed for adoption.

Research was undertaken by a team of academics from Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University.

It gives an account of individual and collective experiences of the institutions and highlights the need for further examination of a number of important issues, including adoption and infant mortality rates.

Ministers have agreed that the independent investigation should be shaped by survivors through a co-design process, which will be facilitated by experts and completed within six months.

There are concerns giving evidence to a public inquiry could re-traumatise victims.

Mrs Foster told the Stormont Assembly: 'It was shameful how so many of these women were treated.

Malone Place Day Treatment Unit, formally known as the Belfast Midnight Mission/Malone Place Rescue and Maternity Home, in Belfast, which was closed in 1934

Arlene Foster pictured speaking to the media at Stormont following the publication of the research report on mother and baby homes and Magdalene laundries in Northern Ireland

'The accounts of cold and uncaring treatment are truly harrowing and the separation of mothers from their children a terrible legacy.'

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the report gave a 'sad and troubling' insight into the lived experiences of the thousands of women and girls, and their now adult children, who suffered in these institutions.

'The harsh treatment of these women was cruel, unjust and inhumane. As a mummy, my heart breaks for the women and girls who did no wrong, whose rights were ignored and whose children were so cruelly taken from their arms.

'For those children who never knew their mothers, who for too long have been kept in the dark. They were failed on every level and we cannot allow them to be failed any longer.'

Retired senior police officer Judith Gillespie led the review and said a public inquiry was not off the table. She said: 'It is so important that that investigation or inquiry is actually co-designed with survivors, that they have agency in this process.

'This is a group of people that have had power and choices taken away from them for so long and now we are giving the choice back.'

Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland director of Amnesty International, said the report shed new light on 'industrial-scale' suffering experienced by generations of women and girls.

He added: 'The researchers have done a remarkable job of starting to document the many ways in which thousands of young lives were scarred by these cruel institutions, scars which remain to this day.'
WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are preparing to push ahead quickly on President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package even if it means using procedural tools to pass the legislation on their own, leaving Republicans behind.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., left, speaks during a news conference with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., right, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are preparing to push ahead quickly on President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package even if it means using procedural tools to pass the legislation on their own, leaving Republicans behind.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told senators to be ready to vote as soon as next week on a budget reconciliation package that would lay the groundwork for swift passage. Coming so soon in Biden's administration, the action provides a first test of Republican opposition to the White House priorities as well as to the new president's promise of a "unity" agenda.

"The work must move forward, preferably with our Republican colleagues, but without them if we must," Schumer said after a private meeting of Democratic senators.

"Time is of the essence to address this crisis. We're keeping all options open on the table."

Unwilling to wait for Republicans who argue Biden's price tag is too high and his priorities too wide-ranging, Democrats are flexing their newfound power as they take control of the Senate alongside the House and White House.

It is the first time in a decade the party has held the full sweep of power in Washington, and Democrats say they have no time to waste trying to broker compromises with Republicans that may, or may not, happen. They have watched Republicans use similar procedural tools to advance their priorities, most recently the Trump administrations GOP tax cuts.

The fast-moving events days into the new majority on Capitol Hill come as the White House continued meeting privately with groups of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in hopes of striking a bipartisan agreement. Biden's COVID-19 aid package includes money for vaccine distribution, school reopenings and $1,400 direct payments to households and gradually boosts the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour over five years.

The next steps remain highly fluid.

The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus of more than 50 House lawmakers had a "productive meeting and constructive conversation" Tuesday with top administration officials on the virus aid and economic recovery package, according to a statement from Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., who co-chair the group.

A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the virtual conversation with the caucus, said there was agreement on the scope of the challenges facing the country and the need for additional relief. Biden and other members of his team intend to continue making their case to lawmakers about the need to act with urgency.

Separately, the dozen senators who emerged from a lengthy private meeting with the White House on Sunday evening are talking on their own about trying to craft a more targeted bill. The bipartisan group of senators assembled privately again Monday evening.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters earlier Tuesday that Biden is still looking to negotiate on an aid package, while emphasizing that several components of the existing aid will lapse in March.

"He laid out his big package, his big vision of what it should look like, and people are giving their feedback," Psaki said. "Hes happy to have those discussions and fully expects its not going to look exactly the same on the other end."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who led a bipartisan effort for the last $900 billion relief package, is working again with the senators on crafting an alternative package that she has said would be more focused on money for vaccine distribution and tailored economic assistance to the neediest Americans.

Collins said Tuesday that the White House made good on its commitment to deliver a more detailed accounting of the proposed expenditure. But she said the group is still waiting for data on how much funding remains unallocated from past relief measures that, by her tally, totals a whopping $1.8 trillion still unspent.

Congress has approved some $4 trillion in emergency aid since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year, a stunning outlay and the largest rescue package in the nation's history.

Senators from both parties who joined the White House call over the weekend agreed the priority needs to be standing up the country's faltering vaccine distribution system.

With the death toll climbing, and new strains of the virus threatening more trouble ahead, ensuring vaccinations appears to be crucial to stemming the COVID-19 crisis.

Several senators from both parties also said they want the $1,400 direct checks to be more targeted to those in need. They also want an accounting of what remains from previously approved aid bills.

But Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont and the incoming Budget Committee chair, said he is already working on the budget package for next week and expanding it to include Biden's proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour over five years.

Raising the wage is a long-running Democratic priority that would essentially double the current $7.25 hourly wage set the last time the party was in control in the Obama administration. Advocates say the pay raise would boost millions of full-time workers from poverty.

"There is a consensus," Sanders told reporters at the Capitol. "If Republicans are not prepared to come on board, thats fine. Were not going to wait. Were going forward soon and aggressively."
[January 26, 2021] Rapid Therapeutic Hires Pharmaceutical Industry Authority to Oversee Labs

DALLAS, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapid Therapeutic Science Laboratories, Inc. (OTC Pink: RTSL) an SEC fully-reporting, growth-oriented aerosol manufacturing company focused on employing Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) technology to deliver non-psychoactive cannabinoid compounds, announced today that it has hired Dr. Duane Drinkwine, Ph.D., to oversee all laboratory operations for the Company. Dr. Drinkwine comes to RTSL with 30+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He has significant experience in isolate crystallization. For the last 5 years he worked as a consulting engineer for multiple laboratory equipment manufacturers in both Big Pharma and the hemp industry. For 10+years he worked for GlaxoSmithKline as a Laboratory Reactor Scientist in the process safety group and scale up chemistry. RTSLs CEO, Donal R. Schmidt, Jr. states, Dr. Drinkwine was instrumental in development of our proprietary intellectual property wherein a pharmaceutical grade cannabinoid isolate was perfected. Dr. Drinkwine was the person who built Razor Jacket, LLCs lab and processes, and the deciding reason we purchased such assets. We believe that his knowledge about isolate production of prescription Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) in the pharmaceutical industry world gives us an advantage in several areas, least of all, safety, and ultimately Food and Drug Administration (FDA) interaction. He is reviewing all our formulations for safety and purity. It is critical that our MDI not cause any adverse events such as a laryngospasm or bronchospasm. In addition to formulations, he will be responsible for oversight related to Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. It is axiomatic that RTSL needed a scientist of Dr. Drinkwines caliber as we make new inroads into the use of cannabinoids by worldwide consumers. About Rapid Therapeutic Science Laboratories, Inc. (OTC Pink: RTSL) RTSL has developed a new method of formulating and manufacturing pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDI) that contain and properly aerosolize proprietary formula of one or more cannabinoid compounds, such as Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabigerol (CBG), and/or Cannabinol (CBN). The Companys nhalerproduct line is manufactured in compliance with GMP. Although CBD is not approved by the FDA, it and other minor cannabinoids such as CBG and CBN offered by RSTL are generally legal to consume in, and sell and export from Texas, to other legal jurisdictions.



Properly formulated MDIs deliver Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) (drugs, nutraceuticals or bioceuticals) through the pulmonary tract (route of administration). An MDI is generally the most efficient delivery method for an API other than an IV as it relates to bioavailability. RTSL products will continue to be sold directly to physicians, pharmacies, and other healthcare providers who treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other stress and anxiety disorders.

We encourage all individuals to do their own research regarding cannabinoids, the use of MDI and our products. Always consult a physician prior to using any cannabinoid product. RTSL makes no therapeutic claims regarding its products, the use of its products, or any results which can be obtained from using its products. RTSL makes no claims about therapeutic benefits of its products. None of our products are intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a physician prior to using any cannabinoid product. If you experience any adverse reaction stop use immediately and seek appropriate medical attention. RTSLs products are not approved by the FDA or under the Food Drug & Cosmetics Act (FD&C Act). Our MDI contain zero THC. Visit our corporate website at www.rtslco.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words may, could, expect, intend, plan, seek, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, potential, continue, likely, will, would and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the results of RTSL, its divisions and concepts to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements. These risk factors and others are included from time to time in filings made by RTSL with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, in the Risk Factors sections in its Form 10-Ks and Form 10-Qs and in its Form 8-Ks, which we have filed, and file from time to time, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These reports are available at www.sec.gov. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on RTSLs future results and/or could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. RTSL cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable laws. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Contact:

Donal (Don) R. Schmidt, Jr.

Chairman and CEO

info@rtslco.com Phone: 800-497-6059

Fax: 877-676-8527



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The Brady Bunch featured one of Americas first blended families. Centered around newlyweds Mike Brady (Robert Reed) and his wife Carol (Florence Henderson), the couple had to create unity among their combined six kids: Greg (Barry Williams), Marcia (Maureen McCormick), Peter (Christopher Knight), Jan (Eve Plumb), Bobby (Mike Lookinland), and Cindy (Susan Olsen).

Though Reed often created turmoil on the set with producers, he formed a close bond with his young co-stars. Shortly before his death in 1992, he reached out to Henderson with a special request.

Florence Henderson and Robert Reed of The Brady Bunch | CBS via Getty Images

Robert Reed found real solace with The Brady Bunch kids

In her 2011 memoir Life Is Not a Stage, Henderson revealed that Reed frequently created tension on the set due to his distaste for the shows subject matter. According to Henderson, Reed wanted The Brady Bunch to be Shakespeare, then complain when the scripts didnt reflect his demands. Still, the actor put all issues aside when it came to the shows younger actors.

As complex and sometimes difficult as Bob could be, it was balanced by his genuine love for the kids, Henderson wrote. It was fairly obvious to me that he treated the kids as though they were his real family.

Although Reed had a child of his own, the bond with his onscreen kids remained strong even after the series ended in 1974.

RELATED: Brady Bunch Star Ann B. Davis Called This Actor the Least Interesting of the 6 Brady Kids

He did have a real daughter, Karen, from a short-lived marriage, whom he rarely saw, The Brady Bunch alum recalled. We got to meet her once when she did a small guest role in one of the episodes.  I know that he found real solace being around his fictional family. It was something he carried close to his heart to the very end of his life.

The Brady Bunch alum asked Florence Henderson for a favor

Henderson shared how Reed reached out to her in 1991 to ask her take his place for a speech in Little Rock, Arkansas. He revealed that he had colon cancer and couldnt make the trip. The two former co-stars planned to meet for lunch upon Hendersons return, but the get-together never materialized.

We would set something up, and then hed call and cancel, Henderson explained. I waited a few weeks, and then called him again to see how he was doing. Everything seemed fine, but he called me one day out of the blue.

Henderson remembered Reed asking her to contact the younger cast members of The Brady Bunch to break the bad news of his condition.

Im not doing well,' he told Henderson. Its not going to be very long. Can you call the kids for me? Would you tell them? I get cold chills and cry every time I think of this conversation.  Of course, Bob. Ill do it.'

Robert Reed wanted a private funeral

Henderson fulfilled her promise to Reed and got in touch with each of her TV kids to tell them of her former co-stars health status.

Each of them was devastated to hear the news, The Brady Bunch alum revealed. Telling each of the kids was one of the toughest things that I had to do.

Though The Brady Bunch cast knew Reed was gay, he kept his sexual orientation under wraps from the public for fear of it negatively impacting his career. After his death in 1992, Reeds cause of death was listed as cancer, yet his death certificate also revealed he had HIV.

RELATED: Brady Bunch Star Susan Olsen Calls This Cast Member the Reluctant Brady

I wanted to visit him, but I respected his wish that he didnt want me to see him in his condition because he had lost a tremendous amount of weight, Henderson explained. He died very shortly after this last phone call. Along with his real daughter, Karen, the kids and I were just about the only ones there at his private funeral.
GAIL India

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State-owned gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd plans to launch an InvIT of its two gas pipelines between Dahej and Bengaluru ahead of a proposed splitting of the pipeline business from the gas marketing function, sources said.

The nation's top gas marketing and transportation firm plans to monetise Dahej-Uran-Panvel-Dabhol pipeline and Dabhol-Bengaluru pipeline by setting up an Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT), two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

InvITs are like a mutual fund, which enables direct investment of small amounts of money from possible individual / institutional investors in infrastructure to earn a small portion of the income as return.

GAIL will retain majority stake in the pipelines that run from Dahej in Gujarat to Dabhol in Maharashtra and from there to Bengaluru in Karnataka.

The InvIT may involve selling 10-20 per cent stake initially, the sources said.

GAIL owns and operates a natural gas pipeline network that spans 12,502 kilometers, mostly in the western, southern and northern part of the country. It is building more pipelines in eastern part of the country.

The sources said InvITs are new infrastructure financing model and GAIL is keen to use them.

The two pipelines proposed for InvIT had incurred over Rs 3,000 crore spending.

The move comes ahead of a planned spin-off of GAIL's pipeline business into a 100 per cent subsidiary.

GAIL is India's biggest natural gas marketing and trading firm and owns more than 70 per cent of the country's 16,981-km pipeline network, giving it a stranglehold on the market.

Users of natural gas have often complained about not "fairly" getting access to GAIL's 12,160-km pipeline network to transport their fuel.

Sources said to resolve the conflict arising out of the same entity owning two jobs, bifurcating GAIL is being considered.

GAIL's core business after the bifurcation would be marketing of natural gas and petrochemical production. It will have to hire capacity on pipelines from the subsidiary and pay the regulator approved traffics for the same.

Sources said a note for the split will be moved for the consideration of the Cabinet soon.

The proposal involves separating the accounts of the pipeline division as well as transferring employees directly connected with the pipeline operations to the new subsidiary, they said adding a suitable name for the subsidiary is being mulled over.

GAIL already keeps separate accounts for its gas pipeline and marketing businesses, making it easier to split them into two entities.

By unbundling GAIL and opening the sector, the government hopes to increase gas use to 15 per cent of the energy mix by 2030, from current 6.2 per cent.

The government has a 54.89 per cent stake in GAIL India.
Annals of Internal Medicine News @Annalsofim Below please find a summary and link(s) of new coronavirus-related content published today in Annals of Internal Medicine. The summary below is not intended to substitute for the full article as a source of information. A collection of coronavirus-related content is free to the public at http://go. annals. org/ coronavirus . 1. ACP, Annals of Internal Medicine host third Virtual COVID-19 Vaccine Forum for physicians

The American College of Physicians (ACP) and Annals of Internal Medicine hosted a third virtual COVID-19 vaccine forum on COVID-19 with the focus on the allocation and distribution of available vaccines, a topic that has created controversy as the nation works to get millions of Americans vaccinated.

The forum, Allocation and Distribution: What Physicians Need to Know, was the third in a series of vaccine forums hosted by ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine and was held on Jan. 22. ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine invited four experts to offer their perspectives on vaccine allocation and distribution. Panelists included Capt. Amanda Cohn, Chief Medical Officer of the National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) and Executive Secretary of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; David Fairchild, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, CVS MinuteClinic, Professor of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School; Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, President, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and President Emeritus, American College of Physicians; and Mark Levine, MD, Commissioner of Health, Vermont.

Dr. Jason M. Goldman, a member of the ACP Board of Regents and a practicing internist in Florida, moderated the discussion. The full recording is available for replay here (https:/ / www. acpjournals. org/ doi/ 10. 7326/ M21-0331 ) and is published in Annals of Internal Medicine along with commentary by Christine Laine, MD, MPH, ACP senior vice president and editor in chief.

Media contacts: A PDF for this article is not yet available. Please click the link to read the full text and view a recording of the event. To speak with someone from ACP, please contact Andrew Hachadorian at ahachadorian@acponline.org.

2. Early anticoagulation therapy in critically ill COVID-19 cases did not affect survival in observational study

Among critically ill adults with COVID-19, early therapeutic anticoagulation did not affect survival in an observational study. This is an important finding, as hypercoagulability may be a key mechanism of death in patients with COVID-19. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School studied health records for 3,239 critically ill adults with COVID-19 from 67 centers throughout the United States to evaluate the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and major bleeding and examine the observational effect of early therapeutic anticoagulation on survival. A target trial emulation in which patients were categorized according to receipt or no receipt of therapeutic anticoagulation in the first 2 days of ICU admission was done and a Cox model with inverse probability weighting to adjust for confounding was used.

The researchers found that the rates of radiographically confirmed VTE and major bleeding to be 6.3% and 2.8%, respectively. Male sex and higher D-dimer levels were independently associated with VTE. Patients who received therapeutic anticoagulation in the first 2 days of ICU admission had similar in-hospital survival compared with those who did not. These data suggest that rates of VTE in critically ill patients with COVID-19 may be considerably lower than previously reported in smaller studies, and that initiation of early therapeutic anticoagulation may not have a survival benefit in critically ill patients. According to the study authors, these findings do not support early empirical use of therapeutic anticoagulation in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Read the full text: https:/ / www. acpjournals. org/ doi/ 10. 7326/ M20-6739 .

Media contacts: A PDF for this article is not yet available. Please click the link to read the full text. The corresponding author, Hanny Al-Samkari, MD, can be reached through Sarah Alger at salger@mgh.harvard.edu or Mike Morrison mdmorrison@partners.org. 3. Reports of adverse reactions to hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine more than doubled during early months of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Researchers found an increase in reported adverse drug reactions (ADRs) for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine use during the first months of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, when use of these medications was substantially higher, compared to the same months in 2018 and 2019. Reported ADRs seemed to be concomitant with positive endorsements by public leaders, media, or health regulatory authorities. A brief research report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from Grenoble Alpes University Hospital and the University of Grenoble, Grenoble, France used the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database to quantify the change in number and type of reported ADRs associated with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine since the beginning of the outbreak, compared with 2018 and 2019. The team extracted 21,305 reports of 152,201 suspected ADRs concerning chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine from January 2018 through September 2020. The data showed that the number of reported ADRs for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine more than doubled in 2020 compared with the same months in 2018 and 2019. Of ADRs reported in 2020, 97.1% were considered serious, whereas 73.4% and 84.8% were defined as serious in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Likewise, 5.1% of reported cases in 2020 were fatal, compared with 3.1% in 2018 and 1.9% in 2019.

The authors also noted that countries in 2020 with the highest reported ADRs were also those most affected by the virus during this period. Despite the FDA's revocation of its emergency use authorization, the number of reported ADRs remained high, potentially reflecting the persistent use of hydroxychloroquine across the world. Read the full text: https:/ / www. acpjournals. org/ doi/ 10. 7326/ M20-7918 .

Media contacts: A PDF for this article is not yet available. Please click the link to read the full text. To reach the corresponding author, please email Professor Jean-Luc Cracowski at jlcracowski@chu-grenoble.fr. 4. Pregnant and lactating women should not be excluded from vaccination efforts

In a new commentary published in Annals of Internal Medicine, authors from Weill Cornell School of Medicine and Emory University School of Medicine suggest that pregnant and lactating women should not be excluded from COVID-19 vaccination efforts. This is important because evidence suggests that pregnant women with COVID-19 have higher risk than similar nonpregnant persons for poor health outcomes and that risks may also be higher for their babies. Of additional concern, the same racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes seen in the general population are observed in the pregnant population.

While pregnant and lactating women were not included in vaccine trials, vaccination is a regular part of prenatal care and few, if any, vaccines are contraindicated in breastfeeding women. The authors argue that on the basis of what we know about the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, as well as broader principles of how vaccines work and the safety of other vaccines during pregnancy and breastfeeding, it seems that pregnant and lactating women can be safely included in COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Clinicians should be prepared to discuss the issues with their pregnant and lactating patients, as well as with those who may be considering pregnancy. Read the full text: https:/ / www. acpjournals. org/ doi/ 10. 7326/ M21-0173 .

Media contacts: A PDF for this article is not yet available. Please click the link to read the full text. The corresponding author, Laura E. Riley, MD, can be reached through Megan Howard at meh4006@med.cornell.edu.

###
[January 26, 2021] Scholar's App Expands to Schools Nationwide, Recently Awarding Over $20 Million in Scholarships

Scholar's App, the leading U.S. end-to-end virtual scholarship platform, is expanding to high schools nationwide, bringing its trusted and verified virtual scholarship services to thousands of students, school counselors and donors. In 2019, Scholar's App students across 5,000 participating schools received more than $20 million in college scholarships through its secure web- and app-based platforms. All scholarships are fully screened by counselors prior to posting to prevent fraud and reduce data mining scams. "We are excited to grow to public and private high schools throughout the U.S., especially during this time when virtual services are more important than ever," said Scholar's App CEO Traven Watase, who founded the company in 2015 after experiencing frustration with the college scholarship process firsthand. "Unlike other services, we never sell our data. We also verify each scholarship opportunity. This allows everyone in the process - from students to counselors to donors - to feel comfortable in a trusted virtual platform that removes traditional barriers in the system." In less than 3 years, Scholar's App achieved 100 percent public high school participation in its original market of Hawaii. At James Campbell High School, the largest high school in the state with more than 3,000 students, each student is offered access to a Scholar's App account starting in their sophomore year. "Scholar's App provides access to a growing number of scholarships in one easy-to-use format for our students, complete with personalized reminders that encourage the completion of each application - that is a bighelp for our busy students," said Eleyne Fia, career/college counselor at James Campbell High School. "Scholar's App is a trusted resource for us that provides enhanced protection to ensure student privacy and vet only the best scholarship opportunities."



Benefits of Using Scholar's App: Students: Easily register, search, track and submit scholarship applications online, without printing, collecting and submitting forms from multiple sources. Student data is never sold or provided to third parties, and all scholarships are sorted and verified to ensure students don't sacrifice time or privacy to receive the support they need.

Parents: The new Scholar's App account for parents allows for convenient communication between school counselors and parents, and provides an easy way for parents to monitor each step of their child's scholarship process. Counselors: Streamline and automate the entire scholarship application process and tailor preferences for each student, while tracking progress to ensure timely completion. Enjoy time-saving tools such as electronic transcript submission and e-signature capability, and review applications at a glance from one easy-to-use dashboard portal. Donors: Don't let another call for scholarships go unanswered. In minutes, donors can customize each scholarship to reach the right students and ensure that they are connected with multiple high-quality applications. We make it so easy that Scholar's App donors are inspired to expand their scholarship giving by an average of 5-10 percent. To learn more and get started, visit scholarsapp.com. About Scholar's App Founded in 2015, San Francisco-based Scholar's App is expanding to serve high schools throughout the U.S. with a trusted and verified online platform that streamlines the scholarship application process for students, school counselors and donors. Scholar's App is the leading U.S. end-to-end virtual scholarship service, ensuring college students receive the support they need. Scholar's App is a Blue Startups technology company, selected to participate in the tenth cohort of the Hawaii business accelerator. For more, visit scholarsapp.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005022/en/

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The core of what we needed was design, development, and Bill of Material creation, and BeProduct was much more appealing than larger PLM vendors, whose platforms are either very expensive or very basic. Thats exactly what BeProduct sets out to offer, and they do it well

BeProduct is proud to announce that multinational womenswear brand Kookai has chosen its collaborative digital product platform as a central pillar of its global design and development technology ecosystem.

As part of a project spearheaded by Kookais Australian headquarters, the brand will implement BeProduct in its design centers in Paris and Melbourne, as well as in sampling and patternmaking offices and wholly-owned factories in Fiji and Sri Lanka. Overall, more than 40 Kookai users, spread across four locations, will rely on BeProduct as a central source of critical product data, an enabler of digital product creation, and as a channel for remote collaboration.

Founded in 1983, in Paris, Kookai expanded to Australia, the UK, and other global markets under a license arrangement before its Australian office steadily brought the full suite of licenses back under central ownership. This heritage, as well as contributing to Kookais unique Parisian fusion aesthetic, created a complicated working relationship between disconnected teams operating on different continents. While Kookais production facilities could be monitored from anywhere, prior to adopting BeProduct, its design and sampling offices were working in relative isolation.

That lack of global visibility was one of the major challenges the company tapped BeProduct to help solve. We needed a design and development platform that was collaborative, highly visual, and intuitive for all our users to adjust to, so we could obtain the same level of insight into our design and development as we had into our production, said Jacqui Lowe, Global Technical Officer at Kookai Australia. In our structure, product design can start anywhere, so our goal was to find a solution that our designers in Australia or France could add their concepts to, and from which patternmakers in completely different locations could then pick up those designs and start developing. And we needed all that with a great frontend experience and an affordable cost of entry. Which is how we landed with BeProduct.

Advanced users of digital product creation technology, Kookai also required a platform that offered robust links to Browzwears vStitcher, allowing the brand to continue simulating every design in 3D prior to producing a physical sample. This was a key criterion in the companys decision to work with BeProduct, since its digital product platform has comprehensive, native integration to Browzwear and other leading 3D solutions.

Prior to selecting BeProduct, Kookai had also evaluated the full spectrum of product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions, and found their functionality too unfocused, and their cost of ownership too high in comparison to the cloud-native, subscription-based BeProduct.

The core of what we needed was design, development, and Bill of Material creation, and BeProduct was much more appealing than larger PLM vendors, whose platforms are either very expensive or very basic. Thats exactly what BeProduct sets out to offer, and they do it well added Lowe.

Two further technological considerations were also factors in Kookais choice of BeProduct: its distributed architecture, which makes the platform accessible from anywhere in the world, with no servers to lease or maintain; and its approach to integration through open APIs, which will allow Kookai to link BeProduct with its ERP, factory control and other enterprise systems.

Despite being founded nearly 40 years ago, Kookai is a cutting-edge company, and one we are proud to have as BeProduct partners, said Oshana Pinto, BeProducts VP of Product. From their commitment to 3D, to their objective of digitizing the entire, multinational concept to production workflow, the Kookai team has deeply thought about digital transformation, and they do not invest in technology lightly. We are honored that BeProduct has become a key component of their vision.

About BeProduct (http://www.beproduct.com)

BeProduct is the cloud-native, collaborative Digital Product Platform. Low-code and fully-featured, BeProduct works seamlessly with the services you love.

About Kookai (http://www.kookai.com.au)

KOOKAI was originally founded in Paris in 1983 with a simple vision to offer fashionable, high quality pieces at accessible prices. In 1992, the founders of KOOKAI Australia, Robert Cromb and Danielle Vagner, introduced the Parisian label into the lives and wardrobes of the Australian woman, with the opening of their first boutique on Melbournes Chapel Street. Today, despite over three decades of evolution, KOOKAI remains true to its origins in providing a collection infused with Parisian chic, and continuing to provide an opportunity for women to embrace their individuality and the power of expression through their wardrobe.

BeProduct is a registered trademark of Wink Software. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Washington: Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi transmitted the article of impeachment - which accuses Trump of inciting insurrection from his supporters who rioted through the Capitol on January 6 - to the Senate on Tuesday (AEDT), with the trial set to begin on February 9.

Trumps second impeachment trial is unfolding in a Washington that is utterly transformed from his first, which ended just over a year ago.

Clerk of the House Cheryl Johnson along with acting House Sergeant-at-Arms Tim Blodgett, lead the Democratic House impeachment managers as they walk through Statuary Hall in the Capitol. Credit:AP

A year ago, in January 2020, Trump was sitting pretty in the White House, presiding over a booming economy and had a strong chance of being returned for a second term.

His domination of the Republican Party was almost total - as seen by the fact that just one Republican senator, Mitt Romney, voted to impeach him for his efforts to pressure Ukraine to launch an investigation into the Biden familys business dealings.
LOS ANGELES  Working as a cook at Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica, Calif., Jihee Kim made dimpled, tender malfatti, and green pozole bobbing with mussels and clams. But all the while, she dreamed about opening her own place.

It would be like her favorite banchan shops in Busan, South Korea, where she grew up. Ms. Kim would sell starchy Japanese yams braised in soy sauce, delicate omelets rolled into perfect spirals with seaweed, and cucumber fermented with sweet Korean pears.

It was just a dream  until last year, when the pandemic forced restaurants to shut down, and a wave of unemployed, entrepreneurial cooks started to rethink their careers and reshape the takeout scenes in their cities with new, homegrown food businesses.
Since the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first 100 days of a US presidency carry a certain mystique. The period is meant to provide a window into a new presidents political soul.

In nearly every respect, as weve seen already, Joe Bidens presidency will seek to be the opposite of Donald Trumps. Last weeks inauguration tried to soothe and restore confidence in American democracy. His first executive orders reversed Trumps trademark policies, including the immigration ban on Muslim countries, the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organisation, and the building of a wall along the Mexican border.

Then theres his cabinet. Having promised to govern with a team that looks like America, Biden is proposing a cabinet with more people of colour and women than any other before it.

Kamala Harris is not only the first female vice-president but also the first African American and south Asian woman elected to the position. Credit:AP

Assuming confirmations by the Senate, the majority of Bidens 25-strong cabinet will be non-white and just under half will be female. Itll be the most diverse US cabinet. Given the resurgence of white supremacy implicated with the Trump presidency, the make-up of the Biden cabinet feels like an institutional rebuke of the past four years.
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Canada could be sitting on a significant untapped resource, as the number of Ph.D. holders in this country rises, but persistent barriers make it hard for them to put their skills to work. According to a new expert panel report from the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA), Ph.D. graduates play a critical role in the Canadian economy, but many are missing out on important opportunities to contribute their expertise and bolster growth and innovation.

"The growing number of Ph.D. graduates in Canada could represent a significant opportunity to drive innovation and increase our competitiveness in a global economy," said M. Elizabeth Cannon, O.C., Ph.D., FRSC, FCAE, Chair of the Expert Panel. "The difficulties graduates face raise important questions about the nature of Ph.D. education in Canada, and this report considers how stakeholders influence the experience of Ph.D.s and what could be done to address the challenges they confront after graduation."

Ph.D.s are increasingly faced with career-stalling roadblocks as they attempt to enter the labor market. The traditional path to the professoriate is available to fewer and fewer people, and meaningful jobs outside the academy have not materialized fast enough to fill that gap. A skills mismatchbetween what Ph.D.s are trained for during their studies and what employers are seekingmay contribute to the problem and make the bridge from academia to outside employment difficult to navigate. At the same time, Ph.D. graduates may be unaware of their skills and have a hard time describing their value to potential employers.

"This report shines a light on the lived experiences of students, contributing to a better understanding of the career transition challenges they encounter," said Eric M. Meslin, Ph.D., FRSC, FCAHS, President and CEO of the CCA. "Addressing their integration into the labor force is essential, particularly in the era of COVID-19 when the need for their complex problem-solving skills takes on even greater urgency."

The Panel found earnings and employment for Ph.D. graduates vary significantly based on discipline and gender, and men earn more across all disciplines. Women are more likely to be unemployed or find themselves in temporary or part-time employment.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada asked the CCA to examine the main roadblocks faced by Ph.D. students in Canada as they transition into the labor market, and how these challenges differ by field of study.

Degrees of Success details the challenges faced by Ph.D.s as they begin their careers, key factors contributing to these challenges, and promising practices to address them.

Provided by Council of Canadian Academies
London: The CEO of HSBC has been accused of aiding and abetting one of Chinas biggest crackdowns on democracy by backing the security law imposed on Hong Kong.

Group chief executive Noel Quinn was also accused of turning a blind eye to allegations of hundreds of senior staff belonging to the Chinese Communist party.

Quinn was grilled by British MPs at a hearing of the Commons Foreign Affairs select committee on Wednesday morning (AEDT).

In the thick of it: A HSBC Holdings bank branch in Hong Kong, China, Credit:Bloomberg

The head of the London-headquartered bank was questioned about why HSBC had frozen the account of the exiled democracy campaigner Ted Hui and why senior director Peter Wong had publicly backed the imposition of the security law on the Chinese social media platform WeChat.
Oman's Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn) today (January 26) unveiled its Vision 2040 which aims to create world-class business cities while maintaining the Omani identity to contribute to economic growth.

The vision revolves around promoting comprehensive and sustainable economic and social development through strengthening public-private partnership, developing and operating business cities with integrated services, and keeping pace with the variables and adopting best solutions and technologies to meet business requirements while conforming to the environmental standards, it stated.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Dr Saleh bin Said Masan, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion for Commerce and Industry, and Chairman of Madayns board of directors, said: "Madayn Vision 2040 is a result of efforts that lasted more than a year of analysing the vision, national priorities and strategies of OmanVision2040 in order to build institutional goals that contribute to enhancing the sultanates competitiveness."

"We aim through the outputs of Madayn Vision 2040 to enhance the sultanates competitiveness in attracting foreign investments, localising domestic investments and enhancing industrial production," stated Masan.

"The vision also focuses on increasing Omani exports, providing job opportunities, and strengthening the components of comprehensive economic and social development in the sultanates various governorates," he noted.

Throughout its 2011-2020 plan, Madayn was able to attract and localise investments valued at more than RO3.3 billion, thus achieving over 72% of the target value, said Masan.

This brings the accumulated investment volume in Madayns industrial cities to more than RO 6.8 billion. In terms of the workforce, Madayn has achieved more than 70% of the target as it provided more than 40,000 job opportunities during the ten-year plan, he added.

Madayn said it continued with its plans to complete the infrastructure and superstructure, as well as development of Samail Industrial City in one phase. The company also worked on developing phase 7 of Suhar Industrial City over an area of 8 million sq m in addition to expansion project of Raysut Industrial City, Phases 1 and 2 of Al Mazunah Free Zone, development works in Al Buraimi, Sur and Nizwa Industrial Cities, and completing the masterplan of Knowledge Oasis Muscat.

Moreover, Madayn, in partnership with the private sector, has implemented workforce townships in Al Rusayl, Suhar and Raysut Industrial Cities last year in addition to Facility Buildings in Knowledge Oasis Muscat and Suhar Industrial City.

According to Masan, work is currently under way on developing the facility buildings in Samail and Al Rusayl Industrial Cities, and Al Mazunah Free Zone.

Over the last 10 years, Madayn had achieved constant growth as seen in its indicators in spite of the fluctuations witnessed by the local, regional and global economic arenas and their impact on all sectors.

"Madayn today represents part of an integrated national economic system that seeks at developing and operating advanced world-class business cities along the lines of the best global models," he added.

CEO Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani said Madayn Vision 2040 is derived from the national priorities and goals of Oman Vision 2040 for the coming period.

"It outlines 26 institutional goals and policies, through which we intend to implement 42 programmes and 384 scheduled projects. Under this, we aim to achieve RO15 billion of investment volume, and have set a target to localise 10,000 projects in various fields.-TradeArabia News Service

The camera pushes in, scaling down skyscrapers to the midnight canyons of Manhattan, ready to tell one of the eight million stories of the naked city. Alternatively, the all-knowing eye pulls back, rising into the Hollywood Hills, laying out a blanket, not of stars, but of twinkling lightsthe pre-dawn embers, the dimming hopes, of the City of Angels.

Film noir is nothing if not a grim collection of tropes. Like any other genre, it is both defined and set free by its cliches, with writers and directors falling prey to and bucking against form in equal measure.

The rain, the window blinds, the sirens  the trains, the pistol whippings, the femme fatales  the smoking, the smoking, the smoking.

I know these things, because in the past nine months or so, I have watched 100 classic noir concoctions from the modes bleak golden age of the 1940s and 50s.

Call it a response to the existential dread of the current era. Call it an escape route from pandemic paranoia. Or call it a movie buffs flashback to his UAlbany film days, arguing the sniggling points of Alfred Hitchcock and Buster Keaton with professor Arthur Lennig.

Im quite sure it was all of those things. It was also one hell of a way to pass the time, particularly for a working musician left frustrated and gig-less by lockdown.

It began innocently enough. Last spring, just after I signed on as a charter subscriber to the Criterion Channel, a web banner announced the Columbia Noir collection, focusing on the studios brooding postwar output.

My cronies have heard ad infinitum about my love for a pair of 1957 chestnutsAlexander McKendricks acrid The Sweet Smell of Success and Elia Kazans acidic A Face in the Crowd.

The former, pitting a scheming Tony Curtis against a menacing Burt Lancaster, contains the eternal, and quintessentially New York, Clifford Odets line, Id hate to take a bite out of you; youre a cookie full of arsenic. The latter, with Andy Griffith baring his teeth in a fashion never seen again, was, it appears, a deep focus on Donald Trump sixty years in advance.

Needless to say, from the first entry of Columbia Noir I was hooked. And after fairly racing through the bulk of those selectionswith highlights like Drive a Crooked Road, Murder by Contract and Nightfall  I turned with a junkies glee to anywhere I could cop a fix. Thank you, Criterion, Amazon Prime, YouTube and the Albany Public Library for offering streaming and borrowing solace in a time of need. Without cable, Eddie Mullers Noir Alley, on TCM, was not much of an option.

An endless play of shadows and light, noir revels in the dark corners of the human psyche. Im a happy guy, but Im comfortable in a lonely place (thank you, Nicholas Ray).

I worked alongside Capital Repertory Theatre Producing Artistic Director Maggie Mancinelli-Cahills side for almost seven years, and she loves to point out that, by my own admission, my definition of good theater, is two people in a room being mean to each other.

What is film noir if not that. And with guns?

To put a finer point on it, Nino Frank, the French film critic who coined the term in 1946, situated noir less as crime stories torn from todays headlines than as psychological narratives with the action, no matter how violent or fast-paced, playing second fiddle to the truth of the characters.

Think a pre-My Three Sons Fred McMurray in one of the true, list-topping staples, Billy Wilders Double Indemnity" (1944), entranced into evil deeds by Barbara Stanwyck. Think Jimmy Cagneys psychopathic Cody Jarrett in Raoul Walshs blistering White Heat (1949), shouting, "Made it Ma, top of the world, before being, literally, incinerated. Best of all, think Richard Widmark, in his film debut as the diabolical Tommy I wouldnt give you the skin off a grape Udo in Henry Hathaways Kiss of Death (1947), politely tying Mrs. Rizzo (an uncredited Mildred Dunnock) to her wheelchair with a lamp cord before launching her down a flight of stairs (one of American films signal midcentury moments, matched only by a 1953-era Lee Marvin tossing a pot of boiling coffee in Gloria Grahames face in Fritz Langs The Big Heat).

I spent months with these people. What does that say about me? It became a project, a fetish even. Once I hit a certain momentum, I couldnt stop. Twenty became 50; 50 became 80; 80, 100. Im not really sure if Im done yet. There is still political divisiveness, the pandemic still rages, and noir seems like some kind of strange, safe haven.

Robert Ryan, Gene Tierney, Dan Duryea, Lizabeth Scott, John Garfield, Ida Lupino  they feel like friends.

Equally fetishistic is my penchant, no matter how late the hour, for gorging on IMDB trivia immediately following the screening which takes place solely at the kitchen table or in bed, on my government-issue middle-aged white male iPad. If I havent read the trivia (and learned that Ace in the Hole, for example, was originally titled The Big Carnival), have I really seen the movie?

When Ive shared this mania in online conversations  since we cant actually meet with each other I am inevitably asked, whats your favorite? The answer, obviously, is whichever Im watching next.

But certain things do stand out amidst the endless river of sweet, sweet negativity and succulent, thirst-quenching depravity. And Im not just talking about Tommy Udo.

If noir is about shadows, there are few things more delightful in life than Joseph H. Lewis So Dark the Night (1946). Its not a ballyhooed classic, because the story of a vacationing detective wears thin quickly, but visually its a sumptuous chiaroscuro banquet of inky blacks and shimmering whites, courtesy of director of photography Burnett Guffey, whose fierce angles recall Gregg Tolands work with Orson Welles.

Welles himself is a force, whether showing up unexpectedly alive, as Harry Lime, in Carol Reeds magnificent The Third Man" (1949) or directing and starring in The Stranger, Lady from Shanghai, the elliptical Mr. Arkadin or Touch of Evil. The latter, a top contender in many estimations of the genre, is not aging well due to racist memes that can no longer simply be pushed aside six decades later.

Robert Aldrichs Kiss Me Deadly" (1955), a precursor to the nuclear shenanigans of 1984s Alex Cox cult favorite Repo Man is gleefully twisted and nearly requires repeated mordant viewing.

There are films youve heard of, even if youre not an aficionado, big titles like The Big Sleep, Maltese Falcon, Sunset Boulevard, Gilda, Laura," Out of the Past and The Woman in the Window. They are rightfully famous because they really are that good. So is The Night of the Hunter, with Robert Mitchumlove and hate tattooed across his knuckles, the embodiment of evil as faux preacher Harry Powell. Odds Against Tomorrow boasts local interest, in that the climactic scenes of the Harry Belafonte heist vehicle were filmed on the gritty, mean streets of, um, Hudson, with many of its landmarks instantly recognizable.

I finished my journey, or at least its first dark, broken leg, with the trifecta of Key Largo, highlighting Bogie and Bacall wilting in the Florida humidity; Flamingo Road, with a radiant Joan Crawford and an eel-like Sydney Greenstreet; and The Blue Dahlia, which, in a truly bitter ironic twist, inspired Elizabeth Shorts Black Dahlia nickname.
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KYODO NEWS - Jan 26, 2021 - 12:58 | All, Japan

Japan has asked Taiwan to beef up production of semiconductors amid a serious global shortage that has affected businesses such as automakers, the economy minister said Tuesday.

Strong demand for smartphones and 5G network equipment as well as robust recovery in auto sales from a slump due to the coronavirus pandemic has made chip supplies tight, forcing Honda Motor Co., Subaru Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. to cut or halt output this year.

Chips are increasingly used in cars, from sensors to emissions controls and video displays.

Taiwan is home to semiconductor giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

"In coordination with the auto industry, the Japanese government is requesting Taiwan authorities to work for an increase in (semiconductor) output through the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association," Hiroshi Kajiyama, minister of economy, trade and industry, told a press conference.

The exchange association serves as Japan's de facto mission in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.

"We will continue to closely monitor the situation but semiconductors are still short in supply," Kajiyama said.

The United States and Germany have also asked for Taiwan's cooperation to beef up semiconductor production in response to supply disruptions, with TSMC intending to comply with the request, according to Taiwanese media reports.
Haryana government has suspended internet services in three districts adjoining Delhi - Sonepat, Palwal and Jhajjar. All SMS services have also been suspended. Telecom users will be able to use only voice call facilities. The suspension will remain in effect till 5;00 pm on Wednesday. The decision has been taken to check the spread of rumours and false information.

Farmers' body Samyukt Kisan Morcha has called off the Kisan Republic Day Parade with immediate effect and urged protesting farmers to return to the protest sites.

Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava has urged protesting farmers to maintain peace in the wake of violent clash between demonstrators and police forces in the national capital. He urged them not to indulge in violence and return through designated routes. "Public properties have also been damaged. I appeal to the protesting farmers not to indulge in violence, maintain peace and return through the designated routes," Shrivastava said to ANI.

Following violent clashes between protesting farmers and police personnel, Delhi Police urged the demonstrators to return through designated routes and maintain peace. "Protesters turned violent at some places. Many police personnel were injured & public properties also damaged. Police exercised restraint & used force only when needed. I appeal to protesters to return through the designated routes & maintain peace," Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal told ANI.

In the wake of clashes between protesting farmers and police forces across Delhi, Congess leader Rahul Gandhi said that violence is not the solution. He also called for repeal of farm laws in national interest. "Violence is not the solution to any problem. If anyone gets hurt, the damage will happen to our country," Gandhi tweeted. "Take back the anti-agricultural law for the benefit of the country!"

A protesting farmer has died after his tractor overturned at Central Delhi's ITO, PTI reported quoted police sources. The deceased was driving the tractor and was trapped under it as the vehicle overturned.

Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting with senior police and security officials to discuss and review security measures after violent farmer protests in Delhi today. Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava also attended the high-level meeting.

A high level meeting of Ministry of Home Affairs officials is underway. They have sought information about violence in parts of Delhi-NCR. Paramilitary forces have been asked to remain on high alert.

Kisan Sangharsh Mazdoor Sangharsh committee leaders asked farmers to return to the protest site at Singhu border. A large number of farmers are reportedly returning via Civil Lines.

Tractors are now assembling under ITO flyover and blocking it. Rows of tractors with trolley parked to block traffic movement

Additional forces have been deployed at Red Fort. The police have been asked to close the gates of the fort and to clear the area of protesters.

16:17 IST: Additional forces have been deployed at Red Fort. The police have been asked to close the gates of the fort and to clear the area of protesters.

Jan 26, 2021 16:15 (IST) Anti-social elements infiltrated movement, says Samyukta Kisan Morcha Samyukta Kisan Morcha statement:



We thank farmers for the unprecedented participation in today's Farmers Republic Day Parade. We also condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that have taken place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts.



Despite all our efforts, some organisations and individuals have violated the route and indulged in condemnable acts. Anti-social elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement. We have always held that peace is our biggest strength, and that any violation would hurt the movement.



The long struggle for more than 6 months now, and more than 60 days of protest at Delhi borders also seemed to have led to this situation.



We dissociate ourselves from all such elements that have violated our discipline. We appeal strongly to everyone to stick to the route and norms of the Parade, and not indulge in any violent action or anything that taints national symbols and dignity. We appeal to everyone to desist from any such acts.



SKM has been trying to get a full picture of all the events with regard to the several Kisan Parades that were planned today and will share a fuller statement soon.

16:15 IST: Samyukta Kisan Morcha statement:



We thank farmers for the unprecedented participation in today's Farmers Republic Day Parade. We also condemn and regret the undesirable and unacceptable events that have taken place today and dissociate ourselves from those indulging in such acts.



Despite all our efforts, some organisations and individuals have violated the route and indulged in condemnable acts. Anti-social elements had infiltrated the otherwise peaceful movement. We have always held that peace is our biggest strength, and that any violation would hurt the movement.



The long struggle for more than 6 months now, and more than 60 days of protest at Delhi borders also seemed to have led to this situation.



We dissociate ourselves from all such elements that have violated our discipline. We appeal strongly to everyone to stick to the route and norms of the Parade, and not indulge in any violent action or anything that taints national symbols and dignity. We appeal to everyone to desist from any such acts.



SKM has been trying to get a full picture of all the events with regard to the several Kisan Parades that were planned today and will share a fuller statement soon.

Jan 26, 2021 16:02 (IST) Protester died after tractor overturned: Delhi Police The driver/farmer was running the tractor amok at DDU Marg, when it overturned and the person come under that vehicle and died. They have not handed over the body to DP. As per Police, there is no firing anywhere, but they used tear gas shells at many points to disperse the crowd.

16:02 IST: The driver/farmer was running the tractor amok at DDU Marg, when it overturned and the person come under that vehicle and died. They have not handed over the body to DP. As per Police, there is no firing anywhere, but they used tear gas shells at many points to disperse the crowd.

Jan 26, 2021 15:40 (IST) Delhi Traffic Police issues advisory Please avoid NH 44, GTK road, outer ring road, Signature Bridge, GT road, ISBT ring road, Vikas Marg, ITO, NH 24, Nizammudin Khatta, Noida link road, Peeragarhi & Outer Delhi, East & West Delhi border areas due to ongoing farmer protests: Delhi Traffic Police

15:40 IST: Please avoid NH 44, GTK road, outer ring road, Signature Bridge, GT road, ISBT ring road, Vikas Marg, ITO, NH 24, Nizammudin Khatta, Noida link road, Peeragarhi & Outer Delhi, East & West Delhi border areas due to ongoing farmer protests: Delhi Traffic Police

15:31 IST: Home Ministry suspended internet services in parts of Delhi-NCR including Singhu border, Ghazipur border, Tikri border, Mukarba Chowk, and Nangloi.

Jan 26, 2021 15:29 (IST) Do not tarnish movement, urges Yogendra Yadav "I appeal on behalf of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha to all farmers not to pay attention to rumours, also appeal to them to return to their designated routes. Please dont do any thing that tarnishes the farmers movement" said Yogendra Yadav, farm union leader.

15:29 IST: "I appeal on behalf of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha to all farmers not to pay attention to rumours, also appeal to them to return to their designated routes. Please dont do any thing that tarnishes the farmers movement" said Yogendra Yadav, farm union leader.

Jan 26, 2021 15:27 (IST) Only Tiranga should fly on Red Fort, says Tharoor "Most unfortunate. I have supported the farmers protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on Republic Day no flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort," said Shashi Tharoor.

15:27 IST: "Most unfortunate. I have supported the farmers protests from the start but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on Republic Day no flag but the sacred tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort," said Shashi Tharoor.

15:21 IST: A group of farmers moved to a different route and broke through barricades in Najafgarh.

Jan 26, 2021 15:11 (IST) BKU says political parties responsible for violence We know the people who are trying to create disturbance, they are identified. There are people from political parties who are trying to malign the agitation, says Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson, BKU.

15:11 IST: We know the people who are trying to create disturbance, they are identified. There are people from political parties who are trying to malign the agitation, says Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson, BKU.

Jan 26, 2021 15:06 (IST) Farmer dies during protest A farmer, Rajesh of Madina village of Sonepat, has reportedly died at Singhu border due to a heart attack. The police has launched an investigation.

15:06 IST: A farmer, Rajesh of Madina village of Sonepat, has reportedly died at Singhu border due to a heart attack. The police has launched an investigation.

Jan 26, 2021 14:20 (IST) DND blocked due to tractor movement Massive traffic jams all over - DND blocked from one side as some tractors continue to move towards Delhi from DND.

14:20 IST: Massive traffic jams all over - DND blocked from one side as some tractors continue to move towards Delhi from DND.

Jan 26, 2021 14:16 (IST) Violence not the solution, says Rahul Gandhi Violence is not the solution for anything. Irrespective of who gets hurt, it is the country that loses out. For the benefit of the country, these anti-farmer laws must be repealed, said Rahul Gandhi.

14:16 IST: Violence is not the solution for anything. Irrespective of who gets hurt, it is the country that loses out. For the benefit of the country, these anti-farmer laws must be repealed, said Rahul Gandhi.

14:03 IST:

Jan 26, 2021 14:01 (IST) A group of farmers reach Red Fort A group of farmers reached Red Fort. The group hoisted their flag at the fort. They have vastly outnumbered the security forces.

14:01 IST: A group of farmers reached Red Fort. The group hoisted their flag at the fort. They have vastly outnumbered the security forces.

Jan 26, 2021 13:47 (IST) Metro station gates closed Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed. Entry/exit gates of Indraprastha metro station and all stations on the Green Line are closed: DMRC

13:47 IST: Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed. Entry/exit gates of Indraprastha metro station and all stations on the Green Line are closed: DMRC

Jan 26, 2021 13:44 (IST) Tractor runs amok, turns turtle A tractor ran amok and tried to attack policemen at ITO. Dramatic scenes were witnessed as the protestor went out of control. Cops and media persons were seen getting themselves out of the way. The tractor turned turtle. As per initial reports, lives have possibly been lost.

13:44 IST: A tractor ran amok and tried to attack policemen at ITO. Dramatic scenes were witnessed as the protestor went out of control. Cops and media persons were seen getting themselves out of the way. The tractor turned turtle. As per initial reports, lives have possibly been lost.

Jan 26, 2021 13:37 (IST) Senior Police officials in touch with farmer leaders Senior Delhi Police officials are in touch with farmer leaders. They said they are hopeful that the situation would be normalised.

13:37 IST: Senior Delhi Police officials are in touch with farmer leaders. They said they are hopeful that the situation would be normalised.

Jan 26, 2021 13:36 (IST) Police official injured at ITO A Delhi Police official suffered injuries during the ITO violence. The policeman has been moved to a hospital. Stone-pelting continues as police uses tear gas shells.









13:36 IST: A Delhi Police official suffered injuries during the ITO violence. The policeman has been moved to a hospital. Stone-pelting continues as police uses tear gas shells.









13:33 IST: Entry, exit gate of ITO metro station closed as violence ensues.

Jan 26, 2021 13:31 (IST) All roads to Central, New Delhi blocked by police All roads leading to Central Delhi from East and North East Delhi have been blocked by police. No traffic is being allowed.

13:31 IST: All roads leading to Central Delhi from East and North East Delhi have been blocked by police. No traffic is being allowed.

13:31 IST: At ITO the police have used tear gas. Farmers have resorted to stone pelting.

Jan 26, 2021 13:28 (IST) Delhi Police block farmers at Nangloi Delhi Police officials sit on road in Nangloi to block the area where farmers holding tractor parade have reached.
Actress Neha Dhupia is known for being vocal about several social issues, climate change is among them. Speaking at Mission Paani's Waterthon, a Network 18 initiative, the actress said that she is worried about the world that she is leaving behind for her daughter.

"When you said this is the first ever Waterthon, what alarmed me is, what took us so long? It is a depleting resource and matter of concern. We are the generation thats still aspiring to do so much in life. But the generation that is yet to come, or at least with my daughter Mehr, when she grows up, they will be fighting for natural resources. We worry so much about their education and well-being, why arent we leaving a better environment, a better world for our children? I do as much as I can to educate people around me in small ways every day," she said.

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, brand ambassador for Mission Paani, is hosting the Waterthon this year. Talking about how celebrities make a difference, Neha said, Akshay Kumar has been associated with so many causes, his voice is amplified in so many different ways. Everybody wants to follow what he says. If you have a voice, you should know how to use it."

"We dont need to gather a crowd to start a revolution, we can start individually. If we do not have water supply in our buildings for a few hours, it becomes a scary situation. But a large population of our country faces this crisis every day, walk for miles to go and get water. The future is very scary if we don't do anything right now," she added.

Read: Mission Paani Campaign: Dia Mirza Lists Everyday Steps We Can Take to Avert Water Scarcity Threat

Read: Mission Paani Waterthon: Akshay Kumar Walks on Treadmill for 21km to Shift Focus to Water Scarcity Problem
Google is winding down support for yet another one of its marquee VR products. In a blog post spotted by Protocol, the company said its halting development on Tilt Brush and open sourcing the project so that the community can continue to use the app.

To some, this may look like the end of Tilt Brush. To me, this is immortality, said Tilt Brush co-creator Patrick Hackett of Googles decision. Incidentally, Hackett left the company earlier in the month. For its part, Google said the move will allow everyone to learn how we built the project, as well as encourage them to take it in directions that are near and dear to them.

After it acquired the app in 2015, Google first launched Tilt Brush on SteamVR in 2016. It eventually made its way to all the major VR platforms, including Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR and Valve Index. The app will continue to be available through all the stores where you can already download it. Googles abandonment of Tilt Brush is the latest chapter in its long retreat from virtual reality. In 2019, the company both discontinued support for Daydream and shut down its Jump platform for creating 360-degree videos.
Brood X is here

Numerous cicadas and their exoskeletons can be found at Antietam National Cemetery and the nearby battlefield.



BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (REGN) antibody cocktail REGEN-COV was effective in preventing COVID-19 in people at high risk of infection, as per an interim results from a late-stage study.



As per the interim analysis of 409 people participating in a phase 3 trial, REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab antibody cocktail) caused a 100% prevention of symptomatic infection and about 50% lower overall rates of infection.



'These data using REGEN-COV as a passive vaccine suggest that it may both reduce transmission of the virus as well as reduce viral and disease burden in those who still get infected,' said George Yancopoulos, President and Chief Scientific Officer at Regeneron.



The company said it looks forward to seeing the full dataset early next quarter and will discuss the current results with regulatory authorities, including the potential to expand the Emergency Use Authorization.



Regeneron's COVID-19 antibody therapy REGN-COV2 received emergency use authorization in November from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.



The company said Tuesday that the REGEN-COV antibody cocktail may be able to help break the virus spreading chain by providing immediate passive immunity to those at high risk of infection, in contrast to active vaccines which take weeks to provide protection. The antibody cocktail could be effective both as a therapeutic and as a passive vaccine.



The company noted that that the REGEN-COV Phase 3 prevention trial evaluated the use of REGEN-COV as a 'passive vaccine' to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Passive vaccination provides immediate short-term passive immunity, by delivering protective virus-neutralizing antibodies, either through therapeutic antibody medicines like REGEN-COV or from mother to child through breastmilk.



Traditional vaccines work by activating the immune system to develop its own antibodies, a process that typically takes weeks, but provides longer-term active immunity.



The initial descriptive analysis included 409 evaluable participants enrolled early in the trial who did not have COVID-19 at baseline and were 'seronegative,' meaning they did not have existing antibodies in their blood to SARS-CoV-2. Individuals were eligible for the trial if they had a household member with COVID-19.



Participants were tested weekly by nasopharyngeal swab. The confirmatory results will evaluate the ability of REGEN-COV to prevent asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 infections as the primary endpoint. The trial has enrolled over 2,000 participants.



In addition, REGEN-COV is being studied in two late-stage hospitalized patient trials and a Phase 3 trial for the treatment of non-hospitalized patients.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Its the tail end of the silly season before the nation goes back to work and its a total furnace out there. But inside federal Labor the thermostat is approaching Siberia.

Good mates: Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten. Credit:John Shakespeare

Labors former (but still very ambitious) opposition leader Bill Shorten delivered a stump speech over the weekend taking aim at the party and leader Anthony Albaneses tiny policy agenda. He might as well have said tiny penis for all the drama it has caused. Shorten took pains to point out he supported Albo, but the whole thing was manna from heaven for political hacks working a weekend shift in January.

And then a curious thing happened. For reasons unknown, Shortens speech failed to materialise from Labors usually very reliable press machine.

For those outside the bubble, Labors press machine - run entirely from inside Albos office - is unfailingly reliable in circulating a transcript every time one of its MPs addresses a crowd, always shortly after delivery. And yet, Shortens weekend speech remains MIA 36 hours on.
Posted Monday, January 25, 2021 7:56 am

Legislation that would provide state funding for students to attend private school or be homeschooled is once again in the Washington State Legislature, as state Rep. Vicki Kraft reintroduced her bill for the 2021 legislative session.

House Bill 1215, introduced by Kraft, R-Vancouver, would establish the K-12 Education Scholarship Program in Washington state, a release from the state House Republicans stated. If approved, the program would award up to $7,000 per student annually to cover costs for private school or homeschool instruction.

Kraft said in the release that the past year has shown the effect of a lack of education choices on students, pointing to more than 32,000 families in Washington state who pulled out of the states public school system.

"Many parents are frustrated with the teachings of public schools and curricula, such as the new sex education mandate and new vaccination requirements, that do not reflect their values," Kraft said in the release. "This bill will allow parents to be able to provide the best learning environment for their child, no matter what the circumstance.

Kraft said having the scholarship program in place could be a benefit toward improvements in existing education options.

"If the public education system is a good option for kids, it seems logical that adding other choices should prove the merits of that option and create healthy competition. This has the possibility of improving education in every venue, whether it is public, private or homeschool," Kraft said. "We have great teachers and educators in all of those areas. This provides the opportunity for educators in all sectors to come together and begin discussing best practices. It's a win-win for students and parents."

The bill currently sits in the House Education Committee. Kraft introduced a similar bill in 2020, though it did not make it out of committee, according to legislative

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With the pandemic bringing a renewed focus on health and safety to the minds of consumers, Taylor Morrison (NYSE:TMHC), the nation's fifth largest homebuilder, recently unveiled a unique brand campaign within the residential homebuilding industry. The 'Make Healthier Moves' campaign highlights Taylor Morrison's commitment to building healthy homesensuring customers find peace of mind in their place of sanctuary.

Through a series of brand films currently streaming across social media, YouTube and channels such as HGTV and TLC, the 'Make Healthier Moves' campaign emotionally illustrates Taylor Morrison's pledge to build all new homes with safer paint, healthier air and cleaner water products and technology. Offered at no additional cost to homebuyers, the homebuilder's TM LiveWell base package comes standard in all to-be-built homes.

"With the unpredictable state of our world, we realized how important it was to make a statement and authentic commitment to our customers," says Taylor Morrison Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Stephanie McCarty. "'Make Healthier Moves' brings our progressive brand act to life, demonstrating the compassion rooted within Taylor Morrison's culture and values. Throughout 2021, we strive to build an even greater sense of trust as we continue to put our customers first."

According to Taylor Morrison's survey, COVID-19 is reshaping consumer preferences and bringing to life a bias for new construction. Since the pandemic began, more than one-third of home shoppers said they seek to purchase a new home rather than a resale for better in-home health and wellness features. This interest intensifies among the younger demographic, with nearly 40 percent of millennial and 35 percent of the Gen X home shoppers indicated they desire health and wellness features in a new home.

"We're seeing a tremendous desire for healthier living as people spend more time at home than ever before," said Chairman and CEO Sheryl Palmer. "From the air you breathe to the water you drink to the surfaces you touch and more, where you live truly mattersespecially in today's current climate. Putting our customers' wellness at the forefront of our business strategy seemed to be both the logical and compassionate move, and our intrinsic desire to do right by our customers led to us becoming the first builder to appreciate the importance of building healthier homes."

'Make Healthier Moves' expands on Taylor Morrison's original brand campaign, 'Make Moves,' which first debuted in 2019 with a collection of emotional brand films highlighting the homebuilder's belief in the power of progression. The inaugural campaign emboldens customers on the cusp of change to push past the fear of the unknown and Make Moves.

2020 marked a year of significant evolution for Taylor Morrison as the company took many bold steps to safely serve and accommodate customers when COVID-19 hit. The homebuilder was among the first to unveil innovative online tools to empower customers in their homebuying journey, including virtual tours, self-guided tours, curbside closings and home reservations, which allow buyers to place a 24-hour hold on a home using an online shopping cart feature.

About Taylor Morrison

Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (NYSE: TMHC) is the nation's fifth largest homebuilder and developer based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that has been recognized as America's Most Trusted Home Builder for six years running (2016-2021). Operating under a family of brands including Taylor Morrison, Darling Homes, William Lyon Signature Home and Christopher Todd Communities built by Taylor Morrison, we serve consumer groups coast to coast, from first-time to move-up, luxury and 55-plus buyers. Our unwavering pledge to sustainability, our communities and our teamoutlined in the 2019 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reportextends to designing thoughtful living experiences homeowners can be proud of for generations to come.

CONTACT: Alice Giedraitis

(480) 840-8137

[email protected]

SOURCE Taylor Morrison

Related Links

www.taylormorrison.com


Police have shut down multiple parties across the city, including one on a sandbar in Sydneys south where about 100 people were gathered.

At 3pm, police from Sutherland Shire Police Area command attended Lilli Pilli Point following reports of about 100 people gathering on the sandbar. The crowd dispersed as police arrived.

Several people were treated by paramedics for intoxication. There were no arrests made.

At 3pm, police attended a party on a sandbar at Lilli Pilli where about 100 people were gathered for a party. Credit:Nine News

Elsewhere, emergency services were called just after 4pm to a party at Whiting Beach near Bradleys Head in Mosman, where a teenager was pulled unconscious from the water. Bystanders performed CPR and the teenager regained consciousness.

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- Global education software provider Turnitin says that Aschbacher's case demonstrates the need for universities to use robust academic integrity tools to help prevent plagiarism before submission.

- The database of the plagiarism checker currently used by Slovakian institutions is predominantly Slovak content, thereby making it more difficult to identify similarity in work submitted in other languages

NEWCASTLE, England, Jan. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Austrian minister for labour, families and youth, Christine Aschbacher, facing allegations of plagiarism, Turnitin has highlighted the need for education institutions across Slovakia to implement improved originality checking solutions throughout the learning process.

Christine Aschbacher has resigned due to allegations that her thesis submitted last year to the Technical University of Bratislava in Slovakia was plagiarised.

Aaran Yaverski, Turnitin Regional VP, EMEA explained: "This case demonstrates exactly why robust academic integrity solutions must be in place for universities across Slovakia. Without effective originality checks, universities are leaving themselves open to academic misconduct cases such as these.

"If institutions cannot be sure that students' work is truly their own and that their grades haven't been honestly earned, this also has major consequences for employers taking on graduates from Slovakian universities - as the Austrian government is now seeing."

Using Turnitin software, Aschbacher's thesis was found to have a significant lack of citation and referencing.

Similarity scores are a feature of Turnitin's academic integrity solutions, and are designed to help students and teachers identify unoriginal work. Turnitin has the largest academic database of its kind in the world, comparing submissions against its database of over 70 billion current and archived web pages and 1 billion student papers, with submission available in all languages.

In contrast, the plagiarism checker currently used by Slovakian universities is predominantly made up of Slovak content - meaning universities are at risk of non-Slovakian texts being submitted without accurate similarity checks, thereby increasing the chance of misconduct. Auschbacker's thesis was submitted to the Technical University of Bratislava in German.

In addition to its comprehensive similarity checker, Turnitin also offers a number of tools and resources to support institutions in upholding academic integrity. This includes assessment and grading solutions to save time marking and support the transition to online learning, as well as resources to support students' critical thinking.

About Turnitin

Turnitin is a global company dedicated to ensuring the integrity of education and research and supporting the development of original thinking skills. For more than 20 years, Turnitin has partnered with educational institutions to promote honesty, consistency, and fairness. Our products are used by educators to guide their students towards higher standards of integrity and by students and researchers to do their best, original work. Turnitin is headquartered in Oakland, Calif., with international offices in the U.K., Netherlands, Australia, Korea, India, and throughout Latin America. Over 15,000 academic institutions, publishers, and corporations use our products: Feedback Studio, Gradescope, iThenticate, Turnitin Originality, Turnitin Similarity.

https://www.turnitin.com/

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1345190/Turnitin_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE Turnitin
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There is a crisis in Albuquerque  one which has nothing to do with civil unrest or national politics  and one which the city must immediately address.

According to the citys director of Family and Community Services, the citys COVID-19 emergency shelter system was out of space last week for homeless families. In other words, no vacancy for children and their families at the citys Westside Emergency Housing Center or within the citys network of wellness hotels.

As of Jan. 19, the citys shelter-hotel system was accommodating 768 people. Among that total were 87 families that included 186 children.

Think about that for a moment  almost 200 children are living in hotels on a temporary basis in our city, with an untold number of others sleeping outdoors or in vehicles while temperatures drop into the 20s at night.

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While there is still room for adult men and women, Family and Community Services Director Carol Pierce says the family units at hotels are full because of the staggering number of children. As soon as (an opening) comes up, they are rapidly filled, Pierce says. Albuquerque Public Schools estimates that at any given time over the course of a school year, there are about 3,000 students who dont have a permanent address, including students who live in motels or stay with family or friends.

The homeless crisis requires emergency action by Albuquerque and its partnering agencies, which have established five shelter-hotel operations in the city. The Albuquerque City Council needs to approve an emergency appropriation so the city can immediately expand the shelter-hotel program for families and certain other clients, such as people at high risk of COVID-19 complications or who are showing symptoms.

On Monday, the city announced it is putting $1 million in HVAC, ADA, trash and parking lot upgrades at the Westside Emergency Housing Center. Important, yet it does nothing to add capacity for the hundreds of men, women and children sleeping on our streets. The West Side shelter used to have 450 beds, but COVID-safe practices cut that in half. One of the big cuts was the shelters family pod.

Keep that in mind as the debate continues over the morphing Gateway Center, including how many shelter beds for what populations in which part of town.

Meanwhile, the city needs to open up more motel rooms for homeless families.

And while it opens motel rooms, the best model would be for men, women and homeless families to be housed at hotels dedicated to their population.

These groups of people are struggling with very different issues that have led to their homeless situation  children whose families are dealing with unemployment and women fleeing abuse should not have to navigate a parking lot of single men struggling with addiction. And given the lack of travel under COVID-19, there are plenty of hotels with vacancies in the city.

A Point-in-Time count in 2019 showed New Mexico with a the highest percentage increase in homelessness in the nation at 57.6%. The last sheltered/unsheltered count in 2019 put the number of homeless people in Albuquerque at just over 1,500, although operators of homeless shelters and meal programs say the actual number was probably in the range of 4,000 to 4,500. And that was pre-pandemic.

People can debate all day long whether homelessness is more a result of personal behavior or economic disparities. But there should be no debate that every child deserves a clean, warm bed every single night.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 21:17:01|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

- - - -

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia reported 3,585 new COVID-19 infections, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday, bringing the national total to 190,434.

Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that two of the new cases are imported and 3,583 are local transmissions.

- - - -

SHIJIAZHUANG -- Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, reported four new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the first 12 hours of Tuesday, according to local authorities.

Two of the confirmed cases were reported in the city's Gaocheng District while the other two were detected in the county of Pingshan, Meng Xianghong, vice mayor of Shijiazhuang, said at a press conference, adding that no asymptomatic cases were reported in the period.

- - - -

TBILISI -- Georgia on Tuesday reported 1,006 new COVID-19 cases, taking its total to 254,822, said the country's National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC).

Data from the NCDC showed that 1,050 more patients have recovered in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 244,446.

- - - -

MALE -- Nearly 20,000 Maldivians have signed up to be vaccinated against COVID-19 since registrations were opened on Jan. 18, local media reported here Tuesday.

Health Emergency Operation Center Spokesperson Dr. Nazla Rafeeq was quoted in state-owned PSM News as saying that 19,666 people had registered to be vaccinated so far. Registrations are currently only open for priority groups such as health and social care workers.

- - - -

PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia on Tuesday confirmed two new imported COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the kingdom to 460, said a Ministry of Health statement.

The new cases were detected on a 24-year-old Indonesian man coming from Indonesia and a 23-year-old Cambodian woman returning from neighboring Thailand, the statement said, adding that both arrived in Cambodia on Jan. 12.

- - - -

VIENTIANE -- A total of 102,017 people in Laos have received COVID-19 tests since January 2020, according to Lao Ministry of Health.

Laos has conducted 102,017 tests for COVID-19 since January 2020, with 44 of them positive and 41 patients having been discharged from the hospitals, Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control under Lao Ministry of Health Sisavath Soutthaniraxay told a press conference in Lao capital Vientiane on Tuesday. Enditem
Bulgaria has made it mandatory for passengers to take COVID-19 tests after arriving in the country, including for those coming from European nations. Bulgarian Health Minister Kostadin Angelov on Monday said that the new measure has been put in place to protect the people and the country from the COVID-19 disease, which continues to rage havoc across the world, including in Europe. Bulgaria has announced that all travellers will be required to take COVID-19 tests after arriving in the country.

Read: Bulgaria: 4 People Inoculated With Pfizer/BioNTech Jab Experience Side Effects

"Today we will take measures to issue a decree according to which all citizens arriving in Bulgaria, including those from the EU countries, will have to take a coronavirus test. This way, we want to protect the country and our citizens from the threat of the new COVID-19 strain," Angelov said in a statement on Monday.

This comes after the European Commission proposed member states made it mandatory for all non-EU travellers to take COVID-19 tests before arriving in the region and also introduced self-isolation and quarantine measures. The Commission also proposed to ban all non-essential travel within the EU.

Read: Bulgaria To Expel Two Russian Diplomats Suspected Of Spying

Vaccination in Bulgaria

The country of 7 million people intends to vaccinate at least 2 million of its citizens in 2021. The country has already vaccinated more than 26,000 people since December 27, when the inoculation drive began across Europe. According to reports, Bulgaria is in talks with pharmaceutical companies to purchase 13 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which would be enough to vaccinate its entire population.

Read: North Macedonia: PM Criticizes Bulgarias Veto Of EU Talks

The Balkan nation has recorded more than 2,15,000 COVID-19 infections so far, of which over 8,800 people have lost their lives. The daily rate of new COVID-19 cases in Bulgaria has registered a steep decline as compared to November last year when the country had recorded its highest single-day jump with more than 3,000 cases. On January 24, Bulgaria reported just 121 new cases.

Read: Bulgaria Is Latest Block In North Macedonia's Bid To Join EU

(With inputs from ANI, Image Credit: AP)


Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - TrustBIX Inc. (TSXV: TBIX) ("TrustBIX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the non-brokered private placement financing ("Private Placement") announced on January 14th, 2021 for up to $1,500,000 and upsized to $2,000,000 on January 15th, 2021 has received conditional acceptance from the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") for closing purposes. TrustBIX is also pleased to announce that due to strong investor demand, the Private Placement was further increased to $2,100,000 on January 21st, 2021 which has been accepted by the Exchange such that the Company may issue up to 10,500,000 units ("Units").

TrustBIX has closed on the initial tranche of subscriptions of 6,632,343 Units at a price of $0.20 per Unit for gross proceeds of $1,326,468 that includes the completion of 2,382,343 Units issued to certain insiders of TrustBIX as previously disclosed, which will represent approximately 22.5% of the total financing.

Each Unit is comprised of one (1) common share in the capital of TrustBIX ("Common Share") and one (1) Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"), whereby each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one (1) Common Share at a price of $0.30 for a period of one (1) year from the date of closing. If after four (4) months and one (1) day from the date of closing the trading price of the Common Shares on the principal market on which such shares trade closes at a price that is equal to or exceeds $0.50 per Common Share for twenty (20) consecutive trading days, the Company will have the right to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants. In the event of acceleration, the expiry date will be accelerated to a date that is thirty (30) days after the date that written notice has been given to the warrant holder or the date that TrustBIX has issued a press release announcing the exercise of the acceleration right; and thereafter, no further notification will be provided by the Company to the subscribers.

The issuance of Units to insiders pursuant to the Private Placement will constitute a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101, Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Offering will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101. In particular, TrustBIX anticipates that the exemptions set out in paragraphs (a) and (b) in section 5.5 of MI 61-101 are applicable since the aggregate consideration to be paid by the related parties will not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of TrustBIX and TrustBIX is not listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, but only on the TSX Venture Exchange. In addition, regarding the minority shareholder approval exemptions, the independent directors have determined that the exemptions set out in paragraphs (1)(a) and (b) in section 5.7 of MI 61-101 are applicable in that the aggregate consideration to be paid by the related parties will not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of TrustBIX, the distribution of the securities to the related parties will have a fair market value of not more than $2,500,000 and TrustBIX is not listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, but only on the TSX Venture Exchange.

The securities issued under the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period from the time of closing of the Private Placement.

In addition, the Company has paid a finder's fee, of $122,500 cash, in connection with this initial closing.

TrustBIX will use the net proceeds from the Private Placement for general working capital and growing its business.

About TrustBIX (TSXV: TBIX)

As an innovative leader, TrustBIX provides agri-food traceability. By addressing consumer and agri-food business demands, the Company has a goal to become the most trusted and largest source of third-party food traceability and sustainability information globally - Gate to Plate. TrustBIX Inc.'s focus is to create a world where we trust more, waste less and reward sustainable behaviour. The Company's proprietary platform, BIX (Business infoXchange System), is designed to create trust without compromising privacy through innovative use of data and technology. Extensive R&D has allowed TrustBIX to create a new blockchain-derived technology to complement its mature and proven traceability systems. By leveraging BIX and its unique use of incentive solutions, the Company can deliver independent validation of food provenance and sustainable production practices within the supply chain. ViewTrak Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, provides a suite of hardware and software solutions to the livestock industry in Canada, United States, Mexico and China, such as Auction Master Pro, Market Master, Feedlot Solutions and pork grading probes. For more information, visit www.trustbix.com, or follow us on Twitter twitter.com/@TrustBIX_Inc, Facebook at www.facebook.com/BIXSco, or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bixsco-inc-/.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Hubert Lau

President and CEO

Telephone: (780) 456-2207

Email: info@trustbix.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 of accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72853
Britain's vaccine minister revealed his uncle died with coronavirus in an emotional interview where he promised to vaccinate the country's most vulnerable and protect the whole nation.

Nadhim Zahawi, 53, appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain today to answer questions from presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid about the country's ongoing pandemic response.

Mr Zahawi, who fled from Saddam Hussein's Iraq with his Kurdish family at age nine, was grilled about the UK's high death toll, with more than 100,000 now dead.

He told Piers and Susanna the issue was 'painful' and 'closer to home than you think'.

When asked what he meant by that, an emotional Mr Zahawi replied: 'I lost my uncle last week to Covid. But you're right, it is grim and horrible, but our way out of this is the vaccination programme.

'It makes me angry, but it makes me determined to make sure we vaccinate the most vulnerable people in our country, protect them as quickly as possible and then protect the whole nation.

Nadhim Zahawi appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain today to answer questions from presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid about the country's ongoing pandemic response

'That is our way out of this, that is, ultimately, what we will do and I promise you that I will make sure that happens.'

NADHIM ZAHAWI: FROM PERSECUTION IN SADDAM HUSSEIN'S IRAQ TO A KEY ROLE IN THE UK GOVERNMENT Pictured: Nadhim Zahawi in 1996 Nadhim Zahawi, son of an entrepreneur father and dentist mother, was born in Baghdad to Kurdish parents in 1967. He fled under threat of persecution from Saddam Hussein's regime, moving to Britain with his family when he was 9. He grew up in Sussex and was educated at the independent King's College School in West London and University College London, where he studied Chemical Engineering. At age 18, his father invested everything he owned, including the family home, into a new venture called Air Knife, but the company went bankrupt, and the family lost all their belongings except for a Vauxhall Opel Senator, which was in his mother's name. He says the experience of being on benefits following the disaster helped steer him towards conservatism, saying welfare felt more like a 'trap' than a cushion. Mr Zahawi met Lord Archer in 1991 while he was campaigning for Kurdish refugees, and went on to help the peer in his failed 1998 campaign to become London Mayor. In 2000 Mr Zahawi went on to found the highly successful market research company YouGov, which now employs over 400 people on three continents. He floated the company on the London Stock Exchange in 2005. In January 2010 he stood down from YouGov to run for election as Member of Parliament for Stratford-on-Avon, and was made Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 26 July 2019. Mr Zahawi, who is married to wife Lana and has three children, was also appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care on 28 November 2020. Advertisement

Piers and Susanna offered condolences to the minister, asking if he had a vaccine or had been entitled to get one.

Mr Zahawi said: 'He was entitled to one, sadly, he got Covid before he got the vaccine.

'Obviously you have to wait 28 days until someone recovers before you can vaccinate them and he didn't make it.'

Mr Zahawi is the son of Kurdish parents - an entrepreneur father and dentist mother.

He was born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1967, and fled under threat of persecution from Saddam Hussein's regime.

His family came to Britain when Nadhim was just nine years old, sending him to an independent school - King's College School in West London.

He went on to study Chemical Engineering at University College London.

At age 18, his father invested everything he owned, including the family home, into a new venture called Air Knife, but the company went bankrupt, and the family had all their belongings except for a Vauxhall Opel Senator, which was in his mother's name.

He says the experience of being on benefits following the disaster helped steer him towards conservatism, saying welfare felt more like a 'trap' than a cushion.

An an interview with the Independent in 2014, Mr Zahawi said: 'I had to make a choice whether I went to university or become a cab driver to put food on the table. We had nothing, and had to go on housing benefit and income support.

'For about a month my dad wouldn't leave the bedroom because he was so distraught. When you have that level of breakdown, of failure, it really is like a vortex, and our biggest challenge was to get him out of the room and get him to have a shave, go out, and find work.'

Mr Zahawi met Lord Archer in 1991 while he was campaigning for Kurdish refugees, and went on to help the peer in his failed 1998 campaign to become London Mayor.

In 2000 Mr Zahawi went on to found the highly successful market research company YouGov, which now employs over 400 people on three continents.

He floated the company on the London Stock Exchange in 2005.

In January 2010 he stood down from YouGov to run for election as Member of Parliament for Stratford-on-Avon, and was made Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 26 July 2019.

Mr Zahawi, who is married to wife Lana and has three children, was also appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care on 28 November 2020.

His pledge to vaccinate Britain's most vulnerable came amid warnings that the EU will 'poison' relations for 'a generation' if it follows through on extraordinary threats to block Pfizer vaccines going to the UK.

Ministers insisted they are 'confident' supplies will be maintained, but amid a shambolic rollout across the bloc, Brussels has demanded drug firms give them early warning when exporting Covid jabs to countries outside the 27 member states, including tens of millions of doses destined for Britain.

Mr Zahawi insisted this morning that the UK's huge push to get the four most vulnerable groups covered by mid-February will not be derailed.

Mr Zahawi, 53, was grilled about the UK's high death toll, with more than 100,000 now dead, and told Piers and Susanna the issue was 'painful' and 'closer to home than you think'

But the sabre-rattling incensed senior MPs, with health secretary Jeremy Hunt slamming 'vaccine nationalism' and saying the EU must not block supplies that have been bought 'legally and fairly'.

Meanwhile, there is another row raging after two German newspapers claimed the EU's regulator could refuse to give the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab full approval, with officials anonymously briefing its efficacy for pensioners was just eight per cent.

However, the claim was branded 'absolutely incorrect' and 'unsubstantiated' by the pharmaceutical company - and No10 sources told MailOnline is was 'rubbish'.

One Whitehall source told Playbook it was the kind of tactics 'you expect from the Russians'.

Mr Zahawi also told GMB: 'We don't know where this unsubstantiated report came from, it's not true, this eight per cent figure is complete nonsense.'

Tory MP Damian Collins suggested the briefing was connected to wrangling between the EU and AstraZeneca - which is based in the UK, whereas Pfizer has a manufacturing hub in Belgium - over access to supplies. 'Either way it is dangerous and irresponsible and only helps the anti vaccine movement,' he said.

Mr Zahawi told Sky News: 'I'm confident they [Pfizer] will deliver the quantities we need to hit our mid-February deadline and beyond that. Pfizer will deliver to us. I'm sure they will deliver to the UK, EU and the rest of the world. I'm confident that will be able to vaccinate the entire adult population by the Autumn.'
The highly mobile whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) consumes a wide variety of mollusk species, including both bivalves and gastropods. Credit: Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

'Shell-crushing'exactly what it sounds likeis a predatory mode used by numerous marine life from crabs to octopuses to large fishes and mammals when they eat hard-shelled mollusks like clams, oysters and conchs. These predators have to break apart the shell using robust claws or fortified jaws to access the prey's soft tissues.

Despite its prevalence in the marine environment, this feeding behavior has remained elusive to study remotely, particularly for larger marine animals that destroy shells almost completely, leaving behind little trace. Moreover, because they are highly mobile, scientists have difficulty in directly observing their foraging habits, which is why the ecology of shell-crushing (durophagy) remains poorly understood in larger marine predators and the ecosystems with which they interact. So, there is little understanding of where or when this happens.

Using the whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) as a model, a team of scientists led by Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in collaboration with FAU's College of Engineering and Computer Science; Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium; and the Florida Institute of Technology, are the first to use passive acoustics to characterize how they consume hard-shelled mollusk prey in a controlled environment.

Scientists both quantified and classified shell-crushing by monitoring underwater sounds using acoustic recorders. Results, published in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, reveal that using this technology, prey types could be distinguished based on acoustic features. Researchers were able to determine what a predator is eating based on how it sounds. In addition, shell-crushing simulation tests in the natural environment suggest the process is audible above ambient noise in coastal lagoons out to 100 meters.

"Interactions between molluscan predators and shellfish often occur in low-visibility estuarine waters. Scientists need alternative non-visual based methods to continuously monitor, gather and document critical data that may have serious conservation ramifications," said Matt Ajemian, Ph.D., lead author, an assistant research professor at FAU's Harbor Branch and head of the Fisheries Ecology and Conservation (FEC) Lab, who worked with FAU Harbor Branch co-authors Laurent Cherubin, Ph.D., an associate research professor; and Breanna DeGroot, M.S., research coordinator. "Passive acoustics-based documentation of shell-crushing behavior has not been seriously considered as a tool to identify the ecological role of large, mobile molluscivores before this study. We knew from previous experience with these animals that the cracks they made during feeding were loud, almost like an explosion, but there were no data to support it at the time. That's what led us to conduct this initial study."

Whitespotted eagle rays consume a wide variety of mollusk species, including both bivalves and gastropods. For the study, scientists recorded a total of 434 prey items being eaten by rays, spanning eight species of hard-shelled mollusks. On the menu: hard clams, banded tulip, crown conch, lettered olive, Florida fighting conch, lightning whelk, pear whelk and horse conch.

Turn up the sound! Using the whitespotted eagle ray and underwater acoustic recorders, a study is the first to characterize how they consume hard-shelled mollusk prey like clams in a controlled environment. Scientists could tell what a predator was eating based on how it sounds, and with this process it's audible above ambient noise in coastal lagoons out to 100 meters. The team hopes this technology will be useful in monitoring how many clams are being eaten by large predators like rays as restoration efforts ramp up in Florida. Credit: Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

"Mollusks vary in texture, thickness and strength. The differences we observed in consumption signals and behavior associated with the two primary prey types analyzed are likely due to variations in these shell shapes," said Kim Bassos-Hull, M.Sc., co-author and senior biologist with Mote Marine Lab's Sharks & Rays Conservation Research Program. "It was clear that hard clams took a considerably longer time to process than banded tulip shells and all other gastropods. This was likely driven by the greater number of fractures rays needed to implement during processing and winnowing of hard clams presumably to access the prey's soft tissues."

Signal characteristics of simulated crushing of hard clams in the field, which the researchers conducted by crushing clams by hand using modified heavy-duty pliers, also were similar to those recorded in the large, circular saltwater habitat.

"It's obviously hard to get a ray to eat on command in a particular time and place, so we had to get somewhat creative with the field testing," said Ajemian.

Data from this study are critically important with respect to molluscan shellfish, which provide high-quality and high-value seafood to humans, and beneficial ecosystem services, yet sources of natural mortality from large predators are largely unknown for both natural and restored populations.

"The passive acoustics approach demonstrated in our study provides a unique, less-intrusive platform to remotely and directly observe predation events like shell fracture in the aquatic environment and support surveillance techniques to quantify predator-induced losses to these valuable resources, even in challenging environmental conditions," said Cherubin.

The team is hoping this technology will be of utility in monitoring how many clams are being eaten by large predators like rays as restoration efforts ramp up around the state of Florida.

"We still have a lot of work to do on the automated detection-classification side of things, but this work brings us closer to remotely capturing predation in these elusive species," said Ajemian.

Explore further Biotelemetry provides unique glimpse into whitespotted eagle rays' behavior

More information: Matthew J. Ajemian et al, Capturing shell-crushing by large mobile predators using passive acoustics technology, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology (2020). Journal information: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology Matthew J. Ajemian et al, Capturing shell-crushing by large mobile predators using passive acoustics technology,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.jembe.2020.151497
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - NervGen Pharma Corp. (TSXV: NGEN) (OTCQX: NGENF) ("NervGen" or the "Company"), a biotech company dedicated to creating innovative solutions for the treatment of nerve damage and neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the formation of its Alzheimer's Disease Scientific Advisory Board ("AD-SAB") with the appointment of four world-class scientists and clinical researchers in Alzheimer's disease: Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD; George Perry, PhD; Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD; and Bruce Lamb, PhD. The AD-SAB will work closely with NervGen as the Company plans its upcoming preclinical studies and clinical trials and in the analyses of the results from these studies.

"The establishment of an Advisory Board focusing on Alzheimer's disease, and the recruitment of such an impressive group of scientific and clinical leaders in this field is an extremely important step forward for the Company," stated Paul Brennan, NervGen's President & CEO. "Their expertise in Alzheimer's disease preclinical studies, biomarkers and clinical studies will be invaluable as we plan our future Alzheimer's disease program for NVG-291 in parallel with our upcoming Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers."

"I am excited about the potential of NVG-291," stated Dr. Perry. "The technology has a unique pharmacological profile, which is very different from other products in preclinical and clinical development in that it focuses on restoring function. The Advisory Board members that have been assembled by NervGen are world renowned Alzheimer's disease researchers and are well positioned to provide the Company with the guidance it needs to maximize the chance of success in its studies."

Dr. George Perry, PhD, is the current and founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Semmes Distinguished University Chair in Neurobiology at the University of Texas, San Antonio. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his PhD in Marine Biology from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. Dr. Perry has received a number of awards for his research in the Alzheimer's disease space, including the Denham Harman Research Award, the Senior Investigator Award from the College of Geriatric Psychoneuropharmacology and the Zenith and Temple Awards from the Alzheimer's Association.

Dr. Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD, serves as Director of the Chamber-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and is Director Emeritus of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Dr. Cummings is the originator of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), a widely used clinical test battery that has been translated in over 75 languages and used around the world to assess and monitor dementia-related symptoms. Dr. Cummings has been recognized for his research leadership in Alzheimer's disease with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alzheimer's Association and is a recipient of numerous other honors, including from the Society for Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology, American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry, International Society of CNS Drug Development, and the American Geriatrics Society.

Dr. Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Neurochemistry and Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg. With a background in molecular biology and clinical chemistry, Dr. Zetterberg has spent the last 20 years focusing on the development of biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other brain disorders. He has developed new diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's disease, as well as new preclinical models. Dr. Zetterberg has received numerous prizes, including the Erik K. Fernstrom Prize for Junior Scientists and the Inga Sandeborg Prize for Research on Alzheimer's Disease. He is professor of neurochemistry and head of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry at the Sahlgrenska Academy, senior consultant in clinical chemistry at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital, professor of neurochemistry at University College London and the UK Dementia Research Institute and a Wallenberg Scholar.

Dr. Bruce Lamb, PhD, serves as executive director of the Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute at Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Lamb is a world-expert on the biological underpinnings of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. He currently serves as chair of the medical and scientific advisory group and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer's Association. Dr. Lamb is an active member of the Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment, which convenes the global Alzheimer's disease and dementia science community around key research areas. He is responsible for launching the professional interest area tied to immunity. Dr. Lamb is also a board member of the Alzheimer's Association Greater Indiana Chapter and is actively involved in advocacy to support increased research funding for Alzheimer's disease.

About NervGen

NervGen is restoring life's potential by creating innovative solutions for the treatment of nerve damage and neurodegenerative diseases. The Company is developing drugs for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and Alzheimer's disease. NervGen's platform technology targets protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma, a neural receptor that impedes nerve repair. Inhibition of the phosphatase sigma receptor has been shown to promote regeneration and remyelination of damaged nerves, as well as improvement of nerve function in animal models for various medical conditions.

For further information, please contact:

Huitt Tracey, Corporate Communications

htracey@nervgen.com

c: 604.537.2094

Corey Davis Ph.D., LifeSci Advisors LLC

cdavis@lifesciadvisors.com

Follow NervGen on Twitter (@NervgenC) and LinkedIn (NervGen Pharma Corp.) for the latest news on the Company.

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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements and information herein include, but are not limited to, the Company's current and future plans, expectations and intentions, results, levels of activity, performance, goals or achievements, or any other future events or developments constitute forward-looking statements, and the words "may", "will", "would", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "trend", "indication", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "likely" or "potential", or the negative or other variations of these words or other comparable words or phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to: the preclinical and clinical development of NVG-291; steps taken to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations; the timing of our Phase 1 study; the ability of our AD-SAB to provide us with the guidance we need to maximize the chance of success in our studies and the creation of innovative solutions for the treatment of nerve damage and neurodegenerative diseases.

Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the Company in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. In making forward-looking statements, the Company has relied on various assumptions, including, but not limited to: the Company's ability to manage the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the accuracy of the Company's financial projections; the Company obtaining positive results in its clinical and other trials; the Company obtaining necessary regulatory approvals; and general business, market and economic conditions.

Many factors could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including without limitation, a lack of revenue, insufficient funding, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, reliance upon key personnel, the uncertainty of the clinical development process, competition, and other factors set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Information Form, Amended and Restated Prospectus Supplement, financial statements and Management Discussion and Analysis which can be found on SEDAR.com. All clinical development plans are subject to additional funding.

Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements made in this news release. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and we have no intention and undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72851



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US President on Monday spoke over the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, expressing his intention to revitalise the transatlantic alliance, the White House said.

The leaders agreed to work together on common foreign policy priorities, including Afghanistan, China, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, and the western Balkans, a statement issued by the White House said.

During the call, they also agreed on the importance of global cooperation, including through renewed American commitment to multilateral organisations, combating climate change, containing COVID-19 and advancing health security, and pursuing a sustainable global economic recovery, it added.

Conveying his desire to deepen relations between the countries, Biden expressed his intention to revitalise the transatlantic alliance as the cornerstone of their collective security and shared democratic values, the statement said.

This was Biden's fifth phone call with a foreign leader after being sworn in as the US President on January 20.

Earlier, he spoke with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador of Mexico, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom and President Emmanuel Macron of France.

(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.)
Its been more than five years since a young Montgomery man was gunned down outside an apartment complex and now investigators hope a boost in the reward will bring forth new information.

Brandon Harris, 21, was killed Oct. 27, 2014 at Liberty Square Apartments behind Wal-Mart on Eastern Boulevard in Montgomery. It was 9:30 p.m. when authorities said Harris walked out of his apartment to speak to someone in a car that pulled up in the parking lot.

Investigators believe someone inside that vehicle shot Harris. The victim was found in an apartment breezeway, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators at that time were searching for a white, small, four-door vehicle with tinted windows that was reported leaving the area around the same time of the shooting.

Brandon Harris, 21, was fatally shot in October 2014 in Montgomery. His slaying remains unsolved. (Central Alabama Crime Stoppers)

In 2016, the Montgomery District Attorneys Office held a press conference updating the public on the Investigation. The police so far have exhausted all leads. Were asking now for the communitys help to solve this case. This is an apartment complex with hundreds of people that live here, driving in and out. Somebody that night saw something, said Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey at that news conference.

Central Alabama Crime Stoppers is now increasing the reward from $1,000 to $5,000 for any information that leads to an arrest in the death of Harris. People hold on to information for different reasons,' said Crime Stoppers Executive Director Tony Garrett. Sometimes, a lifestyle change, guilt, or a new opportunity is presented to a person that leads them to provide information, even after they have held on to information for years.

The Alabama Governors Office and the City of Montgomery is offering $5,000 each available to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the cold case. Combine with the $5,000 from Central Alabama Crime Stoppers, the total reward stands at $15,000. That money is usually distributed within 30 days of the arrest.

Anyone with information is asked to call Montgomery police at 334-625-2832 or Crime Stoppers 24-hour tip line at 334-215-STOP (7867) or via the P3-tips app. Tipsters can also call toll-free at 1-833-AL1-STOP.

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So they waged collective action campaigns around many issues, including the weaponization of artificial intelligence and techs carbon footprint, drawing inspiration from the thousands of service workers on Silicon Valley campuses who successfully unionized around the same time. The white-collar employees who supported their efforts learned the fundamentals of organizing, realizing they might stand to gain from it as well.

Their gaze also turned inward. Early in the Trump presidency, a series of high-profile lawsuits and scandals heightened scrutiny of systemic racism and sexism in their industry. Employees could not count on their managers or human resources departments for protection; here, too, they needed to act collectively. In November 2018 more than 20,000 Google employees walked out of offices in 50 cities all over the world to protest sexism and racism at their company  one of the largest international labor actions in modern history.

Critics of the tech worker movement have lumped it in with a broader culture war that raged throughout Trumps presidency. Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, saw a woke segment of a coddled young work force; The Wall Street Journal editorial board, campus-style political activism. This misinterprets the significance of these actions. Workers organizing against Pentagon and Immigration and Customs Enforcement contracts want more power over the content of their work  the kind of code they write and how it can be used. Workers organizing against harassment and discrimination want more power over the conditions of their work. Content and conditions are connected: The question of power in the workplace is at stake in both.

To build and consolidate this power, white-collar tech workers have formed unions of their own. In February 2020, Kickstarter employees voted to unionize in affiliation with the Office and Professional Employees International Union. This month, employees at Alphabet, the parent company of Google, announced the creation of the Alphabet Workers Union, a membership organization to strengthen collective action within the company.

Some tech executives have argued that social issues have no place in the office. Others have argued that tech employees are too privileged to organize. Mike Solana, a venture capitalist, claimed that the unions members were appropriating the language of exploited coal miners. In other words, Googlers arent real workers; theyre not oppressed enough. Interestingly, many people once argued that coal miners were not real workers, because they were not directly supervised and often owned their own tools and hired their own helpers.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 23:33:49|Editor: huaxia

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LUSAKA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- An organization working in hygiene, sanitation and humanitarian sectors on Tuesday urged lawmakers in Zambia to come up with a policy that will ensure the provision of free sanitary pads in schools.

Jacqueline Chishimba, iSanitize Executive Director, said lawmakers should sign a contract with the organization to ensure that they will formulate a policy to provide free sanitary pads after the August 2021 general elections and end menstrual poverty among female school learners in Zambian schools.

She said there was need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders, especially politicians, to find a lasting solution to menstrual poverty which has affected more than 35 percent of female school learners, adding that the situation has become worse with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"iSanitize is lobbying for the distribution of free sanitary pads, from the next government following the August 2021 elections. The incoming government should work towards the provision of free sanitary pads in all schools from September 2021," she said.

According to her, it was disheartening that colossal sums of money were being embezzled as revealed by the Auditor-General's Report while female school learners suffer menstrual poverty with little attention and resources accorded to their plight.

She added that many female menstruating learners prefer staying at home instead of going to school due to lack of menstrual hygiene management facility tools in schools.

The government, she said, should ensure free provision of sanitary pads the same way condoms were distributed because they hinge on the girl child's welfare.

According to her, many girls in both urban and rural Zambia unintentionally miss school for about 21 days every term during their menstrual period.

This means that if this issue is not addressed, it will make the attainment of gender equality and girls' education far-fetched, she added. Enditem
London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - Meridian Mining UK Societas (TSXV: MNO) ("Meridian" or the "Company") today announces changes and expansion to its Board of Directors. To reflect the Company's focus towards the Cabacal VMS Copper-Gold resource development and exploration project ("Cabacal" or the "Project"), and with the completion of the Company's restructure and refinancing. Mr Gilbert Clark will take up effective today, the Executive Chairman's role of the Board while Mr Charles Riopel will take on the role of Lead Independent Director. With the expanded corporate needs associated with its Cabacal project, the Board welcomes Mr John Skinner and Mr Mark Thompson who have agreed to join as Independent Directors.

Mr John Skinner is Vancouver based and has had a long career in the Vancouver investment industry having worked as a Senior Investment Advisor/ Partner at Yorkton Securities 1983-1998 and Canaccord Capital 2000-2009. With a focus primarily on mining, John helped build, finance and advise a significant number of successful ventures. In 2004 John and his wife Trish founded Painted Rock Estate Winery building the business from the ground up. When their first vintage was released, he retired from the investment industry. Painted Rock has twice been named the InterVin International Winery of the Year and has gained considerable international profile. John remains an active investor in the resource industry and has been a strong supporter of Meridian since July 2020.

Mr. Mark Thompson is London based with over 26 years of experience in financial markets, physical and commodity derivatives trading, minerals exploration and mine development. He has held senior roles within banking, private equity and hedge fund businesses and has founded and sat on the boards of several junior mining companies in executive and non-executive roles. He consults widely within the metal derivatives industry, while recently he has been a driver behind the success of the private resource company Tungsten West Limited where he is Executive Chairman. Mark holds a B.A. in Physics from Oxford University and has been a strong supporter of Meridian since July 2020.

Mr Gilbert Clark, Executive Chairman, states, "With the start of Cabacal's field operations the Company has commenced the process of confirming the historical drill hole database and testing its camp scale potential. To lead the Board through this next phase of confirmation, expansion and potentially additional new discoveries at Cabacal, I will take over from Charles who gave stellar leadership to the Board through a challenging but highly successful period of corporate restructure and project transition, and we will continue to work closely together for the continued success of Meridian. Additionally, I welcome to the Board John and Mark who bring a wealth of investment experience and corporate guidance to the Company and I look forward to working with our now expanded Board, and Dr Adrian McArthur our CEO in delivering the tremendous upside potential of Cabacal to our investors and stakeholders."

With the withdrawal of the United Kingdom ("UK") from the European Union ("EU"), on January 1st 2021. Meridian's EU corporate designation of Societas Europaea was automatically changed to the UK compliant corporate designation of United Kingdom Societas ("UK S").

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Meridian Mining UK S.

Mr. Gilbert Clark

Executive Chairman of the Board

Meridian Mining UK S

Email: info@meridianmining.net.br

Ph: +1 (778) 715-6410 (PST)

Stay up to date by subscribing for news alerts here: https://meridianmining.co/subscribe/

Follow Meridian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeridianMining

Further information can be found at www.meridianmining.co

ABOUT MERIDIAN

Meridian Mining UK S is focused on the acquisition, exploration and development activities in Brazil. The Company is currently focused on developing the Cabacal VMS Copper-Gold project in the state of Mato Grosso; exploring the Espigao polymetallic project, the Mirante da Serra manganese project, and the Ariquemes tin portfolio in the State of Rondonia Brazil.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements for the purposes of applicable securities laws. These statements include, among others, statements with respect to the Company's plans for exploration, development and exploitation of its properties and potential mineralisation. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such risk factors include, among others, failure to obtain regulatory approvals, failure to complete anticipated transactions, the timing and success of future exploration and development activities, exploration and development risks, title matters, inability to obtain any required third party consents, operating risks and hazards, metal prices, political and economic factors, competitive factors, general economic conditions, relationships with strategic partners, governmental regulation and supervision, seasonality, technological change, industry practices and one-time events. In making the forward-looking statements, the Company has applied several material assumptions including, but not limited to, the assumptions that: (1) the proposed exploration, development and exploitation of mineral projects will proceed as planned; (2) market fundamentals will result in sustained metals and minerals prices and (3) any additional financing needed will be available on reasonable terms. 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.

The Company cautions that it has not completed any feasibility studies on any of its mineral properties, and no mineral reserve estimate or mineral resource estimate has been established. Geophysical exploration targets are preliminary in nature and not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit.

The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. 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.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72828
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A vote on Tuesday showed the difficulty that impeachment advocates will have in convincing Republicans, including Ohios Rob Portman, to support impeaching former President Donald Trump when the case goes to trial next month before the U.S. Senate.

Portman joined 44 other Republicans in supporting an effort by Kentuckys Rand Paul to reject the procedures constitutionality on the grounds that Trump is no longer in office and that Senate president pro tempore Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, will preside over the trial instead of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

I make a point of order that this proceeding, which would try a private citizen and not a president, a vice-president or civil officer, violates the Constitution and is not in order, Paul said on the U.S. Senate floor.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York countered by saying its flat out wrong by every frame of analysis to say its unconstitutional to impeach a former elected official. He noted that the Constitution says impeachments can disqualify people from holding future public office in addition to removing them from their current elected posts, saying that the Senate ruled in the 1870s that a former Secretary of War could be tried for acts he did on the job.

It makes no sense whatsoever that a president or any official could commit a heinous crime against our country and then defeat Congress impeachment powers and avoid a vote on disqualification by simply resigning or waiting to commit that offense until their last few weeks in office, said Schumer. The theory that the Senate cant try former officials would amount to a constitutional get out of jail free card for any president who commits an impeachable offense.

The Senate just voted on my constitutional point of order.



45 Senators agreed that this sham of a trial is unconstitutional.



That is more than will be needed to acquit and to eventually end this partisan impeachment process.



This trial is dead on arrival in the Senate.  Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 26, 2021

Schumers motion to table Pauls point of order passed the Senate in a 55 to 45 vote, with support from five Republicans - Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, as well as all the legislative bodys Democrats. But Paul rejoiced on Twitter that 45 Senators agreed that this sham of a trial is unconstitutional.

That is more than will be needed to acquit and to eventually end this partisan impeachment process, Paul continued. This trial is dead on arrival in the Senate.

Portman had pledged to be an impartial juror in the proceeding to impeach Trump over his role in encouraging a riot at the U.S. Capitol that resulted in the deaths of five people, including a Capitol police officer. Mondays announcement that Portman wont seek reelection led to speculation that he might vote to impeach Trump since he wouldnt have to face the repercussion of a primary challenge for doing so. Tuesdays vote casts doubt on that theory.

In a Monday interview with cleveland.com, Portman said his decision to leave office wont make him more or less likely to vote to impeach Trump.

Ive been very clear that former President Trump bears some responsibility for what happened on January 6 through his words and actions, said a statement Portman released after Tuesdays vote. I will listen as a juror, but as I have said, I do have questions about the constitutionality of holding a Senate trial and removing from office someone who is now a private citizen. This is a serious constitutional question, and today I voted for allowing debate on this issue and against tabling this important discussion. As the trial moves forward, I will listen to the evidence presented by both sides and then make a judgment based on the Constitution and what I believe is in the best interests of the country.

Read more:

Rob Portman talks about his future plans and whats ahead for the Republican Party

Sen. Rob Portman announces he wont seek re-election

U.S. Capitol riot prompts Democrat Jeff Sites to seek Rep. Jim Jordans congressional seat

Ohio Congress members at President Joe Bidens inauguration hope for new era of cooperation

Several Ohio Congress members will skip Joe Bidens inauguration amid unprecedented security measures

Rep. Bob Gibbs and other Ohio Republican Congress members object to metal detectors to access House floor

Rocky River Republican Anthony Gonzalez votes to impeach President Donald Trump

House votes to impeach President Trump after last weeks U.S. Capitol riot, with all Ohio Democrats and one Ohio Republican in the majority

What Ohios Jim Jordan said as he led President Trumps impeachment defense on the House floor

Sen. Rob Portman urges President Trump to address the nation to explicitly urge that his supporters refrain from violence, or bear responsibility

Ohios Sherrod Brown plans to take on corporations as chair of Senate Banking Committee

U.S. Capitol Police officers are being disciplined for cooperating with rioters, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan says

What Ohios Jim Jordan said before, during and after the riot at the U.S. Capitol
More than 17,000 calls came in to New Jerseys COVID-19 vaccine hotline in the first hour it was open on Monday. By noon, that number had increased by 41,000, illustrating the publics pent-up demand for information about the shots everyone wants but relatively few can get.

Thousands in the state who dont have computer access or have questions about the vaccination process may be able to more easily access information, but getting an appointment remains difficult. New Jersey is still receiving about 100,000 doses each week, allocated by the federal government, health officials said Monday.

That number should be increasing soon as President Joe Biden aims to get 100 million people vaccinated during his first 100 days in office, but it is not clear how soon. Anthony Fauci, the nations leading infectious disease expert, said Monday the U.S. should be able to reach 2 million inoculations a day.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he still thinks the state can vaccinate as many as 4.7 million people  an amount that equals nearly two-thirds its adult population  by summer.

My confidence level that we can get to that number has gone up meaningfully, Murphy said during a briefing Monday. Lets hope it stays that way. Lets hope Im right.

Even as confirmed deaths from cases diagnosed during the late fall and winter keep mounting, signs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania continued to indicate the surge is easing.

Pennsylvania reported 3,976 new cases on Monday, as well as 3,934 cases reported Sunday  the lowest daily tallies since early November. Numbers are typically lower at the start of the week. Hospitalizations were also declining, with 3,910 coronavirus patients being treated statewide on Monday, and the positivity rate dropped for the fifth week in a row. The state reported 138 coronavirus deaths for Sunday and Monday.

Hospitalization numbers are also moving in the right direction in New Jersey, Murphy said Monday. More schools around the state have moved to in-person and hybrid classes in recent weeks. New Jersey reported 3,694 cases and 21 deaths.

More vaccinations are being administered every day. New Jersey is giving about 25,000 shots per day, according to the Health Department, and has now given more than 492,000 first doses. More than 3 million people have pre-registered for the two-shot vaccine on the states website.

We continue to have a tremendous imbalance between the demand for vaccine and the supply, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said. We do know that more vaccine will arrive in coming weeks and months  We urge everyone to be patient.

Other vaccines, such as one manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, are expected to be approved in the coming weeks, she said.

Pennsylvania has received more than 1.1 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Through Sunday, at least 680,219 doses had been administered in Pennsylvania, with 451,467 people having received their first dose and 114,376 getting both doses. These numbers do not include doses administered to nursing homes through the federal partnership with CVS.

In Philadelphia, which has its own vaccine allotment, 87,451 first doses of coronavirus vaccines had been given through Sunday, according to city data.

Delaware County also opened a vaccine call center on Monday, staffed weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by people who will answer county residents questions about vaccinations and testing. Bucks and Montgomery Counties have dedicated COVID-19 hotlines, too; Chester County directs residents to call the Health Department at 610-344-6225.

A recorded message on New Jerseys hotline said it was experiencing higher-than-expected call volumes and directed callers to the states vaccine home page, but if callers remain on the line, they can choose from different options to access more information.

The call center provides a phone option for residents who dont have internet access or need help navigating the states online resources. The state has a vaccine registration website at covidvaccine.nj.gov.

The call center is staffed with 250 agents who can provide information about vaccine site locations and answer questions about the process. Eventually, once more doses are available, they will assist people with making appointments. Operators are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Vaccine hotlines: New Jersey, 855-568-0545; Bucks County, 800-383-0371 or COVID19@buckscounty.org; Delaware County, 484-276-2100 or Covid19Resources@co.delaware.pa.us; Montgomery County, 610-970-2937.

Staff writers Rob Tornoe and Laura McCrystal contributed to this article.
Battle Over the Release of Orange Countys Inmates Continues as Some Receive Vaccine

Some local inmates are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine as the Orange County Sheriffs Department (OCSD) works to contain the virus, county attorney Kayla Watson said Jan. 25.

Watson made the comments during an Orange County court hearing, as legal proceedings continued, to determine whether half the regions prison population should be released during the ongoing pandemic.

Watson told Superior Court Judge Peter. J Wilson that the OCSD was doing everything it could to keep inmates safe.

Everyone 65 and older has been offered the vaccine and given the first dose of the vaccine, but for 11 inmates who declined the vaccination, Watson told the court. Those 11 spots that didnt accept the vaccination were given to inmates next in line that were under 65 and medically vulnerable.

The battle over the prisoners freedom began late last year when an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawsuit claimed many of the inmates were vulnerable to COVID-19 due to underlying health conditions.

Wilson last Dec. 11 ordered Sheriff Don Barnes to release 50 percent of county inmates to allow for greater physical distancing, but Barnes is continuing to appeal the order.

During the latest status hearing on Jan. 25, Wilson asked the OCSD to submit additional information to the court by Jan. 28.

The fairly brief court session began with Wilson confirming that he reviewed the OCSDs response to a Jan. 21 minute order, asking it to answer various questions about how county prisons are managed.

ACLU lawyer Sarah McDermott argued against continuing to delay the case.

This submission appears to us to be a fairly audacious attempt to further delay any final ruling from this court, McDermott said regarding the subject of the response. The further delay that would be required to hold that hearing, even a delay of a day or two, would prejudice petitioners and would result in irreparable harm to petitioners who continue to be at risk for contracting COVID-19.

Wilson said that the OCSDs response to questions asked was not a delay, as suggested by McDermott, but instead part of the process for providing the court with requested information.

Wilson said that despite both sides of the argument being raised, there was a critical piece of data missing in the case.

We do not know, in comparison to December 11 when the first order was made, what the current jail population is in the aggregate housing, Wilson said.

He explained that he has focused on sleeping arrangements during the case, because despite restrictions on social distancing during the daytime, if prisoners are sleeping within one foot of each other at night, the new restrictions would be irrelevant.

Wilson said current data on what the current congregate housing population is, and how prisoners are laid out in each type of cell, is needed.

The OCSD was ordered to submit a report on that data by Jan. 28.

Meantime, Watson argued the OCSD has made strides in reducing the COVID-19 positivity rate.

The county jails December outbreak has been reduced to 25 COVID positives as of [Jan. 25]], and so that significantly changes the makeup of our jail population, Watson said. We intend to include in the chart that we will submit to the court, susceptible and non-susceptible [inmates.]
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It was a cold winter morning in January 2021. Another day in the ICU, another day caring for critically ill patients with complex medical conditions, another day caring for patients on their death beds, another day interacting with patients families and their emotions, another day of putting on a strong face for my patients, their loved ones, my ICU family and my trainees, another day of giving bad news to patients and their families.

One of the many patients is not doing well. I reach out to my anesthesia colleagues to help me. Two male anesthesiologists come by; they talk for about 15 minutes about why I am wrong and why they are right. They make me feel small. It almost feels like I am this little girl once again being looked down upon and talked down to. We agree to disagree, and we go about our day. Then the anesthesiologist colleague decides to email everyone in his department about the interaction and again, why he was right and why I was wrong. This email is forwarded to my chief, who then forwards it to me. I then write a long email with specific details explaining my rationale. This is on top of my already 80 plus hour workweek.

This interaction feels heavy because I feel depleted. I have carried the burden: my critically ill patients and their families physical and emotional burden. It has been almost a year since COVID 19; our society has been through a lot. My critical care community has been through immense stress, which cannot really be put into words.

The following thoughts are a constant for me: Is the cardiologist going to feel upset when I ask for an echocardiography for my COVID patient who just had a cardiac arrest and was successfully resuscitated? Is the anesthesiologist going to get upset when I ask them for an intubation for a patient we have tried on non-invasive ventilation for 3 days to avoid intubation? Is the surgeon going to be upset when I ask them for a chest tube or a tracheostomy? Is the gastroenterologist going to be upset when I ask them for an EGD for a bleeding COVID-19 patient? If each of the consultants opts to lecture the poor, depleted, exhausted critical care physicians and email their higher-ups complaining about them, it will break the critical care community.

It is exhausting to keep our brains on all the time  always thinking about our patients  caring for a patient as a person, optimizing to the best of our ability, their every organ system, as well as their emotional needs.

To my consultant colleagues: Do you see us as your equals, do you see us as female physicians inferior to you, do you see us a moms/ wives/sisters/aunts/daughters? Could you show us some grace and some kindness? Would the world fall apart if you did not email your department heads complaining about us? Complaining that we asked for your help in saving my critically ill patient? Please understand that this is not about who is right: It is all about the patient. We are all here for our patients.

A bit more support within the physician community would help with the moral distress we critical care physicians feel. My plea to our physician community: Please show us some grace. We have been through hell. We could all use some kindness.

The author is an anonymous pulmonary and critical care physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday said it is examining the need to introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the country. In case the need to have a CBDC arises, the apex bank will also look for ways to operationalise it. In India, the regulators and governments have been sceptical about these currencies and are apprehensive about the associated risks.

Nevertheless, the RBI is exploring the possibility as to whether there is a need for a digital version of the fiat currency, the RBI said. A CBDC is legal tender and a central bank liability in digital ...
The wealthiest countries in Europe have higher death rates from atrial fibrillation than the least wealthy and these death rates are increasing more rapidly than incidence rates, according to the first analysis of its kind published in the European Heart Journal [1] today (Tuesday). The study also found that women who developed the condition were more likely than men to die from it in all 20 European countries studied.

The researchers believe the difference between countries could be due to lifestyle factors, such as increased obesity and alcohol consumption in wealthier countries, or what is known as the 'survivor effect', where people live for longer due to better treatments for other diseases such as cancer, leaving greater numbers of more elderly people to die from diseases of the heart or circulatory system, such as atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart beats at an abnormal and often rapid rhythm. It is one of the most commonly diagnosed heart rhythm disturbances and it can lead to stroke and heart failure. Until now, it's been unclear whether trends in deaths from atrial fibrillation vary between European countries and between men and women, and whether they have improved over time.

Professor Markus Sikkel, adjunct associate professor at the University of Victoria and clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, Victoria, Canada, and Dr. Becker Al-Khayatt, a cardiology specialist registrar at Croydon Heart Centre, Croydon University Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK, led a team of researchers to analyse data from the Global Burden of Disease Study on incidence and deaths from atrial fibrillation between 1990 and 2017 in 20 European countries [2]. They looked at trends over the 28-year period and calculated the mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) by dividing the numbers of deaths by the numbers of cases for each country. MIRs help to identify if a country has a higher or lower death rate per case diagnosed.

They found enormous variation between countries and there was no overall identifiable trend either towards or away from improved incidence and death rates, although the incidence of atrial fibrillation was consistently higher in men than in women in all countries throughout the study period [3].

Austria, Denmark and Sweden experienced peaks in incidence in the middle of the study period, while in nations with lower gross domestic product (GDP) there was less variability with a steady decline in incidence over the years, with a few exceptions. For example, in Portugal there was a sharp drop in incidence (-6% in men and -8% in women per year) between 2006-2009; in Italy there was a sharp rise in incidence in men between 1995-2001 (+3.5% per year); in Croatia incidence rates declined to the lowest levels in Europe in the first 10-20 years of the study (down to 39 per 100,000 men in 2000 and 24 per 100,000 women in 2006), but then rose sharply in men between 2006-2010 (+2.5% per year) and more slowly in women between 2010-2017 (+1.2% per year).

Death rates were highest in wealthier countries, reflecting the incidence in Austria, Denmark and Sweden. Sweden had the highest death rates for both men and women: 9 per 100,000 of the population in 2017, with a sharp 6% increase per year in male death rates between 2001-2006. In Sweden and Denmark, the mortality rates did not decline following the initial rise, unlike the incidence rates, and were among the highest in Europe by 2017. Germany also had a rapid and sustained increase in death rates throughout the 2000s, particularly in women, in whom they rose by 4% per year to 7 per 100,000 in 2017.

Mortality-to-incidence ratios stayed roughly the same for many countries over the 28 years, although increases occurred in Sweden, Germany and Denmark in both men and women. MIRs were consistently higher for women than men. The differences varied from relatively small in Bulgaria where the MIR was 5.4% higher in women than men in 2017, to large in Germany where the MIR in women was 74.5% higher than in men. In Austria the opposite occurred, with the disparity decreasing from 45.7% higher in women than men in 1990 to 19% higher in 2017.

Prof. Sikkel said: "The ratio of deaths to cases of atrial fibrillation in Europe has not improved over time and, in many European countries, it is actually increasing despite apparent advances in treatment and care. We think this could be due to differences in lifestyles in wealthier western European countries, where risk factors such as obesity, alcohol consumption and sedentary behaviour are more prevalent than in less wealthy, eastern European countries.

"The second important factor, in our view, is that patients in richer countries may survive long enough from other illnesses such as ischaemic heart disease and cancer, and then succumb to diseases that are more difficult to treat successfully: heart failure related to atrial fibrillation is one of these. Another possibility is that atrial fibrillation is less well recognised in poorer countries in a systematic way. We think this is likely to be a real difference and not just an artefact of better documentation in richer nations judging by the findings of previous studies."

Dr. Al-Khayatt said: "The gender disparity between men and women has persisted over many years in Europe and is rarely commented on. It is highly variable between nations and the cardiology community needs to work out why that is and whether different countries can learn from each other to reduce the disparity.

"We feel there are multiple factors behind this disparity, with healthcare inequality between men and women, as well as intrinsic biological differences being plausible explanations. There is some evidence that women are diagnosed later and treated less aggressively than men."

Limitations of the study include possible variations between countries in the data; data were not available for factors that could affect the results such as social class, obesity, smoking and alcohol use; atrial fibrillation and heart flutter were classified together although they carry different risks; and although there were differences between European countries in wealth, they are all still relatively wealthy compared to some other countries in the world.

In an accompanying editorial [4], Professors Michiel Rienstra and Isabelle Van Gelder, of the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands, write: "The authors should be congratulated for their excellent contribution to our knowledge on the diversity of incidence of AF and AF-related mortality in Europe . . .it is interesting that both incidence and mortality are heterogeneous throughout Europe. This diversity may be explained by the fact that Europe is a non-homogeneous region."

They conclude: "This study emphasizes the diversity of incidence of AF and AF-related mortality throughout Europe. It underlines the differences in integrated AF care and access to it, and the clinical profile of AF patients in Europe. In addition, sex differences are emphasized. It is a call for more research in individual countries and more multinational studies including Western and Eastern European countries."

###

Notes:

[1] "Paradoxical impact of socioeconomic factors on outcome of atrial fibrillation in Europe: trends in incidence and mortality from atrial fibrillation", by Becker M. Al-Khayatt et al. European Heart Journal. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa1077

[2] The countries were: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, UK.

[3] See attached images for incidence, mortality and MIR tables, which give the situation in 1990 and 2017 for all the countries studied.

[4] "Incidence and outcome of atrial fibrillation: diversity throughout Europe", by Michiel Rienstra and Isabelle C. Van Gelder. European Heart Journal. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa1078
Harpy eagles are considered by many to be among the planet's most spectacular birds. They are also among its most elusive, generally avoiding areas disturbed by human activity - therefore already having vanished from portions of its range - and listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as being 'Near-Threatened'.

However, new research led by the University of Plymouth (UK) suggests estimates of the species' current distribution are potentially overestimating range size.

Using a combination of physical sightings and environmental data, they developed a spatial modelling framework which aims to estimate current and past distributions based on the birds' preferred habitat conditions.

The authors then used the model to estimate a current range size 11% smaller than that referenced by the IUCN, with high climatic moisture being the most important factor influencing distribution, followed by a minimum temperature of the warmest month of approximately 27C.

Based on past and future climatic projections, the researchers showed that harpy eagle distribution will remain stable in the central Amazon, Guyana, eastern Colombia, and Panama, making these regions especially important for their conservation.

In order to ensure their future persistence, the authors suggest current and future conservation policies such as reducing deforestation and addressing issues of persecution should take such spatial models into account.

The research is published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, and involved an international collaboration of researchers from The Peregrine Fund (Ecuador, Panama, USA) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), based in Brazil.

Luke Sutton, a PhD student in the University of Plymouth's School of Biological and Marine Sciences and lead author on the research, said: "Harpy eagles are difficult to observe and live at low population densities, so there has been limited research into what environmental factors influence their range limits. Our study shows that predicted future climate stability will be in core areas with extensive lowland tropical forest habitat. That means habitat loss as a result of deforestation is the greatest threat they face, and conservation plans need to take all of that into account."

Senior author Dr Robert Puschendorf, Lecturer in Conservation Biology, added: "More than half of all global raptor species have declining populations. So understanding more about where they choose to live and why should be a critical factor when we are looking at how best to go about conserving raptor populations. The type of model we have presented here is lacking for many rare and threatened species, particularly in tropical regions, but can be a cost-effective and rapid way to direct conservation planning for threatened species."

Harpy eagles are among the world's largest and most powerful eagles and historically ranged across lowland tropical forests from Mexico in the north to Argentina in the south.

However, they became locally extinct in parts of Central America and Brazil during the 20th century. Currently there are multiple conservation programmes in place to better understand population dynamics and conserve rainforest habitat to help ensure its future survival.

###
New Delhi, Jan 26 : With US President Joe Biden reversing several measures put in place by the former Donald Trump administration within hours of taking charge of the White House, Pakistan is hoping to reset its equation with Washington. According to Dawn, the Pakistan based newspaper, Islamabad has already initiated the process of re-charting "the contours of the bilateral ties with the US without compromising the future of CPEC" and the close relations it shared with China.

But analysts said that for Pakistan, which has now completely aligned with China, the balancing act could be difficult.

Islamabad, with a battered economy, is desperately looking to garner support from various countries especially the US after the change of guard.

Islamabad sees Biden, who served as Vice President in the Barack Obama administration, is being pro-Pakistan.

In fact, in 2008, Biden, who had been instrumental in facilitating non-military aid of $1.5 billion to Pakistan, was awarded the second-highest civilian honor, 'Hilal-e-Pakistan' by Islamabad.

"This is a critical juncture in the history of diplomacy in the country. Confronted with health and economic crises, we need all the help we can muster from our global partners in the West and the East. We are committed to CPEC and also wish to revive the IMF programme suspended early last year. To this end, we hope for a trust-based open relationship with both the United States and China," Dawn quoted a senior diplomat as saying.

But geopolitics have changed An analyst pointed out that the geopolitical dimensions have changed considerably in the last five years and it may not be easy for Pakistan to get the support its looking for.

Trump too has been considered pro-Pakistan from time to time. He has often referred to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan as a "close friend". That apart now as Pakistan gets closer to China the political equations have changed, the analyst said.

While former President Barack Obama had shown his keenness to strike a chord with Pakistan and in 2009, even ratified an aid package of $7.5 billion for Pakistan which was to be directed over five years, the German international broadcaster DW or Deutsche Welle noted that the Obama presidency turned out to be much worse for Islamabad that the George Bush administration.

"For Pakistan, Obama's presidency has been much worse than Bush's. US-Pakistani ties have been at their nadir since May 2011, when American Special Forces unilaterally raided a compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad and killed former Al Qaeda head Osama bin Laden, who had been hiding in the garrison town for at least six years. Although the Pakistani government hailed the assassination of bin Laden, it also expressed its displeasure over the violation of its territorial sovereignty by US forces," DW observed when the US' former President was seeking a re-election for a second term.

Dawn quoting an economist said that Pakistan may have to choose between the US and China as a strategic partner. "Our strategy to ride multiple boats rowing in different directions misfired. We lost credibility and ended up in perfect isolation. There is no sense fooling ourselves. We shoot ourselves in the foot all the time. I don't see Pakistan benefitting from Biden's presidency," an economist told the newspaper.

Pakistan's recent tensions with Saudi Arabia and UAE Relations between Pakistan and traditional allies including Saudi Arabia and UAE among others have also started to show cracks as the Khan government has been trying to create a parallel Islamic countries block with Turkey. Last year, Pakistan had to repay part of the loan to Saudi Arabia for which it had to borrow from China. There are reports that UAE could also seek a repayment of the $3 billion financial assistance package to Pakistan.

As Pakistan's economy took a hit with the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Khan is looking to mortgage Islamabad's biggest park and get a loan of around Rs 500 billion.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
As part of health bubble offered by Yucatan, domestic and international airlines have been certified for biosanitary protocols to form part of the Yucatan Good Health Practices Program endorsed by the WTTC



(TRAVPR.COM) MEXICO - January 26th, 2021 - In accordance with measures recently imposed by the U.S. government in its strategic plan to combat Covid-19, the government of the state of Yucatan, led by Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal, has prepared to facilitate the transit of passengers bound for the U.S. with the installation in Merida International Airport of a module for rapid antigen tests that meet requirements set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With the support of the Ministry of Tourism Development (Sefotur) and the Ministry of Health of Yucatan (SSY), as well as Grupo Asur and in coordination with various airlines that operate international flights, this initiative is carried out to provide facilities to all those travelers who, after visiting our state, plan a flight with a final destination or transit point in the U.S., since it will allow travelers to undergo a rapid antigen test for the detection of Covid-19, thus complying with U.S. entry requirements.

On Jan. 21, President Joe Biden signed an executive order called "National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness, which stipulates that all those who wish to enter the U.S. must present a negative test for Covid-19, in addition to the mandatory use of a mask, among other measures. More info can be found at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/21/executive- order-promoting-covid-19-safety-in-domestic-and-international-travel/

This module at the Merida International Airport is an additional option for travelers who have a final destination in the U.S. and who have not been able to take their test previously. It will be operated by a private laboratory that meets the requirements demanded by the health authorities of both countries and will be providing service from Jan. 26, the date the CDC decree comes into effect.

In addition to the operation of this module, some hotels will be offering information and service with different laboratories that meet the necessary requirements for taking tests at their facilities, as well as other facilities for those tourists who prove positive. These services vary from one establishment to another, and travelers should consult with their hotel.

Test will be available at the Merida airport and in the states hotels and laboratories. There is a cost to them, to be covered by travelers. Passengers must present their boarding pass for travel into the U.S.

Travelers should note that travel requirements are unique to each government and they should check with official sources to have the most up-to-date information.

These actions help us to continue consolidating Yucatan as a benchmark for Good Sanitary Practices and the construction of sanitary bubbles that provide reliable alternatives to our travelers and protect the health of Yucatecans.

To date, Yucatan has implemented its Sanitary Certification protocol for tourism service providers throughout the value chain, with more than 1,200 companies, establishments and providers certified with the same biosafety standards, including guides, tour operators, agencies, carriers, venues, restaurants, hotels, the cruise port terminal, bus stations, airport and airlines, among others.

The Certificate of Good Sanitary Practices is one of the most robust programs of its kind, allowing for the Yucatan to be the second state in Mexico to obtain the endorsement of the international Safe Travels seal awarded by the World Travel & Tourism Council.

###
Aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce has warned its recovery will take longer than previously expected as stricter travel restrictions being put in place to curb the spread of new virus variants hit the travel industry.

The company - which was already struggling before Covid hit - was hammered by the pandemic because it makes a lot of its income from servicing plane engines, and that depends on the number of hours planes have flown.

It revised down forecasts for engine flying hours to 55 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, from 70 per cent estimate last October, expecting to burn through $2billion of cash this year as a result.

Rolls Royce revised down forecasts for engine flying hours due to new travel restrictions

It comes as the Government is set to announce tougher border measures later today.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is looking at the option of introducing quarantine hotels for those arriving in Britain to prevent the risk of 'vaccine-busting' new coronavirus variants entering the country.

Shares in the FTSE 100 listed company fell 11 per cent to 87.20p in morning trading on Tuesday. They are down about 60 per cent compared to a year ago.

In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, Rolls-Royce said that new, more contagious variants of the virus are creating additional uncertainty for the business.

'Enhanced restrictions are delaying the recovery of long-haul travel over the coming months compared to our prior expectations, placing further financial pressure on our customers and the wider aviation industry, all of which are impacting our own cash flows in 2021,' the company added.

However, it still expects to stop losing money and become 'cash flow positive' at some point during the second half of the year, with liquidity of around 9billion.

Rolls Royce, which slashed 7,000 jobs last year as part of a major restructuring, said its redundancy programme is now ahead of schedule.

Analysts say this suggests net debt is likely to be at the low end of guidance of between 1.5billion and 2billion.

The company raised 5billion last year to survive the pandemic through tapping up shareholders and borrowing from the Bank of England.

Earlier this month it also ended a long-running dispute at its factory in Barnoldswick, Lancashire, after workers accepted a deal following industrial action.

Neil Wilson, an analyst at Markets.com, said: 'Rolls has been battered by the pandemic as civil aviation activity has been smashed, but management expect to turn cash flow positive in the second half of the year as widebody flying hours pick up.

'The question is whether the pace of vaccine rollout and government easing of restrictions matches their expectations.'
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday delivered a special address via video link at the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda.

Please see the attachment for the translation of the full text of the speech.

Full Text: Special Address by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda

(Translation)

Let the Torch of Multilateralism Light up Humanity's Way Forward

Special Address by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

At the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda

25 January 2021

Professor Klaus Schwab,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

The past year was marked by the sudden onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. Global public health faced severe threat and the world economy was mired in deep recession. Humanity encountered multiple crises rarely seen in human history.

The past year also bore witness to the enormous resolve and courage of people around the world in battling the deadly coronavirus. Guided by science, reason and a humanitarian spirit, the world has achieved initial progress in fighting COVID-19. That said, the pandemic is far from over. The recent resurgence in COVID cases reminds us that we must carry on the fight. Yet we remain convinced that winter cannot stop the arrival of spring and darkness can never shroud the light of dawn. There is no doubt that humanity will prevail over the virus and emerge even stronger from this disaster.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

History is moving forward and the world will not go back to what it was in the past. Every choice and move we make today will shape the world of the future. It is important that we properly address the four major tasks facing people of our times.

The first is to step up macroeconomic policy coordination and jointly promote strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of the world economy. We are going through the worst recession since the end of World War II. For the first time in history, the economies of all regions have been hit hard at the same time, with global industrial and supply chains clogged and trade and investment down in the doldrums. Despite the trillions of dollars in relief packages worldwide, global recovery is rather shaky and the outlook remains uncertain. We need to focus on current priorities, and balance COVID response and economic development. Macroeconomic policy support should be stepped up to bring the world economy out of the woods as early as possible. More importantly, we need to look beyond the horizon and strengthen our will and resolve for change. We need to shift the driving forces and growth models of the global economy and improve its structure, so as to set the course for long-term, sound and steady development of the world economy.

The second is to abandon ideological prejudice and jointly follow a path of peaceful coexistence, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. No two leaves in the world are identical, and no histories, cultures or social systems are the same. Each country is unique with its own history, culture and social system, and none is superior to the other. The best criteria are whether a country's history, culture and social system fit its particular situation, enjoy people's support, serve to deliver political stability, social progress and better lives, and contribute to human progress. The different histories, cultures and social systems are as old as human societies, and they are the inherent features of human civilization. There will be no human civilization without diversity, and such diversity will continue to exist for as long as we can imagine. Difference in itself is no cause for alarm. What does ring the alarm is arrogance, prejudice and hatred; it is the attempt to impose hierarchy on human civilization or to force one's own history, culture and social system upon others. The right choice is for countries to pursue peaceful coexistence based on mutual respect and on expanding common ground while shelving differences, and to promote exchanges and mutual learning. This is the way to add impetus to the progress of human civilization.

The third is to close the divide between developed and developing countries and jointly bring about growth and prosperity for all. Today, inequality continues to grow, the North-South gap remains to be bridged, and sustainable development faces severe challenges. As countries grapple with the pandemic, their economic recoveries are following divergent trajectories, and the North-South gap risks further widening and even perpetuation. For developing countries, they are aspiring for more resources and space for development, and they are calling for stronger representation and voice in global economic governance. We should recognize that with the growth of developing countries, global prosperity and stability will be put on a more solid footing, and developed countries will stand to benefit from such growth. The international community should keep its eyes on the long run, honor its commitment, and provide necessary support to developing countries and safeguard their legitimate development interests. Equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules should be strengthened, so that all countries will benefit from the opportunities and fruits of development.

The fourth is to come together against global challenges and jointly create a better future for humanity. In the era of economic globalization, public health emergencies like COVID-19 may very well recur, and global public health governance needs to be enhanced. The Earth is our one and only home. To scale up efforts to address climate change and promote sustainable development bears on the future of humanity. No global problem can be solved by any one country alone. There must be global action, global response and global cooperation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

The problems facing the world are intricate and complex. The way out of them is through upholding multilateralism and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

First, we should stay committed to openness and inclusiveness instead of closeness and exclusion. Multilateralism is about having international affairs addressed through consultation and the future of the world decided by everyone working together. To build small circles or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimidate others, to willfully impose decoupling, supply disruption or sanctions, and to create isolation or estrangement will only push the world into division and even confrontation. We cannot tackle common challenges in a divided world, and confrontation will lead us to a dead end. Humanity has learned lessons the hard way, and that history is not long gone. We must not return to the path of the past.

The right approach is to act on the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind. We should uphold the common values of humanity, i.e. peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, rise above ideological prejudice, make the mechanisms, principles and policies of our cooperation as open and inclusive as possible, and jointly safeguard world peace and stability. We should build an open world economy, uphold the multilateral trading regime, discard discriminatory and exclusionary standards, rules and systems, and take down barriers to trade, investment and technological exchanges. We should strengthen the G20 as the premier forum for global economic governance, engage in closer macroeconomic policy coordination, and keep the global industrial and supply chains stable and open. We should ensure the sound operation of the global financial system, promote structural reform and expand global aggregate demand in an effort to strive for higher quality and stronger resilience in global economic development.

Second, we should stay committed to international law and international rules instead of seeking one's own supremacy. Ancient Chinese believed that "the law is the very foundation of governance". International governance should be based on the rules and consensus reached among us, not on the order given by one or the few. The Charter of the United Nations is the basic and universally recognized norms governing state-to-state relations. Without international law and international rules that are formed and recognized by the global community, the world may fall back to the law of the jungle, and the consequence would be devastating for humanity.

We need to be resolute in championing the international rule of law, and steadfast in our resolve to safeguard the international system centered around the UN and the international order based on international law. Multilateral institutions, which provide the platforms for putting multilateralism into action and which are the basic architecture underpinning multilateralism, should have their authority and effectiveness safeguarded. State-to-state relations should be coordinated and regulated through proper institutions and rules. The strong should not bully the weak. Decision should not be made by simply showing off strong muscles or waving a big fist. Multilateralism should not be used as pretext for acts of unilateralism. Principles should be preserved and rules, once made, should be followed by all. "Selective multilateralism" should not be our option.

Third, we should stay committed to consultation and cooperation instead of conflict and confrontation. Differences in history, culture and social system should not be an excuse for antagonism or confrontation, but rather an incentive for cooperation. We should respect and accommodate differences, avoid meddling in other countries' internal affairs, and resolve disagreements through consultation and dialogue. History and reality have made it clear, time and again, that the misguided approach of antagonism and confrontation, be it in the form of cold war, hot war, trade war or tech war, would eventually hurt all countries' interests and undermine everyone's well-being.

We should reject the outdated Cold War and zero-sum game mentality, adhere to mutual respect and accommodation, and enhance political trust through strategic communication. It is important that we stick to the cooperation concept based on mutual benefit, say no to narrow-minded, selfish beggar-thy-neighbor policies, and stop unilateral practice of keeping advantages in development all to oneself. Equal rights to development should be guaranteed for all countries to promote common development and prosperity. We should advocate fair competition, like competing with each other for excellence in a racing field, not beating each other on a wrestling arena.

Fourth, we should stay committed to keeping up with the times instead of rejecting change. The world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, and now is the time for major development and major transformation. To uphold multilateralism in the 21st century, we should promote its fine tradition, take on new perspectives and look to the future. We need to stand by the core values and basic principles of multilateralism. We also need to adapt to the changing international landscape and respond to global challenges as they arise. We need to reform and improve the global governance system on the basis of extensive consultation and consensus-building.

We need to give full play to the role of the World Health Organization in building a global community of health for all. We need to advance reform of the World Trade Organization and the international financial and monetary system in a way that boosts global economic growth and protects the development rights, interests and opportunities of developing countries. We need to follow a people-centered and fact-based policy orientation in exploring and formulating rules on global digital governance. We need to deliver on the Paris Agreement on climate change and promote green development. We need to give continued priority to development, implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and make sure that all countries, especially developing ones, share in the fruits of global development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

After decades of strenuous efforts by the Chinese people, China is on course to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. We have made historic gains in ending extreme poverty, and have embarked on a new journey toward fully building a modern socialist country. As China enters a new development stage, we will follow a new development philosophy and foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. China will work with other countries to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

 China will continue to take an active part in international cooperation on COVID-19. Containing the coronavirus is the most pressing task for the international community. This is because people and their lives must always be put before anything else. It is also what it takes to stabilize and revive the economy. Closer solidarity and cooperation, more information sharing, and a stronger global response are what we need to defeat COVID-19 across the world. It is especially important to scale up cooperation on the R&D, production and distribution of vaccines and make them public goods that are truly accessible and affordable to people in all countries. By now, China has provided assistance to over 150 countries and 13 international organizations, sent 36 medical expert teams to countries in need, and stayed strongly supportive and actively engaged in international cooperation on COVID vaccines. China will continue to share its experience with other countries, do its best to assist countries and regions that are less prepared for the pandemic, and work for greater accessibility and affordability of COVID vaccines in developing countries. We hope these efforts will contribute to an early and complete victory over the coronavirus throughout the world.

 China will continue to implement a win-win strategy of opening-up. Economic globalization meets the need of growing social productivity and is a natural outcome of scientific and technological advancement. It serves no one's interest to use the pandemic as an excuse to reverse globalization and go for seclusion and decoupling. As a longstanding supporter of economic globalization, China is committed to following through on its fundamental policy of opening-up. China will continue to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, help keep the global industrial and supply chains smooth and stable, and advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. China will promote institutional opening-up that covers rules, regulations, management and standards. We will foster a business environment that is based on market principles, governed by law and up to international standards, and unleash the potential of the huge China market and enormous domestic demand. We hope these efforts will bring more cooperation opportunities to other countries and give further impetus to global economic recovery and growth.

 China will continue to promote sustainable development. China will fully implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It will do more on the ecological front, by transforming and improving its industrial structure and energy mix at a faster pace and promoting a green, low-carbon way of life and production. I have announced China's goal of striving to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Meeting these targets will require tremendous hard work from China. Yet we believe that when the interests of the entire humanity are at stake, China must step forward, take action, and get the job done. China is drawing up action plans and taking specific measures already to make sure we meet the set targets. We are doing this as a concrete action to uphold multilateralism and as a contribution to protecting our shared home and realizing sustainable development of humanity.

 China will continue to advance science, technology and innovation. Science, technology and innovation is a key engine for human progress, a powerful weapon in tackling many global challenges, and the only way for China to foster a new development paradigm and achieve high-quality development. China will invest more in science and technology, develop an enabling system for innovation as a priority, turn breakthroughs in science and technology into actual productivity at a faster pace, and enhance intellectual property protection, all for the purpose of fostering innovation-driven, higher-quality growth. Scientific and technological advances should benefit all humanity rather than be used to curb and contain other countries' development. China will think and act with more openness with regard to international exchange and cooperation on science and technology. We will work with other countries to create an open, fair, equitable and non-discriminatory environment for scientific and technological advancement that is beneficial to all and shared by all.

 China will continue to promote a new type of international relations. Zero-sum game or winner-takes-all is not the guiding philosophy of the Chinese people. As a staunch follower of an independent foreign policy of peace, China is working hard to bridge differences through dialogue and resolve disputes through negotiation and to pursue friendly and cooperative relations with other countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. As a steadfast member of developing countries, China will further deepen South-South cooperation, and contribute to the endeavor of developing countries to eradicate poverty, ease debt burden, and achieve more growth. China will get more actively engaged in global economic governance and push for an economic globalization that is more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

There is only one Earth and one shared future for humanity. As we cope with the current crisis and endeavor to make a better day for everyone, we need to stand united and work together. We have been shown time and again that to beggar thy neighbor, to go it alone, and to slip into arrogant isolation will always fail. Let us all join hands and let multilateralism light our way toward a community with a shared future for mankind.

Thank you.
Amid farmers' protest in the national capital, Indian Railways on Tuesday announced that it would offer a full refund to passengers who are unable to board trains departing from all stations of Delhi area up to 9 pm today.

The refund is applicable for all those passengers who are unable to reach station and catch trains from the national capital due to the ongoing farmers' agitation and deviation of routes due to tractor rally.

The refund can be applied through TDR and e-TDR for e-tickets, stated CPRO, Northern Railway.

Protesting farmers clashed with police at several places in the national capital and entered the iconic Red Fort and ITO in the heart of the city today after hundreds of them deviated from pre-decided routes, prompting security personnel to resort to lathicharge and tear gas.

The Delhi Police had given permission to farmers protesting the three farm laws to hold their tractor parade on selected routes only after the official Republic Day parade on the Rajpath concludes.

However, chaos ensued as the farmers were adamant on heading towards central Delhi.

Later, he Ministry of Home Affairs issued a statement of temporarily suspending internet service in areas of Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, among others, till midnight.

In the morning, groups of protesting farmers camping at Singhu and Tikri border points of the national capital broke police barricades to force their way into the city.

The entry and exit gates of more than 10 metro stations in central and north Delhi were temporarily closed on Tuesday following clashes between police and protesting farmers in part of the national capital.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation took to Twitter to inform the public about the temporary closure of metro station gates.

"Entry/exit gates of Indraprastha metro station are closed. Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed," the DMRC tweeted.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.









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A Perry County man was sentenced to 3  to 10 years in prison Tuesday afternoon for a fatal hit and run crash that killed the son of a county commissioner in New Bloomfield just before Christmas in 2018.

Senior Judge Kevin A. Hess imposed that penalty on Scott Thebes two months after a jury convicted the 51-year-old of multiple charges in the death of 28-year-old Nickolas Watson.

Scott G. Thebes was convicted in November of a deadly hit-and-run in December 2018.

Police said Watson, the son of county Commissioner Brenda Watson, was struck by and killed by Thebes Jeep on West Main Street early on Dec. 23, 2018. They said they found a piece of the Jeep at the crash site and traced it to Thebes vehicle. Investigators said Thebes told them he had hit a deer at a spot outside of town.

District Attorney Andrew Bender said Tuesday that he sought the punishment Hess imposed.

Thebes was convicted in November on charges of causing an accident involving death or personal injury, careless and reckless driving and failing to stop and render aid at the crash scene and failing to report the crash to police. The jurors were unable to reach unanimous verdicts on homicide by vehicle and aggravated assault charges, so a mistrial was declared as to those counts. Thebes was acquitted of a drunken driving charge.

Nickolas 'Nick' Clayton Watson (Boyer Family Funeral Homes)

Bender said the death of Nickolas Watson, a Marine veteran who worked at Fersters Meat Market in New Bloomfield, had a deep impact on the community. Watson, a father of one, was engaged to be married.

My heart goes out to the (Watson) family in this case, Bender said. I cant begin to imagine the loss that theyre feeling.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CNVYR, a Los Angeles based creative ad, tech, art and film agency has formed a strategic joint venture with world renown record label, Terrible Records. CNVYR sees music as integral to providing an ownable, first of its kind, offering to clients.

Chris McNally, Chief Strategy Officer of CNVYR and former Managing Director of SapientRazerfish had this to say, "I'm a huge believer in the powerful confluence of art and tech, but sound is often overlooked. With the Terrible Records partnership, CNVYR will be in a position to push the possibilities for both our clients and their audiences. Our combo has already proven to be a disruptor, earning some innovative campaigns coming out this spring, and an exciting opportunity to be named AOR of a leader in a white-hot category."

"We work with artists to create amazing, genre defying music. Now we've added a new offering to the mix that allows artists to tell stories in a way we never thought possible," said Terrible Records founder, Ethan Silverman.

"The market has changed and there are new ways to be inspired. I've dreamt of Terrible becoming more than a label and more like an agency, where all the creative assets that help a song spread can be created in one place by one amazing team."

With this creative collaboration - the agency and label feel positioned to deliver what modern brands need. Both CNVYR and Terrible agree distinctly on one thing above all. Enough with the piles of digital tracking ads, and vacuous platforms/dashboards. Leave that to the big box agencies. Let's get back to human connections that move business.

About CNVYR Agency

CNVYR is a group of creative humans that communicate well with other humans. With offices in Los Angeles and Chicago, CNVYR moves brands through storytelling, tech & creativity. Conveying the who, what and why a brand exists in ways that connect. https://www.cnvyr.agency

About Terrible Records

Terrible Records is a Los Angeles based label founded by Ethan Silverman. Terrible is a world-renowned top independent, known for working with acclaimed artists such as Solange, Blood Orange, The Voidz, Sir Chloe, Claud and Petey.

Over the last decade, Terrible has built strong relationships in every part of the music industry and formed a respected and trusted home for exciting curation and artist development. https://terriblerecords.com

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE CNVYR Agency LA

Related Links

https://www.cnvyr.agency


Hold talks, don't think of using force against farmers: Sharad Pawar

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Mumbai, Jan 26: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday called the violence during a tractor parade by farmers in Delhi as an indefensible act, but said one also cannot ignore reasons that led to the chaotic situation in the national capital as he warned against use of force on protesters.

The former Union Agriculture Minister asked the Centre to hold a dialogue with cultivators seeking scrapping of the new agri-marketing laws giving up its "extreme position" on the issue.

He wondered "what was the difficulty" in Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier holding talks with the farmers protesting against the new agri laws near Delhi for more than two months now.

A tractor march meant to highlight farmers'' demands dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the national capital, as hordes of rampaging protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the rampart of Red Fort, a privilege reserved for the tricolour.

Interacting with media persons here, Pawar said Punjab may head towards restlessness if the Centre uses force against protesters and asked the Modi government to not commit that sin.

The farmers organised tractor rally. It was expected of the Centre and those responsible for law and order then to deal with them sensibly. But it did not happen is obvious, Pawar alleged.

Pawar said a way out should have been found over the farmers demands without hurting the protesters who have been agitating for two months.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha calls off tractor parade by farmers, appeals participants to return to protest sites

The NCP leader said that according to the information he received, strict conditions were imposed on the protesters before they took out the tractor rally.

It was required to deal with the protesters keeping in mind their 50-60 days agitation and their patience. But a different view was held (by the authorities) and hence, the situation has deteriorated.

None can defend what is happening there today. But we also cannot ignore why it is happening, Pawar said.

Pawar said it was the responsibility of the Centre to note why the farmers who were protesting peacefully till now turned angry and added the government should have handled the agitators accordingly.

But it did not happen and the situation deteriorated, Pawar said.

It is my expectation that the Centre shows prudence and gives up its extreme position on the issue while holding dialogue with these (farmers) bodies.

It should hold a dialogue. It should think of their demands seriously and take a suitable decision, Pawar said.

He said Punjab may head towards restlessness if the Centre uses force against the agitators.

If this is not done (dialogue is not held) and if we (the Centre) try to use force, then Punjab -- which was restless once upon a time, but has recovered -- may head towards restlessness and the Modi government should not commit that sin, Pawar added.

Most of the farmers agitating against the new agri laws outside Delhi are from Punjab.

Referring to the farmers protest in Mumbai on Monday, Pawar said the Maharashtra government handled the situation with patience and added the Centre, too, should have approached the demonstrations near Delhi borders in a similar manner.

But if it (the Centre) thinks the issue can be resolved using force, then I think that thinking is wrong, the NCP patriarch added.

The Rajya Sabha MP said he will discuss the situation with other opposition leaders ahead of Parliament session, which is beginning later this week, as what happened in Delhi cannot be ignored.

The veteran leader, to a question, said it was required of the prime minister earlier to take note of the situation and hold talks with the protesting farmers.

What was the difficulty in holding a dialogue with those protesting near Delhi? he asked.

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The Malian military took note of an increased number of child fighters among extremists operating in the Sahel region, a hotspot of fighting between jihadist armed groups and counter-terrorism missions

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2021) The Malian military took note of an increased number of child fighters among extremists operating in the Sahel region, a hotspot of fighting between jihadist armed groups and counter-terrorism missions.

"The use of child soldiers by #GAT [armed terrorist groups] is becoming common practice.

This is evidenced by recent fighting in which the #FAMa [Malian Armed Forces] and their partners have made the bitter observation of the employment of child combatants," the army tweeted late on Monday.

Malian defense troops are engaged in the French-led counter-terrorism operation Barkhane, which was launched in 2014 to battle insurgent terrorist groups plunging the region into a security crisis.

Within the framework of a 5,000-strong mission, France cooperates with armies of the G5-Sahel bloc member states, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger.
The Biden administration on Monday suspended some of the terrorism sanctions that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo imposed on Yemen's Houthi rebels in his waning days in office.

The Treasury Department said it would exempt certain transactions involving the Houthis from sanctions resulting from Pompeo's designation of the group as a foreign terrorist organisation on January 10.

The exemption will expire February 26, according to a statement from Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control announcing a general license for transactions that involve entities owned by the Iran-backed Houthis.

The sanctions Pompeo imposed had taken effect January 19, just a day before President was inaugurated, and had been roundly criticized by the United Nations and relief organisations.

Critics said the sanctions would exacerbate what is already one of the world's worst humanitarian crises by barring aid deliveries to civilians in the war-torn nation.

Treasury's license does not reverse Pompeo's designations and does not apply to specific members of the Houthi group who have been otherwise sanctioned.

The Trump administration's designation had sparked confusion in aid agencies and warnings from the UN, as well as senior Republicans, that it could have a devastating impact on a conflict-wracked nation facing the risk of famine.

Several aid groups had pleaded for Biden to immediately reverse the designation, with Oxfam America's Humanitarian Policy Lead Scott Paul saying, Lives hang in the balance.

The Iranian-supported Houthi rebels rule the capital and Yemen's north where the majority of the population lives, forcing aid groups to work with them.

Agencies depend on the Houthis to deliver aid, and they pay salaries to Houthis to do so. Six years of war between a US-backed Arab coalition and the Houthi rebels have been catastrophic for Yemen, killing more than 112,000 people and reducing infrastructure from roads and hospitals to water and electricity networks to ruins.

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 recognised government.

Most of Yemen's 30 million people rely on 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.

The US designation move was part of the Trump administration's broader effort to isolate and cripple Iran. It also showed support to a close US 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.

(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.)
London, Jan 26 : In 2019, around 4,000 deaths in London could be attributed to air pollution, with the highest number of fatalities recorded in the city's outer boroughs, according to a new study.

"This calculation is for deaths from all causes including respiratory, lung cancer and cardiovascular deaths," Xinhua news agency quoted the study published on Monday by researchers from the Imperial College London.

Commissioned by the Transport for London and the Greater London Authority, researchers from the Imperial's School of Public Health's Environmental Research Group found that "if London is enabled to meet the WHO (World Health Organization) guideline for PM2.5 by 2030, the population in London would gain a 20 per cent increase in life years saved over the next 20 years".

The researchers predicted in the report that London specific air quality policies, alongside wider improvements in air quality, "will increase the average life expectancy of a child born in London in 2013 by six months, compared with 2013 concentrations remaining unchanged".

Calling the report as "a stark reminder", London Mayor Sadiq Khan said air pollution in the city still represents a public health crisis and urgent action is needed.

According to a City Hall spokesperson, 99 per cent of London does not meet WHO recommended limits for PM2.5.

The PM2.5 reading is a gauge monitoring airborne particles of 2.5 microns or less in diameter, which can penetrate deep into people's lungs.

The air pollutant is a concern for people's health when levels in air are high.
Press Trust of India

In India, the genus was so far represented by two species with nine and 11-segmented antennae respectively. Two new species of a rare ant genus have been discovered in Kerala and Tamil Nadu by a team of scientists, the Department of Science and Technology said on Saturday. The team was led by Himender Bharti of Punjabi University in Patiala. One of the two species found in the Periyar Tiger Reserve of Kerala has been named Ooceraea Joshii in honour of professor Amitabh Joshi  a distinguished evolutionary biologist from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), a DST institute.

"The species of the ant genus Ooceraea found in Kerala and Tamil Nadu add to the diversity of this rare genus. They differ from others of the same genus on the basis of the number of antennal segments," the DST said.

New species are typically named after some distinguishing attribute or location but are often named after scientists as a means of honouring their research contributions to biology, especially in the fields of evolutionary and organismal biology, ecology or systematics.

"The two new species, the first ones spotted with 10-segmented antennae among this rare genus, were discovered by a team led by Prof Himender Bharti of Punjabi University, Patiala. The discovery has been published in the journal ZooKeys," the DST added.

The genus is currently represented by 14 species of which eight possess nine-segmented antennae, while five possess 11-segmented antennae and one species has recently been reported with eight-segmented antennae.

In India, the genus was so far represented by two species with nine and 11-segmented antennae respectively.

"The newly discovered ant species with 10-segmented antennae discovered, establish an old world lineage that contains a species emerging as the only model organism among the ant subfamily," the statement added.
The Crew Dragon is up and running, having already taken several astronauts up to the International Space Station (ISS). Starliner would have done the same if it hadnt been for the botched attempt to dock with the station.Boeings spaceship took off on December 20, 2019, and the launch went without a hitch. When it was time to dock with the ISS, however, a software glitch made the spaceship believe it was in an orbital insertion burn, when it was not, and that prevented it from reaching the correct position for a link-up with the space station.Since then, all has been quiet on the Boeing front, but that will change in March when NASA and the aerospace company are planning the second uncrewed test, called Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2). The flight will lift off with the help of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on March 25.NASA says the spaceships software has been requalified after a full review and a bunch of tests performed to ensure everything is in working order. Before the actual launch, Boeing will complete an end-to-end simulation of the OFT-2 test flight using flight hardware and final versions of Starliners flight software to model the vehicles expected behavior before flight.If successful, the mission will see the Starliner dock with the ISS and stay there for about a week before coming down in the western United States.The spaceship is the only one in existence to be capable of making a soft landing on the ground and not on water as space capsules have always made it back. Even if it botched the ISS link-up in 2019, the Starliner managed to touch down at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico using airbags.
Supreme Court voids lower court ruling that allowed temporary abortion ban in Texas

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The United States Supreme Court has reversed a lower court decision that upheld a temporary ban on nearly all abortions in Texas, asking the appellate court to dismiss the case as moot.

The Supreme Court granted the petition of Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics to reverse a ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, banning most abortions in an effort to free up hospital space for coronavirus patients. The Fifth Circuit's ruling itself reversed a judge's ruling at the district court level. Abbott's executive order came in March 2020, a time when most U.S. states had implemented shutdowns of varying intensity in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

According to the petition, Abbott's executive order, referred to as GA-09, "effectively banned" medication abortions and surgical abortions despite the fact that "medication abortion utilized no PPE, and procedural abortion required only minimal PPE." The stated purpose of GA-09 was to "conserve hospital beds and personal protective equipment."

Petitioners accused Abbott and other state officials of "attempting to wield GA-09 as a blanket ban on nearly all pregnancy terminations." The executive order banned "all surgeries and procedures" that were "not immediately medically necessary." Surgeries and procedures that did not require the use of personal protective equipment, which was in short supply at the time, were exempted from the executive order. The abortion clinics asserted that they should have fallen into that category.

Gov. Abbott issued a new executive order in April 2020 to replace his previous executive order, which was set to expire April 21. The new executive order "permitted surgeries and procedures in facilities that certified they would reserve at least 25% of their hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients and would not request PPE from a public source during the COVID-19 disaster."

Following Abbott's issuance of the second executive order, referred to as GA-15, "providers advised the district court and court of appeals that they expected to qualify for GA-15's new exception and be able to resume abortion services." Petitioners alleged that state officials initially "refused to confirm whether they agreed the exception to GA-15 applied to providers."

After acknowledging that state officials "made clear their view that providers could resume providing abortions under GA-15" and that "providers have resumed providing abortions, and Governor Abbott has not issued further executive orders restricting their ability to do so," petitioners admitted that the issues at hand "became moot before providers could seek this Court's review."

"When, as here, an appeal becomes moot 'while on its way' on the way to this Court, this Court's 'established practice' is to 'vacate the judgment below and remand with a direction to dismiss,'" they wrote. The petitioners expressed a desire for the Supreme Court to do just that, which it did in its Monday ruling.

The plaintiffs cited disagreements among four appellate courts on "the appropriate standard for reviewing constitutional challenges adopted in response to a public health disaster" as one of several reasons why the court should vacate the judgment. The petition cited several cases that came before appellate courts throughout the pandemic challenging restrictions on in-person worship services.

The petition was written in September, two months before the Supreme Court's decision in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo, which blocked coronavirus worship restrictions in New York State. Since the November decision, lower courts have ordered cases challenging worship restrictions to be reheard of in light of the ruling. Abortion advocacy groups see the right to abortion as equivalent to the freedom of worship guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Petitioners contended that appellate court rulings finding that restrictions on in-person worship services violated the First Amendment were at odds with the Fifth Circuit's ruling upholding Abbott's executive order, which maintained that the state had broad power to impose restrictions on "any individual right" during a public health emergency. They explained that guidance from the Supreme Court was "warranted to ensure that broad precedent is not immune from review because of mooting events in which providers played no role."
The Milton Hershey School has chosen a name for its new early learning centers.

The school announced on Tuesday that the new centers will be known as the Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning to honor the life and legacy of Catherine Kitty Hershey, wife of Milton Hershey and one of the founders of the Milton Hershey School, then known as the Hershey Industrial School, a home and school for orphaned children.

The Milton Hershey School was founded in 1909. The school provides cost-free pre-K through 12th grade education and home to students facing extreme economic hardship. The Milton Hershey School said that the new cost-free early childhood learning centers will allow the school to expand the impact of Milton and Catherine Hersheys vision to serve more children from economically disadvantaged and at-risk backgrounds through education.

Milton S. Hershey (standing behind bench) with Catherine Hershey (sitting on bench). Formal studio portrait taken in Nice, France in 1910. (File)Harrisburg Patriot-News

Catherine was a trailblazer. At a time when women had little involvement in business and legal affairs, Catherine was an equal partner to her husband in founding and growing MHS, Peter G. Gurt, Milton Hershey School President and alumnus said in a press release. When asked years later why he founded MHS, Milton Hershey answered, It was Kittys idea. As we embark on this exciting and unprecedented expansion of our mission to help children from poverty reach their full potential, it was an easy decision to name this initiative in Catherines honor. Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning is her legacy.

The Milton Hershey School is investing $350 million to fund the development of up to six cost-free early childhood resource centers in Pennsylvania for children from birth to age 5 from economically disadvantaged and at-risk backgrounds. While maintaining his leadership role at the Milton Hershey School, Gurt will also serve as president of Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning. The Centers will operate through subsidiaries of Milton Hershey School.

Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning will provide a core early learning program with a curriculum designed to enhance students educational, social, emotional and cognitive development, a press release said. The school will also provide students with nutritious meals, transportation, and other needed supplies, and the school will offer integrated support services to families of enrolled children.

The first early childhood education center will be located on the campus of the Milton Hershey School in Derry Township on the southwest corner of Governor Road and Homestead Road. It will be designed to accommodate 150 students.

The Hershey Trust Company and the Milton Hershey School recently filed a conditional use application with Derry Township for a group childcare facility. The application requests that a conditional use authorization be granted to establish a group childcare facility on the property located at the southwest portion of Governor Road and Homestead Road. The planning commission unanimously recommended approval of the conditional use request with some conditions on January 5. The Derry Township board of supervisors will hold a hearing to approve the request on Tuesday night.

The school is expected to include 41,325 square feet and will have a 9,500 square-foot second floor. There will also be an outdoor learning area. The center is expected to have 80 employees and volunteers and is tentatively scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

The center in Derry Township is expected to open in 2023 followed by a center in the Harrisburg area in 2024. The locations of other centers will be determined by the schools board of managers based on further research and community input.

Dauphin County Judge John J. McNally ruled in October that the school for the first time, to will be allowed to extend its educational reach beyond its Derry Township campus. McNallys approval of the childcare center plan was required because the deed of trust issued by Milton and Catherine Hershey in 1909 restricted the spending of trust income solely to the existing private residential school in Derry Township.

You can follow Daniel Urie on twitter @DanielUrie2018 and you can like him on Facebook.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bhavans-Bahrain Indian School has literally redefined education since its inception.

The school, with the hard work, competence and dedication to achieve its aims, provide ample facility for students not only to pursue academic excellence but also explore their co-scholastic potential.

The rapidly developing coronavirus crisis put the world on pause in 2020, but this pause was momentary for Bahrain Indian School fraternity. The school took giant strides and adapted the new teaching-learning styles within no time.

Not only the school spearheaded to online learning, however, it equally helped the parents in answering numerous queries and worries of their childs education.

BIS was the first school which made provisions for the delivery of books at the doorstep of each child. Orientation sessions and Online Parent-Teacher Meetings conducted from time to time equally helped the parents to come to terms with using technology for the ongoing learning of their children.

The IT department along with the Management was instrumental in not only training teachers but also the parents for the smooth running of classes for their wards.

There was a complete shift in the teaching-learning process within no time.

The schools spirit wasnt dampening by the pandemic and continued with online exams, virtual assemblies, festivities, Summer Camp and even competitions by successful usage of virtual mediums.

For those students who opted to come to campus, BIS successfully resumed its on-campus classes also in October 2020 while following all the health and safety procedures as laid down by MOE and MOH to combat COVID-19.

BIS van guarded Inter GCC and Inter-School competitions viz. Bhavans International School Quiz (BISQ) and Bhavanodaya through a virtual platform.

The school is looking forward to another much-awaited event such as the Annual Award Ceremony (through a virtual medium) and commencement of Senior Secondary wing to add another feather in its cap.

Under the able leadership of Directors Himanshu Verma and Ritu Verma and Principal Saji Jacob, the school is bound to reach many milestones in the future.
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Valeo North America, a top-10 auto parts supplier in the world, announced plans Monday to expand into Bessemer with a $5 million facility that is expected to create 70 jobs, according to the Birmingham Business Alliance.

Valeo will be occupying an existing facility on Perimeter Way in Bessemer early this year and is expected to be at full production by June, the alliance said.

Valeo is world-class auto supplier and a superb addition to the auto industry supply chain network spreading across the state, said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. Valeos decision to locate a facility in Bessemer positions the company for long-term growth, and we are committed to helping them build a future there.

An enticing incentives package created by the Birmingham Business Alliance, the Alabama Department of Commerce, Jefferson County and the City of Bessemer led Valeo to expand into Bessemer, the alliance said.

Valeo North America is pleased to announce the opening a new facility in Bessemer, the company said. The City of Bessemer, the Birmingham Business Alliance and the state of Alabama demonstrated an attractive business friendly, pro-jobs attitude. This project, in this location, is a win-win for Valeo and for the community.

Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons noted that automotive manufacturing is a vital part of Jefferson Countys economy that continues to see immense growth annually.

Bessemer Mayor Kenneth Gulley said he was excited for Valeo to set up a facility in his city.

Valeo North America is expanding our citys growing industrial roster and bringing expanded opportunity for residents of Bessemer and surrounding areas, he said. We thank Valeo North America for its investment in our city and we look forward to working with the company for years to come.

The attraction of this investment from Valeo North America is testament of the favorable business environment in Bessemer and the partnership that exists between our local and state governments to bring quality jobs and capital investment to the region, added Jeff Traywick, vice president of economic development at the BBA. . This project will allow Valeo to support its customers needs in a location that is cost-competitive and provides the company access to a skilled labor force.
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden is poised to impose a moratorium on new federal oil, gas and coal leasing Wednesday, according three individuals briefed on the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan was still being finalized. The move will deliver on one of Biden's boldest climate campaign pledges but will encounter stiff resistance from the fossil fuel industry.

The White House has prepared documents that would halt new oil and gas auctions on federal lands and waters as the new administration reviews the program, these individuals said. The moratorium would not affect existing leases, meaning drilling would continue on public land in the West as well as in the Gulf of Mexico.

The memo remains a draft subject to final approval, said one individual close to the White House who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the moved had not been announced. Administration officials had considered imposing a moratorium on new federal coal leasing as well, but one of the individuals briefed on the plan said officials were now leaning against that option.

Biden plans to outline steps Wednesday aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions and elevating the role of science in federal decision-making. Asked about the matter, both the White House and the Interior Department declined to comment.

During the campaign, Biden pledged to ban "new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters," without specifying exactly what such a ban would entail.

Fossil fuel leasing on federal and tribal lands accounts for nearly a quarter of the country's annual carbon output. It also generated $11.7 billion in tax revenue for the federal, state, local and tribal governments last year, according to the Interior Department's Office of Natural Resources Revenue.

Environmentalists say the pause will allow the new administration to assess whether taxpayers are being adequately compensated for the minerals extracted from lands they own.

"By pausing the broken leasing system and halting the giveaways to oil and gas executives, President Biden has an opportunity to meaningfully fix the leasing system for the first time in nearly four decades with solutions that work for the public and which incorporate ambitious conservation, taxpayer fairness, and climate goals," Jenny Rowland-Shea, senior policy analyst for public lands at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, wrote in an email. "We can make sure our public lands and coasts are preserved, accessible and beneficial to everyone - not abused by oil and gas corporations."

But oil and gas groups, including the American Petroleum Institute, counter that freezing new leasing will deprive state and local governments, as well as the U.S. Treasury, of needed revenue. Last week, the industry criticized the Interior Department when it dictated that any new leases or permits issued during the next 60 days needed the approval of a top-ranking Biden appointee before they could be finalized.

API President Mike Sommers said that move alone will damage domestic energy producers while benefiting ones abroad.

"Restricting development on federal lands and waters is nothing more than an 'import more oil' policy," Sommers said. "Energy demand will continue to rise - especially as the economy recovers - and we can choose to produce that energy here in the United States or rely on foreign countries hostile to American interests."

About 22 percent of U.S. oil production and 12 percent of natural gas production takes place on federal lands and waters, according to API.

A moratorium would have contrasting effects on different oil-producing regions, hamstringing drillers in New Mexico, where the federal government controls huge swaths of land, while leaving those producing on state or private land across the border in Texas unscathed.

"It feels a little bit unfair," said Raye Miller, head of a small, nine-well oil-producing operation called Regeneration Energy in southeastern New Mexico. "We're very concerned with the direction things are headed."

But drilling on public lands will continue even with a moratorium on new leasing, since industry operators hold plenty of undeveloped leases in their portfolios. Only about half of the nearly 20,000 applications to drill approved between 2014 and 2019 are actually in use, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report. More than 13 million acres of land leased for oil and gas were not producing during fiscal year 2019.

While the oil and gas lobby gears up for a fight, environmental advocates are sustaining pressure on Biden to keep his commitment to end leasing and permitting on federal acreage. Among them is Oceana, a marine conservation group, which is set to release a report Tuesday detailing how reversing the Trump administration's plan to open up nearly all U.S. coastal waters to drilling would prevent more than 19 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

So far, activists are pleased with Biden's quick climate actions. "At this point, I'm excited about the president's agenda," said Diane Hoskins, a campaign director at Oceana.

Significant attention has been paid to a hearing on January 25 for a trial brought by Vietnamese-French woman Tran To Nga against the US companies that provided the chemical toxins used by the US Army in the war in Vietnam.

The trial held in the Crown Court of Evry city (Photo: VNA)

At the trial, held in the Crown Court of Evry city in the suburbs of Paris, lawyers for the defendants spent more than four hours arguing for their clients, which are 17 chemical producers from the US, including Monsanto (acquired by the German group Bayer in 2018) and Dow Chemical, while Ngas three lawyers had only one and a half hours.

Lawyers William Bourdon, Amelie Lefebvre, and Bertrand Repolt have stood side-by-side with Nga for more than 10 years.

In 2009, she testified for Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims in Vietnam at the International Peoples Tribunal of Conscience, in Paris. In 2013, the Crown Court of Evry accepted her lawsuit and one year later she received notice of the first procedural hearing, with 19 US chemical companies to stand trial.

The public in France has described the trial as historic, through which Nga and the organisations supporting the lawsuit hope to promote international recognition of the crime of environmental destruction.

Lawyer Bourdon said the US chemical companies have used every possible means not to prevent this trial - since they cant - but to argue that Ngas activities are unacceptable and groundless.

The defendants representatives claimed that the Crown Court of Evry doesnt have sufficient capacity to deal with the case.

Lawyer Jean-Daniel Bretzner of Monsanto said the companies acted in line with State orders and in the name of that State and are entitled to judicial immunity.

Bourdon stressed that these arguments are outdated, and that Ngas lawyers are relatively confident, as the law has developed towards enhancing the responsibility of private entities, even when they declare they acted under pressure from an administration.

Tran To Nga (R) answers press agencies' questions on the sidelines of the trial (Photo: VNA)

Secretary-General of the France - Vietnam Friendship Association Jean-Pierre Archambault considers the January 25 hearing an important stride forward in the lawsuit Nga has pursued for more than six years to seek justice for Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims.

He categorised the arguments presented by the lawyers defending the US multinational companies as disgusting, noting they believe their actions followed US Government orders and, hence, they do not bear any responsibility for producing the dangerous herbicides that are still tormenting millions of victims in Vietnam even though the war ended decades ago. He also pledged support to the struggle by Nga.

Marie Toussaint, a Greens member of the European Parliament, expressed her discontent over the defendants lawyers providing incorrect arguments that Nga no longer has AO/dioxin in her blood.

The US companies tried everything possible to cast off their responsibility in AO production, Toussaint said, adding it is a historical fact that in war, atomic weapons destroyed not only land and people at the time but also severely impacted the following generations, and the same thing has happened with chemical toxins like AO/dioxin.

She affirmed that justice is needed to make peace, and no one has the right to produce hazardous chemicals that affect many generations, regardless of wartime or peacetime.

Voicing his support for Ngas lawsuit, Mayor Jean-Marc Defremont of Savigny-sur-Orge city said the US chemical companies produced herbicides that seriously destroyed the environment in Vietnam but have yet to be subject to any punishment.

For her part, Nga said that although the court is scheduled to issue a verdict in May, for her, the struggle will continue.

We will remain patient and persistent, as we have been for the last six years or more, she affirmed.

Nga, born in 1942, filed the lawsuit in May 2014. With the support of several non-governmental organisations, she accused the companies of causing lasting harm to the health of herself, her children, and countless others, and of destroying the environment.

She graduated from a Hanoi university in 1966 and became a war correspondent of the former Liberation News Agency, part of the Vietnam News Agency. She worked in some of the most heavily AO/dioxin affected areas in southern Vietnam, such as Cu Chi, Ben Cat, and along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, ultimately experiencing contamination herself.

Of her three children, the first died of heart defects and the second suffers from a blood disease. She has also contracted a number of acute diseases

On April 16, 2015, the Crown Court of Evry city held the first hearing on the case, but since then, lawyers for the chemical companies have tried every way to draw out procedures.

The trial was scheduled to open in October 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19./.VNA

French court to hold hearing on AO lawsuit A French court will open a hearing on a lawsuit filed by Vietnamese-French Tran Thi To Nga against 14 multinational companies for producing and selling chemical toxins that was sprayed by the US army in the war in Vietnam,
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.
GREENSBORO, N.C., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- When the pandemic first hit, The Fresh Market put out a call to raise $250,000 through an in-store fundraising drive which the company matched up to $250,000 to help provide 5 million meals* through Feeding America. Working with Feeding America's network of local food banks, every dollar raised helps to provide at least 10 meals, with 90% of funds staying in The Fresh Market's local communities.

The 5 Million Meal mission was a success, raising nearly $510,000 dollars. However, 10 months into this unprecedented time, the need to support feeding our communities continues to be greater than ever.

The Fresh Market kicked off a second major campaign during the holiday season where guests had the opportunity to round up their receipt to the nearest dollar with The Fresh Market matching contributions up to $125,000. Thanks to the generous outpouring of the community, the Holiday Round-Up at the Register campaign exceeded expectations. More than $700,000 was raised through donations at the register and combined with The Fresh Market's $125,000 contribution, a total of $825,828 dollars was raised for Feeding America, which translates to more than 8.25 million meals.

"We are so appreciative of our guests for their role in helping our local food banks feed our communities. It is amazing when we come together what we can accomplish. It's truly touching to see how collectively, we can make an impact to help reduce food insecurity," said Jason Potter, President and CEO of The Fresh Market.

In 2020, a total of almost $1.6 million dollars was raised for Feeding America by The Fresh Market, including additional campaigns such as Hot Dogs for Hunger, Tennessee Tornado Relief and Louisiana Hurricane Relief fund drives.

"We are grateful to The Fresh Market for helping provide nourishment to our neighbors," said Casey Marsh, Chief Development Officer at Feeding America. "As the pandemic continues to impact the communities we serve, we commend The Fresh Market for their commitment to helping people facing hunger."

About The Fresh Market, Inc.

Since 1982, The Fresh Market, Inc. has helped guests make every day eating extraordinary with time-saving meal solutions, unique ingredients and delicious food for any occasion. From fresh produce and exceptional meat and seafood, to signature baked goods and thousands of organic options, this specialty grocery retailer has something to please every palate. The Fresh Market currently operates 159 stores in 22 states across the U.S., inspiring guests to discover new flavors and cook with confidence. For more information, please visit www.thefreshmarket.com or follow the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 46 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

*$1.00 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks.

CONTACT: Meghan Flynn

336.402.6638

[email protected]

SOURCE The Fresh Market, Inc.

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https://www.thefreshmarket.com


KYODO NEWS - Jan 26, 2021 - 13:34 | All, World

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden will approach Beijing with "patience" as it reviews its policy on China in consultation with allies, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday.

"China is growing more authoritarian at home and more assertive abroad. And Beijing is now challenging our security, prosperity and values in significant ways that require a new U.S. approach," she said at a press conference, adding that the Biden administration intends to use "some strategic patience."

Her remarks came after Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking at a virtual meeting of the World Economic Forum on Monday, called for global cooperation in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and other challenges, while warning that confrontation, including trade wars, will only end up hurting the interests of all countries.

Psaki said Xi's message would not affect the current U.S. stance on China, with which Washington views is in a "serious competition."

"Strategic competition with China is a defining feature of the 21st century. China is engaged in conduct that hurts American workers, blunts our technological edge, and threatens our alliances and our influence in international organizations," the White House press secretary said.

She also said the Biden administration is eager to hold discussions with U.S. allies as well as Republicans and Democrats in Congress to assess how to move forward in relations with the world's second-largest economy.

Biden's handling of U.S.-China ties will be closely watched after the previous administration under Donald Trump took an increasingly confrontational stance on numerous fronts including trade practices, technology, Hong Kong, Taiwan, human rights issues and control of the South China Sea.

During the election campaign, Biden said that he too would be tough on Beijing, though he has opposed Trump's use of unilateral tariffs which brought on a tit-for-tat trade war. He also expressed his desire to work with U.S. allies and partners to counter China's abusive trade behaviors and human rights violations.

Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken suggested during a Senate committee hearing last week that U.S. moves to pressure Beijing will continue into the Biden administration, acknowledging the tough stance taken by the Trump administration was "right."

Psaki's reference Monday to the approach of "patience" in responding to questions regarding Biden's China policy invoked Washington's "strategic patience" policy on North Korea adopted under the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Obama's strategic patience policy was designed to put more pressure on Pyongyang while waiting for it to return to denuclearization talks. But critics have termed it a failure as North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities have continuously advanced.

Psaki was a former State Department spokeswoman during the Obama administration. Biden served as Obama's vice president for eight years through January 2017.
President Joe Biden on Monday appeared to boost his goal for coronavirus vaccinations in his first 100 days in office, suggesting the nation could soon be injecting 1.5 million shots on an average per day.

Biden signaled his increasing bullishness on the pace of vaccinations after signing an executive order to boost government purchases from U.S. manufacturers. It was among a flurry of moves by Biden during his first full week to show hes taking swift action to heal an ailing economy as talks with Congress over a $1.9 trillion stimulus package showed few signs of progress.

Biden reiterated that he believes the country is in a precarious spot and and that relief is urgently needed, even as he dismissed the possibility of embracing a scaled-down bill to secure passage faster. Among the features of the stimulus plan are a national vaccination program, aid to reopen schools, direct payments of $1,400 to individuals and financial relief for state and local governments.

Time is of the essence, Biden said. I am reluctant to cherry-pick and take out one or two items here.

Bidens new vaccination target comes after he and his aides faced criticism for the 100 million goal in his first 100 days in office. The U.S. has exceeded a pace of 1 million doses per day over the last week.

I think we may be able to get that to ... 1.5 million a day, rather than 1 million a day, Biden said, but we have to meet that goal of a million a day.

Biden added that he expects widespread availability of the vaccines for Americans by spring, with the U.S. well on our way to herd immunity necessary to end the pandemic by summer. Even so, he warned the nation was going to be in this for a while, and could see between 600,000 and 660,000 deaths before we begin to turn the corner in a major way.

As of Sunday, the federal government had distributed 41.4 million vaccine doses to states and other jurisdictions. Of that, 21.8 million doses had been administered, or about 53%. About 3.2 million people had received their full two-dose vaccination, a little less than 1% of the population. Thats according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Already, more than 420,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus.

Bidens team held a call Sunday to outline the stimulus plan with at least a dozen senators, while the president also privately talked with lawmakers.

Theres an urgency to moving it forward, and he certainly believes there has to be progress in the next couple of weeks, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. She warned that action needed to be taken before the U.S. reaches an unemployment cliff in March, when long-term unemployment benefits expire for millions of Americans.

But Republicans on Capitol Hill were not joining in the push for immediate action.

One key Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said after Sundays call that it seems premature to be considering a package of this size and scope. Collins described the additional funding for vaccinations as useful while cautioning that any economic aid should be more targeted.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Monday that any further action should be smart and targeted, not just an imprecise deluge of borrowed money that would direct huge sums toward those who dont need it.

Biden sought to downplay the rhetoric from GOP lawmakers, saying, I have been doing legislative negotiations for a large part of my life. I know how the system works.

This is just the process beginning, he added. No one wants to give up on their position until theres no other alternative.

Mondays order will likely take 45 days or longer to make its way through the federal bureaucracy, during which time wrangling with Congress could produce a new aid package. That would be a follow-up to the roughly $4 trillion previously approved to tackle the economic and medical fallout from the coronavirus.

The order was aimed at increasing factory jobs, which have slumped by 540,000 since the pandemic began last year.

America cant sit on the sidelines in the race for the future, Biden said before signing the order in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Were ready, despite all were facing.

Bidens order would modify the rules for the Buy American program, making it harder for contractors to qualify for a waiver and sell foreign-made goods to federal agencies. It also changes rules so that more of a manufactured goods components must originate from U.S. factories. America-made goods would also be protected by an increase in the governments threshold and price preferences, the difference in price over which the government can buy a foreign product.

Its an order that channels Bidens own blue-collar persona and his promise to use the governments market power to support its industrial base, an initiative that former President Donald Trump also attempted with executive actions and import taxes.

Thanks to past presidents granting a trade-pact waiver to Buy American, today billions in U.S. tax dollars leak offshore every year because the goods and companies from 60 other countries are treated like they are American for government procurement purposes, said Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizens Global Trade Watch and a critic of past trade agreements.

While Trump also issued a series of executive actions and tariffs with the goal of boosting manufacturing, he didnt attempt to rewrite the guidance for what constitutes a U.S.-made component or tighten the process for granting exemptions to buy foreign goods, a key difference from Bidens agenda, Bidens administration said.

The order also has elements that apply to the separate Buy America program that applies to highways and bridges. It aims to open up government procurement contracts to new companies by scouting potential contractors. The order would create a public website for companies that received waivers to sell foreign goods to the government, so that U.S. manufacturers can have more information and be in a more competitive position.

Past presidents have promised to revitalize manufacturing as a source of job growth and achieved mixed results. The government helped save the automotive sector after the 2008 financial crisis, but the number of factory jobs has been steadily shrinking over the course of four decades.

The number of U.S. manufacturing jobs peaked in 1979 at 19.5 million and now totals 12.3 million, according to the Labor Department.
BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- China urges the United States to prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related issues and refrain from sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" forces, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to a statement issued by the U.S. State Department saying that China should stop pressuring Taiwan and engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan.

Zhao said China's position on the Taiwan question is consistent and clear. There is but one China in the world, and the Taiwan region is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.

China is determined in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and opposing "Taiwan independence" and interference by external forces, the spokesperson said.

The root cause of the current tension and disturbance in cross-Strait relations lies in the Democratic Progressive Party authority refusing to recognize the 1992 Consensus which embodies the one-China principle, strengthening contacts with external forces and making provocations in pursuit of "Taiwan independence," he said.

"On the political basis of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing 'Taiwan independence,' we stand ready to conduct dialogue and consultation with all political parties, groups and personages in the Taiwan region, so that we can resolve differences and build up consensus on political issues across the Strait and on issues related to promoting the peaceful reunification of China," Zhao said.

"We urge the U.S. side to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related issues, and refrain from sending any wrong signals to the 'Taiwan independence' forces so as to avoid damaging China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Zhao added.
A new 3,900-foot siding in the Mount Pocono area will expand the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroads capacity along Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authoritys Pocono Mainline, rail officials say.

The State Transportation Commission included funding for the project in a $1.3 million grant to Delaware-Lackawanna approved earlier this month.

The siding will be constructed on the PNRRA mainline west of Pocono Summit Lake in Mount Pocono and Coolbaugh Twp., with completion scheduled for later this year, said Larry Malski, authority president.

A subsidiary of Genesee Valley Transportation Co. Inc., the Delaware-Lackawanna is the operator for the regional rail authority.

With the Ardent Mills flour mill at Mount Pocono already a significant customer and additional industries locating to the area, the siding will give the Delaware-Lackawanna extra capacity to store cars for them, Malski said.

The flour mill can receive 50 or more carloads of wheat at a time, and those come in almost daily, he said.

We run daily to the mill to service them, but when you get a couple hundred cars, you need to stage them and have them ready to put them into the mill when they request them, Malski said.

The mill went through an expansion last year, and that is already showing up as increased rail traffic, he said.

So the timing of this is perfect, he said.

The siding will basically replace a section of double track that was ripped up 40 or 50 years ago, long before the lines acquisition by PNRRA, Malski said.

Its really just putting capacity back that was abandoned, he said.

In an email, Charlie Monte Verde, Genesee Valley senior director of strategic planning, said the state grant will create strategic rail capacity for future expansion of the Mount Pocono flour mill. The funding builds upon similar successful Delaware-Lackawanna grant applications, including a federal grant to expand yard access and capacity in Scranton last year, Monte Verde said.

Delaware-Lackawanna will also use a portion of the state grant for proactive track maintenance, replacing approximately 7,440 feet of rail and 1,550 ties, Malski said.

The Delaware-Lackawanna project is among 26 rail freight improvement initiatives that will share in $31.3 million in state grant funding announced by Gov. Tom Wolfs office.
WASHINGTON - People across the East Coast were having trouble accessing core Internet services Tuesday morning, just as they were logging on for work and school.

Users reported trouble loading Gmail, Slack and Zoom - apps that have become necessities to keep work-from-home life running smoothly during the coronavirus pandemic. Downdetector, which tracks reports of outages, showed widespread issues with Verizon, Google, Zoom, YouTube, Slack, Amazon Web Services and others Tuesday just before noon.

The issue seemed to be stemming from problems with the Verizon Fios Internet service, though the company did not quickly confirm issues. Verizon's customer support team said on Twitter on Tuesday that a fiber had been cut in Brooklyn, which could possibly account for some of the issues. The support account on Twitter quickly became inundated with customers asking why their Internet was slow and bumpy.

Internet speeds and access started gradually coming back to normal performance after about an hour of the outages. Many services were back to operating as usual by midafternoon.

Many people took to Twitter to point out issues with their Verizon Fios service. Amazon Web Services' status page showed its service, which provides computing power to large swaths of the Internet, was experiencing an issue with an external provider. On its status page, it said that it is "investigating connectivity issues with an internet provider, mainly affecting the East Coast of the United States, outside of the AWS Network." Slack and Google said there were no issues with their own services.

Slack confirmed on its status page that the issues seemed to be isolated to the East Coast. "We're aware of and monitoring an internet service issue that could impact East Coast users' internet connection and ability to use Slack," the notice reads.

Verizon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

It's tough to know how unusual the cause of the outage was until Verizon releases any information, said Lisa Pierce, vice president of research at Gartner, though she doubt the cut cable in Brooklyn was entirely to blame.

"It doesn't make any sense that it would cause this big a ripple," she said.

The outage shows the need for backup plans for businesses and schools relying so heavily on it, Pierce said. It also calls into question whether its time for Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to get more involved about minimum standards for Internet service, she said.

Jessica Rosenworcel, the acting chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, said on Twitter that the agency was working to figure out what was going on with the outage.

"We have seen reports of internet-related outages on the East Coast, making it difficult for people to work remotely and go to school online," she tweeted.

Internet traffic volume to Verizon dropped by about 12% globally during the hour-long outage, according to data from Kentik, a firm that monitors network traffic online. The Internet will never work perfectly 100% of the time, Kentik's director of Internet analysis Doug Madory said.

"Its almost like a living organism that has a hiccup now and then, and the flu sometimes," he said.

The outage disrupted school districts' online teaching programs, which have become essential in the past year.

In northern Virginia, the outages wreaked havoc in online classrooms, bringing the virtual school day to a standstill. In Alexandria City Public Schools, which serves 16,000 and is currently offering online-only instruction, many teachers could not dial into Zoom to lead their Tuesday afternoon classes.

And in Fairfax County Public Schools, whose 186,000 students make it the largest school system in the state, students were unable to log into virtual lessons, according to a tweet from the school division. Like neighboring Alexandria, Fairfax is pursuing 100 percent remote learning.

"FCPS is aware that many people in our region are experiencing internet outages," the school's Twitter account wrote. "We will provide updates as we know more."

Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia tweeted just after noon Tuesday that it is "aware of Internet connection problems with Verizon FIOS impacting students and staff."

- - -

The Washington Post's Hannah Natanson contributed to this report.
Poor white teenagers in Britain's post-industrial and coastal towns are the least likely group to go to university, a watchdog has warned.

The Office for Students, an independent regulator for higher education said such youngsters - and their home communities - have been 'left behind'.

Chris Millward, its director of fair access, suggested that there is more belief in equality of opportunity in big cities, which tend to attract a higher proportion of ethnic minority populations.

By contrast, in other areas, successive generations have not seen that delivered and are less likely to see education as the way to improve their lives.

People in 'left-behind town' also feel the decline of local institutions and civic engagement, and 'the propaganda that used to help shape identity and ambitions', the regulator found via focus groups.

The research suggests such attitudes are not about low aspirations or parents wanting any less for their children but rather expectations, with many taking a realistic assessment of the barriers to getting on.

The Office for Students also produced data on the areas with the highest proportion of postcodes in neighbourhoods with low higher education participation

A graph shows the proportion of white pupils on free school means in England starting higher education by age 19 by region

The rate of progression into higher education for white British students who are eligible for free school meals is only 16 per cent. This compares with rates of 47 to 73 per cent for Asian students on free school meals and 32 to 59 per cent for black students in this category

To that end, the rate of progression into higher education for white British students who are eligible for free school meals is only 16 per cent.

This compares with rates of 47 to 73 per cent for Asian students on free school meals and 32 to 59 per cent for black students in this category.

The watchdog has tried to identify how a combination of factors including race, poverty, place and gender affects the likelihood of progression into higher education.

Its new combined measure found white teenagers eligible for free school meals, or from disadvantaged backgrounds, made up 90 per cent of those in the bottom fifth of youngsters likely to go to university.

The Office for Students also produced data on the areas with the highest proportion of postcodes in neighbourhoods with low higher education participation.

Nottingham North, Barnsley East and Great Yarmouth topped the list with 100% - meaning every postcode in those communities has very few young people going to university.

Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough, Kingston upon Hull East, Erdington in Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent North, Boston and Skegness, Ashfield and Clacton also made up the top 10.

The suggestion that opportunities appear greater in big cities is emphasised by the watchdog's finding that, for white students who receive free school meals in London, the entry rate has pulled away from that in other parts of the country, and is now nearly eight percentage points higher than any other region.

In London, less than half of the population is white, compared with 80 per cent across England as a whole, Mr Millward added.

The findings come as MPs have launched an investigation into low attainment among white working class pupils.

Robert Halfon, whose select committee is investigating the achievement gap for these 'left behind' young people, told the BBC it's important that it's no longer 'swept under the carpet'.

Mauritius launches its Covid-19 vaccination programme on the 26th januaray 2021 giving priority to frontliners including health care professionals, employees of the tourism industry as well as senior citizens and those with underlying medical conditions.

50,000 front liners are being considered for the vaccination campaign with 50% of them being in the tourism sector. Government objective remains the restart of the tourism sector in the safest conditions possible.

Mauritius observes strictest Covid-19 protocols and is regarded as having one of the worldas best responses to the pandemic. Strict quarantine measures and thorough testing protocols have been in place since the outbreak with the hotel industry playing a key role in offering accommodation for confinements. The country received a perfect 100 on the Oxford University Stringency Index which tracks government policy and action regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.

There has been little to no disruption of social life in Mauritius since June 2020 with practically no known cases of community transmission. As a result, the country has seen an increase in demand from visitors looking to relocate to a Covid-safe environment for work, leisure, or retirement. The Premium Visa has been introduced for this purpose and allows for extended visits of 12 months with an option for further extensions.

Entry restrictions and quarantine requirements are expected to be eased progressively based on the evolution of the pandemic and upon visitors having achieved immunity. The situation is being closely monitored with vaccination campaigns already started in Mauritiusas main tourism markets. It is expected that soon vaccinated visitors will be granted free access to the country.

The ultimate objective of the vaccination campaign is to inoculate 60% of the countryas population of 1.3 million to achieve herd immunity. The first batch of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India, arrived from Mumbai on Friday 22 January as a donation from the government of India. Doses required to complete the vaccination campaign are expected from Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer with an initial consignment approved through the COVAX facility.

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The New York Irish Centre (NYIC) inaugural Woman of the Year Award has been scooped by Buncrana emigre, Jane McCarter O'Dowd.

Jane, who previously worked at the Playhouse in Derry, was also the Centre's first Arts and Cultural Director, a position she held for eight years before leaving in 2019 to join The Ireland Funds team.

The Buncrana woman attributed her NYIC success to her formative drama experiences at Scoil Iosagain and Scoil Mhuire in Buncrana, under the tutelage of Sinead McLaughlin and Patricia 'Tinney' Doherty.

In her touching acceptance speech, Jane began by recalling her last stage appearance, a 2011 production of Buncrana playwright, Frank McGuinness' 30th anniversary homecoming production of 'Factory Girls', in the seaside town.

Jane said: In 'Factory Girls', Frank beautifully encapsulates the characteristics of the Irish Woman that often convey strength, tenacity, love, and determination while navigating through an uneven playing field that is life. Through his craft of playwriting Frank was one of the first to celebrate and highlight and share with the world the women of Ireland.

I've been very fortunate to have like-minded male figures in my life, like Frank that have encouraged and supported and created equal opportunities in this world.

"One the greatest influences and heroes is my father, John, and his unwavering support and love for his community, this can been seen in his voluntary work with the RNLI, a life-saving organization made up of local heroes ready to jump into action to save lives at moments notice.

"Dad showed us the importance of community, this stuck with us, and my other hero; my husband Robert. Anyone who knows Rob will agree that he is so kind, wise, supportive, and very very patient with me.

Like Franks characters in Factory Girls, I have been surrounded by women whose presence in my life has been my greatest influence and roadmap.

My Mum, Breda, who gave me her moral compass and compassion, she got from her Mum, Bridget, My nana, Kathleen, and Aunt Tessie. Both were strong women who spent their lives helping and caring for others as nurses. My sisters, Cathy and Amy, are my best friends and natural teachers, like our aunts, Mairead and Gena, my mother-in-law Sue, her mum, sisters and Orla, and my niece, Holly Jane.

I had three teachers who made me realize everyone can make a positive contribution to the world. Monica ODonnell, Patricia Tinney and Elizabeth OHare taught me and that talent and strength come in different shapes and forms. This stayed with me. All of these incredible ladies have given me strength, encouragement every day, said Jane.

Congratulating Jane on her NYIC Woman of the Year Award 2021, Frank McGuinness said, since her arrival in America, Jane had worked tirelessly to promote the cultures of Ireland.

He added: Her imagination is cut from the kindest fabric. As befits a Buncrana woman, her family and my family, steeped in our historic industry of shirt-making, I salute Jane as a true Factory Girl, a credit to our town, our county of Donegal and to our country, which she loves wisely and dearly.

Together with Robbie, Jane is a credit to her own and to us all. Her wonderful sense of fun, her hard work, her genuine zeal and enthusiasm, these are the mark of a terrific woman who thoroughly deserves this honour.

I wish we were with you tonight, dear Jane, and with my partner Philip, my entire clan of Mc Guinness and O'Donnell, and myself I send you love. May we walk safely and happily on the White Strand soon, concluded Frank McGuinness.

Jane was quick to acknowledge the help she received from previous Buncrana emigrants to New York, Turlough McConnell and Cahir O'Doherty, to whom her Uncle Willie introduced her, when she left Inishowen in 2011. She described the pair as the American uncles I never had.

She recalled: I had just finished working as the Heritage Officer in the Playhouse in Derry with Pauline Ross, its Founder and Director. Through Turlough and Cahir, I met Paul Finnegan, from Galway, who had just started as Executive Director at the New York Irish Centre.

It was a pivotal moment for Robbie and I and our future in New York, when Paul and Sean Mackin (Chairperson, New York Irish Centre) offered me the position of NYIC's first Arts and Cultural Director.

It was so exciting. The community was so welcoming, The New York Irish Centre is home to the Donegal Society who does wonderful work here in New York. My task was to grow an organic arts and cultural programme that catered for everyone and helped to bring the community into the Centre.

Growing up in a close-knit community near the Border gave me an appreciation for the importance of diversity and collaboration both of which influenced my new role and making sure that our programming offered variety and accommodated everyone, she said.

Jane's background in theatre and drama, she had studied Drama and Psychology at Ulster University, Magee, under Dr Tom Maguire, an expert in the field of Drama and Community, empowered her to found the Emerald Footprints Drama Group, for children with an affinity for Ireland or interest or heritage.

The group explores Irish myths and legends through the medium of drama.

Jane said: The New York Irish Centre is also known for its work with the more mature emigrant, senior citizens. We had a weekly gathering called Senior Lunch, so I was also building activities around that lunch, to engage with our seniors a bit more. This was a really important service because it meant we were able to stay in touch and check in on them, softly, creating engagement and preventing isolation.

Through our Golden Footprints Drama Group, we examined their experiences as emigrants, looked at different aspects of their lives, through drama and storytelling. We also introduced Tai Chi, yoga and visual arts classes, as well as theatre visits to the Irish Repertory Theatre, founded by Charlotte Moore and Ciaran O'Reilly.

It was an absolute pleasure to work with my cousin Aeidin McCarter, Head of Culture at Derry City and Strabane District Council in 2014 on a very special project when we helped coordinate arrangements to welcome the Clippers to New York, particularly the home-clipper captained by our cousin Sean McCarter.

The New York Irish Community is absolutely thriving and incredibly supportive, Rob and I very grateful to be part of, you never forget all the help and support you were given when starting out, it stays with you and goes full circle when you are in a position to help. Sadly there are not too many people making that move given the current circumstances. It has been a traumatic year here. At the minute we have outdoor dining, however, gyms and salons are open with restriction. I am also hoping the Inauguration of President Biden on Wednesday will bring unity and coming together, said Jane.
As the federal government is working on getting the Covid-19 vaccine to as many people as quickly as possible, it certainly hasn't been without challenges. The government fell behind its goal of getting 20 million people vaccinated before the end of 2020.

Still, it's now averaging around one million shots per day. That means that the government is on pace to reach President Biden's goal of administering 100 million shots within his first 100 days. Of course, for enough people to have immunity to move beyond the pandemic, a lot more people are going to need to get vaccinated.

Tech companies are in an interesting position to help. Many of them have empty offices right now. Some of them have vast distribution networks and expertise in getting things where they need to be.

On Sunday, Amazon was host to a pop-up vaccination clinic, hoping to provide shots to 2,000 people. The company also sent a letter to President Biden offering "operations, information technology, and communications capabilities." There aren't many companies better equipped to help with the logistics of getting things to lots of people.

Microsoft has opened its Redmond, Washington, campus as a vaccination site in a partnership with health care providers. And Starbucks has donated the time and expertise of its operations and analytics teams to help design vaccination sites (while continuing to pay those employees).

In normal times, none of these companies would be involved in public health efforts. I think we can all agree these are anything but normal times.

"We are not a health care company," says Kevin Johnson, Starbucks' CEO. "But Starbucks does operate 33,000 stores at scale, serving 100 million customers a week, and we have a world-class team of human-centered design engineers who are working under the direction of the state and health care providers to help support the creation of vaccination centers that can scale and amplify the comfort, care, and safety of every person who gets vaccinated."

Put another way, Starbucks is helping not because it's an expert at giving people vaccines, but because it has the resources to help. It's doing it because it can.

Say what you want about companies like Starbucks or Microsoft or Amazon. Say they're doing it because it makes them look good, or because they're getting something out of it. Honestly, so what? If it helps us get past this faster, I'm all for it. Kudos to all of them.

Imagine if every business that was able to help took that same approach. I have no doubt that many are doing just that, even if we don't hear about it. But there's always room for more. It might be as simple as offering to pick up groceries and set them on the porch of a neighbor. Or, like Microsoft, offering your empty office as a vaccine distribution location.

If nothing else, we've seen over the past 11 months that, when given the opportunity, people will do pretty incredible things. Nurses and doctors get up and go to work every day despite the risk to themselves and their families. Restaurant owners figured out how to keep their employees working and their customers fed.

And teachers figured out how to do the extraordinary--keep 25 first-graders focused and on task while on Zoom. Which is something, I should add, that most managers struggle to do with adults.

Maybe the only thing more impressive than that is that scientists have done in months what should normally take years. They've developed, tested, and manufactured safe and effective vaccines that are the key to getting back to normal--as long as they end up in people's arms.

That's something we should all be grateful for, but more important, it should inspire all of us to do everything we can to help. That's how we get back to normal. That's how we get past this pandemic that has cost the lives of more than 420,000 Americans. That's how we save small businesses that are hurting because of lockdowns and customers who are afraid to go indoors.
A Western New York radio station has placed a conservative talk show on hiatus in the wake of the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The Buffalo News reports New York State Assemblyman David DiPietro, R-East Aurora, was the host of a Saturday morning program on WECK in the Buffalo area until the Jan. 6 insurrection. DiPietro claimed on Facebook he was being censored, while the radio stations owner says otherwise.

Many of you may have been wondering what happened to my radio show on WECK. The ratings and listenership were great! So much so that WECK was going to expand the show to two hours! DiPietro wrote last week. After the election, the owner received threats from Antifa types threatening to burn down the station if he did not remove me. He could not risk losing everything he put his life into. He pulled the plug on the show. THIS is how leftists CENSOR CONSERVATIVE TALK.

WECK owner Buddy Shula, however, told the Buffalo News that its not true.

I was never threatened by Antifa or anyone else, Shula told the newspaper. I received emails and calls from both the right and left expressing their views, but never, ever threatened.

Shula said he doesnt want his Cheektowaga-based AM/FM station, which primarily plays oldies music, to be one-sided in broadcasting political voices. He was sick and scared after seeing a pro-Trump mob storm the Capitol, leading to five deaths and dozens of police officers injured, and decided to put DiPietros show on hiatus until he could find a show to counter the Republican lawmakers right-wing voice.

Shula emphasized that DiPietro didnt do anything wrong and his show may return, possibly in a new format such as a podcast.

We have listeners on both sides of the issues and my desire is to bring a show in like that, where no views are silenced, Shula told the Buffalo News. I am considering platforms for local government shows, including podcasting.

If (Democratic Erie County Executive) Mark Poloncarz was the host, I would have put that on hiatus, too. We just needed to take a breather from the events of that week, he added.

DiPietro has not publicly responded to Shulas comments.

I have learned that WECK radio is a station that listeners want to escape from politics, Shula told the newspaper. Its a happy place on the dial. So if you like politics, WECK may not be your station, but if you like the Beatles, Elvis, Dave Clark Five, etc, WECK is your station.

RELATED NEWS:

Cumulus Media tells conservative radio hosts to stop claiming election was stolen

Capitol riot: Updated list of arrests in New York State (photos)

Split New York 3 ways? Assemblyman DiPietros petition has new approach to carving up NY

Minister Coveney announces 1/3 increase in Irish support for UN Peacebuilding Fund

Press release

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney, T.D., today announced that Ireland will increase its funding to the UN Peacebuilding Fund by one third over the period 2020 to 2024, a total of 10 million.

Speaking at a Replenishment Conference for the Fund, hosted online by the UN Secretary-General and the Governments of Canada, Germany, Sierra Leone and Sudan, Minister Coveney said:

The Peacebuilding Fund can help prevent conflict before lives are lost and costly peacekeeping interventions are needed, and sustain peace in fragile contexts.

Ireland was one of the earliest supporters of the Peacebuilding Fund. Since its inception in 2005 we have contributed more than 20 million. We are very proud to be one of its top donors.

The increased funding will be provided as flexible funding which enables the Fund to act quickly to prevent conflict and sustain peace.

ENDS

PRESS OFFICE

26 JANUARY 2021

Notes for Editors Irish Aid is the Governments overseas aid programme. It is managed by the Development Cooperation and Africa Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs. For further information see www.irishaid.ie The UN Secretary-Generals Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) is a multi-donor trust fund and the UNs instrument of first resort to sustain peace in situations at risk of or affected by violent conflict.

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" " A trio of Appaloosas show off the variation in markings that is characteristic of the breed. Photos by By Deb Alperin/Getty Images

Appaloosa horses with their stunning spotted coats have caught eyes and captured hearts pretty much since the beginning of time. Meticulously bred centuries ago by the Nez Perce people indigenous to Washington, Oregon and Idaho to preserve the traits that make them unique, the Appaloosa has become one of the most popular breeds in America, and even holds the title as the state horse of Idaho.

With more than 630,000 Appaloosa horses registered around the world, according to the Appaloosa Horse Club, it's hard to believe the breed would likely have fallen into oblivion almost a century ago had it not been for the keen intervention of a few dedicated horse enthusiasts.

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What Is the Appaloosa Pattern?

Appaloosas come in a variety of base colors including bay, black, chestnut, palomino, buckskin, dun and grulla. And they have equally diverse spotting patterns that range from light or dark spots to snowflakes (white spots or flecks on dark bodies). Those spots can be distributed throughout the entire body or can "blanket" just a portion of the body from the tail up to the base of the neck.

Some foals are born without classic Appaloosa spots but develop them over time, requiring their owners to update their horse's registration to reflect the new coloring. To make matters even more confusing, not all spotted horses are Appaloosas, and not all Appaloosas are spotted, "Thanks to DNA," says Crystal White, director of the Appaloosa Museum in Moscow, Idaho.

What makes a horse an Appaloosa is the Leopard Complex, or LP gene, a mutation of the TRPM1 gene discovered in 2013 by the Appaloosa Project. All horses have the TRPM1 gene, but only Appaloosas have the LP mutation, which affects the pigment of the coat and allows for the expression of white patterns and other characteristics.

A horse can also appear to be a solid color without spots but still be registered as an Appaloosa if it has mottled skin and at least one other Appaloosa characteristic.

" " Two Appaloosa horses looking eye to eye and head to head while exchanging breath in a trusting bonding behavior. catnap72/Getty Images

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What Are the Appaloosa's Other Distinguishing Features?

There are three characteristics  besides the spotted coat  that identify an Appaloosa, White says. These traits are not exclusive to the breed, but most have at least two:

Mottled skin . Different from pink or non-pigmented skin, mottled skin usually contains small, round, dark spots usually around the muzzle, eyes, anus and genitalia.

Striped hooves . Rather than hooves that are solid white, solid black, or a combination of the two, Appaloosas often have hooves with bold vertical light and dark stripes.

White sclera. The sclera is the outer layer of the eyeball that surrounds the colored iris. Most horse breeds have dark sclera, but Appaloosas often have white ones, giving them "humanlike" eyes. It is unusual for other horse breeds to have white sclera, making this trait most unique to the breed.

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The History of the Spotted Horse

"Spotted horses go back to antiquity," White says. But the lineage of the Appaloosa traces back to the 18th century when the Spanish brought them to Mexico, California and Oregon. The Nez Perce obtained the horses around 1730 and, admiring their physical beauty as well as their courage in battle, developed strict breeding practices to promote desirable traits. Inferior males were gelded and those deemed unsuitable for breeding were traded away. By the turn of the century, the Nez Perce had developed a reputation among Native Americans and Europeans for their high-quality horses.

In 1877, tensions between the Nez Perce and the U.S. government grew violent as settlers pushed the Native Americans from their traditional land in the Palouse. By the war's end, the U.S. Army had taken more than 1,000 of the tribe's surviving horses, selling many and shooting the rest. Surviving Nez Perce settled on reservation lands in north central Idaho, and were allowed only a few horses. But the Army forced the Nez Perce to mate their stallions with draft horse mares to create more suitable farm horses.

Some Appaloosas were captured by settlers and used as ranch horses or were used in circuses and shows, such as Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. English-speakers began calling the spotted horses "Palouse horses" after the Palouse River, which ran through the former Nez Perce lands. The name went through several iterations, including Apalousey, before most settled on Appaloosa.

" " The lineage of the Appaloosa traces back to the 18th century when the Spanish brought them to Mexico, California and Oregon. John McAnulty/Getty Images

It wasn't until 1937, when France D. Haines, a history professor from Lewiston, Idaho, wrote an article about the Appaloosa horses in Western Horseman magazine, calling for the protection of this special breed of horse. "That was the alarm for people who loved the horse, so they began registering them as a breed," White says.

In 1938, a small group of horse breeders formed the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) in Moro, Oregon. Soon after, the club moved to Moscow, Idaho, where the headquarters remains today. The ApHC has become one of the top equine breed registries in the world, with more than 33,000 members.

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What Are Appaloosa Horses Best Suited For?

The Appaloosa was bred for strength and endurance, and are useful for everything from ranch work, show horse, stock horse, racing and long-distance riding. But they are also considered friendly, gentle horses who are especially loyal. "They can be especially attached to one person," White says, "or they can want to be around everyone."

One thing she's noticed about the Appaloosa that roam the pasture at the museum is that they are attracted to kids. "Sometimes groups will come and the horses will stay at the far end of the pasture. But if there are kids in the group, they'll come right up to the fence," she says.

Now That's Interesting Appaloosas have earned starring roles in many Westerns, including playing Cojo Rojo in the Marlin Brando film "The Appaloosa," Zip Cochise in the 1966 John Wayne film "El Dorado," and Cowboy in the 2010 remake of "True Grit," featuring Matt Damon. But the horse with perhaps the most noteworthy role was that of Pay N Go, a bay leopard Appaloosa and Grand Prix dressage horse who performed at the 1998 New York memorial service for Linda McCartney, wife of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.
Russell Moore: Church must 'recover credibility of our witness' post-Trump SBC leader warns many are growing 'cynical,' believe religion is means to another end

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In the aftermath of a contentious election season, Southern Baptist ethicist Russell Moore warned the Church against cynicism and stressed that followers of Christ must now recover the credibility of our witness.

In an interview with Time magazine published last Thursday, the 49-year-old Moore lamented the fact that politics have become deeply intertwined with the many people's understanding of the Church.

I dont know a single family thats not been divided over President Trump, and politics generally. I dont know a single church that hasnt been, the 49-year-old president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission said.

As a result, the biggest threat facing the American Church right now is not secularism but cynicism, he argued, adding: Thats why we have to recover the credibility of our witness.

While its one thing to dismiss Christianity as strange and unlikely, Moore added that if people walk away from the Church because they dont believe that we really believe what we say, then thats a crisis.

There is an entire generation of people who are growing cynical that religion is just a means to some other end, he warned.

Moore has spoken out against Trump since 2015 and called on the president to step down before his term ended after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol earlier this month.

The head of SBC's public policy arm stated that his criticism of Trump has put him in a lonely position. But he believes many people have experienced that sort of loneliness over the past four or five years.

Moores opposition to Trump has come at a cost. In 2017, over 100 Southern Baptist churches displeased with his vocal concerns about Trump during the 2016 presidential election threatened to withhold funding from the denomination.

In an interview with Relevant magazine last week, Moore said that while there's a temptation to check out from politics, the Church must be the people who are choosing voice more than were choosing exit.

Right now, there are many people who have grown discouraged and theyve grown cynical and theyre just leaving," he detailed. "Im having this conversation every day with people. I would just say that we cant give up. We have to really understand that this is important for us to stay in this."

As Joe Biden begins his presidency, the Baptist leader will be praying for wisdom and humility and the ability to unify.

Weve got to get beyond this, he continued. To use the lyric from Larry Norman, Do you really think the way to bring about the peace is to sacrifice your children and kill all your enemies? Thats sort of the mentality that that is politically short-term useful in America right now, and we have to have people who are willing to short circuit that and to say, Im willing to listen to views I disagree with and to grow.

Moore believes that just like President Barack Obama, Biden has shown he is willing and eager to listen to people who disagree with him.

I hope that thats the way that he decides to be as president, he said. And what thats going to mean is saying, There are going to be some things that would make my base happy if I said or if I did, and Im going to have to take into account the whole country and maybe disappoint people who support me just like I will disappoint people who oppose me sometimes.

Moore is not alone in issuing a call for unity following a divisive election season.

Sam Collier, head of Hillsong Atlanta, tweeted that One of our greatest issues in this country is that we havent become unified in the decision to pursue unity.

Well-known Bible teacher Beth Moore, no relation to Russell Moore, reminded Christians that Christ is bigger than political leaders.

Rulers of nations have come and gone for 2000 years but the church remains. We did not know all that would befall us 4 years ago nor do we know the times ahead, she tweeted Wednesday. But the task of the church remains unchanged: to know Christ & make him known. To be salt & light in this time & place.
KALAMAZOO, MI  The wife of a former Kalamazoo pastor accused of engaging in multiple child sexual assaults while accompanied by her husband was arraigned Monday in Kalamazoo County District Court.

Jazmonique Lakendra Strickland, 27, of Mississippi, surrendered to authorities in Kalamazoo on Monday, Jan. 25  11 days after a warrant was issued for her arrest.

Related: Wife of former Kalamazoo pastor accused in sex scandal now faces charges herself

Strickland faces three counts of human trafficking of a minor for commercial sexual activity, two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct on a student, one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct on a child between the age of 13-15 and two counts of child sexually abusive activity.

In a related case, Stricklands husband, 38-year-old Stricjavvar Strick Strickland, was charged with 11 felony counts in August. Strick Strickland is the former executive senior pastor at Second Baptist Church in Kalamazoo and also previously served as the president of the local chapter of the NAACP from 2016-2018.

According to court documents filed in her husbands case, the couple allegedly would use her employment at Phoenix High School in Kalamazoo and his with the church and find male teens to engage in sexual activity with Jazmonique Strickland.

Related: Kalamazoo pastor paid teenage boys to have sex with his wife, police say

The couple is accused of sexually assaulting at least four teens between the two of them between August 2015 and August 2018, according to court records.

At least two of the victims were paid money by Strick Strickland, and in return Jazmonique Strickland had sex with the children, court documents read.

After waiving his his right to a preliminary exam in November, Strick Strickland is scheduled to go to trial on April 26. The former pastor is also due in Kalamazoo County District Court later this week over a misdemeanor assault charge filed against him by a former church deacon.

Jazmonique Strickland is due back in Kalamazoo County District Court for a probable cause conference on Feb. 3. Similar to her husband, she was issued a $500,000 personal recognizance bond, meaning she does not have to pay any money to be released, but will owe that money if she fails to show for court.

Also on MLive:

Kalamazoo pastor charged with human trafficking, child sex abuse

Kalamazoo pastor defends himself amid police investigation

State police search home of Kalamazoo NAACP president, pastor

Kalamazoo pastor charged with assault of church deacon

I have never and will never run, says Kalamazoo pastor sought by police

Kalamazoo pastor facing child sex charges now a fugitive, police say
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The IMF has downgraded its forecast for UK growth this year to 4.5 per cent as renewed coronavirus lockdowns smother the recovery.

The respected body slashed estimates for the British economy by 1.4 percentage points from its October figure, as well as predicting more gloom for European countries.

However, it said the rollout of vaccines should mean a stronger performance globally, with the US and Japan in a better position than expected.

The grim picture emerged as the UK looks on track for a double dip recession, with draconian restrictions once again wreaking havoc on businesses. Figures today showed that unemployment has risen to a five-year peak, even though the furlough scheme is still masking the worst effects.

The IMF slashed estimates for the British economy by 1.4 percentage points from its October figure, as well as predicting more gloom for European countries.

Figures today showed that unemployment has risen to a five-year peak, even though the furlough scheme is still masking the worst effects

UK jobless rate hits five-year high The UK's jobless rate has crept up to 5 per cent - the highest level since 2016 - as employment slides, it was revealed today. Official figures showed the unemployment rate was up 0.6 percentage points between September and November compared to the previous quarter. Meanwhile, the employment rate was down 0.4 points quarter-on-quarter. And the numbers on payroll was 828,000 lower than the level last February 2020 - although it rose slightly in December. However, it seems the true scale of the damage to the jobs market is still being masked by the huge furlough scheme. Advertisement

In percentage terms growth will be high by historical standards over the coming years, but only because the scale of the downturn last year was so huge that the economy is starting from a lower base.

The IMF estimates the UK was the worst-hit of the world's seven largest advanced economies last year, suffering a 10 per cent decline.

Only Spain - which is outside the top seven - suffered more with a 11.1 per cent fall, although there have been questions about how comparable the international figures are.

The Bank of England forecast in November that the UK economy would regain its pre-pandemic level in the first quarter of next year.

UK GDP is expected to recover by 4.5 per cent this year, compared to the 5.9 per cent the IMF anticipated before.

Brexit disruption in the first quarter this year is also likely to reduce output by around 1 per cent, according to the updated World Economic Outlook.

But the prospects for 2022 appear better, with a 5 per cent expansion on the cards.

The 19 Eurozone countries have also been downgraded but by less and will collectively register 4.2 per cent growth this year, after a 7.2 per cent tumble.

The world's output shrank 3.5 per cent in 2020, the worst year since World War II, but the IMF suggested it will expand 5.5 per cent this year - more than the 5.2 per cent previously pencilled in.

The 190-country lending organisation said vaccines should contain the spread of the virus and allow governments around the world to ease lockdowns. It also pointed to major government stimulus programs in the US and Japan.

However, the IMF cautioned that coronavirus mutations could cloud the outlook.

Coronavirus is thought to have inflicted the worst hit to UK GDP since the Great Frost of 1709

'Much depends on the outcome of this race between a mutating virus and vaccines and the ability of policies to provide effective support until the pandemic ends,' IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath said at a press briefing.

'There remains tremendous uncertainty.'

The IMF said that the US economy - still the world's biggest - to expand 5.1 per cent this year after diving 3.4 per cent in 2020.

Despite being the first place where the virus emerged, China is expected to record 8.1 per cent growth after managing a 2.3 per cent last year.

Japan is forecast to grow 3.1 per cent, reversing a 5.1 per cent decline in 2020.

The IMF gave India a big upgrade, thanks to a faster-than-expected recovery at its factories and farms.

It is forecast to expand 11.5 per cent in 2021, fastest among the major economies, after a decline of 8 per cent.

Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said: 'The UK had the worst recession of any major economy when the crisis hit  and now we know it had the weakest growth of any major economy through 2020 as well.

'Given these awful figures, the Chancellor should be supporting families through this crisis. Instead, he's hitting them with a triple hammer blow to their pockets of pay freezes, council tax hikes and social security cuts.

'This economically illiterate approach will harm our recovery and lead to long-term scarring.'
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Health Ministry Undersecretary Dr Walid bin Khalifa Al Mena met remotely yesterday with Indian Ambassador Piyush Srivastava.

At the outset of the meeting, which was held in the presence of Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health and Head of the Vaccination Committee Dr Meriam Al Hajeri, the Health Ministry Undersecretary welcomed the Ambassador, lauding strong relations between the two friendly countries.

They discussed ways of boosting bilateral cooperation in the health field to serve the interests of both countries.

Ambassador Srivastava expressed thanks and respect to Dr Al Mena, stressing his countrys keenness on bolstering bilateral cooperation in the health field.

Dr Al Mena wished the Indian Ambassador every success in his diplomatic duties to further consolidate distinguished relations and coordination in all fields.


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On 2 January 2021, an article reporting claims in another newspaper wrongly suggested actor Damien McKiernan is suing his former employer, Brendan OCarroll, the creator of Mrs Browns Boys. In fact, Mr McKiernan has confirmed no proceedings have been issued and he has no intention of commencing litigation. We are happy to clarify the position and apologise for the error.

To report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@mailonline.co.uk. To make a formal complaint under IPSO rules please go to www.mailonline.co.uk/readerseditor where you will find an easy-to-use complaints form. You can also write to Readers' Editor, MailOnline, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or contact IPSO directly at ipso.co.uk
Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian have set the internet ablaze after it was reported that the longtime pals are now romantically involved.

Shameless flirting on social media and a recent weekend getaway to Palm Springs, the relationship between the pair continues to heat up with sources telling People, 'They've been dating for about a month or two.'

Despite the budding romance, Barker admitted in a 2015 interview with Us Weekly, that he once had his eyes set on sister Kim Kardashian, as he admitted he 'had a crush on her.'

Sister switch: Blink-182's Travis Barker admitted in a 2015 interview with Us Weekly that he 'had a crush' on Kim Kardashian. Meanwhile reports of new romance with longtime pal Kourtney Kardashian have surfaced; pictured 2020

Discussing his then romance with Paris Hilton when Kim was merely her assistant, he told the publication, 'How could you not stare at Kim?'

Barker said, 'I enjoyed hanging out with Paris, but I love curvy girls. Kim was eye candy...I couldn't keep my eyes off Kim.'

He admitted that things did not go past being 'flirtatious,' and that he was in 'no way disrespectful to Paris,' in the interview.

As sources continue to confirm the romance between Kourtney and Travis, reportedly the famous family is in full support of the pairing.

New romance: Kourtney and Travis have fueled romance rumors for weeks on account of social media flirting with the pair even taking a vacation to Palm Springs over the weekend; Kim and Kourtney pictured 2018

'He's liked her for a long time and she just got more open to the idea. He's a good guy and a really great dad. Her family and friends all really like him. Their kids all get along too, which is sweet,' the insider told People.

Barker shares Alabama daughter, 15, and Landon, 17, with ex-wife of four years Shanna Moakler, and Kourtney shares Mason, 11, Penelope, eight, and Reign, six, with former partner Scott Disick.

The source added, 'Travis is great guy. He is very nice to be around. Throughout their friendship, Travis has always had stronger feelings for Kourtney. He has been pursuing her for a while.'

Eagle-eyed fans first started to notice that the duo may be more than friends based on their social media exchanges in recent weeks.

True romance: The duo have been friends for years with sources overwhelmingly reporting that the pair have been 'dating for about a month or two,' with Travis being in pursuit of her for a while; pictured 2018

Flirty messages: Kourtney seemed to make a nod to Travis as she posted a photo of his favorite movie True Romance on her Instagram to which he commented 'You're so cool'

In the comments: His shameless flirting on her social media has not stopped in recent weeks as he commented on a bikini photo of her

Kourtney posted a photo of Barker's favorite movie True Romance, to which he commented 'you're so cool.'

Continuing to flirt with her on social media, he has been seen commenting emojis ranging from a red rose to a mermaid, on her various posts.

Over the weekend, Barker seemed to confirm that the two were spending time together as he posted a photo from Kris Jenner's backyard in Palm Springs.

Later in the evening, the Keeping Up With The Kardashian's star also posted a nighttime view of the pool as she confirmed their weekend getaway.

Additionally, Kardashian reportedly gifted Barker's daughter Alabama a $795 Prada purse on her birthday.

Pool proof: Kourtney posed up a storm from the same pool as seen in Travis' Instagram

Views: The rocker posted from mom Kris' house in Palm Springs over the weekend, placing him at the palatial desert getaway with Kourtney

The teen seemed to give the seal of approval on her dad's relationship with Kourtney as she was seen liking a post from E! News that mentioned the two were an item over the weekend.

In March 2019 however, Barker denied any romance rumors as he told People, 'Kourtney's like a dear friend. That's it. I mean, I love her to death. I love her family to death. But yeah, just friends.'

Though the couple are reportedly 'taking it slow,' it seems that everyone in their lives is on board with the pairing - with the exception of his ex Moakler who has long been vocal about not liking the Kardashians.

In 2019, Shanna posted a photo of her daughter with former-fiance Oscar De La Hoya, Atiana De La Hoya, 21, to which a fan commented 'She slightly looks like Kim Kardashian in the pic.'

Moakler responded, 'Kim wishes...sorry I do not like that family.'

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott Vacations Worldwide (NYSE: VAC) ("MVW" or the "Company") announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Welk Resorts ("Welk"), one of the largest independent timeshare companies in North America, for approximately $430 million, including approximately 1.4 million MVW common shares. The acquisition is expected to close early in the second quarter of 2021.

Welk opened its first vacation ownership resort in 1984 and today operates a portfolio of eight upper upscale vacation ownership resorts located primarily in highly sought-after West Coast U.S. vacation markets, with nearly 1,400 keys, 55,000 Owners and over three years of built inventory. MVW intends to rebrand all Welk resorts as Hyatt Residence Club resorts once obtaining all necessary approvals, dramatically increasing Hyatt Residence Club's footprint while providing the Company substantial future growth opportunities.

"Welk's premier resorts are in highly desirable vacation markets, including San Diego, Breckenridge, Lake Tahoe and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and will be a nice addition to our footprint," said Stephen P. Weisz, chief executive officer of MVW. "The acquisition will expand Hyatt Residence Club's geographic presence while providing substantial future growth opportunities. By leveraging our high-value marketing and sales channels and leveraging more efficient rental distribution channels, we expect to be able to drive higher contract sales and expand margins."

Compelling Growth Opportunity and Margin Improvement

Expands Hyatt Residence Club business dramatically  Upon rebranding of the Welk resorts, the acquisition will expand the number of Hyatt Residence Club resorts by 50%, increase the number of keys by nearly 90% and increase the total number of owners from approximately 33,000 currently to nearly 90,000 1 .



Upon rebranding of the Welk resorts, the acquisition will expand the number of Hyatt Residence Club resorts by 50%, increase the number of keys by nearly 90% and increase the total number of owners from approximately 33,000 currently to nearly 90,000 . Supports future growth potential  Welk has over three years of built inventory to support future growth, as well as co-located land available for future development.



Welk has over three years of built inventory to support future growth, as well as co-located land available for future development. Significant margin improvement opportunity  Once integrated, the transaction will enable the Company to improve margins for the Welk business by replacing high-cost marketing with more efficient branded channels, as well as leveraging other more efficient tour channels. In addition, the Company also expects to achieve cost savings and other revenue enhancements, including improved rental margins by leveraging Hyatt's global distribution.

"We couldn't be more excited for our Welk Resorts owners and team members to have MVW take us to this next chapter. They share the same values of excellence which makes this the perfect pairing to build on the foundation laid by the Welk team and generations of the Welk family," said Jon Fredricks, president and chief executive officer of Welk Resorts.

Approvals

The transaction is expected to close early in the second quarter of 2021 and is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Rebranding the resorts to the Hyatt Residence Club brand is subject to final approval from Hyatt Hotels Corporation or its affiliate.

Advisors

J.P. Morgan is acting as exclusive financial advisor to MVW. BakerHostetler is acting as legal advisor to MVW. BofA Securities is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Welk. Hogan Lovells is acting as legal advisor to Welk.

Conference Call

The Company will hold a conference call on January 26, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Participants may access the call by dialing (877) 407-8289 or (201) 689-8341 for international callers. A live webcast of the call will also be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at ir.mvwc.com . An audio replay of the conference call will be available for 30 days on the Company's website.

About Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation is a leading global vacation company that offers vacation ownership, exchange, rental and resort and property management, along with related businesses, products and services. The company has a diverse portfolio that includes seven vacation ownership brands. It also includes exchange networks and membership programs, as well as management of other resorts and lodging properties. As a leader and innovator in the vacation industry, the company upholds the highest standards of excellence in serving its customers, investors and associates while maintaining exclusive, long-term relationships with Marriott International and Hyatt Hotels Corporation for the development, sales and marketing of vacation ownership products and services. For more information, please visit marriottvacationsworldwide.com .

About Hyatt Residence Club

Hyatt Residence Club provides flexible access to global travel experiences through a diverse portfolio of boutique residential-style retreats. Set in unique destinations from Maui, Carmel and Aspen to Sedona, San Antonio and Key West, Hyatt Residence Club resorts deliver genuine Hyatt care. For more information, please visit hyattresidenceclub.com. For nightly rentals, please visit hyatt.com.

Note on Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements about anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts and the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of Welk Resorts. The Company cautions you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, conditions beyond our control such as the length and severity of the current COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on our operations; the effect of any governmental actions or mandated employer-paid benefits in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; the Company's ability to manage and reduce expenditures in a low revenue environment; volatility in the economy and the credit markets, changes in supply and demand for vacation ownership, competitive conditions, the availability of additional financing when and if required, and other matters disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and in subsequent SEC filings, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied in this press release. These statements are made as of January 26, 2021 and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

1 Further integration will be necessary before new or expanded access is available for legacy Welk owners to legacy Hyatt Residence Club resorts or for legacy Hyatt Residence Club owners to legacy Welk resorts.

SOURCE Marriott Vacations Worldwide

Related Links

http://www.marriottvacationsworldwide.com


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The Oyo Fire Service has issued a statement on the fire incident at one of the residences of Sunday Adeyemo, a.k.a Sunday Igboho, in Soka area of Ibadan on Tuesday.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how sources close to the activist said his Ibadan home started burning around 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

Mr Adeyemo no longer lives in the house affected by the fire.

The fire incident occurs days after Mr Igboho led his followers and aggrieved residents to Igangan in Ibarapa area of Oyo State to eject the Fulani leader of Igangan, Salihu Abdukadir.

He accused the Fulani leader of harbouring criminal herders who were kidnapping and killing residents of the community.

Mr Abdullahi rejected the allegations, saying members of his community have also been victims of the criminality perpetrated by kidnappers and other outlaws.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how some houses and cars were burnt in the process of evicting Mr Abdukadir.

This newspaper could not confirm the cause of the fire that gutted Mr Igbohos house as of the time of this report.

Fire service reaction

It was gathered that fire fighters from the Oyo State Fire Service arrived at the scene few hours after to douse the fire.

Speaking with NAN about the incident , the Director of Operation Oyo State Fire Service, Ismail Adeleke, said no life was lost in the fire incident.

Mr Adeleke said it was the only the living room and the corridor of the building that were affected by the fire incident due to their quick intervention.

He listed the items destroyed by the fire to include plasma television, air conditioners and chairs.

Mr Adeleke said investigation was ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire incident.

Riot police clashed with groups of demonstrators in Amsterdam and elsewhere, including the port city of Rotterdam, where people smashed shop windows, and police deployed a water cannon

The Netherlands has been hit by a second night of riots, as coronavirus curfew frustrations boiled over, even as President Joe Biden said herd immunity could be achieved this year.

With global infections fast approaching 100 million, any chance of such community-wide protection is heavily dependent on the rollout of inoculations.

But wrangles over distribution have emerged in recent days, with the European Union criticising a delay in AstraZeneca's delivery of its shots, and Russia and China offering to step into the breach for less wealthy countries with their home-grown jabs.

Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters the weekend's street violence was "unacceptable. All normal people will regard this with horror".

On Monday night, protesters rampaged again in several cities following the introduction of a coronavirus curfew over the weekend.

Riot police clashed with groups of demonstrators in Amsterdam and elsewhere, including the port city of Rotterdam, where people smashed shop windows, and police deployed a water cannon.

There was also unrest in Israel, where a bus was torched in one of many protests against virus restrictions in ultra-Orthodox districts, including Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv, and Mea Shearim in Jerusalem.

And in Australia, thousands defied coronavirus rules on Tuesday to protest against the country's national day, held on the anniversary of British colonisation that its Indigenous population brands "Invasion Day".

Officially recognised as Australia Day, 26 January sees annual rallies drawing attention to the injustices faced by Indigenous people.

Herd immunity

Away from anger on the streets, a note of optimism came from Biden, who said mass vaccinations would become available within months.

"I feel confident that by summer we're going to be well on our way to heading toward herd immunity," the leader of the world's hardest-hit country said.

But further challenges could be on the way for the new president as health authorities in Minnesota confirmed the first US case of a Brazilian variant.

Europe was dealing with a blow to its vaccination campaign, after British-Swedish drugs company AstraZeneca warned it would not be able to meet promised targets on EU shipments  a week after US group Pfizer said it was also cutting delivery volumes.

European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides slammed the delay as unacceptable, vowing the body would "take any action required to protect its citizens and rights".

Orders for Russia's Sputnik V shot were gaining pace, with Mexico  where the coronavirus death toll has passed 150,000  agreeing Monday to buy 24 million doses.

Developers claim the jab is more than 90 percent effective, although the vaccine was registered before large-scale clinical trials and has yet to be approved by Mexico's health regulator.

And Ukraine  which could use jabs provided by UN scheme Covax, as well as China's CoronaVac  announced it would "soon" obtain a million doses to kick off a vaccination campaign.

Thailand, which has escaped the worst ravages of the virus, will be producing its own supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with Siam Bioscience having been granted the monopoly in the country.

The company, which is owned by the organisation that manages the Thai royal family's multi-billion-dollar fortune, said it will make the jab under a "no profit, no loss" policy.

255 million jobs

The World Health OrganiSation warned that the vaccine divide between rich and poor nations was worsening by the day, insisting the failure to distribute doses fairly could cost the global economy trillions of dollars.

"Rich countries are rolling out vaccines, while the world's least-developed countries watch and wait," lamented WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The WHO said it needed $26 billion this year for its programme aimed at speeding up the development, procurement and equitable delivery of vaccines, treatments and tests to beat the coronavirus pandemic.

The United Nations sounded a reminder that the virus is also taking a huge toll on global jobs.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) said losses were equivalent to 255 million full-time jobs, or "approximately four times greater than the number lost during the 2009 global financial crisis".
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Russian police arrested more than 3,000 people on January 23 in nationwide protests demanding the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin's most prominent foe, according to a group that counts political detentions. (Image: AP)

The protests in scores of cities in temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius highlighted how Navalny has built influence far beyond the political and cultural centres of Moscow and St. Petersburg. (Image: AP)

In Moscow, an estimated 15,000 demonstrators gathered in and around Pushkin Square in the city centre, where clashes with police broke out and demonstrators were roughly dragged off by helmeted riot officers to police buses and detention trucks. Some were beaten with batons. Navalnys wife Yulia was among those arrested. (Image: AP)

Police eventually pushed demonstrators out of the square. Thousands then regrouped along a wide boulevard about a kilometre away, many of them throwing snowballs at the police before dispersing. Some later went to stage a protest near the jail where Navalny is held. Police made an undetermined number of arrests there. (Image: AP)

The protests stretched across Russias vast territory, from the island city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, north of Japan, and the eastern Siberian city of Yakutsk, where temperatures plunged to minus 50 degrees Celsius, to Russias more populous European cities. Navalny and his anti-corruption campaign have built an extensive network of support despite official government repression and being routinely ignored by state media. (Image: AP)

The situation is getting worse and worse, its total lawlessness," said Andrei Gorkyov, a protester in Moscow. "And if we stay silent, it will go on forever. The OVD-Info group, which monitors political arrests, said at least 1,167 people were detained in Moscow and more than 460 at another large demonstration in St. Petersburg. (Image: AP)

Overall, it said 3,068 people had been arrested in some 90 cities, revising the count downward from its earlier report of 3,445. The group did not give an explanation for its revision. Russian police did not provide arrest figures. Undeterred, Navalny's supporters called for protests again next weekend. (Image: AP)

Navalny was arrested on January 17 when he returned to Moscow from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from a severe nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin and which Russian authorities deny. Authorities say his stay in Germany violated terms of a suspended sentence in a 2014 criminal conviction, while Navalny says the conviction was for made-up charges. (Image: AP)

The 44-year-old activist is well known nationally for his reports on the corruption that has flourished under President Vladimir Putin's government. His wide support puts the Kremlin in a strategic bind  officials are apparently unwilling to back down by letting him go free, but keeping him in custody risks more protests and criticism from the West. (Image: AP)

In a statement, the US State Department condemned the use of harsh tactics against protesters and journalists this weekend in cities throughout Russia and called on Russian authorities to immediately release Navalny and all those detained at protests. (Image: AP)

Navalny faces a court hearing in early February to determine whether his sentence in the criminal case for fraud and money-laundering  which Navalny says was politically motivated  is converted to 3 1/2 years behind bars. Moscow police on January 21 arrested three top Navalny associates, two of whom were later jailed for periods of nine and 10 days. (Image: AP)

Navalny fell into a coma while aboard a domestic flight from Siberia to Moscow on August 20. He was transferred from a hospital in Siberia to a Berlin hospital two days later. Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Soviet-era Novichok nerve agent. (Image: AP)

Russian authorities insisted that the doctors who treated Navalny in Siberia before he was airlifted to Germany found no traces of poison and have challenged German officials to provide proof of his poisoning. Russia refused to open a full-fledged criminal inquiry, citing a lack of evidence that Navalny was poisoned. (Image: AP)

Last month, Navalny released the recording of a phone call he said he made to a man he described as an alleged member of a group of officers of the Federal Security Service, or FSB, who purportedly poisoned him in August and then tried to cover it up. The FSB dismissed the recording as fake. (Image: AP)
As agencies amass campaigns from multiple clients using Google Ads in various ways, integrating and unifying all of their workflows and operations is critical, said Emi Wayner, Platform Partner Lead at Google.

TapClicks, the leading provider of unified marketing operations, analytics and reporting solutions for media companies, digital marketing agencies, brands, franchises, and HIPAA covered entities, today announced the availability of TapOrders and TapWorkflow, new campaign setup, delivery and task capture products for streamlining Google Ads campaigns in a single platform.

TapClicks' TapOrders and TapWorkflow is a comprehensive marketing work management platform for managing the process of booking, fulfilling and activating campaigns for all types of advertising and marketing campaigns. TapClicks now unifies and automates the management of ad buying and optimization processes for key Google platforms. Automated activation of Google Ad Manager and Google Ads campaigns and ads, is the most recent innovation in this groundbreaking product.

By automating fulfillment, reporting and optimization of Google Ads in one place, we are setting agencies, media companies and large brands up for success, said Sahil Jain, Senior Vice President, Product Management at TapClicks. The objective with TapOrders and TapWorkflow is to give agencies the tools to provide a deeper, more robust way to capture orders and manage all the workflows, from creative fulfillment to targeting to executing the media buys. These are critical tasks needed to successfully fulfill media buys at scale, executed in a way that fits how agencies actually operate. Creating direct integrations with major ad platforms like Google will be our ongoing focus. These solutions are just part of our long-term plan to build a single, unified omni-channel platform.

TapClicks TapOrders and TapWorkflow bring new efficiencies to the marketplace for agencies using the TapClicks Marketing Operations Platform, the companys flagship unified marketing analytics and management system. These new tools improve organizational workflows and execution within the four walls of a marketing organization by offering a clear demonstration of lift in campaign performance.

Some of its capabilities include:



Pushing and pulling cross-channel campaign data to get a clear picture of Google Ads performance.

Integrating seamlessly with TapClicks reporting and analytics products to provide performance insights reporting and analytics side of the TapClicks platform.

Allowing agencies to deploy and manage thousands of campaigns at scale - without having to run different systems.

As agencies amass campaigns from multiple clients using Google Ads in various ways, integrating and unifying all of their workflows and operations is critical, said Emi Wayner, Platform Partner Lead, at Google. With Google Ads, were delivering robust data and a comprehensive campaign experience for advertisers and their agencies, no matter where the integration connects.

Visit the TapClicks ROI Calculator to get insight and estimate the monthly cost savings of automating campaign fulfillment with the TapClicks Marketing Operations Platform.

For more information about the TapClicks ROI Calculator, click here.

About TapClicks

TapClicks, Inc. is the leading provider of unified marketing operations, analytics and reporting solutions for media companies, digital marketing agencies, brands, franchises, and HIPAA covered entities. The TapClicks Marketing Operations Platform provides end-to-end business intelligence capabilities that include SEO, social and PPC reporting, automated order entry, set up and approval workflows, marketing performance analysis and the creation of interactive visual reports and presentations. TapClicks integrates more than 200 different data sources via its Connector Marketplace to provide marketers with the ability to analyze data from the full breadth of popular marketing and advertising tools used in the industry today.

Recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in Silicon Valley by Inc., TapClicks is headquartered in San Jose, California, with locations in Boston, Massachusetts; Nashville, Tennessee; and New York City; as well as international offices in Montreal, Canada; Bogota, Colombia; Hyderabad, India; and Pune, India. For more information please visit http://www.tapclicks.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

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London, Jan 26 : Facebook News is now available in the UK that features news from hundreds of leading national, local and lifestyle outlets.

Facebook News, that was launched in the US in 2019, is set to arrive soon in Germany, France, India and Brazil.

With Facebook News, people in the UK will see the top headlines and stories of the day next to news personalised to their interests.

"We're also announcing a number of new partners for Facebook News, including Channel 4 News, Daily Mail Group, DC Thomson, Financial Times, Sky News and Telegraph Media Group," the company said in a statement late on Monday.

These are in addition to outlets already announced including The Economist, The Guardian, The Independent, STV and hundreds of local news sites.

Facebook recently found that over 95 per cent of the traffic Facebook News delivers to publishers "is incremental to the traffic they already get from News Feed".

"We'll continue to learn, listen and improve Facebook News as it rolls out across the UK and into other markets, including France and Germany, where we are in active negotiations with partners," the social network said.

Campbell Brown, VP, Global News Partnerships at Facebook, said in August last year that consumer habits and news inventory vary by country.

"So we'll work closely with news partners in each country to tailor the experience and test ways to deliver a valuable experience for people while also honouring publishers' business models," Brown said.

"We will keep building new products and making global investments to help the news industry build long-lasting business models".
Two things have kept Catherine Malcolms ailing restaurant Jerk Machine alive this past month: a GoFundMe campaign, and a surprise rescue from reality TV star Marcus Lemonis.

Lemonis, the Miami-raised entrepreneur and host of CNBC reality show The Profit, called Malcolm on Dec. 31 to place the biggest order shes ever seen: $35,200 for 4,400 Jerk Machine meals.

That money came with a mandate: Use it to feed the hungry.

Our wounds are still deep but I feel as if my heart is dancing, Malcolm said Monday. I get to have my staff working again instead of standing there looking at me. We get to have food out to people who need a hot meal. What [Lemonis] is doing is sparking something we can keep passing on.

Drowning in debt last month, Malcolm and her husband, chef-owner Desmond, started a $50,000 crowdfunding campaign called Help Jerk Machine Get its Groove Back to save her Caribbean eatery. As of Monday theyve raised $24,277, and already spent $10,000 on back-owed rent plus late fees to their landlord at Lauderhill Mall. But utility bills keep mounting at the fast-food community hub known for heaping plates of simmering jerk chicken since 1989.

Lemonis called Malcolm personally after hed watched a WSVN-Ch. 7 broadcast about Jerk Machines GoFundMe and its reputation as a charitable refuge for the hungry. But he wanted his $35,200 donation  what amounts to a massive catering order  to feed local charities.

He was like, Its Marcus. Get on Zoom, and I knew who he was immediately, Malcolm recalls. We created something called the Jerk Rescue Meal. Its not just for feeding the homeless but anyone whos food insecure, like the elderly.

So far, Malcolm and her employees have donated 2,500 Jerk Rescue Meals, which includes jerk chicken, rice, snow peas and steamed cabbage. On Monday, Malcolm distributed 550 meals to LifeNet4Families, a nonprofit in Fort Lauderdale, and on Wednesday will distribute another 250 meals to Aiding-AIDS, a Pembroke Pines charity. Theyll be finished handing out meals by mid-February. Malcolm says Jerk Machine buys the food and pays workers to make the meals, then invoices Lemonis nonprofit, Lemon-AID, after meals have been passed out.

Story continues

Im working up the courage to call him again this week and say, Marcus, were ready for round two, " Malcolm says with a laugh.

The money comes from Lemonis Plating Change Initiative, a partnership with chef Jose Andres World Central Kitchen.

My goal is to keep Main Street USA alive and well during the economic troubles that COVID-19 has brought to our small business owners, Lemonis said in a statement. I also want to thank the restaurants and staff that have unselfishly supported this initiative to feed our most vulnerable community members.

Jerk Machine isnt the only South Florida restaurant aided by Lemonis, who graduated from Miamis Christopher Columbus High School and made his fortune as CEO of recreational-vehicle company Camping World. In November, the businessman bought a part-ownership stake in iconic Calle Ocho bar-nightclub Ball & Chain, intervening after the city of Miami ordered it closed for code violations.

This is insanity. Im getting involved, Lemonis Tweeted Nov. 2 after the city revoked Ball & Chains certificate of occupancy. Cant lay off 100 people and act like it doesnt matter. This is the city that I love and this place is history.

Lemonis donation to Jerk Machine is hardly similar to other restaurants he bails out on basic cable. On CNBCs The Profit the entrepreneur rescues struggling businesses by investing his own money, often taking a minority stake in the company. Malcolm says Lemonis isnt buying the restaurant but his donation keeps Jerk Machine humming.

Were still alive, Malcolm says. Were allowed to pay our rent on time and keep our community fed.

Jerk Machine is open at 4261 NW 12th St., in Lauderhill, and at 317 SW Sixth St., in Fort Lauderdale. Call 754-779-7016 or go to JerkMachine.com.


Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
Herreid Legion to remember 400 Campbell County area veterans Monday

The Herreid American Legion and the Sons of the American Legion work together to recognize veterans on Memorial Day.
Mosque worshippers showing their patriotism with a very Australian celebration made one unfortunate error - hoisting a New Zealand flag.

Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Marsden Park, western Sydney, spent Australia Day beside the barbecue, snacking on lamingtons, and raising the flag in a heartwarming tribute to their beloved adopted home.

One member of the patriotic group, Javal, said it was a special day for everyone in the community who were overwhelmingly born overseas.

And despite their embarrassing blunder, they couldn't be happier or more proud to be part of 'the lucky country'.

The rest of the grounds were filled with so many Australian flags, it was impossible to count them all as they were putting them up for a week.

'It brings everyone together... it unifies, it doesn't look at differences, it doesn't look at the colour of your skin, how rich or poor you are,' Javal told A Current Affair.

'It unites people and for me that is singularly one of the best things humanity can offer.'

Every year for decades the local Muslim community holds a massive Australia Day celebration with thousands of locals packed into the grounds.

This year Covid restrictions meant the mosque could only cater for 100 people, but despite the smaller numbers there was still just as much pride.

Many members arrived from countries where resources are scarce and everyday freedoms Australians take for granted are in short supply.

The grounds of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Marsden Park were filled with so many Australian flags, it was impossible to count them all

Iman Cosser (pictured in a an Australian pattern tie) says Australia is the 'best country on the face of the earth'

The group heard speeches throughout the day from members who spoke of how grateful they were to live in a nation that valued education, free speech and freedom to practice their religion without persecution.

As the day went on members performed multiple flag-raising ceremonies.

Their passion and love for Australia was evident, even when the group hoisted a Kiwi flag by mistake - and the glaring mistake did not dampen their patriotism.

'Australia is the best country on the face of the earth. People should know we love this country and are loyal to this country. We are part of this family,' Iman Cosser said.
On the other hand, what if Trump insists to testify at his own trial? Everyone knows he will only continue to spread more lies to the American people, based on his own delusions. Trump cannot comprehend that testifying under oath means telling the truth, not lies. Trumps truths are all lies. He will never confess that he knows the difference between facts and fiction. His deathbed will be blanketed with denial.
At the end of 2017 Apple admitted it slowed down iPhones whose battery had worn out and it was immediately hit with lawsuits. The batterygate saga is far from over  an Italian consumer protection agency, Altroconsumo, has filed a lawsuit against the company, seeking compensation of 60 per device (60 million total).

It isnt alone, this is just a continuation of the similar suits filed in Belgium and Spain last month. Theres another one coming, a suit will be filed in Portugal in the next few weeks. All four cases target the following models: iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, 6s and 6s Plus.

Here is a partial timeline of events, which focuses on the Euroconsumers group, a gathering of consumer protection agencies from Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Brazil that is behind these four lawsuits. The timeline doesnt even include the 25 million fine in France.

All of this is on top of the $113 million and $310-$500 million that Apple had to pay in the US (around $25 per phone). Note that in the US and French cases, the iPhone 7, 7 Plus and SE were also included, not just the 6/6s. A court in Brazil blocked a similar lawsuit against Apple over battery-related throttling.

Unrelated to the battery, in November Italy fined Apple 10 million for misleading claims about the water resistance of iPhones.

Source (PDF) | Via

Xi: No social system is superior to the other

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Each country is unique with its own history, culture and social system, and none is superior to the other, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday while addressing the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda.

"No two leaves in the world are identical, and no histories, cultures or social systems are the same," he said.

The best criteria are whether a country's history, culture and social system fit its particular situation, enjoy people's support, serve to deliver political stability, social progress and better lives, and contribute to human progress, Xi said.
Runners: Get your summer program off on the right foot
Dont Get Caught by A Phisherman. How to Spot Phishing e-mails in The Covid Age

Worcester, MA, January 26, 2021  Pandemic reality number one: people are home and, on their computers, more than ever. Pandemic reality two: the more people are online, the more vulnerable they might be to online scams. In fact, experts estimate that one in four computer users have received a Covid-related phishing e-mail. Nothing is sacred and that?s why phishing remains one of the top ways computer users fall prey to internet thieves.

\Phishing\ is a term used for computer hackers who attempt to get you to reveal information that can then be used to exploit your email or computer account. While you can have a security program running in the background, you still need to be on your toes to be able to detect a phishing attempt that gets by your security system.

?Phishing e-mails are very subtle and often look quite legit,? said Paul LaFlamme, owner of the Worcester, MA-based IT firm Centrend. ?Knowing some of the red flags that come with a phishing e-mail can help you avoid some major problems with your computer, your online reputation and, in many cases, identity theft.?

LaFlamme?s first piece of advice is to make sure of the source of the e-mail. If it?s not from someone you know or if the domain name in the e-mail does not match the company it says it?s from, delete it.

Password verification e-mails also pose a potential risk. Many phishing e-mails will request you to click a link and then provide your e-mail and password. If you did not start that process (e.g., forgot your username or password), do not click on the link. If its from a company/website you recognize, log on from your browser, typing in the domain, and then log in.

?Where people get fooled is when the sender seems familiar,? said LaFlamme. ?Just remember, companies usually don?t send out those types of e-mails on their own. Typically, it?s in response to a request from you.?

To further safeguard against phishing attacks, LaFlamme advises against using the same password for multiple websites.

?Phishers can smell patterns. Using the same password for every login can make you easy prey,? said LaFlamme. ?I recommend using LastPass or similar password storage apps. With these apps, you just need to know your one password to log in and you can store the username and password for all your other sites.?

Adds LaFlamme, ?LastPass and other apps like it are particularly valuable as our computer time has increased during the pandemic and a lot of folks have let their guard down a little.?

With offices in both Worcester and Sturbridge, Massachusetts, Centrend provides on-site Information Technology (IT) managed services and consulting to business customers throughout New England. Those customers include companies in the manufacturing, real estate, finance, insurance, legal, non-profit, construction and hospitality industries.

In addition to its medium- and small-business customers, Centrend has a home consumer division, Whiz Kid Support. Material for future podcasts will also include the issues impacting many remote workers and home-based businesses.

For more information on Centrend, visit https://www.centrend.com/

About Centrend:

With offices in both Worcester and Sturbridge, Massachusetts, Centrend provides on-site Information Technology (IT) managed services and consulting to business customers throughout New England. Those customers include companies in the manufacturing, real estate, finance, insurance, legal, non-profit, construction and hospitality industries. Centrend?s consumer division, Whiz Kid Support, provides computer support services to individual home users and to small/independent businesses with three or fewer computers. For more information on Centrend, visit (https://www.centrend.com/).

Media Contact:

Steven Dubin, PR Works

SDubin@PRWorkZone.com

781-582-1061
Stir-crazy Winnipeggers lined up outside retailers across the city over the weekend, some waiting hours to get inside stores that finally reopened after a 10-week lockdown.

Stir-crazy Winnipeggers lined up outside retailers across the city over the weekend, some waiting hours to get inside stores that finally reopened after a 10-week lockdown.

That came as no surprise to Brandon University sociology Prof. Christopher Schneider, who believes people are willing to risk their own health for a taste of social interaction.

"Human beings, were social creatures, were social beings. I think thats what this shows me, that its not necessarily just about buying stuff, but its about buying stuff together," Schneider said Monday.

"Its a social activity that people can do, and it sort of fills the void for other social activities that we are still unable to do, like going to a Jets game or going out to a crowded pub."

"Human beings, were social creatures, were social beings. I think thats what this shows me, that its not necessarily just about buying stuff, but its about buying stuff together."  Brandon University sociology Prof. Christopher Schneider

Retailers are still required to keep their brick-and-mortar stores at 25 per cent capacity, or a maximum of 250 customers, under the latest provincial public health orders designed to curb the spread of COVID-19. But first-hand accounts from shoppers on the weekend included packed parking lots, busy malls and long lineups  even inside stores.

An Ontario epidemiologist warned that loosening restrictions comes with a "rebound effect" that occurred in Manitoba in the fall  with disastrous results.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Shoppers wait in line outside Homesense and Winners Sunday.

"One of the most obvious things we dont seem to learn is that its the release of the restriction, if its done too quickly or too carelessly, it can cause a far worse situation than there was before," said Ryerson University Prof. Tim Sly.

Even outdoor lineups are not necessarily safe, especially if a persons waiting in them for a lengthy period of time, Sly noted, adding it's possible news of a vaccine for COVID-19 has sparked premature celebrations.

"Once people get wind of an idea that the vaccine might herald the end of the dreaded pandemic, people started to relax again like they did in the summertime," he said. "And its far, far too soon."

One of the most obvious things we dont seem to learn is that its the release of the restriction, if its done too quickly or too carelessly, it can cause a far worse situation than there was before.  Ryerson University Prof. Tim Sly.

The province has maintained its messaging around recommending people stay home and limit interactions. Schneider likened the public response to that of safe-sex education  preaching abstinence, whether it be from sex or socializing, is "never going to work," he said.

"Even when you have STIs, ones that can kill you if... you dont get help, people will still engage in (unsafe) sex practices because sexuality is part of the human condition, even at the risk of their own personal safety," he said.

Rather, the province should focus on promoting safe socialization by getting psychologists, sociologists and other mental health professionals involved in reopening conversations, Schneider said.

"Human beings are complex creatures, and I really think we need more experts here to help drive best practices in terms of whether we decide and how we decide, to scale back restrictions and open the province to minimize harm and maximize public safety," he said.

DANIEL CRUMP / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The line of shoppers wrapped around the building at IKEA on the first day of eased retail restrictions, Saturday.

Reopening strategies that result in packed businesses and long lineups are doomed, Sly said.

"Most of the population is still completely, 100 per cent susceptible to the virus, like a dry forest floor, dry and crispy  it just needs one match, and the whole lot goes up," he said.

"And thats really the population of Canada right now. Any careless attempt to let down the guard and to go back to quote-unquote normal, is fraught with all kinds of peril. We will see outbreaks at that point, no question."

A spokesperson for the province said Monday health officials were aware of the busy retail weekend and would "work with retail stores and malls to educate on the orders and capacity limits and conduct enforcement where needed."

CF Polo Park and St. Vital Shopping Centre did not respond to requests for head counts at both malls over the weekend.

 with files from Dan Lett

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: malakabas_
If you take the five top monitors in the market and combine their best features, that is what ADLINK has done with the development of the ASM surgical monitor series, said Andreas Holst, Project Manager Medical, ADLINK.

ADLINK Technology Inc., a global leader in edge computing, has introduced the ASM (ADLINK Surgical Monitor) series of medically certified surgical monitors, which are designed for integration with endoscopic, microscopic, fluoroscopic, multi-modality, and other medical imaging systems. The ASM series of surgical monitors is used to visualize videos and still images from a variety of clinical imaging modalities in operating theaters, intensive care units, emergency and examination rooms. ADLINKs surgical monitors are the latest addition to ADLINKs operating room medical device portfolio.

Surgical monitors must attain medical certification to meet a range of criteria far above those of a typical desktop display screen. In development of the new ASM series, ADLINK analyzed the global medical imaging market to identify and combine the components, technologies and features that provide the most effective support for critical care facilities. These new surgical monitors offer a unique combination of advantages for medical practitioners, including superior safety and hygiene features, excellent image and color visualization, and extremely low latency to allow for more precise procedures and diagnoses without fatiguing the operator.

If you take the five top monitors in the market and combine their best features, that is what ADLINK has done with the development of the ASM surgical monitor series, said Andreas Holst, Project Manager Medical, ADLINK. Particularly during the pandemic, surgeons and caregivers require high-precision monitors to quickly complete diagnoses to keep staff and patients safe, and OEMs and device manufacturers need monitors with great connectivity, functionality and certification for easy integration into new products. This is what the ASM surgical monitor series delivers.

ASM surgical monitors feature an edge-to-edge protective glass screen securely adhered to the front panel, and in the event of an impact the screen stays in place on the monitor, preventing potential hazard and hygiene breaches. It can be equipped with PCAP multi-touch functionality to implement control of application software or connected devices. A fully sealed, screwless aluminum housing with an antibacterial coating complies with the IP54 Ingress Protection code and offers protection from liquid and dust penetration. The entire unit supports spray and wet disinfection to help reduce the risk of nosocomial infections.

Clear, accurate image quality is essential for surgical monitors. ADLINKs ASM series feature multi-signal and multi-format Intel FPGA-based image processing and color reproduction for superior visualization of color images, in-line with standards such as Rec709 for full HD content and BT2020 for Ultra HD. The series also offers high resolution display of still images and surgical videos at very low latency. The ASM series monitors come in a range of dimensions from 23.8 inches to 32 inches to accommodate a variety of healthcare work environments and solution designs, and are available with multi-touch projected capacitive screens (PCAP).

The ASM series of surgical monitors can be customized to meet the unique requirements of medical device OEMs. ADLINKs hardware design concept allows for joint product customization together with the medical device OEMs in a shorter timeframe, compared to other technologies with more significant development efforts, shortening time-to-market cycles. The medical class I (per European MDD) monitors are certified to meet standards IEC 60601-1:2012 and EN 60601-1:2013, and standards IEC 60601-1-2:2014 & EN 60601-1-2:2015, to ensure the highest level of operator and patient safety.

For more information, visit the product page here.

About ADLINK Technology

ADLINK Technology Inc. is a global leader in edge computing. Our mission is to affect positive change in society and industry by connecting people, places and things with AI. The company offerings include robust boards, real-time data acquisition solutions and application enablement for AIoT. ADLINK serves vertical markets including manufacturing, communications, healthcare, aerospace, defense, energy, infotainment and transportation. ADLINK is a Premier Member of the Intel Internet of Things Solutions Alliance, a partner of NVIDIA, and a contributor to standards initiatives such as Eclipse, OCP, OMG and ROS2 TSC. ADLINK is ISO-9001, ISO-14001, ISO-13485 and TL9000 certified and is publicly traded on TAIEX (Stock Code: 6166). Learn more at http://www.adlinktech.com.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners in the U.S. and other countries.
Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is scheduled to appear before the newly-elected House of Representatives on Tuesday to deliver a speech on the ministrys accomplishments and goals in terms of the country's foreign policies.

Shoukry is expected to update the House on the most recent developments in the dispute over the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam, MP Alaa Essam said in remarks to the media on Monday.

Shoukry is also expected to review in his speech the future of Egyptian-American relations under new US President Joe Biden.

The prime minister and a number of ministers have already reviewed accomplishments in the government's Egypt Kicks Off programme before the House.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati, Agriculture Minister El-Sayed El-Quseir, Manpower Minister Mohamed Saafan and Emigration Minister Nabila Makram have all delivered speeches and fielded questions from MPs in the parliament.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Hanafy El-Gebaly hailed the governments program, affirming the need to continue cooperation between the government and the House.

Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Manar is also set to appear before the House today to discuss his ministry's accomplishments and future plans.

On Wednesday, Minister of Culture Inas Abdel-Dayem and Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad are scheduled to deliver speeches on their ministry's accomplishments before the House.

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Republic Day Parade 2021 Highlights: Donning special red 'paghdi' gifted by royal family of Jamnagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is present at Rajpath for the parade after paying tribute to martyred soldiers at India Gate's National War Memorial. President Ram Nath, the supreme commander of the armed forces, is at the venue too. Bangladesh Armed Forces, which fought and bled together with their Indian counterparts 50 years ago, marched at parade for the first time.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi wished Indians Happy Republic Day ahead of the parade amid Covid-19 protocols. The national capital is under high security as the city would be witnessing two big events--Republic Day celebrations and a farmers' tractor parade.

The city has been brought under heavy security cover with deployment of thousands of security personnel in central Delhi and several border points. The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 unions leading protests against the Centre's farm laws, said their tractor parade will not enter central Delhi and it will start only after the official Republic Day parade on Rajpath concludes. Patrolling has been intensified at power substations in Delhi following a threat from the banned Sikhs for Justice outfit to disrupt the city's supply during the Republic Day celebrations. An official said around 6,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain vigil. Facial recognition systems have also been set up at vantage points for suspect identification, the official said.

The security personnel are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil over Rajpath, where President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with other dignitaries and thousands of people. Checking and frisking at Rajghat will be done by personnel in PPE kits, with mask and face shield, keeping in line with COVID-19 protocols, the official said.

A five-layer security cover has been deployed in and around the city to maintain law and order, a senior police officer said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said more than 6,000 police personnel have been deployed at Rajpath for the Republic Day celebrations. Following COVID protocols, only 25,000 people will be allowed to attend the ceremony at Rajpath as opposed to over one lakh spectators who usually attended the event every year, he said. The parade will be shorter this year.

Instead of marching up to the Red Fort, the parade will end at the national stadium. Only tableaux will be allowed at the Red Fort, he said. "We have 140 CCTV cameras on the Republic Day parade route and along the enclosures. We have identified and set up facial recognition systems at 30 spots on Rajpath from where the public would enter. "This system is fed with a database of nearly over 50,000 people, including that of suspected terrorists, criminals and anti-social elements," said another senior police officer.

According to an advisory, no traffic will be allowed on Vijay Chowk from 6 pm on Monday till the parade is over. Rajpath is already out of bounds. No cross traffic on Rajpath intersections from 11 pm on Monday at Rafi Marg, Janpath, Man Singh Road till parade is over. To maintain law and order during the farmers' tractor parade, thousands of security personnel have been already deployed at several border points. Deependra Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence), claimed on Sunday that over 300 Twitter handles have been generated from Pakistan to disrupt the tractor parade. The traffic going towards the NH-44 and the GT Karnal Road will be diverted from Singhu Shani Mandir, Ashok Farm/Janti Tall, Hamidpur, Sunderpur Majra, Zindopur Mukhmelpur, Kadipur, Kushak Colony, Mukarba Chowk and GTK Depot," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Meenu Chowdhary said.

The second batch of vehicles will start from the Tikri border and pass through Nangloi, Baprola Village and Najafgarh, excluding Phirni Road, Jharoda Border, Rohtak Bypass (Bahadurgarh) and Asoda Toll Plaza, Chowdhary said. Police said the traffic will be diverted from different points. Traffic will not be allowed to enter on the Rohtak road from Kirari Mor and will be diverted towards Mangolpuri. It will also be diverted from Ghevra Mor towards Khanjawala, they said.

Tractors from the Ghazipur border will cover some portion of the NH-24 from where they will take a right turn to Road Number 56, ISBT Anand Vihar, Apsara Border, Hapur Road, Bhopura, IMS College, Lal Kuan and Ghazipur Border, police said. Hundreds of women farmers are also expected to drive tractors. Farmer leaders have appealed to those participating in the parade to carry enough ration for 24 hours and ensure that the rally remains peaceful. "No one should carry any weapon or drink alcohol. Banners carrying inciting messages are not allowed," a farmer leader said. Enacted in September last year, the three farm 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 minimum support price and do away with the 'mandi' system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

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The Biden administration plans to buy 100 million more doses each of Pfizer and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine in order to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of summer, he announced Tuesday.

That's nearly the entire U.S. population, which is officially estimated at 329 million - and therefore well over the 80% estimated to be the point at which there will be herd immunity.

'The biggest problem, I hope you're all asking me by the end of summer is that you have too much vaccine leftover,' Biden said at the White House Tuesday afternoon.

Biden delivered the update Tuesday on the heels of Vice President Kamala Harris getting her second shot of the Moderna vaccine at the Bethesda, Maryland headquarters of the National Institutes of Health.

But Biden also said at his appearance that the vaccine program 'is in worse shape than we anticipated or expected' when taking it over less than a week ago from President Donald Trump's team.

'We want to give credit to everyone involved in this vaccine effort and the prior administration and the science community and the medical sphere,' he said. 'That credit is absolutely due.'

But he said, co-operation during the transition only came at the end, and he said: Once we arrived, a vaccine program is in worse shape than we anticipated or expected.'

Going forward, Biden said the administration will increase the supply of vaccines to states, tribes and territories from 8.6 million doses to a minimum of 10 million doses.

'Starting next week, that's an increase of 1.4 million doses per week,' Biden said.

'And so this is going to allow millions of more Americans to get vaccinated sooner than previously anticipated,' he added.

However the White House press secretary Jen Psaki had earlier walked back Biden's optimistic assertion Monday that he hoped to have enough vaccines in spring that every American who wanted the vaccine would get one.

President Joe Biden gave a COVID-19 update on Tuesday explaining that the administration would buy 100 million doses of each of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines

President Joe Biden (center) gives an update on the coronavirus vaccine Tuesday. He was accompanied by Jeffrey Zients (right), the head of the Biden administration's COVID-19 taskforce

Vice President Kamala Harris received her second dose of the Moderna vaccine Tuesday at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda

Dr. Anthony Fauci (left) and second gentleman Doug Emhoff (right) watch as Vice President Kamala Harris receives her second shot of vaccine

Only about 23 million Americans - six per cent of the population - has been vaccinated with about 1.25 million shots per day

The U.S. has only given six percent of its population their first COVID-19 vaccine and 0.9 percent both shots

On Tuesday Biden also promised the state and local leaders 'will now always have a reliable three-week forecast of the supply they're going to get.'

'Until now, we've had to guess how much vaccine to expect for the next week and that's what the governors had to do: "how much am I getting next week?" This is unacceptable,' Biden said.

By knowing these figures, Biden said, governors, mayors and local leaders can carry out their plans to vaccinate the largest number of people possible.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are two-shot doses.

Moderna announced earlier Tuesday that the company was on track to supply the U.S. with 100 million doses by March and up to 200 million doses by June.

Biden said by increasing the supply and being transparent about the supply, the U.S. should 'God willing' be able to get to his goal of 100 million shots in the first 100 days of the administration.

'But I also want to be clear, 100 million shots in 100 days is not the end point, it's just the start,' the president said. 'We're not stopping there. The end goal is to beat COVID-19. And the way we do that is to get more people vaccinated, which means we have to be ready after we hit the goal of 100 million shots in 100 days.'

Biden then relayed the administration's plan to buy 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 100 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, which would be enough to vaccine 100 million more Americans.

Biden continued to call fighting the coronavirus a 'wartime effort,' noting that the 400,000-plus death toll topped all the World War II American dead.

'And we're using the Defense Production Act to launch a full-scale wartime effort to address the supply shortages we inherited from the previous administration,' Biden explained.

The president said the administration was continuing to work to get the vaccines into local pharmacies around the country.

'But the brutal truth is, it's going to take months before we get the majority of American vaccinated. In the next few months, masks, not vaccines are the best defense against COVID-19,' the president also said. 'Experts say that wearing masks from now on, just until April would save 50,000 who otherwise will pass away if we don't wear these masks.'

NYC has just 7,710 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine left - as Mayor de Blasio begs federal government to let him start using his reserved 200k second doses New York City has just 7,710 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine left, prompting Mayor Bill de Blasio to beg the federal government to allow him to give out supplies currently reserved for second shots. The vaccine supply for first doses had dwindled to 7,710 in NYC as of Tuesday, according to the city's health department. There are currently 202,119 shots put aside for those who need to receive their second dose of the vaccine. De Blasio has argued that he should be able to start handing out the reserved doses while the city waits for its next vaccine shipment. He has asked the federal government for authorization to do so. Mayor Bill de Blasio has argued that he should be able to start handing out the reserved doses while the city waits for its next vaccine shipment. The vaccine supply for first doses had dwindled to 7,710 as of Tuesday 'I'd rather give more people some protection than fewer people full protection,' de Blasio said. He acknowledged that it could potentially mean delays for people waiting to receive their second shot. 'Even if we have to say to people, 'Your second dose is going to be slightly delayed,' it's still better to get a first dose in as many people's arms as possible to give them that 50 percent protection,' de Blasio said. 'Otherwise, what we're left with is a situation where we can do very few vaccinations at all. We're just stuck right now because we don't have supply.' The Mayor had earlier tweeted the city could be doing more if it wasn't for vaccine shortages. 'New York City has now vaccinated more people than the entire population of Portland, Oregon. We could be doing MUCH more,' he tweeted. The city handed out just over 7,000 first doses and 8,800 second doses on Monday. Given the supply shortages, the city is on track to fall short of de Blasio's goal of one million vaccinations by the end of the month. The city handed out just over 7,000 first doses and 8,800 second doses on Monday The vaccine supply for first doses had dwindled to 7,710 in NYC as of Tuesday, according to the city's health department. There are currently 202,119 shots put aside for those who need to receive their second dose of the vaccine The Biden administration will now give states an approximately 17 percent boost in vaccine next week following complaints around the US of shortages so severe that some vaccination sites had to cancel tens of thousands of appointments with people waiting for their first shot. New York is among the sites who have had to cancel appointments. Detailed figures posted on the CDC website on Tuesday showed that the government plans to make about 10.1 million first and second doses available next week, which is up from this week's allotment of 8.6 million. The increase comes as vaccination sites around the US are canceling large numbers of appointments because of vaccine shortages. Governors and top health officials have complained about inadequate supplies and the need for earlier and more reliable estimates of how much is on the way so that they can plan accordingly. Advertisement

Members of the Illinois National Guard vaccinate residents against COVID-19 at a mass vaccination center set up at the Tinley Park Convention Center in Illinois

Biden didn't name the lawmaker, but called a congressman 'not very American' for refusing to wear a mask.

'I tell him to kiss my ear,' Biden said, explaining he could have used a 'very, very colorful term' to make that point.

At an appearance in Wilmington before his swearing-in, Biden had already shamed the group of Republican lawmakers who were caught on film refusing to put on masks during the January 6 MAGA riot.

'The fact is, if you want to be patriotic, you're gonna protect people,' Biden said Tuesday.

A short time earlier, Harris had taken a motorcade up to the Maryland headquarters of the NIH, where her late mother would travel to work.

'We would always know that mommy was going to this place called Bethesda,' Harris recounted.

'My mother had two goals in her life: to raise her two daughters and end breast cancer,' she continued. 'In fact, little known fact my first job was cleaning pipettes in my mother's lab.'

The vice president talked about how her mother was 'profoundly passionate about a gift.'

Vice President Kamala Harris thanked the staff at the National Institutes of Health and talked about how her mother would visit the agency's Bethesda headquarters for work when Harris was a child

'Which is the gift that scientists give to us in that their whole reason for being is to see what can be unburdened by what has been,' Harris continued. 'Their whole reason for being is to pursue what is possible for the sake of improving human life and condition.'

She then spoke directly to the NIH staff.

'So I want to say to everyone who works here: I know who you are. I know that you work around the clock with those experiments that have to be checked on every few hours and they dont care about what time it is in the clock. I know the work you do and the collaboration that is required. I know the work that you do reviewing grants because of course some of the most significant scientific research have been publicly funded. Thats what my mother did: she reviewed grants,' Harris said.

She called it a 'luxury' to get her second dose of the Moderna vaccine at the headquarters.

When Judy Lai Yee Chan, a nurse practitioner, gave Harris the vaccine she vice president joked, 'when are you going to put it in?' after the shot had been administered.

Dr. Anthony Fauci and Harris' husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, were seated nearby.

'I've had the vaccine and it was relatively painless,' the vice president said.

Later she assured those watching that she was fine.

'So I want to urge everyone to take the vaccine when it is your turn. It is really pretty painless and it will save your life,' Harris said.


Not On The High Street founder Holly Tucker has accused Asda and New Look of 'stealing' a t-shirt design from a small British family-run brand.

The entrepreneur, 43, from London, took to their Instagram page this week to criticise the retailers as she shared pictures of a t-shirt for sale on their websites, alongside a design for sale from independent shop The Annual Store.

The tops appear almost identical and bear the words Home S'cool emblazoned on the t-shirt in a bold black font.

Sharing the post, Holly said: 'Copying is not okay! Annual Store is an eco-friendly, design-led, independent family store creating and curating the best designs and today they discovered that their original designs have been STOLEN by Asda and New Look.'

Asda told MailOnline: 'We have immediately removed this item from sale while we investigate this issue with the brand.'

Meanwhile a New Look spokesperson said: 'We investigated the matter as soon as we became aware of it and can confirm the product  which was manufactured by a third party concession brand - was removed from sale.'

A spokesperson for Noisy May, who supplied the t-shirts to Asda and New Look, said: 'At NOISY MAY we are in the process of investigating the matter and we have reached out directly to the designer in question in order to further clarify the circumstances of the case. While investigating we have initiated a process to take the product of the market.'

MailOnline has contacted Annual Store for comment.

Not on the High Street founder Holly Tucker, 43, from London, has accused Asda and New Look of 'stealing' a t-shirt design from a small British family-run brand Annual Store (pictured, Annual Store's t-shirts)

Sharing the accusations online on their own Instagram page, Faye Isaac, owner of Annual Store, shared a screengrab of the t-shirt on the Asda website.

She posted: 'I realise by putting this t-shirt on my feed it is promoting this product. This is not my product. I didn't work with in collaboration, I am not earning a single penny, most definitely losing family income because of it.

'They never approached me to ask if they could support me and work together. Sadly, I know this happens all the time.

'Thank you to all the lovely people who have taken time to message me about this, your support means the world.'

Holly shared a screengrab of the George at Asda website, with a similar t-shirt emblazoned with the words Home S'cool across the chest

She continued: 'Home S'Cool is not just words, I coined this specific phrase nearly a year ago now.

'By turning a familiar phrase into a positive one. This phrase has supported our family through this pandemic and I hope, in turn, supported in some way or brought joy to so many families during these challenging times. A positive school uniform for the whole family and for our incredible teachers too.'

She added: 'I hand print every t shirt and have done since the beginning, with help from my wonderful friend when it was safe to do so.

'With the hours, days and nights I've put into this product and design to provide the best I can for my customers, I don't want people to think this underpriced product is my own.

Meanwhile Annual Store's founder Faye Isaac shared an image encouraging brands to 'consider the family that designs feed' before 'copying'

'I've worked hard over the past year to work towards printing on organic fabrics and I'm just about to move everything over to our high quality, eco friendly garments.'

She went on to thank others who had messaged her about the product, adding: 'We need to address big corporations taking the talent from creatives and using it to their lucrative advantage. They have the resources and staff to ensure this doesn't happen. I'm not staying silent about this one.'

Meanwhile she went on to share a similar t-shirt for sale on the New Look website, writing: 'Not only Asda but New Look have taken my design too.

'It's available for 9. NINE POUNDS.'

The Not On The High Street founder threw her weight behind the independent store, suggesting the original designs had been 'stolen'

Faye went on share a second picture, which featured the text: 'Before copying someone else's design, please consider the family that design feeds.'

The Annual Store t-shirts retail for 18 and come in an array of colours on their website.

Online, the garments are described as 100 per cent cotton and hand printed premium flock vinyl.

The description continues: 'We believe education begins at home and that's cool; learning through play, learning from parents, carers, siblings or elders, learning from daily rituals and routines but most of all learning from love.'

The entrepreneur shared a screengrab of the New Look website, which carried a similar t-shirt with the same phrase printed on the front

Holly launched Not On The High Street in 2006  a website where small businesses can sell their products. At that time, it was the only online marketplace in the world apart from Amazon and Ebay.

Holly had told local newspapers about her venture and created a countdown to opening, with 16,000 people trying to access the site on the first day.

In 2012 Holly made her first million and moved from a two-bedroom terrace house in Chiswick to a four-bedroom house in St Margaret's in Richmond upon Thames.

Within a decade Holly, who has been awarded MBEs for their achievements, was running a multimillion-pound enterprise, employing more than 200 people, with around 200 of the tens of thousands of small businesses signed up hitting an annual turnover of 1 million.
WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government is expanding its travel restrictions to require all domestic travellers to self-isolate for 14 days after entering the province.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister tours the province's new COVID-19 vaccination site at Winnipeg's Convention Centre on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. Pallister says the government now requires all domestic travellers to self-isolate for 14 days after entering the province.THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government is expanding its travel restrictions to require all domestic travellers to self-isolate for 14 days after entering the province.

Since last June, only people arriving from areas east of Terrace Bay in northern Ontario have been subject to the requirement.

But, starting Friday, all out-of-province arrivals will be covered by the public-health measure to help fight the spread of COVID-19.

"This is being done out of an abundance of caution to protect Manitobans," Premier Brian Pallister said Tuesday.

The move is needed because of the growing spread of novel coronavirus variants and because of delays in vaccine supplies, he said.

There will be ongoing exceptions for people travelling for essential work and medical care, and a new exemption for residents of border communities who cross into Saskatchewan or Ontario for necessities.

Pallister also called on the federal government to tighten rules governing international travellers. He said a ban on non-essential trips, as suggested by Quebec Premier Francois Legault last week, should be on the table.

"We believe that a total travel ban may be something the federal government needs to consider seriously," Pallister said.

"I respect that the federal government has to make this call and that's why I'm not trying to be overly prescriptive with what Manitoba wants. ... I'm simply adding my voice to those of the premiers who have said, 'Make a decision on this and doing nothing is not an option.'"

Pallister also revealed that he had disciplined James Teitsma, a Progressive Conservative caucus member, who travelled with his family to British Columbia in December.

The vacation did not contravene any formal public-health orders, but went against advice to avoid non-essential travel.

Pallister did not say what discipline Teitsma was subjected to, and Teitsma did not return requests for comment. He sits on cabinet and Legislature committees and receives extra pay as chairman of one.

The premier's office later issued a statement that said one of Teitsma's committee appointments was revoked as part of a cabinet shuffle in early January. A recently updated list of members of the cabinet committee on economic growth no longer includes Teitsma's name.

Manitoba's COVID-19 case count continued its downward trend Tuesday. Health officials reported 92 additional cases and five deaths.

Numbers have been dropping since late fall, shortly after the province brought in tight restrictions on public gatherings and store openings. Some of the measures were eased on the weekend to allow small social gatherings in private homes and non-essential store openings with limited capacity.

"It's trending the right way again, but we still have a number of people in hospital ... so it still is a burden on the acute-care system," said Dr. Jazz Atwal, acting deputy chief public health officer.

Opposition NDP Leader Wab Kinew said he supports the government's expanded travel restrictions, but said the province must build up intensive care units, which are running well above pre-pandemic capacity.

"Let's use this time to make the investments in our health care system so that we can withstand what's coming, potentially, as the pandemic drags on," Kinew said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2021
Multi-year agreement leveraging strategic coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa of the 7 East orbital position

Supporting the extension of Liquid Telecom's award-winning VSAT Broadband services

Regulatory News:

Liquid telecom, Africa's leading telecoms group, has renewed and expanded its Ku band capacity agreements on Eutelsat Communications' (Paris:ETL) EUTELSAT 7B satellite.

Under this multi-year, multi transponder agreement, Liquid Telecom will further leverage the unparalleled coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa of the 7 East orbital position to extend its VSAT services. This will provide customers with fast and reliable internet access, even in the most remote corners of the region.

Commenting on the agreement, Philippe Oliva, Chief Commercial Officer of Eutelsat said: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to take the partnership between Liquid Telecom and Eutelsat to the next level. By working together to further strengthen our ties, we can ensure that the combination of Eutelsat's satellite coverages of Sub-Saharan Africa and Liquid Telecom's unrivaled expertise in the VSAT market can deliver the highest possible service levels to Liquid's customers throughout the continent".

Scott Mumford, CEO of Liquid Telecom Satellite Services added: "We are delighted to renew and expand our agreements with Eutelsat, ensuring we can continue to rely on its support and coverage to deliver high-speed, reliable connectivity to existing and future customers, no matter where they are located."

About Eutelsat Communications

Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Over 6,600 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat assembles 1,000 men and women from 46 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service.

For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com

About Liquid Telecom

Liquid Telecom is a leading communications solutions provider across 13 countries primarily in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa that serves mobile operators, carriers, enterprise, media and content companies and retail customers with high-speed, reliable connectivity, hosting and co-location and digital services. It has built and operates Africa's most advanced Satellite Teleports, Africa's largest independent fibre network (73,000km) as well as operating state-of-the-art data centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi, Harare and Kigali. This is in addition to offering leading cloud-based services, such as Microsoft Office365 and Microsoft Azure across our fibre footprint. Through this combined offering Liquid Telecom is enhancing customers' experience on their digital journey. www.liquidtelecom.com

www.eutelsat.com Follow us on Twitter @Eutelsat_SA

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005493/en/

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Authorities accused a Warren man Monday of participating in the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol, an arrest bolstered by his Facebook posts and information from a relative.

Stephen Ayres, 38, is charged with obstruction of justice, unlawful entry into a restricted federal building and violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

He made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court in Cleveland before Magistrate Judge Thomas Parker. The court appearance came hours after his arrest. Parker released Ayres on a personal bond and transferred his case to the District of Columbia.

Federal prosecutors are expected to bring Ayres case to a grand jury in the coming weeks.

In a 17-page affidavit, FBI agent Austin Price said Ayres took part in the storming of the Capitol and then made a video about it in a hotel room afterward. In the nearly 8-minute video that he posted to Facebook, Ayres said the Capitol incident began when officers basically let us walk right in, according to Prices document.

Ayres said he and two others with him got footage all over the place on the Capitol. A streaming video of the attack also was posted on Ayres Facebook page, according to the affidavit.

Ten days after the insurrection, the FBI received a tip from an unidentified member of Ayres family. The relative confirmed Ayres identity and mentioned the Facebook posts. After viewing the streaming video of the siege, the family member said Ayres appeared like he was at war, according to the affidavit.

At one point in that video, Ayres said that what happened at the Capitol was just the beginning, adding that there was more to come next week, according to Prices affidavit.

The document refers to posts that Ayres placed on Facebook before the attack, including one the day after Christmas that said that if former President Donald Trump loses the election, Civil War will ensue!

The affidavit said Ayres wrote a few days later: Where will you be on Jan. 6? Chilling at home? Hoping this country isnt going to hell in a hand basket? Or are you willing to start fighting for the American Dream! Again!?!

The video made from a hotel room showed Ayres and an unidentified man and woman. In the video, Ayres said that he believed the media would not report what happened accurately, but he said he had a video that showed what had happened, according to the affidavit.

The document alleges that the unidentified man said, The purpose of today was to expose [former Vice President Mike] Pence as a traitor. It is unclear whether the unidentified man and woman have been charged.

Video from journalists and clips circulated through Facebook, Twitter and the now-defunct Parler showed hundreds of protesters force their way into the Capitol the same day both chambers of Congress certified Joseph Biden the winner of the November presidential election.

The Stop the Steal rally, held near the Capitol, saw Trump give a heated speech that criticized Pence for refusing to interfere with the largely ceremonial certification process. Video captured people chanting, Hang Mike Pence.

Pence and several lawmakers evacuated the House and Senate chambers as insurrectionists ran through the building taking videos and selfies.

Ayres attorney, Russell Bensing, declined to comment after the hearing.

Ayres told Parker, the magistrate judge, that he worked 19 years as a cabinet-maker. He answered Parkers cursory questions by saying, Yes, your honor.

Ayres is the second person from Northeast Ohio charged in the riots at the Capitol.

Earlier this month, Christine Priola, 49, a former occupational therapist for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, was arrested.

Her case also was transferred to the District of Columbia, and a grand jury is expected to hear her case within the coming weeks.
Azerbaijan is convinced that the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh are acting professionally and does not believe that Moscow is using them in an attempt to "exert pressure" on Baku or Yerevan, adviser to the Azerbaijani president Hikmet Hajiyev said.

"So far we have an open dialogue and communication with the Russian peacekeepers. And they fulfill their job in a professional manner," Hajiyev told an online seminar held by the Washington-based Atlantic Council.

According to him, the Russian peacekeepers are trying to keep balance and open channel of communication between the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides. "From that perspective we are satisfied," he said.

Answering former US envoy to Ukraine John Herbst's question of whether Russia could use its peacekeepers to put pressure on either Baku or Yerevan, Hajiyev said: "No."
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Highlights Realme may have plans to launch laptops in India.

The Realme laptops may be launched as early as June this year.

Realme will take on Xiaomi and Nokia with the launch of laptops.

Realme laptops are coming and that too soon. One of the youngest tech brands may be planning to enter the PC market with its first line of laptops as early as June this year. The company is rapidly diversifying its product lines. From smartphones to AIoT products, Realme has come a long way and the next concrete step that will bolster the company's position in the market as a comprehensive tech brand to take on Xiaomi, Huawei, and others.

Tipster Mukul Sharma has claimed Realme will oust its first-ever laptops sometime in June this year, that is only if "things go as planned." It is not immediately clear what plans these might be but the idea that Realme laptops are in the works does not come as surprising. Realme shot to fame in Indian and European markets because of its aggressive approach to what customers need as their personal gadget. After Xiaomi, Realme emerged as the fastest-growing brand of 2019, entering various product categories within a short span of time. Realme currently sells smartphones, smart TVs, smart audio products, smart plugs, electric toothbrushes, smart camera, clothes, and many more items.

For laptops, Realme will either have to partner with an ODM or begin making things right from the scratch where the former seems a feasible option. Realme uses R&D and product manufacturing lines from its parent company Oppo and sister companies OnePlus and Vivo, but none of them makes laptops yet. Which is why Realme will have no leverage. But these laptops from Realme will likely be in line with what established and new brands have come up with. Realme may use Intel or AMD chipsets on its laptops while they will run Windows 10, much like most other PCs. Other features such as privacy mode-enabled microphones and webcam can also be expected on these laptops. These laptops might also be aggressively priced in the market.

The PC market in India has seen a manifold growth, especially after the pandemic created an inevitable need for laptops and PCs to aid remote working and learning as the public were isolated in their homes for a better half of 2020. In the third quarter of 2020, the PC market saw a shipment of 3.4 million units, registering a 9.2 per cent year-over-year (YoY) growth, according to IDC. The charts of PC shipments were led by HP while Lenovo and Dell cornered the second and third positions. The uptick in both demand and supply of PCs in India compelled brands such as Xiaomi, Nokia, and even Vaio to enter the market. Realme will join them now if this rumour holds any water.


[January 26, 2021] Tech Impact Launches Community Help Desk to Improve Digital Access for Students, Parents and Teachers

WILMINGTON, Del., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In partnership with the Delaware Department of Technology and Information and the Delaware Department of Education, Tech Impact today announced the launch of a Community Help Desk initiative, funded through a portion of Delaware's allocation through the federal CARES Act to support workforce development and broadband access. The new contact center, staffed by recent graduates of Tech Impact's workforce development program ITWorks, enables students, parents, and teachers to access information, service, and support as they navigate the complexities around remote and hybrid learning environments. When the COVID-19 pandemic required the majority of students to attend school online, the State of Delaware invested in improving access to devices as well as broadband connectivity and affordability. Although these improvements are useful and allow students to take advantage of the multitude of information and platforms available online, Tech Impact's Feasibility Study found that support and training are also imperative to ensure students, teachers, and families can make the most of their digital access. "Tech Impact is a nonprofit on a mission to use technology to better serve the world and we are proud to partner with the state agencies to stand up a community help desk to support all students, parents, and teachers in Delaware with technical issues related o distance learning during the pandemic," commented Francis Johnson, Managing Director, Technology Services at Tech Impact. "The Community Help Desk will provide extra support to school district IT departments inundated with calls and act as an easy-to-use resource for students who are experiencing device and connective challenges. We understand the challenges of remote learning and we believe that offering IT support to educators and students in Delaware will help to reduce these challenges so the focus can remain on education."



Initially, Tech Impact has partnered with Delaware's Indian River School District to get the Community Help Desk up and running. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit expects additional school districts to sign on in the coming weeks. "DTI continues to focus on making a dent in the digital divide  from getting devices into the hands of every student to making high-speed internet a reality for all Delawareans," said Chief Information Officer Jason Clarke. "The Community Help Desk aims to remove barriers associated with technology and access by providing a community of experienced instructors and support staff. We hope to see school districts/charters and families across the state take full advantage of the Help Desk as they leverage technology and adapt to the hybrid learning environments created by the pandemic."

Delaware residents can call the Community Help Desk at 844-800-1007. The toll-free line is open 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tech Impact is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Funded with Coronavirus Relief Fund (the "CRF") in section 5001 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") by the Delaware Department of Labor and the Delaware Workforce Development Board. Contact: Caitlin Wolf, Tech Impact, 410-935-2363, caitlinrwolf@gmail.com Related Images tech-impact-logo.jpg

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Logo of Tech Impact Related Links Tech Impact View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tech-impact-launches-community-help-desk-to-improve-digital-access-for-students-parents-and-teachers-301214890.html SOURCE Tech Impact

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Thousands of Australians packed the beaches on Tuesday to celebrate their national day as the revellers made the most of the country's few Covid cases.

Many flocked to popular hotspots such as Bondi Beach and the Gold Coast where they partied with little social distancing in sight to mark Australia Day.

But many others protested the public holiday, taking to the streets to rally across the country against the day's colonial associations.

Thousands of Australians packed the beaches on Tuesday to celebrate their national day as the revellers made the most of the country's Covid success

Many flocked to popular hotspots such as Bondi Beach and the Gold Coast where they partied with little social distancing

Many waved flags to mark the national holiday while others wore Australian bikinis to celebrate the January 26 public holiday

Large groups met up together, donning swimwear as they partied in the heat on the stunning beaches

The popular Bondi Beach was teeming with revellers as temperatures in parts of Sydney soared to 40C

Two women celebrate the national holiday on the back of a boat as temperatures soar on the Gold Coast

Many others protested the public holiday, taking to the streets to rally across the country against the day's colonial associations

The January 26 holiday marks the date the British fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour in 1788 to start a penal colony, viewing the land as unoccupied despite encountering settlements.

But for many Indigenous Australians, who trace their lineage on the continent back 50,000 years, they view it as 'Invasion Day'.

Five people were arrested on Tuesday in mostly peaceful protests where demonstrators chanted 'Black Lives Matter' and 'always was, always will be Aboriginal land'.

For others, the day was a cause for celebration and many donned their swimwear and partied in soaring temperatures on the beaches.

For many, the day was a cause for celebration and many donned their swimwear and partied in soaring temperatures on the beaches

The revellers drank beer and enjoyed barbeques to celebrate Australia Day although the celebrations were more muted than in other years

Masks and social distancing were a rare sight with Australians enjoying their lack of local virus transmissions

The revellers took to the sea, drinking in the water as they hugged and partied in close proximity, a foreign sight to many under tight Covid restrictions across the world

Police patrol amongst a large crowd in Gordons Bay in Sydney's East as temperatures soared

Masks and social distancing were a rare sight with Australians enjoying their lack of local virus transmissions

Australia has fared better than most other developed economies in the pandemic, with just under 28,800 total cases and 909 deaths

The January 26 holiday marks the date the British fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour in 1788 to start a penal colony

Masks and social distancing were a rare sight with Australians enjoying their lack of local virus transmissions.

Australia has fared better than most other developed economies in the pandemic, with just under 28,800 total cases and 909 deaths, mostly in Victoria state.

On Tuesday, the country recorded its ninth consecutive day of zero community transmissions, according to the health ministry.

Around 2,000-3,000 people gathered in Sydney for the protests on Tuesday, according to estimates by the New South Wales police.

People gathered at a central Sydney park in defiance of police threats of fines and arrests for breaching a 500-person limit on public gatherings, though organisers called off a march through the city that usually follows.

For many Indigenous Australians, who trace their lineage on the continent back 50,000 years, they view it as 'Invasion Day'

A Police officer tips out alcohol during a large beach party in Gordons Bay with many meeting up to celebrate the national holiday

Many of the partygoers piled into boats or brought inflatable items as they floated together on the sea while drinking

On Tuesday, the country recorded its ninth consecutive day of zero community transmissions, according to the health ministry

The debate around Australia Day - which was only formally established as a national holiday in 1994 - has grown increasingly heated debate in recent years

Five people were arrested on Tuesday in mostly peaceful protests where demonstrators chanted 'Black Lives Matter' and 'always was, always will be Aboriginal land'

The handful of arrests were made for breach public conduct rules and scuffling with the police, but the police said most protesters were 'well-behaved'.

In Melbourne, television footage showed several thousand people marching through the city centre, many wearing T-shirts with the Aboriginal flag, while organisers tried to ensure social distancing rules were observed.

An estimated 10,000 turned out to march through the streets and attendees walked in 100-person groups to comply with coronavirus rules.

Some waved Aboriginal flags, while others held aloft signs including 'No Pride in Genocide' and 'You are on Stolen Land'.

'People (are) having barbecues and shrimp on the barbie and celebrating the death and destruction of these people, the oldest continuing living culture in the world,' The Age reported Indigenous Senator Lidia Thorpe as telling the crowd.

Australians gather around a barbeque on the beach with the country divided on whether the national day should be celebrated

A recent Ipsos poll for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald newspapers showed that 28% of people favoured changing the date of the Australia Day holiday

Many wore Australian flags and took selfies to mark the national holiday in the sun

In Adelaide, an estimated 4,000 people gathered at a sit-down protest, while in Brisbane the crowd reached 5,000 people.

The celebration of the origins of the modern nation is a time of mourning for Indigenous Australians, who have inhabited the land for 65,000 years and view the arrival of British settlers as the beginning of two centuries of pain and suffering.

The push to change the date - or even abolish the celebration entirely - remains divisive.

The debate around Australia Day - which was only formally established as a national holiday in 1994 - has grown increasingly heated debate in recent years.

The occasion is staunchly defended by right-wing commentators and retains strong support from the country's conservative government

Beachgoers at Gordons Bay (pictured) were reportedly on their best behaviour on Australia Day - despite the huge crowds

A man draped in an Australian flag is pictured celebrating the national holiday on the Gold Coast

A couple fry up some onions over a gas barbecue on the back of a boat as they celebrate Australia Day on the Gold Coast

A man checks on the meat cooking on a BBQ next to the river at the Nepean River Reserve in Menangle Park on January 26, 2021 in Sydney

Pictured: People celebrating Australia Day in Cronulla, as beach car parks around the city reach capacity

Two woman enter the water in Newcastle as temperatures soar on Australia Day

Paul Silva, a nephew of Indigenous man David Dungay Jr who died in police custody in 2015, said: 'They're out there celebrating this day like it's a birthday or Christmas.'

He said January 26 was 'the day when our ancestors were murdered'.

In the capital Canberra, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison attended a flag-raising and citizenship ceremony and told those gathered that January 26 had changed the country forever.

He said: 'There is no escaping or cancelling that fact. For better and worse, it was the moment where the journey to our modern Australia began.

'And it is this continuing Australian journey that we recognise today.

Police are pictured grappling with a man during an Invasion Day protest in Melbourne where scenes turned ugly

A man can be seen grappling with police as an officer holds onto a man's arm at the Invasion Day rally in Hyde Park

Protesters in Melbourne raise their fists in the air as they call for an end to black death in custody

'Our stories since that day have been of sorrow and of joy, of loss and redemption, of failure and of success.'

Most official events involved formal recognition of the loss and destruction of Indigenous culture and history of dispossession, with speeches by Indigenous elders, smoking ceremonies, welcome to country ceremonies, and traditional dancing.

Aboriginal flags flew from landmark buildings, including Sydney's Harbour Bridge, while the Opera House was lit up with Indigenous art.

A recent Ipsos poll for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald newspapers showed that 28% of people favoured changing the date of the Australia Day holiday, while nearly 50% opposed.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-25 22:01:44|Editor: huaxia

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Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf via video link at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Li Zhanshu held talks on Monday with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf via video link, saying the two countries should implement the important consensus by the two heads of state and promote the continued development of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership.

Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Iran developed steadily in recent years with the support from the two countries' top leaders.

"China stands ready to work with Iran to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote the continued development of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership," he said.

Li suggested that the two countries should deepen mutual political trust, strengthen strategic communication, and firmly support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. He called on both sides to continue anti-epidemic cooperation and jointly promote global and regional public health security.

He stressed that the two countries should advance practical cooperation in various fields within the Belt and Road Initiative and strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism and combating transnational crime. He also suggested expanding exchanges on culture and tourism.

China and Iran should also jointly promote regional peace and stability, continue communication and coordination, resolve the concerns of all countries through equal consultations and jointly maintain regional security and stability, Li said.

Li also said under the new situations, the NPC will continue to strengthen friendly exchanges with the Iranian parliament.

Qalibaf said Iran stands ready to strengthen the practical cooperation with China on politics, economy and trade, and anti-epidemic efforts, and further enhance communication and cooperation on global and regional issues. The Iranian parliament is willing to deepen exchanges and mutual learning with the NPC and make positive contributions to the development of bilateral relations. Enditem
The list of states will have no changes this week, meaning 48 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico are subject to the requirement that travelers from those locations must get a negative COVID-19 test up to 72 hours before arrival in Chicago or quarantine for 10 days. These states and territories make up the orange tier of the citys travel order, which includes all areas with a rolling average over 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents.
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BEIJING (AP)  Chinese rescuers have found the bodies of nine workers killed in explosions at a gold mine, raising the death toll to 10, officials said Monday.

Eleven others were rescued a day earlier after being trapped underground for two weeks at the mine in Shandong province. One person was still missing.





. . .
The teen suspect accused of shooting dead six family members at their home in Indianapolis allegedly launched the rampage after his father yelled at him for leaving the house without permission.

The horror shooting unfolded at a home on Adams Street in the northeast side of Indianapolis early Sunday morning. Police arrived to find five people with gunshot wounds, including a woman who was eight months pregnant.

The victims were identified as mother Kezzie Childs, 42, father Raymond Childs Jr, 42, their 18-year-old son Elijah and 13-year-old daughter Rita. Kiara Hawkins, 19, was also killed, along with her unborn baby boy.

A seventh victim, who was described as the 15-year-old son of Kezzie and Raymond but was not named, also suffered gunshot wounds. He was hospitalized in critical condition and is expected to survive.

It was that teen who had called 911 at around 4am Sunday after he was shot and fled down the street, according to a police report obtained by FOX59.

When he arrived at the hospital, the teen pointed officers toward his house and said: 'They killed my entire family.' He identified his older brother as the gunman.

The older brother, 17, was arrested on Monday roughly 25 miles away in Plainfield, FOX59 reported. His name has not been released due to his age.

The Marion County Prosecutor's Office has until Thursday to file charges against the suspect. He is expected to be charged for murder/intentional manslaughter with a handgun and attempted murder in adult court given the severity of the crimes.

Elijah Childs, 18, (left) and Raymond Childs, 42, (right) were among the six victims shot dead at their Indianapolis home on Sunday. The 17-year-old suspect in the shooting is believed to be Raymond's son and Elijah's brother. A police report suggests the suspect launched his rampage after Raymond reprimanded him for leaving the house without permission

Kezzie Childs, 42, (left) and her 13-year-old daughter Rita (right) were also shot and killed, along with 19-year-old Kiara Hawkins and her unborn baby boy

The fatal shootings were discovered by IMPD officers responding to a 911 call made by another son of Raymond and Kezzie, who was shot and fled from the home. The son told investigators that his older brother, who has not been named, was the gunman

Describing the moments leading up to the shooting, the younger brother reportedly told detectives that his older sibling had been scolded by his father for leaving the house without permission.

The father, Raymond, warned his older son that he would be punished later, the younger brother said, before chaos erupted.

The younger brother said he was downstairs with his parents when they heard gunfire upstairs. His sister shrieked: 'He shot them,' and more shots rang out.

He said his brother then 'came downstairs with a draco gun, a handgun that shoots rifle rounds, and started shooting', the police report states.

The younger brother ran out of the house as his sibling followed behind him and opened fire multiple times. It's believed those shots were the ones neighbors reported hearing.

Officers responding to the younger brother's 911 call arrived in the neighborhood and launched an investigation.

IMPD Assistant Chief Chris Bailey said even after the teen told officers what happened, they weren't sure what they would discover at the house.

'Because we had found that young man who has suffered some significant gunshot wounds, and he pointed us in the direction of that Adams Street address, which we had no idea what we would find when we walked in the door there, when the officers walked in the door there,' Bailey told FOX59.

'I can't imagine the horrific nature of what they had to see yesterday.'

Raymond, Kezzie, Elijah and Rita were all pronounced dead at the scene. Hawkins, whose relationship to the family remains unclear, was still alive when officers found her. She was transported to a hospital, where both she and her unborn son died despite life-saving measures, police said.

The younger brother who survived the shooting, who has not been named, reportedly told investigators that his older brother got angry when their father Raymond (pictured) warned him that he would be punished for leaving the house without permission

Mother Kezzie Childs (pictured) was downstairs in the home when the gunfire rang out

Elijah Childs, 18, (pictured) was killed in the shooting allegedly perpetrated by his brother

The older brother, who had left the scene by the time police arrived, was tracked down in Plainfield on Monday.

A neighbor told FOX59 that she had tipped officers off to where they could find him.

The IMPD has refused to say whether they found any evidence linking the suspect to the murders when they took him into custody. Media reports indicated that a gun was found in the house.

The department also would not confirm details about the younger brother's statement, or even confirm that it happened.

'Our detectives and our violent crime unit follow the leads. They follow information that they gather as part of their investigation through a whole host of investigative techniques and methods,' Bailey said.

'We did receive information from the community, from neighbors, from people that were concerned about what happened.'

The suspect is currently being held at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center.

Announcing the arrest on Monday, IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said: 'Yesterday, we promised swift justice for this heinous act. Today, we delivered on that promised.

'While removing the alleged perpetrator of yesterday's mass murder from our neighborhoods does not bring back the lives senselessly lost, hopefully, it will bring us one step closer to healing as a community.

'I am grateful to all of the IMPD officers and criminal justice partners who have worked tirelessly for the last 30 plus hours to bring justice for these victims, their friends and families, and our entire community.'

Loved ones are seen consoling each other outside the Childs family home on Sunday

The family were found shot dead in their home in the 3500 block of Adam Street, Indianapolis

The Childs' home on Adams Street is shown above in an undated Google street view image

Loved ones and neighbors gathered on the street on Sunday to console each other and share their shock at what had unfolded in the quiet community.

'To take a whole family out like thatI just don't understand,' Vicki Pinkston, who lives across the street from the Childs' home, told WTHR.

'When I saw them take all the people out of there, I could not believe it. I just hope that they find who did this.'

Another neighbor, Rivon Allen-Bailey, said he heard four gunshots ring out early Sunday morning and ran to his window but didn't see anything.

Pinkston said she learned about the shooting when police knocked on her door at about 5am and asked if she heard anything, which she hadn't.

She broke down in tears when she was informed that five people and an unborn child had been killed just a few yards away.

'To take a whole family out like thatI just don't understand,' Vicki Pinkston, who lives across the street from the Childs' home, told WTHR (pictured)

Pinkston said she'd recently stopped by the home where the killings took place to drop off some baby items for Hawkins, whom she said was due next month.

'I had just given them some stuff from my great-grandson when he was born, but he is bigger now,' she said.

Pinkston described the family as 'so sweet' and recalled their cheery greetings.

'Oh lord, they say: "Hi, Miss, Vicki" all the time...' she told FOX59.

'Now I gotta look over there and not hear they say: "Hi Miss Vicki, how's your day going?"'

As she questioned how anyone would commit such an atrocity to such a kind family, Pinkston pointed her outrage at the person responsible.

'How you feel? How you feeling? How are you feeling about this?' she asked. 'It could've been yours; it could've been somebody in your family.'

Among those gathered at the scene on Sunday was District 9 City Councilman William Oliver, who lives about two minutes away from the 'act of mass murder'.

'The shame they brought to the household, to our community is an ultimate disgrace,' Oliver said of the perpetrator(s).

'If it was one person or five, I'm totally angry, hurt, and embarrassed.'

A GoFundMe campaign was set up to raise money for a memorial for the Childs family. It does not name Hawkins but identifies her baby as a 'grandson' of Kezzie and Raymond.

Neighbors and loved ones gathered at the scene to console each other on Sunday

In his first press conference on Sunday, Chief Taylor initially said police believed the shooting was a targeted attack carried out by an assailant or assailants. After the arrest he confirmed that the shooter acted alone.

'What we saw this morning was a different kind of evil,' Taylor said. 'What happened this morning, based on the evidence that's been gathered so far, was mass murder.'

Taylor said it was largest mass casualty shooting in the city in more than a decade, and urged the public to contact police and pass along any information they might have on the killings.

'What we saw this morning was a different kind of evil,' IMPD Chief Randal Taylor (pictured) said at a news conference Sunday

Mayor Joe Hogsett spoke alongside Taylor at Sunday's news conference, saying the person responsible had brought 'terror to our community.'

He said he had contacted officials with the FBI's Indianapolis field office, the local US Attorneys office and other law enforcement agencies for assistance in the shooting investigation.

'I want those responsible to know that the full might of local, state and federal law enforcement are coming for them as I speak,' Hogsett said.

After the suspect was arrested on Monday, Hogsett issued another statement thanking law enforcement for their efforts.

'Today's announcement is the first step toward justice for the senseless acts that cut short the lives of six of our neighbors in the early hours of Sunday morning,' the mayor said.

'While nothing can bring back the Childs family, I hope that the swift action of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department offers some comfort to all of those who have been left to grapple with this tragic loss.

'My thanks go to the men and women of IMPD whose thoughtful investigative work led to the arrest of the suspect, and my prayers are with the family, friends, and community impacted by this devastating act of violence.'

The shooting came weeks after Indianapolis recorded its most violent year on record, with 244 homicides.

City officials have attributed the violence in part to poverty which was exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Darien is getting three times the amount of vaccines as New Canaan. Other towns like Wilton received twice the number.

First Selectman Kevin Moynihan asked state Sen. Will Haskell to explore why the state Department of Public Health is giving communities with similar populations more COVID-19 vaccines.

New Canaan has received fewer than 200 doses, while Darien will be getting 600 doses for the time period, Moynihan said in an email to Haskell.

Dariens population is around 22,000 while New Canaans is around 20,000.

At the rate of 100 doses a week, it will take until March or April to vaccinate all of our seniors over age 75, when other cities and towns will be transitioning to younger seniors, age 65 to 74, Moynihan wrote in the email he shared with Hearst Connecticut Media.

Darien was allocated 400 doses for this week yet only administered 130. That means they have 270 left over, and they are getting another 200 doses next week. I speak to them regularly. This makes zero sense, Moynihan said.

Darien will use all the vaccines the town has received, the towns Director of Health David Knauf told Hearst Connecticut Media.

Last week we received 400 doses (of 600 ordered) and gave out 110 doses at our first clinic, Knauf said.

Darien has clinics scheduled Tuesday, Jan. 26, and Wednesday, Jan 27, Knauf said, adding that those appointments will use up the remaining 390 doses of vaccine in our initial delivery.

We have received another 200 doses today (of 400 ordered) that will be allocated to clinics to be held next week. I am hoping to receive and maintain an adequate supply of vaccine to offer at least two clinics a week, Knauf added.

Wilton is receiving 400 doses a week we understand. We know this because Waveny LifeCare Network is administering Wiltons vaccination program, Moynihan said in his letter to Haskell.

I put my order in for 1,000 doses of Moderna for next week, New Canaan Health Director Jen Eielson told Hearst Connecticut Media. I was emailed late Thursday night that I am only receiving 100 doses. There is no explanation given.

It appears that the State is not being equitable in allocating vaccines to towns based on what weve learned below, Moynihan said in his letter to Haskell.

I've reached out to DPH to better understand how they make their allocation decisions. I heard from Redding and Bethel this evening that their joint clinic will also receive 100 doses next week, Haskell said.

The towns are reliant upon the states distribution schedule which does not appear in our region to be equitably distributed based upon the towns requested dosages nor population, Waveny LifeCare Network CEO Russell Barksdale, Jr., said.

New Canaan has 1,549 seniors over age 75 and 1,486 age 65 to 74. Although some New Canaan seniors over age 75 have been able to get vaccination appointments through VAMS (Vaccine Administration Management System) at area hospitals or other vaccination sites, Moynihans email says.

We would like to be able to offer our very oldest and infirm seniors in their 80s, 90s and some even over 100 the opportunity to stay safely in New Canaan to be vaccinated at Lapham Center, the first selectman says.

As you may know, we started vaccinating our residents, patients, and staff on December 21, 2020. Our home care divisions are currently providing nurses for those towns that have requested our assistance in vaccination, Barksdale said.
CIA officials believed that Soviet scientists took part in 'several successful Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP) experiments' in the 1980s, according to a recently-declassified document from the time.

The U.S. spies wrote in an April 1991 memo that they thought the Russians had made remarkable progress in understanding ESP - reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses, but sensed with the mind.

They reported back that one Soviet scientist, Konstantin Buteyko, 'had perfected his method in the early 1980s'.

A second Soviet scientist, Vlail Kaznacheyev, was described as 'a well-known authority on ESP'.

Konstantin Buteyko (left) and Vlail Kaznacheyev were described by the CIA as ESP experts

The documents were obtained by John Greenewald, a researcher who runs the website The Black Vault and specializes in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

On Monday he published his latest finding: a CIA report, which was declassified in November.

The four-page report is a memo sent from the U.S. officials, looking both at Soviet research into the chemicals found in Agent Orange, and at 'psychic medical treatment at USSR Clinical and Experimental Medicine Institute'.

In institute, IKIEM in its Russian acronym, was based in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, the third largest city in Russia.

Buteyko, who died in 2003 aged 80, was the head of the Laboratory of Non-Traditional Treatment at IKIEM.

He is known for his research into deep breathing and asthma: according to the declassified document, he was also researching ESP.

Buteyko's method, the CIA wrote, was one by which 'a medical specialist attempted psychically to transmit bioenergy to patients to enable them to control or cure asthma, sinusitis, allergies, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary inflammation and heart disease'.

The U.S. spies noted that Buteyko 'had perfected his method in the early 1980s'.

Volunteers would sit in the middle of a room, positioned between two concave mirrors, while the scientists tried from afar to 'transmit psychic energy' to the patient.

They believed the mirrors 'focused psychic energy'.

The Americans wrote that, in the mid 1980s, two labs - IKIEM and a second one in Leningrad, now St Petersburg - 'took part in several successful ESP experiments'.

Kaznacheyev, who the CIA described as being affiliated with IKIEM, and who is known for his work as a biologist, told the memo authors of work in which scientists 'attempted psychically to relay to one another images of geometric shapes such as squares or circles'.

The memo concludes that Kaznacheyev did not say whether the Soviet military were interested in the research.

The CIA declassified the April 1991 memo in November in response to a FOIA request

The declassified document gives further context to the study of the USSR's ESP experiments.

The Soviet fascination with ESP has been known about for decades: in the late 1960s Nikolai Khokhlov, a former KGB agent who defected to the West in 1954, spoke extensively about Russia's experiments.

In September 1966 he told a conference, according to Atlas Obscura, how 'in Soviet Russia considerable interest has been aroused in research in parapsychology.'

Khokhlov said Russian psychology made the people 'specifically sensitive to matters relative to the mystical side of the human psyche' and 'to a world beyond the sober reality of sense.'

He then lectured the group about Russian scientists who had undertaken studies of ESP dating back to the late 1800s, telling them that the Soviet government actively encouraged such study.
Idol turned actor Rowoon is continuously growing in different industries. Being involved in a fast paced environment helped him honed a lot of skills that he is now confident to show in front of many.

The 24-year-old artist started his journey in the industry of music and acting as a member of the famous K-pop boy group SF9 and in a web drama "Click Your Heart" in 2016. A year later, he starred in "School 2017" and in "Where Stars Land" in 2018.

Through these projects he was able to show endless potential and luckily got his first lead role in the romantic drama "Extraordinary You" in 2019, where he played the character of Haru. Where he showed an impressive performance, in fact he won the Best New Actor in 2019 MBC Drama Award.

Rowoon also once said in one of his interviews that he used to read the script from the perspective of Haru rather than Rowoon, he fully immersed himself through his character during the filming of the drama "Extraordinary You". His character way back then gave him the opportunity to explore more on what things he can add to in order to improve his acting in portraying his roles. With various characters that he played, Rowoon became more professional when it comes to acting. Plus, his presence captivated the hearts of the audience.

Rowoon's hard work has finally paid off, he started with supporting roles, and now, he was able to play as the main lead in his previous and ongoing project. Rowoon is currently playing the role of a junior marketer in JTBC's newest drama "She Would Never Know" as Chae Hyun Seung. He is expected to show another notable acting through his new character.

He is also in talks to play in a new historical drama "Yeonmo" alongside actress Park Eun Bin. But according to his agency, his priority is his current drama "She Would Never Know." Rowoon is still reviewing the offer for it will be another exciting project for him in the future.

Aside from performing on stage and acting on the small screen, Rowoon's stunning visuals also conquer the pages of some of the fashion magazines in Korea. With his amazing figure, Rowoon is perfectly fit to be a model. He is one of the rising actors in the industry for his versatility, many were looking up to him as he is already starting to embark on a new exciting journey in his career.

What can you say about Rowoon's journey as an idol and as an actor? Share your comments with us!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.





Written by Shai Collins.
Smiths main target was liberal legislation, which he blocked in partnership with William M. Colmer of Mississippi (the other Dixiecrat on the committee) as well as the four Republicans in the minority. What on paper was a committee controlled by eight Democrats was, in practice, a committee controlled by a bipartisan group of six conservatives, who only had to tie a vote to kill a bill.

For Rayburn, this was intolerable. He wanted Kennedy to succeed  or at least, to have a chance at success  and Smiths control of the Rules Committee made that impossible. So Rayburn had to act. Liberal members had already conferred with him on how to break conservative control of the committee. He had three options. He could revive an old rule that would take all bills out of the committee after 21 days. He could purge Colmer and give his spot to a loyal soldier. Or, since committee size was set by majority vote of the House, he could move to make it bigger.

The first option would make the floor unmanageable. Rayburn still needed a traffic cop. And the second option would cause a schism as conservative Southern Democrats broke from the party to defend one of their own (and head off another civil rights bill  Rayburn had helped shepherd the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960). He chose the third. The Rules Committee could be as small as five members or as large as 15. Smith could keep his coalition. With three additional members, two Democrats and one Republican, liberals and moderates would have an 8-7 majority. They could block legislation as needed but they could also let Kennedys bills through.

Rayburn chose door number three, but not before acting as if he might go through door number two. After his meeting with House liberals, Rayburns office told The New York Times of a plan to purge Colmer from the Rules Committee. Rayburn tried to effect some compromise with Smith, but the Dixiecrat wouldnt budge. At this point, Rayburn endorsed the plan to enlarge the committee. Smith could have stopped it there  the bill to add members had to go through him  but he allowed it through, on the assumption that Republicans and Dixiecrats would kill it on the floor.

On the last day of the month, Jan. 31, with Kennedy now in office, the House took a vote. According to The Times, it was a tense debate that produced cheers and applause as well as derisive ahs and laughter from members. Smith and his Republican allies accused Rayburn of packing the Rules Committee and making it a rubber stamp for whatever the new Administration proposes. Rayburn, for his part, urged members to adopt the resolution since This House should be allowed on great measures to work its will, even if the Committee on Rules is so constituted as not to allow the House to pass on those things.

When the votes were finally counted, Rayburn had won, 217 to 212, with most of the Southern delegation in opposition.
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300 Idaho guard members home from inauguration

The soldiers and airmen joined about 26,000 other National Guard members from around the country to assist with security.



BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Roughly 300 Idaho National Guard members returned home Sunday from a deployment to Washington, D.C. The Idaho National Guard soldiers and airmen joined about 26,000 other National Guard members from around the country to assist with security during the inauguration of President Joe Biden.



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Here's a story without absolutely no good guy . . . After disgusting allegations, the newspaper champions claims of abuse from decades ago and fakes an "investigation" after merely picking up a press release.

Disgusting Church followup dutifully hidden behind the paywall . . .

One of the most desperate battles in the fight against the coronavirus is to find an effective treatment for patients who have contracted the virus and are at a high risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19. Up until now, the search for treatments has been disappointing. Only dexamethasone, a corticosteroid medication, has shown that it can reduce mortality in Covid-19 patients. But this medication does not actually fight the virus itself, but rather the uncontrolled inflammatory reaction it causes in patients with the worst prognosis.

On Monday an international team of researchers published the first verified scientific data on the effectiveness of a new treatment that could become the most potent antiviral drug against the coronavirus: plitidepsin. Scientists led by the Spanish virologist Adolfo Garcia-Sastre from Mount Sinai hospital in New York, explain that this drug is 100 times more potent than remdesivir, the first antiviral drug approved to treat Covid-19, which until now has not shown that it is entirely effective, according to the authors of the study.

Treatments like plitidepsin that do not target the virus, but rather a specific protein, are more resistant to new variants

Plitidepsin is a synthetic drug based on a substance produced in a species of ascidians found in the Mediterranean Sea: invertebrate and hermaphrodite animals that live attached to rocks and docks, such as sea squirts. The Madrid-based company PharmaMar developed the pharmaceutical, which is sold under the name Aplidina, to treat the blood cancer multiple myeloma. The drug, however, has only been approved in Australia.

When the coronavirus pandemic broke out, PharmaMar began a clinical trial to test whether plitidepsin could be used against Covid-19. According to the company, the drug reduces the viral charge in hospitalized patients, but it has still not published its scientific data which must be verified.

Garcia-Sastres research team, together with experts from the University of California in San Francisco, the Pasteur Institute in Paris and PharmaMar, tracked all the proteins of the new coronavirus that interact with human proteins. They then analyzed already existing drugs that could interrupt these interactions. From this analysis, the team identified 47 promising drugs, of which plitidepsin appeared to be the most promising. According to a new study published in the journal Science on Monday, it is between nine and 85 times more effective at stopping the virus from multiplying than two other promising drugs from this group.

The researchers compared the effectiveness of plitidepsin and remdesivir in two mouse models infected with SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that plitidepsin reduced virus replication 100 times more than remdesivir. Whats more, it also fought inflammation in respiratory tracts.

According to the study, the drug does this by not directly attacking the virus, but rather the human protein the virus needs to take control of a cells biological machinery so that it can make hundreds of thousands of copies of itself. Plitidepsin temporarily blocks the human protein known as eEF1A. Without this proteins reproduction machinery, the virus cannot function. Our data and the initial positive results from PharmaMars clinical trial suggests that plitidepsin should be strongly considered for expanded clinical trials for the treatment of Covid-19, the authors conclude.

Treatments that do not target the virus, but rather a specific protein of the patient, are more resistant to new variants of the virus. The genetics of a patient change much more slowly than that of a virus, meaning this type of drug will not be as affected by the arrival of new, mutant strains of the coronavirus. Garcia-Sastres research team has just published a preliminary study which shows that plitidepsin and ralimetinib, another molecule used against cancer, are similarly effective against the more contagious B.1.1.7 coronavirus strain first identified in the United Kingdom. Remdesivir is also effective against this strain, but unlike plitidepsin, it directly attacks the virus.

It is a very promising study because it provides us with a new possible treatment against infection Virologist Isabel Sola, from the Spanish National Research Council

The molecular mechanism targeted by plitidepsin is also important to the replication of many other viruses, such as the cold and respiratory syncytial virus, Garcia-Sastre explained in a press release. This suggests that it has the potential to create generic antiviral drugs against many other pathogens, he added.

Independent experts say there is still a long way to go. Marcos Lopez, president of the Spanish Immunology Society, says the new research is a very good pre-clinical study by a very reliable group of researchers. He adds: What lies next is the clinical trial in patients and clarifying at what moment of the infection is the drug most effective.

Elena Munez, the lead investigator in the Solidarity trial into the effectiveness of four untested treatments for Covid-19 at Puerta de Hierro hospital in Madrid, warns the results of the study are very preliminary. This type of pre-clinical data is based on totally controlled experiments with mice, a situation that is very different to the reality we see with patients in hospitals, she explains.

Virologist Isabel Sola, from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), is more optimistic. It is a very promising study because it provides us with a new possible treatment against infection, she says. Her team carried out an earlier study with plitidepsin and found that it was effective at stopping the replication of the coronavirus that causes the common cold, as well as another type of coronavirus that causes the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). We saw that it had a lot more potency than remdesivir, says Sola. Plitidepsin acts against the N-protein of the coronavirus, which the virus needs to protect its genetic sequence and make copies of itself in the first phases of infection. Both plitidepsin and remdesivir would only have an effect on the early stages of infection when there is still viral replication, but not in later and more serious phases when there is widespread inflammation, she explains.

Another point in plitidepsins favor is that numerous trials show that it is not toxic in moderate doses. This information comes partly from studies done to measure its effect against myeloma, but also from other trials that found it had no serious side effects. The action mechanism of this drug is novel, says Ana Fernandez Cruz, a specialist in infectious diseases at Puerta de Hierro hospital in Madrid. By targeting the cells of the infected person and not the virus, it could be used in combination with remdesivir, which is positive.

PharmaMar is finalizing the official document to request permission to start a Phase 3 trial into the effectiveness of plitidepsin in Covid-19 hospital patients. This work confirms both plitidepsins potent action and its high therapeutic rate, says Jose Maria Fernandez, the president of PharmaMar. He adds that thanks to the drugs special action mechanism it can inhibit SARS-CoV-2, independently of whether the virus has a mutation on its S protein, as is the case with the new strains detected in Britain, South Africa and Denmark. We are working with medicine agencies to begin a Phase 3 trial that will take place in various countries, he says.

English version by Melissa Kitson.

All Campus provides the expertise and resources institutions need to ensure their online certificate and degree programs match students and organizational needs," said Joe Diamond, CEO of All Campus

All Campus, which partners with leading, traditional higher education institutions to grow online enrollment and maximize market share, today announced a new partnership with Vanderbilt University to manage its online Business Management Certificate program within the Owen Graduate School of Management.

The comprehensive certificate program, designed for business professionals, features four courses: strategic leadership, finance and accounting, strategic innovation, and strategy and operations. Students must take all four courses to earn the Vanderbilt Business Management Certificate, but each is available to take individually. All courses include opportunities to engage in discussions with leading, full-time faculty members, as well as other students within the cohort.

Our online Business Management Certificate is tailored to busy professionals looking for flexible education options to gain new marketable skills, increase their value within their organizations and further their careers, said M. Eric Johnson, Dean of the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. With its track record of success in other non-credit instructor-led programs, we are delighted to partner with All Campus to grow our online Business Management Certificate program.

All Campus and Vanderbilt partnered to redesign and re-launch the program to be instructor-led and include a synchronous section in each module where students can learn directly from the Owen Graduate School of Managements leading faculty members. Through the partnership, All Campus will assist with the full scope of recruitment activities for the program, including registration and student services.

Were excited to partner with Vanderbilt Universitys Owen Graduate School of Management to redesign, re-launch and grow its online Business Management Certificate program, said Joe Diamond, CEO of All Campus. As the demand for new competencies and specialized roles increases, high quality, high-touch online certificate programs from leading institutions have emerged as an effective and efficient way for professionals to advance in their careers. All Campus provides the expertise and resources institutions need to ensure their online certificate and degree programs match students and organizational needs.

For more information on Vanderbilts Business Management Certificate program, please visit: https://business.vanderbilt.edu/business-management-certificate/. To learn more about All Campus, please visit: http://www.allcampus.com.

About All Campus

All Campus creates value for leading universities by expanding their reach and cultivating relationships with students who seek to advance their lives through education. It offers comprehensive, tailored online program management (OPM) services, powered by industry-leading technology  all with the universitys unique identity and brand top of mind. It has built its reputation on delivering measurable results, being an honest broker, and providing high levels of service to its four primary constituencies: university administrators and marketing professionals as well as prospective and enrolled students. The companys flexible payment and service options include bundled or unbundled services and fee-for-service management or a customized low and sustainable revenue share plan.

About Vanderbilt Universitys Owen Graduate School of Management

Ranked as a top business school by U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times, Businessweek, and Forbes, the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management supplies a world-class education on a personal scale. We offer professional development, executive education, and MBA programs online and on campus.

Our top-ranked management education programs are varied, but they all have one thing in common: they provide the knowledge, skills, connections and support that will help you achieve your career goals.

Our size and focus allows us to interact with students, alumni, and recruiters as individuals. We are intensely and proudly competitive among the best. We shape leaders who understand that collaboration is essential in todays connected economy. Our alumni go on to lead and manage change, drawing not only on what they learn here about business, but also what they learn about themselves.

The Owen Graduate School of Management is a place where you will be challenged to achieve your potential, find support as you shape your future, discover lifelong friends and mentors, and open doors to new possibilities.
BRIDGEPORT  A man held at Bridgeport Correctional Center died Sunday from complications from COVID-19, state officials said.

The individual was identified only as a 53-year-old man, the Department of Correction said in a press release Monday evening. As in previous statements confirming the deaths of the incarcerated from the virus, the release said the persons identity is being withheld due to medical privacy laws.

The Department of Correction said the man was awaiting trial on multiple charges of possessing child pornography, and had a bond set at $155,000. He had last entered the state correctional system in March 2019.

The man was transferred from the Bridgeport Correctional Center to a hospital for treatment on Dec. 30, where he succumbed to his illnesses late Sunday evening, the press release said.

Officials said the man suffered from underlying health issues which made him more susceptible to contracting the novel coronavirus.

Inmates and DOC staff are due to be vaccinated as part of Phase 1b of the states vaccine rollout. During Mondays press conference, Gov. Ned Lamont said vaccinations of congregate settings are underway, but its unclear if vaccinations have also started at prisons and jails.

Josh Geballe, Lamonts chief operating officer, said last week that the department would try to vaccinate older inmates first as the state also works to open the vaccine up to seniors 75 and older in the general population.

His death comes as the Department of Correction prepares to vaccinate its staff and inmate population as part of the States phase 1B vaccination rollout, and underscores the importance of getting vaccinated, the release said.

Bridgeport Correctional Center is a high-security facility that contains both offenders who have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment and those awaiting trial. The facility draws from courts in Ansonia, Derby, Milford, Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford, according to the DOC. It also includes a minimum-security unit for inmates who qualify for outside work and community support programs.

Opened in 1958, the North Avenue facility currently houses 647 incarcerated people, according to the DOCs data.

According to information published by the French Website Zone Militaire Opex360 on January 25, 2021, the French defense industry could propose a modified version of its Belh@rra FTI (Fregates de taille intermediaire - Intermediate Size Frigate) to Hellenic Navy armed with naval cruise missiles (MdCn) in addition to the 8 Exocet MM40B3C anti-ship missile, 16 Aster 15/30 surface-to-air missiles, MU 90 torpedoes, one 76mm naval gun and the two remotely-operated weapon station armed with 25mm automatic cannon.

According to information published by the French Website Zone Militaire Opex360 on January 25, 2021, the French defense industry could propose a modified version of its Belh@rra FTI (Fregates de taille intermediaire - Intermediate Size Frigate) to Hellenic Navy armed with naval cruise missiles (MdCn) in addition to the 8 Exocet MM40B3C anti-ship missile, 16 Aster 15/30 surface-to-air missiles, MU 90 torpedoes, one 76mm naval gun and the two remotely-operated weapon station armed with 25mm automatic cannon.

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Artist rendering Belh@rra FTI Fregates de taille intermediaire - Intermediate Size Frigate. (Picture source Naval Group)

Greece has requested a frigate that will have the capability to conduct land attack using cruise missiles. To respond to the request of the Hellenic Navy, Lockheed-Martin has proposed to sale four MMSC (Multi-Mission Surface Combatant) frigates. The ship can be armed with two Harpoon shipboard launchers with eight RGM-84 Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles, one MK-15 Mod 31 SeaRAM close-in weapon system (CIWS) with 11-cell RIM 116C Block II Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAMs), a 57mm Mk110 deck gun and a medium-caliber rapid-fire gun.

The FTI is a French navy program to design and create a planned class of frigates. At the moment, the program consists of five ships, with commissioning planned from 2023 onwards. The export variant is designated BELH@RRA frigate.

The five FTI BELH@RRA frigates will be built by the French companies Naval Group and Thales. In April 2017, the French Defense Ministry announced the attribution to DCNS now Naval Group, a contract for the development and construction of five intermediate-size frigates (FTIs) for the French Navy. The steel-cutting ceremony of the first FDI frigate was held in October 2019.

The BELH@RRA frigates will be able to conduct a wide range of missions such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, anti-aircraft warfare, patrol, maritime security, control of exclusive economic zone (EEZ), asymmetric warfare, and Special Forces activities.

The BELH@RRA frigates will have a length of 122 m, a beam of 17.7 m, and a displacement of 4,460 tons. The ship will have a crew of 110 people as well as an air crew detachment of approximately 15 people. She will also have a flight deck and one hangar to accommodate one unmanned VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft or one NH-90 naval helicopter.

The BELH@RRA frigate can be armed with one Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid gun (mounted in stealth cupola), two 20 mm remotely operated automatic cannons, 8 Exocet MM-40 Block 3 anti-ship, two Sylver A50 8-cell VLS (Vertical Launching System) for MBDA Aster 15/30 surface-to-air missiles and two dual torpedo tubes with EuroTorp MU90 Impact torpedoes.

The BELH@RRA frigate will be powered by a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion system. She will have the capability to reach a top speed of 27 knots (50.0 km/h) with a maximum cruising range of 5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 15 knots (27.8 km/h).
These are the private astronauts who are paying $55 million to ride a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station next year, in what will be the first privately crewed mission.

Paying crew members Larry Conor, Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe, will be led on the mission by retired NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, who has traveled to space four times and is now the vice president of Aximo Space.

Connor is the managing partner of a real estate investment firm based in Ohio, Pathy is the chief executive of Canadian investment firm Mavrik Corp, and Stibbe is a businessman and former Israeli Air Force fighter pilot.

The trip will be conducted in collaboration between Elon Musk's SpaceX and Aximo Space, which is coordinating the mission. The two announced their partnership in March 2020.

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Larry Connor, Michael Lopez-Alegria (former NASA astronaut), Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe are to be the first space crew of Axoim Space that will soar the the International Space Station for an eight day mission next years. Lopez-Alegria is the vice president of Axoim

The trip will be conducted in collaboration of the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX and Aximo Space, which is coordinating the mission  the two announced their partnership in March 2020. The first crew will spend eight days at the space station

The first private crew will spend eight days at the space station, and will take one or two days to get there aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule following liftoff from Cape Canaveral.

SpaceX and Axoim had initially set this January for the first crew flight, but is now shooting for January 2022.

At the time of the partnership announcement, the firm said it had secured one seat on the craft, but today the ship has two more passengers.

Real estate mogul Larry Connor to be the first private mission pilot in space history

The 70-year-old Connor will become the second-oldest person to fly in space, after John Glenn's shuttle flight in 1998 at age 77.

He will also serve under Lopez-Alegria as the capsule pilot, making him the first private astronaut mission pilot in the history of space travel.

'I believe space is the last great frontier,' Connor said.

'I'm thrilled and honored to be a part of this historic mission.'

'That's what I'm excited about.'

'It's not about being the first pilot. It's about doing things that can only be done in space  experiments in microgravity. It's a unique way to help humankind.'

Connor made his first fortune in computer equipment in the 1980s and 90s, before founding the Connor Group real estate investment firm in 2003.

From left, crew members Eytan Stibbe, Michael Lopez-Alegria, Mark Pathy, and Larry Connor

Montreal businessman Mark Pathy initially feared the private spaceflight offer was a scam

Pathy, 51, is the father of three young children. He has dreamed of traveling in space all his life, but was skeptical when he first heard about the opportunity.

'I wasn't sure it was completely real, and I'd never heard of this company, Axiom,' he told the Washington Post.

'I obviously was not going to blast off in a rocket if this was some sort of Mickey Mouse travel outfit. But the more I inquired and the more I spoke with them directly, the more I realized they were the real deal. It was really possible.

'And that moment where you think, 'Holy cow, this is something I could actually do,' it's a bit of a surreal moment.'

Pathy plans to with the Canadian Space Agency and the Montreal Children's Hospital on health-related research projects during the mission.

Retired Israeli fighter pilot Eytan Stibbe was friends with astronaut who died on Columbia shuttle disaster

Stibbe, 63, flew combat missions for the Israeli Air Force and later went on to found investment firm Vital Capital.

He is aware of the risks of spaceflight, not least because he was a close friend of Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon.

Ramon died when the space shuttle Columbia came apart on reentry in 2003.

'Obviously there's some fear, and this is definitely extreme. And then there are risks, and I'm aware of the risks,' Stibbe told the Post.

Stibbe plans to conduct scientific research coordinated by the Ramon Foundation and the Israeli Space Agency.

The first crew will spend eight days at the space station, and will take one or two days to get there aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule following liftoff from Cape Canaveral

Axiom CEO Michael Suffredini says the flight is a 'watershed moment in the march toward universal and routine access to space.'

'These guys are all very involved and doing it for kind of for the betterment of their communities and countries, and so we couldn't be happier with this makeup of the first crew because of their drive and their interest,' Suffredini said.

Each of these first paying customers intends to perform science research in orbit, he said, along with educational outreach.

Lopez-Alegria, a former space station resident and spacewalking leader, called the group a 'collection of pioneers.'

Each of the private astronauts had to pass medical tests and will get 15 weeks of training, according to Suffredini.

Axiom plans about two private missions a year to the space station. It also is working to launch its own live-in compartments to the station beginning in 2024.

This section would be detached from the station once it's retired by NASA and the international partners, and become its own private outpost.

Russia has been in the off-the-planet tourism business for years, selling rides to the International Space Station since 2001.

Eight space tourists have so far gone to the ISS on Russian Soyuz rockets with the company Space Adventures.

The first was Dennis Tito, who paid $20 million for an eight-hour stay on the ISS back in 2001. The last to go was Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, in 2009.

Other space companies like Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin plan to take paying customers on up-and-down flights lasting just minutes. These trips - much more affordable with seats going for hundreds of thousands versus millions - could kick off this year.
ROCHESTER, N.Y.  An appellate judge today allowed a review to continue of more than 1,000 affidavit ballots cast in the 22nd Congressional District race, despite an appeal by Democrat Anthony Brindisi to stop it.

The hearing took about 10 minutes today before appellate division Justice Patrick NeMoyer and attorneys for candidates Brindisi and Republican Claudia Tenney.

The public was not allowed access to the hearing, despite the potential for a ruling affecting hundreds of votes in the last undecided Congressional district race in the country, a race now divided by 29 votes of 311,695 cast for the two candidates.

NeMoyer decided not to temporarily halt the review of 1,028 affidavit ballots from Oneida County, though Brindisis overall appeal will continue at a later date.

The review aims to determine if any of those ballots belong to voters who applied to vote on time via the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Those voters applications were never processed, rendering those people unable to vote on Election Day.

State Supreme Court Justice Scott DelConte last week ordered Oneida County officials to dig into the batch of ballots to see how many voters were disenfranchised through no fault of their own and to count the votes of people in that situation.

Attorneys for Brindisi on Friday filed an appeal to the Fourth Judicial Division to undo the order.

Brindisis attorneys are asking DelConte to count just 69 ballots from those voters, most of which are from Democrats. They argued in the appeal that DelConte does not have the jurisdiction to order Oneida County to fix its mistake and that a review of these ballots would take too much time and resources nearly three months after Election Day.

Tenneys attorneys dont think the judge should count the 69 ballots challenged by Brindisi, because they argued those voters are not registered and that the judge doesnt have the ability to retroactively register them. Tenney currently leads by 29 votes.

Her attorneys argue that the voters were not registered to vote and that the judge does not have the jurisdiction to order a county to register those voters.

Oneida County officials said they would complete the review by Friday at the latest.

More details about the hearing are not available because it occurred in private, and DeNoyer has not issued a public ruling.

Mark Bennett, clerk and spokesman, said the hearing was not open to the public because these types of hearings typically occur in a judges chambers, not in a courtroom. During the pandemic, however, parties in lawsuits meet in virtual hearings.

Contact reporter Patrick Lohmann at PLohmann@Syracuse.com or (315)766-6670.

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Social inequality was "recorded on the bones" of Cambridge's medieval residents, according to a new study of hundreds of human remains excavated from three very different burial sites within the historic city centre.

University of Cambridge researchers examined the remains of 314 individuals dating from the 10th to the 14th century and collected evidence of "skeletal trauma" - a barometer for levels of hardship endured in life.

Bones were recovered from across the social spectrum: a parish graveyard for ordinary working people, a charitable "hospital" where the infirm and destitute were interred, and an Augustinian friary that buried wealthy donors alongside clergy.

Researchers carefully catalogued the nature of every break and fracture to build a picture of the physical distress visited upon the city's inhabitants by accident, occupational injury or violence during their daily lives.

Using x-ray analysis, the team found that 44% of working people had bone fractures, compared to 32% of those in the friary and 27% of those buried by the hospital. Fractures were more common in male remains (40%) than female (26%) across all burials.

The team also uncovered noteworthy cases, such as a friar who resembles a modern hit-and-run victim, and bones that hint at lives blighted by violence. The findings are published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

"By comparing the skeletal trauma of remains buried in various locations within a town like Cambridge, we can gauge the hazards of daily life experienced by different spheres of medieval society," said Dr Jenna Dittmar, study lead author from the After the Plague project at the University's Department of Archaeology.

"We can see that ordinary working folk had a higher risk of injury compared to the friars and their benefactors or the more sheltered hospital inmates," she said.

"These were people who spent their days working long hours doing heavy manual labour. In town, people worked in trades and crafts such as stonemasonry and blacksmithing, or as general labourers. Outside town, many spent dawn to dusk doing bone-crushing work in the fields or tending livestock."

The University was embryonic at this time - the first stirrings of academia occurring around 1209 - and Cambridge was primarily a provincial town of artisans, merchants and farmhands, with a population of 2500-4000 by the mid-13th century.

While the working poor may have borne the brunt of physical labour compared to better-off people and those in religious institutions, medieval life was tough in general. In fact, the most extreme injury was found on a friar, identified as such by his burial place and belt buckle.

"The friar had complete fractures halfway up both his femurs," said Dittmar. The femur [thigh bone] is the largest bone in the body. "Whatever caused both bones to break in this way must have been traumatic, and was possibly the cause of death."

Dittmar points out that today's clinicians would be familiar with such injuries from those hit by automobiles - it's the right height. "Our best guess is a cart accident. Perhaps a horse got spooked and he was struck by the wagon."

Injury was also inflicted by others. Another friar had lived with defensive fractures on his arm and signs of blunt force trauma to his skull. Such violence-related skeletal injuries were found in about 4% of the population, including women and people from all social groups.

One older woman buried in the parish grounds appeared to bear the marks of lifelong domestic abuse. "She had a lot of fractures, all of them healed well before her death. Several of her ribs had been broken as well as multiple vertebrae, her jaw and her foot," said Dittmar.

"It would be very uncommon for all these injuries to occur as the result of a fall, for example. Today, the vast majority of broken jaws seen in women are caused by intimate partner violence."

Of the three sites, the Hospital of St John the Evangelist contained the fewest fractures. Established at the end of the 12th century, it housed select needy Cambridge residents, providing food and spiritual care. Many had skeletal evidence of chronic illnesses such as tuberculosis, and would have been unable to work.

While most remains were "inmates", the site also included "corrodians": retired locals who paid for the privilege of living at the hospital, much like a modern old-age care home.

The Hospital was dissolved to create St John's College in 1511, and excavated by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU), part of the University, in 2010 during a renovation of the College's Divinity School building.

CAU excavated the Augustinian Friary in 2016 as part of building works on the University's New Museums Site. According to records, the friary acquired rights to bury members of the Augustinian order in 1290, and non-members in 1302 - allowing rich benefactors to take a plot in the friary grounds.

The friary functioned until 1538, when King Henry VIII stripped the nation's monasteries of their income and assets to fortify the Crown's coffers.

The parish of All Saints by the Castle, north of the River Cam, was likely founded in the 10th century and in use until 1365, when it merged with a neighbouring parish after local populations fell in the wake of the Black Death bubonic plague pandemic.

While the church itself has never been found, the graveyard - next to what is still called Castle Hill - was first excavated in the 1970s. Remains were housed within the University's Duckworth Collection, allowing researchers to revisit these finds for the latest study.

"Those buried in All Saints were among the poorest in town, and clearly more exposed to incidental injury," said Dittmar. "At the time, the graveyard was in the hinterland where urban met rural. Men may have worked in the fields with heavy ploughs pulled by horses or oxen, or lugged stone blocks and wooden beams in the town.

"Many of the women in All Saints probably undertook hard physical labours such as tending livestock and helping with harvest alongside their domestic duties.

"We can see this inequality recorded on the bones of medieval Cambridge residents. However, severe trauma was prevalent across the social spectrum. Life was toughest at the bottom - but life was tough all over."

###

NOTES:

Skeletons had to be over 25% complete for inclusion in the study. Participation in adult work often began in earnest at age twelve, so those estimated to have been younger were discounted.

Researchers analysed the bones from 84 individuals taken from the All Saints by the Castle parish grounds, 155 individuals from the Hospital of St John the Evangelist, and 75 individuals from the Augustinian Friary.
Ethiopia is acting unilaterally and intransigently in the GERD dispute, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told parliament on Tuesday, adding that Egypt would not allow any harm to its water rights.

In a speech to the House on the accomplishments and goals of the country's foreign policy, Shoukry told MPs that Egypt insists on a binding legal agreement between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, as the way to resolve the years-long dispute.

He also explained to the House that Egypt's foreign policy aims at the resolution of all conflicts in the region through peaceful means.

The foreign minister stressed that Egypt rejects methods of conspiracy and interference in other nations domestic affairs.

Shoukry added that the country's foreign policy is based on cooperation, coordination, diversification and achieving balance.

The foreign ministry has been working to implement the states vision in defending the country's interests, preserving national security, facing terrorism and achieving sustainable development, Shoukry said.

The Palestinian cause remains a top priority for Egypt, Shoukry stressed.

Egyptian diplomacy and the GERD dispute

Egyptian diplomacy seeks to reach a just and balanced agreement in the GERD dispute that allows Ethiopia to achieve its developmental goals and, at the same time, protects Egyptian and Sudanese rights, the minister said.

Shoukry affirmed that Egypt views negotiations, including those under the African Union (AU) supervision, as a tool to reach a fair agreement that would preserve Egypts water rights.

Egypt managed to bring the GERD file to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Shoukry said, referring to an open session held on 30 June last year to discuss the political and technical implications of the GERD, as per an Egyptian request.

Shoukry said referring the issue to the UNSC came in light of the Egyptian diplomacys keenness to resort to international support.

He added that the Security Council held the session as it was aware of the issues serious implications on regional security and stability.

During the UNSC session, Egypt explained that Nile is a matter of life for the Egyptian people and that Cairo would not tolerate any harm to its water interests or resources, Shoukry said.

Multiple rounds of negotiations between the three countries to reach a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam have ended in various deadlocks, as Addis Ababa remained non-commital to reaching such a deal.

Last year, Ethiopia completed the first filling of the GERD and plans to execute the second filling of the dam next July "under all circumstances."

Egypt and Sudan believe a binding agreement is necessary to protect their water rights and secure their interests.

In a speech to the House last week, Egypts Minister of Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Ati blamed the failure of negotiations, under the supervision of the African Union, on Ethiopias intransigence.

Meanwhile, Sudanese Information Minister Faisal Saleh voiced on Saturday Sudans concerns over Ethiopias intention to embark on the second filling without a binding deal, saying Sudan does not accept the imposition of a fait accompli."

Egyptian-US relations

The foreign minister told MPs that Egyptian-US relations are based on firm cooperation pillars.

"Egypts relations with the US are not limited to a certain political party in the US," Shoukry said.

He affirmed Egypts wish to enhance cooperation with the US in various fields, including confronting all forms of terrorism.

Shoukry explained to MPs that the US ranks third on the list of nations investing in Egypt at EGP 22 billion. He added that Egypt also comes on top of the list of African countries receiving US investments.

Trade exchange between the two countries has increased by 76 percent between 2016 and 2019, Shoukry stated, voicing Egypt's aspiration to foster stronger economic, commercial, and military ties with the US.

Relations with Russia

Shoukry praised productive relations with Russia, which are reflected in exchanged visits between the presidents of both countries as well as various ministerial visits.

The foreign minister described strong cooperation between Egypt and Russia in various fields, including collaboration to construct the country's first-ever nuclear power plant in El-Dabaa.

Shoukry also said negotiations between the two countries to establish the Egyptian-Russian industrial zone have reached an advanced stage.

Resolving the crisis in Libya

The Egyptian state has exerted intensive efforts to resolve the crisis in Libya based on the Cairo Declaration, Shoukry told the House.

In June, 2020, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced the Cairo Declaration to encourage warring parties in Libya to reach a ceasefire and adhere to participation in UN-sponsored talks to resolve the crisis.

Shoukry said the declaration was an explicit call on all parties to adhere to a political solution to the crisis and abandon military escalation.

"The Cairo declaration represented a turning point on the path of resolving the crisis," he said.

Cairo has intensified in recent months communication and meetings with all concerned regional and international parties to build on Egypt's efforts to resolve the crisis, Shoukry said.

He added that Egypt also talked to many parties to the conflict in Libya to encourage the path of negotiations as the way to encourage a comprehensive settlement in the country and put an end to destructive foreign intervention.

Fighting terrorism

Shoukry said Egypt is cooperating with countries around the world in the face of extremist thought and terrorism.

Egypt is also cooperating with the United Nations Security Council on efforts to uproot terrorism, drying up sources of terrorist funding, and eliminating the phenomenon of foreign fighters.

Shoukry said his ministry is also coordinating with international partners to provide them with updates about the terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood group, stressing that they have been placed on terror lists in some countries.

Ministers at the House

The prime minister and a number of ministers have already reviewed accomplishments in the government's Egypt Kicks Off programme before the House.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati, Agriculture Minister El-Sayed El-Quseir, Manpower Minister Mohamed Saafan and Emigration Minister Nabila Makram have all delivered speeches and fielded questions from MPs in the parliament.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Hanafy El-Gebaly hailed the governments program, affirming the need to continue cooperation between the government and the House.

Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Manar is also set to appear before the House today to discuss his ministry's accomplishments and future plans.

On Wednesday, Minister of Culture Inas Abdel-Dayem and Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad are scheduled to deliver speeches on their ministry's accomplishments before the House.

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Recovery prospects for Europe's coronavirus-stricken airlines are slipping from bad to worse, as a British minister warned on Tuesday against booking summer holidays and Germany mulled a drastic new clampdown on travel even within the EU.

UK consumers should "absolutely" hold off from booking holidays, said Nadhim Zahawi, the minister responsible for vaccinations. "There's still 37,000 people in hospital with COVID at the moment - it's far too early for us to even speculate about the summer."

Airline shares, which had gained ground since November's vaccine breakthroughs, have come under pressure this week amid concern that new coronavirus variants and resulting lockdowns now threaten the all-important summer season.

While major carriers have secured liquidity to survive the slump for many more months, analysts say, the latest setbacks mean some may need fresh funds to survive the following winter - tough at the best of times - and weaker airlines may fail.

Mounting restrictions and testing demands threaten more "stress and friction" throughout the summer, as well as "a more truncated recovery in demand than investors currently envisage", Citi analyst Mark Manduca warned in a note.

The travel outlook for the Easter break - this year falling in early April - already seems almost hopeless.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told party lawmakers on Tuesday that "no tourist travel should be taking place", as her government weighed tougher measures.

Throughout the crisis, governments have tried to maintain travel links among EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states. Over the weekend, however, Sweden barred travel from neighbour Norway in an attempt to stem the spread of new COVID-19 variants, and Belgium banned non-essential travel.

Britain is also considering mandatory confinement in "quarantine hotels" for some international arrivals, following the example of some Asian countries.

Shares in UK-exposed easyJet and British Airways parent IAG have both fallen 14% over five days amid the resurgent gloom, wiping out some of their gains since November. Ryanair has lost 6% in the same period.

And while aircraft manufacturers have been cushioned by their large pre-crisis order books, some suppliers and engine makers are feeling the heat.

Rolls-Royce further lowered its financial forecasts on Tuesday, predicting a 2 billion-pound ($2.7 billion) cash outflow this year as the collapse in flying hours hit so-called power-by-the-hour contracts as well as maintenance.

British airlines and airports warned that further travel restrictions would prove "catastrophic", calling for a bespoke support package to help them survive the prolonged crisis.

The new curbs also threaten jobs and cargo shipments including medical equipment, industry body Airlines UK said.

Airlines' key role in vaccine distribution is also helping some to push back against restrictions affecting staff.

KLM, part of Air France-KLM, won a partial reprieve from Dutch plans to require rapid COVID-19 tests of returning crew, after warning of cargo disruption.

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YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. A bill on amending the Electoral Code will be introduced for public discussions in February, the My Step parliamentary faction MP Hamazasp Danielyan told reporters after the ruling bloc held a meeting.

He said the ruling bloc lawmakers discussed potential constitutional amendments, a possible self-dissolution of parliament and other options.

During February we will introduce the Electoral Code first for public discussions then into circulation, meaning the part of the code which relates to the electoral procedures and other parts. When we were planning electoral reforms one and a half years ago, we had an idea that we would address the main part after constitutional amendments, because the electoral procedure includes clauses which are regulated by the Constitution, he said, adding that despite constitutional amendments havent taken place the Electoral Code package is ready.

Danielyan says the ruling bloc discussed the possibility of making some constitutional amendments in parliament. We discussed several options, and discussions are still ongoing.

Asked whether or not they discussed the possibility of enabling parliament to self-dissolve  a brainchild of their colleague MP Vahagn Hovakimyan  he said they have indeed discussed it. There are many ideas, its not one thing, there are many items relating to the timeframes of early elections and others, he said.

Danielyan noted that making constitutional amendments in parliament isnt solely up to the ruling bloc. Such an amendment requires at least 88 votes, therefore the opposition should also express its view. Therefore, we are still at a very early stage for me to be able to give concrete information. There was no concrete decision at the discussion, Danielyan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
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" Collaborations with global suppliers will also help buyers in cost-saving and ensure high-quality procurement in the forthcoming years in this dynamic market. Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 4%-6%," says senior procurement analyst at SpendEdge.

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Florida Republican senator Marco Rubio has shrugged off rumours that Ivanka Trump could challenge him to a primary in the 2022 midterm elections.

The daughter of recently deposed president, Donald Trump, has made no secret of her own political ambitions after serving as a senior adviser in her fathers White House and recently relocated her family to a luxury condominium in Miami.

Ms Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, likewise an adviser to the 45th president, have also recently acquired a $30m (22m) lot on nearby Indian Creek Island with a view to building a new home for themselves there, indicating their intention to stay on in the Sunshine State, where Mr Trump himself now resides at his Mar-a-Lago mansion.

But speaking to Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, Mr Rubio brushed aside gossip that Ms Trump is eyeing his seat, suggesting he was more concerned by the prospect of a well-funded Democratic rival.

I dont really get into the parlor games of Washington, he said.

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If youre going to run for the Florida Senate, if youre going to run state-wide in the state of Florida, youre going to have a tough race and that might include a primary. Thats their right under the system.

I dont own the Senate seat, he continued. If I want to be back in the US Senate, I have to earn that every six years.

Pushed on the matter, Mr Rubio responded: I like Ivanka. Weve worked very well together on issues ... Anybody can decide to run if they want to  I would point to the last four years working with President Trump in the White House and I can tell you its probably been the most productive four-year period of any US senator from Florida in modern history.

In the same interview, Mr Rubio mounted only moderate criticism of Mr Trump over the 6 January assault on the US Capitol by an enraged mob of his supporters who had been led to believe Novembers election had been stolen from the Republican candidate through a mass voter fraud conspiracy orchestrated by the Democrats on behalf of Joe Biden, despite no evidence being found to substantiate the claim.

Five people were killed and more than 100 arrested in the ensuing melee that saw rioters break through police barriers, loot offices and vandalise federal property, with some reportedly plotting to kidnap or even murder lawmakers, events that led to Mr Trump being impeached by the House of Representatives for a historic second time after being accused of incitement to insurrection.

Mr Rubio argued that while the former president bears responsibility for the episode, he should not face a trial in the Senate  one is scheduled for 8 February  because holding him to account could further stir up the country.

Whatever lies ahead for President Trump, his daughters return to politics continues to be the subject of speculation.

Politico recently quoted a Trump family insider who said Mr Kushner is currently working single-mindedly to protect and promote his wifes political career".

Hes calling people and trying to line them up saying Rubio is terrible, worthless, hes probably going to lose, Ivanka is going to go there and we should all get together and pledge our support to her and get her to run, a Republican fundraiser also told the site.

The idea has been further encouraged by Mr Trumps former campaign manager Jason Miller, noting her frequent appearances at rallies like those in support of beaten Georgia Senate candidates Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue earlier this month: Ivanka only got into politics to help her father and help his agenda but whats now clear is that Ivanka is a political powerhouse in her own right.

The presidents ex-chief strategist Steve Bannon has also championed Ms Trump, saying on a recent episode of his War Room podcast: The second most fire-breathing populist in the White House was Ivanka Trump.

I strongly believe and would strongly recommend that Ivanka Trump immediately  if she is not going to remain an assistant to the president, she should immediately file and run for the senate and primary Marco Rubio in Florida, he added, citing Mr Rubios decision to vote in favour of certifying the election results in Congress as a reason she could pick up the votes of disaffected Republicans from him, with many still refusing to accept that her fathers defeat at the polls was fair.

But Mr Bannon was not always so positive about Ivanka Trump.

Before earning a pardon from President Trump in his final hours in office, the pair had been estranged since Mr Bannons dismissal from the White House in August 2017 over his being quoted in Michael Wolffs book Fire and Fury calling Ivanka dumb as a brick.

Travis Barker was seen with his 17-year-old son Landon in Malibu on Monday. This is the first time the 45-year-old rocker has been spotted out in public since it was claimed he has been dating longtime friend Kourtney Kardashian for the past few months.

Meanwhile, that same day the 41-year-old Kourtney shared several flashback images with her kids from the five star Amangiri resort in Canyon Point, Utah where sisters Kim and Kylie have vacationed before.

Also on Monday it was claimed Kourtney's ex Scott Disick is 'happy' for his former partner with whom he has three young children - Mason, Penelope and Reign.

On the town: Travis Barker was seen with his 17-year-old son Landon in Malibu on Monday

Barker was seen in a black T-shirt that read Local Authority with his tattoos showing as he walked around Malibu.

Landon had on a hoodie that said Beverly Hills Gun Range as he was one step behind his dad.

The musician shares stepdaughter Atiana, 21, daughter Alabama, 15, and son Landon with his ex-wife, Playboy model Shanna Moakler, whom he was married to from 2004 to 2008.

Rock on: This is the first time the 45-year-old rocker has been spotted out in public since it was claimed he has been dating longtime friend Kourtney Kardashian for the past few months

In Kourtney's photos, which are likely flashback images, she has on a black tank top and bicycle shorts as well as a blue hat and a purse on her shoulder as she walks through the desert landscape.

Her black hair is pulled back into a ponytail to get sun on her bare shoulders.

The cover girl was joined by son Reign who is photographed by the Coyote trail, and her daughter Penelope.

Trippin'! Kourtney posted images to her Instagram account on Monday with her kids that were likely taken in early 2020

She loves the heat: The 41-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians standout was at the five star Amangiri resort in Canyon Point, Utah where sisters Kim and Kylie have vacationed before; seen with daughter Penelope and son Reign

New or old? In Kourtney's photos, which could be flashback images, she has on a black tank top and bicycle shorts as well as a blue hat and a purse as she walks through the desert landscape

A walk on the wild side: Her black hair is pulled back as she is joined by son Reign who is photographed by the Coyote trail

There he is by the sign: Reign seemed to be enjoying his hiking experience in Utah; in these snaps Reign has long hair which dates the photos back to early 2020 as in August 2020 he cut his hair off

Last week it was claimed Kardashian is romancing Barker.

The POOSH star has sparked romance rumours with the Blink-182 drummer after they were spotted hanging out together at Kris Jenner's Palm Springs home over the weekend.

Both Kourtney and Travis posted pictures to their respective Instagram Stories which feature the same pool, suggesting they were together even though neither of them posted photos together.

According to E! News, Travis has also been spotted checking out Kourtney's recent social media posts, including leaving a comment with a single rose emoji on the reality TV star's recent flirty mirror selfie.

Earlier in January, he also added a tulip emoji to a photo of Kourtney walking into the ocean, and wrote 'you're so cool' in response to some still she'd shared from the movie True Romance.

Rocking out: The two were also photographed on this massive rock

It will set you back: The Amangiri resort in Canyon Point, Utah costs at least $2K a night

She loves to travel: The star is known for showing bikini flashback images from Utah

This isn't the first time that Travis and Kourtney  who are neighbors in Calabasas, California  have sparked speculation together, as in 2018, fans suspected the two were an item when they were seen grabbing dinner together in Los Angeles.

They were then spotted together again in early 2019, but sources at the time insisted it was totally platonic.

An insider said: 'They've been friends for years. They've lived in the same neighborhood for a long time and they see each other at church and with their kids. They've hung out together many times and often get together with the kids to see movies or to get ice cream.'

If the pair are romancing now, it will be the first major relationship for Kourtney since she split from Younes Bendjima in 2018.

Love in Palm Springs? Both Kourtney and Travis posted pictures to their respective Instagram Stories which feature the same pool, suggesting they were together even though neither of them posted photos together

Her pool moment: Here the diva is seen in the exact same pool in Palm Springs

Prior to that, the Poosh founder dated Disick on and off between 2006 and 2015, with whom she has Mason, 11, Penelope, eight, and Reign, six.

Travis, 45, is father to Landon, 17, and Alabama, 15, whom he has with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler.

Later a source told Us Weekly: 'Kourtney and Travis are officially a couple.

'They have been close friends for years and have been dating for a couple of months. Travis is very smitten with Kourtney and has been for a while.'

On Monday it was claimed Disick is 'really happy' for Kourtney amid her new romance. Seen in 2019

On Monday it was claimed Disick is 'really happy' for Kourtney amid her new romance.

A source said: 'Scott has been around Travis on several occasions and thinks he's a great guy. He's really happy for Kourtney and is not surprised they are dating. Kourtney has spent a lot of time with Travis and it's not shocking to him that they developed a romantic relationship.

'She hasn't dated someone in a while and Scott wants her to be happy. Kourtney and Scott are in a great place and they have come to terms that they are strictly friends and co-parents.

'There's no romance there and he couldn't be happier that she's moved on. As long as the kids are in a healthy situation and Kourtney's in a good place, then Scott is happy for them.'

As well as Scott, Kourtney's family - her siblings, Kim Kardashian West, Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner and Rob Kardashian, and her mother Kris Jenner - all approve.

The insider added to E! News: 'The family likes Travis. They are comfortable with him and trust him. They have all spent a lot of time together over the years. They think he is a good guy ...

'They've known each other forever and always hung out. It recently turned into more. Kourtney is very laid back about it and just having fun. They are neighbors and know a lot of the same people. It's easy and she's just going with it. It's not serious, it's just what naturally happened in front of her. Travis pursued her and seems excited about Kourtney giving this a chance.'
Beijing:

On the issue of denial of entry to 47 Indian pilgrims who were scheduled to travel to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet through the Nathu-la pass in Sikkim, China on Monday said it was in talks with India.

According to my information, the two governments are in touch over this issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Suhang told reporters, declining to elaborate whether it was due to any weather-related issues like landslides and rains the Pilgrims were stopped by the Chinese officials at the Sino-India border.

He said the issue was being discussed by the two foreign ministries. China last week refused entry to 47 Indian pilgrims who were scheduled to travel to Kailash Mansarovar through the Nathu La pass in Sikkim.

The pilgrims were scheduled to cross over to the Chinese side on June 19 but had failed to do so due to inclement weather. They had waited at the base camp and tried to cross again on June 23 but were denied permission by the Chinese officials.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay had said that some difficulties were being experienced in the movement of pilgrims through Nathu La and that India is taking up the matter with China.

The development has cast a shadow of uncertainty on the annual yatra as Chinese officials maintained that it would take some time to repair the roads and the Indians would not be able to make the pilgrimage any time soon.

Also read: China refuses entry to Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims citing road damage due to rains

The Chinese officials said they were concerned about the safety of the Indian pilgrims which is why they were stopped from proceeding further.

The pilgrims, who were stopped by the Chinese officials at the border from proceeding further, have now returned to their respective states.

Hundreds of Indian pilgrims undertake Kailash Mansarovar yatra in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China every year negotiating the mountainous terrain.

This year, a total of 350 yatris had registered for the yatra via Nathu La route and they were to travel in seven batches.

The denial of permission to the first batch of 47 Indian pilgrims was a surprise as the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through the new route via Nathula Pass in Sikkim was launched with a fanfare by the two countries in 2015.

This was the second route agreed by the two counties for the Kailash Yatra.

Till 2015, the Yatra was being organised by External Affairs Ministry only through Lipu Pass in Himalays connecting the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in India with the old trading town of Taklakot in Tibet.

The Nathulla route enabled pilgrims to travel 1500 km long route from Nathulla to Kailash by buses.

The route through Nathula reduced the hardship and journey time enabling many more pilgrims, in particular aged pilgrims, to undertake the Yatra.

The development comes amid tensions in bilateral ties between the two countries over a host of issues including the CPEC and Indias NSG bid.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kazakh capital Astana.

In the meeting Modi had said the two sides should tap their potential in cooperation, strengthen communication and coordination in international affairs, respect each others core concerns and appropriately handle their disputes.

Also read: Kailash Mansarovar yatra 2017: Sushma Swaraj flags off first batch of pilgrims

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ALBANY  Karl Becker, a mechanic who ran his familys century-old custom truck fabrication and repair business while elevating his craft into a philosophy of life, died surrounded by his family on Jan. 14 of an aggressive cancer. He was 84.

Becker was the third-generation family owner and president of J. Becker and Sons, which made a successful transition from horse-drawn carriages to customizing large diesel trucks. His grandfather, Jacob Becker, a German immigrant and blacksmith, established a shop in 1896 on lower Quail Street that built wagons and sleighs.

His son, Carl Becker, took over and moved the business to Broadway in North Albany during a boom in commercial truck hauling. Beckers grandson, Karl, began working at the truck garage as a teenager in the early 1950s and worked there until he sold the business and retired in 2013 following the death of his wife, Susan Gersten-Becker.

The new owners allowed Becker to hold court at the parts counter for the next seven years. Karl was a hero to those guys. He loved finding the right part without having to look it up, said his son, David Gersten.

J. Becker and Sons peaked at about 75 employees in the late-1970s, when it also included parts warehouses in Albany and Glens Falls.

Becker became known as the dean of North Albany for a quiet, cerebral manner. He was a fixture along a gritty industrial stretch of Broadway between downtown and the Menands border that pulsed with mechanical know-how and the metallic rattle and hum of heavy equipment.

Becker lived on North Pearl Street behind the truck shop, a block from where the novelist William Kennedy grew up amid the authentic, working-class folks who captured the writers imagination and peopled his fiction.

Becker and his fellow mechanics earned a living with brawn, tools and knowledge that didnt come from a book. They met for supper at the nearby Empress Diner -- guys with nicknames like Sparky, Fat Jack, Brewer and Bernie.

North Albany was its own world with a legendary cast of characters, said Gersten, an architect, writer and professor at The Cooper Union in New York City. He also is the founding director of Arts Letters & Numbers, a not-for-profit arts and education organization in Averill Park. He worked in the truck shop alongside his father as a teenager and called it the best education he ever received.

Karl used to say the whole neighborhood is a school, Gersten said. He had a magical grace and precision. He lived his entire life in the culture of craft. It was a world view and a way of listening, paying close attention to materials and understanding how things interact.

There was almost no vehicle Becker could not build or repair: massive fire trucks, refrigerated milk trucks and tractor-trailers with shot springs and worn-out brakes. He was called upon to fix everything from a Ferris wheel to a merry-go-round. He sometimes moved houses and small buildings with ropes, pulleys, jacks, wedges and logs.

Im working with my old friend gravity, Becker said. His son marveled at calculated movements that were like watching a dance that harnessed the force of an objects own weight to move it.

Karl was a very down-to-earth person who treated everybody with respect and kindness. He was a very good listener, said his son, Michael Gerstenzang, of Brooklyn, managing partner of the global law firm Cleary Gottlieb. He was a loyal person with an easy way of interacting with people from all professions and backgrounds.

Although they called him Dad, Karl Becker was the stepfather of Gersten and Gerstenzang. Their biological father split with their mother when David was born. Karl Becker raised them since they were preschoolers. Becker and Gersten-Becker were married for 47 years until she died of pancreatic cancer in 2013.

He was a wonderful big brother and I miss him already, said his sister, Carol Wenz, who lives in Romulus, Mich., a Detroit suburb. He would fix her cars and serve as protector. She idolized him and wanted to follow him into the family truck business. They were very traditional Germans and women were not allowed to work there, she said. She became a medical secretary instead.

Her brother graduated from Albanys Milne High School in 1954 and enrolled at St. Lawrence University, with a dream of becoming an astrophysicist. He stayed for a semester, decided astrophysics wasnt his thing and came home, his sister said.

At 19, he and a buddy were riding in his friends convertible, hit a patch of ice and crashed into a tree. Becker was thrown 50 feet into a field. His friend, who was driving, was killed. Becker spent 17 days in an intensive care unit and endured a long recovery. That changed his world, his sister said.

Becker graduated from the General Motors Institute in Flint, Mich. in 1958 and joined the family truck business.

The focal point of family life was summers spent at Burden Lake, where three generations of Beckers owned camps since the turn-of-the-century. Karl Becker endlessly tinkered with his property, renovating and building additions. After retiring, he and his wife divided their time between Burden Lake and a condo in Boynton Beach, Fla.

At his sons avant-garde arts commune, Karl Becker taught young sculptors to operate a skid-steer loader and challenged them to improvise tools from old mechanical detritus. Youve got to imagine new ways of using things, he told them. Its here if you look. Dont give up and go to the hardware store.

Beckers elegant solutions to nagging problems included a vacuum cleaner, cotton ball and string to feed electrical wire around stubborn conduit corners and employing a wad of bread to sweat copper pipes that resisted solder.

In addition to his sister and her husband, two sons and their wives, Becker is survived by five grandchildren and two nephews. Becker was cremated and a celebration of his life will be held this summer at the Burden Lake camp.

Paul Grondahl is director of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany and a former Times Union reporter. He can be reached at grondahlpaul@gmail.com.
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NEW DELHI : Indian startups are estimated to have received $10.14 billion in funding across more than 1,200 deals in 2020 despite the COVID crisis, a report by consulting firm HexGn said. Even though the total investment received in 2020 is lower than that of 2019 ($14.5 billion), the number of deals were higher by 20%, the report said.

"Weathering negative sentiment, seed stage investment deals grew by 50% from $353 million over 420 deals in 2019 to $372 million over 672 deals in 2020. This is a good sign for people looking to plunge into startups, as early-stage investors are now keen to back risk-takers early on," the report noted. This can be attributed to the work done by Invest India, Startup India, AgNii and other agencies of the Indian government to boost investor confidence and entrepreneurial culture, it added.

This is the third year in a row that India has kept its number four position globally after the US, China and the UK.

Globally, startups raised over $308 billion in funding, with the US garnering $165 billion. The report said Bengaluru, Delhi NCR and Mumbai accounted for 90% of the startup investments in the country, signalling concentration of angel investors and appetite in these regions. Bengaluru led with $4.3 billion in startup investments, followed by Delhi NCR ($3 billion) and Mumbai ($2 billion).

In terms of sectors, e-commerce attracted the highest investment with $3 billion, followed by fintech at $2.37 billion and edtech at $1.52 billion. The biggest gainer has been the edtech segment that grew four times this year from $380 million in 2019. However, sectors like transportation and logistics, and travel and tourism saw more than 90% drop in investments in 2020 as compared to 2019, it added.

Startups that attracted maximum funding in 2020 include Zomato ($1.02 billion), Byju's ($922 million), Phonepe ($807 million), Unacademy ($260 million) and Ecom Express ($250 million), as per the HexGn report.

These numbers do not include funds raised by Jio Platforms ( 1.52 lakh crore) in 2020. The report noted that these numbers are early guidance and there could be changes as more companies make announcements on funds received.

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Over the weekend my daughter Emily made several snowmen on the bonnets of our two cars.

Gradually as the weather improved her creations began to slip downwards until they perched perilous close to the edge, then the head of one fell off....

After some fears at the end of last week that lamb prices were about to go off the edge of a cliff, there was some relief yesterday as factories only reduced quotes by 20c/kg, rather than the 50c/kg some had predicted.

Factory quotes for lambs yesterday were just like my daughters snowman: while the head was gone the body it was built on remained.

Industry sources say that demand has fallen as more lamb makes its way from the UK into France.

It is this alleged market uncertainty that was cited as the reason both Dawn Ballyhaunis and Kepak Athleague were unable to offer any official market guidance for either lamb or cull ewes yesterday.

Although Kepak are not killing today I was told they will be operational from tomorrow right through until Saturday as they bring their processing in line with shipping times to the continent.

On the cull side, news is a little more encouraging, with the two ICM plants continuing on 2.80/kg, while Kildare Chilling increased their offering to 2.90+10c/kg quality assurance.

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I spoke to some farmers with lambs to sell, and they are not concerned that the trade will collapse.

The factories are trying to manufacture the idea that prices will come back but the reality is they need sheep and what theyre really at is trying to edge lower ahead of having to put the price up in the run-up to Easter and Ramadan, one prominent midlands producer said.

Sean Dennehy of the IFA said: Farmers are rightly holding out for prices of 6.40 and 6.50/kg which were available at the end of last week, in similar market conditions and have set these prices as their base line.

Data supplied by Bord Bia from the start of the year to January 16 indicates that despite a recent sharp upturn in the market, Irish lamb producers remain the poor men of Europe.

Irish lamb averaged 5.95/kg while north of the border the price had reached 6.11/kg, with the UK price averaging 6.42/kg.

Spanish producers were on 6.11/kg while in France the average was 7.27/kg. All prices quoted exclude VAT.

On the mart side prices for heavy lambs eased by 5-10/hd last week as rumours began to circulate that the factory price was about to take a hit.

The store trade also eased back, with prices reported by the weekend to be 4-8/hd less.

Figures from the Norths Livestock and Meat Commission show that the number of sheep exported to the south for direct slaughter last week rose to 6,461.

Read More

Around the marts

Carnew

There were nearly 3,000 sheep on offer here and while trade was in general excellent, heavy lambs were reported as being easier by around 5-10/hd.

Their top calls were seventeen at 62kg averaging 145/hd, with thirty-one at 51kg making 141/hd.

In the 47-50kg division, 131-137/hd was achieved.

Cull ewes sold from 75-134/hd while in-lamb ewes made 180-22/hd, with older ewes averaging 130-170/hd.

Baltinglass

Heavy lambs were back 6-8/hd here, leaving two 55kg lambs to top out the trade at 130/hd, with the better 45-46kg groupings making 119-122/hd while your tidy 38-40kg lamb made 105-112/hd.

The store trade was also down 4-8/hd, but if the quality was good enough your 33-39kg lamb could make up to 109/hd although most operated from 95 to 106/hd.

Batches of 22-30kg lambs averaged 69-90/hd. Cull ewes made 66-138/hd.

Headford

56kg lambs selling to a top 145/hd or 2.59/kg, with other top batches at 38-44kg making 2.84/kg or 108-125/kg.

Among the ewe lambs at 40 and 41kg the top prices were 113/hd respectively, while the top per-kg price of 3.3/kg went to a batch averaging 37kg at 112/hd.

The overall lamb price spread was 91-145/hd.

On the breeding side prices ranged from 103-173/hd.

Enniscorthy

A good entry saw finished lamb easier by 6-8/hd. Butcher types were 138-143/hd, while factory lambs sold from 125-138/hd.

The large entry of store lambs by contrast saw prices improve by 2-3/hd with forward types making 118-125/hd and lighter types 86-98/hd.

Numbers of cast ewes increased but demand pushed their average prices on by 3-4/hd, with heavy ewes from 72-110kg making 101-141/hd.

Dowra

A slightly smaller sale here last week, with just over 1,200 sold. Factory lambs were back 4-8/hd but the good forward store lambs held their own.

Sample prices included 51-52kg lambs at 143-147.50/hd with the better 48-49kg lamb seeing 133-137.50/hd, while 44-47kgs sold from 122-129.

On the store side 41-42kgs saw 118.50-121.50/hd, with 30-32/kgs making 86-98/hd.

Cull ewe prices held, with heavier types selling from 90-130/hd while stores made 50-85/hd. In-lamb ewes made 120-194/hd.

Mountbellew

Numbers were easier here on Saturday as were prices, although heavy fleshy hoggets and ewe hoggets held firm, as did stag ewes.

Sample prices included two 50kg sixes of ewe hoggets both at 138/hd, sixteen 51.4kg wether hoggets at 134/hd and five 40.1kg ewe hoggets at 130/hd. Stag ewes sold from 75-130/hd.

Among the ewes with lambs at foot were a second-crop ewe with twins at foot which sold for 226/hd, while three fourth-crop ewes with six lambs at foot averaged 234 per unit.
Chinas coronavirus vaccines were supposed to deliver a geopolitical win that showcased the countrys scientific prowess and generosity. Instead, in some places, they have set off a backlash.

Officials in Brazil and Turkey have complained that Chinese companies have been slow to ship the doses and ingredients. Disclosures about the Chinese vaccines have been spotty. The few announcements that have trickled out suggest that Chinas vaccines, while considered effective, cannot stop the virus as well as those developed by Pfizer and Moderna, the American drugmakers.

In the Philippines, some lawmakers have criticized the governments decision to purchase a vaccine made by a Chinese company called Sinovac. Officials in Malaysia and Singapore, which ordered doses from Sinovac, have had to reassure their citizens that they would approve a vaccine only if it has been proven safe and effective.

At least 24 countries, most of them low and middle income, signed deals with the Chinese vaccine companies because they offered access at a time when richer nations had claimed most of the doses made by Pfizer and Moderna. But the delays in getting the Chinese vaccines and the fact that the vaccines are less effective mean that those countries may take longer to vanquish the virus.
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COLUMBIA  A second Columbia attorney is joining former President Donald Trump's impeachment defense team.

Like Trump's lead lawyer, Butch Bowers, who was announced last week, Deborah Barbier runs her own small firm. Trump has encountered trouble hiring legal help because larger law firms do not want to get involved in the impeachment, national reports have said.

Barbier's appointment was announced Monday in an email sent to dozens of lawyers from Greenville attorney Wallace Lightsey, South Carolina committee chair for the American College of Trial Lawyers. The email was obtained by The Post and Courier.

"Regardless of ones personal view of Mr. Trump, it says a great deal about Debbies skill and reputation as a trial lawyer that she was chosen for this task, and I am very proud to be her colleague," Lightsey wrote. "We know you will acquit yourself well (even though some of us may be hoping that your client is not)."

Lightsey said in an email to The Post and Courier he was unaware of any other South Carolina attorneys joining the Trump team besides Barbier and Bowers. Barbier did not return calls and texts Monday.

Former S.C. Attorney General Charlie Condon, who operates his own law firm in Mount Pleasant, told CNN he was approached about helping Trump but is not representing the former president.

Bowers and Barbier have two weeks to prepare a defense for Trump in the U.S. Senate against a charge that he contributed to starting the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol where four people and a Capitol officer died. The House sent the impeachment article Monday night to the Senate.

The impeachment trial, Trump's second, starts Feb. 9. He could be barred from public office if convicted.

Barbier has defended Joey Meek, a friend of Emanuel AME shooter Dylann Roof, who pleaded guilty to telling others not to share with authorities that Roof was behind the massacre. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison in 2017.

She also defended Richard Quinn, the state's most influential political operative, when he was charged with conspiracy and illegal lobbying in the S.C. Statehouse corruption probe. The charges against Quinn were dropped in 2017 when his son, state Rep. Rick Quinn, agreed to plead guilty to a misconduct in office charge and resign from office as part of the probe.

Santee Cooper, the state-owned power provider, hired her when a federal grand jury started investigating the failed $9 billion nuclear plant expansion in Fairfield County. And she was brought in as an attorney for the S.C. House legislative ethics committee.

Barbier worked in the U.S. Attorneys Office from 1996 to 2011 in the criminal division where she was deputy chief of the general crimes section and chief of the asset forfeiture unit. She also was chief of the civil division that oversaw health care fraud, defense contracting fraud, procurement fraud and whistleblower cases.

The University of South Carolina law graduate went into private practice in 2012, specializing in white-collar criminal cases.

Barbier will join Bowers, long considered the go-to attorney for South Carolina Republicans running into ethical and political problems. Bowers has represented the past three South Carolina governors, a North Carolina governor and the S.C. GOP Party.

Bowers shared office space with Henry McMaster, a Trump ally, before he became South Carolina governor. Bowers joined the Trump legal team at the recommendation of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, another Trump ally from South Carolina.

Bowers and Barbier have reputations as serious lawyers, arriving at a time when Trump's recent legal representation, including Rudy Giuliani, have hurled unfounded claims about voting irregularities in the 2020 president election won by Democrat Joe Biden.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio  There are worse places to be stuck for two weeks than a beachfront resort in Mexico.

Even so, the prospect of having to miss an extra two weeks of work because of a positive COVID test is enough to give Brunswick traveler Randy Glass pause. Hes reconsidering plans to vacation in Mexico and is thinking about traveling to Florida instead.

Hes among thousands of travelers affected by a new U.S. government policy requiring all incoming travelers to the United States to show proof of a negative COVID test.

The policy, which goes into effect Tuesday, affects both international visitors traveling to the U.S., as well as Americans who are returning home from travel outside of the country.

The policy was announced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan. 12, while former President Trump was still in office. Last week, President Joe Biden reinforced the new testing policy in an executive order that also called for federal officials to study ways to boost compliance with what is currently a recommended quarantine period following international travel.

Given that most international travel to the United States is currently prohibited, Americans vacationing in Mexico and the Caribbean are expected to make up a large percentage of those affected by the new rules, at least in the short-term.

Some travel advisors say the new policy might not have the desired effect  of decreasing the spread of COVID in the U.S.  if travelers simply swap one warm-weather destination for another.

Is it really a good idea to flood Florida, Las Vegas and other places with more travelers than they can handle? asked Bill Coyle, the owner of Encompass the World Travel in Brunswick.

He and other Northern Ohio travel agents have fielded hundreds of calls in recent weeks from anxious travelers, wondering if they should scrap their plans to leave the country this winter.

Andrew Nocella, chief commercial officer for United Airlines, said last week that the carrier has seen an increase in cancellations and a decline in new bookings to Mexico and the Caribbean in recent weeks. The impact was very focused on beach destinations in Mexico, to some extent to Caribbean, he said during the carriers year-end earnings call last week.

U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are not included in the new CDC rules. Florida, Arizona and, to a lesser extent, Hawaii, are proving to be popular winter destinations, as well, said Coyle.

Just last week, Ashland travel agent Lori Gribben rebooked a destination wedding, scheduled to take place in Cancun this Saturday, for Miami.

Gribben said she was frustrated with the lack of warning given to travelers and travel agents about the changes. The CDC made its announcement on Jan. 12, giving travelers just two weeks notice of the change in policy, which requires all incoming travelers to the U.S. to show proof of a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of flying. Airlines are tasked with enforcing the new rule.

The American Society of Travel Advisors unsuccessfully asked the CDC to delay implementation of the testing requirement to give travelers more time to prepare, according to a spokeswoman.

Gribben said there that even now, there is much confusion about the policy. There are so many questions and not enough answers, she said.

Among the questions posed by her clients: Where will I get tested? How long will I have to quarantine if I test positive? Where will I stay and who will pick up the cost? How will I get home? What if one member of a traveling party tests positive and others do not? And what if I get sick?

Numerous resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean have announced in recent weeks that they are adding free, on-site COVID testing to their list of amenities, so travelers dont have to search out testing locations.

Many are even offering to quarantine guests for free if they test positive. They really dont want to lose the U.S. travelers, said one local travel agent.

Mexico remains a popular international destination, in part because the country has few COVID entry requirements and is one of a handful of international destinations that remains largely accessible to travelers from the United States and elsewhere.

COVID cases in Mexico have surged in recent months, although the countrys per capita infection rate remains well below the infection rate in the U.S., according to World Health Organization statistics.

Many experts believe the country is undercounting the number of infections; the CDC in December urged Americans to avoid all travel to Mexico because of high rates of COVID.

Even so, Quintana Roo, the Mexican state that is home to Cancun, Tulum and other popular tourist spots, welcomed more U.S. travelers over the recent holiday season than a year ago, according to the Associated Press.

Gribben was in Mexico in August and Jamaica in November, and said both countries seemed to be handling virus protocols well.

Kim Gray, a North Olmsted travel agent, traveled to the Dominican Republic in December and said more people were wearing masks and adhering to safety protocols than in the United States. I felt safer in the Dominican Republic than in parts of the U.S., she said.

That said, she said shes unsure if she would leave the United States now, with so much uncertainty about getting back into the country.

The new CDC policy is in effect through the end of March, but most experts believe it will be extended, possibly into the summer, until the vaccine is more widely distributed. A vaccine passport may replace the need for a negative COVID test to travel internationally.

Gribben, the travel agent from Ashland, conceded that its difficult and stressful to keep up on so many changes. Everything is a moving target, Gribben said. It makes it hard to give advice.

Meanwhile, Brunswick traveler Randy Glass remains conflicted over whether to commit to an April vacation in Cancun, as originally planned, or relocate to Destin, Florida. He was in Mexico several weeks ago, and wants to return with his wife and two daughters.

But Glass, who works as a paramedic, said hes not sure he can risk the possibility that he might have to stay in Mexico longer than planned and miss work. He said he expects to make a decision in the next week or so.
According to a 2020 Global Terrorism Index report, Africa has become the centre of gravity for the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda, losing no less than $171 billion to terrorism in the last 10 years. Terrorist groups have moved there and to some extent to South Asia from the Middle East. And, with many young people suffering from poverty, marginalisation, human rights violations and unemployment, making them easy recruitment targets, terrorist groups have spread steadily from east to west and from north to southeast.

Observers and research centres have repeatedly issued  and escalated  warnings that it is hoped African governments will heed before it is too late.



In a statement issued in November, the Global Terrorism Index added that Sub-Saharan Africa was the most affected, with seven of the top 10 countries witnessing a rise in the number of victims. They are Burkina Faso, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Niger, Cameroon and Ethiopia.

Total deaths by IS in the region went up by 67 per cent over last year. It went on to explain that Burkina Faso, which is widely targeted by terrorist groups operating in the region, recorded a rise of 590 per cent in the number of victims, and warned that deteriorating economic conditions could make more people susceptible to extremist propaganda. Observers have noted that, as competition intensifies between rival jihadist groups, the threat of terrorism in the region is increasing.



Nathan Sales, the then US State Department coordinator for counter-terrorism, said both IS and Al- Qaeda have shifted much of their activity away from their heartland in Syria and Iraq to affiliates in west and east Africa, as well as Afghanistan.

Africa is a key front in the next stage in the fight against terrorism, he added. West Africa is a perfect storm, with nation states that dont control their territories, commit abuses by their forces, and have porous borders. The French Global Strat Risk Consultancy expert on jihad Olivier Guitta concurred: There is a deadly rivalry taking place between supporters of Al-Qaeda and IS. This rivalry is becoming intense. Africa is going to be the battleground of jihad for the next 20 years and its going to replace the Middle East.



According to the Global Terrorism Index, Boko Haram has been responsible for over 37,500 combat-related deaths and over 19,000 deaths from terrorism since 2011, mainly in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

A video posted by the group on 1 December claimed responsibility for massacring dozens of farmers in Borno state who it claimed had collaborated with government forces. At least 43 people were killed while working in a rice field in the region. They also raided a mostly Christian village killing at least 11 people and burning down a church on Christmas Eve. Last month, the group also claimed responsibility for the abduction of more than 300 schoolboys in Katsina state.



Early in December, Nigerian Chief of Army Staff Tukur Yusuf Buratai, said that terrorism may persist in Nigeria for another 20 years. Western nations have offered only limited military and intelligence assistance to the country.

Western diplomats say they are constrained by the corruption and poor human rights record of the Nigerian military. These failings have been a major contributor to mistrust of the government, enabling recruitment for Boko Haram and other jihadist groups in the region. The corruption angle in Nigeria, says Olivier Guitta, is ruining everything.



In Mozambique, IS managed to control the northern district of Cabo Delgado under the banner of Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP). They claimed responsibility for a recent string of attacks in the country where Muslims make up 18 per cent of the population. A three-year-old rebellion has erupted into open warfare in recent months, with BBC Africa reporting massacres, beheadings and the brief seizure of two towns in the northern province.

More than 2,000 people were killed and about 500,000 others were displaced, according to official statistics. Counter-terrorism officials believe that the jihadists operating there have been recruited online with some input from across the border in Tanzania. IS, says Olivier Guitta, is moving around within Mozambique unhampered by other forces.



According to the Catholic Bishop of Pemba, Luiz Fernando Lisboaalso, now they have guns and vehicles, so they move easily and can attack widely. They are using soldiers uniforms. So people are very confused, and very afraid.

Observers say the evolution of the insurgency in Mozambique is remarkably similar to Boko Harams emergence in northern Nigeria, with a marginalised group exploiting local grievances and terrorising communities, but also offering an alternative path for unemployed youths frustrated by a corrupt, neglectful and heavy-handed state. Mozambican historian Professor Yusuf Adam says the army beat people up, took them to jail, tortured them. There is a lot of Islamophobia (in the majority Muslim province of Cabo Delgado). Theyre discriminated against because theyre northerners  people think theyre dumb.



Many analysts believe the solution to the conflict lies in good governance, and a transparent attempt to address deep-seated economic and social grievances, including fair access to land, jobs and a share of future gas revenues. The European Unions Foreign Minister Josep Borrell Fontelles said: We cannot say that everything that is happening in Mozambique is a simple extension of the so-called Islamic terrorist movement.

To a certain extent that is true. But armed violence in northern Mozambique was triggered by poverty and inequality and the population of the area losing respect for a state which could not provide it with what it needed. There are concerns that the conflict, if mishandled, could spread into neighbouring Tanzania, and perhaps even to South Africa.



In Somalia, Al-Shabab have presented one of the most persistent and dangerous jihadist movements on the continent. It has been able to strike across the border in Kenya and Uganda as well as detonating massive bombs in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Al-Shabab sees itself as Al- Qaedas most successful group, says Sales.



In Mali, Islamist militants linked to Al- Qaeda have fired rockets at three military bases in what is a rare coordinated attack on foreign forces. French military bases in Kidal, Menaka and Gao were hit, although no deaths or injuries were reported by officials. A spokesman said a UN base in Kidal was damaged. Al-Qaedas Mali branch, Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), said it was behind a roadside blast that killed two French soldiers in the eastern Menaka region.

This came days after three other French soldiers died in a similar way. Civil organisations reported that IS in West Africa caused the migration of thousands of Tuareg refugees in the frontier area separating Mali from Burkina Faso, where dozens of attacks and confrontations between the terrorist organisations and security forces have taken place.



In Niger, Prime Minister Brigi Rafin said 100 people have been killed in attacks by suspected jihadists on two villages near Nigers border with Mali in one of the deadliest days in living memory. Local mayor Almou Hassane said those responsible travelled on some 100 motorcycles, and 75 other villagers were left wounded in the aftermath. A month earlier, seven Nigerian soldiers were killed in an ambush. Parts of Niger are also facing repeated attacks by jihadists from neighbouring Nigeria, where the government is fighting an insurgency by Boko Haram.



In Cameroon, Boko Haram militants killed 14 people in an overnight attack in the town of Mozogo, in the countrys far north. The group has recently staged several attacks in the same region despite the governments claims of success against them.



In Burkina Faso, local officials said around 100 gunmen raided Loumbila village near the border with Mali last month, killing six and seriously wounding three others.



Some experts noted that the end of the Muammar Gaddafi regime released thousands of tonnes of weapons and explosives from government armouries, much of it making its way across the southern border into the Sahel countries and allowing IS jihadists to gain a foothold in the east of Libya. In December, Interpol said several suspected terrorists had been arrested and weapons, ammunition and contraband fuel seized in a joint operation with the United Nations across the Sahel.

More than 40,000 sticks of dynamite and detonator cords - used for illegal gold mining - were also taken, Interpol said. Illegal gold mining is a new source of funding for armed groups in the region, they added, as well as serving as a recruitment ground.

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When the Navy carrier Roosevelt entered the South China Sea on the same day Chinese bombers and fighters flew into Taiwan's airspace, it signaled how difficult it will be for the Biden administration to craft a new China policy, former Pentagon policy chief Michele Flournoy said Monday.

"Taiwan has really become the flashpoint" of U.S. China relations following efforts in the waning days of the Trump administration to bolster military ties to Taiwan, said Flournoy, who was widely expected to be nominated to lead the Pentagon under Biden. The job of defense secretary ultimately went to Retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin.
Greece: demonstrations banned ahead of protests Extreme left demonstrates in support of ex-terrorist Koufontinas

(ANSA) - ATHENS, 26 GEN - Greek police have banned public gatherings of more than 100 people for one week on a national level, officially "to protect public health"; however, the decision comes ahead of two protests by the extreme left and anarchic groups planned for Friday and next Monday.



Authorities denied that the ban is tied to the demonstrations.



The protest by the extreme left, scheduled for Friday, is in support of the ex-leader of the 17 November group, the 59-year-old Dimitris Koufontinas, who was sentenced to life in prison for 23 murders committed between 1975 and 2000.



Koufontinas has been on a hunger strike since the start of January to call for his transfer to another prison.



The anarchic groups planned a demonstration next Monday in front of Athens city hall to protest against a new urban plan.



"All public gatherings of more than 100 people are banned until February 1," the police said in a statement. (ANSA).




Integration connects consumer journey from recipe inspiration, to ingredients in the virtual or physical shopping basket, to the meal on the table

Whisk, the Samsung Next food technology platform that takes inspiration from planning to plate, today announced the addition of one of the United Kingdom's leading supermarkets, Sainsbury's, to the Whisk ecosystem. Now, consumers can turn any recipe from Whisk's network of publishers, brands, and apps including the UK's largest recipe sites, into a smart shopping list and instantly purchase for click and collect or delivery from Sainsbury's. The daily store inventory feed across Sainsbury's stores is powered by Whisk's Food GenomeTM that uses artificial intelligence to ensure that a recipe's ingredients are matched with the correct and currently available products at each store, and provides for a seamless customer experience from recipe to shopping trolley.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005433/en/

Consumers can now turn any recipe from Whisk's network of publishers, brands, and apps including the UK's largest recipe sites, into a smart shopping list and instantly purchase for click and collect or delivery from Sainsbury's. (Graphic: Business Wire)

This December, UK shoppers spent 11.7 billion on take-home groceries in the busiest month on record for British supermarkets, with digital orders accounting for 12.6% of grocery spend during December, compared to only 7.4% last year, according to recent Kantar research. Typically, Christmas grocery sales are offset by meals in restaurants, pubs and bars. However, with the strict pandemic-related restrictions in place, more Brits than ever are cooking at home, looking for recipe inspiration, planning their meals and shopping lists further in advance and relying on click and collect options from supermarkets, as evidenced by Sainsbury's Q3 grocery sales which were up 7.4% year-on-year. Especially as lockdowns continue into 2021 and as consumers move into the new year with the accompanying resolutions to eat healthier and move more, the new partnership with Whisk will help to ensure that Sainsbury's continues to meet customer demand and that what users see online is actually available in their local store.

Sainsbury's users will be able to take full advantage of access to the entire Whisk ecosystem, including access to recipes from recipe publishers, CPG brands as well as the full app experience that is also accessible from Samsung Family Hub refrigerators. Sainsbury's product-matching and shoppable recipe options are powered by Whisk's AI Food GenomeTM, the AI and Natural Language Processing technology that maps the world's food ingredients, the relationships between them, their nutrition, perishability, flavour and availability and matches them to the ingredients listed in recipes from any platform and available at local grocery stores.

With over 500 million recipe interactions each month, the Whisk Food Genome becomes more robust as the Whisk ecosystem grows, making it attractive to large grocers, recipe publishers and grocers publishing food content, alike. Supermarkets are able to produce data-enriched recipes as well as personalise customer interactions, tailoring outreach and content to shopper preferences and needs.

James Leech, Head of Product at Sainsbury's said: "Customers are increasingly choosing to do their grocery shopping and find recipes online. They need to find their favourite foods quickly and conveniently and this new partnership with Whisk will help inspire shoppers with a huge range of recipe ideas and make it even simpler for them to add to their bag and buy."

The addition of Sainsbury's to the Whisk ecosystem brings the number of Whisk UK grocer partners to five, creating a more robust ecommerce experience for UK consumers during the pandemic.

"We're thrilled to bring Sainsbury's into our Whisk partner ecosystem," said Nick Holzherr, Head of Whisk. "As one of the premier grocers in the UK, Sainsbury's is a leader in online grocery delivery and e-commerce. We know from our user feedback that a Sainsbury's integration will be popular with users at a time when online grocery shopping is critical in the UK."

You can find more about Whisk at https://whisk.com/business/

About Sainsbury's

Offering delicious great quality food at competitive prices has been at the heart of what we do since John James and Mary Ann Sainsbury opened our first store in 1869. Today, inspiring and delighting our customers with tasty food remains our priority and our purpose is clear driven by our passion for food, together we serve and help every customer.

Our focus on great value food and convenient shopping, whether in-store or online is supported by our brands Argos, Tu Clothing, Habitat, Sainsbury's Bank and Nectar. Sainsbury's has over 600 supermarkets and over 800 convenience stores. Argos is a leading digital retailer and is the third most visited retail website in the UK, with over 90 per cent of its sales starting online. Argos is conveniently available for customers to collect from hundreds of Sainsbury's stores. Digital technology enables us to adapt as customers shop differently and our profitable, fast-growing online channels offer customers quick and convenient delivery and collection capability.

Our 172,000 colleagues are integral to our success, now and in the future.

About Whisk

Whisk powers the creation, discovery, personalization and monetization of food content online, in-store and at home. Whisk's consumer recipe app, allows users to save a recipe from anywhere into a personal recipe box and export the ingredients to an interactive shopping list that can be sent to Whisk grocery partners across the UK, US, Europe and Australia, including Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's Waitrose and Ocado. Whisk is a winner of the Google Play, Best of 2020 Everyday Essentials award and has been featured on the Apple app store.

In addition to the award winning consumer app, Whisk works with the world's largest retailers, publishers, CPG brands and health companies to help them connect with their consumers and drive product purchases at every stage of their food journey from inspiration and consideration to purchase and preparation. Whisk powers shoppable recipes for publishers like BBC Good Food, JamieOliver.com and the Food Network, and uses the Food AI to match ingredients in recipes to actual products on shelves. Whisk was founded in 2012 and was acquired by Samsung Next in March 2019. For more information, visit https://whisk.com/business/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005433/en/

Contacts:

Rhiannon Pacheco, Whisk Communications: Rhiannon.pacheco@samsungnext.com
It's almost time to say goodbye to the tiger stripe.

The U.S. Air Force is approaching its sunset date for the Airman Battle Uniform, known as the ABU, in favor of the Army's Operational Camouflage Uniform. The service approved the OCP to be worn full time beginning Oct. 1, 2018, with the expectation that all airmen and Space Force guardians would make the changeover by April 1, 2021.

The service asked airmen at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Tennessee whether they had any final words on the ABU, which has been their standard service duty uniform for more than a decade. Some said they aren't sad to see it go, while others saw its potential, according to a release.

Read Next: Army OKs Long Ponytails, Buzz Cuts for Women in Grooming Standards Overhaul

Master Sgt. Mike Smith at the bases I.G. Brown Training and Education Center asked airmen their opinions and received a variety of responses.

"Not since leisure suit wearers were cool has an outfit been so disliked and oppositely loved," he said in the release. "One opponent compared its camouflage design to an over-patterned couch; another advocate hailed its unique ability to channel the wind down her sleeves, from one arm to the other while driving down the road -- she will miss that."

In 2013, The Washington Post reported that there were 10 different types of military camouflage uniforms floating around, dependent on where a service member was stationed.

The ABU's "tiger stripe" pattern was supposed to pay homage to camouflage used during the Vietnam War, according to the Post. But early iterations "looked slightly off" from one uniform to the next, with multiple shades making up the pattern, Smith said.

The ABU didn't really help airmen blend in in Afghanistan. As a precaution, airmen were issued the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern, the same as their soldier brethren, when deploying outside the wire -- unless they were in the mountains.

"Turned out, the ABU pattern blended into the mountains extremely well," an airman who had once stationed at Bagram Airfield told Smith.

"ABUs came in handy when I wanted to blend in with concrete," another airman told him.

Respondents also panned the ABU's matching footwear. Airmen knew to keep a pair of shoes handy when changing after work because "there were no doubts that the sage-green boots weren't hip with a pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt," Smith said in the release. "It looked about as stylish as a fat collar and polyester bell-bottoms."

If airmen accidentally forgot spare shoes during a TDY, they "had to own it," one airman told Smith. "Or you stayed in the dorm."

Still, the ABU has its perks. Troops can wash and wear the uniform without having to iron or press it, and the oversized apron-style front pockets help airmen pack extra items like "a handful of cookies and a banana to stash on your way out," Smith wrote.

Airmen also have liked having their rank prominently displayed on the sleeve.

While the OCP was designed with fit and function in mind for both men and women, ranks and name tape will be velcroed on instead of sewn like it is on the ABU. The service is working to manufacture new OCP name and service tape that is less busy to make it easier to identify air and space personnel.

"History will show that the U.S. Air Force once had a unique utility uniform that, no matter our opinions of it, airmen wore with absolute pride all over the world," Smith wrote.

"For those last holdouts: It's time to fold it up," he added. "Now Airmen share their cloth with the U.S. Army's Soldiers and the U.S. Space Force's Guardians, and that's Dynomite."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.

Related: Air Force Delays Some OCP Uniform Mandatory Wear Dates
Imphal, Jan 26 : Despite the boycott call by several banned extremist outfits, the 72nd Republic Day was celebrated in Manipur on Tuesday in a befitting manner with Governor Najma Heptulla hoisted the national flag at Kangla Fort here and taking salute from 49 contingents.

According to senior police officials, security was tightened across the state after the Coordination Committee (CorCom) of six major militant outfits called an 18-hour shutdown in the entire state from January 25 midnight to 6 p.m. on January 26.

However, no untoward incident was reported from any part of the state till late Tuesday night.

The Governor, in her message, urged the people to harness the potential of youths in the right direction and strive to work together to make the country strong, peaceful and prosperous. She appealed the people to revere, offer homage and gratitude to the founding fathers for their foresight and understanding.

"Despite many hurdles, the experiment of democracy in India has been successful and we are going from strength to strength and other countries across the world remained respectful to our nation," she said.
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The teams deep bench of expertise and shared experience of how government agencies approach enforcement and investigations will be beneficial for my clients in New Mexico and across the country.

Holland & Hart LLP announced John C. Anderson has returned to the firms Santa Fe office as a litigation partner in the Government Investigations and White Collar Defense practice. Anderson served for the past three years as the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. He brings substantial experience defending clients in complex civil litigation and investigations conducted by federal and state government agencies.

As United States Attorney, Anderson oversaw all federal prosecutions in the district and was responsible for defending the United States interests in civil cases. He worked closely with U.S. Attorneys and other Justice Department officials nationwide and served as a member of the Attorney Generals Advisory Committee, White Collar Subcommittee. Anderson draws on his experience as a senior official in the Department of Justice to counsel companies and individuals facing government investigations that can profoundly impact a clients financial health and professional reputation.

"We are delighted to welcome John back to our government investigations team that includes numerous former federal and state prosecutors and enforcement attorneys throughout the country," said Greg Goldberg, leader of the firms Government Investigations practice group. "Johns leadership role in the Department of Justice and his extensive federal prosecution experience, both as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and the U.S. Attorney, will be highly valuable to our individual and corporate clients involved in any facet of a government investigation."

John also works with clients at all stages of complex civil litigation, including discovery, dispositive motions, trial, and appeal on disputes involving natural resources, antitrust, tort and contract liability, and federal securities issues. He is admitted to practice in New Mexico, New York, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

I am honored to return to Holland & Harts talented government investigations team and the Santa Fe office, said Anderson. The teams deep bench of expertise and shared experience of how government agencies approach enforcement and investigations will be beneficial for my clients in New Mexico and across the country.

Holland & Harts Government Investigations and White Collar Defense practice has represented companies and their officers and directors in all aspects of government investigations and white collar defense. Whether managing internal or government investigations, responding to a catastrophic event, establishing regulatory compliance programs, or defending parallel civil and criminal proceedings or appeals, the team approaches each matter with the overarching goal to protect a clients reputation and safeguard its future.

About Holland & Hart

Founded in 1947, Holland & Hart is a full-service Am Law 200 firm with offices in eight states and Washington, D.C. We deliver integrated legal solutions to regional, national, and international clients of all sizes in a diverse range of industries. For more information, visit http://www.hollandhart.com or on Twitter: @HollandHart.

When Psaltis left Lettuce Entertain You in 2019, Eater Chicago reported in an article attributed to anonymous sources that his departure came about after he attacked a colleague. Psaltis says it didnt happen. There was no attack, says Psaltis. It was great to work with Rich Melman, overseeing so many restaurant openings. But it was a good time for us to go in different directions. Lettuce Entertain You declined to comment.

The Joint Forces have returned fire.

The Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces has reported one wounded in action (WIA) amid seven violations of the latest ceasefire agreement committed by Russia-controlled armed groups in the Donbas warzone on Monday, January 25.

"In the past day, January 25, seven ceasefire violations were recorded in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) zone," the press center of the Ukrainian JFO Command said on Facebook in an update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on January 26, 2021.

In particular, the Russian Federation's armed formations fired 120mm mortars, an anti-tank missile system, anti-tank grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns near the village of Pivdenne.

Read alsoEast Human Rights Group says 164,340 Ukrainians in Donbas have Russian passportsAlso, the Russian occupation troops used automatic grenade launchers, hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and rifles near the village of Khutir Vilny.

"One Ukrainian soldier was wounded as a result of the shelling. He was rushed to the hospital where he received medical assistance," the report says.

What is more, the enemy fired automatic grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and rifles twice near the village of Taramchuk, as well as automatic rifles near the villages of Vodiane and Pavlopil, and an under-barrel grenade launcher near Vodiane.

The Joint Forces have returned fire.

The violations were reported to OSCE representatives through the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) of the ceasefire in Donbas.

Since midnight, enemy forces have not attacked Ukrainian troops.

Ukrainian military says the situation is under full control.

Donbas ceasefire: Background

Participants in the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE) on the peace settlement in Donbas on July 22 agreed on a full and comprehensive ceasefire along the contact line from 00:01 on Monday, July 27.

On the very first day of the newly-agreed truce, Russia's hybrid military forces mounted three attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine.

Reporting by UNIAN
Posted Tuesday, January 26, 2021 1:15 pm

Tribal rights and criminal justice reform are high on Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson's agenda for this legislative agenda.

Ferguson's legislative slate, which was announced Friday, includes a bill to enshrine in state law the Attorney General's Office's first-of-its-kind policy that requires the office to obtain informed consent from Washington's 29 federally recognized tribes before initiating a program or project that affects tribes, tribal rights, tribal lands and sacred sites.

Along with his tribal agenda, Ferguson is re-introducing his legislation abolishing the death penalty and limiting high-capacity magazines.

HIs agenda also includes a new bill requiring the collection and publication of data on the use of deadly force by law enforcement, which already has passed out of committee with bipartisan support, and another prohibiting price gouging during emergencies.

"My office enforces and defends state law  and we also work to improve state law to benefit Washingtonians," Ferguson said in a statement.

Here are some of the key issues on his agenda:

Public safety and criminal justice reform



Use of deadly force data collection: Ferguson is proposing legislation to create a centralized, publicly accessible database containing all incidents of law enforcement use of deadly force in Washington state. Currently, there is no single location where the public and lawmakers can obtain information about the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers.



High-capacity magazine limits: Ferguson is reintroducing legislation to prohibit the sale or possession of high-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds. The bill includes exceptions for grandfathered magazines, law enforcement, military personnel and recreational shooting ranges. Multiple federal courts have upheld these public safety bans as constitutional.



Banning assault weapons: The Attorney General is reintroducing legislation in 2021 to ban the sale of military-style assault weapons in Washington state. The bill includes exceptions for grandfathered weapons, law enforcement, military personnel and recreational shooting ranges. Seven states already have a similar ban that federal courts have upheld.



Repealing the death penalty: For the fifth session, Ferguson is requesting a bill to repeal Washington's death penalty. In 2018, the state Supreme Court found that Washington's use of the death penalty is "racially biased," "arbitrary" and "lacks fundamental fairness," but the ruling did not repeal the law. Ferguson's bill passed the Senate last year, but not the House.

Respecting tribal treaty rights



Free, prior and informed consent from tribes: This legislative session, Ferguson is requesting legislation that would codify this policy, ensuring it cannot be unilaterally eliminated by future Attorneys General. As part of the legislation, the Attorney General's Office would be required to refrain from filing any litigation against a tribal government or tribal-owned business without first engaging in meaningful consultation to resolve the dispute.



Protecting off-reservation treaty rights and state-tribal cooperative agreements: Ferguson and the state Department of Fish & Wildlife are jointly proposing legislation to repeal a 1984 unenforceable, anti-tribal statute codified in state law as RCW 77.110. The law casts a shadow over treaty fishing rights and the state's well-established cooperative fisheries management agreements with tribes, Ferguson contends.

Consumer protections



Price gouging: The Attorney General's Office has received more than 1,300 complaints from residents about excessive price increases on items like face masks or hand sanitizer during the pandemic. But Washington does not have a specific law to prohibit price gouging during a state of emergency. Ferguson is proposing a bill that provides a clear and unambiguous definition of price gouging and establishes civil penalties for violations.



Strengthening the Consumer Protection Act: The state Consumer Protection Act currently allows up to $2,000 in penalties per violation. These penalties have not increased since they were adopted in 1970. Ferguson's legislation would adjust the penalties to $13,350 per each unfair or deceptive practice that violates the act.

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[January 26, 2021] Schulte Roth & Zabel Joins Historic Tulsa Race Massacre Lawsuit

Schulte Roth & Zabel (SRZ) is proud to announce that it has joined a team of civil and human rights lawyers led by Tulsa-based attorney Damario Solomon Simmons of SolomonSimmonsLaw who have filed a lawsuit demanding the City of Tulsa and other defendants fix the public nuisance they caused by their destruction of Greenwood in 1921, their continuing failure to rebuild what they destroyed and their audacity in seeking to reap and, in fact, reaping benefits from their destructive acts. "The Tulsa Race Massacre that occurred in 1921 has had devastating effects that are still felt to this day. We are eager to work alongside Damario and his team to seek justice for the wrongs that continue to plague the Greenwood community," said Sara Solfanelli, special counsel for Pro Bono Initiatives at SRZ. On May 31, 1921, one of the worst acts of domestic terrorism in U.S. history completely decimated Tulsa's thriving, all-Black community of Greenwood. A large White mob, including members of the Tulsa Police Department, the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, the Tulsa County Sheriff's Department and the Oklahoma National Guard, as well as other city and county leaders, overwhelmed the approximately 40-square-block community, killing hundreds of Black residents, injuring thousands more, burning down over one thousand homes and businesses and stealing residents' personal property. "The Greenwood neighborhood never recovered from the near-total devastation of the 1921 massacre, and that impact is still felt today by descendants of survivors and Black Tulsans generally," commented Michael Swartz, co-chair of SRZ's Litigation Group and chair of the firm's Pro Bono Committee. "We are excited to leverage our extensive experience in complex litigation to support Damario in this historic case, and eager to help amplify the fight for justice for the Greenwood community." "Partnering with SRZ is a very exciting opportunity. Together, we will compel the Defendant to finally do what is right - accept responsibility for its heinous crime of causing and continuing a nuisance to the present day and then repairing it," Mr.Solomon-Simmons said.



The claim seeks to abate the public nuisance of racial disparities, economic inequalities, insecurity and trauma that the City of Tulsa's unlawful actions and omissions caused and continue to cause, and aims to return the Greenwood District, once known as Black Wall Street, back to the prosperous area it was prior to the devastating events of May 1921. Today, this area still remains poorer and in worse health than the rest of the city. "I am excited to be a part of an important litigation that represents hope for descendants and survivors of the Massacre and Black Americans everywhere. Too many painful events in American history have gone unanswered, and we must do whatever we can to achieve justice," said McKenzie Haynes, SRZ litigation associate and co-chair of the firm's Task Force for Racial Justice Initiatives. "We created our Task Force for Racial Justice Initiatives to further expand our pro bono reach and help the firm identify and implement initiatives directed at addressing ongoing issues of community racial injustice, like those in Randle v. City of Tulsa et. al.," said David Efron, SRZ co-managing partner and co-head of the Investment Management Group. "Pro bono work is an extremely important part of what we do at SRZ," added Marc Elovitz, SRZ co-managing partner and chair of the Investment Management Regulatory & Compliance Group. "We are honored to be able to play a role in this important case and help amplify the voices of those impacted who might otherwise go underserved."

In addition to Mr. Solomon-Simmons, SRZ joins attorneys J. Spencer Bryan and Steven Terrill of BryanTerrill, P.C., Professor Eric Miller (News - Alert) of Loyola Marymount College of Law, Maynard M. Henry, Sr., Lashandra Peoples-Johnson and Cordal Cephas of Johnson Cephas Law PLLC. The lawsuit has been filed in Tulsa County District Court. The team will also work with Mr. Solomon-Simmons' partners from the human rights community, including Human Rights Watch, which in May 2020 published a groundbreaking report documenting the impact of the Tulsa Race Massacre and the systemic racism that followed, and called for reparations. Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP (www.srz.com) is a market-leading law firm serving the financial services industry from offices in New York, Washington, DC and London. SRZ has a long history as a leader in pro bono legal work and a firm-wide legacy of contributing to the greater good. SRZ's Task Force for Racial Justice Initiatives helps the firm identify and implement specific initiatives directed to addressing the ongoing issues of racial injustice in our community and works in conjunction with the Pro Bono Committee to identify pro bono legal projects or volunteer service projects to assist protestors, communities and other groups that need assistance, as well as large-scale, long-term pro bono legal projects that aim to fight racism and racial injustice. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005873/en/

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The New York Times

In desperate times, there are many ways to stretch vaccines and speed up inoculation campaigns, according to experts who have done it. Splitting doses, delaying second shots, injecting into the skin instead of the muscle and employing roving vaccination teams have all saved lives  when the circumstances were right. During cholera outbreaks in war zones, Doctors Without Borders has even used takeaway vaccination, in which the recipient is given the first dose on the spot and handed the second to self-administer later.

Unfortunately, experts said, it would be difficult to try most of those techniques in the United States right now, even though vaccines against the coronavirus are rolling out far more slowly than had been hoped.

These novel strategies have worked with vaccines against yellow fever, polio, measles, cholera and Ebola; most of those vaccines were invented decades ago or are easier to administer because they are oral or can be stored in a typical refrigerator.

The new mRNA-based coronavirus vaccines approved thus far are too fragile, experts said, and too little is known about how much immunity they confer.

The incoming Biden administration should focus on speeding up production of more robust vaccines rather than playing card tricks with current ones, said Dr Peter J. Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the inventor of a coronavirus vaccine.

There are two strategies that might work with the current vaccines, but each is controversial.

The first is being tried in Britain. In December, faced with shortages and an explosive outbreak, the countrys chief medical officers said they would roll out all of the vaccines they had, giving modest protection to as many Britons as possible. Second doses, they said, would be delayed by up to 12 weeks and might be of a different vaccine.

There is some evidence for the idea: Early data from the first 600,000 injections in Israel suggest that even one dose of the Pfizer vaccine cut the risk of infection by about 50 percent.

Nonetheless, some British virus experts were outraged, saying single doses could lead to vaccine-resistant strains. The Food and Drug Administration and many U.S. vaccinologists also oppose the idea.

Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientific adviser to Operation Warp Speed, raised a different objection to the British plan. Single doses, he warned, might inadequately prime the immune system; then, if those vaccine recipients were later infected, some might do worse than if they had not been vaccinated at all.

He recalled a 1960s incident in which a weak new vaccine against the respiratory syncytial virus, a cause of childhood pneumonia, backfired. Some children who received it and later became infected fell sicker than unvaccinated children, and two toddlers died.

It may be only 1 in 1,000 who get inadequate priming, but its a concern, Slaoui said. As an alternative  the second strategy for stretching the vaccines  he proposed using half-doses of the Moderna vaccine.

There is strong evidence for doing that, he said in a telephone interview. During Modernas early trials, the 50-microgram vaccine dose produced an immune response virtually identical to the 100-microgram one.

Moderna chose the higher dose as its standard partly to be extra sure it would work; company scientists at the time had no idea that their product would prove 95 percent effective. The higher dose would also have a longer shelf life.

But the vaccine works better than expected, and shelf life is not an issue, so Slaoui suggested using the lower dose.

The beauty is, you inject half and get the identical immune response, he said. We hope that, in a pandemic situation, the FDA may simply accept it rather than asking for a new trial.

Many experts disagreed with the idea, including Dr Walter Orenstein, associate director of the Emory Vaccine Center in Atlanta. We need to know more before we can feel comfortable doing that, he said.

Lets stick to the science, added Dr Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. There are no efficacy data on a partial dose.

Although like Slaoui, Offit opposed delaying second doses, he expressed doubt that doing so, as the British have, would raise the risk of worse outcomes in the partially vaccinated.

Trials in which monkeys or other animals were vaccinated and then challenged with a deliberate infection did not cause enhanced disease, he noted. Also, the four coronaviruses that cause common colds do not cause worse disease when people get them again. And people who have COVID-19 do not get worse when they receive antibody treatments; generally, they get better.

When Less Is More

As is often the case, experts disagree about how and what a new vaccine will do. Some point to hard evidence that both fractional doses and delayed doses have worked when doctors have tried them out of desperation.

For example, yellow fever outbreaks in Brazil and the Congo have been stymied by campaigns using as little as 20 percent of a dose.

One shot of yellow fever vaccine, invented in the 1930s, gives lifelong protection. But a one-fifth dose can protect for a year or more, said Miriam Alia, a vaccination expert for Doctors Without Borders.

In 2018, almost 25 million Brazilians, including those in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, faced a fast-moving outbreak at a time when there were fewer than 6 million shots in the global supply. The Brazilian government switched to one-fifth doses and sent mobile teams into the slums urging everyone they met to take them, and filling out minimal paperwork. It worked: By 2019, the threat had faded.

The tactic has also been used against polio. Since 2016, there has been a global shortage of the injectable polio vaccine, which many countries use in conjunction with the live oral one. The World Health Organization has overseen trials of different ways to stretch existing supplies.

India first tried half-doses, said Deepak Kapur, chair of Rotary Internationals polio eradication efforts in that country. Later studies showed that it was possible to drop to as low as one-fifth of a dose as long as it was injected just under the skin rather than into the muscle, said Dr. Tunji Funsho, chief of polio eradication for Rotary Internationals Nigeria chapter.

That way, one vial for 10 can reach 50 people, Funsho said.

Skin injections work better than muscle ones because the skin contains far more cells that recognize invaders and because sub-skin layers drain into lymph nodes, which are part of the immune system, said Mark Prausnitz, a bioengineer at Georgia Tech who specializes in intradermal injection techniques.

The skin is our interface with the outside world, Prausnitz said. Its where the body expects to find pathogens.

Intradermal injection is used for vaccines against rabies and tuberculosis. Ten years ago, Sanofi introduced an intradermal flu vaccine, but the public didnt accept it, Prausnitz said.

Intradermal injection has disadvantages, however. It takes more training to do correctly. Injectors with needle-angling devices, super-short needles or arrays of multiple needles exist, Prausnitz said, but are uncommon. Ultimately, he favours microneedle patches infused with dissolving vaccine.

It would really be beneficial if we could just mail these to peoples homes and let them do it themselves, he said.

A bigger disadvantage, Slaoui, is that intradermal injection produces strong immune reactions. These can be painful and can bleed a bit and then scab over and leave a scar, as smallpox injections often did before the United States abandoned them in 1972.

The lipid nanoparticles in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines would be particularly prone to that effect, he said.

Its not dangerous, he added. But its not appealing and not practical.

Boots on the Ground

What the United States can and must do now, health experts said, is train more vaccinators, coordinate everyone delivering shots and get better at logistics.

Thanks to battles against polio, measles and Ebola, some of the worlds poorest countries routinely do better vaccination drives than the United States is now managing to do, said Emily Bancroft, president of Village Reach, a logistics and communications contractor working in Mozambique, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo and also assisting Seattles coronavirus vaccine drive.

You need an army of vaccinators, people who know how to run campaigns, detailed micro plans and good data tracking, she said. Hospitals here dont even know what they have on their shelves. For routine immunization, getting information once a month is OK. In an epidemic, its not OK.

In 2017, the United Nations Childrens Fund recruited 190,000 vaccinators to give polio vaccines to 116 million children in one week. In the same year, Nigeria injected measles vaccine into almost 5 million children in a week.

In rural Africa, community health workers with little formal education delivered injectable contraceptives like Depo-Provera. The basics can be taught in one to three days, Bancroft said.

Training can be done on injection pads that resemble human arms. And data collection must be set up so that every team can report on a cellphone and it all flows to a national dashboard, as happens now in the poorest countries.

The U.S. will get there, Bancroft said. Practice makes perfect. But the rockiness were seeing now is the lack of experience.

Donald G. McNeil Jr. c.2021 The New York Times Company

Tehran, Jan 26 : Iran will stop inspections pertaining to the Additional Protocol of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if the parties to 2015 landmark nuclear deal do not adhere to their commitments, an official said here.

"The parliament Law of Strategic Action Plan (to Counter Sanctions) is completely clear. If JCPOA parties fail to comply with their obligations, Iran should stop inspections pertaining to the Additional Protocol of the IAEA, which Iran is implementing voluntarily," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a briefing on Monday.

The deal is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"However, Iran's cooperation with the IAEA will not be suspended, and it does not mean the expel of IAEA inspectors in general, but it means the cessation of inspections related to the additional protocol," he said.

Former US President Donald Trump had unilaterally withdrawn the country from the JCPOA in May 2018.

As a result of the US' unilateral exit, Iran has surpassed JCPOA-stipulated limits on its uranium enrichment level and on its stockpiles of heavy water and low-enriched uranium.

Iran has also lifted JCPOA limitations on its nuclear research and development activities.

On January 4, the Islamic Republic launched 20 per cent uranium enrichment process as part of the country's Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions which was approved by the parliament in December 2020.

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A man shot Tuesday after a car chase involving multiple law enforcement agencies has been pronounced dead, officials said.

Felix Santos, 48, evaded police during a pursuit that began in Atascosa County and ended outside a San Antonio elementary school. There, Santos was shot during a shootout with police and transported to hospital, where he was pronounced dead Wednesday morning.

Santos remained on life support while his organs were harvested Wednesday, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar. No law enforcement personnel were injured during the incident.

The pursuit began around 10:30 a.m. when Atascosa County officers attempted to place Santos under arrest on an existing warrant. Santos fled the traffic stop and led police from several agencies on a lengthy pursuit.

During the chase, Santos allegedly fired at officers and broadcast on Facebook Live, telling family members he would not return to prison. He drove north on Interstate 37 into Bexar County, where BCSO and the Texas Department of Public Safety joined the pursuit.

Near where Texas 181 meets with I-37, authorities set up a spike strip that popped the two tires on the drivers side but Santos continued driving on the rims, police said. The chase continued onto U.S. 90 with the suspect still firing out the window.

Santos eventually reached the area of Jerry D. Allen Elementary, near the corner of Springvale and Dumont drives, where he exited his vehicle and allegedly exchanged fire with six officers, including two BCSO deputies. Santos was struck multiple times in the upper torso.

The deputies, a 30-year veteran and a 7-year veteran of the department, have been placed on administrative leave after firing their weapons. They were wearing body cameras and the footage will be released later in the investigation, Salazar said.

"Our deputies are very fortunate they were able to walk away from this uninjured," spokesperson Jonny Garcia said. "It is clear this suspect had little disregard for human life."

The elementary school was placed under lockdown prior to the shooting, and no students were injured. The school remained under lockdown until the end of the school day, according to Northside ISD officials.

Garcia said authorities were unsure why the suspect drove to San Antonio but may be familiar with the area because his family members showed up to the scene.

The Atacosta County Sheriff's Department, BCSO, San Antonio police, Pleasanton police, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Northside ISD police were all involved in the chase.

Prior to his death, Santos was facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest in a motor vehicle, and felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the pursuit.

Santos had previously been arrested by BCSO on Jan. 20 for possession of a controlled substance and released on a $3,000 bond, court records show.
An analysis undertaken by Faculty of Law professors and a physician-researcher from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa feels provincial and territorial governments should set clear rules for vaccinating health care workers against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in public and private settings.

Mandatory vaccination for health care workers: an analysis of law and policy, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), describes legal precedents from attempts to mandate influenza vaccines for health care workers and how those precedents might apply to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. It also describes the legal justification for mandating SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for health care workers and other legal considerations.

When creating policy for mandatory vaccination of health care workers, it will be important to include exemptions for people who cannot receive a vaccine because of underlying health issues or other reasons. These exemptions will help protect government mandates if there is a challenge under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Based on current evidence, these challenges would likely be unsuccessful if there are exemptions in place for employees. It is important to note that any vaccinate or stay at home order would not force a health care worker to be vaccinated.

"An effective vaccine provided to health care workers will protect both the health workforce and patients, reducing the overall burden of COVID-19 on services and ensuring adequate personnel to administer to people's health needs through the pandemic," writes Colleen Flood, Professor of Law - Common Law section and Research Chair in Health Law & Policy, with coauthors.

"What is less clear is whether or not a health care worker could argue that they should be able, in lieu of vaccination, to wear personal protective equipment," says Professor Flood. "Initially, even those vaccinated will continue to wear PPE, but we think courts should accept the application of the precautionary principle to require vaccination in most circumstances. It will, however, be essential to collect and weigh real-world evidence of the benefits of both vaccines and PPE."

"This is an important issue to address with science and law working together," says Dr. Kumanan Wilson, Clinical Research Chair in Digital Health Innovation at uOttawa and a Senior Scientist at The Ottawa Hospital. "Given the rapid development of various COVID-19 vaccines and emerging evidence, new data will determine whether these policies will stay in effect or will be modified."

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JERUSALEM, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RenalSense, a leading company in real-time renal diagnostics, today announced a distribution agreement with Medtechnica, Israel's largest distributor of medical equipment and health services. Medtechnica will market RenalSense's Clarity RMS critical care monitoring system to hospitals throughout Israel.

Clarity RMS has been clinically proven to facilitate early detection of changes in renal function and Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) risk, and is installed in a number of intensive care units (ICU) in leading medical centers around the world. The system continuously measures urine flow, automatically transmitting real-time data and notifications of fluctuations to enable rapid intervention, monitoring of treatment efficacy and fluid management.

Clarity RMS is marketed in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa by Fresenius Medical Care. RenalSense is currently in discussions with additional partners regarding distribution agreements for other key markets.

"As our customer base in Israel grows, with installations at institutions such as Assuta Ashdod Medical Center, we are delighted to partner with Medtechnica and benefit from their experienced team," said Avi Kleiman, CEO of RenalSense. "We are proud to be enhancing critical care both in the general ICU and COVID-19 ICU, and together with Medtechnica we intend to make the Clarity RMS a standard of care in Israel."

"With the introduction of RenalSense to its portfolio, Medtechnica will further increase its presence in intensive care units and allow better monitoring of critical care patients," said Meir Kadosh, VP, Director of the Hospitals and Community Division of Medtechnica.

About RenalSense

RenalSense (www.renalsense.com) is a privately owned medical device company dedicated to real-time renal diagnostics. The company's first product, Clarity RMS, provides continuous, automatic monitoring for early detection of AKI. RenalSense's next generation products will provide incremental real-time parameters and expanded diagnostic capabilities to further improve the practice of ICU and critical care management.

About Medtechnica

Medtechnica, founded in 1953, is the largest distributor of medical equipment and health services in Israel. The range of products marketed by the company includes X-ray imaging equipment, ultrasound imaging, cardiologic monitoring systems, equipment for operating rooms, therapeutic and surgical equipment, equipment for medical laboratories and more. Manufacturers represented by Medtechnica include Fresenius Kabi, Philips, Boston Scientific, Getinge, Masimo, Hologic, Elekta, J&J, Hill-Rom among other blue chip companies.

SOURCE RenalSense

Related Links

https://www.renalsense.com


[January 26, 2021] 'Beyond The Bottom Line' - New Vodcast Featuring Executives Speaking Candidly About The World of Work - Debuts on Major Podcast Platforms

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "Beyond The Bottom Line," a video podcast series featuring exclusive interviews with C-Suite executives of leading brands, launches today with its first four episodes. The program is hosted by Bert Miller, the CEO of MRINetwork , a leading executive recruitment firm with 325 offices in the U.S. and internationally, and Chairman of Protis Global , a search firm focused on consumer product brands. The series will be available on all major platforms including, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, and YouTube, as well as at bertmiller.com/episodes/ . In "Beyond the Bottom Line," Miller connects with business leaders across categories to discuss their proudest achievements, most significant challenges, and where they focus their energy each day. In the first four episodes, Miller interviews Pete Carr, Regional President of Bacardi North America, the world's largest, privately-held spirits company; Andy Callahan, CEO of the Hostess Brands line of iconic snack cake products; Sasha Yablonovsky, President of CareerBuilder , one of the largest online employment websites in the U.S., and Peter Mondavi Jr. and Judd Wallenbrock, Co-proprietor and CEO, respectively, of Charles Krug , the oldest winery in Napa Valley.



Interview topics range from how these C-suite executives have dealt with the pandemic in terms of supply chain logistics and employee-customer safety, to the rapid increase in e-commerce throughout 2020 and how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives will continue to shape the world of work in 2021. Upcoming C-suite guest interviews will be announced in the coming weeks. "It's a privilege for me to share topline insights and opinions from CEOs who are among America's brightest, most experienced executives. Their comments are not only fascinating but provide a collective blueprint on how we, as a nation, move forward in deciding the future of our economy, workforce, and a host of other topics relevant to anyone in the world of work," says Miller.

Here are select highlights from the first four episodes: Episode #1  "Modernizing a Legacy" guest starring Peter Mondavi Jr. and Judd Wallenbrock, Charles Krug Mondavi Jr.: "I don't know if it was destiny or not for me to become a winemaker. It wasn't explicitly stated within our family, perhaps implied, but I loved engineering, so that's why I pursued it in college. Really, how it's helped me in our business here is not the specific nuts and bolts that engineering may teach you, but it's the thought process. The curiosity that engages and applying that philosophy to wine-making and the wine business as well, has really helped." Wallenbrock: "The wine industry is used to things. We've had earthquakes. We've had 9/11. We've had economic crashes. Hell, for 13 years we were illegal [during the Great Depression]. I mean, we've been through a lot. But for me, when the pandemic hit, the very first person I called was my head of sales and I said, 'This is the time to attack. Let's start going after market share.' There were going to be a lot of people out there who would just sit back and say, 'Well, we're going to let this all blow over.' For me, it was like, 'No, let's go. It's market share, market share, market share, and attack.' It's actually proved to be quite a successful direction." Episode #2  "Catching Curveballs" guest starring Andy Callahan, Hostess Brands Callahan: "While I was in the Navy, I had a skipper when we were going to the Persian Gulf War and I remember him telling us, 'When preparation meets opportunity, that's what breeds success.' The military teaches you to prepare and prepare better than anybody else for something that you'll never likely have to executea crisis you need to prepare your values and culture to handle. I feel like Hostess was prepared." Episode #3  "Getting Creative in Times of Crisis" guest starring Peter Carr, Bacardi Limited Carr: "I operate the company off one sheet of paper; it's called 'plan on a page.' And that's where we really provide the organization direction as to where we're going and what we're doing. I probably have had that in place for six years now, and the entire company feeds off of that one sheet of paper. They know if it's on that one sheet of paper, we're going to do it, we're going to go execute it. And even during the pandemic, we haven't flinched. We never flinched for a minute. We never stopped. We actually never came out of high gear." Episode #4  "Building a Flexible Future " guest starring Sasha Yablonovsky, CareerBuilder Yablonovsky: "Companies are being a lot more flexible with work-from-home options. Now, companies are able to find skilled employees all over the country that will help propel and drive their businesses forward. White-collar workers are no longer tethered to a geographic location, and this is something that companies are very aware of. And it's a huge benefit for job seekers as well. You can get your dream job at your dream company." View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beyond-the-bottom-line--new-vodcast-featuring-executives-speaking-candidly-about-the-world-of-work--debuts-on-major-podcast-platforms-301214318.html SOURCE Bert Miller

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First, I really want to say were really glad people are wanting to get vaccinated, and Im really glad people are being honest when they are filling out that form, Arwady said. I know everybodys pretty anxious to get vaccine, but just the truth of the matter is if codes are shared in ways beyond what theyre meant to be, we then are not able to get those folks vaccinated.
But that severing became less and less likely the more Trump made himself the focus of all of right-wing populisms cultural impulses, which he did with great success. If you felt disdained by the meritocracy or the media, if you felt ignored or sidelined by the power centers on the coasts, or if you feared the revolutionary mood apparent on the left in 2020, then siding with him against his enemies became not just one means to express those sentiments, but the first and only way.

Now this kind of populist loyalty to Trump requires embracing the belief that he just had a landslide election stolen. And as long as that idea defines the right, the space to be a populist who isnt just working to restore him or his family in 2024 (with all the prospects for Hawley-like debacles such work entails) seems somewhere between cramped and nonexistent.

Over the next few years, this will have two likely implications for the rights sincere economic populists. First, they will watch the Biden administration poach issues that they once hoped to own, from big tax breaks for families to big spending on domestic infrastructure. Second, they will watch their party nominate self-proclaimed populists, in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Arkansas that should be the base for a working-class conservatism, who are just acolytes for the cult of Trump  figures like Jim Jordan and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, lets say, with a policy agenda condensed to owning the libs and dog whistling to the QAnoners.

Such a future might seem to vindicate the left-wing view, expressed eloquently by Daniel Luban in a recent Dissent essay, that the general possibility of right-wing economic populism never materializes as specific political reality: Protracted experience suggests that we should only believe the American right can move left on economics once weve witnessed it happen.

Except this isnt quite what experience suggests. In fact, the American right usually moves somewhat left on economics when it takes the presidency: George W. Bushs spending habits were to the left of the Newt Gingrich-era Congresss, just as Trumps loose-money policies and abandonment of entitlement reform were to the left of the Obama-era G.O.P.s. (Even Ronald Reagan wasnt really a limited-government Reaganite of the sort his own cult recalls.)

Its more accurate to amend Lubans point and say that the American right doesnt usually move leftward on economics in a thoughtful, coherent and sustainable way  that the move is usually ad hoc, undercooked and cheerfully unprincipled, which makes it more likely to be abandoned once the party is out of power, treated as rubble instead of a foundation.

This is the problem that conservative policy thinkers and the occasional farsighted politician have sought to solve: If the partys move to the center is inevitable, why not make it sustainable and serious and effective at achieving conservative goals?
WASHINGTON - The House on Monday formally delivered an article of impeachment charging former president Donald Trump with inciting the deadly insurrection at the Capitol, and Democrats prepared to use his own words as evidence against him in his Senate trial next month.

With solemn looks on their mask-covered faces, the nine House impeachment managers walked over to the Senate shortly after 7 p.m. Monday to deliver the article against Trump, setting in motion his second Senate impeachment trial.

While no final decisions on trial strategy have been made, House managers are concentrating on building their case around Trump personally - what he said in the run-up to the Jan. 6 attack and at a rally that day, and how his words were interpreted in the White House and outside it, according to people familiar with the deliberations.

The impeachment managers and their advisers have been meeting daily, scouring hundreds of hours of evidence - including footage scraped from the conservative Parler and other social media sites - to build an elaborate timeline that is being constantly updated, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the internal discussions.

One idea under consideration: to produce a video that highlights how the rioters reacted to Trump's remarks that day and that shows footage of the violent mob inside the building.

At the same time, allies of Trump are growing bullish that as more time passes since the fatal siege, the momentum in favor of convicting the former president and permanently barring him from public office is fading.

"There are only a handful of Republicans and shrinking who will vote against him," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has been advising Trump on the upcoming proceedings.

3 1 of 3 Washington Post photo by Salwan Georges Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Washington Post photo by Salwan Georges Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Trump's coming Senate trial, which is not set to begin in earnest until Feb. 9, has ensured that the remnants of the Trump presidency are hanging over the first days of President Joe Biden's tenure, complicating his immediate agenda on Capitol Hill such as confirmation of his Cabinet and passage of a massive pandemic relief package.

Biden and his aides have assiduously avoided getting involved in the political morass of impeachment surrounding his predecessor, though the trial is likely to consume all of the oxygen in Washington once opening arguments begin next month.

Senators will be sworn in as jurors on Tuesday, when Trump will receive the official summons. But the official trial proceedings will be delayed until the week of Feb. 8 under a delayed timeline first proposed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and later approved by Biden.

Several Republican senators, including McConnell, have made it clear that they would consider voting to convict Trump. But it is improbable that at least 17 GOP senators would favor doing so.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said Monday that Democrats, in pursuing impeachment against Trump, were being "sore winners" and that there were not enough Republicans who would vote to convict him.

"Why are we doing this?" he added.

Three Republicans were on the Senate floor Monday evening when the House managers arrived to deliver the article of impeachment: McConnell, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas.

"President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government," Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead impeachment manager, said on the Senate floor, reading the article. "He threatened the integrity of the Democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power and imperiled a coequal branch of government."

Senior GOP officials said they expected at least one Senate Republican to move to dismiss the charge against Trump quickly, though such a vote would serve primarily as an early litmus test of how receptive GOP senators would be to arguments that Trump fomented the riot at the Capitol and that he should be permanently barred from public office because of it.

The party remains split over how fiercely to back Trump during the impeachment, with Republican Party committee members debating whether to pass a resolution on the former president's behalf over a long email thread throughout the weekend. A number of them have been pushing for a formal resolution of support of the former president.

The debate over whether to back the president and the resolution ended when Henry Barbour, a GOP committee member from Mississippi, asked that the conversation be taken offline, according to people familiar with the emails.

The next two weeks will give the president's lawyers, led by South Carolina attorney Butch Bowers, and the nine House impeachment managers time to prepare briefs and their legal arguments.

House Democrats have pulled together an extensive outline of the case and the constitutional arguments intended to rebut arguments from some Republicans that a former president cannot be impeached, according to the people familiar with the discussions.

One item of particular interest to impeachment managers is a 10-minute video released Monday by Just Security, an online forum hosted by the Reiss Center on Law and Security at New York University's law school, which shows how Trump's words were heard and interpreted by those who ransacked the Capitol, according to people familiar with the managers' trial preparations.

The House managers say visuals are central in prosecuting the case against Trump because the evidence is in plain sight and will remind senators of what they experienced that day, when the rioters got perilously close to lawmakers and then-Vice President Mike Pence.

Democrats are collecting clips of the siege and probably will work with an outside firm that will weave together the images as evidence to be presented to senators, according to the people with knowledge of the plan.

Any rules regarding whether videos can be submitted during the impeachment trial probably will be handled in an agreement between Senate Democrats and Republicans, setting up the parameters of the proceedings. If not, senators can later vote whether to admit video evidence and witnesses.

The House managers are operating under the expectation that there will be an opportunity for video presentations, the people said.

They are also deliberating the issue of presenting witnesses, including those who were caught up in the Capitol attack and those who may have interacted with Trump during the Jan. 6 riot and the days leading to it. House Democrats have informally discussed with their Senate counterparts their desire to call witnesses during the trial, though - as with the video evidence - nothing has been finalized.

The prospect that footage of Trump could be used as evidence against him is a marked contrast to his first impeachment trial, when Democrats called a parade of witnesses to testify before a House committee - then featured clips of their public testimony in the Senate.

In that trial, the case they sought to make that Trump abused his power and obstructed Congress in pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Biden and his family hinged on testimony about actions that occurred largely behind the scenes.

But this time, much of the evidence is in the public sphere, and Democrats say the senators themselves are effectively witnesses, having lived through the violent siege at the Capitol.

Raskin, an expert in constitutional law and the lead impeachment manager, will also make the Democrats' case to senators that it is constitutional to impeach a president even if he is no longer in office, according to a person briefed on the strategy.

Democrats and some Republicans, such as Romney, have said a former president can be impeached. Other GOP senators who were infuriated by Trump's conduct but nonetheless are not compelled to convict a president who is no longer in office have suggested the move may not be constitutional.

"It makes no sense whatsoever that a president or any official could commit a heinous crime against our country and then defeat Congress's impeachment powers by simply resigning so as to avoid accountability and a vote to disqualify them from future office," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

John Bolton, the former Trump national security adviser who emerged as a vocal critic of Trump, savagely criticized the idea of a Senate impeachment trial Monday in a piece in the National Review, saying the exercise was ultimately impractical and would benefit Trump, not those who wish to see him banished from the national political stage.

"Like Impeachment 1.0, the 2021 edition is badly conceived, poorly executed, and likely to produce precisely what the first round did: results 180 degrees contrary to the objectives that impeachment supporters say they want," Bolton wrote in the conservative publication.

Now ensconced at his private club in South Florida, the former president is continuing to cobble together his legal and public relations team, which will differ significantly from the formal White House apparatus that surrounded him in his first impeachment trial last year. Trump is expected to stay in Florida during the trial, according to an adviser.

Jason Miller, who has served as a Trump senior adviser in both his presidential bids, is handling much of the communications work for impeachment, and the former president has asked a coterie of House Freedom Caucus members to flood the airwaves to defend him.

Trump's team is planning to circulate additional polling in the coming days, paid for by his PAC, to warn Republican senators of the political consequences of voting to convict him.

Graham said he has reassured Trump that he would not be convicted and that it was a simple case.

"He's thinking about the trial and decompressing," Graham said. "I think he appreciates having some of the extra time he didn't have in the past."

Bowers, a longtime South Carolina GOP lawyer whom Graham connected with Trump, did not respond to requests for comment.

Graham and others said the president was likely to expand his legal team, but many of his longtime attorneys, including Jay Sekulow, Pat Cipollone and Rudy Giuliani, are either uninterested or not involved.

Sekulow, Cipollone and Giuliani did not respond to requests for comment.

In another difference from last year's trial, Chief Justice John Roberts is not expected to preside in next month's proceedings and in his place will be Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore and the most senior Democrat in the chamber, according to an official familiar with the matter.

The Constitution calls for the chief justice of the United States to president over an impeachment trial for a sitting president of the United States. Otherwise, senators preside over proceedings for any official who is not in the White House, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Leahy's role, first reported by CNN, began sparking some pushback from some of Trump's conservative allies who argued that not having the chief justice preside delegitimizes the trial, though he does not appear to be constitutionally required to do so because Trump is not the current president.

"If Chief Justice Roberts can't be bothered to come over for the so-called impeachment, makes you wonder if this exercise is constitutional at all," tweeted Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

A Supreme Court spokeswoman said Roberts had no comment on whether he declined entreaties to preside over Trump's second impeachment trial. Leahy defended his ability to be impartial in his presiding duties, which are largely ceremonial anyway.

"I'm not presenting the evidence. I am making sure that procedures are followed," Leahy told reporters on Monday. "I don't think there's any senator who - over the 40-plus years I've been here - that would say that I am anything but impartial in voting on procedure."

- - -

The Washington Post's Robert Barnes contributed to this report.
Paradoxically, this upped my appreciation for the magic of fiction, particularly when I tried my own hand at it and saw how easy it is to break the spell for the reader. Because not all of us are going to study creative writing, I spent the last 15 years of my teaching career trying to bring this sense of agency to all the writing students will do, a philosophy embodied in my own book, The Writers Practice.
Statehouse Reporter

Danny Jin is the Eagle's Statehouse reporter. A graduate of Williams College, he previously interned at the Eagle and The Christian Science Monitor. Danny can be reached at djin@berkshireeagle.com or on Twitter at @djinreports.
SPRINGFIELD  Developer Gordon Pulsifer agreed with city councilors on Monday to expand dialogue with residents in the Mason Square area about his major housing project planned at the historic Knox automobile buildings.

Pulsifer, of First Resource Development Corp., presented the project plans during a remote public hearing, saying the project is especially focused on safety with ample nighttime lighting, extensive security cameras in common areas and outside, and videos for tenants to see visitors ringing doors.

Pulsifer is seeking permits for 96 housing units  55 at one Knox building at 53 Wilbraham Road and 41 more at the adjacent building at 42 Waltham Ave.

The project is at the juncture of the Old Hill and Upper Hill neighborhoods. Pulsifer said he was not successful yet in meeting with Upper Hill representatives. He did speak with a representative of the Old Hill council.

The Knox automotive factory operated in the early 1900s, building cars, trucks, fire trucks and farm tractors. It is on a state list of most endangered historic properties, Pulsifer said.

Pulsifer and his company have already renovated the nearby historic Indian Motocycle property, and felt it was critical to save the Knox building.

I said, oh my, we need to do something here, he said.

Adrian Osborne, an Upper Hill president, said the neighborhood needs the hearing for due diligence on the proposed project.

The hearings are conducted by remote, due to the coronavirus, but the City Council accepts public comments prior to its final vote, including by email.

Pulsifer said parking for the two buildings meet all requirements including the purchase of some private property, and there will be one-way traffic into and out of the complex.

There will be a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.

The council continued the hearing until its next regular meeting on Feb. 8.

Councilor Jesse Lederman said the project could be a game changer in that area.

In other action, the council heard plans for a change of ownership at a planned marijuana retail store at 311 Page Blvd. in East Springfield.

Part-owner Timothy Rooke of Springfield, a former city councilor, already has a special permit for the plans, but has to amend it to include a partner. John Gallaher would replace former partners Zach Harvey and Seth Jaffe.

The council is expected to take a final vote at the Feb. 8 meeting.
Master of Malt's Macallan auction raises 36K for Hospitality Action

Master of Malt has raised more than 36,000 for Hospitality Action through an auction of rare bottlings from The Macallan.

The online retailer auctioned bottles from The Macallan's Red Collection in aid of UK charity Hospitality Action, which has been supporting staff in the industry whose jobs and lives have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. In total the auction raised 36,510.

Launched in October 2020, The Macallan Red Collection is a series of ongoing aged expressions and high-aged guest releases which is designed to celebrate the brand's long-standing connection with the colour red, as well as showcasing some of its finest - and oldest - Scotch whiskies.

In a release about the auction, Master of Malt said: "At Master of Malt, we have a history of running lotteries and charity auctions for highly sought-after allocations. It only made sense when The Macallan Red Collection came along that we auction it, with the proceeds going to Hospitality Action."

Justin Petszaft, Master of Malt CEO, said: "It's been a hard year for everyone, but particularly those in the hospitality sector, so we've been looking for ways to help them weather the storm until they can fully reopen.

"The Macallan is always highly collectible, so we knew demand for this collection would be high, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to help raise some much-needed funds for our friends in the on-trade."

26 January 2021 - Bethany Whymark
Royal Household staff are going to enjoy the benefits of 'flexible working' even after the pandemic, it has been revealed.

Like organisations across the country, the Royal Household has been forced to adapt to Covid-19 restrictions and has introduced flexible working options for its 1,200 members of staff who work at royal residences across the UK.

A job advert for a Senior Employee Communications Assistant, responsible for keeping internal digital platforms updated, hints there are plans to continue remote working even once restrictions lift.

The Queen's (pictured in December) staff at Buckingham Palace staff are likely going to enjoy 'more flexible ways of working' after the pandemic

The Royal Household are advertising for a Senior Employee Communications Assistant to keep internal digital platforms updated as employees continue remote working

The posting for the 27,000-a-year role, based at Buckingham Palace, reads: 'Working as part of our professional and supportive HR team, you'll underpin all aspects of our employee communications and will join at an interesting and important time.

'With c.1200 employees spanning a diverse range of roles, our internal digital platforms are currently more important than ever; ensuring everyone is informed, connected, engaged and able to work effectively regardless of their location.

'And as we look ahead, more flexible ways of working is likely to continue post pandemic, making your role key to our future.'

The successful candidate will create posts and videos to keep staff and potential job applicants up-to-date with the latest goings on, the posting continues.

The posting adds: 'No two days will be the same. And as you support others, you'll have exceptional opportunities to grow your own career.

A job advert for a Senior Employee Communications Assistant, pictured, responsible for keeping internal digital platforms updated, hints there are plans to continue remote working even once restrictions lift

'We don't stand still here; and you'll be encouraged to make an impact at the heart of this world-famous institution.'

Analysis carried out by 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.

A source told Vanity Fair earlier this month that Her Majesty is preparing for her return to work after being vaccinated against Covid-19.

Yesterday Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge all shared video messages to celebrate Burn's Night.
Ukraine world's second-largest grain exporter in 2019/20 MY

The United States has topped the list.

Reporting by UNIAN

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INFORMATION secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana was yesterday forced to retract allegations that he made to the effect that some medical practitioners in the country were deliberately killing Zanu PF politicians and hiding behind the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mangwana had made the offensive statement on his official Twitter handle where he claimed that some doctors had become medical assassins and were acting like mini Josef Mengele, a German Nazi officer and physician who performed medical experiments on Jews during World War II.

His statement came soon after the deaths, due to COVID-19 of Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo, Transport minister Joel Biggie Matiza and Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba and other Zanu PF stalwarts last week.

However, his statement was roundly condemned, as doctors immediately responded and blasted him for making reckless statements that had the effect of stoking tensions in the country which is currently struggling to contain the second wave of the coronavirus.

But yesterday, Mangwana apologised saying that he had no intention to offend the doctors.

I expressed my personal opinion on an issue a DR (doctor) had tweeted on. I had no intention to offend any doctors or call any of them names. Since it has caused such offence, I withdraw it and apologise for any offence caused. I just hope we can move on and not be distracted from work at hand, Mangwana tweeted.

Most of the now-deceased ministers were admitted at local private hospitals. Mangwana alleged that some of the countrys doctors were political activists.

Meanwhile, discord has erupted among teachers unions over a call by the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) that government should come up with COVID-19 mitigation strategies to open schools soon.

This was said by the Zimta chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu who felt that it was imperative for the government to map out strategies to reopen schools so that the childrens future is not destroyed.

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) immediately reacted saying it would be suicidal to encourage government to reopen schools anytime soon. In a statement, the PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou said Zimtas assertions were ill-conceived.

Teachers and pupils are not immune to the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when government officials are decimated by COVID-19, it is foolhardy to imagine that government can protect teachers and pupils. Government has shown no interest to buy testing kits in order to test all the 136 000 teachers and almost five million learners, Zhou said.

He said the PTUZ would resist any attempts to reopen schools at a time teachers welfare had not been considered.

We will not allow a situation where teachers and pupils are taken as if they are of no account in Zimbabwe. Teachers and pupils lives matter, Zhou said. Newsday
The province is still on track to begin mass vaccinations against COVID-19 later this month despite interruptions in the supply of vaccine shipments, Dr. Bonnie Henry said Monday.
Carolina Darias has taken up the reigns at Spains Ministry of Health just days after the country recorded the worst weekend of the entire pandemic during the third wave of the virus.

Salvador Illa quit his top post at the height of the pandemic to follow political aspirations in the forthcoming Catalan regional elections.

Carolina Darias was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1965 and started her political career in 1999 before moving on to become the first woman to preside over the Canary Islands parliament.

On 12 March 2020, it was reported that Darias had been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused coronavirus pandemic. She was the second member of the Spanish government to be infected by the virus, after it was reported that Minister of Equality Irene Montero had tested positive for the virus earlier the same day.

However, the challenge Darias now faces is almost certainly greater than the one that Illa faced in March when there was less knowledge of the virus and a vaccine was not on the horizon.

Spain is now submerged in the middle of the third wave after registering the worst weekend of the entire pandemic.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 21:49:46|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- As of Tuesday, over 475,333 hectares of arable land had been affected by drought, and 170,000 villagers had difficulty getting drinking water, according to data from the Ministry of Water Resources.

Some cities and counties in Zhejiang, Guangdong and Yunnan provinces had tight water supply in recent days, affecting around 1.4 million people, the ministry said.

Parts of southern China will likely continue to see water shortages, partly due to less rainfall and inadequate reservoir water storage.

Local authorities should closely monitor drought developments, speed up emergency water project construction, and ensure safe drinking water.

The ministry also sent three work teams to Zhejiang, Guangxi and Yunnan to help with drought relief. Enditem
CNN's Chris Cuomo interviewed left-wing darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and naturally asked why she didn't attend Biden's inauguration. Her reason, she said, was that she and some of her colleagues "don't yet feel safe around other Members of Congress."

Cuomo, making an awkward attempt to speak in her generational tongue, asked for her to clarify. "You really think that colleagues of yours in Congress may do you dirty?"

Of course, she said. After all, people have guns there, which is just unacceptable in the District of Columbia. "For individuals who don't know," she says, "guns are not allowed in the District of Columbia."

We've become accustomed to such displays of pure ignorance from the young bartender/taco waitressturned-congresswoman, but there's something in this exchange that seems particularly instructive.

First of all, that "guns are not allowed in the District of Columbia" is a shocking revelation to the people who legally own guns there. It must be particularly shocking to the people who have concealed carry permits issued in the District of Columbia. If you are interested in applying for one, you can find a link to D.C.'s Concealed Carry Pistol License Application here.

While that should be shocking enough, consider that the District of Columbia was the centerpiece of arguably the most pivotal Supreme Court ruling in American history. The 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller remains a vital precedent in current jurisprudence on the Second Amendment. The Supreme Court struck down the D.C. ban on handguns, holding that it violated the Constitution. Justice Scalia offered a magisterial review of the Second Amendment, including the way in which racists used gun control to disarm Blacks, and concluded that the entire weight of American law was that "the Second Amendment protected an individual right to use arms for self-defense."

Most people would conclude that this is all pretty important information as it relates to guns being "allowed in the District of Columbia." And honestly, given the circles in which she travels, AOC could be forgiven for not knowing it. But what's not forgivable is the presumption of her own expertise (and the public's ignorance) that precedes the totally incorrect thing that she so confidently said. "For individuals who don't know..."

Perhaps this is the logical result of a generation of children being raised to value their own opinions and feelings more than objective facts and truth. AOC feels so secure in her ignorance that she lectures the public for not subscribing to the falsehoods that she holds as her deepest beliefs, and she confidently gives audiences the full benefit of her inexperience.

And Cuomo, you'll notice, couldn't be bothered to correct her. But then, it seems clear that Chris "show me where it says that protests are supposed to be polite and peaceful" Cuomo seems none too knowledgeable about the First Amendment and has also proven his inability to grasp the purpose of the Second. Again, in fairness to AOC, one might conclude that her unwarranted confidence and self-assigned expertise are less a problem among the youth than they are a general problem among the left.

Image: AOC caricature by DonkeyHotey. CC BY-SA 2.0.
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Samsung last week rolled out the Android 11 update to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7+ tablets with One UI 3.1, making the Samsung flagship tablets the first device to get the One UI 3.1 update. Samsung has now revealed all the new features that are a part of the One UI 3.1 update. With One UI 3.1, Samsung is focusing on enhancing productivity and streamlining the Galaxy ecosystem more.

The One UI 3.1 update for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 series is rolling out for the devices in various markets. Samsung could release the same update to other smartphones and tablets over the next few months. Samsung has said that not all devices running on Samsung's One UI 3.1 will get all the features that the Galaxy Tab S7 series will get with the new update. After the new update, Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7+ users can now move across devices seamlessly by copy/pasting images and text with other devices running One UI 3.1 like the recently-launched Galaxy S21 series. One UI 3.1 users can also continue browsing the internet from where they left off on other devices using Samsung Internet. There is also a Second Screen feature that allows users to connect their Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7+ with their Wireless Display-capable Windows 10 PC for more screen space. The Extend Mode allows the Galaxy Tab S7 to act as the second screen and users can move app windows to the Galaxy Tab S7's screen. With the Duplicate Mode, the laptop's screen can be mirrored to the Galaxy Tab S7.

A Wireless Keyboard sharing feature allows users to use the Galaxy Tab S7's Book Cover Keyboard to type and navigate on the Galaxy S21. An Auto Switch feature can be used to share the Galaxy Buds Pro between the Galaxy S21 and the Galaxy Tab S7 when connected with both, depending on which device is being used more.
[January 26, 2021] The value of authenticity: Two thirds of shoppers prefer real customer photos from brands on social media, over professional shots

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Research from Bazaarvoice, the leading provider of product reviews and user-generated content (UGC) solutions, reveals visual and social user generated content is driving online retail purchases. The new report, A pictures worth a thousand purchases, finds that in addition to social media, almost three quarters (74%) of consumers prefer to see previous customers photos and videos on brand and retailer websites, rather than professionally shot images. The findings, based on responses from 8,000+ consumers across Australia, Canada, France, Germany, UK and US, also reveal 62% of consumers are more likely to buy if they can view both photo and video content from previous customers. Joe Rohrlich, CRO, Bazaarvoice comments, Relatable voices commenting on and reviewing a product instill trust in a brand and product amongst other consumers online. The more realistic and authentic audiences feel the review content is, the more confident they become when deciding to make a purchase. Visual driving social commerce As the most used social media network globally , Facebook is also the most popular destination when it comes to influencing purchases (25%) and the most likely social platform for consumers to purchase a product on (26%). Amongst 18-34 year-olds, however, Instagram is the most popular destination, with 31% using it as their main source of inspiration and 27% saying it is the most likely place for them to buy. Younger shoppers demonstrate a particularly strong preference for visual UGC on social media, as 73% o 18-34 year-olds prefer it when brands use visual UGC for social media outreach compared to an average of 64% across other age groups.



Shoppable images and videos are the type of content most likely to influence buying choices on social media (19%), ahead of video advertising (14%) and posts from followed brands (13%), suggesting rich content and the ease of buying on-platform are now critical in the customer journey. Fresh content is everything, however. Many want to see new visual UGC content from brands on social media more frequently than they do on websites  almost half (47%) of consumers want to see new UGC content on social media at least 2-3 times a week, with 10% of those expecting updates multiple times a day.

All in the details Visual UGC is most important for products that are typically higher in value, as consumers seek evidence and certainty about its quality, as well as the accuracy of the description before buying. For over a third of consumers (36%), technology and electronics is the most important category for reviewing photos and videos from other customers prior to purchase. Rohrlich comments, Visual content shared by previous customers can give shoppers confidence to click the buy button and reduce basket abandonment. Its the best way to demonstrate online how the product fits or works, and can help potential customers imagine how they would use the product in their own lives. When it comes to trusting the authenticity of a review when making a purchase, the quality of other customer reviews is the top priority (45%) compared to how recently a review was posted (32%) or the number of reviews a product has from previous customers (23%). Quality is in the eye of the beholder, however. For 1 in 5 consumers (21%), a quality review is judged to be one that includes photos and videos as well as text, more so than a well written review with good spelling and grammar (16%) or a review that clearly states when a product was purchased (11%). Keeping it real Rohrlich, concludes, The honesty and credibility of seeing other peoples real life photos and videos makes visual user generated content infinitely more valuable than a product description or professional photos. By enabling visual content from previous customers - as well as text-based reviews - on their platforms and social media, brands and retailers can turn a one dimensional customer experience into a dynamic one, that will simultaneously drive consumers to purchase. The trends across age groups suggest that those most engaged with online shopping - young shoppers - are the ones that find visual UGC most important. There is a huge opportunity for brands and retailers to stand out to these consumers with visual and social content. Methodology The research was commissioned by Bazaarvoice and conducted in November & December 2020 by Savanta among 8,051 consumers from the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany and Australia. About Bazaarvoice Thousands of the worlds leading brands and retailers trust Bazaarvoice technology, services, and expertise to drive revenue, extend reach, gain actionable insights, and create loyal advocates. Bazaarvoices extensive global retail, social, and search syndication network, product-passionate community, and enterprise-level technology provide the tools brands and retailers need to create smarter shopper experiences across the entire customer journey. Founded in 2005, Bazaarvoice is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in North America, Europe, and Australia. For more information, visit www.bazaarvoice.com Media Contacts:

Eleanor Simpson

Bazaarvoice

Eleanor.Simpson@bazaarvoice.com Lauren Venticinque

Bazaarvoice

Lauren.venticinque@bazaarvoice.com



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Most intimidating, Trump also has been reported to be thinking about forming a third party and calling it the Patriot Party, although he more recently appears to be intimidated himself by the math that does not appear to be on his side. A Trump-led third party most likely would divide his supporters widely enough for Democrats to drive through to victory.
A new study found that talented dogs can learn new words after hearing them only four times.

While preliminary evidence seems to show that most dogs do not learn words (i.e. names of objects), unless eventually very extensively trained, a few individuals have shown some exceptional abilities.

The Family Dog Project research team at the Department of Ethology, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest is investigating on these exceptionally talented dogs who seem to learn words in the absence of any formal training, but simply by being exposed to playing with their owners in the typical way owners do, in a human family.

Video abstract of the study: https:/ / youtu. be/ Wr_P5NR1A3k

A new study, just published in Scientific Reports, has provided surprising results about how quickly the gifted dogs can learn new words. Two gifted dogs, a Border Collie named Whisky, from Norway, already famous for her spontaneous categorization skills and a Yorkshire terrier named Vicky Nina, from Brazil, participated in this experiment. Their ability to learn a new word after hearing it only four times was tested.

While it is natural to think that dogs, like human children, would learn words mostly in a social context, previous studies tested the ability of talented dogs to learn object names during an exclusion-based task. In such task the dog was confronted with a setup in which seven familiar, already named dog toys were present, together with a novel one and his ability to choose the novel object upon hearing a novel name was tested.

"We wanted to know under which conditions the gifted dogs may learn novel words. To test this, we exposed Whisky and Vicky Nina to the new words in two different conditions" explains Claudia Fugazza, first author of the study, "during an exclusion-based task and in a social playful context with their owners. Importantly, in both conditions the dogs heard the name of the new toy only 4 times".

In the exclusion-based task, the dogs showed that they were able to select the new toy when their owner spoke a new name, confirming that dogs can choose by exclusion - i.e., excluding all the other toys because they already have a name, and selecting the only one that does not. However, this was not the way they would learn the name of the toy. In fact, when tested on their ability to recognize the toy by its name, as this was confronted with another equally novel name, the dogs failed.

The other condition, the social one, where the dogs played with their owners who pronounced the name of the toy while playing with the dog, proved to be the successful way to learn the name of the toy, even after hearing it only 4 times. Whisky and Vicky Nina were able to select the toys based on their names when they had learned the names this way.

"Such rapid learning seems to be similar to the way human children acquire their vocabulary around 2-3 years of age", comments Adam Miklosi, head of the Department of Ethology and co-author of the study.

To test whether most dogs would learn words this way, other 20 dogs were tested in the same condition, but none of them showed any evidence of learning the toy names, confirming that the capacity to learn words rapidly, in the absence of formal training is very rare and is only present in few gifted dogs.

After such few exposures, however, Whisky's and Vicky Nina's memory of the learned words decayed quite fast. While in the first test, conducted a couple of minutes after hearing the toy names, the dogs were successful, they did not succeed in most of the tests conducted after 10 minutes and 1 hour.

To find out more about the number of words that the gifted dogs can learn in a short timeframe, the researchers of Eotvos Lorand University have also recently launched the Genius Dog Challenge a project that became viral in the social media.

Vicky Nina, unfortunately, passed away in the meantime and could not take part in the Genius Dog Challenge. Whisky is participating in it, together with other five talented dogs that the scientists found all over the world in the past two years of search.

###
[January 26, 2021] HONOR Announces #StandOutWithHONOR Global Winners and Partners with Affinity to Empower Productivity and Creativity

#StandOutWithHONOR Global Creative Program winners earn four-week internship at leading creative agency Grey in the UK and Germany

Grey in the UK and HONOR MagicBook customers receive 50% discount across Affinity's suite of professional and creative apps LONDON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global technology brand HONOR today announced the final winners of its #StandOutWithHONOR global creative program, which was designed to encourage people to unleash their creativity and upskill during this difficult time. HONOR has also partnered with creative software provider Affinity to provide HONOR MagicBook customers an exclusive 50% discount across Affinity's suite of professional and creative apps including Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Czech Republic. The Affinity partnership forms part of the HONOR Academy #StandOutWithHONOR global creative program, to help students take their job-hunting skills and CVs to the next level. Through the program, people were invited to take part in a series of challenges to showcase their creativity for the chance to earn a four-week paid internship at leading creative agency Grey in the UK and Germany. After submitting several creative designs using the MagicBook Pro and Affinity Apps and impressing in an interview, Katie Richardson from South West London was announced as the winning candidate who will take up the coveted internship position in the London office, whilst Jose Mendes from Portugal will be joining Grey's German office. Speaking about the experience, Katie said: "Creativity and design have always been a big part of my life, so the Stand Out with HONOR global creative program was the perfect platform to support my career ambitions. As many students can relate, 2020 has been a difficult year with limited opportunities to build up a strong creative portfolio or network, so I'm thrilled I've earnt the opportunity to work with some of the best in the business to help propel my career forward. I can't wait to see what 2021 will bring for the creative industry." HONOR MagicBook Series: Designed to Unleash Your Creativity The HONOR MagicBook Pro is pre-installed with Microsoft Windows 10 and is powered by AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, providing you with all the power needed to create and breeze through heavy duty tasks, whether it's photo editing or 3D rendering, thanks to its advanced processor. There's no compromise to battery lifethe HONOR MagicBook Pro gets up to 11 hours of productivity on a single charge. The stunning 16.1-inch FullView display makes it perfect for viewing photos, movies and browsing the web as well as for applying for new roles. With a smaller footprint, measuring at just 369 x 234 x 16.9 mm, its compact and lightweight design makes the HONOR MagicBook Pro perfect for today's flexible workforce and students, allowing users to work on the go, wherever they may be. For something even more compact, the HONOR MagicBook 14 and 15 enhance the computing experience with a stunning minimalist design and a FullView display, all packed into in a slim and lightweight body. he HONOR MagicBook Pro (16+512GB) is available now from 849.99, whilst you can pick up the HONOR MagicBook 14 (8+256GB) and HONOR MagicBook 15 (8+256GB) from 549.99 - kitted out with all the pro tools and power you need, without the hefty price tag.



The newly launched HONOR MagicBook Pro powered by 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10210U processor started pre-sale for 949.99 on HIHONOR United Kingdom from 21st January and will arrive in other markets in Q1 2021. To claim your 50% Affinity discount, follow these simple steps:

Purchase a HONOR MagicBook Pro from hihonor.com

Add a picture of your HONOR MagicBook or your order confirmation of an HONOR MagicBook in the comments (with a watermark/something to prove it's a unique photo/screenshot) on HONOR Community.

HONOR will send you the QR code via the HONOR community.

Scan the QR Code, enter the website and proceed to purchase

Valid until 31.01.2021*

Available to redeem in the UK, France , Germany , Italy , Spain , France and Czech Republic Existing MagicBook owners or those looking to win 50% off Affinity Software can head over to the HONOR Community in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Czech Republic to find out more. About HONOR Established in 2013, HONOR is a leading global provider of smart devices. We are committed to becoming a global iconic tech brand and enabling a smart life across all scenarios and all channels, for all people. With a strategic focus on innovation, quality and service, HONOR is dedicated to developing technology that empowers people around the globe to go beyond through its R&D capabilities and forward-looking technology, as well as creating a new intelligent world for everyone with its portfolio of innovative products. For more information, please visit HONOR online at www.hihonor.com http://community.hihonor.com/

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Lee So-yeon as Park Nam-ok in a scene from "Apres-Girl," a performance about Korea's first female film director / Courtesy of National Theater of Korea



By Kwon Mee-yoo



From past to present, many of the world's greatest film directors started as cinephiles and Park Nam-ok (1923-2017), Korea's first female film director, is no exception. Having maintained a strong interest in film from a young age, she quit Ewha Women's Professional School to write film reviews for a newspaper and worked as a scripter and assistant editor at a film company after the 1950-53 Korean War. Park was one of the few who blazed a trail for women in Korea's movie industry.



"Apres-Girl," a joint production of three troupes under the National Theater Company of Korea (NTCOK), brought to the stage last week the tale of the woman who famously directed a film with a baby on her back. The National Changgeuk Company of Korea, the National Dance Company of Korea and the National Orchestra of Korea all joined hands for the first time in nine years after "Kim Hong-do" in 2011.



The production, which was scheduled to run about a month from December, was cut down to less than a week from Jan. 20 to 24 due to the theater's temporary closure as the nation's COVID-19 infections spiked at the end of last year.



Despite the shortened run, the show portrayed the bumpy yet passionate life of a film lover who created her own movie amid difficulties.



The term "apres-girl," newly coined after the Korean War, refers to the independent women that emerged after the war. The term comes from the French word apres-guerre, meaning post-war period.



The performances juxtaposed Park working on her film "The Widow" and major events in her life.





A scene from "Apres-Girl," a performance about Korea's first female film director Park Nam-ok / Courtesy of National Theater of Korea



Soon after giving birth to her child in July 1954, Park started film "The Widow," centering on various female characters living the turbulent post-war era. She had her infant child strapped on her back as she worked, installed the set in her own yard and made meals for the crew members to save on production costs.



The film revolves around war widow Shin, who receives financial help from her late husband's friend to survive. Later, Shin falls in love with a young man Taek and even sends her daughter to relatives to allow her to move in with Taek.



"Apres-Girl" jumps from Park shooting "The Widow" to memories of her past, which allows viewers to gain an insight into Park as a woman who suffered failures but never gave up her enthusiasm for film.



Park was a shot-putter in her high school days, setting the national record three times. Playwright Go Yeon-ok related this sport to Park's life, with the line saying "I can throw anything no matter how heavy it is."



However, it was not easy for Park to pursue her dream in art and film. Her attempt to attend Uneno Art School in Japan, now Tokyo University of Fine Arts, was thwarted by her high school, which only allowed students to apply for Nara Women's School of Education.



At university, the dormitory's housemistress told Park off for wanting to be a film director, instead of the wife of a high-ranking official.





A scene from "Apres-Girl," a performance about Korea's first female film director Park Nam-ok / Courtesy of National Theater of Korea



She once attempted to smuggle herself into Japan to study film and art, but the ship became stranded and Park was detained at a camp in Japan before being sent back to Korea. The scene of Park on the smuggler to Japan is described with a chorus emphasizing the nature of "changgeuk," Korean opera featuring pansori, with a surprise appearance of Yun Sim-deok, Korea's first professional soprano who jumped into the Korea Straits in 1926 in Park's imagination.



After many hardships, Park's first-ever film was released the next year, but it was taken down shortly after its release as it failed to attract viewers. Park's husband asked her to divorce. The only thing left for Park was the title of Korea's first female film director and her baby on her back. "The Widow" was Park's first and last film.



Though the film was on screen for only three days, "The Widow" received favorable reviews from critics. "(The film) captured everyday feelings from the angle only a female director would capture," one review of "The Widow" reads.



"Apres-Girl" is directed by Kim Kwang-bo, a veteran director and artistic director of the National Theater Company of Korea. Though Kim has a knack for highlighting actors, it might have been better to have a female director to lead "Apres-Girl," like Park did.





The chief executive officer of a Canadian casino company thats being bought by Apollo Global Management Inc. has resigned after being ticketed for breaking emergency rules to travel to a remote town in northern Canada to receive a Covid-19 vaccine.

Rod Baker, who had served as Great Canadian Gaming Corp.s CEO since 2011, has been charged for violating Yukons Civil Emergency Measures Act, said Matthew Cameron, a spokesman for the cabinet office of the Canadian territory. Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and BNN Bloomberg Television earlier confirmed that Baker and his wife, Ekaterina Baker, were charged.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

The couple arrived in Whitehorse, Yukons capital city, on Jan. 19 and traveled to the community of Beaver Creek two days later, violating a 14-day self-isolation rule, Cameron said. There, they received the Moderna vaccine after claiming to be new employees at an area motel, the CBC reported.

Great Canadian announced Bakers resignation on Monday and said Terrance Doyle, the companys president for strategic growth and chief compliance officer, will take the CEO position in the interim.

No Tolerance

Great Canadians board of directors has no tolerance for actions that run counter to the companys objectives and values," Chuck Keeling, a spokesman, said in an emailed statement. The company declined to comment on whether Bakers resignation was directly related to the violations but said it takes health and safety protocols seriously.

Since the onset of the pandemic our overriding focus as a company has been on doing everything we can to keep our people healthy, and to enable our communities to combat the spread of Covid-19," Keeling said. A representative of Apollo declined to comment because the firm wasnt involved in the matter.

Great Canadian has agreed to be bought by New York-based Apollo for about C$2.5 billion ($2 billion). Apollos offer was approved by shareholders in late December after the private equity firm boosted the price to win over a group of holdout investors.

Great Canadian has said it expects the deal, which still requires regulatory approvals, to be completed in the second quarter.

A slow rollout of vaccines in Canada has strained national nerves, leading some residents to head to the U.S. to get their jabs. However, the public has shown little sympathy for those jumping queues or breaking government guidelines. A number of public officials, including Ontarios finance minister, were forced to step down after traveling abroad over the Christmas holidays.

Potentially risking the health of residents in Canadas remote, largely indigenous, territories is seen as particularly fraught given a long history of disease transmission from the south. Entire northern villages were wiped out in the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918, which arrived in the country with returning World War I soldiers.

Beaver Creek has fewer than 125 people and is near the Alaska border.

I am outraged by this selfish behavior," John Streicker, Yukons Community Services Minister, said in a statement.

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Jacob Chansley, the QAnon adherent who wore a horned coyote-skin headdress to the Capitol riot, is one of the most recognizable faces of the Jan. 6 siege by supporters of former president Donald Trump. Chansley was photographed standing at the Senate dais Mike Pence had deserted moments earlier, and authorities say he left the former vice president a threatening note.

Chansley's notoriety has prompted his St. Louis attorney, Albert Watkins, to attempt an audacious legal feat: to redefine a far-right activist dressed in Viking garb as a peace-loving yoga enthusiast.

"This is a man whose hero is Mahatma Gandhi," Watkins said of Chansley, who is charged with violent entry, disorderly conduct and obstruction of an official proceeding, among other offenses. "Look at the fur and look at the horns and look at the tattoos surrounding the nipples of this bare-chested man. I doubt there's one person in North America who would say that's the man I want leading me in a charge to overthrow the government."

In the face of widespread video evidence that horrified the nation, Watkins is part of a growing corps of lawyers looking for ways to defend more than 135 people charged with everything from assault and trespassing, to stealing government property, and conspiring to subvert democracy. As part of that effort, lawyers are poring over reams of social media posts and news footage for any evidence that could be used to change the public perception of their clients or minimize their roles in the Capitol siege, which left five dead and injured more than 100 police officers.

Some are planning to blame Trump, the former president who was impeached on charges that he incited the riot, and invoke a legal concept known as the public authority defense -- the argument that the rioters were simply following orders from a government official. It's not clear that such a strategy will succeed in the courtroom.

For some accused rioters, one tack for the defense may be to show that they didn't have the intent to do harm or cause damage, which prosecutors must establish for a conviction to stand. Attorneys with clients facing lesser charges are looking to poke holes in what may be flimsier evidence.

And some lawyers have almost certainly begun thinking about how they can get the best plea deal for their clients, whether that involves cooperating with the government or admitting to a crime but not going to jail, legal experts said.

"There's no defense" for rioters who were caught on camera stealing furniture or smashing windows, said Jeffrey Bellin, an expert on criminal law at William & Mary Law School. "But the ones where there's just a picture of a person in the Capitol, those will be more challenging" for prosecutors to prove, Bellin said.

Rioters who have not been accused of violence are likely to point to the lax conduct of the police and argue that they didn't realize it was illegal to enter the Capitol, lawyers said.

"We see some individuals walking throughout the building who are not destroying any property and are doing nothing more than being in the Capitol," said Robert Jenkins, a lawyer in Virginia representing Joshua Pruitt, one of the first to be charged. "Regardless of what type of T-shirt they had on, or hat they had on, or even words they may have been saying in the building, none of that makes it a crime."

In almost every case that the U.S. has brought so far, the evidence that the accused rioters were inside the Capitol is virtually irrefutable because of the trail of videos and photos of the mob posted to social media. But defense lawyers are still parsing the reams of footage in search of evidence that might undermine the charges or prompt a more lenient sentence if their client is convicted. Such evidence could include a clip of a defendant cooperating with police officers or telling others to leave the building.

"We've done a comprehensive vetting of the video," Watkins said. "There is zero video footage that we have that displays any sort of violence or malfeasance of any nature on the part of our client. We have identified numerous instances and demonstrations of our client admonishing people to go home."

Trump appeared to send his supporters the opposite message during his speech at a rally before the riot, urging the crowd to "show strength" and "fight much harder." While most legal experts say that federal prosecutors would have a hard time charging the former president with incitement for those comments, his role in egging on the crowd could allow defense lawyers to argue that the rioters are not guilty because a government official gave them permission to act.

"If you want to lay blame for the sinking of the Titanic, all you have to do is look at the captain," said Joseph Low, who works as a criminal defense attorney in California. "Whether you agree with Trump or not, he was the president at the time. He was the commander in chief. They followed him."

Some legal experts question whether blaming Trump will result in acquittals. "That defense didn't work at Nuremberg, and it's not going to work here," said Florida criminal defense lawyer Joel Hirschhorn, referring to the post-World War II trials of Nazis, some of whom argued they were just following orders.

Still, in preliminary hearings and court filings, alleged rioters and their lawyers have begun framing the unrest at the Capitol as the result of Trump's violent rhetoric.

Robert Sanford, a retired firefighter who was charged with assaulting a group of police officers at the Capitol, told a friend that he joined the riot at "the president's instructions," according to legal records.

Some lawyers have suggested they may employ that same defense in court. At a bail hearing on Jan. 15, the defense attorney representing Richard Barnett, a 60-year-old from Arkansas who was photographed with his feet on a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, noted that "nobody who stepped up to the lectern that day, who got on the podium and provoked this event, has been called before the bar of justice."

The photographs of Barnett at the Capitol -- where he left an obscene note in Pelosi's office -- turned him into one of the poster boys of the insurrection. Barnett's lawyer, Anthony Siano, spent much of a recent bail hearing attempting to paint a different picture, calling witnesses who attested to Barnett's honesty and good character. A friend said Barnett had rescued his Pomeranian. A relative recalled that he had once driven her to the hospital after she had a gallbladder ailment.

"Mr. Barnett has a clean and safe home," Siano told a federal magistrate in Arkansas. "He has a stable home life. He answers calls for need and people in need in his community. He's needed by his family."

At the end of the five-hour hearing, the magistrate granted Barnett bail, allowing him to live at home under strict conditions. But the victory was short-lived. That evening, a federal judge in Washington blocked the ruling, sending Barnett to jail while his case proceeds.
CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / The world's largest integrated community, health management, and real-world data platform PatientsLikeMe announced today it is partnering with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda"). PatientsLikeMe announces a strategic partnership to optimize technology to enhance understanding of the patient experience and improve patients' ability to partner effectively with their healthcare teams. PatientsLikeMe and Takeda will enhance the digital platform and gather insights on the patient experience and unmet needs, with an initial focus on Rare Diseases, Immunology, Neuroscience/Mental Health and Gastroenterology.

The partnership seeks to enhance understanding of patients' treatment goals and optimize patient engagement. The information obtained through the partnership will inform the development of digital shared decision making and educational tools that will enhance patient engagement in treatment decisions and disease management. Through this, Takeda and PLM aspire to improve outcomes and quality of life across multiple disease areas.

Given the current environment, patients are struggling to navigate the complex healthcare system and it has never been more important to engage with patients to develop a better understanding of the patient experience and reimagine how to improve care. PatientsLikeMe will also work with Takeda in improving shared decision making between patients and healthcare providers through research focused on patient-centric approaches such as goal attainment to help patients and healthcare providers align on what matters most to the patient in their care journey, better understand patient preferences and support optimal healthcare decisions.

"Understanding and sharing experiences has never been more important than right now - in the middle of a global pandemic and when there is acceleration of the trends in consumer digital health and patient engagement in care and research. PatientsLikeMe is excited to partner with Takeda to empower patients by listening carefully to their needs, helping them learn from the lived experiences of people like them, and being active participants in their care journey," said Kate Burke, M.D., MHA, Vice President and Senior Medical Adviser, PatientsLikeMe.

"The partnership hopes to gather important patient perspectives through real-world, real-time evidence to help us better understand the needs of patients and caregivers, evaluate innovative digital health care solutions to enhance care and improve outcomes for patients," said Tom Koutsavlis, M.D., MSc, FRCPC, MBA, Head, U.S. Medical, Takeda.

About PatientsLikeMe

PatientsLikeMe is the world's largest integrated community, health management, and real-world data platform. On PatientsLikeMe, members can put their disease experiences in context and find answers to their questions. They can easily connect directly with members who have the same conditions, are experiencing the same symptoms, or have used similar treatments. Data generated by members themselves are systemically collected and quantified while also providing an environment for peer support and learning. The site enables members to monitor symptoms of their condition(s), share their disease experiences and treatment outcomes, and learn how to improve their care through peer-to-peer interactions. These data capture the complex temporality and competing influences of different lifestyle choices, socio-demographics, conditions, and treatments on a person's health. Everything members share empowers the community with personal agency, establishing PatientsLikeMe as a clinically robust resource with demonstrated impact, including more than 100 studies in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals. To learn more about PatientsLikeMe, visit www.patientslikeme.com.

About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments, guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Genetic and Hematology, Neuroscience, and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries. For more information, visit https://www.takeda.com.

Media Contacts:

PatientsLikeMe

Rebecca Perry

Media@patientslikeme.com

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1.15.21 PatientsLikeMe Takeda Press Release.pdf

SOURCE: PatientsLikeMe

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625881/PatientsLikeMe-Partners-With-Takeda-to-Empower-Patients-and-Elevate-Patient-Voice-to-the-Level-of-Evidence
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Karen Foreman

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(TNS)  An Indiana-based fiber optic internet and cable TV provider is planning to offer service to homes across, giving local customers an alternative to Spectrum,and satellite-based providers.MetroNet, which is already in more than 100 communities in eight mostly midwestern states, is proposing "to lay their infrastructure in the right-of-way up and down the vast majority of every street inat a relatively rapid pace," according to a memo to theAnd service could be available for homeowners in some parts ofas soon as the end of the year if council approval comes relatively soon, said, market manager for the company'soperations."It definitely can be, as long as we get construction started sometime in spring and summer," Brand said. "... We'll turn it on in sections."MetroNet is also exploring bringing service toand other communities in the region.Headquartered in, MetroNet has the foundation of a fiber optic network in place inafter acquiring-basedlast July.In 2015, Jaguar  which had fiber optic lines from the southern metro area tototo the eastern edge of partnered with the city ofandto install about seven miles of fiber optic communication infrastructure within the city. The conduits stretched stretched south along, continued west alongand ran to downtown alongand. Combined with an existing fiber route alongand, the new fiber reduced the threat of disruptions to service for state and local government buildings across the city.Jaguar agreed to do the work, valued at $450,000, at no cost while laying parallel fiber of its own. In return, the company was provided access to the government-owned fiber conduit along Marsh and Madison. With that backbone stretching across the city, Jaguar planned to eventually extend service to businesses and residential areas.Much work would still be required to string fiber optic cables to every neighborhood in the city. For the most part, it will be placed on existing utility poles, although some underground cable will be required in places, according to Brand."Where we can go aerial, we will," he said. "We can get our infrastructure up quicker."It took a little bit more than a year once construction began to get most of the city ofconnected, a process MetroNet is just finishing, according to Brand.Ensuring the work is done properly with minimal disruption to the public right-of-way is the city's top concern, City Managertold the council. That will mean countless inspections which MetroNet will have to finance through city fees."Really managing the right of way and their impact in the community is key," Arntz said.Council memberalso asked city staff to do research on MetroNet's reputation in communities it already serves, including customer satisfaction, pricing and how much initial low-price offers to subscribers escalate over time."In essence, we're making a decision for the community about service choices," Foreman said, adding she's pleased the city's residents may be getting a new alternative for television and internet service. "I appreciate the opportunity to have some competition come in. That will be nice."Brand said customer satisfaction is crucial for the relatively small company even as it works to rapidly expand and that another pillar is to make internet service so reliable and easy to use that customers don't have to think about it.In announcing its purchase of Jaguar last summer, MetroNet called the acquisition "a perfect fit" with the company's plans to grow in, joining existing service inand"The combination of the two companies allows MetroNet to expand its ultra-high-speed fiber optic footprint to residential and business customers across the Midwest," the company announced on. "MetroNet is expecting to invest an additional $150 million or more in growing themarket to expand services to additional communities and neighborhoods."A week later, Jaguar/MetroNet indicated interest in providing cable TV and internet service in. And in late November, MetroNet announced that it was beginning construction to bring service toand thecommunities ofand. The latter project was boosted by the use of COVID-19 relief funding through the CARES Act.

Washington, Jan 26 : US President Joe Biden on Monday announced measures to ban most non-US citizens travelling from South Africa from entering the US, in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19.

According to a proclamation issued by the White House, the travel restrictions on South Africa, where a new coronavirus variant had emerged, will be effective from January 30, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Biden also reinstated travel restrictions on the Schengen area of Europe, Britain, Ireland, and Brazil, which his predecessor Donald Trump had planned to rescind effective on January 26.

US media said that the US has not yet detected any cases of the Covid-19 variant first identified in South Africa, but several states have detected the variant discovered in Britain.

US Covid-19 cases rose to 25.2 million with over 4,20,000 deaths as of Monday afternoon, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Vietnams Ministry of Health announced 14 COVID-19 recoveries along with one imported infection on Monday.

The total number of recovered patients has reached 1,425 as of Tuesday morning.

The new case is a Vietnamese repatriate who returned from Indonesia.

She landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on board flight SQ192 on January 10.

She was quarantined upon arrival as per COVID-19 prevention protocols.

She tested negative for the novel coronavirus on January 11 before being retested on January 23, with the result coming back positive at the Hanoi Center for Disease Control one day later.

The patient is being isolated for treatment at the Dong Anh District branch of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in the capital city.

Vietnam has recorded 1,549 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday morning, including 35 virus-related deaths, according to the health ministry.

The country has recorded no local transmission since December 2.

The government began barring entry to foreign nationals on March 22 but it allows foreign experts, skilled workers, investors, and diplomats to enter the country on a case-by-case basis, subject to mandatory quarantine.

It has also arranged for repatriation flights to bring back citizens stuck in virus-hit countries, all being quarantined upon landing.

Vietnam is quarantining over 20,890 people who either came into close contact with infected patients or entered the country from virus-struck regions.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
By Nguyen Thuy Chung - Partner, ASL Law

According to the investigation records, after many years of experience working at Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (SABECO), Trung quit and established Saigon Vietnam Beer Group with the purpose of making beer products with similar designs and trademarks to SABECOs products and then bringing them to the market, according to the investigation.

In April 2020, Saigon Vietnam Beer Group signed a contract with BiVa Brewery located in Hoa Long commune of the southern province to produce Bia Saigon Vietnam.

A June inspection discovered that the beer showed signs of infringing industrial property rights of SABECO, which has protected trademarks in Vietnam. The authority recorded a temporary seizure of tens of thousands of cases and single cans of beer.

The investigating police agency requested an assessment at the Institute of Intellectual Property Science and the inspection showed that the products bore images like the shield and dragon on the product which contains elements that infringe upon the intellectual property rights of SABECOs protected trademarks.

According to the investigation results, the acts of Le Dinh Trung and Saigon Vietnam Beer Group are eligible to have constituted a criminal offense violating intellectual property rights under the provisions of Article 226 of the Criminal Code 2015.

Accordingly, the highest penalty is a fine of up to VND1 billion ($43,500) or a prison term of up to three years, with the violator being barred from certain jobs for a maximum of five years. A legal entity may be fined up to VND5 billion ($217,000), suspended for a term from six months to two years, or may be banned from doing business and banned from operating in certain fields, as well as banned from raising capital for 1-3 years.

As for BiVa Brewery that is determined to provide goods under a contract, it is not committed to be responsible for the legality of the trademark. There is not enough evidence to accuse Biva. Only two shareholders of Saigon Vietnam Beer Group  Tran Thi Ai Loan and Tran Thi Khanh Ha  are recognised to have contributed capital but have not participated in designing and ordering raw materials. Therefore, there is also not enough evidence to handle burden them with infringement of industrial property rights.

Currently, acts of infringement of these rights in Vietnam are taking place more and more sophisticatedly and complicatedly and on an increasingly large scale. In addition, the signing of new free trade agreements by Vietnam is posing many challenges for Vietnam in the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights. Therefore, the completion of legal provisions on intellectual property, especially the provisions on handling infringements of intellectual property rights, is a very urgent requirement.

The 2015 Criminal Code, effective from 2018, has significantly contributed to promoting the effectiveness of the crime of infringement of intellectual property rights in Vietnam. Criminal sanctions applied to subjects who commit acts of infringement of intellectual property rights are the harshest when compared to civil or administrative sanctions.

On the other hand, according to the provisions of the 2015 Criminal Code, the criminal liability for the subjects committing acts of infringement of intellectual property rights after January 1, 2018 also applies to commercial legal entities. Expanding criminal prosecution with commercial legal entities can be seen as a significant effort by Vietnam to properly punish criminals of infringement of intellectual property rights.

Infringement of intellectual property rights is considered a crime found in six articles (192-195 and 225-226); however, the accusation is a rather complicated issue in practice of prosecuting criminal responsibility for the subjects who commit acts of infringement of intellectual property rights due to the overlap of the articles.

This is because the 2015 Criminal Code does not define the concept and does not demarcate counterfeit goods and intellectual property counterfeit goods, while the criminal liability handling principle states that no-one will be convicted twice because of the same crime. In fact, among criminal cases related to intellectual property rights, most procedural agencies only prosecute on charges of producing and trading counterfeit goods instead of infringing intellectual property rights or copyright infringement.

Therefore, it is hoped that with the expansion of the possibility of criminal prosecution for the infringement of such rights, the number of cases that were prosecuted and raise awareness of individuals and enterprises on intellectual property rights, while minimising cases of infringement, can create confidence in the business environment in the Vietnamese market for both businesses and investors.
Two out of Three Do Not Believe or Are Unsure Whether the U.S. and World Will Return to Normal Following Vaccine Rollout

NEW YORK, January 26, 2021 / B3C newswire / -- One year after the first COVID-19 case in the U.S., Sermo surveyed physicians around the world as part of its COVID-19 Real Time Barometer, revealing that 86% of doctors around the world believe that mental health issues and depression will be the biggest non-COVID-19 public health issue after the pandemic. Other areas of concern for the coming year are an increase in violence (34%), increase in spousal or child abuse (27%), increase in suicides (26%) and an increase in opioid abuse (21%).

The effects of COVID-19

Fielded Jan. 8, 2021-Jan. 13, 2021, Study 16 of Sermos COVID-19 Real Time Barometer included insights from 3,334 physicians across 24 countries. The study also revealed that the majority of physicians (53%) believe the long-term side effects of COVID-19 will be the biggest COVID-related public health issue over the next year. In addition, almost two out of three do not believe or are unsure whether the U.S. and the world will be able to return to normal after the vaccine is rolled out.

The survey also revealed that 63% believe the general public will need an annual vaccine to protect against COVID, while 64% said they are very concerned/concerned that a new COVID virus is on the horizon. Of those who participated in the survey, 53% believe the next pandemic will arrive in 5 or more years.

What have we learned after one year of COVID-19?

Study 16 also asked physicians about the biggest lessons learned during the first year of the pandemic, revealing unified beliefs about:

Preparedness -- We needed to be more unified and better coordinate federal and global response to the pandemic

Health System Fragility -- Worldwide, healthcare is seen as an area for cost cutting rather than investment, which has resulted in it being easily susceptible to a health crisis

Public Education -- We must focus more on educating about the importance of hygiene, prevention and vaccines without devolving into political turmoil

I have learned resilience, said Dr. Christopher Michos, emergency medicine physician in Bridgeport, Conn. I have witnessed from my colleagues, our nurses, our techs and the truly unsung heroes, the maintenance and cleaning staff of my hospital. Every day, without a second thought, we are out there. It is war and we are the soldiers trying to save our patients, not knowing as we enter the battlefield, if the next exposure will be the bullet that will kill us.

What do we still have to learn after one year of COVID-19?

Physicians surveyed are also concerned about the lessons still to learn about the pandemic, including where the virus originated, how it is transmitted, why certain groups are more at risk of severe infection, what the long-term effects of the virus could be, as well as how long the vaccine will last.

Additional findings from Study 16 include:

73% are very concerned/concerned that COVID-19 variants will spread in their region

48% are concerned that pulmonary compromise will be a significant COVID-19-related public health issue in the coming year; 27% are concerned about blood clots and other cardiovascular issues, and 22% are concerned about the neurological side effects and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and adults (MIS-C, MIS-A)

78% are concerned about the long-term impact to the world economy; 50% believe the long-term impact to the healthcare system will be among the largest hidden consequences of the pandemic

The biggest lesson from the pandemic is to help each other, said Dr. Lisa Nassif, a pediatric neurologist in Houston, Texas. I just opened my private practice during the start of the pandemic. I wasnt able to buy PPE because of the shortage. I had colleagues give me masks and face shields. Once I obtained PPE, I shared what I obtained, as well. Without coming together, we wouldnt make it through this awful time.

About the Real Time Barometer

The Real Time Barometer is an observational study of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak as reported by physicians with firsthand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Each week, thousands of physicians provide insights on topics regarding the global health crisis. To date, Sermo has conducted over 68,000 interviews with doctors in 31 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan and Australia. Full results are available at sermo.com.

About Sermo

Sermo is the world leader in turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights for the global healthcare community. Engaging with more than 1.3 million HCPs across 150 countries, the company offers a unique physician-first online community that allows clinicians to communicate about issues that are important to them and their patients. Sermo uses a suite of proprietary, technology-enabled tools, so that they are able to cultivate a deep understanding of healthcare provider perceptions that can benefit pharmaceutical, healthcare partners and the medical community at large.

Contact

Lora Grassilli

+1 646.932.3735

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Keywords: Humans; Adult; Child; pediatric multisystem inflammatory disease, COVID-19 related; COVID-19; Pandemics; Public Health; Depression; Mental Health; Suicide; Child Abuse; Physicians; Global Health; Disease Outbreaks; Surveys and Questionnaires; Delivery of Health Care; Vaccines; Thrombosis; Opioid-Related Disorders

Published by B3C newswire


WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden said Tuesday he will increase the amount of COVID-19 vaccine sent to states by 15 percent and will send federal staff to states including Connecticut, to help set up vaccination sites.

Biden said he had placed more orders with Pfizer and Moderna, a move that will bring more doses to Connecticut at a time state officials have said the supply levels have been problematic.

Connecticut will receive 53,700 doses next week, the state Department of Health confirmed, while shipments have averaged about 46,000 doses over the past several weeks  although last weeks total was over 90,000 in a one-time bump-up.

Nationwide, the federal government will oversee the shipment of 10 million vaccine doses next week, up from 8.6 million. The United States has now ordered 600 million doses, enough to fully vaccinate 300 million Americans, by the end of summer or early fall, Biden said in a speech.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna shots require two doses multiple weeks apart for full efficacy.

The changes are part of Bidens goal of administering 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office. He also activated a war-time law, the Defense Production Act, to order manufacturers to produce more gloves, masks, syringes and other supplies need to administer the vaccine, he said.

Connecticut has been among the top states as measured by the percent of population inoculated and the percent of doses received that have been shot into arms.

Weve been saying all along we have the infrastructure ready to handle more doses across the state as demand continues to far outpace supply, Gov. Ned Lamonts Communication Director Max Reiss said. This increase is a significant first step toward getting as many Connecticut residents vaccinated as possible.

Numerous providers, including Yale New Haven Health and Community Health Center Inc., have said they have more capacity to administer vaccines than they have vaccine doses over the last few weeks. Considering that, its unclear how federal assistance in setting up vaccination sites would help the state speed up the process.

Biden directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to set up federally run mass vaccination centers around the country to assist with administering the shots. Locations for these centers have not been announced yet. But FEMA has alerted Connecticut that the agency will send support staff to the state to erect vaccine sites and for logistics, Reiss said.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients and other senior administration officials held a call with governors Tuesday afternoon to discuss the vaccine distribution process. Biden promised that states will now have a three-week reliable forecast of how much vaccine they will receive and a receptive ear at the White House to coordinate distribution efforts.

Biden also announced that the federal government will cover the cost of governors using the National Guard to assist with vaccine distribution in their states. Connecticut has used the National Guard to help set up and direct patients at its first mega-vaccine site on an old runway at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, run by Community Health Center.

We anticipate using the guard throughout to stand up additional vaccination sites, Reiss said.

According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Connecticut has received 515,675 vaccine doses and administered about 66 percent of those doses.

Only a handful of other states have been able to administer more of the vaccines doses they receive more quickly. For example, West Virginia is leading in this metric, having administered 76 percent of doses received.

Connecticut has vaccinated health care workers, first responders and nursing home residents. The state is now scheduling vaccine appointments for individuals 75 years and older.

In Connecticut, 291,257 people have received one or more vaccine doses, while 45,190 people have received two doses, CDC data shows.

emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson

Partnership rescued and distributed a record number of meals in year when hunger at an all-time high

CHANTILLY, VA / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / CORT, the nation's leading provider of furniture rental and transition services, and Move For Hunger, a national non-profit organization that mobilizes the relocation industry to reduce food waste and fight hunger, announced their three-year partnership surpassed over 100,000 meals donated to food banks and pantries across the United States.

Each year, CORT enables residents at multifamily communities across the U.S. to donate non-perishable food items they would otherwise throw away when they move out. The company also helps transport the food it collects using its furniture delivery trucks.

In spite of logistical challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the partnership not only maintained momentum in 2020, but also had its most successful year yet, mobilizing to rescue and deliver 42,860 meals--35% of the partnership's 122,245 lifetime total.

"2020 led more Americans searching for food than ever before. Our partnership with CORT, however, has been a bright light during these challenging times," said Move For Hunger Executive Director and Founder, Adam Lowy. "Their continued dedication to our mission helped us feed tens of thousands of people last year, and we are grateful to have them as a partner in our fight against food waste and hunger."

CORT doesn't stop with logistics. The entire company finds ways to rally behind and support this critical cause. In 2020, CORT organized a virtual fundraiser that challenged its employees to literally "move for hunger" by participating in their favorite form of exercise and pairing it with a donation to the organization. In a year when the percentage of U.S. households with children who are food insecure has doubled, from 14% to 28%, it was especially important to the entire CORT team to do their part to help.

"Fighting food insecurity in the U.S. is such an important cause, and Move for Hunger is a fantastic organization," said CORT Executive Vice President, Paula Newell. "It has provided our employees with a great way to help in their local communities. For me personally, after getting my son involved in the Move for Hunger event last fall, we began to volunteer at our local food bank twice a month as a family. It has been a great life lesson for him while helping others in need."

Those interested in learning more about the partnership or ways to get involved should visit moveforhunger.org.

About CORT

CORT, a part of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, is the nation's leading provider of transition services, including furniture rental for home and office, event furnishings, destination services, apartment locating, touring and other services. With more than 100 offices, showrooms and clearance centers across the United States, operations in the United Kingdom and partners in more than 80 countries around the world, no other furniture rental company can match CORT's breadth of services and companywide commitment to making a house a home, an office a great place to work and an event a memorable celebration. For more information, please visit www.cort.com.

About Move For Hunger

Move for Hunger is a non-profit organization that mobilizes the relocation industry to fight hunger and reduce food waste. In addition to collecting food from people who are moving to new homes, Move For Hunger helps companies and individuals across the United States and Canada organize successful food drives. To date, they have collected more than 10.5 million pounds of food. For more information, or to find out how you can host your own food drive, visit www.MoveForHunger.org.

CORT Media Contact

INK Communications Co.

CORT@INK-co.com

SOURCE: INK Communications Co.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625841/CORT-and-Move-for-Hunger-Reach-100000-Meal-Milestone-in-2020-to-Combat-Food-Insecurity
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According to documents in the case, Kunze, a former Wheeler High School teacher, used his position of authority at the school to cause one of his minor students to take and send him sexually explicit photos. A digital forensic examination of devices seized by federal law enforcement agents from Kunzes home also revealed that he knowingly obtained sexually explicit photos of other minors he knew to be under the age of 18 because they attended the school where he taught, the release said.
With the goal of becoming a primary care physician, Nabeel Ahmad said he hadnt thought much about how a doctor might be required to collaborate with a social worker.

But as a first-year medical student at University of Houstons College of Medicine, Ahmad, 28, is getting a first-hand lesson on how essential it is for healthcare professionals and social workers to team up to improve the health of patients via the Household-Centered Care program.

I really enjoy it, Ahmad, 28, said of his second semester working with the program.  Its just such a different perspective of how to approach an illness and disease.

Launched virtually last semester, the program aims to improve the health and overall well-being of Houston residents by addressing concerns among under-served populations that typically dont come up during a standard doctors visit.

These concerns include social determinants of health, or factors that can influence a persons health, like their environment, income, housing or food insecurity, said Dr. Donald Briscoe. He oversees the program and serves as UHs College of Medicines director of the Longitudinal Primary Care course for the UH College of Medicine.

The program has assembled teams of trained community health workers, students and faculty from UHs medical, social work and nursing schools and UH-Downtowns social work program. The group plans to assist 100 family households in Third Ward and East End with such challenges, Briscoe said. Community health-workers who live and are in embedded in the neighborhoods will take on a bulk of the families, doing in-person visits once conditions during the pandemic allow.

Thirty students in UH College of Medicines inaugural class, all whom have worked on related simulations and virtual projects for the program starting last semester, will take on one household each.

Free of cost for participating residents, the program will also connect these teams and residents via Unite Us, a newly launched electronic platform that provides a network of resources, partners and service providers, like food banks or community organizations, that can help alleviate some obstacles to good health.

The platform creates a way that household-centered teams can link to the participants, and it can be done efficiently and quickly so we can track outcomes and identify service gaps, Briscoe said. Additionally, the system intends to simplify such processes. Once a participant is in a system, different providers can access their information electronically, which aims to simplify the referral process and reduce the amount of effort or paperwork professionals or residents must do.

Wherever you enter, you can be screened for and access necessary services, Briscoe said. He emphasized that participants will have control over their information and must consent or agree before using the platform. Families can also opt-in to receive notifications through email or text in regard to their account and will be able to access resources on their own.

We are embracing the no wrong door approach because once youre in the Unite Us system, youre linked to every other available resource, Briscoe said in a written statement. Being able to efficiently help people link to necessary services has the potential to have a much greater impact on overall health than anything we do in an examination room.

Student team members are also expected to benefit from the program, allowing them to get firsthand experience with residents and those from other fields, while educating themselves on how social aspects of life might affect health. According to Briscoe, more than 80 percent of health outcomes are shaped by genetics and social determinants, meaning less than 20 percent are based on the medical care patients receive.

Ahmad said the program has shown him how social aspects of life can contribute to social equity. For example, from the medical side of health, its easy to prescribe a prescription, he said, but some diseases are complicated by a lack of other resources.

If a patient who has a clinical disease doesnt have transportation, you have to think about the bigger picture. Its not that the patient doesnt want to access care. Its that they cant access care, Ahmad said.

Its an important role thats often overlooked. If we really want to target social determinants of health, we absolutely need social workers on the front line with other health workers.

The Household-Centered Care program teams will eventually work out of two hubs  The Royal Palm Apartments in Third Ward and the Tejano Center in the East End  but Briscoe anticipates that the program will continue to grow and snowball, eventually including the greater Houston area and Harris County.

Residents in Third Ward and East End can visit UHs website to learn more about Household-Centered Care.
The new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, has predicted the vaccine supply would not increase until late March. Federal health officials and corporate executives have said it will be impossible to increase the immediate supply of vaccines before April because of a lack of manufacturing capacity. But a third vaccine maker, Johnson & Johnson, is expected to report the results of its clinical trial soon; if approved, that vaccine would also help shore up production.

Mr. Bidens travel ban will go into effect Saturday and apply to non-U.S. citizens who have spent time in South Africa in the last 14 days. The new policy will not affect U.S. citizens or permanent residents, officials said.

On his last full day in office, President Donald J. Trump tried to eliminate the Covid-19-related ban on travel from Britain, Ireland, 26 countries in Europe and Brazil, saying it was no longer necessary. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said on Monday that the ban would remain in place.

With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants spreading, this isnt the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel, she said.

Ms. Psaki also said the Biden administration intended to hold regular public health briefings three times a week, beginning on Wednesday.
(TNS)  The plastic wheels of an elderly man's walker scraped across the rough pavement of the parking lot Friday as he made his way across P Street to the main entrance of the Kern County Fairgrounds. He was part of a steady stream of older local residents headed through the front gate to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, which the site began offering on a limited basis earlier in the week to those 65 and over.Coming in the opposite direction, toward the parking lot, was 68-year-old Cinda Mikols, of Stallion Springs, near Tehachapi, who had just received her inoculation."I am so happy," said Mikols, who wore a face mask and clear plastic face shield. As soon as the state announced people 65 and over could be vaccinated, Mikols said, she called the county public health department and was able to get the appointment, something she was eager to do since she has a compromised immune system. From start to finish, the experience "was easy and well-organized," she said. "I give it an A-plus."Inside the fairgrounds, a major effort is underway to stand up a large-scale immunization clinic that will administer COVID-19 vaccines to tens of thousands of local residents in the coming months. It is a massive and entirely new undertaking for Kern County government but a project county leaders have enthusiastically embraced for its promise of ending the restrictions, economic turmoil and upheaval of everyday life brought on by the pandemic."It's probably the most significant thing we've ever done," said Ryan Alsop, the county's chief administrative officer. "And it's all hands on deck right now."Beyond the colored flags at the entrance and amid empty food huts advertising cold beer and chili dogs, visitors proceed through several stations  a check-in area where paperwork is completed, a brief health assessment and then on to a six-stall vaccination area. Afterward, people are directed to a large building that typically plays host to fair exhibitions and home show exhibitors. Now, it houses rows of blue chairs where those recently vaccinated are asked to sit for 15 minutes so they can be monitored  30 minutes if the person vaccinated has special health considerations.In the distance, the rumbling sound of large construction vehicles can be heard. County public works employees were leveling a parking lot to make way for a paved 15-lane drive-through vaccination area. At the same time, county emergency response staff were remotely coordinating operations and holding command meetings. Nearly every county department will play a role in the vaccine operation, Alsop said.The site is expected to eventually handle 5,000 vaccinations a day between walk-ups and the drive-thru, an effort that will require diverting some 200 to 300 county employees from their regular jobs to the fairgrounds to man the effort. At maximum capacity, the clinic will run for 12 hours a day, seven days a week, potentially for many months.Despite the size of the task at hand, and challenges like outsized demand for the vaccine and limited availability of it, there was a sense of optimism in the air Friday, from both clinic staff and those arriving to be vaccinated. While nearly every response to the pandemic from government until now has been reactionary, this new effort represents a way forward, to move beyond the disruption of the pandemic, and perhaps eventually back to normal, said Tom Beckett, the county's technology services manager who oversees logistics and on-the-ground operations at the fairgrounds."This is the answer to what's been going on," Beckett said.The site administered vaccines to 330 people Wednesday, its first official day open, and 430 on Thursday, Beckett said. It is currently operating under a "soft launch," and will expand operations in the coming days and weeks as more doses becomes available. Right now appointments are limited but more become available frequently, Beckett said.More than two dozen county staff members from various departments, including the Public Defender's Office, the Department of Human Services and the County Administrative Office, were working at the fairgrounds. Some, like Devin Brown, the county's chief human resources officer, were assisting with the check-in process for those arriving for vaccinations.Employees so far have been enthusiastic about helping in the effort, even if it means a drastic change from the work they usually do, said Alsop, the county's chief administrator. As a condition of their employment, all county employees also serve as disaster workers during emergencies, he said."It's part of their duty that in times of crisis and emergency, they become disaster services workers. Depending on where they are and who they are, they are simply going to be reporting for duty at the fairgrounds for the next several months," Alsop said. Already, about 100 county staffers went through a brief training Tuesday to work at the vaccination site, he said.One of them was Tracy Shanahan, a 22-year clerical employee for the county. On Friday, she wore an orange vest over a gray sweater and was stationed outside the observation building, cautioning those entering to beware of a bump in the middle of the doorway."I love senior citizens," Shanahan said, adding that she was excited to learn she'd be working at the vaccination site all next week as well.Normally she books and coordinates travel for the county's behavioral health staff but with no in-person trainings during the pandemic, she was reassigned to do other work. She previously handed out gift cards for people getting tested for the virus and then volunteered to help at the fairgrounds.The property in south Bakersfield has been invaluable to the county during the pandemic. In addition to the vaccination clinic, there are 15 trailers that house homeless people who need to self-isolate, a building that houses a team of contact tracers, a state-run testing site and a space that can be converted within 48 hours to a field hospital.The effort will likely cost millions once the numbers are tallied, between infrastructure upgrades, operations and leasing of the site.The county initially leased the entire fairgrounds for $150,000 a month through the end of the year  the standard cost for anyone wanting to rent out the entire facility  but renegotiated the rate to $30,000 a month from January through the end of June, according to Jim Zervis, the county's chief operations officer.Alsop said that much of the costs will be covered by federal CARES funding the county already received and more it anticipates receiving under President Joe Biden's pandemic relief programs.But it's hard to put a value on an effort that could potentially pave the way for a return to normalcy and full reopening of the local economy."This is the means to the end. This gets our economy back running, our churches and schools back open," said Matt Constantine, the county's public health director.In addition to the fairgrounds, there are more than 80 other providers of the vaccine, including pharmacies, hospitals and medical clinics throughout the county.Once the fairgrounds operation is running smoothly, Beckett said, the county plans to launch several mobile vaccination clinics to deploy to outlying areas."This is step one," he said.
Americans who greeted 2021 with brazen joy learned their lesson less than one week into the new year: The future is never guaranteed, so its sometimes better to look for happiness in the past.

Whether that aligns with your worldview makes no difference to food trend prognosticators, who are confident that nostalgia will help determine what people eat this year. According to new research by Datassential, 70 percent of consumers say they are extremely likely or very likely to buy a favorite food or drink that reminds them of bygone days.

Specifically, Datassentials Jack Li said, U.S. eaters are nostalgic about things you could have and cant get now.

That culinary longing has led to the recent reintroduction of Dunkaroos, Surge and Viennetta ice cream loaves, which just this month made a triumphant return to the supermarket freezer case.

If none of those brand names are familiar to you, its likely because Dunkaroos were first released in 1992. Surge came out in 1997 and Viennetta wasnt sold in this country until the late 1980s.

In other words, young adults memories, and the YouTube collections that accompany them, are central to the food worlds backward glances.

Millennials are the generation most driven by nostalgia, said Datassentials Mike Kostyo, a self-identified millennial who belongs to a Bring Back Pizzaria Chips Made by Keebler Facebook group. (Launch date: 1992).

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That could work out well for Marc Collins of Circa 1886.

The executive chef this year is celebrating two decades at the restaurant, meaning he started working there around the time that the eldest millennials had their first fine dining experiences. He doubtless served crab cake souffle to prom dates and newly minted high school graduates soon after he arrived in Charleston.

In recognition of his work anniversary, Collins this summer is leading a culinary tour of Croatia, global pandemic willing. Hes also planning to revive dishes from over the course of his tenure, potentially including his once-popular spicy grilled shrimp fried green tomatoes.

Every time I write a menu, everything changes except one or two items, so to go back jogs your memory, Collins says.

Another dish likely to make a temporary comeback is Collins antelope loin, which he first developed while working in Texas.

Although the antelope was a huge hit, Collins eventually replaced it with local venison. The transition presaged what trend spotters say will also have a major influence on food and flavors in 2021: Consumers desire to reduce their carbon footprint with their meal choices.

Panera (which last year decamped from downtown Charleston) already has a menu section for it.
Myanmar & COVID-19 Myanmar Due to Begin COVID-19 Vaccinations

Administrators in Yangon conduct population surveys ahead of the COVID-19 vaccination program. / Htet Wai

Yangon  Myanmar will begin vaccinations against COVID-19 on Wednesday by inoculating health-care personnel, including volunteers on the coronavirus frontline, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports.

Around 750,000 people, including medics, volunteers, senior government figures, parliamentarians and some of the over-65s are due to be vaccinated within the next 10 days, according to Dr. Khin Khin Gyi, the director of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Unit.

Myanmar has more than 110,000 health-care personnel and more than 10,000 volunteers who are contributing to COVID-19 efforts.

More than 3.6 million citizens are over-65, she added.

Last Friday Myanmar received Indias gift of 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses called Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India after being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.

The first batch can cover 750,000 people, with two doses per person.

Dr. Khin Khin Gyi told The Irrawaddy that the health ministry has distributed vaccines and some areas would receive the doses today.

Medical staff with vaccination experience are administering the jabs, according to the ministry.

Medical teams will also be on hand to deal with adverse side-effects.

We have planned secure and safe vaccinations, said Dr. Khin Kh Gyi.

The government has been conducting demographic surveys to select priority groups for vaccinations.

In a televised speech last Thursday, Myanmars State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi warned that anyone vaccinated should continue to follow COVID-19 precautions until after their second dose within 28 days.

She called on people to continue to wear masks, wash their hands, avoid crowds and observe physical distancing.

We are not sure about how effective the vaccines are or how long the vaccine will remain effective. So please take care of your health even after a vaccination, said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Do not take the situation slightly. We have to try to get into the habit of living with care.

Myanmar has ordered 30 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Serum Institute and paid US$75 million (100 billion kyats), half the amount of the order.

The vaccines are expected to arrive in early February, according to the health ministry.

Myanmar will also receive COVID-19 vaccines under the World Health Organizations Covax affordable medicines program in March, Dr. Khin Khin Gyi said.

Myanmar will have to be supplied vaccines for 20 percent of its 54.4 million population under the Covax program and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, an international alliance to ensure COVID-19 vaccines reach the worlds poor.

Myanmar forecast that about 40 percent of its population will be inoculated against COVID-19 by the end of 2021. The remaining adults are expected to be vaccinated during the 2022-23 fiscal year.

Since Dec.19, Myanmar has seen a decline in daily COVID-19 cases. Fewer than 500 new cases are now being reported per day, down from a peak of more than 1,400 daily cases.

On Monday, Myanmar reported 137,957 COVID-19 cases, including 3,069 deaths and 122,116 recoveries.

In Asean Myanmar is fourth in terms of COVID-19 cases, behind Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

You may also like these stories:

Hundreds More Myanmar Migrant Workers Test Positive for COVID-19 in Thailand

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In a new report from Wallethub, Connecticut has been ranked as the eighth worst state to retire in.

To determine each state's ranking, Wallethub used retirement data from national organizations such as the U.S. Census Bureau and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. From there, the data was scored on 45 individual metrics in three separate categories  affordability, quality of life and health care.

According to the state of Connecticut, the average retirement age is 65. Over 575,000 individuals are of retirement age in Connecticut making up roughly 16 percent of the state's total population.

Connecticut's affordability for retirees can be factored as the biggest reason why the state is among the worst to retire. The Nutmeg state came in as the fourth most expensive state for those looking to retire, only falling behind New York, New Jersey and Vermont.

The state of Connecticut was also ranked as the second worst state in Wallethub's taxpayer ranking in the affordability category.

According to the Social Security Administration, Social Security benefits represent about 33 percent of income for an average retired person in Connecticut. Meanwhile, anyone in Connecticut who earns less than $75,000 (individual filer) or $100,000 (joint filer) per year is exempt from paying taxes on their Social Security benefits.

However, some people in Connecticut may pay up to 85 percent in taxes on their benefits.

As for the other two categories  quality of life and health care  Connecticut ranked in the middle of all states for both categories. Connecticut ranked 25th for quality of life and 20th for healthcare.

Despite the low rankings, Connecticut did manage to earn high marks for highest life expectancy. Connecticut shared the number four spot with Minnesota.

On the other side of the spectrum, Florida was ranked as the best state in which to retire. While only coming in at 28th for health care, Florida ranked as the fourth most affordable state and the sixth best for quality of life.

New Hampshire ranked as the only New England state in the top ten, coming in as the tenth best state to retire in.

Scroll below to see Connecticut's overall scores.

Connecticut

Overall score: 44.35

Affordability ranking: 47

Quality of life ranking: 25

Health care ranking: 20
Gurugram, Jan 26 : In view of the farmers' tractor rally, the Gurugram Police erected concrete barriers and containers on both sides of the Delhi-Jaipur expressway (NH-48) near the NSG campus to stop the farmers from entering the national capital.

A number of trucks were stationed on the Delhi-Jaipur expressway between the NSG campus and Manesar Women's Polytechnic College.

Gurugram administration have also deployed huge force including Rapid Action Force, Haryana police commandos, traffic personnel along with water cannons, special purpose vehicles and fire brigade.

Convener of Gramin Kisan Mazdoor Samiti, Ranjit Singh Raju told IANS that a huge number of tractors were heading towards Gurugram from the Haryana-Rajasthan border and Masani barrage in Rewari which were lined up for around 12 kilometres.

"A huge number of farmers from Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have also joined the agitation. The proposed rally was also joined by some local supporters," Raju said.

Meanwhile, the truck drivers claimed that they have forcefully stopped since Monday night.

"I was heading towards Jaipur laden with industrial materials but when I reached near NSG campus on the Delhi-Jaipur expressway the police deployed here stopped me and snatched my keys. I didn't eat anything since last night," said truck driver Manpreet Singh.

Apart from this, a huge number of police personnel armed with sticks and riot gear were on the stretch to keep a vigil on the farmer's movement.

"The farmers' tractor rally has begun from Rewari. The Gurugram police are fully prepared to deal with them. The farmers' union have already claimed that the march will be peaceful but we will keep a vigil on them and nobody is allowed to disrupt the law and order situation across the district," said ACP Hitesh Yadav.
Clark Countys mass COVID-19 vaccination site opened at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning, but all available appointments at the site this week were taken by early Monday morning.

The site, at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds, will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.

The Washington State Department of Health said in an email Monday afternoon that it is working to create more vaccination appointment opportunities, but it did not yet have any more information to share. It is unclear when a new registration window will open.

Demand for the COVID-19 vaccine far exceeds the supply of vaccine, which is one of the reasons Clark County has not yet opened its first public vaccination site.

The fairgrounds location is expected to soon administer as many as 500 doses per day, but it will be less for now, as the site ramps up, according to a Department of Health news release.

It is expected that the sites will have an even higher capacity as more vaccine doses become available.

As our vaccine allocations increase, these sites will provide additional capacity to get people vaccinated quickly and efficiently across the state, said Washington Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah. With much less supply of vaccine than people currently eligible, it is going to take time, which will require patience from all of us. I want to thank our partners who are working together to help us build the infrastructure needed to reach our (statewide) goal of 45,000 vaccinations a day.

Advance registration is required for vaccinations, but appointments are also likely to quickly fill up for the first weeks of the fairgrounds site. Those without appointments will be turned away. All sites will have language access lines available, and some sites may have bilingual staff, according to the news release.

To be eligible for vaccination at the site, you must fall into either Phase 1A or 1B-1, according to the news release. Those in Phase 1A are health care workers or in emergency medical services. People who fall into 1B-1 are anyone 65 and older or people 50 and older who live in multigenerational housing.

For those 50 and older to be eligible for vaccination, you also must not be able to live independently and are receiving long-term care from a paid or unpaid caregiver; living with someone who works outside the home; or living with and caring for a grandchild.

The site near Ridgefield is one of four mass vaccination sites in Washington that the Department of Health is opening this week. The state will run the sites with the help of the Washington National Guard and local and private-sector partners, according to a news release.

The other sites are in Kennewick, Spokane and Wenatchee. The Ridgefield site is administering doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, which is about 95 percent effective after a second dose.

The mass vaccination sites are open to anyone eligible for a vaccine, regardless of where they live, though officials prefer people get vaccinated where they live and work.

Clinics, pharmacies and health care providers will still be offering vaccine. If a health care provider or pharmacy reaches out with the opportunity to get vaccinated, Washingtonians should not wait to get vaccinated.

Clark County Public Health has received requests from more than 18,000 people eligible to receive the vaccine, according to a Sunday news release. Public Health has been referring people to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, Vancouver Clinic and Sea Mar Community Health Centers.

As of Monday, more than 15,200 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in Clark County, according to the Department of Health. Close to 400,000 doses have been administered statewide.

 Wyatt Stayner, The Columbian
Rioters clash with police trying to enter Capitol building

Pro-Trump protesters battle with police at the Capitol during a riot Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington D.C. Credit - Lev RadinPacificPress/LightRocket/Getty Images

Jenny Cudd had no problem bragging online about charging the Capitol on January 6 and being with a group that broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office and stole Pelosis gavel. In fact, Cudd, a former Midland, Texas, mayoral candidate and the owner of Beckys Flowers, appeared giddy in the now-deleted videos posted from inside the Capitol as violence fueled by Donald Trump led to five deaths.

But those videos didnt just lead to Cudd being quickly identified, arrested and charged with two misdemeanors. Cudds business has also taken a hit, especially online; the Yelp page for Beckys Flowers is filled with 1-star reviews urging a boycott of the business (Yelp disabled posts for the business due to the increase in activity). In an interview with CBS7, Cudd said that shes received multiple death threats at her shop since the riot but reiterated that she still believes it was not wrong for her to go inside the Capitol during the riots.

Across the country, small business owners who attended the pro-Trump event are facing backlash and in some cases boycotts as their images circulate online. Some of those who didnt storm the Capitol but simply attended the event or were in Washington D.C. to support Trump are also facing fallout, a sign of a shift in consumer behavior. In an era of ideological polarization and economic hardship, people dont just care about the products a business provides; they care about the politics behind the business, and thanks to social media, thats easy to figure out.

Firms are made up of people, and individuals want to buy from firms or use the product that can represent them, Pinar Yildirim, an associate professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, tells TIME. We want to buy from firms that share our values, that represent us, that seem to see a future for this country, for the world, or for ourselves, the way that we do.

Story continues

Even some of those who didnt storm the Capitol but simply attended the event or were in Washington D.C. are also facing fallout. After Donald Rouse, Sr., a Louisiana businessman and retired CEO and co-owner of the grocery chain Rouses Markets, was spotted on social media at the rally, there were widespread calls online to boycott the stores bearing his name. Rouse later issued a statement saying he had left before the riots began and condemning the violence. In Chicago, Thien Ly, the general manager of the restaurant Tank Noodle, posted a photo of himself on a plane, as well as a plane ticket to Washington D.C., on social media, leading to a deluge of negative Yelp reviews, calls online to boycott the restaurant, and even a virtual protest. In an interview with NBC Chicago, Ly said that he and his family were in D.C. to show support for Trump but were not near the Capitol building; since the riots, they have received death threats, harassment and intimidation at the restaurant, he said.

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And in Oklahoma, Marcums Nursery, a small, family-owned business with stores throughout the state, is being boycotted by some customers after its owner, Monty Marcum, posted pictures of himself at the pro-Trump rally on his personal Facebook account. On Yelp, where posts have also been disabled due to the uptick in activity, the business has received multiple low reviews following the riots. In one review that is among several now removed for violating Yelps terms of service, someone identifying himself as Chris S from Pontotoc, Okla., said he no longer would shop at the nursery: I used to love Marcums. Then I found out Monte [sic] Marcum went to DC to participate in a seditious conspiracy against the United States.

Marcums did not respond to requests for comment, but on Yelp, one of the business owners, who identified herself as Crystal B., answered a recent negative complaint on Yelp about Monty Marcums attendance by noting that no one from our company entered or even attempted to enter the Capitol building and that they support the constitutional right of ALL Americans to peaceably assemble.

For Lauren Lackey, a Norman, Okla. resident whose Facebook post urging friends not to shop at Marcums went viral with both boycott supporters and dissenters, the decision to shun Marcums is a way of peacefully expressing her valuessomething she sees as a foil to the violence at the Capitol.

Yildirim, the Wharton marketing professor, says shoppers taking action by choosing to shop at or boycott businesses due to their values is nothing new.

Its very much part of what consumers care about when they buy products, she says. Given that they realize that some firms are completely against their values, their ideology, their personality, they will take an action against them, whether they are large or small.

But Yildirim says the boycotts in this moment are different from ones in the past for a few reasons. She points to an increase in the last two decades of consumers who care about how their consumption aligns with their political and social values; this, in turn, has spurred many businesses to be more openly political in an effort to reach customers who might align with their values. Coupled with the rise of social media for organizing and mobilizing, as well as the current pandemic, which has overwhelmingly affected the livelihoods of many small business owners, boycotts in this moment could have a considerable impact.

Its certainly something that Lackey thinks could lead to substantive change, at least within her community.

Just by not shopping, there is the way to be heard without being violent and aggressive, she says. Where you spend your money, especially in a town as small as this, it will be noticed.

And that, Lackey hopes, will lead to changes in behavior. There are people that have said that they have shopped at Marcums for decades that have said they will never shop there again. They will notice that. Theres now a possibility that they will reconsider their position or in participating in things of that nature.
As intensive care units filled and coronavirus cases surged over the holidays, Carmela Coyle invoked a World War II-era quote attributed to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to rally her own troops: "If you're going through hell, keep going."

Coyle is head of the California Hospital Association, and her "troops" are the highly paid hospital executives she represents. Throughout the pandemic, as in the December memo in which she quoted Churchill, she has employed battlefield rhetoric to galvanize their massive political and financial clout.

That's because Coyle believes hospitals are quite simply "in battle conditions"  a sentiment she has impressed upon the state's top health care officials.

While Coyle, 60, is unknown to many Californians, she is a power player in the state Capitol, one whose profile and influence have grown in the past year. She has used her position as president and CEO of the association to lobby for the multibillion-dollar hospital industry, including asking officials to temporarily relax guidelines intended to safeguard patients and workers.

Along the way, she has been granted personal access to Gov. Gavin Newsom and other top officials, helping shape the state's response to covid-19.

"Having spent many, many hours embedded with the Governor's team in the state's Office of Emergency Services, everyone is working 18-plus hours a day," she wrote to hospital executives in March, "and the dedication to supporting what hospitals need to do their jobs is impressive."

Though she hasn't won every battle, Coyle has scored some big wins for the industry.

She successfully petitioned the Newsom administration to relax nurse-to-patient ratios and allow health care workers exposed to the coronavirus to continue to work  critical but contentious rule changes intended to keep hospitals staffed that were approved over union objections.

When hospitals started to fill with covid patients last summer, Newsom agreed with Coyle that hospitals could care for them while also performing moneymaking elective surgeries, which hospitals had voluntarily canceled in the spring.

Newsom invited her to a July press briefing to explain that logic to the public. At the briefing, he described Coyle as an "outstanding partner" and a leader with a "seriousness of purpose."

"I just can't thank her enough, more publicly than I have in the past, but I need to repeat it yet again," Newsom said. "We're all being put to the test, particularly our hospital system at this moment."

That Coyle, a relative newcomer to Sacramento politics, is such an influential advocate in the Capitol comes partly with the job. She represents more than 400 hospitals that provide not just critical care, but also jobs to Californians in every corner of the state.

In the first three quarters of 2019, California's hospitals earned about $101.7 billion in net patient revenue, according to financial data filed with the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. During the same time last year, they earned about $97.6 billion  representing a 4% decline  despite the loss of elective surgeries and a drop in emergency room visits early in pandemic.

The California Hospital Association is a health care heavyweight in Sacramento, along with the doctors' lobby, the dialysis industry and others. It spent nearly $5.3 million on lobbying from Jan. 1, 2019, to Sept. 30, 2020, and $4.3 million to support state and local political campaigns, according to filings with the California secretary of state's office.

In 2019, the association paid Coyle $1.4 million, it said.

"The hospitals are such a big player that you have to be working with them," especially during a public health outbreak, said David Panush, a Sacramento health care policy consultant who worked in state government for 35 years.

Coyle also has the ear of Mark Ghaly, secretary of the state Health and Human Services Agency. Ghaly and Coyle have corresponded often since March  sometimes multiple times a day  by phone and email about the state's response to the pandemic, according to emails obtained by California Healthline.

For instance, in March, Coyle shared a letter with Ghaly that she had sent to hospital executives, in which she warned them  and by extension, him  that "we are in battle conditions, and it's all hands on deck to turn the tide."

In other letters and emails, Coyle pressed Ghaly to allow health care workers exposed to the virus to continue working as long as they didn't show symptoms. Newsom later issued the rule in an executive order.

"Nurses are the heartbeat of the hospital," said Stephanie Roberson, government relations director of the California Nurses Association  whose leaders, unlike Coyle, have not been invited into the governor's state operations center since it was activated in March. "Instead, we have someone who basically represents the opposite of nursing interests standing alongside the governor discussing the importance of public health."

In a recent statement, Ghaly said the pandemic has required the state to work not only with hospitals but also with doctors, nurses, public health departments, nursing homes, laboratories and emergency services agencies to save lives.

"I am grateful to Carmela and our hospital partners for their tremendous work, particularly during this current surge when hospitals are overwhelmed with patients and intensive care units are filled," Ghaly said.

It took the administration six months to direct hospitals to test health care workers for covid at least once a week after requiring nursing homes to do so  a testament, critics say, to the hospital industry's political and economic impact.

"The association exists to increase profits for hospitals, increase the bottom line," said Sal Rosselli, president of the National Union of Healthcare Workers. The union lobbied for the mandatory testing rule, which took effect in December. "Thats why they oppose every patient care advocacy issue, every worker issue."

Coyle countered that hospitals have no choice but to make trade-offs while they provide crisis care. She emphasized that the hospitals' requests for exemptions are temporary.

"If we don't flex some of these requirements, it means that people will not get the care they need and, worse, people may die," she said at a news conference earlier this month.

Coyle, a Minnesota native, is known for her intelligence and the expertise she has honed working on health care policy for more than 30 years.

As head of the Maryland Hospital Association for nine years before she took the California job in 2017, Coyle built a reputation as a consensus builder even as she looked out for her constituency. For instance, she cultivated relationships with Maryland's congressional delegation and lobbied it for federal funding in 2014 to help the state's hospitals prepare for and treat Ebola patients, most of whom were American health care workers who had contracted the virus in Africa.

"She really understood the old maxim that theres no such thing as permanent friends or permanent enemies. There are only permanent interests," said Stan Dorn, a senior fellow at the advocacy group Families USA, who previously served on a Maryland commission on health care costs with Coyle. "She understood that its good to have good relationships with everybody because you never know, day after tomorrow, who is going to be important to your cause."

Along with her credentials comes a strong streak of determination. After Coyle graduated from Minnesota's Carleton College with degrees in economics and Spanish literature, she worked at a Washington, D.C., flower shop until the Congressional Budget Office offered her a two-year internship. She had called to check on her application every Friday for three months.

Coyle "was raised to know" such perseverance as she grew up in a working-class family, the daughter of a Colombian immigrant father.

"Kids teased me and called me names when I was a kid, my father being dark-skinned and having a heavy accent," Coyle said. "I was dark-skinned as well, and they just thought we were so strange."

Laughed at for the way her father spoke, Coyle today unabashedly harnesses the power of language to sway government officials and public opinion  and to marshal her own hospital forces to lobby "with one voice."

In the waning days of last year's legislative session, Coyle warned hospital executives of the battles before them in the Capitol: bills that would come with hefty costs to hospitals should they pass.

In the end, the industry succeeded in blocking a bill that would have made it harder for hospitals to consolidate. But they didn't get legislative approval to delay seismic retrofits at hospitals, as they had wanted. Lawmakers also passed a bill opposed by hospitals that requires them to maintain a 45-day stockpile of personal protective equipment, which Coyle had argued was unreasonable given that it has been in short supply.

"They're not all-powerful, but certainly they're influential," said state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), who chairs the Senate Health Committee. "And during covid, they're taking care of patients. They're the ones saving the lives of people who are intubated."

When Coyle readied her troops for the legislative fights, she acknowledged they weren't going to win every battle. She borrowed another World War II quote, this time from Gen. Douglas MacArthur, to explain to hospital executives that they may need to compromise.

"In war, you win or lose, live or die," she wrote. "And the difference is just an eyelash."

California Healthline correspondent Angela Hart and KHN data editor Elizabeth Lucas contributed to this report.

Methodology

To compile total contributions from the California Hospital Association, California Healthline analyzed filings from two committees, both controlled by the association: the California Hospitals Committee on Issues and the California Hospital Association PAC.

To assess California hospitals' net patient revenue, California Healthline analyzed quarterly financial data reported to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. We summed the "total net patient revenue" for all hospitals that filed reports in each of the first three quarters of 2019 and 2020, and excluded any that reported only sporadically (representing less than 1% of revenue).

This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
Snow and ice projected in the midstate Tuesday morning and afternoon could create the most danger for commuters, forecasters said.

As of 5:30 a.m., the National Weather Service is calling for less than an inch of snow and one-tenth of an inch of ice before 1 p.m. Tuesday.

A winter weather advisory has been issued for parts of central Pennsylvania, warning drivers of slippery, icy roads Tuesday morning.

Snow, freezing rain and sleet are expected before 2 p.m., followed by a chance of rain in the late afternoon and more snow after 3 p.m., forecasters said. Snow and rain will gradually let up and clear before Wednesday morning.

Temperatures will peak near 35 degrees, forecasters said. Little or no snow accumulation is expected from the storms.

The biggest effect, it seems, will be hazardous driving conditions.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission remind motorists to adjust speeds based on driving conditions as winter weather impacts Pennsylvania roadways, the NWS said in the advisory.

READ MORE: With winter storm coming, PennDOT issues vehicle restrictions: Avoid all unnecessary travel

The weather advisory is in effect until 1 p.m. for a number of counties, including Dauphin, Lebanon, Perry and Lancaster. A full list of counties can be viewed here.

Forecasts predict the rest of the week will be free of inclement weather. Sunny weather is expected, as well as mostly 30-degree temperatures.

Hours after being sworn in as America's 46th president, Joe Biden reversed Trump's ban on using toxic Critical Race Theory in federal government diversity trainings. Doing so has reopened the floodgates for allowing anti-American identity politics in our public institutions and schools.

Corwin Press, an academic publisher that supplies books for K12 schools, has taken advantage of Biden's new agenda by releasing a series of free teacher resources titled "Responding to Insurrection, Domestic Terrorism, and Threats to Democracy."

A quick look at these so-called teacher resources, which are linked at the top of Corwin's webpage, reveals that they are disturbingly political and agenda-driven, with a clear objective to teach children what to think and not how to think. In short, these resources fail to allow students to critically analyze current events in an accurate and balanced context. They do not offer a classic pro and con format, but are presented from a one-sided lens that makes a complex situation simplistic.

In particular, they push polarizing identity politics, based in Critical Race Theory, on children in K12 schools. These resources do not treat students as individuals, but polarize them by race  stereotyping whites as privileged oppressors and people of color as oppressed victims. The curriculum resource titled "Let's Talk Racial Healing: If Not Us, Then Who?," by Victoria Romero and Gary Howard, is anything but healing. It indoctrinates youths with the anti-American message that the United States is founded not on the ideals of democracy and freedom, but on racism and white supremacy.

The resource begins by stating, "From the fifteenth century to the twenty-first, the genocide of Indigenous people and the enslavement of Black people, the voter suppression of the Jim Crow era to the most recent violent attempt to storm the Capitol and de-legitimize the votes of millions of Black, Brown, and Native people, a consistent through-line of our history has been white supremacy." Not exactly a skills-based curriculum, to say the least.

Another resource, titled "How to Teach Students About the Capitol Riots Using A Social Justice Framework" by Dr. Crystal Belle, begins by stating, "Drawing on the spirit of social justice and radical Black feminism, I welcome you into this written testimony of what it means to be a social justice educator after the Capitol riots that violently catapulted us into 2021." Since when are America's K12 classrooms a platform for radical black feminism?

Corwin's so-called teaching resources also push the highly political and agenda-driven Black Lives Matter curriculum, which aims to indoctrinate children with BLM's "13 Guiding Principles," one of which is commitment to "disrupting the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure." This is puzzling, considering that 50 years of educational and sociological research shows that children who come from two-parent nuclear families do better on every academic and behavior measure than students who come from a non-nuclear family structure.

Corwin's resources also violate federal anti-discrimination laws. The link titled "A Best-of-the-Best Collection of Resources for Social Justice and Equity-Focused Educators" contains anti-racism lessons that force students to create "identity charts" that divide children and judge them based on race, religion, gender, and sexuality and force kids to "unpack colorblind ideology," literally teaching children that judging a person by the content of his character, and not the color of his skin is wrong.

As a longtime Philadelphia public schoolteacher and certified school counselor  with an M.Ed. in multicultural education  I've launched a YouTube channel titled Inside White Fragility, which offers videos that challenge the propaganda behind Critical Race Theory. Click here to subscribe.

Perhaps the most alarming thing about Corwin's curriculum resources is that they are designed to indoctrinate, not educate. Specifically, instead of encouraging free discussion and open debate on the topics of race and violent protest, they persuade teachers to silence students who may disagree by discrediting any conversation that doesn't follow Corwin's identity politicsbased agenda. For example, a lesson titled "But What About Antifa?" guides teachers to discredit or marginalize any counterpoints from students aimed to create a balance of information regarding the violence and social unrest that has plagued America since last June and beyond.

If students inquire about the murder, property destruction, and domestic terrorism being perpetrated by Antifa (which was officially designated as a domestic terror organization by the Department of Justice, by the way), or the more radical fringes of Black Lives Matter, teachers are encouraged to do a lesson on "whataboutism," explaining to students that all violence, murder, and property damage is not created equal. For example, when Antifa and Black Lives Matter rioters stormed and occupied the East Police Precinct in Seattle  taking over the entire neighborhood of Capitol Hill and holding residents and businesses hostage  that violence was different.

Four people were murdered within this so-called "autonomous zone," including a 19-year-old black American boy whose mother is now suing the City of Seattle, but this murder and violence doesn't rise to the level of so-called "white supremacy," and because it's been perpetrated by people with an agenda and political ideology favorable to Corwin, bringing up this violence is to be downplayed and labeled "whataboutism" by educators.

In July of 2016, when Black Lives Matter sympathizer Micah Xavier Johnson shot and killed five Dallas police officers during a BLM protest  publicly stating he wanted to kill white people and white officers  this is "whataboutism." When Antifa and the radical fringes of BLM destroyed federal courthouses, attacked the National Guard, and shot Las Vegas police officer Shay Mikalonis in the head last summer during a George Floyd protest  paralyzing him from the neck down and forcing him to live on a ventilator for the rest of his life  that is "whataboutism."

When Antifa and the radical elements of Black Lives Matter destroyed tens of millions of dollars in property, including many small businesses that will never recover; when they looted neighborhoods and burned cars and buildings; when they terrorized citizens and business-owners who did not openly wave BLM flags; when they ripped America in half for six straight months  bringing up these events is "whataboutism."

According to Corwin's educational resources titled "Responding to Insurrection, Domestic Terrorism, and Threats to Democracy," violence is to be talked about and processed only if it fits the leftist teacher's political agenda. If it stereotypes white America, especially those with conservative values who do not believe in indoctrinating our children in identity politics, as "white supremacists" and "domestic terrorists," then you can call it out as "real" violence.

That's how identity politics and Critical Race Theory work. Divide good people up by race, religion, sex, and sexuality, and then polarize them against each other. And the ones who share you political agenda? Gloss over all of their egregious behavior and pretend it doesn't matter. And for those who demand equal treatment and colorblindness? Brand them all as white supremacists, and discredit their worldview as evidence of domestic terrorism.

"Responding to Insurrection, Domestic Terrorism, and Threats to Democracy" is an outrageous lesson in political indoctrination, and it has no place in any classroom in America that genuinely cares about democracy, freedom, or critical thinking.

Christopher Paslay is a Philadelphia public schoolteacher, counselor, and coach. His new book, Exploring White Fragility: Debating the Effects of Whiteness Studies on America's Schools is now available for purchase.

Image: Andy Witchger via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
With COVID-19 vaccine demand outpacing supplies in states like Pennsylvania, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday a push to boost delivery of doses over the next three weeks.

The move comes amid growing frustration over shortages nationwide that caused vaccination sites in other states to cancel tens of thousands of appointments with people seeking their first shot.

Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday blamed the federal government for a lack of enough COVID-19 vaccines and a backlog that worsened as he expanded eligibility last week. Wolf said he followed federal guidelines when he widened the pool eligible for vaccination to include residents 65 and older and 16 to 64 years old with medical conditions that add risk to getting the virus. The eligible pool is known as 1A.

Weve received about 1.5 million vaccines. And since its a two-shot cycle, that means we have enough for basically 750,000 Pennsylvanians, Wolf said during an online news conference. There are over 4 million in the 1A category. ... That means we need 8 million vaccines. So, at this point, we have a need for 8 million vaccines, and we have received 1.5 million vaccines. ... So one of the big constraints that were all working under is the lack of supply, and thats facing states all across the country. Thats frustrating.

Wolf said state officials assumed more vaccines would follow the change in federal guidelines that expanded eligibility during the last days of the Trump administration, but that didnt happen.

Bidens promise of a roughly 16% boost in deliveries to states came after Wolf spoke. Lyndsay Kensinger, a spokeswoman for the governor, called the decision great news and said the Department of Health is determining what this means for Pennsylvanias allocation.

The boost would increase Pennsylvanias weekly supply to more than 167,600 from more than 143,200. Even at that rate, it will still take months to vaccinate just the 1A group. As of Tuesday, the state reported 473,449 receiving the first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine with 132,184 receiving both doses.

At the current rate of receiving vaccines, even if we were getting the injections into people ... immediately, wed still be far short of satisfying the demand thats out there, Wolf said.

However, he also acknowledged the state must do better getting available vaccines to people.

Hours earlier, the latest state Department of Health data showed the seven-county Northeast Pennsylvania region recorded more than 20 COVID-19 deaths in a single day for the third time this month.

The 23 deaths raised the total to 1,333 across Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. They were among 219 more in Pennsylvania, where the virus has contributed to the deaths of 20,883 people.

Lackawanna had 10 deaths; Luzerne, eight; Monroe, three; and Susquehanna and Wayne, one each. The local death count over the last two weeks has remained the same or even risen for several days as the same count statewide has declined and the two-week totals of cases in the region and state continue to decline.

In all, the state recorded 4,628 more cases, raising the total to 812,495. That includes 273 new cases in the region, where the total reached 49,147.

Locally:

Lackawanna added 54 cases for 11,971 total, including 1,585 probable. The new deaths raised the county total to 340.

Luzerne added 91 cases for 21,817 total, including 1,523 probable. The new deaths raised the county total to 586.

Monroe added 67 cases for 8,258 total, including 182 probable. The new deaths raised the county total to 240.

Pike added 18 cases for 2,042 total, including 151 probable, and remained at 42 deaths.

Susquehanna added 23 cases for 1,460 total, including 140 probable. The new death raised the county total to 49.

Wayne added 11 cases for 2,578 total, including 215 probable. The new death raised the county total to 40.

Wyoming added nine cases for 1,021 total, including 169 probable, and remained at 36 deaths.
Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti portrayed the city as turning a corner under her leadership Monday as she announced she will run for reelection, this time as a Democrat.

Elected to a two-year unexpired term as an independent, Cognetti said she deserves a full four-year term because she has run the city without counting votes and emphasized bettering its economy, controlling its spending and ending corruption.

We governed by listening. We governed by understanding problems and by seeking thoughtful solutions, Cognetti said. Brighter days are within reach.

Cognetti announced her reelection bid with City Halls spire in the background. She stood on the roof of 426 Mulberry, an apartment building across from City Hall. She was joined by her husband, Ryan, former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton, a well-known Republican, several members of her campaign team and local media.

She switched back to the Democratic Party on Monday, a Lackawanna County elections official confirmed.

Cognetti, 40, an Oregon native, earned a place in city history in November 2019 when she won a special election to become the citys first woman mayor. The special election filled the remaining two years of Bill Courtrights term. He resigned in July 2019, pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Previously a Democrat, Cognetti ran as the Accountable and Independent candidate. She ripped the city Democratic committee for meeting behind closed doors to choose a candidate, attorney Chris Cullen, for the special election.

She said the local party did not reflect the democratic ideals and goals she promoted her whole life.

I cannot stand by and watch us waste this chance to truly change the way Scranton does business and steer the city in a new direction, Cognetti said then.

She easily defeated Cullen and five other candidates.

She explained her return to the Democrats by describing the party as home. She did not say the city party changed much since her election, but promised to work with other Democratic candidates and the local party. Cognetti also said she doesnt govern with party or peoples political connections in mind.

In 2019, when I decided to run for mayor, the local party was making decisions in back rooms, Cognetti said. I think thats going to change ... Its not what people want. Its not what people deserve ... I think Im setting the bar for local candidates to be out front, to be open to communicate with residents.

Within three months of taking office last January, Cognetti had to deal with an economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. She said the virus added to the challenge of governing well, and highlighted her push for openness, a whistleblower hotline, elimination of cash transactions, regular news conferences and releases about the city efforts and weekly Facebook town halls.

Last year, we raised $180,000 to help feed Scranton families. Were giving out more than a million dollars to local small businesses. Weve created a tax policy working group with the goal of lowering your taxes over time. And were convening leaders in the community of color to help us create more inclusive policies and programs and listen to everyone that lives in Scranton, she said.

We cant always fix the problem immediately. But we will continue to communicate with them (residents), understand what (their) issue is and try to solve it over time, she said.

Cognetti, a former official in the U.S. Treasury Department under President Barack Obama, campaigned for President Joe Bidens election, which she cited along with his Scranton roots.

Since the presidents inauguration last Wednesday, Ive been on two phone calls with the White House discussing details for economic recovery for families, businesses and cities and changes to the vaccine rollout. Scranton is in the room. Scranton matters, she said.

So far, only City Controller John Murray, a former city Democratic committee chairman, has said he might run for mayor. He might announce his plans by this weekend.

Tell her welcome home, Murray quipped, referring to Cognettis return to the Democrats.

The mayors salary is $75,000 a year.
The Irish government looks set to extend existing restrictions beyond the original end-January timeline. A new date of March 5th is now proposed for application of Level 5 restrictions.

According to the Irish Independent, this would include non-essential construction work, but no decision has yet been made on the issue of schools. Additional measures are now proposed to halt the import of new strains of the virus from abroad. Like proposals across Europe, mandatory quarantines have been mooted.



While the number of daily cases has fallen sharply in Ireland over recent weeks, hospitals remain under strain, mutations of the virus continue to be a concern, and the rollout of the vaccine is experiencing problems. For all these reasons, Goodbody Stockbrokers noted yesterday that they expect Level 5 restrictions to be extended all the way up to April.

By that stage, Goodbody believe that all the over-65 age cohort should be vaccinated, facilitating a gradual reopening at that point. The delay on vaccines from Astrazeneca is a blow to this timeline, but further details are required over the coming days to ascertain the true extent.



According to Goodbody Stockbrokers, "With restrictions to continue, further government support will now be required for businesses and households. Fortunately, the Irish government planned Budget 2021 based on a no-deal Brexit and COVID-19 being around for the full year. Contingency funds are now likely to be used up in full, with an even bigger deficit likely this year. The Irish government has been successful in its fiscal response to date. It must not ease off when we are in the final strait."

Source: www.businessworld.ie


LAGOS Pirates are stepping up attacks on ships in West Africas Gulf of Guinea, defying regional navies. On Saturday, pirates off Nigeria kidnapped 15 sailors from a Turkish container ship and killed one.

Pirates in the Gulf of Guinea kidnapped 130 seafarers in 22 separate incidents last year, accounting for all but five of those seized at sea worldwide.

WHO ARE THE PIRATES AND WHY ARE Treplace ATTACKING?

The pirates come from Nigerias turbulent Niger Delta, experts say. The region produces the bulk of the nations petroleum, but is woefully underdeveloped, scarred by pollution and has some of the highest unemployment in the country.

Bands of men desperate for money engage in a variety of illegal but lucrative activities, including kidnapping, stealing and refining oil, and piracy.

They often bring the kidnapped crew to the creeks that snake through the swampy region.

WHY ARE THE PIRATES KIDNAPPING MORE SAILORS?

The International Maritime Bureau has tracked a steady increase in kidnappings over recent years, affecting everyone from fisherman to international supertanker crew. Pirates who once stole cargo, or siphoned oil, discovered that some companies will pay large sums to ransom kidnapped crew.

Last years oil price crash and Nigerias second recession in five years worsened unemployment and economic hardship.

Max Williams, chief compliance officer for security firm Africa Risk Compliance, said Saturdays attack reflects yet more risk.

Breaching the citadel and killing a crew member is a serious escalation, Williams said.

Williams added that attacks further out to sea  Saturdays attack took place 200 nautical miles offshore  reflected increasing sophistication, as vessels further from shore are less likely to have naval protection.

WHAT IMPACT ON TRADE?

The Gulf of Guinea borders more than 20 countries. The waters are the key route in for everything from steel to soda in a region that relies heavily on imports, and the main export avenue for oil, cocoa, and other commodities.

Ships still ply the lucrative route, but at a cost. Jakob Larsen, head of security with shipping trade association BIMCO, said insurance costs rise due to attacks, and freight rates are more expensive as some ships avoid the region, cutting the number of available vessels.

Kidnapping and ransom insurance can also cost shipping companies several million dollars annually, though most refuse to discuss specifics due to fears it could make covered vessels a target.

Such costs are typically passed to consumers, and Larsen said there are also high indirect costs due to business and investment that fail to materialize.

WHAT RESPONSE HAS THERE BEEN?

In 2013, 25 countries in the region developed the Yaounde Code, which established coordination on piracy and other maritime crimes.

Nigeria has its own Deep Blue initiative to develop maritime surveillance and security, and last year secured its first conviction under a new anti-piracy law.

Most countries in the region bar international navies or armed private security staff from their waters.

Foreign navies, such as France, Spain and Italy, already patrol the regions international waters, but BIMCO said there is an urgent need for a coordinated international law enforcement operation.

Denmarks A.P. Moller Maersk, the worlds biggest container line, agrees.

International mandates were found to secure the Hormuz Strait and the Indian Ocean, said Aslak Ross, Maersks head of marine standards. So we ought to be able to find a mandate in West Africa.

(Additional reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Top Photo: Special forces of the Nigerian navy sails to apprehend pirates in a mock operations during the five-day joint military exercise between Nigeria and French navy codenamed Grand African NEMO (Navy Exercise Maritime Operations) in Nigerian waters on October 30, 2019. (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP) (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images)
Condemning the violence at the Farmers' tractor rally, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, said that the Centre's insensitive attitude towards farmers for the ongoing violence. Claiming that the farmers' protests were handled casually, Banerjee said that the Centre should engage with the farmers & repeal the laws. The Trinamool government is planning to pass a resolution against the Centre's three FArm Laws in the Bengal Assembly in the Budget session - along with Congress and CPI's support. Over a dozen paramilitary forces have been called in to assist the police at Red Fort, as protestors continue to throng the Red Fort.

Farmers Tractor rally LIVE UPDATES: Red Fort breached; paramilitary forces called in

Mamata: 'Deeply disturbed by Delhi violence'

Deeply disturbed by worrying & painful developments that have unfolded on the streets of Delhi.



Centre's insensitive attitude and indifference towards our farmer brothers & sisters has to be blamed for this situation. (1/2)  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 26, 2021

Delhi CP asks farmers to return to protest sites; affirms 'Police acted with restraint'

Farmers breach Red fort after R-day parade

The protesting farmers on January 26 entered the national capital from three routes emanating from the Singhu border, the Tikri border and the Ghazipur border, as Delhi Police gave their nod for a peaceful protest. However, despite Sanyukt Kisan Morcha's assurance and Delhi Police's conditions for the tractor march, violence broke out as the farmers entered Delhi. The protesting farmers with their tractors broke the barricades and cemented barriers at Delhis Mukarba Chowk, prompting Delhi Police to use tear gas shell against them.

The situation quickly devolved to a point where the police were outnumbered, even as the farmers overran Delhi and a number of its monuments, capped off by the visuals of farmers breaching Red Fort's ramparts and planting their flag atop its podium. One of the protesting farmers breached the Red Fort and unfurled a saffron flag and a yellow flag bearing the holy Sikh symbol atop the dome of the Fort. One protestor died after a tractor upturned, while 2 police personnel have been injured.

The Delhi Police had allowed the tractor rally to take place from noon to 5 PM, however, when the protesters forcefully tried to enter the capital, Delhi Police attempted to persuade the farmers to begin the rally as per plan - after the conclusion of the Republic Day parade, which led to clashes. Farmers were seen riding bikes brandishing swords, sticks and vandalised a bus, drove tractors at full speed towards the police personnel who were blocking them. Most parties have condemned the violence but questioned the Centre on the failure of Law and order in Delhi.

Prashant Bhushan laments farmer rally violence; two flags planted atop Red Fort

AAP condemns Farmer rally violence across Delhi; says 'Some certainly weakened movement'
Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

NORWALK  The Norwalk Health Department is launching three new COVID-19 vaccination clinics at the senior center this week, Chief of Community Services Lamond Daniels said.

Seniors 75 and older who are eligible for the vaccine should sign up for a slot through the Vaccine Administration Management System. Slots are available for the week of Jan. 25, Daniels said.
When the Merchants Fund began assisting retired small-business owners who were down on their luck in mid-19th-century Philadelphia, the safety nets of Social Security, health insurance, and pensions hadnt yet been invented.

There werent any mom-and-pop yoga studios, mobile pet salons, or video production facilities doing business in Philadelphia back then, either. But like the economy and the city, the Funds mission has evolved since 1854. It now primarily aims to provide grants to small firms like those mentioned above. Many are owned by people of color, immigrants, or women and can be found in neighborhoods and commercial corridors across Philadelphia.

Case in point: The Merchants Fund made a grant for interior renovations to store owner Shani Newton, whose Dollys Boutique & Consignment is an anchor of the Germantown Avenue shopping district in Mount Airy.

I was able to hire another minority business to do the work, Newton said. It changed the look of my store and changed the entire face of my business. It has helped me have an impact on my community.

During the Funds 167 years, the often-tenuous financial condition of many sole proprietorships, mom-and-pops, and other small firms has been a constant. Such businesses can be acutely vulnerable to ordinary reversals of fortune  or to an unprecedented disaster, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. And owners are often unfamiliar with public and private services that might be useful, or crucial, to their survival.

Running a small business can be challenging and exhausting even in a strong economy, said Jill C. Fink, the Funds executive director and one of its two employees. When you put the pandemic on top of it all, its not an overstatement to say its an existential threat, she said. Small businesses, especially very small businesses, often dont want a zero-percent interest loan because the reality is they dont want to take on any more debt. They need a grant.

Now, with the pandemic, theres more uncertainty, she added. None of us has been through this before and everybody is trying to figure it out.

Like pretty much every charity, her organization has had to pivot quickly.

The Fund provided 67 COVID-19 relief grants totaling $307,000 to small Philly businesses last year as many struggled to qualify for, or access, the federal emergency Paycheck Protection Program. Historically, wed never fund-raised, but this year I put a [payment link] on our website that brought in $35,000, Fink said. That was seven more COVID-19 relief grants.

After stores along 52nd Street in West Philly and in several other city shopping districts were looted during some of the protests that followed the May 25 police killing of George Floyd, the Fund and several of its donors partnered with Philadelphias Department of Commerce for the Restore and Reopen program, which quickly made a total of $1.6 million available to 186 companies  most of them retail establishments owned by immigrants and people of color  that had been damaged.

The primary purpose was for owners to be able to make repairs [or do other work] that insurance wouldnt cover, said Libby Peters, the Commerce Departments deputy director for operations strategy.

The Merchants Fund is a well-respected part of the ecosystem in these commercial corridors, she said. They leveraged the relationships they have there [so] we could get to businesses that can be harder to reach.

A similar desire to connect with those most in need was behind the Funds 2007 decision to refocus its grant-making on existing businesses, said chairman Bruce Hotaling. He joined the board of directors in 1996 when it was mainly composed of older white men.

While Hotaling and Fink are not aware of any policies that historically excluded Black or female business owners, both noted the possibility that, in practice, few recipients were anything other than white male business owners.

The organization was born from a different Philadelphia, Hotaling said. Now we have a board of directors that looks like Philadelphia, with Black and brown people, women, and immigrants. This is really making a difference.

The bankers, civic leaders, and clergy who established and endowed the Fund in 1854 initially envisioned it as way to create a residential facility for impoverished elderly or disabled small business owners. But the founders instead decided to provide a monthly stipend to recipients in their own homes. And a grant was meant to be not only an act of charity, but an expression of community gratitude for the hard work of the recipients.

In 1890, 65 individuals were provided with assistance totaling $18,000 (more than $500,000 in todays dollars). From 2007 through 2020, the Fund disbursed 787 grants totaling $7.49 million.

That figure does not include $1.9 million worth of stipends paid to retired merchants since 2007; after deciding to support active businesses rather than retirees, the Fund stopped taking new applications. Only eight of the beneficiaries in 2007 are still alive, including an 85-year-old former real estate professional whose late-career bankruptcy left him in desperate straits.

Ive been with the Merchants Fund about 15 years and it has been a lifesaving relationship, said the man, who asked that his name and other details not be published, in order to protect his privacy.

I was pretty much down because of the bankruptcy, and when they told me I was accepted I said, Oh wow, thank-you very much. They gave me the feeling there was a future, he said. The money has allowed me to get a haircut every month and take my clothes to the cleaners and eat at a restaurant maybe once a month. They gave me a little hope.

Current merchants who have gotten assistance are grateful, too, like Young Cho, owner of Flaming Basil, whose food truck specializes in Laotian and Thai cuisine. Theres not a lot of people out there that [are] willing to give the little guy help, he said in an email, so when this blessing came to us from Merchants Fund we were so thankful and grateful.

Cho and his spouse and business partner, Kathy Xayamoungkhoun, have five children and were on the end of our rope with bills when the Fund stepped in. What we are learning from this experience is that we are truly not alone in this fight, he said.

Immigrant-owned small businesses account for much of the new vitality in neighborhood commercial corridors in Philadelphia and other cities, said Fund board member Peter Gonzales. He also is CEO of the Welcoming Center, which serves the needs of immigrant communities.

The way to get information and resources not only to immigrant merchants, but to all small merchants, is through relationships, he said. Its all about building relationships at the intersection of philanthropy, private business, and community, so that information and resources are available to you. No matter what language you speak.

Fink said the Fund continues to adapt, not only to the pandemic but to the changing needs of businesses as well.

Owning property is crucial to business longevity, and is fundamental to creating wealth that can be passed on, she said.

The Fund helped Shani Newton buy the building that houses her Dollys Boutique on Germantown Avenue and is working with two Black female business partners in Kensington to help them purchase the property they rent.

This is one of the new ways we think about our work as an organization, said Fink. How can we make grants that can fundamentally shift the trajectory of a small-business owners life?

She added: Systems of oppression were built with intention. We need to be just as intentional about dismantling them.
Media personality Anita Nderu says its no ones business if someone is gay or straight.

Speaking in an interview on Radio Jambo, Anita addressed the backlash she received when she tweeted her support for the LGBTQ community in Kenya.

I believe everyone has been in love. I think its unfair to force people to conform to what people believe is the definition of whats right and whats wrong, she told Massawe Japanni.

According to Anita, when issues about LGBTQ are raised, people claim that its not in the Bible; a narrative she disagrees with.

Those who brought us that religion have agreed to this. Pope himself has agreed, she said.

Why would someone refuse to give you work because you are in love with your fellow man or woman? It has nothing to do with your credentials, professionalism and doesnt affect your work. Who someone chooses to love is none of your business. People say thats not African but the world has changed, people need to be allowed to love who they want as long as it doesnt affect anyone else.

Anita also spoke about her current dating status saying: I didnt want to talk about my relationship but I am with a man.

The former Teen Republik presenter has been dating DJ Sun Man for about 12 years.

Watch: Anita Nderu and Bae Shooting Automatic Assault Rifle at Gun Range
Expressing anguish over the violence in the national capital during the farmers' tractor parade on Tuesday, the Congress said there is no place for such incidents in a democracy, even as it urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "shun arrogance" and repeal the three farm laws.

Putting the onus of Tuesday's events on the government and questioning it for not accepting the farmers' demands, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it was not right on the government's part to create a facade of talks and yet, neither conceding to their demands nor proposing any solution.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

"The Congress party believes that the 61-day-old face-off between the people and the system is not good for India's democracy. The message is clear that the country's people are anguished with the government. In such a situation, the Modi government will also have to shun arrogance and head the pleas of farmers," the AICC general secretary said in a statement.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to shed his arrogance and tread the path of 'Rajdharma'. This is the true message of the 72nd Republic Day. Without any further delay, all three anti-farming black laws will have to be withdrawn. This is also the call of 62 crore 'annadatas' of the country," he said.

The Congress leader also hailed the farm unions for dissociating from the day's violent incidents and hoped that they would follow the path of peace and non-violence to achieve their goal.

"Today, the Congress party and the entire country is pained by the violence and unruly incidents in Delhi. There is no place for such incidents in a democracy," he added.

"The agitators must keep their goal in mind. Non-violence and peace have remained the biggest strength of this farmer agitation. We sincerely hope that this farmer-labourer alliance will pledge to remain committed to a peaceful and non-violent struggle for the repeal of the three three anti-agriculture black laws," Surjewala said.

He also criticised the government for holding 10 rounds of talks and yet not resolving the deadlock.

"Is it right for the prime minister to not give a healing touch despite the death of 175 farmers? Is the Modi government's policy of tiring out the farmers good for the country," Surjewala asked.

A tractor parade by the farmer unions meant to highlight their demands dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the national capital during the day as hordes of rampaging protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and delivered a national insult -- hoisting a religious flag from the rampart of Red Fort, a privilege reserved for India's tricolour.

Tens of thousands of protesters clashed with police in multiple places, leading to chaos in well-known landmarks of Delhi and suburbs, amid waves of violence that ebbed and flowed through the day, leaving the farmers' two-month peaceful movement in tatters. One person was killed and several were injured in the clashes.

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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Ryu Hyun Woo, Pyongyangs acting ambassador to Kuwait, fled out of concern for his children.

A directional sign bearing North Korean, Chinese and U.S. flags is seen near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Paju, South Korea, April 25, 2018.

North Koreas acting ambassador to Kuwait secretly defected to South Korea in 2019, the third in a series of high-profile diplomat defections since 2016, South Korean media reported Monday.

Ryu Hyun Woo, Pyongyangs acting ambassador to Kuwait in 2019, entered South Korea in September of that year, reportedly concerned about his childrens future. It is believed that Ryu changed his name after settling in the South. Ryu had taken over the post in 2017, when then-Ambassador So Chang Sik was expelled following a UN Security Council resolution that imposed sanctions on Pyongyang.

Ryu entered South Korea mere months after Jo Song Gil, who had been North Koreas acting ambassador to Italy before defecting to the South in July 2019. Thae Yong Ho, meanwhile, defected in 2016 while serving as deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Thae, now a lawmaker in the South, told the media that Ryu is the son-in-law of Jon Il Chun, who was the head of Bureau 39, a secret organization tasked with raising and managing slush funds for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his family, including through illegal activities like counterfeiting and the drug trade.

The South Korean government has not yet acknowledged Ryus defection, however.

A South Korean National Intelligence Service official told RFAs Korean Service that nothing can be confirmed on the matter.

A high-ranking Ministry of Unification official told reporters the same day, There is no information that can be confirmed on the issue of North Korean defectors or refugees or anyone else entering South Korea.

In the Ministry of Unification, it is a consistent principle not to confirm anything related to the issue, the official said.

Kuwait has traditionally been North Koreas de-facto base in the Middle East, according to Ko Young-hwan of South Koreas Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS).

Ko, formerly the first secretary at the North Korean embassy in Congo, told RFA that the embassy in Kuwait earned a considerable amount of foreign currency by selling weapons during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War.

After the execution of Jang Song-thaek, the chief of the Central Administrative Department of the party, it seems that high-ranking North Koreans are now fed up, Ko said, referring to the high-profile 2013 execution of Kim Jong Uns uncle which many believe represented a consolidation of power by Kim.

Ko said that the treatment of disgraced diplomats may have motivated Ryu to defect.

Punishments are too harsh. If they are found to have done something wrong, they will be summoned back to North Korea. And if thats not enough, they will be sent to a political prison camp, said Ko.

This creates a hatred of the system and this is why they fear there is no future. I think there might have been some anxiety about the system in this case, he said.

Growing uncertainty about Kim Jong Uns leadership may also have prompted the diplomats to flee to the South, according to Cho Han Bum, of the Korea Institute of National Unification.

Cho said that with ongoing sanctions against North Korea, many of the diplomats have to endure increasing pressure and unreasonable demands from Pyongyang but are almost powerless to fulfill these.

The uncertainty surrounding the Kim Jong Un regime and the lack of vision may be the root cause. In that situation, the North Korean authorities heavy assignment to overseas missions is also a key problem, Cho said.

It may be that the reason for his defection was because he had to secure a large amount in funds or had a heavy workload. I assume there will be unknown defections of trade officials, diplomats, and other high-ranking officials moving forward, he said.

Thae meanwhile said in a press release that Ryu, like himself, had likely defected out of concern for his children.

As a parent, former acting ambassador Ryu wouldnt have wanted to pass on a life like a slave to his children, Ryu said in the release.

Even if you live in North Koreas privileged class, thoughts change once you go abroad and compare, he said.

The defector-turned-lawmaker said that Pyongyang would do its best to prevent further escapes by strengthening its security at the Sino-Korean border and by increasing its monitoring of overseas workers and diplomats.

However, even the Korean Wave, in the form of South Korean songs and dramas, has become part of North Korean culture. The awakening of the North Korean people cannot be stopped through violence, Thae said.

Reported by Yong Jae Mok for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
On April 4 2020, paratrooper Sonam Tshering Tamang was part of the Special Forces detachment which was helipdropped in Keran Sector in order to intercept and eliminate an infiltration track by Pakistan sponsored terrorists.

He has received Shaurya Chakra for the courage and bravery he showed in the mission.



Paratrooper Sonam Tshering Tamang

What happened?

The force waded through waist-deep snow for more than five hours and then established contact with the terrorists. A close quarter fire fight ensued and both the squad commander Subedar Sanjiv Kumar and Paratrooper Amit Kumar sustained gunshot wounds while the remainder of the squad was out of communication.

Twitter (Representational Image)

Using his tactical skills, Paratrooper Sonam Tshering Tamang carried out a mental survery of the entire situation and moved ahead to evacuate his squad commander. He was successful in his mission and evacuated him from under intense fire from the terrorists.

He had crawled towards the boulder and killed one terrorist with rifle fire at close quarters. He also launched a grenade at another terrorist who was fleeing the scene which injured him grievously. All other members of his detachment were killed in action.

Newsgram (Representational Image)

Tamang's background

Tamang was born on December 11, 1995 in Khamdog, Sikkim. After completing 12th standard from CBSE, he enrolled into the Parachute Regiment on June 28, 2014. During his training period, he excelled in sports.
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Panamanian-flagged MT Freya and the Iranian-flagged MT Horse vessels are seen anchored in the waters off Pontianak, West Kalimantan province, Indonesia, on Jan. 24, 2021. (Antara Foto/via Reuters)

Iran Asks Indonesia to Detail Seizure After Iranian Tanker Caught in Illegal Oil Transfer

DUBAI/JAKARTAIran has asked Indonesia to provide details about the seizure of an Iranian-flagged vessel, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday, a day after Jakarta said it had seized Iran and Panama-flagged tankers in its waters.

Indonesia said on Sunday its coast guard had seized the Iranian-flagged MT Horse and the Panamanian-flagged MT Freya vessels over suspected illegal oil transfer in the countrys waters.

Coast guard spokesman Wisnu Pramandita told Reuters on Monday that the ships were caught red-handed transferring oil from MT Horse to MT Freya and that there was an oil spill around the receiving tanker.

He added that 61 crew members onboard the vessels were Iranian and Chinese nationals and had been detained. Indonesias foreign and energy ministries did not immediately comment on the matter.

Panamanian-flagged MT Freya and the Iranian-flagged MT Horse vessels are seen anchored in the waters off Pontianak, West Kalimantan province, Indonesia, on Jan. 24, 2021. (Antara Foto/via Reuters)

Wisnu said the tankers, seized in waters off Kalimantan province, will be escorted to Batam island in Riau Island Province for further investigation.

Khatibzadeh said that the seizure was over a technical issue and it happens in shipping field.

Our Ports Organisation and the ship owner company are looking to find the cause of the issue and resolve it, Khatibzadeh told a televised weekly news conference.

Both the supertankers, each capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil, were last spotted earlier this month off Singapore, shipping data on Refinitiv Eikon showed.

Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) MT Horse, owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), was almost fully loaded with oil while VLCC MT Freya, managed by Shanghai Future Ship Management Co., was empty, the data showed.

Asked to comment on the seized tanker, Irans Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh told reporters: It was carrying oil  the issue is being followed up by Iran.

The International Maritime Organization requires vessels to use transponders for safety and transparency. Crews can turn off the devices if there is a danger of piracy or similar hazards. But transponders are often shut down to conceal a ships location during illicit activities.

The tankers, first detected at 5:30 a.m. local time (2130 GMT on Jan. 23) concealed their identity by not showing their national flags, turning off automatic identification systems and did not respond to a radio call, Wisnu said in a statement on Sunday.

A search by Reuters on a Chinese company directory found that the registered office address of Shanghai Future Ship Management Co. came under another firm named Shanghai Chengda Ship Management. Several calls made to the office went unanswered.

Iran has been accused of concealing the destination of its oil sales by disabling tracking systems on its tankers, making it difficult to assess how much crude Tehran exports as it seeks to counter U.S. sanctions.

Iran sent the MT Horse vessel to Venezuela last year to deliver 2.1 million barrels of Iranian condensate.

Over the past few months, MT Freya has delivered two crude oil cargoes totaling about 4 million barrels into Qingdao port on the east coast of China and northeast Yingkou port, said Emma Li, a senior crude analyst with Refinitiv.

The Qingdao cargo was declared as Upper Zakum crude produced in the United Arab Emirates, said Li, who tracks China-destined crude oil shipments.

By Parisa Hafezi and Agustinus Beo Da Costa
FOREST, Miss. (AP)  A Mississippi sheriff says a 2-year-old North Carolina girl has been found dead after she and her 7-year-old brother were abandoned in a pickup truck.

Authorities were searching for her father, and have charged the mother with neglect.



James Harrison Jr. | Source: Scott County Sheriff's Department James Harrison Jr. | Source: Scott County Sheriff's Department

The boy is in protective custody.

Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee tells WAPT-TV that James Harrison Jr. and Amy Harrison of Salisbury, North Carolina, were traveling through Mississippi with the children on Thursday when the couple argued near the town of Lake.

Lee says the mother got out of their vehicle.

The truck and the children were found later in a wooded area.
Tanaiste Leo Varadkars appearance on RTEs Claire Byrne Live on Monday night has generated much debate about Irelands fight against Covid-19.

Some of the statements made in relation to international travel and the reopening of schools have come under criticism from health experts and unions.

We take a look at five things Mr Varadkar said on the programme to see whether they hold up to scrutiny.

International travel is not a silver bullet

Mr Varadkar rejected the assertion that stopping international travel would be the magical solution to Irelands Covid-19 problems.

International travel is not a silver bullet, 40,000 people have got Covid here in the past two weeks and very few of those were travel-related," he said.

Data from the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre (HPSC) found that just 175 cases detected between January 9 and 22 were related to travel. However, public health experts have previously warned how Ireland does not have the resources to identify the original source of infection, meaning this data is limited.

The South African variant of Covid-19 detected in Ireland, for example, was associated with people who travelled here over the Christmas holidays.

International travel has also previously been linked to significant outbreaks. A total of 59 cases were linked to just one international flight into Ireland last summer, according to the latest issue of Eurosurveillance, a journal on infectious disease surveillance.

Dr Tomas Ryan, a neuroscientist with Trinity College Dublin and a member of the Independent Scientific Advisory Group, said the Government strategy on travel is worse than useless.

As of this month, all passengers into Ireland have to provide proof of a negative PCR test from the previous 72 hours.

A person can get infected between the three days of getting the test and stepping onto an airplane, Dr Ryan said.

He said travel quarantines have been successful in Australia, South Korea and New Zealand.

We know scientifically this current situation in Ireland cant work to keep the country safe. It will encourage people not to restrict their movements if theyre negative, it wont stop new variants coming into the country. Variants can go through other countries, so just stopping flights from South Africa or Brazil wont stop other variants coming here.

Read More

People need to understand, a mandatory hotel quarantine would not be fully effective

Mr Varadkar said mandatory quarantine would not be fully effective here because politics in the North is preventing an all-island approach.

For us to do it on our own as the Republic, it would not be fully effective because of the Border, it is not people flying into Belfast and coming down to Dublin [that would be the problem]. It is someone flying into Belfast and infecting someone in their home in Newry who is a cross-Border worker. It would be like soup in a sieve, it would slow things down but wouldnt be fully effective, he said.

Mr Varadkar said he spoke to his New Zealand counterpart about quarantine and theres only so much you can do.

Dr Ryan, who last week spoke at a webinar about international travel quarantine, described this as nonsense.

I take issue with the Government talking about the occasional failures of mandatory quarantine. Its like asking should we get electricity in Ireland but saying we spoke to someone in America who had a power outage once, so this means we shouldnt bother getting electricity. Of course if you dont do everything properly you are going to have problems. But if New Zealand is a failure then I want that kind of failure.

Dr Illona Duffy of the Swan Park Family Practice in Co Monaghan also slammed the rules on travel as sheer idiocy after her practice was impacted by the arrival of the UK variant over Christmas.

She said it is baffling how, nearly a year after the coronavirus arrived in Ireland, there is still a discussion being held on mandatory quarantine.

Mandatory quarantine would probably need to be introduced for a year

The Tanaiste said people would not be able to go on summer holidays abroad in August or see loved ones next Christmas if mandatory quarantining is introduced.

He said if it is brought in it would probably be for a year as a dramatic public health measure like that is hard to reverse.

We wouldnt reverse it until everyone was vaccinated and then we wouldnt want to do it heading into the winter and wouldnt want to open up flights before Christmas.

"People who may like to take a summer holiday in August, people who would like to see their relatives this Christmas that they didnt see last Christmas, that would probably be off the agenda.

"You can only let about 500 or 600 people in a day. So that would mean that some travel that we deem essential would not be permitted.

People going to London for an interview, people who are travelling for education, people who want to see a dying relative, we wouldn't be able to guarantee that that travel is possible.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly last week told the Dail that every resident in Ireland will be offered a vaccine before September, if all vaccine candidates get regulatory approval.

People questioned on social media why mandatory quarantine would still be necessary for a year if the majority of the country is vaccinated.

Public health experts speaking at a webinar on international travel hosted by the Independent Scientific Advisory Group (ISAG) cautioned that the vaccines may not eliminate the need for restrictions.

Epidemiologist Dr Gabriel Scally emphasised that Irelands current travel restrictions are not working as he warned that new infectious variants may evolve which could possibly dodge some of the effects of vaccines.

Schools will reopen on a phased basis in February and March

The Tanaiste said it is the Governments intention that schools will reopen on a phased basis in February and early March, starting with the return of children with special needs, followed by primary schools and exam years.

However, this is subject to ongoing union discussions, he added.

The plan to reopen schools for Leaving Cert students and students with special needs in January was scrapped after unions widely objected to the move. They claim many of their concerns still havent been addressed.

A spokesperson for the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) told the Irish Independent today: While the preference of our members has always been face-to-face teaching and learning in safe workplaces, it is important to note that remote teaching and learning is ongoing on a daily basis, with the feedback we are receiving indicating that it is working better than it did last year.

The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) said it is continuing to engage with the Department of Education this week on the reopening of schools.

Hospitality unlikely to reopen before the Easter or summer

Mr Varakdar said any easing of restrictions beyond schools will have to be very, very, very slow  more like how we eased restrictions after the first wave. So it might start off with just some retail, maybe being able to meet two people outdoors.

If we can get the figures down very low, and if we can get a critical mass vaccinated, we can ease restrictions into that Easter-summer period, he added.

However, groups representing the hospitality sector expected this to be the case.

A spokesperson for the Licensed Vintners Association told the Irish Independent: We certainly dont expect the hospitality sector to be open in the next couple of months, before Easter. Our discussions with Government are focusing on what support is being provided to those in the sector who have been hardest hit by the pandemic.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin previously said it would be June before there is a revival of the hospitality sector.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  COVID-19 response chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. on Tuesday said the Inter-Agency Task Force will tackle the possibility of extending to 21 days the compulsory 14-day quarantine for those allowed to enter the Philippines amid the faster-spreading coronavirus variant.

"I-di-discuss namin mamayang hapon [sa] meeting," Galvez said in a forum, referring to the extended quarantine for inbound travelers.

[Translation: We will discuss this during a meeting in the afternoon].

Current rules state that individuals who could go to the Philippines, including returning Filipinos, spouses, and children of Filipino nationals, diplomats, foreign officials accredited by the Philippines, are subject to testing and two-week quarantine.

Hong Kong authorities have been imposing a 21-day quarantine on visitors from outside China since Dec. 25, taking into consideration "exceptional cases where the incubation period of the virus is longer than 14 days," according to a government spokesman. They are also banning from boarding for Hong Kong people who have stayed in South Africa in the past 21 days due to the discovery of a new variant there.

The World Health Organization said the incubation period of COVID-19 could be as long as 14 days. This means the symptoms could appear two weeks after a person has been exposed to the coronavirus.

The Philippine government banned until Jan. 31 the entry of foreigners from 35 jurisdictions with confirmed cases of the UK variant. Filipinos and non-Filipinos who could enter the country must undergo testing twice and finish their mandatory quarantine.

READ: PH orders 5th day testing, eases quarantine requirement for travelers from areas with COVID-19 variant

The DOH reported 16 new cases of the UK or B.1.1.7 variant last week, bringing the total to 17. Of the 17, 12 were from two villages in Bontoc town in Mountain Province. Among those infected were three children aged five, six, and 10.

RELATED: DOH confirms local UK COVID-19 variant transmission in Bontoc

The functional expertise we deliver behind the scenes allows aircrew members to focus on their primary missions of flying and fightingimproving aircrew retention and delivering increased value to our customers," said Scott Rauer, President of Akimas Facilities Solutions Group.

Akima today announced that its subsidiary, RiverTech, has been awarded a Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Aviation Squadrons Administrative Support contract by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to provide functional support at eight Air Force bases. The estimated value of the contract is $45.7 million over three years, if all options are exercised.

Akimas aviation professionals have a long history supporting the missions of the Air Force, said Scott Rauer, President of Akimas Facilities Solutions Group. The functional expertise we deliver behind the scenes allows aircrew members to focus on their primary missions of flying and fightingimproving aircrew retention and delivering increased value to our customers.

The contract was awarded under the OASIS Small Business (SB) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. RiverTech will provide a range of operations support functions traditionally provided by pilots and Weapons System Officers, including aircrew scheduling, operations training, standardizations & evaluations, mobility/unit deployment manager, and security manager assistant/Weapons Duty Officer.

The company will provide support at eight Air Force Bases in the Pacific Rim, including Kadena AB (Japan), Eielson AFB (Alaska), Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (Alaska), Misawa AB (Japan), Osan AB (Korea), Kunsan AB (Korea), Yokota AB (Japan), and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (Hawaii).

About RiverTech

RiverTech is an SBA certified 8(a) Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) and a wholly owned subsidiary of Akima. At RiverTech, we are dedicated to bringing innovative solutions to our customers complex engineering and operational challenges. Our teams deliver wide-ranging services for mission support, systems engineering, and IT, enabling information and communications dominance and superior command and control of forces across the globe. To learn more visit http://www.rivertechllc.com.

About Akima

Akima is a global enterprise with more than 7,500 employees, delivering agile solutions to the federal government in the core areas of facilities, maintenance, and repair; information technology; logistics; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction. As a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 14,000 Inupiat shareholders, Akimas core mission is to enable superior outcomes for our customers missions while simultaneously creating a long-lived asset for NANA consistent with our Inupiat values. In 2020, Washington Technology ranked Akima #39 amongst the top 100 government contractors. To learn more about Akima, visit http://www.akima.com.



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The Environment Agency  Abu Dhabi (EAD) has produced a new feature documentary entitled Wild Abu Dhabi: The Turtles of Al Dhafra, which will be screened for the first time on January 26 at VOX Cinemas at Yas Mall.

The film showcases the groundbreaking work of the EAD team who are dedicated to studying turtles in the hottest sea in the world, the Arabian Gulf, also known as the worlds natural climate change laboratory. The insightful documentary took two years to film.

Abu Dhabi is home to two of the seven species of turtles found on the planet  both of which are threatened  the critically endangered Hawksbills, and the endangered giant Green turtles. EAD has been working on the protection of sea turtles since its establishment 25 years ago as part of its mandate which is dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity and endangered species of all kinds in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi has a stable population of around 5,500 sea turtles, including 1,500 critically endangered Hawksbill turtles, which nest on offshore islands in the waters of Al Dhafra. It also has 3,500 endangered Green turtles, which forage on Abu Dhabis seagrass rich waters, including in a core area of the Marawah Protected Area.

The monitoring efforts undertaken by the agency indicate that there are more than 150 nests per year for the Hawksbill turtles on the islands and the main coast of the Emirate. Most of the nests are located in the six marine reserves that are part of the Zayed Protected Areas Network, which includes 19 terrestrial and marine protected areas.

By collaborating with the Emirates Nature-WWF, EAD has succeeded in placing tracking devices on 36 green turtles that do not nest in the Emirate's waters, to discover their nesting areas. This study revealed the path of their journey from feeding areas on Bu Tinah Island in Abu Dhabi to nesting areas in the Sultanate of Oman. The turtles then return back to their natural habitat on Bu Tinah Island.

EAD named two of the turtles after the late Sheikh Zayeds values: "wisdom" and "respect" who crossed more than 10,000 km from the waters of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, passing through two countries (Pakistan and Iran) before reaching the Sultanate of Oman to nest. Following this they returned back to Bu Tinah again.

Since 2005, EAD, together with its partners, began rescuing and rehabilitating sea turtles. More than 700 turtles have been rescued in the waters of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and returned back to the sea.

Turtles are among the most highly migratory animals on Earth and they are great indicators for the condition of marine environments. This is why EAD and its partners have been studying and monitoring these endangered species since 1999. The research compiled by EAD has helped the Agency to identify important foraging areas for conservation. The making of the documentary is a step towards gathering crucial data which will serve as a major foundation to develop projects and initiatives designed to preserve these endangered turtles.

The documentary will take viewers on an incredible and insightful journey where they will experience how the EAD Team Turtle monitor both Hawksbills and Green turtles. As Hawksbills mainly nest on offshore islands the team head there during the nesting season from March - June. Once the turtles have nested during the night, the team then mark their nests. Six weeks later, once the eggs have hatched, the EAD Team Turtle monitor the size and weight of each hatchling and support them on their journey down the beach and towards the sea. Once the nesting season is over, the team returns to the islands to count how many eggs have hatched in each nest.

The documentary will follow the team as they island hop through beautiful Al Dhafra, conducting challenging scientific research including mapping the movement of Green turtles for the first time in the region The film outlines how EAD is responding to the key threats to turtles  namely climate change, plastics and abandoned fishing gear. The documentary also communicates how the public can be part of the solution.

Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, said: Despite being a challenging feat, with some parts filmed during the height of summer, the creation of Wild Abu Dhabi: The Turtles of Al Dhafra was an extremely memorable experience and one that has enabled us to present to the public how our team researches the turtles that reside in Abu Dhabi waters. The data gathered during the making of the film will help propel our efforts forward, especially in preserving these endangered species  which is at the forefront of what EAD strives to achieve as part of its integrated strategy to preserve and manage biodiversity in a sustainable manner. This is put into action by setting up conservation programmes for endangered terrestrial and marine species, management of protected areas and preserving natural habitats.

She added: With our experienced and highly dedicated team of environmental conservationists we are pleased to be able to show our turtles in their natural environment  from when eggs are laid, to when they hatch and how our new hatchlings travel down the beach for the first time to when they are full grown adults. We are really excited and proud to share this film with everyone.

Al Dhaheri stressed: The creation of this documentary has allowed us to present some of the key threats facing our turtles including the impacts of climate change, single use plastics and abandoned fishing gear, and demonstrate why as society our behavioural change is necessary  to give our turtles their best chance of surviving into the future. This includes limiting the amount of single use plastic and rubbish entering the environment which can cause harm to our turtles. Our work with the turtles and mitigating these challenges is just the beginning of what we plan to do in the future. We want these beautiful animals to continue breeding in Abu Dhabi, so that in the future they are no longer considered an endangered species.

This is the fourth film that EAD has produced in the past four years  which include the award winning Zayeds Antarctic Lights, which chronicles the adventures of the agencies Team Zayed to Antarctica in the Year of Zayed. Other films include Back to the Wild  which tells the story of the world first reintroduction of the extinct in the wild Scimitar Horned Oryx to their homeland in Chad; and Our Sea Our Heritage which tells the story of the UAEs fishery and recovery plan. - TradeArabia News Service
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Boris Johnson warned the European Union that he expected it to honour government contracts for coronavirus vaccines as a deepening diplomatic row saw senior Brussels figures accused the UK of stealing jabs destined for countries in the bloc.

The UK and the EU were in a tense stand-off this evening as continental figures attempted to shift blame for its slovenly rollout of the inoculations in comparison to Britain.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen vowed to make firms declare what vaccines they are exporting to the UK as she scrambled to contain the backlash.

The commission president said a 'transparency mechanism' is being introduced as she insisted that the bloc 'means business' about getting its fair share of supplies.

And in a sign of Brussels' desperation an unnamed source told the Telegraph there were suspicions that AstraZeneca jabs earmarked 'to be delivered to the EU after market authorisation have actually ended up in Britain.'

However the boss of the British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm tonight fired back at EU health chiefs, insisting Brussels was late with its vaccine order.

Responding to the criticism, Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, tonight told German paper Die Welt: 'We signed an agreement with the UK three months before we did with Europe.'

However he also told the paper that the company was 'very disappointed' that supply chain issues had caused a delay in vaccine production - a delay which yesterday sparked the firm to announce it would only be able to supply 31million of 80million doses to EU by end of March.

Meanwhile, fronting a Downing Street press conference tonight, Mr Johnson said he had 'total confidence' in the UK's supply of vaccines.

And in a warning shot at the EU he added: 'All I would say is obviously we expect and hope that our EU friends will honour all contracts.

'And we continue to work with friends and partners in the EU, and indeed around the world, because the delivery of the vaccine has been a multinational effort, the creation of the vaccine has been a multinational effort, and the delivery of the vaccine is multinational as well, because the virus knows no borders,' he said.

The sabre-rattling from Brussels, which comes amid growing chaos and protests across the continent, has incensed senior MPs, with warnings that the EU could 'poison' relations for a generation if it blocks some of the 40million Pfizer doses the UK has bought 'legally and fairly'.

Mr Johnson also offered his 'deepest condolences' to those who have lost relatives to coronavirus and pledged to ensure their loved ones are remembered as the Government's figure for Covid-19 deaths passed 100,000.

The Prime Minister said that when the country comes through the crisis 'we will come together as a nation to remember everyone we lost and to honour the selfless heroism of all those on the front line who gave their lives to save others'.

On another dramatic day in the coronavirus crisis:

Boris Johnson is taking a press conference at 5pm alongside medical and science chiefs Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance;

More than 100,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the UK on the Government's main measure, after another 1,631 fatalities within 28 days of a positive test were announced today. The toll now stands at 100,162;

Another 279,757 people have been given vaccines in 24 hours, although the figure has slowed down from the high of more than 400,000 with signs of a weekend lag;

Ministers will thrash out draconian new border restrictions tonight, with arrivals from coronavirus hotspots forced to quarantine in hotels at their own expense - and the prospect of the measures being extended to all travellers;

A total of 7,245 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending January 15 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate - a different ONS measure. That was up from 6,057 deaths in the week to January 8 and the highest weekly figure since week ending April 24;

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has revealed his uncle died from coronavirus before he received the vaccine;

The UK's jobless rate has crept up to 5 per cent - the highest level since 2016 - as employment slides;

Labour has condemned Gavin Williamson for sending a junior minister to face calls from MPs to reveal a plan for 'phased return' of schools before Easter;

European leaders are pushing to tighten Covid lockdown measures across the continent this week even after a weekend of violent anti-curfew riots in the Netherlands.

In a warning shot at the EU Mr Johnson said: 'All I would say is obviously we expect and hope that our EU friends will honour all contracts'

Ursula von der Leyen today vowed to make firms declare what vaccines they are exporting to the UK as she scrambled to contain a backlash at the EU's shambolic rollout

The commission chief said a 'transparency mechanism' is being introduced as she insisted that the bloc 'means business' about getting its fair share of supplies

These set of graphs show the number of vaccines ordered by the UK and the EU. The EU has also ordered a number of other vaccines, including 300million Sanofi-GSK doses and 405million CureVac doses

Europe's vaccine roll-out was already among the slowest in the world, but has been hit by further problems as France's Pasteur Institute mothballed its jab on Monday and AstraZeneca cut supplies to the bloc by 60 per cent due to 'supply issues'

Sombre Boris Johnson takes 'full responsibility' as UK Covid death toll tops 100,000 A downtrodden Boris Johnson tonight appeared at Downing Street to say he was 'deeply sorry' as the UK's Covid-19 death toll officially rose above 100,000 for the first time. The Prime Minister appeared alongside Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, and NHS CEO Sir Simon Stevens, to say it was 'hard to compute the sorrow' Britain had been through in the past year. This Sunday will mark one year since the first two people were taken to a hospital in Newcastle after being found with coronavirus in York, and since then 375,000 people have been admitted to hospital with the illness and at least 100,162 have died. The Department of Health today announced the deaths of 1,631 more people. Mr Johnson said: 'On this day, I should just really repeat that I am deeply sorry for every life that has been lost and, of course, as Prime Minister, I take full responsibility for everything that the Government has done. 'What I can tell you is that we truly did everything that we could, and continue to do everything that we can, to minimise loss of life and to minimise suffering in what has been a very, very difficult stage and a very, very difficult crisis for our country, and we will continue to do that.' But in a glimmer of hope on what Professor Whitty branded a 'very sad day', the number of people testing positive for coronavirus has dropped again to just a third of the level it was at three weeks ago, with 20,089 more infections. The infection number was well below the 45,533 announced two weeks ago and a steep drop from 60,916 the Tuesday before that. Although the peak of infections now appears to have passed, the number of people in hospital is still 'incredibly high', Professor Whitty said as both he and the PM spoke to quash hopes that lockdown will be lifted soon. Deaths lag about three weeks behind cases because it takes this long for someone who has caught the virus to suffer symptoms severe enough to be admitted to hospital and die from the disease, and Professor Whitty said the daily counts would remain high for weeks to come. Advertisement

NHS England chief Simon Stevens swiped at the 'uproar' in the EU today, suggesting it underlined the pressure on supplies and how Britain had done 'very well'.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said protectionism was 'not the right approach', insisting that the huge push to get the four most vulnerable groups of Britons covered by mid-February will not be derailed.

For its part, Pfizer warned it was 'critical that governments do not impose export restrictions or other trade barriers' that would risk creating 'uncertainty' and disrupting supplies.

Meanwhile, the health ministry in Berlin has been forced to issue a denial after two German newspapers claimed the EU's regulator could refuse to give the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab full approval, with officials anonymously briefing its efficacy for pensioners was just eight per cent.

The claim was angrily rejected by the pharmaceutical company - and No10 sources told MailOnline it was 'rubbish'. It is understood the issue came up at Cabinet this morning, and Boris Johnson said it was 'not correct'. Science chief Patrick Vallance told the meeting that data showed a good immune response among all older patients.

He suggested the publications could have been confused between the proportion of the trial participants who were over 65, and the effectiveness.

One Whitehall source told Playbook it was the kind of tactics 'you expect from the Russians'.

The German health ministry today desperately tried to kill off the spat, dismissing the idea there was any data suggest efficacy of only eight per cent among older people. It said at 'first glance' there seemed to have been a mix-up over the 8 per cent figure insisting a decision is still due on approving the jab on Friday.

Tory MP Damian Collins suggested the briefing was connected to wrangling between the EU and AstraZeneca - which is based in the UK, whereas Pfizer has a manufacturing hub in Belgium - over access to supplies. 'Either way it is dangerous and irresponsible and only helps the anti vaccine movement,' he said.

As the backlash in the EU at its dire progress gathered pace, Ms von der Leyen tried to offer reassurance something is being done to address the problems.

'Europe invested billions to help develop the world's first COVID vaccines and create a global common good,' she said.

'Now the companies must deliver and honour their obligations.

'We will set up a vaccine export transparency mechanism. EU is committed to contribute. But we also mean business.'

A spokesman for Pfizer said: 'We understand the EU proposed notification process is aimed at increasing transparency and does not intend to restrict global supply to patients, but it is critical that governments do not impose export restrictions or other trade barriers that risk creating uncertainty and disrupting supply of vaccines to patients around the world.

Concerns over vaccine supply on the continent have prompted the European Union to tell pharmaceutical companies they can only export to Britain with explicit permission from the bloc. Pictured: Jenny Holland, 86, from Mansfield receives her injection of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine at a former Wickes store in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire

It is understood the issue of the AstraZeneca vaccine's effectiveness on older people came up at Cabinet this morning, and Boris Johnson said the claims from Germany were 'not correct'

Science chief Patrick Vallance told the meeting that data showed the AZ jab produced good immune response among all older patients

Groups rioters throw stones at police in Haarlem, Netherlands, yesterday amid protests against coronavirus restrictions

Firefighters work to extinguish a vehicle that was set ablaze by rioters, in Haarlem, Netherlands, yesterday

'We look forward to receiving further details on the EU proposal and assessing its impact on patients.

Germany denies claim AstraZeneca vaccine doesn't work for OAPs The German health ministry says the claim that the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine doesn't work in elderly people was untrue and there is 'no data' to support it Scientists slammed the spurious claim overnight after it was published by German newspaper Handelsblatt, which said government sources had warned the jab only appeared to be eight per cent effective but didn't publish any data to prove it. Oxford University rubbished the report, saying there was 'no basis' for the allegation, and that their data has already been 'released transparently'. AstraZeneca, manufacturing the jab on behalf of Oxford, said it was 'completely incorrect'. And scientists added they had 'no idea' where the figure has come from, adding that it was not proved by research on the vaccine. Germany has now confirmed there is no data to suggest the effectiveness of the vaccine is that low and that the European Medicines Agency will decide whether to approve the jab on Friday. It is not clear where the eight per cent figure emerged, with a political correspondent at the German paper saying senior sources in the government had given it to him without scientific data. Advertisement

'We are continuing to liaise closely with the UK Government to deliver the 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that we have committed to supply to the UK before the end of the year.'

Speaking at a Chatham House event this afternoon, Mr Hancock said: 'Well, we oppose protectionism in all its forms.

'And I think protectionism is unfortunate, and especially so in the midst of a pandemic when we are working so closely together with countries right around the world and the contribution that the UK has made that we've been talking about, for instance through the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the therapeutics that are available, has been in partnership with countries right around the world including in the EU.

'I'm sure we can work with the EU to ensure that while transparency is welcome that no blockers are put in place.

'I'm glad to say that having spoken to the chief executives of both of Pfizer and AstraZeneca I'm confident of the supply of vaccine into the UK. I'm confident that won't be disrupted but I would urge all international partners in fact to be collaborative and working closely together, and I think protectionism is not the right approach in the middle of a pandemic.'

In a round of interviews ealier, Mr Zahawi told Sky News: 'I'm confident they [Pfizer] will deliver the quantities we need to hit our mid-February deadline and beyond that. Pfizer will deliver to us. I'm sure they will deliver to the UK, EU and the rest of the world. I'm confident that will be able to vaccinate the entire adult population by the Autumn.'

He dodged the question about whether the EU was trying to block supplies because its vaccination programme has fallen massively behind Britain's. The move was branded 'mean-spirited and selfish' by MPs.

Ex-health secretary Jeremy Hunt told the Telegraph: 'If the EU were to take action unilaterally that restricted supplies of vaccine bought legally and fairly by the UK, it would poison economic relations for a generation. At such a critical moment, the world needs vaccine nationalism like a hole in the head.'

Last night two German newspapers reported sources in Berlin saying EU experts told them in an off-the-record briefing that they have found the UK-made Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is only eight percent effective in pensioners.

The drug firm has furiously denied those reports, which came a fortnight after Klaus Cichutek, the head of Germany's vaccine regulator, hailed the success rate of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine saying: 'The efficacy remains outstanding and excellent'.

An AstraZeneca spokesman said: 'Reports that the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine efficacy is as low as 8 per cent in adults over 65 are absolutely incorrect.

All companies producing vaccines against COVID-19 in the EU will have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries,' EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides warned last night, as Britain prepares to receive nearly 3.5m of the Belgian-produced Pfizer (pictured: The company's production plant in Belgium) vaccine in the next three weeks

Virus cases in Europe have remained stubbornly high throughout winter despite tougher restrictions being introduced, with many countries now considering new national shutdowns - if they have not been imposed already

'In the UK the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JVCI) supported use in the population and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) included this group without dose adjustment in the authorisation for emergency supply. In November we published details in The Lancet demonstrating that older showed immune responses to the vaccine, with 100 per cent of older adults generating spike-specific antibodies after the second dose.'

EU block could mean UK misses out on millions of Covid vaccine doses The UK could miss out on millions of doses of the coronavirus vaccine if the European Union suspends deliveries to countries outside the bloc. Britain is expecting to receive another 9million doses by mid-February from Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech. But if Eurocrats blockade jab exports across the channel, American drugs company Pfizer - which manufactures vaccines in Puurs, Belgium - will be unable to ship supplies. As many as 3.5million doses of their jab are expected to arrive over the next three weeks, reports the Telegraph, a shipment that wouldn't land on British soil if Brussels chose to redirect supplies. The move would not, however, cut supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine because the 'vast, vast majority' of their jabs are made in the UK. There are fears that any cut in deliveries could leave the Government unable to meet its target of vaccinating 15million of the most vulnerable by mid-February. But it is not clear how many doses are already sitting in warehouses in the UK, which ministers say they won't reveal because of 'security concerns'. The Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at a conference last night that supply remained the 'limiting factor' in Britain's Covid-19 vaccine rollout. The UK has already vaccinated more than six million of the most vulnerable against the virus, as it steams towards its mid-February target. Advertisement

AstraZeneca angered Brussels earlier yesterday by warning it would cut the number of vaccines it will deliver to Europe by the end of March from 80million to 31million. But more concerning for EU health chiefs is the claim, the exact nature of which remained unclear today, that the AstraZeneca jab fails to adequately protect pensioners.

That would leave a large hole in the EU's vaccine supplies as well as throwing into question the effectiveness of immunisation strategies in other countries including the UK, where getting AstraZeneca's jabs in as many pensioners as possible is key to ending lockdown.

German financial broadsheet Handelsblatt and tabloid Bild both quoted sources in the federal government as saying the AZ jab was less than 10 per cent effective in over-65s.

The papers said German officials now fear the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the EU's medicine regulator, may not approve giving the Oxford vaccine to such people.

The federal and state governments in Germany had planned to use the AstraZeneca vaccine for older people who live at home and cannot go to a vaccination centre due to age or illness.

However AstraZeneca last night branded the German reports 'absolutely incorrect', and it was disowned by the health ministry this morning.

In a statement the German government said: 'At first glance, it seems that two things were confused in the reports: Around eight percent of the subjects in the AstraZeneca efficacy study were between 56 and 69 years of age, and only 3 to 4 percent were over 70 years of age (MHRA Approval Public Assessment Report).

'From this, however, an effectiveness of only eight percent in older people cannot be derived.

'The European Medicines Agency also evaluates the studies. It has been known since autumn that fewer older people were involved in the first studies submitted by AstraZeneca than in studies by other manufacturers. The result of the evaluation by the EMA can be expected on Friday.'

Giving evidence to the Health Select Committee today, NHS England chief Sir Simon Stevens suggested the bitter briefing was down to the EU being under pressure on vaccine supplies.

He said: 'If there were unlimited vaccines then you wouldn't see what the European Commission were saying yesterday, you wouldn't see Italy attempting to sue one of the manufacturers, you wouldn't see Germany in uproar as it is today.

'Of course there's a supply shortage, and we've done very well in this country to get the supply we have available to us, the question is how do we use it to best effect.'

AstraZeneca has blamed the EU's supply chain for their failure to deliver the promised 80million vaccines by the end of March

Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi insisted this morning that the UK's huge push to get the four most vulnerable groups covered by mid-February will not be derailed

The EMA's approval of the vaccine is expected to take place on Friday, according to reports.

Like in the UK, European vaccine drives are relying on shots from multiple suppliers to reach their targets.

Britain has so far ordered 40million doses of AstraZeneca's jab - which was the first to be approved in the UK and is a so-called 'work horse' of the UK vaccine roll-out. The UK is expecting to receive nearly 3.5million Pfizer doses within the next three weeks.

But in a stern warning, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides last night declared the bloc would take 'any action required to protect its citizens'.

The row came after British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca announced yesterday it could not meet the demand of a 300million dose vaccine deal it made with the EU in August - for which it was paid 298million upfront.

The move, described as 'surprising' by Ms Kyriakides, sparked fears of a vaccine shortage on the continent. EU bosses subsequently hit back, demanding 'full transparency' concerning the export of vaccines from the bloc.

German health minister Jens Spahn told ZDF television this morning that the EU must get its 'fair share', suggesting there should be export limits.

'I can understand that there are production problems but then it must affect everyone in the same way,' he said.

'This is not about Europe first but about Europe's fair share.'

In statement overnight, Ms Kyriakides said: 'Last Friday, the company AstraZeneca surprisingly informed the Commission and the European Union Member States that it intends to supply considerably fewer doses in the coming weeks than agreed and announced.

'This new schedule is not acceptable to the European Union. The European Union has pre-financed the development of the vaccine and the production and wants to see the return.

'The European Union wants to know exactly which doses have been produced by AstraZeneca and where exactly so far and if or to whom they have been delivered.'

Ms Kyriakides said the EU had asked AstraZeneca about the the change, but said the company's answers had 'not been satisfactory so far'.

She said: 'We want our contract to be fully fulfilled. In addition, the Commission has today proposed to the 27 Member States in the Steering Board that an export transparency mechanism will be put in place as soon as possible.

'We want clarity on transactions and full transparency concerning the export of vaccines from the EU.

'In the future, all companies producing vaccines against COVID-19 in the EU will have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries.

In a stern warning, she added: 'The European Union will take any action required to protect its citizens and rights.'

HOW DO THE OXFORD, MODERNA AND PFIZER/BIONTECH VACCINES COMPARE? Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech have both released interim results of the final stage clinical trials of their vaccines, with both suggesting they are extremely effective. Oxford University has published the findings from its second phase, which show the jab provokes an immune response and is safe to use  it is not yet clear how well it protects against coronavirus in the real world. Here's how they compare: CREATOR: MODERNA (US) PFIZER (US) & BIONTECH (DE) OXFORD UNIVERSITY (UK) How it works: mRNA vaccine  Genetic material from coronavirus is injected to trick immune system into making 'spike' proteins and learning how to attack them. mRNA vaccine  both Moderna's and Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccines work in the same way. Recombinant viral vector vaccine  a harmless cold virus taken from chimpanzees was edited to produce the 'spike' proteins and look like the coronavirus. How well does it work? 94.5% effective (90 positive in placebo group, 5 positive in vaccine group) . 95% effective (160 positive in placebo group, 8 positive in vaccine group). 62% - 90% effective, depending on dosing. Average 70.4%. How much does it cost? Moderna confirmed it will charge countries placing smaller orders, such as the UK's five million doses, between 24 and 28 per dose. US has secured 100million doses for $1.525billion (1.16bn), suggesting it will cost $15.25 (11.57) per dose. The US will pay $1.95bn (1.48bn) for the first 100m doses, a cost of $19.50 (14.80) per dose. Expected to cost 2.23 per dose. The UK's full 100m dose supply could amount to just 223million. Can we get hold of it? UK has ordered five million doses which will become available from March 2021. Moderna will produce 20m doses this year, expected to stay in the US. UK has already ordered 40million doses, of which 10million could be available in 2020. First vaccinations expected in December. UK has already ordered 100million doses and is expected to be first in line to get it once approved. What side effects does it cause? Moderna said the vaccine is 'generally safe and well tolerated'. Most side effects were mild or moderate but included pain, fatigue and headache, which were 'generally' short-lived. Pfizer and BioNTech did not produce a breakdown of side effects but said the Data Monitoring Committee 'has not reported any serious safety concerns'. Oxford and AstraZeneca said there are no serious safety concerns about the vaccine. Phase three trial saw three out of 23,745 participants have 'serious adverse events' that were 'possibly' linked to the vaccine. All three have recovered or are recovering, and remain in the trial. Advertisement

Vaccines minister reveals his uncle died of Covid Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has revealed he lost an uncle to Covid-19. Mr Zahawi said the pandemic was 'grim and horrible' but the impact made him 'determined' that the rollout will happen quickly. Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain, he said: 'It's painful, and it's closer to home than you think  in terms of losing relatives and family. 'I lost my uncle last week to Covid, but, you're right, it is grim and horrible, but our way out of this is the vaccination programme. 'It makes me angry, but it makes me determined to make sure we vaccinate the most vulnerable people in our country and protect them as quickly as possible and then protect the whole nation.' Advertisement

The statement came after a weekend of protests over the tightening of lockdown rules in countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands.

The jab has already been approved in the UK, as well as Argentina, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico and Morocco, while Canadian officials have asked for more data before approving the vaccine.

The Oxford jab is cheaper and easier to store than the rival Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine - which is also being used in Germany.

The Oxford vaccine can be stored, transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions. This is unlike the Pfizer vaccine, which needs to be kept at minus 70C.

But the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine came under fire last year when initial tests showed the vaccine was 62 per cent effective when two full doses were given at least a month apart.

This was less than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which were both shown to be 95 per cent effective.

However, the Oxford vaccine's efficacy rose to 90 per cent when people were given half a dose followed by a whole dose at least a month later.

Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, praised the results in a piece to the Sunday Times in December, saying: 'We think we have figured out the winning formula and how to get efficacy that, after two doses, is up there with everybody else. I can't tell you more because we will publish at some point.'

On the results, he said: 'We would have preferred a simpler set of results, but overall we thought these are positive.'

A large group of young people clash with police on Beijerlandselaan in Rotterdam on Monday night amid growing anger over lockdown measures

Dutch policemen arrest a man during clashes with a large group of young people on Beijerlandselaan in Rotterdam, on January 25

Anti riot forces gather as groups of local youth gather on the streets of Schilderswijk, the Netherlands, for a second day on January 25

The deserted Avenue de l'Opera leading up to the Opera Garnier during a nationwide curfew, from 6pm to 6am, due to restrictions against the spread of Covid

The deserted Pont de Bir-Hakeim Bridge and the Eiffel Tower during a nationwide curfew, from 6pm to 6am, due to restrictions against the spread of the coronavirus

Matt Hancock reveals nearly 80% of UK over-80s have now had a Covid vaccine as NHS rollout reaches 6.6MILLION people Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night announced that 78.7 per cent of Britons over the age of 80 have had a Covid vaccine as he confirmed 6.6million people have received their first dose. That means nearly one in 10 people across the country has had at least one dose that could protect them against deadly Covid-19, and the Government is nearly halfway through its drive to hit 15million by mid-February. Britain is ahead of all other countries in Europe in its vaccine drive and has one of the highest per-person rates in the world. But a Sunday slowdown meant that only 221,067 people received vaccines, down from a record high of 493,013 people on Saturday. Department of Health figures showed 220,249 first doses and 818 second doses were administered across the country on January 24. The Sunday slowdown is thought to have been triggered by fewer doctors and nurses being on shift on the last day of the working week, meaning fewer Britons could receive their jabs. The smallest number of cases and deaths is also generally recorded on Sundays, when more staff are off work and unavailable to tick off reports. It comes as ministers battle to vaccinate the most vulnerable to the virus by mid-February. This includes the over-70s, vulnerable, care home residents and NHS frontline staff. But the NHS appears to have already missed its internal target of reaching all care home residents by January 24. The Health Secretary Matt Hancock said last Thursday they had already vaccinated 63 per cent of care home residents - leaving another 154,660 out of an estimated 420,000 residents waiting for their jabs. But ministers are yet to say whether the NHS target has been hit. Britain last night recorded another 22,195 infections with the virus, a 41 per cent drop on last week, and a further 592 deaths, down one per cent on the same time last week. Advertisement

French MEP Veronique Trillet-Lenoir said the European Commission will consider 'controlling' products made in the European Union as part of its row with AstraZeneca over the bloc's vaccine rollout, while also weighing up legal action.

The European Commission has accused the pharmaceutical company, which worked with Oxford University on the development of the Covid-19 vaccine, of failing to give a valid explanation for not delivering doses to the bloc.

Ms Trillet-Lenoir told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'A contract is a commitment, it is based on public money, long negotiations with mutual agreements on prices and ability (to deliver).

'The Commission is right to say that, when trust is betrayed, we should take strong decisions.

'First of all, (it) is thinking about controlling exportation for products made in the EU.

'But the Parliament would agree, and will be alongside the Commission, if the decision is to take legal action.'

Politicians pushed to tighten lockdown measures across the continent even after a weekend of rioting brought scenes of chaos to the Netherlands and Denmark.

France is due to decide whether to bring in a third national lockdown this week as Prime Minister Jean Castex warned the situation there is 'worrying', with Italy's top medic also calling for a month-long national shutdown.

The EU has not officially approved the Oxford/AstraZenecca jab yet but it is expected to give its assent on Friday, starting the mass roll-out.

Europe, which was initially praised for its tough response to Covid after most countries went into full lockdowns in March last year, has been hammered by a second wave that a mish-mash of measures has largely failed to control.

Those efforts have been complicated by the emergence of new and potentially more-infectious variants of the virus, including in the hard-hit UK, which is now back in full lockdown.

While many countries have announced new measures to try and bring infections down, case numbers have remained stubbornly high in countries such as France, Italy and Germany, causing hospitals to run out of space.

Meanwhile Spain and Portugal have both seen infections soar to record levels after a brief dip over the festive period, putting health services under strain.

The Netherlands, which had become one of Europe's worst-affected countries with its light-touch lockdown approach, has seen cases fall dramatically in January but remain well above the lows seen during the summer.

As a result and amid fears the UK variant could cause cases to spike, new measures designed to bring the toll down were announced last week, including a 9pm to 4.30am curfew - the country's first since World War Two.

The prompted protests in 10 cities on Sunday which turned violent, as protesters fought police, looted shops, and trashed police stations.

Authorities in Eindhoven announced on Monday that 62 people had been arrested and more are being sought, while officers in Amsterdam said 192 were arrested.

'It is unacceptable,' Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. 'This has nothing to do with protesting, this is criminal violence and that's how we'll treat it.'

'My city is crying, and so am I,' Eindhoven Mayor John Jorritsma told media Sunday night. In an emotional impromptu press conference, he called the rioters 'the scum of the earth' and added 'I am afraid that if we continue down this path, we're on our way to civil war.'

Meanwhile, in locked-down Britain, it was announced yesterday that the UK had recorded the fewest coronavirus cases in a day since December 15 with 22,195 more people testing positive  a 41 per cent drop on last Monday  and new deaths remained level at 592, down one per cent in a week.

In further good news, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced yesterday that 78.7 per cent of Britons over the age of 80 have had a Covid vaccine as he confirmed 6.6million people have received their first dose.

Boris Johnson sowed confusion today as he hinted that 'some' lockdown curbs could be eased in mid-February - but defied a growing Tory mutiny by refusing to guarantee that schools will be open by Easter

How does the Oxford vaccine work? The vaccine  called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19  uses a harmless, weakened version of a common virus which causes a cold in chimpanzees. Researchers have already used this technology to produce vaccines against a number of pathogens including flu, Zika and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers). The virus is genetically modified so that it is impossible for it to grow in humans. Scientists have transferred the genetic instructions for coronavirus's specific 'spike protein'  which it needs to invade cells  to the vaccine. When the vaccine enters cells inside the body, it uses this genetic code to produce the surface spike protein of the coronavirus. This induces an immune response, priming the immune system to attack coronavirus if it infects the body. It was 62 per cent effective if given as two doses and 90 per cent when one half dose is given followed by a further full dose. Advertisement

That means nearly one in 10 people across the country has had at least one dose that could protect them against deadly Covid-19, and the Government is nearly halfway through its drive to hit 15million by mid-February.

Britain is ahead of all other countries in Europe in its vaccine drive and has one of the highest per-person rates in the world - ahead of the Spain, France, Germany and Italy.

But furious EU officials have said they will investigate why Britain is not suffering from similar delays in the rollout as have been seen on the continent.

Peter Liese, an EU lawmaker from the same party as Angela Merkel, said: 'The flimsy justification that there are difficulties in the EU supply chain but not elsewhere does not hold water, as it is of course no problem to get the vaccine from the UK to the continent.

'AstraZeneca has been contractually obligated to produce since as early as October and they are apparently delivering to other parts of the world, including the UK without delay.'

The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker had received an up-front payment of 336 million euros (298million) from the EU when they struck a deal in August, an EU official told Reuters.

The agreement for at least 300million shots was the first signed by the EU to secure Covid vaccines.

Under advance purchase deals sealed during the pandemic, the EU makes down payments to companies to secure doses, with the money expected to be mostly used to expand production capacity.

But AstraZeneca said on Friday: 'Initial volumes will be lower than originally anticipated due to reduced yields at a manufacturing site within our European supply chain.'

The site in question is a vaccine factory in Belgium run by the drugmaker's partner Novasep.

A senior EU official said the bloc had a contractual right to check the company's books to assess production and deliveries.

A Commission spokesman said: 'We expect the company to find solutions and to exploit all possible flexiblities to deliver swiftly.'

EU executive Ursula von der Leyen had a call on Monday with AstraZeneca's chief Pascal Soriot to remind him of the firm's commitments, with a second meeting scheduled for the same day.

AstraZeneca was not immediately available to comment last night.

The first EU official, who has been directly involved in talks with AstraZeneca, said there were no high expectations about the meeting in which the company will be asked to better explain the delays, although its outcome is still unclear.

Earlier in January, Pfizer, which is currently the largest supplier of COVID-19 vaccines to the EU, announced delays of nearly a month to its shipments, but hours later revised this to say the delays would last only a week.

Europe's vaccine roll-out was already among the slowest in the world, but has been hit by further problems as France's Pasteur Institute mothballed its jab on Monday and AstraZeneca cut supplies to the bloc by 60 per cent due to 'supply issues'

EU executive Ursula von der Leyen had a call on Monday with AstraZeneca's chief Pascal Soriot to remind him of the firm's commitments

EU contracts with vaccine makers are confidential, but the EU official did not rule out possible penalties for AstraZeneca, given the large revision to its earlier commitments. However the source did not elaborate on what could trigger the penalties. 'We are not there yet,' the official added.

AstraZeneca's vaccine is expected to be approved for use in the EU on January 29, with first deliveries expected from February 15.

On Monday, the boss of the pharmaceutical company denounced the 'me first' approach by some countries to obtaining doses.

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot, speaking at a virtual event for the Davos World Economic Forum, also attacked a lack of global preparation for the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

The arrival of ground-breaking Covid-19 vaccines could have been grounds for celebrating, 'but it unfortunately wasn't because there was a little bit of 'me first' behaviour', Soriot said.

'Globally, it is fair to say we could and should have been better prepared for this pandemic,' he added.

Soriot noted however that 'things are changing and international collaboration is emerging' over the coronavirus that has claimed the lives of more than two million people.

'There are many good examples of tremendous public-private collaboration actually in many countries,' he said.

Going forward, 'the first thing to do is to invest in prevention and early detection and early treatment', Soriot added.

He noted that among the world's most industrialised countries, only three-percent of health expenditure is spent on prevention.

'Twenty percent of this 3.0 percent... is spent on immunisation and early detections of disease.

'So, essentially, we kind of tend to wait for people to become sick to try to address that, as opposed to early detecting (of) disease and preventing it.'
Jose wanted to buy a house in Northeast Philadelphia to stay close to family, but he couldnt afford one, and as an undocumented immigrant without a Social Security number, he had limited options for lenders who would give him a mortgage. He turned to a Philadelphia community development financial institution, which worked with him and his wife as they saved for nearly three years and gave them a loan for their house.

Ive never seen anyone prouder at their closing, said Frederick Rivera, assistant vice president of lending at Community First Fund, who withheld the homeowners last name to protect his identity.

Community lenders sometimes can be the only option for immigrants without Social Security numbers who want mortgages. But a new federal policy opens the door for certain immigrants brought to the country illegally as children to access federally insured loans to become homeowners and build wealth for themselves and their families.

On Jan. 19, the Trump administration got rid of a rule that barred the roughly 700,000 recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program from being able to get mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration. In the Philadelphia metropolitan area, 4,300 people were enrolled in DACA as of December 2019.

FHA loans are the type most first-time home buyers use because credit, down payment, and other requirements generally are more flexible than for conventional loans backed by private lenders. For this reason, providers of FHA loans also are more likely to accept home buyers of color, who through decades of discriminatory governmental policies have less wealth overall than white home buyers.

Since 2003, Federal Housing Administration guidelines stated that people without legal residency in the United States were ineligible for mortgages insured by the agency. But last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development explained that the guidelines did not anticipate a situation in which a borrower might not have entered the country legally, but nevertheless be considered lawfully present. Thats the case for immigrants who came to the country illegally as children and have been accepted into the DACA program that former President Obama created through an executive order in 2012. Trumps deputy secretary of HUD said the department was changing FHA guidelines to avoid confusion and provide needed clarity to HUDs lending partners.

The Trump administration stopped allowing new DACA applicants in 2017, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the administration could not end DACA.

N.J. Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat, had pressured the Trump administration to end the discriminatory policy and make federally backed mortgages available to DACA recipients. Menendez, fellow Democratic N.J. Sen. Cory Booker and others introduced a bill last year to make this change law. The bill is part of President Joe Bidens immigration plan.

Community First Fund, which merged with community lender FINANTA last year, offers loans and financial counseling to people without Social Security numbers but who have tax identification numbers and want to buy a home. After the housing crash in 2008, lenders tightened their requirements and fewer of them offer mortgages to people with tax identification numbers, Rivera said.

He said roughly 90% of his clients over the last two years were immigrants, people that have excellent income, savings, are very hard workers, have been filing tax returns for more than 10 years, contributing to the community, but have been constantly turned away by traditional lenders.

These are clients that if it werent because they were an immigrant or had an [individual taxpayer identification number], the banks would embrace them, he said. Just about every client we assist in buying a home has been turned away or declined multiple times by other lenders.

Community First Fund handles about 25 loans per year. Its mission is to expand home ownership to help families build generational wealth and be part of the fabric of our community, said Daniel Betancourt, president and chief executive officer.

Sometimes these systemic barriers are in place that dont allow that, he said. Theres a lot of families that arent getting a mortgage because theyre not U.S. citizens.

Will Gonzalez, executive director of Ceibas, a coalition of Latino community-based organizations in Philadelphia, said allowing DACA recipients to access FHA loans opens a door to home ownership for those immigrants and also to immigrants who are not in the program. If DACA recipients can get loans from traditional lenders, community lending organizations have more funds to distribute to others who have nowhere else to go for loans.

If you wanted to define the American dream, a home is part of that definition, Gonzalez said. So this is great.

The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (R) stands at a fence guarding a federal courthouse as tear gas drifts by, in Portland, Ore., on July 23, 2020. (Karina Brown via AP)

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler Pepper-Sprayed Man Who Confronted Him Outside Pub

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler pepper-sprayed an unmasked man who confronted him with a video camera as he and former Mayor Sam Adams left a local pub on Sunday night, according to a police report.

Wheeler was leaving McMenamins Hillsdale Brewery & Public House in Southwest Portland at around 8 p.m. on Sunday when he was confronted by an individual who accused him of dining without properly socially distancing or wearing a mask, according to the report from the Portland Police Bureau obtained by The Oregonian.

The man who confronted the pair wasnt wearing a mask at the time of the incident, Wheeler said, noting that he was concerned for his safety as he was followed to his car.

He had no face mask on and got within a foot or two of my face while he was videoing me, Wheeler said. I became imminently concerned for my personal safety as I had recently been physically accosted in a similar situation. In addition, I was concerned about contracting COVID[-19] given that he was right in my face and he was not wearing a face mask.

Earlier this month, Wheeler was punched in the face as he dined at a local cafe in the city.

Wheeler said the individual refused to leave when he told him to do so.

I clearly informed him that he needed to back off. He did not do so I informed him that I was carrying pepper spray and that I would use it if he did not back off. He remained at close distance, I pulled out my pepper spray and I sprayed him in the eyes.

However, an audio clip of the incident, recorded by Adams and obtained by Williamette Week, appears to show that the mayor didnt warn the man before pepper-spraying him.

You are one foot away from me, Wheeler is heard saying on the clip that was given by Adams to police as evidence.

Oh my god, the man responds. He just pepper-sprayed me for no reason at all.

The mayor said he gave the man a bottle of water to rinse his face afterwards.

I cant see, the man said, but the mayor has just thrown something at me.

Wheelers spokesman, Tim Becker, confirmed the reports in a statement to the news outlet.

The mayor is cooperating with the police investigation and encourages others involved to do the same, Becker said, without elaborating on the individual who had accosted Wheeler and Adams.

The pair told police they didnt recognize the man.

Although it is legal to carry pepper spray in Oregon, its use can only justified in certain circumstances. Under state law, a person can be charged with unlawful use of pepper spray if the person recklessly discharges it against another person.
Ryan Jarvi 517-599-2746 Attorney General

January 25, 2021

LANSING  Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel today announced a new series of training videos from Michigans Elder Abuse Task Force. The training, via the Departments YouTube channel, focuses on recognizing, reporting and preventing elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

While the videos are geared toward in-home caregivers for older and vulnerable adults, the 11 short sessions can be helpful to anyone concerned about the well-being of our most vulnerable populations across the state. The sessions are between three and seven minutes, and pack a wealth of information into the short timeframe. Topics include: person-centered support, recognizing and understanding stressors, conflict resolution, signs of abuse, and more.

These training modules are an educational opportunity not just for those who are caregivers, but for anyone who is committed to ensuring our senior population is protected, said Nessel. I am grateful to the task forces training and education committee  which includes individuals from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services  for their hard work on these important training tools.

The Task Force launched in 2019 and consists of more than 55 different organizations in the public, private and nonprofit sections  all working together to combat elder abuse.

The more than 80 individuals on the Task Force are divided into seven committees working diligently to accomplish nine initiatives. Achievements include the adoption of the standard investigation form for vulnerable adult investigation by law enforcement across the state, which includes the implementation of related trainings. In addition to the vulnerable adult incident report and associated trainings, legislation was passed that ensures mandated reporting for financial institutions on suspected fraud or exploitation. Legislation has been drafted to address the remainder of the initiatives and the Task Force is eager to work with its legislative partners this year to put in place increased protections for Michigans most vulnerable.

London, Jan 26 : Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas is celebrating the women who helped in drafting the Indian Constitution, and says it has been enlightening to understand the importance of women in leadership.

"I've been researching and reading a lot about women in governance across the world and how their skills have impacted communities and countries. It's been enlightening, fascinating and so insightful to understand the importance of women in leadership," she wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

She continued: "I'd like to share an interesting piece of information I came across recently and today seems to be the perfect day to post what I learned. Did you know that there were 15 women in the first Constituent Assembly of India & that they helped draft the Constitution of India?" "So inspiring and also an apt day to celebrate the effort of all those who helped build the fundamental principles of India. Happy Republic Day," she added.

On the 72nd Republic Day of India, the actress shared a video tribute that has photographs of Annie Mascarene, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Kamla Chaudhry, Hansa Jivraj Mehta, Sarojini Naidu, Sucheta Kriplani, Begum Aizaz Rasul, Renuka Ray, Ammu Swaminathan, Leela Roya, Malati Chaudhary and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur.

On the work front, Priyanka is currently seen in web film, The White Tiger. She recently wrapped up shooting of her upcoming Hollywood romantic film, Text For You.


THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Groups of youths confronted police in Dutch towns and cities Monday night, defying the country's coronavirus curfew and throwing fireworks. Police in the port city of Rotterdam used a water cannon and tear gas in an attempt to disperse a crowd of rioters who also looted shops.

A person looks at a torched coronavirus testing facility in the Dutch fishing village of Urk, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, after it was torch Saturday night by rioting youths protesting on the first night of a nation-wide curfew. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Groups of youths confronted police in Dutch towns and cities Monday night, defying the country's coronavirus curfew and throwing fireworks. Police in the port city of Rotterdam used a water cannon and tear gas in an attempt to disperse a crowd of rioters who also looted shops.

Police and local media reported trouble in the capital, Amsterdam, where at least eight people were arrested, Haarlem, where vandals set a large fire in a street, The Hague and other towns before and after the 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. curfew began.

It was the second night of unrest in towns and cities across the Netherlands that initially grew out of calls to protest against the country's tough lockdown, but degenerated into vandalism by crowds whipped up by messages swirling on social media.

"Unfortunately, were seeing the same things as last night," police chief Willem Woelders told Dutch current affairs show Nieuwsuur. He said around 70 rioters had been arrested and police had used tear gas in the western city of Haarlem as well as Rotterdam.

Rotterdam police said youths took to the streets "seeking a confrontation with police." Riot officers attempted to break up the violence and made a number of arrests, before firing tear gas. Police warned people to stay away from the area. National broadcaster NOS showed video of police using a water cannon and reported that some shops had been looted.

In this image made from video, a COVID-19 testing center is seen after being set on fire in Urk, 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Amsterdam, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. Dutch police have clashed with protesters demonstrating against the countrys lockdown in the capital, Amsterdam and the southern city of Eindhoven. The unrest comes a day after rioting youths protesting on the first night of the countrys curfew torched a coronavirus testing facility in Dutch fishing village Urk. (Pro News via AP)

Police in the southern city of Den Bosch said that a shop was looted there and riot police were attempting to restore order.

By late Monday night, police in Rotterdam were left sweeping up shattered glass littering the street next to a vandalized bus stop. The force tweeted that "calm is slowly returning, but the atmosphere is still grim."

In the southern town of Geleen, police tweeted that youths in the downtown area were throwing fireworks. Riot police charged at protesters in The Hague.

Dutch media reported calls on social media for further violent protests even as the country struggles to contain new coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

Police in the southern town of Goes and the North Holland province said they detained people on suspicion of using social media to call for rioting.

"It is unacceptable," Prime Minister Mark Rutte said earlier Monday of rioting Sunday. "This has nothing to do with protesting, this is criminal violence and that's how we'll treat it."

In this image made from video, a burnt out COVID-19 testing center is seen after being set on fire in Urk, 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Amsterdam, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. Dutch police have clashed with protesters demonstrating against the countrys lockdown in the capital, Amsterdam and the southern city of Eindhoven. The unrest comes a day after rioting youths protesting on the first night of the countrys curfew torched a coronavirus testing facility in Dutch fishing village Urk. (Pro News via AP)

Worst hit Sunday was the southern city of Eindhoven, where police clashed with hundreds of rioters who torched a car, threw rocks and fireworks at officers, smashed windows and looted a supermarket at its railway station.

"My city is crying, and so am I," Eindhoven Mayor John Jorritsma told reporters Sunday night in an emotional impromptu news conference. He called the rioters "the scum of the earth" and added "I am afraid that if we continue down this path, were on our way to civil war."

Amsterdam police arrested 190 people amid rioting at a banned demonstration Sunday.

The rioting coincided with the first weekend of a new national coronavirus curfew, but mayors stressed that the violence wasn't the work of citizens concerned about their civil liberties.

"These demonstrations are being hijacked by people who only want one thing and that is to riot," Hubert Bruls, mayor of the city of Nijmegen and leader of a group of local security organizations, told news talk show Op1.

Nijmegen was one of a number of towns and cities that issued emergency decrees giving police extra powers to keep people away from certain locations amid reports of possible riots there. At least one store in Nijmegen was shown on Dutch television being boarded up as a precaution.

Bruls, who chaired a meeting of security officials Monday, said despite the violence, he didn't advocate further limiting demonstrations.

"You should be very reluctant to limit the right to demonstrate," he said, noting that the rioting Sunday happened at protests that already had been banned by local authorities.

Police in Eindhoven said Monday they have detained 62 suspects and have launched a large-scale investigation to identify and arrest more. One woman not involved in the rioting in Eindhoven was injured by a police horse.

Local residents went to the scene of the rioting Monday morning to help in the cleanup operation.

On Sunday, rioters threw rocks at the windows of a hospital in the eastern city of Enschede. On Saturday night, youths in the fishing village of Urk torched a coronavirus testing facility. Police in the southern province of Limburg said military police were sent as reinforcements to two cities.

The Netherlands has seen over 13,600 confirmed virus deaths in the pandemic.

Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at:

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


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[January 26, 2021] Affinitiv and Gubagoo Partner to Integrate Trade-In Valet Express into Digital Retailing Solution

Affinitiv, the leading provider of data-driven marketing and software solutions to the automotive market, announced that they have partnered with Gubagoo. Gubagoo, the leading provider of conversational commerce solutions for automotive dealerships and OEMs, will integrate Affinitiv's Trade-In Valet Express product offering into its digital retailing platform. The premium version of Trade-In Valet is the only online trade-in engagement solution to feature a live appraisal desk and a true, market-based buy-back guarantee, the Gubagoo integration of Trade-In Valet Express now allows consumers to get an instant, accurate trade-in offer online during the car-buying process. The new integration will provide Dealers with a unique combination of instant and guaranteed appraisals. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005741/en/ Affinitiv's Integration of Trade-In Valet Express with Gubagoo (Graphic: Busines Wire)



"Digital retailing is about creating a seamless, negotiation-free, and transparent car-buying experience for the consumer," said Mike Dodd, GM of Trade-In Valet. "Integrating offers from our appraisal teams into the incredible process Gubagoo has built and perfected truly completes the DR experience end to end."

"The ability to get an accurate trade value is another step towards consumers fully embracing the online car-buying process," said Brad Title, CEO of Gubagoo. "By putting Trade-In Valet Express in the hands of both dealers and consumers, the new integration creates a truly complete digital retailing experience." Incorporating the exclusive Trade-In Valet Express appraisal capabilities with Gubagoo's extensive, fully managed omni-channel messaging and digital retailing platforms will add even more ease of use, transparency, and simplicity for consumers throughout the car-buying process. Besides getting a speedy valuation of their trade-in, consumers can arrange financing and view adjusted monthly payment amounts based on the amount of the down payment. That, in turn, builds valuable relationships and increases dealership trust-while helping generate high-quality leads for dealers. The response from the industry related to the announcement to this partnership has been very positive. "Making sure there's a seamless segue from the consumer's online experience to their in-store experience is critical," said Randy Khalaf, COO of Team Gillman Auto Group. "The Trade-In Valet Express and Gubagoo integration now allows the consumer to walk onto the showroom floor and pick up right where they left off. Trade-In Valet's appraisals have already been a dealmaker for our retail business for four years-and having their Express tool incorporated into our online solution will eliminate the numerous problems that come from utilizing an old-school data-call within a modern digital retail process. It's what digital retail has been missing." "We are pleased to announce our partnership with Gubagoo as it is another example of Affinitiv's commitment to deliver outstanding customer experiences," said Sid Nair, President and CEO of Affinitiv. "We've been helping dealers trade for more and better pre-owned inventory for years and now with the Gubagoo integration we are able to offer even greater benefit at a time when good, quality trade-ins are not only more elusive but more important than ever." About Affinitiv Affinitiv is a leading provider of data-driven marketing and software solutions serving automotive manufacturers (OEMs), dealer groups, and individual dealerships. Backed by more than 20 years of automotive and marketing expertise, Affinitiv supports over 6,500 dealerships and every major OEM in the country. Affinitiv's success drives the next generation customer experience by partnering with the automotive ecosystem to accelerate retailer performance and inspire loyalty. With a technology-driven, consultative approach, Affinitiv creates customers for life through reimagined experiences. For more information, visit Affinitiv.com. About Gubagoo Gubagoo is the leading provider of conversational commerce solutions for automotive dealerships and OEMs. Used by more than 7,000 dealerships and 90% of America's top 150 dealer groups, Gubagoo's fully managed messaging and digital retailing platforms connect consumers to dealerships anytime and anywhere through live chat, text, video, Facebook (News - Alert) Messenger, and other digital messaging channels, converting high-quality leads and appointments for dealerships 24/7/365. For more information, visit gubagoo.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005741/en/

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Almost half of the policemen injured in the farmers' violence on Tuesday were at the where several police personnel fell or jumped tens of feet down a wall after being pushed to the edge by a marauding mob.

Protesting farmers violated the conditions pre-agreed for their tractor parade and indulged in violence and vandalism, leaving 86 police personnel injured, the said.

As many as 41 policemen suffered injuries at the Red Fort, a senior police officer said.

A video of the incident showing protestors corning the security personnel at an elevated portion of the has gone viral on social media.

Policemen can be seen jumping tens of feet of wall to save themselves from unruly protestors or being pushed down by them.

Authorities had also cut power to the in order to disperse the farmers from the premises.

Thousands of protesting farmers who reached ITO from the Ghazipur border clashed with police. Many of them driving tractors reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.

They also hoisted flags on the domes and the flagstaff at the rampart of the monument at which tricolour is unfurled by the Prime Minister on Independence Day.

The entire area saw chaotic scenes for hours as the protesters rampaged pelting stones and police, damaging vehicles and vandalising inside Red Fort. Police tried to control the mob using lathicharge and firing tear gas shells.

In a statement, the police claimed it did all due diligence in following the conditions for the rally, but the protesters began their march much ahead of the scheduled time and extensive damage to public property was caused during the violence by them.

A senior police officer said a total of 86 police personnel were injured in the clashes including 41 at the Red Fort and in the East District.

He said that in the morning at Ghazipur Border, a probationer IPS officer got injured as he along with Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Manjeet tried to stop the farmers from breaking the barricades.

Additional DCP East Manjeet had a close shave as one of the farmers tried to hit him with his tractor but he escaped and did not sustain any injuries, the official said.

The ITO resembled a war zone with a car being vandalised by angry protesters and shells, bricks and stones littering the wide streets, a testimony to the ugly turn taken by the two-month-long farmers' protests against the agri laws.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Jeff Paine-Managing director Asia Internet Coalition

Across Southeast Asia, e-commerce, online media, and food delivery adoption and usage surged  the regions digital economy hit $100 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) last year. GMV is on track to exceed $300 billion by 2025.

In Vietnam, users turned to the internet for solutions to challenges brought about by lockdowns. A significant number of Vietnamese tried new digital services: 41 per cent of all digital service consumers were new (higher than the regions average), with 94 per cent of these new consumers intending to continue their behaviour post-pandemic. In 2020, e-commerce drove significant growth in Vietnam, at 46 per cent.

Overall, 2020 GMV was expected to reach a total value of $14 billion in 2020, a growth rate of 16 per cent on-year. Vietnams overall digital economy will likely reach $52 billion in value.

Maximising the immense potential of this digital economy will undoubtedly be vital to the regions overall economic recovery efforts. At the heart of this sits the engine of Southeast Asias diverse and dynamic economy  the micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

MSMEs account for 95-99 per cent of all business establishments and more than half of the total employment in all ASEAN member states. SMEs also contribute 30-53 per cent to each member states GDP. Digitalisation of the regions MSMEs so that they may contribute more significantly to the digital economy is thus crucial.

To that end, governments in the region must consider policies that encourage greater entry and participation of MSMEs in the digital economy, spur innovation, and empower these businesses with the ability to grow and invest for the future. However, governments in several Southeast Asian economies such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines have, in recent years, enacted regulations that are likely to dampen innovation and erect barriers for local businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups.

For instance, content regulations and licensing requirements in some countries increase operational challenges for businesses, especially for growing local startups trying to operate across multiple markets. Some governments in the region have also placed restrictions on data flow, such as data localisation, which could hamper inclusive economic growth prospects, dampen foreign investment, and restrict opportunities for local businesses to grow domestically and globally.

For MSMEs that do not have an international footprint, preventing the free flow of data across borders restricts them from using common infrastructure to serve their customers in multiple markets.

Equally concerning are cybersecurity laws in countries such as Cambodia and Thailand, which grant excessive power to local authorities to exercise more control over the internet, significantly impacting user confidence in the security and privacy of online communications. Such laws not only harm freedom of expression, they also inadvertently stifle innovation and dampen foreign investments.

For many MSMEs across the region, technology was a lifeline during the pandemic, providing many businesses access to customers when the traditional shopfront was temporarily shut and safe-distancing measures restricted footfall when shops eventually reopened.

Last year saw innovative solutions by many technology companies to help MSMEs quickly transition online. Facebook, for instance, established Shops, a service that enables businesses to set up an integrated online store accessible via both Facebook and Instagram. Grabs app brought wet markets online by allowing users to order wet market produce and have delivery-riders fulfil those orders. Airbnb partnered with the Singapore and Thailand governments to on-board local communities and tourism entrepreneurs to host Online Experiences, allowing global audiences to continue exploring these cities innovatively.

Across Southeast Asia, the pandemic pushed many traditional businesses to adopt new ways of selling to customers and accept digitalisation as the way forward, accelerating the regions overall digital transformation. Seas research shows this can have significant and lasting positive economic impact for SMEs revenue and productivity.

As we look to recover from the devastating economic impact of the pandemic, governments in the region need to seize the opportunity to help MSMEs build resilience and emerge stronger by accelerating digitalisation and building an inclusive digital future.

This requires a unified and collaborative approach between the public and private sectors, whether it is in co-developing digitalisation initiatives or adopting a consultative approach in policy making.

The priority must be to create the best possible ecosystem for MSMEs to thrive in the digital economy so that they may power the overall recovery of the regions economies.
After The Girl on the Train, Parineeti Chopras next film which is badminton player Saina Nehwals biopic may also take a detour from the big screen. Reports suggest that the makers are considering a digital release due to the 50% occupancy rate at the movie theatres.

According to reports on an online portal, the film was originally slated for summer 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic. The filmmakers have waited to take a decision on the release now but seem to be inclined toward an OTT release due to the reach it gives compared to theatres right now. Actor Shubhrajyoti Barat, who plays Parineetis father in the film also said that the makers maybe considering a digital release for the film.

The film initially starred Shraddha Kapoor but landed in Parineetis nap after her exit for unknown reasons. Parineeti herself had expressed that she will always look forward to a theatre release for her films but with changing times, cinema too evolves.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 25, 2021) - Upco International Inc. (CSE: UPCO) (OTC Pink: UCCPF) (FSE: U06) ("Upco") is pleased to inform shareholders about the recent developments about the UPCO mobile platform. These documents can be accessed from the SEDAR web site at www.sedar.com.

UpcoPay, License update

UpcoPay is an innovative, highly secure and convenient direct payment solution to make person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) payments. In the second stage, with a full e-wallet implemented, users will be able to view multiple account balances, load funds, settle payments and initiate peer-to-peer and Foreign Exchange transfers instantly within the app without the need to create an account or input any bank details.

Strategic partner to provide Payment Initiation Service in all Europe

In relation with the implementation of UpcoPay, with the final Brexit plan effective from January 2021, under the current legislation, UK licence holders cannot passport their licences into Europe and so they cannot continue to operate as a regulated entity. As anticipated, Token.io, Upco's technological banking partner with a UK licence (provided by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, FCA) will no longer be able to provide services to the organisations across the EU.

Token.io has been working very actively to receive from Bafin (Germany's supervisory authority) a TPP licence (Third Party Providers) to allow Upco to extend their passporting and carry out Account Information and Payment Initiation Services in Europe, but in the meantime Token.io announced the ability to use an alternative licence from their strategic partner, "Enfuce" (https://enfuce.com/), authorised by the Finnish Financial Authority, under the Finnish Payment Services Act for the provision of payment initiation and account information services on an interim basis, allowing Upco to proceed with the launch of UpcoPay in Europe . Enfuce have ensured that their services have been passported to all relevant EEA countries where Payment Service Users (PSU) are based. All underlying operations and technology will continue to be carried out by Token.io.

Upco Messenger increased traffic significantly

Recently downloads of privacy-focused messaging apps Signal and Telegram got a boost as users looked for alternatives to Facebook-owned WhatsApp over concerns about changes to the service's privacy policy. Upco App also got a spike in downloads, the company noticed a 15% increasing on a weekly basis since beginning of January, mainly driven by key countries in middle east and Asia.

Safety and bandwidth usage

Upco has been operating the "state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption" as well as a serverless network infrastructure, which prevents messages from being stored and read by those who are not the intended recipient. Besides that, it provides Enhanced Data-saving capabilities: seven times less data bandwidth usage than incumbent apps . Upco does not sell analytics and data usage to anyone.

Upco's vision

The vision around the application is to become a platform not only dedicated for a secure basic communication chat and call, but the objective is to provide a personal environment to provide a better support for day-to-day life.

Upco aims to become a more effective and efficient "partner" for the community much more than a simple communication tool.

About Upco International Inc.

Upco International Inc. is a cloud-based mobile service company which provides high-quality voice termination to a market driven by the growing activity in online communications and commerce. Upco is a licensed Global Telecom Carrier within the international VoIP (voice over IP) wholesale business. Upco has designed a software application for Apple iOS and Android, similar to SKYPE and WhatsApp. With the forthcoming addition of the Upco e-Wallet using Blockchain Payment Services, users will be able to: send invoices, approve payments, transfer international funds, convert international currencies, and track transfers and payments. The application will also allow vendors to securely share account information with their clients.

Please visit www.upcointernational.com for further information.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Andrea Pagani, CEO and Director

office@upcointernational.com

212-461-3676

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward- looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward- looking information is typically identified by words such as: "will", "may" "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "development", "forthcoming", "potentially" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Upco cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by Upco is not a guarantee of future results or performance.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72810
the New Washington Most G.O.P. Senators Vote Against Holding Impeachment Trial for Trump In a 55-to-45 vote that strongly suggested that the Senate would not be able to convict the former president, lawmakers narrowly killed a Republican effort to dismiss the impeachment charge as unconstitutional. President Biden signed executive orders intended to promote racial equity. This briefing has ended. Follow our latest coverage of the Biden presidency.

Most Republicans vote against trying Trump, signaling he is likely to be acquitted of the impeachment charge. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 2:31 - 0:00 transcript Despite G.O.P. Efforts, Senators Become Jurors in Impeachment Trial Senators were sworn in as jurors in the impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump, after the Senate voted, 55-45, to proceed despite a Republican effort to dismiss the charge as unconstitutional. Will all senators now rise and raise their right hand. Do you solemnly swear that all things appertaining to the trial, the impeachment of Donald John Trump, former president of the United States, now pending, you do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help you God? All persons are commanded to keep silence on pain of imprisonment while the House of Representatives is exhibiting to the Senate of the United States an article of impeachment against Donald John Trump, former president of the United States. Mr President. The senator from Kentucky. Article 2, Section 4 of the Constitution says 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 1, Section 3, Clause 6 states, when the president of the United States is tried the chief justice shall preside. As of noon last Wednesday, Donald Trump holds none of the positions listed in the Constitution. He is a private citizen. The presiding officer is not the chief justice, nor does he claim to be. His presence and the chief justices absence, chief justices absence demonstrate that this is not a trial of the president, but of a private citizen. Therefore, I make a point of order that this proceeding, which would try a private citizen and not a president, a vice president or civil officer, violates the Constitution and is not in order. By constitutional text, precedent and common, basic sense, it is clearly and certainly constitutional to hold a trial for a former official. Former President Trump committed, in the view of many, including myself, the gravest offense ever committed by a president of the United States. The Senate, sitting as a court of impeachment, is adjourned until Tuesday, February [9], at 1 p.m. Senators were sworn in as jurors in the impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump, after the Senate voted, 55-45, to proceed despite a Republican effort to dismiss the charge as unconstitutional. Credit Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times A majority of Republicans rallied on Tuesday against trying former President Donald J. Trump for incitement of insurrection, with only five members of his party joining Democrats in voting to go forward with the impeachment trial for his role stirring up a mob that attacked the Capitol. The 55 to 45 vote cleared the way for Mr. Trumps second impeachment trial, by narrowly killing a Republican effort to dismiss the charge as unconstitutional. But it strongly suggested that the Senate did not have the votes to convict the former president. The opposition of all but a handful of Republicans underscored Mr. Trumps continued strength in the party even after his brazen campaign to overturn his election defeat, fueled by false claims of voting fraud, and the deadly assault by his followers after he urged them to go to Congress to fight the result. Senators could yet change their views. But for now, the vote signaled the likelihood that Mr. Trump would for the second time in a year be acquitted by the Senate in an impeachment trial, spared by loyal Republicans who were reluctant to break with him. It would take two thirds of senators  67 votes  to attain a conviction, meaning 17 Republicans would have to cross party lines to side with Democrats in finding him guilty. Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, is said to believe Mr. Trump committed impeachable offenses surrounding the deadly Capitol siege, had asserted that the former president provoked the mob, and had said he was undecided on the charge. Yet he voted with the vast majority of the party to uphold the constitutional challenge, which would have effectively terminated the trial if it had prevailed. His entire leadership team joined him. Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, forced the vote after arguing that it was unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial of a former president, an assertion widely disputed by scholars and even the Senate itself in the past. Private citizens dont get impeached. Impeachment is for removal from office, and the accused here has already left office, Mr. Paul said, calling the trial deranged and vindictive. He declared victory afterward, saying: Forty-five votes means the impeachment trial is dead on arrival. The only Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to put aside his objection and proceed were Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania. All five had previously said they were open to hearing the impeachment case. My review of it has led me to conclude it is constitutional in recognizing impeachment is not solely about removing a president, it is also a matter of political consequence, said Ms. Murkowski, who has praised the Houses bipartisan impeachment and called Mr. Trumps actions unlawful. Democrats bluntly rejected Republicans argument that the proceeding was unconstitutional. The theory that the impeachment of a former official is unconstitutional is flat-out wrong by every frame of analysis, said Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, before moving to quash Mr. Pauls attempt. The Senate has taken that position in the past. In 1876, as the House was preparing to impeach him on corruption charges, William Belknap, Ulysses S. Grants secretary of war, hurried to the White House, where he tendered his resignation in tears just before Congress could act. The House proceeded anyway, and when the case arrived in the Senate, a majority of the body decided that it retained jurisdiction to hear the case, notwithstanding Belknaps departure from office. (The Senate ultimately acquitted him, however.) The action on Tuesday unfolded just after the Senate convened as a court of impeachment and senators took an oath, dating to the 18th century, to administer impartial justice. Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and the president pro tempore, was sworn in to preside over the proceeding and the Senate formally summoned Mr. Trump to answer the Houses charge. Senators then put the trial on pause for two weeks, agreeing to delay any further debate until Feb. 9. The pause will allow President Biden time to win confirmation of members of his administration and give Mr. Trumps still-forming legal team a chance to prepare his defense.

In the first blow to Bidens immigration agenda, a federal judge blocks a 100-day pause on deportations. Migrants at the border bridge in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, last week. Credit... Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters In the first legal challenge to the Biden administrations immigration agenda, a federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked a 100-day pause on deportations. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on Tuesday issued a 14-day nationwide temporary restraining order sought by the states attorney general that would prevent carrying out the policy, which was issued by the Homeland Security Department within hours of President Bidens inauguration. The order will remain in effect until the judge has considered a broader motion for a preliminary injunction. The judge, Drew B. Tipton, who was appointed by former President Donald J. Trump, said in his ruling that the suspension of deportations would violate a provision of the immigration statute as well as another law that required agencies to provide a rational explanation for their policy decisions. The immigration law states that people with final orders of removal from the United States must be deported within 90 days. The court held that the 100-day pause violated that requirement and that the mandatory language of the immigration law should not be neutered by the federal governments broad discretion. The court also held that the agencys memorandum violated a separate law that required agencies to provide a logical and rational reason for their policy changes. The judge determined that the Homeland Security Department had run afoul of the Administrative Procedure Act because it failed to supply adequate justification for the temporary suspension of deportations. Immediately after taking office, Mr. Biden began dismantling some of his predecessors initiatives that were intended to curb both legal and illegal immigration to the United States. The president has issued a series of executive orders, including one to repeal a travel ban that targeted majority-Muslim countries. Immigration advocates challenged many of Mr. Trumps policies in federal court, and the decision by Judge Tipton on Tuesday signaled that immigration hawks might also sue to stymie Mr. Bidens initiatives. The courts order shows the uphill battle President Biden has in trying to reverse the prior administrations immigration restrictions, said Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration lawyer and a professor at Cornell Law School. A single judge can halt a federal agencys effort to review and reprioritize its immigration enforcement policies. After the decision on Tuesday, Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas said on Twitter that it was a victory against the left. Texas is the FIRST state in the nation to bring a lawsuit against the Biden Admin. AND WE WON, wrote Mr. Paxton, a Republican, who is under federal investigation for bribery and abuse of power accusations raised by former aides. Within 6 days of Bidens inauguration, Texas has HALTED his illegal deportation freeze, Mr. Paxton wrote. This was a seditious left-wing insurrection. And my team and I stopped it. In a letter last week to David Pekoske, the acting secretary of homeland security, Mr. Paxton called the plan a complete abdication of the Department of Homeland Securitys obligation to enforce federal immigration law that would seriously and irreparably harm the State of Texas and its citizens. Thousands of immigrants in detention centers have deportation orders that can be executed once they exhaust their legal appeals. Thousands more who live in the interior of the country could be arrested because they have outstanding deportation orders. The Biden administration said that the pause was intended to allow time for an internal review. The moratorium would cover most immigrants who faced deportation, unless they had arrived in the United States after Nov. 1, 2020, were suspected of committing acts of terrorism or espionage, or posed a threat to national security. Were confident that as the case proceeds, it will be clear that this measure was wholly appropriate in ordering a temporary pause to allow the agency to carefully review its policies, procedures and enforcement priorities  while allowing for a greater focus on threats to public safety and national security, a White House spokesman said on Tuesday. President Biden remains committed to taking immediate action to reform our immigration system to ensure its upholding American values while keeping our communities safe.

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Biden moves to end Justice Dept. contracts with private prisons as part of focus on targeting racial inequality. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:11 - 0:00 transcript Biden Lays Out Plans to Advance Racial Equity President Biden on Tuesday signed executive actions to address prison reform, affordable housing and police reform to uphold one of his central campaign pledges: advancing the cause of racial equity. I believe this nation and this government need to change their whole approach to the issue of racial equality  equity. Yes, we need criminal justice reform, but that isnt nearly enough. We need to open the promise of America to every American. And that means we need to make the issue of racial equity not just an issue for any one department of government. It has to be the business of the whole of government. And the simple truth is our soul will be troubled as long as systemic racism is allowed to persist. We cant eliminate everything overnight. We cant eliminate everything. But its corrosive. Its destructive, and its costly. We must change, and I know its going to take time, but I know we can do it. And I firmly believe the nation is ready to change, but government has to change as well. We need to make equity and justice part of what we do every day. Im going to sign these executive actions to continue the work, to make real the promise of America for every American. President Biden on Tuesday signed executive actions to address prison reform, affordable housing and police reform to uphold one of his central campaign pledges: advancing the cause of racial equity. Credit Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times President Biden signed executive orders on Tuesday to end Justice Department contracts with private prisons and increase the governments enforcement of a law meant to combat discrimination in the housing market, part of the new administrations continued focus on racial equity. Mr. Biden also signed orders that make it the federal governments policy to condemn and denounce discrimination against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, who have faced harassment since the coronavirus pandemic spread from China to the United States and to strengthen relationships between the government and Native American tribes. The moves are incremental pieces of Mr. Bidens broader push for racial equity  an initiative that is expected to be a centerpiece of his administration and that follow an executive order last week directing federal agencies to review policies to root out systemic racism. The government effort is led by Susan E. Rice, who runs the Domestic Policy Council. Im not promising we can end it tomorrow, but I promise you, were going to continue to make progress to eliminate systemic racism, Mr. Biden said before signing the orders. He added that every branch of the White House and the federal government is going to be part of that effort. The orders are an escalating repudiation of President Donald J. Trumps policies and attitudes toward race relations. In separate executive orders last week, Mr. Biden overturned a Trump administration ban on diversity training in federal agencies and disbanded a Trump-created historical commission that issued a report aiming to put a more positive spin on the nations founders, who were slaveholders. In a conference call with reporters, a senior White House official described the Trump administrations heinous Muslim ban and said certain minority groups were treated with a profound level of disrespect from political leaders and the White House. Jim Tankersley and

Biden said his administration was nearing a deal with Pfizer and Moderna for 200 million more doses by summers end. It may not speed up vaccinations. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:08 - 0:00 transcript Biden Administration Orders 200 Million More Vaccine Doses President Biden announced on Tuesday that his administration was working on a deal to secure the doses of coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna by the end of the summer. The deal is unlikely to accelerate the current pace of vaccination for several months. This will be one of the most difficult operational challenges weve ever undertaken as a nation. Ive said that before, but I must say it again, because were going to do everything we can to get it done. After a review of the current vaccine supply and manufacturing plans, I can announce that we will increase overall weekly vaccination distributions to states, tribes and territories from 8.6 million doses to a minimum of 10 million doses. And we believe that well soon be able to confirm the purchase of an additional 100 million doses for each of the two F.D.A.-authorized vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna. Thats 100 million more doses of Pfizer and 100 million more doses of Moderna  200 million more doses than the federal government had previously secured. Not in hand yet, but ordered. We expect these additional 200 million doses to be delivered this summer. We didnt get into this mess overnight. And its going to take months for us to turn things around. But let me be equally clear: Were going to get through this. We will defeat this pandemic. President Biden announced on Tuesday that his administration was working on a deal to secure the doses of coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna by the end of the summer. The deal is unlikely to accelerate the current pace of vaccination for several months. Credit Credit... Jim Wilson/The New York Times President Biden announced on Tuesday that his administration was nearing a deal with Pfizer and Moderna to secure an additional 200 million doses of coronavirus vaccine by the end of the summer  a time frame that his predecessor had also envisioned, and one that may not accelerate the current pace of vaccination for months. The purchases would boost the administrations total vaccine order by 50 percent, raising it from 400 million to 600 million doses  enough to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer, beginning of the fall, Mr. Biden said. Although the president has been in office for less than a week, he is already under intense pressure from a frustrated public to accelerate vaccinations. Tuesdays announcement will enable Mr. Biden to underscore that he shares those concerns. The deal would provide the federal government with 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 100 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, Mr. Biden said. Speeding up what has been a slow distribution of vaccines has taken on more urgency with the arrival of more contagious virus variants in the country. But while the president has vowed to use the Defense Production Act if necessary to increase vaccine supply, there is little he can do in the short term. Federal health officials and corporate executives agree that it will be hard to boost the immediate supply of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines  the only two that have federal authorization  before April because of lack of manufacturing capacity. Pfizer had agreed last summer to provide an initial 100 million doses to the United States by the end of March. Under a new agreement reached last month by the administration of former President Donald J. Trump, Pfizer agreed to provide an additional 70 million doses by the end of June and another 30 million by the end of July, doubling the deliveries it promised in the initial contract. This latest deal would apparently obligate Pfizer to deliver another 100 million over the summer, or roughly the third quarter of the year. The original contract said that while the government could request that new tranche of vaccine, Pfizer could reasonably refuse it. But there was little expectation that Pfizer, an American company, would do so. Mr. Biden also said the federal governments weekly allocations of coronavirus vaccines would increase by about 1.4 million doses starting next week. This is going to allow millions more Americans to get vaccinated sooner than previously anticipated, he said. The increase, to around 10 million doses given to states, territories and tribes each week, will come from the federal governments plans to release more of the vaccine made by Moderna, the Massachusetts biotech company whose vaccine was authorized for emergency use in December. Although governors will probably welcome the news, it does not reflect any increase in the overall amount that Moderna will deliver to the federal government in the first three months of this year, according to people familiar with the companys production. Governor Andrew Cuomo, the chairman of the National Governors Association, said that New York, where more than 42,000 people have died, welcomed both the increase in doses and Mr. Bidens assurances that those vaccine allocations would be maintained in weeks to come. You really cant plan and schedule when you dont know what youre going to get next week, Mr. Cuomo said on MSNBC. At the same time, he conceded its not enough, as the state continues to try to vaccinate nearly 20 million residents. At this rate, were talking about months and months, he said. Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Noah Weiland, Sharon LaFraniere, Katie Thomas and

Capitol Police chief apologizes for security failures during the assault, including a delay in calling for Guard troops. The acting Capitol Police chief, Yogananda D. Pittman, told a House panel that the agency failed to meet its own high standards as well as yours. Credit... J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press The acting chief of the Capitol Police apologized to Congress on Tuesday for the agencys extensive security failures on Jan. 6, acknowledging during a closed-door briefing that the department knew there was a strong potential for violence but failed to take adequate steps to prevent what she described as a terrorist attack. Yogananda D. Pittman, the acting chief of police, also confirmed that the Capitol Police Board, an obscure panel made up of three voting members, had initially declined a request two days earlier for National Guard troops and then delayed for more than an hour as the violence unfolded on Jan. 6 before finally agreeing to a plea from the Capitol Police for National Guard troops, according to prepared testimony obtained by The New York Times. In an extraordinary admission, Chief Pittman, who was not the acting chief at the time of the siege, told members of the House Appropriations Committee, which oversees funding for the agency, that the Capitol Police failed to meet its own high standards as well as yours. She added, I am here to offer my sincerest apologies on behalf of the department. Chief Pittmans predecessor, Steven Sund, resigned after the riot. Chief Pittmans comments offered the fullest detailed account to date about police preparations for Jan. 6, when thousands of angry protesters, believing false claims that the election had been stolen, marched on the Capitol at the behest of former President Donald J. Trump. Speaking by video conference in a virtual briefing, Chief Pittman told the committee that the department should have been more prepared for this attack, according to the remarks. Chief Pittman said that her department knew Jan. 6 would be unlike previous protests. She said her department knew that militia groups and white supremacists organizations would descend on Washington. We also knew that some of these participants were intending to bring firearms and other weapons to the event, she said. We knew that there was a strong potential for violence and that Congress was the target. The department prepared in order to meet these challenges, but we did not do enough. She said the Capitol Police had 1,200 people working on site when the attack occurred, which was no match for the tens of thousands of insurrectionists. Two days before the attack, Chief Sund requested that the Capitol Police Board declare a state of emergency and authorize a request to secure National Guard support. The board denied the request, according to Chief Pittman, but encouraged Chief Sund to contact the National Guard to determine how many guardsmen could be sent to the Capitol on short notice, which he did. As the protesters became an increasing threat to the Capitol on Jan. 6, Chief Sund asked for more help from federal agencies and law enforcement agencies in the area. He also lobbied the board for authorization to bring in the National Guard, but he was not granted authorization for over an hour, Chief Pittman said. During the hearing, the commander of the District of Columbia National Guard told committee members that his authority to quickly deploy the guard was removed ahead of the riot. Maj. Gen. William J. Walker, the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard, said he had such authority for July 4, but the Pentagon required additional approval for a request for the guard during the Capitol attack, according to a person familiar with the testimony. General Walker testified that Chief Sund called him as the threat to the Capitol increased on Jan. 6 and that he immediately notified the Army. On my own, I started preparing people to be ready, but I had to wait for specific approval to go out to launch, General Walker said. I was in constant communication with the U.S. Army leadership who was acting on behalf of the Secretary of the Army. Two of the board members at the time of the attack have already resigned: Paul D. Irving, the House sergeant-at-arms, and Michael C. Stenger, the Senate sergeant-at-arms. The third member, J. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, is still on the board. Mr. Blanton was nominated by Mr. Trump in December 2019 and confirmed by the Senate that same month. The chief of the Capitol Police serves in an ex-officio, non-voting capacity. In my experience, I do not believe there was any preparations that would have allowed for an open campus in which lawful protesters could exercise their First Amendment right to free speech and at the same time prevented the attack on Capitol grounds that day, Chief Pittman said. In the aftermath of the attack, many officers are suffering from PTSD, she said, particularly after the loss of two of our officers directly and indirectly as a result of the events of January 6th. Officers also have been experiencing an increase in coronavirus infections. During the briefing, the acting House sergeant-at-arms, Timothy P. Blodgett, also said it was clear there was a failure of preparation, citing poor communications and a weak perimeter defense of the Capitol. Whether it was insufficient or conflicting intelligence, lacking ability to translate that intelligence into action, insufficient preparation or an inadequate ability to mobilize partner agencies for immediate assistance, a series of events, once thought unfathomable, unfolded allowing our most sacred halls to be breached, Mr. Blodgett said. Luke Broadwater, Emily Cochrane and

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Senator Patrick Leahy, 80, is briefly hospitalized as a precaution after he reported feeling unwell. Senator Patrick J. Leahy has served in the Senate since 1975. Credit... Oliver Contreras for The New York Times Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the longest-serving senator and the president pro tempore, was briefly taken to a hospital in Washington for observation early Tuesday evening after he reported not feeling well, his spokesman said. He returned home a few hours later after an evaluation. Mr. Leahy, whose position in the Senate puts him third in line for the presidency, oversaw the start of the impeachment proceedings against former President Donald J. Trump earlier on Tuesday. At 80, Mr. Leahy is one of the oldest senators and has served in the Senate since 1975. After he reported not feeling well in his office, Mr. Leahy was examined in the Capitol by the attending physician, said David Carle, the spokesman. Out of an abundance of caution, the attending physician recommended that he be taken to a local hospital for observation, where he is now, and where he is being evaluated. Mr. Leahy was taken to George Washington University Hospital, where he received tests and a thorough examination before being released, Mr. Carle said. The senator looks forward to getting back to work, Mr. Carle said. Mr. Leahy has received both vaccine shots for the coronavirus, and it was unclear what his symptoms were. Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa and Mr. Leahys predecessor as president pro tempore, was among those who wished Mr. Leahy well in a tweet Tuesday evening. Ive been notified of reports that Sen Leahy is under doc supervision I wish him good health My friend is a tough Vermonter. Barbara & I send our prayers + know he will be back to work as soon as he can  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) January 26, 2021 Emily Cochrane and

Biden is moving to restore U.S. relations with Palestinians. President Bidens new policy shift will include a resumption of American aid to the Palestinians. Credit... Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock The Biden administration will restore diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority, more than two years after President Donald J. Trump effectively ended them. The action signals a return to a more traditional and evenhanded approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, after a Trump administration policy that was heavily slanted toward Israel. Richard Mills, the acting U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, announced the shift in a speech on Tuesday. The move will include a resumption of American aid to the Palestinians. Mr. Mills also reaffirmed support for a mutually agreed, two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, in which Israel lives in peace and security, alongside a viable Palestinian state. And he called on the parties to refrain from unilateral actions, such as the annexation of territory and settlement activity by Israel, or incitements to violence by the Palestinians, that could make such an outcome more difficult. Analysts and regional leaders say the prospects of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement are dimmer than they have been in decades. The parties have all but ceased communications, Palestinian leaders summarily rejected a peace plan offered by the Trump White House last year and the issue is not among Mr. Bidens top foreign policy priorities. But the announcement is part of a broader return to previous U.S. foreign policy practices under Mr. Biden, and an end to the open hostility between Washington and the Palestinians fomented by the Trump administration. Guided by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump took an openly punitive approach toward the Palestinians with the goal of forcing them to make concessions to Israel, to little avail. The Biden administrations policy shift was quickly cheered by Palestinian leaders and supporters of a negotiated solution between Israel and the Palestinians. This is exactly the type of swift action the administration needs to take to restore American credibility as a diplomatic mediator between Israelis and Palestinians, said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, a liberal advocacy group that supports an Israeli settlement with the Palestinians. Mr. Mills said the Biden administration would take steps to reopen diplomatic missions that were closed by the last U.S. administration, without offering specifics. In addition to closing the Palestinian Mission in Washington in September 2018, the Trump administration also closed the United States Consulate in East Jerusalem. Patrick Kingsley contributed reporting from Jerusalem and Mohammed Najib from Ramallah, West Bank.

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Antony J. Blinken is confirmed as secretary of state. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:00 - 0:00 transcript Blinken Is Confirmed by Senate as Secretary of State On Tuesday, the Senate voted to confirm Antony J. Blinken as the nations 71st secretary of state. Mr. Blinken is just the right person to rebuild and reassert Americas national security prerogatives on the global stage, and reestablish the first instrument of American power: diplomacy. For four years, the failed diplomacy of the Trump administration weakened our alliances, strengthened and emboldened our adversaries and tarnished Americas reputation abroad. We must reaffirm our commitment to NATO and other critical alliances around the world. In my judgment, the JCPOA was a colossal failure and a real blunder for American policy overseas. In talking with Mr. Blinken, he does not share that view, and obviously is going to work with the president carrying the presidents water to get us back into the JCPOA. I think thats a mistake. The yeas are 78, the nays are 22. The nomination is confirmed. On Tuesday, the Senate voted to confirm Antony J. Blinken as the nations 71st secretary of state. Credit Credit... Pool photo by Alex Edelman The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Antony J. Blinken as the nations 71st secretary of state, installing President Bidens longtime adviser who has a mission to rejoin alliances that were fractured after four years of an America First foreign policy. Mr. Blinken, 58, has already signaled he is prepared to roll back a number of State Department policies that were set under President Donald J. Trump. A centrist with an interventionist streak, he was approved by a vote of 78 to 22 after receiving mostly gentle prodding at his nomination hearing last week by senators who seemed eager to move past Mr. Trumps confrontational approach to diplomacy. However, Mr. Blinken also told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last Tuesday that Mr. Trump was right to take a tougher tone against China, an overarching strategy that is certain to remain. I disagree, very much, with the way that he went about it in a number of areas but the basic principle was the right one, Mr. Blinken said. And I think thats actually helpful to our foreign policy. Yet Mr. Blinken described a measured willingness to rejoin other world powers in an agreement, which the Trump administration had jettisoned, to limit Irans nuclear program. He promised a harder line on Russian cyber hacks and election meddling  even as the Biden administration said it would work to extend an arms treaty with Moscow  and said he would review American policy toward North Korea, which he described as a problem that has not gotten better. In fact, its gotten worse. All are departures from the foreign policies under Mr. Trump. Mr. Blinken inherits a State Department where many diplomats say they are demoralized within an agency made up of about 1,000 fewer employees than when he left as its deputy secretary in early 2017. He told senators last week that he will view his plans to ensure diversity and multiculturalism in the diplomatic corps as a significant measure of whether I succeeded or failed, however long Im in the job. That is another difference between his approach and that of his immediate predecessor, Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state who derided multiculturalism as not who America is just hours before Mr. Blinkens defense of it. In contrast to Mr. Pompeos fiery rhetoric and swaggering diplomacy, Mr. Blinken is a mild-mannered strategist who grew up in New York and Paris as the son and nephew of American ambassadors and the stepson of a Holocaust survivor. Mr. Blinken, who plays in a rock band, is also a new father. He and his wife, a former senior State Department official, have two very young children at home, and he will be the first secretary of state in modern times to be raising toddlers while serving in office.

Janet Yellen, the first woman to be Treasury secretary, is sworn in by the first woman to be vice president. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times Janet L. Yellen was sworn in as the secretary of the Treasury Department on Tuesday by Vice President Kamala Harris, a history-making moment as both are the first women to hold two of the most powerful jobs in the United States government. Ms. Yellen is the nations 78th Treasury secretary and the first woman to head the institution in its 232-year history. She is also the first woman to have held all three top economic jobs in the government, having served as chair of the Federal Reserve and the Council of Economic Advisers. She is taking the job at a time of economic crisis, with millions still out of work and the recovery slowing as the coronavirus persists. Ms. Yellen will quickly be thrust into fraught negotiations over how to design and pass a robust stimulus package to help revive an economy that has been hammered by the pandemic. Standing outside the White House, Ms. Yellen took the oath of office with her husband, the economist George Akerlof, and her son by her side. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Ms. Harris said, Congratulations, Madam Secretary, to which Ms. Yellen replied, Thank you, Madam Vice President. Ms. Yellen said on Twitter that she was proud to be joining the Treasury Department and described the field of economics, and the agencys mission, as one that can right past wrongs and improve peoples lives. Economics isnt just something you find in a textbook. It can be a potent tool to right past wrongs and improve peoples lives. Thats why so many of Treasurys 84,000 public servants joined the Department.



Today, I am proud to be one of them. https://t.co/B4Y5Mpzt9s  Secretary Janet Yellen (@SecYellen) January 26, 2021 Later in the day, Ms. Yellen sent a message to the Treasury Departments staff, introducing herself, laying out her objectives and making clear that she plans to create a welcoming environment for career employees. Many career staff complained that Ms. Yellens predecessor, Steven Mnuchin, operated within a tight-knit inner circle and did not make use of their abilities. These are ambitious goals, and I am fully aware none of them will be accomplished by working exclusively with a small team out of the secretarys office, Ms. Yellen said. Ours will have to be an inclusive department. The new Treasury secretary said in the memo that she plans to soon embark on a listening tour of the department, holding virtual meetings with each office and bureau to learn about what can be improved at the agency. The Treasury Department said that Ms. Yellen also spent her first day talking to her advisers and being briefed on the status of President Bidens rescue plan and the implementation of the existing relief programs. The White House and lawmakers in Congress have begun the process of negotiating over President Bidens proposed $1.9 trillion relief bill. Ms. Yellen, a labor economist, will assume a central role in making the case for why the economy needs more fiscal support. At her confirmation hearing last week, Ms. Yellen told senators that it was time to act big and that doing so would be fiscally responsible in the long run by creating a healthier economy. In a sign of the task ahead, the Treasury Department has been rapidly adding staff and advisers in recent days. Ms. Yellen was confirmed by a bipartisan vote on Monday, but her top deputy, Wally Adeyemo, and other senior officials who will oversee the departments international affairs, sanctions and domestic finance divisions are not yet in place and will require Senate confirmation.

Gina M. Raimondo, Bidens nominee for commerce secretary, testifies before the Senate. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:01 - 0:00 transcript Bidens Commerce Secretary Nominee Testifies Before Senate Gov. Gina M. Raimondo of Rhode Island, President Bidens nominee for commerce secretary, testified to the Senate on Tuesday about her plans to help the economy. This confirmation hearing is just the starting point for our conversation about vital policy matters, including responding to the economic damage caused by the pandemic, investing in our people and small businesses, ensuring that American workers and manufacturers can compete fairly in the global market. The secretary of commerce will play an important role in strengthening our economy, and trying to defeat the pandemic and recover from its economic impacts. I think this is a critical job of the commerce secretary as we continue to see the impacts of Covid on our economy. Commerce Department has a simple, but vital mission: to spur good-paying jobs, empower entrepreneurs to innovate and grow, and help American workers and businesses compete. These are the same priorities that have guided my own life in my own career. In this time of overlapping crisis, the Commerce Department must be a partner to businesses and workers to help them innovate and grow. Gov. Gina M. Raimondo of Rhode Island, President Bidens nominee for commerce secretary, testified to the Senate on Tuesday about her plans to help the economy. Credit Credit... Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, President Bidens nominee to be the next commerce secretary, told lawmakers on Tuesday that she plans to help American communities bounce back from coronavirus, aggressively enforce trade rules to combat unfair practices from China and leverage the power of the government to mitigate climate change if confirmed to a cabinet post. Ms. Raimondo, the governor of Rhode Island and a former venture capitalist, reassured members of the Senate Commerce Committee that she planned to work with them on priorities like protecting American fisheries, expanding broadband access that has become particularly vital for students during the pandemic, and promoting American research into cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and advanced communications. The Trump administration made heavy use of the departments authorities to crack down on Chinese technology firms, turning often to the so-called entity list, which allows the United States to block companies from selling American products and technology to certain foreign firms without first obtaining a license. Dozens of companies have been added to the Commerce Departments list, including telecom giants like Huawei and ZTE, which many American lawmakers see as threats to national security. Ms. Raimondo declined to commit to keeping Huawei or other Chinese companies on the entity list when pressed to do so by Ted Cruz, the Republican senator from Texas. But she vowed to use the powers of the Commerce Department to protect Americans and our network from Chinese interference, adding, thats Huawei, ZTE, or any other company. Chinas actions have been anti-competitive, hurtful to American workers and businesses, coercive, and as you point out, they are culpable for atrocious human rights abuses, she said. Whether its the entity list, or tariffs, or countervailing duties, I intend to use all those tools to the fullest extent possible to level the playing field for the American workers. Asked about the steel and aluminum tariffs levied on foreign countries by the Department of Commerce during the Trump administration, Governor Raimondo declined to say whether they would be removed or changed. She said that the Biden administration would carry out a broad review of trade policies in consultation with its allies, aggressively pursue uncompetitive trade behaviors from China and ensure that the process that excludes certain companies from the tariffs is swift, fair and objective. Several senators praised her combination of public and private sector experience, saying those skills could help the country deal with economic damage from the pandemic, invest in American workers and business, and promote the marine and space economies, which the Commerce Department oversees. Governor Raimondo, said that her background in the private sector as a venture capitalist and her experience as state treasurer and governor of Rhode Island have prepared her to help realize the Commerce Departments mission to create good-paying jobs and empower American entrepreneurs and workers. In this time of overlapping crises, the Commerce Department must be a partner to businesses and workers to help them innovate and grow, Ms. Raimondo said.

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Lloyd Austin, the new defense secretary, prepares to address sexual assault in the military. Lloyd J. Austin III, the new secretary of defense, ordered a review of how the Pentagon has been handling sexual assault cases. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times After years of failure to curb the scourge of sexual assault in the military, Lloyd J. Austin III, the new secretary of defense, is open to considering significant revisions to how those crimes are prosecuted, a potential sea change that generations of commanders have resisted. Overhauling the way the military handles sexual assault cases  by taking them outside the chain of command and assigning them to prosecutors with no connection to the accused  would need approval by Congress, where some legislators have long pushed for such a system. President Biden has been a vocal proponent of these changes, even as general after general has gone to Capitol Hill to argue against them over the past decade. I had a real run-in with one of the members of the Joint Chiefs in the cabinet room on the issue, Mr. Biden said last year at a fund-raiser. Mr. Austins first act as secretary was to order a review of how the Pentagon has been handling sexual assault cases. He is also being pushed by Congress. Senators repeatedly asked him how he planned to handle the problems of sexual harassment and assault in the military during his confirmation hearing this month. If Mr. Austin, a retired four-star army general, were to embrace these changes, he would be the first secretary to do so, a major shift in position for the Pentagon. Every defense secretary since Dick Cheney has come up here and said nice things and then the fight behind the scenes was to protect the status quo, said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, who has spent years pushing legislation on the issue.

Capitol riot investigation will slow as officials work to build more complicated cases, Justice Dept. says. Capitol Police officers stood outside a doorway that was damaged during the riot this month. Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times Justice Department officials said on Tuesday that the fast-moving federal investigation into the assault on the Capitol is expected to slow as investigators turn their attention to more complex matters such as conspiracy and sedition cases, the investigation into the death of Officer Brian D. Sicknick of the Capitol Police and violent attacks on members of the press. In the 20 days since rioters stormed the Capitol, the F.B.I. has received over 200,000 digital media tips and identified more than 400 suspects. Federal prosecutors quickly charged 150 criminal cases, many of which have now been elevated to felonies. But the manhunt and investigation is expected to reach a period of a plateau, said Michael R. Sherwin, the U.S. attorney in Washington, as investigators shift from identifying and rounding up individuals to putting together more complicated conspiracy cases related to possible coordination among militia groups and individuals from different states who had planned to travel to the Capitol and engage in criminal conduct before the attack. We have to have the proper evidence to charge these, and were going to get it, said Steven M. DAntuono, the F.B.I. assistant deputy in charge of the Washington field office. All these cases are not based upon social media and Twitter and Instagram posts. We also have traditional law enforcement tools we need to use  grand jury subpoenas search warrants  and you dont get that overnight. Investigators said that some of those efforts could result in more complicated and serious cases being charged as soon as this weekend and through the coming weeks. In addition to conspiracy and sedition cases, Mr. Sherwin said he had assigned prosecutors to look specifically at attacks on members of the news media. Photographs, videos and eyewitness accounts detailed attacks on journalists, including photographers, reporters and camera operators. In one instance, rioters were seen on video attacking journalists stationed near the Capitol building. After forcing them to flee, the assailants took and destroyed their equipment. Rioters also attacked a photojournalist after discovering that she worked for The New York Times, throwing her to the ground, stealing one camera and breaking another. Inside the Capitol, reporters huddled with members of Congress and their staff before being taken to secure locations.

The Capitol attack wasnt a false flag. G.O.P. officials continue to spread the theory anyway. Rioters breaching the Capitol building on Jan. 6. Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times In the hours after supporters of President Donald J. Trump engaged in a violent assault on the U.S. Capitol, some Republicans began advancing a fantastical alternative theory: that the attack was actually led by far-left activists trying to frame Republicans. The outlandish claims have been widely discredited by the authorities, and some of the faces in the Capitol crowd were recognizable right-wing figures. The numerous arrests since the assault have overwhelmingly involved devoted Trump supporters and far-right adherents. But despite the clear evidence, the so-called false flag theory continues to persist in Republican circles. Last week, the Oregon Republican Party passed a resolution falsely claiming that there was growing evidence that the violence at the Capitol was a false flag operation designed to discredit President Trump, his supporters and all conservative Republicans. Bill Currier, the chairman of the Oregon Republican Party, said in a video discussion that state party officials were working with counterparts across the country to coordinate our messaging around the Capitol attack, the response to it and the continuing efforts to impeach the president. Mr. Currier said other states would be adopting similar resolutions. There will be many states doing this, Mr. Currier said. Were not the only ones. In Wyoming, the state Republican Party issued a statement claiming without evidence that leftist groups may be poised to engage in preplanned violent acts so that the Republican Party can be blamed. The deflection comes as Republican officials have increasingly embraced conspiracy theories, often stoked by Mr. Trump or his allies. Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trumps lawyer, has advanced conspiracy ideas about the Capitol attack, saying the riot was preplanned in an attempt to slander Trump.

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Fox gives a show to one former Trump aide, but shoots down claims it hired another. Larry Kudlow, who led former President Donald J. Trumps National Economic Council, had previously been a host on CNBC. Credit... Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times Larry Kudlow, the former CNBC star who served as director of President Donald J. Trumps National Economic Council, is returning to broadcasting. Mr. Kudlow was named the host of a new daily show on Fox Business set to begin later this year, the network said on Tuesday. He will also appear on Fox Business and Fox News as an on-air financial analyst starting Feb. 8. This is the first major television gig secured by a senior Trump aide who stayed in the White House until the presidents term ended last week. It is also something of a hiring coup for Fox Business, which competes against CNBC and will now feature one of its rivals longtime featured players. Fox said that it would provide more information about Mr. Kudlows new weekday program at a later date. Mr. Kudlows hiring is the latest example of the revolving door between Fox News and members of the Trump administration. But another prominent Trump defender may not be headed to the Rupert Murdoch-owned network so soon. Kayleigh McEnany, the former White House press secretary, included an employment agreement with Fox News on a federally mandated disclosure form she filed earlier this month, signaling that she had landed a job at the cable channel. Fox News on Tuesday had a different message for Ms. McEnany: not so fast. Kayleigh McEnany is not currently an employee or contributor at Fox News, the network said in a statement. Ms. McEnany and Fox News did speak after Election Day about a potential on-air role, according to a person briefed on the negotiations who requested anonymity to share the details of private discussions. But the network has paused those talks, even as it remains open to hiring Ms. McEnany at a later date, the person said. Ms. McEnany did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. Image Kayleigh McEnany, who worked at Fox News after college, suggested on a financial disclosure form that she had been rehired there. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times As the most prominent on-air defender of Mr. Trump in the tumultuous weeks after his loss in November, Ms. McEnany was a frequent guest on Fox News programs, particularly Sean Hannitys prime-time show. Before joining the White House, Ms. McEnany served as an on-air commentator for CNN. She started her media career at Fox News after college, working for Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and the father of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, another former press secretary to Mr. Trump. Ms. Sanders joined the network as an on-air contributor shortly after she departed the Trump administration in 2019, but she and the network recently cut ties after she announced her candidacy for governor of Arkansas.

The White House press briefings will include an American Sign Language interpreter. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said the Biden administration was taking the step as part of its commitment to inclusivity. Credit... Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times The Biden administration announced this week that it would include an American Sign Language interpreter in its daily press briefings, a step that the previous administration avoided taking until a court ordered it to do so late last year. The move is a historical first, according to Howard A. Rosenblum, the chief executive officer of the National Association of the Deaf. Past administrations have occasionally had A.S.L. briefers at some White House events and meetings, Mr. Rosenblum said, but President Biden is the first to make it a fixture. The president is committed to building an America that is more inclusive, more just and more accessible for every American, including Americans with disabilities and their families, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said during Mondays briefing. She introduced the interpreter as Heather. Last year, Mr. Rosenblums advocacy group and five deaf Americans sued the Trump administration for holding briefings on the coronavirus without a sign language interpreter present, arguing that it was a violation of the First Amendment. The government responded that it had provided closed-captioning, but the plaintiffs said that was not an adequate substitute. A federal judge in Washington sided with the plaintiffs, and the Trump administration started including an interpreter in November. During his first few hours in office, Mr. Biden signed an executive order directing senior officials to look at ways to make sure people with disabilities and other minorities were not denied opportunities or government benefits. Mr. Biden also directed top leaders to break down federal data, including economic indicators, by race, ethnicity, gender, disability, income, veteran status or other key demographic variables to measure progress on equity goals. The move was praised by many economists.
Passenger aircraft could cut fuel costs and carbon emissions by taking better advantage of favourable winds at altitude, a new study reveals.

UK experts say commercial flights between New York and London last winter could have used up to 16 per cent less fuel if airlines made better use of fast-moving winds.

Total reductions would have added up to 6.7 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions across this period (from December 2019 to February 2020).

Carbon emissions from plane travel, which are focused in the upper atmosphere, are considered among the greatest contributors to global warming.

Earth-warming nitrogen oxides form when oxygen and nitrogen in the air interact during the high-temperature combustion events associated with jet fuel engines.

The researchers hope the findings will encourage aircraft to exploit the wind field fully, and reduce their fuel consumption in the process.

Researchers have plotted the routes 'optimised for wind' (OFW) and the most efficient air traffic management (ATM) tracks flying both east and west between London Heathrow and JFK Airport in New York. The GP path, the shortest distance along the ground between the airports, is also shown for the date at the start of the study period - December 1, 2019

KEY FINDINGS Researchers analysed around 35,000 flights in both directions between New York and London from December 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020. The team compared the fuel used during these flights with the quickest route that would have been possible at the time by flying into or around the eastward jet stream air currents. Jet streams are narrow currents of air that carry warm and cold air across the planet found at high altitudes at speeds of up to 250mph (400kmph). Taking better advantage of the currents would have saved around 125 miles (200 km) worth of fuel per flight on average, they found  adding up to the total 6.7 million kilogram reduction. The average fuel saving per flight was 1.7 per cent when flying west to New York and 2.5 per cent when flying east to London. Broken down, potential air distance savings ranged from 0.7 per cent to 7.8 per cent when flying west and from 0.7 per cent to 16.4 per cent when flying east, depending on airspeed and which of the current daily flight tracks was used. Advertisement

'It's astounding just how much unnecessary pollution is caused by flights following the current daily tracks across the North Atlantic,' said lead study author Cathie Wells, a PhD researcher in mathematics at the University of Reading.

'Current transatlantic flight paths mean aircraft are burning more fuel and emitting more carbon dioxide than they need to.

'Although winds are taken into account to some degree when planning routes, considerations such as reducing the total cost of operating the flight are currently given a higher priority than minimising the fuel burn and pollution.

'In this research paper, we show that by adopting a more flexible routing system, carbon dioxide emissions from transatlantic flights could actually be reduced by millions of kilograms every year.'

Researchers analysed around 35,000 flights in both directions between New York and London from December 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020.

The team compared the fuel used during these flights with the quickest route that would have been possible at the time by flying into or around the eastward jet stream air currents.

Jet streams are narrow currents of air that carry warm and cold air across the planet found at high altitudes at speeds of up to 250mph (400kmph).

Taking better advantage of the currents would have saved around 125 miles (200 km) worth of fuel per flight on average, they found  adding up to the total 6.7 million kilogram reduction.

The average fuel saving per flight was 1.7 per cent when flying west to New York and 2.5 per cent when flying east to London.

By considering flights between New York and London, researchers found how changes to current practice could reduce fuel use and, hence, greenhouse gas emissions

Broken down, potential air distance savings ranged from 0.7 per cent to 7.8 per cent when flying west and from 0.7 per cent to 16.4 per cent when flying east, depending on airspeed and which of the current daily flight tracks was used.

Currently, aviation is responsible for around 2.4 per cent of all human-caused carbon emissions - and this figure is growing.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and countries around the world have responded by establishing policies to improve fuel efficiency of international flights or offset emissions.

But most of this action relies on technological advances and is therefore costly and slow to implement, according to the researchers.

The researchers say 'substantial reductions' in fuel consumption are possible in the short term by exploiting the wind field fully.

This is in contrast to the incremental improvements in fuel-efficiency through technological advances, which are high cost, high risk and take many years to implement.

Redirecting transatlantic flights to take better advantage of favourable winds at altitude could save fuel, time and emissions

'Simple tweaks to flight paths are far cheaper and can offer benefits immediately,' said study co-author Professor Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading.

'The aviation sector needs to reduce its emissions urgently but waiting for more efficient aircraft could take decades.

'Upgrading to more efficient aircraft or switching to biofuels or batteries could lower emissions significantly, but will be costly and may take decades to achieve.

'Our new study shows that choosing flight routes that make better use of the jetsream could deliver emissions cuts that are significant, cheap and immediate.'

Full satellite coverage will soon be available on situational awareness for aircraft flying in the mid-North Atlantic, including favourable winds.

This opens up the possibility of altering flight routes to exploit the wind field fully, the study, published in Environmental Research Letters, points out.

Previous University of Reading research showed flights will encounter two or three times more severe clear-air turbulence if emissions are not cut.

The 2017 study calculated that climate change will significantly increase the amount of severe turbulence worldwide at some point between the years 2050 and 2080.

Expected turbulence increases are due to global temperature changes, which strengthen wind instabilities at high altitudes in jet streams and make pockets of rough air stronger and more frequent.

Severe turbulence involves forces stronger than gravity and will therefore be strong enough to throw people and luggage around an aircraft cabin.

Flights to the most popular international destinations are projected to experience the largest increases, the study found.

Severe turbulence at a typical cruising altitude of 39,000 feet will become up to two or three times as common throughout the year over the North Atlantic (+180 per cent), Europe (+160 per cent), North America (+110 per cent), the North Pacific (+90 per cent), and Asia (+60 per cent).

'This problem is only going to worsen as the climate continues to change,' said Professor Williams at the time.
[January 26, 2021] Pioneer Consulting Advises Crown Estate Scotland on Subsea Telecommunications to Better Position Scotland on the International Connectivity Landscape

BOSTON and EDINBURGH, Scotland, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pioneer Consulting , the full-service submarine fiber optic telecommunications consulting and project management company, announces it has recently completed a Subsea Telecommunications Cables Market Analysis commissioned by Crown Estate Scotland . This work offers unique multi-disciplinary data and insight into the state of Scotlands subsea communications industry landscape with respect to the North Atlantic and European international connectivity markets. Pioneer Consulting was contracted by Crown Estate Scotland to deliver a comprehensive analysis of Scotland's subsea telecommunications infrastructure and potential market future. The international consulting company analyzed the key challenges the country faces in this sector, including comparatively high frequency of subsea cable repairs. Other factors considered by Pioneer Consulting included physical constraints on cable routing such as fishing grounds, anchors, ship and aircraft wrecks, unexploded ordnance, other cables, and pipelines. The analysis also included the current process of obtaining a marine license for a subsea telecommunications cable in Scottish waters.



Despite various challenges, Scotlands marine resources are full of opportunity. Pioneer Consulting explored multiple steps Scotland could take to leverage its geographical location between North America and Scandinavia, where there has been high growth in data centers, and encourage growth in the number of regional and transatlantic subsea cable system landings. These recommendations include assessment of landing fees, streamlining permitting, surveying potential landing points near Scotlands Central Belt, making data about Scotlands seabed publicly accessible, attracting hyperscale data centers, and mitigating risk by reaching out to local fishing communities to help them avod existing subsea cable sites.







We are honored to have worked with Crown Estate Scotland on this timely, critical research, said Iain Ritson, Project Manager and Director of Client Solutions at Pioneer Consulting. We identified immense areas of opportunity for Scotland to grow its role in trans-Atlantic subsea telecommunications, and look forward to witnessing this growth in the coming years. Sian Wilson, Senior Energy & Infrastructure Manager at Crown Estate Scotland, said: This is an extremely important piece of work, which will help inform decisions made by Crown Estate Scotland and other bodies, as we work together to ensure that we are making the most of our potential of hosting major telecommunications projects which are not only important for development of broader sectors, but which will also have the potential to support the sustainable growth of the blue economy.





The completion of this major assignment comes at a time when Pioneer Consulting recently announced its successful oversight of a marine route survey for the first fiber optic cable crossing the English Channel in 20 years, the CrossChannel Fibre Project . Last month, Pioneer Consulting also announced its hiring of Scotland-based Dr. Lorraine Gray as Director of Permitting.



Pioneer Consultings work for Crown Estate Scotland is the last in a series of recent assignments to help governmental or regional agencies to identify and quantify the potential benefits of enhanced international connectivity. Pioneer Consulting has assisted these agencies in understanding the specifics of investing in subsea cable systems and has analyzed how governments or regions can facilitate such strategically important investments in the design, financing, construction, and operations phases.



About Pioneer Consulting

Pioneer Consulting offers a comprehensive set of services for the submarine fiber optic telecommunications system industry. The company provides clients with valuable technical and commercial insight into the challenging issues facing this unique industry. Recognizing the diverse nature of the submarine telecommunications marketplace, Pioneer Consulting has built a team of industry-leading experts who are able to work across traditional boundaries and provide businesses with the strategic intelligence and operational skills needed to make long-term engineering and business decisions and deliver results. To learn more about the services Pioneer Consulting offers, please visit: https://www.pioneerconsulting.com/ .



Media Contact:

Ariane Mandell

Trevi Communications

ariane@trevicomm.com



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The James Bond film, No Time to Die, was scheduled to be released in 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic.

And now the film's bosses will frustratingly have to re-shoot key scenes because the MI6 agent's technology is out-of-date, it was reported on Monday.

The updates will allegedly be made to the 007 franchise in hopes of saving product placement deals from sponsors who are concerned their high-tech items have evolved over the one-year delay.

Oh no! No Time To Die bosses will reportedly have to re-shoot scenes because James Bond's technology is now out-of-date due to delays with the film's release date amid the pandemic

An insider told The Sun on Monday: 'The details of the gadgets and things are all kept tightly under wraps, but everyone knows that James Bond always carries the latest kit with him.

'But by the time the movie comes out now it will look like Daniel Craig and all of the other cast members are carrying something that has been out for ages. That isnt really the point of these deals.

'It means some of the scenes are going to have to be very carefully edited and looked at to bring things up to date.'

No Time To Die reportedly features a number of sponsored products including gadgets from tech firms and mobile phones provided by Nokia - with bosses said to be keen to change scenes where tech guru Q hands out items.

Evolve: The updates will allegedly be made to the 007 franchise in hopes of saving product placement deals from sponsors who are concerned their high-tech items have changed

Other rumoured product deals include Omega watches, Adidas footwear and Bollinger champagne.

Lucrative sponsorships are common practice in the film industry and can help finance expensive productions.

No Time To Die is the 25th film in the franchise, and will feature Daniel Craig's last performance as the 007 agent.

A new release for the movie was shared on the film's official Twitter account on Thursday, revealing the latest expected date is October 8, 2021.

The film, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, was originally scheduled for release in April 2020, but was pushed back to November before the release was changed once again to April 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Automaton: No Time To Die reportedly features a number of sponsored products including gadgets from tech firms and mobile phones provided by Nokia

Expensive taste: Lucrative sponsorships are common practice in the film industry and other rumoured product deals are Omega watches, Adidas footwear and Bollinger champagne

No Time To Die follows Bond after he has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica when his old friend Felix Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright, from the CIA turns up asking for help.

Leaving his seemingly happy life with Madeleine (Lea Seydoux), Bond returns to the field to face Safin (Rami Malek) who is armed with a new dangerous technology that could impact the world.

Producer Barbara Broccoli has already teased what fans can expect and said that the movie will deliver a satisfying ending for Daniel's Bond.

Speaking on the official James Bond podcast, she said: 'It's a culmination of everything that his portrayal of the character has been through and it ties up all the storylines. It's a pretty epic film, I have to say.'

MailOnline have contacted James Bond reps for comment

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
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Researchers use nanomaterials to make 2D diamond clusters at room temperature

BROOKLYN, New York, Monday, January 26, 2021 - Atomically thin, 2D hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a promising material whose protean ability to undergo phase transformations to strong, super lightweight, chemically stable, oxidation-resistant films makes them ideal for protective coatings, nanotechnology thermal applications, deep-UV light emitters, and much more.

The possibilities embodied in different polytypes of h-BN include the ultra-hard diamond phase, a cubic structure (c-BN) with strength and hardness second only to actual carbon diamonds. Key to fabricating such materials is the ability to induce and control the transformation between their various crystalline phases, in a way that is efficient and cost effective enough to allow for economies of scale.

While synthesizing such materials in their "bulk" or 3D configurations requires immense pressure and heat, researchers at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering have discovered that h-BN in layered, molecule-thin 2D sheets can phase transition to c-BN at room temperature.

In a new study, a team led by Elisa Riedo, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NYU Tandon, and in collaboration with Remi Dingreville at the Center for Nanotechnologies at Sandia National Laboratories, produced experiments and simulations using a nanoscopic tip compressing atomically thin, 2D h-BN layers to reveal how these room-temperature phase transitions occur and how to optimize them, partly by varying the number of layers in the h-BN thin film.

The research, "Pressure-Induced Formation and Mechanical Properties of 2D Diamond Boron Nitride," whose authors include Angelo Bongiorno, Professor of Chemistry at the City University of New York; Filippo Cellini, former post doc in Riedo's PicoForce Lab at NYU Tandon; Elton Chen of Sandia National Labs; Ryan L. Hartman, an Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NYU Tandon; and Francesco Lavini and Filip Popovic, Ph.D. students in Riedo's lab, appears as the cover story in the Volume 8, Issue 2 of the journal Advanced Science.

"When BN is in the diamond phase, hardness and stiffness increase dramatically, and is, in fact, nearly as hard as a traditional carbon diamond with an improved thermal and chemical stability," said Riedo, "But it cannot normally be found in nature. Formation of cubic boron nitride must be performed in a lab. So we set out to explore the physics and understanding of phase transition from hexagonal to cubic boron nitride in the special case of films that are atomically thin."

Lavini explained that the work involved application of pressure to atomically thin h-BN films with a number of atomic layers from one to ten, using an atomic force microscope (AFM). To test the extent of the phase transition from hexagonal to cubic crystalline structure, the AFM nanoscopic tip probe simultaneously applies pressure and measures the material elasticity.

"A high degree of stiffness demonstrates the phase transition to diamond crystal structure. This is critical because it was not clear before that phase transition could even occur at room temperature," he explained. "Because the whole physics of phase transitions is different in a 2D 'universe' we are discovering and redefining some fundamental materials rules. In this state, for example, the energy barrier to transforming from hexagonal to cubic phase is much smaller."

The experiments and simulations also revealed the optimal thickness to achieve the transition to c-BN: the researchers observed no phase transformation whatsoever in mono-layer h-BN films, while bi-layer and tri-layer films showed 50% increase in stiffness when pressure was applied by the nanoscopic tip, a proxy for the h-BN-to-c-BN phase transition. Above three layers, the researchers observed a diminishing degree of diamond phase transition.

Through simulations -- described in the study -- the collaborators also discovered heterogeneity in the phase transition: instead of spontaneous change to c-BN occurring evenly under pressure, they found that diamonds formed in clusters, and expanded. They also observed that the larger the number of layers of h-BN, the smaller the number of diamond clusters.

Riedo explained that the benefits of 2D BN diamonds over 2D carbon diamond (also known as diamene) are adaptability and potential economies of fabrication. "Recently we discovered that it is possible to induce diamene formation from graphene, however, specific types of substrates or chemicals are required, while h-BN can form diamonds on any substrate in ambient atmosphere. In general, it is really exciting the discovery of exceptional new properties in pressure-induced diamond phases in 2D materials" she said.

Riedo said the next phase will turn to applied research, with more large-scale experiments on mechanical resistance for specific applications.

###

The work is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Army Research Office.

The paper is available at https:/ / onlinelibrary. wiley. com/ doi/ 10. 1002/ advs. 202002541

About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute. A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences as part of a global university, with close connections to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. NYU Tandon is rooted in a vibrant tradition of entrepreneurship, intellectual curiosity, and innovative solutions to humanity's most pressing global challenges. Research at Tandon focuses on vital intersections between communications/IT, cybersecurity, and data science/AI/robotics systems and tools and critical areas of society that they influence, including emerging media, health, sustainability, and urban living. We believe diversity is integral to excellence, and are creating a vibrant, inclusive, and equitable environment for all of our students, faculty and staff. For more information, visit engineering.nyu.edu.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Candos, Mauritius (PANA) - Around 100 front-liners have been vaccinated against the Covid-19 on Tuesday at the start of a national immunisation campaign to protect the Mauritian population against the disease, limit its progress, decrease its severity and mortality and morbidity rate, health authorities told PANA at the Victoria Hospital, Candos, south of the capital, Port Louis
A person delivers a computer payload while working on a laptop during the 11th International Cybersecurity Forum in Lille, France, on Jan. 22, 2019. (Philippe Huguen/AFP/Getty Images)

ASIC Server Hit by Cyber Security Breach

Australias financial services watchdog has suffered a cybersecurity breach forcing it to halt credit applications.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) became aware of the incident on Jan. 15 when unauthorised access to a server containing documents related to credit license applications occured.

While the investigation is ongoing, it appears that there is some risk that some limited information may have been viewed by the threat actor, the regulatory body said in a statement.

At this time ASIC has not seen evidence that any Australian credit licence application forms or any attachments were opened or downloaded, it continued.

ASIC assured the public the server was disabled and no other infrastructure was breached.

The incident is related to ASICs use of software from California-based software company Accellion. The same software is also used by the New Zealand Reserve Bank, which suffered a cyber attack earlier this month.

We have been advised by the third-party provider that this wasnt a specific attack on the Reserve Bank, and other users of the file-sharing application were also compromised, Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr said in response to the attack.

An employee walks past the Reserve Bank of Australia building in Sydneys central business district on July 4, 2017. (SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Accellion became aware of a vulnerability in its FTA software in mid-December and said it had resolved the problem.

The company has not responded to the most recent security breach, but is working with ASIC to manage the incident.

The Australian government made concerted efforts last year to raise public awareness around cybersecurity threats, and urged businesses and public bodies to ramp up protection online.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also pledged AU$1.67 billion to support a ten-year cybersecurity strategy to protect the nations critical infrastructure.

A report revealed cyberattacks are costing the nation approximately $29 billion per year.
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DENVER  The Vatican has cleared a retired U.S. bishop of multiple allegations he sexually abused minors and teenagers, rejecting lay experts determination that a half-dozen claims were credible and instead slapping him on the wrist for what it called flagrant imprudent behavior.

The Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith exonerated retired Cheyenne, Wyoming Bishop Joseph Hart of seven accusations of abuse and determined that five others couldnt be proven with moral certitude. Two other cases involving boys who were 16 and 17 couldnt be prosecuted because the Catholic Church didnt consider them minors at the time of the alleged abuse, the diocese reported Monday. A 13th allegation wasnt addressed in the decree.

Hart, 89, had long maintained his innocence and denied all allegations of misconduct. His attorney, Thomas Jubin, said multiple allegations against Hart were specious, with some based on second- and third-hand information, and with some accusers emphasizing that Hart didnt physically touch them.

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Despite this, Bishop Hart asks me to convey that he continues to pray for all involved in this case so that they may find peace and healing. He now asks, and I ask, too, that he may now be afforded peace in the twilight of this life as he prepares to meet his God in the next, Jubin said in a statement.

The Vatican decision clearly disappointed Harts successor, Bishop Steven Biegler, who stressed that the Vaticans findings didnt mean Hart was innocent, just that the Holy See determined that the high burden of proof hadnt been met.

Today, I want the survivors to know that I support and believe you Biegler said in a statement. I understand that this announcement will not bring closure to the survivors, their family members, Bishop Hart and all those affected.

It also disappointed Darrel Hunter, who said he and his two brothers were abused by Hart after he was assigned to worked at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Kansas City near their home in the 1950s. Hunter, 73, of Prairie Village, Kan., said he did not expect the Vatican to punish Hart but he was concerned about how it treated those who came forward to say they had been abused.

He said he did not understand how Vatican officials could discount their allegations, particularly because many alleged victims live hundreds of miles apart and did not have any connection besides Hart. He said he had not heard of any victims being interviewed as part of the Vaticans investigation, which made the moral certitude conclusion like a slap in the face to victims.

Its like they said Were not going to talk to you but were pretty sure what youre saying didnt happen, said Hunter.

In Cheyenne, Biegler has previously stood by the findings of his review board, which determined a half-dozen claims were credible. And his diocesan statement noted the qualifications of its members: law enforcement; school administration; a doctor of psychology; a pediatrician; a psychotherapist, who treats sexually abused children; and a judge, who was a criminal prosecutor for 13 years involving crimes against children, primarily child sexual abuse.

On the other hand, the Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, or CDF, relies on the judgment of priests and bishop canon lawyers, and ultimately the pope. The Vatican for decades has been criticized by victims groups for giving bishops a pass when they have been accused of sexual abuse themselves or of covering it up.

A few exceptions have been made in recent years, most famously in the case of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked after the CDF determined he had abused minors as well as adults, including during confession  essentially the same allegations against Hart.

As a result, the sentence showed the arbitrary nature of Vaticans canonical sex abuse deliberations and judgments, which arent public. Harts previous diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph reached court settlements years ago with at least 10 victims. But Wyoming criminal prosecutors also decided last year not to proceed with charging Hart.

Anne Barrett Doyle, of the online resource BishopAccountability.org, said the Vatican ruling was heartbreaking and disgraceful and showed that church law is biased in favor of priests and bishops.

Defenders of canon law might point to the punishment of ex-cardinal McCarrick as evidence that the system works. But for every McCarrick, there are five Harts: bishops who retain their titles and pensions in the face of multiple allegations, she said in an email, adding that the ruling calls into question Pope Francis vow to hold bishops accountable.

In its decree, the CDF rebuked Hart for his flagrant lack of prudence as a priest and bishop for being alone with minors in his private residence and on various trips which could have been potential occasions endangering the obligation to observe continence and that would give rise to scandal among the faithful,' the diocese said.

Hart was also rebuked for failing to observe previous Vatican restrictions prohibiting him from having contact with minors and seminarians and from participating in public engagements, the diocese said, adding that those restrictions remain in place.

Jubin, Harts lawyer, criticized Biegler for what he said was grandstanding and trying to disregard due process by trying to convict Hart in the court of public opinion.

The Associated Press has learned that the CDF had tasked the investigation into Hart to Indianapolis Bishop Charles Thompson, who made headlines in 2019 when he ordered two Catholic high schools to fire teachers in same-sex marriages. After one Jesuit school refused, the Vatican temporarily suspended Thompsons order rescinding the schools Catholic recognition.

The CDF under its current leadership seems to follow recommendations from local bishops who investigate sex crimes, while it used to take a more proactive role in sanctioning and defrocking accused clerics.

Hart was a priest in Kansas City, Missouri, for 21 years before moving to Wyoming, where he served as auxiliary and then full bishop from 1976 until his retirement in 2001. The first known allegations against Hart dated to the early 1960s and were made in the late 1980s. At least six men came forward in the past few years to say Hart abused them in Wyoming.

___

Winfield reported from Rome. Associated Press writer Margaret Stafford in Liberty, Mo. also contributed to this report.
Marshall County investigators say DNA evidence led to the arrest of a Grant man for a burglary that took place back in June.

Cole Dwight Duncan, 20, has been charged with third degree burglary and fourth degree property theft. He was released Wednesday from the Marshall County Jail on $13,000 bond.

According to the sheriffs office, deputies received an alarm call on June 29, 2020 at a residence on Columbus City Road near Grant. Grant police also assisted. A side window leading into a garage had been broken, and blood was visible on the broken glass and floor below the window. The homeowner reported some items had be taken.

Using blood samples taken from the crime scene, the Alabama Department of Forensic Science in Huntsville made a DNA match for Duncan on Friday, according to the sheriffs office.
Pacific Aviation Mission has transported thousands of pounds of medical, educational and basic supplies to the remote outer islands of Micronesia for nearly 50 years, and its president Norbert Kalau credited the success of these missions not only to the hardworking staff, but also donors and volunteers such as those on Guam.

"Guam is a very generous island," Kalau told the Rotary Club of Tumon Bay's members during their virtual meeting on Tuesday.

The Guam-based nonprofit evangelical Christian mission organization also transports patients from outer islands to get medical help around the region, has done sea searches, and participated in disaster relief.

Much of what's been sent to the remote outer islands were loaded on or transshipped through Guam.

Moreover, Guam-based dentists and other medical professionals have served with PMA in various capacities.

One of the challenges for PMA is that medical professionals under the U.S. system get only three weeks of vacation, which most of the time is not enough considering the amount of travel time through PMA's medical ship The Sea Haven to get to Micronesia's remote islands.

"Whereas in Europe or Germany, as an example, they get up to six weeks," Kalau said.

PMA has been working with outer islands to build runways that can accommodate its planes, which can land on grass or dirt runways, Kalau said.

"You have to remember Micronesia's larger than the continent of the United States. If we took all of those islands and put them together, they fit in the state of Rhode Island yet there's over 2,000 islands from the Marshal Islands to Palau. Obviously, not all are habited but theres a lot of ocean out there," Kalau said.

Planes kept busy

With COVID-19 still lingering, PMA's medical ship has not sailed in nearly a year, but PMA's planes have been quite busy, Kalau said.

PMA planes transported COVID-19 vaccines within the Federated States of Micronesia.

Should there be any COVID-19 patient needing hospitalization or special care, which Kalau hopes won't happen on the remote islands, PMA stands ready to assist transporting patients for care in state hospitals or in Guam, Taiwan or the Philippines.

PMA is also looking forward to the arrival of the two Beechcraft King Air 200 aircraft that Samaritan's Purse donated last year, a big help for PMA to continue its missions of helping the region, Kalau said.

"Those two planes are being prepared. God willing, if this COVID does not persist too long, we will be bringing those in April this year. With those King Air, we will have the capacity to fly throughout the seven insular states here, from the Marshals to the Republic of Palau," he said.

PMA was founded in Yap by Kalau's missionary parents from Germany in 1974.

"(They) started by converting old World War II runways on the island of Ulithi and then on the island of Woleai in the Yap State, and thats where we began our aviation services," Kalau said.

Finding new parents for orphans

Besides Micronesia, PMA also does mission work in the Philippines, including running an orphanage, which was not spared from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Right now we have three children up for adoption. One was picked up by the new mom and dad locally. One is to go to Denmark and the other one to Sweden, but because of COVID-19, they have been matched but they cannot go to the Philippines yet to pick them up," Kalau said.

A boy adopted from the orphanage two years ago now speaks fluent French and recently connected with PMA.

"Now these are the good stories, but there's often very tragic stories," Kalau said. "One of the latest orphans that we got was found in a shopping bag hanging on a fence. We often will criticize or be judgmental about how can a mother do this? But I would have to say we do not walk or have not walked in her shoes. We named the little girl, Angel, because that's how we see her. She's growing and she's vibrant."

Kalau was asked how the public can donate to or help PMA. He said for more information and to help PMA with its causes, visit their website, at www.pmapacific.org.
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[January 25, 2021] Gerber Technology Experiencing Tremendous Revenue Growth in China Through Innovation and Digital Transformation Initiatives

The innovation leader is supporting customers as they re-invent their workflows and embark on a digital transformation journey to improve productivity and profitability. SHANGHAI, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In the last 9 months, Gerber has experienced tremendous revenue growth in China driven by its digital transformation and innovation initiatives to help brands, retailers and manufacturers get the efficiency, productivity, quality and ROI they need to stay competitive. Over the last several months, Gerber has set forth an aggressive plan to digitize the fashion, furniture, automotive and technical textile industries by introducing new innovations to the Chinese market that will drive business transformation to improve productivity. "With much uncertainty still ahead, we are very proud to support the digitalization initiatives of our customers in China. We are committed to being the best partner for our customers," said Edward Wang, Vice President and General Manager of APAC for Gerber Technology. "Through our recent Shanghai Innovation Center expansion initiative and the launch of the Gerber Atria Digital Cutter , we are proud to offer our customers the best experience and innovations to help them achieve greater productivity and accelerate digital transformation initiatives." Gerber's Shanghai Innovation Center demonstrates the latest innovations for both mass production and on-demand manufacturing , demonstrating how companies can digitally transform their supply chain and achieve best in class performance. The recently upgraded innovative space features a full made-to-measure workflow that turns orders into final products in less than one hour. The workflow is complete with TG3D's body scanning technology, the powerful AccuMark Made-to-Measure , AccuMark , and AccuNest software and Gerber's vision-based single ply cutters.



At its annual ideation conference in November, Gerber launched the Gerber Atria Digital Cutter, which provides significant throughput uplift and excellent cutting quality. Since its release less than 60 days ago, 17 different companies have decided that Atria is the solution they need on their digital transformation journey. "I am very impressed by Gerber Technology's industry leading end-to-end solutions," said Peter Liu, Vice President of China National Apparel Technology & Innovation Institute, after he visited the Shanghai Innovation Center. "The automated customization solution that Gerber Technology offers is not only unique, but also very cost-competitive. I look forward to the important role that Gerber is going to play in shaping the future customization industry with their innovation DNA and technologies."

Throughout the pandemic, the Gerber team has continued to invest in its products and services in China and recently expanded its team in Northern China to better support those customers. About Gerber Technology

Gerber Technology delivers industry-leading software and automation solutions that help apparel and industrial customers improve their manufacturing and design processes and more effectively manage and connect the supply chain, from product development and production to retail and the end customer. With customers in 134 countries, Gerber Technology has a global team of passionate experts to support companies in apparel and accessories, personal protective equipment, home and leisure, transportation, packaging and sign and graphics industries. Based in Connecticut in the USA, Gerber Technology is owned by AIP, a New York-based, global private equity firm specializing in the technology sector and has more than $3.0 billion assets under management. The company develops and manufactures its products from various locations in the United States and Canada and has additional manufacturing capabilities in China. Visit www.gerbertechnology.com for more information. Contact: Ketty Pillet

Tel: +1 860-896-6036

Email: ketty.pillet@gerbertechnology.com SOURCE Gerber Technology

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[January 26, 2021] Black & Veatch's Pishal Takes Leadership Role with 2021 CTIA Smart Transportation Working Group

Black & Veatch (News - Alert) announces today that Paul Pishal, business development director with the company's Connected Communities group within its telecommunications business, has been selected as co-chair to lead the 2021 CTIA (News - Alert) Smart Transportation Working Group. New advances in smart transportation are driving cities and communities to embrace higher levels of sustainability, technology and innovation. Based in Washington, D.C., CTIA represents the U.S. wireless communications industry and companies active in the mobile ecosystem. The organization is working to advance smart cities adoption and investment through its Smart Cities Business & Technology Working Groups. As co-chair of the CTIA Smart Transportation Working Group, Pishal will work with Albert Shen, Smart Communities Executive with Verizon (News - Alert) Wireless to share responsibility for establishing, overseeing and accomplishing the group's yearly objectives. "We congratulate Paul Pishal from Black & Veatch on his election as co-chair for CTIA's Smart Transportation Working Group," said Michelle James, CTIA VP for Strategic Programs. "CTIA Smart Cities Business & Technology Working Groups convene experts from the wireless industry with the common goal of increasing smart cities adoption, including for intelligent transportation deployments. We are happy to have Paul's expertise lead us into a successful 2021." With more than two decades of experience in the telecommunications industry, Pishal is responsible for business development, strategic partnerships and client engaement within the expanding markets of fiber and wireless networks for municipal and private broadband. His focus includes public-private partnerships (P3s). His experience managing business development, product marketing and corporate strategy for technology companies in the telecommunications, electronics and business consulting industries will benefit CTIA as they work to advance wireless technologies and smart transportation initiatives.



"I'm thrilled to join the 2021 CTIA Smart Transportation Working Group, particularly during this time of increased focus on transportation as a critical component of smarter, more sustainable cities and communities," said Pishal. "I'm looking forward to joining this talented team of industry professionals who are focused on diligently enabling the market for advanced transportation solutions." Editor's Notes:

Click here for a high-res headshot of Paul Pishal.

Pishal is a frequent speaker at industry events, including IOT Tech Expo North America and IWCE Virtual, and is a contributor to industry publications, most recently the Meeting of the Minds' article, Communications Networks are Key to Bridging the Digital Divide. About Black & Veatch Black & Veatch is an employee-owned engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people in over 100 countries by addressing the resilience and reliability of our world's most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2019 were US$3.7 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005862/en/

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Hundreds have rallied in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, to protest against measures introduced by the government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The protesters gathered in front of government buildings on January 26 to demand the reopening of public transport and schools, and the easing of a 9 p.m. curfew. Among the protesters were artists, street vendors, and others who had lost their jobs as a result of the introduction of the measures.
South Africa: Ekurhuleni works with undertakers to ensure COVID-19 compliance

The City of Ekurhuleni says its environmental health practitioners (EHP) continue to monitor funeral undertakers and mortuary premises amidst the ongoing fight against COVID-19.

EHPs are the first line of defence, through education and inspections, to protect residents against pandemics and ill health.

Member of Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Services, Nomadlozi Nkosi, said the EHPs are working tirelessly to inspect mortuaries and funeral undertaker premises to ensure the processes of preparation, storage and preservation of human remains are conducted in line with the regulations related to the management of human remains.

The City of Ekurhuleni issues a Certificate of Competence (CoC) in terms of regulations relating to human remains, which guide funeral homes on how to handle human remains. The CoC can only be issued after an inspection is done by an environmental health practitioner and if the premises comply with all regulations, Nkosi said.

Nkosi said the citys EHPs monitor all funeral gatherings to ensure compliance with all health protocols under the COVID-19 level 3 regulations.

The role of the EHP, in relation to compliance by undertakers, is to ensure the management and employees of undertakers receive training to handle COVID-19 mortal remains, in line with directions issued in terms of COVID-19 regulations.

Healthcare practitioners also visit the families of the deceased to provide education on the necessary health protocols. This is to ensure all COVID-19 health and safety protocols are adhered to during the funeral proceedings, Nkosi said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

BANKS, credit unions and post offices have been added to the list of workplaces where the wearing of face coverings is mandatory.

Up to now, the wearing of masks and face coverings in such premises was recommended but there was no legal requirement to so in contrast to retail outlets and public transport.

The new regulations, which have been signed by the Minister for Health, come into force with immediate effect following a campaign from the Financial Services Union (FSU) to require the wearing of face masks in their workplaces.

FSU general secretary John OConnell said: "The FSU launched a campaign several weeks ago seeking this change so I very much welcome it.

"Our members were very concerned that they were being treated differently to any other retail staff. Concerns increased when the new variant of Covid-19 was identified and the virus became more transmissible.

He added: "This is a sensible move which can help alleviate some of anxieties expressed by staff. We would urge all customers to abide by the new regulations and help keep themselves and workers safe."

Mr OConnell added that the rationale for not including banks, credit unions and post offices in the initial regulations was security-related.

Brian Hayes, CEO of the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland, which represents the banks, welcomed the decision.

He said: "BPFI and its member banks very much welcome the decision by Government to amend the regulation to make mask wearing mandatory in banks."

"The safety of customers and staff has been a top priority since March and todays announcement is extremely helpful as we continue to provide essential services nationwide."
[January 26, 2021] Hprobe, Leader in Magnetic Field Testing Creates Subsidiary in Germany and Receives First Order from Fraunhofer IPMS

Hprobe, a provider of turnkey semiconductor Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) for magnetic devices, today announced the establishment of a subsidiary company, Hprobe GmbH located in Cologne, Germany. The new subsidiary, which marks Hprobe's first expansion outside of France, will sell, promote, and provide technical support in Germany. Concurrent to this announcement, Hprobe GmbH received its first order from Fraunhofer IPMS (Institute for Photonic Microsystems, Dresden), a worldwide leader in research and development services for electronic and photonic systems. Fraunhofer (News - Alert) IPMS has ordered an IBEX Parametric Tester developed by Hprobe for its business unit Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT), carrying out applied research on 300mm wafers for IC manufacturers, suppliers, equipment manufacturers and R&D partners. The IBEX is mounted in a Precio XL, the latest 300mm fully automated wafer prober from leading semiconductor equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL), dedicated to wafer level testing of magnetic devices and operating at high throughput. Dr Maik Wagner-Reetz, Head of Spintronics activities at Fraunhofer IPMS, emphasizes the importance of this tester: "The acquisition of this automatic tester under magnetic field is complementary to our recent investments in anufacturing and testing equipment for MRAM. Combined with our flexible options for PVD, the Hprobe IBEX tester strengthens the performance of our spintronic developments thanks to its high-speed testing capabilities on 300mm wafers. With this dedicated production and test line, we will be able to significantly expand our future business for our customers in the field of MRAM developments and beyond."



Laurent Lebrun, CEO of Hprobe will lead the German office. Hprobe GmbH, which already has its first employee, will soon hire an application field engineer to work very closely with customers. "We are delighted to be opening the subsidiary Hprobe GmbH, which will enable us to further strengthen our presence in Germany," said Laurent Lebrun. "We will immediately build our business in this important region, providing expanded and enhanced services and support to our customers and prospects in the region. Our first contract with the Fraunhofer IPMS marks an important step in the development of our role in Germany's industry-leading microelectronics market." Christian Ziach, Investment Manager at High-Tech Grunderfonds (HTGF), a public-private venture capital investment firm based in Germany that invested in the company over the last two years added, "We are happy to see Hprobe established in Germany, enabling it to be close to German customers and our extensive semiconductor industry ecosystem. We maintain close relations with Hprobe, German foundries and magnetic sensors manufacturers for the automotive industry."

Since its debuts, Hprobe has ramped its infrastructure to become a leader in testing of equipment for magnetic devices, including memory devices and magnetic sensors. The company has unique patented technologies of multidimensional magnetic field generators with excellent magnetic field sweep speed and high field intensity. The electrical probing can generate any pattern of 3D magnetic field. At its headquarters in France, Hprobe produces equipment that serves global markets, with sales in Belgium, Taiwan, the U.S., and China. About Hprobe: Founded in March 2017 and based in Grenoble (France), Hprobe is a spin-off company of SPINTEC (one of the leading spintronics research laboratories worldwide). The company designs, manufactures, and markets equipment for wafer-level testing of magnetic devices in the semiconductor industry, which serves consumer, communication, industrial and automotive customers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005572/en/

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The U.S. Senate has rejected a Republican attempt to dismiss Donald Trumps historic second impeachment trial, a vote that allows the case on incitement of insurrection to move forward but also foreshadows that there may not be enough votes to convict him.

The 55-45 procedural vote to set aside an objection from Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul puts the Senate on record as declaring the proceedings constitutional and means the trial on Trumps impeachment, the first ever of a former president, will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. The House impeached him two weeks ago for inciting deadly riots at the Capitol on Jan. 6 when he told his supporters to fight like hell to overturn his election defeat.

At the same time, the vote shows it is unlikely there will be enough votes for conviction, which requires the support of all Democrats and 17 Republicans, or two-thirds of the Senate. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former presidents enduring sway over the GOP.

If more than 34 Republicans vote against the constitutionality of the proceeding, the whole things dead on arrival, Paul said shortly before the vote. Paul said Democrats probably should rest their case and present no case at all.

The senators took oaths Tuesday to ensure impartial justice as jurors in the trial, proceedings that will test Republican loyalty to the former president for the first time after the deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.

Many Republican senators, including Paul, have challenged the legitimacy of the trial and questioned whether Trumps repeated demands to overturn Joe Bidens election really constitute incitement of insurrection.

So what seemed for some Democrats like an open-and-shut case that played out for the world on live television is running into a Republican Party that feels very different. Not only are there legal concerns, but senators are wary of crossing the former president and his legions of followers.

Security remains tight at the Capitol.

On Monday, the nine House Democrats prosecuting the case against Trump carried the sole impeachment charge of incitement of insurrection across the Capitol in a solemn and ceremonial march along the same halls the rioters ransacked three weeks ago.

The lead House prosecutor, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, stood before the Senate to describe the violent events of Jan. 6  five people died  and read the House resolution charging high crimes and misdemeanors.

Republicans came to Trumps legal defense.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked if Congress starts holding impeachment trials of former officials, whats next: Could we go back and try President Obama?

Besides, he suggested, Trump has already been held to account. One way in our system you get punished is losing an election.

For Democrats the tone, tenor and length of the trial so early in Bidens presidency poses its own challenge, forcing them to strike a balance between their vow to hold Trump accountable and their eagerness to deliver on the new administrations priorities following their sweep of control of the House, Senate and White House.

Chief Justice John Roberts is not presiding at the trial, as he did during Trumps first impeachment, potentially affecting the gravitas of the proceedings. The shift is said to be in keeping with protocol because Trump is no longer in office.

Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.

Leaders in both parties agreed to a short delay in the proceedings, which serves their political and practical interests, even as National Guard troops remain at the Capitol because of security threats to lawmakers ahead of the trial.

The start date gives Trumps new legal team time to prepare its case, while also providing more than a months distance from the passions of the bloody riot. For the Democratic-led Senate, the intervening weeks provide prime time to confirm some of Bidens key Cabinet nominees.

As Republicans said the trial is not legitimate, Democrats rejected that argument, pointing to an 1876 impeachment of a secretary of war who had already resigned and to opinions by many legal scholars.

Democrats also say that a reckoning of the first invasion of the Capitol since the War of 1812, perpetrated by rioters egged on by a president as Electoral College votes were being tallied, is necessary.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said failing to conduct the trial would amount to a get-out-jail-free card for others accused of wrongdoing on their way out the door. He said theres only one question senators of both parties will have to answer before God and their own conscience: Is former President Trump guilty of inciting an insurrection against the United States?

A few GOP senators, including Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, have agreed with Democrats, though not close to the number that will be needed to convict Trump. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and 2012 GOP presidential nominee, was the only Republican voting to convict Trump last year, after the president was impeached for pressuring his Ukrainian counterpart to dig up dirt on Biden as the U.S. withheld military aid to Ukraine.

If were going to have unity in our country, its important to recognize the need for accountability, for truth and justice, Romney, who previously maligned Trumps and his allies efforts to invalidate millions of votes for Joe Biden, told Fox News on Sunday.

Related Content:
As the federal government promises more help against the coronavirus pandemic with better distribution of vaccines, the President is joining the chorus of officials reminding Americans they need to continue to wear face coverings and social distance for the rest of winter and spring.

'The brutal truth is it's going to take months before we can get the majority of Americans vaccinated. Months. In the next few months, masks, not vaccines, are the best defense against Covid-19,' President Joe Biden said Tuesday while announcing the federal government would buy and distribute more vaccine doses from Moderna and Pfizer.

Biden has pushed for 100 million vaccination shots in the first 100 days of his presidency and for Americans to wear masks for that time.

People are wrong to think the worst days of the pandemic are behind them, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said.

'I think people, with all the talk about vaccines, you know, have started to look at this more in the rearview mirror,' Gupta said. 'The percentage of people that think the worst is behind us and in front of us is half and half. Half the country thinks the worst is behind us (but) some of the worst days may be in front depending on the (coronavirus) variants.'

Health officials are 'extremely' worried about the new coronavirus variants that have been detected in the United States and what they could mean over the coming months, one expert said.

'We've seen what happens in other countries that have actually had coronavirus under relatively good control, then these variants took over and they had explosive spread of the virus, and then overwhelmed hospitals,' emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday.

Some countries are struggling with an increase in new cases. The number of cases worldwide since the pandemic began topped 100 million Tuesday. More than a quarter of those cases have been reported in the United States.

How the new variants spread is a concern for health experts. Officials in Minnesota announced Monday they detected the P.1 variant of the virus in a traveler from Brazil. The variant is one of four being closely watched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and appears to be more easily transmissible. CDC officials have also said another variant -- called B.1.1.7 and first spotted in the United Kingdom -- has been detected in more than 20 states.

While the United States seems to be heading in the right direction on infection rates -- with a vast majority of states reporting downward trends -- that progress could be erased if variants take hold, Wen said. Preventing that will mean extra vigilance.

'If there is something more contagious among us, if we thought that going to the grocery store before was relatively safe, there's actually a higher likelihood of contracting coronavirus through those everyday activities,' she said.

'Wearing an even better mask, reducing the number of times that we have to go out shopping, or in indoor crowded settings, all of that will be helpful,' Wen added.

Send us your questions for President Biden's Covid-19 team

6% of the US population has gotten a Covid-19 shot

So far, nearly 20 million people -- about 6% of the US population -- have received at least the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data. Nearly 3.5 million are fully vaccinated.

The numbers are a far cry from where some officials hoped the United States would be by now, but Biden said Monday he is hopeful the country could soon be administering 1.5 million vaccines daily. That's about a 50% faster pace than the goal of a million doses per day that he's promised since before inauguration.

Biden on Tuesday announced the government will soon increase vaccine distribution by 16% from 8.6 million doses to 10 million doses per week, He said the government is working to order 200 million more doses total from Moderna and Pfizer.

Biden said he hopes to have most Americans vaccinated by late summer or early fall.

States will get a three-week notice of how many doses to expect, he said.

'I think the three-week forecast will make the biggest difference,' said Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University. 'When I have been talking to state officials, they get basically no forecast whatsoever. ... (A) three-week forecast will make it much, much easier for states to make sure that they have places staffed and ready to go and give people vaccines.'

Across the country, health leaders and state officials have been working to enhance their vaccination strategies and boost the number of shots going into arms.

CVS will begin offering on-site vaccinations at more than 270 locations across 11 states in February, Dr. David Fairchild, associate chief medical officer at CVS Health, said Monday.

'We're definitely prepared and want to play a large role in helping to get the vaccine out there,' he added. 'Our internal goal is to have a capacity to perform 25 million shots a month or more.'

California is switching to a third-party system instead of counties and hospitals running their own vaccination deliveries, officials said.

Officials from the state's health and human services agency and government operations agency said the new system will simplify eligibility, standardize information and data, and address the available supply of doses by streamlining the vaccination process.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice debuted a new online pre-registration system Monday, which allows residents to pre-register to receive a vaccine. Since the system's launch Monday morning, more than 32,000 residents had scheduled a vaccine appointment, the governor said. That will work alongside an existing hotline that residents can call to pre-register.

Illinois announced it was entering its next stage of vaccinations Monday, opening guidelines to people 65 and older and frontline essential workers including teachers, first responders and grocery workers. The governor added as more doses become available, more mass vaccination sites will open up.

Chicago will target 15 'high-need communities based on the City's COVID vulnerability index,' the mayor's office said in a news release. The initiative will include 'strike teams' that will reach 'those who may be disconnected from more traditional vaccine administration channels,' it said.

'Our city is two-thirds people of color,' Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a news briefing. 'Yet we are falling woefully behind in the number of people of color who've been vaccinated today.'

Lightfoot said that of the nearly 108,000 residents who have received their first vaccine dose, only 17% are Latino and about 15% are Black.

Minimal Covid-19 spread is possible at schools with the right precautions, study says

Students in K-12 schools can go back to classrooms with the right mitigation strategies, according to a study published Tuesday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The study looked at more than 5,500 students and staff members at 17 schools in Wood County, Wisconsin.

Staff were told to wear masks, social distance and limit time in shared indoor spaces. If a student was out of school with Covid-19 symptoms, their siblings also were told to stay home.

Each student was provided with three to five double- or triple-layered cloth masks. Masks were required in schools and statewide, and more than 92% of students of all age groups wore them.

A total of 191 people tested positive for the coronavirus. The researchers found that Covid-19 case rates in schools were 37% lower than in the surrounding community.

Contact tracing and investigation determined that seven of those 191 cases were contracted in school. Three of the seven students who tested positive were from one elementary school class.

Moderna says its vaccine protects against some variants

The good news, Fauci told CNN in a separate interview Monday, is that current Covid-19 vaccines are likely to be effective against the new variants.

'The sobering news,' he added, '(is) as you get more and more replication, you can get more and more of evolution of mutants, which means you always got to be a step ahead of it.'

Moderna said Monday its vaccine created antibodies that neutralized Covid-19 variants first found in the United Kingdom and South Africa. There are concerns the vaccine may have a somewhat decreased efficacy against the strain first spotted in South Africa, and the company is working on a booster shot aimed at fighting it.

But as Covid-19 evolves, it will be important to prove 'time and time again' that vaccines provide protection against new strains, Moderna president Dr. Stephen Hoge said in a panel discussion Monday.

'Until we've got this thing sort of fully suppressed and in control, and people are broadly vaccinated or seropositive and protected against it, it's going to be an ongoing battle for the next couple of years,' he said.

Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson's vaccine is being tested in South Africa, the United States and Brazil, and those results could provide insight into how well it works against emerging variants, one of its developers said.

'If we see the efficacy results ... it'll give us insights not only into whether or not this vaccine candidate is effective, but it'll also give us insights into whether or not the variants that are circulating in South Africa might be a problem for vaccines,' Dr. Dan Barouch, a Harvard Medical School professor, told CNN.

Johnson & Johnson told investors Tuesday it expects to share further details on its Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine study results by early next week. Alex Gorsky, chief executive officer and chair of Johnson & Johnson's board of directors, said the company is 'hopeful' efficacy and safety data from earlier trials is a 'good precursor' to the kind of data in the larger population in its Phase 3 trial.
For the second time in just over a year, the House on Monday sent an article of impeachment against Donald J. Trump to the Senate for trial, thrusting his political fate into the hands of 50 Republican senators who for now appear reluctant to convict him.

On a day marked more by ceremony than substance, nine House managers walked across the Capitol to inform the Senate that they were ready to prosecute Mr. Trump for incitement of insurrection, a charge approved on a bipartisan basis after the former president stirred up a violent mob that stormed the Capitol earlier this month. But senators planned to quickly hit pause, putting off the heart of the trial until Feb. 9 and buying Republicans time to prepare for a proceeding that will be as much a referendum over the future of their party as it will be on Mr. Trump himself.

Unlike Mr. Trumps last impeachment, when Republicans quickly and enthusiastically rallied behind him, several Republicans, including Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, have signaled they are open to convicting the former president after a mendacious campaign to overturn his election loss that turned deadly. That would allow the Senate to bar him from ever holding office again. But at least at the trials outset, their numbers fell well short of the 17 Republicans that would be needed to join Democrats in securing a conviction.

Instead, with the trial on hold, Republicans initial fury about the Jan. 6 attack appeared to be giving way to cold political calculations about the price they might pay for abandoning Mr. Trump, given his continued hold on the voters who comprise the partys base.
SANTA FIORA - The municipality of Santa Fiora, a town in the Amiata (Grosseto), is appealing to patrons, foundations, banking institutions, as well as the region and government to "bring back home" the Madonna of Santa Fiora by Luca della Robbia, an extraordinary tin-glazed terracotta relief measuring 47.2 x 38.9 cm and dated to between 1440 and 1450.



The artwork will go on sale at auction on 28 January in New York at Sotheby's, with an estimated value of between 700,000 to one million dollars. The municipality of Santa Fiora already has a significant collection of ceramic artworks by della Robbia.



This particular Madonna carries the name of the town and was commissioned to della Robbia by the Sforza family of Santa Fiora, and in all likelihood it remained in the village for more than 400 years.



However, in July 1866 when religious orders were suppressed, the artwork was confiscated by the municipality and sold in 1867 to Leon Mathieu Henri de Somzee, a mining engineer, wealthy financier, parliamentarian and art collector, and became part of his collection in Brussels.



Somzee's widow sold it to Rudolph Bottenwieser in 1913, and it subsequently passed into the hands of Paul Bottenwieser, a Berlin art merchant who worked in New York at the Anderson Galleries building on Park Avenue.



It came to the United States and was sold in 1929 to its current owner, the Albright Art Gallery of Buffalo, NY, which in 1962 became the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.



"For Santa Fiora, it would be extraordinary to get his very beautiful piece back, which would become a central element in our della Robbia collection," said Santa Fiora Mayor Federico Balocchi.



"We are willing to do our part and to allocate resources, but the price is prohibitive for our municipality. That's why we are launching an appeal to entrepreneurs or collectors so they can buy the work and meanwhile at least bring it back to Italy.



After, by looking for the support of foundations, banking institutions, and private citizens, we will be able to start a path to bringing it back to Santa Fiora. We are also launching an appeal to the culture minister to do whatever is in its power to bring the Madonna back to Italy, possibly to Santa Fiora. The work could be located in the Palazzo Sforza museum, which will also house the precious private collection of paintings and historical documents that Francesco Sforza Cesarini lent to the municipality for the next 15 years," Balocchi said.

Snow Wednesday Should Be Under An Inch

By National Weather Service

PADUCAH - The National Weather Service is looking for a bit of snow on Wednesday, but not enough to cause travel concerns.Light snow or rain showers will move through the region during the daytime hours on Wednesday. There may be a very brief period of sleet or freezing rain, then up to 1 inch of snow is possible, mainly on grass or elevated surfaces.With temperatures in the mid or upper 30s during the day, little or no travel impacts are expected.Temperatures look to be too warm in the southern Pennyrile region on Wednesday to have even light accumulations.The sun returns Thursday along with chilly temperatures to end the work week.On the Net:
[January 26, 2021] Airspace Secures $38 Million in Series C Funding Led by Telstra Ventures

CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Airspace , the technology platform revolutionizing time-critical logistics, announced today that it closed a $38 million Series C funding round. The latest funding is led by Telstra Ventures , and joined by co-lead HarbourVest Partners. Other participants include return backers Scale Ventures , who led Airspace's Series B; Defy Partners , who led Airspace's Series A; along with Qualcomm Ventures and Prologis Ventures. To date, the company has secured a total of over $70 million through its three funding rounds. Time-critical logistics is an industry that has seen rapid growth in recent years; providers in the industry focus on delivering the most complex and sensitive packages across the globe at a moment's notice. Spend in this category has ballooned to $20 billion annually as of 2020 and that growth has only accelerated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This global crisis has disrupted supply chains and has highlighted the need for reliable delivery of critical packages. However, the complexity of such deliveries has driven high costs and frequent delays when handled by traditional and antiquated shippers, with as many as 33 percent of time-critical packages lost or delayed en route. Airspace has revolutionized the industry, ensuring that these critical packages are delivered faster and with more precision and are more resilient to disruptions along the way, all thanks to a deep layer of predictive machine learning technology. Airspace provides real-time data and transparency on every shipment, allowing companies to better track the shipments that matter the most. Market Demands and Growth

Airspace has seen tremendous growth over the past two years, and, as part of this latest round of funding, the company is expanding internationally. Airspace recently announced the opening of its new office in Amsterdam, enabling further organic expansion in the European market. Airspace is now well positioned to expand even further ahead of its competition by grwing its global network of drivers and expanding its suite of service offerings.



"Our latest Series C funding enables us to continue our rapid growth and succeed not only here in the U.S., but also abroad," said Nick Bulcao, co-founder and CEO at Airspace. "We're expanding our services and the markets we reach by providing customers with advanced technology, complete transparency and the fastest delivery options in the industry." Over 200 customers, including LabCorp, Alaska Airlines, Quest Diagnostics and American Red Cross, already rely on Airspace to deliver their time-critical shipments throughout North America and Europe. They depend on Airspace to quickly and securely deliver sensitive packages ranging from high-value components for critical machinery and airplanes to life-saving treatments and organ transplants.

"Airspace's growth continues to inspire me," added Bulcao. "We have already accomplished so many amazing feats, including our part in saving over 100,000 lives since we began organ deliveries. The ongoing support from our investors means that this number will only increase as we continue to develop solutions for our customers worldwide." New Board Member

As part of the company's Series C announcement, Mark Sherman , managing partner of Telstra Ventures, has also been appointed to the Board of Directors and will share equally with the other four board members the responsibility for future investment decisions. "I am excited to join the Board because there has never been a more important time in solving how to move precious time sensitive cargo effectively," said Sherman. "Airspace proves the beauty of people and AI working together to deliver the best time-critical logistics experience. Combining human experience and AI allows Airspace to stand out amongst its competitors and be the trusted partner for time-critical logistics." About Airspace

Based in Carlsbad, Calif., Airspace was founded in 2016 and has grown to be the leading global delivery network for time-critical logistics. Airspace makes shipping faster, safer, and more transparent than ever through people, service, and technology. From real-time, data-driven notifications to tracking over 16,000 touch points within a shipment, Airspace surfaces more information than any other provider, increasing the velocity and transparency of the supply chain. To learn more about Airspace, please visit www.airspace.com . Follow Airspace on Twitter and LinkedIn. About Telstra

Telstra Ventures is a strategic growth investor in lighthouse technology companies, backed by Telstra Corporation, one of the 20 largest telecommunications providers globally, and HarbourVest, a global private markets investment specialist. With offices in San Francisco, Sydney, Melbourne and Shanghai, Telstra Ventures has invested in over 70 innovative businesses that bring disruptive technological solutions and radical thinking to customers. Telstra Ventures is Australia's largest Venture Capital Fund and through our Revenue Bearing Relationships Platform have delivered $US300M in revenue to our portfolio and continues to offer entrepreneurs access to genuine revenue growth and shortens the time to reach global scale, which in turn can deliver improved financial returns to our investors. Visit telstraventures.com to learn more. Press Contact:

Airspace

Kelsey Voss, Vice President of Marketing

kelseyvoss@airspace.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/airspace-secures-38-million-in-series-c-funding-led-by-telstra-ventures-301214989.html SOURCE Airspace

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Senate Public Order Committee chairman Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa questioned the Philippine National Police on the 2019 Commission on Audit Report saying the agency has 1 billion worth of undelivered equipment.

The senator asked the question during a Senate hearing on PNP modernization on Tuesday.

Dela Rosa said based on the report, the PNP transferred 1.347 billion to the Philippine International Trading Corporation for the purchase of crime fighting equipment such as utility trucks and grenade launchers.

However, the report said as of 2019, only 311 million worth of equipment has been delivered to the PNP.

Because of reports like this, Dela Rosa said it is becoming difficult to justify to his fellow lawmakers why the PNP should receive additional funds.

"Tinitignan palagi ng Congress, iyan palagi ang ibubutas sa inyo ng Congress bakit iyong pera na binigay namin sa inyo 'di niyo pa napambili? Ngayon hingi na naman kayo ng pera na napakalaki sa modernization," Dela Rosa said.

[Translation: Congress is always looking at it, that is always the issue, why haven't you used the money we gave you? Now you are asking for more money for modernization.]

The PNP explained the agency asked the PITC to handle the procurement of crime fighting equipment for them so they can avoid possible legal problems.

"That time sir, iniiwasan ng PNP na magkakaso. So nagpile up, nag-accummulate. For today, and even during your time, talagang tayo na nagpo-procure... And the rate of our obligation and utilization has greatly improved," PNP Crime Laboratory Director BGen Steve Ludan explained.

[Translation: That time, sir, the PNP was avoiding getting a case. So it piled up, it accumulated. For today, and even during your time, we are the ones who procure.]

"As much as possible, 'wag na mag-resort sa PITC kasi may charges pa na kinukuha doon, ayaw natin mangyari iyon," Ludan added.

[Translation: As much as possible, we don't want to resort to the PITC because there are still charges there, we don't want that to happen,]

Dela Rosa also recalled his own experience with the PITC when he was still PNP Chief.

"PITC was pushing for ganito ganoong procurement. Alam mo, sabi ko, alam mo sir kahit na dalawang araw tayo magdiscussion dito, hinding-hindi ako magi-give in sa insinuation niyo dahil sabi ni President (Rodrigo) Duterte dapat ang ipo-procure natin ay kung ano iyong maganda, kapaki-pakinabang sa PNP, at hindi malulugi ang gobyerno kaya I had to stick with this kind of item na dapat makuha namin," Dela Rosa said.

[Translation: PITC was pushing for procurements. I said even if we talk here for two days, I will never give in to your insinuation, because President Duterte said we should only get what is good and useful to the PNP, and will not put the government at a disadvantage so I had to stick with this kind of item.]

"Dapat kayo ganoon din, wag kayo mag-surrender sa kanila kagad. You fight for your funds. Gamitin ninyo. Ang problema lang sa inyo pag mabagal kayo, aabutan na kayo ng siyam-siyam. Para 'di maabutan ang pondo ibalik sa national treasury, pinapasa nyo sa PITC," he argued.

[Translation: You should do the same, do not give in immediately. You fight for your funds. Use it. The only problem is when you are slow, it will take forever. So the money will not go to the national treasury, you will pass it on to the PITC.]

The senator then told policemen to assign brave but not corrupt officials in the PNP's Bids and Awards Committee.

"Dapat number one, i-consider ninyo ang ilagay nyo na members ng BAC mga opisyal na aside matino, ayaw gumawa ng corruption, may b***g na tumatayo na tama ang ginagawa nila para mabilis iyong... hindi iyong papasa nyo lang sa PITC kasi takot kayo magkakaso. That's very wrong. Very wrong 'yan," Dela Rosa said.

[Translation: Number one, you should consider the BAC members are officials who do not want to get involved in corruption, do the right thing... not just rely on the PITC because you are afraid of getting cases. That is very wrong.]

Meanwhile, the PNP said the body cameras it procured for use during police operations are now ready to be delivered.

Police Deputy Director for Logistics BGen Herminio Tadeo Jr. said they will update Dela Rosa once the body camera arrives.

For Dela Rosa, there is a need to expedite the delivery because it has already taken a long time.

"Panahon ko pa iyon (na Chief PNP). Naka-limang Chief PNP na hindi pa rin nadeliver. Please follow up. Gusto ko makakita ng legitimate anti-drug operationg ng PNP na may suot na body-worn camera because that is a big clamor by the public," Dela Rosa said.

[Translation: That was still during my time. There have been five Chief PNPs and it's still not delivered. I want to see a legitimate PNP anti-drug operation where they use the body-worn camera because that is a big clamor by the public.]
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New Delhi, Jan 26 : The condition of two police personnel who were admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital following clashes with some farmers near the ITO crossing in central Delhi on Tuesday has turned critical.

A doctor supervising the emergency ward told IANS: "The two police officials have sustained injuries on their heads and are currently in the trauma ward. If their health deteriorates further, we will transfer them to the intensive care unit (ICU)." Meanwhile, the tally of injured people in the clashes at the ITO wherein some farmers deviated from the route of their tractor rally and drove into the city, has risen to 22. Of them, 11 are farmers and rest are the police officials.

However, five of them have been discharged after giving the first aid. "Three policemen and two farmers were discharged following the first aid treatment," said Dr Ritu Saxena, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Delhi government-run hospital.

Saxena had earlier told IANS that few of the admitted people have received serious injuries in the clashes.

"Some have fractured their legs, hands and also suffered blows on their heads. We are treating them in an emergency ward," she said.

Dramatic scenes were witnessed on Tuesday after the agitating farmers clashed with the Delhi Police near ITO, with the police firing the tear gas shells and carrying out baton charges to disperse them.

The farmers, who started their 'Kisan Gantantra parade' much ahead of their scheduled timing entered the national capital defying the agreement of the scheduled time of tractor rally and creating multiple fronts at Karnal Bypass, Mukarba Chowk, Transport Nagar, Akshardham, Gazipur and Tikri border and some farmers armed with swords were also seen clashing with the police.

As soon as the farmers reached the ITO intersection and tried to move towards the Red Fort, many of the farmers clashed with the police personnel and attacked them with sticks and iron rods. The farmers also damaged several vehicles with their tractors.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text

Florida humanist gives first secular invocation at Brevard County meeting after yearslong legal battle

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A Florida county that previously prohibited secular invocations at public meetings had its first non-religious invocation Tuesday following a yearslong court battle.

The Brevard County Board of Commissioners meeting held Tuesday morning opened with a secular invocation given by local humanist David Williamson.

As we begin the day in service together, we remember the solemn responsibility we have to our shared community, said Williamson in his invocation.

Knowing that our words, our decisions, and our actions directly impact so many others, we strive to make compassion the foundation for our important work here today and that we serve with integrity and kindness toward one another and to all those you serve as representatives in local government.

Williamson closed his statement by calling on all to incline our ears toward reason, apply our heart to understanding, and seek knowledge we can use to find common ground among the citizens for the betterment of the county.

In 2014, David Williamson of the Central Florida Freethought Community asked the Brevard County Commissioners to do a secular invocation at the start of an official meeting.

In response to the request, Brevard commissioners unanimously approved a measure prohibiting atheist invocations, but they agreed to allow them during the public comments portion of public meetings.

"The prayer is delivered during the ceremonial portion of the county's meeting, and typically invokes guidance for the County Commission from the highest spiritual authority, a higher authority which a substantial body of Brevard constituents believe to exist," wrote Brevard County Chair Mary Bolin Lewis to Williamson in 2014.

"The invocation is also meant to lend gravity to the occasion, to reflect values long part of the county's heritage, and to acknowledge the place religion holds in the lives of many private citizens in Brevard County."

Williamson and others sued the county over the ban in 2015, being represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

In September 2017, a district court ruled against the county and in July 2019, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit unanimously upheld the decision.

Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus wrote the panel's opinion, arguing that while the county was allowed to have sectarian invocations at public meetings, they cannot exclude certain groups.

Brevard County has selected invocation speakers in a way that favors certain monotheistic religions and categorically excludes from consideration other religions solely based on their belief systems. Brevard Countys process of selecting invocation speakers thus runs afoul of the Establishment Clause, wrote Judge Marcus.

Secular humanists are far from the only group viewed with disfavor  some of the Commissioners and former Commissioners have testified unambiguously that they would not allow deists, Wiccans, Rastafarians, or, for that matter, polytheists to deliver prayers, and that they would have to think long and hard before inviting a Hindu, a Sikh, or a follower of a Native American religion.

In February 2020, the county agreed to a settlement allowing secular invocations and paying $430,000 in court costs and legal fees, as well as $60,000 in damages to the plaintiffs.

Alex J. Luchenitser, associate legal director for Americans United who helped represent the plaintiffs, expressed support for the settlement in a statement released at the time.

This settlement protects the religious freedom of everyone in Brevard County. No one should be excluded from participating in local government because of their beliefs about religion, said Luchenitser.
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NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP (www.kaplanfox.com) has filed a class action suit in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts against Boston Scientific Corporation ("Boston Scientific" or "BSX" or the "Company") (NYSE: BSX) and certain of its executives.

The Complaint alleges that Defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and is brought by plaintiff on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased the publicly traded securities of Boston Scientific during the period April 24, 2019 through November 16, 2020, inclusive ("Class Period").

If you are a member of the proposed Class, you may move the court no later than February 2, 2021 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the proposed Class. You need not seek to become a lead plaintiff in order to share in any possible recovery.

Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of the proposed Class and is represented by Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP (www.kaplanfox.com). Our firm, with offices in New York, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New Jersey, has decades of experience in prosecuting investor class actions and actions involving violations of the Federal securities laws.

If you have any questions about this Notice, the action, your rights, or your interests, or would like a copy of the complaint, please visit our website (www.kaplanfox.com) or e-mail attorneys Jeff Campisi ([email protected]), or Larry King ([email protected]), or contact them by phone, regular mail, or fax:

Jeffrey P. Campisi KAPLAN FOX & KILSHEIMER LLP 850 Third Avenue, 14th Floor New York, NY 10022 Telephone: (212) 329-8571 Fax: (212) 687-7714 E-mail address: [email protected] Laurence D. King KAPLAN FOX & KILSHEIMER LLP 1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1560 Oakland, CA 94612 Telephone: (415) 772-4704 Fax: (415) 772-4709 E-mail address: [email protected]

SOURCE Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP

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Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen visited Sudan on Jan. 25, in the first Israeli public ministerial trip to the country. It was also the first Israeli ministerial visit to a Muslim country since the signing of the Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in September and the announcement on normalization between Israel and Sudan in October.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed his Cabinet ministers not to visit the Emirates or Bahrain before he visits there first. Reportedly he plans to visit both countries mid-February. In contrast, Netanyahu has no plans to visit Sudan before the March elections.

Cohen arrived in Khartoum heading a delegation from his ministry and from the National Security Council. The delegation held talks with senior Sudanese officials, including the chairman of the Sovereignty Council, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and Sudanese Defense Minister Yassin Ibrahim. During the meeting with the latter, Cohen signed a memorandum of understanding on security-related issues.

According to an official announcement by Cohens ministry, the delegation discussed with Sudanese counterparts diplomatic, security and economic issues. It was noted that both sides spoke about the necessity of establishing regional security as a means of development and agreed to deepen intelligence cooperation. They also discussed the possibility of Israel joining the Red Sea Council, where Egypt and Saudi Arabia are also members.

Members of the Israeli delegation brought up in the talks a series of potential economic/development projects that could be advanced, in fields of water management, smart agriculture, health and aviation. One possibility would be for Israeli companies to build up a desalination plant in Sudan, and also for Sudanese to come to Israel to learn about Israeli agriculture innovations. Another topic discussed was Sudanese regulations that threaten immigrants coming back from Israel with imprisonment. The two delegations also agreed to inspect ways of encouraging mutual investments.

Sudanese leadership has been split over renewal of ties with Israel. Burhan has been the main Sudanese force pushing for normalization with Israel, while civilian Cabinet ministers expressed caution and even reluctance, mainly because of Sudans traditional support of the Palestinian cause. Burhan had secretly met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Uganda in February 2020. The meeting became almost immediately public, with Netanyahu expressing optimism about a renewal of ties with Sudan, although this took a year to become reality.

The Trump administration had pressured Sudan to join the Abraham Accords and renew ties with Israel, but this happened only after the United States agreed to remove Sudan from the blacklist of countries supporting terror. This step brought about the expected change of mind in Khartoum. It was on Jan. 6, in the presence of US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, that Sudanese Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari signed on to the accords. Still, the openings of an Israeli embassy in Khartoum and a Sudanese embassy in Israel are not yet in the offing.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  California is revamping its delivery system mid-stride, centralizing what has been a hodgepodge of county systems and streamlining appointment sign-up, notification, and eligibility for its 40 million residents.

The states health agency on Tuesday said third-party administrators would take over ordering and distributing vaccine doses with a new state secretary in charge of logistics.

The move comes after California faced criticism for a slow rollout as coronavirus cases soared and hospital beds filled up with patients in much of the state.

Residents have been baffled by the varying systems as some counties will vaccinate people 65 and older while others are limited to the more restrictive 75 and up.

In Santa Clara County, officials are withholding vaccines from a San Jose hospital after it offered COVID-19 vaccines to about 65 teachers and staffers from a wealthy school district in Silicon Valley, skipping people over 65 and health care workers.

In an email first obtained by the news outlet San Jose Spotlight, Superintendent Paul Johnson told employees that Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose offered doses in gratitude for the district raising funds for meals for health care workers.

County officials say more vaccines will be withheld from the hospital until the hospital shows that it will follow state and county vaccine distribution guidelines.
Bidens Keystone Shutdown Damages an Alliance, Boosts Unemployment, Raises Energy Prices

Commentary

As a number of commentators who have generally praised the conciliatory tone of President Joe Bidens inaugural address have remarked, there were some inconsistencies in the espoused goals.

Most alarming was his promise of the pursuit of unity, while decrying the existence within the United States of a large number of racists and various classes of sociopaths. This incites the inference that the unity he seeks to achieve will be by the subjugation of those with whom he disagrees, which isnt in the nature or the declared national purposes of the United States.

Thus the goal of full employment, which was achieved by President Donald Trump but has been shattered by the shutdowns most vocally demanded by the Democrats in response to the coronavirus pandemic, is again endorsed as a goal on the same day that the president halted the Keystone XL pipeline and all oil and natural gas exploration and production on federal lands, thus throwing more than 20,000 people out of work.

Shutting down Keystone XL also flies in the face of the announced goal of rebuilding alliances. The United States has no closer ally, geographically or otherwise, than Canada, and indeed, it requires a skilled dialectician to distinguish, by listening to them, an American from a northern state and an English-speaking Canadian.

In stopping the pipeline, Biden not only assured the layoff of the 11,000 American workers on the project, but also, with his other actions, a reversion of the United States into the category of energy importers, inevitably to some extent from unreliable countries, and higher energy costs for Americans.

Breaking Faith

Hes also breaking faith with Americas closest neighbor, largest trading partner, and longest-standing ally. In 1938 and 1940, it was agreed that Canada would take every possible measure to ensure that there could be no attack upon the United States through Canadian airspace or Canadian waters and the United States undertook to come to Canadas defense if it were attacked. This was the first such arrangement either country had made.

They fought side-by-side in Italy and at D-Day and across Europe in World War II; Canada was a founding member of the United Nations and of NATO and gave aid to Western Europe in amounts proportionate to the United States through the Marshall Plan. It was one of the first powers to respond in support of the American position in the Korean War and Gulf War. It abstained from the Vietnam War and the Iraq War but there are few Americans today who would reproach it for that.

Shutting down construction of Keystone XL will cause the loss of more than 40,000 jobs in Canada, which is the equivalent of approximately 320,000 jobs in the United States. The Keystone XL pipeline itself will be emission-neutral when and if it opens in 2023, unlike the rail, road, and river traffic that would attempt to move some of the same oil at greater cost and much greater environmental danger.

This is an insane initiative. It is negative for the American environment, for U.S. energy costs, for the strategic and financial interests of the United States, and its a severe provocation of the countrys closest ally and largest trading partner.

They havent exchanged a shot in anger since 1815. This isnt how alliances are rebuilt and the response in Canada is exactly as it would be in the United States if the roles were reversed. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has long been friendly with Biden, and the Canadian government and the Canadian media left no one in any doubt that they favored the election of Biden just as fervently as the American media did in their almost unanimous and vehement partisanship.

Canada Will Respond

The world will take note of how this administration treats its closest ally, and Canada will be obliged to respond to it. It need hardly be emphasized that the correlation of forces between the two countries is one-sided.

TC Energy, which is building the pipeline, promises that all jobs will be unionized and has made a generous allocation as well as environmental reassurances to indigenous groups. There is already extensive agitation in Canada to impose tariffs on selected U.S. oil-based products.

That would increase some costs to Canadians but would also provide a modest spur to the Canadian oil industry, which if the termination of Keystone XL isnt revisited, will be in a very beleaguered condition. There is also discussion in Canada of retaliating in areas where the United States is more vulnerable, in particular digital services. This could be a serious inconvenience to the United States.

This thunderbolt lands on Canada at a time when its relations with China have been reduced to a very fragile and snappish condition by Canada detaining on a U.S. extradition request Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer and daughter of the founder of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. The Canadians could easily have failed to detain her, fumbled, warned her, or otherwise insured that she slipped away.

But instead, they stood by an extradition treaty (which doesnt serve Canadas interests). And Canada is now being rewarded for incurring the economic and political wrath of Americas only rival in the world by this apparently mindless Keystone XL shutdown, a tokenistic gesture to the U.S. environmental lobby that has no possible complaint against this project and seems not to have given a thought to its consequences.

Biden is spouting the same nonsense that Obama did about green jobs, as transportation secretary-designate Pete Buttigieg did last week. Readers will remember the Obama administrations $528 million boondoggle on solar power converter Solyndra.

Reversal Possible

If the Biden administration wishes to rethink this action, it can easily and without embarrassment resurrect Keystone XL within the framework of a continent-wide, ecologically sound energy policy. If such an alternative were pursued, an excellent arrangement is available, and neither country would emerge from it with any embarrassment at all.

But whatever Canadians think of it, surely Americans also will wish to know if this is the level of prudent consideration that the new administration is giving to important initiatives that will affect U.S. employment, energy prices, and close relations with allied countries.

It has the appearance of internal agitation from the SandersOcasio-Cortez Green New Deal claque persuading the president that this is a relatively painless way to virtue signal ecologically. Its nothing of the kind; it is a stupid idea of questionable international legality (given the arrangements between the two countries), runs contrary to the United States strategic interest in every respect, and justifies profound disconcertion about the new administrations capacity for informed decision-making.

And it dilutes the very favorable impression Secretary of State Antony Blinken made in his confirmation appearances at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week.

Conrad Black has been one of Canadas most prominent financiers for 40 years, and was one of the leading newspaper publishers in the world. Hes the author of authoritative biographies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, and, most recently, Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other, which has been republished in updated form.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Fairfield, established in 1639, is one of Connecticut's oldest communities. From its settlement 375 years ago by English colonists on "four squares" of land that Native Americans called Uncoway to the vibrant town of 60,000 residents that it is today, Fairfield's history is a chronicle of compelling events and colorful characters.

The Fairfield Citizen will highlight vignettes from that rich history throughout this 375th anniversary year on a regular basis.

Fairfield began providing education for town children early in its history -- but only for children in what are now called the elementary grades. As early as 1695, a grammar school was opened in a building provided by the Fairfield town government. But the control, supervision, financing and regulation of the schools was handled by different entities through the years.

The town maintained several schoolhouses and town officials hired the school masters in the early 1700s. But in 1712 the Connecticut General Assembly decreed that Fairfield's schools should be handed over to the town's church parishes, except for one grammar school. For much of that century, parish schools, such as the Trinity Parish School, educated local children.

But oversight of the town's schools changed once again in 1795 when a new regulation was passed creating four "school societies" to manage the schools. They were the Village of Fairfield School Society, the Greenfield School Society, the Green's Farms School Society and the Stratfield School Society.

The schools were mostly one-room schoolhouses with a pot-bellied stove, and their upkeep and repair -- as well as the educational standards imposed -- varied from school to school depending on the individual societies who ran them. There was only one uniform educational requirement for Fairfield schools in the early 19th century -- that schools be open 30 weeks a year. Tuition for the town schools was 25-cents daily.

The individual school societies often operated more than one school. Some of the schools where Fairfield children attended classes in the late-18th century, according to historian Thomas Farnham, were: Black Rock, Jennings Woods, Middle, East of Middle, Mill Plain, Mill River, Hull's Farms, Center, Bulkley, Burr, Banks, Sherwood, Deerfield, Hoyden's Hill, Stratfield and Green's Farms.

Two private schools were also opened -- Greenfield Academy, established by Timothy Dwight, who left Fairfield to become the president of Yale College, and the Fairfield Academy on Town Hall Green, a large school that operated for more than 100 years.

The first unified school district for the town of Fairfield was established in 1887 when the individual districts were merged into one school administration under one school committee. The school committee adopted a uniform curriculum for the schools, and in 1899 William Wheatley was hired as a school superintendent to supervise Fairfield and later also Westport schools. Among the changes he made to the educational system included spending more public money on education, and changing the names of some of the schools: Southport School (which had been the largest school) became Pequot School, Centre School became Sherman School, Mill Plain School became Lafayette School and Greenfield School became Dwight School.

Some of today's public schools in Fairfield still bear the names of the original schools, and some were named later for historical figures prominent in Fairfield's history. They include: Roger Minot Sherman, a lawyer, judge and legislator in the early 1800s; Timothy Dwight, an early educator who became the president of Yale College; Gideon Tomlinson, the 25th governor of Connecticut who lived on Bronson Road, and Andrew Ward, one of the first eight men to establish the colony of Connecticut, and later a judge.

Two Fairfield schools -- Roger Ludlowe Middle School and Fairfield Ludlowe High School -- are named after Roger Ludlow, an English lawyer, businessman and adventurer who was a deputy governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony and, after leaving there, helping to establish the Connecticut colony and, in 1639, was among the founders of Fairfield and a leader of the early settlement.

Other schools, including Jennings Elementary School and Burr Elementary School, carry the names of prominent Fairfield families who influenced the town as it grew.
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Could Scotland soon allow assisted dying? Physician-assisted dying (PAD) is legal in a small group of countries including Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and parts of the U.S.

Jersey and Portugal are now considering a change to permit PAD under their laws, and earlier this month the MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said those in favour of this were at a tipping point of forming a majority in the Scottish Parliament for a change to the law.

Physician-assisted dying is where someone ends their life with medication prescribed by a doctor.

Could Scotland soon allow assisted dying? Physician-assisted dying (PAD) is legal in a small group of countries including Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and parts of the U.S

Last year, a survey by the British Medical Association of almost 30,000 of its members found that 50 per cent supported a change in the law to allow assisted dying.

But the level of support varied greatly between specialisms, with those working in palliative care, oncology or general practice more likely to oppose the move, while medical students and those in, for example, gynaecology more likely to be supportive.

Here, in a unique and moving debate, two leading experts, who specialise in end-of-life care, give their different views on this highly controversial issue  should assisted dying be introduced in the UK?

For a doctor, there is no more heartbreaking a situation than to be confronted with a patient with a pain that cant be eased, or symptoms that cant be managed.

But it happens  and far more often than some doctors care to admit. Its particularly heartbreaking in palliative care, where I worked for 30 years.

The promise is that palliative care will relieve the pain and suffering of cancer and other conditions towards the end of life, but the truth is it doesnt always deliver. To pretend otherwise is to pull the wool over peoples eyes.

I am regarded as a world expert in pain control  as well as having worked as an NHS consultant, I have published numerous papers on cancer and pain and have lectured around the world on it.

But I admit I have limitations: I cant alleviate all pain or eliminate all distress.

There are cases where, for example, peoples nerves are being eaten perhaps by cancer in the spinal cord. They will scream with agony that I cant relieve.

Or those approaching the end of life may have symptoms such as severe breathlessness or, very distressingly, bleeding that cannot be controlled.

One of the most upsetting instances for me was treating a man who had penile cancer  and the cancer had to be removed, leaving him with a big, open hole into his bladder.

He was in agony and humiliated by his situation and was begging to be put out of his misery, but we were duty-bound to keep him alive. All I could do was try to keep him comfortable.

Witnessing such suffering is why, 17 years into my career, I shifted my views in favour of assisted dying, where a doctor prescribes a medication that a person can take to hasten their death.

This is not euthanasia  which is when a doctor deliberately administers a medication, usually by an injection or a drip, that leads to death. That, to me, questions the basis of the doctor/patient relationship.

Assisted dying is different: here, the patient is in charge and, crucially, it offers them choice.

Many enlightened countries allow assisted dying. The numbers involved arent huge but they are significant. In Canada, for example, there were more than 5,600 cases of assisted dying in 2019, which account for 2 per cent of all deaths there.

Britain, in continuing to rule it out, appears backward-looking by comparison. There are those here, including some doctors, who argue we dont need it and if we had more hospices and more palliative care we could sort out suffering  but that doesnt necessarily follow.

This is not euthanasia  which is when a doctor deliberately administers a medication, usually by an injection or a drip, that leads to death. That, to me, questions the basis of the doctor/patient relationship. Assisted dying is different: here, the patient is in charge and, crucially, it offers them choice [File photo]

I spent decades looking after people with life-limiting conditions (I retired as a clinician in 2015 but still work in pain and supportive care research), including nine years at a hospice in Leicester, and while the vast majority of patients nearing the end have a distress-free experience, not all do.

Nearly half a million people die in the UK each year  even if its only 5 per cent of those who die in pain and distress (and thats my conservative estimate), that still means 25,000 people are dying who could, if we allowed assisted dying, end it earlier on their terms.

In not allowing assisted dying we prevent people from seeking their own deliverance from distress.

Of course, assisted dying must be a last resort. There are many ways to control suffering, such as palliative sedation. I can say to the patient: Im going to put you to sleep for 24 to 48 hours and then wake you up. You then sedate them using drugs you would not otherwise use in such situations, such as ketamine or benzodiazepines, which can help reset the nervous system. Then you reduce the sedation and bring them back round and the pain is reduced.

Palliative sedation doesnt accelerate death  you give them a window away from their suffering. But it doesnt work for all and requires great skill. I know colleagues who dont have the expertise and who just knock patients out in a blunt way as they reach the end of life, and so relatives are deprived of the chance to say goodbye, which doesnt strike me as right.

Of course, it would only be safe to offer the option of assisted dying with strict criteria  and those requesting it must undergo multiple checks.

We would also need a system to ensure that the person had no psychiatric problems, and we must rule out those with depression. Very often if you treat the depression people no longer want to die.

One objection people raise is that relatives may coerce an elderly or sick relative to end it all, perhaps for financial gain, but I know of no evidence of that happening.

Nine years ago, I spent a week in Oregon in the U.S., where assisted dying has been permitted since 1997.

There, I found the opposite to be true: often, relatives are begging loved ones not to do it. Its a long way from the visions of people bumping off granny, although checking there is no coercion would be part of the assessments before allowing assisted dying.

The other thing we need to consider is the willingness or otherwise of doctors, on conscientious grounds, to prescribe the medication if assisted dying is adopted here. The Royal College of Physicians shifted its position on this  having previously been opposed to assisted dying, it adopted a neutral stance following a ballot of its members in 2019. It has since issued a clarification to say it doesnt support a change in the law but it did call for an improvement in care at the end of life.

According to a poll by the British Medical Association, while across the board 50 per cent supported a change in the law on assisted dying, that varied greatly  with 62 per cent of student doctors in favour but 76 per cent of specialists in palliative medicine against.

I would be one of very few palliative doctors who would be willing to assist a patient by prescribing the necessary medication, partly because of the many times I have witnessed doctors keeping patients alive despite them being in obvious distress with no desire to continue. I am duty-bound to do the same.

Of course, I hope we can improve end-of-life care. At the moment, the access to hospices is too limited. Currently, 80 per cent of those going into hospices have cancer  but what about those with heart or lung disease or neurological diseases such as dementia? Why should they be denied such care?

We need to extend the care given at hospices to hospitals, with teams of skilled palliative specialists who can help, and in the community, too.

Many people say they want to die at home, but this will normally be under the care of a GP and they are not specialists.

Studies have shown that pain control is worse at home compared with in a hospice or hospital. Yes, we can do better and we should. But we must also be realistic. I would like to die at home surrounded by my family, cared for by my wife, a nurse.

But not everyone has that kind of support. And if I knew I was going to face unbearable suffering I would hope to have the option of assisted dying  to deny me that option is, in my mind, to deny me a basic human right.

Sometimes, the ultimate kindness is to help people to end their own suffering.

Recently, a patient was admitted into our hospice in the most appalling pain. He has prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, and the pain was so intense that this poor man couldnt walk and was bedbound.

When I first saw him he told me in no uncertain terms that he would rather be dead than continue as he was.

Yet with the help of medication such as morphine and nerve-pain drugs, I was able to turn this situation around and two weeks later he was able to walk and is pain-free  and transformed into someone who can enjoy the everyday again and sees a life worth living.

I cannot say how long he has left, but he is now comfortable and has time to come to terms with the fact that his condition is life-limiting and to say his goodbyes.

Yet if my patient lived in another country  the Netherlands or Canada, for example  where doctors are able to prescribe patients medication to help end their lives prematurely, then he might have got his initial wish, and his life may have been abruptly ended.

The fact that it could happen with such speed may surprise some, but he need only to have expressed his wish  and for a token cooling-off period (only ten days, for example, in Canada) to have passed  and it would be done.

A small minority of people/ doctors would like the law to change so such things could happen here  but I find it a chilling prospect, not least, as my patient demonstrates, because assisted dying brings the possibility that you inadvertently kill people who might want to live if they had better control of their symptoms.

Some argue it gives patients the chance to end their suffering but, actually, it hands more control to doctors and there is no evidence that taking the assisted-dying route leads to a better death.

Others may say that it saves the family from witnessing their loved one deteriorate and suffer  but someone should never consider themselves better off dead for the benefit of others.

What assisted dying does do, however, is change the underlying principles of society because it automatically says certain lives arent worth living.

There is a case I know of, a man with cancer who chose to leave the Netherlands and move here because during hospital stays he was repeatedly asked if he had considered assisted dying and it made him nervous.

His view was that, yes, he has cancer but that doesnt mean he wants to die or should die yet.

And I worry about those who may be vulnerable to the coercive influence of others, such as those with a learning disability or elderly people. If someone suggests assisted dying to them as a possibility, would they have the eloquence or the emotional strength to argue against it?

Some argue it gives patients the chance to end their suffering but, actually, it hands more control to doctors and there is no evidence that taking the assisted-dying route leads to a better death [File photo]

Separately, surveys have found that disabled people are against assisted dying because many of them already feel they have a less valuable life and struggle to access healthcare as it is.

Assisted dying also introduces an economic issue. If its cheaper to end a life than to carry on treating someone, would that mean doctors are pressured by the system to consider it more often?

People who want their lives ended feel that way because they feel out of control or believe they are a burden  its not for medical reasons. Thats why I think to leave the decision with doctors would then disorientate the medical domain. If we were to allow assisted dying, I think the only way to proceed would be to allow the judiciary to decide who fulfilled the criteria.

If you look at the countries that allow assisted dying, all have gradually extended their criteria for it, so that in the Netherlands, for example, where it started for terminally-ill adults with hopeless and unbearable suffering, those who can have it now include children over 12.

Recently, a 90-year-old woman in Canada chose assisted dying rather than to live through another Covid lockdown, even though she was not chronically ill. She said being confined to her room at a care home led to a steady decline and she couldnt face a winter in isolation.

Her initial request was refused but her daughter told a Canadian news site that she developed a concrete health condition and her second request was granted. It sets a dangerous precedent.

Healthcare should be there to say: You do matter, you are valuable  and we will make your life as good as it can be for as long as we can.

There are, of course, valid concerns about medical care prolonging life without quality, but thats a misdirected argument in support of assisted dying. In some cases that can happen, but people are free to refuse life prolonging treatments, for example. Stopping treatment is not the same as killing someone.

With assisted dying on the table, it becomes more take that tablet and move aside.

We in palliative care dont pretend we can cure people but we can help them complete their lives well rather than die with no support.

I am afraid that bad deaths do still happen where there is inadequate palliative care: at least 300 people a day in this country do not have access to the specialist palliative care they need to be managed well.

This is, in part, owing to a lack of funding for palliative care and the hospice sector  most of which is funded through charities.

But if we then offer the option of assisted dying, theres no drive to improve pain and management of symptoms or to achieve better access to the services that are available.

The science of pain management is moving quickly. We are looking at ways the brain can be acted on directly to control pain, and we can use spinal blocks and epidurals  as women have in labour  to help with extreme lower-body pain, for example. Assisted dying closes the imperative to improve.

I dont think doctors should ever be asked to choose when it is right to end a patients life.

Our duty is to preserve life and its quality and to preserve the trust between the doctor and their patient.

I hope that we never reach the day where I am told that, rather than helping a patient, I should bring about their end.

If that day comes, I think I will have to leave healthcare, and I believe many other doctors would follow suit.
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After violence broke out during the tractor parade by protesters, the Congress leader took to Twitter and said that if anyone gets hurt, the damage will be inflicted on the country

New Delhi: As protesting farmers clashed with police at several places in the National Capital, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said violence is not the solution to any problem and sought repeal of the three farm laws in "national interest".

After violence broke out during the tractor parade by protesters against the new farm laws, Gandhi took to Twitter to say that if anyone gets hurt, the damage will be inflicted to the country.

"Violence is not the solution to any problem. If anyone gets hurt, the damage will be done to our country. Take back the anti-agricultural laws in national interest," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

Deviating from the designated route for the tractor parade, protesting farmers entered the Red Fort and hoisted flags from some domes of the iconic monument in the National Capital.

They earlier clashed with the police at ITO while trying to enter Lutyens Delhi. The police used tear gas shells and lathi-charge to dispel the violent farmers.

Click here to follow the latest updates on farmers tractor rally in Delhi

The farmers who began their march from different border points, much before the time permitted for their tractor rally, reached ITO in Central Delhi, though their leaders had earlier agreed not to enter central Delhi.

The Congress also tweeted a video showing smoke from tear gas shells lobbed at farmers to stop them from entering Delhi. "Republic Day 2021 in New India. Our national capital is up in smoke as the government attacks its own people," the party said on its official Twitter handle along with the video.

The opposition party also said that it is standing strongly behind the farmers in their protest against the farm laws.
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Meat factories with major Covid outbreaks should be shut down, union says

MEAT plants with major outbreaks should be shut down and the entire workforce tested, Siptu has demanded.

The unions manufacturing division organiser, Greg Ennis, said workers should get full pay while a deep clean and testing is carried out,before work recommences.

He was speaking after over 100 cases were confirmed following outbreaks at meat processing plants in Wexford and Cork.

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Slaney Foods in Bunclody is operating at a significantly reduced capacity after confirming 42 positive cases.

Another 66 cases have been identified at an ABP plant in Bandon in Cork, which is also running at a reduced capacity.

Mr Ennis also questioned the accuracy figures on infections among workers disclosed by the industry over the last ten months.

Where there are significant outbreaks like this, production should be halted while the plant is deep cleaned and sanitised, without loss of earnings, he said. Whats at stake is peoples safety over a drive for profits. We are now dealing with highly transmissible variants.

Mr Ennis said he was aware of around 2,200 cases among the total workforce of 15,000 meat plant workers up to last October

Since then weve heard very little, he said. Throughout the first six months, and May, June, July and the second wave, we were getting daily information about outbreaks.

Then all of a sudden there was nothing about meat plants. Its hard to believe that during the third wave, where there were far more cases, that it was not pro rata in meat plants.

Siptu said in a statement that the issue of quarantine on arrival to Ireland must be conclusively addressed.

This is vital in low paid sectors where so many migrant workers are employed, it said.

Many workers and their union representatives believe the numbers who have contracted the virus across the meat industry in Ireland is far greater than those disclosed.

Mr Ennis urged the government to act on the recommendations of an Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 for the industry.

He said they included mandatory sick pay, making the granting of work permits conditional on sick pay provision, appointment of compliance officers, and routine testing of workers with results within 24 hours.

The Tanaistes commitment to put sick pay on a statutory footing by the end of this year is too little and very late, he said.

ABP said in a statement that is was working closely and taking direction and guidance from the HSE and Health and Safety Authority in relation to operations at both plants.

Following the screening of staff at ABP Bandon last week, the company has been notified of 66 positive Covid -19 cases, it said.

In line with Covid-19 protocols all close contacts of those impacted are currently self-isolating. The site is also operating at a significantly reduced capacity.

It said it was notified of 42 positive cases at Slaney Foods last Friday. In line with Covid-19 protocols all close contacts of those impacted are currently self-isolating, said the statement. The site is also operating at a significantly reduced capacity.

Staff safety and public health is our priority and Slaney Foods will continue to work with the HSE in relation to the matter.

The boss of a 192-year-old luxury shoemaker says Brexit red tape will cost the firm an extra 100,000 a year on exports to Europe.

Tricker's managing director Martin Mason said invoices are mounting from parcel firms that ship the English company's heavy 450 brogue shoes and boots to EU customers.

Though a last-gasp trade deal between London and Brussels averted a no-deal scenario and the big barrier of border tariffs, Tricker's is finding that paying VAT has become a lot more complicated for direct sales to consumers.

British exporters must now comply with different VAT rates across the bloc's 27 member states.

Tricker's, whose shoes are worn by Prince Charles, has handed the task to parcel firms which are charging additional handling fees for each package sent to the EU from the company's factory in Northampton, a town famous for its boots and shoes since the 1400s.

Shipments that used to take one day to arrive are now taking three or four. And when the couriers get things wrong, the strain of the paperwork only grows at a time when Covid-19 is already stretching many manufacturers to the limit.

Martin Mason, managing director of British luxury shoemaker Tricker's poses for an interview where he discusses European Union customers affected by new tax costs

Master bespoke shoemaker Scott McKee repairs a shoe at Tricker's in Northampton

Master bespoke shoemaker Scott McKee works at luxury shoemaker Tricker's in Northampton

'We've been through... world wars, financial crises, stock market crashes. Last year, the first lockdown was the first time we'd actually been closed,' Mr Mason said on an empty shop-floor in the factory where normally 86 employees would produce 1,000 pairs of shoes a week.

'Even during the world wars we were open, making boots for the army,' he said.

'To deal with Brexit on top of what we've been experiencing with coronavirus has been certainly a double whammy. We will get through it. It will be tough.'

Boris Johnson has said the recent disruptions to trade are largely 'teething problems' and he points to the potential for export growth if Britain strikes trade deals with the United States, India and beyond.

Compounding the problems are VAT invoices sent by parcel firms for shoes sent back to Northampton by wholesalers and by EU clients seeking repairs which should incur no tax.

The expected Brexit-related costs of about 100,000 pounds a year would be equivalent to almost 10 per cent of online sales which in turn represent about 15 per cent of total turnover at Tricker's, Mr Mason said.

That has led the firm to raise prices for EU customers and absorb the rest of the hit in its bottom line.

Tricker's said invoices are mounting from parcel firms that ship the company's heavy 450 brogue shoes and boots to EU clients

Tricker's has handed the task to parcel firms which are charging additional handling fees for each package sent to the EU from the company's factory in Northampton, a central English town famous for its boots and shoes since the 1400s

VAT rules for exporting goods from UK to EU Britain and the EU agreed to zero tariff and zero quota trade on goods - meaning that businesses will not face costly tariffs when trading. However, British firms must now comply with different VAT rates across the bloc's 27 member states. With the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, all movement of goods between Britain and mainland Europe now count as imports and exports, meaning they are subject to import VAT. Businesses will require an Economic Operator Registration Identification (EORI) number from both the UK and EU to move goods. The UK has also introduced a postponed VAT accounting import VAT deferral scheme, so importers don't need to pay cash to UK customs. But, many EU countries do not offer a similar scheme to UK businesses. Advertisement

'I think all companies here in the UK are getting extra costs as a result of the deal,' Mr Mason said.

Other British companies, who opted not to pay the VAT themselves, are now facing a wave of returned goods from disgruntled customers.

British consumers are also balking at paying more than they expected for goods bought from EU vendors.

Brexit has tangled up many businesses from fashion producers to fisheries, in extra paperwork and higher costs, hindering or even preventing them from getting goods into the EU.

British government budget forecasters estimate that the country's economy will be four per cent smaller in 15 years' time than it would have been had it stayed in the EU.

Mr Mason said there were some potential upsides for Brexit for his firm which exports about 85 per cent of all the shoes it makes.

A deal agreed with Japan - which accounts for a third of Tricker's business compared with about 15 per cent which comes from the EU - would be a help and an agreement with the United States might lower its import tariffs.

But for now, his immediate priority is to sort out the VAT problems.

'I really hope that over time common sense prevails and people do understand that this friction of getting product into Europe has got to be smoothed down,' Mr Mason said.

'It is a bit of a barrier to recovery post Covid, but... if wise heads get together and solve some of these issues then hopefully it will become easier.'

It comes as Up to 50 per cent of all lorries bringing goods into Britain from the EU are crossing the Channel back empty afterward as British businesses shun exporting because of Brexit red tape.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) says that far fewer containers filled with goods are leaving for the continent from the UK since Boris Johnson agreed a trade deal with Brussels.

UK businesses that export to the EU are reportedly being encouraged by trade officials to set up hubs across the Channel so they can avoid post-Brexit disruption.

Richard Burnett, chief executive of the RHA, said: 'Most of the trucks that bring goods into the UK are not British and we've seen a noticeable reduction in hauliers wanting to make the journey'.

He told The Times: 'There is not normal demand from exporters, which means around 40 per cent are returning to the Continent empty. They are also worried about being stuck in port if they don't have the right customs paperwork. The new Covid tests are also very unpopular and are having an effect on the number of hauliers who are prepared to make the trip.'

Some firms claim they have been advised to set up subsidiary companies in the EU so they can avoid extra paperwork when exporting products into the trade bloc.

Some firms claim they have been advised to set up subsidiary companies in the EU so they can avoid extra paperwork when exporting products into the trade bloc. Pictured: Lorries quieing-up at the Port of Dover on Friday

Co-founder of Macclesfield-based Cheshire Cheese Company, Simon Spurrell (pictured left), was one of those who claimed he had been told to set up shop in the EU. Ulla Vitting Richards (pictured right), told the BBC she had been advised to move her stock to a warehouse in Germany in order to keep exporting to the EU

One boss of a UK cheese producing company told the BBC he was advised to set-up in Europe to avoid disruption to his EU exports.

Another, the boss of a clothing firm, told the BBC that they had been encouraged to link up with a distribution centre Germany in order to keep exporting to the EU.

What are the extra charges and paperwork and why were they introduced? Shipping goods either way across the UK-EU border now takes longer and is more expensive since the UK left the EU's Customs Union and Single Market. Since January 1 a new customs regime has been in place that treats the UK as an external 'third country' for goods being imported and exported into and out of the EU. Although the terms of the free trade deal mean there are no tariffs or quotas, the small print of the deal imposes new red tape and charges for goods being moved across the border. Customs clearance charges must now be paid, while many couriers also add on postal or handling fees to account for the extra paperwork they now need to process. VAT is payable by businesses when they bring goods into the UK. Goods that are exported by UK businesses to the EU are zero-rated, meaning that UK VAT is not charged at the point of sale. Some goods may need a rules of origin document. And once they arrive at the ports, there are new checks by officials which also slow down the transport process. The extra time taken for goods to cross the border means some shipments have been delayed. That means that in addition to extra fees at the border goods are also taking longer to travel from retailer to customer - complicating the situation further. Advertisement

It comes after fashion industry experts warned High Street retailers and luxury brands may burn items returned by customers that are now stuck in European warehouses rather than bringing them back to the UK to avoid the cost and hassle of red tape.

The Department for International Trade told MailOnline it was 'not government policy' to advise businesses to set-up subsidiaries abroad.

However, co-founder of Macclesfield-based Cheshire Cheese Company, Simon Spurrell, was one of those who claimed he had been told to set up shop in the EU.

Mr Spurrell reportedly approached the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for advice over the need for a veterinary-approved health certificates for exports.

The firm was reportedly being asked to pay 180 for the certificates to export gift boxes costing up to 30 each.

He told the BBC he had been advised to set up a packaging firm across the Channel.

Mr Spurrell said: 'They told me setting up a fulfilment centre in the EU where we could pack the boxes was my only solution.'

He added that the business was now looking to 'test the water' with a business in France, but it had scrapped plans to build a new 1million warehouse in the UK - which he said could have created up to 30 jobs.

Another business owner, Ulla Vitting Richards, told the BBC she had been advised to move her stock to a warehouse in Germany in order to keep exporting to the EU.

Ms Richards, who runs UK-based sustainable fashion firm Vildnis, told the BBC: '(The official from the Department of Trade) told me we'd be best off moving stock to a warehouse in Germany and get them to handle it.'

She says she has stopped exporting to the EU since Brexit.

It comes as it was revealed earlier this week UK Fashion & Textile Association chief Adam Mansell said retailers may now find it cheaper to simply dispose of the items at the EU warehouses rather than pay to have them shipped back to Britain.

How delays at the border are hitting food deliveries There are more forms to fill in before lorries arrive at the Channel and other crossings following the UK's exit from the Customs Union and Single Market. And once they arrive at the ports, there are new checks by officials which also slow down the transport process. For UK retailers, it means there is a slowdown in receiving stock from the EU. It takes longer for European hauliers to get here, and UK-based lorries are slowed down on the way out and then slowed down on the return trip as well. This is leading to empty shelves and shortages of some goods for consumers. The most immediate problems are with perishable goods - food and drink. Alcoholic drinks and staples including broccoli, tomatoes and cheese have been in short supply because they are imported from manufacturers in Europe. The problems are similar for exporters, UK firms sending goods to be sold in Europe. The import problem is most acute for perishable foods. Fish and shellfish that are sold to European markets are decomposing in the back of lorries because of the time taken to get across. And now the problem is affecting other, more robust foods, like meat and vegetables, which are rotting on the dockside. Scottish seafood firms last week warned they are just 'days from collapse' unless emergency cash is paid out to compensate for the Brexit border chaos. Hauliers have also faced difficulties transporting stock to Ulster under the Northern Ireland Protocol in the Brexit deal. The protocol is designed to allow Northern Ireland to follow the EU's customs rules to prevent the establishment of a hard border on the island of Ireland. But this has caused delays at the ports on either side of the Irish Sea because of new declarations and checks. Advertisement

He said: 'It's part of the ongoing small print of the deal. If you're in Germany and buying goods from the UK, you as the German customer are the importer bringing goods into the EU.

'You then have a courier company knocking on the door giving you a customs clearance invoice that you need to pay to receive your goods.'

Mr Mansell said further customs paperwork facing UK retailers when goods are returned includes an 'export clearance charge, import charge arrival, import VAT charge and, depending on the goods, a rules of origin document as well. Lots of large businesses don't have a handle on it, never mind smaller ones.'

Following Britain's exit from the Customs Union and Single Market, EU consumers buying a coat, a pair of boots or any other product from a UK-based retailer now have to pay charges including import duties and courier or postal handling fees.

Some of the same costs and red tape also apply to British customers buying products that have been shipped from the EU - adding a third to the cost of online orders and slowing down deliveries due to extra checks at ports.

Customers in the EU are being asked to pay the extra costs by couriers when the goods reach their door, so many are rejecting them to avoid paying the bill. Figures from data firm Statista show that 30% of orders are now being returned.

Four major UK High Street fashion retailers are have begun stockpiling returns at warehouses in Belgium, Ireland and Germany, reported the BBC. One brand will incur charges of almost 20,000 to get the returns back.

Apart from the charges, businesses need to also complete Customs declaration forms detailing the contents, their origin and value to get goods through ports.

British shoppers have already complained about being hit with punishing 'Brexit fees' on purchases from Europe, which could add more than third to the cost of a new outfit.

Londoner, Ellie Huddleston, aged 26, found the charges added up to 82 for a 200 coat and another 58 for a selection of blouses that had a list price of 180.

Lisa Walpole, from Norfolk, was told to pay 121 in relation to a 236 clothes order she made from the Norwegian website Onepiece.com, which specialises in premium jumpsuits.

And Helen Kara, from Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, was hit with a bill for 93 after purchasing 292 worth of bed linen from Urbanara.co.uk, which is based in Berlin.

Ms Huddleston said she was surprised by the fees, which were notified by the two international courier firms who were handling the shipments.

'I didn't even know when the parcels would be coming - so I sent both back without paying the extra fees and won't be ordering anything from Europe again any time soon,' she told the BBC.

One of the biggest problems is that people shopping with an EU-based store online find it difficult, if not impossible, to understand how much the extra charges will add up to.
Flt Lt Bhawna Kanth, one of the first three female fighter pilots of the country, is part of the Indian Air Force tableau at the Republic Day parade.

In a display of India's military might, Rafale fighter jets took part in the Republic Day flypast for the first time as the armed forces showcased its T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system and Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets on the Rajpath on Tuesday.

Depicting the nation's rich cultural heritage and economic progress, 17 tableaux from states and union territories and nine from different Union ministries and paramilitary forces took part in the 72nd Republic day parade.

Six tableaux of the defence ministry also attended the event.

School children performed folk arts and crafts displaying skills and dexterity handed down from generations. Bajasal, a folk dance from Kalahandi in Odisha, the Fit India Movement and Aatmanirbhar Bharat were also displayed on the Rajpath.

This year, the attendance to the Republic Day parade was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those below 15 years of age and above 65 were not allowed among the visitors at the venue.

The parade also witnessed several major changes. The contingents only marched a distance of 3.5 km instead of the usual 8.5 km and for the first time in 55 years, no foreign dignitary attended the January 26 parade.

However, a 122-member contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces marched on Rajpath. They carried the legacy of legendary muktijoddhas of Bangladesh, who fought against "oppression and mass atrocities" and liberated the country in 1971.

India is currently celebrating the Swarnim Vijay Varsh -- the Golden Jubilee year -- commemorating the country's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

The Indian Army showcased its main battle tank T-90 Bhishma, infantry combat vehicle BMP-II-Sarath, mobile autonomous launcher of the BrahMos missile system, multi-launcher rocket system Pinaka, electronic warfare system Samvijay among others during the parade on Tuesday.

The Navy's tableau at the Republic Day parade this year displayed models of Indian naval ship (INS) Vikrant and naval operations that were conducted during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

The Air Force exhibited models of light combat aircraft Tejas and indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile Dhruvastra on its tableaus during the parade. Scaled-down models of the Light Combat Helicopter, Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet and Rohini radar were also part of the IAF tableaux.

A total of 38 IAF aircraft, include Rafale, and four planes of the Indian Army participated in the flypast.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) presented two tableaus at this year's parade, one showcasing light combat aircraft Tejas' successful take off from aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in 2020, and another displaying full complement of the anti-tank guided missile systems.

The Republic Day parade ceremony commenced with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial in the morning.

The tricolour was unfurled followed by the national anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. The parade commenced with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute.

Seventeen tableaux from various states and union territories, namely, Gujarat, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Tripura, West Bengal, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi and Ladakh were showcased during the parade, depicting the geographical and rich cultural diversity of the country.

The tableaux highlighted the vision for Ladakh to be carbon neutral, the Sun temple at Modhera in Mehsana District of Gujarat, tea-tribes of Assam, shore temple and other monuments of Pallava Dynasty in Tamil Nadu, Bhakti Movement and saints of Maharashtra, among others.
Meet Dr. Bob Rauner, the president of Partnership for a Healthy Lincolnexternal icon, a local non-profit whose mission is to improve the health of communities, thousands of people at a time. He earned a medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a masters degree in public health at Johns Hopkins University, where he studied how to systematically improve the health of Nebraskans. Dr. Rauner also works as the chief medical officer of a Nebraska accountable care organization that includes 22 primary clinics serving three Nebraska communities. Dr. Rauner is a leader in his field and has been recognized recently by the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians for his community work. He is a strong advocate of vaccination, including flu vaccination, routine childhood vaccination, and the upcoming COVID vaccinations to keep people healthy. Prior to starting Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln, Dr. Rauner spent 15 years working as a family physician taking care of rural and underserved populations. As a founder and president, he has developed state-wide partnerships that have collectively delivered a positive impact on the health and wellness of the Lincoln community and the state of Nebraska.

Name: Bob Rauner, MD, MPH

Title: President of Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln

Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
New Delhi: India on Tuesday breached the 2 million-mark in vaccination of healthcare workers. As per the provisional report available with the union health ministry, a cumulative 20.29 lakh vaccinations have been completed so far through 36,572 sessions.

Over 5,615 beneficiaries were vaccinated on Tuesday in five states--Andhra Pradesh (9), Karnataka (429), Rajasthan (216), Tamil Nadu (4926) and Telangana (35) in 194 sessions. The countrywide covid-19 vaccination program entered into eleventh day on Tuesday. In view of Republic Day celebrations across the country, limited number of sessions in limited States were conducted today, the government said. Six adverse events after immunization were also reported in the county.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday recommended that patients who have covid-19 - both confirmed and suspected - should have access to follow-up care if they have persistent, new or changing symptoms as a part of recommendations in its revised clinical management guidelines.

Evidence was gathered on the post COVID condition, so-called long COVID, where people who have recovered from covid-19 continue to have longer-term issues like extreme fatigue, persistent cough and exercise intolerance, the WHO said.

As understanding this condition is one of WHOs priority areas of work, in February 2021, the global public health agency will organize a series of consultations to reach consensus on a description of this condition and its subtypes, and case definitions. This scientific understanding will inform the name of the condition. The consultations will include a broad range of stakeholders, including patient groups, the WHO said.

For covid-19 patients at home, WHO suggests the use of pulse oximetry to measure oxygen levels in the blood. This needs to be coordinated with other aspects of home care, such as education for the patient and care provider and regular follow-up of the patient, the WHO said in a statement adding that for hospitalized patients, the suggestion is to use low dose anticoagulants for preventing the blood clots forming in blood vessels (thrombosis).

For hospitalized patients who are taking supplemental oxygen (including high-flow nasal oxygen) or non-invasive ventilation, WHO has suggested positioning patients on their stomachs to increase oxygen flow (awake prone positioning).

The guidelines also include recommendations on the use of care bundles to systematize care provision for covid-19 patients, as well as a recommendation to favour clinical judgement over models in making decisions for the patients care.

The recommendations were made by an independent panel of experts, the Guideline Development Group, on the basis of detailed rapid reviews of all available evidence. The burden of covid-19 continues to increase at a slow pace. At least 9,102 daily new cases were added to the national tally in the last 24 hours after 237 days. The daily new cases were 9,304 on 4th June, 2020.

The country has recorded 117 fatalities in the last 24 hours after more than 8 months. Indias active case count as on Tuesday was 1,77,266 which is 1.66% of the total cases. 81.76% of the new cases are concentrated in 8 States and UTs. Kerala reported the maximum daily new cases numbering 3,361 in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra recorded 1,842 new cases while Tamil Nadu reported 540 new cases yesterday, according to the union health ministry. Five States/UTs account for 63.25% of the 117 case fatalities reported in the past 24 hours. Maharashtra reported 30 deaths. Kerala and Chhattisgarh follow with 17 and 13 new deaths, respectively, the government said.

The total number of covid-19 cases mounted to 1,06,82,909 and the total toll climbed to 1,54,870 on Tuesday.

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Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) votes in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Dec. 13, 2019. (Patrick Semansky/Pool/Getty Images)

Swalwell: Leaks About Relationship With Alleged Chinese Spy Retaliation

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) on Monday claimed that the leak of his relationship with an alleged Chinese spy was retaliation.

Asked during an appearance on CNN about how much contact he had with Fang Fang, the purported spy, Swalwell said: This is a 2015 meeting about a person that I had as a volunteer back in 2012 on the campaign. The FBI has said I did nothing wrong. Dont take it from me. There was no wrongdoing. Ive learned nothing new.

The FBI hasnt shed light on the matter publicly. The bureau briefed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) about Swalwell late last year.

Swalwell noted that House Democrat leaders, including Pelosi, have backed him on the matter and kept him on the House Intelligence Committee despite his contact with the alleged spy.

Republicans were briefed on this conduct, that this individual was trying to do with me and many other members of Congress, back in 2015, he added. I think this is retaliation more than anything else.

Republicans have tried to get Swalwell removed from the intelligence committee, noting that members have access to sensitive information.

Unbelievable. Looks like Nancy Pelosi is keeping Rep. Eric Swalwell on the House Intelligence Committee in the new Congresseven after his ties to a Chinese spy were exposed, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said in a tweet this month.

Pelosi told reporters last month that she knew of Swalwells ties to Fang in 2015.

McCarthy has called Swalwells ties concerning.

Swalwells office hasnt responded to requests for comment.

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England and Scotland gave out only 280,000 Covid vaccines on Monday, official figures show, meaning Britain has missed its daily uptake target for the second day in a row.

Figures published today by the Department of Health reveal there were 281,725 jabs administered across the UK yesterday - of which 279,757 were given to people receiving their first dose.

The UK needs to be vaccinating at least 400,000 people every day for the next three weeks to fulfil Number 10's lofty promise of immunising all 15million of the most vulnerable Brits by mid-February.

Figures show about 6.8million Brits have received at least one dose of either the Oxford University/AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, which leaves 8.1million still to be inoculated.

It comes after only 221,067 vaccines were administered on Sunday, down by more than half on the record high of 493,013 on Saturday.

However Britain remains ahead of all other countries in Europe in its vaccine drive and has one of the highest per-person rates in the world.

Vaccine centres are opening all over the UK but Matt Hancock last night admitted that supplies are 'tight' and the access to more doses is the 'rate-limiting factor' of the rollout (Pictured: Dale Snowden gets his vaccine in Sunderland)

Early figures show there were 220,000 vaccinations in the UK on Sunday and 281,725 on Monday, which means the UK is falling behind the 400,000-a-day figure needed to fulfil its targets

The figures came as Boris Johnson tonight warned the European Union that he expected it to honour government contracts for coronavirus vaccines as a deepening diplomatic row saw senior Brussels figures accused the UK of stealing jabs destined for countries in the bloc.

How many first doses of a Covid vaccine have been given out in each UK country as of January 25 According to Department of Health Data, a total of 6.85million people across the UK have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Here is a breakdown of each country: England First dose: 5,962,544 Second dose: 443,010 Scotland First dose: 437,900 Second dose: 6,060 Wales First dose: 289,566 Second dose: 581 Northern Ireland First dose: 163,317 Second dose: 22,795 UK total First dose: 6,853,327 Second dose: 472,446 Advertisement

The UK and the EU were in a tense stand-off this evening as continental figures attempted to shift blame for its slovenly rollout of the inoculations in comparison to Britain.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen vowed to make firms declare what vaccines they are exporting to the UK as she scrambled to contain the backlash.

The commission president said a 'transparency mechanism' is being introduced as she insisted that the bloc 'means business' about getting its fair share of supplies.

And in a sign of Brussels' desperation an unnamed source told the Telegraph there were suspicions that AstraZeneca jabs earmarked 'to be delivered to the EU after market authorisation have actually ended up in Britain.'

But fronting a Downing Street press conference tonight Mr Johnson said he had 'total confidence' in the UK's supply of vaccines.

And in a warning shot at the EU he added: 'All I would say is obviously we expect and hope that our EU friends will honour all contracts.

'And we continue to work with friends and partners in the EU, and indeed around the world, because the delivery of the vaccine has been a multinational effort, the creation of the vaccine has been a multinational effort, and the delivery of the vaccine is multinational as well, because the virus knows no borders,' he said.

The sabre-rattling from Brussels, which comes amid growing chaos and protests across the continent, has incensed senior MPs, with warnings that the EU could 'poison' relations for a generation if it blocks some of the 40million Pfizer doses the UK has bought 'legally and fairly'.

Mr Johnson also offered his 'deepest condolences' to those who have lost relatives to coronavirus and pledged to ensure their loved ones are remembered as the Government's figure for Covid-19 deaths passed 100,000.

Last night, Health Secretary Matt Hancock insisted that Britain was 'on track' to reach the most vulnerable groups by the middle of February.

He said that 6.6million people had now received a jab, more than one in nine of the adult population, and in the last week 2.5million got a vaccine, which was equal to a rate of more than 250 people per minute.

And, he said, 78.7 per cent of over-80s have received a jab.

Mr Hancock told the Downing Street press conference: 'Were on track to offer everyone in the top four priority groups a jab by February 15'.

The race to deliver the vaccine comes after care home residents have accounted for almost a third of the total number of coronavirus deaths in England and Wales. As of January 15 2021, a total of 30,851 residents had been killed by the virus.

Separate damning ONS figures show weekly fatalities among care home residents in England alone have almost tripled in the last fortnight, as the virus makes a deadly resurgence in the sector.

The number-crunching body said there were 1,705 deaths in English care homes reported to the Care Quality Commission in the seven days to January 2, up from 661 a fortnight ago.

The number-crunching body said there were 1,705 deaths in English care homes reported to the Care Quality Commission in the seven days to January 2, up from 661 a fortnight ago

EU block could mean UK misses out on millions of Covid vaccine doses The UK could miss out on millions of doses of the coronavirus vaccine if the European Union suspends deliveries to countries outside the bloc. Britain is expecting to receive another 9million doses by mid-February from Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech. But if Eurocrats blockade jab exports across the channel, American drugs company Pfizer - which manufactures vaccines in Puurs, Belgium - will be unable to ship supplies. As many as 3.5million doses of their jab are expected to arrive over the next three weeks, reports the Telegraph, a shipment that wouldn't land on British soil if Brussels chose to redirect supplies. The move would not, however, cut supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine because the 'vast, vast majority' of their jabs are made in the UK. There are fears that any cut in deliveries could leave the Government unable to meet its target of vaccinating 15million of the most vulnerable by mid-February. But it is not clear how many doses are already sitting in warehouses in the UK, which ministers say they won't reveal because of 'security concerns'. The Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at a conference last night that supply remained the 'limiting factor' in Britain's Covid-19 vaccine rollout. The UK has already vaccinated more than six million of the most vulnerable against the virus, as it steams towards its mid-February target. Advertisement

For the first time the ONS has released data bringing together the deaths of care home residents in care homes and other settings since March 2020 up to the present.

The number of deaths involving Covid-19 in care home residents has been rising in recent weeks. A total of 1,719 deaths were registered in the week to January 15  the highest figure since the week ending May 21 2020.

The Independent Care Group, which represents providers in York and North Yorkshire, said the figures make 'grim reading' and demonstrate the need to avoid complacency.

Chairman Mike Padgham said: 'Yes, we now have vaccines, and the Government is to be congratulated on the speed at which it is protecting the vulnerable.

'But Covid-19 is not beaten yet and we must remain cautious and, on our guard, observing all the guidance and keeping everyone in care settings  care and nursing homes and those receiving care in their own homes  as safe as we can, alongside those who are caring for them.

'The news that carers are going to be supplied with lateral flow tests they can do at home is another positive step and will hopefully have an impact and help protect carers who are selflessly looking after others.'

Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Research Sarah Scobie said that care homes are 'feeling the strain' and said it will take time for the vaccine rollout to affect figures.

She said: 'The number of registered deaths from Covid of care home residents has increased by 25 per cent since last week.

'The sector is again feeling the strain, and while the vaccine roll-out for the most vulnerable is continuing at impressive speed it will be a while until the benefits feed through to the figures.'

The ONS report today also found coronavirus accounted for four in 10 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending January 15  the highest proportion recorded during the pandemic.

There were 7,245 deaths registered where the virus was mentioned on the death certificate in England and Wales, a 20 per cent rise from the previous week, when 6,057 deaths were registered.

It is also the third highest weekly number recorded during the pandemic and at 40.2 per cent, the week with the highest proportion of deaths involving Covid-19 recorded so far.

There have also been concerns the drive could be held up by supply of the vaccine, which has been described as 'lumpy' and could yet threaten to derail the plans.

Ministers have refused to reveal how much is already in the country, citing a security risk, but there have been reports of deliveries to centres being scaled down.

Confusion has also been sparked over whether supplies are being diverted to areas lagging behind in the rollout, with the vaccines minister denying this after Mr Hancock said the Government would be redirecting stocks last week.

And both Pfizer and AstraZeneca  suppliers of the only two vaccines being used in the UK  have faced disruption to their shipments as they have scaled up manufacturing.

It comes after EU leaders arranged an urgent meeting with AstraZeneca executives after the company unexpectedly slashed its supply of vaccines to the bloc.

The jab-makers have blamed the EU's supply chain for their failure to deliver the promised 80million vaccines by the end of March as part of a 300million deal.

AstraZeneca, which developed its shot with Oxford University, said on Friday they could only offer 31million vaccines in the first quarter, a cut of 60 per cent.

Furious EU officials said they will investigate their claims and have questioned why Britain is not suffering from similar delays in the rollout.

Peter Liese, an EU lawmaker from the same party as Angela Merkel, said: 'The flimsy justification that there are difficulties in the EU supply chain but not elsewhere does not hold water, as it is of course no problem to get the vaccine from the UK to the continent.

'AstraZeneca has been contractually obligated to produce since as early as October and they are apparently delivering to other parts of the world, including the UK without delay.'

The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker had received an up-front payment of 336 million euros (298million) from the EU when they struck a deal in August, an EU official told Reuters.
TORONTO, Jan. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globalive Technology (TSX-V: LIVE) (the Company), a technology firm based in Toronto, Ontario, held a special meeting of its shareholders (the Meeting) on January 25, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time).



The Company is pleased to announce that each of the resolutions proposed in the management information circular for the Meeting (the Circular) were approved by the shareholders of the Company, including:

(i) Authorization to implement a plan of arrangement to complete a reverse takeover transaction with Yooma Corp. on substantially the terms described in the Circular (the RTO Transaction). (ii) Authorization to apply to have the Company de-listed from the TSX Venture Exchange in connection with the completion of the RTO Transaction. (iii) Authorization for a new long term incentive plan, that will be the go-forward incentive plan for the resulting issuer of the RTO Transaction.

Additional details about the Meeting, the resolutions approved by the shareholders and other matters pertaining to the RTO Transaction can be found in the Circular, and in supplementary press releases issued by the Company on January 18, 2021 and January 20, 2021, all of which are available on the Companys SEDAR page at www.sedar.com.



The Company notes that the business of the Meeting remains subject to final approval by the TSX Venture Exchange and the Canadian Securities Exchange.

ABOUT GLOBALIVE TECHNOLOGY

Globalive Technology is a next generation software company and venture partner that is developing and investing in innovative solutions to disrupt traditional industries. The company forms partnerships with leading high growth companies to develop and commercialize software solutions using optimal technology stacks. It is controlled by Globalive Capital Inc., which has founded and co-founded 12 businesses over the past 20 years with six successful exits ranging from $10M to $1.3B USD, has made over 100 venture investments and has over 45 technology companies in its portfolio. For more information, visit www.globalivetech.com.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the Company and its proposed reverse takeover transaction with Yooma Corp. Such forward-looking statements are identified by terms such as to apply, will be, remain subject to and similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including those noted above, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companys expectations include the Company being unable to obtain final TSX Venture Exchange or Canadian Securities Exchange approvals for any items of business proposed at the Meeting, the Company or its reverse takeover transaction partner determining not to proceed with the transaction or being unable to satisfy the closing conditions for such transaction, the Company or its transaction partner proposing amendments to the long term incentive plan or determining not to proceed with the implementation of the long term incentive plan, and other risks as set out in the Companys management information circular for the Meeting dated December 21, 2020 and its supplementary press releases dated January 18, 2021 and January 20, 2021, all of which are available on its SEDAR page at www.sedar.com.

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. The Company cannot guarantee that any of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will occur as disclosed herein or at all. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information.

Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will only update or revise publicly the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by Canadian securities law.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

For media inquiries:

Rob Moysey

Communications Manager, Globalive

Media@globalivetech.com

For investor inquiries:

Simon Lockie

Chief Corporate Officer

1-647-977-2727

InvestorRelations@globalivetech.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.





Maksim Znak, a senior member of the coordination council of the Belarusian opposition will remain in custody, after a court in Minsk dismissed his appeal for release fro detention

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2021) Maksim Znak, a senior member of the coordination council of the Belarusian opposition will remain in custody, after a court in Minsk dismissed his appeal for release fro detention.

Znak was detained in Minsk in September as part of the criminal case into the opposition's calls for a coup in the republic.

"The Partizansky District Court dismissed the appeal of the defense of Maksim Znak against the extension of the detention period until March 9. Maksim remains in detention facility No1," the message on a Telegram channel of ex-Belarusian presidential candidate Viktor Babariko said.

During the presidential campaign in Belarus, Znak worked as Babariko's lawyer. Babriko is charged over his involvement in receiving bribes and money laundering and is held in custody.

The opposition coordination council of Belarus was set up by the opposition members who reject the results of the presidential election held on August 9. State prosecutors launched proceedings against the council, suggesting that it could harm the country's security. The council says its goals and methods of work comply with the country's constitution.

Belarus entered a prolonged political crisis after the August 9 presidential election, won by incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko. The opposition did not recognize the results, claiming that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, an opposition candidate, was the real winner.
Advertisement of Bible verses by Christian organizations in public spaces is currently being challenged by Germany's political group, The Left/Pirates.

According to Evangelical Focus Europe, to ensure that Bible verses are not offending anyone, Stuttgart's parliamentary group has requested for new advertising guidelines in the city trains (S-Bahn). The leftist group said that the Bible verses on advertising spots do not represent the region's welcoming culture.

The group believes that the users of public transport feel uncomfortable with the "evangelical" and "partly aggressive missionary messages" and said that it should "not be a place of indoctrination," local newspaper Stuttgarter Zeitung wrote.

Publicizing Bible verses in Stuttgart is led by a non-profit evangelistic association, South German Poster Mission. Advertisement on buses, trains and other public places are paid by the association and their evangelistic efforts are financed by the churches and Christians' donations. The group was founded in 1972 and aims to "spread the Word of God with verses of the Bible on advertising posters," Pro Medien Magazin reportedly illustrated.

The leftist political group said that organizations who are allowed to purchase advertising spaces should demonstrate "more neutrality in the worldviews" and thus requesting that advertisement of Bible verses and similar religious contents in Stuttgart's metro system to be halted.

The group's statement was opposed by the Protestant Church in Wurttemberg saying that the Bible verses do not discriminate against anyone with other beliefs and that they actually give hope and strength to people. The church has contributed to the Bible verses campaign with 12,200 Euros.

In addition, the right to purchase advertising spaces for Bible verses of private religious groups is also defended by the Evangelical Working Group, locally known as Evangelischer Arbeitskreis (EAK), of Germany's Christian Democratic Union. The group believes that campaigns facilitated by any religious group or worldview has no restriction and that plural worldviews can be presented in such a free society.

"Bible verses in the public arena have a long tradition in our land: church buildings often continue to be in the centre of towns, and in many facades of old houses Christian blessings are still written," EAK stated.

South German Poster Mission's spokesperson reportedly confessed to Idea, a German news agency, that sharing about Jesus Christ utilizing advertising spaces has become more difficult in Germany.

According to Pew Research Center, Germany has seen a sharp decline in the number of Protestants based on its records between 1950 and 2010. The country's Protestants account for 59% of Germany's population in 1950 but fell to 29% by 2010.

The report said that the nationwide decline in the number of German Protestants "is apparent when looking separately at East and West Germany".

The decline in East Germany, predominantly Protestant in 1949, is considered to be the result of repression, marginalization and persecution during the decades-long communist rule.

On the other hand, Western Germany's decline can be attributed to two aspects. First, the "strong Catholic identity forged from years of existence as a minority religion" and secondly, the "doctrinal differences over salvation that make formal church involvement more necessary for Catholics than for Protestants," the research center explained.

A woman and her daughter have lost a race and religious discrimination case taken against Penneys over an incident concerning a piece of underwear.

At the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), adjudication officer Pat Brady dismissed the claims by Khalda Amjad and her daughter, Aisha Amjad, against Penneys owner, Primark Ltd over the incident at one of its Dublin stores on July 19, 2019.

On the morning in question, the Amjads entered the Penneys store and they saw a worker putting clothing items from a crate into a bargain bin.

The two pointed to a piece of underwear that they wanted to purchase and alleged that the Penneys assistant simply said that she could not give it to them.

The Amjads alleged that the employee then moved the item further away and dealt with other items while packing the bargain bin.

In her direct evidence, Khalda Amjad - originally from Pakistan - said she had been left very embarrassed by what happened.

Their solicitor stated that the Amjads left the store feeling belittled, demeaned and discriminated against.

However, in his findings, Mr Brady found that the contention by Khalda Amjad that the shop assistant "simply said that she would not give the item of underwear to Ms Amjad is not correct.

Mr Brady said Penneys accepted that the shop assistants actions had fallen below its own standards of customer service and offered to compensate Khalda Amjad  an offer she rejected.

He said in his view the characterisation of events by Penneys is credible.

The assistants actions did indeed fall short of good customer service standards but it seems to me just as likely than a Irish customer might have been on the receiving end of her impatience; they were not directed at the complainant on the grounds of her ethnicity and no connection was made between the two; the treatment of the complainant and her race or ethnicity, he said.

Mr Brady said Khalda Amjad undoubtedly had an unpleasant experience in the course of her visit to the store.

I find that any unfavourable treatment was not on account of her race or religion and no prohibited conduct took place.

Mr Brady also dismissed the discrimination and race claims by Ms Amjads daughter, Aisha who is of Asian ethnicity.

Penneys told the WRC that the worker in question on the date, an 18-year-old third level student employed part-time, became overwhelmed as she was surrounded by a number of customers while she was in the middle of making preparations for the bargain bin.

Penneys stated that some customers - but not the Amjads - snatched items from her before she had completed the necessary preparations for sale.

Penneys stated that Khalda Amjad was not refused the item of underwear but was asked to wait until the process of marking down the prices for the bargain bin had been completed, as otherwise she would pay the full price for the item.

Penneys stated that there was no Irish person treated more favourably although some customers may have grabbed items prior to their being discounted.

The retailer stated that Ms Amjads daughter, Aisha obtained the item she was looking for at the reduced rate and paid for it.

Penneys accepted that what happened to Khalda Amjad and her daughter represented a lower level of customer service that she was entitled to receive and made an offer to compensate her for this.

However, Penneys said there is no question of what occurred as representing discrimination on the grounds of race or religion.

The US Senate on Tuesday easily confirmed Antony Blinken as secretary of state, with key members of the rival Republican Party backing him.

Blinken, a longtime adviser to President Joe Biden who has vowed to repair US alliances, was approved by a vote of 78-22.

His easy confirmation is in contrast with former president Donald Trump's two secretaries of state, Mike Pompeo and Rex Tillerson, who both scraped by with most Democrats opposed.

Republican senators who supported Blinken included two close Trump allies on foreign policy -- Marco Rubio, a fervent critic of the leftist governments in Cuba and Venezuela, and Lindsey Graham, known for his hawkish views on Syria and Iran.

Senator James Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged colleagues to back Blinken even while acknowledging some disagreements.

"We need a secretary of state. This is the person for the job," Risch said on the Senate floor.

"Of the many, many issues that we discussed, there was very little, in fact, no daylight between us on some of them," he said.

He noted that he did not back Blinken's support for returning to the Iran nuclear accord, from which Trump withdrew the United States.

But Risch pointed to Blinken's stated willingness to take on Turkey, a NATO ally that has upset many lawmakers by buying a major weapons system from Russia.

Blinken in his confirmation hearing last week also said he supported Trump's tough approach to China and said he would not reverse Trump's landmark decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Senator Robert Menendez, the committee's top Democrat, pointed to Blinken's ability to engage lawmakers across the political spectrum.

"I believe he is the right person to repair and restore our alliances to reinvigorate the relationship between the State Department and Congress," Menendez said.

The stepson of a Holocaust survivor, Blinken, 58, is known for his passion for humanitarian causes but also his calm demeanor.

sct/dw

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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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 10:59:38|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Monday reported 82 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 69 locally transmitted and 13 arriving from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said Tuesday.

Of the locally transmitted cases, 53 were reported in Heilongjiang, seven in Jilin, five in Hebei, and two each in Beijing and Shanghai, the commission said in its daily report.

Three suspected cases arriving from outside the mainland were newly reported in Shanghai. One death related to the disease was reported in Jilin on Monday, said the commission.

By the end of Monday, the mainland had reported 4,624 imported COVID-19 cases in total. Among them, 4,332 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 292 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 89,197 by Monday, including 1,885 patients still receiving treatment, of whom 110 were in severe conditions.

A total of 82,676 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,636 had died of the disease, according to the commission.

There were four suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland on Monday, and 38,443 close contacts remained under medical observation.

Monday saw 57 asymptomatic cases newly reported on the mainland, of which 16 arrived from outside the mainland. On the same day, 35 asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases.

There were 956 asymptomatic cases still under medical observation, of which 283 arrived from outside the mainland.

By the end of Monday, 10,158 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 171 deaths, had been reported in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 47 cases in Macao SAR, and 889 cases, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

A total of 9,056 COVID-19 patients in Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, 46 in Macao SAR, and 787 in Taiwan. Enditem
A motorist dumped his damaged car in the middle of a railway track before running off without raising the alarm.

The Ford Mondeo was left abandoned on a railway line in Kent in the early hours of Sunday morning, police said.

Emergency services rushed to the scene to remove the vehicle from the tracks before a train ploughed into it.

The Ford Mondeo was left abandoned on a railway line in Kent in the early hours of Sunday morning, police said

Pictures from the scene near Stone Crossing station showed the car had a damaged front with the bonnet hanging off.

When the silver vehicle was discovered, a search was launched around the surrounding area of Stone near Dartford for the driver.

British Transport Police said a man was arrested and has since been charged with the obstruction of the railway.

Kent Police added that it was 'very lucky no one involved was injured'.

British Transport Police confirmed Shane Mills, 38, has been charged with obstruction of the railway and released on bail until he appears in court in March.

A spokesman for BTP said: 'British Transport Police were called to the line near Stone Crossing, Dartford, at 2.13am on Sunday, January 24, following reports of a vehicle abandoned on the tracks.

'Officers attended, and a man was subsequently arrested in connection to the offence.

'Shane Mills, 38, has since been charged with obstruction of the railway and released on bail until his appearance at Medway Magistrates' Court on March 23.'

Emergency services rushed to the scene to remove the vehicle from the tracks before a train ploughed into it

BTP tweeted after the arrest: 'The male that drove his car down the railway tracks at stonecrossing and dangerously abandoned it, without calling for help.

'Has tonight been charged with obstruction of the railway. He will be having his day in court very soon to explain his actions.'

Network Rail warned drivers to be careful due to the icy conditions in the area over the weekend.

A spokesman said in a social media post after the vehicle had been discovered: 'There's lots of snow and ice around so please check before you travel and take care while in and around stations today.

'Don't be like the driver of this car, who abandoned ship on the railway near StoneCrossing last night and wasted emergency service time and people.'
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Detectives have released the names of three people recently slain in separate incidents around Albuquerque but withheld the identities of those killed in a double shooting on Saturday.

Albuquerque police spokesman Gilbert Gallegos identified Matthew Werth, 34, Jahnte Iule, 18, and Mike Guerra, 63, as three of the six people killed since Jan. 18.

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He said they are still trying to notify relatives of a woman killed Jan. 18 on Rhode Island NE, and the names of two people fatally shot on Saturday at Eubank and Interstate 40 are not yet releasable.

Gallegos did not say why the names could not be released, and he did not respond to requests for more details on that shooting.

None of the cases have had an arrest reported, and no further details have been given.

On the night of Jan. 20, officers responded to reports of an unconscious man in the parking lot of a gas station at East Central and Western Skies SE. Werth was pronounced dead at the scene and police determined the death was a homicide.

Then, on Sunday, police responded to a shooting at a home in the 6700 block of Ranchitos NE. Officers found Iule wounded at the house, and he was taken to the hospital, where he died.

On Monday morning, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 5500 block of Silver SE, near Madeira and Central. Officers found Guerra with trauma to his chest. He died at a hospital.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is calling on the European Union to impose further sanctions on Russian officials after "more than 50 journalists were arbitrarily detained" during nationwide anti-government protests last weekend.

The Paris-based media-freedom watchdog made the call on January 26, three days after media covering rallies in support of jailed Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny were subjected to an "unusually extensive and heavy-handed" crackdown to "prevent them from showing the scale of support for a government opponent."

"The police deliberately targeted certain media, going so far as to enter a private apartment in order to cut off a video feed of the demonstrations, and in a sign of the totally disproportionate nature of the crackdown, even clearly-identified reporters wearing 'press' vests or armbands were held for several hours," Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, said in a statement.

Cavelier called on the Russian authorities to end this "blatant obstruction of the freedom to inform." He also urged the representative on freedom of the media for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Teresa Ribeiro, to condemn the "violence and arbitrary arrests" and the EU to adopt "new sanctions against Russian officials."

Navalny was detained earlier this month upon returning to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal poisoning by a military-grade nerve agent in August he accuses President Vladimir Putin of ordering.

A court is expected to decide on February 2 whether to convert into prison time a suspended sentence in a case that is widely considered trumped up and politically motivated.

Meeting in Brussels on January 25, EU foreign ministers agreed to wait to see if Navalny is released before deciding to impose fresh sanctions.

The EUs foreign-policy chief, Josep Borrell, said he would go to Moscow next week to urge the authorities to free protesters and Navalny. EU leaders could discuss further action against Russia at a planned summit on March 25-26, he said.

Russia has rebuffed the global outrage and a chorus of international calls calling for Navalny's release.

In its statement, Reporters Without Borders said the "extraordinary figure" of more than 50 detentions of reporters, some of whom were "subjected to police violence," is based on data compiled by the independent political watchdog OVD-Info, the Russian Journalists and Media Workers Union, and information gathered directly by RSF.



It cited the case of the independent TV channel Dozhd, which it said was "censored in mid-transmission when police cut the power supply to a Moscow apartment from which its crew was broadcasting."

Dozhd reporter Aleksei Korostelev and cameraman Sergei Novikov were then detained "on the pretext of verifying their identity."

Also in Moscow, riot police hit a reporter for the independent triweekly Novaya Gazeta, Elizaveta Kirpanova, with their batons "for several minutes," dealing some blows to her head, although she was "clearly identifiable by her 'press' vest and badge," according to RSF.

The group noted that police had already tried to intimidate journalists and media outlets in the run-up to the unsanctioned demonstrations across Russia, which attracted tens of thousands of people and saw more than 3,700 people detained, according to OVD-Info.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said "extreme" police brutality and "mass" arbitrary detentions during the protests are further evidence of "how low human rights standards have plummeted" in the country.
Burma Myanmar Military Refuses to Rule Out Coup as It Presses Claim of Fraud in Nov. Election

Military spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun speaks at the military press conference in Naypyitaw on Jan. 26. / Thiha Lwin / The Irrawaddy

YANGONMyanmars military refused to rule out the possibility of a military coup when asked how it intended to proceed after making several claims of fraud in relation to the November general election, which delivered a mandate to the National League for Democracy (NLD) to continue governing the country for a second term.

The military (or Tatmadaw) publicly claimed to have found 8.6 million irregularities that could have led to opportunities to vote more than once or voting malpractice in its scrutiny of voter lists in 314 townships in all states and regions. However, it has yet to produce on-the-ground evidence proving that voter fraud actually occurred on election day.

When asked what the Tatmadaws next step would be after publicly claiming mass electoral fraudwhich was widely seen as a joint move together with its proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) to discredit the NLDs landslide victorymilitary spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun said at a press conference on Tuesday that the military would continue its effort using all means at its disposal in compliance with the Constitution and existing laws.

However, when a reporter asked the spokesperson to clarify whether the vow to comply with the law meant that the military had no plan to seize power, the spokesperson immediately replied, No.

No. The military will abide by existing laws including the Constitution, Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun said. But that doesnt mean the military will take responsibility for the state or wont take responsibility for the state, he continued.

During the press conference, the atmosphere grew tense as reporters and the military spokesperson went back and forth on the same question, with the reporters pressing for a clearer picture of the intention behind the ongoing assertions of fraud by the military and its proxy party, and asking what the military actually means when it says it will take action, in line with the Constitution and existing law, on unfair and dishonest practices in the vote.

Notably, the military spokesman chose to open the press conference by recounting the legacy of the 1988 military coup, before going on to defend the Tatmadaws interference in the countrys elections as necessary to ensure that the process of moving toward democracy introduced by the military was not derailed.

Article 40(c) of the Constitution grants sovereign power to the commander-in-chief during a state of emergency that could lead to the disintegration of the country or cause a loss of sovereign power, or in the face of attempts to take power through force, including an insurgency or other forms of violence. Critics say the article hands the military chief the power to stage a coup. However, under the Constitution, only the president can declare a state of emergency after consulting and coordinating with the military-dominated National Defense and Security Council (NDSC).

In response to the military and its proxy partys attempts to discredit the outcome of the election, NLD vice chairman U Zaw Myint Maung said on Sunday that We have nothing to say to them [the military and USDP]. It is our duty, as the winning party, to convene the newly elected Parliament in time, as per the election laws and Constitution.

When only a few days left before the newly elected Parliament convenes, the military has also called on the government, the Union Election Commission (UEC) or outgoing parliamentarians to prove that the November general election was free and fair so that it can accept the result.

Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun said at Tuesdays press conference that the Tatmadaw would forward its findings of irregularities to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court will hear from two military-linked political parties through video conferencing on Friday before deciding whether to approve their requests that the court issue writs against the President and Union Election Commission (UEC) chairman on grounds of electoral misconduct.

Of the 314 township voter lists scrutinized by the military, only 40 were the UECs final voter lists, according to the military spokesman. The remaining 274 were first- or second-draft lists rolled out by the UEC to the public for checking so that it could make any necessary corrections and fixes ahead of the poll.

You may also like these stories:

Myanmar Military Rolls Out Red Carpet for Russian Defense Minister

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After a yearlong search for existing drugs that might help COVID-19 patients and point to a cure, a UCSF-led science team has identified what they say is an especially promising candidate: an anti-cancer drug that kills the coronavirus in lab studies and is almost 30 times more potent than remdesivir, one of the few antiviral drugs available to treat the disease.

The new peer-reviewed research, published Monday in the journal Science, highlights a drug called Aplidin, which was originally extracted from an exotic marine creature called Aplidium albicans  a type of sea squirt found off the coast of Ibiza that looks a bit like a disembodied brain.

Aplidin, also known as plitidepsin, is owned by Pharma Mar, a Spanish company founded by a scuba-diving scientist. Approved in Australia to treat multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, the drug isnt commercially available in most parts of the world and isnt yet approved to treat COVID-19, though it has been tested in a few dozen COVID-19 patients in Spain.

We need some new weapons in the arsenal, said Nevan Krogan, a UCSF molecular biologist who led the science team along with Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, a virus expert at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. This is by far the best thing weve seen.

The research grew from a joint effort of multiple labs at UCSFs Quantitative Biosciences Institute, within the School of Pharmacy. Dubbed the QBI COVID-19 Research Group, or QCRG, the team works closely with scientists at Mount Sinai, the Institut Pasteur in Paris and other institutions.

The groups findings emerge at a moment of widespread frustration in the fight to stem the pandemic, with deaths topping 400,000 in the U.S. and more contagious strains of the virus emerging and circulating. Although COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing the disease, they remain scarce and cant help patients who are already sick, fueling a need for better antiviral drugs.

Over the last year, the QCRG scientists have peered into the molecular world of the virus, making a detailed map of how it hijacks and rewires human cells at the microscopic level. Then the team studied that map to narrow the search for drugs that could plausibly stop infection, testing thousands of existing drugs and experimental compounds against the virus in the lab.

Aplidin rose above the pack. Extremely low concentrations of the drug killed the virus in infected human lung cells and similar cells from monkeys. Scientists also infected dozens of mice with the virus, giving them COVID-19, then injected them with Aplidin, which essentially eliminated the virus from their bodies, according to the paper. Meanwhile, using genetic techniques, the team discovered that the drug does its job in an unusual way: Instead of attacking the virus itself, as remdesivir does, Aplidin blocks activity of a specific protein inside human cells that the virus needs to replicate itself.

Im very excited about this data, because of the potency, said Garcia-Sastre.

Recently, the research team also collaborated with a lab in the United Kingdom to test Aplidin against the new variant of the coronavirus there, known as B-117. The drug killed the variant, too, and was more potent against the variant in lab tests than remdesivir, the scientists report in a separate paper posted Sunday on biorxiv.org, a website where biologists share new results before theyre peer-reviewed.

In Spain, 45 patients with COVID-19 have taken Aplidin as part of a Phase 2 clinical trial, and Pharma Mar has released data on the first 27 patients. The drug reduced the amount of time they spent in the hospital, with 81% of patients returning home within 15 days, as opposed to the typical rate of 47%, according to the company. More expansive Phase 3 trials of the drug in COVID-19 patients are being planned in Spain and the U.S., said Pascal Besman, the companys chief operating officer.

One downside of Aplidin is that its an intravenous drug. That means its difficult to administer outside of a hospital, limiting its potential reach, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UCSF infectious disease expert and physician who was not involved in the Aplidin research.

Chin-Hong also pointed out that earlier attempts to deploy existing drugs against COVID-19 have fizzled, failing to cure patients in trials; Aplidin must prove its mettle against COVID-19 in rigorous human studies. But if it does, he said, it might be useful as one piece of a multi-drug cocktail therapy.

We have to keep on trying, Chin-Hong said. Teaching the old drugs new tricks should always be on our mind.

Krogan and Garcia-Sastre said Aplidin could be especially relevant in a world where dangerous new strains of the coronavirus are popping up. Thats because the drug blocks the activity of a human protein, eEF1A, that the virus needs to make copies of itself and infect other cells, slashing the virus ability to replicate and spread.

If you get a drug that targets a human protein, it would be incredibly hard for the virus to mutate away from being reliant on it, said Krogan, who is also an investigator with the Gladstone Institutes, a Bay Area biomedical research organization.

Pharma Mar says its mission is to find medicines in the oceans, where the water teems with viruses and some aquatic creatures have evolved virus-killing weapons that are much, much stronger than anything humans have designed, said Jose Maria Fernandez Sousa-Faro, Pharma Mars founder and CEO. I think its because nature, that is very wise, has been able to do fine-tuning.

Pharma Mar originally developed Aplidin as a cancer drug, studying its effects in trials with multiple myeloma patients. In 2017, the European Medicines Agency, which regulates drugs in the European Union, refused to approve Aplidin, pointing to side effects experienced by some cancer patients who took it and saying the benefits of the drug did not outweigh the risks. But Pharma Mar successfully challenged the ruling in EU court, vacating the decision, and Australian regulators approved Aplidin for treating multiple myeloma in 2018.

Pharma Mar scientists say that virus patients require substantially lower doses of the drug than cancer patients do, needing to take it for three days instead of months. In tests with COVID-19 patients so far, side effects of Aplidin have been minimal.

Jason Fagone is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jason.fagone@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfagone
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  The Hamas movement has refused to approve the operation of the American field hospital in the Gaza Strip, just two weeks after it began operating, after the hospitals management reportedly reneged on its previous promises to provide medical services that are not available in the besieged enclave.

A source from Hamas, which has been governing the Gaza Strip since 2007, confirmed to Turkeys Anadolu News Agency Jan. 14 that the movement decided to prohibit patients from going to or dealing with the American field hospital that was established in northern Gaza. Hamas argues that the hospital is not providing the services that were agreed upon in the truce understandings with Israel.

According to the same source, Hamas agreed to the building of the field hospital at the end of 2018, as part of the United Nations-brokered truce understandings agreed upon under Arab mediation to stop military escalation with Israel at the time. The truce also mentioned a series of other incentives, including the renewal of the monthly Qatari grant to Gaza amounting to $30 million.

This is in addition to building and operating the American hospital to admit difficult medical cases, such as cancer, and heart and psychiatric illnesses, which are usually transferred for treatment to Israeli hospitals or Palestinian health-care establishments in the West Bank.

The source said that Hamas informed the mediators of its decision to suspend the hospitals work, arguing that the building of said hospital was initially approved on the basis that it would cover the shortages facing Gazas health-care sector.

The hospital is a donation from the Park West Childrens Fund, known as the Friend Ships group, which stated that the health-care center would offer Gazans an array of medical services, including family medicine, pediatrics, maternity services, ophthalmology, dental, physical therapy, PTSD therapy and cancer treatment.

Hamas decision to suspend the hospitals work came following the Friend Ships announcement on Facebook Jan. 11 that the medical center has started to receive patients from Gaza.

The Gaza Health Center is ready to receive patients for Family Day Clinics. The GHC medical volunteers are busy stocking the pharmacy with the amazing and generous donations of medications for free distribution as we anxiously await the coordination of patients from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the post read.

Abdel Latif al-Hajj, a doctor and director general of international cooperation at the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, told Al-Monitor via phone, There has been prior communication with the American field hospital about the priority needs of the Gaza Strip that include oncology and radiotherapy, which turned out are not offered at the medical center. Patients [requiring these services] have to travel abroad to Egypt, Israel or the West Bank for treatment.

He said, The field hospital is made up of tents, and so delicate surgical operations cannot be provided.

Hajj noted, We had requested the field hospital to provide treatment to cancer patients, such as chemotherapy, as well as treatment for rheumatic diseases and other services that do not require a large infrastructure. We got positive feedback on our proposal, but [since the hospital began operating] in the past couple of weeks [early January], only family medicine, dental and psychology clinics have been set up at the field hospital. These services are already available in clinics and hospitals in Gaza.

He added, "The Health Ministry discussed the services provided by the field hospital so far, and decided they are not a priority.

Many Hamas officials in Gaza refused to comment on the matter. But Hajj expressed no objection on the part of the Health Ministry to deal with the hospital if it provided the needed medical priorities in the Gaza Strip. But he said, I dont know what Hamas' position is in regard to this, in reference to whether Hamas will allow the hospital to operate if it provides the needed services.

The hospital consists of tents equipped to provide some medical services. It is adjacent to the only crossing for the passage of individuals through Israel, which is the Erez/Beit Hanoun crossing, under Israels control, in the northernmost part of the Gaza Strip, which makes access easier for Palestinians or foreign doctors arriving from Israel. The center occupies 35 acres and is equipped with 15 beds.

The hospital is so far equipped with 10 to 15 beds only, which is sufficient to perform simple surgeries only, which can already be performed in clinics in the Gaza Strip. The medical staff are volunteers and not fully dedicated to the work there. The hospital also needs translators to deal with locals, which is a major administrative hurdle in a medical establishment that is ostensibly providing important and continuous services, Hajj said.

Many Hamas officials in Gaza refused to comment on the matter. But Hajj expressed no objection on the part of the Health Ministry to deal with the hospital if it provided the needed medical priorities in the Gaza Strip.

Mustafa Sawaf, a political analyst close to Hamas, told Al-Monitor, Hamas refused [that the Ministry of Health] takes over the field hospital because it does not meet the agreed-upon specifications. The medical center is supposed to provide treatment for illnesses that require patients to travel abroad to obtain them, while Israel hinders their exit.

He said, With its current situation, the hospital is of no value or benefit. It is better to dismantle it than leaving it."

Sawaf added, The [limited medical services] that have been offered are a clear sign of going back on the implementation of the understandings that have been reached between Hamas and Israel through UN and Qatari mediation. The failure to implement the understandings  as is currently happening  may be a reason for a possible escalation.

At the end of 2019, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas criticized Hamas approval of the field hospital, claiming that it amounts to an approval of the establishment of an American military base in the Gaza Strip.

It should be noted that there is no coordination between the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza and the Health Ministry affiliated with the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah and headed by the president.

The launching of incendiary balloons from Gaza toward Israel has resumed over the past month, in addition to the firing of sporadic experimental and actual rockets. Israel retaliated with limited military attacks, which indicates that tension might escalate between the two sides and points to a violation of the truce understandings.

In cities across the U.S., the neighborhoods hardest-hit by the coronavirus are being vaccinated at a slower rate than their wealthier, whiter counterparts.

Why it matters: Preventing socioeconomic disparities in the vaccination process was always going to be an uphill battle, but policy changes in response to the sluggish rollout have generally prioritized speed over equity.

The big picture: Early analyses and news reports show that in many cities and states, people of color  particularly Black Americans  are falling behind white Americans in the vaccination effort.

Experts had predicted that structural barriers and higher rates of vaccine hesitancy would always be a problem. But the push to prioritize speed in response to the slow initial vaccine rollout likely took a toll on equity.

If you focus on speed, those who are most easily accessible will be the ones who receive the most care, and those who have been most historically isolated from healthcare access ... will be the ones most likely to suffer without vaccine coverage, Alexandre White, a Johns Hopkins University assistant professor, told the Miami Herald.

Zoom in: In Los Angeles, for example, Gov. Gavin Newsoms decision to expand vaccine eligibility to everyone 65 and older has frustrated health advocates, who had planned to prioritize essential workers and place a greater emphasis on socioeconomic risk factors, per KQED.

Moving millions of people farther ahead in line, by definition, means millions of others are farther back in line, Mitch Steiger, legislative advocate for the California Labor Federation, told KQED.

Between the lines: In Memphis, disparities were exacerbated by the the countys decision to give early access to vaccine appointments to those who could make them online, ProPublica reports. But computer and internet access varies drastically by zip code.

In other places, physical access to vaccine sites is an issue. In the Boston area, Black and Latino residents are significantly less likely than white residents to live in census tracts that are within a mile of a vaccination site, the Boston Globe reports.

Whats happening: Some cities, in response to data showing communities of color being left behind, are trying to adjust their distribution plan to better serve their most vulnerable populations.

Washington, D.C., has begun making additional vaccine appointments available to residents of the hardest-hit neighborhoods, who were initially making fewer vaccine appointments than residents living in wealthier neighborhoods, WJLA reports.

Chicago is taking a similar approach, and is also partnering with local groups on an outreach plan, per The Chicago Tribune.

Miami is expanding phone reservations and setting up mobile vaccinations in public housing complexes, the Miami Herald reports.

The other side: Dallas officials recently scrapped a plan to prioritize vaccine doses for people living in the most vulnerable neighborhoods after the state threatened to cut the countys vaccine allocation in response, the Texas Tribune reports.

The bottom line: Vaccinating the most vulnerable Americans has arguably never been more important, as new variants become more prevalent.
The former CPS chief prosecutor of the north west who brought down a Rochdale child abuse gang has suggested Boris Johnson could face prosecution for misconduct in public office over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Johnson, in his Downing Street address this evening expressed his regret that more than 100,000 had died of Covid-19.

Nazir Afzal, the former CPS chief prosecutor in the north west said he believes the PM could face prosecution.

Former CPS chief prosecutor of the north west Nazir Afzal, pictured, has instructed his lawyers to determine whether the PM could be investigated for misconduct in public office

Mr Afzal released a Tweet earlier this evening after Mr Johnson apologised on the day Britain's Covid-19 death toll passed the 100,000 mark

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, pictured earlier today, addressed a press conference at Number 10 where he admitted more than 100,000 Britons have died of Covid-19

In a tweet this evening after Mr Johnson's press conference, Mr Afzal wrote: 'PM takes full responsibility for all decisions Govt have made.

'We cannot wait 10yrs for public inquiry.

'I have instructed my lawyers to consider whether anything he did or didnt do amounts to gross negligence or misconduct in public office and what consequences should follow.'

He wrote: '100,000 Covid dead and Boris Johnson has still not met with the family of any of bereaved, he hasn't called for a day of remembrance or even a moment's silence.

'We don't matter. Invitations remain unanswered.

'We will support each other and give the dead a voice.'

Mr Afzal's brother Umar died in April 2020 of Covid-19.

He continued on Twitter: 'Prime Minister says hundreds of NHS staff "gave their lives".

'No, their lives were TAKEN.

'We didn't prepare. We put them in the line of fire without protection.

'They courageously stepped in but YOU let them down.'

Mr Afzal posted a series of tweets which were critical of Mr Johnson and his government's handling of the Covid-19 crisis

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of being 'behind the curve at every stage' when responding to the pandemic as the Government's figure for coronavirus deaths passed 100,000.

The Labour leader said the Prime Minister had shown a 'reluctance to take tough decisions' throughout the crisis as the UK exceeded the 'awful milestone' on Tuesday.

Mr Johnson told a Downing Street press conference that he is 'deeply sorry for every life lost' to Covid-19 but insisted 'we truly did everything we could' to minimise loss of life and suffering.

Mr Afzal's brother Umar, pictured, died of Covid-19 in April 2020

But Sir Keir argued that ministers were too slow in numerous aspects of the response: on imposing lockdowns, on delivering protective equipment, on testing and on limiting household mixing over Christmas.

On Tuesday, the number of people who have died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 passed 100,000.

But using the more comprehensive method of inspecting death certificates where coronavirus is involved, figures from statistics agencies show there has been more than 115,000 deaths.

Mr Afzal earlier wrote to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick about Dominic Cummings' controversial trip to Barnard Castle during the first Covid-19 lockdown.

Mr Afzal, whose brother Umar died from the virus on April 8, 2020 while isolating at home, said he was concerned police and prosecutors had not received all relevant information about the case so their decision-making would be incomplete.
Parineeti Chopra Starrer Saina Nehwal Biopic To Skip Theatres And Release Directly On Digital?

Parineeti Chopra two big films, The Girl On The Train and the Saina Nehwal biopic, are both set to release on digital instead of heading to theatres. While the makers of A Girl On The Train have already announced the films arrival on Netflix, reports are now doing the rounds that Parineeti much await portrayal of celebrated badminton player Saina Nehwal might also head to OTT.

The decision apparently is yet to be taken but owning to the reduced occupancy of theatres owning to the ongoing pandemic situation the makers seem inclined to release the Saina digitally. A Mid Day report quotes a trade source claiming, Saina was slated to hit theatres last summer, but the plans came to a halt because of the pandemic. Now, the makers have again begun discussions about its release. Considering theatres are functioning at 50% occupancy, they are considering an OTT release. A final call has yet to be taken.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Parineeti Chopra (@parineetichopra)

Moreover, actor Shubhrajyoti Barat who stars in the film as Sainas father satted that the film is anticipated to release in the next few months but the decision to release the film directly online is best left with the producers.

The film Saina has been directed by Amol Gupte and is produced by Bhushan Kumar.
(Newser)  Nine House managers walked their article of impeachment to the Senate on Monday evening, setting up a trial of former President Trump on a charge of "incitement of insurrection" involving the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6. It's the second time in just over a year that the ceremonial walk has been held, starting in the chamber recently under attack, and it follows a House vote to impeach earlier this month. The trial, scheduled for the week of Feb. 8, will be presided over by Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy. Senators have not said how long the trial might last or whether either side will be allowed to call witnesses, the Hill reports. Democrats have said they expect this trial to be shorter than Trump's first one, which lasted 21 days.

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On the House side, 10 Republicans voted with Democrats to impeach. But Senate Republicans have been sounding reluctant lately to convict after their strong initial reaction to the Capitol riot, per the New York Times. Many of the GOP senators aren't defending Trump's behavior so much as citing objections to the trial process, with some of them saying it's not constitutional to convict a former president. Others have been saying a trial will be too divisive for the country. The Senate is scheduled to formally ask Trump to respond to the charge Tuesday afternoon. The trial schedule also is to be agreed to then, and senators will take an impeachment oath to carry out "impartial justice" in the case. (Read more Trump impeachment stories.)
Paxton, IL (60957)

Today

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 42F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 42F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.

A Texan who allegedly plotted attacks on the White House and Trump Tower pleaded guilty Monday to possessing child porn and providing material support to a terrorist organization, federal officials said.

Jaylyn Christopher Molina, 22, of Cost, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and one count of receiving child pornography before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Farrer, according to the U.S. Department of Justice Western District of Texas.

Since May 2019, Molina, also known as Abdur Rahim, had been working with Kristopher Sean Matthews, also known as Ali Jibreel, authorities said.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio police officer accused in bribery case is indicted on child porn charge

Molina and Matthews were using an encrypted, members-only chat group for people who support the ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham/Syria, officials said. They were also producing and sharing pro-ISIS propaganda, recruiting new members and disseminating bomb-making instructions.

The pair discussed traveling to Syria to fight alongside the ISIS or carrying out attacks at Trump Tower, the White House, the New York Stock Exchange or the headquarters of federal law enforcement agencies, according to court records.

On Sept. 18, federal authorities said they searched Molinas residence in Cost, about 75 miles east of San Antonio. Investigators said they seized his cell phone, which contained 18 images depicting child pornography.

On ExpressNews.com: Citations: San Antonio H-E-B cited for violating COVID-19 orders

Molina faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in federal prison on the child pornography charge. He remains in federal custody pending sentencing, officials said.

On Nov. 24, Matthews, 34, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge to provide material support to ISIS. Matthews, who remains in federal custody, faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on March 4 before Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia in San Antonio.

The San Antonio FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force, with assistance from the San Antonio Police Department, the United States Secret Service and the Gonzalez County Sheriffs Office, investigated this case, officials said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Personio, the all-in-one HR software for SMEs, is doubling down on its efforts to expand its new international business and software engineering hub in Dublin.

The HR tech company, which digitises people processes to unlock the productive potential of European SMEs, has grown its Dublin presence from the ground up, building a team of 40 people  since opening its office in the city in April 2020. And Personio is executing on a fast-paced upward growth trajectory, with plans to grow the size of its Irish presence almost fivefold, to 180 by the end of 2021.



Offering SMEs recruiting, HR management and payroll support through its all-in-one HR software, Personio operates from three other European offices  in Munich, London, and Madrid. The Dublin office  which is headed up by Geraldine MacCarthy, Personios Chief Revenue Officer  opened its doors in April 2020.



Personio has seen huge success over the past year, doubling its business in terms of customers, revenue and employees and continuing to expand internationally, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. It has also experienced strong demand in its new markets, including the UK and Ireland.

Earlier this month, Personio announced $125 million of new and preemptive Series D funding in an investment round that values the business at $1.7 billion, placing Personio among the most valuable private software companies in Europe. This latest funding came only 12 months after the company received $75 million of Series C funding in 2020, bringing its total funding to $250 million since launching in 2015.

As the company continues to grow over the coming year, Personio is planning to nearly double the size of its team, from 550 to 1,000 employees. To make this happen, the company is hiring talent in all areas of the business with a particular focus on sales & marketing, customer operations and software engineering.

Welcoming the news, Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar said, "It is great to see that Dublin will become Personios new international business and software engineering hub. The company has gone from strength to strength since it set up in Dublin only a few short months ago and its really encouraging to see the addition of 140 new roles. This announcement once again demonstrates the attractiveness of Ireland for FDI. We offer the right conditions  particularly our skilled and talented workforce  to enable companies like Personio to grow and further embed its operations here. I wish the company every success with this new chapter."

Co-founder and CEO of Personio, Hanno Renner added, "As a European company, we are passionate about serving the needs of European SMEs, and Dublin's an ideal place to do that. The citys business-friendly environment and status, as a well-established international talent hub  one thats already helped many successful tech companies better serve the European market  made the decision to set up our fourth office here an easy one. With Dublin as the base for our international business and software engineering hub, were well-positioned to become Europes leading HR platform for SMEs."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
NEW HAVEN  The Rev. Boise Kimber, speaking on behalf of the Greater New Haven Clergy Association, expressed concern with the recent violence in New Haven, noting that there have been four homicides already this year.

We are very much concerned about the role of the city administration and how we are going to deal with this, said Kimber. It is of great concern, where we are today in New Haven.

As of Jan. 17, there had been nine shootings in New Haven in 2021, as well, up from two at the same point in 2020, according to city police. There had been 19 incidents of shots fired, up from six. There had been four homicides, up from zero at this point in 2020.

Two more shootings were reported over the weekend.

Kimber called on Mayor Justin Elicker to bring all parties to the table, including clergy, along with police, the public schools and the anti-violence organization Project Longevity, to combat the violence.

Kimber said clergy had met with State Attorney Patrick Griffin and U.S. Attorney John Durham about the issue, but had yet to connect with city officials.

Today, we are crying out in urgent form that this administration ... has to (begin) to talk and put some things in place for this community, for the shootings, for the homicides, for the carjacking(s), said Kimber. Peoples lives are at stake.

Elicker said Police Chief Otoniel Reyes has worked very hard to engage the community and the clergy, and I am willing to do so myself. We cant do this without the community.

Elicker said that, amid working to manage the issues around COVID-19, Project Longevity had scheduled its first call in quite some time for Tuesday.

Its a major way that we can engage with those involved in violence or at risk of being involved in violence, Elicker said.

Elicker said losing city residents prematurely to violence is tragic for our community.

Elicker also noted other steps the city is taking, including that Youth Connect, formerly called YouthStat, meets weekly to discuss and work on strategies to engage at risk youth, seeking to have probation and parole officials more involved in helping people to obtain services they need, and that the city soon will open a site for those recently released from prison to seek services.

Kimber also expressed opposition to the idea of the New Haven Police Departments budget being cut further and suggested the department needed greater manpower.

He advised residents to be careful as they moved through the city and exited their cars.

The clergy association has not yet advised their congregants to be careful, but was expecting to do so Monday evening, he said.

Were sounding an alarm today that New Haven needs help  very much so, and very soon, said Kimber. We need to find out what is happening and how we can assist these families where these young men are coming from.

Elicker said addressing violence is one the most challenging issues I feel we face as a city, noting the role systemic roots of inequality and lack of access to resources play.

It is a priority, he said. It is very challenging to address quickly and easily.

We solve this problem by investing in our communities, he said

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Former Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats meets with cadets and students studying cyber security and intelligence at The Citadel in 2018. There is a critical shortage of qualified cyber professionals within the Department of Defense, both military and civilian.

The Citadel and the nations five other Senior Military Colleges (SMC) are all developing aligned, Department of Defense Cybersecurity Institutes, funded by the federal government. The Citadel Department of Defense Cyber Institute and the other SMC cyber institutes will address the critical national security need for a larger cybersecurity workforce.

The SMCs are federally appointed military colleges offering higher education combined with required military training in the form of Reserve Officers Training Corps Programs or ROTC. Unlike the Federal Services Academies such as the U.S. Air Force Academy, many graduates of SMCs go into military service, but it is not required. The Citadel is only one of two SMCs that continues to offer a full, 24/7 military structure for its on campus, undergraduate population.

Each of the SMCs was awarded approximately $1.5 million in 2020 to form pilot cyber institutes, intended to grow the number of highly trained cybersecurity professionals serving America. The funds, included in the 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act, are part of a $10 million Department of Defense appropriation to the National Security Agency (NSA) for the SMC-based institutes.

There is a critical shortage of qualified cyber professionals within the Department of Defense, both military and civilian, said Cyber and Computer Science professor Shankar Banik, Ph.D., a co-director of The Citadel Center for Cyber, Intelligence and Security Studies. More than 500,000 cybersecurity jobs are open nationally. The objective of The Citadel Department of Defense Institute is to provide leaders who are experts in cybersecurity and have the skills and real world experience to join the cyber workforce immediately after graduation.

Banik says within The Citadel Department of Defense Cyber Institute there is a new Cyber Leaders Development Program (CLDP). Each year, 20 cadets will be selected for CLDP and provided with stipends and specialized training. They can pursue a major in Cyber Operations, or a major in Computer Science, with a minor in Cybersecurity, or a major in Computer Science with a minor in Data Science.

I am so pleased to partner with the Senior Military Colleges to initiate the Department of Defense Cyber Institute pilot program said Diane M. Janosek, the commandant of NSAs National Cryptologic School. The Nations focus and investment in these six elite institutions is a key element in the expansion of the talent pipeline. These graduating cybersecurity professionals will go on to serve either on Active duty or in the National Guard or Reserves as service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines or as Department of Defense civilians.

Objectives of The Citadel Department of Defense Cyber Institute:

1. Develop principled leaders with a cybersecurity skillset wholl be able to join the cybersecurity workforce on day one after graduation

2. Establish a Cyber Lab to provide the type of training required by the Department of Defense

3. Organize cybersecurity summer camps for K-12 teachers and students, creating a pipeline for the cybersecurity workforce

4. Develop and organize cybersecurity boot camps for the South Carolina National Guard

5. Provide experiential learning opportunities to cadets through cyber competitions, internships and outreach activities

6. Encourage talented students to pursue academic programs in cybersecurity, with priority given to women and underrepresented minority students to increase the diversity in the cybersecurity workforce

7. Provide professional development opportunities for cyber faculty

8. Create cybersecurity awareness by organizing a Cybersecurity Day in the month of October (National Cybersecurity Awareness Month).

With The Citadels mission laser-focused on building principled leaders, and with the significant investment by the Department of Defense, our partnership with the other Senior Military Colleges stands to return enormous gains as we prepare the next generation of outstanding graduates skilled in executing cyber defense, said Darin T. Zimmerman, Ph.D., dean of the Swain Family School of Science and Mathematics.

The Citadel has been designated as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security since 2016.

COLUMBUS, OhioAn Ohio lawmaker is preparing to introduce a proposed Second Amendment Sanctuary State Act, designed to nullify any gun-control measures put into place by the Biden Administration.

The legislation, based on similar bills passed in Alaska, Idaho, Kansas and Wyoming, comes as several counties in Ohio have made similar declarations.

The proposed act would ban a number of steps that might reasonably be expected to create a chilling effect on the purchase or ownership of firearms, including taxes and fees, registering or tracking of gun owners, and gun confiscation from law-abiding citizens.

The draft language of the bill also states it is the duty of the courts and law enforcement agencies to protect Second Amendment rights, according to a news release.

State Rep. Mike Loychik, a freshman Republican from Trumbull County who plans to introduce the bill next week, said, the act, if passed, wouldnt void any existing state or federal gun laws.

Rather, he said, the measure is intended to block gun-control policies that gun-rights activists fear President Joe Biden might implement, such as tracking firearms sold at gun shows and taxing weapons and ammunition.

Loychik said the legislation is not meant to be just a political statement, but rather a law to be enforced. If passed, he said, any unconstitutional laws that are brought forth by the federal government that infringe on the Second Amendment, will be null and void in Ohio.

One potential problem, however, is the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which states that federal law generally trumps state law. Loychik said that was a concern and that hes looking into that issue with legislative staffers.

The name of the bill stems from sanctuary cities that pledge not to assist federal efforts to deport undocumented immigrants.

The Ohio General Assembly, which is dominated by Republicans, has passed a number of pro-gun measures in recent years, including removing the states ban on conceal-carry on college campuses and several other locations.

In the wake of a 2019 mass shooting in Dayton, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine put forward a number of gun-reform proposals, including a voluntary background check process for private gun sales and giving authorities greater power to send people with drug or alcohol problems to a psychiatric hospital, where they cannot legally have access to guns. However, DeWines gun plan has so far gone nowhere in the Ohio General Assembly.

Read more Ohio politics and government stories:

Ohio set to start vaccinating school staff ahead of schedule, governor says

Gov. Mike DeWine: Ohios coronavirus curfew could be shortened or lifted if hospitalizations keep dropping

Ohio Supreme Court mulls whether Volkswagen should pay state hundreds of billions for emissions scandal

Gov. Mike DeWine announces tens of thousands of leftover vaccines will go to older Ohioans

Per-pupil spending not necessarily tied to school performance, state auditors report claims
"Post Reports" is the daily podcast from The Washington Post. Unparalleled reporting. Expert insight. Clear analysis. Everything you've come to expect from the newsroom of The Post - for your ears.

- - -

In this episode:

When Joe Biden took office last week, he promised sweeping, bipartisan legislation to solve the pandemic, fix the economy and update immigration policies. Days later, the Senate ground to a halt, its members unable to agree on rules for how the evenly divided body should operate. Mike DeBonis unpacks the standstill.

At the start of the pandemic, grocery workers were lauded by their companies and customers for their essential work. Some leveraged that support into hazard pay. Some successfully pushed for mask enforcement in their stores. Almost a year later, they're still on the front lines every day - but appreciation for their sacrifice has waned. May-Ying Lam reports on the plight of these essential workers.

France has had a slow vaccine rollout, especially compared with its European neighbors such as Germany. Rick Noack explains the delays facing one of the world's most vaccine-skeptical countries.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 26, 2021 - 23:15 | All, Coronavirus, Japan

TOKYO - A growing number of people in the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Japan's ruling party believe it will be necessary to extend the state of emergency for parts of the country continuing to see a high number of coronavirus cases, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The state of emergency, which entails urging the public to refrain from going outside unnecessarily and asking restaurants and bars to shorten their opening hours, could remain in place until the end of February, the sources said. The current end date is Feb. 7.

The government will ask health experts next week whether the number of coronavirus cases in the prefectures in question -- Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Tochigi, Aichi, Gifu, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Fukuoka -- and the strain on the medical system warrant an extension.

Yasutoshi Nishimura, minister in charge of Japan's COVID-19 response, said at a parliamentary committee meeting on Tuesday the government will avoid waiting until the last minute to announce its decision so the prefectures will not be caught off guard.

Suga, meanwhile, admitted Japan's medical system has been ill-prepared to deal with the surge in COVID-19 patients, acknowledging that more lives may have been saved had proper treatment been available.

The rare admission of fault comes as public support for Suga's administration continues to dwindle amid mounting dissatisfaction with his pandemic response.

Asked by opposition lawmaker Kiyomi Tsujimoto in the meeting of the House of Representatives' Budget Committee whether he felt responsible for COVID-19 patients that died at home after being turned away from hospitals, Suga said "As the one in charge, I feel terribly sorry."

"We have not been able to provide the necessary care, and I recognize that because of this the Japanese people are feeling anxious," Suga said.

The Tokyo metropolitan government reported on Tuesday 1,026 new cases of the novel coronavirus, with the count exceeding 1,000 for the first time in three days.

The capital has seen four-digit daily increases almost every day since entering January, but the figures have been trending downward in recent days as people have been urged not to go outside unnecessarily and restaurants asked to shorten their opening hours under a state of emergency. Tokyo's cumulative cases now stand at 95,534. The nationwide tally reported on Tuesday was around 3,850.

Concern over the strain on the medical system persists, with the number of serious cases hovering around 150 and a notable increase in cases of people dying at home.

While Suga said he is aware of "various concerns" among the public over this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, he is determined to continue preparations to hold a "safe and secure" games with the necessary coronavirus measures in place.

The prime minister meanwhile dismissed calls from the opposition to rework a nearly 20 trillion yen ($190 billion) supplementary budget for fiscal 2020 set to be enacted this week.

The spending plan includes more than 1 trillion yen for the government's "Go To Travel" subsidy program, which was meant to spur domestic tourism but was suspended after Suga declared a one-month state of emergency in the Tokyo metropolitan area on Jan. 7, later expanded to cover 11 of Japan's 47 prefectures.

Suga also said he is not planning a repeat of last year's distribution of a 100,000 yen ($960) stimulus to each of Japan's 126 million residents, saying the government is taking more targeted steps to keep businesses going and protect jobs.

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 14:49:32|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's adorable giant panda painting art exhibition opened in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, on Monday afternoon, attracting scores of visitors.

Held at the Chinese Culture House, the 10-day event displayed dozens of giant panda paintings and sculptures that depicted the graceful life of the rare animal.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Zuo Wenxing, political counselor of the Chinese embassy to Cambodia, said giant pandas, a national treasure in China, symbolized friendship and peace.

"The giant panda is a cross-border messenger who helps promote Chinese culture to the world," she said.

"I believe that the exhibition will further promote cultural exchanges between China and Cambodia, enhance mutual understanding and profound friendship between the two peoples, and inject a fresh impetus into the cultural cooperation between the two countries," Zuo added.

Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts Secretary of State Minh Kosny said the event would contribute further to enhancing people-to-people bonds between the two countries.

"The exhibition is vital to help visitors to further understand about the giant panda, which is the national treasure in China," she said.

Adored around the world, the giant panda is perhaps the most powerful symbol in the world when it comes to species conservation, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said, adding that the species remains one of the rarest and most endangered bears in the world.

Ngov Thaylong, a 22-year-old visitor, said the exhibition showed China's efforts to conserve this rare species, and it would help visitors to better understand about Chinese culture.

"This is the first time I see the giant panda painting art show," he told Xinhua. "These paintings are so beautiful and vivid. The painters are really professional and talented."

"I like giant pandas because they look so cute," said another visitor Sok Heng, 17.

"I hope this exhibition will help raise awareness of the conservation of this globally endangered species," she added. Enditem
Tunis, Tunisia (PANA)  The Tunisian ministry of Health on Monday announced the imposition of an obligatory confinement at home or at the hotel for seven days for all travelers arriving in the country
Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who is currently promoting her memoir Unfinished, talked about the racist bullying she had to face as a teenager when she was attending a high-school in the United States. Priyanka had moved to the US at the age of 13 and studied in Massachusetts, Iowa, and New York City. She had previously recounted her experience where she was called racial slurs aimed at South Asians including 'brownie' and 'curry.'

In a new interview with Marie Claire, Priyanka was asked about her experiences. She said, In high school, I feel like the kids who were after me didnt even understand why. I think its that they decided that they were more powerful than someone elsemeand when you pick on someone, its because youre insecure. Bullying happens to kids and adults. It happens with positions of power, and weve all seen that abused in multiple ways."

She added, It affected me adversely. It affected my confidence; it affected who I wanted to be. I felt exposed, when your skin is raw.

On the work front, she recently completed the shooting schedule of her new film Text For You in London. Priyanka was last seen in The White Tiger starring Rajkummar Rao and Adarsh Gourav, which released on Netflix on January 22. The film is an adaptation of Aravind Adiga's Man Booker-winning novel of the same name.

Priyanka will also star in Citadel, an Amazon Spy series directed by Raj and DK and produced by Anthony and Joe Russo. She will also be seen in Matrix 4, which is expected to release later this year. The film is produced, co-written and directed by Lana Wachowski, who co-directed and co-wrote three of the previous films with her sister Lilly. Matrix 4 stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Ann Moss, Jada Pinket Smith and Neil Patrick Harris among others.
[January 26, 2021] Everything But the House Announces Five Year Growth Plan

CINCINNATI, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Everything But the House (EBTH), a full-service consignment and e-commerce marketplace for pre-owned goods announced their commitment to create more than 800 new jobs in Ohio by the end of 2025. The City of Blue Ash council members believe that EBTH's investment in job creation will support the local economy as founders Brian Graves and Jacquie Denny continue to grow the company as a leader in the secondhand market. Everything But the House is thriving in a renewed marketplace of shoppers who value secondhand goods. Job creation will be focused within the city of Blue Ash and is projected to add over $40,000,000 in payroll over the next five years. The company's focused expansion is being assisted by its partnership with REDI Cincinnati and incentives from JobsOhio, the City of Blue Ash, and the Ohio Development Services Agency. "The team at EBTH is excited to be partnering with our home city of Blue Ash, the State of Ohio and JobsOhio to propel EBTH forward on this new path of growth. Jacquie and I are extremely passionate about continuing to carry on the legacy of pre-oned goods that benefits both our community and environment" said Brian Graves, Founder & President, EBTH.



Since Brian and Jacquie's return as owners in the last year, EBTH has processed more than 280,000 items and delivered them to a growing audience of shoppers worldwide. Currently EBTH has 325 employees across two Ohio warehouses  their headquarters based in Blue Ash, Ohio at 217,000 sq ft and a secondary 24,000 sq ft facility outside of Columbus  where team members research, authenticate, photograph, and curate items listed for sale on EBTH.com. It is the company's Uncommon Promise that every item listed is authenticated or validated, presented clearly and accurately, and is handled with utmost care. "The Cincinnati region has been recognized as a top up-and-coming tech market and EBTH's story shows that the region is a place where startups do grow and thrive," said Kimm Lauterbach, REDI Cincinnati president and CEO. "JobsOhio and REDI Cincinnati are confident the e-commerce space will build on the record growth in 2020, and EBTH is poised to benefit thanks to its investment in Blue Ash."

New hires will fuel initiatives to grow the company's national footprint through logistics, fulfillment, item processing, technology and their growing sales and marketing departments. Together, these roles support EBTH's commitment to giving items a new life and sharing the beauty of Everything Uncommon, one auction at a time. "The City of Blue Ash is excited to partner with Everything But The House for this major expansion of their headquarters," said Neil Hensley, economic development director for the City of Blue Ash. "We are grateful for their commitment to create more than 800 new jobs in our community and look forward to working closely with them as they expand in Blue Ash." About EBTH

Everything But The House is a leading full-service consignment and online marketplace for pre-owned and Uncommon things. Founders, Jacquie Denny and Brian Graves, posted their first sale to EBTH.com in 2008 changing the way pre-owned goods are discovered. The site features an ever-changing assortment of thousands of uniquely curated, carefully authenticated art, jewelry, antiques, fashion, collectibles and other items. EBTH partners with collectors, consigners, businesses and homeowners to connect a world of shoppers seeking rare and wonderful things. For press information contact:

Micah Paldino

micah@makepbj.com

513.668.7676 Stuart Lindle

stuart@makepbj.com

513.482.9541 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/everything-but-the-house-announces-five-year-growth-plan-301215481.html SOURCE Everything But the House

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The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 farmer unions leading the protests, disassociated itself from those who indulged in violence during the tractor parade and alleged that some 'anti-social elements' infiltrated their otherwise peaceful movement

Tens of thousands of protesting farmers marched, rode horses and drove long lines of tractors into Delhi on Tuesday as part of a Republic Day tractor march to reassert their demand for the repeal of the three contentious farm laws on Tuesday. However, some of the protesters broke through police barricades to storm the historic Red Fort on Republic Day  a deeply symbolic act that revealed the scale of their challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modis government.

Scenes of deep chaos and violence unfurled on the arterial streets of the National Capital as police lodged tear gas shells and baton-charged the protesters. While Delhi Police claimed 86 of its personnel were hurt, a report in News18 quoted seven farmer organisations to claim over 1,000 people sustained injuries while one person lost his life.

Calm was restored after the Delhi Police forcefully removed protesters from the Red Fort, while the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha  an amalgamation of several smaller farmer bodies  also decided to call off the Republic Day tractor march in the evening.

Meanwhile, traffic went haywire on Delhi streets; long rows of automobiles were stuck on key connecting road circuits including the National Highway 24 and 29, the Barapulah and DND flyovers, Vikas Marg, Delhi Gate and the road leading to Anand Vihar ISBT.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation closed off the entry and exit points of at least 20 stations at one point, however, the situation slowly returned to normal by late evening.

Violence on Delhi streets; police claims farmers violated pre-agreed

Clashes broke out in multiple places, leading to violence in well-known landmarks of Delhi and its suburbs, amid waves of violence that ebbed and flowed through the day. While there were no exact estimates of how many farmers were hurt, Delhi Police officials said 86 of their men were injured through the day.

Police said one protester died after his tractor overturned, but farmers said he was shot. Television channels showed several bloodied protesters. Leaders of the farmers said more than 10,000 tractors joined the protest.

Not carrying weapons, following fixed routes and entering Delhi with tractors sans trolleys, were among the several conditions set by farmer leaders and police that were violated by some participants of the tractor parade.

The condition that more than five people will not be seated in tractors was also not followed during the march which turned violent with people opposing the Centre's new agri laws and police clashing at several places of the city.

Leaders of farmer unions had on Sunday outlined conditions for the tractor parade in Delhi.

They had appealed to the participants of the tractor rally on Republic Day to maintain peace and asked them not to carry weapons, drink alcohol or carry banners with inciting messages. Protestors were asked to specifically follow three routes originating from the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points of the National Capital.

The conditions were agreed upon by union leaders after meetings with the Delhi Police. It was also decided that the tractor rally will start after the Republic Day ceremony concludes, but a section of farmers started it before the scheduled time. Some farmers from the Singhu and the Ghazipur borders also deviated from the fixed routes and headed towards Delhi.

The farmers removed barriers as they pushed ahead and clashed with police personnel who tried to stop them. At many places, they were seen carrying sticks, swords and other sharp-edged weapons and chasing away policemen, PTI said.

A group of farmers who drove from the Ghazipur border to ITO and later reached Red Fort clashed with the police and were seen hitting policemen with sticks. Some protesters near Akshardham were also seen carrying swords and chasing policemen.

As police tried to control the mob of protesters firing tear gas shells, it retaliated with stone-pelting and damaged many vehicles, including buses and police vehicles, PTI reported.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha called off the tractor parade by farmers on Tuesday evening and appealed to participants to immediately return to their respective protest sites.

"We have called off the farmers' Republic Day parade with immediate effect and appealed to all participants to immediately return back to their respective protest sites," the farmers' union body said in a statement.

The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 farmer unions, is leading the protest against the three central farm laws at several border points of Delhi.

Earlier today, the Kisan Morcha disassociated itself from those who indulged in violence during the tractor parade and alleged that some "antisocial elements" infiltrated their otherwise peaceful movement.

Delhi Police register four FIRs

The Delhi Police on Tuesday registered four FIRs in connection with the protesting farmers' tractor parade, officials told PTI.

"Three FIRs were registered in east district and one in Shahdara district on Tuesday," a police official said.

In a statement, the city police said protesting farmers violated the pre-decided conditions agreed upon for their tractor parade.

"The farmers began tractor rally before the scheduled time. They also resorted to violence and vandalism," Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal said.

"We followed all conditions as promised and did our due diligence but the protest led to extensive damage to public property," he said.

Religious flag at centre of controversy

A protester "disrespecting" the Tricolour at Red Fort, a site where traditionally the National Flag has been unfurled on every Independence Day, has led to outrage.

The roots of the controversy lay in a video clip showing a protester climbing up a flagpole, and throwing away the Tricolour when he was offered one from the crowd around him. He took a flag with Sikh religious symbol  which was mistaken as a Khalistani flag by some.

Some claimed that the National Flag was replaced from the top of the main dome.

However, later it was clarified that the National Flag was not replaced and the Sikh flag was unfurled on an empty flagpole. However, a few people still took umbrage to the fact that a religious flag was flown parallel to the Tricolour at the historic building.

Actor Deep Sidhu, who was among those present during the incident, on Tuesday sought to defend their action, saying it was a symbolic protest and they did not remove the Tricolour.

To symbolically register our protest against the new farm legislations, we put up 'Nishan Sahib' and a farmer flag and also raised a slogan of Kisan Mazdoor Ekta, said Sidhu.

The flag represents the country's unity in diversity, he said while pointing towards the 'Nishan Sahib', a symbol of Sikh religion seen at all Gurdwara complexes.

Yogendra Yadav takes responsibility for 'shameful events'; Opposition condones Centre's actions

Leaders across the political spectrum on Tuesday condemned the violence and the Red Fort incident, with the Congress' Shashi Tharoor saying he supported the farmers' protests from the start but cannot condone "lawlessness".

"Most unfortunate. I have supported the farmers' protests from the start, but I cannot condone lawlessness. And on #RepublicDay no flag but the sacred Tiranga should fly aloft the Red Fort," the former Union minister said on Twitter, tagging a tweet that carried a video of the incident.

Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav, who is among the leaders spearheading the agitation against the farm laws, said they had distanced Sidhu "from our protest right from the beginning".

"When he (actor Sidhu) participated in a protest at Shambu border and seeing their activities, the farmer unions had decided to keep them away from our movement," he said.

"Being a part of the protest," he said, "I feel ashamed of the way things proceeded and I take responsibility for it."

Prominent opposition leaders including Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar and MK Stalin also held the Centre responsible for pushing the situation this far and adopting a regrettable attitude towards farmers.

Banerjee expresses concern over the situation in Delhi. Centres insensitive attitude and indifference towards our farmer brothers and sisters have to be blamed for this situation, she added.

Pawar said that the violence can't be defended and that a way out should have been found over the farmers demands without hurting the protesters who have been agitating for two months.

Pawar said it was the responsibility of the Centre to note why the farmers who were protesting peacefully till now turned angry and added the government should have handled the agitators accordingly. "But it did not happen and the situation deteriorated," Pawar said, adding, "It is my expectation that the Centre shows prudence and gives up its extreme position on the issue while holding dialogue with these (farmers) bodies."

Stalin squarely blamed the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and the Centre for Tuesday's events, saying that if the AIADMK had opposed the draconian laws, it would not have been passed in the Parliament.

He also regretted the Centre's attitude towards the farmers and claimed the talks and negotiations held so far were an eyewash.

With inputs from PTI
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Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has said 'all violence' will be reviewed as part of the Biden administration's efforts to tackle domestic violent extremism of all political stripes in the wake of the January 6 riot on the US Capitol as well as recent unrest in Portland, Seattle and Denver.

Speaking in the White House press briefing Tuesday, Psaki confirmed that the national security team will look at all violence going on nationwide through the same lens - whether from right-wing extremists or left-wing agitators.

'All violence happening around the country will be reviewed by the national security team,' Psaki said.

Her comments came after Fox News Journalist Peter Doocy asked if the office of Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines is branding the people who participated in riots in Portland, Oregon, as 'domestic violent extremists' alongside the Capitol rioters.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki (above) has said 'all violence' will be reviewed as part of the Biden administration's efforts to tackle domestic violent extremism in the wake of the January 6 riot on the US Capitol as well as the recent unrest in Portland, Seattle and Denver

Psaki announced Friday that President Joe Biden had directed law enforcement and intelligence officials to study the threat of domestic violent extremism in the US.

This came just two days after Biden took office in a scaled-down inauguration ceremony in the wake of the January 6 insurrection where Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, attacked law enforcement, looted sensitive items including Nancy Pelosi's laptop and sent lawmakers fleeing for their lives.

Five died in the violent insurrection, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick who was killed after being struck over the head with a fire extinguisher.

Violence also erupted in other cities along the Pacific Northwest last week just hours after Biden was sworn in as the 46th president.

So-called Anti-fascist rioters, or antifa, smashed the windows of Portland's Democratic Party headquarters and threw rocks and eggs at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in the city.

Meanwhile, in Denver and Seattle, demonstrators burned US flags, vandalized store fronts and held aloft signs reading 'We don't want Biden, we want revenge!'

Psaki condemned the riots in Monday's White House press conference, saying smashing windows and looting is 'totally unacceptable' and not a peaceful protest.

WASHINGTON DC: On January 6 Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, attacked law enforcement, looted sensitive items including Nancy Pelosi's laptop and sent lawmakers fleeing for their lives

PORTLAND, OREGON: Anti-fascist rioters smashed the windows of Portland 's Democratic Party headquarters and threw rocks and eggs at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in the city on inauguration day

'President Biden condemns violence - and any violence - in the strongest possible terms,' she said.

'Peaceful protests are a cornerstone of our democracy but smashing windows is not protesting and neither is looting, and actions like these are totally unacceptable.'

She added: 'Actions like these are totally unacceptable and anyone who committed a crime should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.'

The White House announced Friday the launch of a 'comprehensive threat assessment' coordinated by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

The review will be used as a foundation to develop policy, the White House said.

The National Security Council will do its own policy review to see how information about the problem can be better shared across the government.

DENVER, COLORADO: Demonstrators burned US flags on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol on January 20

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON STATE: Store fronts were vandalized in downtown Seattle on inauguration day

'The January 6 assault on the Capitol and the tragic deaths and destruction that occurred underscored what we all know: The rise of domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing national security threat,' Psaki said when announcing the review.

She told reporters 'more needs to be done' - a sentiment echoed by the Democratic chair of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff who said it was 'critical' the new administration tackles the threat of extremism on home soil.

'In particular, far-right, white supremacist extremism, nurtured on online platforms, has become one of the most dangerous threats to our nation,' Schiff said.

Avril Haines was confirmed on inauguration day to the nations top intelligence job as the new Director of National Intelligence

Counter-terrorism experts including retired Army General Stanley McChrystal have warned that violent extremist movements are growing in the US in the days that followed the January 6 riot.

McChrystal, the former commander of American troops in Afghanistan, compared the MAGA riot to the evolution of Al-Qaeda saying in both instances people followed a 'powerful leader' who 'justified their violence', as he warned America is headed for a homegrown insurgency in an interview with Yahoo News.

He said there are terrifying parallels between the birth of the terrorist group responsible for the September 11 terrorist attacks and the violent siege on the US Capitol last week that left five dead and sent shockwaves around the world.

'I did see a similar dynamic in the evolution of al-Qaida in Iraq, where a whole generation of angry Arab youth with very poor prospects followed a powerful leader who promised to take them back in time to a better place, and he led them to embrace an ideology that justified their violence,' McChrystal told Yahoo News.

'This is now happening in America.'

Across the sea of MAGA mob rioters paraphernalia and flags promoting several extremist groups including white supremacists, neo-Nazis and Proud Boys were visible.

Haines was confirmed on inauguration day to the nations top intelligence job as the new Director of National Intelligence.
Human remains found inside a wheelie bin floating in a dam in Perths hills have been identified by police.

The 51-year-old Perth man had been missing for more than a week but police never issued a public plea for his whereabouts.

The mans body was discovered on Monday afternoon by a group of people on a picnic at John Forrest National Park who noticed an awful smell coming from Glen Brook Dam.

Police were called and found the remains wrapped in plastic inside the bin.
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Twitter has permanently suspended MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell  one of President Trumps most conspicuous remaining public defenders  for peddling debunked conspiracy theories about voter fraud in the 2020 elections.

Mr. Lindells Twitter account, which had nearly 413,000 followers, was permanently suspended due to repeated violations of our Civic Integrity Policy, Lauren Alexander, a Twitter spokeswoman, said in an email.

Mr. Trumps own account was permanently closed earlier this month for much the same reason  setting off a chain of high-profile bans imposed amid concerns that Mr. Trump and his supporters would use the platform to incite more violence, like the storming of the Capitol earlier this month.

After the Capitol attack, Twitter said it had updated its rules to more aggressively police false or misleading information about the presidential election. As part of that move, Twitter has moved to suspend the accounts of more than 70,000 people who have promoted content related to QAnon, a fringe pro-Trump group that the F.B.I. has labeled a domestic terrorist threat.
[January 26, 2021] Habitat for Humanity Selects Unit4 to Deliver New Digital Platform and People Experience

NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unit4, a leader in enterprise cloud applications for mid-market services organizations, today announced that Habitat for Humanity International has selected Unit4 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Financial Planning & Analytics (FP&A), implemented using its Nonprofit Model for Cloud ERP, to deliver visibility and control over finances, projects, procurement, reporting, forecasting and payroll. Since 1976, Habitat has supported families around the world by working alongside them to build and improve places to call home, working in all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Habitat is making affordable housing more accessible, sustainable and energy efficient. The organization has grown from a grassroots concept to a global federated entity, resulting in a highly fragmented, complex, and manual operating environment, with a combination of large point solutions, niche and supplementary systems. Habitat for Humanity required a purpose-built solution, proven in nonprofit organizations, with industry-native functionality that would align its technology stack and automate and streamline processes to transform the way it plans and executes programs. Increased visibility to track the impact of donations is critical to preventing disruptions, and to enable it to become more agile and transparent. Working with Unit4 to implemnt its Nonprofit Model for Cloud ERP, Habitat will benefit from:



An implementation model developed specifically for the needs of project-based non-profits, with pre-configured processes and the flexibility to adapt the solution to the organization's needs for quicker time-to-value.

Highly adaptive and intuitive systems built for people-centric organizations with native non-profit processes, including project and grant management combined with integrated people planning and financial reporting.

Optimized funding allocation strengthening donor relationships with transparent reporting on the impact delivered by programs.

Better visibility to forecast and allocate people and resources more effectively, with simple access to data and insights for faster, better-informed decisions.

Improved compliance and accountability, safeguarding public trust and satisfying regulatory and donor requirements while keeping projects and costs under close control. Comments on the news: "As a global nonprofit organization, we are compelled to be efficient stewards of the resources entrusted to us by our donors so that we are best able to serve more families through safe, decent and affordable housing," said Mike Carscaddon, chief financial officer for Habitat for Humanity International. "We look forward to working with Unit4 to design, build and implement an enterprise resource planning system that will best support Habitat's mission and our people."

"We're focused on building a strong and lasting partnership with Habitat to modernize their business systems and achieve their goals for program impact. As a truly global service-centric organization, Habitat for Humanity has a clear vision and specific industry requirements that its systems partner must understand and support to deliver true value," said Mike Ettling, CEO of Unit4. "Our ERP solution for nonprofits will help them increase visibility and control across projects, while supporting their people to be more productive." Related Resources: Read more about our solutions for non-profit organizations

Learn more about how Unit4 is supporting non-profits like Warchild to improve global insights and efficiency

Read about the Unit4 non-profit industry model for ERP To keep up to date with the latest content and information from Unit4, subscribe to our blogs About Unit4 Unit4's next-generation enterprise solutions power many of the world's most people-focused mid-market services organizations. Our cloud ERP, HCM and FP&A applications transform work to be more meaningful and inspiring through software that's self-driving, adaptive and intuitive, intelligently automating administrative tasks while providing easy access to the answers people need. Unit4 serves more than 6,000 customers in industries including professional services, public sector, nonprofit, and education. For more information please visit https://www.unit4.com/, follow us on Twitter @Unit4global , or visit our LinkedIn page CONTACT: Nicole Paleologus, 1-215-478-4815, nicolep@sspr.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/habitat-for-humanity-selects-unit4-to-deliver-new-digital-platform-and-people-experience-301214900.html SOURCE Unit4

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In the hours before the fire that killed Tony Hsieh, the retired CEO of the online shoe retailer Zappos, two previous fires were extinguished in the shed where he slept and his brother and a friend checked on him in regular intervals before the final fire, according to a Connecticut investigator's report released Tuesday.

FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2013, file photo, Tony Hsieh speaks during a Grand Rapids Economic Club luncheon in Grand Rapids, Mich. Hsieh, retired CEO of Las Vegas-based online shoe retailer Zappos.com, has died. Hsieh was with family when he died Friday, Nov. 27, 2020, according to a statement from DTP Companies, which he founded. Downtown Partnership spokesperson Megan Fazio says Hsieh passed away in Connecticut, KLAS-TV reported. Hsieh recently retired from Zappos after 20 years leading the company. He worked to revitalize the Las Vegas area. (Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP, File)

In the hours before the fire that killed Tony Hsieh, the retired CEO of the online shoe retailer Zappos, two previous fires were extinguished in the shed where he slept and his brother and a friend checked on him in regular intervals before the final fire, according to a Connecticut investigator's report released Tuesday.

New London Fire Marshal Vernon Skau's report detailed the odd series of events that preceded the Nov. 18 fire at the riverfront home of Hsieh's friend, Rachael Brown. Hsieh, 46, died of complications from smoke inhalation, the state's chief medical examiner previously ruled.

Skau announced he was unable to determine the exact cause of the fire, or whether it was accidental or intentional. There was evidence that Hsieh was impaired or intoxicated, but it wasn't clear if that played a role, he said. New London police said there was no criminal aspect to the fire.

Evidence found where the final fire started included discarded cigarettes, a marijuana pipe, liquor bottles, several candles and nitrous oxide containers known to be used for whippits to get high, Skau said. Hsieh also was using a propane heater that was found to have been partially disassembled when found by investigators.

Evidence also showed that Hsieh, as the final fire intensified, locked himself in the shed, which was attached to the side of Brown's home.

It is possible that carelessly discarded smoking material (either cigarettes or marijuana) is the cause of the fire, Skaus report said. It is possible the misuse of candles started this fire. ... It is possible that carelessness or even an intentional act by Hsieh could have started this fire.

The report gave the following account, based on witness statements and video recordings, of the events late in the evening of Nov. 17 and in the early morning hours of Nov. 18.

Hsieh brought a group of friends and personal employees to Brown's home to stay for a few days before a planned trip to Hawaii. Anthony Hebert, who told police he was Hsieh's personal assistant, said Hsieh had recently retired from Zappos due to mental health concerns" and a mid-life crisis. He was also distraught over the death of his dog a few days before the fire.

Hebert said he had never heard Hsieh make any suicidal or homicidal statements.

At about 11:30 p.m. on the night of the fire, Hsieh and Brown got into an argument over the cleanliness of the house and Hsieh ended up going into the shed to sleep until an early morning flight to Hawaii.

While Hsieh was in the shed over the next several hours, Hebert checked on him every 10 minutes and he and others brought Hsieh a variety of items including water, a protein shake, pizza, cigarettes and whippit containers. The deliveries were recorded by a surveillance camera above the shed door.

While in the shed there were two small fires that were extinguished, Skau said. One began when a lit candle began burning a blanket near Hsieh, and Hsieh started a second one when he lit a small plastic bag on fire to keep warm. The temperature was about 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

After the plastic bag fire, Hebert told Hsieh that youre going to smoke yourself out and thats poison." Hsieh responded, Its poisonous but I used it to light a fire, according to Skau's report. Hebert then brought a portable propane heater into the shed.

At about 3:15 a.m., the video shows Hsieh opening the shed door and light smoke coming from the doorway. Hsieh pulled the propane heater out of the shed but then pulled it back in as more smoke developed. He then shut the door, and audio from the camera recorded what sounded like him locking the door, Skau said. The lock was a deadbolt and there was a keypad outside.

At about 3:20 a.m., Hsieh's brother, Andrew, who had taken over the regular checks of Hsieh, knocked on the shed door and told Hsieh it was time to leave for the airport, but Hsieh asked him to come back in five minutes.

When his brother and another friend went back to get him at 3:24 a.m., they discovered the fire and tried frantically to rescue Hsieh. They smashed a window and tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher, but were overcome by smoke and ashes. Other members of the group tried to open the shed doors, but they were locked.

Firefighters responding to a 911 call broke down the doors and pulled Hsieh out. He was brought to a local hospital and later the burn unit at Bridgeport Hospital, where he died.

Asked whether Hsieh's death could have been prevented, Skau said during a news conference Tuesday, I think like any situation such as this it could be prevented. ... If there was a smoke alarm in that shed, in that space, that could have given the notification to the family and friends that there was a problem in the shed, and that could have been early on.

The cause of the fire will likely remain undetermined unless new evidence emerges, officials said Tuesday.

Hsieh retired last year from Zappos after 20 years leading the online shoe retailer. He was a Harvard University graduate who joined the company  then called ShoeSite.com  in 1999. Zappos was sold to Amazon for $1.2 billion in 2009, but Hsieh had remained with the company until his retirement. Hsieh was also known for working for years to transform downtown Las Vegas.
Science/Medicine

Prospective mapping of viral mutations that escape antibodies used to treat COVID-19 Science

International team of scientists identifies new treatment for COVID-19 that appears to be far more effective than drugs in use now Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Great to see more work on treatments, but wish that had been a serious focus of official effort.

Eli Lillys antibody combination reduces risk of death from COVID-19: study Reuters

Oh, and finally some confirmation of our repeatedly stated views about Magic Covid Vaccines: Vaccines have been oversold as the pandemic exit strategy Financial Times

Moderna vaccine appears to work against variants BBC (furzy). Not at ALL consistent with the actual state of play, which is studies in real humans have yet to be done:

6) Second, the Company is advancing an emerging variant booster candidate (mRNA-1273.351) against the B.1.351 variant first identified in the Republic of South Africa. The Company is advancing mRNA-1273.351 into preclinical studies and a Phase 1 study in the U.S.  Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) January 25, 2021

Note in this tweet from a few days back that Bloomberg takes care not to go all in

Pfizer and BioNTech build the case that their Covid-19 vaccine will protect against the new variant of the coronavirus that emerged in the U.K. https://t.co/EyLovouHlt  Bloomberg (@business) January 23, 2021

Gorilla Gets Monoclonal Antibody Therapy For COVID-19 NPR (David L)
More than 5,000 National Guard troops will remain in Washington through mid-March to provide security amid concerns over potential unrest in the coming weeks, acting Secretary of the Army John Whitley said in a press briefing on Monday.

There are currently 15,000 troops in the city with the numbers due to be reduced to 7,000 by the end of the week and 5,600 by mid-March, according to National Guard Bureau Chief Gen. Daniel Hokanson.

Five hundred members will support the US Park Police and 550 members will support the Metropolitan Police Department over the next two weeks. Another 5,000 will continue supporting Capitol Police and 600 will support the US Secret Service through mid-March, Whitley said.

"There are several upcoming events -- we don't know what they are -- over the next several weeks, and they're concerned that there could be situations where there are lawful protests, First Amendment-protected protests, that could either be used by malicious actors, or other problems that could emerge," Whitley said.

As CNN previously reported, 25,000 National Guard troops were brought to Washington to help secure the city through President Joe Biden's inauguration following the deadly riot at the US Capitol earlier in the month. And discussions had been taking place to keep thousands of troops in the district until March because of concerns about potential unrest during the upcoming impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump and around Biden's first joint address to Congress.

The concerns stem from what defense officials say is ongoing chatter about demonstrations picked up by federal law enforcement. On Thursday, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser referenced "intelligence from our federal partners that would suggest that we need more presence," but she did not elaborate.

National Guard members remaining in Washington will provide the law enforcement agencies they are assisting with security, communication, medical evacuation, logistical and safety support, Whitley said.

It was also confirmed Monday that there has been a coronavirus outbreak among the National Guard troops in the city.

Two hundred National Guard troops have tested positive for Covid-19 while on duty in Washington, Major General William J. Walker, head of the DC National Guard, said. The 200 who have tested positive are being treated and quarantined, he added.

"Once we send a soldier or airman to a facility for a test, they come up positive, they are quarantined, and they remain here until they are cleared to go back to their state," Walker said.

Hokanson said each guardsman who has tested positive for Covid-19 will quarantine for 14 days in order to make sure they are fully recovered before they return home.
Germany's health ministry on Tuesday joined AstraZeneca in rubbishing reports quoting unnamed government sources that claimed the British-Swedish company's Covid-19 vaccine showed little efficacy for people above 65.

Handelsblatt economic daily had reported Monday that Berlin had estimated the efficacy of the jab among over-65s was just eight percent, citing unnamed sources.

Separately, Bild daily quoted anonymous sources saying that Berlin did not expect the vaccine -- developed with Oxford University and set to get the green light from the EU this week -- would receive a licence for use in the elderly. It quoted an efficacy rate of "less than 10 percent".

But Germany's health ministry said Tuesday it "appears that two things have been mixed up in the reports."

"Around eight percent of the volunteers in AstraZeneca's efficacy studies were around 56 and 69 years old and three to four percent are above 70 years old," said the ministry.

"However, this does not mean that it is effective only in eight percent of older people," it added.

The health ministry added that European regulator EMA will evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine.

"It has been known since the autumn that fewer older people were involved in AstraZeneca's first studies than in other manufacturers'," it said.

- 'Completely incorrect' -

The company also rejected the German media reports as erroneous.

"Reports that the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine efficacy is as low as eight percent in adults over 65 years are completely incorrect," the firm said in a statement late Monday.

"In November, we published data in The Lancet demonstrating that older adults showed strong immune responses to the vaccine, with 100 percent of older adults generating spike-specific antibodies after the second dose," it added.

AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot told Germany's Die Welt newspaper on Tuesday he had "no idea" where the false claim came from, saying it was incredulous to think regulators would approve a vaccine that had an efficacy of just eight percent.

Story continues

He also hit back in a growing row with the European Union that erupted after AstraZeneca last week announced a delay in delivering millions of doses of its Covid-19 vaccine over unexplained "reduced yields" in its European supply chain.

The EU on Monday issued an angry warning, saying it would take "any action required to protect its citizens and its rights".

AstraZeneca's Soriot told Welt that the pharma company has a "best effort" agreement with the bloc to deliver a certain number of doses by a certain time, but was not contractually bound by it.

He also said that Britain, which is further along in its vaccine drive, had signed a deal for the jabs three months before Brussels did, which had allowed for more time to iron out supply issues.

The EU has currently authorised two vaccines for widespread distribution, manufactured by BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna.

It was set to add the AstraZeneca vaccine this week, on the understanding that it would be already on hand and available for immediate rollout.

bur-hmn/mfp/lc
Moscow, Jan 26 : Russia and the US have started expert-level work on the extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Monday.

"I can only say that experts are actively working in this direction. This is practical work and it has begun," Zakharova told a TV program.

Commenting on the future of Russian-US relations, the diplomat reiterated that the Donald Trump administration only complicated Washington-Moscow ties, which need to be mended in many spheres, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Also on Monday, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held a phone conversation to discuss the extension of the New START and Russian-US cooperation in the field of security.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that the Kremlin welcomes the US proposal on a full five-year extension of the New START, but it is significant to take each other's concerns into consideration.

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 key pact, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty in force between the two nuclear superpowers, will expire on Feb. 5.
Milan Loncar, 25, died suddenly Wednesday evening January 13 in Philadelphias Brewerytown section. That name will not be familiar to most readers beyond the immediate Philadelphia area. Im writing to acquaint a wider audience with Mr. Loncar and the circumstances of his tragic death.

Brewerytown is named after the many mostly German-American owned breweries operating in the neighborhood in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The area is booming, fueled by an influx of young singles, couples, and first-time home buyers and investors attracted by its affordability, cool vibe, and Philadelphias cultural attractions.

The downside is that, because of easy access by the criminally minded from surrounding high crime areas, Brewerytowns crime rates are markedly higher than the Philadelphia average. Milan Loncar encountered two criminally-minded young men that fateful evening on a desolate Philadelphia street corner.

Surveillance video shows Mr. Loncar walking Roo, his dachshund-Chihuahua mix dog, around seven oclock that evening when he was approached by two males during a random, crime-of-opportunity robbery attempt. One male pointed a handgun at the slightly built Loncar and then both started reaching toward his pants pockets. Finding nothing (he left his wallet at home) they shot him. He was pronounced dead minutes later at Temple University Hospital.

What makes the murder most terrible is the Milan Loncar his friends and family knew. Loncar, an engineering major, graduated from Temple in 2019. He was employed for about a year by a construction management company.

Jelena Loncar, 27, his sister, who lived close by, described him as selfless, constantly smiling.

I dont know if he was targeted. I dont know if they were going to rob anyone, she said. If hes walking his dog, why would he have a ton of cash on him. I dont get it.

I dont get it either. I doubt anyone does, except perhaps his killers.

Their mother, Amy Lounsberry, described him as a beloved sweet boy just starting his life. His girlfriend was planning to move in with him soon, and everything was coming together for him.

I did not know Milan, but his uncle, Nikola Loncar, 66, is a Facebook friend and Malvern resident. In a Facebook post, Nick wrote, He (Milan) was an extremely good and responsible childany conflict is unthinkable in his life.

Nick once told Milan and Jelena that if they ever had a problem, they should contact him immediately. Milan replied, Uncle, we dont cause problems. Dont worry.

His post continues, All five of our children grew up outside of Philadelphia on the Main Line, a place with excellent schools and extremely low crime rates. That is whythose who grew up in safe environments cannot even imagine the dangers of big cities.

Jelena now plans to move out of the city.

At the time of this writing, police have the alleged shooter, 20, in custody. Infuriatingly, the suspect, with two previous robbery convictions, was released December 29 on dramatically lowered bail in an armed kidnapping and an assault case.

As of midnight January 18, Philadelphia Police reported 27 homicides in 2021.

Each of those lives mattered to someone. With one exception.

Milan Loncars life meant nothing to his cold-blooded killers.

IMAGE: Milan Loncar.

MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / Quebec Precious Metals Corporation ("QPM" or the "Company") (TSXV:QPM)(OTCQB:CJCFF)(FSE:YXEP) is pleased to inform that Richard Nieminen has been appointed as senior exploration manager. Richard replaces Tony Brisson who has recently accepted the position of President and CEO of SOQUEM. He will be planning, coordinating and controlling all exploration activities of the Company in close collaboration with the technical team of the Company.

Mr. Nieminen has worked in mineral exploration and at mining operations in Quebec, elsewhere in Canada and internationally. He was part of teams that have received the prize of Prospector of the Year Award by the Association de l'exploration miniere du Quebec (AEMQ) for the discoveries of West Ansil (2005) and Bracemac-McLeod (2007). Until recently, M. Nieminen was the Exploration Manager for Radisson Mining Ressources. He is a professional geologist and a member of the Ordre des geologues du Quebec. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Geology (B.Sc., Earth Sciences) from the Universite du Quebec, Montreal.

"We are pleased to welcome Mr. Nieminen in our team. With 30 years of experience in exploration on a wide variety of projects including gold projects, he will strengthen our expertise to advance the Sakami project and other gold projects in the James Bay region. We also want to recognize the very significant contribution that Tony Brisson has made as senior exploration manager for QPM. Tony participated in the discovery process of the La Pointe Extension at Sakami and Lloyd at Elmer East."

About Quebec Precious Metals Corporation

QPM is a gold explorer with a large land position in the highly-prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's Eleonore gold mine. QPM's flagship project is the Sakami project with significant grades and well-defined drill-ready targets. QPM's goal is to rapidly explore the project to advance it to the mineral resource estimate stage.

For more information, please contact:

Jean-Francois Meilleur

President

Tel.: 514 951-2730

jfmeilleur@qpmcorp.ca

Normand Champigny

Chief Executive Officer

Tel.: 514 979-4746

nchampigny@qpmcorp.ca

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.

SOURCE: Quebec Precious Metals Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625908/Quebec-Precious-Metals-Appoints-Richard-Nieminen-as-Senior-Exploration-Manager
SPRINGFIELD  A new online tool in Illinois COVID-19 battle was introduced Monday.

As Illinois began Phase 1B of the COVID-19 Vaccination Administration Plan, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a new online portal  coronavirus.illinois.gov  designed to provide state residents with easily accessible information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

The site will inform eligible residents about nearby vaccination sites, how to make an appointment to receive the vaccine, updates on the states plan and eligibility, and answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. The statewide vaccination site locator is searchable by zip code and city.

This site will serve as a hub of all vaccine-related information, directing residents to the appointment booking homepages of our 97 local health departments and our pharmacy partners, which will total hundreds of locations statewide, Pritzker said. He added the site will be updated as more state-run sites and additional local options come online.

As federal supply is currently limited and every state in the nation is facing a shortage, I urge all eligible Illinoisans to check back regularly for available appointments, he said. And, in the meantime, mask up, keep our distance, wash our hands, and remember well stay healthy and safe if we look out for each other.

On Monday, Walgreens announced it is providing vaccines at 92 sites across Illinois. Jewel-Osco also announced it planned to begin vaccinating eligible residents Tuesday.

Over the next few days, additional pharmacy partners will be coming online and opening registration for appointments, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

More than 3.2 million Illinoisans are eligible for Phase 1B. Currently, vaccination sites are available by appointment only.

IDPH officials said that, as the federal supply of vaccines increases and Illinois receives more vaccine, the state will launch walk-in locations and expand sites to additional providers such as doctors offices and urgent care clinics. More information about the locations will be released as it becomes available.

Russia's most prominent TV host has denounced the organizers of rallies demanding the release of jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny as "political pedophiles." His insult sets the tone of coverage by many pro-Kremlin media outlets. The protests are too big for them to follow their usual practice of ignoring critics of President Vladimir Putin. Instead, they are spreading false claims that most of the protesters are children who are being misled. In fact, the demonstrators come from a wide range of age groups.
(Photo : Mario Tama / Getty) TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps have been permanently banned in India.

After India's decision to temporarily ban TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps, the country has finally decided to permanently block the short-video platform in the country, along with 58 other apps.

TikTok, Other Chinese Apps, Banned in India

According to the Times of India, other apps that were banned in the country were WeChat, Baidu, BIGO Live, Mi Video Call from Xiaomi, Alibaba's UC Browser, and the shopping app called Club Factory, alongside a few more others.

Last year, the country has made an unprecedented move against a total of 267 apps, including the aforementioned ones, last June 2020.

The action was made against these Chinese apps under India's Section 69A of its IT Act, which accuses said applications of "engaging in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of [the] state and public order."

It can be recalled last year that TikTok has faced major issues in various places around the world, including in the United States, for questions surrounding its data collection, data processing methods, and the safety and security of its users' details.

It was the same reason why the apps have been banned in India.

Read More: Google Tests Security Options to Phase Out Cookies Used to Get User Info for Target Ads

IT Ministry is Dissatisfied With Companies' Responses

Following the initial decision, the IT Ministry has served notice to the apps there were blocked, asking for details regarding their operations in the country, their data collection, their subscribers, and how their process the information they gather, among other things.

Moreover, they were questioned about their alleged "unauthorized data access" as well as having weaker security features that could lead to hacking and surveillance of their users.

But after several months, Indian officials in the IT Ministry have expressed their dissatisfaction with the responses of the companies to the queries they have raised, which led to their decision for the permanent ban.

According to the news outlet, the permanent ban notices were served individually to the companies involved last week.

Xiaomi and TikTok Responds

A Xiaomi spokesperson has commented on the issue, saying, "Mi India is in compliance with all government orders and will continue to do so and engage with the relevant stakeholders for the same."

Meanwhile, TikTok has also spoken about the permanent ban issued to them, saying that they are currently evaluating the notice sent out by the Indian government and will "respond to it as appropriate."

The TikTok spokesperson further said that they were among the first companies that complied to the directive sent out by the government on June 29, 2020.

"We continually strive to comply with local laws and regulations and do our best to address any concerns the government may have. Ensuring the privacy and security of all our users remains to be our topmost priority," the TikTok representative concluded, as per Business Today.

It appears that popular game "PUBG Mobile," and other apps like ShareIt, Alibaba Workbench, AliSupplier, CamCard, and Lalamove India were among the apps that were served notice.

In related news, the Italian government has also ordered TikTok to block its underage users after a viral trend on the platform has taken the life of a young 10-year-old girl.

Related Article: Telegram is the Next Parler? Former Ambassador Sues Apple, Demanding to Remove App on its Service--Here's Why

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by: Nhx Tingson

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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C3's acclaimed suite of voice services is now ready for even the most demanding customers!

Cloud Computing Concepts, an award-winning voice and technology service provider, today announced that it has completed the implementation and testing of geo-redundancy for its voice services platform. C3s partners and clients will immediately benefit from substantially increased resiliency and fault tolerance at no extra charge.

Launched in June of 2019 out of its MIA1 based facility in Miami, the C3 voice platform has been engineered to the highest standards. Ciscos BroadWorks, a globally deployed carrier-grade software platform utilized by 25 of the top 30 service providers, steadfastly anchors the solution. It is deployed upon the same highly redundant Cisco UCS hardware and VMware software that C3s Cloud services are powered by, and Oracle Acme Packet SBCs provide unsurpassed reliability and access to next-generation voice and collaboration services. To achieve true geo-redundancy, C3 effectively mirrored this proven configuration in its Las Vegas based LAS1 facility and then painstakingly re-engineered its platform to ensure a seamless failover for clients.

As a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic, we believe that the way businesses communicate and operate has changed forever, commented C3 CEO, Rick Mancinelli. Never before have organizations been so dependent on reliable and resilient communications, and our announcement today demonstrates our continuing commitment to providing precisely that.

C3 is currently reviewing new Channel Partner requests. Interested parties should reach out to Dino Morra, VP of Sales, at 561-939-4021 or via email at dmorra@c3cloud.com.

About C3

C3 is an award-winning provider of technology, communications and information security services to organizations throughout North America. The company currently owns and operates a geo-diverse VMware Cloud Verified infrastructure that provides high performance, secure, and compliant Infrastructure, Virtual Desktops, Backup, and Disaster recovery solutions. C3 also operates a state of the art Cisco BroadWorks powered Hosted PBX, UCaaS and CCaaS platform as well as a nationwide SD-WAN network based on VMwares industry leading technologies. C3 maintains an extensive list of wholesale carrier relationships for private, internet and wireless connectivity, and also has a broad portfolio of technology related authorizations and certifications. C3s expert team of certified network engineers design and implement complex solutions and its bilingual service center is available for support 247. Additional information about C3 is available online at http://www.c3cloud.com or by calling 561-939-4000.

Last August, a 23-year-old homeless woman in Dublin became the first confirmed case of Covid-19 among the prison population in Ireland. She had been remanded in custody charged with an offence relating to threatening and abusive behaviour. She tested positive for the virus while in quarantine in prison.

Up to that, the focus was on the Irish Prison Services impressive record of keeping Covid-19 out of prisons. The focus should have been on a society that barely blinked at the decision to commit a young homeless woman to prison for a relatively minor offence during a life-threatening pandemic. This lays bare Irelands over-reliance on institutional responses to women living on the margins of society.

One of the most startling statistics to emerge from behind prison walls in 2020 is the very high number of female prisoners who were categorised as cocooners  not because of their age but because of their complex health needs and chronic health conditions.

At the outset of the pandemic, 62 women in the Dochas Centre were cocooning. Throughout May 2020, there were almost three times as many women cocooning in the Dochas Centre as there were men cocooning in Arbour Hill Prison. At one point, 52pc of the women were cocooning in Irelands main female prison.

Just seven female sentenced prisoners were aged over 50, compared with 468 male sentenced prisoners. (These numbers do not include remand prisoners.)

An estimated 85pc of women in prison have addictions, and 97pc of women in the Dochas Centre are on prescription medication.

In 2019, a young mother who could not raise 100 bail in court, died in hospital having self-harmed in a prison cell nine days earlier. She should not have been in prison.

There is a very high prevalence of mental illness, disability, self-harm, and experiences of trauma, sexual violence, domestic violence, and childhood sexual abuse among women in prison. Homelessness is another common factor.

In Ireland in 2021, prisons are effectively the only place where some of the most marginalised women with complex needs can get wraparound supports and shelter.

Our new moral compass, the World Health Organisation (WHO), has said that prisons can contribute to improving the health of some of the most disadvantaged people in society.

However, the WHO doesnt envisage a society where women are incarcerated due to a lack of alternatives in the

community.

Let there be no mistake, we continue to disproportionately punish poor and marginalised women. This treatment of women has not been consigned to

Irelands history.

We see a clear gender bias in the use of prison for pre-trial detention and short sentences.

Women are much less likely than men to commit violent offences while on bail. Yet over 26pc of women detained on remand are in prison for theft and related offences, compared with 13pc of remanded males.

Fewer than 20 women in prison in Ireland today have been convicted of offences serious enough to attract a sentence of five years or more. Ten are serving life sentences, compared with 350 men.

A number of women are serving a life sentence by instalment. They spend decades in prison in the form of short three- and six-month sentences.

Prison is their home for half the year. When they are not in prison, they are living chaotic lives on the margins, characterised by poverty, homelessness, addiction, exploitation and experience of violence and abuse.

Imprisonment of women, and expectant mothers in particular, can be a misguided act of compassion if their safety is at risk outside prison. Between 21 and 23 expectant mothers were committed to prison each year from 2017 to 2019, with three to four babies born each year from 2016 to 2018.

It is a damning indictment on us all that some expectant mothers and their babies can only receive the care they need in prison and not in the community.

There needs to be an honest assessment of this apparent gender discrimination in the use of imprisonment.

One of the cautious silver linings to come from the pandemic is that committals of women to the Dochas Centre have been halved: from more than 900 in 2019 to just over 450 in 2020.

For the first time in almost a decade, this prison was not overcrowded for much of 2020. The number of committals to Limerick female prison similarly fell by 20pc, to below 200.

This is good news. It took a pandemic to make it happen. Disappointingly, there is a serious risk that when the courts reopen and address the major backlog in district court cases we will see a significant increase in prison committals. Action must be taken now to prevent this.

Alice Lister, the courageous inspector who repeatedly raised concerns about conditions in mother and baby homes in the first half of the 20th century, may have a scholarship established in her memory.

Lets also commemorate her by committing that we will never again rely on penal institutions to fill gaps in social and health services for women and girls in the community.

Fiona Ni Chinneide is Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust
The Serum Institute of India will supply 3 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses to Saudi Arabia in a week's time. The shots would be priced at $5.25 each.

Meanhwhile, Delhi recorded 148 new coronavirus cases on January 25th, the lowest single-day tally in nine months.
Egypt began its Covid-19 immunisation program Sunday, becoming one of the first countries in Africa to vaccinate its citizens, with a doctor and a nurse receiving the Chinese-made Sinopharm jab.

Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country with over 100 million people, received its first batch of the vaccine in December.

The inoculation will be available to all health workers for free, Health Minister Hala Zayed said Sunday.

"All healthcare workers will receive it for free, it's their right," Zayed told a press conference at Abu Khalifa Hospital in the northeastern city of Ismailia.

She also paid tribute to over 330 doctors in Egypt who have died from the virus.

Dozens of other medics at the hospital were also vaccinated Sunday.

"It was a simple jab," Mahmud Zaki, one of the doctors, told Al-Watan newspaper.

Over 35 medical centres will be set up nationwide in the coming weeks to administer the vaccine, the health ministry has announced, with citizens urged to register online.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Saturday that the inoculation drive would begin "with healthcare workers followed by those suffering from chronic diseases and later the elderly".

Zayed said citizens "who have the means should pay for the vaccine" in the coming months.

Egypt has officially registered over 160,000 novel coronavirus infections, including nearly 9,000 deaths.

Health officials have warned that low testing rates mean the real number could be at least 10 times higher.

Zayed said Cairo had inked deals to receive vaccine shipments from British, Chinese and Russian firms, for a total of around 100 million doses.

Earlier this month, the minister said Egypt would receive 40 million doses, mostly of the AstraZeneca/Oxford jab, via the Gavi vaccine alliance, with the aim of inoculating 20 percent of its population.

Zayed said Sunday that the North African country was also working on producing a vaccine locally, with a view to distributing it to the rest of the continent, without providing details on which vaccine.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Africa was "in danger of being left behind as countries in other regions strike bilateral deals, driving up prices".

"I am reassuring the Egyptian people they will receive the vaccine, but I reiterate the vaccine is not a substitute for staying vigilant in terms of health precautions, including wearing masks," the minister said.

Sinopharm says its vaccine is 79 percent effective against the novel coronavirus.

The Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles began vaccinating its population against the coronavirus earlier this month, the first African nation to do so.





This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- House X today announced San Francisco/Bay Area as one of the 21 Pilot Markets to launch the American Dream 2021, expanding home ownership; featuring over 40,000 new, healthier, energy-efficient homes across the country valued at over $18 Billion with up to $364 million in stimulus by providing home buyers free renewable energy and a discounted mortgage.

The virtual home buying event is limited to selected markets in the United States--admission is free to consumers. Free stimulus incentives apply to all contracts executed from January 27-April 15, 2021 for registered home buyers.

The Sacramento Area Pilot includes:

Over 708 new homes in over 130 communities with 195 homes ready for quick move-in

Renewable electricity at zero cost to registered home buyers

to registered home buyers 1% discounted mortgage for the first 12 months, followed by either 14 or 29 years of fixed-rate record low mortgage rate on FDA conforming loans

for the first 12 months, followed by either 14 or 29 years of fixed-rate record low mortgage rate on FDA conforming loans Local Impact:

Potential reduction in carbon emissions-- equivalent of removing 1,557 gas-powered cars off the road per year



Potential free stimulus for renewable energy= $10.7 million going back into the local economy

Experts Available for Interview:

House X: William Farrell , President

, President Delos: Paul Scialla , CEO and Founder

, CEO and Founder RESNET: Ryan Meres , Program Director

, Program Director The MReport: Rachel Williams

WHY: The purpose of the event is to expand home ownership by educating consumers on the advantages of smart, healthier, sustainable homes that are more efficient, lower carbon footprint and less expensive to own, operate, protect and maintain - lowering total cost of ownership. The home is more important than ever since the onset of the pandemic and the trend was a highlight at CES with smart home technology with a focus on hygiene, cleanliness, energy-efficiency and sustainability.

HOW:

The Smart Mortgage: House X has partnered with a leading mortgage lender to create a special below-market mortgage; a one percent discounted mortgage for the first 12 months of a 15- or 30-year fixed rate conforming mortgage.

House X has partnered with a leading mortgage lender to create a special below-market mortgage; a one percent discounted mortgage for the first 12 months of a 15- or 30-year fixed rate conforming mortgage. The Healthier Home: In collaboration with Delos, every home buyer will receive a multi-room advanced air purification system for their new home upon move-in, helping reduce particles that carry airborne bacteria, viruses and allergens

In collaboration with every home buyer will receive a multi-room advanced air purification system for their new home upon move-in, helping reduce particles that carry airborne bacteria, viruses and allergens The Location Report: Nothing will impact the financial picture of a home as much as its location. With custom insights available nowhere else, the House X Location Report reveals 300+ insights about any address in America. It is free to registered home shoppers.

Nothing will impact the financial picture of a home as much as its location. With custom insights available nowhere else, the House X Location Report reveals 300+ insights about any address in America. It is free to registered home shoppers. The RESNET Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index is the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home's energy performance. Similar to a MPG sticker for cars, except for new homes.

WHEN: American Dream 2021 Pilot Program will include free stimulus incentives on fully executed purchase contracts between January 27 - April 15, 2021.

WHERE: American Dream 2021 is limited to home purchases in selected pilot cities available on houseX.com.

PILOT MARKETS:

CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles/Riverside Area

Orange County

Sacramento

San Diego Area

San Francisco

FLORIDA

Jacksonville

Orlando

Naples

Sarasota

Tampa

Miami

GEORGIA

Atlanta

NORTH CAROLINA

Charlotte

Raleigh/Durham

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia

TENNESSEE

Nashville

TEXAS

Austin

Dallas/Fort Worth

Houston

San Antonio

About House X:

House X World is a consumer-focused Smart Home Marketplace that empowers home enthusiasts with data and resources to make more informed decisions while making their home purchase and investing on the consumer's behalf to make a home a smart home at zero cost to them. HOUSE X companies are consumer advocates and licensed realty organizations that exclusively represent home shoppers and buyers - not home sellers. The company serves as the primary manager of American Dream Pilot Project. The executives of House X have over 40 years of experience in representing builders, developers, Federal, State and local governments.

SOURCE House X
Fred Luter backs Pastor Ed Litton for SBC president, setting up clash with Al Mohler

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The Southern Baptist Conventions first and only black president, Fred Luter, has nominated Alabama Pastor Ed Litton to become the denominations next president, setting up a brewing ideological clash on race with prominent candidate and seminary head Albert Mohler.

I have known Ed Litton for over 20 years. Our relationship started when we preached for each other as part of the SBC Racial Reconciliation Sunday during the month of February, Luter told the Baptist Press.

From there, our relationship developed to more than just colleagues to bring races together. We both shared the hope of drawing people closer to a relationship with Jesus Christ and then growing disciples for Christ. In both of our churches, our focus has been the same all of these years."

Luter said he is honored to nominate Litton to be the next SBC president.

"With Eds commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, he is what our convention needs to help us refocus and recommit to the biblical principles of what this convention has been known for  evangelism and discipleship, Luter stated.

Luters nomination of Litton comes amid a raging debate in the convention over the denominations treatment of racial issues and efforts to better understand them through concepts such as critical race theory and intersectionality.

Critical race theory, as explained by Purdue University, is a theoretical and interpretive mode that examines the appearance of race and racism across dominant cultural modes of expression.

Through this framework, scholars seek to understand how victims of systemic racism are affected by cultural perceptions of race and how they can represent themselves to counter prejudice. Scholarship on the theory traces racism in America through the legacy of slavery, the civil rights movement and recent events.

Intersectionality, meanwhile, is the study of how different personal characteristics overlap and inform ones experience.

Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky who announced his candidacy last year, was one of six members of the Council of Seminary Presidents who voted to reject CRT as incompatible with their faith while condemning racism in any form at their recent annual session celebrating the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the revised Baptist Faith & Message.

Mohler argued that advocacy based on views like CRT and intersectionality has no rightful place within an SBC seminary.

I think Southern Baptists face some incredible challenges and some very real issues, and I think we need to have the kinds of conversations that will clarify issues and bring Southern Baptists together," Mohler told The Texan upon announcing his candidacy last October.

"And weve got to address some questions of urgency, as the SBC moves into the 21st century. I would hope to serve Southern Baptists by helping the right conversations to take place in the right way."

Litton was a co-signer of the Justice, Repentance, And the SBC statement published last month, which asserted about the anti-CRT policy that some recent events have left many brothers and sisters of color feeling betrayed and wondering if the SBC is committed to racial reconciliation.

We stand firmly in opposition to any movement in the SBC that seeks to distract from racial reconciliation through the gospel and that denies the reality of systemic injustice. To deny systemic injustice would be to ignore the effects that sin has on both individuals, societies, and institutions, the statement reads in part.

We believe God is calling us to repentance as individuals and as a convention of churches, but our hearts have grown cold to His call, continuing to fight for money, institutions, and influence. We must remember that God does not need the Cooperative Program to accomplish His mission. Nor does God need the Southern Baptist Convention to accomplish His mission. He will move forward in His mission whether or not the Convention survives our skirmishes over issues."

Litton and Mohler will also face a challenge from Mike Stone, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, Georgia. Stone told the Baptist Message that: We need a focus on evangelism  not on another strategy or slogan.

The recent debate over race in the denomination sparked by the statement from the Council of Seminary Presidents has led to a recent exodus of several high-profile black pastors from the denomination and is likely to take center stage at the SBCs 2021 annual meeting.

Many people were hoping for other options when they get to Nashville," Todd Benkert, pastor of Oak Creek Community Church in Mishawaka, Indiana, noted in SBC Voices last week.

"I, for one, am excited at this development and am pleased that messengers will have the opportunity to make a prayerful choice of men who have already served our Convention in other roles. To have three candidates announced this early is unique (historically, such announcements have been made in late Spring), and highlights the fact that there remains a diversity of viewpoints in SBC life."

Prominent black Southern Baptist Pastor Dwight McKissic, who recently quit the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and threatened to leave the SBC too if denomination leaders rescind Resolution 9 on critical race theory that messengers passed in 2019, said he is looking forward to voting for Litton in June.

Excited & thrilled beyond measure to support Fred Luter, as he supports Pastor Ed Litton as President of the SBC in 21," McKissic wrote on Twitter. "Jesus said, By your fruit. you shall know them. Ed Litton is well loved & respected by the AA community because of his fruit. I look forward to voting 4 him."

The Capstone Report, a blog that offers commentary on religion and politics, argued in a recent post that Litton will continue [J.D.] Greears Woke Administration.

Dont be deceived. Ed Litton is a Woke Social Justice Warrior who will turn the SBCs Leftward Drift into a sprint, the publication argued.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Exploring new approaches to improve the capabilities and accuracy of robots, a team of researchers in Singapore has turned to an unexpected source: plants.

Robots have been dispatched to move cars, lift weighty inventory in warehouses and assist in construction projects.

But what if you need to delicately lift a tiny object 1/50th of an inch?

To accomplish that task, the Singapore team turned to a Venus flytrap, one of nature's more fascinating plants. The flytrap, a native of North Carolina, contains tiny hairs on two leaf lobes that, when stimulated by an insect, shut tight and slowly devour the prey.

By integrating a portion of the flytrap into a robotic arm, researchers using a cellphone transmitted an electric pulse that triggered the flytrap to grasp a tiny piece of wire.

In another experiment, when the flytrap was disconnected from the robotic arm, it was prompted to capture a slowly moving 1-gram weight.

Credit: Nature Electronics (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-020-00530-4

Though these early experiments are seemingly insignificant achievements, the researchers say this paves the way for construction of plant-based robots, sensors, memristors, ionic circuits and plant healthcare devices.

"In particular, the ability to interfere with a plant's electrophysiology through external electrical stimulation opens new possibilities for building plant communication protocols," said Wenlong Li and colleagues at Nanyang Technological University in their research report published this week in Nature Electronics.

The researchers said they turned to plants because of their "sophisticated capabilities," "network-like communications," "ability to learn and memorize" and "intricate functional microstructures."

The team said their main challenges were to create a physical interface that allowed contact with the plant without affecting its movement or physiology, and attain effective communication.

"Because flytrap actuation is internally triggered by electro-physiological signals, artificial interference with the plant's electro-physiology through external electricity could, in theory, modulate its actuation behavior," they explained.

Plants have long captured the imaginations of researchers. Utah state University David Peak in 2004 said plants appear "to think." He said plants use "distributed computation" when assigning regulatory tasks such as intake and expulsion of gases, tasks that require heavy information processing.

Paul Curmi, a professor at the University of New South Wales, discovered a class of algae in 2014 called cryptophytes that he said display evidence of "quantum coherence."

When light strikes a plant, it needs to instantly determine which path will most efficiently and economically be required to convey the light into sugar. Quantum coherence ensures the best routes are taken.

In fact, it has been observed that the Venus flytrap utilizes a counting system to ensure objects landing within its cusps will likely be nutritional. After it senses an object, it waits for it to move two or three times, indicating it is a live object, before expending the precious energy and resources required to clamp down and secrete fluids that in turn will dissolve the inquisitive insect.

In the future, when we discuss computational power, we may speak not only of processor speed, RAM, hard drive capacity, and graphics card type, we might also ask about its flora factor: Venus flytrap, Sticky Willy, Sneezewort or Kangaroo Paws anyone?

Explore further Researchers probe memory of the Venus flytrap

More information: Wenlong Li et al. An on-demand plant-based actuator created using conformable electrodes, Nature Electronics (2021). Journal information: Nature Electronics Wenlong Li et al. An on-demand plant-based actuator created using conformable electrodes,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-020-00530-4

 2021 Science X Network
The center is supposed to focus partly on coordinating care for patients with other area providers, but Murray said she had not seen enough support from other area health care providers for the center. She also said she doubted Trinity would still want to open the center if it werent planning to close the hospital. She said the mix of services that would be offered by the center wouldnt make sense as a replacement for those offered by the hospital, or even in conjunction with the hospital, were it to stay open.
Kathmandu, Jan 26 : A team of 10 Nepali climbers who recently became the first to scale K2, the second highest peak of the world, during the winter season, received a hero's welcome when they arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

A total of 48 mountaineers including five women reached the mountain's base camp to kick off the expedition on December 29, 2020, out of which five were injured and many others returned due to tough weather at the peak.

The team reached the summit on January 16.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Tribhuvan International Airport to cheer the team and to celebrate their success, reports The Himalayan Times.

After they reached the capital city, the 10-member team were felicitated at a function at the Nepal Tourism Board at Bhrikutimandap.

They were accompanied by a motorcycle rally, according to The Kathmandu Post newspaper.

The 8,611 metres-high K2 is located on the China-Pakistan border between in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, and Dafdar Township in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China.

It is the highest point of the Karakoram mountain range and the highest point in both Pakistan and Xinjiang.



Ankita Lokhande Revists Fond Memories With Sushant Singh Rajput, Shares Pic With Late Actor's Family In Patna; See Posts

Actress Ankita Lokhande held a special fan interaction on Instagram as her debut film Manikarnika clocked two years since release. The actress during the interaction shared many memories and to the absolute delight of her fans and some of those also included her ex Sushant Singh Rajput.

Since Sushants death, the actress has been standing by the late actors family demanding justice for him. Ankita in turn got support from the millions of Sushants fans for speaking up. During the interaction when asked to share some fond memories with the late actor Ankita dug out unseen pictures from her achieves and put them up in her stories.

The pictures included her trip to Patna where she can be seen posing with the late actors sisters and father. She also shared a screen grab of her video call with Sushant while he was filming for M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story when asked for a fond memory of the actor.

Another picture with Sushant also featured actress Rashami Desai and her then-husband Nandish Sandhu from a fun hangout. Ankita also addressed Sushita [their celebrity nickname] and posted a picture dancing away with the late actor at what looks like a family function. With the picture, Ankita wrote, Keep loving and keep praying for him and his family.

Ankita and Sushant dated for over six years before they parted ways in 2016.
WASHINGTON  President Biden and congressional Democrats say they want to use their one-party control of Washington to enact new immigration policy. But whether Biden succeeds where past efforts have failed will be a key test of strategy for him, Vice President Kamala Harris and Bay Area lawmakers.

Immigration reform has been a persistent but elusive goal for politicians for more than two decades. Former President Donald Trump also pursued it, though he approached it from a far-right position of restricting overall immigration and hard-line enforcement and rejected bipartisan compromises in search of stricter measures.

Advocates on the left say this time could be different if Biden learns from failures of prior attempts. But the political headwinds that have made substantive legislation so elusive remain  including bitter partisanship over immigration in particular and broader congressional gridlock thats made it difficult to pass any major bills.

Biden has proposed legislation that would accomplish much of the lefts wish list, including a path to legalization for millions of undocumented immigrants and an expansion of available visas. That would go beyond how he has used executive authority to begin to unwind actions by Trump severely restricting immigration. Key Democrats have lined up behind him, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

But Bidens proposal offers only a slight bolstering of border security and few offerings to the right, and Republicans quickly attacked it as unworkable. The legislative text is still being written, and few expect the bill to become law as proposed.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, who chairs the key immigration subcommittee in the House and has been working on the issue for 25 years, said that none of the ideas being put forward are novel. The issue will be more on tactics to see what can get through a narrow Democratic majority in the House and an evenly split Senate, where Harris holds the tie-breaking vote.

Theres nothing new under the sun when it comes to immigration reform  the real question is can we make progress, Lofgren said. When we had much larger margins, we couldnt get it done either, so lets see how we can make progress by talking about how this benefits the United States, and it clearly does.

California and the Bay Area will play an outsize role in the path forward. Harris made immigration one of her top priorities as a senator representing California, and the vice president is expected to keep advocating on the issue.

Pelosi will control the House floor and help whip votes for eventual passage, and Lofgren chairs the judiciary subcommittee in the House that considers immigration bills and is one of the lead authors on any major legislation involving the issue.

New Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., is already making his presence felt on the issue, joining with Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, to advocate that essential workers get a path to legalization and protections from deportation in any deal.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Whittier (Los Angeles County), is the lead sponsor of Bidens legislation in the House, and Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert (Riverside County), is chairing the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that will have a large say in what policies move forward.

And on the other side of the aisle, House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield will organize Republicans who are likely to oppose Bidens agenda, having already attacked it early as being more interested in helping illegal immigrants than in helping our own citizens on the part of the administration.

Theres no state that has more at stake in getting this done than the state of California, Padilla said. Were not just the most populous state in the nation, were home to more immigrants than any other state in the nation.

Introducing a set of priorities in the opening days of the administration sets Biden apart from former President Barack Obama, immigration advocates say, and signals a level of prioritization that will be necessary to make meaningful progress.

Immigration advocates also hope that Biden has learned from the past two administrations about Republicans aversion to comprehensive legislation and resistance to legalizing undocumented immigrants.

Other dynamics have changed as well. Frank Sharry, executive director of the pro-immigration group Americas Voice, notes that Democrats have become more united on the issue as Republicans have moved to the right. That could give Biden a better chance to bring his party together around his immigration priorities. Sharry believes that Trump and many Republicans aggressive efforts to restrict immigration have shifted the center of the debate in the Democrats favor.

Immigration as a wedge issue is losing its edge, and Biden has come up with some immigration policy priorities that reflect the consensus of the Democratic coalition, Sharry said. I think the playing field, we could say the tectonic plates, have shifted significantly. Now, how significantly? Were going to find out.

Another key difference is the move by the left away from attempting a comprehensive reform bill that would achieve everything advocates want. Instead, many say they will take smaller openings where they arise, even if they represent only incremental progress or require compromise.

If I thought that this was just a messaging bill that was going to go absolutely nowhere, then I wouldnt have lent my name to it, said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who is sponsoring the bill in the Senate, in a briefing with immigration advocates. Having said that, yes, this will be tough. ... Lets start all having some degree of reality that there will have to be some negotiations.

Sharry said the previous approach to immigration  forming a bipartisan group to put together a grand compromise  is over. Instead, he wants to see Democrats try to get as much as they can through their narrow majorities and let Republicans join if they want.

Its a new approach that says, we arent going to go too big, and it says, to many of us in the movement, were not going to negotiate with Republicans, were going to look to see how much we can get done and how soon we can get it done as a steppingstone to our goal of citizenship for 11 million, Sharry said, referring to the estimated number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

Lofgren said theres a debate among Democrats over how to proceed. Some argue for trying Bidens proposal first, then moving to other ideas. Others suggest Congress should start with proposals like Lofgrens bipartisan bill to legalize undocumented farmworkers that passed with Republican support last Congress, or the Dream and Promise Act that offers a path to citizenship to young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, as well as longtime recipients of protected status.

Thats a strategy discussion, thats not a policy discussion, Lofgren said, one that was being discussed in terms of sequencing.

Overall, theres sentiment that action must come quickly. Obama said immigration was a priority, but he was focused on the economic crisis when he took office and lost the Senate majority before taking action. He also focused on heavy enforcement once in office to convince Republicans he was serious on border security, only to see them oppose his moves anyway.

I think it seems to be a top priority for a lot of people, so thats encouraging, Padilla said. I know that the devils in the details as always, but I think theres a good environment for progress and a sense of urgency from people that I talk to as well. I think folks are recognizing that the stars are somewhat in alignment  lets not waste this opportunity.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan

EDWARDSVILLE  Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler is waiting for a letter from the Madison County States Attorneys Office confirming the official timeline for appointing at least two new members of the Madison County Board.

On Wednesday the county board overwhelmingly rejected three proposed new members Prenzler proposed. One of the biggest complaints was there had not been enough input from board members, specifically former members who had left the board due to the Nov. 3 election and relocation.

At the meeting Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine advised that two of the three vacant seats must be filled by Jan. 29 to meet a 60-day deadline set by county ordinances.

On Monday, Prenzler said he had received different advice from his own attorney and wanted a clarification from Haine.

First I need to get the legal question answered, Prenzler said Monday. I was hoping to have it this morning, but I dont.

Prenzler had recommended Valarie Doucleff for Ray Wesleys former 6th District seat; Larry Meisenheimer for Tom McRae in the 14th District; and Dana Brockman to fill Chrissy Dutton-Wileys 15th District seat.

McRae and Wesley resigned Nov. 30 after McRae was elected circuit clerk and appointed Wesley as his deputy clerk. Dutton-Wiley resigned Dec. 18 because she married and moved out of her district.

Wesleys and McRaes seats are the two that require the most immediate action, according to Haine. Filling the seats would require calling a special meeting, which could be done with 48 hours notice for a standard special meeting or less notice if done as an emergency meeting.

Most of the appointment debate came from Republicans.

Hes kind of taken on making some of these decisions in a vacuum, and the board doesnt like that and challenged him on them, said Wesley, who also chairs the Madison County Republican Party, after Wednesdays meeting.

Im sure these are all good people that were voted down, Wesley added. He should have talked to some of the board members and let them know what he was thinking. Hes really just opened up some areas he didnt need to open up with the board.

Wednesdays board action was the second time they had rebuffed Prenzler in as many days. At a special meeting on Jan. 19 the board failed to approve an advisory referendum on reducing its size after the decennial census is completed.

Wesley said the proposed referendum had similar problems.

Republicans are conservative; thats part of our core value, to reduce the size of government. But you have to make a plan, he said. Kurt really needs to communicate with the board, or its going to be a long four years for him.

UPDATE: Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler said he received a reply from Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine early Monday afternoon, and planned to set a special board meeting for Friday afternoon. Further details were unavailable.
A Syrian research centre said in a widely publicised report on 17 January that a meeting had taken place between Israeli and Syrian officials at the Hmeimim military base in Latakia in western Syria that is being used by Russia as an air base.



The report, published by the Jusoor Centre for Studies based in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, said that the meeting took place in December 2020 between Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and an Israeli security official.



It was attended by Russian military and intelligence officers, Commander of the Russian Forces in Syria Alexander Tchaikov, Syrias National Security Bureau Chief Ali Mamlouk and Syrian Special Adviser on Security and Strategic Affairs Bassam Hassan. Israel was represented by former army chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot and former Mossad intelligence agency director Ari Ben-Menashe.



During the meeting, the Syrian delegation said it wanted to see Syria return to the Arab League, receive financial aid to help pay off Syrias debts to Iran, which would open the door to expelling Iran from Syria, support for Al-Assads remaining in power, a restoration of Syrias relations with the Arab Sunni axis, economic support for Syria, and the ending of the international sanctions against Syria and those put in place by the US Caesar Act, the report said.



The Israelis demanded the dismantling of the axis of resistance and opposition to its policies in the region, the full withdrawal of Iran from Syria, the expulsion of forces under the command of Lebanese Shia group Hizbullah and other foreign militias from Syria, the formation of a new Syrian government in association with the Syrian opposition, the overhaul of Syrias security and military institutions and the reinstatement of dissident Syrian officers with Russian-US-Israeli guarantees.



The report said that although the meeting did not conclude in specific agreements, it was the beginning of a track that Russia is strongly pushing for and will likely expand this year. Moscow believes that building a direct relationship between the Al-Assad regime and Tel Aviv will be a lifeline for the regime in obtaining global support for its plans for a political solution to the crisis in the country.



The Syrian regime later adamantly denied the report, breaking its habit of ignoring reports not published on official websites. Remaining silent could have put the regime in a difficult position with Iran or made it look as if Damascus had leaked the news.



Reports of the meeting were lies promoted by hired media outlets, it said, with a source at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs saying Syria adamantly denied the reports, describing them as attempts to cast doubt on Syrias steadfast positions on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories.



Syria was clear in its policies towards the Palestinian cause and the full liberation of the Occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the source said.



However, Syrian businessman Firas Tlass, the son of a former Syrian defence minister, said the meeting, while it had not included Al-Assad, had been attended by Mamlouk who had met with Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen who is close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.



Tlass said meetings routinely take place between Israeli and Russian military officers, though these are not attended by Syrian regime officials.



Previous leaked reports have discussed meetings between the two sides, and there have been reports that an indirect offer by Israel was delivered to Al-Assad one month ago that included Israeli and US guarantees that Turkish forces would leave northern Syria and the northern Idlib province would return to full Syrian regime control.



The offer apparently also included the withdrawal of US forces from eastern Syria and the handing over of the whole East Euphrates region to the Syrian regime. There would be a return of Syrias influence in Lebanon in return for a peace agreement with Syria without Israels withdrawing from the Occupied Golan Heights, it said.



Al-Assad would also commit himself to expelling Iranian and Hizbullah forces from Syria under the offered agreement.



The practice of offers, counter-offers and deals of various kinds has long been a feature of Al-Assads policies, and there may have been meetings of this kind taking place despite official denials.



In the wake of the reports of the Hmeimim meeting, Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a television speech that Iran, not Russia, had prevented the collapse of the Al-Assad regime, seen as a way of reminding the Damascus regime that Tehran was its protector and that it could destabilise the country further should it wish to do so.



Also in the wake of the alleged Hmeimim meeting and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian militia bases in Deir Al-Zor in Syria, Tehran has begun talking about imposing a new defence treaty on the Syrian regime.



According to the Iranian Fars news agency, Deputy Chairman of Irans Islamic Shura Council Abul-Fadl Abu Turabi has said a draft defence and security treaty for the resistance axis is being prepared in Tehran.



This says that if the usurping Zionist entity [Israel] attacks the land of any of the resistance countries signatory to this treaty, then all the parties to it are obliged to provide comprehensive economic, military and political support to ward off the danger, Abu Turabi said.



The Israeli army has said it carried out more than 50 air strikes across Syria during 2020, mostly against Iranian military positions or camps or Hizbullah weapons depots, amid its repeated insistence that Iran will not be allowed to retain its foothold in Syria.



Making peace with Israel may be an ideal solution for the Syrian regime to the diplomatic and economic siege it has been under for almost a decade. Peace with the Syrian regime would also be attractive for Israel, since it believes the continuation of the Al-Assad regime would be better for its security, explaining Israels earlier actions in helping to prevent the collapse of the Al-Assad regime.



Tehran is worried that the Syrian regime could look to other solutions to the crisis in the country that have nothing to do with Iranian support. It understands that the relationship of the Al-Assad regime with Tehran is a purely pragmatic one, which is why it is determined to retain its influence in Syria.



Al-Assad believes he can take a step towards Israel while ignoring the lack of legitimacy of his regime in the eyes of much of the international community and demands by the US and Europe that progress towards a solution to the Syrian crisis must involve more than normalising relations with Israel.



But Israel knows that even if it succeeds in negotiating with the Al-Assad regime, there is no guarantee that an agreement with Damascus will not be void if the regime collapses and another one comes to power in Syria.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 28 January, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

Short link:


Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Monday asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not reach out to farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, who have been staging a protest against three farm laws for over two months along Delhis border.

Addressing a farmers rally at Mumbais Azad Maidan, Pawar said, "Is Punjab in Pakistan? Why did the PM not talk to the protesting farmers of Punjab?"

"I congratulate you all that you have gathered here to express solidarity with the farmers of Punjab, Haryana Western UP and Rajasthan. They have built a historic protest. This battle is not easy. The ones who are in power today have no empathy towards this country's farmers and labourers. For the last 60 days, these farmers have not cared about rains, sun or cold while protesting in Delhi. But the Prime Minister has not even enquired about them," Pawar said.

"Who are these protesters? They are farmers from Punjab who have made tremendous contribution to the freedom struggle. They had given their lives at the Jallianwala Bagh. This is the farming community who held rifles to protect the country against China and Pakistan after our Independence. This is the farmer who feeds 120 crore people of this country," he said.

The veteran politician said that despite repeated suggestion by the opposition for sending all the three laws to a select committee, the government bulldozed its way in passing the legislation.

"People opposed the government's stand of not allowing any discussion on this. People will destroy you and your laws. And this is the beginning of it," he said.

State Minister and Congress president Balasaheb Thorat also lashed out at the central government said the Modi government worked for capitalists. This is a ploy to snatch your land rights," he told the gathering.

Thousands of farmers have marched from Nashik to Mumbai to express their solidarity with the protesting farmers in Delhi.
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Collaboration brings high-performance Arm-based microprocessors to Maxihost Bare Metal Cloud platform.



SAO PAULO, Brazil, Jan. 26, 2021, a developer of high-performance Arm-based microprocessors for cloud and edge servers, and Maxihost , an innovative global provider of Bare Metal Cloud, are working together to enable on-demand bare metal access to Ampere's energy-efficient, high-performance processors for the first time in South America. Access is also enabled for Maxihost clients in New York and Miami and will soon be available for clients in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Santiago and Sydney.

Ampere processors deliver excellent total cost of ownership (TCO) value, high-performance compute, high-memory capacity, and rich I/O to address a broad range of workloads including application servers, containerized micro-services, distributed databases and big data analytics. Customers will realize substantial price performance benefits over current x86-based servers in supporting these types of general-purpose applications.

Maxihost sees the addition of Ampere's powerful, high density, high bandwidth, scalable technology as a significant milestone in the evolution of its bare metal cloud offering. Maxihost will offer customers a range of Ampere processor technology, starting immediately with Ampere eMAG and expanding soon to include the Ampere Altra processor, the industry's first cloud-native processor, that will be available with up to 128 cores.

Ampere's platforms represent a powerful Cloud- and Edge-oriented addition to Maxihost's new 2nd generation lineup of bare metal servers, an optimized selection of purpose-built machines that are designed for particular workloads and that can be deployed instantly in many regions around the world.

"We're thrilled to offer Ampere's state-of-the-art technology to our customers in Sao Paulo, New York City and Miami," says Maxihost CEO Guilherme Soubihe Alberto. "While our customers will benefit from the extra processing power, Ampere's high-performance platforms will also allow us to support new types of applications and use cases that require high-performance such as IoT, AI, smart city, telemedicine, fintech and other Edge and SaaS applications. There is a lot of exciting software development going on and we want to be right there, to support that type of innovation."

"We look forward to collaborating with Maxihost, which has an established South American footprint in Brazil and Chile and an extensive global customer base," adds Matthew Taylor, SVP Worldwide Sales and Business Development at Ampere. "We're particularly excited that Maxihost will provide a gateway into the dynamic South American market, giving access to our Ampere platforms to users in Brazil and surrounding countries who are looking for high-performance and cost-effective Arm-based processors to run their applications."

Maxihost also has geographical expansion plans for 2021, with new locations planned in Europe and Asia that will add to the company's existing footprint in South America, the U.S. and Australia.

_________________________________________

About Ampere Computing

Ampere is designing the future of hyperscale cloud and edge computing with the world's first cloud native processor. Built for the cloud with a modern 64-bit Arm server-based architecture, Ampere gives customers the freedom to accelerate the delivery of all cloud computing applications. With industry-leading cloud performance, power efficiency and scalability, Ampere processors are tailored for the continued growth of cloud and edge computing.

For more information, visit www.amperecomputing.com.

About Maxihost

Maxihost is a global provider of on-demand bare metal cloud for businesses of all sizes. Its mission is to help make the Internet faster and safer by providing powerful, secure, scalable infrastructure solutions.
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M102 is a disease-modifying drug candidate for motor neuron disease (MND) that was discovered by Sheffield scientists in 2013

University of Sheffield partnership with Aclipse Therapeutics awarded a 1.6m grant by the Medical Research Council (MRC) to advance the translational development of M102

MRC grant follows funding from FightMND to take M102 into clinical trials with patients

MND - also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) - is a devastating disease that affects 5,000 people in the UK and 450,000 people worldwide

Researchers from the University of Sheffield's Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) have been awarded a 1.6 million grant from the Medical Research Council (MRC). The grant will support their partnership with Aclipse Therapeutics to advance the translational development of M102 - a drug candidate for the treatment of motor neuron disease (MND).

Neuroprotective properties of M102 were discovered by SITraN researchers in 2013. Preclinical models evidenced the potential for M102 to slow down MND progression, which affects a patient's ability to walk, talk, eat and breathe.

The drug candidate activates the NRF2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) and HSF1 (Heat shock factor 1) signalling pathways, which can work in combination to protect motor neurons from injury.

Principal Investigator on the project, Dr Richard Mead explains: "M102 has the potential to significantly slow down the disease progression in both familial and sporadic MND patients."

"The MRC grant will allow us to develop patient stratification biomarkers that will be applied in the M102 clinical studies, potentially enabling a personalised medicine approach in MND. This means that we can identify those who do and do not respond to M102 so we can target the treatment at those MND patients who are most likely to benefit. In addition, we will conduct, in collaboration with Aclipse, all the necessary development needed to reach the clinic. "

Co-applicant on the project Dr Laura Ferraiuolo said: "This project will use a methodology developed by my lab team to allow us to identify gene signatures that can discriminate between responders and non-responders to selected drugs. Our future aim is to be able to identify the best drug for each patient, making a huge step forward in drug efficacy and patient wellbeing."

Co-applicant on the project Professor Dame Pamela Shaw, Director of SITraN and the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre said: "This funding award from the MRC is wonderful news for MND patients who are in desperate need of an effective therapy to address this life-threatening neurodegenerative disease."

"Along with my SITraN colleagues, Dr Richard Mead and Dr Laura Ferraiuolo, we led the MND biology research that enabled the development of M102, including the discovery of a potential precision medicine approach for M102 in MND, so we are very appreciative that MRC's funding support will allow us to take this exciting therapeutic approach to human clinical trials."

"We greatly appreciate the support from the MRC for our vision for a novel and broad multi-disease pathomechanism approach to treating MND patients," said Raymond K. Houck, CEO of Aclipse Therapeutics.

He continued: "The MRC award, coupled with our recent FightMND grant award, accelerates M102's development into its first-in-human clinical studies and validates M102's biology and potential for a precision medicine approach for the treatment of MND.

"The research funding from these programs will be key as they will support the completion of our investigational new drug (IND)-enabling work and the regulatory filings for first-in-human studies. Importantly, M102 may have applications in a wide array of conditions associated with impaired neuronal function such as Friedreich's ataxia, Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease."

MND - also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) - affects approximately 5,000 people in the UK and 25,000 people in the US; with numbers expected to rise. MND is a disorder that affects the nerves - or motor neurons - in the brain and spinal cord that form the connection between the nervous system and muscles to enable movement of the body. The messages from these nerves gradually stop reaching the muscles, leading them to weaken, stiffen and eventually waste.

Currently, there is no cure for MND and no effective treatments to halt or reverse the progression of this devastating disease.

###

Media Contact: Amy Huxtable, Media Relations Officer, University of Sheffield, 0114 222 9859, a.l.huxtable@sheffield.ac.uk

Notes for editors

The University of Sheffield

With almost 29,000 of the brightest students from over 140 countries, learning alongside over 1,200 of the best academics from across the globe, the University of Sheffield is one of the world's leading universities.

A member of the UK's prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.

Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the university are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in.

Sheffield is the only university to feature in The Sunday Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For 2018 and for the last eight years has been ranked in the top five UK universities for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education.

Sheffield has six Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields.

Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Glaxo SmithKline, Siemens and Airbus, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.

Aclipse Therapeutics
Adweek's David Griner The increased focus on international markets is the latest step in a comprehensive editorial strategy for 2021

Adweek, the leading source of news and insights covering marketing, media and technology, today announced another ambitious effort to grow its global audience.

Effective immediately, Adweek Editor in Chief Stephanie Paterik promoted David Griner, Adweeks Creative and Innovation Editor, to International Editor, a new position. As Adweek's first International Editor, Griner will lead coverage of the trends shaping creativity, marketing and agencies across global markets.

In addition to Griner, Paterik announced a number of hires who will contribute to the European market. In April, Stephen Lepitak, the highly respected former executive editor of The Drum based in Glasgow, will join Adweek as U.K. Bureau Chief. Lepitak will report to Griner and work alongside Media Editor Lucinda Southern and creative contributing editor Sara Spary, both based in London.

For the past three years, Griner has led the newsrooms coverage of creativity and innovation across the marketing landscape on topics ranging from advertising, design and branding to experiential, events and creative leadership. Griner also is host of Adweek's weekly podcast, "Yeah, That's Probably an Ad." Earlier, Griner was VP, Director of Digital Content for social media agency Luckie & Company before joining Adweek in 2007 as a contributing editor for the acclaimed AdFreak blog, which covers advertising and pop culture. He has since held several roles at Adweek, including Director of Digital Initiatives and Social Editor.

The truth is Adweek has been a widely respected brand abroad for years, and David has been a longtime champion of the global creative community, says Paterik. And now, with an increased investment in international coverage, well be able to serve our readers where they work, starting in the U.K. with a bureau of stellar marketing and media journalists.

The increased focus on international markets is the latest step in a comprehensive editorial strategy for 2021, designed to provide its diverse audience of marketers with invaluable content and further drive subscription growth.

"We are excited about possibilities as we continue to grow our editorial team, expanding our coverage with a greater international voice, says Griner. This effort is all part of the Adweek edit teams commitment to create engaging, insightful content for our marketing community.

About Adweek

Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem. First published in 1979, Adweek's award-winning coverage reaches an engaged audience of more than 6 million professionals across platforms including print, digital, events, podcasts, newsletters, social media and mobile apps. As a touchstone of the advertising and marketing community, Adweek is an unparalleled resource for leaders across multiple industries who rely on its content to help them do their job better.

Scott Kalmbach & Radhi Ahern, Founders of Outpost Real Estate Outpost Real Estate embodies everything our clients and colleagues appreciate about Ahern + Kalmbach, as we evolve into a more independent and expansive brand.

Ahern + Kalmbach today announced Outpost Real Estate and its partnership with Side, the only real estate brokerage that exclusively partners with high-performing agents, teams, and independent brokerages to transform them into boutique brands and businesses. The alliance will ensure that Outpost Real Estate, the visionary firm headed by Radhi Ahern and Scott Kalmbach, is powered by the most advanced platform in the industry.

Ahern and Kalmbachs 15-year partnership has resulted in $650 million in sales and a reputation for presenting well-designed homes that sell for commanding prices. Their signature style is recognizable throughout San Francisco and Marin, as they have collaborated with the Bay Areas most reputable designers, architects, and developers. Ahern and Kalmbachs sales consistently set records, which can be attributed to their distinctive marketing campaigns and sophisticated presentation that engages buyers.

Partnering with Side will ensure Outpost Real Estate remains at the forefront of the evolving real estate market while allowing its agents to continue delivering premium services to their clients. Outpost Real Estate agents are fully supported by a one-of-a-kind premium brokerage platform, which provides transaction management, property marketing, lead generation, business growth opportunities, vendor management, and infrastructure solutions.

Outpost Real Estate embodies everything our clients and colleagues appreciate about Ahern + Kalmbach, as we evolve into a more independent and expansive brand, said Kalmbach. As a part of this journey forward, said Ahern, Outposts partnership with Side offers us technology, systems, and marketing tools that outperform everything available on the market.

Side is led by experienced industry professionals and world-class engineers who develop technology designed to improve agent productivity and enhance the client experience. Based on its belief that homeownership is a fundamental human right, Side is on a mission to improve the public good by providing top-performing real estate agents, teams, and indie brokerages with the best system, support, service, experience, and results.

About Outpost Real Estate

Outpost is redefining the meaning of home by curating each clients path forward  wherever the road may lead. The top-performing, boutique real estate firm is the culmination of founders Radhi Ahern and Scott Kalmbachs 15-year partnership and over $650+ million in sales in San Francisco and Marin. Known for their signature style and distinctive marketing of well-designed homes, Outpost Real Estate delivers a curated experience tailored to each clients needs. To learn more, visit http://www.outpostrealestate.com.

About Side

Side transforms high-performing agents, teams, and independent brokerages into successful businesses and boutique brands that are 100% agent-owned. Side exclusively partners with the best agents, empowering them with proprietary technology and a premier support team so they can be more productive, grow their business, and focus on serving their clients. Side is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.sideinc.com.
On Monday, following widespread protests, Facebook restored the page of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) at the University of Michigan, along with the accounts of leading members of the IYSSE and the Socialist Equality Party (SEP).

In response to inquiries made by the Financial Times in Britain, Facebook claimed the removals were the result of an automation error, adding, We apologise for the error.

The FT carried a report on Facebook's censorship of the WSWS

The restoration of service came two days after Facebook disabled these pages without any explanation and without providing any recourse. Among the individual pages deleted were those of IYSSE National Secretary Genevieve Leigh and World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) US Managing Editor Niles Niemuth.

Statements on the WSWS denouncing the political purge were shared thousands of times on social media, in addition to a flood of letters and statements of support from workers, young people, journalists and professionals.

The FT reported the controversy in a front-page article titled, Facebook sparks anger after shutting socialist pages. The newspaper interviewed both David North, the chairman of the WSWS International Editorial Board, and Chris Marsden, the national secretary of the SEP (UK).

Even though this particular ban has been [reversed], its a warning we dont know what might come next, the article quoted North as saying. Social media is privately owned but to all intents and purposes its [become] what used to be the market square, Marsden said. Theyre using their power in a way thats completely undemocratic.

Facebooks claim that its disabling of the accounts was merely the product of a technical glitch lacks all credibility and is patently dishonest. The social media company had clearly invested time and resources to identifying leading members of the SEP, IYSSE and WSWS.

The claim is belied by the repeated statements of Facebook officials, both in congressional hearings and before military audiences, that Facebook deliberately seeks to combat what it calls radical political viewpoints.

Speaking before an audience of generals and intelligence officials at a NATO conference in 2018, Facebook Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos declared, Our societies overall are going to have to start to adapt to the idea that not all information is created equal. He warned that millions of people who feel they have been ignored or oppressed are using Facebook to push for radical politics. He called these individuals and organizations domestic influence operators.

In order to police speech on its platform, Facebook has hired more than 20,000 people to man its security and enforcement team, many of whom have police and intelligence backgrounds, or, like Stamos, work at intelligence-linked think tanks.

The World Socialist Web Site demands that Facebook explain why the company purged the accounts of the UM IYSSE and the accounts of leading SEP members.

What individuals were involved in making this decision to remove the pages of members of the SEP? What was the involvement of US government agencies in Facebooks decision? Did Facebook ever discuss the activities of the SEP or any of its members with the US government? Did Facebook come under pressure from the US government to take actions against the SEP?

Without such an explanation, there can be no assurance that further arbitrary and politically motivated actions will not be taken. And Facebooks apology has no meaning unless it can provide assurances that it will not do it again.

The World Socialist Web Site thanks the many readers, supporters and principled journalists who publicized Facebooks act of censorship against the IYSSE and SEP and helped overturn it. But the fight is far from over.

We urge our readers to:

1. Send statements demanding an explanation of Facebooks actions to info@support.facebook.com and zuckerberg@fb.com. Send copies of your letters to comments@wsws.org for publication on the World Socialist Web Site.

2. Share this statement with your friends and co-workers and on social media, including Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. Include the hashtag #StopCensoringSocialism.

3. Send to the WSWS any information that you have on the censorship of left-wing individuals and publications by Facebook or other social media companies so that we can publicize and oppose these attacks.
Police in Worcester arrested a 23-year-old man after a report of gunshots on South Street in Worcester on Tuesday morning, authorities said.

Angel Rodriguez, of Worcester, was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license and carrying a loaded firearm without a license, police said.

Police responded to a ShotSpotter activation in the area of 61 South St. just after midnight on Tuesday, authorities said.

After arriving, officers saw a man bend down and place something near the tire of a car, police said. When officers approached the area, they found a gun, police said.

Shortly after police were notified that a 29-year-old man, who had been shot, arrived at a local hospital. The male was suffering from non-life threatening injuries, police said.

Police did not say if they believe Rodriguez was involved in the shooting of the man. At this time, Rodriguez only faces firearm charges.

Authorities said the incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Worcester Police Detective Bureau at 508-799-8651. Any texts can be sent anonymously to 274637 TIPWPD. Anonymous online messages can be sent at worcesterma.gov/police.
When LaQuincia "Nanny" Jackson didn't make an appearance at her little cousin's birthday party Saturday afternoon, her family started to worry. She was never one to miss a good celebration.

After their calls and messages went unanswered, relatives finally showed up to her Tigerland apartment and found themselves confronted with tragedy: Jackson and her boyfriend, Fredrick Hollins, had been shot to death inside their home.

Baton Rouge police have released few details about the case, including when the shooting likely occurred. Police responded to reports of two people found unresponsive around 9 p.m.  a few hours after the birthday party had wrapped up.

Their deaths came amid a bloody weekend, adding to an already skyrocketing murder rate. Just hours earlier, a man was accused of stabbing his roommate to death in a neighborhood off Choctaw Drive, and a teenager was arrested Sunday based on evidence he shot and killed his mother's boyfriend during a domestic dispute in Zachary.

After 2020 became the parish's most murderous year on record, the violence still shows no sign of slowing. Already 14 people have been killed since Jan. 1  compared to seven last January, according to records maintained by the Advocate tracking intentional and unjustified killings.

"Families are crying. Mothers are wearing black daily. People are here today, gone the next hour," said Keon Preston, who started a group called Stop the Violence of Baton Rouge after his little brother was killed several years ago.

+8 Baton Rouge's most murderous year on record: How gun violence surged amid pandemic Debra Ross was headed to her first Bible study of 2020 when she stopped home to change clothes and found herself walking into a nightmare: Her

Jackson, 26, and Hollins, 33, lived together in an apartment complex on Earl Gros Avenue in Tigerland, the neighborhood near LSU that has experienced an uptick in shootings and other violent crime in recent years, causing concern among Baton Rouge leaders and law enforcement.

Jackson had recently started working as an electrician after years of studying  including an associate's degree from ITI Technical College in Baton Rouge  and months of job searching, according to her aunt Charlette Jackson-Avery.

As Jackson struggled to break into the heavily male-dominated profession, her recent job offer became a triumph both real and symbolic. She received her first paycheck just days before her death.

"She was so proud. She always wanted to be somebody, and we were right there encouraging her," Jackson-Avery said. "She had her struggles, but nobody could tell her she wasn't gonna make it."

The future was bright. Jackson was becoming a true role model for her six younger siblings, her aunt said. The young woman was also a budding musician and rapper. She had started performing in local venues under the name Lady Q.

She was the life of the party, which is why her relatives became concerned when she didn't show up Saturday afternoon.

Jackson and Hollins had lived together for several months, according to her relatives. Attempts to reach his family Monday were unsuccessful.

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"We just want some justice," Jackson-Avery said. "We are trying to figure out what's going on."

While Saturday double homicide remains unsolved, local law enforcement made quick arrests in the two other weekend murder cases.

Zachary James, 60, is accused of stabbing his roommate to death inside their house on Larkspur Avenue. Chad Ardoyne, 39, died on the scene. An arrest report for James doesn't note a possible motive, but says the stabbing occurred during an argument and cites at least one witness.

The next day brought yet another homicide and arrest, this time in Zachary.

After a couple started arguing outside their house late Sunday afternoon, the woman's son became involved and ended up shooting her boyfriend to death, according to police.

The man was pronounced dead on the scene after the shooting was reported around 3:30 p.m. on New Weis Road. The victim was 50 years old. Police have not yet released his name pending notification of family.

Zachary police chief David McDavid said this was a domestic situation that escalated into shots fired.

+2 Zachary man accused of killing mom's boyfriend; police say domestic fight led to shooting Zachary police were investigating a shooting Sunday when they were interrupted by around 30 people arriving on dirt bikes and four-wheelers.

Tytus Hayes, 19, was booked into jail after the shooting, the second homicide so far this year in Zachary, a city that typically enjoys relative peace compared to neighboring Baton Rouge.

Ron Haley, the attorney hired to represent Hayes, said his client was defending himself and his mother when he pulled the trigger. Haley said the boyfriend was on drugs and acting aggressive in the minutes leading up to the shooting.

"This is an unfortunate situation," he said. "Domestic violence is a real problem within this community and unfortunately it led to the events of Jan. 24.  If the state chooses to indict Mr. Hayes, we will vigorously defend him in court."

McDavid, meanwhile, is exasperated at the murder rate. Adding to his exasperation, a group of about 30 or 40 people on dirt bikes and four-wheelers showed up to the crime scene Sunday evening "with the obvious intention of impeding the homicide investigation" according to police.

They rode up close to officers, revving their engines and doing donuts in the street, McDavid said. "We've got a victim lying on the ground and people crying," he said. "These guys showed total disrespect. I'm not sure if they were trying to entice us or what, but we will not tolerate this in Zachary."
The Democratic Congress hates Donald Trump so much that its willing to gut the Constitution of the United States; to destroy the liberties of everyone, no matter ones party. In the last days of the Trump presidency, the Democrats in Congress announced a new impeachment of Trump for his role in the Capitol Hill riots that stopped a critical meeting of Congress.

Trump  just as the assault was beginning  told a giant meeting of his followers that the election was rigged and he had actually won a landslide. That seems wrong to me, but I do believe there were voting irregularities in some states that should be investigated. These include officials other than state legislators changing rules of voting. The Constitution charges state legislatures with establishing voting rules. Did that change the outcome of the election? Dont know. Trump told his followers to go to the Capitol and peacefully and patriotically protest. Trump never said to violently act.

But that didnt matter to hundreds of Democrats in the House of Representatives who, in a mockery of a quasi-judicial proceeding created to remove federal officials for major crimes, voted a bill of impeachment in just one day. They never offered any evidence other than their speeches about how much they hated Trump. They railed on and on about what a horrid person their chief political enemy is. They argued that anyone who spoke in Trumps behalf should be thrown out of Congress. They never mentioned that impeaching Trump would ensure that their worst nightmare could never happen: That Trump might run again in 2024.

The lawless Democrats rushed through a one-count impeachment measure in just one day. It reminds one of Kafkas The Trial or Humphrey Cobbs Paths of Glory. The latter is a story of a rigged court martial of French soldiers during World War I. Whether one likes Trump or not  and I have mixed feelings about his presidency  the message these Democrats are sending is their snap impeachment  normally it takes weeks to present an impeachment case in the House, then a few weeks more to hold a trial in the Senate  is a disgrace.

But it is worse.

Since the Democrats impeached Trump in the last days of his term, and since the leaders of the then-Republican-controlled Senate said there was no time to hold a trial, the power mad Democrats in effect said, to hell with the rule of law. The Democrats gained control of the Senate and intend to hold an impeachment trial of Trump even though he is no longer be president.

Heres where the lawlessness is palpable.

The Constitution clearly states impeachment can only be used against federal officials; it doesnt apply to private citizens. Article II, Section 4 states who can be impeached. The president, vice president and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Convictions of Treason, Bribery and other High Crimes and Misfeasors.

Congress has no power to impeach someone who is no longer a federal official. And, by the way, Article 1 also prohibits Congress from passing a Bill of Attainder or ex post facto law. To accept this Democratic Party standard of well get Trump even if we have to break the law to do it, is to go down a dangerous road. Its called the road to lawless government; the road to temporary majority can do anything it wants, with no limits and to hell with the Constitution.

Does obeying the law mean that Trump, or any other ex-president, can get off scot free from criminal acts committed during his presidency?

It does not. Ex-presidents are still subject to all the criminal laws that affect every other citizen.

The greatest danger here is, if the Democrats succeed during the trial, impeachment will be a blatantly partisan weapon. And, by the way, this was something that was tried by the Jeffersonian party in the early 19th century against Federalist judges. It was a weapon that blew up in the faces of the Jeffersonians as it very well could do for Democrats today. If a Democratic Congress can convict a former president who is a Republican, then lets consider the implications. Why stop there? Indeed, if the Republicans regain control of Congress, which they might do in two years, they could go after ex-presidents who are Democrats. They could raise questions about some of the controversial policies of presidents  but now private citizens  Obama and Clinton.

Where does it stop? Sen. Lindsey Graham asked.

It stops when both parties start respecting the basic law of the land, the U.S. Constitution.

Gregory Bresiger, an independent business journalist, formerly worked as a business reporter for the New York Post.
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BALTIMORE, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- emocha Health , the leading digital medication adherence platform that serves over 450 public health departments nationwide, has secured a total of $6.1M in funding from the National Institutes of Health. The most recent round of funding from the National Institute on Diabetes and Digestives and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the NIH, includes a randomized clinical trial with the Johns Hopkins University, the University of Miami, and the University of Virginia to evaluate emocha's medication adherence platform. This funding will enable researchers to evaluate whether the use of video-based Directly Observed Therapy may improve immunosuppressive therapy adherence among kidney and liver transplant recipients.

"Taking medication consistently and at the right time is critical for transplant recipients in order to avoid debilitating and devastating consequences, which can include rejection, failure, or even death," said Sebastian Seiguer, CEO of emocha. "We know that patients face numerous challenges post-transplant, and are excited for the opportunity to partner with leaders in the field, expand our work with transplant centers, and support patients."

The research is the evolution of a Discovery Award received by the Hopkins transplant team in 2018 to examine the use of emocha in transplant recipients. Led by the JHU Epidemiology Research Group in Organ Transplantation (ERGOT), the 10-patient video DOT pilot provided preliminary data for the SBIR award. The NIH funding has enabled emocha to augment and enhance its semi-automated patient engagement technology, including development of medication-specific messaging and video content tailored for kidney and liver transplant.

Approximately 21,000 kidney and 8,250 liver transplants were completed in 2018. To facilitate successful transplantation, patients must carefully adhere to immunosuppressant (anti-rejection) medication regimens. Yet clinical studies indicate that more than a quarter of kidney transplant recipients are nonadherent , with nonadherence leading to graft failure and organ rejection. Among liver transplant recipients, nonadherence has been reported to range from 15 to 40 percent , resulting in episodes that require acute hospitalization, and in some cases retransplantation. This can result in financial costs between $4,000 and $11,000 per person per year, decreased quality of life, and potentially devastating outcomes for all stakeholders in the transplant process.

emocha has proven efficacy in multiple studies, including an NIH-funded study in which emocha secured 94% average adherence and saved ~$1,400 per patient and CDC reports detailing emocha's activities during Hurricane Harvey and a recurring TB outbreak in Puerto Rico . Multiple studies indicate that Directly Observed Therapy is the gold standard for medication adherence, and increased evidence indicates that video Directly Observed Therapy can be effectively leveraged for various chronic and infectious diseases.

A Digital Adherence Program that leverages human engagement and technology to support patients at every dose of medication, emocha is used by public health departments, managed care organizations, academic medical centers, and providers across chronic & infectious diseases, including asthma and diabetes. Each day, hundreds of public health experts use emocha to monitor thousands of tuberculosis patients using virtual check-ins: with the number growing exponentially as all stakeholders in healthcare move in-person visits to scalable, asynchronous video. emocha has also used a version of its platform to monitor public health outbreaks, including Ebola, since 2015. emocha provides remote symptoms screening, monitoring, and clinical triage to healthcare workers, students, and employees across the country.

About emocha Mobile Health

emocha empowers patients to take every dose of medication through video technology and scalable human engagement. Patients use a smartphone application to report side effects, communicate with providers, and video record themselves taking medication at every dose. Providers or emocha's clinician-led Adherence Solution team use a secure web portal to assess compliance adherence and engage with patients. The platform is being used by public health departments, hospitals, health centers, and managed care organizations across the globe to radically improve medication adherence for patients with diabetes, tuberculosis, opioid use disorder, asthma, COPD, hepatitis C, and other chronic and infectious diseases. Learn more at www.emocha.com .

National Institute on Diabetes and Digestives and Kidney Disease Statement

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R44DK123978. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

SOURCE emocha

Related Links

https://emocha.com


Aqua Lung, the celebrated pioneer, designer, manufacturer and distributor of dive and watersports equipment for 75 years, today announced world-renowned wildlife photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen is joining the brand as a global ocean ambassador. As part of the partnership, Nicklen will exclusively use Aqua Lung, Apeks, and O.ME.R. products during all dive expeditions.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005122/en/

Aqua Lung global ocean ambassador and SeaLegacy co-founder, Paul Nicklen with co-founder and President of SeaLegacy, Cristina Mittermeier. Photo credit: Joe Leahy

Nicklen, best-known for his incomparable underwater photography and ocean conservation efforts, will utilize the full range of industry-leading Aqua Lung, Apeks and O.ME.R. products from wetsuits, masks and fins to technical gear and regulators. Helping to grow the brand globally, Nicklen joins an elite roster of ambassadors at Aqua Lung including, Philippe Cousteau Jr., Ashlan Gorse Cousteau, and Greg Lecoeur.

"From day one, the Aqua Lung family has been kind and unwavering in their support of our mission to build community and restore the health and abundance of our oceans," said Nicklen. "Personally, I love the simplicity and quality of the Aqua Lung products and I'm grateful the entire SeaLegacy team gets to use them. Most importantly, the products are reliable and give me the ability to focus on filming and being a photographer and conservationist."

Paul Nicklen is a Canadian photographer and marine biologist specializing in the polar regions and their wildlife. Nicklen has completed more than 20 assignments for National Geographic and in 2014, co-founded SeaLegacy, a non-profit organization that propelled ocean conservation onto the world stage through the power of visual storytelling, impact campaigns and the funding of sustainability projects. In 2019, Nicklen was inducted into the International Photography Hall of and in that same year, was appointed to the Order of Canada.

"We are thrilled to welcome Paul Nicklen to the Aqua Lung family," said Laurent Boury, Senior Vice President of Brands for the Aqua Lung Group. "Paul is an incredibly talented photographer and an important voice in ocean conservation, and we are honored that he chooses to use Aqua Lung, Apeks, and O.ME.R. products to further his work."

Nicklen and the crew from SeaLegacy are slated to spend the next six months in the Bahamas, focusing on the development of an immersive content series to inspire and galvanize a global audience, shedding light on critical threats, tipping points, and scalable solutions unique to the region. Against the backdrop of Hurricane Dorian's still ongoing recovery efforts and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Nicklen and his team are documenting one of the most complex, yet promising, conservation stories as it unfolds. Using SeaLegacy's storytelling expertise and Only One's data-driven content delivery formula, this expedition will build a robust library of assets and supporting content that can be organized into actionable narratives and educational curriculum.

To learn more or to see Nicklen's work, go to paulnicklen.com or follow him on Instagram. For more information about Aqua Lung products, visit AquaLung.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005122/en/

Contacts:

Lauren Schuil

lschuil@aqualung.com

The Biden administration says it is "exploring ways to speed up" release of $20 bills featuring abolitionist Harriet Tubman after the Trump administration delayed the move first initiated by President Barack Obama.

"It's important that our notes, our money -- if people don't know what a note is -- reflect the history and diversity of our country, and Harriet Tubman's image gracing the new $20 note would certainly reflect that," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday.

A spokesperson for the Treasury Department confirmed to CNN that the agency is "exploring ways to resume" putting Tubman on the bill.

There are production factors that will need to be considered in order for the bill to be released before 2028 -- when the Trump administration estimated the new note would be unveiled. For example, the Tubman bill will need to produced in a new, high-speed printing facility, which is currently scheduled to begin printing in 2025.

Tubman, the once-enslaved African-American woman who guided dozens enslaved people to their freedom through the Underground Railroad in the 1800s, would replace President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.

Tubman, born in Maryland, escaped the plantation where she was enslaved and went to Pennsylvania in 1849. Over the following decade, she made more than a dozen trips to Maryland to free enslaved persons, according to the National Parks Service.

During the Civil War, Tubman served as a US Army spy, scout, nurse and cook. And in her later years, Tubman was involved in the women's suffrage movement.

While campaigning in 2016, President Donald Trump called the decision to redesign the $20 with Tubman's image front and center "pure political correctness." He suggested at the time that Tubman be put on the $2 bill, which is no longer printed, instead.

And throughout his presidency, Trump expressed appreciation for Jackson, visiting his grave, tweeting about Jackson, "We honor your memory. We build on your legacy" and displaying Jackson portraits in the Oval Office.

Different groups have criticized the glorification of Jackson's legacy -- specifically for owning slaves, his record on racial issues and his decision to sign legislation that ultimately led to the deadly "Trail of Tears." That legislation forced tens of thousands of Cherokees out of Georgia and moved to what's now Oklahoma.

In a 2018 interview at the Economic Club of Washington, Trump Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin dodged when asked about progress with regard to the new bill, saying, "We haven't made any decisions as to whether we'll change the bill, or won't change the bill."

Mnuchin later said the bill wouldn't be unveiled until 2028 because of "technical issues." But The New York Times reported in 2019 that in fact the "basic design already on paper most likely could have satisfied the goal of unveiling" the redesigned note by 2020. The paper said it obtained an image of the new note from a former department official, which "depicts Tubman in a dark coat with a wide collar and a white scarf."

According to the paper, the design "was completed in late 2016."

This story has been updated with additional reporting on Tubman and the Treasury Department's plans.
On Tuesday, the Romanian Constitutional Court rejected the notifications of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) regarding the Parliament Decision No. 31/2020 regarding the investiture of the Government Florin Citu.

Senator Claudiu Tarziu, AUR co-chair, claimed at the Parliament meeting on the investiture of the Citu Government that the legal procedures had not been fulfilled.

"The hearings in the committees were formal, hurried and without the possibility to analyze the governing programme. But I see that in the hall there were voices, more or less triumphant, from the governmental arc. I would advise my colleagues from the governing coalition, and those who want to hold ministerial posts, together with the President of the State, Mr Klaus Iohannis, to wait a little longer, not to rejoice too soon. The AUR parliamentary groups will notify the Constitutional Court about the fact that the legal procedures were not met in this case. "Therefore, please wait for the CCR decision," explained the AUR Senator.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American businesses in Mexico face a challenging future ahead if the amendment proposal to reform the current outsourcing scheme in the country is passed, according to Hiroshi Takahashi, Editorial Director of El Sol de Mexico and an expert in Mexico-US economic relations.

In an essay published this week in El Sol de Mexico, Mexico City's leading newspaper, Takahashi states that the outsourcing scheme reform will jeopardise Mexico's special relationship with the United States and put in danger more than seven million jobs.

El Sol de Mexico the Organizacion Editorial Mexicana, a chain that publishes over 30 newspapers and several million copies a day. Takahashi serves as its editor since August 2017.

The analyst, who has written for media outlets such as Forbes, El Heraldo de Mexico, Diario 24 Horas and La Silla Rota, mentions that the reform will violate the labour clauses of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, add legal uncertainty and reduce Mexico's position in the region.

"The approval of the outsourcing law will make it so difficult for large U.S. companies to operate in our country that it will surely cost us jobs and have repercussions for our relationship with the new Biden administration", Takahashi wrote in his essay.

According to Takahashi, among the companies affected by the law reform are Amazon, American Express, Coca-Cola, Costco, DHL, Pepsico, Exxon, FedEx, Ford, General Electric, General Motors, Philips, Chrysler, Honeywell, and Intel.

In his analysis, the reform's approval will pose significant obstacles to the American plan for economic recovery, in a global context where China continues to gain ground. A considerable part of the U.S. recovery will depend on its investment in Mexico.

Passage of the law reform will increase their costs and make it unfeasible for them to have their factories operating here, experts write.

In Mexico, the formally employed population affiliated to the Social Security system (IMSS) is more or less 23 million people, according to official sources.

More than 30 million people work informally, in conditions that in many cases are below the poverty level and that does not allow for the advancement of workers, companies or the country.

According to official data, Mexico sells 50 billion pesos worth of vehicles to the United States each year, 30 billion pesos worth of auto parts, 29.7 billion pesos worth of technological machinery, and 29.7 billion pesos worth of machinery.

The outsourcing scheme allows workers to meet certain labor conditions in today's post COVID-19 market.

"If the Mexican congress passes the outsourcing law reform, we will be sending a wrong foreign policy signal to Washington", he describes.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement states that Members will make changes to labour legislation in Mexico that might affect companies' operation from its member states.


The European Commission was not satisfied with how pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca responded on Monday to fears around reductions in vaccine delivery plans.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is expected to address the implications for Ireland later on Monday.

The vaccine, developed by the company with Oxford University, has been seen as a game-changer in Ireland for its ease of delivery.

Irelands share of an EU deal would come to 3.3m doses and the first shipment had been expected by mid-February.

However on Friday, the company told the EU it would now only deliver about 60% of initial deliveries to the EU between now and the end of March.

On Monday afternoon, following a meeting between AstraZeneca and the commission, the frustration was clear.

Commissioner for health and food safety Stella Kyriakides asked the company in writing at the weekend which doses have been produced and where so far, and whether they have been delivered and to whom.

She said:

The answers of the company have not been satisfactory so far. That is why a second meeting is scheduled for tonight.

"The European Union wants the pre-ordered and pre-financed doses to be delivered as soon as possible.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is expected to address the implications for Ireland on delayed vaccine delivery later on Monday. File picture.

Earlier on Monday, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned AstraZeneca it must meet contractual obligations for delivery of the vaccines.

The EU made an up-front payment of 336m to AstraZeneca to help boost production, an EU official told Reuters in August.

AstraZeneca said on Friday evening: Initial volumes will be lower than originally anticipated due to reduced yields at a manufacturing site within our European supply chain.
An office-based worker here had no option but to resign from her job during the first Covid-19 lockdown after her employer rejected her plea to work remotely from home.

That is according to Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Adjudication Officer, Kevin Baneham, who has ordered the employer to pay the Operations Co-Ordinator 3,712 compensation for her unfair dismissal on May 12 last.

Today, employment law expert, Richard Grogan described the WRC ruling as a wake-up call for employers.

Mr Grogan - who wasnt involved in the case - stated: The amount of compensation isnt high as the worker got new a new job within a short space of time, but the findings are important as it is the first ruling that the WRC has made concerning a Covid-19 related unfair or constructive dismissal."

I believe that we are going to see an awful lot more of such Covid-19 cases going through the WRC.

In an email to her employer, a university-based Facilities Management Service Provider last April, the worker stated that her employers refusal to accept the remote working proposal has increased the infection risk with Covid-19 for all three Operations Coordinators.

She said: In the event one of us gets sick I will be putting at risk my husband who is an asthmatic patient."

In his ruling, Mr Baneham found that the university-based Operations Co-ordinator had no real option but to resign after her employer failed to take reasonably practicable steps to mitigate risk posed by Covid-19 in the workplace.

Mr Baneham found that the employer failed to implement the proposals made by three office workers that would have eliminated the risk of transmission of Covid-19 in the workplace.

The employer rejected a proposal from the three that two could work remotely at any one time in response to the risk posed by Covid-19.

Read More Cabinet set to approve extension of level 5 lockdown until March 5

In the case, the woman - represented by Siptu - worked for the facilities management company at a university where there are 3,200 rooms to accommodate students.

In his findings, Mr Baneham found that the requirement by the employer that the Operations Co-Ordinator attend the workplace without adequate consideration of the elimination of risk posed by Covid-19 amounts to repudiation of contract.

He stated: This arises as providing a safe place of work is a fundamental term of the contract of employment. Mr Baneham found that the employer did not comply with the statutory framework by first seeking to eliminate risk, causing the worker to attend work in greater danger.

Mr Baneham said: In this case, the risk could have been readily eliminated or reduced through reasonably practicable steps, as suggested by the complainant. Mr Baneham stated that the Operations Co-Ordinator articulated a clear grievance and suggested how the work could be done in the safest way possible.

Mr Baneham said:

This was not adequately considered by the respondent, leaving her with no real option but to resign.

The award made by Mr Baneham would have been higher but for the worker concerned securing alternative employment within five weeks at a higher pay rate.

Mr Baneham said: As an infectious disease, Covid-19 constitutes a biological hazard. In this context and at the centre of this case are the duties of both employer and employee arising from the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act and the underpinning health and safety principles.

Some 1,000 students were stuck on the campus in March, some of whom were self-isolating and Mr Baneham stated that the worker and her colleagues dealt with the difficult task of managing thousands of students who vacated their accommodation at the start of the lockdown.

Mr Baneham stated that it was striking that the employer did not trial the eminently sensible suggestion by the three office-based Operations Co-Ordinators that only one worker attend the office and the others work remotely at any one time.

The worker provided a lockdown photo taken on April 17 last showing her and her colleagues working in close proximity in the small office.

In an email dated April 17, the worker told her employer that she was not able to socially distance from her two colleagues in the workplace.

In a formal grievance lodged on April 30, the three Operations Co-Ordinators stated:

All three of us have family members in the at risk category and we are concerned about the health of our family members as well as our own wellbeing.

They said that these concerns were brought to the attention of the employers line manager numerous times at the start and during the Covid-19 outbreak but nothing was done about it and zero care and consideration was given back.

They said: Most of our work can be completed from home but if there are issues that require our presence there will be one coordinator in the office to address them. This measure will minimise the infection risk and will help us keep our family and ourselves protected. However, in response the employer rejected the work from home proposal.

In a letter on May 4, the employer said: Prior to Covid-19 there was never a suggestion that the roles could be performed remotely, and the same situation pertains in a post-Covid situation.

Each person may absent themselves from work and check if they are entitled to a state benefit. The position will be kept under review, but at present the employers position is that the three roles are not suitable for remote working. The employer stated that it had taken Covid-19 workplace precautions, including PPE; changing the physical layout of the office; the installation of screens and warning tape and moving desks.

In her emailed resignation letter on May 12, the Operations Co-Ordinator stated on her return to the office her anxiety and stress levels had once again increased and on this occasion had caused her to experience panic attacks.

She said: "With this email communication I am handing in my notice, as I am not able to manage the levels of pressure imposed by management and the impact this is having on my health wellbeing. She stated the employers approach to the whole situation has been a real disappointment and the lack of care for their employees has left me feeling disheartened and insecure.

The MD of the facilities management company told the hearing that the worker was of the opinion that she should work from home, but the companys client would not have allowed this to happen.

He stated that her job was essential, and the client would not have allowed her to work from home. He outlined that it was the coordinators role to deal with the students and they were required to be on campus.

The MD stated that no staff member thankfully contracted Covid-19, either in the university or elsewhere. He stated that the client had the best record of all the universities in Ireland and this was due to the precautions taken.

In response to the proposal that some co-ordinators work from home, the MD told the hearing that it was so busy at this time, so they all needed to be there.
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Experts from the University of East Anglia, the Earlham Institute in Norwich and the University of Minnesota wrote in an editorial for the journal Virulence about vaccinating pets against the COVID-19 virus.

It could be necessary for the future to vaccinate domestic animals such as cats and dogs against COVID-19 to curb the spread of the virus, a group of scientists has said.

Reuters

Coronavirus can infect a wide range of species including cats, dogs, mink and other domesticated species, the experts claim.

In an editorial for the journal Virulence, they wrote that continued evolution of the virus in animals followed by transmission to humans poses a significant long-term risk to public health.

It is not unthinkable that vaccination of some domesticated animal species might be necessary to curb the spread of the infection, they said.

Also Read: Govt Warns Of COVID-19 Vaccination Scam Where Fraudsters Ask For Aadhar And OTP

In Denmark last year, hundreds of COVID-19 cases were caused by variants associated with farmed mink, leading to millions of the animals being culled.

Image For Representation/Reuters

One of the authors, Cock van Oosterhout, professor of evolutionary genetics at UEA, said: 'It makes sense to develop vaccines for pets ... We really need to be prepared for any eventuality.' He pointed out that Russia has started to develop a vaccine for pets.

Kevin Tyler, editor-in-chief of Virulence, said: Cats are asymptomatic but they are infected by it and they can infect humans with it. The risk is that, as long as there are these reservoirs, that it starts to pass as it did in the mink from animal to animal, and then starts to evolve animal-specific strains, but then they spill back into the human population and you end up essentially with a new virus which is related which causes the whole thing all over again.

Also Read: India Administers 1 Million COVID Vaccine Doses In 6 Days; Close To 16 Lakh People Vaccinated

He said that while mink were culled in Denmark, if you were thinking about domestic animals, companion animals, then you might think about whether you could vaccinate to stop that from happening. He added: Its not an obvious risk yet.

In their editorial, the scientists wrote: Continued virus evolution in reservoir animal hosts, followed by spillback events into susceptible human hosts, poses a significant long-term risk to public health.

SARS-CoV-2 can infect a wide range of host species, including cats, dogs, mink and other wild and domesticated species and, hence, the vaccination of domesticated animals might be required to halt further virus evolution and spillback events.

Also Read: Loss Of Smell Is The Biggest Symptom Of COVID-19, Says New Research

Whilst the vaccination campaigns against SARS-CoV-2/ Covid-19 are being rolled out worldwide, new virus variants are likely to continue to evolve that have the potential to sweep through the human population.

The scientists have called on governments to consider the continued use of strict control measures such as masks and social distancing as the only way to reduce the evolution and spread of new Covid-19 variants.




New Delhi, Jan 26 : Indias decision to bestow the Padma Vibhushan, the countrys second highest civilian award on Shinzo Abe, is a befitting acknowledgement by the Narendra Modi administration of the former Japanese Prime Ministers unique role in elevating Japan-India ties to an unprecedented strategic level.

Abe was crowned with the honour for "exceptional and distinguished service" in the field of public affairs.

He will be the second Japanese citizen of eminence, after former Defence Minister Hosei Norota, received the same award in 2001.

It was not hard for the jury to pick Abe as a Padma Vibhushan awardee. The former premier played a seminal role in grasping that with China's rise, Japan and India together can, and must become a powerful vector in shaping a more balanced order in the region and beyond.

Abe's role was central in roping India in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region, threatened by Chinese belligerence in the East and South China seas as well as the Indian Ocean. In fact, Abe chose an address to the Indian Parliament in August 2007 to pioneer the idea of an India-Japan strategic partnership for ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

In a speech titled "Confluence of the Two Seas" in India's Parliament in he said: "The Pacific and the Indian Oceans are now bringing about a dynamic coupling as seas of freedom and of prosperity. A 'broader Asia' that broke away geographical boundaries is now beginning to take on a distinct form." In recognising that their strategic bandwidth needed to be expanded, Abe impressed upon India that New Delhi's geopolitical footprint could no longer be confined to the Indian Ocean alone. In his "think big" approach, Abe saw India as a role player on either side of the Malacca Straits - a sensitive choke point channelling massive flows of international trade.

Abe also needs to be credited for being a doer rather than a talker. Throughout his tenure, he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visualised and nailed structural changes that were required to fulfil the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. With the shadow of China looming large, the two countries appreciated the importance of developing cross-border infrastructure to fulfil new strategic aspirations.

Unsurprisingly, during Abe's tenure, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was given a push for the construction of the Dhubri Phulbari bridge over the Brahmaputra. This was no ordinary enterprise. By doing so landlocked Bhutan, instead of falling at some point, into the Chinese orbit of influence, can now become structurally integrated with the Indo-Pacific via India's northeast.

Once the 19-kilometre bridge is built, Bhutan can be connected with Da Nang in Vietnam via two major international highways marshalled by India and Japan which merge with each other in Thailand.

Abe also pushed for an India-Japan partnership for building the third deep sea container terminal at Colombo port amid deep Chinese inroads in Sri Lanka as part of its expansionist push in South Asia.

Also, with India's tacit support, Japan has contracted the construction of the Matarbari port in Bangladesh, after Dhaka decided not to award the development of neighbouring Sonadia port to China.

Abe's vision of the Indo-Pacific was also ideologically driven. The Japanese leader was deeply conscious that a free and open Indo-Pacific had to be defended by the world's leading democracies, and not become a geographic space where a China-led authoritarian model of "governance" prevailed. Consequently, the formation of the Indo-Pacific Quad, which Abe fully backed as the teeth of the free and open Indo-Pacific, comprises India, Japan, Australia and the United States - all major democracies of the globe. Expanding on the ground-breaking efforts of Abe and others, key European democracies including France, Germany and UK are now showing greater interest of militarily re-engaging with the region.

The former Japanese leader was acutely conscious that India, with its traditional influence, was Tokyo's prime partner in developing Africa. In May 2017, Abe and Modi flagged the Asia-Africa growth corridor.

Within India, Abe will be recognised as face of Japan's friendship to achieve India's modernisation in the digital age. His shadow will loom large over the flagging of India's first bullet train spanning Mumbai and Ahmadabad. The Delhi-Mumbai freight corridor would also be seen as part of his impressive legacy.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
If we were to follow that shark, where would he lead us? Great whites travel thousands of kilometres along Australias coastline and beyond every year. Some are tracked by researchers; they have names, or at least numbers, and their own radio frequencies, thanks to tags implanted under their skin and dorsal fins. On the seafloor, receivers listen for them to get close. But they wouldnt hear this shark. He doesnt have a tag yet. Well just call him Shark 26. (Thats how many years hes been alive.) For a great white, hes barely grown-up, one of a few thousand adult whites estimated to be left in Australian waters.

Now, above the surface, tragedy is unfolding. Lifeguards and panicked swimmers rush to help. But the shark didn't stick around. He's already gone, back into deeper water, with a strange taste in his mouth. So what did he want?

Of course, more likely than not you see nothing but a flash of grey before the bite. Its gentle, by shark standards.

Now hes really here, and perhaps youre close enough to see that his eyes arent black at all, theyre navy; dark in the deep but in the sun they shine inky blue. His teeth catch the light too. You might see them first, jagged like steak knives.

Youve seen him before too, this great white. Not in the surf, but when you close your eyes, when you glimpse a shadow in the water, this is the shark you imagine: 2000 kilograms of muscle and teeth with the black, dead stare of a killer.

Suppose your worst-case scenario goes like this: by the time you turn, hes already seen you, and hes closing fast.

Consider that number against the many millions of people taking to the water. Or against the tens of millions of sharks killed each year for their meat and fins as industrialised fishing pushes a third of all shark species towards extinction. Even the great white is now endangered.

Youre more likely to be killed by bees or cows than sharks, says Gavin Naylor, an evolutionary biologist who curates the International Shark Attack File. On average worldwide, just over 80 people a year have run-ins with sharks in so-called unprovoked attacks, when the shark seems to come from nowhere, rather than being lured by fishing or bait. About six people usually die.

Great white sharks are actually warm-blooded, their skin makes them so fast it has inspired Olympic swimming suits and scientists studying their genome hope to unlock the secrets of how they are so resistant to illness such as cancers. Credit:.

Researchers also have more than 100 years of shark attack records to help calculate the odds of your worst-case scenario ever becoming a reality. So, with 2020 the deadliest shark year since 1929 (when panicked Sydneysiders advocated for dynamiting sharks at Bondi), what do we really know about why these big fish bite?

In the past few decades, tracking programs have started to piece together a new picture of the oceans most fearsome predator. Scientists have learnt that sharks, once considered notoriously solitary, are surprisingly social; that some will return to the same stretch of coast alongside the same sharks year after year; that they can learn from each other, remember, and even count; that they might lean in to human touch, lay their head in the lap of a diver or play in the bubbles of their tank.

Not all of the 500-odd shark species out there look like Shark 26. Some dont even look like sharks  our native wobbegong more closely resembles a carpet while the Greenland shark grows large and hundreds of years old in the icy waters at the top of the world.

Leonardo Guida, a shark ecologist at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, says a perfect storm of changing environmental conditions might now be driving bigger sharks closer to Australian coast. Warming oceans are shifting the migration patterns of some whales and fish further south  and sharks follow the food. A recent study found climate change was already seeing bull sharks move into Sydney in greater numbers.

The shark bite capital of the world is actually a small stretch of beach in Florida called New Smyrna  but so far none of its attacks have been fatal. Comparing white shark bites to the [main] culprit species [in New Smyrna], a blacktip, is like comparing dingo bites to hamsters, Naylor says. Youve got about a minute-and-a-half before you faint if the big femoral artery [on the thigh] is severed.

Naylor offers two practical reasons: there are more people in the water than ever before, and there are more people reporting encounters than they did when official record-keeping began in 1958. Fortunately, our medical response times, our [shark] surveillance, is getting much better, so were actually saving more [victims globally].

Herein lies the mystery for scientists. If shark numbers are actually going down, why are attacks going up?

The 2020 tally really hurts, says surfer Dave Pearson, who has been running the worlds only shark attack survivor support group, Bite Club, since his own run-in with a bull shark in northern NSW almost 10 years ago. Whenever you chat to a surfer these days, inevitably the conversation turns to sharks.

Still, bites are no less tragic for being rare. By late November 2020, eight people had died in Australian waters alone. Thats a very bad year, Naylor says. There were no bite deaths at all in Australia in 2019.

Perhaps its because they catch us so literally out of our depth, in their domain. At Sydneys Bondi Beach, ancient rock carvings depict shark attacks. During a brief but controversial program in 2014, the West Australian government hunted and killed rogue sharks thought to have mauled people, as if tracking down wanted criminals.

Weve done it to wolves and snakes, to bats, she says. Three-year-olds are taught to fear sharks, even before theyve seen the ocean.

Fifteen years ago, diver Cristina Zenato began removing fishing hooks caught in the mouths of local reef sharks in the Bahamas. Today those sharks will lay in her lap like dogs. Zenato, known to the internet as the shark whisperer, says people have made monsters out of sharks because its easier to pretend they are not an animal that feels and hurts.

And big sharks like to hunt where cool waters meet warm. Shifts in the East Australian Current due to climate change are pushing these nutrient-rich upwellings closer to shore, Hart says. A major hotspot for white shark attacks on the east coast even lines up to the western boundary of the current. More upwellings during this year's La Nina event could also be partly behind the current spike, Hart says, though it's a bit too early to say for sure.

At Macquarie University, biologist Nathan Hart and his team examined more than 100 years of Australian attack records against environmental conditions and shark behaviour to develop a world-first predictive model for bites. Its a bit like weather forecasting [for sharks], Hart says. The risk goes up near river mouths where runoff tend to draw them close, or after high rainfall stirs up the sea.

Sharks might be styled as the perfect killing machine but, as with most predators, their success rate at catching prey is surprisingly low. They can burn out very quickly, Papastamatiou says. So it makes sense for them to bail out if the animal doesnt offer much energy or their chances are low.

We are within the size range of typical fare for a big shark such as a white but Papastamatiou notes that humans have very little fat, or energy-rich blubber, compared with some of sharks favourite prey, seals. For the same reason, youd be able to tell if I fed you non-fat brownies instead of ones made with real butter.

Naylor says in the rare cases such maneaters have emerged in other species, say, lions and leopards in Africa, the animals were often older, losing their teeth, and no doubt beginning to see an unsuspecting human as easier prey than a baboon. But sharks, like wine, improve with age, growing bigger and more savvy.

While shark attack forensics are still evolving, Naylor says theres no evidence in the data so far of the same individual shark attacking more than once. Certainly, tagging research suggests sharks move around far too much to be behind numerous attacks. Even the author of the shark attack horror Jaws once penned an open letter pleading with Australians not to buy into the myth of the rogue shark . Such creatures do not exist, despite what you might have derived from [the film].

Above: A reef shark, known as Foggyeye, lets Christine Zenato remove a hook from her mouth  in all, it takes 40 minutes as the shark recoils, swims off, and returns. "She never left me alone after that day," Zenato says.

Leading shark scientist Yannis Papastamatiou agrees that people still see sharks as serial killers. Ive swum with whites, with hammerheads, Ive looked into their eyes, he says. Theyre not harmless, they dont care about your feelings, but theyre not out to get you either. They have very basic reasons for attacking, which we still dont fully understand but we do know its not malice or spite.

Above: This camera is on a grey reef shark as it cruises through a school of barracuda off Palmyra Atoll in the US. Footage by Yannis Papastamatiou.

Then why do sharks bite?

The records do reveal some crucial clues. The bigger [and so older] ones tend not to be involved in the incidents; they know were not food, Naylor says. Its those young, more naive sharks that are starting to transition into eating things like seals and turtles, not just fish, as they grow.

Papastamatiou has watched sharks hunt all over the world and, while he agrees its usually the juvenile sharks still learning the ropes involved in attacks, he doesnt buy the popular theory that sharks mistake humans, often in their sleek black wetsuits, for seals.

A shark, say our white Shark 26, sees in blurry low resolution, like someone who has forgotten their glasses, but his eyes are good for a fish, and even better at night. Its a bit insulting to the shark to say theyre bumbling along making mistakes, Papastamatiou says. Every now and then, probably, but not all the time.

Guida agrees. Scientists (including Hart) have shown that sharks are colourblind, putting an end to old fears about yum-yum yellow attracting them to surfboards, but they can still make out contrast and contours. Even something as small as a cigarette packet floating on the water, sharks will check out, Guida says.

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And sharks are notoriously curious  investigation or taste testing is considered a likely motivation behind many attacks. They don't have hands, so how do you investigate something if you're a shark? You bite it, Papastamatiou says. Of course, it can still be devastating.

This might also explain why human encounters with the predators typically look very different to a shark truly in hunting mode. When a white such as Shark 26 has spotted a target, he will barrel to the surface in a burst of speed so powerful hell often breach out of the water himself. His eyes will roll back in his head to protect against an errant flipper or tooth.

If sharks went after surfers the same way they went after seals wed be seeing a lot more fatalities, Papastamatiou says. Some attacks may just come down to how hungry a shark is, but very rarely do we see actual consumption.

Many sharks will leave after biting a human rather than charging a second time or waiting for the victim to bleed out, as they often do with their regular prey.

Still, there are aberrations that haunt the public memory. The shark that mauled Ken Crew in the shallows of a Perth beach in 2000 then turned on his rescuer. Pearson says some Bite Club survivors have been bitten more than once or chased back to shore. Weve had a shark bump someone else out of the way to go for one of our guys, he says. And Ive spoken to about 10 people thrown metres into the air in a stealth breach attack  thankfully, the surfboards took the brunt of it.

In Tasmania in July, a boy was dragged from a fishing boat by a breaching white shark but rescued with only minimal injuries by his father as the shark let go. Papastamatiou says the boat itself, rather than the boy, was probably the target. But its really guesswork, why it attacked.

Hart notes many victims are surfers, who tend to be further out in the deeper water where bigger sharks dwell. But he thinks the mistaken identity theory shouldnt be discounted too quickly  his own experiments carting foam seal decoys behind boats for white sharks in South Africa found that when the foam seal was outfitted with a flashy strip of lights, disguising its familiar silhouette, the sharks stayed away.

And someone on the surface can look pretty similar to our foam seal.

Its also unclear if sharks are territorial, Papastamatiou says. Some do have home ranges and  hierarchies. Youll see injuries from other sharks, a white might charge another one to let it know to back off, though Ive never heard of [these clashes] being fatal.

But, while some of the smaller sharks may perceive us as a threat, he says the bigger species involved in most incidents (bulls, whites and tigers) are unlikely to feel threatened by an ungainly human in their ocean.

We need to look, too, at all the times a shark was there and nothing happened. If people knew how often there was one in the water with them, theyd be shocked.

Australian surfer Mick Fanning's close encounter with a white was captured live on television during a 2015 competition.

What have we learnt from close encounters?

Australian champion surfer Mick Fanning famously fended off a white shark live on television during a competition in South Africa, and recalled later how he felt the predator move behind him as he tried to swim for shore. Some instinct told him to whip back around, to fight with his fists, rather than turn his back.

Papastamatiou, himself trained in martial arts as well as diving, admits the old punch in the nose advice likely wont do a whole lot of good. Obviously, you should fight back, but if I had a choice Id be going for the eyes or the gills; theyre more sensitive to damage. My Brazilian jiu-jitsu probably wont do much at all unless I wanted to put the shark in a headlock  definitely not advisable.

Instead, he says, think like Mick: Never turn your back on a shark. If a shark thinks it can catch you unawares, youre a much more interesting prospect than someone vigilant who might give it a fight. Papastamatiou has seen sharks bail out of charges just because a turtle glanced up and spotted them.

Can sharks really smell a drop of blood miles away? Not exactly. It would have to be a lot of blood pooling in one spot for a decent period, and so easy to track. Shark senses are very good, particularly their hearing, thanks to jelly-like pores along their sides that detect vibrations in the water. But thats still not going to bring them in [from] more than a kilometre away, Papastamatiou says. A shark might be drawn to a floating whale carcass or river mouths. An activity such as spearfishing, full of soundwaves and fish blood, is more likely to attract a nearby shark than a small cut on a hand. One impressive, though even more short-range, sharky sense is their ability to detect electrical fields produced by prey, say, from hearts beating, allowing sharks to zero in on fish, even those hiding beneath sand on the seafloor. Strong electric fields can also overwhelm this sense and so repel sharks, inspiring a range of personal deterrent devices. Many products have not been properly tested but some have shown promise, including certain electric field models and even bite-resistant wetsuits. Still, theres no silver bullet.

Pearson shudders to imagine how he would have reacted if his own encounter with a bull shark hadnt happened so fast, if hed looked it in the eyes as it broke out of the water in front of his surfboard. What he remembers instead was the gaping teeth and, later, a grey shape in the roiling surf. The sharks nose clocked Pearson in the head and his left arm became stuck between its jaws and his board as they were dragged underwater together, man and shark. I wouldnt say we were wrestling exactly, Pearson recalls. We were both stunned from the [collision so] it did the hard work for me.

In the years since that day, Pearson has come hair-raisingly close again and again to large sharks in the waters of NSW  12 encounters within his first 12 months back in the water. A white sniffed [his] feet all the way in on a wave. A bull rubbed its back against him.

Some close-calls were easy to shake off. Some werent. Id tell [my mates]: Dont leave me alone. Sometimes I just sat back on the beach and cried, thinking, can I keep doing this? Now Im more settled, my love of the ocean is still stronger than my fear of sharks. But they dont call me shark bait for nothing; I seem to have a radar these days. I know when to get out...People need to listen to sightings.

In a new documentary, Save This Shark, Fanning himself gets close to some of the worlds biggest sharks in an effort to understand what happened that day in South Africa and how the predators, which he now calls the janitors of the ocean, are faring against overfishing. I think people expected that Id be calling for a cull on sharks, but its the opposite, Fanning says. I learnt to dive so I could get closer to the sharks and resolve the feelings I had  Hopefully, [now] Ill be known less as the guy who punched a shark and more as an ocean activist.

Shark biologist Charlie Huveneers took Fanning cage-diving with whites in the Neptune Islands, a known hotspot for the species in South Australia. It was in these waters that Huveneers and his team first noticed whites seemed to be using an interesting tactic to hunt  coming at prey from the same direction as the sun to seemingly improve their vision (and dazzle their target). They even changed direction as the sun shifted throughout the day.

World War II jet fighter pilots did it too, Huveneers says. But we hadnt seen it with a marine animal before.

Diver Neal Watson took surfer Mick Fanning swimming with tiger sharks in the Bahamas for the documentary Save This Shark. Credit:This Film Studio, Sean Williams

What do we know about how sharks think?

When Zenato takes tourists on reef dives in the Bahamas, she is also followed by a group of loyal regulars; sharks she gives names such as Grandma, Stumpy and Shredder. Some are more popular, others must be coaxed in for a feed, cheekier animals might be scolded for stealing bait. Its like the whites Papastamatiou works with in Mexico; certain animals will swim calmly to the boat, he says, and others are just  theres no other word for it  bad-tempered.

Researcher Catarina Vila Pouca has seen the same surprising personalities surface in (smaller) sharks shes trained back at Macquarie Universitys Fish Lab. Some of the Port Jacksons on which her team ran cognition experiments were bolder than others. The sharks could also learn from one another, recognise patterns and even count (in a sense), identifying specific quantities of dots on cards.

Its likely such skills translate to bigger species too, Vila Pouca says, as they seem key to survival. Theres a whole range of abilities science has assumed only happened in mammals we're now testing in fish. People think fish have terrible memories, but sharks can learn things and remember them for more than a year.

There are also signs of learning in the wild, she says. Its why fishermen will often complain of sharks stealing fish straight off their hooks or following their boats, and why tagged sharks released by scientists will often shoot off into the open ocean and not return to shore for months.

Huveneers says that personality and unpredictability can even show up in migration patterns. Sharks are constantly moving, not just to hunt but to return to preferred breeding grounds  usually in more sheltered reefs and mangroves where baby sharks born tough but small can be safe to fend for themselves. They dont travel in packs but many species have been known to come together in small clans year after year.

Theres even this mysterious bit of ocean off Hawaii, in the middle of nowhere, that white sharks near the US gather at the exact same time, says marine biologist Olaf Meynecke. We call it the White Shark Cafe. In the shark world, usually the bigger sharks move around more, but we still dont quite know how they find each other again in all that vast ocean. Its like a desert.

Of course, sharks dont have to worry about COVID-19-era restrictions on international travel. Whites are found in every ocean on Earth. Those in Australian waters will often swim across to New Zealand, New Caledonia and the Pacific Islands. One now-famous white named Nicole (after the actress and shark enthusiast Nicole Kidman) was tracked from South Africa to south-west Australia and back again in nine months. In recent years, the CSIRO has started building a white shark family tree of Australasia using DNA samples from tagged animals. Its like ancestry.com, but for sharks, a spokesman says. Analysing that data, they could estimate the true size of Australias white population for the first time, he says, and found it has stabilised over the past decade since protections were introduced but remains in trouble  short on breeding partners.

The extinct shark megalodon was similar to the great white today (just at a much bigger scale), which scientists say underscores the "success of the model". Credit:Getty Images

Why are sharks in trouble  and how do we live with them?

Sharks have swum in our oceans for the past 450 million years  their ancestors fought the dinosaurs. They are finely evolved to hunt at the top of the food chain. Zenato calls them the wolves of the sea, stopping any one species from getting out of hand and throwing off the ecosystem below.

The problem for sharks is that they also mature and reproduce very slowly. So if their populations start to decline rapidly, as they are today under unprecedented overfishing pressure, they cannot make up for the losses fast enough.

Naylor muses that, while sharks have already survived four of the five big extinction events on Earth, and will likely survive climate change too, the one thing they won't survive is being fished out of the water by a bunch of monkeys, [without] end.

And there will be consequences if we remove sharks; we dont know exactly what yet. It could be algae all over our beaches, blanketing the Gold Coast. It could be much worse.

In the Bahamas, shark numbers are stable thanks to new protections, but they still regularly find themselves snared by hooks after being drawn to fish thrashing on lines.

Its the job of the shark to clean up what is hurting, what is bleeding, Zenato says. And she now considers it her job to help them where she can.

Removing hooks from the mouth of a shark is not easy. People say, Use pliers, I need to use my hands.

Sharks outside her regular group will turn up on dives with hooks too. And Ill take them out and never see those sharks again. But they know to come.

Guida has studied the impact of shark mitigation and fishing methods on animals, measuring the build-up of chemicals in their bodies during capture. A shark jerks just like a human when I draw blood, he says. Their brains, their physiological responses to pain and stress are not that dissimilar to ours.

Even in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area, Guida says fishing nets can stretch for more than a kilometre. Once somethings in a net, on a hook, flopped up on a boat or trawler, it becomes a race against time. Some species that need to swim to breathe, like the [endangered] hammerhead sharks, start choking fast.

Marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck at the Humane Society International says living with sharks safely is not about shark-proofing the ocean. Thats a very Australian idea, he says. [Bites] are horrific, and they make us think authorities should do something, but the way to stay safe isnt what might feel right; its not [vengeance].

Research consistently shows that killing sharks  through netted beaches, baited drum lines or bullets  doesnt stop attacks. In some cases, sharks and other marine life caught, such as turtles and dolphins, might even attract more predators to the area. In others, Guida says the measures can create a false sense of security for beachgoers. (The nets, for example, only go up four metres.) The death of a surfer on the Gold Coast in September was at a beach with both nets and drumlines, although proponents insist overall deaths remain low at netted beaches, even if attacks have not slowed.

Scientists now see real promise in shark surveillance programs being rolled out from South Africa to WA and NSW. In October, a loud warning from an overhead drone may have saved professional surfer Matt Wilkinson from a shark that had swum hair-raisingly close without him noticing.

Im saving up my pennies for my own drone,Pearson says. And theres nothing like surfing with five or six survivors  one splash and every head snaps around.

The big question we all wonder  why did it happen?  we never really get an answer to, so [as a group] weve become each others answer.

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As Zenato describes the swollen jaws of the sharks she helps by hand, she stresses that she understands the risks (I would never try to remove a hook from a great white). But still she wonders, when the animals sink down into her lap, do they enjoy her touch? The protective chainmail she wears over her wetsuit is soft against the skin.

Its the same way we might wonder if a 500-year-old Greenland shark, born before the Industrial Revolution, has felt the ocean warming in the centuries since, as pollution spilled black and sticky into the seas.

"At the end of the day, its a wild animal, who knows?" Guida says. "But I remember now cagediving with a white and in the whole 45 minutes she was close, she only bared her teeth once. It just struck me how gentle they can be, how shy they can seem.

Zenato thinks the reef sharks come to her because they feel no threat. Some stay for a very long time, some just a few minutes. But in that moment, they trust me.
San Diego  During the Trump administrations final weeks, the Department of Homeland Security quietly signed agreements with at least four states that threaten to temporarily derail President Joe Bidens efforts to undo his predecessors immigration policies.

The agreements say Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana and Texas are entitled to a 180-day consultation period before executive branch policy changes take effect. The Biden administration rejects that argument on grounds that immigration is solely the federal governments responsibility under the Constitution.

Former President Donald Trump relied heavily on executive powers for his immigration agenda because he was unable to build enough support for his policies in Congress. Now some of his supporters say Biden is going too far in doing the same to reverse them.

The first legal test is in Texas, where the Republican governor and attorney general are challenging the Democratic presidents 100-day moratorium on deportations, which took effect Friday.

The Homeland Security Department told lawmakers shortly before Bidens inauguration last week that it reached nine agreements, mostly with states, according to a congressional official speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss information that is not yet publicly available.

The department declined to comment, citing the lawsuit. The Trump administration, usually eager to trumpet immigration enforcement, stayed publicly quiet on the agreements, which were first reported by BuzzFeed News.

The nine-page agreements known as Sanctuary for Americans First Enactment, or SAFE, are expansive. They require that state and local governments get 180 days notice of changes in the number of immigration agents, the number of people released from from immigration custody, enforcement priorities, asylum criteria and who qualifies for legal status.

Without offering evidence, the agreements say looser enforcement can hurt education, health care, housing and jobs.

Sheriff Sam Page of Rockingham County, North Carolina, on the Virginia border, signed an agreement on Dec. 22.

Any incoming administration is likely to make changes in policy, the sheriff said. Policy changes at the federal level affect us on the local level. It is our hope that the SAFE agreement will foster timely communications about any significant forthcoming policy changes. We are simply asking for notice of these changes.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican, signed an agreement on Dec. 15 to stem the tide of illegal immigration, spokesman Cory Dennis said.

While some may attempt to blur the lines, there is a difference between legal and illegal immigration, and it is important to recognize that, he said. Our office will continue to be a watchdog for any changes to immigration policies that may be detrimental to the people of Louisiana.

In Indiana, former state Attorney General Curtis Hill, a Republican, signed the agreement on Dec. 22. Rachel Hoffmeyer, spokeswoman for Gov. Eric Holcomb, said it will remain in place after an initial review.

Katie Conner, a spokeswoman for Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, confirmed that the state signed, saying it has numerous cooperative agreements with federal, state and local enforcement agencies, including DHS.

In addition to the deportation moratorium, the Biden administration suspended a policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court. Six of Bidens 17 first-day executive orders dealt with immigration, such as halting work on a border wall with Mexico and lifting a travel ban on people from several predominantly Muslim countries.

Hiroshi Motomura, a professor of immigration law and policy at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, called the agreements a very unusual, last-minute sort of thing and said they raise questions about how an administration can tie the hands of its successor. He believes a deportation moratorium was within a presidents power.

Steve Legomsky, professor emeritus of the Washington University School of Law and former chief counsel for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said the agreements are a terrible idea that could create a race to the bottom, with states opposing immigration competing against each other to drive immigrants elsewhere.

For our entire history, immigration policy has been understood to be the exclusive responsibility of the federal government, Legomsky said.

Keeping immigration enforcement with the federal government allows the nation to speak with a single voice as a matter of foreign policy and consistency across states, Legomsky said. We cant have 50 conflicting sets of immigration laws operating at the same time, he said.

The Biden administration made similar arguments in a court filing Sunday after Texas asked a federal judge to block the deportation moratorium.

Texas, which has led a challenge to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to shield hundreds of thousands of young people from deportation, argued that the moratorium violated its agreement with Homeland Security. The state also argued that the moratorium violates federal rule-making procedures.

U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton in Victoria, Texas, who was appointed last year by Trump, held hearings on Friday and Monday to consider Texas request.
Stefan Hawkins hopes his new Harrisburg cafe exposes the community to not only good coffee, but inspiring Black literature.

Good Brothas Book Cafe opened on Jan. 18 at 1419 N. Third St. in the citys midtown neighborhood with books, coffee and pastries. It is the first black-owned coffee and book shop in Harrisburg.

I wanted to show that representation matters because a lot of times our youth doesnt see themselves in books, they dont see themselves reflected in movies, Hawkins said. So I wanted a space where kids could come and see books that look like them.

The cafe is an extension of Good Brothas Book Club started by Hawkins and his friends, mostly for young African American men in the community.

The statistics show that a lot of Black men dont read. Well, we want to push back against that and show that at least the Black men in Harrisburg do read, he said.

The shops shelves are filled with a variety of books by Black authors, ranging from Training for Triumph to Parable of the Brown Girl and The Coldest Winter Ever. Hawkins said he hopes to push the importance of literacy and education and possibly help the Harrisburg School district create book clubs.

The co-owner of House of Vegans in Harrisburg opened the cafe at the former Dalicia Bakery, which relocated to Mechanicsburg. Good Brothas is located across the street from House of Vegans.

Its a good place to come and its a good place to meet a lot of people, Hawkins said. Grab a good cup of coffee, a pastry, a good book and just hang out with us.

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For the coffee, Hawkins reached out to a California roaster to brand Fifth Acres Coffee Co., selling a variety of roasts and flavors. The companys name borrows from the neighborhood where Hawkins grew up at North Fifth Street and Hall Manor in Harrisburg, referred to as South Acres.

Coffees range from The Hill, a medium-dark roast, to Midtown Midnight, a medium breakfast blend, and Stellas Groove, a dark roast.

The coffee is sold by the cup but within the the next week or so also will be available at the shop to buy by the pound to go. (It can also be ordered off Fifth Acres website.)

Ceces Cake Shop provides the baked goods including brownies, muffins, cookies and cheesecake. In the near future, Hawkins said the cafe will roll out a fuller breakfast and lunch menu with items such as sandwiches.

Im kind of tweaking the lunch menu to some standard because Im a vegan and I own House of Vegan. I want to cater to vegan-ism and a lot of these meat eaters, Hawkins said.

The cafe is open 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday. Its closed Sundays. Phone is 717-710-3690.
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The green meadows that were desiccated terraces on the hills of La Gomera, Canary Islands, are suddenly mouth-watering, and one doesn't have to be a hungry cow, sheep or goat to appreciate this.

They are herb-rich; there must be half a hundred different species of wildflowers per half acre.

The rains fell  light, but for hours on end  last week, and the dry hills bloomed like I have never seen them do before in 40 years. It is phenomenal.

"Dehesas" is the word for pastures in Spanish and, boy!, do we have deheses now. They pour unfenced down the valley sides, or step down in neat or broken terraces behind stone walls made with countless hours of man, woman and child labour, in the centuries that went before.

Green and lush, speckled with flowers, they grow in unbroken swathes, eight inches tall. They're like the meadows we saw in Ireland before chemicals transformed them into carpet-prairies.

They are inspiring and a celebration of life to see, and yet, they are heartbreaking. There are no animals to avail of them.

A few herds of goats are given free-range to graze, and some of the herbage is cut and carried on the shoulders of farmers to the woolly sheep, big in their unshorn fleece, waiting in their pens.

But there are no cattle. There used to be a cow in one of the rare flat fields high on the plateau, where cloudy rain could be relied on, but 15 years ago it was taken away, or died of old age.

There are, I'm told a few dozen cattle kept on the north side of the island, in Vallehermoso (Beautiful Valley) where the climate is wetter and cooler, and the vegetation is always lusher. But it may be a rumour. We haven't been over that side in a while.

Until a few years ago, I thought nothing of jumping into our old reliable, a 1995 Ford Fiesta, and swarming up out of this deep valley through the thousand corkscrew and hairpins bends to anywhere I pleased to go on the island.

I now find it a bit like hard work after the first 20 minutes  swing left and right,/and left and right/ and hardly a single straight in sight  you could make a song of it!

Yes, the roads are magnificent, and now there are barriers all the way along where, as late as 20 years ago, there were often un-fenced, with thousand-foot drops around dusty, pista-track corners.

But the car, given its vintage has no power steering, nor do I have the power steering in my shoulders that I used to have.

But the little jalopy, what with its 1.6 litre engine, punches above its weight and swarms up the hills, no bother!

It passes the ITV (equivalent of the Irish NCT, and equally stringent) every time with no more replacements required than a tyre or a bulb.

It is a miraculous car, but every year the paintwork is more sun-damaged and mottled and, now, never garaged in its 25 year life-span, a few rust-spots on the roof have grown from the size of 10 cent to 50 cent coins. These must be fixed or she will run out of road, as they say.

The ethics of driving a petrol- or diesel-powered car are doubtful. I can only plead that its confinement to this island  just 50km (30mls) in diameter  and little used. Even during the few months we spend here annually or bi-annually, it doesn't cover much distance.

It was worth every cent of the 900 we paid for it 10 years ago, and nowadays for a 10km uphill or downhill journey, I'd prefer to drive.

Meanwhile, yes indeed, if an Irish pastoral farmer could transfer his herds here now, there would be feed to fatten hundreds. And the weather might suit them too. It hasn't been good.

It hasn't been Canarian weather for the six weeks we've been here.

The other day, an old friend, an English woman who came here 35 years ago with her two toddler-aged daughters, bought a household gas stove, the only one she ever felt the need of in that time.

So, let friends at home who might picture us lolling on beaches in bikinis (!) look at the weather forecasts. Yesterday, temperatures here were only 4C higher than in West Cork. But I must admit that the sea temperature was as high as it would ever get on the hottest August day at Inchydoney.

We may not be cavorting on the sands but, as I sit here on my working holiday, six days a week making sentences, I can look forward to an invigorating evening swim as the sun goes down.
[January 26, 2021] My Green Mattress Announces Presidents' Day Sale Save up to $250 on each Mattress - February 8th through 16th

CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Presidents' Day, family-owned and operated My Green Mattress is offering 15% off your entire purchase using code: SAVE15. The sale runs from February 8th  February 16th. Customers will save up to $250 off on affordable certified organic mattresses for their whole family  from crib to master bedroom. In addition, customers will SAVE 15% on healthy sleep accessories including plush latex toppers, organic cotton waterproof protectors, organic cotton sheet sets, and the sustainably built My Green Platform Bed.



My Green Mattress has made it their mission to put sleep at the center of your healthy lifestyle. Customers can choose from a variety of GOTS and GOLS certified organic mattresses including: the luxurious, plush Natural Escape mattress, the Hope  a spring-free all-latex mattress, the latex-free Pure Echo mattress, the award-winning Kiwi mattress that is perfect for kids' rooms, or the safe and breathable organic Emily Crib mattress.

The materials and operations in the family-owned factory are certified all organic by the Control Union. Organic materials include GOTS certified organic cotton and wool sourced from within the USA and GOLS certified organic latex and coconut. All mattresses are hypoallergenic and free from flame retardant chemicals. Each mattress comes with a risk-free 120-Night Sleep Trial, a 20-year warranty, and free shipping in the continental U.S. In addition to the Presidents' Day sale, the company is pleased to offer an additional $50 discount to Veterans and First Responders. About My Green Mattress:

In 2007, Quality Sleep Shop's owner, Tim Masters, launched an all-natural, organic line of mattresses called My Green Mattress when his infant daughter Emily was diagnosed with eczema and allergies. Masters created a hypoallergenic crib mattress made with organic materials for her, and soon after he developed MyGreenMattress.com where customers across the country can purchase safe, healthy and affordable mattresses for the entire family. For a virtual tour of the factory and for the company's organic certifications, please visit http://mygreenmattress.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/my-green-mattress-announces-presidents-day-sale-save-up-to-250-on-each-mattress---february-8th-through-16th-301215195.html SOURCE My Green Mattress

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Dame Barbara Windsor's close friend Christopher Biggins has revealed plans to hold a huge wake for the late star once the pandemic is over.

The comedian, 72, told the Sun how they ordinarily would have been able to 'fill Wembley Stadium' with mourners attending a wake for the Carry On star.

EastEnders icon Barbara died aged 83 on December 10 last year after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Long-term friends: Dame Barbara Windsor's close friend Christopher Biggins has revealed plans to hold a huge wake for the late star once the pandemic is over

Discussing her funeral, which was attended by 29 people, Christopher revealed plans to host a bigger celebration of Barbara's life in the future.

'Sadly I think this is going to go on until 2023 before we go back to complete normality but let's hope that at the end of this year or the beginning of 2022 we really can send her off in a big way.

'Normally we could have filled Wembley Stadium with people who would have wanted to say goodbye. The streets would have been lined.'

Honoured; The comedian, 72, told the Sun how they ordinarily would have been able to 'fill Wembley Stadium' with mourners attending a wake for the Carry On star

Christopher said one of the guests was unable to attend at the last minute after testing positive for the coronavirus on the morning of the funeral.

Touching on his close relationship with the TV star, he said: 'Most of my memories are of having a great laugh with her. That is what she was about so it was really terribly sad.'

During the discussion, Christopher also praised Barbara's widow Scott Mitchell, 58, for his ongoing car of his late wife before she passed.

Christopher again praised Scott, calling him 'a saint' during an interview on Good Morning Britain in December.

The pantomime icon also revealed that he believes the late star would have been 'thrilled' with the reaction to her death as the 'coverage was unbelievable'.

Candidly discussing his late friend's death with hosts Charlotte Hawkins and Alex Beresford, Christopher agreed that the news of her loss was 'devastating'.

'He's a saint': Christopher again praised Scott, calling him 'a saint' during an interview on Good Morning Britain in December

He said: 'Its the saddest thing ever, shes so lost. I hope that when we die we can see the reaction of everybody to our death, she would have been so thrilled.

'The coverage was unbelievable. She was an extraordinary woman and Scott her husband is extraordinary man, hes a saint.

'It's sad and terrible but she was a special woman and everybody loved her.'

Couple: Scott and Barbara married in 2000. She died at aged 83 following her battle with Alzheimer's disease on December 10 (pictured together in 2009)

Scott and Barbara married in 2000 and he was her primary carer during her later life and battle with the disease.

Christopher also discussed how Barbara's funeral in January, where he's doing a reading, will be a tough day for everyone.

'It'll be very difficult, especially for Scott but it's good to say goodbye properly. And next year, or sometime in the future, I'm sure thousands of people will be invited to a memorial service for he,' he said.

Loss: Discussing his late friend's death with hosts Charlotte Hawkins and Alex Beresford, Christopher agreed that the news of her death was 'devastating'

Dame Barbara was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2014 and made the news public in 2018.

The NHS website states: Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia in the UK.

Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning. It can affect memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities.

Barbara went into a care home earlier in the year as her health deteriorated.

SUV

Way before SUVs were a thing, we had what could very well be called "utility vehicles" like the Range Rover. They were designed to go over any type of terrain, require minimum maintenance thanks to their relative mechanical simplicity, and be washed with a hose inside and out when the work was done.Even though the L322 was only the model's third generation, it came 42 years after the original had broken onto the market. By this time, the Range Rover name had become synonymous with luxury in what must be one of the greatest shifts in perception any model has ever seen. Instead of hosing down the interior, you would now ask one of your employees to take the car down to the local detailing shop and have its leather upholstery rubbed with cream, and its body waxed.Even so, Bulgarian interior specialist Vilner Garage thinks there's room for more luxury, and the before-and-after pictures suggest it might be right. You may not always agree with Vilner's choice of materials or colors, but the studio's craftmanship is beyond doubt. That means that even if some of its creations don't always look classy or elegant, at least you know they'll be well executed.Considering most of the time you spend with your car happens with you sitting inside it, customizing the interior actually makes more sense than messing around with the exterior. You revamp the interior for yourself, while the exterior is mostly done for the others. And probably your ego.For this project, Vilner seems to have gone for a cognac theme, a choice thats present not only in the color of the vehicle's upholstery and headliner but also in that press release we mentioned earlier. Whether you like the color or you're more the whisky type, you have to agree the interior looks miles better than it did when thecame to Vilner. Not a big fan of the zebra-like (Vilner's words, not ours) wood trim on the dashboard, steering wheel, and door panels? Neither are we, but the important thing is the owner likes it: "I never had any doubts about my choice or doubt in Nasko (the first name of Vilner Garage's owner), but when I saw my car, I confess, I doubted my own eyes! I never imagined that a 50-year-old company - a leader in luxury interiors - would pale in comparison to his talent."
The German newspaper behind claims that the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is only effective in 8% of over-65s has doubled down on its claims and stated there was no mix-up in its reporting.

Business paper Handelsblatt yesterday published the story containing a claim based on unnamed political sources which was rejected by the manufacturers and the UK and German governments.

Some German media outlets reported the suspected source of the error - a mix-up with the figure of eight per cent of trial participants who were aged 56 to 69.

Today a new Handelsblatt article declared it was 'impossible to mix up the numbers'.

Others believe it is possible that eight per cent was the lowet possible figure taken from a wide range of estimates on efficacy.

A new article published on Handelsblatt's website quoted a senior source who declared it was 'impossible to mix up the numbers,' after others attempted to debunk a claim in the paper yesterday that AstraZeneca's vaccine is only effective in eight per cent of patients over 65

The article, which was published shortly after 6pm, is titled 'Controversy over Astra-Zeneca vaccine.'

The piece quotes a high-ranking official from Germany's Federal Ministry of Health, who is quoted as saying: 'It is impossible to mix up the numbers. According to the data we have so far, the effectiveness in people over 60 is less than ten percent.'

Journalists at the German publication claim it reported on 'internal calculations by a federal authority in the department of the Ministry of Health,' which claimed preliminary data suggest the AstraZeneca vaccine was only effective in eight per cent of over volunteers over 65.

Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told The Times it was possible that eight per cent represented the 'misleading,' bottom of a range of estimates.

He said: 'The randomised data on immunogenicity does not suggest that there will be notably lower efficacy at older ages for the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine.'

German newspaper Handelsblatt continued to run this this headline prominently on its website today, saying: 'Setback to coronavirus vaccine: AstraZeneca vaccine appears to hardly work on seniors'. The story has been debunked by the manufacturers and UK and German authorities

Handelsblatt was still running the original story today with the headline: 'Setback to coronavirus vaccine: AstraZeneca vaccine appears to hardly work on seniors'.

A subheading noted that Germany's health minister Jens Spahn had been 'circumspect' about the claim, without mentioning the ministry's subsequent denial.

Gregor Waschinski, one of the journalists behind the story, stood by it on Monday night and said it was confirmed by 'multiple sources familiar with the German vaccination policy'.

Mass-market paper Bild, which also ran a story last night casting doubt on AstraZeneca's vaccine, has similarly not retracted its claims.

Under the headline of 'massive storm over AstraZeneca vaccine', the paper said on Tuesday the German government still feared EU regulators would not approve the vaccine for older people.

German paper Bild, which also questioned the effectiveness of the vaccine, ran this story today with the headline 'Massive storm about AstraZeneca vaccine' above a picture of German health minister Jens Spahn

The paper did report that AstraZeneca and the health ministry had denied the claims, without going into detail about the suspected mix-up.

But it also quoted a scientist suggesting that over-65s should not be given the vaccine in any case because of doubts over the trial data.

Other German news outlets pointed out the apparent error more prominently, with Der Spiegel saying on its homepage: 'Did the newspaper make a mistake? That's what the health ministry suspects'.

Berlin paper Berliner Zeitung ran the story under the headline: 'AstraZeneca vaccine: Claims about effectiveness apparently based on an error'.

Public broadcaster ZDF said that 'media reports saying that the AstraZeneca vaccine is unsuited to seniors are seemingly wrong'.

However, it added that 'questions remain' about the jab's effectiveness, pointing to previously-raised doubts about some of AstraZeneca's trial data.

Other news organisations such as broadcaster ARD and newspaper Die Welt reported the claim and denial without coming down on one side or the other.

The German health ministry had said this morning that 'two things appeared to have been mixed up' in Monday night's reports.

'About eight per cent of the participants in the AstraZeneca effectiveness trial were between 56 and 69, only three to four per cent were above 70. But you can't derive eight per cent effectiveness from that,' a health ministry statement said.

Oxford University and AstraZeneca have hit back against claims their vaccine is only eight per cent effective, saying this is 'completely incorrect'

Health minister Spahn would not be drawn on the specific claims but told ZDF that he expected the vaccine to be approved by EU regulators on Friday.

In Britain, Number 10 sources told MailOnline that the eight per cent effectiveness claim was 'rubbish'.

It is understood that the issue came up at a Cabinet meeting this morning, and Boris Johnson said it was 'not correct'.

Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told the meeting that data showed a good immune response among all older patients.

Sir Patrick also agreed with the suggestion that the publications could have mixed up the effectiveness with the the eight per cent of trial participants.

An AstraZeneca spokesman said the reports were 'completely incorrect', saying it had published data in medical journal The Lancet demonstrating that 'older adults showed strong immune responses to the vaccine'.

Oxford University said there was 'no basis for the claims of very low efficacy', pointing to peer-reviewed publications showing similar immune responses in younger and older adults.

'Furthermore, the preliminary efficacy data in older adults supports the importance of this vaccine for use in this population,' the university said.

Professor Adam Finn, a professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol who worked on the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, said he had 'no idea' where the eight per cent claim had come from.

The row comes amid a feud between AstraZeneca and the EU over an unexpected delay in delivering millions of doses to the bloc.

Last Friday the pharma giant said it would not meet its commitments to the EU because of unexplained 'reduced yields' in its European supply chain.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said today that vaccine companies 'must deliver' and 'honour their obligations' as the European Commission demands answers.

The stand-off has led to calls for export controls so that the EU can monitor vaccine shipments leaving for other countries.

Spahn said today that he was in favour of 'vaccines leaving the EU needing a licence, so that we at least know what is being produced, what is leaving Europe - and if it is leaving Europe, whether there is then a fair distribution'.
 Flash

China urges the United States to prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related issues and refrain from sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" forces, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to a statement issued by the U.S. State Department saying that China should stop pressuring Taiwan and engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan.

Zhao said China's position on the Taiwan question is consistent and clear. There is but one China in the world, and the Taiwan region is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.

China is determined in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and opposing "Taiwan independence" and interference by external forces, the spokesperson said.

The root cause of the current tension and disturbance in cross-Strait relations lies in the Democratic Progressive Party authority refusing to recognize the 1992 Consensus which embodies the one-China principle, strengthening contacts with external forces and making provocations in pursuit of "Taiwan independence," he said.

"On the political basis of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing 'Taiwan independence,' we stand ready to conduct dialogue and consultation with all political parties, groups and personages in the Taiwan region, so that we can resolve differences and build up consensus on political issues across the Strait and on issues related to promoting the peaceful reunification of China," Zhao said.

"We urge the U.S. side to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related issues, and refrain from sending any wrong signals to the 'Taiwan independence' forces so as to avoid damaging China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Zhao added.
KIMT-TV 3 NEWS  Political figures are reacting to Governor Tim Walz budget proposal unveiled Tuesday.

State Senator David Senjem (R-Rochester) released the following statement:

Governor Walz has presented his new two year budget for the 2021-2022 legislative cycle. As in previous budget proposals, Governor Walz is proposing an increase in taxes and fees."

"With the economic challenges presented by COVID-19, I do not believe we should further burden Minnesota taxpayers with additional costs at this very difficult time. Rather we should be thinking about lifting the burden by looking for reforms and reducing the cost of government. We cannot tax and spend our way to prosperity, but can find it only by carefully assessing our needs and prioritizing our spending in a results-orientated fashion.

Republican Party of Minnesota Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan released the following statement:

"Governor Walz's Budget proposal to raise taxes on Minnesota's businesses and families already suffering from his unilateral COVID shutdown orders will further hurt our state and keep us pointed in the wrong direction.

"It's beyond time for the Governor to rescind his powers and start working across the aisle and with the legislature to implement solutions that will reignite our economy and help our businesses get back on their feet. 

"We thank Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka and House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt for acknowledging the need to avoid raising taxes that would disproportionately hurt lower-income earners, implement a better plan to get the vaccine to those most in need, get our children back in school and grow our state through reviving Minnesota's economy."

State Representative Tina Liebling (DFL  Rochester) issued the following statement:

The governors budget proposal is a starting point for lawmakers to consider. I am pleased that the governor is focused on fairness and on helping Minnesotans build back from the historic challenges of the pandemic. We must invest in the urgent health care, education, and economic opportunity needs of our communities. I look forward to working with the governor and his staff to help Minnesota emerge from this crisis a better and stronger state.

State Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) issued the following statement:

The governor and I likely share many of the same goals, like closing the budget gap, reviving our economic engines, and ensuring a great education for every student. But the governors $1.6 Billion in tax increases misses the mark. The federal government has already sent billions of dollars to Minnesota for Covid response and recovery. Instead of increasing taxes, we must look to responsible effective spending to protect critical services like roads, bridges, high-quality education, patient-centered healthcare. I look forward to working with the governor to reach our shared objectives without increasing tax burdens on hard-working pandemic stressed Minnesotans.

State Representative Liz Boldon (DFL  Rochester) issued the following statement:

"With this budget we can create the Minnesota in which we all want to live. Many of our neighbors and favorite local businesses have been devasted by COVID-19, and this is our opportunity to ensure they can recover and thrive. As a state, we have the resources to support everyone, as long as the most wealthy pay their fair share. This budget is a strong start to this conversation, and I look forward to refining it as we move forward to ensure our everyone in our community will benefit."

House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) issued the following statement:

"We need to grow our way out of this recession; unfortunately this budget would devastate job growth and hamper our economic recovery by taking money out of the economy to protect government budgets. Putting Minnesota into the top 3 for income and business tax rates without asking government to share in the sacrifice would be a disaster but fortunately has no chance of becoming law this year.

"Minnesotans should know that Republicans have their back  we are going to ask state government to tighten its belt, do more with less, and balance our budget without tax increases that would hurt our economic recovery."

Education Minnesota President Denis Sprecht had this response:

Public schools should empower all students to pursue their dreams, with no exceptions. Were not meeting that goal right now formany of our students of color, but this budget is a big step in the right direction. Its only fair for the richest 1 percent to pay 1 percent more to fund the futures of Minnesotas students.

Our union shares many of the goals and priorities of the governors budget. Were looking forward to working with the members of the House and Senate who care about the future of Minnesota to pass this budget into law.

The students of Minnesota need the adults who care about them to come together and overcome decades of underfunding of public education and confront the racial issues that have haunted schools and other Minnesota institutions for many years. Of course, a single two-year budget wont resolve all the issues, but thats no reason to wait even one more day to get started.

Charlie Weaver, executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership, issued the following statement:

Minnesota is blessed to be home to remarkable businesses who are vital contributors to our states economy and quality of life. Large homegrown businesses provide more than a half million good-paying jobs, pay billions in state and local taxes, and account for nearly half of all charitable grants in the state. Raising taxes on these businesses in the midst of a global pandemic and fragile economic recovery is counterproductive.

"The cost of doing business in Minnesota is already among the highest in the nation, even without these proposed tax hikes. These tax increases would threaten the states recovery and put our states businesses at a competitive disadvantage against competitors in other states and globally. Instead of penalizing homegrown businesses for being in Minnesota, we should be doing everything we can to encourage businesses to stay and thrive here. We look forward to working with Governor Walz and the Legislature to find solutions that ensure Minnesota remains a great place to live, work, and grow.

State Representative Patricia Mueller (R-Austin) issued the following statement:

I was elected to look out for the people of our community, and this budget does the exact opposite, Massive tax hikes will only hurt the families and businesses that have already been hit too hard by the Governors shutdowns and executive orders. Minnesotans have had to tighten their belts and trim their budgets this year, and it is time that we ask state agencies to do the same.
Kayakers enjoy Big Pond in Otis, the proposed site of a cellular telephone tower that is opposed by residents of the neighborhood. Otis is seeking proposals to erect a tower on town-owned land. Officials say they hope to close a gap in cellular phone service. Neighbors are worried about their property values and the look of a tower near the pond.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
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Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Source: Reuters

The Serum Institute of India (SII) will supply Saudi Arabia with 3 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses priced at $5.25 each in about a week on behalf of the British drugmaker, its chief executive told Reuters on Monday.

SII has no immediate plans, however, to divert supplies to Europe, even though AstraZeneca has come under pressure from the EU to deliver more shots after announcing a big cut in shipments due to production problems at a Belgian factory.

SII, the world's biggest vaccine manufacturer, has partnered with AstraZeneca, the Gates Foundation and the Gavi vaccine alliance to make up to a billion doses for poorer countries.

The Indian company supplies doses on behalf of AstraZeneca but is also free to strike its own supply deals.

"We continue to support AstraZeneca wherever they need the support. We are happy to do so," Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla told Reuters in an interview.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine  one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show

"But we have not been asked to supply any more products for Europe because then that would mean supplies to Africa and India would suffer, and we certainly don't want that," he said. "Once I satisfy that I can look at other, richer nations. Six months to a year, that could change."

He said the doses destined for Saudi Arabia would be shipped in a week or 10 days. SII is also supplying South Africa with 1.5 million doses at the same price of $5.25 each on behalf of AstraZeneca.

"We have our hands full, in fact, with the volumes even we need to supply," Poonawalla said. "We have been on time and we are able to supply to all these nations."

The pricing of the deal between South Africa and AstraZeneca has sparked some controversy as it is higher than the $3 a dose that South Africa and other countries on the continent are due to pay for the vaccine under an African Union arrangement.

AstraZeneca has said it will not profit from the vaccine during the pandemic.

Brazil last week received 2 million doses of the vaccine from SII and Poonawalla said it also paid about $5 per dose.

Poonawalla said that SII would raise production of the AstraZeneca vaccine by 30% by the end of March from its current daily output of about 2.4 million doses, once the third and final facility making the shot comes online.

SII also plans to start stockpiling a vaccine candidate from U.S. company Novavax Inc in a few months, despite a fire last week that killed five people and damaged one of its new plants in the western Indian city of Pune.

Poonawalla said SII had no intention of partnering with companies such as Pfizer Inc whose COVID-19 vaccine needs to be stored at about minus 70 Celsius (minus 94 Fahrenheit) as India currently lacks such facilities.

Pfizer, which developed the shot with Germany's BioNTech, told Reuters it would pursue its request for India to approve the vaccine if the government committed to buying shots.

Pfizer was the first drugmaker to seek emergency use authorisation for its vaccine in India in early December but it has yet to be approved.

India's drug regulator says Pfizer officials failed to attend subsequent meetings it had called. The U.S. drugmaker says its officials had not been given enough notice.


CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "LED Packaging Market With COVID-19 Impact by Package Type (SMD, COB, CSP), Application (General Lighting, Automotive Lighting, Backlighting, Flash Lighting, Industrial), Wavelength, Power Range, and Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is estimated to be USD 22.1 billion by 2026 (forecast year) from USD 17.6 billion in 2021 (estimated year), at a CAGR of 4.6% between 2021 to 2026. The growth of the LED packaging market is fueled by risen demand for IoT-enabled lighting fixtures and smart lighting solutions, recent government initiatives and regulations promoting the use of LEDs for energy efficiency and environmental benefits, and surged demand for LED packages in the display panel market. Also, increased demand for disinfection systems amid COVID-19 to drive demand for efficient UV LED packages. Moreover, factors such as surged adoption of CSP LEDs in automotive lighting applications and development of human-centric lighting solutions and horticulture lights play an important role in driving the growth of the market.

Ask for PDF Brochure:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=217522990

LED packaging market for general lighting application expected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period

General lighting segment is expected to hold the largest share of the LED packaging market, by application. Growth of this segment can be attributed to the increasing demand for LED lighting across commercial applications and the replacement of traditional light sources with energy-efficient LED technology at the backdrop of lesser energy consumption. Considering that governments and other bodies are focusing on lesser consumption of energy through schemes and regulations, especially in residential and industrial use, the said market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. Moreover, improvements in the standard of living and the modernization of residential design and construction are creating demand for smart lighting systems in residential applications.

High-power LED packages is estimated to be the fastest growing market

High-power LED packages, often referred to as W-class power LED packages, have power levels greater than 1 W. These LED packages find applications where high-luminescence or bright directional light is required, such as for flash lighting and in automobiles and general lighting. The market for high-power LED packages is propelled because of the increasing demand from smartphone manufacturers to include high-power LEDs in a flash lighting module, enabling smartphone cameras to provide excellent image quality in dim light environments. Additionally, long life-span, less power consumption, better luminescence efficiency, and increasing high brightness application are the major factors fueling the demand for high-power LED packages.

Browse in-depth TOC on "LED Packaging Market"

122 - Tables

58 - Figures

208 - Pages

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APAC is projected to hold the largest share of LED packaging market in 2026

APAC is expected to hold the largest share of the LED packaging market in 2026. The acceptance of the latest technology trends such as micro LEDs and quantum dot LEDs by majority of consumer electronics manufacturers have stimulated the demand for efficient LED packages in APAC. Moreover, APAC has witnessed significant growth in manufacturing activities due to low manufacturing costs and the support of local governments. Increasing investments in R&D also drive the growth of this market in the region. Most electronic manufacturers outsource production in segments such as semiconductor assembly to low-cost countries in this region. China is a major global market for semiconductors. Additionally, it also has an extremely large and diverse electronic manufacturing industry, especially for consumer and automotive electronic products. China has the largest market for LED packaging in the APAC region.

The report profiles key players, including Nichia (Japan), OSRAM (Germany), Lumileds (Netherlands), Seoul Semiconductor (South Korea), Samsung (South Korea), MLS (China), EVERLIGHT (Taiwan), Cree (US), NationStar (China), and LITE-ON (Taiwan). These companies focus on adopting both organic and inorganic growth strategies, such as product launches and developments, partnerships, agreements, collaborations, contracts, joint ventures, expansions, and mergers and acquisitions to strengthen their position in the market.

Related Reports:

Horticulture Lighting Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Technology (Fluorescent, HID, and LED), Application (Greenhouses, Vertical Farms, and Indoor Farms), Cultivation, Lighting Type, Offering, Installation, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025

High Power LED Market by Packaging Type (Flip Chip, Mesa, and Vertical), Application (General Lighting, Automotive, Flash Lighting, Backlighting,) and Geography (APAC, North America, Europe, Rest of the World) - Global Forecast to 2024

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Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

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His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
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Thousands of travellers had their Christmas plans disrupted by flight cancellations over summer because of a shortage of credentialled ground staff, a problem the industry warns could result in months of cancellations and delays, even after borders reopen.

Ground handling staff require security and safety clearances that need to be regularly renewed, but after months stood down during the pandemic many have seen their certifications lapse, while thousands more have left the industry altogether.

The ground handling industry is warning it faces a shortfall of thousands of workers when borders reopen. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Industry figures seen by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age indicate about 13,000 passengers were affected by delays and cancellations in the lead up to Christmas caused by a shortage of ground staff, whose roles range from checking-in passengers to cleaning, and loading and moving planes around airports.

The Australian Aviation Ground Handlers Industry Alliance, which represents about 90 per cent of the sector, says it costs up to $18,000 to train and certify each worker and warned its members do not have the cashflow to rapidly train the more than 10,000 staff the sector would need to return to capacity.
Kathmandu, January 26

The Nepali Congress has announced new protest programmes against the dissolution of the House of Representatives.

The party announced new programmes one day after the Nepal Communist Party Dahal-Nepal faction also unveiled a new calendar for the protests.

A meeting of the partys central working committee held on Tuesday evening decided to announce new protests, according to the Nepali Congress spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma.

Here are major highlights of the announcement:
Nua Healthcare has announced plans to recruit up to 60 healthcare workers in the Leinster region.

As one of Irelands leading private providers of residential services for people with intellectual disabilities, Nuas latest announcement will further enable the delivery of crucial services to both children and adults with complex support needs, whilst enhancing the standards of excellence in care for people with disabilities throughout the island of Ireland.

Nua is seeking to recruit Social Care Workers with Level 7 or 8 qualifications and Assistant Support Workers with FETAC Level 5, to join their teams in residential care facilities and supported living services situated in counties Kildare, Laois, Carlow, Offaly and Kilkenny.

Michelle Kirwan, Nuas Recruitment Manager says; todays announcement is very positive for many people across the country who have perhaps lost their job recently due to the pandemic, or who wish to progress their career in social care.

Amidst some truly difficult times for our nation, this presents great opportunities for people and we are pleased to be supporting employment in our local communities.

This latest development from Nua will also help support progression of the Governments national policy on de-congregation by ensuring Service Users with intellectual disabilities are provided with a greater choice of appropriate accommodation as they move on from more traditional settings.

Nua Healthcares facilities offer Service Users access to a much-improved quality of life, with greater independence and choice in everyday living, offering them the opportunity to live with a small group of people with similar support needs, and to have their own space within a home in the community.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Co-Chair of the Oversight Board, and Thomas Hughes, Director of Oversight Board Administration, to convene conference call to discuss the decisions following the Board's announcement

LONDON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Oversight Board will announce its first round of case decisions on its website at https://oversightboard.com/news on January 28, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. GMT. Helle Thorning-Schmidt , Co-Chair, and Thomas Hughes , Director of Oversight Board Administration, will host a conference call to discuss the decisions shortly following the announcement.

In December 2020, the Board selected these initial cases from more than 20,000 cases which were referred to the Oversight Board beginning in October 2020. The Board's decisions will be binding on Facebook.

To participate in the conference call, media must register no later than noon GMT, January 28, 2021 via https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1381197023692388107

What:?Oversight Board Case Decisions Announcement

Who:?Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Co-Chair, and Thomas Hughes, Director of Oversight Board Administration, the Oversight Board

When:?January 28, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. GMT

Where: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1381197023692388107

About the Oversight Board

The Oversight Board, comprising independent Members from around the world, makes binding decisions on what content Facebook and Instagram should allow or remove, based on respect for freedom of expression and human rights. The Oversight Board is focused on addressing some of the most significant content moderation decisions on Facebook and Instagram that are referred by both users and Facebook.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1318248/Oversight_Board_Logo.jpg

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam officially opened at 8:00 am on Tuesday at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.

Attending the opening ceremony were leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front, revolutionary veterans, heroic Vietnamese mothers, intellectuals, artists, religious dignitaries, and representatives of young generations.

Foreign ambassadors, charge d affaires, and chief representatives of international organizations in Hanoi, along with 1,587 delegates representing over 5.1 million Party members nationwide were also present at the opening ceremony.

Vietnams 13th National Party Congress opens in Hanoi, January 26, 2021. Photo: Vien Su / Tuoi Tre

Delegates previously elected 17 members of the Presidium during a preparatory session on Monday.

They also reached high consensus on the Congress working regulations, agenda, and election rules.

Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, on behalf of the Politburo, chaired the opening session.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc gave a speech to open the Congress, followed by a report by Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong, on behalf of the 12th Party Central Committee.

Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan at the 13th National Party Congress in Hanoi, January 26, 2021. Photo: Minh Linh / Tuoi Tre

General Secretary Trong asserted that the 13th National Party Congress is a major political event of the Vietnamese Party and people, and is of great significance to the development and international integration of the country.

The 13th National Party Congress will review the implementation of the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress.

Delegates will also review the national socio-economic development strategy during 2011-20, and set out socio-economic development orientations and tasks for 2021-25.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers the opening speech at the 13th National Party Congress in Hanoi, January 26, 2021. Photo: N.K. / Tuoi Tre

The Congress will determine goals and orientations for 2030, which will mark the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and a vision for national development toward 2045, which coincides with the 100th founding anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Regarding personnel work, delegates are set to elect members of the 13th Party Central Committee.

The 13th National Party Congress will run until February 2.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
U.S.

Canada

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Germany

Switzerland

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U.K.

UNI Global Union

Alphabet Workers Union

Communications Workers of America

Alphabet Workers Union

Office and Professional Employees International Union

AFL-CIO

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Parul Koul

Alphabet Workers Union

Christy Hoffman

UNI Global Union

Kara Silverstein

(TNS)  Workers at Google parent Alphabet have announced an international union alliance after a group of employees in theandformed a union this month.The new coalition, called Alpha Global, includes unions from 10 countries, including the, and theIt is affiliated with the, a federation whose members represent around 20 million people globally.Several hundred Alphabet workers created theearlier this month. Affiliated with the, it is open to employees and company contractors alike. Members pay dues, but it is at present what's known as a minority union, which means it can't bargain with Google for a contract.Unlike majority unions with bargaining power, the new labor groups' organizing efforts are geared toward holding Google accountable to its "Don't be evil" founding ethos.Unlike traditional organizing focused on better wages and working conditions, the unions have said their goal is to hold the company accountable for its actions as one of the largest and most powerful companies in existence.Unions have been historically rare in the tech world, where employees are often well compensated and showered with perks. The Alphabet workers' use of a minority union organizing model potentially provides a model for other tech workers unhappy with their companies' direction and culture to apply pressure internally and in public.The CWA also created a tech organizing arm shortly after theannounced its plans, signaling a renewed focus on organized labor in an industry that has rarely had card-carrying union members.The, anaffiliate, announced Monday that it too had formed a tech organizing arm. That move comes after the union successfully organized workers at crowdfunding site Kickstarter last year, becoming the first white-collar tech workforce to successfully organize in the"We know that organizing for justice at a global company like Alphabet does not stop at national boundaries, and that is why it is so important to unite with workers in other countries," said, executive chair of theand a Google software engineer."In a world where inequality is tearing apart our societies and corporations are hoarding more influence than ever, reclaiming our power through our unions has never been more important," Koul added."The problems at Alphabet  and created by Alphabet  are not limited to any one country, and must be addressed on a global level," said, general secretary ofHoffman said the union efforts are workers "using their collective muscle to not only transform their conditions of employment but also to address social issues caused by increasing concentration of corporate power.""We've always worked hard to create a supportive and rewarding workplace. We'll continue engaging directly with all our employees,", Google's director of people operations, said in an emailed statement.Some Google employees feel the company has drifted away from its founding principles, triggering employee walkouts and protests in recent years.Controversial firings have led to ongoing disputes with company management. Pay equity and harassment in the workplace have also become points of contention for workers who have spoken out publicly.Google's government contracts, particularly work on drone technology with potential military use, also have created internal uproar and caused the company to abandon some projects.
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New York, Jan 26 : A team from the US House of Representatives ceremoniously walked across the Capitol, along the path of the mayhem that rocked Congress on January 6, to the Senate chamber and presented the chargesheet accusing former President Donald Trump of inciting the deadly riots.

On Monday, Representative Jamie Raskin, who is leading the House prosecutors, read out to the Senate the Article of Impeachment, as the chargesheet is known, formally setting the stage for Trump's trial on the charge of "incitement of insurrection" that had been voted by the House.

There was a sense of deja vu as this is the second impeachment of Trump, who was only the third President to be impeached. Exactly a year and 10 days ago, the same ritual took place.

And now he will be the only President impeached and tried after leaving office.

The Senate will hold a judicial-style trial on the charges with the senators acting as jurors.

All 100 US Senators will be sworn in on Tuesday and the trial will begin on February 8, giving Trump time to prepare his defence.

A two-thirds majority of the Senate is required to convict Trump, putting the final verdict in the hands of 17 Republicans who will have to defect to the Democratic side in the chamber where each party has 50 members.

Trump was acquitted in the impeachment last year when the Democrats, who were a minority in the Senate at the time, could not muster a two-thirds majority.

Senate Mitch McConnell and some Republican Senators have openly blamed Trump for the January 6 riots, but they have not shown any indication that they would vote to convict him, In a display of pageantry, the acting sergeant at arms of the Senate, called out, "Hear ye, hear ye", and ordered silence before Raskin read out the Article of Impeachment.

The ceremonial show was symbolic as the constitutional provisions for impeachment were written with sitting Presidents and other officials in mind to remove them from office and Trump is already out of the White House.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham asserted that impeachment would be unconstitutional as Trump was no longer the President and the Senate could not "vindicate political grievances after a president has left office".

But Democratic Party's Senate Leader Chuck Schumer said that the trial was constitutional citing the penalty that includes barring someone convicted of holding offices in future.

It "will be about to disqualify him from future office", he said.

Under the Constitution, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the impeachment trial of the President in the Senate. But Chief Justice John Roberts, who presided over Trump's first trial, declined the task as he was no longer the President.

Vice President Kamala Harris is also the President of the Senate, but she will not preside over the trial as there is an apparent conflict of interest as the riots were an outcome of Trump questioning her election and that of Biden.

Patrick Leahy, the longest-serving senator, will instead preside over the trial.

Some Republicans have questioned his impartiality and his qualification to preside over the trial because he would be a judge and juror.

"I have presided over hundreds of hours in my time in the Senate. I don't think anybody has ever suggested I was anything but impartial in those hundreds of hours," Leahy said.

The Article of Impeachment presented by Raskin said citing Trump's speech to a rally of his supporters before Congress was to ratify the electoral college votes electing Biden as President.

It said that there he made "false claims that awe won this election, and we won it by a landslide", and incited the crowd with statements like "if you don't fight like hell you're not going to have a country anymore".

Five people, including a police officer, were killed when a section of Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol and force their way into the Senate chamber and Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office.

Raskin and eight other Representatively known as impeachment managers will act as prosecutors during the trial.

Trump had been charged in the first impeachment with obstruction of Congress and abuse of power over accusations that he withheld aid voted by Congress to Ukraine to get that country to investigate President Biden and his son, Hunter.

When Biden was Vice President and dealt with Ukraine, Hunter Biden, who had been removed from the Navy over drug allegation had been made a director of a Ukrainian gas company with payments reportedly of over $50,000 per month despite having no expertise in the region or in the energy sector.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis)
When earlier this month Saudi Arabia served a wonderful surprise to oil markets in the words of its energy minister, oil prices jumped up. After all, the Kingdom said it would cut an additional 1 million bpd from its oil output to keep prices higher. But then Iran started ramping up its production, eyeing a rebound in exports to more than 2 million bpd. Prices were quick to fall. Whats next for OPECs leader?

The outlook for oil demand remains pessimistic, according to the International Energy Agency. In that sense, Saudi Arabias decision to further cut production was the right thing to do. However, lower production means lower exports, and lower exports mean lower oil revenues.

The latest data, for November, shows that Saudi exports took a dive of more than 25 percent, to some $15.5 billion from $21.54 billion a year ago. But oil exports specifically did a lot worse, dropping by almost 40 percent on the year in November.

To be fair, the oil demand outlook has somewhat improved since November, what with all the vaccines against Covid-19 that are being rolled out. These lent support to prices and consequently to Saudi Arabias budget. The optimism, however, began to fade as it became clear the rollout will not happen as quickly as hoped. But just as benchmarks began to retreat, the wonderful surprise came from Riyadh to reverse the fall.

As is often the case whenever Saudi Arabia and OPEC cut production, there has been talk that U.S. shale producers might take advantage of this to boost their own output, undermining the cartel effort. For now, it seems U.S. shale drillers are too cautious to start boosting production at pre-pandemic rates. Prices are higher, but nobody knows how long they will remain higher. So, shale drillers are hedging their future production at current prices rather than rushing to add rigs.

And yet this may change and before too long. Earlier this month, the head of the IEA, Fatih Birol, remarked that a lot of shale oil is profitable at current prices. Cautiousness may be in order, but shale drillers have debts to pay down, which might force some to boost production as it did after the last price crisis. Related: Egypt Looks To Resume LNG Exports As Prices Rise

Meanwhile, one of the worlds largest importers of oil is complaining about the whatever it takes approach employed by OPEC. India does not want higher oil prices, not when it imports more than 80 percent of the oil it consumes. A lot of it comes from Iraq, but Saudi Arabia is the countrys second-largest supplier of crude, which makes it a key market. And yet, the Kingdom recently lifted its official selling prices for this key market and others in Asia.

The whatever it takes approach has worked well in the past, up to a point. After that point, it starts working against its originator. Saudi Arabia is tackling a deepening deficit, an international green transition drive that seeks to make its main export commodity obsolete, and it faces a potential full return of its archenemy Iran on the international oil scene. There arent many options.

Economic diversification is still on the table, of course. The Vision 2030 plan of Crown Prince Mohammed is still active, with the latest update on it regarding the futuristic NEOM project, worth $500 billion, that will feature a smart city that is emissions-free. The price tag of the city: $100-200 billion. Meanwhile, however, Saudi Arabia commissioned zero solar projects last year.

Plans were to commission over 1 GW in new capacity as the Kingdom works to hit its own ambitious renewable energy targets. Yet none was actually built because Riyadh tried to renegotiate the price tag of the project with its developer, leaning on dropping solar tariffs in the region, PV Magazines Max Hall reported earlier this month.

At the same time, the Kingdoms sovereign wealth fund, the PIF, has plans to invest $40 billion annually in domestic projects in a bid to prop up the ailing economy. That would compare with $15.5 billion invested in 2019, according to the Financial Times. The PIF has some $400 billion in reserves. Its governor, Yasir a-Rumayyan, told the FT that the fund will rely on a mixture of its own equity, loans, and bonds to finance all the projects it has in mind. The official narrative is that there is money for all the projects. Analysts, however, doubt that.

Its very difficult to see how the money stretches out, not only to go into Neom but into all the other megaprojects and ambitions they have, one analyst told the FT. If they get to half of what they are expecting, great. But at the moment, theres a credibility gap between what is being said and what is being done.

So, demand for Saudi Arabias main export product remains weak, and this may become a long-term trend if green transition efforts are successful. Competition is intensifying, meanwhile, and economic diversification is proving to be more challenging than the architect of Vision 2030 may have initially thought. There isnt a whole lot the Kingdom could do in these circumstances. In fact, the only sensible thing it can do is keep the restraints on its production. A reversal of the restrain approach will certainly hurt Saudi Arabias rivals in the oil market, but it may just hurt it more.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico has distributed more than 200,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine. Still, hundreds of thousands of people who are qualified to get the vaccine havent yet received a shot.

And state health officials say it could be months before there is enough vaccine to inoculate all of them, let alone move on to vaccinating other key groups, including those who work in essential businesses.

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Vaccines are arriving as the state is seeing encouraging trends in the spread of the virus. The state reported fewer than 500 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday for the first time in more than three months. And state health officials said based on current data, its likely the number of people dying each day because of complications with COVID-19 will also decrease.

Many qualify

Of the 221,375 doses of vaccine the state has received, 203,830 have been delivered, said Dr. Tracie Collins, the secretary-designate of the Department of Health. The number of individuals who have received either the first or both required shots was not available Monday.

The number means the state has delivered more than 92% of the doses it has received, which makes New Mexico one of the most efficient states in the country, she said.

But those doses mean just a fraction of as many as 800,000 of New Mexicos 2 million residents who are currently qualified for a vaccine have received at least one shot, Collins said. It takes two doses of the vaccine, delivered weeks apart, before a person is believed to have maximum immunity.

In addition to about 138,000 health care workers, Collins said, the state also has about 150,000 folks age 75 or older. She added that 466,000 residents have a chronic condition and are also currently eligible to receive the vaccine.

Meanwhile, the state is receiving between 25,000 and 35,000 doses of the vaccine each week. So it will be some time before all of those individuals are vaccinated, she said. She did say that health officials are hopeful the number of vaccines being distributed across the country will increase, which could speed up vaccination efforts.

We could vaccinate 30,000 New Mexicans each week. But if you look at what the demand is compared to the supply, we ultimately need more vaccine, she said. It may take several months to vaccinate currently eligible populations.

The state is encouraging people to register for the vaccine on the health departments website at vaccineNM.org.

Collins acknowledged that health officials have heard stories of people making up chronic conditions during registration in an effort to jump the line.

This is a time when everyone is trying to get the vaccine and we dont have enough so weve had to prioritize those groups most at risk, Collins said. If you jump the line youre actually allowing someone else to wait who is really in need of this vaccine and is at risk of serious complications.

Encouraging trends

New Mexicos vaccination efforts come as the state is seeing improvement as far as the spread of coronavirus. The state reported 494 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, continuing a recent downward trend. Of those cases, 143 were in Bernalillo County.

Monday was the first time since mid-October that the state reported fewer than 500 cases in a day, and it dropped the states seven-day average to 776 cases per day.

The state didnt provide any hospitalization data on Monday because of a disruption in reporting.

The state reported 12 additional deaths Monday, bringing the statewide toll to 3,157 deaths related to COVID-19. The seven-day average of deaths now stands at 28.86 deaths per day, according to a Journal analysis.

Dr. David Scrase, the Cabinet secretary for human services in the state, said COVID-related deaths typically come about four weeks after a confirmed case. Based on the current trends, its likely the state will see bigger declines in daily deaths in early February.

Also, Scrase said on Monday the states positivity rate, meaning the share of coronavirus tests that come back positive, had dipped to 7.3% after being above 10% for several months.

The states goal is a positivity rate of 5% or less.

When were above 5% on test positivity rate it means in general we dont have a lot of confidence that were seeing all the cases, Scrase said. This is an early sign that maybe  were getting the pandemic under better control.

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The German health ministry says the claim that the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine doesn't work in elderly people was untrue and there is 'no data' to support it

Scientists slammed the spurious claim overnight after it was published by German newspapers Handelsblatt and Bild, which said government sources had warned the jab only appeared to be eight per cent effective but didn't publish any data to prove it.

Oxford University rubbished the report, saying there was 'no basis' for the allegation, and that their data has already been 'released transparently'.

AstraZeneca, manufacturing the jab on behalf of Oxford, said it was 'completely incorrect'.

And scientists added they had 'no idea' where the figure has come from, adding that it was not proved by research on the vaccine.

Germany has now confirmed there is no data to suggest the effectiveness of the vaccine is that low and that the European Medicines Agency will decide whether to approve the jab on Friday.

In a statement issued today the country's health ministry said: 'The Federal Ministry of Health is unable to confirm current reports that the AstraZeneca vaccine is less effective.

'At first glance, it seems that two things were confused in the reports: Around eight percent of the subjects in the AstraZeneca efficacy study were between 56 and 69 years of age, and only 3 to 4 percent were over 70 years of age (MHRA Approval Public Assessment Report). From this, however, an effectiveness of only eight percent in older people cannot be derived.'

No10 sources told MailOnline it was 'rubbish'. It is understood the issue came up at a Cabinet meeting this morning, and Boris Johnson said it was 'not correct'.

Science chief Sir Patrick Vallance told the meeting that data showed a good immune response among all older patients. He agreed with the suggestion that the publications could have been confused between the eight per cent of the trial participants being over 65, and the effectiveness.

The bizarre row comes amid a bitter feud between the European Union and AstraZeneca over vaccine deliveries, with the company saying it won't be able to provide the quantities it promised in earlier orders on the original timescale.

In response, the trade bloc - which has not even approved the vaccine yet - has threatened to halt exports of Covid-19 shots, which could include millions of Pfizer doses bound for Britain.

EU health chiefs have ordered drug companies to tell them when they are exporting to countries outside the union - meaning American giant Pfizer will need to let Eurocrats know when it tries to send doses to the UK.

Oxford University and AstraZeneca have hit back against claims their vaccine is only eight per cent effective, saying this is 'completely incorrect'

Europe's vaccine roll-out was already among the slowest in the world, but has been hit by further problems as France's Pasteur Institute mothballed its jab on Monday and AstraZeneca cut supplies to the bloc by 60 per cent due to 'supply issues'

The low effectiveness figure was published by Handelsblatt, a business newspaper based in Dusseldorf.

'According to information given to Handelsblatt from coalition circles, the federal Government only expects an effectiveness of eight per cent among the over-65s,' wrote reporter Gregor Waschinski.

But Oxford University, AstraZeneca and scientists lined up to shoot down the claims, saying there was 'no basis' for the allegations.

BRUSSELS THREATENS UK'S COVID-19 VACCINE SUPPLIES Britain's Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi today insisted that he is 'confident' the UK's Covid vaccine supplies will not be disrupted amid an extraordinary threat from Brussels to stop the life-saving Pfizer drug crossing the Channel. EU health chiefs have demanded drug firms give them early warning when exporting Covid vaccines to countries outside the 27 member states - including tens of millions of doses destined for Britain. It came amid claims from two German newspapers that the EU's vaccine regulator could reject giving Britain's Oxford/AstraZeneca jab to the over-65s after officials anonymously briefed its efficacy for pensioners was eight per cent, a claim branded 'absolutely incorrect' and 'unsubstantiated' by the pharmaceutical company today. A new threat from the EU means that American firm Pfizer - which has a vaccine manufacturing plant in Belgium - will now need to tell Eurocrats when it wants to export its BioNtech jab to the UK, raising fears such exports could also be blocked or delayed. But Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News: 'I'm confident they [Pfizer] will deliver the quantities we need to hit our mid-February deadline and beyond that. Pfizer will deliver to us. I'm sure they will deliver to the UK, EU and the rest of the world. I'm confident that will be able to vaccinate the entire adult population by the Autumn'. He dodged the question about whether the EU was trying to block supplies the the EU, whose vaccination programme has fallen massively behind Britain's. The move was branded 'mean-spirited and selfish' by MPs. Advertisement

Professor Adam Finn, a paediatrician at the University of Bristol who was not involved in developing the jab, said he had 'no idea' where the eight per cent had come from.

'Elderly people were recruited to the UK phase 3 relatively late and were relatively well shielded, so there were few cases of Covid-19 that had occurred at the time of submission of data to MHRA for approval,' he said.

'There may have been more by the time of EMA submission. No idea where the eight per cent figure comes from.'

The Oxford jab is cheaper and easier to store than the rival Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine - which is also being used in Germany.

It can be stored, transported and handled at the same temperature as a household fridge. This is unlike the Pfizer vaccine, which needs to be kept at -70C (-94F).

But the jab came under fire last year when initial tests showed the vaccine was 62 per cent effective when two full doses were given at least a month apart. This was less than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which were both shown to be 95 per cent effective.

The vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi today dismissed the claims published by the German newspaper as 'nonsense'.

'We dont know where this unsubstantiated report comes from, its not true,' he told BBC Breakfast.

'This eight per cent figure is complete nonsense.

'So, I would absolutely rely on the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) of the United Kingdom and one of the best regulators in the world, the MHRA, in terms of efficacy.'

Conservative MP Damian Collins today suggested the report could be linked to AstraZeneca saying it would not be able to make orders.

'I wonder if this off the record briefing against the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine in Germany has anything to do with this?,' he wrote, adding a link to a story where the EU dismisses the drug company's reasons for cutting supply as 'unacceptable'.

'Either way, it is dangerous and irresponsible and only helps the anti-vaccine movement.'

A senior UK government source told Politico yesterday the eight per cent figure may represent the number of over-65s involved in the trials.

'No idea where their number comes from,' they said.

'I know eight per cent is the percentage of people over 65 in the study, but not the efficacy. Not sure if the reporter got mixed up.

'[The UK's vaccine regulator] would not approve a vaccine with eight per cent efficacy.'

Sir Patrick Vallance, Britain's chief scientific adviser, is said to have agreed with this suggestion in a Cabinet meeting this morning.

How does the Oxford vaccine work? The vaccine  called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19  uses a harmless, weakened version of a common virus which causes a cold in chimpanzees. Researchers have already used this technology to produce vaccines against a number of pathogens including flu, Zika and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers). The virus is genetically modified so that it is impossible for it to grow in humans. Scientists have transferred the genetic instructions for coronavirus's specific 'spike protein'  which it needs to invade cells  to the vaccine. When the vaccine enters cells inside the body, it uses this genetic code to produce the surface spike protein of the coronavirus. This induces an immune response, priming the immune system to attack coronavirus if it infects the body. It was 62 per cent effective if given as two doses and 90 per cent when one half dose is given followed by a further full dose. Advertisement

A spokesman for AstraZeneca has rubbished the claims, saying: 'Reports that the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine efficacy is as low as eight per cent in adults over 65 years are completely incorrect.

'In the UK, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) supported use in this population and MHRA included this group without dose adjustment in the authorisation for emergency supply.

'In November, we published data in The Lancet demonstrating that older adults showed strong immune responses to the vaccine, with 100 per cent of older adults generating spike-specific antibodies after the second dose.'

An Oxford University spokesman added: 'There is no basis for the claims of very low efficacy of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine which have been circulating in the media.

'The results of the clinical trials have already been published transparently in 5 peer-reviewed scientific publications showing similar immune responses in younger and older adults and a good safety profile, and high efficacy in younger adults.

'Furthermore, the preliminary efficacy data in older adults supports the importance of this vaccine for use in this population.'

Mr Waschinski doubled-down on the claims today, but said he would not be able to publish the data behind the reports.

'I understand that some would like to see the story substantiated with actual data,' he tweeted.

'However, this is not an academic preprint but a sourced piece of (political) reporting that tries to shed light on the decision making processes and the obstacles in the race for a Covid vaccine.'

The UK's Department of Health has declined to comment on the reports.

It comes after furious Tories today warned that the EU will 'poison' relations for 'a generation' if it follows through on extraordinary threats to block Pfizer vaccines going to the UK - as ministers insisted they are 'confident' supplies will be maintained.

Early figures show there were 220,000 vaccinations in the UK yesterday. The number will be updated later today by the Department of Health to include jabs in all settings

Amid a shambolic rollout across the bloc, Brussels has demanded drug firms give them early warning when exporting Covid jabs to countries outside the 27 member states, including tens of millions of doses destined for Britain. Germany's health minister demanded the EU gets its 'fair share' and backed export controls.

EU block could mean UK misses out on millions of Covid vaccine doses The UK could miss out on millions of doses of the coronavirus vaccine if the European Union suspends deliveries to countries outside the bloc. Britain is expecting to receive another 9million doses by mid-February from Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech. But if Eurocrats blockade jab exports across the channel, American drugs company Pfizer - which manufactures vaccines in Puurs, Belgium - will be unable to ship supplies. As many as 3.5million doses of their jab are expected to arrive over the next three weeks, reports the Telegraph, a shipment that wouldn't land on British soil if Brussels chose to redirect supplies. The move would not, however, cut supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine because the 'vast, vast majority' of their jabs are made in the UK. There are fears that any cut in deliveries could leave the Government unable to meet its target of vaccinating 15million of the most vulnerable by mid-February. But it is not clear how many doses are already sitting in warehouses in the UK, which ministers say they won't reveal because of 'security concerns'. The Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at a conference last night that supply remained the 'limiting factor' in Britain's Covid-19 vaccine rollout. The UK has already vaccinated more than six million of the most vulnerable against the virus, as it steams towards its mid-February target. Advertisement

Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi insisted this morning that the UK's huge push to get the four most vulnerable groups covered by mid-February will not be derailed.

But the sabre-rattling incensed senior MPs, with former health secretary Jeremy Hunt slamming 'vaccine nationalism' and saying the EU must not block supplies that have been bought 'legally and fairly'.

Meanwhile, the health ministry in Berlin has been forced to issue a denial after two German newspapers claimed the EU's regulator could refuse to give the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab full approval, with officials anonymously briefing its efficacy for pensioners was just eight per cent.

The claim was branded 'absolutely incorrect' and 'unsubstantiated' by the pharmaceutical company - and No10 sources told MailOnline it was 'rubbish'. It is understood the issue came up at Cabinet this morning, and Boris Johnson said it was 'not correct'. Science chief Patrick Vallance told the meeting that data showed a good immune response among all older patients.

He suggested the publications could have been confused between the 8 per cent of the trial participants being over 65, and the effectiveness.

One Whitehall source told Playbook it was the kind of tactics 'you expect from the Russians'.

The German health ministry today desperately tried to kill off the spat, dismissing the idea there was any data suggest efficacy of only 8 per cent among older people. It said at 'first glance' there seemed to have been a mix-up over the 8 per cent figure insisting a decision is still due on approving the jab on Friday.

Tory MP Damian Collins suggested the briefing was connected to wrangling between the EU and AstraZeneca - which is based in the UK, whereas Pfizer has a manufacturing hub in Belgium - over access to supplies. 'Either way it is dangerous and irresponsible and only helps the anti vaccine movement,' he said.

Mr Zahawi told Sky News: 'I'm confident they [Pfizer] will deliver the quantities we need to hit our mid-February deadline and beyond that. Pfizer will deliver to us. I'm sure they will deliver to the UK, EU and the rest of the world. I'm confident that will be able to vaccinate the entire adult population by the Autumn.'

He dodged the question about whether the EU was trying to block supplies the the EU, whose vaccination programme has fallen massively behind Britain's. The move was branded 'mean-spirited and selfish' by MPs.

Mr Hunt told the Telegraph: 'If the EU were to take action unilaterally that restricted supplies of vaccine bought legally and fairly by the UK, it would poison economic relations for a generation. At such a critical moment, the world needs vaccine nationalism like a hole in the head.'

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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico reported 602 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, continuing a steady downward trend with the lowest seven-day average since late October.

The seven-day average is 764. The last time it was that low was Oct. 28.

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The state also reported 14 deaths, including that of a woman in her 30s from Bernalillo County and a man in his 40s from San Juan County. Both were hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

There have been a total of 3,171 deaths from the illness caused by the novel coronavirus in the state.

The state hit 1,000 deaths in early November and since then has reported over 2,000 more.

Of the cases reported Tuesday, 155 were in Bernalillo County, 82 were in Dona Ana County and 52 were in San Juan County. Other counties throughout the state reported fewer than 40 cases.

There are 561 people hospitalized in the state for COVID-19, although that number may include people from out of state who were transferred in. It does not include New Mexicans who are hospitalized in other states.

Overall, over the past 10 months, the state has had a total of 170,296 COVID-19 cases, 96,659 of which have been designated as recovered by the state Department of Health.

Meanwhile, the DOH has vaccinated over 200,000 New Mexicans and has used 92% of the doses the state has received from the federal government.

However, officials say as many as 800,000 are qualified to get the shot now.

How grand, how admirable it sounded back in June when the European Union set up a Covid-19 vaccine-buying programme to pool the purchase power of all member states.

This pan-European approach would, it was claimed, ensure fair and equitable access for all across the EU.

Under the terms of the programme, individual countries were forbidden from seeking their own supplies.

We will only benefit from these ground-breaking achievements if we avoid vaccine nationalism, where countries unduly restrict access to vaccines, the EU declared on its website.

When Britain opted out to pursue its own course, siren voices warned of the dire consequences. The LibDems, for example, called the decision unforgivable. But oh how the EU has failed to live up to its lofty ideals.

In doing so, it has revealed the deep-rooted hypocrisy at the heart of a protectionist bloc which may preach free trade but which will not hesitate to use every trick in the book to steal an advantage.

Ross Clark: When Britain opted out to pursue its own course, siren voices warned of the dire consequences. But oh how the EU has failed to live up to its lofty ideals. Pictured: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, January 21

Let me explain. In a blatant attempt to conserve more vaccine for the bloc, European Commission president, von der Leyen, is rushing to implement new rules which would oblige pharmaceutical companies to give advance notice of export consignments.

The move threatens Britains vaccination programme because the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is made in Belgium.

Britain has ordered 40million doses, 3.5million of which are due to be delivered in the next three weeks and which are vital to meeting the target of vaccinating the top four priority groups  up to 15million people  by mid-February.

According to EU health commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, the EU is taking this action in response to a warning last week from AstraZeneca  the UK-based manufacturer of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab  that vaccine deliveries to the EU would be subject to delay.

Manufacturing problems mean it will be able to deliver just 31million of 80million doses the EU ordered by March 31.

One can understand the EUs frustration  we all want the vaccine rolled out as soon as possible, and to as many people as possible. Yet delivery delays of the Oxford vaccine are not targeted at the EU. They will also affect Britain.

To use a dispute with an individual company as an excuse to disrupt exports from another firm is exactly the vaccine nationalism that the EU condemned.

Just a few weeks ago, when Brexit trade deal talks were in full flow, the EU was self-righteously lecturing Britain on the importance of sticking to international agreements.

Now, just a month after signing a free trade deal with us, it is threatening to undermine it by leaping in to ban exports to Britain from an EU-based factory.

Of course, there is another agenda being served here. By acting to penalise the UK, the EU is seeking to distract attention from the fiasco of its much-vaunted pan-European vaccine-buying programme which has left it lagging behind Britain to the growing fury of citizens in its 27 member states.

Britain has ordered 40million doses, 3.5million of which are due to be delivered in the next three weeks and which are vital to meeting the target of vaccinating the top four priority groups  up to 15million people  by mid-February. Pictured: Prime Minister Boris Johnson leads a virtual press conference on the Covid-19 pandemic, Downing Street, on January 26

Up until Monday, the UK had administered 10.5 vaccine doses per 100 population. Denmark  the EU country which is furthest ahead  had managed 3.6, Germany 2.1 and France just 1.6.

The Netherlands has delivered 0.8 per 100  reportedly a factor in the riots in Dutch cities in recent days after a curfew was imposed and further months of lockdown loom.

While Britain still has a long way to go in its vaccination programme, we are on course to have offered every adult a jab by the autumn. At the rate other EU countries are going, however, they will be facing a second winter without a fully vaccinated population  a daunting prospect given how the second wave of the pandemic has taken off this winter.

The EU is lagging behind Britain partly because the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has taken longer to approve Covid vaccines than our own regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The Pfizer vaccine got approval here on December 2 and the Oxford jab on December 30. In early January, the MHRA approved a third vaccine, made by the American company Moderna, for use in the UK although supplies are not expected until the spring.

In contrast, the EMA did not approve Pfizers jab until December 21, the Moderna jab on January 6 and has yet to give the green light to the Oxford vaccine. Politics is certainly playing a part.

In total the EU has ordered 1.3billion doses which is notionally enough to give two shots to every EU citizen. But many of these doses will be of vaccines that are unlikely to be approved for many months.

For example, the EU balanced its order of 300million shots of the Pfizer vaccine (a collaboration with the German biotech firm BioNTech) with 300million shots of a vaccine being developed by French company Sanofi. Unfortunately, the Sanofi vaccine is unlikely to be ready for approval until the end of this year.

In the meantime, EU member states must rely on inadequate orders of the Pfizer and Moderna jabs and  should it be approved by the MHRA  the Oxford vaccine.

What has really angered Germany in particular is that Pfizer offered the EU a further 500million shots  yet, as German magazine Der Spiegel revealed last month, the EU turned them down on the grounds that it didnt want to undermine the market for the Sanofi vaccine.

Pictured: view the factory of the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer, where Covid-19 vaccine developed by BioNTech is produced, in the Belgian town of Puur on January 22

To put it bluntly, the lives of EU citizens have been laid aside for blatantly nationalistic reasons  the French didnt want the Germans to steal a march on their pharmaceutical industry.

Yet when Germany, belatedly, attempted to set up its own vaccine-buying programme to bolster supplies, the EU threatened to sue it for failing to stick to its agreement to rely only on EU vaccine purchases.

And the situation continues to deteriorate, with what appears to be a dirty tricks campaign  an underhand attempt to trash the British vaccine.

This week the German newspapers Handelsblatt and Bild reported that data showed the Oxford vaccine to have an efficacy rate of only 8 per cent in the over-65s.

The claim bears no relation to reality. Although the AstraZeneca jab seems to have a lower efficacy rate than the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, phase three trials still suggested it should stop seven out of ten infections.

The figure quoted of 8 per cent appears to refer to the proportion of trial volunteers who were aged over-65  which is not remotely the same thing as the efficacy rate.

The question is: why were German newspapers apparently briefed on this incorrect claim? Certainly, the timing is remarkable: the EMA is expected to give its approval of the drug at the end of this week.

Yet the Germans were apparently shotting themselves in the foot because without the AstraZeneca jab the EU has zero chance of vaccinating everyone by the end of the year.

When our Government decided not to join the EUs vaccine procurement initiative, three academics wrote a letter to The Guardian to complain that Britains isolationist ideology would mean us suffering unnecessary delays to our vaccination programme.

Yet the British vaccine rollout continues a pace while in Europe it is bogged down by a combination of nationalism, bureaucracy, inefficiency and bloody-mindedness. It has brought out the very worst in the EU.

For this, at least, we can be glad we are out.
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SAN DIEGO  During the Trump administrations final weeks, the Department of Homeland Security quietly signed agreements with at least four states that threaten to temporarily derail President Joe Bidens efforts to undo his predecessors immigration policies.

The agreements say Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana and Texas are entitled to a 180-day consultation period before executive branch policy changes take effect. The Biden administration rejects that argument on grounds that immigration is solely the federal governments responsibility under the Constitution.

Former President Donald Trump relied heavily on executive powers for his immigration agenda because he was unable to build enough support for his policies in Congress. Now some of his supporters say Biden is going too far in doing the same to reverse them.

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The first legal test is in Texas, where the Republican governor and attorney general are challenging the Democratic presidents 100-day moratorium on deportations, which took effect Friday.

The Homeland Security Department told lawmakers shortly before Bidens inauguration last week that it reached nine agreements, mostly with states, according to a congressional official speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss information that is not yet publicly available.

The department declined to comment, citing the lawsuit. The Trump administration, usually eager to trumpet immigration enforcement, stayed publicly quiet on the agreements, which were first reported by BuzzFeed News.

The nine-page agreements known as Sanctuary for Americans First Enactment, or SAFE, are expansive. They require that state and local governments get 180 days notice of changes in the number of immigration agents, the number of people released from from immigration custody, enforcement priorities, asylum criteria and who qualifies for legal status.

Without offering evidence, the agreements say looser enforcement can hurt education, health care, housing and jobs.

Sheriff Sam Page of Rockingham County, North Carolina, on the Virginia border, signed an agreement on Dec. 22.

Any incoming administration is likely to make changes in policy, the sheriff said. Policy changes at the federal level affect us on the local level. It is our hope that the SAFE agreement will foster timely communications about any significant forthcoming policy changes. We are simply asking for notice of these changes.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican, signed an agreement on Dec. 15 to stem the tide of illegal immigration, spokesman Cory Dennis said.

While some may attempt to blur the lines, there is a difference between legal and illegal immigration, and it is important to recognize that, he said. Our office will continue to be a watchdog for any changes to immigration policies that may be detrimental to the people of Louisiana.

In Indiana, former state Attorney General Curtis Hill, a Republican, signed the agreement on Dec. 22. Lauren Houck, a spokeswoman for the state attorney general, said it will remain in place after an initial review.

Katie Conner, a spokeswoman for Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, confirmed that the state signed, saying it has numerous cooperative agreements with federal, state and local enforcement agencies, including DHS.

In addition to the deportation moratorium, the Biden administration suspended a policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court. Six of Bidens 17 first-day executive orders dealt with immigration, such as halting work on a border wall with Mexico and lifting a travel ban on people from several predominantly Muslim countries.

Hiroshi Motomura, a professor of immigration law and policy at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, called the agreements a very unusual, last-minute sort of thing and said they raise questions about how an administration can tie the hands of its successor. He believes a deportation moratorium was within a presidents power.

Steve Legomsky, professor emeritus of the Washington University School of Law and former chief counsel for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said the agreements are a terrible idea that could create a race to the bottom, with states opposing immigration competing against each other to drive immigrants elsewhere.

For our entire history, immigration policy has been understood to be the exclusive responsibility of the federal government, Legomsky said.

Keeping immigration enforcement with the federal government allows the nation to speak with a single voice as a matter of foreign policy and consistency across states, Legomsky said. We cant have 50 conflicting sets of immigration laws operating at the same time, he said.

The Biden administration made similar arguments in a court filing Sunday after Texas asked a federal judge to block the deportation moratorium.

Texas, which has led a challenge to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to shield hundreds of thousands of young people from deportation, argued that the moratorium violated its agreement with Homeland Security. The state also argued that the moratorium violates federal rule-making procedures.

U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton in Victoria, Texas, who was appointed last year by Trump, held hearings on Friday and Monday to consider Texas request.

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Associated Press writers Ben Fox in Washington, Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, Casey Smith in Indianapolis, Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Anita Snow in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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This story was first published on Jan. 25, 2021. It was updated on Jan. 26 to correct the attribution for a statement about Indianas decision to keep an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security in place. That should have been attributed to Lauren Houck, a spokeswoman for the state attorney general, not Rachel Hoffmeyer, a spokeswoman for the governor.
[January 26, 2021] Virtual IGEM 2020 Garnered RM 3.4 Billion Business Leads

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA) today announced impressive gains from the successful 11th International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM 2020), the first virtual edition held in October 2020; solidifying IGEM's role as South East Asia's most powerful green technology, business and innovation platform. Themed "Energising Sustainability", IGEM 2020, co-organised by the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTC), delivered beyond two-fold of target business leads of RM1.6 billion; achieving a pipeline of RM3.4 billion investment interest. These leads have been computed from the RM3.08 billion potential investments from 64 projects recorded by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and RM339 million in potential exports recorded by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), during MATRADE's International Sourcing Program (INSP). The IGEM 2020 Virtual platform which featured 161 exhibitors registered more than 15,000 visitations from 79 countries and clocked up to 10,000 participants engaging in the 55 conference sessions and 77 pocket talks, throughout the event from 19-23 Oct 2020. The 14 conferences under the IGEM Virtual platform featured 138 local speakers and 69 international speakers. Yang Berhormat Dato' Sri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Minister of Environment and Water said, "It is indeed a commendable feat that IGEM 2020 has surpassed its targets, despite being held virtually for the very first time and against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty. This reinforces KASA's commitment to expand drive and growth of the green technology sector as an important engine in developing Malaysia's economy." "As we continue to recover and build, I urge budding green entrepreneurs and key industry leaders to explore how we can work together and further build partnerships for a greener and sustainable economy in the year 2021," he added. Given the success of virtual IGEM 2020 the Minister announced that IGEM 2021 will take on a virtual platform again and offers sponsors, exhibitors, participants, as well as all other stakeholders' greater visibility, flexibility, and opportunities to work with the Ministry in catalysing growth in the national, regional and global green economy. IGEM 2021 may run over a period of 6 months to create more value and opportunities to its exhibitors and visitors.



Targeting RM4 billion in business leads with 120 exhibitor booths and over 20,000 visitors from 20 countries this year, IGEM 2021 will also see the reaffirmation of investment strategic partner, MIDA and business-matching partner, MATRADE to organise the much-in-demand business matching sessions for the twelfth consecutive year. Dato' Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA said, "We are indeed proud that the targeted RM1.6 billion business leads for IGEM 2020 have been reinforced with new projection of RM3.08 billion investment in Renewable Energy (RE), Energy Efficiency (EE), Solar Leasing, Integrated Waste Management, Green Building and manufacturing sectors. The Renewable Energy segment for waste management has gained highest investment leads of RM1.75 billion (57%), followed by RM814 million (26%) interest in Renewable Energy for mini hydro."

"Starting from 2016 until September 2020, MIDA has also approved 1,317 green technology projects with investments amounting to RM18.55 billion, as well as 63 specialised green service companies with a total proposed operational expenditure of RM318.51 million, under the incentives of Green Technology. This exuberant indicator points to potentially stronger investment flows in the areas of green technology within our country." he added. IGEM 2021 Virtual will be co-organised by the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTC), the lead agency for KASA in charge of developing and implementing new programmes on green growth, climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation; in line with the nation's green agenda. Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor, Chief Executive Officer of MGTC added, "With another triumphant year for IGEM, we look forward to IGEM 2021, which will be held on a bigger scale through the hosting of international exhibitors, regional delegates, industry and thought leaders physically here in Malaysia, as well as reaching out globally to the larger community of international green entrepreneurs via the virtual platform." "From our experience in co-organising IGEMs and as demonstrated by the results announced today, the green economy continues to thrive both in Malaysia and globally. In view of the countless possibilities yet to be unearthed within the sector, I think it is truly very exciting to witness how green economy will shape a more environmentally sustainable and economically stable Malaysia in the coming years," he concluded. IGEM 2021 Virtual will kick-off on 1st July 2021 till 31st Dec 2021. For further details, please visit www.igem.my. About Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTC) Formerly known as Pusat Tenaga Malaysia (PTM), Malaysian Green Technology Corporation (MGTC) was restructured in April 2010 and was under the purview of the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) until 2018. Assuming the role of the country's lead agency, MGTC focuses on catalysing the green technology agenda in line with the aspirations of the National Green Technology Policy 2009. MGTC was under the purview of the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment & Climate Change (MESTECC) from 2018 until early 2020. MGTC is currently helmed by the Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA) and now known as the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre. MGTC develops and implements programmes on green growth, climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation. About Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) MIDA is the government's principal promotion agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. SOURCE Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTC)

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YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan received UN Resident Coordinator for Armenia Shombi Sharp and his delegation, the ministry told Armenpress.

The meeting participants discussed issues relating to the cooperation with the UN agencies in the field of healthcare, as well as the future activities.

We would like to thank you for the assistance provided so far in fighting the coronavirus disease which have been used purposefully. We highly appreciate the joint activities and the new cooperation opportunities, the Armenian minister of healthcare said.

In turn the UN Resident Coordinator touched upon the recent war and the solution of post-war problems, as well as attached importance to the works on introducing a general healthcare insurance in Armenia, given that it can ensure promotion of healthcare up to prevention, treatment, recovery, etc.

Minister Avanesyan highlighted the necessity for improving recovery treatment among soldiers and civilians, expressing hope that the issue will be solved with joint efforts.

The sides also discussed issues relating to the selection of vaccines against COVID-19.

In the end the meeting sides stated that many reforms in the healthcare field have been carried out for the fight against COVID-19, noting that the projects launched in the past should be completed.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan












[January 26, 2021] Nuveen Closed-End Funds Declare Pre-Merger Distributions

Two Nuveen Closed-End Funds announced pre-merger distributions. The specific distribution dates and amounts are detailed below. As previously announced, the shareholders of Nuveen Michigan Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE: NUM) have approved the fund's reorganization into Nuveen AMT (News - Alert) -Free Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE: NEA). The pre-merger distribution for each fund being acquired is intended to fully distribute the acquired fund's accumulated undistributed net investment income (UNII) prior to the reorganization going effective. As previously announced, following the transactions, the surviving fund, NEA, is expected to declare an additional post-closing distribution, with a record date of February 18, 2021, payable March 1, 2021. For each fund, the total per-common share dollar amount of the pre- and post-closing tax-exempt distributions received on March 1, 2021 will be equal to or greater than the per-common share dollar amount of the prior month's tax-exempt dividend. The following dates apply to today's pre-merger distribution declarations:







Record Date February 5, 2021 Ex-Dividend Date February 4, 2021 Payable Date March 1, 2021

Per Share Distribution Ticker Exchange Fund Name Tax-Exempt Income Long-Term Capital Gain NUM NYSE Nuveen Michigan Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0266 $.0076 NEA NYSE Nuveen AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund $.0345 - For more information about UNII, each fund and the shareholder-approved reorganizations, please visit www.nuveen.com/CEF or contact: Advisors:

800-752-8700 Investors:

800-257-8787 Media:

media-inquiries@nuveen.com About Nuveen Nuveen, the investment manager of TIAA, offers a comprehensive range of outcome-focused investment solutions designed to secure the long-term financial goals of institutional and individual investors. Nuveen has $1.2 trillion in assets under management as of 31 Dec 2020 and operations in 27 countries. Its investment specialists offer deep expertise across a comprehensive range of traditional and alternative investments through a wide array of vehicles and customized strategies. For more information, please visit www.nuveen.com. Nuveen Securities, LLC, member FINRA and SIPC. The information contained on the Nuveen website is not a part of this press release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements made in this release are forward-looking statements. Actual future results or occurrences may differ significantly from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These include, but are not limited to:  market developments;  legal and regulatory developments; and  other additional risks and uncertainties. Nuveen and the closed-end funds managed by Nuveen and its affiliates undertake no responsibility to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement. EPS-1496841PR-E0121X View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126006086/en/

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DETROIT, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Ford Health System and Michigan State University (MSU), two of the state's leading education, research and health care institutions, are partnering to make Michigan a national leader in providing access to exceptional health care for all residents, scientific discovery and education for providers, patients and families.

In a landmark partnership that will last for at least 30 years, both institutions are committed to aligning efforts across key departments and programs to achieve critical health care and educational goals, while addressing social issues that impact health outcomes for patients in Michigan and beyond.

The signing of this agreement comes just seven months after Henry Ford and MSU signed a letter of intent to significantly expand their long-term partnership, among the first of its kind for the region between a fully integrated academic health system and major state university.

Key features of the agreement include fostering innovative, groundbreaking research; providing best-in-class cancer care; interprofessional training; increasing diversity among the next generation of health care professionals; and addressing the needs of traditionally underserved communities. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are core components of the partnership and are embedded throughout the agreement in a commitment to addressing access to health care and health disparities in both urban and rural communities. For more information about the partnership, visit www.henryford.com/msuhealthsciences.

"Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Henry Ford Health System and Michigan State University recognized that collaboration could make a critical impact on health care in our state and across the country," said Wright L. Lassiter, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System. "Our two institutions have a shared commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, which means addressing and eliminating historic inequities in health care across our state. If we bring additional focus to traditionally marginalized communities, we believe that will lead to improved clinical outcomes for all."

"We believe there is an opportunity to create progressive education models rooted in early collaboration across disciplines, such as primary care, nursing and public health, that will prepare students for the integrated care models demanded in practice today and in the future," said Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D., president, Michigan State University. "These new approaches will support academic and clinical partnerships and will serve as a model for academic training and research across the nation. Moreover, this collaboration vastly expands opportunities for students beyond those seeking careers in health professions. Specifically, MSU attracts top students pursuing degrees in business, agriculture, social sciences, humanities, physics, computer sciences and beyond, committed to improving the human condition. Moving the dial on society's most intractable health challenges requires the broadest of expertise, the education of whom is the purpose for a land grant institution like MSU. The scale of Henry Ford Health System provides innumerable venues for collaboration and innovation."

MSU will expand its presence in Detroit through the development of a regional campus, located within the existing Henry Ford Detroit Campus footprint. The institutions will create a new Health Sciences Center (HSC) that tightly aligns basic and translational research, fueling innovation and discovery through an academically and clinically integrated network of health care providers, scientists, academicians and public health practitioners.

A new urban-based public health program is planned to focus on education and research, as well as provide a platform to collaborate with other institutions. With the planned expansion of their combined research enterprise, Henry Ford and MSU are developing a joint research institute, the Health Sciences Center, dedicated to research and academic activities.

"Our research programs will seek to engage underrepresented communities in meaningful ways to identify potential interventions and reduce or eliminate health care disparities," said Dr. Steven Kalkanis, M.D., chief executive officer and senior vice president and chief academic officer of Henry Ford Health System.

Alignment between a top academic institution and a leading integrated health system will accelerate the recruitment and retention of top clinical and academic talent, which is essential for advancing research, providing superior patient care and educating the next generation of premier health care professionals.

"It is in the full integration of research, education, health and health care that the necessary transformation of care can happen. Intolerable struggle persists, and we can, and must, respond with a sense of urgency," added Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., M.D., executive vice president for Health Sciences at Michigan State University. "Aligned and accessible, we provide an environment that will attract and enable all those seeking to educate, discover or practice in ways that maximize their ability, individually and as a part of a team, to bring hope, health and healing to all. The resultant diversity of thought and inclusivity of individuals will lead to solutions that are responsive and enduring."

With the MSU partnership, the Henry Ford Cancer Institute will expand research and clinical applications to create an international destination for access to the most advanced cancer therapies and research. With its focus on innovative cancer treatments, prevention and screening protocols, the institute will offer vast improvements in population health, fuel discovery in basic sciences, support translational research aimed at curing cancer and close the gap in health care outcomes for cancer patients based on race, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status.

"Our goal is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation within five to seven years, making us one of three institutions in Michigan recognized by the federal government for cutting-edge research and innovative cancer treatments," said Dr. Adnan Munkarah, M.D., executive vice president and chief clinical officer of Henry Ford Health System. "We are coordinating our clinical activities so that we can expand our scope of services and access to care while improving the quality and efficiency of the patient experience across specialties and geography."

Diversity, equity and inclusion are foundational to Henry Ford and MSU's partnership and are articulated in key goals and deliverables that seek to eliminate health disparities, address the social determinants of health, and remove barriers to care and opportunity for medical education. This includes a commitment to educate diverse health care providers and ensure equitable access to quality health care for historically disenfranchised and marginalized populations.

"Since the beginning of this pandemic, COVID-19 has shined a light on the health, economic, and educational challenges that Black communities, and most communities of color, face daily. While the state has made significant progress toward our goal of reducing COVID-19 disparities for communities of color, we have more work to do. We are thrilled to have partners like Michigan State University and Henry Ford Health System that share our goals," said Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II. "We must support and elevate health care systems and organizations that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. This agreement prioritizes addressing social and societal issues that impact patients' health outcomes in our state and is a positive step toward addressing biases and obstacles that Michiganders face when interacting with our health care systems."

"Henry Ford Health System and Michigan State University are partnering at a critical time," said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. "Both institutions are at the forefront of cutting-edge medical research, education and patient care. I am confident that this partnership will mean even greater innovation and access to quality health care for Michigan residents."

This partnership is not an acquisition or merger. The Henry Ford and MSU names will not change, and both organizations will maintain their respective autonomies. The goal is to combine the strength of both institutions' legacies and storied brands toward their shared goals. By mid-2021, there will be co-branding within some areas, including joint research efforts, and the Center will establish an umbrella entity for its activities and a joint identity. Several of the partnership's advancements will result from the integration of both institutions around key research and program elements, while others, such as capital projects, are dependent upon securing private and philanthropic funding.

Dr. Steven Kalkanis, Henry Ford Health System Chief Academic Officer and Henry Ford Medical Group CEO, will be the inaugural president of the Health Sciences Center. Dr. Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., Executive Vice President of Health Sciences for MSU, will chair the board selected from leaders of both institutions. Each institution will maintain the vital partnerships developed with other organizations, including health care systems and academic institutions, strengthening the effort further.

"The benefits for our patients will grow as the partnership grows. With a bench to bedside approach, our patients benefit from discoveries in real time," Lassiter said. "Patients affiliated with either institution will have access to new treatment options and clinical trials informed by the current research, as well as increased access to clinicians and premier specialists."

"Strategic partnerships are more important now than ever before," added Stanley. "We are doing this because we believe every individual deserves access to affordable, compassionate quality care. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the urgency and importance of innovation and discovery in patient care and public health for all of the communities we serve. MSU also sees itself as a strategic partner in economic development. This partnership will create jobs through expansion of current programs, creation of new initiatives and attracting health-related companies to Michigan  specifically to Southeast Michigan. We will bring new revenue streams through attracting research funding, generating intellectual property and inviting partners to join us in public-private partnerships. Ultimately, poverty is a powerful predictor of poor health outcomes, and with increasing job opportunities and funding, we also improve health."

At the core of the partnership is a unique primary academic affiliation. As the partnership evolves and expands, Michigan will be established as a destination for exceptional clinical care, advanced research and innovative medical education. The partnership will chart definitive progress in eliminating health disparities and addressing the needs of marginalized communities, improving health care for everyone. Most important of all, this partnership will provide improved care options and increased hope to patients and families facing disparate medical challenges, including cancer.

About Henry Ford Health System

Founded in 1915 by Henry Ford himself, Henry Ford Health System is a nonprofit, academic and integrated health system comprising five acute-care hospitals, three behavioral health facilities, a health plan and more than 250 care sites, including medical centers, walk-in and urgent care clinics, pharmacies, eye care facilities and other health care operations. The health system has more than 33,000 employees and is home to the 1,900-member Henry Ford Medical Group, one of the nation's oldest physician groups. More than 2,500 physicians are also affiliated with the health system through the Henry Ford Physician Network and Jackson Health Network. Henry Ford Health System is also one of the nation's major academic medical centers, receiving nearly $100 million in annual research funding, among Michigan's largest NIH-funded institutions. Also, an active participant in medical education and training, the health system has trained nearly 40% of physicians currently practicing in Michigan and provides education and training for other health professionals including nurses, pharmacists, radiology and respiratory technicians.

About MSU

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges. MSU has offered health care education for more than a century. Combined, the human health colleges  the College of Human Medicine, the College of Nursing and the College of Osteopathic Medicine  have nearly 2,000 medical students, 2,500 residents and fellows, more than 500 nursing students and 20,000 alumni, most of whom practice in Michigan. It is the only university in the country with on-campus schools graduating allopathic and osteopathic physicians, as well as nurses and veterinarians.

SOURCE Henry Ford Health System
Tamika Williams Adoption means so much to families and children, and it is dear to my heart," said Williams. "I have witnessed and know the absolute necessity of child-specific recruitment to getting ALL children home.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national non-profit public charity, today welcomed Tamika Williams as a member of its board of trustees, serving a three-year term.

Williams is the Associate Director, Child & Family Well-Being at The Duke Endowment. The Duke Endowments work in North Carolina and South Carolina focuses on child and family well-being, health care, higher education and rural churches. Before joining The Duke Endowment, Williams was a masters level social worker in child welfare for 13 years.

From my earliest days of working in child welfare, I have been involved in the adoption of children from foster care, said Williams. Adoption means so much to families and children, and it is dear to my heart. I have witnessed and know the absolute necessity of child-specific recruitment to getting ALL children home.

Tamika has deep professional experience, both in the areas of child welfare and in working at a large foundation, said Joe Turner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Sun Management and chair of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoptions board of trustees. I am excited to collaborate with her on behalf of the Foundations mission.

Through its signature program, Wendys Wonderful Kids, the Foundation provides funding and establishes innovative co-investment partnerships with states to hire adoption recruiters who implement an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model. This model has been proven to be up to three times more effective at finding adoptive homes for children who have been lingering in foster care the longest.

Tamika has worked directly with the youth we serve and shares our belief that every child, no matter their age or circumstances, deserves a permanent, loving home, said Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Her first-hand knowledge of the child welfare landscape will be invaluable as we continue expanding the Wendys Wonderful Kids program in North Carolina and across the United States.

Williams also serves on the board of Arrow Child and Family Ministries located in Spring, Texas. She earned a bachelors degree in sociology and a masters degree in social work from the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill.

###

About the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated exclusively to finding permanent homes for the more than 150,000 children waiting in North Americas foster care systems. Created by Wendys founder Dave Thomas who was adopted, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national service programs, foster care adoption awareness campaigns and innovative grantmaking. To learn more, visit davethomasfoundation.org.
El Salvadorian pastor leaves NC church sanctuary for first time in 3 years after Biden executive order

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Jose Chicas spent the last three years hiding from Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a Durham, North Carolina, church. He left the building on Jan. 22 after President Joe Biden signed an executive order prohibiting all deportations of illegal immigrants who arrived in the United States before Nov. 1, 2020, except for national security reasons.

God gave the victory today, he told a crowd outside the church. Then he returned home for the first time in over 1,300 days.

On Inauguration Day, Biden took several actions related to immigration, including a reversal of former President Donald Trump's executive order that called for stricter immigration enforcement. Homeland Security also issued a memo to pause certain deportations for 100 days. During that time, the department has been directed to review policies and practices concerning immigration enforcement.

Before he took refuge in St. Johns Missionary Baptist Church on June 27, 2017, Chicas had lived in the U.S. for 32 years.

In 1985, Chicas and his wife fled a violent civil war in El Salvador. After arriving in the U.S., he skipped an asylum hearing after receiving bad legal advice, according to his website. His action led to a deportation order. However, he managed to stay in America because of another approved application for asylum and repeated stays of removal.

In the 1990s, he pled guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol and domestic abuse, his website says. Chicas became a Christian along with his family in 2002. He became a pastor and reconciled with his wife.

Chicas situation with the government also seemed to improve. He checked in with ICE on a monthly basis during his time living in North Carolina. He got a work permit, drivers license and social security number. He also paid taxes.

However, at a routine checkup in 2017, ICE officials told Chicas he had to buy a one-way plane ticket back to El Salvador and never come back. Three of Chicas four children are citizens, and the fourth is eligible for work in the U.S. under President Barrack Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals executive order.

When he came home with the news of his deportation, the Chicas family decided that such a permanent separation between husband and wife, father and children (not to mention between pastor and church community), was not an option, his website states.

He suspected ICE suddenly demanded his deportation because of his criminal record from before the 1990s.

Pastor Chicas hypothesizes that it was this record, part of the full and difficult life that transformed him into the man he is today, that caused his name to come up for deportation once the new political regime came into power in 2017."

To avoid deportation, he left his house and took sanctuary in a church. On weekdays, he washed cars in the church parking lot to support his family.

This is jail, you know, because I cant go outside, he told local news outlet WRAL.

ICE can arrest illegal immigrants anywhere in the U.S. with a warrant. Its also illegal for anyone to knowingly harbor an illegal immigrant. However, ICE almost never makes arrests in churches.

For publicity reasons, immigration enforcement does not like to go into churches, immigration law professor Stephen Yale-Loehr told CNN.

ICE designs its policy to ensure that illegal immigrants in need can get help and practice their religious freedom without hesitation. Churches and other places that can help illegal immigrants are sensitive locations with special rules.

Enforcement actions at sensitive locations should generally be avoided, and require either prior approval from an appropriate supervisory official or exigent circumstances necessitating immediate action, ICEs website says. DHS is committed to ensuring that people seeking to participate in activities or utilize services provided at any sensitive location are free to do so without fear or hesitation.

ICEs policy does not address using churches as a long-term shelter from deportation. However, 800 American churches have told Christian group World Church Service that they will act as sanctuaries for illegal immigrants if requested. Approximately 38 people across the U.S. are currently hiding from ICE inside churches.
Cheshire Public Schools will have an early dismissal today, as inclement weather is expected to arrive in Connecticut sometime this afternoon.

Superintendent of Schools Jeff Solan made the announcement this morning.

We are having an early dismissal becasue of the impending snow, Solan said. Surrounding districts are doing the same as well.

The snow is expected to start falling around 1 p.m. and go until early Wednesday, Jan. 27.

Solan did not comment on if school will continue as scheduled on Wednesday.
BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent CNBC report showed that the average American holds over $90,000 in personal debt. In fact, it's estimated that nearly 80% of all Americans are battling some form of debt.

Many of those who endure a debt crisis also encounter the debilitating and often bullying tactics of debt collectors or, worse, face debt lawsuits. In the extreme cases, it's often necessary to retain a debt legal specialty team. A legal resource can offer insights and help build a strong defense to combat the often underhanded debt collection services.

Working Hard To Help Debtors Find Debt Relief

For nearly 15 years, the GM Law Firm has successfully represented those who experience the financial burdens of debt. Invoking several Federal Laws written to protect consumers against harassing creditors, the GM Law Firm defends the rights of these unfortunate people and has often helped win debt resolution for their clients.

Especially now during the pandemic times of COVID-19, personal debt  especially medical debt  is on the rise. When an individual's debt becomes overwhelming, it's helpful and advised to turn to a legal professional to navigate the murky waters of debt resolution and prevent the further ruination of one's personal credit score.

The GM Law Firm urges those mired in debt to reach out for an initial consultation to help draft a strategy to not only get out of debt, but prevent further negative actions that might be initiated by the debt collector.

About GM Law Firm, LLC

GM Law Firm is a consumer advocacy law firm based in Boca Raton, Florida, that empowers clients battling credit card, private student loan and medical debt to fight for their rights and help negotiate a satisfactory debt resolution. The experienced attorneys from the GM Law Firm also legally protect clients against harassing debt collectors and provide a customized strategy for debt defense. Contact GM Law Firm (www.gmlawfirmllc.com) for a consultation.

Press Contact:

The Avita Group,

7472252777

SOURCE GM Law Firm, LLC

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The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, says it has intercepted pangolin scales and other mixed endangered species meant for export, worth N952 million.

Mohammed Abba-Kura, Customs Comptroller, said at a media briefing on Tuesday in Lagos that the items were contained in a one-unit 20-feet container with number CSLU 2362640 heading to Haiphong, Vietnam.

He said the items, falsely declared as furniture, comprised 162 sacks of pangolin scales weighing 8,800kg and 57 sacks of mixed endangered species of various sizes such as ivory/animal horns, lion bones and others.

Mr Abba-Kura said the total weight of the items stood at 854,719 tonnes, valued N952 million.

Nigeria is now reputed as the main hub for traffickers sending the scales of African pangolins to Asia, where they are used for medicines. The Nigerian Customs has announced seizure of large quantities of the animal parts in recent years.

On Jan 21, based on credible intelligence, Customs operatives at the export seat of Apapa command successfully detected and arrested one unit of 20 feet container which was processed for export and falsely declared as furniture component, Mr Abba-Kura said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

Immediately the container was opened, logs were seen in front, and upon 100 per cent physical examination of the container, elephant tusk and the pangolin scales were seen concealed by the logs.

He said an agent linked to the consignment were arrested.

The comptroller said after due investigation, the service headquarters would take necessary action in line with environmental laws, guidelines, protocols, conventions and treaties on environment.

He said for the avoidance of doubt, their action of impounding the container was in line with the provision of Section 147 of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap 45, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and in line with schedule 6 of Common External Tariff.

The Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES 1973) entails that Customs Administration all over the world protects wildlife by intercepting illegal trade on such animals.

Pangolins  scaly, shy and sensitive  are believed to be the worlds most trafficked nonhuman mammals accounting for as much as 20 per cent of all illegal wildlife trade.

Their scales which are made of keratin (the material in fingernails) have no scientific proven curative properties but are in high demand for use in traditional Chinese medicine.

Consequently, all eight species are threatened with extinction. Despite a 2017 ban on international commercial trade of the scales, experts estimate that more than a million pangolins were poached from 2000 through to 2014, he said.

Mr Abba-Kura said all efforts would be geared toward ensuring that such dangerous and harmful environmental crimes were detected and prevented. (NAN)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Senators on Tuesday adopted a resolution welcoming the Department of National Defense's decision to hold a dialogue with the University of the Philippines on the unilateral termination of their 1989 accord, and urging the department to revisit the agreement as well as coordinate with other academic institutions on promoting academic freedom.

The Senate, which has several UP alumni, amended the title of the resolution that said it opposed the abrogation of the decades-long accord that prevented the unauthorized entry of state forces in UP campuses.

"[D]ialogue at pag-uusap ang pinakamahusay na paraan sa paghahanap ng mga solusyon sa mga problema," said Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, author of the measure, and a former student activist himself.

[Translation: Dialogue is the best way to find solutions to problems.]

However, Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police, abstained from adopting the resolution since he supports doing away with the accord.

"Such move is intended to protect the youth from the snares of communism and its empty promises," he argued. "Ang kapulisan at ang militar ay iisa sa layunin na protektahan ang ating kabataan."

[Translation: The police and the military are one in their goal of protecting the youth.]

Defense officials earlier cited the supposed "clandestine recruitment" of students by communist organizations in its decision to unilaterally abrogate the accord with UP. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he was open to a dialogue with the university but added that the institution's officials should explain the presence of students in encounters with rebels.

Senator Pia Cayetano, a UP graduate, argued that this was an "extreme conclusion."

"It is an insult to suddenly say that this upbringing we had (in UP) is useless, and ang patutunguhan lang doon is [that they will only end up in] the left-leaning side which has chosen violence." she said.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, while ackowledging the fear of parents over the possible recruitment of their children into armed struggle, stressed the importance of preserving the right to freedom of expression. Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel also urged officials not to focus on the "where" of NPA recruitment, but the "why."
A Montgomery County judge ruled on Tuesday afternoon to euthanize a dog that earlier this month attacked a 3-year-old girl inside a Spring restaurant, though a representative for the dog owner is appealing the decision.

Following three days of testimony in court, Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Matt Beasley ruled that Kingston, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier owned by 46-year-old Jennifer Romano, should be put down. The judge rejected an argument from Romano's defense attorney that the dog could be re-trained, saying he did not believe it was a viable option. In a harsh rebuke, Beasley said Romano demonstrated a lack of care and responsibility when she fled from the restaurant following the attack.

"I do believe that this would happen again, the judge said. I don't trust you're a good handler for that dog .... It's by your own hand and your actions that led us here today."

Kingston lunged and bit Ronin Waldroup on the face, shaking her until the owner yanked back on the leash, when the girl entered the Loose Caboose restaurant on Jan. 9, said the girls mother Cleveratta Gordon-Waldroup. She rushed her daughter to the bathroom to wash the wounds before an ambulance arrived. Witnesses said the attack was unprovoked and that Romano ran to her car and drove away, telling the girls father: Its your daughters fault.

John Kovach, an attorney representing Romano, said he plans to appeal the court's ruling and called the case a "tragedy for all parties involved."

"We are praying Ronin has a total recovery. Ms. Romano loves Kingston and is not willing to give up on him. An appeal is forthcoming," Kovach said.

Maureen Farrell, counsel for the Waldroup family, said she thinks the judge's decision was "difficult, but wise." The family is considering a civil case against Romano and the restaurant where the attack occurred, Farrell said. Criminal charges against Romano are also possible, although none have been filed.

"Ronin has very serious injuries that could have been prevented," Farrell said, adding that the girl "had the right to be safe in that restaurant."

Gordon-Waldroup said she and her husband were "very pleased" with the decision and will continue to push for justice following the appeal, which Kovach said he plans to file within 10 days.

"My husband and I do not wish for any other child, person or family to have to go through the trauma that we are currently living day to day," she said in a statement, adding that her daughter "is terrified to even hear a dog bark on the television. She doesnt want to leave the house because there is a chance that she may see a dog."

Assistant County Attorney Ronald Chin argued Tuesday morning in closing statements that Kingston should be put down to prevent future attacks, while Kovach unsuccessfully implored the judge to give the dog a second chance. Romano has said that the dog is an emotional support animal and it was wearing a vest labeling it as a service dog on the day of the attack.

The case hinged on a statute in the Texas Health and Safety Code that says a court may order a dog killed if it finds that the dog caused serious bodily injury, as defined by the same code, to a person.

In his argument, Kovach noted that the statute gives the judge latitude for discretion. He asked the court to allow Kingston to be rehabilitated and said Romano made arrangements with a Houston-area dog trainer. The dog should be given a second chance in part because Romano relies on him for emotional support, Kovach said.

Were not trying to diminish this incident, but whats wrong with signing an order for Kingston to have an opportunity to prove himself? Kovach said earlier Tuesday.

Chin showed photos of the victims bloody, bruised and swollen face. The child required 14 stitches and will need plastic surgery, Gordon-Waldroup said in court. Her daughter wakes up at night crying and yelling, Bad dog, she said.

We want to make sure this doesnt happen again to anyone else in Montgomery County, Chin said.

On Tuesday morning, Kovach called on several of Romanos friends to testify via Zoom. Each said they had been around Kingston at least dozens of times before the Jan. 9 attack, in public and private, and testified that he was good with children, never growled or bit anyone and helped Romano with her mental health. The recent Spring attack was uncharacteristic, the friends agreed.

Romanos doctor wrote a letter stating that service animals help Romano with her general anxiety disorder, but did not specify Kingston by name. Friends and relatives testified that Romano also suffers from bipolar disorder, depression and hypertension, and takes multiple medications.

Dogs that only provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The act defines a service animal as a dog trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.

Service animal handlers are not required to have certification, registration or professional training. However, Romano registered Kingston as a service dog through the United States Service Dog Registry, a website offering free voluntary service dog registration. But according to the website, registration does not make a dog a Service Dog  it allows someone to hold themselves to a community defined standard. Kingstons registration on the website has since been revoked.

Conflicting testimony surrounded Kingstons previous bite history. Montgomery County officials said the dog has no recorded bite history, but that they had heard rumor of other incidents. Lily Ferguson, 19, testified that Kingston bit her face in June while she was living with Romano. She did not file a report, but later sued Romano.

Fred Evans, another of Romanos friends, disputed Fergusons testimony in court on Tuesday, saying Ferguson told him she was bitten by a dog outside Romanos apartment that she could not identify. He agreed that her story was inconsistent and Kovach accused Ferguson of lies.

In recent years, Romano has been named in multiple lawsuits surrounding a different pit bull, Gus, she claimed to be rehabilitating through her now-defunct business, Maggies House Rescue.

In a similar hearing in 2013, a Montgomery County judge ruled that Gus caused serious bodily injury and ordered the dog euthanized. However, Romano appealed the decision and reached an agreement to send the dog to a training site run by television personality Cesar Millan in California. At the same time, she was ordered to pay $1.3 million in damages in a personal injury lawsuit filed in Harris County by the victim.

Romano removed Gus from the California facility before he completed rehabilitation, and six days later, the pit bull attacked another woman. The dog has since been put down.

anna.bauman@chron.com

BLUE BELL, Pa., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) said today that it will release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 financial results on Monday, February 22, 2021 after the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Following the release, Unisys will host a conference call with the financial community on Tuesday, February 23 from 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results.

The company will offer a live, listen-only Webcast of the conference call on the Unisys Investor Website at www.unisys.com/investor. A replay of the Webcast will be available on the Unisys Investor Website shortly following the conference call.

About Unisys

Unisys is a global IT services company that delivers successful outcomes for the most demanding businesses and governments. Unisys offerings include digital workplace services, cloud and infrastructure services and software operating environments for high-intensity enterprise computing. Unisys integrates security into all of its solutions. For more information on how Unisys delivers for its clients across the government, financial services and commercial markets, visit www.unisys.com.

Follow Unisys on Twitter and LinkedIn.

RELEASE NO.: 0126/9811

Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder.

UIS-Q

SOURCE Unisys Corporation

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Sony has just dropped a bomb on the camera world with the launch of the A1, its new flagship full-frame mirrorless camera with some breakthrough features. Thanks to a new 50-megapixel Exmor RS stacked CMOS sensor and the cutting-edge Bionz XR processor, it offers 30 fps shooting speeds, 8K 30P/4K 120P video and a lot more. With all that, it can easily take on Canons R5, though it comes at a significantly higher price.

The A1s key feature might be its incredible speeds. It can shoot 50.1-megapixel images at up to 30 fps, with both autofocus and auto-exposure enabled, using the electronic shutter (thats 1,500 MB/s worth of data, Sony noted). At those speeds, you can capture up to 155 compressed RAW files before the buffer fills. Speeds drop to 10 fps with the mechanical shutter, but thats still excellent considering the very high resolution sensor.

Whats more, youll get a blackout-free view of those images thanks to the worlds first 240Hz OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 9.44 million-dot resolution and 0.90X field of view. Thats similar to the EVF found on the A7S III, but the A1s EVF has double the refresh rate and a larger field of view.















Sony A1 flagship full-frame mirrorless camera Sony A1 flagship full-frame mirrorless camera

At the same time, the A1 has a standard ISO 100-32,000 ISO sensitivity range, expandable to ISO 50-102,400, so it should work well in low-light. Thats possible because of the back-illuminated [sensor] structure with gapless on-chip lenses and an AR coated seal glass, according to Sonys latest sensor jargon. It also has improved color reproduction and up to 15 stops of dynamic range. If 50-megapixels isnt enough resolution, you can use Sonys pixel shift multi shooting feature to combine up to 16 shots into one 199-megapixel image.

If video is more your thing, you can shoot 8K 10-bit 4:2:0 video at 30 fps internally (to either SD or CFexpress cards), using the full width of the sensor. That 8K video should be sharp, as its super-sampled from an 8.6K image size. 4K recording at up to 60 fps also uses the full width of the sensor, or adds a small 1.1x crop if you turn on active image stabilization. If you want to shoot 4K at 120 fps with a full sensor readout, it will crop down to Super 35 mm with 5.8K oversampling. Autofocus works in all video modes.

Story continues

The S1 can record with 10-bit 4:2:2 color detail and S-Log or hybrid log-gamma (HLG) modes, using Sonys latest HEVC/H.265 code with intra-frame coding. If thats not good enough, it will output 16-bit RAW video to an external recorder. The A1 also features Sonys S-Cinetone color matrix found on its Venice, FX6 and other Cinema Line cameras. One downside for video shooters and vloggers is that the rear display only flips up and not around like on the A7S III.

Rolling shutter has been a problem on previous Alpha cameras, particularly for video. However, Sony has promised that a new anti-distortion shutter reduces that effect by up to 2.8 times. Sony has also introduced an anti-flicker mode to reduce flicker caused by artificial lights when shooting using the electronic shutter.

Sony promises unrivaled autofocus on the A1 with real-time eye-tracking for both photos and video, covering humans, animals and birds. The tracking algorithms work faster than ever and with 30 percent greater precision than the A9 II, according to Sony. The A1 also offers 5-axis in-body stabilization with 5.5 stops of shake reduction. That includes an active video mode that Sony says is highly effective for handheld shooting.

All of these features are contained in a normal-sized, 737 grams (1.63 pound) Alpha body, but Sony promises that youll be able to record 8K/30p or 4K/60p video continuously for up to 30 minutes without overheating. Thats clearly a shot over Canons bow, as EOS R5 continuous shooting times are more constrained by overheating.

Sony's A1 is a $6,500 50MP camera that shoots 30fps bursts and 8K video

Much like the A7S III, the A1 includes dual SD UHS II and dual CFexpress card slots, so youll be able to backup your work on the fly and choose between cheaper SD UHS II or faster CFexpress formats. Other features include a full HDMI port, mic and headphone ports, 10 Gbps USB 3.2, an optional multi interface shoe with digital audio and, yes, a gigabit ethernet port. As for battery life, youll get up to 530 shots on a charge.

It also offers the industrys fastest 802.11ac WiFi speeds, according to Sony. Professional photographers or video shooters will be able to use that feature in conjunction with the new $2,500 Xperia Pro smartphone (above), which will double as an HDR monitor and 5G transmitter.

Youll pay for all this power. Pre-orders start tomorrow at $6,498 for the body only, which is $3,000 more than the Canon EOS R5. However, the A1 is now Sonys flagship aimed at professional photographers and videographers, who wont balk at that price for a second. Shipping is expected to start around February 25th, with consumer availability sometime in March.
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
The threat of bankruptcy looms larger over Kansas City now that the greatest source of 12th & Oak revenue is under legal threat.



To wit . . .



SUPREME COURT QUESTION ENDANGERS KANSAS CITY E-TAX!!! MAYOR Q NOW DESPERATE TO RALLY SUPPORT FOR COWTOWN CASH LIFELINE!!!



Here's a preview of the legal debate . . .



New Hampshire's Supreme Court Lawsuit Seeking to Prevent Massachusetts from Taxing NH Residents Working Remotely for Massachusetts Firms

"The case was filed directly in the Supreme Court under its "original jurisdiction" over cases filed by one state against another. It could have important implications for the future of federalism."

Actually, the case could have even bigger implications for Kansas City becoming an empty shell akin to Detroit during its darker days.



In fact, the mayor is so concerned that RIGHT NOW HE'S TALKING UP THE E-TAX VIA ZOOM CALL WITH THE NORTHEAST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE!!!



Depending on the SCOTUS ruling, this bull session might be inconsequential and nothing more than a prelude to the absolute financial decimation of Kansas City via the COVID-19 pandemic.

Developing . . .


[January 26, 2021] FirstNet Brings First Responders Innovative Mission-Ready Communications Tools

DALLAS, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- What's the news? FirstNet, Built with AT&T*  America's public safety network  is driving innovation in lifesaving, public safety technology. Now, first responders have access to 4 new mission-driven solutions exclusively available to all FirstNet subscribers: FirstNet MegaRange, Z-Axis, FirstNet Compact Rapid Deployables and Land-Mobile-Radio (LMR) interoperability for FirstNet Push-to-Talk (PTT). And, for the 3rd consecutive year, Frost & Sullivan recognizes AT&T for driving visionary innovation in public safety by introducing 'smart' solutions that cater to the evolving demands of first responders. FirstNet MegaRange  : Following 3GPP and FCC standards, FirstNet is the only network where public safety can take advantage of the highest power class signaling available in the U.S. with FirstNet MegaRange, the high-power user equipment (HPUE) solution exclusively available on Band 14. For rural, remote and maritime first responders, MegaRange can significantly improve connectivity especially at the edge of network coverage. And for urban and suburban responders, this can help solve the common challenge of difficult coverage spots. The stronger signal may better assist those connecting from hard-to-reach places like building shadows, parking garages, basements, elevators, and stairwells, helping first responders communicate inside and out. Learn everything you need to know about FirstNet MegaRange here.

: Following 3GPP and FCC standards, FirstNet is the only network where public safety can take advantage of the highest power class signaling available in the U.S. with FirstNet MegaRange, the high-power user equipment (HPUE) solution exclusively available on Band 14. For rural, remote and maritime first responders, MegaRange can significantly improve connectivity especially at the edge of network coverage. And for urban and suburban responders, this can help solve the common challenge of difficult coverage spots. The stronger signal may better assist those connecting from hard-to-reach places like building shadows, parking garages, basements, elevators, and stairwells, helping first responders communicate inside and out. Learn everything you need to know about FirstNet MegaRange here. Z-Axis for FirstNet: Imagine looking at a map and being able to know what street corner you're standing on, as well as how high up in the building you are. And then, being able to know where and how high up in the building all your team members are. That's the vision behind our Z-Axis capability. Think of it as the "vertical axis" view added to current two-dimension situational awareness applications. Now available in more than 105 markets across the country, including Chicago , Dallas , Detroit , Los Angeles , Philadelphia , and San Francisco , with additional markets added weekly, public safety has a new level of indoor spatial awareness not previously available using traditional GPS-based location methods. Intrepid Networks' Response for FrstNet, a situational awareness platform, is the first to bring our Z-Axis capability to market. Check out how this will help communities nationwide here.

Imagine looking at a map and being able to know what street corner you're standing on, as well as how high up in the building you are. And then, being able to know where and how high up in the building all your team members are. That's the vision behind our Z-Axis capability. Think of it as the "vertical axis" view added to current two-dimension situational awareness applications. Now available in more than 105 markets across the country, including , , , , , and , with additional markets added weekly, public safety has a new level of indoor spatial awareness not previously available using traditional GPS-based location methods. Intrepid Networks' Response for FrstNet, a situational awareness platform, is the first to bring our Z-Axis capability to market. Check out how this will help communities nationwide here. Compact Rapid Deployable (CRD): Public safety agencies can now also purchase their own deployable network assets. These agency-owned Cells on Wheels (COW) can be deployed by a single person within a matter of minutes. CRDs link to FirstNet via satellite and do not rely on commercial power availability, making them ideal for use during emergencies in rural and remote areas, as well as areas where communications may be temporarily unavailable. Think search and rescue missions or after a major hurricane. And with on-the-go coverage, public safety will have dedicated Band 14 connectivity wherever it's needed.

Public safety agencies can now also purchase their own deployable network assets. These agency-owned Cells on Wheels (COW) can be deployed by a single person within a matter of minutes. CRDs link to FirstNet via satellite and do not rely on commercial power availability, making them ideal for use during emergencies in rural and remote areas, as well as areas where communications may be temporarily unavailable. Think search and rescue missions or after a major hurricane. And with on-the-go coverage, public safety will have dedicated Band 14 connectivity wherever it's needed. LMR Interoperability for FirstNet Push-To-Talk: The first-ever nationwide mission-critical, standards-based PTT solution to launch in the U.S. now supports LMR-to-LTE interoperability. This means first responders using LMR can virtually seamlessly communicate with users on FirstNet PTT and vice versa. With LMR interoperability, FirstNet PTT can complement your agency communications  such as including support staff who regularly use smartphones and allowing team members who travel outside the LMR footprint to remain connected. Plus, 11 FirstNet Ready devices are now approved for FirstNet PTT. Dive deeper into how this helps first responders work better together in our latest blog.



Why is this important? Information is everything in an emergency. Before FirstNet, it was often hard for public safety officials to communicate and work together to save lives due to congestion on commercial networks and interoperability challenges with LMR systems. Now, public safety has FirstNet  and it is not a commercial network. FirstNet is specifically designed with and for public safety, based on what they asked for to advance their communications. As public safety's network, FirstNet is evolving based on the needs of and feedback from first responders. These solutions demonstrate FirstNet's continued commitment to drive purposeful innovation to best support public safety and help them stay mission-ready, equipping first responders with the capabilities, coverage and capacity they need to protect themselves and our communities. What is FirstNet? FirstNet is the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America's first responders and the extended public safety community. It's the most important wireless network in the country because it's serving our first responders. Shaped by the vision of the first responder community and Congress following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, FirstNet stands above commercial offerings. It is built with AT&T in public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority)  an independent agency within the federal government. The FirstNet network is providing public safety with truly dedicated coverage and capacity when they need it, unique benefits like always-on priority and preemption for first responders, and high-quality Band 14 spectrum. These advanced capabilities help fire, EMS, and law enforcement save lives and protect their communities.

What people are saying: Jason Porter, Senior Vice President, FirstNet Program at AT&T "First responders are the heart of FirstNet, and it is their input that is shaping the new tools and technologies on their network, today and for decades to come. These innovative mission-driven solutions are equipping first responders with better situational awareness  whether conducting a search and rescue mission in a remote area or on the upper floors of a burning building  all while helping to ensure a seamless, interoperable connection. These are just a few of the ways that FirstNet, public safety's network, stands above commercial offerings." Ed Parkinson, CEO of the FirstNet Authority "It is exciting to see the FirstNet marketplace continue to flourish and meet the unique needs of public safety. These new mission-ready features are delivering lifesaving capabilities into the hands of first responders. The FirstNet Authority will continue to work with our public safety community to innovate and advance their network." Brent Iadarola, Vice President, Frost & Sullivan "In today's environment, it is critical to improve the speed to market, performance, and reliability of public safety products, services, and solutions as the demands of the market evolve. AT&T is at the forefront of providing industry-leading public safety solutions that modernize public safety communications and transform emergency reporting and response." Where can I find more information? Visit FirstNet.com or go here for more FirstNet news. FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and service marks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. *About AT&T Communications We help family, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to mobile video streaming, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. AT&T Communications is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T). For more information, please visit us at att.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/firstnet-brings-first-responders-innovative-mission-ready-communications-tools-301215194.html SOURCE AT&T Communications

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(AP)

The White House has responded to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticism of President Joe Bidens plan to have the federal government open mass vaccination sites across the country.

"I would use all that energy and I would put that towards more supply of the vaccine," Mr DeSantis said at a news conference over the weekend.

His answer was in response to reports that Mr Biden directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to open 100 government vaccination sides nationwide.

At the White House press briefing on Monday, Jen Psaki, the press secretary, was asked about Mr DeSantis criticism and what the president thought about it.

The president is a pretty even-keeled guy, so I would say he doesnt have much of a reaction other than he wants to ensure the vaccine is distributed to people across the country, including, of course, the millions of people living in Florida, she said.

She went on to criticise the Republican governor, given how his state has only distributed about 50 per cent of its current vaccine supply.

I will note because we're data first here, facts first here, theyve only distributed about 50 per cent of the vaccines they have been given in Florida. So clearly they have a good deal of the vaccine, that supply will need to continue to increase as they are able to effectively reach people across the state, she added.

The Covid-19 plan, which was released last week, had several aspects to it about how the federal government would develop a nationwide mass vaccination campaign, such as increasing manufacturing and supply, as Mr DeSantis suggested.

This included Mr Biden issuing an executive order that directs relevant agencies to exercise all appropriate authorities, including the [Defense Production Act], to accelerate manufacturing, delivery, and administration to meet shortfalls in equipment and supplies needed for the Covid-19 response".

Relevant agencies would be responsible for producing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as gowns and masks, as well as necessary equipment to ramp up Covid-19 testing and vaccine manufacturing.

Story continues

While speaking in Jacksonville on Monday, Mr DeSantis updated the vaccine numbers in Florida. The state has received about 1.7 million first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and has distributed those first doses to 1,224,188 people, he said.

"When you look at it from the perspective of the first doses, we've done a very high percentage of them, and we continue to go even higher," he continued.

Mr DeSantis said there were unused vaccine doses, but most of them were being held for people to receive the second dose of his vaccine.

His numbers contradicted those reported by the CDC, which claimed that Florida has received more than 2.9 million doses of the vaccine. Despite this, Mr DeSantis used his press conference to again implore the federal government to focus on sending supplies versus building vaccination centres, claiming his state was moving doses faster than it was receiving them.

"We don't have a big cache sitting around at the state. We only get what they send us. The sole focus for the federal government should be increasing the number of doses available for the states," Mr DeSantis said. "We were told weeks ago that we would start to see increases now and we've haven't seen it. We've been very stagnant this whole month."

Florida received 266,000 doses from the federal government last week, he added. But the governor wanted closer to 500,000 doses each week to bump up vaccinations.

"If we can get 500,000 a week, instead of just 266,000, we're gonna be able to vaccinate that many more seniors that much more quickly," he continued. "We're at the mercy of what the federal government sends us."

The Biden administration inherited a Covid-19 plan from the Trump administration that was "much worse than we could have imagined, Ms Psaki said during her press briefing.

"We are assessing now what we have access to, and ensuring that we have more of a rapid engagement with states so that they have more of a heads up on what to expect in the weeks ahead," she added.

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WOOD RIVER  Six new COVID-19 related deaths in the Riverbend were among the 87 reported Monday by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The IDPH reported the Jersey County death of a woman in her 70s, the Calhoun County death of a woman in her 80s and four Madison County deaths: a woman in her 60s, a man in his 60s, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 90s.

The Madison County Health Department late Monday reported two COVID-19 related deaths  a man in his 60s and a woman in her 80s  to bring the countys death toll was at 423.

There are sometimes discrepancies in the number of cases and deaths reported at the state and local levels, in part because of the volume of cases, and also as each local department forwards the information and it is verified. Local health officials have said the cases eventually reconcile as the reporting catches up.

The county health department on Monday reported 147 new confirmed and probable cases for a total to date of 24,970. It reported 1,149 tests for a total to date of 227,892.

The three-day positivity rate Monday was 10.36% in the county. The seven-day rate was 11.12% and the 10-day rate was 11.85%. There were 53 people in Madison County hospitals Monday, six on ventilators.

The IDPH on Tuesday reported 3,667 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Illinois. To date, the IDPH has reported 1,108,430 cases, including 18,883.

As of Monday night, 3,001 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 608 were intensive care unit patients and 320 were on ventilators.

The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests Jan. 19-25 was 4.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity for the same period was 5.7%.

More Information COVID-19 cases by county Madison - 24,970 (423 deaths) Jersey - 2,294 (43 deaths) Calhoun - 462 (4 deaths) Greene - 1,221 (42 deaths) Macoupin - 4,163 (97 deaths) Montgomery - 3,174 (53 deaths) St. Clair - 23,211 (411 deaths) Clinton - 5,208 (79 deaths) Bond - 1,789 (20 deaths) Monroe - 3,720 (71 deaths) Randolph - 3,804 (72 deaths) Washington - 1,504 (20 deaths) Source: IDPH and Madison, Macoupin, Calhoun, Jersey & Greene county health departments COVID-19 cases by ZIP code 62002 (Alton) - 2,934 62010 (Bethalto) - 1,185 62067 (Moro) - 273 62035 (Godfrey) - 1,699 62037 (Grafton) - 176 62012 (Brighton) - 634 62014 (Bunker Hill) - 300 62052 (Jerseyville) - 1,483 62095 (Wood River) - 1,060 62084 (Roxana) - 130 62048 (Hartford) - 119 62087 (South Roxana) - 151 62018 (Cottage Hills) - 245 62024 (East Alton) - 794 62025 (Edwardsville) - 3,179 62034 (Glen Carbon) - 1,242 62062 (Maryville) - 853 62294 (Troy) - 1,638 62040 (Granite City/Pontoon Beach) - 3,529 62234 (Collinsville) - 3,011 62249 (Highland) - 1,906 62281 (St. Jacob) - 346 62097 (Worden) - 262 62088 (Staunton) - 621 62069 (Mt. Olive) - 271 62033 (Gillespie) - 489 62626 (Carlinville) - 869 62016 (Carrollton) - 370 62044 (Greenfield) - 157 62092 (White Hall) - 345 62082 (Roodhouse) - 233 62047 (Hardin) - 155 62022 (Dow) - 117 The Telegraph has reduced the number of zip codes reported daily. For a more complete list of cases by ZIP code, visit https://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19/covid19-statistics. Source: Illinois Department of Public Health See More Collapse

Additional cases also were reported Thursday by the IDPH in Jersey, Greene, Macoupin, Calhoun, Montgomery, St. Clair, Clinton, Bond, Monroe, Randolph and Washington counties. Additional deaths were reported in Bond, Montgomery, Randolph and St. Clair counties.

On Tuesday, the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force reported staffed bed hospital capacity was at 83% and the intensive care units were at 86% of their total staffed bed capacity. The data were the combined figures from the four major health systems  BJC HealthCare, Mercy, SSM Health and St. Lukes Hospital  that are part of the task force.

On Tuesday, the IDPH reported 1,227,625 doses of vaccine had been delivered to providers in Illinois. About 537,050 doses have been allocated to the federal governments Pharmacy Partnership Program for long-term care facilities. This brings the total Illinois doses to 1,764,675.

The IDPH on Tuesday reported a total of 719,995 vaccines administered, including 110,403 for long-term care facilities. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 30,108 doses.

Also, two more Illinois regions will see COVID-19 mitigations scaled back amid declining positivity numbers, state officials announced Tuesday.

Regions 8 and 9, which include DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties in the Chicago suburbs, were cleared to move to Tier 1 mitigations Tuesday. Five of the states 11 public health regions are now currently in Tier 1 mitigations. Tier 1 allows limited indoor service at restaurants and bars and some group recreational activities to resume.

Another five of the states 11 public health regions have returned to Phase 4 of the states Restore Illinois plan.

Only Region 4 in the Metro East area on the Missouri border remained in stricter Tier 2 mitigations as of Tuesday, meaning indoor service is not allowed at bars or restaurants.

For the latest information about COVID-19 or coronavirus resources, visit www.madisonchd.org or Facebook @madisonchd. Also visit www.co.madison.il.us or Facebook @madisoncountyil for more vaccination news and daily updates.

Local and statewide information also is available at www.dph.illinois.gov. Click the coronavirus banner.

For health-related questions about COVID-19, people also can call the IDPH hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.


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Republicans have blasted Democrats for pushing ahead with Donald Trump's second impeachment, after 45 GOP senators effectively signaled ex-president will be acquitted after voting the trial 'unconstitutional'.

Senator Rand Paul labeled Democrats as hypocrites for pursuing a charge of inciting violence, claiming several Dems urged supporters to confront Republicans during the Trump administration, yet were not rebuked.

'It's a farce, and it's not constitutional, and it shows the double standards because Democrats have had much more hateful speech, much more specifically inciting violence, and no one said a peep about it,

Paul spoke after a trio of his colleagues in the senate labelled Donald Trump's second impeachment 'a clown show,' a 'stupid joke', 'vindictive' and unconstitutional.

Marco Rubio of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina all appeared on Fox News on Tuesday, arguing that it was wrong to press ahead with impeaching the president.

Paul told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo that the impeachment was 'a partisan game' designed 'to punish Republicans'.

Rand Paul on Tuesday night said the Democrats had done far more to incite violence than Donald Trump

He added: 'They want to say he incited violence because he said go fight for your country, and he said march peacefully and patriotically.'

Paul said: 'One of Bernie Sanders' supporters came to the ballfield, nearly killed Steve Scalise ... but nobody talked about impeaching Bernie Sanders.

'Maxine Waters has said, 'Get up in their face' - so has Cory Booker - 'Become a mob, we want you to mob them at restaurants and cause mayhem.'

'That sounds like an incitement to violence but nobody's talking about impeaching Maxine Waters, nobody's talking about impeaching Bernie Sanders or Cory Booker for saying 'Get up in their face.'

'So it's a significant hypocrisy and double standard that they're putting forward and they should be called out on it. Nobody should be shy about calling them out on their hypocrisy.'

Earlier on Tuesday a majority of Republicans had voted in favor of a motion that Trump 's second impeachment is unconstitutional: a sign the former president will likely be acquitted in his upcoming trial.

Paul, senator for Kentucky, forced the vote on the issue, arguing the trial was illegal given that Trump no longer occupies the Oval Office.

He said his vote meant impeachment was 'dead on arrival'.

Republican Senator Rand Paul forced the Senate to vote Tuesday on whether the upper chamber can legally hold a trial for Donald Trump

Most Republicans, including their leader in the senate, Mitch McConnell, agreed with him.

Forty five of them voted it was unconstitutional. Five GOP senators joined Democrats, to give them 55 votes to proceed.

It would take two-thirds of the Senate to convict Trump, which would mean 17 Republican senators would have to cross ranks and vote for the conviction.

Paul needed more than 34 votes from Republicans to demonstrate that a Trump conviction would seem all but impossible. He got 44 to join him.

Rubio told Fox News' Neil Cavuto that pressing ahead with impeaching Trump for inciting the January 6 Capitol riot was a 'stupid' waste of time, which he argued was damaging to America.

Marco Rubio appeared on Fox News on Tuesday to argue against 'stupid' impeachment

'It's not even constitutional,' he told Cavuto. 'Logic tells you that.

'The automatic consequence of impeachment and trial, if you're convicted, the automatic consequence is you're removed from office. That's the consequence.

'You can't remove Donald Trump from office. He's not in office.'

Rubio said there was 'no doubt that the president bears some responsibility for what happened.'

But, he insisted, as a private citizen he should be prosecuted through the criminal or civil courts, rather than impeached.

The 49-year-old former presidential candidate, who is widely considered to be weighing another run in 2024, said impeaching him was a sideshow for Democrats seeking publicity, and called it 'vindictive'.

'It's about vengeance and retribution,' he said.

Rubio argued that impeachment was a distraction from confronting the challenges facing the country, such as COVID-19, the economy and national security threats.

He warned that impeaching Trump 'stokes a fire.'

'This is a country that is already deeply divided,' he said.

'Politics is emotional. Now on that fire, we're going to pour this gasoline and get it hotter.'

Rubio concluded that seeking to punish a president once they left office was 'typical in the third world', saying it set a dangerous precedent.

'So there's a lot of reasons why this is stupid and a terrible idea for the country,' he said, describing it as 'a clown show' and 'a joke'.

'It's not just a waste of time but it's going to hurt America.

Cruz, who like Rubio challenged Trump for the 2016 nomination, and who like Rubio is also considered a 2024 contender, agreed that the impeachment was about 'anger and rage.'

Ted Cruz, a Republican senator for Texas, appeared on Hannity on Tuesday night

Lindsey Graham was also on Hannity's show to speak out against the 'ill-conceived' trial

The Texan has been strongly criticized for continuing to challenge the election legitimacy, even in the hours after the mob overran Congress on January 6.

But he, in turn, hit back at his critics, accusing them of ignoring Joe Biden's call for unity in his inaugural address.

Five Republicans who voted against Trump Five Republican senators went against Donald Trump and voted with Democrats on Tuesday to proceed to the impeachment trial: Mitt Romney of Utah: Romney is a longtime critic of Trump and voted to convict him on one article of impeachment in his first impeachment trial. Ben Sasse of Nebraska: Sasse slammed Trump for his role in inciting the January 6 riot. He said the attack on the Capitol was 'the inevitable and ugly outcome of the President's addiction to constantly stoking division.' Susan Collins of Maine: Collins also held Trump accountable for the riot, saying: 'The president does bear responsibility for working up the crowd and inciting this mob. It was completely irresponsible.' Lisa Murkowski of Alaska: Murkowski called on Trump to resign immediately after the January 6 attack, even before Joe Biden took office. 'I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage,' she said. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania: Toomey, who is retiring, also called on Trump to resign as president. 'The best way for our country is for the president to resign and go away as soon as possible. I acknowledge that may not be likely, but that would be best.' Advertisement

'Unfortunately the Congressional Democrats were not listening to a word he said,' Cruz told Sean Hannity.

'And the very first step that they took is to charge down the road of a partisan and divisive and angry impeachment trial.

'And this is not driven by the needs of the country. This is driven by the partisan rage and the partisan anger that the Democrats feel. They hate Donald Trump and they are engaging in on an act that I think is petty, I think it is retribution, and that it is vindictive and a waste of time and so I think it's time to move on.'

Graham, 65, who has been in regular contact with Trump since he left the White House, described the impeachment as 'unconstitutional' and 'ill-conceived.'

He agreed with Cruz that it showed weakness from Biden.

Biden, Graham said, has been a 'huge disappointment' in carrying out his message of unity, arguing that it would have been easy for him to end the entire impeachment issue.

'It tells you a lot about Biden's ability and desire to bring us together by the fact that he's sitting on the sidelines and his only comment has been, 'I don't think they have the votes,'' said Graham.

He said impeachment had been rushed through in the House without witnesses and without Trump having legal representation, stating: ''I think it is a danger to the democracy and the presidency itself.'

He said: 'The President of the United States was impeached in 50 hours without one witness being called and he didn't have a lawyer.

'We need to make sure this thing never goes anywhere ... because I don't want to legitimize the impeachment process used in the House.'

Graham explained that on day one of the trial, there will be a motion to dismiss, which he expects to be carried.

But if it goes to trial and the House managers attempt to call witnesses who were not present during the deliberation in the House, the entire process will be dragged out for 'weeks if not months.'

Graham said that, if the Democrats attempt to bring forth witnesses in the senate trial, 'you're going to blow up the United States senate'.

He concluded: 'Don't do that, let's get this travesty over with quickly.'

Paul, after his successful vote on Tuesday afternoon, suggested the trial would be swiftly dealt with.

He told reporters the vote meant 'the impeachment trial is dead on arrival.'

'It's one of the few times in Washington where a loss is actually a victory,' he noted.

The Republicans who went against Trump and with Democrats were Senators Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey.

Collins later told reporters on Capitol Hill that the vote was indicative that Trump would be acquitted.

'I think it's pretty obvious from the vote today that it is extraordinary unlikely that the president will be convicted,' she said. 'Just do the math.'

Graham, who is acting as a liaison between Trump and the Republican senators, said he spoke to the former president Monday night.

'He's decompressing,' Graham said. 'He's got a legal team he's trying to organize and he just needs to keep doing what he's doing and trial will be over in a couple of weeks, I think.'

A majority of Republicans voted that Donald Trump's second impeachment is unconstitutional in a sign he will likely be acquitted when the time comes

Tuesday's vote was a good sign for Trump.

Ahead of it, Paul argued that trying a former president would violate the U.S. Constitution.

'He is a private citizen,' the senator said of Trump during remarks on the Senate floor.

Paul pointed that article one, section three of the Constitution states when the president of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside. Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy is presiding instead of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who sat over Trump's first impeachment trial.

'The Chief Justice's absence demonstrate that this is not a trial of the president, but one of private citizen. Therefore I make a point of order that this proceeding, which would try a private citizen and not a president, a vice president or civil officer violates the Constitution, and is not an order,' he said.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Paul's theory nonsense and said it would give presidents a 'constitutional get out of jail free card.'

'The Senate has the power to try former officials and the reasons for that are basic common sense,' he said.

'It makes no sense whatsoever that a president or any official could could commit a heinous crime against our country and then defeat Congress's impeachment powers and avoid a vote on disqualification by simply resigning or by waiting to commit that offense until their last few weeks in office.

'The theory that the Senate cannot try former officials would amount to a constitutional get out of jail free card for any president who commits an impeachable offense,' Schumer concluded.

Only five Republican senators joined Democrats in voting Trump's trial should proceed

The 100 senators - 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans - were sworn in as Donald Trump's jury

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell joined the 45 GOP senators who said it was unconstitutional to impeach President Trump now that he was out of office

Earlier, in a speech on the Senate floor, Paul railed against Democrats, calling them 'angry, unhinged partisans, deranged by their hatred of the former president.'

'Shame on those who seek blame and revenge, and who choose to pervert a constitutional process while doing so,' he said. 'I want this body on record  every last person here.'

Ahead of the vote he told reporters on Capitol Hill he did not expect to come out victorious but expected to get at least 40 Republican senators to vote with him.

'I think it'll be enough to show that, you know, more than a third of the Senate thinks that the whole proceeding is unconstitutional, which will show that ultimately they don't have the votes to do an impeachment,' Paul said.

'This is purely about petty partisanship and rancor and bitterness,' the Republican from Kentucky said.

Before Paul made his objection, the 100 senators - 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans - were sworn in as Trump's jury.

'Do you solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of Donald John Trump...you will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help you God?,' Leahy asked them.

'I do,' the senators replied.

After taking the oath, senators, in groups of four via alphabetical order, walked to the well of Senate to sign the oath book.

'Here ye! Here ye! Here ye! All persons are commanded to keep silence on pain of imprisonment while the House of Representatives is exhibiting to the Senate of the Unites States an Article of Impeachment against Donald John Trump, former President of the United States,' the clerk of the Senate reminded the lawmakers.

Trump is the only president to have been impeached by the House of Representatives twice. And he is the first to face a trial after leaving office. He could be disqualified from holding future public office if convicted.

The trial is expected to begin on February 9 but the article of impeachment was delivered to the Senate Monday night.

The House approved the single article of impeachment on January 13, accusing Trump of inciting an insurrection with his speech to his supporters before they stormed the Capitol on January 6, which resulted in five deaths and the interruption of the certification of the election.

There was a debate among scholars over whether the Senate can hold a trial for Trump since he left office on January 20.

Many experts have said 'late impeachment' is constitutional, arguing that presidents who engage in misconduct late in their terms should not be immune from the very process set out in the Constitution for holding them accountable.

Senate Republicans on Tuesday invited constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley to join them at their weekly luncheon to address senators questions on the constitutionality of holding an impeachment trial for a former president.

Turley wrote an article in 1999 where he came out in favor of trying former federal officials.

'I say that repeatedly that what I said in '99 is true that obviously those three trials, they had a value other than removal because people were gone. And I explained that that value was the condemnation of conduct as well as possible disqualification. I still believe the historical statement in that,' he told reporters on Capitol Hill after the luncheon.

And he confirmed he got many, many questions from the senators.

'Yes. And no lunch,' he said.

Senator Rand Paul told reporters before his vote that he wanted to get enough Republican senators to vote with him to prove there were not enough votes to convict Donald Trump

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, the president pro tempore, swore in the senators and will preside over Trump's trial

Trump's trial is expected to begin on Feb. 9 in the Senate chamber

At least 17 Republican would need to join all 50 Democrats in the evenly divided Senate for Trump to be convicted, a two-thirds threshold that appears unlikely to be reached.

Trump remains a powerful force among Republicans and his supporters have vowed to mount election challenges to lawmakers in the party who support conviction.

Some Republicans have criticized Trump's false claims of voting fraud and his failed efforts to overturn President Joe Biden's November 3 election victory.

But no Senate Republicans have said definitively that they plan to vote to convict him.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said the violence during the farmers' tractor parade against the new agriculture laws in Delhi is unacceptable even as he ordered a high alert in his state.

The chief minister condemned the incidents that took place at the historic Red Fort and urged the farmers to immediately vacate the capital and return to the borders, where they had been protesting peacefully for the past two months.

Singh ordered a high alert in Punjab amid the tension and violence in Delhi, and directed Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta to ensure that law and order in the state is not deteriorated at any cost.

Expressing grave concern over the situation unfolding in the capital, the Punjab chief minister said the violence was apparently triggered by some people who violated the rules laid down for the tractor march through mutual agreement between the Delhi Police and the farmer unions.

It was unfortunate that these elements disturbed the peaceful agitation of the farmers, he said in a statement issued here.

Singh also condemned the incidents that took place at the Red Fort and other places in the capital.

Pointing out that the farmers' leaders have already and categorically dissociated themselves from the violence, he said the agitating farmers should immediately vacate the national capital and get back to their camps at the borders and continue to engage with the Centre to resolve the crisis over the agri laws.

Shocking scenes in Delhi. The violence by some elements is unacceptable. It'll negate goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. Kisan leaders have disassociated themselves & suspended #TractorRally. I urge all genuine farmers to vacate Delhi & return to borders, the chief minister tweeted.

Singh called upon the farmers to continue to exercise the restraint with which they had conducted their peaceful protests for the past two months at the Delhi borders and in Punjab prior to that.

Saying that peace had been the hallmark of their agitation and the reason for the support they had received from across India and the world, he stressed the need for law and order to be maintained at all costs during the democratic protests by the farmers.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered Delhi from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day on Tuesday.

Singh on Monday had appealed to farmers to ensure their tractor parade remains peaceful as their stir against the anti-farmer laws have been so far.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several border points of Delhi for the past several weeks, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.
HOUGHTON, MICH. -- The sign stood by the roadside for only a few hours, but for more than three decades it has been remembered as one of the best pranks ever pulled off by Michigan Technological University students.

As Michigan Tech Magazine recently told the story, in 1984 longtime friends and MTU students Tim Cocciolone and John Marchesi created a fake highway sign that embodied the wild, remote spirit of their schools location in Houghton, in the U.P.s Keweenaw Peninsula.

With a few signposts fashioned out of trees found in the nearby woods and $25 worth of supplies from the local hardware store, Cocciolone and Marchesi created a realistic roadside replica that read End of Earth: 2 [miles]. Houghton: 4. They decided to place it along US-41 between Houghton and Chassell.

It was foggy that morning. After successfully erecting the sign, Cocciolone snapped a few photos of the pranksters creation beside the empty stretch of highway  which, in the mist, seemed indeed to disappear off the end of the Earth.

Despite law enforcement removing it within a matter of hours, the faux road sign was soon on its way to cementing its place in local lore. MTUs student-run newspaper, The Lode, printed a photo of the sign on its front page, prompting students to snatch up all available copies of the paper so they could cut out the image and hang it on their dormitory walls.

A photo of the End of Earth sign was printed on the front page of Michigan Tech's student newspaper, which helped cement the prank in local legend. | Photo courtesy Michigan Technological University Archives/Copyright John Marchesi

The photos popularity prompted Marchesi to have it printed as a postcard, the first batch of which quickly sold out. Thirty-some years later, several thousand copies of the postcard are still sold each year at The Campus Bookstore and University Images.

As for the legendary End of Earth sign itself? After it was retrieved from the Houghton County sheriffs office, the sign was hung in the Alpha Kappa Psi (now Theta Kappa Psi) fraternity house, where Marchesi was a member. According to Michigan Tech Magazine, the sign has remained in that spot to this day  a point of pride for those who live there, just as the signs enduring image remains an emblem for many who have called this place home.

Read the full story of the End of Earth sign online here at Michigan Tech Magazine.

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Tel Aviv, Jan 26 : Israel on Tuesday closed its international airport to all flights as a one-week measure aimed at stopping the new coronavirus variants from entering the country.

The international Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv will remain closed until January 31, when the ban is expected to be lifted, the Airport Authority said in a statement.

The measure bans all incoming and outgoing flights, except for medical emergencies and attending legal procedures or a funeral of a relative, reports Xinhua news agency.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that the goal of the ban is to stop the arrival of new coronavirus variants and curb the outbreak in the country, according to a statement released by his office.

Some health officials said the ban might be extended.

"Six days of airport closure will not suffice," Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of Public Health Services, told the parliament's Law and Justice Committee on Monday.

She said the Ministry wants to prevent the arrival of new variants before a large part of the population is vaccinated.

The country began a large-scale vaccination drive on December 20.

Israel has been under a third nationwide lockdown since December 19, 2020, which is expected to be lifted on January 31.

With a population of about 9 million people, Israel has so far reported a total of 606,365 coronavirus cases and 4,498 deaths.


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Parts of the national capital are facing issues with accessing internet since the past few hours. Following a ruckus created by protesting farmers, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) quickly resorted to switching down the internet services in areas like Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri, Mukarba Chowk, Nangloi and their adjoining areas within the NCT (national capital territory) of Delhi. The MHA order didn't specify the kind of internet services - mobile or home broadband - but users across a large part of the city found it difficult to access the internet.

The telecom companies also informed their subscribers in most part of the city that the internet services in their areas have been stopped till further notice. Though the MHA order is effective for 12 hours to 23:59pm on January 26, there are chances of extending the suspension order if the situation remains precarious.

ALSO READ: Farmers reach Red Fort; violence breaks out in Ghazipur border, Noida Mor, Mukarba Chowk

"The internet services are essential for mobilising crowds on a large scale. Today, we saw that the situation went out of control after protests turned violent. Till the government is not comfortable with the law and order situation, the internet services are not coming back," says a telecom analyst.

As per Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data till last October, Delhi has 52.72 million mobile subscribers, which makes it the 12th largest wireless market in the country ahead of Mumbai, Kerala, Punjab and Odisha. The number of wireline broadband users is in addition to mobile users. For a country like India with 1,171.8 million wireless and wired connection subscribers, the suspension of internet services in a major market like Delhi has consequences for the rest of the country as well.

ALSO READ: Tractor rally: Farmers clash with police on Republic Day; 10 points

Reliance Jio has the highest number of subsrcibers in Delhi (18.84 million). While the government has asked for the suspension of just internet services, the telecom networks of operators like Jio are fully IP-based in which everything - data or voice calls - flows through the network in form of data. If the internet services are stopped, it essentially means that all the data flowing through Jio's network would be blocked. That's the reason some users in the affected areas have been facing issues with making voice calls too.
INSIDER EXCLUSIVE: Top execs share their winning strategies for 2021

In an exclusive for Washington Technology Insiders, weve now added our most recent Power Breakfast to our event archive. Access to this archive is available only to WT Insiders.

In our Jan. 22 event, Winning Strategies for 2021, we featured a keynote by CACI International CEO John Mengucci describing what his company has been focusing on and what he sees ahead in the market.

We followed that with a panel of CEOs from three small and mid-sized companies -- Gunnison Consulting, Preferred Systems Solutions and Brilient Corp. -- describing the opportunities and challenges facing them in the market.

That event wrapped up with a conversation with David Berteau, president and CEO of the Professional Services Council. He commented on what he heard these executives say before diving deeper in to the political landscape and the challenges facing the Biden administration and the new Congress.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2021 WINNING STRATEGIES POWER BREAKFAST.

Insiders can also access come of our previous Power Breakfasts. You can click through to watch our Power Breakfast on doing business with NASA. Also see our event on small business opportunities in todays market.

And if you arent an Insider, click here for more information on how to join.
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The Nigerian government has said it will shut down National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps that fail to comply with protocols put in place to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, while speaking at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Monday, said the government was concerned about the number of corps members recently infected with the virus.

He said the management of the NYSC cannot afford to risk the lives and health of the corps members.

Going forward, any state that refuses to cooperate fully in the aspect of COVID-19 protocol adherence, full testing using the Rapid Diagnostic Test kits and data management by the NCDC and also the trained doctors, will have its orientation camp shut down, he said.

Mr Dare noted that corps members, who may be affected if the camps were shut will be reposted to the adjoining state.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how 731 corp members tested positive to COVID-19 about three weeks ago.

NYSC camps for orientation activities were recently reopened after a period of shutdown following the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
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A fund run by a billionaire friend of Jeffrey Epstein is helping to fund the company bidding to run the National Lottery, the Mail can reveal.

Wall Street mogul Leon Black visited Epsteins private island in the Caribbean after the paedophile was freed from a jail term for sex crimes in 2008 and paid him 120million for financial advice, a US inquiry has discovered.

Mr Blacks private equity fund, Apollo Global Management, has invested 450million in a Czech firm to help it develop new business, including the UK lottery.

The bid by the company  Sazka  is being fronted by Sir Keith Mills, a close friend of Prince Harry who was the deputy chairman of the London 2012 Olympics.

Until last year he was chairman of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges Royal Foundation, William and Kates charity.

A fund run by Leon Black (right), a billionaire friend of Jeffrey Epstein (left) is helping to fund the company bidding to run the National Lottery, the Mail can reveal

Last week Sazka, which runs lotteries in Eastern Europe, announced former Sainsburys boss Justin King and lastminute.com entrepreneur Brent Hoberman had joined its UK team.

The National Lottery has been operated since it started in 1994 by Camelot, which made a 98million profit last year.

The franchise comes up for renewal every ten years, and the Gambling Commission is due to decide in September between Camelot, Sazka and an Indian firm, Sugal and Damani.

Following the inquiry into Mr Blacks ties to Epstein  which was ordered by Apollo itself  the financier said yesterday that he plans to step down as its chief executive in the summer when he turns 70  although he will stay on as chairman.

The report, by law firm Dechert, found that as well as the 120million Mr Black paid Epstein for advice  said to have saved the disgraced tycoon millions in tax  he also loaned him 24million, only 8million of which was repaid.

It comes after US newspaper reports last year that Mr Black paid millions to an aircraft firm to pay for Epsteins private jet.

Before he was convicted and jailed for procuring child prostitution in Florida in 2008, Epstein had many high-profile friends including Bill Gates and former US President Bill Clinton.

Most ceased to have anything to do with him, but Mr Black continued to have dealings with him, after even Prince Andrew ended his association in 2010.

The bid by the company  Sazka  is being fronted by Sir Keith Mills (pictured right with Duchess of Cambride Kate Middleton) a close friend of Prince Harry who was the deputy chairman of the London 2012 Olympics

Their friendship continued until 2018, the year before Epstein was arrested again and charged with sex trafficking children in New York, then killed himself in jail.

Mr Black, who founded Apollo 31 years ago and has an estimated personal fortune of 7billion, has said he regrets his decision to give Epstein a second chance and that continuing the friendship was a terrible mistake.

The Dechert report, which was ordered by the rest of Apollos board last year, says he viewed him as a confirmed bachelor with eccentric tastes, and that he believed he had served his time.

However, there is nothing to suggest that Mr Black, who is also chairman of New Yorks Museum of Modern Art, knew anything about Epsteins involvement with under-age girls or saw any evidence of impropriety. The report from Dechert confirms that.

Mr Black first met Epstein in 1996 when his network of associates, he said, included luminaries I respected and admired, including several heads of state, heads of prominent families in finance, Nobel laureates and noted philanthropists. Epstein served 13 months in jail in Florida following a controversial plea deal and had to register as a sex offender.

Further allegations were made against him in the years after his release when Mr Black was doing business with him, with several lawsuits brought by alleged Epstein victims including Virginia Roberts.

Wall Street mogul Leon Black (pictured) visited Epsteins private island in the Caribbean after the paedophile was freed from a jail term for sex crimes in 2008 and paid him 120million for financial advice, a US inquiry has discovered

These culminated in his arrest in July 2019. Weeks later Epstein was found dead in his New York cell while awaiting trial, after apparently having hanged himself.

As the public face of the Sazka bid, Sir Keith Mills has waxed lyrical about the firms record running lotteries in Greece, Italy and Austria.

He has promised to invest some of his own 125million fortune if it succeeds, praising Sazkas vision for the future of lotteries and commitment to good causes.

Last night a Sazka spokesman refused to comment, saying only: This is Apollos internal matter that has nothing to do with Sazka Group. Apollos board says Mr Black plans to donate 160million to charities that fight sex trafficking. Apollo, which will appoint its co-founder Marc Rowan as chief executive, declined to comment on the lottery bid.

But a spokesman said: All fees paid to Mr Epstein by Mr Black or his family office were for bona fide tax estate planning and other related services.

Dechert found no evidence that Mr Black was involved in any way with Mr Epsteins criminal activities at any time.
SAGINAW, MI  Eva Whitt of Saginaw will turn 105 on Monday, Feb. 8, and her family is inviting the community to join in the celebration.

Vonnie Scott hopes to collect 105 birthday cards and coordinate a parade of 105 cars to mark her great aunts special day.

When she turned 100, we started doing a party every year for her because every day is a gift, said Scott of Saginaw.

For the past few years, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitts family celebrated her birthdays with parties at Serenity Springs Assisted Living & Memory Care, where she now lives, a new outfit in her favorite color, purple, and enough cake and ice cream for all the residents and staff. But her 104th birthday celebration last year was atypical because of coronavirus and Scott said she wants to make up for it this year.

We just look forward to celebrating her, she said.

Whitt, originally of Yazoo, Mississippi, was born in 1916 during World War 1 when Woodrow Wilson was president, Ford Motor Co. was selling the Model T, films were silent, and women and people of color were denied the right to vote. She lived her adult life in Saginaw, was married to the late James Whitt, and is a longtime member of Greater Renaissance Missionary Baptist Church.

She says that she attributes her long life to her faith in God and good, clean living, Scott said.

Scott is asking family, friends and community members to send birthday cards to: Mrs. Eva Whitt, c/o Vonnie Scott, 101 S. 21st St. Saginaw, MI 48601 by Monday, Feb. 1.

Shes also inviting people to decorate their cars with signs and balloons and participate in a parade on Whitts birthday. Shes still finalizing the details, but the group will likely meet at Handley School, 224 N. Elm St., and then drive by Serenity Springs, 1413 Gratiot Ave., where Whitt will be able to watch from a window, at about noon. Scott asked anyone who is interested in learning more or participating in the parade to contact her via Facebook.

Read more on MLive:

Saginaw man offering free job training, mentorship to empower Saginaw teens

Katys Kards in Saginaw adds party planning, online ordering under new ownership

Read and discuss Octavia Butlers Kindred in Saginaw Public Libraries and Justice Library event

Community groups show appreciation for Saginaw health care workers with gift bags

New foundation aims to provide Michigan kids with mittens
Shocking footage that appears to show a journalist in China being shoved to the ground by a group of security guards to stop her from reporting has emerged.

In a video widely circulated online, the female reporter can be heard screaming for help while the uniformed men approached her and tried to block her camera outside a hospital in Qixia city, eastern Shandong province.

The journalist was being prevented by the officials from entering the facility to interview the survivors of a recent gold mine blast that had drawn international attention.

Shocking footage that appears to show a journalist in China being shoved to the ground by a group of security guards to stop her from reporting has emerged

In a video widely circulated online, the female reporter can be heard screaming for help while the uniformed men approached her and tried to block her camera outside a hospital in Qixia

The footage was filmed on Sunday afternoon when the reporter for local station Shandong Television, Cui Lixia, arrived at the Qixia Peoples Hospital, according to the state outlets statement.

She was trying to interview the workers who had just been rescued following an explosion at a local gold mine in Qixia, a major gold-producing region under the administration of Yantai in coastal Shandong province.

The blast on January 10 has drawn attention around the world after 22 workers were trapped about 2,000 feet underground in the Hushan mine for two weeks.

According to the TV station, Ms Cui was stopped from entering the facility by the hospitals security staff who claimed she was blocking the rescue pathway.

In a video with a first-person view, a group of uniformed men can be seen approaching the female journalist while ordering her to stop filming, trying to push away her camera.

The reporter can be heard shouting repeatedly: What are you doing?

She then appears to have been pushed to the ground by the security guards as she screams for help.

The woman continues: My leg, my leg is injured!

In a video with a first-person view, a group of uniformed men can be seen approaching the female journalist while ordering her to stop filming, trying to push away her camera

As the footage became trending on social media, the Qixia government and the TV station both confirmed the incident today in separate statements, adding that it was a result of failed communication.

In the notice released by Shandong Television, Ms Cui said her left knee was injured after she accidentally fell in the process.

At the entrance, [I] was physically stopped by the security staff with their bodies, the reporter wrote.

They told me that the rescue mission was urgent and I shouldnt be blocking the pathway. I was hoping to finish my interview soon, so I rushed to negotiate with the staff.

I accidentally fell and my left knee was injured in the process, Ms Cui said.

The Qixia government also confirmed the incident, saying that the security staff stopped the journalist from entering the hospital to ensure the smooth running of the rescue.

The reporter is in stable condition and both parties have cleared the misunderstanding, the authorities said.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescuers carry a miner who was trapped in a gold mine in Qixia City in east China's Shandong Province, Sunday

The news comes as Chinese rescuers Monday have found the bodies of nine workers killed in Qixia gold mind blast, raising the death toll to 10.

Eleven others were rescued a day earlier after being trapped underground for two weeks. One person was still missing.

The cause of the accident at the mine, which was under construction, is under investigation. The explosions on January 10 released 70 tonnes of debris that blocked a shaft, disabling elevators and trapping workers underground.

Rescuers drilled parallel shafts to send down food and nutrients and eventually bring up the survivors on Sunday.

Search efforts will continue for the remaining miner until he is found, said Chen Fei, the mayor of Yantai city, where the mine is located.

A five-month-old baby was rescued by an Amazon delivery driver along a street where he was abandoned by a man who stole his mother's vehicle in Texas.

A baby boy was found on the street where a carnapper left him

On Monday, an Amazon delivery driver discovered a baby boy in a street where he was abandoned. Juan Carlos Flores, the Amazon driver who found the baby, is being hailed a hero. Flores rescued a baby boy in a carrier on the side road in Block 400 of New Haven Drive in Houston.

The Amazon driver who was in the area to deliver at the time said to ABC 13, "When I saw that baby, I wanted to cry."

Flores immediately took the car seat indoors and called the cops, the homeowner said to the news station. Flores wondered how someone could have the heart to leave the baby on the side of the road.

Read also: New York's 'Miracle Baby' Bravely Survives COVID-19, Liver Transplant

When the delivery man saw the police searching for the baby in the neighborhood, Flores returned to his route, as per Daily Mail. Then, he led the officers back to the home where a resident was caring for the child. Officers went and reunited the baby boy with his mother.

According to Houston police, a home surveillance video revealed a man leaving the infant along the street after stealing a car. The mother said her baby was in the car when it was stolen in Sunnyside's 300 block.

In hopes of finding her baby, the mother tried to track an iPhone inside the vehicle, police said.

In the span of 22 minutes before Flores came along, at least six cars passed by the baby, the surveillance video from a neighbor's home showed. Mirna Gracia said that the baby got dropped off, and he was there for about 20 minutes. Even if there were nearly six vehicles passed by, nobody saw the poor infant.

Since it was also trash day in the area, they would not realize something was on the corner that easy, Gracia explained. Authorities said the process of searching for the suspect and as well as the stolen car is still in process.

Read also: Baby Accidentally Shoots, Kills 5-Years-Old Cousin After Playing with Gun at Uncle's Home

Houston Plice Department asks for further information to identify the carnapper

The Houston Police Department urges the public to contact them at (713) 884-3131 if they have further details that would help identify the carnapper.

According to ABC News via MSN, the nearby residents helped Flores to reunite the kidnapped baby with his mother. The surveillance footage showed the baby was left on the side of the road. Agent Security said several delivery truck drivers drove past the baby before the Amazon delivery driver found him.

@Youtube

The closest residents were being alerted by the hero and flagged down the police, looking for a baby nearby. No arrests have been made so far, the Houston Police Department confirmed. However, officials ask for the community's cooperation to identify the driver who dropped the baby off through the surveillance video.

When the pandemic started, Flores began working as an Amazon delivery driver. He has delivered thousands of packages; he told ABC News. But the incident was the best delivery he made and the "best thing that has happened to him in his job," Flores claims.

Read also: 15-Year-Old Girl Stabbed to Death by 4 Younger Girls During a Fight at a Grocery Store, Police Says

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Doug Kelsey, TriMets general manager, will retire in March, and now comes the important decision of who will lead the $1.5 billion transit agency that serves 2.5 million Portland-area residents. Community advocates are calling for increased transparency and community input in the hiring process. TriMets board of directors stated this selection process as their most important duty, and whoever is hired will play a key role in shaping the regions transportation future.

In the past, community advocates have been sidelined in the selection process, and the needs from the community have not been incorporated or realized. Community advocates have continually called for more appropriate responses around our biggest issues including safety reform and defunding transit police; fare affordability for transit riders; increased bus service; addressing the climate crisis; and shifting away from dirty diesel buses.

Elected officials and dozens of community groups recently called on the board to ensure a more inclusive hiring process. Specifically, we are calling for a public and inclusive process with a decision-making role for community stakeholders and allowing participation of any community member who feels the need to advocate for change. We believe this is the only way our region will truly get the transportation leader we need.

The TriMet board of directors meets Wednesday at 9 a.m. Learn more about the process and how to make your voice heard at GettingThereTogether.org.

Lee Helfend, Brett Morgan and Vivian Satterfield

Helfend, Morgan and Satterfield are writing on behalf of OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, 1000 Friends of Oregon and the Getting There Together Coalition.
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Launch, a membership-based production & livestreaming service focused on music & the performing arts, marked a successful 2020, hosting nine virtual music festivals, creating five concurrent livestreaming channels, with over 400 shows, featuring nearly 800 artists, and gaining over 155,000 viewers worldwide.

Launch traces its roots to an independent New York City concert production company, which transformed into an all-virtual livestream model in April 2020, becoming the first interactive live-streaming music venue online with a direct revenue-share model with artists.

In late 2020, Launch partnered with United Kingdom-based stadium EDM group LZ7 for the Virtual Illuminate Tour on Launch garnering over 1600 viewers from over 12 countries across 4 continents. Additionally, they forged a strategic agreement with legendary Queens, New York based Colosseum Battle Rap League which continues to see a rise in viewership.

As Launch continues to grow, so does its team. In December 2020, Ed Young, co-founder of The Source Magazine, and co-chair of the advisory board of the Universal Hip-Hop Museum, joined as Chief Strategy Officer. Princeton University Visiting Lecturer, David Bowie protege, artist and director Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri, whose work helped launch the solo careers of Beyonce and Lady Gaga, joined as Chief Marketing Officer.

Launch is preparing to produce the FreshLayers Festival on January 29th benefitting The Felix Organization, a non-profit that provides inspiring opportunities and new experiences to enrich the lives of children who are growing up in the foster care system. The festival boasts over 20 artists, including Hip-Hop legend Darryl "DMC" McDaniel of Run DMC. For donation and festival information, click here.

"With such uncertainty in the world, it is vital to have a flexible business strategy to be able to execute our mission to promote arts and music," said Brian Stollery, CEO and Co-Founder of Launch. "I couldn't be prouder of our team and what we've accomplished over the past year, or more excited for the future of this business."

About Launch Launch is a livestreaming music membership service producing unique consumer offerings including online concerts and music programming featuring emergent artists and veteran talent from around the world.

Name: Jimmy Dunn

Phone: (203) 540-9737

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Launch

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 03:26:51|Editor: huaxia

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STOCKHOLM, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- An outbreak of bird flu has hit the southern municipality of Monsteras in Sweden's Kalmar County, and 1.3 million laying hens will now have to be culled and destroyed, the Swedish TT news agency reported on Monday.

According to the report, an extensive spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N8 and H5N5 has been found on a farm in the municipality. A large flock of laying hens has been affected and the infection has spread further in the facility, which now leads to 1.3 million poultry having to be killed and destroyed.

"The stables are emptied, and the facility must be decontaminated and disinfected," the report said.

To carry out the work, the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the National Veterinary Institute (SVA) asked the Swedish Armed Forces for help.

According to the SVA, the virus can survive for months under optimal conditions, which makes decontamination and disinfection important. It is unclear, though, how the country's supply of eggs will be affected.

Since November, Sweden has had five confirmed cases of bird flu in domestic poultry herds. In addition to Kalmar County, neighboring Skane County has also been hit hard by a spread on four farms, where 1.4 million chicken have been culled.

"This year's virus variants are closely related to each other," Maria Noremark, acting deputy state epizootiologist at the SVA, told TT. "They are highly contagious and also cause very high mortality among domestic poultry." Restricted areas remain around the affected farms, according to the report.

Within the areas around the affected facilities in southern Sweden, Level 3 protection rules apply, under which domestic birds must be kept indoors to prevent contact with wild birds. How the virus got into the country is unclear and the spread of the infection is ongoing, the report added. Enditem
Insiders have dashed hopes that TV tradie Scott Cam swooped in to buy Jimmy and Tam's home on The Block after cyber security expert Emese Fajk failed to pay up.

New Idea claimed on Monday that the renovation show host had saved the day by secretly purchasing the $4.2million mansion for himself.

But sources dismissed the magazine's claims as rubbish. 'There is absolutely no way Scott Cam bought the house,' one insider said.

The Palm Springs-style property in Melbourne's affluent Brighton area remains on the market more than a month on, although it isn't publicly listed.

Scotty to the rescue? Insiders have dismissed a rumour Scott Cam has swooped in to save the day by purchasing Jimmy and Tam's home. Above, the trio on auction day

The sale of Jimmy and Tam's Palm Springs-style townhouse to 'cyber security expert' Emese Fajk fell through in December

Mysterious cyber-security expert Emese Fajk - who claims to have worked with Apple and the United Nations - bought the home at auction for a show record of $4,256,000.

But just days before Christmas, both the 28-year-old's settlement and deposit payments failed to go through. That's despite Ms Fajk sending ANZ Bank screenshots to Nine producers as 'proof' of her purchase.

Jimmy and Tam were left in the unenviable position of having to find a buyer for a prestige home right as the summer holiday period began, a slow period for the real estate market.

A Nine Network spokesman declined to address the false rumour Cam had came to the couple's rescue. 'Scott and Nine will not be commenting on this.'

The iconic tradesman - the face of the show for more than a decade - has form, having previously purchased property renovated by contestants.

New Idea claimed that Cam and those involved wanted to keep his alleged purchase 'very quiet'. But an insider rubbished that as untrue, saying 'no way'

Last September, the media veteran revealed he'd secretly purchased an apartment in Port Melbourne that was transformed in 2016.

Cam spent $2.2million on the Port Melbourne bolthole in 2017, where he lives for four months of the year.

The apartment wasn't auctioned off during the show and was placed on the market separately after the program aired.

'I loved this building so much I wanted to buy one of the apartments,' Cam told The Herald Sun.

Not his first rodeo: In September, Scott revealed he'd secretly bought an apartment in Port Melbourne that was renovated on The Block in 2016. Above with the cast of that season

The failed sale of Jimmy and Tam's home has devastated the Queensland couple who even watched the finale over celebratory drinks with Ms Fajk.

The renovators choked back tears as they told A Current Affair how they'd been left blindsided by the strange turn of events.

'Here we are now not knowing what's going to happen,' Jimmy said.

'It's something no one ever saw coming, no one ever expected, but it's something we now have to deal with.'

What happened? Ms Fajk, 28, (centre) produced screenshots to 'prove' she had paid for the property... but the funds haven't arrived more than a month later

Ms Fajk's contract is now void. Her funds never reached Nine's bank account.

She has blamed an unnamed conveyancer, claiming she was 'thrown under the bus'.

'I didn't get forms in time that I needed to sign,' she claimed.

'I had to find crucial information on my own, even though I paid someone else to make sure there are no hiccups.'

World traveller: Ms Fajk, who also goes by the last name Fayk, was born in Romania and previously lived in New York City, before relocating to Australia a year ago

Ms Fajk has rejected claims she sent doctored screenshots of bank transfers to an ex-boyfriend in the past.

She did not directly respond to questions about separate allegations she sent fake screenshots to a former classmate.

'I'm more then happy to sit down with anyone who would be interested and refute any of the allegations and claims against me,' she said.

Ms Fajk narrowly outbid Melbourne IT entrepreneur Danny Wallis to win the property. But Mr Wallis, who bought three homes at this year's auctions, has kept mum about his thoughts since the purchase failed.

A photo allegedly taken by Tony Mariotto inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to an FBI criminal complaint filed on Jan. 21, 2020. (FBI)

Florida Man Faces Capitol Riot Charges After Posting Selfie from Senate Chamber

A Florida man is facing federal charges after a social media picture showed him inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot, according to a criminal complaint and Justice Department documents.

Tony Mariotto, of Fort Pierce, was arrested on Jan. 22 and charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, according to the Justice Department.

On Jan. 6, the day the Capitol was breached while Congress was in a joint session to certify electoral votes for President Joe Biden, a concerned citizen contacted the FBIs National Threat Operations Center, alleging that Mariotto had been inside the building around the same time, according to a Jan. 21 criminal complaint (pdf).

A law enforcement agent later contacted the tipster, who said they knew Mariotto personally for over a year and that they followed him on Facebook. The concerned citizen then gave an account of seeing photographs of Mariotto posted on his Facebook page that showed Mariotto inside the Capitol building. The tipster said they took screenshots of Mariottos post and saved them before Mariottos account was deleted, and then provided one of the photos to law enforcement as evidence.

The photo, which appears to be a selfie, depicts Mariotto in the Senate Chamber with the following caption Im in [sic] And there are just a few [sic] This is our house, the complaint states.

An FBI agent later contacted Mariotto, who admitted that he was present inside the Capitol during the riot, telling the agent that he thought he was being part of history, and recounting that he walked through the Capitol chanting USA.'

Mariotto said he was aware that he was not supposed to be inside the Capitol building, and stated he would accept full responsibility for his actions, the complaint states.

Mariotto, in an interview with local outlet WPTV, said he admits to allegations of unlawfully entering the Capitol, but insisted that he did not take part in any violence.

I dont ever advocate violence, Mariotto told the outlet, adding that he was there that day to rally on behalf of a delay in election certification.

I just thought I was doing something patriotic, Mariotto told WPTV.

Dozens of people have been arrested for participating in the unrest on Jan. 6, when protesters stormed the Capitol to interrupt the joint session of Congress. The storming has been widely condemned by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Berlin, Germany -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/26/2021 -- Digital transformation has been the driving force in the demand for professionals with the skills to implement cutting-edge software into businesses across Germany and Europe. In a year rife with uncertainty, we turned to technology to build bridges between family members, colleagues, and communities around the world. Trends that were already in the works such as the move to the cloud and remote collaboration were adopted widely. These technologies made it easier for workers to connect and collaborate with colleagues, but ultimately their utility was determined by whether they made workers' lives easier. In many cases, workers who had never used these technologies were forced to adopt them rapidly.



With cybercrime on the rise, it only takes one misstep to introduce devastating malware or viruses that can quickly overrun company systems. The future of Germany's tech industry is being shaped today which means the industry is continually on the hunt for talented forward thinkers to nurture the development of an ever-changing industry.



Founded in 2013, Glocomms is the leading international IT and Technology Recruitment Agency throughout Germany and Europe who pride themselves in providing business-critical talent for positions across the tech industry. The company is part of the Phaidon International Group, making it the chosen recruiting partner for 71 world-leading businesses that are supported by a worldwide network of over 750 diligent professionals based in 12 offices internationally. From Hamburg to Frankfurt and Munich to Cologne, Glocomms' consultants can advise on employment opportunities and openings across the country. The principal mission of the firm is to provide business managers with reassurance in understanding that their recruitment needs are in the best possible hands. Glocomms have invested heavily in the training of their consultants so that they are able to deploy a world-class service to clients through the use of best-in-class recruiting technologies and approaches, to ensure efficacy and accuracy in every aspect of the hiring process.



From enterprise solutions, commercial services, cloud & infrastructure, cyber security, development & engineering and data & analytics, Glocomms can provide expert knowledge regarding all aspects of the tech industry. For enthusiastic professionals who are keen to develop their skills and experience within the field, there are fantastic opportunities available for diverse positions that can facilitate career growth and expansion. Positions available within the tech sector through Glocomms currently include: Global Account Executive, Sales Director [EMEA], Sales Director [DACH], SAP Sales Executive, Lead Pre-Sales Engineer, SaaS Account Manager, Snowflake Architect, Commercial Account Executive [DACH], Senior Enterprise Account Executive [DACH], Territory Account Executive [DACH] and many more. The possibility of a fruitful career in the tech sector in Germany is right around the corner as Glocomms are sourcing upcoming talent to place in positions across the country.



"Like many sectors, 2020 marked a defining moment for recruitment. Challenged by uncertainty, but unwavering in our commitment to our clients, we enter 2021 with a sense of duty to clients and candidates", commented Luis Rolim, Global Marketing Director at Glocomms. He went onto say, "as we reflect on the challenges of virtually securing and retaining talent, we're inspired by a team who have demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt and continue to help all our clients secure top talent on a global scale."



To find out more information about IT and Technology Jobs Deutschland visit



https://www.glocomms.de/.



For any media enquiries please contact Gary Elliott at Iconic Digital  020 7100 0726.



For all other enquiries please contact Glocomms Germany : +49 30 72 62 11 444.



For more information about Glocomms Germany services, please go to https://www.glocomms.de/.



About Glocomms Germany

Glocomms Germany supports organisations across Germany looking to secure key talent to help build the workforce of the future. The firm was established in 2013 and has extensive industry and candidate connections and a deep well of expertise in the specialist recruitment market.
What's in a name? A new class of superconductors

HOUSTON - (Jan. 25, 2021) - A new theory that could explain how unconventional superconductivity arises in a diverse set of compounds might never have happened if physicists Qimiao Si and Emilian Nica had chosen a different name for their 2017 model of orbital-selective superconductivity.

In a study published this month in npj Quantum Materials, Si of Rice University and Nica of Arizona State University argue that unconventional superconductivity in some iron-based and heavy-fermion materials arises from a general phenomenon called "multiorbital singlet pairing."

In superconductors, electrons form pairs and flow without resistance. Physicists cannot fully explain how pairs form in unconventional superconductors, where quantum forces give rise to strange behavior. Heavy fermions, another quantum material, feature electrons that appear to be thousands of times more massive than ordinary electrons.

Si and Nica proposed the idea of selective pairing within atomic orbitals in 2017 to explain unconventional superconductivity in alkaline iron selenides. The following year, they applied the orbital-selective model to the heavy fermion material in which unconventional superconductivity was first demonstrated in 1979.

They considered naming the model after a related mathematical expression made famous by quantum pioneer Wolfgang Pauli, but opted to call it d+d. The name refers to mathematical wave functions that describe quantum states.

"It's like you have a pair of electrons that dance with each other," said Si, Rice's Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy. "You can characterize that dance by s- wave, p-wave and d-wave channels, and d+d refers to two different kinds of d-waves that fuse together into one."

In the year after publishing the d+d model, Si gave many lectures about the work and found audience members frequently got the name confused with "d+id," the name of another pairing state that physicists have discussed for more than a quarter century.

"People would approach me after a lecture and say, 'Your theory of d+id is really interesting,' and they meant it as a compliment, but it happened so often it got annoying," said Si, who also directs the Rice Center for Quantum Materials (RCQM).

In mid-2019, Si and Nica met over lunch while visiting Los Alamos National Laboratory, and began sharing stories about the d+d versus d+id confusion.

"That led to a discussion of whether d+d might be connected with d+id in a meaningful way, and we realized it was not a joke," Nica said.

The connection involved d+d pairing states and those made famous by the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of helium-3 superfluidity.

"There are two types of superfluid pairing states of liquid helium-3, one called the B phase and the other the A phase," Nica said. "Empirically, the B phase is similar to our d+d, while the A phase is almost like a d+id."

The analogy got more intriguing when they discussed mathematics. Physicists use matrix calculations to describe quantum pairing states in helium-3, and that is also the case for the d+d model.

"You have a number of different ways of organizing that matrix, and we realized our d+d matrix for the orbital space was like a different form of the d+id matrix that describes helium-3 pairing in spin space," Nica said.

Si said the associations with superfluid helium-3 pairing states have helped he and Nica advance a more complete description of pairing states in both iron-based and heavy-fermion superconductors.

"As Emil and I talked more, we realized the periodic table for superconducting pairing was incomplete," Si said, referring to the chart physicists use to organize superconducting pairing states.

"We use symmetries -- like lattice or spin arrangements, or whether time moving forward versus backward is equivalent, which is time-reversal symmetry -- to organize possible pairing states," he said. "Our revelation was that d+id can be found in the existing list. You can use the periodic table to construct it. But d+d, you cannot. It's beyond the periodic table, because the table doesn't include orbitals."

Si said orbitals are important for describing the behavior of materials like iron-based superconductors and heavy fermions, where "very strong electron-electron correlations play a crucial role."

"Based on our work, the table needs to be expanded to include orbital indices," Si said.

The research was supported by a startup grant from Arizona State University, the Department of Energy (DE-SC0018197), the Welch Foundation (C-1411) and the National Science Foundation (PHY-1607611).

RCQM is a multidisciplinary research effort that leverages the strengths and global partnerships of more than 20 Rice research groups.

###

Links and resources:

The DOI of the npj Quantum Materials paper is: 10.1038/s41535-020-00304-3

A copy of the paper is available at: https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1038/ s41535-020-00304-3

Rice Center for Quantum Materials: https:/ / rcqm. rice. edu/

High-resolution IMAGES are available for download at:

http://bit. ly/ 39mlq3V

CAPTION: "Levitation of a magnet on top of a superconductor 2" by Jubobroff, Fbouquet, LPS is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

http://news. rice. edu/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2014/ 09/ 0929_RCQM-Si1-lg. jpg

CAPTION: Qimiao Si is the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Rice University and director of the Rice Center for Quantum Materials. (Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)

https:/ / news-network. rice. edu/ news/ files/ 2021/ 01/ 0111_DD-en-lg. jpg

CAPTION: Emilian Nica is a postdoctoral research scholar in physics at Arizona State University. (Image courtesy of E. Nica)

This release can be found online at news.rice.edu.

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,978 undergraduates and 3,192 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 1 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

"This is not a COVID issue and we're being asked to work more than just our own job," Cook said. "We're being asked to be a secretary. We work with no aide. We're having too many patients. On top of that, having to do other jobs that are taking away from giving excellent care to our patients, which is why we're here."

Rosemary Harris, a nurse at Finger Lakes Center for Living, says the staffing levels have been diminishing because of the use of mandatory overtime. Mandation, as it's called in medical facilities, is the practice of requiring employees to work longer hours if another work calls in and the hospital or nursing home can't find additional staffing.

Harris, who has worked at the nursing home for seven years. feels defeated. She once was the only nurse on a floor with 40 patients. Her only help was two certified nursing assistants.

"It's so emotionally and physically draining," she said while adding: "Working short-staffed, you really can't provide the care that these people are paying for and deserve."
The State Service for Geology and Subsoil of Ukraine, together with UkraineInvest Investment Promotion Office, expects about $10 billion in investments in the development of areas with deposits of critical and strategic minerals, in particular, lithium, titanium, uranium, nickel, cobalt, niobium and others.

The plans were announced by Head of the State Service for Geology and Subsoil Roman Opimakh and Executive Director of UkraineInvest Serhiy Tsivkach during the presentation of the investment potential of Ukraine at the "Minerals of the Future" press conference held on Tuesday.

At the press conference, 30 investment objects were presented  areas with deposits of non-ferrous, rare-earth metals and other minerals.

According to the speakers, the available resources and prospects for the development of future minerals will allow the development of new modern industries in Ukraine. At the same time, the State Service for Geology and Subsoil intends to attract investors to the development of these types of minerals by putting objects up for transparent auctions. UkraineInvest, which is working to attract foreign investment to the Ukrainian economy, will include these lots in the UkraineInvest Guide and provide the necessary support at all stages of attracting investors.

"Their comprehensive development, according to our estimates, will attract more than $10 billion of investments to Ukraine," Opimakh said during the presentation.

The first group was represented by areas with lithium deposits. In Ukraine, there is one of the largest areas in Europe with proven reserves and predicted lithium resources, which is used to manufacture batteries for phones, computers and electric vehicles, as well as for special glass and ceramics.

Currently, there are two explored deposits and two previously explored areas of lithium ores, as well as a number of ores with occurrence of lithium mineralization. Lithium is not mined in Ukraine. One site is licensed, and only three sites can be put up for auction. Moreover, two sites have judicial burdens.

Titanium lots will also be auctioned. Ukraine is one of the ten leading countries in the world in terms of proven reserves of titanium ores and provides more than 6% of their global production. Some 27 deposits and more than 30 ore occurrences in various degrees of exploration were recorded. Now only alluvial placers are being developed  about 10% of all explored reserves. Seven sites are planned to be put up for auction.

Lots for non-ferrous metals are lots for nickel, cobalt, chromium, copper, molybdenum. Ukraine possesses significant deposits of non-ferrous metals and imports them in significant volumes for its own needs. Explored deposits and ore occurrences are complex and concentrated mainly within the Ukrainian Shield. They are not mined at all or in very small quantities. At the same time, mining reserves are: 215,000 tonnes for nickel, 8,800 tonnes for cobalt, 453,000 tonnes for chromium oxide, 3.120 million tonnes predicted for chromium oxide, and 95,000 tonnes for copper.

"We have offered six objects, one is put up for auction, which will take place on March 12, 2021," the head of the State Service for Geology and Subsoil said.

Objects of rare earth and rare metals  tantalum, niobium, beryllium, zirconium, scandium  will also be put up for auction. Rare and rare earth metals are found in complex deposits and ore occurrences within the Ukrainian Shield. Zirconium and scandium are concentrated in alluvial and primary deposits in significant volumes, and they are not being mined. The reserves of tantalum oxide (Ta2O5,) niobium, beryllium are at six deposits, mining is carried out at two of them. An auction is planned for one of the areas on February 15; a total of three areas will be put up for auction.

As for gold ore deposits, seven deposits have been recorded, licenses have been issued for five, mining is still being carried out at the Muzhiyivske deposit. One area was sold at an auction in December 2020, three more areas are planned to be put up for auction.

New areas for the production of fossil fuel will also be put up for auction (one of the auctions will take place on April 21, 2021, two more are being prepared). The investment map contains two areas with uranium-containing ores, the reserves of which are not specified.

Opimakh said that the projects for the extraction of minerals will be implemented for at least five years, since these are long-term projects: "These are capital-intensive projects with long implementation periods."
MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - The Executive Board members of MAN SE (MAGOF.PK) and MAN Truck & Bus SE and the employee representatives have reached an agreement on realignment of MAN Truck & Bus SE. This sets out a restructuring of all areas of the MAN Truck & Bus business. The agreement provides a package of measures with the aim of improving operating result by up to 1.7 billion euros. The measures entail reducing around 3,500 jobs in Germany by the end of 2022. The agreement sets out a repositioning of the development and production network with a focus on future technologies. 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.

Protesters disrupt pro-life mass at Catholic church in Ohio: 'Jesus hates you'

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As Catholics in Columbus, Ohio celebrated a pro-life mass on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision Friday, a small group of pro-abortion rights protesters stormed the ceremony.

St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio, the state's capital and largest city, celebrated a Respect Life mass on Friday, marking the 48th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Video footage obtained by The Columbus Dispatch showed police and security officers working to remove a group of about eight protesters who disrupted the mass to demonstrate in support of abortion rights.

While worshipers gathered to commemorate the millions of unborn lives lost to abortion over the years, protesters marched around the sanctuary and chanted "two, four, six, eight, this church teaches hate.

They held signs with messages such as "Abortion on demand, end Hyde now" as well as "Fund abortion, not clinic harassment.

According to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, whose bishop attended the mass, approximately 200 people were in attendance for the 10:30 a.m. service.

After being removed from the building, the protesters shouted obscenities at the law enforcement officials. One demonstrator remarked that "If hell was real, you would burn in it. Meanwhile, another shouted, "Jesus hates you!"

The Columbus Dispatch reported that Columbus Police did not offer any details about possible arrests on Saturday.

Following the protest, Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Columbus, who celebrated the Respect Life mass, issued a statement thanking the Columbus Police and diocesan staff for "the quick response without injury to anyone present."

He also praised those who attended the mass for their "respectful and prayerful response" that "reflects the joy, hope, and mercy that marks our pro-life witness."

"I also apologize to the families present whose children were exposed to this, the bishop said. On this day, in remembrance of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, I ask all to continue to pray for the unborn who died, for all those who have experienced the pain of abortion, and for those who cannot understand our divine and steadfast calling to champion this cause.

After the mass concluded, about 150 people traveled to the nearby Ohio Statehouse for the annual Roe Remembrance Rally. Cleveland's Bishop Edward Malesic addressed the crowd and weighed in on the "display of violence" that took place earlier in the day.

"There is hatred on this side of the fence," Malesic said. "We won't win this argument [against those supporting abortion rights] by yelling. We will win this argument by the strength of it."

The Catholic Church is one of the most outspoken institutional critics of legalized abortion in the country.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes "every procured abortion" as an act of "moral evil."

Top leaders in the Church have criticized President Joe Biden, the second Catholic in U.S. history to hold the highest office in the land, after he issued a statement committing to ensure that all Americans have access to "reproductive healthcare" and expressed support for the codification of Roe v. Wade into federal law.

"We strongly urge the president to reject abortion and promote life-affirming aid to women and communities in need," said Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, the head of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities. "It is deeply disturbing and tragic that any president would praise and commit to codifying a Supreme Court ruling that denies unborn children their most basic human and civil right, the right to life under the euphemistic disguise of a health service."

Biden's support for abortion rights led one Catholic priest in South Carolina to deny him communion as he campaigned in the state ahead of the 2020 presidential election. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another Catholic who supports abortion rights, has also come under fire from Catholic leaders for suggesting that pro-life voters, including Catholics, were "willing to sell the whole democracy down the river for that one issue" by supporting the pro-life former President Donald Trump.

Additionally, Pelosi complained that the fact that so many religious Americans prioritize the issue of abortion "gives me grief as a Catholic." Salvatore Cordileone, who serves as archbishop of San Francisco, the city Pelosi represents in Congress, slammed the speaker for speaking "in direct contradiction to a fundamental human right that Catholic teaching has consistently championed for 2,000 years" and stressed that she did not speak for the Catholic Church.


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Amid a recent clash between Indian and Chinese troops along the border in Sikkim, UN Secretary General hopes that tensions that exist between the two countries along the border could be dialled down through dialogue, a spokesperson for the UN chief has said.

Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a clash in the high-altitude Naku La region in North Sikkim on January 20, an incident described by the Indian Army on Monday as a "minor face-off".

In a statement, the Indian Army said the face-off was resolved by local commanders as per established protocols.

"Only to say that we hope that, through dialogue, the tensions that may exist along the border could be dialled down, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said at the daily press briefing on Monday.

Dujarric was responding to a question on whether the UN Secretariat or the Secretary General has any comment on the "renewed India-China border clashes".

(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.)
Farmers' Protest: Deep Sidhu was not there when protests turned violent, says lawyer

Tractor parade: Farmers start returning to protest sites on Delhi''s borders

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Jan 26: After hours of chaos during their tractor parade in Delhi against the Centre''s new agri laws on Tuesday, thousands of protesting farmers, including those at the Red Fort and Mukarba Chowk, started returning to their sit-in sites at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day on Tuesday.

A protesting farmer died at Delhi''s ITO after his tractor overturned. The farmers draped the body in the tricolour and kept it at the ITO crossing, not allowing the police to send it for post-mortem.

Police also had to use lathicharge and teargas shells to control unruly protesters at multiple locations in the city.

"There is no protesting farmer at ITO crossing and the situation is under control," an official said.

However, there were still around 500 protesting farmers in the Red Fort till Tuesday late evening while at Mukarba Chowk, hundreds of farmers started moving back to the Singhu border points, another official said.

Tens of thousands of protesters clashed with police in multiple places, leading to chaos in well known landmarks of Delhi and suburbs, amid waves of violence that ebbed and flowed through the day, leaving the farmers'' two-month peaceful movement in tatters.

Thousands march to Mumbai to protest farm laws, Sharad Pawar to join

Farmers' union body Samyukta Kisan Morcha disassociated itself from those who indulged in violence during the tractor parade, and alleged that some "antisocial elements" infiltrated their otherwise peaceful movement.

The union also condemned and regretted the "undesirable" and "unacceptable" events as the parade turned violent after several groups of farmers deviated from the pre-decided route for the march.

Later in the day, the Morcha called off the tractor parade by farmers and appealed to participants to immediately return to their respective protest sites.

"We have called off the farmers'' Republic Day parade with immediate effect and appealed to all participants to immediately return back to their respective protest sites. The movement will continue peacefully and further steps will be discussed and decided soon," the farmers'' union body said in a statement.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 22:21 [IST]
A simple but subtle change in daily calculations has just been made by the government in its monitoring of vaccinations. With this new method, all of Luxembourg's vaccination figures have lost clarity. Our colleagues from RTL 5minutes explain.

Figures published by the Ministry of Health indicated that 6,897 people were vaccinated in the Grand Duchy as of 21 January. Some of these people were counted a second time after receiving their second jab.

Since 28 December authorities gradually announced the evolution of Luxembourg's vaccination campaign. On 18 January the ministry reported in its daily bulletin that it had inoculated 367 people with 'dose 1' and 447 people with 'dose 2' for a total of 4,569 'people vaccinated' (compared to 3,755 people the day before). To reach that specific number one would have to add all 'dose 1' and 'dose 2' vaccinations. In short, those who received their second dose on 18 January were counted a second time.

The following day, on 19 January, authorities announced 377 injections of "dose 1" and 348 injections of "dose 2" for a total of 5,294 "people vaccinated". The same was done for Wednesday.

It was only in its bulletin of Friday, 22 January, containing the data for Thursday, that the government realised the error and finally changed its vaccination report. The term 'number of people vaccinated per site' has been replaced by 'number of doses administered per site'. This new figure does not indicate how many people benefit from the 95% protection announced by Pfizer/BioNTech.

So how many people have been vaccinated to date?

According to calculations made by RTL 5minutes, 1,244 people received a second dose of the vaccine between 18-20 January. As of 21 January, the total number of doses administered amounted to 6,897 injections, for 5,654 people actually vaccinated.

Leaving aside cross-border workers employed in the medical sector but vaccinated in Luxembourg, these 5,654 people, of whom 1,244 received two injections, represent approximately 0.90% of the Luxembourg population.

Luxembourg is not the only one to have changed its public communication of vaccination. In France for example, the government is now talking about the number of total injections carried out, thus mixing the first and second dose.

Contacted by RTL 5minutes, the Ministry of Health confirms that the number communicated each evening now corresponds to the number of doses administered. A new presentation of vaccination figures is being studied to make it clearer.
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HOUSTON  A judge on Monday dismissed a theft charge against a Houston area health department doctor who had been accused by prosecutors of stealing nine doses of coronavirus vaccine from a damaged vial and administering them to family and friends.

Authorities had alleged that Hasan Gokal, who worked for Harris County Public Health, stole a vial of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine while working at a vaccination site at a suburban Houston park on Dec. 29.

But Harris County Court-At-Law Judge Franklin Bynum found there was no probable cause to charge Gokal with theft. The judge criticized prosecutors for charging Gokal, saying their probable cause complaint was riddled with sloppiness and errors.

In the number of words usually taken to describe an allegation of retail shoplifting, the State attempts, for the first time, to criminalize a doctors documented administration of vaccine doses during a public health emergency, Bynum wrote in his two-page order dismissing the charge. The court emphatically rejects this attempted imposition of the criminal law on the professional decisions of a physician.

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Dane Schiller, a spokesman for the Harris County District Attorneys Office, said Bynums ruling raised questions about his fairness and impartiality.

We anticipate presenting all the evidence in the matter to a grand jury and proceeding from there, Schiller said.

The Harris County District Attorneys Office did not have any immediate comment on the dismissal of the theft charge but indicated it might issue a statement later Monday.

Gokals attorneys had said the doctor did nothing wrong and was only trying to ensure that vaccine from a punctured vial was not wasted.

Paul Doyle, an attorney for Gokal, said his client plans to file a wrongful termination suit. Gokal was fired after an internal investigation by the health department.

The agency disparaged this good public servants name and took away his employment without cause. More must be done by those responsible to make this right, Doyle said in a statement. We also sincerely hope this incident doesnt deter other front-line medical personnel from doing everything they can to make sure vaccines are not wasted.

Prosecutors had alleged that after a day of administering vaccines on Dec. 29 at a suburban Houston park, Gokal, 48, had taken the vial offsite and vaccinated nine individuals, including his wife. They claimed that action ignored health department rules that doses from damaged vials are to be brought back to the main office so they can be administered to at-risk front-line workers, including health care employees and police officers, and to vulnerable populations.

But Doyle said that after the vial had been punctured, Gokal only had six hours on Dec. 29 to administer the doses before they expired and after not being able to find any front-line workers to give the vaccine to, he gave it to individuals who qualified to receive it. Gokal didnt hide what he had done but told his vaccination team, Doyle said.

Gokal had faced a misdemeanor charge of theft by a public servant. If convicted, he could have received up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

In Wisconsin, a pharmacist was arrested in December after being accused of ruining 57 vials of the Moderna vaccine because he allegedly believed the vaccine would mutate recipients DNA.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA  While U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths have been trending downward over the past week, hospitals across the country still report straining to meet the demands of the ongoing pandemic.

At the national level, during the week ending Jan. 25, deaths were running at an average of just under 3,100 a day  down from a peak of more than 3,350 in the weeks prior, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. New cases were averaging about 170,000 a day after hitting almost 250,000 earlier this month.

Meanwhile, state health officials in Georgia reported to the federal government that 83 percent of all inpatient beds in hospitals across the state were still occupied as of Jan. 23. Around 28 percent of beds statewide were filled by COVID-19 patients, they reported.

Another set of federal data released this week shows how close hospitals in Gwinnett County are to reaching capacity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publishes this capacity data on a weekly basis for tens of thousands of hospitals nationwide, including the portion of inpatient beds occupied by adults confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19.

The latest hospital-specific numbers, included below, are current through Thursday, Jan. 21.

Health experts have said that the share of each hospitals total beds devoted to coronavirus is key to understanding the strain on its resources. A share greater than 10 percent is said to be a cause of concern. When that share exceeds 20 percent, a hospital is said to be under extreme stress, and as the share approaches 50 percent the stress is said to be immense.

Here are the latest figures for hospitals in Gwinnett County.

Editors note: This list was automatically generated using data compiled by the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. The local hospitals included in the list are limited to those included in the government data. Please report any errors or other feedback to content@patch.com.

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EASTSIDE MEDICAL CENTER

1700 MEDICAL WAY, SNELLVILLE

Total beds (7-day average): 334

All adult inpatient beds: 276

Inpatient beds occupied: 171.7

Percent of inpatient beds used: 62.21%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 63.1

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 61.3

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 22.86%

NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL GWINNETT

1000 MEDICAL CENTER BOULEVARD, LAWRENCEVILLE

Total beds (7-day average): 609.1

All adult inpatient beds: 520.1

Inpatient beds occupied: 483.3

Percent of inpatient beds used: 92.92%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 245.4

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 240.3

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 47.18%

This article originally appeared on the Lawrenceville Patch

This year, all-girl teams from Annandale High School, KIPP DC College Prep, Tuscarora High School, and Washington Latin Public Charter School participated. They were asked to improve the Audi car-buying experience for women. The girls developed their recommendations with their Audi mentors over six weeks. The contest concluded with the teams presenting their projects to a judging panel of Audi executives and STEM for Her Board Members.

All teams presented data-driven and innovative proposals to improve a woman's Audi-buying journey. Tuscarora High School won first place for the completeness of their research and recommendations. All participating high schools received a monetary donation from Audi and STEM for Her to further their STEM programs.

"During the pandemic, STEM for Her has been very busy, trying to help our participants pursue their goals to achieve careers in STEM through a variety of programs, including this fantastic program supported by Audi," said Lisa Mayr, Chair of STEM for Her. "We were thrilled to work with Audi in our fourth year of the program and watching the girls work diligently to prepare for the final presentation. The presentations by these girls were outstanding and showed their passion towards STEM and specifically in the automobile industry."

About STEM for Her

STEM for Her, a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation, is focused on championing programs and initiatives that foster enthusiasm and empower girls and young women to pursue a career in STEM fields of study. The Foundation is focused on the Washington D.C. Metro area and offers programs to increase exposure to STEM, build confidence, provide role models and generally encourage girls to change the world by excelling in STEM-related careers. For more information, please visit www.stemforher.org.

ABOUT AUDI OF AMERICA

Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands, delivering about 1.845 million vehicles globally in 2019. In the U.S., Audi of America sold just over 224,000 vehicles in 2019 and launched the brand's first fully electric vehicle, the Audi e-tron  one of four fully electric models coming to the U.S. market in the next two years. Globally, the brand aims to be CO2 neutral by 2050. Visit audiusa.com or media.audiusa.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.

SOURCE STEM for Her

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The Executive Bureau of Pro Romania informs on Tuesday that it has decided to convene the Extraordinary National Congress of the party on February 26 to suspend the merger with ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats).

The Executive Bureau of Pro Romania has met to discuss the report of the Working Group on the merger with ALDE.

According to the conclusions presented following the discussions with the ALDE representatives, the Executive Office of Pro Romania decided to convene the congress."Accepting and respecting the doctrinal and vision differences, Pro Romania and ALDE will focus on representing as faithfully as possible the interest of their own electorate. The two parties will continue their efforts and fight to defend those hit by both the crisis and the current government. The Extraordinary National Congress of Pro Romania will take place on February 26, starting with 3.00 pm, and will take place online, in order to comply with the security measures in the context of the pandemic. The agenda and other relevant information will be communicated later," reads a press release of Pro Romania.

FKA twigs has disclosed further details of the abuse she alleges she suffered while in a relationship with actor Shia LaBeouf.

The British musician and actor, 33, filed a lawsuit against LaBeouf in December last year, accusing him of sexual battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit states that twigs met LaBeouf in 2018 when she was cast in his film Honey Boy, and that their relationship began after filming was completed.

Appearing in a new episode of Louis Therouxs BBC podcast, Grounded, twigs  born Tahliah Barnett  has now claimed that LaBeouf banned her from looking other men in the eye, and gave her a quota for the number of kisses and touches she gave him per day.

Being nice to a waiter, or being polite to somebody [could be] seen as me flirting or wanting to engage in some sort of relationship with somebody else, when Im literally just ordering pasta or being polite, she said.

Twigs claimed that LaBeouf forbade her from looking other men in the eye: I was told I knew what he was like, and if I loved him I wouldnt look men in the eye, and that was my reality for a good four months towards the end of the relationship.

She said the result of looking down all the time and worrying about people being nice to her while she was with LaBeouf led to her feeling isolated and stressed: Any pleasant interaction could result in a three-day event of me being berated and kept awake.

Prompted by Theroux about one of the details in the lawsuit, twigs alleged that LaBeouf would count the number of times she kissed him during the day.

I had a quota that I had to meet, which changed it was touches, or looks, or kisses, that his previous partner apparently met this number very well, so I was inadequate compared to a previous partner of his, and I had to get the touches and kisses correct, she said.

She claimed that if she did not meet the correct number, LaBeouf would make her feel like the worst person ever.

He would wake me up in the night accusing me of all sorts of things, she said.

Twigs said that she suffered from PTSD after ending her relationship with LaBeouf, and would often wake up between four and seven in the morning to find she was having a panic attack.

I didnt know who I was [during the relationship], twigs said. I was hollow.

The Independent has contacted LaBeouf for comment.

Twigs said she wanted to tackle the misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding domestic abuse, particularly the question survivors are often asked: Why didnt you leave?

Its a fair question to ask, but it puts a lot on victims and survivors, she said. One answer Ive given is because it genuinely felt impossible [to leave].

I felt so controlled and confused, so low and beneath myself, the fear of leaving and knowing I had all this work to do just to get back to feeling OK, it was completely overwhelming. Id never had a relationship like this before, never even heard of a relationship like this before. I wasnt clued up, I didnt know the tactics.

In an email sent on 10 December, LaBeouf issued a response to the allegations made by twigs. He said that many of these allegations [made by twigs] are not true, but that he owed twigs and Karolyn Pho, another woman whose claims were included in the lawsuit, the opportunity to air their statements publicly and [for me to] accept accountability for those things I have done.

Shia LaBeouf was accused by his former partner, musician FKA twigs, of abusing her during their relationship (Getty Images for BFI)

Im not in any position to tell anyone how my behaviour made them feel, he wrote to The New York Times. I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalisations.

I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. Im ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say.

The full podcast is available now on BBC Sounds.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you can call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247, or visit their website here.
McConnell Warns of Scorched-Earth, Post-Nuclear Senate If Filibuster Removed

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned of a Senate nightmare if Democrats do away with the filibuster.

The Senate exists to require deliberation and cooperation. James Madison said the Senates job was to provide a complicated check  against improper acts of legislation, McConnell said on the floor Tuesday. We ensure that laws earn enough buy-in to receive the lasting consent of the governed. We stop bad ideas, improve good ideas and keep laws from swinging wildly with every election.

McConnell said if the filibuster was removed, there would be immediate chaos, especially in this 50-50 Senate.

Taking that plunge would not be some progressive dream. It would be a nightmare, he said. I guarantee it.

The Kentucky Republican continued in saying that progress on key issues would be hampered by rules and various procedures.

Destroying the filibuster would drain comity and consent from this body to a degree that would be unparalleled in living memory, he added. The Constitution requires the Senate to have a quorum to do any business. Right now, a quorum is 51 and the vice president does not count to establish a quorum. The majority cannot even produce a quorum on their own, and one could be demanded by any senator at almost any time.

Evenly split committees, he said, would also need a quorum to carry out any Senate business.

Technically, it takes collegiality and consent for the majority to keep acting as the majority at any time they do not physically  have a majority, McConnell added. Every Senate Democrat and the vice president could essentially just block out the next two years on their calendar. Theyd have to be here all the time.

It came after Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (R-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) pledged they would not vote to undo the filibuster.

If Democrats remove the filibuster, it would be immediately and painfully clear to the Democratic majority that they had indeed just broken the Senate, McConnell remarked, adding, It would hamstring the Biden presidency over a power grab which the president has spent decades warning against.

Some Democrats have said they would push to remove the Senate rule if they secured a majority in the upper chamber. Among them, Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii said in an interview Tuesday that the issue is not dead after two Democrats came out and said they wouldnt remove the filibuster.

If Mitch McConnells purpose is to make sure that President Bidens agenda and priorities will go nowhere, then we are going to need to revisit the filibuster issue. He cant use 60 votes to block every good thing that the Democrats want to bring forward for a vote in the Senate, she said.

Christian Churches in Germany launch nationwide Year of Ecumenism, a message of unity in a divided world.

By Lisa Zengarini

Christian Churches in Germany are celebrating the Year of Ecumenism in 2021 aimed at strengthening their relationships through dialogue and sharing. The Year was officially opened in Hamburg on Sunday January 24 during a Divine Liturgy presided over by Orthodox Archpriest Radu Constantin Miron, chairman of the Christian Churches Association of Germay (ACK), on the occasion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

In his sermon - as reported by the German Bishops' Conference website - the prelate highlighted that for Christians faith and action are inseparable, recalling the theme chosen for this years Week of Prayer - Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit(Jn 15:5-9): For us bearing fruit means, at the same time, concrete action towards our neighbours and growing in the Holy Spirit on which this action is based," the ACK chairman stressed.

The Catholic Church was represented by Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Hamburg Horst Eberlein, who noted that the yearly celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian unity is a memorial of the long journey Churches have made together over the past decades: It encourages us to continue on the good path towards unity, especially now that the Coronavirus crisis is blocking our outlook on many other things: it is helping us to focus on each other again, the Catholic Bishop said.

On her part, Lutheran Bishop Kirsten Fehrs, also present at the celebration,pointed out that by coming together Christian Churches are sending a strong message of solidarity, in a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is causing even more polarization in the world: Bringing together those who are divided, reconciling those who are fighting, comforting those who are in fear and praying for our neighbours, near and far is our common mission which goes beyond our denominational and religious boundaries", she said. Pastor Uwe Onnen The chairman of the ACK in Hamburg, also stressed that ecumenism is a constructive reconciliation work that shows to socety at large that talking and listening to one another and walking together is worth.

Diversity: integral part of society

In a written message for the occasion, the Mayor of Hamburg, Peter Tschentscher, remarked, on his part, that the diversity of cultures and religions that respect each other is an integral part of the cosmopolitan German city and that its various religious communities are committed to creating opportunities for encounters, exchanges and cooperation.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity concluded Monday, the feast of the Conversion of St Paul. In Rome, Pope Francis was unable to preside over the concluding ecumenical Vespers in the Basilica of St Pauls Outside the Walls due to sciatica. The evening prayer was led instead by Cardinal Kurt Koch, the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
Quaden Bayles - the Indigenous schoolboy with dwarfism who became famous worldwide after his mother shared a video of him in tears after being bullied - has attended an 'Invasion Day' rally.

The 10-year-old was among the thousands at the Brisbane rally on Tuesday, and was photographed in an Aboriginal flag t-shirt and raising a fist as the protesters called for a change to the date of Australia Day.

His model sister Guyala Bayles, 21, also joined the rallies, which were held in cities across the country, as did his mother Yarraka and aunt Mara Bayles - each posting pictures to their social media.

Quaden Bayles (pictured) attending an 'Invasion Day' rally in Brisbane on Tuesday

Quaden's model sister 21-year-old Guyala (pictured) also posted to her social media about attending protests on Tuesday

Quaden's mother Yarraka (centre) and sister Guyala (right) are vocal Indigenous activists

The Brisbane rally kicked off on Tuesday morning with a march through the CBD by the large crowd and across the Brisbane River to Southbank where the group gathered in parklands.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said while she recognised the position of the protesters, there was more to unite Australians on the national day than divide them.

'We've got a lot to celebrate today ... our inclusiveness, our respect but also too understanding what has happened in the past, I think it's also very important that we acknowledge that,' she said from the north Queensland city of Townsville.

Quaden Bayles and his family, who are vocal activists for Indigenous recognition, were a notable presence at the Brisbane protest.

Guyala Bayles (pictured) models under the name Lala and has more than 40,000 Instagram followers

The Brisbane rally was attended by thousands who marched through the CBD (pictured)

Quaden rose to fame after a video of him crying after being bullied was posted online - which 25 million people watched

Quaden's aunt Mara (left) is also an Indigenous activist who posted this picture from Tuesday's rallies

His mother Yarraka posted a confronting video in February 2020 of they boy crying after being bullied at school and saying he 'just wanted to die' - prompting an outpouring of support from the public.

The video was viewed by 25million people before being deleted by his mother from Facebook.

A GoFundMe page was setup by U.S. comedian Brad Williams, who also had dwarfism.

More than $700,000 was raised by donations from around the world to send Quaden to Disneyland - though the family redistributed the excess money to six charities including Dwarfism Awareness Australia and Stomp Out Bullying.

His sister Guyala, who works as a model under the name Lala, was vocal in her support for Quaden following the video going viral.

'I say f*** the bullies and the haters! You're the coolest, smartest, strongest and the most sweetest kid I know. You're not alone and we're all here for you my bruh,' the model said.

Guyala at an event on the northern NSW coast on Tuesday morning wearing a tshirt protesting Australia Day (pictured)

The model posted this picture on Tuesday morning getting dolled up for an appearance on NITV (pictured)

She has also been vocal on the issue of abolishing Australia Day appearing on Indigenous broadcaster NITV on Tuesday morning and making a speech at last year's rallies.

She posted on Australia Day last year calling to 'abolish the whole thing' rather than focusing on changing the date and direct energies on more pressing issues around Aboriginal inequality.

Activism has been a part of the Bayles family for generations.

Quaden's great grandmother Maureen Watson was arrested for protesting the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in the 1980s.

Quaden's grandfather Tiga was a well-known radio host who 'gave a voice to Indigenous people' according to his daughter and Quaden's mother, Yarraka.

Both Yarraka and her sister Mara are also well-known activists for Indigenous rights with Mara founding advocacy group The Black Card.

"The automation solution designed by Dematic allows our supply chain network to now operate with enhanced efficiency, productivity and transparency. With this investment, we are advancing technological progress and taking a pioneering position in our region," said Mihin Shah, Chief Supply Chain officer of Landmark Group. The new distribution center is located in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), close to DP WORLD Jebel Ali Port, one of the largest container ports in the world. From this location, the Landmark Group stores and distributes garments, furniture, toys, small goods and more to nearly 1,400 of its retail stores and thereafter directly to end consumers.

"Landmark presented us with an opportunity to go beyond consolidating their fulfillment operations to becoming a partner in transforming their business," said Hasan Dandashly, Dematic President and CEO. "They have experienced remarkable growth in a short amount of time to become one of the largest retailers in the Middle East, Africa, and India, supplying over 2,300 businesses in 24 countries. We take pride in being the kind of resource that Landmark would trust to streamline their operations both to meet current demand and prepare for future success."

A distinctive feature of the 265,000 sqm site is a pallet warehouse (43 meters high) with a silo design and up to 36,000 storage locations for receiving goods. Inventory not immediately needed for distribution are palletized, then stored and retrieved double-deep via four 41 meter stacker cranes (Model SR-U1500/1) with two telescopic forks. The climate-regulated high-bay warehouse stores temperature sensitive items and is equipped with a fire prevention system with an oxygen-reduced environment so even highly flammable goods can be stored.

The Dematic Multishuttle system handles faster moving goods with a patented Inter-Aisle Transfer feature that makes maximum use of space with aisle-spanning exchanges and double-deep storage. With several lifts per aisle and conductor rail-controlled shuttles for high performance acceleration and speed, one shuttle can serve between 700 and 800 storage locations. As a result, up to 15,000 totes per hour can be transported to the picking stations, making it the largest and fastest Dematic has ever installed. "With this distribution center, we have set a logistics benchmark for the entire Middle East," Shah said.

The facility also offers enormous capacities for hanging textiles: The Dematic GOH system can accommodate up to 2 million garments and can achieve high throughput rates of up to 250,000 items per day.

The overall solution has more than 200 workstations with specific applications, including value added services such as customizing goods for specific retailers by adding tags, branding or promotional offers. An 11-kilometer Dematic conveyor system for containers and pallets and a Dematic sortation system completes the operation.

Dematic iQ software ensures smooth and optimal material flow to meet delivery commitments Landmark makes to their retailers. The software operates as a Warehouse Management System (WMS) for stock management and includes a Warehouse Control System (WCS) and a Material Flow Controller (MFC). Goods are dynamically repositioned in four automated warehouse sections and the temperature-controlled manual warehouse, based on current and forecasted demand.

The Dematic iQ software also efficiently handles hanging and flat goods within a single system to meet customer requirements and desired sequencing. At the same time, the software ensures that the right product is at the right place at all times by balancing the workload among the subsystems. "Automation offers scalability and speed while at the same time improving work safety," Shah said. As a result of the consolidated and automated operation, Landmark's B2B and B2C customers can now depend on even better service.

For more information about Dematic, visit dematic.com, check out the Dematic Connections blog, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Dematic

Dematic is an intralogistics innovator that designs, builds and supports intelligent, automated solutions for manufacturing, warehouse and distribution environments for customers that are powering the future of commerce. With engineering centers, manufacturing facilities and service centers located in more than 25 countries, the Dematic global network of 10,000 employees has helped achieve more than 6,000 worldwide customer installations for some of the world's leading brands. Headquartered in Atlanta, Dematic is a member of KION Group, one of the global leaders in industrial trucks and supply chain solutions, and a leading provider of warehouse automation.

About Landmark Group

Founded in 1973 in Bahrain, the Landmark Group has successfully grown into one of the largest and most successful retail organizations in the Middle East and India. An international, diversified retail and hospitality conglomerate that encourages entrepreneurship to consistently deliver exceptional value, the Group operates over 2,100 outlets encompassing over 30 million square feet across the Middle East, North Africa, India and South East Asia.

Landmark Group has a strong workforce of over 55,000 employees and provides a value-driven product range for the family through its retail concepts: Centrepoint, Babyshop, Splash, SHOEMART, Lifestyle, Max, Shoexpress, Home Centre, Home Box, Emax and UAE's first food discounter, VIVA. In addition to the brands developed in-house, the Group also holds the franchise rights for some of the world's leading fashion and footwear brands in the countries where it operates.

The Group brands ensure the delivery of a seamless shopping experience to customers through a keen focus on their e-commerce and omni-channel capabilities.

The Group has also diversified in the leisure, food and hospitality with Landmark Leisure, Citymax Hotels, Fitness First and Foodmark, the restaurant division, which operates the Group's own and franchise food outlets.

As a high-volume retailer, Landmark Group operates the MENA region's largest privately-owned logistics and distribution hub. The company has now advanced to offer 3PL Logistics services with the launch its fully-automated Mega Distribution Centre at JAFZA, Dubai under the brand name of Omega Logistics.

Disclaimer:

This release and the information contained herein are for information purposes only and do not constitute a prospectus or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Future results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, e.g., changes in business, economic and competitive conditions (including with respect to further developments in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic), regulatory reforms, results of technical studies, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings and the availability of financing. We do not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.

SOURCE Dematic

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The Serum Institute of India (SII) will supply Saudi Arabia with 3 million AstraZeneca NSE -3.57 % COVID-19 vaccine doses priced at $5.25 each in about a week on behalf of the British drugmaker, its chief executive told Reuters on Monday

SII has no immediate plans, however, to divert supplies to Europe, even though AstraZeneca has come under pressure from the EU to deliver more shots after announcing a big cut in shipments due to production problems at a Belgian factory.

SII, the world's biggest vaccine manufacturer, has partnered with AstraZeneca, the Gates Foundation and the Gavi vaccine alliance to make up to a billion doses for poorer countries.

The Indian company supplies doses on behalf of AstraZeneca but is also free to strike its own supply deals.

"We continue to support AstraZeneca wherever they need the support. We are happy to do so," Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla told Reuters in an interview.

"But we have not been asked to supply any more products for Europe because then that would mean supplies to Africa and India would suffer, and we certainly don't want that," he said. "Once I satisfy that I can look at other, richer nations. Six months to a year, that could change."

He said the doses destined for Saudi Arabia would be shipped in a week or 10 days. SII is also supplying South Africa with 1.5 million doses at the same price of $5.25 each on behalf of AstraZeneca.

"We have our hands full, in fact, with the volumes even we need to supply," Poonawalla said. "We have been on time and we are able to supply to all these nations."

The pricing of the deal between South Africa and AstraZeneca has sparked some controversy as it is higher than the $3 a dose that South Africa and other countries on the continent are due to pay for the vaccine under an African Union arrangement.

AstraZeneca has said it will not profit from the vaccine during the pandemic.

Brazil last week received 2 million doses of the vaccine from SII and Poonawalla said it also paid about $5 per dose.

Poonawalla said that SII would raise production of the AstraZeneca vaccine by 30% by the end of March from its current daily output of about 2.4 million doses, once the third and final facility making the shot comes online.

SII also plans to start stockpiling a vaccine candidate from U.S. company Novavax Inc in a few months, despite a fire last week that killed five people and damaged one of its new plants in the western Indian city of Pune.

Poonawalla said SII had no intention of partnering with companies such as Pfizer Inc whose COVID-19 vaccine needs to be stored at about minus 70 Celsius (minus 94 Fahrenheit) as India currently lacks such facilities.

Pfizer, which developed the shot with Germany's BioNTech , told Reuters it would pursue its request for India to approve the vaccine if the government committed to buying shots.

Pfizer NSE -2.02 % was the first drugmaker to seek emergency use authorisation for its vaccine in India in early December but it has yet to be approved.

India's drug regulator says Pfizer officials failed to attend subsequent meetings it had called. The U.S. drugmaker says its officials had not been given enough notice.

Also Read: Fire at Serum Institute: 5 dead, company to pay Rs 25 lakh compensation to families
CORVALLIS, Ore.  Reser Stadium held the first of three mass vaccination clinics on Tuesday for qualifying individuals in phase 1A. The CDC defines this group as high-risk workers and first responders. But officials said that those with intellectual and developmental disabilities were also prioritized.

There were 360 appointments with individuals from Benton, Lincoln and Linn counties on Tuesday. There are another 500 appointments set for Wednesday and 1,050 for Thursday. A total of 500 vaccinations on Thursday are set aside for educators. All doses are from Moderna.

Those interested fill out a short needs assessment survey online and make an appointment for the vaccine.

Officials say that Reser Stadium is the long-term mass vaccination site but those in rural communities can anticipate a rollout soon.

"We will have some type of popup satellite site in cities like Monroe and Halsey so our rural community is able to get their doses in our community," Benton County spokeswoman Alyssa Rash said.

Local residents in Benton, Linn and Lincoln counties told KEZI that the vaccination clinics are a step in the right direction.

Ive been looking forward to getting this vaccination and Im glad I finally got it today, Philomath resident Gregory Brumfield said.

Samaritan Health Services and Benton County Health Department hosted these clinics in collaboration with Oregon State University.

Globally we are beginning to move forward, and we will be able to return to some sense of normalcy in not too long," Corvallis resident Colleen Works said.

This event started at 10 a.m. and ended at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Another one will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Finally, the time for Thursday's clinic has yet to be announced.

I definitely recommend everyone to get a shot," Corvallis resident Sarah Barbuto said. "It's so important. Even for people who might be a little bit on the fence. This is an opportunity to take care of people. It's really a love your neighbor thing in my opinion."

Any additional information about the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Oregon can be found HERE.

Petitioners calling for help from Vietnams government in resolving complaints over land grabs and other injustices have been detained in advance of a major Communist Party Congress beginning in the capital Hanoi on Monday, sources say.

Independent journalists and other democracy advocates are also being kept under surveillance by police as Party meetings get under way.

The detentions of petitioners came as authorities in Hanoi continued to tighten security in the city ahead of the ruling Communist Partys 13th National Congress, a meeting held every five years to select top leaders and approve economic policies for the next five years, and scheduled to run this year from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2.

City authorities on Jan. 21 directed officials to resolve outstanding cases of petitioner complaints at Hanois central office, calling on police at the same time to disperse large public gatherings likely to cause security problems during the politically sensitive event.

Police have now rounded up large numbers of petitioners in Hanoi, sending many out of the city and back to their home areas, petitioner Nguyen Truong Chinh told RFAs Vietnamese Service on Monday as the Congress got under way.

The petitioners are either victims of land grabs or loss of property or other kinds of injustice, Nguyen, the father of Nguyen Van Chuonga death-row inmate widely believed to have been wrongly convictedtold RFA, adding, They have formed themselves into groups to help each other in times of sickness or of physical harassment and arrest.

We do not protest against the state, he said.

I began to call for justice in my sons case in 2007, and in 2014 I came to petition in Hanoi.

Since then, every month, I have sent two petitions to the Supreme Procuracy and the Supreme Court, and four petitions to the National Assembly Inspectorate, the Peoples Committee, the State President, and the Communist Partys Central Committee of Internal Affairs, he said.

Nguyen said he had stayed in Hanoi last month for about a week, and now intends to go back as soon as he can. But the police have watched me closely and have even phoned to ask about my health, he said.

Its likely they will be harsh because of the Party Congress, but for the sake of petitioning about my sons case, I cannot stop, he said.

'Still they silence us'

We have petitioned peacefully for 10 years already, said a land petitioner from Hanois Duong Noi township named Lan, adding that she and other petitioners from her township are careful not to incite disturbances or call on others to support them.

The authorities confiscated our land in Duong Noi in 2007 and 2008. We follow all the legal stipulations for submitting petitions to all levels of authority, and recently we came to ask for help at the Peoples Reception House in Hanoi.

They said they would allow only one in every group of five to come in, but we didnt agree to this. How could just one person speak for all the cases of the others? she said.

We are elderly and use appropriate language. We dont shout, added a woman named Huong from central Vietnams coastal Binh Dinh province. We have petitioned peacefully, but still they silence us. They have not settled my case, so I will have to go back to Hanoi again, she said.

Police in Hanoi have meanwhile kept a close watch on democracy advocates and independent journalists, with one activist named Dinh Duc Long on Jan. 23 posting on his Facebook page a photo of a group of men he said had surveilled his house around the clock.

Dinh said that he had called local police to complain, but no one had responded.

In terms of the law, if we leave our house and they try to prevent us from going out, this is a violation of the law. But if they only watch, thats just their job, he said. I havent seen any court orders or warrants. They just watch to see what I do.

These are just warnings, mainly as a form of deterrence, he said.

'This focus is all wrong'

Independent journalist Huynh Ngoc Chenh also posted a photo of unidentified men watching his house, saying, They sit in front of my house, impolitely pointing their camera at my friends and visitors who come to see me, so I feel that I can post a photo of their faces on Facebook.

They started to watch my house in four shifts around the clock starting within 10 days of the Party Congress, and there are thousands of others who are under this kind of close watch around the country.

In my opinion, this focus on public security is all wrong, added an activist named Tran Bang. The security forces should instead be guarding the country against foreign invasion and the forces that harm the state and the peoples interests.

We do good things for the state, like protesting against Chinas aggressions against Vietnams islands [in the South China Sea]. This kind of activity protects peoples interests and help them know that Chinas nine-dash-line [claiming almost all of the South China Sea] is illegal, he said.

A preliminary session of the 13th Communist Party Congress meanwhile opened on Monday attended by 1,587 delegates from around the country, among them two senior leadersHoang Trung Hai and Nguyen Van Binh--previously disciplined following accusations of mismanagement, state media sources said.

Hoang, aged 62 and a member of the Partys politburo since 2011, was reprimanded on Jan. 10, 2020, for what were described as serious wrongdoings in directing the implementation of the second phase of the Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Corporation, causing public concern and badly affecting the Partys prestige, state media said.

Nguyen Van Binh, the head of the Party Central Committees economic commission was reprimanded by the politburo for mistakes made during the time he served as governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, media sources said.

Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by An Nguyen. Written in English by Richard Finney.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has expressed hope that the disagreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan would transform into partnership and cooperation.

Id like to congratulate President Vladimir Putin, as well as the Russian Federation for bringing to an end the conflict in our region which had led to the deaths of servicemen and civilians, Zarif said, referring to the Moscow-mediated armistice that ended the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh War.

And today we are entering a new era, where we hope that disagreements would transform into cooperation and partnership. And we can, relying on regional cooperation, move towards the creation of synergy and find the routes that were closed for decades, open those routes, so that they lead to the economic progress of this entire region, Zarif told reporters after meeting his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Russia.

Zarif said that economic synergy is the best guarantee for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

You are aware that I am on a regional tour, I am visiting all our neighboring countries  Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, and I have spoken about this topic with my colleagues. We had very good talks, Zarif said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Armed police have arrested two bloodied and shirtless suspects in Birmingham city centre following a 'machete' attack.

Their arrests, along with that of another man, came after reports of disorder four miles away in Washwood Heath Road this morning.

Police remain at the scene, with part of the residential road cordoned off while enquiries continue.

The two topless men were being led out of a building by officers just before noon in the city centre's Newhall Street.

Armed police have arrested two bloodied and shirtless suspects in Birmingham city centre following a 'machete' attack

The arrests came after reports of disorder four miles away in Washwood Heath Road this morning

Police remain at the scene, with part of the residential road cordoned off while enquiries continue

West Midlands Police have cordoned off Washwood Heath Road in Birmingham after a violent disorder

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: 'We were called to reports of a disorder on Washwood Heath Road, Birmingham, shortly before 11am today (26 January).

'Three men, two of which were shirtless, fled the scene and were arrested on Newhall Street shortly after.

'They have been taken to custody for questioning.

'Our investigations are in the early stages to establish the circumstances of this incident and it is not believed anyone was seriously injured in the disorder.'

There was chaos and a death on Delhis roads on the 72nd Republic Day on Tuesday as teeming numbers of farmers, protesting against the three controversial farm Acts for two months, broke barriers and indulged in mayhem during a planned tractor parade. A protesting farmer died after his tractor overturned at ITO, which is in central Delhi, the police said.

They said the details about the deceased were yet to be gathered. The farmers draped the body in the tri-colour and kept it at the ITO crossing, not allowing the police to send it for post-mortem. Some TV channels have said ...

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - Better Plant Sciences Inc. (CSE: PLNT) (OTCQB: VEGGF) (FSE: YG3) ("Better Plant") is pleased to announce it has engaged Pure Product Brokers for sales representation for Better Plant's Urban Juve products, commencing immediately.





Better Plant Appoints Pure Product Brokers for Sales in U.S., Australia and Japan



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6377/72806_b5ea59a054310a89_001full.jpg

Urban Juve is a plant-based skincare line based on Ayurveda and holistic healing principles. Urban Juve has a complete line of face serum, face moisturizers, face mists, body oils, and a lip balm that are crafted with plant-based ingredients.

Pure Product Brokers Founder and President, Maureen Malloy, is trained as a Registered Nurse in the state of California and has 25 years of experience in the Beauty and Wellness industry growing multiple brands into retail successes at a national level. "I always look at a brand in terms of balance of innovation and familiarity, whether it's in formulation, packaging or marketing style," says Ms. Malloy. "Urban Juve is right on time with this super-intelligent skincare system. No one has done Ayurvedic formulation to this level of quality before."

Pure Product Brokers represent a wide range of carefully chosen brand partners in the natural skincare space and has successfully launched brands at a national level with such retailers as Sephora and Nordstrom.

"In addition to sharing our company values, Maureen and her team have a proven track record of success and are well-respected for their work in the beauty industry," says Amber Allen, Director of Sales for Better Plant. "I look forward to uniting our efforts to bring Urban Juve to new markets and diversifying our distribution channels to reach more customers."

As sales representatives, Pure Product Brokers will solicit orders for Urban Juve products in the US, Australia, Japan, and any additional regions mutually agreed to by both parties. Under the agreement Pure Products will engage in the sales and promotion of products to develop initiate and increase volume of business for Urban Juve, provide continual education to regional and headquarter buyers and retail sales teams, coordinate launch and seasonal education events and educational support for retail sales teams, and consult Urban Juve on best practices required to create a successful product launch within the targeted channels of business and within specific key account formats.

About Better Plant Sciences Inc.

Better Plant offers plant-based products for optimum health and wellness. It is a vertically integrated company with a team whose complementary experience enables acquisition, development, manufacturing, and direct-to-consumer distribution of its products. Its all-natural products vary in use from pain treatment to disease prevention to skin care, all without chemicals or harmful ingredients. It has an extensive catalogue of over 400 proprietary product formulas. Better Plant currently has over 70 plant-based products for sale through eCommerce and/or in retail stores under the brands Jusu, Urban Juve, and Wright & Well. Better Plant also owns approximately 29% of NeonMind Biosciences Inc.

For more information on Better Plant, visit betterplantsciences.com or follow @betterplantsciences on Instagram. Buy Urban Juve products at urbanjuve.com or follow @urbanjuve on Instagram.

Penny White, President & CEO

penny@betterplantsciences.com

1-833-514-2677

Investor Relations:

Alexandra Dumanski

invest@betterplantsciences.com

1-833-514-2677

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking information and statements (collectively, "forward looking statements") under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates, forecasts, beliefs and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to: risks related to the development, testing, licensing, brand development, availability of packaging, intellectual property protection, reduced global commerce and reduced access to raw materials and other supplies due to the spread of COVID-19, the potential for not acquiring any rights as a result of the patent application and any products making use of the intellectual property may be ineffective or the company may be unsuccessful in commercializing them; and other approvals will be required before commercial exploitation of the intellectual property can happen. Demand for the company's products, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals where applicable, and the state of the capital markets. Better Plant cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements provided by Better Plant, as such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future results or performance and actual results may differ materially. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Better Plant expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72806
NO WORKHOUSE ELECTION?

OTHER ACTION

(TNS)  By the narrowest of margins, the Board of Aldermen on Friday endorsed a potential aerial surveillance program aimed at helping police investigate the city's soaring violent crime problem.The board voted 15-14 to give preliminary approval to the measure. It would direct Mayor Lyda Krewson or her successor to contract with an Ohio-based company proposing to fly airplanes up to 18 hours a day over the city."Our city is in crisis mode," said sponsor Tom Oldenburg, D-16th Ward, citing the city's 262 murders last year, the highest total since 1993.Backers say the aerial cameras could track the path of suspects and vehicles from key crime scenes and help in police investigations. The 18-month contract wouldn't kick in unless the company found private donors to cover the cost."We owe it to the victims past, present and future to proceed with this free trial program," Oldenburg said.Opponents warned that the plan posed a threat to civil liberties because the cameras could track every movement on a wide swath of city streets at any given time.Alderman Bret Narayan, D-24th Ward, called it "a dystopic, totalitarian way of monitoring every citizen and every worker in the city of St. Louis." Dan Guenther, D-9th Ward, said it was part of a dismaying trend toward the "militarization" of police.Several aldermen from high-crime areas spoke out in support, saying some opponents just don't understand the fearsome conditions their constituents live in."Come live in the 4th Ward so you can see what we're going through," said Alderman Dwinderlin Evans, who represents that North Side area. "Give us some hope towards some normality of living."Critics also said the city should wait until a study of the effectiveness of a six-month pilot program in Baltimore is completed. They also complained that Oldenburg didn't consult in advance with police, the circuit attorney and the city's criminal justice coordinating council.Oldenburg said he talked with Krewson and public safety officials about his bill and made changes requested by the mayor. One bars the company from direct access to existing street cameras.The revised bill also requires a written request from a police officer  Oldenburg says an email would suffice  before a company aircraft could zoom in on a crime scene after a shots-fired or 911 notification.The mayor hasn't said if she will sign or veto the measure if aldermen pass it next week.Among those voting in favor was Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, who is running to succeed Krewson in the March 2 primary. Another mayoral candidate, Alderman Cara Spencer, D-20th Ward, voted no. Mayoral candidate Tishaura Jones, the city treasurer, also has come out against the bill.City residents may not vote on the city workhouse issue at the April 6 election after all because of a dispute between two supporters of a bill that would schedule the nonbinding referendum.The chairwoman of the aldermanic Rules Committee, Sharon Tyus, D-1st Ward, on Friday said she wouldn't take up the bill until next week. Her committee isn't scheduled to meet until Wednesday, the day after the deadline in state law for qualifying an issue for the April ballot.Tyus' decision kept the full board, which gave the measure preliminary approval last week, from passing the bill Friday. Tyus said while she supported the bill, it wouldn't be fair to take it up ahead of some others also pending. She also alleged that referendum sponsor Jeffrey Boyd, D-22nd Ward, held up some of her bills in a panel he chairs.If Tyus' committee clears the bill next week and the board passes it next Friday, Boyd said he'd ask the city counselor to file suit to get a judge to schedule the referendum after the deadline. Krewson also has to sign the bill.Tyus' committee performs the ministerial function of engrossment, a procedure aimed at ensuring that changes made to a bill during the legislative process were incorporated correctly.The board on Friday also passed legislation requiring that outlets to accommodate electric-car charging stations be included in some new construction and major building rehabs in future years. In some cases, stations would be required.And the board advanced a bill to give city officials authority to spend about $88 million in new federal coronavirus aid that the city expects to receive.
Syria: NGO, attack at Turkish border, victims Attacks increasing for weeks in area controlled by Ankara

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, JANUARY 26 - At least three people were killed and seven others were injured in a bombing in northern Syria at the border with Turkey, said the National Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).



SOHR said a bomb exploded in a fruit market in Tall Abyad, a Syrian border town controlled by Turkish military forces.



In recent weeks, bomb attacks have intensified in northern Syria in the regions controlled directly or indirectly by Turkey bordering areas in the hands of Kurdish-Syrian forces.(ANSAmed).



(ANSA).





 "The U.S. Sentencing Commissions Recidivism Studies: Myopic, Misleading, and Doubling Down on Imprisonment" | Main | Vera Institute reports on "People in Jail and Prison in 2020" and finds US total now well below two million 

January 26, 2021

Prez Biden signs Executive Order "to Eliminate the Use of Privately Operated Criminal Detention Facilities" in the federal prison system

I had heard reports that today was going to be a day for Prez Biden to sign a number of executive orders related to criminal justice, but it seems as though only one such order was actually signed today during an event that was focused more broadly on racial equity. Still, as reported in this AP piece, the one criminal justice executive order signed today is still notable:

President Joe Biden on Tuesday ordered the Department of Justice to end its reliance on private prisons and acknowledge the central role government has played in implementing discriminatory housing policies. In remarks before signing the order, Biden said the U.S. government needs to change its whole approach on the issue of racial equity. He added that the nation is less prosperous and secure because of the scourge of systemic racism.... Beyond calling on the Justice Department to curb the use of private prisons and address housing discrimination, the new orders will recommit the federal government to respect tribal sovereignty and disavow discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community over the coronavirus pandemic.... The order to end the reliance on privately-run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration. This is a first step to stop corporations from profiting off of incarceration, Biden said. The more than 14,000 federal inmates housed at privately-managed facilities represent a fraction of the nearly 152,000 federal inmates currently incarcerated. The federal Bureau of Prisons had already opted not to renew some private prison contracts in recent months as the number of inmates dwindled and thousands were released to home confinement because of the coronavirus pandemic. GEO Group, a private company that operates federal prisons, called the Biden order a solution in search of a problem. Given the steps the BOP had already announced, todays Executive Order merely represents a political statement, which could carry serious negative unintended consequences, including the loss of hundreds of jobs and negative economic impact for the communities where our facilities are located, which are already struggling economically due to the COVID pandemic, a GEO Group spokesperson said in a statement. David Fathi, director of the American Civil Liberties Unions National Prison Project, noted that the order does not end the federal governments reliance on privately-run immigration detention centers. The order signed today is an important first step toward acknowledging the harm that has been caused and taking actions to repair it, but President Biden has an obligation to do more, especially given his history and promises, Fathi said.

The full EO, which is titled "Executive Order on Reforming Our Incarceration System to Eliminate the Use of Privately Operated Criminal Detention Facilities," can be found at this link, and it has this interesting "preamble" in its first section:

Policy. More than two million people are currently incarcerated in the United States, including a disproportionate number of people of color. There is broad consensus that our current system of mass incarceration imposes significant costs and hardships on our society and communities and does not make us safer. To decrease incarceration levels, we must reduce profit-based incentives to incarcerate by phasing out the Federal Governments reliance on privately operated criminal detention facilities. We must ensure that our Nations incarceration and correctional systems are prioritizing rehabilitation and redemption. Incarcerated individuals should be given a fair chance to fully reintegrate into their communities, including by participating in programming tailored to earning a good living, securing affordable housing, and participating in our democracy as our fellow citizens. However, privately operated criminal detention facilities consistently underperform Federal facilities with respect to correctional services, programs, and resources. We should ensure that time in prison prepares individuals for the next chapter of their lives. The Federal Government also has a responsibility to ensure the safe and humane treatment of those in the Federal criminal justice system. However, as the Department of Justices Office of Inspector General found in 2016, privately operated criminal detention facilities do not maintain the same levels of safety and security for people in the Federal criminal justice system or for correctional staff. We have a duty to provide these individuals with safe working and living conditions.

January 26, 2021 at 04:41 PM | Permalink

Comments

Doug: I wonder whether this Executive Order will be interpreted against continuing BOP contracts with private halfway houses, such as Dismas Charities of Louisville, Kentucky. As you may know, the BOP has long stayed out of the halfway house business, for inmates completing their sentences (the last 6 months) and seeking to return home, get a job and reintegrate into the community, and has contracted with private halfway house businesses. Dismas Charities is so profitable (because of its BOP contracts)and pays its senior management such large salaries (8 executives make more than $400,000 per year) that I recall an article saying the I.R.S. had considered revoking their non-profit status. The way the individual halfway houses are run is highly variable from city to city, depending on the local manager. This is definitely something the Biden Administration should look into.

Posted by: Jim Gormley | Jan 27, 2021 8:38:07 AM

Dismas Charities has annual revenues of more than $60 million and about 23 contracts with the BOP, to operate their halfway houses. The average inmate spends about 105 days at the halfway house, near the end of his sentence, before going to home confinement and then starting his/her term of Supervised Release, after the prison sentence is completed. While the Dismas Charities senior executives are very highly compensated, the monitors who do most of the actual work in the halfway houses are paid only about $13 per hour. There are huge differences in the ways the individual halfway houses are operated, depending on the local manager

Posted by: Jim Gormley | Jan 27, 2021 9:02:56 AM

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With the addition of an in-house school search tool, National School Choice Week's website is now the most comprehensive online destination where families can learn about all the types of schools available to them, explore how to access each option, and search for a school or learning environment at schoolchoiceweek.com/schools-near-me.

The new " Schools Near Me " tool to allow families to easily find and compare public, charter, magnet, and private school options in a 5 to 30 mile radius of their zip code. By nature, the tool focuses on physical, in-person learning locations, but National School Choice Week also offers families comprehensive guides to free online schools and homeschooling options. Families can access full school profiles directly from the tool on Public School Review and Private School Review .

"Parents can now access, in one place, a seamless experience where they not only learn about the different types of learning environments, but also embark on choosing a school," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "I am thrilled by this addition to our resources for families, who are so eager for clear and student-centered information."

Families can use the "Schools Near Me" tool to search by school type or grade level. At a glance, the tool displays the address, grades served, and number of students at each nearby school. Each result also links to the school's website, the school's profile on Public School Review or Private School Review, and map directions. With the click of a button, families can have a copy of their results emailed to them for future reference.

The school finder tool caps off a year of brand new publications and resources by National School Choice Week for both parents and educators. For parents, these included School Choice Roadmaps that outline every learning option in every state, the ultimate guide to learning pods , free remote learning resources designed for parents , tips for how parents can continue to an IEP, even if they homeschool , and comprehensive guides, customized by state, for every type of education option, in Spanish .

For educators, these included a comprehensive list of free remote learning resources for educators impacted by school closures, launched in March, and tools for educators serving students with disabilities .

National School Choice Week is a not-for-profit effort that focuses equally on traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home education options. Every January, participants plan tens of thousands of events and activities  such as school fairs, open houses, and student showcases  to raise awareness about school choice across all 50 states. Year-round, National School Choice Week develops resources and guides to assist families searching for schools or learning environments for their children.

For more information on the school finder tool, visit schoolchoiceweek.com/schools-near-me/ .

For details on covering National School Choice Week 2021, visit schoolchoiceweek.com/coverage .

SOURCE National School Choice Week
Caldwell County Crash Sends Three to Hospital

By West Kentucky Star Staff





CALDWELL COUNTY - A Caldwell County collision sent three people to the hospital on Tuesday.At around 5:25 am, the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to Marion Road for a collision with injuries.Once at the scene, deputies determined that 40-year-old Jennifer Odom of Sturgis, was approaching a curve when her vehicle began to slide due to the wet road. She overcorrected, causing the vehicle to hit an embankment, cross the roadway, then come to rest in the ditch on the opposite side.Deputies say 47-year-old Denise Clark of Marion was approaching the scene and attempted to avoid a collision, but was unable stop in time. The collision also impacted a pedestrian, 34-year-old Neal Gardner of Dawson Springs, who was approaching Odom to render aid. The accident also pushed Odom's car into another vehicle, driven by 64-year-old Angela Blair of Fredonia, who had also stopped to help.Odom, Clark, and Gardner were all taken to the Caldwell County Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
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The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on Tuesday closed over 35 stations, mainly in central Delhi and north Delhi, as thousands of protesting farmers entered the national capital as they took out a tractor rally against the new farm reform laws.

Within an hour of the DMRC tweeting that entry and exit gates of several stations on the green and yellow lines were being shut after clashes were seen in several parts of Delhi, it closed the grey line, too, which has four stations on the route. Delhi Gate, Jama Masjid, Dilshad Garden, Jhilmil and Mansarovar Park metro station were also shut subsequently. The police used tear gas and lathi-charged protesting farmers after they broke police barricades in the morning to force their way into the city. Follow live updates here.

Police said the farmers also did not take the pre-decided routes for their march in the national capital. "Some groups of farmers did not relent and started moving towards the Outer Ring Road breaking police barricades," an official said.

As a result, the DMRC shut down gates at the ITO, Indraprastha and Lal Quila stations in central Delhi. "Entry/exit gates of ITO metro station are closed," DMRC tweeted, referring to the station in central Delhi's ITO area where the protesting farmers reached. The Delhi Traffic Police had asked commuters to avoid routes where protesting farmers are conducting their tractor rally.

On the green line, the Delhi Metro has shut the gates of the following 11 stations: Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma, Tikri Border, Tikri Kalan, Ghevra, Mundka Industrial Area, Mundka, Rajdhani Park, Nangloi Railway Station, Nangloi.

Security Update Entry for the following green line stations are closed: Brigadier Hoshiar Singh Bahadurgarh City Pandit Shree Ram Sharma Tikri Border Tikri Kalan Ghevra Mundka Industrial Area Mundka Rajdhani Park Nangloi Railway Station Nangloi Exit for stations is permitted.  Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I    (@OfficialDMRC) January 26, 2021

In another update, the Delhi metro said that gates have also been shut of 11 stations in north Delhi. These are Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines.

Security Update Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed.  Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I    (@OfficialDMRC) January 26, 2021

Tuesday's tractor rally is being held by farmers after eleven rounds of talks with the government failed to end the deadlock. The farmers have turned down the Centre's last offer to put the laws on hold for a year and a half while a special committee formed by the Supreme Court conducts negotiations to end the stalemate.
Developers will build the 50 MW Sunnyside solar project on a former landfill site just outside of downtown Houston.From pv magazine USA A long-abandoned landfill site, located 8 miles south of downtown Houston, will soon become the largest urban solar farm in the United States. The 240-acre plot of land, located in Houston's Sunnyside neighborhood, has been approved for lease to a Wolfe Energy subsidiary by Mayor Sylvester Turner and the city council. Each acre will be leased for $1.00/year. The Sunnyside Solar Project will feature 50 MW of capacity once it reaches operation, which is currently ...

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.
Omolola Eniola-Adefeso, the University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, is the senior author on the Jan. 26, 2021, Cell paper on inequities in funding Black scientists. Credit: University of Michigan

Representatives from a network of women deans, chairs and distinguished faculty in biomedical engineering are calling upon the National Institutes of Health and other funding agencies to address disparities in allocating support to Black researchers. The group made the call to action in the Jan. 26, 2021, issue of the journal Cell.

In examining the racial inequities and injustices that prevent Black faculty from equitably contributing to science and achieving their full potential, insufficient federal funding for research by Black scientists rose to the top as a key issue.

According to studies of National Institutes of Health research funding allocations, Black applicant award rates have stood at about 55 percent of that of white principal investigators of similar academic achievement. Despite internal reviews of the reasons behind this disparity, and promises to do better, the funding gap continues.

Efforts have been made to improve the educational pipeline to encourage Black students to prepare for and enter careers as researchers and college and university faculty. But once they have faculty positions, lack of research funding can derail their careers. Many universities review faculty members' ability to support their research as part of decisions on tenure and promotions. In this way, NIH and other agencies' funding disparities can jeopardize the careers of Black scientists. Without adequate research funding, these scientists can become discouraged and leave their professions.

This means that fewer Black scientists remain to serve as role models and mentors for the next generation. It also means that many research questions vital to society are not being asked, because the perspectives, creativity, and knowledge of a diverse population of scientists are not being tapped. The public is also less likely to see the faces or hear the voices of Black scientific experts speaking on important issues.

The authors of the paper made several recommendations on how research funding disparities can be eliminated. Among the steps funding agencies might take are:

Explicitly state that racism persists in the United States research enterprise and that it must be expelled

Develop federal funding institute policies to immediately achieve racial funding equity

Incorporate diversity into research proposal scoring criteria, prioritize research teams that exemplify diversity, and diversify proposal review panels

Train funding agency leadership and staff, and grant reviewers and recipients, to recognize and stop racism

"Scientific colleagues, let us each use our voices and actions to now overcome our profession's racism and serve as antiracist agents of change," the Cell article authors wrote.

The authors also suggested ways individual scientists and universities, colleges and institutes can act to bring about social justice. These recommendations include recognizing how they might be unintentionally contributing to systemic racism in their academic roles. Academia, they noted, must move forward from statements of solidarity to transformative organizational changes

In closing, the authors look also to the private sector, such as foundations, professional societies, philanthropists as well as to industrial leaders whose companies depend on scientific innovation, to help offset racial disparities in research funding. The biotech company Genentech is held up as an example of leadership in reducing racial disparities in science, with its creation of a research funding awards program for Black scientists.

Together, private and public sectors can enhance the creativity and innovation of science and advance the greater good of society by funding innovative ideas and robust talents of Black scientists.

Explore further Analysis details racial inequity and corrective strategies in research grant funding
Ottawa: Canada will soon take more steps to restrict foreign travel as part of its campaign to clamp down on the coronavirus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday, but did not give details.

Trudeau also said he did not expect Canada to be affected by shortages of COVID-19 vaccines that are hitting some European Union nations. The issues largely center around AstraZeneca Plc's vaccine, which Canada has not approved yet, he said.

A second wave of coronavirus is sweeping Canada and health officials say some hospitals run the risk of being overwhelmed. Trudeau is urging Canadians not to travel abroad and said Ottawa intended to introduce more restrictions.

"All options are on the table and we will be announcing new measures very soon," he said.

Trudeau had previously said one possibility would be to oblige arriving passengers to spend a 14-day quarantine period in a hotel at their own expense.

People arriving from abroad currently only have to promise they will go into two weeks of quarantine. Canada obliges everyone flying into the country to provide a mandatory negative test for coronavirus.

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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As of last Tuesday, about 4 million Pennsylvanians have highest priority for COVID-19 vaccine. A huge number of them want it as soon as possible, the past week has shown.

The problem is, Pennsylvania is getting only about 143,000 vaccine doses per week from the government.

That more, more than anything, is responsible for the vaccine shortage and frustration in getting appointments now plaguing Pennsylvanians, Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday.

Wolf said he expected, when Pennsylvania expanded vaccine eligibility to everyone over 65 and people 16-64 with chronic medical conditions last week, the supply of doses from the federal government would expand accordingly.

We thought, we assumed, we were going to have an expanded supply  that didnt materialize, he said, noting that a federal stockpile of doses apparently didnt exist.

Wolf also noted that, since the presently available vaccines require two doses to become fully effective, Pennsylvania actually needs 8 million doses to vaccinate the 4 million Pennsylvanians now included in the priority group called Phase 1A.

Still, he said theres room for improvement in Pennsylvanias distribution process, and said the state health department is looking for ways.

As of early Tuesday, Pennsylvania had received 1,564,125 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government and had given at least one dose to 776,799 people. Pennsylvanias rate of doses administered, 6,068 per 100,000 people, put it behind 35 other states and Washington, D.C.

I hate being in the middle of any pack. I want to be at the top of the pack and were going to continue to work together  theres no question we need to do a better job, Wolf said. But Wolf also said the state would have to manage expectations given the limited supply of vaccines and asked residents for their patience.

Wolf said he planned to speak later Tuesday to President Joe Bidens administration, and expressed confidence the pace of vaccine manufacturing will soon improve and speed up vaccination in Pennsylvania. Late Tuesday afternoon, the Biden administration said it is ramping up purchases of coronavirus vaccines and expects to deliver enough to protect 300 million Americans by the end of the summer.

With a better federal vaccine distribution process, vaccine distribution in Pennsylvania will absolutely move faster, Wolf said.

Pennsylvania is presently distributing vaccine from about 1,000 locations, mostly involving sites that are part of health care systems, along with some community pharmacies and medical clinics. Pennsylvanians are largely left to schedule appointments through those.

Telephone and computer systems of some havent been able to handle the flood of demand, adding confusion and frustration to the supply problem.

Some have called for a state-run, centralized registration system which could pre-register people and steer them to locations that have vaccine.

However, Alison Beam, Pennsylvanias acting secretary of health, said Tuesday the state presently sees no benefit in that. Rather, she said the state is committed to collaborating with health care providers across the state and many of them have upgraded their systems accordingly.

Still, she said Pennsylvania is willing to consider other methods, including those used successfully in other states, to improve vaccination in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency plans to roll out vaccination distribution clinics in rural areas and other places that arent served by major health care systems, said Randy Padfield, the director. However, he said theres no point in moving forward or announcing locations until more vaccine is available.

Some vaccine is being distributed in Pennsylvania with less involvement on the part of the state. For example, Philadelphia is handling vaccination within the city and receiving its own supply from the federal government. Two national pharmacies, under a federal contract, are handling much of the vaccination at nursing homes and personal care and assisted living facilities, although they use vaccine from the states overall federal allocation.

Pennsylvania expects to finish vaccinating all of its long term care residents by the end of February, Beam said.

Last weeks decision to expand eligibility to everyone over 65 and adults with chronic medical conditions was in response to a federal recommendation. It spurred a rush on vaccine providers, overwhelming and even paralyzing some with phone calls, and causing great frustration for people seeking vaccination. Some are criticizing the Wolf administration, saying the state shouldnt have opened up vaccination, and created such expectation, without being sure of sufficient supply.

But Wolf said Tuesday he doesnt regret the move.

He said the idea was to look at need, and then to make sure that we do everything we can to take whatever supply we had and get it into the arms of people who need it.

Meanwhile, Wolf put little stock in reports of Pennsylvanians traveling to other states for vaccine, saying he believes all states face a similar shortage.

Wolf also defended Pennsylvanias decision to include smokers in the group which became eligible last week. The federal government recommended including them, although Wolf pointed out it wasnt mandatory.

He said offering vaccine to smokers involves no value judgment, but rather the understanding that smoking puts them at high risk of the worst consequences of COVID-19.

Unions representing prison guards and police have criticized the Wolf administration for putting smokers ahead of some first responders.

The Wolf administration has received criticism from Republican lawmakers over the vaccine rollout, but some of the governors fellow Democrats have become more vocal about the need to improve the distribution. Democratic lawmakers from western Pennsylvania, including state Sens. Wayne Fontana and Lindsey Williams and state Reps. Jessica Benham and Sara Innamorato, said there needs to be better organization and communication.

Pennsylvania needs a clear and effective vaccine distribution plan, communicated to its residents asap, Fontana said in a post on Twitter.

More from PennLive

Democratic lawmaker slams Pa. COVID-19 vaccine rollout: Pennsylvania must catch up

New pick for Pa. health secretary draws praise, hopes for fresh perspective in tackling COVID-19
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- atai Life Sciences ("atai" or the "Company"), a global biotech company developing psychedelic and non-psychedelic compounds for various mental health indications, today announced it has entered into a collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital ("MGH") and its new initiative, the Center for Neuroscience of Psychedelics, to advance novel mental health treatments through the study of mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of psychedelic agents.

"It is our privilege to partner with the MGH in collaboration with their newly established Center for Neuroscience of Psychedelics to further research the therapeutic potential of psychedelics to treat mental health disorders," said Srinivas Rao, CSO & Co-Founder of atai. "Together, we can accelerate the study of mechanisms leveraging the MGH's state-of-the-art approaches, tools and some of the greatest minds in neuroscience. This collaboration may lead to the discovery of novel mechanisms of neuroplasticity and development of more targeted treatments for mental illnesses, thereby pioneering the new frontier of precision mental health."

Universally recognized as a leading academic medical center, the MGH is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH recently established its Center for Neuroscience of Psychedelics to better understand how psychedelics enhance the brain's capacity for change to optimize current treatments and create new treatments for mental illness.

The new center integrates and leverages the expertise of the MGH's Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Radiology's Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, and the Center for Genomic Medicine's Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory. The MGH Center for Neuroscience of Psychedelics is led by Jerrold F. Rosenbaum, MD, psychiatrist-in-chief emeritus, director of the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders, and Stanley Cobb Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School; Bruce Rosen, MD, PhD, director of the Martinos Center and professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School; and Stephen J. Haggarty, PhD, director of the Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory in the MGH Center for Genomic Medicine and associate professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.

"We are excited about the opportunity to evaluate compounds in atai's pipeline that may prove to be effective in addressing unmet needs of patients with devastating psychiatric disorders," said Dr. Rosenbaum. "There is accumulating evidence that psychedelics have unique disease-modifying potential. Understanding how these medicines enhance the brain's capacity for change could lead to much-needed novel treatments for mental illness."

"The relationship between atai and the MGH's Center for Neuroscience of Psychedelics is built upon our shared goals of advancing the neuroscientific underpinnings of psychedelics on the way to meaningfully improving treatments for patients in need," said Jacob Hooker, PhD, Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport MGH Research Scholar, director of Radiochemistry at the Martinos Center, and professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School, who is co-leading, with Dr. Haggarty, the initial scope of the collaboration.

About atai Life Sciences

atai is a biotechnology company that was founded in 2018 as a direct response to the significant and growing unmet needs of mental health patients worldwide. atai is pioneering the development of more effective and potentially-disease modifying mental health treatments for patients sufferings from significant unmet medical needs. atai's business model combines funding, technology, scientific and regulatory expertise with a focus on psychedelic therapy and other drugs with differentiated safety profiles and therapeutic potential. By pooling resources and best practices, atai aims to responsibly accelerate the development of new medicines across its business entities, seeking to effectively treat and ultimately heal mental health disorders. atai's mission is to bridge the gap between what the mental healthcare system currently provides and what patients need. atai is headquartered in Berlin, with offices in New York and San Diego. For more information, please visit www.atai.life .

Investor Contact:

Greg Weaver

atai  Chief Financial Officer

Email: [email protected]

Media Contact:

Anne Donohoe

KCSA Strategic Communications

Phone: +1 (212) 896-1265

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE atai Life Sciences

Related Links

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By Song Young-gil



U.S. President Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony was held with 25,000 armed National Guard soldiers standing by under a martial law-like atmosphere to prevent possible intrusions by armed pro-Trump protesters. This is the first time in 152 years that an outgoing president has not attended an inauguration ceremony since President Andrew Jackson skipped President Ulysses S. Grant's inauguration in 1869.



Something else that goes against long-standing American values: outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Twitter that multiculturalism is "not who America is," but the outgoing president's refusal to accept the election result and skipping the inauguration ceremony seems to be more un-American to me.



In terms of multiculturalism, Melania Trump, the former first lady, was born in Yugoslavia, and she still has Slovenian citizenship. Melania is the first first lady to have been born outside of the U.S. in 180 years after President John Quincy Adams' first lady, Louisa Adams, who was born in London, England. These first ladies marked a chapter in the history of multiculturalism in the U.S.



We saw what happened to multiculturalism in the U.S. during the Trump administration, and it still continues after the presidential election last year. On Monday, Jan. 18, the U.S. celebrated one of the most influential figures in the history of multiculturalism, Martin Luther King Jr. on MLK Jr. Day.



However, most of the news that day was still about the unfortunate events at the U.S. Capitol 12 days prior. The U.S. media described the armed white supremacists' storming of the U.S. Capitol as domestic terrorism, seditious conspiracy and insurrection.



President Trump's key slogan was "MAGA" or "Make America Great Again." But really, what makes America great? Is it the white supremacy, anti-multiculturalism, undermined alliance relations, skepticism over climate change, and undermined COVID-19 pandemic measures? These ideas have put a shame on the U.S. in front of the global community rather than making it great.



Many people who have made America great were from immigrant families. Steve Jobs is from a Syrian refugee family, former President Barack Obama's father is from Kenya, and Elon Musk is originally from South Africa, and the list goes on and on.



We hope that Biden's presidency will be a turning point in making America indeed America again. President Biden's election campaign slogan said, "Restore the Soul of America." I think America's soul means the soft power through which the United States can lead the world.



Soft power entails ideas of democracy, fundamental rights (such as the right to life, property, media, religion, conscience, freedom of thought, etc.), the rule of law, separation of powers, free-market economy, etc. Even if China, Japan, or Russia have more economic and military power than the U.S., they are not enough to lead the world because they lack the soft power to replace the constitutional, democratic, and fundamental values that the U.S. represented.



There is no Planet B



COVID-19 is a byproduct of climate change and ecosystem destruction. A second and third virus epidemic will likely appear periodically. Some ecologists say that this pandemic is a vaccine for the Earth and that humankind is a virus.



As such, humanity is emerging as the main culprit behind the destruction of the global ecosystem. The critical problem of the Trump administration was its denial of climate change. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Accord. Trump denied all scientific arguments, saying that climate change is a periodic phenomenon.



During his visit to the U.S. in 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron gave a speech at the joint session of the U.S. Congress. During his speech, President Macron reiterated that "there is no planet B," and he believed that the U.S. would one day return to the Paris agreement. The members of both chambers stood up and applauded President Macron's remarks.



President Macron appealed to the message "Make our planet great again" even during the presidency of Trump. The picture "Pale Blue Dot" reminds us of the stark warning that the Earth is the only place for us to exist in this vast universe. Thankfully, the U.S. under President Biden made the right call.



What is to be done?



Under President Biden, Washington's first move was to return to the Paris Accord. President Biden also declared a carbon neutralization target by 2050, and his administration will vigorously pursue the Green New Deal to carry it through.



The Biden administration emphasizes that the Green New Deal is not an obligation but an opportunity. The Biden administration announced a $2 trillion climate plan for the federal government and a $5 trillion plan for state governments, combined with ones from the private sector over the next decade.



The U.S. is expected to reflect its climate change strategy in its foreign, national security and trade policies. The U.S. is likely to call for a summit to address climate change and will ask participating nations to cooperate with its climate plan. In light of that, the utilization of a carbon tax is highly likely. Through its trade policy, the U.S. might pressure countries that cheat with its climate change goals.



The South Korean government also announced carbon-neutrality by 2050 under President Moon Jae-in. We should thoroughly inspect and oversee the implementation process so that South Korea is keeping up with international efforts to tackle climate change.



Conflicts and negotiations regarding carbon emissions are likely to occur between the U.S. and China. The prospect for U.S.-China relations lies in their cooperation on climate change. China is also making active efforts to address climate change.



President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of a collaborative approach to climate change and criticized the U.S. for withdrawing from the Paris Agreement while insisting on humanity's fate.



Damage caused by climate change has a greater impact on under-developed countries and relatively more impoverished working-class people. For instance, under President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil pursued a development plan for the Amazon rainforest even while it experienced a severe wildfire, and other nations expressed concerns. Environmental protection cannot be sought only by unilateral coercion without suggesting a practical alternative to forest development plans.



The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was established to enhance under-developed and developing countries' ability to cope with climate change. Upon its launch, participating countries decided to raise $100 billion annually to raise $1 trillion over 10 years.



However, the U.S. was reluctant to do so. (The GCF and its operations are dear to me as I led the efforts to have the GCF's headquarters in Incheon, South Korea, while Bonn, Germany was the other candidate city.)



The GCF's role is actively minimizing the conflict between developed and under-developed nations regarding carbon emissions. Just as the IMF and IBRD system led the new global financial order after World War II, I think GCF should lead the financial flow for sustainable policies and lead the way to save the Earth in the era of climate change and COVID-19. I hope that the Biden administration will play an active role in raising GCF funds and cooperating with other nations via the fund.



Climate change and COVID-19 are borderless and affect all ethnic groups. These are significant matters to humanity. We cannot solve these problems alone, and if we wait too long, the issues will have broader and more terrifying consequences than any security issues, worse than the nuclear weapons issue or even terrorism.



I am looking forward to seeing the U.S. lead the international community again to tackle rising conventional security issues  climate change and the global pandemic  under President Biden, and hopefully (and truthfully) make America great again.



Also, I want to see the evolution of the ROK-U.S. alliance so that our partnership not only addresses conventional security issues but also leads the international community to address humanity's problems.



Song Young-gil is a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.






KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP)  A team of 10 Nepalese climbers who became the first to scale the worlds second-highest peak during the harsh winter season received a heros welcome on return home to Nepal on Tuesday.

Mountaineers, supporters, friends and family lined the Kathmandu airport to greet the climbers with garlands and cheers as a police band played tunes. They were then driven around city in open trucks.

As a team we feel really proud; we feel really honored. I think we sent a really clear message to the world, if we unite nothing is impossible, so everybody is happy here, said Nirmal Purja, one of the members of the team who also holds the record for the fastest climb of the 14 highest peaks in the world.

The winter climb marks another achievement for Nepalese climbers who for decades worked as porters and guides for foreign mountaineers but now are setting their own records and running expeditions on the highest peaks.

This expedition has risen the status of Nepali climbers to a new height, which is an achievement for all the mountaineering and shows that there is nothing that we cannot achieve if we attempt, said Mingma Sherpa, who organized the expedition.

K2 is the most prominent peak on the Pakistani side of the Himalayan range, and is second in height only to Mount Everest. K2 had remained the last peak above 8,000 meters (26,240 feet) in the world that was yet to be climbed in the winter.

The Nepalese team made sure that all 10 members reached the summit at the same time.

All 10 of us worked together in the same level. We all took a big risk to our lives. We felt like it has to be justice for every team member," Purja said.

This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong!

The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, on Tuesday, rubbished the remark by the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore that Fulani herdsmen own all th...





The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, on Tuesday, rubbished the remark by the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore that Fulani herdsmen own all the lands in Nigeria.

AYCF National President, Yerima Shettima insisted that nobody owns any land in Nigeria.

Speaking with newsmen, Shettima said the government owns all the lands in the country, contrary to the groups remark.

Bello Abdullahi Bodejo, the group leader, had made the remark while insisting that no power can remove Fulani herdsmen from any forests in any state.

Bedejo was reacting to the seven-day ultimatum given to Fulani herdsmen in Ondo forests by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Following the ultimatum which expired yesterday, Southwest governors had banned all forms of open grazing in the region.

Reacting, Shettima said: That is a stupid talk, nobody own lands, the government owns them.

The quit notice issued was a bit disturbing in this era when there is much suspicion across the board, at a time we are faced with a lot of challenges.

At a time we are supposed to clamour for unity, some interest came and started talking of a quit notice against citizens of our country, its disturbing especially when it is coming from a sitting governor who is a learned person, its unfortunate.

However, Im happy the issue is being resolved amicably during a meeting between the Southwest governors and Miyetti Allah yesterday.

I understand they had a meeting with Miyetti Allah yesterday, they arrived at a conclusion and I hope that will be sustained and they stand by the rules and hope such a thing never repeats itself again.
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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilshire Law Firm, PLC is excited to announce the promotion of Jon C. Teller, Esq. to Partner for the firm's personal injury division. As an attorney who has been instrumental in securing some of Wilshire Law Firm's largest settlements and verdicts, Teller is an invaluable asset to the firm's mission of helping injury victims recover maximum compensation for their losses.

Wilshire Law Firm

"Jon is a passionate and driven trial attorney who has extensive experience handling the most catastrophic and complex personal injury cases," said Bobby Saadian, Esq., Founding President and Managing Attorney at Wilshire Law Firm. "His tenacity earned him recognition as a Finalist for 2020 Consumer Attorney of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys of California. We're thrilled to have him take on an elevated role of leadership at the firm."

Teller, who joined Wilshire Law Firm in 2017, said he is excited about the new opportunities he will have to make a positive impact on clients.

"My number-one priority is to help more injury victims obtain the full financial recovery they deserve after a serious accident or incident of negligence," Teller said. "I am honored to work for a law firm that genuinely cares about doing what's best for the client, and I can't wait to see what we're able to accomplish as a team in 2021 and beyond."

In 2019, Teller secured a landmark $28.7 million settlement in Sanchez v. Victor Elementary School District, which found the school district liable for the injury of a student who was struck by a vehicle. In addition to the financial compensation, the case also brought groundbreaking policy changes to help protect special-education students.

The case result was listed by TopVerdict.com as the Number 1 Pedestrian Accident Settlement in the U.S. for 2019 and as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Settlements in the U.S. The settlement resulted in CAOC recognizing Teller as a Finalist for California's 2020 Consumer Attorney of the Year. In 2020, Teller obtained over $20 million in awards of compensation for his clients.

Teller has been a member of The Nation Trial Lawyers: Top 40 under 40 from 2018 through 2021. He was also selected for Super Lawyers' Southern California Rising Stars list from 2019 through 2021, and for the Best Lawyers Ones to Watch for 2021.

About

Founded in 2007, Wilshire Law Firm is an award-winning personal injury, employment law, class action, and aviation injury law firm. Ranked consecutively in 2020 and 2021 as one of the "Best Law Firms" by U.S. News & World Report, Wilshire Law Firm has lawyers who are recognized as leading attorneys in California and nationwide. The firm includes nearly 200 team members and has recovered nearly $1 billion for clients. Learn more, call (844) 790-8018 or visit https://www.WilshireLawFirm.com.

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JPEC Members Eligible for Utility Assistance

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative is asking local government in Ballard, Carlisle, Graves, McCracken, Marshall and Livingston counties to apply for a portion of the $38 million dollars that has been made available to help Kentuckians with overdue utility bills.The funding, announced by Governor Andy Beshear, will provide relief for Kentuckians who have been hit hard by the financial strain of COVID-19.Local government can secure up to $200,000 in utility bill relief for residents in need. Applications are being accepted by the Department for Local Government.Local governments are partnering with a community action agency to assist with funding administration. To simplify the process and fulfill that need, DLG has partnered with Kentuckys 15 Area Development Districts to assist units of local government, local nonprofit community service providers and eligible Kentuckians with their applications and administering funds.Kentuckians should contact their local government for more information on available funds in their area. Households are eligible for up to $250 per month for six consecutive months if they live in a city or county approved for funding; have been financially impacted by COVID-19; are struggling to pay water, sewer, electric, gas or other heating and cooling bills; and have received notice for disconnect between January 21, 2020, and present day and/or up to two months following.Jackson Purchase Energy is a non-profit, member-owned rural electric cooperative headquartered in Paducah. The Cooperative provides electric service to more than 30,000 consumer-members.
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Kansas City Life Insurance Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share on January 25, 2021. The dividend will be payable on February 10, 2021, to stockholders of record on February 4, 2021.

Kansas City Life Insurance Company (OTCQX: KCLI) was established in 1895 and is based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Company's primary business is providing financial protection through the sale of life insurance and annuities. The Company operates in 49 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit www.kclife.com.

SOURCE Kansas City Life Insurance Company

The drug company Moderna, which makes one of two coronavirus vaccines available in the United States, said Monday it expects its vaccine to work against the worrisome variant that originated in South Africa  but as a precaution is developing a booster vaccine that could make it even more protective.

A small study conducted by the company showed that the vaccine induced an immune response six times lower against the South African variant, known as B.1.351, compared to earlier variants, but that even this lower level of immune response, or neutralizing antibodies, is likely enough to protect against COVID-19. Still, the company said it is testing a booster vaccine to see if it can provide more immunity.

The company is testing two booster options. One possibility is that a third shot of its vaccine would provide more immunity than the current two-dose regimen. And it is starting to study a new, slightly adjusted vaccine tailored to the variant; this would also be a third shot to be taken after two shots of the main vaccine.

We believe it is imperative to be proactive as the virus evolves, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said Monday in a statement. Out of an abundance of caution and leveraging the flexibility of our mRNA platform, we are advancing an emerging variant booster candidate against the variant first identified in the Republic of South Africa into the clinic to determine if it will be more effective.

The South African variant, which has not been detected in the U.S., will probably not become the predominant circulating strain here, so its unlikely that an adjusted vaccine would have to be widely used in the U.S., said UCSF infectious disease physician Dr. Monica Gandhi.

Still, the companys announcement came as a reassuring sign that vaccine manufacturers can tweak vaccines quickly to adapt to new variants of the virus, Gandhi said. The two coronavirus vaccines available in the U.S., by Moderna and Pfizer, are both made with messenger RNA, or mRNA, technology.

It injects modified, synthesized genetic material that instructs the human body to produce the spike protein of the coronavirus on its own, which then prompts an immune defense. This enables vaccine manufacturers to quickly account for mutations in the virus by essentially plugging in a slightly adjusted genetic sequence into the vaccine.

Because the drug companies already completed large clinical trials for safety to get the vaccines authorized by the FDA, they may not have to spend several more months going through those trials again whenever they adjust their vaccines.

It shows that theyre nimble and ready to change when required, Gandhi said. It feels like theyre doing it as an insurance policy to show they can do it, to reassure the public. But for this particular variant, it doesnt look like its going to be needed.

The South African variant has generated more concern about resisting vaccines because it has more mutations along the spike protein than other strains  10, compared to eight in the variant identified in the United Kingdom, known as the B117 variant. Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines appear to be effective against the U.K. variant.

Just as with annual flu vaccines that are adjusted to account for variants, its possible that with the coronavirus, new variants will emerge over time that will require slightly different vaccines, said Bali Pulendran, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford.

I think (the company developing the booster) is welcome news, and I think its a good thing this is happening, he said. This is nothing exceptional. Companies do make flu vaccine every year that is meant to be specific to the new flu variants that emerge from year to year. So its possible in the future one might see additional variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (which causes COVID-19) that emerge. Its possible that every now and then in the future, we may have to make a slightly different vaccine so it can more optimally respond to new variants that may emerge.

Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: Cat_Ho
COOPER NEILL, STR / NYT

Four days after charges were filed against a Harris County doctor for allegedly stealing a vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the case was dismissed.

The case, which was brought against Dr. Hasan Gokal on Thursday, was dismissed Monday because it lacked probable cause.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In what is touted as a hopeful sign, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the United States continue to trend downward.



COVID-19 hospitalizations in the country fell to the lowest figure in 42 days. 109,936 people are currently admitted in U.S. hospitals with coronavirus infection, which is the fewest since December 14, according to the latest data by COVID Tracking Project. Out of this, 20,875 patients are admitted in Intensive Care Units. The numbers reached a peak of 132,474 on January 6.



With 147,254 additional cases reporting in the last 24 hours, the total U.S. cases rose to 25297072, according to the latest data by Johns Hopkins University.



1758 new deaths were reported across the country in the same period, taking the national total to 421129.



Cases are down 20.7 percent from what was reported in the previous week.



The test positivity rate increased slightly to 9.08 percent.



CDC reported fewer than 1 million new vaccinations Monday.



President Joe Biden said he expects the US will soon be able to vaccinate 1.5 million people a day. Anyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get it by spring, he added.



California lifted regional stay-at-home orders and 10 p.m. curfew as projected ICU availability over 4 weeks in all regions rose to more than 15 percent. The Regional Stay Home Order, announced by the California Department of Public Health on December 3, prohibited private gatherings and closed business operations in the state.



The epidemic has peaked in California and will decline, according to Pandemic Central, an organization that makes COVID-19 projections. The state is witnessing downward curve in almost all COVID metrics. A total of 27000 new cases and 328 COVID-related deaths were reported in the state on Monday.



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Burma Chinese Group Proposes Major Garment Manufacturing Hub in Northern Myanmar

A scenic view from the Sagaing Hills. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

YANGONA Chinese textile group has submitted a proposal to implement an international textile manufacturing cluster project in a major town in Sagaing Region, an economic hub for Upper Myanmar, at an expected cost of more than US$370 million (493.49 billion kyats).

The Ministry of Planning, Finance and Industry (MOPFI) said Chinas Jiangsu province-based Eastern Development International (Myanmar) Co. Ltd. (Dongzhan Textile Group  China) made an unsolicited proposal for the project in Sagaing city, which if accepted would be the first textile-based industrial cluster to be developed in the country.

According to the governments investment agency, the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA), Eastern Development International (Myanmar) Co. Ltd. registered in 2018 as a manufacturer of wearing apparel. Both directors of the company are Chinese citizens and it is wholly owned by foreign citizens.

Textile manufacturing is one of the leading industries in Sagaing city, and the region is home to a number of the countrys major state-owned textile factories. Sagaing Region borders India and its economy is largely dependent on trade with the country.

The Myanmar Project Bank said the proposed project will comprise two phases at an estimated total cost of $371.40 million on 356.47 acres in Sagaing owned by No. 3 Heavy Industries Enterprise, a state-owned company. It will involve construction of a total of 17 garment related factories, an international textile-related market at a ginning factory in Sagaing, and other related infrastructures.

According to the Project Bank, construction is expected to be complete within 10 years. Phase 1 will include construction of 12 new garment-related factories, knitting fabric factories, dyeing and printing factories, down and feather factories and residential buildings for employees.

Phase 2 will include construction of five garment related factories, an embroidery factory, a carton factory, a polyester wadding factory and the international textile related market. Under the proposal, the industrial cluster would be linked with other textile factories across Sagaing Region.

U Win Aung, general manager of No. 3 Heavy Industries under MOPFI with responsibility for the project, told The Irrawaddy that the Chinese company had already carried out a preliminary feasibility study (FS) for the project.

If the project goes ahead, it will be 100-percent wholly owned by the foreign company, he said.

However, the ministry is planning to launch a Swiss Challenge to invite other interested bidders, U Win Aung added.

The Myanmar government set out new rules last August for investors looking to submit unsolicited project proposals worth more than 2 billion kyats. Under the Swiss Challenge process, an initial development proposal put forward by a company will be made public to allow qualified firms to challenge it with better terms, on the basis that they strictly adhere to the terms and conditions of the tender assessment criteria.

U Win Aung said that the proposal for the Swiss Challenge is awaiting approval from the Union level.

He said the Swiss Challenge will be launched after the Union level gives the green light.

The process will take at least six months. We will invite all foreign and local investors who are interested to participate in it, he added.

The Project Bank said the project is expected to create 20,000 new jobs.

Although the Chinese company made the first proposal, U Win Aung said the official will choose the most qualified one based on their financial capability and their work experience track record, among other things.

U Win Aung said the project is a part of the governments plan for the privatization of state-owned enterprises, adding that Myanmar intends to transform from a cut, make and pack (CMP) to a freighton-board (FOB) basis.

Under the FOB system, international buyers have to pay Myanmars garment factories for the full value of the completed garments as they are loaded on board shipping vehicles. Currently, manufacturers in Myanmar are operating under the CMP production system, in which producers have no involvement in the design and or input sourcing processes.
Shortly before President Joe Bidens inauguration last week, part of a group of about 9,000 people, mostly from Honduras, clashed violently with security forces in Guatemala, with thousands of would-be migrants pushed back across the border. As with other caravans, those that made it through faced even harsher treatment by Mexican officials.

The dissolution of the years first caravan was probably welcome news to the Biden administration, who no doubt saw little benefit in a fresh crisis at the southern border. But as conditions in Honduras and elsewhere worsen, other caravans will follow. The incident provides a reminder of the delicate balance Biden must strike as he seeks to end the policy of blanket exclusion pursued under President Donald Trump without sending a message throughout Central America that the doors to the United States are wide open.

To truly reform immigration, Biden will have to do more than provide a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million people who are in the U.S. illegally, as he proposed last week. He must also contend with what pushes and pulls immigrants to come, as well as with those who are stuck at our doorstep.

Biden, working with Congress, can do so by steps in two related areas. First, he must reopen courts designed to evaluate asylum requests, a system that was all but shuttered under President Donald Trump. Second, the administration must improve conditions that push migrants out of their homes and develop regional cooperation that goes beyond keeping immigrants from reaching the U.S. border.

Treat asylum-seekers fairly

The new administration must restore the asylum process to bring it in line with U.S. and international law. Those laws provide an opportunity for those arriving at our border to request asylum  and while most requests are denied, failing to permit them to even make their case is inhumane, especially given the violence and other dangers so many are seeking to escape.

The Trump administrations Migrant Protection Protocols have trapped asylum-seekers in Mexico while awaiting their day in court. There are more than 20,000 cases pending in MPP courts along the border, the vast majority of them in Texas. Many have been stuck in limbo for months, often in unsanitary and dangerous conditions.

Fortunately, the administration suspended the MPP program last week, a welcome start.

Much more is required, Ariel Ruiz, policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, told the editorial board.

The Biden administration has inherited this broken system at the U.S.-Mexico border and must now proceed carefully, Ruiz said. On the one hand you want to restart the U.S. asylum process, while on the other hand send a clear message that the borders are not open to future migrant caravans.

Thats why the second step  improving conditions in Central America  is so critical for Bidens success.

Strengthen homelands

The Trump administration strong-armed countries such as Mexico and Honduras into getting tough on migrants traveling north through their lands to the United States. But a far better policy would be to help keep Central Americans from leaving home in the first place and to work with partners in the region to create a larger regional arrangement to protect Central Americans fleeing poverty and violence.

Direct aid to Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala must be part of any long-term effort to address the root causes of migration and President Biden has wisely proposed an initial $4 billion in assistance. That money, though, must come with safeguards against the same corruption that has helped persuade migrants to flee.

Promising $4 billion in aid by itself isnt the answer, said Lisa Haugaard, co-director of the Latin America Working Group, in a statement. Promise instead that the United States will stand, not with corrupt or authoritarian officials in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, but with the citizens working for change.

Donald Trumps focus on enforcement and deterrence promised a simple solution for a complex problem, and only succeeded in causing a humanitarian crisis at the border and delaying an inevitable reckoning that the Biden administration must confront head on.

A multilayered international approach is even more ambitious and difficult to achieve than Bidens domestic immigration agenda, but it is the only way forward if we hope to limit the intermittent waves of migrants coming to the U.S. while at the same time holding to our values and respect for human rights.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2021) Several human rights groups on Tuesday expressed dismay at the lack of reparations for the victims of former Chadian President Hissene Habre, a matter the African Union was tasked with but yet failed to fulfill.

Hissene Habre was Chadian leader from 1982 until 1990 when he was ousted from power. In 2016, a Senegalese court found the politician guilty of numerous human rights abuses, including torture, killings of some 40,000 people during his rule, sexual slavery, and others. Habre received a life sentence in Senegal.

"Habre's victims fought relentlessly for 25 years to bring him and his henchmen to justice, and were awarded millions of Dollars, but they haven't seen one cent in reparations," Jacqueline Moudeina, lead counsel for Habre's victims, said, as cited by the NGOs' joint statement.

The statement specified that an appellate court confirmed Habre's conviction later in 2017 and mandated an African Union Trust Fund to raise some $150 million for his 7,396 listed victims.

However, the fund has not yet been put in use, the NGOs said.

The Chadian authorities have also failed to implement the 2015 decision of the country's court, under which they were obliged to pay half of a sum set up by the judge for 7,000 Habre's victims. The other half of an established $139 million sum is meant to be paid by "Habre-era security agents," convicted for human rights abuses, the statement said.

The statement was undersigned by well-known NGOs including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Senegalese League for Human Rights, the African Assembly for the Defense of Human Rights, the Chadian Association for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the Afrikajom Center, and Redress.
Hagerty, an automotive lifestyle brand and the global leader in collector car insurance, has pledged $1 million to The Henry Ford and has been named the institutions newest Partner in Innovation.

Hagerty and The Henry Ford are like-minded organizations that each have a passion for activating the car-enthusiast community and inspiring a new generation of drivers and automotive fans, said Patricia Mooradian, president and CEO of The Henry Ford. We look forward to creating meaningful experiences and connections for our shared audiences.

The recognition highlights Hagertys mission to save driving and expand car culture for future generations and its commitment to generating content and experiences for automotive enthusiasts around the world.

As a Partner in Innovation, the company will be seamlessly integrated into The Henry Fords programming and content both on-site and online over a six-year period, including features on the institutions television series, The Henry Fords Innovation Nation. Hagerty also will serve as the presenting sponsor for Motor Muster and Old Car Festival, hosted annually in Greenfield Village. In addition, The Henry Ford will launch an enthusiast group on Facebook where the public will have access to the institutions vast collections and archives and a wide variety of content co-produced by Hagerty.

In the world of cars, The Henry Ford is iconic, and we are honored to partner with them, said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty, home to Hagerty Drivers Club, one of the worlds largest communities for car enthusiasts. We look forward to helping both organizations get better and better at our shared mission of preserving, celebrating and expanding our shared automotive heritage.

About The Henry Ford

Located in Dearborn, Michigan, The Henry Ford, a globally recognized destination, fosters inspiration and learning from hands-on encounters with artifacts that represent the most comprehensive collection anywhere focusing on innovation, ingenuity and resourcefulness in America. Its unique venues include Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Benson Ford Research Center and Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school. Together with its online presence at thf.org, its national television series The Henry Fords Innovation Nation and Invention Convention Worldwide, the growing affiliation of organizations fostering innovation, invention and entrepreneurship in K-12 students, The Henry Ford inspires individuals to unlock their potential and help shape a better future.

About Hagerty

Hagerty is an automotive lifestyle brand with a mission to keep driving alive for car lovers and drive positive change in the world. Hagerty is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, Hagerty DriveShare, Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, Hagerty Media, MotorsportReg, Hagerty Garage + Social, the Greenwich Concours dElegance, the California Mille and more. Hagerty is the world's largest provider of specialty insurance for enthusiast vehicles and supports keeping car culture alive through youth programs, the Historic Vehicle Association (HVA), the RPM Foundation and more. For more information, call (800) 922-4050 or visit http://www.hagerty.com.
There seems to be some hope that Republicans could oppose the former presidents impeachment on process grounds, rather than grappling with his awful conduct, said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader. Let me be perfectly clear: This is not going to fly.

Mr. Biden, who has been reluctant to comment on the proceeding, told CNN on Monday that the trial has to happen, even if it will complicate his legislative agenda. But he cast doubt on whether enough Republicans would vote to convict to sustain the charge.

That Republicans were going to such lengths to avoid discussing Mr. Trumps actions underscored how precarious their political situation was. Few contest that Mr. Trump bears at least some responsibility for the most violent attack on the seat of American government since the War of 1812, and many privately blame him for costing them control of the House, Senate and White House. But he also remains a popular figure among Republican voters, and many lawmakers fear that he could marshal votes to turn them out of office should they cross him.

I guess it depends on what state youre in and what phase in your career you are, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, told reporters with a chuckle when asked what would happen to Republicans who voted to convict.

Mr. McConnell, who steered the president to acquittal a year ago, has largely left senators to navigate the proceeding on their own this time. He has made clear through advisers and calls with colleagues that he personally views Mr. Trumps conduct as impeachable and sees the process as a possible way to purge him from the party and rebuild before the 2022 midterm elections. But he has not committed to voting to convict.

At least a half-dozen or so Republicans appear ready to join him if he does, but dozens of others appear to be unwilling to break from four years of alliance with Mr. Trump.
In a conversation captured on surveillance footage at about 1 a.m. two people were heard telling Hsieh you are going to smoke yourself out and thats poison in reference to Hsieh lighting a Ziploc bag on fire. Hsieh responded: Its poisonous but I used it to start a fire, the report said. The report does not specify when the conversation was captured on video. It is believed he was using the fire to keep warm.
Felipe Gallegos watched fellow officers swarm into 7815 Harding St., then heard shots and yelling.

One officer screamed hed been hit, Gallegos attorney said. Then another was hit. They began backing out of the ramshackle Pecan Park home, and Gallegos saw Officer Cedell Lovings fall to the ground, blood spilling from his neck. Gerald Goines, the squad leader, came out that January day two years ago, skin hanging from his face, where hed taken a bullet to the jaw.

Gallegos saw a man at the doorway, revolver raised, firing again, his lawyers said. He had to make a decision. His attorney, Rusty Hardin, said Gallegos then aimed and fired, killing Dennis Tuttle.

The day after a Harris County grand jury indicted the 12-year HPD veteran on murder charges  and eight other police officers on organized crime charges  Hardin accused District Attorney Kim Ogg of waging an irresponsible, politically motivated prosecution.

Youve got to quit this, Hardin said, referring to Ogg, Tuesday in downtown Houston, flanked on one side by five attorneys working the case, and on the other by Gallegos and his wife, parents, and sister. This is a violation of how the criminal justice system ought to work.

The hourlong news conference in the Hilton-Americas was something of a rarity: Since the Jan. 28, 2019 drug raid, the Houston Police Department has resisted releasing information about the operation, including the names of officers involved, and none of the officers have made public appearances outside of the courtroom.

Hours after Hardins appearance, Ogg remained unswayed.

Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas were shot to death by a squad of narcotics cops engaged in a long-running overtime theft scheme, she said, in an emailed statement. A grand jury made of up ordinary citizens determined that Officer Felipe Gallegos is not in fact a hero, but a murderer, just like a different grand jury did, when they indicted former Officer Gerald Goines for the Felony Murder of both victims. With two police officers now charged with murder, Houstonians are finally getting the truth about what really happened on Harding Street.

On Tuesday, prosecutors declined to reveal additional information about the sequence of events they believe played out in the Harding Street raid, saying those details will be revealed at trial.

WRONG DOOR: Botched Houston drug raid was not the first

It has been almost two years since the Harding Street raid, when Squad 15 narcotics officers, using a no-knock warrant, burst into Tuttles home looking for drugs. Gunfire erupted, ending with the deaths of Tuttle and his wife Rhogena Nicholas, and four officers shot. After the raid, police investigators announced that Goines was under investigation for lying about buying drugs from the home.

The scandal resulted in multiple investigations, and state and federal charges against Goines, and his partner, Steven Bryant. Goines now faces felony murder charges in state court, and civil rights violations and tampering charges in federal court. Bryant faces tampering charges in state and federal court. More than a year after the raid, Ogg announced that a grand jury had indicted two of Goines supervisors and another former partner with crimes related to tampering and lying about working overtime.

Narcotics Lt. Robert Gonzales was also charged with misapplication of fiduciary responsibility, for failing to properly supervise use of the narcotics divisions confidential informant funds.

All together, 12 current and former police officers have been charged in connection to the raid and ensuing investigation.

Hardin, a well-known defense attorney, responded to the new charges by attacking Oggs prosecution  and providing new details about one of the officers implicated in one of the worst scandals to hit the department in decades. He argued that while Goines is accused of lying about the raid, Gallegos and other officers were unaware of his deception  and acted appropriately when they came under fire.

Once Mr. Tuttle started shooting, he was not innocent, Hardin said. Felipe was a hero. He saved lives in a situation in which four different police officers were shot.

He also criticized the grand jurys unconscionable decision not to hear testimony from Gallegos, who he said had wanted to testify, even against the advice of Hardin and other defense attorneys.

Chief Art Acevedo said Monday that he believed that Gallegos acted appropriately.

Hardin  who said he met Gallegos through his son, who is also a Houston police officer  said the Harding Street raid was supposed to have been Gallegos last as a narcotics officer before he transferred to the SWAT team, his longtime dream.

Gallegos, a muscular man with short cropped black hair, spoke little during the news conference.

An operation completely out of control: Damning HPD narcotics audit reveals hundreds of errors

Its been very challenging just because I havent been awarded the opportunity to tell my side of the story, he said, in brief remarks, to be able to explain that Im not the bad person that Im being painted to be.  Its been challenging my entire family. And my kids. Theres not a better way to explain it.

His wife, Cynthia, said Gallegos had continued to go to work even after the birth of their son. Gallegos wanted to be ready to report to SWAT.

The day that he was supposed to say goodbye to the guys, and let it be the last day, is the day that our lives changed forever, she said.

At a press conference at Houston Police Officers Union headquarters shortly after Hardins, union President Douglas Griffith also pushed back against Oggs prosecution, saying most of the charges she has pursued were related to irregularities in overtime slips, which could easily be explained.

This is a stretch by this DA, he said. She has overreached, overstepped, and our officers will be proven innocent at the end of the day.

Attorney Mike Doyle, who represents the Nicholas family, questioned how Hardins comments would play out in court.

Time will tell if Mr. Hardins explanation holds up to the evolving ballistics evidence from our independent investigation and that of the official investigation, he said, late Tuesday. We expect his version of events will be challenged and soon.

Prosecutors initially asked for a $150,000 bail, records show. On Tuesday, at Hardins request, a judge reduced that amount to $50,000 and Gallegos is now free on bond.
Islamabad: Indian and Chinese soldiers armed with sticks and stones have brawled again along their disputed frontier, the Indian government said, as the neighbours months-long border stand-off continues.

Indian security officials said there were clashes after at least 18 Chinese soldiers tried to cross into Indian-claimed territory at Naku La in Sikkim on January 20.

An Indian army convoy carrying reinforcement and supplies heads towards the border with China. Credit:Getty

Soldiers on both sides were carrying firearms, but did not use them.

A senior army official said that four Indian soldiers were wounded after they challenged the Chinese soldiers. All four Indian wounded had been hospitalised, and their condition was described as stable. The officer said the number of injured Chinese was in double figures.
That frailty is exactly what many researchers are counting on. Adam Zlotnick, a biophysicist at Indiana University Bloomington, specializes in disrupting virus assembly. An obvious strategy, he said, would be to introduce a drug or other treatment to slow or stop the building of new viruses. But he and his colleagues have found that using drugs to speed up the process can also prove disastrous. Unable to wriggle into the proper configuration, or to correct initial errors, the viruss bits and pieces might glue together improperly, layering mistakes atop mistakes until the entire structure is malformed.

If you make it go a little bit faster, thats bad, you get more virus, said Dr. Zlotnick, who compared the acceleration to the chaos that might unfold if an assembly line was moving too fast. But a lot faster? Its going to screw up and make defective particles.

Dr. Zlotnick has spent much of his career working on the hepatitis B virus, and has helped to develop drugs that can foil the pathogens assembly process, some of which are now in clinical trials. Although the coronavirus is a very different beast, it could someday be vulnerable to the same general strategy, Dr. Zlotnick said.

Other researchers are eyeing another step in the virus-building pipeline: the generation of virus genes, before they are packaged into their protein capsules. Carlos Bustamante, a biophysicist at the University of California, Berkeley, is set on sabotaging a protein called polymerase, which copies the coronaviruss genome.

The polymerase zooms over a stretch of RNA and replicates it letter for letter, a process that requires an intimate connection between the molecules and enough force to propel the protein. That force can be measured with a tiny set of optical tweezers  a laser that hooks on to one end of the polymerase, using a microscopic glass bead, and pulls in the direction opposite the proteins path. We are playing tug of war, Dr. Bustamante said. Every time it moves, it has to pull us.

The hope, he said, is to understand the tug well enough to design a drug that blocks the RNA-copying process.

In Delaware, Dr. Perilla and Dr. Hadden-Perilla are studying a moment even earlier in the process, when the coronavirus enters a human cell and unravels its genome. This transforms the virus from a hardy infectious particle, which must move through the air and evade immune cells, into a naked and vulnerable template, unspooling itself for evaluation. The coronavirus is a shape-shifter, Dr. Hadden-Perilla said. But scientists dont fully understand how the virus can tell when its time to disrobe.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  After several months of consistent declines, New Mexicos unemployment rate rose a full percentage point in December.

New Mexicos preliminary unemployment rate reached 8.2% in December, up from a revised figure of 7.2% in November, according to new figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to the data, just four states posted higher unemployment rates in December. New Mexico also saw the fifth-largest month-to-month increase.

The uptick in unemployment comes after New Mexico announced another round of restrictions on businesses in late November, designed to help limit the spread of COVID-19. While Workforce Solutions Secretary Bill McCamley acknowledged the lockdowns may have had an impact, he said its worth taking monthly updates with a grain of salt, noting that the pandemic is causing numbers to vary more than usual.

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Were trying to come up with a whole new understanding of how we measure these things, McCamley said.

McCamley said the unemployment rate, which is based on a survey of recipients rather than on new unemployment claims, struggles to take into account how many people arent looking for work because of the pandemic or other factors. Employment data also changes quickly month to month.

As of now, our experts are saying to just be a little careful using that as any kind of gospel, he said.

Still, the December increase was the largest uptick since the state unemployment rate hit 12.7% in July. The figure has steadily declined since then, though it has stayed persistently higher than the national average.

New Mexico shed 62,600 private sector jobs year over year in December, according to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. Leisure and hospitality remained the states hardest-hit sector in December, with 29,100 jobs lost over the previous 12 months.

Metro Albuquerque posted an unemployment rate of 7.3% in December, while metro Santa Fes unemployment rate was 7.2%, according to data from the state.

McCamley said the overall number of people receiving unemployment benefits is actually declining, which he said is a sign that the states unemployment situation may be looking up.

Were thinking that number is probably, for our intents and purposes, a little bit more accurate, he said.

After a long wait, McCamley said the state has received additional guidance from the federal government regarding a slate of new and renewed unemployment programs signed into law in December.

Beginning on Feb. 7, eligible claimants will be able to reopen inactive claims for various federal programs that expired at the end of 2020, backdated to the week of Jan. 2. McCamley said the department will release more information about the new round of programs next week.

We have to follow the rules that the federal government puts out regarding these programs, McCamley said.  If we dont do that, they can take money away from us.
BEVERLY, MA  There are "hopeful" signs to conclude a very difficult January battling the coronavirus in the city.

Mayor Mike Cahill said in a letter to the community that the virus killed 25 residents in the first 25 days of the month, but that "after a significant spike in people hospitalized locally" because of the virus after the holidays, positive cases have trended downward for the past two weeks.

"Let's please keep them and their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers," Cahill said of the 25 lives lost.



He asked that residents continue to follow coronavirus protocols as vaccination efforts ramp up over the next few months.

"Massachusetts is currently only receiving about 80,000 vaccine doses per week, a number that hopefully will increase many times over in coming weeks," he said. "The state, and we in Beverly, are all working to prepare and set up the vaccination infrastructure necessary to get vaccines in the arms of every resident of this state as soon as possible. So that, once the flow of vaccines is wide open, we can collectively make it happen."

A regional site for all Beverly residents included in phase 1 of the state's eligibility for vaccines will be open at Salem State University on Thursday. A mass vaccination site is also planned for the Double Tree Hotel in Danvers in the coming weeks.

Those eligible for the vaccine in phase 2 whose primary care physicians are based at Salem Hospital and Beverly Hospital should be able to get the vaccine at clinics set to open at the hospitals.

"It is my understanding that each resident will have multiple options for where to get vaccinated once eligible," Cahill said. "There are many moving pieces and we learn more each day. I will continue to do my best to keep information flowing and help each of you navigate this vaccination process."

Cahill said the city is also evaluating its resources to provide additional coronavirus testing, and that testing sites and dates could be added soon, but that in the meantime the "Stop the Spread" sites in Salem and Lynn remain open for relatively quick (between 24 and 48 hours) turnaround of free tests.



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"There are good days ahead for us," he concluded. "Let's do everything we can to help each other get to the other side of this pandemic. And in the meantime, please reach out and help friends, family members, and neighbors find hope, find good and find joy in each day and in every way that we can."

Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)



More Patch Coverage: Salem State To Host Regional Phase 1 Coronavirus Vaccination Day

Moderna Develops Vaccine Booster Shot Against New COVID-19 Strain



MA To Add 5 Mass Vaccination Sites, Dozens Of Smaller Centers

Mass Vaccination Site To Open At Danvers DoubleTree Hotel

This article originally appeared on the Beverly Patch

NORTH CHARLESTON  Several Charleston area nonprofits hope to mark a new era with an Opportunity Center focused on helping women, minorities and people from low-wealth communities become successful entrepreneurs.

"Here we are, standing in the fullness of time, ready to launch a new day to help those who've experienced missed opportunities to achieve prosperity," said Bernie Mazyck, president and CEO of S.C. Association for Community Economic Development.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the center was held Monday at the Rivers Avenue site, where a 31,250-square-foot former furniture store will be transformed into a space aimed at advancing economic opportunities.

The facility will include a career training facility and business incubators.

The endeavor is a collaborative effort among four area nonprofits  Increasing H.O.P.E., Center for Heirs Property Preservation, Homes of Hope Inc., S.C. Association for Community Economic Development  who will use the site to house their organizational headquarters.

The North Charleston-based facility was buoyed by a $2.7 million grant from the economic Development Administration to Homes of Hope in 2019. Other funds included the Coastal Community Foundation's $800,000 contribution, and $100,000 each from Wells Fargo and BB&T. Project partners are working to secure an additional $1 million to complete the endeavor.

The center is scheduled to be completed in August, and services are expected to begin in September. Upon its completion, the facility is anticipated to help create 45 jobs and attract nearly $4 million in private investment.

Several dozen guests attended the groundbreaking event, wearing masks as they sat and stood spaced out across the facility's parking lot.

Critical components of the center include the Business Success Center and Women's Business Center. The centers will focus on helping women and communities of color establish, grow and sustain their operations.

The Women's Business Center will be the only center operating in the Charleston region and third in the state.

Historically, entrepreneurs of color and women have faced challenges establishing their enterprises. This has been caused by a lack of access to affordable capital, accessing key markets, navigating regulations, and accessing networks that have historically helped White-owned businesses to prosper.

Nonetheless, women-led enterprises have managed to make strides. Female-owned businesses represent the fastest-growing small business in the state, said state SBA Director Gregg White.

Without support, women business owners may not be able to start or expand their businesses amid the coronavirus, White said.

White said he's looking forward to the women's center helping more South Carolina businesses obtain federal contracts, capital they need to grow businesses, and disaster assistance during the pandemic.

"We challenge all of you to support small businesses across your neighborhood," he said.

Dorothea Bernique is the executive director of Increasing H.O.P.E, a group focused on financial training that applied for the Women's Business Center grant. Bernique said Increasing H.O.P.E is excited about bringing a greater level of service to the community.

"Having the Women's Business Center to be able to support what we're doing validates the work we've already been doing in the community," she said. "We appreciate them joining us in this effort to serve the local community."

No one has been untouched by the coronavirus and organizations are looking at ways to manage financial impacts.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said the city is expecting this year a $16 million to $18 million shortfall in revenue. Summey said the city is committed to working with the center and other groups to make life successful for many people.

"The city of North Charleston is proud you will be calling this location home," he said.

Darrin Goss, president and CEO of the Coastal Community Foundation, said the organization's support of the Opportunity Center is one of the most consequential investments made in the foundation's 47-year history.

He described the center as "one stop, one place with a promise to leveling the playing field for so many people who have been left out of the economic growth we see around us."

In a region where so many lag behind economically, the center could serve many as a stepping stone toward a more promising future.

WASHINGTON  In a briefing with reporters on Tuesday afternoon White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed President Biden was set to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Psaki said the call was scheduled at the same time as her briefing and described some of the presidents plans for the conversation, which included addressing matters of concern stemming from Kremlin policies.

Among the issues on the agenda were arms control and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Biden called ... President Putin this afternoon with the intention of discussing our willingness to extend New START for five years and also to reaffirm our strong support for Ukraines sovereignty in the face of ... Russias ongoing aggression, Psaki said.

New START is a nuclear arms reduction treaty that is set to expire next month. Russia annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea in 2014, which led to a sharp deterioration in relations between Moscow and Washington. Other matters discussed included the SolarWinds hack, reports of Russia placing bounties on United States soldiers in Afghanistan, interference in the 2020 election, the poisoning of Alexei Navalny and treatment of peaceful protesters by Russian security forces.

In December it was revealed that SolarWinds, a large supplier of information technology that works with U.S. companies and government agencies, had fallen victim to a massive hack, which has been traced to Russian intelligence. Last June, reports emerged that Russia had paid Afghan militants to attack American troops in that country. Russian intelligence has also been tied to efforts to interfere in recent American elections.

President Biden; Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Evan Vucci/AP; Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Navalny, a leader of the opposition to Putin, was poisoned by a nerve agent in August, and investigators have blamed the countrys intelligence agencies. After recovering from the poisoning in Germany, Navalny returned to Russia on Jan. 17 and was jailed. His detention has sparked widespread protests in Russia.

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Psaki said Biden brought up these issues to make clear to Putin that the U.S. will not accept Russian aggression.

His intention was also to make clear that the United States will act firmly in defense of our national interests in response to malign actions by Russia, Psaki said.

Taking place just six days after Biden took office, the call was a stark contrast from the posture of his predecessor, Donald Trump. While the Trump administration went along with congressional sanctions on Russia, Trump was criticized for not doing more to publicly criticize Putin. The Trump administration claimed there were dissenting opinions on the alleged Russian bounties in Afghanistan, and the former president repeatedly dismissed U.S. intelligence assessments that the Kremlin interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election.

At an unrelated White House event shortly after Psakis briefing, Biden was asked about his call with Putin by Peter Doocy, a correspondent with Fox News.

What did you talk with Putin about? Doocy asked.

You, Biden quipped, adding, He sends his best.

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Kim Kardashian and estranged husband Kanye West appear to be heading toward divorce after more than six years of marriage.

But the potential distractions in her personal life apparently haven't interfered with the all-out marketing of her Skims shapewear brand on her social media platforms.

And on Monday Kim showed off her ample cleavage and hourglass figure in an ensemble from Skims, which she founded in 2019.

Own best advert: Kim Kardashian, 40, once again is banking on her famous name, face and figure when she posed in a bralette and leggings from her Skims shapewear brand

Like she has countless other times, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star is using her name, face, and figure to help build on her company's bottomline.

She struck a simple pose for a photo she shared on Instagram in a black bralette and black leggings that hugged her famous womanly curves

For an added dose of sexy, she wore a pair of stylish, open-toe heels and had her brown tresses styled long and flowing with some soft curls and a part in the middle.

It appears Kim has also been focusing on her four children amid her marital woes with her husband, who had been hunkered down at his ranch in Wyoming until his return to LA on Sunday.

Bankable: The fashionista showed off her hourglass figure with a simple pose for Skims advertisement she posted on her Instagram page on Monday

Taking a break from her seemingly endless marketing and design plans on Monday night, the entrepreneur shared an adorable video of her son Saint practicing Japanese.

The five-year-old could be seen watching some sort of Japanese lesson video as he ate a messy whoopie pie. Saint looked focused as he repeated Japanese words and numbers along with the video.

Kardashian posted an adorable video of her five-year-old son Saint practicing Japanese with his three-year-old sister Chicago in the background

Proud mama: 'My baby speaks Japanese,' Kardashian wrote along the bottom of the clip

His baby sister Chicago, three, also seemed to be engaged with the lesson while she munched on pizza in the background.

'My baby speaks Japanese,' Kardashian proudly wrote along the bottom of the clip.

Earlier on Monday, the mother of four posted a photo of herself covered in frosting with a smashed cake next to her with a message for her 201 million fans and followers: 'Don't be messy.'

Along with Saint and Chicago, West and Kardashian also share sons North, seven, and Psalm, one.

Messy message: The Skims founder told her 201 million fans and followers, 'Don't be messy,' in a post earlier on Monday

Family matters: West, 43, had been hunkered down at his ranch in Wyoming since news broke of his marital woes until Sunday, when he was spotted arriving at Van Nuys Airport in LA; the estranged couple are pictured with sons North, seven, Saint, five, Psalm, one, and daughter Chicago, three




Posted Monday, January 25, 2021 8:05 am

The proposed $2 billion methanol production facility in Kalama hit a major setback as an application for a key permit was denied by state authorities this month.

On Jan. 19, the Washington State Department of Ecology announced it had denied a Shoreline Conditional Use Permit for the proposed project. In an announcement from Ecology, the department explained its denial was based on increases in greenhouse gas emissions and inconsistencies with the states Shoreline Management Act.

I believe we were left with no other choice than to deny the permit for the Kalama project, Ecology Director Laura Watson wrote in a statement included in the announcement. The known and verifiable emissions from the facility would be extremely large and their effects on Washingtons environment would be significant and detrimental.

Ecology outlined its reasoning in a decision letter to project applicants, the departments announcement stated. The letter stated that the planned facility, which would take methane and produce methanol, was inconsistent with both state and Cowlitz Countys shoreline planning documents, and the project also had a failure to demonstrate that the public interest will be protected from detrimental effects from the project.

Ecology stated that if built, the facility had the potential of preventing Washington from meeting greenhouse gas emission limits set by the state legislature last year, and could use out-of-state offsets for its mitigation plans.

The proposed facility would be tied to 4.8 million tons of carbon emissions annually, according to Ecologys analysis, most related to activities outside of the plants operation itself including extraction of methane to use in the plants production, as well as the uses of methanol in Asia. The department noted that though the facility had the potential to have less greenhouse gas emissions than other sources of methanol, constructing the new facility would not actually decrease emissions.

First proposed in 2015, the facility has been mired in permitting issues for years, with Ecology most recently conducting the second of two supplementary environmental studies to determine the projects potential impacts. Following Ecologys announcement of its denial of a permit, groups opposed to the project proclaimed the development as a win for its yearslong battle against the facility.

"Governor Inslee and Ecology did the right thing; in the middle of a climate emergency, building the world's largest fracked gas-to-methanol refinery makes no sense," Power Past Fracked Gas Coalition Co-director and Sierra Club Northwest campaign representative Stephanie Hillman said in a joint statement from the opposed organizations. She was joined alongside representatives of Columbia Riverkeeper, the Washington Environmental Council, Washington Conservation Voters, Earthjustice and the Center for Biological Diversity in heralding the denial of the permit as a victory.

Without the necessary state and federal permits, this climate-wrecking proposal is going nowhere, Columbia Riverkeeper Executive Director Brett VandenHeuvel stated. Ecologys decision is cause for celebration for people across the Northwest who value bold leadership to tackle the climate crisis. We applaud Governor Inslee and Director Wastsons decision to follow the science and the law.

In a response to the decision, Northwest Innovation Works (NWIW), the company behind the proposed facility, expressed disappointment and reiterated the efforts they had taken to make the project ecologically-minded.

The science Ecology developed shows that this project is the cleanest, most climate-friendly way to make products we use every day, NWIW Chief Development Officer Vee Godley said in a statement following the announcement of the decision.

This project has been the subject of three independent environmental assessments. All scientific reviews report that the project creates a net environmental benefit for our planet, said Caputo. The latest report also points to the value of our voluntary mitigation proposal.

Godley pointed out in the statement that the years worth of review by ecology involved $600,000 of taxpayer funding, reiterating the economic benefits project backers believe the facility would provide.

We want to contribute to post-pandemic solutions, Godley said in the statement. To deny this permit ignores the science and comes at the expense of local jobs and regional economic benefits. The unemployment rate in Southwest Washington has more than doubled since this project was initially proposed seven years ago.

NWIW has the ability to appeal the decision to the state Shoreline Hearings Board, which the company is evaluating its options to do so, NWIW General Counsel Kent Caputo said in the statement, adding we feel confident that science and reason will prevail.

Should NWIW decide to appeal, those against the project believe that Ecology had excellent legal grounds for the permits denial, the joint statement of opponents stated.
The GWI announced The Wellness Moonshot Challenge, a new initiative which will raise funds to support The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease. COVID-19 brought to the fore the need for a powerful, collaborative force to educate people about prevention and inspire them to take control of their health. This is no longer optionalit is mission-critical, and Im honored to be part of The Wellness Moonshot Challenge...

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower wellness worldwide, today announced The Wellness Moonshot Challenge at a global press event. The new initiative will raise funds to support The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease, which brings the issue of preventable, lifestyle diseases to the forefront of GWIs research and education efforts.

The Wellness Moonshot Challenge received its first donation of $100,000 from the Richard P. Woltman family. GWI Chair and CEO Susie Ellis announced that GWI Board of Directors member Richard P. Woltman would also act as fundraising chair for the project. Woltman is chair emeritus, Girard Securities Inc., and a financial industry leader and philanthropist committed to the health and sciences industry.

COVID-19 brought to the fore the need for a powerful, collaborative force to educate people about prevention and inspire them to take control of their health, said Woltman. This is no longer optionalit is mission-critical, and Im honored to be part of The Wellness Moonshot Challenge and to lead the fundraising effort. This is something I have long believed in and supported, and I know that the Global Wellness Institute will make a difference.

Ellis also noted Richard Carmona, MD, 17th U.S. Surgeon General, a member of the GWI Board of Directors and founding member of The Wellness Moonshot project, will serve as co-chair for the challenge. Jessica Jesse, founder, CEO and creative director of BuDhaGirl and creator of The Wellness Moonshot Calendar: A Year of Inspiration, will serve as honorary chair for phase one of the project.

Addressing media and guests at the press event, Ellis said, Never in my lifetime has there been a more critical moment to stand up and take action to raise awareness of the importance of largely preventable chronic diseases. We are calling on companies large and small, private and public foundations, universities and individuals to sound the clarion call and unite in this crucial mission.

The Centers for Disease estimates that 69% of all deaths globally each year are the result of preventable disease (2017) and that the global cost of largely preventable chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and more) could reach $47 trillion by 2030 (World Economic Forum, 2017).

The Birth of a Moonshot

Inspired by President John F. Kennedys famous Moonshot that challenged the United States to go to the moon, the GWI launched The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease in 2017 at the annual Global Wellness Summit. Today, this ambitious project to achieve the monumental goal of eradicating preventable disease is supported by a host of global business and media partners, including more than 1,300 companies and organizations that impact 150,776,738 individuals.

The Wellness Moonshot has also formed strategic partnerships with leaders in China, India and Israel, expanding the global reach of the mission.

In 2020, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic focused new attention on the impact of acute and chronic preventable diseases on the immune system.

The pandemic makes the collaborative work inspired by The Wellness Moonshot perhaps the most important endeavor undertaken globally in this century, said Ellis. My greatest hope is that the legacy of the wellness industry is that we stood up at the most difficult time in our lives and took a giant step forward in accomplishing this moonshot together.

About the Global Wellness Institute: The Global Wellness Institute (GWI), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is considered the leading global research and educational resource for the global wellness industry and is known for introducing major industry initiatives that bring together leaders to chart the future. Through its five pillars of wellnessresearch, initiatives, roundtables, Wellness Evidence and The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable DiseaseGWI positively impacts global health and wellness by educating public institutions, businesses and individuals on how they can work to prevent disease, reduce stress, and enhance the overall quality of life. Its mission is to empower wellness worldwide.


A woman who launched a frightening, vicious and unprovoked attack on a fellow attendee of a Westlife concert 18 months ago has avoided a jail term.

Jackie Walsh (26) split the victims ear lobe during the attack after her earring got caught up when Walsh was pulling fistfuls of the womans hair. The victim said during the assault she could feel blood pouring down her face and could see clumps of her hair all over her shorts.

The victim, who didnt make a victim impact statement because she is currently going through a severe bout of depression, was treated by a doctor at the concert.

Her ear lobe was stitched up and she was given an anaesthetic. While she complained of an extreme headache for days after the attack, she didnt require further treatment.

Walsh of Clonard Park, Ballybeg, Co Waterford, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at Croke Park Stadium on July 5, 2019. She has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since.

Judge Melanie Greally said the facts speak for themselves and described it as a frightening, vicious and unprovoked assault which had immediate consequences for the victim.

She said testimonials before the court indicate that Walshs behaviour was entirely out of character and she was not normally a person who was inclined to engage in violent conduct.

Judge Greally accepted evidence from Detective Sergeant Stephen Coleman that Walsh was heavily intoxicated on the night and genuinely didnt recall the assault, which started after the victim indicated that Walsh was sitting in her (the victim) boyfriends seat.

The judge acknowledged that Walsh was a bright young woman with plenty of potential. She noted that she has mental health difficulties, which she was addressing before the assault and which she continues to address.

Judge Greally sentenced Walsh to two and half years in prison which she suspended in full on condition that she undergo 12 months Probation Supervision.

She acknowledged that Walsh had saved 3,000 as a token of remorse for the victim who is willing to accept it. She ordered that the money be transferred to the victim within a week.




Repeated promises in vain: How the farmer protest turned violent

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: Thousands of tractors took a turn towards ITO, despite the farmers' unions repeatedly promosing that the tractor rally will not enter the Capital.

Farmers enter Red Fort, hoist a flag | Tractor rampage at ITO | Oneindia News

There were clear directives that were issued stating that no loudspeakers would be played and the tractors should not have more than five people. However none of these directives were followed.

The flashpoint of today's chaos was the participation of the Nihang Sikhs who came on horses carrying and welding swords and sticks. It was decided that the rally will enter Delhi from Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders, following which it would return.

Anti-social elements infiltrated our peaceful protest: Farmers' group

However the farmers complained that the police did not remove the barricades and were not permitting them to enter Delhi. According to the route map, the march from Singhu was supposed to pass through Kanjhawala, Bawana, Auchandi border, KMP Expressway and then return to Singhu.

The Tikri route was to Nagloi, Najafgarh and Western Peripheral Expressway, while the Ghazipur border route was meant to be on the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal Expressway.

The first clash broke out at the barricades, while another took place where the protesters had deviated from the routes. The police resorted to lathi charge and tear gas shelling.

The Khalistan infiltration: What we are witnessing in Delhi is exactly what SJF planned

The protesters also stormed the Red Fort waved farm union flags from its ramparts. The riot police had to fire tear gas and use water canons at numerous places to push back the protesters. The police had to use buses in an attempt to stop the farmers from reaching the centre of the capital. The farmers were seen ramming those buses with their tractors.

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 16:52 [IST]
Italian actress and journalist Asia Argento has accused Rob Cohen, director of the 'Fast and Furious' series, of sexual assault.

In one of the most high-profile claims as part of the MeToo movement, she broke her silence.

"At the time, I really didn't know what it was. I woke up in the morning naked in his bed, I didn't know what had happened, I discovered it later, when I spoke to a friend about that substance Cohen had given me to drink," Argento told Il Corriere della Sera.

The claim is included in her autobiography, 'Anatomy of a wild heart'.

Cohen has reacted to deny the claims, denying the accusation.

"Mr. Cohen categorically denies Asia Argento's accusation of assault against him as absolutely false," a spokesperson said.

"When they worked together, they had an excellent working relationship and Mr Cohen considered her a friend, so this claim dating back to 2002 is bewildering, especially given what has been reported about her in recent years."
Amazon.com Inc on Monday filed a petition in the Delhi high court, seeking imprisonment of Future group promoters, including founder Kishore Biyani, for allegedly violating securities market rules by illegally encumbering group company shares.

According to the petition, a copy of which was reviewed by Mint, Amazon has also sought the enforcement of an emergency arbitration order of Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC). The Singapore court in October ordered an interim stay on Future Groups 24,713 crore deal to sell its retail assets to Reliance Industries. A single-judge bench of the Delhi high court had later allowed the deal to go through, subject to regulatory approvals.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

Amazons petition has come days after the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) gave conditional approval to Future Group for amalgamation of six Future Group firms as part of the plan to sell assets to Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd and Reliance Fashion and Lifestyle. Future Group announced the deal to sell all its retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing businesses to Reliance Industries two subsidiaries on 29 August to repay debt.

In its petition, Amazon alleged that Future Group had obtained financing from the Mukesh Ambani group in violation of the SIAC ruling. In addition, the petitioner (Amazon) verily believes that the respondents (Future Group and promoters) continue to encumber their shares in FRL (Future Retail Ltd) and allow invocation of pledges on their shares in FRL, in direct contravention of the directions issued by the emergency arbitrator (of SIAC)," Amazon said. In a related development on Monday, SIAC extended its interim stay order on Future-Reliance deal till further modification.

Amazon alleged that the promoters of FRL deliberately acted with an intention to induce regulators into granting permissions in breach of the SIAC interim order. In light of the above, the necessary consequence of the wilful disobedience by the majority respondents entails attachment of property and detention in civil prison of respondent numbers 3-11 (the Biyanis and other promoters), as well as directors of FCPL (Future Coupons Pvt. Ltd), FRL," Amazon said in its petition.

Spokespeople for Future Group, Reliance Industries and Amazon India didnt respond to emails seeking comment.

If the court doesnt grant relief as per its petition, Amazon said the Future Group will proceed with the deal as they have publicly declared and repeatedly sought. This will vitiate the petitioners entire investment in FCPL, which is not compensable in monetary term and it would cause irreparable loss and injury to the petitioner," said the Amazon petition.

Following a 49% stake sale to Amazon in August 2019, FCPL, on 19 December that year issued a letter to Future Retail Ltd setting out the list of restricted persons with whom Future Group could not forge an alliance. Mukesh Ambanis Reliance Industries was one of the names in this list.

Amazon has also asked the court to issue an injunction against Future Group, restraining the latter from relying on any no-objection letter by any authority and from issuing securities of FRL or obtaining any financing from Mukesh Ambani group or any other restricted party listed in the 19 December 2019 letter by FCPL to FRL.

On 25 October, SIAC passed an emergency arbitration award in favour of Amazon, restraining Future Group from taking any step related to the RIL-Future deal.

On 7 November, FRL filed a suit against Amazon, stating that the latter is interfering in the RIL-Future deal and the court should stop Amazon from doing so. On 21 December, the Delhi high court upheld the SIAC ruling and declined Futures plea to stop Amazon from approaching regulators to bar the RIL-Future deal.

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Global Ports Holding Plc

Completes the sale of Port Akdeniz, creating a pure-play cruise operator

Global Ports Holding Plc ("GPH" or "Group"), the world's largest independent cruise port operator, is pleased to announce that further to the announcement of 21 October 2020, all conditions precedent to the sale of Ortadogu Antalya Liman Isletmeleri ("Port Akdeniz") to QTerminals W.L.L. ("QTerminals"), including obtaining regulatory clearance and approval from relevant Turkish government authorities, have been satisfied and the transaction has now completed.

As previously announced, the agreed enterprise value for the sale was $140m, and the equity value for GPH after deducting net debt and debt-like items of Port Akdeniz as at closing is $115m. The buyer will withhold $11.5m as a security for potential claims, which will be released in Q4-2021. From the proceeds received at closing after aforementioned retention GPH will pay transaction-related costs and expenses.

Pure play cruise port operator

As a result of the disposal, GPH will become a more geographically diversified business, with Turkey representing a significantly reduced proportion of Group revenue going forward. Revenue from Turkish assets represented 47.0% of Group revenue in the year ended 31 December 2019; following the disposal of Port Akdeniz, revenue from remaining Turkish assets represent c10% of 2019 pro-forma revenues.

The disposal also means that GPH will now effectively be a pure-play global cruise port operator. The GPH Board and senior management will now focus time and resources on the restart of cruise port operations during 2021 and continued expansion in the global cruise port market.

Notwithstanding current travel restrictions and uncertainty surrounding the return of meaningful global cruise activity, the Board of Global Ports Holding believes that the continued demand for cruising, as evidenced by healthy booking patterns reported by the major cruise lines for 2021 and beyond, supports the forecasted long term structural growth in cruise tourism.

Port of Adria

As a result of the sale of Port Akdeniz and the effective creation of a pure-play cruise port operator, the board of Global Ports Holding is considering its options in regard to Port of Adria, the Group's commercial port concession in Bar, Montenegro, including a potential disposal. There can be no certainty as to the timing or that the terms of a sale will be agreed. A further announcement will be made when it is appropriate to do so.

Eurobond refinancing

On 7 January 2021, GPH announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Global Liman Isletmeleri A.S. had published a refinancing proposal to the holders of its $250m 8.125% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2021. This proposal aims to address the upcoming maturity and provide the business with a more stable, deleveraged capital structure.

The sale's successful closing is an essential element of the Group's refinancing strategy for the Eurobond, with the net cash proceeds being used to fund a cash option to noteholders pursuant to the proposal. More information on the proposal to noteholders is available on the Investors section of Global Ports Holding's website.

Global Ports Holding's Chairman and Co-founder Mehmet Kutman said:

"Port Akdeniz has played a pivotal role in the successful development of the Group over the years. However, it is now time for Port Akdeniz's stewardship to pass to an organisation that I believe will prove to be an ideal home for the port and the employees in the years ahead.

The sale of Port Akdeniz effectively completes a key strategic ambition of the Group, creating a pure play cruise port operator. While this occurs during a period of unprecedented uncertainty for the global tourism industry, I firmly believe that the long-term fundamentals that make the cruise port industry such an exciting structural growth industry remain firmly in place."

About Port Akdeniz:

Port Akdeniz, operates Port Akdeniz-Antalya in Turkey, under a concession agreement which runs until August 2028. Port Akdeniz-Antalya is a leading commercial cargo export port in Turkey, currently specialising in handling cargo containers and general and bulk cargo destined for global markets including those in Asia and the Middle East. In the year ended 31 December 2019, Port Akdeniz reported Container Throughput volumes of 150.9k TEU and General and Bulk cargo volumes of 589k tons, generating revenue of $47.5m and EBITDA of $37.4m, representing 40.3% of Group Revenue and 44.8% of Group Segmental EBITDA. In the 9-month period ending 30 September 2020, Port Akdeniz reported revenues of $25.0m and EBITDA of $18.2m.

About QTerminals:

QTerminals is a terminal operating company jointly established by Mwani Qatar (51% shareholding) and Milaha (49% shareholding) to provide container, general cargo, RORO, livestock and offshore supply services in Phase 1 of Hamad Port, Qatar's gateway to world trade. QTerminals is responsible for enabling Qatar's imports and exports, its maritime trade flows and stimulating economic growth locally and regionally.
US Vice President Kamala Harris' niece, Meena Harris, has opened up about the impact that the former had on her while growing up.

"A feminist household is all I've ever known," said Meena, 36, in an interview to The Times. She said that the whole idea of men being in power was not something she was familiar with till she went out to work. She describes her family unit as being fierce and made up of women entirely - her grandmother, her mother Maya, her aunt Kamala and herself.

Kamala Harris' sister and Meena's mother, Maya, is a well-known figure as well. She was one of the senior policy advisors for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016. Maya gave birth to Meena when she was only 17 and still in high school. Kamala Harris would then look after Meena on the weekends, the latter revealed in the interview.

She also opened up about her "unique upbringing." She said she was taught as a child that ambition must be celebrated and that means chasing your dreams and having faith in yourself.

She also spoke about how children in their family were always included in adult conversations because her family believed growing up that kids can learn and listen.

Meena also opened up about how Kamala has been criticised over the years for merely being a woman or for being a woman of colour.

Meena told The Times that "an old white guy" had once called Kamala "too ambitious". Her whole life, people have tried to pull the Vice President down by either saying that she was too young or too much of a woman or that she was too black.

Yet, Kamala Harris proved them all wrong.

Harris' journey as a senator and now as the Vice President is one of firsts. She scripted history by becoming first woman, Black and Indian-American vice president of the United States. She has been a county district attorney; the district attorney for San Francisco - the first woman and first African-American and Indian-origin to be elected to the position.

Meena had explored similar topics in her book, 'Ambitious Girl'. The book focuses on the journey of a girl of colour who was told that she was "too assertive" and "too ambitious" and how that sends her on a path to self-discovery.

In the same interview, Meena also spoke about gender roles within her own family. Her partner, Nikolas Ajagu, had given up his job to be a full-time dad to their two children while Meena focused on her writing career.
The Serum Institute of India (SII) will supply Saudi Arabia with 3 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses priced at $5.25 each in about a week on behalf of the British drugmaker, its chief executive told Reuters on Monday.

SII has no immediate plans, however, to divert supplies to Europe, even though AstraZeneca has come under pressure from the EU to deliver more shots after announcing a big cut in shipments due to production problems at a Belgian factory.

SII, the world's biggest vaccine manufacturer, has partnered with AstraZeneca, the Gates Foundation and the Gavi vaccine alliance to make up to a billion doses for poorer countries.

The Indian company supplies doses on behalf of AstraZeneca but is also free to strike its own supply deals.

"We continue to support AstraZeneca wherever they need the support. We are happy to do so," Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla told Reuters in an interview.

"But we have not been asked to supply any more products for Europe because then that would mean supplies to Africa and India would suffer, and we certainly don't want that," he said. "Once I satisfy that I can look at other, richer nations. Six months to a year, that could change."

He said the doses destined for Saudi Arabia would be shipped in a week or 10 days. SII is also supplying South Africa with 1.5 million doses at the same price of $5.25 each on behalf of AstraZeneca.

"We have our hands full, in fact, with the volumes even we need to supply," Poonawalla said. "We have been on time and we are able to supply to all these nations."

The pricing of the deal between South Africa and AstraZeneca has sparked some controversy as it is higher than the $3 a dose that South Africa and other countries on the continent are due to pay for the vaccine under an African Union arrangement.

AstraZeneca has said it will not profit from the vaccine during the pandemic.

Brazil last week received 2 million doses of the vaccine from SII and Poonawalla said it also paid about $5 per dose.

Poonawalla said that SII would raise production of the AstraZeneca vaccine by 30% by the end of March from its current daily output of about 2.4 million doses, once the third and final facility making the shot comes online.

SII also plans to start stockpiling a vaccine candidate from U.S. company Novavax Inc in a few months, despite a fire last week that killed five people and damaged one of its new plants in the western Indian city of Pune.

Poonawalla said SII had no intention of partnering with companies such as Pfizer Inc whose COVID-19 vaccine needs to be stored at about minus 70 Celsius (minus 94 Fahrenheit) as India currently lacks such facilities.

Pfizer, which developed the shot with Germany's BioNTech, told Reuters it would pursue its request for India to approve the vaccine if the government committed to buying shots.

Pfizer was the first drugmaker to seek emergency use authorisation for its vaccine in India in early December but it has yet to be approved.

India's drug regulator says Pfizer officials failed to attend subsequent meetings it had called. The U.S. drugmaker says its officials had not been given enough notice.
[January 26, 2021] Wayfair Joins Boston While Black as Founding Partner

Wayfair Inc. (NYSE:W), one of the world's largest online destinations for the home, today announced that it is a founding partner to Boston While Black, the first membership network for Boston-based, Black professionals, entrepreneurs and graduate students who are seeking connection and community. Through this partnership, Wayfair will sponsor a variety of programs and events with Boston While Black and provide the opportunity for all interested employees who identify as Black or of the African diaspora to join the Boston While Black membership network. The membership provides an opportunity for more Black professionals to have access to mentors and leaders who they can relate to, culturally-relevant experiences, resources on how to navigate the city, and an authentic personal and professional network. "At Wayfair, we are committed to creating a more inclusive and engaging workplace where everyone feels at home. As one of the largest employers in Boston, we recognize that we have an important role in creating space for Black voices and investing in Black talent," noted Kate Gulliver, Global Head of Talent, Wayfair. "We are excited to be a founding partner of Boston While Black to help support the important work they are pioneering for Black professionals in Boston, and we are thrilled to provide our employees with the opportunity to be a part of this impactful community." Boston While Black is helping to create a city where Black people want to live and work because they have the spaces, tools, and relationships to find their tribe, grow their network, navigate the city, and have fun. Members have access to a private digital community, weekly professional and social events, influential leaders and experts, and unique larning opportunities. Joining at the highest corporate partnership level, "Courageous Disruptor," Wayfair will support a variety of programs and events throughout the year, host career development and recruitment workshops, and support the launch of a mentoring program.



"We are excited for Wayfair to join our Boston While Black community. Their commitment as a Founding Partner will support and improve the overall experience for their Black employees and create a stronger sense of belonging in the region," said Sheena Collier, Founder and CEO, Boston While Black. "Building a thriving network that connects Black changemakers across industries in Boston is just the first step. We are tapping Boston's broader business community to join our dynamic founding partners to take public action, invest in both Black businesses and Black talent, and serve as catalysts for the long-overdue shift toward a more inclusive society." Current and incoming Bostonians interested in joining Boston While Black can learn more and sign up for membership here. In addition, professionals interested in a career at Wayfair can learn more about and apply to open roles by visiting wayfair.com/careers.

About Boston While Black Boston While Black is the first membership network for Boston-based Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and students who are seeking connection and community. Through programs, events, and a digital community, they connect members who are active in their local neighborhoods, working at the most innovative companies, building the businesses of the future, attending the area's universities, and shaping the culture of the region. Boston While Black is creating a city where Black people want to live and work because they have the spaces, tools, and relationships to find their tribe, grow their network, navigate the city, and have fun. The Boston While Black community is powered by the experiences of the creator, Sheena Collier, who moved here fifteen years ago to attend Harvard and had her own challenges navigating Boston, particularly as a Black woman. Learn more at bostonwhileblack.com. About Wayfair Wayfair believes everyone should live in a home they love. Through technology and innovation, Wayfair makes it possible for shoppers to quickly and easily find exactly what they want from a selection of more than 18 million items across home furnishings, decor, home improvement, housewares and more. Committed to delighting its customers every step of the way, Wayfair is reinventing the way people shop for their homes - from product discovery to final delivery. The Wayfair family of sites includes: Wayfair - All things home, all in one place.

Joss & Main - Stylish designs to discover daily.

AllModern - The best of modern, priced for real life.

Birch Lane - Classic home. Comfortable cost.

Perigold - The widest-ever selection of luxury home furnishings. Wayfair generated $13.0 billion in net revenue for the twelve months ended September 30, 2020. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with operations throughout North America and Europe, the company employs more than 16,700 people. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005410/en/

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Farmers and people participate in the Parade for Farmers in Hyderabad rally from L B Nagar to Uppal, organised by All India Kishan Sangharsh Coordination committee on Tuesday. (DC Image/P.Surendra)

HYDERABAD: Farmers from Telangana on Tuesday participated in a long procession in Hyderabad with their tractors and other vehicles in solidarity with farmers protesting in Delhi for over past two months demanding rollback of the three agriculture laws enacted by the central government.

The 10-km long parade by farmers was also joined in by people from other walks of life with their cars, auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers. The event passed off peacefully. Though permission for the procession was initially refused by the Hyderabad city police, it was allowed following intervention by the Telangana High Court, which heard an urgent appeal by Telangana Rythu Sangham. The procession started from Saroornagar Stadium and culminated at Uppal Cross Roads.

Amid chanting of slogans demanding withdrawal of farm laws and making minimum support prices for various crops a law, thousands marched accusing the BJP-led government at the centre of favouring corporate companies. Such processions, being organised all across the country, are an attempt to counter claims of the central government that protests by farmers are confined only to two or three states in the north, the rally organisers stated.

According to Saraswati Kavula, a farmer taking part in the protest, The procession will turn out historic in Indias republic as true manifestation of peoples power. Majority of people of this country, who are farmers, have come to rescue democracy. She declared that the executive will have to back down before the peoples power and scrap the three black laws.

Kiran Vissa, another farm leader, said Along with farmers, people from all walks of life, including domestic workers, street hawkers, teachers and IT employees, have taken part in the rally. It sends a clear message to the central government that all citizens of the country are supporting the farmers movement.

Telengana Rythu Sangam secretary T. Sagar felt the union government should at least now realise that the farmers movement is not going to end unless the three laws are withdrawn.
The number of active cases in the country dropped to 1,77,266 on Tuesday, constituting just over 1.60 per cent of the total infection count, the Health Ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry said active cases declined by 6,916 in a 24-hour period.

"Active cases per million population is lowest in the world (128). Germany, Russia, Brazil, Italy, the UK and the USA have much higher cases per million population," it said.

The ministry said India has crossed a crucial milestone in its fight against the global pandemic as the daily new cases have touched a new low, dropping below 10,000 on Tuesday.

India Tuesday reported 9,102 cases, the lowest in 237 days, the ministry said. The daily new cases were 9,304 on June 4, 2020.

"With a sustained, pro-active and calibrated strategy of the Centre based on 'whole of government' and 'whole of society' approach, the daily new cases have seen a consistent decline. This has ensured a steady fall in daily fatalities too. The country has recorded less than 120 (117) fatalities in the last 24 hours after more than 8 months (8 months 9 days)," it said.

The Health Ministry also said 20,23,809 beneficiaries have received vaccine shots as on January 26 till 8 AM. "In the last 24 hours, 4,08,305 people were vaccinated across 7,764 sessions. 36,378 sessions have been conducted so far," it said.

Of the total beneficiaries vaccinated, the highest number is from Karnataka (2,31,172), followed by Odisha at 1,77,090, Rajasthan at 1,61,116 and Maharashtra at 1,36,901, the ministry data showed.

The total recovered cases are 1.03 crore (1,03,45,985) as on Tuesday, which translates to a recovery Rate of 96.90 per cent, the ministry said, adding the gap between recovered and active cases continues to widen and presently stands at 1,01,68,719.

(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 Tesco manager who was sacked for bravely tackling a violent shoplifter has won a 42,000 payout in an unfair dismissal case.

Abdoul El Gorrou restrained the armed thief to protect customers and other staff before police could arrive in an 'intensely scary' confrontation in June 2019.

But rather than receiving praise for his actions in fighting off the 'disgusting' attack, the 60-year-old was reported for misconduct by a whistleblower who had a vendetta against him.

He was then fired after more than 20 years of service, with the supermarket giant arguing he should not have manhandled the shoplifter.

Mr El Gorrou has now won a case of unfair dismissal against Tesco after an employment tribunal ruled that he had acted reasonably to defend himself and others.

A hearing in East London was told the incident took place in a store which was regarded as 'dangerous' because of shoplifters who became violent.

But despite its 'high risk' reputation, no security guards were supplied to the unidentified shop, the tribunal was told. Tesco declined to comment.

Abdoul El Gorrou restrained the armed thief to protect customers and other staff before police could arrive in an 'intensely scary' confrontation in June 2019. Pictured, stock photo

After spotting a potential thief, the panel heard that - in line with company policy - Mr El Gorrou invited him into his office.

Employment Judge Stephen Knight: 'He noticed a shoplifter. He used his customer service skills, honed over almost 20 years' employment, to invite the shoplifter into the store office.

'At this stage (he) did not feel threatened. It was a situation that (he) will have managed professionally countless times before.

'This was in line with (his) training, to invite the shoplifter into the office to issue a banning letter and if appropriate call police.

'When the shoplifter was in the office, the shoplifter turned aggressive. He spat at (him). He had in his hand a key, which (he) at the time thought was a screwdriver.

'Outside the office were staff and customers who could get hurt. (He) was close to the shoplifter at the time. He had already approached him before the shoplifter became threatening.

'(He) then made a split-second decision to restrain the shoplifter to protect himself and others.'

The tribunal heard that while the thief made no complaint, three months later an email and a short video extract of the incident were sent to the Tesco whistleblowing hotline.

'The whistleblower attached an extract of the store CCTV which they created by recording on their phone a screen which was playing the store CCTV,' the panel heard.

'The whistleblower held some sort of vendetta against (Mr El Gorrou), and was using the CCTV footage to encourage (Tesco) to take disciplinary action against (him).'

But rather than receiving praise for his actions in fighting off the 'disgusting' attack, the 60-year-old was reported for misconduct by a whistleblower who had a vendetta against him. Mr El Gorrou has now won a case of unfair dismissal against Tesco after an employment tribunal ruled that he had acted reasonably to defend himself and others. Pictured, stock photo

The footage showed the two men in a brief struggle, with the manager grabbing the shoplifter by his hood and then restraining him for 10 seconds before officers arrive.

After receiving the complaint, Tesco launched disciplinary action against Mr El Gorrou and fired him for gross misconduct in January 2020 for having physical contact with a customer.

The employment tribunal judge criticised Tesco for not being more suspicious of the whistleblower's claims and evidence.

'The CCTV is completely decontextualised,' he said. 'It does not show what happened immediately before (he) took a step towards the shoplifter.

'Any reasonable employer would also conclude that this was suspicious, and that the footage immediately before the start could be exculpatory, and could have been edited out by the whistleblower to make (the manager) look worse.

'A reasonable employer would ask why the footage had been edited in this way. However, (Tesco) did not ask itself this question.'

The judge also dismissed the supermarket's claim that Mr El Gorrouh had breached its policies on how to tackle shoplifters.

'(His) actions, viewed objectively, were reasonable in all the circumstances as he believed them to be at the time, in defence of himself and others,' he said.

'There were no reasonable grounds on which (Tesco) could have concluded that (he) acted otherwise than in response to disgusting and violent actions by the armed and threatening shoplifter.

'There were no reasonable grounds to conclude that in the CCTV footage (he) acted otherwise than in reasonable self defence and defence of others... having made a split-second decision about what defence was required, in an intensely scary and fast-paced situation, and without a security guard having been provided for his or his colleagues' protection.'

Mr El Gorrouh was awarded a total of 42,141.56 in compensation.
QUINCY, Mass., Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stop & Shop, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Health, today announced that select Massachusetts pharmacy locations have been approved and have begun to administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination. Per Massachusetts distribution plan, current eligible individuals must live, work or attend school in Massachusetts, and include healthcare workers, as well as non-hospital-based healthcare personnel and residents of other long-term care settings covered under the rollout of Phase 1. Effective Monday, February 1, select Stop & Shop locations will begin accepting online vaccination appointments for those 75 and older.



The Massachusetts Department of Health will determine individual eligibility, and eligible customers will be able to schedule their vaccination via Stop & Shops Online Vaccine Scheduling System. Stop & Shop is only authorized to immunize individuals who live, work or attend school in Massachusetts under the guidelines of Massachusetts Phase 1 through January 31, 2021, which is limited to direct & COVID-facing healthcare workers, long term care facility staff and residents, first responders, congregate care setting workers, home-based healthcare workers, and healthcare workers doing non-COVID facing care. Effective February 1, 2021, those living, employed or studying in Massachusetts who are 75 and older will be eligible for vaccination at participating Stop & Shop pharmacies. Customers are urged to visit www.stopandshop.com/covid-vaccine to schedule an appointment and view the most recent COVID-19 updates. Customers should not visit or call Stop & Shop stores for vaccine updates or appointments as all pertinent information and appointment requests will be provided online

Stop & Shop is proud to continue to do its part in the fight against COVID-19, shared Katie Thornell, Director of Pharmacy Operations at Stop & Shop. Being an early provider of the vaccine demonstrates our commitment to being a trusted health resource within our local communities. We are excited to begin helping members of the community protect themselves against COVID-19, while continuing to provide a safe shopping experience for your familys everyday grocery and pharmacy needs.

In December, Stop & Shop announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to be among the first COVID-19 vaccine providers, making the shot available to its customers across the Northeast. The coronavirus vaccine will be administered to Stop & Shop customers who are eligible for Phase 1 and those over 75 at no out-of-pocket cost.

Stop & Shop and its pharmacists are eager to do their part to assist the community by providing the COVID-19 vaccine in a safe and sanitized environment. During immunization, customers will be required to wear PPE and pharmacists will be equipped with masks, gloves, and face shields. The pharmacy team utilizes the same thorough disinfection protocols for all patients, disinfecting and sanitizing between each patient to ensure the health & safety for all patients.

Flu, pneumonia, shingles and other immunizations are currently available to customers at all Stop & Shop Pharmacy locations. To find your nearest Stop & Shop pharmacy, visit www.stopandshop.com/pharmacy. For more information on Stop & Shops rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.stopandshop.com/covid-vaccine.
BARI, JAN 26 - Italian police have opened a probe into instigation to suicide for a nine-year-old boy who hanged himself in his home in Bari Monday afternoon, judicial sources said Tuesday. For the moment the probe is against person or persons unknown, the sources said. It is a formality, in order to be able to carry out technical exams, they said. Police have thus far ruled out any connection to online games or social media, after a 10-year-old girl choked herself to death by playing a TikTok Challenge in Palermo last week. A local coroner is set to be charged with carrying out an autopsy in the coming hours, the sources said. The boy has been described as "tranquil and serene" by those who knew him. Police are not ruling out the possibility that his death was due to a tragic accident. The boy's Playstation and all the phones available for use in the house are still being checked, but police said informally that they could rule out a social-media game. After last week's accident in Palermo, Italy's data privacy authority ordered video sharing app TikTok to temporarily block the accounts of any users whose ages can't be confirmed. The order came after the death of the 10-year-old girl in Palermo, whose parents told authorities their daughter was participating in a "blackout challenge" she saw on the app. The child died of asphyxiation, and authorities are investigating whether anyone invited her to try the challenge. (ANSA).
BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday it will conduct military exercises in the South China Sea this week, just days after Beijing bristled at a U.S. aircraft carrier group's entry into the disputed waters.

A notice issued by the country's Maritime Safety Administration prohibited entry into a portion of waters in the Gulf of Tonkin to the west of the Leizhou peninsula in southwestern China from Jan. 27 to Jan. 30, but it did not offer details on when the drills would take place or at what scale.

A U.S. carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt entered the South China Sea on Saturday to promote "freedom of the seas," the U.S. military said, days after Joe Biden began his term as president.

The contested waters have become another flashpoint in the increasingly testy bilateral relationship between Beijing and Washington. The U.S. military has steadily increased its activities there in recent years as China asserts its territorial claims in the area in conflict with neighbouring countries including Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan.

The announcement of the drills in the Gulf of Tonkin, just east of Vietnam, came as the Southeast Asian country opened a key Communist Party congress in Hanoi.

China on Monday complained that the United States frequently sends aircraft and vessels into the South China Sea, through which trillion dollars in trade flow every year, to "flex its muscles" and said such actions are not conducive to peace and stability in the region.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Additional reporting by James Pearson in Hanoi; Writing by Se Young Lee; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Lisa Eisenhart, 57, will remain in custody in pending trial, a federal judge ruled Tuesday

A Georgia mother who was seen storming the US Capitol alongside her son will remain in custody ahead of trial, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

Lisa Eisenhart, 57, is accused of breaking into the Capitol with her son, Eric Munchel, 30, of Nashville, Tennessee, who was photographed carrying flexible plastic handcuffs in the Senate chamber on January 6.

Both were arrested and are being held in Nashville.

In separate hearings, a federal magistrate judge in Nashville had ordered them released to home confinement.

Prosecutors opposed the release, and at their request, the judge stayed his order until it could be reviewed by the District of Columbia court.

US District Chief Judge Beryl Howell, of the District of Columbia, blocked Eisenhart's release pending a hearing and ordered her transported to D.C. for further proceedings Tuesday. The judge had issued the same order for Munchel on Sunday.

Eric Munchel, 30, left, is seen along with his mother Lisa Eisenhart, 57, at the Capitol siege

Eric Munchel was quickly dubbed 'zip tie guy' after he was pictured with a bundle of flex-cuffs inside the Senate chamber

In both cases, prosecutors have argued the defendants should remain jailed pending trial because they are a danger to the community and a flight risk.

'The nature and circumstances of the offense involve fear, intimidation, and violence - directed at law enforcement, elected public officials, and the entire country,' prosecutors wrote in their request for an emergency stay of Eisenhart's release.

'The defendant can make no serious claim that she went to the Capitol on January 6 intending to engage in peaceful protest or civil disobedience.'

Both Munchel and Eisenhart are charged with violent entry and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds, conspiracy and civil disorder. They could each face up to 20 years if convicted.

Prosecutors say the two wore tactical and bulletproof vests in the Capitol and Munchel carried a stun gun.

Munchel also recorded their storming of the Capitol, and prosecutors say that video shows the pair stashed weapons in a bag before entering the building.

A search of Munchel's home turned up assault rifles, a sniper rifle with a tripod, shotguns, pistols, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a drum-style magazine.

The 30-year-old - who attended the rally with his mother - was dubbed 'zip-tie guy' on social media after photos of him holding plastic cuffs inside the Senate gallery went viral.

In a court filing ahead of a detention hearing in Nashville last week, prosecutors described a January 10 search of Munchel's home that turned up multiple firearms.

FBI agents also found tactical gear Munchel had worn during the riots as well as vest that was 'similar, if not identical' to the one his mom, Lisa Eisenhart, appeared to have been wearing that day.

Eric Munchel, 30, is pictured in his mugshot having been arrested in Nashville last Sunday. His mother, Lisa Eisenhart, 57, has also been arrested and charged

FBI agents also found tactical gear Munchel had worn during the riots as well as vest that was 'similar, if not identical' to the one his mother, Lisa Eisenhart, appeared to have been wearing that day

This photo provided by U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee shows multiple assault rifles that were found during a search of Eric Munchel's home on January 10

Federal prosecutors also said they have reason to believe Munchel may have had weapons with him in Washington based on footage obtained from an iPhone he had strapped on his chest.

The video, which was not publicly released, allegedly showed them stashing weapons in a tactical bag outside the Capitol before entering. It isn't clear where exactly the firearms were left.

The findings were revealed in a memorandum filed last Wednesday requesting Munchel be detained until trial amid claims he's a danger to his community and a serious flight risk.

Munchel is said to have traveled to Washington with Eisenhart who has also been charged and has a detention hearing set for July.

The two participated in Trump's 'Stop the Steal' rally in which the former president repeated his baseless claims of election fraud and exhorted the crowd to march to the Capitol and 'fight like hell.'

Munchel and his mom are said to have driven from Nashville, Tennessee for the protest

In a detailed breakdown of his clothing Munchel's 'expensive camouflage and tactical larp-flare' helped identify Munchel

Munchel 'perceived himself to be a revolutionary, in the mold of those who overthrew the British government in the American Revolution,' according to court filings.

He was 'dressed for combat' with 'combat boots, military fatigues, a tactical vest, gloves, and a gaiter that covered all of his face except for his eyes,' documents state.

He also wore a stun gun on his hip and mounted a cellphone to his chest to record events.

Investigators later recovered the cellphone from a friend who had been given it by Munchel, according to court documents.

In cellphone video, Munchel recorded himself speaking to Eisenhart about not entering the Capitol with weapons.

According to the memorandum, Munchel says he needs to 'take my weapons off before I go in there.'

Then Munchel and Eisenhart walk to a location where 'a tactical bag and other items appear to have been stashed,' take off items and deposit them in or near the bag.

Later, while walking through the Capitol, Munchel spots plastic handcuffs and says, 'Zipties. I need to get me some of them,' according to the court document.

Handcuffs were among the items found when investigators later searched Munchel's home.

Federal prosecutors argue in the memorandum that Munchel's offenses are serious and he should be detained pending trial to 'ensure the safety of the community.'

He has 'made statements evincing an intent to engage in violent conduct because of his disillusionment with the outcome of the 2020 Presidential election,' the document states. It also notes that the riot at the Capitol resulted in five deaths.
The refinance of four existing properties to acquire four additional properties will help the client meet customer demand and expand the company's footprint in New Jersey

Pathway Capital Corp., a financial advisory firm focused on arranging debt financing, announced that it successfully arranged a $73.5 million loan through Madison Realty Capital on a portfolio of eight properties across northern and central New Jersey. These include a large commuter parking lot in predevelopment, two industrial warehouses, two flex facilities, a mixed-use retail and storage facility, a retail fast food facility and an industrial vacant lot.

Portfolio details are:



A 12.19-acre mixed-use predevelopment site totaling 2.68 million square feet designated for residential, commercial, retail and self-storage, with a 1400-stall commuter parking lot in Harrison

Two 56,000-square-foot industrial storage buildings in Kearny and Boonton

A Class A light industrial flex building on 3.1 acres leased long term to a blue-chip tenant in Harrison

A fully renovated 85,000-square-foot flex facility on 4.89 acres in Harrison

A retail fast food facility net leased to a credit tenant in Harrison

Three-acre parcel of land in Kearny

A mixed-use retail and outdoor storage facility in Brick

Glenn Thomas, president of Pathway Capital said that, We are very pleased to have arranged this financing package for one of our top clients. The refinance of four existing properties to acquire four additional properties will help the client meet customer demand and expand the companys footprint in New Jersey.

More information about Pathway Capital is at http://www.pathway-capital.com.

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About Pathway Capital Corp.

Pathway Capital Corp is a Nyack, New York-based boutique capital advisory firm providing innovative solutions to complex financial transactions. The company provides advisory services for a wide range of transactions including traditional commercial loans, debt restructuring and consolidation, equipment financing, as well as interim and permanent financing on commercial real estate. The Pathway Capital team of professionals possess a unique and diverse background with vast experience in commercial banking and lending, restructuring and turnaround, and accounting and operations. Find out more at http://www.pathway-capital.com.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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

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NEWS.AM BREAKING: 6 Armenian soldiers are captured by Azerbaijan military in early morning
WASHINGTON--Poor social conditions caused by systemic racism contribute to health disparities in people with diabetes, according to a paper published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Minorities are disproportionately affected by diabetes because of poor social conditions that contribute to negative health outcomes such as poverty, unsafe housing, lack of access to healthy food and safe physical activity, and inadequate employment and educational opportunities. These are known as the social determinants of health and are the result of residential racial segregation and a lack of economic investment in Black communities. Unethical practices and experimentation in minority communities have also caused racial bias in our medical systems and a lack of trust between minority patients and health care providers.

"Traditionally, physicians have focused on the biological contributors to disparities in diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases; however, given the bright light shone on health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to view the contributing factors and solutions more broadly," said study author Sherita Golden, M.D., M.H.S., of Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Md. "This will give us agency in contributing to and advocating for health system, public health and policy-level interventions to address the structural and institutional racism embedded in our medical and social systems."

To address health disparities in diabetes, the authors recommend health systems implement the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care. These standards ensure interpretation services are available to all patients and that patient education materials are at a literacy level most people can understand. They also recommend more training among health care providers on unconscious bias, anti-racism, and the value of diversity in clinical care settings.

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Other authors of the study include: Joshua J. Joseph of the Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio and Felicia Hill-Briggs of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The manuscript received no external funding.

The manuscript, "Casting a Health Equity Lens on Endocrinology and Diabetes," was published online, ahead of print.

Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.
The Salvation Government has suspended licenses and ordered firearm shops to close by the middle of February, or face repercussions reports Baladi News.

On Monday, the Ministry of Interior in the Salvation Government issued a decision to close all firearms shops in the liberated areas in northwestern Syria and freeze their licenses.

In the decision circulated by the Ministry of Interior to close the shops, which have cost many Syrians lives within the liberated areas, the Salvation Government decided to close shops that sell and buy weapons in the liberated areas, freeze their licenses. The ministry has set a deadline of mid-February to completely close all shops and empty their contents. The owners of the shops are to report to the Criminal Security Department for post-closure instructions.

According to the decision, as soon as the deadline passes, the Ministry of Interior will ensure the orders have been implemented and hold those in violation accountable by the competent judiciary after confiscating the weapons and closing the shops using a red wax seal.

The Ministry of Interiors Criminal Security Department is concerned with following up on the implementation of the decision, in addition to withdrawing and suspending all licenses it issues.

Many explosions have recently happened outside firearms shops in the liberated areas, causing injuries and the deaths of many civilians.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate will host an online panel discussion this morning with medical experts focused on coronavirus vaccines and their importance in eventually ending the pandemic.

Watch a replay of the panel, sponsored by LCMC Health, in the player below.

Can't see the video? Click here.

The panel included local experts on infectious diseases, vaccine distribution and health care in underserved populations. They are: Dr. Princess Dennar, who specializes in internal medicine and pediatrics at LCMC Health and Tulane Medical School; Dr. Christopher Gillard, Pharm.D., who holds positions at Xavier University and the Louisiana State University School of Medicine and is researching how pharmacists can help overcome concerns among vaccine hesitant populations in Louisiana; and Dr. Keith Ferdinand, cardiologist and professor of clinical medicine at the Tulane University Heart and Vascular Institute with experience focusing on communities of racial and ethnic minorities.

Ochsner cancels more first-dose coronavirus vaccination appointments as distribution slows Ochsner Health System said Friday that it will cancel first-dose COVID-19 vaccine appointments in Louisiana scheduled for Tuesday and beyond d
The deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and several MPs criticized on Tuesday what they called repeated attempts by some US congressmen to interfere in Egypt's internal affairs after Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry delivered a speech to parliament on the goals of Egyptian diplomacy.

The issue of Egyptian-American relations was a central point in a statement delivered by Egypt's foreign minister before the House of Represntatives today.

Shoukry insisted that Egyptian-American relations stand on solid foundations and that they are not governed by the existence of a certain political party in power, referring to the coming of a new US administration led by the Democratic Party-affiliated President Joe Biden.

Shoukry said Egypt is keen on reinforcing relations and partnership with the United States in economic, commercial, and military fields, and that the two countries have a mutual interest in fighting terrorism.

Shoukry also said that commercial exchange between Egypt and the US has increased by 76 percent between 2016 and 2019.

While America ranks third in terms of foreign investors in Egypt, US investments in Egypt have reached $22 billion and Egypt comes on top of African countries receiving American investments, said Shoukry.

MPs, however, saw that Shoukry was "diplomatic" in his speech on Egyptian-American relations.

There is a bloc inside the US congress by the name of Human Rights in Egypt and this represents some kind of intervention into our own affairs, and that some should not use the issue of human rights as a pretext to interfere in Egyptian internal conditions, said Abul-Enein.

He also added that all should not ignore the efforts being exerted by the Egyptian state in the area of respect of public freedoms and civil rights.

Abu El-Enein said we should send a message to the US congress that Egypt respects human rights and that the state is doing its best to improve the living, economic, and social conditions of citizens.

The issue of human rights is not just a matter of the right of expression, but it is primarily how to meet the people's needs in terms of food security and housing, said Abu El-Enein.

Joining forces, Ashraf Rashad, leader of the majority party of Mostaqbal Watan (The Nation's Future), said some foreign parliaments, particularly the US Congress, like to use the issue of human rights as a pretext to intervene in the internal affairs of Egypt.

It is no longer acceptable that some use political terms like detention and forced disappearance as a way to intervene in our own internal affairs, said Rashad.

He also added that the US Congress should take better care of America's internal affairs, not to mention that we all followed what happened in America in the last period and so US Congressmen have a job to reform the conditions of their country, and as far as I know their MPs should focus on internal issues rather than discuss the affairs of other countries.

According to Rashad, the term of political detainees is rejected because the Egyptian judicial system has deep roots in history, and it has complete powers to follow correct legal procedures and achieve justice and that all defendants have the right to defend themselves in all stages of investigation.

Rashad also said, while Egypt is currently living in a climate of achievements, political freedom, democracy, and representation of all forces, it is no longer acceptable that some, particularly US Congressmen, use some terms as an excuse to interfere into our own affairs.

MP Mahmoud Badr asked Foreign Minister Sameh Soukri what will be the position of the Egyptian state if the new US administration led by President Joe Biden decided to repeat former US president Barack Obama's policy of supporting political Islam movements and intervening in Egypt's internal affairs?

I think the message we should send Americans right now is that we do not like to intervene into others' affairs, and we do not like others to intervene into our own affairs, said Badr.

MP Omar Watani said Egyptian-American relations should be based on mutual respect. In this respect I urge US congressmen to revise their positions and respect the sovereignty of Egypt and stop politicising the human rights agenda as a pretext to intervene into our own internal affairs, said Watani.

US Congressmen should be up to their responsibilities and adopt a constructive kind of dialogue with Egypt and Arab countries in order to create common ground and a strategic partnership.

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CAIRO - Political detainees and other opposition figures in Egyptian prisons are subjected to "inhuman conditions" and are "deliberately denied health care to punish dissent" with treatment that represents "torture", said Amnesty International in a summary of a recent report highlighting prison authorities' "callousness" as having "led or contributed to deaths in custody and irreparable harm to prisoners' health".



The report released on the 10th anniversary of the start of Egypt's 2011 uprising (25 January) documents the experiences of 67 individuals held in three women's prisons and 13 men's prisons in seven governorates.



Ten of them died in custody and two shortly after their release in 2019 and 2020, said the website of the organisation for the defence of human rights.



Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Research and Advocacy Director, Philip Luther, said there is evidence that prison officials "target certain prisoners to punish them for their perceived opposition to or criticism of the government".



In its synthesis of the report "'What do I care if you die?' Negligence and denial of health care in the Egyptian prisons", Amnesty International said such reprisals included indefinite solitary confinement for more than 22-23 hours a day, as well as being denied family visits for periods of up to four years and being deprived of receiving any food packages or other necessities from relatives.



In the prison infirmaries, doctors only give painkillers regardless of symptoms and two female former detainees said prison medical staff sexually abused and harassed them.



Abdelmoniem Aboulfotoh, a 69-year-old former presidential candidate, has been in solitary confinement since February 2018 and suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and an enlarged prostate, yet prison authorities have repeatedly denied his requests for transfer for treatment outside the prison, Amnesty International said.



The NGO estimated that "hundreds" of detainees have died in custody since 2013 but the authorities refuse to disclose figures or carry out "independent investigations".



Regarding overcrowding, Amnesty International cited estimates putting the number of detainees in the Egyptian prison system at 114,000, over double the prison capacity of 55,000 indicated by President Abdalfatah al-Sisi in December 2020.



In the 16 prisons examined in the report, detainees have an estimated average 1.1 square metres of floor space available per prisoner, much less than the 3.4 square metres minimum recommended by experts.



In these conditions, respect for anti-Covid safety measures is "impossible" and prison authorities have failed to regularly distribute disinfectants and isolate those suspected of infection, said Amnesty International.

Day care shortage creates barriers for working parents

With a labor shortage plaguing the state, working parents are ready to fill these positions. The lack of childcare options creates barriers.
The Indian government on Tuesday ordered 2,000 paramilitary reinforcements to New Delhi after thousands of farmers fought street battles with police and stormed the landmark Red Fort as they took protests against agriculture reforms into the capital, reports said.

Convoys of tractors broke through barricades around the edge of Delhi to converge on the centre where they defied tear gas and baton charges to take control.

One farmer was killed in what police said was an accident after his tractor overturned after hitting a barricade. At least 86 police were injured, an official statement said.

At the 400-year-old Red Fort, farmers overcame police guards and put up their own emblem on the flagpole where the prime minister normally gives an independence day speech in August.

They occupied the fort ramparts until they were chased away by security forces.

Around the city, security forces fought demonstrators for control of the streets. But the farmers also laid into police with branches and metal bars and hijacked buses that had been used to block their convoys.

As night fell, authorities cut internet and phone links in the areas on the edge of Delhi where the farmers have set up their camps. Police said they had started cases for "rioting" and "assault with deadly weapons".

Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah held an emergency meeting on the two months of protests against agricultural laws that have become the biggest challenge to the Hindu nationalist government since it came to power in 2014.

Shah ordered 15 companies of paramilitaries to boost security forces in the capital, according to media reports. The government made no official statement about its response to the troubles.

The government had opposed the rally. But police agreed to allow the demonstration if farmers waited until after a military parade attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top dignitaries to mark Republic Day, which commemorates India's 1950 constitution.

Story continues

But security was breached on the edge of Delhi as the officials watched tanks and troops pass along the Rajpath boulevard.

Modi was driven back to his residence barely 30 minutes before the fleets of tractors took over the centre.

Tens of thousands of farmers have camped on the outskirts of the capital since November, protesting against the new laws which the government says will boost rural incomes.

Union leaders say the legislation will give Indian conglomerates control of the agriculture industry -- the bedrock of the economy -- and end guaranteed prices for most farm produce.

- Popular support -

Farmers' leaders say they have enough supplies to keep their protest camps going for a year if necessary.

The leaders said the police had provoked the farmers into violence.

In a statement, police replied that they had to act after the farmers broke the conditions for the rally and took "the path of violence and destruction".

"When you attack a peaceful protest, then difficulties for the government will surely increase," union leader Kawalpreet Singh Pannu told AFP.

"This won't stop here. Our movement and message have only become stronger."

He said a new protest would be held on February 1 outside parliament when the government announces its budget.

On one main road, people on rooftops threw petals on the tractor convoys. Elsewhere people cheered and applauded as farmers went past waving Indian flags and blowing horns.

- Mass rally -

The government says that the farmers have been manipulated by opposition parties which have largely backed the rural campaign.

Ten rounds of talks between farm unions and ministers have failed to break the deadlock.

The farmers have demanded the government repeal the laws, but the administration has only offered to delay implementation for 18 months.

Smaller farmer demonstrations were held in Mumbai and Bangalore and in the rural state of Haryana.

ash-bb-grk/tw/bfm
Perhaps more than most, Reilly Brennan loves cars and trucks. The native Michigander happily did grunt work for an automotive magazine as an undergrad at the University of Michigan before landing a gig as a trackside communications manager at General Motors, spending a few years as an editor and a general manager with an automotive publisher called NextScreen, then becoming a programming director for AOL's automotive properties.

His next role would be on the West Coast, as executive director of an automotive research program at Stanford, where Brennan continues to be a lecturer. Little surprise that soon after, a seed-stage fund began to make sense, too, and thus was born Trucks Venture Capital, which has since made dozens of bets out of a $20 million debut effort and is wrapping up a larger fund soon.

Late last week, we talked with Brennan about two of the fastest-soaring valuations we've seen recently in the automotive sector: that of the electric vehicle company Rivian, which raised a giant new round last week at a nearly $30 billion post-money valuation, and Cruise, which also raised a giant new round last week, and also at $30 billion valuation. (Along with some other interesting bets, Trucks managed to write an early check for Cruise before it was acquired in 2016 by GM, which maintains majority ownership of the company.)

We wondered if even an auto aficionado might deem things a little bubbly. You can listen to that full conversation here. In the meantime, the excerpts below have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

TC: Who are your investors in Trucks VC? Are they individuals? Are any auto manufacturers that are trying to get a look at nascent technologies?

RB: We have some former execs from the car industry in the tech world, and a handful of family offices and definitely some large strategic companies. Unfortunately, I can't tell you their names because I've signed documents that prevent me from doing that. But one of the cool things about our little Rolodex of [limited partners] is that our founders -- when they want to come in and do something in transportation -- it's an easy doggie door into a lot of those entities, whether they're people or businesses. One of the things I love about [the mix is] there's probably no part of a vehicle, whether you're talking about a car, truck, a bike, or a plane, that one of our investors couldn't help out with.

Story continues

TC: Do you look to be the first money into your deals?

RB: One of the interesting learnings I had in the first fund was, we were just trying to participate; we were just happy to be at the party. So we were participating in rounds that other people were leading, and our checks [from Fund I] were anywhere from $100,000 to a few thousand dollars.

The new fund is designed to take advantage of leading rounds [because] halfway through our first fund, founders would ask us to lead rounds, and frankly, the fund wasn't big enough to do that. Our new fund is really designed so we can lead seed rounds, and that's what we do. We'll lead or co-lead and sit on the board. Usually, we're owning about 10% to 12% of a company at seed.

TC: One of Truck's early checks went to Cruise, the self-driving car company that GM acquired for an amount that has variously been reported as more than $1 billion, as well as for closer to $500 million . . .

RB: The Cruise investment, my [fellow general partners] Jeff and Kate made. I can't tell you specifically what the acquisition price was, but it was pretty good. That being said, if you read about the valuation of Cruise now within General Motors, or that of another [self-driving] company we invested in, Nutonomy, which was acquired by [automotive supplier] Delphi [for $450 million in 2017] and is now essentially a company called Motional, they're pretty high.

I think a lot about those early exits because they validated the space, but I also think a lot of the early investors probably wish they had more ownership. I'm not saying they shouldn't have sold. But you look at the valuation of Cruise and Motional today -- if you put those two entities together -- it's more than the valuation of General Motors, or maybe Ford Motor Company.

TC: But is Cruise's valuation perhaps too high right now? They still have a very long lead time to making money.

RB: I would agree with you that in the public market, it feels a little bubbly when it comes to electric vehicles and some of these ideas related to technology and auto. But I do think a lot of these companies look at the opportunity to automate things greater than just robo-taxis. Last year in particular provided good insight into how the logistics and delivery part of automation is probably on the nearer term horizon than robo-taxis and therefore more valuable.

TC: How much have valuations been driven up by Tesla, whose market cap now dwarfs all the major car manufacturers?

RB: One of the things the market appears to want is the simple story, and belief in Tesla is now highly aligned to [thinking that] this is just the way that transportation is going to be organized. It's going to be a zero-emission vehicle that is highly connected and maybe attached to a consumer in a new way.

You're seeing the same with a lot of these pure-play EV companies, whether it's [carmaker] Fisker doing a SPAC or the way that [carmaker] Neo is received in China. There's this purity of their message.

You can argue, successfully, that a lot of other companies have more engineering or a greater dealer network or more IP around a particular idea, but when it comes to the public market stuff, it really is about painting the picture in this one specific way that's aligned with the future. And right now, the public markets really don't like that composite, liberal arts approach to vehicle manufacturing; they really just want one thing that aligns very well with the future, which they believe is better electric vehicles.

TC: This seemingly applies to the carmaker Rivian. What do you think of this company that's valued at nearly $30 billion yet hasn't yet sold a truck or SUV? You aren't one of its investors. Does its valuation make sense to you?

RB: From an engineering perspective, Rivian is probably one of the companies I respect most out of this new breed of manufacturers.

Tens years ago, when they started, there were a lot of new supercar entrepreneurs who were trying to start something new, but they were always small batch ideas. Like, maybe you could get 100 people to buy one. But they weren't really well-aligned with what consumers were buying, which is increasingly utilities and trucks. So Rivian's approach, with the segment it's going after, is really smart, and it has fantastic engineering. So I'm actually quite bullish on Rivian.

In a year's time, there will probably be two big events for Rivian. One, they will deliver the first batch of [electric delivery vans being built for] Amazon, along with [other orders] to some of the early customers. It also wouldn't surprise me if they're public at some point in the next year.

They haven't told me that; just my own personal speculation here.

TC: When you say it will go public, do you mean through a traditional IPO or maybe through a giant SPAC? Would what you guess?

I bet that Rivian will probably do a traditional IPO, that's my guess. But they could also do a SPAC at some point. [Either way] I think the public markets are going to be really interested in Rivian. I just think there's really good stuff there.

TC: Have you been able to test-drive its cars? Have you seen its tech up close? What makes you so confident that what Rivian is building is superior?

RB: I think the point of view they have about the segments is really interesting In the U.S., they are going after two great-growing segments in the business, which is utilities and trucks where, by the way, there's a lot of margin, and there's nobody specifically going after those segments.

The Rivian engineering that I speak about is really about the hires they've made and a lot of things they've done for years in advance of getting these vehicles ready. They've got a lot of amazing talent from big manufacturers. They made an unusual but really smart investment in a vehicle assembly facility that they purchased for relatively cheap years ago that was owned by Mitsubishi. And they put together all these components well in advance of anybody really even knowing about them, which is really smart.

Obviously, there's still a huge amount of risk. What I'm saying is not investment advice. I just think there's a lot of interesting stuff there that's head and shoulders above many of the other EV companies, where there's not a lot of substance, to be candid.

TC: My colleague Kirsten reported in December that Rivian is developing a network of charging stations along interstate highways and also at spots like hiking trails to accommodate who it imagines will be its customers. Does that make sense to you? Relatedly, how many different types of charging stations are we going to have in the world?

[Regarding the location of its stations], it's definitely a nice ingredient in the story they're trying to tell, though I don't think you'll see a Rivian charger at the entry point of every national park. They'll probably have access to other charging networks. One of the things we're seeing in the U.S. is you have some of these dedicated networks like Tesla has, and then you have a lot of agnostic [stations], where you can plug in and charge in a lot of other places, and Rivian will likely take advantage of that. An open question would be whether Rivian builds its own [larger] dedicated network that has a lot of coverage, and I don't know about that yet.

The other component about Rivian that's really fascinating is what they do for service and maintenance. I saw an open job that Rivian had a few months ago around remote diagnostics, and one of the bullet points of the job posting was that this job was really designed so that people didn't have to go back to the dealership. [It begs the question of]: could you design experiences digitally, as with [on-demand remote doctor visits], where you could potentially talk to somebody live, you could [have Rivian] assess the vehicle, or maybe walk you through a situation where you can fix something that would prevent a lot of the trips to dealer?

If you consider the traditional dealer and OEM relationship, a lot of the ways that cars are designed is that they're constantly having to go back to the dealer. Rivian's point of view on that is really different, and that's one of the other reasons it's one to watch.

The children of slain John Gibson are to be represented in a proceeds-of-crime case against assets owned by their dead father.

Gibsons partner, Marlene Walsh, made the application on behalf of her children asking the High Court for an order to allow the estate to participate and defend the case with the help of legal aid.

It is understood that the CAB case centres on cash in two accounts and an Audi car.

A man is currently before the courts in connection with the killing of Gibson, who was shot dead in 2017 outside an Eddie Rockets at Citywest in west Dublin. Gibsons pal Darragh Nugent (36) was shot dead days after his the attack at Citywest.

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At the time of the shooting Gibson was in a relationship with Marlene, whose brother is under-threat gangland figure James Nellie Walsh.

He has been at war with associates of the Kinahan organisation for years since the murder of Jason Jay Carroll (39), a friend of Daniel Kinahan.

Carroll was shot in the face and twice in the arm at his home in Cherrywood Drive in Clondalkin in August 2013.

In revenge, his associates planned to murder five men seen as rivals on the same night and at the same time but the plan was cancelled. As the feud heated up a major Garda plan was put in place which involved members of the Criminal Assets Bureau raiding a number of properties and targeting individuals linked to both sides of the divide.

More than 1.2 million in cash, jewellery and cars was seized during searches.

It is understood that the case against the late John Gibson was tied up in those raids and the seizures made then.

His former partner, Marlene made the request for representation on behalf of the estate of John Gibson earlier this week when the CABs monthly list was heard virtually through the courts service.

Justice Alexander Owens made the order which will allow the estate apply for free legal aid in order to defend the case. Gibson was the father of a girl and a boy who were five and six at the time of his killing.

James Nellie Walsh is serving a ten-year term for a botched hit on gangster Fat Freddie Thompsons former pal, Michael Frazer during which he shot himself in the leg while trying to flee.

Before he was locked up, Walsh had become one of the dominant drug dealers in the Clondalkin area, leading to clashes with the Kinahan- allied outfit.

A plot was hatched to kill Walsh but this went wrong in August 2013 when 21-year-old Dean Johnson was shot dead. It is understood that DNA links dead hitman Glen Clarke to the shooting.

Johnson was totally innocent and it emerged that he had earlier swapped coats with Walsh at a nearby bar and the hitmen mistook him for the criminal.

Last year, Walsh was given an additional two months behind bars when he was caught charging a miniature mobile phone in his cell. He has 65 criminal convictions.

Guardian Life Study: 8 in 10 employers report keeping up with changes to federal and state leave laws is a challenge. Tweet this

The study, which has been tracking trends in absence management since 2012, found that many organizations made significant efforts to preserve their business and protect their employees as a result of COVID-19, but it had an impact, nonetheless. At the time the research was conducted, approximately 56 percent of employers stated their staffing was impacted because of employees taking leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The FFCRA, which expired on December 31, 2020, required employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide paid sick leave or expanded medical leave time off for reasons related to COVID-19.

"As of last year, senior leaders have faced unprecedented challenges including shutdowns, managing employee absence and keeping up with new federal and state paid leave laws," said Chris Smith, Head of Group Benefits, Guardian Life. "Our research shows that employers, ranging from 50-5,000 employees, are seeking permanent absence management solutions to address workforce challenges as a result of the pandemic."

The findings also showed several leave trends emerged last year, such as revisions to existing leave policies, increased outsourcing of leave administration and greater use of technology to improve the employee experience. For example, sixty seven percent stated they were "very" or "somewhat likely" to outsource Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and 74 percent want to centralize Americans with Disability (ADA) service with FMLA and Short-term Disability (STD).

Keeping up with Expanding Number of State Paid Leave Laws and Municipal Laws

One of the top challenges for employers, particularly those in highly regulated states, is keeping up with the many changes to federal and state leave laws in the past two years and coordinating different types of absences. For example, of companies with employees in four or more highly regulated states, 87 percent cited keeping up with the changes to legislation as a top challenge. As a result, more companies are creating their own leave policies to meet or exceed statutory requirements and standardize benefits across their organization.

As state paid leave laws are implemented, employers are faced with a choice - either defer to a state paid family and medical leave plan or opt out for a private plan, if available. Guardian Life's study revealed that half of employers in states with paid family and medical leave laws expect to opt-in to a private plan. In addition to state leave regulations, employers subject to municipality-specific laws are also required to navigate these added complexities and re-evaluate their leave policies. Roughly half of those employers are managing them with in-house resources, while about a third are co-sourcing with an external resource or software.

Outcome Driven Absence Management Programs on the Rise

Guardian Life's research shows that U.S. employers have continued to make progress and improve upon their absence management programs in the last two years.

Improvement was evident across Guardian's five best practices, such as return-to-work programs and centralized intake/central leave reporting portal and reinforces that many of them are becoming industry norms in how to best manage employee absence. For example, employers using a centralized leave portal reached 54 percent, a135 percent increase since 2014; and 54 percent of employers said they use the same resource to administer leave for STD and FMLA - a 93 percent increase since 2014.

It also confirmed that best practice adoption results in better absence management outcomes. For example, six in 10 organizations that have made reducing absenteeism a priority and taken steps to address it self-reported positive results. One notable gain is 66 percent of employers reported increased return-to-work rates among employees.

The assessment is based on Guardian's Absence Management Activity Index, which originally launched in 2012, and measures the degree to which an employer is implementing absence management best practices based on a series of questions. Employers are then divided into three categories according to maturity level. The Index showed that over a six-year period, the average maturity score in 2020 was 5.6 on a 10-point scale, improving by 51 percent since 2012 (Score - 3.7).

To learn more about Guardian Absence Management or download the latest report, click here.

Methodology

The fifth wave of the Guardian Absence Management Activity Index and Study was conducted in the third quarter of 2020. It consisted of a total of 1,200 benefits professionals, all whom work for employers with at least 50 full-time, benefits eligible employees. Companies surveyed range in size from 50 to more than 5,000 employees.

About Guardian

Every day, Guardian provides Americans the security they deserve through our insurance and wealth management products and services. Since our founding in 1860, our long-term view has helped our customers prepare for whatever life brings whether starting a family, planning for the future or taking care of employees. Today, we're a Fortune 250 mutual company and a leading provider of life, disability, dental, and other benefits for individuals, at the workplace and through government sponsored programs. The Guardian community of over 9,000 employees and our network of over 2,500 financial representatives is committed to serving with expertise when, where and how our clients need us. Our commitments rest on a strong financial foundation, which at year-end 2019 included $9.3 billion in capital and $1.7 billion in operating income. For more information, please visit guardianlife.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Brenda Mendoza

[email protected]

Unless otherwise noted, the source of all information is from the 2021 Guardian Absence Management Activity Index & Study.

GUARDIAN and the Guardian Logo are registered trademarks of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. Copyright 2020 The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, N.Y. 2021-115103

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[January 26, 2021] Yidu Tech's Founder Gong Rujing Speaks on How AI Works in Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis at the Davos 2O21

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "Innovative technologies such as AI have become an ally in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, playing key roles in many areas such as pandemic research and judgment, simulation and prediction," said Gong Rujing, founder and chairwoman of Yidu Tech (02158.HK), a leading medical AI technology company in China. Rujing was invited to attend the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda and joined in a panel discussion on "Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis" on January 25. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a worldwide crisis. According to latest data from World Health Organization, the cumulative confirmed cases worldwide climbed over 97 million, with more than 2 million lives lost. Innovative technologies have shown great significance in he fight against COVID-19 crisis, and Rujing shared the anti-epidemic experiences of Yidu Tech.



"When the pandemic broke out, we immediately sent a team to the hardest-hit city Wuhan, helping local institutions in patient tracking, infection control and other emergency response tasks, as well as providing technical support for the relevant institutions in their decision-making." She said, adding that Yidu Tech had also assisted many other cities and areas in efficient traceability investigation of the pandemic. In addition, Yidu Tech is also committed to exploring the values of AI for medical treatment, leveraging the company's technological advantages to empower clinical scientific research, public decision-making and public health.

A number of distinguished guests, including Peter Maurer, President of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Nanaia Mahuta, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, also joined in the Leadership Panel discussion, which examines the most effective response and recovery efforts, with recommendations on how businesses and governments can improve and increase their collaboration. In the era of globalization, national governance and international cooperation has become increasingly important. Panelists believed that 2021 would be a key year to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, and all the countries should seize the opportunity to cooperate with each other and finally realize mutual benefit.

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Its official, the dogs are here. The public has eagerly awaited the arrival of the Biden pets to the White House since the first family confirmed last year that their two German shepherds would be joining them in Washington.

The wait is finally over, with First Lady Jill Biden announcing the duo's arrival yesterday on Instagram.

Champ and Major have already made their presence known since settling into their new home, with audible barks of approval heard in the background as President Biden signed an executive order yesterday lifting the ban on transgender people serving in the military.

President Bidens dogs Champ and Major can be heard barking outside after Biden signs an executive order lifting a ban on transgender people serving in the military pic.twitter.com/O0Lur6amga  JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) January 25, 2021

"The First Family wanted to get settled before bringing the dogs down to Washington from Delaware. Champ is enjoying his new dog bed by the fireplace, and Major loved running around on the South Lawn," Jill Biden's press secretary Michael LaRosa said.

The elder first dog, Champ, has been a proud member of the Biden family since 2008 when he was acquired as a puppy from a Pennsylvania breeder by then-Vice President Joe Biden.

Champ with his proud owners. Picture: Biden Campaign.

Champ's name was inspired by Biden's father, who would call him 'champ' as a child. "He thinks he's Secret Service and he is," the President said last year.

Major joined the family in 2018 when the Bidens heard about a litter of German shepherd pups that were surrendered and not doing well at all at their local Delaware Humane Association shelter.

The family reached out immediately when they caught wind of them, the Association said in a Facebook post.

Joe and Major Biden. Picture: Delaware Humane Association

The pup is well used to featuring in headlines after his owner broke his foot while playing with him during last year's presidential campaign.

Major is the first shelter dog to live in the White House and was recently serenaded by Josh Groban, who recorded a special version of How much is that Doggie in the window for his indoguration.

The virtual fundraising event raised more than $200,000 and saw hundreds of participants nominate their own animals for positions in Majors cabinet, such as Secretary of Rescue Dogs.

The Association said that Majors move into his new home was barking proof that every dog can live the American dream.

Champ and Major are the first dogs to grace the White House since the Obama administration, when Malia and Sashas puppy Bo, a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy, roamed the famous grounds from 2009. His younger sister Sunny joined the family in 2013.

Barack Obama running around the East Wing with dog Bo. Picture: Pete Souza/ White House

Other famous first pets include the Clintons rescue cat Socks and dog Buddy, Caroline Kennedys pony Macaroni, Lyndon B. Johnsons dog Yuki, who was rescued by his daughter Luci after being abandoned at a petrol station, and George H.W. Bushs springer spaniel Millie, who featured in an episode of The Simpsons.

We might also see the first pet family expanding over the next four years, with the First Lady saying she would love to get a cat. I love having animals around the house, she told a Washington news outlet recently.

The new White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, has already been hounded on the topic, saying she's also "wondering about the cat because the cat is going to dominate the internet whenever the cat is announced and wherever that cat is found."

We eagerly await the first feline's pawsible arrival.
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Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Hikmat Hajiyev took part in an online seminar held by the Washington-based Atlantic Council, during which he answered questions from participants of the event, including such American diplomats as head of the Atlantic Council John Herbst and former U.S. ambassadors to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar, Robert Sekuta and Matthew Bryza, as well as representatives of the Armenian diaspora.

The questions were devoted to the entire spectrum of the past and future of Azerbaijan's relations with Armenia, Russia and the United States, and Hikmet Hajiyev's answers ultimately formed an integral program of the Azerbaijani authorities' vision of the situation in the South Caucasus and the tasks of its development towards stable peace and prosperity in the region.

During his speech, the Azerbaijani politician constantly emphasized that the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia is finally over, there is no way back to the conflict between two states. The end of the Karabakh war and the de-occupation of Azerbaijani territories created excellent conditions for normal regional cooperation and integration. At the same time, he noted that there are lots of challenges and problems which require the help and support of partners both in the region and beyond.

Speaking about how the Second Karabakh war became possible, the head of the foreign policy department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan drew the attention of American interlocutors that in 2018, when Nikol Pashinyan's team came to power in Armenia, Azerbaijan demonstrated a constructive approach and strategic patience, creating the necessary conditions so that under the new leadership in Yerevan, the parties could move towards a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, instead, there were political provocations from the Armenian side.



In particular, Hikmat Hajiyev recalled that when visiting the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in the summer of 2019, Nikol Pashinyan said that "is Armenia, and that's it." Later, Defense Minister David Tonoyan, while on a visit to the United States, proclaimed an updated aggressive concept of the Armenian army - "a new war for new territories", which was immediately followed by the July 2020 provocation against the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan, and this was done it was just a couple of months before the launch of the European part of the Southern Gas Corridor project in the immediate vicinity of the pipeline route on the territory of Azerbaijan.



Against the background of the open stagnation of the peace process, it became clear that Armenia was purposefully engaged in escalating the conflict. When on September 27, 2020, Armenian troops fired at civilians in the border and front-line Azerbaijani villages and cities, Azerbaijan decided that it can no longer be tolerated. "And then we said - we've had enough!" Hajiyev said, explaining that the Azerbaijani troops on that day launched an operation to force Armenia to peace and return the Armenian authorities to the negotiating table, so that the safety of Azerbaijani citizens was ensured, and the UN Security Council resolutions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict were finally fulfilled.

It is important that Azerbaijan was aimed precisely at fulfilling these tasks to end the conflict and return peace to the region. Therefore, the Azerbaijani politician pointed out, from the very beginning of the Second Karabakh War, Baku stressed that it is ready to stop fighting as soon as Armenia provides a schedule for the withdrawal of troops from the occupied territories in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. The war lasted 44 days only because Yerevan refused to withdraw its occupation forces from Azerbaijan. The fighting was stopped when Baku achieved its strategic goals.



As a result, the war ended with the signing of a trilateral Statement by the President of Russia, the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia. Answering the question about Azerbaijan's views on the presence of Russian peacekeepers on its lands, the head of the foreign policy department of the presidential administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan drew the attention of American diplomats that Baku has an open and constant dialogue with Moscow. According to him, the Russian peacekeepers fulfill their job in a professional manner. The peacekeeping contingent is currently receiving infrastructural and logistic support from the Azerbaijani side.

Hikmat Hajiyev stressed that now, when the war is gone forever, the countries of the region shouldn't remain hostages of the past, "they need to change scenarios and look to the future." Armenia needs to understand now what benefits it has gained from the return of peace to the South Caucasus, including land access to the Russian market through Azerbaijan and its transformation from a regional deadlock into a cargo transit country. "Think about the future! What have you achieved in 30 years of conflict? Nothing. The cost of the occupation was extremely high. But now we have a real opportunity for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan," he said, addressing the authorities and people of Armenia.



The politician also noted that Azerbaijan never had plans for any ethnic cleansing in its territories. During the military operation to force Armenia to peace in 2020, the Azerbaijani army did everything to avoid losses among the civilian population of Karabakh. Armenians, who are citizens of Azerbaijan, are returning to their homes in Azerbaijan, but of course, they are obliged to respect the laws and territorial integrity of their country. "We respect the Armenian community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and their rights as citizens of our country in accordance with the Constitution of Azerbaijan," the official representative of Azerbaijan said.

The benefits of the Armenian population of Azerbaijan from the end of the Karabakh war are obvious: it is much more profitable for those living in Nagorno-Karabakh to sell their goods within Azerbaijan than to transport them to Armenia by a seven-hour road along the Lachin serpentine. "It is always better to trade than to fight," the aide to the President of Azerbaijan emphasized.



Also, Hikmat Hajiyev answered questions about those post-war themes pedaled by Yerevan. First of all, he made it clear that the issue of the "status" of Nagorno-Karabakh is no longer discussed by Azerbaijan. "As for the issue of status, let's be frank, concentration on this aspect will be counterproductive and create unnecessary expectations in the local Armenian community, which will play into the hands of radicals. Therefore, we better focus on confidence-building measures," the Azerbaijani politician suggested.

On the subject of war prisoners, it's about non-fulfillment of obligations by Armenia, not by Azerbaijan. 62 Armenian soldiers taken under control in December are not prisoners of war and are not subject to extradition. "These are citizens of Armenia, professional military, they were deployed in the Shirak region. They invaded the territory of Azerbaijan after the signing of the trilateral declaration on November 10, set up positions near Shusha and even captured a couple of villages, drove up artillery and tried to create fortifications. They killed Azerbaijani civilians who were engaged in the installation of a mobile communication system in the region. Both under the laws of Azerbaijan and under international law, these people cannot be considered as prisoners of war," he said.



Nevertheless, Baku is engaged in a dialogue on this issue, but expects positive reciprocal steps from Yerevan. "Since the first Karabakh war, we have about 4 thousand missing persons. Probably, most of them are no longer alive and are buried in mass graves. But we still ask Armenia to give us maps of these burials. So we are also waiting for a constructive approach from the Armenian side," Hikmet Hajiyev explained.

The third topic was the fate of the OSCE Minsk Group. "Unfortunately, the authority of the OSCE Minsk Group in Azerbaijan is not very high for known reasons, and this is understandable because for 30 years this organization was unable to promote the peace process and ensure the de-occupation of Azerbaijani territories. This is not only about the position of our government, this is a widespread opinion in Azerbaijani society," the presidential aide noted, saying that Baku expects the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to adapt to the new realities in the region, since the old work scenarios are no longer applicable. This adaptation can be expressed in strengthening confidence-building measures between Armenia and Azerbaijan through various projects.



Questions about Azerbaijan's approaches to U.S. cooperation with the countries of the South Caucasus were also inevitable. Hikmat Hajiyev noted that the United States could contribute to the development of regional cooperation and confidence-building between Armenia and Azerbaijan not only in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group, but also directly, as well as take part in the reconstruction, demining and rehabilitation of the region. U.S. companies, especially those that have experience in building "smart cities", can participate in the revival of the liberated regions of Azerbaijan.

The role of Washington in reducing revanchism in the Armenian society and increasing understanding by Armenia and the Armenian diaspora of the changes that have taken place is very important as well. Everyone must adapt to the new geopolitical realities in the region: the occupation of Azerbaijani territories is over, new prospects for regional cooperation have emerged. So far, the aide to the President of Azerbaijan emphasized that the Armenian diaspora is part of the problem, not part of its solution, since its representatives in the West enjoy a rich life and push people in Armenia to a confrontation with their neighbors, propagandize revanchism, which is completely counterproductive.



He also dispelled speculation that the border between Armenia and Turkey would remain closed, recalling that during his visit to Baku, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke about the prospects for cooperation with Yerevan. The very regional platform of "3+3" (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Turkey, Iran) presupposes the opening of the border - however, today Armenia needs to stop being a hostage of its own interpretations of the past, abandon territorial claims against Turkey and Azerbaijan and become a responsible participant in regional economic processes.



Thus, the participants of the online seminar received comprehensive answers to questions on the post-war worldview of Azerbaijan both in terms of regional interaction and in terms of contacts with international partners. Baku presented a comprehensive development program, urging other geopolitical players to accept the changes, reconsider approaches to the South Caucasus and move towards its prosperity in conditions of peace and stability.
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.

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Judge rejects Tony Spell's request to quash criminal charges for violating COVID-19 restrictions

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A judge in Louisiana has rejected a motion filed by controversial Pastor Tony Spell to quash six misdemeanor charges filed against him for holding church services in violation of state orders aimed at mitigating the spread of the coronavirus.

Judge Eboni Johnson-Rose of Louisianas 19th Judicial District Court denied Spells motion Monday, ruling that the constitutionality of Gov. John Bel Edwards has already been confirmed by courts.

Spell, the leader of Life Tabernacle Church in Central who made national headlines last year by holding large in-person worship gatherings in defiance of Bells pandemic measures, had argued that government limits on gatherings at the church violated the congregations First Amendment rights.

Spell did not attend the hearing because he has refused to wear a face mask inside the courthouse. Instead, Spell along with members of his church were present outside the courthouse.

Spell expressed his disapproval of the ruling.

You just ruled against God, the Pentecostal pastor said, according to WVLA-TV. Get ready for the judgment of God.

Spell could face up to $3,000 in fines and jail time if convicted of the charges.

According to WAFB, Spell said that Johnson-Roses goes against religious liberties in America.

They ruled against civil liberties in America, Spell was quoted as saying. A lose for us today is a lose for America. A loss for us today is a loss for all religion in America and not just religion but people with civil liberties.

Inside the courtroom, Spells lawyer, Jeff Wittenbrink, argued that the states gathering restrictions unfairly targeted houses of worship on grounds that big-box stores were allowed to stay open with many customers inside.

Meanwhile, an attorney who was brought in by the prosecuting attorney to handle Spells case contended that the governors orders were applied neutrally. According to WAFB, the attorney, Darrell Papillion, went as far as saying: you cannot decide on a given day that our God, our church, our beliefs are bigger than the law.

Papillion also argued that religious freedom does not give them the right to expose the community to communicable disease.

After the judges denial Monday, Spell will likely appeal to the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeals.

According to the states COVID-19 tracking website, over 8,500 people in Louisiana have died from COVID-19. The state has seen over 339,000 confirmed cases of the virus.

In an interview with The Advocate, Spell did not hold back in accusing the governor, who is Catholic, of being a tyrant.

The governor hates Christians. If he says anything different, hes a liar, Spell claimed. He says all these people behind me are lawbreakers, and were not. The law-breakers  right over there in the governors mansion.

In a statement, Edwards, a Democrat, praised the judges decision.

My Christian Catholic faith teaches me that we should be good neighbors to one another and that includes doing what we can to protect each other from this terrible virus," Edwards said, according to The Advocate. "The vaccine is not available to everyone at this time but masks are. The best and easiest thing that we can all do is wear one to help get us back to where we all want to be."

The ruling comes after the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito rejected a request for the nations high court to grant Spells plea for emergency relief from the criminal charges in November.

In November, the Supreme Court also ruled to temporarily suspend New Yorks COVID-19 restrictions limiting the size of worship gatherings in the Empire State.

However, Johnson-Rose sided with the Louisiana attorneys argument that there are differences between Louisianas restrictions and the New York restrictions that the Supreme Court struck down in November.

In April, Spell was arrested for aggravated assault after he allegedly backed up a church bus dangerously toward a protester demonstrating against his church services outside the church property. Spells lawyer claimed at the time that Spell did not try to run over the protester.
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Sarah Sanders, Donald Trumps former chief spokeswoman and one of his closest aides, announced Monday shes running for Arkansas governor, vying for political office even as the former presidents legacy is clouded by an impeachment charge that he incited the deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.

The former White House press secretary, who left the job in 2019 to return to her home state, launched the bid less than a week after the end of Trumps time in office and as the ex-president faces an impeachment trial.

But her announcement reflected how much she expected voters in solidly red Arkansas to embrace the former president, if not his rhetoric.

With the radical left now in control of Washington, your governor is your last line of defense, Sanders said in a video announcing her bid. In fact, your governor must be on the front line. So today I announce my candidacy for governor of Arkansas.

The daughter of former Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sanders had been widely expected to run for the office after leaving the White House  and Trump publicly encouraged her to make a go. Shes been laying the groundwork for a candidacy, speaking to GOP groups around the state.

Sanders joins a Republican primary that already includes two statewide elected leaders, Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. The three are running to succeed current Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican who is unable to run next year due to term limits. No Democrats have announced a bid to run for the seat.

Sanders launched her bid weeks after a riot by Trumps supporters at the U.S. Capitol left five people dead. More than 130 people have been charged in the insurrection, which was aimed at halting the certification of President Joe Bidens win over Trump.

Sanders was the first working mother and only the third woman to serve as White House press secretary. But she also faced questions about her credibility during her time as Trumps chief spokesperson.

 READ MORE: Democrats press ahead with second impeachment trial; GOP divided on how to defend Trump

During her nearly two-year tenure, daily televised briefings led by the press secretary ended after Sanders repeatedly sparred with reporters who aggressively questioned her about administration policy and the investigation into possible coordination between Trumps campaign and Russia. But Sanders earned reporters respect working behind the scenes to develop relationships with the media.

Trumps tumultuous exit from the presidency may do little damage to Sanders in Arkansas. Republicans hold all of Arkansas statewide and federal seats, as well as a solid majority in both chambers of the Legislature.

Trump in November won the state by nearly 28 percentage points, one of the biggest margins in his ultimate loss to Biden. Sanders nearly 8-minute video prominently features photos of Trump, along with references to his favorite targets such as cancel culture, socialism and the Green New Deal.

Griffin and Rutledge have spent months positioning themselves ahead of Sanders announcement, lining up endorsements from the states top Republicans and raising funds. Combined, the two have raised more than $2.8 million.

The race could also get even more crowded. Republican State Sen. Jim Hendren, a nephew of Hutchinsons, is considering a run for the seat.

Sanders, who published a book last year and joined Fox News as a contributor after leaving the White House, enters the race with a much higher profile than any of the candidates. She remains an unknown on many of the states biggest issues, though in her announcement she called for reducing state income taxes and cutting off funding for cities that violate immigration laws.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-25 17:25:23|Editor: huaxia

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KAMPALA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Schools and institutions of higher learning in Uganda will remain closed as the country grapples with a surge in COVID-19 cases, a senior government official said on Monday.

Alex Kakooza, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Education and Sports, tweeted that only candidate classes and finalists in institutions of higher learning are open.

The rest will wait until the government reaches a decision on when to re-open, he said.

"Contrary to media reports, government has not yet agreed upon the re-opening of schools and higher institutions of learning for non-candidate classes," Kakooza said.

In October last year, Uganda re-opened candidate classes, seven months after the government closed all schools, colleges and universities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of Saturday, the country had a cumulative total of 39,149 COVID-19 cases, 13,861 recoveries and 317 deaths.

Uganda reported its first COVID-19 case on March 21, 2020. Enditem
Agartala, Jan 26 : Tripura Governor Ramesh Bais on Tuesday said that several infrastructural projects are under construction in the state along the international border to boost the trade between India and Bangladesh.

After unfurling the national flag, the Governor while addressing the gathering at the Assam Rifles ground here said that a Special Economic Zone is being set up in Sabroom along Bangladesh border and that would provide favourable infrastructure to the investors to further boost the trade with the neighbouring country.

"To get access to the Chittagong international sea port in Bangladesh, a bridge over the river Feni is nearing completion and it would facilitate to increase the trade and commerce with the adjoining country. The Agartala-Akhaura (Bangladesh) rail link is under construction to facilitate transportation of goods between the two countries and the rail project expected to be completed by March this year," the governor said.

He said that in addition to the existing Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Agartala along the Bangladesh border, two more ICPs are proposed to be set up at Nischintapur of Agartala-Akhaura rail link and in Sabroom in southern Tripura.

Besides two existing "Border Haats" at Kamalasagar in Sipahijala district and Srinagar in Sabroom, two new such border markets are being set up at Dharmanagar in North Tripura district and Kamalpur in Dhalai district.

He said that Tripura joined the map of Inland Water Transport with the opening of the floating jetty in September last year at the Srimantapur terminal in Sonamura along Bangladesh.

The Governor said that the central government after signing an agreement on January 16 last year in New Delhi had given a package of Rs 600 crore to rehabilitate the 34,000 Reang tribal refugees, fled from neighbouring Mizoram, in Tripura.

The Republic Day was celebrated with enthusiasm and fervour across Tripura on Tuesday with the Governor taking the salute of the combined contingents of the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and Tripura Police who took part in the march past.Folk artists enthralled the audience with their colourful dance performance during the Republic Day's main celebrations at the Assam Rifles ground in Agartala.
With coronavirus cases soaring in the US and lockdown still in place in the UK, Australia has become a welcome escape for British and American celebrities wanting to flee restrictions for a life of relative freedom.

The cast of Thor: Love and Thunder have all touched down in Sydney, led by A-listers Natalie Portman, Matt Damon, Chris Pratt and Christian Bale. Leading man Chris Hemsworth already lives in Byron Bay, New South Wales - an area with so many celebrities (Zac Efron is also living there) that it has been dubbed 'Aussiewood'.

Hollywood star Nicole Kidman and her husband Keith Urban are living at their sprawling Australian home, while Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen have moved their three children from Los Angeles to the Sydney suburbs.

Elsewhere Normal People's Paul Mescal is busy filming with a big screen adaptation of Carmen (directed by Portman's husband Benjamin Millepied) while The Pembrokeshire Murders' actor Luke Evans is taking in the sights after choosing to stay on in Australia rather than return to the UK when his latest project wrapped.

Hollywood producers have been enticed to Australia by government grants, skilled crew and low Covid rates. There have been fewer than 29,000 cases of Covid-19 in Australia and 909 deaths, compared to the 25 million cases and 421,000 deaths in the US. California has had 3.21million cases and 37,495 deaths.

There is also a significant difference in restrictions. In New South Wales, where the majority of stars are based, restaurants and cafes are open, outdoor gatherings of up to 30 people are permitted and services such as beauty salons and hairdressers are also operating.

In contrast, California's stay-at-home order only lifted yesterday. Salons and malls are now open in Los Angeles and outdoor dining will be resumed on Friday.

MOVED WITH HER FAMILY: Natalie Portman is among the stars who seems to be stretching out her time in Australia to make the most of the lifestyle. The actress, 39, moved to Byron Bay, in New South Wales, with her husband and two children in October, three months before filming on Thor: Love and Thunder started. Pictured, Natalie and her husband out in Sydney

RELOCATED: Sacha Baron Cohen and wife Isla Fisher, who was raised in Perth from the age of six, have even gone so far as to enroll their children in school, suggesting the move from Los Angeles will be permanent. Pictured, Isla Fisher running errands in Sydney

Sailing with the stars! Sacha Baron Cohen joined Natalie Portman and her family for a cruise on Sydney Harbour on Sunday. Pictured with Natalie's children, Aleph, nine, and Amalia, three

Pals: Paul Mescal (right) sat next to his Carmen co-star Melissa Barrera (left) on the lower deck

Hollywood vs Australia: How the Covid-19 restrictions compare Rules vary between states and regions in both the US and Australia. New South Wales (including Sydney) and Los Angeles County (including Hollywood and surrounding areas) are where the majority of stars are based. In New South Wales the '4m sq rule' means there should not be more than one person per 4m sq in a premises, such as a restaurant, museum or gym. COVID INFECTION AND DEATH FIGURES Australia: 28,780 cases, 909 deaths New South Wales (pop. 7.5million) : 5,091 cases, 54 deaths US: 25 million cases, 421,000 deaths Los Angeles County (pop. 10million): 1.08million cases, 15,303 deaths SOCIALISING AT HOME New South Wales: Residences in greater Sydney, Central Coast and Wollongong are allowed a maximum of 5 visitors. In the rest of the state, people are allowed a maximum of 50 visitors. Los Angeles County: Groups of up to 15 people from three households are allowed to meet, but only outdoors. RESTAURANTS, CAFES AND BARS New South Wales: All open. Patrons must observe the 4 sq metre per person rule up to a cap of 300 for each separate area at any time. All diners must provide name and contact details for contact tracing. Nightclubs are closed. Los Angeles County: Outdoor dining will reopen from Friday. Indoor dining remains prohibited. SALONS, SPAS AND BEAUTY SERVICES New South Wales: All open although there are density limits in place. This is based on the size of the business. Los Angeles County: Now allowed to operate at 25 per cent capacity. MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS New South Wales: Open. Visitors must observe the 4sq metre social distancing rule. Los Angeles County: Outdoor operations allowed to reopen. GYMS AND FITNESS FACILITIES New South Wales: Gyms, fitness centres and studios (such as dance studios) may open for up to 30 a class. The total in a facility must not exceed one person in 4 sq metres, excluding staff. Los Angeles County: Outdoor operations only PLACES OF WORSHIP New South Wales: The number of people in a public place of worship must not exceed 100, and the 4 sq metre rule must be observed. Los Angeles County: Recommended to resume outdoors only. Advertisement

For many stars, the stay in Australia been made all the more comfortable by an easing of quarantine restrictions.

Some, including Matt Damon, have been allowed to swap the two-week hotel stay required of all new arrivals for a fortnight in a luxury private residence.

His immigration lawyer Rebekah O'Sullivan said last week the Good Will Hunting actor, 50, had 'privately arranged and funded' his two-week isolation with his wife and children so as not to create 'any burden to the Australian taxpayer whatsoever'.

Ms O'Sullivan added that Matt's entry into the country has not impacted or reduced 'the number of spaces for Australians overseas waiting to return home'.

Matt will live in Australia during the film's production alongside his wife, Luciana Barroso, and their daughters, Isabella, 14, Gia, 12, and Stella, 10.

Meanwhile Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were allowed to spend the two weeks isolation period at their $6.5million mansion in New South Wales, while Mark Wahlberg rented a Byron Bay property that's listed for $2,500 a night.

The relaxed measures have no doubt made Australia more appealing to stars who might once have been put off by the inconvenience of filming so far away from family and the traditional celebrity hubs of New York, Los Angeles and London.

BACK HOME: Another returning Aussie with no apparent plans to return to the US is Nicole Kidman, who set up home at her sprawling New South Wales ranch last year while filming TV series Nine Perfect Strangers. Pictured, Nicole and husband Keith Urban in Australia

ISOLATING IN LUXURY: Nicole, 53, and Keith, 52, who flew from Tennessee to Sydney via private jet, were allowed to head straight to their $6.5m mansion in New South Wales , above

STAYING BEHIND: Luke Evans explained he was not ready to give up the good life he enjoyed while filming Nine Perfect Strangers and is now taking in the sights Down Under. Pictured, Evans soaks up the sun in Australia in a snap shared on Instagram

He's back! Chris Pratt, 41, landed in Australia with his co-stars as they prepare to film the new Thor movie alongside Byron Bay local Chris Hemsworth

Natalie Portman is among the stars who seems to be stretching out her time in Australia to make the most of the relatively relaxed lifestyle.

The actress, 39, moved to Byron Bay, in New South Wales, with her husband and two children in October, three months before filming on Thor: Love and Thunder started this month.

Local powers allow exemptions for stars While the majority of arrivals have to spend two weeks in state-monitored hotel quarantine, the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, and Matt Damon have been given permission to isolate at luxury private residences. Quarantine exemptions are a matter for states and territories, meaning local leaders can decide who is granted one. Certain professions are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine, such as pilots and diplomats. However, exemptions can also be made at the discretion of authorities  either the state government or police, depending on the jurisdiction. There have been calls for greater clarity around this process after a string of stars were given exemptions. Critics argue it's 'one rule for the rich and another for the poor'. Advertisement

The family are in no shortage of celebrity pals to spend the weekend with. Indeed the upmarket town is so popular with stars that it has been dubbed 'Aussiewood'.

Portman's Thor co-star Chris Hemsworth and his brothers Liam and Luke all live in properties in the area and regularly invite their Hollywood pals to visit.

Natalie and husband Benjamin Millepied were recently spotted on a yacht trip with Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen, who relocated from Los Angeles to the Sydney suburbs with their three children last year.

Sacha and Isla, who was raised in Perth from the age of six, have even gone so far as to enroll their children in school, suggesting the move will be permanent.

Another returning Aussie with no apparent plans to return to the US is Nicole Kidman, who set up home at her sprawling New South Wales ranch last year while filming TV series Nine Perfect Strangers.

Kidman and husband Keith Urban have been spotted out and about with daughters Faith and Sunday, and have yet to return to Tennessee, where they usually live.

British stars have also chosen stay behind in Australia rather than return to lockdown.

Luke Evans, who recently appeared in ITV's The Pembrokeshire Murders, explained he was not ready to give up the good life he enjoyed while filming Nine Perfect Strangers and is now taking in the sights Down Under.

'When I had days off [from filming' I was on the beach, Australia had very few cases of Covid,' he said in a TV interview earlier this month. 'I feel very lucky to be here, that's why I'm still here in January even though I wrapped in December.'

However there has been public criticism of the favourable treatment given to stars.

QUARANTINE EXEMPTION: Mark Wahlberg, pictured on a visit to Australia and New Zealand last year, was allowed to quarantine at a private residence instead of a controlled hotel

PRIVATE: The sprawling property where Mark Wahlberg quarantined last month

Quarantine exemptions are a matter for states and territories, meaning local leaders can decide who is granted one.

Certain professions are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine, such as pilots and diplomats.

Stars Down Under! Some of the celebrities who've spent time in Australia over the last year: Matt Damon

Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher

Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied

Jamie Alexander

Paul Mescal

Chris Pratt

Zac Efron

Luke Evans

Kate Walsh

Melissa McCarthy

Idris Elba

Liam Neeson Advertisement

Exemptions can also be made at the discretion of authorities  either the state government or police, depending on the jurisdiction.

There have been calls for greater clarity around this process after the preferable treatment given to stars, particularly as some Australians living overseas are facing a struggle to return home.

In March last year there was a public outcry when it emerged Tom Hanks, one of the first high-profile people to be diagnosed with Covid-19 in Australia, was granted permission to cross closed state borders.

Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, epidemiologist and WHO adviser, told ABC news: 'I can't understand how the Australian general community, that's highly egalitarian, will think that this is OK.

'Particularly if they've had any family member that's had to go through quarantine or they have gone through quarantine themselves. It's just totally unacceptable from optics, but also from infection control and compliance.'

The trend of Hollywood talent being drawn to Australia looks set to continue.

Once focused on domestic output, Australia's film and TV industry has shifted towards international productions over the last 12 months.

MAKING AUSTRALIA HOME: Zac Efron with girlfriend Vanessa Valladares this month

FILMING DOWN UNDER: Melissa McCarthy lived in Australia while filming Nine Perfect Strangers last year. Above, an Instagram live video filmed at her temporary home

Odd choice: Natalie Portman, 39, (pictured) looked like she was preparing to star in a horror movie as she visited a Sydney nail salon wearing a terrifying mask on Sunday

This is driven partly by the low Covid numbers but also by the new Location Incentive, a $400 million (225 million) project unveiled last year which provides grants to big budget international productions filming in Australia.

The combination of factors has led to a surge in inquiries from UK and US production houses.

'It's been phenomenal,' Kate Marks, CEO of Ausfilm, told the Guardian. 'Since April, when it became clear we were getting on top of the virus, and after the Location Incentive was announced, we've had $2.7billion in inquiries from international productions.'

It remains to be seen how many of these inquiries translate to productions filming in Australia but the figures give an indication of the growing interest.

G'day! In footage obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Christian Bale appeared to be exiting a luxury private jet flanked by awaiting security guards.
[January 26, 2021] MDxHealth's New Share Capital Amount and New Number of Shares

NEWS RELEASE  REGULATED INFORMATION

26 January 2021, 06:00 p.m. CET IRVINE, CA, and HERSTAL, BELGIUM  26 January 2021  MDxHealth SA (Euronext Brussels: MDXH) (the "Company" or "MDxHealth"), a commercial-stage innovative molecular diagnostics company, announces, in accordance with Article 15 of the Belgian Act of 2 May 2007 on the disclosure of major participations in issuers of which shares are admitted to trading on a regulated market and regarding miscellaneous provisions, that in the context of the capital increase that was announced on 21 January 2021 and completed on 26 January 2021 by means of a private placement through an accelerated bookbuilding procedure, its share capital has increased from EUR 68,998,734.95 to EUR 90,132,067.69 and the number of issued and outstanding shares has increased from 90,691,449 to 118,469,226 ordinary shares, through the issuance of a total of 27,777,777 new shares. In addition to the outstanding shares, the total number of outstanding subscription rights on the moment of this press release amounts to 6,188,593, which entitles their holders (if exercised) to subscribe to 6,188,593 new shares with voting rights in total. About MDxHealth MDxHealth is a commercial-stage, innovative healthcare company that provides actionable molecular diagnostic information to personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Companys tests are based on proprietary genetic, epigenetic (methylation) and other molecular technologies and assist physicians with the diagnosis of urologic cancers, prognosis of recurrence risk, and prediction of response to a specific therapy. The Companys European headquarters are in Herstal, Belgium, with laboratory operations in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and US headquarters and laboratory operations based in Irvine, California. For more information, visit mdxhealth.com and follow us on social media at: twitter.com/mdxhealth, facebook.com/mdxhealth and linkedin.com/company/mdxhealth.



For more information: MDxHealth info@mdxhealth.com Important information The MDxHealth logo, MDxHealth, ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx are trademarks or registered trademarks of MDxHealth SA. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 04:19:40|Editor: huaxia

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BRUSSELS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The transparency mechanism proposed by the European Commission on the export of COVID-19 vaccines produced in the European Union (EU) is "not an export ban," a spokesperson explained on Tuesday.

Following AstraZeneca's change in the schedule of its vaccine delivery to the EU, the Commission proposed on Monday to put in place a transparency mechanism to keep track of the export of vaccines from the bloc.

Stefan de Keersmaecker, Commission spokesperson for public health and food safety, said on Tuesday that the mechanism is "a vaccine export transparency and monitoring system to demonstrate the export intentions" and "not an export ban."

The mechanism "is based on the idea that the European Commission has spent quite a lot of funds in these production capacities to make sure that there are sufficient doses available for the EU and beyond," he said.

Asked to clarify what to do after registering the notice, Eric Mamer, chief spokesperson for the Commission, did not elaborate but said "you could not basically devise strategies if you don't know what's happening."

Mamer defended the EU's role in supporting equitable distribution and use of COVID-19 vaccines globally, stressing that it is the biggest donor to the COVAX facility -- the global initiative to ensure rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries.

"If there is one continent which is playing its role as far as it can in terms of ensuring that countries around the globe, including those that have lower incomes than the European Union, can receive doses, it is the European Union," Mamer claimed.

But he admitted that the pledge is not "an easy undertaking."

"We are determined to contribute globally to resolving the pandemic, but we also mean business when it comes to Europe," said Mamer, quoting the remarks made by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday at the virtual World Economic Forum Davos Agenda event.

AstraZeneca has not provided the EU with a satisfactory answer yet as to the reason why its vaccine delivery will be reduced considerably. Two meetings took place on Monday, and another will be held on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

The United Kingdom, where the pharmaceutical company is headquartered and granted the marketing authorization for its vaccines, has not reported any shortage of supplies.

The COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca together with the University of Oxford will hopefully be greenlighted by the European Medicines Agency this week.

The outcry about the proposed mechanism to regulate the vaccines export underlined the dilemma faced by the EU, which has secured several deals on COVID-19 vaccines and pledged to its members access to the vaccines "at the same time on the basis of population size," as well as promising to share with non-EU countries.

One of its Balkan partners, Serbia, has approved a wide portfolio that also includes vaccines produced in Russia and China, and secured a higher rate of vaccination doses relative to its population than most EU countries. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 15:13:18|Editor: huaxia

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by Xinhua writer Tan Jingjing

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda have demonstrated "China's firm determination to continue facilitating opening up and economic globalization," Qualcomm China Chairman Frank Meng said on Monday.

"Qualcomm is glad to see the tremendous vitality of China's industry and the rapid 5G deployment, and expects to further strengthen cooperation with its Chinese partners," Meng told Xinhua in a written interview.

In his remarks at the WEF Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda on Monday, Xi called for staying committed to openness and inclusiveness instead of closeness and exclusion; staying committed to international law and international rules instead of seeking one's own supremacy; staying committed to consultation and cooperation instead of conflict and confrontation; and staying committed to keeping up with the times instead of rejecting change.

Calling the mobile communication industry and semiconductor industry two of the most globalized industries, Meng said Qualcomm has been pushing forward global cooperation over the past years.

"An open and cooperative global market is of utmost importance in the new revolution of the mobile communication industry and digital economy brought by 5G," he said.

China's industry vitality and rapid 5G deployment have not only played an important role in advancing China's economic development and industrial transformation, but also boosted the development of the global industrial chain, Meng said.

Qualcomm has carried out fruitful cooperation with its Chinese partners through "5G Pioneer Initiative" and "5G Internet of Things Innovation Initiative," he said.

He said Qualcomm expects to further cement cooperation with its Chinese partners, and to inject more momentum in the Chinese and global economy. Enditem
Three people sentenced to death for terrorism in Iraq have been hanged few days after twin deadly terror attacks claimed by the Islamic state group (ISIS) killed dozens of people in capital Baghdad, reports say.

Three people convicted under Article 4 of the anti-terror law were executed on Monday at the Nasiriyah central prison, the security source told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

The Middle East country according an official from Iraqs presidency has more than 40 execution orders for terrorism or criminal acts pending.

We are continuing to sign off on more, the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Another official from Iraqs presidency, The New Arab reports, Monday said that all the orders were signed after 2014, most of them under ex-president Fuad Massum and at a time when IS occupied a third of the country.

The Monday executions came three days after two ISIS militants blew themselves up killing at least 30 people while wounding dozens of others.

Rights groups have slammed the executions arguing that they are being used for political reasons.

Leaders resort to announcements of mass executions simply to signal to the public that theyre taking (these issues) seriously, said Belkis Wille, senior crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The death penalty is used as a political tool more than anything else, she told AFP on Sunday.

Under a 2005 law, anyone convicted of terrorism, which can include membership of an extremist group even if they are not convicted of any specific acts, can be sentenced to death.
A massive, sustained COVID-19 outbreak at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) offices and call centre in Swansea, Wales has exposed the Conservative governments fraudulent national lockdown and contempt for workers lives.

The DVLA is a government agency under the Department of Transport. Since September, 535 workers have tested positive, the largest known number of infections linked to a single employer and workplace. The DVLA has a total workforce of 6,000 people, meaning more than one in 12 have been infected in the last five months.

It is certain that these infections have contributed to the appalling toll of infections and deaths in the Swansea Bay area, where more than 26,000 cases have been registered and 828 COVID-related deaths.

The DVLA headquarters in Swansea (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

This disaster is the direct result of actions taken by management at DVLA and the loosened restrictions implemented during this lockdown compared to the original shutdown in March--despite the development of a more infectious strain of the virus and the overwhelming pressure on the National Health Service (NHS). It has been facilitated by the Labour Party and the trade unions, who have suppressed all opposition to the Tories herd immunity policy, exposing huge numbers of people to the virus in order to keep the economy producing profits.

According to the Guardian, roughly 1,800 workers are currently being asked to come into the office. During the lockdown last spring, just 250 workers were kept on site. One employee told the newspaper, We sit back-to-back, just one metre apart. They say the two-metre rule only applies if youre face to face. He said the virus had spread like wildfire. Loads have tested positive. More than I can count.

Another employee explained, On each floor there are only two sets of toilets: ladies and gents. There are four kitchens on each floor too. All the teams are sharing the facilitiesIts high risk. There are cases on every floor now. Workers were all worried. We are all scared. Lots and lots of people have been ill. We have had staff in hospital.

The outbreak has been so severe, she explained, and so widely known, that local people have been wary of contact with DVLA employees. People will not go into local shops if DVLA staff are there because they are scared of catching it from us. I have family I have been unable to visit because I work in DVLA.

Neither worker gave their real name for fear of victimisation.

Managers have actively sought to prevent the outbreak being recognised and contained. A complaint received by Public Health Waless outbreak control team warned that DVLA workers had been asked to turn off test-and-trace apps so that they were not notified of close contact with an infectious person and required to self-isolate.

Workers report that any COVID-related absence they do take is counted against their sick leave, with absences lasting longer than 10 days resulting in a warning. Employees with symptoms have reportedly been told to come in to work and vulnerable workers have been refused requests to work from home.

The DVLA outbreak has a long history, with nothing done to prevent it by any responsible bodies.

A few days after the first national lockdown began on March 23, Wales Online reported workers concerns: We have to walk past people on a daily basis, the hand sanitiser is nearly finished, staff are distraught, we all have to use the same lifts, pass scanners and doors, The office cleanliness is below par, and the toilets are unclean.

Referring to the number of people still being asked to come into work, others warned, Theres no need to have that many staff there and it's hard to keep distance.

One employee said a colleague had suffered an anxiety attack after being told they would have to take unpaid leave if they wanted to keep out of the building.

The threat of a mass walkout forced the DVLA to significantly reduce its services and the number of workers coming into the offices. In response, the agency called on the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), led by putative left Mark Serwotka, and with thousands of members in the DVLA offices, to help enforce a return to work. The union issued an update on July 31 noting briefly, In DVLA, where telephony and IT cannot be managed from home, staff have continued to do essential work, and a more gradual return to the office continues as the workplace is being made safe.

The same day, the BBC reported that the DVLA was recruiting 400 additional staff to clear a backlog of work.

By the end of the year, the results of the collusion between the employers and the PCS were clear. Between September and December 21, there were 352 cases at the agencys offices.

Workers at that time were telling Wales Online that they were being asked to hot desk with different teams, working across different floors of the building. Others said, Staff are being forced to work in a building with no opening windows, and that Staff are not being informed if they have been in close contact with someone in work who has tested positive for the virus.

One worker warned, The hygiene levels are very poor. Each desk has plastic screens in front of them, these are never cleaned. We are told that Public Health Wales and Swansea Council have been on site, I suspect that the areas they are being shown are selected and are not a true reflection.

Staff with underlying health conditions have been asked to sign waivers which are then sent to HR for those who wish to attend work, knowing that these people suffer from severe illness.

The DVLA was forced to admit an outbreak and close one their offices from December 24 to January 4. The companys main site was allowed to reopen with the pathetic concession that all requests for leave would be granted, so long as the employee had leave left to take, between December 22 and January 4.

All sites were reopened on January 4 with the PCS declaring, It is our preference that the contact centre remains closed, promising only to to press for the contact centre to be closed until the risk of Covid is much lower.

After all this, Serwotka had the gall to declare on behalf of the PCS, in response to the new outbreak, It is a scandal that DVLA are not doing more to reduce numbers.

If it is a scandal that the company has put in place policies allowing the mass infection of the workforce, what word best describes the union which let it happen? Serwotka proposes nothing more than handing responsibility back to the criminals in the Tory government whose every policy has been aimed at keeping workers in unsafe workplaces: Ministers must intervene and ensure DVLA are doing their utmost to enable staff to work from home and temporarily cease non-critical services, he said.

The World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) warned that the governments assurances that employers would follow safety guidelines, watched over by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), were rotten lies. This was confirmed by outbreak after outbreak in workplacesin warehouses, food distribution centres, food processing factories, textile factories, Royal Mail depots, bus garages and large farms.

Philip Taylor, a Professor of Work and Employment Studies at the University of Strathclyde, conducted a survey of call centre workers, reported by the WSWS, which he said lifts the lid on the nightmare being endured by many agents. Significant outbreaks have since occurred at call centres in Doncaster, Motherwell and Newcastle.

Every warning has been confirmed under the current lockdown. The Observer reported January 17 that no enforcement notices have been served on companies by Health and Safety Executive inspectors for Covid safety breaches since the country went into the latest lockdown, despite being contacted 2,945 times about workplace safety issues between 6 and 14 January. Overall, just 0.1% of the nearly 97,000 Covid safety cases dealt with by the agency during the pandemic appear to have resulted in an improvement or prohibition safety notice, with not a single company prosecuted for Covid-related breaches of safety laws.

The DVLA outbreak makes clear that the exposure of the working class to the virus is the result of policy, not oversight. The facts must be uncovered and charges brought against those responsible in court, including the chief culprit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Workers must secure their own safety and oversight of their workplaces. Rank-and-file safety committees must be established, independent of the trade unions who have conspired in every step of the governments murderous back-to-work agenda. These committees will reach out to their fellow workers and organise action to close non-essential and unsafe workplaces and fight for full income support for those affected.

The Socialist Equality Party will lend every assistance possible to these initiatives. Please contact us here .
Former right-wing paramilitary commander Hernan Giraldo, wanted in Colombia for numerous massacres, disappearances and rapes, was arrested at Bogota airport Monday after being deported from the United States where he had served 12 years in prison for drug trafficking, officials said.

"Hernan Giraldo Serna, known also as 'the Lord of the Sierra,' has just landed in Colombia," Colombia's immigration bureau told reporters.

Also known as "The Boss," the much-feared paramilitary leader, now aged 72, was one of the leaders of the far-right militias who waged a ruthless struggle against left-wing guerillas in Colombia until their demobilization in 2006.

Giraldo is wanted under more than 40 warrants for crimes committed under his command by the Tayrona Bloc of the Self-Defense Units of Colombia, which operated in the north of the country, the bureau said.

He oversaw a reign of terror in the mountainous region of Magdalena, where the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta rises to some 5,000 meters (16,404 feet) along the Caribbean coast, and where narco-plantations flourished.

In 2008, he was extradited to the United States, where he was jailed for 12 years on charges of conspiring to produce and distributing cocaine.

Norma Salazar, a researcher for the Women of Magdalena Network, talked to 200 of his victims, "all aged under 14," who were sexually abused.

"Nowhere in the modern world has there been such a predator," the human rights activist told AFP, adding that his return to Colombia has triggered "fear, anxiety and terror" among his victims.

He led the Tayrona Bloc militia together with Rodrigo Tovar, who was recently extradited to the United States, and who was a key figure in the "para-politics scandal" that saw dozens of lawmakers jailed for having forged alliances with far-right militias.

The two leaders were demobilized at the same time as some 30,000 other paramilitaries during the time that Alvaro Uribe led the country from 2002-10.

Story continues

The self-defense militias were put under a special branch of the justice system that set out a maximum sentence of eight years in jail if they laid down their arms and confessed to their crimes.

Giraldo was appearing before judges to give his version of his crimes when Uribe's administration extradited him to the United States after accusing him of returning to crime from prison.

That decision to extradite was contested by human rights groups, who argued that it denied victims the chance to discover the full truth and to be properly compensated.

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Vigorous efforts are needed for Russia and the United States to reach a deal on extending the New START nuclear arms control pact before it expires next month, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.







New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), which was signed in 2010 and is set to expire on Feb. 5, limits the numbers of strategic nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers that Russia and the United States can deploy.







A failure to extend New START could fuel a potential arms race and tensions between Moscow and Washington, defence experts have warned. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow and Washington were stepping up efforts to extend the pact because its expiration was rapidly approaching.







"Vigorous efforts are required to secure an extension," Peskov told reporters on a conference call. "The extension is in the interest of both countries, as well as the whole world."







Peskov made his comments a day after Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's Security Council, discussed extending the treaty in a phone call with new U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.







The White House said last week that U.S. President Joe Biden will seek a five-year extension to New START, the last major nuclear arms pact between the United States and Russia.







The Kremlin had said that it would welcome efforts by the Biden administration to extend the pact. (Reuters)


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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Tuesday that New Mexico is preparing to expand in-person learning for students of all ages within two weeks  a plan she revealed in her annual State of the State address to lawmakers.

In recorded remarks, the governor said every school district in the state will be able to welcome all ages of students safely back to the classroom on Feb. 8.

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New Mexico public schools now offer little in-person learning under public health regulations designed to limit the spread of COVID-19. They have been largely shut down since March, when the pandemic first reached the state.

The governors talk was delivered remotely this year because of the pandemic. The Capitol building itself is closed to the public.

In the 25-minute speech, Lujan Grisham called on legislators to dedicate at least $200 million of their capital outlay package to broadband investment and embrace a host of progressive priorities on the environment, education and the economy.

She also highlighted a new push to get students back on campus. Lujan Grisham said her administration has worked with educators, doctors and scientists to craft a solid, epidemiologically-sound plan for a safe expansion of in-person learning for all age groups, supported by union leadership.

The governor has faced increasing and bipartisan calls to allow more students back in the classroom, and she has repeatedly said in recent months that she shares the goal, as long as its safe.

Lujan Grisham said the state plan is aimed at balancing the importance of in-person instruction with safety.

Theres no substitute for in-person learning, she said, and theres no negotiating about the health and safety of students, families and educators.  We will get this right.

The Public Education Department, shortly after the governors speech began, announced that schools will have three options.

All schools throughout the state may bring back students on a hybrid model in which 50% of students return at a time to maintain social distancing.

Districts and schools with fewer than 100 students can bring back all students as long as no more than six people are in an enclosed space at one time.

Schools and districts that arent ready for the full hybrid return can expand small-group instruction to all grades.

Break with tradition

In a break with tradition, Lujan Grisham delivered her recorded remarks as she sat in her office at the Roundhouse, between the U.S. and New Mexico flags. The State of the State is usually delivered on the opening day of the Legislature during a joint session of the House and Senate.

But lawmakers are conducting much of this years session online, and the governors speech was scheduled for the sessions second week.

The address was posted online on the Legislatures website and the website of New Mexico PBS. It was also published on the governors Facebook page, following a delay because of technical problems.

Lujan Grisham devoted much of her time to speaking about the grief and trauma of the pandemic. The states official coronavirus death toll is nearing 3,200 residents, and the state has endured terrible economic damage.

The governor said Tuesday that her budget plan avoids cuts and would include about $475 million for pandemic relief efforts. The aid could include tax relief and cash assistance for essential workers.

The state, she said, also had much to be proud of, including high per-capita COVID-19 testing rates and the opening of the nations first drive-through testing site.

GOP: Rein in gov.s power

Three Republican leaders in the state Senate  Minority Leader Greg Baca of Belen, Minority Whip Craig Brandt of Rio Rancho and Caucus Chairman Mark Moores of Albuquerque  said it was time to rein in the governors power. Lawmakers this session are examining proposals to limit the governors emergency authority.

The COVID-19 pandemic and heavy-handed actions by the governor have wreaked havoc on our state, forcing thousands out of work, shuttering hundreds of local businesses, and keeping our children out of school, they said in a written statement. While we are pleased that the governor is finally willing to repair some of the damage, we remain deeply concerned about the long-term effects of her unilateral decisions.

House Republicans said Lujan Grisham was finally catching up to states that have already reopened schools. She should go further, they said, and relax restrictions on restaurants and other businesses.

It is about time that the governor is finally viewing this crisis through the lens of medical science and not political science, House Minority Leader James Townsend, R-Artesia, said in a statement.

State Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce, who was defeated by Lujan Grisham in the 2018 governors race, said students should have been in class all year, and now theyve fallen behind in the worst education system in the nation.

List of priorities

The governor, in her speech, called on the Legislature to approve a host of priorities in the 60-day session that runs through March, including:

n Dedicating at least $200 million in the capital outlay package  half of lawmakers allocation  to broadband investment. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the lack of technological infrastructure in parts of the state. Nearly one-quarter of New Mexicos students lack access to the internet at home.

n Increasing spending on suicide prevention by 800% as part of a plan to improve mental health care.

n Establishing an ombudsmans office to focus on the special education needs of students and families.

n Sending to voters a proposed constitutional amendment that would withdraw an extra 1% from New Mexicos largest permanent fund to pay for early childhood education programs.

The governor also said New Mexico will enact the countrys toughest methane and air pollutant rules in the oil and gas industry, finally cracking down on waste and pollution in a way that is not punitive but innovative and creates more revenue for schools.

Marijuana legalization

Lujan Grisham also renewed her pitch for the legalization of marijuana for adults. She described it as a way to bolster an economy now heavily dependent on oil and gas production, a volatile source of government revenue.

I have no interest in another year of thousands of New Mexicans eager to get to work and make their future in this industry being told no, just because thats easier than doing the hard work to get to yes,' Lujan Grisham said. When we emerge from this pandemic, we can have the same old economy with the same old boom-and-bust future, or we can roar back to life, breaking new ground and fearlessly investing in ourselves, in the limitless potential of New Mexicans.

The governors priorities come as the state Legislature is expected to embrace more liberal priorities. In the Senate, for example, 11 of the 42 members are new, and some of the chambers most powerful Democrats lost in the primary to challengers from the left.

Democrats hold a 45-25 majority in the House and a 27-15 edge in the Senate.

The governor began her speech with a pause, asking New Mexicans for a moment of silent reflection or prayer focusing on the lives lost during the pandemic. But she said the pandemic had shown that the state can bounce back from anything.

New Mexico has never been stronger, tougher and more resilient than right now, Lujan Grisham said.

It was the third State of the State speech for Lujan Grisham, a Democrat elected in 2018.

Other priorities in Lujan Grisham speech

 Approve new pandemic relief package

 Enact tough methane and air pollution rules in oil and gas industry

 Increase funding for suicide prevention

 Pass equity-first education budget to help neediest communities

 Establish ombudsmans office for special education

 Expand Opportunity Scholarship for higher education
The Roberta Place Long Term Care and Retirement home is shown in Barrie, Ont. on Monday, January 18, 2021. A group of over 200 doctors, researchers, and advocates say Ontario must take urgent action to address the rising number of deaths due to COVID-19 in long-term care. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Boris Johnson will meet with senior ministers and officials Tuesday to decide whether to use hotels to quarantine travelers arriving in the U.K. to stop the spread of new coronavirus variants from overseas.

The prime minister, who is under pressure from lawmakers in his own Conservative Party to set out a road map for leaving the countrys third national lockdown, said Monday that stricter curbs on travelers are being worked on by his team.

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It is incredibly important that we are cautious at the border," Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a televised briefing Monday evening when asked about the plan. It is also reasonable to take a precautionary principle to protect this country whilst we work on the science and the analysis of the different variants that are discovered around the world."

The U.K.s death toll is likely to pass 100,000 this week and, with hospitals close to capacity and infections still high, Johnson is some distance from meeting the conditions he set for loosening national restrictions when he imposed them on Jan. 4.

Protect Our Population

Ministers see mass vaccination as the U.K.s ticket out of lockdown, and the National Health Service has so far given shots to 6.6 million people, including 79% of those over 80 years old.

Increased border controls, including quarantining arriving travelers in hotels as countries such as Australia and Singapore have done, could help to keep out any strains that might undermine the effectiveness of the doses being administered.

Read more: AstraZeneca Fails to Soothe EU Ire Over Vaccine-Delivery Delays

We want to make sure that we protect our population, protect this country against reinfection from abroad," Johnson said in a pooled TV interview Monday. That idea of looking at hotels is certainly one thing that were actively now working on."

The U.K. has also offered to share its expertise in testing and analyzing new strains of the virus to help keep a cap on outbreaks around the world, Hancock will say in a speech Tuesday. British genomics expertise will be available either through testing of samples or training and advice for other countries, his office said in a statement.

The prime minister warned that lifting lockdown rules too quickly would risk a new surge of infections, amid growing pressure from rank-and-file Tories to lay out a time frame for reopening the economy.

Show Us a Plan

Restrictions are due to be reviewed in mid-February, by which time Johnson hopes to have hit his target to vaccinate almost 15 million people considered most vulnerable to the disease, but there are growing indications the timetable for lifting the lockdown is slipping, potentially even into summer.

That has alarmed prominent Tories including Mark Harper and Steve Baker, who have called on ministers to set out a road map for easing the curbs, especially reopening schools, and the criteria they will use for doing so.

Once the vulnerable are protected, the first priority should be to start reopening schools," Harper said on Twitter on Monday. The Government needs to show us a plan."

Johnson reiterated that his governments priority is to reopen schools as fast as possible, though he said any lifting of the lockdown must be done in a responsible, cautious way."

Theres nothing I want to do more than reopen schools," he said. We want to do that in a way that is consistent with fighting the epidemic and keeping the infection rate down."

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The U.S. Army on Tuesday unveiled a set of significant changes to its hair and grooming standards -- including long ponytails and buzz cuts for women -- intended to meet the needs of more soldiers.

The sweeping changes to the service's hair and grooming policy are based on soldier recommendations, Sgt. Maj. Brian Sanders, Army G-1, Uniform Policy Branch sergeant major, told reporters at a roundtable.

A special panel, made up primarily of female soldiers, reviewed recommendations from the field on female soldiers' needs, especially those of Black women, Sanders said. The panel was made up of soldiers from across the service, including Training and Doctrine Command, Army Forces Command, Army Special Operations Command and the Army National Guard.

Read Next: Agent Orange Exposure Doubles Risk of Developing Dementia, Study Finds

"Since I got to the job in December 2019, there has been a big cry for help from the Army on how we try to make things different, and it was primarily coming from our female soldiers," Sanders said.

Many of the changes are meant to prevent alopecia, a type of hair loss, and to help express cultural preferences and gender identity, he said.

"This is one way we are working to improve the lives of our soldiers ... by putting people first, understanding their concerns, taking action when necessary and maintaining their razor-sharp edge of readiness," Lt. Gen. Gary Brito, deputy chief of staff for Army Personnel, told reporters in a round table.

"Equity, inclusion and diversity are all very important to Army readiness because we have soldiers from all walks of life ... and we have to represent them so our Army policies must therefore promote equity and inclusion."

One major change will allow buzz cuts for women, a recommendation that came from female soldiers attending Ranger School and other combat arms training courses.

"When they come out of the course, they are out of regulation. As of right now, the current standard will not allow female soldiers to have their hair lower than a quarter of an inch," Sanders said. "So, we decided in the panel, do we want to make this only for school or do we want to give our women in the Army the opportunity to have their hair at any length? We went with let's not tell a woman the length of hair she can have. So now, we will specify no minimum hair length for women in the Army."

The new hair standards will also allow women to wear both short and long ponytails instead of a bun.

"Having our women try to force their hair into this tight bun ... leads to hair loss. ... This leads to a lot of other medical conditions of the scalp," Sanders said.

Female soldiers will be authorized to wear the long ponytail only during physical fitness training and with the Army Combat Uniform, or ACU, during tactical training, while riding in tactical vehicles and in other situations where they are required to wear a helmet.

Sanders did not say whether there is a maximum length for a long ponytail, but female soldiers will be required to tuck long ponytails into the ACU blouse, the policy update states.

At first, the panel did not pass the recommendation because it allowed soldiers to wear the long ponytail with all uniforms.

"It was the only topic out of all of them where the panel was a little bit split," Sanders said. "So, what we got after was, 'Now, let's kind of look at this for when can it be useful,' and that is how we got to authorizing long ponytail for physical training and also when we are doing combat operations with appropriate headgear.

"If you have seen some pictures of some of our female soldiers out there with this helmet on, the helmet tends to lean onto the top of their eyebrow, which can impair vision -- which can definitely affect combat lethality," he added.

Many of the changes to the grooming standards affect Black women more than any other demographic, Sanders said.

"We went into this with the intent of 'how do we take care of soldiers?' But it's one of those things where there might be one population that might be more affected than others. And what the dermatologists saw was that, 'Hey, this is going to be for all our female soldiers and male soldiers because male soldiers suffer from alopecia as well.' But ... the dermatologists were able to call out, 'Hey, I see this condition more in my office through Walter Reed [Army Medical Center] -- we see a lot of these things happen with alopecia and hair loss primarily from our black females."

But some of the changes to the grooming standards are designed to allow women to be women, such as authorizing earrings to be worn with the Army Combat Uniform, or ACU, Sanders said.

"This has never been authorized before; the current standard only authorizes the wear of earrings with the service and dress uniforms," he said. "This is extremely groundbreaking for the U.S. Army."

Female soldiers can wear gold, silver and diamond earrings with the ACU, but pearl earrings will be reserved for the service and dress uniforms, Sanders said. Earrings may not be worn in the field or on combat deployments.

"[Psychologists on the panel said], 'Earrings obviously do a lot for a woman to still feel like a woman inside and outside the uniform," Sanders said. "One thing we can never forget is, at the end of the day, our women are mothers, are spouses, they are sisters, and they definitely want to maintain their identity."

The change also provides more clarity on the wear of lipstick and nail polish, specifying what is and isnt in regulations. While female soldiers are allowed to wear lipstick and polish, they wont be permitted to apply extreme colors such as purple, gold, blue, black, white, fire-engine red, hot pink, yellow and other neon colors.

"We [want] to authorize lipstick and nail polish, but we want to make sure that we keep a standard that we don't [allow] loud colors such as the yellows, the hot pinks, the ... bright fire engine [red]. We want to make sure we specify," he said.

The change is also gender-neutral, so men can wear clear nail polish. Sanders explained that the change is designed for men working in job specialties dealing with harsh chemicals "to be able to provide care for their nails, to be able to provide a medical means to help protect their nails."

The changes to the hair and grooming standards will be sent out in an Army memo between Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, Sanders said.

The top enlisted adviser of the Army, Sgt. Maj. Michael Grinston, said he'd learned through recent conversations some things about soldiers' needs and concerns that he'd never known before.

"I'm really excited about today; we get the chance to roll out something that soldiers are excited about and that they really want to hear about," he said. "This is about listening to our soldiers, taking what they are saying and then [deciding] how can we incorporate that into the Army."

Editors Note: This story has been updated to clarify the changes to lipstick and nail polish regulations.

-- Matthew cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Related: The Army Is Planning a Major Overhaul of its Hair and Grooming Regulations
LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- The Lakewood Community Relations Advisory Committee is asking fellow Lakewoodites to help build a better, more responsive community.

LCRAC describes itself as a volunteer group that serves in an advisory capacity for educating, informing and making recommendations to city officials on matters related to community relations in an effort to advance respect for diversity, equality and bonds of mutuality. The groups mission is to ensure that Lakewood remains a great place to live and work.

To that end, LCRAC is asking residents to complete an online survey by March 1. The survey is voluntary and anonymous.

The online survey is available at tinyurl.com/lkwdsurvey.

Local leader: Congratulations to John Sobolewski, executive director of the Powers of More Chambers of Commerce for being recognized as one of Cleveland Magazines Cleveland 500 leaders and visionaries who have helped shape Cleveland.

The Powers of More Chambers include Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Parma Area (Parma, Parma Heights, Seven Hills) and West Shore (Bay Village, Westlake).

Meal delivery, transportation: The Fairview Park Senior Life Office is reminding Fairview residents 60 or older that they can register to receive delivery of three frozen meals, fruit, bread and milk every Wednesday.

For more information or to sign up, call 440-356-4437.

Senior van transportation services are available from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for Fairview seniors. The transportation service is intended for medically necessary appointments and essential services such as grocery shopping, banking and prescription pickup.

Only one rider or family group is permitted at a time and face masks are required.

Call 440-356-4439 for a reservation.

If youre looking for a winter farmers market, stop by the Frostville Museum complex on Saturdays. (Carol Kovach/special to cleveland.com)

Winter market, trash and treasures: The Frostville Winter Farmers Market takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays -- weather permitting -- in the Event Barn at the Frostville Museum complex, 24101 Cedar Point Road, North Olmsted, in the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks.

A Trash & Treasures Sale takes place during the same time period in the Frostville Schoolhouse.

The 9:30 to 10 a.m. time slot is reserved for senior citizens and immune-compromised shoppers. Visitors are reminded that face masks must be worn and social distancing is to be observed.

The market features local farmers, seasonal produce, free-range meats, pastries, honey, syrup, tea, coffee, artisan breads and more. Call Angie Obbish, market manager, at 330-592-6518 or visit olmstedhistoricalsociety.org for more information.

New director: Congratulations to Martin Keane, former Cleveland Ward 17 councilman, who is the citys new director of public utilities. He was sworn in by Mayor Frank Jackson.

Keane, a lifelong resident of Clevelands West Park neighborhood, previously served as assistant director of public utilities, a position he accepted after resigning his council seat in November 2019.

He represented the Kamms Corners and Puritas neighborhoods in West Park for 12 years. During his time on council, Keane served on the Finance, Development Planning & Sustainability, Operations and Rules committees. He also chaired the Utilities Committee and was vice chair of the Transportation Committee.

Before serving on council, Keane was a probation officer. He also was an assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor.

Keane grew up in Ward 17, where his late father, Tom, served on City Council in the 1970s. He is a graduate of St. Ignatius High School and earned a law degree from Cleveland Marshall College of Law. Keane and his wife, Shannon, have four children.

As director of the Department of Public Utilities, which includes Cleveland Water, Cleveland Public Power and Cleveland Water Pollution Control, Keane manages the operations and oversight of 1,700 employees and a $570 million budget.

Information, please: Readers are invited to share information about themselves, their families and friends, organizations, church events, etc. in Fairview Park, Lakewood, North Olmsted and West Park for the A Place in the Sun column, which I write on a freelance basis. Awards, honors, milestone birthdays or anniversaries and other items are welcome. Submit information at least 10 days before the requested publication date to carolkovach@hotmail.com.

Read more from the Sun Post Herald.
On a return trip to Siberia, Trinh traveled to Karelia to visit Kizhi Island. "Karelia is an indispensable destination on an arctic circuit trip. Siberia is so large, I could not see it all in only one or two winters," the photographer said.

"There was only me, the 18th century wooden churches, the clock tower and land, all totally covered by snow. What could be more perfect?"

After creating seven projects based on his journeys, Trinh plans to visit Northern Africa, Scandinavia and the other parts of the world in the next few years.

Coronavirus cases have jumped nearly fivefold over the last 10 days among troops deployed from across the country to the nation's capital, military officials said on Monday.

Almost 200 National Guard members have tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, said Maj. Gen. William Walker, commander of the District of Columbia National Guard.

"I'm deeply troubled by the number," Walker said. Military.com reported the number of positive cases among Guard members in Washington, D.C. was 43 as of Jan. 15.

Read Next: National Guard Has No Plans to Investigate Leaked Photos of Troops in Parking Garage

All Guard members who test positive are quarantined and won't return to their home states until they're fully recovered, Gen. Dan Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said.

"We take every case seriously," he said.

Guard members who've been in close contact with those who test positive are also quarantined, but officials declined to provide the total number affected during a Monday press conference.

In less than three weeks, about 25,000 National Guard members from every state and territory have deployed to Washington, D.C. They were tasked with guarding the U.S. Capitol leading up to and following President Joe Biden's inauguration. Federal leaders requested the backup security after a mob of President Donald Trump supporters busted past U.S. Capitol Police officers on Jan. 6.

At least 120 people have been arrested following the siege. Five people, including a Capitol police officer, were killed that day.

The National Guard presence in Washington will decrease to about 7,000 by the end of the week, Hokanson said, but about 5,000 will remain until at least mid-March.

Medical experts have warned that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot could be what's known as a super-spreader event during the global pandemic. Protesters came to Washington, D.C., for a rally led by Trump, many gathering without wearing face masks or observing social distancing. They then returned to their communities, where they could spread the virus if they were exposed.

At least 38 Capitol police officers have since tested positive for the virus, the union representing the Capitol Police told CNN Sunday.

National Guard members have been a big part of the country's coronavirus relief efforts, setting up testing and vaccine sites, and assisting food banks. More than 23,000 are activated for those missions, and Hokanson said the force stands ready to assist states in administering more vaccines moving forward.

More than 135,000 U.S. troops have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Seventeen of those service members have died of the virus, according to the Defense Department.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

Related: 43 National Guard Troops in DC for Inauguration Test Positive for COVID-19
One afternoon at an elementary school on the outskirts of Cairo, first-grade Egyptian students were busy wiping their desks clean and sweeping the floor with brooms under the supervision of teaching staff.

The scene, observed recently by a Japan International Cooperation Agency official, represents one of the class activities in a curriculum based on the Japanese education method that emphasizes moral training and social harmony, in addition to acquiring academic skills.

At more than 40 Japanese-style schools launched in Egypt since 2018 in partnership with the Japanese government, children tidy up their classrooms and common areas, take turns helping the class for the day and have designated times to reflect on how they spend their day, in what experts call a holistic approach to schooling.

The project came after President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visited an elementary school in Tokyo during a trip to Japan in 2016.

In a country where cleaning is regarded as a vocation for low-paid workers, tasking students with tidying up school facilities initially raised the eyebrows of some parents.

But the Japanese-style education model is fast winning recognition as Egyptian students started showing a sense of responsibility and cooperation outside of the school setting, such as offering to help out at home, said Mizuki Matsuzaki, who until recently served as deputy chief of JICAs Egypt office.

With JICA extending 18.6 billion ($180 million) in low-interest loans and dispatching teaching professionals to the Middle East country, the Egyptian government is considering increasing the number of such schools to about 100.

Besides Egypt, more than 20 other countries have adopted the Japanese method amid growing enthusiasm among developing countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America about incorporating the education methods that have supported Japans economic and technological advances.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.
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Twitter has pulled the plug on the account of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.

A spokesperson for Twitter said, "This account was suspended for repeated violations of our civic integrity policy. Twitter confirmed late Monday that the ban on the entrepreneur from Minnesota is a permanent one.

The ban is the latest in a series of disciplinary actions taken by Twitter that include, most notably, the banning of former President Donald Trump in an effort to reduce the spread of blatant political lies and punish those who incited violence, particularly in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Lindell has been a vocal backer of Trump, and reports surfaced earlier this month that he suggested the president declare martial law in the wake of what he saw as widespread election fraud.

Among other things, Lindell alleged that the voting machine companies Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems were part of a conspiracy to rig the election against Trump. Upon threat of lawsuit from Dominion, Lindell told the New York Times: "I would really welcome them to sue me because I have all the evidence against them."

Lindell is known to be considering a possible run for governor of Minnesota in 2022. The ban from Twitter would complicate his effort to reach voters.

Last year, Twitter held to its permanent ban of Laura Loomer despite her winning the Republican primary in a long-shot bid for Florida's 21st Congressional District. "The account owner you referenced was permanently suspended for repeated violations of the Twitter Rules, and we do not plan to reverse that enforcement action," the company said in a statement at the time.
Published on 2021/01/25 | Source

Actor Yeo Jin-goo featured in a photo shoot which captures various charms.

GQ Korea released pictures from a photo shoot with Yeo Jin-goo on the 25th.

Not only did he pull off various styles, he freely expressed the atmosphere suitable for each shoot and completed highly sensitive visuals.

In the interview following the photo shoot, Yeo Jin-goo talked about the upcoming JTBC drama "Beyond Evil". "There aren't a lot of smiling scenes. My character, elite detective Han Joo-won believes he is very rational and he looks at the world from a calculating, realistic perspective".

He added, "So the character feels new every time I act it out".

"It was a special appearance, but it was a fun", said Yeo Jin-goo, who played the voice of AI speaker Jang Yeong-sil in the recently ended drama "Start Up". "The director first asked me to keep it a secret that I made a voice appearance. Some people quickly noticed it, and my close friend didn't know it until the last episode. He thought it was a voice actor".

When asked about the work which helped him step up as an actor, Yeo Jin-goo said, "The dramas "The Crowned Clown" and "Hotel Del Luna" are meaningful to me. "The Crowned Clown" was an opportunity to get a sense of acting and I received a lot of love and praise through "Hotel Del Luna". I was overwhelmed at that time".

Meanwhile, more photos and interviews of Yeo Jin-goo will be available in the February issue of GQ Korea.
Representative Mo Brooks, please resign.

In my January 26, 2017, al.com Guest Voices column entitled, Where is the moral courage of our Republican Congress, I focused not on the 45th president of the United States, but rather on Republicans at every level who were twisting themselves into pretzels to defend and explain President Trump. I concluded that piece by remarking that, the emperor and the Congressional Republicans who are blindly admiring him are deleterious to our democracy.

Fast forward four years, and the past is truly prologue. During his entire tenure as the most powerful person in the world, President Trump did exactly what he said he would do, to the detriment of so many across this country and beyond. Now, that the Disrupter in Chief has incited a deadly insurrection, I return to my question from that 2017 column  What exactly are complicit Republican leaders doing? Well, Rep. Mo Brooks literally joined Mr. Trump in an act of sedition, and as a consequence, he abdicated his responsibilities as a member of Congress. For that, Mr. Brooks must resign.

The United States is at a pivotal crossroads. The world is watching and rightly criticizing us. While Trump has exited the White House, lingering around the United States Capitol building are individuals perpetrating as Congressional leaders who aided and abetted Trumps violent and deadly rebellion. In his Jan. 6, 2021 angry diatribe, Mr. Brooks was one of Trumps minions spewing incendiary rhetoric. In fact, he directed the violent mob to stop at the Capitol andfight for America. Mr. Brooks must resign because he has yielded all moral authority to represent Alabamians in Congress.

According to Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President  shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. Mr. Brooks violated Section 3 and thus is ineligible to serve as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. Brooks unapologetically fomented domestic terrorism, and he continues to stoke divisions. What did he even mean by his insidious rally cry, Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass? How absolutely inane. He continues to support efforts to subvert democracy, and on Jan. 6, 2021, he actively sought to overturn a legal election hours after a deadly insurrection he helped to incite. Mr. Brooks must be held accountable for his actions. Perhaps he will face appropriate criminal consequences. Regardless of potential legal entanglements in which he might find himself as a result of his seditious speech, Mr. Brooks must resign because he no longer qualifies to be a representative from the Great State of Alabama.
While photographing bears in eastern North Carolina, I accidentally became a citizen scientist. A beautiful red wolf crossed a field in the distance, and I snapped a photo before it disappeared into tall grass.

Showing it to officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I learned that this red wolf was one of only 20 estimated to be living in the wild. Eight of them have radio collars used to track animal movement for research. This female wolf's whereabouts were unknown, because its collar had stopped working in 2019.

My photo helped wildlife officials rediscover a missing link in their decades-long effort to try to save this species.

- - -

The red wolf population, once plentiful throughout the Southeastern United States, declined rapidly through the early 1900s. Fears of the mythical "big bad wolf" portrayed in fairy tales and movies had led to lawful killing of the animals.

Listed by the federal government as an endangered species in 1967, red wolves were declared extinct in the wild in 1980.

The shy, mild-mannered red wolf is smaller than the gray wolf of the West, but larger than a coyote. It prefers to avoid people. As an apex predator - one at the top of the "food chain" - it feeds on deer, raccoons, rabbits and rodents. Apex predators keep the ecosystem in check. Without them, their prey populations would soar, decreasing availability of plants and animals down the food chain.

- - -

A captive-breeding program was started in the 1970s with 14 wolves captured from the wild. In 1987, four pairs were released into North Carolina's Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, and the next year the first red wolf pups were born there. By 2006, the wild population in North Carolina was more than 130 red wolves.

This success story was short-lived, however. Many red wolves lost their lives through run-ins with cars or when they were shot by people who mistook them for coyotes.

Reversing rapidly declining red wolf numbers is complicated.

Stakeholders - including farmers, landowners, hunters, naturalists and wildlife management officials - often disagree on how or whether to sustain the wild wolf population.

Farmers wonder whether red wolves are dangerous to livestock. Animal rights groups want to ensure that the Endangered Species Act's rules are being followed. Naturalists want a self-sustaining red wolf population in the wild.

Sometimes government policies change, and conflicting ideas lead to legal challenges. Efforts to compromise stall.

- - -

Communication among stakeholders is key.

"We know that there is little tolerance for top predators, so we need to increase understanding of that role," said Kim Wheeler, executive director of the Red Wolf Coalition, an educational advocacy group in Columbia, N.C.

Red wolves can travel 20 miles a day for food, so efforts to protect them require better partnerships between the government and private landowners, Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Joe Madison said.

"Red wolves don't just stay on refuge property," he said. "A healthy population requires a much larger land base than the refuge lands in eastern [North Carolina] can provide."

The captive-breeding program has about 250 red wolves in zoos and wildlife centers across the United States - a backup population for maintaining the species' reestablished wild populations.

But there has been a pause in releasing captive wolf cubs into the wild. There have been no red wolves born in the wild since 2018. During winter, the Fish and Wildlife Service searches for male and female red wolves that can be paired together to breed, Madison noted.

If competing interests can work together, maybe soon more people will enjoy an unexpected glimpse of a red wolf in the wild or hear its haunting howl.

- - -

Recovery plans

How conservationists aim to save the species.

- Encourage private landowners to offer habitat protection for red wolves.

- Educate the public about the differences between red wolves and coyotes.

- Increase the number of breeding pairs of red wolves.

- Lend trail cameras so landowners can monitor wildlife activity on their property.

- - -

How can kids help?

- Learn more at the Red Wolf Coalition website: redwolves.com. (Click on "resources" and "Far Traveler.")

- Do a school project to educate fellow classmates and teachers about red wolves.

- Learn about the Endangered Species Act.

- Visit a zoo or wildlife center that's part of the red wolf species survival program to see red wolves in person. To find one, go to

redwolves.com/newsite/learn-about-red-wolves/captive-breeding-facilities.
(Natural News) Older peoples mental health worsened during lockdowns as their loneliness put them at risk of depression and anxiety, according to a recent study led by researchers from the University of Exeter in the U.K.

Published in the journal International Psychogeriatrics, the study revealed that a drop in physical activity levels was linked to symptoms of poor mental health, depression in particular. We are only just beginning to learn the impact that COVID-19 is having on the health and well-being of older people, said Clive Ballard, co-author of the study and the executive dean of the University of Exeter Medical School.

Overall, the findings highlight the need to examine policies in the time of COVID-19 that affect peoples mental health and physical activity levels.

Loneliness and lack of exercise linked to poor mental health

Loneliness and reduced physical activity are linked to mental health. Since mitigation strategies like lockdowns and social distancing policies can have a significant impact on an individuals mental health and well-being, its possible that loneliness and reduced physical activity in the time of COVID-19 are preventable.

For their study, the researchers used data from the PROTECT online study. The PROTECT study began in 2011 and involves 25,000 adults aged 50 and over. It was designed to examine factors involved in aging.

In May last year, the researchers added a questionnaire to assess the impact of COVID-19 on health and well-being. It was completed by 3,300 participants, including 1,900 longstanding PROTECT participants.

When the researchers compared the participants data from the new questionnaire with data collected between 20152019, they found that lonely people reported experiencing an average of two symptoms of depression for several days over a two-week period prior to the pandemic. But during lockdown, lonely people reported either experiencing depressive symptoms for over half the days in a two-week period or experiencing a new symptom for at least several days in that same timeframe.

Older women and retired adults were also far more likely to struggle with their mental health. Those who werent lonely to begin with, the levels of depressive symptoms remained unaffected.

The researchers also noted that a decrease in physical activity levels since the start of the pandemic was closely linked to worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety. (Related: Natural ways to manage anxiety.)

Overall, the findings indicate that loneliness and reduced physical activity are key factors linked to having poor mental health and worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety during the pandemic.

Even before the pandemic, loneliness and physical activity level were a huge issue in society, said lead author Byron Creese. Its now crucial that we build on this data to find new ways to mitigate risk of worsening mental health during the pandemic.

The researchers said they plan to conduct further analysis on groups with high risk of poor mental health, such as people with cognitive impairment and those with caring roles.

Ballard is also hopeful that the PROTECT study, which is still running, will help them understand the effects of the pandemic on peoples mental health and well-being in the long run. The study might also help them understand the impact of those effects on aspects of aging, such as brain function or memory.

Researchers from Queens University Belfast in Northern Ireland are also currently conducting a similar study on the impact of social distancing regulations on social interaction, isolation and loneliness. They hope to find out how a situation such as the government lockdown can impact loneliness

Combatting loneliness amid a pandemic

The current recommendations to stay at home, practice social distancing and limit social interactions can have a huge impact on peoples mental health because they foster feelings of loneliness.

Loneliness can be damaging to an individuals mental health. Studies have associated chronic loneliness with a greater risk of developing mental health disorders like depression. And the longer people go without managing their loneliness, the harder it might be to recover from its impact.

Fortunately, there are many ways people can combat loneliness during the pandemic.

Here are some of the things that you can do: call a friend  lockdowns have affected how people spend time with their friends and loved ones, but they dont prohibit people from calling, texting or messaging friends and loved ones online; volunteer  volunteering gives people a sense of purpose and promotes positive feelings, and a research even shows that volunteering has positive effects on depression, life satisfaction and well-being; go for a walk  some people also feel anxious, irritable or listless after days of staying indoors so it helps to go out for a short walk around the neighborhood or green spaces like parks on such occasions; and take up new hobbies  taking up a new hobby is a great way to keep the mind occupied while cooped up indoors.

Go to Mental.news to learn more about beating mental health issues like loneliness and depression.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

ScienceDaily.com

QUB.ac.uk

Positive.news

UpWithPeople.org
A Border Patrol vehicle is parked next to a section of the U.S.Mexico border fence as it ends at El Nido de las Aguilas, Baja California, on March 26, 2019. (Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images)

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Biden Deportation Freeze After Texas Challenge

A federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked an executive order issued by President Joe Biden to halt the deportation of certain immigrants for 100 days.

U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, issued a temporary restraining order (pdf) on Jan. 26, blocking Bidens policy nationwide for 14 days after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged it in court.

The order is a setback to the Biden administration, which has proposed far-reaching changes, including a plan to legalize about 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States illegally. Last week, the administration also issued an order that halts all U.S.Mexico border wall construction.

During former President Donald Trumps four years in office, Democrats and immigration activists often filed lawsuits in an attempt to halt Trumps border wall construction, among other immigration provisions. With Paxtons lawsuit, its likely that Republicans may do the sameespecially with hundreds of judges appointed by Trump during his term in office.

Paxton hailed the victory, saying on Twitter, Texas is the FIRST state in the nation to bring a lawsuit against the Biden Admin. AND WE WON.

Within 6 days of Bidens inauguration, Texas has HALTED his illegal deportation freeze. *This* was a seditious left-wing insurrection, the Republican said. And my team and I stopped it.

A loader grades land near a section of privately-built border wall under construction near Mission, Texas, on Dec. 11, 2019. (John Moore/Getty Images)

David Pekoske, acting Homeland Security secretary, issued a directive on Jan. 20 directing authorities to focus on national security and public safety threats as well as anyone who was taken into custody after entering the U.S. illegally after Nov. 1.

White House officials didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

The Biden administration argued in court that Paxtons lawsuit is unenforceable because an outgoing administration cannot contract away that power for an incoming administration.

Pekoske had said the deportation freeze would allow the DHS to ensure that its resources are dedicated to responding to the most pressing challenges that the United States faces. That includes the immediate operational challenges at the southwest border in the midst of the most serious global public health crisis in a century, he said.

Throughout this interim period, DHS will continue to enforce our immigration laws.

But last week, Paxton, a Republican, said the DHS failed to consult with Texas before making its immigration policy changes, as is required per an agreement between Texas and the agency.

Border states like Texas pay a particularly high price when the federal government fails to faithfully execute our countrys immigration laws, Paxton said last week, adding that an attempted halt on almost all deportations would increase the cost to Texas caused by illegal immigration.

Like Paxton, several former Trump DHS officials expressed alarm in recent days over Bidens orders to rescind some immigration rules.

With the stroke of a pen, President Biden made this country less safe, former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan told Breitbart News on Jan. 23. Its pure politics over public safety.

Separately, a Democratic member of Congress confirmed that border wall construction along the U.S.Mexico border was to be halted on Jan. 26, per one of Bidens orders.

Tourists flock to a crowded Bondi beach January 1, 2006 in Sydney, Australia, with temperatures soaring to 42C (107.6F). Meteorologists predict that nearly all of Australia may experience higher than average temperatures this summer. (Ian Waldie/Getty Images)

Drowning Warning Ahead of Steamy Australia Day

Most parts of NSW and the ACT have sweltered through a second consecutive sweltering night, as thousands head to the beach seeking relief from the heat on Australia Day.

Temperatures across most of southeast Australia have spiked over the past three days, with a cool wind change on January 25 delivering milder conditions in South Australia, Tasmania and most of Victoria.

But in NSW and the ACT the heat has continued on Australia Day, prompting warnings from health authorities for people to stay hydrated and safe around water.

NSW Surf Life Saving chief executive Steve Pearce said beaches along the states coast were already packed by 10am on Tuesday, with many nearing capacity.

Sunday was a test run for authorities, one of the busiest days in years, with 250 rescues and 750 first aid treatments.

With high temps, the big swells, the large crowds, Tuesday will be even bigger, he said.

We have all our assets out on the water  every jetski available, every rubber duck, we have our Westpac rescue helicopter in the sky, and we have our drones flying everywhere as well.

Six people have drowned in NSW in the past eight days, while another two men drowned in separate incidents in Victoria on Saturday.

A man who was snorkelling died after being pulled from the water at Narrabeen on Sydneys northern beaches on Monday, while emergency services are searching for another man who disappeared while snorkelling near Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast.

A boy was also pulled from the water unconscious on Monday in Sydneys northwest and taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Were tracking for a really tragic summer, he said.

Statistically, every Australia Day one person will drown along the NSW coastline.

Thats the reason why were on such high guard today we know its going to be operationally frenetic.

Drownings are 2.4 times more likely to occur in Australia on public holidays.

NSW Ambulances Kay Armstrong said call-outs over the weekend were double the average level, and urged people to stay hydrated and look out for each other until the heatwave subsided.

BOM NSW manager Agata Imielska on Monday told reporters that Australia Day temperatures in western Sydney would top 40C, but coastal areas would benefit from a sea breeze, reaching about 35C.

Tomorrow we will see a change move across (NSW), starting across the south, bringing cloud and rain in the morning to southern areas, she said.

But the cool change may not reach Sydney until late on Tuesday evening.

Canberra will have temperatures in the low 30s on Australia Day before a late shower.

Sydney
Total SE has had the fastest start in the race between oil supermajors to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

Europes three largest oil and gas companies -- Total, BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc -- all announced plans last year to eliminate most greenhouse gas emissions from their operations and the fuels they sell in the coming decades. It marked a turning point for the petroleum industry in the region, and heightened its divergence from U.S. majors that have yet to make such pledges.

While the French company was the last one to announce the shift, it has since covered the most ground. Total has acquired the most renewable electricity for its portfolio -- about 8.8 gigawatts in operation, construction or development -- through acquisitions such as its $2.5 billion deal with Indian renewable firm Adani Green Energy Ltd., according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Total has been a relative early mover among oil majors in preparing for the energy transition, said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Will Hares. It holds the most renewable-power capacity installed or in development of any oil major, and the most ambitious capacity-growth targets.

The French company also has the highest overall Carbon Transition Score of any integrated oil company in Bloomberg Intelligences rankings. Total has a rating of 9.33 out of 10, compared with 8.4 for BP and 6.6 for Shell.

SHINING ON TEXAS: Total joint venture to develop 12 solar projects across U.S.

BP, which was the first of the three companies to offer a net-zero target in February 2020, has bought into 2.2 gigawatts of offshore wind power in development in a $1.1 billion deal with Equinor ASA. The London-based company also has an established 16-gigawatt portfolio of solar projects in operation or development through the Lightsource BP, which was formed in 2017.

Shell is the only member of the trio not to have made a multibillion-dollar clean-energy deal since announcing its net-zero target in April. The Anglo-Dutch company has made smaller investments from hydrogen refueling infrastructure in California to a waste-to-fuels plant in Canada.

All three companies have announced numerous smaller deals for which they didnt disclose a value, ranging from electric car charging networks to producers of biogas.

Pledges for lots of upfront spending on clean energy capacity has been met with skepticism by some investors, who worry that returns from renewables wont match those of oil and gas projects do. Even Totals own Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne warned of a bubble in renewables if there is too much money chasing too few low-carbon projects.
The European Parliament is demanding the immediate release in Vietnam of three journalists jailed this month on anti-state charges, calling respect for freedom of expression an essential element of a free trade agreement signed between the EU and Vietnam in 2019.

Parliament calls on the Vietnamese government to immediately and unconditionally release human rights defenders Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan, as well as all others detained and sentenced in the country for merely exercising their right to freedom of expression, the European Parliament said in a Jan. 21 statement.

Respect for human rights constitutes a key foundation of the bilateral relations between Vietnam and the EU and is an essential element of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, the Parliament said in a resolution approved by lawmakers with 592 votes in favor, 32 against, and 58 abstentions.

Parliament calls on all involved parties to make use of the existing EU-Vietnam agreements to improve the human rights situation in the country, the Parliament said.

Signed in June 2019, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will eliminate 99 percent of tariffs on goods between the EU and the Southeast Asian country, which sent the EU $42.5 billion worth of goods, mostly garments and footwear products, in 2018.

The vote to approve the agreement was made over the objections of international and Vietnamese NGOs who had urged lawmakers to postpone consent on the agreement until Vietnams government agrees to protect the rights of workers and ensure human rights in the one-party communist state.

Worsening rights record

European lawmakers on Jan. 21 condemned what they called Vietnams worsening human rights record, with some calling for tariffs between the EU and Vietnam to be restored.

The EU has recently extended its hand to Vietnam with a Free Trade Agreement which widens the horizons for companies in Vietnam and Europe. But we cannot ignore the violations of human rights currently happening in our economic partners, said Adam Bielan, a Polish lawmaker and member of the European Conservatives and Reformists group.

So today we call on the Vietnamese authorities to immediately release the 3 journalists as well as all journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders currently detained for trying to express their opinions, Bielan said.

Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and Le Huu Minh Tuanall members of the Vietnam Independent Journalists Associationwere convicted in Ho Chi Minh City on Jan. 5 on charges of anti-state activity under Article 117 of Vietnams Penal Code, with Nguyen, a blogger for six years for RFA, sentenced to an 11-year prison term.

Pham Chi Dung, who had corresponded with the European Parliament on rights issues in connection with the trade deal, received a 15-year sentence, while Le Huu Minh Tuan was jailed for 11 years.

Call to end Agreement

Belgian parliamentarian and president of the European Parliaments subcommittee on human rights Maria Arena said on Jan. 21 that she will not now speak out to the authoritarian Vietnamese Communist regime about the parliaments concern, because I do not believe Vietnam has any intention of changing the situation of human rights.

But I do speak out to European democracy, Arena said.

On Feb. 12, 2020, the European Parliament ratified the EVFTA in spite of reporting by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on Hanois crimes and violations of the rights of [the] Vietnamese people, she said.

These serious violations exist. They existed before, and they will exist in the future. Therefore, I ask for the suspension of EVFTA and all preferential trade agreements with Vietnam, Arena said.

EU activity on the international scene is based on values that it aims to promote in the rest of the worlddemocracy, the rule of law, [and] the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, added Pascal Durand, a lawmaker in the European Parliament and member of Frances Renew party.

These values and principles should always be respected and applied in practice, Durand said.

Or, failing that, by intellectual honesty, lets add a paragraph or two to the Treaty, lets say that its principles do not apply when markets, profits and European interests are at stake.
[January 26, 2021] Pax8 and RocketCyber Announce New Partnership

DENVER, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pax8, the best place for IT professionals to buy cloud products, today announced a new partnership with RocketCyber, enabling Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to deliver their clients continuous cybersecurity detection and response. Through industry-leading tools, partners in North America can monitor their clients endpoints, networks, and cloud activity, offering increased security and threat protection.

As cybersecurity attacks continue to rise into 2021, our partners are building technology stacks to address their clients evolving business needs, said Ryan Walsh, Chief Product Officer and Channel Chief at Pax8. That is why we are proud to partner with RocketCyber and offer our partner community their exceptional security and threat protection solutions uniquely built to integrate with MSPs technology stack. RocketCybers advanced threat monitoring platform enables partners to not only detect malicious and suspicious activity on their clients systems but also act on those threats, ensuring data is kept safe, and work is uninterrupted. RocketCybers integrated threat intelligence software and purpose-built threat detection applications allow MSPs to deliver continuous risk monitoring across clients endpoints, networks, and cloud landscapes. With industry-leading tools providing breach detection, threat hunting, and Microsoft monitoring, RocketCyber offers robust solutions and a centralized console to enhance partners security offerings. A team of elite cybersecurity veterans triages detections and creates integrated PSA tickets containing remedy details, allowing MSPs to focus on revenue-generating activities. Through our strategic partnership with Pax8, their impressive partner community will have access to our 24/7 Managed SOC-as-a-Service, said Billy Austin, President at RocketCyber. In the first half of 2020, the United States reported 540 daa breaches, exposing companies to an enormous amount of risk. RocketCyber enables MSPs to combat the extreme volume of these attacks by combining people, processes, and integrating the RocketCyber SOC platform with Pax8s portfolio of security vendors, increasing client protection and MSPs profitability.



RocketCyber offers MSPs and their clients the following benefits: 24/7 Real-time cyber security monitoring

Integration with popular RMMs and PSAs

SIEMless log monitoring across cloud, network, and endpoint attack vectors

Intrusion detection monitoring

Threat remediation and isolation

Next-generation Malware prevention

Breach detection and threat hunting

Microsoft 365 threat monitoring To learn more about the partnership with RocketCyber, please contact a cloud solutions advisor at (855) 884-PAX8, email info@pax8.com, or visit www.pax8.com.

About Pax8

Pax8 is modernizing how partners buy, sell, and manage cloud. As a born-in-the-cloud company, Pax8 simplifies the buying journey, empowering its partners to achieve more with cloud technology. The companys technology displaces legacy distribution by connecting the channel ecosystem to its award-winning transactional cloud marketplace. Through billing, provisioning, automation, industry-leading PSA integrations, and pre and post-sales support, and education, Pax8 is a proven disruptor in the market. Pax8 has ranked in the Inc. 5000 for three consecutive years  #68 in 2018, #60 in 2019, and #111 in 2020  as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the US. If you want to be successful with cloud, you want to work with Pax8. Get started today at www.pax8.com. Follow Pax8 on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. About RocketCyber

RocketCyber, a Managed SOC platform enables managed service providers to deliver 24/7 security monitoring services for small-medium businesses. Built specifically for MSPs, the RocketCyber SOC platform identifies malicious and suspicious activity that evades traditional cyber defenses. Media contact: John Trent

PR Manager at Pax8

jtrent@pax8.com



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Molesting children through their clothing does not count as sexual assault, a judge in India has ruled, as she overturned the conviction of an alleged paedophile.

The man, a 39-year-old named in court documents only as Satish, had been sentenced to three years in jail in 2016 for groping a 12-year-old girl's breast and trying to remove her dress in the city of Nagpur.

But Satish appealed and in a judgement at Bombay's High Court last week, judge Pushpa Ganediwala ruled that there must be 'skin on skin' contact to prove a sexual assault has taken place.

A judge at the Bombay High Court (pictured) has ruled that groping a child through their clothes cannot be defined as sexual assault, sparking outcry

The decision sparked outrage among campaigners and a backlash online, who attacked the judge over her logic.

'This ruling was given by a female judge. That's all we need to know about India and the plight of its female victims,' one wrote.

'They say it's not under sexual assault but... it is a minor act. I have been a victim of this "minor act" when I was 13, it feels horrible,' another added.

'Disgusting to hear what a female judge said about an adult male groping a minor girl in India. No doubt India is one of the worst countries for women,' a third added.

The case dates back to 2016, when the victim said she was lured to Satish's house in the city of Nagpur with the promise of fruit to eat.

But when the girl arrived, Satish touched her chest through her clothing and attempted to remove her dress, court documents said.

The girl's mother arrived a short time later and found her daughter crying. The girl explained what had happened and informed police.

Satish was charged and convicted in Nagpur district court in December 2016, but appealed his case to the Bombay High Court, where a hearing was held last week.

A copy of the judgement, which was published for the first time this week, said: 'It is not the prosecution case that the accused removed her top and pressed her breast.

'As such, there is no direct physical contact i.e. skin-to-skin with sexual intent without penetration.

'The act of pressing breast of a child aged 12 years, in the absence of any specific detail as to whether the top was removed or whether he inserted his hand inside her top and pressed her breast, would not fall under the definition of sexual assault.'

Instead, the judge ruled that the case falls under the lesser charge of 'offending a woman's modesty' which carries a one-year penalty.

India's Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, passed in 2012, defines sexual assault as touching the genitals of a child, or making the child touch the genitals of an adult.

The act further defines sexual assault as 'any other act with sexual intent which involves physical contact without penetration'.

While the act does not state that 'skin on skin' contact must take place, Judge Ganediwala's ruling sets a precedent that may now be used in other cases.
[January 26, 2021] Call for Entries: Teen Video Contest Underway at Burke & Herbert Bank

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Burke & Herbert Bank is accepting submissions for its 2021 Lights, Camera, Save! video contest until March 1, 2021. Teens, 13-18 years old, can win cash prizes, including a top prize of $5,000 by creating a 30-second video promoting wise money management. The contest, organized by the American Bankers Association Foundation, is a national competition that encourages teens to use video to communicate the value of sound money management and inspire their peers to become lifelong savers. Burke & Herbert Bank will host the first round of judging and select a winner to compete on the national level for cash prizes: $5,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place and $1,000 each for two runners-up. Burke & Herbert Bank is rewarding regional winners with $350, $100, and $50, respectively, as well as awarding a $50 gift card to each of their sponsoring teachers. "Lights, Camera, Save! gives Northern Virginia students an opportunity to harness their creativity and learn about using money wisely," said Terry Cole, Executive Vice President at Burke & Herbert Bank. "It is so important, especially in today's challenging economic environment, for teens to learn the value of establishing sound financial habits. This video contest provides a fun and unique way to encourage teens to build these habits to motivate each other." To participate, teens must submit a completed entry form along with a link to their original video by March 1. The contest is open to filmmakers of all experience levels. Videos will be judged on their quality, message, and the criteria set forth by the contest's official rules. For full rules and entry form, visit burkeandherbertbank.com. To learn more about Lights, Camera, Save!, visit lightscamerasave.com. Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Company, established in 1852, is the oldest bank in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the oldest continuously operating bank in the Washington DC area. The Bank offers a full range of personal and business banking products and services designed to meet customers' banking, borrowing, and investing needs. Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Company is headquartered in Alexandria and operates more than 20 branches in Northern Virginia. Member FDIC







CONTACT: Jane Petty

703-216-5491

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/call-for-entries-teen-video-contest-underway-at-burke--herbert-bank-301215459.html SOURCE Burke & Herbert Bank

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New African Development Bank-Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) initiative will galvanize $25 billion to scale up African climate adaptation
"Post Reports" is the daily podcast from The Washington Post. Unparalleled reporting. Expert insight. Clear analysis. Everything you've come to expect from the newsroom of The Post - for your ears.

- - -

In this episode:

Chicago teachers are deadlocked with the school district over their reopening plans, but the situation is far from unique. Perry Stein explains the growing tensions between teachers unions and school systems.

On Tuesday, CDC researchers published a data review in the Journal of the American Medical Association finding that there has been little spread of coronavirus in schools when precautions such as masks and social distancing are in place.

Jordan-Marie Smith talked to Laura Reiley about why Tom Vilsack's nomination as agriculture secretary reopened old wounds for Black farmers.

Community Mental Health Partnership of Southeast Michigan is looking for a PR firm to handle a gambling disorder prevention media campaign.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Pasig City is the first local government unit in the country to receive approval for its COVID-19 vaccination plan.

Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto announced this on Tuesday after members of the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic team visited the city for a briefing on the proposed local immunization program. Among them was Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., who lauded Pasig's preparations, saying it could be a model for other LGUs.

"I was told that Pasig is the first LGU with a DOH (Department of Health)/WHO (World Health Organization)-approved vaccination plan!" Sotto said in a social media post.

"Our LGU's Beat Covid-19 Task Force will continue to work with our national government agencies, WHO, private medical institutions, and NGOs. They have been with us every step of the way," he added.

The vaccination plan

The city's frontline health workers, estimated to be around 5,930, will be the first to be vaccinated, based on the plan shared by Sotto.

The next priority group are indigent senior citizens, followed by the remaining senior citizens, the remaining indigent population (which includes persons with disabilities), and uniformed personnel. According to the local government's estimates, there are 80,000 senior citizens in the city, 107,291 indigents, and 2,691 uniformed personnel.

These all add up to a total 195,912 residents who will be prioritized for immunization.

Pasig has allocated 300 million for the vaccination of its people. It has so far secured 400,000 doses from the British-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca, which will benefit 200,000 individuals.

Meanwhile, 16 schools, five hospitals and the Tanghalang Pasigueno were identified as vaccination sites. Each of these will be manned by a team composed of at least 74 medical and non-medical personnel.

The local government also listed pre-vaccination plans, which include information dissemination, as well as post-vaccination measures, which will center on monitoring those who received the shots for possible adverse effects.

Other CODE team members who joined Galvez in the Pasig visit are Testing czar Vince Dizon, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Jojo Garcia, Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing, and Health Undersecretary Carolina Taino.

In a media briefing later in the day, Garcia said the team is also scheduled to visit the cities of Taguig, Makati, and Manila on Wednesday to assess their readiness to implement their respective vaccination programs.

"So, lahat ng LGU sa Metro Manila pupuntahan 'yan to check the preparation, he said. "We're also going to check paano iha-handle. Alam naman natin sensitive 'yung mga vaccine, may mga temperature 'yan, mga freezer."

[Translation: So, we will check the preparations of all LGUs in Metro Manila. We're also going to check how they will handle the vaccines, as we know these are sensitive and require storage with specific temperatures.]

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 17:12:59|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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MALE -- Nearly 20,000 Maldivians have signed up to be vaccinated against COVID-19 since registrations were opened on Jan. 18, local media reported here Tuesday.

Health Emergency Operation Center Spokesperson Dr. Nazla Rafeeq was quoted in state-owned PSM News as saying that 19,666 people had registered to be vaccinated so far. Registrations are currently only open for priority groups such as health and social care workers.

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PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia on Tuesday confirmed two new imported COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the kingdom to 460, said a Ministry of Health statement.

The new cases were detected on a 24-year-old Indonesian man coming from Indonesia and a 23-year-old Cambodian woman returning from neighboring Thailand, the statement said, adding that both arrived in Cambodia on Jan. 12.

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VIENTIANE -- A total of 102,017 people in Laos have received COVID-19 tests since January 2020, according to Lao Ministry of Health.

Laos has conducted 102,017 tests for COVID-19 since January 2020, with 44 of them positive and 41 patients having been discharged from the hospitals, Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control under Lao Ministry of Health Sisavath Soutthaniraxay told a press conference in Lao capital Vientiane on Tuesday.

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NEW DELHI -- India's COVID-19 tally rose to 10,676,838 on Tuesday as 9,102 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, according to the latest data from the health ministry.

This is the first day in several months when the number of new cases registered in a day fell below the 10,000-mark.

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BEIJING -- Forty-six COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland Monday, the National Health Commission said in a daily report Tuesday.

There were 1,885 confirmed cases still being treated, including 110 in severe conditions, the report showed. Enditem
COLUMBIA  The economic upheaval of the pandemic could offer new opportunities to keep talent in Columbia, but a new report also highlights factors that are hindering the quality of life in the Midlands.

The opportunities and challenges were listed in the latest edition of the annual Midlands Regional Competitiveness report released Monday. The report compares Columbia with nine like-sized cities across the Southeast from Raleigh to Tallahassee, Fla.

The goal of the report from Engenuity SC, a nonprofit supported by leaders from public and nonprofit organizations focused on making the Midlands more economically successful is to measure how the region stacks up against similar cities in entrepreneurship, salary growth and quality of life.

This year's findings continue recent trends, including placing Columbia at the middle of the pack on such factors as supporting business innovation and growth of core economic sectors, which both were ranked 7th of the 10 cities measured.

While the core results are similar this year, the report also highlights what could be considered a possible opportunity: more companies nationwide have been prompted by the coronavirus pandemic to become more oriented toward remote work.

That creates an opportunity for Columbia, according to University of South Carolina research economist Joey Von Nessen, who helped prepare the report. The Midlands, largely because of its colleges, nurtures a sizable amount of talent but often sees those highly educated young people head to cities such as Atlanta or Washington for better opportunities. The area particularly loses talent with skills in the STEM categories such as engineering, Von Nessen said.

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"It is also a strategic opportunity going forward," Von Nessen said.

Companies such as Google are embracing long-term remote work, creating an option for talented graduates to live here but work there. Inducements such as an affordable housing market and the local quality of life could make that an attractive prospect, Von Nessen said.

Columbia's ranking on livability in the new report was seventh of the 10 cities, a move up one place during the last couple of years. Helping to drive that livability appeal: Columbia's strong offerings in the fields of arts and recreation, which ranked third.

The report also highlighted areas where Columbia's quality of life seems to be slipping. One area was longer commute times, in part because so much of the local residential growth is in Lexington. That's creating more traffic and longer commutes to work, earning Columbia the eighth ranking of 10 cities in the report.

Traffic could be an increasing issue for several years to come as the Carolina Crossroads project to realign the Malfunction Junction intersection of Interstates 20 and 26 starts its construction.

Another challenge to the rankings of quality of life for the Midlands: violent crime. Columbia ranked 10th out of the 10 cities for rate of violent crime per 100,000 residents. The report cites research that has drawn links between issues of economic inequity and violent crime.

The nine cities used as peers for Columbia in the report: Charleston, Greenville, Augusta, Ga., Tallahassee, Fla., Knoxville, Tenn., Lexington, Ky., and Raleigh, Winston-Salem and Greensboro in North Carolina.
Jammu:

The Indian Army said on Monday informed the Pakistani Army violated the ceasefire by firing from automatic weapons and shelling mortars on Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district.

An eerie silence prevailed during the day in areas along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts as people celebrated Eid. Border guarding forces from either side too exchanged sweets on the International Border in Jammu to mark Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan.

These areas have witnessed 20 ceasefire violations, an attack by Pakistan special forces team and two infiltration bids in June, in which four people including three jawans were killed died and 10 were injured.

The Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms and automatic weapons and shelling of mortar along the LoC in Bhimbher Gali (BG) sector in Rajouri district from 2015 hours, a defence spokesman said.

The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively, he said.

A jawan was injured in back-to-back ceasefire violations by the Pakistani Army.

Also Read | J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Naushera sector, Army giving befitting response

The Pakistani Army breached the truce thrice yesterday by firing small arms and shelling mortars on army posts along the LoC in the Rajouri and Poonch sectors. The Indian side fired back in retaliation, Army sources said.

Pakistani troops on Saturday fired on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Poonch sector.

Also Read | J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch sector; indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars observed

Violations came just days after an attack by a Pakistan special forces team that sneaked across the LoC into Poonch under cover of heavy fire and killed two jawans. One Pakistani soldier was also killed.

Pakistans Border Action Team comprises its armys special forces personnel and terrorists.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 23:07:34|Editor: huaxia

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-- Chinese vaccines have been proved to protect people against COVID-19 in a safe, effective and affordable way.

-- 12 foreign countries have granted market approval or emergency use for two Chinese vaccines.

-- China's vaccine producers have been required to plan and increase production capacity and contribute to vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries.

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- In Brazil's northern Amazonas state, 68-year-old Isabel Cezerio, a member of the Ticuna ethnic group, became the first indigenous person in her village to get CoronaVac, a COVID-19 vaccine, on Jan. 19.

On the same day, in another part of the world, Serbian Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar became the first person in his country to receive a Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccines Cezerio and Loncar received were both developed in China and have been proved to protect people against COVID-19 in a safe, effective and affordable way.

"I am very grateful for the vaccine. Thank God I received it," Cezerio said in her native language.

From Brazil to Turkey, from Indonesia to Bahrain, Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are joining the worldwide battle against the contagious virus.

A staff member checks the packaging quality of COVID-19 inactivated vaccine products at a packaging plant of the Beijing Biological Products Institute Co., Ltd. in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

SAFETY, EFFECTIVENESS

The evaluation of a vaccine requires many comprehensive indicators, of which safety, effectiveness, accessibility and affordability are the most important, said Zheng Zhongwei, of the National Health Commission.

So far, 12 foreign countries have granted market approval or emergency use for Chinese vaccines, one developed by Sinovac Biotech Ltd. and the other by Sinopharm's bioscience subsidiary the China National Biotec Group (CNBG). Six Chinese vaccines have entered phase-3 clinical trials.

The Sinovac vaccine, CoronaVac, has an efficacy rate of 91.25 percent in clinical trials in Turkey and 65.3 percent in Indonesia. Clinical studies in Brazil suggested the vaccine was 100 percent effective in preventing severe cases, 78 percent effective in preventing mild cases requiring medical treatment, and had a general efficacy rate of 50.38 percent.

"It's normal to get varying results in different countries, and the clinical trials are influenced by multiple factors," said Yin Weidong, Sinovac chairman and CEO. He noted that all the participants in the phase-3 clinical trials in Brazil were medical workers in high-risk environments who might be attacked by the virus many times.

The United Arab Emirates, which announced the official registration of the CNBG vaccine last December, said the interim analysis of the phase-3 trials shows the vaccine provides 86 percent efficacy against COVID-19, the seroconversion rate of neutralizing antibodies reaches 99 percent and it is 100 percent effective in preventing severe cases.

Staff members work at the purification zone of the COVID-19 vaccine stock solution workshop at Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd. in Beijing, capital of China, July 15, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

In China, more than 15 million doses of domestically-developed vaccines had been administered as of Jan. 20.

CNBG Chairman Yang Xiaoming told Xinhua the side effects were mainly limited to pain at the injection site, headache, muscle pain and fever.

The vaccines are exported by air in temperature-controlled boxes. Thermometric indicators monitor and record the entire process to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines.

"Recipients can use designated software to read the recorded data to verify that the vaccine has indeed been kept at between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius," Yin Weidong said.

China's vaccine producers have been required to plan and increase production capacity and contribute to vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries.

Yin said Sinovac would export semi-finished jabs to some countries and help build local filling and packaging lines in importing countries to improve production capacity and efficiency.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (C) and China's ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo (L) welcome the shipment of China's Sinopharm inactivated coronavirus vaccines at the Belgrade Airport, Serbia, Jan. 16, 2021. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)

Serbian health authorities said they "assessed the necessary documentation and scientific evidence in a highly professional and thorough manner according to all European Union and World Health Organization (WHO) standards, which confirmed the quality, efficiency, and above all the safety of the Chinese vaccine."

China has joined the WHO-led COVAX initiative to promote international cooperation on vaccines and equitable global distribution of vaccines. A WHO team in China is working with producers of the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines for potential emergency use listings.

ACCESSIBILITY, AFFORDABILITY

Earlier this month, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of the moral consequences of the lack of COVID-19 vaccines for poorer countries, saying higher-income countries are privileged compared with developing countries.

A man receives a dose of China's COVID-19 vaccine in the city of Tabatinga, Brazil, Jan. 19, 2021. (Photo by Lucio Tavora/Xinhua)

Brazil's remote indigenous communities breathed a sigh of relief as the inoculation campaign came to their villages.

The Sinovac vaccine arrived "at the toughest and most important time of our lives," said Ozimar, an indigenous nurse in Brazil.

With the Sinovac vaccine, Brazil launched the immunization plan in about 6,000 villages, covering more than 400,000 indigenous people including 20,000 indigenous healthcare workers.

In Serbia, 1 million doses of Sinopharm's vaccine have arrived and been welcomed by President Aleksandar Vucic at the Belgrade airport.

Azerbaijani Health Minister Ogtay Shiraliyev (L) receives a dose of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 18, 2021. (Photo by Tofik Babayev/Xinhua)

In Azerbaijan, senior health officials took their first shot of the Sinovac vaccine, marking the beginning of national mass immunization.

Turkey started its mass vaccination program with the Sinovac vaccine one week after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan got the shot with no side effects.

Both Yang and Yin told Xinhua their companies have a large number of overseas orders and are ramping up production on the premise of a stable production process, safety and effectiveness that meet the requirements of drug regulatory systems and quality indicators.

"Vaccines are public goods and we should shoulder social responsibilities," said Yin. 
Robert Cook, president for DNI Corp, has more than 35 years of digital print, manufacturing, fulfillment, and distribution experience. "DNI Corp is one of the most comprehensive providers of direct mail, transactional communications, and fulfillment services in the southeast USA. It's an honor to bring best-in-class support and services to clients grow their organizations and businesses," said Robert Cook, President, DNI Corp.

DNI Corp, a leading mail fulfillment and transactional communications solutions company, today named Robert Cook to the role of president following the companys acquisition of Mailers Choice, the oldest and largest privately held direct mail and fulfillment business in Middle Tennessee. With the integration of Mailers Choice, DNI Corp becomes one of the most comprehensive providers of direct mail, transactional communications, and fulfillment services in the southeast United States.

Cook has more than 35 years of digital print, manufacturing, fulfillment, and distribution experience, including almost two years with DNI Corp where he helped guide the company's strategic plan. Effective February 1, Cook succeeds Andrew Honeybone who is leaving DNI Corp to assume a leading role in healthcare human resources.

The Mailers Choice transaction and Robert's appointment are exciting milestones and were grateful for Andrews inspiring leadership over the past two and a half years, said Jono Huddleston, Owner and Chief Executive Officer, DNI Corp. We are well-positioned for DNI Corp to be first choice for business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing and fulfillment projects for all types of companies, non-profits, religious organizations, and political and advocacy campaigns.

The combined team represents one of the most experienced and talented print, mailing, and fulfillment specialist operations in the state of Tennessee. In addition to its valuable client relationships, DNI Corp acquired from Mailers Choice tenured employees and expert capabilities ranging from pick-and-pack assembly to complex custom kitting.

Mailers Choice is a great cultural addition to DNI Corp as the team shares a similar mindset and knows that we need to earn client trust with every business opportunity through a customer experience grounded in service, quality, and accuracy, said Huddleston.

Mailers Choice was founded 1979 by Dave and Terri Hedges. The company has grown to provide strategic quality mail flow management for small companies to large corporations. Likewise, DNI Corp has been active in the Middle Tennessee business community since 1984 and evolved from its roots as a pure direct mail provider to now offering a comprehensive set of business solutions across the print communications and mailing services spectrum.

The DNI Corp team is simply the best and its a tremendous honor to be asked to lead this growing company. With Mailers Choice, were able to combine more than four decades of expertise in marketing and fulfillment projects with DNI Corps successful 36-year track record in direct mail, print communications and mailing services, said Robert Cook, President, DNI Corp. Ultimately, our clients make all the difference and I look forward to bringing our best-in-class support and services to help them grow their organizations and businesses.

Cook moved to Nashville and joined DNI Corp in 2019 as vice president of operations. Throughout his career he specialized in on-demand manufacturing utilizing digital print and manufacturing, tied to fulfillment processes. He is an expert in streamlining automation for improved efficiencies and capacity growth management. Prior to DNI Corp, Cook was vice president of operations at RR Donnelley in Maryland. Prior he managed print, automated fulfillment, inventory and logistics for Merrill Corporation for twenty years and was responsible for multiple sites in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Cook also served as general manager of Operations for RR Donnelleys Kansas City print and distribution facility.

ABOUT DNI CORP

Dating back to its company founding in 1984, DNI Corp has prided itself on The Art of Delivery by providing direct mail fulfillment and transactional communication solutions to clients across a range of industries, to include insurance, health care, utilities, transportation, and the public sector. The company is committed to offering bundled solutions across the direct mail and statement processing spectrum to support the efficiency and effectiveness of their clients communication, engagement, payment, activation, and acquisition initiatives. DNI Corp has been proud to call Nashville, Tennessee home since opening its doors and services to clients and customers across the United States and Canada.

Media Contact:

Paul Oakley, Tiny Mighty Communications - poakley@tinymightyco.com
Frances Total has acquired the largest renewable energy portfolio among European oil supermajors since Big Oil started announcing last year net-zero targets and pledging significantly increased investments in renewables, Bloomberg data showed on Monday.

According to estimates of recent renewables deals compiled by Bloomberg, Total has the lead over BP and Shell in new renewable capacity acquisitions, even though it was the last of the three to announce net-zero targets last year.

Since announcing its new strategy and net-zero goals in September, Total has bought as much as 8.8 gigawatts (GW) of renewable electricity capacity, either operational or in construction or development phases, according to Bloombergs data.

Just last week, Total said it would pay US$2.5 billion to buy 20 percent in Indias Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), the largest solar developer in the world with 14.6 GW of operating, under-construction, and awarded renewable power projects.

Total is betting on profitably growing its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable businesses as part of its new strategy and net-zero agenda.

Totals chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanne told French newspaper Le Parisien in September that the firm aims to be among the worlds top five producers of renewable energy. The companys operations mix today is 55 percent oil, 40 percent gas, and less than 5 percent electricity from renewables, Pouyanne said, noting that in 2050, Totals operations would be divided into 20 percent oil, 40 percent gas, and 40 percent renewable energy.

BP has also made a billion-dollar deal in renewables since announcing its net-zero goal in February 2020 and following that up with a strategy in August to reinvent itself as an integrated energy company from an international oil company. Last September, BP said it was making its first move into the offshore wind market with a strategic partnership in U.S. offshore wind assets with Equinor in a deal worth US$1.1 billion.

Shell is so far the only one of the three that hasnt made a billion-dollar-deal in renewables since announcing its net-zero goals last April, according to Bloomberg data.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Monday marks 26 years since the murder of Albertville police detective Andrew Whitten.

On Jan. 25, 1995, Whitten died after being shot inside his own home. Since his death, the three suspects charged have spent years in jail.

Albertville Police Detective Andrew "Andy" Whitten Albertville Police Detective Andrew "Andy" Whitten

WAAY 31 spent the day with the Albertville Police Department learning about Whitten's legacy and how it's carrying forward, even now.

"I still think of Andy. Not many days go by that I don't think about him," Assistant police chief J.T. Cartee said.

Everyone we talked with from Albertville police said right now, the memory of detective Andrew Whitten is still alive in their department.

Police Chief Jamie Smith said Whitten helped him when he was a young officer. Smith says even now, occasionally when a call comes in, they talk about how Whitten might've handled it.

"Always willing to help, always had a smile on his face, tried to take the time to teach the younger officers," Smith said.

Whitten helped put in place some of the building blocks to important parts of the Albertville Police Department. He was one of the first to start their K9 unit and pushed forward their forensics efforts.

"Always reaching for the stars, always wanting to do better," Cartee said.

Early in 2019, one of the suspects, James Matthew Hyde, was asking to change his sentence from life without parole, to life with parole. He was denied. Cartee was there, too, and said he let Hyde know he forgave him.

"That was hard to do. You should be able to forgive a person, but that person has accountability for his actions," Cartee said.

This year, the anniversary of Whitten's death comes after a deadly year to be in law enforcement. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 264 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2020. That's a jump from 135 in 2019. More than half of 2020 deaths were coronavirus-related.
Organizations to face fines for industrial disaster data hiding  bill

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

16:10 26/01/2021

MOSCOW, January 26 (RAPSI)  The Government Law-Making Commission has backed a draft law envisaging fines for hiding information on technogenic accidents dangerours for environment, Chair of the Association of Russian Lawyers Vladimir Gruzdev has told RAPSI.

Amendments to the Russian Code on Administrative Offences are aimed to improve the efficiency of the state bodies actions protecting people from emergencies.

Under the bill, not only officials but organizations as well will be responsible for hiding industrial disaster data and distribution of fake information concerning protection of citizens and territories from the disaster emergencies.

Thus, organizations will face fines from 100,000 to 200,000 rubles ($1,300  2,700) for such offences, Gruzdev pointed.
You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa at this link, or on any of your favorite app including Alexa, Apple, Google, Spotify and Stitcher. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Feel free to subscribe, follow or rate Today in Pa. as you see fit!

Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | Jan. 26, 2021

Investigators believe the deaths of four family members found in Chester County may be a murder-suicide. The death of a Philadelphia man found alongside an Indiana County road has been ruled a suicide. In Pittsburgh, police are searching for a 25-year-old Beechview man that has gone missing. And luckily, just in time for Valentines Day, you can now buy a personalized video message from Gritty.

Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa, a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Claudia Dimuro. Today in Pa is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories pertaining to Pennsylvania that lets you know, indeed, whats happening today in Pa.

Todays episode refers to the following articles:

If you enjoy Today in Pa, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, wed like to know what you think about the program, too.
Thank you for reading!

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A Republican congressman is calling for a public hearing to find out why thousands of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. were abruptly told to leave the U.S. Capitol and take their breaks in a crowded garage during a pandemic.

Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., sent a letter requesting that leaders of the Committee on House Administration hold a hearing on why Guard members were "forced" to take their breaks while on 12-hour guard shifts in a "parking garage without internet reception and having only one bathroom for approximately 5,000 troops," according to a news release Gosar's office put out Saturday.

The Thursday evening decision was quickly reversed after a flood of phone calls from outraged lawmakers. The Guard troops were all moved out of the garage before midnight.

The incident was particularly disturbing to many lawmakers because it happened one day after the force of 25,600 Guard members provided security for President Joe Biden's inauguration. Guard members from every state and territory were rushed into the D.C. to support federal law enforcement after a Jan. 6 political rally escalated into a violent breach of the Capitol that resulted in five deaths.

Read Next: 5 Days into Presidency, Biden Overturns Effective Ban on Transgender Military Service

"The men and women of the U.S. National Guard deserve better," Gosar said in the letter. "This is absolutely despicable and a sad state of affairs when our men and women in uniform have better accommodations overseas than they do on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol."

Biden reached out to Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, in a phone call on Friday morning to thank him for the Guard's efforts during the inauguration and over the past year. Biden also told Hokanson to call him if he needed support in the future.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, also called for answers on Friday.

"This isn't a blame game -- but I want to know what happened so we can make sure it can't happen again," Inhofe said.

Gosar raised also his concern that the cramped garage break area heightened virus transmission risk, noting that at least 100 Guard troops had tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of the letter's writing. As of Monday, more than 200 have tested positive, Hokanson told reporters at the Pentagon.

"The American people demand and indeed deserve answers now," Gosar's letter states. "That is why it is imperative that a formal hearing by your committee be conducted in a timely manner."

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Related: Break Area for Thousands of Guard Troops Abruptly Moved from Capitol to Garage with Single Restroom
Moderna Inc. said its Covid-19 vaccine appeared to protect against emerging variants of the coronavirus in laboratory tests, but as a precaution it would test whether a booster shot improves immune responses and develop a new vaccine targeting the strain first identified in South Africa.

The company said Monday its vaccine produced immune-system agents known as neutralizing antibodies that worked against the emerging virus variants tested, including strains first evident in the U.K. and South Africa.

That means the Moderna vaccine likely still protects against the emerging strains, but a weaker response to the South Africa variant suggests the hazards of a virus that could mutate in significant ways while countries race to vaccinate against it.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

The new strains appear to spread more easily from person to person, and there are signs that the U.K. variant is more deadly than earlier forms of the virus. The strains appear to be spreading around the world, prompting U.S. health authorities to warn the variant first detected in the U.K. could become dominant by March.

The variant first found in South Africa hasnt been detected in the U.S., Anthony Fauci, the nations top-infectious disease expert, said Sunday. To curb the spread of new strains into the U.S., President Biden on Monday restricted travel from South Africa and re-established a ban on most travel into the U.S. from Europe, the U.K. and Brazil.

Since the new strains emerged, vaccine makers have been saying they think their vaccines will still provide protection. Modernas announcement supports research by outside scientists indicating the protection against the strain identified in South Africa, in particular, may not be as strong though still effective.

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech, which make the only other Covid-19 vaccine authorized for use in the U.S., are continuing to run lab studies of their vaccine against new variants, a Pfizer spokeswoman said.

Moderna said its vaccine induced production of neutralizing antibodies against the strain first identified in the U.K., known as B.1.1.7, at levels comparable to prior variants. Yet neutralization decreased sharply in the case of the strain in South Africa, known as B.1.351, according to a paper posted on the preprint server bioRxiv. Researchers from both Moderna and the National Institutes of Healths Vaccine Research Center conducted the analyses. The paper hasnt yet gone through the standard peer-review process.

Even with the decrease, Moderna said, the vaccine-induced antibody response to the B.1.351 variant remained above levels deemed protective. The company said it expects its standard two-dose vaccine to guard against the emerging viral strains to date.

It will test, however, whether adding a booster dose of its original vaccine can bolster antibody levels against emerging strains. The company is also developing a new version of the vaccine that targets more specifically the mutations in the South Africa variant and will test whether given as a booster shot it induces a better immune response.

The company plans to start within a couple of months a Phase 1 study of the booster shot aimed at the South African variant.

In the event that this virus continues to mutate in this direction, and a year from now is still circulating in some way, we think its prudent that we have tools like a booster vaccine to address that," Moderna President Stephen Hoge said in an interview.

Moderna said it expects that its booster shotwhether for the original vaccine or one targeting the variant first identified in South Africacould be given in combination with vaccines from other companies.

The coronavirus variant in South Africa has several mutations in its so-called spike protein, which is found on the surface of the virus. Modernas vaccine and most others are designed around the spike protein or its genetic code as a way to induce an immune response to the virus; and so, mutations in the protein have the potential to hurt the performance of a vaccine.

The modified vaccine Moderna is developing is designed to trigger the production of the spike protein specific to the South African variant, which in turn induces an immune response.

The company believes it can quickly design and manufacture the modified vaccine and have it ready for human testing over a shorter span than was the case with the original vaccine. Last year, it shipped the first batch for testing about six weeks after selecting the initial design, and the first human study started within two months.

I believe we should be able to go even faster now," Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said last week during an interview for the WSJ Executive Membership Series. If in the future we encounter a mutation that requires a new vaccine, we could very quickly, in a matter of a month or so, get a new vaccine out."

Mr. Bancel said he didnt think regulators would require such a vaccine to go through the full series of human studies since it would have the same underlying gene-based technology as the original vaccine.

Modernas move points to the potential that Covid-19 vaccines will have to be modifiedand possibly given to people as repeat dosesto address a changing virus.

We may have to begin thinking about this like influenza vaccines and start rolling out regular annual vaccinations" with modified vaccines that target different strains, said Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas.

Last week, Pfizer and BioNTech said their vaccinewhich uses a gene-based technology like that of Modernas shotappeared to be protective against the U.K. virus strain, based on lab studies.

The virus is evolving and its getting fitter and better at what it needs to do," said Dr. Hoge, Modernas president. And both the South African and the U.K. strains, were seeing clearly increases in transmission, and the potential for infectivity."

Moderna shares were ahead 11% at $145.23 in afternoon trading Monday.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Egyptian scholar Ahmed Karima recently sparked heated controversy after he banned the excavation of tombs of ancient Egyptians at a time when Egypt is struggling to revive its vital tourism industry from the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Karima, a professor of comparative jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, said the exhumation of graves is prohibited under Islamic teachings. Extracting the bodies of the ancient Pharaohs and putting them on display in return for dollars from visitors is forbidden, Karima said in televised statements Jan. 19 on state-run television.

Karima said digging up the graves violates the dignity of the dead and the Islamic religion forbids their desecration. Bodies of the dead cannot be exhumed unless for the purpose of scientific search, the scholar said.

The grave is a blessing from God to house the human being after his demise, he added.

Karima said Islam calls for honoring the human being after death. Museums can exhibit the treasures of the Pharaohs, talk about [their civilization] and about the mummification, but without displaying their dead bodies.

Ayman Ashmawi, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, declined a request by Al-Monitor for comment.

Renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass lashed out at Karima, saying his religious views apply to tomb robbers, not archaeologists. We do not excavate the graves of Muslims, Christians or Jews, Hawass said in Jan. 20 statements to Egypts Sada al-Balad channel. He said archaeologists and the Ministry of Antiquities are working to revive the greatness of the Pharaohs and their civilization.

The opinion of Sheikh Karima can be applied to thieves who tamper with graves and destroy mummies, but archaeologists work to immortalize these people, as they restore their coffins, graves and mummies, because the presence of these coffins inside the wells exposes them to decomposition and fragmentation, Hawass said.

Hawass, a former minister of state for antiquities, said Karimas statements were only meant for publicity and fame. He added that putting the ancient mummies on public display was not humiliation of the ancestors.

The mummies will be exhibited at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in a civilized way, with a detailed explanation of each mummy and the historical era in which it lived, he said.

Liberal columnist and TV host Khaled Montaser, who is known for his Reformist views, was also critical of Karimas religious view. He said Karimas opinion was negative propaganda before the planned inauguration of the Egyptian Grand Museum.

The museum, one of the largest in the world, is set to be opened later this year and will showcase nearly 60,000 artifacts, with 5,000 relics from Tutankhamuns collection, including 2,000 artifacts that will be displayed for the first time.

The Egyptian government is pinning high hopes on the Grand Egyptian Museum, near the Giza Pyramids, to boost the recovery of the tourism industry, which has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani said Jan. 4 that the number of tourists to Egypt dropped to 3.5 million in 2020 from 13.1 million in 2019. Revenues of the tourism sector also plunged last year to $4 billion, with nearly a 70% drop due to the virus outbreak.

A key source of foreign currency, the tourism industry accounts for up to 15% of Egypts national output. In an effort to revive the vital industry, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait on Jan. 6 allocated 6.3 billion Egyptian pounds ($400.7 million) to support the tourism, culture and aviation sectors during the pandemic. Maait said 3.2 billion pounds ($203.5 million) were allocated to the tourism and cultural sectors and 3.1 billion pounds ($197.1 million) to the aviation sector to help them withstand the repercussions of the pandemic.

The Egyptian government has carried out extensive digging operations in recent years, resulting in a string of archaeological discoveries, reviving hopes that the findings can boost the recovery of the tourism industry.

The debate about public display of ancient mummies dates back decades. In 1980, then-President Anwar Sadat ordered the Royal Mummy Room at the Egyptian Museum closed, saying that the display of the remains violated religious concepts and desecrated the dead. The ban remained in place for seven years before the ancient royal mummies were put back on display again in 1987. Sadat was assassinated by Islamist extremists in 1981.

Hajjaji Ibrahim, archaeology professor at Tanta University, agrees with Karima that the practice of exhibiting the ancient mummies of the Pharaohs must stop.

There is nothing in traditions or Islamic teachings that allow the public display of the dead bodies to visitors, Ibrahim told Al-Monitor by phone. We can exhume the tombs for the purpose of scientific research and put the bodies back [in] the graves.

Ibrahim continued, All the dead and their graves have dignity, and this must be respected. This applies to all, whether Islamic, Christian, Greco-Roman or ancient Egyptian.

Ibrahim disputed the argument that archaeologists were working to celebrate ancient Egyptian civilization. The achievements of the Pharaohs can be exhibited, but not their dead bodies, he said.

He wondered, Would those who support the public display of the royal mummies at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization agree to have their bodies exhibited after their death?

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The citizens of Snowpiercer have been to the brink: An all-out civil war led by the 'tailies' against the oppressive caste system on the train has led to a fragile and inchoate democracy, but barely is the new system in force than there's a new threat to contend with.

A well done post-apocalyptic narrative is intriguing at any time, but throw in the fact that the world has been going through what feels like the end days, and these stories gain a keener edge.

Snowpiercer's debut season on Netflix came out last May, two months into the coronavirus pandemic. Season 2 premiered on Tuesday, 26 January  eight-months-that-feel-like-a-lifetime-later. It seems like we've been to the brink, and (as the vaccine rollouts begin) back.

The citizens of Snowpiercer too have been to the brink: An all-out civil war led by the "tailies" against the oppressive caste system on the train has led to a fragile and inchoate democracy, but barely is the new system in force than there's a new threat to contend with. Season 1 ended with a new takeover bid for Snowpiercer, from the original creator and enigmatic "deity" Mr Wilford (Sean Bean). He's got a supply train called Big Alice anchored to Snowpiercer and has commandeered their systems such that they're helplessly tethered to his whims.

On Firstpost: Will Snowpiercer, Netflix's adaptation of 1982 French comic and Bong Joon-ho's 2013 film, go the distance?

Big Alice is about 40 cars long to Snowpiercer's 994, which shouldn't make it a big threat  if it weren't for the latter's severely stretched systems. With Big Alice effectively acting as Snowpiercer's new engine, their survival is dependent on the smaller train.

And what does Mr Wilford want? Why, his train back of course. He wants Snowpiercer, with a side helping of revenge on Melanie (Jennifer Connelly) who wrested the train's control from him. He's got the perfect mechanism for twisting the knife too: Melanie's daughter Alex, who she gave up for dead, has been with Mr Wilford all along. Now Melanie is in his custody too, forced to board Big Alice when her rescue mission for Snowpiercer leaves her out in the cold for too long.

Meanwhile, over on Snowpiercer, Layton (Daveed Diggs) is dealing with the consequences of the new social order, and with Mr Wilford's ingress. He's found that being responsible for the last of humanity means his decision-making may not always be as egalitarian and participative as he'd want it to be. Martial law is imposed on Snowpiercer as Layton and the others attempt to fight back against Mr Wilford. Coupled with Melanie's machinations on Big Alice, the Snowpiercer folks realise they're stuck with Mr Wilford  just as he's stuck to them - and they have to find a way to survive together.

That's the layout of most of episode 1 of season 2. While it's not a particularly strong opening episode of television, it does lay out the groundwork for what will be the major questions explored over this season:

1. What exactly is the connection between Melanie and Mr Wilford? He says she was "mucking around with tractors on her father's farm" until he found her. And then what? Did he sponsor her engineering education? Was he her mentor, or was there a personal relationship there? Melanie makes it sound in season 1 as though she is the sole creator of Snowpiercer's system/s while Mr Wilford was more a marketing front. But Big Alice's existence indicates that Mr Wilford has an engineer's mind too, even if it isn't as finely honed as Melanie's.

2. Snowpiercer's tail section is no longer the tail, rather it's the part that immediately connects with Big Alice. This makes it strategic boundary territory, and any traffic between the two trains  whether malicious or benevolent, commercial or otherwise  will pass through the tail. This will clearly change the fortunes of the tailies (especially those who've chosen to stay behind rather than move up front after the revolt) and will further skew the power structure and classes on board.

Also read: As Snowpiercer season 1 ends, recapping the main events and themes of Netflix's dystopian thriller

3. Are there some sort of medical experiments on live subjects going on over at Big Alice? We've already seen a Frankenstein's Monster-type character who is impervious to the cold and has unmatched physical strength. We've also been introduced to two very creepy doctors who treated Melanie with some "tissue gel" that could be a synthetic skin variant.

4. Layton's going to have to carefully feel his path ahead as he balances his roles as leader of the people and liberator of a besieged train. His relationship with a pregnant Zahra has caused some friction with tailie comrades who've learnt about her role in betraying Josie. He'll also have to possibly stave off some opposition from Ruth, who has always been quite the Mr Wilford acolyte.

5. The most momentous arc, possibly, will involve what's happening outside the trains. Melanie is certain she saw snowfall while out in the drift, which means the earth could be warming again. Will it ever become suitable for human habitation again? Melanie, for one, is determined to find out.

A new episode of Snowpiercer season 2 will release on Netflix every Tuesday.
Currently, anyone in Japan is free to dress as their favorite characters. But it might not stay free for them to do so.

The Japanese government is proposing big copyright law changes for those who make money from cosplayingand possibly, even for those who dont.

As writer and translator Matt Alt points out, the Japanese government is currently considering changing the countrys copyright laws, so that professional cosplayers would pay for use of characters.

Cosplay can be big business. Japans most successful professional cosplay Enako (pictured) has made over $90,000 a month from public appearances, merchandise, photobooks, chat sessions, and endorsements. Other cosplayers also earn cash for selling photos or clips of them dressed as famous characters. Creators dont currently get a cut, and the amendment would change this. Moreover, its suggested that a standardized set of rules would help avoid any trouble with creators.
The film world is full of carefully-planned projects with enormous budgets and sometimes they still flop. It can be hard to predict just what combination of acting talents, plot development, and special effects are going to make a film click for viewers, and sometimes there are real surprise hits  even in B-list movies that no one expected to do well.

The story of Napoleon Dynamite is definitely one of a surprise hit. The film was extremely low-budget with most of the cast consisting of the creators own family and friends. Along the way, the shows title character and breakout star, Jon Heder, only received $1,000 for his work.

Seen here from left, Efren Ramirez (as Pedro) and Jon Heder (as Napoleon Dynamite) wearing a Vote for Pedro t-shirt. Initial theatrical (limited) release June 11, 2004. Screen capture. | CBS via Getty Images

Napoleon Dynamite was a quirky film

In 2004, Napoleon Dynamite premiered, and no one expected the response that followed. The plot was at once absurdly unique and comfortably familiar. Set in a high school  with all the social cliques and cliches that come along with it  the story of an outcast trying to do something bold is familiar ground for many teen movies.

What set Napoleon Dynamite apart was its tongue-in-cheek nature that was played so straight by the characters on the screen. Napoleon Dynamite is a weird, loner teen who lives with his grandmother and 30-something brother.

An unlikely friendship with new kid Pedro pushes Napoleon out of his comfort zone as he puts his all into getting Pedro elected class president, running against the popular and mean Summer. The films conclusion works its way up to a dance scene that has gone down in pop culture history.

Jon Heder was very involved in the film

Heck yes! #NapoleonDynamite star Jon Heder and writer-director Jared Hess have had sequel talks: "We've thought about it. We're always playing with the idea."https://t.co/NoiF3NYZ67 pic.twitter.com/rqwegMyoxs  ComicBook.com (@ComicBook) September 8, 2020

Heder not only lent his talents to portraying the titular character, but he was involved in the film in other ways as well. For instance, IMDb reports that Heder did almost all the drawings in the film.

He also, as Bustle explains, completely freestyled the iconic dance scene. Heder remembers it like this: The whole production was one of the last things we shot, so I thought, Well, maybe Ill plan something. I kept putting it off. I thought I might just wing it [but] actually, Tina Majorino, who played Deb, she was a hip hop dance instructor for kids, so she had worked with choreography before. I was like, Can you help me?' Majorina was thrilled and headed to a store to buy as many Jamiroquai albums as possible.

The dance ended up being to Jamiroquais song Canned Heat, and securing the rights to use the song became an important part of getting the scene exactly right. This kind of budgetary consideration was important for the film because they didnt have a lot of money to play with.

Napoleon Dynamite made a lot more money than expected

RELATED: 5 Movies That Resulted in Million Dollar Lawsuits

The film was definitely a low budget production. It was filmed in just 22 days, and it certainly did not have a lot of cash on hand to lure in big names or fund flashy special effects. Heder, clearly the star of the show, initially only got paid $1,000 for his participation.

Its safe to say that no one was prepared for the movie to gross $40,000,000 in the United States, but thats exactly what happened. Fans loved the film so much that it even sparked an annual festival in Preston, Idaho, the small town where it is set.

The films unexpected financial success was also at the heart of a lawsuit between the films producers and the executives at Fox Searchlight. As The Hollywood Reporter reports, the producers believed they were not being paid their fair share of the royalties for the film.

A follow-up article from The Hollywood Reporter goes on to explain that the case hinged on very technical details in the definition of movie profits, and a judge sided with Foxs definition  which ultimately cost the producers quite a bit.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 22:48:51|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Egypt freed on Tuesday 3,022 prisoners upon a presidential pardon, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Among the released prisoners, 118 were released conditionally, it said. The decision was made to mark Egypt's 69th annual Police Day, which fell on Monday.

The Egyptian president, based on the country's constitution, can issue pardon decrees for prisoners who had received final unappealable court rulings.

The Egyptian president usually issues a pardon decree on public holidays, including two religious Muslim festivals, the holy month of Ramadan, and the July 23 Revolution Day. Enditem
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Ghislaine Maxwell has asked a judge to dismiss her case ahead of her trail on charges she recruited teenage girls in the 1990s for Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse.

Among the arguments filed by lawyers on behalf of Maxwell, 59, was a claim that the indictment should be thrown out because it was obtained from a grand jury seated outside New York City in White Plains, where the lawyers said black and Hispanic grand jurors would have been under-represented.

They said the coronavirus outbreak was used as an excuse to seat the grand jury outside of New York City when the pandemic was killing thousands of city residents.

In a footnote, they wrote: 'The fact that Ms. Maxwell herself is neither Black nor Hispanic does not deprive of her of standing to raise this challenge.'

Lawyers for British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, (pictured) have presented a judge with 12 arguments explaining why the impending trial against her should be dropped

The arguments: Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers filed 12 reasons to a federal court judge explaining why the charges against their client should be dropped

Lawyers also said the indictment against their client was obtained unjustly and does not allege crimes specific enough to bring before a jury.

Among the 12 separate arguments attacking the indictment, one of the first claims is that a non-prosecution deal Epstein reached with the federal government a dozen years ago should shield Maxwell from prosecution too.

They said the fact that a Manhattan grand jury convened as early as June 25 showed there was no reason for prosecutors not to wait 'other than a publicity-driven desire to arrest Ms. Maxwell on the anniversary of the Epstein indictment'.

Maxwell's lawyers also asked that she be tried separately on charges that she committed perjury when she testified in a civil case brought by one of Epstein's accusers. They said prosecutors were using those charges improperly as a way to introduce evidence from after the 1990s.

Maxwell is awaiting trial on charges she recruited girls in the 1990s for Jeffrey Epstein (pictured with Maxwell) to sexually abuse. She was arrested last July and has remained jailed on grounds she might flee

The agreement Epstein reached with the federal government that forms one of Maxwell's arguments sought to protect Epstein and those around him, but Maxwell herself was not identified by name in the document.

The document had been signed by Epstein when he agreed to plead guilty to state charges in Florida that forced him to register as a sex offender afterwards.

Lawyers for Epstein had planned to argue the deal with federal prosecutors in Florida in 2008 protected him against sex trafficking charges lodged against him in July 2019 in New York City.

Manhattan federal prosecutors maintained they could proceed against Epstein or those who worked for him regardless.

She has pleaded not guilty to charges that she recruited three teenage girls, including a 14-year-old, for Epstein to sexually abuse, between 1994 to 1997. Pictured: A courtroom sketch from July 14, 2020, when Maxwell appeared in court via video link during her arraignment hearing

Epstein killed himself at a Manhattan federal prison a month after his arrest.

Maxwell was arrested last July and has remained jailed on grounds she might flee.

She has pleaded not guilty to charges that she recruited three teenage girls, including a 14-year-old, for Epstein to sexually abuse, between 1994 to 1997.

Federal prosecutors declined to comment and will file arguments in response in a few weeks ahead of a scheduled trial in July.

In a recent bail application, Maxwell revealed she had set aside $7.67million to be spent on lawyers out of $22.5million in assets belonging to herself and her husband.

In the event Maxwell's lawyers cannot force a dismissal of the charges against her, they also made requests that would reduce the number of charges she faces.

Leaders and activists of Left parties, farmers' associations and others on Tuesday held a rally here in support of the in Delhi and demanded repeal of the new farm laws.

The 'farmers' parade', organised by the unit of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), condemned the "police action against farmers" in the capital on Tuesday, a release said.

The rally demanded the abrogation of the farm laws, it said.

CPI state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy, his CPI(M) counterpart Tammineni Veerabhadram, Jana Samiti (TJS) leader Kodandaram and leaders of various other unions attended the event.
The meme of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and his viral hand-knit mittens continues to make splashes across the Internet. You can now find the meme crocheted on a bollard, vertical posts used to control traffic and mark boundaries, at Port Aransas beach.

Diana Vondra, an organizer of the Yarn Bombing & Bollard Buddies in Port A, said it took four days to crochet Sanders. On Tuesday, she added the piece to her more than 200 yarn bomb collection currently spread across bollards at the beach.

By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer

Merck is giving up on two potential COVID-19 vaccines following poor results in early-stage studies.

The drugmaker said Monday that it will focus instead on studying two possible treatments for the virus that also have yet to be approved by regulators. The company said its potential vaccines were well tolerated by patients, but they generated an inferior immune system response compared with other vaccines.

Merck was developing one of the potential vaccines with Frances Pasteur Institute based on an existing measles vaccine. The French institute said it will keep working on two other vaccine projects using different methods.

Merck entered the race to fight COVID-19 later than other top drugmakers.

It said last fall that it had started early-stage research in volunteers on potential vaccines that require only one dose. Vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna were already in late-stage research at that point.

The Food and Drug Administration allowed emergency use of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines late last year. Each requires two shots.

Five potential vaccines have reached late-stage testing in the United States, the final phase before a drugmaker seeks approval from regulators. Results from a single-dose candidate developed by Johnson & Johnson are expected soon.

Since vaccinations began in December, nearly 22 million doses have been delivered to people nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 6% of the population has received at least one dose.

A total of 3.2 million people, or 1% of the population, have received both doses required for those vaccines.

More than 419,000 people in the United States and 2 million globally have died due to the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The government is paying Merck & Co. about $356 million to fast-track production of one of its potential treatments under Operation Warp Speed, a push to develop COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. The money will allow the Kenilworth, New Jersey, company to deliver up to 100,000 doses by June 30, if the FDA clears the treatment for emergency use.

The treatment, known as MK-7110, has the potential to minimize the damaging effects of an overactive immune response to COVID-19. This immune response can complicate the life-saving efforts of doctors and nurses.

Merck said early results from a late-stage study of that drug showed a more than 50% reduction in the risk of death or respiratory failure in patients hospitalized with moderate or severe COVID-19. The company expects full results from that study in the first quarter.

Mercks other potential treatment is an oral antiviral drug. The company also expects to see early results from mid-to-late-stage research on that in the first quarter.

___

AP Writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.

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A HORSE and carriage driver caught with a wallet full of counterfeit "movie prop money" has been spared a criminal record.

Ross Hyland (26), who had 380 worth of fake cash on him when he was searched by gardai, said he found it in his carriage when he bought it and held onto the notes for "some reason."

Judge Bryan Smyth applied the Probation Act, leaving him without a conviction when he paid the same amount to charity.

Hyland, a father-of-one of Blackhorse Grove, Dublin 7 pleaded guilty to possession of counterfeit 5 notes at Donard estate in Cabra on December 11, 2019. Hyland had pleaded guilty earlier and when the case came back before Judge Smyth, a defence lawyer said the money had been paid to Fr Peter McVerry's Trust.

Previously, Dublin District Court heard gardai saw Hyland in a vehicle acting suspiciously and approached him and asked what he was doing.

He gave the gardai permission to search the vehicle and they found a wallet containing 380 in denominations of 5, which were a fraudulent currency.

Garda Alan Reddy explained that the cash was "prop money" used as "motion props, in movies." Hyland was arrested and made full admissions, he said. Judge Smyth asked the garda "how close to a real note it was."

The garda said there were key security features missing from it but it "could be passed off in a shop."

"It does say 'this is not legal tender'" the judge said.

Hyland used a horse and carriage for work, his solicitor Andrew Broderick said. He saved up to buy the carriage and the counterfeit money was in the carriage when he got it.

He knew he should have reported it to the gardai but "for whatever reason", he held onto it, Mr Broderick said.

Hyland had not used the money on customers "or anything like that." He made no gain from having the notes and was very remorseful.
The PSNI have arrested four men and a woman after botched robbery on Great Victoria Street in Belfast city centre this morning.

Shortly before 9am the police received a report that a cash in transit van driver had been assaulted by a man wielding a crowbar.

A box containing money was taken and police believe the attackers made off in a dark vehicle.

The driver of the van was not injured, but police say he was left badly shaken following the incident.

Shortly afterwards the PSNI arrested two men aged 41 and 44, two men aged 40 and a 52-year-old woman in the west Belfast area.

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Two of the men were arrested after a collision on the Monagh Bypass, while another two of the men and the woman were arrested afterwards at a property on the Monagh Road.

Shortly afterwards the box containing the cash was recovered by police.

All five have been taken to Musgrave Street police station for questioning.

A PSNI spokesperson said: Detective Inspector Keith Wilson is appealing for anyone who witnessed the robbery or anyone who saw any suspicious persons or vehicles in the area of Great Victoria Street before or shortly after the robbery to contact detectives at Musgrave on the non emergency number 101 quoting reference number 25126/01/21.
Jill Biden, the wife of recently inaugurated President Joe Biden, has made clear that education policy will be a priority for her in the White House. Jill Biden is familiar with life in Washington, because her husband spent 36 years in the U.S. Senate and eight years as vice president under Obama.
Credit: CESM

Two images of the same front steps: one taken with a camera and the other with a flash imaging LiDAR, the laser equivalent of radar, under development for future space missions.

This image was acquired by the CECILE prototype LiDAR, developed with the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology, CESM, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, FBK, in Italy, Visitech in Norway and the German Aerospace Center, DLR.

LiDAR stands for light detection and ranging, with a pulsed laser beam scanning targets by measuring the time it takes for the light to bounce back. The wavelength of light is so much shorter than that of radio wavesmeasured in billionths of a meter rather than centimetersthat LiDAR provides much more precise measurements. On Earth LiDAR is employed widely for autonomous vehicles, helping them to judge distance and identify obstacles.

Flash imaging LiDAR means the 3-D image of the target is generated in one single shot from a 2-D grid of detecting elements, in contrast to the traditional scanning approach based on moving parts. The result is a faster acquisition time, with decreased sensitivity to vibration or target motionand lower mass and volume making it easier to embark in space.

ESA is interested in LiDAR technology to acquire high-resolution views of landing zones on the Moon or other planets, or to assist with orbital docking maneuvers baselined for the international Mars Sample Return endeavor.

Explore further Return of the LIDAR
If supplies of COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines to Manitoba dont resume soon, appointments at the Brandon vaccination supersites may need to be postponed.

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If supplies of COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines to Manitoba dont resume soon, appointments at the Brandon vaccination supersites may need to be postponed.

Thats according to Dr. Joss Reimer, a member of the provinces vaccination task force, who joined Dr. Brent Roussin for the daily COVID-19 update today.

"As you already know, last week, we were informed about a third reduction in our Pfizer vaccine shipments. Manitoba has been responsible in managing our vaccine supply, but we continue to see the effects of the supply reductions," Reimer said.

The planned February 1 supply dropped from 5,850 to 2,340 doses.

"We had to stop making appointments for the supersites, both in Winnipeg and in Brandon. So far, we've been able to weather the supply disruptions better than most other jurisdictions based on the strategic approach that Manitoba has taken. However, we're now in a position where we're still concerned about ongoing supply and may have to postpone some of our appointments if the supplies don't resume.

Reimer said the province will receive an update from the federal government  which is responsible for vaccine deployment to provinces and territories  on Friday.

The postponement decision will depend on what the province receives from the federal government February 8.

"We will update Manitobans as soon as possible, most likely on Friday, to let them know if we are expecting that shipment to come in and what the implications are for people who have appointments coming up beginning next week," Reimer said.

"We are going to be contacting everybody who has an appointment coming up to let them know about this unknown, as well. So, for now, we're asking people to plan to keep their appointments for next week and the week after, but to keep your eye on the bulletins and on the website."

However, vaccination teams are on track to complete first doses at personal care homes by the end of this week  a week ahead of schedule  with enough doses to deliver a second round beginning the following week.

The province also plans to release a priority list for all Manitobans Wednesday, with a tentative schedule for the entire vaccine rollout, which will depend on vaccine supply.

According to the total doses administered by region of residence vaccination dashboard, 3, 301 people in the Prairie Mountain Health region have received a first dose and 162 people have received a second dose.

Support for Australia becoming a republic has slipped, according to a poll that reveals only a third of Australians are in favour.

The online Ipsos poll, conducted for the The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and Nine News, surveyed 1222 people nationally and found 40 per cent were opposed to a republic, under which Australias own head of state would replace the British monarchy.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle in November. A new poll has found support for the idea of Australia becoming a republic has slipped. Credit:Getty Images

One quarter said they didnt know, which is the highest level of undecided responses on the issue recorded by successive Ipsos and Nielsen polls.

The polls show support for a republic has steadily ebbed since a peak in December 1999  when 57 per cent of Australians were in favour  immediately after the failed 1999 republic referendum.

Highlights Apple Watch Series 7 expected to launch later this year.

Blood glucose monitor on smartwatches could be of great importance for diabetic patients.

Both Apple and Samsung expected to bring the glucose monitor feature to their respective smartwatches.

Blood oxygen monitor was one of the biggest highlight feature touted by smartwatch makers in 2020, and it seems, 2021 may see blood glucose monitor as the next big feature for wearables. A new report from South Korea hints that the upcoming premium smartwatches from Apple and Samsung may support blood glucose monitoring.

The Korean report claims that Apple has already secured the required patent technologies and is testing the blood glucose monitor feature before making it available globally with Apple Watch Series 7. The new Apple Watch Series is expected to be announced later this year.

The same report claims that Samsung may introduce the feature in Galaxy Watch 4 or Galaxy Watch Active 3. It adds that Samsung is working on the feature and plan to unveil it in the second half of the year.

Talking about how the blood glucose monitor will work on smartwatches, the report says it will use the optical sensor to detect blood glucose level without pricking the fingers' tip to draw blood. This could be a game-changer for wearable tech and bring huge relief for diabetic patients required to keep a tab on their glucose level in the blood.

While there's no denying that this is too early to say that the next Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch will get blood glucose monitor. The availability of the feature will depend on approvals from specific government bodies.

Talking about the next Apple Watch, the company is expected to bring some enhancements in terms of features. We already know that the Apple Watch is one of the best available in the market for tracking fitness and being on top of your health insights. Right from giving alerts for standing every hour to tracking movement and exercise, Apple Watch has offered enough fun features for everyone to track fitness daily.

Some of the improvements we expect in the next Apple Watch include enhanced water resistance, increased number of workouts supported, improvement to sleep monitor feature, and more watch faces support.

The Apple Watch Series 6 is available in India at a starting price of Rs 40,900 and goes up till Rs 79,900.

We had seen stories where Apple Watch was spot-on in speculating a cardiac arrest or timely informing authorities when the wearer met with an accident. Talking about an example from India last year, a man was saved from a potential cardiac arrest thanks to the ECG feature on the Apple Watch Series 5.
Indias shipments of Covid-19 vaccine consignments to other countries has provided a shot in the arm to its image as both a capable country in regard to pharmaceutical production as well as a generous power, not just in its own neighbourhood but across the world. Unlike many rich countries that are hoarding vaccines in excess of their requirements, India is dispatching large consignments to other developing countries that are in need of them. In keeping with New Delhis Neighbourhood First policy, it is Indias immediate neighbours that have been the first beneficiaries; Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh have already started receiving the vaccine consignments, and supplies to Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are expected to follow soon. The vaccine diplomacy should go some way in changing our neighbours perception of India as a strutting, ungenerous Big Brother in the region. India is providing them free vaccine supplies at a time it is itself faced with enormous pandemic challenges at home  the worlds third highest Covid-19 death toll and an economy in the doldrums.

Geopolitics is admittedly a driver of the Narendra Modi governments vaccine largesse. Indias strategic partners in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius and Seychelles, are among the early beneficiaries of vaccine grants while Brazil and Saudi Arabia stand first among the recipients of commercial shipments. Both India and China provided dozens of countries, developing and rich, with consignments of personal protective equipment, respirators and medicines to fight the pandemic over the past year. The vaccine diplomacy is the next stage of that soft power effort. For now, at least, we may take satisfaction that India has gained an edge over China in this. Beijing has not dispatched vaccines to South Asian countries yet. Even Pakistan, Chinas iron brother, will receive Chinese vaccines only by January 31. Chinas tightfistedness  Beijing expected countries like Bangladesh and Nepal to fund vaccine trials  seems to have prompted them to look to India.

Since Independence, India has always been at the forefront of extending development assistance and capacity building in developing countries in various fields. Since the 1990s, it has been a major force in supplying medicines and medical assistance, such as in the case of AIDS, and the world recognises India as a force for good. India should, however, avoid chest-thumping over the vaccine generosity, a tendency that it has shown over the last few years, as it did over earthquake assistance to Nepal. Let the good work speak for itself. Nor should India have exaggerated expectations of returns from vaccine diplomacy. This alone will not be enough to counter Chinas clout in the region. For that, India will have to develop a multi-pronged strategy.
Wrexham local vaccination centre opens for three day week  If we get more supply, we can go even faster says Minister

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 26th, 2021

A Local Vaccination Centre (LVC) for Wrexham opens today, by invited appointment only, as the vaccination programme scales up.

The LVC will be operating at the Catrin Finch Centre on the Wrexham Glyndwr University campus, and for this week at least, it will operate between Tuesday and Thursday 8am to 6pm. A similar centre in Plas Madoc is also planned.

It has been stressed people cant just turn up, you must wait for an invitation.

All three Mass Vaccination Centres (MVCs) located in Bangor, Llandudno and Deeside are operational, together with three Hospital Vaccination Centres (Ysbyty Gwynedd, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, and Ysbyty Wrexham Maelor).





As previously reported, all local GP practices have agreed to provide vaccinations and will have received some supplies this week. This will continue and expand in the coming days with priority groups being contacted to attend for vaccinations  with it again stressed not to just turn up, but await invitation.

With the LVC opening today, we noted that documents we had seen had said the site could operate for more days in a week dependent on supply of vaccine. We asked the Health Minister Vaughan Gething for clarity over where the issue in supply is that stops it running several days a week more.

Locally the three day opening period has raised eyebrows with some tasked with helping the setup, so we also asked if those locally who feel a three day operation is quite limited, are their expectations too high?

The Health Minister replied, Its the reality of how much vaccine weve got to deliver. So last week, we delivered a huge amount in just a few days, we could have done more.

We have got more than 300 General Practices across Wales who are already on board and delivering the vaccine. Were then delivering vaccinations in different centres, not just our mass vaccination centres but community centres too.

Now were using all of the available vaccine we can do to push into our system. Were getting more of the AstraZeneca supply again this week, if we had more, we could deliver more. Thats the reality.

To be fair there was an element of disbelief that we would be able to significantly flex up our delivery to the scale we saw in the last few days, when were reporting daily figures nearer to 12-13,000 immunisations being delivered a day. We really can go with north of 20,000 every day on a consistent basis because the scale and reach our program allows us.

So for the centre you describe, it could go for further days if we had more supply. That is simply a matter of how fast the manufacturers can provide it, how fast the regulator can approve it as safe and effective for use.

The above graph was released prior to the briefing and appears was planned to be shown. It shows Wales now leading the way on 7 day rolling average compared to England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Israel is commonly accepted to be the world leaders in current vaccinations against the pandemic, and previously when we asked about their progress and what can be learnt from it the Health Minister was not keen to discuss it. With the external comparisons now taking place, we reasked why Israel was doing things so much better, and if there was there any communication taking place to learn from what they are doing and adapt the Welsh Government plan.

The Health Minister replied, We of course, look at what other countries do. But as you know most people are interested in the comparison between the four nations and thats a point that we accept is inevitable.

That information has been provided by a journalist, Peter Gillibrand, hes promoted it over the weekend, showing how in the last seven days, the pace and the scale of our delivery has significantly increased to match and slightly surpass England and the other nations.

Earlier on in the vaccination program there were regular questions about why were in fourth place out of the four UK nation, so its a point of regular interest.

I actually think that many people arent really that interested in whats happening in Israel as a comparison. From a professional point of view, we, of course, share information and look to see what happens internationally. If there are things we can do differently to further improve what were able to do we will do so.

Going back to your first question, the reason we cant deliver even more, is because the supply. If we get more supply, we can go even faster.

We have the scale and the ability to do so and that is thanks to our fantastic NHS Wales led vaccination program. I really am tremendously proud of what theyve already achieved and what theyre capable of achieving in the weeks ahead.

The journalist in question, Peter Gillibrand, has posted similar graphs, however the one we referenced and received was sent by Welsh Government.


PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Centra Capital, LLC, an investment and business development firm, has purchased CM Counsel, a leading outpatient behavioral health practice with offices throughout the Greater Philadelphia market. The purchase includes all physical assets and contracts. CM Counsel has been a private, family-owned operation since its establishment in 1989, and terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

CM Counsel will continue to operate under its existing brand name. In compliance with Pennsylvania regulations, Centra Capital will establish a separate management company, CM Counsel Management, LLC, with responsibility for CM Counsel's operations, finances and marketing initiatives.

"As the former CEO of a leading healthcare services company, I have watched CM Counsel deliver quality outpatient behavioral health services here in Philadelphia," said Jordan Klear, Managing Director of Centra Capital, LLC. "When the opportunity arose, I moved quickly to purchase the practice. CM Counsel has significant potential, and we will invest to expand services and market reach as the pandemic has created a mental health crisis unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes."

With more than 20 years serving its communities, CM Counsel is a well-established healthcare provider with locations in Exton, Plymouth Meeting and King of Prussia, cities west and northwest of Philadelphia. The three offices have more than forty practitioners, including adult and child boarded psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, licensed professional counselors, licensed clinical social workers, psychologists, and marriage and family therapists, as well as administrative staff. Medical staff conduct psychiatric evaluations and prescribe medications as needed as a treatment modality. Clinicians also provide counseling for individuals, children and adolescents, families, and couples.

CM Counsel's providers have experienced heightened demand during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the enormous personal, family, work, and social stresses facing individuals, leading to increased anxiety, depression, and drug and alcohol abuse. The therapists at CM Counsel have continued to provide vital services using a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform that complies with social distancing requirements.

"The administration and staff are delighted to be partners with Jordan Klear," said Rachel Bennett, Vice President of Operations at CM Counsel. "Demand for our clinical services is strong and Centra Capital's investments will allow us to better serve our communities."

In addition, the CM Counsel Management team is welcoming Phyllis Weisfield, Vice President of Business Development and former CEO of the Horsham Clinic; and Greg Nucifora, Vice President of Finance, who has served in multiple finance roles in the behavioral health sector.

Centra Capital, LLC, is led by Managing Partner Jordan Klear. Prior to his acquisition of CM Counsel, Klear was co-founder and CEO of Medsurant Health, a national leader in intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM). Medsurant Health clinicians provide IONM services in more than 400 facilities in 20 states, ranging from community hospitals to academic tertiary care centers. Under Klear's leadership, Medsurant Health's revenues grew 20-fold. Medsurant Health made the 2016 and 2017 Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies and the Top Workplaces listing by Philly.com. Klear was a finalist for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2018.

About Centra Capital, LLC:

Centra Capital, LLC, led by Managing Partner Jordan Klear, is a group of entrepreneurs, CEOs and professional investors with decades of experience in acquiring and growing lower middle market healthcare companies. Centra Capital's goal is to fuel stable, long-term growth while preserving the company's core mission and values.

For more information:

Centra Capital, LLC: https://www.centracapitalllc.com/

Email: [email protected]

CM Counsel: http://cmcounsel.com

CM Counsel Management: https://cmcounselmgt.com/

Contact: Michael Galvin, Galvin and Associates

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (408) 218-9335

SOURCE Centra Capital, LLC

Related Links

https://www.centracapitalllc.com


The start of New Triers 50% Hybrid Model, which was expected to begin on Tuesday, the first day of the second semester, will allow students with last names starting with A-K to attend in-person classes every week on Tuesday and Wednesday, while those with last names starting with L-Z will attend school in person on Thursday and Friday, officials said.

The government expects to complete the vaccination of about 36 million elderly people within approximately three months from the start of inoculations, according to an announcement by the health ministry.

People aged 65 and older will be given priority for inoculation against COVID-19, and vouchers for vaccinations are scheduled to be sent out from mid-March. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry announced Monday at a briefing session for local governments that it expected to administer the required two doses of vaccine over a period of about three months.

The vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, which is waiting for approval from the health ministry, is recommended to be administered in two shots received three weeks apart. The assumption is that vaccinations will be given to elderly people who want to receive them, with the first doses to be completed within nine weeks of the start of vaccinations.

The ministry has asked local governments to establish the necessary systems to ensure that the total period for vaccinations is about 12 weeks.

Taro Kono, the minister in charge of administrative reform who is tasked with handling the vaccination program, told reporters on the same day, "One of the goals is a system that takes two months and three weeks [a total of 12 weeks] to complete [the vaccination of the elderly]."

Vouchers necessary for the elderly to receive the vaccinations will be printed by municipalities by March 5 and sent out after mid-March. As a general rule, the elderly who wish to be vaccinated will be vaccinated in the municipality where they are registered as a resident. Those who reside in care facilities for the elderly and other similar places can also receive vaccinations at facilities outside their registered municipalities.

Vaccinations are expected to start in late March or afterward.

Inoculations will begin in late February for about 3.7 million medical workers, followed by about 36 million elderly, about 2 million people working in facilities for the elderly, and about 8.2 million people with underlying medical conditions.

Vouchers for people including those with underlying medical conditions and members of the general public who are not eligible for priority vaccinations will be printed by April 23, and sent out afterward.

The ministry also indicated that if the amount of vaccine in circulation is sufficient, it will allow, as an exception, employees at facilities for the elderly to be inoculated at the same time as the elderly. The ministry will allow the vaccinations to be administered at the facilities or at medical institutions nearby, provided that doctors are available to monitor recipients' health afterward.




Following the news that Laredo has the greatest number of new COVID-19 cases per capita in the country, City Council held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the tools they have available to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Seven local doctors spoke to council about the need to take action immediately. Family medicine specialist Dr. Arturo Garza Gongora and cardiologist Dr. Ricardo Cigarroa recommended initiating a citywide shutdown as council had done in March 2020 to stop the virus rapid spread and decrease hospitalizations and death.

But Laredo, like all other Texas cities, is now beholden to Gov. Greg Abbotts emergency order that caps occupancy at local businesses at 50% and no further. At a meeting last week, council requested permission from the governor to limit occupancy to 25% at restaurants and restaurant bars. As of Monday Abbott has not responded.

If council were to supersede this order and limit businesses to takeout and curbside only, they would invite a lawsuit from the state. But these doctors recommended they do so anyway.

The governor hasnt given us the authority for quarantine, but quarantine is where its at, Cigarroa said. ... We have to resist the no.

Cigarroa also noted that Laredo has not received an equitable number of vaccine doses from the state. Lubbock County, which is only slightly larger than Webb County, has been allocated 15,700 doses in the last three weeks. Webb County has been allocated 4,200. He wondered if this was a result of discrimination or inefficiency by the state.

Laredo Health Authority Dr. Victor Trevino, however, did not recommend that council pursue a citywide shutdown because it would cause a humanitarian crisis among the poor and migrant communities who depend on daily labor to put food on their table. He instead recommended strategic closures.

Council unanimously voted in favor of Councilmember Alberto Torres agenda item which directs the city administration to send as many city employees as possible to work from home, requires anyone entering a city building to wear a double face mask, allocates a total $90,000 between six local food banks and shelters and calls on all other local government entities to implement the same measures.

Under the Texas Open Meetings Act, the agendas for a typical council meeting must be posted three days ahead of the meeting. The agenda for an emergency meeting must be posted only two hours before. And the action taken at emergency meetings must be limited to what is clearly identified as the emergency, City Attorney Rene Benavides noted.

But Councilmember Dr. Marte Martinez expressed frustration that the agenda included only the item that Torres had placed, arguing that it limited their ability to act in a time when 1,500 more Laredoans will likely be infected by the next time they convene.

He made a motion that likely exceeded the scope of the agenda, which would be a violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act, to send Gov. Abbott a letter requesting additional vaccines and asking why they have not received an amount equitable to other counties. He also requested that the governor put it in writing if he will not allow restaurant occupancy to go down to 25% in Laredo.

As the city attorney protested the legality of this motion, Martinez responded that they can arrest me.

Mayor Pete Saenz, following the city attorneys advice, wouldnt allow the motion to proceed but invited council to vote to overrule him, which they did.

Martinezs motion passed unanimously.

Councilmember Alyssa Cigarroa , Dr. Ricardo Cigarroas daughter, also made a motion that likely exceeded the scope of the agenda, to write a resolution to their federal and state representatives requesting the National Guard or additional staff come help with Laredos rollout of the vaccine.

Council again voted to overrule the mayor and passed the motion.

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com
President Joe Biden signs an executive order reversing the Trump era ban on transgender people serving in the military, while in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Jan. 25, 2021. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Sets Record for Executive Orders in First 6 Days in Office

President Joe Biden has issued a flurry of executive orders, actions, proclamations, memorandums, and agency directives in his first six days in officeincluding 28 executive ordersmore than any other U.S. president in recorded history in the same timeframe, according to the American Presidency Project, with records going back to 1953.

Bidens bevy of measures include reversals of some of the policies of his predecessor, such as halting funding for the construction of former President Donald Trumps signature border wall and canceling the Keystone XL pipeline project that Trump revived after its axing by former President Barack Obama.

They also include pandemic related actions, such as imposing a mask mandate on federal property; reinstating travel restrictions on non-U.S. citizens traveling from Brazil, South Africa, and much of Europe; and ramping up government-wide coordination of the pandemic response by establishing a new position at the White Housethat of a CCP virus response coordination tsar.

Bidens day-one actions include a number of memorandums: freezing approval of rules passed in the final days of the Trump presidency; directing the head of the Office of Budget and Management to oversee an effort to revamp the regulatory review process; blocking the deportation of Liberian refugees living in the United States; and strengthening the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that shields illegal immigrants who arrived in the United States as children from deportation.

Executive orders Biden signed on the first day of his presidency include rejoining the Paris Agreement on climate change; promoting racial equity; requiring mask-wearing on federal property; coordinating a government-wide response to the pandemic; reversing policies on immigration enforcement; scrapping a number of Trumps regulatory restrictions on federal agencies; ordering illegal immigrants to be incorporated into the census; axing the Keystone XL pipeline project; banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation; requiring all government appointees to sign an ethics pledge prohibiting their engagement in lobbying for at least two years after leaving the government; and pausing federal student loan payments.

Proclamations Biden signed on day one include reversing a Trump-era ban on entry of people from a number of predominantly Muslim countries and halting funding for construction of a wall on the southern border of the United States.

Other actions Biden has taken in the six days since assuming office include executive orders mandating mask-wearing on all forms of public transportation and at airports; expanding access to COVID-19 treatments; supporting the use of the National Guard in assisting with the pandemic response; and establishing a CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus testing board that will coordinate national efforts to ramp up testing.

Bidens most recent actions include an executive order repealing the transgender military ban; a proclamation reimposing travel restrictions on non-U.S. citizens coming from Brazil, South Africa, and much of Europe; and an executive order seeking to bolster American-made goods by tightening rules on federal procurement.
The Shiromani Akali Dal on Tuesday condemned the incidents of violence during the farmers' tractor parade in Delhi. The party, in a statement here, said it stands for peace and communal harmony and believes in democratic values.

The SAD, an opposition party in Punjab, also appealed to the people to maintain peace and calm at all costs. Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the SAD's core committee has been convened on Wednesday to consider the situation arising out of the incidents in the national capital.

Wielding sticks, clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points storming the Red Fort and climbing atop the flagpole on Republic Day. Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several border points of Delhi since November 28, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.
(TNS)  California's courts will get another $25 million to tackle COVID-19 case delays, the state's Judicial Council announced Friday.The infusion is the second half of a $50 million package courts administrators rolled out as part of the state's 2020 Budget Act as local courts large and small navigate the seismic impacts of the pandemic on its daily operations.Courts will get slices of the $25 million pie based on the portions of workload that hadn't been disposed of during the pandemic from March through August 2020, compared to the same time frame in 2019.Judge Jonathan Conklin, who heads the council's Trial Budget Advisory Committee, remarked on the challenges faced by local trial courts officials."It was no small task," Conklin said as part of the statement announcing the funding. "The data does confirm courts are doing their best to actively resolve cases, but has also confirmed a significant backlog due to the impact of COVID on day-to-day operations."But local courts will need to report to the Judicial Council at least every three months with progress reports on how they are working to shrink COVID-19-related backlogs and how they are spending the funds, Judicial Council officials said.In Woodland, Yolo Superior Court officials cheered the news Friday."We are thrilled with the Judicial Council's action today to distribute the $25 million. Courts are on the front lines of trying to provide essential services to citizens seeking a variety of services offered by the courts," Yolo Superior Court Executive Officer Shawn Landry said via email."This money will help address case delays and impacts," Landry continued. "While we are managing through these unprecedented challenges, I am convinced that it will ultimately make the services offered better."California's courts have had to dramatically alter operations to respond to the pandemic, closing courthouses for a time; expanding video, audio and telephone technology to conduct court proceedings remotely; extending the time for arraignments and trials to be heard; and temporarily suspending jury trials outright as COVID-19 cases continued to mount."This is an avenue to protect the public ..." California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said last spring of the sweeping measures instituted to respond to the virus. "We're making sure the courts aren't vectors" for spreading the virus, the chief justice said.Nearly a year after the pandemic's effect on California's courts first took hold, delays still are reality at many local courthouses as COVID-19 cases continue to take their toll on area communities.In Placer County, where court officials noted more than 50 county residents have died this month from the virus  the deadliest month in Placer so far since the start of the pandemic  officials halted jury trials through the end of January. Placer Superior Court will convene jury trials "only in extraordinary circumstances" through Feb. 12.Similar delays are in effect in Sacramento County where Sacramento Superior Court officials have temporarily suspended jury trials and jury service until Jan. 29 "in direct response to the current health environment," officials said.


Valve CEO Gabe Newell believes that brain-computer interfaces will be the next great evolution in video games.

Newell sat down with New Zealand news outlet 1 NEWS to talk about how brain-computer interface technology, or BCI, will shape the future of game development (thanks, PC Gamer). The CEO revealed that Valve is currently working on brain-computer interface software that can be applied to headsets, which can then monitor the wearers brain signals.

To put it simply: a BCI device is able to read your mind. Even beyond video games, this raises a ton of questions, but Newell believes that any developer that isnt investing in BCI risks being left behind.

If youre a software developer in 2022 who doesnt have one of these in your test lab, youre making a silly mistake, Newell told 1 NEWS.

So, how can game developers apply BCI to video games? Well, the simplest approach is data collection. If a developer can see when players are shocked, scared, angry or frustrated at certain points of a game, thats a lot of valuable information for future products.

Another potential application would be to design games that can respond to a players emotions in real-time. For example, a character in a video game could sense if youre angry about something, and theyll respond accordingly.

But Newell also spoke about how BCI software could make you editable. BCIs receive signals from the brain but they may also be able to send signals, as well. Theoretically, this means that you could use a BCI to spark good feelings or even eliminate your fear of clowns.

If this sounds controversial and a little scary to you, well, it should and shouldnt. While the implications are certainly unsettling, BCI technology is still far away from being invasive or replacing our organic brains any time soon.

But the dangers they present are also nothing new. Social media platforms have already been hacking our brains for a while now. BCI is another tool thats not necessarily malicious on its own but could have disastrous consequences if not properly supervised.

Story continues

Thankfully, Newell himself was aware of these dangers. He pointed out that were forced to trust that the people that hold all our financial data and personal information. If they mismanage that data or use it foolishly, then naturally, consumers will be rightfully angry.



Newell says that this will be a natural safeguard for BCI designers to act responsibly.

Nobody wants to say, Oh, remember Bob? Remember when Bob got hacked by the Russian malware? Yeah, that sucked. Is he still running naked through the forest? Newell said to 1 NEWS. People are going to have to have a lot of confidence [that] these are secure systems that dont have long-term health risks.

Lets hope that BCI doesnt usher in an actual cyberpunk dystopia.

These are the best tech gifts under $100:

If you enjoyed this story, check out how Valve raised $34 million for Dota 2s The International, one of the biggest esports tournaments in the world.

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Highlights Xiaomi Mi 10 could launch in a new variant.

The Mi 10 variant is tipped to bring a Snapdragon 870 SoC.

The variant could offer a 108MP camera.

Xiaomi has already launched a number of new phones under the Mi 10 series but it appears the company is planning on launching a new phone to the list, and interestingly, this new phone is tipped to come with the recently launched Snapdragon 870 chipset.

Reports about the phone, however, do not mention any other details about the phone. But the expectation is that the phone will offer the same hardware as the original Mi 10. The leak does claim that the handset could be priced around 3,500 Yuan (~$541).

If the new edition of the phone brings with itself similar specs then the new Xiaomi Mi 10 will get a 6.67-inch 1080p AMOLED display with curved edges working at a fast refresh rate of 90Hz. This display can go up to brightness levels of 1120 nits and process at a high touch refresh rate at 180Hz.

The phone's Snapdragon 870 SoC could be paired with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The Mi 10 gets a massive 108-megapixel primary lens that consists of a 1/1.33-inch sensor along with OIS. This lens could be paired to a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera with 123-degree FOV that's sat next to a 2-megapixel macro sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

The phone may also get a 20-megapixel front selfie lens and features such as the Night Mode 2, a revamped Portrait Mode, 8K video recording. Keeping the lights on could be a 4780mAh battery that may come with support for 30W fast and 30W wireless charging, with Xiaomi also possibly offering 10W reverse wireless charging with the phone.

However, as we mentioned above, main feature of the device will be its Snapdragon 870 SoC. With the Snapdragon 870 SoC, Qualcomm is promising fast performance with the help of its Kryo 585 CPU which is now clocked for even higher performance. The chipset is designed for powerful computing, and can deliver "top performance with maximum power efficiency."

Qualcomm is also offering Snapdragon Elite Gaming which it claims offers desktop-level rendering, hyper-realistic graphics, and real-time performance optimisation. These features work in tandem with Qualcomm's Adreno 650 GPU. Additionally, there's also support for features such as Qualcomm Game Smoother which reduces jank. There's also Qualcomm Game Color Plus and support for true 10-bit HDR gaming for improved color and contrast. The chipset also offers support for updateable GPU drivers for delivering optimisations for the latest games.

Apart from this, the chipset also brings with itself the company's 5th generation AI Engine. There's also the Qualcomm Hexagon 698 Processor with Hexagon Tensor Accelerator on-board for pushing up the AI computations to 15 TOPS. The chipset also supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge 4+ technology for improved charging speeds.

ALSO READ: | WhatsApp starts rolling out video and voice call feature on web
[January 25, 2021] Liquefy Launches Liquefy Ventures for Institutions and Family Offices to Navigate the Evolving Cryptocurrency Space

HONG KONG, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Liquefy is excited to announce the launch of Liquefy Ventures to help institutional investors and family offices strategically navigate the emerging cryptocurrency space to capture opportunities in the digital asset ecosystem. This move extends Liquefy's presence in the ecosystem beyond its expertise in tokenization of real assets. Liquefy Ventures will build a bridge between traditional finance and the rapidly growing digital asset economy. Recognising the trajectory and opportunity presented by the evolving ecosystem, Liquefy Ventures will collaborate with its clients on strategic initiatives and invest in projects that are the backbone of the next-generational financial infrastructure



Liquefy was founded in late 2018 as a tokenization expert. The company has been closely monitoring the development of the broader digital asset space. Over the last six months fertile market conditions, increasingly developed infrastructure, 'blue chip' institutional involvement, and most importantly, the rapid growth of decentralized finance (DeFi), indicate the right timing for institutions and family offices entering the space. Adrian Lai, CEO of Liquefy, said: "Without a doubt, while digital assets are on the radar to be included in the portfolios of family offices, HNWIs and institutions, this exposure is only seeing the tip of the ice-berg. By leveraging Liquefy's expertise in the digital assets space, our vision for Liquefy Ventures is to capture and maximise the opportunities and yields from the seismic shifts digital assets are enabling. We look forward to finally entering and helping our clients navigate this exciting area."

About Liquefy Since founding in 2018, Liquefy has been widely recognised as the leading tokenization expert in Asia with a focus on late-stage start-ups, real estate and funds and a portfolio of landmark cross-asset tokenization commercialization cases. In 2020, Liquefy became the first company globally to obtain a financial license in the UAE for online distribution and OTC trading of tokenized assets. Liquefy has an extensive commercial network and diverse client base - covering institutions, governments, funds and prominent family offices. It is currently backed by multiple reputable Asian families and global investors spanning the US, China, Hong Kong and the Middle East. Contact: Oscar Yeung

oscar@liquefy.com SOURCE Liquefy

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Prominent TV presenter Stan Grant has demonstrated his strong identification with his Aboriginal heritage by appearing in traditional body paint.

On Monday, the 57-year-old took part in The Vigil at Sydney Festival on Australia Day Eve.

Alongside fellow indigenous people, the television presenter participated in a 'Reclaim' performance at at Barangaroo Reserve in Sydney.

Pride: Prominent journalist Stan Grant has always been proud of his indigenous heritage, and on Monday the 57-year-old took part in The Vigil at Sydney Festival on Australia Day Eve

He wore an armband and traditional markings on his face and body, along with a pair of denim shorts, for the moving performance.

This marks the third year of The Vigil, which acknowledges the continent's indigenous history, in contrast to Australia Day, which marks the 1788 arrival in Sydney Cove of the First Fleet of British settlers, soldiers and convicts.

Show: Alongside his fellow indigenous people, the television presenter participated in a 'Reclaim' performance at at Barangaroo Reserve in Sydney

Annual event: This marks the third year that The Vigil has taken place, and it is a time to reflect on Australia's Indigenous heritage, ahead of Australia Day Celebrations

Stan discussed the importance of the ceremony's importance in a column for the ABC, writing: 'I gathered with other Aboriginal people for a vigil to mark the night before the ships came.

'We stood with each other and the spirits of our ancestors who on this day in 1788 stood on the cusp of a new world.'

'We came together because we have survived. Our warriors danced a dance of defiance and strength. We stood together not to mark Australia Day, but who we are.'

Powerful: Stan opened up about the experience in a column for the ABC, writing: 'I gathered with other Aboriginal people for a vigil to mark the night before the ships came'

'We came together because we have survived. Our warriors danced a dance of defiance and strength. We stood together not to mark Australia Day, but who we are,' he continued

The date of Australia Day has long been a sore point for Aboriginal people, with many referring to it as Invasion Day and saying the British settlement in Sydney began indigenous dispossession and should not be celebrated.

However Mr Grant said changing the date of the National Day would create its own problems.

In 2019, Mr Grant wrote a piece published in The Weekend Australian magazine, which said a changed date risked leaving January 26 as a day solely honoured by white chauvinists and that risked making it more divisive.

Thoughts: In 2019 Stan debated calls to change the date in a piece published in The Weekend Australian Magazine

He added that some Aboriginal people would not be placated by any date change or other reconciliation efforts.

'I fear moving the date would only hand it to those who would reclaim it as a day of white pride, turning it into a bombastic day of division,' he wrote.

'There are also those indigenous people who cling to Nietzsche's ''politics of resentment'', whose identities are so wedded to grievance that to relinquish their anger would be to lose their sense of themselves: moving the date would not satisfy them.'

Reasons: Critics have argued that Australia Day marked the beginning of great suffering and torment for indigenous people and should not be celebrated

Instead, Mr Grant said the date was a second-order issue, and more fundamental questions of national identity needed to be addressed.

'Australia is more than a day, it is more than a date - whatever that date may be. Moving the date or abolishing Australia Day does not answer the question, who are we?' Grant writes.

The TV identity said he had personally wrestled with how to feel about Australia Day, as he has a pride in Australia but also his family had suffered.
The last commercial jets took off out of Worcester in 2020 in the middle of October. Since that time, the coronavirus pandemic has mostly silenced the runways at Worcester Regional Airport.

Even as a pair of coronavirus vaccines generate a glimmer of hope for some, its unlikely the crowds gathered in security lines at Worcesters airport will be returning anytime soon.

The likelihood of flights returning is not good in the short term, Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said. But I do strongly believe in the long-term health and viability of the Worcester airport.

Massport echoed Augustus optimism in the future of the Worcester Regional Airport.

Augustus initially spoke in generalities like short term as nothing definitive has been decided with the airport and specific airlines. However, the city manager of New Englands second-largest city speculated commercial flights would continue to be absent for at least six months but the hiatus could extend into 2022.

In the meantime, private flights continue to use the airport. The car rental companies - Avis, Hertz and Thrifty - at the airport are also still in operation.

Worcester Regional Airport doesn't see many passengers during COVID-19 but still displays notices advising passengers about the virus.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the number of passengers in October 2020 compared to 2019 was down nearly 62%. The number of year-over-year departures in October also dropped from about 800,000 to fewer than 445,000.

Globally, the airline industry is expected to lose more than $118 billion in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. It stands to lose another $38.7 billion in 2021, according to the International Air Transport Association.

This time of year would be a very busy time with a couple of weeks from now, were coming up on February vacation week, Augustus said. Thats a big time. Families are going down to Disney. All thats gone. All the snowbirds. Its not just the business travel, its the leisure travel.

Last year began with Worcester Regional Airport offering destinations to Philadelphia, New York City, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. By the end of October, JetBlue, American Airlines and Delta all halted flights out of Worcester.

Augustus said the city plans to have discussions with Massport, Congressman Jim McGovern and the Worcester Regional Chamber about rekindling the second life the airport experienced before the pandemic.

Before Massport purchased the airport in 2010, it was eyed for closure. Since purchasing the airport, the agency has pumped more than $100 million into the facility.

In July, Worcester Regional Airport received a $5 million grant from the Federal Aviation Authority to rehabilitate a runway. The grant came in addition to recent public safety improvements that included a new fire station and fire equipment.

I dont think were going to see much change in the next six months or so, just because theyre going to come back further down the road, Augustus said. But I think we just want to check in with each other to see whats going on, whats the strategy and what everyone is hearing.

JetBlue began flying out of Worcester in 2013 with flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando before adding New York., American Airlines followed in 2019 with flights to Philadelphia. Delta started offering trips to Detroit in August of 2019.

While the commercial flights have stopped, the airlines signs and kiosks remain throughout the airport acting as evidence to their commitment in Worcester.

Worcester Regional Airport doesn't see many passengers during COVID-19 but still displays notices advising passengers about the virus.

In December, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce released an analysis looking at the airport.

Of nearly 1,300 respondents, more than 93% said when flights returned they were very likely or likely to fly out of Worcester if there was a direct connection to a location they desired.

During the presentation of the data, Airport Director Andy Davis projected at least a 5-year recovery period.

Davis said before the pandemic, the competition between airlines revolved around offering direct flights. During the pandemic and rebuilding after, Davis said, more flights will be scheduled for hubs like Chicago and Atlanta.

Leisure destinations are poised to bounce back quicker while business destinations, like Boston, or Worcester, may take longer.

In the meantime, the discussion on the airport has touched on cargo opportunities at the airport, especially with Amazon planning to open a 177,000-square-foot delivery station at 125 Goddard Memorial Drive in early 2021.

However, logistically, Augustus said the demand isnt there.

Its been talked about over the years, Augustus said. A lot of cargo is moving by freight. And Worcester is one of the busiest, if not the busiest, rail port in New England.

Worcester Regional Airport doesn't see many passengers during COVID-19 but still displays notices advising passengers about the virus.

Within the office of the city manager, Augustus options are limited regarding the airport.

During the pandemic, the city of Worcester offered small business grants, rental assistance and town halls describing best practices to prevent the spread of the virus.

With the airport, larger forces, out of the control of officials, will likely dictate when the airlines return.

Air travel to and from Worcester hinges on out-of-town business conferences, college campuses fully reopening and people feeling safe again to take out-of-state vacations.

Augustus is confident all will return. The question of when remains.

Weve been trying to be understanding, Augustus said. I can be calling airlines and talking about the importance of Worcesters airport but when youre down 95%, its hard to say Hey keep flying those empty airplanes.

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Schools could reopen on a phased basis in February and early March, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar as told Laois broadcaster Claire Byrne.

The staggered reopening would start with the return of children with special needs, followed by primary schools and exam years, Mr Varadkar said.

But he said it had to be done by agreement and would be subject to discussions with principals, unions and other representative groups.

We want to discuss this with principals, unions, parents and students groups. It does have to be done by agreement, but we are very keen to start with children with additional needs, they need their education and some of them are regressing now which is very worrying, he told the Mountrath journalist on RTEs Claire Byrne Live.

The Tanaiste said one of his big regrets from the first lockdown was that Ireland didnt do what other countries did and keep schools open for vulnerable children.

Mr Varadkar said that because the new Covid-19 variant is more transmissible we want to open schools not with one big bang but on a phased basis".

He would not put a figure on what the daily Covid case numbers would have to be to allow for schools to reopen, but said: We are reasonably confident now that by the middle of February we will be down to daily case rates that were there when schools were fully open.

According to a report in today's Irish Independent, a memo going to Cabinet on Tuesday says consideration will be given to getting Leaving Cert students and children with special educational needs back to classes, but talks are on-going with the unions.
Its no secret that Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West arent in the best place right now in their relationship. Rumors have been circulating for weeks that the two are on the brink of divorce. Recently, Kim posted a pretty cryptic message to her Instagram that has fans wondering if she was throwing shade at her husband.

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West | Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye Wests relationship problems

Though Kim is an extremely public person, she and Kanye had kept the inner workings of their relationship pretty private up until last year. Things started going downhill when Kanye admitted at a presidential rally that he and Kim almost aborted their oldest child, North. The next day, he went on a Twitter rant claiming that Kim tried to lock him up.

Kim tried to bring a doctor to lock me up with a doctor, he tweeted.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 continued.

He also revealed that he had been trying to separate from Kim for some time.

I been trying to get divorced since Kim met with Meek at the [Waldorf] for prison reform, he wrote.

Inner Peace pic.twitter.com/uBNZAsjHHj  Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) December 8, 2020

RELATED: KUWTK Was a Big Reason For Issues in Kim Kardashian and Kanye Wests Relationship

Later, Kim addressed Kanyes tweets, attributing his actions to his bipolar disorder, and asked fans to be kind and empathize with Kanye and their family.

Kim and Kanye are heading toward divorce

Kim and Kanye had been working to save their marriage for a while.

Kim and Kanye are in counseling and exploring their options, a source told People. They have been working on their marriage for a long time, but no decision has been made.

But the therapy wasnt able to bring them back together.

He knows that shes done, a source said 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.

Though Kanye still seems to be in the mourning stage, Kim is apparently done.

They are just not on the same page when it comes to their future as a family, an insider told the outlet. And Kim is OK with it. She will do everything she can for the kids to have a great relationship with Kanye  she just doesnt want to be married to him.

OMG found this pic in my phone and our babies are so tiny and cute and chunky and perfect!!! pic.twitter.com/qehzbfR1sR  Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) January 21, 2021

RELATED: Is Kim Kardashian Using Her Kids as an Excuse to Stay With Kanye West?

Did Kim Kardashian West shade Kanye West?

Recently, a leaked video of Kanye yelling at Chance the Rapper began surfacing. According to Daily Mail, the video may have been a clip from the upcoming YZY TV documentary about Kanyes forthcoming album DONDA.

Just hours after the video began circulating, Kim posted a picture to Instagram with the caption, Dont be messy.

While Kim has not revealed what her caption was referring to, fans have been wondering if it had anything to do with her husbands messy video of him feuding with Chance.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Drew University student missing for days possibly was headed toward New York City, according to a Twitter post by an NYPD chief.

The Madison Police Department in New Jersey released a missing persons flyer for Ajay Sah, 22, an international student from Napal. He was reported missing by the university on Jan. 22 at 3:38 p.m. Friends and fellow students last saw him on campus around 8 p.m. on Jan. 19.

Police described Sah as standing about 56 tall and weighing around 125 pounds.

People with information are urged to call the Madison Police Department at 973-593-3000.

NYPD Chief of Community Affairs Bureau Jeffrey Maddrey posted on Twitter that the missing man was last seen heading toward New York City.

A social media post by an alleged family member claims that Sah boarded a train en route to Penn Station shortly before 11 p.m. on Jan. 19 and didnt return to his dorm.


An organisation representing owners of apartments and houses in managed estates where an owners' management company (OMC) is in place has welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Housing that former chief executive of Donegal County Council, Seamus Neely, has been appointed as chair of the newly established Independent Working Group on Defective Housing.

A spokesperson for The Apartment Owners Network (AON), Des McCabe, said the establishment of the Working Group is a very welcome development and a necessary first step in the resolution of an issue that is threatening to cripple the finances of many apartment owners and owners management companies throughout the country.

He said Mr Neely will bring a significant breadth of experience to his role as chair  in particular, his involvement in the remediation process in Donegal for pyrite and mica will be of great benefit.

Mr McCabe told us that AON does not have a formal membership at the moment. It operates a mailing list for around 500 people representing hundreds of developments country wide.

He said five of these have registered their development as Kildare but there is probably a lot more as around 50 people have not identified the county where their development is located.

Mr McCabe said there was a recent report done by Cluid Housing and the Housing agency called "Owners Management Companies. One of the main issues identified in that report is the lack of information around Owners Management Companies (OMCs) . We don't even know how many OMC's are actually in the state, so there is a lack of basic information, he said.

Mr McCabe said one of the main recommendations of that report is that a "regulator" is established on a statutory basis. The regulator would have responsibility for gathering proper data, dispute resolution, training etc.

He said that currently OMC's are unregulated and generally run by volunteer directors who may lack the skills and experience as some developments are more complex than others.

Mc McCabe said the establishment of a regulator is a key goal for the AON.

He said at the moment the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PRSA) licenses Managing Agents which are employed by the OMC.

Regarding defective projects, he said Millfield Manor Newbridge is a case that stands out in Kildare as there was a major fire and subsequent latent building defects were discovered.

Another Kildare group has been in touch with AON.

Mr McCabe said the AON along with the Construction Defects Alliance looks forward to playing an active role in the Working Group. We are acutely aware of the tight time frame. It is imperative that the Groups recommendations can be considered in time for the preparation of Budget 2022. Financial solutions for the estimated 100,000 apartment owners are required urgently.

AON continues to call for the recommendations of the 2018 "Safe as Houses?" report, published by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on House, Planning and Local Government, to be implemented. Of particular relevance for this issue is the recommendation that the government should establish a redress scheme to assist homeowners with latent defects.

Mr McCabe said the sustainability of higher-density residential accommodation in Ireland is dependent on public confidence in the quality of Irish apartments. The resolution of the longstanding issue of defective construction in multi-unit developments must be addressed to ensure that apartment living is a viable long-term option for both current and future generations.

See (www.apartmentownersnetwork.org)
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By JOSH BOAK and ZEKE MILLER

Associated Press

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday to boost government buying from U.S. manufacturers, as talks with Congress over a $1.9 trillion stimulus package that he considers essential to the nation's recovery showed few signs of progress.

The executive order is among a flurry of moves by Biden during his first full week to publicly show he's taking swift action to heal an ailing economy. Biden reiterated Monday that he believes the country is in a precarious spot and and that relief is urgently needed, even as he dismissed the possibility of embracing a scaled-down bill to secure passage faster. Among the features of the stimulus plan are a national vaccination program, aid to reopen schools, direct payments of $1,400 to individuals and financial relief for state and local governments.





. . .
As a distant cousin of Abraham Lincoln, I have a small stake in the San Francisco Board of Educations decision on whether to remove his name from Lincoln High School. He stands accused by the boards school-names panel of being unworthy of honor because of his treatment of Native Americans.

I hope the board will pause and examine the actual history  recorded by historians in all its context and complexity  not just activists selection of some facts and Wikipedia history with its mishmash of bits of real history mixed with over-simplification and misinformation.

Lincoln is accused, for example, of hanging 38 Dakota (Sioux) warriors in 1862 in Minnesota. Military authorities originally sentenced 303 men to hang, for the massacres of hundreds of unarmed settlers and raping of women and girls.

Absorbed by the Civil War, Lincoln could hardly divert his attention from the threat of Confederate victory  it was eight months before the wars turning point at Gettysburg. Yet he agonized over the Minnesota sentences and requested full trial records. He found insufficient evidence for the vast majority of convictions, while also confronting outrage from Minnesotans and warnings that vigilante groups threatened even worse vengeance if any executions were blocked. Even so, Lincoln reduced the number to the few cases where he found adequate evidence of a massacre or violation of females.

Viewed in context, Lincolns actions were relatively humanitarian, wrote historian David Nichols in his acclaimed book, Lincoln and the Indians. Given the demands of the war for the Union, there may have been very little else he could do.

James Giago Davies, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, wrote in 2019 in the Native Sun News Today: The attempt by historical negationists to paint Lincoln as a villain is not borne out by the record or by the tenor of the time.

Another accusation against Lincoln is his approving the Pacific Railway Act of 1862, which supported a transcontinental railroad that further displaced Native Americans. Lincoln had little power to stop the railroad, whose planning preceded his presidency. Congress passed it with far more votes than needed to override a veto  35-5 in the Senate and 104-21 in the House.

Of course, we must never lose sight of the great injustice suffered by Native Americans and the brutal, inexcusable massacres committed by white settlers as well. But tragically, the history of human migration is filled with bloodshed and misery. Imagine a fast-forward film. Watch Huns ravage Europe and Germanic Anglo-Saxons conquer England. See Columbus and those who followed him nearly extinguish the Carib Indians  after the Caribs wiped out large numbers of Arawak Indians. Watch the Sioux, before their clashes with Minnesota settlers in 1862, wiping Kiowa and Crow Indians off the Northern Plains.

Thankfully, our values today are more humane, as the worlds democracies gradually evolve toward protecting populations against forcible displacement. In Lincolns time, however, he had little power to stop Indian removal amid the ongoing Manifest Destiny westward expansion of European Americans. He could only buffer it slightly.

Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Few people have helped bend that arc as much as Lincoln did  in not only ending slavery and preserving the Union but also serving as an honest, compassionate leader of integrity who inspires us to heed the better angels of our nature.

I believe he will be long honored in the hearts of the American people, with his memorial retaining its deserved place anchoring one end of the National Mall facing the U.S. Capitol.

Charles Burress, a former staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, is a freelance writer.

Ariel Winter is having a busy Monday with her boyfriend Luke Benward by her side.

The 22-year-old Modern Family darling was spotted in Los Angeles running errands with her beau, as she looked camera ready while carrying a tripod.

Perhaps fresh off a creative project, Winter looked put together in a form fitting pastel shirt and white jeans just days ahead of her 23rd birthday.

Lights, camera, action: Ariel Winter, 22, looks effortlessly glamorous in red lipstick and white jeans as she runs errands with boyfriend Luke Benward, 25, in Los Angeles

Stepping out of the passenger seat of Benward's black Audi, Winter put her curves on display in the cool color scheme.

She topped the look off with a pair of brown suede heeled boots and she flashed her red pout while softly smiling.

Her icy blonde tresses were full of loose curls as she made her way into a store with a silver clutch purse.

Laidback luke: The Dumplin' actor went casual for the Monday outing as he was seen in sweats and slippers

The Dumplin' actor looked a bit more casual for the day out, as he rocked black joggers and a black hoodie.

He slipped a pair of cozy black slippers on his feet as he was seen in aviator sunglasses.

The couple recently celebrated their one year anniversary and things seem to be moving fast as they now share a home together in Studio City.

They were seen celebrating Christmas in the home surrounded by Winter's brood of dogs as she gushed she was 'grateful' accompanied by some loved-up family snaps.

On the go: The Modern Family darling was seen running into a store as she emerged with a tripod

The pair have a working relationship as well, as they wrapped their second project together after a quarantine thriller in the summer called Don't Log Off.

Her first project since wrapping 11 seasons on Modern Family last spring, Winter is both an actress in producer in the upcoming movie which was shot virtually and on location.

Benward has been spreading his wings as a producer and director as Ariel shared a photo of them on the set of their second venture in October.

Whirlwind romance: The couple were first linked last January and recently rang in their one-year anniversary in the home they now share together in Studio City

She said, 'I'm so proud of you and so honored to be your partner in all things....Can't wait to keep growing, building, creating and achieving together,' while professing her love for him.

Though they kept their relationship private as she had just come off a three-year relationship with Levi Meaden, he confirmed their romance with a birthday tribute to her on January 28, 2020.

It was said that 'Ariel is really happy with Luke and thinks he is a great match for her,' according to an Us Weekly source, and the relationship continues to grow strong.
WASHINGTON  After years of failure to curb the scourge of sexual assault in the military, Lloyd J. Austin III, the new secretary of defense, is open to considering significant revisions to how those crimes are prosecuted, a potential sea change that generations of commanders have resisted.

Overhauling the way the military handles sexual assault cases  by taking them outside the military chain of command and assigning them to military prosecutors with no connection to the accused  would need approval by Congress, where some legislators have long pushed for such a system.

President Biden has been a vocal proponent of these changes, even as general after general has gone to Capitol Hill to argue against them over the past decade. I had a real run-in with one of the members of the Joint Chiefs in the cabinet room on the issue, Mr. Biden said last year at a fund-raiser.

Mr. Austins first act as secretary was to order a review of how the Pentagon has been handling sexual assault cases. In December, he met remotely with survivors of assault in the military and was disturbed and moved by their stories, an official said.
Paranoid schizophrenic Eltiona Skana, 30, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the manslaughter of Emily Jones in Bolton

A killer who slit the throat of a seven-year-old girl in a random park attack on Mother's Day has had her sentence increased after a judge forgot a law.

Paranoid schizophrenic Eltiona Skana, 30, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the manslaughter of Emily Jones in Bolton and had been told she could not be considered for parole for at least eight years.

But on Monday that minimum period was upped to 10 years and eight months after a judge admitted he had made a mistake.

Mr Justice Wall explained in a brief hearing at Teesside Crown Court, where he is currently sitting, that he had arrived at the original figure by halving the notional determinate sentence of 16 years.

He said: 'However, when I passed that sentence I had forgotten from the April 1, 2020, the law as to the minimum period to be served by a violent or sexual offender whose sentence was or exceeded seven years was two thirds and not one half of the sentence.

'Thus the minimum term which I set, and which was based on the premise that had I passed a determinate sentence the defendant would only have had to serve half her sentence before being eligible for release on parole, was calculated in error.

Emily Jones (pictured) had visited the park with her father Mark Jones and mother Sarah Barnes, who are separated, on March 22, this year

Emily had ridden past on a scooter calling out 'Mummy! Mummy!' when she was killed

'It is an error to which all in court fell, for which I take full responsibility.'

Skana attended the hearing via video-link from high-security Rampton Hospital where she is a patient under the Mental Health Act.

Mr Justice Wall explained in a brief hearing at Teesside Crown Court, where he is currently sitting, that he had arrived at the original figure by halving the notional determinate sentence of 16 years.

The judge had previously ruled that despite her mental illness Skana retained 'a significant amount of responsibility', which merited punishment by him passing not a hospital order but a 'hybrid' order, meaning the defendant will go to prison for the remainder of her sentence if her condition improves sufficiently.

Skana got up from a bench and randomly attacked Emily as she went past on a scooter calling out 'Mummy! Mummy!' to her mother jogging round Queen's Park, Bolton on March 22.

The Albanian national, who first came to the UK in 2014 after claiming asylum, had a long history of mental illness and had not been taking her anti-psychotic medication.

She admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Emily's family members described the seven-year-old's killing as 'monstrous'. They also paid tribute to their 'beautiful, spirited little girl'.

Skana had pleaded guilty at an earlier court appearance to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility - a type of legal defence which centres around whether a defendant had proper mental capacity at the time of the offence.

This is the moment the 30-year-old was arrested after using a craft knife to slash the neck of Emily as she played on her scooter during a random attack in Queen's Park, Bolton

Paranoid schizophrenic Skana tells police she has an 'ID, knife, water and juice' in her bag as they take her into custody

A murder conviction was earlier withdrawn by prosecutors, who felt there was no realistic of prospect of a conviction against Skana - an incurable paranoid schizophrenic.

Emily had visited the park with her father Mark Jones and mother Sarah Barnes, who are separated, on March 22, this year.

The court heard how Emily had spotted her mother, who was jogging around the park, and rode towards and called out to her.

Emily Jones's father Mark (right at court today following sentencing, and left with Emily) was in court when Skana was today handed a life sentence

But Emily's route took her past Skana, who was sat on a bench and armed with a craft knife.

The knife was one of a pack of three she had bought earlier that day.

Skana stood up as Emily went past on her scooter, grabbed her in a headlock and in 'one movement slit her throat' before throwing her to the ground.

The killer ran off but a brave passer-by, Tony Canty, caught up with her and knocked her to the ground. He sat on her until police arrived and with Skana 'babbling' about 'injections', the 'Home Office' and 'pigs'.
HOUSTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- It's about more than just pizza this February. It's about reconnecting and exploring new flavors, and Chef Russo brings just that to the table. From new burrata pizzas to heart shaped pizzas, Russo's New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen has something for everybody the next two weeks.

For years Russo's has incorporated the highest quality ingredients on the market. Hand-making food in-house has been a primary foundation of every Russo's restaurant. From fresh made dough to hand made sauces, every menu item is carefully made from Russo's family recipes. Through the years, Chef Russo has developed the menu to include gluten free and vegan friendly dishes. Incorporating these healthy options is a small gesture of care to our health-conscious guests. Our love for our guests spreads further this February, with our two new specials!

Let's start off with our Valentine's special: "That's Amore"  Starting Monday 2.1.21, we're bringing our guests together with an unforgettable combo: Heart shaped pepperoni pizza and guest's choice of a bottle of pinot grigio or chianti wine for only $34.95. This special can be enjoyed in our stores, or simply take it to-go for a romantic night in. The heart shaped pizza is also available on it's own during this time, simply ask for it when ordering your large pizza!

With national pizza day being Tuesday 2.9.21, Chef Russo is early releasing two new burrata pizzas! All aboard the burrata train, these cheesy masterpieces come with the highest quality burrata we could get our hands on. Grab one of these in a medium 12", between 2.8.21 and 2.14.21, for only $10! Remember, these $10 burrata pizza deals are only available for ONE WEEK, and can be devoured in our stores, for take out, or delivered to your door.

Enjoy these limited time February specials at Russo's New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen before they're gone! Find a location near you at nypizzeria.com/locations and visit nypizzeria.info/promotions for on going promotion details. *At participating restaurants. See stores for details.

Chef Anthony Russo's Bio: The son of first-generation Italian immigrants, Anthony Russo, Russo's New York Pizzeria Founder and CEO, grew up in a New Jersey home where the kitchen was the center of family life. He learned to cook from relatives visiting from Sicily and Naples, and worked at his family's restaurant, Russo's Italian, at the Jersey Shore each summer.

The family relocated to Galveston, Texas in 1978, yet remained steadfast in their commitment to serving fine Italian cuisine no matter where they called home. Anthony's father opened Russo's Italian Restaurant, which quickly became a favorite among locals, and reinforced Anthony's passion for creating and serving homemade Italian fare.

In 1985, Anthony opened his first pizza restaurant, Russo's Pizza, when he was just 18 years old. In 1992, just seven years later, Anthony introduced his first Russo's New York Pizzeria in Houston, Texas, where using fresh, homemade ingredients and unique family recipes, became a model for success.

Fast forward to today and Russo's Restaurants is now a national and international franchisor of the casual dining brand Russo's New York Pizzeria. With its corporate office located in Houston, Texas - Russo's Restaurants has surpassed 50 locations with over ten more planned in 2020. Composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations in Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida, Russo's has also entered international markets as well, with locations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates.

Chef Anthony Russo created Russo's Restaurants by applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, handcrafted pasta dishes, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts. At its heart, Russo's Restaurants reflects Chef Anthony's commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first.

Russo's corporate support team is strong and collaborative with a franchisee-friendly corporate culture and is ready for expansion. What separates Russo's from the rest of the pizza industry is not only a great support team ready to tackle it all, but also the unique family recipes and fresh ingredients. With no additives or preservatives, Russo's New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen creates dishes from ingredients that are safe and reliable from trusted brands. Chef Russo adds, "Our mission statement is: 'If it isn't fresh, don't serve it.' That is the Russo family promise." To learn more about Russo's Franchise Opportunities, our menu, lunch specials, delivery, takeout, catering, or to order online, please visit www.russosfranchise.com .

SOURCE Russos New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen

Related Links

http://www.russosfranchise.com


CONCORD, NH  Since Friday, nearly 200,000 Granite Staters have signed up to get a coronavirus vaccination as part of the state's Phase 1B process, according to officials.



More than 60 percent of residents, who have scheduled an appointment, have a set date and location to receive their first shot. On average, New Hampshire is receiving about 17,000 doses per week. Officials hope, if production and shipments increase, they will be able to move up vaccine slots.

"The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is one of the largest logistical undertakings our state has ever faced," Gov. Chris Sununu said. "Our teams are working around the clock and our systems have worked as designed and ahead of schedule. New Hampshire is ready to administer the vaccinations as fast as the federal government supplies it."

Perry Plummer, who is handling the logistics for the vaccine implementation, said all eligible recipients in the Phase 1B plan are guaranteed an appointment time.

"While appointments are currently being made into March and April, we urge folks to take the earliest appointment slot available and to remain patient," he said.

To register for vaccines, visit the state website here. After that, people will receive an email within five days to schedule an appointment.

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Out-Of-Staters Won't Be Able To Access Vaccines

In an about-face after an outcry from political circles in the state, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has updated and clarified the state's frequently asked questions vaccine website informing non-residents they will not be able to access a vaccine in New Hampshire.

The change was made after a report by New Hampshire Public Radio noted the state's website allowed anyone who owned land in the state, including second homeowners or out-of-state landlords who might reside elsewhere, to provide proof of ownership so they could get vaccinated in New Hampshire.

Story continues

Democrats pounced on the report calling it "yet another example of corruption" in Sununu's administration  along with offering criticism for ski industry employees getting shots before teachers.

"Sununu is giving the life-saving COVID vaccine to the ultra-wealthy, out of staters who own property near his ski resort, while our teachers, grocery store workers, and many residents in long-term care facilities are waiting on the COVID vaccine," Ray Buckley, the chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, said. "There needs to be a serious look into how Sununu and his family are benefiting from this disastrous COVID policy."

The State Joint Information Center released the clarification Monday changing the site.

Anyone receiving a vaccine in New Hampshire will need to have a valid, unexpired New Hampshire driver's license or non-driver ID card, a payroll check, payroll document, or employment contract showing individual's legal New Hampshire address dated within the last 60 days, or a government-issued payment (i.e. Social Security), showing individual's legal New Hampshire address, dated within the last 60 days.

The vaccine identification requirement is now stricter than the requirement to vote in New Hampshire.

3 More Deaths; 434 New Infections

Officials announced three more deaths and 434 new positive test results, according to the state.

The three new fatalities related to COVID-19 deaths were two men from Hillsborough County and a man from Merrimack County. Two of the deaths were connected to long-term care settings, two were 80 years of age or older, and one was between 40 and 49. Only nine deaths in New Hampshire are in the 40 to 49 age bracket.

The state said 990 people have died related to COVID-19 in New Hampshire.

Another 434 people tested positive for coronavirus via 307 polymerase chain reaction tests and 127 antigen tests. The PCR positivity rate for the day was 4.7 percent and the seven-day rate positivity rate was 6.1 percent. Seventy-two of the new infections were from specimens collected on Saturday while 362 were from tests taken on Sunday.

One hundred of the new infections live in Hillsborough County outside of Nashua, 90 reside in Rockingham County, 45 live in Merrimack County, and 36 live in Nashua.

ALSO READ:

Stop The Spread Of COVID-19

The COVID-19 virus is spread through respiratory droplets, usually through coughing and sneezing, and exposure to others who are sick or might be showing symptoms.

Health officials emphasize residents should follow these recommendations:

Avoid any domestic and international travel, especially on public transportation such as buses, trains, and airplanes.

Practice social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet from other people, including distancing while in waiting areas or lines.

When you can't practice 6 feet of social distancing, wear a face covering.

Anyone who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 needs to not go out to public places.

If you are 60 years or older or have chronic and underlying health conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.

Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.

Employers should work from home as much as possible.

There is increasing evidence that the virus can survive for hours or possibly days on surfaces. People should clean frequently touched surfaces, including door handles, grocery carts and grocery basket handles, etc.

Take the same precautions as you would if you were sick:

Stay home and avoid public places.

Wear a face covering.

Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.

Wash hands frequently.

Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

More information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services about coronavirus can be found here on the department's website.COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Schools, Employers, Employees and Businesses (Can your employer force you to get the vaccine? It depends). COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Healthcare Providers and Public Health Partners

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel.

This article originally appeared on the Concord Patch
(Natural News) After refusing to release data to the general public that some say could have helped to stem the tide of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, San Diego County was caught secretly sharing the home addresses and other private information of said cases with local law enforcement.

For the past nine months, reports indicate, public health officials in San Diego have been handing over lists upon lists of personal data for all area residents who tested positive for Chinese germs. Back in April 2020, Theresa Adams, a sheriffs commander, said she asked the countys emergency operations center for permission to distribute them for the safety of first responders.

Adams gained the clearance she needed from Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten, who gave out the properties but not the names of positive cases. At the time, there were roughly 800 known cases of the Chinese virus, and law enforcement officials were debating what kind of enforcement posture they were going to take against them in response to the state of emergency and other shifting rules.

Emails obtained by Voice of San Diego reveal Adams noting that it is not a common practice for others to dictate tactics to law enforcement agencies, so this is a [conversation] that each of [you] must have within your own agencies. Just a few days later, Adams shared a series of training bulletins with police and military personnel across the country, including both the FBI and the Navy, as well as several school districts.

According to Lt. Ricardo Lopez, a sheriffs spokesman, San Diego County was distributing the home addresses of known WuFlu patients with dispatch centers as a universal precaution to protect police officers.

Coronavirus was used as an excuse to invade peoples privacy

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) set a precedent for this early on during the pandemic when its Office of Civil Rights announced that distributing the home addresses of cases to emergency personnel, without the authorization of individual patients, was permitted.

At the same time, the HHS urged agencies to make reasonable efforts to limit how far this information spread. Law enforcement agencies were not to post the home addresses of patients online, for instance, and private information should only be made available to emergency responders on a per-call basis.

This information sharing is legally authorized, for a specific public safety purpose, and is to a limited group of trained emergency personnel, says Michael Workman, the countys communications director.

The Sheriffs Department did not specifically call on other police agencies to do anything specific at the start of the plandemic, though it did in its training bulletins direct those departments to relevant citations, should they have decided to enforce the public health rules.

People living in the area who were diagnosed with the Chinese infection were told to remain isolated. If they were in contact with others, these patients were also told to comply with the countys quarantine orders.

The Sheriffs Department chose to apply an education approach first. If these failed, misdemeanor offenses are included in California state law that, at an officers discretion, could be used to coerce members of the public into complying.

The reason we were getting this information was not for the purpose of tracking individuals, stated Chula Vista police captain Phil Collum. Quite the contrary.

Early on during the plandemic, first responders often went to peoples homes, as did contact tracers.

It allowed us to evaluate if we had first responders whod been exposed to COVID [and] to keep public safety staff safe and other members of the public safe to prevent them from getting infected in turn.

The latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

VoiceofSanDiego.org

NaturalNews.com

Irelands horticulture industry could be forced to close by the end of this year, placing over 17,600 jobs at risk, horticultural peat producers have warned.

Speaking to the Farming Independent following Bord na Monas (BNMs) decision to end all peat harvesting on its lands, John Neenan of Growing Media Ireland (GMI) described the move as another example of the Governments total disregard for the people of rural Ireland.

And Paul Brophy, the countrys largest broccoli grower and former IFA Horticulture Committee chairman, claimed the BNM decision was a vote-catching action to win brownie points for the Green Party.

Until now members of GMI, which represents most of the countrys horticultural peat producers, have sourced raw peat stocks for compost production from BNM and annual harvests on private bogs. The compost is then supplied to family-owned and larger-scale vegetable and plant growers nationwide. However, Mr Neenan says the sector will be forced to import peat this year from the Baltic States, Sweden and Germany; while coir (coconut fibre) from India and Sri Lanka will be also imported to replace peat ingredients. Removing peat-based growing media will be catastrophic for the countrys food and horticultural sectors, said Mr Neenan. The importation of this material will not only increase emissions at source, but will add to overall emissions due to the additional transport. The closure of BNM means CO2 emissions from peatlands in Ireland has been reduced by over 97pc  no other sector has achieved or will achieve such reductions. The remaining horticultural peat industry is left in a complete legal limbo, with no timely legislative solution in sight. Clearly this Government has no understanding of the urgency required to save the industry from imminent collapse. The situation is compounded by a 2019 High Court decision which ruled that all peat harvesting on bogs over 30ha now requires planning permission and EPA licensing  a process that can take years to complete. We currently dont have a viable alternative to horticulture peat when it comes to producing mushrooms or any edible horticulture crop  if we had an alternative I would switch in the morning, said Mr Brophy. Any alternatives have not had good results to date, so using a peat replacement threatens our economic viability and food security. In response, BNM said it has signalled to customers  including its European customers  that it will continue to fulfil orders of horticultural peat into 2021, while customers put in place agreements with their new suppliers.
Vials with a sticker reading "COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only" and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed AstraZeneca logo in this illustration taken on Oct. 31, 2020. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/Reuters)

COVID-19 Public Health Measures Will Remain Despite Vaccine

Australias acting chief medical officer has warned COVID-19 public health measures will need to remain despite vaccines being rolled out.

Michael Kidd is tempering expectations that jabs will lead to life returning to pre-pandemic settings after the Pfizer vaccine was approved for use in Australia.

The two major unknowns are whether coronavirus vaccines prevent transmission of the virus and if booster shots will be needed each year, similar to the flu.

That just reinforces for us how important its going to beeven though we might get the vaccine rolling out across Australiathat people still adhere to the public health measures, Kidd told ABC radio on Jan. 26.

That means social distancing, hygiene measures and other rules, as well as international travel restrictions, are likely to remain throughout the year.

Australia has a deal for 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which recorded a 95 percent efficacy rate in late-stage trials.

Aged care and disability residents will be among the first to receive it with the program set to start in late February, two weeks after the first 80,000 doses are due to arrive.

Workers in quarantine, borders, frontline healthcare, and residential aged care and disability are also in the first phase.

The bulk of Australians are likely to receive the AstraZeneca jab, which has a lower efficacy rate of around 70 percent.

Kidd rejected concerns about a two-tiered immunisation program, insisting both would stop the disease from killing people.

What we know from the clinical trials is that both of the vaccines are very effective at preventing serious disease and of course the risk of death from COVID-19, he said.

That is the most important issue.

The government is confident of strong vaccination rates based on consumer research.

Were going to have very high levels of uptake of this vaccine across the country, Kidd said.

Quarantine-free travel from New Zealand has been suspended for 72 hours after a woman tested positive for a highly contagious virus strain found in South Africa.

The 56-year-old visited around 30 venues after being released from hotel quarantine on January 13 following two negative tests.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said there was no criticism of the woman or New Zealands approach to the virus.

The decision has been taken out of an abundance of caution to reduce the risk of this variant, which has been shown to spread more readily between individuals, entering the Australian community, he said.

Matt Coughlan in Canberra
At the end of 2020 the U.S. Air Force successfully tested Artu, a new software system for managing sensors on a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft that acts like the weapons officer or GIB (Guy In the Back) that became common during the 1960s to handle sensors and weapons system while the pilot concentrated on flying the plane. Over the decades the software available to the GIB, or just the pilot in single seat aircraft like the F-117, became more capable and able to operate without much human intervention at all.

The term Artu is a play on R2D2, the Star Wars astromech droid whose main purpose was to serve as a copilot on single-seat fighters. Artu was touted as taking control of the aircraft sensors and making decisions on which sensors to use for which task. This could be mainly seeking out enemy air defense sensors to be attacked by other aircraft or defensively to detect threats to the aircraft. These are life-or-death decisions being entrusted to an AI (artificial intelligence). What most people outside the flying community dont understand is that Artu is evolutionary, not revolutionary.

As aircraft became more capable since the 1970s it became common to entrust more and more functions to software systems that could be overridden by the pilot but most of the time just did a lot of work the pilot, or pilot and GIB, could not handle manually and still operate as a fully capable combat aircraft. One of the earliest examples of this was the first stealth warplane, the American F-117. Developed during the 1970s and entering service in 1983, the F-117 was a single seat aircraft where the pilot had to handle a lot more tasks than any pilot could deal with. That was because the F-117 was a light bomber that used laser guided bombs as well as sensors to detect targets as well as potential threats. Most important was the flight-control software. An important aspect of the F-117s stealth was its odd shape, that made it difficult for radar to detect or track. This odd fuselage also made the aircraft aerodynamically unstable. The F-117 not only needed a fly-by-wire control system, rather than the older manual/hydraulic controls, but flight control software as well that did most of intricate manipulation of the flight controls. Without this software the pilot could barely control the aircraft in level flight and had no time to operate the elaborate fire-control software. The use of electrically controlled flight surfaces (flaps, rudders and such) in a fly-by-wire warplane was relatively new in the 1970s and one of the key aspects of keeping the work on the F-117 secret was to hide the fact that a much more advanced fly-by-wire system was being developed. The Russians in particular knew that such a flight control system would be needed to make a stealth aircraft like F-117 possible. Russia had also discovered the effectiveness of an odd shaped fuselage to provide stealth, but thought suitable flight-control software was way in the future. When they became aware of the F-117 they knew the Americans had solved that software problem and managed to keep it secret.

Since the 1980s all aircraft manufacturers have sought more and more capable flight control software. Another goal was more elaborate and capable fire control software. This sort of software is not seen as daring as fly-by-wire flight control software because failure of the fire control system does not make it difficult, or impossible to fly the aircraft. Yet fire control software has also benefited from the AI-based software developments. Israel has often taken the lead in this and one of their more recent developments is the Fire Weaver fire control system that takes data from existing sensors on tanks and other armored vehicles as well as artillery and warplanes, and rapidly (within five seconds) lets vehicles, warplanes and artillery know which available target each combat system should fire at. This eliminates a common battlefield situation where too many weapons fire on some targets while other targets are not initially fired on at all. Currently, tank crews and artillery spotters (troops who call back to tell artillery which targets to hit) have manual procedures for picking which targets they should fire at. That often works quite well, especially during a situation where a tank unit encountering the enemy has an opportunity to fire first. Fire Weaver automates these decisions and makes more effective choices more quickly. The troops and pilots can override the Fire Weaver selected target but tests have shown that Fire Weaver is usually quite effective in selecting the best targets for each tank, artillery unit or aircraft.

Fire Weaver was easy to implement in the IDF because the Israelis have already been providing their troops with better sensors and battlefield networks. For example, in mid-2019 three Israeli firms, responding to an IDF proposal, showed off their versions of the proposed Carmel Concept for future armored vehicles. Three different armored vehicles; the Merkava 4 tank, Namer IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) and the Eitan 8x8 APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) had proposed versions of Carmel installed. Carmel involves several existing technologies plus proposed new ones that would turn an armored vehicle into a combat system that could operate with, a crew of two or a robotic vehicle operated remotely (like a UAV) or autonomously to benefit from more information about where friendly and suspected enemy forces were. This information would often be delivered in real-time. This sort of thing provides a tremendous advantage in combat.

The same sort of thing has been happening with war planes and here the U.S. has been in the lead. The best example of that is the F-35 fire control (and flight control) software. Pilots new to the F-35 realize this immediately because one thing the F-35 does extremely well is use automated flight controls that allow the pilot to carry out maneuvers that would require a lot more experience in older (F-15. Su-30) aircraft but are much easier for an F-35 pilot. The more experienced pilots know a lot more useful maneuvers than new pilots but because of the adaptive F-35 flight control software it is much easier for new pilots to master an unfamiliar maneuver. The best way to explain this is the experience of British carrier pilots who formerly flew Harrier vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and were now using the vertical takeoff and landing F-35B. The British pilots were told that difficult carrier landings that could be terrifying in a Harrier, which U.S. Marine Corps pilots also used on small carriers, were surprisingly easy with an F-35B. As British pilots began carrying out landings on the new British carrier they were pleasantly surprised. The F-35B flight controls automatically adapted to all the rapidly changing wind and carrier movement variables and allowed you to land without a lot of stress. Handling the F-35B in general was much easier, and safer, than the Harrier. Hovering, for example, required a lot of continuous effort and attention from a Harrier pilot. In the F-35B the pilot could fly the aircraft to a position and hover and the aircraft would remain where it was flown to without additional effort by the pilots no matter how much the weather changed.

All this ease of flying enables F-35 pilots to concentrate on something that does still require a lot of decision making by the pilot; stealth management and threat management. The stealth characteristics of the F-35 make it more difficult for radar to detect it. How the pilots fly in a combat zone can improve the effectiveness of stealth. That is done by learning to manage the flood of threat management data that F-35 pilots have access to. By being able to concentrate on stealth and threat management F-35 pilots achieve what has been the key element in air combat since 1914; getting in the first shot. From 1914 into the 1940s the key to success in air-to-air combat was knowing how to fly into a position where you would see the enemy first and carry out a surprise attack. The earliest of these tricks was the World War I tactic of trying to have the sun behind you as that made it more difficult for the enemy to see you coming. Another tactic was trying to get higher and out of sight for as long as possible until you could dive on the enemy aircraft in a high speed and unexpected attack. In effect, stealth and the resulting surprise was always the key to victory. The F-35 was designed with that in mind. The F-35 radar stealth and maneuverability isnt as good as the F-22, but the F-35 situational awareness is much better. Pilots who have flown the F-22 and F-35 always note that and point out that, in the hands of an experienced pilot, it makes the F-35 a more effective aircraft than the older and more expensive F-22.

In that way the F-35 was designed to have affordable stealth and much more effective sensors and electronics. The F-35 stealth is much less expensive than that in the F-22 and initial Israeli combat experience over Lebanon and Syria indicates that the stealth and internal electronic countermeasures more than make up to for that. The passive sensors and sensor fusion software of the F-35 also appear to be working as advertised. In the cockpit, the pilot has one large (20-inch diagonal) LCD showing all needed aircraft data with more showing on the pilots JHMDS helmet visor. That is all very well, but as with the very capable F-22 it wasnt performance that limited procurement but excessive cost.

What the F-35 flight management software and situational awareness demonstrate is that the usual measures of a superior fighter aircraft (speed, maneuverability) no longer matter as much. An F-35 is more likely to see the other aircraft first, fire first and be more aware of the changing battle situation than enemy pilots in, on paper, faster and more maneuverable aircraft.

Even when the F-35 is hit and damaged the flight control software senses the damage and automatically flies differently to compensate for the damage. That takes a lot of stress off the pilot who can concentrate on threat and stealth management to complete the mission and get the aircraft back to base. Another important aspect of the F-35 is that its flight control and threat management software is built to be constantly updated by pilot experience. As more pilots fly the F-35 and experiment with different techniques the software is updated to become more capable. Those updates require more attention to post-change testing. Thats because there are so many interconnections within the flight control software. Those have to be tested to prevent unexpected results when the pilot is most vulnerable to that sort of thing.

Artu for the U-2 is another application of the F-35 flight control/sensor control software. The media depicted Artu as an electronic co-pilot but that is nothing new. Software controlled flight assistance systems began appearing in the 1970s. This was mainly in the form of an audible warning system, often in the form of a human voice warning the pilot of a looming flight emergency that required immediate pilot action. Soon some nations were expanding the tasks these systems could handle and that evolved into Artu on the U-2 and similar systems on all combat aircraft. The F-35 is currently the most advanced example of that.
Huohua gains $150m in latest fundraising round

From:ChinaDaily | 2021-01-26 10:18

Chinese online education startup Huohua announced on Monday that it has raised $150 million its series E-3 round of fundraising, which marked its third round of financing within five months.

The new round was led by Trustbridge Partners and Lighthouse Capital continued to be the financial advisor.

As of now, the firm has raised $400 million in its series E round of financing, after raising $150 million in August and $100 million in October.

Huohua mainly offers online mathematic thinking lessons to children and expanded its business to online Chinese livestreaming classes and AI early English tutoring over the past two years.

The company disclosed that it has started to go global with the number of overseas students paying for full-price classes hitting several tens of thousands.
Tavistock gender clinic rated as 'inadequate' by UK gov't health commission

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The United Kingdom's National Health Service's Care Quality Commission has rated a much-scrutinized gender clinic as "inadequate," the lowest possible rating.

The CQC enforced action against Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust in November upon completion of an inspection and found that the facility had "overwhelming caseloads, deficient record-keeping and poor leadership," according to The Guardian.

Amid whistleblower advocacy and concerned former staff who have spoken out about how young patients were being rushed into medicalized gender-transitioning, the Tavistock clinic has faced heightened scrutiny in recent years, particularly as skyrocketing rates of minor girls have been referred to the service.

Staff did not fully record the reasons for their clinical decisions in case notes. There were significant variations in the clinical approach of professionals in the team and it was not possible to clearly understand from the records why these decisions had been made," the CQC report said.

Government inspectors also found that clinic staff "did not always feel respected, supported and valued. Some said they felt unable to raise concerns without fear of retribution, and that the service was not consistently well-led.

In its report, the commission further found that those using the Gender Identity Development Service in both its London and Leeds locations were subjected to long wait times.

Kevin Cleary, CQCs deputy chief inspector of hospitals, said: In addition vulnerable, young people were not having their needs met as they were waiting too long for treatment. The action we took was one way of ensuring the trust was tackling these issues in a way which allowed other healthcare partners to support if necessary.

A Tavistock spokesperson issued an apology for the long wait times.

Above all, we remain focused on providing a high quality service to children and young people in our care and supporting our staff who, despite the challenging context they have been working in, have been praised by the CQC for their understanding, compassion and kindness. Patient feedback was reported as overwhelmingly positive and we will involve both patient and staff as we build on these strengths, the statement said.

The long wait times come as skyrocketing numbers of young people, particularly girls, have been referred to the service in recent years. In September 2018, the U.K. government launched an investigation into the clinic to examine why, in the course of less than a decade, referrals of youth increased by over 4000%. For those who were being seen by the clinic, Kirsty Entwistle, who had been a staff psychologist at GIDS-Leeds until October 2018, wrote in an open letter to the director of the Tavistock clinic, that the young people were being rushed into experimental gender treatments without having explored or addressed their early adverse experiences.

The CQC report emerged one day after the trust was given leave to appeal a court decision against the clinic last year.

The U.K. High Court of Justice ruled against Tavistock in a judicial review brought by Keira Bell, a 23-year-old woman who underwent medicalized gender-transition at the facility during her teen years. Bell said that she was making "brash" decisions at the time and was not capable of giving informed consent to the experimental practices.

The high court also held that under the Gillick test  the relevant legal standard in the U.K. by which minors are allowed to consent to medicine  under-16s are not mature enough to choose to take drugs to suppress puberty.

It is highly unlikely that a child aged 13 or under would be competent to give consent to the administration of puberty blockers, the judges agreed in the ruling. It is doubtful that a child aged 14 or 15 could understand and weigh the long-term risks and consequences of the administration of puberty blockers.

Given the long-term consequences of the clinical interventions at issue in this case, and given that the treatment is as yet innovative and experimental, we recognize that clinicians may well regard these as cases where the authorization of the court should be sought prior to commencing the clinical treatment.

The ruling also noted that the court asked the clinic for statistics on the number of youth referred to GIDS for puberty blockers who had been diagnosed with autism. However, the clinic did not provide the court with that data from its patient records.



Transgender activists have argued that chemical puberty blockers are a pause button that buy gender-confused children more time to decide.
"Companies have reinvented frozen food"

just-food's US columnist Victor Martino sets out five areas he believes will thrive in the country's packaged-food market in the wake of Covid-19.

What a difference a year makes.

Up until early 2020, the US packaged foods brand landscape could best be described as highly disruptive. Smaller, insurgent brands in segments like better-for-you were eroding the market share of legacy brands across categories incrementally. Big brand erosion by a thousand small brand cuts.

Rather than fight back with renewed in-house innovation efforts, most CPG companies instead took the acquisition route, often buying challenger brands posing a threat to their legacy brand dominance, frequently paying outsized premiums for the brands.

Then came Covid-19, economic shutdowns and quarantine orders throughout the country. As I write this, numerous states, including California, remain shut down.

Restaurants were closed, leaving food retailers as the only venue in town for consumers to procure food. Grocery store sales boomed and something not even the smartest CPG industry prognosticators could have predicted happened. Consumers turned to legacy brands. They did so primarily for three reasons: retail channel ubiquity, trust and comfort.

The double-digit growth many legacy brands experienced in the first six or seven months of the pandemic has receded but sales growth for many big brands in numerous categories remains impressive, particularly because, prior to the pandemic, sales growth for most of these brands was flat.

The new year is well underway, as is the coronavirus vaccination protocol, which the new president, Joe Biden, promises to accelerate.

Additionally, many states and cities have now or will soon be opening up their economies again, which includes allowing restaurants to once again resume indoor dining in some places and outdoor dining in others. This means the out-of-home channel, which prior to the pandemic represented a slightly higher share than food-at-home, will start making a comeback, reducing overall demand, albeit minimally at first, for packaged foods purchased at retail and online.

Assuming the initial success of the vaccines so far holds, experts predict the entire US population will be vaccinated by June or July of this year. And assuming there isn't another huge spike in Covid-19 cases, most restaurants should be fully operational by spring to early summer.

The net result is, unless coronavirus rears its ugly head with a vengeance once again, which is very possible, we're at the beginning of a major inflection point for packaged food brands. The next normal might not be the pre-pandemic normal, but it's also not going to the the normal of the last 11 months, which saw a sales renaissance for legacy brands as well as in numerous categories, such as canned soup, flour and baking mixes and canned vegetables, which have been stale and flat for over a decade.

The next normal will find consumers shifting from legacy-brand buying and pantry-loading of staples to a new focus.

Part of that focus will see consumers return to smaller brands. They'll also put added focus on categories that fit both the new concerns in a coronavirus world as well as allow them to explore and experiment with brands offering attributes more aligned with the needs and aspirations presented by the pivot from pandemic to post-pandemic.

Here are five segments I believe will stand out in the next normal in the US, which we should be fully into by spring of this year barring any setbacks with the vaccine protocol, as well as there being no significant negative results from the reopening of the rest of the sectors of the economy.

Health and wellness

The coronavirus pandemic has had a major effect on how a great many consumers view health and wellness from a preventative prospective.

As a result, categories like better-for-you foods and drinks, products enhanced with vitamins and supplements and ingredients that have a healthier and preventative halo  think turmeric as an example  are poised to boom in the next normal. The opportunity for brands both big and small is huge in this category.

Frozen food

Consumers have rediscovered the frozen food aisle in a big way during the pandemic, with year-over-year category sales growth reaching 40-plus per cent at one point and averaging in the double-digits over the last ten months.

Part of this sales growth is due to the stocking-up behaviour in the pandemic and the convenience and portability of frozen foods. But it's far more than that. CPG companies, led by start-ups and emerging brands, have reinvented the frozen-food category by introducing better-tasting premium brands, better-for-you products consumers want, and creating frozen foods that heretofore didn't exist.

Compared to the last ten months, sales growth will of course moderate but frozen food is back and, as long as the pace of innovation continues, consumers will keep coming back for more.

Indulgent, premium and speciality

Consumers have purchased indulgent, premium and speciality foods throughout the pandemic  they've been one of the few luxuries and sources of pleasure in a world shut down, after all  but in less volume than pre-pandemic.

The primary reasons for this are personal, including family economic challenges and fewer trips to the grocery store, which means fewer impulse purchases. Indulgent, premium and speciality foods tend to be impulse buys, rather than driven by shopping lists. And the shopping list, which goes hand-in-hand with stock up grocery shopping, has come back with a vengeance during the pandemic.

There's pent-up demand among consumers to get back into stores more frequently and to shop in a more pleasurable, rather than mission-driven, way. This will benefit sales of indulgent, premium and speciality food brands and products. Discovery shopping has nearly died. It will come back and consumers want new and different food products.

For many it will be the one affordable luxury, as the economic difficulties caused by the pandemic continue throughout the year. Companies in the indulgent, premium and speciality segments have a great sales opportunity as we enter the next normal.

Add-value-to food products

Cooking and baking have become the new normal during the pandemic, largely because with so many people working from home or unemployed they've had more time on their hands than they have things to do with it. Social media has spread this trend throughout the country, adding digital fuel to the movement.

Once people return to the workplace  many will continue to work remotely but most will return to the office or factory  the essential ingredient of the amount of time at home will go away and cooking and baking at home will drop significantly.

Many people love baking, though, and will be looking for alternatives that require less preparation time but still have a close to homemade feel and taste. Products that require people to add some value  quality baking mixes that require some added ingredients like butter, eggs, milk and the like but are already partially-prepared  offer great opportunity.

This also might be the time when meal kits, if done right and priced reasonably, get the opportunity to finally prove themselves as a viable product. The key to such products is convenience, plus requiring consumers to add some value, plus quality. In other words, these products must taste as good or close to homemade.

Good for the earth, good for the planet

The pandemic has created greater awareness of the world we live in, of how food is grown, of sustainability and of climate change. In the next normal and as the economy improves, brands that honestly practice conservation, are serious about sustainability, that work to fight climate change and demonstrate respect for how food is produced will have a leg up on others in their respective categories.

These attributes alone won't ensure brand success  food products still must always serve a need and taste good  but, with these primary attributes being met, these secondary attributes are going to increasingly matter to consumers in the next normal.

CPG brands have gained equity with consumers by simply being available on store shelves in many cases over the last ten months. In the pivot to the next normal that won't be enough. Brand responsibility will be back but with a new importance in the minds of consumers post-pandemic. I suggest brands get on-board starting now.

There's no guarantee the next normal will not be without hiccups. New variants of Covid-19 are being identified weekly. The vaccines are still so new the certainty of their effectiveness remains hard to fully predict.

But there is a feeling, and there are demonstrable signs, we are beginning to turn the corner on Covid-19. Therefore the time is now for packaged foods companies to set the stage and be poised for the pivot to the next normal.

just-food columnist Victor Martino is a California-based strategic marketing and business development consultant, analyst, entrepreneur and writer, specialising in the food and grocery industry. He is available for consultation at: victormartino415@gmail.com and https://twitter.com/VictorMartino01.
(CNN)  The first dogs have entered the White House  the Bidens' two German shepherds, Champ and Major, officially joined the first family in their new residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Sunday.

"The First Family wanted to get settled before bringing the dogs down to Washington from Delaware. Champ is enjoying his new dog bed by the fireplace, and Major loved running around on the South Lawn," First Lady Jill Biden's press secretary Michael LaRosa told CNN in a statement Monday.

The Bidens' dogs moving in marks a return to a longstanding tradition of US Presidents and their families bringing their pets with them to the White House. Former President Donald Trump and his family did not have any pets for the four years they lived in the White House.

Champ has been with the Biden family for more than 10 years -- since December 2008, weeks after Biden became Barack Obama's vice president-elect. Major, a shelter dog, joined the Biden family more recently. He was adopted in November 2018, months before Biden announced he would run for president in the 2020 election cycle.

Major is the first shelter dog to live in the White House. Earlier this month, the Delaware Humane Association, where he was adopted from, and Pumpkin Pet Insurance hosted a virtual celebration  an "Indoguration Party"  for Major.

Though he is the first shelter dog at the White House, Major is not the first rescue. A shelter often receives government funding, whereas animal rescues are often completely run by volunteers.

Former President Lyndon B. Johnson's daughter, Luci, rescued a mixed-breed pup abandoned by his owner at a gas station in Texas named Yuki. Former President Bill Clinton's family cat, Socks, was also a rescue.

Jill Biden has also said she would "love to get a cat," telling Fox 5 in Washington, "I love having animals around the house."

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday she did not have an update about the cat.

"I'm also wondering about the cat, because the cat is going to dominate the internet whenever the cat is announced and wherever that cat is found," Psaki said in a Sunday evening video answering questions posed on Twitter.

The tradition of keeping pets in the White House dates back to Thomas Jefferson, who kept a mockingbird and a couple of bear cubs during his presidency. Throughout the years, presidential pets have become celebrities of sorts.

This story was first published on CNN.com First dogs Champ and Major moved into the White House Sunday


A 6 year old boy learns online during lockdown in the village of Marsden, near Huddersfield, northern England, on March 23, 2020. (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)

Boys Struggling More With School Closures, Charities Tell UK MPs

Boys are struggling more with school closures because they are less suited to remote online learning, and need physical activity, the head of a charity told UK MPs today.

The big impact for them is their learning style, Sonia Shaljean, Managing Director of Charity Lads need Dads told MPs on Jan. 26. Theyre not naturally used to sitting in front of computersgirls arent eitherand they dont thrive learning in that way. Theyve got natural impulsivity, spatial kinesthetic learning styles, and physical energy thats just not suited to remote learning.

I feel when we go to review [online learning], that actually boys are going to be at a greater disadvantage because of this way of learning, 

If we look at the way girls and boys are taught, to sit still take notes, listen carefully, thats a female-friendly approach of teachingthat is not conducive to the way boys learn.

Shaljean giving evidence to the Commons Committee for Education during a hearing on left-behind white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Her comments were echoed by some other childrens charity representatives who more broadly outlined how school closures disproportionately impacted pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Claire Smith, Talk Halton Project Lead, Halton Borough Council said, Particularly for adolescent boys need to have that peer group interaction, lots of socializing, that children are missing out on at the moment across the age range. I think thats going to have a huge impact.

A Grade 6 student takes part in a virtual school session with her teacher and classmates via Zoom from her home. (The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward)

The committee has been exploring the reasons that white pupils from poor backgrounds, especially boys, lag so far behind their peers.

Chinese, Asian, and mixed ethnic children on average outperform white and black pupils at GCSE, with only Roma gypsies and Irish travelers performing worse.

For those on free school meals, the gap widens. White pupils attained an average score of 31.6 at GCSEs in 2018, compared with 42.9 for Asian peers and 38.9 for black peers. That difference is bigger for boys.

Yesterday, a report from a government watchdog said that poor white teens were least likely to go to university.

Challenging White Privilege

Last year, during another meeting by the committee on the topic, some experts warned that pushing the concept of white privilege was damaging to working-class children already at risk of falling through the cracks.

That theme was again picked up by several Conservative MPs who challenged the head of Barnardos about a statement on the charitys website that sought to guide parents about white privilege.

Among other things, the post said, white privilege is reinforced in all aspects of everyday life, and understanding and unravelling it is a constant process of learning and changing your behaviours.

The chair of the committee, Robert Halfon, said that the post was a huge mistake, I think its insulting to disadvantaged white people in my constituency.

MP Jonathon Gullis said that the concept of white privilege is effectively critical race theory, which in itself is political activism.

Javed Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Cheif Executive of Barnardos said that they were still learning, but repeatedly defended the post.

He said that he also did not like the phrase white privilege, and understood that some people did not like it. However, you will know, you know, its a phrase that is commonly used at the moment ever since the killing of George Floyd, he said And its in that context, that weve used that phrase as well.

Shaljean said that the related notion of male privilege was also damaging to boys from less privileged backgrounds.

I think were not doing enough to address the kind of new wave of feminism thats infiltrating our schools and the messages boys are hearing from this: that theyre toxic, she said. The toxic masculinity narrative thats going around, together with white privilege, they kind of are going hand in hand.
An experimental coronavirus drug which is now being trialled on the NHS has been found to be 100 per cent effective in protecting against symptomatic cases of the virus.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday that its two-antibody cocktail REGEN-COV caused a 100 per cent reduction in symptomatic infections among those who got the drug after being exposed to a household member with Covid-19.

The pioneering cocktail, which was called a 'cure' by former U.S President Donald Trump after he was given the drug amid his coronavirus battle last year, also reduced overall infection rates - including asymptomatic ones - by around 50 per cent.

The findings, which were based on an early analysis of 400 participants in the U.S who had a household member with the virus, come months after it was revealed the drug was also being tested on 'at least 2,000' UK patients in 174 hospitals.

The two-antibody cocktail REGEN-COV, which is currently on trial in the UK, prevented 100 per cent people who got the drug after being exposed to coronavirus from developing symptomatic Covid-19

In September, Oxford University's Professor Peter Horby - who is involved in a British trial of the drug - revealed there had been 'no worrying safety signals'.

He said he expected the drug would be tested on 'at least 2,000' patients in 174 hospitals.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The class of drugs, these artificial antibodies, have been around for quite a while now, and they've been extensively used in inflammatory conditions and cancers, and they're pretty safe and well understood, and so the technology is something that I think we have confidence in.

'This particular drug has probably been given to, I would think now, four or five hundred patients, mild or severe patients in different trials, and so far there's been no worrying safety signals.

'In the laboratory, in cell cultures, it has a very strong effect against the virus, and there have been studies in artificial animals where it also shows benefits.

'So probably of the drugs that are available, it's one of the most promising. '

The experimental drug is made up of two monoclonal antibodies and works by binding to a protein on the surface of the virus.

This helps to block infections of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, from attaching to cells and allows the immune system to respond.

The current trial tested REGEN-COV for use as a passive vaccine, which involves direct delivery of virus-fighting antibodies into the body unlike traditional vaccines in which the receiver's immune system is activated to develop its own antibodies.

'These data using REGEN-COV as a passive vaccine suggest that it may both reduce transmission of the virus as well as reduce viral and disease burden in those who still get infected,' said George Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron.

Regeneron said it would discuss the interim results with U.S. health regulators to potentially expand the antibody cocktail's current emergency use authorisation.

The results come a week after the U.S pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly said its similar drug prevented 80 per cent of nursing home residents from getting Covid-19.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday that its results were based on a survey if400 participants who had a household member with the virus. Pictured: The Regeneron Pharmaceuticals building in Westchester, Tarrytown, New York

Regeneron's antibody cocktail (pictured in the manufacturing process) is made up of two monoclonal antibodies (REGN10933 and REGN10987) and works by binding to a protein on the surface of the virus

Both Regeneron's and Eli Lilly's drugs have already been given emergency FDA approval for treating mild to moderate Covid-19, but they have been sorely under-utilised.

The drugs were quickly given emergency FDA approval in November after former President Trump was treated for Covid-19 with Regeneron's therapy and touted it a 'cure' - promising it would be made available to all Americans, for free.

The federal government purchased hundreds of thousands of doses and shipped them to hospitals across the country.

Just before President Biden's inauguration, the Trump administration set aside another $2.6 billion to purchase more of the drugs.

But the drugs have been chronically under-utilised.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on January 6 that about 75 percent of doses were unused.

During the trial, jointly run by Regeneron and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one death and a Covid-19 related hospitalisation were reported among those who received placebo, but there was no such incident in the treatment group, the company said.

People who did get infected after receiving the antibody cocktail had lower viral loads and their infections lasted one week. There were only ten infections among the 186 people who got the IV antibody cocktail.

By comparison, about 40 per cent of the infections in the placebo group lasted three or four weeks.

People who got Regeneron's drug also had viral loads that were about 100-times lower, compared to people who got the placebo.

The results come after it was revealed that Britain had missed its vaccination target for a second day running.

Figures showed 279,757 received a first dose which is more than 100,000 below the 400,000 the Government must get jabs to every day to hit its target of inoculating 15million of the most vulnerable by mid-February.

Speaking at the conference today, the Prime Minister said: 'I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one: fathers and mothers; brothers and sisters; sons and daughters and the many grandparents who have been taken,' he said.

'And, to all those who grieve, we make this pledge: that when we have come through this crisis, we will come together as a nation to remember everyone we lost, and to honour the selfless heroism of all those on the front line who gave their lives to save others.

Earlier today the Prime Minister offered his 'deepest condolences' to 'everyone who has lost a loved one' amid the pandemic

'We will remember the courage of countless working people  not just our amazing NHS and care workers, but shop workers, transport staff, pharmacists, teachers, police, armed forces emergency services and many others  who kept our country going during our biggest crisis since the Second World War.

'We will commemorate the small acts of kindness, the spirit of volunteering and the daily sacrifice of millions who placed their lives on hold time and again as we fought each new wave of the virus, buying time for our brilliant scientists to come to our aid.

'In that moment of commemoration, we will celebrate the genius and perseverance of those who discovered the vaccines and the immense national effort  never seen before in our history  which is now underway to distribute them, one that has now seen us immunise over 6.8 million people across the United Kingdom.'
Calling for international cooperation for massive vaccination to end Covid-19, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said licenses should be made available to countries like India and Brazil that have huge production capacities. Meanwhile, Moderna announced its vaccine is effective against new variants of the coronavirus that have emerged in Britain and South Africa, but it appears to be less protective against the variant discovered in South Africa.
Redirecting transatlantic flights to take better advantage of favourable winds at altitude could save fuel, time and emissions

Airlines could save fuel and reduce emissions on transatlantic flights by hitching a better ride on the jet stream, new research has shown.

Scientists at the University of Reading have found that commercial flights between New York and London last winter could have used up to 16% less fuel if they had made better use of the fast-moving winds at altitude.

New satellites will soon allow transatlantic flights to be tracked more accurately while remaining a safe distance apart. This opportunity could allow aircraft to be more flexible in their flight paths, in order to more accurately follow favourable tailwinds and avoid headwinds, offering the aviation sector a cheaper and more immediate way of cutting emissions than through advances in technology.

Cathie Wells, a PhD researcher in mathematics at the University of Reading and lead author of the research, said: "Current transatlantic flight paths mean aircraft are burning more fuel and emitting more carbon dioxide than they need to.

"Although winds are taken into account to some degree when planning routes, considerations such as reducing the total cost of operating the flight are currently given a higher priority than minimising the fuel burn and pollution."

Professor Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading and co-author of the new study, said: "Upgrading to more efficient aircraft or switching to biofuels or batteries could lower emissions significantly, but will be costly and may take decades to achieve.

"Simple tweaks to flight paths are far cheaper and can offer benefits immediately. This is important, because lower emissions from aviation are urgently needed to reduce the future impacts of climate change."

The new study, published today in Environmental Research Letters, analysed around 35,000 flights in both directions between New York and London from 1 December 2019 to 29 February 2020. The team compared the fuel used during these flights with the quickest route that would have been possible at the time by flying into or around the eastward jet stream air currents.

The scientists found that taking better advantage of the winds would have saved around 200 kilometres worth of fuel per flight on average, adding up to a total reduction of 6.7 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions across the winter period. The average fuel saving per flight was 1.7% when flying west to New York and 2.5% when flying east to London.

The study was led by the University of Reading in collaboration with the UK National Centre for Earth Observation, the University of Nottingham, and Poll AeroSciences Ltd.

Aviation is currently responsible for around 2.4% of all human-caused carbon emissions, and this figure is growing. Countries around the world have responded through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) by establishing policies to improve the fuel efficiency of international flights, focusing primarily on technological advances, operational and air navigation efficiencies, sustainable alternative fuels, and a carbon offsetting agreement (CORSIA) for emissions produced over international airspace. All such measures, however, are generally costly and slow to implement due to aviation's global scale.

Climate change is likely to have a big impact on air travel, with previous Reading research showing flights will encounter two or three times more severe clear-air turbulence if emissions are not cut.

###
The state budget for this year, the priorities of the new parliamentary session, the abolition of the Special Section and the laws of Justice, as well as the implementation of reforms were on the agenda of the talks held on Tuesday between President Klaus Iohannis and the ruling coalition leaders," Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor, leader of the Hungarian Democratic Union (UDMR), told AGERPRES.

The budget deficit cannot exceed 7.1%, the UDMR leader said.

"We talked about the budget, we talked about the parliamentary agenda. Next week the Parliament convenes and it was natural to have a discussion about the agenda of the first session, especially since there are some urgencies. The first urgency is the budget and we discussed the possibility of meeting a deficit of 7% or 7% and a little. It cannot exceed 7.1%, this is clear, because at this moment we have to go down from 10% to 7% in 2021", the deputy prime minister said.According to him, the discussions also focused on legislative priorities related to the laws of Justice. "We approved in the Government last week a memorandum in which we said that, until the end of February, the Ministry of Justice will come with a bill (...) which aims to abolish the Special Section and until April it will come with the other bills related to Justice laws. We said that this year we must make every effort to get rid of Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, because another mechanism for verifying the rule of law is taking effect and Romania must not be left with the two verification mechanisms," Kelemen Hunor explained.Another topic addressed was the correlation of reforms with the National Recovery and Resilience Program.He described the talks with President Klaus Iohannis as "constructive"."Everyone agrees that we need to find a budget balance, to have investments, to have economic development, but we cannot exceed 7.1% and we have to put the figures back inside the budget, not by overcoming the deficit," Kelemen Hunor said.
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DENVER, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Anago Cleaning Systems, an industry-leading commercial cleaning franchise with over 1,700 Regional and Unit Franchises throughout the U.S. and Canada, announced its newest franchise owners in Denver, Colorado. Father and son team, Dante and Alex Caravaggio will lead the Anago unit franchise expansion in the Centennial State.

Both engineers in the oil and gas industry with more than 50 years combined experience, Dante and Alex Caravaggio have found a new passion working side-by-side. "Dante and Alex are exemplary Master Franchise owners, each bringing unique business, finance and leadership qualities and experience to the Anago family," said Adam Povlitz, CEO & President of Anago Cleaning Systems.

Denver continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in the US as businesses and entrepreneurs continue to invest in Colorado. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Anago of Denver is positioned to remain on the frontlines, keeping businesses as disinfected and safe as possible until the virus is controlled and stopped. Like all businesses, Anago experienced a slow-down in the early months of the pandemic but recovered quickly with specialized disinfecting services emerging as the most requested cleaning program.

"Dante and Alex are exemplary Master Franchise owners, each bringing unique business, finance and leadership qualities and experience to the Anago family," said Adam Povlitz, CEO & President of Anago Cleaning Systems. "We're excited to continue offering Denver-based entrepreneurs the opportunity to own their own Anago commercial cleaning unit franchise."

When discussing the Master Franchise model, Dante Caravaggio said, "Unit franchise opportunities are a wonderful way to step into the world of business ownership. We have met several extremely successful unit franchise owners who have reaped the benefits for over 20 years. While we do our best to provide unit franchise owners the tools and support needed to succeed, the success of their business is ultimately on them. A unit franchise can be as large or small as they choose to be."

Both engineers in the oil and gas industry with more than 50 years combined experience, Dante and Alex have found a new passion working side-by-side.

"This is an opportunity for my father and I to work together in a business," said Alex Caravaggio. "We saw that Anago had a recession-resistant model that provided several revenue streams to ensure better business stability. Anago's reputation, stability and performance within a recession-proof industry is something I feel very confident in continuing to build and offer in the Denver metroplex area."

Anago Cleaning Systems is a pioneer of the franchise system for both master and unit franchises, which allows successful mid-career professionals to operate their own exclusive regional franchises, while allowing small businesses to invest in their success. Both levels simply focus on running their business while Anago Cleaning Systems provides assistance, guidance, and critical tools to grow.

The Anago Denver office is located at 9101 Harlan St #310, Westminster, CO 80031 and can be reached by calling 720-694-8931. To explore Regional franchise opportunities with Anago, contact Judy Walker, Senior Vice President of Marketing, at 800-213-5857 or [email protected] or visit http://www.AnagoMasters.com.

About Anago Cleaning Systems

Anago Cleaning Systems is an international commercial cleaning franchise brand. Utilizing the Master Franchise System, Anago supports over 45 Master Franchisees and over 1,700 Unit Franchisees. Founded in 1989, Anago has set the worldwide standard in business support and structure for local and regional companies to provide unparalleled cleaning services to businesses of all kinds. Anago was ranked #33 overall by Entrepreneur magazine in its latest Franchise 500 ranking. For further information, visit its website at AnagoMasters.com.

Press Contact: Perry Athanason/TopFireMedia/ [email protected] /917-319-2126.

SOURCE Anago Cleaning Systems
German supermarket giant Lidl says it will hire around 170 new staff this year as part of its ongoing expansion plans.

The new roles are spread across a variety of operational and office-based roles to support its network of 40 stores and regional distribution centre in Nutts Corner in Co Antrim.

The new roles are being created to support Lidls growth across the region and will expand the retailers workforce to over 1,200 staff.

It also says the commitment and dedication of Lidl Northern Ireland employees has also not gone unnoticed and the retailer has announced a new Covid Employee Bonus worth 300,000 which will be shared with all employees this year.

The announcement comes after the Top Employers Institute recognised Lidl Northern Ireland as a Top Employer for 2021 this week.

Last year it announced an investment of 32m in five stores in Belfast, adding 100 new permanent jobs and supporting up to 1,000 jobs in the locality during the development and construction phases.

Maeve McCleane, director of human resources at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: Since the onset of the pandemic our teams have demonstrated inspirational dedication and bravery in serving our local communities when they needed it most.

I am delighted to confirm this significant investment in the form of a third bonus to acknowledge their selflessness and hard work in this challenging time.

Our most important asset has always been our people, and 2020 has reinforced that they are in fact the bedrock of our business, which is why we have prioritised building not only an exceptional place to work, but also an inclusive, rewarding and fulfilling culture at Lidl for our employees. It is with great pride that we accept this years Top Employers certification and I look forward to welcoming many new colleagues to Team Lidl in the coming months.
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Daryl McCourt was said to have been behind the wheel of a Ford Mondeo which collided with other cars in south Belfast.

A man caught trying to push a stolen car after burning out the clutch has been jailed for four months.

Daryl McCourt was said to have been behind the wheel of a Ford Mondeo which collided with other cars in south Belfast.

The 25-year-old, with an address at London Road in the city, admitted theft of a vehicle, careless driving, and failing to stop or remain at the scene of an accident.

Belfast Magistrates' Court heard the Mondeo was spotted travelling erratically at Ravenhill Avenue in the early hours of July 9, 2017.

Prosecutors said it had caused damage to a number of other vehicles in the area.

Police arrived at London Road minutes later and spotted McCourt standing between the open door and driver's seat of the Mondeo.

"The engine was off and there was a smell of burning coming from the car," a Crown lawyer said.

"The defendant told police he had found it abandoned and was attempting to push it to the side of the road."

But according to an independent witness who had stopped to offer help, McCourt claimed it was his vehicle, he had burned the clutch out and needed help pushing it home.

Police then received a report that a Seat Ibiza had been damaged by the Mondeo.

Defence solicitor Timothy McCrudden acknowledged: "There's absolutely excuse for this type of offending."

He told the court his client has struggled with addiction issues since adolescence.

Imposing four months custody, District Judge Fiona Bagnall also disqualified McCourt from driving for 12 months.
President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on more high-level visits and people-to-people exchanges during their phone conversation, Tuesday. Xi showed support for inter-Korean dialogue as well as denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea. Yonhap



By Do Je-hae



Chinese President Xi Jinping underlined his support for dialogue between the two Koreas as well as denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea during a phone call late Tuesday with President Moon Jae-in, according to the presidential office.



"Xi said that North Korea's position announced at its eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea is that it has not closed the door to dialogue with the U.S. and South Korea. He views the situation on the Korean Peninsula overall as stable," presidential spokesperson Kang Min-seok said in a statement. China also underlined South Korea's role for a political solution to the Korean Peninsula issue, Moon's office said.



During the 40-minute phone talks, Moon stressed China's constructive role in resuming diplomacy with North Korea. It is the first time for the two leaders to speak on the phone since May 2020. Moon has yet to speak with new U.S. President Joe Biden.



The phone call was made days after the launch of the Biden administration, which is seeking to strengthen ties with its allies, including Korea, while Sino-U.S. rivalry is expected to continue.



Moon and Xi also agreed to promote high-level visits and people-to-people exchanges ahead of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between their two countries in 2022.





President Moon Jae-in speaks on the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae

The British drug maker Hikma Pharmaceutical PLC said on Tuesday it has entered negotiations to acquire some of the assets of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Egypt and Tunisia as part of a wider deal.

In an official statement, Hikma said it is in talks to acquire the assets and stakes owned by some GSK subsidiaries in Egypt and Tunisia, including the drug makers pharmaceutical, consumer commercialization, and manufacturing business.

"Hikma confirms that it has entered into a non-binding term sheet with GSK for the purposes of potentially acquiring GSKs interests in certain entities it conducts, and assets comprising GSKs pharmaceutical and consumer commercialization and manufacturing business in Egypt and GSKs pharmaceutical business in Tunisia," read the statement.

Hikma, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, first entered the Egyptian pharmaceutical market in 2007 as Hikma Egypt through the acquisition of Alkan Pharma in Egypt.

Meanwhile, GSK was established in Egypt in 1981 as GSK SAE. The British Glaxo Group Limited, the biggest shareholder in GSK SAE, owns 91.2 percent of the business stake, while QNB Al-Ahly owns 5.9 percent and other Egyptian shareholders hold 2.9 percent.

The statement was released in response to a disclosure made on Tuesday to the Egyptian Exchange by GSK SAE on the negotiations.

Further discussions between Hikma and GSK over the proposed deal depend on the outcomes of the due diligence exercise Hikma will conduct, the statement added.

"The proposed transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including the finalisation of definitive and legally binding documents and the completion of due diligence by Hikma. As such, there can be no guarantee at this stage that the proposed transaction will progress," Hikma noted.

Hikma said further details on the percentage of stakes that it is planning to buy will be provided later.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The Bureau of Immigration said it deported 3,219 aliens for violating immigration laws last year, with over 3,000 of them Chinese nationals.

The bureau said the deportees were arrested for "working without permit, involvement in unauthorized online gaming operations, telecommunications fraud, economic crimes, investment scams, and cybercrime activities."

"These violators will be automatically added to the government's blacklist and are banned from re-entering the Philippines. Some of them are wanted fugitives whose arrest and deportation were sought by governments of the countries where they have been charged or convicted for various crimes, added immigration commissioner Jaime Morente.

Last year's number was lower compared to the over 6,000 deportees in 2019. The bureau cited the pandemic travel restrictions, which reduced the number of visitors entering the country.

Aside from the Chinese nationals, there were 60 Vietnamese, 40 Koreans, 25 Americans, 20 Japanese, 12 Indians, and five Pakistanis sent out. The bureau also said 276 foreigners are currently detained at its detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City awaiting deportation as of Dec. 22.

In October 2020, the bureau reported that nearly 2,000 Chinese nationals were ordered to leave the country for overstaying, mostly for violating the rule that visas upon arrival are good for only 30 days.

The controversial "visa upon arrival" policy allowed Chinese tourists to stay in the country for a month without the need to apply for a visa at Philippine consulates in their country. The government suspended the issuance of these visas in late January due to the threat of the coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China in Dec. 2019. It was later revealed, however, that approximately 112,000 visas upon arrival were issued to Chinese nationals from May 2019 to January 2020.
Amsterdam, NL, January 26, 2021 - With medicinal cannabis now legalized in many parts of the world, there is growing interest in its use to alleviate symptoms of many illnesses including Parkinson's disease (PD). According to results of a survey of PD patients in Germany in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, over 8% of patients with PD reported using cannabis products and more than half of those users (54%) reported a beneficial clinical effect.

Cannabis products containing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound of cannabis) can be prescribed in Germany when previous therapies are unsuccessful or not tolerated, and where cannabis can be expected with not a very unlikely chance to relieve disabling symptoms. CBD (pure cannabidiol, derived directly from the hemp plant, a cousin of the marijuana plant) is available without a prescription from pharmacies and on the internet.

"Medical cannabis was legally approved in Germany in 2017 when approval was given for therapy-resistant symptoms in severely affected patients independent of diagnosis and without clinical evidence-based data," explained lead investigator Prof. Dr. med. Carsten Buhmann, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. "PD patients fulfilling these criteria are entitled to be prescribed medical cannabis, but there are few data about which type of cannabinoid and which route of administration might be promising for which PD patient and which symptoms. We also lack information about the extent to which the PD community is informed about medicinal cannabis and whether they have tried cannabis and, if so, with what result."

Investigators aimed to assess patient perceptions of medicinal cannabis as well as evaluate the experiences of patients already using cannabis products. They performed a nationwide, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey among members of the German Parkinson Association (Deutsche Parkinson Vereinigung e.V.), which is the largest consortium of PD patients in German-speaking countries with nearly 21,000 members. Questionnaires were sent out in April 2019 with the association's membership journal and were also distributed in the investigators' clinic.

Over 1,300 questionnaires were analyzed; results showed that interest in the PD community in medical cannabis was high, but knowledge about different types of products was limited. Fifty-one percent of respondents were aware of the legality of medicinal cannabis, and 28% were aware of the various routes of administration (inhaling versus oral administration), but only 9% were aware of the difference between THC and CBD.

More than 8% of patients were already using cannabinoids and more than half of these users (54%) reported that it had a beneficial clinical effect. The overall tolerability was good. Over 40% of users reported that it helped manage pain and muscle cramps, and more than 20% of users reported a reduction of stiffness (akinesia), freezing, tremor, depression, anxiety, and restless legs. Patients reported that inhaled cannabis products containing THC were more efficient in treating stiffness than oral products containing CBD but were slightly less well tolerated.

Patients using cannabis tended to be younger, living in large cities, and more aware of the legal and clinical aspects of medicinal cannabis. Sixty-five percent of non-users were interested in using medicinal cannabis, but lack of knowledge and fear of side effects were reported as main reasons for not trying it.

"Our data confirm that PD patients have a high interest in treatment with medicinal cannabis but lacked knowledge about how to take it and especially the differences between the two main cannabinoids, THC and CBD," noted Prof. Dr. med. Buhmann. "Physicians should consider these aspects when advising their patients about treatment with medicinal cannabis. The data reported here may help physicians decide which patients could benefit, which symptoms could be addressed, and which type of cannabinoid and route of administration might be suitable."

"Cannabis intake might be related to a placebo effect because of high patient expectations and conditioning, but even that can be considered as a therapeutic effect. It has to be stressed, though, that our findings are based on subjective patient reports and that clinically appropriate studies are urgently needed," he concluded.

Bastiaan R. Bloem, MD, PhD, Director, Radboudumc Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and Co-Editor-in Chief of the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, added: "These findings are interesting in that they confirm a widespread interest among patients in the use of cannabis as a potential treatment for people living with PD. It is important to emphasize that more research is needed before cannabis can be prescribed as a treatment, and that guidelines currently recommend against the use of cannabis, even as self-medication, because the efficacy is not well established, and because there are safety concerns (adverse effects include among others sedation and hallucinations). As such, the present paper mainly serves to emphasize the need for carefully controlled clinical trials to further establish both the efficacy and safety of cannabis treatment."

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The Honduras President reiterated that 2021 will be his "last year of government," and that next January he will be transferring power in a democratic, peaceful and orderly fashion to the winner of the national elections to be held next November.

Hernandez announced new investments in different fields to move the country forward after the impact caused by the pandemic and hurricanes Eta and Iota. "2020 represented one of the most difficult years in our history, as we faced not one, not two, but three national emergencies in a row, in the same year and with tremendous devastating power. Both the COVID-19 emergency and the effects of climate change has left thousands of victims and destroyed a good part of what we had built together in recent years," he explained.

The President highlighted that three million people have been assisted with food supplies from the "Solidarity Bags" program, 195,295 "Better Life" vouchers have been delivered, and the establishment of health centers triage and purchase of medication have been prioritized under "Honduras Solidaria," "Fuerza Honduras" and "You are not alone" crisis management programs.

Regarding security, Hernandez stressed that during his tenure, with the support of the other powers of the State and various sectors of Honduras society, the wave of crime that the country experienced in the last decade has significantly reduced. "We lowered the homicide rate from almost 90 to 37 per 100,000 inhabitants. In the years before my administration, more than 7,000 people died per year as a result of violence, twice the tall of deaths that COVID-19 has brought," said the President.

Hernandez also affirmed that the transit of drugs through his country has decreased considerably in the last seven years. The 2020 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) of the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs estimated that "approximately 4 percent, or 120 metric tons (MT), of cocaine shipments from South America made a first stop by air or by sea in Honduras in 2019, though more is assessed to have transited through Honduras by land after making a first arrival in other countries."

By comparison, the 2013 INCSR report indicated that up to 87 percent of all smuggling cocaine flights out of South America landed in Honduras. This finding reveals a significative reduction in the last 6 years of drug traffic passing through Honduran territory when compared to the 2013 INCSR report which indicated that as much as 87 percent of all cocaine smuggling flights departing South America first land in Honduras.

Regarding his alleged intention to seek a new reelection, Hernandez recommended to politicians who affirm that he wants to continue in power, to focus on his proselytizing campaign. "Do not keep misleading the people that I intend to stay, I will transfer the government to whoever is elected as president in the next elections in November. It is and has been an honor to serve my country," Hernandez said.

Sources:

SOURCE President of the Government of Honduras
WASHINGTON - All but five Republican senators backed former president Donald Trump on Tuesday in a key test vote ahead of his impeachment trial, signaling that the proceedings are likely to end with Trump's acquittal on the charge that he incited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The vote also demonstrated the continued sway Trump holds over GOP officeholders, even after his exit from the White House under a historic cloud caused by his refusal to concede the November election and his unprecedented efforts to challenge the result.

Trump's trial is not scheduled to begin until Feb. 9, but senators were sworn in for the proceedings Tuesday, and they immediately voted on an objection raised by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., questioning the constitutional basis for the impeachment and removal of a former president.

"Impeachment is for removal from office, and the accused here has already left office," he argued, adding that the trial would "drag our great country down into the gutter of rancor and vitriol, the likes of which has never been seen in our nation's history."

But Democrats argue that Trump must be held accountable for the riot, which saw the Capitol overrun and claimed the lives of one police officer and four rioters. Paul's argument, they said, suggests that presidents can act with impunity late in their terms.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday that the Republican argument is "flat-out wrong by every frame of analysis - constitutional context, historical practice, precedent and basic common sense."

The final vote was 55 to 45 to kill Paul's objection, with GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania joining all 50 Democrats.

Washington Post photo by Salwan Georges

The largely partisan vote indicated that, nearly three weeks after the Capitol attack, much of the GOP anger over Trump's actions immediately before and during the siege has faded. Notably, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. - who previously said Trump had "provoked" the Capitol mob - voted to back Paul and Trump, who has reached out to senators directly and through intermediaries to marshal support for his defense.

Convicting Trump would require support from 67 members of the 100-member body. The Democratic-led House has already impeached Trump a historic second time. If convicted in the Senate, the former president could be barred from holding future office with a subsequent majority vote.

Paul had sought to muster at least 34 votes in support of his objection to signal that there were enough senators with constitutional misgivings to secure an acquittal. After the vote, Paul declared that "the impeachment trial is dead on arrival."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has been advising Trump on his defense, said Tuesday that he considered 45 votes to be "a floor, not a ceiling" for an acquittal vote.

"He just needs to keep doing what he's doing, and the trial will be over in a couple of weeks," he told reporters.

A few senators who voted with Paul disputed that Tuesday's vote was a foolproof indication of the trial's outcome. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, for instance, told reporters he wanted to hear further debate on the constitutionality question but had not yet decided whether to convict Trump.

But several other Republicans, including Collins, drew the conclusion that a Trump acquittal was now fait accompli. "I think it's pretty obvious from the vote today that it is extraordinarily unlikely that the president will be convicted," she said. "Just do the math."

Before the vote, Republican senators met for a private lunch where they heard from Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor who has argued that a former president cannot be tried for impeachment.

Exiting the lunch, Turley said that he had presented a nuanced argument - that the benefits of condemning a now-departed president were "outweighed by the cost" of setting the precedent that Congress could retrospectively impeach and remove former presidents, creating a new political weapon.

The theory has gained traction among Republicans as a way to side with Trump while sidestepping the question of whether he "incited" the violence at the Capitol - the allegation that is at the heart of the impeachment effort.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said he hoped that Tuesday's vote would prompt Democrats to reassess if it was even worth having a trial.

"I hope my colleagues... look at it from the standpoint, is it wise to do this?" he said. "I would hope we would end this now. It's just not wise. It's not healing. It's divisive."

Democrats and many legal scholars have balked at the argument that a former president - or any former official - cannot be convicted of impeachment.

"The theory that the Senate can't try former officials would amount to a constitutional get-out-of-jail-free card for any president who commits an impeachable offense," Schumer said.

"It makes no sense whatsoever that a president - or any official - could commit a heinous crime against our country and then defeat Congress' impeachment powers by simply resigning, so as to avoid accountability and a vote to disqualify them from future office."

Schumer and other have raised the precedent sent in 1876, when Secretary of War William Belknap resigned a matter of moments before the House was set to vote on his impeachment on corruption charges. The House impeached Belknap anyway, and the Senate proceeded with a trial in which Belknap was acquitted.

McConnell did not speak before Tuesday's vote or release any statement squaring his vote with his previous statements critical of Trump's behavior. In the immediate aftermath of the Capitol attack and the House impeachment, McConnell communicated to his GOP colleagues that he was open to supporting a conviction.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the majority whip, said Tuesday's vote indicated that many Republicans consider the trial to be on "a very shaky foundation" but have not necessarily ruled out a vote to convict.

"I, as a juror, am going to wait until the trial commences and hear the arguments on both sides," he said. "And I think that's where the leader is."

The former president's aides also have started putting GOP senators on notice about the impending trial vote asserting that Trump will continue to be in a force within the Republican Party. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said Brian Jack, a political aide to Trump, called him over the weekend to stress that Trump had no interest in starting a third party and that his political activity post-presidency would be with the GOP.

"I would say it wasn't out of the blue," Cramer said of the call, first reported by Politico. "I think it was strategic."

Among the other key Republicans who aired constitutional concerns Tuesday was Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the longest-serving GOP senator. He raised qualms about the fact that Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., who is constitutionally mandated to preside over the impeachment trial of a sitting president, has opted not to appear at Trump's second trial.

"That would send a pretty clear signal to me what Roberts thinks of the whole thing," Grassley said. Roberts, through a Supreme Court spokeswoman, has declined to comment.

Rather than Roberts, presiding over the trial will be Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. - the Senate president pro tempore and longest-serving senator. While Leahy pledged Monday to act fairly in the role, the image of a Democrat presiding over the trial of a GOP former president led several Republicans to cry foul.

"Brazenly appointing a pro-impeachment Democrat to preside over the trial is not fair or impartial and hardly encourages any kind of unity in our country," Paul said Tuesday. "No, unity is the opposite of this travesty we are about to witness."

A few Republicans, however, said they believed that the trial of a former president is in fact constitutional. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told reporters Tuesday that, in her view, "impeachment is not solely about removing a president, it is also a matter of political consequence."

Despite the broad constitutional concerns among Republicans, it appeared Democrats had little intention of canceling or curtailing the trial.

Some, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said the vote Tuesday suggested that House impeachment managers needed to make an even more detailed case against Trump - calling witnesses and presenting evidence attesting to the depravity of his behavior leading up to and during the events of Jan. 6.

Blumenthal said he believed that the trial would rekindle the anger many Republicans felt in the immediate aftermath of the Capitol assault: "They were in a different frame of mind than today when they were voting on the motion to dismiss," he said. "And I want to bring back the feelings of revulsion and terror that were caused on that day."

Other Democrats suggested that Republicans were simply trying to avoid contending with the political consequences of rendering a judgment on Trump's conduct.

"They don't want to argue the merits," said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich. "We have a president who incited a violent attack on the United States Capitol, and on our very democracy, so it's absolutely critical that we call that out and make sure that future presidents understand that this is completely unacceptable behavior and will never be tolerated by the American people."

Schumer on Tuesday said Trump's behavior - which included spreading baseless theories about the November election being stolen, pressuring state officials to change vote tallies, encouraging supporters to rally in Washington as Congress certified the electoral college on Jan. 6, and then calling that day for ralliers to march to the Capitol - amounted to "the most despicable thing any president has ever done."

"I believe he should be convicted," he said.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Tuesday briefed Home Minister about the situation in Delhi where the farmers' tractor rally against the agri laws turned violent, officials said.

The meeting came after a large number of farmers with their tractors broke police barricades and entered central Delhi areas, including Red Fort and ITO.

The home secretary met the home minister and apprised him about the prevailing situation in the capital and the steps being taken by the Delhi Police to maintain peace, an official said.

A few other officials were also present at the meeting.

The Union Home Ministry has already ordered a temporary suspension of the internet in parts of Delhi.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price 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.)
On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the states COVID-19 vaccination strategy, which includes its partnership with Skedulo, the leader in deskless productivity software, as well as Salesforce and Accenture, for the states MyTurn program.

MyTurn will enable Californians to sign up for text or email alerts for when they are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and Skedulos technology will assist in efficient and effective scheduling for both doses of the vaccine statewide, which encompasses nearly 40M people.

Gov. Newsom expressed that he is encouraged by Californias strategy, and said during a live press conference, We have an incredible team, incredible partnerships with Salesforce, Accenture and Skedulo, which is one of the more interesting startup companies here in the state of California.

Skedulo has played a key role in the testing, and now vaccine distribution, of COVID-19. Notably, through its partnership with BioReference Labs, Skedulo helped coordinate more than 1.4M COVID-19 tests for more than 1,000 patients per day.

The world is at a critical turning point, and Skedulos innovation is a driving force behind that change, said Skedulos executive vice president of marketing, Miles Kelly. Our high capacity scheduling technology has the ability to assist state governments with efficiently distributing the COVID-19 vaccine, and we look forward to our role in getting Californians vaccinated.

For more information about Skedulo, please visit http://www.skedulo.com.

About Skedulo

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Sitting squarely in the middle of Berlin is a monstrous-looking building with facade of solid grey concrete, punctured by long ventilation turrets that sticks out in all direction like some sort of a beached battleship. This is Mausebunker, or Mouse Bunker, a Brutalist former animal research laboratory that at some point held over 45,000 mice and 20,000 rats along with a variety of other rodents.

Officially the Central Animal Laboratory of the Free University of Berlin, the Mausebunker was completed in 1981 as part of the Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology. Its connected to the latter via an underground tunnel. The sinister-looking building was designed by the husband-and-wife duo of Gerd and Magdalena Hanska. Construction of the bunker began in 1971, and would have been completed at least three years earlier if cost had not gone spiraling out of control.

Photo: Thomas Ernst/Flickr

The Mausebunker was built to look like a fortress, although it is more often compared to a warship because of its inclined walls and blue-painted ventilation shafts that protrude from the sides like cannon barrels. The roof is crowned by several large chimneys, and on the side facing the Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, there are rows of recessed windows that give the impression of a command bridge. The German Architecture Museum in Frankfurt once called Mausebunker the most sinister building of German post-war modernism.

The use of the building is just as uncanny as the threatening appearance of the building: The mouse bunker was built by the Free University to carry out scientific experiments with live animals and to breed the animals required for this on site. For safety reasons, the animal testing laboratories are located deep in the building and are ventilated with cannon-like air intake pipes.

Photo: Gunnar Klack/Wikimedia Commons

The building was closed in 2010, and since then has been lying vacant. It was long derided as an eyesore and was slated for demolition, along with the Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology building that stands nearby. But a few years ago a couple of residents, architects and other activists launched a campaign against its destruction and successfully stalled the demolition. The building will now be reviewed to explore reuse options.

Photo: Robert Freitag/Flickr

Photo: Berlin-Knipser/Flickr

Photo: Gunnar Klack/Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Rodib6950/Wikimedia Commons

References:

# "Mausebunker" animal testing laboratory, FU-Berlin, Burger Fur Denkmale

# Save the concrete monsters!, Der Tagesspiegel

# Berlin preservationists halt demolition of the threatened Mouse Bunker, The Architect's Newspaper
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Santee Cooper approved a temporary electricity rate that is expected to be used by Century Aluminum to keep the company's 300-worker smelting plant operating in Berkeley County.

The board of directors for South Carolina's state-run utility voted Monday to create what is being called an "experimental" pricing structure that could benefit the manufacturer until the end of 2023.

The vote will allow Santee Cooper to effectively develop a price for power that is not currently available to other customers.

The utility will use one of its aging coal-fired boilers near Georgetown to help meet the demands of Century, which operates the only aluminum smelter in the state.

The Winyah generating unit is expected to be shut down and retired in 2023, which is why the special rate for Century will expire in three years.

Century and Santee Cooper have yet to formally enter a new power contract, but Monday's vote is a big step in cementing a new deal between the two.

It should also help to smooth out the frosty business relationship between Century and Santee Cooper, which has supplied power to the Mount Holly plant since it began operations in the 1980s. The utility and the Chicago-based metal producer have been locked in an on-again off-again fight over rates for years.

Most companies in South Carolina don't get to negotiate how much they pay for electricity, but Century has consistently pushed for special arrangements with Santee Cooper in an effort to lower the cost of operating its power-hungry smelter. The company has also filed lawsuits, lobbied the S.C. Legislature and generally tried to circumvent Santee Cooper in order to get what it wants.

In recent years, Century was allowed to buy 75 percent of its electricity from other undisclosed sources. But that agreement with Santee Cooper expired at the end of 2020.

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Century warned state officials in October that unless it reached a new power contract it could close the Mount Holly plant and lay off its 295 employees in Berkeley County by year's end.

The announcement prompted emergency negotiations between the company, Santee Cooper and the S.C. Department of Commerce, which is in charge of recruiting and retaining businesses.

Dan Ray, Santee Cooper's acting chairman, said those talks led to the experimental rate that was unveiled Monday.

"This was a great team effort, not only by Santee Cooper, but our customer Century Aluminum," Ray said.

Santee Cooper's leaders hired an outside consultant to study the experimental rate, and they said offering the deal to Century would not harm their other power customers. The Moncks Corner-based utility will be the smelter's only power provider starting in April.

"It's a win, win, win all the way around," Santee Cooper CEO Mark Bonsall told the board.

Century did not respond to an email seeking comment Monday. But last month, the company said it could expand production at its South Carolina plant if it successfully negotiates the three-year contract with Santee Cooper.

The power deal, Century said, could allow the company to restart part of the smelting operations that were closed in 2015. That, in turn, could lead to 70 more jobs at the half-idled plant off of U.S. Highway 52 near Goose Creek.
Hungary has provided 50 lung ventilators worth more than EUR 1 million to Ukraine.

The donation ceremony took place in Berehove town, Zakarpattia region on Tuesday, January 26, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Today, the charity organization Hungarian Ecumenical Aid Service handed over 50 lung ventilators to Ukrainian hospitals fighting coronavirus. This equipment was purchased at the expense of the Hungarian government. It costs over 1 EUR million. In cooperation with the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration, this equipment has been transferred today to hospitals in ten Ukrainian regions - from Lviv to Donetsk, said Chairman of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration Anatoliy Poloskov.

As reported, in autumn 2020, the Hungarians also donated over 50 lung ventilators of various classes to Zakarpattia region hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.

Photo credit: facebook.com/HunConsulate.Beregszasz

ol
LoriAnn Laramee, public health nurse, prepares dilutant for the COVID-19 vaccine in the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, on Dec. 16, 2020. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)

Canada-Made Vaccine to Begin Human Clinical Testing in Toronto

The first made-in-Canada COVID-19 vaccine will begin human clinical trials on Tuesday, according to a Toronto-based biotechnology company.

Providence Therapeutics said 60 volunteers between the ages of 18 to 65 will be divided into three groups, and three different dose levels of the vaccine and a placebo will be administered to each group. These volunteers will be monitored for a total of 13 months, but enough data will have been collected by April 2021 to move on to Phase 2 in May 2021.

Having a made-in-Canada solution to address the global COVID-19 pandemic will augment the reliability of vaccine supply for Canadians, contribute to the global vaccine supply, and position a Canadian company on the global stage as a contributor to the solution, said Brad Sorenson, founder and CEO of Providence Therapeutics.

The vaccine, known as PTX-COVID19-B, is an mRNA vaccine similar to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine which now being distributed in Canada.

Once Health Canada deems the vaccine to be safe and effective, the company estimates it will be ready for the market at the end of 2021 or early 2022.

The federal government has provided $4.7 million in financial sponsorship and advisory services for Providence Therapeutics Phase 1 trial through the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program.

In October 2020, the government of Canada also provided $173 million in funding for Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company in Quebec. Medicago agreed to supply 76 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, which is subject to Health Canada approval.

Medicago began Phase 1 clinical trials in July 2020. While traditional vaccines are made from animal products or live viruses, Medicagos COVID-19 vaccine uses a plant-based technology, which allows the company to easily increase production volume.

Unlike Providence Therapeutics, Medicagos vaccine manufacturing facilities are largely based in North Carolina.

We need to know that in a crisis, we can take care of ourselves. We need to be able to produce vaccines for ourselves. We dont need to always buy them from overseas, Sorenson said in a company introduction video.

Scientists from a number of institutes and laboratories have contributed to the pre-clinical research of Providence Therapeutics vaccine, including those at the lab of Dr. Mario Ostrowski at the University of Toronto, Dr. Anne-Claude Gingras at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Dr. Samira Mubareka and Dr. Rob Kozak at Sunnybrook Research Institute, and Dr. Michael Pollanen, Ontarios chief forensic pathologist.
India had been the 7th most affected by climate change globally in 2019, reveals the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 released on Monday

While global temperatures are already up by 1C, the temperature rise in India indicates increasing heat waves. (Representational Image/AFP)

HYDERABAD: Mean temperature in India has risen by 0.7 Celsius this year, which indicates there could be a rise in the number of heat waves, meteorologists said.

While global temperatures are already up by 1C, the temperature rise in India indicates increasing heat waves. India had been the seventh most affected by devastating impact of climate change globally in 2019, reveals the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 released on Monday.

According to a recent report by Germanwatch, a Bonn-based environmental organisation: In terms of extreme weather events in 2019, India stands behind only Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Bahamas, Japan, Malawi and Afghanistan in the list of countries most affected by global warming.

In general, Global Climatic Extreme Events (GCEE) start in summers. Their impact on the climate we are facing right now will become quite evident. There will a rise in temperature during summers," Dr R. Krishnan, senior scientist with Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) told Deccan Chronicle.

Another weather expert from University of Hyderabad said the rise in mean temperatures will pave way for a number of heat waves. More heat means higher rate of evaporation. More water vapour in the air means heavier rainfall, he remarked, pointing out that heavy rains also means long dry spells.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
COVID-19 testing information for west-central Illinois counties:

Morgan County

Jacksonville

Days and times: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Location: Drive-through testing site located at the intersection of Dunlap Court and Morgan Streets.

Details: No appointment necessary. Photo ID and insurance card requested but not required.



Brown County

Mount Sterling

Days and times: By appointment.

Location: Brown County Health Department, 120 E. Main St. 217-773-2714

Details: Testing eligibility determined by telephone screening.



Cass County

Beardstown

Days and times: Monday-Friday 9-11:20 a.m.

Location: Cass County Health Department, 8590 St. Lukes Drive. 217-323-2182

Virginia

Days and times: Monday-Friday 1-3 p.m.

Location: Cass County Health Department, 331 S. Main St. 217-452-3057

Details: Testing by appointment only and is limited to those who live or work in Cass County. Schedules subject to change.



Greene County

Carrollton

Days and times: By appointment. Open seven days a week.

Location: Boyd Rural Health Clinic, 800 School St. 217-942-3600

Details: Testing performed if medically indicated, pre-op with doctors order, or return to work. Must call and leave message with name and callback number.



Jersey County

Jerseyville

Days and times: By appointment.

Location: Jerseyville Community Hospital Walk-in Clinic, 903 S. State St. 618-498-2273

Details: Testing performed if medically indicated.



Macoupin County

Gillespie

Days and times: By appointment.

Location: Maple Street Clinic, 109 E. Maple St. 217-313-5078

Details: Drive-through free testing. Register by phone or online at mcphd.net.



Pike County

Pittsfield

Days and times: By appointment.

Location: Quincy Medical Group, 320 N. Madison St. 217-277-4001

Details: Testing performed if medically indicated.

.

Days and times: Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Location: Illini Express Clinic, 101 E. Washington St. 217-277-3504

Details: Testing performed if medically indicated. Register upon arrival.



Scott County

Winchester:

Days and times: Mondays and Fridays 9-11 a.m.

Location: Scott County Health Department, 335 W. Cherry St.

Details: Schedule subject to change. See Facebook page for updates.
Senators will be sworn in as jurors in Donald Trump's impeachment trial Tuesday and issue a summons to the former president. But they will then mostly set it aside for two weeks as they plow through confirmation votes on President Joe Biden's cabinet and work on another pandemic relief plan.

The unprecedented trial ceremonially kicked off Monday night as a delegation of House Democrats who will act as prosecutors delivered the single article of impeachment to the Senate chamber. The substance of the trial, however, will wait until the week of Feb. 8, when briefs from House prosecutors and Trump's defense team are due.

The group of Democrats, known as impeachment managers, walked in a silent procession across the Capitol and lead manager, Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, read the brief article, charging Trump with incitement insurrection for his actions before a mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Trump "threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government," Raskin read from the document. "He thereby betrayed his trust as president, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Trump is the first American president to have been impeached twice and will be the first to be tried after leaving office. The symbolic opening of the trial comes as the Senate is still without an agreement on how it will operate with a 50-50 split and Democrats in nominal control. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and GOP leader Mitch McConnell have agreed on the timing for moving ahead with the trial but little else.

"We'll hopefully negotiate something with McConnell on the trial," Schumer told reporters at the Capitol when asked whether there will be witnesses called. "We don't know what the requests are from either side yet."

McConnell has sought a delay to let Trump put a defense team together and Biden has expressed concern about the Senate getting tied up with a trial while most of his cabinet has yet to be confirmed and he's pursuing a major stimulus bill.

The president, in an interview with CNN on Monday night, said the trial might have an impact on his legislative agenda and nominees but added, "it has to happen."

He also said he doubted many Republicans would vote to convict Trump now that he's out of office.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the president pro tempore of the chamber, will preside over the trial, rather than Chief Justice John Roberts, because Trump is no longer in office.

Odds of him being convicted on the charge of incitement to insurrection are long. Conviction would require the votes of at least 17 Republican senators, but many are arguing that doing so would be divisive, unwarranted or even unconstitutional.

Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who has been a close ally of Trump, said Monday he didn't think most Republicans would vote to convict the former president and questioned the rationale and legal basis for the impeachment.

"It's just vindictive. It's ridiculous," Johnson told reporters at the Capitol. "I don't see anything in the Constitution that talks about an impeachment of a former president."

Senator Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican, also questioned the constitutionality of trying a president no longer in office as well as the basis for the charge against Trump.

"You would have to think about does it meet a standard of incitement of insurrection," he said. "And some people say absolutely it doesn't meet the test."

Schumer on Monday dismissed arguments that the Constitution bars the Senate from trying a former president, calling it a "fringe legal theory." He cited the research of numerous legal scholars and a precedent from 1876 when an impeachment trial was held for the secretary of war under President Ulysses S. Grant even though he had resigned to avoid the proceedings.

"It makes no sense whatsoever that a president or any official could commit a heinous crime against our country and then defeat Congress' impeachment powers by simply resigning," Schumer said on the Senate floor.

The House voted to impeach Trump on Jan. 13, with 10 Republicans joining all 222 Democrats in favor. The single article charges Trump with inciting the crowd of his supporters that rioted at the Capitol, leaving five people dead and disrupting the certification of Biden's victory in the November election.

Only a few Republican senators were in the Senate chamber when the House managers arrived, including McConnell, Mitt Romney of Utah and Roger Marshall of Kansas, who was elected in November. About half of the Democrats' desks were occupied.

The route the managers followed through the House's Statuary Hall and the Capitol Rotunda to the Senate was the same taken by Representative Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania in 1868 a day after the House voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson.

House Clerk Cheryl Johnson led Monday's procession -- as she did last year before Trump's first trial -- this time joined by acting sergeant at arms Timothy Blodgett and followed by the nine House managers. Last year, a group of seven House managers made the same trip with carts of transcripts from House witnesses and hearing testimony.

This time around, there were no such hearings. Democrats made the case that Trump had essentially incited and supported insurrection in public view.
January 25, 2021

Idaho States Department of History will host Identity, a Black history webinar series, during February and March. The series features four talks, delivered over Zoom.



Black Slaves & Indian Masters: A History of Indian Territory

Dr. Alaina Roberts

Thursday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m.

Register

In this talk, Dr. Roberts will discuss the history of Black slave-owning among the Five Tribes (the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole Nations). She will then leave her listeners with a set of questions that encourages them to come to terms with this history and the anti-Black racism that endures in Indian Country and across North America.



Jumping the Broom: The Surprising Multicultural Origins of a Black Wedding Ritual

Dr. Tyler Parry

Thursday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m.

Register

Though often tied to one or two ethnic groups, the matrimonial act of "jumping the broom" holds a much more complex, interconnected history that links the cultures of peoples of African and European descent throughout the Atlantic world. Providing the first comprehensive history of the "broomstick wedding," Tyler D. Parry explains how this ritual emerged from the most rural and isolated regions of Britain and the United States to becoming one of the most influential and recognizable folk rituals in modern history.



Through Their Eyes: History of The LDS Church through the Black Experience

Ms. Tarienne Mitchell

Thursday, March 11 at 3 p.m.

Register

Tarienne Mitchell is the Audio Visual Archivist at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church History Library, and is the subject matter expert for Black Church history. She will be speaking about the Black experience in the Church through telling the stories of Black pioneers' (early members) stories.



The Quest for Fitness: Black Womens Exercise and Public Health in the Early Twentieth Century

Dr. Ava Purkiss

Thursday, March 25 at 3 p.m.

Register

This talk will examine how black women augmented their public health campaigns by integrating physical exercise into their health activism in the early twentieth century. It will explore how African American women used exercise not only to achieve physical fitness goals, but to make larger claims to racial fitness and fitness for citizenship. The talk will speak to how ideas of fitness spanned the physical, moral, and civic realms for black women in the twentieth century and beyond.
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Following a fatal incident that occurred at Oshodi area of Lagos on Tuesday morning in which a man died, the police in Lagos have named the victim.

Emmanuel Adeosunbokan, 28, was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver on his way to work, the police say.

While witnesses said the deceased was killed by the task force vehicle while in hot pursuit of an errant commercial bus driver, both the police and task force deny the claim.

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police spokesperson, in a statement ,Tuesday, said the police had launched a manhunt to arrest the bus driver that caused the death of the man and injured two others.

The incident occurred around 6 a.m., while operatives of the task force were enforcing traffic laws and commercial buses trying to escape arrest, Mr Adejobi said.

The police account

Mr Adejobi, a chief superintendent of police, said one of the buses, while trying to escape, hit three persons, killing one instantly. He subsequently fled the scene. The other two persons are recuperating in the hospital.

He added that the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered the DPO, Akinpelu Division, to work with witnesses in the area to trace the fleeing driver and bring him to justice.

The Lagos State Police Command has deemed it necessary to clear the air on the alleged killing of one Emmanuel Samuel, m, that was knocked down by a bus at Oshodi on Tuesday 26th January, 2021.

The Command wishes to state that today, Tuesday 26th January, 2021 at about 0600hrs, the DPO Akinpelu Division got a call that while the Taskforce operatives were on operation, some commercial buses, violating traffic regulations, at Bolade Oshodi area of Lagos State, were trying to escape arrest, but unfortunately, one of the buses hit three persons and fled.

The police spokesperson said the DPO, Nkiruka Ugwu, and team raced to the scene immediately. The corpse of one man, who was later identified to be Emmanuel Samuel was seen at the scene, in a pool of his blood, while two other injured were rushed to the hospital.

Mr Adejobi said the relations of the deceased were contacted and they quickly picked up his body for burial as they did not want to waste time on it being a young person.

CAR: A woman carries water from the river to the refugee site of Ndu, Bas-Uele Province in the DRC (AFP or licensors)

The recent unrest, in the Central African Republic, has displaced thousands and UNICEF says that children are paying a heavier price.

Vatican News English Africa Service

Thousand have once more been forced to flee the Central African Republic as a rebel coalition, the Coalition of Patriots for Change or CPC, that earlier called for Presidential elections to be annulled pile pressure on Faustin-Archange Touadera to resign. CARs Constitutional Court confirmed Touadera's victory in the December 2020 polls notwithstanding the now widespread violence being perpetrated by armed groups.

Increased cases of Malnutrition

This new wave of violence and displacement is increasing humanitarian needs at a time when the Central African people are already dealing with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and years of conflict and insecurity, said Fran Equiza, UNICEF Representative in CAR. For the most vulnerable children and women, fighting is a direct threat to their lives. It is likely to lead to an increase in the incidence of malnutrition among children and gross violations of their rights, such as recruitment or killing.

Across the country, cases of severe acute malnutrition among children under five have increased by 16.4 per cent compared to the same period in 2020. This is largely due to the widespread insecurity says UNICEF.

Children bearing the brunt of the crisis

Once again, children are bearing the brunt of this crisis: Having their education disrupted, being exposed to violence, separated from their families, or recruited into armed groups, added Equiza. We are calling on all parties to ensure that civilians, especially children and women, are protected and kept out of harms way, in line with international human rights and humanitarian law.

Refugees in search of safety

In the meantime, the UN Refugee Agency reports of thousands displaced within CAR, hiding in forests without food or water aas they try to reach safety.

Neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, the DRC, and the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) are hosting the majority of CARs refugees.
New Delhi, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2021 ) :Thousands of Indian farmers, many on tractors, breached police barricades to launch a protest march into New Delhi on Tuesday as the government held its main Republic Day military parade.

Police imposed one of their largest security operations in years to stop the demonstrators, who oppose agriculture reforms they say will decimate their livelihoods.

Authorities had agreed to let tens of thousands of farmers stage a tractor rally as long as they waited for the military parade to finish.

But flag-waving farmers on at least three major roads overran security and pressed on into the city. Police, who put up barricades of containers and trucks, fired tear gas on at least two groups.

"We are going to show the government that we mean business," said protester Nareesh Singh as he revved up his tractor at Singhu on the edge of Delhi.

Long queues of tractors built up at other key roads into the city, where farmers have been camped for two months protesting new laws which deregulate produce markets.

The government says the reforms will boost rural incomes, while the farmers say they will allow Indian agriculture to be taken over by major conglomerates.

They have demanded the government repeal the laws, but the Hindu nationalist administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has only offered to delay implementation for 18 months.

Republic Day ceremonies went ahead despite security concerns.

Police manned barricades at intersections around the centre of the city while soldiers with machine guns were on many metro trains.

The parade -- around 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the protests -- had been cut back this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, with the number of spectators on the Rajpath boulevard leading up to the main government complex reduced from 125,000 to 25,000.

Modi sent out Twitter greetings for the national holiday without mentioning the farmers.

Smaller farmer demonstrations were held in Mumbai and Bangalore.
Schools could reopen on a phased basis in February and early March, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar as told broadcaster Claire Byrne.

The staggered reopening would start with the return of children with special needs, followed by primary schools and exam years, Mr Varadkar said.

But he said it had to be done by agreement and would be subject to discussions with principals, unions and other representative groups.

We want to discuss this with principals, unions, parents and students groups. It does have to be done by agreement, but we are very keen to start with children with additional needs, they need their education and some of them are regressing now which is very worrying, he told the Mountrath journalist on RTEs Claire Byrne Live.

The Tanaiste said one of his big regrets from the first lockdown was that Ireland didnt do what other countries did and keep schools open for vulnerable children.

Mr Varadkar said that because the new Covid-19 variant is more transmissible we want to open schools not with one big bang but on a phased basis".

He would not put a figure on what the daily Covid case numbers would have to be to allow for schools to reopen, but said: We are reasonably confident now that by the middle of February we will be down to daily case rates that were there when schools were fully open.

According to a report in today's Irish Independent, a memo going to Cabinet on Tuesday says consideration will be given to getting Leaving Cert students and children with special educational needs back to classes, but talks are on-going with the unions.
Another Delhi Police vehicle is seen vandalised outside the police headquarters at IITO. (Image: News18)
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Sinn Fein TD for Carlow Kilkenny, Deputy Funchion has called on the Minister for Health to quit delaying and pay student nurses and midwives now.

Sinn Fein is bringing forward a motion in the Dail on Wednesday to make the Government pay student nurses and midwives now.

I am calling on all TDs from across all parties in Carlow and Kilkenny to do the right thing and back this motion.

The Minister for Health has suggested paying student nurses and midwives just 100 per week. This wont cut it.

There should be no more empty promises or delays. This is a crisis.

The review the Minister based this small sum on was conducted before the current crisis and recognised that, if the situation changed, that it would be appropriate to return to the March pay agreement.

Where students are needed to fill employment gaps they should be paid appropriately.

There was a severe staffing crisis before the pandemic, and now it is even worse.

Throughout the pandemic, student nurses and midwives have been working bravely and tirelessly every day to protect our families and communities from Covid-19.

The way the Government has treated them has been nothing short of insulting. Its time to do the right thing and ensure they are paid properly. They deserve respect and must be protected from exploitation.

Sinn Feins motion next week will ensure the March pay agreement returns. This is more important than ever, as the public health crisis worsens.

The Government cannot keep trying to hide from this issue. Sinn Fein will stand up for student nurses and midwives to ensure they are treated fairly.

The decision to pay student nurses and midwives lies with the Minister for Health but Minister Harris is also responsible for protecting students from exploitation.

The time to deliver is now.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday proposed a $52.4B state budget.

The proposal would raise taxes on the wealthiest residents of the state and would include a $1 tax hike on packs of cigarettes.

The proposal also calls for $150M for businesses affected by the 2020 riots.

Minnesotans have met the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic as they always do when faced with hardship  with grit and resiliency. Now, as we look toward the future, Minnesotans are ready to confront the challenges we face today while investing in a brighter future. Thats why I am proposing Minnesotas COVID-19 Recovery Budget to ensure we emerge from this crisis stronger than before, said Governor Walz.

Not every Minnesotan was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic equally. We know the COVID-19 pandemic hit our working families, small businesses, and students particularly hard. They need our help, Governor Walz continued. The budget I am unveiling today will make significant strides in helping those Minnesotans stay afloat.

Majority Leader Gazelka said "a budget that increases taxes is not a Minnesota priority."

I have been clear since day one of session: we are not balancing the budget with tax increases. A budget that increases taxes is not a Minnesota priority. People have suffered enough already. Employees, entrepreneurs, and many businesses have sacrificed for 11 months. The budget reserve can be used to protect people from hurtful tax increases that will further stretch their family budget and harm our economy. Senate Republicans will ask the government to tighten its own belt before we ever ask Minnesotans to tighten their belts even more," Gazelka said.

According to documents released Tuesday, the state plans to solve the budget gap by doing the following:

Carryover from the current budget: $217M

Budget reserves: $1.04B

Stadium reserve: $130M

Additional revenue (includes $230M in tax cuts targeting working families: $1.66B

You can see the full press release below:
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 15:03:00|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

- - - -

NEW DELHI -- India's COVID-19 tally rose to 10,676,838 on Tuesday as 9,102 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, according to the latest data from the health ministry.

This is the first day in several months when the number of new cases registered in a day fell below the 10,000-mark.

- - - -

SEOUL -- South Korea reported 354 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Monday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 75,875.

The daily caseload was down from 437 on the previous day. It stayed below 500 for nine straight days, after peaking at 1,240 on Dec. 25.

- - - -

WELLINGTON -- The green light for New Zealand's first COVID-19 vaccine could be granted in just over a week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday.

"We're making swift progress towards vaccinating New Zealanders against the virus, but we're also absolutely committed to ensuring the vaccines are safe and effective," Ardern told a press conference.

- - - -

BEIJING -- Forty-six COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland Monday, the National Health Commission said in a daily report Tuesday.

There were 1,885 confirmed cases still being treated, including 110 in severe conditions, the report showed.

- - - -

ACCRA -- A long-established medical association in Ghana on Monday here urged the government to place restrictions on a list of social activities amid the COVID-19 case spike.

"The government should as a matter of urgency restrict social activities such as parties, church services, funerals, clubs, and other social gatherings of such nature," said the Ghana Medical Association, which was inaugurated in 1958 and has over 3,000 members now, in a statement. Enditem
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WILLIAMSPORT -- After two years the federal government says it no longer wants the $850,594 seized from two vehicles during traffic stops on Interstate 80 in 2018.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn A. Camoni Monday asked U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann to dismiss the governments motion for forfeiture of the money being held by the FBI.

He did not state reason for the decision and attempts were unsuccessful to learn if the criminal investigation into suspected money laundering continues. No one has ever been charged.

Two Texans, Wei Lin of Sealy and Jian Yang of Missouri City, filed a claim for the $850,594 contending it was money they contributed or borrowed to buy a restaurant in either Chicago or New York City.

Lin was driving the vehicle stopped Feb. 21, 2018, in Liberty Twp., Montour County. Yang was the operator of a rental vehicle pulled over April 30, 2018, in Columbia County.

The two contended that of the $360,600 seized in the first stop, $150,600 belonged to them and the rest was borrowed from four individuals.

They claimed $59,994 of the $489,994 confiscated in the later stop belonged to them and the rest was borrowed from five other individuals.

Lin and Yang argued they had suffered irreparable harm by the government holding the cash for more than two years without filing charges or offering evidence justifying the seizure.

The government in its October 2018 civil complaint claimed Lin told investigators she and her brother Ming Lin were headed to Brooklyn to visit her father who was returning from China.

No luggage was found in the vehicle but numerous large bundles of currency were discovered in a backpack and duffle bag that Wei Lin indicated contained her clothes, investigators said.

A drug detection dog alerted troopers to a box in the trunk that contained several vacuumed sealed packages of bulk U.S. currency, they said.

Wei Lin said the money belonged to her brother who claimed it belonged to another brother in Chicago from the sale of a restaurant in Houma, La., the forfeiture complaint stated.

Yang contended he sold a restaurant in Houma for $280,000 to $290,000, received $100,000 from his recent wedding and the rest was personal savings, the filing stated.

In both cases an ion scan of the cash revealed higher than average trace amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine, the government said.

Flight receipts and cell phone pictures show a history of repeated trips Chicago and New York, indicative of what authorities say is bulk cash smuggling.

Stored pictures on cell phones depicted what appeared to be amounts of bulk cash, owe and tally sheets, handguns, someone holding counterfeit currency and a wrapped package the size of a kilogram of cocaine, a government filing stated.

Yang, who rented the car that Wei Linn drove, is alleged to have told investigators he deals in cash to avoid banks and taxes.
PARIS  From her bulletproof case in the Louvre Museum, Mona Lisas smile met an unfamiliar sight the other morning: Emptiness. The gallery where throngs of visitors swarmed to ogle her day after day was a void, deserted under Frances latest coronavirus confinement.

Around the corner, the Winged Victory of Samothrace floated quietly above a marble staircase, majestic in the absence of selfie-sticks and tour groups. In the Louvres medieval basement, the Great Sphinx of Tanis loomed in the dark like a granite ghost from behind bars.

Yet out of the rare and monumental stillness, sounds of life were stirring in the Louvres great halls.

The rat-a-tat of a jackhammer echoed from a ceiling above the Sphinxs head. Rap music thumped from the Bronze Room under Cy Twomblys ceiling in the Sully Wing, near where workers were sawing parquet for a giant new floor. In Louis XIVs former apartments, restorers in surgical masks climbed scaffolding to tamp gold leaf onto ornate moldings.

Robert Walker

Robert Walker, a professor in MSUs Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and director of the Montana University System Materials Science Graduate Program, won the Fox Faculty Award for Achievement in Teaching, Research, Scholarship, Creativity and Mentoring. The award, which includes a $3,325 honorarium, is sponsored by the Martin Fox family and MSUs Office of Academic Affairs.

Rob contributes his energy and expertise to advance the mission of MSU and does so with high standards, thoughtful insight and a genuine willingness to work with others and find solutions that make MSU better, David Eitle, associate dean of the College of Letters and Science wrote in a nomination letter.

Walker joined the faculty at MSU in 2009 and directs one of the largest research programs in the department where his accomplishments underscore his commitment to his students. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles and often exceeds $500,000 in annual research expenditures. More than 90% of those articles include one or more of his graduate students as a co-author or lead author and almost half of those publications include undergraduate student co-authors. He has mentored 25 doctoral students through graduation and currently supervises 10 in his lab.

His research students cite Dr. Walkers commitment to their projects and his never-ending curiosity as inspiration for continuing their studies in chemistry, biochemistry, and materials science, Eitle stated.

Department head Joan Broderick noted that Walkers impact is felt well beyond the department or even the College of Letters and Science. He actively mentors junior faculty, leads multidisciplinary research teams and strengthens science and engineering programs across the university system.

Rob is one of the most productive researchers on campus and his commitment to student instruction at all levels, both in the classroom and as a research mentor, is exceptional, Broderick said.
Participaron en el acto, el Embajador de Alemania en el Peru, Stefan Andreas Herzberg, la Directora General de Europa de @CancilleriaPeru, Maria Teresa Merino de Hart, entre otras autoridades. pic.twitter.com/0WzDxR02BE
Leonardo has signed a contract to supply the Slovenian Defence Ministry with its Type 163 Laser Target Designator (LTD) for the Slovenian Armed Forces. The contract makes Slovenia the 23rd nation to order the Type 163 LTD, more than 700 units of which have now been sold in total by Leonardo. The global success of the product reinforces Leonardos market leadership in the high-energy military lasers domain, with the companys site in Edinburgh, U.K., satisfying 70% of global demand for applications on airborne platforms and around 60% of the total market, including for ground-based applications.

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Leonardo Type 163 Laser Target Designator in action (Picture source: Leonardo)

In selecting the Type 163 LTD, Slovenia joins the members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) and NATO members including Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia as operators of the product.

The Type 163 LTD is Leonardos most compact high energy laser product for ground forces. It was developed in response to the market need for a lightweight and compact laser designator for Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) which, while highly-portable, doesnt sacrifice any of the power and accuracy which these soldiers rely on to call in timely and effective close air support.

The development of the Type 163 LTD drew heavily on Leonardos experience in providing high-energy targeting lasers for aircraft such as the F-35 and Apache helicopter, where space, weight and power are at a premium. The resulting product provides market-leading laser-designation and rangefinding capabilities in a package weighing just 2.3kg and has been battle-proven on operations in the Middle East. Features include immediate firing from switch-on and a continuous lasing capability, producing a high-energy laser with a narrow beam divergence.

Leonardos laser business includes the supply of lasers for the F-35 aircraft, Apache helicopter and for targeting pods including the Lockheed Martin Sniper. The company is currently developing advanced laser-based capabilities for the UKs Tempest next-generation combat air programme and is a part of the UK Dragonfire consortium which is developing a laser directed-energy weapon with the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL).

Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 15:09:43|Editor: huaxia

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MALE, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 20,000 Maldivians have signed up to be vaccinated against COVID-19 since registrations were opened on Jan. 18, local media reported here Tuesday.

Health Emergency Operation Center (HEOC) Spokesperson Dr. Nazla Rafeeq was quoted in state-owned PSM News as saying that 19,666 people had registered to be vaccinated so far. Registrations are currently only open for priority groups such as health and social care workers.

The Maldives received 100,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India on Jan. 20. President Ibrahim Solih has pledged to vaccinate the entire population free of charge.

According to data from the Health Protection Agency, the Maldives currently has 14,993 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which 13,851 have fully recovered and 51 have died. Enditem

Opposition members in the Pakistan Senate on Monday showed concern about the alleged disrespect with which the mortal remains of Baloch rights activist Karima Baloch were treated before she was laid to rest in Balochistan, as per Dawn's report.

READ | Pak PM Calls For 'equitable & Affordable Supply Of COVID Vaccines' To Debt-ridden Nations

Karima's brother Sameer Mehrab took to Twitter on Monday and said, "Pakistans army thought it was humiliating us today when it ordered our women, instead of men, to carry Karimas coffin to the grave. But Im glad it was the women. Its symbolic. Karima struggled all her life for womens empowerment. She would have been proud."

According to Dawn, Balochistan National Party-Mengal Senator Jahanzeb Jamaldini said that Karima's body had been "abducted" from the airport and that no one was allowed to accompany it to her native village. He also said that several wanted to attend Karima's funeral in Balochistan but a curfew was imposed in Makran, and mobile networks were suspended.

READ | Pakistan's 759-acre Fatima Jinnah Park To Be Mortgaged By Imran Govt For 500 Bn PKR Loan

Karima Baloch found dead under mysterious circumstances

Karima's body was found dead in Ontario Lake Toronto harbourfront a few weeks ago under mysterious circumstances. The Toronto police on December 23, 2020, termed the death of Karima Baloch a "non-criminal death", but the family, friends, and her husband are demanding an independent inquiry into the case. The law enforcement officers of Toronto had said that the circumstances of the incident had been investigated and no foul play is suspected.

On December 29, Baloch National Movement (BNM) members in the United States held a protest in front of the Canadian Embassy in Washington over the death of Baloch in Toronto. Protestors made calls for justice and demanded a formal investigation into the death of the human rights activist who was missing since December 20 and had made many enemies in the Pakistani dispensation for exposing its atrocities.

READ | Pakistan Vs South Africa 1st Test Live Stream, Pitch Report, Weather Forecast, Preview

Balochistan is a restive province where the Pakistani Army is accused of indulging in gross human rights violations including abducting and killing of innocents. Resource-rich Balochistan has been gripped by an insurgency for more than 15 years. Thousands of Baloch political activists in order to avoid persecution escaped from Balochistan and are compelled to seek asylum in European counties; journalists and human rights activists are among these asylum seekers.

READ | 'Pakistan A Country, Not A Phone That You'll Reboot It': Imran Khan Slammed Over Blackout

(With ANI Inputs)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26) China's state-owned pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm is ready to supply at least 10 million COVID-19 vaccine vials to the Philippines this year, its local distributor said Tuesday.

Mark Tolentino, president and CEO of MKG Universal Drugs Trading Corp., told CNN Philippines that the concerned parties were still on the negotiation stage, but noted there would be no problem when it comes to the volume of available vaccines.

MKG is the sole and exclusive distributor of Sinopharm in the country.

Ang commitment ng Philippines, volume lang -- there is no issue about that because they can produce up to 1 billion vials this year, Tolentino said in an interview with The Source. In fact based on our initial talk with the chairman, this year kaya nila ng 10 to 20 million vials.

[Translation: The commitment to the Philippines, for volume -- there is no issue about that because they can produce up to 1 billion vials this year. In fact, based on our initial talk with the chairman, this year they can produce 10 to 20 million vials.]

Tolentino, however, said the company has yet to apply for emergency use approval in the Philippines as it is still awaiting intent from our government regarding procurement.

Sinopharm is waiting for the intent  whether or not Philippines will buy Sinopharm vaccines, he added. Sinopharm is a state-owned company, thats why we will do that through the diplomatic channel."

RELATED: Govt denies inaction on Sinopharms clinical trial application

'Cheaper, safer'

Meanwhile, Tolentino said that the pricing for Sinopharm in the Philippines is also still under negotiation, but it could possibly be lower than in other countries because the negotiations would be government-to-government.

In Malaysia, the price is $30 per vial. This is the price of the Malaysian government, Tolentino revealed. This translates to roughly over 1,400.

Pag G2G it should be cheaper because may diplomatic relationship involved, may possible po na i-subsidize ng Chinese government so it should be cheaper, he noted.

Tolentino also argued that Sinopharm is one of the safest vaccines available, logging a high efficacy rate among the Asian ethnicity group at over 79%.
Taiwan air force flexes muscles after PLA incursions

Taiwan's air force has strained under the pressure of almost constantly having to scramble in recent months to respond to stepped up mainland activity nearby. File image: Shutterstock

Armed and ready to go, Taiwan air force jets screamed into the sky on Tuesday in a drill to simulate a war scenario, showing its fleet's battle readiness after dozens of PLA warplanes flew into the island's air defence zone over the weekend.



Taiwan has been on edge since the large-scale incursion by mainland fighters and nuclear-capable bombers into the southwestern part of its air defence identification zone on Saturday and Sunday, which coincided with a US carrier group entering the South China Sea.



The base in the southern city of Tainan, home to F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defence Fighters (IDF), frequently scrambles jets to intercept the mainland's air force.



In a hardened shelter, flight crew from the First Tactical Fighter Wing rushed to ready two IDFs as an alarm bell rang out, aiming to get them off the ground within five minutes of an emergency call, armed with US-made Sidewinders and domestically-developed Wan Chien air-to-ground cruise missiles.



Colonel Lee Ching-shi said their jets usually go up armed with guns, Sidewinders and Taiwan-made Sky Sword missiles when reacting to PLA jets and they can respond "at any time".



"We are ready," he said during a government-organised visit to the base. "We will not give up one inch of our territory."



Four IDFs carried out tactical formation landing and rolling take off drills, roaring away from the runway.



Beijing has provided no public explanation for what its aircraft were doing at the weekend. Washington responded by calling on China to cease pressuring Taiwan and reaffirming its commitment to the democratic island.



Taiwan's air force is well trained, but has far fewer combat aircraft than the PLA and has strained under the pressure of almost constantly having to scramble in recent months, responding to stepped up mainland activity near the island.



"All the wings are under quite a lot of pressure, but as long as the air force is here, we will react according to related battle readiness rules," said pilot Wang Chih-chan. (Reuters)
ALONE, the organisation that supports and empowers older people, is seeking clarity on Irelands vaccination strategy and implementation for older people.

The organisation is taking action after one in five of calls into its National Support Line in the past week concern general Covid-19 related queries, Covid-19 vaccination and testing questions, and the restrictions that concern older people as Level 5 looks to continue well into February.

Of these Covid-19 calls, roughly half of these older people were specifically asking about when they would be receiving the vaccine. One caller to the ALONE National Support Line was dissatisfied at the knowledge provided by the Government around the vaccination rollout. The HSE website currently displays: You do not need to contact us to get the Covid-19 vaccine. We will let you know when you can register to get the vaccine through an invitation from your healthcare team, news or public advertising.

ALONE also believe that keeping to the promise of the rollout timeline is essential to support the reintegration of older people in society. The organisation is seeking clear instructions to be issued by the Government as guidance, in addressing who will contact older people and when.

ALONE is appealing for the strategy to be adhered to and for those who are more vulnerable to receive the vaccine in the estimated timeframe. ALONE has received a number of reports of phone scams relating to the administration of the vaccination in homes, which only drives the need for clarity of information.

The current directions for older people on when they can avail of the Covid19 vaccine are not clear enough," said ALONE Sean Moynihan.

"If an invitation is extended to older people via news or public advertising, we need clear step-by-step guidance on where older people are to revert to in order to book in for their first vaccination. There must be easy directions on what to do when you have received the vaccine and when to return for your second administration. The recent texting and calling scams about vaccine distribution and administration are cause for concern.

It is vitally important to ensure that Government sticks to the rollout plan that they have announced and prioritise older people for this vaccine, so that we can keep this promise to our older people who have already been through so much since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we must ensure that older people are provided with sufficient guidance and clear information about their upcoming vaccinations.

If you are concerned about your own wellbeing or the wellbeing of someone you know, contact ALONEs National Support Line on 0818 222 024, which is available seven days a week from 8am to 8pm. Further information can be found on www.alone.ie.
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Students of IEM school, an unauthorized alternative missionary education center, take a bus headed to a COVID-19 treatment center, Tuesday, from a church in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, where they had stayed. Thirty-seven of them tested positive for the coronavirus. Yonhap



By Lee Hyo-jin



A massive COVID-19 infection cluster at an unauthorized alternative missionary school located in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, put the health authorities on high alert Tuesday. The International English Mission (IEM) is an alternative boarding school located in central Daejeon, run by the missionary group International Mission (IM), which has a wide network with over 20 similar facilities nationwide.



More than 100 teenagers, aged between 16 and 18, were attending the school to receive vocational education and training to become international missionaries. Although it is called a school, it is not authorized by the education authorities and its graduates are not recognized as having completed middle or high school courses.



As of Tuesday, 132 people linked to the school, including 112 students, were found to be infected with COVID-19.







2020 really has been the most pivotal year in these kids lives, and I would argue the majority of people around right now, Chaidez said. Its really just been one headline after the other for the majority of this past year, so not only do I think that adds to it, but I also think that kids are a lot smarter than people give them credit for.
Clarity can be the technology partner to help governments worldwide push forward despite budgetary constraints and deploy modern air quality monitoring networks that serve and empower the local community.

Clarity Movement Co., a global sensing and data analytics company empowering the world to reduce air pollution, shared today that its air quality monitoring technology was selected to power the next phase of the Breathe London project. The selection comes through a partnership with Imperial College London, a pioneering university with a research arm specializing in air pollution that is responsible for managing the London Air Quality Network (LAQN), one of the densest and most advanced metropolitan monitoring networks in the world.

Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues said, This is a major milestone for the Mayors world-leading Breathe London sensor network. Giving Londoners the opportunity to see the levels of pollution in their local area will improve awareness and help people reduce their exposure. It will also help City Hall, TfL [Transport for London], and the boroughs better target efforts on improving air quality and contributing to a green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. We hope the success of this scheme and its innovative use of clean technology will act as a blueprint for cities around the world to battle their own toxic air emergencies.

Claritys technology will be used in the fight against Londons toxic air, giving local communities access to affordable and reliable air quality data at scale. Initially, more than 100 low-cost air quality sensors will be installed at London hospitals, schools, and other sensitive locations to complement Londons existing high-quality reference-grade monitors and to enable real-time measurement of ambient air pollution at the neighborhood level.

Air pollution is often described as an invisible killer. To optimize solutions it is imperative local communities are empowered with actionable data in real-time, said Dr. Gary Fuller, air pollution scientist, Imperial College London. The Breathe London project makes London the first city to holistically integrate low-cost sensors with existing air quality infrastructure. We are excited to be partnering with Clarity who will provide hardware and software to measure local air quality that is significantly lower cost and far easier to deploy than traditional equipment. A key strength of the Breathe London project will be at our new data centre, at White City in west London, where traditional and new lower-cost sensor data will be combined to provide Londoners with some of the highest-resolution air quality data in the world.

Breathe London is funded by the Mayor of London and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Installation of the new network of Clarity air sensors will be completed in tranches starting in January 2021, with full deployment of the publicly-funded sensors expected by June 2021. The network will continue to expand through community funding initiatives, coordinated by Imperial College London.

We are proud to partner with Breathe London to offer affordable air monitoring technology to London communities, and we are confident that this project represents a blueprint for governments across the globe who are working to pursue their own sustainability initiatives amidst rising air pollution and ongoing budget challenges, said Meiling Gao, COO, Clarity Movement Co. Clarity can be the technology partner to help governments worldwide push forward despite budgetary constraints and deploy modern air quality monitoring networks that serve and empower the local community.

Air Quality Monitoring 2.0: The Future of Air Quality Monitoring Networks

In the United States, the legacy infrastructure traditionally used to measure and manage air quality is timeworn and costly to maintain. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), for example, released a report in December 2020 highlighting that US air pollution monitoring networks have fallen into disrepair due to aging equipment and budgetary constraints.

The U.S. isnt the only country challenged to maintain funding for air quality monitoring infrastructure - government-funded air pollution initiatives are chronically underfunded globally. Grants from multilateral agencies, such as the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme, remain critical to building air quality monitoring efforts in the many countries where no funding exists. As government agencies across the world face budget cuts due to the economic impacts of COVID-19 in the coming years, air quality leaders will need to find ways to stretch their monitoring budgets.

Air pollution and climate change conditions are reaching criticality worldwide at the same time that environmental agencies face budget constraints, and traditional air sensing technologies have reached a crossroads, Gao also said. Given the current conditions, we believe that the future of air quality monitoring networks, Air Quality Monitoring 2.0, will consist of installing low-cost and highly-scalable sensors to complement existing regulatory monitoring equipment and fill in the spatial and temporal gaps that exist with the traditional networks. These technologically advanced sensors are significantly less expensive than traditional technologies and will be key to making air quality monitoring globally accessible by removing the steep up-front and operational costs that come with traditional monitoring networks.

Helping governments in more than 85 cities across more than 50 countries adopt Air Quality Monitoring 2.0, Clarity offers a reliable, low-cost air quality management solution that is purpose-built to complement existing regulatory monitoring networks. Solar-powered and weatherproof, the Clarity Node-S weighs just 1.2 kg and measures air pollutants like fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. Claritys monitors can be easily deployed in 10 minutes or less and link to the cloud through native cellular connectivity, allowing them to operate seamlessly with minimal maintenance in any environmental condition.

Once installed, customers have direct access to the data collected through API access and the Clarity Dashboard, an intuitive software platform that visualizes and integrates data from existing reference stations and includes advanced features like colocation analysis. The company upholds the highest standards for data and security and ensures that customers retain ownership of all data collected by their Clarity network. Claritys sensing-as-a-service model includes a hardware warranty and access to a dedicated customer success team of air quality experts for project and technical support.

To support other cities and government agencies looking to leverage low-cost sensors to expand air quality monitoring coverage in the face of budget cuts, Clarity released a playbook titled Maximize Your Air Quality Budget in a Post-COVID World: A Guide to Leveraging Low-cost Sensors for Air Quality Monitoring 2.0. To download the playbook, visit Claritys website.

About Clarity Movement Co.

Clarity Movement Co. was founded in 2014 to empower the world to reduce air pollution. The Clarity team leverages expertise in air sensing technology, IoT devices, and data analytics to provide the most reliable low-cost hardware and software air quality monitoring solution available on the market. Claritys air quality sensing-as-a-service solution revolutionizes the way governments, businesses, and communities understand and respond to air pollution, and currently provides local, accurate, and scalable air quality monitoring to more than 85 cities across 50+ countries. For more information, please visit clarity.io or follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About Imperial College of London

Imperial College London is one of the world's leading universities. The College's 17,000 students and 8,000 staff are expanding the frontiers of knowledge in science, medicine, engineering and business, and translating their discoveries into benefits for our society. Imperial is the UK's most international university, according to Times Higher Education, with academic ties to more than 150 countries. Reuters named the College as the UK's most innovative university because of its exceptional entrepreneurial culture and ties to industry.

The Environmental Research Group, part of Imperials School of Public Health, is a leading provider of air quality information and research in the UK, combining air pollution science, toxicology and epidemiology to determine the impacts of air pollution on health and the causal factors.

About Greater London Authority

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is the strategic authority for London and includes the Mayor of London's office. Under the Greater London Authority Act 1999 the elected Mayor of London has legal responsibility for preparing an Air Quality Strategy for London and leads on the implementation of measures in the city to tackle pollution emissions, reduce exposure, raise awareness and integrate air quality and public health. Further background on what the GLA does can be found on the GLA website here: https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/how-we-work-london
A British treasure hunter who salvaged 32 million of silver bars from a torpedoed WWII wreck could now lose it all in a court battle with the South African government.

Ross Hyett, 67, successfully led a treasure-hunting mission to recover 2,364 South Africa-owned bars of silver from the wreck of the SS Tilawa off the coast of the Maldives.

The ship was a Tyneside-built 10,000-ton steamer that had been taking mostly Indian nationals to South Africa in 1942 with 954 people onboard. Its cargo included 2,391 bars of silver, purchased by the South African government and destined to be turned into coins in their national mint.

But en-route from Bombay to Durban, the ship was sunk by two Japanese torpedoes fired from a submarine off the coast of the Maldives in November 1942.

A nearby British ship, HMS Birmingham, came to its rescue but 281 people died while the wreck sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

Of the silver bars on board, 2,364 were salvaged and brought back to Southampton over 70 years later by Mr Hyett's treasure-hunting company, Argentum Exploration Ltd.

Mr Hyett, from Derby, a former British racing champion and director of the British Racing Drivers' Club, spent over two years planning and carrying out the salvage operation.

After salvaging the hoard, he brought it to Southampton in 2017 and declared it to the Receiver of Wreck, which oversees salvage law.

But the South African government, the owner of the long-lost silver bars, is now fighting Mr Hyett's company over the hoard in court and last week won a victory which could see him end up with nothing.

The SS Tilawa, a merchant steamer sunk in 1942 by Japanese torpedoes while carrying a 32m cargo of silver bars

Ross Hyett, 67, successfully led a treasure-hunting mission to recover 2,364 bars of silver from the wreck of the SS Tilawa

The sinking of the SS Tilawa by Japanese torpedoes during the Second World War The SS Tilawa was a merchant ship owned by the British India Steam Navigation Company, having been built on the Tyne in 1924. It was 125m in length and at the time she was sunk carried a crew of 222, as well as 732 passengers and 6,472 tons of cargo. The ship was transporting mostly Indian nationals to Mombasa, Maputo and Durban. But en-route from Bombay to Durban, the ship was sunk by two Japanese torpedoes on November 27, 1942. The ship was attacked 930 miles northeast of the Seychelles. Reports say that the first torpedo created panic among the 732 passengers, with many of the deaths coming in the rush to lifeboats. The ship remained afloat despite the attack but, as the survivors attempted to reboard, the second torpedo struck. Nearby British ship HMS Birmingham swiftly mounted a rescue operation and a total of 673 of the 954 people on board were brought back to Bombay. Another 281 lost their lives in the attack. Advertisement

The SS Tilawa was a merchant ship owned by the British India Steam Navigation Company, having been built on the Tyne in 1924.

It was 125m in length and at the time she was sunk carried a crew of 222, as well as 732 passengers and 6,472 tons of cargo.

Nearby British ship HMS Birmingham swiftly mounted a rescue operation and a total of 673 of the 954 people on board were brought back to Bombay on November 27, 1942, with 281 losing their lives.

Mr Hyett's secret salvage operation took six months, with the recovered silver being hidden in a basket lowered to the seabed in international waters to avoid it being seized.

The bars were likewise shipped to Southampton avoiding all territorial waters.

The silver is now under lock and key in a secure warehouse while a court fight rages between Mr Hyett's company and the South African government over the rights to the treasure.

The South African government is the legal owner of the hoard, but Mr Hyett says he is not obliged to release the silver until the government has agreed to pay him a massive 'salvage reward' under the 1995 Merchant Shipping Act.

Last December, Judge Sir Nigel Teare in the Admiralty Court in London found that the South African government is obliged to pay up, after comparing the dispute to the board game Buccaneer, in which rivals race to claim pirate treasure.

The South African government had insisted that it could legally avoid paying the reward for the silver under the State Immunity Act 1978.

The Act frees other sovereign states from being subject to UK laws, except in certain very limited circumstances.

One of those exemptions from immunity arises in cases being dealt with in the Admiralty Court relating to commercial cargo on a ship.

Sir Nigel ruled in December that the bars were being used for commercial purposes when the ship was sunk in 1942, and handed victory to Mr Hyett's company.

HMS Birmingham the warship that came to the rescue of the SS Tilawa after it was hit by torpedoes

Passengers and crew attempting to flee the SS Tilawa, a merchant steamer sunk in 1942 by Japanese torpedoes

But last week, he granted permission to appeal against his own ruling after admitting the case was breaking new legal ground, adding that there were viable arguments 'on both sides'.

Salvage laws in the UK If you recover wreck material within UK territorial waters, or bring wreck material into UK territorial waters, you must report it to the Receiver of Wreck, under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. The Receiver of Wreck is responsible for processing incoming reports of wreck and ensures that the interests of both salvor and owner are taken into consideration. This is done by researching and establishing who owns the wreck and liaising with the finder and owner, and other interested parties such as archaeologists and museums. The Receiver aims to give owners the opportunity of having their property returned and to make sure a fair salvage award payment is made where necessary. If you recover wreck material, you must declare it to the Receiver within 28 days. You should give a full description of the wreck and will usually be asked to hold recovered material. If you own a wreck, you must prove ownership to the satisfaction of the Receiver. You must provide proof of ownership within one year of the material being reported. You will be entitled to have your property back as soon as you have paid any due expenses and an appropriate salvage award. A salvor, acting properly under the law, is likely to be entitled to a salvage award. This salvage award cannot exceed the salved value of the recovered material. The Receiver can arrange for independent valuations to help owners and finders agree on a fair salvage award. Source: gov.uk Advertisement

In his judgement in December, he explained: 'The question is whether the bars of silver and the vessel carrying them were, at the time the cause of action arose, in use or intended for use for commercial purposes.'

Sir Nigel found in favour of Argentum, saying that the fact the silver was being carried on a merchant ship when it was lost made it part of a commercial transaction.

'The fact that the wreck of the vessel and the cargo had lain on the bottom of the Indian Ocean for over 70 years did not lead to a change in their status,' he said.

The South African government had 'exposed itself to a liability in salvage by reason of having chosen, as any private citizen does, to have its property carried by sea,' the judge said.

Last week however, he heard barrister Christopher Smith QC ask him for permission to appeal against his own ruling, claiming he got it wrong.

He argued that because the silver was intended for the 'sovereign purpose' of minting coins it should not be considered commercial cargo.

'This is a state-owned cargo intended for use in sovereign purposes...where we own it with an intention to use it with sovereign purpose we wish to submit to the Court of Appeal that there was no principled reason for refusing immunity,' Mr Smith said.

'A state-owned cargo is immune unless it is being used or is intended for use in commercial purposes. In 1942, this cargo was neither in use nor intended for use in commercial purposes.

'We own the cargo. The ruling involves this court sitting in judgment on another sovereign state which is what state immunity is intended to avoid,' he concluded.

Sir Nigel, granting permission to appeal, said: 'The question for this court is whether the appeal has a real prospect of success that is more than fanciful.

'This issue is not one which has had to be addressed before by this court.

'There were arguments either way, although I reached a clear conclusion in favour of the claimant. But I cannot in all intellectual honesty say that this is a case where there is no realistic prospect of success.

'There are arguments either way. Seeking to be intellectually honest therefore, I give permission to appeal,' he concluded.

The fight over the treasure will now move on to the Court of Appeal at a later date, while the silver will continue to be held by the receiver of wreck until the case is resolved.
In 2020, Malaysia lost foreign direct investment (FDI) at twice the rate of the ASEAN region, the Investment Trends Monitor of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) found. Malaysia also bled FDI at a worse rate compared to the contraction of FDI globally.

According to UNCTAD, Malaysias FDI last year was down 68% from 2019, amounting to just US$2.5 billion (RM10.1 billion). In comparison, the whole of the ASEAN region only lost 31% on average last year while globally, all FDI contracted by 42%. The total FDI for ASEAN countries last year was US$107 billion while global FDI stood at US$859 billion.

While FDI in the Philippines bucked the trend by rising 29% to US$6.4 billion, other countries in ASEAN reported declines in the range of 50% and below. Thailands FDI contracted by 50% to US$1.5 billion, Singapore registered a decline of 37%, Indonesia recorded a contraction of 24%, and Vietnams FDI declined by 10%.

Such a level of decline in FDI had not been seen since the 1990s and was over a third more severe than the 2008-2009 global financial crisis aftermath, UNCTAD said. Despite projections for some level of recovery of the global economy this year, UNCTAD expects FDI flows to remain weak due to uncertainties surrounding the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In last years World Investment Report, UNCCTAD has projected a slide in FDI of about 5-10%. The effects of the pandemic on investment will linger, said James Zhan, director of UNCTADs investment division. Investors are likely to remain cautious in committing capital to new overseas productive assets. For developing countries, the prospects for 2021 are a major concern.

(Source: Malay Mail)

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Care home coronavirus deaths have nearly tripled in a fortnight, damning official figures show as the disease makes a deadly resurgence in the sector.

The UK's national statistics body found 1,705 care home residents died from the virus in the week ending January 22, up from 661 a fortnight ago.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also revealed care home residents make up almost a third of all Covid-19 fatalities.

There were 94,971 total deaths from the virus in England and Wales as of January 15, according to the ONS, 30,851 of which were in care homes (32.4 per cent).

Just 75 per cent of care home residents have been vaccinated against Covid, despite the vaccination scheme launching seven weeks ago.

The Independent Care Group, which represents providers in York and North Yorkshire, said the figures make 'grim reading' and demonstrate the need to avoid complacency.

Human rights group Amnesty International told MailOnline it suspects the resurgence of the virus in care homes is linked to the Government's controversial policy to continue to send Covid patients discharged from hospitals back into care homes.

Under the scheme, designed to free up hospital beds and protect the NHS, care homes which pass inspection and are deemed Covid-secure are asked to house infected patients.

Other experts have said that when transmission is allowed to spiral in the community - there are thought to be about 100,000 new infections in the UK every day - it will always trickle into care homes through asymptomatic staff and claim lives.

More than 20,000 care home residents died from Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic and experts say the decision to discharge thousands of untested hospital patients into care homes in spring was partly to blame. MPs accused the Government of throwing care homes 'to the wolves'.

The Office for National Statistics said there were 1,705 deaths in English care homes reported to the Care Quality Commission in the seven days to January 2, up from 661 a fortnight ago

Dr Maurice Price administers the BioNTech/Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine into the arm of Beryl Humphreys, a resident at Bowbrook House care home in Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Mike Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Group, said: 'We now have vaccines, and the Government is to be congratulated on the speed at which it is protecting the vulnerable.

'But Covid-19 is not beaten yet and we must remain cautious and, on our guard, observing all the guidance and keeping everyone in care settings  care and nursing homes and those receiving care in their own homes  as safe as we can, alongside those who are caring for them.'

What are the current rules for visiting care homes? Care homes across the UK are still offering outdoor visiting and 'screened' visits during the lockdown. Government guidance says these should always be an option because visits are 'crucially important for maintaining health and wellbeing and quality of life for residents'. As well as maintaining social distance, visitors have to adhere to hand hygiene protocols and in some cases wear personal protective equipment (PPE) including aprons, masks and gloves. However, care homes can cancel outdoor and screened visits if there is an outbreak in the facility. Families are only allowed in-person visits in exceptional circumstances, including seeing dying relatives. This should continue even in the event of clusters within the homes, Number 10 says. Relatives coming for in-person visits must be tested using rapid lateral flow devices, which give a result within half an hour. Only after a negative result can the visit continue. Advertisement

Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Research Sarah Scobie said that care homes are 'feeling the strain' and said it will take time for the vaccine rollout to affect figures.

She said: 'The number of registered deaths from Covid of care home residents has increased by 25 per cent since last week.

'The sector is again feeling the strain, and while the vaccine roll-out for the most vulnerable is continuing at impressive speed it will be a while until the benefits feed through to the figures.'

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure to speed up the Covid vaccine rollout to care homes.

Britain's 420,000 residents were supposed to be at the front of the queue for the jabs when the immunisation scheme launched on December 8.

But ministers decided to jab over-80s and health and social workers because of logistical issues with storing and transporting the Pfizer vaccine

Liz Kendall, Labour's shadow social care minister, warned the UK is 'in a race against time to vaccinate residents and staff' to stop the disease from ripping through the sector.

Experts say there is 'always a risk' of the virus getting into homes via care staff if the disease is spreading at high levels in the community even if workers are being regularly tested.

Public Inquiry specialist Kim Harrison, from law firm Slater and Gordon, told MailOnline it was 'unforgivable' to house Covid patients among the people most vulnerable to the disease.

She added: 'The government seems to be repeating the same catastrophic policy errors it committed when the pandemic hit last year.

'Discharging potentially Covid-positive patients into the most vulnerable population is thought to have contributed to the steep death toll in March last year. So it is unforgivable do it again, knowing that it will almost certainly cost many lives.'

Liz Kendall, Labour's shadow social care minister, warned the UK is 'in a race against time to vaccinate residents and staff'

There have also been concerns over the accuracy of the rapid tests being used in care homes.

It comes as ONS figures revealed that, as of January 15, there had been 103,704 Covid fatalities across the UK since the pandemic began.

The figure is slightly higher than the Department of Health's tally of 98,531 because the ONS includes all fatalities with Covid on the death certificates, whereas the Government's figure relies on positive tests.

The official count, which missed off untested care home residents in the first wave, is expected to top six figures today or tomorrow.

Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, a statistician at the University of Cambridge, described the 100,000 figure as an 'awful total'.

Reacting to the 100,000 figure, Professor Spiegelhalter said: 'The ONS data show that over 100,000 people in the UK had already died with Covid on their death certificate by January 7, nearly three weeks ago.

'This rose to 108,000 by January 15, and the total now will be nearly 120,000. Around 90 per cent of these had Covid as the immediate cause of death, and so perhaps we can say that around 100,000 people in the UK have now died because of Covid. An awful total.'

Joanna Henwood, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, said her 96-year-old father is still waiting to receive the jab in his Devon care home following an outbreak on January 4.

She said staff told her that GPs would administer jabs only once the outbreak had cleared.

NHS guidelines state that GPs are still expected to visit homes where there are cases.

Professor Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said doctors are working hard to ensure care homes receive their jabs.

One in ten residents in Scotland are not being vaccinated when the jab is taken to care homes, a health board has revealed.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde yesterday said all its care home residents have been offered the vaccine and 6,019 residents have received it.

But it also said just under 10 per cent of residents were unable to get the vaccine due to issues such as ill health.

Another health board, NHS Fife, said it had taken the jab to all its care homes and around 5,000 staff and residents received the first dose. But it is estimated that hundreds more did not receive it.
Friend of the blog Clay Chastain seems optimistic about the future of Kansas City given more cash for infrastructure, remember he's the only person to have ever one a citywide vote for light rail . . .



Biden Infrastructure Plan Pushes Better Roads, EV Chargers, Mass Transit

Accordingly, here's his note hoping that City Hall will seek partnership over legal battles . . . Read more:



Clay Chastain: (Mayor) Lucas & Council are blocking Clay's petition vision from the ballot - jeopardizing Biden's infrastructure funding for Kansas City - stopping Kansas City from moving forward!

1. President Biden's pledge to fund, "high-quality, zero-emission public transportation options" = Clay's petition vision.



2. President Biden's pledge to fund "light rail networks and infrastructure for bicycle and pedestrians" = Clay's petition vision.



3. President Biden's pledge to get "green infrastructure" going right now across America = Clay's petition vision.



So why is Lucas and the Council destroying Kansas City's chances to vote, take off and secure federal funding by refusing to place Clay's petition vision before the voters of Kansas City? What are they afraid of, success for Kansas City?

###############



Developing . . .


KYODO NEWS - Jan 26, 2021 - 21:32 | Others, All, Japan, Coronavirus

Japan plans to secure about 20,000 freezers for hospital storage of coronavirus vaccines, as the country steps up preparations for their delivery, government officials said Tuesday.

The government will purchase deep freezers and distribute them to medical facilities nationwide, with vaccinations expected to start in the country in late February, commencing with medical workers.

The government will sign contracts with four freezer makers, possibly in early February, at an estimated cost of more than 10 billion yen ($96.4 million), according to the officials.

With a population of around 126 million, Japan is set to obtain 310 million vaccine doses from Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. and AstraZeneca Plc., enough for 157 million people.

The vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. and German partner BioNTech SE has to be stored at minus 75 C or lower, while that of U.S. biotech company Moderna Inc. can be shipped and stored over a six-month period if kept in a freezer at minus 20 C.

Related coverage:

Moderna says COVID-19 vaccine works on variants, but studying booster

Australia approves 1st coronavirus vaccine with rollout eyed in Feb.

Japan to hold coronavirus vaccination simulation Jan. 27

The vaccine developed by Britain's AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford can be stored in normal refrigerators.

The economy ministry and the health ministry have requested that the four manufacturers -- PHC Holdings Corp., Nihon Freezer Co., and EBAC Co., all based in Tokyo, and Kanou Reiki in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture -- boost their production capacity.

A total of 10,000 freezers made by the four manufacturers will be used to store the Pfizer vaccine, which could be approved for inoculation in Japan in mid-February if everything goes as planned, according to the officials.

Another 10,000 freezers from the three Tokyo companies are expected to store the Moderna vaccine, they said.

The government plans to distribute 1,500 freezers for the Pfizer vaccine to designated vaccination facilities by late February, 3,300 units by late March and the rest by late June.

As for the 10,000 units to store the Moderna vaccine, a concrete delivery schedule has yet to be decided, according to the officials.
Groups of protesting farmers camping at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points of the capital broke police barricades on Tuesday morning to force their way into the city, much ahead of the time they were granted permission by Delhi Police for their tractor parade.

Tractors bearing flags could be seen, along with men and women dancing on dhols, and locals on both sides of the road showering petals on cavalcades, as security personnel tried to convince farmers to stick to the decided plan of holding the tractor parade after the conclusion of the Republic Day parade at the Rajpath.

Farmers also marched on foot in large numbers holding flags of different farmer unions and raising slogans. Some were seen riding motorcycles and horses. People also perched atop their tractors and raised slogans and sang revolutionary songs.

Locals were also seen distributing food and water bottles to the protesting farmers who were part of the march.

A senior police officer who was at the spot said that a group of farmers entered the capital after breaking the barricades.

"As per agreement, they were supposed to start their parade at the time specified but they forcefully entered Delhi and are currently peacefully sitting at Mukarba Chowk. They are supposed to head towards Bawana side as per the route but they are adamant that they want to go towards Outer Ring Road.

"The situation is peaceful and we are trying to convince them to go towards the designated route at the specified time, he said.

On Sunday, Delhi Police had allowed the tractor rally after the annual Republic Day parade. The protesters were told they can't disrupt the celebrations at Rajpath even as the farmers insisted their parade will be "peaceful".

"But some groups of farmers did not relent and started moving towards the Outer Ring Road breaking police barricades," an official said.

A member of the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 unions, leading the protest against the three central farm laws at several border points of Delhi, said those who broke the barricades belonged to the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.

He said the Sankyukt Kisan Morcha's tractor parade will start as scheduled after police give farmers way. The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee on Monday announced that they would hold their march on Delhi's busy Outer Ring Road on Republic Day.

The protesting unions have also announced a foot march to Parliament on February 1, when the annual Budget is being presented, to press for their demands, including a repeal of the three new laws.

Heavy security has been deployed in view of the 'Kisan Gantantra Parade' that will move into Delhi from the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points.

Patrolling has been intensified at power substations in Delhi following a threat from the banned Sikhs for Justice outfit to disrupt the city's supply during the Republic Day celebrations.

An official said around 6,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain vigil. Facial recognition systems have also been set up at vantage points for suspect identification, the official said.

The security personnel are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil over Rajpath, where President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with other dignitaries and thousands of people.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been campaing at several Delhi border points since November 28, demanding a complete repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.
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Despite a recession and record job losses, home prices nationwide rose 10 percent in November from the year before as values accelerated through the pandemic. As recently as 2019, home price growth was less than 4 percent, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index, which tracks single-family home sales.

The housing market continued to hold stronger than expected throughout the last months of 2020 despite increases in infection rates across the country, said Selma Hepp, CoreLogic deputy chief economist, in a statement.

In Houston, the median sales price in November rose 12 percent from the year before, the greatest year-over-year increase in more than seven years, according to data from the Houston Association of Realtors.

Part of the reason is a lack of inventory. Houston inventory  measured at the number of months it would take to sell homes currently on the market at the rate theyre going for  fell to the lowest on record: 1.9 months as of December. Six months worth of inventory is considered a balanced market.

Prime Property: Get Houston real estate news sent directly to your inbox

Given that we are unsure of when social interaction will be safe again, homebuyers will continue to compete for fewer and fewer homes available for sale, which will drive home prices higher.

Whats more, low mortgage rates, driven to all-time lows by the pandemic and its accompanying recession, are giving home prices room to grow. When investors are concerned about the future of the economy, they seek safer investments and pour money into government bonds and mortgage debt  much of it backed by government-sponsored companies Freddie Mac and its sister company, Fannie Mae.

Investors are so hungry for security that they are willing to accept lower yields, driving down the interest paid on bonds and mortgages. Actions by the Federal Reserve to support the economy, including cutting short-term rates to near zero and buying government- and mortgage-backed bonds, are also driving down mortgage rates. Lower mortgage rates mean homebuyers can afford to buy a more expensive home for the same monthly payment.

Rents for single-family homes are also rising. They were 3.7 percent higher in November than the year before, according to the CoreLogic Single-Family Rent Index.

Rent increases for single-family properties rebounded in recent months and in November exceeded the pre-pandemic rate, said Molly Boesel, principal economist at CoreLogic. This is in contrast to rents for multifamily properties, which have decreased as tenant preferences shifted away from high-density apartment buildings to low-desnity, single-family homes.

rebecca.schuetz@chron.com;

twitter.com/raschuetz
I know some families would like us to simply use technology and have students doing remote assignments on snow days. I believe now, more than ever, that snow days (which are generally rare) are times for children to have fun and create lifetime memories. Our students (and staff) work tremendously hard, and the rare snow day is something all children should experience. Especially in these unprecedented times. Life is too short! If we ever do close, see it as a chance for sledding, hot chocolate, extra sleep and a special moment for your children.




Haiti - NOTICE : Screening tests for travelers again available





Dr Marie Marcelle Deschamps, Deputy Director of Gheskio Centers informs that screening tests for travelers are again available in her two centers



The appointment must be made by phone or email:



The Gheskio-Inlr Center



Telephone: 509-4761-9075



Email: INLRCOVID@gheskio.org



The Gheskio-Imis Center:



Telephone: 509-3473-5561



Email: IMISCOVID@gheskio.org



Once the appointment has been obtained, a payment of 50 US dollars or its equivalent in Gourdes at the daily rate must be made to the Capital Bank.



The "Covid-19 Traveler Exam Request" form, available at https://gheskio.org/travel-form, must be duly completed and brought to the appointment.



The traveler will present himself at the collection center with the receipt from the Capital Bank and the completed form.



The sample must be taken within 72 hours before boarding the traveler.



HL/ HaitiLibre



















Police and local authorities in Rakhine states Kyauktaw township on Monday took statements from family members of villagers believed to have been abducted last year by Myanmar military forces, with a military spokesman promising explanations if the army is shown to have been involved, Myanmar sources said.

The 18 men were taken away in two batches in mid-March, 2020 when soldiers from a Myanmar military infantry unit entered their community in Kyauktaw township amid fighting with the rebel Arakan Army (AA), later burning down dozens of homes in the 500-home ethnic Rakhine village tract.

Eight of the 18 Kyauktaw villagers were taken from Tin Ma Thit village on March 13, while the other 10 from Tin May Gyi village were arrested by troops on March 16, all on suspicion of having ties to the AA. The body of one of them was discovered a day later in a river, riddled with bullet holes.

The incident was one of numerous disappearances in the now two-year-old war in Rakhine that has killed at least 300 civilians and displaced roughly 230,000 others. The AA is battling for more autonomy for the ethnic Rakhines, descendants of an ancient kingdom along the eastern shore of the Bay of Bengal.

Maung Kyaw Win, the father of disappeared 28-year-old villager Nay Lin Oo, told RFA on Monday that he and other villagers summoned by investigators have now been questioned twice, with a first interrogation taking place on Dec. 29 at the Mrauk-U District Police commanders office.

They compared our testimonies today with the ones we gave in Mrauk-U, he said.

I appealed to them to have the detained villagers released if they are still alive," he said, adding, "And if they are not, they should confirm this frankly.

Military patches seen

Ma Aye Hla, the wife of 34-year-old missing villager Maun Than Soe, said that investigators asked her if she could identify the military unit that she said had abducted her husband.

I told them I didnt know the units exact designation, but that I had seen the number 55 written on the soldiers insignia, she said.

Family members of the missing men said they had sent letters on Dec. 1 to Myanmars president, state counselor and de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and Myanmars Ministry of Defense, asking them to urgently investigate the now almost-year-old case.

Community leader and investigation team member Tun Thein said that all testimony collected in the case will be forwarded on to relevant government and military authorities.

We will send the testimony to the presidents office and the state counselors office, and also to the Defense Ministry and to [Myanmars] Human Rights Commission, he said, adding that team members must first meet, however, to decide when to send the documents on.

I dont know when we will have that meeting, though, he said.

Explanations promised



Myanmars military has consistently denied any role in the villagers disappearance, but military spokesman Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun said on Monday that the army will provide explanations for any evidence they were involved.

There was armed combat near Tin Ma village at the time [the men disappeared], and some of the villagers may have been fleeing from their homes, he said. Other information may emerge when the township investigators question the villagers, he added.

And if anything comes up related to the military, we will explain that, he said.

At least 22 missing persons are believed to have been abducted last year by Myanmar military units in Kyauktaw township, according to local lawmakers.

Myanmars military, which controls the countrys police force, has a fearsome reputation among the multiethnic countrys ethnic minorities.

An August 2018 report by the U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar mentions enforced disappearances among the many gross human rights violations and abuses committed in Kachin, Rakhine, and Shan states.

The report said that crimes against humanity in those conflict zones include murder; imprisonment; enforced disappearance; torture; rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence; persecution and enslavement.

Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Gardai were at Dublin Airport again today as they confirmed that foreign holidays are not deemed essential travel.

Officers at a checkpoint were enforcing the 5km from home travel limit.

Gardai said: "Essential travel restrictions apply to flights from Dublin Airport.

"Holidays abroad are not deemed essential."

Reports suggested today that fines for those found outside the 5km travel limit who are intending to travel abroad will be increased from the current 100.

According to RTE, the increase has not been decided on yet but sources indicated it could rise to 500.

Additional gardai are being deployed to ports and airports and Mr Martin said those found going outside their 5km limit will be subject to increased fines.

Gardai have issued approximately 1,500 fines for non-essential travel in the past two weeks.

A series of checkpoints and high visibility patrols are continuing at public amenities across the country in support of public health regulations.

Deputy Commissioner, Policing and Security, John Twomey said, "The vast majority of people are complying with the non-essential travel regulations. We thank them for that.

"Unfortunately, there are still some people who are putting themselves, their loved ones and everyone they come into contact with at risk of getting COVID-19 by not complying with public health regulations. There are people dying and are seriously ill from COVID-19. Our health service and all who work in it are under serious pressure. People need to adhere to the public health regulations to help save lives and reduce that pressure.

"Please keep yourself and others safe by staying home. Only make essential journeys. Limit your contacts. Practice social distancing. Wash your hands.
Molson Coors Beverage Co has confirmed it has started brewing Miller Lite in Nicaragua as part of an agreement with Grupo Compania Cervecera de Nicaragua (CCN).

Molson Coors already has a brewing agreement with CCN in Honduras

The US company announced in August last year it had signed a deal with CCN, Nicaragua's largest brewer, to expand Miller Lite into the country. This week, Molson said Miller Lite has been available in Nicaragua since the second week of January.

CCN is handling brewing, distribution and marketing for Miller Lite. Nicaragua is the fourth Latin American country to brew Miller Lite, after Mexico, Panama and Colombia.

Chris Wensel, VP of Molson Coors' license & exports Americas division, said: "With this deal, we're able to close a white space in our footprint, and partner up with the strongest partner possible."

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Molson Coors already has a contract with CCN to brew Miller Lite for export to Honduras.

According to GlobalData, CCN accounted for 90% of the Nicaraguan beer market in 2018 through its Tona and Victoria Frost brands. The prospects for premium beer in Nicaragua are good as the category grows faster than all others, GlobalData said. Premium growth has been helped by an expansion in the number of supermarkets selling beer and giving more options to consumers.

Why consumers need more help in making healthier alcohol choices - click here for a just-drinks consumer trends analysis
Brood X is here

Numerous cicadas and their exoskeletons can be found at Antietam National Cemetery and the nearby battlefield.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 16:28:58|Editor: huaxia

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A team of Nepalese climbers who recently became the first to scale the summit of K2 in winter are received when they arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal, Jan. 26. 2021. An expedition team from Nepal scaled K2, the second highest peak of the world, for the first time in winter on Jan. 16. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua)
The company has opened a sales office and Vari showroom located in Tampa's Westshore area. Industry veteran Pam Randles will steer the company's strategy in the greater Tampa area as regional sales director. Randles has been in the furniture industry for 25 years and spent 14 years leading sales efforts at Herman Miller, one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the world.

Tours of the flexible workspace and office furniture showroom are available by appointment, both virtually and in-person.

Vari CEO and Co-founder Jason McCann said, "Tampa is home to rapidly growing industries and a diverse economy, so it's a key market where we plan to invest and expand our presence. Pam, with her dynamic sales background and more than 25 years of industry experience, will be a tremendous asset to our company and team."

Tampa is experiencing unprecedented population growth and robust economic development. The city has been cited as an ideal environment for business and entrepreneurship, due in part to a pro-business climate. Core industries include financial services, technology, defense, manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare. Tampa was recently named one of the country's best places to live in according to U.S. News & World Report.

"Tampa's business-friendly climate is a major factor for companies looking to expand and scale up," said Randles. "More than ever, having the ability to change the office quickly is critically important. We look forward to building momentum as we bring modern, flexible workspaces to fast-growing companies in the city."

Vari is looking for local talent in corporate sales, as the company plans to continue to grow and expand its presence.

Vari opened showrooms in Austin, Baltimore, Denver, Houston, Phoenix, and Washington D.C. in 2020. The company is expanding into Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, and Raleigh-Durham and is currently hiring in those markets.

About Vari

A workspace innovation company, Vari helps growing organizations unlock the potential of their space and their people. From a collection of office furniture to workspaces offering space-as-a-service, the company makes it easy for high-growth businesses to scale and flex their office space. Organizations all over the world  including over 98% of the Fortune 500  use Vari products, which are tested and certified to the highest industry standards.

Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, https://tampabayedc.com.

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 President Xi Jinping urged abandoning arrogance and isolation mindsets, saying that "we have been shown time and again that to beggar thy neighbor, to go it alone, and to slip into arrogant isolation will always fail."

 "Multilateralism should not be used as pretext for acts of unilateralism. Principles should be preserved and rules, once made, should be followed by all."

 Xi said the international community needs to "stand united and work together," stressing that people should "let multilateralism light our way toward a community with a shared future for mankind."

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday expounded on China's stance over how to improve multilateralism against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and world economic recession, when attending his first international virtual gathering in 2021.

"Every choice and move we make today will shape the world of the future," said Xi in his special address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda and delivers a special address via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2021. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

Rejecting Selective Multilateralism

Noting that the problems facing the world are intricate and complex, Xi said that the way out of them is "through upholding multilateralism and building a community with a shared future for mankind."

"Multilateralism is about having international affairs addressed through consultation and the future of the world decided by everyone working together," Xi said.

The Chinese president called on the international community to say no to narrow-minded, selfish beggar-thy-neighbor policies, and stop unilateral practice of keeping advantages in development all to oneself.

"Multilateralism should not be used as pretext for acts of unilateralism. Principles should be preserved and rules, once made, should be followed by all," Xi said.

"Decision should not be made by simply showing off strong muscles or waving a big fist," he said, adding that "selective multilateralism should not be our option."

Each country is unique with its own history, culture and social system, and none is superior to the other, he said, reiterating that "no two leaves in the world are identical, and no histories, cultures or social systems are the same."

"State-to-state relations should be coordinated and regulated through proper institutions and rules. The strong should not bully the weak," he said.

Moreover, he said scientific and technological advances should benefit all humanity rather than be used to curb and contain other countries' development.

Xi urged abandoning arrogance and isolation mindsets, saying that "we have been shown time and again that to beggar thy neighbor, to go it alone, and to slip into arrogant isolation will always fail.

Chinese medical team experts and Italian doctors pose for a photo in Padua, Italy, March 18, 2020. [Chinese Medical Team/Handout via Xinhua]

Looking to Future to Uphold Multilateralism

Xi noted that multilateral institutions provide the platforms for putting multilateralism into action and are the basic architecture underpinning multilateralism, saying that their authority and effectiveness should be safeguarded.

He called on the international community to stay committed to openness and inclusiveness, to international law and international rules, to consultation and cooperation, and to keeping up with the times instead of rejecting change.

"History and reality have made it clear, time and again, that the misguided approach of antagonism and confrontation, be it in the form of cold war, hot war, trade war or tech war, would eventually hurt all countries' interests and undermine everyone's well-being," he said.

"To uphold multilateralism in the 21st century, we should promote its fine tradition, take on new perspectives and look to the future. We need to stand by the core values and basic principles of multilateralism. We also need to adapt to the changing international landscape and respond to global challenges as they arise. We need to reform and improve the global governance system on the basis of extensive consultation and consensus-building," he said.

Xi urged to give full play to the role of the World Health Organization in building a global community of health for all, and to advance reform of the World Trade Organization and the international financial and monetary system in a way that boosts global economic growth and protects the development rights, interests and opportunities of developing countries.

Photo taken on July 15, 2020 shows the exterior view of the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. [Photo by Li Ye/Xinhua]

Adriano Lucatelli, co-founder and managing director of Descartes Finance, which is a leading Swiss digital wealth management company, told Xinhua that he expected China to continue to push for multilateralism to find global solutions for an after-pandemic world and wished China to take a leading role in fostering global cooperation.

China's Concrete Acts in Promoting Multilateralism

More than 2,000 business, government and civil society leaders and over 20 heads of state or government are set to meet virtually for the WEF Davos Agenda to tackle the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and address the urgent need for global cooperation.

The Davos Agenda 2021 was scheduled to convene from Jan. 25 to 29 under the theme "A Crucial Year to Rebuild Trust."

In his speech, Xi elaborated China's pledge in five aspects to promote multilateralism and common prosperity, including taking an active part in international cooperation on the fight against COVID-19, implementing a win-win strategy of opening-up, promoting sustainable development, advancing science, technology and innovation, and promoting a new type of international relations.

Statistics showed that China's GDP exceeded the 100-trillion-yuan (15.42 trillion U.S. dollars) threshold in 2020 and is expected to be the only major economy to post growth in the pandemic-ravaged year.

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 14, 2021 shows the container terminal of Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Xinhua/Cao Yiming]

"As China enters a new development stage, we will follow a new development philosophy and foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other," Xi said.

"Zero-sum game or winner-takes-all is not the guiding philosophy of the Chinese people. As a staunch follower of an independent foreign policy of peace, China is working hard to pursue friendly and cooperative relations with other countries," he said.

Xi said China will get more actively engaged in global economic governance and push for an economic globalization that is more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all.

As people in the world now cope with the current crisis and endeavor to make a better day for everyone, Xi said the international community needs to "stand united and work together," stressing that people should "let multilateralism light our way toward a community with a shared future for mankind."

(Source: Xinhua)
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Sunrise host Sam Armytage married millionaire businessman Richard Lavender at an intimate ceremony in the Southern Highlands on New Year's Eve.

But despite the nuptials being one of the happiest moments of her life, the 44-year-old TV presenter was carrying a secret heartbreak.

Speaking to The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Wednesday, Sam revealed that a large portion of the couple's extended family were unable to attend.

Wedding heartbreak: Sunrise host Sam Armytage has revealed that her sister and several in-laws couldn't attend her nuptials to Richard Lavender on New Year's Eve

Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, Sam's sister who lives in London could not fly over to attend. Meanwhile, several members of Richard's family were locked down on the Northern Beaches.

'All of Richard's family were locked down in the Northern Beaches. They tried to get an exemption, but weren't allowed out,' she said.

Fortunately, other members of Sam's family were able to make it, including her father, Mac, her younger brother, Charlie, and her sister-in-law.

Her mother, Libby, died in November after a 15-year battle with autoimmune disease.

Richard's daughters, Sasha and Grace, were also believed to be in attendance.

Absent: Due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, Sam's sister who lives in London could not fly over to attend. Meanwhile, several members of Richard's family were locked down on the Northern Beaches. Pictured: Sam and Richard on their wedding day in the Southern Highlands

Last-minute hitch: Sam was in tears one day before her wedding as her dress by Carla Zampatti hadn't show up in time and she couldn't find a replacement. Luckily it arrived just in time

With a limited guest list, Sam planned her wedding for just 10 people in three days.

However, there was a major hitch one day before she was due to say 'I do' which left her distraught.

'I ordered my dress online and it didn't turn up. I had to race to Bondi Junction to David Jones to try re-buy the dress, but it was gone,' she told radio hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson.

'I was in tears running the length of Westfield Bondi. I looked like a mad woman!'

'I drove back to Bowral in tears to Richard saying, "I haven't got a dress, we're getting married tomorrow!"' she added.

Luckily for Sam, when she thought all hope was lost she received a notification from the post office that her white long-sleeve dress by Carla Zampatti had arrived.

'I was scrambling to find restaurants that would take ten': The TV presenter chose to host the reception at a winery among other diners and tourists

New life: For now, Sam lives in an apartment in the city during the week to film Sunrise, and spends the weekend with Richard in the Southern Highlands

The TV presenter also struggled to find a venue that would host the wedding party on New Year's Eve.

'I was desperately scrambling to find restaurants that would take ten. I rang this winery and we booked a normal table in the restaurant with everyone,' she said.

Sam said it was nice having other diners come up to congratulate them, adding that she hopes to host another party when the entire family can attend.

For now, Sam lives in an apartment in the city during the week to film Sunrise, and spends the weekend with Richard in the Southern Highlands.

The couple started dating in April 2019, and announced their engagement in June last year.
Donald Trumps administration overpromised on coronavirus vaccines. In November, his secretary of health and human services said there would be 40 million doses available by the end of the 2020; he was off by about a month. Trump himself promised 100 million doses in that same period. Everything he and his team said was a sales pitch, designed to foster the false impression that the pandemic they let burn out of control was on the cusp of ending.

Theres a growing consensus that Joe Bidens administration has done the exact opposite. Bidens early approach to virus: Underpromise, overdeliver, says an Associated Press headline. In December, when Biden pledged 100 million vaccine shots in 100 days, some experts thought it was a reach. But now that the United States is already vaccinating a bit more than a million people a day, that figure is far too modest.

Biden seemed to acknowledge that on Monday, telling reporters that the United States could get to 150 million shots in 100 days. Even that, however, is not enough.

The pandemic has put members of the privileged pundit class in an unaccustomed position. Im used to thinking about politics in terms of what the government should be doing for other people. Now, like millions and millions of others, I watch the administration with a frantic eye to my own familys survival. (I used to think of myself as a moderately savvy person, but Ive yet to figure out how to get vaccine appointments for my parents.) And so I track bits of data on things that previously meant nothing to me  like the production of low dead space syringes  with the terrified desperation of someone googling symptoms while awaiting biopsy results.
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This is the adorable moment a protective cat does all he can to stop his owner's toddler from climbing the railings of their tower block balcony.

The video was filmed by the owner at their home in Bucaramanga, Columbia, and sees the feline deliver a number of gentle swipes to the one-year-old's hands as he clings onto the balcony railings.

Despite appearing to be in mortal danger on the sky-high balcony the child was in fact safe all along as a security mesh surrounds the balcony - unbeknownst to the caring cat.

The footage was filmed on January 20, with the relaxed owner seen reclining on a sofa whilst shooting the footage, safe in the knowledge that the cat was doing his duties as the child's 'older brother'.

In the video the child can be seen repeatedly attempting to grab hold of the railings which are above his head, appearing to try and pull himself up at one point.

Aware of the drop below the concerned pet, who flashes a worried look at the owner, quickly jumps into action by placing his paw on the little one's hands to stop him from getting any closer to the edge.

Stop right there! The cat gently moves the one-year-old boy's hands away from the railings

The cat places a paw on the toddler as if to say 'enough now' as the youngster repeatedly grabs the bars of the balcony

When the toddler persists the pussycat physically blocks his view before holding out his paw as a warning

When the toddler persists the cat physically blocks the way, moving his body in front of the boy's view off the balcony.

After several attempts to grab the railings the young boy is deterred by the cat and wanders back inside the flat.

Cats are known to become protective of young humans who they view as 'people kitten', with various accounts of felines raising the alarm if a baby suddenly becomes ill, according to Cats.org.uk.

In 2015 a stray cat, a tabby named Marsha, saved the life of an abandoned newborn baby by climbing into the box the infant had been dumped in to stop the child from from freezing to death.

Residents in the block of flats where it took place, in Obninsk in the Kaluga region of Russia, found the unusual surrogate curled around the freezing boy and licking his face after being alerted by his cries.

Hero: Marsha the stray cat, pictured with local resident Irina Lavrova, who was hailed a hero after saving an abandoned baby from freezing to death in Russia in 2015

The cat was found curled around the baby boy for warmth after the infant was abandoned in the stairwell of a block of flats

'The baby had only been outside for a few hours and thanks to Masha  he was not damaged by the experience,' a hospital spokesman told Central European News at the time.

Nadezhda Makhovikova, who lived in the flats, told REN TV she ventured into the stairwell after hearing what sounded like a cat meowing in distress.

She said: 'When I went down, I saw it was the baby crying.'

Mothering Marsha ran after paramedics as they took the tiny baby to the ambulance, it was reported.

The baby, a boy aged between two to three months, was taken to hospital where he was checked over by medics and declared fit and healthy, despite hours in the cold.
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The House impeachment managers walked the article of impeachment to the Senate yesterday.

The early 2022 jockeying is underway.

The 2020 election is barely behind us, but inevitably the talk of 2022 has already begun.

Senator Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, announced yesterday that he would not run for another term next year, setting up a primary fight in a Midwestern G.O.P. stronghold that will inevitably offer clues about the direction of the Republican Party.

But the simple fact of Portmans decision to retire  and the reasons he gave for doing so  said something about the state of American politics. A veteran of the George W. Bush administration, Portman had developed a reputation in the Senate as a staunch conservative who nonetheless insisted on reaching across the aisle.

He helped push through the new North American trade deal in 2019, and was part of the bipartisan coalition that pushed a pandemic relief package late last year, then pressured House and Senate leadership to finally pass it at the end of December.
Some protesting farmers were seen chasing police personnel with sticks or ramming tractors into buses parked by police at ITO on Wednesday. The farmers who began their march from different border points, much before the time permitted to them for their tractor rally, had reached ITO in Central Delhi despite the force denying them permission for it.

A video showed tractors being driven frenetically at ITO and appeared to be chasing police personnel deployed there.

#WATCH Violence continues at ITO in central Delhi, tractors being driven by protestors deliberately try to run over police personnel pic.twitter.com/xKIrqANFP4 ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

Police used teargas shells to disperse the crowd and appealed them to stick to the designated route for the rally and not take law in their hands. Meanwhile, another video, also capturing the scenes at ITO, showed protesters rescuing a police personnel from a group who are seen trying to assault him.

#WATCH: A Delhi Police personnel rescued by protesters as one section of protesters attempted to assault him at ITO in central Delhi. #FarmLaws pic.twitter.com/uigSLyVAGy ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

The Delhi Police had given permission to farmers protesting the three farm laws to hold their tractor parade on selected routes only after the official Republic Day parade on the Rajpath concludes. However, chaos ensued as the farmers were adamant about heading towards central Delhi.

Runners: Get your summer program off on the right foot
News of the approval and effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccines stirred feelings of optimism in Americans, fueling hopes of a return to normal life.

The emotions were similar to those felt in Syracuse, and across the United States, when another vaccine promised to eradicate a horrible disease.

Polio was terrible. The disease was easily transmissible and attacked a persons nervous system. In its most severe cases, polio caused paralysis.

Infants and children were affected the most.

Polio epidemics were common in the United States during the first half of the 20th century. Treatment was generally limited to quarantines, leg braces and the iron lung, which aided with respiration.

Spinal taps from suspected polio victims at City Hospital in Syracuse were used by Dr. Otto Muller, of the Medical College, who was working on a new test for polio. The tap was performed by injecting a needle into the proper spot in the back and collecting a sample of spinal fluid. Photo was taken in 1952. Syracuse Post-StandardSyracuse Post-Standard

In 1952, the worst polio epidemic in American history happened. It affected 57,000 people, leaving 21,000 paralyzed and 3,145 dead.

Movie theaters and swimming pools were closed, and terrified parents began keeping in their children indoors.

On March 26, 1953 Dr. Jonas Salk gave the world some hope. On a national radio show, he announced that he had successfully tested a vaccine against polio.

A history.com article explained the national reaction to his vaccine:

The American public was deeply invested in fighting polio, with 300,000 volunteers from all walks of life helping to complete the Salk vaccine trial in 1954, a massive and unprecedented undertaking. At over 200 test sites nationwide, volunteers inoculated nearly 2 million children, some with the real vaccine and others with a placebo as part of the first double-blind vaccine trial in American history.

In Syracuse, hundreds of children took part in the trials and people gave money to the March of Dimes.

For months, the world waited for news of the vaccines approval.

FILE - In this Oct. 7, 1954, file photo, Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the polio vaccine, holds a rack of test tubes in his lab in Pittsburgh. Peter Salk still remembers the trepidation he felt when his father came home from work one day in May 1953 and promptly began boiling a set of needles and syringes on the kitchen stove. With several years of research and promising results in monkeys fueling high hopes, Dr. Jonas Salk had brought from his lab at the University of Pittsburgh a still-experimental vaccine candidate to their Pine home. His family would become among the first humans in the world to test a shot against the mysterious polio virus crippling and killing children. (AP Photo, File)AP

On April 9, 1955, representatives from University of Michigan and the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis announced they would release a report on the Salk vaccine at Ann Arbor on April 12 at precisely 10:20 a.m.

In anticipation of good news, Syracuse Mayor Donald Howe Mead issued a proclamation, calling for a day of citywide celebration.

I ask that a prayer of thanksgiving be sent heavenward by every resident of the city to express appreciation to God for bestowing on us the means of conquering one of our most frightful diseases, he wrote.

When it was announced that the Salk vaccine was safe, effective and potent, the news set off a demonstration of exultation, the Herald-Journal said.

Mayor Mead proclaimed it Victory Over Polio Day.

The bells on churches and fire departments were rung and the Civil Defense and factory whistles wailed.

On city streets, traffic lights turned red and cars stopped in their tracks so drivers could hear the good news on their car radios.

Syracuse newspapers did not record the reactions of people on the street, but we can get a sense of how the news was received by reading the words of the Heralds Journals medical reporter Cathy Covert, who was in Ann Arbor that day.

Sitting at her typewriter, Herald-Journal reporter Cathy Covert was at the announcement about the effectiveness of the Salk polio vaccine. Syracuse Post-StandardSyracuse Post-Standard

The parent of a daughter, Carolyn, her front-page article that afternoon was written with the feelings of relief and joy being felt by parents all over the world:

I plowed through 150 struggling, grappling newsmen to get a copy of the release. TV cameras whirred, radio men barked, reporters shoved to get to phones. I needed only one look at the first line. The vaccine works. I broke for my typewriter. There it was. My Carolyn was safe. So were millions of other children all over the world.

Most of the countrys usually stolid science writers here had the same double stake in the release. They wanted a story. But most of them were parents with a parents concern for the results.

The Herald-Journal called the Salk vaccine the biggest scientific achievement since the Manhattan Project.

A Post-Standard editorial called it the climax of 17 years of endless effort by scientists and said that every father and mother in the land and in every other country where polio is present, will breathe a sigh of relief at the news.

A portion of the front page of the Syracuse Herald-Journal on April 12, 1955, when the city's church bells pealed and sirens wailed at the news the Salk polio vaccine was declared safe and effective. (Post-Standard archives)

That night, more than 500 physicians and newsmen went to the Onondaga County War Memorial for a closed-circuit television program hosted by Dr. Salk himself.

They were told how the vaccine was prepared and how it should be injected.

But much like the Covid-19 vaccines, the rollout was not a smooth one.

The first 450 vials of Salk vaccine arrived in Syracuse on April 16 and it was expected that schools would start administering the vaccine to first through fourth graders by the end of the month. But that was not enough for a widespread immunization plan.

The federal government relied on private pharmaceutical companies for vaccine production and they were slow to deliver.

When the vaccine was approved, the government did not have a single injection available.

Then tragedy struck after a defective vaccine manufactured at the Cutter Laboratories in California was injected in 200,000 children, leaving 200 paralyzed and 10 dead.

Known as the Cutter Incident, the death and illness from it dampened confidence in the Salk vaccine. On May 8, the Surgeon General halted all vaccinations until the cause could be determined.

One desperate Syracuse father was undaunted, writing in a letter to the editor, Well, I havent changed my mind. It still looks like the best insurance.

A Herald-Journal editorial urged patience, reminding readers that vaccines for smallpox, diphtheria and rabies needed refinements before it was totally effective.

Finally, on May 17, 950 Syracuse parochial students in Syracuse received the Salk vaccine.

Dubbed Operation Inoculation, the vaccinations went off without a hitch.

The Herald-Journal front page from May 17, 1955 when the first 950 children received the Salk Polio vaccine.

They lined up patiently in the school halls, turned in their parental consent slips, and bravely rolled up their sleeves, the Herald-Journals Liz Dwyer and Malcolm Alama reported.

After a once-over with rubbing alcohol came the needle, and the cherry-colored vaccine which has made headlines for weeks. Last, but not-least, each child got his choice of a lollipop, and permission to eat it right in school.

It didnt hurt a bit, most admitted.

By 1957, polio cases in the United States had dropped to fewer than 6,000 and today the disease has been nearly eradicated.

Jonas Salk was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.

Read more

1918: Syracuse bans all public gatherings for 17 days to halt the spread of influenza

1925: To halt the spread of disease, Syracuse declares a war on spitting

Cholera, smallpox, scarlet fever: Epidemics that swept through 19th Century Syracuse

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.
China has managed to overcome challenges and maintain its appeal to foreign investors in 2020. According to official statistics, foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 6.2 percent year-on-year to a record high of 999.98 billion yuan in 2020.

The countrys auto market saw a V-shared turn along with a bounce in investment and export over the last year, said Stephan Wollenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China. In 2020, the company delivered 3.85 million vehicles in China, representing a market share of 19.3 percent, he introduced.

Employees work at the Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Merck Holding (China) Co., Ltd, was among the first batch of enterprises to resume production in Shanghai. Last July, it opened a life science innovation highland in the citys Zhangjiang and registered steady growth in the life science, medicine and healthcare, and high-performance materials.

The Chinese economy has moved forward with strong resilience despite uncertainties faced by the global economy, said Li Ye, vice president of Merck Holding (China) Co. Ltd, adding that by quickly controlling the epidemic and issuing a basket of policy measures to help enterprises, China has stabilized foreign enterprises confidence.

Last year, Chinas FDI got back on its feet with a year-on-year growth in April, and maintained an upward momentum till year-end.

A recent survey by the Ministry of Commerce showed that profits of nearly 60 percent of foreign-invested firms in 2020 posted growth or remained flat compared with a year ago, with nearly 95 percent holding an optimistic attitude about future prospects.

In 2020, we invested 5.4 billion dollars in China, 83 percent of which went to middle and western China, mostly in the high-tech industry, said Deuk-kyu Hwang, president of Samsung China.

Thanks to a green passage built by the Chinese government, last year, Samsung China dispatched 24 charter airplanes to transport 5,500 foreign engineers to China to restart their work, guaranteeing the opening of new projects and construction of major projects, Hwang disclosed.

Chinas opening-up momentum has remained unabated. The country rolled out measures including cutting its negative list for foreign investors, building three pilot free trade zones, signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and completing investment agreement negotiations with the European Union as scheduled.

The country has constantly improved the business environment. A survey jointly conducted by the Ministry of Commerce and www.gov.cn showed that nearly 90 percent of the enterprises think the foreign investment law has been well implemented.

Last year, the Ministry of Commerce set up a task force to serve 697 key foreign-funded projects, solving more than 3,000 issues concerning the resumption of work and production and helping about 16,000 foreign employees to return to China.

At present, our 43 multinational pharmaceutical company members have built 47 factories and 25 R&D centers in China, with investment reaching 12.2 billion yuan in 2020, said Kang Wei, managing director for the R&D-based Pharmaceutical Association Committee (RDPAC) under the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment.

As an important link connecting the domestic and international markets, foreign-funded enterprises contribute 10 percent of Chinas urban employment, 16.6 percent of the tax revenue, and 40 percent of the countrys imports and exports, and they will surely become an important new force for the country to build a new development pattern in the future.
Sikhs wave the Nishan Sahib, a Sikh religious flag, as they arrive at the historic Red Fort monument in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Tens of thousands of protesting farmers drove long lines of tractors into Indias capital on Tuesday, breaking through police barricades, defying tear gas and storming the historic Red Fort as the nation celebrated Republic Day. (AP Photo/Dinesh Joshi)

Tens of thousands of farmers have marched, ridden horses and driven tractors into Indias capital, breaking through police barricades to storm the historic Red Fort  a deeply symbolic act that revealed the scale of their challenge to prime minister Narendra Modis government.

As the country celebrated Republic Day, the long-running protest turned violent, with farmers waving union and religious flags from the ramparts of the fort, where prime ministers annually hoist the national flag on the countrys August independence holiday.

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons and set up barricades in an attempt to prevent the protesters from reaching the centre of New Delhi, but the demonstrators broke through in many places.

People watched in shock as the takeover of the fort, which was built in the 17th century and served as the palace of Mughal emperors, was shown live on hundreds of news channels. Protesters, some carrying ceremonial swords, ropes and sticks, overwhelmed police.

Expand Close Protesting farmers drive a tractor into a truck (Altaf Qadri/AP) / Facebook

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The farmers have been staging largely peaceful protests for nearly two months, demanding the withdrawal of new laws they say will favour large corporate farms and devastate the earnings of smaller farmers.

The legislation has exacerbated existing resentment among farmers, who have long been seen as the heart and soul of India but often complain of being ignored by the government.

Leaders of the farmers said more than 10,000 tractors joined the protest, and thousands more people marched on foot or rode on horseback while shouting slogans against Mr Modi. At some places, they were showered with flower petals by residents who recorded the unprecedented protest on their phones.

Authorities used tear gas, water cannons and placed large trucks and buses in roads to try to hold back the crowd, including rows of tractors which shoved aside concrete and steel barricades.

Police said one protester died after his tractor overturned, but farmers said he was shot. Several bloodied protesters could be seen in television footage.

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Farmers  many of them Sikhs from Punjab and Haryana states  tried to march into New Delhi in November but were stopped by police. Since then, unfazed by the winter cold and frequent rains, they have hunkered down at the edge of the city and threatened to besiege it if the farm laws are not repealed.

The government insists that the agriculture reform laws passed in September will benefit farmers and boost production through private investment, but the farmers fear it will leave those with small plots behind as big corporations win out.

The government has offered to amend the laws and suspend their implementation for 18 months, but farmers insist they will settle for nothing less than a complete repeal and plan to march on foot to parliament on February 1.

Since returning to power for a second term, Mr Modis government has been rocked by several convulsions. The economy has sunk, social strife has widened, protests have erupted against laws some deem discriminatory and his government has been questioned over its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Expand Close Indian army soldiers march down the Rajpath boulevard during Republic Day celebrations (Manish Swarup/AP) / Facebook

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In 2019, the year that witnessed the first major protests against his administration, a diverse coalition of groups rallied against a contentious new citizenship law they said discriminated against Muslims.

But the latest protests  which began in northern states that are major agricultural producers  have triggered a growing rebellion that is fast spreading to other parts of the country, presenting a serious challenge to Mr Modis government.

Agriculture supports more than half of the countrys 1.4 billion people, but the economic clout of farmers has diminished over the last three decades. Once producing a third of Indias gross domestic product, farmers now account for only 15% of the countrys economy.
EAST HAVEN  Careless smoking has been identified as the cause of a fire at a condo complex over the weekend that killed a family pet and displaced 16 people.

East Haven Fire Chief Matthew Marcarelli announced the cause of the fire had been determined in a brief email Monday afternoon.
Twitter is looking for a few good misinformation debunkers.

The social-media company is launching a pilot program called Birdwatch. The volunteers chosen for the test will be tasked with identifying misleading or false information on Twitter and writing clear, concise notes that provide context that people trust and find valuable.

In its pitch to potential contributors, Twitter insists Birdwatch is not a place for quick dunks, personal opinions or insults.

The stated core values of the program, which was announced Monday, include acting in good faith and being helpful in a way that even those who may disagree with you might find helpful and respectful.

The pilot program appears to be inspired by Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia that uses a self-policing group of volunteer super-editors to wrangle the sites vast assemblage of entries.

Twitter recently began appending boilerplate warnings to tweets it deems false or potentially misleading. The warnings typically say the assertions in the tweet are in dispute. These disclaimers have caused some politicians and commentators to argue that Twitter is biased against them. Twitter also has controversially suspended or banned some users -- including, in the wake of the assault on the U.S. Capitol early this month, former President Donald Trump.

The social-media company is hoping that Birdwatch contributors will be seen as fair and responsible -- and will thus allow Twitter to dial back use of its generic disclaimers. Since the disclaimers dont offer explanations, they have proven to be an unsatisfying response to the problem of misinformation on the site.

Twitter recently launched Birdwatch, a program which intends to mitigate the spread of misinformation by user-driven fact-checking. (photo by Sara Kurfe via Unsplash)

During its testing phase, Birdwatch will be kept on its own site and entirely separate from Twitter. The pilot program will guide the development of algorithms for Birdwatchs reputation and consensus systems.

Twitters research, the company says, suggests Birdwatch is what its users want. In particular, the company wrote in a blog post, people valued notes being in the communitys voice (rather than that of Twitter or a central authority) and appreciated that notes provided useful context to help them better understand and evaluate a Tweet (rather than focusing on labeling content as true or false).

The company appears to recognize that weeding out or overwhelming bad actors in Birdwatch will be, at least to some degree, impossible. It insists it will be open about the programs development, including making all contributor notes and data publicly available. This, Twitter says, will allow experts, researchers and the public to analyze or audit Birdwatch.

Twitter says it is looking for both subject experts and the general public to become Birdwatch contributors. The company hopes a large number of Twitter users will sign up for the program -- the more contributors the better for its algorithms -- but it points out that initially it will utilize only a small test group.

Will Birdwatch make everybody happy? Thats highly unlikely, and Twitter recognizes the challenges ahead with such an undertaking.

We know this might be messy and have problems at times, the company says, but we believe this is a model worth trying.

-- Douglas Perry

dperry@oregonian.com

@douglasmperry
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 02:40:39|Editor: huaxia

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HELSINKI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Viking Line, a well-known Finnish shipping company, welcomed on Tuesday the launch of its new cruise ship built in China.

Jan Hanses, CEO of the company, spoke highly of their business with the Chinese shipbuilding company when interviewed by Finnish national radio Yle.

Built by China's Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd., the new Finnish Baltic cruise "Viking Glory" was launched on Tuesday in Xiamen, a southeastern coastal city in China's Fujian Province. Viking Line arranged a web stream ceremony to witness the birth of Viking Glory.

Talking to Yle, Hanses said that the decision to purchase a ship from Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry is correct. The company was chosen for its rich experience in shipbuilding and competitive price.

"Viking Line could not get a satisfactory solution from Finland," said Hanses, adding that an order from Finland would have cost nearly a hundred million euros extra.

The Viking Glory is built for the line between Turku, southwestern Finland, and Stockholm, with a call on Mariehamn of the Aland islands.

The ship is powered by natural gas (LNG) and equipped by the world's advanced central control and alarm monitoring system. Measuring 218 meters in length, the ship is longer than Viking Line's first LNG ship Viking Grace, which was built in 2013, but uses ten percent less fuel.

The transfer of the ship from China to Finland may take a month and a half, according to the Finnish shipping company. Enditem
by Sumon Corraya

A great rally was held yesterday. Ethnic Garo and Koch have lived in the Madhupur forest (Tangail) for centuries. In 1962, the government announced that the forest was publicly owned. Now the Forest Department wants to evict tribal communities.

Tangail (AsiaNews)  More than a thousand ethnic Garo and Koch, most of them Christians, held a rally at the Madhupur bus stop in Tangail yesterday to protest against their expulsion by the Forest Department from land they claim as their own.

Thousands of ethnic Garo and Koch live in the Madhupur forest, Tangail, in the Diocese of Mymensingh. They have lived in the area for hundreds of years but they have no papers proving ownership.

In the past, they got land from a local owner, but in 1962, the government announced that the forest was publicly owned and named it the Madhupur National Park, managed by the governments Forest Department.

In the forest, Garo grow pineapple, ginger, banana, rice, papaya, etc., but are often told by the Forest Department to leave the land. On 14 September last year, Forest Department staff cut down 500 banana trees as part of the eviction order. Yesterday, a protest spokesperson said that the Forest Department had issued an order for the Garo and Koch to leave the land again.

The Forest Department often issues eviction orders, said Eugene Nokrek, a Christian Garo who heads the Joanshahi Adabashi Unnoyon Parishad, a tribal rights organisation, speaking at the rally. But we wont obey the notice. We have been living in this land for hundreds of years; if we leave this land, where will we go? This land is like our mother.

Many Garo and Koch women were also present at the protest, carrying banners and signs saying: Our land our mother, Stop the eviction conspiracy, This land is my mother, we will allow others to grab it from us.

I strongly condemn the Forest Department, said Garo elder Ajoy Mree, vice president of the Bangladesh Indigenous Forum. In his view, there is plot to expel them. Before the establishment of the Department, we lived here; so without discussions, it is not possible to evict us.

He wants tribal people to be allowed to take care of the forest since they have lived there for a long time. The forest will be safe under their care and love.

Garo student leader Alik Mree said countless cases have been filed against members of the Garo and Koch communities over the land issue.

In one case, a tribal leader was killed during a land right dispute. Piren Slal was killed over land rights, but we still haven't gotten justice for his killing, the student leader said. We are persecuted. Instead of getting justice, hundreds of lawsuits have been brought against us for protesting over land rights.

Protesters have announced that they will stage a large demonstration on 31 January if the government does not stop the eviction of the tribal people.
Press Release

26 January 2021

ORLANDO, Fla. - Wyndham Destinations (NYSE:WYND), the world's largest vacation ownership and exchange company, has launched a new benefit program called Certified Exit - backed by Wyndham to make it easier for its owners across all four brands within its Wyndham Vacation Clubs to fully understand their options throughout their entire ownership lifecycle, including when it's time to exit.

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Certified Exit replaces the award-winning Ovation by Wyndham which has helped owners successfully exit from more than 85,000 contracts over the last five years. The new program expands on Ovation with a consolidated approach and dedicated team to help guide owners through the available options with a Five Points of Protection program: a free service that is safe, fast, easy, and backed by the power of the Wyndham brand.

"Our customers tell us they love our product, but we also know that we could do more to bring better clarity and transparency around options throughout their entire ownership journey, including when it is time to exit," said Geoff Richards, chief operating officer of Wyndham Vacation Clubs. "Certified Exit provides enhanced communication, better clarity and more accessible resources for owners to make an informed choice about how to safely exit from ownership," Richards said.

Timeshare exit has historically been a source of confusion for some owners who have turned to third party exit companies for help. Aggressive solicitations using misleading and false information by many third party companies has cost owners tens of thousands of dollars in upfront fees and financial hardship for a service over-promised and often never delivered.

While timeshare developers in the industry have consistently encouraged owners to work directly with their developer/resort company to find an available exit solution, Wyndham hopes the Certified Exit program will make this message more transparent. "With Certified Exit, we are aiming to be the first company in the timeshare industry to dedicate an entire program to helping our owners through the exit process, which, unlike the exit companies, is offered to owners with no up-front fees," continued Richards.

"Wyndham Destinations has worked with state regulators to address the fraudulent practices of third-party exit companies who target timeshare owners with aggressive solicitations and require large upfront fees," said former Virginia attorney general Jerry Kilgore, a leading advocate for enhanced timeshare consumer protections. "This new Certified Exit program will provide owners the assurances of clarity and safety from trusted experts when they are ready to exit, and I applaud Wyndham's efforts to improve transparency around exit options," Kilgore said.

Interested owners can work with a Wyndham representative to determine which exit solution works best for their situation to end their contract. For the majority of owners who carry a zero-loan balance, the Certified Exit process can be initiated with one phone call and fully completed in under 60 days.

While 96 percent of Wyndham timeshare owners return year after year, Certified Exit will make it easier for owners to maximize their timeshare experience as their needs change and to figure out their best path to exit their timeshare contracts.

"We want Wyndham to be the first and trusted source to help address our owners' needs including an easy and seamless exit," said Richards. "And that means doing a better job helping owners get the full value from their products with clearer information and better access to resources to show that we are on this journey with them," continued Richards.

Certified Exit is available for owners in the family of Wyndham Vacation Clubs, including Club Wyndham, WorldMark by Wyndham, Margaritaville Vacation Club, and Shell Vacations Club.

"When our owners have access to the right information, we are positive that we can help ensure their entire vacation ownership experience is a memorable journey," said Richards.

Nearly 900,000 Wyndham Vacation Club owners have access to a lifetime of vacations at 230 resorts in popular vacation destinations around the world. Timeshare ownership gives vacation club members a more comfortable way to take a well-deserved vacation with the amenities of home and more space than a traditional hotel room. Families enjoy a lifetime of suite accommodations with plenty of space for families to be together comfortably. It's truly like having a home away from home with multi-room layouts, separate living and dining areas and a fully equipped kitchen or kitchenette.

For more information, visit www.CertifiedExit.com
The Associated Press

An organization that promotes efforts to adapt the environment to cope with the effects of climate change is calling on governments and financiers around the globe to include funding for adaptation projects in their COVID-19 recovery spending. The appeal was published Friday in a report issued by the Netherlands-based Global Center on Adaptation before an online summit starting Monday that will launch an agenda for boosting the planets resilience. As governments begin spending trillions of dollars to recover from the pandemic, the world has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a more resilient, climate-smart future by integrating climate adaptation into their response and recovery plans, the centre said in its report.

A group of more than 3,000 scientists from 130 countries also released a statement Friday before the summit linking investment in the environment with pandemic recovery plans.

The twin threats of COVID-19 and climate change are, above all, caused by human actions. We must do everything in our power to ensure our response to both is coordinated and becomes a watershed moment for investment in a more sustainable world, the scientists wrote.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a briefing ahead of the summit that the two-day event hosted by the Netherlands couldnt be more timely.

He said that as the world tackles the pandemic that has killed more than 2 million people and slammed the brakes on economies worldwide, this summit represents an opportunity to reflect on how the countries and communities around the world can recover better, recover stronger and recover together from this crisis.

The summit will include online contributions from world leaders, current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva and philanthropist Bill Gates.

Organizers said Friday that US climate envoy John Kerry also will speak at the meeting. On Thursday, Kerry lamented wasted years under the Trump administration to slow climate change and urged faster work to curb fossil fuel emissions as he spoke remotely to an Italian business conference.

Biden, in his first hours in office Wednesday, signed an executive order returning the United States to the Paris climate accord. It reversed the withdrawal by President Donald Trump, who ridiculed the science of human-caused climate change.

The Paris accord commits 195 countries and other signatories to come up with a goal to reduce carbon pollution and monitor and report their fossil fuel emissions. The United States is the worlds No. 2 carbon emitter after China.

Rejoining the Paris accords could put the US on track to cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 40% to 50% by 2030, experts said.

The adaptation summit will focus more on how to build a world that can cope with the effects of climate change that already is happening.

While the year ahead will be defined by our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the centuries ahead will be defined by how green that recovery actually is, Ban said.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Dermatology Week is a unique, distraction-free learning experience where the focus will be on dermatology, not destination, said Dr. Joel Gelfand.

As part of its continued mission to connect the global healthcare community with clinically relevant information and education that improves patient care, the worlds largest healthcare event and education company, HMP Global, today announced the launch of Dermatology Week. The four-day meeting will take place online September 16-19, 2021 and will provide medical and clinical dermatologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, researchers, and others, with a clinically relevant, and practical educational program focused on updates in immune-mediated dermatologic conditions, patient management strategies, expert perspective, and the exchange of insight and best practices on current medical and cosmetic dermatological topics and practice management. The meeting complements the companys long-standing presence in the field through its print and digital brand, The Dermatologist, which will be the official media partner for the event.

Serving as official partners for Dermatology Week will be the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) and the National Rosacea Society (NRS). More partners will be announced in the coming weeks.

Leading the development of the Dermatology Week program is a premier group of clinical experts lending a broad range of medical and clinical perspectives. Serving as Senior Advisors are Steven R. Feldman, MD, PhD, Professor of Dermatology, Pathology & Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Joel Gelfand, MD, MSC, FAAD, Professor of Dermatology and of Epidemiology Vice Chair of Clinical Research and Medical Director, Dermatology Clinical Studies Unit Director, Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Serving as Co-Chairs are April W. Armstrong, MD, MPH Associate Dean, Clinical Research, Professor of Dermatology, Director, Clinical Research Support, Southern California CTSI Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California; Brian S. Kim, MD, MTR, FAAD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Dermatology) Co-Director, Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine; Mital Patel-Cohen, MD Director of Complex Medical Dermatology, Summit Medical Group; and Ruth Ann Vleugels, MD, MPH, MBA, Director, Autoimmune Skin Disease Program, Program Director, Dermatology-Rheumatology Fellowship, Vice-Chair, Brigham and Womens Hospital Department of Dermatology, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School.

Dermatology Week is a unique, distraction-free learning experience where the focus will be on dermatology, not destination, said Dr. Gelfand. With a program that is patient-centered, practical, and progressive, we will explore cutting-edge advancements from leading educators and rapidly translate findings into takeaways that improve knowledge and enhance clinical outcomes.

Dermatology Week joins a slate of online-only educational meetings that the company is launching in 2021, including: Neurology Week, Great Debates & Updates in Womens Oncology; Great Debates & Updates in Electrophysiology, Great Debates & Updates in Oncology Pharmacy; EMS World Spring; and Sana Summit. These meetings, along with many of its in-person meetings converted to virtual for early 2021, will be produced on the companys proprietary VRTX virtual event platform, developed in 2020.

To learn more, visit dermatologyweek.com. For press access and media inquiries, contact the Dermatology Week Press Office at pr@hmpglobal.com.

ABOUT HMP GLOBAL

HMP Global is the force behind Healthcare Made Practicaland is a multichannel leader in healthcare events and education, with a mission to improve patient care. The company produces accredited medical education events  in person and online  and clinically relevant, evidence-based content for the global healthcare community across a range of therapeutic areas. Its brands include Consultant360, the year-round, award-winning platform relied upon by primary care providers and other specialists; Psych Congress, the largest independent mental health meeting in the U.S.; EMS World Expo, North America's largest EMT and paramedic event; and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. For more information, visit hmpglobal.com.
Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire mogul behind Fox News, took issue with the silencing of debate on social media, saying censorship had hobbled discourse with awful woke orthodoxy.

Mr Murdoch, 89, made the rare public remarks during a brief video to accept a lifetime achievement award from the Australia Day Foundation. The clip was posted online by the Herald Sun, owned by the media moguls News Corp.

For those of us in media, there is a real challenge to confront, he said. A wave of censorship that seeks to silence conversation, to stifle debate and ultimately stop individuals and societies from realising their potential.

The US Capitol riot on January 6 was followed by a purging of the social-media accounts of then-President Donald Trump and others, drawing complaints of censorship. On Monday, Twitter said it would seek to police the service more vigilantly for misinformation and introduced a new feature called Birdwatch.


Jason Momoas star has been ascendant for quite some time now, especially after his breakout role as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. Before he got his biggest break, however, Momoa had to start out somewhere. And when it came to show business, that somewhere was with Baywatch: Hawaii. That being said, Momoa actually lied his way into the job by pretending he was a male model. Heres what went down, in Momoas own words.

He pretended he modeled for Baywatch role

Jason Momoa during his Baywatch: Hawaii years | Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

RELATED: Why Jason Momoa Said Hes Absolutely Terrified of Wife Lisa Bonet

Many folks would probably tell you that its no easy task to break into show business. And while thats probably true for many, Momoa got lucky with a little white lie. Or a pretty big whopper, depending on your perspective.

Momoa showed up for a Baywatch: Hawaii casting call, and quickly discovered that hed come to the event unprepared. But Momoa is slick, and managed to lie his way onto the show regardless.

When I was in Hawaii I went to a casting call for Baywatch Hawaii  it was basically like a cattle call for 1,300 people. I got there, and seven hours later when I finally got to the front of the line, they said, Oh, youve got to have a resume, he explained to Square Mile.

I was like, Oh yeah, well, I dont have one. They were like, Dude, have you ever acted? I was like No, and they were like Have you modelled? he continued.

I was like, Yeah, yeah, Im a big model. I do Gucci and Louis Vuitton, and Im looking at my friend, and Im like, You did Prada, right? And hes like Yeah, yeah, we did that in Japan. So we were just kind of making it up on the spot.

Jason Momoas managers cemented the lie

Jason Momoa at HBOs Official 2020 Golden Globe Awards After Party on January 05, 2020| Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO

Luckily for Jason Momoa, the modeling lie was enough to land him the Baywatch role. And honestly, its an easy lie to believe, so who can blame them.

However, Momoa soon realized that just having Baywatch on his resume left it feeling a little thin. In fact, he struggled to find work after the show.

It lead to getting no respect for about 4 years and I couldnt get an agent to save my life. I just became a rock-climbing bum and I spent the little money I got from Baywatch and travelled the world, Momoa explained.

However, some of the managers Momoa met while filming helped him cement the modeling lie and pad his CV by embellishing even further.

[I] met some managers down there: they kind of made up some stuff for me like, Hawaii Model of the Year. We basically just did head shots of me and said, hey hes the model of the year. We just made it up, he explained.

Mona Darby, who works at a poultry plant, helps to organize union support at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., on Dec. 13, 2020. Darby says the union at her workplace provided her with protections and job security. (Bob Miller/The New York Times)

Michael Corkery and Karen Weise

The largest, most viable effort to unionize Amazon in many years began over the summer not in a union stronghold like New York or Michigan, but at a Fairfield Inn outside Birmingham, in the right-to-work state of Alabama.

It was late in the summer, and a group of employees from a nearby Amazon warehouse contacted an organizer in the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union. They were fed up, they said, with the way the online retailer tracked their productivity and wanted to discuss unionizing.

As the workers arrived at the hotel, union officials watched the parking lot to make sure they had not been followed.

Since that clandestine meeting, the unionizing campaign at Amazons fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, has moved faster and further than just about anyone has expected. By late December, more than 2,000 workers signed cards indicating they wanted an election, the union said. The National Labor Relations Board then determined there was sufficient interest in a union election among the warehouses roughly 5,800 workers, which is a significant bar to hit with the government agency that oversees the voting process. About a week ago, the board announced that voting by mail would start next month and continue through the end of March.

Just getting to an election is an achievement for unions, which have failed for years to break into Amazon. But persuading the workers to actually vote for a union is a bigger challenge. The company has begun to counter organizing efforts by arguing that a union would saddle workers with dues without any guarantee of higher wages or better benefits.

This will be the first union election involving the company in the United States since a small group of technical workers at a warehouse in Delaware voted against forming a union in 2014.

Much has changed since that vote seven years ago, allowing organized labor to make inroads with Amazon employees in a place like Alabama.

Most of that change had come in the past year during the pandemic, as workers from meatpacking plants to grocery stores have spoken out, often through their unions, about the lack of protective gear or inadequate pay.

The retail union has pointed to its success representing workers during the pandemic as a selling point in Bessemer.

The pandemic changed the way many people feel about their employers, said Stuart Appelbaum, the retail unions president. Many workers see the benefit of having a collective voice.

Union organizers are also building their campaign around the themes of the Black Lives Matter movement. Many of the employees at the Amazon warehouse are Black, a fact that the retail union has used to focus on issues of racial equality and empowerment. And leading the organizing effort are about two dozen unionized workers from nearby warehouses and poultry plants, most of whom are also Black.

Since Oct. 20, the poultry workers have been standing outside the Amazon gates every day starting at 4:30 a.m., urging workers stopped at a traffic light to join a union.

I am telling them they are part of a movement that is worldwide, said Michael Foster, a Black organizer in Bessemer, who works in a poultry plant. I want them to know that we are important and we do matter.

Unions have been forming in other unlikely places this year. This month, more than 400 engineers and other workers at Google formed a union, a rare move in the mostly anti-union tech industry. The Google union is meant primarily to bolster employee activism, while the union being proposed at Amazon in Bessemer would eventually be able to negotiate a contract and would seek to influence wages and working conditions.

Amazon, which has embarked on a hiring spree during the pandemic, now has more than 1.2 million employees globally, up more than 50% from a year earlier.

But the company has also begun to face pressure from its corporate employees over climate change and other issues, and from many warehouse workers around the country who have felt emboldened to speak up. The attention is likely to increase with Amazon on pace to surpass Walmart as the countrys largest private employer in a few years.

Success at the Bessemer warehouse, which opened in March, could inspire workers in the booming e-commerce industry more broadly, said Nelson Lichtenstein, a labor historian at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

If you can do it in Alabama, we can do it here in Southern California for sure, he said. It would have a huge ripple effect.

In a statement, Heather Knox, an Amazon spokesperson, said the company did not believe that the union represents the majority of our employees views. She added, Our employees choose to work at Amazon because we offer some of the best jobs available everywhere we hire, and we encourage anyone to compare our total compensation package, health benefits and workplace environment to any other company with similar jobs.

The company created a website that suggests that the unions dues  which could total about $9.25 a week for a full-time employee  would leave workers with less money to pay for school supplies.

Why not save the money and get the books, gifts and things you want? the website says.

An early version of the website included photos of happy-looking young workers, including the image of a Black man leaping in the air that appeared to be from a free stock photo website. On the site the man and a woman are pictured in an image labeled excited African American couple jumping, having fun.

Asked about the site, Amazon called it educational and said it helps employees understand the facts of joining a union. (As of Jan. 19, the company had removed the stock photos including that of the leaping man.)

Race has often been at the heart of unionizing campaigns in the South. A century ago, multiracial steel and coal miners unions around Birmingham were a cockpit of labor militancy, Lichtenstein said.

In the 1960s, unions  including the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union  gave Black workers a venue to assert their civil rights and gain more equality in the workplace.

Organizing was dangerous work. A Black organizer with the retail union in Alabama named Henry Jenkins recalled being shot at and receiving death threats at his home. At one point, a bomb was found in his car outside a church in Selma, Alabama. Jenkins died in 2011 after an illness.

The retail union has been influential in the Northeast, where it represents workers at Macys and Bloomingdale's. But its strength has also grown in the South, particularly in poultry, an industry with traditionally dangerous jobs and many Black employees.

This spring, the union was active in publicizing deadly virus outbreaks in poultry plants. The unions Mid-South Council president, Randy Hadley, called out the industry for egregious inaction in providing basic protections for workers.

Buoyed by its rising profile during the pandemic, the union trained a group of workers to start organizing additional poultry facilities across the South. When the Amazon workers reached out, the union, which had failed to gain traction at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York, two years earlier, decided to redirect the poultry workers to the Bessemer warehouse. In contrast to past campaigns, the union decided it would keep mostly quiet during the Alabama organizing drive.

Some people do not expect us to succeed, said Josh Brewer, who is leading the organizing effort. I believe we can do it.

On the evening of Oct. 20, two dozen poultry and warehouse workers showed up outside the Amazon gates.

Mona Darby, who has spent the past 33 years processing chickens, immediately started approaching the Amazon workers in their cars as they headed home. Darby grew up in Alabama, one of 18 children. She started working as a housekeeper for local doctors and lawyers when she was 15. But she wanted more stable work, health care and retirement benefits, so she got a job in a chicken plant.

Today, the starting wages in Alabamas unionized poultry plants are about the same as those at Amazon. (The average hourly wage at the Bessemer warehouse is $15.30). But Darby said the union provided her with protections and job security that other jobs lack.

You can pay me $25 an hour, but if you dont treat me well whats that money worth? she said.

On that first evening at the Bessemer warehouse, Darby said a white man approached her and said Amazon didnt want a union and he didnt want her Black ass on our property.

You are going to see my Black ass out here all day, every day, Darby said she responded.

Darby said she saw the man remove his name badge before he walked up to her. She told a police officer present what the man had said, but the officer did not take notes.

Bessemer police said they had no record of the incident. Amazon declined to comment.

On Dec. 18, lawyers for Amazon and the union gathered on Zoom to discuss how many workers would be part of the potential union.

The hearing dragged on for days, as Amazons lawyer asked questions in minute detail about the warehouse, until the federal hearing officer eventually cut the testimony short.

One issue Amazon has insisted on is that the election be held in person at the warehouse. The company even offered to rent out hotel rooms for the federal election monitors to help them isolate from contracting the virus in an area with an infection rate of 17%. The NLRB ruled against in-person voting Jan. 15, stating that a company paying for hotel rooms for government employees was not a good idea. On Friday, Amazon asked for a stay of the mail-in election, arguing that infection rates were declining and insisting that voting should take place at the warehouse.

Until all the votes are cast, Foster and the other poultry and warehouse workers are planning to stay outside the Amazon gates. He said some of the Amazon workers were fearful of being seen talking to the organizers at the stop light.

On a few occasions, Foster has said a prayer with workers before the light changes to green.

We want to show them we are not leaving them until this is done, he said.

c.2021 The New York Times Company
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 06:56:59|Editor: huaxia

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BOGOTA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Colombian government on Tuesday decreed three days of national mourning after the death of Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo from the novel coronavirus disease.

The decree was also dedicated to more than 51,700 people who have lost their lives to COVID-19 amid the pandemic.

"The death of more than 50,000 Colombians due to the novel coronavirus is a somber fact that saddens the nation, motivates us to pay tribute by reflecting on the impact of the pandemic on our society and encourages us to maintain conditions and appropriate behaviors to contain its effects," the decree stated.

Through the decree, the government also expressed condolences and solidarity to every Colombian family that has lost members as a consequence of COVID-19.

Trujillo died early Tuesday morning at the age of 69 at a military hospital in Bogota, where he had been in the intensive care unit since Jan. 15.

According to the Colombian Ministry of Health, the number of total COVID-19 cases in the country as of Monday was 2,027,746, with 51,747 deaths. Enditem
When the first case of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) was identified in the United States on Jan. 20, 2020, very little was known about the novel coronavirus, except for the bits of data and information emerging from China and other nations across the world.

Few imagined the political and economic upheaval which followed dwarfed in importance only by the quantity of human suffering and lives lost. Notwithstanding that the nations response was mired in the political struggles of a presidential election year, the worlds scientists came together with drive, purpose, and conviction to develop vaccinations to combat this virus.

While there are other vaccines being studied against SARS-CoV-2, to date, two have received the FDAs Emergency Use Authorization (EUA); vaccines in other trials, which use slightly different technology, are not yet approved. Pfizer and BioNTech and Modernas vaccines are based on mRNA technology and have demonstrated 95% and 94% efficacy, respectively. The efficacy is astonishing, given that last summer, scientists indicated that they would be satisfied with a vaccine that could demonstrate 50% to 75% efficacy. These vaccines are the first vaccines to receive an EUA using mRNA technology.

The fact that these are the first mRNA vaccines has caused fear and trepidation in some individuals, who have expressed safety concerns.

The technology that led to the production of these mRNA vaccines is NOT new. For over a decade, mRNA technology has been used in clinical studies involving cancer vaccines. Additionally, other groups have studied mRNA to develop vaccines against other viruses such as MERS, RSV, and Zika. These vaccines and their products do NOT alter an individuals DNA once inoculated.

The mRNA in the vaccine enters a cells cytoplasm where it interacts with another type of RNA called tRNA. This interaction produces a protein resembling the spike protein on SARS-CoV-2. Once that protein is displayed on the outside of the cell, it triggers an immune response which leads to the production of antibodies and a sustained immunity to the virus.

There is simply no ability of the newly created protein or the vaccines mRNA to be targeted to or interact with cellular DNA, which is housed in the nucleus and is surrounded by a discriminating nuclear membrane. Unless individuals have a specific allergy to the components of the particular vaccine, the CDC recommends broad vaccination.

Cognizant that data in the individual groups are limited, included in those who may receive the vaccine are those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, immunosuppressed, have autoimmune conditions, or have previous allergies to other vaccinations. Trial results have allayed concerns about fertility and the vaccine. The Pfizer and BioNTech data show roughly an equivalent number of pregnancies during the trial period in both the vaccine and placebo groups, and there are simply no data to support the hypothesis that vaccine administration could result in long-term infertility.

Another issue that has gotten a lot of attention in the media is the emergence of new strains and mutations of SARS-CoV-2. This is a common occurrence with viruses. Despite these mutations, we recommend individuals be vaccinated. The scientific community is paying meticulous attention to viral strains and if changes to the vaccine will be necessary.

Thanks to the scientists and companies who have created these vaccinations, we stand poised to see an end to this horrific tragedy  one that has stolen from us moms, dads, sons, daughters, grandparents, and friends.

Given different regional emphases, priority groups for vaccine receipt vary across the nation and the world.

We urge all people to identify what group they are in and, once the vaccine is available to their assigned group, to take the requisite steps to be vaccinated. Assist family members, friends, and members of faith communities to make appointments for vaccinations if they are not internet savvy. If there were ever a moment each of us could directly make a difference in someones life, this is it.

We make a special plea to those in the Black and brown communities who remain scarred by historic injustices by the medical and scientific communities. Please do not reject this vaccine. Rejecting vaccination will only widen the injustices and expose your families to more heartache should they contract SARS-CoV-2.

People who have already suffered from infection with SARS-CoV-2 should also get the vaccine. There is no indication, to date, that natural infection with SARS-CoV-2 will convey long-term immunity. The best weapon against contracting this terrible virus again is vaccination.

The world is weathering a protracted, deadly storm which has left destruction in its path  in every corner of society. However, we must seize this moment and see the sun on the horizon and imagine the emerging beautiful rainbow which will come once the vaccine is spread widely across the globe.

(Philip Otterbeck, M.D., is chair, Department of Medicine, at Richmond University Medical Center. Marianne LaBarbera, M.D., is president of the hospitals medical staff.)
Investment in upskilling has potential to boost the global GDP by $6.5 trillion by 2030, including by $570 billion (over 40 trillion) in India alonethe third highest after China and the US, a WEF report showed on Monday.

The study released during the ongoing online Davos Agenda Summit, to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of other global leaders, also said that accelerated investment in upskilling and reskilling of workers could create 5.3 million (net) new jobs by 2030, and help develop more inclusive and sustainable economies worldwide.

Country-wise, India has the second highest additional employment potential at about 2.3 million, after the US at close to 2.7 million, but much more than 1.7 million for China.

The report, Upskilling for Shared Prosperity, authored in collaboration with PwC, found that accelerated skills enhancement would ensure that people have the experience and skills needed for the jobs created by the Fourth Industrial Revolutionboosting global productivity by 3%, on average, by 2030. According to Sharan Burrow, general-secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) investment in job creation is key to ensuring a Reskilling Revolution, and concerted action by governments and by business is needed urgently".

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November 11, 2020 How Trump Might Still Win Trump currently seems likely to lose the fight over the election outcome. So far he has not shown any evidence that a significant extend of fraud has happened. While there will always be some votes in doubt the numbers in play now are not large enough to explain Biden's presumed victory. The courts are therefore likely to reject Trump's current challenges. The media, including Murdoch's stable of right wing organs and the social media giants, have firmly declared a Biden victory and are thereby of no help for Trump. But the Republican Party and Trump will want to keep fear, uncertainty and doubt alive at least until January 5 when the two Senate run-offs in Georgia get decided. While the Republican incumbents are leading the race the Democrats will put a lot of resources into the state to move those seats to their side. They would give a Harris/Biden administration control over the Senate. It is also possible that Trump may actually try to stay in office by manipulating the Electoral College process. There are several more steps and deadline in the elaborate election process for the presidency. Dec 8 - States determine their electors for the Electoral College.

Dec 14 - Electors meet in their states to cast their votes for the new President and Vice President.

Dec 23 - Certificates of the electoral vote results get delivered to the president of the Senate, who is Vice President Mike Pence

Jan 3 - Members of Congress are sworn in.

Jan 6 - Congress meets to count the electoral votes and declare the results. Trump could, even without finding the necessary votes, (ab-)use the Electoral College process to shift the result to his side. He can try to block or delay certifications in certain states and/or he can push Republican state legislators to appoint Trump electors. There is precedence for that from the 1876 election: Then as now, each state must decide on a group of electors to meet with a joint session of Congress on January 6 where the winner of the presidential election is declared. The normal practice in a state where Biden won the popular-vote total would be for state election officials to certify the results and send a slate of electors to Congress. But state legislatures have the constitutional authority to conclude that the popular vote has been corrupted and thus send a competing slate of electors on behalf of their state. The 12th Amendment to the Constitution specifies that the President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted. That means that in the case of disputes about competing electoral slates, the President of the SenateVice President Pencewould appear to have the ultimate authority to decide which to accept and which to reject. Pence would choose Trump. Democrats would appeal to the Supreme Court. Alternatively, if at that point, no candidate has the required 270 electoral votes, the 12th Amendment stipulates, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote. Currently, Republicans have a state delegation majority with 26 of the 50 states and they appear almost certain to keep that majority in the new Congress. A vote of the states would then elect President Trump for a second term. And again, Democrats would appeal that outcome to the Supreme Court. In both cases the Supreme Court, with six of its nine judges nominated by Republicans, is likely to find in favor of Trump. There are some variants of such a play: If a lawsuit successfully stops certification of results in a state, legislators there could step into the void and pick a pro-Trump slate of electors. The lawyer, who requested anonymity to speak about the scenario, said Trump's team now appears to be trying to throw enough dirt at the process for counting late ballots to argue that accurate results can't be ascertained.

The next step could be to try to get federal or state courts to enjoin secretaries of state from certifying results.

Any move to provide an alternative slate of electors could force the first real test of the Electoral Count Act of 1887 and could land before the Supreme Court.

Among the key swing states, Arizona and Georgia have GOP governors and legislatures. Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have Democratic governors but GOP legislatures. The Democrats are of course aware of such a possibility. They therefore play up the certainty of a Biden's victory even as the election process is far from decided. But one should never count Trump out. Despite four years of getting Russiagate bullshit thrown at him he has managed to stay in office and to proceed with much of his program. He is also the first president in a 100 years who resisted the intense pressure to launch a new war. He is therefore unlikely to fold and to concede that he has lost the race. There is only one person that could stop Trump from being successful with a 'dirty' Electoral College strategy. That is of course he himself. Over the last four years he has failed to select competent advisors. He will now need the best strategists and lawyers that are available. Jared Kushner and Rudi Giuliani will not do. Trump will also need the full backing of his party to put pressure on state legislators. He will have to make concessions to get the necessary support. Meanwhile we all, as bystanders, will have to up our popcorn supplies to sustain the next two month. Posted by b on November 11, 2020 at 17:36 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
The Bloodhound Land Speed Record project has announced that it is looking for a new owner for its rocket-powered supersonic vehicle.

The vehicle is powered by a state-of-the-art jet engine and a next-generation rocket motor.

Its Rolls-Royce EJ200 jet engine is normally found in a Eurofighter Typhoon and produces a peak thrust of 20,000 kN, equivalent to the combined output of 360 family cars.

The Bloodhound vehicles new owner would see the team through to set a new world land speed record in 2022.

Two years ago, the Bloodhound teams vehicle, which it said is the most advanced straight-line racing car in history, hit a peak speed of 1,011 km/h (628mph) in a test programme.

This test showed that the vehicle has the potential to break the world land speed record after it installs a new rocket.

The team now needs to install the Nammo monopropellant rocket, giving the car a top speed of over 800 mph (1,287 km/h), the Bloodhound team said.

Once again, the car will then run on its specially prepared 12-mile (19.2 km) long dry lake bed race track at Hakskeen Pan, Northern Cape, South Africa.

A R166-million rocket upgrade

The cost of installing this rocket and conducting the land speed test in South Africa will cost 8 million (R166 million), the team said.

They added that the project is expected to recoup large amounts of this cost through sponsorship and rights sales as the programme is developed.

Chief executive and current owner Ian Warhurst has stepped down from the project after first acquiring it in 2018.

He cited the economic climate caused by COVID-19 and the delay of the project timeline as the reasons for putting the Bloodhound vehicle up for sale.

When I committed to taking the car high-speed testing in 2019, I allocated enough funding to achieve this goal on the basis that alternative funding would then allow us to continue to the record attempts, Warhurst said.

Along with many other things, the global pandemic wrecked this opportunity in 2020 which has left the project unfunded and delayed by a further 12 months.

At this stage, in absence of further, immediate, funding, the only options remaining are to close down the programme or put the project up for sale to allow me to pass on the baton and allow the team to continue the project, he said.

Continuing the adventure

While the project has been held back by the consequence of the global COVID-19 pandemic, work on the project must now be resumed to prepare for the 2022 record attempt.

If work cannot be resumed on the vehicle, the alternative would be to put the Bloodhound car into storage, which would leave the possibility of the project being restarted uncertain.

As the prospect of a post-COVID world beckons, the Bloodhound team now needs to find a new owner to continue its engineering adventure, the team said.

The driver of the supersonic rocket-powered vehicle, Andy Green, said the team is raring to breach the world land speed record and called the car a technical marvel.

In my opinion, the Bloodhound team has built the best land speed record car ever, Green said. It made our 628mph test run look easy!

After the horrible 2020 pandemic year we have all just experienced, the world needs a good news story, and Bloodhound is ready to deliver it.

Images of the Bloodhound land speed record car are shown below.

Bloodhound vehicle
The great battle is intensifying. All the polls were predicting a pro-independence majority in the upcoming Catalan elections and the Spanish state had no choice but to go on the offensive to prevent that, employing methods so clumsy that they clarify the situation even more. The elections, whenever they are held, will be all or nothing for Catalonia. And for Spain. Even Vox leader Javier Ortega Smith has acknowledged this, with his readiness to support the investiture of the Catalan Socialist (PSC) candidate, Salvador Illa, to prevent the pro-independence parties from winning power again.

When the state is willing to endanger the lives of the citizens it is obliged to protect, that state loses its legitimacy and its 'raison d'etre'

The Spanish judiciary has stepped up and is claiming its role as the essential bulwark that must hold the state together. "The unity of the Spanish nation is a direct mandate to the judges," was the declaration, in the form of an instruction, made by the president of the General Council of the Judiciary and the Supreme Court, Carlos Lesmes, before the king, at the height of the independence process, and the judicial bunker is acting in consequence. Indeed, the main goal of any state, and therefore of its institutions, is to always maintain its territorial integrity. However, more fundamentally, the main reason for a state is to ensure the safety - the lives - of its citizens. Thus, when in order to maintain its integrity it is willing to endanger the lives of its citizens, of all the citizens it is obliged to protect, the state loses its legitimacy and its raison d'etre.

The judges mark out their own strategy, of combating the Catalan independence movement based on the systematic destabilization not only of the government of Catalonia, but also of Catalan society as a whole, as a kind of blackmail on the public so that they will give up their aspirations and accept political defeat. They are not content with ousting presidents, savaging prisoners sadistically, persecuting political leaders and social activists. As well, they reject the initiatives of the Catalan government and of local mayors aimed at dealing with the Covid pandemic or at managing anything else of interest to the people. And now they want the election to be a disaster. Note that, despite all the political controversy, no parliamentary party, not even the PSC, was prepared to get its hands dirty by challenging the government's decree postponing the elections, because of what it could lead to.

If, as the experts predict, the pandemic is about to accelerate, and Sanchez and Illa have done nothing to prevent it, they will not be remembered for their good government, and not for their political honesty either

We are facing an authentic sabotage of the Catalan institutions. There is no law that gives the judges the power to set an election date, but neither does there exist the counter-balancing power that a democracy needs to oppose the arbitrariness of judges who are permitted to interpret, subjectively and without any legal basis, the popular will with regard to the election day (there is a very strong public interest in the holding of the elections) or the degree of political provisionality (if the elections are not held, a prolonged period of provisionality opens which affects the normal functioning of democratic institutions) - in any case, it is a provisionality brought about by the rulings of the very same court, and whether they like it or not, it has been resolved in accordance with the constitutional and statutory provisions. It is obvious that the day after the elections, the "provisionality" and uncertainty will be more pronounced than it is now, with the need to constitute a new government and a new administration in the midst of a pandemic.

The strategy of the judicial bunker goes beyond the unionist parties. The judicial interference, and the electoral interests of the Catalan Socialists and the minister-candidate Salvador Illa, however much they may coincide, are not part of the same conspiracy. Judges (like the military) have shown clearly enough their animosity at the presence of Unidas Podemos in the Spanish government, which they continually challenge. In order not to take responsibility for the epidemiological effects which may occur as a result of forcing the elections to be held on February 14th, the TSJC judges have passed the buck to the health minister. They have stated that if more restrictive measures have to be taken to justify the postponement of the election, it is up to the Spanish central government, that is, the Spanish minister of health, to take the appropriate decisions. Given that epidemiologists, infectologists and all health experts have unanimously recommended the postponement of the election, the responsibility of the minister Illa and the Sanchez government is enormous, because it affects Catalonia and all of Spain. If I were Socialist strategist Ivan Redondo I would advise Illa to toughen the restrictions and present it as a personal sacrifice to prove that he is not acting out of electoral interest. It would bring better returns. On the other hand, if, as the experts predict, the pandemic is about to accelerate, and Sanchez and Illa have done nothing to prevent it, they will not be remembered for their good government, and not for their political honesty either.
Macnica announced their intention to sell InnovizOne in the Japanese market last month, and have since been inundated with purchase orders for Innoviz's solid-state 3D MEMS-based long-range LiDAR, which leads the high-spec LiDAR market by dint of its maturity and Innoviz's long-standing and very close relationship with the Tier1 company Magna and customer BMW.

Mr. Atsushi Sato, GM of Macnica Strategic Innovation Group, had this to say: "We have been partnering with Innoviz for some three years, starting with detailed technical training at Innoviz's R&D center in Israel, and we have already achieved good sales of InnovizPro, Innoviz's first product. InnovizOne, first demonstrated by Macnica at our booth at the Automotive World show in Tokyo in January 2020, is already recognized as the most mature LiDAR in the market, with the best technology and the highest specifications. InnovizOne uses only automotive-grade components and will soon finish certification as an Automotive-Grade LiDAR. This market recognition is helping Macnica to achieve quick sales of the InnovizOne, and we have every intention of expanding these sales exponentially into many new markets beside those that we have already penetrated with this product."

Among the customers who have already bought InnovizOne from Macnica: Japanese automotive manufacturers, for use in Advanced Development Programs leading to car and truck series production programs, their Tier1 partners and many leading industrial companies from various fields, from construction to space travel.

David Oberman, Innoviz's VP Asia commented: "At Innoviz, we are constantly learning from our customers about new use cases and applications for our LiDAR sensors, including but not limited to: construction, industrial automation, security, trains, marine, agricultural, robotics, wind turbines, drones, mining, mapping and smart city applications. I am thrilled that customers in the Japanese market are using our LiDAR in their projects for various applications and look forward to seeing our cooperation with Macnica continue to grow and diversify in the future."

About Innoviz Technologies

Innoviz is a leading manufacturer of high-performance, solid-state LiDAR sensors and perception software that enable the mass production of autonomous vehicles. Innoviz's offerings include InnovizOne, an automotive-grade, mass-producible LiDAR sensor, InnovizTwo, a next generation high-performance automotive-grade LiDAR sensor, and Innoviz's perception software, designed to complement its hardware offerings with advanced AI and machine learning-based classification, detection and tracking features. Innoviz is backed by top-tier strategic partners and investors, including SoftBank Ventures Asia, Samsung, Magna International, Aptiv, Magma Venture Partners, Vertex Ventures, China Merchants Capital (SINO-BLR Industrial Investment Fund, L.P.), 360 Capital Partners, Glory Ventures, Naver, Shenzhen Capital Group, New Alliance Capital, Harel Insurance Investments and Financial Services, Phoenix Insurance Company and others. For more information, visit www.innoviz.tech .

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HOLYOKE  Leaders of the Holyoke Soldiers Home Coalition have turned up the public heat on state officials over plans to build a new facility after the staggering COVID-19 outbreak at the long-term care facility last spring.

Paul Barabani and John Paradis, the onetime superintendent and deputy superintendent of the Soldiers Home, respectively, led a presentation Tuesday highlighting what they believe is a woefully flawed plan the state is poised to present to the federal government in April.

The grassroots coalition of nearly three dozen including former administrators, lawmakers, family members, veterans and supporters formed somewhat organically in response to the crisis. The group was among the first to call for a revival of plans to build a new home after previous proposals were essentially abandoned by state government for nearly a decade.

Gov. Charlie Baker and his cabinet ordered a rapid planning process to begin anew after at least 76 veterans died of COVID-19 last spring. The outbreak resulted in a gutting of top managers, lawsuits, national media coverage and criminal neglect charges against former Superintendent Bennett Walsh and medical director Dr. David Clinton.

The Boston-based Payette design group recommended a $300 million state-of-the-art facility with 180 to 204 beds, an adult day health center and other enhanced features. The current facility on Cherry Street in Holyoke has a capacity of 247 beds, but Barabanis presentation included pictures showing cramped rooms with barely enough space for a walker to slide by.

The Payette analysis cited a decline in demand based on the current waiting list, population-based statistics and other factors. Coalition members say that analysis is gravely flawed and underestimates the future need for long-term care for veterans. Barabani insists the number of beds at a new facility should be closer to 280.

For one, Payettes analysis relies on a wait list that has been skewed sharply downward by COVID-19  and still, 40% of the veterans on the 2020 list died waiting for a bed.

There is so much silent suffering on that waiting list, Barabani said, citing strains on families struggling to care for ill veterans at home and the crushing financial burdens long-term care can pose.

Cheryl Malandrinos of Wilbraham, whose father-in-law died of the virus at the Soldiers Home, spoke during the presentation, recounting her in-laws struggles with mounting debt.

Harry Malandrinos was a Korean War veteran and retired public schools educator diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease who took serious falls as a result. He was in and out of rehab facilities and nursing homes for more than a year. The couples debt quickly exceeded $40,000. Harry Malandrinos had been on the waitlist for months in 2018.

The creditors were knocking and the only way to pay them was to sell the place Kay and Harry had called home for more than 40 years, Cheryl Malandrinos said. I called the Soldiers Home and begged them to help us.

Largely subsidized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Barabani said care at the Soldiers Home has cost the state an average of $30 per day, per veteran.

Thats a bargain for state of Massachusetts thanks to the partnership with the federal government, he said.

The process to get a new Soldiers Home built in the next five years hinges on two important deadlines. First, the state must submit a grant application with a detailed plan for the facility to the federal government by April 15 in an attempt to secure a 65% construction subsidy. Then, the state must commit its portion and pass a bond bill by Aug. 1 in order to guarantee the funding.

That deadline is where previous plans for a new facility have fallen apart in years past, according to Barabani, dying on Beacon Hill over two gubernatorial administrations since 2012.

The coalition plans to advocate for its analysis and plan for a bigger facility at a special meeting before the Soldiers Home Board of Trustees on Wednesday night. Members also have been lobbying Western Massachusetts legislators in an effort to gain more support.

In addition to what they believe is a flawed statistical basis, Paradis said the plan fails to anticipate future wars and international conflicts, or increases in female veterans and those with PTSD and other mental health injuries triggered by battlefields.

We hope our legislators are listening, we hope our trustees are listening and at the end of the day we hope the executive branch does the right thing, Paradis said.

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As the nation celebrates 72nd Republic Day on Tuesday, leaders from across the globe extended their wishes to India on the auspicious occasion. While taking to Twitter, leaders including Scott Morrison, Boris Johnson and Benjamin Netanyahu shared praising messages and extended greetings to India. Israel PM Netanyahu congratulated PM Narendra Modi and the people of India, Bhutans Lotay Tshering, on the other hand, conveyed prayers of people of Bhutan for Indias lasting peace and prosperity.

To my great friend Prime Minister @NarendraModi - Congratulations to you and the people of India on your 72nd #RepublicDay . Our friendship grows from year to year.  pic.twitter.com/A3JGTZ7DzO  Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) January 26, 2021

As friends in India celebrate the Republic Day, I convey prayers of the people of Bhutan for Indias lasting peace and prosperity. https://t.co/zn7QMw7hDa pic.twitter.com/fHidRErh1x  PM Bhutan (@PMBhutan) January 25, 2021

READ: Bangladesh Participates In Republic Day Parade For The First Time In 50 Years; See Pics

Australian PM Scott Morrison extended his wishes to India and his Indian counterpart PM Modi. Reiterating PM Modi's stance on Australia and India being solid partners, Scott Morrison remarked that the two countries functioned on similar ideals of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. The Australian PM reminisced a 'pivotal moment' in his friendship with PM Modi in 2019 when the announcement of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and that it defined the trust that both countries held in each other.

 are closer than we have ever been. While we celebrate our nation on #AustraliaDay today, I also extend my best wishes to my good friend @narendramodi & all Indians on #RepublicDay.    | #dosti pic.twitter.com/53trQwNfP5  Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 26, 2021

President of Republic of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih also tweeted and called Indias constitution remarkable. He said that the Indian constitution continues to guide the worlds largest democracy.

A happy 72nd Republic Day of India to Pres. Kovind @rashtrapatibhvn PM @narendramodi and the people of India, as they celebrate the enactment of a remarkable constitution, which continues to guide the destinies of the diverse multitudes comprising the world's largest democracy.  Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (@ibusolih) January 26, 2021

READ: Uttarakhand Celebrates Republic Day; Guv Maurya Unfurls Tricolour At Parade Ground

UK PM Boris Johnson, who was set to be the chief guest at Indias annual Republic Day parade, also extended greeting sand said that UK and India are working side by side to free humanity from the coronavirus pandemic. In a video message, he even celebrated the birth of an extraordinary constitution that established India as the biggest sovereign democracy in the world. Johnson also reiterated his plan to visit the nation in the coming months.

"I look forward to visiting India later this year, strengthening our friendship, and striving for the quantum leap in our relationship that Prime Minister @narendramodi and I have both pledged to achieve".



- British Prime Minister @BorisJohnson's #RepublicDay message for India pic.twitter.com/HzN6SGcZu2  UK in India (@UKinIndia) January 26, 2021

Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli expressed his best wishes for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the people of India, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal on Tuesday. Nepal PM further admired India's 'spectacular progress in various fields of science, technology, medicine & economic development', it added. PM Oli also expressed gratitude to the Government of India for providing one million COVISHIELD vaccines to Nepal as 'a grant gesture of good neighbourly relations.'

PM KP Sharma Oli has expressed his best wishes for continued peace, progress and prosperity of the people of India. PM admired India's spectacular progress in various fields of science, technology, medicine & economic development: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal#RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/Rlnn38b8D0  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

READ: Delhi CM Greets People On Republic Day; Salutes Corona Warriors, Soldiers, Farmers

Republic Day parade

Meanwhile, as per tradition, the national flag was unfurled in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind, PM Modi, and other dignitaries, followed by the national anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. During the Republic Day parade, the might of the Indian Airforce was in full display. India showed its military might with Rafale fighter jets taking part in the flypast for the first time and the armed forces showcasing T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system, and Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets.

The IAF tableau featured models of some of their best aircraft- Light Combat Aircraft and Light Combat Helicopters. Scaled-down models of the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and the Rohini radar were rolled down at Rajpath, the ceremonial road connecting the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the iconic war memorial India Gate. DRDO's mission to make India self-reliant (Aatmanirbhar) in defence technology to meet the future with all its might and also the tableau showed DRDO's achievements.

READ: Republic Day 2021 LIVE Updates: Relive The Iconic R-Day Parade At Rajpath

I am paying close attention to the current impassioned debate regarding the impact of the vigils on the current Covid-19 spike, as asserted by the Prime Minister.

In seeking to examine this myself, from an almost scientific perspective, I have had to check my emotions at the front door, as this is a subject which stirs passions.
Online Film Critics Society Names Top Ten List In a year where nothing was as we expected, and those expectations had to shift, cinema not only maintained its creativity and expansive canvas, but it managed to give new voices a chance to speak louder than they might have in any other year, said Wesley Lovell, a member of OFCS.

The critics have spoken! The votes have been counted, and the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) is excited to announce its Top Ten List as well as winners of its annual film awards. Nomadland, directed by Chloe Zhao, tops the list for Best Picture by OFCS, which is comprised of nearly 300 film critics from around the world. Also, making the list is Soul, which nabbed Best Animated Feature.

The OFCS Top Ten:

1. Nomadland

2. Da 5 Bloods

3. Promising Young Woman

4. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

5. First Cow

6. Minari

7. Sound of Metal

8. I'm Thinking of Ending Things

9. Soul

10. The Trial of the Chicago 7

Despite an unusual movie-going season with the pandemic in play, OFCS handed out nods in a variety of categories, including Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress as well as Best Debut Feature.

This list of nominations showcases the diversity and broad expressiveness of the film community. In a year where nothing was as we expected, and those expectations had to shift, cinema not only maintained its creativity and expansive canvas, but it managed to give new voices a chance to speak louder than they might have in any other year, said Wesley Lovell, a member of the Governing Committee of OFCS, and founder of CinemaSight.com.

He added, In our directing category alone, we have four women, each at varying points in their careers, alongside one of the major voices of his generation. It is one of our most diverse slates ever. As for the nominees of Best Picture, the feature films represent filmmakers from a wide array of backgrounds and experiences who are able to explore subjects that exemplify the breadth of American life in unique and compelling ways. I don't think we could be more proud of the selections our members have made this year.

And so, without further ado, heres the list of nominees, winners and special achievement awards from OFCS:

BEST PICTURE



Da 5 Bloods

First Cow

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Minari

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Nomadland -- WINNER

Promising Young Woman

Soul

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago 7

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE



Onward

Over the Moon

Soul -- WINNER

The Wolf House

Wolfwalkers

BEST DIRECTOR



Emerald Fennell -- Promising Young Woman

Eliza Hittman -- Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Spike Lee -- Da 5 Bloods

Kelly Reichardt -- First Cow

Chloe Zhao  Nomadland WINNER

BEST ACTOR



Riz Ahmed -- Sound of Metal

Chadwick Boseman -- Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Anthony Hopkins -- The Father

Delroy Lindo -- Da 5 Bloods WINNER

Steven Yeun -- Minari

BEST ACTRESS



Jessie Buckley -- I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Viola Davis -- Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Sidney Flanigan -- Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Frances McDormand  Nomadland WINNER

Carey Mulligan -- Promising Young Woman

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR



Sacha Baron Cohen -- The Trial of the Chicago 7

Chadwick Boseman -- Da 5 Bloods

Bill Murray -- On the Rocks

Leslie Odom Jr. -- One Night in Miami WINNER

Paul Raci -- Sound of Metal

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS



Maria Bakalova -- Borat Subsequent Moviefilm WINNER

Olivia Colman -- The Father

Talia Ryder -- Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Amanda Seyfried -- Mank

Youn Yuh-jung -- Minari

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY



Da 5 Bloods

Minari

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell WINNER

The Trial of the Chicago 7

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY



First Cow

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Nomadland, Chloe Zhao WINNER

One Night in Miami

BEST EDITING



Da 5 Bloods

Mank

Nomadland, Chloe Zhao WINNER

Tenet

The Trial of the Chicago 7

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY



Da 5 Bloods

First Cow

Mank

Nomadland, Joshua James Richards WINNER

Tenet

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE



Da 5 Bloods

Mank

Minari

Soul, Trent Reznor Atticus Ross WINNER

Tenet

BEST DEBUT FEATURE



Radha Blank -- The Forty-Year-Old Version

Emerald Fennell -- Promising Young Woman WINNER

Regina King -- One Night in Miami

Darius Marder -- Sound of Metal

Andrew Patterson --The Vast of Night

BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE



Another Round

Bacurau

Collective

La Llorona

Minari (United States) WINNER

BEST DOCUMENTARY



Boys State

Collective

Dick Johnson Is Dead WINNER

The Painter and the Thief

Time

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS:



Sound of Metal - Sound Design

Emma. - Costume Design

Tenet - Visual Effects

Mank - Production Design

The Invisible Man - Visual Effects

SPECIAL AWARDS:

BEST NON-UNITED STATES RELEASE:

(This award is for the best films released outside the United States in 2020 that were not released in the United States during the eligibility period.)



A Beast in Love (Japan)

The Disciple (India)

Ghosts (Turkey)

Mogul Mowgli (United Kingdom)

New Order (Mexico)

Notturno (Italy)

Rocks (United Kingdom)

Saint Maud (United Kingdom)

Summer of 85 (France)

Undine (Germany)

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS:



"Small Axe" -- Director Steve McQueen created a series of films for the small screen that rivals the best of the theatrical features of the year, that can be seen individually and yet work together to explore a cultural experience largely unseen on big screens, television, or streaming to date.

Distributor Kino Lorber for being the first company to offer virtual film distribution as a way to help independent theaters during the pandemic through the Kino Marquee.

Kudos to the independent theater entities that participated in presenting "Virtual Cinema" when forced to close due to the pandemic. Films that otherwise may not have been seen were made available through online platforms, with ticket prices shared by the distributor with the theater.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS:



Rob Bottin (Makeup Artist)

David Byrne (Composer)

Jane Fonda (Actor)

Jean-Luc Godard (Director)

Frederick Wiseman (Documentarian)

ABOUT THE ONLINE FILM CRITICS SOCIETY

Founded is 1997 by film critic Harvey Karten, OFCS is a professional association that comprises of online film critics, film journalists, historians and scholars from around the world. The membership is dedicated to its mission of furthering the growth of the informed film audience by utilizing the Internet as a valuable source of news and commentary. OFCS provides a forum for its members to communicate and discuss ideas about journalism and cinema and encourage a high standard of journalism across online media platforms.

In 2001, OFCS began a 10-year partnership with the film and television review website, Rotten Tomatoes, until it was purchased by Flixster, now owned by Fandango. Despite changes in the relationship, many OFCS critics still contribute to Rotten Tomatoes.

With a global and diverse group of nearly 300 film and television critics, the organization is a volunteer group run by its membership. Every year, the organization hands out awards, celebrating the best in feature films. For more information about OFCS, visit OFCS.org

ON A SOCIAL NOTE:

Find OFCS: OFCS.org

Follow OFCS: @OFCS on Twitter

Be a Friend on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOFCS
I attended the rally on January 6 in Washington, D.C. I know what the atmosphere was like. I heard the speech. It was a huge crowd on the Ellipse, and the mood was warm and friendly even though the temperature was frigid. I saw none of the black-clad individuals pictured in many of the shots inside the Capitol building. I did have a woman I met in the crowd point at someone and tell me she thought he was an infiltrator because he was wearing camouflage and a Trump cap on backwards. I peered over to where she was pointing and nodded my head, as I too had read to be alert for these posers. Other than that, I saw only fellow Americans enjoying the camaraderie and the welcoming atmosphere of the rally.

Since then, I have read many accounts of the events of that day, and several said that no real Trump fan would have left his speech early to be at the Capitol by the time the trouble started. Well, I have to confess: even though I am a die-hard supporter, I did convince my companions to head over to the Capitol a little before the speech was over. As much as I love Trump, I have heard almost every rally of his on television, so I was okay with missing the last few minutes.

According to the time stamp on my pictures, we were approaching the Capitol at 1:05 P.M. Even there, the people wandering around looked like all the rest of us Trump-supporters. I didn't like the fact that there was no police presence and that people were milling around wherever they wanted. I convinced my friends that we should probably not hang around, and we headed back to our hotel by 1:20 p.m.

My point here is that I saw nothing that day that portended what took place inside the Capitol building. Before we left, we did see and hear what sounded like a cannon go off twice on the far right side of the building. I have also seen the videos where the Capitol police are opening the doors and ushering people in. I have also read about a massive number of arrests of "insurrectionists." However, try as I might, I have seen very little follow-up on the results of those arrests. I have my suspicions, and they are not good.

First of all, I suspect that many of the most destructive actors were Antifa, BLM, or just other agitators. I know that Trump-supporters were in the melee as well, but again, I suspect that they were largely egged on by the real agitators and got carried away. I say this primarily because I have really tried to pay attention to announcements of arrests and what charges might be brought. My theory is that if any of these arrests had any meat to them, we would be hearing about it nonstop twenty-four seven.

This observation, for me, is telling. I am certain that if they had actual Trump-supporters caught breaking windows and furniture, we would be seeing their mug shots everywhere, and we would be hearing the mainstream media screaming about these horrible people all day long. If I am right, and they really don't have anything, and they certainly aren't going to prosecute any Antifa types, then it will all be swept under the rug, and they will get away with this even though they have smeared all of us who participated. They created all of this hysteria and character assassination just to feed their narrative. There will be no retractions, no peace for any of us. And all the Republicans and conservative talking heads who gnashed their teeth about the horrible Trump people who did this should be ashamed of themselves for jumping to the conclusion so quickly that this was all Trump's fault and his terrible supporters'. It is infuriating and just so wrong.

Alas, just another day in leftist paradise.

Image: Lars Di Scenza via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
NuSTAR images of XTE J1858+034 as observed in November 2019. Credit: Malacaria et al., 2021.

Using NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), an international team of astronomers has conducted X-ray observations of an accreting X-ray pulsar known as XTE J1858+034. Results of the study, presented in a paper published January 18 on the arXiv pre-print server, provide more insights into the properties of this source.

X-ray pulsars (also known as accretion-powered pulsars) are sources displaying strict periodic variations in X-ray intensity, consisting of a magnetized neutron star in orbit with a normal stellar companion. In these binary systems, the X-ray emission is powered by the release of gravitational potential energy as material is accreted from a massive companion. X-ray pulsars are among the most luminous objects in the X-ray sky.

Detected in 1998 by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), XTE J1858+034 is an X-ray pulsar exhibiting X-ray pulsations with a period of about 221 seconds. Since its discovery, the source has been poorly studied, and what drew the attention of astronomers to re-investigate it was that it entered an outburst period in November 2019.

The outburst of XTE J1858+034 was observed by NuSTAR and a group of astronomers, led by Christian Malacaria of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, has analyzed the data from these observations with the aim of better understanding the emission from this source.

"We analyzed the NuSTAR observation of the 2019 outburst of the XRB [X-ray binary] XTE J1858+034. The source, relatively poorly studied, has now been characterized in multiple ways," the researchers wrote in the paper.

The study found that the hard spectrum of XTE J1858+034 resembles that of other typical accreting X-ray pulsars observed both at low and high luminosity. The observations detected a candidate cyclotron line at 48 keV and this finding suggests that the pulsar has a magnetic field strength at a level of around 5.4 trillion G.

According to the paper, pulse profiles of XTE J1858+034 from NuSTAR showcase a single-peak structure and a shape that is only weakly energy-dependent. This is typically observed on pulsars with relatively low mass accretion rates. The astronomers added that the pulsed fraction shows a considerable energy dependence, and almost doubles from 20% in the 310 keV to about 40% in the 3040 keV energy band.

"Pulse profiles are single-peaked and show a pulsed fraction that is strongly energy-dependent at least up to 40 keV," the scientists concluded.

Moreover, NuSTAR observations indicate that XTE J1858+034 has a luminosity of approximately 21 undecillion erg/s and an orbital period of about 81 days. The pulsar is estimated to be located some 35,500 light years away from the Earth.

Further monitoring of XTE J1858+034 is required to confirm the cyclotron line at 48 keV and to draw final conclusions about the nature of this source.

More information: The X-ray pulsar XTE J1858+034 observed with NuSTAR and Fermi/GBM: spectral and timing characterization plus a cyclotron line, arXiv:2101.07020 [astro-ph.HE] The X-ray pulsar XTE J1858+034 observed with NuSTAR and Fermi/GBM: spectral and timing characterization plus a cyclotron line, arXiv:2101.07020 [astro-ph.HE] arxiv.org/abs/2101.07020

 2021 Science X Network
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Aerial photos show the destruction and debris from an Alabama tornado that ripped off roofs and destroyed homes while leaving one dead and 30 injured on Monday.

The shocking pictures show heaps of mangled metal and wooden debris littered across the Darlene Estates neighborhood in Fultondale  just north of Birmingham.

Officials said that a 14-year-old boy who was sheltering in his basement died when a tornado blew a tree onto the home and killed him, police said on Tuesday.

Several of his family members were critically injured when the home collapsed and trapped them in the basement.

At least 30 other people were injured as the tornado rampaged through the community, which was severely harmed by a much larger tornado a decade ago.

Aerial photos show the destruction from a deadly Alabama tornado that leveled homes on Monday

The tornado ripped through Fultondale, carving a path of destruction north of Birmingham

One aerial photo shows at least five homes with extensive roof damage

The tornado carved a 10-mile path of destruction through the northern suburbs of Birmingam on Monday

The teenager killed was in the ninth grade at Fultondale High School, according to Jefferson County Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin.

The school was so heavily damaged that he doubts students can return to classrooms this year. He said they're trying to determine how many students may be homeless now.

Survey crews with the National Weather Service said they have found damage indicating the tornado was at least a 'high-end EF-2,' but noted that the results are preliminary and surveys remain ongoing.

Photos from the ground show distraught families trying to pick up their belongings and clean the debris as they try to move on from the devastation  and the economic loss while the world still reels from the coronavirus pandemic.

In one picture, Fultondale resident Patti Herring sobs as she stands in the remains of her kitchen and sorts debris from her home after the roof was ripped off.

Tim and Patti Herring ran to their bathroom when they got the warning that a tornado was headed their way. It struck moments later, ripping away their roof and two sides of their home while they huddled in the bathtub.

'I could feel stuff falling down and hitting me, but we're OK,' Tim Herring said.

Patti Herring sobs as she looks for a missing cat and her late mother's belongings

Patti Herring, pictured, and her husband Tim ran to their bathroom when they got the warning that a tornado was headed their way

By Tuesday afternoon, blue skies and sunshine illuminated the damage left by Monday's deadly tornado

Shaken and teary, Patti searched for a missing cat and her late mother's cherished belongings.

Another shows James Scott, 19, pausing while picking through the remains of his home while standing in front of what used to be its walls. The teen, who survived with his mother and sister, has never lived anywhere else and isn't sure where he will wind up after the storm.

Axel Ramirez, 14, spent hours this morning helping clean up debris at his friend's home, he told Connor Sheets, a reporter with The Birmingham News.

James Scott wears gloves while he picks through the remains of his home after it was leveled by the tornado

Wilfred Hunt sits in his car which is partially covered by tree limbs, obscuring a view of his house which suffered heavy damage

The trunk of a tree stands before the remains of homes that were all destroyed by the Fultondale tornado

Melvin Weldon and his son Nik look over the damage path from a powerful tornado struck Fultondale

Johnny O'Brien's home was damaged by falling trees as a tornado swept through Fultondale

'It hit their house, broke windows, damaged stuff, trees fell on it ... His family's at another family members' house. I don't know what they're going to do,' Ramirez said.

Another photo posted to Twitter by Sheets shows Bailey Black and her sister Taylor, who was at work when the tornado hit her home and cars, standing in the street as they survey the damage.

Black said she is thankful her kids weren't home.

'I can't even describe what I'm feeling right now. It's replaceable, it's just material, but it sucks when you worked for something,' she said.

More photos show backhoes and other construction equipment digging and hauling debris away with clear blue skies  not a cloud in sight.

The Hampton Inn hotel on Fulton Road sustained major damage. Guests were forced to find a new place to stay after six of them were pulled from the wreckage.

Tree limbs partially obscure an overhead view of a series of homes that were damaged in the twister

Nassa Perez, Lupe Rodriquez and Marcos Montenegro work Tuesday in the remains of a home that belonged to Ezekiel Calero in Fultondale, Ala.

Homes with their roofs sheared off are seen in Fultondale, Ala.

Hotel guest Richard Ring told WVTM he crawled under his room's bathroom sink when the raging storm drowned out the noise of the TV show he was watching.

'All of a sudden, the windows blew out in my room. The lights went out. And the sirens shrieked. And it was just surreal,' he told the outlet.

Footage showed water pouring from exposed upper floors of the hotel, while cars were trapped under debris in the parking lot outside.

The Hampton Inn hotel was torn apart as guests took shelter under their bathroom sinks

The tornado that touched down in Fultondale, Alabama is illuminated by lightning. It left people trapped in their homes, damaged buildings and downed trees

The Interstate I-65 was closed early on Tuesday morning in Fultondale, Alabama with extreme weather in the area

Lightning can be seen piercing the night sky as a tornado moved through Birmingham, Alabama

Power lines were also down in Fultondale and cars were trapped under debris with some roads impassable, while a towing business was also reduced to rubble by the extreme weather.

Meanwhile, drivers were left stranded in their cars as the interstate, I-65, was closed overnight - while the weather warnings for parts of Georgia and Alabama also came with the danger of penny-sized hailstones.

Fultondale Mayor Larry Holcomb said 'it's not going to be a quick process' to recover from the storm, which hit around 10.30pm, The Birmingham News reported.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said on Twitter early Tuesday that 'the people of Fultondale took a hard hit last night.'

'I'm grieved over the loss of life, injuries, homes & damaged businesses,' she said.

'I offer my prayers & deepest sympathies & pledge the full support & resources our state has to offer. I am with you, Fultondale!'

An EF- 4 tornado ripped across Alabama from Tuscaloosa to northern Jefferson County on April 27, 2011, killing 65 people and injuring 1,500 along a damage path more than 80 miles long, according to the National Weather Service.

If you were anywhere close to the internet on Monday, you must be familiar with the biggest topic of the day.

The BBC aired a documentary on Kenyan private detective Jane Mugo.

Although everyone appreciates that the private investigation business is secretive, no one thought it is downright comical.

Over a period of several months, BBC journalist Sharon Machira followed Mugo as she conducted her activities. She even welcomed her to her house on several occasions.

Mugo claims that she is a hunted woman owing to her line of work. She has rigged her house with multiple CCTV cameras including hiding them in everyday objects like clocks and artwork.

She has a small battalion of bodyguards, and four fierce dogs including one called Hitler, because  her words, It hits on everyone.

One of her guards takes the role of a food taster because not even the cook can be trusted. The guards eat their lunch while being whipped on their backs so they can get used to pain.

Her Land Cruiser is driven recklessly on her way to crime scenes.

The detective was also happy to show us her taekwondo skills, or lack thereof.

All in all, the documentary looked like a low budget Nollywood or Wakaliwood movie. And Kenyans made that fact known.

We even have a whole story on the reactions on Twitter.

One person who was not amused was Jane Mugo herself. She made it clear on Facebook that she was watching all the mocking being directed at her.

She wondered why people were not concentrating on her success.

Am slowly monitoring the comments Idles, haters who have never appeared on local radio station or their village limelight. They cannot show us what they have done in their village struggling to put food on the table yet jealous souls, she wrote.

Nobody is speaking about my training or my range. I am an African woman and I dont regret loving myself. I pray you stay longer to witness my blessings.

While the world is congratulating me for winning in a male-dominated job, I saw some cheap desperate bloggers vomiting hatred looking for cheap publicity.

If you missed the documentary, here it is.

On-demand, ride-hailing transit services are no longer just for short journeys in a designated service area. One Texas city is expanding its door-to-door offerings citywide. Arlington , a city of 400,000 residents squarely between Dallas and Fort Worth, will soon expand an existing on-demand transit service to become perhaps the first in the nation relying on a transit service that uses no fixed routes or large buses like most cities.The city will be served by about 70 shared shuttle-like vehicles  provided by Via  which will operate similar to a single-passenger ride-hailing service.This works in low-density regions. And it also is cost-effective enough that smaller cities can afford it, and it works, said Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams.In 2017, the city entered into an agreement with Via to provide on-demand transit across a small designated area. Last year the service area was expanded, covering about 65 percent of the citys 99 square miles. Under a new agreement, Via will serve the entire city, providing rides for rates ranging from $3 to $5 per person, depending on the distance of the trip. The move to an on-demand provider came after voters in 2017 rejected a sales tax increase to fund the citys bus service. The deal with Via will cost about $9 million a year, said Williams.Since the switch to Via, an app-based ride-hailing service that picks up riders from within about two blocks of their location, ridership has increased tenfold, according to the mayor.Our ridership has been great. Our customer satisfaction has been super. The convenience of not having to worry about either, how do you get to the bus station, or when you get off the bus, how do you get to where you want to go, its just been off the charts, he added.Williams believes traffic congestion has also been reduced slightly.But now that were going citywide I think we will really see it, he added.Micro-transit is a growing trend across a number of U.S. cities, regardless of size. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) recently launched Metro Micro as a companion to its bus, rail and bike travel options. Metro Micro, a public-private partnership between L.A. Metro and RideCo, serves two zones, with plans to expand to other zones this year.As of 2018, some 22 public transit agencies were using, or planned to use, micro-transit services or technologies, according to a new report by the Transportation Research Board titledPart of the attraction is the flexibility of micro-transit, said Dillon Twombly, chief revenue officer at Via. In some cases the company provides the technology to support a transit agencys own micro-transit system, while in other cases Via can provide a full service, including vehicles and staffing.This gives us the flexibility to meet the partners needs. And so were coming in really as a true partner to the city and [enabling] the service in a way that fits them, said Twombly.Via can quickly and easily modify service zones, times of service and pricing.One of the key factors that has led to our growth, not only last year but before, is the flexibility that it provides. During COVID, we modified or launched almost 60 services, said Twombly.I think a lot of cities and transit agencies have really embraced technology , he added. Obviously, COVID is not a good thing for anyone, but I think a lot of the change, and kind of the adoption of technology, has increased over this period because cities and agencies have needed more flexibility.
Seven weeks after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor stemming from a 2018 profanity-filled confrontation with a young party-goer, East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Connie Bernard is no longer on probation.

A Baton Rouge state judge Tuesday terminated Bernard's 90-day probation early after she completed all the conditions of her probation, which included performing 20 hours of community service, completing an effective decision-making class, and writing a letter of apology to the victim's family.

+3 After profanity-laced encounter at teen party, School Board's Connie Bernard pleads guilty Embattled East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Connie Bernard has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge stemming from her 2018 arrest 

District Judge Will Jorden also set aside Bernard's guilty plea.

"Ms. Bernards probation was terminated early and satisfactorily. The guilty plea she entered has been set aside. Under Louisiana law, this is the same as an acquittal," her attorney, John McLindon, said.

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Bernard, 59, had pleaded guilty Dec. 10 to a charge of entering and remaining after being forbidden, which resulted from an August 2018 encounter at a Lakeside home near her residence.

East Baton Rouge prosecutors last month dismissed a simple battery charge against her at the victim's request. She was accused of putting her hands to the neck of a teen party-goer. A viral video captured that moment.

Afterward Bernard faced calls to resign her District 8 seat. Her term expires at the end of 2022. Protesters also marched to Bernard's home last summer as part of an unsuccessful recall effort after she stated in a TV interview that people needed to know more about the life of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee  and for shopping online for clothes amid a board debate over renaming Lee High School. The school is now called Liberty High School.

Janhvi Kapoor started shooting for Good Luck Jerry in Patiala a couple of weeks ago. But the shoot was disrupted last weekend when a group of angry farmers started to protest at the venue in Bhupindra Road and later moved to the hotel where Janhvi along with the rest of the crew was staying.

Owing to the unrest, the production decided to move the shoot to Chandigarh instead of getting in touch with the officials in Patiala to increase security. On Monday itself, the cast and crew moved to Sector 8 in Chandigarh where a small set was constructed to shoot for the next four days. A small book shop with flower bouquets was set-up where Janhvi was spotted shooting with tight security. The production made sure to have the Chandigarh police intimated about security issues before starting the shoot.
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Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-day Power Reserve Carbon White  Hublot

In the seven years since its launch in 2014, the singular and distinctive Spirit of Big Bang has been cultivating its differences whilst incorporating the signature Hublot codes - 6 H-shaped titanium screws, a "sandwich" case construction, and a demonstration of the Art of Fusion.



With the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-day Power Reserve Carbon White, Hublot combines black with white, proving opposites attract. The 42-mm case, case back and bezel are crafted from carbon fibre featuring white composite inclusions. These white inclusions are formed of glass microfibres created as a non-woven fabric (NWF), used mainly to improve the breaking strength of composites: This NWF is then co-impregnated with the carbon fibres using tinted epoxy resin when the composite preforms are created in a special mould.

Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-day Power Reserve Carbon White  Hublot

Released in a limited edition of 100 pieces, the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon 5-day Power Reserve Carbon White plays with contrasts and transparency with a sapphire case back and dial which reveal the ultra-aesthetic architecture of the HUB6020 manufacture movement. A skeleton tourbillon specially designed to sit within the tonneau case of the Spirit of Big Bang. A power reserve of 115 hours, hand- wound, with a 5-day indicator set at 8 o'clock. At 6 o'clock, the tourbillon cage completes one rotation per minute. Off-centre hours and minutes can be read at 3 o'clock.



Paired with a white lined rubber strap, the Spirit of Big Bang White embraces interchangeability thanks to its patented "One-Click" system. A mechanical watch. A magnetic complication. A feat of geometry.
Believing that having strong research teams can determine their positions, many universities are offering attractive conditions to attract researchers.

Rector of the Hanoi University of Science and Technology Huynh Quyet Thang said the school attaches much importance to developing research teams and offering open policies for them.



The school gives financial support to scientists with an H-Index of 15 or higher, or 2-3 articles published in prestigious international journals a year, so as to be sure that they have incomes high enough to devote themselves to scientific research.

In recent years, the school has encouraged its lecturers and researchers to conduct scientific research works at ministries, branches and enterprises. This, according to Thang, allows them to have insight and practical research thinking.

The school also creates favorable conditions for students to join strong research teams and support them to turn ideas into products.

It would be a big waste if talented students just can show their excellent ideas on theses, he said.

Attracting young talents into strong research teams is also what the Hanoi National University is striving for. Once establishing a research team in advanced materials and structures more than 10 years ago, Dr Nguyen Dinh Duc said he came to the lecture hall and chose the best students to lead.

At first, the research team only comprises several members, but there are now 30-40 students and PhDs. The team has published nearly 300 scientific research works with more than 100 articles published in ISI journals.

Duc believes that a research team can connect training and scientific research, thus discovering and fostering talents. This is both the goal and the way of development for universities.

As for Phenikaa Univeristy, according to its Rector Pham Thanh Huy, the first research teams were established in 2019. To date, the school has 10 strong research teams and 11 potential research teams.

Research teams are required to make commitments on the number of scientific research works to be published, useful solutions, technology transfer contracts as well as the numbers of postgraduates to be trained and the numbers of students to join the teams.

Building strong research teams, according to schools leaders, is necessary.

A report showed that the number of ISI articles from universities accounted for four-fifths of total articles from Vietnam in 2020. This means that leading scientists in theory are working for universities.

According to Duc, there are many posgraduates who have excellent international publications. Some of them, by the time of defending theses, have had 20 international publications. This is also a goal of many foreign education establishments.

In order to retain talent, according to Duc, it is necessary to ensure favorable conditions, especially the financial factor.

In order to have good research, scientists need to have a certain level of income that can ensure their lives, he said.

Thuy Nga

80-year-old vaccine researcher honoured with Hero of Labour title Prof. Dr. Huynh Thi Phuong Lien has been awarded with the title of Hero of Labour in the Doi Moi (Renewal) Period in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the development of the vaccine industry in Vietnam from 2009  2019.
Athens, GA (30605)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low near 65F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low near 65F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
PARLAMENTUL REPUBLICII MOLDOVA

 2010

The Moldovan Parliaments website design was supported by the Democracy Support Programme in Moldova"  an initiative financed by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe

PARIS, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EKINOPS (Euronext Paris: FR0011466069) (Euronext: EKI), a leading supplier of optical transport and access solutions, today announces it has been awarded a grant of over 560,000 by the Brittany Region to support EMBRACE, a collaborative European initiative under the EUREKA CELTIC and PSPC-Regions program to transform the efficiency of multi-band optical network architecture.

The project brings together major network players from across Europe. Ekinops will closely collaborate with Orange (leader of the project) to develop innovations which should allow to transport more than 100 Tbps over several hundreds of kilometers on one fiber. EMBRACE aims to deliver unprecedented capacity to optical networks by maximizing the entire spectrum of the low water peak single mode fiber (SMF) for applications from metro to long-haul reach. By pooling expertise, the project will help operators best leverage existing fiber infrastructure to maximize ROI, prolong fiber lifespan, and futureproof lines for evolving networking demands.

"With 5G and high-speed optical network deployment under way, capacity pressure on existing fiber assets is building quickly. This project answers the growing need for a more cost-effective, agile optical transport solution and aligns perfectly with one of our core principles: enabling operators to wring every drop of capacity out of their existing equipment," comments Vincent Muniere, Group Chief Technology Officer & VP R&D at Ekinops.

"To be selected to support this world-leading project is a great testament to Ekinops' long commitment to R&D and innovation. We want to set the bar internationally in this new field and are greatly looking forward to getting started," added Muniere.

The project will provide a cost-effective and reliable backhaul solution for newly launched 5G systems and is projected to add >300 nm exploitable bandwidth. EMBRACE will start in early 2021 and is set to run for a period of three years.

EMBRACE is funded by Bpifrance and Region Bretagne with the Lannion Tregor Communaute under the PSPC-Regions program, and sponsored by Eureka CELTIC, Pole de Competitivite "Images & Reseaux", Pole de Competitivite "ALPHA Route de Lasers et des Hyperfrequences".

Contact

For further media information, or to schedule an interview with Ekinops, please contact Elisabeth Dean, iseepr

+44(0) 113 350 1922 / [email protected]

About EKINOPS

For more information, visit www.ekinops.com

SOURCE Ekinops

Related Links

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Four Southeast Texas counties and the cities within each have launched a centralized system for residents to sign up for COVID-19 vaccine waiting lists and, ultimately, be vaccinated against the virus.

Representatives from Jefferson, Hardin, Orange and Jasper counties, along with Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames, on Monday announced the launch of a website and a call center to handle the vaccine waiting lists.

They quickly added that the region does not yet have mass vaccine doses and asked residents not to show up at a vaccination site without an appointment.

The coalition has submitted a vaccination plan to the state and requested 22,000 doses, which would be delivered to Lamar University before being transported to each individual health department, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said.

From there, the vaccines will be administered to residents based on each individual health departments standard operating procedures, which has created some variance in waiting list signups.

At a glance To sign up for a vaccine waiting list in Southeast Texas: Visit vaccine.beaumonttexas.gov; or Call 409-550-2536. The phones will be manned Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick asked residents to be patient if they experience a busy signal or other capacity-related issue. See More Collapse

Related: SE Texas officials make plans for mass vaccinations

Representatives from Hardin and Orange counties said theyve pulled some individuals who are not in the first two tiers to take a vaccine dose thats about to expire. But at this time theyre trying to reserve their waiting list for folks in designated tiers 1A and 1B only.

Those groups include, primarily, frontline health-care workers and first-responders, as well as people 65 and older and those with pre-existing conditions.

Port Arthur Public Health Department Director Judith Smith said her office isnt telling anyone not to sign up for the waiting list, although most of the people on the list now qualify for the first two tiers.

We do not want to discourage people from signing up because hopefully at some point we will be able to vaccinate all who are on the list, but because vaccine is limited right now, we want to focus on 1A and 1B, she said.

The biggest difference falls between guidance from Branick, who urged only residents who are in tiers 1A and 1B to sign up for the waiting list, while Ames continued to note that all residents can sign up for the waiting list, although only individuals in the first two tiers are being vaccinated at this time.

Ames noted that the vaccine sign up website is hosted through the city of Beaumont, so shes particularly familiar with its capabilities.

Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox

We can query and find out which people are 1A and 1B to make the reservations, she said. But I also want to have a backup list if we open a box and we have too many doses or we need to find someone to use them.

She said it also gives the city a better idea of how many people within the city want the vaccine, so it can take that data to the state when requesting more doses.

Even with all those plans in place, Branick compared guessing when the region will get a substantial number of doses to looking into a crystal ball.

He also couldnt estimate a timeline for when the region would begin to open vaccinations to the general population or when he thought enough residents would be vaccinated to lead to a substantial drop in that positive cases.

However, he said the number of vaccine signups will help the group determine when it has reached saturation in individuals who fall into the first two tiers, and every shot administered brings the region one step closer to artificial herd immunity.

For the time being, all the gathered representatives noted the importance of continuing to take COVID-19 precautions because caseloads are still rising, and people are still dying.

Related: Beaumont opens vaccine wait list to all

Orange County Judge John Gothia encouraged people who have been vaccinated to keep wearing a mask, because theres no way for the general public to tell who has been vaccinated and who hasnt.

I think the reason we wanted to talk about the death rate is to reiterate the fact, how important it is still today, to wear your mask, continue to wash your hands, continue to do hygiene like youre supposed to do, he said after noting that the state has seen a slight decline in the number of COVID-19-related deaths each day. Weve got a long way to go before were going to have everyone vaccinated. Its not over yet.

Just hours after he issued that reminder, the Beaumont Public Health Department reported two additional COVID-19-related deaths, which brings the county to a total of 239 since the pandemic began. The now-30 deaths that the county has recorded so far this month pushes it past October to become the third-deadliest month of the pandemic.

Only July and December have seen more virus-related fatalities.

The county on Monday also surged past 15,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus since the pandemic began. So far, 15,017 Jefferson County residents, or nearly 6% of the population, has tested positive.

kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/KaitlinBain
There's no doubt that our arts world has become smaller in the last year, but online and hybrid events are certainly having their day in the sun. Who would have imagined we'd have the Sundance Film Festival available on our doorstep? This has to be up there with the best pandemic-related news we've heard all year.

From January 28th to February 3rd, for the first time in its more than 20 years, the Sundance Film Festival goes virtualand national with screenings and events in 30 cities. It's fitting that the Roxieone of the oldest movie theaters in the countryis a chosen official partner, and will bring a selection of the program to San Francisco's Fort Mason in partnership with the Flix drive-in team.

"The Roxie is honored to have been designated as the California State Satellite Screen for Sundance 2021, and thrilled that we will be presenting 12 festival features at Fort Mason Flix drive-in looking out onto the San Francisco Bay," Rick Norris, Roxie Programming Department, told SF/Arts.

Before you go in search of drive-in tickets, the bad news is the first batch sold out almost immediately, the not-so-bad-news is they will be releasing more tickets on January 25th, and the better news is that a lot of these films are available for streaming through the Sundance website, with some already lined up for Bay Area releases over the next month or so.

Roxie/Fort Mason Flix tickets are $49 per car, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Roxie.

Films with Bay Area connections feature strongly in this year's lineup, with a handful in the 15 or so world premieres. Here's what to watch.

'First Date' (Courtesy of Sundance Institute) Directing duo Manuel Crosby and Darren Knapp's First Date is a dark, coming-of-age teen romance that tells the story of a date night with unexpected results and uninvited guests including a criminal gang, a pair of cops, and even a cat lady. A whole heaping of excitement and car chase thrills in a trusty '65 Chrysler.

All the filmmakers and producers are from Sacramento or the Bay Area. "There's no reason not to make it homespun," says co-director Darren Knapp of this first feature film. "It was shot in Valley Springs, and almost the entire cast and crew consists of individuals from the greater Sacramento and Valley Springs regions. We knew our local area was full of talent, so why not highlight them? We both felt that screen presence and chemistry amounted to more than an IMDB star rating. Let's give everyone their shot!" January 31, February 2 Sundance Streaming

February 1 Roxie/Fort Mason Flix

'Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It' (West Side Story copyright 1961, MetroGoldwynmayer Studios Inc.) Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It chronicles the life and work of the Tony, Oscar, Grammy and Emmy award winner Moreno who, throughout her 70-year career, has acted, danced and sang her way into the spotlight, all the time avoiding being pigeonholed and stereotyped thus paving the way for future Hispanic-American performers. Director and fellow Puerto Rican, Mariem Perez Riera considers Moreno "a great personality with vast knowledge; she's a woman of great conversations, very happy and very knowledgeable about a woman's place in the United States, and in Hollywood where she was sexually harassed and faced prejudice for being Latina and female." Moreno is among the guests taking part in Sundance's virtual "Cinema Cafe" on Saturday, January 30. January 29 Roxie/Fort Mason Flix; January 29, 31 Sundance Streaming

'Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir' (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | KPJR Films) Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir is the final film directed by James Redford (recently deceased son of Robert) and is an Official Selection of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. The biopic takes us on the life journey of Amy Tan, the Chinese-American literary great and author of "The Joy Luck Club," whose 1989 novel about the relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese immigrant mothers set in San Francisco, put her on the map. The work was adapted into a play and a film directed by Wayne Wang in 1993. Born to Chinese immigrant parents in the 1950s, Tan takes us through episodes in both her childhood and adult life that reflect on matters of immigrant representation and multigenerational trauma, as well as her own debilitating health issues and her mother's suicidal tendencies associated with the ancient Chinese tradition of concubinage. February 2 Roxie/Fort Mason Flix / February 2, 3 Sundance Streaming

'Homeroom' and 'Try Harder!' (Courtesy of Sundance Institute) Two Bay Area high schools are featured in documentaries at this year's festival, both examining the pressures of college applications and effects of senior student anxiety and stress. Homeroom, directed by Peter Nicks, was started in 2019 with the intention of observing students trying to navigate the urban educational process at Oakland High School. Originally focused on students' challenges around test scores and college admissions, the film took a sharp turn as the 2019-2020 school year saw the dramatic effects of the pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement on the high schoolers' lives. The result is a revealing coming-of-age story that taps into the collective experience of a nation undergoing dramatic change. January 29, 31 Sundance Streaming

Meanwhile, across the Bay students at Lowell High School take center stage in director Debbie Lum's documentary Try Harder! Seniors at one of the most competitive, largely Asian American public high schools in the country push the already high bar of achievement to extremes in the effort to stand out and covet placements at the country's top colleges. As part of the Festival Village's Talks & Events, filmmaker Debbie Lum, Lowell students and experts in the field explore the intersection of education and mental health and anxiety. Sunday, January 31 at 2pm. January 30, February 1 Sundance Streaming / February 2 Roxie/Fort Mason Flix

'Bring Your Own Brigade' (Courtesy of Sundance Institute) While the heat is turned up for Bay Area students, so too seasonal wildfires continue to rage in California. Bring Your Own Brigade is filmmaker Lucy Walker's take on the topic as she turns the lens on communities affected and the losses suffered in recent fires. Following the devastation of the 2018 fire season's Camp Fire that took out the town of Paradise, and the Woolsey that raged through Malibu, the documentary examines the effects of climate change, history of suppression policies, complexities of preventative measures and the influence of corporate interests. As the threat continues and increases year after year, Walker's film looks at ways to balance development and nature and explores what it will take to restore this delicate equilibrium. January 29, 31 Sundance Streaming

Robin Wright's 'Land' (Courtesy of Sundance Institute) In her directorial debut, Robin Wright also stars in her adaptation of the screenplay Land, a dramatic account of a woman's search for meaning and renewal in the aftermath of a near-death experience in the majestic Rockies' wilderness. Sundance organizers describe the film as "a quiet yet masterful journey into the complex desire for solitude as a woman searches for meaning in the vast and harsh American wilderness." Robin Wright will be taking part in Sundance's virtual "Cinema Cafe" on January 31. The film is set for general release February 12. January 31, February 2 Sundance Streaming

Ryan Coogler's 'Judas and the Black Messiah' (Courtesy of Sundance Institute) Another local talent, Oakland-based Ryan Coogler (a fellow Mahershala Ali St. Mary's College alum), is one of the producers of Judas and the Black Messiah. The story is of FBI informant William O'Neal who infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther Party and is tasked with keeping tabs on their charismatic leader, Chairman Fred Hampton, played by the wonderful Daniel Kaluuya. The movie will have its virtual world premiere at the festival and will be released by Warner Brothers in theaters on February 12 and also be available starting then on HBO Max for a limited time. February 1, 3 - Sundance Streaming





The best way to figure out how to navigate online options for this year's festival is to check out our very own Boots Riley's walk-through video here on the Sundance website. The Oakland film director (Sorry to Bother You) rapper, and community activist gives a practical and highly entertaining on "how to fest." Check it out at festival.sundance.org.







This article was written by Catherine Barry for SF/Arts Monthly.
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(CNN)  President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday (Tuesday in the Philippines) aimed at boosting American manufacturing, setting in motion a process to fulfill his campaign pledge to strengthen the federal government's Buy American rules.

Similar executive orders signed by former President Donald Trump had little effect because his administration waited to formalize changes until his second to last day in office. By contrast, Biden has set a 180-day deadline to deliver on fundamental change to the process, according to an administration official.

"I've long said that I don't accept the defeatist view that the forces of automation and globalization can keep union jobs from growing here in America," Biden said at a news conference before signing the order.

The order follows others Biden signed last week directing additional relief to the neediest Americans, as well as starting the process of raising the minimum wage for federal contractors and workers to $15 an hour.

The President signed 30 orders in his first three days in office, some of them reversing Trump's policies. Additional orders are expected this week with a series of themed days covering racial equity, climate, health care and immigration.

Closing loopholes in federal purchasing

The President "believes we can rebuild the vitality of American manufacturing and our industrial strength. A big piece of that is centered around the idea that when we use taxpayer money to rebuild America, we buy American and we support American jobs," the administration official said Sunday on a call with reporters.

Currently, a patchwork of federal rules requires that a portion of government spending on things like infrastructure, vehicles and other equipment is restricted to goods that are made in the United States. But there are loopholes depending on the material, the amount of the purchase, and what qualifies as American made.

Biden's executive order will change how domestic content is defined and measured for qualifying products as well as increase the required threshold. It will also create a senior position at the Office of Management and Budget to oversee the process by which contractors can apply for waivers from the Buy American rules, with the goal of reducing the number of waivers granted.

The administration will also create a public website that will post all waiver requests and direct agencies to proactively connect with small American manufacturers that are often left out of the process.

What happened to Trump's promised boost

The manufacturing sector didn't get the boost Trump repeatedly promised. The number of manufacturing jobs grew during the first two years of his administration -- though at roughly the same pace as they did under President Barack Obama -- but then slowed in 2019 after the boost from the Republican-backed tax cuts wore off and as Trump's China tariffs created uncertainty for businesses.

The pandemic hit manufacturing hard as the rest of the economy slowed down. The sector is still down 543,000 jobs since February 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Trump talked about buying American and hiring American a lot, but his executive orders didn't amount to much at all," said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.

"There's an opening here for Joe Biden to really be a 'Made in America' president," he added.

Paul said he's eager to see Biden close the loopholes in the current federal procurement process as well as follow through on his campaign promise to purchase $400 billion in American-made goods and materials for infrastructure projects.

Biden's Buy American policy may concern some foreign trading partners. Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said in an interview with CBS News on Sunday that "it might jeopardize the very strong an integrated supply chains that exist between our two countries."

Many of America's allies were hit with tariffs under the Trump administration. While Biden has also pledged to take a tough stance on trade and crack down on unfair trading practices, he has reiterated a commitment to do so in partnership with America's allies -- unlike his predecessor, who mostly acted unilaterally when it came to imposing tariffs.

"We remain very committed to working with partners and allies to modernize international trade rules to make sure that we can use our taxpayer dollars to stir investments in our own countries," the Biden administration official said.

This story was first published on CNN.com 'Biden signs executive order aimed at strengthening American manufacturing'
JUNO BEACH, Fla., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) has posted its fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 financial results in a news release available on the company's website by accessing the following link: www.NextEraEnergy.com/FinancialResults.

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 today. The listen-only webcast will be available on NextEra Energy's website by accessing the following link: www.NextEraEnergy.com/FinancialResults. Also discussed during the investor presentation will be financial results for NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP). 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.

Related Links

http://www.nexteraenergy.com


Investments in digital transformation and cloud technology will help drive a 2.8% increase in spending on IT this year in the META market (Middle East, Turkey and Africa), to a total of $77.5 billion, after a decline in 2020, according to market research company IDC.

IT spending last year was hit hard last year by the pandemic and declined by 4.9% in the META region, according to new research from IDC. The crisis caused by the pandemic, though, appears to have accelerated plans for digital transformation and related projects such as migration to cloud technology.

Among trends contributing to the adoption of cloud tech, the pandemic caused a mass move to remote work, increasing uptake of digital communications tools and highlighting the important role that cloud technology can play in business continuity strategy. In fact, spending on digital transformation (DX) is set to gather even more pace in the post-pandemic period, increasing from 25% of total IT spending in 2020 to 37% in 2024, according to IDC's s group vice president and regional managing director, Jyoti Lalchandani.

"The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic fallout has accelerated digital transformation across the region, spurring unprecedented demand for contactless services, cloud solutions, and collaboration applications," said Lalchandani in a press release.

In Saudi Arabia alone, IT spending will rise 4.2% to reach $11.1 billion in 2021, with services and devices accounting for more than half of the market, according to IDC's regional director for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Hamza Naqshbandi, in a separate statement on the Saudi market.

In IDC survey results released in the early stages of the pandemic, more than 25 percent of Saudi Arabian enterprises, spurred by disruptions caused by the pandemic, said they plan to use a combination of on-premises and dedicated private cloud systems, public clouds and legacy platforms. That's because COVID-19 has accelerated reliance on multiple workloads: mobile apps, government-service internet portals and emerging technology including drones that can monitor public spaces and thermal imaging to screen for infectious diseases.

Markets across the META region are experiencing similar trends. Spending on public cloud services in the region will grow 26.7% to top $3.7 billion, IDC said. Spending on SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS will grow 24.5%, 30.6%, and 30.7%, respectively, according to the company. In addition, spending on professional cloud services will grow rapidly to total $1.6 billion.

In other areas of it, IDC predicted:

Overall ICT spending (telecom services and IT) will grow 1.9% to surpass $209.5 billion.

Spending on AI software will grow 23% to top $540 million.

Spending on security (hardware, software, and services) will grow 7.1% to reach $3.3 billion.

"Most economists predict a return to economic growth this year as vaccines become more widely available, and we expect that by 2022, 70% of organizations worldwide will have increased their use of digital technologies, transforming existing business processes to drive new levels of customer engagement, employee productivity, and business resiliency, Lalchandani said.

The market research was released last week at IDC's IDC Directions 2021 Middle East, Turkey & Africa virtual event.
ORLAND, Calif. - Amazon is coming to Glenn County where it plans to build a huge delivery center.

Amazon says the distribution center will be located at the Orland industrial park near the Orland Airport, which is just one mile outside Orland city limits.

It can bring in up to 150 jobs in total, and that's not accounting for all the local impact a big business like this will have on the community.

"Glenn has an airport industrial park in the outskirts of Orland, for quite some time that industrial park has gone mostly unused," said Scott De Moss, Orland City Administrator.

The industrial park is now home to two businesses after Amazon reached an agreement with Glenn County.

"Because of that," said De Moss over the phone, "Glenn County will have an Amazon distribution center located in that pretty much vacant warehouse."

Thousands of packages just like this one will be coming out of this 75,000 square foot warehouse and Glenn County says the reason they chose Orland is because of how close it is to the I-5 freeway.

"It looks like they're going to be bringing four to six million-dollar payroll just in the warehouse," said City Manager Peter R. Carr. "On top of that again just for the delivery drivers, so that's exciting."

Much of that money, Peter Carr hopes, will find it's way into the city.

"To the extent that they're hungry, to the extent that they'll use the services we have here in Orland," he said hopefully.

"My initial thoughts were people are joshing with me," said Karen Scarpete, who helps run South Street Deli in Orland, just off the I-5 freeway exit.

"As a business owner it's gonna bring more people, more money into our town," she said. "It can't be negative in my opinion."

Amazon shared a statement with Action News Now saying,

"Amazon is excited to make this investment in Glenn County that will support local economic development and help... deliver to its growing number of customers in the region."

Amazon says the jobs will vary between full-time and part-time. but they say all the jobs they offer will start at $15 an hour.

The distribution center is expected to be completed within the next year.
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Kelly Dodd of The Real Housewives of Orange County and The View co-host Meghan McCain are always at the center of controversy. Both women have been blessed with a platform to give out their opinions. They also both happen to be conservative women but when they appeared together on Watch What Happens Live, they seemed to clash. McCain recently revealed that Dodd was so mean to her and the Bravo star is reacting to the claims.

Kelly Dodd and Meghan McCain | Casey Durkin/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images / Heidi Gutman/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

What did Meghan McCain say about Kelly Dodd?

Although both Dodd and McCain consider themselves conservative, they are aligned to different political parties. McCain is a renowned Republican and fights hard on The View to represent like-minded people. Dodd recently revealed she is a Libertarian and didnt vote for Donald Trump.

Im a Libertarian, I didnt vote for Trump. Im not a Trumper at all, Dodd told E! Online. But I am a Libertarian so I do have conservative views on things but I am socially liberal. I believe in gay rights, I believe in abortion.

Taking politics aside, McCain is an avid The Real Housewives fan. Andy Cohen has her own Watch What Happens Live a couple of times a year to get her take on the latest drama from all the franchises. Back in September 2019, Dodd and McCain shared a night at the clubhouse, but things didnt end up looking too bright.

I went on Watch What Happens Live with her, and she was so mean to me, McCain recalled on the late-night show. She had clearly had some drinks beforehand, and now Ive totally turned on her. Remember how weird she was? She was, like, calling me a trust fund kid and telling me Ive never worked a day in my life. I get up every day at 5 a.m. to work, man. What are you talking about? She was so mean.

RELATED: RHOC Alum Heather Dubrow Slams Kelly Dodd: A Leopard Doesnt Change Its Spots

Kelly Dodd explains the drama

After McCains video made the rounds on social media, many pointed out the fact that the aforementioned and Dodd are also both from Arizona. When Dodd appeared on an interview for Hollywood Life, the reporter asked about the drama with McCain.

She said I was mean because Im from Arizona. I went to St. Marys High School, she went to Xavier [College Preparatory]. Those two Catholic schools are very, very much rivals, Dodd explained. Her mom is very, very wealthy, shes an heiress and I was teasing her. I was teasing with her when I said she was a trust fund [baby]. I was just kidding, I was giving her sh** because we went to rival high schools and I was kidding with her.

RELATED: RHOC Star Kelly Dodd Wants Joy Behar Fired From The View

But I wrote it immediately on Twitter, Hey, I was just joking. I never said she did not work, I know she works, I see her on The View, she added.

Dodd said that McCain replied and said it was OK and finished off by saying, She felt like I was mean but I was just busting her chops. I was just kidding around with her but obviously, she took it wrong, like everybody takes everything wrong about me.
In an old warehouse near Interstate 25, a spirited woman with spiky red hair brews gallons of magical elixir.

While the bright afternoon January sun streams in through windows capturing a stellar view of Pikes Peak, she experiments with crafting perfect flavor combinations for her kombucha from ingredients such as cardamom, pear, ginger, pomegranate, jackfruit, kiwi, mango and salty cactus fruit, which tastes surprisingly like a Jolly Ranchers candy.

Janie Otero, who once slow-danced with death, is committed to living the heck out of her life. And right now, that means making and selling the fermented and effervescent tea adored by many. If you stop by her newly refurbished workspace, you might find her buzzing between her giant sinks and walk-in cooler, brewing and taste-testing her inventive creations, such as Strawberry in Mint Condition, Lavender for the Black & Blues or Blueberry Hill Meets Palo Santo. Possibly youll find her roller skating on the smooth tiles. And if you time it just right, you could find her hanging works of art  both her own collages and works by other Colorado Springs artists  in her square, lime green gallery that was a dreary office in a former life.

Click or tap here for a video of Janie Otero's business.

Kombucha is the harmony of the body, says Otero, founder of Springs Culture Kombucha. Its its own ecosystem. It doesnt just do one thing. It does everything. Art does one thing, but it does more than just one thing.

Her live culture-filled creations can be found in bars, restaurants and other liquid-serving cantinas, such as Cerberus Brewing Co., Ohana Kava Bar, The Ute & Yeti and Monses Pupuseria.

Weve tried a few different ones around town and in Colorado and hers had the best flavor, says Adam Potter, general manager of The Brass Tap. Everyone we serve it to has enjoyed it. She cares about what shes doing and the way she makes it and it shows in her products.

The bubbly potion isnt only a tasty way to hydrate. Otero believes it also can help heal the body. Fermented foods and drinks can contain probiotics, living organisms that are said to help balance the microbiome of your gut.

A 2018 article on the website Healthline.com reported kombucha is a potential source of probiotics, contains antioxidants, might reduce the risk of heart disease and might help protect against cancer.

If your gut is straight, think about all the other things that are running well, says Otero. Your skin looks nicer. Your poops are better. Your emotional state is better. As a natural side effect youre going to have more energy. Your gut has 70% of your immune system. I dont think people should feel so powerless in this day and age. Youve got tons of power. And control. And its all about your immunity.

The brewmasters history

The Rampart High School graduate has been many things in her 51 years: server, bartender, personal assistant, insurance agency owner, holistic health seeker, hospice volunteer, certified raindrop therapist (an aromatherapy massage technique) and cancer survivor.

Whats the worst thing that can happen? You can die. And thats a beautiful thing. Youve done what youre supposed to do, but I felt like Im not ready, says Otero, 51, about her diagnosis more than a decade ago. Ive come this far and this is how it ends? This is just the worst Wizard of Oz ever. I did have to go through the fire and it was good. It was what brought me here. For as anxious of a person as I am, it makes me feel so at ease to know this is what its about  following that passion, following that ping.

Those pings found her signing the lease on her new kombucha kitchen March 18, 2020, just as the coronavirus wrapped its arms around the city and choked everything silent. The timing reminded Otero of the shell shock of her health diagnosis.

I almost had this what have I done? she says. But I said hold on a minute. If you look back and think about it, that was the worst and best year of your life because it brought you to where you are now. So if you trust this process, youll be exactly where you need to be in the time you need to be. Its trusting the process. Its not easy to do.

In 2009, Otero, who had just turned 40 and was one year into marriage, wasnt feeling great. Her midsection, from sternum to below her belly button, was in pain. She couldnt rotate her torso. Thinking it was fibroids or endometriosis, she was surprised to find herself in an eight-hour surgery, where surgeons found the culprit: peritoneal mesothelioma, a cancer that develops in the lining of the abdomen. Thirteen tumors were removed during the surgery, only one of which was benign.

Peritoneal is the Saran Wrap that keeps your organs in, says Otero. Its a fine membrane and it goes around all of our organs. Its like a Ziplock bag for organs.

After that first operation, it took doctors quite awhile to diagnose her rare form of cancer. When they finally did, Otero learned one of the countrys two specialists was in Omaha, Neb., where she was born. It also happened to be 15 minutes from where her estranged mother lived. It was a meaningful moment of serendipity.

She came back into my life, says Otero. I dont know if it was this whole synchronized thing in the world, but I wanted her my whole life.

Treatment was rigorous, so much so that after a 12-hour hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, in which Oteros abdominal cavity was opened up so doctors could pour chemo directly inside of her, she called the chaplain. That particular operation came in the middle of eight regular chemo sessions.

I dont know if I can come back from this, but Im going to try, she remembers about the aftermath of the invasive surgery. That was traumatic. I was in the ICU. That was touch-and-go time.

Throughout treatment in 2010, Otero, a self-described earth muffin, also pursued alternative treatments, such as acupuncture and Chinese medicine, healers, visits with a shaman, yoga, lots of juicing and kombucha, of course. But drinking the fizzy green and black tea wasnt a new thing. Shed been indulging since the mid-90s, when a friend gave her a SCOBY, which is an acronym for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, the substance thats formed after the fermentation process of lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria and yeast that forms sour foods and beverages, including kombucha.

It was called mushroom tea. Its been around thousands of years, says Otero. I didnt know about second fermentation or the concept of adding the fruit. I just knew it was good for me and this is how I made it. I made it in the gallon jar with that creepy thing (the SCOBY). I gagged it down and said Im so healthy.

Little did Otero know that creepy thing would factor so largely into her life decades later. After healing from cancer, she took the same recipe she made in the 90s and started the process all over again, experimenting with different flavors and learning how to work with carbonation. Eventually, she began giving workshops on brewing, only her students werent having great results, so they wound up buying her product instead. A business was born.

Kombucha queen

The live cultures in kombucha also appeal to Otero in a semantics sort of way. Her intention is to create a culture movement with her beverage and the gallery.

Culture is where you live. Culture is why you are, how you are, she says. The culture is the very liveliness inside of the drink. That culture is what is inside of you.

Her health is top-notch these days. She strives to take care of her body and her mental health. And when life seems to go wrong, shes quick to find gratitude in all the good things: warm socks and clothes without holes, healthy teeth, feeling safe and the ability to create an environment that allows her to focus on the path forward.

After I survive something that most people die from, the least I can do is shine my light, says Otero. But Ive had to give myself the permission to do that. And permission isnt always easy.

Contact the writer: 636-0270

Highlights Samsung Galaxy S21 price in India starts at Rs 69,999.

Seamless updates is a handy Android feature.

Even the Galaxy S20 series didn't support seamless updates.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S21 series earlier this month, and unfortunately, the phones still miss out on one of Android's best feature seamless updates. In 2016, Google introduced seamless updates for Google Pixel devices, enabling these devices to install system updates while running and installing the update after a reboot. However, Samsung has been one company that has not enabled support yet.

Several reports confirm that the new Galaxy S21 series misses the seamless updates feature. The Galaxy S21 isn't the first flagship S-series from Samsung to ditch the support as the Galaxy S20 series last year also missed out on the seamless updates feature.

Notably, Google planned to implement the seamless updates feature in Android 11 as default for all OEMs. However, the Android 11 Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) gives the seamless update a miss hinting that Google backed out after some OEMs showed no interest. A report by Android Police claims that several Android OEMs like Motorola, OnePlus, and LG support seamless updates.

"For device implementations that are launching with Android 6.0 and later, the update mechanism SHOULD support verifying that the system image is binary identical to expected result following an OTA. The block-based OTA implementation in the upstream Android Open Source Project added since Android 5.1, satisfies this requirement. Also, device implementations SHOULD support A/B system updates. The AOSP implements this feature using the boot control HAL," the Google document reads. The document doesn't emphasise the need to support A/B system update which leaves it for OEMs to decide.

What this means is Samsung Galaxy S21 (and Galaxy S20) users will have to spend time on the bootloader screen while the update package is being installed without the option to use the device at all. This shouldn't be the case, and users should at least get an option to make or take calls while the update is downloading in the background which several OEMs offer already.

In our opinion, the seamless updates feature of Android is one of the time-saving options while the device installs an update, and Samsung could have included this on its flagship devices.
Like Einstein, Galileo, and Copernicus, former NASA program manager Craig Tooley now has a place on the Moon named in his honor. Tooley crater is a 7 km crater in a permanently shadowed region of Shoemaker crater near the lunar south pole. The new crater designation is official and can be used in journal articles and other publications.

How do you feel about Craig having a crater named after him?

"First of all, it is a great honor. It makes me very proud of my brother and warms my heart every night when I look up at the Moon and think about his crater and his achievements. I am in constant awe of the impact that Craig had at NASA and the lengths that everyone at NASA and in the space sciences community have gone to honor his memory." -Matt Tooley

This act pays homage to the numerous accomplishments and indelible contributions Tooley made to NASA's exploration community during his 34 years of service. After Tooley's passing in September, 2017, members of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO team) wanted to memorialize Tooley by having a lunar crater named after him. They petitioned the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature, which approved their request to name a lunar crater after Tooley, the former LRO project manager from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

What would Craig think about having a crater named after him?

"He didn't care much about the physical markers or awards, though he certainly got a lot of them. This is different--it's very meaningful, and he would have loved it. He probably would have said something about how none of the achievements would have been possible without the great teams he worked with, and that this was just the culmination of many different people's work. But also, he would have been so touched." -Terri Rutledge (Craig's widow)

Tooley oversaw LRO's successful launch in 2009, and the mission continues to make groundbreaking discoveries of Earth's closest celestial neighbor. He transitioned into the same position for the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, a quartet of spacecraft launched in 2015 to study our planet's magnetosphere and provide insight into the phenomenon of magnetic reconnection.

Tooley came to Goddard in 1983 after receiving his bachelor's in mechanical engineering from the University of Evansville in Indiana. He later earned a master's in the same field from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1990. He joined the Flight Projects Directorate in 1996. In doing so, he built a reputation as the go-to guy for some of NASA's highest-profile missions, leveraging years of technical experience to become the consummate project manager.

Tooley became Deputy Project Manager for the Triana mission, laying the groundwork for the climate observation mission which would later be resurrected as DSCOVR. He helped develop procedures and train astronauts for the Hubble Space Telescope's fourth servicing mission in 2002. He then headed Hubble's Instrument Development Office, overseeing the development of instruments that were installed during the fifth and final servicing mission in 2009.

In his most recent position as Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate Deputy Director, Tooley used the knowledge he acquired over the years to push Goddard's capabilities forward, championing new and emerging technologies such as advanced electronics systems, CubeSats, and SmallSats.

"Craig grew up watching Apollo missions, reading science fiction, and launching model rockets. So, for Craig, working at NASA was like a dream come true. Even though he worked very hard, and when needed took things very seriously, working at NASA for him was always fun. He believed in NASA's mission, and liked being a part of it." -Matt Tooley

His accomplishments as an engineer enabling science and exploration go well beyond LRO. He served as the mission manager and mechanical lead for five successful Spartan 201 heliophysics missions deployed during space shuttle missions flown on STS-56, STS-64, STS-69, STS-87, and STS-95. LRO, DSCOVR, and MMS are still in operation today.

He was the recipient of numerous awards, most notably two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals - among the Agency's highest honors - for his work on the LRO and MMS missions.

Tooley's memory will be forever etched into space exploration with the naming of one of the MMS spacecrafts as "Craig." His most enduring legacy to Goddard, however, will be the many teams and individuals he impacted both personally and professionally, all embodying his spirit of discovery and innovation. Tooley exhibited an infectious optimism for spaceflight, and as a manager, he always advocated for inclusive leadership and open communication. His passion for and approach to NASA work produced many dedicated teams and successful missions throughout his career.

What did working for NASA mean to him?

"It was his life's passion, besides his family--he loved his work and he inspired others to love it as well. He also fiercely loved mentoring younger folks, especially women and folks of color who haven't traditionally been represented in these kinds of careers. He would get so excited telling stories of how those he had mentored were successful. Even if space exploration wasn't someone's particular passion, he was a role model for loving your work.

He also embodied lifelong learning: we would talk about how he had read up on some specific statistics or modeling approach to better understand the complexities one section of his team was currently facing. Even when he was sick and in between hospital visits, he set out to learn to program in Python and proudly showed us how he had made a simple Graphical User Interface to calculate orbital trajectories with his newfound skills." -Terri Rutledge

What were some of Craig's hobbies?

"He loved hiking, camping, and being outdoors--growing up, we heard stories of our parents' backpacking adventures, and the acquisition of a 1971 VW camper bus after we were born brought even more fun. He also inculcated a love for reading, particularly science fiction, in us, which was surely intertwined with his passion for space; we grew up reading Issac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and other classics." -Ursula & Maia Tooley (Craig's daughters)

Tooley's legacy and crater will serve as "True North" for his wife Terri, their daughters Ursula and Maia, his NASA colleagues, and other members of his family and friends.

###
A significant number of epilepsy patients does not respond to currently available drugs. A collaboration between researchers in Japan and at the Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf (HHU) now addressed a cell type in the brain that has so far not received much attention in epilepsy therapy. In the current edition of the Journal of Neuroscience, they describe that astrocytes might be a potential new target to better treat this disease.

During epileptic seizures, a large number of nerve cells in the brain fire excessively and in synchrony. This hyperactivity may lead to uncontrolled shaking of the body and involve periods of loss of consciousness. While about two thirds of patients respond to anti-epileptic medication, the remainder is refractory to medical treatment and shows drug-resistance. These patients are in urgent need for new therapeutic strategies.

Together with colleagues in Japan, Prof. Dr. Christine Rose and her doctoral student Jan Meyer from the Institute of Neurobiology at HHU have performed a study to address the cellular mechanisms that promote the development of epilepsy. While up to now, most studies and anti-epileptic drugs targeted nerve cells (neurons), this research team focused on a class of glial cells known as astrocytes.

Glial cells account for approximately half of all cells in the brain. There are different types of glial cells, which perform different functions. Astrocytes control the local environment and are responsible for the ion balance in the brain, but also play an important role in signal transmission between neurons.

In their recent paper, the researchers show that epileptic discharges lead to a rise in the pH of astrocytes, that is in their intracellular 'alkalization'. The change in pH disrupts the communication within the intercellular astrocyte networks. This reduced communication between astrocytes appears to exacerbate epileptic activity of neurons.

This finding points towards a potential new target for suppressing epileptogenesis at a very early stage, namely by using drugs to suppress changes in astrocytic pH accompanying neuronal activity.

The researchers were able to confirm this option by showing that animals which were given such drugs suffered less severely from epileptic hyperexcitability than untreated animals.

This observation is very intriguing. But it still needs to be established whether or not it can be transferred to humans. And it will take a very long time before any potential drug can be developed and be really used in the clinics." Prof. Dr. Christine Rose, Institute of Neurobiology, HHU

The research was carried out as a collaboration between the HHU and three universities in Japan (Keio University and Tokyo Medical and Dental University in Tokyo, Tohoku University in Sendai) as part of the "Young Glia" programme of the DFG-Priority Programme SPP 1757 "Functional Specialisations of Neuroglia" coordinated by Prof. Rose. This programme promotes collaboration between German and Japanese laboratories. In particular, it encourages and assists young scientists in realising their own bi-national research projects. For example, the HHU doctoral student Jan Meyer travelled to Japan, while Mariko Onodera from Tohoku University spent two periods working at the Institute of Neurobiology in Dusseldorf.
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Vietnam logged two imported COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, including an American expert who arrived in the Southeast Asian country more than two weeks ago.

The expert, 58, touched down at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on board flight EK392 from Dubai on January 9, the Ministry of Health said in a report on Tuesday.

He was quarantined upon entry in accordance with COVID-19 control regulations.

The U.S. national tested negative for the novel coronavirus on January 10 before having his sample taken again for a retest on January 23, the result of which returned positive at the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control on January 24.

The patient is being treated at a makeshift hospital in the citys outlying Cu Chi District.

The other case is a Vietnamese returnee from the U.S.

She landed at Tan Son Nhat aboard flight CX799, with transit time in Hong Kong, on January 22.

The woman, 49, was sent to quarantine upon landing.

The patient tested positive for the pathogen on January 23.

She is being isolated for treatment at the same makeshift hospital in Cu Chi.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,551 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, with 1,430 recoveries, including five announced the same day, and 35 virus-related fatalities, according to the health ministry.

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.

The country ranks 174th in the world when it comes to COVID-19 patient counts.

Over 100 million people have caught COVID-19 globally, with the death toll reaching 2.15 million, according to data compiled by the health ministry.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
HOUSTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Axiom Space on Tuesday announced its crew for humankind's first flight of a group of private individuals to a Low Earth Orbit destination - the first-ever entirely private mission proposed to fly to the International Space Station (ISS).

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8798651-axiom-space-reveals-historic-first-private-crew-planned-to-visit-international-space-station/

The proposed historic Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) will consist of: former NASA astronaut and Axiom vice president Michael Lopez-Alegria as commander; American entrepreneur and non-profit activist investor Larry Connor as pilot; Canadian investor and philanthropist Mark Pathy; and impact investor and philanthropist Eytan Stibbe of Israel.

Lopez-Alegria, who flew to space four times over a 20-year, record-setting career at NASA and last visited the ISS in 2007, will become the first person to ever command both a civil and a commercial human spaceflight mission. Connor will be the first private mission pilot in the annals of spaceflight.

Pathy will be Canada's 11th astronaut. Stibbe, a close personal friend of Columbia astronaut Ilan Ramon and a former Israeli Air Force pilot, will be Israel's second. Both will fly as mission specialists.

"This collection of pioneers - the first space crew of its kind - represents a defining moment in humanity's eternal pursuit of exploration and progress," Lopez-Alegria said. "I know from firsthand experience that what humans encounter in space is profound and propels them to make more meaningful contributions on returning to Earth. And as much as any astronaut who has come before them, the members of this crew have accomplished the sorts of things in life that equip them to accept that responsibility, act on that revelation, and make a truly global impact.

"I look forward to leading this crew and to their next meaningful and productive contributions to the human story, both on orbit and back home."

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will serve as Ax-1's backup commander, while John Shoffner of Knoxville, Tenn. is the backup mission pilot. Carrying a time-honored approach over from the civil spaceflight era to the private one, the prime and backup crews are slated to go through Axiom's full training program together.

Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1)

The proposed Ax-1 mission will include the crew living aboard the U.S. segment of the ISS for approximately eight days, participating in research and philanthropic projects.

Connor, who has founded and led organizations in the real estate, fintech, and non-profit sectors, will collaborate with Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic on research projects. He also intends to provide instructional lessons to students at Dayton Early College Academy in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio.

Pathy is collaborating with the Canadian Space Agency as well as the Montreal Children's Hospital, who are helping identify health-related research projects that could be undertaken during the mission.

Stibbe plans to conduct scientific experiments of Israeli researchers and entrepreneurs coordinated by the Ramon Foundation and the Israel Space Agency at the Ministry of Science & Technology and to undertake educational activities from orbit to inspire Israeli children, youth, and educators.

"We sought to put together a crew for this historic mission that had demonstrated a lifelong commitment to improving the lives of the people on Earth, and I'm glad to say we've done that with this group," Axiom Space President & CEO Michael Suffredini said. "This is just the first of several Axiom Space crews whose private missions to the International Space Station will truly inaugurate an expansive future for humans in space - and make a meaningful difference in the world when they return home."

Axiom Space is the commercial space industry's only full-service orbital mission provider for private and national astronauts. Its all-inclusive offering provides services such as training, transportation, mission planning, hardware development, life support, medical support, crew provisions, safety and hardware certifications, on-orbit operations, and overall mission management.

Precursor to commercializing Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

With the first launch opportunity no earlier than January 2022 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, Ax-1 is the first of Axiom Space's "precursor" private astronaut missions to the ISS - subject to approval from NASA and its international partners. Axiom Space and NASA are working together on the final approvals of a formal Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) to enable private astronaut missions, with further discussions underway to agree on and authorize the Ax-1 mission profile.

Houston-based Axiom intends to offer private and national astronaut flights to ISS at a rate of up to two per year to align with flight opportunities as they are made available by NASA, while simultaneously constructing its own privately funded space station. The Axiom Station's modules will be attached to the Harmony node of the ISS beginning as early as 2024, a commercial expansion of the orbiting lab for which NASA selected Axiom in January 2020.

At ISS retirement, the Axiom Station will separate to form the world's first free-flying, privately developed, internationally available space station - the central node of a near-future network of research, manufacturing, and commerce in LEO.

About Axiom Space

Axiom Space was founded in 2016 with the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. While building and launching the Axiom Segment of the International Space Station to one day form the world's first free-flying commercial space station, Axiom provides access to the ISS today by conducting full-service, end-to-end crewed missions for professional and private astronauts. More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com.
The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has been a hot topic among international media outlets in recent times, with the major political event running from January 25 to February 2.

The 13th National Party Congress opened in Hanoi this morning, January 26.

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has been a hot topic among media outlets throughout Southeast Asia in recent times, with the major political event running from January 25 to February 2.

News website channelnewsasia.com quoted Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trongs speech at the congress opening ceremony before nearly 1,600 delegates, highlighting that the outstanding economic development and successful control of COVID-19 pandemic were the major achievements of Vietnam last year.

Vietnam has developed fast and sustainably, reinforcing peoples trust in the Party, State and socialist administration, the top leader of Vietnam was quoted as saying, adding that the growth quality remains stable, while the macro-economy has been steady, and inflation has been kept at a low level.

Thailands Bangkok Post also spotlighted economic achievements of Vietnam in 2020, noting that the country posted gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 2.91 percent while many countries in the region suffered economic downturn.

Meanwhile, the US Washington Post quoted Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong as saying that globalization and the global integration are on the right track, but are facing the rise of nationalism, strategic competition and economic competition.

At the same time, Malaysias The Star newspaper quoted Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs opening speech, highlighting that the congress is taking place in the context of a mixture of opportunities and challenges, along with many new strategic issues such as climate changes, natural disasters, pandemic and impacts of advanced science and technology on socio-economic life in the country and the world.

The opening of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam on January 26 also received attention from Japanese media.

The Kyodo News reported that the congress is the most important event of the Southeast Asian nation, during which not only personnel matter will be discussed, but political, diplomatic and economic strategies will also be decided.

It noted that under the leadership of the CPV, Vietnam has successfully controlled COVID-19 with less than 2,000 infections, while the economy still expanded 2.91 percent in 2020.

Japans national broadcaster NHK quoted the speech of the Vietnamese Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong as saying that in the past five years, the country maintained average economic growth of 5.9 percent.

The NHK said the congress will run until February 2 with delegates shaping the policies for the next five years and electing leaders of the party in the next tenure.

Alongside, the Nikkei Asia newspaper posted an article by Tamoya Onishi on the congress, underlining the significance of the event. It noted that each Party congress in history marked an important change to Vietnam, one example of which was the Doi Moi (Renewal) cause and market opening policy launched during the sixth congress in 1986.

The article said that the CPV sets a target of 6.5-7 percent of growth averagely each year in the next five years, and turning Vietnam into a developed country by 2045.

The same day, Frances AFP news agency quoted experts as saying that despite the challenging world outlook, the new leaders of Vietnam will optimise the economic and political advantages from the countrys success in COVID-19 control.

Reuters news agency on January 26 ran an article highlighting the opening of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in Hanoi and the Political Report by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The leader delivered the Political Report of the 12th Party Central Committee, in which he hailed booming economic development and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic as major achievements, according to the article.

Our country has been developing rapidly and sustainably, consolidating peoples confidence in the Party, the state and the socialist regime, the leader is quoted as saying.

Corruption has been gradually contained and prevented.

The news agency added that Vietnam has seen its economy outstrip much of Asia in the past year, keeping the COVID-19 pandemic at bay thanks to stringent quarantine measures, testing and tracing.

In the context of rapid and complicated global evolution, we have been focusing on consolidating national defence and security, the leader is quoted as affirming.

Vietnam needs to rightly and effectively handle relations with large countries and neighbouring countries, said the top leader.

Meanwhile, an article of Xinhua news agency said that during the congress, delegates will review the party building work and the leadership of the 12th CPV Central Committee, before electing a new one for the 13th term.

They will also review the past 35 years of the country's reform, discuss the implementation of the 10-year socio-economic development strategy, and map out directions and tasks for national development from 2021 to 2025.

An article covering the 13th National Party Congress was also published in the International Analysis section of HK01, one of the largest online newspapers of Hong Kong (China).

It noted that the Congress brought together 1,587 delegates representing over 5.1 million of Party members nationwide.

The article also said that the CPVs prestige has been strengthened in 2020 through efforts in battling corruption and COVID-19.

Singapore-based The Straits Times outlined how the nine-day event will be running with the attendance of approximately 1,600 delegates, with the purpose of the function to select new leaders and shape policy for the next five years and beyond.

The outlet also highlighted Vietnamese success in containing the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), stating that this has helped its economy exceed much of Asia over the past year, adding that the coutnry is already eyeing an average annual gross domestic product growth of 7% over the next five years.

Elsewhere, Malaysian publisher The Star has reported that the 1,587 delegates representing more than 5.1 million Party members nationwide at the congress means this will be the largest number of delegates ever in the history of the nations Party congresses.

It quotes Mai Van Chinh, deputy head of the CPV Central Committees Organisation Commission, as saying that women and members of ethnic minority groups account for 13.99% and 11.03% of delegates, respectively.

Guests present at the event will include former Party and State leaders, ambassadors, and heads of international organisations in Hanoi. They will be joined by representatives from the intelligentsia and arts community, outstanding youth union members, and religious officials, among others, it said.

Nguyen Xuan Thang, director of Vietnams Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, is quoted by The Star as saying that among the documents submitted to the Congress, there are numerous new items, especially in terms of approach.

The agenda of the congress will largely focus on reviewing the implementation of the Resolution of the 12th Party Congress associated with the evaluation of 35 years since the implementation of Doi moi (Renewal) policies. This is in addition to the 10-year socio-economic development strategy from 2011 to 2020, whilst outlining the socio-economic development orientations and tasks for the 2021 to 2025 period. Along with goals and orientations to 2030 and the national development vision to 2045, it added.

According to the Malaysian news outlet, all preparations for the congress have been completed, ranging from security to logistics and reception.

Most notably, the country has gone through 53 consecutive days without any fresh COVID-19 cases among the community, with the total number of confirmed cases standing at 1,548 and 35 deaths, as of January 23.

The website of Telesur, a terrestrial and satellite television network headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela, described the congress as an important political event that takes place every five years in Vietnam.

The congress will last until February 2 under the theme of Solidarity, Democracy, Discipline, Creativeness and Development, it said, laying stress on the main topics of the congress which includes reviewing the implementation of the 12th National Party Congresss Resolution in association with assessing the 35-year renewal cause, and defining socio-economic development orientations and tasks for 2021 - 2025, as well as goals and orientations for 2030 and a national development vision to 2045.

Besides, the congress will look into the Party building work implemented from the 12th National Party Congress, it said.

Meanwhile, Infobae news website and TN television channel of Argentina also covered the event, saying Vietnamese Party and State leaders paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh, who found the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1930, at his mausoleum in Hanoi ahead of the opening ceremony.

According to Infobae and TN, during the nine-day event, delegates will focus on evaluating the attained achievements, outlining orientations and tasks for national development, and electing key leaders for the new five-year tenure.

International experts note Vietnams success in development, integration

A number of foreign experts have praised Vietnam for its success obtained in national development and international integration, as the Communist Party of Vietnam is holding its 13th national congress to outline major directions for the country in the coming years.

Prof. Thomas Engelbert, head of the Vietnam studies faculty at the University of Hamburg (Germany), noted Vietnam has recorded significant economic success, transforming from a backward agriculture nation to one of the most successful emerging economies globally.

In addition, he said Vietnam has recorded impressive development indexes, including a sharp fall in poverty reduction, helping raise per capita income. These achievements can be put down to the governments free trade policies and a general openness to foreign investors, Prof. Engelbert added.

With the country successfully taking on the role of ASEAN Chair 2020, its position and reputation have been elevated regionally. It is currently a strategic partner of several Asian and Western countries in many fields, including the United States and the European Union.

In addition, Vietnam has enjoyed initial success in the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, while many countries worldwide are struggling to cope with the disease.

Vietnam should be proud of its COVID-19 fight, said the expert.

Meanwhile, Dr. Daniel Muller, ASEAN Regional Manager of the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV), expressed his belief that Vietnam will continue to benefit from uninterrupted economic development following the successful COVID-19 control.

The two German experts also suggested that the country develop its own technology to reduce dependence on foreign investors.

Vietnamese enterprises should look to take advantage of free trade agreements (FTAs) whilst improving infrastructure in order to catch up with the worlds economic development trends, they said.

According to the website Foreign Brief of the United States, one of the main concerns regarding the ongoing congress is whether Vietnam can embrace its emerging middle power status in its next 10-year agenda. Indeed, middle powers are typically defined by two criteria, including achieving rapid economic development and leveraging growing influence in order to bridge the gap between developed and developing countries.

The country already has one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, whilst it has expanded its role in promoting ASEAN-led platforms for negotiations among major powers, the US website added.

In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agencys correspondents, Professor Chuan Petkaew at Suratthani Rajabhat University of Thailand affirmed that political stability has become an advantage throughout Vietnams development process that not all countries have.

Vietnams achievements in all aspects have proved the crucial leading role of the Vietnamese Party and State in the cause of national development, the scholar stressed.

He expressed his belief that the 13th National Congress of the CPV will continue to set out right directions, helping Vietnam become more prosperous and affirm its important position in resolving common issues of the region and the world.

Petkaew, who is also the co-author of the book President Ho Chi Minh, the Founder of Modern Vietnam  Thailand Relations, also underlined the important role of President Ho Chi Minh in the victory of the Vietnamese revolution and socio-economic development achievements in the country under the CPVs leadership.

The professor expressed his impression on President Ho Chi Minh's moral example, affirming that his moral example is an extremely great spiritual legacy that generations of Vietnamese people need to follow.

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) will draw out measures for the CPV to lead the countrys post-pandemic recovery and foster its prosperity on the path to socialism, said Amiad Horowitz, a reporter of the Peoples World and member of the Communist Party USA.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agencys correspondent in Washington on the occasion of the Congress, which is taking place from January 25 to February 2, Horowitz said that not only Vietnamese people but also international friends are interested in the CPVs plans in the next five years, as well as the path Vietnam will take in the international arena.

According to the journalist, more and more people pay attention to Vietnam as in the international arena, the nation had a successful term with the role as ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the 2020-2021 tenure, assumed the UNSC Presidency in January 2020 and will re-assume this role in April this year.

Vietnam has also taken part in many international activities, such as joining the UNs peacekeeping missions and sending medical workers to countries worldwide, he said, adding that the nation has also been praised as a role model in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CPV has drawn out and organised all plans, therefore, the role of the Party is extremely important to this process, he stressed.

Horowitz said that the CPV plays an extremely important role in Vietnams successes in all fields. Under its leadership, Vietnam has moved from an underdeveloped country to a developing diplomatic and economic centre.

Hailing the great significance of the 13th National Party Congress, he affirmed that the Communist Party USA supports the CPVs implementation of important plans adopted at this congress. VNA/VOV/VNN

13th National Party Congress: Stepping up renewal process, rapid and sustainable national development The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) officially opened in Hanoi this morning (January 26), with the participation of 1,587 delegates representing more than 5.1 million Party members nationwide.
Thousands have gathered in solidarity with Indigenous Australians calling for a rethink of Australia Day and justice reform in Brisbanes CBD, in one of the largest shows of support in recent years.

Stinging sun and a global pandemic did little to deter an estimated 5000 people descending on the city on Tuesday morning, with speeches continuing into the afternoon.

Eventually leaving the park, the protest snaked through the CBD and across the Victoria Bridge, stopping along the way for dance circles and being cheered along by others. Credit:Jocelyn Garcia

As the crowd filtered through the city, they were greeted by volunteers with QR code check-ins and boxes of face masks. On arrival, others handed out water while protesters sought shade under trees and tents.

But many did not even make it into Queens Park before speeches began. Instead, they spilled across George and Elizabeth streets  closed off by police owing to the significant turnout.
As the pandemic continues, the museum is offering online experiences such as the virtual tour and the I Met Ray video project, also in the News & Media tab. The virtual tour, paid for with a grant from Chicago-based nonprofit Illinois Humanities, focus a great deal on the library, one of Bradburys favorite places, according to Sandra Petroshius, committee chair of the museum. Bradbury just loved the library, said Petroshius, who grew up in Waukegan and lives in Lake Forest. He showed that in his writings, she said.


Scattered throughout the length and breadth of the United States are those who have experienced first-hand the tyranny of despotic rulers and repressive one-party oligarchies. Today, many of us that came here as refugees are watching with bemusement and a mild sense of trepidation as the oblivious, self-absorbed, puerile wannabe autocrats in the Ruling Class are hell-bent on imposing their dysfunctional version of one-party dictatorial rule on a nation they apparently neither know nor understand.

The vast bulk of this cadre of self-styled intellectuals and societal elites are little different from those in various European nations. They are not only beset with a severe case of narcissism but are among the most gullible and easily manipulated due to their overweening need to feel superior to those they perceive to be lesser fellow citizens. This sense of superiority eventually manifests itself in an immutable belief that they are preordained to rule the unwashed masses. Thus, they easily fall sway to a charismatic leader or are willing to accept any inane philosophical theory or deviancy that helps embed their status among the nations elites.

George Orwell in a letter written in 1944 (5 years prior to the publication of his seminal work 1984) wrote the following:

There is this fact that the intellectuals are more totalitarian in outlook than the common people. On the whole the English intelligentsia have opposed Hitler, but at the price of accepting Stalin. Most of them are perfectly ready for dictatorial methods, secret police, systemic falsification of history etc. as long as they feel it is on our side.

The current iteration of the American Ruling Class has not only embraced dictatorial methods as a means to their ends but are astonishingly ill-educated thanks to decades of indoctrination rather than education at Americas universities. This ill-education encompasses not only an inability by the vast majority to reason and generate an original thought but also a breathtaking ignorance of the history of mankind, and a profound inability to comprehend the American experience and citizenry.

The history of the 20th Century is replete with examples of nations that have succumbed to one-party tyrannical rule. In all cases these countries share at least one of two common threads. First, due to global or regional wars, they suffered overwhelming destruction to their societies and economies, opening the door for those espousing Marxism/socialism as a cure for the nations ills. Second, none of these nations had a centuries long history of freedom and self-determination.

The most notable examples of totalitarian one-party rule were Germany and Italy, and currently Russia and China. The devastating physical and financial destruction of World War I precipitated chaos throughout these European nations. World War II opened the door in China for Mao Zedong to solidify his partys supremacy as he had been unable to do so in previous internal conflicts. These hostilities were the catalyst for the rise to power of one-party rule in all these nations under either the banner of Fascism, Nazism or Communism. Further, none of these nations (and others with dysfunctional impoverished societies that succumbed to one-party rule, such as Cuba) had any meaningful history of a being a successful multi-cultural society steeped in freedom and unfettered capitalism.

The United States is not reeling from the aftermath of a devastating war on its soil. Its citizenry is not suffering the effects of a massive depression. This nation for 245 years has promoted and reveled in individual freedom and free enterprise. As a result, its economy, particularly over the past century is the most successful and dominant in world history. America is the only country in the annals of mankind that has sanctioned the unrestricted right of the populace to own and bear arms as a bulwark against an oppressive central government. This is not now, nor has it ever been, a nation ripe for the ascension of one-party totalitarian rule.

Thus, the current infatuation with themselves by this nations elites is about to run headfirst into a brick wall. Their attempt to transform the United States into their hybrid version of a one-party oligarchy under the banner of a new hybrid of socialism is doomed to failure.

Their psychotic obsession to rid themselves of the threat that Donald Trump posed to their hegemonic plans has prompted unforced and fatal errors. The blatant hijacking of the 2020 election using the Chinese Coronavirus as cover. Unabashedly, and with malice, defaming half of the voting citizenry as irredeemable domestic terrorists that must be vanquished. Accusing nearly 70% of the population of being racists solely because of their skin color. Unable to control themselves and within hours of having assumed control of Congress and the White House, plunging headfirst into uncharted political overreach through an avalanche of Executive Orders.

These actions reveal a mindless faction in the process of emulating the final scenes in The Wizard of Oz drawing back the green curtain exposing their true colors, character and incompetence.

The vast majority of the denizens of the Ruling Class are not the best and brightest. They are mere hangers-on who have an insatiable need to be considered part of the in-crowd. While many have framed elite university diplomas hanging on their walls, they are nearly devoid of what used to be generically known as common sense. Their most prominent personal characteristics are self-aggrandizement and cupidity. Their espousal of Marxism/socialism is self-serving as this philosophy empowers an omnipotent ruling class or oligarchy. Yet, they could not survive a week in those repressive societies they glorify and wish to foist on the rest of the country. When confronted with their failures they invariably blame others and are, for the most part, moral and physical cowards. They will not stand up to an organized and determined citizenry.

Therefore, Americans must now mobilize to not just win skirmishes but to permanently dispatch these fatuous megalomaniacs who have declared their determination to transform America and create a one-party oligarchy. The time has come for unfettered and peaceful civil disobedience as espoused by Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Marches and demonstrations must become commonplace. Additionally, the vast majority of Americans need to stop watching and reading the mainstream and social media and instead search out and support alternative news sources.

The citizens of each state must mobilize and demand that unlawful or illegal edicts and Executive Orders emanating from Washington must be ignored by the individual state governors and not just challenged in the courts. The citizenry needs to forcefully and immediately concentrate on changing and codifying election laws in all the state legislatures. Further, the focus in future elections should not be on Congress but rather governorships and state legislatures throughout the country.

It is imperative that the people vote in the congressional primaries as if they were the general election in order to dispatch to the ash heap elected officials that aided and abetted the election fraud of 2020, the second impeachment of Donald Trump and any legislation advancing the tyrannical agenda of the Ruling Class.

Lastly, various elements of the populace need to stop falling prey to the not-so-subtle message put forth by various elements of the mainstream and social media monopoly that all is lost, and the left has won the war to transform the nation. They have not and will not. Pessimism and defeatism are what the ruling elites are counting on. Confidence and a willingness to fight for this country is a trait all of us who were rescued by the American people from either the cauldron of unconditional war or the tyranny of oppression experienced first-hand and continue to see in many of our fellow citizens to this day.

The above actions are rooted in the freedoms Americans have enjoyed since 1776 and thus cannot be eliminated by any faction or party without precipitating a violent civil war they will lose. That is why the current attempt to foist a one-party oligarchy on the United States will never succeed.

Photo credit: Jolie Mowrey CC0
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration announced Tuesday it was restoring relations with the Palestinians and renewing aid to Palestinian refugees, a reversal of the Trump administration's cutoff and a key element of its new support for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict agreed to by Israelis and Palestinians.

Acting U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills made the announcement of Biden's new approach to a high-level Security Council meeting, saying the new U.S. administration believes this ``remains the best way to ensure Israel's future as a democratic and Jewish state and the Palestinians' legitimate aspirations for a state of their own and to live with dignity and security.''

``In order to advance these objectives the Biden administration will restore credible U.S. engagement with Palestinians as well as Israelis,'' Mills said.

``This will involve renewing U.S. relations with the Palestinian leadership and Palestinian people,'' he said.

``President Biden has been clear that he intends to restore U.S. assistance programs that support economic development programs and humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, and to take steps to reopen diplomatic relations that were closed by the last U.S. administration,.'' Mills added.

He said the United States hopes to start working to slowly build confidence on both sides to create an environment to reach a two-state solution.

To pursue this goal, Mills said, ``the United States will urge Israel's government and the Palestinians to avoid unilateral steps that make a two-state solution more difficult,'' such as annexation of territory, settlement activity, demolitions and providing compensation for individuals in prison for acts of terrorism.

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A portrait of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose became part of a controversy on Monday with some politicians questioning the recent unveiling by President Ram Nath Kovind. As Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra allleged that the portrait was not of Netaji but of actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, the freedom fighters family and the actor clarified that the image was real. Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Roopa Ganguly expressed her displeasure and questioned the disrespectful treatment of eminent artists.

READ: CK Bose Shares Netaji's Portrait Unveiled By President Kovind, Congress & TMC Delete Posts

Roopa Ganguly furious over Subhas Chandra Bose portrait controversy

Reacting to the controversy, actor-MP Roopa Ganguly asked if one had really arrived at a juncture where people from the opposition were allowed to be disrespectful and careless or reckless with words towards eminent artists, or even the President. She also shared the original portrait along with her tweet.

Have we really arrived at a juncture where being in any opposition allows one to be disrespectful, towards eminent artists, or even the president, by being careless or reckless with words?#NetajiSubhasChandraBose #PareshMaity #NetajiPortrait pic.twitter.com/lZETIpvhjS  Roopa Ganguly (@RoopaSpeaks) January 25, 2021

Meanwhile, actor Gul Panag quipped that 'one thing' clear after the controversy was that Prosenjit bore a very, very striking resemblance to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose when he was dressed in the late leader's get-up.

On thing is clear, Prosenjit bears a very, very striking resemblance to Neta ji once in costume.   Gul Panag (@GulPanag) January 25, 2021

READ: TMC's Mahua Moitra Questions President; Says He Unveiled Actor's Portrait, Not Netaji

Subhas Chandra Bose portrait controversy

Sharing a picture of President Ram Nath Kovind unveiling the Netaji portrait on his 125th birth anniversary on January, Mahua Moitra had tweeted, After donating 5 lakhs to the Ram temple the President honours Netaji by unveiling a portrait of Prosenjit, the actor who played him in biopic.

"Is the portrait unveiled the President of India that of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose or of actor Prosenjit Chatterjee who played the role of Netaji on screen? This is why education matters," was West Bengal Congress' tweet.

Later, Subhash Chandra Bose's nephew Chandra Kumar Bose shared the original photo, that had been created by Paresh Maity. The politician and the Twitter handles were then forced to delete the posts.

Prosenjit Chatterjee, who apart from work in Bengal cinema has done films like Shanghai in Hindi, had an interesting reaction. He stated that he felt elated that people thought he resembled Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose after looking at his getup in the show Gumnaami, which is streaming on a digital platform at the moment.

Would like to congratulate Paresh Maity for the wonderful piece of art in remembrance of our National hero Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. As an Actor,Im elated that people thought,that the painting resembles my character in Gumnami,dir. by @srijitspeaketh and prosthetics by Somnath pic.twitter.com/HBkXvwFFSw  Prosenjit Chatterjee (@prosenjitbumba) January 25, 2021

READ: 'Absolutely Shameful By Maharashtra Government', Rages Roopa Ganguly At Arnab's Treatment

READ: Arnab Goswami's Arrest A Deplorable Act Of Cowardice, Says Actor-MP Roopa Ganguly

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Even if the unfolding vaccination effort against COVID-19 has the desired effect of suppressing the pandemic, Pennsylvania still faces another public health emergency.

The scope of the COVID-19 emergency has worsened the opioid addiction crisis.

Pennsylvania is one of the states most heavily affected by the addiction crisis. To the state governments credit, it had reacted aggressively to the challenge. The Wolf administration enacted a series of emergency measures to expand access to the life-saving antidote nalaxone. It, the Legislature and the medical community worked together to quickly reform prescribing standards for opioids and establish a statewide tracking system to prevent doctor-shopping and excess prescriptions.

It is likely, however, that much of the progress that had been made has been lost because of COVID-19. Its clear that the state government must reinvigorate its efforts on opioids as COVID-19 recedes. And that should begin with the important business to which the government did not attend before COVID-19 arrived.

Drug treatment operations are regulated heavily by the state. But recovery homes, where many people suffering from addiction seek aid before or after treatment, are not regulated.

Due to the lack of regulation, some recovery homes serve as advertised, keeping people off the street and helping them prepare for formal treatment or helping them to continue their progress after receiving treatment.

Others simply have taken advantage of residents for their own profit.

A 2019 statewide grand jury report, for example, revealed a scheme by a now-defunct recovery home company that repeatedly cycled clients through the treatment process to maximize billing.

Due to multiple problems with unregulated recovery homes around the state, the Legislature passed a law in 2017 requiring the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to develop regulations and a licensing and certification program by June 2020. But the administration missed the deadline.

To be sure, the COVID-19 emergency took precedence over other state programs. But now that there at least is a game plan in place to finally get the upper hand on COVID-19, the administration should expedite care home issues and prepare to again accelerate the fight against opioid addiction.
A Senior Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Asah Asante says Ghanaians should stop blaming politicians for the current hike of COVID-19 cases in the country.



Some Ghanaians are said to have refused to wear their nose masks and observe all protocols to prevent the spread of the disease because they witnessed supporters and members of the political parties disregard the protocols during the campaign season prior to the 2020 general elections.



In a vox pop conducted by Peace FM news team, some Ghanaians could be heard asking why the government wants to use the security forces to compel them to observe the protocols when the political leaders ignored the protocols in the campaign era.



Addressing the issues on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' on Monday, January 25, Dr. Asah Asante cautioned Ghanaians against making such statements and using it as warrant to condone the protocols.



He asked Ghanaians why they aren't blaming themselves too because they equally disregarded the protocols during the Christmas festivities.



Dr. Asah Asante admonished the citizens not to blame politicians for the spread of the disease but rather guard themselves by complying with the protocols stressing it's their duty to protect their own lives.



"Let strictly observe the protocols and it will help you. It's your duty. You want to live and if you can live, you need life...You need life before you can make progress. You need life before you can enjoy peace, good living and everything that's important to us in life...Our life is not for the government but for us. If we want it, we will live but we will lose it if we leave it," he said.



Watch video below





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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Larraine Segil, Founder, Chair and CEO, The Exceptional Women Awardees Foundation " "Fast Company first wrote about Larraine Segil in 2000, and weve followed her career as a dealmaker, thought leader and business influencer. " said Stephanie Mehta, Editor in Chief, Fast Company.

The Exceptional Women Awardees Foundation, announced today that Larraine Segil, its Founder, Chair and CEO has been named to the Fast Company Impact Council. The Council is an invitation-only collective of innovative leaders and the most creative people in business. The group meets several times a year for webinars and roundtable discussions on some of the greatest opportunities and most pressing challenges of our time, and the role companies and council members can play in shaping the future.

"We are delighted that Larraine Segil has agreed to serve on our Council," said Stephanie Mehta, Fast Company editor-in-chief. "Fast Company first wrote about her in 2000, and weve followed her career as a dealmaker, thought leader and business influencer. We look forward to her contributions to the Impact Council."

Fast Company is the worlds leading business media brand, with an editorial focus on innovation in technology, leadership, world changing ideas, creativity, and design. Written for and about the most progressive business leaders, Fast Company inspires readers to think expansively, lead with purpose, embrace change, and shape the future of business.

Learn more at https://www.fastcompany.com/

The Exceptional Women Awardees Foundation (EWA) selects high potential, upper-career exceptional Women from multiple industries, develops and mentors them with guidance and career redesign advice to propel them to sustainable success - one woman at a time. Their year-long program enables the EWA to be connected for life to their ever-expanding EWA global network, as their fellow women leaders move into positions of significance.

Learn more at http://www.ExceptionalWomenAwardees.com


President Joe Biden has ordered an intelligence assessment to uncover the origins and roots of violent white nationalism in the wake of the attack on the US Capitol, domestic policy adviser Susan Rice told reporters on Tuesday.

"We have seen and its been plain for all Americans on their television sets just how serious a problem we face from nationalists and white supremacists who have demonstrated a willingness to resort to violence in some instances," she said.

A comprehensive assessment of the nature of this threat and challenge will help determine policy to address it, she said.

The National Security Council will also focus on domestic violent extremism, and intelligence agencies and administration officials will coordinate efforts to craft and implement policies that will address this, she said.

Were taking it quite seriously, she said.

Recommended Rashida Tlaib on why the Squad is rejecting new domestic terror laws

The former United Nations ambassador and National Security Adviser under Barack Obamas administration outlined a series of forthcoming actions from the president to address systemic injustice, including directing the Justice Department to end its use of private prisons and the Department of Housing and Urban Development "to take steps necessary to redress racially discriminatory federal housing policies."

Mr Biden has committed the whole of our government to advancing racial justice and equity for all Americans, she said.

For too many American families, systemic racism and inequality in our economy, laws and institutions still put the American Dream far out of reach, she said.

The administrations aggressive approach to combatting rising domestic threats from white nationalist groups follows a deadly riot inside the halls of Congress on 6 January, as far-right insurrectionists sought to break into House and Senate chambers to disrupt the presidents formal vote count after Donald Trump falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen from his supporters.

Federal law enforcement has testified to Congress and circulated reports about the rising threats from white supremacist groups in the months leading up to the election and Mr Bidens inauguration.

Several lawmakers have called for stronger domestic terror laws to prosecute rioters and target would-be threats.

Last week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the "assault on the Capitol and the tragic deaths and destruction that occurred underscored what we have long known  The rise of domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing national security threat. The Biden administration will approach this threat with the necessary resources and resolve.

The president has also ordered the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to conduct the national threat assessment with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

He also has tapped Russ Travers, the former head of the National Counterterrorism Center who was ousted by the Trump administration, to join the National Security Council effort.

But dozens of civil rights groups, legal scholars and progressive lawmakers have argued that the nations already-extensive national security apparatus and existing criminal statutes are well-equipped to combat acts of domestic terrorism.

Introducing new domestic terror laws  echoing fears over the Patriot Act and strong-arm Justice Department policies  could compromise Americans civil rights, they argue.

US House Rep Rashida Tlaib and at least nine other House Democrats have urged congressional leadership to resist the erosion of our civil liberties and Constitutional freedoms, however well-intentioned proposed security reforms may be."

The group has called on leadership to identify white nationalist and QAnon threats and take action to combat them through existing laws, powers and regulations," and recognise that the reason that the threat posed by these groups hasnt already been adequately addressed is because of a deeply ingrained unwillingness and/or hesitancy to act against these groups within federal law enforcement, not the result of insufficient domestic national security and/or surveillance powers.
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The Department of Health has issued an update on Northern Irelands Covid-19 vaccination programme which includes plans to offer everyone over 65 a vaccine within the next five weeks.

A twin track approach will see both GP practices and the regional vaccination centres vaccinating people from prioritised groups, according to the Department.

This will cover everyone aged 65 and over and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) to Covid-19.

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As well as completing the over 80 age group, GPs will also be vaccinating those aged 70-79 and many of those who are CEV.

Patients will be contacted by their GP practices for their jabs in the coming weeks.

Trust-run regional vaccination centres have started vaccinating those CEV patients who regularly attend hospital.

As GPs focus on the over 70 age group, the vaccination centres will offer vaccination appointments to over 65 year-olds.

These will be bookable online. Further details of the booking portal will be published later this week as well as the telephone helpline for those unable to use the online system.

All plans are subject to the availability of vaccine supplies from manufacturer and may be subject to change, the Department has said.

Patricia Donnelly, head of the vaccination programme, said: Countries across the world are vying for supplies and, like everyone else around the world, we can only vaccinate people when we have vaccines.

There will inevitably be ongoing frustrations  thats unavoidable while stocks are limited. Please be assured that everyone involved in this programme is working flat out to get this done.

Not all GPs can get through their priority lists at exactly the same speed. Patient populations are spread out differently, take-up rates can differ and other logistical challenges will undoubtedly arise.

It may well be the case that someone a few years younger than you will get their jab a little bit earlier than you. Be assured that you wont have long to wait for your turn," she added.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A 35-year-old Staten Island man faces charges that include armed robbery and attempted murder in connection with a shooting at a Myrtle Beach hotel in South Carolina, authorities announced Monday.

Jason Terrell Jones, who was injured during the shooting, is the second man to be taken into custody in connection with the incident that occurred at a Motel 6, according to the Myrtle Beach Police Department.

Following the shooting, Jones was taken to the hospital for treatment, police said. He is in custody at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Conway, S.C.

He also faces a charge of possession of a weapon during a violent crime and a subsequent search found an unrelated warrant out for his arrest, police said.

Jones was denied bond for the attempted murder charge, according to ABC 15 News, a local outlet.

I remember the Obama years well. There was a massive surge of national pride when Barack Obama was elected. America had done something important. It had overcome a hurdle on its path to racial inclusion. It had dealt a blow to its past.

That was the feeling. But it was just a feeling.

After a brief honeymoon period, the real work of governing set in and the opposition rallied. At times the vitriol coming at not only Obama, but at his family, was so beyond the pale that the natural impulse among many liberals was to circle the wagons around him.

Progressives felt it necessary to clip their own wings, to temper their demands and be restrained in their complaints, lest their fair critique become conflated with the unfair attacks of those opposed to any progressive achievements.

Leaning in could easily come to feel like piling on. There was a whisper in the air, an unspoken insistence, that the role of the left was to uplift a Democratic president rather than to task him.

But this is the presidency. The job is synonymous with pressure. No one who is unequipped to deal with pressure  including pressure from people who helped them get elected  should seek it.

I remember my own writings in the early days of Obamas presidency. I thought it fair. Much of it was praise and defense of him.

Conservatives would often respond positively to the criticism in my columns, even while making sure that I understood that they disagreed with me on almost everything else. They would say things like, Youre finally beginning to open your eyes or, Youre coming off the Democratic plantation.

Liberals, particularly other Black people, often took my criticisms as traitorous. I was called self-hating, an Uncle Tom and a handkerchief head, a pejorative for a Black person submissive to white people.

I felt that I was simply doing my job to call things as I saw them and to stand up for a set of values, liberal and progressive. But there was a brisk market at the time for Black people willing to criticize Obama. They could say things about him that would be considered racist, or racially insensitive, if coming from a white person.

I saw many Black people give in to the attraction of this check. It was a hustle.

Trying to not be grouped into that cohort became a task unto itself. Learning to turn down some TV appearances from producers who only called after my column had included a critique of the president, but never after it had praised him.

But, this burden of subconsciously modulating responses and demands of a presidency and administration is unfair to liberals and does real harm to liberalism itself.

For progressives to refrain from applying pressure is to abdicate responsibility, because it allows an unnatural imbalance in which the only pressure the president feels is from his staunchest opponents.

With the beginning of the Joe Biden administration, I sincerely hope that liberals have learned this lesson, and I believe that many have.

When Republicans held power, they wielded it without regret and even tried to enshrine it. Now, they would like nothing more than to guilt and scare Democrats into not aggressively pursuing a transformative agenda, hoping to contain them to middling changes as they wait for the time the political winds once again shift in their direction, and they surely will shift.

Democratic politicians too often live under the illusion that if they moderate their aspirations and asks, they can appease the mushy middle of the electorate, often white, that sees no problem or contradiction in voting for Obama one election, Trump the next and Biden the next.

They chase the fickle at the expense of the fervent.

Progressives simply cant afford to let that happen again.

It is not apostasy to demand results from your leaders, elected by your support, on the issues that you care about. Nor it is apostasy to call them out if they are too eager to compromise away any real chance at substantive change.

Republicans are going to resist and obstruct at every turn. That is their strategy. The question is: What are Democrats going to do? What is their strategy?

They must be unflinching and bold, insistent of aggressive policy change, and the media and the public  especially those who helped elect them  must be similarly unflinching in their reproval.

Blow is a columnist for the New York Times.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  About 25,000 essential workers are now receiving regular proactive coronavirus tests as a part of New Mexicos coronavirus surveillance testing program, state officials said.

The program was rolled out in late November, shortly after multiple grocery stores across the state were forced to close under COVID-19-related public health orders. Those orders mandated employers to close for 14 days if four or more employees received a positive coronavirus test. Blowback was swift, with critics saying grocery store closures created food deserts and longer lines at the remaining grocery stores.

Under the surveillance testing program, participating essential businesses can remain open even if the store crosses the four positive case benchmark  but businesses must agree to having all staff members tested for the coronavirus every two weeks.

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Sandra Ely, the New Mexico Environment Department Environmental Protection Division Director, said 21 businesses with about 140 business locations are participating in the program  but she wants to see even more businesses sign on to the program.

What were finding is a whole bunch more tests that I think we wouldnt get otherwise, which may result in more positives, but it also means positives that are being addressed, positives that are being discovered, people that may be asymptomatic in the workplace that may not have been discovered otherwise are being discovered through these agreements, Ely said. What were really looking for is making sure that essential workers get tested regularly so that they dont spread the virus to their fellow workers.

So far, chain retailers and grocery stores like Walmart and Albertsons make up the bulk of businesses participating, but Ely said some smaller essential businesses like a veterinarian clinic and small hardware stores have also signed on.

Testing through the Department of Health is free to businesses with 50 or less employees, but businesses with more than 50 employees must pay for the testing through a testing company of their choice.

Ely said companies paying for the test must have the selected test approved by the DOH, however, the state is unable to provide businesses with a list of approved testing companies.

All essential businesses can participate by signing on to surveillance testing agreements.

Since the creation of the program, few essential businesses have had to undergo a 14-day closure. As of Tuesday, only one business  Choice Steel Company in Albuquerque  was closed, according to the states monitoring website. The company began the 14-day closure on Jan. 22 after having 11 rapid response positives between Jan. 8 and Jan. 15, according to the NMED website.

Prior to that, the last business to temporarily close was Builders FirstSource on Jan. 8. The company signed a surveillance testing agreement three days later on Jan. 11.

Participating companies

Twenty-one New Mexico employers are currently participating in the states coronavirus surveillance program: Advanced Auto Parts; Albertsons; Bobs Thriftway; Boise Cascade; Builders Firstsource; Costco; Galles Chevrolet; New Mexico Wineries; Peppers Supermarket; Reliable Chevrolet; RMS Food; Roses Southwest Papers, Inc.; RPE Productions, LLC; San Juan Veterinary Hospital; Santa Monica Seafood; Sceye Inc.; Smiths Grocery; Target; Walmart; Whole Foods, and Woodland Ace Hardware.
The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) officially opened in Hanoi this morning (January 26), with the participation of 1,587 delegates representing more than 5.1 million Party members nationwide.

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The 13th National Party Congress has the theme Strengthening the building and rectification of the Party and the political system into purity and strength; rousing the will and determination for national development and promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc in combination with the power of the era; continuing to comprehensively and synchronously accelerate the cause of reform; constructing and firmly safeguarding the Fatherland and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment; and striving to turn Vietnam into a developed, socialist-oriented nation by the middle of the 21st century.

The Congresss Presidium included members of the 12th-tenure Politburo: Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong; Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan; Permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong; Permanent National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong; Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh; Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Party Central Committees Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh; Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Party Central Committees Commission for Information and Education Vo Van Thuong; Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairwoman of the Party Central Committees Commission for Mass Mobilisation Truong Thi Mai; Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Party Central Committees Economic Commission Nguyen Van Binh; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh; Minister of National Defence Ngo Xuan Lich; Minister of Public Security To Lam; Secretary of the Hanoi Municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue; Head of the delegation of National Assembly deputies of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Thien Nhan; and permanent deputy head of the unit in charge of documents for the 13th National Party Congress Hoang Trung Hai. Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man is also a member of the Congresss Presidium.

Attending the opening ceremony were leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front, revolutionary veterans, heroic Vietnamese mothers, intellectuals, artists, religious dignitaries and representatives of young generations.

Foreign ambassadors, Charge d Affaires and chief representatives of international organisations in Hanoi along with 1,587 delegates representing over 5.1 million Party members nationwide were also present at the opening ceremony.



A large number of reporters from domestic and foreign press agencies covered the event.

On behalf of the Presidium of the 13th National Party Congress, Politburo member and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered the remarks at the opening ceremony of the congress at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on the morning of January 26.

PM Phuc said that the congress is taking place in the context that the country is facing both challenges and opportunities, with various new strategic issues needed to be solved, from complicatedly developing regional and international situations to global challenges on climate change, natural disasters and diseases, and impact of scientific and technological advances.

The congress is held at a time when the entire Party, people and army have successfully implemented many guidelines, targets and tasks set in the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, contributing to great and significant achievements gained during 35 years of renewal, 30 years of implementing the 1991 Political Platform, 10 years of implementing the 2011 Platform, and in the implementation of the 2011-2020 Socio-economic Development Strategy, PM Phuc said.

He also stressed the need to admit shortcomings and weaknesses which need to be addressed in the next five years to realise the aspiration of a powerful and prosperous Vietnam by 2045.

The PM said that the congress is to review 35 years of the renewal process, 30 years of implementing the 1991 Political Platform, 10 years of implementing the 2011 Platform, and the implementation of the 2011-2020 socio-economic development strategy, and set out socio-economic development orientations and tasks for 2021-2025, as well as targets and directions until 2030 with a vision to 2045.

PM Phuc stressed that with the sound directions, strong aspiration for development and high political determination, the entire Party, people and army will certainly gain new development achievements for a prosperous and happy Vietnam which can stand walk abreast with powerful countries worldwide.

With the motto Solidarity - Democracy - Discipline - Creativeness - Development, the 13th National Party Congress will review not only the implementation of the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress but also 35 years of implementing the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, 30 years of implementing the 1991 Political Platform, 10 years of implementing the amended Political Platform (supplemented and developed in 2011) and the National Socio-economic Development Strategy 2011-2020; setting out socio-economic development orientations and tasks for 2021-2025 (the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification); and determining goals and orientations to 2030 (the 100th founding anniversary of the Party) and a vision for national development to 2045 (the 100th founding anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam).

At the opening ceremony, Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also head of the subcommittee in charge of documents, presented the 12th-tenure Party Central Committees report on documents submitted to the 13th National Party Congress, focusing on a number of common and basic issues that clear up the major content and important highlights for the congress to consider, discuss, and give decisive opinions.

Draft documents - Crystallised by the brainpower of the entire Party, people

On preparing the draft documents for the congress, the top leader said that, over the past two years, sub-committees have closely coordinated with research agencies, ministries, and sectors at the central level and Party committees at all levels and local administrations to organise nearly 60 conferences, workshops, and seminars and establish 50 working delegations to make field trips and consult former Party and State leaders and experts. Numerous seminars with the World Bank and several other international organisations were also held, while two delegations were arranged to gather experience from abroad.

Theoretical and scientific research agencies sent some 80 consulting and proposal reports to the sub-committees. Many veteran revolutionaries and scientists also sent letters and comments. After being studied and receiving feedback, reasonable opinions were placed into the draft documents.

The sub-committees conducted 20 sessions to discuss and adopt the blueprint and draft documents, while maintaining regular coordination between the sub-committee and the editing team to ensure consistency in content in the documents, including the Political Report as the core. The Politburo held many meetings to give opinions to complete the blueprint and draft documents for submission to the Party Central Committee for feedback, at the 10th, 11th, 14th and 15th meetings of the Party Central Committee.

Draft reports were amended many times and sent to seek feedback from National Assembly deputies, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, and other organisations and agencies.

The Politburo decided to publicise the full text of the draft reports in the mass media in order to gather opinions from officials, Party members and people both inside and outside the country. Millions of opinions were made on the draft documents and summarised for the Party Central Committee. The opinions were summed up in 1,410 pages, while the general report was 200 pages.

The top leader affirmed that the preparation of the draft documents for the 13th Party National Congress went through many rounds in a meticulous, thoughtful, and methodical manner, being improved at each step with numerous important changes in content and method.

Outstanding imprints create new impetus, enthusiasm

Looking back on the 12th tenure and 35 years of the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, the Party General Secretary said that, over the last five years, grasping the advantages and opportunities, and overcoming the challenges and hardships, particularly the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters, the entire Party, people, and army have upheld a spirit of patriotism, solidarity, determination, mettle, and creativeness to work relentlessly and gain a number of very important and comprehensive achievements. Thanks to such efforts, the country has witnessed robust and sustainable growth with heightened trust among the people in the Party, State, and the socialist regime.

Vietnams economic growth has averaged 5.9 percent annually, with improved growth quality, a stable macro-economy, inflation kept under control and at a low level, and strengthened financial and State budget discipline.

Total investment has been spurred by enhanced effectiveness, while Vietnams trade balance has improved with growing export value. The country has also been promoting economic restructuring and renewing the growth model, while improving the business climate and boosting the economys scale and competitiveness.

The countrys political and social stability has been maintained, while living standards of people have been improved, and progress has been seen in social welfare, healthcare, education and training, science and technology, environmental protection, culture, and human development during the period.

Particular attention has been paid to the building and rectification of the Party and the political system in all areas, from politics, ideology, and ethics, to personnel. Supervisory efforts and the fight against corruption and waste have been accelerated, resulting in breakthroughs and real outcomes. Legal proceedings and trials have been launched regarding a large number of major economic and corruption cases, which have been handled vigorously as a warning to others. These moves have received broad support and appreciation from officials, Party members and people.

Against a backdrop of global and regional uncertainties, Vietnam has consolidated and reinforced national defence and security and been proactive in handling all eventualities. The countrys political, economic, cultural, and social affairs, alongside social order and safety, have been maintained. External affairs and international integration have been constantly expanded. The country has also demonstrated its firm and persist determination in protecting national independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, as well as the countrys and the peoples interests, while maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for national development and actively and responsibly contributing to global and regional peace, cooperation, and development. These efforts have been highly appreciated by the international community, constantly heightening the Party and States position as well as the countrys stature and strength in the international arena.

Despite the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam still recorded significant achievements in 2020 that were even more special than in the previous years, thanks to its outstanding efforts.

While the global economy experienced negative growth of nearly 4 percent, Vietnam still posted positive growth of 2.91 percent, making it one of the worlds economies with the highest growth rates.

Vietnam has been regarded by the international community as a bright spot in completing the dual goals of containing the pandemic and recovering the economy.

The Party chief stressed that results gained during the past five years are of special significance as they have not only created milestones but also contributed to consolidating confidence and giving new momentum, enthusiasm to the entire Party, people, and army to firmly overcome all difficulties and challenges and optimise the opportunities and advantages to bring the country to a new stage of development.



Valuable lessons of experience

The top leader pointed out certain lessons of experience learned from the renewal process, especially during the five-year implementation of the Resolution adopted at the 12th National Party Congress.

Party building and rectification must be implemented drastically, comprehensively, synchronously, regularly, and effectively in terms of politics, ideology, morality, organisation, and personnel, he said.

The Party chief stressed the need to persistently pursue and creatively develop Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minhs thought, and to raise the leadership and combat capacity of the Party.

It is necessary to frequently consolidate and strengthen solidarity within the Party and the entire political system, seriously follow principles in Party building, and overhaul the Partys leadership methods.

The leader also highlighted building a pure and strong State and political system, and completing a close power control mechanism.

People should be considered the root in all Party and State affairs, he said, underscoring the need to trust, respect, and promote peoples right to mastery, and persistently follow the motto of people know, discuss, do, inspect, supervise and benefit.

He also mentioned tightening the close ties between the Party and the people, consolidating and enhancing peoples trust in the Party, the State, and socialism.

The strong determination, great effort, drastic action, dynamism, creativeness, and activeness are needed in leadership, instruction, management and implementation, he said.

The Party General Secretary also ordered the adoption of suitable steps, bringing into full play all the resources, momentum, and advantages of socialism, swiftly removing bottlenecks and promoting the responsibility of leaders, while carrying forward the strength of the entire political system.

Priority should be given to synchronously building development institutions, ensuring harmony between consistency and innovation, between inheritance and development, between economic innovation and political and socio-cultural innovation, between the abidance of market regulations and the assurance of socialist orientations, between economic growth and cultural and human development, between the settlement of social issues and the protection of natural resources and the environment, between socio-economic development and ensuring defence-security, and between independence, self-reliance and international integration. Special attention should be paid to promoting the key role of humans, culture, education and training, and science and technology in national development.

It is also important to proactively study and accurately forecast the situation to avoid passivity and surprise; consistently safeguard independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity in parallel with maintaining a peaceful environment and security stability and safety for national development; and actively step up international integration intensively and extensively on the basis of maintaining independence, mastery, self-reliance, and self-resiliency, the Party chief said.

He stressed that these lessons are important foundations for the Party to continue making use of and promoting creativeness in leadership and instructions to help the country remain resolute and overcome new difficulties and challenges and heavier tasks when entering the 13th tenure.

Comprehensively and synchronously stepping up the renewal process, rapid and sustainable national development

Regarding orientations and missions for the 13th term and subsequent years, the Party General Secretary emphasised that the entire Party, people, and army should thoroughly grasp such directions as being steadfast in applying and developing Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minhs thought, towards the goal of national independence and socialism, in the Partys renewal guidelines and in Party building principles; and ensuring the highest national interests based on the basic principles of international law, and fair and win-win cooperation to build and safeguard the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

This is a matter of principle and is crucial for the countrys regime, and a firm foundation for the Party, which cannot be swung by anyone, he stressed.

The countrys overall development strategy focuses on speeding up the Doi Moi (renewal) process in a comprehensive and synchronous manner, boosting rapid and sustainable development, ensuring strong cohesion and implementing all tasks, with socio-economic expansion playing the core role, Party building being a key matter, cultural development being the moral foundation, and the safeguarding of national defence and security being the central and ongoing task.



The awakening of peoples patriotism, national self-resiliency, and strength of great national solidarity as well as the desire for a prosperous and happy nation is an important source of momentum and a resource for growth, along with the promotion of the strength of the entire political system as well as the culture and people of Vietnam, encouraging renovation and the application of science and technology, especially the achievements of the fourth Industrial Revolution.

Meanwhile, a decisive factor in the success of national construction, development, and defence is to continue to strengthen the building and rectification of the Party, and enhance the leadership and ruling capacity as well as the combat strength of the Party.

The general development goal for the 2021-2025 period and following years is improving the leadership and ruling capacity and the combativeness of the Party; building a pure and comprehensively strong Party and political system; reinforcing peoples trust in the Party, State and socialism; sparking the desire to develop a prosperous and happy nation with the promotion of the will and strength from the national great solidarity bloc in combination with the power of the era; comprehensively speeding up the cause of renewal, industrialisation, and modernisation; constructing and firmly safeguarding the Fatherland, firmly maintaining a peaceful and stable environment; and striving to turn Vietnam into a socialist-oriented developed country by the middle of the 21st century.

Highlighting the major orientations in important development issues for the country over the next 10 years, the Party General Secretary underlined that the 13th tenure is an important landmark and transitional step, laying the foundation for following tenures to successfully realise the goals included in the national development strategy to 2030 and a vision to 2045.

Promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc

With the motto Solidarity - Democracy - Discipline - Creativeness - Development, the Party General Secretary asked the congress to undertake careful discussions to reach high consensus and vote for approval of the documents, thus ensuring the success of the congress and paving the way for the popularisation and implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, and successfully completing all set targets and tasks.

The Party leader expressed his belief that with a right direction in line with the rules, the cohesion of the Party policies and peoples aspirations, the promotion of the great national unity bloc and the strong desire to rise up as well as high political determination, the entire Party, people, and army is certain to achieve new growth miracles towards the goal of wealthy people and a strong, democratic, equal and civilised country, thus taking steady steps towards socialism and successfully turning the wish of President Ho Chi Minh and the aspirations of the whole nation into reality.

Following the opening ceremony, Tran Quoc Vuong, member of the Politburo and permanent member of the 12th Party Central Committees Secretariat, delivered a report reviewing the leadership and direction of the 12th Party Central Committee.

In the afternoon, the congress worked in groups to discuss the draft documents.

Party General Secretary, State President Nguyen Phu Trong and Politburo member, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attend the opening ceremony of the Congress. (Photo: VNA)

Party General Secretary, State President Nguyen Phu Trong and Politburo member, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan attend the opening ceremony of the Congress. (Photo: VNA)

Flag saluting ceremony of the 13th National Party Congress (Photo: VNA) Delegates attend the opening ceremony of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong delivers the Political Report of the 12th Party Central Committee and documents submitted to the 13th National Party Congress. Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong delivers the Political Report of the 12th Party Central Committee and documents submitted to the 13th National Party Congress. (Photo: VNA)






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CINCINNATI  Ohio Sen. Rob Portman said Monday that he wont seek reelection to a third term in 2022, expressing dismay with the deep partisanship and dysfunction in American politics.

The career establishment Republican with a reputation for bipartisanship cited a political climate that has made it harder to break through the partisan gridlock and make progress.

Our country is very polarized, Portman said, adding that former President Donald Trump did not help with the polarization. Its shirts and skins right now. We need to tone it down.

The decision is one measure of the difficult politics facing many Republicans in Washington as they cede power in President Joe Bidens administration and watch their party split between hard-right Trump supporters and others eager to turn the page. Portman, a moderate who might see growing influence as Biden looks for allies, did not appear optimistic about the prospect of a new political climate.

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Portman, 65, is among the longtime Republican lawmakers who often backed Trump, though not vociferously. Once dubbed The Loyal Soldier in a front-page profile story in his hometown Cincinnati Enquirer, Portman usually defended Trump or avoided criticism of him with carefully worded statements. After Trump called the presidential election rigged, citing no legitimate evidence, Portman said Trump had a right to a probe of any irregularities.

But immediately after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by a violent mob of Trump backers, Portman said Trump needed to go on national TV to tell his supporters to refrain from violence.

Both in his words before the attack on the Capitol and in his actions afterward, President Trump bears some responsibility for what happened, Portman said.

His retirement adds another open seat for the GOP to defend in 2022 as it seeks to regain control of a Senate that Democrats hold by virtue of Vice President Kamala Harris being the tiebreaking vote. Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, two other more mainstream Republicans in the Senate GOP caucus, have also said they wont seek reelection next year.

There goes the kind of really thoughtful public official who listens, who works both sides, who tries to get things done, Republican pollster Christine Matthews said. And right now the kind of candidate thats going to come out of a Ohio Republican primary is not going to be that kind of candidate. Thats not the kind of energy thats in the Republican primary electorate right now.

Indiana Sen. Todd Young, former chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said he wasnt worried about moderates fleeing the party.

(Portmans departure) says nothing about the 2022 landscape, Young said. It says a lot about Rob Portman that, two years out, he made the announcement so that Republicans have plenty of time to field a very strong candidate and to give that candidate sufficient time to run a strong campaign, which they will.

Eight-term Rep. Jim Jordan, an outspoken Trump supporter from western Ohio, and six-term Rep. Bill Johnson, from heavily pro-Trump southeast Ohio, are viewed as potential candidates for Portmans seat. Likewise, former Rep. Jim Renacci from central Ohio, a Republican who lost a Senate challenge to Democrat Sherrod Brown in 2018, is also considered a possible contender.

Portmans announcement came the same day that the Senate is receiving the House impeachment article against Trump for his role in the Capitol riot. While some Republican senators have criticized going ahead with the trial with Trump out of office, Portman said last week that he would listen to the evidence presented by both sides before deciding how to vote.

Republicans have 20 seats up for reelection in 2022, compared to 14 for Democrats. Those GOP seats include presidential battlegrounds Wisconsin, where Trump narrowly lost in November, and Florida, where he won by more than 3 percentage points.

Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson has not yet said whether hell seek a third term. Meanwhile, six-term Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who would turn 89 two months before the 2022 election, said he would decide this year whether to seek a seventh. Two-term Missouri Republican Roy Blunt has not said whether hell seek a third.

Ohio, a perennial battleground for decades, has become more reliably Republican, carried by Trump by more than 8 percentage points in 2016 and 2020. Portman, like many mainstream GOP lawmakers viewed as insufficiently supportive of Trump, was considered likely to face a primary challenge from the right.

Yeah, sure, some people are mad at him, said Ohio Republican strategist Ryan Stubenrauch. But he wouldnt have faced a credible primary challenge. He does his job. Hes a really good campaigner and well known across the state.

Portman twice won election to the Senate by wide margins. Before that, he served seven terms in the House and a stint as President George W. Bushs budget director.

Still, Portmans departure offers a glimmer of hope for Democrats in the state. Besides Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, most other statewide officials are Republican.

Tim Ryan, a 10-term Democratic representative from blue-collar eastern Ohio who ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 presidential nomination, said Monday that he is weighing a Senate campaign. I havent made a decision yet but Im looking seriously at it, he wrote on Twitter.

Likewise, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, a rising star who lost a 2018 primary for governor, said she is weighing a Senate bid. Ive gotten a lot of encouragement, especially today, and will make my decision in the coming weeks, Whaley told The Associated Press.

Portmans first federal government job started in 1989, when he served as an associate legal counsel in the George H.W. Bush White House. Portman considered Bush a mentor, one whose genteel style was far from that of the abrasive Trump and some of his Republican supporters in Washington

Portman was elected to Congress from southern Ohio in a 1993 special election and won six more elections before President George W. Bush tapped him to serve as U.S. trade representative in 2005. He traveled the globe, negotiating dozens of trade agreements. Bush then nominated him to be White House budget director in 2006.

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Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.

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Follow Dan Sewell at https://twitter.com/dansewell

[January 26, 2021] RCS users to grow 294% by 2024, driving new revenue for mobile operators

LONDON, Jan. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rich messaging is becoming a key platform connecting brands with consumers, joining the list of mainstream marketing channels alongside TV, the internet, and social media, according to the findings of a new report by business messaging intelligence experts, Mobilesquared. By the end of 2024 there will be more than 3 billion RCS users, representing an unparalleled growth rate of 294%. This high rate of growth is set to position RCS as the largest enhanced messaging platform globally and provide new revenue opportunities for mobile operators.

The report, Safeguarding Revenue from A2P Messaging, published by Mobilesquared in partnership with Interop Technologies, highlights how RCS growth will help operators remain at the centre of mobile messaging. The only business messaging channel currently generating sizeable revenue anywhere in the world remains A2P SMS. Brands spent $17.9 billion on the channel in 2020, and that will grow to $18.94 billion in 2021. Mobile operators hold a very dominant position when it comes to business messaging for now. However, they need to safeguard future messaging revenues by consolidating legacy messaging and migrating subscribers to an RCS messaging platform to capitalize on its continued growth and next-gen technology synergies. As the official 5G messaging service, RCS is expected to become an essential vehicle for generating future messaging revenues for mobile operators. Consumers are already reliant on rich messaging, brands want it, and mobile operators need to deliver it. Based on existing RCS and MaaP deployment plans from around the world, Mobilesquared forecasts that RCS will generate revenues of $8.3 billion by 2024 from the traditional telco A2P SMS model. Delaying an RCS launch will only risk mobile operators ability to generate new messaging revenue and their position in the channel. Mobile operators need to take a holistic look at their A2P strategy to ensure current revenues generated from SMS arent being left on the table, said Jim Dwyer, Senior Vie President of Corporate Development and Product Management at Interop Technologies. At the same time, operators must also prepare their messaging networks for the predicted eruption of new revenue opportunities that will be delivered through RCS via conversational commerce interactions between brands and consumers.



Nick Lane, Chief Insight Analyst, Mobilesquared, said: Over 3 billion people use rich messaging, so if the mobile operators want to ensure their platforms remain relevant to their customers, they must evolve SMS into RCS. SMS has served them well, and in an A2P environment will continue to do so, but the level of engagement on rich messaging takes the opportunity to a different stratospheric level altogether. Having a robust messaging platform is now seen as a vital component in mobile operator competitiveness, to such an extent that it can improve subscriber quality of experience and also reduce churn. By developing a native RCS offering to subscribers, it ensures that mobile operators remain at the centre of the next major platform, both for consumers and for brands.

The report, Safeguarding Revenue from A2P Messaging, can be downloaded here: https://mobilesquared.co.uk/ About Interop Technologies

Interop Technologies assists mobile network operators with better ways to deploy and manage next-generation technologies and services. Founded in 2002, the company develops Telco-grade, standardized mobile solutions with the highest level of deployment flexibility and lifecycle management. Interop Technologies portfolio includes an industry-leading, accredited, end-to-end RCS Business Messaging Platform with global connectivity for legacy integration to prepare operators for their 5G transformation. Interop Technologies is headquartered in Fort Myers, FL, and has EMEA regional headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. The company owns and operates network operation centers in North America and Europe. Learn more at interoptechnologies.com. About Mobilesquared

#1 for business messaging intelligence. Mobilesquared is the go-to partner for definitive business messaging market intelligence. We own the most comprehensive independent global messaging market forecasts in the industry, trusted by brands including Mastercard, Google, Vodafone, LivePerson, and PwC for accuracy and impartiality. If you need targeted messaging market insight and future-proofed strategy, we can help. Learn more at mobilesquared.co.uk. Contact Information Interop Technologies

Lisa Murray, APR, CPRC

Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications

lisa.murray@interoptechnologies.com

+1 (239) 425 9079

Mobilesquared

Nick Lane

Chief Insight Analyst

nick@mobilesquared.co.uk

+44 (0) 118 2149 777







An image accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5b594f39-2de1-4c00-92cb-98196aa3148c





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Theyre just trying to prepare so that they dont take hits for things that truly were malpractice, Rogalski said. COVID is not causing these problems that were seeing, its highlighting the problems that are there. They were already there, its just making us all more aware of it.
The program was designed to speed up the pipeline of primary care physicians in Texas, particularly in underserved areas, said Kneese, a Houston native. I clearly disrupted some expectations when I decided to serve in Ecuador and South Texas, but Ill be a better doctor in the end. And Im committed to staying in Texas.

Kneese is a first-generation college graduate who was inspired to become a physician by his mothers struggles with multiple autoimmune disorders. During his teenage years, his mother used a wheelchair for months until doctors were able to formulate a treatment plan for her severe rheumatoid arthritis and other factors.

Her physicians gave her back to me, Kneese said. I realized I could give that gift back to someone else, and that was my entry point to medicine.

Kneese said he initially considered a career in anesthesiology due his interests in chemistry and biology, but he soon realized his personality was better suited to family medicine because of its emphasis on building relationships with patients.

I got to medical school and told someone I wanted to be an anesthesiologist, Kneese said. They said, Thats ridiculous; you talk way too much. I realized that the best specialty for me is family medicine. I like to lead teams and build programs, and I enjoy clinic.

Determined to practice in Texas, Kneese made his first trip to Ecuador for a medical Spanish course with the Cacha Medical Spanish Institute .

In Texas, if you dont speak Spanish, youre going to be limited in the scope of people you can help, he said.

In Ecuador, Kneese met Margarita Guevara, M.D., who had served previously with the countrys ministry of public health and was the governor of the province of Chimborazo. After Kneese completed his second year of medical school, Guevara recruited him back to Ecuador to help develop a comprehensive sexual education program in public schools.

Kneese said Ecuador has a high adolescent pregnancy rate relative to its investment in health and education. The country already had two of the three elements in place needed to address the problem  health care rights and access to services.

The only missing piece was education, he said.

We did a good job of making our case to the ministries of education and public health, said Kneese, who spent a year as program director, working with both ministries and the non-profit Cacha Medical Spanish Institute, utilizing a Spanish-language curriculum developed for South Texas communities by family physician Janet Realini, M.D., M.P.H., a champion for adolescent sexual health in the state. The outcome were looking for isnt just reduced teen fertility.

The bigger picture, he said, includes keeping students in school and promoting higher education, which would benefit the workforce and stabilize the country.

Kneese returned to the United States to continue his medical training, but Jason Rosenfeld, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., the assistant director of global health at UT Health San Antonio, had another suggestion. Rosenfeld was looking for someone who spoke fluent Spanish, had experience managing and implementing programs, and understood Latino culture.

It was another door that opened, and I felt like I needed to walk through, said Kneese, who is acting as the current program manager for the Community Health Clubs of the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Brownsville, Texas.

Kneese said the clubs ( a novel health promotion model originally developed in Zimbabwe ) are sort of like a homeowners association focused on the health and health promotion of a neighborhood. It sets its own rules, picks leaders and addresses problems through a participatory lens. Residents bring issues to the club, and community health workers  whose jobs are funded through an area health education center or research grants  create plans, deliver curricula and organize social resources to address the neighborhoods health concerns.

Kneese said the clubs have been implemented in seven areas of Brownsville, serving communities of people who are highly vulnerable, often undocumented and largely uninsured. Prior to the pandemic, Kneese said more than 150 households were participating, but that number has been cut roughly in half due to COVID-19. During the pandemic, education efforts have shifted to COVID-related issues such as spread reduction, mental well-being and even domestic violence, which has seen an uptick during the pandemic.

When the club brings up a problem and you help them solve it, it builds trust, a key component in community-embedded problem-solving, he said. Thats more beneficial than the traditional public health approach of saying to a vulnerable population, Heres your problem; take these resources that we think you need.

Kneese, who also is a regional coordinator for the AAFPs Family Medicine Interest Group Network , has had to take extra student loans to extend his time in school, but he has no regrets. Hell be returning to San Antonio in July to begin his fourth year of medical school.

Its been incredible to have this time for learning and preparing for all that I hope to be doing as a family physician and public health practitioner, he said.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - Spearmint Resources Inc. (CSE: SPMT) (OTC Pink: SPMTF) (FSE: A2AHL5) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company currently has approximately $2 million in cash on hand with minimal debt, primarily via the exercise of warrants. The Company's working capital is now at an all-time high, allowing Spearmint the ability to work on multiple planned projects throughout 2021 without the need for any additional dilution via private placements. Management has no plans, nor does it expect to conduct any placements in the foreseeable future due to the strong cash position currently in place. The Company is eagerly awaiting the results from the remaining 5 holes from the Clayton Valley Lithium Clay Project as well as being active on our Perron-East Project in Quebec right now.

James Nelson, President of Spearmint, states, "We are pleased with the overwhelming show of support from our warrant holders who exercised the majority of their outstanding warrants. A large chunk of these warrants are expiring this week and once these warrants expire, a significant overhang will be lifted at a time when we are expecting our lithium results back from Clayton Valley. We feel this next set of results will ultimately enable the company to start the process to evaluate a potential resource calculation on this blanket-like lithium claystone formation that we share with Cypress Development Corp. and Noram Ventures Inc. Not only has Spearmint drilled into and has had success in the claystone, but Spearmint is also in the deepest part of the brine formation. The separate brine claims are located over the ridge and to the Southwest of the claystone claims (see map) in the same basin that Pure Energy Minerals is drilling with Schlumberger. Being in both the clay and the deepest part of brine puts Spearmint in the enviable position of being a 'double lithium threat' in Clayton Valley, at a time when lithium discoveries are garnering a massive amount of global interest from both lithium producers and Electric Vehicle companies."





Clayton Valley Ownership Map

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4360/72808_839822e284f79ab1_002full.jpg

Mr. Greg Thomson, P.Geo., a director of Spearmint and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained within this news release. Management cautions that past results or discoveries on properties in proximity to Spearmint may not necessarily be indicative to the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties.

About Spearmint Resources

Spearmint's current projects include the 'Goose' Gold project directly bordering New Found Gold Corp. where Spearmint has sampled up to 973 ppb gold, as well as the 'Clayton Valley Lithium Prospects' in Nevada comprised of two claim blocks totaling 1,160 acres bordering Pure Energy Minerals & Cypress Development Corp. where Spearmint's drill results have intersected Lithium values as high as 1,840 ppm Li; the 'Escape Lake North' PGM Project in Ontario consisting of ~4,000 contiguous acres directly bordering Clean Air Metals Inc.; the Case Lake South Cesium Project in Ontario consisting of ~7,300 acres directly bordering Power Metals Corp.'s Case Lake Cesium Property; the River Valley East Platinum-Palladium Prospect in Ontario consisting of approximately 4,700 contiguous acres directly bordering New Age Metals flagship River Valley Platinum Group Metals (PGM) project; the Carscallen West Gold Project in Ontario consisting of a ~2500 contiguous acres in the direct vicinity to Melkior Resources Inc.; the Perron-East Gold Prospects consisting of 5 mineral claim blocks covering 11,608 acres located in the Abitibi greenstone belt of northwestern Quebec in the direct vicinity of Amex Exploration Inc.'s Perron property and past-producing Normetal mine; and the 'Chibougamau Vanadium Prospect' comprising of 15,493 contiguous acres directly bordering the vanadium deposit of BlackRock Metal's (private) Ilmenite vanadium project.

Spearmint's current projects also include a portfolio of prospects in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia; the 'Golden Triangle Gold Prospects' comprising of five separate claims blocks totaling 8,265 acres bordering GT Gold Corp, the 2,397 acre 'NEBA' Gold-Copper Prospects bordering Aben Resources Ltd, and the 'EL North' Nickel-Copper Prospect is a contiguous land package of 1,053 acres in the Eskay Creek Camp bordering Garibaldi Resources Corp, as well as the recent acquisition of the 4,980 acre 'Prickle' property bordering Brixton Metals Corp.

Spearmint's other projects in British Columbia include the 'Safari' Copper-Gold Prospect consisting of 9,007 contiguous acres located in the northern Quesnel Trough in North-Central BC, and the 'Hammernose' Gold Prospect consisting of 8,685 acres directly bordering Westhaven Gold Corp.'s Shovelnose Property in the Spences Bridge Gold Belt located in Southern British Columbia, Canada. Management cautions that past results or discoveries on properties in proximity to Spearmint may not necessarily be indicative to the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties.

If you would like to be added to Spearmint's news distribution list, please send your email address to info@spearmintresources.ca

Contact Information

Tel: 1604646-6903

www.spearmintresources.ca

"James Nelson"

President

Spearmint Resources Inc.

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72808
Iran must end its provocations and return to the terms of a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers if it expects the United States to rejoin the accord, but even then a broader negotiation would be needed, a French presidential official said on Tuesday.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of Iran's nuclear pact (JCPOA) with Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia in 2018 and reimposed U.S. sanctions that had been lifted under it, prompting Tehran to violate its conditions.

President Joe Biden, who took office last week, has said the United States will rejoin the pact if Tehran resumes strict compliance.

"If they are serious about negotiations and if they want to obtain a re-engagement of all the stakeholders in the JCPOA, they firstly need to refrain from further provocations and secondly respect what they no longer respect, that's to say their obligations," the presidency official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

He was speaking before Iran threatened to block short-notice inspections of its nuclear facilities by the United Nations atomic agency.

President Emmanuel Macron held talks this weekend with Biden on a range of issues, including on how to kick start negotiations with Iran as it continues to breach the accord.

Antony Blinken, Biden's choice for secretary of state, said last week that Washington did not face a quick decision on whether to rejoin the deal and would want to see Iran was making good on resuming compliance with the pact first.

Iran has repeatedly said it can quickly reverse its violations of the deal if U.S. sanctions are removed first.

The official did not give a sequencing on how the lifting of sanctions during a return to compliance would work, but said that the French and U.S. administrations were clear on what needed to be done and how.

"We will have to ... see how the return of the United States to the JCPOA is paid for with verifiable gestures on the part of the Iranians," said the official.

He added that the issues with Iran went beyond the nuclear deal and that a broader negotiation on its regional activities would need to take place.

Short link:


Navalnys appeal against detention scheduled for January 28

 Screenshot

15:52 26/01/2021

MOSCOW, January 26 (RAPSI)  The Moscow Regional Court will hear an appeal filed by Alexey Navalny aginst his detention on January 28, his attorney Olga Mikhailova told RAPSI on Tuesday.

On January 17, the blogger was arrested at the Sheremetyevo Airport on his return from Germany based on the search warrant issued in late December. Upon a court order, he was placed in detention until February 15.

In December 2014, he received a 3.5-year suspended sentence, a 500,000-ruble fine for embezzlement and 5-year probation after the sentence is served. In August 2017, probation was extended for a year.

In late December 2020, FSIN officials warned Navalny of the possible replacement of his suspended sentence with a real prison term because of breaching obligations imposed by court and evasion of the penitentiary control.

According to the penitentiary authorities, Navalny left a German hospital yet in September. However, he has failed to appear in a correctional inspection as necessary since then.

On August 20, a plane departed from Tomsk to Moscow with Navalny onboard urgently landed in Omsk after the blogger became heartily sick. He was taken to a hospital in coma. Later, he was transported to Berlin. Russian medics said no poison was found in his body.

Currently, the blogger is also a defendant in two other criminal cases: over fraud and defamation against war veteran Ignat Artemenko.




An organising committee is to be established to make sure that the life and spirit of Saint Brigid of Kildare is marked in three years' time.

At the Kildare County Council meeting on January 25, Cllr Suzanne Doyle asked that the council set a date for the Saint Brigid 1500 celebration and establish an organising committee to ensure that the occasion is appropriately marked.

Director of Services, Sonya Kavanagh, Director of Services Economic, Community and Cultural Development, told councillors that discussions are already under way with Solas Bhride to plan for a celebration in 2024. An organising committee will be established to progress matters associated with the project.

She said the council would work with others including Kildare Failte and Kildare town based Solas Bhride.

County Librarian, Marian Higgins, said that research was ongoing and the move is a huge opportunity for tourism.

Welcoming the move, Cllr Doyle said that St Brigid is a national patron saint and her life resonated for the 21st century, including her concern for climate change.

Cllr Doyle said we should look at the value St Patrick brought to the country and he was not even born in Ireland.

Brigid was born here, she said.

Cllr Chris Pender said that Brigids role could highlight that of other Kildare women, such as the late Newbridge born scientist and crystallographer Kathleen Lonsdale, whose birthday is January 28.

Brigid is one of Ireland's patron saints and believed to be a foundress of several monasteries of nuns, including that of Kildare.

Thought to be born around 1500 years ago in 451 in Dundalk.

Her feast day is very shortly, February 1, which is believed to be the date of her death in 525.

Her monastery in Kildare is seen as a centre of education, pilgrimage, worship and hospitality until the 16th century when all the monasteries were suppressed. Brigid is famous for her hospitality.
HSBC Holdings Plcs Chief Executive Officer is set to be grilled by British lawmakers about the lenders moves to freeze accounts of activists in Hong Kong, the latest sign of the political tensions buffeting Europes largest bank.

Noel Quinn is set to appear before the UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Tuesday. Quinn is listed as a participant, along with Colin Bell, the banks chief compliance officer, at a private and public hearing on Tuesday, according to a parliament schedule.

The London-based bank, which counts Hong Kong as its largest market, has been caught in the midst of growing tension as China tightens control over the former British colony. The bank has faced criticism -- and lost business -- in China for cooperating with the investigation into Huawei, and been reprimanded in Washington and London after its top executive in Asia publicly endorsed a controversial security law imposed on the city. A local church has also accused the bank of freezing its account.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, former Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui, whose account was frozen by the bank last year, said that members of the Foreign Affairs panel have contacted him. He said that he has provided the committee with detailed information on cases where his and his families accounts were frozen.

This one-off session will aim to explore HSBC Groups perspective on recent issues in Hong Kong and China, including the recent freezing of accounts of activists involved with the Hong Kong protests." a committee statement said. The session is expected to touch upon a number of recent events in Hong Kong, including the passing of the Security Law and will provide an insight into how U.K.-based businesses navigate international regulatory and political frameworks."

In a letter to Hui earlier this month, Quinn explained that the bank was forced to freeze the accounts at the request of the police. The pro-democracy lawmaker was among those arrested in connection with a disruptive protest in the legislative chamber in May. He was out on bail when he fled the city last year and is now in exile.

Hui has rejected Quinns explanation, saying he failed to provide the legal basis" for the account lockdown. An HSBC spokeswoman declined to comment. The bank had earlier said it cant comment on specific accounts.

Impossible Position

HSBC is in an impossible position and at the end of the day, I dont think its sustainable for them," said Richard Harris, chief executive officer at Port Shelter Investment Management. They are already highly compliant and yet they are asked to do more, and conflicting things by both sides."

The situation is getting increasingly politicized for HSBC. The bank is likely to provide a strategy update alongside its full-year results on Feb. 23.

HSBC Chairman Mark Tucker said last week the world had changed" in the 11 months since Europes biggest bank announced a long-awaited overhaul, forcing the lender to make its plans more radical. The bank is confirming areas of focus, especially in Asia, and sees opportunities to grow its wealth business and expand across South Asia, he added.

The lenders shares in London fell as much as 1.6% on Monday morning and are down about 28% in the past year.

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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Sydney Braat is a Hamptons-raised and NYC-living journalist. She enjoys splitting her time between the bustling city life and relaxing atmosphere of the Hamptons. When she's not writing, Sydney is traveling. She thrives off of new experiences, cultures, cuisine, and languages. Sydney writes about the arts, philanthropy, food & wine, and shopping. https://www.sosydneyny.com/ sydneybraat

In today's world, we're fortunate enough to pursue all sorts of passions in any kind of field. The traditional 9-5 job is increasingly more uncommon - and model, entrepreneur, and humanitarian Jordan Emanuel truly lives and breathes that lifestyle. This powerhouse woman has done a lot in her twenty-nine years, which include her Playboy's 2019 Playmate of the Year and Miss Black America New York titles, as well as modeling campaigns with top brands like Cover Girl , Rimmel London, and American Express . Apart from her modeling achievements, Jordan has channeled her philanthropic spirit to co-found Women With Voices, a women's non-profit organization.Women With Voices' two primary initiatives include mental health awareness and sexual education and liberation. Jordan has had first-hand experience with depression and anxiety and hoped that this organization would bring light to those issues as well as help women get the help they need. Jordan is also an advocate for the multi-dimensional woman who wants to be a successful business woman, but also feel comfortable in her sexuality.Jordan is as well-rounded as they come and I am delighted to have had the chance to hear more of her story:Thank you! I think it was a combination of both. I was always a creative person and I think as I got older being able to monetize those creations became more of a priority, so that's when the business elements started.Philanthropy has been a part of my life since I was a child, in grade school we were go to nearby hospitals and senior retirement homes each week and from then on I've always been interactive with my charitable endeavors, so it was really important for me to elevate it to co-founding a nonprofit to emulate some of those experiences in a new way for other women to thrive from as well.It wasn't and it's funny I don't necessarily feel confident about it, it just naturally feels a part of who I am that it doesn't even cross my mind. It wasn't until other people were making negative comments about women who are comfortable in their bodies and sexuality that I felt the need to speak up and remind everyone that women have and will always be capable of being sexual human beings and business oriented human beings and everything in between.For all my astrology buffs out there, I just entered my Saturn's return, which basically is a period of intense growing pains and maturing. With that in mind my biggest goal is to be my biggest cheerleader instead of my biggest critic. I am my own worst enemy and can really beat myself up with negative self-talk, so my goal this year is really to be kind to myself, really parent and befriend myself with self-love and positivity.It was an insane six months because they pretty much happened at the same time. They both mean so much to me because they represent a big part of who I am and who I want to represent to other women. I am a proud black woman who appreciates and loves where I come from so being able to represent that for my state continues to be a major highlight. Being the last Playmate of the Year is an historical event in itself, but the way I have been able to utilize my voice on the Playboy platform and start amazing relationships with like-minded women has been the ultimate prize.You are enough. It does not matter if someone is prettier than you, taller than you, has more followers than you, it doesn't matter - because no one is YOU and that is more than enough! Fight for your dreams and don't let comparison stop that.To learn more about Women With Voices, visit www.womenwithvoices.info . Jordan Emanuel can be found on Instagram at instagram.com/jordy_jor
(Natural News) In 2019 alone, President Donald Trump stripped Planned Parenthood of $60 million in taxpayer funding. The Biden regime is planning to undo this, however, by funneling tens of millions of new taxpayer dollars back into the baby butcher industry.

In an announcement, Alexis McGill Johnson, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, expressed an eagerness for its new partnership with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who themselves are eager to get the baby murder mills back up and running at full steam.

In partnership with the Biden-Harris administration [sic] and the pro-reproductive health care majority in Congress, Planned Parenthood Action Fund will work to not only reverse the attacks of the past four years, but boldly expand sexual and reproductive health care and rights for all people in the U.S. and across the globe, Johnson said.

One of the first orders of business is to start siphoning off taxpayer money for abortions both in the United states and abroad. Planned Parenthood also wants the Biden regime to reverse funding restrictions imposed by the Trump administration on the Family Planning Program.

If Johnson is successful, 200 new key positions will be filled at her recommendation within the Biden regime. Biden himself has already indicated a willingness to support more baby murder with taxpayer dollars by stocking his cabinet with Planned Parenthood allies and politicians.

Bidens regime is stocked full of baby murderers

One of these is Andrea Palm, deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During her time in the Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services (WHHS), Palm came under fire for hiring a former Planned Parenthood lobbyist to help shape state health policy.

Soon-to-be-confirmed treasury secretary Janet Yellen was also previously a member of both Planned Parenthood and NARAL, while OMalley Dillon, Bidens deputy chief of staff, co-founded a marketing company that had Planned Parenthood as one of its clients.

Incoming secretary of the interior Deb Haaland received $5,000 in financial support from Planned Parenthood during her first and only run for Congress, while HHS pick Xavier Becerra received about $5,500 from Planned Parenthood throughout his tenure in Congress and as California attorney general.

Becerras track record in Congress suggests that he will roll back the Trump administrations protections for religious conscience, Free Beacons Graham Piro reports.

John Kerry, chosen as climate change adviser to Biden, is an even higher dollar recipient of funds from Planned Parenthood. The former presidential wannabe has taken in some $300,000 from the baby butcher mill throughout his time in the Senate.

Marty Walsh, Bidens pick for labor secretary, was a major ally of Planned Parenthood while mayor of Boston. In 2017, he led a protest against Republicans who were trying to defund Planned Parenthood, calling the effort reckless. Walsh wants to spark a new movement aimed at continuing to provide abortions in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Pete Buttigieg, the LGBTQP former mayor of South Bend, Ind., has also taken in about $11,000 in donations from Planned Parenthood. The presidential wannabe held a fireside chat in 2020 during his run that addressed the baby butcher mills priorities moving forward.

On Friday, the Biden regime put out a statement celebrating the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, indicating that Biden is personally deeply committed to ensuring that taxpayer money continues to flow into Planned Parenthood so women everywhere can get abortions on demand.

This represents a major rupture with the Church, only days after his press secretary described Joe Biden as devout,' reported CatholicVote about Bidens phony Catholic faith.

More of the latest news about the lefts obsession with murdering babies can be found at Abortions.news.

Sources for this article include:

FreeBeacon.com

NaturalNews.com
PARIS  A star student from Senegal who went missing without a word in Paris earlier this month, setting off an outpouring of concern, is said to have turned up, but the mystery surrounding her disappearance is, if anything, deeper than ever.

Senegalese officials in France said the student, Diary Sow, had been found safe and sound. And a Senegalese government minister released a letter of apology he described as hers in which Ms. Sow said she had disappeared of her own accord.

But the student has yet to be seen in public. And French prosecutors  who had opened an inquiry but were reported to be leaning against an explanation of foul play  declined to comment.

As for Ms. Sows family in Senegal, they said they simply do not know what to think. They have yet to hear from the young woman, according to her uncle, Ibrahima Sow.
The 72nd was celebrated across states and Union Territories on Tuesday under the shadow of COVID-19 and farmers' protests against new agri laws.

In most states, celebrations were restricted to unfurling of the flag and chief ministers and governors addressing the people, while in the capital, protesters broke through barriers, clashed with police and hoisted a religious flag from the rampart of Red Fort.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal greeted people on the 72nd and saluted the corona warriors.

On the occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh reiterated his appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accepting the farmers' demands, saying the new farm laws are "completely wrong".

His Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar in his address said while one has the freedom to agitate, but not to spread anarchy.

After hoisting the tricolour at a function in Panchkula, Khattar said the Constitution talks about rights, but these rights do not give us the freedom to do anything.

In the wake of events which unfolded in neighbouring Delhi, authorities in Haryana sounded a high alert in the state and said anyone taking law into one's hands will be dealt with strictly



Amid tight security arrangements, Republic Day celebrations were held at all district headquarters of Rajasthan with compliance of COVID19-related guidelines like social distancing and wearing face masks.

Continuing his attack against the Centre over the new farm laws, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said it has never happened in the history of the country that the farmers had to protest so long to get their demands fulfilled.

Addressing people on the 72nd Republic Day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said "our public life" gives inspiration for one dharma --'Rasthra Dharma' and it should be above all for everyone.

"We do not only have a personal life but a public life also. It gives us inspiration for one Dharma, which is Rastra Dharma. It should be above all for everyone. We all should work in a devoted way," the chief minister said.

"We are celebrating 72nd Republic Day and paying respect to our Constitution, which not only gives us fundamental rights but also also reminds us about our duties as a citizen of the country," he said.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the Republic Day was celebrated with traditional fervour with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha unfurling the flag at an event in Jammu.

Braving chilly weather conditions, contingents of police and other security forces took part in a parade in Kashmir.

Stringent security arrangements were in place to ensure that the celebrations passed off peacefully, officials said.

Himachal Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatreya unfurled the national flag and took the salute of a march past at the state-level Republic Day function held at the historic Ridge.

A colourful cultural programme was also presented on the day. Tableaux highlighting various development activities of different departments also formed a part of the Republic Day celebration.

The Republic Day celebrations in West Bengal were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there was no dearth of enthusiasm and energy as Kolkata witnessed a colourful parade and procession with decorated tableaux at Red Road.

No spectators were allowed at the customary programme, which was truncated to around 30 minutes, and seating arrangements were made following COVID-19 protocols, a senior official said.

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar hoisted the tricolour and presided over the march past of the armed forces and the state police at Red Road in the heart of the city.

While unfurling the tricolour, Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi said the state government has provided jobs to over 80,000 unemployed youths in the last four-and-half years.

The governor said the Sarbananda Sonowal-led government has been taking exemplary measures for fulfilling the promise of providing a corruption-free state.

In other northeast states also, Republic Day celebrations were held in a subdued manner in the wake of the pandemic with chief ministers hailing the frontline workers and urging people to follow COVID-19 guidelines.

Addressing a programme in Mumbai to mark the 72nd Republic Day, Maharshtra Governor



Bhagat Singh Koshyari said the state faced a financial blow during the COVID-19 crisis, but the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government took different measures to come out of the situation.

Expressing solidarity with the farmers agitating in the national capital, a tractor march was organised in Maharashtra's Aurangabad and similar processions were held in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Many protesters, who took out motorcycle rallies, carried the national flag and also placards with slogans condemning the farm laws in many parts of Tamil Nadu although police had declined permission for the procession.

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala also organised farmers' parades at several places in the state.

Leading Republic Day celebrations in Kerala, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan urged the people of the state to utilise the opportunity for vaccination against and continue the COVID-appropriate behaviour with utmost care.

In Karnataka, Governor Vajubhai Vala commended the efforts of the state government in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and in using technology to monitor those who were quarantined.

Due to the prevailing pandemic, the event was restricted to 45 minutes with a march past by 21 contingents of 750 policemen.

(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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MUSKEGON, MI  One of Muskegons oldest foundries is destined for a new trendy life.

It could take a while, but building owner Rob Rafson is committed to turning the former foundry near the corner of Western Avenue and Shoreline Drive into leased work/live spaces.

Rafson, founder and president of Chart House Energy, plans to begin the transformation by constructing a live/work space for himself. The building at 825 W. Western Ave. includes space for Chart House as well as warehouse and workspace for several tenants.

The building is comprised of a motley assortment of single- and two-story additions with the oldest section, built around 1890, located off the unpaved 11th Street.

Rafson said he has 20 years of experience redeveloping contaminated Brownfield properties, mostly in the Chicago area. Chart House Energy has been working with local communities, including Norton Shores and Muskegon Heights, to place solar energy panels on municipal buildings to help offset energy costs.

Rafson also has developed solar jobs training programs for economically stressed communities.

Ive enjoyed living in live/work spaces in industrial buildings, Rafson told MLive. I definitely intend to retain the industrial nature of the building.

The idea of living where you work certainly isnt new. Many shop keepers historically lived upstairs from their business establishments. But the idea is becoming more desirable, Rafson said.

There is a movement back to the old live/work style where you have a business either out front or downstairs and the living space above, he said.

The Muskegon City Commission recently approved an amended Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Certificate for the property that Rafson said he purchased about five months ago. The city has agreed to a property tax exemption for the improvements through 2028, which must be approved by the state.

Rafson estimated he will end up spending more than $2 million on the 45,000-square-foot building. Plans are for 11 live/work units, according to information provided to the city.

For now, Rafson is allowing four tenants, who occupy about two-thirds of the building, to remain while he works to clean up the other portions.

He plans to start almost immediately on a 1,400-square-foot second floor living space for himself. Chart House, which has offices and warehouse space in the building, will expand to take up more than half the building, he said. Of course, solar panels will be erected that Rafson hopes will eventually provide all the energy the building needs.

Theres a huge lack of small workspaces and the idea of pairing them with live spaces I think will be appealing, Rafson said. I think our society is moving back to a place where live/work spaces will be attractive.

He also hopes to do something fun with the exterior of the building, which is clearly visible from Seaway Drive where it hooks up with Shoreline Drive near downtown.

A live/work building dedicated to artists is located not far from Rafsons building. The 26-unit ArtWorks Lofts at 600 W. Clay Ave. were developed at the former Muskegon Boiler Works.

Also on MLive:

Muskegon Heights chooses new chief to lead police department

Marijuana growing and retail, 150 new apartments at old Shaw-Walker factory get initial OK

Affordable homes to be built on 3 vacant lots in downtown Muskegon
BOSTON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Northeastern University School of Law will launch a part-time, online and on-campus FlexJD option, the first hybrid JD program in the school's history of delivering top-quality legal education. The school is accepting applications for this blended learning legal experience to begin in fall 2021.

Students in the FlexJD program, currently pending acquiescence by the ABA, will benefit from Northeastern's time-honored, practice-driven Juris Doctor (JD) conveniently delivered in a part-time schedule through both online and in-person instruction. The FlexJD program is ideally suited for well-qualified, working professionals with strong academic backgrounds who intend to continue their full-time employment while in law school. The FlexJD allows students to complete flexible remote coursework on their own schedule combined with optimized, required in-person instruction one or two days per week on their Boston campus.

"We are excited to launch this unique FlexJD opportunity for those who are unable to pursue a traditional full-time JD program because of their career or personal obligations," said Dean James Hackney, who will teach Torts to first-year FlexJD students. "We built the FlexJD to provide a part-time schedule with a full-time experience to meet the needs of the greater Boston community."

Courses in the FlexJD program will be spread over four years rather than the traditional three-year JD program, allowing students to balance their professional and personal commitments with pursuing a law degree. Students will experience the same foundational first-year curriculum as Northeastern Law's full-time JD program students, with the advantage of receiving more hours delivered online.

FlexJD students will have access to the same broad range of opportunities as full-time JD students to build their professional skills and can take the same upper-level courses, including clinical courses and a long list of skills-based courses that includes offerings in areas such as alternative dispute resolution and transactional drafting. JDFLex students will take advantage of Northeastern Law's signature Cooperative Legal Education Program, and participate in numerous programs offered by the school's Center for Co-op and Career Development.

Northeastern Law has partnered with iLaw, part of BARBRI Global, the leading provider of online JD, post-JD and international programs for law schools in the U.S. for the development and delivery of this program.

"Our FlexJD really meets students where they are," said Associate Dean for Digital Strategy Julian Fray. "This past year has further illustrated the true power strong online teaching can have on today's students and busy professionals. The FlexJD incorporates all of the hallmarks that have made a Northeastern Law JD unique, with the welcome addition of the online element."

About Northeastern University School of Law

The nation's leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country (Cooperative Legal Education Program) and is a national leader in legal education reform. Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experience to successfully practice law.

About iLaw

iLaw, part of BARBRI Global, partners with law schools to create, market, deliver, monitor, and operate high-quality online programs and courses. Since 2012, iLaw has delivered online content to more than 12,000 students, worked alongside 25% of accredited law schools, and partnered with 30 graduate programs for law students, lawyers, and non-lawyers in different professions.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Megan Ablondi

(214) 932-0915

[email protected]

SOURCE Northeastern University School of Law
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Chris Hemsworth has called for the date of Australia Day to be changed.

The 37-year-old actor shared a photo to Instagram of himself alongside dancers of the Gadigal and Bidiagal Nation.

'A beautiful start to our shoot today with a Welcome to Country ceremony from the Gamay dancers of the Gadigal and Bidiagal Nation and performance and karakia by Maori dancers from Te Aranganui,' he wrote.

'Let's begin the healing and stand together in unity': Chris Hemsworth (pictured) has called for Australia Day to be moved to a different date

'Indigenous Australians may be just as proud of this country, but many see January 26th as a date signifying the beginning of dispossession, disease epidemics, frontier violence, destruction of culture, exploitation, abuse, separation of families and subjection to policies of extreme social control.'

Chris continued:'Let's begin the healing and stand together in unity and support with our First Nations people with solidarity and compassion.'

'Let's find a date where all Australians can celebrate this beautiful country together. #changethedate @taikawaititi #thorloveandthunder  @jasinboland.'

'Let's begin the healing and stand together in unity and support with our First Nations people with solidarity and compassion,' Chris wrote on Instagram

Chris has previously called for the date to be changed out of respect for indigenous Australians.

The Hollywood star isn't the only person speaking out against the Australia Day celebrations.

Thousands of people joined 'Invasion Day' protests in cities across Australia on Tuesday.

Movement: Chris has previously called for the date to be changed out of respect for indigenous Australians. Pictured Chris and his wife Elsa Pataky

Protesters swarmed into The Domain near the Sydney CBD despite coronavirus restrictions preventing the huge marches of last year and ones before.

A long-running campaign to abolish Australia Day or change the date has a growing number of Aussies feeling uneasy about our national day of celebration.

Indigenous activists, and many other Australians, now regard the day British settlers who first landed in Port Jackson on the First Fleet in 1788 as an event to be mourned, not celebrated.

Youth hold a Covid-19 coronavirus-themed board during the Republic Day celebrations in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad on January 26, 2021. (AFP)

Hyderabad: Telangana recorded 189 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 2,93,590, while the death toll rose to 1,592 with two more fatalities, the state government said on Tuesday.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 38, followed by Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri districts with 12 and 11 respectively, it said in a bulletin, providing details as of 8 PM on January 25.

The cumulative number of recovered cases stood at 2,88,926, while 3,072 were under treatment.

The bulletin said 29,449 samples were tested on January 25.

Cumulatively, the number of samples tested was 77,11,810.

The samples tested per million population was 2,07,195, it said.

The recovery rate in the state rose further to 98.41 per cent, while it was 96.9 per cent in the country, it said.

The case fatality rate in the state was 0.54 per cent, while it was 1.4 per cent at the national level, it said.
A man walks past a poster, depicting portraits of Indian soldiers killed in a hand-to-hand fight with their Chinese counterparts on June 15, 2020 in a market area in New Delhi on Aug. 31, 2020. (Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images)

India Honors Soldiers Killed Fighting Chinese at Galwan

NEW DELHIOn the occasion of its 72nd Republic Day on Jan. 26, India honored its soldiers martyred in a bloody conflict with the Peoples Liberation Army in Galwan valley on June 15, 2020, and for the first time ever gave a detailed description of what transpired between the two armies in the trans-Himalayan heights of Ladakh.

In the clash at Galwan that India calls Operation Snow Leopard, which occurred due to an Indian bridge project on the Galwan River, 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers lost their lives.

The commanding officer of the 16 Bihar Infantry Battalion, Col. Santosh Babu, who was stationed along with his soldiers in Galwan, was posthumously awarded Indias second-highest gallantry award, the Mahavir Chakra, by President Ram Nath Kovind during the Republic Day celebrations on Jan. 26.

Col Santosh Babu was deployed in Galwan Valley (eastern Ladakh) during Operation SNOW LEOPARD, and was tasked to establish an Observation Post in the face of the enemy, read the life sketch released by Indias Ministry of Defense (pdf).

Undaunted by the violent and aggressive action by an overwhelming strength of enemy soldiers, he in the true spirit of service before self, continued to resist the enemys attempt to push back the Indian troops. Despite being grievously injured, he leads from the front, in hand to hand combat till his last breath.

The citation awarded to him and available in the Indian media said Babu and his soldiers were involved in hand-to-hand combat with the PLA soldiers. Along with Babu, five others from the Galwan conflict were given wartime awards posthumously.

Meanwhile, Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times slammed India for awarding what it called perished soldiers during the time of military talks between the two countries. Military commanders on both sides engaged in the ninth round of corps commander-level talks on Jan. 24. The talks ended the next day, and the Chinese media blamed Indian media for reporting about the awards after the military talks ended.

Many Chinese experts pointed out on Monday that despite no significant breakthroughs, there was some positivity shown in the ninth-round meeting. Analysts said that as China continues to send signs of goodwill to help cool things down, Indias ceaseless provocative moves would leave an impression to the world and also the Chinese people that they have no intention of resolving the border dispute and maintaining peace and stability along the border, a Global Times article stated.

However, reports about the gallantry awards to be given to the Galwan heroes started appearing in the Indian media as early as Jan. 11, when leading Indian daily Hindustan Times quoted anonymous sources on the matter.

Face the enemy. Fight for your country. Protect Our Flag. Indias most anticipated action game, Fearless and United Guards: FAU-G takes you to the frontlines and beyond! Start your mission today.

Download now: https://t.co/8cuWhoq2JJ#HappyRepublicDay #FAUG @BharatKeVeer pic.twitter.com/uH72H9W7TI  Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) January 26, 2021

Ahead of its Republic Day, India also launched FAU-G (Fearless and United Guards), a mobile action game whose first storyline is based on the Galwan Valley incident. Launched on Jan. 26 by Akshay Kumar, a Bollywood superhero, the mobile game has already crossed more than 1 million downloads on the Google app store and had more than 282,000 reviews on the first day of the launch.

It was launched as a rival to Chinas PUBG Mobile, which was banned in India after the Galwan incident, reported Indian media. The app contributes 20 percent of its revenue to the welfare of the Indian army through a charity.

Madhav Nalapat, a New Delhi-based strategic analyst, earlier had told The Epoch Times in an interview that online games are a part of the data war that feeds the metadata of the artificial intelligence operations of China.

Artificial intelligence is a machine fed by metadata. So India has been a very rich treasure trove of metadata for the Chinese, and the United States as well, Nalapat said.

For example, about 80 percent of the gaming industry, the online gaming industry in the United States, is actually controlled by Chinese entities. And when Americans click onto this game, artificial intelligence can give you a fairly good idea of what makes them upset, what makes them sad, what makes them happy. And the same thing goes on in India.
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ALBANY  Four state lawmakers from the Capital Region are urging Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to "re-prioritize" the administration of coronavirus vaccines as many health care and other essential workers  and also people with developmental disabilities who live in congregate settings  are being pushed aside after New York opened up eligibility for anyone 65 and older to be vaccinated.

The backlog has been exacerbated by confusing directives, according to county leaders, and many people have been unable to schedule vaccination appointments through the state's inundated online portal and hotline.

The pushback from the state legislative members came after New York's health commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker, issued a letter over the weekend to vaccine providers instructing them that "eligible populations must all receive a fair allocation" of vaccines, even as he said the state's supplies have become "more and more scarce."

"This new mandate is creating the very vaccine inequities that your original plan sought to protect against," state Sen. Neil Breslin and assemblymembers Patricia Fahy, John McDonald and Carrie Woerner, all Democrats, wrote in their letter to Cuomo. "This new executive order declares that 'proportional' is 'fair,' yet it is not fair to our front line health care workers, emergency workers, and our most vulnerable New Yorkers to bear a proportional burden in this pandemic. We cannot call health care workers heroes one day and then deny them priority access to vaccination the next."

Last week, the Times Union reported that thousands of disabled individuals who live in group home settings have seen their rate of vaccinations for coronavirus dwindle as the state shifted doses to mass-vaccination sites and expanded the number of individuals eligible for the shots, including people 65 and older.

Roughly 30 percent of the Capital Region's group home population  about 11,000 disabled individuals and staff members who care for them in a 10-county region  had been vaccinated through the first five weeks of the rollout. But when the state shifted to mass-vaccination sites, including one at the University of Albany, those locations were given in some cases 50 percent or more of a region's doses.

Richard Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, said the problem is not the number of people who are eligible to be vaccinated, it's the shortage of supplies and "every shot diverted is one less shot for another group."

"The entire issue hinges on the number of doses from the federal government," Azzopardi said. "Health care workers and the disabled community have been the priority since the beginning and we are currently evaluating how to expand vaccinations to the disabled community beyond hospitals and if anyone has ideas on how to do that, we'll hear them out."

The tensions over the state's vaccination rollout also riled Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, president of the state Association of County Executives, who wrote a letter to Zucker on Sunday urging him to reconsider not giving developmentally disabled individuals in group settings a higher prioritization.

"Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, especially those who live in group homes or in congregate care settings, face an immense risk from COVID-19," Molinaro wrote. "These facilities continue to suffer from the ravages of this pandemic as the greatest protections we have are not always practical for many of these individuals, as some struggle to understand social distancing and have difficulty wearing masks."

Molinaro said that population has also endured the loss of critical services during the pandemic, which he characterized as necessary for safety but "damaging."

"Ensuring access to a vaccine is a means to not only protect this population and those that serve them, but also ensure high-quality care and services can be provided safely," his letter stated.

That strategy has affected those who were in the first  or 1A  phase of vaccinations, because the shift was made in conjunction with adding a second phase of eligible individuals that include anyone 65 or older as well as teachers, police officers, grocery and convenience store workers and other essential workers.

In a similar letter to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo last week, three leaders of groups representing the interests of disabled individuals  New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation, New York State Industries for the Disabled and The ARC New York  echoed those concerns that the vulnerable population they represent was being pushed aside as hospital hub systems, initially established to vaccinate the initial "1A" groups, were receiving little or no vaccine.

"With the opening of the state vaccination sites and the re-allocation of vaccine to these sites, this has reduced vaccine supply and availability for the 1A population to the point that appointments have been cancelled the latter half of this past week and through the weekend," the groups' letter states.

On Jan. 15, the Centers for Disability Services in Albany canceled a vaccination clinic that had been scheduled for 170 disabled individuals and their caretakers.

In recent days, Cuomo has urged county health departments, hospitals, pharmacies and other vaccine administrators not to schedule any appointments until they have received their allotted doses for the week. That shift came as he blamed the federal government for not sending enough doses to New York, where vaccination appointments are backlogged and stretching into the late spring due to low supplies.

"We prioritized this group from the very beginning," Gareth Rhodes, a member of Cuomo's coronavirus task force, said last week. "It's not like we stopped prioritizing them; they are still prioritized. We just don't have enough vaccine to go around."
GLEN CARBON  Depending on several variables, it may be 2022 before Homecoming returns to Glen Carbon. The villages building and development committee unanimously voted in favor of postponing this years event Monday after a brief meeting.

Homecoming would have been on Fathers Day Weekend, as usual, June 18 and 19. If the full village board agrees, this will be the second year in a row the village will do without its signature, summer event. This year would mark the 15th annual celebration, following last year's cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Village Administrator Jamie Bowden told the committee that the village community event committee (CEC) that administers the event, has been pared to just two people, Brock Warbritton, and one other.

After last Homecoming, which we canceled due to the pandemic, a number of the CEC members resigned and the village really hasnt taken an aggressive approach in filling those positions, he said.

He estimated the positions could be filled within the next few months, after voters choose a new mayor on April 6.

Bowden said usually, the CEC meets in December and January and selects the bands and events, etc. He suggested the reformed CEC reconvene during late spring or early summer to investigate a fall substitute event.

Warbritton serves as the chairperson of the CEC. He and Trustee Mark Foley, CEC liaison, agreed with the committees decision.

We need to re-energize the committee and look at something in the fall, Warbritton texted to the group, due to audio issues with his Zoom connection.

Foley noted that Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Missouri has a sole June concert scheduled but has begun canceling July events.

If the number of people vaccinated continues to rise and the number of cases drop through the spring and summer and if the committee can be re-formed, it will look at a possible set of fall dates as a resurrected Glenfest. The most recent Glenfest took place in 2018.

The next trustee board meeting is today (Tuesday), but Homecoming 2021 is not on its agenda. The next virtual trustee board meeting after that will be Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.

Reach reporter Charles Bolinger at 618-659-5735



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The Court of Appeal (CoA) has upheld a 65,000 award to a 10-year-old girl who was injured when she fell at a skating rink and another patron skated over the back of her hand.

Aoibhe Naghten, now aged 15, of Blanchardstown, Dublin, through her mother Teresa Crowley, sued Cool Running Events Ltd, with offices at Glanmire, Co Cork, operators of the pop-up ice rink at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre on December 30, 2015.

It was claimed there was overcrowding and inadequate supervision in the ice-rink on the day when 285 people were present for that particular session.

The defendant denied the claims. It alleged the girl voluntarily assumed the risk of being injured by an established doctrine which states someone who willingly puts themselves in a dangerous situation cannot sue for any resulting injuries (the doctrine of "volenti non fit injuria").

In July 2018, the High Court's Ms Justice Bronagh O'Hanlon awarded her 65,000 after finding the defendant failed to take reasonable care, was negligent in the safety and management of risk and the accident was reasonably foreseeable.

The defendant also failed to make out the defence under the dangerous situation doctrine and had carried out no proper risk assessment or safety audit, the judge said.

On Tuesday, Mr Justice Seamus Noonan, on behalf of the three-judge CoA, upheld the award saying there was "more than ample evidence" which entitled the High Court judge to conclude the defendant had been negligent and this caused the accident.

He said while the defendant had initially pleaded contributory negligence, this was not an issue during the trial. It followed Ms Naghten was entitled to succeed 100pc.

Earlier, the judge said Ms Naghten went to the ice rink with her mother and older sister having made an online booking. She was described in court as a proficient skater, having done it a number of times previously.

The accident occurred at the end of the session as the skaters were leaving the rink via the single exit.

CCTV footage showed Ms Naghten appeared to have been skating towards the exit reasonably close to the barrier.

It showed a large gentleman holding onto the barrier with his back to the ice rink as she approached to skate behind him. As she did so, his body moved out slightly, whether by design or otherwise, so that she collided with him, the judge said.

This caused her to fall to the ground onto her outstretched hands. It would appear a skater immediately behind her then inadvertently skated over her hand, he said.

She appeared to have suffered fairly significant lacerations to the back of her hands as illustrated in photographs taken very shortly after the accident showed, he said.

She ultimately made a good recovery albeit with a degree of scarring remaining, he said.

Mr Justice Noonan said the High Court made clear and sustainable findings of fact on issues that were supported by credible evidence and which should not be disturbed by the appeal court.

The defendants case was that the High Court findings of fact should be set aside and the evidence of the witnesses who testified in that court ignored simply by viewing the video evidence and drawing conclusions. That was impermissible, the judge said.

He also said not a single witness who was present was called by the defence, notwithstanding that such witnesses were not only available but actually present in court.

If the plaintiff's witnesses were wrong in suggesting that the venue was overcrowded, the defendant was perfectly free to call witnesses to rebut that evidence. The failure to do so speaks for itself, he said.
CHEYENNE, WY / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2021 / EV Biologics Corp, OTC: YECO today announced that it has entered into an engagement agreement with the esteemed international law firm, Foley & Lardner LLP, est. 1842. The firm is at the top of Intellectual Property Law in Biotechnology and Organics and has a specialty in stem cell and extracellular vesicle technology.

EV Biologics CEO, Daniel Mckinney said "with Foley & Lardner, we have engaged a top tier law firm specializing in biotechnology IP to facilitate the proprietary development of our exosome technology and technical innovation. As we partner with other listed companies, private research organizations and top ranked Universities in pursuing exosome biopharmaceutical development, I am very confident that our engagement with this firm will secure our collaborative development and protect the interest of our shareholders." We engaged Foley & Lardner LLP, specifically to do what they do best: to look beyond the law to focus on the constantly evolving demands facing us in this rapidly changing industry. With over 1,100 lawyers in 24 offices across the United States, Mexico, Europe, and Asia, Foley & Lardner LLP, will help our Company navigate any of the priorities, objectives, and challenges we may face worldwide." Please visit their website: www.foley.com

"For over 175 years, our firm has provided each client with legal services and products that inform, protect, and prepare; with technology that empowers; and with innovative client service solutions that grow partnerships. We are humbled by the trust and confidence that EV Biologics has placed in Foley & Lardner and are grateful for the U.S. and International recognition received by the firm and our attorneys," said Foley and Lardner LLP partner, Mark Kassel.

About Exosomes

Exosomes are nano-sized vesicles that serve as mediators for cell-to-cell communication. With their unique nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids cargo compositions that reflect the characteristics of producer cells, exosomes can be utilized as cell-free therapeutics. - Cells, 2020

The intrinsic properties of exosomes in regulating complex intracellular pathways has advanced their potential utility in the therapeutic control of many diseases, including neurodegenerative conditions and cancer. Exosomes can be engineered to deliver diverse therapeutic payloads, including short interfering RNAs, antisense oligonucleotides, chemotherapeutic agents, and immune modulators, with an ability to direct their delivery to a desired target. - Science, 2020

About Foley and Lardner LLP

Foley & Lardner LLP, Ranking: Top 3 Nationally by the number of IT and IP patents filed in Biotech. Foley & Lardner LLP have also garnered 27 National Tier 1 rankings, 125 Metro Tier 1 rankings with over 240 Best Lawyers in America awards and 20 attorneys recognized as "Lawyer of the Year" in their respective areas, plus an additional 240 local, national and international awards or rankings.

About the Company

EV Biologics (formerly Yulong Eco-Materials Limited) is a Wyoming, USA domiciled Biotechnology Company, intent on bringing human mesenchymal "MSC" and other stem cell and cell-derived products to market in the cosmetic and biopharmaceutical spaces. Initially, these novel and unique products will be specifically provided to the international clinical research community including universities and physicians and will be targeted to the aesthetic and regenerative medicine markets. Using proprietary and patentable technologies, the Company is creating exclusive IP and IT inherent in our superior products. Further product development will be focused on investigation of novel stem cell-derived biopharmaceuticals designed for specific clinical conditions.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, particularly as related to, among other things, the business plans of the Company, statements relating to goals, plans and projections regarding the Company's financial position and business strategy. The words or phrases "plans," "would be," "will allow," "intends to," "may result," "are expected to," "will continue," "anticipates," "expects," "estimate," "project," "indicate," "could," "potentially," "should," "believe," "think," "considers" or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements fall within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934 and are subject to the safe harbor created by these sections. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, involve known and unknown risks, a reliance on third parties for information, transactions or orders that may be cancelled, and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in our industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results include risks and uncertainties related to the fluctuation of local, regional, and global economic conditions, the performance of management and our employees, our ability to obtain financing, competition, general economic conditions and other factors that are detailed in our periodic reports and on documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements made herein are as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date, and the Company specifically disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement.

YECO has 7.22 million shares issued and outstanding with a float of 1,016,375 shares.

Contact:

Dennis Burns

Investor Relations

Tel(567)237-4132

dburns@nvestrain.com

For more information on EV Biologics please visit:

www.evbiologics.com

SOURCE: EV Biologics Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/625950/EV-Biologics-Has-Engaged-Foley-Lardner-LLP-for-Legal-Counsel-in-Intellectual-Property
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ALLENTOWN, Pa., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) announced today that the company's 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareowners will be held virtually. The Annual Meeting will convene live via the internet on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 9 a.m. Eastern time.

Shareowners of record as of Feb. 26, 2021, are eligible to vote and participate in the Annual Meeting. Instructions on how to join the meeting will be included in proxy materials that will be mailed to shareowners.

Headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) is one of the largest companies in the U.S. utility sector. PPL's seven high-performing, award-winning utilities serve 10 million customers in the United States and United Kingdom. With more than 12,000 employees, PPL is dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and reliability and delivering superior value for shareowners. To learn more, visit www.pplweb.com.

Note to Editors: Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news about PPL Corporation.

Contacts: For news media: Ryan Hill, 610-774-5997

For financial analysts: Andy Ludwig, 610-774-3389

SOURCE PPL Corporation

Related Links

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Press Release

January 26, 2021 Senate welcomes dialogue over UP-DND Accord (UPDATE) THE Senate on Tuesday afternoon adopted Senate Resolution 616 as amended, welcoming the Department of National Defense's (DND) decision to answer the various calls for dialogue with the University of the Philippines on the termination of the 1989 UP-DND Accord. Initiated by former UP Student Regent Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, the resolution was co-authored by Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Leila De Lima, Franklin Drilon, Richard Gordon, Risa Hontiveros, Grace Poe, Ralph Recto, Joel Villanueva, and Migz Zubiri. The amended Senate Resolution 616 also "[expresses] the sense of the Senate...to urge both parties to revisit the Accord, and to further urge the DND to hold dialogues with other academic institutions and find a common ground that promotes the rule of law, peace and security, and protects academic freedom and the pursuit of excellence." The adoption of the resolution followed the unilateral termination of the UP-DND Accord that regulates police and military presence in UP campuses. In his sponsorship of the resolution, Pangilinan said the issue, as with Covid vaccine rollout and rising food prices, is best resolved through dialogue. "Kailangan na talagang mag-usap. Lumalaki na ang gulo," the senator said in his sponsorship speech. "Pwedeng kasama sa dialogue ang sinasabing 'hot bed' di umano ng mga rebelde ng mga pamantasan. Totoo ba ito? Kung totoo maiiwasan ba ito sa pag-terminate ng sinasabing Accord? Ano pa ang mga ibang paraan para hindi mag-armas ang mga estudyante? Ano ang mga dahilan ng pag-aaklas ng mga estudyante? What are the root causes of insurgency, among others?" he added. Pangilinan said that he himself was a student activist and that activism was the defining moment of his life. He said that activism was what brought him to the Senate to serve the country. "Activism was my love language for our country and for our people," he said. Pangilinan also said that the academic freedom in UP, which includes the freedom to think, speak, move, and dissent critically, is a freedom that everyone is entitled to. "We hope that this resolution will inspire an open and transparent, as well as participatory and inclusive dialogue among all parties," he said. Earlier, Pangilinan filed two bills seeking to include Accord safeguards in the 2008 UP Charter as well as expand them to all state universities and colleges (SUC) nationwide. As former UP Diliman University Student Council chair, Pangilinan championed as principal author and sponsor the passage of the UP Charter law in 2008 that lists safeguards for the welfare of UP students, faculty, and staff. "April 2008 nang pinasa natin ang UP Charter. It will be 13 years since then and it's a good time to introduce amendments that would better cater to the needs of the UP community, especially following the attacks it has been experiencing lately. We want to ensure that any accord that UP will enter into in the future cannot be abrogated unilaterally," Pangilinan said. Among other things, Senate Bill No. 2014 amending the UP Charter of 2008 prohibits soldiers, policemen, and other law enforcement agency personnel from entering UP campuses except in hot pursuit and other emergency situations. Relatedly, Pangilinan's Senate Bill No. 2016 or Academic Freedom Act of 2021 aims to protect and guarantee the academic freedom by also requiring prior notification before police action inside public campuses, among other things. "Napakarami ngayong reported incidence of red-tagging sa ating mga estudyante. The red-tagging of students has been widespread and pervasive. Kami mismo sa Senado ay nag-hearing na tungkol dito. It is a harsh reality that students face: a climate of fear mongering and intimidation designed to curb critical thinking and freedom of expression. It is unjust and unproductive," Pangilinan said.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2021) The Sahrawi people need to be able to have a referendum on self-determination before the conflict of pro-Sahrawi movement Polisario Front with Morocco destabilizes Western Sahara, Smail Chergui, the African Union's commissioner for Peace and Security, told Sputnik.

Since October, in a bid to challenge Morocco's rule, activists linked to the Polisario Front movement have been blocking the main road, which connects the Rabat-controlled territories of Western Sahara with Mauritania, stopping passenger traffic and commercial transportation of goods across the border. In response, Morocco launched an operation against the Polisario Front in the buffer zone of Guergarat in the Moroccan Sahara on November 13. The movement accused Rabat of violating the 1991 ceasefire and pledged to "resume the war."

"The most pressing issue is to uphold the Settlement Plan, which provides for a cessation of hostilities and the holding of a referendum to exercise their right to self-determination," the commissioner said.

Chergui pointed out that the current Chair of the African Union, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, appealed to the UN to appoint a special envoy to help resolve the protracted conflict.

"On December 6, 2020, the Summit of the Union has asked the Peace and Security Council to address the resumption of the war to prepare conditions for a new cease-fire. The situation, if it continues to escalate, could threaten regional stability and it is our wish that a solution is found as soon as possible," Chergui said.

The Settlement Plan refers to an agreement between Polisario Front and Morocco to observe a ceasefire and for the Sahrawi to hold a referendum on whether they want to be independent or part of Morocco. The idea for a plan was first floated in the 1980s, but the referendum has not been held yet.
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

News 5 Cleveland

A former Ohio high school teacher will spend two years in prison after being convicted of having sex with two student on numerous occasions, both in her home and in her car in a park.

Charging documents obtained by PEOPLE last year accused Laura Dunker of six counts of sexual battery  four with one student and two with the other. In October, she pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery, according to FOX8.

On Thursday, Dunker was given two years in prison for each count, but the sentences will be served concurrently. After her release, she will be on probation for five years.

Dunker will be registered as a Tier III registered sex offender. She will have to re-register every 90 days for the rest of her life.

Dunker, now 31, was once employed at Bedford High School in Bedford, Ohio. The alleged incidents occurred between November 1, 2018 and October 19, 2019.

In one instance, according to the indictment, Dunker allegedly picked up one of the students prior to school and had intercourse with him in her car in a park. Two of the other alleged incidents occurred at Dunker's home.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

A separate charge accuses Dunker of tampering with evidence on or about November 6, 2019, while "knowing that an official proceeding or investigation was in progress."

Dunker did not speak during sentencing, but the prosecutor said that her crimes were very serious.

"Teachers are expected to be role models to their students and communities which they serve," Prosecutor Michael O'Malley told the court. "She took advantage of these students and now must face the consequences."
Day 6 Coffee Company is one of Houston's newest Black-owned businesses. Founded by brothers Ricardo "RJ" and Ian Wilson, the duo has big plans for the coffee shop.

The shop's name stems from a biblical reference, according to the Wilsons.

BLACK-OWNED IN HOUSTON: Find your perfect outfit at these Black-owned Houston boutiques

"On the sixth day, God gave us coffee and so much more," Ricardo said. "Although plants, trees, and animals were created on the third day, God actually gave us those creations when he created us on the sixth day. And the sixth day is said to be when God finished his creations."

Aside from giving the shop's name a divine salute, the two brothers also seem to have a guardian angel watching over them. The siblings lost a brother, Aaron Wilson, who had a passion for cooking, which inspired them to move into the restaurant industry. The coffee shop stands as an ode to their fallen brother and his love for food.

"This is kinda for him. We know he's always with us," co-founder Ian Wilson said. " That's kind of what got me into baking. It was a way to kind of connect with him."

Courtesy of Day 6 Coffee Co.

Though little more than a month old (the Wilsons opened Day 6 on Nov. 27, 2020), the shop has already garnered a steady stream of loyal customers with its popular Texas Lattes and brisket and boudin breakfast offerings.

Located on 910 Prairie Street Houston, Texas 77002, Day 6 has a rustic feel and work by local artists displayed throughout the shop.

"We have a historical building, which is really cool so you get that like industrial early Houston early 20th-century vibe. But we also feature a lot of local artists on our walls as well."

Courtesy of Day 6 Coffee Co.

Along with providing customers excellent customer service and an ambiance that can be felt upon entering, Day 6 Coffee Company also exhibits a strong sense of unity. The duo allows other small business owners to come in and showcase their products as a way to gain new customers.

"We want to be known for providing that type of energy," Ricardo said. "A business and networking kind of environment. When we provide value to others, others provide value to us."
[January 26, 2021] KCI, One of the Top Engineering Firms in the US, Adopts ProStar's PointMan SaaS Solution

ProStar Holdings Inc. ("ProStar" or the "Company") (TSXV: MAPS) is pleased to announce that KCI Technologies, Inc. ("KCI"), one of the top ranked engineering firms in the US, has entered into a service-level agreement (SLA) with the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, ProStar Geocorp Inc., to integrate PointMan into their business operations. KCI is an engineering, planning and construction firm with over 1,700 employees and 55 offices throughout the United States that offers multi-discipline services to transportation, water, utility, and facilities. "PointMan delivers to KCI a more efficient workflow process, trusted data quality and precision, and it is also, by far, the easiest I have ever used when compared to any of the other major mobile GIS solutions on the market," said Joseph Porter, National Training and Quality Control Manager at KCI's S.U.E. and Utility coordination division. Page Tucker, President and CEO of ProStar, stated today that: "Our client acquisitions to date have been Fortune 500 construction firms, Department of Transportation agencies, and Energy Companies in both the US and Canada, but our recent product enhancements have been more geared towards engineering and surveying. The feedback from some of the largest firms in the US and Canada is they cannot believe that a simple and easy to use application that runs on a standard mobile device delivers surveying levels of accuracy and improves cumbersome workflow processes at such a low cost. That is why they call it disruptive and that is why I am confident that we will now recognize a rapid increase in our adoption rate by other major engineering and surveying firms as a result of early adopters like KCI." About ProStar (TSXV:MAPS) ProStar specializes in the development of Precision Mapping Solutions. ProStar's Solution is patented, natively cloud and mobile, nd offered as a SaaS (News - Alert) recurring revenue model. ProStar's Solution is designed to improve the business operations of any industry that requires the precise location of sub-surface infrastructure including utility, oil & gas, construction, engineering & surveying, 811 and contract locating. ProStar's Solution enables real-time access to precise location information where and when it is most needed. Knowing the type, precise location, and condition of what lies below the earth's surface can significantly reduce costs, decrease liabilities, improve environmental stewardship and increase productivity during construction and maintenance activities. For more information visit: prostarcorp.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. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Such information includes, without limitation, information regarding the terms and conditions of the Company's future plans. Although the Company believes that such information is reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "postulate" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to: the state of the financial markets for the Company's securities; the state of the technology sector; recent market volatility; the COVID-19 pandemic; the Company's ability to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies; and other risks and factors that the Company is unaware of at this time. The reader is referred to the Company's recent Information Circular filed on SEDAR on November 20, 2020 for a more complete discussion of applicable risk factors and their potential effects, copies of which may be accessed through the Company's issuer page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. 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, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005296/en/

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More travel is restricted as virus variants spread

In a bid to curb the spread of new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus, both the U.S. and the E.U. are exploring ways to restrict travel further, following in the footsteps of countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Ghana and South Korea, whose stringent travel restrictions have proved an effective way to manage the rate of infection on shore.

President Biden will from Saturday ban travel by noncitizens into the U.S. from South Africa, and he will extend similar bans imposed by former President Donald Trump on travel from Brazil, the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, recommended on Monday restricting nonessential travel in a bid to prevent blanket border closures, which would obstruct trade and the movement of cross-border workers. Traveling without restrictions would still be possible for family, work and health reasons, which are deemed essential.

Official comment: The situation in Europe with the new variants have led us to take difficult but necessary decisions, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the commission, wrote on Twitter. We need to keep safe & discourage non-essential travel.
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The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Tuesday, signed into law a bill cancelling payment of hefty pension to former governors of the state and their deputies.

Mr AbdulRazaq had in November announced his plans to repeal the law, saying the state can no longer afford the payment of pension to the former leaders.

He then forwarded an executive bill to the state House of Assembly, which recently passed it.

The beneficiaries of the voided pension were former governors Bukola Saraki Abdulfatah Ahmed and their deputies, who served two terms each between 2003 and 2019.

The pension law was passed in 2011 under the administration of Mr Saraki.

Despite being immediately elected into the Senate after leaving office in 2011 and becoming Senate President in 2015, Mr Saraki continued to take the pension until last year when he announced he had given it up.

Mr AbdulRazaq signed the Act repealing the pension law during a brief budget signing ceremony attended by the Speaker, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, and some members of the state House of Assembly.

Mr Danladi-Salihu told the governor that members of the public were unanimous in demanding the repeal of the law during the public hearing.

Also, at the ceremony, the governor assented to the 2021 Appropriation Bill, saying his administration will build on the ongoing infrastructural development and increase investments in social protection and youth empowerment programmes.

While signing the N137.6bn appropriation bill into law, Mr AbdulRazaq commended the lawmakers for their hard work.

This budget will build on the achievements of the previous years in the areas of education, health, and roads infrastructure. We are also focusing on youth empowerment, job creation, and social investments which are very critical at this point of our national life, he said.

Mr AbdulRazaq said social protection is most important at this time to prevent more people from falling into abject poverty.

He commended the conditional cash transfer (CCT) initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari which is already being replicated in Kwara State.

I was pleasantly surprised that this initiative of Mr. President is being felt in the remotest parts of the country. When I visited the communities where some women beneficiaries of the (CCT) used same to start the construction of schools, I was very happy and we thank Mr President for that.

I have since refunded the money of those women and I have also approved the construction (completion) of the schools. So, we are going to continue to invest in social protection, he said.
SCHENECTADY  Schenectady County is the latest locality to take a bite out of skyrocketing food delivery app fees.

As the coronavirus pandemic nears the one-year mark and demand for third-party food delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash and GrubHub remains consistent, the county has adopted legislation capping fees charged by the online businesses, which have faced a torrent of criticism from restaurants and politicians for price gouging.

Delivery fees in the county are now capped 15 percent of the cost of the food order, and pick-up fees, 5 percent, according to legislation adopted Jan. 12.

Its a move legislators say provides a much-needed lifeline for struggling businesses where fees can surpass 30 percent, eating into already razor-thin profit margins.

Now more than ever, restaurants depend on these services to survive, said county Legislator Sara Mae Pratt, owner of Puzzles Bakery & Cafe in downtown Schenectady and legislation co-sponsor. At a time when government and health professionals at every level advise the public to stay home, we have an obligation to ensure everyone is protected.

Yet as the tech companies face mounting calls for regulation across the U.S., the countys recently-adopted legislation appears to please few, drawing criticism from both the restaurant industry and the third-party businesses.

The New York State Restaurant Association said while they welcomed the attempt to rein in fees, theyre pushing for a standard Fifteen and Five model that caps delivery fees at 15 percent and additional non-delivery fees at 5 percent.

Thats the system implemented in Westchester County; New York City, and more recently, Albany County, and one that provides the maximum protection for restaurants and their customers during the pandemic.

But capping only pick-up fees  or when customers order online but retrieve the food themselves  and not addressing listing, advertising and marketing fees does little to curb costs, says the organization.

As such, companies can simply shift costs elsewhere, effectively allowing for a shell game.

Leaving manipulation of non-delivery fees to the same big tech companies that have a demonstrated history of pricing manipulation during the pandemic creates a loophole for these companies to continue manipulating prices for their services and this leaves restaurants and consumers vulnerable to continued price gouging, said Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association.

Local restaurateurs agree.

While the law has good intentions, said Abby Rockmacher, owner of the Dilly Bean on the Jay Street Marketplace in downtown Schenectady, it doesnt accurately reflect the struggles of a business trying to claw its way through the pandemic.

Delivery fees are already lower than 15 percent and most of the fees that can send fees past the 30 percent mark are for marketing, Rockmacher said.

This money that is being taken out is not staying in the local community but instead boosting the pockets of a big business," she said.

Nicole Pardi, owner of Raw Juice & Smoothie Bar, agreed more thorough legislation is needed.

It would have been nice to have [fees] capped all around, Pardi said.

The regulations have already resulted in costs being shifted elsewhere, including in Albany County, where DoorDash tacked on a new "regulatory response fee."

Schenectady County capped that fee at $2, drawing ire from both DoorDash and the New York State Restaurant Association.

We would advise the County to take away the ability of these third-party companies to charge the consumer $2 fee as it only serves to benefit these multimillion-dollar tech companies, said Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the restaurant association.

DoorDash, which previously acknowledged they would hike fees as a result of the legislation, called the $2 cap an extreme provision that goes well beyond the terms of similar laws that have been passed in dozens of other locations around the country.

This provision is not only legally suspect, it threatens the continued viability of food delivery in the county at a time when these services are needed most, DoorDash rep Chad Horrell said. If delivery platforms cannot cover their costs  let alone turn a profit  providing delivery in the county may no longer make sense as a business proposition.

County Attorney Chris Gardner declined to respond to the criticisms.

Yet despite the pushback, Pratt said she remained confident that the law will help struggling restaurants retain a higher percentage from each sale, and reiterated the measures are only valid during a declared state of emergency.

I believe the extremely high fees charged by third-party delivery services were problematic before COVID and I hope we can take further steps to protect our local economy and keep more money from each sale in our community long after the state of emergency has passed, Pratt said on Monday. I am currently exploring the possibility of making all fees assessed by third-party delivery services visible to the customer during the checkout process.

Joining Schenectady and Albany counties in adopting legislation are Monroe, Broome, Onondaga counties, while Saratoga and Erie counties are examining Fifteen and Five legislation.

Action is also underway at the state level.

The Democratic-led state Senate passed legislation last week that would impose new regulations on third-party delivery services, according to WCNY, including those governing advertising agreements between the companies and merchants, and prohibiting third-party apps from charging restaurants a delivery fee that totals more than a certain percent of the total purchase price of an online order.

Neither bill has companion legislation in the Assembly, but similar bills have been introduced, the outlet reported.

COLUMBUS, OhioVolkswagen should pay the state of Ohio hundreds of billions of dollars in penalties for the automakers 2015 emissions cheating scandal, a lawyer for the state argued Tuesday before the Ohio Supreme Court.

Volkswagens attorney, meanwhile, argued that if Ohio wins the lawsuit, it would create regulatory chaos for the auto industry and might open the company to lawsuits from other states, as well as thousands of local governments, for intentionally violating clean-air laws.

In 2016, Volkswagen agreed to a nearly $15 billion settlement for claims that it cheated on emissions tests, under which the German car company agreed to pay the state of Ohio $13 million, as well as offer compensation of at least $5,100 each to nearly 14,000 Ohioans who bought or leased Volkswagen and Audi diesel-powered vehicles in model years 2009-2015.

Volkswagen has said that through various court settlements and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency penalties, Ohio and its residents have received (or will receive) more than $343 million in consumer relief, $71 million in environmental mitigation, and $36 million in compensation to dealers, which adds up to about $33,000 per affected vehicle in Ohio.

However, then-Attorney General Mike DeWine filed a separate state lawsuit against the automaker for tampering not just with new cars, but (through recalls and updates) used cars already being driven on Ohio roads.

The suit seeks $25,000 per day of noncompliance for each of the 14,000 vehicles sold in Ohio -- which could reach $350 million per day or over $100 billion per year over a multiyear period, according to Volkswagens appeal.

Attorney Robert Giuffra, arguing on Volkswagens behalf, said that the Clean Air Act gives the federal government exclusive power to regulate auto manufacturers, not states.

If Ohio wins this case, Giuffra said, it would impose substantial costs on consumers and manufacturers in 50 states to come and second-guess everything.

But Mike Hendershot, chief deputy solicitor general in Ohio Attorney General Dave Yosts office, noted that Ohio has the undisputed power to regulate car mechanics.

In this case, Hendershot argued, Volkswagen stepped out of his role as a manufacturer and was really just a mechanic writ large. It then subjected itself to the same prohibitions that mechanics would be subjected to. ...Its no different than if several mechanics got together and did what Volkswagen did here.

The Ohio Supreme Court, which is controlled 4-3 by Republicans, now must come to a decision. It usually takes months for them to issue a ruling.

The Franklin County Common Pleas Court sided with Volkswagen in the case, but the 10th District Ohio Court of Appeals overturned that ruling, holding that while the Clean Air Act gives the federal government authority over new cars, it does not address the regulation of emissions of in-use motor vehicles.

Last year, a federal appeals court held that counties in Florida and Utah could sue Volkswagen on claims that it broke local pollution laws.

In a non-binding friend-of-the-court brief supporting Volkswagen, the U.S. and Ohio chambers of commerce told the Supreme Court that the Ohio appeals court decision conflicts with previous rulings in six other state and federal courts and would create nightmares for car manufacturers and the entire automotive industry.

This case has sweeping implications for the automobile industryand, in turn, the vehicle buying public, the brief stated.

Volkswagens market value is around $99 billion, making it the second-most-valuable automaker in the world after Tesla.

Read more Ohio politics and government stories:

6 graphs and a map to illustrate Ohios coronavirus trends - vaccines, cases, hospitalizations, deaths

Another data breach at Ohios unemployment benefits office reveals 146 applicants personal information

Rob Portman talks about his future plans and whats ahead for the Republican Party

Ohio reports 4,334 new coronavirus cases, 19,053 more vaccine doses given: Monday update

Sen. Rob Portman announces he wont seek re-election
This was probably the top story of the day as local news offered dutiful converge BUT locals were discouraged from asking too many questions about real life evidence of corruption among municipal workers.

Thankfully, the feds stepped in to bust it up.



Read more from the official statement with highlights regarding the crime conviction . . .



Former KC Fire Captain Sentenced for Illegally Selling Firearms to Felons



KANSAS CITY, Mo.  A former captain in the Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department was sentenced in federal court today for illegally selling dozens of firearms over a five-year period, and to selling firearms to convicted felons.



James Samuels, 55, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to six years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Samuels to pay a fine of $11,282, which is the amount of cash seized by law enforcement officers at the time of his arrest.



On Aug. 31, 2020, Samuels pleaded guilty to seven counts of a federal indictment, including one count of conspiracy to make false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, four counts of selling firearms and ammunition to persons prohibited by law from possessing them, and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. Samuels has been in federal custody without bond since his arrest on Oct. 4, 2018.



Samuels admitted that he purchased 77 firearms from November 2013 to August 2018. Of those 77 firearms, 57 were Jimenez pistols. Samuels transferred 47 of those 77 firearms to third parties (including 43 Jimenez pistols). During this time, Samuels was not a licensed dealer of firearms.



Samuels also admitted that 10 to 20 of those firearms were sold to persons who were forbidden by law from possessing them. Samuels bought the firearms at a low price and sold them for a $40 to $50 profit.



Samuels conspired with others to make false statements to federally licensed firearms dealers by misrepresenting the identity of the actual buyer of firearms. Samuels purchased firearms then transferred ownership to another person, who later reported the firearms had been stolen.



Samuels was arrested on Oct. 4, 2018, following an undercover operation in which he sold an Armscor of the Philippines .38-caliber revolver to a confidential informant whom he knew to be a felon. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Samuelss residence the same day and seized 28 firearms (including 22 handguns, five rifles and one shotgun). Among the firearms seized was a Glock .40-caliber pistol with a TAC Isran GLR 440 stock installed, which was not registered to Samuels, and a Colt .45-caliber pistol, which had been reported stolen. In addition to the firearms, officers seized approximately 12,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as firearm parts and accessories.



The Oct. 4, 2018, transaction is one of four instances cited in Samuelss plea agreement in which the same confidential informant, whom Samuels knew was a felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, purchased a firearm and ammunition from Samuels. In each of those four instances, Samuels accompanied the confidential informant and an undercover federal agent to a licensed firearms dealer, where the undercover agent completed the paperwork for the straw purchase of the firearm on behalf of the confidential informant. In each instance, the straw purchase was at the direction of Samuels.



This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.



Project Safe Neighborhoods



The U.S. Attorneys Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.



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Developing . . .
Zimbabwe will tomorrow witness the interment of three national heroes on the same day, the first time this happening, in what will also highlight the grim times the country is enduring because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe yesterday announced the triple burial of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Lieutenant General (Retired) Dr Sibusiso Busi Moyo, who died on Wednesday last week, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joel Biggie Matiza and former Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Commissioner General, Major-General (Retired) Paradzai Zimondi who both died on Friday.

The three died after testing positive for the deadly Covid-19 virus, which has killed more than 1 000 Zimbabweans from related complications.

Minister Kazembe said the burials would be in compliance with the Governments strict Covid-19 control measures. They will all be buried on Wednesday at the National Heroes Acre, said Minister Kazembe.

We are in the middle of a global pandemic, and all the containment measures will be adhered to. These include limited numbers at the Heroes Acre to curtail the spread of the pandemic, said Minister Kazembe.

Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga sent a condolence message to the Matiza family saying the ministers death had left a void in Government that would be difficult to fill.

Before his appointment as Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, he held other demanding portfolios including being Minister of State for Mashonaland East Province, and Deputy Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.

The fact that he was entrusted to hold such portfolios signifies the wealth of experience in Government that he accumulated over the years, said VP Chiwenga.

He said Dr Matiza was a resolute and transformative minister committed to implementing transport and infrastructural development programmes and projects.

VP Chiwenga said Minister Matiza advocated the utilisation of local materials and human capital, which helped to reduce operational costs and empowered the expertise abundant in the country.

VP Chiwenga also mourned Major General (Retired) Zimondi, describing him as a stalwart of the war of liberation, and chronicled some of his exploits, pre and post-independence.

He said Major-General Zimondi joined the liberation struggle as a cadre of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) in 1974 and underwent military training at Mgagao in Tanzania.

The VP said this was the second group to be trained at Mgagao by the late Air Chief Marshal (Retired) Perrance Shiri.

After completing training, he was chosen to be an instructor. However, that appointment was shortlived as he was nominated to be part of the comrades who were deployed to open a new front in Gaza Province for joint operations with the Zimbabwe Peoples Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) under the banner of the Zimbabwe Peoples Army (ZIPA).

From Gaza Province, Cde Nyika was deployed to Manica Province where he was appointed Field Provincial Operational Commander. I had the privilege to work under him as his Provincial Political Commissar until my promotion to Deputy Political Commissar of ZANLA.

Cde Tonderai Nyika was a close friend and fellow member of the ZANLA High Command. Due to his diligence and acumen, he was given operational tasks that made a great impact in turning around the tide of the liberation war effort against the Rhodesian colonial establishment.

He said apart from commanding Manica Province, he was part of the ZANLA contingent that carried out the very first attack on Rhodesias third largest city, Umtali (now Mutare) in 1978.

He was, indeed, a great strategist and shrewd commander.

In post-independence Zimbabwe, Major-General (Retired) Zimondi had an illustrious service in the Zimbabwe National Army where he was Colonel General Staff (Col GS) in charge of army operations, Commander I Infantry Brigade, Chief of Defence Intelligence and Commander, Presidential Guard Brigade.

On retirement in 1997, he was assigned to the then Zimbabwe Prison Service (now the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service) and later became its Commissioner-General.

Among other modernisation strategies, he spearheaded the transformation of the correctional service to focus on rehabilitation of the offender.

The late Major General (Retired) was a field commander and administrator par excellence. His contribution after the liberation war was unparalleled.

He was conscious that one of the major reasons for waging the liberation war was the skewed land ownership perpetrated by the Rhodesians. He therefore, participated fully in the Land Reform Programme.

In this regard, over and above his life in the services, he became an acclaimed farmer who contributed immensely to Zimbabwes efforts to attain food security for the country, said VP Chiwenga.

Commander Defence Forces (CDF) General Philip Valerio Sibanda said they felt very empty without the late Dr Moyo, as tributes continued to pour for the decorated military commander.

Lieutenant General (Retired) Moyo during his time in the army, worked under the command of General Sibanda, and the countrys top soldier described the loss of the national hero as a big cost to the nation.

It is a major loss to the country. SB was a very dedicated patriot. As a soldier, we never doubted him.

If there was something we wanted done, SB was there to do it. We feel very empty without him, said General Sibanda.

Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, also mourned the late national heroes.

On my behalf and on behalf of Mashonaland West province and the nation at large, I want to pay my condolences to the President, His Excellency Emmerson Mnangagwa, and the families of the recently departed heroes. The death of Minister (Ellen) Gwaradzimba was a huge blow to women politicians. She was a leading example, she said.

Minister Matiza was working to ensure that roads and infrastructure in the province would improve.

He promised to expedite completion of the Alaska-Copper Queen Road during his last tour. The province had hope and trust in him.

The minister agreed to tour the road and after his visit, there was a remarkable and commendable pace from the workers.

The minister was also committed to putting the road on the current budget. We are positive that once the road is completed, it will open economic fortunes for the cotton and gold-rich districts of Kadoma, Sanyati and Gokwe North. Herald
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Summary:

Uinta, powerful data collection software from Juniper Systems Limited, is now available throughout EMEA and India, for field crews in asset management, mapping, natural resources, and other industries.

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom, Jan. 26, 2021, a manufacturer of rugged handheld computers and GNSS receivers, introduces Uinta, powerful data collection software for field crews using Microsoft Windows 10 OS on tablets, who require detailed forms, maps and customisation.

Now available throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa (EMEA), and India, Uinta (yu-?N-tah) offers data collection tools such as detailed mapping with points, lines, and areas, form-based notes, and flexibility, delivering a high level of customisation specific to an organisation's needs.

'Historically, Juniper Systems has manufactured rugged computer hardware. We're excited now to offer user-friendly software for many industries, including mapping and asset management', said Mr. Simon Bowe, managing director at Juniper Systems Limited, based near Birmingham, U.K. 'Uinta is intuitive, efficient, and it's already making field work easier for users in North America'.

Uinta was specifically designed to provide options for users to organise and customise their data collection in the field. Numerous forms can be adapted to specific uses, and simple yet powerful mapping tools deliver a professional mapping experience. Customised project templates make field-collected data more meaningful when analysed. This advanced functionality makes it possible to create finished customer-facing documents that can be emailed live from a work site directly to the recipient.

Data sharing options include exports to Microsoft Excel, Adobe PDF, KML, and other cloud-based apps. The integral cloud services provide secure data backup and seamless data sharing between devices using the same account. Designed to be user-friendly and easy to learn, Juniper Systems also provides live support if needed.

Uinta utilises internal device GNSS information, and can also connect to powerful external GNSS receivers, such as Juniper Systems' own Geode GNS2 Sub-meter GPS Receiver. This flexibility allows each user to select the best tools for each project. Also included is integral navigation back to any data point location previously added.

'Uinta is an elegant solution for the right market', said Mr. Andy Cray, technical manager for Juniper Systems Limited. 'It's sure to become the favorite software choice for professionals who need more flexibility with their data collection, particularly in mapping, commercial irrigation, asset management, and natural resources'.

Uinta is available with flexible licencing options and is compatible with Microsoft Windows 10 devices, for field crews utilising the power of a full desktop operating system on a portable tablet computer. When used on Juniper Systems' Mesa Rugged Tablet, Uinta can run continuously for up to 8 hours on one battery charge. The release of Uinta throughout EMEA and India now makes it available worldwide.

About Juniper Systems Limited

Based out of Logan, Utah, USA, and Birmingham, UK, Juniper Systems) is a world leader in the design and manufacture of ultra-rugged handheld computers and provides field data collection solutions for use in extreme environments. Since 1993, professionals have utilised Juniper Systems' innovative mobile technology in the geomatics, industrial, natural resources, military, utilities and public services markets.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/82848a50-26f3-48e8-9db3-0787cce01a26
Hudson, NY (12534)

Today

Periods of rain. Low 43F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 43F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch.

Last August, Alexei Navalnythe Russian opposition leader and scourge of Vladimir Putinwas poisoned, and fell into a coma. Authorities initially refused to let Navalny leave the country for treatmentin order to hide evidence, his supporters surmisedbut friends eventually managed to get him to Germany, where he stayed for months to convalesce. Recently, he made an announcement: he was coming home. A little more than a week ago, he boarded a flight for Moscow with a bevy of eager journalists and a few bemused onlookers. The plane was scheduled to land at Vnukovo airport, where a crowd of Navalnys supporters and yet more journalists had gathered. But at the last minute, Russian officials rerouted the flight to the nearby Sheremetyevo airport, blaming weather conditions for the switch. (Obviously, Anton Troianovski, Moscow correspondent for the Times, said, no one believes that.) Upon landing, Navalny was able to briefly address the press and the millions of people watching him online, until police officers showed up and arrested him. Officially, his stay in Germany had violated the terms of a six-year-old parole agreement.

Before Navalny was incarcerated, he was able to record a video message urging opponents of Putins rule to take to the streets in protest. On Saturday, they did just thatturning out in huge numbers, across Russia, for what would prove to be the countrys biggest day of demonstrations in at least four years. In Moscow, some protesters threw snow at policea daring act, videos of which blanketed social media and topped news bulletins around the world. If there was one incident that suggested the significance of Saturdays protests, it was probably the footage of the riot police in Moscow looking lost and disoriented as a crowd blitzed them with snowballs, Alexey Kovalev, an editor at Meduza, an independent newsroom based in neighboring Latvia, wrote in an op-ed for the Times. These protests, summoned by an imprisoned opposition leader and undertaken against the governments warnings, are a significant development. After years of relative calm, Russia is restive once more. Nationwide, police arrested nearly four thousand people.

ICYMI: How much do we need to know about domestic terrorists?

Journalists were among those detained. Officials had warned reporters, outlets, and social-media platforms, including TikTok, not to participate in or advertise the protests; according to the Committee Protect Journalists, a freelance journalist named Anastasia Lotaryova was summoned to a police precinct in Moscow and given what officers called a prophylactic talk. Voice of America put the number of reporters seized by police at several dozen; among them was Roman Anin, the editor of a prominent investigative outlet called iStories. (He was subsequently released.) The radio station Ekho Moskvy reported that at least four journalists in Moscow sustained injuries in the course of their reporting.

Russia has long had a restrictive climate for press freedom. As I wrote last summer, that climate bears directly on Navalnyin the sense that the speech rights of dissidents and journalists cannot be separated, but also because Navalny is himself a journalist. Sort of. Since his arrival on the national political scene, Navalny has used reporting to expose corruption and cronyism at the highest levels of the Russian state and rally opposition to Putin, first as a blogger, then via the Anti-Corruption Foundationan organization, founded by Navalny, that publishes slick, highly-detailed video investigations of the affairs of senior figures, including, in 2017, Dmitry Medvedev, who was then the prime minister. As Anin told the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project last year, Navalny doesnt follow journalistic standards of balance, but has nonetheless created probably the most effective investigative media outlet in the country.

Navalnys journalism helped build momentum for Saturdays protests weeks before they began. Around Christmas, he cooperated with Bellingcat, The Insider, Der Spiegel, and CNN to release a bombshell report showing that he was being trailed by a team of operatives working for Russias secret police. Posing as a senior security official, he spoke by phone with one of the operatives, a chemical-weapons expert named Konstantin Kudryavtsev, and induced him to inadvertently confess the details of Navalnys poisoning, and say plainly that it had been a failed assassination attempt. (Bellingcat observed the call, which Navalny recorded and published online, and confirmed details of Kudryavtsevs account by cross-referencing them with objective data.) Then, last week, Navalnys YouTube channel posted a highly-produced, two-hour-long documentarycomplete with 3D graphicsleveling a series of extraordinary allegations about an opulent Black Sea palace that Putin had supposedly financed via a slush fund. The video has since been viewed nearly a hundred million times, an astronomical figure even by Navalnys viral standards. Yesterday, Putin took the unusual step of personally responding to the film when asked about it by a college student; he denied that he or his family own the palace (a claim that Navalny did not technically make) and accused Navalny of attempting to brainwash our citizens.

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Navalny will spend at least thirty days in jail, and his sentence is likely to be extended at a court hearing in early February. But Russian authorities do not only have him to worry aboutas Bloomberg and others have reported recently, a new generation of guerilla media outlets including iStories and Proekt, an independent site founded by Roman Badanin, have been reporting aggressively on previously taboo topics, including Putins private life. The growing ambition of these newsrooms reflects a broader truththat Putins grip on Russias information sphere is weakening. Kovalev, of Meduza, has observed that ten times as many people watched footage of Saturdays protests on TV Rain, an independent channel, as on RT, which Putin controls. The student whod asked Putin about the palace story had a comment, too: that people of his generation dont watch TV, and instead get their news online. Polling data backs that up. Changing news consumption habits pose a long-term problem for Putin. In the short term, the protests are set to continue.

Below, more on Russia:



Other notable stories:

ICYMI: Unity does not mean ideological consensus

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop.
Suspect Named in Reelfoot Double Homicide

By West Kentucky Star Staff

OBION COUNTY - A suspect has been named in a shooting at Reelfoot Lake Monday that claimed two lives.The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has named 70-year-old David Vowell of Martin as a suspect in the double homicide.Vowell is wanted for the shooting deaths of 26-year-old Chance Black and 25-year-old Zach Grooms, both of Greenfield.Vowell is considered armed and dangerous.Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Vowell, or was on or near the north end of Reelfoot Lake and heard or saw anything, is urged to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
"The United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States... does not challenge that position."

Thus did President Nixon, in the Shanghai Communique of 1972, accept China's territorial claim to the island of Taiwan.

In 1979, Jimmy Carter severed relations with Taiwan, recognized Beijing as the legitimate government and dissolved the U.S. mutual security treaty with the Republic of China on Taiwan.

We ceased to be obligated to go to war to defend Taiwan.

Fast-forward four decades to the first weekend of President Joe Biden's administration. Saturday, China sent eight nuclear-capable bombers and four fighter planes into the air defense identification zone of Taiwan.

Sunday, Beijing sent 16 military aircraft into the same region.

Observing U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and visits by U.S. officials, China is issuing us a reminder: "You Americans are encouraging those on the island who seek independence. Not going to happen. Rather than let Taiwan go, we will fight. Taiwan is a part of China and is a red line for us."

Beijing is said to be seeking a face-to-face meeting with Biden.

Why? Perhaps because incoming Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his confirmation hearings said that President Donald Trump "was right" to take a "tougher approach to China."

Blinken also agreed with outgoing Secretary Mike Pompeo, who had called China's treatment of its Uighur minority "genocide," and added that our commitment to Taiwan is "something that we hold to very strongly."

Under Xi Jinping, said Blinken, China seeks to "become the leading country in the world -- the country that sets the norms, that sets the standards." In short, China's geostrategic goal is to replace the U.S.-created world order with a new world order of its own.

Before we proceed further down this road to collision, questions need to be answered.

To whom does Taiwan belong? If the answer is what it has been since 1972 -- "Taiwan is a part of China" -- then is not encouraging the 25 million Taiwanese to seek independence an "incitement to insurrection" from Beijing's standpoint? And if China uses force to compel Taiwan to repudiate any right to independence, are we prepared to fight a war with a nuclear-armed China over the island's political status and orientation?

When Chinese Communists in 1950 conquered Tibet and began its ethnic and cultural cleansing of the region, what did we do?

Basically, nothing.

When China occupied and fortified rocks and reefs across the South China Sea what did we do?

Basically, nothing.

When China crushed the Hong Kong democracy protests we encouraged, and imposed a new national security law on the island's 7 million people, what did we do?

Basically, nothing.

Now, Xi Jinping has bluntly told America that how China treats Tibetans, Uighurs, Christians and Falun Gong, all citizens of China, is no more the business of the United States than was our treatment of the indigenous peoples of North America the business of Imperial China.

China's model of political and economic development has enjoyed success in this century as an alternative to the Western model of liberal democracy.

Beijing does not believe in untrammeled freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press. She does not believe in choosing leaders by the ballot box.

China is not an egalitarian society. She does not believe in the equality of all races, religions and ethnic groups. She does not celebrate diversity but fears it, seeing what ethnic diversity did to the Soviet Union, tearing it apart into 15 nations.

She does not believe in racial quotas for advancement, but in a meritocracy that rewards loyalty and performance. And Chinese student test scores are among the highest in the world.

While China steals intellectual property from U.S. factories in China, who moved the factories there to take advantage of cheap labor where a worker could be hired for $2 an hour?

Beijing says any attempt to impose our "universal values" on China would amount to interference in her internal affairs. And any attempt to sever from Beijing her jurisdiction over Taiwan or the Spratly or Paracel Islands in the South China Sea will be resisted by force.

Moreover, as none of the disputed rocks and reefs in the South and East China Seas involves any territory claimed by the U.S., and we have conceded for 50 years that Taiwan is "part of China," why are we sending carrier battle groups into these seas and through the Taiwan Strait?

What are we threatening?

On Sunday, a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group, led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt sailed into the South China Sea on a "freedom of navigation" exercise, the first such operation under President Biden.

This was the same day that those Chinese bombers and fighters flew into Taiwan's air identification zone. We need to talk.

COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
Oil prices eased on Tuesday, giving up some of the previous session's gains, as hopes for rapid approval of new U.S. economic stimulus faded while new coronavirus infections around the world mount up.

Brent crude was down 15 cents at $55.73 by 0135 GMT, having risen nearly 1% on Monday. U.S. crude was also lower, dropping 5 cents to $52.72, after declining 1% in the previous session.

Have recently hit 11-month highs, oil is caught between lingering doubts over any recovery in demand as the pandemic continues to rage, offset by optimism for more stimulus from the newly installed Biden administration in the United States to support economic growth as vaccines are rolled out.

But Biden administration officials are still trying to convince Republican lawmakers of the need for more stimulus, raising questions over when it will be approved.

"Through 2021, major supply and demand risks remain that threaten to jolt fundamentals into a much tighter or looser market," Citigroup said in a note.

The bank cited the risk of higher supply if sanctions on Iranian crude are lifted, or U.S. drillers boost output from shale, against a bigger demand shock from the latest wave of lockdowns and restrictions.

European nations have set tough restrictions to combat the spread of the virus, while China is reporting rising new COVID-19 cases, casting a pall over demand prospects in the world's largest energy consumer.

Still, there are areas where demand for oil remains strong. In India, crude oil imports in December increased to their highest level in more than two years as the easing of coronavirus restrictions boosted economic activity.

On the supply side, compliance by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies on pledged oil output curbs is averaging 85% in January, tanker tracker Petro-Logistics said on Monday. The findings suggest the group has improved compliance supply curb commitments.

Also, output from the giant Tengiz field in Kazakhstan was disrupted by a power cut on Jan. 17.
A unit of Dublin-based aircraft lessor Goshawk Aviation has sued flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, claiming non-payment of more than $5m (4.1m) connected to a jet lease.

The indirect Goshawk subsidiary, Helice Leasing, has initiated legal action in London against the Asian carrier.

But Garuda has successfully persuaded the UK High Court to stay the proceedings in favour of arbitration. However, it failed in efforts to have them stayed on the basis that Indonesia is allegedly clearly or distinctly the most appropriate forum to hear the dispute.

The action concerns a lease agreement signed between Helice and Garuda in 2016 for a Boeing 737-800.

Helice claims that Garuda has failed to pay any of the monthly rent or additional rent on the aircraft that became due each month under the lease agreement from January last year to October.

The High Court noted that since the Garuda unit was served with draft particulars of a claim, there have been further defaults in the payment of the rents due.

Notwithstanding a payment of just over $585,000 (482,307) paid by the Indonesian firm towards the outstanding amounts, that has resulted in a total due under the lease of more than $5.1m, plus interest.

In April last year, the defendant in the case wrote to Helice, ess entially acknowledging the debt, noted the court.

We understand that we still have some outstanding payment to Goshawk, noted the email.

However, it is not our intention to not paying you [sic]. We are of course remain committed to meet our obligations [sic], we only need some relaxation as things are getting worse right now we require your support for lease rent deferral with a lengthier repayment period," it added.

The UK High Court rejected the defendant's request to move the proceedings from the UK to Indonesia.

It has failed to discharge its burden of showing that another forum is clearly or distinctly more appropriate in circumstances where it has not identified any defence to the claim and accordingly any particular disputed issues that would more appropriately be tried elsewhere, noted the court.

It added that the defendant has a place of business in the UK, despite being incorporated in Indonesia, and that Helice does not have any place of business in Indonesia.

The High Court has permitted a stay in proceedings in favour of proceedings at the London Court of International Arbitration, however.
Advertisement

Wood you believe it?

Architects are seeking planning permission for two incredible tree-shaped skyscrapers in Vancouver that would stand 384ft (117m) tall.

The design has been drawn up by renowned British-based firm Heatherwick Studio which said it used 'the tree as our inspiration' to 'develop the idea of gently curving vertical structures that connect the public on the ground floor to the top of the towers'.

A rendering showing the two incredible tree-shaped skyscrapers that architects are seeking planning permission for in Vancouver

The two towers would be connected by a five-storey public plaza and located on Alberni Street in Vancouver's West End

According to planning documents submitted to the City of Vancouver, the skyscrapers would be located on Alberni Street in Vancouver's West End neighbourhood.

The tallest tower, the west tower, would have 34 storeys while the east tower would be 30 storeys high, standing at 345ft (105m) tall.

A five-storey public plaza would connect them and inside would be over 400 residential apartments and a childcare facility.

The plaza is described as a 'lively new amenity for the city with a range of facilities to encourage togetherness and to serve the city'.

Inside the public plaza, which is described as 'a 'lively new amenity for the city with a range of facilities to encourage togetherness'

Inside the towers there would be over 400 residential apartments as well as a childcare facility. Architects Heatherwick Studio said the concept 'aims to bring a new level of global design excellence to Vancouver, featuring two curvaceous, light-filled towers and a publicly-accessible ground level plaza for community engagement'

The architects said: 'Heatherwick Studio has proposed designs for a new residential project in Vancouver, its first high-rise project in Canada.

'Commissioned by Bosa Properties and Kingswood Properties in partnership, the concept aims to bring a new level of global design excellence to Vancouver, featuring two curvaceous, light-filled towers and a publicly-accessible ground level plaza for community engagement.'

The planning application for the skyscrapers is currently under review and is open for public feedback until March 14. As yet, there is no timeline for construction.

Among Heatherwick Studio's other notable works is Vessel - a $200million spiralling gherkin-shaped landmark that was built at Hudson Yards in New York City.

It was also the design studio behind the reinvention of Coal Drops Yard, which was originally two old coal warehouses near London's King's Cross station and is now a hipster shopping centre complete with trendy restaurants and bars.

Heatherwick Studio designed the $200million spiralling gherkin-shaped Vessel at Hudson Yards in New York City
New Delhi:

Police on Sunday arrested a 23-year-old woman who allegedly chopped off the genitals of her boyfriend after he refused to marry her.



Ravi (35), a street vendor, was allegedly attacked at his girlfriends house in outer Delhis Mangolpuri late on Wednesday, where he was called by her relative, police said.



When he reached their home, his girlfriend of four years, broached the topic of marriage. However, Ravi refused, saying his family was against it.



The victim told police that the woman then pushed him inside the bathroom, undressed him and forced him to have sex with her.

Read | Delhi: Scuffle breaks out between two groups in night club



She allegedly threatened him of dire consequences if he did not give in to her demand.



Enraged at his refusal, the accused chopped off the mans genitals with a kitchen knife.



The victim said the womans brother and sister-in-law were present at the house when the incident took place. He alleged that they did nothing to stop the woman from attacking him.



After the attack, Ravi rushed out of the house shouting for help. Some neighbours informed the police and rushed him to the hospital. After a surgery, he was referred to the Jaipur Golden Hospital.



The woman and her family members had fled their house after the attack. Her brother and sister-in-law were found yesterday and questioned.



The woman was arrested and police have also recovered the weapon of offence.
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Q4 Sales of 97m (+27.5%)

H2 Sales of 170m (+35%)

Record increase in Q4 order entries to 202m (455m on a full year basis)

Good visibility around improved outlook for 2021

Net cash position at +3m thanks to marked improvement in working capital

Sales (m) Europe Rest of World Total H1 2019 108.9 12.5 121.4 H1 2020 81.2 37.2 118.4 Change (%) -25.4% +197.6% -2.5% Q3 2019 41.4 8.7 50.1 Q3 2020 48.6 24.8 73.4 Change (%) +17.4% +185.1% +46.5% Q4 2019 61.5 14.5 76.0 Q4 2020 75.4 21.5 96.9 Change (%) +22.6% +48.3% +27.5% H2 2019 102.9 23.3 126.2 H2 2020 124.0 46.3 170.3 Change (%) +20.5% +98.7% +34.9% 2019 211.7 35.8 247.5 2020 205.2 83.5 288.7 Change (%) -3.1% +133.2% +16.6%

Thierry Gadou, Group Chairman and CEO said: "We have been able to end this difficult year on a strong note of optimism and with a sharp rebound, thanks, above all, to the magnificent effort that retailers around the world have made to cope with the COVID crisis. Despite monumental challenges, our retail partners have continued to supply their customers with life's essentials. The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of physical retailers to the economy, to society in terms of jobs and to the sustainability of communities. Far from championing a victory of e-commerce in retail, we have seen that the tragedy of the global health crisis has put retail stores and their omnichannel offering in the limelight as the marketplace of tomorrow. SES-imagotag's core mission is to help all physical retailers adapt and survive to meet today's challenges by enabling their digital transformation.



We approach 2021 with the knowledge that the pandemic is far from over, but with increasing confidence that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We see a growing realization, amongst our customers, of the urgent need to accelerate the digital transformation of their stores and the role that our technology and our solutions can play in achieving that objective.



Finally, I want to express my gratitude and appreciation to our teams and recognize the extraordinary commitment they have shown in supporting our customers and maintaining continuity of service. I wish our clients, partners, and colleagues again the very best for this New Year 2021."

Q4 and FY 2020 activity

Q4 sales were 97m, up +27.5% year-on-year. The quarter saw activity rebound across all regions. Europe recorded 75m of sales, up +23%, thanks to a continued strong performance in Germany and Northern Europe. Activity also recovered sharply in France and Southern Europe. The Americas and Asia continued their strong growth as sales outside Europe reached 22m in Q4 (+48%).

The year saw a marked contrast between H1 and H2. After a slight decline in sales in the first half of the year due to the impact of Covid and lockdown measures, activity rebounded strongly in H2 with sales of 170m, up +35% vs. 2019.

In FY 2020, total sales were 289m (+17%), driven by strong growth in the US and Asia. Sales outside Europe (+133%) represent more than 25% of global sales. The slight decrease in Europe (-3.1%) masked a wide disparity between performance in regions where projects have been heavily affected by Covid (France and Southern Europe) and those such as Germany and Northern Europe which recorded strong growth throughout the year. However, the sharp rebound in activity in H2 across the continent provides confidence to support Group expectations of solid growth in 2021.

As announced previously, Q4 order entries reached a record level of 202m (+69%) in Q4, bringing the FY levels to 455m, up +35% compared to 2019 and back in line with the pre-COVID trend. This was mainly due to a catch-up effect as planned investments that were delayed or temporarily postponed due to COVID were reinstated.

Order entries (m) 2019 2020 % H1 123.3 165.5 +34.2% Q3 93.5 87.7 -6.2% Q4 119.7 202.2 +68.9% FY 336.5 455.4 +35.3%

Strong improvement in cash position

Q4 also marked the return to a more normal working capital situation, with a reduction in late payments and the collection of down payments relating to the record Q4 order entries. As a result, net cash before IFRS16 was +3m at the end of the year, representing an increase of nearly +30m in the Group's net cash position over the second half of 2020.

Sustainable innovation for positive retail

The "Roadmap for Positive Retail" presented in December 2019 under the supervision of our new International Advisory Board chaired by Peter Brabeck-Letmathe saw considerable progress in 2020 towards the goals set out in the "Zero Carbon ESL" project. The drastic reduction in air transport activity has made it possible to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 60%, with further reductions possible as a result of the introduction of shorter routes for rail-borne freight from China. The "second life" eco-design program of our VUSION range has also been accelerated, with a 40% increase in the collection of recyclable waste. The objective is to achieve maximum sustainability and recyclability, applying the logic of the circular economy, the only way that the carbon footprint of IoT technology can be reduced. This program was awarded the prize for sustainable innovation by LSA, a leading French retail industry magazine.

In addition, the increasing digitization of retail stores has resulted in a reduction in customer paper consumption by an equivalent of 100,000 trees per year, whereas the accelerated migration to the cloud (nearly 4,000 stores at the end of 2020) is also making a significant contribution to reducing their overall carbon footprint.

SES-imagotag's membership of the United Nations Global Compact program completes a year of responsible engagement and is a natural extension of the Roadmap for Positive Retail.

2021 Outlook

At the moment, the COVID 19 pandemic continues to be a cause for concern and future possible strict lockdown measures could slow down projects in some countries over the first half of the year.

However, with the order book at record levels and the pipeline of potential opportunities also at a historic high, there is every reason to believe that the Group will, as signalled in our Q4 update, be able to deliver on the VUSION 2022 objectives albeit one year later than originally planned, i.e. a FY 2021 target of around 400m.

About SES-imagotag and the VUSION Retail IoT platform

SES-imagotag is a fast-growing retail tech company, listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange, with revenues around 250 million. The company is the world leader in smart digital labels and IoT solutions for physical retail, serving over 300 large retailers around the world in Europe, Asia, and America.

SES-imagotag has developed the VUSION Retail IOT technology platform to help retailers transform their physical stores into high value digital assets, more automated, data-driven, and connected in real-time to suppliers and consumers. VUSION improves pricing agility, accuracy, and integrity; enables omni channel synchronization of prices, product information and marketing content; and increases the productivity of shelf replenishment and in-store picking for online orders. VUSION improves employee satisfaction by freeing up time from cumbersome low value-added tasks and allowing them to focus on customer service and merchandizing tasks. VUSION connects shelves to the cloud, providing real-time accurate information on product availability and location, allowing for reduced inventory, out-of-stock, and waste, as well as improved on-shelf availability and merchandizing compliance. VUSION empowers consumers with better product, nutritional and traceability information at the shelf and enables a frictionless in-store shopping experience with features such as product search, pathfinding and cashier-less scan & pay features.

www.ses-imagotag.com

SES-imagotag is listed in compartment B of the Euronext Paris

Ticker: SESL - ISIN code: FR0010282822 - Reuters: SESL.PA - Bloomberg: SES

Contact

Shan - Investor Relations & Financial Communications

Sarah Levy-Quentin - Tel: +33 (0)1 44 50 03 84 / sesimagotag@shan.fr

Datasheet

Sales

(m) Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 FY 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 FY 2019 Europe 47.6 61.2 41.4 61.5 211.7 39.2 42.0 48.6 75.4 205.1 France 14.7 18.7 14.9 19.0 67.4 12.0 7.9 9.5 17.1 46.5 Other EU 32.9 42.5 26.5 42.5 144.3 27.2 34.1 39.1 58.3 158.6 ROW 4.6 7.9 8.7 14.5 35.8 11.6 25.6 24.8 21.5 83.6 Total 52.2 69.1 50.1 76.0 247.5 50.8 67.6 73.4 96.9 288.7 (m) Q1 2019 H1 2019 9M 2019 H2 2019 FY 2019 Q1 2020 H1 2020 9M 2020 H2 2020 FY 2020 Europe 47.6 108.8 150.2 102.9 211.7 39.2 81.1 129.7 124.0 205.1 France 14.7 33.5 48.4 33.9 67.4 12.0 19.9 29.4 26.6 46.5 Other EU 32.9 75.3 101.8 69.0 144.3 27.2 61.2 100.3 97.4 158.6 ROW 4.6 12.5 21.3 23.3 35.8 11.6 37.3 62.1 46.3 83.6 Total 52.2 121.3 171.5 126.2 247.5 50.8 118.4 191.8 170.3 288.7

Order entries

(m) Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 FY 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 FY 2019 Total 47.3 76.0 93.5 119.7 336.5 71.8 93.8 87.7 202.2 455.4

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PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GARY and ANNA-MARIE CUPPELS, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, v. MOUNTAIRE CORPORATION, and Arkansas corporation, MOUNTAIRE FARMS, INC., a Delaware corporation, and MOUNTAIRE FARMS OF DELAWARE, INC., a Delaware corporation. Defendants., C.A. No. S18C-06-009 CAK

SUMMARY NOTICE OF PROPOSED SETTLEMENT



To: All Persons who, on or after May 1, 2000, owned, leased, resided on, or were employed on a full-time basis at property located in whole or part within a defined geographic area near Millsboro, Delaware, as described more precisely in maps setting forth the Class Definition available at www.MountaireSettlement.com, or available from the Claims Administrator and/or Plaintiffs' Counsel, identified below, subject to certain exclusions.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to Delaware Superior Court of Civil Procedure 23 and an Order of the Delaware Superior Court, that the Court-appointed Class Representatives, on behalf of themselves and all members of the Class, and Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc., Mountaire Farms Inc., and Mountaire Corporation ("Mountaire" or the "Defendants"), have reached a proposed settlement of the claims in the above-captioned class action (the "Action") in the amount of $65,000,000.00 (the "Settlement"). This Settlement is intended to provide compensation for personal injury and property damage associated with alleged groundwater and air contamination from the Millsboro, Delaware poultry processing facility owned by Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc.

The Court has scheduled a Final Fairness Hearing on April 12, 2021, at 9:30 a.m., at the Sussex County Superior Court Courthouse, located at 1 The Circle, Georgetown, DE 19947. However, in light of the continuing threat COVID-19 poses to public health, the hearing may be held virtually (such as on-line through the internet). The hearing may be moved to a different date, time or location. Please check the Mountaire Settlement website at www.MountaireSettlement.com for updates regarding the date, time, and location of the hearing. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. The Court will also consider the requests by Class Counsel for attorneys' fees, costs and expenses, and for any monetary awards to the Class Representatives for their service as such ("Enhancement Awards"). If there are objections, the Court will also consider them at that time. Following the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement, attorney fees and expenses, and any Enhancement Awards.

IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE CLASS, YOUR RIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT AND YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO A MONETARY PAYMENT. If you have not yet received a full Notice and Registration Form, you may obtain copies of these documents by visiting the website of the Claims Administrator, www.MountaireSettlement.com, or by contacting the Claims Administrator at: Cuppels v. Mountaire Class Action Claims Administrator RG/2 Claims Administration LLC P.O. Box 59479 Philadelphia, PA 19102-9479 Phone: (866) 742-4955 Email: [email protected] Settlement Website: www.MountaireSettlement.com Inquiries, other than requests for the Registration Form or for information about the status of a claim, may also be made to Class Counsel: Chase Brockstedt, Esq. Re: Mountaire Class Action Baird, Mandalas, Brockstedt, LLC 1413 Savannah Rd, Suite 1 Lewes, DE 19958 (302) 313-5288

If you are a Class Member, you must register to be considered for payment from this Class Action Settlement. You may do so by either (1) visiting the Mountaire Settlement website at www.MountaireSettlement.com, and completing the Registration Form online at that site, or (2) mailing the completed Registration Form to the Claims Administrator identified above. You must complete the Registration Form and submit it by mail postmarked on or before by March 22, 2021 or online through the Mountaire Settlement website on or before March 22, 2021, in order to be considered for payment through the Class Action Settlement. Those who fail to register by this date by mail or through the Mountaire Settlement website will NOT be eligible for compensation.

If you are a Class Member and wish to exclude yourself from the Class, you must submit a request for exclusion in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice, and it must be postmarked no later than February 22, 2021. If you properly exclude yourself from the Class, you will not be bound by any judgments or orders entered by the Court relating to the Settlement, whether favorable or unfavorable, and you will not be eligible to share in the distribution of the Settlement Fund.

If you wish to participate in the Class Action Settlement, but wish to object in whole or part to the proposed Settlement, you must do so by first class mail in accordance with the instructions set forth in the Notice on or before February 22, 2021.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT, DEFENDANTS, OR

DEFENDANTS' COUNSEL REGARDING THIS NOTICE.

DATED: January 11, 2021 BY ORDER OF THE COURT DELAWARE SUPERIOR COURT

SOURCE RG/2
OWINGS MILLS, Md., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbella Medical Staffing, a medical agency specializing in travel nursing, announces that travel nurses are in high demand due to COVID-19. "We are seeing more demand now more than ever for our travel nurses," says Thomas Wambui, President of Maryland-based Abbella. "They are filling a need and helping people all across the United States."

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities have been using travel nurses for decades, relying on them to fill short-term vacancies due to family leave, illnesses, or to fill a gap when staff retires or leaves their position. Now, because of the rise in those admitted to hospitals for COVID-19, travel nurses are in even more demand with hospitals and healthcare centers now facing staffing shortages due to workers having to quarantine or being sick themselves.

For travel nurses at Abbella Medical Staffing agency, this is a great time to be a travel nurse. Not only do travel nurses get to travel and experience other healthcare facilities, but they will be paid more due to the shortage of travel nurses. That being said, there are additional challenges travel nurses may face, such as having to quarantine themselves, higher stress, and more hours. While this can come with the territory of being a nurse, the added pressure of a COVID-19 environment can be a huge stressor.

Abbella Medical Staffing takes care of their travel nurses. They offer 24-hour support, advice, counsel, and other services. Their number-one goal is to ensure their travel nurses have everything they need to be successful no matter where they go. If travel nursing sounds like an opportunity to take advantage of, visit their website at www.abbellamedical.com and click on their "apply now" button.

About Abbella Medical Staffing

Abbella Medical Staffing's mission is to improve the outcome of healthcare everywhere, by connecting adventurous medical professionals and respected facilities through an attentive and organized staffing process. They help place travel nurses where they are needed all across the country, and they ensure their travel nurses have a say in where they go, what type of assignments they take, and the work they will be doing. Their mission is for both hospitals and travel nurses to find a win-win for all. To learn more, contact them at www.abbellamedical.com today.

Contact:

Thomas Wambui

Phone: 410-654-3361

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Abbella Medical Staffing
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 20:13:49|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda and delivers a special address via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

No global problem can be solved by any one country alone, and there must be global action, global response and global cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said.

GENEVA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's new Davos speech was pivotal to boosting multilateral cooperation, leaders of international organizations, business executives and economists have said, stressing China's role as a growth engine in supporting global economic recovery.

Addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF) Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda on Monday, Xi called on the world to abandon ideological prejudice and jointly follow a path of peaceful coexistence, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

"Difference in itself is no cause for alarm. What does ring the alarm is arrogance, prejudice and hatred," Xi said.

No global problem can be solved by any one country alone, and there must be global action, global response and global cooperation, Xi stressed.

This photo shows a screen displaying World Economic Forum (WEF) Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab delivering a welcome address. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

"The speech of President Xi Jinping was historic. Four years after he made a famous speech in Davos, in 2017, where he emphasized the need for the world to embrace multilateralism, he came back to this proposal and notion of multilateralism at a very crucial time in the history of humankind," said WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab.

"After four years of confrontation, we have now the opportunity to reset the pace of global cooperation and to enter into an age of cooperation," Schwab said in a video message sent to Xinhua.

International Labor Organization Director-General Guy Ryder said he is pleased that the emphasis of Xi's speech was on international cooperation.

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 14, 2021 shows the container terminal of Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

"We need much more international cooperation so that everybody can apply the necessary policies. Multilateralism, international cooperation in vaccine policy but also in employment and financial policy needs to be on top of the policy agenda as we start this new year," he told Xinhua in an interview.

Adriano Lucatelli, co-founder and managing director of Zurich-based Descartes Finance, said he expects China to continue to push for multilateralism to find global solutions for a post-COVID world.

"I wish China to take a leading role in fostering global cooperation as President Xi already explained at his 2017 speech at the WEF in Davos," Lucatelli said.

In his speech, Xi also called for jointly promoting strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of the world economy.

Xi's remarks have demonstrated "China's firm determination to continue facilitating opening up and economic globalization," Qualcomm China Chairman Frank Meng told Xinhua in a written interview.

Rudolf Minsch, chief economist at Swiss national business federation Economiesuisse, said while the COVID-19 crisis has led to more protectionism in many countries, "China has an important role in convincing other countries to abandon trade barriers, setting a good example."

"The me-first-strategy is dangerous for the future of global trade and would hurt all countries in the long run," he stressed.

Tourists enjoy their time in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, on Oct. 5, 2020, the fifth day of National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

"China will act as a growth locomotive for the world economy," Minsch said, adding that the Chinese economy "will support the recovery in other markets" in 2021.

China's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 2.3 percent year on year in 2020, data from the country's National Bureau of Statistics showed last week, making it likely the only major economy to grow last year.

Francois Savary, chief investment officer at the Geneva-based investment management and consulting company Prime Partners, said that China's contribution to the global recovery will be significant, especially in the first half of this year.

"The prospects are good and 2021 should be marked by strong growth in China. However, there should be a normalization in the growth rate overtime, converging towards 5.5 percent in a two to three year framework," he said.

"Economically, China is going from strength to strength. With its growing influence comes greater international responsibility, an important step in this direction could be helping vaccination efforts in developing countries to help bolster their social and economic recoveries," said Patrick Odier, chairman of the board of directors at Bank Lombard Odier.

An elderly woman receives a dose of China's COVID-19 vaccine in Brasilia, Brazil, Jan. 22, 2021. (Photo by Lucio Tavora/Xinhua)

Xi said on Monday in a telephone conversation with Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit that China will continue supporting developing countries in their fights against COVID-19 and contribute to making vaccines public goods that are accessible and affordable to all.

China has joined the COVAX initiative led by the World Health Organization aimed at ensuring equitable global access to vaccines.

"The pandemic is far from over," Xi said in his latest speech to Davos, adding that "there is no doubt that humanity will prevail over the virus and emerge even stronger from this disaster."

"China will continue to share its experience with other countries, do its best to assist countries and regions that are less prepared for the pandemic, and work for greater accessibility and affordability of COVID vaccines in developing countries," Xi said. 
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If House impeachment managers want to raise their odds of winning a conviction at former president Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, they need to interview new witnesses and collect more evidence. Given reports that Trump attempted to fire and replace his acting attorney general so he could use the Justice Department to help him overturn the election results, the impeachment managers should investigate this conduct and present their findings to the Senate during the trial that starts in two weeks.

The article of impeachment that was delivered to the Senate on Monday focuses on Trumps incitement of the mob that assaulted the U.S. Capitol. But it also notes that Trumps statements shortly before the assault followed his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the results of the 2020 Presidential election.

The article makes clear that all of this conduct undermined our government and is included in the charge against Trump. Thus it would be fair game for the House impeachment managers to investigate this conduct and present it to the Senate, given the breadth of behavior covered in the article of impeachment.

Capitol attack wasn't spontaneous

When I was a federal prosecutor, I often charged wide-ranging conspiracies and schemes, and its not unusual to present evidence at trial that is not already discussed in the indictment. Charging documents, like an indictment or article of impeachment, dont need to discuss every piece of evidence that will be offered at trial.

The House has already made clear that managers intend to introduce evidence of Trump's conduct prior to Jan. 6. For example, the article of impeachment discusses Trump's "months" of false claims about election fraud and his Jan. 2 call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, asking him to find enough votes to overturn the election result in Georgia.

Including the full range of Trump's behavior in the article of impeachment was a smart move by the House majority, because the attack on the Capitol was not a spontaneous event. When they charged individual insurrectionists, federal prosecutors presented evidence that the insurrectionists coordinated beforehand on Parler and other social media outlets. The insurrectionists took cues from Trumps Big Lie that the election was stolen as well as the lie spread by Trump and other Republicans that the Jan. 6 certification process could be used to overturn the election.

Story continues

President Donald Trump speaks during the Jan. 6, 2021 rally in Washington, D.C., that preceded the Capitol attack.

The scheme hatched by Trump and then-Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark to remove Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and use the Department of Justice to force Georgia lawmakers to overturn the election results, first reported by the New York Times on Friday, fits into the larger scheme charged in the article of impeachment. It shows that Trumps incitement of the mob at a Jan. 6 rally was part of a premeditated scheme by Trump to use all means at his disposal to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to President Joe Biden.

Be like the Founders: Amend the Constitution, change laws, fix the problems Trump exposed.

It is possible to conduct this investigation before the Senate trial begins. As the Times reported, the scheme was thwarted when other top DOJ officials threatened to resign en masse if Rosen was fired. The House impeachment managers should subpoena those former DOJ officials to testify, along with Clark and Rosen. There is reason to believe that at least one of them would be willing to testify, such as former Assistant Attorney General Steve Engel, who reportedly told Trump the group would resign if Rosen was fired.

Weaponizing DOJ to reverse election

Now that none of the officials work at the Justice Department, it will be difficult for Trumps team to try to use executive privilege to bar any of this testimony. Executive privilege is a shield, not a sword  it cannot be used to prevent former administration officials from willingly testifying, particularly if they are testifying before a branch of government exercising its enumerated constitutional power. If any of the former Trump DOJ officials are willing to testify, Trumps team wont be able to stop them.

Convict and bar from office: Trump Senate trial offers Republican Party an escape from his death grip on its future

The American people deserve to know what Trump and Clark tried to do with DOJ in the waning days of the Trump administration. The details of Trumps attempt to use the department as a political weapon to overturn election results could spur Congress to consider reforms to ensure that DOJ is not politicized or weaponized in the future. The House and Senate could conduct more extensive investigations after the impeachment trial. Sen. Dick Durbin, promising "vigorous oversight," has asked DOJ to preserve documents related to the scheme, and the DOJ inspector general announced a probe of the department's role Monday.

But the House impeachment managers should secure testimony now and present that evidence to senators so they can weigh it in their deliberations. Given that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has not yet decided whether he will vote to acquit Trump, and that he reportedly welcomed Trumps impeachment, this evidence could help convince Republican senators that Trump should never hold federal office again.

Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) was a federal prosecutor in the Securities and Commodities Fraud Section of the United States Attorneys Office from 2007 to 2016.

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Impeachment trial: More evidence of Trump wrongdoing could convict him
An 18-wheeler carrying a load of honey bees flipped over in downtown San Antonio, unleashing a horde of stinging insects.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning, and proved to be bring a lot more sting when compared to other incidents first responders are used to.

Local 21 CBS News reports that the truckwhich was owned by a bee removal businessturned over as it attempted to navigate a curve on 1-!0 West. The trucks speed, the wind, and the drivers unfamiliarity with the road caused the flip to occur. Fortunately, no injuries were later reported.

KSAT 12 News reports that the truck had been carrying roughly 400 or more beehives. Each hive was estimated to hold roughly 20,000 to 25,000 bees in total.

Upon responding to the scene, firefighters began to use a combination of soap and water to clean up the mess, avoiding the use of chemicals. The bees that were still in the truck were killed by foam sprayed by the firefighters for safety measures.

However, a number of bees did manage to escape. Rick Fink, President of the Alamo Area Beekeepers Association, bemoans the situation to be unfortunate but does not blame the firefighters for the outcome.

It saddens me definitely from the standpoint of the loss of bees, said Fink to KSAT 12 News. You know, Im glad no people were hurt, but it definitely saddens me from that standpoint.

Further information on the whereabouts of the escaped bees, as well as any efforts to potentially contain them, has yet to be announced.
STORY LINK Euro to Pound Exchange Rate Falls as German Business Morale Suffers

EUR/GBP Exchange Rate Sinks as Outlook for Eurozones Economy Darkens on Little Confidence

Pound Rises Despite IMF Downgrading the UKs Economic Outlook

EUR/GBP Forecast: Could Falling German Consumer Confidence Limit the Single Currency?

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The Euro to Pound exchange rate fell today, with the pairing currently fluctuating around 0.88.The Euro suffered today following Mondays publication of the latest German business morale figure, which printed below forecasts and dampened confidence in the Eurozones largest economy.IFO Economist Kalus Wohlrabe said on Monday:The German economy is starting the year with little confidence.As a result, demand for the Euro has been compromised as the effects of Germanys national lockdown are expected to reverberate throughout the Eurozone.Christine Lagarde, the European Central Banks President, also warned that the Eurozone economys recovery was facing a high-level of uncertainty but added that the economy was not yet totally derailed.Today also saw the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announce its latest estimates for the global economy going forward.The US economy is now forecast to grow by 5.1% this year, while GDP in the Eurozone is forecast to rise by 4.2%.However, concerns over the Eurozones delayed rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines has weighed on investor confidence in the bloc.Any further complications over the AstraZeneca vaccine, for example, could further weigh on the EUR/GBP exchange rate.Sterling rose against the single currency today despite the IMF downgrading its outlook for the UK economy.Britains economy is expected to grow by 4.5% this year, rather than the 5.9% increase that was predicted last October.David Madden, an analyst at CMC Markets, commented:The U.K. has suffered greatly in terms of case numbers, but there is some hope on the horizon as the country has issued in excess of 7 million vaccinations, putting it miles ahead of Germany, France, Italy and Spain. The upbeat mood in stocks today might be because a lot of negative news has already been baked into the markets.In UK economic data, today saw the publication of the latest ILO Unemployment Rate report or November, which rose by 5%  its highest level in four-years.Samuel Tombs, the chief UK economist at Pantheon, said that the day of reckoning was yet to come for employment.Tombs said:The [furlough scheme] is due to be wound up at the end of April, and additional measures to support employment that will be announced in the Budget on 3 March probably will not be anywhere near as generous for firms.Pound traders will continue to monitor the UKs Covid-19 epidemic this week.If vaccine supplies show any signs of being problematic in the next few weeks or months, then we could see Sterling suffer.However, if the Governments vaccination rollout continues to intensify, then UK economic mood could improve and boost the GBP/EUR exchange rate.Euro investors will be awaiting tomorrows release of Februarys German GfK Consumer Confidence gauge.If the outlook for the Eurozones powerhouse economy deteriorates, however, the EUR/GBP exchange rate could fall.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

TAGS: Euro Pound Forecasts
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The Vietnamese government announced it will ban importing and manufacturing of 2G and 3G phones, in a move to promote widespread adoption of smartphones to support digital transformation in the country.

In a statement, the Ministry of Information and Communications said the new rule will come in effect from July 1. However, phones that do match up to the spec requirement but were already in the country before the deadline can still be sold.

The government said the move is considered a step towards plans to switch off 2G networks by Q1 2022 and its programme of universalisation of smartphones.

Hoang Minh Cuong, Ministry of Information and Communications director of the Telecommunications Department, said production of phones with 2G technology had decreased significantly with units falling 6-7 million to 12 million, between the end of Q4 2019 to Q3 2020. Hoang tipped the remaining 12 million phones will be wiped out by advanced models by Q1 2022.

The country aims to have all citizens to own smartphones by 2025 by providing smartphones retailing up to $50 under its Made in Vietnam nationwide digital transformation programme, which was backed by operators and smartphone vendors such as Vingroup.

Market research from Adsota revealed 44.9% of the population possessed smartphones in 2020.

Vietnam announced previously to have 5G become the universal standard by 2023-2025, with operators already running pilots in preparations for a broad commercial rollout.
How the bridge stretching between Northern Ireland and Scotland could look

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has appeared to back an ambitious plan to build a bridge or tunnel linking Scotland and Northern Ireland, it has been reported.

He said the region of Scotland where any potential bridge could be built was in need of substantial investment.

The UK Government is examining the feasibility of a link as part of a national transport study.

The possibility of building a bridge between Scotland to either Co Down or Co Antrim was proposed by architect Alan Dunlop three years ago in The National newspaper. He said it would help trading links after Brexit.

However, plans for such a project starting at Donaghadee have been found dating back to 1890.

In an online Q&A with the Centre for Policy Studies audience, MP Mr Ross was asked if he supported a proposal for a bridge or a tunnel.

Youre right, it could be a tunnel, it could be a bridge," he said, The National reported.

"Theres major issues in that stretch of water in terms of what was dumped there many years ago.

"What I absolutely support is any added investment in Scotland and what we see, where that tunnel or bridge would link Scotland to Northern Ireland, is an area of the country that has been sadly neglected by the SNP in terms of infrastructure investment.

He added: We need to pump a lot of money into the infrastructure of the south and the south-west of Scotland and that is something that can be done by directly investing in these areas because it has been neglected by the SNP government for so long.

A number of options have been raised in terms of a link.

A bridge, between Portpatrick and Larne, would span 28 miles and cost in the region of 20bn to build.

As well as proposals for a tunnel, an option was raised which could include using the Isle of Man as a staging point.

One architect claims the structure may even lead to a chain of three floating bridges, using the Isle of Arran as a "stepping stone" to link Northern Ireland directly to Glasgow.

As well as a tunnel submerged 20 metres below the Irish Sea, a 12-mile route between Torr Head in Co Antrim and the Mull of Kintyre would be a viable option, Alan Dunlop has claimed.

The architect first proposed the bridge plan three years ago at an estimated cost of 20-24bn based on a study of previous structures.

Boris Johnson has voiced his support for a transport link and begun a feasibility study.

Downing Street said the review, led by Network Rail chair Sir Peter Hendy, will explore the cost, practicality and demand for a fixed link.

The proposal of a bridge has also been met with widespread scorn with many saying it just is not possible, given the weather, the depths of the seabed and Beaufort's Dyke which was used as a dump for munitions from both world wars and radioactive waste, when it was permitted in Europe.

The stretch of sea is also used by nuclear submarines from the Royal Navy base at Faslane.

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said the PM should instead be listening to the voices of the regional governments and branded the move to examine its feasibility a "stunt".

The Scottish Government has also expressed skepticism at the plans.

However, First Minister Arlene Foster described the proposals as positive while MP Sammy Wilson said that Boris Johnson could "win back the trust" of unionists by building a link between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
- InstaDeep's work within machine learning and artificial intelligence provides optimised decision-making products and solutions across numerous industry applications.

- To expand its research and development, InstaDeep was looking for a specialist HPC-Ready data centre capable of hosting their NVIDIA powered supercomputers.

- Kao Data's Harlow campus provides the perfect home for InstaDeep's high-density HPC cluster.

LONDON, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kao Data , the specialist developer and operator of advanced, carrier-neutral data centres for high performance colocation, has today announced a new customer contract with InstaDeep , a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) powered decision-making solutions for enterprise. The new high performance computing (HPC) installation at Kao Data's Harlow campus allows InstaDeep to expand its research and development capabilities. Deployment of this sophisticated technical platform reinforces InstaDeep's position as one of Europe's preeminent providers of decision-making processes for real-life industrial environments.

Recently selected by CB Insights as one of the 100 most promising AI start-ups in the world, InstaDeep, a high-growth, AI scale-up, utilises its significant expertise within GPU-powered computing, machine learning and reinforcement learning to build products such as its unique DeepChain technology - a cloud-native protein design platform which allows the discovery of new protein designs validated with molecular dynamics simulations without human interaction. Today InstaDeep's global reach includes a strategic collaboration with BioNTech on the discovery and development of novel immunotherapies, collaboration with Total on 3D microfossil image detection, segmentation and classification, and development of a train capacity and traffic management system for Deutsche Bahn.

InstaDeep's supercomputer includes AMD EPYC (Milan) powered hardware, supported with the latest generation NVIDIA DGX A100 GPUs, Mellanox switches and a Ceph distributed storage system. It is specifically configured to allow all compute nodes (CPUs and GPUs) access to the storage cluster, optimising performance and accelerating the reinforcement learning process. Given the advanced computing footprint InstaDeep will be operating and the massive datasets they will be utilising, choosing an industrial scale data centre that specialised in hosting HPC and NVIDIA GPUs was crucial.

After reviewing a number of providers, Kao Data was chosen because of the data centre's technical excellence within HPC and AI, the specialist support from Kao Data's team, and the ability for InstaDeep to bespoke build and host their cluster within 28kW adjacent and contiguous racks in a dedicated Technology Suite. In addition, Kao Data's Megaport -enabled campus is engineered to be ultra-efficient and sustainable, meaning InstaDeep could benefit from competitive pricing and 100% certified, renewable power.

"InstaDeep is an EMEA leader in decision-making AI, hence it is key to deploy our supercomputing and AI hardware within a technically superior environment, capable of supporting the latest HPC and GPU-powered technologies," said Karim Beguir, CEO and Co-Founder of InstaDeep. "By working with Kao Data we have found a data centre that offers world-class infrastructure, specialist HPC support and the scalability to help us to grow our industry-leading AI product platforms and solutions."

"Kao Data is delighted to welcome InstaDeep as our first new client of 2021," said Lee Myall, Chief Executive Officer at Kao Data. "Like ourselves, they are a pioneering, high-tech organisation that are at the very forefront of their industry and their disruptive use of HPC and AI is enabling them to create tremendous competitive advantage for their customers. We look forward to supporting their efforts and helping their business to innovate and grow."

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As India celebrates its 72nd Republic Day on 26th January 2021 a spectacular display was put by the Indian Air Force like every year including staged sorties by the attack and transport aircraft of the IAF. While in 2020, 41 aircraft including helicopters, jets and transporters participated in the parade, including the debut of Apache and Chinook helicopters, both Rafale and Tejas were not on display. However, the star attraction of the 2021 Republic Day Parade was the recently acquired French MMRCA, the Dassault made Rafale.

Heres a look at all the active fighter jets of the Indian Air Force, from Sukhoi Su30 MKI to the Tejas LCA and Rafale:

Dassault Rafale (Image: Dassault Aviation)

Rafale

India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons and missiles and the first squadron of the aircraft will be deployed at Ambala air force station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF. The Indo-Pak border is around 220 km from there. The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal. The Rafale is a modern fighter jet known for its agility, speed, weapon holding capacity and attack capability. The Dassault Rafale has a delta wing design and is capable of g-forces as high as 11g (in case of emergency). The Rafale is available in both single and dual seating cabin (India ordered 28 single and 8 dual seater Rafale).

Mirage 2000. (Image: IAF)

Mirage-2000

The Mirage-2000 is undoubtedly one of the Indian Air Force's (IAF) most versatile and deadliest aircraft and it was first commissioned in 1985. Soon after inducting the Mirage, IAF gave it the name  Vajra  meaning lightning thunderbolt in Sanskrit. The Mirage-2000 is developed by Dassault Aviation and took its first flight in 1978 and was inducted in the French Air Force in 1984. India placed an initial order of 36 single-seater Mirage-2000 and 4 twin-seater Mirage 2000 in 1982 as an answer to Pakistan buying the US-made F-16 fighter jets by Lockheed Martin. The Mirage-2000 played a decisive role in the 1999 war of Kargil and seeing the success of the jets, the government in India placed an additional order of 10 Mirage-2000 planes in 2004, taking the total tally to 50 jets.

Light Combat Aircraft Tejas. (Picture courtesy: Official Website of Tejas)

HAL Tejas LCA

India has long borrowed its fighter jets from countries like Russia, France and Britain under a license agreement to manufacture it locally by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. However, back in the 1980s the HAL started the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme to replace the ageing Soviet sourced MiG-21. With Indias former Prime Minister giving the LCA its name  Tejas  the 1st indigenously built fighter aircraft was inducted in the Indian Air Force with the IAF placing a 20 jet order initially and the 1st Tejas Squadron was formed in 2016 called the Flying Daggers. Till now IAF has placed an order of 40 Tejas Mk 1, including 32 single-seat aircraft and eight twin-seat trainers. IAF has also initiated procurement of a further 73 single-seat fighters in Mk 1A configuration.

MiG 21. (Image: IAF)

Mikoyan MiG-21

The first supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history, the MiG 21 is one of the most known fighter jets on Earth. Having served 60 countries over a course of 60 years, the MiG 21 is still in service in many countries, including India. In 1961, IAF opted for the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau made MiG 21 and since then has bought more than 250 estimated units of this incredibly competent planes. While the 21s played a pivotal role in the 1971 India Pakistan War, they are currently being used only as Interceptors with a limited role as fighter jets and IAF will soon replace the remaining units of the MiG21 Bison with the Tejas LCA. The MiG 21 has a single-seater cockpit with a maximum speed of 1.05 mach (1300 kmph).

IAF's Sukhoi-30 MKI plane, carrying Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, takes off for a sortie, in Jodhpur. (Image: PTI)

Sukhoi Su-30MKI

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is the most advanced fighter jet in operation with the Indian Air Force and is the primary air to air and air to ground strike machine. Also known as Flanker (NATO), the Su-30 MKI is built in India by HAL under a license agreement with Russias Sukhoi. The Su-30MKI is exclusively used by India and theres an estimate that IAF has 290 operational units of 30MKI till now. The first unit was inducted in 2002. The Sukhoi Su-30MKI has a top speed of Mach 2 (2120 kmph) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 38,800 kg. The jet can carry a wide range of equipment from radars to missiles, bombs and event rockets.

MiG 27. (Image: IAF)

Mikoyan MiG-27

The MiG 27 is again Soviet sourced ground-attack aircraft designed by Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau from the Soviet Union and manufactured by HAL under a license agreement. The MiG27 is known as Bahadur (meaning Valiant in English) in India and the IAF retired the last 27 ML squadron in 2017. India is only among a handful of countries who still operates the updated MiG-27 UPG ground attack aircraft. The 27s are based on the MiG23 with a redesigned nose and flies low altitude.

SEPECAT Jaguar. (Image IAF)

SEPECAT Jaguar

The SEPECAT Jaguar is a fighter jet developed together by British Royal Air Force and French Air Force. Only the Indian Air Force is currently using the upgraded Jaguar in active duty. The SEPECAT Jaguar is known as Shamsher and serves IAF as primary ground attack aircraft. Indian Jaguar is quite different from the RAFs Jaguar and are built locally by HAL under a license agreement. IAF recently upgraded its entire fleet of Jaguars by adding Avionics support. The only problem with the Jaguar is its inability to fly high altitude with heavy load on board.

MiG 29. (Image: IAF)

Mikoyan MiG-29

Last on our list is another Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau produced MiG called the MiG 29. Introduced in the 1970s to counter U.S. F-Series planes like F-15 and F-16 the MiG29 is known as Baaz (Hindi for Hawk) and forms the second line of defence after the Sukhoi Su-30MKI. The MiG-29 is exported to more than 30 nations, India being the first and one of the largest exporters of this jet. The IAF currently uses the upgraded MiG-29 UPG, the most advanced MiG-29 variant ever. The MiG29 were used extensively during the Kargil War by the Indian Air Force to provide escort for Mirage-2000 attacking targets with laser-guided bombs.
The head of the worlds largest private investor has asked companies to disclose plans on how they intend to reshape their businesses to operate in a net-zero economy.

In his hugely influential annual letter to chief executives, Larry Fink, the founder and chief executive of BlackRock, an investment management firm with more than $10 trillion of funds in its care, said rather than distracting global financial markets from the climate crisis, the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the response to it.

Larry Fink, chief executive officer of BlackRock Inc., speaks during a Bloomberg event on the opening day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last year. Credit:Bloomberg

I believe that the pandemic has caused such an existential crisis  such a stark reminder of our fragility  that it has driven us to confront the global threat of climate change more forcefully and to consider how, like the pandemic, it will alter our lives, he wrote in the letter sent overnight.

He wrote that the shift to a net-zero economy presents both financial risks and opportunities.
Regarding Luxembourg's transition to 5G, the union of municipalities, Syvicol, is asking for a right of inspection, at least with respect to the installation of antennas.

A European directive gives operators a free hand, something which is not much appreciated by local authorities.

In concrete terms, this concerns the boxes, or the "small cells". They have a volume of 20 litres, a maximum height of 45 centimetres and a width and depth of 20 centimetres. In addition to the large antennas, they should be distributed closer together over a short distance to ensure a better connection.

To date, no one has asked the municipalities for their opinion. Emile Eicher, president of Syvicol, stated that municipal executives were surprised that they were simply ignored and that no building permit is required.

These antennas are more and more numerous throughout Europe and in the Greater Region. The Grand Duchy is no exception: the objective is that 80 to 90% of the population should have access to 5G by 2025.

Communication with the operator who takes care of the installations was practically non-existent until now. While there was a workshop which provided explanations on how the technology works, it did not help municipalities much overall, according to Eicher. Syvicol reiterates its position that whatever changes are made in towns and cities, the municipal authorities should be informed in advance. A municipal executive may have good reasons to indicate to operators why a specific location may not be suitable for these installations. Especially, Eicher stressed, if a local heritage site was affected, since municipalities "do not want to see it swallowed up by boxes".

These boxes are normally put up in places where they do not attract too much attention: streetlights, lampposts, bus stops, but also buildings.

Instead of a continuous radiation as with 4G, the new technology makes it possible to pinpoint devices and connect them to the internet. During off-peak hours, the antennas reduce their capacity and thus save electricity.

Syvicol does not take a position against 5G, it would only like to be informed with a concrete "master plan".

Eicher explained that a lot of questions are still unanswered: How many boxes will be installed? Where are they to be installed? How will access be regulated? Who will take responsibility?

The draft bill is still going through the standard procedure, according to Post Luxembourg, the company responsible for the installation of 5G in the Grand Duchy. Before any external communication can take place, the bill must first come into force, according to Post.

The full report in Luxembourgish:
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A Harris County grand jury has indicted a Houston narcotics officer on a murder charge and five other current and former Houston police officers with crimes stemming from a yearslong probe into the 2019 Harding Street raid, District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Monday.

Felipe Gallegos, a current narcotics officer, is accused of shooting homeowner Dennis Tuttle. The indictment says that on Jan. 28, 2019, Gallegos did then and there unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly cause the death of Dennis Tuttle, hereinafter called the Complainant, by shooting him with a deadly weapon, namely, a firearm.

The indictments  which also include eight allegations of engaging in organized crime to commit overtime theft and records tampering  are the latest development following the January 2019 raid of 7815 Harding St., which ended in the deaths of homeowners Tuttle, 59, and Rhogena Nicholas, 58.

The consequences of corruption are that two innocent ordinary people were killed in their homes, four police officers were shot, one of them paralyzed, Ogg said.

Harris County District Attorney: list of current and former Houston Police Department officers indicted Felipe Gallegos - (HPD) was indicted for murder in the death of Dennis Tuttle. The charge is a first-degree felony and carries a penalty of up to life in prison. Other officers indicted on first-degree felonies Monday who face a maximum of life in prison if convicted are: Oscar Pardo - (HPD) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($30,000 or more but less than $150,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (1st degree) Cedell Lovings - (Status Unclear) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($30,000 or more but less than $150,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (1st degree) Nadeem Ashraf - (HPD) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($30,000 or more but less than $150,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (1st degree) Two officers who were already facing charges were also indicted on first-degree felonies: Clemente Reyna - (No longer HPD, retired) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($30,000 or more but less than $150,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (1st degree) Thomas Wood - (No longer HPD, retired) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($30,000 or more but less than $150,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (1st degree) The following officers are charged with second-degree felonies. If convicted, they face 2 to 20 years in prison: Frank Medina - (HPD) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($2,500 or more, but less than $30,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (2nd degree) Griff Maxwell - (HPD) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($2,500 or more, but less than $30,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (2nd degree) One officer who was charged last year was also indicted Monday on a second-degree felony: Hodgie Armstrong - (No longer HPD, retired) Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, to wit: Aggregate Theft by a Public Servant ($2,500 or more, but less than $30,000) and Tampering with a Governmental Record (2nd degree) Goines - (No longer with HPD, retired) was previously indicted for two counts of felony murder. Bryant - (No longer with HPD, retired) previously charged with tampering. See More Collapse

With Mondays indictments, 12 current and former officers have now been charged for their role in the raid or other misconduct discovered in a subsequent investigation into the affair.

And now, all of them will face Harris County jurors who will decide their fate, Ogg said.

Three current and former officers, Nadeem Ashraf, Oscar Pardo, and Cedell Lovings, were charged with aggregate theft of between $30,000 and $150,000, and with tampering with government records. The charges are first-degree felonies and carry a maximum of life in prison. The officers conspired to falsify overtime and other records, according to the district attorney, which is why they face organized crime charges.

WRONG DOOR: Botched Houston drug raid was not the first

The organized crime that they were indicted for is aggregate overtime theft. Making false entries into the offense reports and other records are the basis of the tampering of governmental documents, Ogg said. Its doing it as a group that allows us to charge and the grand jury to listen to organized crime charges.

In the days after the operation, police announced that Gerald Goines, a veteran narcotics officer and the leader of the raid, was under investigation for lying about buying drugs from the Harding Street home. The scandal prompted several other investigations, including a federal civil rights probe, and a massive review by the Harris County District Attorneys Office of cases that Goines and his colleagues had handled.

Goines was later charged with murder, tampering with government records and violating Nicholas and Tuttles civil rights. His partner, Steven Bryant, was charged with tampering with government records. Both men retired from the department.

In a written statement posted on Twitter, Chief Art Acevedo reiterated past comments that his departments investigation led to charges against Goines and Bryant and said he believed Gallegos responded appropriately to the deadly threat while trying to execute the warrant on Tuttles home.

I am disheartened this process has taken two years and that the officer who was willing to testify was not afforded the opportunity to do so by the grand jury, said Acevedo, noting that the officers indicted Monday who remained active HPD officers have been relieved of duty.

An operation completely out of control: Damning HPD narcotics audit reveals hundreds of errors

Neither Acevedo nor Ogg has ever released the ballistics report showing which officers shot Tuttle or Nicholas.

Lovings was one of the officers shot in the raid and is paralyzed from the neck down. Two former narcotics supervisors, Clemente Reyna and Thomas Wood  who were previously charged with overtime theft and records tampering  were also indicted Monday on engaging in organized criminal activity.

Three current and former officers, Frank Medina, Griff Maxwell and Hodgie Armstrong, were indicted on second-degree charges of engaging in organized criminal activity by stealing between $2,500 and $30,000 and records tampering; those charges carry penalties of two to 20 years in prison.

Armstrong retired from the department shortly after the fatal raid; Maxwell retired in January 2020.

QUESTIONABLE CASES: Key Houston police narcotics officers at center of fatal Harding Street drug raid tallied few arrests, low-level busts

Even as Ogg praised the two-year probe  which she described as a game changer into how the prosecutors handle narcotics cases  union officials and attorneys for the accused officers lambasted the latest indictments.

Reynas attorney accused Ogg of filing unfounded charges for political gain and said Ogg was repackaging indictments from July to deflect from recent negative publicity.

She is continuing to try to criminalize administrative errors, Andrews said.

Woods attorney, Ed McClees, compared the indictments to political pandering based on administrative errors and said he looked forward to fighting them in court.

Rusty Hardin, who is representing Gallegos, said he would be releasing a statement Tuesday. Houston Police Officers Union President Douglas Griffith said union officials would be responding to the latest indictments on Tuesday at a news conference at 3 p.m.

A lawyer for Nicholas relatives said the latest indictments left several key questions unanswered.

How high does the corruption of HPD Narcotics Squad 15 go and why has the City and HPD fought so hard, still, to conceal the basic facts about what happened before, during and after the murderous raid? attorney Mike Doyle said. The Nicholas family is grateful for news of the district attorneys continuing work on the case and urges the mayor and police chief to finally end the coverup of the full facts they have been sitting on for so long.

Overturned: Conviction for $10 crack buy, based on casework of disgraced ex-HPD cop Goines, is overturned

So far, prosecutors have identified more than 150 convictions on cases in which Goines was involved that they believe may need to be overturned. Three defendants have had convictions overturned. Lawyers for relatives of the slain couple have also signaled their intent to sue the officers and the city.

As the scandal widened, Ogg announced in July that a grand jury had indicted Goines, Bryant, Wood, Reyna and Armstrong on charges of overtime theft and records tampering. Former Narcotics Lt. Robert Gonzales was also charged with one count of misappropriation of fiduciary responsibility.

At the time, Ogg described the officers behavior as straight-up graft, which she said can literally rot an institution from the inside out.

Court documents filed in those cases show investigators used cellphone records to try to show that officers and their supervisors were lying when they said they were together for operations such as confidential informant payments  but werent actually present.

And defense attorneys for the accused men have lambasted Oggs prosecutors for refusing to turn over critical evidence in the case, including an initial offense report prepared by DA investigators and cellphone mapping.

Twice, judges have ordered prosecutors to turn over the information, but Oggs subordinates have appealed both orders.

On Monday, Ogg rebuffed criticism that her prosecutors have refused to turn over evidence to defense attorneys.

We have a disagreement about work product, she said. And because of that disagreement, were seeking legal relief from a ruling that a visiting judge made instead of Judge (Frank) Aguilar, and so were not hiding anything.

st.john.smith@chron.com

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A man accused of shooting and killing his mother in Sacramento was arrested and booked in a strong-arm robbery case weeks earlier in San Francisco, but the district attorney did not charge him.

Records show that instead of charging Ali Mustafa Hudson, 42, for allegedly stealing a phone from a passenger on a Muni bus on Dec. 20, District Attorney Chesa Boudin had him transported to Solano County, where Hudson had a $5,000 misdemeanor warrant for drug possession and driving without a valid drivers license.

Officials in Solano County were not immediately able to confirm the date Hudson was released, but under COVID-19 emergency orders, counties generally do not hold people on misdemeanor warrants.

On Jan. 19, Sacramento sheriffs deputies responded to reports of a domestic dispute at an apartment complex on the 5400 block of Auburn Boulevard. They said Hudson shot and killed Ramona Hayes, a woman described by several law enforcement officials as his mother.

Deputies spotted Hudson on a balcony and he began shooting at the deputies, who fired back and wounded him, authorities said. On Friday, Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert charged Hudson with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of felony attempted murder of sheriff deputies, and one count of felony false imprisonment. The complaint filed by prosecutor Rod Norgaard alleges one strike for an attempted armed robbery in 1996.

Had Boudin charged Hudson for the robbery in San Francisco, it is unclear whether that action would have kept him behind bars.

Boudin expressed condolences to the victims family in a statement released through a spokeswoman. He added that the December robbery was not provable or chargeable.

In that incident, two people sleeping on a bus argued over a phone that one of them had dropped, Boudin said. The complaining witness said that Mr. Hudson slapped his phone out of his hand, which the bus driver did not see. Mr. Hudson approached responding police on his own, told them the phone was his, and turned it over to them.

According to the arrest report by Officer Amanda Tweedy, the robbery victim had dozed off in the back of a bus in the Bayview District but woke up to find his phone on the floor. A man, later identified as Hudson, claimed the phone was his and slapped it out of the victims hand when the victim tried to pick it up, the report said. Hudson then began rummaging through the victims bags and throwing his possessions, saying What else is mine? according to the report.

A second officer spotted Hudson on Middle Point Road, where the robbery suspect stepped in the street, flagged the officer down, and began recounting how his phone fell from his belongings. He did not remember the phone number. While Hudson was talking, the officer noticed four phones in Hudsons hands. The victim later identified Hudson, and officers arrested and booked him on suspicion of robbery.

Some law enforcement officials criticized Boudins decision not to charge Hudson. Career prosecutor Nancy Tung, who ran unsuccessfully against Boudin in 2019, said the district attorney had not only failed to protect a crime victim in San Francisco, but also released someone violent to another jurisdiction.

Tung worked for previous San Francisco district attorneys Kamala Harris and George Gascon, and said that under those administrations, this is not a decision that would have been made.

Tony Montoya, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, called Boudin a repeat offender when it comes to releasing criminals with violent rap sheets. Boudin is under fire for his handling of Troy McAlister, the parolee who was arrested several times, but not charged, in the months before he struck and killed two women pedestrians while driving a stolen car on New Years Eve.

Court documents show that Hudson, too, had a criminal history before the robbery arrest in December. In 2018, he was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence in Sacramento for injuring his ex-wife and causing a traumatic condition.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
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The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, leader of a carrier strike group that entered the South China Sea on a freedom of navigation exercise on Jan. 23, 2021, seen moored pier side in Guam in a May 2020 U.S. Navy photo.

The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group to the South China Sea, just days after President Joe Biden took office, drawing a rebuke from China against Washington for the display of force.

But over the weekend, China was engaged in its own show of military might, as it flew an unusually high number of warplanes in airspace south of Taiwan. China also passed a law last week authorizing its coastguard to use force against foreign ships, which caused jitters in Southeast Asia.

Together, the developments point to heightened tensions in South China Sea less than a week after the Jan. 20 inauguration of Biden, who inherited an already sore relationship between Washington and Beijing.

The U.S. Navy announced on Saturday that the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group entered the South China Sea to conduct routine operations including maritime strike exercises and coordinated tactical training between surface and air units.

With two-thirds of the worlds trade travelling through this very important region, it is vital that we maintain our presence and continue to promote the rules-based order which has allowed us all to prosper, said the strike groups commander, Rear Admiral Doug Verissimo, in a news release.

The strike group includes the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a guided-missile cruiser, two guided-missile destroyers, and other assets.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that it does no good to regional peace and stability for the United States to frequently send military vessels and aircraft to the South China Sea to show off muscles.

In Washington, the boot was on the other foot. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price expressed concern Saturday about Chinas efforts to intimidate its neighbors, specifically Taiwan, and vowed that the U.S. would stand with friends and allies to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values in the Indo-Pacific region.

Manila complains

The Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, spoke out over China on Friday authorizing the China Coast Guard (CGG) to use force against foreign vessels infringing on Chinas expansive claims in the South China Sea.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque reminded China of its obligations under international law, and expressed hope that both China and other South China Sea claimants would refrain from actions that would worsen the situation.

While a country has sovereign power to pass laws in its territory, these laws still must follow its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to which China is a signatory, Roque told reporters.

And under this international law, use of force is generally prohibited except for two well-defined exceptions by way of self-defense, he said, noting that this could only occur when armed troops enter China.

Even before this new law, the CCG already had a reputation for confronting and sometimes clashing with fishing boats and other ships of neighboring countries in contested waters in the South China Sea.

China has maritime and territorial disputes with Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan in the South China Sea. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the disputes, Beijings claims overlap with Indonesias exclusive economic zone.

Roque urged completion and then adherence to a Code of Conduct  referring to an agreement that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have been negotiating to manage tensions in the South China Sea. Chinas lack of enthusiasm for a multilateral solution to the disputes has persistently hindered these talks.

Coast Guard Law

Experts viewed Chinas new coast guard law, which comes into effect on Feb. 1, as a worrying escalation of the South China Sea disputes.

The new law raises the risk of armed confrontation at sea between Chinese coast vessels and Southeast Asian maritime law enforcement agencies as the CCG is China's principal tool for asserting its territorial and jurisdictional claims in the South China Sea, said Ian Storey, Senior Fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

CCG ships are much larger and more heavily armed than regional coast guard vessels, Storey added.

Dr Ramli Dollah, a security expert from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), said this issue will have major impact on Malaysia-China relations in the South China Sea. He added that there has been frequent close contact between the CCG and Malaysian enforcement agencies.

But Collin Koh, a maritime security and geopolitics expert at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said the new law doesnt signify a new policy by China, but is supposed to give legitimate cover to existing behaviors, such as intimidating the Philippines at Thitu Island and Vietnam at Vanguard Bank.

Philippine opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Manilas Department of National Defense (DND) should be prepared for more aggression from China.

The DND already needs to have a strategy for when worse comes to worst. Does the new law mean they will shoot our fishermen vessels? China should ease tensions in the West Philippine Sea not escalate them, Hontiveros said in a statement as she called on the government to ensure that the Philippines follows an independent foreign policy.

There should be no special relationship with any countries right now  especially with China, she said. Our country shouldnt be beholden to any foreign power, whether in the West or the East.

Although the Philippines is a longtime U.S. ally, President Rodrigo Duterte has sought closer ties with Beijing since assuming office in 2016, and has steered clear of confronting China over its conduct at sea. Thats despite a successful legal challenged Manila mounted against Chinas sweeping South China Sea claims before Duterte took office, and continuing reports of Chinese aggression against Filipino fishermen.

The Philippine government must decisively denounce this law and protect the Filipinos against Chinese aggressors, fishermens group Pamalakaya leader Fernando Hicap said of the new law. He described it as a serious threat to Filipino fishermen.

The Chinese Embassy did not reply to requests for comment.

Last week, Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian stressed the benefits to Manila of economic cooperation between China and the Philippines, given the sharp growth in Philippine exports to China and in Chinese investment in the Philippines.

Jojo Rinoza in Dagupan City, Philippines, Marielle Lucenio and Nonoy Espina in Manila, and Hadi Azmi and Nisha David in Kuala Lumpur, contributed to this story.
Orthodox diocese denies that priest was suspended for attending DC pro-Trump protest

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A diocese of the Orthodox Church in America is denying reports that one of their priests has been suspended due to his attending the Jan. 6 pro-Trump protests in Washington, D.C.

Father Alexander Koranda, director of Communications for the Diocese of the Midwest, told The Christian Post in an emailed statement that the Rev. Mark Hodges was suspended for other reasons.

Fr. Mark was not suspended for his presence at the rally. This suspension is a result of various circumstances that is currently part of an internal process, explained Koranda.

All of the facts can not be disclosed at this current time. The suspension is not due to one event, but also involves other matters.

The Dayton Daily News reported last week that Hodges was suspended on Jan. 12, with the priest telling the outlet that it was connected to his attendance of the D.C. rally.

My beloved bishop had questioned the wisdom of a priest attending, Hodges told DDN. I think part of the problem is I viewed that Stop the Steal rally as expressing extreme concern over voter fraud allegations in the 2020 election.

Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America and archbishop of Washington, issued a public letter on Jan. 20 congratulating Joe Biden on being inaugurated.

Following the command of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles, we Orthodox Christians pray for the governing authorities in all of our worship services, wrote Tikhon to Biden.

Thus, the clergy and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America will keep you in our prayers, praying for your good health, sound judgment, and wise governance, as you faithfully serve the American people as our President.

On Jan. 6, the day that Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, hundreds of Trump supporters and others stormed the Capitol Building.

The riot began while a rally was held at the Ellipse near the White House featuring thousands of Trump supporters with President Donald Trump being the main speaker.

For several hours, protesters confronted and fought with security, resulting in dozens of injuries and at least five deaths, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick.

Earlier this month, a Florida-based nondenominational church garnered attention when the wife of one of its pastors and her mother were found to have been involved in the demonstrations.

Bayside Community Church posted a statement to Facebook on Jan. 8 addressing the issue, saying they were heartbroken and saddened by the events and that any member of their church who attended the protests did so as a private individual, for their own purposes and not as a representative of Bayside Community Church.

We want to make it clear that Bayside Community Church does not support, agree with, or condone violence, lawlessness, riots, or terrorism of any kind, stated the church.

No pastor or staff member of Bayside Community Church attended or participated in any of the events which occurred in our Nations Capitol this past week.
Republic Day violence: Man who assaulted cop with spear among two arrested

Watch: ITBP jawans celebrate Republic Day on an ice body in Ladakh

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

Leh, Jan 26: Be it on a frozen water body or at a high-altitude Border Outpost, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans braved the intense cold to march with the national flag on a frozen water body in Ladakh on the occasion of 72nd Republic Day.

ITBP sends message on Republic Day from minus 25 degree climate | Oneindia News

News agency ANI shared the video in which ITBP jawans can be seen celebrating Republic Day 2021 and chanting 'Vande Mataram', 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Jai Hindi' slogans at a high-altitude Border Outpost in Ladakh.

On the eve of Republic Day on Monday, 17 Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel were also awarded police service medals in various categories.

Two officers, Assistant Commandant Anurag Kumar Singh and Deputy Commandant Rajesh Kumar Luthra had been decorated with police medals for gallantry, three with the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and 12 with police medals for Meritorious Service.

#WATCH: Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans celebrate the 72nd #RepublicDay at a high-altitude Border Outpost in Ladakh.



(Source: ITBP) pic.twitter.com/Osgf8pfMAB  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

#WATCH Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans marching with the national flag on a frozen water body in Ladakh on #RepublicDay

(Source: ITBP) pic.twitter.com/r2x8Iloq8C  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

The ITBP contingent is set to be part of the Republic Day Parade on Tuesday.

ITBP has been playing a crucial role in guarding the borders of India since it was formed after the first Sino-India conflict in 1962. This year, the central government has awarded 17 ITBP personnel police service medals of various categories. While two officers have been decorated with the police medal for gallantry, three with the President's police medal for distinguished service and 12 with police medals for meritorious service.

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Story first published: Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 11:22 [IST]
A Hampton Inn hotel is severely damaged after a tornado tore through Fultondale, Ala., on Monday, Jan. 25, 2021. (Alicia Elliott via AP)

A teenager sheltering in his basement has been killed and several of his family members critically injured as a tornado blew a tree on to their home in Alabama.

At least 30 other people were injured as the twister carved a path of destruction north of Birmingham.

The tornado caused damage for 10 miles, from Fultondale to Centre Point, striking an area severely harmed by a much larger tornado a decade ago.

The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene on Tuesday morning, and several of his family members were critically injured when their home collapsed, trapping them in the basement, Fultondale Police Chief DP Smith said.

They were doing what they were supposed to be doing, the chief said.

Expand Close The remains of a home in Fultondale (Jay Reeves/AP) / Facebook

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The teenager was a 14-year-old student in the ninth grade, according to Jefferson County Superintendent Walter Gonsoulin. He said other students may be homeless now, and Fultondale High School was so heavily damaged that he doubts students can return to classrooms this year.

Fultondale Fire Chief Justin McKenzie said 30 people were injured and 18 had to go to hospital. Search and rescue crews are going from home to home and checking the rooms of a heavily damaged hotel. Six people were pulled uninjured from damaged structures on Tuesday morning.

Injuries range from minor to severe but search and rescue efforts are still ongoing, said James Coker, director of Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency.

Police blocked intersections leading to the hardest hit areas of Fultondale, which is home to about 9,000 people.

The people of Fultondale took a hard hit last night a Iam grieved over the loss of life, injuries, homes & damaged businesses. I offer my prayers & deepest sympathies & pledge the full support & resources our state has to offer. I am with you, Fultondale! #alwx #alpolitics  Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) January 26, 2021

The people of Fultondale took a hard hit last night  Im grieved over the loss of life, injuries, homes & damaged businesses, Alabama governor Kay Ivey said on Twitter early Tuesday.

I offer my prayers & deepest sympathies & pledge the full support & resources our state has to offer. I am with you, Fultondale!

Fultondale also caught the tail end of an EF- 4 tornado that ripped across Alabama from Tuscaloosa to northern Jefferson County on April 27 2011, killing 65 people and injuring 1,500 along a damage path more than 80 miles long, according to the National Weather Service.

Weather Service survey crews have yet to confirm this twisters estimated strength, but FEMA described it as a large tornado.

Bryan Fogel told Hill.TV that the 2020 documentary was essentially "shunned by all major global distributors" due to their financial ties with big Saudi backers.

The documentary, entitled The Dissident, appears to be the ongoing subject of significant behind-the-scenes Saudi efforts at getting it de-platformed. This as it's seen as deeply embarrassing to the Saudi monarchy and to MbS personally.

"[This challenge] speaks to the environment of fear among these big companies," Fogel told Hill.TV. "There was such a hostile environment coming from the Trump administration for any company that might not align with those administrations policies."

Trump had long been criticized for his overly "warm" relations with MbS and forgiving approach to the whole saga. MbS had remained isolated from Western allies for about a year, but any coldness towards him was soon dropped and he went back to being hailed as a 'reformer'.

Fogel emphasized, however, that more than this it was ultimately fear of these bigger companies possibly losing out on the hundreds of millions of dollars the Saudis are known to pour into American media and production companies. Gulf countries have also long been known to have hugely influential lobbying campaigns on Capitol Hill.

Watch the interview with the director of The Dissident, Bryan Fogel, below:

A prior report in The Wrap noted further that despite its initial popularity and rave reviews, Hollywood shunned it too:

Before the pandemic hit, Oscar-winning director Bryan Fogels latest documentary "The Dissident" about the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was one of the hottest films at Sundance. But months later it couldnt find a buyer, and the director now accuses Hollywood of "fear" and "cowardice" for not giving the film a platform. The premiere of "The Dissident" in Sundance was attended by Hillary Clinton and Alec Baldwin, among many others. But TheWrap previously reported back in March that Hollywood had shunned the documentary for fear of backlash from the Saudi Arabian government.

In particular the Saudis have lately ramped up their lobbying efforts given the "unknowns" in terms of Riyadh's relationship with the new Biden administration, while bracing themselves for a tougher relationship with Washington.

Meanwhile, it's expected that the Biden White House will soon approve the public release of a CIA report investigating Khashoggi's murder at the Istanbul consulate. It was previously revealed the CIA report points straight to the top - likely to crown prince MbS himself for giving the order.
Surterra Texas' gummies are being introduced in two formats with two flavors. The Texas Orange flavor is available with a Sativa blend terpene profile in two dosing options: 5mg THC per gummy and a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC (2.5mg CBD and 2.5mg THC). The Tropical Paradise flavor is offered with an Indica blend of terpenes. Both flavors have the same dosing options: 5mg THC per gummy and a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC (2.5mg CBD and 2.5mg CBD). Each child-resistant package contains 40 gummies, for 200mg of Total Active Cannabinoids per package, and will be available for $60.

"We are excited that Surterra Texas is the first medical cannabis provider in Texas to offer cannabis-infused gummies, further expanding our edibles options for Texans," said Marcus Ruark, President of Surterra Texas. "Our latest product offering reflects Surterra's ongoing commitment to continuous product innovation, the widest assortment of products, and the development of advanced, high-quality, natural cannabis remedies."

In addition to offering the first medical marijuana gummies in the Lone Star State, Surterra Texas continues to offer market-leading cannabis-infused lozenges, including Soothe Watermelon Lozenges with a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC (2.5mg CBD and 2.5mg THC per lozenge) and Relief Watermelon Lozenges with a 1:9 ratio of CBD:THC (0.5mg CBD and 4.5mg THC per lozenge); Texas' only cannabis-infused lotions, including Tranquil Lotion with a 19:1 ratio of CBD:THC (342mg CBD and 18mg THC per package) and Soothe Lotion with a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC (180mg CBD and 180mg THC per package); and a wide range of medical cannabis tinctures, including TranquilTM, containing a 19:1 CBD:THC ratio; SereneTM, containing a 4:1 CBD:THC ratio; and SootheTM, containing a 1:1 CBD:THC ratio. Each tincture blend has been formulated with targeted proprietary terpene profiles to enhance the experience of the cannabinoid ratios and to help patients with approved treatable conditions under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, the low-THC medical cannabis program enacted by Texas in 2015, including terminal cancer, spasticity, autism, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and a wide range of neurological diseases.

Patients interested in learning more about Surterra Texas productsor to find out how to consult with board-certified physicians for a medical cannabis prescriptionshould begin by visiting www.surterratexas.com. Surterra Texas offers convenient contactless delivery of its products across the state of Texas, as well as discounts for first-time patients and members of military families.

For more information on Surterra Texas and Surterra Wellness products, access www.surterratexas.com and www.facebook.com/SurterraTexas/.

Texas CUP License #0006

About Parallel

Parallel is one of the largest privately-held, vertically-integrated, multi-state cannabis companies in the world with a mission to pioneer well-being and improve the quality of life through cannabinoids. Parallel owns and operates retail dispensaries in four medical and adult-use markets: Surterra Wellness in Florida and Texas; New England Treatment Access (NETA) in Massachusetts, and The Apothecary Shoppe in Nevada. Parallel also has a license under its Goodblend brand in Pennsylvania for vertically-integrated operations and up to six retail locations, in addition to a medical cannabis research partnership with the University of Pittsburgh. The Company has a diverse portfolio of high quality, proprietary and licensed consumer brands and products including Surterra Wellness, Coral Reefer, Float and Heights. Parallel operates approximately 50 retail stores nationwide, including cultivation and manufacturing sites across the four states. The Company, through its biosciences division, conducts advanced cannabis science and R&D for new product development in its facilities in Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, and Budapest, Hungary. Parallel follows rigorous operations and business practices to ensure the quality, safety, consistency and efficacy of its products and is building its business by following strong values and putting the well-being of its customers and employees first. Find more information at www.liveParallel.com, or on Instagram and LinkedIn.

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Ghislaine Maxwell, longtime associate of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, speaks at a news conference at the United Nations in New York on June 25, 2013. (UNTV via Reuters)

Epsteins Ex-Girlfriend Asks Court to Dismiss All Charges She Faces

The former girlfriend of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein asked a judge on Monday to dismiss the charges she faces.

Ghislaine Maxwell was charged in July 2020 with sex crimes, including enticing a minor to travel to engage in criminal sexual activity and transporting a minor with the same intent.

Maxwells lawyers in new court filings said the charges lack specificity and that Maxwell should go free unless prosecutors provide her with more specific details about the alleged crimes.

The superseding indictment is remarkable because it fails to identify an accuser, a specific date that Ms. Maxwell is alleged to have committed a crime, or when anything in furtherance of any alleged conspiracy occurred, one filing states.

The only dates contained in the Indictment are the years 1994-1997, often combined with phrases such as from at least in or about and beginning in at least. This mishmash of a pleading was carefully crafted to not provide Ms. Maxwell with the necessary information to adequately investigate these false allegations and prepare for trial. Ms. Maxwell is innocent and should not have to guess about what evidence the government claims warrants her continual incarceration but stubbornly refuses to identify or disclose.

Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a news conference to announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein, in New York on July 2, 2020. (John Minchillo/AP Photo)

In another filing, lawyers said the government violated Maxwells Sixth Amendment right to be indicted by a grand jury drawn from a fair cross-section of the community because of the way it drew the jury amid the CCP virus pandemic.

Prosecutors convened the jury from White Plains, instead of from Manhattan, where Maxwell allegedly committed crimes. Lawyers said the jury in White Plains drew from a pool that has significant underrepresentation of blacks and Hispanics. The convening of the grand jury in June appeared to have taken place for no reason other than a publicity-driven desire to arrest Ms. Maxwell on the anniversary of the Epstein indictment, the filing stated.

In a third document, lawyers said a non-prosecution agreement reached between the government and Epstein over a decade ago should protect Maxwell from prosecution as well. The controversial agreement left Epstein in jail for about a year after pleading guilty following underage sex accusations by a number of minors.

Maxwells attorneys also said two counts of perjury stem from an unrelated civil action and shouldnt be tied to the other charges. There is a substantial risk of Maxwell being convicted on the charges because her credibility was attacked in connection with the Perjury Counts as they asked the court to sever the counts.

A prosecutor didnt immediately return a request for comment.

Maxwell is being held as she awaits trial. She was denied bail late last year because authorities say she poses a flight risk.
THE PSNI has launched an investigation into whether large crowds that gathered at a republican funeral in Derry yesterday broke Covid-19 regulations.

Pictures from the funeral of Eamonn Peggy McCourt (62)  who passed away on Saturday at Altnagelvin Hospital after contracting Covid-19  showed a large number of people following the funeral cortege as it passed through the Creggan area.

At least 11 men dressed in white shirts and black ties, who were socially distanced and wearing face masks, walked beside the hearse, but a large number of people gathered closely together to follow the procession.

According to the Covid-19 health and safety regulations in the North, up to a maximum of 25 people can attend a funeral.

It comes after police also investigated suspected Covid breaches at the funeral of veteran republican Bobby Storey in June.

A number of senior Sinn Fein figures, including Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill, attended Mr Storeys funeral  with around 2,000 others  which saw a cortege pass through west Belfast. The fallout out of that funeral sparked a political crisis at a vital stage of the fight against Covid-19.

Yesterdays images prompted the DUPs Foyle MLA Gary Middleton to say certain individuals are viewed as being more important than the health regulations within republicanism.

Mr McCourt, who was a Sinn Fein activist in Derry and a former IRA member, was shot in 1981 when the SAS fired at a car in the Creggan area, killing IRA men George McBrearty and Charles Pop Maguire.

Chief Superintendent Darrin Jones said last night that police became aware of Mr McCourts funeral over the weekend and knew it had the potential to draw a significant number of people.

Police engaged with family and political representatives, and the local church to emphasise the need for adherence to the health regulations.

As a result, police were given a number of assurances as to the conduct of the funeral, and that people would seek to pay their respects to the deceased from outside their homes rather than gather at the funeral, continued Mr Jones.

Regrettably at the funeral on Monday morning, a significant number of people gathered as part of the cortege, in a manner likely to be in breach of the health protection regulations.

As a result, police have commenced an investigation into the matter, and where individuals are identified as potentially being in breach of the regulations, they will be reported to the Public Prosecution Service with a view to prosecution.

Sinn Feins Derry branch held an online tribute to Mr McCourt last night and stated before the service that the wake and funeral would be conducted in line with regulations.

Former Sinn Fein Foyle MLA Raymond McCartney spoke during the virtual commemoration and said Covid-19 had robbed the community of the chance to gather as one and lay Mr McCourt to rest.

At another time we will come together to mourn and celebrate the life and loss of our comrade and friend, he added.

Speaking during the funeral service in St Marys Church in Creggan, Fr Joe Gormley said Mr McCourts death had brought the reality of the virus to the community.

Meanwhile, Mr McCourts son Eamonn wrote that his fathers funeral was the hardest day of his life but also the most humbling.

My family were amazing and really honoured my da, he said. The guard of honour led with family, including the son and grandson of George McBrearty, was a privilege to our family and to my daddy no doubt. To my das second family, his comrades in the republican movement, we cant thank you enough for giving him the respect and the best republican funeral we could give in these awful times.

Reacting to the images of the crowds at the funeral, which were shared on social media, Mr Middleton said he struggled to put into words the sheer recklessness of those involved.

This is compounded by the fact that Mr McCourt passed away after contracting Covid-19 and at the funeral it was stated his death had brought the reality of coronavirus to the community, he stated.

The reality of Covid-19 is that restrictions on funerals are difficult and even painful for grieving families, but they have been put in place for an important reason.

He added: Within republicanism it seems that certain individuals are viewed as being more important than public health regulations.

The DUPs South Antrim MLA and Policing Board member Trevor Clarke said that the PSNI must explain the inaction of the police at the funeral.

Incidents such as this do nothing to remove the appearance of two-tier policing which the PSNI is always so keen to dismiss, said Mr Clarke.

Local Ulster Unionist councillor Darren Guy described the images as a kick in the teeth to those who abide by the health regulations.

The UUPs justice spokesperson Doug Beattie MLA added that the Executive now has a challenge to face.

Will they come out with one voice and condemn this flagrant disregard for the regulations they set and ask the police to take action? he tweeted. If any MLA attended or helped organise [the funeral] they should immediately be reported.

A spokesperson for Sinn Fein stated last night that everyone has a responsibility to follow the public health guidelines.

Sinn Fein held its own tribute to his [Mr McCourts] memory online, the party added.
"Shell-crushing" - exactly what it sounds like - is a predatory mode used by numerous marine life from crabs to octopuses to large fishes and mammals when they eat hard-shelled mollusks like clams, oysters and conchs. These predators have to break apart the shell using robust claws or fortified jaws to access the prey's soft tissues.

Despite its prevalence in the marine environment, this feeding behavior has remained elusive to study remotely, particularly for larger marine animals that destroy shells almost completely, leaving behind little trace. Moreover, because they are highly mobile, scientists have difficulty in directly observing their foraging habits, which is why the ecology of shell-crushing (durophagy) remains poorly understood in larger marine predators and the ecosystems with which they interact. So, there is little understanding of where or when this happens.

Using the whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) as a model, a team of scientists led by Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in collaboration with FAU's College of Engineering and Computer Science; Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium; and the Florida Institute of Technology, are the first to use passive acoustics to characterize how they consume hard-shelled mollusk prey in a controlled environment.

Scientists both quantified and classified shell-crushing by monitoring underwater sounds using acoustic recorders. Results, published in the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, reveal that using this technology, prey types could be distinguished based on acoustic features. Researchers were able to determine what a predator is eating based on how it sounds. In addition, shell-crushing simulation tests in the natural environment suggest the process is audible above ambient noise in coastal lagoons out to 100 meters.

"Interactions between molluscan predators and shellfish often occur in low-visibility estuarine waters. Scientists need alternative non-visual based methods to continuously monitor, gather and document critical data that may have serious conservation ramifications," said Matt Ajemian, Ph.D., lead author, an assistant research professor at FAU's Harbor Branch and head of the Fisheries Ecology and Conservation (FEC) Lab, who worked with FAU Harbor Branch co-authors Laurent Cherubin, Ph.D., an associate research professor; and Breanna DeGroot, M.S., research coordinator. "Passive acoustics-based documentation of shell-crushing behavior has not been seriously considered as a tool to identify the ecological role of large, mobile molluscivores before this study. We knew from previous experience with these animals that the cracks they made during feeding were loud, almost like an explosion, but there were no data to support it at the time. That's what led us to conduct this initial study."

Whitespotted eagle rays consume a wide variety of mollusk species, including both bivalves and gastropods. For the study, scientists recorded a total of 434 prey items being eaten by rays, spanning eight species of hard-shelled mollusks. On the menu: hard clams, banded tulip, crown conch, lettered olive, Florida fighting conch, lightning whelk, pear whelk and horse conch.

"Mollusks vary in texture, thickness and strength. The differences we observed in consumption signals and behavior associated with the two primary prey types analyzed are likely due to variations in these shell shapes," said Kim Bassos-Hull, M.Sc., co-author and senior biologist with Mote Marine Lab's Sharks & Rays Conservation Research Program. "It was clear that hard clams took a considerably longer time to process than banded tulip shells and all other gastropods. This was likely driven by the greater number of fractures rays needed to implement during processing and winnowing of hard clams presumably to access the prey's soft tissues."

Signal characteristics of simulated crushing of hard clams in the field, which the researchers conducted by crushing clams by hand using modified heavy-duty pliers, also were similar to those recorded in the large, circular saltwater habitat.

"It's obviously hard to get a ray to eat on command in a particular time and place, so we had to get somewhat creative with the field testing," said Ajemian.

Data from this study are critically important with respect to molluscan shellfish, which provide high-quality and high-value seafood to humans, and beneficial ecosystem services, yet sources of natural mortality from large predators are largely unknown for both natural and restored populations.

"The passive acoustics approach demonstrated in our study provides a unique, less-intrusive platform to remotely and directly observe predation events like shell fracture in the aquatic environment and support surveillance techniques to quantify predator-induced losses to these valuable resources, even in challenging environmental conditions," said Cherubin.

The team is hoping this technology will be of utility in monitoring how many clams are being eaten by large predators like rays as restoration efforts ramp up around the state of Florida.

"We still have a lot of work to do on the automated detection-classification side of things, but this work brings us closer to remotely capturing predation in these elusive species," said Ajemian.

###

Study co-authors are Catherine Lamboy, Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology; Ali Ibrahim, Ph.D., Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, FAU's College of Engineering and Computer Science; and David A. Mann, Ph.D., president, Loggerhead Instruments, Inc.

This work was funded by a grant from the Save Our Seas Specialty License Plate program (AWD-001259) administered by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation.

- FAU -

About Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute:

Founded in 1971, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University is a research community of marine scientists, engineers, educators and other professionals focused on Ocean Science for a Better World. The institute drives innovation in ocean engineering, at-sea operations, drug discovery and biotechnology from the oceans, coastal ecology and conservation, marine mammal research and conservation, aquaculture, ocean observing systems and marine education. For more information, visit http://www. fau. edu/ hboi .

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU's world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU's existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit fau.edu.

About Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, based in Sarasota, Florida, has conducted ground-breaking marine research since its founding as a small, one-room laboratory in 1955. Since then, Mote has grown to encompass more than 20 research and conservation programs that span the spectrum of marine science: sustainable aquaculture systems designed to alleviate growing pressures on wild fish populations; red tide research that works to inform the public and mitigate the adverse effects of red tide with innovative technologies; marine animal science, conservation and rehabilitation programs dedicated to the protection of animals such as sea turtles, manatees and dolphins; and much more. Mote Aquarium, accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, is open 365 days per year. Learn more at mote.org or connect with @motemarinelab on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
PORTLAND, Oregon  Mayor Ted Wheeler used pepper spray on a man who confronted him about policies on the coronavirus after Wheeler left a restaurant Sunday night, according to reports.

According to oregonlive.com, Wheeler tells police he became concerned for my personal safety because the man, who was not wearing a mask, got within 1 or 2 feet as he questioned the mayor. The man also was recording the encounter.

I clearly informed him that he needed to back off, Wheeler told police in a report released by the Portland Police Bureau, oregonlive.com reports. He did not do so I informed him that I was carrying pepper spray and that I would use it if he did not back off. He remained at close distance, I pulled out my pepper spray and I sprayed him in the eyes.

Wheeler tells police he gave the man a bottle of water for his eyes after using the pepper spray.

The encounter occurred at about 8 p.m. Sunday as the mayor was leaving a pub with former mayor Sam Adams after the two had eaten dinner. CNN reports that police say they do not have a suspect in the incident, but the mayor confirmed the encounter.

The man reportedly questioned the mayor about not wearing a mask while at the restaurant. Wheeler said Adams and he ate in a tented area of the pub, which does not require masks under current coronavirus restrictions.

Wheeler and Adams tell police they do not know who the man is, oregonlive.com reports.

Fiscal Court Discusses Waiving Liquor License Fees

By West Kentucky Star Staff

MCCRACKEN COUNTY - During Monday's Fiscal Court meeting, commissioners discussed the possibility of refunding liquor license fees for 2021.The Fiscal Court decided to discuss waiving or refunding liquor license fees after receiving a letter from Rolling Hills Country Club.Commissioner Jeff Parker voiced his support for the measure, saying he recently renewed his liquor license with the city and state, with neither one charging a fee.He said, "I'm all in favor of this. I think it's a small amount of money that we can give back to small businesses to help them out, as long as they had a liquor license last year."McCracken County Judge Executive Craig Clymer said he agreed with Parker, but wanted to highlight a couple of concerns.According to Clymer, people have been "supporting their liquor stores with a passion." He questioned whether they should waive license fees for liquor stores when they might be doing better financially under the circumstances. Clymer also voiced concern with the possibility that if they waive liquor license fees, other businesses might want certain fees waived as well.Commissioner Eddie Jones also shared some concerns. Jones said he presumes many of these businesses that have liquor licenses are in worse shape than they were before the pandemic, but said he didn't have any information to base that on other than speculation.Parker said if liquor stores have been making money they could be omitted, but said he knew bars and restaurants were suffering."I can assure you that the bars and the restaurants, what few we have in this county, are kind of like my business, we've been devastated." Parker continued, "I really don't want to see us put this off. It's the right thing to do, especially with the city and state already making this move."Deputy Judge Executive Steve Doolittle pointed out that the city had only included bars, restaurants, and breweries in their ordinance, keeping it directed at the businesses that were shut down by Governor Andy Beshear.Jones commented that he wasn't opposed to the idea, he just felt that he didn't have enough information to make a decision that was fair to everyone.In closing, Clymer said that him and Doolittle would do more research on the issue and place it on the agenda for the February 8 Fiscal Court meeting.You can see the full meeting below.
She recently jetted to South Africa to introduce her boyfriend Ed Westwick to her family.

But Tamara Francesconi treated herself to some more sun as she uploaded envy-inducing images from her 'work' trip at Soneva Jani in the Maldives on Monday.

The model, 24, caught the eye as she displayed her sensational figure in a white bikini by PrettyLittleThing.

Radiant: Ed Westwick's partner Tamara Francesconi treated herself to some more sun as she uploaded envy-inducing images from her 'work' trip at Soneva Jani in the Maldives on Monday

Turning up the heat, the travel advisor teamed her two-piece with a gold-chain belt, which coordinated with her chunky hooped earrings.

The law and corporate communications graduate complemented her features with a slick of dark red lipstick, and rounded off her appearance with a patterned headscarf.

In another image, the influencer commanded attention in an animal print swimwear set as she enjoyed a scenic stroll along the sea.

Wow-factor! The model, 24, caught the eye as she displayed her sensational figure in a white bikini by PrettyLittleThing

Incredible: In another image, the influencer commanded attention in an animal print swimwear set as she enjoyed a stroll along the sea

Hunky: The actor, 33, meanwhile, went shirtless in a pair of grey shorts as he lapped up the atmosphere

Lucky for some! The media personality has been updating her followers with breathtakingly beautiful shots from her current location

What a vision: The luxurious resorts were surrounded by the large body of water

Scenic: Brunette beauty Tamara kicked back in a separate lounge area with her partner

The brunette and her actor boyfriend Ed, 33, travelled down to her native country months after they celebrated their one-year anniversary.

Tamara revealed the Gossip Girl star - who she has been dating since October 2019 - first approached her via her Instagram DMs as she treated her followers to a rare peek at their romance last year.

The social media star also touched on whether she's jealous about his on-screen kisses, his love for her native country and being co-dependent during the coronavirus lockdown.

Fans were curious to find out how the handsome pair crossed paths, and the influencer didn't hold back in revealing the details.

Tamara shared: 'Going to answer this first because it's my most asked question, and probably the reason a lot of you follow me.

'He direct message me out of the blue saying Hi and I nearly fell off my chair, we then chatted for a while and he asked me on a date, which I assumed would be a dinner.

'Instead he took me to a butterfly sanctuary in Mayfair, we thereafter spent the whole day exploring London together, and the rest is history.

'I feel like we have all become codependent with our partners this year (I know I have) I think it's really important to do things alone and for yourself, read a book, go for a walk, chat to a friend.' (sic)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 9, 2016. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press)

Tories Calls on Liberals to Stand up to Bidens Buy American Plan

The Opposition Conservatives are urging the federal government to push back on U.S. President Joe Bidens protectionist Buy American plan.

Conservative MP Tracy Gray, the Conservative shadow minister for export promotion and international trade, issued a statement Tuesday urging the Liberal government to immediately address this Buy American plan with the Biden administration and ensure Canadian exporters can continue to participate in US infrastructure and procurement projects.

Its time the Prime Minister finally stood up for our manufacturers, aluminum workers, and steel workers, so they dont face the same uncertainty and neglect our oil and gas workers were dealt last week with the cancellation of Keystone XL, Gray said, adding that Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus expressions of concern and disappointment on critical issues that affect Canadian businesses and workers is simply not enough.

Conservative MP Tracy Gray rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 11, 2020. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press)

Gray said Bidens plan to prioritize U.S. suppliers for government contracts will jeopardize North Americas economic recovery since Canada and U.S trade are closely tied.

The Conservatives were in power in 2010 when Canada successfully won waivers to similar rules imposed by former president Barack Obama.

But Bidens warning that the waivers would be granted only under very limited circumstances in his announcement of the new rules Monday, would set a higher threshold for what qualifies as U.S. made, establish more stringent oversight tools, and enforce the rules more rigidly that put Canadians jobs and industries at risk, according to Gray.

The idea behind the Buy American policy is to make sure American manufacturers, workers, and suppliers reap the rewards of U.S. government spending, including an estimated $600 billion a year in procurement contracts.

With the changes make to the Buy American plan by Biden, Canada was dealt a double blow to its economic fortunes in less than a week.

On his first day in the White House, Biden cancelled the cross-border Keystone XL pipeline project between the Alberta oilsands and refineries in the U.S. Gulf Coast, that was revived by former president Donald Trump after being axed by former president Barack Obama.

In response to the cancellation of the pipeline project, the Tories called for an emergency debate Monday evening, urging the Liberals to impose sanctions on the United States.

During the debate, Minister of Natural Resources Seamus ORegan rejected the idea of sanctions, arguing that a trade war is not in Canadas best interests.

Natural Resources Minister Seamus ORegan rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Feb. 4, 2020, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

I have not yet heard a single argument that would convince me that a trade war is in the best interests of our oil and gas workers, ORegan said.

We have a responsibility to Albertans to safeguard our relationship with the single largest customer for Canadian crude.

Conservative Leader Erin OToole said in the House earlier on Monday that the Keystone XL pipeline offers benefits to both the United States and Canada.

This executive order is a mistake. Keystone represents a major strategic energy corridor that will enhance North American energy independence away from authoritarian regimes, OToole said.

The project has the potential for tens of thousands of well-paying unionized jobs, in both Canada and the United States.

Shutting down Keystone XL would be a blow to our economic recovery, not just in the west, but across Canada, he added.

In an interview with Fox News on Jan. 23, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican, criticized Bidens cancelling of the Keystone permit, saying it would result in the oil that was supposed to travel through the pipeline going to China or another country or be shipped to the United States by rail, which is less safe.

Look, theyre going to pump the oil, and its going to go someplace. Its too valuable not to, and we still need the oil. So its either going to be shipped to other countries, including China, which has not the same type of environmental regulations that we have when it comes to the processing of that oil, or it could come back down into the United States to the specific locations where they actually know how to process it, to actually do that crude oil, Rounds said.

Conservative leader Erin OToole holds a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Jan. 25, 2021. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

If the Keystone XL pipeline were to go ahead, it would provide about 2,000 construction jobs in Alberta, as well as thousands of additional jobs including for engineers, welders, heavy equipment operators, labourers, teamsters, safety inspectors, indigenous monitors, and other skilled tradespeople, according to the Alberta government.

The pipeline would also transport 830,000 barrels of oil per day from Alberta to Nebraska to meet the needs for transportation fuel and the production of life-enhancing products such as smartphones, appliances, medication, and household products.

On Jan. 20, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney called on Trudeau to hold discussions with Biden after news broke that the new president was planning to cancel the project, adding that there should be retaliation if the pipeline was scrapped.

If, however, the U.S. government refuses to open the door to a constructive and respectful dialogue about these issues, then it is clear that the government of Canada must impose meaningful trade and economic sanctions in response to defend our countrys vital economic interests, Kenney said at a press conference.

Not doing so would be to create a dangerous precedent between the two nations, he said, noting that the province invested $1.5 billion into the project in 2020, followed by a $6 billion loan guarantee in 2021.

However, ORegan said Monday that Ottawa will not jeopardize the more than $100 billion in energy products that we export to the United States every year.

We have over $100 billion in cross-border energy trade with them. We are their biggest supplier, with 23 percent of crude consumed in the U.S. coming from Canada. We contribute to American energy security and economic competitiveness, and that supports thousands of jobs on both sides of the border, ORegan said.

He noted that there is a difference between illegal tariffs on existing products and the cancellation of a permit for a project that is not yet operational.

During question period on Monday morning, OToole criticized Trudeau for not protecting thousands of Canadian energy workers, noting that he had been asking the prime minister what his plan would be since last fall, and Trudeau said he would call Biden.

Why did the Prime Minister bet the jobs of thousands of Canadians on a single phone call to the president? OToole said, referring to Trudeaus phone conversation with Biden on Jan. 22.

That is simply not the case, Trudeau replied, saying he has been an advocate for Canadas oil and gas workers for the last five years.

We will stay focused on sticking up for Canadians every step of the way, he said.

Ivan Pentchoukov and The Canadian Press contributed to this article.
Company will create 65 new jobs over next five years

Jasper location supplies steel poles and structures nationwide

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Valmont Industries officials announced today that the company will expand its Jasper operations by investing $15-20 million to increase the size of its manufacturing facility.

Through the expansion, Valmont Industries will create 65 new jobs over the next five years in Marion County.

Valmont Industries Jasper location is part of the companys North American infrastructure operations, which supplies steel poles and structures to utility and transportation markets nationwide. The project will increase the size of Valmonts existing 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility by more than 30 percent and convert an adjoining 11-acre lot into a new laydown yard to store equipment and materials.

Established in 1946, Valmont Industries is a global leader of engineered products and services for infrastructure and water-conserving irrigation equipment and technology solutions for agriculture. The company is organized around four primary business segments, which include Utility Support Structures, Engineered Support Structures, Irrigation and Coatings.

In the last five years, TNECD has supported 75 economic development projects in Southeast Tennessee resulting in more than 10,000 job commitments and $3 billion in capital investment.

QUOTES

Were proud to have a global company like Valmont Industries invest in our rural communities. This expansion is a vote of confidence in the hardworking residents of Marion County and these high-quality jobs will mean a great deal for East Tennessee.  Gov. Bill Lee

Tennessees manufacturing sector continues to see tremendous growth across the state. Valmont Industries has manufacturing facilities in 22 countries around the globe, and by choosing to expand in Marion County, it shows that Tennessee has the skilled workforce and business-friendly environment to support the companys growth. We thank Valmont for its continued investment in our state and for creating new jobs in Jasper.  TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe

We are excited to be expanding our operations and creating employment opportunities at our Jasper facility, to help serve continued, strong demand for resilient infrastructure across the country. Governments investments across transportation markets and utilities investments in grid hardening and renewable energy sources are driving increased demand for our products and solutions. We are proud to support critical infrastructure sectors around the world and grateful for the support we have received for this expansion from the community, the State of Tennessee and area business partners.  Diane Larkin, EVP, Global Operations, Valmont Industries, Inc.

We are excited that Valmont Industries selected Marion County to do their expansion and to create 65 new good paying jobs. Valmont is a great community partner and has good relationship with the other industries throughout Marion County. We look forward to working with Valmont in the months and years to come and we hope there are future expansions to come.  Marion County Mayor David Jackson

TVA and Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative congratulate Valmont Industries on its decision to expand operations in Marion County. Its always an exciting day when we can celebrate a companys commitment to continued growth in the Valley. We are proud to partner with Marion County Government, the City of Jasper and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help celebrate this announcement and Valmonts continued growth in the Valley.  John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of Economic Development

These jobs will boost our community and help restore confidence in the local economy. Valmont industries has made a wise decision to expand their operations in Marion County. It is a testament to our quality workforce and the positive outlook for our community. Many thanks to the local and state officials who worked hard to secure these jobs.  Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma)

Valmont Industries is a valued employer in Marion County and Im very proud theyve chosen to expand their operations in Jasper with these 65 new jobs. I look forward to partnering with local officials and economic development leaders to create additional new jobs for our citizens in the future.  Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill)

TNECD Media Contact

Molly Hair

Public Information Officer

(615) 878-0063

molly.hair@tn.gov

About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Developments mission is to develop strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.

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The Cabinet has agreed that Level 5 restrictions will continue until 5 March ahead of the intended review date of the measures.

RTE is also reporting that travelling into the country without a negative Covid-19 test, along with all arrivals from Brazil and South Africa, will face a mandatory 14 day quarantine period.

It is everyone arriving in the country will have to self-isolate for a period with the regulations to be enforced.

People who receive a second negative Covid-19 test result within five days of entering the country will be able leave self-isolation.

Anyone entering the Republic through Northern Ireland will be subject to the same legal requirements.

Fines for those outside the 5km travel limit who are intending to travel abroad will be increased from the current 100.

Work is ongoing on plans to reopen schools after two failed attempts.

The changes were agreed at a meeting of the Cabinet in Dublin.

A review was due to be carried out on January 30 of the impact of the Level 5 measures.
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ALBANY  Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday announced that the vaccination rate among the state's health care workers has surpassed 70 percent, reaching a milestone set for communities to obtain herd immunity.

Last week, the vaccination rate among health care workers hovered at 63 percent, Cuomo said, but continuing vaccination efforts at hospitals across New York brought that rate up to 72 percent Monday. Diving deeper into the statistics, however, shows wide disparities in vaccination rates among hospitals within a given region.

"There is going to be a certain percentage of health care workers who say they don't want to take the vaccine," he said. "I get that, but why within the region do you have such a disparity?"

Epidemiologists suggest effective herd immunity from COVID-19 will require between 70 and 90 percent of a given community to receive the vaccine.

Cuomo stressed on Monday that New York is well-equipped and prepared to vaccinate thousands of New Yorkers across multiple sites, but the state receives doses weekly and is limited in how many people can be vaccinated.

"The issue with the vaccination plan is the supply," he said. "We are ready for distribution of the vaccine in a much larger quantity. We have 3,000 distribution sites; 3,000 providers already signed up. We can get the needle in the arm, we just need the supply itself."

Infection rates also are declining across the state, Cuomo announced, which means New York can begin reopening the economy. Erie County, which suspended elective surgeries at hospitals due to bed-capacity concerns, has seen significant improvements over the last three weeks, according to the governor. At the beginning of the month, Cuomo said the infection rate was 8.6 percent in Erie County, but it has now dropped to 5.2 percent.

As a result, Erie County can reopen for elective surgeries, Cuomo said. Other plans for reopening the economy and shifting COVID-19 protocol will be announced in the coming days, the governor said, but he reminded New Yorkers to continue practicing social distancing and to wear face masks.

"We can start to adjust the valve and start to open more economic activity and reduce some of the restrictions and reduce some of the microcluster zones," he said. "So don't get cocky with COVID. This virus has been ahead of us every step of the way."

Cuomo touted New York's public health response as the best in the nation, alluding to plans to training a task force to be ready for the next public health emergency. He said the state also will be training National Guard troops to test people for COVID-19 who are traveling to New York from other states.
A trip to Israel during high school can be a life changing event.

An Israel experience gives a student an incredible opportunity to learn, laugh, and grow together while learning not only about Israel, but their own personal Jewish identity. No classrooms, Synagogue, or Jewish school could possibly give them this gift in such a powerful manner. Additionally, it is one of their first chances to strengthen their independence and learn life skills in a safe and nurturing environment.

I have never met a teen who had a bad experience, said Liessa Alperin, Director of Innovative Learning, Youth and Engagement at Congregation Bnai Amoona. Teens often come back energized to be involved in their Jewish community. They learn a great deal not only about their Jewish identity, but themselves as well.

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Its been noted that those that travel to Israel often look for college campuses with more Jewish life. They are more engaged in politics and are often more excited to be part of social justice and world issues upon their return. Past teens talk about the sights, sounds, and people of Israel in a positive way.

They are also excited to have made new friends and be more interested in how we, in America, support Israel, said Alperin. Most teens return already trying to figure out when they can go back. The longer the experience there, the more they feel connected to their Judaism.

Right now, many teen trips to Israel and around the world are planning to run in 2021. So, to better learn about the exciting options and meet representatives from several program, a virtual fair has been created for Sunday, Feb. 7 via Zoom from 3 top 4 p.m.

Youll have a chance to ask questions about health and safety, financial aid, how to find the right program for your teen and more. The fair, which is open to any Jewish families in St. Louis and around the country, is being hosted by Congregation Bnai Amoona and Temple Emanuel.

Finding the right program is about asking the right questions, said Alperin. A perfect program for one teen, may not be the right choice for another. Ask good questions. I find that the more questions teens ask beforehand the better fit their trip is for their personality.

The good news is that there are so many trips out there with so many different lenses to experience Israel.

Seeing places around the world or in the US through a Jewish lens can be transformative, said Emily Cohen, Director of Education & Community Engagement at Temple Emanue. The tight-knit community created during these immersive travel experiences can lead to lifelong friendships and an appetite for participation in Jewish life as teens move through the stages of their lives.

To better prepare for the virtual fair, we asked Alperin and Cohen to suggest some good good questions to ask:

How long is the trip?

Where all do we travel?

Where are the other participants from geographically?

What is the level of Jewish observance for this experience?

Is there time for me to visit relatives in Israel?

What is a typical days schedule?

Will we have free time in Israel?

What happens if my teen is sick?

What is the staffing ratio?

Sometimes the best experience for teens can be to travel with many friends, and for others, this can be a great opportunity to meet new people from across the country.

RSVP: http://bit.ly/stltravel2021. For more information, contact Emily Cohen at [email protected] or Liessa Alperin at [email protected].

A tornado in Alabama was identified as "large and extremely dangerous" left people with severe injuries and significant damage throughout Jefferson County

"The National Weather Service (NWS) in Birmingham, Alabama, said the severe storm hit Jefferson Co.'s Fultondale area, caused "major damage in the area. Authorities will inspect the damage to assess the tornado's intensity," the NWS wrote.

The resulting storm knocked out energy and created debris that blocked the area's roads. A Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, and Suites were severely damaged in Fultondale and a Chile restaurant, WBRC reported.

Tornado killed 1 person and injured several

Monday night, a confirmed tornado tore through Fultondale, killing one person, injuring several others seriously, and leaving a path of devastation in its wake.

Fultondale Mayor Larry Holcomb said that the storm struck the northern city of Jefferson County at 10:30 p.m. - After touching down near Interstate 65, cut a quarter-mile wide path.

It traveled northeast toward Fultondale High School, where significant damage was caused. Multiple companies were ruined, including Hurst Towing and the Hampton Inn, and much of all in between.

Jim Coker, director of the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), told CNN that injuries ranging from minor to severe had been reported with victims transported to area hospitals. He didn't say how many people had been wounded. A house collapsed on a family, but their condition is not known at this stage, Coker said. According to Coker, no deaths have been confirmed, and search, and rescue operations are still underway.

Five heavy rescue teams from the Jefferson County fire department respond to the Fultondale and Center Point areas, Coker said. According to Coker, Jefferson County EMA uses a drone and helicopters to map the direction of the storm along with the NWS.

ALSO READ: Trump Offers Washington DC Hotel To National Guards Kicked Out of the US Capitol

At Fultondale City Hall, a command post was set up. To aid evacuation to the victims from stranded homes, heavy rescue units from several surrounding agencies were on site. Authorities said it would possibly take all night for house-to-house searches and rescue.

Trees were toppled by the wind, power lights dropped, and cars overturned. According to the Jefferson County Emergency AgencyAlabama, the storm trail traveled from Fultondale to Center Stage, damaging the ground.

A tornado alert for Jefferson County, Alabama, was released Monday night, NWS Birmingham said in a tweet. As the line of storms travels northeast through the state, the agency has since issued tornado warnings and watches for multiple counties.

For portions of Alabama and Georgia, a tornado warning remains in place. The storm line is part of two more extensive networks that provide winter weather warnings for more than 100 million people.

Via Tuesday night, the storm will dump heavy snow from the Central Plains to the mid-Atlantic Coast. Throughout Iowa, the deepest snow will pile up. The Weather Prediction Center says some of the snow will be very heavy, with rates of up to 2 inches an hour.

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The first case of the highly transmissible Brazil coronavirus variant has been found in the US.

Health officials in Minnesota have confirmed that they have identified a person with the P.1 variant of coronavirus.

The individual is a resident of the Twin Cities metro area with recent travel history to Brazil, and was tested on 9 January after feeling sick in the first week of the year.

Officials say that the the variant was detected through genomic sequencing of random blood samples.

The Brazil variant of the virus has drawn widespread attention, along with the mutations from the United Kingdom and South Africa.

The variant was first detected in four people who had travelled from Brazils Amazonas state to Tokyo earlier this month, and is the latest mutated form of the coronavirus to have emerged during the pandemic.

Japanese scientists are studying the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccines against the variant, which shares similarities with the highly infectious variants identified in Britain and South Africa that have driven a huge surge in cases across the two nations

This isnt surprising. Its a very difficult development, but at the same time not unexpected, said Michael T Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

Mr Osterholm is also an adviser to the presidents coronavirus response team.
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WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb has launched its Chubb WorkInsightSM solution which integrates and streamlines absence management and workplace benefits for mid-size to large employers. The new single solution is made available through Chubb's Workplace Benefits division.

Chubb's new WorkInsight solution enables employers to proactively track and manage workers' compensation; Family Medical Leave Act; company specific leaves; short-term disability; and accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity programs. Chubb WorkInsight gives employers comprehensive data and reports that enable them to make informed and impactful decisions that benefit both employee and employer.

The announcement comes at a time when new concerns around employee safety, absence and productivity weigh heavily for business and human resource leaders. Employee absenteeism and productivity represent critical and increasing priorities for employers. Productivity has been shown to decrease almost 30 percent due to employee absence, with more than 15 percent of payroll costs tied directly to absence. In addition, in 2019 employers paid $510 million to workers as a result of a number of ERISA complaints. According to the Integrated Benefit Institute, more efficient absence oversight and management has been shown to improve outcomes and compliance and deliver a return on investment by up to 15 percent.

"In today's environment, managing absence and workplace benefits is becoming increasingly complex," said Chris Martin, Division President of Chubb North America Accident and Health. "Our new WorkInsight offering is truly a unique approach in the marketplace. Our streamlined solution benefits employers and their employees by offering one partner on one platform all in one place. WorkInsight demonstrates Chubb's ongoing commitment to helping employers reduce cost, mitigate financial risk and, at the same time, provide a state-of-the-art claims experience for employees."

Chubb's new WorkInsight solution is designed to protect businesses, while improving employees' experience. Key benefits include:

A holistic approach to tracking and managing employee absence across the organization

A customized approach tailored to an employer's specific needs to drive better efficiency and consistency in managing leaves

A simplified reporting process that allows employers and employees to report all claims and requests for leave in one place

Knowledgeable experts to help employers expand programs to incorporate voluntary benefits

Improved compliance with leave laws

One source to share eligibility with incumbent life and disability carrier to ensure a streamlined claims experience

Expected cost savings through coordination of leaves and return to work.

Chubb WorkInsight is powered by ClaimVantage. For more information about Chubb WorkInsight, visit www.chubb.com/workinsight.

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.

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WASHINGTON - Antony Blinken, a longtime foreign policy aide to President Joe Biden who has pledged to rebuild American alliances and reinvigorate a State Department beset by low morale, was confirmed by the Senate as secretary of state on Tuesday.

The final vote of 78-22, while an overwhelming win, included nearly half of Senate Republicans voting against Blinken, the most of any of Biden's four confirmed Cabinet picks so far.

The slim majority of GOP lawmakers supporting him included outgoing Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch, R-Idaho, who praised Blinken's qualifications and called him "the person for the job."

In his confirmation hearing before the committee, Blinken said he was committed to "building a diplomatic corps that fully represents America in all its talent and diversity." Among his first tasks will be advancing recruitment that fell precipitously under the Trump administration and promoting career foreign and civil service officials.

As has Biden, Blinken has said that his other primary goals will be restoring American global leadership and joining with allies on challenges from China to covid-19.

"Not a single one of the really big problems that we face, whether it is climate change, whether it is the spread of dangerous weapons, whether it's the pandemic disease that we're living through now, not a single one can be met fully by any one country acting alone," Blinken said in a video posted on Twitter after Biden named his as his pick for secretary of state.

Several Republican senators on the Foreign Relations Committee had delayed a vote on his nomination as they questioned, with a list of nearly 800 written queries, what others said made him most qualified for the job - his long experience in U.S. policy positions, particularly during the Obama administration.

While Blinken awaited confirmation, Biden and his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, began calling U.S. partners and allies and moved to renew U.S. membership in the World Health Organization and the Paris climate accord. Last week, the administration signaled its intent to renew for five years the New START nuclear arms agreement with Russia that expires next week.

Other issues awaiting early action include Biden's pledge to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal, a review of the Trump administration's agreement with the Taliban in Afghanistan, nascent civil war in Ethiopia and rising tensions with China.

Blinken, 58, is one of the few in history to rise to the job of top diplomat from a beginning in the ranks of the State Department itself. He began there in 1993 as a European specialist before moving to Bill Clinton's National Security Council, where he eventually became senior director for European affairs.

In 2001, with the election of George W. Bush's Republican administration, he moved to the Senate, where he became staff director for the Foreign Relations Committee, on which then senator Biden served as chairman. Under President Barack Obama, he was Biden's chief foreign policy adviser, then deputy national security adviser to the president. From 2015 to 2017, he was deputy secretary of state under John F. Kerry.

In his various incarnations over decades in senior foreign policy positions, Blinken helped formulate Biden's support for the war in Iraq, and Biden's rejected proposal in the Senate to divide Iraq into three autonomous regions.

Pictured in the famous photograph of Obama and his senior national security team advisers listening in real time to the U.S. military raid that killed Osama bin Laden, Blinken was quoted as saying he had "never seen a more courageous decision made by a leader."

Asked at his confirmation hearing earlier this month whether he backed President Donald Trump's decision to kill Iranian general Qasem Soleimani with a drone strike in January 2020, however, Blinken said the administration failed to consider the consequences, including subsequent attacks on U.S. forces by Iranian-allied militia forces in Iraq.

"No one is shedding a tear for the demise of Qasem Soleimani," Blinken said. But "I think on balance that action actually left us less safe rather than more safe."

Foreign policy has been something of a family business for Blinken, whose father and uncle were U.S. ambassadors, to Hungary and Belgium respectively. His wife, Evan Ryan, was an assistant secretary of state under Obama.

"I had grandparents, parents, who in one way or another were relatively recent immigrants, or refugees or, in the case of my late stepfather, a survivor of the Holocaust," he said in the Twitter video. "And for them, America literally represented the last best hope on Earth."

Their stories of fleeing oppression and violence, to arrive in the United States, he said, "instilled in me a profound passion for what America means to the world, when we're acting at our best. America at its best is why I'm here, why my family was able to come here, and it's something I hope to help restore for future generations."

Much of Blinken's youth was spent in France, where his stepfather, a Polish-born attorney who escaped from a Nazi death march after four years in a concentration camp, was an attorney. He is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School.

In addition to dabbling in journalism at various times, Blinken was part of a number of youthful rock bands. If confirmed, he said in the Twitter video, he believed he would be the "only secretary of state with a Spotify play list with some of my own work on it."
President Joe Biden was criticized for his decision to halt the construction of former President Donald Trump's border wall.

Early into his term, Biden ordered a "pause" on all border wall constructions within a week. It was one of the 17 executive actions he issued on his first day at the White House, alongside six other immigration-related dealings.

Biden's order leaves billions of dollars' worth of construction work on the border wall unfinished.

According to The Associated Press, Biden did not want to build "another foot" of the controversial border wall. He gave his administration two months to find out how much it would cost to cancel contracted related to the construction and whether money for the border wall could be spent elsewhere.

Republicans Slam Biden for Stopping Development of Border Wall

Republicans slammed Biden for his decision to stop progress on the border wall.

In particular, House Minority Leader Kevin McMarthy accused Biden of putting illegal immigrants' welfare before Americans.

"President Biden wants to give 11 million illegal immigrants citizenship-while nearly 11 million Americans are out of work," he said in a tweet Saturday. "Shouldn't we prioritize Americans first?"

He also said he was disappointed to see that in Biden's first hours in office, he was "more interested in helping illegal immigrants than helping our own citizens."

Related story: 19 Burned Bodies Found Near US-Mexico Border in Suspected Cartel Violence

The GOP leader believed that Biden's first immigration orders were the "wrong priorities at the wrong time" and that he should instead focus on the needs of Americans, reported One America News.

President Biden wants to give 11 million illegal immigrants citizenshipwhile nearly 11 million Americans are out of work.



Shouldn't we prioritize Americans first? pic.twitter.com/ck571hlfWg  Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) January 22, 2021

Arizona Rep. Debbie Lesko also took to Twitter to express her disappointment in the order. She then went on to list the positive things she saw about it: border security and national security and reduced drug and human trafficking.

I am disappointed in President Bidens executive order to halt border wall funding and construction. The wall has strengthened our border security and national security, and it has reduced drug and human trafficking.  Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (@RepDLesko) January 21, 2021

Meanwhile, Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger called Biden's border wall pause a "liberal agenda."

President Bidens first actions halt construction of President Trumps border wall, block the Keystone XL Pipeline and re-enter the Paris Climate Accord. Instead of putting Americans first, hes implementing a liberal agenda to score points with the international community.  Rep. Diana Harshbarger (@RepHarshbarger) January 21, 2021

For her, Biden's decision to halt the border wall construction was a way to "score points with the international community."

Biden's Border Wall Construction Order May Be 'Purely Political'

The president of Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime, Don Rosenberg, told Fox News on Friday that Biden's immigrant orders may be "purely political."

Rosenberg spotted a hint of "irony" in Biden's actions as the president constantly told people to listen to experts when it comes to the pandemic but has been "refusing to listen to the experts, many of whom worked in the Obama administration, with him because it's purely political."

"They keep saying walls don't work and they're too expensive. They don't want a wall or a physical barrier because it does work, not because it doesn't work," he added.

He pointed out that there has been support for a physical barrier "for 20 years."

On the other hand, advocates against the wall are not just citing immigration issues but also environmental ones.

Read also: Mexico's President Lopez Obrador Tests Positive for COVID-19

A 2020 article from National Geographic detailed that there were some irreversible impacts to the border wall, including the draining of desert aquifers, pollution and misuse of sacred resources.

Talking to ProPublica, general counsel of the Project on Government Oversight Scott Amey said there may be "certain portions of the wall" that need to be completed, whether Biden likes it or not due to some gaps that could be exploited and the cost of terminating contracts.
A teacher wrote a gossip blog about his pupils saying the girls 'look like Eastern European prostitutes and trans-human Kardashian clones' and boys snorted cocaine at their end-of-year prom, a hearing was told today.

Alexander Price, 43, offended pupils, parents and colleagues at Denbigh High School in Denbigh, North Wales, with his mystery blog called 'The Provoked Pedagogue'.

In one article titled 'The Problem With Prom', Mr Price called the event 'a shallow, vacuous affair, about nothing more than who has spent the most on looking nice'.

Investigator James Wood read the gossiping online blog which described children as 'shameless chicken fillets shoved into criminally expensive and ill-fitting gowns'.

Mr Price admits writing the blogs but denies they amount to unacceptable professional conduct. If found guilty he faces being struck from the teaching register.

Alexander Price (pictured above), 43, offended pupils, parents and colleagues at Denbigh High School in Denbigh, North Wales, with his mystery blog called 'The Provoked Pedagogue'

He was caught after the school conducted an investigation when one teacher thought the posts might be about Denbigh High School.

James Wood was then appointed by Denbighshire County Council to independently investigate and said today that Mr Price had already admitted to being behind the posts.

He said in an article: 'I have seen vodka-filled teens covered in their own vomit and door staff leering at underage girls and lads barely through puberty acting like Jordan Belfort or Bob Marley puffing on reefers and snorting coke at the back of poorly prepared venues.

'In reality the only thing you can actually congratulate them on is the fact that they look nice.'

He said girls often ended up looking like a cross between 'Eastern European prostitutes and trans-human Kardashian clones'.

He added that female pupils would spend 'nine out of 12 months' planning for prom when they should be learning.

Mr Price wrote: 'The prom means more to them than GCSE results, the pressure builds and builds and when they should be studying they are on ASOS.

'Young girls in school fresh-faced or pimpled are plastered in make-up because they feel pressure from all angles, often including the school.

Mr Price (pictured above) left the school in 2019 and now could be struck off the teaching register after being accused of unacceptable professional conduct over the blog posts

Denbigh High School in North Wales. The hearing was told the 540-pupil school had been in special measures at the time of Design and Technology teacher Mr Price writing the blog

Quotes from Mr Price's gossip blog Mr Price wrote that girls often ended up looking like a cross between 'Eastern European prostitutes and trans-human Kardashian clones'. He also called prom 'a shallow, vacuous affair, about nothing more than who has spent the most on looking nice'. Mr Price described the event as 'the ugly end of society where only the rich has value and everyone else has to emulate.' He added: 'Tears are assured and will have been flowing freely, family relationships are stretched to breaking point in the quest for the perfect combination of overpriced tat that the teenager thinks they want.' In another post he made up nicknames for his former head teachers calling on 'El Supremo' and another 'Grima Wormtongue' after a character from Lord of the Rings. He described children as 'shameless chicken fillets shoved into criminally expensive and ill-fitting gowns'. Mr Price said: 'I have seen vodka-filled teens covered in their own vomit and door staff leering at underage girls and lads barely through puberty acting like Jordan Belfort or Bob Marley puffing on reefers and snorting coke at the back of poorly prepared venues. 'In reality the only thing you can actually congratulate them on is the fact that they look nice.' Advertisement

'Parents getting paid alone to pay for hair extensions and lip pumping, botox for some and dermal peels for others - make-up so thick that when it cracks it rivals tectonic plates.

'Then there's the fake tan: ludicrous shades and colours that defy even the unlimited variations provided by the human gene.'

Mr Price said some pupils had 'literacy so poor they cannot read the instructions on sachets of brown goop that leak into every pore.'

He described prom as 'the ugly end of society where only the rich has value and everyone else has to emulate.

'Anxious young teens shoe-horned into gowns and paraded into towns like cattle.'

'Tears are assured and will have been flowing freely, family relationships are stretched to breaking point in the quest for the perfect combination of overpriced tat that the teenager thinks they want.'

The Education Workforce Council hearing was told the 540-pupil school had been in special measures at the time of Design and Technology teacher Mr Price writing the blog.

In another post he made up nicknames for his former head teachers calling on 'El Supremo' and another 'Grima Wormtongue' after a character from Lord of the Rings.

Colin Adkins, Mr Price's union representative, said the comments were fair and his own 'reasonable professional opinion' and that neither the school, nor any parent or pupil, was identified.

Mr Adkins, of NASUWT, said: 'The contents of the blog are true and the attack on Mr Price is an attempt to cover-up the failings of the school.

'Just because these facts are inconvenient to the school should not allow the school to succeed in this cover up.

'The blogs are totally anonymised. There is not one article which mentions a pupil by name, a parent by name, or a member of staff by name.'

Mr Price left the school in 2019 and now could be struck off the teaching register after being accused of unacceptable professional conduct over the blog posts.

The hearing in Cardiff continues.
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (J&J) has appealed to an Illinois court to dismiss charges alleging some of its products that are marketed as 'oil-free' contain oils. This is one in a series of similar complaints filed against several major cosmetic manufacturers.

As reported by Law360, J&J said consumers would not define "oils" in the same way the lead plaintiff, Norah Flaherty, doesi.e., "any substance at least partly fat-soluble." The company highlighted how this criteria encompasses a wide variety of materials and ingredients with very different functions and qualities, including vitamins and silicone-based polymers.

Furthermore, according to the report, Flaherty did not even claim she personally understood "oils" to have that definition, and that several of the criteria used to further define an oil are inconsistent; e.g., stating "an oil must be lighter than water," while listing materials that are heavier than water as oils. In addition, Flaherty failed to allege any kind of injury, or that the products failed to work as advertised. She also did not specify which product she actually bought and used.

See related: A Closer Look at Cosmetic Claims

If the suit is not dismissed, J&J said the national class Flaherty seeks to represent should be restricted to Illinois, as the state law she cites, the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, is limited only to Illinois buyers.

This is not the first time Flaherty has brought lawsuits against cosmetic companies for the alleged false advertising of "oil-free" products. In December 2020, she filed complaints against Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., E.L.F. Cosmetics, Inc. and L'Oreal USA Products, Inc., and Maybelline, LLC.

According to the Walgreens-Boots complaint, the following products were advertised as oil-free when, in fact, they contained these alleged oils: No. 7 eye-makeup remover: tocopherol acetate; and No. 7 hydraluminous water surge gel: dimethicone, tocopherol acetate, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil. In addition, a report by Topclassactions.com outlined Flaherty's complaint that the e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation, also marketed as oil-free, contained the alleged oils dimethicone, isododecane and tridecyl trimellitate.

In the case of L'Oreal USA and Maybelline, Topclassaction.com covered Flaherty's complaint against the Fit Me brand Matte + Poreless foundation and concealer, and LOreal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte foundation products, all marketed as "oil-free" and alleged to contain oils. Specifically, the Fit Me foundation was called out for tocopherol and isododecane, and the concealer similarly contains tocopherol and hydrogenated polysiobutene, according to Flaherty. The LOreal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte foundation also allegedly contains tocopherol acetate.

According to this report, Flaherty asserted that although these ingredients may not have immediately stood out as oils, "the ingredients are revealed to be oils based on their chemical structures. For example, tocopherol is commonly known as vitamin C (sic) and reportedly contains several 'functional groups' that result in the chemical being a 'polar oil.'" (Editor's note: tocopherol is commonly known as vitamin E.)

The report noted other ingredients listed in the Maybelline makeup class action lawsuit allegedly have similar propertiesall qualifying them as oils. Flaherty argued that she and other consumers would not have purchased the makeup if they were aware the products contained oils.

On information and belief, defendants through their employees did know that the products contained oils, but chose to include oil-free labeling because they did not believe their customers were well educated enough to know the difference, the Maybelline makeup class action lawsuit contends.

These complaints bring to light the importance of marketing products carefully and accurately, and underline the need to educate consumers about products, ingredients and chemistry in general. It's difficult to say whether these lawsuits will hold water, however; after all, they are (alleged) oils.

See related: Words from Wiechers; What You Say is What you Get
New Delhi:

In a tragic incident, a minor girl was allegedly raped in Delhi's Nangloi area. The accused has been arrested by the police who have also registered a case against him.

A call regarding the same was received at the Nangloi Police Station on Sunday night where the victim alleged that she was raped four days before. The victim resides in the same premises as the accused.

A case has been registered under Sections 376, 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act.

Minor allegedly raped in Delhi's Nangloi. Police have arrested the accused and registered a case  ANI (@ANI_news) June 27, 2017

Delhi and its surrounding areas especially, Gurugram, Noida and Greater Noida have witnessed various cases of molestation and rape in recent times.

ALSO READ: Greater Noida: Security guard attempts to rape 19-year-old girl

On June 20, a woman was allegedly gang-raped in a moving car in Gurugram and later thrown out of the vehicle near Greater Noida by the accused.

Some cases were also reported from Greater Noida a few days ago. On June 24, a 19-year-old girl staying along in a flat in AVJ society at Greater Noida had alleged that a security guard of the same society tried to molest and rape her. The man was later arrested by UP police.

READ: Greater Noida: 5 arrested for raping sex worker

On the same day, five other people were arrested from Greater Noida for allegedly kidnapping and raping a sex worker in a moving car.
President Joe Biden(C) leaves Holy Trinity Catholic Church in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC on Jan. 24, 2021. (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden and Putin Commit to Urgently Working to Extend Nuclear Treaty

President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Jan. 26 committed to having their teams urgently work on extending the New START nuclear treaty before it expires on Feb. 5, according to a readout of the call released by the White House.

They discussed both countries willingness to extend New START for five years, agreeing to have their teams work urgently to complete the extension by February 5, the readout states. They also agreed to explore strategic stability discussions on a range of arms control and emerging security issues.

Signed in 2010, the treaty limits the number strategic nuclear warheads deployed by each nation to 1,550 and the number of deployed missiles and bombers to 700.

Since the signing of the treaty, Russia has announced the development and deployment of several missiles that pose serious challenges to U.S. missile defenses, including a nuclear-powered nuclear missile with a virtually unlimited range, the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, and the Avangard glide vehicle.

At the end of 2019, Russia committed to extending the treaty without any preconditions, according to Petr Topychkanov, a senior researcher in the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Nuclear Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-proliferation Programme. As a result, Moscow may not be in a position to demand new conditions, Topychkanov said.

It was a clear Russian position that Moscow was ready to accept the New START treaty without any preconditions, without any basket approach, and without any attempts to resolve issues related to short- and medium-range missiles, and ballistic missile defense, and outer space, and so on, Topychkanov said.

The Trump administration waited until last year to start talks and made the extension contingent on a set of demands. The talks stalled, and months of bargaining have failed to narrow differences.

The United States and Russia traded documents Tuesday related to extending the treaty, the Kremlin said. A Kremlin readout of a phone call between Biden and Putin said the two leaders voiced satisfaction with the exchange of diplomatic notes about extending the treaty.

In the nearest days, the parties will complete the necessary procedures that will ensure further functioning of this important international legal nuclear arms control tool, the Kremlin said.

The pacts extension doesnt require congressional approval in the United States, but Russian lawmakers must ratify the move. Top members of the Kremlin-controlled parliament said they would fast-track the issue and complete the necessary steps to extend the treaty this week.

Biden indicated during the campaign that he favored the preservation of the New START treaty, which was negotiated during his tenure as vice president during the Obama administration.

New START is the only remaining nuclear arms control deal between the two countries after both sides withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019. Washington accused Moscow of violating the treaty.

Earlier this month, Russia also announced that it would follow the United States to pull out of the Open Skies Treaty, which allowed surveillance flights over military facilities. The Kremlin said Putin and Biden discussed the Open Skies pact along with other issues during their Tuesday call.

President Donald Trump attempted to bring China, which is not constrained by any treaty, into New START. The Trump administration then proposed to extend New START for just one year and also sought to expand it to include limits on battlefield nuclear weapons.

On the call with Putin, Biden brought a number of issues that have heightened tensions between the two nations, including his support for Ukraines sovereignty, the SolarWinds hack, interference in the 2020 United States election, and the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Welcome to Good Weekend Talks, a weekly chance for our audience to luxuriate in a long-form story from the magazine, through a conversation between the writer and editor.

In this episode, Sydney Morning Herald senior journalist Jacqueline Maley and Good Weekend editor Katrina Strickland discuss Maley and Nigel Gladstones cover story - Want an Order of Australia? It helps to be rich, powerful and male - in which they delve into the hard data behind our honours system to see who has and hasnt won in the 45 years since its inception.

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Maley and Strickland discuss how the system skews towards the privileged, in particular wealthy white males, Governor-General David Hurleys comments on the need for reform, and how the award process could be changed to better reflect the egalitarian spirit of our nation.
DUBLIN, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Rugged Servers Market with the COVID-19 Impact by Offering (Hardware, Software & Services), Type (Dedicated, Standard), Memory Size, Application (Military & Aerospace, Telecommunication, Industrial, Energy & Power, Marine) and Region - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global rugged servers market size was valued at USD 475 million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 652 million by 2025; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2020 to 2025.



The growth of the rugged servers market is majorly driven by rising demand for industrial IoT, stringent regulatory requirements across various industries, and growing demand for rugged servers in the military, industrial, and power sectors.

COVID-19 has emerged as a global pandemic that has spread in several countries worldwide and disrupted various industries around the world. The prominent players across industries have been affected by this pandemic. The foreseeable decline in the growth of end-user applications may have a considerable direct impact on the rugged servers market.

Hardware segment expected to hold a larger market share during the forecast period.

The hardware segment is expected to dominate the rugged servers market by contributing a larger share during the forecast period. Hardware components offered by rugged server providers mainly include motherboards, power supply, USB connector assembly, CPUs, and hard disk drives. These devices are the core components of rugged server systems through which data is accessed and transferred to client devices, such as computers, on a timely basis. These hardware components help to extract data and enable effective transfer to clients. Therefore, the hardware is an integral part of an overall rugged server system.

Military & aerospace is expected to contribute the largest share of the market during the forecast period.

Critical missions and projects in the military and aerospace sectors involve critical data that is transmitted to client devices through servers. As these missions are usually carried out in extreme environmental conditions, rugged servers are the most suitable servers to operate reliably in such conditions. Therefore, the military & aerospace application segment is expected to continue to account for the largest size of the market during the forecast period.

APAC is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The rugged servers market in APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during 2020?2025. The ever-increasing use of telecom network services by domestic, as well as industrial, end-users, ongoing advancements in wireless cellular infrastructure, and rising demand for secure data transfer is expected to fuel the demand for rugged servers in APAC. Mobile data services are also growing rapidly in APAC as mobile operators have reduced the prices of their services to extend them to maximum end users. APAC has become a world leader in digital platforms. It has two of the most densely populated countries - China and India - in the world. Due to its large population and a broad base of consumers, the telecommunications sector finds ample opportunities for growth. Also, China, Japan, South Korea, and India are among the major countries in APAC that have an established industrial base. These industries are significant end-users of rugged servers.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

3.1 Realistic Scenario

3.2 Optimistic Scenario

3.3 Pessimistic Scenario



4 Premium Insights

4.1 North America to Provide Lucrative Opportunities for Rugged Servers Market Growth in Coming Years

4.2 Rugged Servers Market, by Type (2016-2025)

4.3 Rugged Servers Market, by Offering

4.4 Rugged Servers Market, by Memory Size

4.5 Rugged Servers Market, by Region



5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Rising Demand for Industrial IoT

5.2.1.2 Stringent Regulatory Requirements Across Various Industries

5.2.1.3 Growing Requirement for Rugged Servers in Military, Industrial, and Power Sectors

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 Decline in Demand due to Economic Downturn Caused by COVID-19 Outbreak

5.2.2.2 Data Privacy and Security Concerns Associated with Rugged Servers Deployed at Remote Locations

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Steady Shift of Manufacturing Industries Towards Digitization

5.2.3.2 Rising Demand for Smart Energy Solutions

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 High Initial Costs of Rugged Servers

5.3 Value Chain Analysis

5.4 Ecosystem

5.5 Porter's 5 Forces Analysis

5.6 Case Study Analysis

5.7 Technology Analysis

5.7.1 Iot

5.7.2 Cloud Computing

5.7.3 5G

5.8 Pricing Analysis

5.9 Trade Analysis

5.9.1 Import Scenario

5.9.2 Export Scenario

5.10 Patent Analysis

5.11 Market Standards and Regulations



6 Rugged Servers Market, by Offering

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Hardware

6.2.1 Hardware Components are Core to Rugged Servers

6.3 Software & Services

6.3.1 Data Integration and Processing are Key Functions of Software



7 Rugged Servers Market, by Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Dedicated

7.2.1 Dedicated Rugged Servers are Mainly Preferred in Critical Applications

7.3 Standard

7.3.1 Standard Rugged Servers are Predominantly Deployed in Telecommunication Applications



8 Rugged Servers Market, by Memory Size



9 Rugged Servers Market, by Application

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Military & Aerospace

9.2.1 Military & Aerospace Applications Contribute Majorly to Rugged Servers Market

9.3 Industrial

9.3.1 Industrial Application Has Been Negatively Impacted by COVID-19 to Large Extent

9.4 Telecommunication

9.4.1 Advent of Advanced Wireless Technologies to Trigger Adoption of Rugged Servers in Telecommunication Application

9.5 Energy & Power

9.5.1 Renewable Energy Infrastructure Development to Fuel Demand for Rugged Servers

9.6 Marine

9.6.1 Rugged Servers are Ideal for Marine Environments Owing to Their Ruggedness

9.7 Others

9.7.1 Demand for Rugged Servers Used in Railways is Expected to Decline Owing to COVID-19 Outbreak



10 Rugged Servers Market, by Region

10.1 Introduction

10.2 North America

10.3 Europe

10.4 APAC

10.5 Rest of the World (Row)



11 Competitive Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Top 3 Company Revenue Analysis

11.3 Market Share Analysis (2019)

11.4 Company Evaluation Quadrant, 2019

11.4.1 Star

11.4.2 Pervasive

11.4.3 Emerging Leader

11.4.4 Participant

11.5 Rugged Servers Market: Product Footprint

11.6 Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Evaluation Quadrant, 2019

11.6.1 Progressive Company

11.6.2 Responsive Company

11.6.3 Dynamic Company

11.6.4 Starting Block

11.7 Competitive Scenario



12 Company Profiles

12.1 Key Players

12.1.1 Dell Technologies

12.1.2 Mercury Systems

12.1.3 Siemens

12.1.4 Core Systems

12.1.5 Crystal Group

12.1.6 Cp Technologies

12.1.7 Stealth

12.1.8 Symmatrix

12.1.9 Systel

12.1.10 Trenton Systems

12.2 Other Players

12.2.1 Acme Portable Machines

12.2.2 Amity Technologies

12.2.3 Beltronic Ipc

12.2.4 Elma Electronic

12.2.5 General Micro Systems

12.2.6 Getac

12.2.7 Kontron S&T

12.2.8 Mpl

12.2.9 Ncs Technologies

12.2.10 One Stop Systems

12.2.11 Portwell

12.2.12 Superlogics

12.2.13 Tp Group

12.2.14 Trans Pacific Technologies

12.2.15 Zmicro



13 Adjacent and Related Market

13.1 Industrial Pc Market

13.1.1 Introduction

13.1.2 Hdd

13.1.2.1 Adoption of Hdd Estimated to Decline in Coming Years

13.1.3 Ssd

13.1.3.1 Ssd Segment to Witness Higher Growth During Forecast Period



14 Appendix

14.1 Insights of Industry Experts

14.2 Discussion Guide

14.3 Knowledge Store: The Subscription Portal

14.4 Available Customizations

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sykr8h

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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US DOLLAR OUTLOOK: FED MEETING ON DECK BRINGS EUR/USD PRICE ACTION INTO FOCUS

US Dollar strengthened modestly on Monday despite a notable decline in Treasury yields

EUR/USD price action edged lower as safe-haven demand exacerbated Italian political risk

Fed Chair Powell could undermine the US Dollar rebound attempt by echoing dovish policy

Learn more about the basics of technical analysis or implied volatility trading strategies

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The broader US Dollar advanced slightly during Mondays trading session. US Dollar strength was led by EUR/USD price action, which declined by about 30-pips. This largely fueled the modest 0.13% gain notched by the DXY Index with the other major currency pairs practically flat on the day. Interestingly, the US Dollar traded on its front foot despite a notable 7-basis point drop in 10-year Treasury yields.

EUR/USD might be facing headwinds from political uncertainty in Italy as Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte looks to resign. By extension, this increases the potential risk of a snap election if a new coalition cannot be formed. Evidence of demand for safe-haven currencies like the US Dollar could have contributed to EUR/USD selling pressure also.

DXY  US DOLLAR INDEX PRICE CHART: DAILY TIME FRAME (16 SEP 2020 TO 25 JAN 2021)

Chart by @RichDvorakFX created using TradingView

The bid beneath the US Dollar seems to have corresponded with bulls defending the 20-day simple moving average on the broader DXY Index. This potential technical support level underpinning the 90.00-handle could help keep the US Dollar afloat and rebound potential in focus. That said, a breakdown below this barrier might motivate US Dollar bears to wrestle back control and set their sights on year-to-date lows. On the other hand, the 91.10-price level, roughly highlighted by the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement on the chart above, may serve as a possible area of resistance before the 100-day simple moving average comes into consideration.

USD PRICE OUTLOOK  US DOLLAR IMPLIED VOLATILITY TRADING RANGES (OVERNIGHT)

Looking ahead to Tuesdays trading session, we see a fairly light economic calendar in terms of potential catalysts for US Dollar volatility. Although, the IMF World Economic Outlook and consumer confidence data could impact market sentiment and move the needle. Further down the horizon, an arguably larger driver of US Dollar volatility will be the two-day Federal Reserve meeting set to kick off tomorrow.

The FOMC statement is slated for release Wednesday, 27 January at 19:00 GMT and a press conference hosted by Fed Chair Powell will follow. Focus will likely hinge on whether the Fed echoes its commitment to keeping monetary policy uber-accomodative. If the Fed takes the opportunity to convey a slightly hawkish tilt in its forward guidance, however, the US Dollar could firm considerably.

-- Written by Rich Dvorak, Analyst for DailyFX.com

Connect with @RichDvorakFX on Twitter for real-time market insight
The battle of the two noise cancellation headphones is something weve been looking forward to as much as you. The two headphones are known for being amongst the best noise cancellation headphones and we couldnt resist pitting both of them against each other. We will be evaluating both headphones in terms of design, sound, value and features to determine which one is the best headphone to purchase in 2021. Heres our comparison of the AirPods Max and the Sony WH- 1000XM4 that might interest audiophiles and sound enthusiasts:

1. Design

 MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

When it comes to the design, Apple knows how to craft premium devices and the AirPods Max have got the same treatment as well. Sonys WH-1000XM4 is by no means basic but in comparison to the AirPods Max, it does lack that premium feel. Having said that, due to the WH-1000XM4s plastic body, it is fairly lighter and easier to use than the AirPods Max. Both headphones offer great functionality as well, however we prefer Apples Digital Crown for volume control and the dedicated noise cancellation button more. Overall, AirPods Maxs design is much more convenient and feels great to use.



Winner: AirPods Max

2. Sound Customisations

 Apple and Sony

When it comes to sound quality, both headphones offer great performance, highly controlled mids and well-tuned drivers. Having said that, the Sony WH- 1000XM4 offers more customisations via its proprietary app and adjust the sound to your liking. The AirPods Max, however does not offer any solution and instead forces users to choose from presets that can be found in the audio settings. In this department, the WH-1000XM4 has a clear edge over the AirPods Max until Apple lets users fine-tune different frequencies according to their liking. Apple does have something called Adaptive EQ, however it isnt as comprehensive as Sonys EQ levering feature within its app.



Winner: Sony WH-1000XM4

3. Sound Quality

 MensXP

The AirPods Max and WH-1000XM4 both come from companies who have a long history with audio products. Theres no doubt that both headphones offer one of the best sounding experiences you can get from a wireless over-the-ear headphone. If I had to choose between the two, I wont be able to as both sound incredible. You can read more about the WH-1000XM4 and the AirPods Max on our website where we go in more detail. That said, Apple has a slight edge over the Sony WH-1000XM4s thanks to its Spatial Audio feature.



Winner: Draw

4. Noise Cancellation

 Apple

Sony has been at the forefront of noise-cancellation technology for the past few years and we can finally see Apple catching up to the competition with the AirPods Max. Having said that, we do prefer Apples easy to use noise cancellation mode by simply tapping on a button to switch between transparency mode and noise cancellation. On the Sony WH-1000XM4s, one has to use the touch sensor to activate or deactivate the ANC feature which is not as intuitive as Apples offering.



Winner: AirPods Max

5. Accessories

 Sony

Both the Sony WH-1000XM4 and the AirPods Max come with accessories, however the former offers a more robust set of add-ons. The AirPods Max only come with a case that doesnt even protect the headphones from drop damage. In the case of the Sony WH-1000XM4, the headphones come with a proper carry case that protects it from fall damage, scratches and other types of damage it may experience in a carry bag. Apart from the case, the WH-1000XM4s also give other accessories such as an AUX-in cable and a travel adapter which you can plug into an Airplanes audio system as well.



The AirPods Max just comes with a charging cable that you cant even connect with the iPhone to listen to music if the battery runs out. You will need to purchase a separate 3.5mm to USB-C cable or dongle to listen to music with the iPhone in case you run out of battery.

Winner: Sony WH-1000XM4

6. Value and Affordability

 Youtube_Marc Taraz Steiner

The AirPods Max retails in India for Rs 59,990 whereas the Sony WH-1000XM4 retail in India for Rs 24,990. The difference between the two is massive and if you look at which headphones offer more value for money, it has to be the Sony WH-1000XM4. They come with more accessories, are compatible with both iOS and Android devices and offers proper protection with a solid carrying case. If you're looking at sound quality for the price, the WH-1000XM4 wins on affordability.



Winner: Sony WH-1000XM4
SEATTLE, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report shows that despite Seattle's reputation as a progressive beacon of economic vitality, deep racial inequities remain in the labor market that are made worse by the pandemic. Using disaggregated data analysis, the report identifies workforce equity strategies that should be implemented to foster broad economic prosperity.

Advancing Workforce Equity in Seattle: A Blueprint for Action, released today by the National Equity Atlas (a partnership between PolicyLink and the USC Equity Research Institute) with the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County, Burning Glass Technologies, and JPMorgan Chase, highlights stark realities for workers in the region.

The impact of racial inequity is widespread. Black and Latinx workers earn substantially less than their White counterparts at every education level. Nearly 90% of White workers are paid at least $15 an hour, compared to just 59% of Latinx immigrants, 64% of Black immigrants, and 68% of Native Americans.

In 2018 alone, racial gaps in wages and employment for working-age people cost Seattle over $33 billion in lost GDP. Disparities in the system are felt by the whole region, and workers of color bear the burden.

"Across our national network of employers, workforce development boards, training providers, and community partners, the situation mirrors what this data reveals: Racial inequities are entrenched in all aspects of the workforce system," said Amanda Cage, president and CEO of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions. "To ensure the system works for everyone, we need to start fixing these issues now."

The new report offers a robust agenda for building a thriving and inclusive regional workforce and includes the following recommendations:

Partner with employers to implement equitable recovery commitments.

Develop and track equity metrics as the economy recovers.

Build sustainable community influence and power in the workforce development system.

Advance sector-based strategies that prioritize growth sectors like construction, IT, and healthcare.

"As Seattle metro grows more diverse, these racial disparities in the workforce carry a heavy toll, not only for workers and families but also for the regional economy as a whole," said Marie Kurose, CEO of the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County  the local partner of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions.

"It's critical to work across sectors to address the widespread inequities facing workers of color throughout our region," said Cat Martin, vice president of global philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase. "With data-driven insights and collaboration, and as part of JPMorgan Chase's commitment to advancing racial equity and preparing people for the future of work, we can chart a course to a more inclusive recovery and help ensure economic opportunity for all."

The report, data and analysis can be found at https://nationalequityatlas.org/research/workforce-equity-seattle.

Advancing Workforce Equity in Seattle: A Blueprint for Action was developed through a partnership of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County, PolicyLink, USC Equity Research Institute, and Burning Glass Technologies, with support from JPMorgan Chase.

SOURCE The National Fund for Workforce Solutions
[January 26, 2021] Secret Double Octopus Joins the ForgeRock Trust Partner Network

TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Secret Double Octopus , the leader in enterprise passwordless authentication, announced today it completed its integration with ForgeRock , a global digital identity leader, and joined the ForgeRock Trust Network. Secret Double Octopus has made its Octopus Passwordless Enterprise solution for Desktop Authentication available to ForgeRock customers. The solution enables full and seamless integration with the ForgeRock Identity Platform and Authenticator mobile app and offers users a unified, simple login method compatible with a wide array of company systems, which reduces employee downtime and help desk costs. The integrated solution will address several use cases, including: Desktop Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)  leveraging the ForgeRock Authenticator app to provide MFA to workstations (Windows, MAC and Linux).

 leveraging the ForgeRock Authenticator app to provide MFA to workstations (Windows, MAC and Linux). Passwordless Desktop  augmenting the ForgeRock Authenticator mobile app to provide passwordless authentication to any workstation (in addition to support for OTP, Offline and FIDO authentication).

 augmenting the ForgeRock Authenticator mobile app to provide passwordless authentication to any workstation (in addition to support for OTP, Offline and FIDO authentication). Passwordless Enterprise  eliminating passwords throughout the organization with the security and simplicity of passwordless access to domains, networks, cloud and legacy applications. Click here to schedule a 1:1 product demonstration. The two companies will host a webinar on Januay 27th to demonstrate the new solution. To register, click here . A video and additional technical detail are available here .



"We are very excited to take this critical step for enterprise security with an important partner like ForgeRock," said Raz Rafaeli, CEO and co-founder, Secret Double Octopus. "Secure yet simple authentication has always been a challenge for large enterprises and is only becoming more so as employees are released from the boundaries of the physical workplace. This new partnership will expand upon ForgeRock's passwordless offerings by providing another way to eliminate the pains associated with passwords by offering a single authentication mechanism to serve all their needs in a frictionless, cost-efficient way." "We are thrilled to welcome Secret Double Octopus to the ForgeRock Trust Network," said Ben Goodman, Senior Vice President, Corporate and Business Development, ForgeRock. "Enterprises are looking for easier ways for their employees and customers to engage online and together we help make that possible. We're excited to be working with Secret Double Octopus to deliver additional passwordless capabilities to our customers. Their solution enables customers to extend web authentication to the desktop, giving enterprises and consumers a more seamless experience while also keeping their data secure."

"Secret Double Octopus's technology gives us the ability to offer a universal and highly secure authentication solution," said Terence Siau, CEO of Tindo Group , a leading international system integrator specializing in cyber security that has supported several large scale deployments of the new joint solution. "Its unique integration with ForgeRock represents a huge step forward in security and productivity for our clients." About Secret Double Octopus Secret Double Octopus is the passwordless authentication solution for the enterprise. We liberate end-users and security teams from the burden of passwords with the simplicity and security of strong passwordless authentication. The Octopus Passwordless Enterprise technology provides a unified user experience and a consistent way to access workstations, remote services, cloud applications and on-prem systems, while providing stronger protection against cyber-attacks. From being named a Gartner "Cool Vendor" in 2016, our 4th generation platform is now serving mid-sized to Fortune 50 customers around the globe. Learn more at www.doubleoctopus.com . Media Contact:

Julie Steigerwald

GK for Secret Double Octopus

Julie@gkpr.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/secret-double-octopus-joins-the-forgerock-trust-partner-network-301214896.html SOURCE Secret Double Octopus

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New Delhi: The national capital would be witnessing two big events on Tuesday -Republic Day celebrations and a farmers' tractor rally  due to which Delhi has been turned into a fortress with the deployment of thousands of security personnel in central Delhi and several border points.

The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 41 unions leading protests against the Centre's farm laws, has said their tractor parade will not enter central Delhi and it will start only after the official Republic Day Parade on Rajpath concludes.

The unions said around two lakh tractors are expected to participate in their parade, which will move into the city from three border points--Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur (UP Gate).

#WATCH: Farmers to hold tractor rally in Delhi today to protest against the Centre's Farm Laws; visuals from near Ghazipur#RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/LJlkQtUExl  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2021

According to the unions, there is no limit on vehicles. Patrolling has been intensified at power substations in Delhi following a threat from the banned Sikhs for Justice outfit to disrupt the city's supply during the Republic Day celebrations.

An official said around 6,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain vigil. Facial recognition systems have also been set up at vantage points for suspect identification, the official said. The security personnel are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil over Rajpath, where President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with other dignitaries and thousands of people.

Delhi: Security tightened in the national capital; visuals from ITO, Yamuna Bridge and Subramaniam Bharti Marg areas.#RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/qxz6TlqIoC  ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2021

Checking and frisking at Rajghat will be done by personnel in PPE kits, with mask and face shield, keeping in line with COVID-19 protocols, the official said. A five-layer security cover has been deployed in and around the city to maintain law and order, a senior police officer said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said more than 6,000 police personnel have been deployed at Rajpath for the Republic Day celebrations. Following COVID protocols, only 25,000 people will be allowed to attend the ceremony at Rajpath as opposed to over one lakh spectators who usually attended the event every year, he said.

The parade will be shorter this year. Instead of marching up to the Red Fort, the parade will end at the national stadium. Only tableaux will be allowed at the Red Fort, he said.

"We have 140 CCTV cameras on the Republic Day parade route and along with the enclosures. We have identified and set up facial recognition systems at 30 spots on Rajpath from where the public would enter. "This system is fed with a database of nearly over 50,000 people, including that of suspected terrorists, criminals and anti-social elements," said another senior police officer.

According to an advisory, no traffic will be allowed on Vijay Chowk from 6 pm on Monday till the parade is over. Rajpath is already out of bounds. No cross traffic on Rajpath intersections from 11 pm on Monday at Rafi Marg, Janpath, Man Singh Road till parade is over.

To maintain law and order during the farmers' tractor parade, thousands of security personnel have been already deployed at several border points. Deependra Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence), claimed on Sunday that over 300 Twitter handles have been generated from Pakistan to disrupt the tractor parade.

The traffic going towards the NH-44 and the GT Karnal Road will be diverted from Singhu Shani Mandir, Ashok Farm/Janti Tall, Hamidpur, Sunderpur Majra, Zindopur Mukhmelpur, Kadipur, Kushak Colony, Mukarba Chowk and GTK Depot," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Meenu Chowdhary said.

The second batch of vehicles will start from the Tikri border and pass through Nangloi, Baprola Village and Najafgarh, excluding Phirni Road, Jharoda Border, Rohtak Bypass (Bahadurgarh) and Asoda Toll Plaza, Chowdhary said.

Police said the traffic will be diverted from different points. Traffic will not be allowed to enter on the Rohtak road from Kirari Mor and will be diverted towards Mangolpuri. It will also be diverted from Ghevra Mor towards Khanjawala, they said.

Tractors from the Ghazipur border will cover some portion of the NH-24 from where they will take a right turn to Road Number 56, ISBT Anand Vihar, Apsara Border, Hapur Road, Bhopura, IMS College, Lal Kuan and Ghazipur Border, police said.

Hundreds of women farmers are also expected to drive tractors. Farmer leaders have appealed to those participating in the parade to carry enough ration for 24 hours and ensure that the rally remains peaceful. "No one should carry any weapon or drink alcohol. Banners carrying inciting messages are not allowed," a farmer leader said.

Enacted in September last year, the three farm laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their products 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 minimum support price and do away with the 'mandi' system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

Live TV

Is this perhaps the most Australian thing ever?

The Adelaide Police Department has taken to Facebook to ask the public's help in locating a woman who has a warrant for her arrest.

The post instantly went viral. Why? Because her name is Khe Sanh Cox.

That's right, just like the Cold Chisel song.

And while that's hilariously Aussie in itself, it's the clever comments under the post that have us in stitches.




"As Russiagate played out, it became apparent that there was collusion between the Trump campaign and a foreign power, but the nation was Israel, not Russia. Indeed, many of the reports that came out of Russiagate revealed collusion with Israel, yet those instances received little coverage and generated little media outrage. This has led some to suggest that Russiagate may have been a cover for what was in fact Israelgate.

Similarly, in the case of the SolarWinds hack, there is the odd case and timing of SolarWinds acquisition of a company called Samanage in 2019. As this report will explore, Samanages deep ties to Israeli intelligence, venture-capital firms connected to both intelligence and Isabel Maxwell, as well as Samanges integration with the Orion software at the time of the back doors insertion warrant investigation every bit as much as SolarWinds Czech-based contractor. " unlimitedhangout

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

Pilgrims! I am suggesting or at least raising the possibility that Israel has massively broken into American government IT systems. Hmmm. Does that mean that I am a Rooshan asset?

The sadly funny thing in this is how deaf, dumb and blind the main stream media are with regard to any, any, any possibility that Israel does not think its interests are identical with those of the US.

Natanyahu is quite open about his intention to bully Biden into continuing Israeli policy aimed at a Morgenthau model for Iran.

People openly say on the TeeVee that not only must Iran give up its nuclear ambitions but it must also accept Israeli hegemony in the region. Joltin' Jack Keane is one of the foremost proponents of such a vision of the future Middle East. For him the Syrian military are merely "Iranian surrogate forces." Perhaps someone should look carefully at the funding for the Institute for the Study of War. Keane is the chairman thereof. pl

https://unlimitedhangout.com/2021/01/investigative-reports/another-mega-group-spy-scandal-samanage-sabotage-and-the-solarwinds-hack/
The Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
A teenager sheltering in his basement has been killed and several of his family members critically injured as a tornado blew a tree on to their home in Alabama.

At least 30 other people were injured as the twister carved a path of destruction north of Birmingham.

The tornado caused damage for 10 miles, from Fultondale to Centre Point, striking an area severely harmed by a much larger tornado a decade ago.

The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene on Tuesday morning, and several of his family members were critically injured when their home collapsed, trapping them in the basement, Fultondale Police Chief DP Smith said.

They were doing what they were supposed to be doing, the chief said.

The remains of a home in Fultondale (Jay Reeves/AP)

The teenager was a 14-year-old student in the ninth grade, according to Jefferson County Superintendent Walter Gonsoulin. He said other students may be homeless now, and Fultondale High School was so heavily damaged that he doubts students can return to classrooms this year.

Fultondale Fire Chief Justin McKenzie said 30 people were injured and 18 had to go to hospital. Search and rescue crews are going from home to home and checking the rooms of a heavily damaged hotel. Six people were pulled uninjured from damaged structures on Tuesday morning.

Injuries range from minor to severe but search and rescue efforts are still ongoing, said James Coker, director of Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency.

Police blocked intersections leading to the hardest hit areas of Fultondale, which is home to about 9,000 people.

The people of Fultondale took a hard hit last night  Im grieved over the loss of life, injuries, homes & damaged businesses. I offer my prayers & deepest sympathies & pledge the full support & resources our state has to offer. I am with you, Fultondale! #alwx #alpolitics  Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) January 26, 2021

The people of Fultondale took a hard hit last night  Im grieved over the loss of life, injuries, homes & damaged businesses, Alabama governor Kay Ivey said on Twitter early Tuesday.

I offer my prayers & deepest sympathies & pledge the full support & resources our state has to offer. I am with you, Fultondale!

Fultondale also caught the tail end of an EF- 4 tornado that ripped across Alabama from Tuscaloosa to northern Jefferson County on April 27 2011, killing 65 people and injuring 1,500 along a damage path more than 80 miles long, according to the National Weather Service.

Weather Service survey crews have yet to confirm this twisters estimated strength, but FEMA described it as a large tornado.
WASHINGTON - Minnesota officials announced Monday that they have identified a person infected with a highly transmissible variant of the novel coronavirus that has been spreading at alarming rates in recent weeks in Brazil.

This is the first report in the United States of the P.1 variant, which has been of particular concern to scientists as they have observed the disastrous surge in infections in the Brazilian city of Manaus.

One research study published in the journal Science estimated that 76% of the Manaus population had been infected by the coronavirus. That should have put Manaus close to herd immunity. The new surge has raised fears that the P.1 variant has mutations that allow it to evade the human immune system. Evidence to support this hypothesis remains limited.

The Minnesota Department of Health said that the case there involved "a Minnesota resident with recent travel history to Brazil," and that the variant was detected through genomic sequencing of random blood samples as part of a surveillance program.

The person, a resident of the Twin Cities metro area, reported feeling sick the first week of January and was tested Jan. 9. The health department said the person has been in isolation, and the department is continuing to investigate the case.

"This isn't surprising. It's a very difficult development, but at the same time not unexpected," Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and an adviser to President Joe Biden's coronavirus task force, said in an interview.

All viruses mutate, and there are countless variants in circulation. The variant identified in Brazil is one of three that have drawn particular global attention. The other two were first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa, and are known to virologists as B.1.1.7 and B1.351.

Although scientists know quite a bit about the variant from the United Kingdom, the one from Brazil "is probably the one causing the most concern among people watching this," William Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said Monday. "It is fair to say that P.1 is the object of very, very serious attention and concern among epidemiologists. We don't know why it has been so successful in Manaus."

The variant identified in the United Kingdom - already spreading in the United States - has become the dominant strain in southern England, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it could become dominant in the United States in March if it outcompetes other variants. Minnesota has detected eight cases involving the variant from the United Kingdom, officials said Monday.

The variant identified in South Africa has not been found in the United States.

"These cases illustrate why it is so important to limit travel during a pandemic as much as possible," Minnesota epidemiologist Ruth Lynfield said in a statement released by the health department.

There is some overlap in the mutations in the three variants, but they arose independently and, along with other variants under review, provide a reminder that the coronavirus is not a static target for vaccines and the human immune system. Most scientists believe the vaccines will remain effective against the variants, a belief bolstered by research released Monday by Moderna, maker of one of the two vaccines authorized in the United States.

British scientists said late last week that they have preliminary evidence suggesting that the variant identified in the United Kingdom may be about 30% more lethal than the more common strain of SARS-CoV-2, the technical name for the novel coronavirus. The researchers emphasized that this is a new variant, and that they are trying to understand its effects. The scientific community has not produced evidence that the variants identified in South African and Brazil cause a different level of disease severity.

But the those variants have elicited particular concern among scientists because they contain mutations that may allow the virus to evade the effects of some antibodies, such as the monoclonal antibodies developed as therapies for patients with covid-19, the illness caused by the virus.

"This is the new reality of covid," Osterholm said. "This is now the dawning of the age of the variants."

- - -

The Washington Post's Lena H. Sun contributed to this report.
Bengaluru, Jan 27 : Late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's close aide, V.K. Sasikala will complete her four year prison term for corruption on Wednesday but having tested Covid positive on January 20, she may have to continue her treatment in a Bengaluru hospital.

According to the Bengaluru Jail authorities, Sasikala will be formally released on Wednesday. "All the required formalities pertaining to her release will be completed at the hospital itself on Wednesday as she has been quarantined due to Covid," a prison official told IANS.

Sasikala tested positive on January 20 and was admitted to the Bowring hospital initially. In view of her critical condition, she was shifted to the ICU ward of Victoria Hospital.

Now that the symptoms have reduced substantially and her condition has become normal, she has been taken out of the ICU, the Victoria Hospital authorities said in a statement.

However, the hospital authorities have been monitoring her. Meanwhile, her sister-in-law J. Ilavarasi, who too is serving a jail term along with Sasikala in the corruption case and was found Covid-19 positive, was keeping well, the authorities said.

Victoria Hospital, where she is treated, said Sasikala is conscious, alert and well oriented. She is consuming food and she is also maintaining oxygen saturation 97 per cent on two litres of oxygen through a non-rebreather mask (NRBM), it added.

Her release comes at a time when Tamil Nadu is preparing for assembly elections in which her former party AIADMK takes on the DMK.

Sasikala was reportedly unwell at her prison cell for about a week before admitted to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital by the prison doctors with a diagnosis of type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypothyroidism, urinary tract infection (UTI) and suspected Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI).

The 63-year-old Sasikala is serving her prison term in a disproportionate assets case. The case pertains to the amassment of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore during Jayalalithaa's tenure as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1991-1996.

In September 2013, a special court convicted Jayalalithaa to simple imprisonment of four years. She was also slapped with a Rs 100 crore fine and forced to step down as the CM. The three co-accused -- Sasikala, V.N. Sudhakaran, and Ilavarasi were also convicted, and fined Rs 10 crore each.

Jayalalithaa challenged the conviction in the Karnataka High Court, which acquitted her of all charges. But in 2017, the Supreme Court upheld the special court verdict convicting all four of them. Charges against Jayalalithaa were abated in view of her death on December 5, 2016.

Soon after Jayalaithaa's death, Sasikala took over the reins of the AIADMK in December 2016, but was later expelled from the party by the Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami-led camp.

She again came into limelight in late November 2019, when the Income Tax Department had reportedly attached properties valued Rs 1,600 crore allegedly belonging to her under the provisions of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act. It is alleged that nine properties, located in Chennai, Puducherry and Coimbatore, were purchased soon after demonetisation in November 2016.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
More than $470,000 has been forfeited following an investigation into methamphetamine dealing in Gisborne.

Three people were convicted in Gisborne District Court between November 2019 and February 2020 for their roles in the sale and supply of methamphetamine in Gisborne, investigated by Police as part of Operation Pinyin.

This included Lucky Campbell, who was jailed for over 14 years in December 2019 after pleading guilty to seven charges of possessing methamphetamine for supply, says Detective Inspector Craig Hamilton.

As part of Operation Pinyin, Police sought the forfeiture of $470,170 cash order under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act (CPRA) from the High Court in Gisborne, and a forfeiture order was granted in December 2020.

The CPRA allows Police to restrain and forfeit assets acquired or derived from the proceeds of crime. The intention of the CPRA is to prevent, disrupt and deter crime, especially in organised crime and methamphetamine offending.

"Money gives criminals power and influence, and removing the profits from crime is an important part of the Police strategy to make New Zealand the safest country," says Craig.

"Asset Recovery Teams play an important role pursuing and seeking the forfeiture of criminally derived income and property.

"This is a great result for the Gisborne community as these funds will now be used to fund initiatives to reduce the harm of crime and prevent its occurrence.

"We need communities to be vigilant and we encourage the reporting of suspicious financial activities, including information about those who are acquiring property or are living a lifestyle that is inconsistent with their means.

"If we can deny criminals the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of their offending or to reinvest those proceeds we will all be safer in our homes, on the roads and in our communities."

Anyone with information is urged to contact Police on 105, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Supermodel Victoria Silvstedt looked sensational in Miami on Tuesday, as she took part in her latest photo shoot.

The blonde bombshell, 46, flaunted her killer frame in a pale pink one-piece and a flimsy salmon wrap during the sun-kissed shoot.

Showing off her tanned limbs, the star waited on the sidelines, hand on hip, her swimsuit accentuating her famous curves.

Supermodel: Victoria Silvstedt looked sensational in Miami on Tuesday, as she took part in her latest photo shoot

Her swimsuit displayed her ample bust and featured a thong detailing, teasing her derriere.

Her manicure matched her pink look and she wore her blonde locks loosely around her shoulders.

Make-up was flawless - a smokey eye, bronzer and a pink slash on her pout.

The Swedish model is dating a businessman named Maurice Dabbah.

Blonde bombshell: She flaunted her killer frame in a pale pink one-piece and a flimsy salmon wrap during the sun-kissed shoot

Click flash! Showing off her tanned limbs, the star, 46, waited on the sidelines, her swimsuit accentuating her famous curves

Victoria - who was previously married to Chris Wragge - has been dating Maurice since 2011 and the couple are often seen enjoying vacations on his yacht together.

Before arriving in Miami, she had been lapping up the sunshine in tropical St Barts since November, staying in the celebrity haven until this month.

Like a number of other stars, Victoria is among the set who faithfully travel to St Barts annually to ring in the New Year in glamorous style.

She has enjoyed a lengthy stint in the spotlight after being chosen to represent her country in the Miss World pageant in 1993.

Busty: Her swimsuit displayed her ample bust and featured a thong detailing, teasing her derriere

Blowin' in the wind: Her manicure matched her pink look and she wore her blonde locks loosely around her shoulders

Wow: The star looked effortlessly radiant as she soaked up the sun during her shoot

Radiant: Victoria looked in her element as she posed and pouted during the cheeky shoot

After her pageant days, the Scandinavian stunner was spotted by Hugh Hefner and went on to become a Playboy Playmate.

Since her career rocketed, Victoria has modelled for some of the world's most prestigious fashion houses, including Chanel, Dior and Valentino.

Despite the glamorous veneer to her lifestyle as a young model, she revealed there was a dark side in a recent interview with Female First.

Victoria said: 'I started very young to model in Paris when I was 18, I remember like starving myself to fit into the clothes and it was an amazing experience but you know I did shows for Valentino, Chanel, so it was really prestigious.'
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Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
They have well and truly embraced their cheeky nicknames since being branded Shouty and Pouty by a troll on Twitter.

And Good Morning Britain's Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid have now been turned into Mr Men characters inspired by their playful monikers.

The popular breakfast TV duo are being immortalised in the style of the Roger Hargreaves famous illustrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the books.

What an honour! Good Morning Britain's Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid have been turned into Mr Men cartoons inspired by their playful nicknames- Shouty and Pouty

Piers, who has perviously declared he 'loves' his nickname, can be seen as a blue Mr Shouty with his recognisable quiffed hair boasting a few grey streaks.

His character dons a tie and smart black shoes while wearing a frown expression and appears to be mid argument with an animated hand raised in the air.

While Susanna's Little Miss Pouty cartoon is a bright yellow colour and features her long brunette locks.

She is kitted out in snazzy red heels and with a slick of bright rouge lipstick - perfect to showcase the pout - with the drawing holding one hand in the air waving.

Characters: Piers' cartoon Mr. Shouty (left) features his quiffed locks and look of lively discussion while Susanna's Little Miss Pouty (right) has long brunette hair and a bright red pout

The publishers are set to launch two new characters and have asked fans, for the first time ever, to vote for their favourite from a shortlist of five characters.

Making the shortlist are: Mr. Calm, Little Miss Kind, Little Miss Brave, Little Miss Energy and Mr. Brilliant.

Sadly, Piers and Susanna will not be joining the permanent cast of 90 characters but for more information on the poll.

Adam Hargreaves, son of the original creator additionally said: 'It's amazing to see people are still connecting to the books after 50 years.

'They have always been about getting people to relate with the unique characters and identify the different traits of their own personalities, so it's great to involve the fans and let them help shape the next 50 years of Mr. Men'

Piers and Susanna previously poked fun at their Shouty and Pouty nicknames when signing off for their summer break last year.

The duo thanked crew for keeping the show going amid the pandemic and shared a montage of some highlights inspired by their nickname's sounding like 'a couple of hot detectives'.

They showed some hilarious best bits of the presenting duo which ended with a clip of Susanna saying: 'You for once need to pipe down.'

Shouty: Piers has certainly embraced his playful moniker, with the host sharing a video of him playing up to the name while signing off from the show last summer

Pouty: The duo shared a montage of their best moments together as they celebrated 2020 and kickstarted their summer break

Piers added: 'Well we are going to pipe down, because it's been a very long year and we are going to take a little break.'

He continued: 'We want to thanks viewers for all the feedback you've given us, a lot of good feedback or the not so good feedback.

'But you know what, we take all feedback, that's why we live in a democracy - we're allowed to have an opinion,' Piers joked.

The duo then signed off for the summer saying: 'Shouty and Pouty are off.'

To see Piers' and Susanna's reaction to their very own Mr Men cartoon characters, watch Good Morning Britain tomorrow.

Watch Good Morning Britain weekdays on ITV from 6am and catch up on The Hub

Frankfurt: AstraZeneca denies its COVID-19 vaccine is not very effective for people over 65, after German media reports said officials feared the shot may not be approved in the European Union for use in the elderly.

German daily papers Handelsblatt and Bild said in separate reports the vaccine - co-developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University - had an efficacy of 8 per cent or less than 10 per cent, respectively, in those over 65 years of age.

In a written response, AstraZeneca described the German media reports as completely incorrect.

A researcher works on the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Credit:University of Oxford

It said Britains Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation supported the vaccines use in the elderly. It also said that a strong immune response to the vaccine had been shown in blood analysis of elderly trial participants.
SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif., Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Specialized Elevator Services (SES) achieved significant business milestones in 2020. SES expanded its business to include 8,000+ elevators under service contract, making SES the largest independent elevator service company in the western United States. Another notable achievement for 2020 was the addition of 24 Hour Elevator, San Diego's leading independent elevator service company. For the year, SES sustained maintenance revenue retention rates in excess of 97%, demonstrating that customers continue to value the high level of service SES provides.

According to Gregory Ray (CEO), "Our 250+ employees (including more than 180 union mechanics) have performed incredibly well during 2020, providing their skills as essential service workers to keep our customers' elevators running safely."

Donovan McKeever (President) remarked, "I'm very proud of the resilience, compassion, and generosity displayed by our entire team as they navigated both the personal and professional challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic."

Ray added, "During 2020, we have augmented our leadership team with new talent. Industry veterans Ken Dixon and Bill Schassberger now lead our San Diego operation. In addition, we have added two key corporate leaders: Matt Korcinsky as CFO, and Jeff Sprosty as VP of Sales. Sprosty brings more than 20 years of experience in the elevator industry, including a track record of excellent customer service and sales growth.

In conclusion, Ray commented, "We want to thank our customers and our dedicated employees for making our success this year possible."

About Specialized Elevator Services Holdings (SES): SES is the largest independent elevator service company in the western United States, providing regular maintenance services for 8,000 elevators and escalators, as well as repair, modernization, and installation services. SES was formed through the merger of three independent elevator service companies: San Francisco Elevator in San Francisco and the Bay Area, 24 Hour Elevator in San Diego, and Specialized Elevator Services in Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The highly trained union mechanics at SES are capable of servicing most makes and models of elevators and escalators, including equipment made by Kone, thyssenkrupp, Schindler, and Otis. Because SES is an independent company, it has the flexibility to propose the right equipment option for any repair or modernization.

For more information about Specialized Elevator Services, or its San Francisco, San Diego, or Los Angeles/Orange County locations, please visit www.specializedelevatorservices.com.

SOURCE Specialized Elevator Services
One of the nations top journalism executives, Baron took over the Posts newsroom in 2012 after editing the Boston Globe and Miami Herald before that. Liev Schreiber portrayed Baron in the 2015 movie Spotlight about the Globes investigation of the Catholic Church and introduced the journalist to a wider audience. The film won Best Picture at the 2016 Academy Awards.
The US-China trade war, Brexit, the US withdrawal from TPP, Covid-19 and internal difficulties all have affected Vietnams economy in the last five years.

However, the country has overcome difficulties and is among the fastest growing economies in the world.

As a teacher and a businessman running a company, To Nhat, president of Success Business School, CEO of AMACCAO Group, understands the pressure caused by the worlds political and economic upheavals in the last five years.

Five years ago, we did not have many international partners because our operation was only in construction and installation with products mostly consumed domestically. So there was little impact from these upheavals, he recalled.

However, in the last five years, business owners have clearly felt the impact. Even minor events in large economies are enough to affect Vietnams businesses.

The world has been in an abnormal situation since the US-China trade war broke out, the UK decided to leave the EU, the US abandoned TPP, and the Covid-19 pandemic appeared, said Nguyen Minh Cuong, ADB Chief Economist.

However, Vietnam has gained new achievements amid difficulties.

Tran Toan Thang, a respected economist, said in the 2016-2019 period, Vietnam had great success in developing the economy. The GDP growth rate hovered around 7 percent in the 2018-2019 period. And if the macro indicators in 2020 had been similar to previous years, the figures in 2016-2020 would have been very good.

The world has been in an abnormal situation since the US-China trade war broke out, the UK decided to leave the EU, the US abandoned TPP, and the Covid-19 pandemic appeared,

The if did not happen. The indicators used to measure Vietnams economy were seriously hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The GDP growth rate in 2020 decreased by half compared with the year before, while the state budget collections were lower than planned.

However, the 2.91 percent GDP growth rate, among the highest in the world, for 2020, which was the last year of the five-year 2016-2020 development plan, has been hailed by international institutions.

Overcoming difficulties

The macro foundation has become better in the last five years, while people and businesses have shown resilience after shocks.

The size of the national economy has increased by 1.4 times, reaching $340 billion, the fourth largest in ASEAN.

A report on the five-year 2016-2020 socio-economic development plan by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) shows this clearly. The GDP growth rate in the 2016-2019 period was relatively high, at 6.8 percent on average.

Though Vietnams economy was seriously hit in 2020 by the pandemic, the average GDP growth rate in 2016-2020 was still among the highest fastest-growing economies in the region and the world, at 5.99 percent (5.91 percent in 2011-2015).

The consumer price index (CPI), which was a major concern for people and businesses as it had increased sharply year after year, was no longer a problem in the 2016-2020 period. The CPI rose by only 3.2 percent in the 2016-2020 period. It fell sharply from the 7.65 percent rate in the 2011-2015 period.

FDI to Vietnam has increased significantly. The total registered FDI capital in 2016-2020 reached $173-174 billion, including $92-93 billion worth of implemented capital. The figures were $100.3 billion and $60 billion, respectively, in 2011-2015.

Vietnam had a trade surplus in the 2016-2020 period instead of a trade deficit seen in the previous period. The trade surplus in 2020 reached $19 billion, $8 billion more than 2019.

The trade surplus in 2019 was $10.87 billion, higher than the $6.83 billion in 2018, five times higher than the trade surplus in 2017 ($2.11 billion) and six times higher than 2016 ($1.78 billion).

However, according to Thang, there were some minus points. Economic bottlenecks have not improved much. Vietnam did not make any breakthrough changes in training to prepare human resources for the new investment wave. The proportion of skilled workers has risen, but not sharply.

Investment and labor force remain the two big bottlenecks. We have accelerated the 4.0 industry revolution and promoted digital technology. However, the institutions and policies for the new issues remain unclear, he said.

He said though the economy had expanded, it was not big enough for the country to reach a new development level.

The report by MPI pointed out that the economic growth rate was lower than planned. Vietnam still has not caught up with other regional countries.

Meanwhile, the risk of falling into the so-called middle-income trap and lagging further behind remains a real challenge.

Vietnam is entering a new development stage with an ambitious plan of becoming a high income country by 2045. The country has been a middle income country for the last 12 years, since 2008.

Vietnam must not continue to lag behind

Asked what Vietnam should do in the next development period, Cuong from ADB said Vietnam needs to continue the process of shifting to a market economy. It is necessary to encourage the development of the private sector, because only a dynamic private sector will help Vietnam overcome difficulties.

Nhat from Amaccao affirmed that recent years have witnessed the strong rise of Vietnams private economic groups, many of which can compete equally with international enterprises.

Luong Bang

Reshuffle underway to further stimulate revival of economy The 13th National Party Congress is expected to set the countrys average annual growth rate of 6.5-7 per cent from now until 2025, when Vietnam may become a higher middle-income nation.
Patrick Brennan had long lobbied to start a king cake program for his family's landmark Brennans Restaurant (417 Royal St., 504-525-9711), but the busy pace of Carnival season always seemed to push it to the back burner.

Not so this year, and it turns out the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group started just in time.

As tighter restaurant restrictions cut regular dining business, the companys king cake operation revved up. That means staff the restaurant recently rehired could stay on the job by switching to king cake production.

Weve pulled servers, cooks, dishwashers, everyone; theyre getting hours they wouldnt have had, said Brennan, sous chef and bakery manager for the family's restaurant group. Were lucky that we had the facility and the equipment we needed ready to go so we could keep doing this.

King cakes have been a niche business for some restaurants through the years. Right now, with restaurants desperate for any revenue they can gin up, the citys voracious king cake appetite is a seasonal opportunity more are pursuing.

At GW Fins (808 Bienville St., 504-581-3467), the upscale seafood house, chef Mike Nelson devised a head-turning new king cake that looks like a soft pretzel in a Mardi Gras costume. Its a mini king cake with praline filling twisted into the shape of pretzel, with the fluffy chew of a soft pretzel and the flavor of king cake. Cute as pie, they're designed for both single servings and sharing, packaged six to a box (at the restaurant or at King Cake Hub) or sold individually at the restaurant.

Around the corner, historic Galatoires Restaurant (209 Bourbon St., 504-525-2021) has made its own first foray into king cakes, selling them by preorder each Thursday (order by Wednesday). Its a traditional cake with a thick white icing and green sugar, mirroring the restaurants own color motif, and has a soft, fluffy, pastrylike texture.

Many restaurants have king cake-themed desserts on their menus, of course, and this year, that includes another New Orleans classic, Antoine's (713 St. Louis St., 504-581-4422), the citys oldest restaurant, which has a king cake version of its famous baked Alaska on its Mardi Gras prix fixe menus.

Other restaurants have found a much-needed boost by selling other makers king cakes, and thats especially true for the vaunted Dong Phuong king cake. The Vietnamese bakery has a loyal following for its crisp-shelled cake, and it has evolved a network of official resellers to broaden access away from its own New Orleans East facility. This year, that network includes more restaurants and retail shops.

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One is Killer PoBoys (219 Dauphine St., 504-462-2731), a small sandwich shop in the French Quarter known for creative riffs on the po-boy. The Dong Phuong king cake sales are adding up to a big difference for a shop that has been reduced to takeout only in the pandemic.

This is an insane business landscape to operate in right now, but this is one thing thats consistent, said Killer PoBoys co-founder Cam Boudreaux. It reminds people that were here; its more sales, and that means we can keep our staff working.

When the Ralph Brennan group finally did decide to get into the king cake game, it went big. From its dedicated baking facility in Gert Town, the company now produces three styles  one traditional with generous seams of cinnamon; an extra-rich, gooey strawberry cream cheese king cake (dubbed the "pink parade"); and a dense, brownie-like "black-and-gold" chocolate number.

Together they account for about 1,600 king cakes a week, with a van shuttling dozens per day to the King Cake Hub and many others headed out of town through national shipping orders. Brennan said sometimes its more than king cake cravings alone that sparks the demand.

Were getting notes from people when they order saying they ate at Brennans for their honeymoon or had dinner here years ago and want to relive the experience, Brennan said. People have strong memories around restaurants. It means a lot that people are supporting us now.

Full disclosure: John Georges, an owner of The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate, is also a partner in Galatoire's.

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+11 Facing new rules, fickle weather, here's how New Orleans restaurants keep hanging on On a chilly night last weekend there was still a warm glow around Rosedale, and it wasnt all coming from inside the snug neighborhood restaurant.
Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, a former Minister of Trade, says late former President Jerry John Rawlings, promoted Christian values through his lifestyle and despised bribery, corruption, illegal mining, and environmental degradation.



He said he (Rawlings), also fought for social justice and longed for the total wellbeing of the nation.



We should remember his values of integrity, probity and accountability, transparency and social justice. These are the values I have inculcated personally in my life, he said.



People should abide by his values as I have tried to live by it in my way. Unless we want to say living by those values is for old people or old-timers and that they are no longer applicable to Ghana.



Mr Spio-Garbrah said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after filing past the mortal remains of former President Rawlings at the Accra International Conference Centre.



Flt. Lt. Rawlings, who was the first President of the fourth Republic, passed away on Thursday, November 12, 2020, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, after a short illness.



Mr Spio-Garbrah said Mr Rawlings sacrificed himself and lived entirely for Ghana, saying, People might have thought that he came to enjoy himself because that is how people think about Heads of States but this was a very different President.



No President, since he left office and even before he left office, has entered the gutters of Nima to clean it for them. No President has ever lifted sacks of cocoa to bring them to the ports when Ghana had difficulty in shipping its exports. He loved his country and cared for his people, he stated.



The former Trade Minister, who is currently the Chairman of the African Business Centre for Developing Education, said the man, Rawlings, played a crucial and the biggest role in making what many including engineers saw impossibility, a possibility for Ghana, especially the Northern side to obtain electricity.



He made this possible to the point that Ghana now has the second-highest electricity power connection per capita after South Africa in Africa. People should thank Rawlings for the power they have in their homes now particularly in Tamale, Bunkpurugu, and Walewale, among others.

Source: GNA









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The Defence Ministry on Monday said that on the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day, India will show its military might with Rafale jets taking part in the Republic Day flypast for the first time and the armed forces showcasing T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system, Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets. The Ministry further informed that a total of 32 tableaus including 17 from states and Union Territories, 6 from the Defence Ministry and 9 from other Union Ministries and paramilitary forces--depicting the nation's rich cultural heritage, economic progress and defence prowess will roll down Rajpath at the Republic Day parade, the ministry said in a statement.

The Defence Ministry said, "School children will perform folk arts and crafts displaying skills and dexterity handed down from generations -- Bajasal, one of the most beautiful folk dances of Kalahandi in Odisha, Fit India Movement and Aatmanirbhar Bharat," the ministry noted. A 122-member proud contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces will also march on Rajpath on Tuesday.

READ | Republic Day 2021 Celebration Undergoes Change Over COVID, Defence Ministry Decides Format

Republic Day 2021

Listing out further details, the Ministry informed that the Bangladesh contingent will carry the legacy of legendary Muktijoddas of Bangladesh, who fought against oppression and mass atrocities and liberated Bangladesh in 1971. "India is currently celebrating the SawrnimVijay Varsh- Golden Jubilee year-commemorating the country's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh," it added.

The Indian Army will showcase the main battle tank T-90 Bhishma, infantry combat vehicle BMP-II-Sarath, mobile autonomous launcher of the Brahmos missile system, multi-launcher rocket system Pinaka, electronic warfare system Samvijay among others during the parade.

The Ministry noted that the Indian Navy's tableau at the Republic Day parade this year will showcase models of Indian naval ship (INS) Vikrant and naval operations that were conducted during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will showcase models of light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas and indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile Dhruvastra on its tableaus during the parade, the ministry noted. They also showcased scaled-down models of the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet and Rohini radar on the tableaus. A total of 38 IAF aircraft, include Rafale, and four planes of the Indian Army will participate in the flypast on Tuesday.

READ | Republic Day 2021: Wishes And Messages To Share With Friends And Family

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will have two tableaus at this year's parade, one showcasing light combat aircraft Tejas' successful take off from aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in 2020, and another displaying full complement of the anti-tank guided missile systems, the Defence Ministry said. The Republic Day parade ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial.

PM Modi will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. Thereafter, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Rajpath to witness the parade. As per tradition, the national flag will be unfurled followed by the national anthem with a booming 21-gun salute and the parade will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute, the ministry added.

READ | Ladakh To Make Debut In Republic Day Parade On Rajpath

17 tableaux from various states and union territories, namely, Gujarat, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Tripura, West Bengal, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi and Ladakh will be showcased during the parade, depicting the geographical and rich cultural diversity of the country, it said.

The Defence Ministry stated these tableaux will show the vision for Ladakh to be carbon neutral, the sun temple at Modhera in Mehsana District of Gujarat, tea-tribes of Assam, shore temple and other monuments of Pallava Dynasty in Tamil Nadu, Bhakti Movement and saints of Maharashtra, etc.

READ | Republic Day 2021: Wishes And Messages To Share With Friends And Family

(With PTI inputs)
We conservatives are pretty pissed off at John Roberts, Chief Justice. We remember the cartoon of a week or so ago when the United States Supreme Court was represented as three donkeys, four chickens, and, on the end of the row, two Americans: Justice Alito and Justice Thomas.

But now our Democratic friends want to have a trial of Citizen Trump in the Senate. So I looked up the text of the Constitution online. It says

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.

Ahem. Do you see the problem here, you strict constructionists, you living constitutionalists, and you, Sen. Chuck E. Schumer (D-NY)? When the proposed trial begins on February 8, Roberts, CJ, can say -- should say -- to the assembled duly sworn multitude: Sorry chaps. The President of the United States is not on trial. Citizen Trump is on trial. So it would be against the Constitution as written for the Chief Justice to preside. And it would be a grievous blow to the dignity of the Supreme Court and the plain meaning of the Constitution if the Chief Justice were to preside in flagrant violation of the plain words of the Constitution.

This should not be that hard for the Chief Justice. Back in the day, did he not say, with plain words, in his decision on Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District:

[T]he way to achieve a system of determining admission to the public schools on a nonracial basis, Brown II, 349 U. S., at 300-301, is to stop assigning students on a racial basis. The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.

You cant get any plainer than that, although that was in the happy days before the blight of systemic racism and the stinking cloud of the colonized curriculum had descended upon this once happy land.

Yes. I know what you wokies are saying. What about the penumbras and the emanations? Do they count for nothing, you systemic racist? It is straight up systemic racism and insurrection for the Chief Justice to fail to preside over a Senate trial of an insurrectional man who incited QAnon LARPers to humiliate our woke communities with selfies in that Holy of Holies, also honored as a constitutional penumbra and emanation, Nancy Pelosis Capitol building office. It says so, right there, in the Addendum: Penumbras and Emanations of Article I Section 3: The Senate.

Know what I think about that? Go pound sand, wokies.

What this moment is asking of you, Chief Justice Roberts, is to finally step out of the chicken suit you have been wearing at least since you choked on ObamaCare, and step into history.

(Oh good. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says that Roberts wont preside . So far.)

What is merely a small step for Roberts, CJ, is going to be a big step for the rest of those who propose to lead the great mass of American Commoners After Trump. Because we are going to need heroes and martyrs in the years ahead, and millions of Bartlebys who will tell their liberal bosses they would prefer not to?

You headline politicians that propose to represent ordinary Americans in the future are going to have to sacrifice your lives, your fortunes, and your sacred honor. Are you going to fight for us, and die for us, or are you going to cower in fear of the ruling class and its Ministry of Truth?

Let us take the late conservative Roger Scruton for a model. Son of a teacher, he had his intellectual awakening in 1968 in Paris watching an unruly mob of self-indulgent middle-class hooligans LARPing revolution. Then he was the only conservative teaching at Birkbeck College in London. Then his academic career was wrecked when he began The Salisbury Review in the 1980s. Then he marched into the belly of the beast of Communist Eastern Europe to teach freedom to an underground education network started by the Czech dissident Julius Tomin, smuggling in books, organizing lectures and even awarding degrees. Then in 2019 the New Statemans George Easton had the right-wing racist and homophobe canceled. In early 2020, Scruton died of cancer.

Scruton was said to be a gentle soul. No doubt: but a gentle soul with a never-failing courage that we all, from Roberts CJ to sauntering politicians to ordinary Commoners, might hope to emulate.

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: Pete Helme
NEW DELHI: The coronavirus pandemic has left deep marks across the world, and South Asia, including India, is no different. Disruptions caused by the pandemic have turned this once high-growth region into the worst performing geography in 2020, a UN report has said, adding that consequent job and income losses will reverse decades of development and hurt poverty alleviation efforts.

High rates of unemployment in 2020 will have a long tail and joblessness will remain elevated in 202, the report said. Unemployment has directly or indirectly hit 2.7 billion workers worldwide and economies with high informal workforce will need to handhold the labour market to help regain income, social security, and achieve sustainable development goals in education, poverty, and social equality, it said.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

This follows a report from the International Labour Organization that had highlighted the magnitude of working hour and income loss around the world, in the wake of the pandemic, and urged countries to step up efforts to address the issue. The ILO report had said South Asia including India could see 4.9% loss in working hours in 2021 and this could mean millions of job losses  up to 31 million in worst case scenario. To be sure, ILO estimates unemployment by counting losses in working hours. The organisation had said that of the 255 million jobs lost worldwide in 2020, South Asia accounted for 80 million.

The crisis has wreaked havoc on the labour markets in the developing world. By mid-2020, unemployment rates had quickly escalated to record highs  27% in Nigeria, 23% in India, 21% in Colombia, 17% in the Philippines and above 13% in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Saudi Arabia and Turkey," said the UN report titled Worldeconomic situation and prospect 2021.

The ILO report said that in Asia and the Pacific, the annual estimated decline in working hours in 2020 is 7.9% while southern Asia, driven by India, will likely see a 34.5% in the second quarter and 9.9% in the third quarter. The two largest countries in the region, China and India, registered estimated annual average losses of 4.1% and 13.7%, respectively".

The UN report said livelihood and income impacts have been particularly harsh for about 2 billion informal workers who have limited social protection, especially those self-employed in the informal economy. It said informal sector accounts for more than 60% of jobs in a number of large developing countries, including India, Indonesia, and Mexico.

The job loss and income loss has a direct bearing on any economy. For India, the covid-19 outbreak has been one of large scale health, economic and people crisis. While people are talking about job loss and income loss in formal sectors, the informal sector has faced a severe trauma but lack of record or data hides the crisis a larger portion of the labour market is facing. This is and will be bad for poverty alleviation in both the short and medium term, for economic revival and for achieving sustainable development goals in area like education, poverty, social equity," said K. R. ShyamSundar, a labour economist.

The UN report almost reiterates this viewpoint. The total number of people living in poverty is expected to increase by 131 million in 2020 aloneand as many as 797 million people will still be trapped in extreme poverty in 2030, representing a poverty headcount ratio of over 9% (worldwide). The cardinal Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 will likely be missed by a large margin."

The report added that while the short-term impact of the pandemic has been severe, its long-term impact will be equally devastating and will be felt for years to come. With the crisis accelerating the pace of digitization and automation, millions of jobs lost in 2020 will not come back. Unemployment rates will remain elevated in the near term. While productivity in some sectors of the economy will rise during the post-crisis period, average productivity growth--consequently potential output of the world economy--will remain weak in the coming years.

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The White House is now saying that not every American will be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in spring just one day after President Biden pledged that anyone who wanted a shot could get it by then.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki was on Tuesday asked about Biden's comments just 24 hours earlier about when most Americans would be able to receive their shots.

'The fact is, is every American is not going to be eligible this spring,' Psaki told the White House press briefing. 'What the president's goal is, is ensuring that there's greater availability in the spring. He will push his team. He pushes his team on COVID and updates on it, even when it's a meeting about other issues. This is his focus every single day.'

It is in contrast to Biden's prediction a day earlier that the US would be 'well on our way' to herd immunity by the summer after his bullish promise that everyone who 'wants a vaccine will have it in spring'.

Asked about Biden raising the bar on the number of shots administered each day, Psaki said the president never actually committed to raising his daily goal from one million to 1.5 million vaccines per day.

'The President didn't actually say, 'the new goal is.' The President said, 'I hope we can do even more than that, and that is certainly, of course, his hope.'

Biden had said a day earlier that his administration may be able to administer 1.5 million doses per day, saying: 'I think we may be able to get that to... 1.5 million a day, rather than one million a day... but we have to meet that goal of a million a day.'

The Biden administration will now give states an approximately 17 percent boost in vaccine next week following complaints around the US of shortages so severe that some vaccination sites had to cancel tens of thousands of appointments with people waiting for their first shot.

Detailed figures posted on the CDC website on Tuesday showed that the government plans to make about 10.1 million first and second doses available next week, which is up from this week's allotment of 8.6 million.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki was on Tuesday asked about Biden's comments 24 hours earlier about when most Americans would be able to receive their shots

A total of 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccines were handed out in the United States yesterday. The seven-day rolling average for daily COVID-19 vaccinations nationwide is currently at 1.3 million

The US has now vaccinated 7.1 percent of its population after an additional 1.1 million shots were handed out on Monday. The seven-day rolling average for daily COVID-19 vaccinations nationwide is currently at 1.3 million.

So far 23.4 million vaccine doses have been administered, which is 56 percent of the 41.4 million shots already distributed to states by the federal government.

The increase in vaccines comes as sites around the US are canceling large numbers of appointments because of vaccine shortages. Governors and top health officials have complained about inadequate supplies and the need for earlier and more reliable estimates of how much is on the way so that they can plan accordingly.

Amid the rising frustration, the Biden White House scheduled its first virus-related call with the nation's governors on Tuesday.

It comes as Moderna said on Tuesday it was on track to deliver about 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the US by March and another 100 million by June.

The company, which signed a purchase agreement with the US for 200 million doses, said it has supplied 30.4 million doses of its vaccine so far. According to CDC data, only 10 million of those Moderna vaccines have actually been distributed.

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which both require two doses, are currently the only ones being offered in the US.

Shots made by Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, which only require one dose, have not been approved by the FDA but both are expected to be within the next few months.

Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday it expected to report eagerly-awaited data on its COVID-19 vaccine early next week and that it would be able to meet the delivery target for doses to countries with which it had signed supply agreements.

Public health officials are increasingly counting on single-dose options like the one being tested by J&J to simplify and boost inoculations given the complications and slower-than-hoped rollout of Pfizer and Moderna.

So far 7.1 percent of the US population has been vaccinated. In total, 23.4 million vaccine doses have been administered, which is 56 percent of the 41.4 million shots already distributed to states by the federal government

On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state is 'at the mercy of what the federal government sends us' and can't meet growing demand from residents.

Officials in West Virginia, which has had one of the best rates of administering vaccine, said they have fewer than 11,000 first doses on hand even after this weeks shipment.

'I'm screaming my head off' for more, Republican Gov. Jim Justice said.

The weekly allocation cycle for first doses begins on Monday nights, when federal officials review data on vaccine availability from manufacturers to determine how much each state can have. Allocations are based on each jurisdictions population of people 18 and older.

States are notified on Tuesdays of their allocations through a computer network called Tiberius and other channels, after which they can specify where they want doses shipped. Deliveries start the following Monday.

A similar but separate process for ordering second doses, which must be given three to four weeks after the first, begins each week on Sunday night.

Moderna said on Tuesday it was on track to deliver about 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the US by March and another 100 million by June

People without appointments wait in line for the potential chance to receive a vaccination that would have otherwise been discarded at the Kedren Community Health Center in Los Angeles on Monday

A large crowd lined up out the hospital in Los Angeles in case doses had to be discarded and they could receive a shot

Some state officials have also complained of a lag between when they report their numbers to the government and when the figures are posted on the CDC website.

While some vaccination sites have canceled appointments for first-dose shots, many are believed to be holding large quantities of vaccine in reserve to make sure people who have already gotten their first shot receive the required second one on schedule, three to four weeks later.

Inova Health System, the largest health provider in Virginia's Washington, DC suburbs, said it is canceling all first-dose appointments at its mass vaccination clinics beginning Thursday because of inadequate supplies. Those who have already received a first dose will have their appointments for a second dose honored, it said.

In North Carolina, Greensboro-based Cone Health announced it is canceling first-dose appointments for 10,000 people and moving them to a waiting list because of supply problems. Also, UNC Health said Monday that the 10,000 doses it will receive this week are less than half of what it expected.

North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen said Monday that 'challenges and shortages' will persist as long as the state is 'getting such a small amount of vaccine.'
A man from Ohio who is accused of entering the U.S. Capitol and stealing a coat rack from the Senate during the January 6 siege of the building, claims he was 'inspired to do so by former President Donald Trump's lies about election fraud.'

Dustin Byron Thompson, 36, from Columbus was accompanied by his layer Sam Shamansky on Monday morning at the U.S. District Courthouse in the Ohio state capital.

'How else do you explain otherwise rational, law-abiding citizens traveling to D.C. and doing what they did?' Shamansky asked as he made the point to a federal judge in the hearing which saw his client released on own recognizance.

In what could signal a defense strategy for many of the people ensnared after the Capitol riots, Thompson's attorney essentially is laying the blame at Trump's feet, saying his client was merely following the instructions of the former president.

As of Monday, at least 95 individuals have been charged in connection with the riot, according to DOJ records with at least five using a similar defense.

The words may end up being used against Trump in his Senate impeachment trial as he faces the charge of inciting a violent insurrection.

Dustin Byron Thompson, 36, is charged with stealing a coat rack during Capitol riots. He is pictured carrying the aforementioned coat rack

Thompson could be seen clearly on surveillance footage entering the Capitol building

Thompson is charged with federal misdemeanor counts of knowingly entering any restricted buildings or grounds and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. He is charged with theft of government property which carry potential prison terms of up to one year and fines up to $100,000.

Thanks to video evidence from the siege, there are 'very few factual disputes' regarding what Thompson did while storming the Capitol, after a Trump rally where he railed about the fact he believed the election had been stolen from him.

Thompson was pictured, circled, as he headed into an office which he went into for 4 minutes

Thompson is then pictured leaving the office, only this time holding the coat rack

Thompson was clearly identified from surveillance footage and social media pictures

Shamansky revealed to the Columbus Dispatch that his line of defense will be to outline how his client 'got brainwashed to the point they felt duty bound to follow the encouragement of their commander-in-chief during a highly charged political rally immediately preceding the invasion.'

Thompson is said to have 'believed the calculated, repetitive lies about how our democracy had been compromised and was being taken from them and they had to prevent that,' he said. 'It was nothing less than a call to arms from the highest level of government.'

On the day itself, the mob violently forced its way into the Capitol while the House and Senate were meeting to certify the vote count of the electoral college.

Dustin Thompson, left, of Columbus, who is accused of being part of the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, arrives with his lawyer, Sam Shamansky, to turn himself in

Dustin Byron Thompson, 36, from Columbus was accompanied by his layer Sam Shamansky on Monday morning at the U.S. District Courthouse in the Ohio state capital

The siege ended up disrupting the certifying of the election of President-elect Joe Biden.

Five people were killed including a Capitol Police Office.

A warrant was issued for Thompson's arrest on Friday after charges were filed against him.

Shamansky said he contacted the FBI over the weekend while making arrangements for Thompson to turn himself in.

About four hours after the riot, Thompson was spoken to by Capitol Police special agents while sitting on a sidewalk near the Capitol.

Thompson was charged with knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds. Pictured, A view of pro-Trump supporters storming the Capitol building January 6 above

Thompson made a run for it and dropped a wooden coat rack that is believed to have come from the Capitol

According to the the Capitol Police agent's affidavit, security footage shows Thompson entering the Capitol at 2:48pm before heading into an office.

He then leaves around four minutes later and is seen carrying a bottle of bourbon along with him before returning once again and later emerging with a coat rack.

Thompson was caught on surveillance video and the affidavit contains still photos from the footage with Thompson circled.

During his rally just prior to the riot, Trump had vowed to march on the Capitol with his supporters, but instead retreated to the White House to watch on TV

Thompson's justification for his action as being the president's own words brings to at least five the numbers of Trump supporters facing federal charges to have suggested they were taking orders from the then-president when they marched on Capitol Hill.

The words may end up being used against him in his Senate impeachment trial as he faces the charge of inciting a violent insurrection.

The comments, captured in interviews with reporters and federal agents, are likely to take center stage as Democrats lay out their case. It's the first time a former president will face such charges after leaving office.

'I feel like I was basically following my president. I was following what we were called to do. He asked us to fly there. He asked us to be there,' Jenna Ryan, a Texas real estate agent who posted a photo on Twitter of herself flashing a peace sign next to a broken Capitol window, told a Dallas-Fort Worth TV station.

Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man photographed on the dais in the Senate who was shirtless and wore face paint and a furry hat with horns, has similarly pointed a finger at Trump.

Chansley called the FBI the day after the insurrection and told agents he traveled 'at the request of the president that all 'patriots' come to D.C. on January 6, 2021,' authorities wrote in court papers.

Jacob Anthony Chansley, 33, has claimed through his attorney that he was 'duped' by Donald Trump into participating in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol

Chanley's lawyer unsuccessfully lobbied for a pardon for his client before Trump's term ended, saying Chansley 'felt like he was answering the call of our president.'

Authorities say that while up on the dais in the Senate chamber, Chansley wrote a threatening note to then-Vice President Mike Pence that said: 'It's only a matter of time, justice is coming.'

Trump is the first president to be twice impeached and the first to face a trial after leaving office. The charge this time is 'inciting violence against the government of the United States.'

Opening arguments in the trial will begin the week of Feb. 8. House Democrats who voted to impeach Trump last week for inciting the storming of the Capitol say a full reckoning is necessary before the country - and the Congress - can move on.
A multimillionaire Canadian casino CEO and his actress wife chartered a private jet to a remote First Nation community to be vaccinated against COVID-19, ignoring quarantine rules and potentially putting the safety of those in the rural area at risk.

Rodney Baker, 55, and 32-year-old Ekaterina Baker flew on January 21 to Beaver Creek, a community of 90 people in the far northwest of Canada close to the border with Alaska.

The pair, who married in 2017, had first landed in Whitehorse on January 19.

Instead of respecting the mandatory 14-day quarantine, they then chartered a private jet to Beaver Creek, 1,700 miles north of their home in Vancouver.

Rodney Baker and his wife Ekaterina were arrested and fined for their January 21 trip

Ekaterina Baker and her husband Rodney were fined $900 each for their actions

Once in the rural community - which has been largely spared the ravages of the pandemic, with only 70 confirmed cases and one death - they claimed to work at a local motel.

Individuals living and working in the Yukon territory do not need Yukon ID to be vaccinated. The government had previously announced that health cards from other jurisdictions would be accepted if the individuals were residents of the territory, and Baker and his wife gave ID from British Columbia and Ontario - the couple reportedly split their time between Vancouver and Toronto.

After being vaccinated, they left.

Locals were suspicious, however, and rang the motel, which confirmed the pair did not work there.

Rodney and Ekaterina Baker claimed they were working at a motel near Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek is home to around 100 people living near the Alaskan border in the far northwest

Beaver Creek airfield, where the couple landed on January 21, were vaccinated, then left

Officials working to enforce the Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA) went to Whitehorse airport, with the aim of meeting their plane as it landed from Beaver Creek.

The pair had already disembarked, so the officials went to the place the two had listed as a quarantine location in their self-declaration, but found they were not there.

Upon returning to the airport officials found the couple preparing to leave Whitehorse and issued two charges each.

The maximum penalty under CEMA is a CA $500 ($390) fine plus CA $75 surcharge, six months in jail, or both.

Both individuals received two fines: one for failing to self-isolate and a second for failing to follow their signed declaration, adding up to CA $1,150 ($900) each.

Rodney Baker was the CEO of the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (GCGC), a major owner of casinos and race tracks across Canada, until he resigned on Sunday, after his actions caused outrage in Canada.

His total annual compensation in 2019, according to the company's public financial documents, was CA $10.6 million ($8.3m).

Rodney Baker was the CEO of Great Canadian Gaming Corporation from 2011 until Sunday

Angela Demit, chair of the White River First Nation, said their community was outraged over the scheme.

'We are deeply concerned by the actions of individuals who put our Elders and vulnerable people at risk to jump the line for selfish purposes,' she said.

WRFN said they are also taking issue with the Yukon government.

Janet Vander Meer, who leads the local COVID-19 Inter-Agency Team, said the community feels deeply disrespected that they had to hear the story from local media, which created panic.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Brendan Hanley spoke to the First Nation on Friday after the story became public, and assured the community that risk of transmission is 'very low' in this case.

The First Nation said it will be implementing its own safety regulations for the second community vaccination.

Vander Meer said transient people live and work around town, which may explain why the two individuals did not raise suspicion until after they received their Moderna shot.

Vander Meer, a member of WRFN, said the community is deeply upset about the incident.

Many seniors in the community were among those vaccinated.

'We have been working solidly for 10 months to protect this community,' she said.

John Streicker, the Yukon's Minister of Community Services, said the Bakers put the community at risk by breaking quarantine, disregarding the declaration they signed on their arrival and travelling to the remote community.

He told Yukon News he questioned the logic of their deception, as it was unclear how they would get the second dose.

'I'm very upset at the individuals  the couple  who did this,' he told the paper on Friday.

'What they did was to mislead our officials and the community.'

He said they gave themselves away by asking for a ride to the airport immediately after their injections.

'And people were like, 'Well, why would you be going to the airport?' ' he told CBC.

'And so that's when the CEMA enforcement unit got called and said, 'Hey, who's this couple that may be flying back? You should check to see whether they really are here in the territory.''

The incident has been reported by the Yukon authorities to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Chuck Keeling, spokesman for the casino company, said: 'As a matter of policy, Great Canadian does not comment on personnel matters.'

'As a company, Great Canadian takes health and safety protocols extremely seriously, and our company strictly follows all directives and guidance issued by public health authorities in each jurisdiction where we operate.

'Our adherence to those directives is demonstrated by the fact that we have promptly suspended operations at our facilities whenever directed to by the authorities.

'Our overriding focus as a company is doing everything we can to contribute to the containment of COVID-19.'

Ekaterina Baker used her Instagram to urge her followers to respect COVID-19 lockdowns

One of the Bakers' charging sheets, filled in by a CEMA representative on January 21

The second charging sheet for the Bakers. They were fined a total of CA $1,150 ($900)

Russian-born Ekaterina Baker is an actor who recently had roles in the 2020 Christmas film Fatman and the 2020 comedy Chick Fight.

On her now-deleted Instagram account she urged her followers to respect COVID restrictions, Yukon News reported.

In a March 23 post she recorded herself with a notepad explaining reasons why she was staying home in quarantine.

'During this unique and tender time I stay home for: all the kids so they don't have to say goodbye to their parents and grandparents too soon,' she wrote.

'I stay home to be part of the solution. Everyone, stay home. It's the right thing to do,' she continued, adding that her father has diabetes and is vulnerable to the virus.

White River First Nation is asking for authorities to 'pursue a more just punishment' than just the fines, in order to deter other individuals from doing the same thing.

'We implore all Canadians to respect the vaccination rollout process and to not take similar actions,' said Demit.

'While we understand many want to have a vaccination immediately, it is not appropriate to skirt the rules put in place and approach our community in this way.

'WRFN was selected for vaccines given our remoteness, elderly and high-risk population, as well as limited access to health care.'
Republic Day 2021: In a first Bangladesh contingent joins parade

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Jan 26: In a first the Bangladesh contingent joined the Republic Day parade today.

The Bangladeshi contingent, with members drawn from all the three wings of its armed forces, is the first marching contingent to walk down the ceremonial boulevard on January 26.

India's military might and some of the state-of-the-art assets of the armed forces, including three T-90 tanks, BrahMos missile system, were showcased during the parade on Rajpath amid strict COVID-19 safety guidelines in place.

Republic Day 2021: The special turban PM Modi sported is a gift from Jamnagar royal family

The contingents in the parade stopped at. the National Stadium this year instead of following the regular route all the way to the Red Fort, as the routes in old Delhi have narrow street.

This year, the Bangladeshi contingent marched down Rajpath and had both marching and band components.

This is the third time that a contingent from a foreign country will be taking part in the Republic Day celebrations here. The other two countries being France (2016) and the UAE (2017).

Farmers enter ITO, vandalise bus, press on to Central Delhi | Oneindia News

Col Md Mohtashim Chowdhury, the leader of the contingent from the neighbouring country said, "We feel very fortunate that India has given our country this opportunity. This year marks the the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh and also we are in the midst of birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. So, we are very happy to be here."

Saudi-based Acwa Power has announced the launch of three ground-breaking power projects in Uzbekistan with a combined investment value of $2.5 billion and a 2500MW capacity.

Of these, two are wind power plants located at Bukhara and Navoi regions of the Central Asian nation with aggregate power generation capacity of 1000MW, while the other one is the 1500MW Sirdarya CCGT plant, said a statement from Acwa Power, which has entered into a strategic framework agreement with the Uzbekistan Ministry of Energy and US-based Air Products.

As per the deal, the trio will work on research programmes in the fields of renewable energy and hydrogen.

Following agreements signed in March last year, the cooperation between the Uzbekistan Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade, and Acwa Power has led to three major milestones in the development of power projects to enable the countrys ambitious energy transformation plan and increase energy capacity by 2500MW, said the statement.

The ground-breaking ceremony of the 1500MW Sirdarya CCGT plant was followed by the signing of two power purchase agreements (PPA) and investment agreements for the wind plants in the presence of Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Sardor Umurzakov, and Energy Minister Alisher Sultanov as well as a Saudi Arabian delegation led by Minister of Investment Engineer Khalid Al Falih and Ambassador to Uzbekistan Hisham Mishal Al Suwailem.

Acwa Power said it will be delivering these three projects utilising its technical knowledge, expertise, and experience, to contribute directly to meeting Uzbekistans growing yearly electricity demand, which is expected to reach 110 billion kWh by 2030.

The companys contribution is also aligned with Uzbekistans national mandate to increase energy efficiency, introduce energy-saving technologies, and develop and implement renewable energy sources, under its recent energy sector reforms, it added.

Speaking on the ocassion, Al Falih said: "These visionary projects mark the start of a new chapter in the investment relationship between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan. As the Minister of Investment for Saudi Arabia, it is particularly pleasing to see a homegrown Saudi company such as Acwa Power supporting Uzbekistan to deliver such a vital component of its infrastructure investment program, which is central to the countrys economic transformation."

He pointed out that Acwa Power was a true Saudi success story and a cornerstone of the kingdoms burgeoning private sector.

"This growth is being supported by various business-friendly reforms introduced by the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade. I am confident that this partnership signals the start of further collaborations in the trade and investment space for both of our nations," he added.

Sultanov said: "Most importantly, todays milestones show that we are delivering on our promises. Enhancing Uzbekistans clean energy capacity involves many developmental and investment targets to be hit, over a period of time."

"By executing our plans efficiently, we will only attract more investment to Uzbekistan, and improve our nations energy status," he stated.

Lauding Acwa Power and the wider Saudi delegation for making this triumph happen, Sulatnov said: "We look forward to a long and fruitful working relationship."

Acwa Power Chairman Mohammad Abunayyan said: "As a proud Saudi company, we are privileged to play a vital role in supporting Uzbekistans decarbonisation efforts and energy transformation, stemming from the international cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan under their progressive and visionary leadership."

"Through the addition of new renewable energy capacity, exploration of innovative technologies and the advancement of cleaner, more efficient and cost-competitive gas power, we are expanding our presence in Uzbekistan, a high growth market, leveraging our global expertise and technical know-how to create long-term and sustainable value for the countrys local communities," remarked Abunayyan.

"Acwa Power is also committed to training and upskilling 1000 local employees in Uzbekistan during the projects construction and operation phases, generating long-term, socio-economic value through knowledge sharing and job creation," he added.

The groundbreaking of the 1500MW Sirdarya CCGT plant was marked by ceremonially commencing construction.

The project will provide cleaner, more efficient and cost-competitive gas power that can be utilised across industries in Uzbekistan and is expected to meet 15 percent of power demand in Uzbekistan and comprise of 8 percent of installed power capacity when complete.-TradeArabia News Service
The Parliamentary Commission on Health met via videoconference on Tuesday to discuss the 9th adaptation of the Covid-19 law, which will extend the current measures until 21 February.

The MPs of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) stated that they agreed with the government's decision not to lift any restrictions for the time being. The leader of the CSV's parliamentary group, Martine Hansen, acknowledged that the B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus, which was first discovered in the UK, is spreading at an alarming rate in Luxembourg.

Hansen also stated that upon enquiry on Tuesday morning, the National Health Directorate revealed that so far 36 cases of this variant had been discovered in the Grand Duchy.

The biggest opposition party reiterated its criticism that the government did not have a long-term strategy to contain the virus and its side-effects. According to Hansen, there was no predictability, something which both private individuals and companies needed. She referred to the struggling Horesca sector, pointing out that her party had asked the government to name specific criteria that would indicate when and under which circumstances the sector could reopen. While the CSV's motion was accepted at the time, her party had never received any answer to it, Hansen lamented. She also added that the aids provided by the state for affected businesses did not go far enough.

The CSV MP went on to say the government was not doing enough to protect vulnerable people and demanded the introduction of a concrete action plan. Regarding the vaccination strategy, Hansen stated that the deliveries were currently not the problem, but rather that the state seemed to be unable to properly administer the doses the country already had.

According to information obtained by RTL, the law extending the current Covid-19 measures past 31 January could be voted on by the Chamber of Deputies as early as Thursday.

The new air travel restrictions were not discussed in the Parliamentary Commission on Health on Tuesday. They are also not part of the draft bill.

9th adaptation of the Covid-19 law

The adapted law stipulates that cafes and restaurants will remain closed after 31 January, and the maximum number of visitors for one household remains two.

MP Mars di Bartolomeo from the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) will once again act as rapporteur.

On Tuesday, the Parliamentary Commission on Health also discussed tracing. According to Minister of Health Paulette Lenert, the tracing form can be managed in greater detail thanks to the reduced number of new infections.

It was reiterated that the government would not allow other countries to dictate Luxembourg policies in the fight against the virus and that the government's decisions were solely based on epidemiological considerations.

Another specification provided was that 90% of parents with children who are visiting a school in Luxembourg accepted that their children are tested for Covid-19, when the situation requires it.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan at the press briefing in Government Buildings. Photo: Julien Behal

Cabinet this afternoon decided to extend the current lockdown into spring and bring in additional restrictions for passengers coming into the country.

The extended restrictions aim to crush case numbers, reduce numbers of patients in hospital and ICU, enable a phased reopening of schools and to get more people vaccinated.

There are now new rules on travel  including that to and from Northern Ireland quarantine and some hint to when schools may reopen, as well as whether were going to be able to go on holiday this year.

Travel

Dont go booking your summer holidays just yet  Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said it may be the case that international travel may not be possible this summer or this Christmas.

I certainly dont want to close off that possibility today, but maybe well have to, he said.

There should be no non-essential travel. While exercising, people must stay within their 5km radius.

Mr Varadkar said it is disproportionate that people who go one or two extra kilometres more from their house on their run are fined the same as someone who goes on a ski holiday. Those who travel abroad for non-essential reasons will be fined 500.

How will mandatory quarantine work?

All visa-free travel from South America and South Africa is suspended until at least March 5.

Passengers who arrive into the country without a negative PCR test will have to do mandatory quarantine at hotels, as well as be subject to a fine of 2,500 or six months in prison.

Those who have to quarantine in hotels will have to pay for their stays.

Mandatory quarantine at designated facilities will also be required for people who arrive from Brazil and South Africa.

Passengers coming from all other countries will be legally obliged to quarantine at home. If they produce a second negative test on their fifth day, they will not be legally mandated to quarantine for the full 14 days.

This will include arrivals into any port or airport in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Travel to and from Northern Ireland

According to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, gardai can ask people travelling to the North to turn back. Fines may also be brought in for travelling across the border for non essential reasons.

Data sharing will take place between officials in the North and South so that passengers coming into the country either side of the border are followed up as per their Passenger Locator Form.

This has been a challenge as there are political sensitivities around the issue, according to Taoiseach Micheal Martin.

Fines for breaching rules

There are several new travel-related fines:

If you travel beyond 5km for non-essential reasons, you may be fined 100.

If you travel abroad for non-essential reasons, you may be fined 500.

Passengers who arrive into the country without a negative PCR test will have to do mandatory quarantine at a hotel, as well as be subject to a fine of 2,500 or six months in prison.

Length of lockdown

The current Level 5 restrictions will continue until March 5.

Under a best-case scenario, the end of February could still see 1,300 people in hospital with Covid-19, 100 in ICU and at least 800 new daily cases.

According to Mr Martin, there are no guarantees that the lockdown will end on March 5.

He said that a very conservative and cautious approach will be taken to reopening in April and May.

Schools reopening

The government is giving Education Minister Norma Foley time to consult with partners in education.

A phased reopening would begin with children with special needs and potentially move to other groups, such as Leaving Cert students.

Mr Varadkar said that this phased basis is due to virus variants.

This is something that were very keen to agree with everyone involved in education, Mr Varadkar said.

Is there any chance of pubs or restaurants opening up any time soon?

Leo Varadkar said he is optimistic for the springtime.

I am an optimist and I think that come the second quarter of the year, come April/May, with the better weather with case numbers down low, with the vaccine provided to a critical mass of the population, were going to be in a very different place, said the Tanaiste.

When asked if there are any good news, Mr Martin said that the time right now is to double down.

Vaccine roll-out and issues with supply

The government is not happy with the news from AstraZeneca, where significantly less vaccine doses will be delivered.

51,000 people will receive the vaccine this week.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said 143,000 people have been vaccinated so far. This includes 65,000 long-term residential care and 78,000 frontline healthcare workers.

The vast majority of nursing home staff and residents and people aged over 65 who are residents in long-term mental health and disability residences have been vaccinated.

April, May and June will be significant months for vaccinations, according to the Taoiseach.

This week, 2,600 people in long-term residential care will receive their second dose of the vaccine and under 4,000 will receive their first dose.

Zero Covid has not been considered as a strategy

The Government has never been advised to undertake a Zero Covid strategy by Nphet.

I dont think its possible or sustainable because its a promise we could never fulfil, Mr Martin said.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said that if the government was to undertake a Zero Covid strategy, it would be difficult to unseal the country.

When do you ever unseal? We would expose a naive population to the virus at one point, he says.

He added that Nphet and Government find Zero Covid frustrating that Zero Covid would lead to Ireland living like New Zealand.

Its a false promise," he said.

WESTFIELD  Westfield Police are asking for help to locate a resident who has been missing for more than a week and may be in danger.

Stephen Champiney was last seen by his family on Jan. 15. He lives in Westfield but has also known to visit Norwalk, Connecticut and could also be in Holyoke or Chicopee, police said.

His family believes he may need medical assistance and could be in danger, police said.

Champiney is believed to have left in his vehicle, a 2015 gray Jeep Wrangler with a Massachusetts license plate of 9MW458, police said.

Anyone who spots the vehicle or Champiney is asked to call the police department where they see him and report it, mentioning he is missing and may be in danger. People are also asked to call Westfeld Police at 413-562-5411 to report his location. Anyone who has any other information about his whereabouts or has seen him since Jan. 15 is asked to call or email Det. Rick Mazza at r.mazza@cityofwestfield.org or 413-642-9390.

Police are seeking a gray 2015 Jeep Wrangler like the one seen here that is driven by Stephen Champiney, who has been missing since Jan. 15. (Westfield Police illustration)

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Tuesday condemned the vandalism on the streets of on terming them as the doing of "anarchic elements in the name of farmers".

A tractor march meant to highlight farmers' demands dissolved into anarchy on the streets of the capital as hordes of rampaging protesters broke through barriers, fought with police, overturned vehicles and delivered a insult -- hoisting a religious flag from the rampart of Red Fort, a privilege reserved for India's tricolour.

"What was done by some anarchic elements in the name of farmers today in should not have happened. Anyone who indulges in an act like this on the occasion of a festival cannot be a farmer," Rawat said, addressing a programme held by the India Development Council here on collective singing of Vande Mataram on

He also said he salutes farmers who did not take part in the aggressive demonstrations in on

"There can be no logic in destroying public property like this," he said.

Asserting that the Centre's new agri laws are in the interest of farmers, the chief minister said they are a step towards doubling their income.

Tens of thousands of protesters clashed with police in multiple places, leading to chaos in well known landmarks of Delhi and suburbs on Tuesday, amid waves of violence that ebbed and flowed through the day, leaving the farmers' two-month peaceful movement in tatters.

(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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2020: A Great Year for BitIRA Customers Simply put, our customers could not be more delighted about their account performance.

BitIRA  pioneer of the first insured cold storage solution for cryptocurrency retirement accounts  released customer performance data for 2020. On average, each dollar invested through the crypto IRA company on January 1, 2020 grew 297% over the course of the year. Furthermore, those retirement savers who might have feared theyd missed out on the 2020 boom and opened a cryptocurrency IRA during 2020 still enjoyed an average 144% return on investment.

In comparison, here are other major asset class returns over the same period:

Gold: 24.4%

MSCI Emerging Markets Index: 18.3%

S&P 500: 16.3%

MSCI World Stock Index: 15.9%

S&P 500 Corporate Bond Index: 10.2%

S&P U.S. Treasury Bond Index: 5.4%

U.S. Savings Account (average): 0.05%

BitIRA Customers Could Not Be More Delighted

Simply put, our customers could not be more delighted about their account performance, said Jeremy Warner, Head of Sales at BitIRA. Prior to cryptocurrencies, nobody would ever expect that kind of return.

Warner went on to discuss how the 2020 windfall had changed the retirement plans of many. We read so many emails, took so many phone calls, from our customers expressing their gratitude for all our help. Now they could afford an oceanfront lot in Belize, to become a certified pilot, to stop working years earlier than they thought. A lot of dreams came true in 2020, Warner mused.

Cryptocurrency IRA Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty

One lesson learned in 2020? Cryptocurrencies behave in unexpected ways. In March and April, Bitcoin and the S&P 500 moved in lockstep. In September and October, Bitcoin and gold had a more positive correlation than Bitcoin and stocks. Institutional investors and retirement savers are still trying to decide exactly what role cryptocurrencies play in their plans.

According to Warner, an even greater uncertainty troubled savers who reached out to BitIRA late in 2020. Generally, people felt deeply concerned theyd already missed out, and although the possibilities of cryptocurrency investing interested them, they were leery of buying at high prices. Some people called twelve, fourteen times, just hesitating to make the decision, Warner said. I told them to look at the price tomorrow and call me back. Those who were able to summon the courage to open a digital currency IRA with BitIRA had the pleasure of watching their savings grow before their eyes  on average, their balances more than doubled.

Warner said, If its one thing we learned in 2020, its that its never too late.

No one should necessarily expect a reprise of 2020s record growth. Regardless, cryptocurrencies can play a powerful role in a diversified savings plan. And as Nobel Prize-winning economist Harry Markowitz reminds us, Diversifying sufficiently among uncorrelated risks can reduce portfolio risk toward zero.

Can a Crypto IRA Be Part of a Retirement Strategy?

Yes, cryptocurrencies can provide diversification to any savings plan. According to Warner, the general population still considers cryptocurrency investing a highly-speculative venture, fraught with danger.

We developed BitIRA to counter all possible external risks, Warner explained, and went on to explain them in great detail. Any potential hacker would be confounded by a hypersecure exchange and an absence of hot wallets. Customers funds are locked away in cold storage housed in a class-5 nuclear vault. Accessing the account requires multi-party authentication.

Furthermore, all customer assets are insured dollar-for-dollar by a panel of London insurance companies with S&P ratings of A or better, Warner said. This gives our customers the confidence that the full value of their retirement savings are secure.

What is Dollar-for-Dollar Insurance?

Asked about the significance of dollar-for-dollar insurance, Warner explained the concept like this:

"Imagine youre putting your retirement savings, say $200,000, in a bank. First you make sure the bank has insurance and see yes, they have a $400,000 insurance policy. Great  thats twice as much as you need! You make your deposit and go home happy. Later you re-read the banks brochure and notice a small detail: that $400,000 insurance policy covers all the banks deposits. Say the bank has $4 million in deposits and gets robbed  in that case, only 10% of the banks assets are insured. Your reimbursement would be 10% of your total investment."

The full amount of customers savings are insured at no additional cost, mitigating the risks of theft, hacking, loss of private keys, and other worst-case scenarios associated with cryptocurrencies. In addition to making digital currency so much safer for retirement savers, BitIRA eliminates the technological barrier to entry. The combination, so far, has been simple for IRA owners and as well-protected as money in the bank.

The BitIRA team set out to remove the technological barriers to cryptocurrency saving and help their customers meet their financial goals. As Warner reminds us, its never too late to diversify retirement savings with digital currency  and perhaps enjoy watching their own balances grow before their eyes, just like BitIRAs customers did in 2020.

About BitIRA:

Based in Burbank, California, BitIRA is a leading specialist in the setup and management of cryptocurrency holdings in self-directed IRAs. Founded by team members from Birch Gold Group with extensive precious metals IRA experience, the company was established on the belief that Americans should have easier access to the wide range of conventional and alternative assets available to hold in their tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Aside from facilitating the setup and management of digital currency IRAs, BitIRA advocates for public awareness of available investment options.

For more information about BitIRA or to get started with a Bitcoin IRA, visit https://www.bitira.com.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Some Minnesotans will now have a 24-hour window to register for an appointment to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Beginning at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Minnesotans age 65 and older will have 24 hours to sign up for pre-registration that will give you the chance to be randomly selected. You do not have to register right away as it is no longer a first come, first serve system. Everyone who is currently on the wait list from last week will be automatically registered to be randomly selected for an appointment. The Freeborn County Public Health Director, Sue Yost, explained the updated process is expected to account for the high demand. "It really is a matter of being patient. We will eventually get to people, so that we can vaccinate everybody and everybody that wants to be vaccinated," she said. "But it is just gonna take some time and some patience.

There will only be about 8,000 doses of the vaccine available to Minnesotans age 65 and over at the pilot clinics this week, one of which is in Rochester. Yost said doing the appointments randomly will give Minnesotans a fairer shot at getting the vaccine. "I think they're just trying to make it more equitable for everybody by randomizing the appointment schedules," she explained. "So people will have more of an opportunity to be able to get into the system."

If you're randomly selected to get the vaccine this week, you'll be notified on Wednesday by either a text, email or a phone call with the instructions on how to finalize your appointment. If you can't make the appointment, it'll then be given to the next person. Minnesotans can only sign up for the pre-registration list once. Because the demand for an appointment is so high, health officials encourage to to make appointments online if possible.
by Shafique Khokhar

The National Commission for Justice and Peace in Karachi sponsored the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Fr Saleh Diego said that Jesus wanted all Christians to be one and that one must keep in mind what Saint Paul said, that we all are different parts of the same and one body; if there is pain in any part of our body our whole body feels it.

Karachi (AsiaNews)  On 25 January, the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), the human rights organisation of the Archdiocese of Karachi, celebrated the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Christian religious leaders of different denominations, lawyers, journalists and representatives of Christian organisations spoke about the role the Commission plays in the community.

The Week for Christian Unity is celebrated every year from 18 to 25 January. This year its theme was Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit (John 15:9,5). We all must grow together in the same unity that was expressed by Jesus himself so they may all be one (John 17:21).

Kashif Anthony, human rights activist and coordinator of the National Commission for Justice and Peace of the Archdiocese of Karachi, said in his address that the first Week for Unity was celebrated at the Atonement Franciscan Convent of the Protestant Episcopal Church, located on a hill eighty miles from New York City.

The dates of the week were proposed by Fr Paul Wattson, (co-founder of the Franciscan Friars of Gravmoor) between the day of the Confession of St Peter, 18 January, and the day of the Conversion of St Paul which is celebrated on 25 January.

Anthony also said that Pope Pius X blessed the octave for Church unity in 1909. Later, Pope Benedict XV wisely extended and promulgated it to the entire universal Church. Therefore it is observed and celebrated all over the world. Thus, the Catholic Church, which has a sense of responsibility, can approach and join other small and large denominations.

For Kashif Anthony, bringing unity and empowering Christians, is not only the responsibility of the Church leadership, but must be the commitment of every Christian who believes and has faith in Christ Jesus.

The Catholic Churchs mission includes ecumenical observance, which must be passed onto other groups who profess faith in Jesus and belong to other Churches and denominations. It is important to keep in mind that we all walk and grow together in the same unity expressed by Jesus himself when he said, that they may all be one (John 17:21).

As an activist of the Catholic Church, Anthony said Christians must keep in mind and practise ecumenism in their lives, so that Christians from different denominations can work together and develop closer relationships and promote unity between their Churches.

In his address, Rev Salman Babar Lal of the Anglican Church of Pakistan and the Diocese of Karachi and Baluchistan, the second largest Church in Pakistan, said he was grateful to the NCJP for bringing together various Churches, Christian civil society groups, and the community of lawyers.

It is important to keep in mind is that Christians must follow the words of Jesus that we be one, not only in the happiest moments, but also in the sad moments of our life.

Unity begins with love and unity is a basic need among the leaders of the Church, community and minorities in Pakistan. We must follow what Jesus said: Love one another as I have loved you.

Sabir Michael, professor at the University of Karachi, represented human rights defenders and organisations. He noted that there are two basic institutions, the family and the Church, in which society grows.

If there is no unity in the family or in the Church, there will be no peace, progress and even the diversity, which come from God. We are all different, but God wants us all to live in peace, united, and to love each other.

Love for ecumenism and diversity must begin in our homes so God's love may spread in both good times and bad times, which means that there is a room for diversity in the eyes of God.

Major Haroon of the Salvation Army said that this is indeed the right time to think about unity among Christians and Churches. We have all been struggling and working for interfaith action and for different policies aimed at unity with others, but the Catholic Church has engaged in a great initiative to bring together Christian leaders. Being united and promoting unity among us should be our priority.

Saleem Michael, a lawyer and legal advisor to the Archdiocese of Karachi, said it is indeed the right time to speak and come together, as we are all fighting for our rights and for marginalised people. Our people are poor and they need our help and if we are not united or if we are not together, what will happen to our people and where will they go?

Christian religious leaders, civil society leaders, politicians, lawyers and journalists must work together. This is an excellent initiative of the National Commission for Justice and Peace which brought together all the main Christian leaders. Yes, we must all work together for our innocent Christians.

At the end, NCJP director Fr Saleh Diego, who is also Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Karachi, said that, in the Holy Bible Jesus says, That they may all be one. Equally, one must also keep in mind what St Paul said, that we all are different parts of the same and one body, if there is pain in any part of our body our whole body feels it.

All Christians, united and bound in the body of Jesus, must feel each other's pain and be united. If someone has separated, they will actually separate themselves from the Body of Christ.

Fr Diego added that we must remain united, so that we can work and guide our faithful together and support them when they are in difficulty.
 Flash

China's top legislator Li Zhanshu held talks on Monday with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf via video link, saying the two countries should implement the important consensus by the two heads of state and promote the continued development of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership.

Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Iran developed steadily in recent years with the support from the two countries' top leaders.

"China stands ready to work with Iran to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote the continued development of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership," he said.

Li suggested that the two countries should deepen mutual political trust, strengthen strategic communication, and firmly support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. He called on both sides to continue anti-epidemic cooperation and jointly promote global and regional public health security.

He stressed that the two countries should advance practical cooperation in various fields within the Belt and Road Initiative and strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism and combating transnational crime. He also suggested expanding exchanges on culture and tourism.

China and Iran should also jointly promote regional peace and stability, continue communication and coordination, resolve the concerns of all countries through equal consultations and jointly maintain regional security and stability, Li said.

Li also said under the new situations, the NPC will continue to strengthen friendly exchanges with the Iranian parliament.

Qalibaf said Iran stands ready to strengthen the practical cooperation with China on politics, economy and trade, and anti-epidemic efforts, and further enhance communication and cooperation on global and regional issues. The Iranian parliament is willing to deepen exchanges and mutual learning with the NPC and make positive contributions to the development of bilateral relations.
Four men were sentenced for human trafficking of Vietnamese in the UK, charged with manslaughter. The illegal aliens died during transport and never got to see their new lives. Instead, their lives ended.

Vietnamese smuggled in by human traffickers is profitable for those willing to bring illegal aliens for a fee. The promise of a new life in another country is too good to pass up.

In the instance of 39 Vietnamese who were smuggled in 2019, things would end badly for them. Several men, women, and children would meet their deaths inside an airtight shipping container. All the occupants would run out of air and choke, never leaving the container that became a steel coffin, reported NTD.

There were four men involved in the manslaughter of the Vietnamese nationals, who were supposed to bring them to the last leg of their new life in the UK. They were sentenced by the courts for their participation in the crime.

What the police found inside the container

When the authorities discovered the victims inside their steel coffin, two of them were 15 years old. The bodies were found in a truck that is located in an industrial estate in east London. Revealing the crime was a great shock to both Britain and Vietnam.

Unexpectedly is discovering human traffic that causes poor people in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to enter countries like the UK illegally. This illicit global activity gives a good profit because these nationals have nothing to lose. They see the west as far better than staying home. This is why the human trafficking of Vietnamese in the UK exists.

Inside the container, oxygen was running out, and some tried to get out but were locked in, no escape for those lucky enough to call loved ones with their last breaths until the end. When the authorities found them, all of them were lying about inside.

The accused traffickers

According to Judge Nigel Sweeney, the Vietnamese died a slow death courtesy of the one's responsibility. Judge Sweeney jailed seven men who participated in the illegal activity. The people smuggling gang were given 92 years in all; they were convicted at London's Old Bailey criminal court.

The judge added the human smuggling operation is very sophisticated, going on a long time. The smugglers' profit is hundreds of thousands of pounds-one reason why these individuals favor it.

Identity of the people smugglers

Four men were charged and convicted of manslaughter and immigration offenses by the court. They are Ronan Hughes, an Irish national, 41, the driver of the lorry when they got caught. The brain of the operation is unidentified, who got 20 years for himself. Last is Romanian Gheorghe Nica, 44, and one of the bosses who got 27 years in jail.

A Northern Irishman, Maurice Robinson, 26, who drove the truck wherein the aliens died, got 13 years. Another driver, Eamonn Harrison, 24, a Briton who drove the container van to Zeebrugge's Belgian port where the victims pass to get to the UK. He got an 18-years for his involvement too.

The aliens' deaths were mourned, but human trafficking of Vietnamese in the UK should stop.

.

Related article: Four Men caught in Human Trafficking in UK of Vietnamese Charged for Manslaughter

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Posted Monday, January 25, 2021 6:01 pm

Critics of a bill to replace local boards of health with regional jurisdictions questioned whether the middle of a pandemic is the right time to restructure the states public health system.

But at a public hearing last week, supporters  who say House Bill 1152 will adequately fund and depoliticize public health  argued that now is the perfect time, with health inequities highlighted by the public health emergency.

Currently, local boards of health are largely divided by county and governed by local elected officials.

What happens when politics infects public health? We need to ensure theres a structure in place that puts science, people, and public health over politics, said the bills prime sponsor, Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane. The stakes have never been higher.

But others pushed back. Keith Grellner, an administrator for Kitsap Public Health District, said while he supports some ideas in the bill, it should wait until after the pandemic.

Forcing our local public health system to react to this bill at this moment in time is taking us away from life-saving work which we remain understaffed and underfunded, Grellner said.

Christina Ortega, on the other hand, said the shift should happen sooner than the bill lays out. Ortega, Latino Community Funds manager for civic engagement and advocacy, raised concerns that the new districts wouldnt be implemented until 2023 after a broad workgroup hears public comment and makes recommendations.

Our people are dying because of decisions that are being made by politicians instead of people that have healthcare certifications or know exactly what they're doing, Ortega said. According to data from the state Department of Health, Hispanic residents are being hospitalized due to COVID-19 at a rate disproportionate to their overall population. Hispanic Washington residents makes up 13% of the population but 33% of COVID-19 cases in which ethnicity is known, according to a recent report by The Seattle Times.

James Sledge, a retired Spokane dentist and former state Board of Health member, said it seems crazy that local boards of health dont have a significant presence of people with experience in health, and more broadly public health.

The states new secretary of health, Dr. Umair Shah, told lawmakers that larger structures can allow for consistency and efficacy.

Everyone in our state deserves to have equitable access to governmental public health services, Shah said. And thats not happening in Washington right now. And thats become apparent during this pandemic.

Lewis County has firmly objected to the idea of regional health districts, which was included in Gov. Jay Inslees budget proposal prior to the legislative session. Public Health Director J.P. Anderson fears it would undermine local relationships and trust critical to effective public health work. But he also noted that the increased funding for foundational public health services  another intent of the proposed legislation  would have a profound impact.

Other public health officials echoed Andersons concerns, including Benton Franklin Health Districts health officer Amy Person and Jefferson Countys c health officer Tom Locke.

I know from long experience that a local health officers effectiveness is crucially linked with his or her work with the local board and the ability to be flexible and respond to specific community needs, Locke said.

Others pointed to inequities they see as a result of local politicized decisions. Amber Lenhart, a former health policy specialist for Spokane Regional Health District, said she quit her job over the issue.

I had my dream job. But over time it became apparent that our supposed commitment to health equity wasnt driving the decisions at all, she said. When our board of health terminated our health officer during a pandemic and cut programs like African American initiatives and the walking school bus, as a national and local expert in keeping public health objective and apolitical, I knew I couldnt work for an agency that made decisions based on politics instead of lives.

One Wenatchee resident pointed to an incident last year in which Douglas County Commissioners who also served on the Chelan-Douglas Board of Health sued Inslee over COVID-19 restrictions. Health district administrator Barry Kling, who critiqued the move as wasting public health personnels time, later resigned.

Under the bill, regional health districts would be composed of representatives from counties, cities and tribes in the district, and would have one district health officer. The number of seats filled by county and city officials would be matched by hospital representatives, licensed physicians, licensed nurses and consumer representatives.
St. Helena Unified School District test scores are slipping in math but mostly holding steady in reading, consistent with nationwide trends as students adapt to learning during the pandemic.

For example, 11 more St. Helena sixth-graders dropped below the 40th percentile in math compared with last year, administrators told the school board on Thursday.

The math declines are not as bad as educators anticipated, said Chris Heller, chief academic/human resources officer.

Its not as drastic. A lot of parents and a lot of us in the field (were) thinking that students would really, really drop off at significant levels, Heller said. But we do know that certain subgroups are, and thats the concern for our district staff.

Students with strong support at home and good academic habits will see smaller declines than other students, Heller said.

Both in St. Helena and around the country, reading scores are declining less than math scores, said Mary Allen, director of curriculum and instruction.

That makes perfect sense because in reading, youre building each year on foundational skills that you learned in primary school, Allen said. In math, youre learning discrete skills from year to year to year.
National Police officers in Marbella broke up seven unauthorised parties in the Costa del Sol town at the weekend and 100 people face fines for flouting Covid-19 rules.

The events took place in several buildings, including a hotel and two bars, and resulted in more than 100 people being reported for failing to comply with the Junta de Andalucias measures to contain the spread of infections caused by the Sars-Cov-2 virus.

Police said that participants broke rules including the permitted maximum number of people congregated in a space, wearing masks and social distancing.

Tip-offs from the public led to the police actions.

The National Police said that over the weekend, across the province of Malaga, a total of 756 people had been reported for failing to comply with the pandemic health measures.
Dean of the School of Performing Arts of the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum, popularly known as Opanyin Agyekum has encouraged the Ministers and Members of Parliament(MPs) who couldn't be a part of President Nana Akufo-Addo's second term not to be dismayed.



Opanyin Agyekum advised the MPs and Ministers to evaluate themselves but not think their world is caving in because they have lost their positions.



President Nana Akufo-Addo has named 46 Ministers-designate for his central and Regional governments.



Among the list are notable faces who were part of his first administration and new names that have been introduced to head Ministries and Regions in his second term.



Speaking on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Opanyin Agyekum kept his words brief saying "the downfall of a man is not his end. We know of people who have gone and made a comeback. So, to those who couldn't win the elections, it doesn't mean that's the end of your world".











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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Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 05:24:22|Editor: huaxia

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by Keren Setton

JERUSALEM, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- It is unlikely that Israelis and Palestinians will inch closer to solving their decades-old conflict in the near future as the new administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, with its hands full with pressing internal matters and unfavorable political conditions in the Middle East, might change Washington's approach to the conflict, Israeli experts said.

In the last four years, with acquiescence of Biden's predecessor Donald Trump and encouraged by Trump's controversial Deal of the Century peace plan for the Middle East, Israel intensified its settlement construction in the West Bank, creating facts on the ground that are almost impossible to reverse and thus making a Palestinian state less and less viable.

Meanwhile, both Israelis and Palestinians are suffering internal political instability which make peace, or even talks, unfeasible.

With elections to be held in March, the fourth within two years, it is highly unlikely that the Israeli right-wing parties that dominate the political landscape in the Jewish state will make any concession to the Palestinians no matter whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will remain in office or not. Whoever leads a new Israeli government is unlikely to stop settlement construction.

The Palestinians are also expected to head to the polls in the coming months. Should the elections result in a newly sworn-in and stable government, it is not clear whether negotiations with Israel will be its option.

"There will never be a more pro-settlement plan coming out of the American government. It never happened before and will never again," said Jonathan Rynhold, a professor with the Political Studies Department at Bar Ilan University.

"These were years when the chances of peace dwindled," said Nimrod Goren, head of the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies. "The Trump administration took steps that undermined the international consensus on the two-state solution, weakened a moderate Palestinian leadership and gave Israelis the feeling that the issue is no longer relevant."

The Biden administration, however, will likely be less tolerant to settlement activity and bring back the two-state solution to the table. At his confirmation hearing in the Senate, Biden's nominee for Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke in favor of the solution, despite an acknowledgment of low potential for progress.

"The (Biden) administration doesn't see any prospects for massive benefits," Rynhold told Xinhua. "But what they won't like is being poked in the eye. They will have to respond and this is where the settlements come in."

Biden is expected to reinstate ties with the Palestinians and resume the aid funding that was cut off by Trump to signal U.S. re-engagement with the Palestinians.

"The (Biden) administration will first have to emphasize that it attaches importance to solving the conflict," Goren told Xinhua.

"It has to show that it intends to make an effort. It needs to re-emphasize its commitment to the two-state solution," he concluded. Enditem
kWh

EV

Believe it or not, the recalled vehicles with all-new batteries are under investigation once again. The latest vehicle fire happened on Saturday, according to the Korea Herald , referring to a crossover that went ablaze while it was charging at a public station in the city of Daegu.This time around, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority is investigating the problem as opposed to the National Forensic Service that investigates car accidents at large. According to the cited publication, the KTSA will also look into the replacement battery for any potential defects.In the worst-case scenario for Hyundai, the South Korean automaker will have to recall approximately 77,000 units worldwide for a second time. But on this occasion, the governmental watchdogs are likely to demand Hyundai to use a better design for the battery separator or whatever may be at fault.Following the publishing of this report, the stock price took a small dive over the potential costs that would result from such a massive operation. Calling back over a defective windshield wiper or a software-related problem is one thing, but lithium-ion batteries are obviously more expensive.The affected population was built from September 2017 to March 2020 with 39.2 and 64-batteries. Updated stylistically for the 2021 model year, the Kona Electric is exclusively offered with the largest pack in the United States of America, where the MSRP is listed at $37,390 before any savings.With an EPA-estimated range of 258 miles (415 kilometers) and 201 horsepower from a front-mounted electric motor, the subcompact crossover is a very interesting alternative to the likes of the Chevrolet Bolthatchback. For reference, the Golden Bowtie is charging $36,500 before destination charge, and GM isnt eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit.
While there is yet much to learn about what happened at the Capitol on January 6, some important facts are known beyond a reasonable doubt:

Most protesters who entered the Capitol encountered no resistance , and some were directed by police on where to go.

Some protesters who led the storming of the Capitol were leftist agitators

The riot was planned, and foreknowledge of this event was reported to the FBI, the Capitol police, the NYPD, and even the Joint Terrorism Taskforce.

This raises the following questions:

If the police allowed protesters into the Capitol because they were overwhelmed , why did reinforcements fail to arrive? Did officers direct protesters to the hallway where Ashley Babbit was later shot? Based on the 19:40 time mark on this video , it sure seems this way.

Why did CNN broadcast the account of John Sullivan ? Did they already know he was a BLM agitator who encouraged protesters to " burn down " the Capitol?

It is almost certain that Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell knew about plans to storm the Capitol because failure to notify them would have been an egregious failure of intelligence. If they did not know it then, they certainly know by now that the riot was planned, and the media cannot hide this information forever from the American people. Could this explain Pelosi's frantic request to move the Senate impeachment trial to January 25?

All participants in the vandalism and assaults on police officers are responsible for their own behavior regardless of political affiliation. Having said that, we must take into account whether or not their crimes were premeditated and prosecute more harshly those who were in on the plan. Most importantly, we need to know how much help (if any) these riot organizers received from the inside. The officers directed protestors to sensitive portions of the building may have been blindly following orders, but two incidents caught on video implicate at least two people who may have knowingly provided inside help:

First, in this poorly staged video, a police officer is "chased" by a protester who looks more like the reluctant participant of a high school skit.

Second, at the 25:40 time mark of this video, Rudy Giuliani points out two "out of place" individuals who nodded approvingly to the BLM activist John Sullivan as he neared the hallway where Ashley Babbitt was soon to be killed. The first one looks the most out of place due to both his age and his attire. Giuliani rightly suggests he might be a detective and wondered aloud if anybody has investigated who he is and why he nodded to the provocateur.

McConnell has denied Pelosi's request to expedite the Senate impeachment trial. While I am no fan of Mitch McConnell, his delaying the Senate proceedings until February may provide a major advantage to the Trump team because the trial would provide an unfiltered platform for low-information voters to learn to what extent the riot was a setup. Evidence of Deep State involvement presented at the impeachment trial (if it exists) may go a long way in raising awareness of governmental corruption among people who never followed the unraveling of the Russia hoax. Regardless of McConnell's intentions, the risk to his reputation is minimal because he did not vote yet on impeachment and can claim he had not known the extent of the exonerating evidence when he signaled his intention to impeach. Career politicians know how to survive when they do not let emotions cloud their judgment. Sorry, Nancy!

In his column "The Day Democracy Died," PJ Media columnist David Goldman claimed that the Capitol trespassers "desecrated" the "Holy of Holies of American democracy." Goldman sometimes goes by the pseudonym "Spengler." I always thought use of this name was a bit pretentious. The tone of this column confirmed my suspicion that Goldman is a snob.

Storming the Capitol was wrong, but rioters neither "desecrated" the building nor "killed" democracy. You cannot desecrate an institution that is already contaminated by corrupt bureaucrats and career politicians who care more about their D.C. network than the voters who put them in office. You also cannot kill democracy when compelling evidence of massive voter fraud never gets its day in court. If the Supreme Court ever deigns to hear us out, let's hope this impeachment paves the way for the truth.

Antonio Chaves teaches biology at a local community college. His interest in economic and social issues stems from his experience teaching environmental science. His older articles with graphs and images are available here.

Image: Ted Eytan.

Set five years after the Civil War, Tom Hanks stars in News of the World  an elegiac Western  as Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, who travels from town to town, enthralling often-illiterate audiences with stories about whats happening in this country and abroad, charging a dime per person.

Its 1870 and the tumultuous 15th Amendment has just been ratified, extending the right to vote to all men without regard to race or previous condition of servitude.

While riding from Wichita Falls, this itinerant newsreader finds abandoned 10-year-old Johanna Leonberger (Helena Zengel), who was raised by the Kiowa Native American tribe after her farmer parents were killed. Determined to return her to members of her biological family, he soon discovers that she is far from welcome by her relatives in far-off Castroville.

An orphan twice-over, uncommunicative Joanna, who doesnt speak English and never learned to use a knife and fork, suffers a kind of post-traumatic stress disorder, defiantly determined to run away to return to the familiarity of the Kiowa.

And Capt. Kidd is an archetypal lonely wanderer, fleeing from his own sad history of physical abuse and emotional trauma.

Soon, a surrogate father/daughter relationship develops, as they face various dangers along the rough-hewn road in Reconstruction-era Texas, including a brutal shoot-out with a trio of child-sex traders.

Leisurely directed by Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips), who co-wrote the script with Luke Davis, its adapted from Paulette Jiles 2016 novel, which bears remarkable resemblance with Charles Portis True Grit and John Fords The Searchers. Both starred John Wayne as an older man on a journey with a young girl.

In contrast to Waynes grizzled, ornery streak, Tom Hanks oozes basic, human decency. The supporting cast includes Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, Ray McKinnon and Mare Winningham with a symphonic musical score by James Newton Howard.

FYI: With her almost translucent white skin, platinum hair and blue eyes, riveting Berlin-based child actor Helena Zengel actually learned to speak the Kiowa language.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, News of the World is an episodic 8, a road movie, streaming on Netflix.

Susan Granger has been an on-air television and radio commentator and entertainment critic for more than 25 years. Raised in Hollywood, Granger appeared as a child actress in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, and Lassie. She currently resides in Westport.
A man waving an Australian flag and wearing a MAGA hat has been forcibly shoved back into his ute by a group of indigenous bikies outside an 'Invasion Day' protest.

The man had parked his vehicle along King George Terrace in Canberra on Tuesday, in front of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy where a rally against Australia Day was held.

He tried to use the Australian flag he was holding as a shield as the bikies, who belong to the indigenous Black Death Australia motorcycle club, closed in on him to remove him from the area.

A man wearing a MAGA hat and holding an Australian flag has been forcibly shoved back into his vehicle outside an 'Invasion Day' protest in Canberra

The man had parked his ute outside the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on Tuesday where crowds had gathered in opposition to Australia Day

The bikies told him to 'get out of here' before one pushed him back into the ute adorned with Australian flags and slammed his door shut.

A crowd of onlookers cheered as the man drove off.

The trio who confronted the man were wearing jackets belonging to Black Death Australia.

According to their Facebook page, 'Black Death is an Indigenous political club, motorcycle riders dedicated to the empowerment of Indigenous nations, and the human and civil rights of all Australians'.

Video footage of the incident was uploaded to Reddit, which attracted hundreds of comments.

'Why is an Australian wearing a hat saying Make America Great Again?,' One person wrote.

The man was told to 'get out of here' before he was sent back to his vehicle. Crowds cheered as he drove off

The trio of men who told the man to leave the area were wearing jackets from Black Death Australia, an Indigenous motorcycle club

Another said: 'I'm in Australia and can confirm that the Australian people do not have patience for any nonsense'.

'It absolutely amazes me that "Make America Great Again" is a thing is Australia. Maybe Make Australia Great Again? Shockingly idiotic,' was another comment.

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy was first established on January 26, 1972 on the grounds in front of what was then Parliament House in protest to the government's approach to Indigenous land rights.

The Tent Embassy has remained to fight for land rights, Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.

Protests were held across the nation on Tuesday, referring to Australia Day as 'Invasion Day'.

Members of Black Death Australia are pictured at an 'Invasion Day' protest in Canberra on Tuesday

Thousands gathered outside Parliament House in Canberra for an 'Invasion Day' protest on Tuesday

Protesters in Canberra later marched from the Tent Embassy to Parliament House, where thousands sat in solidarity with First Nations people.

Australia Day has been a national public holiday since 1994 after it was previously recogised in some states.

Indigenous activists have since 1938 protested against commemorating the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Harbour arguing the arrival of British people eventually led to the dispossession of land.
Board Chairman of the National Theatre and a staunch NPP leading member, Nana Fredua has called on the security agencies to ensure Ghanaians strictly adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols.



Ghana seems to be experiencing a second wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as the country's daily numbers of infection have skyrocketed.



The country has currently recorded 695 new cases shooting the active cases up to 3,525.



Unfortunately, 367 people have died of the disease.



The current situational report on the coronavirus has become extremely worrying and President Nana Akufo-Addo, in his 22nd nation update, warned of another lockdown should the citizens continue to disregard the safety protocols.



"We do not want to go back to the days of partial lockdowns, which had a negative impact on our economy and on our way of life. But should that become necessary, i.e., should the number of active cases continue to increase at the current rate, I will have no option but to re-impose these restrictions because it is better to be safe than to be sorry. So, together, let us all ensure that we respect the protocols," he said.



He also charged the Police and other security agencies to enforce the laws.



"In furtherance of this, I have instructed the Inspector General of Police to direct officers, men and women of the Police Service to ensure the rigorous enforcement of the law on mask-wearing at all public places and in public transport. They are also to ensure the closure of all night clubs, pubs, cinemas and beaches that may be operating in defiance of the law. They will be assisted by the other security agencies, if need be.''



Nana Fredua, speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', has urged the security agencies to enforce the laws as the President has directed.



He expressed disappointment in Ghanaians for not taking the disease seriously.



"Enforce the law. It's the law that we want you to work with but in enforcing the law, don't misuse your authority and terrorize people," he messaged the Police Service.



Nana Fredua further admonished Ghanaians to protect themselves and stop the spread of the disease.





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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Bloodhound's supersonic car project has now been declared for sale by its current owner. Offers from various sectors, organizations, companies, and other entities could just arrive soon to purchase the overall rights and plan for it.

The report about the supersonic car's latest deal being available in the market today was mentioned by BBC. Its current owner and chief executive officer (CEO) Ian Warhurst has stated that upon the drive testing being done with the current project which ended with a result of above 600 miles per hour performance has somewhat dubbed the Bloodhound supersonic car to be a less risky car. Yet, he also added that it may also be the time that it must already go to a new owner and take the driver's seat of operating the car itself.

Bloodhound Supersonic Car's Price

As per the estimation of the CEO himself, it could be priced at around 8 million pounds, or almost 11 million in USD. Although Warhurst has then admitted that he cannot further continue the project, noting that he cannot put any more of his own money to fund and support the project, which has then brought to his action of formally selling it and pass on to another owner who could support and fund the overall development of the supersonic car.

Also Read: Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne: The Company's First Rocket to Reach the Earth's Orbit

Along the actual purchase of the project, the owner which could go on with the deal and grab the opportunity to buy and own it would also be able to control and manage the holding company responsible for the continuity of the project, namely the Grafton LSR Ltd - the primary owner of the Bloodhound LSR project.

Yet as assured by the current CEO himself, Warhurst has implied and guaranteed that the supersonic car project "will never be broken up," in which it was an already established threat being entailed with the project way back 2018 when he was the one during that time who somehow rescued and provided assistance and support for the project to go on.

The Supersonic Car's Potential

Some of the supersonic car's potential being tested for so long is its capability to reach and amount of up to 800 miles per hour in car performance. This thing could be achieved through fixing the thrust of the car on top the nine tonnes being injected on it, as well as the other five to six tonnes to cap off the power it could receive from the equipped Eurofighter jet engine on it as well.

Another one was being reported by Ars Technica, which mentioned that a monopropellant rocket that was developed by Norwegian aerospace and defense company Nammo will be the other option or source of its unwavering power that could make it a supersonic one. Yet Warhurst also backed this with a statement that it could only be possible to test it along with the Bloodhound supersonic car by allotting another 11 million USD, which is an additional funding slate just for the development stage of the car.

Related Article: New 3D Printing System Proposed by Researchers to Provide More Cost Efficient, Easier Printing
I believed I was following the instructions of former President Trump and he was my president and the commander-in-chief, he said.

Garrett Miller, an accused participant in the attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, has released a statement apologizing for his call to violence against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Read More: Alleged Capitol rioters brother was head of Michelle Obamas security detail

theGrio reported, Miller of Richardson, Texas faces five criminal charges related to the rioting on Capitol Hill including trespassing and making death threats after tweeting, Assassinate AOC. According to the report, the 34-year-old had a rope in his bag during the violent event and shared various photos and statements on social media boasting pride in the Make America Great Again, branded merchandise while inside the Capitol.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks outside of the Democratic National Committee headquarters on November 19, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

At the time, his lawyer, Clint Broden, issued a statement on behalf of his client, saying Garret displayed regret for his actions. He claimed he operated in support of former President Donald Trump who faced his second impeachment for inciting the riot.

He has the support of his family, and a lot of the comments, as viewed in context, are really sort of misguided political hyperbole. Given the political divide these days, there is a lot of hyperbole, Broden said according to the report.

Still, Ocasio-Cortez feared for her life, during the event and after. CNN correspondent Jessica Schneider shared a clip of AOC expressing how she and her colleagues narrowly escaped death as the valiant Trump supporters stormed the federal building.

I had a very close encounter where I thought I was going to die, Ocasio-Cortez said in the video on Jan. 13. According to theGrio, Ocasio-Cortez did not attend the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris out of fear that her GOP colleagues who were exposed for assisting rioters still pose a safety concern.

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Read More: Man books flight to Switzerland after assaulting a cop during Capitol Riot

Story continues

Garrett has now added to his lawyers statement by sharing his own words including an apology to AOC. In his own words, he admitted to being in Washington D.C. on January 6 to support Trump against what he believed to be a stolen presidential election.

First, let me say that I was in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021, because I believed I was following the instructions of former President Trump and he was my president and the commander-in-chief. His statements also had me believing the election was stolen from him, the statement read. Nevertheless, I fully recognize Joe Biden is now the President of the United States and that the election is over. Donald Trump is no longer president and I would not have any reason to continue to follow his lead.

He continued to issue his apology to the Democratic representative.

(Credit: AP)

Second, while I never intended to harm Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez nor harm any members of the Capitol police force, I recognize that my social media posts were completely inappropriate. They were made at a time when Donald Trump had me believing that an American election was stolen. I want to publicly apologize to Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and the Capitol police officers. I have always supported law enforcement and I am ashamed by my comments.

He added, I want to reiterate that I was not armed when I entered the Capitol and that I stayed in the Capitols rotunda. I also left Washington and started back to Texas immediately after President Trump asked us to go home.

theGrio reported that many of the rioters may not face charges from the Department of Justice. According to the report, federal officials estimate that roughly 800 people unlawfully entered the building. Officials have allegedly argued that those who only entered the building and did nothing else should not face charges. Those who disagree believe it is important to send a forceful message to prevent the behavior from happening in the future. The DOJ has already charged more than 135 individuals with committing crimes in and around the Capitol, and more are expected.

There is absolute resolve from the Department of Justice to hold all who intentionally engaged in criminal acts at the Capitol accountable, Justice Department spokesman Marc Raimondi said in an email according to the report. We have consistently made clear that we will follow the facts and evidence and charge individuals accordingly. We remain confident that the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. can appropriately handle the docket relating to any resulting charges.

Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now!

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The post Alleged Capitol rioter apologizes for threatening to assassinate AOC appeared first on TheGrio.
In 2021, the AZ Awards will be juried by 10 design world luminaries rather than five. As we venture into this new decade, embracing an awards season that will play out digitally and IRL, we decided to bring together a larger jury of professionals from around the world to select the finalists and winners. (To enter, visit awards.azuremagazine.com.)

Without further ado, here are the members of our 2021 AZ Awards jury:

Patricia Urquiola

Photo by Massimiliano Sticca

One of the worlds pre-eminent designers, Patricia Urquiola works with a variety of leading Italian and international design companies, including Kvadrat, Driade, Moroso, Flos, GAN, Andreu World, Glas Italia, Kettal, and global groups such as Haworth, BMW, Louis Vuitton, Missoni, Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Four Seasons, Ferrari and Swarovski; she has also been the creative director of Cassina since 2015. Creating links between craftsmanship and industrial research and between heritage and technology, Urquiola drives the companies she works with to upcycle waste material and reimagine their entire manufacturing process.

The Spanish-born designer believes in an original design point of view merging humanistic, technological and social approaches, and constantly experiments and dares to move towards better design and architecture. Founded in Milan in 2001, her eponymous studio focuses on these industrial product design projects as well as architecture, art direction and strategy consulting. Amongst its latest architectural projects are Il Sereno Hotel in Como, the Room Mate Giulia Hotel in Milan, the Marienturm and Marienforum towers common areas in Frankfurt and showroom interiors for brands as varied as Mutina and Laufen.

Ini Archibong

Ini Archibongs inimitable furniture design is characterized by a deep interest in master-craftsmanship and its intrinsic relationship to technology. Based in Neuchatel, Switzerland, the California native of Nigerian American heritage has collaborated with global brands including Hermes, Knoll, de Sede, Bernhardt, Se, and Vacheron Constantin, drawing inspiration from his study of architecture, environmental and product design, as well as his lifelong passions for mathematics, philosophy and world religions.

After graduating from the Art Center College of Design, Archibong joined Tim Kobes Eight Inc., in Singapore, before continuing his studies at the prestigious Ecole cantonale dart de Lausanne, where he earned a masters degree and is now a visiting professor. His work has been exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery in Pasadena, Galerie Triode in Paris, Museo Bagatti Valsecchi in Milan and the Dallas Museum of Art. He is currently working on a series of limited-edition sculptural pieces for a 2021 solo exhibition at the Friedman Benda Gallery in New York and creating a pavilion for the London Design Biennale.

Susannah Drake

Susannah C. Drake is associate professor at CU Boulder and founding principal of Brooklyn-based DLANDstudio Architecture + Landscape Architecture. Drake is a global thought leader on climate-adapted infrastructure and urban design. Over the last decade, her inventive design for the transformation of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway has inspired a national movement to heal the wounds made by urban highways. Her Coastal Urbanism planning work for The Fourth Regional Plan, dedicated to the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan area, calls for climate migration to higher ground.

In 2020, her Gowanus Canal Sponge Park project won the inaugural Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Award for Climate Action. Most recently she unveiled bold plans for how to protect and preserve the cultural and ecological assets of the National Mall in Washington, DC. Drakes award-winning design work is in the permanent collection of MoMA and Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum.

Sou Fujimoto

Photo by David Vintiner

Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto established his eponymous firm in 2000, after graduating from Tokyo Universitys Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering. He first gained international acclaim with House N (2008), Musashino Art University Museum & Library (2010), House NA (2011) and the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion he created in 2013. Among his recent renowned projects is the already iconic LArbre Blanc, a residential tower he designed in Montpellier, France, after winning first prize in an international competition for its commission in 2014. He also won several design competitions across Europe in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

In 2019, he was selected as the master architect for the development plan of Tsuda Universitys Kodaira Campus. And in 2020, he was chosen to be design producer for the expo site of the 2025 Japan International Exposition (Osaka/Kansai Expo). This year, he will complete the much-anticipated Hungarian House of Music.

Adelaide Testa

Photo by Matteo Pastorio

Adelaide Testa is co-founder, with Andrea Marcante, of the Milan design studio Marcante  Testa, which creates atmospheres that, while rigorously composed, set out to elegantly combine a multitude of values: serious and fun, authentic and refined, with deep roots and a love of the world. Balancing emotion and reason, the studio has received numerous prizes and honours. In 2016, it worked on the public sector project Liberamensa to introduce interior design into neglected places, such as prisons, and is currently collaborating as art directors or consultants with various brands, including Ceramica Vogue, GTV Thonet, SEM, London Art, Spotti-Valcucine, Archiproducts, B-Ticino.

In 2019, The New York Times Style Magazine named Marcante-Testa one of Italys most innovative architecture firms. If certain of our interiors are thrilling, Testa and Marcante say, its because they demonstrate a choice between conflicting aspects of our character, of the legitimate aspiration to transform our disquieting contradictions into something beautiful.

Paul Filek

Paul Filek is co-founder and managing partner of Burdifilek, a globally recognized interior design firm based in Toronto. With over 25 years of experience, Filek and his team have put creative intelligence, cultural relevance and flawless execution at the forefront of all projects to create unexpected and expressive interiors for brands around the globe. His company has designed award-winning interiors for the retail, residential, hotel and hospitality sectors in America, Europe and Asia.

He is currently working on ambitious retail projects in Asia, notably the PARK 1 department store, the main Lotte Department Store, and the Shinsegae Store  all in South Korea. The firm is also at work on multiple luxury private residences in Canada and Europe.

Karim Rashid

The prolific Karim Rashid, who established his studio in 1992, has more than 4,000 designs in production, over 300 awards to his name, and client work in over 40 countries. Eschewing singular style in favour of designing in the modus of our time, the New Yorkbased Canadian designer has created luxury goods for Christofle, Alessi, Veuve Clicquot and Riva 1920; democratic products for Umbra, Paul Mitchell and 3M; timeless furniture for Bonaldo, Tonelli, BoConcept and Vondom; exquisite lighting for Artemide and Fontana Arte; high-tech products for Asus and SirinLabs; surface design for Marburg and Abet Laminati; iconic branding for Hugo Boss and Citibank; and award-winning packaging for Method, Paris Baguette, Kenzo and Eos.

Karims influence expands beyond product to interiors, including restaurants like Switch in UAE; hospitality design for Park Inn by Radisson Amsterdam City West and budget hotels for Prizeotel in Bremen, Hamburg, Munster, and Erfurt; public environments like Universita Metro Station in Naples; residential design like Paraiso Bayviews in Miami; and retail design for Fun Factory in Berlin and Munich. He is a recipient of the American Prize for Design Lifetime Achievement award, as well as a perennial winner of the Red Dot award, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award and IDSA Industrial Design Excellence award.

Barbara Bestor

A graduate of Harvard and SCI-Arc, Barbara Bestor has consistently pursued experimental architecture that engages the city through design, art and urbanism. Her varied and progressive body of work connects with people on a variety of levels, often outside the boundaries traditionally delineated for architecture. She believes that good design creates engaged urban life and embraces the strange beauty that enhances everyday experiences. Established in 1995, her Los Angeles practice Bestor Architecture is best known for designing the new headquarters for Beats By Dre, Snap, Inc., and Nasty Gal.

It has also designed a variety of residences, including Blackbirds, an innovative small lot housing complex in Echo Park, and the Floating Bungalow House in Venice, CA. Currently she is exploring urban design issues that directly affect Los Angeles and beyond with a modern sensibility that will create enduring impact; related projects include IKAR: a Jewish Center for Social Innovation; a series of transitional development studies for San Fernando Road along the LA River; and the much-awarded revitalization of John Lautners Silvertop.

Marc Ryan

Over two decades of practice in Canada, the United States and Europe, Marc Ryan has dedicated his passion, advocacy, and professional work toward elevating the role of landscape and the public realm in shaping the quality of urban environments. He is a landscape architect who re-imagines cities by transforming under-utilized terrain into new urban landscapes, providing leadership to uncover and create a dramatic new sense of place.

Ryan is principal and co-founder of PUBLIC WORK, a Toronto-based office for urban design and landscape architecture focused on one of the foremost public topics today  the intelligent evolution of the contemporary city. Established in 2012, the studio aims to produce transformative works that invigorate the public realm, optimize and enhance the performance of urban and natural systems, and support public life by adding new layers of experience to the city. Emblematic projects like the AZ Awards-winning Bentway, TO Core, Creek Park, DFALD at One Spadina, CIBC Square and University Park demonstrate its commitment to urban transformations across dramatically different scales.

Gilles Saucier

Photo by Justine Latour

Gilles Saucier graduated from the School of Architecture at Universite Laval in 1982. Soon after, he established the Montreal architectural firm Saucier+Perrotte Architectes, a multidisciplinary practice internationally renowned for its institutional, cultural and residential projects. These include the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario; the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Vancouver; and the River City residential complex in Toronto. As Design Partner, he is responsible for the design integrity of all projects, with specific attention given to architectures connection to geology and the landscape.

Since 1990, he has been a visiting professor and an invited critic at several Canadian and American universities. In 2004, his firm represented Canada at the prestigious Architecture Biennale of Venice. In 2014, Saucier and his partner Andre Perrotte were the first recipients of the new the Prix Ernest-Cormier, awarded by the Prix du Quebec for design and architecture; in 2018, they received the Gold Medal from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

*

The AZ Awards 2021 is presented by Caesarstone, Keilhauer and Landscape Forms.

The AZ Awards 2021 Gala sponsors are Ciot, Dark Tools and Scavolini.
An Israeli military commander shot a Palestinian man who attempted to stab soldiers in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the military said, and Palestinian officials said the man had been killed.

The incident occurred at a road junction south of the Palestinian city of Nablus, the military said in a statement.

Israeli troops at a nearby military post "spotted an assailant who attempted to stab two IDF (Israeli military) soldiers" stationed at the road junction.

"One of the soldiers blocked the assailant's multiple stabbing attacks, and the commander of the troops who was at the scene fired towards the assailant and neutralized him," the statement said.

The Palestinian health ministry said the man had died, without identifying him.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians seek the territory for an independent state they hope to set up in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

Reuters
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 42F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.
The ground reality is that most of the Indians who migrate abroad and become citizens of other countries do not have particularly great interest about happenings and problems faced by India , except some sort of cursory interest from time to time.

by N.S.Venkataraman

From time immemorial, people have been migrating from one country to another. When India was ruled by British, thousands of poor Indians were taken to African countries , Caribbean countries , Sri Lanka, Malaysia and other places to work in plantations, construction activities etc. Most of the Indians agreed to go to serve the British masters, as they were living in deep poverty conditions in India or due to coercion or temptation by middle men. Most of them did not return back and finally settled down in the countries to which they migrated and after a few generations , the descendants do not have any empathy for India and perhaps, they do not even recognize India as their original motherland.

However, in recent decades, Indians have been migrating abroad not due to coercion or compulsion or poverty conditions but out of their own will to seek greener pastures. Number of them have reasonable level of skills and therefore, find it easy to get jobs abroad. There are also quite a number of students who go abroad for higher studies and finally settle down there.

How should the resident Indians who still live in India view those migrating abroad, give up their Indian citizenship and willingly become citizens of other countries?

Should they be viewed as self centred people seeking fortunes for themselves elsewhere , with least regard for the interests of their own motherland ? Or should they be viewed as persons who feel that they are not getting adequate opportunity in the motherland or feel unhappy about the government policies and conditions in the society and go abroad? Or is it possible that quite a number of them have gone abroad thinking that this could be a status symbol and working abroad would be a matter of pride for them?

The ground reality is that most of the Indians who migrate abroad and become citizens of other countries do not have particularly great interest about happenings and problems faced by India , except some sort of cursory interest from time to time.

This question has particularly arisen now , after seeing the way that the resident Indians are overjoyed about Kamala Harris becoming the Vice President of USA and around twenty American Indians being appointed for top and key positions in Biden administration.

Kamala Harris is a case study to analyse the scenario.

Her mother was originally an Indian who migrated to USA long back at the age of 19 and married a Jamaican and they were the parents for Kamala Harris . Should Kamala Harris be described now as an American Indian or American Jamaican ?

The fact is that Kamala Harris is no more an Indian and her loyalty and priority is for American interests. She does not even know any Indian language.

However, when she became the Vice President of USA, the people living in the village, where her ancestors once lived in Tamil Nadu several decades back , celebrated the event with great fanfare. Special prayers were offered in temples by the people , though Kamala Harris does not claim that she is a Hindu and though her mother is a Brahmin. Section of media in India published the photographs prominently of the villagers celebrating the event as if it is of national importance. True to the statue culture of Tamil Nadu, one need not be surprised if some one would erect a statue for her in the village in the course of time !

While Indians claim that the country of origin of Kamala Harris is India, Jamaicans claim that the country of origin of Kamala Harris is Jamaica. In several of her earlier pronouncements , Kamala Harris always said that she is an American Jamaican , though in the recent election campaign she claimed that her country of origin is India and her mother was born in India, to impress the American Indian voters and get their votes in her favour.

In the same way, among the twenty American Indians who have been appointed for key positions in Biden administration, most of them have left India long back and next generation of people belonging to their families may not know anything about India at all. However , many resident Indians seem to imagine that Indians are in charge of part of Biden administration !

The issue is not about Indians migrating abroad and becoming citizens of the country to which they have migrated.

The point that need attention is the way that most of the Indian media and resident Indians celebrate the success stories of American Indians , as if the Indians have got the prestigious positions , which is not so. They are full fledged Americans and not Indians.

After Modi becoming the Prime Minister of India , he has been treating the Indians who have migrated to other countries including those who have become citizens of other countries with great consideration and they are now popularly known as diaspora. Every time Modi goes abroad, he has made it a point to address the gathering of diaspora and talk to them as if they are Indians. Most of them are not Indian citizens anymore and have become the citizens of other countries to which they have migrated. Obviously, in viewing them, Modi does not make a difference between those who are Indian citizens now and those who have migrated abroad to become citizens of other countries. Further, the government has offered a sort of dual citizenship to the Indian migrants abroad who are citizens of other countries , providing them best of both the worlds.

Watching the above scenario, a discerning observer in India cannot but wonder as to whether the resident Indians suffer from inferiority complex vis a vis those who were once Indians and now become American citizens . Are resident Indians view them as glorified Indians?

The second generation of American Indians would certainly be surprised to see the glamorous attention that they get in India, though they may not have even seen India. They would find it difficult to understand the mindset of the resident Indians towards them.
Education minister Lawrence Wong also said the current vaccines may not be so effective against the virus' mutant strains and will have to be modified to counter them

Singapore: It may take four to five years for the COVID-19 pandemic to end and the world to look to a post-COVID normal, a senior Singaporean minister has warned.

Speaking at the Singapore Perspectives 2021 conference hosted by Singapore's Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) on Monday, Singapore's Education Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force, said there are still many uncertainties to contend with in the next few years, while sharing his hopes about how the future can be "reset" once the pandemic is over, the Channel News Asia reported.

"At some point of time the pandemic will pass, but it may take four to five years before we finally see the end of the pandemic and the start of a post-COVID normal. What will this new post-COVID world look like? No one can tell," Wong said.

He said there was still a great uncertainty about how the coronavirus will shape society in the coming years.

He said adhering to safe management measures like mask-wearing and avoiding crowds will continue for this year and "maybe a good part of next year".

"Beyond that, the availability of COVID-19 vaccinations will progressively restart global travel, but getting the world vaccinated won't be quick or easy," he said during the conference.

The Government has planned for everyone in Singapore to be vaccinated by the third quarter of this year, but Wong conceded that there could still be "bumps along the way".

He noted that the current vaccines may not be so effective against new mutant strains of the virus, and will have to be modified to counter them.

"In the positive scenario, this means the vaccine becomes a bit like an annual flu jab ... or perhaps we develop a vaccine that works for all strains. But in the worst case, we end up always a step behind an evolving virus, and you will not be able to catch up in time," he said.

"So there are still tremendous uncertainties ahead of us. And the bottom line is that we live in a shared world and no one is safe until everyone is safe," the report quoted the minister as saying.

Looking ahead to the post-pandemic future, Wong said the current crisis can set the stage for a "software update" or a "reboot" of Singapore after the damage inflicted the virus.

"We must reset our social compact to emerge as a fairer and more equal society. The pandemic may be indiscriminate about who it infects but its impact is anything but equal. It has, in fact, widened the gulf between the haves and the have-nots," he said.

Wong said that Singapore started to prioritise reducing inequality a decade ago, and that last year, many emergency measures were introduced to help lower-income groups.

But this year, the temporary measures will have to "taper down" as the economy improves.

However, the minister foresees that Singaporeans will need more assurance and support in a more uncertain and volatile world.

"The impact of the pandemic has created an added impetus to strengthen our social support system. There will be a permanent shift towards further strengthening of our social safety nets in Singapore to protect the disadvantaged and vulnerable," he said, adding that it will have to be done in a "sustainable manner over the long term".
[January 26, 2021] WestRock Provides Update on Ransomware Incident

WestRock Company (NYSE: WRK) today provided the following update on its ransomware incident which was announced on Jan. 25, 2021. WestRock's security teams, supported by leading cyber defense firms, continue to work on remediation of and recovery from this incident. With some exceptions, the Company's operations have continued to run and deliver for customers. In locations where technology issues have been identified, we are using alternative methods to process and ship orders. "We are working around the clock to complete our investigation and to restore normalized operations as quickly as possible," said Steve Voorhees, chief executive officer. "WestRock teams are taking extraordinary steps to keep our mills and converting plants operational and to safely deliver to our customers." Forward-Looking Information This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, beliefs, plans or forecasts and are typically identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "could," "should," "would," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "target," "prospects," "potential" and "forecast," and other words, terms and phrses of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions readers that a forward-looking statement is not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statement. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to express or implied statements relating to the Company's ability to manage the ransomware incident and keep its mills and converting plants operational. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include the ongoing assessment of the incident; adverse legal, reputational and financial effects on the Company resulting from the incident or additional cyber incidents; and the effectiveness of the Company's business continuity plans during the ransomware incident. The Company's businesses are also subject to a number of risks that would affect any such forward-looking statements and may impact management's assumptions. These risks are more particularly described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020. The information contained herein speaks as of the date hereof and the Company does not have or undertake any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.



About WestRock WestRock (NYSE: WRK) partners with our customers to provide differentiated paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRock's team members support customers around the world from locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at www.westrock.com.

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Unmanned aerial vehicles to scale new heights thanks to NASA

NASA is funding a major project on the future of autonomous air cargo transportation, and The University of Texas at Austin will be playing a lead role. The COVID-19 vaccine rollout -- the largest global logistics effort since World War II -- has underscored the importance of increasing efficiencies in the global supply chain infrastructure. Autonomous aerial vehicles have the potential to revolutionize cargo transportation.

Researchers at UT Austin's Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences and the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics in the Cockrell School of Engineering will lead a team that will develop methods that could be used to validate the cost and scalability of conceptual autonomous cargo operations. They will be providing theory and concepts for all types of vehicles -- from large unmanned cargo aircraft crossing the U.S. to the single drone that can drop a package in residential neighborhoods.

The researchers will rely heavily on machine learning and computational engineering to find solutions to the long list of challenges they face, from the management of autonomous aircraft traffic flow to regulations to public concerns about safety, privacy, emissions, and noise pollution.

"Public concerns such as noise pollution, privacy or perceived risks of autonomous operations are usually addressed in a post-hoc analysis," said lead investigator Ufuk Topcu, professor of aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics and director of the Autonomous Systems Group in the Oden Institute. "This approach is not only costly but tends to have limited impact. We are using mathematical models to represent public concerns that characterize their relative importance with other factors in the overall process."

The team includes experts from Purdue University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT Lincoln Labs, Morgan State University and an industry partner, Cavan Solutions, in a NASA University Leadership Initiative (ULI). This program gives the university community the chance to receive NASA funding to take the lead in building their own teams and setting their own research agenda.

The team will use a method that transforms societal concerns -- from environmental, to safety and risk -- into terrain or surfaces.

"You can create a hill for each noise-sensitive area like a school or church," said John-Paul Clarke, a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering and co-principal investigator on the study. "We can then modify the flight trajectory of an aerial vehicle to ensure it remains above the resulting terrain or thereby ensure the noise level at all locations stays below the noise threshold used to create the surface."

This approach of characterizing public input directly into the design and operation of advanced air mobility technology is rare. Topcu is an advocate for developing a coordinated strategy that accounts for the many technical, economical and societal aspects of autonomy.

"The design of all new autonomous systems requires input from all stakeholders in society, not just scientists and engineers," he said. "Public acceptance must be central to the design and operation decisions in advanced air mobility."

The pandemic has done more than just increase demand for home deliveries.

"It has changed the way supply chains are being strained," Clarke said. "Suddenly we must account for the risk associated with the driver of a truck on her way to a town or city where the virus is rampant. Autonomous aerial vehicles can provide us with greater flexibility to avoid putting workers at risk."

The award, worth $8 million, is the second University Leadership Initiative grant that UT Austin has secured this academic year. At the end of 2020, Cockrell School researchers announced their successful bid to lead a hypersonics-focused research project through the same NASA program.

"Two of the most pressing technological issues facing the nation are autonomy and hypersonics, and UT Austin is leading the way in both," said Karen Willcox, director of the Oden Institute and co-principal investigator in both NASA ULI projects. Willcox is also a key driver of another central element of the autonomous cargo operations at scale project: education and outreach. "We need to be thinking about the diverse future workforce required to design, operate and maintain new autonomous transportation technologies."

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A Derry business features in a new documentary about the rise in the number of young people looking for anti-wrinkle injections.

BBC Blas presenter Caoimhe Ni Chathail investigates the growing demand for treatments that seem to be becoming the norm with young people today.

Caoimhe wants to find out why people decide to have aesthetics treatments, how easy it is to get them and how important it is to do your research. How safe are these procedures?

Caoimhe investigates how the aesthetics industry is unregulated in Northern Ireland which causes a lot of non-medical practitioners to be in charge.

Dr. Chris Hutton explains the dangers around botched jobs and side effects that can include blindness and severe infections.

Clodagh Ni Mhaicin, 26, from Belfast, who started getting lip fillers at 18, is interviewed in the programme.

The build up of numerous filler injections over the years means that shes left with residue filler needing to be dissolved, which is, as viewers will witness, a very painful procedure.

Connor and Company in Derry are expanding their existing hair and make-up services to now incorporate aesthetics treatments.

With a monthly pop-up clinic now present in the salon, Connor Grant tells Caoimhe of the growing demand for these treatments in the area and how they are becoming increasingly normalised and accepted.

Belfast dance teacher Micheal O Coigligh is among the rising number of men considering anti-wrinkle injections.

On his consultation journey he asks all the questions you need to know about anti-wrinkle treatments, including the critical one: what age should you start getting botox?

Former Miss Ireland Lauren McDonagh explains that she only started getting lip fillers was when she was crowned Miss Donegal in 2017and one of her prizes was a voucher for a free aesthetic treatment.

The programme 'Croi na Ceiste le Caoimhe' airs on Monday, February 1, at 10pm on BBC 2 .

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UPPER THUMB  Restaurant owners in Huron County are relieved to finally reopen for in-person dining after only offering takeout since November.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that indoor dining for restaurants can resume on Feb. 1 in a new order lasting for three weeks.

Restaurants and bars will be allowed to reopen at 25% capacity with up to 100 people. Tables must be six feet apart with no more than six people per table. Outdoor tents with four sides are also permitted under these same rules.

Also, under this new order, restaurants and bars must close by 10 p.m. and contact information must be collected from diners for contact tracing purposes.

The only categories remaining not open are workplaces when work can be done from home, night clubs, water parks, and non-professional contact sports.

Related stories:

Restaurant managers frustrated with extended restrictions

Thumb area restaurants preparing to close down again

Michigan restaurants have had their dining rooms closed and been allowed to open intermittently throughout 2020, with some stretches of time only allowing take-out service, and other times allowing 50% capacity.

Laura Wills, a server at the Lamplighter Restaurant in Sebewaing, said that the staff is happy they are able to open back up.

Customers have been wanting to get back in, Wills said. The servers want them to come back and eat.

Wills said the place would be changing its hours when opening back up, opening at 8 a.m. instead of 10 a.m., while continuing to offer takeout.

Its been a struggle, Wills described the past few months of takeout only service. Luckily the community has been good in getting takeout.

Steve Guitar, the owner of Farmers Tavern in Ruth, said he is glad to finally open back up, though he acknowledged that having 25% capacity would be tough.

It is what it is, Guitar said, as long as we have people coming in the doors.

Guitar said this second lockdown was not like the first lockdown from early 2020 they experienced, since it was slower for them. He theorized that people had stimulus and unemployment money they were willing to spend back then.

Its tough in the winter for everybody, Guitar said. Theres not a lot of people around. We would always have people in after a night of bowling or pool.

State Sen. Dan Lauwers, who appeared in Bad Axe last week discussing the effects the shutdown had on businesses, said that while he is grateful the governor is finally allowing restaurants to reopen, he is disappointed the capacity limit is at 25%, though something is better than nothing.

I dont know any business that can turn a profit at 25% capacity, Lawers said. The people Ive talked to have to get to 50% capacity to reach a profit. Hopefully that will change soon.

Lauwers added that he feels it would be more productive to share the standards with restaurants and let them figure it out for themselves rather than superimpose a number onto everyone.

State Rep. Phil Green said that this is a good baby step for getting small businesses reopened, since Michigan was the only state to not have its restaurants open for dine-in service. He did say the governor continues to act unilaterally and not tell people why she is making these decisions.
During the sixth Ukrainian-Slovak expert forum, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova presented to her Slovak colleagues the goals and mechanisms of the Crimean Platform's work, informed the event participants about preparations for its inaugural summit in Kyiv on August 23, 2021, and also expressed gratitude to the Slovak side for willingness to take part in it.

"Talking about the situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea, Dzhaparova drew attention to the deteriorating human rights situation and the continuing militarization of the peninsula by the Russian occupation administration, which endangers the security of the Black Sea-Azov region," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday on its official website.

. The First Deputy Minister noted that more than 28,000 Ukrainian citizens have been drafted into the ranks of the Russian army since the beginning of the occupation of the peninsula, more than 160 criminal cases were opened by the occupation authorities for evading military service.

Dzhaparova also drew the attention of the discussion participants to the forced change in the demographic composition of the Crimean population, recalled other crimes of the Russian occupation administration on the peninsula: suppression of religious freedoms and freedom of speech, oppression of national minorities, politically motivated persecution, enforced disappearances, militarization of education and illegal privatization of Ukrainian state property in Crimea.

It is noted that the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine opened the forum together with her Slovak counterpart, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia Ingrid Brockova. The event was attended by Ukrainian and Slovak experts, representatives of government agencies and business.

"Dzhaparova outlined the priorities of Ukraine's foreign policy for 2021, in particular regarding European and Euro-Atlantic integration, energy security and countering Russian aggression. She expressed gratitude to the Slovak side for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine both at the bilateral level and within the framework of international organizations," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

For her part, Brockova noted that Slovakia supports the European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Ukraine and does not recognize the violation of its territorial integrity.
The body of a 35-year-old man has been found in a popular swimming spot in the latest of a string of tragic drowning incidents this summer.

The man was found on Tuesday after getting in the water at Thompsons Beach in the Murray River in Victoria.

He was declared dead after the Victorian Police Dive Unit found him at around 8.40pm on Tuesday night.

The body of a 35-year-old man has been found in a popular swimming spot in the latest of a string of tragic drowning incidents this summer. Pictured: Murray River Victoria

He was declared dead after the Victorian Police Dive Unit found him at around 8.40pm on Tuesday night (Stock)

His body was found submerged in four metres of water.

There were many water rescues in Victorian beaches over the weekend, with swimmers flocking to the beach thanks to the Australia Day public holiday and high temperatures.

The death is one of many in what's been called a 'horror drowning season'.

There has been a spike in drowning deaths in the summer of 2020/2021.

At least 55 people have died as a result of drowning this summer alone, compared to just 43 at this time last year.

In Victoria, seven people died in the ten days leading up to January 25.

Life guards and authorities are on high alert across Australia's coast line as they respond to increased call outs for drownings.

Victoria Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp urged the public to take be cautious when in the water this summer.
Internet users across the northeast U.S. experienced widespread outages for several hours Tuesday, interrupting work and school because of an unspecified Verizon network issue.

FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2019, file photo, an iPhone displays the Facebook app in New Orleans. Users across the northeast U.S. reported widespread internet outages Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Verizon reported a fiber cut in Brooklyn via Twitter, although its not clear if that issue is responsible for the entire outage. According to DownDetector and user reports on Twitter, the problem appears to extend from Washington to Boston, and is affecting internet and cloud providers as well as a number of Google services, Facebook and other major sites. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

Internet users across the northeast U.S. experienced widespread outages for several hours Tuesday, interrupting work and school because of an unspecified Verizon network issue.

An internet issue impacting the quality of our Fios service throughout the Northeast has been resolved," said spokesman Rich Young in an emailed statement Tuesday afternoon. He said service levels are returning to normal" and the company is investigating what happened. The service interruptions were unrelated to a cut fiber in Brooklyn, New York, which caused problems for people in the area.

There are about 6.5 million Fios internet customers.

People posting on Twitter reported having issues connecting with various online services in the region stretching from Washington, D.C., to Boston. That densely populated area includes key U.S. government services as well as major financial companies such as Fidelity Investments.

Disruptions to internet services are always a hassle, but have become even more excruciating as the pandemic forces millions of people to work from home and students to attend school remotely.

Diana Gaspar's daughter in New York couldn't connect to her online classroom because their home internet was spotty for a couple of hours in the afternoon, although her daughter was able to log in with Gaspar's phone.

We didn't see it as a major issue," Gaspar said. The only inconvenience was me not having my phone.

For the Fairfax County Public Schools in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, teachers and students found workarounds, such as switching to another instruction platform if one wasn't working, said spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell. When her third-grade daughter's teacher couldn't log on to the education software they were using, a gym teacher came on to tell kids to do independent learning instead, said Fairfax parent Tracy Compton.

My daughter came to me and I had to stop working and I had to work with her to do the assignment, Compton said, nothing that frustrating tech issues are not unusual with remote learning.

At Galvin Middle School in Wakefield, Massachusetts, a suburb north of Boston, teachers sent students pen-and-paper assignments if there were internet problems, said Trish Dellanno, reached at the school by phone. Teachers have been able to keep on moving. Theyre going old school.

The outage affected internet and cloud providers as well as major sites such as Google and Facebook. Amazon, whose web services division powers a wide ranges of online services, indicated its network wasn't the cause of the problem and that connectivity issues for its Amazon Web Services customers were resolved around 12:45 p.m., after an hour and a half. Google said it also had not found issues with its own services and was investigating.

The East Coast outages began at 11:25 a.m. local time and recovery began at 12:37 p.m, according to Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik, a network monitoring company. He reported a 12% drop in traffic volume to Verizon.

Madory said he did not yet know if other carriers were impacted. Comcast, another major internet service provider, said it had not observed problems with its network Tuesday. AT&T said it does not supply home internet in the northeast and customers were not affected.

Cary Wiedemann, a network engineer who had connectivity problems at his home in Northern Virginia, said that some online services could have been disrupted even if your home internet still worked, if the issue was with the backbone of Verizon's network.

If Outlook works but YouTube doesnt, whose fault is it? Verizons fault. But thats not obvious from the onset, he said.

This story has been revised to correct the spelling of the network monitoring company Kentik. It has also been updated to correct the name of the Verizon spokesman. Its Rich Young, not Jim Greer.
The farmers' protest which has been ongoing since November gained further momentum on January 26. Protesting farmers in Delhi deviated from their scheduled route for a tractor rally.

Traffic was affected in several parts of the national capital as a result. Take a look at everything affected in Delhi:

Internet has been suspended in some parts of the national capital. Ministry of Home Affairs has temporarily suspended internet in Singhu border, Ghazipur border, Tikri border, Mukarba Chowk and Nangloi from 12:00 hrs to 23:59 hrs.

Track live updates on farmers' protests here

-Traffic movement is closed from Kapashera Chowk to Bijwasan Road. Diversion is given from Kapashera Border & Samalkha T Point.

-Similarly, traffic movement is closed from Dwarka More to Uttam Nagar East Metro Station. The diversion is given from Dwarka More.

-Delhi Police has also asked citizens to avoid NH 44, GTK road, outer ring road, Signature Bridge, GT road, ISBT ring road, Vikas Marg, ITO, NH 24, Nizammudin Khatta, Noida link road, Peeragarhi & Outer Delhi, East & West Delhi border areas.

- Traffic movement is closed from R/A Shankar Road to Talkatora Road & Minto Road. Motorists are advised to take an alternate route.

-All entry and exit gates on the grey line have been closed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has said. It also added that entry and exit gates of Jhilmil and Mansarovar Park have been reopened.

-Entry/exit gates of Jama Masjid metro station are closed, DMRC said.

-Traffic movement in both carriageway is closed from Yudhistir Bridge to Seelam Pur. While traffic has been diverted from Geeta Colony & Signature Bridge, the Delhi Police has said.
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A woman in her 70s has died and five others were injured after a driver hit multiple people over a mile-long stretch in Portland, according to police.

Police received a call shortly after 1pm that a driver had hit a pedestrian in the Southeastern part of the city, according to Portland Police Bureau spokesman Derek Carmon.

The pedestrians and vehicles were struck along several blocks west from Southeast 33rd Avenue and Stark Street down to Southeast 13th Avenue.

Additional calls then came from people saying a person driving the same suspect vehicle, a Honda Element, was striking other people and vehicles, he said.

A woman in her 70s has died and five others were injured after a driver hit multiple people over a mile-long stretch in Portland , according to police. Police at the scene of the incident on Monday

Wrecked vehicles are seen after a driver struck and injured at least five people over a 20-block stretch of Southeast Portland

Police said the woman, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the Oregon Health & Science University hospital.

A witness told the Oregonian that the woman had come to meet him for an appointment at the corner of Washington Street and 19th Avenue, when he saw her get hit by the car.

The witness said he was walking toward her when the suspect reversed and hit her again.

He said the car made a U-turn and went toward 19th Avenue to Stark Street.

Officials said the other pedestrians suffered non-critical injuries. Authorities said that there were other victims who did not need to go to the hospital.

Images shared online showed damaged cars, a bicycle and first responders transporting a victim to an area hospital.

Police said the suspect crashed the vehicle in the area of Southeast Stark Street and Southeast 18th Avenue before fleeing on foot. A group of community members were able to subdue the suspect until police arrived to arrest him

One man revealed on Twitter that his wife was in the area at the time of the incident.

'My wife is there, the piece of s**t hit 8 people on purpose and was speeding 50-60 mph. My wife was parked on the street and he hit her car while fleeing,' the man wrote.

Police said the suspect crashed the vehicle in the area of Southeast Stark Street and Southeast 18th Avenue.

'The driver of that vehicle fled on foot,' police said, adding that 'community members who witnessed the crash corralled the suspect until officers arrived on scene and took him into custody'.

A photo taken at the scene shows the man handcuffed on the ground as police cars surround him.

The suspect is being processed and arrest information will be available at a later time, police said. Authorities are also working to determine a motive.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to please call Detective Joseph Corona at (503) 823-0508.
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Giant crocs try to snatch drone out of the air

KameraOne  77,421 views  4 months ago

Incredible video from the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park in Australia shows giant crocodiles as they try to snatch a drone out of the air.
A China-backed newspaper on warned that Hong Kong would have to leave behind any notion of "Western" democracy, suggesting that the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is planning to further tighten its grip on the city's political life amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent.



In an article titled "Leaving behind the myth of Western democracy: consultative elections to comply with Basic Law," the CCP-backed Ta Kung Pao newspaper suggested a "consultative" process with even less public involvement may be implemented in future.



It said the current method of choosing the city's chief executive could still result in the election of a candidate with political views not approved by Beijing.



Currently, the chief executive is selected by a 1,200 election committee that was once overwhelmingly pro-Beijing.



But a landslide victory for pro-democracy parties in the 2019 District Council elections may have rung alarm bells among Chinese leaders, as District Councils -- once overwhelmingly pro-China -- are represented on the committee.



Asked about the article on , chief executive Carrie Lam didn't appear to rule out the possibility of an even more tightly controlled process for choosing the chief executive.



Lam said the current wording in the city's Basic Law didn't allow for such a process, but didn't deny it was a possibility.



"Annex 1 [of the Basic Law] would need to be amended, if the chief executive were to be selected through consultation," Lam said.



"Hong Kong ... is directly accountable to the Central People's Government, no matter which method is used in the end," she said. "So they would ultimately decide [on the method]."



Lam's term in office ends in just over one year, and speculation has been mounting among pro-China politicians over the method Beijing will eventually settle on to pick her successor.



In another possible indicator of Beijing's determination to take fuller control over Hong Kong, the CCP's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office announced the appointment of a key ally of general secretary Xi Jinping to head the party's disciplinary arm in the office, suggesting a possible purge of high-ranking officials in the office.



Shi Kehui, 59, will head the office's branch of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), which spearheads Xi's anti-corruption campaign, which political analysts say usually targets officials not directly linked to Xi's own faction within the party.



Meanwhile, police are reportedly scouring the banking records of pro-democracy activists and supporters of the 2019 protest movement, according to a report from Reuters.



Six pro-democracy activists told the news agency that Hong Kong police had obtained some of their bank records without their consent and questioned them about certain transactions following their arrests earlier this month on suspicion of "subversion" under a draconian national security law imposed on the city from , 2020.



The number of requests for customers financial records by Hong Kong police has more than doubled over the past six months or so, the report quoted an executive at a major retail bank in Hong Kong with direct knowledge of the matter as saying.



They said the increase was due to requests for information about pro-democracy activists.



The increasing use of bank records in questioning activists shows that Hong Kong's national security police are using the full extent of their powers to investigate people under the law, the report said, citing requests made to HSBC, Hang Seng Bank, Citibank and Standard Chartered.



Representatives of those banks declined to comment on individual accounts, Reuters reported.



Reported by RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
A devastated mother has blamed cannabis for the death of her 'beautiful, bright and fun' young daughter who took her own life by jumping off a multi-storey car park.

Kerry Head, from Long Eaton in Derbyshire, says her daughter Emily Rowling became addicted to the drug and 'became paranoid' the more she smoked.

Emily, who was just 23, had been diagnosed with mental health conditions but doctors did not have the power to force her to accept treatment.

Derby Coroner's Court was told by Emily's parents that towards the end of her life she became convinced she could hear other people's thoughts and believed she was Mary Magdalene.

Kerry Head, from Long Eaton in Derbyshire, says her daughter Emily Rowling became addicted to the drug and 'became paranoid' the more she smoked

Speaking after her inquest, which recorded a verdict of suicide, Ms Head said: 'I would wholeheartedly say there's a false sense of security around cannabis.

'They say no one has died from taking cannabis, but I disagree, my daughter has. It was difficult to try and get her to seek help. I was so worried about her, but she wouldn't let us help. We felt so helpless.

'We took advice from a drug help line, which said we should cut her off and not give her money as she would just spend it on cannabis.

'The advice we were given was she would only help herself when she hits rock bottom.

'We would give her cash cards she could spend at Asda for food so she couldn't spend cash on cannabis, but we later found out she was buying video games with them and selling them to get the cash.

'When she wasn't angry with us for not giving her the money she would admit that she was stealing food from Asda and Sainsbury's.'

Mrs Head says she, and many other people in Emily's life, were left heartbroken by her death.

'I consider myself very lucky to have had the time with Emily that I did,' she said.

'She was so bright, she was completely accepting of everybody. She was so much fun, she was quirky and spontaneous.

'I remember she once went running across Tower Bridge in London in a cow onesie - she embraced life. She was a beautiful person.'

Emily, who was just 23, had been diagnosed with mental health conditions but doctors did not have the power to force her to accept treatment

Emily was found unresponsive outside a multi-storey car park in Nottingham on May 14, 2019.

The inquest heard she had a history of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, with her mental health deteriorating in the two years leading up to her death.

The inquest heard that Emily displayed signs of psychosis - which can lead people to experience hallucinations or delusions - but would often refuse to seek help and tried to hide this from doctors.

Dr Duncan Gooch, a GP at The Golden Brook Practice in Long Eaton, where Emily was registered, told the inquest discussions had been had about whether it would be possible to get her sectioned (detained under the Mental Health Act) for her own safety.

'The advice was as she wasn't a risk to herself or other people we wouldn't be able to use the Mental Health Act,' he said.

'In General Practice we work in collaboration - we have little ability to force ourselves on a patient who does not want help. I think it's a particularly difficult situation for other people looking in.

'The Mental Health Act is very clear on the circumstances in which I can be involved in a forced treatment of someone against their will, which is understandably a high threshold.'

Emily was found unresponsive outside a multi-storey car park in Nottingham on May 14, 2019.

He said that Emily, who had previously been diagnosed with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, did come into the surgery for appointments and concerns about her wellbeing from her parents had been noted.

'I had encouraged Emily to share what she was going through with her parents,' Dr Gooch said.

'It was quite clear that her parents were concerned about her and it was important that Emily try to share to alleviate their anxiety.

'We can share very limited information with family because we needed Emily's permission.'

He said that in the year leading up to her death, Emily had come into the surgery a number of times and although some of the things she had described in her life were concerning, there was nothing that could be described as psychotic.

'Psychosis is a very difficult diagnosis to make,' he said. 'Delusions have very little basis, they don't tend to have a detailed explanation. As we start challenging a delusion, the patient often says they feel it's true.

'She [Emily] was able to respond with a coherent and sensible answer to that. It was a clear and understandable logic in to how she got that view.'

In his last appointment with Emily just over a month before she died, Dr Gooch said Emily was complaining about having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and he signed her off work for two months to recuperate.

Miss Sabyta Kaushal, assistant coroner for Derby and Derbyshire, recorded a medical cause of death as trauma to the head and a conclusion of suicide.

She said the health services had done all they could to help Emily. 'I appreciate that today has been difficult,' she said.

'I think the evidence indicates that he [Dr Gooch] did what he was supposed to do and did attempt to assist Emily.

'At times she engaged with the relevant medical advice and other times she did not. It's an upsetting case'.

To donate to PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide in Emily's memory, visit Just Giving.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
FRESNO, CA  While U.S. coronavirus cases and deaths have been trending downward over the past week, hospitals across the country still report straining to meet the demands of the ongoing pandemic.

At the national level, during the week ending Jan. 25, deaths were running at an average of just under 3,100 a day  down from a peak of more than 3,350 in the weeks prior, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. New cases were averaging about 170,000 a day after hitting almost 250,000 earlier this month.

Meanwhile, state health officials in California reported to the federal government that 81 percent of all inpatient beds in hospitals across the state were still occupied as of Jan. 23. Around 30 percent of beds statewide were filled by COVID-19 patients, they reported.

Another set of federal data released this week shows how close hospitals in Fresno County are to reaching capacity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publishes this capacity data on a weekly basis for tens of thousands of hospitals nationwide, including the portion of inpatient beds occupied by adults confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19.

The latest hospital-specific numbers, included below, are current through Thursday, Jan. 21.

Health experts have said that the share of each hospitals total beds devoted to coronavirus is key to understanding the strain on its resources. A share greater than 10 percent is said to be a cause of concern. When that share exceeds 20 percent, a hospital is said to be under extreme stress, and as the share approaches 50 percent the stress is said to be immense.

Here are the latest figures for hospitals in Fresno County.

Editors note: This list was automatically generated using data compiled by the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. The local hospitals included in the list are limited to those included in the government data. Please report any errors or other feedback to content@patch.com.

Story continues

ADVENTIST HEALTH REEDLEY

372 W CYPRESS AVE, REEDLEY

Total beds (7-day average): 29.4

All adult inpatient beds: 29.4

Inpatient beds occupied: 24.7

Percent of inpatient beds used: 84.01%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): N/A

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): N/A

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: N/A

CLOVIS COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER

2755 HERNDON AVE, CLOVIS

Total beds (7-day average): 262.3

All adult inpatient beds: 262.3

Inpatient beds occupied: 249.1

Percent of inpatient beds used: 94.97%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 122.4

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 117

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 46.66%

COMMUNITY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

2823 FRESNO STREET, FRESNO

Total beds (7-day average): 701.1

All adult inpatient beds: 689.6

Inpatient beds occupied: 573.6

Percent of inpatient beds used: 83.18%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 233.3

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 222.6

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 33.83%

FRESNO HEART AND SURGICAL HOSPITAL

15 EAST AUDUBON DRIVE, FRESNO

Total beds (7-day average): 57

All adult inpatient beds: 57

Inpatient beds occupied: 43

Percent of inpatient beds used: 75.44%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): N/A

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): N/A

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: N/A

FRESNO SURGICAL HOSPITAL

6125 NORTH FRESNO ST, FRESNO

Total beds (7-day average): 10.9

All adult inpatient beds: 10.9

Inpatient beds occupied: 5.7

Percent of inpatient beds used: 52.29%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 0

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 0

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 0.00%

KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - FRESNO

7300 NORTH FRESNO ST, FRESNO

Total beds (7-day average): 188.7

All adult inpatient beds: 168.4

Inpatient beds occupied: 146.1

Percent of inpatient beds used: 86.76%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 81

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 75.7

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 48.10%

SAINT AGNES MEDICAL CENTER

1303 E HERNDON AVE, FRESNO

Total beds (7-day average): 358.1

All adult inpatient beds: 324

Inpatient beds occupied: 321.6

Percent of inpatient beds used: 99.26%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): 137

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): 134.6

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: 42.28%

VALLEY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

9300 VALLEY CHILDRENS PLACE, MADERA

Total beds (7-day average): 208.9

All adult inpatient beds: 11.4

Inpatient beds occupied: 11.4

Percent of inpatient beds used: 100.00%

Total adult patients confirmed and suspected COVID-19 (7-day average): N/A

Total adult patients confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average): N/A

Percent of adult inpatient beds used by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients: N/A

This article originally appeared on the Fresno Patch
Critics of Mr. Bidens actions were quick to denounce the reversal of the ban on Monday.

Another unifying move by the new Administration? Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, said in a Twitter post in which he linked to news reports on the executive order.

The lifting of the transgender ban could come under fire in Congress  as it did in 2017 before Mr. Trump reinstated it. At that time, leading Christian conservative groups pressed the president and Republican lawmakers not to spend federal money on transgender medical costs. Others have argued that allowing transgender troops could harm morale or combat readiness. There are no official numbers for transgender troops, but researchers have estimated that it is in the low thousands.

The Pentagon position on L.G.B.T. issues has evolved over time. Openly gay Americans were not allowed to serve until 2011, when Mr. Obama ended the dont ask, dont tell policy put in place by the Clinton administration in 1993.

Mr. Biden has long embraced a more expansive view of gay and transgender rights than some in his party. In 2012, his public declaration of support for same-sex marriage helped push Mr. Obama to take that position. During the 2020 campaign, Mr. Biden vowed that, if elected, he would quickly roll back Mr. Trumps restrictions on such rights.

A Gallup poll taken in the summer of 2019, after Mr. Trump banned transgender service in the military, showed that 71 percent of all Americans disagreed with that action. But among Republicans, a slight majority supported keeping transgender people out of the military.

But fulfilling that promise does not come without political risk for the new president and his party, which has only narrow majorities in the House and Senate.

An aggressive push by the White House to empower and defend transgender people could undermine the re-election prospects for Democrats in conservative districts or states, where support for such policies is lower than it is nationally.
Lawton, OK (73501)

Today

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 58F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 58F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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

[January 26, 2021] Star Mountain Capital Names Chris Goodwin, Former Co-Head of BNP Paribas Merchant Banking, as Managing Director and Establishes Dallas Office

Star Mountain Capital, LLC ("Star Mountain"), an investment manager focused exclusively on the large, underserved U.S. lower middle-market, is pleased to announce that Chris Goodwin has expanded his role from Operating Partner to Managing Director and has opened Star Mountain's Dallas office. With over thirty years of complementary experience as a leveraged finance banker, private equity investor and C-level operating executive, Mr. Goodwin brings a diverse skill set and a vast network to Star Mountain's focus on value-added debt and equity investing in established U.S. small and medium-size businesses. "We are delighted to have one of our operating partners expand his role and become full-time," said Brett Hickey, Star Mountain Capital Founder & CEO. "A Texas native, Chris has extensive operating and investment experience and relationships from a 30+ year career based in Dallas and will deepen Star Mountain's network of relationship and investment activities in Texas and the broader region. An experienced operating executive, he will help Star Mountain continue to provide value to portfolio company investments by helping business owners strategize and execute organic and strategic acquisition growth plans to achieve success." "My career has been focused on supporting the growth of lower middle-market businesses as both a capital provider and operator," said Chris Goodwin. "Star Mountain's flexible and customizable capital and ability to add operating expertise through its impressive Collaborative Ecosystem of Senior Advisors and Operating Partners make the firm distinctively positioned to capitalize on this segment of the market. I am excited to expand my role with Star Mountain and look forward to further supporting the growth of private, established and growing small and medium-sized businesses in the Southwest." Over the course of his career, Mr. Goodwin has originated, underwritten and managed over $6 billion of complex debt and equity investments across a broad spectrum of industries. For 15 years, Mr. Goodwin was successively promoted through a number of roles with BNP Paribas, culminating as Co-Head of the Merchant Banking Group. In addition, Mr. Goodwin served as Director, Financial Services and Corporate Platforms for Hudson Advisors, the captive asset management firm for Lone Star Funds (a global investment firm with approximately $25 billion in assets under management). Recently, Mr. Goodwin combined his private investment acumen and operational skills serving as President, COO and CFO of several established small and medium-sized U.S. private businesses where he completed numerous strategic initiatives including acquisitions. Mr. Goodwin was also Vice President at The Fuji Bank where he was responsible for originating and executing leveraged finance opportunities with private equity investors in the Southwest. He began his banking career with Mbank (now part of JP Morgan (News - Alert) Chase). Mr. Goodwin earned a BBA in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin. Star Mountain, which recently completed its 100th investment in 2020, was again named Best Places to Work by Pensions & Investments and one of the 2020 Best Places to Work by Crain's New York Business highlighting the firms focus on culture and community.



ABOUT STAR (News - Alert) MOUNTAIN As of December, with approximately $1.5 billion in assets under management, Star Mountain takes a data-driven approach to investing into the U.S. lower middle-market through two complementary investment strategies: (i) direct investing and (ii) secondaries (acquiring LP interests and direct assets). Star Mountain believes these complementary strategies provide scalable and diversified access for its institutional and high-net-worth investors to established small and medium-sized businesses that generally have at least $15 million in annual revenues.

Since 2010, Star Mountain has made over 90 direct investments in U.S. small and medium-sized businesses and over 20 secondaries / fund investments within its Collaborative Ecosystem , exclusively focused on the U.S. lower middle-market. With over 75 team members (including advisors/operating partners) across six offices nationwide, Star Mountain believes its focus and dedication has been productive for job creation and economic development. Star Mountain is dedicated to this large market of underserved businesses purpose-built to address the challenges and opportunities of these companies. As part of its commitment, Star Mountain has trademarked Investing in the Growth Engine of America . As part of its ESG program (Environmental, Social and Governance), Star Mountain's Charitable Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 focuses on improving lives through economic development, including job creation, health & wellness and cancer research. Notable missions include helping match veterans and women with high quality small and medium-sized business career opportunities across the country, including within Star Mountain's portfolio. Note: This does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase interests in any investment product. Awards and recognitions by unaffiliated rating services, companies and/or publications should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he / she / it will experience a certain level of results if Star Mountain is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services; nor should they be construed as a current or past endorsement, testimonial endorsement, recommendation or referral of Star Mountain or its representatives by any of its clients or any other third party. Rankings published by magazines and others are generally based exclusively on information prepared and / or submitted by the recognized advisor. Moreover, with regard to all performance information contained herein, directly or indirectly, if any, readers should note that past results are not indicative of future results. The description and the selection methodologies of each award and recognition are subjective and will vary. Awards and recognitions by unaffiliated rating services, companies, and/or publications should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she/it will experience a certain level of results if SMFM is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services; nor should they be construed as a current or past endorsement, testimonial endorsement, recommendation or referral of SMFM or its representatives by any of its clients or any other third party. Rankings published by magazines and others are generally based exclusively on information prepared and/or submitted by the recognized advisor. Crain's two-part survey process consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part involved an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Star Mountain must pay a fee to Crain's only for survey collection purposes. Detailed eligibility criteria can be found here: https://www.bestplacestoworknyc.com/eligibility-criteria To be named to P&I's Best Places list, all firms met Best Companies' high threshold for inclusion and were evaluated against others of similar size. Individual firm profiles, which were compiled based on survey results, reflect U.S. employment numbers and were confirmed by Best Companies in the summer. Company and employee comments were edited for space, style and clarity. Assets under management or advisement are as of June 30, unless otherwise noted. To participate, companies had to have at least 20 employees in the U.S., at least $100 million of discretionary assets under management or advisement and be in business for at least one year. An anonymous employee survey, which aimed to evaluate. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005297/en/

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The man who led Yoruba youth to attack the Fulani leader in his community, Sunday Adeyemo, (popularly known as Sunday Igboho), has hit out at President Buharis Special Adviser on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, over his claims that he is a political thug.

Mr Igboho, who spoke with journalists at his home in Ibadan, on Tuesday, said Mr Ojudu lied to have said they met in 2009, in preparation of a rerun election in Ekiti State.

Mr Ojudu, on Monday, wrote on his Facebook page about his encounter with Mr Igboho, whom he said was lobbied not to destroy the election by the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.

I dont know Femi Ojudu, he is insane. Im not close to Adedibu as said in his piece but I know Ladoja. I understand that his (Ojudu) head is not correct. He should swear with his children that I ever met him, Mr Igboho told journalists, who were at his home after one of his houses was gutted by fire.

He wants to spoil my name. He is a mere liar. No politician gives me money for what I am doing. Police and government are not helping matters (in Ibarapa on security).

Mr Igboho maintained that he went to evict the Fulani leader in Igangan last week because those being killed and kidnapped are my family members and thats why I went there. I was not sponsored.

Ojudu should be careful. He did not help anyone when he was a commissioner and even when he was a senator. He did not do anything. He wants to destroy Nigeria.

Mr Igboho also denied having any social media account. A Twitter account with his name, opened in 2015, has been posting regular updates about him since January 23.

Ojudu insists meeting Igboho

Mr Ojudus post was no longer on his Facebook page when our correspondent checked on Tuesday afternoon.

When contacted about Mr Igbohos denial, he simply said, I dont want to join issues with him. I have said all I want to say.

He insisted that the post on his encounter with Mr Igboho is still on his Facebook page. [It is not there].

Mr Ojudu, in the article titled The Sunday Igboho I Knew, said that after an appeal court had ordered a rerun in a number of polling units in the election between Segun Oni of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Kayode Fayemi of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Igboho was recruited as a political thug for Mr Onis camp.

He said that his team got a report that the PDP was going to use thugs to snatch ballot boxes and also frustrate the outcome of the poll.

The biggest headache for us then was Sunday Igboho, who we learnt has been hired and paid by a Senator from Osun to come and cause mayhem in Ekiti. Tinubu instructed we must get him at all cost.

Six days to the election we began our search for him. Eventually, we met someone who had his number. I put a call through to him and he agreed to meet with me in Ibadan. We scheduled an appointment and had a meeting at a small hotel not far from Premier Hotel.

Mr Ojudu wrote further that Mr Igboho pleaded that he should not make their meeting known to the public due to his relationship with late Lamidi Adedibu and the entire PDP.

I reported back to Tinubu who then relocated from his base in Lagos to Sunview Hotel in Akure. Igboho drove down alone at about 10.00 pm. I and Tinubu had a dialogue with him.

Igboho,!Tinubu said, I have heard a lot about your bravery . The Ekiti people have suffered too long under the rule of PDP. They are looking for change. I learnt you have been hired to make this impossible. I have invited you to plead with you to allow the poll to be conducted peacefully. If after that the PDP wins fine. If the ACN wins, all well and good, he said in the piece.

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Mr Ojudu said upon meeting the former Lagos governor, Mr Igboho agreed to sly the PDP by pretending as if he was threatened by the police not to be in Ekiti State on the day of the election.

Controversy

The post by Mr Ojudu triggered various reactions on social media, with several commentators calling out the former senator for being reckless with such utterances.

Furthermore, Mr Adedibu died in 2008, a year before Mr Ojudu purportedly held a meeting with Mr Igboho.

PREMIUM TIMES recalled that Mr Igboho was involved in the combative politics between Mr Adedibu, and former Oyo State governor, Rashidi Ladoja.

He was known to be the leader of Mr Ladojas political thugs during the combat.

This was after Mr Ladoja was illegally impeached as the governor of Oyo governor 2006 due to a political disagreement he had with the late Mr Adedibu.

The court, however, reinstated Mr Ladoja 11 months after he was impeached.

Up until Mr Adedibu died at the University College Hospital in Ibadan on June 11, 2008, Mr Igboho was not in his camp.

In her professional life, Kim Ward has held many roles over the years  respiratory therapist, township supervisor, county commissioner and senator. In November, she added one more: Senate majority leader, becoming the first woman in Pennsylvania history to hold that title.

But there is more to Ward, a woman who acquaintances say can bring levity to any conversation and a determination to get things done. She shared some of those lesser known details of her personal life with PennLive.

1. Although she is a southwestern Pennsylvania native, Ward once considered the midstate home. She worked for a few years at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center as a respiratory therapist. Her husband Dr. Thomas Ward, a nephrologist, also worked there for a while. He now has his own practice in Greensburg.

Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland County, says she tries to find time almost every day to spend time with her grandchildren, Thomas, Roman and Josie Jane. Submitted photo

2. She is the mother of three grown sons, ages 35, 37, and 38, and three young grandchildren, whom she adores. She tries to spend time with them almost every day. They call her Kiki, a nickname her baby brother gave her as a kid.

3. Her mother, Joanne Renko  whom Ward describes as a knockout and is hoping she looks like her when she reaches her mothers age of 82  worked for a shoe store and could buy shoes at half price. As a result, Ward said she developed a shoe obsession to the point where she calls it a sin. Most of her pairs have 2 -to 3-inch heels; very few are spikes because Im clumsy, Ward said. Still, she admits that doesnt stop her from buying shoes with spiked heels if they have a certain appeal. To thin out her collection to make room for new shoe purchases, she grudgingly surrenders a few pairs to the local YWCA Thrift Shop every spring and fall. I tell them hurry up and take them because I dont want to let them go, Ward said.

Senate Republicans presented vertically challenged Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland County, with a stool as a gift in honor of her becoming the state's first female majority caucus leader. It has a plaque on the side that reads: "Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward. Shattering glass ceilings one step at a time." Submitted photo

4. Power walking up hills is her preferred choice of exercise to stay in shape.

5. She loves to go to the casino to play slots. When her dad Roger Renko was still alive, her and her mom would tell him they were going for a walk. The path they chose to walk often took a detour to the casino about a mile from her moms home. While they thought they were being sneaky, Ward said, We would come back and he knew where we were.

6. Ward loves music of all kinds from classic rock to country and enjoys hearing it live. I hated it when all the concerts were canceled due to the pandemic, she said.

7. Her drive to Harrisburg takes 2 hours and 45 minutes, about 20 to 25 minutes shorter than it used to take since the Pennsylvania Turnpike raised the speed limit to 70 mph. She usually spends that time catching up on phone calls using her cars hands-free system.

8. She was always one of the shortest girls in her class. One time she knocked on a door while out campaigning, a woman answered that was right at eye level for Ward. I looked at her right in the face and said, Short girls united. I got her vote, Ward said. The only time her height bothers her is when she cant reach the third shelf in her kitchen but problem-solver that she is, she said, I have a step stool.

9. Ward likes to sing. In school, she was in the chorus but says she couldnt hold a note. She said the choir director put someone next to her with a strong voice to help her stay on key.

10. She is 64 years old. While some find that surprising, she explains it this way: You dont look quite as old when youre short.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.

A judge was told the 29-year-old has been subjected to paramilitary attacks because of the money he owed

A serial thief who stole thousands of pounds worth of goods from stores in a bid to pay off drug debts has been jailed for nine months.

Paul Campbell took clothes, alcohol and a bicycle as part of a series of high-value raids on traders across the Greater Belfast area.

A judge was told the 29-year-old has been subjected to paramilitary attacks because of the money he owed.

Campbell, of Pilot Street in Belfast, pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft and a further charge of attempted theft.

The stealing spree was carried out over a period between September 2019 and October 2020.

Belfast Magistrates' Court heard he took ten boxes of Smirnoff Vodka worth 1,920 from a branch of Tesco in Newtownabbey.

Campbell also stole clothing valued in excess of 500 from Go Outdoors - also in Newtownabbey.

In other incidents he raided a Co-Op store for 140 worth of meat, and took a 350 bike from Halfords at Boucher Road in Belfast.

He carried out two separate thefts at Marks & Spencer stores in Belfast and Newtownabbey on the same day, stealing clothes valued at 680 in total.

Campbell also admitted the theft of a pizza and attempting to steal 220 worth of handbags and perfume from Debenhams.

Defence barrister Turlough Madden acknowledged the high-value of the goods involved, some of which were not recovered.

Despite his client's lengthy record, he argued there had been few dishonesty and theft incidents before 2019.

"The issue for Mr Campbell is that he has developed a drug addiction and got himself into significant debt," counsel said.

"Unfortunately due to the debt he's had significant paramilitary attacks and was (offending) to pay off the debt."

Mr Madden added: "I appreciate that's not a reasonable excuse, but it's some context."

Passing sentence, District Judge Fiona Bagnall ordered: "There will be a total of nine months custody, bearing in mind his record and the range and value of the offending."
Good morning, Bay Area. Its Tuesday, Jan. 26, and one man has made searching for the missing in places like Lake Tahoe his lifes mission. Heres what you need to know to start your day.

Gov. Gavin Newsom abruptly lifted mandatory stay-home orders across California on Monday as the surge of coronavirus cases that followed the holiday season began to recede, allowing activities like outdoor dining at restaurants and personal-service businesses such as hair salons and wineries to reopen for the first time in more than a month.

Most Bay Area counties said they will immediately reopen businesses eligible under the purple tier, but San Francisco will wait until Thursday, Mayor London Breed said. Counties retain the right to hold more restrictive standards than those prescribed by the states tier system.

Public health officials are still warning Bay Area residents not to let down their guard  the daily case rate across the state is down but still higher than during the summer surge, and parts of the states ICU availability have not recovered. Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, tells The Chronicle the state will be in a chronic dance with virus infections until more residents are vaccinated.

Meanwhile some state legislators on both sides of the aisle were fuming over Newsoms sudden decision, saying they worry seesaw decisions on coronavirus health directives seem arbitrary, limiting their effectiveness.

 Key dates to know for San Francisco. Poll: Will you change what activities youre doing?

 After a yearlong search for existing drugs that might help COVID-19 patients and point to a cure, a UCSF-led science team has identified what they say is an especially promising candidate. Vaccines and variants: Moderna says vaccine works against variant found in South Africa  but is testing a booster vaccine anyway.

 A major hospital in San Jose has been suspended from receiving coronavirus vaccine doses from Santa Clara County after it reached out to a local school district and let staff members jump the line to obtain inoculations.

 Cactus League, Arizona cities request spring training delay because of coronavirus cases in state.

Around the Bay

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

 Raising the dead from Lake Tahoe: Out of tragedy, he found his lifes mission: recovering lost bodies from the watery depths.

 Keeping people housed: California would extend eviction moratorium through June under deal between Newsom, lawmakers.

 Redesign: On eve of 125th birthday, S.F.'s Anchor Brewing is changing its vintage beer labels.

 Doesnt feel like a shared sacrifice: A new regional plan meant to be a blueprint for Bay Area housing development over the next 30 years is raising strong objections from San Francisco officials who say the proposal would lead to demolition of thousands of existing apartments and could drive out Black, brown and working-class families.

 California unemployment: At least 10% of EDD payments during the pandemic were fraudulent, but some legitimate applications are still locked out.

Inaugural portraits

Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

Chronicle photographer Yalonda M. James spent part of her inauguration week in Washington talking to women of color about the personal and historical significance of Kamala Harris becoming vice president.

Here are the portraits she took  and what these woman had to say.

Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown, Anna Buchmann and Kellie Hwang and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact the writers at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com, anna.buchmann@sfchronicle.com, and kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com.
The Chinese consultant firm for the Cat Linh-Ha Dong Urban Railway project does not have fire safety consultation and supervisory certification granted by a Vietnamese authority,

which could delay the commercial operation of Hanois first urban railway line scheduled for late March.

After several adjustments, the Cat Linh- Ha Dong Urban Railway project's total investment capital reached approximately US$886 million.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the consultant firm - the Construction Supervision Co. Ltd. under the Beijing National Railway Research & Design Institute, signed a contract with the projects constructor in 2010.

However, it has yet to obtain the fire safety certification for consultants and supervisors from the Police Department of Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue under the Ministry of Public Security, Tuoi Tre online reports.

According to the transport ministry, the railway projects management board did not instruct the consultant to complete the required procedures.

The consultant did not open an office or branch in Vietnam after it won the bidding for the projects consultation and supervisory but only send experts to Vietnam to work on, so the company does not meet requirements to get the Vietnamese fire safety consultancy certification.

Meanwhile, according to the transport ministry, the Chinese consultant is experienced in supervising urban railway projects in China.

The ministry has asked the fire fighting and prevention police department to consider accepting the consultants Chinese fire safety certification.

The ministry also asked for support from the police department to complete fire safety assessments on the railway project, so its commercial operation could start on schedule.

Meanwhile, concerns were raised as 11 stations under the project were said to be built too close to residents houses and exit ways at the stations are too narrow.

Two stations  Van Khe and La Khe  were built close to petrol stations.

According to the transport ministry, at some stations, the distance between residents houses and the train lines facilities was less than 6 metres but the facilities were built with non-combustible materials.

The ministry has asked the Hanoi Peoples Committee to move the petrol stations once the metro is operational.

The Cat Linh  Ha Dong urban railway project broke ground in October 2011, at an initial investment estimate of $552 million, $419 million of which is Chinese development assistance loans.

The project was originally scheduled to be completed in 2017 but has been delayed several times.

After several adjustments, the railways total investment capital reached approximately US$886 million.

Early this month, Nguyen Khanh Tung, Vice Director of the projects Management Board said the project was scheduled to be completed on March 31. VNS

Cat Linh-Ha Dong trains passed safety and environmental assessment The Vietnam Register Authority announced it has completed the assessment and issued technical safety and environmental protection certification for 13 trains and other related components of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway.
Iran will begin restricting UN inspectors' access to its nuclear sites next month if new US President Joe Biden doesnt lift crippling sanctions imposed by the previous administration.

The landmark 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, called on Iran to implement an Additional Protocol granting the International Atomic Energy Agency short notice access to Iran's nuclear sites. The IAEA, the UN's nuclear watchdog agency, currently carries out regular inspections as well as the more intrusive inspections called for under the Additional Protocol.

But in a televised news conference on Tuesday, government spokesperson Ali Rabiei said Iran would start restricting the more intrusive type of access on Feb. 19.

Our law is very clear regarding this issue, Rabiei. But it does not mean Iran will stop other inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Irans hard-liner-dominated parliament passed legislation last month that mandates increased uranium enrichment and an end to implementation of the Additional Protocol if sanctions arent lifted by Feb. The law came in response to the suspected Israeli assassination of one of Irans top nuclear scientists, Mohsen Fakhrizade, in November.

On Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh clarified that Irans cooperation with the IAEA will not cease and there are no plans to expel UN inspectors.

Iran has steadily breached its obligations under the multilateral accord since former President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018 and unilaterally imposed harsh economic sanctions. In the final months of Trumps presidency, the administration slapped a slew of additional sanctions on Iran in what critics said was meant to complicate Bidens return to diplomacy.

If Iran returns to compliance under the deal, Biden has pledged to reenter the pact as a starting point for follow-on negotiations to tighten and lengthen Irans nuclear constraints and address Irans missile program.

Tehran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons and maintains that its nuclear program is used for peaceful purposes only, has stockpiled uranium beyond whats allowed under the deal. In its most significant violation yet, Iran announced in December that it had resumed 20% uranium enrichment at its underground Fordow facility.

Iran's leaders have said they are willing to re-enter the deal and meet its commitments  but only if Washington lifts sanctions first. More recently, Iran has warned the window of opportunity for the Biden administration to do so is closing.

Writing for Foreign Affairs last week, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on the new president to choose a better path than Trump.

"If he does, Iran will likewise return to full implementation of our commitments under the nuclear deal. But if Washington instead insists on extracting concessions, then this opportunity will be lost," he said.
Factory and wholesale beef buyers from Northern Ireland will continue to be a significant presence in the southern mart trade during 2021.

Thats the verdict from mart managers, who are reporting strong demand from the North in recent weeks.

Maurice Brosnan, manager of Gortatlea Mart in Co Kerry, said trade to the North had started very brightly this year and Northern buyers are continuing to put it up to their southern counterparts for both cows and heifers.

Stephen Hannon of the Aurivio Mart Group said: When it comes to better cattle, theirs is the only trade that creates real competition. They were vital last year and will be so again this year. Over 59,355 cattle were exported from the Republic to Northern Ireland last year. Of these, 21,090 went for direct slaughter, with the remaining 39,753 going for further feeding or breeding. This trade was a huge bonus to those selling beef stock as it offered farmers an option other than direct factory selling, while also injecting competition into the overall trade. In a special report, Martin Coughlan assesses the importance of the cross-border trade and analyses what it meant in marts versus returns for farmers in 2020.
A businessman who held up a courtroom with a fake pistol and hoax pipe bomb in a terrifying siege has been jailed for six years.

Edmond Dunican (47) pulled out a realistic gun and revealed an apparent home-made explosive device around his neck, subjecting his estranged wife, a barrister and a judge to a frightening ordeal.

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced him to eight years, with two years suspended, backdated to the day of the crime, December 20, 2018.

She said it had been a planned and premeditated offence.

Dunican, with an address at Stadium Business Park, Ballycoolin pleaded guilty to carrying an imitation firearm with criminal intent at a Dublin courthouse.

Dunican, described as a man on the edge, had been at a hearing when he took a realistic imitation gun from a briefcase while wearing an elaborate device that resembled a bomb.

A fitter by trade, he made the fake bomb at home.

Dunican threatened barrister Lisa Daly, while presiding judge at the time, Judge Susan Ryan refused to leave when Dunican told her she could go.

The judge stayed in court, repeatedly appealing to him to drop the gun.

The 17-minute siege ended after an armed garda negotiator persuaded Dunican to surrender.

Today, Judge Patricia Ryan said aggravating factors were the fact that it was a planned and premeditated offence and the fake explosive was designed to look like a bomb.

A number of people had been obliged to remain in the court, although others were allowed to leave, she said.

It was brought to a conclusion when members of the ERU entered with shields.

When requested by the presiding judge and gardai, Dunican did not comply with requests to put down the weapons, the judge said.

She took account of victim impact statements.

In mitigation, the judge said although Dunican was caught red handed, the value of his guilty plea was taken into account, as was the fact that he cooperated in the garda investigation and gave full details of how he built the device.

She took account of serious medical conditions he was suffering from.

Just before the incident, documents he deemed important for court were lost in a fire and he felt this was his only option.

Dunican had worked as a fitter employing up to 20 people at one point in his successful business.

He accepted full responsibility for his actions, showed remorse and wrote a letter of apology, the judge said.

A psychological report put him at a low risk of re-offending.

The judge also noted he had been in custody since the date of the offence, where he had suffered hardship and isolation with only one visitor.

The two year suspended portion of the sentence was suspended for three years, including 18 months of probationary supervision.

At a hearing last week, Detective Garda Shane Connolly told Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, prosecuting, that Ms Daly had had a number of dealings during court proceedings with Dunican, who was representing himself.

On the day in question, Ms Daly told the court that it was her last day, as she was going to become a solicitor.

When Dunicans matter was called, he drew the imitation firearm and told Ms Daly:Did I hear you say today is your last day? You have no idea Lisa, you have no idea.

As Ms Daly crouched in her chair, the judge repeatedly told Mr Dunican: Put your weapon down sir, please.

The court registrar pressed the panic alarm and gardai were called to court over the tannoy system, while Dunican said: Its too late for the guards judge.

Dunican said the registrar and judicial assistant could leave the court and the judge too, telling her he didnt mean her any harm, but the judge replied: Im not leaving.

The judge continued to reason with Dunican until armed gardai entered the court and a negotiator persuaded Dunican to surrender.

Ms Daly told gardai it was a terrifying experience and she believed Dunican was going to shoot her in the head or detonate a live bomb. Dunicans wife said she was petrified and frozen in fear.

The court heard the "bomb" was fitted with a metal pipe and a functioning red and green light. The judge told gardai she had remained in order to defuse the situation as best she could.

She told gardai the incident was surreal and she had never experienced anything like it.

Victim impact statements were handed into court from Ms Daly and Dunicans wife, but the judge declined to make one. Fiona Murphy SC, defending Dunican, said he appreciates the serious nature of the matter before the court.

The court heard Dunican's life crumbled in recent years. Ms Murphy said Dunican had become increasingly stressed in the months before the offence, that he suffered from heart problems and was at the end of his rope. He was a man on the edge, she said.
The 17-year-old suspect for a mass shooting at a house on Adams Street was arrested on Monday by Indiana police detectives.

The mass shooting left five people and unborn child dead, according to a WRTV report.

Indiana Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement that the suspect's name and photo are not being released as the person is not an adult.

Teen suspect may be tried as adult

It was reported that the 17-year-old suspect is related to the victims. Any additional information about the juvenile suspect's identity was not made available. However, that could likely change if they are charge as an adult, according to a Crime Online report.

Investigators do not believe that any other suspects were involved with the crime.

IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said in a statement that they promised a swift justice for this crime yesterday. Taylor said that they delivered that promise today.

"While removing the alleged perpetrator of yesterday's mass murder from our neighborhoods does not bring back the lives senselessly lost, hopefully, it will bring us one step closer to healing as a community," Taylor was quoted on an Indy Star report.

The victims were Kezzie Childs, Raymond Childs, Elijah Childs, and Rita Childs. They were 43, 18, and 13 when they were killed.

The list also includes Kiara Hawkins, who was 19 years old. Hawkins was pregnant and her unborn child was pronounced dead after being found in a home around 4.a.m. on Sunday.

Police have not released any information about suspect's connection to the victims. The suspect's potential motive was not yet clear as of the moment.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said that the arrest of the suspect was the first step toward justice,

Hogsett that nothing can bring back the Childs family but he hopes that swift action of IMPD offers some comfort to all those who have been affected with this crime.

The Indianapolis mayor also expressed his gratitude to the men and women of IMPD.

The mass shooting on Adams Street was considered to be one of nearly a half-dozen shooting that took place in city in less than five hours.

Taylor also called the Adam Street killings the largest mass casualty shooting the city has seen in more than a decade.

More than 60 officers worked the case and several agencies were involved in the investigation.

Related story: Orange County Prosecutors Committed Malpractice in Mass Shooting Case, Review Finds





Mass shootings in U.S.

Nonprofit Gun Violence archive said that 2019 had the highest number of mass shootings in any year since they started keeping track.

There were 417 mass shootings in the U.S. by the end of 2019, out of which 31 were mass murders, according to a CBS News report.

GVA defines mass shooting as any event in which at least four people are shot. This excludes the shooters. The group also tracks mass murders in which at least four people are killed, as defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The GVA said that there was a total of 15,381-gun deaths, which includes homicides, suicides, and accidents. In 2019, the group tallied a total of 29, 568 gun-related injuries.

Related story: Hispanic Community Blames Mass Shooting, Healthcare as Top Stressors





Monday's heavy rain and thunderstorms cleared North Alabama just after midnight Tuesday morning with the passage of a strong cold front. We've seen clear skies and much drier air rush into North Alabama from out of the northwest. Expect mostly sunny skies with highs in the mid to upper 60s today - that ~15 degrees above normal highs.

FULTONDALE TORNADO

Around 10:30 pm Monday night, just north of Birmingham, a destructive and deadly tornado ripped through Fultondale, Alabama.

A survey team from the NWS will survey damage of buildings and vegetation to determine the peak winds, width and distance on ground of the Fultondale Tornado. Shear tracks in the .gif below show observed rotating winds from radar as the tornadic thunderstorm moved through the Fultondale area.

North Alabama's next rain chance is Wednesday. We actually have two separate opportunities tomorrow. The first round of showers moves in from out of the south early Wednesday morning. Most data indicates that the showers will struggle to reach the Tennessee River. Best rain chances will be in Marshall and Dekalb Counties.

The reason the showers stop at the Tennessee River Wednesday morning is because another cold front is rapidly approaching from the northwest Wednesday afternoon. Scattered showers are possible with round two. The bigger headline is the cold air behind the front. This cold air-mass is responsible for afternoon highs in the low 40s Thursday afternoon.
Justice Party chief resigned over sexual misconduct



The progressive Justice Party has faced its worst crisis since its establishment in 2012 with its leader resigning over sexual misconduct Monday. Chairman Kim Jong-cheol stepped down for sexually harassing a female lawmaker of the minority party.



The incident has sent a shockwave throughout the country, hitting the progressive political bloc in particular. It is all the more shocking as the case follows a series of similar incidents that plagued the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).



One of the most high-profile cases involved former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon who killed himself last July amid allegations that he had sexually harassed his female secretary for four years. Former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don is under investigation after he resigned in April for sexually molesting his subordinate. In 2018, An Hee-jung stepped down as governor of South Chungcheong Province for similar reasons. An, a once favored presidential hopeful, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for raping his secretary. His case added fuel to the fire in the country's MeToo movement.



The public is dumbfounded to hear that Kim sexually harassed Rep. Jang Hye-young, a freshman lawmaker under the proportional representation system, Jan. 15. Kim's behavior betrayed efforts by him and his party to advocate for gender equality as well as democracy and human rights. Most people can only question the legitimacy of the progressive party and the qualifications of its leader. Shame on him and his party.



The episode shows how deceptive politicians like Kim are. His case cannot and should not be seen as an isolated incident. Why do such cases continue to happen one after another? Most of all, politicians  especially liberal and progressive ones  seem to lack awareness about sexual harassment and violence.



Another problem is that many politicians apply double standards to themselves. They have been proven to have shouted empty slogans to eliminate sexual crimes against women. They are hypocrites. It is wrong for them to think they can harass and molest women because they are powerful. Most sexual crimes they commit constitute abuse of power. They should realize that sexual misconduct is a serious crime.



Needless to say, zero tolerance holds the key to fighting sexual harassment and violence. Policymakers and politicians have failed to get tougher with perpetrators. The governing party has reneged on its promise not to field any candidates for public posts which have become vacant due to the wrongdoings by its members, including sexual misconduct. It is shameful for the DPK to nominate candidates in the April mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan. It seems to have forgotten that sexual harassment allegations cost the liberal party the mayoralties in the country's two largest cities.



Now the Justice Party should take harsher disciplinary action against Kim. Depriving him only of the chairmanship is far from enough. It is a slap on the wrist. The party cannot restore its lost public confidence unless it shows zero tolerance in the truest sense.




TL;DR: New Jersey launched a toll-free number Monday that residents can call for information about getting the coronavirus vaccine. By noon, more than 58,000 calls were logged. Monoclonal antibodies are the only treatment available for high-risk COVID-19 patients who do not yet need hospitalization, but supply has far outstripped demand.

 Kelly OShea (@kelloshea, health@inquirer.com)

What you need to know:

 Moderna announced Monday that its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine provides strong immunity against two worrisome new coronavirus variants, but the company is developing an additional booster shot just in case a South African strain causes that immunity to fade unexpectedly.

 Thousands of nursing home staffers and residents in Pennsylvania and New Jersey still need the vaccine as more people become eligible for it.

 The Philadelphia Department of Public Health ended its partnership with Philly Fighting COVID after the organization failed to disclose that personal information residents entered into the groups vaccination preregistration portal could be sold.

 Its unclear when teachers around the Philadelphia region will be vaccinated, adding uncertainty to school reopening plans.

 Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday wearing two masks is likely more effective at protecting people and preventing the spread of COVID-19 than just wearing a cloth mask.

 The pandemic took a big bite out of Phillys tax base. What happens if suburbanites keep working from home?

 Can Biden pull off 100 million COVID-19 vaccinations in 100 days? My colleague Marie McCullough reviews the facts, data, and viewpoints.

 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.

New Jersey launched a toll-free number (855-568-0545) Monday that residents can call for information about getting the coronavirus vaccine. By noon, more than 58,000 calls were logged, health commissioner Judith Persichill said, illustrating the pent-up demand for information. The center will be staffed with 250 agents from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. who can provide information about vaccine site locations and answer questions about the process. Eventually, once more doses are available, they can assist people with making appointments. Delaware County also opened a COVID-19 call center (484-276-2100) to answer residents questions about vaccinations. The hotline will be open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

While more than 640,000 doses of monoclonal antibodies had been shipped to hospitals and a few other providers by Jan. 6, only about a quarter have been used. Even as record numbers of Americans contracted the virus, supply of these drugs  the only treatments available for high-risk COVID-19 patients who do not yet need hospitalization  has far outstripped demand. Area doctors cited a variety of reasons for unexpectedly low use, including: poor federal planning for the logistics of giving the drugs, a reliance on hospital workers already pushed to the limit by caring for COVID-19 patients and giving colleagues vaccines, and inadequate information for patients and primary-care doctors.

Helpful resources

You got this: Healthy-ish takeout

Theres no shortage of delicious takeout and delivery options in Philadelphia. But if you want to avoid ending up in a food coma on your couch, you may want to choose wisely. My colleague Grace Dickinson asked local nutritionists where to find fare that will fill you up and make you feel good, too. Read their favorite spots for a nourishing meals here.

 Pennsylvania reopens federal benefits for workers still unemployed due to COVID-19.

 The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia will reopen to the public Feb. 12.

 Ice sculpting in Chestnut Hill and other easy-to-plan events for the kids this week.

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

In a stab at equity, this Los Angeles hospital is vaccinating older relatives of housekeeping staff, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The New York Times reports that a surge of student suicides amid the pandemic has pushed Las Vegas schools to reopen.

Stat has the COVID-19 vaccine basics: Why the rollout is so slow, who can get doses, and what to know about side effects.

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.
Myanmar's displaced Christians form village called 'Bethel' outside Yangon

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Minority Christians displaced by conflict in northern Myanmar (also known as Burma) have formed their own village outside of Yangon and named it Baythala  or "Bethel"  the biblical town that served as a refuge for those in need.

The ongoing fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army in the northern Rakhine state has spilled over into the neighboring Chin state, forcing the ethnic Chin, who are predominantly Christian, out of their villages and into temporary camps.

After months of traveling hundreds of miles, a group of about 80 Christians settled on a small plot of land in Yangon's Hmawbi Township and formed their own village.

Led by Kan Lwat  a 36-year-old whose home state was shelled in the fighting  the Christians christened their new home Baythala, according to a report from AFP.

"It means Jesus was blessing and helping people in trouble with this place, which will be peaceful, Kan Lwat told the press agency.

The village is currently supported by Christian organizations and Chin rights groups that send food and other supplies while villagers wait for water, electricity and supplies to build homes.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Yangon is currently in an economic slump. This makes it difficult for Chin migrants to find work. Kan Lwat told the AFP that hes hopeful that once the pandemic eases, adults will be able to find jobs and the 30-some children in the village will have access to better education.

"Even if our lives are not good, I hope my children will have a brighter future ahead," he said.

Village pastor Aung Far said that despite their troubles, being able to live in a safe place, away from artillery shelling or soldiers, is a godsend.

"Even if we wanted to go home, we can't live in peace because there's still fighting," the pastor said.

Villager Hla Sein told the international news outlet she hopes to stay in the village forever, adding: I feel happy living here. It's a different feeling [than] in my home village."

Open Doors ranks Myanmar 18th on its 2021 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.

The group notes that due to ongoing fighting, more than 100,000 Christians have been forced to flee their homes and are now living in camps where they are denied access to food and healthcare.

Christian converts in Myanmar also face persecution for their faith in the Buddhist-majority country.

According to Open Doors, converts to the Christian faith often face persecution and ostracisation from their families and communities for leaving, or betraying, the system of belief they grew up in.

Pastor Langjaw Gam Seng, who was jailed in 2016 for helping journalists report on the bombing of Christian churches in the majority-Christian Kachin province, previously shared at the U.S. State Department's Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in 2019 how he was tortured and jailed by Myanmar officials.

I was detained, handcuffed and shackled for over one month with my eyes tied sealed and I was unable to see for an entire month, Seng said. And they put me in something like a dungeon for an entire month and gave me minimal food.

I was going in and out of consciousness for several weeks," he added.

Seng said that he played an instrumental part in helping to provide aid to victims of violence and even helped to bury the dead amid the ongoing violence between the Myanmar military and rebels in Kachin.

Many times we have experienced repression because of our belief in our country, Seng stated. Our country is very diverse with multi-ethnic and multi-religious. We want our society to be plural and not oppressed by one singular state religion.

I can attest to the fact that with my own experience, the welfare of the society or even nation is incumbent upon the liberty that they enjoy," he added. "I do not want another person to go through the same ordeal that I have gone through.

After visiting Kachin in 2018, Texas Pastor Bob Roberts told The Christian Post that the military had bombed as many as 60 churches in the previous 18 months in the region. He added that about 20 of them were converted into Buddhist pagodas.

"[To] be clear, most of it is about ethnic cleansing, Roberts told CP at the time.

In December, the U.S. State Department again listed Myanmar as a "country of particular concern," a designation that highlights countries that tolerate or engage in egregious violations of religious freedom.
It was a post-church lunch stop, just one of thousands that take place every Sunday, even during a pandemic. But this one included a parade of black SUVs, an unknown number of Secret Service agents and the president of the United States tucked into the back of one of those well-protected vehicles.

President Joe Biden's Sunday afternoon order from Call Your Mother, a self-described "Jew-ish" deli, was more than a stop for takeout bagels. It was a signal to restaurateurs across Washington that, after four years of President Donald Trump keeping his distance from the majority-Democratic city, the new chief executive will engage with the food and restaurant community, to the potential benefit of an industry in desperate need of a morale boost, not to mention revenue.

Andrew Dana, co-founder and owner of the small Call Your Mother chain, left 30 minutes before the presidential motorcade pulled up at the Georgetown location, which is just around the corner from Holy Trinity Catholic Church, where Biden had attended Mass. Dana joked that the presidential visit was a "total sneak attack," not one secretly arranged by Jeff Zients, a former partner in Call Your Mother, who joined the Biden administration to coordinate the coronavirus response.

"I called Jeff, and Jeff said, 'Oh, my God, that's so funny. I haven't even told him that I used to be a part owner of that business,' " Dana said. "I think it was totally random." Zients, by the way, had to divest his interest in Call Your Mother before joining the administration, Dana said.

"I just think they were at church and leaving and - who knows? - they just saw it or somebody Googled it. But, yeah, they didn't tell us anything," Dana added. The staff didn't suspect the order was for anyone special: It was placed by someone with the Secret Service, apparently under the agent's name. "It certainly wasn't 'President Biden' on the ticket," Dana joked.

The order was modest for such a large motorcade of SUVs. Just four bagels: one plain with butter and three sesame-seed rounds, each with different toppings. One had cream cheese, another cream cheese and tomato and the third with cream cheese and jalapenos. "The bagels went into the car that [Biden] was in and waving from," Dana said. The Secret Service left a generous tip, too. More than 50%, Dana said.

The impact of that small order has been immediate and significant, not just in social media buzz, but also in next-day sales. Sales at the Georgetown store were 100% above those of a typical Monday, Dana said. The impact was even felt at the chain's two other brick-and-mortar locations, in Park View and Capitol Hill: Both saw Monday sales jump 33%, Dana said.

Industry veterans say the Biden bump couldn't come at a better time for restaurants, which collectively have suffered more than just about any other business sector during the pandemic, shedding millions of jobs and shutting down more than 100,000 establishments. This is particularly true in Washington, where for the past four years, chefs and restaurateurs often dreaded visits by Trump administration officials and supporters, which could result in protests, hecklers in the dining room, attacks on Yelp pages and even death threats to employers and employees.

Trump was known to visit just one restaurant during his time in Washington, and it was BLT Prime by David Burke (whose namesake chef is no longer connected to the steakhouse, though his name still is) in the Trump International Hotel. Trump ordered a well-done steak and ate it with ketchup.

If a visit by a Trump official could generate serious blowback for a restaurant and its owners, a Biden stopover could have just the opposite effect in this left-leaning city: It could carry the same benefits that a visit by President Barack Obama had during his two terms, whether he was dining at the luxe seafood restaurant Fiola Mare or the two-fisted Ray's Hell Burger with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

"Any time there was an appearance [by Obama or the first family], there was this excitement," said Kathy Hollinger, president and chief executive of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington.

"There was a boost in reservations," Hollinger said. "There was an interest to go visit as well, knowing that if the president ate here or stopped by that we want to check out what they're eating and . . . what they're finding so interesting in terms of cuisine choice."

Times are different now than they were during the Obama administration, of course. Restaurants are hobbled by the pandemic, operating at only a percentage of their usual capacity, if at all. People are nervous about dining inside restaurants. Biden didn't even emerge from the SUV to enjoy his bagels from Call Your Mother. It could be months before he actually sits down in a restaurant in Washington, or anywhere.

Yet, even with takeout orders, Biden's influence could be major as restaurant owners try to navigate the pandemic, with no targeted relief and only Paycheck Protection Program loans to get them through the remaining months.

The Call Your Mother stop was "a much-needed boost," Hollinger said. "I think that, psychologically, it gives the kind of lift that not only the small-business operators need, but also the residents who are very invested into this community and who are such supportive diners. They like to see that the president is also connected in that way."

Vice President Kamala Harris could also have an outsize impact on Washington's hospitality scene, given her popularity, her history with the city and her affection for good food.

Chef Spike Mendelsohn is the face of the Sunnyside Restaurant Group, the family-owned business with multiple concepts on Capitol Hill. The first family, especially Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia, were frequent diners at Good Stuff Eatery and We, The Pizza, though the president did take his economic staff out for burgers after the debt-ceiling crisis of 2011. It was hard to measure the impact of those visits in dollars and cents, Mendelsohn said.

But "it's huge marketing. It's huge PR. It drives traffic, and we love it," he continued. "I can't tell you that when the Obamas came this day, our sales jumped 15%. . . . But over time, the good fortune it casts on the business is priceless."

Plus, Mendelsohn said, it has a cumulative effect on the entire hospitality scene. It says the president and first family want to be part of the city, not set apart from it.

"That was just such a good feeling for our industry that our first family was interested in our scene," Mendelsohn said. "From the looks of it, Biden is going to have the same playbook. I think D.C. is his second home, obviously, because he's had a massive life in politics. . . . So I think innately he feels D.C. is a home, you know, where I think Trump felt like an outsider."

Dana at Call Your Mother will definitely be prepared should the president make a return visit after Mass.

"We're here for him every Sunday," he said. "We'll set a couple of sesames aside for him."
Viral infections and space travel similarly trigger inflammation and the enzymes APOBEC3C and ADAR1; developing ways to inhibit them may help lower cancer risk for both astronauts and people on Earth

Since stem cells can continually self-regenerate, making more stem cells, and differentiate into many different specialized cell types, they play an important role in our development and health. But there can also be a dark side -- stem cells can sometimes become cancer stem cells, proliferating out of control and leading to blood cancers, such as leukemia and multiple myeloma. The self-renewing nature of cancer stem cells makes them particularly hard to eradicate, and they're often the reason a blood cancer reoccurs.

Researchers at UC San Diego Health and University of California San Diego School of Medicine are working to understand what pushes pre-cancer stem cells to transform into cancer stem cells and are developing ways to stop that switch.

Their latest study, published January 26, 2021 in Cell Reports, is the first to show that, in response to inflammation, two enzymes called APOBEC3C and ADAR1 work together to fuel the transition from pre-cancer stem cells to cancer stem cells in leukemia. Both APOBEC3C and ADAR1 are activated by inflammatory molecules, especially during the body's immune response to viruses.

The researchers also found they can prevent the formation of leukemia stem cells in the laboratory by inhibiting ADAR1 with fedratinib or ruxolitinib, two existing medications for myelofibrosis, a rare bone marrow cancer.

"APOBEC3C and ADAR1 are like the Bonnie and Clyde of pre-cancer stem cells -- they drive the cells into malignancy," said co-senior author Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD, Koman Family Presidential Endowed Chair in Cancer Research, deputy director of Moores Cancer Center, director of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center and director of the CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic at UC San Diego Health.

Jamieson's team has long studied ADAR1, an enzyme that edits a cell's genetic material to control which genes are turned on or off at which times, and its role in leukemia stem cells. They also previously found that high ADAR1 levels correlate with reduced survival rates for patients with multiple myeloma.

In their new study, the researchers collected blood stem cells and saliva samples donated by 54 patients with leukemia and 24 healthy control participants. They compared the whole genome sequences of pre-leukemia stem cells and leukemia stem cells collected from the patients. They were surprised to discover an uptick in levels of both the enzyme APOBEC3C and ADAR1 during the progression to leukemia stem cell. APOBEC3C typically helps cells maintain genomic stability.

The team found that, in response to inflammation, APOBEC3C promotes the proliferation of human pre-leukemia stem cells. That sets the stage for ADAR1, which becomes overzealous in its editing, skewing gene expression in a way that supports leukemia stem cells. When the researchers inhibited ADAR1 activation or silenced the gene in patient cells in the laboratory, they were able to prevent the formation of leukemia stem cells.

APOBEC3C, ADAR1 and their roles in cancer stem cells are now the focus of Jamieson's NASA-funded project to develop the first dedicated stem cell research laboratory within the International Space Station (ISS).

That's because the NASA Twins Study -- a comprehensive biological comparison of identical twins Scott Kelly, who spent six months aboard the ISS, and Mark Kelly, who stayed on Earth -- revealed an increase in inflammatory growth factors, immune dysregulation and pre-cancer mutations in Scott's blood upon his return. These molecular changes, the perfect conditions to activate APOBEC3C and ADAR1, persisted for almost a year.

"Under the auspices of our NASA task order, we are now developing APOBEC3C and ADAR1 inhibitors as a risk mitigation strategy for astronauts, so we can hopefully predict and prevent pre-cancer stem cell generation in low-Earth orbit and on deep space missions," Jamieson said.

The team is also interested in further exploring the link between viral infections and cancer. According to Jamieson, infection with viruses can trigger a flood of cytokines, molecules that help stimulate the body's immune forces. As part of that response, ADAR1 is activated to help immune cells proliferate.

"We need APOBEC3C and ADAR to help us fight off viruses," she said. "So now we're wondering -- do these enzymes play a role in the immune response to COVID-19? And could there be a downside to that as well? Can the immune response to a viral infection later raise a person's risk of pre-cancer stem cell development and ultimately cancer stem cell generation, and can we intervene to prevent that?"

###

Additional co-authors of the study include: Qingfei Jiang, Jane Isquith, Luisa Ladel, Adam Mark, Cayla Mason, Yudou He, Phoebe Mondala, Isabelle Oliver, Jessica Pham, Wenxue Ma, Eduardo Reynoso, Shawn Ali, Isabella Jamieson Morris, Raymond Diep, Chanond Nasamran, Guorong Xu, Roman Sasik, Sara Brin Rosenthal, Amanda Birmingham, Sanja Coso, Gabriel Pineda, Leslie Crews, Mary Donohoe, Thomas Whisenant, Ludmil B. Alexandrov, Kathleen M. Fisch, UC San Diego; Frida Holm, Karolinska Institutet; JC Venter, J. Craig Venter Institute; and Ruben A. Mesa, UT Health San Antonio.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-26 18:28:48|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's blacklist system for cross-border gambling tourist destinations will add more overseas destinations to its list, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) announced Tuesday.

The ministry in conjunction with relevant departments will make a list of the second batch of overseas destinations that attract Chinese tourists for gambling activities, which will be subsequently added to the system, the ministry noted.

In order to better regulate the tourism market and safeguard the lives and property of Chinese citizens, the blacklist system was established through concerted efforts of multiple departments, including the MCT, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security. It took measures on the first group of targets in August 2020.

Travel restrictions will be imposed on Chinese citizens heading to overseas cities and scenic areas on the list, the MCT added. Enditem
A trainee nurse died from coronavirus - leaving behind two young children she had been raising alone.

Naggayi Angella, a mental health nursing student, passed away from Covid-19 on Monday after being in a coma for two weeks.

Grieving children John Jeremiah Mugisha, aged eight, and daughter Annmarie Yiga, aged 12, described her as irreplaceable and 'caring'.

Mother-of-two Naggayi Angella, pictured with children John Jeremiah Mugisha, aged eight, and 12-year-old Annmarie Yiga has died from Covid-19 after being in coma for two weeks

Trainee nurse Angella worked in care while studying at Edinburgh Napier University (pictured)

Mother-of-two Angella worked part-time in community integrated care while studying at Edinburgh Napier University.

She was from Uganda and had earned a degree in social science from Nkumba University before moving to the UK where she had no family.

Prior to that she worked as a professional in the insurance sector in Kampala.

Her daughter Annmarie said: 'I love everything about her and miss everything about her.

'I love how she always took time to squeeze in her faith no matter how tired she was.'

She wrote on a fundraising page: 'In life, we love you dearly, in death we love you still, in our hearts you hold a place no one will ever fill.'

And younger brother John added: 'Mummy was a nice caring person who loved me so much.'

Organiser Ubuntu Gla is fundraising 10,000 to help the bereaved children, and to return their mother's body to her home country.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help support her two children and repatriate Angella's body to Uganda where she was born and earned a social science degree at Nkumba University

So far more than 4,000 has been raised.

A tribute said written by the organiser reads: 'We mourn the loss of our Amazing Grace, our soul sister and spiritual guide to COVID-19.

'Angella was a devoted mummy to her two loving children who now walk alone, their heads held high, strong in their faith and always guided by the bright light of her deep love.

'Angella was a single mother with no family in the UK; and she relished every moment of her motherly responsibility with utmost dedication.

'She made a trail of memorable friends among children, young people and adults, touching lives and making true friends wherever she went.

'Angella's only wish until she slipped into a coma two weeks ago was for her children to be happy and successful.'

The Office for National Statistics said there were 1,705 deaths in English care homes reported to the Care Quality Commission in the seven days to January 2, up from 661 a fortnight ago

It comes as official figures revealed care home deaths have nearly tripled in a fortnight.

The Office for National Statistics found 1,705 care home residents died from the virus in the week ending January 22, up from 661 a fortnight ago.

The UK's national statistics body also revealed care home residents make up almost a third of all Covid-19 fatalities.

To donate to the fundraiser for Angella, click here.
(@FahadShabbir)

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former press secretary for Donald Trump, announced Monday she is running for governor of the state of Arkansas

Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jan, 2021 ) :Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former press secretary for Donald Trump, announced Monday she is running for governor of the state of Arkansas.

Sanders, 38, heads into the 2022 race with strong name recognition thanks largely to her time in the White House, where she developed a strong rapport with Trump and a combative relationship with the press.

Before heading to Washington, Sanders had been campaign manager for her father, Mike Huckabee, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

Huckabee himself had served as Arkansas governor from 1996 to 2007.

The southern state is strongly Republican and Sanders is seen as a favorite to secure the party's nomination for next year's election.

Trump remains popular in Arkansas and Sanders chose to highlight her time with the twice-impeached president during an eight-minute video announcing her run.

"With the radical left now in control of Washington, your governor is your last line of defense," Sanders said in the video posted on Twitter.

"As governor, I will defend your right to be free of socialism and tyranny." Sanders left the White House in 2019 and, unlike many of Trump's former employees, departed on good terms with the mercurial businessman.

A mother of three, Sanders would sometimes discuss her family and religious faith with journalists.

"I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times and I think that he wanted Donald Trump to become president, and that's why he's there," she said in 2019.

In November's presidential elections, Trump won Arkansas with more than 62 percent of the vote.

"She would be fantastic" as Arkansas governor, Trump said on Twitter when Sanders resigned from the White House in June 2019.
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26) One of the University of the Philippines alumni tagged in the military's now-deleted list of alleged New People's Army recruits is not closing doors on a possible dialogue with officials. But he suggested the need for reforms among the ranks, especially on intelligence gathering and communications.

"Certainly if they invite us to a dialogue, I think we would respond positively," former PhilHealth chief Alexander Padilla told CNN Philippines' The Source on Tuesday. "All in the hope of trying to improve their systems, and possibly to reform their communications and information gathering tools."

Padilla questioned why the Armed Forces of the Philippines was not able to review their records, saying the list included student leaders and activists who attended the premier state university from the 1970s to 1980s.

"They have not reviewed their records, they have not analyzed, they have not even checked the veracity of these records," Padilla argued. "At ang takot ko rin dito is, what about the future? Meron pa bang listahang lalabas (my fear is, what about the future? Would there be another list that will be publicized)?"

The AFP has apologized to the UP alumni whose names were earlier publicized in relation to the matter. However, Padilla said he could not "fully accept" the apology as "it was hardly an apology to begin with."

He added the group is keeping all legal options open.

"Ang objective naman namin dito is hindi naman makabawi. Ang objective namin dito is really for the AFP to try and reform itself, that this will never happen. And the practice of red-tagging should stop," Padilla said.

[Translation: Our objective is not to have our revenge. Our objective is really for the AFP to try and reform itself, that this will never happen. And the practice of red-tagging should stop.]

The AFP earlier said an internal probe is underway to determine how the list got published. It added personnel involved will be held accountable.

RELATED: Criminalizing red-tagging deserves serious consideration  Lacson
Ultra-Orthodox protesters have clashed with police in Jerusalem in the latest confrontation over Covid-19 restrictions

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Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews have clashed with riot police during anti-lockdown protests in Jerusalem.

Protesters threw rocks at vehicles, used large bins to block roads and damaged a bus during the Tuesday morning demonstration in the ultra-Orthodox Mea Sharim neighbourhood, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing police.

Police responded with water cannon, dispersing the crowds and arresting eight people.

The clash was among several reported on Tuesday - the latest confrontations between Israel's ultra-Orthodox, or haredi, community and law enforcement over restrictions intended to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Hundreds of people threw rocks and eggs at police during a protest in the heavily-ultra-Orthodox city of Beit Shemesh, where reports suggested three people had been detained.

Elsewhere, in Modi'in Illit, a settlement in the West Bank, dozens attempted to block a police vehicle and violently confronted officers trying to enforce lockdown restrictions, according to Israeli media.

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews clashed with riot police during anti-lockdown protests in Jerusalem on Tuesday

The clash on Tuesday was just the latest in a series of near-daily confrontations between police and ultra-Orthodox protesters in Israel Pictured: A clash between ultra-Orthodox Jews and police in Ashdod on Sunday as officers were dispatched to close schools that had opened in defiance of lockdown rules

Protesters reportedly threw rocks at vehicles, used large bins to block roads and damaged a bus during a Tuesday morning demonstration in the ultra-Orthodox Mea Sharim neighbourhood in Jerusalem

Police used water cannon, to disperse the hundreds of protesters in Mea Sharim on Tuesday and reportedly arrested eight people

Anti-lockdown protests raged in Bnei Brak on Sunday night, while on Monday hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews caused damage at Jerusalem's Bar-Ilan Junction while protesting the construction of a light railway.

Such clashes have been reported on an almost daily basis in Israel in recent weeks as it struggles to manage the coronavirus pandemic despite outstripping all other countries with its speedy vaccination programme.

Israel has vaccinated more than a quarter of its 9.2million people in just over a month but the infection rate in the country remains high and poor compliance with restrictions among the ultra-Orthodox community threatens to undercut efforts to contain the virus.

On Monday, 15, 937 new cases were reported, along with 79 deaths. Coronavirus has infected at least 613,000 people and killed 4,498 in Israel since the pandemic began last year.

Amid concerns about highly contagious variants of the virus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday closed Israel's international airport to nearly all flights.

The clash in Mea Sharim among several reported on Tuesday - the latest confrontations between Israel's ultra-Orthodox, or haredi, community and law enforcement over restrictions intended to curb the spread of coronavirus. Pictured: Police take a protester into custody

In Beit Shemesh on Tuesday, hundreds of people threw rocks and eggs at police during a protest, during which reports suggested three people had been detained. Pictured: Riot police face off against anti-lockdown demonstrators in Mea Sharim, Jerusalem on Tuesday

Police reportedly arrested eight people at Tuesday's anti-lockdown protest in Mea Sharim, Jerusalem. It followed anti-lockdown protests in Bnei Brak on Sunday night. Pictured: Police make an arrest in Mea Sharim on Tuesday

In Modi'in Illit, a settlement in the West Bank, dozens attempted to block a police vehicle and violently confronted officers trying to enforce lockdown restrictions, according to Israeli media. Pictured: A riot police van in Mea Sharim, Jerusalem, on Tuesday

The pace of Israel's highly successful vaccination programme has vastly outstripped any other country, with more than a quarter of its 9.2million people vaccinated in just a month. Pictured: Graph shows doses administered per 100 people in Israel compared to other small, highly-developed Middle Eastern countries and the UK and US

The government said it would make exceptions for a small number of humanitarian cases - such as funerals and medical patients - and cargo flights.

'We are closing the skies hermetically, except for really rare exceptions, to prevent the entry of virus mutations, and also to ensure that we progress quickly with our vaccination campaign,' Netanyahu said.

The order, which began early Tuesday, will remain in effect until January 31.

The ultra-Orthodox community has claimed it is being unfairly targeted by the authorities for non-compliance with restrictions.

The summer saw large weekly protests, mainly by secular Israelis, take place without police intervention while ultra-Orthodox funerals were broken up.

On the other hand, some secular Israelis feel that authorities have been less strict in imposing limits on ultra-Orthodox businesses and gatherings, watching with exasperation as police ticketed individuals not wearing masks or restaurants opening in defiance of the rules, while seemingly turning a blind eye to the transgressions of the ultra-Orthodox during Israel's second national lockdown in October.

Clashes between police and members of the ultra-Orthodox community have been reported on an almost daily basis in Israel in recent weeks as it struggles to manage the coronavirus pandemic despite outstripping all other countries with its speedy vaccination programme. Pictured: A man walks past burning bins which blocked the street in Mea Sharim, Jerusalem on Tuesday

On Monday, 15, 937 new cases were reported, along with 79 deaths. Coronavirus has infected at least 613,000 people and killed 4,498 in Israel since the pandemic began last year.

The death rate from coronavirus in Israel has been rising since early December, with 79 more deaths reported on Monday

Israel has vaccinated more than a quarter of its 9.2million people in just over a month but the infection rate in the country remains high and poor compliance with restrictions among the ultra-Orthodox community threatens to undercut efforts to contain the virus. Pictured: Bins burn in Mea Sharim, Jerusalem on Tuesday at a protest

An ultra-Orthodox man is detained by riot police at a protest against lockdown measures on Tuesday in the Mea Sharim neighbourhood, Jerusalem

Some members of Israel's ultra-Orthodox community have railed against restrictions put in place to curb the spread of coronavirus. Pictured: Flaming rubbish bins block the street during a protest in Mea Sharim on Tuesday

The defiance of some ultra-Orthodox Jews to comply with lockdown restrictions has confounded public health experts, tested Netanyahu's long standing political alliance with religious leaders and triggered a new wave of resentment from secular Israelis who fear for their health and livelihoods.

In some instances, communities have continued to hold large religious gatherings, move between cities and operate schools and synagogues despite orders to close.

A deep chasm has long divided religious and secular Israelis, wrought by years of seemingly preferential treatment for the ultra-Orthodox who are granted government stipends to study full-time.

The community has been at the centre of the outbreak since it began last spring.

They tend to live in poor, crowded neighbourhoods where sickness can quickly spread.

Synagogues, the centrepiece of social life, bring men together to pray and socialise in small spaces.

The ultra-Orthodox community has claimed it is being unfairly targeted by the authorities for non-compliance with restrictions, while secular Israelis say the opposite is true. Pictured: A protest in Mea Sharim, Jerusalem on Tuesday

Some secular Israelis feel that authorities have been less strict in imposing limits on ultra-Orthodox businesses and gatherings, watching with exasperation as police ticketed individuals not wearing masks or restaurants opening in defiance of the rules, while seemingly turning a blind eye to the transgressions of the ultra-Orthodox during Israel's second national lockdown in October. Pictured: Protesters are sprayed with water cannon during a demonstration in Mea Sharim, Jerusalem on Tuesday

The defiance of some ultra-Orthodox Jews to comply with lockdown restrictions has confounded public health experts, tested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long standing political alliance with religious leaders and triggered a new wave of resentment from secular Israelis who fear for their health and livelihoods. Pictured: A protester raises his arms during a protest in Mea Sharim, Jerusalem on Tuesday

Israeli riot police intervene in a protest against coronavirus restrictions in the ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem neighbourhood of Mea Sharim on Tuesday

Large parts of the community are adhering to rules, but some ultra-Orthodox view the restrictions as a greater threat than the virus, fearing the lockdown restrictions will undermine their way of life.

The cloistered community has long been separate from mainstream Israeli life, with children studying scripture but very little maths and English.

Men are granted exemptions from military service, which is compulsory for other Jews, and some avoid the workforce while collecting welfare stipends to continue to study full time.

The community's representatives in parliament have acted as kingmakers, granting them disproportionate political power.

Prior to the start of the highly successful vaccination campaign, Netanyahu had been slammed for his handling of the coronavirus crisis, including for having imposed virus restrictions that critics say favour his ultra-Orthodox partners.

Ultra-Orthodox support is the lifeblood of Netanyahu's coalition and has helped secure his position as Israel's longest-serving leader.

Large parts of the community are adhering to rules, but some ultra-Orthodox view the restrictions as a greater threat than the virus, fearing the lockdown restrictions will undermine their way of life. Pictured: Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews attend the funeral of a rabbi in Ashdod in October, despite lockdown restrictions [File photo]
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) listens during the nomination hearing of Kelly Craft, President Trump's nominee to be Representative to the United Nations, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington on June 19, 2019. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)

Cruz Re-Introduces Amendment to Constitution Imposing Term Limits on Lawmakers

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other Republican senators have re-introduced an amendment of the U.S. Constitution that would cap the number of terms a member of Congress can legally serve.

The proposed amendment would limit senators to two six-year terms and member of the House to three two-year terms (pdf).

The rise of political careerism in todays Congress is a sharp departure from what the Founders intended for our federal governing bodies. I have long called for this solution for the brokenness of Washington, D.C., and I will continue fighting to hold career politicians accountable. As I have done in the past, I urge my colleagues to submit this constitutional amendment to the states for speedy ratification, Cruz said in a statement.

Cruz has been a strong advocate for congressional term limits, hoping that it could be a solution to provide more oversight and accountability for those on Capitol Hill.

Every year, Congress spends billions of dollars on giveaways for the well-connected: Washington insiders get taxpayer money and members of Congress get re-elected, all while the system fails the American people, the Texas senator said.

Its no wonder that the vast majority of Americans from every political stripeRepublicans, Democrats, and Independentsoverwhelmingly support congressional term limits.

This is the third time Cruz has introduced a constitutional amendment to impose term limits. In 2017, Cruz and Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) introduced a similar amendment. Then in 2019, Cruz and then-Rep. Francis Rooney (R-Fla.) revisited the issue again.

In 2016, Cruz and DeSantis argued in an editorial published in The Washington Post that term limits were necessary to drain the swamp. The two lawmakers argued that although Americas founding fathers declines to include term limits in the Constitution, they had warned about the creation of a permanent political class being enmeshed within American society.

They said that term limits could mean more changes in Washington and a push to [overcome] the Beltway inertia that resists attempts to reduce the power of Washington.

Other members who have joined Cruz in pushing the 2021 amendment proposal are Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).

Casey Burgat, senior governance fellow at the R Street Institute, in 2019 argued before a Senate committee the downsides of capping the number of terms lawmakers can serve. Burgat said mandating experienced members of Congress to leave chamber would decrease Congress capacity to do its job in our system of government.

Even the most seasoned, experienced lawmakers struggle to craft effective policies and often cannot fully anticipate the unintended consequences of each vote they take. Still, we need our most effective lawmakers to stay in Congress, Burgat argued.

He also said, citing studies, that when lawmakers no longer need to worry about an election, they are actually lessnot moreconcerned with the needs of their constituents and individual districts.

Term limits have also been shown to decrease lawmakers efforts to develop and advance policies, reduce their willingness to show up for roll-call votes and discourage creation of the bipartisan coalitions and relationships within the chamber that are often projected by term limit supporters, Burgat said.

Meanwhile, Nick Tomboulides, executive director of U.S. Term Limits, argued that the incumbent advantage of office-holders creates barriers to entry for everyday Americans without the connections to fund a campaign.

Elections may in theory be capable of dethroning incumbents, but that isnt how it works in the real world. Congressional incumbents have a 98 percent re-election rate, Tomboulides said during the same Senate committee hearing.

So term limits is a check on arrogance, it is a check on incumbency and it is a check on power. It is a way to restore political courage while bringing fresh faces and ideas to Washington, he argued.
A majestic new Hindu temple with a distinct Arabian look is expected to open its doors for worshippers in Dubai by October next year during Diwali, according to media reports here. The new temple is being constructed adjacent to the Guru Nanak Darbar in Jebel Ali, making the locality a multi-religious corridor in the city.

The temple is an extension of the Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple in Souq Baniyas, Bur Dubai, one of the oldest Hindu temples in the United Arab Emirates, open since the 1950s. According to a report in Khaleej Times in February last year, the 25,000 sq.ft. temple will be built at an estimated cost of Dirham 75 million (Rs 1,48,86,24,396). Raju Shroff, an Indian businessman and one of the trustees of the Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple, announced on Sunday that the construction of the temple is underway, and the basement of the structure is complete.

Piling, shoring and casting of basements one and two are complete as of now. We are on track to open during Diwali 2022, Khaleej Times quoted Shroff as saying. The temple's foundation-stone-laying ceremony took place in February last year. Once complete, there will be several churches, the Sikh Guru Nanak Darbar, and a Hindu temple in the same location, Shroff said.

The temple will be home to 11 Hindu deities, he added. The temple's architecture will have a distinct Arabian look.

We want to give back to the local economy and this our way to repay the gratitude we have for the UAE leadership for celebrating religious tolerance, Shroff said. He added that worshippers could use the spacious 4,000 sq ft banquet hall for cultural events, religious gatherings and community get-togethers.

The temple intends to display a subtle blend of contemporary Hindu and Arabic elements, Gulf News said. The temple is an east-facing structure, designed as per norms of Indian Temple Architecture and Hindu Vastu Shastra. The temple structure includes two basements, a ground floor and first floor. The total height of the temple is 24 metres, it said.

The columns on the faade and interior take inspiration from the traditional columns of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat. The main dome is inspired by the Nagara style of Hindu temple architecture found predominantly in north India.




The violence during the farmers' tractor rally ' title=' tractor rally '>tractor rally took a serious turn when one of the protesters died. The incident took place at Minto Road in central Delhi on Tuesday afternoon. The farmer's body was found crushed under a tractor, but the protesters allege that he was killed in police firing.




Champaign, IL (61820)

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The most challenging set of policy issues that confront the Biden administration, and the one of most consequence to Australia, is how the US deals with China.

The Trump administrations scattergun approach, with its trade wars and blizzard of sanctions, failed. It damaged the US, undermined its traditional alliances and weakened the US-led multilateral institutions that could have helped contain an increasingly assertive and belligerent China.

Nevertheless, while Trumps policies might have been incoherent and their objectives confused, they highlighted Chinas emerging threat to US supremacy and gave a sharper edge to discussions about the nature of its centrist economic model and the tactics it has employed, and is employing, to erode Americas economic, geopolitical and military strengths.

US President Donald Trump with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019. The Trump administrations scattergun approach to China, with its trade wars and blizzard of sanctions, failed. Credit:AP

There will be no return to Americas past approach to China, built on a very western view that globalisation and economic liberalism would generate inexorable pressures for political freedoms and the eventual transformation of China into something more closely resembling the other major economies and societies in Asia. The advent of the Xi Jinping era ended that prospect.
Greeces defense minister signed a $3 billion deal to buy 18 Dassault Rafale fighter jets from France during a ceremony with his French counterpart in Athens on Monday. Six of the fighters will be new, while 12 are used.

The agreement is the latest sign of Greeces growing defense ties with Paris as the Hellenic Armed Forces seek to modernize amid heightened tensions with neighboring Turkey.

Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos called the deal a milestone, saying it sends a clear message.

For the first time, a European country acquires the Rafale, Frances Defense Minister Florence Parly tweeted after finalizing the deal with Panagiotopoulos. Today is a great day and an exceptional opportunity to celebrate a rich and ancient defense friendship, she wrote.

The highly publicized agreement comes as Greek officials begin exploratory talks in Istanbul on Monday to resolve a number of disputes, including Turkeys hydrocarbon exploration in waters claimed by Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Parly is also expected to present a proposal to sell Belharra-class frigates to Athens, which is seeking to acquire four new medium-sized ships as part of a rapid defense modernization announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in September.

France joined Greece for joint naval and air exercises in August after Turkey issued the NAVTEX for the Oruc Reis exploration vessel, despite threats of sanctions by the European Union.

Ankaras military deployments in the Aegean Sea, Africa and the Levant have also drawn Middle Eastern governments into common cause with Greece and its Mediterranean neighbors.

Athens signed a maritime demarcation agreement with Egypt in August, a joint defense agreement with the United Arab Emirates in November and has laid out a 20-year, $1.68 billion military deal with Israel earlier this month.
Professor Yossi Yovel, Associate Professor of Zoology at Tel Aviv University (TAU), is one of three Laureates to be awarded 2021 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

Professor Yovel was recognized for his work in the area of Life Sciences and will receive $100,000.

Professor Yovel is working to bridge the gap between two of the most influential fields in biology -- ecology (the study of animals in their environment) and neuroscience (the study of how the brain controls actions). He has helped to establish the new field of neuroecology, the study of how the brain controls behavior in a rapidly changing natural environment. He is a leading expert on the use of bats in scientific research and studies their use of echolocation to perceive and navigate through the world as a model for how the brain integrates sensory information to guide behavior. This work provides broader insight into group behaviors, integration of sensory information in the brain, and real-time decision making.

The 2021 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel will be conferred, as pandemic restrictions allow, at a ceremony held at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem on August 1, 2021. This year's Laureates also include Professor Ido Kaminer of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, the Physical Sciences & Engineering Laureate; and Professor Rafal Klajn of the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Chemistry Laureate.

The Blavatnik Awards recognize outstanding, innovative scientists at the early stages of their careers for both their extraordinary achievements and their promise for future discoveries. The prizes are awarded to researchers aged 42 and younger for groundbreaking work in the disciplines of Life Sciences, Chemistry, and Physical Sciences & Engineering. The Blavatnik Awards in Israel sit alongside their international counterparts, the Blavatnik National Awards and Blavatnik Regional Awards in the United States, and the Blavatnik Awards in the United Kingdom.

The Laureates will join a cadre of young scientists from across Israel who have been honored by the Blavatnik Awards in Israel since their launch in 2017. In addition, the Laureates will become part of the international Blavatnik Science Scholars community, which, by the close of 2021, will total 350 young scientists from around the world. Each summer the Laureates are invited to attend the annual Blavatnik Science Symposium in New York City at the New York Academy of Sciences, where past and present Blavatnik Awards honorees from around the world come together to share new ideas and forge collaborations for novel, cross-disciplinary research.

"The passing year has demonstrated just how important groundbreaking science is," said Len Blavatnik, Founder and Chairman of Access Industries and Head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. "It's imperative to encourage young scientists to venture broadly in their respective fields and to push the boundaries of scientific discovery. The achievements by these three outstanding Israeli scientists are testament to their brilliance, perseverance, and imagination -- characteristics held by many young Israeli researchers who will continue to make remarkable contributions to science for generations to come."

###

During the nomination period for the 2021 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel, 37 nominations were received from seven universities across the country. Members of the Awards' Scientific Advisory Council, which includes Nobel Laureates, Professors Aaron Ciechanover and David Gross, along with Chairman of the Israel Space Agency and Chairman of the National Council for R&D for the Ministry of Science and Technology of Israel, Professor Isaac Ben-Israel, were also invited to submit nominations. Three distinguished juries composed of leading scientists representing the three disciplinary categories and led by Israel Academy members, selected the 2021 Laureates.

ABOUT THE BLAVATNIK AWARDS FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS

The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in the United States in 2007 and independently administered by the New York Academy of Sciences, began by identifying outstanding regional scientific talent in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The Blavatnik National Awards were first awarded in 2014, and in 2017 the Awards were expanded to honor faculty-rank scientists in the United Kingdom and in Israel. By the close of 2021, the Blavatnik Awards will have awarded prizes totaling $11.9 million. Of all the Award recipients, 61 percent are immigrants to the country in which they were recognized and hail from 47 countries across six continents. For updates about the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, please visit http://www. blavatnikawards. org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook @BlavatnikAwards.

ABOUT TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY

Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a globally top-ranked university, a leading research institution, and a center of discovery. As Israel's largest public institution of higher learning, TAU is home to 30,000 students, including 2,100 international students from over 100 countries. The University encompasses nine faculties, 35 schools, 400 labs, and has 17 affiliated hospitals in its network.

Oil in New York inched higher with investors assessing the impact of supply curbs from Iraq and Libya on the near-term outlook. Iraq pledged to cut output in January and February after pumping more than its OPEC+ quota last year, and Libyan guards halted some crude exports after a pay dispute, World Oil writes in the article Oil supply cuts in Iraq and Libya nudge prices higher. Crude was also buoyed by a renewed climb in global equity markets as investors focused on the prospect of additional stimulus.

Oils rally has stalled over the past week and a half as a resurgence of the virus in China spurred localized lockdowns, while restrictions remained in place in many European countries. Iraq, meanwhile, will pump 3.6 million barrels a day in January and February, the lowest level since early 2015. The move follows a plan for sharp unilateral output cuts by Saudi Arabia next month as OPEC+ keeps a lid on output. The implementation of the compensatory cuts is likely to boost confidence in the agreement signed by OPEC and its allies, said Eugen Weinberg, analyst at Commerzbank AG. The supply deficit could therefore turn out to be somewhat bigger in the first quarter.

Oil prices

West Texas Intermediate rose 44 cents to $52.71 a barrel at 10:50 a.m. London time. Brent for March settlement added 0.7% to $55.80. Brents prompt timespread was 20 cents a barrel in backwardation early Monday -- a bullish market structure where near-dated contracts are more expensive than later-dates ones -- the most since March. The world economy is facing a tougher start to 2021 than expected as Covid-19 infections surge and as it takes time to roll out vaccinations. Global growth is still on course to rebound quickly from the recession of last year, but it may take longer to ignite and not be as healthy as previously forecast. The World Bank trimmed its prediction to 4% in 2021 and the International Monetary Fund will this week update its own outlook.

Other oil-market news

Libya restarted a pipeline that carries crude oil to its biggest export terminal, after a halt that caused the OPEC members production to drop to the lowest level in two months. Oil prices are set to rise with OPEC production cuts and a demand boost from a rebounding global economy, said Jeremy Weir, the head of commodities trading giant Trafigura Group.
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Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

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New Delhi, Jan 26 : Protesting farmers on Tuesday swarmed the Red Fort in New Delhi during a 'tractor rally' here on the Republic Day even as police tried to prevent them from driving towards central Delhi.

The farmers barged into the 17th century monument, climbed up its ramparts and waved farmer union flags and banners and even hoisted a pennant.

Police and other security personnel deployed at the Red Fort could be seen lathi-charging the protesters even as the former were clearly outnumbered by the farmers.

A few youths climbed up the flagpole on the ramparts of the 17th century landmark and put up a saffron pennant with a religious symbol. Later, a few of them even climbed up further and fixed a farmer union flag near the spot where a bigger Tricolour was aflutter.

After sometime, security personnel succeeded in removing the farmers from the fort ramparts, after which they had skirmishes with the police and also chased them that led to injuries to several farmers and policemen.

Soon, the farmers left the spot and moved towards central Delhi.

All this occurred after thousands of farmers riding tractors and motorcycles thronged the busy ITO intersection and played cat-and-mouse games with the police to proceed towards India Gate.

In the meantime, a young farmer died near the ITO intersection in the central Delhi due to unknown reasons. Fellow farmers sat on protest on the spot along with the body of the deceased, who hailed from western Uttar Pradesh.

Chaos prevailed near the ITO intersection in central Delhi as hundreds of farmers rallied there to outnumber the security personnel at the spot.

Other video clips showed farmers chasing away policemen on foot as well with tractors, and trying to remove a DTC bus parked across the ITO road stretch by pushing it out of way with a tractor.

The police fired tear-gas shells and lathi-charged the protesters on different occasions as farmers remained adamant to move towards the Red Fort.

Later, Rapid Action Force and the Border Security Force was also deployed at the ITO intersection.

The farmers, after confrontation with police that lasted for around 40 minutes, moved towards Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, which houses the offices of Aam Aadmi Party, Delhi Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party.

Later, farmers opened another front in Nangloi area as they removed a trailer truck parked across the road to stop them.

Hundreds of farmers overturned the trailer to make way for the tractors to enter the national capital and even damaged temporary police tents set up at Nangloi.

On Tuesday morning, a section of farmers stationed at Singhu and Tikri borders started their tractor parade much ahead of the scheduled time to enter the national capital in violation of an agreement with authorities. Skirmishes with police were reported from multiple fronts as farmers gathered at Karnal Bypass, Mukarba Chowk, Transport Nagar, Akshardham, Ghazipur and Tikri borders. Some farmers armed with swords were seen brandishing the weapons.

Police fired tear-gas shells on farmers after they entered Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar from the Delhi-Haryana border at Singhu.

Visuals of protesters riding horses were witnessed at the Karnal Bypass while others broke through barricades at Singhu and Mukarba Chowk. Some farmers damaged trucks and DTC buses parked on roads to stop them to enter towards central Delhi.

On Sunday, Delhi Police had allowed the tractor rally after the official Republic Day parade.

During their talks with the police, the protesters were told that they could not disrupt the celebrations on the Rajpath even as farmers insisted their parade would be "peaceful".
A tourist who was mauled by a lion which ripped off part of his arm after getting into his safari tent in Tanzania has won damages.

Patrick Fourgeaud, 64, was attacked by the adult male animal during a trip in the Ruaha National Park in August 2015.

His wife Brigitte, 63, had woken to find the animal sniffing at her back, before it pounced on her husband.

The animal was eventually scared away, leaving Mr Fourgeaud, of Mont-Saxonnex, France, with serious injuries, having to undergo multiple operations to his arm.

Mr and Mrs Fourgeaud, who both also struggle with mental health problems as a result of their ordeal, sued UK-based Africa Travel Resource Ltd for damages and, although the firm denied responsibility, it has now agreed to settle, a court heard.

Court documents say the Fourgeauds had been claiming more than 200,000 in damages with legal fees estimated at an additional 300,000.

Pictured: Patrick Fourgeaud, 64, and Brigitte Fourgeaud, 63, on the evening of the attack

Patrick had multiple operations to his arm, while both of the couple struggle with mental health problems as a result of their ordeal

High Court judge Mr Justice Martin Spencer today said: 'I am absolutely sure the compromise is the right one and a reasonable one.

'It is much better for the claimants that they should have the certainty of a settlement after all this time.'

Court documents revealed that the animal-loving couple, who had been on safari before, were several nights into their African trip when the attack occurred.

They thought they were safe when they bedded down in their mesh tent, but woke to find the lion inside.

Speaking afterwards, Mrs Fourgeaud said: 'I will never forget that moment when I woke up to see the lion there.

Patrick Fourgeaud, 64, was attacked by the adult male animal during a trip in the Ruaha National Park in August 2015

Brigitte, 63, had woken to find the animal sniffing at her back, before it pounced on her husband (pictured: Patrick and Brigitte)

'I thought we were both going to die. The attack will stay with me for the rest of my life.'

Among their allegations against the UK safari business were claims that not enough was done to ensure their camp was safe from night time attacks.

Speaking afterwards, Mrs Fourgeaud said: 'I will never forget that moment when I woke up to see the lion there' (file image)

The company fought the claim for five years, but finally agreed to settle the case on the eve of a trial due to start today, the court was told.

'Somewhat late in the day, as late as Saturday evening, the parties reached terms as to the liability issue on the basis of a 90-10 split in the claimants' favour,' said their barrister, Matthew Chapman QC.

Mr Chapman said more work would be done to investigate the level of the payout the couple will seek, although court documents put the claim at 'in excess of 200,000.'

The judge also ordered that Africa Travel Resource pay 100,000 towards the couple's already incurred legal costs.

A further hearing will be arranged to set out directions for the assessment of their damages payout.
Alibaba-backed community group buying platform gets fined for uncompetitive practices; U.S. and China trade officials hold their first phone call under the Biden presidency; and the yuan surges to a three-year high against the dollar

May 28, 2021 05:54 PM
HONG KONG, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Ratings said today that Hong Kong-based Link Real Estate Investment Trust (Link) scored 72 in its ESG Evaluation. On our scale, 100 indicates the lowest risk and 0 the highest. The company's ESG Evaluation score is the result of an ESG profile of 72 combined with an adequate preparedness.

Link's ESG Evaluation score of 72 reflects the company's robust governance structure, adequate preparedness for future disruptions, and overall good management of environmental and social risks. This management is, in our view, aligned with global best practice in the real estate sector. "We believe the board of directors demonstrates expertise and independence in line with international best practices, as well as good awareness of strategic and emerging risks", said Jensen Hui, the primary contact for the evaluation. "In our view, this will likely support Link's strategic objectives, including geographic expansion and portfolio diversification."

Link operates in an industry with relatively low exposure to environmental and social risks. Operators in property investment typically do not develop nor build properties. This limits their exposure to risks such as safety and new environmental regulation. Link has a unique position because many of its assets are located in social housing communities. The company plays an important role in those neighborhoods, by providing access to food and other necessities and contributing to local employment. On the other hand, this exposes Link to more reputational risks and political scrutiny.

Link is a Hong Kong-based, retail-focused property trust. Its asset portfolio comprises retail properties, car parks and offices. As of Nov. 30, 2020, Link has total internal floor area of 15 million square feet (sq. ft.) across 133 properties. Most of these are integrated into local public housing estates in Hong Kong; the trust was originally created from commercial properties divested by the Hong Kong Housing Authority and was listed in November 2005. Link has Hong Kong's largest retail property portfolio held by a single owner, with an internal floor area of approximately 8 million sq. ft. of retail space and approximately 57,000 parking spaces, mostly near its shopping centers. The company has also expanded into four cities in mainland China, where it has five properties and 5 million sq. ft. of retail and office space across Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. In addition, Link has a 60%-owned joint-venture office project in Hong Kong and recently acquired office properties in Sydney and London.

Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC or its affiliates (collectively, S&P) receives compensation for the provision of the S&P Global Ratings ESG Evaluation product, including the report (Product). S&P may also receive compensation for rating the entity covered by the Product or for rating transactions involving and/or securities issued by the entity covered by the Product.

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Press Release

January 26, 2021 Bong Go welcomes approval of cheaper, faster, and safer saliva tests for COVID-19 Senator Christopher "Bong" Go welcomed the decision of the government's laboratory experts' panel to allow the cheaper, faster, and safer saliva tests for COVID-19 as an alternative to the real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. The recommendation of the panel has already been submitted to Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. "Matagal na po nating ni-rekomenda sa DOH na pag-aralan ang saliva testing bilang alternatibo sa kasalukuyang swab test na ginagamit natin. Kaya naman po natutuwa tayo na, sa wakas, aprubado na ang paggamit nito sa bansa," Go said. "Malaking ginhawa po ito sa ating mga kababayan dahil hindi lamang po ito mas mura, accurate din po ito at mas ligtas," he added. As the Chair of Senate Committee on Health, Senator Bong Go presided over the Senate hearing last October 19, 2020, and asked the DOH, if possible, to adopt the saliva-based COVID-19 testing in the country. According to him, the test would be much cheaper, faster, and safer and which will significantly help revive the tourism industry. "Baka makatulong itong saliva-based testing to restart our tourism industry which was severely affected by this pandemic," he said previously. At that time, Secretary Duque III said that saliva testing was still being studied by the Health Technology Assessment Council, an independent body created by the Universal Health Care Act. Earlier, the PRC piloted a study to determine the accuracy of tests for COVID-19 using saliva specimens. The initial results have shown that the tests are relatively accurate. DOH has allowed the initial roll-out of the use of the less expensive saliva test for the new coronavirus but only among Philippine Red Cross molecular laboratories. The PRC began conducting saliva tests on Monday, January 25, and its molecular laboratories in Mandaluyong and Port Area in Manila are made available. By February, the PRC expects that all of its thirteen molecular laboratories all over the country will have been able to conduct COVID-19 saliva testing. The laboratory experts' panel said that only PRC laboratories could conduct the saliva test for now because the validation test result by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine is still pending. The saliva test reportedly costs PhP1,500 to PhP2,000, cheaper than RT-PCR test which costs around PhP3,800 to PhP5,000. Aside from being cheaper, the saliva test also delivers a faster result and is less invasive. A study by the PRC also found that the saliva test is 98.11% accurate. The Food and Drug Administration also mentioned that the COVID-19 saliva test is safer as compared to the swab test because the sample is self-collected and does not require direct contact with a health professional. Other advantages of using saliva specimen collection and testing include allowing the collection of specimen outside hospitals, multiple samples can be easily obtained, a reduced need for health care professionals handling during the sample collection, reduced nosocomial transmission risk (spread of infection in health facilities), reduced test waiting time, and reduced PPE, transport and storage costs. This non-invasive and economical collection method can help in community monitoring, both for asymptomatic infections and can help guide in retesting to clear a patient in ending quarantine. Meanwhile, Go continues to emphasize the need to ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of COVID-19 testing as its demand continues to grow amid the ongoing pandemic. "Dapat po natin tutukan ito at panatilihing abot-kaya ang testing sa bansa. Crucial ito sa ating hangarin na ma-test, ma-trace, at mabigyan ng tamang treatment ang mga kaso ng COVID-19," he emphasized. "Palagi rin nating unahin ang kapakanan at buhay ng mga mahihirap at pinaka-nangangailangan ng tulong. Huwag natin sila pabayaan dahil sila ang kailangang makabalik sa normal na pamumuhay upang maiangat ang kabuhayan nila," he added. Amid the emergence of new variants of COVID-19 in the country, with three cases being minors, Go appealed to authorities to strengthen the implementation of necessary health protocols to avoid the further spread of the disease. "Huwag muna tayo magkumpyansa, lalo na pagdating sa kalusugan ng mga kabataan. Responsibilidad nating proteksyunan sila. Sa lahat ng desisyon natin, isaalang-alang natin palagi ang buhay at kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino," Go said in a statement. "Hilaw pa at maaga pa para luwagan. Bakit naman tayo magmamadali, eh hindi pa nga nakapag-umpisang magbakuna? Kung magluluwag tayo ng patakaran ngayon, tapos tataas naman ang kaso, mas mahihirapan po tayo," he added. Go also urged the public to cooperate with the government and follow guidelines imposed by the government and health experts. "Sa mga kababayan natin, mag-ingat tayo at sumunod tayo sa ating gobyerno. Magsuot palagi ng mask at face shield, mag-social distancing, maghugas ng ating kamay, at huwag na muna lumabas ng bahay kung hindi naman kailangan -- lalo na ang mga bata," he said. "Habang sinisigurado ng ating gobyerno na magkakaroon ng sapat, ligtas at epektibong bakuna para sa lahat, konting tiis lang po. Patuloy po tayong magbayanihan. Ang simpleng mga patakarang ito, kung susundin, ay makapagliligtas ng buhay ng kapwa nating Pilipino," he added.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
Posted Tuesday, January 26, 2021 1:26 pm

Thurston County Superior Court has launched only five jury trials since last March when the county saw its first COVID-19 case.

Meanwhile, office space leased by the county in October to serve as an added courtroom and opened in December, hasn't hosted a single jury trial. The two-year lease cost the county $468,000 for the first year with an expected 3% increase the second year.

Even with the added space, the court can conduct only two trials at a time under pandemic restrictions. And those trials will not start anytime soon.

On Jan. 14, the court decided to extend its suspension of criminal jury trials through at least March 1 and civil jury trials through at least June 7. By then the court will have gone a full year under COVID-19 conditions that have created a substantial case backlog.

The scope of the backlog

As of last week, there were 167 defendants in custody who had not been sentenced in Superior Court cases, according to an email from Superior Court Administrator Pam Hartman-Beyer. That number is 37 fewer than The Olympian reported in September.

Hartman-Beyer wrote that there were 850 active pretrial cases as of last week  122 less than in September.

Though the backlog has decreased, the number of cases in waiting remains high because jury trials remain difficult to conduct safely.

Since March 2020, only five cases have gone to trial, said Hartman-Beyer, but one of those was a mistrial. Those trials occurred in September and October when the court tried to restart jury trials, she said.

Meanwhile at District Court, 98 cases are waiting for trials while 20 defendants remain in custody, said district court administrator Jennifer Creighton. Unlike Superior Court, there have been no jury trials in district court since March, Creighton said.

Creighton said District Court planned to restart jury trials in mid-November but ultimately held off due to a recommendation from county health officer Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek. She added 29 cases set for trials settled around the time period they thought they would be holding trials.

As of this week, the court is not planning to restart jury trials until at least late March but that could easily change again based on the health officer's recommendations, Creighton said.

Though the backlog remains high, Creighton said she thinks more people are starting to resolve cases.

"You know we are seeing a lot more case resolutions than normal," Creighton said. "I think it's just the fact that everybody is adjusting to the way things are now."

During a Jan. 7 meeting with the county board of commissioners, Judge Erik Price said the court had set 30 to 40 in-custody cases for the week of Jan. 25. Under normal conditions, he said the number of cases set per week was about 10.

"Before the new site was up and running, we could only do one (in-custody case) because of social distancing," Price said at the meeting. "Prior to COVID-19 we could do up to four. So, our capacity has reduced, but the volume has gotten bigger."

At the time of Price's comments, the court was still planning to restart trails on Jan. 19. However, recent transmission trends have led health officer Abdelmalek to recommend jury trials remain suspended.

The Thurston County jail had its second COVID-19 outbreak the week of Jan. 11 and the facility was placed under quarantine on Jan. 13, according to the latest emergency administrative order from the court.

Eight out of 203 inmates tested positive for the virus on Jan. 11 and three employees tested positive earlier on Jan. 7, according to a Jan. 15 statement from Thurston Public Health and Social Services.

Due to this outbreak, no inmates at the facility could be transported for court hearings, the order read. At the time of the Jan. 14 order, Thurston County also had a reported transmission rate of 235.1 cases per 100,000 people over two weeks.

On Thursday, the state reported the county had a rate of 304.4 during Dec. 29 through Jan. 11  a likely product of a post-holiday surge in cases.

The impact of delayed justice

The delay in the administration of justice means cases where the defendant is being held in jail are being prioritized over out-of-custody cases, Price said. He added the delays can even have an impact on those involved in out-of-custody cases.

"Just because something's out of custody, doesn't mean it doesn't have a whole lot of hurt to continue it," Price said. "You're not having someone sit in custody, but you do have dozens and dozens of victims and witnesses and family members; all of those people are affected by delay from out-of-custody cases."

Patrick O'Connor, director of Thurston County Public Defense, said he supports the jury trial suspensions in the interest of public health, but acknowledged that the policy is fraught with challenges.

For one, many attorneys are concerned that the delays are convincing more clients to accept a plea offer, O'Connor said.

"The earliest under the current emergency order they could see a jury trial is in March  however they don't know where they would fall (in terms of priority)," O'Connor said. "Given the priority for trials, it may be even more months than that before they will be able to exercise that constitutional right."

Still, O'Connor said public defense attorneys are not advising clients to accept plea bargains they would not usually accept. He said doing so would be unethical.

There are also logistical challenges brought on by the pandemic that are causing day-to-day delays for attorneys, and by extension, their clients.

"Communication is more challenging," O'Connor said. "Access to clients is more challenging in the pandemic. So, it's placed an additional burden on the defenders."

He added the public defense office has had to limit how many people come to their office, which could impact clients who lack the resources to communicate over the phone.

Caseloads per attorney have not necessarily gotten larger, O'Connor said, but each attorney is certainly spending more time on each case.

Additionally, many attorneys are concerned for the health and safety of in-custody clients, especially considering the recent outbreaks at the county jail.

"We do have a lot of clients that call, concerned, that are incarcerated, but I know the jail is doing everything they can do," O'Connor said. "It's just that at the end of the day, it's still a jail."

When jury trials do resume, O'Connor said, he hopes citizens will not be deterred from participating in jury duty, which will be essential for clearing the backlog.

"I'm confident that when jury trials resume that it will be a safe environment for jurors to serve," O'Connor said.

The new office space

The new office space on the 2400 block of Chandler Court Southwest was meant to help chip away at the backlog of cases but it has not seen a jury trial since it opened in mid-December. The space has only been used for civil motions, their small claims calendar and internal work, Creighton said.

The Superior Court has not gotten to use the new space for jury trials either, said Commissioner Tye Menser, but it has gotten to use the space for a single bench trial.

However, the extra space will help the courts get through their backlogs once they are able to resume them safely. In the meantime, the extra space can still serve other uses, Menser said.

"We're excited about the opportunity that that new space provides us," Menser said. "Not just with respect to jury trials, but just in general to provide a little more elbow space for us."

Funding for the initial costs of the space came from federal Coronavirus Relief Fund money, but ongoing costs, about $1 million a year, will come out of the county's general fund, the Olympian previously reported.

___

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WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Monday put an end to lawsuits alleging that former president Donald Trump violated a constitutional anti-corruption prohibition by profiting from his business empire while president.

The justices, without comment or noted dissent, declined to hear Trump's request to consider lower court orders that said lawsuits could go forward, agreeing with those on both sides of the issue that the cases became moot with Trump no longer in office.

The justices also vacated the lower court judgments in the cases, one of which was filed by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

It means that there is no definitive answer after years of legal wrangling over the Constitution's emoluments clauses, which prohibit presidents and others from accepting gifts or payments from foreign governments without congressional approval.

The question has rarely been presented because presidents rarely maintain active business interests in office, as Trump did. Much of the litigation turned on the president's interest in the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, near the White House, which became a magnet for foreign dignitaries and others doing business with the government.

The litigation was consumed with questions about who had the right to bring such a suit, and legal questions without precedent.

"We are proud that because of our case, a court ruled on the meaning of 'emoluments' for the first time in American history, finding that the Constitution prohibits federal officials from accepting almost anything of value from foreign or domestic governments," District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine and Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh said in a joint statement.

They added: "History will note that at every step of this case, President Trump and political appointees at the Department of Justice went to extreme lengths to prevent us from uncovering the true extent of his corruption. He attempted to short-circuit the rules of legal procedure to have our case dismissed and avoid discovery into his finances, arguing that the law did not apply to him."

Their case was one of three testing for the first time the Constitution's ban on the country's leaders engaging in private business relationships with foreign governments.

The Supreme Court declined in October to take up a case brought by Democratic members of Congress led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. The lawmakers had appealed a Washington D.C. Circuit ruling that blocked individual members of Congress from trying to enforce the foreign emoluments clause.

In a third case in New York, brought by the nonprofit watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) on behalf of Trump's hospitality industry competitors, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit said a lower-court judge had improperly thrown out the case in late 2017.

The lawsuit alleged that Trump was illegally profiting from his hotels and restaurants in New York and D.C. The full appeals court declined to rehear the case this summer and Trump asked the high court to intervene.

"This important litigation made the American people aware for four years of the pervasive corruption that came from a president maintaining a global business and taking benefits and payments from foreign and domestic governments," CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said in a statement Monday. "Only Trump losing the presidency and leaving office ended these corrupt constitutional violations and stopped these groundbreaking lawsuits."
Protesters try to break through a police barrier on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. PHOTO:AP Photo/John Minchillo

KY Man Arrested in Connection with Capitol Breach

By The Associated Press

OWENSBORO - The FBI says a Kentucky man has been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.News outlets report 22-year-old Jordan Revlett of Island in McLean County was accused of unlawful entry on restricted grounds and violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.WDRB-TV reports Special Agent Lynda W. Thomas wrote in the FBI arrest warrant that surveillance video shows Revlett enter the Capitol.Revlett told the FBI he went inside the Capitol, not seeing any signs restricting entrance.He said he didnt destroy anything or participate in violence.
The proposed ice rink, teen center, track and recreational facility called TheCENTER has recently received naming rights sponsorships from The Korte Company and Contegra Construction Company.

This new development, called TheCENTER, will be located in Edwardsville by Edwardsville High School, off Tiger Drive and Governors Parkway. The city of Edwardsville and the village of Glen Carbon are partners in the project to build a proposed ice rink, track, fitness and teen center.

The Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon and the Edwardsville Community Foundation are also involved.

The Korte Company has signed on for scoreboard naming rights and Contegra Construction will be sponsoring the facilitys seating area for rink spectators. The city of Edwardsvilles new state-of-the-art facility, TheCENTER, is the third and final recreational development to be completed as part of the A Better Place to Play initiative.

Eric Gowin, chief executive officer for Contegra, is excited to be part of this new development.

Weve been a part of the Edwardsville and Glen Carbon business community for nearly 20 years and have a strong sense of commitment to the area, and TheCENTER is an excellent way for us to give back to the community, said Gowin.

Contegra was founded in 2003 and has more than 150 years of combined experience in general contracting, design/build and construction management. Today, Contegra has offices located in Edwardsville and St. Charles, Missouri.

The Korte Company was founded in 1958 with their first office located in Highland. Korte specializes in construction management, design-build, architectural design and more.

President and CEO, Todd Korte, sees the exciting opportunities and benefits this recreational complex has to offer.

TheCENTER will benefit not only Edwardsville, but the surrounding communities as well. As a sponsor, were looking forward to its success and the positive social and economic impact it will bring to the area, said Korte.

Contegra Construction Company and The Korte Company have individually made the naming rights commitments with a contract of $50,000 each in TheCENTER development.

It is apparent that this recreational facility is generating a lot of excitement for many reasons, Director of Parks and Recreation Nate Tingley said. Contegra and Korte are vital businesses in our area and their support as sponsors affirms that TheCENTER is poised to be a wonderful addition to Edwardsville and the Metro-east.

If you are interested in learning more about TheCENTER or donating, contact Edwardsville Parks and Recreation office at (618) 692-7538 or visit TheCENTERs website at www.BuildtheCenter.com.

Those interested in learning more about the A Better Place to Play campaign can find information online at https://www.cityofedwardsville.com/.

A Better Place to Play can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/abetterplacetoplay and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BP2Play. E-mail inquiries can be made at Thecenter@thecityofedwardsville.com. Donations may also be mailed to Edwardsville Community Foundation to P.O. Box 102, Edwardsville, IL 62025.
The summit will help companies build effective veteran-hiring programs of their own. With health and well-being in mind, the event will offer limited in-person attendance as well as the virtual options. Featured presentations will include speakers from Disney's Heroes Work Here initiative, Disney Institute, government officials, veterans, and non-profit veterans-service organizations. Speakers will share their experiences, best practices and tips for hiring, onboarding and retention of veterans by helping them successfully transition to the civilian workforce.

"The Heroes Work Here program helps Disney find and hire highly qualified veterans and supports veterans, military spouses and their families as they transition out of the military," said George A. Kalogridis, President, Segment Development and Enrichment for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. "Through the Veterans Institute Summit, we share our learnings with other organizations so that more of these modern-day heroes have opportunities and successful experiences building careers in the private sector."

Since its launch in 2013 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, more than a half dozen complimentary Veterans Institute events have been held across the U.S. The Veterans Institute Summit builds on the success of Heroes Work Here, an initiative Disney launched in March 2012 that has resulted in more than 10,000 veterans joining The Walt Disney Company.

The 2021 Veterans Institute Summit will be the longest Veterans Institute event to date, with multiple days of programming. Highlights will include: an inside look at Heroes Work Here; renowned keynote presentations, panel discussions, Disney Institute content; advice and insights from experts and veterans-support organizations; and stories from veterans about their transitions to the civilian workforce. Attendees will also gain tools and resources they can use to establish their own military hiring and development programs for their organizations.



Summit sessions and presentations are complimentary and open to professionals from business, nonprofit, government and other organizations. A limited number of seats will be available at the event venue. Select sessions will be available online. Advance registration will be required to attend in-person or online presentations. Registration will open in spring 2021. Additional information, including any applicable safety and health measures related to COVID-19, will be available closer to the event.

To learn more about Heroes Work Here, and access learning and development tools designed to help veterans transition into the civilian workforce, visit DisneyCareers.com/HeroesWorkHere.

To learn more about Disney Institute, visit DisneyInstitute.com. To learn more about corporate sponsorship opportunities available for Veterans Institute Summit, contact [email protected].

About Heroes Work Here

Announced in March 2012 by Robert A. Iger, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of The Walt Disney Company, Disney's Heroes Work Here is a company-wide initiative to hire, train and support military veterans. The initiative features a commitment to hire veterans and offers philanthropic support of veteran and military organizations, as well as a public awareness campaign. In November 2013, Disney hosted the first-ever Veterans Institute, a complimentary day-long workshop to encourage employers across the U.S. to hire former military service members. Disney's Heroes Work Here continues the company's long-standing legacy of supporting the U.S. Armed Forces. For more information, visit https://jobs.disneycareers.com/heroes-work-here.

About Disney Institute

Disney Institute helps professionals and organizations learn how to leverage time-tested business practices used by Disney parks and resorts, many of which began with Walt Disney himself. For more than 30 years, Disney Institute has helped business professionals around the world learn the Disney approach to employee and customer experience rooted in Disney's areas of expertise, including leadership excellence, employee engagement and quality service. Whether it is individuals, teams or entire organizations, Disney Institute trains professionals working in a wide variety of industries to apply Disney business insights to help improve their own employee and customer experience. For individuals, Disney Institute offers Professional Development Courses in a variety of formats, including online live courses, on-demand courses and onsite courses at Disney destinations. For organizations, Disney Institute offers collaborative Advisory Services, as well as private presentations for chambers of commerce, colleges/universities, professional associations, and conference events held at Disney destinations worldwide. For more information, visit https://www.disneyinstitute.com/.

SOURCE Disney Institute

Related Links

https://www.disneyinstitute.com


South Africans could be in for another bout of load-shedding this week should the widespread rainfall across northeastern parts of the country not subside.

Due to the impact of tropical cyclone Eloise, large parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga saw heavy rains over the past few days.

Many of Eskoms power plants are located in these provinces and now once again face the prospect of having to deal with damp fuel.

In the past, heavy rainfall has led to coal being too wet to be milled for use in the furnaces at several power stations.

This meant that the overall power output of the stations was severely lowered until the fuel was dry again, with Eskom being forced to implement load-shedding in the interim.

The utility on Friday warned before the arrival of Eloises resultant weather system that coal handling may be affected by the rain.

Typically, heavy rainfall for four or less days does not pose a significant threat to power station operations, but continuous rainfall for more than four days does hamper coal handling at the power stations, Eskom cautioned.

There are some power stations in the Mpumalanga area that have been experiencing ash dam constraints, it added.

Continuous heavy rainfall over these power stations could hamper operations and recovery efforts are underway, Eskom said.

In a subsequent update released on Monday, Eskom said that operations were continuing as normal, but that Eskoms teams were monitoring the progress of the storm and impact of the heavy rains.

Should there be any significant impact, Eskom will communicate timeously, the utility stated.

Weather forecast

MyBroadband asked Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha for comment on whether the risk of load-shedding had increased due to the rainfall.

Mantshantsha reiterated that as of 17:30 on Monday, there was no significant impact from the heavy rains at the power stations and that these were operating as normal.

The teams are placing particular focus on minimising the impact of the rains on operations, ensuring that the drainage system continues to work efficiently, Mantshantsha stated.

According to the SAWS weather forecast for Witbank/Emalahleni, around which several powers stations are located, significant rainfall was expected over the course of the next week.

Following on Mondays 25mm rainfall forecast, the SAWS indicated the following measurements for the town up until Sunday :

Tuesday 26 January 2021  20mm

Wednesday 27 January 2021  10mm

Thursday 28 January 2021  5mm

Friday 29 January 2021  3mm

Saturday 30 January 2021  5mm

Sunday 31 January 2021  10mm

Arnot, Duvha, Hendrina, and Kendal coal-fired power stations are all within an 80km radius of Emalahleni.

The town of Lephalale in Limpopo  close to where Medupi is located  was expected to receive a cumulative rainfall of 58mm in the next week.

The first set of maps below show the rainfall forecast for Southern Africa until Saturday, according to the Global Forecast System (GFS) used by AfriWX.

The second image shows a map with the locations of Eskoms base-load power stations.

Rainfall forecast

Eskom power stations

Now read: Private power companies could double generation without government restrictions
The Rossiya Segodnya news agency's executive director, Kirill Vyshinsky, and Russian Civic Chamber member Maria Butina, who served 18 months in US prison, staged single-person pickets outside the Latvian embassy in Moscow on Tuesday to protest crackdown on Russian media in Baltic countries, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2021) The Rossiya Segodnya news agency's executive director, Kirill Vyshinsky, and Russian Civic Chamber member Maria Butina, who served 18 months in US prison, staged single-person pickets outside the Latvian embassy in Moscow on Tuesday to protest crackdown on Russian media in Baltic countries, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene.

The pickets come as the Republic of Latvia marks centenary of its international recognition. In her symbolically handcuffed hands, Butina carried a banner that read: "a high-security zone of freedom of speech."

"Unfortunately, I had to put handcuffs on again. It is the last thing I would want to do, but I cannot do it other way. This is an act of solidarity with our compatriots and journalists in Latvia who are now being persecuted for an alternative point of view, for cooperation with Russian media," she told reporters.

The rights activist described Latvia's policy as a crackdown on freedom of speech and universal human values.

"In Latvia, we see gross rights violations not only against our fellow journalists, but also our compatriots ... They violate a journalist's main prerogative  an ability to choose a news outlet that corresponds to their internal convictions .

.. The fact that things like European sanctions are being manipulated in Latvia has been recorded not only by us, not only by the Russian Foreign Ministry, but also by an organization that can hardly be suspected of being fond of our country, namely Reporters Without Borders," Vyshinsky said.

In December, several Latvian Russian-speaking journalists, including those who wrote articles for Baltnews and Sputnik Latvia outlets, have been accused of violating EU sanctions. Their apartments were searched and they were put under own recognizance not to leave the country. Sputnik Latvia and Baltnews are part of the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, whose director general, Dmitry Kiselev, is on the EU sanctions list.

The Russian Foreign Ministry says that the EU sanctions are individual and concern only Kiselev and thus could not apply to everyone, who cooperates with the media group. According to Moscow, Latvia uses EU sanctions as an excuse to justify its "punitive campaign" against Russian media.
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Kowal said the best estimate is that Rusty was about 14  years old. He was seen often, starting in 2006, around Oak Brook while a stray, especially in the area of the Forest Glen subdivision, south of Roosevelt Road, between York Road and Interstate 294. He quickly made friends among the residents and workers in the area, many of whom fed him and kept track of his well-being.

Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
New and more dangerous varieties of COVID-19 from Britain and South Africa will be covered by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, preliminary evidence suggests, although the vaccines will be slightly less effective.

We are yet to see a virus that can evade a vaccine response to a degree where it would be of significant concern, said Associate Professor Stuart Turville, a virologist at the Kirby Institute.

An English patient receives a dose of the Pfizer vaccine inside Salisbury Cathedral Credit:Getty

The vaccine responses so far have been strong in many studies and this level of strength will hopefully translate to cover many different viral flavours.

Pfizers vaccine won regulatory approval in Australia on Monday and the federal government plans to roll it out from the end of February.
JUST over a week after two poacher boats were captured off East Cay, another four illegal boats were apprehended by Bush Cay, each with four people on board.





The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) and marine police officers located the Panga style boats on the Caicos Banks on Thursday, January 21.





Sixteen people from the Dominican Republic were apprehended and found to have illegally caught marine product on board.





The amount of product has yet to be determined, the police press office said on January 22.





Four further Dominican nationals were arrested on Saturday, January 16, when two boats were intercepted south of East Cay.





The vessels and illegally caught marine products were handed over to DECR officials for further investigation.




Thousands of Indian farmers entered the historic Red Fort complex in the capital on Tuesday (January 26), one even swinging from a flag pole to the sound of cheers, as violence escalated elsewhere.

The farmers are angry about new laws that they say help large private buyers at their expense.

Protesters also charged at the police with sticks who, in turn, used their batons and tear gas shells to disperse them.

Video footage appeared to show protesters surrounding an unidentified body, cloaked in flags.

The clashes were preceded by a convoy of tens of thousands of farmers driving their tractors through the fringes of the city.

Hundreds, some on horseback, broke away from the main route approved by police to head for central Delhi.

They spoke of wanting to reach the capital to get their message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi:

"We are going to Delhi to answer the call of our leaders to participate in a tractor rally. This law is like poison to us, we are not going to accept it in any condition. We request that Modi takes back the laws as soon as possible."

The protest coincided with India's Republic Day, and threatened to overshadow the annual military parade.

For almost two months, the farmers have been camping outside New Delhi in protest of the agricultural reforms.

Agriculture employs about half of India's population of 1.3 billion, and unrest among an estimated 150 million landowning farmers worries the government.

The protests pose one of the biggest challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he came to power in 2014.

Nine rounds of talks with farmers' unions have failed to end the protests.

And farm leaders have rejected the government's offer to delay the laws for 18 months, making a push for repeal instead.

Video Transcript

- Thousands of Indian farmers entered the historic Red Fort complex in the capital on Tuesday, one even swinging from a flagpole to the sound of cheers as violence escalated elsewhere. The farmers are angry about new laws that they say help large private buyers at their expense. Protesters also charged at police with sticks, who in turn used their batons and tear gas shells to disperse them. Video footage appeared to show protesters surrounding an unidentified body cloaked in flags.

Story continues

The clashes were preceded by a convoy of tens of thousands of farmers driving their tractors through the fringes of the city. Hundreds, some on horseback, broke away from the main route approved by police to head for central Delhi. They spoke of wanting to reach the capital to get their message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

- [SPEAKING HINDI]

INTERPRETER: We are going to Delhi to answer the call of our leaders to participate in a tractor rally. This law is like poison to us. We are not going to accept it in any condition. We request that Modi takes back the laws as soon as possible.

- The protest coincided with India's Republic Day and threatened to overshadow the annual military parade. For almost two months, the farmers have been camping outside New Delhi in protest of the agricultural reforms. Agriculture employs about half of India's population of 1.3 billion. And unrest among an estimated 150 million landowning farmers worries the government.

The protests pose one of the biggest challenges to Prime Minister Modi since he came to power in 2014. Nine rounds of talks with farmers unions have failed to end the protests. And farm leaders have rejected the government's offer to delay the laws for 18 months, making a push for repeal instead.

US history doco Enslaved premieres on ABC TV Plus this Sunday.

Samuel L Jackson is joined by journalists Afua Hirsch and Simcha Jacobovici as he looks over the history of US slavery.

In this four-part series, Enslaved, Samuel L Jackson pieces together the beginnings and methods of the transatlantic slave trade  a business that thrived for over 400 years and trafficked more than 12 million Africans across the Atlantic to North and South America and the Caribbean.

He is joined by journalists Afua Hirsch and Simcha Jacobovici to investigate the history of slavery on land. On water, he teams up with Diving with a Purpose (DWP)  a group of underwater investigators dedicated to restoring their ancestors lost history. Each episode features a dive that brings to life the forgotten stories of some of the 2 million Africans who perished on ships transporting them to slavery.

In episode 1 A People Stolen Samuel L Jackson traces his own ancestry to Gabon. He visits the coastal area in Loango National Park to see where his enslaved ancestors were shipped in their millions to the Americas.

He travels with Journalist Afua Hirsch to Fort Elmina  one of more than 30 forts on the West coast of Africa. They learn how technology enabled the Europeans to sail the vast distances to Africa, how human engineering enabled slavers to cram over 600 human beings into their vessels and how Africans were acquired as property using metal bracelets called manillas, as currency.

Production credits: Produced by Fremantle Media for the BBC.

Sunday 31 January 9.30pm on ABC TV Plus.

Related
US-based PE firm J.C.Flowers and Ravi Chachra-floated Eight Capital are planning to launch a $500 million fund to invest in mid-size corporate in India. International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, will infuse over $100 million in the fund.

The fund will join the other global and domestic PE firms that are lining up to invest in the in India, which they say is not only available at an attractive valuation, it also comes with good management and opportunity.

According to reports, India's stressed assets market is estimated to be over $115 billion.

J.C. Flowers has partnered with Eight Capital to raise a $500 million fund, J.C. Flowers India Opportunities Fund (JCF Fund or the Fund). IFC will invest up to $100 million equity, limited to 20 per cent of the fund size. IFC is also proposing an equity investment of upto $4 million in local currency in JCF ARC, for a 15 per cent participation.

JCF Fund will be a newly established fund that will be set up in Singapore and managed by FP8 Services Pte Ltd (FP8 Services), which is jointly owned by the Sponsors. The fund will mobilise capital from local and international investors, including IFC, to invest in mid-size corporate in India.

It may be noted, J.C. Flowers and Eight Capital also co-own an asset reconstruction company, J.C. Flowers Asset Reconstruction Private Ltd (JCF ARC or the company, and together with JFC Fund, JCF Platform), which is the licensed entity for acquisition of distressed assets from banks in India

Established in 2015 in India and co-sponsored by J.C. Flowers, JCF ARC is currently owned by J.C. Flowers with a controlling 50% stake, Eight Capital with 35% shareholding and EMSO Asset Management Ltd which has a minority 15% stake.

The fund will invest in mid-size corporate distressed assets in India. The JCF Fund will be set up as an umbrella variable capital company (VCC) in Singapore to aggregate contributions of international investors for investment in distressed in India.

Considering their existing investment in JCF ARC as shareholders and their new investments in JCF Fund and JCF ARC, the sponsors -- JC Flowers and Eight Capital -- will collectively invest $25 million in the JCF Platform. The sponsors will raise additional funds from other third-party investors for investment in JCF Fund.

IFC said that the most significant, expected project-level outcome is the offloading of mid-size distressed assets by Indian financial institutions which will support their capital position by freeing up capital and increasing liquidity, and reducing large costs associated with the management of these assets.

In addition, IFC expects that the project will help revitalise in distress, by working out their existing non-performing loans and providing new financing and support them in preserving jobs. Beyond the project-level outcomes, IFC anticipates that the project has the potential to promote greater market competitiveness via demonstration and replication channels.

IFC will also play a critical role in mobilising capital from the private sector to invest in the resolution of mid-size corporates in distress in India.

Founded in 1998 by J. Christopher Flowers, J.C. Flowers is an US-based private equity firm with deep global distressed assets investment experience in financial services.

As of June 2020, J.C Flowers has invested more than $17 billion in 56 across 18 countries, including US, UK, Germany, Japan and India. The firm currently has about $5 billion in assets under management.

Eight Capital is an investment firm co-founded in 2005 by Ravi Chachra and invests in distressed and special situation opportunities in India. Since its inception, the firm and its investors have provided turnaround capital in excess of $500 million, as of June 2020, to companies with stressed balance sheets in Indias industrial and services sectors.

Eight Capital has co-invested with global investors such as Apollo, D.E Shaw, Spinnaker Capital, Atlas Capital, and J. Goldman & Company.

JCF Platform , the JCF Fund will be a newly established fund that will be set up in Singapore and managed by FP8 Services Pte Ltd (FP8 Services), which is jointly owned by the Sponsors.

The fund will mobilise capital from local and international investors, including IFC, to invest in mid-size corporate distressed assets in India.

Established in 2015 in India and co-sponsored by J.C. Flowers, JCF ARC is currently owned by J.C. Flowers with a controlling 50% stake, Eight Capital with 35% shareholding and EMSO Asset Management Ltd which has a minority 15% stake.

According to reports, India's stressed assets market is estimated to be over $115 billion. The availability of good quality distressed assets already attracted some global funds including Apollo Global, Oaktree Capital, Nithia Capital. Investors are increasingly clinching distressed deals at attractive valuations, with good management in India amid the economic slowdown uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

[January 26, 2021] Liquid Telecom Renews and Expands Capacity Agreements on Eutelsat's EUTELSAT 7B Satellite

Regulatory News: Liquid telecom, Africa's leading telecoms group, has renewed and expanded its Ku band capacity agreements on Eutelsat (News - Alert) Communications' (Paris:ETL) EUTELSAT 7B satellite. Under this multi-year, multi transponder agreement, Liquid Telecom will further leverage the unparalleled coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa of the 7 East orbital position to extend its VSAT services. This will provide customers with fast and reliable internet access, even in the most remote corners of the region. Commenting on the agreement, Philippe Oliva, Chief Commercial Officer of Eutelsat said: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to take the partnership between Liquid Telecom and Eutelsat to the next level. By working together to further strengthen our ties, we can ensure that the combination of Eutelsat's satellite coverages of Sub-Saharan Africa and Liquid Telecom's unrivaled expertise in the VSAT market can deliver the highest possible service levels to Liquid's customers throughout the continent". Scott Mumford, CEO of Liquid Telecom Satellite Services added: "We are delighted to renew and expand our agreements with Eutelsat, ensuring we can continue to rely on its support and coverage to deliver high-speed, reliable connectivity to existing and future customers, no matter where they are located." About Eutelsat Communications

Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband market to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Over 6,600 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat assembles 1,000 men and women from 46 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service.



For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com About Liquid Telecom

Liquid Telecom is a leading communications solutions provider across 13 countries primarily in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa that serves mobile operators, carriers, enterprise, media and content companies and retail customers with high-speed, reliable connectivity, hosting and co-location and digital services. It has built and operates Africa's most advanced Satellite Teleports, Africa's largest independent fibre network (73,000km) as well as operating state-of-the-art data centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi, Harare and Kigali. This is in addition to offering leading cloud-based services, such as Microsoft (News - Alert) Office365 and Microsoft Azure across our fibre footprint. Through this combined offering Liquid Telecom is enhancing customers' experience on their digital journey. www.liquidtelecom.com

www.eutelsat.com - Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @Eutelsat_SA View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005493/en/

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POTTSVILLE  A Pottsville man will spend at least three more years behind state prison bars after admitting Monday to a Schuylkill County judge that he possessed a salable amount of methamphetamine in March 2020 in the city.

Michael I. Setlock, 28, must spend three to six years in a state correctional institution, President Judge William E. Baldwin ruled. Baldwin made the sentence consecutive to one Setlock already is serving.

Baldwin also sentenced Setlock to pay costs, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $239 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Setlock pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Prosecutors withdrew a second count of the same charge, three counts of possession of a controlled substance and one of public drunkenness.

Pottsville police charged Setlock with possessing the meth on March 10, 2020.

Setlock already is an inmate at SCI/Camp Hill in Cumberland County, and Baldwin conducted the hearing by videoconference.

In his previous case, Setlock pleaded guilty Aug. 28, 2020, to four counts each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and one each of conspiracy, prohibited possession of firearm and possession of drug paraphernalia. Prosecutors withdrew four counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Baldwin sentenced him at that time to serve four to eight years in a state correctional institution, pay costs, a $100 SAEF payment, a $50 CJEA payment, a $50 bench warrant fee and $1,436.40 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Harrisburg, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

State police at Reading charged Setlock in that case with possessing four types of drugs on April 4, 2019, in Pottsville.
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Mexico City: There was little doubt that Mexico was in the grips of a crisis.

It was evident in the lines of people stretching city blocks to refill oxygen tanks. In the wail of ambulance sirens. In the plumes of smoke puffing from crematoriums late into the night.

But in recent days, the creeping sense that the coronavirus is everywhere has been magnified by news that three of the nations most powerful men are now sick with COVID-19.

A newspapers front page carries the Spanish headline Positive but optimistic for the story about Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador having COVID-19. Credit:AP

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, 67, a centre-left populist known to his legions of fans as AMLO, said on Sunday he had tested positive for the virus and had isolated in his apartment in Mexicos National Palace with mild symptoms.
by Ati Nurbaiti

One in three people tested positive. Hospitals are near collapse. The families of patients face tragic hurdles. Since the start of the crisis, 652 doctors and nurses have died. The vaccination of 1.3 million health workers has started. Areas affected by earthquakes and flooding face additional problems.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  The number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia topped one million today. On Saturday, the positivity rate was 33.2 per cent. One in three tested Indonesians is infected, far above the 5 per cent limit set by the World Health Organization.

The numbers, the highest in Southeast Asia, do not tell the whole truth about the pandemic in Indonesia. Testing and contact tracing capacity remains very low.

Most people who were tested are like me, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said Friday, referring to people who were tested voluntarily.

So far, 1,012,350 cases have been reported with 163,000 people hospitalised or in self-isolation, including Doni Monardo, head of the national COVID-19 task force. More than 28,000 people have died with about 820,500 healed.

According to epidemiologists, the dead could be at least three times the official figure. Almost all cities and regencies (districts) have reported a shortage of hospital beds, intensive care units, ventilators, oxygen tanks, isolation centres, and burial sites.

On 19 January, a mother and her three-year-old child found a place in the capital's Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital. They succeeded only after volunteers contacted 60 health facilities, but without access to intensive care. Several sick people reported being treated in corridors and waiting rooms of hospitals.

Families who have decided to bring home their sick relatives are physically and mentally exhausted, said Irma Hidayana of LaporCOVID-19, a civic group that helps medical staff fight the pandemic.

During an online press conference yesterday, she explained that many families have been traumatised by the repeated refusals by hospitals. A number of sick people, especially the elderly, have died while their families were moving them from one facility to another.

Local governments are adding as many hospitalisation and isolation centres as possible, but medical staff are severely stretched.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in March, 652 healthcare workers have died, including doctors, nurses, midwives and lab technicians. According to LaporCOVID-19, the highest number of victims was registered in community health centres, the lowest level of health facilities.

For the authorities, the vaccination of about 1.3 million healthcare professionals remains the priority. However, the campaign is proceeding slowly.

After the holidays at the end of the year, infections took off: 103 doctors and members of the medical staff died in January.

In various parts of the country, volunteers and healthcare workers are struggling to enforce anti-COVID protocols, such as among flood survivors in the provinces of North Sulawesi and South Kalimantan. The same goes for the nearly 20,000 residents of West Sulawesi who need shelter after a recent earthquake that killed 90 people and aftershocks.

The West Sulawesi Health Agency reported widespread resistance among refugees to coronavirus testing.

Thamrin, one of nearly 700 earthquake survivors who fled to Makassar, capital of southern Sulawesi, said in a video on fajar.co.id media website that the tests would aggravate the mental trauma of earthquake survivors.

Makassar Mayor Rudy Djamaluddin welcomed all the refugees and encouraged them to undergo free testing to contain the pandemic. Local authorities expect aftershocks in the next three weeks; all rescuers and volunteers are also being tested.
(Newser)  A brand of coconut milk is slowly disappearing from the shelves of America's retailers thanks to an effort by PETA. Target on Monday confirmed to USA Today that it no longer sells Chaokoh coconut milk after PETA accused the Thai brand of relying on forced monkey labor. Since 2019, PETA has been investigating what it calls the "chained monkeys' misery" at the hands of Thai coconut producers who allegedly kidnap the monkeys in the wild, put them to work picking coconuts from trees, and otherwise keep them "chained to old tires, or confined to cages barely larger than their bodies." "We take seriously the claims made against Chaokoh, and given they were unable to sufficiently address the concerns raised, we made the decision to remove their product from our assortment," said Target, per USA Today.

story continues below

Chaokoh's maker, Theppadungporn Coconut Co. Ltd., has previously denied that monkeys harvest its coconuts and has said a random sampling it did of 8% of its 817 farms confirmed that. Target follows Costco and Wegmans, which both confirmed in the fall that they'd no longer carry the product. The Tampa Bay Times in early January reported that PETA has been pressuring Publix to follow suitin one case with members protesting at the chain's Lakeland headquarters while wearing monkey costumes. Publix has said it was given "written assurance" by Thailand's ambassador to the US that the Thai Food Processors' Association verified monkeys were not being used as PETA has claimed. PETA counters that producers have made their use of monkeys less obvious by doing things like bringing them on-site at harvest time only. (Read more PETA stories.)
WASHINGTON, D. C. - U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio on Monday announced he wont run for re-election when his six-year term expires in 2022. He released a statement that cited partisan gridlock as a major factor in his decision.

We live in an increasingly polarized country where members of both parties are being pushed further to the right and further to the left, and that means too few people who are actively looking to find common ground, Portmans statement said. This is not a new phenomenon, of course, but a problem that has gotten worse over the past few decades.

This is a tough time to be in public service. For many of the issues I am most passionate about, I will continue to make a difference outside of the Senate, beyond 2022. In the meantime, I am hopeful that President Biden will follow through on his inaugural pledge to reach across the aisle, and I am prepared to work with him and his administration if he does. I was on the bipartisan call yesterday on a new COVID-19 package. I hope the Administration will work with us on a more targeted approach that focuses on things like vaccine distribution, testing and getting kids back to school.

Portman, 65, said he decided to make his announcement now, because hes made up his mind and also to allow any Republicans who choose to run plenty of time to gear up for a statewide race. His decision will upend Ohio politics as Republicans and Democrats in the state jockey to replace him.

In these next two years, I will continue to be actively engaged, doing my best to provide hope as we try to get through the devastating coronavirus pandemic and doing my best to help bring our great country together, to help us heal, so we address the many challenges we face together, said Portman.

Portman was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, and won 58 percent of the vote against former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland when he was re-elected in 2016. He had more than $4.6 million in his campaign treasury late last year.

Portman outperformed Trump when they were on the ballot together in Ohio, and Portman said hes been regularly lambasted by his constituents for both supporting Trump too much and not backing him enough. During Trumps first run for the White House, Portman distanced himself after the release of a tape where Trump boasted to a television personality about groping woman and said he did not vote for him. Portman backed Trumps 2020 re-election bid, and said hes consistently spoken up when hes agreed with Trump on issues like tax reform, energy policy and regulatory relief.

The substance is one thing, and tone and style another, said Portman, arguing that in the countrys current polarized state, politicians are rewarded for throwing out the red meat on talk shows rather than finding common ground And I think we need to tone it down.

Portmans office says he introduced more than 240 bills during his time in the U.S. Senate, 200 of which had Democratic cosponsors, and that more than 150 of his legislative priorities have been signed into law. His favorite causes in the Senate have included fighting opioid abuse and human trafficking and promoting tax and regulatory reform. He currently serves as the top Republican on the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. He also serves on the Senate Finance Committee, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Joint Economic Committee.

This doesnt mean Im leaving now  I still have two more years in my term and I intend to use that time to get a lot done, said a statement from Portman. I have a number of oversight projects and legislative initiatives Im eager to get across the finish line. Over the next two years, I look forward to being able to focus all my energy on legislation and the challenges our country faces rather than on fundraising and campaigning.

Before seeking the U.S. Senate seat vacated by George Voinovichs retirement, Portman served as U.S. Trade Representative and Office of Management and Budget Director in George W. Bushs presidential administration. He previously represented the Cincinnati area in the U.S. House of Representatives for 12 years.

At a press conference in Cincinnati, Portman said he did not plan to be commuting back and forth between Washington and Ohio for 30 years. If Voinovich hadnt asked him to run for the seat, I wouldnt be here, said Portman.

When I was in the House of Representatives, I supported 12 year term limits, which is what I did in the House, said Portman. Its just my attitude. I dont think you have to stay forever. You know, public service is an honor, its a calling. Its also true that some people stay an awful long time. And a little fresh blood is not a bad thing.

Although this months riot at the U.S. Capitol while Congress tallied electoral votes was a tough night, Portman said his decision was motivated by the fact that hed been doing this a long time, and Im 65 years old, and he wants to be home more to see his family and friends. He said he feels its possible he could be as effective on some of the policy issues he cares about outside the Senate, given the gridlock in Washington.

Im going to work like hell for Ohio for the next two years, Portman said.

A statement from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who spent 12 years in the U.S. Senate before losing his 2006 re-election race to Democrat Sherrod Brown, applauded Portmans service and wished him the best in his future endeavors.

Senator Portman has been a key partner on helping Ohio with federal COVID-19 relief and other pandemic-related issues, DeWine said. Senator Portman and I have had similar policy priorities to help Ohio families, from tackling the Opioid crisis and the scourge of human trafficking to protecting Lake Erie and Ohios other natural wonders.

A statement from Brown thanked Portman for his career of public service.

Rob and I have worked together on issues that matter to Ohioans, from protecting the health of Lake Erie, to better enforcing our trade laws, to helping Ohioans who are struggling with addiction, said Brown Weve not always agreed with one another, but weve always been able to put our differences aside to do whats best for our state.

Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken called Portman a statesman whose service to our country and party over nearly three decades has been invaluable, and said the U.S. Senate and Ohio Republicans will miss his leadership and temperament.

Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters issued a statement that criticized Portman for defending Trump, and said it would be difficult for him to win reelection in 2022 because he backed failed policies like the Trump tax scam and the Affordable Care Act repeal.

If Portman wants to complain about the death of civility and the triumph of partisan gridlock, he should take a long, hard look in the mirror and think about what he wants to be his legacy, said Walters.

Read more:

U.S. Capitol riot prompts Democrat Jeff Sites to seek Rep. Jim Jordans congressional seat

Ohio Congress members at President Joe Bidens inauguration hope for new era of cooperation

Several Ohio Congress members will skip Joe Bidens inauguration amid unprecedented security measures

Rep. Bob Gibbs and other Ohio Republican Congress members object to metal detectors to access House floor

Rocky River Republican Anthony Gonzalez votes to impeach President Donald Trump

House votes to impeach President Trump after last weeks U.S. Capitol riot, with all Ohio Democrats and one Ohio Republican in the majority

What Ohios Jim Jordan said as he led President Trumps impeachment defense on the House floor

Sen. Rob Portman urges President Trump to address the nation to explicitly urge that his supporters refrain from violence, or bear responsibility

Ohios Sherrod Brown plans to take on corporations as chair of Senate Banking Committee

U.S. Capitol Police officers are being disciplined for cooperating with rioters, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan says

What Ohios Jim Jordan said before, during and after the riot at the U.S. Capitol

Joe Biden names former KeyBank official Don Graves his Deputy Commerce Secretary

Capitol riot prompts Democrats in Congress to seek Trumps removal before Bidens inauguration DC:
Hong Kong: Use of vaccine approved

The Secretary for Food & Health (SFH) authorised the COVID-19 vaccine by Fosun Pharma/BioNTech for emergency use in Hong Kong in accordance with the Prevention & Control of Disease (Use of Vaccines) Regulation, the Government announced today.

The Advisory Panel on COVID-19 Vaccines submitted its recommendations to the SFH earlier, which considered that, under the current epidemic situation, the benefits of authorising the use of the COVID-19 vaccine by Fosun Pharma/BioNTech for protecting against COVID-19 outweigh the risks.

Taking into account the advisory panel's advice and the threat to public health posed by COVID-19, the SFH considered that the authorisation is necessary and is in the public interest. She has exercised the powers conferred upon her under section 3 of the regulation to authorise the use of the COVID-19 vaccine by Fosun Pharma/BioNTech in the city for a specified purpose.

To ensure that the relevant vaccine continues to fulfil the requirements of safety, efficacy and quality, the SFH has attached conditions to the authorisation, including requiring the applicant to continue providing the latest clinical data on the vaccine, safety update reports, and quality certification documents by the drug manufacturer for each batch of vaccines.

The advisory panel also noted reports of suspected adverse events in some overseas countries after administration of the Fosun Pharma/BioNTech vaccine. According to the information released by the relevant authorities, some common side effects, such as fever or nausea, may affect individuals who already have serious illnesses and are particularly weak.

The Department of Health has requested the vaccine supplier to provide relevant information in response to the advisory panel's recommendations.

Meanwhile, the Joint Scientific Committees under the Centre for Health Protection will review relevant information to assist with determining the precautions for use by priority groups for receiving the relevant vaccine.

The expert advice on vaccines given by the advisory panel has been uploaded to the Food & Health Bureau's website to strengthen the transparency of information on vaccines, the Government added.

According to the information provided by the vaccine supplier, the first batch of one million doses of the Fosun Pharma/BioNTech vaccine to be supplied to Hong Kong have completed production and are undergoing safety and quality testing.

Subject to the completion and passing of the relevant tests, the vaccines are expected to arrive in Hong Kong from Germany in late February.

The citywide vaccination programme led by the Government will be launched as soon as possible after completing all necessary quality assurance procedures.

The Government said it will continue to adhere to the vaccine procurement strategy and make advance purchases of vaccines which fulfil the criteria of safety, efficacy and quality, including those that are still in the development stage, to ensure the availability of different types of vaccines and sufficient supplies for the whole city.

It also noted that its work in vaccine administration will be based on scientific evidence and adhere to the principles of openness and transparency to enhance the public's confidence in vaccines.

This story has been published on: 2021-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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A new film portraying Irans former Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani as saving Iraqi Kurdistan during the Islamic States incursion in 2014 has angered the Kurdistan Regional Government, which has lodged a formal complaint with Tehran over what it calls distorted facts.

Unfortunately the film has not done any justice to the sacrifices of Peshmergas nor to the Iranian units, head of the KRGs foreign relations department Safeen Dizayee told Al-Monitor, referring to the military force of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The nine-minute film, titled A story about the rescue of Iraqi Kurdistan by Haj Qasem Soleimani, was released this week by Irans FarsNews, a state-owned media outlet tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In the film, KRG President Masoud Barzani appeals to allies for protection during his country's war with IS. Director Mohammad Baqir Mofidi Kia suggests that Erbil would have fallen without the help of Soleimani, a statement disputed by KRG officials.

Many Peshmerga that fought on the front lines are still alive today, and Dizayee said that they see the film as an insult and belittling the role of Peshmergas.

The complaint was filed with Irans consul general in Erbil, Nasrullah Rashnudi, on Sunday. The KRG representative in Tehran, Nazim Omer, was also asked to bring the matter to the attention of regime authorities.

Despite the charge, the KRG holds long-standing warm relations with Tehran. Kurdish officials have repeatedly confirmed that Iran was among the first countries to offer assistance to the Peshmerga when IS marched north. When the Peshmerga were ill-equipped and Baghdad never took it upon itself to arm them, Iran responded by sending ammunition and mortars, a KRG official told Al-Monitor. And a report by Reuters in August 2014 found that Iran started fighting with boots on the ground as early as mid-June 2014.

Between 2014 and June 2017, the KRG cited 1,760 Peshmerga had been killed fighting IS, about 9,000 were wounded and 63 others were missing.

Soleimani and deputy Popular Mobilization Units chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020. Soleimanis death has since been used as a rallying cry against US intervention in the region and encouraged Iraqs Parliament only two days after the strike to vote for a plan to end the US troop presence in Iraq.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 00:37:21|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on China and Belarus to boost high-quality development of bilateral Belt and Road cooperation.

In his telephone conversation with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Xi also urged the two sides to make solid progress in the construction of China-Belarus industrial park.

Xi pointed out that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Belarus, bilateral ties have seen continuous development, adding that in the face of the pandemic, the two sides have carried out close anti-epidemic cooperation, and practical cooperation in various fields has maintained a good momentum of steady progress.

Noting that this year is the first year for China to implement the 14th Five-Year Plan, Xi said China's efforts to foster a new development pattern and promote reform and opening up at a higher starting point will provide more development opportunities and open up broader cooperation space for countries worldwide, including Belarus.

He also called on the two sides to boost cooperation in the fields of anti-epidemic, economy and trade, education, science and technology, culture, as well as exchanges at local levels.

"I believe that as long as the two sides can uphold the spirit of mutual trust and win-win cooperation, the China-Belarus comprehensive strategic partnership will surely achieve greater development," he said.

Xi stressed that China supports Belarus in pursuing a development path that fits its national conditions, hopes that Belarus will maintain political and social stability, and is willing to provide assistance within its own capacity to the economic and social development in Belarus.

The two sides should continue to support each other, safeguard the common interests of developing countries and defend international fairness and justice, Xi added. Enditem
DALLAS, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SmartHealth PayCard, LLC (SHPC), a healthtech payment solutions leader, and SYNERGEN Health, an innovator in healthcare revenue cycle management solutions, today announced a partnership to help healthcare providers expand their patients' options to pay for their out-of-pocket medical costs.

SHPC's Mastercard credit card, designed exclusively for healthcare expenses, will integrate with SYNERGEN Pay, SYNERGEN Health's billing and payment collection platform, to enable patients to apply for and quickly access a revolving credit line of up to $30,000 to take care of balances owed to their providers.

"SYNERGEN Pay was designed to help providers collect payments at any time, from anywhere, while providing a range of convenient payment choices for their patients," said Sunil Konda, vice president of product, SYNERGEN Health. "SmartHealth PayCard will add great value to this platform at a time when providers are faced with falling revenues and are increasingly struggling to collect on outstanding balances as patients are dealing with higher uncovered healthcare costs."

SYNERGEN Pay is a secure, simple-to-use, patient statement delivery and online payment portal that streamlines patient collections from pre-visit scheduling to post-visit follow up. SYNERGEN Pay currently handles over 150,000 statements per month, which has resulted in an increase in patient collections by approximately 300%. The payment portal provides an enhanced patient user experience with an intuitive statement format and is easily accessible from a computer or mobile device.

According to a study in the American Journal of Public Health, medical issues contribute to two-thirds of consumer bankruptcies. Meanwhile, the Healthcare Financial Management Association estimates that hospitals alone carry more than $56 billion of bad medical debt.

"We're committed to providing innovative payment solutions that make healthcare more accessible and affordable for consumers while improving business outcomes for providers," said Jeff Blankinship, co-founder of SmartHealth PayCard. "We're very pleased to be teaming up with SYNERGEN Health to help SYNERGEN Pay platform users apply for and quickly obtain a line of credit from SmartHealth PayCard to take care of their healthcare costs quickly, seamlessly and flexibly."

SmartHealth PayCard was launched in 2019 to give consumers a flexible option to take care of healthcare expenses while enabling providers to focus more resources on patient outcomes and relationships, reduce administrative costs related to billing and collections and improve practice cash flow.

SmartHealth PayCard is one of several payment financing options available to SYNERGEN Pay users. From SYNERGEN Pay, patients can view their statement balances and payment options. They are then presented with a link to find out more information about SmartHealth PayCard and how to apply for the card. After an approval process that takes minutes, patients will receive an SHPC Mastercard number, which they can use to make payments on the web, phone, or interactive voice response systems anytime through a fully integrated SYNERGEN Pay payment portal to any health practitioner that accepts Mastercard regardless of provider network.

About SmartHealth PayCard, LLC and The SmartHealth PayCard Mastercard

SmartHealth PayCard is committed to providing financial solutions to simplify and make healthcare affordable. We seek to introduce transformative change to healthcare that benefits patients, healthcare providers and society at large.

The SmartHealth PayCard Mastercard credit card is a convenient, hassle-free way to pay for healthcare for people and their pets. It provides a revolving credit line that can be used immediately to pay for deductibles, copays, co-insurance and a wide range of other healthcare costs. SmartHealth PayCard members can also save up to 85 percent on prescriptions at pharmacies nationwide. Additional non-veterinary benefits include up to $5,000 in Accident Medical Expense coverage and $5,000 in Accidental Death insurance. For more information, please visit smarthealthpaycard.com and watch this brief video overview.

About SYNERGEN Health

Founded in 2011, SYNERGEN Health is a pioneer in the technology and data-driven revenue cycle transformation for the U.S. health care industry. SYNERGEN Health provides complete revenue cycle services, advanced analytics, payment solutions, machine learning, robotic process automation, consulting services and other software solutions. For more information, visit: www.SYNERGENhealth.com.

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DaveAlan/iStockBy JON HAWORTH, ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- Southwest Airlines has made the decision to no longer allow emotional support animals on their flights following a decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) last month to revise the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) regulation on the transportation of service animals.



According to Southwest Airlines, emotional support animals will be banned from their flights from March 1, 2021.



With this revision, Southwest Airlines will only allow service dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability to travel with the Customer, Southwest Airlines said in a statement released on Monday evening. The types of disability include a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability and only dogs will be accepted (including those for psychiatric service)  no other species will be accepted as a trained service animal.



The airline said that customers who do travel with trained service dogs must now present a completed Service Animal Air Transportation Form issued by the DOT at the gate or ticket counter at the airport and must include details on the animals health, behavior and training.



"We applaud the Department of Transportation's recent ruling that allows us to make these important changes to address numerous concerns raised by the public and airline employees regarding the transport of untrained animals in the cabins of aircraft," said Steve Goldberg, senior vice president, Operations and Hospitality at Southwest. "Southwest Airlines continues to support the ability of qualified individuals with a disability to bring trained service dogs for travel and remains committed to providing a positive and accessible travel experience for all of our Customers with disabilities."



Southwest said that passengers may still travel with some animals for a charge, which has been a standard part of their existing pets program, but those animals must meet all requirements regarding in-cabin stowage and are restricted to cats and dogs only.



The U.S. Department of Transportation changed the ACAA in an announcement on Dec. 2, 2020 saying that passengers had been abusing the privilege of emotional support animals and the practice had "eroded the public trust in legitimate service animals."



The DOT said it was prompted in part by an increase in travelers "fraudulently representing their pets as service animals" to avoid charges for transporting pets. There are records of passengers bringing miniature horses, hamsters, pigs and even peacocks on board airlines which people have claimed as emotional support animals.



Said the DOT in their new ruling on Dec. 2: The Department received more than 15,000 comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking. The final rule announced today addresses concerns raised by individuals with disabilities, airlines, flight attendants, airports, other aviation transportation stakeholders, and other members of the public, regarding service animals on aircraft.



Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has put pressure on pharmaceutical firms to deliver on their vaccine promises

Divisions were on display Tuesday at the Davos virtual summit as nations called for fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines amid fears of hoarding by rich nations.

The annual gathering of business and government leaders at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps has been pushed online due to the pandemic, but organizers used the opportunity to promote global cooperation in combatting the novel coronavirus.

With more than 100 million people now infected, rich countries that funded vaccine research are now raising their voices to ensure they get doses as tensions mounted over delayed deliveries.

"Europe invested billions to help develop the world's first COVID-19 vaccines," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a live video address to the World Economic Forum.

"And now, the companies must deliver. They must honor their obligations," she said.

The Commission is demanding answers from British-Swedish group AstraZeneca and US company Pfizer about delays both have announced to their deliveries to the European Union.

In a sign of concern that pharmaceutical groups might be selling the earmarked doses to higher bidders outside the bloc, it is making a move to require the companies to notify authorities of any exports outside the European Union.

'Vaccine nationalism'

Von der Leyen underlined that initiative in her speech, saying "we will set up a vaccine export transparency mechanism" to "ensure" the firms meet their contractual obligations to the EU.

But she also emphasized that the EU has sought to ensure the vaccine is available in poorer non-EU nations through its participation in the COVAX vaccination alliance co-led by the World Health Organization.

She said the initiative would ensure millions of doses are available to poorer countries.

While Germany has also supported vaccine export controls, Chancellor Angela Merkel called in her speech for their "fair" distribution.

"Let's not kid ourselves, the question of who gets which vaccine in the world will of course leave new wounds and new memories because those who get such emergency help will remember that."

But such promises haven't reassured less developed countries.

Toll of coronavirus infections and deaths worldwide and in worst-affected countries, as of Jan 26 at 1100 GMT

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa lashed out at "vaccine nationalism", accusing rich countries of bulk-buying coronavirus vaccines and hoarding them to the detriment of others.

"Rich countries in the world are holding on to these vaccines and we are saying: release the excess vaccines that you have ordered and hoarded."

Ramaphosa's comments coincide with growing concerns that bilateral deals between wealthier governments and coronavirus vaccine manufacturers could hike prices and limit supply in some regions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has already warned against vaccine nationalism and price gouging last year, before a successful jab was found.

"It is natural that countries want to protect their own citizens first but if and when we have an effective vaccine, we must also use it effectively," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last October at the World Health Summit.

He said the best way to do that was to vaccinate some people in all countries rather than all people in some countries.

"Let me be clear: vaccine nationalism will prolong the pandemic, not shorten it."

South Africa is the African country hit hardest by COVID-19.

Last week it announced it had reached a deal to buy at least 1.5 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccinebut at a price 2.5 times higher than most European countries.

'Vaccine panic'

Due to the appearance and rapid spread of coronavirus variants that are more contagious "right now there is a little bit of a global vaccine panic, many countries want doses as of today," said Seth Berkley of the Vaccine Alliance, which is one of the organizations trying to ensure poorer nations receive doses.

He said his group will start delivering vaccines in February and aimed to deliver two billion doses by the end of 2021.

Epidemiologists hired by the International Chamber of Commerce calculated that even if rich nations vaccinate their own populations, global interdependence means they will bear $200 billion to $4.5 trillion in costs if poorer nations don't have access to vaccines.

"These numbers are far larger than the 38 billion USD cost of manufacturing and distributing vaccines globally," said the ICC report.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
This section contains news stories about events and culture across the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community. It also includes a calendar of events to publicise your events.

Please bear in mind that currently most events are cancelled because of the coronavirus situation. Some event organisers may not have notified us of cancellation, so please check any event before you try to attend.

Please e-mail the following details of your event to Network Norfolk Events : Date, event title, what it involves, start and end time, location (if you include a postcode we can attach an e-map to your entry), contact name and tel no for more details. The details must be received at least two weeks before the event, ideally longer.



This listing contains the next 20 events. If you require information on events even further ahead then visit the comprehensive Calendar database section of this website.

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(Natural News) Areas of Hebei, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Henan, and Ningxia provinces, as well as Inner Mongolia and Beijing announced that they entered wartime mode over the weekend due to surges in COVID-19 cases.

(Article by Nicole Hao republished from TheEpochTimes.com)

Wartime mode typically means that restrictions are placed on when residents can leave their homes, and almost all public facilities, such as schools, stores, stadiums, and parks, are closed.

A spokesperson for the Beijing city government Xu Hejian said at a press conference on Jan. 8: At present, diagnosed patients and cluster outbreaks are happening all around the country.

Tight Control

The central government advised against travel for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, which falls on Feb. 12 this year. Millions usually make trips to their hometowns to reunite with their families.

Over the weekend, city governments across the country also announced a new rule requiring those who wish to travel during the holiday to get prior approval from their employers.

For example, Meizhou city in Guangdong Province issued a notice on Jan. 8: All staff and workers in the citys government departments, state-run enterprises, and private companies should not leave Meizhou city for Lunar New Year If you really need to leave, you must get approved from the management team of the company/department.

Meanwhile, Shijiazhuang, a city of 11 million in northern China, continued to see new infections amid a severe outbreak.

At a Sunday press conference organized by the city government, officials ruled that all residents must take a second nucleic acid test for COVID-19 in the next two days, and that all residents cannot leave their homes for another seven days. Only couriers and medical staff who have a special pass can travel on the streets freely. Last week, the city entered lockdown.

Initially, authorities still allowed over 60 large-scale grocery stores to remain open for customers on Sunday. However, state-run China National Radio reported on Sunday evening that all grocery stores in the city were closed and people could only order online.

Food prices skyrocketed as a result.

Shijiazhuang resident Gong Huo complained on social platform Weibo that some stores refused to sell him food unless he bought multiple items at the same time.The grocery store asked me to order flour, cooking oil, and rice if I want to buy vegetables and eggs. Moreover, I have to wait for delivery. Because the store wont deliver unless more than 100 people from my residential compound also order food, he posted.

Other Regions

Wang Qiang (pseudonym) from Nanpi county, Cangzhou city in northern Chinas Hebei Province told the Chinese-language Epoch Times that his family was forced to move to a quarantine center after being isolated at home for seven days. Authorities said it is because he and his wife came back from another city recently.

My grandma is 80-year-old, and both my parents have diabetes and hypertension. They are vulnerable to being infected with COVID-19. Now the officials forced all five of us to leave our home and move to a quarantine center. Otherwise, they will order police to detain us, Wang said in a Saturday interview.

Wang added that the official in charge of epidemic control in his area told him that the outbreak in nearby Dongguang county is very severe. At press time, authorities made no official announcement about the outbreak in Dongguang.

The Epoch Times called Nanpi Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The official who answered the phone confirmed the policy that all families with members who recently traveled out of town need to be quarantined at quarantine centers, but he refused to provide further details about the local outbreak.

Read more at: TheEpochTimes.com and Pandemic.news.
The directly-elected mayor of Limerick will be given "significant powers" and be paid a junior minister's wage of 137,000.

A vote in 2019 to create the role passed by a margin of 52.4% to 47.6% and after an extensive consultation period, the Government has approved the drafting of legislation and the publication of new details on the position.

It is hoped the first directly-elected mayor will be elected late this year.

The first holder of the office will remain in place until 2029, with five-year terms thereafter. The report recommends that a mayor can serve a maximum of two terms of office.

Minister for State for Local Government Peter Burke, however, said the timeframe for an election was "ambitious" and will have to take heed of public health advice.

The implementation advisory group's report on the role suggests the mayor has responsibility for most of the executive functions currently carried out by the county's chief executive, including the areas of:

Housing and building

Road transport and safety

Water services

Strategic management

Environmental services

Recreation and amenity

Agriculture, education, health and welfare

The mayor will also develop what the report calls a Programme for Local Government in Limerick. This programme will set out the mayors vision and ambition for Limerick city and county at a strategic level.

The chief executive would take on a newly-created director-general role, which would come with a one-scale salary increase, Mr Burke said.

However, the reserved functions of the council itself will not change and it will retain a recall function in the event that the mayor fails to discharge their duties or for stated misbehaviour.

In this instance, 75% of councillors would be required to recall the mayor. The current mayor's role, as speaker of the council, will be renamed to Priomh Comhairle.

Read More Limerick activists spoke to homeless man the night he died on freezing streets

Mr Burke said the move was a "significant local government reform" and would "put Limerick at the core of decision-making" about the county.

Having a directly elected mayor will enable the people of Limerick to have a greater say over how services and infrastructure are delivered and how Limerick develops.

"The new role will be a starting point, a basis on which more powers will be decentralised to Limerick over time, possibly including greater financial autonomy.

"I think it will give more direction to untap the potential that is there in Limerick.

The current mayor of Limerick, Michael Collins, said: Limerick is an ambitious place  were constantly looking to innovate and this will be another big moment for us in that regard as we become the first local authority in Ireland to have a directly elected mayor.

"This is not the first time weve been forging new frontiers in local government as in 2014 we became the first city and county local authorities to amalgamate.

"Together with the amalgamation of our local authorities, Limerick has demonstrated its willingness to be a national leader when it comes to local government reform.

While Cork and Waterford rejected similar plans in 2019, the Government's legislation will pave the way for plebiscites on the issue in 2024. Those mayors would be elected in 2029 or perhaps earlier, Mr Burke said.

Mr Burke said the Citizens Assembly would review the issue of a mayor for Dublin in the third quarter of this year.
New Delhi, which joined UNSC this month as a non-permanent member for a two-year term, has been at the forefront of a years-long efforts to reform the 15-nation body

United Nations: India has said that the UN Security Council is finding itself unable to act effectively to address increasingly complex issues of international peace and security as it lacked inclusivity of those who need to be members of the powerful organ of the world body.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador TS Tirumurti, on Monday said there is no process in the UN that has traversed the torturous pathways more than what the process of United Nations Security Council reform has. India, along with Brazil, Japan and Germany are pressing for urgent reform of the UN Security Council and for a permanent seat in the reformed 15-member top organ of the world body.

Nearly 13 years after the start of the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN), the process we have is far from a normal United Nations negotiating process, Tirumurti said at the informal meeting of the Plenary on the IGN on the 'Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council'.

"While the world is not what it was when we began the process, the objections to moving forward remain frozen in time. While global challenges of the 21st Century have multiplied, we have been stopped by the naysayers to even adopt the process in order to move forward, he said.

"It is evident that inaction on our part is not without cost. The Security Council is being called upon to address increasingly complex issues of international peace and security. Yet, it finds itself unable to act effectively, for it is lacking inclusivity of those who need to be there, and therefore lacking legitimacy and credibility, Tirumurti said, emphasising that those who have created this impasse in the IGN should take responsibility for ensuring that the UNSC has come to this pass.

The first IGN meeting on UNSC reform in the 75th session of the General Assembly took place on Monday in which the G4 nations, Brazil, India, Japan and Germany, asserted that only two things can save the IGN as a format, negotiations of a single text with attributions, reflecting various positions taken by member states in the last 12 years and the application of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly (GA).

India asserted that in order to achieve progress in the UNSC reform process, it must be ensured in this session of the General Assembly that there is immediate application of GA rules of procedure to the IGN process. This will ensure openness, transparency, and an institutional memory for this process, which is essential if genuine negotiations are to take place. Secondly, there must be an outcome text, which should ideally be the result of a rolling text, updated after each meeting by the co-chairs, to capture the views and positions expressed by all delegations, with attributions.

Tirumurti said proceedings should be broadcast live so that COVID-19 related restrictions do not hamper delegations' ability to participate fully in the discussions and time spent on repetition of cluster-based positions should be minimised to ensure discussion of a single draft outcome document. He reiterated that the IGN cannot be allowed to continue to serve as a "convenient smokescreen for a handful of reform naysayers". "For us, the success and continued relevance of the IGN will be measured by whether or not, we have a common text with attributed positions to base our future discussions on and whether we have UNGA rules for the IGN, Tirumurti said.

India stressed that member states do not deserve to end up in the same position they found ourselves in August 2020, bereft of anything to go by except false promises. If this is the case, we will be forced to look outside the IGN, may be to this very General Assembly, for a process towards genuine reform. We cannot get a sincere outcome from an insincere process. The IGN has so far been restricted to making repeated statements of known positions, without any effort to narrow differences, he said, adding that it is the only process of its kind in the UN where negotiations have been conducted in a multilateral setting without any text. "While this may suit those who wish to block progress, this goes against the very essence of multilateral diplomacy. We do not subscribe to the self-fulfilling prophecy of the nay-sayers on the lack of full consensus for reform.

Underlining India's view on regional representation, Tirumurti said it is absolutely essential that the category of permanent membership reflect contemporary realities and include adequate representation from all regions of the world. It is anachronistic that not one country from the entire continent of Africa or from the entire continent of Latin America is represented in the permanent category of the Security Council today, he said.

Describing this as unjustifiable as well as a severe constraint on the credibility and effectiveness of the Council, Tirumurti said India calls for six additional permanent seats: two each for Africa and Asia, one for Latin America and the Caribbean, and one for the West European and Others Group and also for increase in non-permanent seats.

There is also a need to stick to equitable geographical distribution and not regional representation, which itself is not mentioned in the UN Charter. Tirumurti also voiced India's support for the Common African Position as enshrined in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.
After a yearlong search for existing drugs that might help COVID-19 patients and point to a cure, a UCSF-led science team has identified what they say is an especially promising candidate: an anti-cancer drug that kills the coronavirus in lab studies and is almost 30 times more potent than remdesivir, one of the few antiviral drugs available to treat the disease.

The new peer-reviewed research, published Monday in the journal Science, highlights a drug called Aplidin, which was originally extracted from an exotic marine creature called Aplidium albicans  a type of sea squirt found off the coast of Ibiza that looks a bit like a disembodied brain.

Aplidin, also known as plitidepsin, is owned by Pharma Mar, a Spanish company founded by a scuba-diving scientist. Approved in Australia to treat multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, the drug isnt commercially available in most parts of the world and isnt yet approved to treat COVID-19, though it has been tested in a few dozen COVID-19 patients in Spain.

We need some new weapons in the arsenal, said Nevan Krogan, a UCSF molecular biologist who led the science team along with Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, a virus expert at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. This is by far the best thing weve seen.

The research grew from a joint effort of multiple labs at UCSFs Quantitative Biosciences Institute, within the School of Pharmacy. Dubbed the QBI COVID-19 Research Group, or QCRG, the team works closely with scientists at Mount Sinai, the Institut Pasteur in Paris and other institutions.

The groups findings emerge at a moment of widespread frustration in the fight to stem the pandemic, with deaths topping 400,000 in the U.S. and more contagious strains of the virus emerging and circulating. Although COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing the disease, they remain scarce and cant help patients who are already sick, fueling a need for better antiviral drugs.

Over the last year, the QCRG scientists have peered into the molecular world of the virus, making a detailed map of how it hijacks and rewires human cells at the microscopic level. Then the team studied that map to narrow the search for drugs that could plausibly stop infection, testing thousands of existing drugs and experimental compounds against the virus in the lab.

Aplidin rose above the pack. Extremely low concentrations of the drug killed the virus in infected human lung cells and similar cells from monkeys. Scientists also infected dozens of mice with the virus, giving them COVID-19, then injected them with Aplidin, which essentially eliminated the virus from their bodies, according to the paper. Meanwhile, using genetic techniques, the team discovered that the drug does its job in an unusual way: Instead of attacking the virus itself, as remdesivir does, Aplidin blocks activity of a specific protein inside human cells that the virus needs to replicate itself.

Im very excited about this data, because of the potency, said Garcia-Sastre.

Recently, the research team also collaborated with a lab in the United Kingdom to test Aplidin against the new variant of the coronavirus there, known as B-117. The drug killed the variant, too, and was more potent against the variant in lab tests than remdesivir, the scientists report in a separate paper posted Sunday on biorxiv.org, a website where biologists share new results before theyre peer-reviewed.

In Spain, 45 patients with COVID-19 have taken Aplidin as part of a Phase 2 clinical trial, and Pharma Mar has released data on the first 27 patients. The drug reduced the amount of time they spent in the hospital, with 81% of patients returning home within 15 days, as opposed to the typical rate of 47%, according to the company. More expansive Phase 3 trials of the drug in COVID-19 patients are being planned in Spain and the U.S., said Pascal Besman, the companys chief operating officer.

One downside of Aplidin is that its an intravenous drug. That means its difficult to administer outside of a hospital, limiting its potential reach, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UCSF infectious disease expert and physician who was not involved in the Aplidin research.

Chin-Hong also pointed out that earlier attempts to deploy existing drugs against COVID-19 have fizzled, failing to cure patients in trials; Aplidin must prove its mettle against COVID-19 in rigorous human studies. But if it does, he said, it might be useful as one piece of a multi-drug cocktail therapy.

We have to keep on trying, Chin-Hong said. Teaching the old drugs new tricks should always be on our mind.

Krogan and Garcia-Sastre said Aplidin could be especially relevant in a world where dangerous new strains of the coronavirus are popping up. Thats because the drug blocks the activity of a human protein, eEF1A, that the virus needs to make copies of itself and infect other cells, slashing the virus ability to replicate and spread.

If you get a drug that targets a human protein, it would be incredibly hard for the virus to mutate away from being reliant on it, said Krogan, who is also an investigator with the Gladstone Institutes, a Bay Area biomedical research organization.

Pharma Mar says its mission is to find medicines in the oceans, where the water teems with viruses and some aquatic creatures have evolved virus-killing weapons that are much, much stronger than anything humans have designed, said Jose Maria Fernandez Sousa-Faro, Pharma Mars founder and CEO. I think its because nature, that is very wise, has been able to do fine-tuning.

Pharma Mar originally developed Aplidin as a cancer drug, studying its effects in trials with multiple myeloma patients. In 2017, the European Medicines Agency, which regulates drugs in the European Union, refused to approve Aplidin, pointing to side effects experienced by some cancer patients who took it and saying the benefits of the drug did not outweigh the risks. But Pharma Mar successfully challenged the ruling in EU court, vacating the decision, and Australian regulators approved Aplidin for treating multiple myeloma in 2018.

Pharma Mar scientists say that virus patients require substantially lower doses of the drug than cancer patients do, needing to take it for three days instead of months. In tests with COVID-19 patients so far, side effects of Aplidin have been minimal.

Jason Fagone is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jason.fagone@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfagone
MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- A Moss Point homeowner fended off an attempted home invasion by two armed suspects by shooting and killing one of the suspects, despite having already been wounded by gunfire himself.

According to Moss Point police, officers responded to the Mill Avenue area of east Moss Point about 6:30 p.m. Sunday after a 911 call reported shots fired.

Officers arriving on the scene found one male in the roadway, dead from apparent gunfire. He was identified Tuesday as 20-year-old Kijuan Dukes of Natchez, Miss.

Investigation revealed Dukes and another man had attempted a home invasion at the residence. As they had approached the home, they were confronted by the homeowner, with at least one of the two suspects firing multiple rounds at the homeowner, striking him at least once.

Despite his wound, the homeowner returned fire, fatally shooting Dukes, who collapsed in the roadway. The homeowner was treated and released from Singing River Hospital.

Police have not identified the two suspects, adding that the case will be presented to a Jackson County Grand Jury for review.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Moss Point Police Department at 228-475-1711 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898.
The Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has, in an interview, challenged the opposition National Democratic Congress to name a single social intervention policy they implemented in the sixteen years they have ruled Ghana.



Speaking on Net2 TV's popular show, the Seat Show, the Effutu MP said that the NDC cannot boast of a single social intervention policy in the many years they have been given to rule Ghana.



"The NDC ruled for sixteen years but could not implement a single social intervention programme. It is the New Patriotic Party that has undertaken a series of life-changing social intervention programmes in the 12 years the party has been given the opportunity to rule"



The maverick politician appearing on the Seat Show hosted by Justice Kweku Annan also used the opportunity to highlight some of the happenings in the 8th Parliament of the Republic of Ghana.



He explained why the Majority didn't use force to stop the lawless acts which heralded the swearing-in of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



He indicated that if they had met the NDC MPs with brute force when they were going about their lawless acts, the swearing-in of President Akufo-Addo couldn't have come on.



He also talked about a wide range of issues including the election petition by the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama.

Source: peacefmonline.com









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Local Fine Gael TD, Fergus ODowd, has called on Allied Irish Banks to provide a commitment to the people of Carlingford that ATM services will be provided going into the future.

Deputy ODowd said: AIB posted a letter on their boarded up ATM in Carlingford that the service had been withdrawn with immediate effect.

"This is unacceptable as there are many older and vulnerable residents in the area that rely on access to cash to manage their weekly budgets.

"Whilst there are other options proposed, they all involve entering business premises which has an increased risk to residents in the current pandemic.

With the current 5km travel restrictions in place it is more important than ever that Carlingford residents have an available service that can be accessed within their travel parameters.

AIB have been helped by the people of Ireland in recent years and I do not believe it is not to expect that basic cash services are provided in Carlingford.

Ive written to the Minister for Finance to make him aware of the situation and have requested that he applies pressure on the bank to review and reverse the decision urgently.
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Fuel prices in the last month have risen by 4p-a-litre, bringing petrol costs for motorists close to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report.

In a stark contrast to the first lockdown - when unleaded dipped to below 1-a-litre - average unleaded prices have jumped from 114.5p-a-litre a month ago to 118.91p by the middle of last week.

The AA's latest fuel price report has compared the last month's rise in oil prices to increased average forecourt prices in the UK and claims retailers are overcharging drivers by 2p-a-litre in what it has called a 'lockdown bonus'.

'Lockdown bonus': The AA has accused retailers of hiking prices higher than the equivalent rise in oil in the last month as fuel consumption remain lower than normal due to a third national lockdown

Fuel prices plummeted during the first lockdown due to a combination of factors.

Oversupply of oil following a dispute between Russia and Saudi Arabia in March 2020 compounded the significant decline in demand as traffic levels collapsed by 80 per cent by the start of April.

By early May, the likes of Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's had all trimmed their prices to less than 1-a-litre, while forecourts in rural areas were at real risk of closure.

Since then, oil has recovered and petrol prices have risen by over 10p-a-litre, stabilised at just under 115p per litre between August and early December.

However, in the last four weeks that price jumped by around 4p, which brought average prices within 1p of where unleaded was before the first lockdown.

Diesel also saw a similar increase, now typically costing 122.22p-a-litre, up from 119.31p a month ago and 118p in early December, the AA's report shows.

It said the recent rise comes off the back of a $5 to $6-a-barrel jump in the price of oil, with petrol stations wasting no time passing higher costs to drivers at the pump.

The AA says that the supermarket fuel price wars of 2020 are well and truly over. There's now a huge difference in the cost of both petrol and diesel at supermarket forecourts, with Asda providing the most affordable fuel and Morrisons the priciest

In a stark contrast to the first lockdown - when unleaded dipped to below 1-a-litre - average unleaded prices have jumped from 114.5p-a-litre a month ago to 118.91p by the middle of last week

However, experts at the motoring organisation say the the hiked forecourt prices are higher than they should be.

Generally, a $2 change in the price of oil is met by a 1p-a-litre change at the pumps, suggesting that retailers are are adding a little extra on top - something the AA has criticisingly coined a 'lockdown bonus'.

Petrol in Northern Ireland in the middle of last week was 5p-a-litre cheaper than it was in London and the South East

'With people driving fewer miles and going to fuel stations less frequently, some will have seen pump prices jump 4p-a-litre between visits. This will come as a shock,' says Luke Bosdet, the AA's spokesman on fuel prices.

He also pointed to the apparent end of the ongoing supermarket fuel price wars that rattled on throughout 2020.

Figures show that there is currently a 3p-a-litre gap between the cheapest supermarket retailer - Asda at 113.50p-a-litre for petrol - and the most expensive, which is Morrisons at 116.87p.

As a result, non-supermarket retailers have pushed their prices higher also.

And even starker is the comparison of average pump prices across different part of the UK, with unleaded in the most rural areas of the country averaging 5p-a-litre less than the most populated regions.

In response to the AA's latest report, Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association, said: 'Petrol stations are rightly regarded as 'essential' businesses by Government yet the independent sector struggles for financial sustainability as fuel volumes plummet again during this latest lockdown.

'Unlike the big supermarkets buoyed by massive increases to grocery sales, independents have to hold onto every penny of margin to avoid cutting staff and reducing service levels in a tight market.'

'Shorter journeys and more predictable fuel costs are making electric cars more appealing', says AA

The AA said volatile petrol and diesel prices, as well as an increase in working from home and shorter journeys, is fast-tracking the viability of electric vehicles for many Britons.

On Thursday, new government statistics indicated that road fuel sales were down by 62 per cent on a typical week before the first lockdown.

It suggests that while UK drivers are making car trips, most are not covering the distances they normally would, which is a direct result of the government instruction to not leave your local area.

The AA says the combination of shorter journeys and unpredictable fuel pricing may be enough to encourage a switch to electric cars, especially for those living in cities with congestion and low emission zone charges.

This month, the AA has launched a new car leasing scheme.

The AA said shorter journeys and more stable electricity prices are making EVs more appealing to drivers at the moment - and they're a 'no-brainer' for those in London

AA members now have access to a small electric car, with insurance, maintenance and tax all paid for, at 13-a-day. This compares to 10 for a petrol alternative.

It says the lower cost of electricity compared to unleaded lops at least 1 off the daily cost of a 15-mile round-trip commute.

For those driving in the capital, it also means no Congestion Charge payment to enter Central London, saving motorists another 15 each day.

'Electric vehicles, offering cheaper, consistent and predictable fuel costs, are now offering a viable alternative,' Bosdet said.

'For hundreds of thousands of city drivers facing more daily congestion and city access charges this year, an electric car can work out cheaper than a petrol or diesel one. This will jolt the fuel trade as their customers switch.'
Dr. Alexandra Chaux Core Wellness System book The book contains many aspects of core strengthening, giving the reader additional tools that will restore health and strength to the core by using the right muscles, effectively and safely, said Dr. Alexandra Chaux.

Dr. Alexandra Chaux of Chaux Physical Therapy is proud to announce the release of her new book, Dr. Chaux Core Wellness System. This new book covers tips on how to have a healthier core, with a healthier lifestyle. The book illustrated core exercises designed to release the diaphragm, and strengthen the core in a healthier way than sit-ups and other traditional core exercises. Dr. Chaux believes that the core of the human body is the center of an overall healthier person.

As a Dr. of Physical Therapy and an avid yoga practitioner, Dr. Chaux believes that by taking time to practice yoga is a physical therapy technique that provides an additional healing method, especially with a compromised core. She has used her extensive international training with her clients, including the Hypopressive Method, global postural re-education, and conventional Physical Therapy techniques with yoga to help her patients become healthy. With the manual skills she has developed, combined with unique physical therapy treatments, breathing techniques, and yoga, she has created a diverse approach.

Dr. Chauxs new book, Dr. Chaux Core Wellness System is focused on reprogramming the abdominal muscles with a core workout routine using sequences of Hypopressive exercises. The book contains many aspects of core strengthening, giving the reader additional tools that will restore health and strength to the core by using the right muscles, effectively and safely, said Dr. Alexandra Chaux. The exercises described in step-by-step instructions, can help prevent back pain by strengthening it so that it is better protected from injury.

With this new book by Dr. Chaux, the reader will discover a unique approach that will not only strengthen their core, but make them feel better, move freer, happier, and stronger.

Dr. Chaux is the owner of Chaux Physical Therapy. She uses Manual Therapy, Neuromuscular Re-Education, Hypopressives, and Therapeutic Exercises to help her patients with a range of issues including Breast Cancer Therapy, Postpartum Recovery, and Post-abdominal surgery. She has assisted patients with Balance and Fall Prevention and Pain Management as well using a variety of methods and techniques, with yoga at the center for many of the treatments.

In her new book, Dr. Chaux Core Wellness System, a patient can follow along on their own or call the offices of Chaux Physical Therapy and schedule a virtual appointment for personalize care and instruction.

With the concerns of COVID-19, Dr. Chaux is providing many patients with virtual appointments where she instructs her patients with proper movement and placement of the body, so they are getting the same benefits as if they were in her office. Dr. Chaux believes keeping the body fit and healthy, from the inside core and throughout is essential and key to a happy and healthy body.

About Dr. Alexandra Chaux of Chaux Physical Therapy

Doctor Alexandra Chaux received her Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy in 2010 from the A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine, in Mesa, Arizona. She earlier graduated with a bachelors degree in Physical Therapy from Universidad Del Valle, in Cali, Colombia in 2001. She is certified in Therapeutic Hypopressives Level 1 and 2, and Fitness Hypopressive Level 1. She is also a Certified Practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga. Today, she offers a variety of modalities and techniques she learned in Colombia and techniques learned in Spain, and America the past 20 years. Dr. Chaux has appeared on various news outlets touting her unique healthy treatments. She can be contacted at 805-203-9940 and her clinic is in Thousand Oaks, California.
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Liebherr Group, one of the largest construction equipment manufacturers in the world, has completed the delivery of four additional Liebherr ship-to-shore container cranes to NTB, one of the most important European container terminals with an annual handling volume of more than 3 million TEU.

With this delivery, the number of Liebherr STS at the NTB Bremerhaven port has risen to 10 since the first STS was handed over in 2018.

The cranes are identical to the previous supplied and are amongst the largest STS cranes in the world with an outreach of 73 m, a span of 30.48 m and a backreach of 25 m.

The cranes have a safe working load of 75 tonnes and are able to handle the worlds largest container

vessels. Designed to work vessels with 25 containers across and up to 10 high on deck, the cranes will allow NTB to handle future generations of ultra large container vessels.

As well as being amongst the largest, the cranes are also some of the most advanced. Liebherr Automation Systems facilitates semi-automatic moves, with manual intervention only required when operating below a predefined safe height.

The port operates straddle carriers on the landside and the cranes are equipped with a yard monitoring system, which scans the operational area for obstacles, hazards or straddle carriers, and will allow

placement of the container at the target position only when it is safe to do so.

Innovative straddle carrier lane covers open only over the active lane, providing protection for those on the ground. Stack and vessel anti-collision, in addition to a vessel drift compensation system, provides safety when operating.

Crane to crane, and crane to ship, laser anti-collision systems provide further safety when the crane is travelling or booming down.

Christian Lankenau, Managing Director NTB said: "We are pleased to add four new Liebherr ship to shore container cranes to our fleet. These new cranes and the previous six allow us to provide exceptional service to our customers. We have invested in these large state-of-the-art cranes, not only for the present, but also for the future and they are a key part of our growth and expansion plans."

"For NTB it was very straightforward to invest in Liebherr cranes again. Our experience with

Liebherr equipment in terms of performance, reliability and service has been very satisfying," he stated.

David Griffin, Managing Director at Liebherr Container Cranes said it had been very

exciting to work with NTB.

"Designing high performance machines to customers exacting specifications is always rewarding, but to secure repeat orders on the strength of the machines performance is doubly so," he added.
Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

France ambassador: I wish Armenia to be able to live its independence in peace, prosperity

Bashar al-Assad wins Syria presidential election

Reporters not allowed entering Sardarapat Memorial of Armenia

US continues to face very serious problems in trade and economic relations with China

Armenia 1st President: There is a risk of civil war

Scenes of apprehension of Azerbaijani who attacked Armenian in Moscow disseminated on the Internet

Germany, France, Netherlands urge tech giants to test start-up purchases

Armenia 1st President: There has never been such rough dialogue between Armenian and Azeri leaders as there is now

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan military fired several shots at border area of Gegharkunik Province village

California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development opening office in Yerevan

US Department of State issues statement on detention of Armenian soldiers by Azerbaijani forces

Armenia 1st President says Aliyev is certain that Pashinyan won't win elections and is trying to get all that he can

UN calls for $ 95 million in aid to Palestinians

Twitter is concerned about safety of its employees in India

Artsakh hero: Impotent and perhaps also treacherous authorities of Armenia need to be removed from power immediately

France MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to show maximum restraint

Azerbaijani attacks Russia citizen of Armenian descent in Moscow

Armenia acting MOD provides President with information about capture of Armenian servicemen

Lithuania MFA urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to de-escalation of situation and pull out troops

Russian Deputy FM, EU Special Representative discuss situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Armenia acting FM resigns

Acting Deputy FM: Armenia reserves itself the right to take necessary steps to protect its territorial integrity

China speaks on dark history of US intelligence in connection with Biden's order

Netanyahu slams hypocritical and deceitful moralizing statements of French FM

Turkish authorities issues new arrest warrant for mafia after his scandalous revelations of Erdogan's entourage

EU-Armenia Subcommittee on Justice, Freedom and Security holds 11th Meeting

Armenia acting PM deletes statement on Armenian and Azerbaijani soldiers "being intertwined" from Facebook post

6 Armenian soldiers captured: situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border is tense, May 27 digest

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff deputy chief explains difficulties with settlement of border with Azerbaijan

UN: Israeli forces may have committed war crimes during 11-day war with Hamas

Nikol Pashinyan presents plan for resolving border situation

Dollar gains value in Armenia

Opposition party leader: Armenia Security Council to convene session with heads of parliamentary factions this evening

His Holiness Karekin II receives newly appointed UK Ambassador to Armenia

Greece and Turkey FMs to meet in Athens

Armenia acting PM says he will present plan for peaceful solution to border situation very soon

Armenia Parliament Speaker sends letters to counterparts of partnering legislatures

Zarif: Iran welcomes willingness of leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to ease tension

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
Legal sales of recreational marijuana in Arizona have started, a once-unthinkable step in the former conservative stronghold that joins 14 other states that have broadly legalized pot.

The state Health Services Department on Friday announced it had approved 86 licenses in nine of the states 15 counties under provisions of the marijuana legalization measure passed by voters in November. Most of the licenses went to existing medical marijuana dispensaries that can start selling pot right away.

Its an exciting step for those that want to participate in that program, said Dr. Cara Christ, Arizonas state health director, on Friday.

Under the terms of Proposition 207, people 21 and older can grow their own plants and legally possess up to an ounce (28 grams) of marijuana or a smaller quantity of concentrates such as hashish. Possession of between 1 ounce and 2.5 ounces (70 grams) is a petty offense carrying a maximum $300 fine.

The march toward decriminalization in the Sun Belt state was long. Approval of the legalization measure came four years after Arizona voters narrowly defeated a similar proposal, although medical marijuana has been legal in the state since 2010.

The initiative faced stiff opposition from Republican Gov. Doug Ducey and GOP leaders in the state Legislature, but 60% of the states voters in the November election approved it.

The vote on marijuana reflected larger trends at play during the historic election that saw Democrat Joe Biden flip the longtime Republican state where political giants include five-term conservative senator Barry Goldwater and the late GOP Sen. John McCain.

Changing demographics, including a fast-growing Latino population and a flood of new residents, have made the state friendlier to Democrats.

The recreational pot measure was backed by advocates for the legal marijuana industry and criminal justice reform advocates who argued that the states harsh marijuana laws were out of step with the nation. Arizona was the only state in the country that still allowed a felony charge for first-time possession of small amounts of marijuana, although most cases were prosecuted as lower-level misdemeanors.

The vast majority of the licenses issued Friday were in Maricopa County, the states largest county thats home to Phoenix and its suburbs. Other counties with dispensaries now allowed to sell recreational pot are Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai and Yuma counties.

Voters in New Jersey, South Dakota and Montana also approved making possession of recreational marijuana legal last November.

Arizona prosecutors dropped thousands of marijuana possession cases after the measure was approved. Possession in the state technically became legal when the election results were certified on Nov. 30 but there was no authorized way to purchase it without a medical marijuana card.

Voters in November dealt another blow to Republicans in control of the states power levers when they approved a new tax on high earners to boost education funding, a move that came after years of GOP tax cuts and the underfunding of public schools.

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Topics Cannabis Arizona
India will be witnessing two big events on Tuesday--first, its 72nd Republic Day celebrations, and second, protesting farmers' tractor parades. With this, a five-layer security cover has been deployed in and around the city to maintain law and order.

The Republic Day parade will start at 9 AM conclude after the traditional fly past 11.25 AM because of the coronavirus outbreak. The ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial. As per tradition, the national flag will be unfurled followed by the national anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. The parade will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute.

This year's celebration at Delhi's Rajpath will not see any chief guest, only a few spectators, no children under 15 in the parade, and a shorter route for parade.

In more than five decades, this year's parade will be the first Republic Day parade to be organised without a chief guest. Before this, there were no chief guests during the Republic Day parade in 1952, 1953 and 1966.

However, like every year, the nation's armed forces will once again take centre-stage on Rajpath with the third-generation Russian T-90 battle tank, the T-72 bridge-layer tank, the BMP-2 armoured personnel carrier, the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher, and the land-attack variant of BrahMos among the equipment that will be on display.

Besides, newly inducted 11 Rafale Jets will also participate in this year's parade. First woman fighter pilot Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth will also be a part of the Republic Day parade. She will be a part of the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) tableau that will showcase mock-ups of the light combat aircraft, light combat helicopter and the Sukhoi-30 fighter plane.

In another first, a tableau of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is also participating in the Republic Day parade. Moreover, the upgraded Schilika weapon system will roll down in Rajpath for the first time this year, led by the only woman contingent commander from the army.

A total of 32 tableaux -- 17 of various states and UTs, nine of ministries and six from defence arm -- will roll down Rajpath. Uttar Pradesh's tableau will feature a replica of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

A 122-member contingent of the Bangladeshi armed forces will also march on Rajpath, led by Lieutenant Colonel Mohatsim Haider Chaudhary.

India is currently celebrating the Swarnim Vijay Varsh - Golden Jubilee year - commemorating the country's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

Also read: Republic Day Parade 2021 Live: PM Modi wishes nation; farmers gear up for tractor rally

Also read: Republic Day 2021: 38 Delhi Police officials awarded police medal
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Purdue Universitys Black Cultural Center is releasing the upcoming schedule of virtual events.

All events are free. Registration is required for all events and can be done via the BCCs website.

* Now-Feb. 28  The Rudiments of SuPre by Boyd Smith at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, 102 S. 10th St., Lafayette. In 1995, a criminologist named John Dilulio falsely predicted that there would be an explosion of violence caused by young Black men, whom he termed super predators. This myth created a baseless fear that heightened government surveillance programs, intensified policing, and fueled mass incarceration of the Black community. Boyd Smith earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Electronic and Time-based Art from Purdue. This exhibition is his thesis project, a series that highlights the unjust racial violence in America and provides a visual space to claim justice for the Black community. The Rudiments of SuPre is a collection that reflects on how the idea of super predator shapes the violent realities experienced by Black people in our contemporary moment. Smith explores mixed media practices in order to highlight the complexities of this lived experience and works to provide a counter visual that re-sensitizes the audience to Black bodies and Black life. The creation of SuPre, a fictional character in Smiths work, helps to challenge the demonization of Black boys as super predators and instead allows them to see themselves as protectors of their communities.

* Feb. 1 and 15, March 1 and 15, April 5 and 19  Kiswahili Basics. Noon to 1 p.m. This program will introduce the language, teach basic conversational skills, and share broader information about the history, culture and heritage of East Africa. Participants will master the alphabet, basic greetings, basic numbering, and simple icebreaker conversations, but the focus will be on a broadening experience rather than a deep dive into the language itself.

* Feb. 4 and 11  Book clubs with West Lafayette Public Library. 7 p.m. The BCC and the West Lafayette Public Library will present a virtual community reading group for both youth and adults. The series will feature titles from 2020 Advancing Racial Equities Indiana Humanities Grant. Books selected are intended to be uplifting and relevant to the Black community. The adult selection is No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America by Darnell L. Moore. The teen book club selection is How Long Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin, which will be discussed on Feb. 16 and 23.

* Feb. 8  Sol Glo. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Live day party that highlights whats making ones soul glow. A day of celebration, liberation and joy.

* Feb. 10 Kimberle W. Crenshaw as part of the Pursuing Racial Justice Together series. 7 p.m. Crenshaw is a pioneering scholar and writer on civil rights, critical race theory, Black feminist legal theory, and race, racism and the law. In addition to her position at Columbia Law School, she is a distinguished professor of law at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the co-author of Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced, and Underprotected. She assisted on the legal team of Anita Hill during her testimony at the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. This event is co-sponsored by Krannert School of Managements Brock-Wilson Center for Women in Management at Purdue.

* Feb. 12  Black Music and Liberation hosted by James Dekle. 7 p.m. This event will feature the Everybody vs. Racism podcast, an artistic project by hip-hop artist Lamingo Tomlin. Tomlin and his business partner Andrew Hampton will provide an all-access interview to the making of the Everybody vs. Racism project.

* Feb. 17  Decolonizing Language: The Value of Learning Mother Tongue and Indigenous Languages. Noon to 1 p.m. As the English language takes center stage as the global language for business, innovation, science and academia, indigenous languages rich in ancient wisdom, culture and history often are relegated to the background. Language is not made up of mere words only. It is cultural beliefs, traditions, ways of being, thinking, indigenous wisdom, ideological beliefs and nuances. This program will draw the participants into an awareness that the English language is colonized. Mother tongues are going extinct and the world is losing the words, wisdom, cultural context and meaning.

* Feb. 22  Drum Roll with Clint Breeze. 1-2:30 p.m. Through this interactive workshop, world-class percussionist Clint Breeze explores the timeline of percussion, ranging from pencil beats on lunch tables through some advanced rhythms on the djembe and drum kit.

* Feb. 24  Black History Month Coffee House, Intimate Artistic Expressions. 7 p.m. BCC ensembles will present powerful music, empowering poetic messages, creative dance and drama.

* March 4  White Fragility with Robin DiAngelo. 7 p.m. DiAngelo, an affiliate associate professor of education at the University of Washington in Seattle, coined the term white fragility in 2011 in an academic article that influenced the international dialogue on race. Her book, White Fragility: Why Its So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, was released in June 2018 and debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List, where it remained for two years. It is being translated into 10 languages. This event is co-sponsored with Purdues Honors College.

* March 9  Mental Health Care and the Black Community presented by Meredith Stravers. 7 p.m. Stravers, co-founder of The Truth & Titus Collective, will lead a discussion on mental health issues in the Black community including race-related stress and mental trauma, healing, and navigating mental health care spaces in the mainstream, Afrocentric interventions and more. This event will feature a question-and-answer session with Maime Butler, doctoral candidate in counseling psychology, staff therapist at Purdues Counseling and Psychological Services, and Black student liaison; David Rollock, professor of psychological sciences; and Stravers.

* March 15-17  Virtual Gullah/Geechee history and traditions tour. 7 p.m. During the spring, the Black Cultural Center will conduct a virtual Gullah/Geechee tour. Participants will explore the history and culture found in this distinctly African culture.

* March 16 and 19  Spring break book club for pre-teens. 7 p.m. The group will review New Kid by Jerry Craft.

* March 25-26  Next Steps  Environmental Justice, Climate Change and Racial Justice. This free symposium will make visible environmental justice work and create a regional action network by bringing together Purdues researchers, artists, scholars and stakeholders, including peers working at research institutions across the state. This event is co-organized with the Center for the Environment and the Climate Change Research Center.

* March 31  All About Love. Noon to 1 p.m. In this contemplative conversation with poet Manon Voice, the group will review the bestselling book All About Love. The group also will learn how to center a love ethic.

* April 24  Cultural Arts Festival. 7 p.m. The festival will be a virtual performance experience featuring the BCC ensembles.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 5 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://purdue.edu/.

Writer, Media contact: Matthew Oates, 765-586-7496 (cell), oatesw@purdue.edu, @mo_oates

Source: Renee Thomas, rathomas@purdue.edu, @purdue_bcc

Journalists visiting campus : Journalists should follow Protect Purdue protocols and the following guidelines:
Some groups of farmers started going back to their respective sit-in sites on Tuesday evening after hours of chaos during their tractor parade against the farm laws, but thousands of other protesters were still in several areas, including ITO, Nangloi and Mukarba Chowk, of the national capital. Hundreds of farmers were sitting at the ITO crossing and many, who entered the city from the Singhu border protest site, were moving towards Delhi's Outer Ring Road.

Farmers were seen moving back in batches to Tikri and Ghazipur border protest sites on Tuesday evening. Earlier, wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day on Tuesday.

A protesting farmer died after his tractor overturned at ITO during the farmers' tractor parade on Tuesday, police said. The farmers draped the body in the tricolour and kept it at the ITO crossing, not allowing the police to send it for post-mortem.

"We have finally gained entry into Delhi after four months  two in Punjab and two at the Delhi border. The mood is clear, we have come here to stay. There's no point in going back to where we started," Amarjeet Singh, 62, a protesting farmer, said. The Delhi Police resorted to baton charge and firing of tear gas shells on farmers at Nangloi Chowk in West Delhi when they tried to deviate from the pre-agreed route to enter the national capital during their protest.

The agitating farmers broke cement barricades at Nangloi Chowk and Mukarba Chowk following which the police used heavy tear gas shells to disperse the unruly crowd, an official said.
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on Tuesday unveiled its upcoming flagship Safari and is set to commence bookings for the model from the next month.

The new Safari is based on the D8 platform from Land Rover which allows for further drive train enhancements including all-wheel drive and possibilities of electrification in future.

The company's Harrier is also based on the same D8 platform.

Head Marketing Passenger Vehicle Business Unit (PVBU) Vivek Srivatsa told reporters during a virtual unveiling event that the bookings for the model will open on February 4. Sales of the model are expected to begin later in the month.

The new Safari would come with six and seven seat options. It would be powered by a 2-litre diesel engine which generates 170 PS of power. The model would come with six speed manual and automatic transmission options.

The new Safari would also come with various features like panoramic sunroof, reclining second row seats, ambient mood lighting, rear AC vents, multi drive modes among others.

Tata Safari had introduced India to the lifestyle, and glamourised the segment in the country for other players to follow. For over two decades, the SUV represented prestige and performance, and in its new avatar, the Safari will carry forward this rich idea and its strong legacy, the Mumbai-based auto major said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amazon orders appear to be largely unaffected by the new trading arrangements. (Aaron Chown/PA)

Amazon has stopped selling wines, beers and spirits to its Northern Ireland customers due to with new customs rules post-Brexit, it has emerged.

ITV News reports that the online retailer is concerned that excise duty will now have to be paid twice on all shipments of alcohol which are sent from the British mainland across the Irish Sea.

Amazons suspended orders in Northern Ireland at the end of December, shortly after the UK/EU trade deal was published, and the decision is unlikely to be reversed until the company obtains clarity on the tax situation from HMRC.

One Amazon customer from Belfast, who didnt wish to be identified, told ITV News his subscription for a delivery of whisky every three months had been cancelled.

My biggest issue is they will no longer supply any alcohol to Northern Ireland, despite me being a Prime customer and having bought hundreds of items over the past 15 years, he said.

Industry sources say Amazon is also considering halting the sale of a large number of other products to Northern Irish customers - including pet food, organic food supplements and some over-the-counter medicines - before the end of March when the three-month Brexit customs grace period ends.

From April 1, all deliveries of products of animal origin, sent from mainland Britain to Northern Ireland, will need to be accompanied by Export Health Certificates (EHC) which need to be signed-off by a vet.

Amazon is concerned that the burden of the extra customs paperwork coupled with the requirement for physical checks will be too costly and disruptive, running the risk that lorries carrying thousands of Amazon parcels - many of which wont require EHCs - get held-up at the border.

Northern Irelands online shoppers are already facing fewer choices as big retailers like John Lewis, Dunelm and TK Maxx pause deliveries to here..

In a statement, a spokesperson from Amazon said: We are planning and preparing for April 1st end of the grace period so we can continue to serve our customers in Northern lreland who count on Amazon with the broadest possible selection of products.

A government spokesperson said: These goods will not be taxed twice, and we will issue new guidance clarifying the position to ensure any remaining issues are addressed.
NEW DELHI : The Union budget may provide greater assistance to expedite the construction of the strategically important Pakul Dul hydropower project on Marusudar river, a tributary of Chenab river that flows from India into Pakistan, said two government officials aware of the development. This assumes significance against the backdrop of Pakistans objections to the 1,000 megawatts (MW) project, which will be the first storage hydropower project in Jammu and Kashmir.

The budget may provide for more than 500 crore central assistance as grant and loan to Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt. Ltd, a joint venture between state-run NHPC Ltd, Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corp. Ltd (JKSPDC), and the countrys largest electricity trader, PTC India Ltd, which is constructing the project.

Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Bidens agenda

The task is seen as strategically vital in the context of China developing the controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the region. The control on river water flow also acts as a force-multiplier during times of aggression. The increased assistance is part of Indias plans to fully utilize its share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and expedite establishment of important hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir post its reorganization.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the Pakal Dul project in May 2018. With a total cost of 8,112.12 crore, the project will help improve water availability in the lean season. It will also provide 12% free power to Jammu and Kashmir and 1% free power towards the local area development fund.

Queries emailed to the spokespersons of ministries of power and finance, NHPC and PTC India late on Sunday remained unanswered. The JKSPDC spokesperson couldnt be contacted.

According to the Indus Waters Treaty, whoever builds the project first will have the first rights on the river waters.

Pakistan had raised objections to the 330MW project on the river Kishanganga, a tributary of Jhelum, and the 48 MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric project on the Chenab river.

The Union Cabinet recently approved a 5,281.94 crore investment for 850 MW Ratle hydropower project, also on the Chenab river. NHPC is the largest investor in Jammu and Kashmir and has invested around 20,778 crore there in the past four decades.

Mint earlier reported about India aiming to speed up NHPC Ltds hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir following the reorganization of the state, which has been hit by an unprecedented cycle of violence in recent years.

A Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt. Ltd spokesperson confirmed the development and in an emailed response said, The approved budget estimate of the project during 2021-22 is Rs1294.38 Crs which includes grant of 115.91 Crs and loan of 1057.83 Crs to be released by GoI (Government of India). The GoI against the budget estimate (2021-22) has approved to release 602.53 Crs for the project ( 115.91 Crs as grant and 486.62 Crs as loan)."

"Further, GoI also accorded sanction to release equity contribution of 1192.48 Crs to be infused by JKSPDC in the project as grant to CVPPPL and 982.85 Crs has already been released by MoP, GoI till date as equity contribution of JKSPDC in the Project," the spokesperson said.

"The Pakal Dul HE (hydro electric) project is also included in Prime Ministers Development package-2015 announced for UT of J&K and an amount of 4153 Crs has been sanctioned by GoI to be released for the project which includes the equity contribution of 1192.48 Crs of JKSPDC as grant and subordinate debt of Rs2500 Crs for the project," the spokesperson added in the emailed response.

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New Delhi: India celebrates its 72nd Republic Day on Tuesday (January 26, 2021), which will be the first to be organized amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, the Republic Day celebrations will be a quieter affair as there will be a shorter parade, no chief guest to grace the occasion and much less public participation in the event.

Despite all restrictions and COVID-19 safety protocols, India will show its military might with Rafale fighter jets taking part in the Republic Day flypast for the first time and the armed forces showcasing T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system, Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets, among others.

According to a Defence Ministry statement, a total of 32 tableaus -- 17 from states and union territories, six from the Defence ministry and nine from other Union ministries and paramilitary forces -- depicting the nation's rich cultural heritage, economic progress and defence prowess will roll down the Rajpath at the Republic Day Parade.

"School children will perform folk arts and crafts displaying skills and dexterity handed down from generations -- Bajasal, one of the most beautiful folk dances of Kalahandi in Odisha, Fit India Movement and Aatmanirbhar Bharat," the Defence Ministry said.

A 122-member proud contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces will also march on Rajpath on Tuesday, the ministry said. "The Bangladesh contingent will carry the legacy of legendary Muktijoddhas of Bangladesh, who fought against oppression and mass atrocities and liberated Bangladesh in 1971," it added. India is currently celebrating the Swarnim Vijay Varsh - Golden Jubilee year - commemorating the country's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

The Indian Army will showcase the main battle tank T-90 Bhishma, infantry combat vehicle BMP-II-Sarath, mobile autonomous launcher of the Brahmos missile system, multi-launcher rocket system Pinaka, electronic warfare system Samvijay among others during the parade on Tuesday, the Defence ministry noted.

The Indian Navy's tableau at the Republic Day Parade this year will showcase models of Indian naval ship (INS) Vikrant and naval operations that were conducted during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will showcase models of light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas and indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile Dhruvastra on its tableaus during the parade, the ministry noted. They also showcased scaled-down models of the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet and Rohini radar on the tableaus.

A total of 38 IAF aircraft, include Rafale, and four planes of the Indian Army will participate in the flypast on Tuesday. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will have two tableaus at this year's parade, one showcasing light combat aircraft Tejas' successful take off from aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in 2020, and another displaying full complement of the anti-tank guided missile systems, the Defence Ministry said.

The Republic Day Parade ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial. "He will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. Thereafter, the PM and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Rajpath to witness the parade," the ministry noted.

As per tradition, the national flag will be unfurled followed by the national anthem with a booming 21-gun salute, it said. The parade will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute, the ministry added.

Seventeen tableaux from various states and union territories, namely, Gujarat, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Tripura, West Bengal, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi and Ladakh will be showcased during the parade, depicting the geographical and rich cultural diversity of the country, it said.

It stated these tableaux will show the vision for Ladakh to be carbon neutral, the sun temple at Modhera in Mehsana District of Gujarat, tea-tribes of Assam, shore temple and other monuments of Pallava Dynasty in Tamil Nadu, Bhakti Movement and saints of Maharashtra, etc.

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The top 10 ranking programs are:

#1 Carnegie Mellon University (score 100)

#1 University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (score 100)

#3 Indiana University, Bloomington (score 98)

#4 University of Southern California (score 96)

#5 University of Florida (score 94)

#6 Arizona State University (score 93)

#7 Pennsylvania State University, World Campus (score 92)

#7 University of Texas, Dallas (score 92)

#9 Rice University (score 90)

1#0 Lehigh University (score 89)

#10 University of Arizona (score 89)

#10 University of Maryland, College Park (score 89)

#10 University of Mississippi (score 89)

#10 University of Washington (score 89)

#10 University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium (score 89)

This is a powerful endorsement of our part-time online program that recognizes Tepper for achieving the successful delivery of quality content in a format optimized for remote learning, stated Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, Dean of the Tepper School of Business.

Now more than ever, it is essential to meet students where they are without diluting the quality or the experience. And given the impacts that COVID-19 has had on education, that means in an online format for an increasing number of students.

U.S. News & World Report also ranks the Tepper Schools online MBA program in the following specialty categories.

#1 in Business Analytics

#1 in Finance

#4 in General Management

#6 in Marketing

For more details about the ranking and its methodology visit U.S. News & World Report.

About the Tepper School Part-Time Online Hybrid MBA

The Tepper Schools STEM-designated online MBA uniquely offers students the online convenience of learning from anywhere, coupled with in-person experiences that ensure that students don't miss anything.

Through an unmatched emphasis on analytics, leadership development, and strategic decision-making, the MBA curriculum prepares students for a long and successful career as an agile leader in a world driven by innovation and technological advancements.

Like the full-time program, the online MBA program features the same faculty and same curriculum  the same Tepper MBA.
FILE -- Dr. Paul Casey makes a video call at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago on March 6, 2020. Amid the uncertainty swirling around the coronavirus pandemic some experts recommend that older adults at risk cancel nonessential doctors appointments, including wellness visits, instead to consider using Telemedicine sessions, if available, as a reasonable substitute. (Danielle Scruggs/The New York Times)

Estonia-based health tech company VIVEO Health, the latest entrant in India's growing online doctor consultation segment, is taking the route of partnerships to expand its operations in India.

VIVEO has signed agreements with Docere, CrediHealth, SRL Diagnostics, PharmEasy, among others to expand the doctor network in India.

Raul Kallo, Founder of VIVEO Health told Moneycontrol that the platform has so far onboarded 50,000 doctors and plans to scale up to 300,000 doctors with the help of partnerships.

Kallo said the expansion in India falls in line with an increased demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic for remote consulting platforms specially designed for medical professionals with an urge to provide a safe environment to doctors and patients.

"Our idea to enter the Indian market is to provide the best of technology, we know who our competitors are, and our technology is 10 times better. We are also the cheapest solution for doctors and patients," Kallo said.

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

Kallo says VIVEO is compliant to both European Union's GDPR and US's HIPAA regulations that requires businesses to protect the personal data and privacy of their customers. In addition, the platform has Europe's CE certification.

"Our platform is most secure. It is also simple to use for doctors and patients, a doctor can onboard patients in less than 10 minutes, write prescriptions, collect money, and work closely with the local ecosystem of diagnostic chains and pharmacies," Kallo said.

Kallo said that they have found several limitations of existing digital doctor consultancy platforms, as the waiting period for onboarding doctor takes 1-2 days.

"In contrast, in VIVEO there is no downloading of any app, the doctor sends a link on SMS or email. With one click the patient is in the call. The video call is a 4K quality. All the records are digitised. VIVEO partnered with Stripe for payment getaways," Kallo said.

The platform has both the transaction and subscription based model for doctors.

"We are currently operating in 2 cities, Mumbai and Pune, we are already expanding to Bangalore, and from the start of 2021, we are establishing offices in Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad," Kallo said.

Founded in 2017, VIVEO operates in 42 countries.

Kallo says coming from Estonia, being the first country to introduce digital health records globally and produce the most unicorns per capita in the world, gives them an edge in terms of technology.
Anywhere between 21 and 33 people with severe mental illnesses were being held in prison in any given month last year due to a lack of space at the Central Mental Hospital.

The extent of the waiting list for the facility, the only institution for holding and treating people with acute mental health conditions caught up in the criminal justice system, is outlined in a report published today by the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT).

It said the practice of incarcerating such people due to a lack of access to community hospitals or space in the Central Mental Hospital was one of the biggest failures of the State in terms of caring for the most vulnerable.

Details of the waiting list levels, contained in the IPRTs Progress in the Penal System 2020 report, come just two months after the issue was highlighted in the High Court.

Lawyers for an actively psychotic murder accused challenged the legality of his detention in prison in circumstances where they said he was suffering from homicidal thoughts and not getting the treatment he needed.

Although suitable for entry to the Central Mental Hospital, there were others in the queue ahead of him who were considered more deserving. Ultimately the court ruled his detention in prison was lawful.

If we are to learn anything from Irelands history of inappropriate institutionalisation of our citizens, incarceration as an alternative to healthcare must end, said IPRT executive director Fiona Ni Chinneide.

The solution is one that requires leadership at all levels in the State, but operationally, the Department of Health must work hand-in-hand with the Department of Justice to end this practice.

The IPRT report described progress in the area of mental health as mixed, with numbers on the waiting list for transfer to the Central Mental Hospital similar to those seen in 2019. The report also said that while the Irish Prison Service should be commended for taking a public health-led approach to infection control and keeping the prison population largely Covid-free, there has been less progress in the area of mental health.

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One positive from the pandemic was the alleviation of overcrowding. Within a month of the pandemic being declared the prison population was reduced by 10pc to 3,807.

This brought about a near end to prisoners sleeping on mattresses and a move towards single-cell occupancy.

However, there have been significant downsides as well.

A letter from the Justice Minister in April 2020 indicated some prisoners were locked in their cells 24 hours a day while awaiting coronavirus test results, with no access to showers during this period.

Limited out-of-cell time has been a feature of the Covid-19 restrictions, with the general prison population locked up for an average of 19 or more hours a day in some prisons.

The report advocated increasing remission periods for people imprisoned during the pandemic.

Men and women detained in prison during the pandemic have received a level of punishment that could not have been anticipated in their initial sentencing, it said.

Indeed, some court cases in England, Wales and Scotland have taken into account the impact of Covid-19 restrictions as a relevant factor in sentencing. However, there has been a notable absence of debate on this issue in Ireland.

The report also highlighted what Ms Ni Chinneide described as a clear gender bias in the use of prison for pre-trial detention and short sentences. Although much less likely than men to commit violent offences while on bail, over 26pc of women detained on remand were in prison for theft and related offences, compared with just 13pc of remanded males.

She called for an honest assessment of apparent gender discrimination in the use of imprisonment.
In a shocking incident, a 30-year-old womans head got decapitated at a flour mill in Punjab in front of a customer on Monday. She was declared dead at the hospital.

The incident took place when the woman, identified as Baljeet Kaur, went to fetch flour when her husband was not at the mill, which the couple ran together.

As a customer arrived for flour, she bent over and her head got stuck in the running mill machine. Within moments, her head got decapitated. She was then rushed to the hospital by passersby, but was declared dead, India Today reported.

"The body has been sent for postmortem and a case has been registered under Section 174 CrPC," said ASI Balwinder Singh from Jeera Police Station.
A mans body was recovered in the Murray River by police divers on Australia Day, after he was reported missing by friends earlier in the day.

Emergency services were called to the Murray River near Cobram, in southern NSW, about 1pm after the 35-year-old St Kilda man got into difficulties while swimming with friends.

Authorities told 9News the man was on holidays with friends when the incident occurred.

Friends entered the water here at Thompson Beach and proceeded to swim across the river. However, on the way across one of the males came into some difficulties and sunk beneath the surface, NSW Police Acting Inspector David Forland told 9News.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-27 02:29:06|Editor: huaxia

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A man walks past an Iranian bank in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 28, 2021. Iran expects the United States to "quickly" lift sanctions on the Iranian banking sector, so it can access its own assets abroad to fight the COVID-19 epidemic, the Iranian government's spokesman said on Tuesday. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

TEHRAN, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iran expects the United States to "quickly" lift sanctions on the Iranian banking sector, so it can access its own assets abroad to fight the COVID-19 epidemic, the Iranian government's spokesman said on Tuesday.

"It is expected that (the new U.S. government) will free up the transfer of Iranian-owned foreign exchange resources, and quickly end the banking sanctions in order to (let Iran) access financial assets," Ali Rabiei said at a virtual press briefing, official news agency IRNA reported.

The spokesman made the remark when commenting the Iranian government's plans to combat the coronavirus epidemic.

Answering a question on whether the Iranian authorities have had contact with the new U.S. administration, Rabiei said no such contact has been established, and Tehran has no plans to initiate any dialogue for the moment.

Instead, he further said, the Iranian government is waiting to see Washington's official policy regarding the return to its commitments and "the lifting of its illegal sanctions, which is an inseparable part of those commitments."

The official voiced hope that the U.S. government will make "practical steps" to "prove its good will and build confidence" before the situation becomes "more complicated."

According to a law passed in December 2020 by the Iranian parliament, he recalled, inspections of Iran's nuclear program related to the Additional Protocol of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) will be limited starting around the third week of February.

"It should be noted that inspections under the Safeguards Agreement will continue ... as usual" he stressed, noting that most of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s inspections and camera monitoring activity in Iran belong to the Safeguards Agreement.
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Thats one of many reasons people say they want more affordable housing options available in the village. Others say they want their kids to be able to move back to the area after college or that they want those who work in Glenview to be able to afford to live there as well.
[January 26, 2021] Linea Light Group Chooses Infor for Digital Transformation and to Centralize the Control of the Business

VIMERCATE, Italy, Jan. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Infor today announced that Linea Light Group, a prestigious Italian brand of professional LED lighting and design, has implemented Infor LN as part of a digital transformation strategy. The objective of the project, which was managed by Infor partner 2WS, was to redefine the group's information processes for better business management of its individual branches for sales. Learn more about Infor LN: https://www.infor.com/solutions/erp/ln Founded in 1976, with headquarters in the province of Treviso, Linea Light Group specialises in the design and production of lighting systems and solutions for indoor and outdoor environments. Among the first companies in Europe to specialise in LED technology and with over 550 employees, its production activities are located in Italy, with two operational offices in Treviso, and hubs in USA and China for localized manufacturing service. The commercial activities are managed by various branches and agencies throughout Europe, the Far East and Asia, with some of them also dealing with warehouse management activities. The ERP (enterprise resource planning) solution used by Linea Light Group in Italy, based on an IBM AS/400, was disconnected from the various systems in use in the group's branches and agencies. The company needed to define a business management model common to all subsidiaries in order to harmonize operational activities in all foreign countries in line with the head office; simplify access to data and have information tools capable of automating, streamlining and supporting intra-group activities. Linea Light Group identified Infor LN as an ERP solution ideally suited to the needs of manufacturing companies. 2WS supported Linea Light Group throughout the decision-making and implementation phases of the project. The Infor LN implementation was based onthe definition of core models, developed for each type of branch and agency in the group, according to their specific business needs. Different models have been defined for the management of a commercial branch (reseller), for the management of an agency and, finally, for the management of a branch that also deals with warehouse management.



Process standardization, integration and simplification are among the main results achieved by Linea Light Group following the deployment of Infor LN. Since implementing a common business management model, the company has obtained better visibility of internal information with immediately accessible data. This, in turn, has enabled the company to automate and streamline intra-group activities. The project, still in progress, began with the first commercial branch model in the UK, followed by implementation of the agency model. After launching Infor LN in its UK and Singapore offices, the branch model was developed during 2019 by integrating the functionalities for warehouse management activities for the offices in France and Poland, which started using Infor LN in 2020. Deployment extended next to the branch in Germany, in addition to the completion of finance areas in Singapore and the UK.

To meet the need for integration and automation of the data flows of branches and agencies to and from corporate, an interface was developed to integrate Infor LN with Linea Light Italy's AS/400-based system. During the spring of 2020, Infor LN was integrated with the company's business intelligence solution to allow the complete analysis of 'sell-out' and 'sell-in' for all branches that use the ERP. Furthermore, the Infor ION integration technology used to link Infor LN with the AS/400 system in use by corporate has made it possible to automate intra-company flows by exploiting the standard business object documents (BODs) available for importing and exporting business partners, price lists, articles, sales offers, purchase orders and payable invoices. The main features that highlight the value of Infor LN are the usability of the system, the multilingual management, the visibility of highly profiled data and the search for information. In the future, Linea Light Group plans to optimise the general model and evaluate the extension of Infor LN to other foreign branches and agencies, such as Dubai, Russia and Spain, as well as to the Italian commercial agencies in the group. This will be done based on the already defined business models, ultimately, with a view to optimise operational, logistical and administrative flows. "Infor LN represents an important opportunity for the group," said Manuel Minute, Linea Light Group's CIO. "It will allow the company to embrace the digital transformation necessary to better manage its worldwide operations by providing visibility and reinforcing control and support from the headquarters. The 'wave' project planning approach allows us to obtain benefits incrementally, adding further features each time and implementing the system at a sustainable pace." "We are pleased to support a 'made in Italy' brand such as Linea Light Group. Our innovative technology, together with the great experience and professionalism of 2WS, have provided the agility and flexibility Linea Light Group needed to centralize control of the business and better integrate its branches with the parent company," said Bruno Pagani, Infor sales director for Italy. "We are honoured to support Linea Light Group, which is a front runner in its pursuit of excellence. It has chosen Infor LN for digitalisation and standardisation of processes  an ERP perfectly suited to its industry  whilst relying on the competence and professionalism of 2WS," concluded Giorgio Borgogno, 2WS managing partner. About Infor Infor is a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry. Providing mission-critical enterprise applications to 67,000 customers in more than 175 countries, Infor software is designed to deliver more value and less risk, with more sustainable operational advantages. We empower our 17,000 employees to leverage their deep industry expertise and use data-driven insights to create, learn and adapt quickly to solve emerging business and industry challenges. Infor is committed to providing our customers with modern tools to transform their business and accelerate their own path to innovation. To learn more, please visit www.infor.com . For more information:

Richard Moore, Infor PR, EMEA

Richard.Moore@infor.com

+447976111243 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/linea-light-group-chooses-infor-for-digital-transformation-and-to-centralize-the-control-of-the-business-301214923.html SOURCE Infor

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Teachers have gone on strike in France demanding higher salaries and more government support amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Schools have remained open since September because of the government's concern over learning gaps, despite threats of a third lockdown in the country.

Schoolteachers and university students marched together in protests or went on strike Tuesday around France to make their demands.

'No virus protocol, no school!' read posters carried by schoolteachers, demanding better virus protections at their schools.

'Sick of Zoom!' chanted university students, frustrated that they've been barred from campuses since October.

The common concern at Tuesday's protests in Paris, Marseilles, Lille, Lyon and other cities around France was economic.

Teachers have gone on strike in France demanding higher salaries and more government support amid the Covid-19 crisis. Pictured: French professors, students and nurses march for the revaluation of salaries and against the precariousness of students in Paris, January 26

Schools have remained open since September because of the government's concern over learning gaps, despite threats of a third lockdown in the country.

Schoolteachers and university students marched together in protests or went on strike Tuesday around France to make their demands. Pictured: Students demonstrate in Lille, northern France on January 26 to demand more government support amid the pandemic

Teachers unions, who are negotiating with the government for improved conditions, want higher salaries and for the government to hire more educators after years of cost cuts.

The education ministry says about 12 percent of teachers nationwide took part in a national call to strike Tuesday.

Students, meanwhile, are seeking more government financial support and want to call attention to emotional troubles among young people cut off from friends, professors and job opportunities amid the pandemic.

Even as the French government considers imposing a third lockdown, the prime minister allowed first-year students to return to partial classes this week.

He acknowledging that lockdown-related mental health problems among young people are also a public health concern.

France has among the world's highest number of virus infections and deaths.

Pictured: Students demonstrate during a rally as part of a nation-wide striking day of teachers and students over salaries for teachers and the government's handling of the health pandemic in schools, on January 26 in Paris

'No virus protocol, no school!' read posters carried by schoolteachers, demanding better virus protections at their schools. Pictured: Students demonstrate in Paris

A protester holds a sign reading 'Stop Contempt, More Teachers, More Salaries' as French teachers, students and National Education workers demonstrate as part of a strike for jobs, wages and working conditions in Paris, January 26

Teachers unions, who are negotiating with the government for improved conditions, want higher salaries and for the government to hire more educators after years of cost cuts. Pictured: A student holds a banner during a demonstration, January 26, in Lyon

The number of people hospitalised in France for COVID-19 rose by more than 1,000 over the last two days, a trend unseen since November 16.

On Monday, the number of patients in intensive care units for the disease exceeded 3,000 for the first time since December 9.

A growing number of medical experts have called for a third lockdown in France while the government rolls out the vaccine, but French media reported that President Emmanuel Macron was trying to avoid such a measure.

As of Monday, France had vaccinated 1,092,958 people, which equates to 1.67 per 100 people in the country. In comparison, the UK has vaccinated 7.04 million people, or 10.38 per 100 people.

The common concern at Tuesday's protests in Paris, Marseille and other cities around France was economic. Pictured: Students hold a cardboard made to look like a laptop with a cage for a screen in Lyon on January 26. 'Sick of Zoom!' chanted university students, frustrated that they've been barred from campuses since October

A protester holds a sign reading 'Digitalized education = Low Cost Education' as French teachers, students and National Education workers demonstrate as part of a strike for jobs, wages and working conditions in Paris, January 26

The number of people hospitalised in France for COVID-19 rose by more than a 1,000 over the last two days, a trend unseen since November 16. A third national lockdown is looming, but despite this schools have remained open

Macron hopes a 6 p.m. curfew put in place earlier this month will be enough to rein in the surge in new infections prompted by the emergence of more contagious variants of the virus.

Getting the number of patients treated in ICUs for COVID-19 below the 3,000 limit was the main justification for replacing the second lockdown with the national curfew on December 15.

At 3,081, the ICU total is less than half its all time high of 7,148 on April 4, but has grown almost every day since January 7.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Bloomberg Television that a new lockdown would make it very difficult for the country to reach its 2021 target of 6 percent economic growth.

The government had also aimed to bring the average new daily cases below 5,000 before lifting the second lockdown.

A growing number of medical experts have called for a third lockdown in France while the government rolls out the vaccine, but French media reported that President Emmanuel Macron was trying to avoid such a measure. Pictured: Macron on January 26 in Paris

A Protester displayed a sign on his bag reading 'Blanquer Authoritarian Minister' depicting French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer as a police man during a protest, January 26

The education ministry says about 12 percent of teachers nationwide took part in a national call to strike Tuesday (pictured)

Students are seeking more government financial support and want to call attention to emotional troubles among young people cut off from friends, professors and job opportunities amid the pandemic. Pictured: Teachers and students protest in Paris on January 26

After a 54,440 high on November 7, the seven-day moving average of daily new infections, which averages out reporting irregularities, fell to 10,348 on December 4 but is now back up to 20,240 after a two-month high of 20,447 on Monday.

The daily tally of new COVID infections was 22086 on Tuesday, while France's cumulative total of cases now stands at 3,079,943, the sixth-highest in the world.

The country's COVID-19 death toll was up by 612 on Tuesday, taking the cumulative total to 74,106, the world's seventh highest.

On Monday, the seven-day moving average of new fatalities increased to 401, the highest since December 9, but down slightly to 395 on Tuesday

Government minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said on Tuesday that there is no need for the French government to make a decision on a new national lockdown at this stage, as it is still evaluating results from its current night curfew.

France has imposed a 6pm-6am curfew, though some doctors and medics have called for a new lockdown to tackle a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

'To the best of my knowledge, and based on the data we have at our disposal, at this stage there is no reason to decide on a lockdown,' she told BFM TV on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, French Health Minister Olivier Veran said that he had decided to maintain to 21-28 days the gap between the injection of the first and the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19.

Veran told a news conference he made that choice out of caution, citing a lack of scientific evidence that extending the gap would be totally safe.
Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2021) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Cache Exploration (OTC Pink: CEXPF) ("the Company"), a publicly traded mining and exploration company with a true district play covering a majority of Proterozoic Kiyuk Basin. CEO of the Company, Jack Bal, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly.

Jolly began the interview by asking about the Company's recent private placement deal. "We raised $2.4 million, which is more than we were planning on raising," shared Bal. "We raised over $1 million in warrant exercises during that time as well," he added. "The money is going to be used for a drill program on our major asset, Kiyuk Lake," said Bal. "It is one of the most prospective open pit targets in Northern Canada and we're very excited. We plan to initiate a drill program in the beginning of March of this year."

Jolly then asked about the Company's projection for this gold project. "It's a very large project; it is over 500 square kilometers," explained Bal, adding that the Company has drilled 15,000 meters to date. "We think we're sitting on a target that could host millions of ounces," said Bal. "We've had very good success on drilling to date. We're planning on doing the drill program in March, but we'll also follow-up with another drill program in July," he continued. "We'll drill more this year than we ever have in the past."

"After our second drill program this year, we will publish a 43-101 resource calculation," shared Bal. "But even then, it will still be the tip of the iceberg," he added, noting that only 1% of the project has been drilled so far. "We have eight major targets, we drilled five already, and we hit on all five. So, we're going to drill quite a bit to expand those zones, but we also have three to four new targets that we have developed," said Bal. "We feel that we will increase our targets and make some major discoveries this year."

"How deep do you think you'll have to drill?" asked Jolly. "We've drilled down to almost 700 feet in the past," said Bal. "We are going to drill deeper, but we're also going to widen these zones. We've had very good success, and we've started hitting high-grade as well," he shared. "In the world right now, the average grade of an open pit mine for gold is about one gram per tonne, and we're averaging almost three grams per tonne on our deposits."

"We're getting a lot of interest from different companies asking for data packages and confidentiality agreements," said Bal. "If we're successful in drilling and increasing the size of our deposit, we're going to get lots of interest that way."

"Are there any other developments that the company is looking at?" asked Jolly. "Absolutely, we are always looking at how to create shareholder value," explained Bal, adding that the Company is also open to acquiring older mines with high resource potential.

To close the interview, Bal shared that the Company is growing closer to their March drill program, which represents significant potential and is expected to generate more interest in their stock.

To hear Jack Bal's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7782229-cache-exploration-discusses-high-grade-potential-of-2021-drill-programs-with-the-stock-day-podcast

Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/

About Cache Exploration

Cache Exploration is a publicly traded mining and exploration company with a true district play covering a majority of Proterozoic Kiyuk Basin. To learn more about Cache Exploration, visit https://www.cacheexploration.com.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Private Placement and the availability of capital and finance for Cache to execute its strategy going forward. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by Cache in light of its experience and perception of current and expected future developments, as well as other factors that Cache believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause Cache's results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward looking statements, including: discrepancies between actual and estimated results from exploration and development and operating risks, dependence on early exploration stage concessions; uninsurable risks; competition; regulatory restrictions, including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability; currency fluctuations; defective title to mineral claims or property and dependence on key employees. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, 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. 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.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Jack Bal

Tel. 604-306-5285

jackbalyvr@gmail.com

About The "Stock Day" Podcast

Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. Stock Day recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona.

SOURCE:

Stock Day Media

(602) 821-1102

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/72855
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt departs following an extended visit in the midst of a coronavirus disease outbreak, from Apra Harbor, Guam on May 21, 2020.

U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kaylianna Genier/REUTERS
Press Release

January 26, 2021 Expand UP-DND Accord safeguards to other state universities: Pangilinan FOLLOWING the unilateral termination of the University of the Philippines-Department of National Defense (UP-DND) Accord that regulates police and military presence in UP campuses, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan has filed two bills seeking to include Accord safeguards in the 2008 UP Charter as well as expand them to all state universities and colleges (SUC) nationwide. At the same time, in his sponsorship speech of amended proposed Senate Resolution 616, Pangilinan on Tuesday welcomed DND's decision to answer the various calls for dialogue with UP on the termination of the 1989 UP-DND Accord. Aside from Pangilinan, co-authors of the resolution include Senators Risa Hontiveros, Nancy Binay, Ralph Recto, Leila De Lima, Franklin Drilon, and Joel Villanueva. Senator Richard Gordon also expressed support for Pangilinan's resolution. "Anak ng pakikibaka ang UP-DND Accord, hindi ito anak sa buho. At mabuting anak ang UP-DND Accord. Nagsilbing proteksyon ang mga probisyon nito para sa lahat ng stakeholder ng pamantasan. Kaya gusto nating i-institutionalize ito sa UP Charter at gawin ding batas para sa lahat ng mga SUC sa buong bansa," Pangilinan said. As former UP Diliman University Student Council chair and the first UP Student Regent with voting power, Pangilinan championed as principal author and sponsor the passage of the UP Charter law in 2008 that lists safeguards for the welfare of UP students, faculty, and staff. "April 2008 nang pinasa natin ang UP Charter. It will be 13 years since then and it's a good time to introduce amendments that would better cater to the needs of the UP community, especially following the attacks it has been experiencing lately. We want to ensure that any accord that UP will enter into in the future cannot be abrogated unilaterally," Pangilinan said. Among other things, Senate Bill No. 2014 amending the UP Charter of 2008 prohibits soldiers, policemen, and other law enforcement agency personnel from entering UP campuses except in hot pursuit and other emergency situations. "Akbista ako noong estudyante ako sa UP. Martial law noon, at maraming kalayaan ang sinupil. Nilabanan natin ang pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan. Kaya ang mga kalayaang ine-enjoy natin ngayon, dapat mas marami pa ang mag-enjoy," Pangilinan said. Relatedly, Pangilinan's Senate Bill No. 2016 or Academic Freedom Act of 2021 aims to protect and guarantee academic freedom by also requiring prior notification before police action inside public campuses, among other things. "Napakarami ngayong reported incidence of red-tagging sa ating mga estudyante. The red-tagging of students has been widespread and pervasive. Kami mismo sa Senado ay nag-hearing na tungkol dito. It is a harsh reality that students face: a climate of fear mongering and intimidation designed to curb critical thinking and freedom of expression. It is unjust and unproductive," Pangilinan said. "Students throughout the history of the world have always been critical of the status quo, of government. But this doesn't make them criminals. They should enjoy the freedom to be critical. It is restricting, unproductive, and unjust if, in the students' pursuit of solutions, they are met with: 'Hindi pwede yan,' 'Wag ka nang mag-isip,' 'Tatakutin ka namin kapag pinagpatuloy mo yan,'" he added.
Giant carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus snatched fish from the shoreline while also hunting for small prey on land, according to a new study into its behaviour.

Previous theories suggested the 49ft beast that lived 100 million years ago was a 'largely aquatic predator' that used its long tail to swim and pursue fish in the water.

The new study by Queen Mary University of London - based on analysis of other dinosaurs and lizards that lived on land or sea - found little evidence to support the idea of the massive dinosaur as an aquatic predator.

They found it wasn't well adapted to the life aquatic and was more like a 'giant heron or stork' stalking the shoreline for fish and small land prey animals.

Life reconstruction of a Spinosaurus wading in the water and fishing. Giant carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus snatched fish from the shoreline while also hunting for small prey on land, according to a new study into its behaviour

Saddle-billed storks in Africa foraging with their beaks partly below water - Spinosaurus may have done something similar feasting on the shoreline for animals and fish

First discovered by palaeontologists in 1915, the ecology and biology of the massive carnivorous beast has puzzled researchers for decades.

Dr David Hone, Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary and lead author on the project said their analysis of other creatures - living and extinct - revealed evidence of heron-like behaviour, but none supporting it as an aquatic predator.

'Some studies suggested that it was actively chasing fish in water,' said Hone, 'but while they could swim, they would not have been fast or efficient enough to do this effectively,' he added.

'Our findings suggest that the wading idea is much better supported, even if it is slightly less exciting,' Hone explained.

Researchers studied the likely head position of Spinosaurus in the water, determining it was unsuited to open aquatic pursuit of fish

Co-author Tom Holtz, Principal Lecturer in Vertebrae Paleontology, University of Maryland, added that the creature was a 'bizarre animal even by dinosaur standards'.

He said the Spinosaurus was 'unlike anything alive today', adding that 'trying to understand its ecology will always be difficult.'

'We sought to use what evidence we have to best approximate its way of life. And what we found did not match the attributes one would expect in an aquatic pursuit predator in the manner of an otter, sea lion, or short-necked plesiosaur.'

One of the key pieces of evidence unearthed by the researchers related to the dinosaur's ability to swim.

Spinosaurus was already shown to be a less efficient swimmer than a crocodile, but also has fewer tail muscles than a crocodile, and due to its size would have a lot more drag in the water.

Dr Hone said: 'Crocodiles are excellent in water compared to land animals, but are not that specialised for aquatic life and are not able to actively chase after fish.

'If Spinosaurus had fewer muscles on the tail, less efficiency and more drag then it's hard to see how these dinosaurs could be chasing fish in a way that crocodiles cannot,' he added.

Dr Holtz said despite this, the evidence does suggest the creature fed partly, or even mostly, in the water - more so than any other large dinosaur.

Researchers found that the Spinosaurus (fossil pictured left) were more like a stork or heron (top right) in how they fed than the crocodile (bottom right)

Reconstructed skeleton of a moderately sized Spinosaurus showing its famous sail-back and tail plume

'But that is a different claim than it being a rapid swimmer chasing after aquatic prey,' he added.

Though as Dr Hone concludes: 'Whilst our study provides us with a clearer picture of the ecology and behaviour of Spinosaurus, there are still many outstanding questions and details to examine for future study.

'We must continue to review our ideas as we accumulate further evidence and data on these unique dinosaurs. This won't be the last word on the biology of these amazing animals.'

The findings have been published in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica.
The Daily Beast

Chip SomodevillaFox News and Donna Brazile have quietly parted ways after she spent more than two years with the network as an on-air political analyst, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman confirmed Friday.When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile told The Daily Beast in a text message. But I decided to return to ABC.Brazile went on to add that over the past two years, Fox News had allowed her to make multiple appearances on ABC News Sunday news show This Week, adding that all is good between her and Fox.The liberal pundit recently made her debut as an ABC contributor on this past Sundays broadcast of This Week.The longtime Democratic strategist raised eyebrows in March 2019 when she announced she had signed with the decidedly right-leaning outlet, largely due to the fact that Fox News opinion commentators had previously made her a bogeywoman for her controversial tenure at CNN.A 2016 WikiLeaks email revealed that Brazile, then a CNN contributor, leaked debate questions to then-candidate Hillary Clintons campaign. Following the release of the hacked emails, CNN severed ties with Brazile.The Democratic operative, meanwhile, defended her decision to join Fox News. At the time, she acknowledged she would get criticized by my friends in the progressive movement but said the 2016 election showed we have to engage that audience and show Americans of every stripe what we stand for rather than retreat into our safe spaces. She also contended that she had all her marbles when she decided to join Fox.It wasnt just progressives, though, that criticized Braziles presence on Fox News. The networks most devoted and powerful viewer repeatedly made his displeasure known that the ex-DNC chief was appearing on his television set. So @donnabrazile gives Crooked Hillary the Questions, and now shes on @FoxNews, then-President Donald Trump tweeted in August 2019, one of his many complaints about Brazile after she joined the network.Braziles time at Fox was also marked by several heated and tense on-air moments, most notably when she lashed out at Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for weighing in on the 2020 Democratic primary. Stay the hell out of our race! Brazile shouted, adding: So, Ronna, go to hell!The prominent Democrats departure is one of several recent, high-profile exits from the network, including Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Jedediah Bila and White House correspondent Kristin Fisher, who recently jumped to Braziles old home of CNN.Brazile leaving Fox News also gives the network one less liberal pundit to fill Juan Williams now-open slot on the opinion roundtable show The Five. After Williams sudden exit from the showwhich Fox News insiders blamed on co-host Greg GutfeldFox News said it would try out a rotating series of liberal commentators to take his place.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
President Donald Trump greets the crowd at the "Stop The Steal" rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Trump Creates Office of the Former President to Advance US Interests, Carry on Trump Admin Agenda

Former President Donald Trump opened an Office of the Former President on Jan. 25 that seeks to advance the interests of the United States and carry on the agenda of his administration.

A statement from the office in Palm Beach County, Florida, reads: Today, the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, formally opened the Office of the Former President.

The Office will be responsible for managing President Trumps correspondence, public statements, appearances, and official activities to advance the interests of the United States and to carry on the agenda of the Trump Administration through advocacy, organizing, and public activism.

President Trump will always and forever be a champion for the American People.

Then-President Donald Trump comes out of the Oval Office for his departure from the White House on Sept. 16, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

There have been many questions as to whether or how Trump would engage in politics after he left office. Trump made his first political move after leaving the White House on Jan. 22 when in a phone call he endorsed Kelli Ward, who was later reelected as the Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman.

It is such an honor to have President Donald Trumps total & complete endorsement as I run for re-election as @AZGOP Chairwoman! #Humbled #Blessed #AmericaFirst pic.twitter.com/y8U2ZcepjL  Dr. Kelli Ward  (@kelliwardaz) January 23, 2021

Trump also released a statement late Jan. 25 endorsing his former press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in her campaign for Arkansas governor.

The announcement of the Office of the Former President came shortly before the House of Representatives delivered a single impeachment charge to the Senate late Jan. 25. The incitement of insurrection charge claims that Trump was responsible for inciting an insurrection that resulted in riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Although Trump left office on Jan. 20, Senate leaders are determined to press forward. If convicted, senators can then choose to disqualify the former president from ever holding office again.

Some Democrats are also looking at using the Constitutions 14th Amendment to bar him from holding office.

When Trump left Washington for Florida on Jan. 20, he told supporters that he and his team would be back in some form.

We love you. We will be back in some form, he said at the time. I will always fight for you. I will always be watching. I will be listening.

Trump later made remarks in a similar vein, saying that hell make a comeback in some way. Well do something, but not just yet, Trump told Rob Crilly of the Washington Examiner on Jan. 22, without elaborating.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell said over the weekend that Trump had told him that he wants to run for the presidency again. Grenell told Newsmax: Hes told me personally, multiple times, that he does want to run again. So well see if that holds and how that comes about; I think weve got a long ways to go.

Jason Miller, a campaign adviser, said earlier this month that Trump would be involved in the 2022 midterms with the immediate focus being to help Republicans win back both chambers of Congress. Its unclear whether he would run for president in 2024.

Miller also told The Epoch Times on Jan. 25 that Trump and his team dont have any affiliation with a newly formed political committee called the MAGA Patriot Party, amid speculation that Trump would try to form a third party.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.